Permadeath Chronicles: Karenolura

Foreword

The character creation process for my permadeath runs begins with a semi-randomized system. I allow myself up to three rolls to determine the character’s class, race, birthsign, and background.
The community that joins me during my livestreams plays a huge role in shaping these stories. Take for example Karenolura's name. The race mod we're using the Kheran race by Westly, and Chat felt that this character should be a Karen. :)
In the nature of permadeath runs, the end is inevitable—my characters always meet their fate. Yet some stories feel too compelling to let go. This chronicle is one of them.

a Pearl Diver's Transformation

In the Imperial settlement of Pelagiad, Karenolura found an unexpected home. As a Maomer, she drew curious glances from locals and travelers alike, but the waters of Lake Hairan offered solace. 'The depths care not what I am,' she would often think while diving for pearls, finding joy in the silence beneath the surface. She lived simply, selling her findings for modest profits—just enough to sustain herself in this town where Imperial guards patrolled cobbled streets built atop Dunmer soil.

Though she had no blood relations in Morrowind, Karenolura carried with her the teachings of her adoptive father, a kind-hearted Khajiit monk who had raised her. 'Kindness costs nothing,' he would say, and she had built her life around his wisdom: be kind, show compassion, avoid violence, and live simply.

One day, after a successful dive, Karenolura brought her pearls to the local trader, Mebestian Ence. The shrewd Imperial merchant offered far less than their worth. 'Father would say the price matters less than the peace in my heart,' she reminded herself, for she had weightier matters on her mind. A letter had arrived from her adoptive father, speaking of his journey to Gnisis where he hoped to rejoin the Tribunal Temple. He asked to meet her there.

Upon reaching Gnisis, that dusty outpost where Temple faithful prayed in the shadow of an ancient Velothi tower, she searched for him without success. The Temple had seen him but knew nothing of his whereabouts. Finally, a guard mentioned seeing him leave town, adding a warning about aggressive nix-hounds in the area. 'Surely he knows to be careful,' she thought, 'he taught me everything about surviving these lands.'

Taking the road out of town, Karenolura discovered her father's body, partially devoured by nix-hounds. Something broke inside her at that moment—the injustice of it all, the pain, the sorrow. 'What is the point,' she asked herself, 'of leading a peaceful, kind, and compassionate life, only to die alone and rot?'

She remained there, cycling between tears and anger, until finally turning back toward town. There she met Constance, a young Bosmer who was clearly a thief—someone her father would have urged her to guide toward a better path. Perhaps it was because she herself was born under the sign of the Thief, or perhaps it was the rebellion in her heart, but she chose to travel with Constance instead.

Together they returned to town and began stealing whatever they could. Though they made little coin, Karenolura felt freed and exhilarated. 'Is this what you meant by finding our own path, father?' she wondered bitterly while celebrating their 'day's work' at the tradehouse. There, they overheard talk of a bounty. Bandits were terrorising travellers nearby, operating brazenly from a cave close to town while the guards did nothing.

For Karenolura, it seemed perfect—a chance to channel her anger, deliver justice, and make the roads safer. 'Perhaps there are many ways to help others,' she thought, trying to reconcile her new path with her father's teachings. The promise of coin was appealing too, as Constance, despite her small frame, had proven quite the heavy drinker. Their day's pickings were already spent at the bar.

As Karenolura and Constance prepared to hunt these criminals, she touched the pearl she always kept in her pocket—the first she had ever found. 'Guide me, father, even if I cannot follow your way.'

You can catch the let's play on YouTube