For now I settled on human ambitions. I still felt sick from Meridia's gaze on me. I didn't even know Daedra could manifest like that. Perhaps it was just Meridia though since she is a daedric prince of light or whatever.
I leaned on a rock wall. I breathed in and composed myself. I had an image to protect in Solitude. I stood up straight took one more deep breath and started marching up to the city gates. "Hey Maxwell!"
The guard waved at me. I nodded and entered the city and headed straight to the winking skeever. Entering the Inn I looked for Corpulus. Finding him tending the bar I greeted him. "Corpulus! Just who I wanted to see."
I leaned on the bar as I continued. "I've gathered some of the money. Enough where we can start construction. The furniture and interior fund still need to be gathered."
Corpulus gave a laugh, "Fair enough. I assume you are telling me this since you have the ability to get the funds for the interior?"
I summoned my normal smirking grin. "Of course! Speaking of, what will all the new renovations be? I would like to know what I am paying for."
Generally most traders would be trustworthy. After all no one wanted to get stabbed by a daedric cultist or thief. That did not mean they couldn't be sneaky. So I waited for his explanation. Corpulus gave his own grin, "Fair enough. Let me go get the plans."
Corpulus wandered off and grabbed several papers. As he paged through them I had a stray thought. The paper in my Draconic Dictionary was well made and smooth to the touch. However thinking about the other papers I've seen, they were all rough and fairly thick. I could actually make a killing on paper manufacturing.
Corpulus walked back over, "These are the designs."
I grabbed the blueprints from him and looked them over. Flipping through them I couldn't help raising my eyebrow. "A three story building?" It was a rare floor plan. After all three story buildings were rarely used for common use buildings.
The renovations also added a second set of rooms, it even included plans for an alchemy and enchanting table. That wasn't all, it had an oven and several storage areas. Overall it looked like he was building a player home.
However it was still closer to just normal renovation of a Inn. Corpulus clearly put effort into this. That parts that looked like a player home seem to be where he decided for his end of the deal. While the third floor and major bar extensions are his normal renovations he was planning.
I could use speechcraft to ease up on my wallet, or get higher priority on my guild room. I shook my head deciding against it. There was no need and Corpulus was a man of his word. "Look good, I have to ask... Any magic involved in the third floor?"
He raised his eyebrows, "Why do you ask?"
I pointed to the plans, "It will need reinforcements. Specially for a building made of wood. If you have permission I suggest you anchor it to the wall behind the Winking Skeever. This area will collapse during the building process if you don't."
He looked at the wall that I pointed out on the blueprint. It was one of the back walls in the dining area. Corpulus looked back at the blueprint, "Is it the weight?"
I let out a single laugh, "Ha! Got it in one. Simply put if the wrong person is booked on the third floor or someone has some action in one of the rooms up there. This wall will strain and crumble on itself. That area is also load bearing already since it is held to the second floor staircase."
Corpulus nodded, "Anchoring the third floor to the wall. Do you mean the city wall or the mountian itself?"
With a shuffle, "Using steel hooks, Heavy Rope, and Cross guard Planks and you could eventual renovate again."
Corpulus nodded and Sorex came over looking at the blueprints. Sorex pointed at the paper, "We could build a secondary private bar there and only sell the more expensive drinks there. We could charge more for the rooms at the third floor too."
I smirked, "Luxury drinks, for high paying customers. If we set up a guild it makes sense we the place would have some more richer clients. After they might just need a place to stay during their travels."
Corpulus rubbed his chin and looked at me, "Know any trustworthy workers?"
I smirked, "cheap and trustworthy or expensive and honest?"
The father and son duo understood my words. Cheap would mean they might have some dirty dealings, but they would be loyal. If we get the more expensive help they wouldn't be loyal, but they would have clean backgrounds.
A little girl spoke first making me jump. "Who's the cheap?"
Sorex patted the little girl's head. "Hey, Minette. What are you doing here?"
She shrugged, "I'm bored, can i get some money for snacks?"
Corpulus was about to say something, but I gave her a gold coin. "Go learn how to barter."
She gave another shrug and skipped away. I had almost forgotten Minette. Telling that her mother wasn't around anymore I assume she died in child birth. It was a good guess since Sorex patted my shoulder, "Thanks. You didn't need to give her some gold. Since Mom is..."
Corpulus and Sorex stood in silence and i broke it, "I gave her one of my Atmoras. She will need to learn to haggle."
They both laughed, Sorex responded, "I am sure she will still manage to get her snacks. Back to what we were talking about. Minette asked what i was thinking earlier. Who is the cheap option?"
I shifted a little, "The easiest is Horm."
Sorex eyes flickered, "Right! He would settle for anything that pays since his parents don't pay him for the work at the stables."
I snapped my fingers, "Yup! The con to hiring him is he would be a part-timer. Meaning we can't have him work every day."
Corpulus placed a pen and paper, "Write the names down. Pros and Cons of each."
I started with the three people in Solitude. Horm was the first. The other two however were new to me. Hilvarg and Thessia, Hilvarg was a nord fisherman while Thessia was an imperial maid. Both were unsatisfied with their jobs. The con to Hilvarg was food, he currently lived of the fish he catches. Thessia gets paid a lot of money to clean some of the noble homes in solitude. However most of that money comes from Erikur.
Derkeethus was an Argonian who was captured by some falmer. By his luck he was kept alive. The con was obvious, he had to be saved, but he would dedicate his life in exchange. A nord named Golldir was also possible. Except I thought about it and scratched his name off the list. I would need to help him kill another necromancer in his family tomb. He was also a noble of Whiterun.
While i was thinking Sorex asked me. "Why not this Golldir guy?"
I explained, "He is a noble and he needs help killing a necromancer. He also lives in Whiterun so he is a tad far. He is unlikely to come to Solitude."
Corpulus nodded, "A stormcloak, best not to hire them. Even if w take a neutral stance we can't guarantee others won't."
I nodded, and added Illia. She was a difficult one, and I explained her as I wrote down the requirements. "This girl is a daughter of a Witch Coven. The matron of which is a forsworn Hagraven Acolyte. She has strong morals however and if we help her kill the coven..."
The father son duo gave a nod in understanding. A powerful witch would protect the Inn well and with the establishment of a new guild we would need a little extra security. Speaking of security Jenassa was a good mercenary to hire. However she was on the expensive and honest list.
Malborn would be a good hire, but he comes with time. Once he helps the dragonborn sneak into the thalmor embassy. He would eventually end up at the winking skeever. He had bartending skills and normally handled high-class clients. A person of similar nature to Malborn was Muiri. I left her information blank though. As I was unsure if I wanted to handle her quest. Specially since if you kill Grelod you get kidnapped. The price of taking that contract may be far worse.
I tossed the pen back to Corpulus. "Those are the names and the pros and cons."
Corpulus was about to say something, but started coughing. "H-Hold on."
He left me and Sorex. Sorex looked at me with a frown. "I think he is dying."
I raised an eyebrow, "How so?"
He whispered, "He has been rushing a lot of things. Disappearing into his room during coughing fits and... Talking about me taking care of Minette and my inheritance. I normally don't think too much about him talking about me inheriting the winking skeever. However as of late he as been talking about me taking my time to adventure while I can. He almost never let me even think about adventuring skyrim before."
I rubbed my chin, Sorex had a good point. It was actually pretty easy to cleanse yourself of diseases. Disease and Illness that can't be cured by a priest or a potion tends to be deadly or counts as some kind of curse. Corpulus should be able to buy a cure disease potion. "If he is, he will eventually tell you."
Sorex nodded and looked back at the list, "Let's talk about our options."
I pointed to Illia, "I am going to make a trip to the Rift anyway. It will be a longer travel than I would like, but a powerful witch would be perfect for the guild and security."
Sorex looked up, "The rift? Why?"
I sighed, "I plan on climbing up to High Hrothgar. Hopefully I won't have to though."
Sorex nodded, "Derkeethus, Who is this guy?"
I pulled out my map and pointed. "Also in the rift. Darkwater Crossing, a Falmer camp."
Sorex laughed, "So basically you are making a trip to he rift."
"I nodded, "Ivarstead to be exact, but I'll run around the rift to collect some things."
Hopefully I wouldn't run into other players or their trails. I had a feeling Derkeethus would still be their, but Illia was a good follower. If someone started in riften they might've picked her up. Corpulus hadn't come back yet. I sighed, "I'm gonna go get the rest of the money needed for renovations."
Sorex nodded, "Are you gonna grab Viree?"
We looked over at the blacked out Viree. "She has a drinking problem."
Sorex nodded, "I don't even know where she gets the gold."
I shook my head, "She is getting money of Aldis in exchange for sparring with the guards."
Sorex let out a laugh. With that though I grabbed a bottle of mead myself and left for my next task.