Sybil Ladurec's Diary

The contents below are taken from the diary of Sybil Ladurec. Her diary was an important piece of evidence in the case file marke as: "Around Every Corner".

''This diary is a continuation of the one from last year. ~ Sybil Ladurec''

''4E 356. Night 345. Sandor.''

''Sandor's wife has been yelling at him again and he felt that he needed some place where he could be left alone from her rolling pin. Curious, that his hideout would be between my loins. Not that I complain. He is tender and he pays well. My guess is that his wife keeps yelling at him because she wonders what he does with all their gold. I find it kind of amusing and sad at the same time that all of his gold disappears into my pockets.''

It's almost like a ritual.

1. His wife beats him for wasting money.

2. He runs for cover over at Haelga's Bunkhouse.

''3. We spend the night together. More money "disappears"...''

4. Repeat...

''4E 356. Night 346. Rakh.''

''Rakh can be such a sweetheart when he wants to. He visits me so regularly, it's almost like are a thing! I think he is infatuated with me. Although, it would never work. I am a working girl and he is... well, I don't know exactly what he is. He claims to be working on something big down in the Underways. (I have always wondered about what the difference between the Underways and the Ratway are? I thought they were both one and the same?) Either way, he keeps showing up with more gold in his pockets than the last time, it's almost like I start to suspect that he has killed a noble. But that just isn't Rakh. He may be hard-headed, and let his fists do the talking, but he is certainly no murderer.''

''4E 356. Day 347. The Market.''

''Occassionally Mi'Siri let us working girls have a day off, doing whatever we want with the gold we have earned. I saw that strange man with the glasses today again. Apparently he is some visitor from the Imperial City. I think I overheard him having a discussion with some of the shopkeepers about the lore and legends of Riften, claiming he was an author of some sort. I have always found lore to be an interesting subject, but I definitely don't like Riften's. It has...''

''...too many dark memories... ''

''4E 356. Night 347. The Market.''

''When I was walking home after a whole day of incredible shopping, I couldn't help but notice that man I saw on the market again. He is currently staying in those old apartments for rent by the looks of it. I think I saw him through one of those dirty windows. He was peering out, holding a lit candle as if he expected to see someone out in the streets. I waved at him, but he simply raised an eyebrow and disappeared out of sight. Probably to return to his writings... ''

''Such a bore... I bet he hasn't gotten laid even once...''

''4E 356. Night 348. Rakh.''

''Rakh came by once more. This time with a bouquet of flowers. Silly man, still thinks we will become as one. Though a part of me has started to believe it might not be such a bad idea. He has started to do well for himself. I can tell by his expression, by his gold and his... performance. (By the Gods he is HUGE!) This time, once he was satisified and we were lying in bed, I learned from him that he was working for someone known as 'the Servant'. (a servant of what, I wonder?) Apparently they are running some really big show underneath the city. He said that soon there is going to be a change. I can't help but wonder what kind of change, but he says it will be a good one, and when it happens he will marry me.''

Such a sweetheart...

''4E 356. Night 349. Sandor.''

''Sandor again... I swear that if he keeps up with this... He is gonna find himself divorced again!''

''4E 356. Night 350. Mikkel.''

''This lowly fisherman is hardly the love of my life, but he is actually kind of charming. I just think that he feels really alone and doesn't have anyone to talk to. So far he hasn't paid me for the usual treatment I give the majority of our clients. He rather pays me for my company. He wants me to listen to his many tales of how all the things he has seen. He tells me stories of ancient cities from the stars. He tells me of his failed expedition to Atmora. He tries to engage me in philosophical discussions about the matter of good and evil, but I feel so severely misplaced. (I have no idea what to say in situations like this! HELP!) He is sweet though. And he is far too good for someone like me. He oughta find himself a nice girl of vast intelligence he can settle himself down with.''

Downsides: He can talk your fucking ear off!

''4E 356. Night 351. The Bunkhouse/The Streets.''

(I don't know why I found it so important to write such a long section for this particular night when absolutely NOTHING of interest happened! If I am not too careful I am definitely gonna end up like that writer. All alone with no friends!)

''No clients this night. Not even Rakh showed up. I guess he must be busy serving 'the Servant' (I can be so witty!) I learned that Embla overheard our conversations three nights ago. (Can't that blind woman find herself another hobby other than eavesdropping?) Apparently Embla wanted to speak to me about something. I believed she mentioned something about a 'warning' or so, but I didn't really have the time. I decided to head out for a night of fresh air instead. As I walked the alleyways I was spooked by some passing and playing children, singing that infernal rhyme about some Pale Man. (Gods, that freaked me out!)''

''Riften seems so much different at night... The Bee and Barb get frequent visitors. The windows in the Temple of Mara are darkened and unlit. (Does anyone ever work there at all by night?!) The Meadery and the Fishery closes down, although I can still see a lone candle lit in one of the windows, implying that there is at least someone guarding there by night. The Apartments over by the market are also dark. Only one single light from that writer man's window is still aglow. He is presumably still writing. I tried to catch his attention, but this time he didn't even seem to acknowledge me. Rude! When walking the alleyways it always feel like you are being watched. It is rather unsettling, actually. And it's one of the many factors why I have never really enjoyed living in Riften. Around every corner it feels like there is someone waiting for you to pass by, only to grab you and drag you into the shadows. Makes me shudder, just thinking about it!''

''As I passed the cemetery I could have sworn that I saw someone scurry away in the corner of my eye, but I assumed that it was just the shadows playing tricks on me. Although, it is definitely not the first time I have felt being watched in that particular area...''

''4E 356. Night 352. Rakh.''

''I could have sworn that I saw someone looking at me through the window this night. I had just spent another wonderful evening with Rakh, and he had told me of how it was only a matter of a week or so, before he would be able to take me away from here with riches far beyond Riften standards. After our lovemaking, when I was sleeping on top of him, I noticed someone standing out there in the rain, staring into my windows. I screamed. I probably woke up half of the brothel. Mi'Siri was the first to arrive into my chambers as I pointed to the windows and explained the situation. Rakh only sat there in the bed with a concerned expression as if he couldn't fully comprehend what the problem was. (Figures. The man may be sweet, but he certainly lacks for brains.) Mi'Siri and Embla calmed me down and Mi'Siri allowed me to take the next day off... (She is such a friend!) I told myself that it was only one of those poor, pathetic men who had fallen in love with me, telling themselves that I belong to them. (I do have that effect on people!) I couldn't explain it to Mi'Siri or Embla, of course, but I couldn't help but getting that horrible feeling that my watcher wanted more than to just stare at my naked body... I truly despise this town...''

''4E 356. Day 353. The Bunkhouse.''

''Alright. Now I am scared... During the day, as I spent some time with several clients, one after another, I just knew that... I don't know... It just felt that once again I was being watched, but this time from someone within the brothel itself! I swear that I feel someone's eyes staring at me from some shady nook in the house, or rather it feels like the very house itself is a pair of eyes, holding me under their observation. I can't stay here anymore... I told Mi'Siri that I will be leaving for awhile, eventually to return, if I feel any better... or safer for that matter. But I certainly can't find no peace here! I have plans to return to the place where I grew up, the Orphanage, and see if I can get some employment from Inga Hard-Palm. I'd rather work with messy children than having to spend one more night in this place, knowing that someone's after me...''

''4E 356. Night 353. The Bunkhouse.''

''Some clients may be rough, and make you despair, but this is actually the first time I have been fearing for my life! As I was asleep this night, I saw the shadow outside my window again, and I felt a pair of piercing eyes staring back at me. Craving me. Even with all lights turned out and my room completely darkened, the figure still stood out there in the night and gazed in, as if it knew that I was hiding in here!''

''I had a hard time keeping myself from screaming when I realised that the figure had disappeared from the window. Instead I heard the sound of creaking footsteps approach my room door, grabbing and jerking my door knob forcefully, trying to get in! Someone wants me dead! I can feel it! I am in luck that our locks are on the inside of our room doors, to keep our acts with our clients a private thing. But still... I just know that this stalker will go to no lengths in order to get to me... He... She... It wants me dead!''

''I can't stay here anymore! I will cover the windows with the curtains and cover under my bed tonight, listening to the rain. When morning comes I will leave and return to my familiar childhood areas in the Orphanage. I already made the arrangements earlier this day for Inga Hard-Palm to receive me. Won't she be surprised when she founds out that Sybil Ladurec, her favourite, became a simple whore?''