Skyrim Journals: Lopiken [Year 3]

Day 297

We made it to Raven Rock without any issues at sea. Apparently, Lydia hasn't ever traveled so far by boat. The farther we sailed away from land, the more nervous she became. It was funny until I noticed she wasn't able to sleep much during the nights. One of the ship hands gave her a special tea that they keep on hand for anyone who has trouble with sailing, and that helped calm her down.

When we arrived in town, I had to raise a fuss to speak with Adril, as he claimed he was "too busy" at the moment. He seemed to suddenly become busy as soon as I reminded him who I was, but I refused to let him go. Obviously he was trying to avoid me, probably because he hadn't been trying to rent out my place at all! I had made an agreement with him, but it seems it just wasn't worth his time anymore.

Once I dug further into it all, it was pretty clear why it hadn't been rented yet. The fool put the rent too damned high! I told him all I cared about was someone to cover the upkeep costs, and when I demanded to know why he had chosen such a high rent, he said the amount I had requested was unreasonable, as it would invite irresponsible tenants who would tarnish the reputation of such a manor. I was quite angry at that point.

After some negotiating with him, we settled on a suitable rent that would cover the upkeep, the taxes, his cost of managing the rental (which had raised since our previous agreement...) and a small amount to set aside for any repairs and other unforeseen issues. He was quite shocked that I hadn't wanted any profit for myself, but it's been waiting for tenants for so damned long, and although Raven Rock is growing, it's not attracting the kind of people willing to spend that much on rent.

Anyway, he said he would organize some postings to be listed around Raven Rock tomorrow.

Lydia was incredibly impressed with the manor, although she hated how difficult it felt to breathe here, what with the ash and all. I asked if she wanted to explore some of the island, but she's quite insistent on returning to Skyrim as soon as we can. I'm a little disappointed she didn't want to see more of this place, where I had spent so much time, but I understand. This isn't a place many would like at all. We'll visit the market tomorrow and see about that new jewelry, and then see if there's a boat sailing for Skyrim that evening or if we have to wait until the next morning.