Skyrim Day 017 - The Forlorn Forsworn

2 Heartfire, 4E201

Markarth

~~~

I should have expected today, but I did not. Blame fatigue or an unwarranted confidence, but my embarrassment at being trapped so easily today is only relieved by how easily I escaped from it.

The bed I had rented went unused, for I was expected at Talos's shrine within the hour of arriving at Markarth. The Dwemer architecture made for a very haphazard arrangement of streets and stairs and more than once I simply hopped off a street on to the one below rather than try to find the stairway. Intuition led me to the Temple of Dibella and after some careful poking around I found a doorway underneath the Temple which, unsurprisingly, opened up to a hallway with a statue of Talos in clear view and Eltrys in somewhat less clear view.

He asked that I investigate why the assaulted woman, Margret, was in Markarth and what reason the would-be murdered, a smelter worker named Weylin, would have to kill her. Any information I found would be rewarded in gold. The task sounded simple at the time, so I agreed.

Margret was in the inn, sitting by the fire. She had not noticed me come in, so I took the opportunity to observe her for a few minutes. She did not appear to be shaken up or troubled by her recent brush with death, instead content to stare into the flames with a mug of something nestled in her lap. I was born so long ago that I cannot even remember the date and this woman did not have me fooled.

She confessed immediately. Margret was not in Markarth to do some shopping for her sister, she was an agent of the Imperial Legion assigned to acquire the deed to the city's silver mine. That she was attacked by an agent of the Forsworn did not seem a coincidence to her and she asked that I keep her informed. I decided to keep Margret's new identity to myself and left the inn intent on bringing Eltrys information on only Weylin.

As soon as I exited the inn I was stopped by a city guard who warned me that my interest in the Forsworn had been noticed and that it would be best for me to become more interested in something else, preferably in another city entirely. Foolishness, of course, for his warning meant that Margret's assault was somehow connected to the city authority. Best always to say as little as possible to your prey.

Shopkeepers are only second to barkeeps in the rumors they hear, so I ventured inside a store near the city gate which was somehow still open in the middle of the night. The owner, Lisbet, complained that the Forsworn raids had robbed her store of business and offered a reward for the return of a gold statue of Dibella. The Forsworn in the mine had not been very difficult, so I saw no reason not to help her.

Lisbet suggested that I visit Thonar Silver-Blood, owner of the local silver mine, if I had any questions about the Forsworn. According to her, his properties outside of the city had been plagued by Forsworn raids and he would be of great help to me in determining what was going on. I did not later appreciate the irony.

A small gift of gold to his wife purchased me access to Thonar and I wasted no time in telling him I was seeking answers about the Forsworn involvement inside of Markarth. He had started to reply when a shout of "For the Forsworn!" erupted at the entrance to his house, his former servants charging down the hall with sword and spell.

Thonar's wife fell instantly to a Forsworn blade before I could dispatch the two assassins, but Thonar was not appreciative of my effort. He blamed me for the death of his wife, but I pointed out that the attack on Margret and the attempt by the city guards to warn me away implicated him in having a connection to everything.

He then admitted that the leader of the Forsworn, a Reachman named Madanach, was imprisoned in his silver mine and allowed to control the Forsworn via messengers in exchange for Thonar being able to point the Forsworn towards his business competitors...allowing him to purchase the ravaged properties at low rates. But Thonar's arrangement had been crumbling and the death of his wife made him realize that his control over Madanach was broken. But he blamed me for his wife's death and swore he would see me in chains alongside Madanach.

Like a fool I took his threat as an outburst stemming from his grief and paid it little mind. My next stop was the Warrens, the "poor" part of  town where most of the miners and blacksmith workers lived. The Warrens were really just the collapsing ground level of the former Dwemer city. The poor of Markarth were out of sight and out of mind...until one tried to stab a woman.

Weylin had done little to hide his involvement with the Forsworn. On his makeshift bed was a letter from 'N' telling him that he had been chosen to strike fear into the hearts of the Nords. The letter instructed him to be at the market, at which point further instructions would somehow be communicated. I needed now to find out who 'N' was and left the Warrens.

Predictably a man was waiting for me outside, warning me once again to stop investigating the attempted murder. Not content with simply a warning, he then told me he was also told to teach me a lesson and rushed me with his fists.

Unarmed combat against a Khajiit can be a dangerous thing for we have many advantages others lack. He lasted only a few minutes before gasping that he had enough. While wiping the blood out of his eyes and nose he ruefully admitted that 'N' was a man known as 'Nelos the Nose', a sort of manager of Markarth's criminal underworld. I thanked him for his help and went to arrange an appointment with Nelos and his nose.

His name was well-deserved, his nose was the longest, most crooked one I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few noses in my time.

Much as Thonar did, Nelos confessed to everything almost without my asking for it. He admitted that the Forsworn acted on orders written by Madanach and delivered through himself, stating that he had been doing this for almost twenty years now. When I asked why he was being so honest with his involvement, he calmly asked me why I thought I would be allowed to leave. Once again: say as little to your prey as possible!

A kick to the side of his knee incapacitated him and a shove into the fireplace in front of him guaranteed he would be of no use during the fight I had preemptively started. His servants rushed at me with short blades and we bloodily danced around the house to the tune of the Nose's screaming. Our melee ended in the dining room.

It was time to return to Eltrys with what I had found and accomplished.

But Thonar was a man of his word. When I stepped inside the shrine, I was suddenly pushed further inside by a guard I had not seen follow me in. Inside where three more guards and the corpse of Eltrys splayed atop the feet of Talos.

Of course I was under arrest for the Eltrys murder and the guards freely confessed to having set me up on Thonar's orders. The talkative guard complained that I had left a lot of work for them to do, but I cannot say I feel particularly sorry about that. With three guards in front of me, one behind, and the rest in Thonar's pocket I decided surrendering was the most prudent course of action.

And with that I became Cidhna Mine's newest worker.

Khajiit are not miners by nature and I felt the itching to escape as soon as I entered the 'common' area. A dour man was sitting cross-legged in front of a fire as I arrived and a huge Orsimer with a pickax in his belt was standing near a door. The sounds of mining echoed from the tunnels leading away from the strange duo, but I was told my sentence was life, so I doubted anyone would be commuting my stay in exchange for silver ore.

The dour man, Uraccen, pointed me to the giant Orsimer, Borkul 'the Beast' when I asked about speaking with Madanach. Gaining access to Madanach meant having to deal with Borkul. He refused to let me by and dismissively told me the only way I was getting by was through him. With apparently no other option I challenged the Orsimer to what would have appeared to be a rather one-sided fistfight.

The other prisoners came running to watch Borkul beat the stupid Khajiit into a pulp, but the battle was over sooner than they had probably hoped for. It pays to not underestimate a Khajiit's claws.

And with that I left the bleeding Borkul and disappointed prisoners behind and entered into Madnach's little domain. It was not much: a small hallway, a locked door, and at the end, his personal room.

He had not heard my fight outside with his bodyguard, nor had he heard me enter the room. In front of me, oblivious, was the leader of the Forsworn. Thonar Silver-Blood was certainly no friend of mine, but he was not leading a small rebellion in a land already wracked by civil war.

He had been writing a speech before his neck was snapped and it spoke of a secret tunnel into the city via a door near his cell. The key around his neck unlocked the door I had passed and I made sure to carefully lock it behind me as I escaped Cidhna Mine. This passage led through an undeveloped part of the Dwemer ruins that was full of spiders and Dwemer mechanicals. With no weapons, armor, or useful spells I could only run as fast as possible past all the things that tried to kill me.

I managed to reach the exit with all my limbs attached and to my dismay I found myself facing Thonar once again. His "eyes" inside the Mine had quickly informed him of Madanach's demise and he thanked me for eliminating one of his problems. To show his gratitude I was pardoned of my "crime" and all of my equipment was returned to me. He also gave me his family ring so that the rest of the city would know what I had done for it...or so he said.

I do not believe I will be spending much more time in Markarth, ring or no ring. But right now, I need some sleep.

Oblivion Day 17 - The Near-Invasion of Leyawiin

13 Heartfire, 3E433

Leyawiin

~~~

Given the length of the ride from Bravil to Leyawiin I elected to get up earlier than usual, anticipating bandits, Oblivion gates, rain, whatever this land has to offer a weary traveler. As it was, I found the body of a bandit dead at least two days, but nothing else save for two wolves and a little dock along the road with a boat tied to it. It reminded me of the nearly uncountable numbers of smugglers that had dotted the coast of Vvardenfell. I made good time and was standing before the gate of Leyawiin before the dawn broke.

Leyawiin has always been an interesting city. Stuck in-between Elsweyr and the Black Marsh, the city boasts the highest population of Khajiit and Argonians of any city of Cyrodiil, including the Imperial City. Such a diverse group of people tends to attract a diverse group of visitors and the few who were awake when I arrived wasted no time in telling me about an Orc name Mazoga who had presented herself to the Count claiming to be a knight of some kind. Interesting, but hardly relevant to my reason for being here.

I sold my silvered long sword at a blacksmithy called the 'Dividing Line' and purchased a steel short blade to replace it. The long sword had been a welcome addition when I received it, but I am no armorer and rigors of my several trips to Oblivion has left the blade worse for it. I could have had the Argonian blacksmith repair it, but I would much rather have a sturdier, if somewhat shorter, blade in its place.

The Mages Guild in Leyawiin has fallen on hard times. It's Master, an Altmer named Dagail, has been unfocused to the point of incoherence and her second, an Imperial named Agata, has been running the guild in her stead. This lack of focus is a recent thing however and Dagail was normally an effective leader. Focus or no, only Dagail could give me the recommendation I sought, so I had no choice but to speak with her. Her speech was not as vague as I had been led to expect and I found her understandable, if rather meandering. She did complain of constantly hearing voices and I assumed that they were the cause of her unending distraction.

Dagail did say that her amulet silenced the voices, but that it had recently gone missing. She asked my help, but could do little else but direct me to Agata to learn what was required of me. Agata was surprised that Dagail revealed the cause of her misery to me, but she did not know much about the disappearance herself. She suggested I ask around the Guild to see if anyone had seen an amulet laying around, but I figured if it had simply been laying around it would have been found before my arrival. Nevertheless, I spent some time acquainting myself with the other guild members, including the resident Alchemist, S'drassa who asked that I keep my eyes open for crystals called "Garridan's Tears", powerful ingredients that I have been promised a fair quantity of money for, should I bring him any. He also mentioned that a guildmember, Kalthar, had been talking about an amulet.

Kalthar was happy to hear that I was searching for the amulet, but not in a helpful sense. He crowed that the guild's "facade" was ready to collapse and that Dagail's entire family had always suffered from these bouts of strangeness. He then talked of Dagail's father, who according to him served the Empire for years and died in an unmarked grave. Why the man's anonymous fate bothered Kalthar, I have no idea. 

After asking Dagail about her father she told me in a roundabout way that he had fallen in battle, possibly against a dragon, near Fort Blueblood. I am not familiar with the specific fort, but Dagail told me to search the south-west for its ruins and within it, her father's amulet which would quiet her own voices. I left the guild expecting the rest of the day to go rather quickly.

On my way out I encountered the Countess and her bodyguard and she actually stopped to speak with me, asking if I was an adventurer. When I replied that I was, she praised my actions, stating that the Empire depended now on people like me to keep the roads safe from bandits and "rabble-rousers" instead of Legion. Disquieting, but I pretty much already knew this to be true.

As I left the city via the east gate the sky began to glow red and my fur stood on-end, sure signs of an Oblivion gate, but I was literally standing just outside the city. I thought the gates opened only well outside the cities to stealthily stock the land with Daedra, but this gate was an arrow's shot away from the city wall.

When I asked the gate guard about it, he admitted to being scared of the thing and said that the Count had been trying to raise a small force from the city guard to invade the gate, but that had been days ago and no one stepped forward. Thus the gate was left alone to spew forth Daedra and eventually destroy the city. As the Countess had said moments prior, it seems up to adventurers to defend the Empire in these difficult days.

The gate led me to an area of Oblivion with which I was very familiar already: six small towers surrounding a large tower, each of which controlled a gate on the ground. Opening the gates allowed entrance to a smaller tower which led inside the large one, enabling me to claim the Stone and close the Gate.

By then dusk was closing and I did not feel as though I had time enough to wander the forest southwest of Leyawiin in search of a fortresses's ruin, so I have ended my day early at the 'Five Claws Lodge'. The Countess's observation has been in my head all afternoon and I realize my initial strategy of tackling these Gates myself is not a winning one. I need to encourage others to do the same and in this town, the Orc Mazoga may be adventurer enough for the task. I do not yet know.

Tomorrow I shall complete my own business and then look after the Orc and see if we cannot come to some sort of understanding about what the Empire requires from people such as us.

Morrowind Day 17 - For the want of flowers

1st Hearthfire

~~~

Breakfast again at the Balmora Mages Guild, then a beeline for Masalinie as soon as I was finished with my meal. I teleported to Vivec and wasted no time in leaving the guild, though I did grab the magicka restoration potions from the Guild's supply chest on the way out. They are free to members and my lack of casting skill means I'll need them a lot more than any other guild member. Besides, no one else ever seems to go anywhere.

On my way down to the lower levels of the canton, I stopped to talk to a Khajiit merchant, Baissa, who didn't have much in the way of adventuring wares, but did mention she overheard a rumor that there was something interesting underneath the Arena canton. It seems that every person I talk to has a rumor to investigate or a task that needs doing and if I pursued half of what I have already been told I'd be dashing about from one side of Vvardenfell to the other. The 'Mystery Under Arena' will have to remain just that.

I managed to avoid any other rumors and jobs and finally reached Jobasha's Rare Books. I had been hoping to find the books Hasphat had mentioned, but the Temple Ordinator stationed right inside the store was a sign that I would not, in fact, find the books here and I didn't, to no surprise. I did sell off a few of the larger books I had been carrying with me though, freeing up valuable backpack space and making me a few Septims richer. I do enjoy reading though and if I had a place of my own I'd certainly stock up on books. Maybe that's from my upbringing in the temple, so many years ago.

On my way out of the canton I passed an Alchemist's shop on the way out of the book store and stopped in, figuring I could sell some of the gems. The store's owner, Aurane Frernis, was clearly distraught and asked if I had seen any of "those horrid leaflets". I had a leaflet that the Redguard outside the Mages Guild had given me nearly a week ago, but I hadn't done more than glance at it. I think I kept it in case I needed to light a fire. The leaflet was a proclamation that Aurane's potions were bad and had several testimonies to that effect. Naturally, Aurane was not happy about this and asked if I could look into it for her. Ordinarily I'd pass, but having a friend in Vivec may be handy in the future, so I agreed to track down the source of the slander and put an end to it.

Naturally, my initial questions were directed at the man handing out the leaflets outside the Mages Guild: the Redguard Domalen. He was not ashamed to admit he was being paid by a Telvanni eager to discredit her competition. This Telvanni, Belan, was more likely driving customers to a different foreign alchemist rather than to her. My brief visit to the Telvanni canton was a cold, unwelcoming experience.

Nevertheless, I braved the (perceived) silent hostility of the canton and spoke to Belan. In true Telvanni fashion she admitted that she was the source of the leaflets and offered me one hundred Septims for my silence. I simply walked out and informed Aurane who her slanderer was. She was furious and promised me (for some reason) that she would go to the magistrate with the information. I wonder what chance a foreigner has for justice against a Telvanni. Coincidentally my reward was one hundred Septims, plus a new task.

Aurane spoke of flowers very similar to Gold Kanets that only grew in one location in all of Morrowind: Roland's Tears, a type of Gold Kanet that could only be found near the Daedric ruins outside of Vivec to the northeast. I was a bit uneasy about approaching the ruins, but agreed to undertake the job, figuring I could skirt around the ruins until I saw the flowers.

The ruins were a surprisingly short walk from the Telvanni canton and I heard the ruins before the rainy, overcast weather allowed me to see it. The Daedric shrines were built to communicate with and summon Daedric servants, but when the cults were destroyed or dissolved, the ruins fell into disrepair and the whatever barrier protects our world from the Planes of Oblivion is weakened, allowing daedra to inhabit the remains of the shrines. Fortunately, they seem unable to venture out of the ruins, but the concentration of foes makes ruin exploration a very hazardous affair.

My plan to avoid entering the ruins turned out to not be feasible, as one side lies against the water and the three landlocked sides were not home to Roland's Tears, so I wound up having no choice but to cut through the ruins to reach the far side.

In pristine condition, the shrine's architecture must have been a wonder, with gazebos, staircases and spires seemingly placed at random. In the haphazard jumble that time inflicted upon it, it was easy to get turned around and confused. Only by sheer luck was I prevented from becoming a crispy Khajiit, courtesy of my would-be Flame Atronach assassin. As it was, my sneaking about paid off for the first time in my life and I had the distinctly uncomfortable experience of watching the Atronach stomp right past me, probably no more than twenty yards away.

When its back was turned I quietly laid my sword on the ground and pulled out my bow and a handful of enchanted arrows I had purchased from Aradraen. The damp weather and my anxiety caused the first two arrows to fly wide, but they impacted wet soil instead of stone and the Atronach remained unaware. The next arrow smacked right into the side of its head and the arrow's enchantment sent a cone of cold into the creature as it reeled. I was able to get off two more quick shots as it charged at me, but both of these missed. I fought the creature with sword and shield and received several scorch marks on my armor for my daring, but the final stab of my sword into the unnaturally cold fire of its body sent it tumbling. Valuable Fire Salts were my reward, another one hundred Septims for my effort. I encountered several Scamps, but that combat does not bear mentioning.

I found Roland's Tears growing on the far side of the ruins against the lake and picked six of the flowers before cautiously creeping back through the ruins and towards Vivec.

The Imperials have a fairly distasteful saying: "Curiousity killed the cat", often substituting 'Khajiit' when the situation warranted. I don't think "Having a smart mouth killed the Imperial" is likely to catch on soon, but when I crept by the spidery entrance to the ruin's interior, I paused for a moment, reasoning that the Flame Atronach had not been very difficult and I was surely up to whatever challenge (and treasure) lay within. Assumptions and overconfidence may be the most dangerous foe in Morrowind.

The door opened too easily for something that should have been abandoned for years, so the young Dunmer's attack came as less of a surprise than I'm sure she had hoped for. Her dagger was enchanted to strike with electrical shocks, but her weapon and her combat style was unsuited for use against an armored and shielded opponent. She kept trying to get in close, behind my shield, but that never works against any opponent with even a little bit of experience. The battle did not last long and I took the expensive-looking lock picking tools she had on her. I left the dagger.

The entrance to the ruins was small and served only as a landing from which three staircases, one to each side and one in front, descended. I crept down the right staircase, bow at the ready and caught the mutterings of an older Dunmer male encased in full bonemold armor. The arrows I loosed at him pierced his armor as he charged up the stairs, but did not seem to hurt him much. My opponent this time wielded an iron longsword with surprising skill, but I had enough time to ready my spear as he came up towards me. The difference in height and reach afforded me a large advantage and he met the same fate as his comrade. Unlike his younger companion, he had nothing of value on him, his armor being too damaged and too heavy to make the effort of carrying it worthwhile. The Dunmer's body had stopped rolling at the foot of the stairs, but the chamber he had been guarding was empty and the room, and his death, seemed to serve no purpose.

I crept back up to the landing and down the opposite staircase, concentrating with the extreme intensity of the incompetent to not make any noise as I clanked down the stairs in my armor. My near decapitation was the only warning I got that I had failed, but the large blade swung from around the corner of the stairs struck my spear first, nearly knocking me off my feet.

I dashed under the blade as it slashed across the spear shaft and clanged against the glassy stone wall, turning to face my enemy as I leapt into the room. My assailant was, again, a young Dunmer woman, but she was heavily outfitted and wielded her ordinarily cumbersome weapon with enough skill and grace to make me immediately regret placing her between myself and the stairs. We traded blows, she with her two-handed sword, me with my spear, but neither one of us were greatly harmed. I took cover behind one of the braziers situated in the middle of the room, stabbing at her over the top and around the sides as she attempted to back me against the stone foundation.

She was more skilled than I, but I was quicker and less encumbered by my equipment. Her weapon was fatiguing her quicker than mine was and she was increasingly going on the defensive. Rather than continue to dangerously wear her down, I loosened my grip on my spear, waited for her next swing, and let the spear fly from my hands as I parried the blow. My cry of despair and fear would no doubt win me accolades at theatrical circles everywhere and I fled back up the stairs, weaponless.

Unencumbered, I dashed up the stairs well ahead of her and took a chance, casting my weak spell of invisibility. To my surprise, it actually worked on the first try and I crouched into the corner of the landing where I had hidden my sword as the Dunmer warily stepped upon the landing. I knew I only had seconds before the spell wore off, so I rushed her and drove my short sword into her side, just under her arm. 

Not a trick anyone with honor would try, but her breastplate, which I had mistaken for steel, was a rare Imperial silver curiass, given to Legionaries who demonstrate exceptional skill and bravery. My surprising pang of guilt dissolved when I looked at the inside of the armor, where an engraving dedicated the armor to a 'Captain Ildonia Viciulus', whom she clearly was not. Whether she came upon the armor via theft or murder, the Imperial in me left the armor in the ruins, as a sort of memorial to the man it once belonged to.

Besides, I couldn't comfortably carry any more weight.

The walk back to Vivec was dark, rainy, and dreary, but uneventful. I arrived at the Mages Guild a few minutes past midnight and will turn in the flowers tomorrow morning. Who knew such a simple task would result in so much?