Skyrim Day 009 - Marked by the Thalmor

25 Last Seed, 4E201

Falkreath

~~~

I found 'Oakflesh' to be beyond my capabilities like all my other spells, but resolved to explore the area around Falkreath while working my way towards the bandit group the Jarl urged me to destroy. I was told they had taken up residence in front of an old mine to the north-west, so I guessed it would be easiest to simply walk alongside the mountains until I found the camp.

Following a small path winding towards the mountains brought me almost immediately to a ruined castle garrisoned by bandits nearly a stone's throw away from Falkreath. It does appear that Whiterun is not the only Hold with bandit problems and I suspect I shall find more of the same as I continue to travel.

The Orc patrolling the battlements over the fortress's gate stared at me as I walked by, but made no motion towards alerting his fellows of my presence or shooting at me with his bow. I suppose I do not appear a wealthy mark with my plain, somewhat tattered clothing. Deception is often the greatest defense.

I was not even outside of the sentry's sight when I was suddenly charged by a necromancer and one of his undead thralls. The errant mage was wielding a simple dagger in one hand and lightning magicka in the other: a sound strategy against a fellow mage. Against a surprised Khajiit with a long sword, not very sound at all. He fell after a stab to the gut and his useless thrall dissolved into nothing as his life seeped out of his stomach.

Beyond his pathetic attempt on my life was his campsite, complete with a bloodied altar crowded with the remains of his failed attempts to raise the dead.

I found nothing of value other than the satisfaction of removing such a person from Tamriel.

North of his illicit studies lay a far more disturbing sight: a burned wagon, a dead horse, and two corpses burnt beyond any recognition.

The ground around the wagon was burnt to ash in a neat circle. The wagon's cargo was inside several wooden crates, all of which were blackened but otherwise undamaged. The contents confirmed my suspicion: dragon fire directed at the enemies of the Stormcloaks: the Imperial Legion. Shielded by the sturdy crates, the Legionnaire armor had survived the blast without any damage but I was loathe to carry such conspicuous garb in a region clearly not safe for those wearing it.

After walking along the mountains for about twenty more minutes I came to the realization that I had been walking into a dead end, my time wasted. So I turned around and proceeded along the opposite side of the valley I was trying to leave, guessing that the mountains would still lead me towards the bandits.

While I was walking along I noticed a gang of three Altmers clad entirely in black sneaking towards me, apparently unaware they had been spotted. I quickly changed direction to a outcropping of rock in front of me hoping to gain some height advantage, but my change of pace was evidently too obvious and one of them shouted and all of a sudden I was under attack by spell and sword.

Such was my first encounter with the Thalmor, a group the Stormcloaks and the Legion could happily fight together against if the politics ever allowed such a thing. They were far more powerful than any bandits I have fought and they worked together unerringly. I found myself becoming overwhelmed and nearly surrounded when the fortunate arrival of a pack of wolves distracted two of my assailants. I smashed the remaining Thalmor against a large rock and stabbed her through the back until she stopped screaming, then turned against the other two. One I killed while he was busy fighting off two wolves, the other I had to fight after he killed his single wolf and the two his late friend had been busy with.

Skilled though they were, their strength seemed to have relied heavily on teamwork and one-on-one they were easily kept on the defensive and not one of the three had shields so this was a losing proposition for them.

On each of them was a paper classifying me as an "extremely dangerous" enemy to the Thalmor who is to be killed with "extreme hatred". Whoever wrote the declaration must have enjoyed going to extremes. I am also described as being able to skillfully defend myself despite nearly losing my life to a Sabre Cat just the other day.

I have no idea what prompted this interest in me, nor what I could have possibly done to bring about such a sudden and violent persona. I am certain that I have never harmed any of the Thalmor nor worked against the Aldmeri Dominion, yet I am now marked by them for death. The only thing I can think of is that someone recognized me from long ago and the Dominion is interested in learning the secret to my unnatural longevity, but I cannot picture who this person might be.

After all I had dealt with up until then, I still needed to find the Jarl's group of bandits, kill them, and return to Falkreath in one piece. After an hour of walking through the wet, rainy forest I finally found the camp the Jarl had described: Knifepoint Ridge

The sentry atop the watchtower fell with an arrow in his chest and I killed two other bandits just as silently from atop the tower myself. The camp was built in front of a former mine and the leader of the little group would likely be found there. I was correct, but the man was stunningly standing in a pile of spilled lamp oil and a shot from my bow tipped a lantern on to it, transforming the man into a screaming pillar of flames. And with that Knifepoint Ridge was clear until the next group of bandits came along.

Among the useless contraband the bandits had acquired was an ancient Dwemer war axe. I kept it and will try using it myself in the next few days. I have swung many an axe in my day, though a wood-cutting axe is far different than one crafted for battle. If it does not work out I can always sell it somewhere.

Alert and on edge, I rushed towards the road and back towards Falkreath. Bandits are now the least of my concerns alongside the reminder of a rebellious Dragon flying about and the Thalmor stalking after me. The former is really someone else's problem unless I choose to get involved in Skyrim's civil war, but the latter is an insult. I have done nothing to attract the ire of the Thalmor, yet still they seem to believe I have committed some slight against them which warrants death as if I did not have enough to worry about.

Jarl Siddgeir was less than impressed with my completion of his task, languidly congratulating me and handing me a purse of one hundred Septims, a sum I do not think matched the difficulties I had.

Falkreath and its Jarl has failed to impress upon me any reason for staying longer. I will spend one more day here in an attempt to find some work, but I shall be on my way otherwise. 

Oblivion Day 9 - A Familiar Foe

5 Heartfire, 3E433

Wilderness

~~~

I had never previously stayed at the Wawnet Inn, but as I was leaving the owner, an Altmer named Nerussa, asked me to return if I found any bottles of a rare vintage she called 'Shadowbanish Wine'. The stuff was made by an alchemist years ago for the Legion and the wine was not only said to be excellent, but also to provide the imbiber with a temporary ability to see in the dark. Obviously useful for the Legion during cold, dark hours on watch. Nerussa said that any surviving bottles would likely be found within the ruined forts that have always dotted the land and should I find any, a handsome reward was waiting. If I ever have the time perhaps I shall search for this wine.

As soon as I stepped out of the inn I felt as though I was in danger of drowning. I have never before experienced such rain as I have today. It started before I left the inn and let up late into the night in time for me to finally write this.

The Imperial City's bridge remained as imposing as ever, but the patrols of guards and the watchful eyes of the archers stationed atop the bridge's towers were absent, further disquiet to a province rapidly losing itself to a war with Oblivion itself.

A Dunmer woman approached me while I was huddling under an awning in the Market distract waiting for the shops to open and trying not to get too wet. She introduced herself as Ralsa Norvalo and apologized for bothering me, but stated that she had been sent by her husband to ask for my help. When I asked what it was they needed help with, she said that she did not know, but that her husband had described the task as one critical to the safety of the entire City. 

The critical business was with an Altmer named Seridur and his group of individuals known as 'The Order of the Virtuous Blood', a vampire-hunting organization that had so far failed to hunt a single vampire. Somehow my deeds in Kvatch followed me to the Imperial City and Seridur had been dispatched Ralsa as soon as he had heard I was in town.

Today was a banner day for the Order: they finally found themselves a vampire in the form of one Roland Jenseric, an Imperial. Seridur said he had been roaming the city at night as he often does on his quest to root out vampirism and heard a scream coming from the gardens near Roland's house. Seridur rushed to the scene to find Roland struggling with a woman he had been previously courting, but Roland's vampiric strength was too much for Seridur, who was overpowered and thrown aside. 

The next part of the story was odd though: Seridur said he then ran away and hid, returning twenty minutes later to find the dead body of the woman with two puncture marks on her neck and Roland no where to be seen. Why would he flee and hide instead of summoning the Watch? As a quasi-ex-watch-khajiit, the story triggered some alarm bells in my mind. Something about the story was off, but I did not yet know what.

My quest, of course, was to find Roland and slay him as the Order's newest and soon-to-be most successful member. Seridur suggested I search Roland's house to see if I could find any clues to point me towards the vampire's hiding place. He also recommended that I speak with the Argonian, Grey-Throat and Ralsa's husband, Gilen, before setting out.

Grey-Throat pointed out that vampires would suffer greatly under the sun and hoisting one out into the day was the only way to be certain someone was infected with the disease. Gilen seemed like he did not want to be bothered, so I did not speak with him.

Roland's door was locked, but it surrendered even to my meager lock-picking ability. Evidently the man lived well, he had a fully stocked bar in his basement with expensive-looking vintages. I found a letter on a table written to him whose flowery script and language suggested a woman deeply enamored with the man. The letter writer longed to visit their cabin in the woods once again and the back of the letter had directions to the place, though written with a different, harsher hand, probably Roland's.

The cabin was close to where the road around the Imperial City forks towards Cheydinhal and seemed like an easy trip, especially via my faithful horse, which has yet to abandon me. The rain started up again just as I mounted my horse and I endured a boring, wet ride to Roland's cabin.

.

No one answered my knocking at the door, so I opened it and stepped inside, startling an Imperial man that looked to be about middle age. This was the supposed vampire, Roland Jenseric. He rather fearfully demanded that I go away and leave him be, but when I confronted him about being a vampire he laughed and told me that it was Seridur who was the vampire, not him. 

Roland had been successfully courting a young lady named Relfina for some time when she suddenly started taking walks in the City's gardens late at night. Suspicious, Roland followed her one night only to witness Seridur casting a Calm spell over the woman before sinking his teeth into the side of her neck. Enraged, Roland burst out of his hiding place and attacked Seridur, but a man's bare hands are a poor weapon against a vampire and he was knocked down with a single blow, quickly losing consciousness

When he woke his lover's body was gone and he realized he was being set up for the crime. So he fled to the cabin to panic and do nothing useful. At my invitation he stepped outside the cabin and into the somewhat overcast sunlight to no harm at all. Clearly he was not the vampire. He argued that Seridur's "order" was the perfect cover for an actual vampire but that Seridur did leave the city now and again to parts unknown. He suggested that I speak with the owner of the 'First Edition' bookshop where Seridur would occasionally frequent prior to his trips.

So it was back to the Imperial City once again. I fear I shall not have fur on my legs if I am to ride any more than I have today. The rain had turned to a thick fog, a small blessing that I was grateful for as my horse and I galloped around the bay to a small bridge just south of the ruins of old Fort Empire which led to the City.

The bookshop's owner, Phintias, freely told me that Seridur regularly frequented his shop in the evening, always with a large satchel full of food for his regular trip to Memorial Cave. I had not heard of this cave before, but Phintias explained that it was a natural cave just outside the City that used to be a place of internment for fallen soldiers. Curious, he had looked it up in an old atlas of his and was able to mark its location on my own map across the bay directly east of the Arcane University. Very helpful of him.

If I had any doubts as to whether I was on the right track, the hanging corpse just inside the cave dispelled them. Vampires are normally a subtle collection of creatures, but when they decide to let go, they really enjoy embracing their new "lives", I suppose.

Memorial Cave was swarming with vampires, but aside from Seridur they were all weak, possibly new. Shots from my bow would physically drop them, allowing me to safely rush forwards and land a dispatching blow from silvered blade.

When I found Seridur he seemed annoyed, saying that he knew it had been a mistake to bring me into his Order, which genuinely existed to find vampires, only not to kill. He said that it was his plan to lure me to Memorial Cave so that it would be easier to hide my body and that he deplored loose ends, intending of course to kill Roland, but also the other members of the Order. Having said that, he attacked with unnatural speed.

But not skill. The man was a vampire, but only his comrades had been warriors. A strong parry of his blade sent him reeling and I followed through by impaling him on my blade, killing him instantly, as is my way. With Seridur dead, I had only to inform Roland of his sudden change in fortune before returning to the Imperial City.

But by then it was late into the night when I left the cave, but when I arrived at the cabin the sky was as bright as day...and red. A gate to Oblivion had opened up just over the hill from Roland and the man had wisely locked his door, refusing my entry until the gate was closed. Evidently news my talent for descending into Oblivion and coming back alive somehow made it into Roland's cabin in the woods.

So I now am readying myself to step into Oblivion once again, but that will be for the next day's entry, for it is early in the morning already and I need to find some place to rest for a few hours.

Morrowind Day 9 - Kerra, Naval Inspector

24 Last Seed

~~~

My first stop after breakfasting at the Vivec Mages Guld was to visit a much relieved Tarer Braryn, who was no longer constantly scratching. He paid me 100 Septims for acting as the go-between. He mentioned that if I was looking for more money, a gang known as the Bemis Gang has set up under the Foreign Quarter canton. This gang was probably the same victims currently rotting in the Daedric shrine off in the sewers and in death certainly help to pad my money satchel.

Casting a spell successfully is sadly still a noteworthy event and I leapt off the Temple Canton on to the water, my spell cushioning my fall and allowing me to walk (briskly!) across the bay. I turned around to admire the view and was surprised to see a giant rock hovering over the Temple Canton. I'm not sure how I missed it before, but its location seems rather precarious and I wonder how it got there. Scaffolding along the rock seems to indicate that it is in use in some form, perhaps mining. The rock is likely not a great mystery, but I'm curious as to its story.

Temple Canton from the middle of the bay

Turning my back to the physics-defying stone, I stepped across the water and into Ebonheart. The Imperial city is small by any standard, but the view of the giant cantons across the bay makes it city seem no more than a village. I didn't wander around though and walked on to the ship I assumed had the limeware, hoping that bluffing the guards would work, sneaking by them seeming too difficult with only one entrance into the cargo hold.

Getting the limeware off of the ship in Ebonheart turned out to be a lot easier, and a lot more discouraging, than I had anticipated. I was told that the ship was an Imperial trading vessel and it was, in fact, guarded by Imperial Legionaries. But the ship was obviously crooked and if the guards weren't, they had to have been well paid to not ask questions. So well paid, in fact, that when a Khajiit in Imperial armor annouced that she had been sent to inspect the caulking of the ship's cargo area in response to an increased frequency of ship's floundering off the coast, they had no objections. In this way I managed to not only acquire the limeware Alaryne requested, but also nearly forty bags of Moon Sugar which I'm looking forward to selling in Balmora.

I tried casting my water walking spell to go back to Vivec, but I couldn't have luck that good twice I guess. I took a small ferry back to the Foreign Quarter and walked to the Telvanni canton to see if I could purchase some spells from the Great House's mages. The atmosphere in the canton was very unwelcoming, the House is so insulated that even the shops are shaded from outsiders, the signs simply labeled "Telvanni Mage/Alchemist/Trader" and so on. I suppose I'd have known who the owners were if I was in the House. I approached a few of the unnamed shop owners, but they acted as though they were doing me the favor of selling me their wares. I wound up buying nothing and left the canton to deliver the limeware, my opinion of the slave-owning Telvanni lower for having dealt with them.

Alaryne was good on her word, handing over a satchel which I later counted out to fifteen hundred Septims. That plus the armor I secluded in the sewers of the Foreign Quarter means I won't be hurting for money soon, but I need to find a place to start stashing my equipment. I'm tempted to use the shrine, but my skin crawls every second I'm in there. Vivec does seem a good place to stay, so I'll continue to look through the cantons. I feel I'll have better luck searching lower in the cantons than higher.

I still have a lot to do in Vivec, but I teleported back to the Balmora Mages Guild so that I could give Ajira the mushrooms for her report and to sell the Sugar to her and Ra'Virr. The day passed a lot quicker than I thought it did, so when I arrived at the Mages Guild Ajira had already closed up her small laboratory. Her mushrooms and the Moon Sugar will have to wait until tomorrow. I anticipate getting a lot of money for the Sugar, but I do not like carrying around so much money. Tomorrow I'll find some secretive place in Vivec to start hiding my inventory away.