Morrowind Day 6 - On the way to Vivec

21 Last Seed

~~~

I woke up at Shenk's Shovel earlier than usual, around 5am and performed what is becoming a ritual of mine: visiting the local Mages Guild of whatever city I'm in first thing in the morning. I bought a simple Locking spell to practice Alteration, but I still lack a spell for unlocking. Figuring that the easy road wasn't going to be doing me any favors I passed on using the Mages Guild Guide to teleport me to Vivec and walked out of Caldera before the sun rose.

The journey was uneventful and quiet, a few wild rats provided the only distraction from the morning's doldrums. I was just able to make out the walls of Balmora through the morning haze when I stumbled upon the body of a Dunmer, a note in his pocket identified him as Ernil Omoran. While it was impossible to tell, the presence of the skooma pipe on his person suggested an end from similarly unscrupulous individuals. The note was addressed to someone named "Tsiya" and I pocketed both the note and the pipe in case I ran into this person.

The best walking path between Caldera and Vivec passes through Balmora and I took the opportunity to purchase some minor supplies and ask about Tsiya. Ajira knew of her and she made her disapproval quite clear. Tsiya lives in Balmora, a Khajiit with a bit too much sugar in her head for Ajira's liking. She pointed me towards Tsiya's house along the river and asked that I remind Tsyia that Ajira was not a sugar-dealer.

Ranis, the Guildmaster of the Balmora Mages Guild, stopped me while I was leaving to suggest, quite pointedly, that it would be in both of our interests to join the Guild officially. Her demenor and tone made it seem almost a threat, but her reasoning was sound. The amount of time and money I've spent at the Guild so far does indicate I'm likely to return more than once and as a member I would get discounts on goods and training. For Ranis, increasing her Guild's headcount would bestow greater prestige and political power within the Mages Guild power structure on Vvardenfell. I agreed and am now an Associate of the Imperial Mages Guild. I have no aspirations for great rank, I joined because I know I'll be seeking the Guild's expensive magical training in the near future.

Tsiya's home was barely a minute away from the Guild. I knocked on the door and receiving no reply, walked in. Tsiya's was at the head of the stairs staring down at me and shakily asked me what I needed. She was clearly a bit out of her mind, so I walked up the stairs and handed her Ernil's note and the skooma pipe. Dulled by either sugar or skooma, she still managed to appear dismayed at the news of his death. No lost love though, he was her dealer, though an honest one. The return of her pipe resulted in a reward of 50 Septims and ten packets of her valuable Moon Sugar. I admit to forgetting to remind her that Ajira wasn't going to sell her any sugar.

I returned to Ajira with the sugar and asked her if she needed any help now that I was an official Guild member. She was quite excited to let me know that she needed various mushrooms collected for her experiments, if I could bring her some. I don't make a point of keeping clumps of fungus in my pack, but I told her I'd grab some if I came across any.

I left Balmora, walking past Fort Moonmoth and through the ashy foyada towards Pelagiad. Maurrie's glove was still occupying valuable space in my inventory of miscellaneous rubbish. I figured a quick detour into Pelagiad might net me the information I need to find the lady's bandit. En route to town I passed a small mine cut into the hillside along the road. I remembered passing it on the way to Balmora, but this time there were piles of refuse scattered about the entrance, molding sacks, discarded kitchenware, clothes. Miners would have been more discreet with their waste disposal, so I approached the mine warily, mindful of the last time I opened a door cut into a hillside.

No charging Orc greeted me at the door this time though and I took the opportunity to cast my Invisibility spell. Four times I tried and four times I failed. Joining the Mages Guild is seeming more like a wise financial move now.  While it would have been nice to succeed, it turned out to also be unnecessary. The cave was tiny and only occupied by a female Dunmer and a male Nord, only the latter which provided any challenge in dispatching. Neither fit Maurrie's description and the bandit couple evidently settled on pilfering the surrounding farms, only the Nord's belt, radiating magic, was seemingly of any value at all. A silver bowl was the only other noteworthy find, as it was engraved for a "Piernette Beluelle"  by the East Empire Company in gratitude for services rendered.

Inquiries made at Pelagiad about the bowl led me to Ygfa, the Imperial Cult Healer in Fort Pelagiad, who gave me some rather confusing directions to Piernette's farmstead. The farm is on the way toward Vivec, so I am planning on visiting tomorrow morning.

Before paying for a bed at the Halfway Tavern I asked around about Maurrie's bandit and a young Dunmer asked me why I was looking for him. When I replied that I had the lady's glove as a sign of her infatuation with the thief, he revealed himself as Nelos Onmar, Highway Bandit. He seemed touched by her gift and wrote me a note to give to her. It was getting dark, but I left the tavern and hunted down Maurrie, who was still standing under the giant mushroom, in the dark, seemingly oblivious to the dangers the night brings. She was overjoyed with Nelos's note and I escorted her back to the tavern. On the way she suggested I visit a friend of hers, Barnard Erelie, in Tel Branora, stating that the two of us would get along well. A name to make note of, but I'm not going to go out of my way to see this person without a better reason.

I did not make it to Vivec today like I had planned, but certainly will tomorrow. I would like to find more spells and start setting aside money for magical training as well. As for now, I can content myself with the joy Maurrie and Nelos seem to have found with one another and hope they enjoy a happy future together.

Morrowind Day 2 - In the Emperor's service

17 Last Seed

~~~~

The reason for the secretive nature of my assignment is now quite clear to me, as is the foolishness of keeping this journal, though I will continue to do so anyway. I keep repeating my new rank over and over in my head and can hardly sleep for the anticipation of what tomorrow might bring. But if I'm going to be keeping this journal, best to be dutiful about it and start, as always, at the beginning.

I awoke in my room in the Halfway Tavern at about six in the morning, just as the sun was rising. My first stop after a quick breakfast were two shops nesting together across the street. Though I had nothing to sell, I was looking for some sort of shield I could use effectively. The first store had what I was looking for, the merchant was willing to let a shield made of native materials, known as Bonemold, go for a very good price, owing to the state of disrepair it was in. For a handful of Septims I was able to acquire a shield of similar weight to what I was used to, plus repair tools. After some trial and error I was able to repair the shield to a usable condition, saving myself quite a bit of money. I wound up returning to the same shop and purchasing Imperial chain for my shoulders and legs, but nearly depleted my funds in doing so. The chain vest, pauldrons, and leggings were a comfort, both in acquiring better protection and in wearing the standard issue of the Auxiliaries. Between my short sword, spear, and armor, I looked and felt every bit the Auxiliary. It is a comforting feeling.

Fort Pelagiad was a bit of a disappointment. A few vendors had set up tables inside, but nothing caught my interest. I spoke with Ygfa, a Nordic woman of the Imperial Cult, whom offered quite a selection of spells, but unfortunately nearly all from the college of Restoration, which I have no skill in. I wasn't planning on staying long anyway and left for Balmora with the dawn at my back.

Fort Pelagiad

I saw the woman pacing back and forth underneath a large mushroom long before she noticed me, such was the strength of her distraction. When I was close enough to greet her, I managed to startle her and she asked if I had come across a bandit preying on roadside travelers. The bandit had relieved her of her jewelry and I assumed she was asking if I could track down the bandit and retrieve her possessions, but the truth was far odder. The short exchange between the two had sparked the lady's passion and she insisted I track down the bandit if only to convince him to meet her at the Halfway Tavern. I agreed to help her, simply out of amusement of the whole thing, though I doubt the bandit will be as accommodating. Maurrie Aurmine, her name was, and she bade me good luck as I resumed my trip to Balmora. I have not come across this bandit, Nelos Onmar, yet.

The road between Pelagiad and Balmora was uneventful, save for the occasional rat that I dispatched with sword or spear. I passed Fort Moonmoth on my way to Balmora and decided to stop for a bit to get out of the rain which had fallen out of what had been a cloudless sky only half an hour before.

Fort Moonmoth

Moonmoth seems built to be Fort Pelagiad's older sibling. While Fort Pelagiad has a larger courtyard, Moonmoth is built compactly, while housing a much larger garrison. Perhaps the opposite was true in harsher days. Like Pelagiad, Fort Moonmoth had several merchants vying for space within the entrance chamber, but also in an adjacent room. I didn't have much money left after purchasing and repairing my shield, but I did trade my steel sword and the few Septims I had left for a silver-plated sword. The plating aids the wielder in delivering a blow to enemies of an ethereal nature, though I am not sure how or why this works. I do have to be more careful with it though, should the silver wear off, the sword won't be any more useful than the steel one I gave up. Fortunately, I haven't encountered any spirits or demons yet, but it never hurts to be prepared for as much as you reasonably can. 

Another Imperial Cult member and merchant, Peragon, gave me a copy of "For My Gods and Emperor" to read to aid me in making the decision to join the Imperial Cult. I'm still thinking about it, but more recent events will put that on hold.

As I was leaving the fort, I was stopped by an Imperial Legionnaire introducing himself as Larrius Varro. He said I looked like I could handle myself and I truthfully agreed that this was probably the case. He's asked me, unofficially, if I could "take care" of a bandit problem near the fishing village of Hla Old. I'm not sure where Hla Old is, but maybe this bandit is the one Maurrie was looking for.

It was a short walk from the fort into Balmora and I was looking for an inn when a shop's sign caught my eye. It simply said "Ra'virr: Trader", but I was curious to talk to what I assumed would be a long-time Khajiit resident of Morrowind. I was not far off. By the looks of it, Ra'virr ran a semi-legal trading business, with a surprising stash of magical weapons, which he called "Fiend" or "Devil" weapons. These would summon a demon-infused version of itself into the wielder's hand upon command and were advertised as quite powerful. He did carry a "Devil" spear, but it was out of my very narrow price range. Besides the price, the other downside of the weapons were that the enchantments would only last for a few summons, though the Devil spear was steel and would be more useful than what I have now, drained or no.

Just outside Balmora

As I suspected, Ra'virr was in the market for Moon Sugar and Skooma and when I revealed that I had a sizable stash I was looking to be rid of, he started excitably shouting prices at me. I wound up making a trip back to Seyda Neen on the back of a giant bug to grab the goods, then rode the bug back into Balmora with them stashed under my armor. Ra'virr was quite bemused when I expressed my guilt at selling the drugs that kept our people in slavery here on Morrowind. It turns out (if he was honest) that he sells the stuff to alchemists and mages on the black market, who manage to draw out properties of the vile substances to some good. He mentioned that Ajira at the local Mage's Guild also bought sugar and skooma for the same purpose. I left with a lighter conscience and a heavier purse, having decided to wait on the Devil Spear. My Imperial iron spear has served me well so far.

Iron and steel, I hope, since my wandering led me into the Razor Hole, a Nordic weaponsmith's shop, where I bought a steel Imperial crossbow and forty bolts. I admit I'm a rather poor shot, for it is far heavier and bulkier than the Imperial short bow the Auxiliaries were trained with. However, I can't strap a bow to my back with the spear there and the crossbow hangs at my waist. The crossbow's punch will prove an unpleasant surprise for any enemies, provided I manage to get adept enough to hit something farther than five feet away.

It was nearly 5pm when I walked out of the Razor Hole with the crossbow slapping against my maille, so I figured it best to locate Caius Cosades. The South Wall cornerclub was easy to find and the people inside were very friendly and helpful. The owner of the club, Bacola Closeius, gave me directions to Caius's home, stating that it had been a long time since someone was looking for Caius's bed-and-breakfast. I was a bit taken aback by this, wondering why my contact for the mission was a simple innkeeper. What transpired once I found him is a testament to the ingenuity of the Empire's agents.

I was expecting an inn, or at least a large house, but the single-dwelling home at the end of the street did not seem the bed-and-breakfast type of place. The old, disheveled man who answered the door (without a shirt, no less) also didn't seem the deliver-the-secret-package kind of guy. My suspicion heightened when he told me I'd "better come inside" after telling him I had a delivery for him, instead of a night's rent.

The inside of his home was little better and I had apparently woken him from a nap or something. At least, I hope I did, for the bed was unkempt and books lay scattered about the room. He was muttering and reading through a parchment he had unwrapped from the package, but he quickly put it down and spoke to me in a very different voice than he had greeted me with. He asked if I was willing to follow his orders, but refused to answer any questions until after I gave my answer. I had been picked out of the Auxiliaries, transported halfway across Tamriel, and told to deliver a specific package to this man. I remember thinking that whatever orders these were, they had to be in the Emperor's service somehow. How right I was!

I answered that I would follow his orders, provided they were in the Emperor's interests. He laughed and said they certainly were, since the package contained orders to induct me as a Novice in the Emperor's Blades, the secret intelligence service most people didn't even think existed. It occurs to me that writing this down in my journal isn't a good idea, but if anyone else is reading this, it will be because I'm dead and beyond such concerns.

He gave me a list of agents (whose names and locations I will not write down) and advised that I visit them when I could and make use of their training and skills. He then told me to come back once I felt prepared for my first "real" assignment and cautioned me that it would likely be more dangerous than anything I had faced in Cyrodiil, but this was a man who had never tasted Ghamul Loghash's home-made brew behind the archery buttes. Still, his advice was, and is, taken and I left with the intent to visit the names I was given as soon as possible.

Three of them (this should be safe to say) reside in Balmora and I called upon each one of them in order to introduce myself. They were all very helpful and gave me gifts to either sell or use. One told me more about corpus disease and the Blight, a volcanic ash that issues from a semi-active volcano in the center of Morrowind. This ash is either cursed or diseased in some way and exposure can afflict several diseases, one of them corpus. His job on Morrowind was to learn more about the volcano and the Blight and any help I can provide him will be much appreciated, though it sounds a bit too dangerous for me right now.

Similarly, another agent's job was mapping the coastline, which he thought would be for the landings of additional Legions in case of a revolt. Again I was not quite enlisted, but told that any help in this would be great. Curiously, his gift was Moon Sugar, which I was heavily encouraged to sell instead of ingest.

Mercifully, the third individual served as more of a weapons trainer and had no external responsibilities, but did give me steel armor that nearly caused me to topple down the stairs once I left her dwelling. Finished with my social calls, I sold what gifts I could not use (including the sugar!) and staggered into the Lucky Lockup at nine in the evening, had a quick dinner, and rented a room, where I am now. 

I feel worn to the bones and I haven't even done much today. The shock and realization that I am in the Emperor's secret Service hasn't quite hit me yet, but now I have no responsibilities for a while. I'm not sure what to do next or where to go, but it will certainly be interesting!

Morrowind Day 1 - The stinking shores of Morrowind

16 Last Seed

~~~

Whatever my reason for being here, the circumstances of my arrival has certainly lent me no small amount of curiosity and excitement. I was woken before the sun rose by one of the Knight Protectors, who cautioned me against excessive (meaning more than none) questions and bade me make no noise, as I was to follow this man to the docks. "This man" turned out to be a hooded and cloaked figure sulking near one of the Argonian's cots, apparently not minding Keel-Lee's tail smacking him as she slept. The Auxiliaries certainly do pick from a large garden, as I once overheard and Keel-Lee's tail was a menace while she was sleeping. We even tried tying it to a nearby post, but she didn't take kindly to that when she had woken up.

The Knight Protector, whose name I never got, just about shoved me out the door after the mysterious figure and escorted us both to the docks. I confess to a slight feeling of disappointment at leaving, I never had true friends, but the Auxiliaries I shared the barracks with were well-known to me as mostly decent folk and I hope fortune finds them, where ever end up.

I was brought to a vessel typical of the small-time Imperial traders and given a sack of clothes only marginally more comfortable than the sack. The cloaked man declared that for the duration of the journey I was a convicted thief, a prisoner aboard the ship destined to be dumped at Morrowind. The clothes itched, but not nearly as much as the excitement I felt for my first "real" assignment. I held the thousands of questions I had and boarded the ship. The crew were oddly absent and I wound up never seeing them until well into the voyage.

The crew were apparently not privy to my now-secret identity and I spent most of the voyage in a cramped storage closet nestled in the back of the ship alongside a Dunmer who called himself Jiub. Like the few Dunmer I've known, he was a quiet, humorless sort, though polite and of no trouble to me. In fact, other than some very vivid dreams, likely due to seasickness or the poor food, the voyage was uneventful and very boring. 

I was in the midst of one of the most vivid dreams, images of flames and horrible, mutated creatures swam before me as a voice seemed to dictate my fate. I thought the beef last night had tasted a bit off, but I trusted my Khajiit constitution to deal with it. Fortunately, a restless sleep was the only side effect of my last meal aboard the ship.

Jiub shook me awake, pointing out that the ship was stopped and for the first time, asked my name. I truthfully gave it, as I doubt he would have had any connection to the Auxiliary Legion back in Cyrodiil. I would have spoken with him at further length, but the thudding of the sailors' heavy boots marched purposely above us and I was brusquely escorted out of the ship and before a bored-looking Legionnaire. He welcomed me to Seyda Neen and asked me where I was from before escorting me down the dock to a building bearing the insignia of the Imperial Census & Excise office. I never did find out why Jiub was on that ship or where he was going.

Inside the office an older man greeted me, managing to sound bored and nervous simultaneously, as if he were tired of the process, but had never seen a Khajiit in his office before. For whatever purpose, he asked me my profession and I semi-honestly gave it as a freelance scout, which could mean anything, I suppose. True to Imperial form with their constant cataloging and organization, my answers granted me an official census record, which I was given only to pass it along to a Knight Errant of the Imperial Legion, Sellus Gravius, in an adjacent building. 

I did not see the purpose of this until I gave the Knight Errant my "census record", which he observed minutely for several minutes, despite there only being my name, race, and stated profession written on it. He must have found what he was looking for, since his statue changed from bored to quite respectful towards me, which certainly struck me as odd. He handed me 87 Imperial septims and a wrapped package, with instructions to seek out a Caius Cosades in the nearby town of Balmora for my assignment. Feeling a bit giddy at my real assignment having begun, I thanked the Knight and stepped outside, my first steps on to the soil of Morrowind. 

The stench of rotting vegetation hit me like an Orc to the face. I'm not sure how I managed to not smell it when I left the ship, but the thick, foul smell was nearly overwhelming, at least for a Khajiit. While I was experimenting with tiny sips of air, a Bosmer approached me, wringing his hands and stammering if I had found a ring of his in the Census office. I had, on a barrel I passed on the way to the Knight Errant, and I handed it to the distraught elf without a second thought. He sputtered his thanks and mentioned something about a guard, but I was too busy battling against the smell and my own excitement at finally being on my own.

My nose got used to the smell mercifully quickly and I spent a few moments trying to make small talk with one of the guards patrolling the village. He was a lot more brusque than I had expected, but this was Morrowind, after all, the tail end of the Empire. He suggested I go to the village of Gnisis if I was interested in joining the Imperial Legion. I guess it is worth thinking about, but I'm not sure if an Auxiliary makes for a good fit in the actual Legion. The guard also mentioned that he had a son stationed on the island of Solstheim, which I don't know much about. He said it's a frozen wasteland, certainly not a place for the Khajiit.

I thanked him for his time, which seemed to surprise him, and entered the Tradehouse to see what equipment my meager allowance would allow me. Surprisingly, the tradehouse had a wide selection at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, "reasonable" doesn't mean "cheap", so I bought myself a small steel stabbing sword and saved the rest of my money.

The proprietor of the tradehouse, Arrille, remarked that most of his customers bought the herbs and crab meat. When I replied that I had adventures in mind, he laughed and recommended I try taking care of some nearby smugglers. The directions to their cave were simple and I felt that a few smugglers would be no match for an experienced Auxiliary. Granted, thinking of myself as experienced might have been to quench my fear, but I did have a few run-ins with bandits lurking in Cyrodiil and while most fled when confronted by a group of Auxiliaries, we also dealt with larger groups of bandits who thought us easy marks. I'm no neophyte at combat, but this was the first time I was doing it alone.

I need not have worried. I startled a young Dunmer woman as soon as I entered the cave and she charged at me while brandishing a dagger that looked like it was made from bone. Having someone furiously trying to kill you tends to dispel one's hesitations and doubts. She fell quickly and I swapped my clothes for hers, they were of a far more comfortable material than mine. I figured the blood would either wash out or it wouldn't.

The woman must have been the early warning, the key on her body unlocked the gate she was guarding. Two Dunmer were arguing in a cavern further down, one of them in a robe, perhaps a mage, the other in a crude-looking suit of leather. I was surprised that they hadn't heard their comrade's last moments, but the argument was loud and furiously animated, which must have drowned out the melee. It also sealed their fate. With no inclination that anything was wrong, I was able to creep down the rickety stairs and drive my sword through the back of the mage's neck. He died quickly, but not quietly, and a disc of some sharp material whizzed past my head as the mage rattled his last breath. The second Dunmer threw another one of the discs at me and I ran back up the stairs, several discs shattering against the cavern walls. Her inability to hit me was probably due to nerves, but when she ran out of discs, she foolishly drew the same type of dagger the first woman had and met a similar end. I found a few discs that hadn't broken and tried throwing them myself. I managed to throw one out of five accurately, but their light weight and fragility ensured they were just about useless.

I spent several minutes hiding behind some crates, waiting to see if anyone else was lurking about, but no one else was around. In about fifteen minutes I had wiped out a cave of smugglers that had been holed up a mere thirty yards from a garrisoned Imperial village. I searched the bodies for valuables, but they together only came up with a few Septims. What they were smuggling turned out to be far more lucrative.

The first crate I pried open with one of their daggers yielded clothing, none of it particularly valuable looking, but I did exchange my somewhat bloodied shirt for a clean shirt. The second crate seemed to be of an agricultural nature, but a sack in the corner caught my eye and wound up containing the bane of the Khajiit: moon sugar. 

Now I have never had any moon sugar or skooma and no desire to, but the stuff was very valuable and illegal in Cyrodiil and I have no reason to suspect otherwise in Morrowind. I transferred the moon sugar to the bottom of the clothing crate, as well as the bottles of skooma I found later on. A part of me wants to forget about the stuff, not deal in substances so harmful to my people, but the cold, practical side is aware of how much money some would pay. For now, the sugar and the skooma remain in the cavern of Seyda Neen.

I pried open the remaining crates further into the cavern, breaking the bone dagger on the last crate. The results were disappointing, mostly food items and trinkets of little value, but one crate did contain an Imperial halberd, which I have some cursory training in. The Auxiliaries are trained in spear, sword, and bow, but the spear training was cursory and the truly effective training with the bow was given only to a selected few, of which I was not one. Still, I felt confident after a few practice swings and thrusts and rigged a very uncomfortable strap for it using a belt from one of the other crates. 

I continued down a corridor branching away from the disappointing "treasure", but it ended at water and that was the end of that. I'm not getting into any water unless I absolutely have to. 

On my way back out, a voice called to me from further up the stairs by the gate and I warily crept up the ladder. I was shocked at what I found, but shouldn't have been. The small upper level housed a cage, in which two Khajiit and an Argonian were kept. I immediately unlocked the cage, though thinking about it now, I realize I shouldn't have, but I was greeted with nothing but gratitude and urgent requests to unlock the shackles each of them had attached. I was told the shackles were enchanted to sap the wearer of energy, a tool slavers used to keep the enslaved in line. Baardago, the Khajiit who had risked calling me, explained that the slavery problem was severe on Morrowind and tried to convince me to leave Morrowind for my own safety. I refused, of course, and when I asked him of their intentions, he replied that he was merely grateful for the chance to even have intentions. A fair point, I suppose. He said they were going to stay in the cave for a few days to recover their strength before trying to get to one of the larger cities of Morrowind, at which point they'd try to head back to their homes. I haven't returned to the cave yet, but I hope they aren't taking up the previous occupants' professions instead. 

I sold some of the trinkets at the Tradehouse and Arrille offered me a good deal for the halberd, which I took, exchanging the steel halberd for an iron Imperial spear and some septims. The training we received as Auxiliaries was with simpler spears and while I could have used the halberd, the axe head kept throwing off my balance and the weapon was simply too unwieldy for me. The spear was much lighter and more familiar to me, so I judged it a more effective weapon. Arrille thought it unlikely that I would run into bandits on my way into Balmora, so I passed on the second-hand armor he was peddling. 

As I was leaving, Arrille recommended I stop at the garrison town of Pelagiad, which lays halfway between Seyda Neen and Balmora. I obviously took his advice, as I am now writing this while in the Halfway Tavern, but the my journey to Pelagiad was just as uneventful as Arrille assured me it would be. I find it hard to believe that just this morning I was being escorted off an Imperial prison ship. Tomorrow I will resume my journey to Balmora and hopefully find out more about my assignment.