Morrowind Day 13 - Last Day of Practice

28 Last Seed

~~~

Another day of practice and training before I start what will likely become my larger part in service of the Empire. I spent all morning working on Illusionary magic with Estirdalin until I finally was able to cast my basic spells successfully.

I walked into the Fighter's Guild after lunch, intending to find someone to help me train either my skills with the bow or the shield. I probably could have found someone to train me, but one of the guild members, Wayn, distracted me with an Adamantium shield he was peddling. The shield is a smaller round shield compared against the more common rectangular Adamantium tower shield and I spent just over three thousand Septims to acquire it, which left me with no money in my budget to train my skill in using it.

No one in the Fighters Guild could help me with my bow, which came as a surprise. The Thieves Guild was similarly unhelpful, though this was likely due to my not being a member. I have always fought against the prejudice Khajiit receive in assuming we are all thieves and I could not bring myself to break my small, admittedly pointless contribution towards equality by joining now. 

While I was contemplating buying two hundred arrows from The Razor Hole and peppering trees with them, I remembered the fletcher in Vivec, Aradraen, from whom I purchased my bow from. She had a straw dummy set up in her shop, so I teleported to Vivec via the Mages Guild to see if she would be willing to earn a few Septims training me. At the very least I figured I could negotiate the usage of the dummy and practice a little.

She was glad to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening coaching me with the bow. It cost me the rest of my money, just under one thousand Septims, but she is an effective teacher and I am much more confident about using the bow. I'll never be using it as my primary weapon, but if I can soften up my opponents before closing in with my spear or sword, then the lessons were worth any amount of coin. 

I'm spending the night at the Vivec Mages Guild and tomorrow I will be starting on whatever task my "guild" has for me. I also want to find out more about the Imperial Cult, but I feel my responsibility to my duties will have to come first, at least for a while.

Morrowind Day 12 - Learning by Doing

27 Last Seed

~~~

Today will certainly wind up being one of my more boring entries. I spent the entire day in the Balmora, most of it in the Mages Guild, training and practicing with my slim inventory of spells. Joining the Imperial Cult has been constantly on my mind, but my induction into...my new group of friends even moreso and I should begin with some of their tasks soon.

Before doing that though, I need to train my magicka skills until I can be confident about having a reasonable chance of successfully casting the spells. Khajitt are not exactly known for their command of the arcane arts, but enough of us succeed at becoming quite good to make me think that a large part of our reputation in this matter is simple prejudice.

I have been carrying a good number of potions on me, but the increased weight of my new armor meant I would have to dispose of all but the most useful. To that end, I sold every vial that wasn't a protection, restoration, or healing potion to Nalearya. For twenty-six potions she paid me 475 Septims, mentioning that she heard Ajira was unhappy about a recent delivery she had received and if I had heard anything about it. I hadn't, having left the Mages Guild earlier in the morning than usual and I doubled back to the Guild to see what she was talking about. 

When Ajira told me what had happened, I wondered if she had more connections with the Thieves Guild than the Mages. A "debt" had been repaid to her in full, but instead of the Septims (or sugar, I suppose) Ajira had been expecting, her debtor had paid in Kwama eggs and Nix-hound meat. The person must either have confidence in his feet or Ajira's sense of humor, but the indignation and rage on my friend's face made me doubt either would spare the joker from his fate.

My own alchemy skills are not very good, but I know that if I powdered the eggs and mixed it in a pot of boiling Nix-hound meat the resulting liquid should be a stamina restorative. I offered to buy all of Ajira's stock of eggs and meat and when she recovered from her surprise, sold me the goods at a very reasonable price. I spent most of the morning brewing potions and sold them to Nalearya at a slight loss, but the practice was worth the cost.

It was early in the evening by the time I finished working through Ajira's unwanted inventory, feeling that I gained something from the hours I spent working at the alchemy laboratory the guild set aside for guests. Too late in the day to begin any journey, I instead practiced locking and unlocking the doors of the guild with my spells and a hip of magicka refresh flasks. Again, not terribly exciting, but time well spent nonetheless. 

Ranis annouced my promotion to Journeyman over a late dinner tonight. Ajira and Galbedir both congratulated me, making me feel that their "rivalry" might be a ruse to draw more work out of the guild's recruits. Or it could be genuine and simply not extend to me.

Morrowind Day 11 - An Unexpected Windfall

26 Last Seed

~~~

I woke up this morning, excited to finally claim the valuable Orcish armor I left at the shrine.After a very quick breakfast, I stripped myself of my shield and all my armor except for the cuirass and left it all in Ajira's care before teleporting to Mages guild in Vivec.

I hurried into the sewers of the Foreign Quarter and crept into the shrine, which was depressingly empty, devoid of bodies and armor. A book left on the floor titled "Corpse Preparation v II" left little doubt as to why they were taken. I admit I was bitterly disappointed and angry at myself, having counted on either having far better armor or far more money coming into my possession.

While I was reexamining the room for clues as to where my armor had gone, I spotted a large diamond on the shrine that had rolled underneath the lip of the offerings plate. Perhaps due to the disappointment at having the armor taken from me, I foolishly grabbed a very valuable item off of a very potent and evil shrine.

Almost immediately a hideous, gurgling scream exploded behind me, along with a ball of fire. I spun around and to the side, intent on dodging behind the shrine. Facing me was some sort of humanoid daedra, angered at my theft of his goods. The only reason I survived the battle is due to Ajira's potions, especially the magicka absorption vials. I was able to limit the affect of the creature's exploding spells by dodging between the pillars of the shrine, taking jabs at it with my spear. When it finally screamed its last and collapsed into a pile of dust, my equipment was damaged and I was heavily injured.

Again, Ajira's potions came to the rescue and I felt far better after drinking three of her restoration mixtures. I'm not sure how long I spent sitting on the ground against one of the pillars, but I noticed the boots buried underneath the creature's ashy remains as I was getting up. While the creature left nothing solid of his own behind, underneath the remains rested its final gift to me: a pair of very valuable and very heavy Daedric boots.

Just for the feel of it, I set each boot on the floor, right side up and uncomfortably crammed my feet halfway into them. As hard as I strained, I could not get either boot to move at all, though Khajiit feet are not made for wearing armored boots anyway. Any warrior who is strong enough to acquire and wear a full suit of this stuff is definitely one to respect. Preferably from a distance.

It was fortunate that I lightened myself at the Balmora Mages Guild prior to coming to Vivec, since I could just barely stagger out of the shrine with the boots and my nearly fatal diamond. I used up several of Ajira's rejuvenation potions as I struggled up all the stairs and ramps leading from the canton's underworks up towards the Mages Guild. I teleported back to Balmora and unbuckled my chain curiass on to my pile of equipment. I assured Ajira that I was not using her laboratory as a storage area and that I'd return soon. She claimed to not mind having it there and she seemed genuine. It is good to have a friend to depend on, at least until she trips over it.

I knew what I wanted to do with the boots as soon as I had dropped them into my pack and I walked into Meldor's armor shop, anxious to see if the Adamantium armor he was selling earlier when I was purchasing armoring hammers was still there. It was, all of it, but the prices he was asking were far too high, even with the Daedric boots. After a lot of negotiating, we settled on an exchange of one Adamantium breastplate in exchange for the boots and 700 Septims. The armor is a bit heavier than the Imperial chain cuirass, but provides a level of protection similar to a high quality steel plate at probably half the weight and a much less limiting factor on my agility. Ajira was impressed with my acquisition when I returned to pick up my armor and listened attentively to my story about the Vivec shrine. She advised that I think about exploring the Daedric ruins scattered around. Though dangerous, she assured me the rewards were usually worth it.

I left the Mages Guild and actually had nothing to do for all of a minute until I remembered that General Larrius Varro in Fort Moonmoth had asked me to patrol the small fishing village of Hla Oad, west of Balmora. Back into the swamps unfortunately, but the trip was short, as the bandit in question made no attempts to remain subtle.

The delightful Bitter Coast

I heard him long before I saw him and I suspect that if it wasn't for the swamp, I'd have smelled him too. Drunk on whatever brew he had found or stolen, the Nord was pacing along a small wooden walkway that bridged what must be the smallest bay in Tamriel. I'm not even sure why the bridge exists, a person could simply walk around, losing only a few seconds over using the bridge. Anyway, the drunken Nord shouting about being the ruler of the bridge had to be the bandit I had been sent to take care of, but while a sober Nord is dangerous, a drunk one is moreso. A Khajiit such as myself who can't sneak or pick a lock doesn't survive by being stupid and I confess without any shame that the "fight" was entirely unfair. Inebriation combined with an opponent who has an Invisibility potion on her makes for a very short encounter. To my credit, he died instantly when I snapped my dagger into the back of his skull. I pocketed the few Septims he had and rolled his body into the water for the slaughterfish to feast on, the furious churning of the water receding in my ears as I walked back to Balmora. So falls the King of the Smallest Bridge.

The Bridge to Nowhere

For my "service" I received a paltry one hundred Septims. True, it isn't really a small amount, but I was negotiating in the thousands when I was selling the Daedric armor. Larrius expressed his regret that I could not bring the bandit, Fjol, back alive, but immediately followed up with stating it wasn't that big of an issue either way. Callousness does one well in Morrowind and this comes from a Khajiit who killed an unsuspecting drunk for money today.

Morrowind Day 10 - The Machinations of Ajira

25 Last Seed

~~~

My first task after I had breakfast was to sell the Sugar I had taken off of the smugglers' ship in Ebonheart. With nearly forty bags of the vile stuff, I hoped that I could sell them all between Ra'Virr and Ajira. Unfortunately, Ra'Virr had not yet finished moving the previous stock I sold to him, so he only had money enough for a few bags. 

Ajira had not been awake yet when I had gotten up, but she was up and at her laboratory when I came back from Ra'Virr's. The gift of the mushrooms she requested was very much appreciated and I was unexpectedly rewarded with several healing potions. She asked if I could place a soul gem in the desk of the Enchanter upstairs, Galbedir. The two of them have a friendly rivalry going and the gem, which I did place on her desk as requested, was actually a piece of glass. It is Ajira's hope that Galbedir will unknowingly waste her time experimenting with the inert glass gem. The task seemed harmless enough and I'm sure Galbedir will realize her error soon enough.

Returning to Ajira after this small, amusing deed, she announced that she now needed me to collect flowers for her, similar to the mushroom collection she had requested. She requested Gold Kanet, Stoneflower, Willow Antler, and Heather. Of the four, I already had three of them, lacking only the Stoneflower petals. I left what I had with Ajira and promised to return with the petals. In exchange, she purchased the remainder of the Moon Sugar for nearly nine hundred Septims. 

Ajira recommended that I look for the Stoneflower Petals near Lake Amaya near Pelagiad. I did not want to go that far for mere flowers, but a fruitless visit to the Balmora alchemist left me little choice. By the time I got back to the Mages Guild with the petals it was already late afternoon and I knew I wasn't returning to Vivec today. The reward was worth it for someone of such limited skill at magicka as myself: six potions of energy restoration. With these I might be able to actually cast something successfully. Probably after using up all six potions.

Ajira started energetically flinging flowers and mushrooms all over her desk, intent on creating some sort of potion, when she accidently elbowed one of her bowls off her desk. The ceramic bowl had no chance against the polished stone floor of the guild and shattered into dozens of pieces. She didn't pause in her work, sweeping the broken pottery underneath her desk with her foot and slapping a handful of coins on the desk with a request for me to run to Ra'Virr's and buy another bowl. She was engrossed in whatever she was doing and my acceptance of this task seemed to go without saying, so I grabbed the money and left.

Ra'Virr greeted me like a long-lost friend, lamenting that he still didn't have enough money to purchase the rest of my Sugar. This did not come as a surprise, it had only been fifteen minutes or so since I had last set foot in his shop. Though he strikes me as an odd character, his goods are what he says they are and befriending a merchant of somewhat shady means in one of the largest towns on Vvardenfell will certainly pay off in the future.

His pleasure at finally selling me something makes me suspect he has similar thoughts about a Khajiit that walks into his shop loaded with pounds of valuable, illicit goods. Acquiring the bowl was a matter barely worth noting and I left him enjoining that I return soon, when he has more money.

I returned to the Mages Guild, expecting that I could finally be free of Ajira's tasks and go back to Vivec, but I heard her hissing and muttering as soon as I walked into the basement. The Guild Guide, Masalinie, had retreated into the sleeping area, waiting out Ajira's temper with the bored patience of someone who has obviously been through it before.

The cause of Ajira's agitation was the sudden disappearance of her reports on the mushrooms and flowers I had collected for her. I set the bowl on her table, certain that I'd become involved in this sudden calamity. Ajira was certain that Galbedir had stolen the reports so that she couldn't hand them into Ranis on time. I suspect that Galbedir realized the truth of the fake soul gem sooner than Ajira had planned on and took a small revenge of her own.

Masalinie wound up being an unexpected source of assistance. She admitted to seeing Galbedir rustling around Ajira's laboratory as she was returning to her Guild Guide post earlier. Galbedir had fled with several scrolls tucked underneath an arm and Masalinie saw her ditch one of them in the sleeping quarters. 

She didn't hide it very well, I spotted the scroll almost immediately, it having been lazily thrown between two dressers. The contents of the scroll was far more amusing though. Ajira has written her reports to make it sound like she went out and collected her requirements, but anyone reading them who has been outside of Balmora for more than an hour will realize this was not the case. The report on the flowers was the one in the sleeping area and Ajira, to her credit, did present a very good report on the actual flowers. I thought her last paragraph classifying Lake Amaya as dangerous was amusingly self-serving and she could not help but point out that she had to do two reports to Galbedir's one.

I found the other report quickly, courtesy again of the other members of the Mages Guild. Marayn Dren, quiet as most Dunmer are, told me that he saw Galbedir carrying a scroll upstairs, but until now did not connect it with the disappearence of Ajira's reports. The second scroll was hidden a little better, tucked between the barrels at the foot of the staircase leading to Galbedir's workshop. This report, the one on mushrooms, was again very well done academically. It is obvious that Ajira is a competent Alchemist, but the final paragraph proudly stated that Ajira worked very hard traveling all over the Bitter Coast for these mushrooms and that she deserved to be promoted ahead of Galbedir because of it. I like Ajira, but I wonder who she thinks she is fooling. Ranis no doubt knows that Ajira never left the Mages Guild. 

I suppose it isn't really my concern. Having secured both scrolls, I returned them to Ajira, who gleefully handed over several very powerful potions, three of which are elemental shielding against fire, frost, and lightning. Two of them are equally powerful magicka absorption vials, which will be a massive help against any spellcasters.  While Ajira is competent, these potions seemed a bit beyond the skill level I have witnessed. The glass vials bear the maker's mark of the College of Winterhold in Skyrim, though whether the concoctions within also hail from the North is a question probably best left unanswered.

Ajira has no more duties for me at the time, once (if) I attained the rank of Warlock she will have additional tasks that she hinted may be a bit outside normal Mage Guild assignments. Whether I wind up climbing the ranks of the Mages Guild remains to be seen. Ajira suggested I see Edwinna Elbert in Ald'ruhn for more assignments, she expressed a slight dislike of Ranis, her method of leadership are not to Ajira's taste.

My involvement with the machinations of Ajira and Galbedir have not gone unnoticed by Ranis and I have been promoted a single rank, to Apprentice. Ranis stated I qualify for Ajira's coveted rank of Journeyman, but my magicka skills are so weak that it would be an embarrassment on her part. I don't much care really, though it does drive the point home that I need to work on my magicka skills. 

I spent the remainder of the evening studying alchemy with Ajira, who was more than happy to accept my money in exchange for lessons in the preparation of flowers and mushrooms. I retired to bed late in the evening, having learned quite a bit from Ajira, whom I count now as a friend, my first on Vvardenfell.

I absolutely need to go back to Vivec tomorrow and collect my treasures presently rusting in the sewers. Rats are not the only scavengers prowling within the dark corners of Vivec and I am loathe to leave the armor there one more day, should it remain there even now.

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.

Morrowind Day 8 - Murder in Vivec

23 Last Seed

~~~

I woke up and went to the Hall of Justice to inquire about the murderer. The office I was directed to was a dual office shared by the Officer of the Watch and his second-in-command. The junior officer, Tarer Braryn, asked if I knew where the Mages Guild was as soon as I stepped in the door. Surprised, I answered that I had just left from there and he asked that I have a word with the Archmage about rescinding the curse of a rash he had bestowed upon Tarer when the latter had insulted him while drunk. I agreed and he handed me a book as a gift to smooth things over with the Archmage.

The Officer of the Watch, Elam Andas, was interested in my offer of assistance, but warned that nothing could be done for me officially, but he would be willing to reward me personally, off the books so to speak, should I be able to either capture or kill the murderer. There were no witnesses to any of the murders, but an outlander in the Hlaalu canton had been threatened by a Dunmer woman with a dagger and netch leather armor. The description seemed a bit generic to me, but I started my investigation at the Hlaalu canton.

No one in the Hlaalu canton could remember seeing a Dunmer woman that fit the murderer's description, but since all the successfully murdered victims seemed to have died without a fight, I gathered that the woman was some sort of rogue assassin perhaps and quite adept at not being seen. The Hlaalu sewers could certainly hide someone, but exploring it revealed no clues and one madman who babbled incoherently about Dagoth Ur's revival, stating that it was the Hour of Wakening for the Sixth House. He was crazy and spoke longingly of the day when Dagoth Ur would drive the foreigners out of Morrowind, but his actions seemed limited to speech, so I left him muttering in the sewers.

My investigation continued in the Foreign Quarter canton and bore fruit quickly. One of the residents recalled overhearing a sewer cleaner at a local cornerclub, talking about a young Dunmer woman slinking about the sewers. He had also complained about a gang that had set up there, but I was not nearly as interested in that, though that turned out to have bigger consequences than the murderer.

The Foreign Quarter's sewers are built much as the Hlaalu canton's are, with the exception of additional storage chambers. I found the body of a fully armored Orc laying in front of one of these chambers, his throat slit. I guessed that the Orc had been searching for the murderer as well, so when I cautiously stepped into the chamber I expected to be dealing with the woman. Instead, evidence suggested that the Orc was probably guarding the chamber and became a victim of opportunity. The chamber has been transformed into a Daedric shrine, complete with a giant statue of some sort of humanoid creature. I found the bodies of two more Orcs dead in their bedrolls, their throats having been slit unceremoniously while they slept.

This would not be a very noteworthy thing, other than the evidence of my drawing closer to the murderer, were it not for the fact that one of the sleepy Orcs had been in posession of a full suit of rare Orcish armor, which was laying next to him, polished and ready for the morning that never came. The armor is comprised of a thick soft leather backing, to which is attached expertly designed metal plates. The standards of the Orcish armorers is so high that most people mistake Orcish armor for plate armor, rather than the scale armor that it technically is. I could wear the armor comfortably, but I was carrying so much that I couldn't manage to sling the armor along as well. Hopefully it will remain there until tomorrow, when I can reclaim it.

I was a lot more nervous after encountering the murderer's latest victims. To kill two Orcs while they slept is a difficult thing itself, but the shrine's guard had been awake, but died without defending himself. Uneasy, I tried casting the few defensive spells I had, but they predictably failed until I could not draw any more energy. As it was, I had an entire minute of warning before she attacked me. I had just exited one of the giant canals that run between the sewers when I heard a shout. Incredulously, the murderer was charging at me with a dagger at least forty yards away from the far end of the sewer. I had time enough to fire two arrows, both of which missed, before she was close enough to stab me.

Every blow from the dagger, no matter how slight, made my armor feel heavier and my limbs more exhausted, while she gained vigor and strength with each strike. The dagger itself was only chitin and was not doing any damage to my armor. Trusting this, I bodily hurled myself at her, using the weight of my armored body to knock her off balance. Her dagger drove straight into my chest as I lunged, but skidded along the Imperial chain as she was hurled into the foul, drifting sewage. I'm sure that would have ultimately been fatal, as she swallowed a great deal of it in her effort to climb out, but I wasn't feeling patient at that point. A quick gulp of restorative had me feeling far more energetic and I have no shame in admitting I stabbed her to death while she clambered up the small staircase leading out of the water. Her body sank back into the muck of Vivec and I did not have the energy to pull the body out.

Elam Andas accepted my assurances and told me he'd dispatch Ordinators to fish the body out. He offered me either the helm and cuirass of the Ordinators, which I would not have been able to wear in Vivec, or a magical belt he called the "Belt of the Armor of God". Unwieldy name aside, the belt was legal to wear anywhere and far lighter, so I chose that. I'm not sure yet of its exact magical properties, but it does have some strong signatures on it.

Seeking to relax after the morning's ordeals, I wandered about Vivec for a few hours and stumbled into the Glassworker's Hall on the top floor of the Saint Delyn Canton after misinterpreting the symbol on the sign outside the door as being related to alchemy. All the employees turned to stare at me as I walked in and I was just about to apologize for intruding when one of the workers asked if I was interested in making some money. It seems I cannot walk around in peace without someone offloading a business proposition to me!

Alaryne Indalas is her full name and she handles the import/export side of the Glassworker's Guild. Her previous (illegal) source of Dwarven limewire had dried up and she asked that I "acquire" some simple cups and bowls out of an Imperial trading vessel docked nearby at Ebonheart. She offered me what seems like the massive sum of 1,500 Septims for five cup and five bowls and I told her I would see what I could do. Fifteen hundred Septims would go a long way towards paying for magical training and her proposition is definitely more attractive after reviewing my successful casting rate. I'll prowl around Ebonheart tomorrow and see if I can't manage to get inside the ship.

Before turning in for the night at the Mages Guild, I spoke briefly with the Archmage. He appreciated the "gift" Tarer had provided and gave me a potion for Tarer that would clear up his rash. He also handed me a potion of levitation, which will be useful in the broken terrian of the foyadas.

Tomorrow I'll deliver Tarer from his suffering and make a brief visit to Ebonheart. I also need to find a place to call my own, I am quickly outpacing my limited ability to carry my possessions everywhere. 

Morrowind Day 7 - Welcome to Vivec

22 Last Seed

~~~

Mornings seem to be the safest time of day in Morrowind, my walk from Pelagiad to Vivec, though time consuming, was without event. I've been told however that the east of Morrowind, especially the northeast, is far more dangerous than the relatively civilized area I've so far been restricting myself to.

I reached the city of Vivec by early morning and the view was certainly worth the walk. Vivec is an impressive collection of nine blunt, pyramid-shaped structures the Dunmer call "cantons", each one the size of Balmora. The cantons each serve a specific purpose, one as the "Foreign Quarter", one each for the Great Houses, one as a giant arena, and others owned by the Temple for administrative purposes. I wanted to return Piernette's bowl before I got distracted visiting the city, so I followed Ygfa's directions, crossing a small bridge just north of Vivec and following a dirt path which eventually wound its way past Piernette's farmstead. She was grateful to receive the bowl back and promised to put in a good word with the merchants of Vivec, hopefully netting me easier negotiations and better prices.

It is surprising how many farms there really are outside of the city. If you stay to the main roads, you barely see them, but once you start wandering the packed dirt roads they seem to occupy every square foot of the grassland, some farming Vvardenfell's plants, others herding netch or guar. The individual farms are very small and a close-knit community seems to have formed among them. I stopped to chat with a few farmers on the way back to Vivec and heard the latest rumors from the city. Apparently, the duke's daughter, Ilmeni Dren, is openly abolitionist, though the official Imperial policy, and therefore the Duke's, is more hands-off. She has been seen with Jobasha, a bookseller in Vivec who is a well-known abolitionist. While I have been and will be freeing all the slaves I encounter, I have no desire to entangle myself with Morrowind's politics.

Returning from Piernette's farm I met Teris and his guar, Rollie, loitering at a small crossroad. As I approached, he waved his arms, asking if I was interested in making some easy money. Always wary of "easy" money, I asked him what his terms were. He required an escort into the Foreign Quarter canton in Vivec, specifically to a clothing shop to make a delivery. Why he thought an escort was needed for the remainder of his very short trip was beyond me, but I was happy with the one hundred Septims he offered, so I agreed to escort the man and his guar into Vivec. Halfway to Vivec he commanded the pack animal to stay, stating that they were not allowed within the city limits. He shouldered his delivery of cloth and we continued onwards.The man was cordial, but seems to have a strange attachment to his guar.

The Foreign Quarter canton is organized in tiers and is very easy to navigate, despite its size. Teris's clothier had a shop on the lower level of the canton and I was paid not one hundred Septims, but two hundred, once he delivered his goods. I could hear him muttering to himself how much Rollie would have enjoyed sightseeing. An odd man, but one who pays well.

Among the rumors floating about the canton is one that there is a murderer or vampire loose somewhere in Vivec. Several outlanders have been killed, but two Ordinators have also been killed, both without being able to draw their weapons. The Office of the Watch is advertising a reward leading to the capture or death of the criminal or criminals involved. I may look into this later.

While in the Foreign Quarter canton I stopped at a Fletcher's shop to see about exchanging my crossbow for a lighter weapon. While it is easy to carry and use, the weight of the weapon and the bolts is a hindrance. I wound up trading the crossbow and ammunition for a standard, and much lighter, Imperial short bow with fifty arrows. The fletcher, a Bosmer named Aradraen, was kind enough to rig a special harness for the bow so as to not interfere with my spear. She also dabbles in enchantments and sells a very wide range of magical ranged ammunition, most of it out of my price range for now.

While on my way to the top of the canton to visit the Mages Guild I was approached by a man handing out leaflets which stated that there was an alchemist whose shoddy products were poisoning people. The alchemist is in the Foreign Quarter canton, but I don't feel any great need to investigate what is probably a childish attempt by a competitor to remove her.

Today seems to have gone on far longer than it actually has and I'm now in the Vivec Mages Guild's guest quarters, preparing for tomorrow. I may visit the Office of the Watch tomorrow and see what sort of reward they are offering. Otherwise, I plan on visiting a few more cantons tomorrow to see what can be found. I haven't forgotten that I have a greater responsibility on my shoulders, but I do not yet feel ready to start on that business. I need better equipment and more importantly, a lot of magical training, before I can be confident of fulfilling my duties.