Krazyfan1
Worrying for the future.
- Location
- Australia
i don't see any issue here.
now all you need to do is figure out how to teach them shapeshifting.
Clever Craft (TES: V Skyrim SI)
- Thread starter Chairtastic
- Start date
now all you need to do is figure out how to teach them shapeshifting.
Sanguine's Bouquet
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
Sanguine's Bouquet
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An internal document for the Vigilants of Stendarr regarding a set of Daedric Artifacts. Known formatting errors indicate the author was in the beginning stages of Daedric influences.
--
Sanguine's Rose has long been one of the most dangerous Daedric Artifacts in circulation. Its effects as documented by Martin Septim, may he rest in peace, was to summon a Daedric dremora outside the summoner's control. One dremora could be summoned for each petal the Rose possessed. The Rose always appears as a thorny red rose stem roughly two meters long, with a rose flower of around fifteen centimeters in diameter as its focus. However, as of Last Seed 4E 133, it seems that has changed.
A cult in the Western Reach was discovered with a staff similar to Sanguine's Rose, but with different effects and appearance. This Rose matched the description of the standard Rose, but with a black flower in place of the traditional red rose.
A fortnight later, and a second cult was found with another variant of the Rose -- different in both color and shape. It was only known to be Sanguine's Rose due to the cultist's ravings.
And the same drama seemed to unfold repeatedly.
Below is a list of the documented Roses, their appearance, and effects. They are all Sanguine's Rose, however.
Sanguine's not a bad guy, but he does want you to have a pretty good balance of being nice and going apeshit.
---
An internal document for the Vigilants of Stendarr regarding a set of Daedric Artifacts. Known formatting errors indicate the author was in the beginning stages of Daedric influences.
--
Sanguine's Rose has long been one of the most dangerous Daedric Artifacts in circulation. Its effects as documented by Martin Septim, may he rest in peace, was to summon a Daedric dremora outside the summoner's control. One dremora could be summoned for each petal the Rose possessed. The Rose always appears as a thorny red rose stem roughly two meters long, with a rose flower of around fifteen centimeters in diameter as its focus. However, as of Last Seed 4E 133, it seems that has changed.
A cult in the Western Reach was discovered with a staff similar to Sanguine's Rose, but with different effects and appearance. This Rose matched the description of the standard Rose, but with a black flower in place of the traditional red rose.
A fortnight later, and a second cult was found with another variant of the Rose -- different in both color and shape. It was only known to be Sanguine's Rose due to the cultist's ravings.
And the same drama seemed to unfold repeatedly.
Below is a list of the documented Roses, their appearance, and effects. They are all Sanguine's Rose, however.
- Sanguine's Red Rose: The traditional manifestation of the artifact, seemingly changed that the dremora is loyal to the one who holds the staff. Description: Staff of two meters in length, a red rose flower of fifteen centimeters diameter at the top. Interrogation of Sanguine cultists describe the red rose as given to those whom Sanguine has a romantic interest in.
- Sanguine's Black Rose: The second manifestation of the artifact. On the petals of the flower are faces of Daedra aligned with Sanguine, and even Sanguine Himself. One need only pluck the petal with the face desired, speak a name, and blow the petal away -- the effect will be that the figure depicted will be summoned to the vicinity of the target. Description: Staff of two meters in length, a black rose flower of fifteen centimeters diameter at the top. Interrogation of cultists as to the meaning of this Rose was not possible.
- Sanguine's Pink Rose: The first Rose to differ from the staff configuration. Description: A crown of thorny vines, with a focal point of a twelve centimeter diameter pink rose. The Pink Rose makes the wearer able to induce one of three conditions on others via physical contact -- a euphoric state of pure bliss, a state of sexual arousal, or a deep slumber that lasts eight hours to the second. Interrogation of cultists indicate that the Pink Rose is given to those who Sanguine is thankful for, or admires.
- Sanguine's Yellow Rose: The smallest of Sanguine's Roses. Description: A pair of fingernail-style earrings, with the spike and moulding made from a rose thorn and stem respectively. A single two centimeter yellow rose is on the face of either earring. When one earring is worn by two people, the Rose allows them to combine into an amalgam entity with the traits of both, and a unique personality drawn from the parents. The effect lasts only so long as the earrings are worn. Interrogation of cultists as to the meaning of this Rose was not possible.
- Sanguine's White Rose: The applicability of calling this Rose an artifact and not a spell are presently debated. Description: A thirty-centimeter diameter white rose with a thorny handle in the back, designed to be held with both hands. The White Rose has only been observed briefly, as it is destroyed once its effects are used up. When held to the face and inhaled, the White Rose causes them to reverse in age -- the elderly become young, and the young become children again. Whether there is a limit to the age reversal power, or if it would be possible for an elderly person to revert themselves to a baby is under investigation. Interrogation of cultists indicate this Rose is used by Sanguine to reward certain worshipers who please Him.
- Sanguine's Blue Rose: A Rose allegedly made in conjunction with Goddess Dibella, as a gesture to show the end of their feud. Note: The end of the feud is not to be spoken about to the public. Dibellan priestesses may, on punishment of being accused of heresy, speak of it but not the Vigilants. Description: A small rose about twenty centimeters long with a four centimeter blue rose flower at its tip. The Blue Rose can bring inanimate objects to life, or drastically change people and animals. Observed effects were turning an entire castle's staff into living furniture, turning mice into horses, a pumpkin into a carriage, and bringing a puppet to life (then, into an Imperial child). Interrogations of cultists indicate the Blue Rose is awarded to those Sanguine cannot easily understand, or who remind Him of Dibella.
Sanguine's not a bad guy, but he does want you to have a pretty good balance of being nice and going apeshit.
Videogamer921
oh god it’s him
- Location
- 10th circle of Hell; Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Some days, we just have to be a bit silly. But not too silly
- Location
- Miami
I've found my new deity it seems. Also if any of the awakened mead rats decide to join clan Gold-Tooth would that make them Reaver Skeevers? (And is one of them going to adopt a group of turtles someday?)
Ch 26
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
Chapter 26: Rocks Smashing
---
Gullintani
Zahkriisos
It would not be long now, Zahrkriisos thought as he watched an elven ship pull into the port from one of Gullintani's new windows. The ship bore the insectoid crest of the star-wife's enemies, the reaver-folk's enemies, House Redoran.
He knew them loosely, they were a warrior clan for better or worse. Valorous in battle, inept in administration. A heart full of compassion for those injured by a blade or spell, and a stony block for anyone injured through disease or misfortune. The star-wife hated them, the star-wife's reavers hated them. But Zahkriisos and his folk didn't.
They just wanted them gone, post haste, so they could work in peace.
He left the window and returned to the mostly empty library. Tomes would be collected from merchants and adventurers, or bartered for in Apocrypha – all the be stored and cared for in one place. The Black Books of Herma-Mora that had been collected would never be displayed there – they were too dangerous.
However, the library wasn't done yet. Zahkriisos began to sculpt stone and wood into his desired shapes to create the shelving and seating for the room.
Zahkriisos had only been in command for a day, but he used that day well. He had constructed two additional cisterns designed after what had been in Bloodskal. Seawater would rush in and be boiled upon glyphs of everlasting flame. The steam would rise up tubes and fall back down as fresh water to fill the cistern.
He had started the library on his own, and instructed the other mages to work on repairs to the town, and scouting the western side for possible wall construction spots.
In between bursts of construction, while his magicka replenished itself, Zahkriisos reviewed the star-wife's plans for Solstheim, to be passed to the Jarl once he arrived.
In Dukaan's lands there was a place called 'Castle Karstagg', built of ice and fortified by Rieklings – the star-wife wanted to investigate if working with the Rieklings to create a settlement was possible, as the castle stood between two major mining locations. This was a step toward eventually taking an extremely rich gold mine called Frossel at the very edge of the island.
Zahrkriisos decided he would recommend to the star-wife and Jarl that they take Saering's Watch and make it a settlement – an entrance point to Miraak's network of city-tomb tunnels. Miraak's network had been separate – but if linked back to Dukaan's, it would give them the ability to traverse most of the island underground. They could take the mineral resources from the other side, and work outward toward the coast.
Suddenly, the air split apart. Currents of white particles whipped through the library's space as a point in space the size of a hand became a slipstream portal.
A foul smell filled the air as Zahkriisos' kinsmen stepped through the portal. They were fresh from their tombs, filthy and barely dressed.
As he had been when resurrected.
Zahkriisos set aside the notes he'd read and floated into the air. "You are returned to Nirn by the grace of an incarnated star-wife," he proclaimed to the eighteen Atmorans assembled. "Who leads you?"
From among them emerged a woman with the antler-adorned helm of a Scourge. "Tyn, Guardian of Al-Du-In's anger, leads these men." On her back was a bow, aged so badly that the care and craftsmanship it had been shown no longer was visible.
Lightning collected in Zahkriisos' hands. "You serve the World-Eater still? Or does the star-wife's thu'um have the mastery?"
His kinspeople looked at the ground, though Tyn would not avert her eyes from Zahkriisos' mask. She had burns on her flesh, from extreme cold and flame both. There was a rattle in her breath, a common symptom of two Tongues having fought. She eventually averted her eyes too.
"I see." Zahkriisos released the lightning he held, and floated down to the ground. "Come, my kin. Welcome to Solstheim."
First things first, he would get them scrubbed clean of tomb-filth and dressed appropriately. Then he could sort out who would have lordship over them, since they had no priest to lead them.
Dukaan had the most dire need for manpower, as so few of his people remained. But Ahzidal's lands desperately needed tending too… it would be a matter he discussed with Farri once he returned.
Which Zahkriisos had expected to happen, as the portal remained open. Yet, there was nothing remotely cat-shaped on its way through.
A messenger bird came through instead with a small scroll. It perched on Zahkriisos' shoulder and vanished once he had taken the message. Afterward, the portal closed.
'Is there a way to remotely detect dovahkiin? I have suspicions about one's location, but no idea how they were found out in the first place. Open a portal to Bleak Falls Barrow to send the reply. -- Farri'.
Zahkriisos looked up at the tomb-filth covered Atmorans. "You are from Bleak Falls?"
Many nods were his reply. Tyn spoke up again. "We were to protect the map of our lord's tombs, so that Al-Du-In could bend time and revive them."
Ah yes. The dragons had been overthrown by the mortals of the continent not long after Miraak was defeated. Couldn't happen to nicer creatures.
Bleak Falls had been a relatively impressive settlement once upon a time. Not as grand or expansive as Bromjunaar, or as economically supreme as Bloodskal, but densely populated due to the splendorous farmland available in the valley nearby. Modern Skyrim maps showed that the valley had lost most of its arable land to forests.
Zahkriisos called forth a messenger bird of his own, and wrote his reply on the back of Farri's message.
'The Thu'um resonates within the world, and dovahkiin are creatures innately tied to the Thu'um. It is possible to feel the vibrations they cause by existing with your thu'um, even from afar. It is how the dragons found Miraak, it is how dragons found each other. The words to speak are Hon Dovah On. -Zahkriisos.'
His messenger bird was a Felsaad tern, and flew from his shoulder the moment he opened a portal.
With luck, his answer would find the star-wife well.
--
Proudspire Manor
Chamberlain Mellem
Jarl Vasha had assigned her an important task while he was out of the manor to speak with his brothel managers. She was to make use of the Orb of Vaermina to remotely view Farri and document his activities.
The Jarl hadn't shared the contents of Lord Sanguine's report. Extremely out of character, for she was his most trusted servant. If she wasn't, after all the work she'd done, she'd have left his service and returned to Aetherius.
She sat in the Jarl's office, seated in the library corner, with the cloudy Orb of Vaermina alight to be pondered. It revealed distant events, only to her.
Farri navigated a Nord barrow like he knew the paths instinctively. She didn't see him pause for Clairvoyance even once. Traps and trolls were both dealt with in literal seconds. Draugr were subject to a spell of unknown providence which returned them to life.
Mellem noted that down, and kept a count of the number of draugr revivified in that way.
He used the Blue Rose in conjunction with another Daedric Prince's artifact, the sword Dawnbreaker, to make short work of the draugr. Holy flame would burn them, and explode them to spark fear into their allies.
Once burning and afraid, Farri would use his resurrection thu'um on them. Then he left them alone to continue through the barrow.
Mellem thought he would be stymied by the presence of a puzzle door, which normally required the paired dragon claw to open. But he bade the door open with a single-word spell from the thu'um: "Bex."
At the innermost sanctum of the barrow, there was the master of the draugr. A female archer armed with the thu'um herself. The Jarl's son and undead monster had a short battle of two concussive waves – which Farri's won.
Yet, once the draugr was returned to life – she resumed the battle.
Mellem couldn't make out their words – they spoke the ancient Nord tongue, but after Farri had blasted her with a frosty wind, a fiery deluge, and a second shockwave the former draugr yielded.
She made note of his abilities, and how he gathered the other former draugr to the same location. Once together, he spoke to them in that odd tongue, then worked a spell to create a portal.
That she underlined in her notes for the Jarl. Portal magic was known, but lost during the Third Era. The loss coupled with the Levitation Act cripplied magical transport. But Farri had found the spells to create them.
The Jarl would want to know. It would be invaluable for smuggling purposes.
Afterward, the Jarl's son left the barrow and crossed the White River. Outside, he stopped to use Clairvoyance multiple times – and seemed to grow more agitated as he did.
She noted his confusion once he reached the Guardian Stones and used Clairvoyance multiple times in rapid succession. From what she knew of Farri's records, he was born under the Lover sign, so the Guardian Stones would have no effect on him.
Mellem's eyebrow threatened to lift itself off her forehead as she watched Farri go further southwest past the Guardian Stones, through a rocky patch of stone that eventually led him back to the Illanata Highway. The same highway he'd been on when he'd approached the Guardian Stones.
All in all, he cost himself an hour of travel time just by the attempt to go in a straight line to his destination. As males often did.
But then he came upon something Mellem genuinely didn't expect. A Talos shrine south of the road, among the mountains which separated the Illanata Highway from Falkreath Valley.
Mellem flipped to a new page in her notes, eager to document the nature of Farri's faith. His Talos faith had ended one of the Jarl's most profitable business relationships to avoid hypocrisy, she would ensure Vasha knew all the details.
Farri stood in front of a statue of the man-god, with a natural stone shelf between them littered with offerings and a prayer totem. One of the offerings was a familiar gold and emerald eye.
Mellem noted, as she moved the Orb's perspective around, that Farri seemed to have a somber expression as he looked at the statue. And that the statue had a faint blue glow about it, like the Orb wanted to highlight it.
"I'm guessing," Farri spoke to the stone likeness of a god, "that Sangiin brought me here so I could lay out my issues with you?" He picked up his false eye from the altar. "Did I offer this to you so you could tell me about J'Zargo?"
J'Zargo? Mellem underlined that in her notes.
Farri looked up at the statue again. "...You know it's me, can't you come down and talk?" When Farri got no reply – he scowled. "Of course. Why would you talk? You never wanted to have a serious discussion – because I would tell you if you were wrong."
Mellem noted that Farri had some capital I issues to work through.
"You're never willing to admit when you're wrong! Kyne was begging you to apologize – and you couldn't do it. When you and I…." Farri looked away. "When we had our disagreement, I just wanted an apology. I could fix what you broke – no problem, but you broke something that was mine, and I wanted an apology!" He looked up at Talos again and pointed dramatically. "And instead, you killed me! Where's my apology for that, huh?!"
Talos, as a statue, had no reply.
Farri's scowl deepened. He took the Blue Rose from behind his good ear, and Mellem's alarm bells began to ring.
"I can make you stop ignoring me, you know. I can. I'm choosing not to, because I'm better than you!" He shook the Rose at Talos. "I don't treat people I love the way you treated me! …Or maybe I do." He held the Wabbajack in the same hand as his false eye.
"Since I started using this more often… I found myself acting a lot like you. Treating people like things." Farri turned his back to the statue, and continued to vent. "I've turned people into things, just like you used to."
Mellem's alarm bells rang louder as she watched the statue begin to move. Blue dust floated from it when it moved – a telltale sign of Blue Rose animation. But Farri hadn't used the Rose on it, that she'd seen.
But Farri's eye had been there. He'd been there previously.
Farri didn't seem to hear the statue move, perhaps it produced no sound as Talos stepped off the dragon's neck with his sword raised high.
"I… I want so badly to go back to what we had. But we can't get that back. You killed me, and I don't think any relationship can survive -- " Farri turned just in time to see the animated Talos statue start to bring his sword down. "...That."
The Talos statue exploited Farri's surprise and got one devastating hit in with his blunt stone sword.
Mellem continued to make notes – for it was all she could do.
She watched Farri run with one arm limp and a visible dent in his clavicle. Evident of alteration magic for protection, but even so a severe injury. The Wabbajack and his false eye had to be discarded while he reached around for the Blue Rose.
Talos gave him no quarter, and chased the Dagi Khajiit with the same gait and speed of a Giant his size.
Farri managed to make a sharp turn that Talos couldn't follow – which caused the statue to tumble and skid down the mountainside. However, Talos' sword was a one-hander, his free hand managed to catch Farri by the tail as he slid.
The Orb struggled to follow them, it had to find an angle that would let Mellem see the battle while it changed rapidly.
By the time it settled on one, Talos had gotten his feet under him and hauled Farri into the air by his tail. For only a couple seconds, however, as Farri let loose a torrent of flame with the thu'um.
Fire against stone seemed foolish, even to the statue as Talos opted to let the flames wash over him. A bad decision, in hindsight.
As Farri's flames poured over Talos, the stream narrowed. And narrowed. The flames compacted upon themselves, and shifted from orange to blue. Then – all at once – fire became light.
A stream of radiant light burned a hole through the center of Talos, and into the rockface behind the statue. When Farri swung his head around, the stream cut like a fiery blade – through Talos' arm, the mountain behind it, and across the valley to the mountains on the far side.
An avalanche began in the distance from the seconds-long swing of burning light.
It would have been a stellar victory, if Farri hadn't fallen with Talos' severed arm, and been unable to move when the half-melted statue fell on top of him.
Mellem was confident Farri had accidentally killed himself, but continued to watch anyway.
--
The Void
The bastard had killed me. Again. Though this time, only technically.
In the void, I lingered. Lingering impressions of who I had been and what I once had flitted about.
A friend who taught me how to laugh. A confident ally who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. A lover from a toxic relationship.
Sheogorath. Meridia. Talos.
I had bartered replicas of memories for the power to turn back time. To make time undo itself. To recapture the past. For those stuck in past mistakes, like the draugr, it had been a great boon. A second chance.
When I tried to recapture the past for myself, it ended badly. Sheogorath wasn't part of my story anymore. Meridia only saw me as a dim echo of who I'd been. Talos would never apologize. Why had I failed?
When he who was the will to chase and to be chased reached for my heart, I devoured his hand. When he who was the will to lust and to be lusted after tried to deceive me, I convinced him to offer a gift. Why did these succeed?
What had I done wrong?
In the Void, a blue flower came into being. It bloomed, and there was a Khajiit soaked in blood with his ears like devils horns, a self-satisfied smile, and gleaming glasses that hid his eyes seated upon the petals.
"You're too hung up on how things used to be. When you're living your life now, you're at your strongest. Leave the past where it falls."
In a moment, the Khajiit was replaced with Niyya, soaked in blood and with a sad expression. "You hide yourself in work. You hide yourself in who you were. You refuse to grow up, and be happy."
In a moment, Niyya was replaced with a Khajiit I didn't know. He was small, taller than me by about fifteen centimeters. A Dagi-raht. There was not a drop of blood on him. I noted that he had distinct facial hair – a droopy mustache.
"When was the last time you had fun? When was the last time you laughed?" The stranger waggled his eyebrows. "You've chased vengeance, that's good. But outside of vengeance, you've been working constantly."
The stranger was replaced with Vasha, soaked in blood the way Niyya and Sangiin had been.
"Skyrim, Solstheim… there is art to pursue, there is adventure. But you don't seek it out. Life is the sweetness of fruit, and the joy of battle."
The vision faded, and was replaced with images of my ring, false eye, and Talos amulet.
The ring and eye were both necessary because I gave out regeneration medicine to others who needed it more. Or seemed to need it more. The Talos amulet was necessary because I used the thu'um so much – and so I could remember better times.
Sangiin probably lied about the magic he put on them, just like he lied about the items to repair his Rose in Skyrim the game, huh?
For a brief moment, all I could see in the Void was Sangiin's toothy grin.
Asshole.
--
Kolbjorn Barrow
Ahzidal
With unseen hands, Ahzidal lifted the lid on the healing sarcophagus. Though afraid, the Spriggan inside was alive, and green once more.
Behind his mask, the priest grinned. "You are free to go," he told the Spriggan in her people's language. "Tell others that they can be healed if they come here." Ahzidal left out the odds of being exploded.
His Scourges and Deathlords watched as the Spriggan hastily stepped out of the sarcophagus and fled down the halls, toward the scent of fresh air. Ahzidal had ordered the doors to be left open, to leave a trail for the Spriggans and animals his followers brought him to follow out.
Last thing he needed was for a bristleback to get stuck somewhere.
The heart stone core which rotated within a stone hoop at the head of the coffin lost its light momentarily, then began to glow once more. Their power was transfinite, but not limitless. The secondary heart stones I had attached to the sides and lid of the coffin had reduced the main core's burden significantly, so it no longer took hours to be ready for another subject.
Ahzidal had created a circuit pattern that would let the device take power from lesser cores if the main core was depleted, and imparted a detection effect for it to determine the needed power for recuperation.
That had been the reason for explosions, he suspected. The sarcophagus had no way to know how much power was needed, and overloaded the patient. With his advances, all made in a day, he suspected that fewer explosions would result.
That boon was as good as his!
Ahzidal was about to signal for his Scourges to bring in the next test subject when a portal opened in his lab. His Scourges and Deathlords drew weapons, ready to fight an invader – while Ahzidal gathered fire in his hands.
From the portal came the smell of rain. Then, Farri Gold-Tooth.
His arm and leg on one side were useless, broken and twisted. His tail was kinked in three places. His robes and the flesh under them had burns, like he'd been thrown in a fire. Farri forced himself along using the Madgod's staff as a cane, with great care to balance on his one useful foot.
"The gods are good, star-wife," Ahzidal announced and dismissed the fires in his hands. "I have completed the task you put to me, and it is ready to receive you." His smile was wide, beneath his mask. With a dismissive gesture, he bade his Scourges take the intended subject away.
Farri nodded and continued to hobble toward Ahzidal, until the fiery priest grew tired and lifted him with unseen hands. "Could… you send a messenger bird for me?"
Ahzidal passed the Madgod's staff, Merid-Nunda's sword, and a Daedric blue rose to his Scourges to be stored with respect. "I could. Whom would you bid me contact, and what message would you ask me to send?"
The star-wife jostled his broken arm. With obvious pain, he had his good hand pull a gold ring off the bad. "J'Zargo, in Elsweyr. I suspect he's a dovahkiin. I would ask him to come to Skyrim, to Winterhold, to learn magic. Tell him… this ring was made by Winterhold. He can determine if it's of good enough quality to bring him here."
Ahzidal bid the ring float while he removed the burned robes from the Khajiit. "As you wish." Another dovahkiin? That would likely wake Miraak from his loops and scripts.
How wonderful. Perhaps they could wake Vahlok from his sleep as well, get the gang back together.
"This part will hurt," he told the star-wife perhaps a second before he forcibly straightened the cat's arm, leg, tail, and back with his magic. Snaps, crackles, pops, and screams filled the air. "There. All ready."
Farri was out of breath from the straightening as Ahzidal laid him to rest in Dukaan's casket.
"You'll be happy to know, we got the explosion chance down to one-in-five. The odds are in your favor." With that, Ahzidal slid the lid into place, and locked it tight.
The heart stones went to work, while the casket glowed cherry red.
Ahzidal smiled even wider when he failed to hear any muffled 'pop' noises.
---
Hon Dovah On – Detect Dragon, literally Find Dragon Soul.
There's some clunkiness here – because, again, I lost my notes on the fic and had to reconstruct what I was going to do here. I think this fits with the general theme of 'don't cling to the past' that I've been going for, yeah?
---
Gullintani
Zahkriisos
It would not be long now, Zahrkriisos thought as he watched an elven ship pull into the port from one of Gullintani's new windows. The ship bore the insectoid crest of the star-wife's enemies, the reaver-folk's enemies, House Redoran.
He knew them loosely, they were a warrior clan for better or worse. Valorous in battle, inept in administration. A heart full of compassion for those injured by a blade or spell, and a stony block for anyone injured through disease or misfortune. The star-wife hated them, the star-wife's reavers hated them. But Zahkriisos and his folk didn't.
They just wanted them gone, post haste, so they could work in peace.
He left the window and returned to the mostly empty library. Tomes would be collected from merchants and adventurers, or bartered for in Apocrypha – all the be stored and cared for in one place. The Black Books of Herma-Mora that had been collected would never be displayed there – they were too dangerous.
However, the library wasn't done yet. Zahkriisos began to sculpt stone and wood into his desired shapes to create the shelving and seating for the room.
Zahkriisos had only been in command for a day, but he used that day well. He had constructed two additional cisterns designed after what had been in Bloodskal. Seawater would rush in and be boiled upon glyphs of everlasting flame. The steam would rise up tubes and fall back down as fresh water to fill the cistern.
He had started the library on his own, and instructed the other mages to work on repairs to the town, and scouting the western side for possible wall construction spots.
In between bursts of construction, while his magicka replenished itself, Zahkriisos reviewed the star-wife's plans for Solstheim, to be passed to the Jarl once he arrived.
In Dukaan's lands there was a place called 'Castle Karstagg', built of ice and fortified by Rieklings – the star-wife wanted to investigate if working with the Rieklings to create a settlement was possible, as the castle stood between two major mining locations. This was a step toward eventually taking an extremely rich gold mine called Frossel at the very edge of the island.
Zahrkriisos decided he would recommend to the star-wife and Jarl that they take Saering's Watch and make it a settlement – an entrance point to Miraak's network of city-tomb tunnels. Miraak's network had been separate – but if linked back to Dukaan's, it would give them the ability to traverse most of the island underground. They could take the mineral resources from the other side, and work outward toward the coast.
Suddenly, the air split apart. Currents of white particles whipped through the library's space as a point in space the size of a hand became a slipstream portal.
A foul smell filled the air as Zahkriisos' kinsmen stepped through the portal. They were fresh from their tombs, filthy and barely dressed.
As he had been when resurrected.
Zahkriisos set aside the notes he'd read and floated into the air. "You are returned to Nirn by the grace of an incarnated star-wife," he proclaimed to the eighteen Atmorans assembled. "Who leads you?"
From among them emerged a woman with the antler-adorned helm of a Scourge. "Tyn, Guardian of Al-Du-In's anger, leads these men." On her back was a bow, aged so badly that the care and craftsmanship it had been shown no longer was visible.
Lightning collected in Zahkriisos' hands. "You serve the World-Eater still? Or does the star-wife's thu'um have the mastery?"
His kinspeople looked at the ground, though Tyn would not avert her eyes from Zahkriisos' mask. She had burns on her flesh, from extreme cold and flame both. There was a rattle in her breath, a common symptom of two Tongues having fought. She eventually averted her eyes too.
"I see." Zahkriisos released the lightning he held, and floated down to the ground. "Come, my kin. Welcome to Solstheim."
First things first, he would get them scrubbed clean of tomb-filth and dressed appropriately. Then he could sort out who would have lordship over them, since they had no priest to lead them.
Dukaan had the most dire need for manpower, as so few of his people remained. But Ahzidal's lands desperately needed tending too… it would be a matter he discussed with Farri once he returned.
Which Zahkriisos had expected to happen, as the portal remained open. Yet, there was nothing remotely cat-shaped on its way through.
A messenger bird came through instead with a small scroll. It perched on Zahkriisos' shoulder and vanished once he had taken the message. Afterward, the portal closed.
'Is there a way to remotely detect dovahkiin? I have suspicions about one's location, but no idea how they were found out in the first place. Open a portal to Bleak Falls Barrow to send the reply. -- Farri'.
Zahkriisos looked up at the tomb-filth covered Atmorans. "You are from Bleak Falls?"
Many nods were his reply. Tyn spoke up again. "We were to protect the map of our lord's tombs, so that Al-Du-In could bend time and revive them."
Ah yes. The dragons had been overthrown by the mortals of the continent not long after Miraak was defeated. Couldn't happen to nicer creatures.
Bleak Falls had been a relatively impressive settlement once upon a time. Not as grand or expansive as Bromjunaar, or as economically supreme as Bloodskal, but densely populated due to the splendorous farmland available in the valley nearby. Modern Skyrim maps showed that the valley had lost most of its arable land to forests.
Zahkriisos called forth a messenger bird of his own, and wrote his reply on the back of Farri's message.
'The Thu'um resonates within the world, and dovahkiin are creatures innately tied to the Thu'um. It is possible to feel the vibrations they cause by existing with your thu'um, even from afar. It is how the dragons found Miraak, it is how dragons found each other. The words to speak are Hon Dovah On. -Zahkriisos.'
His messenger bird was a Felsaad tern, and flew from his shoulder the moment he opened a portal.
With luck, his answer would find the star-wife well.
--
Proudspire Manor
Chamberlain Mellem
Jarl Vasha had assigned her an important task while he was out of the manor to speak with his brothel managers. She was to make use of the Orb of Vaermina to remotely view Farri and document his activities.
The Jarl hadn't shared the contents of Lord Sanguine's report. Extremely out of character, for she was his most trusted servant. If she wasn't, after all the work she'd done, she'd have left his service and returned to Aetherius.
She sat in the Jarl's office, seated in the library corner, with the cloudy Orb of Vaermina alight to be pondered. It revealed distant events, only to her.
Farri navigated a Nord barrow like he knew the paths instinctively. She didn't see him pause for Clairvoyance even once. Traps and trolls were both dealt with in literal seconds. Draugr were subject to a spell of unknown providence which returned them to life.
Mellem noted that down, and kept a count of the number of draugr revivified in that way.
He used the Blue Rose in conjunction with another Daedric Prince's artifact, the sword Dawnbreaker, to make short work of the draugr. Holy flame would burn them, and explode them to spark fear into their allies.
Once burning and afraid, Farri would use his resurrection thu'um on them. Then he left them alone to continue through the barrow.
Mellem thought he would be stymied by the presence of a puzzle door, which normally required the paired dragon claw to open. But he bade the door open with a single-word spell from the thu'um: "Bex."
At the innermost sanctum of the barrow, there was the master of the draugr. A female archer armed with the thu'um herself. The Jarl's son and undead monster had a short battle of two concussive waves – which Farri's won.
Yet, once the draugr was returned to life – she resumed the battle.
Mellem couldn't make out their words – they spoke the ancient Nord tongue, but after Farri had blasted her with a frosty wind, a fiery deluge, and a second shockwave the former draugr yielded.
She made note of his abilities, and how he gathered the other former draugr to the same location. Once together, he spoke to them in that odd tongue, then worked a spell to create a portal.
That she underlined in her notes for the Jarl. Portal magic was known, but lost during the Third Era. The loss coupled with the Levitation Act cripplied magical transport. But Farri had found the spells to create them.
The Jarl would want to know. It would be invaluable for smuggling purposes.
Afterward, the Jarl's son left the barrow and crossed the White River. Outside, he stopped to use Clairvoyance multiple times – and seemed to grow more agitated as he did.
She noted his confusion once he reached the Guardian Stones and used Clairvoyance multiple times in rapid succession. From what she knew of Farri's records, he was born under the Lover sign, so the Guardian Stones would have no effect on him.
Mellem's eyebrow threatened to lift itself off her forehead as she watched Farri go further southwest past the Guardian Stones, through a rocky patch of stone that eventually led him back to the Illanata Highway. The same highway he'd been on when he'd approached the Guardian Stones.
All in all, he cost himself an hour of travel time just by the attempt to go in a straight line to his destination. As males often did.
But then he came upon something Mellem genuinely didn't expect. A Talos shrine south of the road, among the mountains which separated the Illanata Highway from Falkreath Valley.
Mellem flipped to a new page in her notes, eager to document the nature of Farri's faith. His Talos faith had ended one of the Jarl's most profitable business relationships to avoid hypocrisy, she would ensure Vasha knew all the details.
Farri stood in front of a statue of the man-god, with a natural stone shelf between them littered with offerings and a prayer totem. One of the offerings was a familiar gold and emerald eye.
Mellem noted, as she moved the Orb's perspective around, that Farri seemed to have a somber expression as he looked at the statue. And that the statue had a faint blue glow about it, like the Orb wanted to highlight it.
"I'm guessing," Farri spoke to the stone likeness of a god, "that Sangiin brought me here so I could lay out my issues with you?" He picked up his false eye from the altar. "Did I offer this to you so you could tell me about J'Zargo?"
J'Zargo? Mellem underlined that in her notes.
Farri looked up at the statue again. "...You know it's me, can't you come down and talk?" When Farri got no reply – he scowled. "Of course. Why would you talk? You never wanted to have a serious discussion – because I would tell you if you were wrong."
Mellem noted that Farri had some capital I issues to work through.
"You're never willing to admit when you're wrong! Kyne was begging you to apologize – and you couldn't do it. When you and I…." Farri looked away. "When we had our disagreement, I just wanted an apology. I could fix what you broke – no problem, but you broke something that was mine, and I wanted an apology!" He looked up at Talos again and pointed dramatically. "And instead, you killed me! Where's my apology for that, huh?!"
Talos, as a statue, had no reply.
Farri's scowl deepened. He took the Blue Rose from behind his good ear, and Mellem's alarm bells began to ring.
"I can make you stop ignoring me, you know. I can. I'm choosing not to, because I'm better than you!" He shook the Rose at Talos. "I don't treat people I love the way you treated me! …Or maybe I do." He held the Wabbajack in the same hand as his false eye.
"Since I started using this more often… I found myself acting a lot like you. Treating people like things." Farri turned his back to the statue, and continued to vent. "I've turned people into things, just like you used to."
Mellem's alarm bells rang louder as she watched the statue begin to move. Blue dust floated from it when it moved – a telltale sign of Blue Rose animation. But Farri hadn't used the Rose on it, that she'd seen.
But Farri's eye had been there. He'd been there previously.
Farri didn't seem to hear the statue move, perhaps it produced no sound as Talos stepped off the dragon's neck with his sword raised high.
"I… I want so badly to go back to what we had. But we can't get that back. You killed me, and I don't think any relationship can survive -- " Farri turned just in time to see the animated Talos statue start to bring his sword down. "...That."
The Talos statue exploited Farri's surprise and got one devastating hit in with his blunt stone sword.
Mellem continued to make notes – for it was all she could do.
She watched Farri run with one arm limp and a visible dent in his clavicle. Evident of alteration magic for protection, but even so a severe injury. The Wabbajack and his false eye had to be discarded while he reached around for the Blue Rose.
Talos gave him no quarter, and chased the Dagi Khajiit with the same gait and speed of a Giant his size.
Farri managed to make a sharp turn that Talos couldn't follow – which caused the statue to tumble and skid down the mountainside. However, Talos' sword was a one-hander, his free hand managed to catch Farri by the tail as he slid.
The Orb struggled to follow them, it had to find an angle that would let Mellem see the battle while it changed rapidly.
By the time it settled on one, Talos had gotten his feet under him and hauled Farri into the air by his tail. For only a couple seconds, however, as Farri let loose a torrent of flame with the thu'um.
Fire against stone seemed foolish, even to the statue as Talos opted to let the flames wash over him. A bad decision, in hindsight.
As Farri's flames poured over Talos, the stream narrowed. And narrowed. The flames compacted upon themselves, and shifted from orange to blue. Then – all at once – fire became light.
A stream of radiant light burned a hole through the center of Talos, and into the rockface behind the statue. When Farri swung his head around, the stream cut like a fiery blade – through Talos' arm, the mountain behind it, and across the valley to the mountains on the far side.
An avalanche began in the distance from the seconds-long swing of burning light.
It would have been a stellar victory, if Farri hadn't fallen with Talos' severed arm, and been unable to move when the half-melted statue fell on top of him.
Mellem was confident Farri had accidentally killed himself, but continued to watch anyway.
--
The Void
The bastard had killed me. Again. Though this time, only technically.
In the void, I lingered. Lingering impressions of who I had been and what I once had flitted about.
A friend who taught me how to laugh. A confident ally who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. A lover from a toxic relationship.
Sheogorath. Meridia. Talos.
I had bartered replicas of memories for the power to turn back time. To make time undo itself. To recapture the past. For those stuck in past mistakes, like the draugr, it had been a great boon. A second chance.
When I tried to recapture the past for myself, it ended badly. Sheogorath wasn't part of my story anymore. Meridia only saw me as a dim echo of who I'd been. Talos would never apologize. Why had I failed?
When he who was the will to chase and to be chased reached for my heart, I devoured his hand. When he who was the will to lust and to be lusted after tried to deceive me, I convinced him to offer a gift. Why did these succeed?
What had I done wrong?
In the Void, a blue flower came into being. It bloomed, and there was a Khajiit soaked in blood with his ears like devils horns, a self-satisfied smile, and gleaming glasses that hid his eyes seated upon the petals.
"You're too hung up on how things used to be. When you're living your life now, you're at your strongest. Leave the past where it falls."
In a moment, the Khajiit was replaced with Niyya, soaked in blood and with a sad expression. "You hide yourself in work. You hide yourself in who you were. You refuse to grow up, and be happy."
In a moment, Niyya was replaced with a Khajiit I didn't know. He was small, taller than me by about fifteen centimeters. A Dagi-raht. There was not a drop of blood on him. I noted that he had distinct facial hair – a droopy mustache.
"When was the last time you had fun? When was the last time you laughed?" The stranger waggled his eyebrows. "You've chased vengeance, that's good. But outside of vengeance, you've been working constantly."
The stranger was replaced with Vasha, soaked in blood the way Niyya and Sangiin had been.
"Skyrim, Solstheim… there is art to pursue, there is adventure. But you don't seek it out. Life is the sweetness of fruit, and the joy of battle."
The vision faded, and was replaced with images of my ring, false eye, and Talos amulet.
The ring and eye were both necessary because I gave out regeneration medicine to others who needed it more. Or seemed to need it more. The Talos amulet was necessary because I used the thu'um so much – and so I could remember better times.
Sangiin probably lied about the magic he put on them, just like he lied about the items to repair his Rose in Skyrim the game, huh?
For a brief moment, all I could see in the Void was Sangiin's toothy grin.
Asshole.
--
Kolbjorn Barrow
Ahzidal
With unseen hands, Ahzidal lifted the lid on the healing sarcophagus. Though afraid, the Spriggan inside was alive, and green once more.
Behind his mask, the priest grinned. "You are free to go," he told the Spriggan in her people's language. "Tell others that they can be healed if they come here." Ahzidal left out the odds of being exploded.
His Scourges and Deathlords watched as the Spriggan hastily stepped out of the sarcophagus and fled down the halls, toward the scent of fresh air. Ahzidal had ordered the doors to be left open, to leave a trail for the Spriggans and animals his followers brought him to follow out.
Last thing he needed was for a bristleback to get stuck somewhere.
The heart stone core which rotated within a stone hoop at the head of the coffin lost its light momentarily, then began to glow once more. Their power was transfinite, but not limitless. The secondary heart stones I had attached to the sides and lid of the coffin had reduced the main core's burden significantly, so it no longer took hours to be ready for another subject.
Ahzidal had created a circuit pattern that would let the device take power from lesser cores if the main core was depleted, and imparted a detection effect for it to determine the needed power for recuperation.
That had been the reason for explosions, he suspected. The sarcophagus had no way to know how much power was needed, and overloaded the patient. With his advances, all made in a day, he suspected that fewer explosions would result.
That boon was as good as his!
Ahzidal was about to signal for his Scourges to bring in the next test subject when a portal opened in his lab. His Scourges and Deathlords drew weapons, ready to fight an invader – while Ahzidal gathered fire in his hands.
From the portal came the smell of rain. Then, Farri Gold-Tooth.
His arm and leg on one side were useless, broken and twisted. His tail was kinked in three places. His robes and the flesh under them had burns, like he'd been thrown in a fire. Farri forced himself along using the Madgod's staff as a cane, with great care to balance on his one useful foot.
"The gods are good, star-wife," Ahzidal announced and dismissed the fires in his hands. "I have completed the task you put to me, and it is ready to receive you." His smile was wide, beneath his mask. With a dismissive gesture, he bade his Scourges take the intended subject away.
Farri nodded and continued to hobble toward Ahzidal, until the fiery priest grew tired and lifted him with unseen hands. "Could… you send a messenger bird for me?"
Ahzidal passed the Madgod's staff, Merid-Nunda's sword, and a Daedric blue rose to his Scourges to be stored with respect. "I could. Whom would you bid me contact, and what message would you ask me to send?"
The star-wife jostled his broken arm. With obvious pain, he had his good hand pull a gold ring off the bad. "J'Zargo, in Elsweyr. I suspect he's a dovahkiin. I would ask him to come to Skyrim, to Winterhold, to learn magic. Tell him… this ring was made by Winterhold. He can determine if it's of good enough quality to bring him here."
Ahzidal bid the ring float while he removed the burned robes from the Khajiit. "As you wish." Another dovahkiin? That would likely wake Miraak from his loops and scripts.
How wonderful. Perhaps they could wake Vahlok from his sleep as well, get the gang back together.
"This part will hurt," he told the star-wife perhaps a second before he forcibly straightened the cat's arm, leg, tail, and back with his magic. Snaps, crackles, pops, and screams filled the air. "There. All ready."
Farri was out of breath from the straightening as Ahzidal laid him to rest in Dukaan's casket.
"You'll be happy to know, we got the explosion chance down to one-in-five. The odds are in your favor." With that, Ahzidal slid the lid into place, and locked it tight.
The heart stones went to work, while the casket glowed cherry red.
Ahzidal smiled even wider when he failed to hear any muffled 'pop' noises.
---
Hon Dovah On – Detect Dragon, literally Find Dragon Soul.
There's some clunkiness here – because, again, I lost my notes on the fic and had to reconstruct what I was going to do here. I think this fits with the general theme of 'don't cling to the past' that I've been going for, yeah?
Sometimes a clunky chapter to get things moving is just fine. I know I've had that struggle.
Probably the biggest thing I've learned in writing is that you have momentum. If something stops you or slows you down, it really hits. If you've got a good flow, keep it going because it'll work out to get so much more done, and done well.
Probably the biggest thing I've learned in writing is that you have momentum. If something stops you or slows you down, it really hits. If you've got a good flow, keep it going because it'll work out to get so much more done, and done well.
So, was the Talos statue actually animated by the Blue Rose/Sanguine earlier in the night to be an 'object' lesson on moving on, or was it actually animated by the power of the man-god himself?
Because from my limited babby-tier lore knowledge, Talos is a very different and MUCH better being then Tiber Septim, even as he originates from the old conqueror. Talos being your generic good-guy warrior god that sorta takes up the old mantle/power of Shor/Lorkhan, whereas Tiber Septim at best was an entirely too-ruthless conqueror that at least didn't degenerate to genocide and atrocity AFTER a surrendered people/race were part of the Empire (making him better then no small numbers of elves or men TBF), but was otherwise too reckless with using the Numidium. At worst, he was just a monster period (though without the torture-fetish of the Ayyleids/Dwemer, or the Dragons great Draugr deception, STILL not the worst in Tamriel's history) who went to clearly unnecessary lengths in his conquest up until his legendarily powerful Battlemage/lover had enough and off'ed him in addition to destroying the Numidium's pseudo-heart. And because the Brass Tower is involved, forget a confusing history with lots of biased accounts, it's probably all true at once. And to make a long story very short, good ol' TS likely set up many of the future problems to rock his Empire by just being waay too murder-happy in it's founding (most notably something he did to Summerset? That was clearly over the line and set up an age-long grudge perfect for extremists/cultists like the Thalmore to take advantage of). And then thanks to his cult of personality (and the Nords REALLY liking genocide of non-humans), he became a god and 'won' at everything despite his hubris justly collapsing his rule around him.
Because from the hints we get of the actual relationship...it kinda seems to me like Farri was involved with Tiber Septim, not Talos, and it was in his more ass-holish form. The kind of selfish-but-charismatic bad-boy he finds attractive (like that Khajit hunter), despite all the obvious problems with those kinds of relationships. And despite Talos being very different as a result of the ascent to godhood and/or being twisted by the beliefs of his worshippers, select 'facets' of his being still mostly resemble TS? In particular ones that interact with a reincarnated lover?
Because a can't really see Talos the Man God pulling a sneak attack on an ex that was just asking for an apology, even if he doesn't want to give it and/or disagrees with it's validity...but Tiber Septim is exactly the kinda cunt to pull this shit even on a former/current loved one. Especially if Farri was a certain Battlemage that happened to torpedo TS's ambitions back in the day and/or brought him down with him.
Because from my limited babby-tier lore knowledge, Talos is a very different and MUCH better being then Tiber Septim, even as he originates from the old conqueror. Talos being your generic good-guy warrior god that sorta takes up the old mantle/power of Shor/Lorkhan, whereas Tiber Septim at best was an entirely too-ruthless conqueror that at least didn't degenerate to genocide and atrocity AFTER a surrendered people/race were part of the Empire (making him better then no small numbers of elves or men TBF), but was otherwise too reckless with using the Numidium. At worst, he was just a monster period (though without the torture-fetish of the Ayyleids/Dwemer, or the Dragons great Draugr deception, STILL not the worst in Tamriel's history) who went to clearly unnecessary lengths in his conquest up until his legendarily powerful Battlemage/lover had enough and off'ed him in addition to destroying the Numidium's pseudo-heart. And because the Brass Tower is involved, forget a confusing history with lots of biased accounts, it's probably all true at once. And to make a long story very short, good ol' TS likely set up many of the future problems to rock his Empire by just being waay too murder-happy in it's founding (most notably something he did to Summerset? That was clearly over the line and set up an age-long grudge perfect for extremists/cultists like the Thalmore to take advantage of). And then thanks to his cult of personality (and the Nords REALLY liking genocide of non-humans), he became a god and 'won' at everything despite his hubris justly collapsing his rule around him.
Because from the hints we get of the actual relationship...it kinda seems to me like Farri was involved with Tiber Septim, not Talos, and it was in his more ass-holish form. The kind of selfish-but-charismatic bad-boy he finds attractive (like that Khajit hunter), despite all the obvious problems with those kinds of relationships. And despite Talos being very different as a result of the ascent to godhood and/or being twisted by the beliefs of his worshippers, select 'facets' of his being still mostly resemble TS? In particular ones that interact with a reincarnated lover?
Because a can't really see Talos the Man God pulling a sneak attack on an ex that was just asking for an apology, even if he doesn't want to give it and/or disagrees with it's validity...but Tiber Septim is exactly the kinda cunt to pull this shit even on a former/current loved one. Especially if Farri was a certain Battlemage that happened to torpedo TS's ambitions back in the day and/or brought him down with him.
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As you said, a little clunky. But it works well with the disjointed way we view Farri
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
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It's meant to be the statue was animated by the Rose. And Farri talked about how Tiber was a ruthless murder machine, so that's what it decided it had to be.
Fun fact! Tiber had Numidum destroy neutral and insufficiently loyal regions after he finished his conquest, tested Numidium on Khajiit cities before he sicced it on Summerset, and also used Khajiiti salve labor to build it once he got the parts from Morrowind. :3
Farri-as-Zurin was not even 1% happy with him at the time. Especially given how meek Tiber was when they met.
Glad to hear it was still enjoyable!
Adding that to my notes. Hopefully these don't get water damage too.
If you take Wulf as an aspect of Tiber rather than the Talos composite, he comes across as rather exhausted of conquest and war. He might think the empire was for the best, but it still seems like he has some regrets over how he went about it.
Dear J'Zargo
Chairtastic
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Dear J'Zargo
---
A message delivered by a bound bird to a Khajiit in Mistral.
--
J'Zargo.
Greetings from the far north!
This letter is dictated on behalf of Farri Gold-Tooth, star-wife of Magnus, leader of clan Gold-Tooth, and wielder of the thu'um. By his command, I am to inform you that it is likely you are what is known as a dovahkiin.
That is, a fragment of the time dragon incarnated into a mortal body. I'm told that qualifies you to rule over the continent, congratulations on that. Your soul must be incredibly powerful for it to be felt all the way from Solstheim, thus it stands to reason that your thu'um would be equally strong.
Due to the failures of magical education in this deplorable Era, you might not know what the thu'um is. It's a nuanced art of using magicka, sound, and conceptual understanding to alter the nature of the universe. A fearsome form of magic that even the Daedra fear.
Farri Gold-Tooth invites you to Skyrim to see if your soul is truly that of a dragon, and to pursue magical education at Winterhold College.
By Farri's command I present to you a ring bewitched by Winterhold's staff. Take it and determine, with your own keen sense, if Winterhold is worth the travel to learn from.
Thus concludes what Farri bid me convey to you.
Now begins my direct communication with you.
Come to Skyrim, come to Winterhold as Farri bids, and fathomless power can be yours. This land if full of power that lays sleeping, waiting for the right Voice to command it. And I know exactly how to prove it. Below this message are three Words of Power (I'm told they should be capitalized).
If you are dovahkiin, the words will reach out to you. They will fill you with the innate knowledge of their meaning -- and you will have a mighty tool in your quest for greatness. Just make sure to only use it on your enemies.
-- A friend.
(A trio of scrawls in the draconic language translated to GAAN LAH HAAS)
---
If you've ever seen the original Mummy movie? The stuff Imhotep does to the Americans? That's what Drain Vitality does to people divorced from game mechanics.
Nasty to look at, tasty to inflict.
---
A message delivered by a bound bird to a Khajiit in Mistral.
--
J'Zargo.
Greetings from the far north!
This letter is dictated on behalf of Farri Gold-Tooth, star-wife of Magnus, leader of clan Gold-Tooth, and wielder of the thu'um. By his command, I am to inform you that it is likely you are what is known as a dovahkiin.
That is, a fragment of the time dragon incarnated into a mortal body. I'm told that qualifies you to rule over the continent, congratulations on that. Your soul must be incredibly powerful for it to be felt all the way from Solstheim, thus it stands to reason that your thu'um would be equally strong.
Due to the failures of magical education in this deplorable Era, you might not know what the thu'um is. It's a nuanced art of using magicka, sound, and conceptual understanding to alter the nature of the universe. A fearsome form of magic that even the Daedra fear.
Farri Gold-Tooth invites you to Skyrim to see if your soul is truly that of a dragon, and to pursue magical education at Winterhold College.
By Farri's command I present to you a ring bewitched by Winterhold's staff. Take it and determine, with your own keen sense, if Winterhold is worth the travel to learn from.
Thus concludes what Farri bid me convey to you.
Now begins my direct communication with you.
Come to Skyrim, come to Winterhold as Farri bids, and fathomless power can be yours. This land if full of power that lays sleeping, waiting for the right Voice to command it. And I know exactly how to prove it. Below this message are three Words of Power (I'm told they should be capitalized).
If you are dovahkiin, the words will reach out to you. They will fill you with the innate knowledge of their meaning -- and you will have a mighty tool in your quest for greatness. Just make sure to only use it on your enemies.
-- A friend.
(A trio of scrawls in the draconic language translated to GAAN LAH HAAS)
---
If you've ever seen the original Mummy movie? The stuff Imhotep does to the Americans? That's what Drain Vitality does to people divorced from game mechanics.
Nasty to look at, tasty to inflict.
SiiracaiSupernal
(Verified Canadian) (Unverified Shapeshifter)
- Location
- Canada
Could someone remind me what led Farri to believe J'Zargo is the Dovahkiin? I don't have time to reread or dig right now, but I really would like to know.
Chairtastic
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During the drunken escapade, Farri went to a Talos shrine with Sanguine and made an offering to Talos -- presumably to find out who the dovahkiin was.
He then asked Zahkriisos, once sober, if there was a way to detect dragonborn. Zahkriisos shared that, yes, the dragons had a Shout which could sense other dragons -- including dovahkiin.
Ch 27
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
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Chapter 27: School Yarding
---
Kolbjorn Barrow
Dukaan
Ahzidal had summoned them, the star-wife had returned. Dukaan and Zahkriisos both appeared within Kolbjorn Barrow after the messengers arrived – and found Ahzidal near Dukaan's stolen sarcophagus.
His brother loomed over it like a wolf over a rabbit den.
Zahkriisos and Dukaan floated through the air and flanked Ahzidal. The three of them looked down at the sarcophagus in silence.
"It hasn't killed him?" Dukaan asked.
"Not yet," Ahzidal replied. "But it also shouldn't have taken this long. The spriggans and boars we experimented on were repaired much more quickly."
Zahkriisos placed his fingers to the chin of his mask, considering. "Could it be that a werewolf inflicted those injuries? Or the changes to his body from the resurrection?"
Ahzidal didn't respond.
Dukaan, keen to his brother's eccentrics, crossed his arms. "You didn't test how it would work with the changes to the star-wife's heart, blood, and remaining eye – did you?"
"Shut up," the fire mage replied conversationally.
"Thought so."
Before either of the brothers could escalate the scene into a fight, Zahkriisos held a hand full of lightning up to each of them. "There will be no arguing or squabbling in front of the star-wife, understood?"
The brothers backed down.
"I have news." Zahkriisos lowered his hands. "The star-wife resurrected the draugr of Bleak Falls, and they have told me the timeline for when the continentals defeated the dragons." Zahkriisos launched into a detailed explanation of the rebellion on the continent.
For years after Miraak's defeat, the continentals had fought and killed dragons. And won, obviously. But their mortal enemies, the men still loyal to the dragons, had lingered for generations after. Bleak Falls was one of the last places to inter themselves – with a map of dragon burial locations.
Their kin, free of the dragons and their priests, were ruled by mortal kings who became the modern Jarls. These secular rulers allowed foreign religions to displace the old traditions, until their kin were a wholly separate people from them. Nords, not Atmorans.
There was also something called 'Nedes' involved, which Dukaan only pretended to listen to. Nede was a stupid-sounding name.
"...and Tyn is a champion of these later-generation kin of ours. Bleak Falls hadn't had a priest for one hundred and eight years by the time she ordered them to inter themselves. She never lived under dragon rule, or the rule of a priest." Zahkriisos sounded like he had pity for the warrior-queen.
Ahzidal stroked his mask. "So… depending on the ruin Farri resurrects, they might not have any natural loyalty to Alduin. Just loyalty to the idea of him."
"Precisely. We could… convince them to turn away from the World Eater. If we pick our words carefully."
Dukaan shook his head. "We are their enemies. They would never listen to us."
"Dukaan, Alduin is gone. Ejected from the world -- "
"Fr'a'yr," said Farri within the sarcophagus, significantly muffled by the stone.
"For a year, yes, and -- " Ahzidal paused and bent down to look at the stone casket. "Can you hear us from in there?"
"Forda? Mufferd'brt'ken'mek'it'oud."
"You can understand him?" Dukaan's eyebrows rose under his mask.
"Of course I can, the Dwemer required it – most of their liquid metal test subjects were kept isolated in stone. We needed to document their experiences, thus we needed to know how to understand what they were saying." Ahzidal waved him off like an annoyance. "Are things healing up well in there?"
"Ferr'arrid."
"Could you perhaps translate for us?" Zahkriisos asked, with his arms crossed.
"Dis'is'waddikuwuss. Er'krmin'odd."
The heart stones along Dukaan's sarcophagus dimmed down. With a 'pop', the lid rose up and slid to the side.
"One of you levitate this, I don't know where Ahzidal wants it and I'm not blind-levitating something that weighs more than me." The star-wife's voice was clearer, enough for his orders to be heard.
Dukaan and Ahzidal levitated the lid from the sarcophagus to the side. It was durable stone, the star-wife needn't have been worried. But Dukaan appreciated the care for his coffin.
Free of the stone coffin, the star-wife emerged.
All three of them had gotten so used to a small cat-person covered in scars, with a shredded ear and one eye – that to see something else jarred them. Dukaan recognized the signs in his fellows from years of working together.
Ahzidal leaned ever so slightly forward when surprised – to get a better look. A current of electricity went through Zahkriisos' hair for his surprise. And Dukaan let out a puff of misty breath for his own surprise.
The star-wife was healed. Every scar, gone; both ears, intact; both eyes, intact. For the first time, Dukaan could tell that Farri was an orange Khajiit with blonde spots.. His mane was more even – no longer broken up by scalp scars.
Ahzidal reached forth, and snapped his fingers on the side of Farri's head where his ear had been shredded. "You can hear that?"
"Much clearer than before, yes."
His finger was held up in front of Farri's face to track his vision. What had formerly been Farri's blind side was obviously visible to him.
"Khajiit can see on that side." He rubbed his new eye. "Is a bit too bright, but will hopefully adjust?"
"More than likely just your brain getting used to having input on that side. But." Ahzidal clapped his hands together. "A spectacular success. Do you have any feedback, on the device?"
Farri clamored out of the sarcophagus, only in his smallclothes, stockings, and boots, then floated the lid back into place. "Using the sarcophagus was a good stop-gap, but Khajiit recommends a purpose-built device be made. Something with the ability to be opened from within in an emergency, yes no?"
Ahzidal nodded. He scribbled a note on a scroll when he thought no one was looking – but Dukaan was wise to his trickery. The words Ahzidal wrote, however, were illegible to Dukaan – some Dwemer shorthand was at play.
Kolbjorn Barrow's Scourges and Deathlords cautiously brought in the star-wife's equipment. Dukaan knew they would feel safer around Ahzidal with Zahkriisos, the star-wife, and himself present. Yet, they were still timid for people of their high ranks.
Perhaps his brother's barbaric madness lingered. Or the fear of it, at least.
"As Khajiit said while in the coffin…." Farri worked magic upon his damaged robes to fashion the modern skirt-like garment called 'kilt' out of them. "Alduin World-eater returns sometime next year, if this one remembers the schedule correctly." He paid no mind to how the dragon priests stiffened at the announcement. "He thinks it happens in Last Seed."
Dukaan would describe his feelings after hearing that, to his few remaining citizens, as 'suddenly in free-fall'. Panic on the far horizon that drew nearer as he seemed to process a great fall. He had not felt that since the seconds before Vahlok had killed him, in ages past.
"That will definitely get Miraak's attention," Ahzidal muttered.
"Possibly. But Khajiit will not be letting Miraak return. Going to be," he turned and muttered the word 'hopefully', "training dovahkiin to stab Miraak and Alduin right in their stupid faces, then eat their souls."
Dukaan took a deep breath and put the feeling of distant panic and helplessness slip away. He immersed himself in the fact there was nothing he could do to change a future the star-wife was certain of. Others would find helplessness terrible, Dukaan found it clarifying.
"What must we do to prepare?" Dukaan floated forward to address the star-wife. "What can be done to stymie Alduin until the dovahkiin is ready to stab him in his stupid face?"
Farri tried to thin out the remnants of his robe to make a shirt, but there was insufficient material. The topless cat looked Dukaan up and down, then did the same for Zahkriisos and Ahzidal. "Any of you know Dragonrend? First mortal Shout? Forces dragons and other immortals to experience mortality for limited time?"
He kept talking when none of the adjunct priests spoke up.
Until it became clear none of them had an idea what he referenced.
Farri clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Farri is no longer surprised by why your rebellion failed. Ahzidal, would you want to use -- "
"You're going to teach the Shout to us regardless, so no, I'm saving my boon." Ahzidal snapped out surprise once his prize was mentioned. A boon of the star-wife, priceless.
"Khajiit had to try. You've been known to slow dance with crazy, as an old friend once said."
Dukaan immediately filed that away, as it would become his favorite way to describe his brother's eccentricities.
--
Gullantani
Nenya Gold-Tooth
The boss was back, and wanted to talk to her. A frequent occurrence in recent weeks.
Nenya expected that Zahkriisos had talked to him about Sinding, and he was going to explain the letter of clemency he'd issued to the werewolf. It wasn't too hard to deal with given the hunters Raven Rock hosted regularly brought in dead werewolves to skin and make meat out of – but still. Nenya would have appreciated forewarning.
She finished her werewolf shank steak and went to the boss' chambers.
The mine's upper floors had become something approaching a palace, with Nelos and Nord mages working on it. The central pit which led down to the ebony mines was covered with a floor finally – separating the clan's home from the mines below. Every clan member now had rooms of their own, no more bunks.
Farri's chambers were still the most readily accessible, being near the surface. He was seated at a desk with papers and parchment splayed out before him.
It was only because of his fucked up heartbeat that Nenya knew it was him. The scars were all gone, whatever he'd done while 'turnt' had fixed him up properly.
Nenya stood in the doorway for a moment to process the sight, then cleared her throat and properly entered. "You asked for me?"
"He did," Farri said and gestured to the guest's chair opposite his own. Once she was seated, he continued. "Farri would like to apply to college of Winterhold, get some proper schooling done. He would use a portal to go there and return as needed, but he would not be able to handle the management of Raven Rock affairs on top of coursework." The cat set down all the paperwork before him and met Nenya's eyes. "He would like to ask your help."
Farri's eyes were both matte. It had been freaky when he had a falsie, but with both proper eyes in place it looked disturbing. Eyes should reflect – but his didn't. Even a doll's eyes were closer to as they should have been. His eyes were wrong on a base level.
Nenya's instincts told her to say 'no' and to get on the first boat out of Raven Rock.
Those same instincts had gotten her stuck as a reaver, so she put them aside.
"What do you need done?" Nenya scooted forward to look at the papers along the boss' desk. "I've got experience in administration of a merc company, not quite the same as a town but…."
Farri waved her off, then sorted through the parchments. "Khajiit asked Zahkriisos to handle city administration and infrastructure. He needs you to handle another issue."
The boss gave her a parchment that bore heraldry of the Mede Empire. It was official notice that Fort Frostmouth would be reactivated as an Imperial outpost, and that a garrison would be deployed within the month to repair and occupy it.
Orders for support were included, authorized by the High King. What stuck out the most to Nenya was the volume of troops – explained by a detail relegated to one sentence in the letter.
'Imperial Troops will provide law enforcement function until a standing force to address the severe banditry problems are resolved.'
"Khajiit needs you to keep our people safe from the Imperials. Keep our fighting folk in condition, train new volunteers. And if it becomes necessary…." Farri held up his hand and flexed his claws. "Tell Khajiit when peace is no longer an option."
Immediately, Nenya's mind went into mercenary mode. She calculated the costs to arm and supply a fighting force that could check the Imperial's garrison. Nenya began to estimate the fighting force they'd need to make the Imperials wary of wiping them out, without being threatening in and of itself.
Solstheim didn't have a banditry problem anymore. There were no Reaver Lords left except Farri. Loreas was likely dead, killed by Rieklings who had formed a settlement in Haknir's Bay, and Suya had been in Frossel when the Rieklings took that over – likely, she was dead too.
There weren't any big gangs left. At best there were small groups that would be hunted down by werewolves in time.
The only 'bandit problem' the Imperials could possibly have was with them. So, the High-King was on the watch for any reason to declare them outlaws again, most likely.
With ebony and stalhrim gear, they would not want for equipment. A good sword and suit of armor could make up for lackluster troops.
A terrible thought occurred to her, however.
"I can train a rabble into soldiers." Nenya leaned forward with her eyebrows up. "But if we had more battle mages…?"
Farri's eyebrow inched its way into his mane. "Are not the Atmoran Tongues sufficiently magical?"
"A lot of them are warriors first, meaning they know how to hit things and how to die in glorious combat." Nenya pushed aside some papers and produced a map of Solstheim. "I would need people with discipline. With magic to fall back on if they get slashed in the throat like Tiber Septim did."
Farri's fur bristled when she spoke the long-dead Emperor's name. His eyes narrowed, and his ears flicked back.
Then, a half-second later all that vanished. "Hmm. Khajiit could take some with him. Will need to speak to the dragon priests."
"If memory serves, the college doesn't have anyone who teaches alchemy. Which would be a great skill for troops to have. Just in case we get to a point where we need to go out into the wilds again." Nenya waggled her eyebrows at the boss. "Maybe they'll give you the job if you make them some fire salt sweetrolls?"
Farri opened his mouth to reply, then paused. "Hmm. Farri doesn't hate that idea."
--
Raven Rock
Tyn Sigdisdottir
Her people had been appointed to the service of the Ice Priest, Dukaan. It was good – Dukaan had few followers left, so there was room for glory, and Dukaan's lands were dangerous.
Danger was like a whetstone to a blade, it made people sharp.
Tyn, however, would not stand to benefit. She had been asked by the cat-creature who had wrenched them free of living death to accompany him to the mainland. Tyn wasn't convinced the cat-creature was truly a star-wife of Magno, but he had a Voice strong enough to make time undo itself. A power only Alduin was said to have.
Further, he had proven his thu'um to be stronger than hers. By the old traditions, she was bound to his service until death or her thu'um's victory.
The cat-creature, Farri, wanted to go among the Clever Men and learn the nuance of their craft. Tyn's family had all been Clever Men, her father, her uncles, and her grandfather. It was believed she would have the potential for it as well, if given a chance.
A chance her family had died rather than afford her. So Tyn did not resist overmuch.
By Farri's command, she and others met atop the Bulwark-wall. Farri Gold-Tooth looked out over the bay from atop a barrel, as the ash-skin elf ship sailed out of port.
Farri had a contented smile as he watched the ship leave Solstheim. "Khajiit will soon have the most glorious revenge a Khajiit can have on elves." He turned to the group and hopped off the barrel. "To make them appear as fools."
Elves were weird, to find foolishness a greater shame than dishonor.
"All Ancient Nords have translation trinkets, yes no?" Farri looked over them to make sure they were equipped. "Good. All Gold-Tooth clan members are ready?" Once his kin had confirmed yes, Farri snapped his fingers with a priest's authority.
A tear in the air that rapidly pulsed with light and cold air appeared beside him. It was too small to see, the dust and light it produced hid the portal effectively.
"Khajiit will step through – and all y'all will follow him, yes no?" With no objections, Farri walked into the portal as if it were a door. In an instant, he was gone.
Such magic had been talked about in Bleak Falls, before they interred themselves. But Tyn had never seen it until Farri brought them to Solstheim. Perhaps the Clever Men of Winterhold could teach it, so she needn't beg her new lord for the skill.
She stepped through, and Tyn was suddenly in the blessed cold of snowfall again.
They were in front of a stone ramp up to a bridge, wide enough that two men could walk shoulder to shoulder with room to spare. Enormous sections of it were damaged, without support, or visibly absent. Across from the bridge, on a stone pillar, was a foreign-looking stone structure made of towers grouped together.
It didn't seem a Nordic structure at all.
Farri walked up the ramp while the group that accompanied him examined their surroundings.
Tyn thought a dragon must have attacked – because there was wreckage everywhere. Smashed houses, damaged carts, the like. But what concerned her was the layers of snow that had covered parts of them.
'Winterhold', if that was where they were, was a road and three buildings. All three were made of wood, with the only obvious stone structure being to foreign building before them.
Tyn narrowed her eyes as she tried to see through the wind and snow to find where they were. She smelled the sea in the air, they had to be on the coast. And she could vaguely make out a large mountain to the south and east of them. Too small to be the Throat of the World, but perhaps it was Anthor?
Anthor, in whose shadow Saarthal had stood. Where her uncle Jyrik had been killed for kinslaying.
Perhaps… Farri would be open to returning her uncle to life. He had been kind to her, in the few memories she had of him.
Scrawny men in steel armor with wooden shields watched their group warily. But none approached. Tyn paid them little mind, they were malnourished and too weak to be worth a fight.
The werewolf fur armor Farri's clan had given her kept Tyn warm, and the boots it came with gripped the snow so she didn't slip. This was good, as she walked Farri's path up the ramp – she placed her feet deliberately where his steps had been, to cover them up.
He may have been strong, or possibly a god. He was still small, and a saber cat would definitely try their luck.
And she was, unfortunately, obligated to look after him.
At the top of the ramp was a covered section. Metal on the walls indicated there was once a door there, but it had been removed. A strange eye surrounded by a five pointed star was prominently displayed in the stonework.
There, Farri spoke with a golden-skinned elf, as tall as a Nord but thinner. Her hair was done up in two short braids, and she was dressed in robes that gleamed with magic.
"...the thu'um, and also alchemy. Khajiit hears that Winterhold does not have an alchemy-specialized staff member, and would work toward obtaining such a position," the short cat-creature said to the elf.
"Having so many people trained with the Voice would indeed present a panoply of research opportunities. And you've heard correctly, the College has been wanting for alchemy experts for some time." The elf crossed one arm over her torso to support the other as she assumed a thinker pose. "Very well – I will grant you entry. But you'll have to gain official admittance from the Arch-mage."
Archmage? Tyn was immediately interested. She'd grown up with stories of her grandfather, an Archmage of great renown. Another Archmage had slain her father and uncles when their kinslaying was revealed. Tyn was keen to see the power such a position held, to better understand her family's history.
She was fortunate, she would realize later, that the position had lasted since her people's time.
Farri nodded, pleased, and turned to Tyn. "Excuse, please? Tell others to come up, we will cross the bridge together so the wind and ice wraiths don't steal us away."
Tyn looked across the bridge at distant golden gates – beyond which was a Clever Man on par with her grandfather. She tore her eyes away to obey the order given to her. The Clever Man wouldn't go anywhere.
Little did she know how badly she would be disappointed once she crossed the bridge.
---
It's not really fair to compare Savos to Geirmund and Galdur, but unfortunately he's an Arch-mage and Tyn doesn't know the difference between that position and Archmage. You gotta have the power to burn that hyphen out of the title, you see.
Also.
Next chapter won't be for a bit, we're moving on to the next story to update. But when we do update next, it will be time-skip't to the start of Skyrim the game. Blizzards take longer to whip up than moonlets, especially when you gotta make it a blizzard on a scale Tamriel has literally never seen before. Hircine cut his work out for him on that measure.
When next we meet, J'Zargo (J'zargo? J' is a prefix for 'young/inexperienced' so his name would be Zargo, so it should be capitalized yeah?) will be going to Helgen!
---
Kolbjorn Barrow
Dukaan
Ahzidal had summoned them, the star-wife had returned. Dukaan and Zahkriisos both appeared within Kolbjorn Barrow after the messengers arrived – and found Ahzidal near Dukaan's stolen sarcophagus.
His brother loomed over it like a wolf over a rabbit den.
Zahkriisos and Dukaan floated through the air and flanked Ahzidal. The three of them looked down at the sarcophagus in silence.
"It hasn't killed him?" Dukaan asked.
"Not yet," Ahzidal replied. "But it also shouldn't have taken this long. The spriggans and boars we experimented on were repaired much more quickly."
Zahkriisos placed his fingers to the chin of his mask, considering. "Could it be that a werewolf inflicted those injuries? Or the changes to his body from the resurrection?"
Ahzidal didn't respond.
Dukaan, keen to his brother's eccentrics, crossed his arms. "You didn't test how it would work with the changes to the star-wife's heart, blood, and remaining eye – did you?"
"Shut up," the fire mage replied conversationally.
"Thought so."
Before either of the brothers could escalate the scene into a fight, Zahkriisos held a hand full of lightning up to each of them. "There will be no arguing or squabbling in front of the star-wife, understood?"
The brothers backed down.
"I have news." Zahkriisos lowered his hands. "The star-wife resurrected the draugr of Bleak Falls, and they have told me the timeline for when the continentals defeated the dragons." Zahkriisos launched into a detailed explanation of the rebellion on the continent.
For years after Miraak's defeat, the continentals had fought and killed dragons. And won, obviously. But their mortal enemies, the men still loyal to the dragons, had lingered for generations after. Bleak Falls was one of the last places to inter themselves – with a map of dragon burial locations.
Their kin, free of the dragons and their priests, were ruled by mortal kings who became the modern Jarls. These secular rulers allowed foreign religions to displace the old traditions, until their kin were a wholly separate people from them. Nords, not Atmorans.
There was also something called 'Nedes' involved, which Dukaan only pretended to listen to. Nede was a stupid-sounding name.
"...and Tyn is a champion of these later-generation kin of ours. Bleak Falls hadn't had a priest for one hundred and eight years by the time she ordered them to inter themselves. She never lived under dragon rule, or the rule of a priest." Zahkriisos sounded like he had pity for the warrior-queen.
Ahzidal stroked his mask. "So… depending on the ruin Farri resurrects, they might not have any natural loyalty to Alduin. Just loyalty to the idea of him."
"Precisely. We could… convince them to turn away from the World Eater. If we pick our words carefully."
Dukaan shook his head. "We are their enemies. They would never listen to us."
"Dukaan, Alduin is gone. Ejected from the world -- "
"Fr'a'yr," said Farri within the sarcophagus, significantly muffled by the stone.
"For a year, yes, and -- " Ahzidal paused and bent down to look at the stone casket. "Can you hear us from in there?"
"Forda? Mufferd'brt'ken'mek'it'oud."
"You can understand him?" Dukaan's eyebrows rose under his mask.
"Of course I can, the Dwemer required it – most of their liquid metal test subjects were kept isolated in stone. We needed to document their experiences, thus we needed to know how to understand what they were saying." Ahzidal waved him off like an annoyance. "Are things healing up well in there?"
"Ferr'arrid."
"Could you perhaps translate for us?" Zahkriisos asked, with his arms crossed.
"Dis'is'waddikuwuss. Er'krmin'odd."
The heart stones along Dukaan's sarcophagus dimmed down. With a 'pop', the lid rose up and slid to the side.
"One of you levitate this, I don't know where Ahzidal wants it and I'm not blind-levitating something that weighs more than me." The star-wife's voice was clearer, enough for his orders to be heard.
Dukaan and Ahzidal levitated the lid from the sarcophagus to the side. It was durable stone, the star-wife needn't have been worried. But Dukaan appreciated the care for his coffin.
Free of the stone coffin, the star-wife emerged.
All three of them had gotten so used to a small cat-person covered in scars, with a shredded ear and one eye – that to see something else jarred them. Dukaan recognized the signs in his fellows from years of working together.
Ahzidal leaned ever so slightly forward when surprised – to get a better look. A current of electricity went through Zahkriisos' hair for his surprise. And Dukaan let out a puff of misty breath for his own surprise.
The star-wife was healed. Every scar, gone; both ears, intact; both eyes, intact. For the first time, Dukaan could tell that Farri was an orange Khajiit with blonde spots.. His mane was more even – no longer broken up by scalp scars.
Ahzidal reached forth, and snapped his fingers on the side of Farri's head where his ear had been shredded. "You can hear that?"
"Much clearer than before, yes."
His finger was held up in front of Farri's face to track his vision. What had formerly been Farri's blind side was obviously visible to him.
"Khajiit can see on that side." He rubbed his new eye. "Is a bit too bright, but will hopefully adjust?"
"More than likely just your brain getting used to having input on that side. But." Ahzidal clapped his hands together. "A spectacular success. Do you have any feedback, on the device?"
Farri clamored out of the sarcophagus, only in his smallclothes, stockings, and boots, then floated the lid back into place. "Using the sarcophagus was a good stop-gap, but Khajiit recommends a purpose-built device be made. Something with the ability to be opened from within in an emergency, yes no?"
Ahzidal nodded. He scribbled a note on a scroll when he thought no one was looking – but Dukaan was wise to his trickery. The words Ahzidal wrote, however, were illegible to Dukaan – some Dwemer shorthand was at play.
Kolbjorn Barrow's Scourges and Deathlords cautiously brought in the star-wife's equipment. Dukaan knew they would feel safer around Ahzidal with Zahkriisos, the star-wife, and himself present. Yet, they were still timid for people of their high ranks.
Perhaps his brother's barbaric madness lingered. Or the fear of it, at least.
"As Khajiit said while in the coffin…." Farri worked magic upon his damaged robes to fashion the modern skirt-like garment called 'kilt' out of them. "Alduin World-eater returns sometime next year, if this one remembers the schedule correctly." He paid no mind to how the dragon priests stiffened at the announcement. "He thinks it happens in Last Seed."
Dukaan would describe his feelings after hearing that, to his few remaining citizens, as 'suddenly in free-fall'. Panic on the far horizon that drew nearer as he seemed to process a great fall. He had not felt that since the seconds before Vahlok had killed him, in ages past.
"That will definitely get Miraak's attention," Ahzidal muttered.
"Possibly. But Khajiit will not be letting Miraak return. Going to be," he turned and muttered the word 'hopefully', "training dovahkiin to stab Miraak and Alduin right in their stupid faces, then eat their souls."
Dukaan took a deep breath and put the feeling of distant panic and helplessness slip away. He immersed himself in the fact there was nothing he could do to change a future the star-wife was certain of. Others would find helplessness terrible, Dukaan found it clarifying.
"What must we do to prepare?" Dukaan floated forward to address the star-wife. "What can be done to stymie Alduin until the dovahkiin is ready to stab him in his stupid face?"
Farri tried to thin out the remnants of his robe to make a shirt, but there was insufficient material. The topless cat looked Dukaan up and down, then did the same for Zahkriisos and Ahzidal. "Any of you know Dragonrend? First mortal Shout? Forces dragons and other immortals to experience mortality for limited time?"
He kept talking when none of the adjunct priests spoke up.
Until it became clear none of them had an idea what he referenced.
Farri clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Farri is no longer surprised by why your rebellion failed. Ahzidal, would you want to use -- "
"You're going to teach the Shout to us regardless, so no, I'm saving my boon." Ahzidal snapped out surprise once his prize was mentioned. A boon of the star-wife, priceless.
"Khajiit had to try. You've been known to slow dance with crazy, as an old friend once said."
Dukaan immediately filed that away, as it would become his favorite way to describe his brother's eccentricities.
--
Gullantani
Nenya Gold-Tooth
The boss was back, and wanted to talk to her. A frequent occurrence in recent weeks.
Nenya expected that Zahkriisos had talked to him about Sinding, and he was going to explain the letter of clemency he'd issued to the werewolf. It wasn't too hard to deal with given the hunters Raven Rock hosted regularly brought in dead werewolves to skin and make meat out of – but still. Nenya would have appreciated forewarning.
She finished her werewolf shank steak and went to the boss' chambers.
The mine's upper floors had become something approaching a palace, with Nelos and Nord mages working on it. The central pit which led down to the ebony mines was covered with a floor finally – separating the clan's home from the mines below. Every clan member now had rooms of their own, no more bunks.
Farri's chambers were still the most readily accessible, being near the surface. He was seated at a desk with papers and parchment splayed out before him.
It was only because of his fucked up heartbeat that Nenya knew it was him. The scars were all gone, whatever he'd done while 'turnt' had fixed him up properly.
Nenya stood in the doorway for a moment to process the sight, then cleared her throat and properly entered. "You asked for me?"
"He did," Farri said and gestured to the guest's chair opposite his own. Once she was seated, he continued. "Farri would like to apply to college of Winterhold, get some proper schooling done. He would use a portal to go there and return as needed, but he would not be able to handle the management of Raven Rock affairs on top of coursework." The cat set down all the paperwork before him and met Nenya's eyes. "He would like to ask your help."
Farri's eyes were both matte. It had been freaky when he had a falsie, but with both proper eyes in place it looked disturbing. Eyes should reflect – but his didn't. Even a doll's eyes were closer to as they should have been. His eyes were wrong on a base level.
Nenya's instincts told her to say 'no' and to get on the first boat out of Raven Rock.
Those same instincts had gotten her stuck as a reaver, so she put them aside.
"What do you need done?" Nenya scooted forward to look at the papers along the boss' desk. "I've got experience in administration of a merc company, not quite the same as a town but…."
Farri waved her off, then sorted through the parchments. "Khajiit asked Zahkriisos to handle city administration and infrastructure. He needs you to handle another issue."
The boss gave her a parchment that bore heraldry of the Mede Empire. It was official notice that Fort Frostmouth would be reactivated as an Imperial outpost, and that a garrison would be deployed within the month to repair and occupy it.
Orders for support were included, authorized by the High King. What stuck out the most to Nenya was the volume of troops – explained by a detail relegated to one sentence in the letter.
'Imperial Troops will provide law enforcement function until a standing force to address the severe banditry problems are resolved.'
"Khajiit needs you to keep our people safe from the Imperials. Keep our fighting folk in condition, train new volunteers. And if it becomes necessary…." Farri held up his hand and flexed his claws. "Tell Khajiit when peace is no longer an option."
Immediately, Nenya's mind went into mercenary mode. She calculated the costs to arm and supply a fighting force that could check the Imperial's garrison. Nenya began to estimate the fighting force they'd need to make the Imperials wary of wiping them out, without being threatening in and of itself.
Solstheim didn't have a banditry problem anymore. There were no Reaver Lords left except Farri. Loreas was likely dead, killed by Rieklings who had formed a settlement in Haknir's Bay, and Suya had been in Frossel when the Rieklings took that over – likely, she was dead too.
There weren't any big gangs left. At best there were small groups that would be hunted down by werewolves in time.
The only 'bandit problem' the Imperials could possibly have was with them. So, the High-King was on the watch for any reason to declare them outlaws again, most likely.
With ebony and stalhrim gear, they would not want for equipment. A good sword and suit of armor could make up for lackluster troops.
A terrible thought occurred to her, however.
"I can train a rabble into soldiers." Nenya leaned forward with her eyebrows up. "But if we had more battle mages…?"
Farri's eyebrow inched its way into his mane. "Are not the Atmoran Tongues sufficiently magical?"
"A lot of them are warriors first, meaning they know how to hit things and how to die in glorious combat." Nenya pushed aside some papers and produced a map of Solstheim. "I would need people with discipline. With magic to fall back on if they get slashed in the throat like Tiber Septim did."
Farri's fur bristled when she spoke the long-dead Emperor's name. His eyes narrowed, and his ears flicked back.
Then, a half-second later all that vanished. "Hmm. Khajiit could take some with him. Will need to speak to the dragon priests."
"If memory serves, the college doesn't have anyone who teaches alchemy. Which would be a great skill for troops to have. Just in case we get to a point where we need to go out into the wilds again." Nenya waggled her eyebrows at the boss. "Maybe they'll give you the job if you make them some fire salt sweetrolls?"
Farri opened his mouth to reply, then paused. "Hmm. Farri doesn't hate that idea."
--
Raven Rock
Tyn Sigdisdottir
Her people had been appointed to the service of the Ice Priest, Dukaan. It was good – Dukaan had few followers left, so there was room for glory, and Dukaan's lands were dangerous.
Danger was like a whetstone to a blade, it made people sharp.
Tyn, however, would not stand to benefit. She had been asked by the cat-creature who had wrenched them free of living death to accompany him to the mainland. Tyn wasn't convinced the cat-creature was truly a star-wife of Magno, but he had a Voice strong enough to make time undo itself. A power only Alduin was said to have.
Further, he had proven his thu'um to be stronger than hers. By the old traditions, she was bound to his service until death or her thu'um's victory.
The cat-creature, Farri, wanted to go among the Clever Men and learn the nuance of their craft. Tyn's family had all been Clever Men, her father, her uncles, and her grandfather. It was believed she would have the potential for it as well, if given a chance.
A chance her family had died rather than afford her. So Tyn did not resist overmuch.
By Farri's command, she and others met atop the Bulwark-wall. Farri Gold-Tooth looked out over the bay from atop a barrel, as the ash-skin elf ship sailed out of port.
Farri had a contented smile as he watched the ship leave Solstheim. "Khajiit will soon have the most glorious revenge a Khajiit can have on elves." He turned to the group and hopped off the barrel. "To make them appear as fools."
Elves were weird, to find foolishness a greater shame than dishonor.
"All Ancient Nords have translation trinkets, yes no?" Farri looked over them to make sure they were equipped. "Good. All Gold-Tooth clan members are ready?" Once his kin had confirmed yes, Farri snapped his fingers with a priest's authority.
A tear in the air that rapidly pulsed with light and cold air appeared beside him. It was too small to see, the dust and light it produced hid the portal effectively.
"Khajiit will step through – and all y'all will follow him, yes no?" With no objections, Farri walked into the portal as if it were a door. In an instant, he was gone.
Such magic had been talked about in Bleak Falls, before they interred themselves. But Tyn had never seen it until Farri brought them to Solstheim. Perhaps the Clever Men of Winterhold could teach it, so she needn't beg her new lord for the skill.
She stepped through, and Tyn was suddenly in the blessed cold of snowfall again.
They were in front of a stone ramp up to a bridge, wide enough that two men could walk shoulder to shoulder with room to spare. Enormous sections of it were damaged, without support, or visibly absent. Across from the bridge, on a stone pillar, was a foreign-looking stone structure made of towers grouped together.
It didn't seem a Nordic structure at all.
Farri walked up the ramp while the group that accompanied him examined their surroundings.
Tyn thought a dragon must have attacked – because there was wreckage everywhere. Smashed houses, damaged carts, the like. But what concerned her was the layers of snow that had covered parts of them.
'Winterhold', if that was where they were, was a road and three buildings. All three were made of wood, with the only obvious stone structure being to foreign building before them.
Tyn narrowed her eyes as she tried to see through the wind and snow to find where they were. She smelled the sea in the air, they had to be on the coast. And she could vaguely make out a large mountain to the south and east of them. Too small to be the Throat of the World, but perhaps it was Anthor?
Anthor, in whose shadow Saarthal had stood. Where her uncle Jyrik had been killed for kinslaying.
Perhaps… Farri would be open to returning her uncle to life. He had been kind to her, in the few memories she had of him.
Scrawny men in steel armor with wooden shields watched their group warily. But none approached. Tyn paid them little mind, they were malnourished and too weak to be worth a fight.
The werewolf fur armor Farri's clan had given her kept Tyn warm, and the boots it came with gripped the snow so she didn't slip. This was good, as she walked Farri's path up the ramp – she placed her feet deliberately where his steps had been, to cover them up.
He may have been strong, or possibly a god. He was still small, and a saber cat would definitely try their luck.
And she was, unfortunately, obligated to look after him.
At the top of the ramp was a covered section. Metal on the walls indicated there was once a door there, but it had been removed. A strange eye surrounded by a five pointed star was prominently displayed in the stonework.
There, Farri spoke with a golden-skinned elf, as tall as a Nord but thinner. Her hair was done up in two short braids, and she was dressed in robes that gleamed with magic.
"...the thu'um, and also alchemy. Khajiit hears that Winterhold does not have an alchemy-specialized staff member, and would work toward obtaining such a position," the short cat-creature said to the elf.
"Having so many people trained with the Voice would indeed present a panoply of research opportunities. And you've heard correctly, the College has been wanting for alchemy experts for some time." The elf crossed one arm over her torso to support the other as she assumed a thinker pose. "Very well – I will grant you entry. But you'll have to gain official admittance from the Arch-mage."
Archmage? Tyn was immediately interested. She'd grown up with stories of her grandfather, an Archmage of great renown. Another Archmage had slain her father and uncles when their kinslaying was revealed. Tyn was keen to see the power such a position held, to better understand her family's history.
She was fortunate, she would realize later, that the position had lasted since her people's time.
Farri nodded, pleased, and turned to Tyn. "Excuse, please? Tell others to come up, we will cross the bridge together so the wind and ice wraiths don't steal us away."
Tyn looked across the bridge at distant golden gates – beyond which was a Clever Man on par with her grandfather. She tore her eyes away to obey the order given to her. The Clever Man wouldn't go anywhere.
Little did she know how badly she would be disappointed once she crossed the bridge.
---
It's not really fair to compare Savos to Geirmund and Galdur, but unfortunately he's an Arch-mage and Tyn doesn't know the difference between that position and Archmage. You gotta have the power to burn that hyphen out of the title, you see.
Also.
Next chapter won't be for a bit, we're moving on to the next story to update. But when we do update next, it will be time-skip't to the start of Skyrim the game. Blizzards take longer to whip up than moonlets, especially when you gotta make it a blizzard on a scale Tamriel has literally never seen before. Hircine cut his work out for him on that measure.
When next we meet, J'Zargo (J'zargo? J' is a prefix for 'young/inexperienced' so his name would be Zargo, so it should be capitalized yeah?) will be going to Helgen!
- Location
- Miami
Ooh, timeskip. I'm looking forward to it.
And the whole time Tyn was thinking about the power of an Arch-Mage I was thinking the same thing as your authors note.
Nice to see Farri get healed up. He's no longer Ugly Khajit, just Strange Khajit.
And the whole time Tyn was thinking about the power of an Arch-Mage I was thinking the same thing as your authors note.
Nice to see Farri get healed up. He's no longer Ugly Khajit, just Strange Khajit.