The city of blackreach has seen much change in the past few years. With the Falmer being cleansed of their corruption, as well as an increase in the city's importance as their most central city, the city has expanded and risen in importance. However, they still do not make full use of the city, aside from a single Falmer. In a workshop surrounded by broken machines, automata, and towers of books your chosen soon to be prince of the Falmer, Caerlen of Blackreach, writes and writes.
His quill, made from a piece of hand carved chitin, is nearly broken and worn away from all the writing he's done just today. The papyrus is of his own creation, made from the pulped red nirnroot that grows underground. His current project is in attempting to make a translation book for the common imperial language that most scholarly texts are written in these days to Falmeri. It's no easy task, modern Falmeri is far different from that of the past, having taken up many Dwemer and Nord loan words as well as elements of their speech, not to mention its degradation during their cursed years.
As for the elf himself, he's of a smaller build, short and lean. He wears simple clothing, nettle clothes with leather patches, stained with oily ink. White hair is brushed behind his ears and loosely bound together at its end near the nape of his neck. His eyes are reddened, with deep dark bags underneath, a symptom of both a lack of sleep as well as the toxins he exposes himself to in his research of dwemer machines and the creation of his paper and inks. A dedication strong enough to look beyond himself and towards the future of the Falmer.
He stops his writing, one of his ears perking slightly in your direction. Good senses or just luck? He doesn't look towards where you gaze upon the mortal realm, but he's now aware of your presence. His left hand drifts to the side, acting like he's reaching for an inkwell though you notice how he actually reaches for a dwemer crossbow sticking out from among his piles of dwemer detritus. As soon as his hands reach it, he rips it free and aims it in your direction, finding naught but air though he doesn't let his guard down.
"Show yourself! Are you a thief? Some agent of one of the other princely candidates? You won't find me some writhing welp to be trifled with!" he says with conviction, despite the shaking in his hand. His pale eyes look everywhere in his workshop, towards every entrance and exit, though they keep drifting to where you look on. You suppose you should reveal yourself before he causes himself any harm. With a flex of your will to stone bricks beneath him begin to shift and twist, forming your symbol as small crystalline growths grow along its edges. The elf scrambles on top of his work bench, bolt now aiming downwards as he looks upon your emblem.
"Be at peace, Caerlen of blackreach, I mean you no harm. I have sought you out to offer my aid in your pursuit of leadership among the resurgent Falmer." He stares in shock for but a moment before getting a hold of himself. "And why would the Restorer wish to speak with me? Few have treated me as a serious candidate for the crown and spear and now one of our gods approaches me? I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe."
"Save your suspicions engineer. I am not your people, and I see what they cannot. They hate and fear the dwemer and their legacy, but you and I can both see the benefit in taking up their old tools, and neither of us would have your people throw them away. I seek to aid you so that the Falmer may replicate, if not surpass the Dwemers accomplishments, but if you refuse my aid then know that your technology will be nothing but trinkets and baubles, if not a hated reminder of your past."
He finally lowers that crossbow as he looks at his workshop, at his half assembled machines, at his life's work these past few years. He holds on tightly to the stock of the crossbow before turning back to you. "Then let us begin, lord jyggalag, on this political campaign of mine."
The coming months you provide him the information and guidance he needs, leading him to his enemies secrets or to technology that can sway the more moderate members of the Falmer towards his point of view. In the end it is a close race between himself and the priest, but the odds sway just enough in his favor. He is the first of the betrayed Falmer allowed into the temple of Auriel for his coronation. The ancient crown and spear are long lost, either in a musty tomb or a dusty museum, so a new crown and spear is made for him, forged of blue malachite, silver, and ever frozen ice.
The arch curate Vyrthur shows himself for the first time since the Falmers return as he leads Caerlen to shrines to each of the gods so he might be blessed by each, even taking him out to your shrine in the vale so that you may bless him as well despite protests among the priests. Once finally blessed and crowned, as well as a feast in the village of the vale, Caerlen returns to blackreach, ready to get to work.
---
When you step into the cloackwork city once more you notice that the force restraining you, weakening you, is nearly gone. It still lingers, like an outstreched hand ready to clamp down on your throat, but it holds itself back, a nor so subtle threat towards you should you act in bad faith towards the clockwork god. Your approach to the tower is unhindered, your ascent to its peak simple compared to your champions as the dead elf rolls out the red carpet. His shell is peeled away revealing his corpse as his machine eye glares at you.
"Welcome, God of order, to my chamber. I apologize for the lack of preparation for your visit, many of my followers find myself to busy trying to follow my will to listen to it." "It does not bother me, I'd rather skip the pleasantries and get to business regardless." a small pause in the machine gods response as he thinks on what to say. You know that, while a genius with science nd magic, Sotha Sil was never known for a silver tongue, especially in comparison to Vivec and Almalexia. "To business then.
As you can plainly see I am but a husk of what I once was, slain by my friend Almalexia as I had foresaw, I had laid out the means for my followers to revive me in metal. They, however, failed me irreconcilably. They fought and argued over what to do, some claiming it a disservice to bring me back in such a meager form, while others wisely sought to do as I intended. This difference of opinion eventually resulted in a war between the two factions of my faith.
Those who followed my will began the process of remaking me in this tower, making it a part of me. The others, who saw this as a sacrilegious and inferior act, assaulted this tower to recover my cadaver. As you and that mortal of yours no doubt saw, they caused immense damage during my revival, leaving my capabilities and influence on my city crippled, though not removed." He pauses once more, trying to craft his words, though you interrupt.
"And why is this of concern to me, corpse god. As you have admitted you are but a cripple with divine power. Do you expect me to feel some sympathy or pity for your condition?" A flash of annoyance rips through the air as you take away his momentum. "It is of concern, gray prince, because I have an offer for you. I am weakened, yes, but were I to regain strength and divinity with your aid I could be a great ally. One not tied to your Daedric brothers, one not beholden to their whims, will, or influence.
I know how you were betrayed by them, how even know I can only imagine how they fear your return. Could they not band together once again, to debase you into a gibbering fool once more? You would need allies in the face of their combined forces, and I would gladly be one should you help restore my tower and restore me from this shackled corpse. You would gain my divine intellect and magics with little lost in the process."
The Dunmers arrogance seems the only thing he hasn't lost in his flawed resurrection, though there is some truth to his words. His knowledge of machines and their interaction with magic is only surpassed by all the dwemer at their apex, and he has created many artifacts that even now are fought over by the wealthy and powerful, be they mortal or Daedra. Neither is he wrong in how you lack allies in the face of the rest of the Daedra. However, the dunmer tribunal have ever been a two faced group, all too willing to betray their sworn allies as shown with their slaughter of Nerevar and Almalexias murder of Sotha Sil.
Were you to aid in his recreation, he will be added to your alliance with sheogorath, though be more of a junior partner.
[] aid the machine god. Gain Sotha Sil as an ally. He can aid in creating artifacts or make them for you, share his vast knowledge of machines and magic, and provide something of an intellectual equal.
[] refuse to aid him. You will have no part in this cripples plans.
[] kill him and take his power. WARNING, he will fight back and has the potential to permenantly wound jyggalag.
---
Umbras resistance roll: 4
You give this wayward spark of power no chance to react. Your hand grabs him by the neck, crushing it in your grasp and lifting him to eye level with you. He struggles against your grasp fruitlessly, pounding away with his fists, attempting to stab you with his blade but you are easily able to grab his wrist before the swing connects. You apply force, twisiting his wrist, bending it, and then breaking it with a bloody crack, the sword falling to the ground as his attempts to scream in pain are thwarted by your hand around his neck.
His legs kick and his remaining hand tries to scratch at your face or lessen your grip, but both are fruitless. Your grip tightens and tightens as you begin to draw his power into yourself. His fighting grows weaker and weaker, as the stars in his eyes blink out one by one. His face twists between hate, fear, and desperation, until he hasn't even the strength to emote. And then, within his eyes the last star blinks out, his power gone and now within you. His body loses form, beginning to fray at the edges as tendrils of shadow flicker off. You toss the useless husk to the ground, instead picking up the sword he dropped, umbra.
You can feeel it as the power becoems your own, everything becoming lighter, your every move more sure. You exert this newfound power over the floating city, bending it to your will. It obeys willingly as you begin to steer it back to Mytheria, and you begin to examine the place, now devoid of clinging shadows. As with all things of clavicus, while its exterior may be wonderful, with towers of glass and golden fields, underneath it all there is a rot. A stench of undeath from the souls umbra used to tend to his false paradise, one you swiftly excise. So many uses for a soul, and he burns them out to maintain his vanity.
You find yourself in the warehouse the two dunmer had fled to, where they still hide. You ignore them and instead inspect their work, this ingenium. Only halfway completed, but you can see how its supposed to work, harvesting souls and using them as fuel for grand magics. It still bears some remnants in its design from its original purpose of putting the meteor in stasis, though you imagine, should the design be changed, it could be used for a great many things. Umbra seemed to be stuck between either using it to keep his island hidden or raiding undead constructs, indecisive as his progenitor.
That leaves the question of its engineers. What should you do with these elves. They obviously aren't here of their own will with how the princeling had treated them, and while they are skilled you are uncertain of whether unwilling artificers would be worth their potential betrayel.
[] release the elves to mundus.
[] keep them as engineers for the ingenium.
You have taken the power of umbra, denying it to vile and empowering yourself.
+5 power
The domain of wishes is now available the next time you choose a new domain.
You now have the artifact umbra. Any slain by its blade will have their soul sent to you.
You now have the ingenium, a soul engine that can power grand magic
Mytheria has expanded, adding the city of Umbriel
---
The argonians march on the shattered crags of morrowind, the earth itself cracks open and swallows those unfortunate enough to be caught in its grasp, and rampant magics cause havoc as the dunmer flee the many threats to their lives. Their shattered governments, their tribal coalitions, their theocratic ministers, all scramble to recover and come to a response to these problems, finding ways for the argonians to be halted or to find means to return the land to as it once was, and all come short.
They need a divine hand to aid them, to grant some manner of protection, and you can do just that, with some help admittedly. You and sheogorath first send handfuls of your respective daedra into the marshland that once was the Argonian borderlands of morrowind, finally letting those you conquered have their share of blood and glory. They are to stay in that land, attacking any and all argonians as a method to slow their march. Neither of your forces, even combined, would be enough to stop the argonians in their tracts, especially with their veterans of their invasion of Dagons realm.
Next, the two of you begin to grant boons to the dunmer refugees in their flight to either the relatively safe parts of morrowind, eastern Skyrim and Solstheim, or to the imperial capital. Many times you or sheogorath bless them with invisibility against the argonians, with food and water springing from the ground or rapidly growing around them, or myriad other miracles, all with your symbols and elements of your worship left behind, crystalline pillars for yourself and the growth of exotic plants and luminous butterflies for Sheogroath.
Lastly is the aid you provide to the houses that remain to defend morrowind, House Redoran and house telvaani. House Dres, largely made of planation owners who's fields were ravaged and their indentured servants dead or fled, is in a state of financial ruin at the moment. House Hlaalu's main strength, its ties to the empire, prove useless as the legions once stationed in morrowind were withdrawn for the oblivion crisis and still have yet to return, leaving them with nothing to help with during the crisis. With the loss of the tribunal house Indoril finds itself within a second crisis, one of faith, as the religion they had devoted themselves to finds itself loss with the destruction of their holy lands and the loss of their gods, not to mention how it is largely their lands now under the argonians threat.
House Redoran has managed to field an army made up of a mixture of their own remaining warriors and mercenary support, paid with no small amount of coin. The telvaani meanwhile bring out their full magickal wrath, raining hellfire and acid rains upon Argonian hordes. Upon them you and sheogorath give blessings of protection, warding off blows or keeping wounds from festering, or granting their mages greater reserves of magic. Even with divine endurance, it is exhausting work to weave your blessings over an entire army. Magic of this scale was always more the expertise of the Aedra than the Daedra.
Sheogorath, through all this, is not the inexperienced fool, though that may have been an improvement over his current disposition. There is a wrath in him at the work you do, unfocused and waiting to be unleashed on any. He takes a bloody joy in the madness of the battlefield, at seeing their suffering. A sadistic mania, a demented rage. Whether it's simply the effects of the fighting on him or something else, you are uncertain. Now, however, is not the time to spend discovering what has caused this rage.
In the end, many among the dunmer begin praying to the both of you, even if many do not know your name. While none have the time or means to build you shrines or offer much more than a few burnt prayers or small offerings, it has still done something great for your power as well as granting some legitimacy on nirn to your faith. Only two problems now exist, one you expected, one you did not.
The first is that it will be nearly impossible to hide your return after this, though you may not need to. You would certainly have enough power to at least hold your own for the time being should any try to act against you, but you should expect to soon be dragged into the plots of your siblings. The second is the argonians response. They have begun spreading some propaganda both within the black marsh but also within the imperial city, decrying the dunmer as Daedra worshipers thanks to your blessings and Daedra. They aren't wrong, but this turns the war from one of invasion in the eyes of many into one meant to purge Daedra worshippers, a conflict they're more ready to let proceed as it will rather than seek a means to stop.
+75 faith, gained the dunmer refugees and dunmer remnants as worshippers.
Sheogorath has also gained new worshippers, though not as many due to his past in dunmer history.
---
Kasur aurenon, your arms ache, your feet dredge through muddy water, and your body feels the aches and pains of dozens of small injuries, but you feel better than you have in a long time. Finally, you have the chance to do something useful, something the imperial council refuses to do, in aiding the dunmer. You can fight, bleed, and spill blood for what you know is right, protecting civilians from Argonian retribution.
You fight now with a small force, having joined this fight as a mercenary. You fight alongside a ragtag group of other mercenaries, dunmer militia, Ordinator's, and buoyant armigers. You've become something of an unofficial leader for the group, thanks to the use of your blades ability and the death of the former commander at the hands of Argonian traps.
They are a vicious enemy to face. They fight nothing like any legion nor Daedra, focusing on subterfuge and ambushes, traps and poisons, though that isn't to say they are slouches in direct combat. Many veterans of their invasion of the deadlands fight with amazing skill and weapons, spoils from the Daedra they defeated. Still, that skill of theirs is what makes it all the more exhilarating for you to lead these men into success after success.
You worry, however, about what the next course of action should be. You cannot merely repel the argonians forever, it will not break their will to fight, to take bloody vengeance for their years of persecution and slavery. Something more decisive, more daring needed to be done that convinced them they must stop.
An attack directly into the black marsh wouldn't work. The argonians wouldn't even need to lift a finger to slaughter from what you've read, their homelands diseases and flora and fauna is a better defense than any grand bastion or magical barrier. If it must take military might to stop the argonians it must be done must be done on dunmer land and must be quick and brutal.
You will see what the blade and your own military acumen can show you, and once you have something to act on you will. For now however, you will take pleasure in your role as a commander.
---
With your partners recent moods and near tantrums when working to protect the dunmer, you deem it a good idea to see what has bothered him this way. When you find him in his city, strolling through an expansion he's making to the city. With the city's future being stable for the time being with no greymarch to worry about he deemed it time to expand, hoping to encourage more artists or butchers or whatever else might be attracted.
He even dresses the part of an architect, fine clothing with a frilly neck, a steel helmet with a cloth hat over top to protect from falling debris, and round spectacles perched on the tip of his nose though he has no need for them. He could merely flex his will and power to have the district spring forth, though he either lacks the energy what with his recent exertions or he may simply find some pleasure in the craft.
His mood is certainly different here, as bombastic as can be as he orders his Daedra to work harder on threat of unusual punishment, though whether he's shrugged off his foul mood or merely buried it under a fools guise you will only be able to tell when you speak with him. You make your way towards him, his Daedra no longer as shocked by your presence though they do give you strange nervous looks when they see you.
Eventually you are behind the fool, waiting for him to acknowledge you, though wrapped up as he is in his architects mummery he still doesn't notice. "Sheogorath." You can't see his reaction though it takes him a few moments to turn towards you, a wide smile plastered on his face that quickly turns to a frown. "Jyggy, my friend, my very nearly brother, what fool worker of mine let you in here without a hat?!" he yells. You stare at him a moment, making sure you heard right, and unfortunately you had. "I have no need of a ha-" you manage to say before he interrupts.
"Of course you need a hat! Don't you see all the construction we're doing? Should some layabout knock a brick down and it fell upon your poor egg of a head, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Maybe a fine for unsafe working conditions, or try to bury the body before anybody suspects something and tries to close down our work, any suggestions for that?" You take in a breath as he continues to jabber on. "I came to speak with you about how you acted when we were aiding the dunmer. You were irritable, almost rabid, unlike your normal madness."
He looks at you as if you've said something disgusting or disturbing. "How I act is none of your business jyggalag. You act like you've something nasty and barbed shoved up you every day and do you see me questioning you over it?" He acknowledges it at least. "I would rather not have to deal with this in the future, at least tell me so I know what to expect." He gives a shake of his head before turning to one of his workers who had walked by, snatching the helmet from their head and attempting to shove it onto your own, a difficult thing due to the height difference.
"Nope. Ive got no interest in talking about it, so you can either get gone or help with the construction. No other options." he says, turning away from you to bark out orders once more, ignoring your attempts to talk with him, acting like a petulant child. You remove the helmet from your head and toss it at the nearest Daedra before leaving this inane plane.
---
Writing goes about as well as it usually does, as the sources you collect end up all having conflicting data, the inspiration to write never quite hits you, and your newfound popularity with the dunmer means you often find yourself hearing prayers in the background, a horrible thing when tryng to concentrate. Eventually you shelve the bare scraps of work you were able to write for now and move your focus elsewhere.
---
It seems the new high king of Skyrim, Signi Gray-Versed, has a response to the dunmer refugee crisis in the works. The young man came personally to Winterhold and gave a proclamation, that for so long as the dunmer find themselves refugees they shall be given support and housing as a series of construction efforts are started on the western side of Skyrim to create almshouses. The kicker, however, to appease the conservative elements, is that while patrons of these almshouses and charitable donations, the dunmer refugees may not seek citizen ship, preventing them from purchasing houses or being part of any political factions, as well as a variety of other restrictions on their rights.
He doesn't do this out of any compassion, as its merely a part of a political play, to have his detractors in the western half of Skyrim shoulder this burden. He makes western Skyrim seem a beacon for the dunmer, keeping them from the east and laying their needs at the western holds feet. Of course he has had other charitable organizations move in as well, though many see it as a further expansion of his influence. It isn't a permenant solution, not by any means, but its granted winterhold some breathing room.
---
With Caerlens recent appointment as prince there have been growing pains among the Falmer as he seeks to form a proper system of government rather than this crude coalition of clans. He appoints one of his former rivals for princedom, Idheyor Agtan, as general, seeking to form a dedicated force to protect and fight for all Falmer interests. He assigns governors for the major territory of the Falmer, largely black reach, the vale, as well as a few of the old dwemer holds that are inhabited by the Falmer, though none supersede the local rulers will, acting more as a representative of Caerlens will.
He also has a proper school built in blackreach. Well, less built and more renovated a few floors of the tower to accommodate one. Then there's his efforts to expand the Falmer who go out into the surrounding world into something more organized, hoping to make these wayfarers more effective and more lucrative. He may be overreaching, going beyond his capabilities and taking things too fast, but you cant deny hes getting most of the results he wanted.
---
With the pact with Sheo you can have him do an action for you, still rolling for it of course, or give +25 to a roll
What shall you do in Nirn? Choose one
The red year is active for one more turn
[] A new champion: with the artifacts at your disposal it may be a good idea to seek another champion. Seek out those you had once found as well as new blood who may be worthy of your boons. Dc 45
-[] What artifact will you grant them?
[] the invasion of the argonians: With their ancient enemies weakened by the eruption of red mountain the argonians of black marsh have declared a war of vengeance upon the dunmer, bringing their full fury upon whoever remains in morrowind. Aid the dunmer, and you would not only help preserve morrowind, but to earn the favor of the dunmer. Only available while the red year is active. DC 55
[] The gifts of man: many artifacts already litter the lands of Skyrim, one needs only look. Of course, looking doesn't mean you would have the artifact for yourself, you would still need to send someone to collect it, but if you could find something you could imbue with your will, spreading your influence would be all the easier. DC65
-the higher the roll the better the item you find.
[] The guard: in finding the student who had committed the black sacrament your followers within the guard have risen in rank. If they could continue to do so and perhaps recruit others within the guard, you would have far greater influence within the city itself. Dc:75
[] write in. up to qm discretion
---
What shall your champion do?
[] Hunt down the brotherhood, phase one: while the brotherhood exists all over Tamriel, you want them gone from at least Skyrim. Send your champion to snuff out their presence. Dc60
[/] Hunt for an artifact: There's many artifacts on Nirn unclaimed by any gods. Were you to discover one, you could send the champion to collect it. Dc55
-Needs an artifact to hunt
[] Let him pursue his own goals: Kasur has goals of his own. Let him pursue them and perhaps grow stronger from the effort. There is no dc, just a roll to see how things went for your champion.
[] Investigate the Thalmor: you know that the Thalmor have plans that would cause chaos on Nirn, but their end goals still elude you. send your champion to investigate Alinor and disrupt their plans. Dc65
[] write in
---
What shall you do in oblivion?
[] Conquest. While your power is diminished, it would not be impossible to find some corner of oblivion held by a weaker Daedra for you to take for yourself. So long as you don't make too much noise, none would assume you were there. DC60
[] seek out subjects. Daedra are inherently creatures of chaos, but many value strength over ideals. Convince them of your strength, and they will follow. DC70
[] Seek out the other planes. Many are the planes of oblivion, and many are their occupants. You know enough of your kin to know where to avoid, so you could find allies or a realm ripe for the taking. DC70
-the higher the roll, the better plane you find
[] Find allies. Without the might you once had, you need allies so that you might not be blindsided. seek others out so you might make an alliance.
-[]who will you seek an alliance with? different Daedra will have different DC's, and you need to seek specific Daedra
[] diplomatic efforts: friends and allies can be difficult to keep, so better to maintain contact so that relations don't break down.
-[] who will you try to improve your relationship with.
[] Reveal yourself to the princes. With the spread of your worship and your acts on nirn the other Daedra may well suspect you have come back. If you were to reveal yourself now, purposefully, it may be better than if you continued to attempt to hide. No DC, but I will roll for each princes reaction. You will not see these rolls.
[] Write in. up to qm discretion
---
What shall you do in your realm?
[] reforge: Umbra has been weakened after your absorption of its piece of divine spark. You may be able to remake it, but for what? Dc 65
-[] what will you have the new umbra do and be.
[] Creation. more artifacts are always useful. You could use some of your remaining power to make something of crystal that you could send unto the planet. Dc75
-[] what shall you make, and what shall it do? Up to qm if your idea would be allowed/ if it's too strong
[] Rebuild your library. Once your library rivaled that of Hermeus mora, you imagine it's the reason he played a part in your downfall. Now you would rebuild it. Gather what tomes you can find in oblivion, and begin the calculations of the future as you once had. Dc 60
[] The crystalline Host. With but 8 knights remaining in your service, you need more to serve you. While it takes a follower with a soul to create a true knight, you may be able to create something lesser that could still serve your purposes. DC70
[] Write in. up to qm discretion
the library got a good roll