That was a truly epic campaign through the tomb in order to gain the bow. You really made that feel desperate. Just as it should be for such a pivotal event. Good touches with the miserable aftermath. No food, cold, wet, exhausted. Talk about blah, and then it starts to rain on the way back!

As Zerina so wisely pointed out, this has been a wake-up call for our Rales as well. Intrepid as he is, he still plainly has a long way to go before he can live up to his destiny. Obviously he is going to start using alchemy more. I cannot wait to see what else he is going to pick up to give himself the edge he needs.

The aftermath is as real as it gets! Talk about an adrenaline crash!

Brr! I'm reading this chapter and it's cold and rainy outside! How in the heck do you do that??

Off to make something hot to drink.

This was a very hard part. I had to use parts of the in-game dialogue and improve on them to make it a story-worthy dialogue. It's easier when there are no restraints.
Anyway, here it is:



Chapter 6: Prophecies

Sul Matuul glared daggers at Zerina by my side but didn’t send her out. When I handed him the bow he was both surprised and impressed.
‘I hadn’t thought you’d be back,’ he commented. ‘It seems you are couragous and resourceful. It would be my honour to name you Clanfriend of the Urshilaku tribe. Keep the bow, you’ve earned it. Feel free to talk to our Wise-woman, unless there is more you want to ask me first.’
‘Thank you, honourable Khan,’ I replied sincerely with a bow. I could tell from looking into his eyes my respectful manners pleased him. It wasn’t hard to be sincere about it, the bow was magnificent. The stave was light and flexible yet incredibly strong. It was also enchanted but we hadn’t taken the time to figure out what it was enchanted with yet. ‘I will wield it with pride.’
Sul Matuul nodded in approval at my words. ‘As a Clanfriend, I will also allow you to sleep in any bed in our camp but if you steal from my kin, I wil revoke our hospitality.’
The weight of these word didn’t pass me by unnoticed. Not that I was of the thieving kind but I took them to heart nonetheless.

‘He was hardly any less rude than last time,’ Zerina commented softly as soon as we had exited the Ashkhan’s yurt.
I winked in reply. ‘At least he wasn’t looking at you as if you were some prized animal like the Gulukhan did last time.’
‘True,’ she chuckled. ‘Let’s go visit the wise-woman, shall we?’

‘Welcome in, Clanfriend,’ a grey-haired Dunmer woman hailed me. ‘Our Ashkhan has told me about you and said you were hard-headed and ignorant of our ways but I think that is hardly your fault. Sul Matuul has also said you claim to be the Nerevarine and that you would like to be tested against the prophecies, correct?’
‘Actually,’ I replied, ‘I would like to ask you some questions about the prophecies as well, if you’ll allow me.’
‘You are wise to come to me for counsel. Very well, ask and I will answer.’

‘Wise-woman, please tell me, what can you tell me about the Neverarine prophecies?’ I asked respectfully.
‘Well, there are many prophecies. Some true, some false, some yet to be determined but they all have one thing in common; they may suggest many things. Aspect and uncertain parents; The moon-and-star, Sleepers, Seven curses, The curses' bane, The prophecy of the Stranger,’ she ticked of on her fingers.
‘You mentioned the aspect and uncertain parents. Just recently I found out I am an orphan and have no idea who my real parents were.’
‘Well, if it’s true what you say you are indeed born on a certain date to uncertain parents; that is a part of the prophecy but doesn’t necessarily mean you are the Nerevarine. Aspect refers to the fact that individuals born under certain constellations - or more commonly known as starsigns - are said to be fortunate in their aspects. Such persons are often blessed - or cursed - with remarkable abilities or weaknesses as a result of the magical conjunctions of celestial influences.’
‘I understand. I don’t have any special powers - at least, none that I know of - and have no idea what constellation I was born under. A relative said that my mother, or rather, my stepmother, had determined my name-day on Hogithum.’
‘Lord Azura’s summoning day? How… appropriate,’ Nibeni smiled.

‘Can you tell me of the significance of the Moon-and-Star? I’ve learned it is a ring only Lord Nerevar Indoril could wear,’ I continued.
‘You are partly correct. Legend says Indoril Nerevar's family standard bore the moon and star, and Nerevar's armour and weapons bore this sign. Some say he bore a moon-and-star birthmark. Some say he had a magic ring marked with it. Others say he was born under a moon-and-star. Some claim it is just a sign of the goddess of Dusk and Dawn’s meddling. In any case, I think the moon-and-star is the mark of the Nerevarine, do you have such a mark?’
I smiled wryly. ‘Zerina,’ I gestured to her at my side, ’claims I do but I can’t see it for myself.’

Nibeni’s eyes flew open wide. ‘Show me!’ she demanded.
The two women looked at each other and smiled in a way I knew I was in trouble, I could almost feel the colour drain from my face.
‘Be a dear, and pull your pants down,’ Zerina said.
There was no escaping it so I pulled down my trousers as requested and turned around. Soon I could feel cold probing fingers going through the hairs on my left inner thigh when a finger, I hoped Zerina’s, remained on a spot just underneath the left cheek.
‘Here! This is what I mean,’ Zerina’s voice sang.
‘Yes, that birthmark does indeed resemble a moon-and-star,’ Nibeni mumbled barely understandable but the disbelief in her voice was almost tangible. ‘Maybe he really is the Nerevarine, we shall see,’ I could just make out from her muttering.

‘Sleepers,’ I surmised after having pulled my pants back up. ‘What do you suppose those are?’
Nibeni thought deeply for a while. ‘Rumours say that in the towns, mad cultists called "sleepers" are randomly, or so it seems, attacking people, saying that Dagoth Ur has awakened, and will drive the outlanders from Morrowind. Perhaps it is just coincidence, but I believe it is a sign of the Nerevarine. Not necessarily a sign that you are in fact the Nerevarine. Perhaps the time of the Nerevarine has come, and you have come at the same time. This is not passing a test, but it may mean you have some part to play in the coming of the Nerevarine.’

This post has been edited by Remko: May 14 2010, 03:21 PM

Though you may have felt constrained by the in-game dialogue, you certainly have done well with it.

As before, I loved the part about the birthmark. I'm sure its location wasn't in the game!

I couldn’t agree more. It would be an easy thing for Rales to start getting an overblown sense of his own importance. The location of the birthmark is like a guarantee of his continued humility. It is almost as if Azura meant it as a parting joke.

I thought that you did a great job with the dialogue. I remember being slightly annoyed at how much Nibeni sounded (or should I say read) like Yoda in the game. Everything was done in cryptic half-sentences. Here you give her a personality that includes some traces of humor, well done!

Zerina's hints to Rales to slow down and prepare in the previous chapter were so well done!

On this chapter, since the first time I read it I must say that I have done some rudimentary research and found that ANY man that drops his drawers displays a moon with a star looking...er...ROFL - I loved it as much on the second read as I did on the first, your imagination really shines on that one!!!! Both chapters Great Write!

Caught up with the last four updates now. Plenty of action and plenty of Rales+Zerina. Wonderful stuff Remko!

Destri gave us the Sweetroll Negotiations, and now Remko has given us the Cheek Prophecies! Seriously though, I love how you put the birthmark on his rear. As the others have noted, it keeps Rales as a down-to-Nirn person who we can relate to, in spite of the whole Nerevarine business.

It was also enchanted but we hadn’t taken the time to figure out what it was enchanted with yet.
This is one of those things that the game takes for granted. You just automatically know what ever magic item does as soon as you pick it up. Yet we writers have to find some way to rationalize or change. I still have not come up with anything definitive myself.


nits:
The segue from the Khan to the wise-woman was a bit abrupt. It took me a few sentences to realize that the grey-haired dunmer woman was in fact the wise woman. At first I thought it was a woman in the Khan's tent. Perhaps putting in a sentence between saying that Rales went to see the Wise-Woman would make things flow smoother?

@SubRosa: I kinda agree with you but hoped it was clear enough because of this sentence:

I will look into it and change it to make it more clear. I guess I cut make up some dialogue between Zerina and Rales to make it clear thgey left the Ashkhan's tent and entered the wise-woman's tent. Thanks for pointing that out

Everyone; I took SubRosa's critique to heart and realised she was bsolutely right. So I added some lines of dialogues to smoothe the transition from the Ashkhan's yurt to the Wise-woman's. Hope you like it, it's a small pun to the part of dialogue where Zerina felt insulted by the way the Gulukhan was sizing her up like a horndog.

This post has been edited by Remko: May 14 2010, 03:26 PM

That works much better! I especially liked Zerina's very natural comment.

Glad to hear (read ) you like it. Makes me feel all fuzzy inside

I nodded in recognition, I had come across these strange stragglers in the major towns but had avoided them totally. ‘So, that’s who those grumpy people are.’
‘You’ve talked to them?’ Nibeni seemed surpised by that.
‘No, not really. I bumped into them, that’s about it,’ I shrugged. ‘So far, they haven’t attacked me but we have been attacked by zombie-like creatures with ashen skins several weeks ago.’
The Wise-woman nodded. ‘Dagoth’s minions, it would appear the evil underneath Red Mountain has taken an interest in you. Is there more you want to ask me?’
‘Please tell me what is meant with The Stranger.’
‘Good that you ask me about that, your humility flatters you. This is the part of the prophecy that is well-known to us. Would you like me to recite it?’
‘Yes, I would very much like to hear that.’

Nibeni scraped her throat and started:

‘When earth is sundered, and skies choked black,
And sleepers serve the seven curses,
To the hearth there comes a stranger,
Journeyed far 'neath moon and star.

Though stark-born to sire uncertain
His aspect marks his certain fate.
Wicked stalk him, righteous curse him.
Prophets speak, but all deny.

Many trials make manifest
The stranger's fate, the curses' bane.
Many touchstones try the stranger.
Many fall, but one remains.’

I swallowed a lump in my throat. ‘Again the reference to the moon-and-star,’ I thought abashedly. The first part of the verse wasn’t much of a conundrum, we had discussed several details of it but the rest of it wasn’t as straightforward.
‘Do you understand?’ Nibeni asked me, tearing me from my thoughts.
‘Partially, yes. Wicked stalk him; would this refer to the sleepers or maybe those Ash-Zombies? I don’t understand the second part of that sentence though.’
‘Don’t you see?’ Zerina interrupted. ‘The prophecy goes against all the Temple has stood for all those years. I think the righteous means the Temple; the Nerevarine prophecies are considered heresy by the Temple, aren’t they wise-woman?’

‘Listen to your woman for she speaks with wisdom,’ Nibeni answered. ‘You were right about the Wicked though, I am almost sure that is exactly what is meant by that.’ She thought for a while.
‘Or it could mean Dagoth Ur himself,’ Zerina interrupted her reverie.
Nibeni nodded, ’that thought crossed my mind too.’
‘Let me guess,’ I said. ‘The many trials part are the trials I have to go through to fulfill the prophecy? I am the stranger, or at least I could be. That much is clear to me, but what is actually meant by the curses’ bane? What curses? In the very first part of the rhyme, “and sleepers serve the seven curses” there is also the reference to sleepers and curses. Are these the same curses?’


This post has been edited by Remko: May 14 2010, 07:46 PM

‘So, that’s who those grumpy people are.’
I love this line. It has a ring of understatement of British proportions.

‘Listen to your woman for she speaks with wisdom,’
Well that goes without saying, she is a woman after all!

I still keep wondering about the curses, and Rales being their bane. Are they minions? Effects of Dagoth Ur in Red Mountain such as the ashfall?

Good stuff. I like this piece, and I like that section of the main quest where it all starts to come togther. And he's about to become a heretic...

I want more

I like the new paragraph in the last chapter. It does indeed make the transition to the wise-woman’s hut a bit less jarring.

There isn’t much to this latest chapter is there? Just when I was becoming drawn into the discussion of the trials of the stranger and the seven curses the chapter ends. While I am all for cliffhangers, this felt a bit too abrupt for my taste.

On the positive side I am very impressed with the way that you continue to develop Zerina. It’s nice to see that she is far more than an appendage for Rales.

Zerina ROCKS! She is going to drag Rales through the Nerevarine - I can't wait to read the confrontation with Dagoth Ur, now that you are up to this stage of the storyline I begin to know a little bit of the game storyline and it gets more exciting to me. Great Write!!!!!

Sorry Destri, it was etiher gonna be huge or a bit short. I chose the short one. I will make it up next installment

Nice Remmie! I honestly like your approach....and as others here already have said...Zerina ROCKS!!

It is another Ashlander prophecy of the Nerevarine,’ Nibeni replied. ‘It is also called "The Seven Curses of the Sharmat." Sadly, I do not know it, and don’t know of anyone still alive who does. I fear it may have been lost through time. Regrettably, such things happen. A Wise-woman dies, or forgets, or a clan is wiped out. Perhaps someone knows, but is keeping it hidden. Perhaps it is in one of those many books of your settled people. I have heard that some priests of the Temple may have such books but don’t know any names.’
‘What do you think the curses’ bane means?’ Zerina asked. ‘It seems to me the Nerevarine is the curses’ bane.’
‘That seems likely, but which curse’s bane? There are so many, it’s likely it refers to the seven curses but there is no way to really tell for sure.’ The Wise-woman shrugged. ‘In the prophecy of the Seven Visions there is also some mentioning of curses. Maybe it will help you to hear that too? The full name of this prophecy is called “Seven Visions of Seven Trials of the Incarnate”’.

Seven trials
What he puts his hand to, that shall be done.
What is left undone, that shall be done.
First trial
On a certain day to uncertain parents
Incarnate moon and star reborn.
Second trial
Neither blight nor age can harm him.
The Curse-of-Flesh before him flies.
Third trial
In caverns dark Azura's eye sees
and makes to shine the moon and star.
Fourth trial
A stranger's voice unites the Houses.
Three Halls call him Hortator.
Fifth trial
A stranger's hand unites the Velothi.
Four Tribes call him Nerevarine.
Sixth trial
He honours blood of the tribe unmourned.
He eats their sin, and is reborn.
Seventh trial
His mercy frees the cursed false gods,
Binds the broken, redeems the mad.
One destiny
He speaks the law for Veloth's people.
He speaks for their land, and names them great

‘You already understood the importance of the trials; they determine who the Nerevarine will be and what he will have to go through to fulfill his destiny. I will not say I completely understand it all, because quite honestly, I don’t, but if you wish, we can discuss the trials together and try to make more sense of it. Some of it is very similar to the prophecy of the seven visions.’
‘Like the first trial?’ I interjected. ‘It sounded very similar to the first verse of The Stranger prophecy.’
‘Exactly,’ Nibeni confirmed. ‘The second trial is more difficult to understand though. I have thought that one over and over but it still isn’t quite clear to me. I think the Curse-of-Flesh means the Corprus disease, I assume you know about that?’
I hesitated. Rumours had reached my ears about deformed people but I hadn’t seen it for myself. ‘I’ve heard about it.’
‘The Corprus disease causes terrible deformed growth on its victims, on both men and beasts. Maybe the Nerevarine can cure this awful disease, maybe it is another sign of the Nerevarine. I don’t know what is meant by “Neither blight nor age can touch him”, it is stil a mystery to me.’
‘Maybe it implicates an Elf will be the Nerevarine? Elves have far longer life-spans then humans,’ Zerina suggested.
‘Maybe, but I don’t think so. We are still touched by time and will age eventually,’ Nibeni answered and looked at me intensely. ‘I fear it is up to you to find that out.’

‘What of the third trial?’
Nibeni shook her head frantically. ‘Legend says there is a cave with a shrine to Lord Azura, called the Cavern of the Incarnate. There are secrets about this cavern I can’t tell you, at least, not yet. Please, do not ask me of that.’
‘All right, I respect that although I don’t understand. Then, please tell me, am I right in thinking the Velothi is another word for us, the Dunmer? I remember reading somewhere when we visited Vivec it was Saint Veloth who led our common ancestors to this land.’
My question clearly fascinated and pleased Nibeni.
‘You are correct. The Velothi are the Dunmer, all Dunmer. The last time the Velothi were united underneath one banner, it was underneath Nerevar’s banner at the battle of Red Mountain, thousands of years ago. One destiny, one people. Nerevar will return and unite the Velothi - the Dunmer if you will - once more and restore the greatness of the Velothi people.

‘One last question.’ I was tired and noticed I could hardly focus anymore. ‘I’m sure I will come up with more soon enough but what is a Hortator exactly?’
‘A Hortator is the war-leader, named and agreed upon by all the Great Houses. For a Hortator to be named, the Great Houses must put aside their petty differences and suspend fueds to stand as one against the common enemy. The last time this has happened was when the Septim Usurper unjustly invaded our land.’ Nibeni emphasized “our”, in such a way I thought it unwise to inform her I was actually instructed by the Emperor’s Imperial Spymaster to seek out the Urshilaku and chase after the meaning of the Prophecies. It was becoming clear however, that the Nerevarine prophecy was bigger than me, bigger than the Emperor, bigger than the Empire even.

Very cool. So it looks like Rales will be visiting a cave in the near future? and his birthmark will glow?

So it looks like Rales will be visiting a cave in the near future? and his birthmark will glow?

He, he, that'll make an interesting chapter!

Thanks for explaining the prophecies to me, I've never been a big one for them. They tend to be overdone in fantasies, but in your story, with Rales and Zerina's personalities, the prophecies fit quite well instead of being a contrived plot element. Well done!