Cyrodiil Options

[Alexander]

Ok, so for the unavoidable introduction babble, as most of you know I was rather pleased with Morrowind. I thought it was far better then the dribble I wrote prior to that, and most people seemed to agree with me. After I finished Morrowind I already had an idea for a sequel, I actually wrote the very first chapter of said sequel while I was posting up parts of Morrowind. Unfortunately though, after that first chapter I kind of lost interest. I didn’t think the ideas I had back then were enough to weave an entire story together, and I was probably right.

But as these things have a habit of developing themselves, over the past months I kept thinking back to the sequel, and kept adding ideas to the pile I already had. Now it’s done. I once again enjoyed writing this, and I hope you’ll have similar fun reading it.

As I’ve explained in the past, I’m not very good at making up things like titles, Akatosh knows it took me about as long to come up with the various titles of the chapters as it did to write the entire thing, so I’ve named the story “Cyrodiil” (catchy wot? )

Before I end my babbling and get on with posting the story, I once again would like to thank Treydog for agreeing to help with my story as editor, and for fixing the many, many, many grammatical and spelling errors, and placing every comma, semicolon and whatchamacallit in the correct place. And thanks to everyone who ever read Morrowind, and commented. I really enjoy the comments.


Now, while you don’t have to have read Morrowind, I believe in order to get the most out of Cyrodiil, it would be recommended.


So, enough babbling and on to Cyrodiil.

[Alexander]

Chapter 14. Dealing with Daedra

Baurus was pacing up and down the library hall. Shortly after Relien and he had come back to Tel Uvirith, they and Reynel had locked themselves in the great library and forbidden everyone else entry.

“ ‘The only difference between Genius and Insanity, is that Genius has its limits.’ Genius has its limits, what limits could she be speaking of?” It was the same question they had been asking themselves and each other for hours now. What limits are there to Genius? None had the answer.

“But then, did she not also say we should not take that too literally? But then which part should we not take too literally? What she said about genius, what she said about insanity, what she said about limits or the lack thereof?” Baurus found it maddening. While he enjoyed reading a good book, and knew quite a bit about the history of the empire, he had never thought of himself as a great thinker. He was baffled by the riddle. So, apparently, were both Reynel and Relien. Relien had gone to look through books trying to find the answer, and Relien just sat there, staring at nothing.

“Ok, let’s look at this from a different perspective for a moment.” Reynel closed the book she was looking in and Baurus likewise looked up at Relien. “Azura told us not to take her words too literally. But she did not say which part not to take too literally. Let’s just for the sake of argument say it’s only a part we should not take too literally. The difference between Genius and Insanity, implies a discrepancy. When you look at both words, Genius and Insanity, you could say they’re opposites in a way. Not taking it literally, does that mean we could replace one of the two words? We could replace insanity with the direct opposite of Genius, which would be stupidity, or retardation, if you will. But does that bring us closer to the answer? No, I think that still makes it as cryptic as ever.”

“But what if we replace Insanity? What’s the opposite of Insanity? Sanity. Someone being sane, or someone being mad. If we look at the entire thing, Azura said; ’The only difference between sanity and insanity, is that sanity has it’s limits.’ Wouldn’t that imply insanity has no limits, or rather insanity is not subject to the limits sane people are subject to? Isn’t that then answer? Sane beings, be they kings, magicians, or even gods, cannot cross the boundary now that Martin has closed it. Does that mean someone who is insane can still do so? And who do we all know that’s entirely insane, yet powerful enough to accomplish such a feat as traveling to a different dimension?”

Baurus, Reynel and Relien all replied in unison; “Sheogorath.”

“Right, there’s no time to waste. Reynel, I‘d like to ask you to assemble Aryon, Divayth, Dhaunayne and Dratha here. I’ll send word to you as soon as I can. If what Azura said is true, and I have no doubt it will be, we’ll likely need to act fast after we’ve found out if there is a way. Baurus and I will travel to Vivec to speak with Sheogorath. Here’s hoping he’s having one of his saner days and, of course, hoping our conclusions are correct.”

“Why Vivec?” Baurus asked as he followed Relien along the corridors inside one of the Cantons in the city.

“Leave it to Sheogorath to go against all conventions. The north part of the island is named after him, so of course he’ll have his main shrine located at the very opposite end .”

Entering a small door in the very bowels of the Canton, Baurus found himself face to face with a statue of the Daedric prince of madness. Again without much ritual, Relien placed his hands onto the statue and spoke, “Lord Sheogorath, Lord of Madness, heed my call. Please answer our summons.” Unlike with Azura, Baurus did not hear a voice inside himself this time; instead the entire room suddenly seemed to be shaking. Baurus saw Relien back away from the statue, and with good reason as the entire statue seemed to be changing shape. It expanded, then shrunk again, then changed color to black, pink, purple and then back to grey. Then with a great boom and a flash of lightning the statue was gone, and in its place, stood the Daedric prince of madness; Sheogorath himself.

He resembled an Imperial, only a bit larger than usual, with grey hair combed back and a small grey pointed beard. What he wore reminded Baurus of nothing so much as a jester’s costume, purple and gold, interlaced with white lines. And in his right hand he had a cane which he presently held under his arm. Slowly looking around the room, his gaze fixed itself on Relien.

“Aren’t you the Nerevarine?” Relien slowly nodded yes. “OH MY LORD, please, can I have your autograph?”
As Baurus heard lord Sheogorath speak those words in such a childish tone, the first thing that sprung to mind was that they had summoned the wrong person, but as Sheogorath continued, Baurus found out just how deranged the lord was.

“Please, your autograph! Or…. Or wait, maybe I should just kill you and write my own autograph with your blood as ink, would that be an even better idea? What do you think? I mean you do think don’t you?”

“Lord Sheogorath, please, we’ve come seeking your help.”

“Ah, my help you say, my help? How can I help you two? Perchance you wish to become as me? That should not be a problem; a few centuries in my madhouse will cure you of any sanity you might have. Ok, it’s arranged then; you’re coming with me.”

“No! No, I’m sorry, but that isn’t what we’re here for Lord Sheogorath. We need to enter Oblivion, the Deadlands to be precise, and we understand you’re the only one that can take us there.”

Sheogorath seemed to be considering this, Baurus was glad the god’s attention was directed at Relien for now; he didn’t think he’d be able to keep as cool as the Nerevarine .

“Deadlands, Deadlands, hm, now that is where Mehrunes lives isn’t it? Yes it is, is it? Probably. But why would I take you there? Impossible, in two words, im-possible. Or possible? I don’t know, taking two mortals into Deadlands, why do it?”

“Something for nothing, nothing for something, no no no no no, that isn’t right, nothing for nothing, something for something, how do the Khajiit say it, you scratch my back, I won’t scratch out your eyes, eh? No no, that isn’t right. But you understand what I mean, yes? No?”

“I believe I do, yes, Lord Sheogorath. I believe I do, but what would you have from us?”

“Hm, what to choose, what to choose? Your eyes maybe? Your tongue? No no, I have a far better idea, but what about him? He’s going to come back anytime now! HE! Oh no, he will disturb our tranquility. No, no, we must not allow that, maybe one of these two, yes, maybe one of these two can scare him off, claw at him, scratch out his eyes. Maybe yes. Ok, it’s settled then. Three words; big crisis. I help you with my crisis, and then you help me with yours, no no, that isn’t right.”

Baurus suddenly saw Sheogorath turn very serious as he looked down at Relien and spoke; “ I’ll help you with your crisis, and then you promise that when the time comes, you’ll help me with mine. Only option, no other way, no backing out, is it a deal?”

“Agreed. I promise I’ll help you with whatever this crisis might be but only if you also promise to help us get Varvur out safe and sound.”

“Excellent! Agreed!” Sheogorath loudly exclaimed, “Excellent. That’s one word, you know.” He spoke while looking to Baurus, and Baurus could have sworn Sheogorath threw him a wink there.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, hold onto your seats, we’re in for a rough ride, keep your hands within the cart at all times and whatever you do, don’t be sane!”