The Story of Trey- Chapter 13 Options

[treydog]

Chapter 13

As I made the slow trek to the Urshilaku camp, I thought about trust. Nothing in my youth had made me believe in the honor or the honesty of others. Mostly, they seemed to be interested in what they could get from you. And, with that philosophy, I had become a thief. But then, I was accepted by House Redoran and made a member of a family. Even though they expected me to perform services for them, they repaid me with loyalty and honor. And then, despite all my worries about their reactions to my role as the Nerevarine, they had continued to support me. The fact was, they trusted me- knew that I shared their code of honor. So much so that they had even sided with me against their Archmaster. And that meant that I should have trusted them to be honorable and fair, as well. Though I didn’t realize it, my musings on trust would be tested much sooner than I had anticipated.

The camp was as I had remembered it- a small cluster of tents in the Ashlands, huddled on the coast of the Sea of Ghosts. These were the people to whom I owed the most, the people whose lives had been made harsh and savage by the constant scheming of the Empire, Dagoth Ur, the Temple, even the Great Houses. If I were to see the path of prophecy to its bitter end, it would be for the Ashlanders that I did so. After greeting the Urshilaku working among the tents, I approached Nibani Maesa’s tent and asked permission to enter. The wise woman smiled to see me, overcoming her usual reserve just a bit. When she asked me, “What news, outlander,” I showed her the tokens of the Great Houses that proved that I had fulfilled the Fourth Prophecy. Then I told her of the attempt by the Temple to lure me to Vivec City, where they no doubt planned to imprison or do away with me. A strange look passed over her face at that, and then she said,

“I have thought long upon the Sixth Trial, Trey. I was blind, but Azura's star has guided me through my dreams. Vivec's high priest, Saryoni, has asked to see you when you are Hortator and Nerevarine. Go to him, and demand to speak with the false god Vivec. Vivec has tried to keep Kagrenac's Tools secret, but you will need these tools when you stand before Dagoth Ur. Get Kagrenac's Tools from Vivec. They are the keys to the riddle of the Sixth and Seventh Trials.”

Completely stunned, I could only stare at her in amazement. How could Nibani, of all people, send me to the very stronghold of our enemies? When I caught my breath, I asked her what Kagrenac’s Tools had to do with anything. She quoted a verse from the Lost Prophecy that I had brought from the Dissident Priests,

“ ‘Star-blessed hand wields thrice-cursed blade.' Gilvas Barelo has told you of Kagrenac's Tools, the enchanted devices the Tribunal use to steal power from Lorkhan's heart. One of these tools is the blade Keening. Your star-blessed hand must wield Keening. If Vivec has this blade, it is your fate to take this blade from him.”

So quickly was my new understanding of trust to be tested- one of my closest advisers counseled me to rely on the honor of one of my greatest opponents. Though my mind rebelled, my heart knew that she was right. If all Azura had wanted was my death, she would have no need to go to so much trouble. Nibani was my guide, appointed to help me find my destiny. I had no choice but to follow her guidance.
Knowing that the ultimate struggle against Dagoth Ur was growing near, I decided to scout the approaches to Red Mountain before I went to Vivec. And, in truth, I was delaying the meeting with Saryoni, for I feared imprisonment and torture above all things. Although I knew that I must go to Vivec, must suffer whatever consequences were to come, still I put it off, with the excuse that I needed to know more about Red Mountain. What I discovered was the presence of evil, but I don’t think it stemmed from Dagoth Ur, at least, not directly. Near the foyada Bani-Dad, I came upon a Velothi dome, which seemed a good place to shelter from the ash-storm which had plagued me almost from the moment I left the Urshilaku. The runes on the entrance marked the ancient dwelling as “Shishi,” a peculiar name that I wish I had never heard. As I emerged into the entry, I nearly stripped over the body of a Dunmer sprawled across the floor. A quick examination revealed her to be a Telvanni servitor, and that she had been cut down by swords. Worse yet, she was unarmed, and the wounds showed that she had been running away from her killer. As I ventured deeper into the dwelling, I found more Telvanni cut down in their tracks. Then in the lower part of the dome, I found the greatest horror of all.

A person dressed in the bonemold armor of House Redoran, my House, stood with bared sword, surveying the carnage and searching the room. When I asked what passed, she turned with a snarl and attacked me. I blocked as best I could, while shouting,

“Cease this madness, Redoran! Do you not recognize one of your own House Fathers?”

My identification of myself as a ranking member of the House only seemed to redouble her fury, and it became clear that I was going to have to do more than block. Since her actions had shown her to be an outlaw, her execution was no more than simple justice. Even so, it went hard for me to be the purveyor of that justice. I heard a voice calling from above, asking,

“Anise? What are you playing at down there? Did you find another Telvanni?”

So there were others involved in this murderous rampage- perhaps they would be more reasonable about explaining their actions. When I reached the top of the stairs, that proved to be a vain hope, as two more Redoran guards set upon me. An icy rage overwhelmed me and I showed those rogues no more pity than they had shown the unarmed Telvanni retainers they had butchered. On the body of the leader, I found a partial explanation, a report that had been written in great haste. The document read,

CODE

As instructed, a party of five entered the Velothi tower of Shishi. Five Telvanni sorcerers fell and the tower is now ours, but we have suffered heavy losses. We will hold Shishi as long as we can and await your orders.



Brerama Selas

So, in addition to the crimes of murder and attacking a senior member of his House, this Selas added the venal sin of lying. Only three Redorans had been present, all hale and hearty. And the “five Telvanni sorcerers”? No more than simple unarmed servants, slaughtered when they were trying to escape. Unfortunately, the report was not addressed to anyone, but I vowed that I would find out who had ordered this atrocity. Whether the Telvanni had a legitimate claim to Shishi, I neither knew nor cared. Whatever the case, there was no excuse for this mindless brutality.

Sometimes, trust has to be paid for in blood. Although it horrified me that someone in my House could do such a thing, I was satisfied that I had been the instrument of justice. For good or ill, House Redoran would take care of its own.

[treydog]

When preparing to meet a god, even a being who is only notionally a god, the proper demeanor is important. That demeanor may be considered to include attitude, as well as attire. Given that my fashion sense was hopeless, I didn’t worry too much about the attire- my armor and sword would have to do. That left attitude, something with which I was superbly endowed. I was angry, disrespectful, disdainful, and rebellious. In other words, in the perfect frame of mind to meet “Lord” Vivec. Or so I thought.

When I entered the actual Temple, my assumptions about Vivec were radically revised. From the mannerisms of the Ordinators and high Temple functionaries, I had imagined that Vivec would surround himself with luxury and comfort. What I discovered was a nearly empty dome, lit by a few lamps, and containing no furniture beyond a reading stand. If the lack of creature comforts was surprising, Vivec himself was even more so. He floated in mid-air above a small central platform, clad only in pauldrons, a loin-cloth, a bracer on his right arm and a torque on his left bicep. But even more peculiar was his physical appearance. He had the pointed ears, large eyes, and elongated face of all Mer- but his skin was unique. The right side of his body was the golden hue attributed to the Velothi of ancient times and the left was the ash-gray of the present-day Dunmer. I must admit that I spent several seconds simply gawking at him, wondering what sort of being would choose to appear so, and how it had been accomplished. He endured my scrutiny silently, simply watching me with the eyes of a poet- eyes that appeared even more haunted than my own. At last I shook off my bemusement and said,

“I believe you requested my presence?”

In a surprisingly low voice, he responded,

“I expected you. We have business, you and I.”

“Business? What business might I have with a ‘god’?” (The resentment bubbling inside me had not been completely disarmed by Vivec’s appearance or mild manner.)

“When I was young like you, I was very impatient. So I will keep our business short. Then, later, there may be time for other things. First, I propose to remove my curse upon the Nerevarine, end the persecution of the Dissident Priests, and proclaim to all Morrowind that Trey is the Incarnate and Nerevarine, the prophesied savior of Morrowind, and the last hope to withstand the menace of Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House. These things I will do, whether you wish or not.”

When I did not reply, he smiled briefly, and continued,

“Next, I propose to surrender to you the power and responsibility of defeating Dagoth Ur. You may choose to refuse; I will not compel you. You will receive the power as a gift, in the form of an artifact called 'Wraithguard." You may accept the gift, then do with it as you will. You will receive the responsibility as an oath. You may give your oath, then keep it or break it as you like. First, will you accept Wraithguard as a gift?”

Such a straightforward offer was not something I had experienced very often since coming to Vvardenfell. Vivec was offering me a way out from the Temple’s persecution, but balancing it with the responsibility of defeating Dagoth Ur. Oh, and he was going to give me a “gift.” That was the one part of his offer that rang false; after all, I had already had experience of the sorts of “gifts” the gods tended to give mortal men. They were almost always very expensive gifts, both in terms of their monetary value and what they cost the person foolish enough to accept them. Still, I was committed to defeating Dagoth Ur in any event, and Nibani had told me that I must go through Vivec to achieve that goal. Therefore, I said, in a slightly less surly tone,

“Very well. I accept your conditions and your gift.”

Again, Vivec surprised me with his directness-

“Not very sensible. But very good. I was hoping for someone who would have no hesitations about making such an oath. You will now have a brief, momentary sensation of time passing. Don't be alarmed. You are being taken out of time in order to avoid the unpleasant experience of learning how to use Wraithguard. It will be over before...”

A darkness came over me, and I felt as if I were floating in a vast emptiness without a sense of weight or direction.

“ ...you know it. Now. I will notify the Temple that you are our champion. There shall be no more persecution of the Dissident Priests, and I hope both sides shall swiftly be reconciled. We have time for questions, if you like. Or you may leave, as you wish. But I think there are at least two things you ought to know before you leave: how to use Wraithguard, and how to defeat Dagoth Ur.”

Though I was disoriented, I was still willing to listen to any advice Vivec could give me. After all, he was the only being on Vvardenfell who had firsthand knowledge of Dagoth Ur. Whether I trusted him or not was beside the point- I HAD to have his knowledge.

“How do you advise me to defeat Dagoth Ur?”

“To defeat Dagoth Ur, go to Red Mountain to recover the artifact hammer Sunder from Gate Citadel Vemynal, then recover the artifact blade Keening from Gate Citadel Odrosal. Then proceed with Wraithguard, Sunder, and Keening to the citadel of Dagoth Ur. Within the citadel, find the Heart of Lorkhan. Use the three artifacts to sever Dagoth Ur's connection to the Heart, and he will be destroyed, and the Blight ended on Morrowind. To do this, strike the Heart with the artifact hammer Sunder once, then strike the Heart more than once with the artifact blade Keening. You must wear Wraithguard, because you cannot handle either Sunder or Keening unless you are wearing Wraithguard. That is the short, simple explanation. Here is the long, detailed explanation, written down for your convenience. Read it, study it, commit it to memory.”

As I absorbed this, I considered what else I might ask. I will not repeat all that passed between us, but Vivec continued to be surprisingly candid. In the course of the conversation, he noted that he had made available certain documents from his personal library. Inveterate bibliophile that I was, I eagerly asked to see the library. Along with the plan for defeating Dagoth Ur and an estimate of Dagoth Ur’s intentions, he mentioned some material regarding the Battle of Red Mountain and the events that led to the creation of the Tribunal.

“I have made available two conflicting accounts of the events of Red Mountain, my own true account, and another false account common among the Ashlanders and preserved in the Apographa. I don't care whether you believe my account or not. I leave it up to you to judge which is true.”

It has been my experience that whenever someone says they don’t care what you believe, that they actually care a great deal. However, I cannot say that I was ever completely able to read Vivec’s moods or meaning. Having met him, he was as much a mystery as ever. With much to consider and much to study, I rather distractedly took my leave and wandered out of the Temple.