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> The Tale of Sudhendra Vahl: Vehk's Path
OverrideB1
post Mar 26 2005, 09:05 PM
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From: The Darker side of the Moon



When I awoke this morning, I was certainly feeling the effects of my fight with Gothren and the Clan Berne. Every single bone in my body seemed to ache and the fatigue I felt screamed in every fibre of my being. Wearily, I opened a portal to Sadrith Mora and translocated to the market square. Llunela took possession of the book eagerly, summoning one of her seemingly inexhaustible supply of messengers to take it to Baladas Demnevanni immediately. “If you’ll pardon me for saying so Sed Vahl,” she said, after examining me for a moment, “but you don’t seem to be very well.”

“It’s been a hard few days,” I responded. “The fight with Gothren wasn’t easy and somebody neglected to mention that Galom Daeus was crawling with vampires.”

She bit her lip and bowed her head, “I beg your forgiveness Arch-Magister,” she said contritely and formally, “I was unaware that vampires had made Galom Daeus their lair.”

“It’s of no consequence Llunela,” I told her firmly, “what is done is done, and there’s no need to make a fuss about it.”

“Thank you Sudhendra,” she said, relief coming off her like steam. “Have you used a large number of healing spells and potions recently?” she suddenly asked. When I confirmed that this was so, she nodded as if in understanding. “I thought as much. Scrolls, potions and spells can only repair so much damage and they consume a lot of the body’s resources to do so. Perhaps a visit to the Imperial Cult shrine up at Wolverine Hall is in order. Or, if you wish to avoid the Imperials, there are a number of very effective healers in Temple.”

“The Temple?” I asked, remembering the large structures in Balmora and Gnisis. “Do you really think that they can help?”

“I’m sure of it Sed Vahl,” she replied. She promised to keep me apprised of the progress on my stronghold while I made preparations to visit the Temple in Balmora.

It was with fairly mixed feelings that I mounted the sweeping stairs that led to the enclosed Balmoran Temple. On the whole, I tended to avoid religious organisations: mostly because the beating that my foster-father administered were so often given in the name of Stendarr, or Mara, to hammer the sin out of me. Don’t get me wrong, the Imperial Cults have done some sterling work but I was leery of them nonetheless. And this… foreign cult that seemed to dominate so much of Vvardenfell? I knew very little of it other than it controlled the Ordinators and wielded a great deal of power.

“Greetings traveller,” the soft voice of a robed and hooded priest sounded strangely harsh in the austere surrounding of the Temple building. Everybody knew about alien religions: the bizarre graven images, the strange behaviour, the wild chanting to unspeakable gods. Aside from a few wall-hangings and a strange circular pit set into the floor, the building was bereft of the trappings I’d expected. Indeed, the Temple was more austere than any Cult building I’d been in: the only oddity a triangular obelisk with engraved images on the front that stood in one corner. “How may we help you?” the priest continued.

I explained my situation in broad terms, leaving out my position as head of Great House Telvanni since I wasn’t certain what frictions might, or might not, exist between House and Temple. I really shouldn’t have bothered ~ I’d forgotten how gossipy the natives of this small island were, and just how quickly news can travel. “Of course we can help Sed Vahl,” the priest responded.

He led me over to the plinth I’d noticed earlier, asking me for a small donation to maintain the Temple. I handed over twenty-five Septims and, following his instructions, placed my hands on the cool stone and repeated his words, “May the blessings of ALMSIVI wash over me. May the strength of their power cleanse and heal me. May the light of their wisdom guide me now and in all things. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.”

I gasped as a great power flooded into me, almost blinded by the brilliant sparks that swirled around me. I felt the bone-weariness fall away and the ache I’d woken with dissipate and vanish. Dropping my contact with the stone, I looked at the priest and smiled, “That was amazing.”

“Indeed,” the priest said. Then, in that soft accusative tone that priests seem to specialise in when speaking to their wayward flock, he added, “It has been many years since a member of Great House Telvanni saw fit to grace the Temple with their presence.” Pushing back the cowl of his robe to reveal a strong and handsome face, he added, “Their absence has often been noted by Temple hierarchy and commented upon. The poor grace with which missionaries are greeted in Telvanni lands, and the dearth of established Temples are also well known to us.”

Feeling as though I’d just stepped onto a very dangerous ledge, I said, “While I have the authority, I don’t have the power to compel my fellow Mage-Lords to do things they don’t wish to.”

“This is well known to us Sed Vahl,” he said softly, “we may be insular, but we are aware of Telvanni ways ~ even here in Balmora. That you are a stranger in a strange land and don’t know of our ways is also known to us. That Telvanni mores keep you doubly ignorant grieves us bitterly.”

“So, what would you suggest?” I asked.

“That you join the Temple,” he said simply, “openly and freely.”

“Um, what would that entail?” I asked, visions of being ordered to relinquish my hard-won position in Great House Telvanni floating through my mind.

“Nothing as drastic as giving up your current position Arch-Magister,” the priest said, causing me to shoot him a dark look. “A guess at your thoughts only,” he quickly assured me, reading my look as plainly as a book. “The duties would not be onerous,” he continued, “save that you would be required to undertake some pilgrimages to demonstrate your devotion, and some small tasks to demonstrate your piety. Such things, done without any surety of reward, would make a powerful statement from one in your position.”

And that is how I came to join the local Temple, guided by the subtle hand of that Power which had taken such interest in my dealings of late. Although that fact was not revealed to me until much, much later.

Feldrelo Sadri gave me a book entitled “The Pilgrim’s Path”. “It is the duty of all novices to complete the Pilgrimage of the Seven Graces,” he informed me, the capitals dropping almost audibly into place. “By following in the steps of the Lord Vehk, they demonstrate their devotion to the Temple and to the grace of ALMSIVI. When you have completed the pilgrimage, I will assess you and give you further tasks. Or, if you wish, you can visit Temples elsewhere on Vvardenfell and undertake duties for them.”

Bowing low, Feldrelo Sadri went deeper into the recess of the Temple, leaving me with a book and a pilgrimage to undertake. The book contained details of each of the seven shrines a novitiate needed to visit, along with details of what was required at each of the locations. Some, such as the shrine at the Fields of Kummu, had long and detailed descriptions ~ others, such as something called the Puzzle Shrine, had only the vaguest of instructions for getting to them and no detail at all about what was expected. One, called the Shrine of Red Mountain, was wreathed around with dire warnings about what dangers could be expected there.

Feeling that there was no time like the present, and being only a short distance from the first shrine detailed in the book, I caught the silt-strider to Suran: spending the time reading and re-reading the Pilgrim’s Path. One thing I knew for certain, the cowled, woollen robe I’d been given would take some getting used to after so long wearing fine clothing. Fortunately, the robe was big enough to fit over my armour, although Feldrelo Sadri had disapproved of me keeping it on. Which just went to show how little he really knew of Telvanni ways: the armour and the envenomed blade beneath my pillow were the only things between me and an ‘unfortunate, accidental stab in the dark.’ I’d also insisted on keeping the blade and axe with me, preferring to rely on them rather than the stout wooden staff I’d been given along with the robe.

As I crossed the bridge over the Nabia on my way towards the Fields of Kummu, I realised that the stout staff made an excellent walking aid. The road wended its way through the pleasant Ascadian countryside, the air redolent with the smell of late blooming flowers and the crisp tang of winter’s onset. It wasn’t too long before I’d arrived at the small triangular plinth that marked the shrine. Having had the foresight to purchase a small packet of Muck from the alchemist in Suran, I placed the glutinous substance in the bowl provided and read the stanza engraved on the shrine.

Grace of Humility: "Thank you for your humility, Lord Vivec. I shall neither strut nor preen in vanity, but shall know and give thanks for my place in the greater world."

According to the Pilgrim’s Path, the next nearest shrines (three of them) are to be found in Vivec City. Accordingly, I shall make those my next priority. I returned to Balmora and sought shelter in the Temple, figuring that if the Camonna Tong wished to wreak bloody vengeance on me, the fact I was on hallowed ground might give them pause.


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Food, Slave, Telvanni ~ Take your pick.
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OverrideB1
post Mar 31 2005, 06:47 PM
Post #2


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Joined: 12-February 05
From: The Darker side of the Moon



Tharer seemed rather nonplussed this morning as he handed over a simple note from Llunela Hleran. I could understand why, it was always ~ and still is ~ a mystery to me how that woman could always get a message to you whenever she needed to. The note was brief and to the point: Construction of the final phase of your tower is now complete. Raissu Asserbas will take care of any future additions you wish to make. Fare thee well Arch-Magister, long life and power to you.

Even though I was supposed to be learning humility and piety, I couldn’t stop a feeling of great pride swelling up. Truly, Vvardenfell is a land of opportunity: from stepping ashore as a recently released convict with her only possessions the clothes she stood up in, I had raised myself up to become the head of a Great House. And, I felt certain; I would go on to achieve great things as Head of House.

Tharer and I spoke of my experiences beneath Mount Kand and, even though it might only be wishful thinking on my part, I fancied I felt a softening of his attitude towards me. I was to find out that, even if true, it wouldn’t stop him from giving me the really pleasant jobs. “Somewhat south-east of here, along the coast,” he said, “is the ancient Velothi ruin of Mawia. Word has reached us from… interested parties that a necromancer by the name of Delvam Andarys has taken residence there. It is our earnest wish that you demonstrate your commitment to the ideals of the Temple by remonstrating with him and teaching him the error of his ways.”

Which, I thought to myself as I packed the items I thought I’d need, pretty much tantamount to saying, “Go… kill.”

My journey down the banks of the river was interesting but relatively uneventful. The only thing that broke the journey was my discovery of the Card’ruhn Hlaalu. Oddly, for a tomb that bore the name of one of the most acquisitive Houses in the Province, it contained virtually nothing of any value. Shrugging, I left the crypt and continued on my way.

The coast is every bit as rugged as you’d expect for the Molag Amur: steep cliffs of crumbling black rock, small beaches, and vast spires of unweathered rock sticking up out of the crashing waves. Mawia, I’d been told, was on a small islet off the coast ~ unfortunately, that description covered a multitude of tiny slivers of sand and rock and I had to spend quite some time hopping from islet to islet before I found the right one. The large domed Velothi structure was a clue that I’d found the right place, but the two reanimated skeletal archers that guarded the entrance were an even bigger clue. A couple of well-aimed fireballs soon took care of them.

As I crouched beside the smouldering and blackened bones of the Reanimated, I took a careful interest in their bows. Made of plates of Chitin, bound together with some sort of hard resin, they were incredibly light but a little experimentation soon revealed their basic flaw: they had a very short range. Of much more interest was the pile of arrows each of the skeletal warriors carried. The thick leather quivers had prevented my fireballs from doing too much damage to them, a few singed flight feathers was the extent of the damage. Discarding those, I gathered the steel-tipped arrows together and added them to my rapidly dwindling supply of iron-tipped arrows. Then it was time to investigate the door to the Velothi structure.

Finding the door both unlocked and unwarded, I pushed it open and ventured into the square foyer. I was quickly to find that Mawia wasn’t constructed in the same fashion as the other Velothi buildings I’d been in: Mawia was a simpler structure with a single corridor leading down into the rock of the island and leading to the access chamber for the domed tower. Not that progress along the corridor was easy; the necromancer had obviously been busy resurrecting anything he could get his hands on. Ancestral spirits, Bone-Walkers, Bone Lords, Skeletons of every type: every corner was fraught with danger and unwelcome surprises. There is one good thing to be said about resurrected skeletons: they’re not the strongest of creatures structurally. A good, hard blow with an axe is usually enough to smash vital parts and a couple of good blows can totally shatter a skeleton. Fire-based magic seemed to work remarkably well too.

Delvam Andarys proved to be an elderly Mer with a long white beard. He was a powerful mage but I took advantage of the building’s structure to fight against him. Using the heavy stones of the balustrade around the top of the stairs as a hiding place from the powerful spells that poured forth from the Dunmer necromancer, I took advantage of the large supply of arrows I now had and peppered him with them from a distance. Of course, not being much of a marksman, most of my shots went wide of the mark. However, enough of my shafts found their target that he was forced to concentrate on healing magic rather than offensive spells ~ that was my cue to rush in with the Last Wish and shave his beard. Stepping smartly to the side to avoid the gush of blood that came from his severed jugular, I left him in a widening pool of his own blood while I searched the chamber.

I found some very interesting things in that tower, a cuirass that sang with magic and that I recognised as ‘The Chiding Cuirass’. There was another cuirass in the tower that would provide the wearing with some measure of protection against fire-based spells. In addition, the necromancer himself carried a very powerful artefact called ‘Shimshil’ ~ a dagger that conferred a spell of hiding when the runic power of the blade was invoked. His purse contained over seven hundred Septims and his bookcase two volumes of great interest. There, nestled amidst the usual necromantic volumes, were two red-bound folios entitled ‘Vampires of Vvardenfell Volume One’ and ‘Vampires of Vvardenfell Volume Two’. These seemed to be a semi-scholarly work on the influx of vampires from the mainland ~ especially from the Illiac Bay area. Figuring that these would be of some value, I carefully packed them into my backpack and took them with me when I recalled to the Temple in Molag Mar.

“You have done remarkably well,” Tharer said when I reported my success at Mawia. “And the Temple thanks you for bringing its justice to the necromancer Andarys. I would like to give you more duties, but I have nothing suitable for one of your rank.”

“Well, you could always promote me,” I said hopefully. To my intense surprise Tharer Rotheloth did exactly that: promoting me to the rank of Initiate in recognition of my work for the Temple. Not that that made the blindest bit of difference, Tharer still had no duties for me. He did, however, recommend that I visit the Temple in Ald’ruhn or the High Fane in Vivec City. Resolving to travel to Ald’ruhn on the morrow, I returned to my stronghold at Uvirith’s Grave.

The change was startling. The walls and floor of the mercenaries’ barracks had been put in place and a start had been made on what could only be a watchtower on the northern slopes approaching the Tel. The Tel itself had almost doubled in height and there were metal spheres dotted about the landscape. Even as I watched, one of them unfolded itself and raised its blunt head. I was struck by how ‘alive’ these things looked as the animalcule scanned the area immediately around it before becoming quiescent again. And, on the steep path that led up to the bridge to my tower stronghold, stood the massively bulky form of a Type III, its mace sparking with power. I grinned, recognising that Baladas had been unable to resist adding his own personal stamp to the devices.

The ground level of the tower hadn’t changed much but I soon discovered that there were now storage and display rooms buried beneath the tower where, before, there had only been a rocky corridor. The upper level (now the middle of the tower) was also unchanged apart from an engraved brass portal that had appeared in the corridor leading to the bedchamber. The changes beyond that portal were surprising.

A large dining room and associated kitchen filled the chamber immediately behind the door, while a short corridor led to a chamber lined with bookshelves. From this ‘library’, a curved flight of stairs led up to an upper level. Here there was a fully furnished alchemical lab, the gleaming jars and benches ready for me to start experimenting. A long vertical tunnel led to the next level.

Up here was another small chamber with workbenches and storage chests while, directly opposite was a large chamber-door. Behind this was a master bedroom, with a huge canopied bed and even more storage space in the form of chests-of-drawers and wardrobes. Another engraved bronze door led out onto an observation deck. There, at least a hundred feet above the ashy wastes of the Molag Amur, I stood and looked at the awesome vista of the region that I could see in the gathering gloom.


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Food, Slave, Telvanni ~ Take your pick.
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Posts in this topic
OverrideB1   The Tale of Sudhendra Vahl: Vehk's Path   Mar 26 2005, 09:05 PM
Fuzzy Knight   Nice story Override :D   Mar 26 2005, 10:29 PM
Aki   So Sudhendra joins the Tribunal Temple... *dun Dun...   Mar 27 2005, 12:19 AM
OverrideB1   Deciding that, since I had three shrines to visit,...   Mar 27 2005, 09:29 AM
Wolfie   Brilliant. Keep it coming   Mar 27 2005, 12:03 PM
Aki   Ayem, Soth, and Vehk ~ better known as Almalexia,...   Mar 27 2005, 05:19 PM
OverrideB1   According to the book, the third shrine was known ...   Mar 28 2005, 01:57 AM
burntsierra   Brilliant, as always. This story is such a pleasur...   Mar 28 2005, 07:48 AM
OverrideB1   Feeling much refreshed, I made my preparations for...   Mar 29 2005, 10:27 AM
OverrideB1   Another day, another problem with those stiff-neck...   Mar 30 2005, 06:22 PM
burntsierra   Great update again. Nice descriptions on actually ...   Mar 30 2005, 10:47 PM
Alexander   Great update again. Nice descriptions on actually ...   Mar 31 2005, 12:41 AM
Wolfie   I love this story.............well, maybe love is ...   Mar 31 2005, 12:54 AM
jonajosa   Still pushin for Telvanni huh alexander. Great ...   Mar 31 2005, 06:06 AM
minque   [quote=burntsierra]Great update again. Nice descri...   Mar 31 2005, 07:39 AM
Alexander   Still pushin for Telvanni huh alexander. ...   Mar 31 2005, 11:20 AM
Fuzzy Knight   This is great... still nice Override :D   Mar 31 2005, 03:37 PM
Wolfie   cool. Why does her tower appear to be so different...   Apr 1 2005, 02:01 PM
Alexander   another great addition, and to lonewolf, I think t...   Apr 1 2005, 07:01 PM
minque   I think you are right.....in a way Alex, but I´d l...   Apr 1 2005, 07:13 PM
OverrideB1   The main square in Ald’ruhn was almost deserted th...   Apr 1 2005, 08:55 PM
minque   So our little lady is in Redoran-country now huh, ...   Apr 1 2005, 09:36 PM
Alexander   I agree minque, I only did that quest once I think...   Apr 2 2005, 12:19 AM
jonajosa   Very nice. i liked how you did the lost ring quest...   Apr 2 2005, 03:57 AM
minque   Override run out of quests??? No way...hehe he´ll ...   Apr 2 2005, 02:18 PM
jonajosa   Yes but we don't want Override to get lost in that...   Apr 2 2005, 06:01 PM
OverrideB1   The stiff-necked Mages again refused me permission...   Apr 3 2005, 10:00 AM
minque   Interesting and amusing as always...wow Sudhendra ...   Apr 3 2005, 10:29 AM
OverrideB1   I spent some time asking questions around the Fore...   Apr 4 2005, 10:02 PM
minque   .. :rofl: Very amusing and enjoyable as always....   Apr 4 2005, 10:17 PM
Aki   .. :rofl: Very amusing and enjoyable as always....   Apr 5 2005, 05:12 AM
Wolfie   All i can say is SGM   Apr 5 2005, 09:51 AM
OverrideB1   Having spent the last couple of days in contemplat...   Apr 5 2005, 06:50 PM
burntsierra   Flames licked and spluttered on their ebony blac...   Apr 5 2005, 07:06 PM
minque   YaY...well said there...Christmas in April...t...   Apr 5 2005, 07:12 PM
Wolfie   Cool a replica BattleSpire. Can only hope she "sec...   Apr 5 2005, 08:27 PM
OverrideB1   Fortunately, Aryon’s glove proved to be effective ...   Apr 6 2005, 08:45 PM
Wolfie   Cool. I want one of them :( But seriously, keep u...   Apr 6 2005, 08:56 PM
minque   What on Nirn would Sudhendra do with a.....Battle ...   Apr 6 2005, 09:14 PM
Wolfie   She's gonna go and destroy Cyrodil! MWAHAHAHAHAAAA...   Apr 7 2005, 01:33 PM
OverrideB1   Since Endryn Llethan had said he had no more dutie...   Apr 7 2005, 06:32 PM
OverrideB1   The amulet pulsed warmly against my chest as the s...   Apr 9 2005, 03:12 AM
jonajosa   Another great addition. Keep it comin. :goodjob:   Apr 9 2005, 04:45 AM
Alexander   I agree, as always excellet work here :)   Apr 9 2005, 09:04 AM
Wolfie   Keep up the good work   Apr 9 2005, 12:36 PM
OverrideB1   The ruins hadn’t proven to be the ideal resting pl...   Apr 9 2005, 08:43 PM
Wolfie   Cool. I like this story in case you havn't noticed...   Apr 9 2005, 08:51 PM
minque   oh dear...off to kogoruhn....is it now...Let´s hop...   Apr 9 2005, 08:53 PM
OverrideB1   Yestere was extremely frustrating. I’d started the...   Apr 10 2005, 11:57 AM
minque   I got the creepers from this one, I can just feel ...   Apr 10 2005, 01:43 PM
burntsierra   I got the creepers from this one, I can just feel ...   Apr 10 2005, 05:24 PM
OverrideB1   Uvoo Llaren was delighted to have the sacred relic...   Apr 11 2005, 06:29 PM
OverrideB1   There was an odd mood prevailing in the plaza of S...   Apr 12 2005, 06:45 PM
minque   ahh....entertaining..as usual, oh the conversation...   Apr 13 2005, 05:21 PM
OverrideB1   Vivec City was my first stop this morning. Yestere...   Apr 13 2005, 06:47 PM


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