The Tale of Sudhendra Vahl: Vehk's Path Options

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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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The stiff-necked Mages again refused me permission to use the Guild-guide service when I arrived in Balmora this morning. I have no intention of continually having to bribe them to allow me to use the service and I sure as Oblivion am not going to join their little cartel of magic-users. They think that they can dictate terms and conditions to Great House Telvanni? I guess I’m going to have to disabuse them of that notion. Instead of ranting and raving, I just smiled tightly and translocated myself to Ald’ruhn. There I purchased a Void-Walk spell for Vivec City from Delas Mrania.

Arriving on the bridge that leads into the Foreign Quarter Canton, I took a gondola from there to the Temple Canton. The High Fane was easy to find, being behind the only visible access to the Temple structure on the upper level of the Canton. My contact there was an Endryn Llethan.

Endryn was a harried Mer, he ushered me into his office and sat down behind a desk that was filled to overflowing with parchments ~ all of which seemed to involve Temple business. “So, tell me Acolyte Vahl, how do you feel about working with the afflicted?”

“As long as I have an ample supply of potions to prevent myself from becoming diseased I have no problems with that,” I replied frankly.

He nodded. “Well, that won’t be much help here I’m afraid. There’s a pilgrim come in from Mournhold, name of Tanusea Veloth. She’s been making the usual stops around the city ~ the Temple here, the Temple in Saint Delyn’s, Stop The Moon, you know the routine?” I nodded, I did indeed. “Well, it seems that she’s been infected with Corprus. To complicate matters, she’s been blessed by Almalexia and does not show any outward symptoms. We need someone to persuade her that she is infected and convince her to go to the Corprusarium at Tel Fyr.”

“And that someone,” I hazarded, “would be me?”

He just nodded, already distracted by the sheaf of parchment that a page had brought in. Sighing, I stood up and left the High Fane in search of this pilgrim.

“Tanusea Veloth?” the Ordinator said when I asked if he’d heard of her. “No Ser, the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“She’s here from Mournhold,” I explained, “and there’s a possibility that she’s infected with Corprus.”

“Ahh,” he said, “I’ve heard that there’s some diseased woman wandering around the Arena Canton. Perhaps that’s her? I really couldn’t say; I’ve been busy looking for Moroni Uvelas’ husband. He went missing a couple of days ago and she’s tearing her hair out.” I asked a few additional questions of the Indoril, learning that Moroni Uvelas worked at the Fishmonger’s Guild in Saint Olms. I also learned that, so far, nobody had been apprehended for the killing of the five Outlanders ~ although the Mer seemed much more aggrieved by the failure to capture whoever it was that had killed the two Ordinators ~ and that the Justice of the Watch was seeking any assistance he could get in the case.

Since the Hall of Justice and thus, the Office of the Watch, was directly behind where I was standing talking to the guard, I decided that I should see if there was any assistance I could render. You might wonder why I did that ~ I was an Outlander, working in and around Vivec City and somebody was killing Outlanders in Vivec City. It wasn’t out of any sense of civic duty that I approached the Watch; self-preservation pure and simple was what prompted me.

“You want to help?” Elam Andas asked incredulously. “What on Tamriel for?” I laid out my reasoning for him, pretty much as I’ve explained. He thought on this for a minute or two, and then said, “I don’t see how having you help could do any harm. So, I’ll tell you what we know:

“Two of the victims were found in the Foreign Quarter Canton, a third was found Canalside in the Foreign Quarter. We found one floating face down near the Arena Canton, the fifth we found in a corridor in the Hlaalu Canton. All of the victims were armed but only one of them, a Mage, seems to have put up any struggle. All had their throats cut. The two Ordinators were found near the victim in the Hlaalu Canton.

He cleared his throat, then added, “We’re working on the assumption that the killer is someone very stealthy ~ perhaps a renegade thief or rogue assassin ~ or a very powerful sorcerer. There are no witnesses to the actual killings, but a Dunmeri female with a dagger threatened an Hlaalu servant on the night of the murder there. He didn’t get a good look, but described her as tall and wearing Netch leather armour.”

Somewhat distractedly, I said that I would look into the matter. The reason for my distraction was the extra-ordinary performance of the Mer sitting at the desk opposite the Head of the Watch’s. Throughout my entire conversation with Elam, he had been squirming and twitching in his seat. Now he was standing up and rubbing his back against the frame of the bookshelf with every indication of bliss on his face.

“Excuse me,” I said, “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be in some discomfort.”

“Damn’ right I am,” he snapped. “It’s this gods-blasted itch, it’s been driving me mad all morning.”

“I have here some potions that might help,” I said, placing my pack on the desk. “Or I have knowledge of a spell or two that can cure most afflictions.”

“D’you think I haven’t tried potions and magic?” he snapped, before looking at me contritely. “I’m sorry, I know you’re just trying to help. It’s just that this itch…” he spread his hands helplessly. “I’ve had it since last night, didn’t get a wink of sleep. I think it’s because I insulted Trebonius ~ the head of the Mages Guild. Look, do me a favour will you?”

I nodded, and he handed me a book wrapped in waxed parchment. “Take this to Trebonius and apologise for me. Tell him Tarer Braryn sends his apologies and… uhnnnn.” Whatever else he was going to say was lost as he started to scratch frantically at his face. Suppressing a giggle, I left the Office of the Watch and made my way down to the gondola dock on the lower level of the Temple Canton.

As the gondola conveyed me from the Temple to the Arena, I tried to memorise the route. If I am going to be in Vivec City for long, I really need to learn how to get around without relying on the gondolas. Not that they’re terribly expensive or slow. It’s just that, sometimes, they don’t ply the most direct route from one Canton to another.

Tanusea Veloth wasn’t hard to find, she was the Dunmeri female sitting in splendid isolation on the stone benches above the gladiatorial arena. Hundreds of people crowd into the Arena on a daily basis to watch the sparring matches and training sessions that are held every day except for Holy Days. That’s nothing compared to the crowds that flood in whenever there’s a real fight. Today, however, there was a much smaller crowd than normal and a wide circle of empty spaces around the lone woman.

“Are you Tanusea Veloth?” I asked, sitting as close to her as felt comfortable. She acknowledged that she was, and I spoke to her. “You are afflicted with Corprus,” I informed her. “You must take yourself to the Corprusarium at Tel Fyr so that you don’t infect any of these good people.”

She snorted laughter. “Corprus? How can I possibly have Corprus?” She shook her head. “The Goddess herself blessed me, I am not diseased.”

I spent quite a while trying to convince her, but she was having none of it. Finally, she turned away from the fight and said, “I appreciate your intentions Ser, but you are quite mistaken. I am a pious woman, blessed by Almalexia herself. Why, I am willing to wager that you’ve never even read Saryoni’s Sermons.”

There was no answer that I could make to that, for she was quite correct. Bowing to her, I left the Arena Canton and made my way towards the Foreign Quarter. I might not have read Saryoni’s Sermons, but that was a deficiency I could soon remedy.

“Saryoni’s Sermons? Yes, Jobasha have many copies of that book,” the Khajiit said. “Very popular, Jobasha always makes sure he has copies in store.” The thick, vellum-bound book cost me fifty-seven Septims and I sat at a table in the local inn, reading through the sermons as I ate my midday meal. A lot of what was written was confusing and contradictory, but there were several passages I thought might help me convince Tanusea.

Since I was in the right area, I made my way up to the Plaza after lunch and entered the Mages Guild. Trebonius was a large Man ~ large around, not up and down ~ with a most peculiar hairstyle. I presented him with the book I’d been given and, on behalf of Tarer Braryn, made a suitable apology. He nodded, “Here’s a potion that’ll cure Braryn’s rash. Perhaps this will teach him not to meddle in the lunches of Wizards; they’re hungry and quick to take offence. A lesson that you would do well to learn as well young Telvanni.”

I fumed as I made my way back towards the Arena, what an insufferable prig Trebonius was. He’d deliberately cursed Tarer Braryn over some trivial slight and made the Mer grovel. Even though I had no love for guards of any stripe, I was rapidly developing a serious distaste for the way the Mages Guild thought it could ride roughshod over the locals.

Tanusea proved that she was amenable to persuasion as I laced my arguments with texts and quotations taken from Saryoni’s Sermons. Finally she agreed that I might be right and that, as a precaution, she would go to the Corprusarium. I scribbled a quick note for her to give to Divayth Fyr. I wanted to get him to take a close look at Tanusea: I knew he was deeply involved in seeking a cure for the disease and, if he could find what was suppressing Tanusea’s symptoms, it might give him a new direction to try.

When I arrived back at Tel Vahl, Raissu Asserbas was waiting for me with a Dunmeri female. The woman was introduced to me as Farena Arelas, a sorcerer who wished to set up residence here in Uvirith’s Grave. I questioned her as to her abilities, discovering that she was well versed in spells of the schools of Illusion and Alteration. I finished the interview by purchasing a powerful opening spell and welcoming her to my growing estate.