The secret of Thaldorn Manor Options

[Lopov]

What I first intended to post as separate snippets / texts in the Where are you? thread, alongside with screenshots in the Screenshots thread, I now decided to post as a full story instead. Mostly, because it will be easier for me to post stories and screenshots at the same time. At first I didn't intend to make a story out of it, but lately I've been getting some ideas, so I decided to flesh them out.

It'll be sort of a horror story and will revolve around Rieltar Brunos Thaldorn, the mage and the former necromancer, who returns to his home - Thaldorn Manor.

I don't know how long will the story be, but definitely as long as I'll feel inspired to write and as long as I'll have time - I'm estimating anything between one to three months. I'll post one or two stories per week, in the beginning just one. For now I'll just copy the first entry alongside with screenies and with the comments, and with some added extras at the end.

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I

Not many Cyrodiilians want to talk about the Thaldorn Manor. Five years ago it became publicly known, that in the noble house east of Pell's Gate, horrific deeds have been going on for years. Myraan Thaldorn, the high-ranking battlemage in the Legion, and his wife Deurexia, the respected teacher at the Arcane University, have been keeping a group of young maidens imprisoned in the manor basement. By sheer luck, one of them one night escaped and on her way to Pell's Gate, ran into a group of patrolling legionnaires. Before Thaldorns even found out that one of their captives was no longer chained, the patrol already stormed the manor and rescued two more maidens. As soon as they realized that their scheme has been exposed, Myraan and Deurexia committed suicide. The house was locked by the Legion and since that day nobody has stepped inside.

Myraan and Deurexia had one son - Rieltar Brunos - who was at that time a student at the College of Winterhold. News of his parents' death reached him a few weeks later, along with the key to the manor, he was after all the only heir.

*five years later*

Conjurers that have been occupying Sardavar Leed, the Ayleid ruin close to the manor, saw tonight for the first time light inside it. But not the light of candles, but of someone casting spells, they assumed.

The only heir returned home.

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"You cannot walk on water or move mountains without faith. Or at least without a proper spell. I bought my water-walking spell from Trayvond in Cheydinhal. The bridge was probably intentionally collapsed after...deeds of my parents were revealed."

"South of the Imperial City, between Pell's Gate and Fort Alessia, lies the Thaldorn manor, in old records mentioned also as Thaldorne manor. It's where I spent my youth. I like the surname of my ancestors - Thaldorne - better. "

"Welcome home, Rieltar. Please, make yourself at...home. Your father is upstairs, polishing his armor. Go and greet him, right son? Except that there's no one to greet."

"This door is forbidden to open, Rieltar. It must remain locked at all times. Beasts lurk below. Ugly, abominable beasts! Beasts from all planes of Oblivion. They'll burn you alive and your mother won't be able to help you!"

"Pieces of the past, secrets of my parents."

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Extras:

The abandoned manor in my hometown, that served as an inspiration for the Thaldorn Manor. The manor as such is the work from another author, but I edited a lot of stuff to my own liking, both outside and inside.

The name of the protagonist is a nod to Baldur's Gate I, specifically to the leaders of the Iron Throne organization. Their names were Rieltar Anchev, Brunos Costak and Thaldorn.

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First comments from the other thread, so the authors don't need to repeat themselves.

A new adventure begins in 3rd Era Cyrodiil it seems?

The scowling necromage has returned!

Oh noes!!! Well now we know how he got that spooky manor. Picutres!

Goodness, what were his parents up to? Those poor maidens.

I love his shorts! That's a first for me.

Thaldorn Manor looks extremely appropriate - overgrown, cobwebs, mysterious doors, chains. . . .

Now, that mysterious door he is never supposed to open. I'm sure he never will. Nope. Not a chance. . . .

Thaldorn Manor looks like the kind of place the Scooby Gang would visit. I wonder if there are any ghosts! They would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling Rieltar...

When do we go through that door!

This post has been edited by Lopov: May 13 2020, 11:00 PM

[Lopov]

@Acadian - in the future Ves will regret getting drunk in Skingrad. Events would have played out in a different way, if he had remained sober.

@SubRosa - the arrogant Primate fits perfectly into the story. Before I had no idea that he's so rude, probably none of mine even talked to him.

@Renee - some of Marie's quotes are genuine, but most of them are fiction.

VII

Branwen didn’t know whether seeing the woman stepping towards her in the darkness was a dream or not, but she didn’t dare to ask Rieltar, when he came in the next morning. He brought her some food, quite a lot of it actually and put it on a small chair in front of her, so she could reach it. He even released the collar around her neck, so she could move her neck forward and eat. With an apologizing tone he said, that he’ll be gone for a few days and that she should remain quiet, because the mother doesn’t want to be disturbed. “She’s unpredictable, you see,” were his last words, before he left.

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Brother Elritar was an odd one.

Marie Palielle was hoping to palaver about Julianos with the priest while walking to the Imperial City, but he barely opened his mouth. She was looking forward to spending time with someone else than with the Primate in Skingrad, but now she was even missing her mentor, because although he was constantly nagging and scolding her, he did at least talk! Whereas Brother Elritar hardly said a word since they left Skingrad. Having no other choice, Marie was quiet as well. Such is the will of Julianos, she thought.

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“Do you wish to pray?” Elritar’s words scared Marie so much that she almost jumped back. She was enjoying listening to chirruping birds and considering that the priest has been completely silent up until now, his words came as a complete surprise.

“Ermm… pray? Yes, but of course…”

“There’s a shrine. You can go there and pray.” Elritar pointed to the shrine by Lake Rumare.

“Oh, this is a shrine of Dibella, not of our patron, … “ Elritar was staring at her and Marie felt fear for the first time “…but it can’t hurt, right? Praying to Dibella, that is.”

What’s wrong with him? Marie thought while going on her knees at the shrine. As she clasped her hands together and wanted to pray, a malevolent thick red aura encircled her. Marie Palielle recognized the spell immediately and now real fear overcame her! But she managed enough strength to extend her left hand in the air and cast a healing spell, restoring some of her quickly draining fatigue.

“HELP!” She managed to stand up and recast the spell, regaining more of her lost fatigue. “HELP!”

Rieltar didn’t expect this! He should have taken into account that Marie was a priest and compared to Branwen, knew how to reject some of the spell effects. Stupid, stupid Rieltar! Get a whip, Myraan. We have a stupid son here!

He ran after Marie, hoping that no legionnaires or travelers were close. Marie was a slow runner and Rieltar was about to cast the fatigue-sucking spell again when Marie turned around and almost hit his head with an axe! An axe! Where was she hiding it until now??

“Stay away, you fetcher! Away, away! HELP, somebody HELP me!” Where are soldiers when you need them? Vesuvius help me!

Ever since her liberation five years ago, Marie Palielle was always carrying an ornate enchanted axe by her side. There was special magic inscribed on that weapon, so it was invisible until being used. Afterward, it became invisible again, if not being in use for a minute. She never needed to use it until today, but she lacked proper skills in using it. If she aimed better, she could have hit his head and even killed him. A grave thought, Julianos forgive me, but it’d be justified!

Marie rushed down to the lake, her plan was to cast the water walking spell and run all over the lake to the Waterfront. But that’s when she made a mistake – she turned around. And “brother Elritar” was nowhere to be seen.

By Julianos, is he gone? Did I actually manage to scare him away? Or did he cast an invisibility spell?

A red aura encircled her again, this time twice in a row! Marie lift her hand and tried to cast a healing spell, but she was sparked by powerful shock magic. She couldn’t stand anymore and fell down to the thick grass just as she saw “brother Elritar” removing some robe that was barely visible.

“A robe of chameleon, Marie Palielle,” whispered Rieltar as he leaned over her. “Now I’ll cast the familiar spell again and you’ll fall asleep. Don’t be afraid, Marie. Just…behave and you might live. Let’s not anger the mother, mmm?”

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Rieltar was back and not alone. He came to the basement carrying the familiar woman – Marie Palielle, the nun from Skingrad. She was still unconscious. With some leather strips he tied her to the wall, then sat on the throne in front of them.

So he’s after us again, thought Branwen. He got me, now he got Marie, there’s only Jolie left. He’ll keep us here chained like his deranged parents. But maybe…

“Rieltar.” He quickly turned his head to Branwen.

“What if I’m a virgin no longer?” It was worth a try.

Rieltar smiled. “Doesn’t matter, my mother says. The ritual that she wanted to perform years ago, can not be performed anymore. Look at the altar. Destroyed by the Legion. No, it doesn’t matter, if you fooled yourself around or not.”

“Why then? Why are we here?”

Rieltar smiled again. Branwen was carefully observing him – not a trace of the ashamed Rieltar that was picking up pieces of the broken jug in front of her. Not a trace of Rieltar who almost apologized for leaving her alone. The look in his eyes was now focused, determined but most of all…fearsome. Was he such a good “actor”… or was he just deranged? Or was there something else? What if he has a twin brother? What if Thaldorns had not one, but two sons?

“Why are you here, you say? It’s fairly simple, really…but first…we have to get one more, right? One more is missing. Tell me the name of the one that’s missing, Branwen, and I’ll tell you why are we…You here.”

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“Jolie,” whispered Branwen.

“JOLIE!” Rieltar screamed so loud that Marie Palielle woke up.

“GOOD! GOOD! THE NUN IS WITH US TOO! FABULOUS!”

“Come to me, Julianos, for without you, my wit is weak…” chanted Marie Palielle but was immediately interrupted by Rieltar’s deranged shouting.

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP WITH THIS JULIANOS NONSENSE!”

Deranged, that’s what he is, thought Branwen. Insane, out of his mind, diabolical.

Marie Palielle said nothing but was staring first at Rieltar, then at Branwen. She was beginning to grasp the graveness of the situation.

“So…Branwen…I owe you an answer, right?”

She nodded.

Unexpectedly, Rieltar swiftly jumped from his throne straight down to Branwen and stopped so close to Branwen that they could almost kiss. He continued with a quieter tone as if there was someone close that shouldn’t have heard his words.

“We’re bringing someone back to life…someone very dear to me…someone that you know so very good. Someone that was good to me and had to die because of you, you, you!”

He sat back on the throne.

“You saw her…she’s hard to control in this state. But with proper blood, the blood of you…” he pointed at Branwen” and you…” he pointed at Marie “and from that whorrre from Leyawiin,” he pointed at an empty space between Marie and Branwen “she’ll live again. I can’t wait to go for a walk by the lake with my sweet mommy. Have a kiss, mom. Have a kiss, Rieltar.”

Branwen and Marie could barely believe his words. Branwen even more so, because unlike Marie, she saw Rieltar’s mother, obscured in fog and covered with darkness. She didn’t have a clue about magic, but does this mean, that Rieltar’s mother was walking somewhere in the manor in some state of half-life? Was she an undead? Perhaps even a zombie? But didn't Rieltar a minute ago say, that his mother SAID that the ritual can't be performed anymore? Was there any truth to his words?

“You’re quiet now,” Rieltar said, his voice calm again. He was staring at the empty space between his captives.

“Maybe the answer doesn’t satisfy you.

Maybe you don’t believe me.

So I’ll take my leave.

I believe you two have some talking to do. Talk all you want but be careful.” He raised his right index finger like he was a teacher that was just about to say something important. “Loud talking makes my mother nervous. Tomorrow I’ll bring you some food, then I’ll be gone for a day or two, maybe three. No worries, even if you don’t eat for a day, you won’t die. When I return, we'll finally be complete and then it'll be over. I can't wait.”

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Humble servant of Julianos

In a silent company

Time to pray

"By Julianos!"

"HELP! HELP!"

Overpowered

Back in the basement

The captor

Going for Jolie