Clark - Second Era Options

[ghastley]

Now I've created a second-era Clark, I need a story of how he got there. I'd started something similar for Minx, but it wasn't going anywhere, so I've adjusted a bit. This may be a bit infrequent, as my logic is that Azura sends him back to Morrowind, which is special for her, and needs some attention in this era. However, ESO Clark probably won't go there until we get him up to Champion level, and he can start doing things for the story, and not just levels and skill points.


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Chapter 1 - Arrival


It wasn't exactly deja vu, because this was the first time, and the other happened in the fiuture. Which is why I can't remember it clearly.

Azura told me it would be like this. I would have no memory of the things that hadn't happened yet, because that would cause problems with temporal causality, or something like that. But yet, things that hadn't changed much, like Seyda Neen, where I'd just got off the boat, would seem familiar.

I could remember anything that happened in a Daedric realm, because time worked differently there. So I remember all about my dealings with Azura and Nocturnal, and why they'd made me immortal. I had some recollections of mortal women, including my wife, Dralsi, and our daughter Karliah, but only the things that happened in Nocturnal's Realm. Fortunately, both had been Nightingales, so there was a lot that took place in Evergloam, which might have included Karliah's conception.

I remembered a Bosmer called Cyndil, who'd been made a Nightingale at the same time I was. I had fond, but sparse, memories of a Nord called Gilda, who'd also been a Nightingale with my daughter. There was a Dunmer called Minx, that had joined me in Cyndil's rescue from Mehrunes Dagon's Dremora. Azura tells me that were a lot more that I wouldn't remember in my future.

Most of my memories about Mundus seemed to relate to Nocturnal, and quests that I'd done for her, and yet it was Azura that sent me back here. The mission I was on was particularly hers, as Morrowind was under her protection, perhaps as a result of her turning the Chimer into Dunmer all that time ago. And yet, I didn't really know what that mission was. It would work itself out, just because I was here at the right time.

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This promised to be an interesting time. Azura had told me about Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec, and how they'd used the power of Lorkhan's heart to become like gods. And unlike the Daedric Princes, they had nothing restraining them from interfering as much as they liked in the affairs of mortals. Indeed, it was Sotha Sil who had engineered much of that restraint upon their Daedric rivals.

That didn't seem to concern her too much. I imagine that she felt it was the best arrangement for both sides. I got the impression that she felt that the Tribunal were at least as constrained themselves.

And I knew that Balmora was in that direction, and the city of Vivec was in the other. I might know some of the rocks along the way, but not the trees or mushrooms. I have no idea when I was here before, or rather, when I would be here in future. I might be a child when I learn my way around, or an adult. I'm an adult now, but I'm not sure how old to consider myself, considering that I haven't been born yet. It's so confusing.

I wasn't likely to bump into anyone I knew in future. This was far enough back in my past, according to Azura, that no mortal could live that long. Not even the elven mages could prolong their lives that much. If I did see a familiar face, it might be one of her winged twilights with a message.

Azura had also warned me about history. Everything I'd learned about the past, I'd still remember, up to the now I was in. However, some of the accounts may have been revised before I'd learned them, so they'd be false memories, and anything that had just happened here would be fresh in everyone else's memory, but seem vague and distant in mine. This would be especially true about the Tribunal, who Azura felt bent the truth liberally in their records of this time. If I thought I recalled something, I shouldn't trust that feeling until I checked the facts.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Dec 15 2023, 07:41 PM

[ghastley]

@Acadian Clark has to hope that Seryn will continue to like him.

@Reneee again I'm quoting the game.


Since my machine is reluctant to play ESO, I'm hoping it will prefer my resuming this story.

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Previously: Clark and Seryn found Chodala, and confronted him. The tonal inverted turned the staff off.

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Part 1.9 - Sunna'rah

"My protective shield! What have you done? I'll destroy all of you for this!" he shouted, drawing his sword. Of course, since he normally wielded the staff in the other hand, he had no shield. My advantage, and one I'd make sure he understood.

I fended off his first wild attack easily with my shield, and put a nick in his other arm with my own sword. Not a major wound, but enough to get his attention.

"You're bleeding, Chodala. Is that how a Nerevarine fights? Or should you be giving up that idea by now?"
He quickly cast a healing spell, something he could manage with his free hand. "A Nerevarine overcomes such set-backs easily." And then he attacked again.

I'm sure he believed that I'd spent so much of my training on defence that I didn't have an attack worth worrying about. That was quite a valid tactic for people who always fought as part of a squad, where one could provide all the defence, and others the offense. But I was on my own more often here, and I'd got a few moves he wouldn't be expecting.

I didn't just block this time, but bashed with the shield, to send him staggering back. "Yield, Chodola, you can't win this."

"The Nerevarine can always find a way to win," he retorted. Nothing was going to make him change his mind, especially the facts.

Of course, every time I used my shield to stop one of his blows, I could also use my sword with the other hand, and I did. Finally he spent all his remaining energy in one great leap, holding his sword with both hand to try and force it through my defence. He landed on the point of my sword.

"Oh, brother, why did it have to come to this?". She could see that Chodala wan't going to be healing that wound. "Azura, we've defeated the false Nerevarine, just as you commanded."

She turned to me. "That was…harder than I expected. Chodala was so angry…so full of rage. Not like himself at all. Still, I can't believe I helped kill my own brother…."

"We did what was necessary."

"I know that! It was either Chodala or the lives of hundreds of Dunmer, all because he convinced himself he was the Nerevarine. Or someone convinced him. Either way, my brother is dead and the Cavern of the Incarnate has another resident."

"We should return to Vivec City"

"You go. Take Sunna'rah and I'll meet you back in Vivec City. Your Archcanon made it quite clear that the staff was the key to saving Vivec. I need to take care of my brother's remains. Then we'll be done here."

---

Archcanaon Tarvus was hovering around the motionless figure of Vivec, who was lying on his bed, in=stead of floating above it. "Do you have the staff? Lord Vivec has collapsed, we must return his energies immeditaely, or he may not last!"

He directed me to plant the staff in a socket in the floor. The Archcanon walked over to it, and turned it back on. Before I could ask how he knew how to do that, energy started to stream from the staff to the recumbent Vivec, in a golden beam of light.

But a few seconds later, the beam started to turn green, and Vivec was obviously in some pain, writhing on his bed. Tarvus rubbed his hands gleefully. "Perfect! It's working just as I expected."

Seryn came running in, carrying the tonal inverter that I'd forgotten to bring with me. "What are you doing? It's killing him!"

Tarvus retorted "What did you expect? That's the point of all this."

Seryn started up the tonal inverter, and I guided its output to shut down the staff again, just like we had with Chodala. But this time, it seemed to affect more than just the staff. Archcanon Tarvus seemed to be melting, growing horns, looking more and more like a skaafin..

A final burst of energy from the staff as it shut down knocked me backwards, and the creature who had been Tarvus grabbed it. A projection of a clockwork hemisphere appeared near the staff.

"You're too late! I see it now, the Clockwork City! Look what Barbas has found for you, Master!"
He then disappeared, taking the staff with him.

Vivec remained motionless on his bed, but a ghostly projection rose and spoke to us.

"Barbas... pet hound of the Prince of Bargains. I should have known. Talk to the Ashlander while I... compose myself."'

Seryn told me that Azura had warned her about what was going on in the palace, and she had run all the way here. Barbas was familar to her, by name at least, and it all fit in with Clavicus Vile's influence on her brother.

Vivec's projection agreed. "It was all part of an elaborate plan. But they weren't trying to kill me, rather to find the location fo Sotha Sil's Clockwork City. They needed Tribunal enrgy to do that, and I was just the easiest target."

Just then, Canon Llevule came in looking for the Archcanon. He took in the scene, and was duly horrified.

"Lord Vivec looks terrible! Where's Archcanon Tarvus? He ususually knows what to do."

We explained about Tarvus being Barbas, at least recently. We wouldn't get any help from that source any more.

"We need to give energy back to Lord Vivec," Seryn reasoned. "But how?"

"A blessing stone!" Llevule exclaimed. "Some of Lord Vivec's divine energy is in each one. Go find the Overseer, and retrieve oneof the stones fro the construction."

I'd done that before, but this time was going to be a bit harder. With Vivec being weakened, the moonlet hovering over the city was starting to fall apart, and flaming rocks were falling all around. When I reached the construction site, I was told that the Overseer had gone in to try and chase looters out of the area.

I found her, and sent her back out while I fetched the blessing stone. I had to deal with several looters myself, not to mention dodging the barrage of falling debris.

The blessing stone's meagre energy was enough to stabilise Vivec, but no more. The rain of rocks ceased, but he remained flat on his back on the bed.

Seryn and I left Canon Llevule to look after him, while we went to the Archcanon's office to look for any clues as to where Barbas might have taken the staff.

Azura decided to intervene, taking over Seryn's body to speak to me again. She didn't know how to find the Clockwork City, but she knew who to ask. And that was why she was using Seryn, as she needed her to cast a spell. A portal opened, and Barilzar emerged.

"Interesting. Summoned by a Daedric Prince and her mortal mouthpiece. I was right in the middle of a crucial experiment, but I suppose I can spare a few clicks of the cogs for Azura and my erstwhile assistant.
So, did you break the tonal inverter?"

I told him why he was needed. It wasn't the tonal inverter, which had worked exactly as it should, but the location of the Clockwork City. He'd been there, hadn't he?

"No, not going to happen. No offense to the Lady of Twilight, but Sotha Sil was quite adamant about keeping the place hidden and warded against the Daedra.

Oh, wait. Pistons fall into place. This concerns Sunna'rah and Lord Vivec, I presume?"

"And Barbas, who now has the staff," I told him.

"Barbas? Another Daedra. Thinking…thinking….

So Sotha Sil's forgotten tool was modified to steal Vivec's energy, which in turn energized the Clockwork City. Lit it up like the top of Red Mountain. Even Vile's dog would be able to see that!"

"Can you get me to the Clockwork City or not?" I interrupted.

"What is Barbas after? Wait, gears click into place…the reservoir! You need to reach the reservoir that contains Vivec's stolen energy before Barbas!

I can get us to the entrance in Seht's Vault, beneath the Mournhold temple. Ready to go?"

"We're ready," I told him.

"I only have enough power to get myself and one other person inside. One of you will have to stay behind," Barilzar explained.

"You go," Seryn told me, or was it still Azura?

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jan 26 2021, 09:45 PM