The Story of Trey- Chapter 7 Options

[treydog]

Chapter 7

My life had become ever more complex from the moment I stepped out of that jail in Cyrodiil. Some of that complexity was due to forces far beyond my control. Empires, religious cults, even a semi-mythic devil seemed to be competing for my loyalty and perhaps even for my soul. All I could do about that was remain vigilant and listen to the saner voices inside my head. But the other complexity, the maze I had built for myself by joining so many guilds, I could control. All of my obligations to the guilds were paid. The Mages were so absorbed in their studies that they didn't remember who I was half the time. As for the Thieves, I had done what I could to reduce the threat posed by the Camonna Tong. They weren't defeated by any means, but would have to move more cautiously for a while. The Temple- I would have to think about that.

The Ashlanders certainly believed that the Tribunal were false gods and betrayers. It might be wise to wait until I knew more before getting too deep into the Temple. That left the Blades and House Redoran, opposites in many ways, including how I had "joined." The Blades had drafted me at the direct order of the Emperor and seemed determined to use me up in the pursuit of their unfathomable goals. House Redoran had accepted me, treated me with respect, and made me family. Before I had been put out on that dock in Seyda Neen, I hadn't even realized that a family was what I wanted most. I had believed that wealth and all it signified would be enough. Now I knew better. When I saw the loyalty that a man like Athyn Sarethi inspired, my course was clear. Naturally, I had chosen the House whose back was to the wall in many ways. The other Great Houses were using Redoran's sense of honor against them at every turn. The Hlaalu's criminal connections and lack of ethics gave them a huge edge in business. They had managed to bribe their way into exclusive control of many of the best contracts. Telvanni's ancient wizards accumulated power the way a tree grows new rings, slowly and quietly. They had the patience of spiders. Still, I had made the right choice- although I was a thief, I wasn't a liar or a cut-throat. In my own peculiar way, I had a code of honor that equaled House Redoran's.

Sarethi had asked me to give him a day or two while he decided how to make use of my talents. He was caught in a struggle between his honor and his belief that Bolvyn Venim was not leading the House as he should. Complicating that conflict was the issue of his son, Varvur. Meanwhile, I had a little free time to do as I would. I glanced over the purposely obscure notes I had kept to see if there was any unfinished business I should take care of. There was a notation to look up Emusette Bracques in Tel Aruhn, and another to try to get the Indoranyon propylon index from Divayth Fyr. Those errands both required traveling to the eastern part of the island, an area I did not know. Instead, I decided that this was a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with my books. My collection had grown significantly, and I hoped that some of the books might provide more insight into what was happening. In the end, my session of reading didn't really enlighten me any further, but it did relax and refresh me. The time until my appointment with Athyn Sarethi passed quickly. The Redoran councilor thanked me again for rescuing his son and then asked if I would be willing to do him another favor. Although he could not believe that Varvur would have murdered his friend Bralen, the evidence seemed strong. Athyn asked that I speak to Varvur and discover if there was some way to clear him of the murder charge. It was clear that Athyn Sarethi was torn between his love for his son and his sense of honor. I was pleased that he thought enough if me to entrust me with this task.

Varvur was in his quarters; he looked as if he had not slept well for some time. When I asked him about the death of Bralen Carvaren, he denied responsibility, but admitted that the guards had found him near the body. Varvur added that he had no memory of that night at all, then noted that he had been having bad dreams. When I asked him about the dreams, he haltingly described vivid nightmares that included him murdering his friend. But then he added that the dreams had started before the murder, around the time he had been given a peculiar statue. He asked me if I would mind removing the statue, as its presence was troubling him. When I examined the statue, it appeared to have been formed of ash and had a greasy feel. Moreover, when I handled it, a faint queasiness came over me and I seemed to almost hear a voice whispering to me. I could understand why young Sarethi wanted the eldritch object removed. It also seemed worth asking his father about. Athyn apparently felt the same unease handling the statue as I had- he asked me to take it to Lloros Sarano at the Temple to see if it might explain Varvur's behavior. I was more than happy to give the thing into the keeping of the Temple; the longer I was in its presence, the more I felt as if someone were standing just out of my peripheral vision. Lloros Sarano was immediately able to determine that the ash statue had been enchanted with some sort of conjuration. He asked me to send Varvur Sarethi to him, feeling certain that he could clear him of the murder charge. He expressed little doubt that the statue had influenced Varvur. When I gave the message to the younger Sarethi, he promised to go to the Temple immediately. He also mentioned that he had remembered where the statue had come from- Galtis Guvron had given it to him.

It seemed that my earlier suspicion that someone was trying to weaken the Sarethi family and House Redoran was correct. I decided that I would find Guvron at the Rat in the Pot and ask him some probing questions, such as where he had gotten the statue. After all, an attack on Redoran was an attack on me, and an attack on the Sarethis was an attack on my family.

Before I went to confront Galtis Guvron about the ash statue, I briefly considered talking it over with Athyn Sarethi. In the end, I decided it would be better to keep him out of this little operation- he had some peculiar ideas about things like "proof" and "honor." Don't misunderstand me, I respected him and his commitment to doing what was right- which was why he didn't need to be bothered with this. If Athyn ordered me to bring Guvron in for a trial, I would have to try. Meanwhile, whoever else was behind the ash statues would have a chance to get away. My methods might not meet with Athyn's approval, but I was interested in results.
The Rat in the Pot was the sort of establishment that shows up in every town of any size, even one run by House Redoran. It was the headquarters for the local Thieves Guild and a place where most things could be purchased, provided you knew who to ask and weren't too particular about bills of sale. Because I had wanted to keep the Redorans from knowing about my past and my less savory associations, I had stayed away from the place. Now, though, I had a very good reason to walk into the seedy dive. My reaction to the place surprised me a bit- I was put off by what I saw. Before, this had been the sort of club that seemed like "home" to me; now I recognized that most of the denizens were just looking for a way to make a fast drake, without regard for how they got it or who got hurt. And worse, their "loyalty" was for sale to the highest bidder- if there was no one else to rob, they would rob each other. Not so long ago, my feet had been set on that same path. I didn't regret my skills, nor the uses to which I had put them, but I had something more to live for, now. And what I had was bigger than me, bigger than simply making money as a way to keep score. I would do what was necessary to protect my new family. And so it was that I found myself approaching Galtis Guvron in the back room of the bar. He appeared glad to see me, no doubt thinking I had come in on Thieves Guild business. That changed when I asked him where he had gotten the ash statue that he gave to Varvur Sarethi. For a second, he was stunned, but he recovered quickly.

Muttering, "I'll take care of this myself," he pulled a pair of daggers and attacked.

That proved to be a fatal mistake. Although he might have been a good smuggler, he was no fighter. The last several months I had spent refining my skills paid off, though, and he was soon sprawled on the floor. True to the nature of the place, none of the other patrons so much as raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately, a dead Galtis Guvron couldn't answer any questions- unless he had some kind of clue on his body.... A quick search turned up several more ash statues, which I resolved to hand over to the Temple, and a note from someone named "Hanarai." The note instructed him to place more statues in Ald'ruhn "where they would do the most good." This was more than just a plot against the Sarethis, then. Someone had developed an insidious attack on all of Vvardenfell. When I returned to hand over the other statues, Lloros Sarano asked me how I had come across them. I explained about Guvron and the note, and the priest recognized the name. He said it sounded like a woman named Hanarai Assutlanipal, who had recently come to Ald'ruhn, claiming to be an outcast Ashlander. Sarano asked me if I would talk to the woman, but warned me that she might react as violently as Guvron. Against that possibility, he gave me several healing potions "just in case."

The priest's powers of prediction proved accurate, Hanarai didn't even give me a chance to ask any questions before she said, or rather recited the following cryptic words, "It is the Hour of Wakening. Dagoth Ur awakes and comes forth in his glory, and his people shall rejoice, and his enemies shall scatter like dust."

Her eyes had glazed over as she spoke and she immediately launched a determined attack. She seemed to have been a more accomplished killer than Guvron; at any rate, her blade caught me several times before I finished her. There were no clues on her body, other than another ash statue, and the upper part of the house was furnished as one would expect. When I breached the trapped and locked door to the basement, though, all sense of normalcy was dispelled. As soon as I swung the door open, the stench of incense and decaying flesh told me I had found a focus of evil and madness. The entire room had been converted into a shrine to the Sixth House, House Dagoth. Candles and wall-hangings created an eerie atmosphere, which was only made worse by the sacrifices of flesh from corprus beasts. Finally, in one corner, I found a crate containing more ash statues. Those I removed for disposal by the Temple. As I left that foul basement, I recalled Addhiranirr in Vivec, talking about the Sixth House and smuggling. Perhaps these evil statues were the contraband that had most of the smugglers occupied and too frightened to talk. With no more names, I was at a standstill. While the problem in Ald'ruhn had been solved, it was only a temporary fix. Although Sarano thanked me for stopping the movement of ash statues into the town, I wasn't satisfied. If the Sixth House had placed one agent here, they could send another. If I was going to protect my new home, I was going to have to learn more about the Sixth House. And that would mean going to Ilunibi, where someone named Dagoth Gares waited. Dagoth Gares, who had wiped out almost an entire Legion patrol and left the lone survivor infected with corprus.

The idea of going into Ilunibi filled me with dread. The very name seemed to have the taint of death. Maybe talking with Raesa Pullia at Fort Buckmoth would help. She was the Legion Champion in command of the soldiers from the ill-fated patrol. If she could give me a better idea of what I was facing, maybe my fear could be reduced to a more manageable level. And maybe what she had to say would scare me even worse, if that was possible. Whatever the result, I needed to talk to her. I needed to find out whatever I could about Dagoth Gares- for example, where his name came from. House Dagoth was supposed to have been destroyed- the members executed or absorbed into other Houses. Of course, a great many things that "everybody knew" to be true had turned out to be wrong. What was certain was that something had destroyed a Legion patrol, leaving the lone survivor infected with a terrible disease. And what was equally certain was the fact that I had to go investigate the place if I was going to be able to live with myself. Even if it killed me.

[treydog]

Before leaving Ald'ruhn, I made as many healing potions as I could and repaired my weapons and armor. After that, I sorted through everything and eliminated all the spare weapons or other dead weight. Somehow, I didn't think that my books would help me on this trip. And then I couldn't delay any longer- Fort Buckmoth was just south of Ald'ruhn. As I took the short walk, I wished it were on the far side of the world. But Raesa was waiting and it was up to me to handle this problem. The Legion Champion might have been a good-looking woman once, but the strain of responsibility had worn heavily on her. Somehow, I wondered if the gray in her hair had been there before she sent that patrol to Gnaar Mok. She told me that the lone survivor had since died, raving and mumbling about Dagoth Gares. He had talked of the cavern called Ilunibi and of fighting cultists and corprus monsters. The patrol had been attacked repeatedly, driven deeper into the caverns, where they became lost. Finally, they encountered Dagoth Gares. The creature- Raesa said the trooper had described him as "half-man, half-beast-" had killed all the soldiers but one. He told the survivor that he was being spared to carry a message- "The Sleeper awakes. The Sixth House is risen. Dagoth Ur is Lord and I am his priest. All will be one with him in the flesh."

The poor fellow then awoke outside the cavern and made his way back to the fort. He was so horribly deformed by the disease that the rest of the Legionnaires didn't recognize him. It was only the uniform and equipment that allowed them to determine his identity. He died without ever answering any questions, just repeating the same story over and over. Raesa didn't know where Ilunibi was located, just somewhere on the coast near Gnaar Mok. She suggested that some of the locals might be willing to tell me how to find the place.

Gnaar Mok was a Hlaalu town, so no one was particularly happy to see me there. When I said I was looking for Ilunibi, that changed- people practically tripped over each other to give me directions. The place was a "sea-cavern" on the back side of a rock promontory called "Khartag Point." It was just to the north along the coast. The directions proved accurate, and I found myself standing outside reading the inscription, "Ilunibi, Carcass of the Saint." I wasn't sure what that meant, but doubted that it was anything good. Before I entered, I checked my equipment one more time and made sure I was completely healthy. And then, I did one more thing, a ritual I had learned from a Nord friend. I opened a packet of a bluish paste I had mixed from various plants and painted my face. With the first three fingers of my right hand, I made three vertical stripes down my right cheek. Three, for my name, "Trey," which also meant "three." One each for birth, life, and death. As the dye stained my face, I felt the fear drain away. I was myself; I was Trey; I might die, but I would not fail.

Upon entering the cavern, I was confronted with a steep drop to a pool which was fed by a waterfall on the east side of the chamber. Wanting to save my potions and spells for more serious needs, I climbed down the slippery rocks and waded south, deeper into the cave. The place was almost beautiful, except for the miasma of evil that permeated the air. Just before I reached a large cross-corridor, a half-naked Dunmer rushed at me, swinging a club. A well-placed arrow ended his mad charge and I worked my way to the southern end of the main passage. A dead adventurer sprawled near a large watch fire that had been built on a rock that rose out of the water. Although that was interesting, it was not what I sought, so I made my way back to the east-west passage. I debated which way to choose, then decided on east. East was the direction of the rising sun, of the new day, of rebirth- all things I fervently hoped to see. The Sixth House candles and markings became more numerous and I soon reached a door marked, "Tainted Marrow." Again, I wasn't sure what that meant, but it seemed like the sort of place where an evil priest might be found.
If the presence of vile minions was any indication, I had chosen correctly. When I reached the next intersection, I was set upon from three sides at once by an ash slave, an ash zombie, and a storm atronach. I easily felled the first two with arrows from a conjured Daedric longbow, but the elemental construct did a fair amount of damage with lightning spells before I was able to close with it and finish it with my sword. The desperation of my mission finally affected me- I was overcome with a kind of battle-madness and shouted into the echoing darkness, "Dagoth Gares! I have come for you. You had best commend your rotted soul to whatever gods you worship. For I am Death and I am here."

And then I must have given myself over to the rage, for I have no clear memory of what happened next. I remember going ever deeper into the maze of watery caves, slaying all I encountered with my sword. When I reached a doorway leading to the "Blackened Heart," I knew I was getting closer.

Again I passed through a labyrinth of corridors like a dark whirlwind, slaying opponents without pause or remorse, constantly seeking my final foe. At last, I came to a set of rough-hewn stone steps, flanked by Sixth House braziers instead of candles. Yet another door led to a section called "Soul's Rattle," and I began to doubt. As I fought off Daedra and ash slaves I thought that perhaps this place was simply an elaborate trap, designed to draw me in and weaken me, to disorient me so that I would never emerge. Perhaps there was no "Dagoth Gares," just the insane ramblings of a poor, diseased Legionnaire. As it happened, I was half-right- Ilunibi was a giant trap. As I rounded a bend, I was set upon by two more half-clad Dunmer dreamers. As I fought, a strangely raspy voice spoke from behind me. "The Sixth House greets you, Lord Nerevar. Or Trey, as you call yourself. I am known as Dagoth Gares, priest of Ilunibi shrine and minister to Sixth House servants. My Lord, Dagoth Ur, has informed me of your coming. I wish that this time you had come to honor your Lord's friendship, not to betray it."

Much as I hated having an opponent at my back, I had no choice but to defeat the dreamers in front of me before seeing who addressed me. As the last one fell, I turned to see a bizarre figure out of nightmare standing in the cavern. It was dressed as a man, with long, flowing robes, and stood as a man, on two legs. But the face- there was no face, just a fleshy protuberance that emerged where eyes and nose should have been. Again, the creature addressed me in that rasping, wheezy voice. "Lord Dagoth gives me these words to say, so that you may give them thought. 'Once we were friends and brothers, Lord Nerevar, in peace and in war. Yet beneath Red Mountain, you struck me down as I guarded the treasure you bound me by oath to defend. But, remembering our old friendship, I would forgive you, and raise you high in my service."

There was a great deal more, each lie more foul and grandiose than the last. Knowing that there is no compromise with evil, I replied, "This is my response to Dagoth Ur- you can deliver it when you see him next- in Oblivion."

And with that I stabbed straight for where the creature's heart should be. He fought back gamely, but adrenaline and rage guided my sword. Yet, as he died, a strange smile played across Dagoth Gares' face and he said, "Even as my Master wills, you shall come to him, in his flesh, and of his flesh."

With that, he blew his dying breath straight into my face and I found myself suddenly light-headed and dizzy. When the dizziness passed, I realized that, in my moment of triumph, Dagoth Gares had closed the trap. He had infected me with corprus.