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]

Almsivi Intervention brought me back to the Temple in Balmora. For several long moments, I simply stood there, unable to think of anything but my impending fate- that I would die a maddened, misshapen monster. And the end might come quickly- Raesa had said that the disease ran its course quite rapidly in the Legionnaire. Finally, a glimmer of an idea presented itself- Caius. The Blades agent collected all kinds of out-of-the-way information- it was his job. Perhaps he had heard of some way to slow or even cure the cycle of the disease. In any event, he had sent me into the trap, and he should witness the result his intrigues had wrought. If I had to suffer this death, then he would know, by all the gods, that I had done my duty. As I made my way through the town, it was clear that the signs of the disease were already visible- the common people shunned me and the guards threatened me. Whatever was to be done would have to be done soon.
When I reached the spymaster, his sense of duty nearly cost him his head. I almost broke down as I told him that I had been infected with corprus and hopefully awaited his response. I had come to depend on Caius far more than I had realized- if Athyn Sarethi was the father I had never known, Caius was the wise uncle who gave good advice.

But instead of a solution, he offered me knowledge I already possessed, that there was no known cure. And then, risking his very life, he asked me to report on my findings at Ilunibi! Whether it was my restraint or my weakness that saved him, I don't know. When I drew breath to scream my rage, there was simply nothing left. I had been through so much, so quickly, that even the anger I had come to depend on in place of resolve was absent. Numbly, I told him all I remembered of the caverns and the poisoned words of the creature that had called itself Dagoth Gares. And then I said, "Although it was not my intention, I have given my life in service to the Emperor. Please tell him that. And tell him that I hope he chokes on the message."

Just when I believed he could not surprise me any more, Caius did so. Compassion clear in his voice and eyes, he said, "It is not my intention that you give your life in service to the Emperor or anyone else. You are far too valuable to simply cast aside."

Apparently, he had been aware of the possibility that I might contract corprus in Ilunibi, and had put his considerable network of informants to work in search of a cure. There was a chance- not a certainty, but a chance- that he had found one. It seemed that Divayth Fyr, one of the ancient Telvanni wizards, ran a Corprusarium and had been researching the disease. He had been experimenting with various potions and combinations to develop a cure. Fyr also collected Dwemer artifacts, and that would be my passport to him. Caius gave me a Dwemer cohorer and 1000 drakes for expenses, then told me to get to Tel Fyr as quickly as possible. He recommended that I use the guild guide to reach Sadrith Mora and inquire for further directions at Wolverine Hall. When I expressed surprise that he possessed an illegal Dwemer artifact, Caius just laughed and said, "Yes, I know it's treason to trade in Dwemer artifacts, but don't worry about it. I'm a big-shot Imperial spymaster, remember?"

He also told me that he needed me to get myself cured, because he had a plan for getting the lost prophecies for Nibani Maesa. Although he said that last in gruff voice, I like to believe he genuinely cared what happened to me. Of course, if I didn't get cured, it wouldn't much matter how anybody felt about me.

Following Caius' advice, I teleported to Sadrith Mora and spoke to Sondryn Irathi in the Fighters Guild about how to reach Tel Fyr. She gave me detailed directions and asked me to leave as quickly as possible- she had no desire to catch corprus. As I was leaving, she added a last bit of advice- I had better have some means of Levitation- the Telvanni didn't believe in stairs. I exited Wolverine Hall into a cold, soaking rain. Somehow, the prospect of catching a cold didn't seem terribly daunting just at that moment. I knew how to cast Water Walking and had plenty of potions besides, so I turned southwest and set off among the many islands of the Azura's Coast region. If Divayth Fyr couldn't cure me, I had the consolation that the whole Sea of Ghosts was available to drown myself.

Although I had heard and read of the Telvanni and their organic "towers," nothing had prepared me for my first sight of Tel Fyr. It was a cross between a tree and an incredibly large mushroom, sprawling over and spiraling up from the island on which it grew. Bulbous shapes extended outward over a hundred feet in the air- rooms grown to suit the wizard's needs. Just as the resident wizard's power never stopped growing, so it was with his home. And the Telvanni could live for thousands of years. It was a sobering reminder that I would do well to step lightly around Divayth Fyr. Even if my life had not been on the line, an ill-conceived jest might prove that there were worse things than death for one who crossed a powerful wizard. As I stared at the weirdly-shaped tower looming above me in the rain, I thought about what would happen to me if there was no cure. My body would begin to grow twisted and malformed, and my mind would deteriorate along with it. Although I had imagined dying in a hundred different, heroic ways, that was not one of them. Such a death would have no dignity and, at that age, dignity seemed very important to me. Still worse, it was not even a "romantic" death, like wasting away from some fatal, but slow (and non-contagious) disease, as beautiful women wept quietly by my bedside. Still, I had resolved not so very long ago that I would not run from my fears. Although I couldn't fight this illness with a sword, I could still fight. At last, tired of the rain pooling in my boots, I entered Tel Fyr.

If anything, the interior of the "tower" that was Tel Fyr was stranger than the exterior. Roots and branches were hollowed out to serve as passageways; some "walls" had been intricately carved into lattice-like screens; and the whole place- moved. Because it was alive, Tel Fyr shifted with the sun and shook in the wind. Not only that, but I could hear the movement of the sap through the "veins" of the great tree. No wonder the Telvanni were peculiar- living like that would make anyone a little odd. Of course, I rather liked it, so I suppose I was already odd. A short distance from the entry was a small room where a Dunmer woman waited, almost as if she expected me. Even though it was extremely hard to judge the age of any elf, with this woman it was even more so. Her face appeared youthful, but there was something ancient in her eyes. As I entered the room, she spoke in a tone that was at once breathless and bored.

"Have you come to plunder the dungeon? Or do you have corprus? Or are you here to see Divayth Fyr? I'm Beyte Fyr. I'm the wife of Divayth Fyr. One of them. Sort of."

She rattled off the questions and statements one after another without pausing, then stopped and stared at me blankly. I probably stared back just as blankly- "plunder the dungeon? ...ONE of his wives? Sort of?" What had I gotten myself into? As had become my way even then, I answered questions with questions. If people think you're not terribly bright, they tend to speak slowly and clearly. And that can be useful. Particularly when you don't have the faintest idea what is going on. So first, true to my thiefly nature, I asked about plundering the dungeon- especially because Beyte almost seemed to expect that that was why I was there. She explained that Divayth Fyr had accumulated a large collection of "relics and artifacts." Then she added that he kept them in the Corprusarium and said, almost wistfully,
"We don't see many good thieves here. Just the stupid ones."