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]

Looks like both Grits and I decided the maintenance period was just the time for an update!

@Renee - the Spiny things sort of look like urchins with legs.

@Acadian - Clark does get to visit. He's following that quest line fairly closely, with a few minor variations, because Nocturnal needs to play it that way.

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Previously: Clark and Seryn arrived in Summerset. Clark got involved in a local quest, while Seryn headed for home.

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Coral Forest

When I arrived there, I could only find Valsirenn. She was reluctant to use magical means to locate the Kinlady and Aldarch, as she was sure they'd detect that. So we set off along the beach to look for them.

"There's more of those Yaghra here," Valsirenn remarked. Now I had a name for the sea creatures, but still no explanation of where they were coming from. The Sea Vipers and Salamanders belonged here on the shoreline, but Yaghra didn't. They appeared to be creatures from the depths, and I wished they'd stayed there.

And now I could hear the Kinlady's voice, exclaiming "Murder? I want no part of that, Aldarch! That wasn't part of the plan."

"You know nothing of the plan, you fool. Let me give you a taste of what the Prince of Bargains has in store for this pitiful world!"

We stepped around the rock to see Lady Avenisse running away from the Aldarch, and another of those glowing pearls. "I want nothing to do with Daedric Princes, either."

Valsirenn ran after her, leaving me to deal with Aldarch Tilcalar. He didn't look much like an Aldarch, his robes looked decidedly more cultist than priestly, and he was wielding an inferno staff. Naturally his first move was to summon more Yaghra to assist him.

They appeared between us, and much closer to him than me, blocking our view of each other. So my opening salvo was an area spell, covering his Yaghra and hopefuly Tilcalar himself. When the air cleared, I was surprised to find them all dead.

That worried me. If the Aldarch had really been Vile's agent, I would have expected a stronger opponent. But since he usually employed Barbas for that purpose, perhaps this one was more disposable.

Whatever the case, Valsirenn was beckoning me from the shore. I smashed the pearl that Tilcalar had used to summon the Yaghra, and went to talk to her. Razum-dar had apprehended the Kinlady, and Valsirenn was returning to Artaeum to brief the Ritemaster. I should follow her, after I'd spoken to the Eye of the Queen. For that, I'd need to be attuned to the portal, so she did that, before transporting herself back directly.

I thought about that afterward. Artaeum was "home" for her, so she could return the same way I did to Vivec City. I'd never even seen Artaeum, so I'd need a different way in. I hoped the wayshrine network extended there, as the location of the portal at the Keep of the Eleven Forces seemed a bit out of the way for regular use.

Raz was talking to Kinlady Avenisse a bit further inland, towards the wayshrine she was trying to reach, and which I presumed Raz had used to get here. His attitude softened a bit when I confirmed that the Aldarch was actually Clavicus Vile's agent, and that she hadn't known that until their meeting here at the shore. The Queen would still need to know, and Raz would leave the judgement to her. He'd told me before that he and Lady Avenisse had a history that might affect his own opinions, so that was perhaps best.

So I should go off to Artaeum, while he dealt with the Kinlady, and started to investigate the Daedric angle here in Summerset.

---

As I arrived at the Ceporah Tower on Artaeum, I heard Valsirenn talking to the Ritemaster. "And there was no sign of Leythen. I don't know whether to be grateful or concerned."

"We'll find him, Val. Now go check on the pearl while I speak to our new guest." he replied, and turned to me.

"What a rare honor Valsirenn bestowed upon you. Only a select few not of our order have ever walked upon this sacred island. Val tells me your aid was indispensable in uncovering the false Aldarch's plot on Summerset."

"We discovered that newcomers to Summerset were being murdered to power the abyssal pearls," I told him.

"Unfortunate, certainly. The magic you describe sounds familiar, though I can't quite recall where I've heard of it before. I fear the pearls may be a harbinger of the threat Sotha Sil warned us about."

So Nocturnal's warning to Seht did register with him. Enough for him to come here himself. That was a good sign.

If I wanted to help with investigation of the pearl, I'd need to go talk to Oriandra, who was in the Ritemaster's study in the tower. The others would start the ritual to extract the pearls' information.

Oriandra told me that Sotha Sil had made an elixir to help with the divination ritual, and sent me back down with it. When I arrived, Iachesis had me pour it into the pool beneath the floating pearl, while the other cast their divination spells.

We were rewarded with a vision of the late Tilcalar and two associates in conference. One of those looked familiar to me, and I noticed Valsirenn peering closely at the other. The conversation confirmed that the Court of Bedlam served the triad of Vile, Mephala, and Nocturnal, but revealed nothing of what they were planning, other than the next part taking place at Relenthil.

---

It was not a surprise that Valsirenn and I were on our way to Relenthil, but Razum-dar also made an appearance when we arrived. His investigations from the cultist side had brought him here to make inquiries with the local Canonreeve. We discovered that the man's own son was meeting with a group of other young Altmer in a sinkhole near town. Raz suspected this was the cult he was tracking and sent us to take a look at the sinkhole.
Sinkholes are common in limestone areas, as the rivers often flow underground, carving out systems of caves.
When the roof of a cave collapses, the sinkhole formed provides easier access to the cave system beneath, if the drop isn't too far. If you are really fortunate, there will be a ramp of dirt and boulders.

Just as we arrived at the top of the ramp, a glowing golden figure appeared, looking much like the golden knight I'd seen failing to arrive in Shimmerene. He didn't do much better this time, disappearing again before we could speak with him. I seemed to hear "Not yet" in the back of my mind.

An Altmer lass ran out of the hole just as the golden light faded, shouting something about being attacked. We didn't get the chance to ask her who, or what, as she was in too much of a hurry to get away.

The caves we entered at the bottom of the hole had been explored even before the sinkhole formed, and we came across several places where adventurers has stashed supplies for their explorations. The entrance didn't look safe, so Valsireen took some time to shore it up, as I pressed on into the caves. I soon came across Yaghra, along with evidence that the collapse had been downward as well as up to the surface, and they had got in from below.

Valsirenn caught up with me just before we found Eldhon, groaning that he'd been stabbed. It wasn't the Yaghra that did it, but Nedoril, the son of the Canonreeve, for being "unworthy". What was more, the wound was poisoned beyond my healing ability, or that of Valsireen, and we couldn't save him.

It just got worse after that. Around the next corner, we found ourselves overlooking a pit where more of those Abyssal Pearls were drawing in Yaghra, and Valsirenn spotted a Sea Sload on the ledge opposite. She told me a little of their history of hostility with the elves of Summerset, but we needed to deal with the current situation before she could tell me more. I went after the pearls, while she tried to get to the Sload.

By the time she reached the ledge, and I'd smashed all the pearls, the Sload was gone. We found an exit and went back into Relenthil to look for Razum-dar and tell him what we knew.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 27 2025, 03:56 PM