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.


---

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.

---

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, @Grits - Yes, Jakarn and Isobel play nicely off each other. I couldn't resist the contrast.

-----

Previously: Seryn and Isobel have started to do something about buying Hunding's Palatial Hall.

-----

Spearhead 2

We went looking for Neramo next, as he was nearest. We found him camped near the Dwemer ruin of Bthzark.

Neramo had ascertained that there were a pair of crystals outside Bthzark, that could prove useful for getting inside. The problem was all the wolves and assassin beetles prowling around them. He needed help retrieving them, and that could be Isobel and myself. He could reach the entrance, if they were distracted by us going for the crystals, too.

So we did that, and found out what he had in mind. The crystals were the components he needed to restore a Dwemer spider, that he could control enough to get it to open the door for us. Once inside he handed the control rod to me, and asked us to get the construct to restart the generators, so the inner door could be opened. Of course there would be other hazards to deal with, like hostile constructs, but they shouldn't hamper his spider, as they'd see it as one of their own. It was a pity the control rod had such a short range, or we wouldn't have to go with it.

Dwemer spiders aren't the nastiest of the automata, and Izzie and I had dealt with enough of them doing Undaunted quests to know how to handle them. We soon met up with Neramo again in front of the door to the inner part of the ruin. There was a chest on a pedestal in the chamber beyond the door, and enough evidence for Neramo to decide that the schematics he was looking for had once been in it. "They must have taken deeper into the complex," he decided. "Keep looking, while I try to find any clues to where they might have been moved to."

We had a choice of two doors out of the chamber, well three if you counted the one we came in. We considered taking one each, but there was no guarantee we'd be able to find each other again if we did. Arbitrarily taking the right-hand one put us on a bridge with steam and spark traps blocking our way. Those are just a matter of timing. Once you know how often they fire, you just pass while they don't, and you're good. It did take a good bit of time, but eventually we were on the other side.

The chamber we entered had another door leading out to the other bridge, the one we didn't take. Dwemer spiders were swarming all over that, more than enough to be a real nuisance. I decided we'd made the right choice of bridge.

Inside, we crossed a pit to an area where a Dwemer Sphere was guarding something, on a pedestal behind it. I couldn't see what it was from where I was standing, but once we got close enough for it to notice us, and attack, it looked like it might be the schematics.

The sphere was tough. It didn't deal a lot of damage, but it could take a lot. Isobel and I were pounding on it for ages before it went down, and then nearly got caught by a spider coming from near the exit. At least we got those schematics, but where was Neramo?

We found him waiting for us just outside the door. He took a look at the drawings, and confirmed they were the ones he wanted.

"So that means you're free to help Kaleen?" I asked.

"I hear she's headed for Betnikh next, and there are ruins there that I'd like to investigate. I'm in your debt, so I'd be glad to assist."

He offered us a portal back to town, but we were headed off in the other direction, towards Saintsport, to try and find Crafty Lerisa, and any of her crew that remained.

---

One of her crew found us. As we approached the wayshrine outside Saintsport, an Altmer named Telonil begged our help in rescuing the rest of them. The Sea Drakes had caused the Maiden's Breath to wreck off the coast, and the surviving crew had been captured. Only Lerisa and himself had escaped, and the Captain was hiding somewhere in town, looking for a way to release the others. He told us to look for Howler, the Captain's pet monkey, who would lead us to her.

"How's the monkey going to know we're not Sea Drakes?" I asked.

"Because you're not wearing the uniform," he replied.

Once we got into Saintsport, I could see what he meant. Everyone was dressed in the same armour, no matter if they carried a bow, a staff, a battleaxe, or sword and shield. The monkey wasn't, and fortunately, there was only one monkey.

We followed him, with a few skirmishes along the way, to a partly ruined building on the other side of the town square. It wasn't the only damaged-looking building. Most of them seemed to have walls broken, parts of the roof missing, or the doors torn off. The place had been thoroughly sacked at some point not too long ago.

We followed the monkey out the back of the building, and turned to find Lerisa behind us. She told us where to find the crew members she'd located so far, and suggested we take uniforms from the hamper so we'd fit in. "Or off dead Sea Drakes, which would be even better." Meanwhile, she was going to find a way to rescue Deregor, her First Mate, who was locked up on Captain Helane's ship.

We did take some disguises for the crew we were rescuing, but we hadn't seen more than two pirates together on our way in, so the sneaky approach didn't seem worth considering. Besides, Lerisa's crew would know we weren't Sea Drakes, and that might make it easier to release them.

---

With the three men on their way out of town, we headed for the beach near Helane's ship, where we'd agreed to meet Lerisa. A large fern suddenly became Lerisa as we approached. "Neat trick, huh?"

She'd got a key from the cabin girl, who she suspected was a slave, and sent her off to Port Hunding in disguise. Now she was going to settle the score with Helane, while we released Deregor from the hold.

---

With Deregor on his way to freedom, we dropped in to the Captain's cabin to see how Lerisa was doing. We found Helane with her Bosmer cabin girl.

"Wait, you're not ... did you poison me?" asked Helane, slumping to the floor.

The Bosmer cabin girl now looked rather different, exactly like Lerisa, if you asked me. And not like a fern at all.

Lerisa explained that she had indeed poisoned Helane, using one of her own poisons. Jarrin root was particularly nasty, as it killed slowly, and you were in pain for most of the time. Nobody used it, except for people like Helane.

We left Helane to her fate, and all met up on the beach outside Saintsport. With her own ship in pieces, Lerisa would gladly join Kaleen in her heist, in return for passage off of Stros M'kai. She could use the gold, too, if she was to raise enough to buy another ship to replace the Maidens Breath.

---

Back at Port Hunding, Kaleen laid out her plan. We'd be stealing Bhosek's shipping logs. They would be solid proof that he'd continued raiding Breton cargoes in defiance of the King's decree, and they'd get a substantial reward for turning them in to the King's representative at the docks. "Every illicit cargo, every bribe to Bhosek, will be in those logs. You can count on it."

The logs were kept in a lockbox at Bhosek's palace. The key to the lockbox was on a chain around Bhosek's neck. I'd need to get into the palace, get the key, and take the logs from the box. And there was a guard on the box that I'd have to deal with, too.

Neramo had a device that could disable the guard. It was an adaptation of the control rod we'd used in Bthzark, and it should cause a short-term paralysis. "Let me know if there are any convulsions, or other side-effects."

Jakarn could arrange for Bhosek's key to be available. He had contacts in the right places.

Lerisa could get me the right disguise for the job.

I told Isobel to wait with the others while I did this. It wasn't a combat job, after all, and I was going to be doing a theft, that she might not approve.

---

Lerisa met me outside Bhosek's palace, wearing a servant's uniform. I noticed several others wearing the same thing, and was not surprised when she handed one to me. I was told to ask Hulya where to find Bhosek, so I did so, and she pointed me out to the courtyard at the back. Jakarn was waiting out there, looking down on a sleeping Headman. "Headman Bhosek is sleeping off the attentions of these two delightful young ladies. I'm sure he won't be needing this key for a while."

I took the key and went back into the palace. On the upper floor there was a large Nord, obviously guarding something. I could see a box on the table behind him, as well as a few other items that could also have been valuable. I pointed Neramo's device at him, and pressed the button on the handle. The Nord fell down and twitched a bit, unable to move. I unlocked the box with the key, took out the papers inside, and strolled down the other stairs.

Once outside, I took off the servant uniform and headed for the docks. The others were going to meet me on board the Spearhead, but Kaleen was waiting at the foot of the ramp, talking to another Redguard in a shiny suit of armour. I handed her the papers, and she checked them and smiled.

"Here you are, Tharwab, the logs I was telling you about. Proof that Bhosek has been defying the King's decree."

Tharwab took the papers, perused them briefly, and nodded. Kaleen and I walked up the ramp onto the Spearhead.

As well as Lerisa's crew members we'd rescued from Saintsport, and Lambur and Nicolene, who we met at the start, there were several other familiar faces on board. Irien was there, avoiding Jakarn, but apparently getting passage off the island anyway. The Redguard girl from the Screaming Mermaid, who wasn't avoiding Jakarn. And were those two ladies the ones from the palace courtyard?

Neramo introduced us to Vimy Lecroix, a frequent collaborator, who had been on her way to help with Bthzark, but got delayed, and we'd done it all before she arrived. She and Neramo had plans for Betnikh, and they were travelling together this time.

Some of the sailors had apparently remained on the vessel all the time, and I hadn't met them before. Only a few, and not enough to work a ship of this size on their own. But with Lerisa's men, it was a different matter.
Kaleen asked Isobel and I if we were going to Betnikh with them.

"Is there a wayshrine there? If there is, we can always come back." Izzie reasoned.

"Several," Lambur replied. "All built after I left, or I'd have been back before now. I miss my clan."

"Then let's go," I agreed. "It's always good to find new places."

This post has been edited by ghastley: May 26 2025, 06:55 PM