Trey in Mournhold, Chapter 9 Options

[canis216]

It is such an oppressive feeling within the Clockwork City, but perhaps Trey has finally reached the end of all that...

My thanks for another fine post.

[mplantinga]

I particularly enjoyed the depth you brought to both the imperfect and the fight with it. I never really thought about why it was called imperfect, but I think your description is quite compelling. As was your strategy in combat; once again emphasizing something the game itself lacked (locational damage), and doing it in a creative and exciting way.

I do worry a little about Trey; he seems to be suffering from an exhaustion that potions cannot heal. I hope he is able to overcome this during the remainder of his time in the clockwork city.

[Black Hand]

Bah! Trey shall overcome! Trey shall overcome all I say!

[jack cloudy]

Hmm, Imperfect. I guess we can be happy that only one of the things was still functioning. Imagine two of them aiming for Trey.

Gamewise, I don't really miss locational damage myself. I can't aim properly with spells or bows and when I get up close and personal, I'm more trying to circle around the target than trying to hit them in the head. Storywise though, locational damage is the way to go.

[Soulseeker3.0]

Of that post, your thoughts about the Imperfect were amazing, I never thought about it that way before... I just killed it asap before it could kill me ...

oh and the last paragraph was brilliant, please, keep it up

As the guardian glared at me with its red eyes and struggled to push up with its arms, I dispelled the magical bow and drew my longsword. Unconsciously mirroring the hallucination I had experienced in the throne room, I carefully moved behind the steaming, fallen giant. A quick leap carried me onto the centurion’s back and I gripped the sword with both hands, then plunged it straight into the metal body. The arms stiffened once more and then collapsed. The eyes grew dim and there was a final hiss of steam, a mechanical death-rattle, and the Imperfect was no more.

[The Metal Mallet]

Nicely detailed battle with the Imperfect Trey; a very compelling way to dispose of the mechanical giant.

Now all Trey has to do is step into the next room... This next update is going to be great!

[treydog]

A short installment this time- it is just that it has a natural stopping place. Enjoy.

With the titanic war machine out of the way, I could examine the door it had guarded. At first glance, it was no different than most of the other portals in the city, just a circle of metal decorated to look like a large gear. And then I saw the inscription: “Dome of Sotha Sil.” On the other side of this door, I would find the “god” of the Clockwork City, the architect of the horrible maze through which I had fought my way. I wondered what he would be like, this ancient wizard and inventor. Would he fly into a rage at my intrusion? Or would he instead be distant and absent-minded, lost in thoughts too deep and complex for mere mortals to grasp? The answers lay on the other side of that door, and I would have to pass through it to find them. But first I would prepare. I brought out those potions that would make me resistant to hostile magic and made sure that Trueflame would come free easily if I needed it. I still did not completely trust the ancient blade- I had not become comfortable with its odd shape. But I could not completely discount Almalexia’s statement that the sword was capable of killing even a god. With my preparations done, there could be no more delays. This was what I had come for- answers or combat, perhaps both. I opened the door and stepped into the Dome of Sotha Sil.

The inner sanctum of the most obscure member of the Tribunal was a huge dome, bare of any decoration, saving for the ubiquitous gears that appeared throughout his domain. They spun and clicked upon the curved roof, forever driving something beyond my comprehension. Perhaps they measured and regulated the very breathing of the universe; perhaps they kept time itself moving in an orderly fashion, one second following another into infinity. Or perhaps they did nothing at all, simply served as toys for the amusement of a god who had become obsessed with all things mechanical. As I scanned the dome, I noticed a massive tubular metal arch at the center of the room. Cables snaked downward from the arch and converged upon a slender figure who stood motionless on a raised platform. Apparently, this was by design- the cables were linked to attachment points on the armor that the figure wore. Despite the noise made by the cycling of the door, the person suspended from the cables did not move. I slowly edged closer, my heart pounding with anticipation and dread. I finally got close enough to see that I had found Sotha Sil and that he was quite dead.

Whoever or whatever had killed the master of the Clockwork City had been incredibly savage or frenzied- the corpse showed signs of violent magical attack, as well as gaping wounds from a blade. What was worse than the recent violence were the marks of what Sotha Sil had done to himself. His arms and legs were withered to the point of uselessness- if not for the cables attached to his metal vest and helm, he would have been unable to stand, let alone walk. It was clear that he had not left this spot for centuries, controlling everything in his realm with the power of his thoughts. He had turned himself into a creation of machinery and flesh, the obscene culmination of his work with the fabricants. I had wondered at the emptiness and neglect of the Clockwork City, had wondered if Sotha Sil had gone to a place where I could not follow. And now I knew that he had- despite his quest for immortality and perfection, he had passed through the gates of death. As I stood there, horrified by what Sotha Sil had become and what someone had done to him, two questions were foremost in my mind- who had murdered him- and where were they now? And then I heard the unmistakable sound of air displaced by teleportation magic behind me. I was no longer alone.

This post has been edited by treydog: Feb 3 2007, 09:20 PM

[jack cloudy]

Great addition adn as you've said, a good stopping point. I especially liked your description of Sotha Sil, very detailed.


Now about the ending. All I can say is, get those potions out because I'm quite sure that this will not go smoothly.

[Malpense the Dark]

Enter- our Lady of Madness! Seriously man your description of the Clockwork city has been really detailed and interesting. I remember playing Tribunal but I could never really get into it. I might have to go and play it now- you've made it far more interesting!

[The Metal Mallet]

I figured you were going to do this whole part in one shot but ohwell, as you said, it's a natural stopping place. Great description of Sotha Sil, makes me want to pity the "god".

I can't wait to witness this showdown!

[Soulseeker3.0]

Wow, i always had a sence of sorrow for Sothas Sil, I mean he loved the people, and wanted to make life better (i'm assuming) and then this happens to him.... but the way you described it, i felt more sad about the fact. brilliant piece Trey, I love it

[mplantinga]

It seems you have done an excellent job of making us feel sad for Sotha Sil, and rightly so. Your description implies a very pitiful state even before his undesired demise. I'm glad that Trey prepared for the worst before entering the room; he's going to need it.

[minque]

Even though I haven´t played Tribunal, I could easily see the scenery you described so vividly....now I didn´t expect Sotha Sil to be.....that!!! Brilliant work treydog.....as always. I´ll wait eagerly for the continuation


uhhh what a sight for Trey......brrrrrr

[treydog]

I turned at the sound, wondering what new peril confronted me. What I saw was perilous indeed, but far from new. The goddess Almalexia had teleported into the Dome of Sotha Sil and stood before me. It was Almalexia as I had never seen her before, wearing a Daedric mask that hid her features, but did nothing to conceal the madness in her eyes. The hilt of a sword stuck up over her shoulder, a hilt that looked disturbingly familiar- twin to the one that was strapped to my own back. For several long moments, she simply stared at me, breathing as if she had just run a great distance. At last, she shook her head and began to pace back and forth, casting piercing glances my way. Then she spoke and, as well as I can recall, these were her words:

“Nerevarine. Here it ends. This Clockwork City was to be your death. You were to be my greatest martyr!
The heroic Nerevarine, sacrificing all to protect Morrowind from the mad Sotha Sil. But you live! You live!”

Disbelief crept into her voice then, but she again shook her head, as if to send away an annoying thought.
Her eyes glowed with renewed madness and rage, and she continued:

“Fear not. I will tell the tale myself when this is done. I will tell my people how with your dying breath you proclaimed your devotion to me, the one true god. Your death will end this prophecy and unite my people again under one god, one faith, one rule by my divine law. The puppet king will lay down his arms and bow to my will. Those who do not yield will be destroyed.”

Her voice became shriller and more strident as she paced, driving her fist into the opposite palm to emphasize her words. With a visible effort, she regained control and spoke in a more conversational tone, relating fresh horrors as if describing the weather.

“The Mazed Band has allowed me to travel to this place. Here, I slew Sotha Sil. Here, I summoned the Fabricants to attack Mournhold. I will be the savior of my people! I alone will be their salvation! None may stand in my way. Not you, and certainly not Vivec. He is a poet, a fool. I will deal with him when I have finished with you. And Sotha Sil...he always thought himself our better, shunning us, locking himself in this hole. He spoke not a word as he died. Not a whisper. Even in death, he mocked me with his silence! But I think you will scream, mortal. For now, you face the one true god."

The last was an ear-piercing shriek of rage and she drew her hands back in preparation to casting a maleficent spell.

However, I had not been idle as she wove her plots and revealed the depths of her homicidal madness. Believing that I would be facing the great wizard, Sotha Sil, I had placed those potions that would protect me from hostile magic within easy reach. And as Almalexia paced and ranted, I was able to draw forth a few of those precious vials and ingest the contents. Thus it was that when her first wrathful spell washed over me, I was able to withstand its force. To be sure, I was hurt, but not unto death, as had clearly been her intent. Even as her magical fire licked around me, I downed the restorative I had palmed and recovered from the worst effects. The sight of me still standing, largely unhurt, seemed to push the goddess even further into unreasoning fury. With an inarticulate shriek, she ripped the sword from her back and rushed toward me.

Time seemed to slow, and I was able to take in every detail of that deadly blade, twin to the one Yagak had forged for me. The only difference was that my sword, Trueflame, burned with the yellow light of a thousand suns, while Almalexia’s sword burned the blue of a summer sky. This then, was Hopesfire, the ancient blade the goddess had carried before she had even become a goddess. But the history of the sword was of less significance than the fact that it was being swung at my head, and would be quite capable of finishing the job that Almalexia’s spell had started. Normally, when confronted with an opponent so obviously unhinged, I would have done my best to stay out of the way, letting her wear herself out. But, as I prepared to dodge aside, something peculiar happened.

I felt an alien presence, which seemed to coalesce from the very air around me and to enter my body, slipping it on like a cloak. For a moment, I watched from two sets of eyes- my own- and someone else’s. And I saw two scenes, overlaid one upon the other. I was simultaneously in the Dome of Sotha Sil and somewhere else- somewhere underground, with rough-hewn walls and the glow of molten rock making the shadows dance. In the Dome, I/we faced Almalexia; in the cavern, I/we faced not just the goddess, but two others, both golden-skinned and accoutered for battle. The three shouted, gestured, pleaded…. And then they drew weapons. Hopesfire burned in the Dome and in that place underground. Other weapons were wielded too- a short blade and a great hammer, which looked familiar, though I had never seen them before. Magicka crackled in that distant place, and I recognized that one of the slender figures in the vision was Sotha Sil, young and hale, with muscular limbs despite his dreamer’s face. And then, that place fell away, and I was back in the Dome, facing not three opponents, but one. I thought I saw a ghostly golden hand merge with my own pale flesh, and insistent muscles adjusted my grip on the hilt of Trueflame, taking a surer hold. And then I straightened, and raised my shield, and strode forward to meet Almalexia blade to blade.

An almost negligent twitch of Trueflame sent the goddess’ curved sword to one side, to crash into the metal floor in a shower of sparks. She hissed with rage as the shock went up her arms, but recovered quickly and drew back for another thunderous blow. But whoever controlled me did not wait. Like lightning, Trueflame lashed out- once, twice. At first, it seemed that the strokes had missed the goddess by a hair’s-breadth- but then, two wounds appeared along her ribs and began to bleed. It had been long years since Almalexia had felt the touch of a blade, and she recoiled, more from surprise than pain. Meanwhile, I returned to a guard position and watched her eyes to see when she would launch her next attack. Just as her eyelids flickered behind the mask, I raised my shield, not to block, but to smash into her face! As she reeled backward, Trueflame darted forward again, faster than my eye could follow. It found its mark in the goddess’ heart. She fell back, pulling the sword from my unresisting hands. As she collapsed, the madness left her eyes, to be replace by fear and…recognition? With her fall, that alien other who had inhabited me, guided me, slipped out again, swirling into the stale air of the Dome and away. And with the departure of that presence, I felt a tremendous weight leave my soul. I do not know whether it was the death of the mad goddess or something else, but the exhaustion that had plagued me since I came to Mournhold finally seemed to recede.

Even so, at first I simply stood there, empty-handed, waiting for the cataclysm that must surely follow the death of a deity. But there was nothing- nothing except the endless turning of the gears upon the ceiling. At last, I grew tired of waiting and drew out my amulet of Divine Intervention, planning to return to the Imperial Cult shrine in Mournhold. To my annoyance, the amulet refused to work. As I sent forth my magical senses, I could tell that no standard teleportation magic would work in this place. And yet, Almalexia had teleported me here, had teleported herself here not once, but twice. And then, with a guilty start, I recalled some of her words-

“The Mazed Band has allowed me to travel to this place.”

Yes, the Mazed Band, that I had obtained for Almalexia, that allowed her to travel to the Clockwork City, that allowed her to murder the helpless Sotha Sil. Having witnessed the madness of the goddess firsthand, seeing the marks of her fury upon the body of her one-time comrade, I understood that Sotha Sil had not just isolated himself in order to work on his machines. No- he had been hiding- and with good reason. So it was that I approached Almalexia’s body, and saw the Mazed Band upon her finger. I removed the ring and stared at her, thinking about the madness that seemed to inevitably follow power. She had once been a true leader and comfort to her people, a healer and protector. Let her be remembered so. I turned away from her, leaving Hopesfire and Trueflame burning together, votive candles of a martial cast to light her journey through eternity. And then I put on the Mazed Band and left that place of dead gods behind me for evermore.

This post has been edited by treydog: Feb 4 2007, 10:55 PM

[canis216]

A brilliant finish, and so very appropriate. The presence... very appropriate indeed. Bravo!

[The Metal Mallet]

Bye bye Trueflame! You did your job.

What an excellent battle Trey, it seems as though Nerevar himself provided some assistance, but it was well worth it. I definitely like the recollected memory. Maybe now it'll add some incentive for him to continue on his journey of becoming the Nerevarine.

I wonder how his goodbye to Mournhold will go...

[Soulseeker3.0]

its a shame that Trey left behind the True Flame and the Hopesfire.. two brilliant blades, but i can understand why he did it. Very nice Trey, loved the update.

MM: I was thinking Sothas Sil was giving Trey a hand (you know, a revenge for his death thing goin' on), but it being the Nerevar makes more sense.

[jack cloudy]

There's nothing I can add that hasn't been said already. So keep it up, ok?

[mplantinga]

Some very imaginative writing in this update. I was particularly intrigued by what I can only assume to be Nerevar's presence in this final battle. It is perhaps fitting, and perhaps necessary, that Trey had a bit of "outside" help in the defeat of a "god." I was also struck by Trey's abandonment of both Trueflame and Hopesfire; it seems they were too tainted by the souls of their owners and burdened with the past. Perhaps it is better that they be forgotten.

I do hope this doesn't mark the end of the adventures of Trey; he has long been one of my favorite characters, and the world of Elder Scrolls fanfics wouldn't be the same without him. Treydog, you once called me one of your "longest-suffering" fans. Truth be told, I have never suffered at all; I have enjoyed every single update, and am grateful that you put in the time to share your wonderful writing talents with us.

[minque]

I can´t but join Planty´s comment on this magnificent update....I must admit I had some slight hope that Lexie wouldn´t be that mad...but she was!

I also second the wish for "more Trey" Also for me the story of Trey has been a sheer delight to read...and it has also been my greatest inspiration..so if it hadn´t been for Trey there hadn´t been no Serene!

Please Sir, could we have some more?