Kothet's Story, A dremora in Skyrim, and his housecarl. Options

[ghastley]

Acadian: I'm not sure I'd actually call the map of Blackreach a map. You can't find anything on it.

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Previously: Kothet and Zahra had gone down to Blackreach, looking for the Tower of Mzark.

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27 - Learning

Nothing else happened. We'd have to push the buttons, and find out what they did. I pushed the first(?) one. The one nearest to the lexicon pedestal, anyway. I had no idea what order the buttons needed pushing, or even if I had to push more than once. The large spherical part in the middle rotated when I did that, but nothing gave me any clue what to do next. Was this a better position for the sphere, or worse?

The second button did much the same as the first, except that the sphere rotated in a different direction. I decided at this point to look around the rest of the room, in case there was a book or note with instructions. I found instead the skeleton of someone who'd died trying to work the device. His notes just left me thinking it might be impossible.

He did write that more of the buttons became usable if the sphere was in the right position, whatever that was. I pushed the first two a couple more times, at random, to see what happened, and the third button did uncover, and light up. The lexicon cube also opened up and glowed.

"Ok, leave the first two alone now," I thought, maybe out loud in case Zahra decided to help. I pressed the third one, and the sphere didn't move, but the apparatus above it re-arranged itself a bit. I pressed it again, and got a new arrangement, this time more symmetrical. The light from above now flowed through the lenses, and it appeared that the lexicon was doing ... something.

The final button was also now opened, so I pressed that, and a container moved down into the centre of the apparatus, and then opened, revealing the scroll we had come for!

I went down to take the scroll, and indicated to Zahra that she should pick up the cube, as we needed to take both back to Septimus. When I had the scroll, I looked back to see that Zahra was frozen with her hand on the cube, and light was swirling around her and the pedestal. And then it stopped, and the cube closed and she took it.

I asked what she'd experienced, and she was unaware of anything. "I just picked up the cube, like you asked," she told me. "But I do have this feeling that I learned something. I'm just not sure what it was."

That was exactly what had happened to me in Avanchnzel, when I put back the lexicon there. In my case, it had been a lesson on smithing (dwarven, of course). Just what I needed at the time, as it happened. I hoped that Zahra had just learned something useful.

---

We left Blackreach through another lift in this tower, and found ourselves at a campsite somewhere in the mountains. It wasn't clear where we were, but following the path down the hillside eventually took us into familar territory, near Fort Dunstad. Now we had to trek back to the north, and Septimus' hideout again.

On the way, Zahra and I discussed the lexicon, and the way it absorbed and dispensed knowledge. Septimus had given us a cube he described as empty, and asked us to fill it with the knowledge from Mzark,. That meant that whatever it had taught her came from the contraption at the tower, and was presumably part of what Septimus wanted to know. However, she couldn't tell me anything new about opening boxes, and thought it was probably something related to spellcasting. "I think I'm using my spells more efficiently now, so perhaps it will just let Septimus do whatever he's doing better."

---

Septimus told us he didn't need the scroll itself. "The knowledge is inscribed in the cube now. Give me that, and I can read it."

I didn't see how he could do that, without one of the Dwemer pedestals, but Septimus revealed that he had help. Hermaeus Mora was guiding him, and was helping him with this task. The Daedric Prince also wanted the contents of the Dwemer lock-box, or at least the facts about what was in there. And the cube had revealed that it will take the mixed blood of each of the elven races to open the cube. Well, Dwemer blood alone would have worked, but you can't get that any more. The mixture would have all the parts that had been lost with the Dwemer, and would be an adequate facsimile.

He gave me an "extractor" to collect the blood. It appeared to have separate containers for each race, connected together by an apparatus that presumably sorted what it received. Having quickly instructed me on how to use it, he urged me back out to continue the work.

We were stopped by something that materialised in the passage. A blob of writhing tentacles, and eyeballs and a voice from elsewhere. Hermaeus Mora was speaking to me, telling me that he'd chosen me to replace Septimus as his agent in this realm. As soon as the box was open, he'd no longer be of use.

I heard him out, and agreed to what he demanded. After all, I couldn't get out of the cave until I did so, and from what I knew of Mora, he'd just take the facts he gathered back to Apocrypha, and file them away. He rarely did anything disruptive, but just poked his nose (tentacles, eyeballs?) into everything, and generally got in the way. Mortals, however, would have a harder time, as he considered them expendable, and if they got in the way of his quest for ever more facts, they'd probably get killed.

I decided that I should forget Septimus' request for now. Filling his extractor would only hasten his demise, if Mora had already decided he didn't need him any more. And using the scroll was much more important to me.

---

"Are we headed back to Paarthurnax now?" Zahra asked.

"Not immediately. I want to go back to Riften, first. There's a loose end there to clear up."

When From-Deepest-Fathoms had given me the lexicon to return to Avanchnzel, she'd implied that returning it would fix her problems, but I was beginning to doubt that. I now had a better idea of what the cubes and their pedestals did, and a little more would be needed.

"Have you been to Avanchnzel yet?" she asked me as soon as she saw me. "You must take the lexicon back, so these voices in my head will stop."

"I did take it back, but you need to return there yourself, if you want the memories to go away."

"No! I can't! That thing will kill me, like it killed Breya."

"I destroyed it. It won't kill anyone. And we can go in the back way, so you don't have to pass all the traps that killed Searches-the Roots."

"But why do I have to go back?"

"Because you didn't finish what you started. The lexicon was trying to teach you something, but you didn't give it enough time. The voices or memories are an incomplete lesson that doesn't make any sense. That's going to leave your mind confused, trying to sort out what you learned with half of it missing."

She didn't seem convinced, but was desperate enough to try anything. We led her out of town and back to the ruin.

"I thought you said we were going in the back way. This is the entrance we used the first time."

"It is, but we'll take a different turn at the first hallway."

Soon she brightened up. "This is the way I came out, but I went out that door over there."

"So you know that the other door takes us to the lift. We'll be right back at the pedestal with the lexicon when we get off at the bottom."

She hung behind us as we entered the room and walked down the steps. "Is it dead?" she asked, pointing at the centurion.

"Broken, incapacitated, destroyed, but it was never alive, so ..."

"Breya's dead, though. I thought I would be, too. I should have helped her fight that thing. Maybe together, we'd have been able to kill it."

"I doubt it. I barely managed myself, with much better armour and weapons. But don't concern yourself with what might have been, we're here for the lesson." I took her hand and placed it on the cube.

She froze, just like Zahra had done, while the knowledge flowed from the cube or the pedestal to her. And maybe something flowed the other way, too.

"Strange," she said when the light stopped swirling. "I learned how to use my bow better, but also how to safely harvest Harrada in Dagon's Deadlands. What use is that to me?"

"You might also find it in Cyrodiil. There were a few growing around the old gates there, and I've collected some myself." I realised that the information had come from me, the last time I was here. The cube had collected the new information, and wanted to pass it on.

"And the voices in your head?" I continued.

"Gone! And I understand what they were trying to tell me, now. The little pieces that wouldn't fit, now they do. But I have nothing to give you for what you've done for me."

"Perhaps you do," Zahra told her. "Kothet, you and I should see what the lexicon learned from her."

We took turns using the cube. If I had a tail like an Argonian, I'd now be able to swim much faster. And maybe my alchemy would be better, too. I hadn't known how many useful potions you could make from fish.

[Acadian]

I was curiously awaiting Kothet’s encounter with Mora. I think it makes sense that he considers the slimeball with eyes to be relatively harmless. After all, compared to Daddy Dagon just about everyone’s harmless!

Brilliant tangent to close business with Fathoms! Ever so much more clever and fulfilling than the vanilla treatment of her lexicon problem. And Kothet even learned how to use his tail to swim better. . . oh, wait.

[Renee]

Whoa, Sinderion makes it to Skyrim in the 4th Era? Wow... I had no idea.

When the woman emerged victorious, she decided to turn on us, even before we'd hailed her. Not a very bright decision.

Yeah, that's not very bright at all. I love that part at the end of Learning. All those useless things they learn.

This post has been edited by Renee: Jan 31 2017, 07:33 PM

[ghastley]

Acadian: I haven't yet decided if he'll encounter Mora again, but he may visit Sheogorath.

Renee: Yes, Sinderion is there, but he's a long-dead skeleton.

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Previously: Kothet learned to swim properly.

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28 - Throat of the World

"You have it! The kell - the Elder Scroll. You must read it at the Time Wound, and perhaps it will take you back in time to when the joor - the mortals - used Dragonrend against Alduin."

Parrthurnax landed on the ruined wall at the Throat of the world and gestured towards the swirling vortex next to it. This was the Time wound - Tiid-Ahraan - caused by the first use of the scroll.

"But can I learn that shout? You told me you could not know it because you were immortal, and the shout would be incomprehensible to you. I'm immortal, too, so won't I have the same problem?"

"Krosis, I was not clear. It is not just the immortality that's the issue, it's being a dragon. While you are dragonborn, and share some of our thought processes, we are not the same. The shout will make it hard for Alduin to fly, and he is invulnerable in flight. You do not fly, so it will not harm you in that way. And there are many more differences, that I cannot comprehend, but you will."

"Are you certain this is the right scroll?"

"See how the Time-Wound reacts to its presence? That is all the proof you need."

I was still apprehensive. That's not a very Dremora frame of mind. We're usually decisive, to the point of foolhardiness, but I wasn't just doing this for myself, or because I had orders to do it. A lot of others were counting on me to do the right thing. An entire world of others, if Esbern was right about Alduin and the end-times.

But I also saw no alternative. I had to do this, and see what consequences there were. Paarthurnax reminded me that Alduin would also be able to sense the presence of the Elder Scroll at the Time Wound, and was probably already on his way.

---

I had intended to ask about the risk of going blind from reading an Elder Scroll, but that opportunity was lost. I could easily understand how it happens, as the vision I had of the three Nord heroes battling with Alduin was so vivid and clear that it replaced anything my eyes were gathering.

I saw Alduin being forced to land by the Shout, but he was still a formidable foe, even without his invulnerability. Hakon was unable to make any impression with his battle axe, and Gormlaith was bitten, shaken, and tossed aside. Finally Felldir produced the scroll, and used it to send Alduin forward in time, to this era. Making him my problem, instead of theirs. Thank you, Nords!

But I had heard them use the Dragonrend shout. Now I knew the words, Joor Zah Frul, and somehow had enough understanding of them, perhaps because it was a mortal-created shout, that I needed no dragon knowledge to use it.

---

My vision did clear again, and not a moment too soon, as I could see the black shape of Alduin approach. He addressed me as "mortal" - clearly not knowing the difference between a Dremora and the men and mer he'd fought before.

"Die now, and await your fate in Sovngarde" Clearly he was assuming I was a Nord.

Paarthurnax interrupted and took to flight himself. "Lost funt. You are too late, Alduin! Dovahkiin! Use Dragonrend, if you know it!"

I needed no prompting. I shouted it at Alduin, who still managed to circle the summit once before crashing to the ground in front of me. I attacked with my war-hammer, beating aside his attempts to bite, so he summoned a shower of metors instead.

That was threatening Zahra, too, so I quickly used "Clear Skies" to stop it, then switched back to Dragonrend to keep Alduin grounded. Paarthurnax and Zahra were contributing their fire, but I don't believe they were having much effect on him. Perhaps he resisted fire like I do.

My war-hammer, however, was having an effect, and enraging the big black dragon beyond rationality. He should have been retreating, and using more of his magical powers, but he wanted to make this personal, and beat at me with his wings, and tried to bite.

Just when I thought I had him, however, it seems the rules changed. "Meyz mul, Dovahkiin. You have become strong. But I am Al-du-in, Firstborn of Akatosh! Mulaagi zok lot! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you... mortal!"

Still he was calling me mortal. But it appeared he was right about my inability to finish him here on the mountain. Even with Dragonrend, I couldn't prevent him from flying off. And like the mortals with whom he was confusing me, I couldn't fly after him.

---

"Now what? Where did he go?"

Paarthurnax didn't know, but he did have an idea. Alduin had many minions among the dragons who might know where he'd flee, and if I could only capture one, maybe I could extract that information.

So of course I needed to know how to capture a dragon. Had that ever been done before?

"Yes," Paarthurnax told me, "the palace at Whiterun was built to hold a captive Dovah. Ask the Jarl, and he'll tell you." He went on to reminisce about the sad plight of his captive fellow dragon. "He couldn't even remember his own name," he told me.

---

Jarl Balgruuf was, to say the least, incredulous. "You want me to trap a dragon in my palace? In the middle of a civil war, when all either side wants is to find me distracted? Think again."

"So what if there was a truce in the civil war? If I can convince both sides that Alduin is a greater threat, they might hold off until that is dealt with."

"Best of luck with that. And don't suggest that this would be a good place for peace talks. Both sides think I'm their enemy."

"Actually, I'm hoping that the Greybeards would agree to be the hosts. Both sides respect them, and neither feels threathened by them."

Jarl Balgruuf raised one eyebrow, but didn't contradict me. He'd believe it when it happened.

---

Of course, Arngeir was appalled at the idea of the belligerants meeting at High Hrothgar, but he could see the logic in my request. This was the only place in Skyrim where it could happen. He didn't believe it was possible, though. Neither Ulfric Stormcloak nor General Tullius would possibly agree to it.

Telling each of them that the other would be there, and not showing would be a sign of weakness, got me what I wanted. Now it was just(!) a case of steering the negotiations in the right direction.

A couple of things helped: First, Elenwen decided to come along to ensure that nothing agreed would contravene the White Gold Concordat. That ensured that there would be an argument over her presence, which I could turn to my advantage. Second: I'd read her dossier on Ulfric, and knew some things about him that he thought were secret.

After I'd permitted Elenwen to stay, which Tullius regarded as a point in his favour, Ulfric demanded control of Markarth as a minimum condition for his agreeing to a ceasefire. I noted that he asked for "Markarth" and not "The Reach" even though that was what he meant. I sent Zahra over to tell Ulfric that I'd try and limit Tullius' conter-demands, and went over to confer with the General.

I knew that Ulfric's need for control of Markarth went well beyond the strategic. He wasn't thinking rationally in that respect, although if he could actually control the Reach, he'd have isolated Haafingar, and effectively would have the hold under siege. In practice, the Forsworn would become his problem, and he'd also have to supply Markarth from the opposite coast, so his grip would be weak.

I told Tullius "Ulfric will be expecting you to ask for Riften in exchange, and I know that Maven Black-Briar effectively runs that hold already. So you'd actually be better off with Dawnstar and the Pale, as a replacement supply route to Haafingar from Cyrodiil. Demand Riften, and let me talk you 'down' to accepting a minor hold, and some non-territorial consideration. He'll think he has the better deal, and won't push his luck further."

"That leaves both sides reliant on a neutral Whiterun as a supply corridor," Tulius noted. "The legion needs it South to North, and the rebels East to West. So we'd both defend it from the other side. I suppose that's your angle, as Thane of Whiterun?"

"It's part of it. My main purpose remains the situation with Alduin, of course."

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jul 31 2019, 07:34 PM

[Acadian]

That was funny when Alduin taunted about sending the ‘mortal’ Kothet to Sovngarde! Silly dwagon.

I guess bouncing Alduin into the future again was out of the question.

Kothet the diplomat!

[ghastley]

Acadian: Kothet is not a mortal, so he'd be there the next time, too.

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Previously: Kothet had persuaded Ulfric and Tullius to negotiate a temporary truce at High Hrothgar, and was steering the terms to make the war harder to restart, and to give both sides a reason to protect Whiterun.

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29 - Trapper

And that's about the way it worked out. Ulfric was still reluctant to sign, but fortunately Esbern spoke up and reminded everyone of the greater threat. He also had the answer to a problem that had been worrying me: how to get a dragon to come to Whiterun and be captured.

"Every dragon's name is made up of three words of power. It's a Shout, that the Dragonborn can use to get its attention. It won't be compelled to come, but it should be enough of a challenge for it to want to investigate. And I've found, in the Akaviri archives, the name of at least one dragon whose burial site we can identify. Since that burial mound is now empty, it's one that Alduin has raised."

"The name is Od-Ah-Viing, which means something like 'Winged Snow Hunter' in the dragon tongue. Call that name from Whiterun, and I'm sure the dragon will appear."

Jarl Balgruuf nodded to Arngeir, who took the opportunity to firm up the terms of the treaty. Arrangements were made for the displaced Jarls to move to Windhelm and Solitude, and new ones were agreed to replace them. Elenwen had to agree to move her agents out of Markarth, so it was a good thing we had her stay.

---

Of course, Balgruuf wanted to know how I proposed to subdue the dragon once I'd called it. I told him about dragonrend, and how that would force the dragon to land. It was then just a matter of luring it into the trap that was already built in to the palace. The balcony was small, and there wasn't anywhere else it could go, so I had confidence of doing that.

Back in Whiterun, he issued orders that just he and I, and a few guards that had volunteered to operate the trap, would be allowed on the balcony. Not even his housecarl would be with us, although it was clear that she was chafing at the restriction. I was impressed that Balgruuf was doing this himself, and not delegating the responsibility.

---

We only lost one guard in the process. He'd foolishly run out with his bow to take on the dragon when it appeared, despite being told to stay back and leave it all to me. The whole point was to make this a one-on-one battle between the dragon and myself, so I'd have his complete attention. Once I had him grounded, I backed up into the building and he followed.

The Jarl gave the order at the right time, and the yoke descended onto the unsuspecting dragon's neck, and locked around it.

"You've gone to a lot of effort to put me in this humiliating position," he told me. "What is it you want of me?"

I asked him if he knew where Alduin had gone, after our battle at the Throat of the World. He'd heard about that, and had started to wonder if Alduin really was as powerful as he'd presented himself.

"He has gone to Sovngarde, where he feasts on the fallen Nords to restore his power. It is his privilege, which he guards jealously, as the source of his ascendency over the rest of us. The portal is at the temple of Skuldhavn, which can only be reached by flying. Can you fly?"

I could see his point. Unless I set him free again, and he flew me to Skuldhavn, the knowledge itself was useless. We haggled a bit more, and I agreed. I needed a little more from him, in particular his neutrality at least in any further conflict.

So now I had a means to reach Skuldhavn, and presumably Sovngrade from there, but Odahviing could only carry me. What about Zahra?

"Summon me when you get there. It's less unpleasant than not being there, and worrying about what might be happening without me. As your housecarl, I'm supposed to be with you."

Balgruuf said nothing, although I noticed that Irileth had joined him as soon as the trap had been sprung. And now I was opening it again, and he wasn't sending her away.

---

"This is as far as I can take you. Krif voth ahkrin. I will look for your return, or Alduin's."

I summoned Zahra immediately, and as soon as she appeared, she was hurling fireballs at the draugr archers guarding the entrance. They were soon joined by a dragon, which I brought down with dragonrend, and a number of sword-wielding wights. I needed to stop and heal before moving on.

Around the first corner there was another dragon, and more draugr, but now we had space to back up and draw them to us. Zahra could stand back out of their range, and pick off the stragglers, and it wasn't quite the frantic scrabble it had been at the beginning. I looked around the walls looming over us and planned our approach.

As soon as we could, we went up a level, and started to clear the walls. I didn't want any of the draugr getting behind us. We picked up a few helpful potions from chests, and managed not to use them all right away!

It appeared that the portal we were looking for was on the other side of the Temple, which may have been built through the tops of the mountains. There was certainly no sign of it from here.

---

It was about half-way through that temple that I started thinking: how did this all get here? Having time to think about things like that in the middle of battle can be a good sign, because it means that the fight has become routine, and the enemies aren't demanding my full attention. On the other hand, I'm also more likely to be interrupted by something I wasn't expecting, because my attention isn't focused as it should be.

But this was relevant to the task: it would give me some clue as to what was ahead. I was fighting draugr, the remains of men who clearly hadn't flown up here on their own. Had they been here since the Dragon Wars, just waiting for someone to visit? And who had built this temple? It wasn't something dragons did, and the style was definitely Nordic.

One possibility was that it wasn't as isolated in the past. Even mountains fell occasionally, and the path to get here may have been destroyed long ago. And if there was a portal to Sovngarde at the other end of all this, maybe some of these draugr were the ones who couldn't get in, and had to turn back.

---

I had more time to think now. What lay before me wasn't more draugr, but another of their puzzle gates. They usually left the key for anyone with an active mind to read, as they were there to separate the thinking from the unthinking. Yes, there above me were the symbols I needed. Except that there were four of them, and only three pillars to turn.

But there were also two gates to open. The two pillars nearest their clues stayed set, while I turned the third pillar first to one setting, opening one gate that led nowhere, and then the other, which opened the path forward. I ignored the chest behind the first gate, as I had no need to carry anything more.

Because I was in a thinking mood, I also recalled that these sorts of puzzles usually separated the parts where the enemies were numerous, but low-level, from the parts where they were fewer, but more dangerous. I shared that with Zahra, although I suspected she'd had the same thought herself.

As we progressed, I also started to notice a couple of things about our opponents. First, that a significant number of them knew how to Shout. More than the proportion of the living Nords, certainly. Perhaps that was because they'd lived in a time when the dragons were more numerous, and there was more opportunity to learn them. Although the Greybeards had told me it takes a long time meditating on the words of power, it appeared that some were easier to learn than others. Unrelenting Force, the first one I'd learned, was common knowledge among the draugr, and quite a few also knew at least the first word of Disarm.

The second insight was that the draugr exhibited little or no coordination as a fighting force. Each one attacked as soon as it saw us, usually targeting whoever was nearest. They also tended to do stupid things like trying to Disarm Zahra, who was only using spells. It didn't work on me, either, as I'd grown too strong for that, but at least it made sense to try, when the War-hammer I carried was doing so much damage.

Perhaps some of this was because they were all officers, wearing the horned helms that appeared to be a badge of rank. If the noises they made were language, perhaps they were all issuing orders and there was nobody of lesser rank to obey?

This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 13 2017, 09:34 PM

[Renee]

He addressed me as "mortal" - clearly not knowing the difference between a Dremora and the men and mer he'd fought before.

"Die now, and await your fate in Sovngarde" Clearly he was assuming I was a Nord.

Awesome seeing how you get around the game's limitations like this.

That is funny too, those draugr trying to disarm an opponent who doesn't use weapons.

Kothet the diplomat!

Kothet the strategist, as well.

This post has been edited by Renee: Feb 13 2017, 04:09 PM

[Acadian]

It is great fun to read of the mid/latter stages of the MQ since I never did that.

’They also tended to do stupid things like trying to Disarm Zahra, who was only using spells.’ - - I used to love it when draugr wasted their time trying to disarm a mystic bow.

As ever, I enjoy Kothet’s observations regarding his foes. In this case speculating that the uncoordinated efforts of the draugr was perhaps the result of too many leaders and not enough followers.


Nit: ’It told him about dragonrend, …’ - - I vs It.

[ghastley]

Acadian: It has been pointed out that the draugr have had their brains removed, and place in jars. That probably accounts for a lot.

Renee: There's the extra limitation of my using a non-standard race here.

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Previously: Kothet hitched a ride to Skuldhavn and then summoned Zahra to join him.

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30 - Sovngarde

Eventually we emerged on the other side of the Temple, or rather, the same side but higher up. We'd opened the door using one of those dragon claw keys, which we'd had to take from the draugr guarding the door. More of the high-level draugr were waiting outside, and a couple of dragons with them, but the final guard was a dragon priest.

As he saw us approach, he turned to retrieve his staff, which apparently was holding the portal open, as it closed as soon as he picked the staff out of its socket. However, that was just as I reached him, and he didn't have time to use it. I have no doubt that it would have cast some nasty spell, so I'm glad my timing was right for once.

I put the staff back, and the portal re-opened. There was an obvious discharge of energy around it, much like the flames in one of the gates we opened between the Deadlands and Tamriel. But this wasn't flame, which meant we probably weren't going into somewhere hot, like Dagon's Realm.

I picked up the priest's mask, unsure why I wanted it. Perhaps I wasn't sure I'd ever be back here, and wanted a souvenir, or proof to show to others. It was enchanted with a considerable Fortify Magicka, so I offered it to Zahra to use. She looked rather offended that I'd want her to cover her face, and suggested that I needed it more than she did. I'm not sure what she meant by that.

I stowed it in my backpack and headed down the steps into the portal to Sovngarde. Or somewhere. I hoped it would be where I could find Alduin, or all this fighting would have been for nothing.

---

I wasn't sure where we arrived, as a thick mist obscured everything from view. I could just about make out a paved path, so we set out to follow it. And when the path forked, I picked a direction at random.

We came across a Nord legionary, sitting on a rock next to the path. He told us that the mist was Alduin's doing, intended to prevent the dead from finding Shor's Hall and safety, while he flew above it and swooped down to prey on them. We let him follow us for a while, but when I turned back to ask him a question, a large black shape swooped out of nowhere and carried him off.

We were in the right place, then, and Alduin was definitely here, but we still had to find a way to bring him to battle. Perhaps locating Shor's Hall was the first step.

We blundered into the right location a short time later. Across a small stream, the mist was thinner, and we saw a very large man guarding the entrance to a bridge, which appeared to be have made from the skeleton of a whale. He hailed us as we approached, and told us his name was Tsun, tasked by Shor to decide who could enter.

Naturally he was surprised to find a Dremora asking for admission. "By what right do you claim that privilege?"
"As the Dragonborn. I come pursuing Alduin."

"Since you are not dead, you must face me in a warrior's challenge to gain admission," he told me, and unslung a huge axe from his back.

I nodded and did the same with my war-hammer.

He swung at me, faster than I though someone of his size could manage, but I managed to deflect the blow, and countered with a whack on his leading knee. It would have been enough to cripple any mortal warrior, but he just laughed and told me I'd proved myself.

He stood aside and let us pass. I glimpsed back from the bridge and was amused to see him rub that knee.

---

On the other side was a VERY large building with doors that reached up into the mist. I was surprised that the door I tried opened without much effort, although something that massive necessarily moved slowly.

Inside, we were greeted by a Nord in ancient armor, who introduced himself as Ysgramor, a name I'd heard somewhere, although I couldn't place exactly where. He told me that three of his fellow Nords had been waiting patiently for a chance to deal with Alduin, but Shor had given orders that they should wait for me.

They turned out to be Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Hakon One-Eye, and Felldir the Old, the same three that had sent Alduin forward in time to become my problem. But also the same ones who had unknowingly shown me the shout I needed to finally defeat him. I would be glad of their help in dealing with the dragon. Their unfinished business was mine too, now.

---

We re-crossed the bridge, and together shouted "Clear Skies" to blow away the mists, hoping to reveal Alduin. They did clear, but a shout from the distance restored them again.

"Again!" Gormlaith called out, and we did so. Once more the mists were gone, only to re-appear as the dragon responded with his own shout.

Hakon was a bit discouraged by this apparent impasse, but I'd noticed that the mist wasn't as thick as before, and apparently Gormlaith had seen that too. "He's weakening! Once more, and he'll have to face us!"

We all shouted a third time, and now he saw the futility of trying to sustain the mist and flew down to engage us. Naturally he ran into four shouts of Dragonrend, but we got a rain of his fiery meteors in response. Felldir used Clear Skies to stop those, and we closed on the dragon.

It wasn't much of a fight after that. I'd bested him alone, and these three had equaled him when we separately encountered him before. Together, we were much more than he could handle. Much as with any other dragon I'd defeated, his flesh dissolved into leaves of flame, and dissipated, but now his skeleton did something similar, and the usual swirl of light that meant I was capturing his knowledge was absent.

Well, this wasn't Tamriel, so perhaps things happened differently here. I still had that vague feeling that I'd changed, even if I didn't know what it was. I didn't get to "unlock" a new Word of Power and learn a new Shout, but something was altered. Perhaps Paarthurnax would have some idea, when I went back.

---

Now that the mists were gone, those who'd been lost in it could find their way, and a straggling group was approaching from the valleys. At their head was a tall man dressed in regal clothes, that everyone else seemed happy to follow.

This turned out to be Torygg, the late High King of Skyrim. He'd not long passed from Tamriel, and was eager to tell someone about it. I'd heard the Nords' stories, which seemed to depend on which side of the Civil War the teller was on. They both agreed that Ulfric had challenged Torygg for his throne, and gone on to use a Shout to defeat him. Whether that was lawful or not, was a matter of debate.

Torygg told me that he'd been happy to accept the challenge, and would have been equally happy to lose, if it had been the duel that the tradition required. It was supposed to be a formal contest with blunted weapons, held at a mutually agreed neutral location, with the Jarls as judges and referees of fair play.

Ulfric had attacked him as soon as he'd accepted the challenge, right there in the palace. Torygg had been wearing no armor, and had only the ceremonial sword he used for official business. "If that was sharp, I'd have to be careful not to nick anyone's ears when I laid it on their shoulder," he pointed out.

He'd also lead with the only Shout he knew, Unrelenting Force, knocking the king down, even if it didn't actually injure him. A legal duel wouldn't have permitted Shouts, or any kind of magic. "But I didn't get the chance to stand back up. He was on me immediately, and thrust his sword through me before anyone could move. The duel, if it ever was one, would have been over as soon as I fell."

I'm sure that Ulfric would tell me a completely different tale, but there was a lot in this one that rang true. I'd read about the formal duels in a book about Orsinium, and what he'd described matched well. It was also very reminiscent of the way disputes were settled among the Kyn, although we didn't have to concern ourselves so much about letting the loser live, as he'd be restored anyway. The whole point was to allow rightness to determine the victor, and to eliminate all other inequalities from the process.

We chatted for a while about what he thought Ulfric had been trying to achieve. Did he really think he could take over the throne that way, or was he just trying to eliminate Torygg completely?

"I don't know," he told me. "I never quite understood his motives. We both wanted Skyrim to be free of the Thalmor edict against Talos-worship, but differed completely on how to achieve it. I preferred to wait, and let the Empire regain its strength, especially as the elves were quite ineffective, and Talos was perhaps even more popular now. But Ulfric had something else against them that he wasn't sharing with the rest of us, and now I'll never know what it was."

[Acadian]

Poor Kothet. Offered that mask to Zahra the Jiggly because he is sweet on her and it only upset her.

'… his flesh dissolved into leaves of flame, and dissipated, …’ - - Very nicely put!

This felt very epic as Kothet and his ancient Nordic pals finally put down Alduin – hopefully for good.

[ghastley]

Acadian: It ain't over 'til the big guy shouts! Tsun sends them back in this one, and it still ain't over.

----------

Previously: Kothet and company defeated Alduin in Sovngarde.

----------

31 - Return

Tsun came over to congratulate the team on their defeat of Alduin. And the three Nords, and everyone else who had come out of the mists were thanking me and Zahra. It wasn't clear to me what it was, but something about this realm restricted their capabilities. Alduin had been exploiting that, and it didn't apply to me or Zahra, so we had been able to break his hold. Another thing to discuss when we got back.

That was the next thing on our agenda. Tsun told us he could send us back as soon as we were ready, but first he had a gift from Shor, a Shout that would summon one of the three heroes that had helped me defeat Alduin. I expected the usual swirl, but again nothing. The words just appeared in my mind, and I knew how they worked. I didn't even get to see them in writing, as I had on the word walls, or when the Greybeards showed them to me. Even Parrthurnax had lit up the word he taught me in the ruined wall at the summit.

Things clearly followed different rules in this different realm.

Tsun shouted at us, and we found ourselves back on the Throat of the World, at the Time Wound. Paarthurnax was apparently expecting us, and had invited a large number of his friends ...

---

"You know, that was a lot like when the Greybeards proclaimed you Dragonborn. All that shouting, and the ground shaking, and you in the middle trying not to become deaf."

I laughed. "I suspect the idea is that everyone else knows what happened, even if they're miles away. Why send a courier when you can shout that loud?"

Zahra considered that for a moment, as we walked back down the path towards Ivarstead. "Talking of shouts, are you going to try that new one, that Tsun taught you?"

"No, because I can only have one summoned companion, and I prefer you to any of them."

"Not even that Gormlaith Golden-Hilt? If she fills that armour of hers, ..."

I changed the subject. "I didn't get to discuss shouts with Paarthurnax, like I'd hoped. He flew off as soon as the ceremony was over. And Odahviing only stayed long enough to tell me I could call him again. It seems like the dragons have a new order to establish among themselves, before I'll get to spend any time having a conversation with them."

"So what do we do now?"

"I want to go to Windhelm, and have a few words with Ulfric Stormcloak. Now I've heard Torygg's side of that story, I'm getting more curious about Ulfric."

---

"I'm here to report on the progress of my campaign against Alduin, which of course determines the extent of the current truce. I can report that Alduin himself has been defeated, although I had to follow him to Sovngarde when he fled there. The other dragons he raised remain a threat, however, so I don't consider this over."

"You went to Sovngarde?" Galmar Stone-Fist interrupted. "No-one returns from there!"

"No mortal returns," I replied, "which defines what it means to be mortal. I, however, am Dremora, which means that I can, and do, return. Perhaps this eventuality was foreseen when I was selected by the gods for this task."

That appeared to make sense to the Nords. Ulfric paused for the briefest of moments before asking when I thought the dragon menace would be ended, and he could get back to attacking the Legion.

"I do not know how many other dragons he restored, nor whether they still feel themselves bound to his cause. I need to consult with those who might have that information, some of whom may themselves be dragons, and thus hard to track down."

Galmar was still intrigued that I'd seen Sovngarde, and wanted to know more. "Is it full of heroes, and mead, like they tell us?"

"Or heroes full of mead, like you'd want to imagine yourself? Yes, it is. I saw Ysgramor there, and Jurgen Windcaller, and Gormlaith Golden-Hilt - you'd like her - among others. And I even met with High King Torygg, newly arrived from Solitude. He told me a lot about Ulfric, and the way he died."

"Why did you do it that way?" I asked the Jarl. "Did you suspect he knew something about you and Elenwen?"

Galmar's eyes widened, and he looked at his Jarl, as if he suddenly didn't know the man. Ulfric, however, looked like he was about to explode.

It takes time to utter all the words of a Shout, and Unrelenting Force is built up and released on the final word. That gave me time to raise a ward. (Thank you for that lesson, Tolfdir.) The ward and the shout cancelled each other out, leaving Ulfric rushing at me with his sword drawn.

Ice Form is a different Shout. With the first word, Iiz, Ulfric slowed considerably, and the second, Slen, stopped him completely. Nus froze him solid where he stood.

"The fourth word is 'Shatter'", I announced, pulling my Daedric War-hammer from my back, and Ulfric duly did so.

Galmar's eyes were still as wide as they could be, and I saw him reach for his axe, before a glance at Zahra, who was showing just a hint of her flame cloak, made him decide not to.

We turned and left without a further word, knowing nobody dared to try and stop us.

---

"So, does General Tullius get to win the war, or do you have something similar in mind for him?" Zahra asked.

"Neither. I don't believe it was ever the Emperor's intention to let Tullius defeat the Stormcloaks. That would leave the Nords feeling they'd been conquered, and what the situation needs now is for the uprising to subside naturally, without its head."

"However," I continued, "I'd like to be sure of that, so I want to take the opportunity of his visit to Solitude for his cousin's wedding to talk to him."

"And let him handle Tullius?" Zahra presumed.

"Who better? Tullius won't like it - all Generals want victories, even if they aren't the best outcomes, but he'll obey orders, like a good soldier."

"I have another reason for visiting Solitude," I added. "I'll tell you more about that when we get there."

---

"So Vittoria Vici is the Emperor's cousin, and her bridegroom-to-be is a Stormcloak?" Zahra sounded confused.

"When you're rich, those differences aren't the life-and-death ones everyone else has. It's more a question of where you deem it more profitable to invest than anything else. They'd prosper whatever the outcome of the conflict, and will probably regret the loss of business supplying the two sides when it ends."

Word had got out about my and Zahra's roles in the defeat of Alduin, and the wedding had become a bit of a celebration of that as well. So we found ourselves sharing the balcony as guests of honour when she addressed the crowd. The Emperor was conspicuously absent, as there were rumours of an attempt on his life, sponsored by someone yet unidentified on the High Council. We'd all be going to his ship, the Katariah, for the reception after this.

It struck me that if he'd been here, this was the perfect set-up for an archer to get a good shot at him. Even with the bride and groom standing in front of him, a patient assassin would find their mark. I stood up, and moved to the front of the balcony to look, ... and got in the way of an arrow headed for the bride.

In my Daedric Armour, which I was wearing to impress the crowd, I was well-protected from a broad-head arrow meant for a soft target. It clattered down to the flagstones below, and I hastily ushered the bride and groom to safety, as Zahra hurled a fireball towards the battlements where the arrow appeared to originate.

"Did you see the archer?" I asked, when we were all inside.

"No, but there weren't any guards up there either, so I used a wide-area spell that didn't need to be accurate. I still have no idea if it hit anyone. Our would-be assassin probably got away."

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 3 2017, 09:42 PM

[Acadian]

Back to the land of the living.

By Azura! Even with provocation, Ulfric was unwise to take on a Dremora who happens to be The Dragonborn! Nicely done, Kothet; I smiled at the prospect of Ulfric and Torygg continuing their duel in front of a mead-enriched crowd of dead Nords in Sovngarde.

Yup, I think an audience with the Emperor may be a good idea. Just gotta keep him alive I guess.


Nit: ’…a Shout that would summon one of the three heros…’ - - heroes?

[ghastley]

Acadian: Well, there's alive, and there's "presumed dead", and they could be the same.

-----------

Previously: Kothet got in the way of an arrow meant for Vittoria Vici, and being armoured, with no ill effect. Now he gets to meet the Emperor.

-----------

32 - Katariah

The party going over to the Katariah was smaller than it would have been before the arrow incident, but Zahra and I had earned our place among the guests twice over, now. We were among the few permitted to keep our weapons. Although, how you disarm a mage is beyond me.

The reception on board was sumptuous, and with fewer guests than originally planned, it was much easier to meet everyone. Titus Mede II indicated that he'd like us to stay after the others left, and he'd discuss the situation when everyone had gone.

Vittoria and Asgeir were of course the first to leave. They had a honeymoon to start. The other guests all had to leave together on the next boat back to the docks, which left just Zahra and myself.

We followed the Emperor back to his cabin at the stern. He shooed out the guard, telling him we had matters of state to discuss. "And I can pour the wine myself, you know." As soon as we were comfortably seated, he did so.

"Tamika's?" I asked, after my first sip. "This brings back memories of guarding a gate outside Skingrad. The one Dagon left me at, when they all closed."

The Emperor was impressed by my knowlege of wines, but Tamika's Vineyard was one of Tamriel's finest even before the Oblivion crisis. Her planting of vines on the area scortched by the gate was a stroke of genius, and the wine from that patch was famous above all others. The effect had faded over the years, and this wasn't one of that vintage, but it was still distinctive enough for even me to tell the difference.

---

My assessment of his strategy with the Civil War proved to be accurate. He'd constrained Tullius by limiting his reinforcements, to make sure he could contain Ulfric, but not defeat him, or provoke a larger uprising. Now perhaps, it was time to draw down the Legion presence further, and maybe recall the General to a front where he'd be happier.

"But what of the dragons?" Titus asked. "I'm sure Tullius will cite those as a reason he should stay."

"They don't represent a threat any more," I replied. "Without Alduin, they're independent, and frankly care nothing for the affairs of mortals. They can be induced to take sides when it benefits them, but I don't see anyone having the knowledge of their desires to do so. If anything, they may be a reserve asset against the Thalmor, whose aims definitely do not seem to concide with the dragons'. And I may be able to gain their respect as the conquerer of Alduin."

"Your main threat seems to come from your own people," Zahra added. "Kothet and I are certain that archer at the wedding was sent there to assassinate you."

"Oh, you don't have to tell me. I'm only too aware that my succession is being plotted all the time. I have no legitimate heir, so everyone and his dog feels they could take my place, if there were to be an accident."

"Then I'm surprised that you're not taking more precautions," Zahra continued. "A guard using a Detect Life spell, or better yet, a ring with that enchantment, should be with you at all times."

She demonstrated the spell. "If there is anyone around, you see them, even through walls, like that guard outside your door."

"I sent the guard away. If there is someone outside, they shouldn't be there."

As we watched the glowing shape, it approached the door, and silently opened it. We saw the glow enter the room, but nothing else. Zahra cast another spell at the glow, and revealed ... a naked Bosmer woman carrying a dagger, with a bow and quiver on her back. She froze when she realised we could see her. Zahra and I were between her and Titus, so she'd never have reached him if she tried.

"Oh, she's beautiful!" exclaimed Zahra.

"No, that's not beautiful," replied the Emperor. "Beautiful is for putting on pedestals, and standing back and admiring. Most of the ladies of my court are like that. The further back you stand, the better.

"No, this young lady is what I'd call pretty. The kind of looks that make you want to get closer. In her case, extremely pretty."

He turned to address the newcomer. "Why don't you put those weapons down on the table there, and find yourself a robe in the closet? We have a lot to discuss, don't we?"

"And I'll take whatever you're using to give you chameleon," Zahra added.

Titus poured another glass of Tamika's for the Bosmer. "What's your name, pretty young lady?"

"Gaenathilwen, or G'wen for short. But you can call me 'failure', because this is the second contract I've messed up. I was supposed to kill Vittoria as a warning, and then you."

"You haven't completely failed yet," Titus replied. "I have need of your services, but not quite in the way you'd expect."

He explained what he meant. The Emperor can't just step down without naming a successor, and frankly there wasn't anyone else fit to take the job. "The Empire would actually be better off with an internal struggle to replace me than if I picked sides. Concentrating the remaining power of the Empire in anyone's hands now would just encourage them to waste it."

"So I need to go away and leave them to their own devices, and that apparently means I have to be considered dead. So you will report your success, even though it didn't exactly happen. No body to confirm it, of course. You'd have dumped that over the stern into the river. The mudcrabs will strip a corpse in a couple of hours, and the bones will wash away in no time."

"So all we need to figure out is how you killed me. I'd like it to be something special, out of the ordinary, and a topic of conversation. That will help convince people that it's true."

"I think she'd have poisoned her nipples," replied Zahra. "You wouldn't have been able to resist that temptation."

"And I'd have died happy," Titus laughed. "That's a great idea, as it also accounts for why she got rid of my body. Poisons leave traces that a competent mage can identify. That can help track down the source of the poison, and thus the assassin, or her sponsors."

"Why did you come looking for me naked anyway?" he continued. "I know I have a bit of a reputation in that regard, but I don't think that was what you had in mind."

"I had to swim out to the ship, which got my leathers totally soaked. When I noticed that I was leaving a trail of drips that anyone could follow, I left all my wet gear down in the hold. I figured that with full chameleon, nobody was going to see me, so why not?"

"And with those rings of yours, I can leave this ship with Kothet and Zahra. But don't worry, G'wen, there are plenty of places for you to hide here, before you get away. I had a lot of them constructed so I could disappear if this ship was ever boarded, and even the crew don't know most of them. You'll be safe until the hunt dies down, and quite comfortable, too. I wasn't planning to suffer while I was confined, after all."

"What are you intending to do, if you're not Emperor any more?" G'wen wanted to know.

"I'm going to become a pirate. I have a ship waiting off the coast, and we'll be harrassing the Thalmor supply lines to Skyrim and High Rock. Keeping them in check that way will be more effective than the big confrontation everyone expects from the Empire and the Legion. That threat is still needed, though, to tie down their main forces on the borders."

"Can you trust whover gets control after you to see it that way?" I asked.

"No, but without a decisive advantage, they'll have no choice but to sit it out. If they find a way to defeat the Thalmor that I haven't seen, that's all to the good, but I doubt that will happen. And likewise, the Generals won't let them do anything too stupid, and let the Thalmor win. It's that inevitable stalemate that's making me want to go do something about it."

We continued discussing the arrangements, and firming up the details of the fake assassination, to make sure we had a story that was watertight. G'wen would be reporting most of it back to the Dark Brotherhood, who'd been given the assignment. She also had to try and contact the person who'd made the request in the first place, as the Emperor would prefer that they'd have their plans disrupted, too. "If you get to kill him, he can take my place for Sithis, can't he?"

G'wen wasn't used to wearing just a thin silk robe, and she kept having to wrap it back around herself, whenever she noticed that it had fallen off her breasts. Half the time she didn't, and she was quite distracting. Perhaps that was why Zahra's robe, which was usually magically fixed in place, was also falling open from time to time.

The Tamika's could possibly have been contributing, too, although none of us were drinking that much. We needed to be coherent to make our plans, after all. But we did all feel quite relaxed.

Zahra was pointing out that the two of us had to have left before G'wen arrived, as the Emperor would naturally have employed me as his taster, just in case. As an immortal, the poison would have been an inconvenience, at best. "You know you'd like that job," she laughed.

"But would you let me take it?" I asked her.

"Do I get to choose? You're the one who summons me, aren't you? You do what you like."

"What I like is a contented housecarl. So your opinions matter."

That was what she wanted to hear. "You go ahead and taste G'wen, and I'm going to taste Titus. It's only fair to her."

[Acadian]

How do you disarm a mage indeed? I always liked to imagine the use of McB’s invention ‘null iron manacles’ and pretended that is what TES used in their ‘start as a prisoner’ openings.

Ahh, enjoyed the tribute to Tamika’s fine wine!

Clever plan to fake the Emperor’s death.

That Kothet quite cares about Zahira shows in his comments and manner.

Kothet, safety taster for poisoned nipples!


Nits (spelling):
-’…If anything, they may be a reserve asset against the Thalmor, whose aims definitely do not seem to concide with the dragons'. And I may be able to gain their respect as the conquerer of Alduin." - - Coincide. Conqueror (unless conquerer is a UK spelling I’m not aware of).
- "Can you trust whover gets control after you to see it that way?" - - Whoever.

[ghastley]

- "Can you trust whover gets control after you to see it that way?" - - Whoever.

I'm thinking we both should have meant whomever?

[Acadian]

Heh, it is dialogue so I'll leave that to however you want to portray Zahira's level of grammarian correctness.

[Renee]

[censored], I've fallen so far behind. Been busy, and all that.

Ha ha Zahra "looks offended" because of the mask. That's lovely. Whoa, I didn't know we can clear mists with a shout. To this day, only one or two of my characters have used shouts, but that's about to change soon.

That's also neat we get to see Torygg in Sovngarde. Even though all of this is spoilers to me, I don't really care atm. My memory's pretty bad; chances are when I finally do the main quest I won't remember what happens.

I'll have to catch up on the next two chapters later on. Fun to read so far, though!

[ghastley]

Acadian: Since Titus is only there for the DB quest, and Kothet wouldn't be doing it, this was about the only option that fits. History will show an assassination, and Kothet's story can continue. G'wen is a useful tool for probing the Kothet/Zahra side, too.

Renee: Who you meet in Sovngarde is a bit random, and a bit "who's dead already". You might meet any dead Nord - Ulfric or Rikke if you completed the CW quest line, or the poet Svaknir if you did the Bard's College quest. Torygg is pretty well guaranteed, but may be hard to find, as he's out in the mist. Ysgramor, Jurgen Windcaller, and a few others are in the hall, and easy to locate.

------------

Previously: Kothet and Zahra visited the Emperor on his ship the Katariah, and prevented an assassination.

------------

33 - Madgod

We delivered the Emperor Titus to a remote location on the northern shore, where a small boat was waiting.

"Bring G'wen here when she's ready to join me," he told us. "I need her by my side, not unbalancing the succession struggle in my wake."

I suspected that wasn't his only motivation. After Zahra had helped him break the ice, Titus and G'wen had got along very nicely. And that's all I'm saying, even if I did have as much fun as he did.

We'd told G'wen how to find our Tower, in the remote hills of the Reach. Although we hadn't been spending much time there recently, that was mainly because we'd been busy with Alduin, and it wouldn't hurt to just relax there for a while and wait for her.

First, however, she had to report back to the Dark Brotherhood, and deal with the person who made the contract with them. That gave us time for a side-trip on the way there.

---

"Titus left orders for Tullius to be recalled to Cyrodiil," I told Zahra, "but he has no control over the Thalmor, and in particular, Elenwen. I can do something about her, I believe."

I'd noticed the mad beggar in Solitude ranting about "the Master being on vacation", and I had a pretty good idea what he meant. I soon got directions to the Pelagius wing of the Blue Palace, and permission to investigate its haunted nature.

"Torygg's widow is a looker, isn't she?" Zahra goaded. "Do you think Titus features in her past adventures?"

"She's discreet enough that it doesn't matter," I replied. "Torygg certainly didn't know, or didn't care."

I continued into the clutter of the abandoned wing of the Blue Palace, removing the spider webs without drawing attention to them. It wasn't long before we walked through the portal I'd been expecting and found ourselves somewhere else.

Two men were seated at a dining table in the middle of a clearing in a wood. One of them I knew to be the Daedric Prince Sheogorath, with his characteristic divided suit of red and blue, but the other was a complete stranger to me.

The Madgod introduced us to his guest, King Pelagius III, whose wing of the Palace we'd just left. He was a bit surprised to find Dremora coming from Tamriel to find him, but no matter. We were there now, and we could help with his current task.

I noticed that I was now wearing a suit of fine clothes, just like I'd worn to Elenwen's party, and my armour was nowhere to be seen. Zahra had had a change of outfit too. Sheogorath has a really dirty mind, if not two. It looked good on her, although I got the impression that she was a little annoyed at not having been consulted.

Sheogorath handed me a familar staff. It was the Wabbajack, one of his special toys. Apparently, whatever he wanted me to do, this was all I had to do it with.

"Pelagius needs to cheer up a bit. He's been depressed for too long now, and the other side needs its turn. You're going to help him. Now run along, and see what you can do."

I looked over at Zahra, and couldn't help thinking she'd cheer anyone up, but Pelagius was a special case, and this would take more than that.

There were three arches around the clearing, and it didn't seem to matter which way we went, so I picked one at random. I found a bed in the middle of the forest with Pelagius sleeping in it. It seemed that I was now a part of his dreams, and various enemies appeared to attack me. As each materialised, I hit it with the Wabbajack, and it turned into something harmless. Sheogorath's voice told me I'd done what was needed, and I should move on.

The next arch led me to an arena, with two viewing areas overlooking a pit where a pair of Storm Atronachs were fighting. On the other side, someone sat on a throne flanked by two bodyguards, and apparently my Atronach was fighting aginst his. I saw no point in interfering with that battle, as I didn't even know which was which. Instead I turned the Wabbajack on the bodyguards, as that was the sort of thing Sheogorath himself would do. They both turned into wolves, and attacked my "opponent".

"You're doing well, just one more trial"

The third arch led to another clearing where two men were fighting. One huge, who was apparently Pelagius' Anger, and one tiny, his Confidence . Sheogorath wanted me to change something, so I used the Wabbajack on each of them. And again, as every time the initially large one hit the little one, he'd shrink again. I was getting worried that the staff would run out of charge, but eventually I got them to swap sizes.

Sheogorath told me to return to the dining area for my reward. There, I declined his offer of keeping the Wabbajack, as I had something else to ask of him.

Actually there were two. First I wanted to know about how he'd given his powers to the Champion of Cyrodiil to help him defeat Jyggalag. "That was something like what you just had me do for Pelagius, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and no. Pelagius isn't a Daedric Prince, so he didn't need anything quite that drastic. Jayggalag, being me in a bad mood, was a Daedric Prince. And I'm much better off without him, especially as I got the Champion of Cyrodiil in his place."

I asked him to explain.

"When I was in my Jyggalag mood, I wanted perfect order, and the only thing that's perfect is nothing. So I'd destroy my entire realm, trying to achieve that. And when you try to achieve nothing, you usually succeed.

"Jyggalag's a nasty violent type, and the Champion was a nice ... violent type. But that's what I needed. I let him take over my realm and it changed while he was alive. When he died, I took over again, and it all flowed back to me. So he's part of me now, in place of Jyggalag. I can still get violent when it's needed, but not so indiscriminately.

"I have all his knowledge now, and the understanding, too. That's what Hermaeus Mora keeps forgetting. Facts don't mean anything if you don't understand them. The Great Library of Jyggalag did the same thing, collecting useless facts, so I had it destroyed. Kept Dyus, of course, as he was the understanding part. And he knew all the facts, anyway. They didn't need to be written down in books as well.

"Knowledge is something you can give to many people, and it's not divided; they each get it all. And maybe even more than that. If I divide an apple and give away the slices, each person gets a slice of apple. If I explain 'apple' to them, they each get 'apple', and if one of them knows 'tree' as well, he could get 'orchard'. And pigs to eat the windfalls, and yellowjackets to eat the ones that rot, and pretty soon, you can't live there any more."

Even though it was Sheogorath telling me, it made some kind of sense. I had some idea how Alduin might have come by his power, without being a Daedric Prince himself.

The second thing I wanted was to draw his attention to Elenwen. She'd just had her plans for a full-blown civil war in Skyrim fall through, and she might be in a delicate state of mind at present. Perhaps the Madgod would take a small detour on his way back to the Shivering Isles?

---

We found ourselves back in the Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace. I was wearing my armour once more, but Zahra was still in the same outrageous outfit Sheogorath had given her.

"Are you going back into the main palace dressed like that, or what?" I asked. I knew she could summon her usual attire with a simple spell, but she hadn't, yet.

"I'm still wondering what he intended, and if I shouldn't humour him, at least until we what see the reaction is," she replied. "And I have this urge to ask Elisif for her opinion. Maybe she'll want to wear it."

I understood what she meant. Elisif had been culturing the popular belief that Torygg's death had made her a little eccentric. That was actually a clever ruse to have Tullius treat her as a harmless puppet, and not have her replaced. Now that need was over, who knew what she'd do.

However, I now had the mental image of Elisif sitting on the Jarl's throne in that outfit.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 13 2017, 07:18 PM

[Acadian]

With the Emperor on ice, back to work for the Dremoran Duo.

Eeek! Sheo! Actually rather clever to ask for the MadDweeb's help to curb Elenwen.

"Torygg's widow is a looker, isn't she?" - - She certainly is.

"Jyggalag's a nasty violent type, and the Champion was a nice ... violent type." - -



Nit: 'Actually there two.' - - Missing some words I think?

[ghastley]

Acadian: Kothet's more accustomed to working with Daedric Princes than most.

----------

Previously: Kothet paid a visit to Sheogorath (and Pelagius III) on his way home to his tower.

----------

34 - Return to the Tower

"Is it true that Tullius is going back to Cyrodiil?" Elisif asked. "I'd heard that the Emperor left orders for his recall just before that unfortunate incident on the ship."

"We can't say for sure," I replied, "The assassin waited until we'd left, but we had discussed that idea with him, so I know that was his intention. Perhaps the murder was an attempt to prevent it?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way. But I doubt it. Tullius isn't that kind of man."

"Elenwen, however," I suggested.

"Good point. She had her plans disrupted enough when Ulfric went mad and attacked you. I wouldn't put anything past her. And the way the assassin is supposed to have killed him makes me think that even more."

"Oh, how was that?"

"I can't say that in public. We should discuss this in my chambers."

---

It appeared that the story was making its rounds among the nobles, and was probably leaking down to their servants, too. It was just too good not to be told, and of course, it would always be a question of "don't tell anyone else, but ..." which ensured that it would spread like wildfire.

"So we know the assassin was a woman, at least," I mused. "Did your informants have any other details?"

"Well, the general conjecture is that she might be either a Nord or an Imperial. That's just going by the late Emperor's apparent preferences. And the bigger, the more poison, the theory goes, which supports it being a Nord." Elisif glanced down at herself and added "I hope nobody thinks it was me."

"If they do, we'll blame everything on Sheogorath," I told her. "The problems in the Pelagius Wing were all his doing. It's a wonder you didn't come under his influence yourself."

Elisif got the point immediately. "So things can get back to normal around the Blue Palace on all fronts? No more Tullius hovering around, no more Madgod in the Pelagius Wing."

"And Torygg avenged, if you care to look at it that way," Zahra reminded her. "A bit of closure settles the mind, doesn't it?"

"I can attest to the departure of Sheogorath, if anyone questions it. They should believe the Dragonborn, especially as I'm daedra myself. If you need me to add anything about yourself, we can work that out."

"I'm sure Sybille will ask you about that. Falk and Bryling are part of the charade already, so I'll fill them in on the latest developments. We'll need to figure out whether I make an sudden or gradual recovery. We have both options, and it will depend on what we think the people expect.

"I think they've got to like the crazy woman running the show, so perhaps I'll have an excuse for an occasional relapse whenever I want to let my hair down a bit. That could be fun."

---

As expected, we arrived back at our tower long before we anticipated G'wen arriving. We had time to sit on the platform on the top of the tower, and watch dragons fly past on their way to ... whatever they were doing.

"Do they hunt? And if they do, what do they hunt?" Zahra asked.

"I'm not sure. I think they enjoy chasing the goats on the mountains, but whether that's just for the sport, or because they're hungry, I don't know. Mostly, at least I believe so, they're looking for their place in this world. They were all raised by Alduin just recently, with a few exceptions, and it all must have changed a lot since they were here last."

"A few exceptions? Who, other than Paarthurnax?"

"We only know that he waited for Alduin's return at the Throat of the World. Some of those we encountered at Skuldhavn may have been waiting there. Most, of course, were buried here in Skyrim."

We sat and just watched the landscape for a bit longer. And then, "When do you think G'wen will show up?"

"When she's ready," I replied. "And I think she will. After all, she did report back as we'd planned, or we wouldn't have heard all the stories about the Emperor's demise."

"So when she's ready to deal with us, you mean?"

I must have looked puzzled, because Zahra continued. "Well, we did last see her in rather intimate circumstances, and she's probably wondering if we do that all the time."

"We do, but I see what you mean. We haven't involved anyone else before."

"Right, and she hardly knows us. And even if she knows anything about Dremora, we aren't exactly typical."

"So she has no idea what to expect. Not that she did last time, either, but you know what I mean." I was beginning to understand what Zahra meant, too.

"Yes, last time she knew she'd run into something she hadn't anticipated, and had to make the best of the circumstances. The sort of thing an assassin expects, especially with a contract like that. She'd prepared for it as well as she could, and I think she handled it all rather well. So she's going to be as prepared as she can be for this time, too. Which is why I'm wondering what she expects. She knows that Titus won't be here, to turn to for guidance."

"If she thinks it all out logically, she'll probably suddenly appear stark naked again, and hope it all goes the same as last time," I suggested. "G'wen, if you're listening ..."

"Listening to what?" asked the voice coming up the stairs behind us. "The door wasn't locked, so I came looking for you. Oh wow! What a great view you have from up here! I'm surprised you didn't see me coming."

I told G'wen about watching the dragons, and as I said that, another soared along the valley, roaring his challenge to any other that might be near.

"I imagine you were travelling a bit more quietly than they do, too," Zahra remarked. "We didn't hear you on the stairs, either, until you spoke."

"Walking silently is a habit now," she admitted, "and I do tend to walk in the shadows, without thinking about it. Maybe I shouldn't be too surprised you didn't see me."

"Certainly not as surprised as you were last time, when we could see you," Zahra reminded her.

"Yes, I'd meaning to ask. How did you know to cast that spell of yours? Did I do something to tip you off? After Kothet blocking my arrow earlier, I was being extra-careful not to give myself away. It's uncanny."

"No, it was just dumb luck," we admitted. "Nothing you did."

"And just as uncanny was the way Titus took to me. I've used sex to get out of awkward situations before, but that was something different."

"Well that probably was something you did. And it's likely just to be the way you do things, like walking quietly in the shadows. Whatever, it was, he liked it."

I had to add. "And if the Emperor and a couple of dremora wasn't 'different', I'd want to hear what else you've been up to!"

G'wen giggled. "We're all just people when we're doing that." Then she thought a bit and added "But it did make it a bit harder to know how and when to do anything. I was really glad when you started it all off for me."

Since the sun was setting, and we only had one bed, Zahra invited G'wen to join us. She knew where this was leading, and I think she wanted that as much as I did.