The tale of Telina Delvanni, chapter 4., Mournhold, City of light City of magic. Options

[Fuzzy Knight]

Cool update - Maybe Telina becomes like a TES version of Sidney Bristow Anyway, I like the conversation and well written as well - Keep it up

[mplantinga]

Some very interesting developments in your last few installments. I applaud your creativity for adding yet another layer of intrigue to the complex networks of Mournhold.

[jack cloudy]

Intrigue and treachery. Be on your guard, Telina. I like the way you portray mister captain of the guards. And Velas was damn powerful, blowing up a wall like that. And yes, no one likes it when Azura starts playing with you like a puppet on a string. Keep writing, please.

[Tellie]

Just as everyone knows it, the next update WILL BE OUT on Thursday...I can promise you that.

Oh, and I have also included the Theurgist mod in my fanfic, as you might remember Velas saiid he was one...but I wont tell you when, or if Telina will be one....you just have to guess

Basically a Theurgist is a Wizard who have great control of the elements, be it fire, frost, earth or lightining....so that is how Velas managed to melt the wall, he fired off agood'ol super powerful Theurgis spell, designated to incinerate everything it getr in contact with...

This post has been edited by Tellie: Jun 19 2006, 11:44 PM

[Lord Revan]

Well Tellie, all I can say is I hope the next update

WILL BE OUT

while I'm at home

[Lord Revan]

Well Tellie, all I can say is I hope the next update

WILL BE OUT

while I'm still at home

[jack cloudy]

Hmm, Uber spells of doom. I like those. The bigger the damage to the surrounding area, the better.

[Kiln]

Update time.
Holy crap, me a spy…wait ah I forgot, I am already, I always forget about me being a blade…something that I hope will never be found out by any other person…so now I was spy for the King as well, also a member of the temple who wished for the King to pack his sack, and leave for good, as well as a spy for the Emperor….a it too many conflicting loyalties for my taste, but I swore on that day that I would have my revenge, sooner or later.

I particularly liked the mention of all the conflicts that the character has in this update, I just caught up with you and I'm still impressed by the amount of emotion and content in each update. Keep up the good work.

[minque]

Just as everyone knows it, the next update WILL BE OUT on Thursday...I can promise you that.

Oh, and I have also included the Theurgist mod in my fanfic, as you might remember Velas saiid he was one...but I wont tell you when, or if Telina will be one....you just have to guess

Basically a Theurgist is a Wizard who have great control of the elements, be it fire, frost, earth or lightining....so that is how Velas managed to melt the wall, he fired off agood'ol super powerful Theurgis spell, designated to incinerate everything it getr in contact with...

Oh aye.....lucky you who have a comp.....with all your material inside it...

Nevermind.....a brilliant update as always.....really good work here!

Telina surely is one of a kind!!!!

[Tellie]

-“Ok”, he said after steeling himself a bit. “You must go to Llethlan Manor, and try to find any evidence of a conspiracy, and bring it directly to me, pretend you go there, to offer your condolences to the former King’s wife”.

I bowed and made my way out again, nodding to (the now returned) Karrod as I went by. There in the courtyard I saw Calvius stand, looking rather angry at me…”Now how in the name of Talos am I supposed to protect you, when you teleport away from right under my nose”?

-“Oh crap, I forgot that…sorry, I was in a hurry”, I smiled before I told him. “Cmon, we have a conspiracy to unveil”. We ran down towards Llethlan manor in Godsreach.

I was panting heavily when we stopped before Llethlan manor, even though my training the last years, had really got me back in shape, I still had something to catch up again. I waited till I was not breathing so heavy before I knocked twice on the door.

-“Name and business”, came a voice from inside.

-“Telina Delvanni, and her servant Calvius…I wish to pay my condolences to the widow Llethlan”…a little second later the door opened, and we stepped in.

The manor was big, I can tell you that, only in the antechamber there was three heavily armoured guards, and a further two in the reception. Large paintings, each one probably worth a fortune, was adorning the walls. Each one had a Mer dressed up in his best, with a large sceptre and crown on his head, clearly this was the dead King Llethlan. The room inside the antechamber, was a large library, with over a hundred books, and I was almost rubbing my hands together, to see so many books in one place was indeed thrilling, I just wished I was the one living here. There was also guards in here, heavy armour all over them, and big claymores strapped over their backs.

One of them extended a hand towards the door to my right, so I silently walked in, and locked the door behind me and Calvius. The woman who was sitting in her chair, had suffered badly the last weeks, her eyes all watery, and she had started to look old, with all those wrinkles under her eyes.

-“We must endure our sorrows”, she said with a little sob.

-“Miss, I offer you my condolences for your husbands death, is there…anything I might…ah...assist you with”?

She looked around, before whispering to me. “You two seem like people who have seen their shed of blood and battle, am I correct”?, when I confirmed that she was indeed correct, she looked relieved. “So, where do your allegiance lie, with the temple or the brat who is now King”?

I pondered a little, I guess she did not like Helseth, so I tried my gut feeling again…”What, allegiance to the King, are you mad…I’m a bloody Temple Inquisitor, I have been digging for info about Helseth for many months now, why would I like him”, I just hoped she would take my lie.

She smiled, before she rose up, and walked over to her desk, she grabbed a document that was hidden inside a little chest. She handed it over to me…”Here, help us with that plan, and you will have reached your goal to get Helseth away from the throne”.

I bowed, turned away and walked out into the now pouring rain…but I did not go towards the Palace, no, I was going down to the head quarters. After we had got down in the sewers, I opened the letter.

CODE

Forven,

I cannot agree. I am a merchant, and have no skill at arms. You are a noble, and in your prime were proven on practice and tournament grounds -- though, in truth, you have never fought a duel, and have few gifts as a liar. No one can doubt Hloggar the Bloody's aptitude and enthusiasm for mayhem, but he is not a subtle man, more suited for a brawl or battlefield than an assassin's role.

And we cannot trust the Dark Brotherhood. Helseth owns them. They promise discretion, but their promises are worthless.

I am afraid we must approach the Morag Tong. I agree with you. They will probably refuse. But at least they can be trusted to be discreet.

If, in the end, we are forced to choose among ourselves, I fear it must be you. And we will have to wrack our brains for some plausible pretext that will get you into Helseth's presence.

I am disappointed, though not surprised, at lack of public outcry over Athyn's murder. The popular sentiment seems to be to avoid personal risk and accept Helseth. It's short-sighted, but understandable. I have noted, however, that the writer of THE COMMON TONGUE is sympathetic to our cause, clever and eloquent. He may be able to sway opinion. We should try to identify this fellow and try to bring him into our counsels.

your faithful servant,

Bedal Alen

This was all the proof I needed, and I needed to give it to a Master quickly. I almost managed to get lost again, had it not been for Calvius who pointed out I was holding the map the wrong way we would have been lost…my luck really. But we did manage to get there, after messing around with a few Bonelords, we sat in front of Karrod, who had managed to get down here again.

“Hmm…this is disturbing new Delvanni”, give this paper to Tienus, but also tell him that you saw some High Ordinators arrest those men for a few hours ago, that will give us time to persuade them to get out of the town”. Me and Calvius took an Intervention scroll each, so that we should get to the Palace fast.

Tienus was as always in the throne room, with the usual superior look. “Ah, the dog returns, did you find anything suspicious”?

-“Oh, yes, I found much interesting, this letter here will prove it…but sadly, the persons included have been taken under arrest by the Temple High Ordinators, I saw it myself…they stole something from the Temple if I’m not mistaken”.

To see his face get the normal maroon colour that he usually got when he became angry or worried, greatly satisfied me, to lie up in his face was just sooo good.

-”Hmpf, well then, good work Delvanni, I’ll deal with that, in the meantime you must track down the author of the Common Tongue, and…ah…silence him”.

[jack cloudy]

Nice update. The plot thickens.

Silencing? Really, those high up noble guys all use words like silencing so often they might as well remove 'murder' out of the dictionaries. Guards are all the same.

[mplantinga]

It is always unfortunate to have to lie the grieving wife, especially since all the evidence says her husband was in fact murdered. I'm glad that Telina is using her lies for the greater good, rather than for Helseth's benefit.

[Tellie]

Hello, I just want to inform you all that it will be a longer break in the updates, since I'm gonna finish the entire chapter first, as a whole chapter will be moreeasy for my editor to look over...but I'll try to make it as good as always, as fast as I can...so I'm writing bit each day...hope you can wait for me to finish this chapter.

Once the chapter is finished regular updates will start again, and I'll start working on the fifth chapter...(anyone dare make a guess what will happen in the fifth chapter)

From your dear Tellie.

[Tellie]

Change of plans, i will give regular updates, they will only take a bit more time, as they have to be edited first...so today I give you a very long one...enjoy.


Hmpf, silence him, yeah right…I knew that silence meant kill, I was growing tired of this “high” talk of those stupid Nobles…always wrapping their words in a more…what was it again…ah yes, “peaceful” manner. So silence the author of the Common Tongue…how in the name of Oblivion would I do that, I had not a single clue of where to go…I guess I had to go with the Delvanni family luck (with a little boost from Geanors amulet).

I asked Calvius, and he had not a clue either…but my best guess would be that the author snuck out at night, to spread the word…and he would most likely be stationed at Godsreach, as a good law abiding citizen.

We wandered about in Godsreach, and I suddenly had an urge to go to the museum, they had to have at least something…that something seemed to be a whole lot of guards, and a single hammer.

-“Yes, I know we have few artefacts”, a female Dunmer told me…”people rather not part with their artefacts you know…and we can only give thirty-thousand at the most”. She sighed before her eyes widened…”Is-is that the Mace of Molag Bal I see hanging at your waist…how would you like…saaay, fourteen-thousand septims for it”?, her eyes looked hopefully at me, which made that answer I had to give her even harder.

-“no…I will not sell it”, I held my hand up, as she suddenly looked rather sad, and was about to say something…”The powers in this mace, sings of evil…I will lock it down in a secret place, so its evil will not be used, heck I rather not use it…but I may drop by some day soon, with both the legendary Skullcrusher and the Bow of Shadows…we have a deal”?, I held my hand out towards her.

-“Wow…you would actually part with something as valuable s those two items…that is, that is extraordinary, I’ll take the deal”, she shook my hand, and left me, a big grin stretched across her face.

Calvius, find a roof on the other platform that have most of the manors on, look for anything suspicious that may happen tonight, anything suspicious, follow them, I’ll find a roof here”, I whispered.

He gripped his sword, and walked out, and by the time I had gotten out, he had already found a nice spot on the top of Llethlan manor, to sit on. I started to look around myself, I needed somewhere high up, and central…the Craftsmen Hall was perfect for that, so I found a place on the back, and started climbing.

I quickly realised again that I was far away from my previous shape, and the climb took me several minutes, and I was all drained in sweat when I sat myself close to one of the spires on the tall building…and then, I waited.

The time went…one hour, two hours…three hours, it was getting dark. Four hours, my eyes started to slip. I do not know how long I slept, but I was woken up by a loud sound…a door opening underneath me.

I slipped down the wall silent as a cat. I started to follow the person who had wandered out into this darkest time of the night. He crept through Godsreach, staying out of the light, stopping here and there to hang out posters...posters who seemed to be like the Common Tongue…exactly like the Common Tongue…after all it was the paper that was causing me all of this grief.

I followed the man further, and he exited Godsreach, and walked towards the Great Bazaar, he stopped for over five minutes at the door into the palace, and filled up the entire door with posters, he was laughing silently but I could still hear it, his leather shoes sounded like thunder on the cold stone tiles here in the middle of the night. He had wandered around in the Great Bazaar for half an hour hanging up posters, before he stopped at the booksellers house. He knocked three times, and spoke some word that I did not hear. Mer opened up, and looked hastily around before she pushed him in, and locked the door.

I found myself a bench, sat down and waited. It was strange, I had waited for over an hour, and then the door opened, and the Mer I had followed got out again, I raised myself up again, before I started running towards him shouting, “Oi, wait”…and then he naturally smiled, and waved his hand in some circles, and then he disappeared in thin air…my next words is something I don’t think we need to write down, as they were undoubtly rude and evil of nature.

Instead I just had to go over to the bookseller, and question her out…this would undoubtly empty my purse a bit. I knocked three times just as my disappeared victim had. “Word of the day”, was all I got.

-“Would open up in the name of the Tribunal Temple, or get a bolt through your head suffice”, I asked her a bit angry. Needless to say the door was opened pretty damn quickly, and I quickly slammed the door behind me, and locked it.

-“What may I do for you sera”, she asked in an overridden courteous voice.

-“Ok, I’ll be simple with you, tell me voluntarily now the name of the anonymous author of the Common Tongue…or I take you with me to the Temple for interrogation…I am an Inquisitor, so I can do what I want with you”, normally threats like this used to pay of…this time it did not…figures don’t it.

-"No. I have no idea who the writer of 'The Common Tongue' is. Stands to reason, doesn't it? He's anonymous, right? And I never read 'The Common Tongue', anyway."

Well, I wont say I didn’t try, but as always people were rarely intimidated by my threats, I should really start thinking on another threat to come with. So seeing that there were no other option, I put ten five septim coins on the counter…”I do not quite understand what you talk about”, she said with a smile. I put another ten on the table, and then the septims was quickly swept into her purse before she started to talk again.

-"If I were looking around for an anonymous writer, I'd talk to someone who deals in writing -- books and scrolls, for example. Perhaps a person with a shady reputation -- like a pawnbroker."

I smiled, and then turned my back and got out…ok, a pawnbroker, it was only one choice, and that was to visit each pawnbroker there was in the city. I knew that there was a pawnbroker right across the street, ran by a Dunmer, so that was my first choice.

The Dunmer who ran the shop, a middle aged mer named Sunel Hlas, was a sad and rather grudgy man, who was more rude than what was normal.

-“Gah Women, the curse and blessing here in life…if only my wife was alive”, he seemed rather oblivious of my existence. “Sorry, what’s wrong”? I asked him, in hope of getting a connection with him.

-“I used to be married, I had a beautiful wife, and we constantly wandered around Morrowind in search of a good adventure. One day she told me that we should quit now when the game was still good, as one day it would turn the other way…but I didn’t listen, I convinced her to come on one last quest, she did that. On our way back, we were attacked by a pair of bandits, I managed to drive them away with my family sword, but it was too late for my wife, she had been stabbed in the back, and was already dead when I looked at her…and since then I have not managed to get in contact with new women”.

He sobbed a little, and I got a sudden stroke of inspiration…”You know”, I said putting my arm comfortly at his shoulder, “I have met a beautiful Dunmer woman, names Marena Gilnith who wishes to meet a man, she is really sweet…if you want I can arrange a meeting”.

He looked at me, and his eyes cheered up…”A-a woman, who is beautiful and you think she would want me, I mean look at me, I’m not normally a person someone would fall for”, his attitude had once again changed back to hopeless and sour.

-“Pfft…look at yourself, you are a handsome mer, all you need is to cheer up, be positive when you go to the date with her, be yourself, and by allmeasn treat her nicely, listen to her, and just be happy, if you do that you are sure to get her to like you…no woman likes someone who are just being sour and drained of hope…so be positive”.

I walked to the door, before I suddenly realised why I had come here in the first place…”oh, do you know who the anonymous writer of the Common Tongue is”?

-“First off all, thanks for helping me with this…but I am sorry, I don’t know who the writer is, but you might want to try out Ten-Tongues-Weerhat out, I’m sure he can tell you something”.

I bowed to him, before I opened the door again, by now the Bazaar had managed to be filled up with people who was doing their daily business. Ten-Tongues was positioned next to the Bookshop I had been to earlier, and I found it strange that someone as an Argonian could afford a bigger house to have his shop in…definitely something less legal I presume.

-"Welcome, Dunmer, welcome! The best deals in all of Mournhold can be found here. Low prices every day, and special offers as well! Please, take your time and look through my wares."

I looked around, before I drew up two hundred septims, and pushed them over the counter…I’d like to know what the name of the anonymous writer of the Common Tongue is”.

He smiled a bit, before he made the money vanish into the depths of his money pouch. "Here's what I've heard. I've heard that the guy who writes 'The Common Tongue' is someone named Trels Varis. Now, this is not a name known to me personally. I make it a habit to know the names of people in Mournhold personally. And this guy I do not know. And other people I talk to also do not know. Which is noteworthy in itself. I make the guess that this guy is well-hid, and wants to stay well-hid. But where do I first hear about this guy? In the Craftsmen's Hall. So maybe that is a one place to look."

-“Oh, do you wish to hear some of my special offers, I always have something good in for my friends…let me show you the scrolls I just got in”.
He took up a great number of scrolls, rare scrolls that was, he had five scrolls of Ekash’s-locksplitter, five of Taldams Scorcher, and three Infernobolts, all of tehm was sold tome by the lousy price of two hundred septims…so this was how he was making money, by selling rare scrolls cheap…if I was to buy this any other palace I would probably had to pay several thousand septims, but why should I care, now I had a great place to get deadly scrolls from, I was not gonna complain.


Ok, time to head over to the Craftsmen Hall, the door was naturally open, so it was just to walk in. The entrance hall was big, and it had a larger flowerbed in the middle of the room. I saw a room dead ahead of me, so I could just as well head over there, no reason not to. While I walked towards the room, I noticed a door to my right, locked…locked up too good just to be a storage door…strange.

It seemed that I had gone into the room of a smithy, actually two smiths working in the same room. Seeing as one of them was an Orc, and the other was Dunmer, I tried out the Dunmer first…I have a bad experience with Orcs that’s all.

“Excuse me sera, is it possible for you to tell me who the anonymous writer of the Common Tongue is”, the answer I would get was naturally obvious from the start of.

-“No, I don’t, and it kinda makes sense doesn’t it…I mean he is after all anonymous, so you wont find Trels Varis her….oh crap, I shouldn’t have said that”, he said turning maroon.

I smiled, “ok so where is he, behind that locked door maybe…I think I’ll go check it out”, I turned my back and started to walk towards the door, holding my sword ready…”NEVER”!!!!!, that scream would summon each person in the building here.

He came running towards me, with his sword lifted up high….always a mistake to attack in rage, and this was no exception, I swung out with my sword, and he stopped as the tip of my sword rested on his throat.

-“Drop that blade sera, one wrong movement, and you’ll have to work without a head, I cant imagine how that will be”, the sword fell from his hand, and down to the floor. I punched my elbow in his face, and he fell unconscious to the floor.

I looked at the door, it was heavily locked, that would be easy with the scrolls I had, the problem was the trap that was on it, I don’t think I would have been able to disarm, that, even in my prime…no this needed heavier equipment.

I stepped back, and unfolded the Infernobolt scroll. “Imh narsg amun ashg dagor”, the orange ball flew across the room, and hit the door. The light was to bright, so I had to close my eyes, and the searing flames burned my skin, even though they were far away from me.

AS the flames ebbed out, I looked at the door, it was unsurprisingly blown to pieces, and burnt away, and that gave me a free passage. The room behind held some valuables like ebony and glass, but nothing too spectacular, the trapdoor on the floor however was interesting, and even better it was not locked at all, I opened it and slid down.

I had only managed to turn myself, before I had three blades pointed at my throat, I could see Calvius hanging in a corner, beat up and everything, but thankfully alive.

-“What is your business here intruder”, a Mer dressed in fine clothes asked me.

-“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just a little burglar trying to make a living that’s all…I though the room was empty”.

He started laughing, he laughed for about a minute or so I think…”a burglar…oh that is got to be the best one I’ve heard in ages...hahaha, but…but seriously tell me what you want or you’ll end up as your friend there”, he pointed at Calvius.

I pointed to the chairs at the table, so I was escorted over, and two of the Mer’s stood behind me, blades drawn and all. I told them the entire story, how Helseth was made to give orders he didn’t want to give, that Tienus Delitian was holding the Royal Family as hostages…that I wanted him to stop writing lies about Helseth.

-“So…I must say you have convinced me, you have a good way of talking to people, and I’d love to believe in you…but why, why should I stop, I mean I have to make a living as well”.

I smiled a bit, I had this all figured out…there would be a rebellion soon, I would make sure of that. People may not love Helseth too much, but if they got to know that a human Imperial was threatening Queen Barenzia, they would want that mans head on a pike by dawn.

-“What’s in this for you…I promise you this, I will give you three-thousand septims for the orphans funds, and I want you to start writing the truth I just told you, about Delitian holding the Royal Family as hostages, wanting to kill both Helseth and Barenzia…but start on it right now…if things go as I have planned, there will be a rebellion, and Delitian will be dead, and you’ll get a substantive reward”.

He pondered on the matter for a moment, before he struck his hand out…”Deal”.

This is where I left him, I managed to get Calvius over my shoulder, and teleport us to the palace, where I again had to drop him off, so that his injuries could be treated. Meanwhile, I had matters with Delitian.

-“Delitian, I managed to persuade the author of the Common Tongue to stop printing lies about Helseth, he said he would go over to honest work, and don’t write about the King any longer”.

-“How did you manage this Delvanni”, he asked rather curious. “Oh I gave him a strict…ah…business offer, and three-thousand septims to the orphans funds”.

-“Very well, you have proven your allegiance to me…no the King I meant, therefore I give you this blade…King’s Oath is its name, it is said that only the pure may use it without getting burned, oh and three-thousand septims for your lost valuables”.

I was about to go out of the door, when he called me back. “Oi Delvanni, you forgot your sword, and the Queen wishes to see you”.

Bugger, always another assignment, I hated this stuff of politics. I took the sword he gave me, and instantly dropped it, it weighed a ton, there was no way I could use it…but I could always sell it, or perhaps Calvius could use it.
The room of the Queen was heavily guarded, at least on the outside…four guards stood watch, and I was as always stopped to tell my business, as soon as I told my name the door swung open.

[jack cloudy]

Long, but brilliant. I like the investigation. And I especially like Telina's solution to locked doors. I mean, blowing up the whole thing is both easier and more fun. Too bad you can't actually do that in the game, then I could finally drop my security.

[DarkHunter]

wow... I haen't check you're fan fic in a while Tellie! Nice to see you're still writing to an expertise.

[Tellie]

Ok....so I'm writing on an update now, hopefully it isnt too far away.

[Tellie]

The room of the Queen was heavily guarded, at least on the outside…four guards stood watch, and I was as always stopped to tell my business, as soon as I told my name the door swung open.

The Queen was a woman of absolute beauty, long silvery hair, a face free of wrinkles, eyes that spoke of warmth love and knowledge, so I could instantly understand why the people loved the Queen. The guards nodded at me and left, clearly they were a part of the Order as well, so there we were, I was alone with the most powerful woman in Mournhold, and undoubtly she would have a request to me, one I would be forced to undertake, as I would undoubtly pay dear for refusing…someday.

-“As you know, me and my son is being held captive here, and sooner rather than later the palace will most likely be stormed, until then it is imperative that we stay alert…the Temple seeks to crush my son and his dynasty…so I need you to get close to the Temple, seek out Fedris Hler, and ask if he have any tasks for you, that would be all”.

Oh great, I knew something like this would happen, I really needed to get back to Vvardenfell and think a bit, that sounded like a really good idea, so I told Calvius to stay back here, and keep in touch with the Order in case something would happen.

I had just reached the council hall in the Ebonheart castle, when I bumped into Duke Dren, who was finished with his breakfast, or so it seemed.

Hello Dren…the first part of my payback have been completed, your brotherhood pawnies at Mournhold are just piles of ash and blood now…so know this you’re servants here on Vvardenfell is next, and then I’ll get you by the end.

To see his face go pale as a slaughterfish, gave me great satisfaction, even more so, when he invited me to talk with him under four eyes, unarmed naturally, a chance I took.

We walked into his private chambers, and I seated myself in a chair opposite him. He sat down and looked me worried into my eyes.

-“So-so you managed to kill the Mournhold brotherhood, so what, here at Vvardenfell we’re much more equipped, and now we’re ready for you”, this voice had again taken up the noble, superlative and arrogant tune, he thought he could plan such things, that I was just another equation he needed to calculate, that was probably his biggest mistake.

-“So what if you’re better prepared, you’re scattered and cowardly…I will find all of you, and crush you…one…by one”!!! I said bitterly.

He looked at me for a few seconds before he burst out laughing…”Seriously, how would you do that…who do you think you are…God”? he continued his manickly laughing.

I stirred on him for a bit, before I quickly as a serpent drew a hidden dagger, and held it towards his throat. I leaned closer to his face, so that our eyes was mere inches away…”NO, I AM NOT GOD…BECAUSE GOD WOULD FORGIVE”!!! then I pushed him hard backwards, before I plunged the dagger which had a note written I’ll be back for you, on it into the table, then I ran as fast as I could out the doors, and I did not stop before I was standing on the deck of a ship, heading towards Tel Branora.

After a horrible boat-trip(I still hate boats), I was standing a bit shaky on the docks of Tel Branora.
I needed some work, so I could increase further in Great House Telvanni, and why not start with making potential allies, and Dratha was my first choice.

Walking through Drathas tower, told me one thing…this woman most likely didn’t like men too much, as I saw not a single man in here…only women. Dratha herself was sitting on a big chair made of silver. I was surprised when she suddenly raised herself, and welcomed me with extended arms.

-“Ah Delvanni, it is a pleasure to finally meet you at last…Baladas have told me a great deal about you”, I was just stunned, and did not know what to say. “So, if you do me a favour, I’ll make sure to support you, and I’ll give you a little tip as well”.

After telling me what she wanted, I was moving through the immaterium towards Sadrith Mora. Dratha wanted me to bring back the amulet of flesh made whole, which had been stolen by a former male guard, who was now working for Neloth….ah life’s little ironies eh.

I walked into Neloths tower, knowing full well what to do, so I loaded my crossbows, time to give a little surprise to Mr. Berengeval.

I looked around the room, most of the people was watching me, good.

-“I have a package due for Berengeval, is he here”? I yelled. And true enough he was here, clad in a blue shiny robe, and an amulet around his neck. And then he is just so stupid that he actually walked over to me so that he was a few feet away from me…”what package”? he asked greedy.

-“THIS”, I yelled, and fired both bolts into his forehead. Naturally he was dead before he hit the stairs, and then the rest of Neloth’s cronies tried to stop me.

-“HOLD”, I yelled. “our rules deems me more worthy of his possessions than he is, so I could kill him without getting into trouble”…only then did I realise how stupid I had been…again, after that little speech there was nothing against them doing the same to me. I hate it when I get too smart for my own good.

So there I stood surrounded by half a dozen angry mages who wished to have my head brought to Neloth on a silver plate….typical eh?

I fortunately had a few of my darts close by, so I waited for them to make their move. One thing that I had learned in my stay with Baladas, was that I could now cast spells, with thinking on them instead of silly hand motions and shouting incantations, which gave me about a three second head start compared to other mages.

So one of them started to cast an intricate spell, I dragged out my arrogant self. “No no no, you should do it like THIS”, I yelled at him, the same moment I extended my hand and launched a fireball at him. He screamed, and started to run around, in flames, but it didn’t take long before he was just a burning lump on the ground, one down five to go.

While I played with the mage, one had gotten the time of drawing a rather sharp looking claymore, and he was now swirling it around in heavy death laden arcs. Fortunately I knew how to counter it, I quickly enhanced his strength by a simple spell, and his suddenly increased strength, combined with the sword he was swirling around, made him lose control of it. A second later the head of his closest companion flew across the room, and landed nicely in the water-mug. He stopped swinging to see what he had done, and that gave me the time of pushing two bolts into place, firing one at him and one at another one was also a simple issue, even better the two remaining mages lifted their skirts away from the floor, and ran away with their tails between their feet.

I had not counted on this, but the situation did actually reward me with everything I could carry away from the now empty first floor, things like expensive robes, good scrolls, more bolts weapons and other stash, which I dumped off at my stronghold, before I teleported myself back to Drathas chambers, and delivered the amulet to her.

-“Ah good, thank you...and as a reward I give you theses two scrolls, use them wisely, and now for the advice I have to give you”.

-“If you wish to become a Master, you will first need a mouth, and I’ve heard of a Telvanni in Balmora that can be a candidate…but there is something else, you can refuse to become a master and instead take the title Magister, it have not been used in over a thousand years, but it is available for anyone to take, the only catch is that you must challenge the Arch-Magister in combat…so discuss this further with your patron first ok”? then she just, left me and I found myself floating against my will back to Baladas study-room in Arvs Drelen.

[jack cloudy]

hah, more Telina. Oh, I love that girl. She just has so much style. Though I have to admit it would be easier to just kill Dren instead of running away. Oh well, enjoy the loot. And Gothren is easy, just rush in with a sword and hack him in two before his cronies can help. As they said in this book once. ,,When fighting a mage, close the distance and hit them hard."

[Tellie]

Baladas looked up at me, before smiling. “Ah Telina, you have returned I see, and I know the reason well…but before we do anything next to your advancement, I have two chores for you”, I sat down by his table, and listened carefully.

-“As you know, your stronghold was completely legal, as the Redoran’s and Hlaalu’s have complained much in the past with our less than legal strongholds…but, now it seems they have done the same, the manor of Bal Isra by the Redoran’s and Odai platform, is illegal…so you go ahead and slay Raynasa Rethan, and Banden Indarys, and sack the manors, before you put them to the torch”.

This was just too simple, I had a good idea of what to do, so I bowed before I took the closest strider to Vivec…time to talk to Czevahk again. I found Lord Iquisitor Czevahk in his respective chambers at the ministry of Truth, and sat down at his desk.

-“So Delvanni, what is it you want”? he asked me.

-“It have come to my ears that both house Hlaalu and Redoran have built illegal strongholds, so I need four or five troopers, to clear out the strongholds”…he looked at me, before a smile stretched across his face, a cold smile that sent a chill deep into my bones. “Very well, you take my four guards, and clear the manors of their masters”.

The closest manor was the one at Odai platform, so me and my four Ordinators took a strider to Balmora, and then walked at foot the rest of the way. It was almost nightfall when we came to the platform. A high wall stretched around the entire place, and I could see a tall watchtower made out of stone. The sole guard yelped before he took his to his feet in the general direction of away from us as fast as he could…so much for chivalry.

At the courtyard inside, we could see three buildings, so I ordered two Ordinators to take the watchtower and the other two to take the furthest manor, I would take the main manor myself. As I entered, two servants tried to block my path, but I aimed my two crossbows at them, and told them to get the Oblivion out of here if they valued their lives.

After they had left I walked fast up the stairs. “RETHAN…COME OUT AND FACE ME”, I yelled. And there in a chair by the corner sat a drunk Raynasa Rethan.

-“Oh *hic* crap, I told the builder I would *hic* get in trouble for this”. She was pathetic, and I didn’t even bother fight her, instead I just fired two bolts into her chest, swift and painless.

The manor had much of interest in it, one thing that pleased me much was the Ebony Longsword, and the Ebony throwing stars, along with various other things like gold and gems. I took everything of value, and fastened the sword at my belt, before I took a torch, and put everything that could be burned to fire. The Ordinators had done the same to the buildings they had visited, and their armour was predictably bloodstained, and big piles of weapons and armour was laying outside. We loaded all of the stuff inside two crates, and had it shipped to my stronghold at Salendils grave, and then we made it back to Balmora to get a room for the night.

I myself could not sleep at all, I was stained in sweat, and could not get the thought of what the Ordinators had done to those helpless servants out of my head. The next morning we caught an early strider to Ald Rhuun, and walked up to Bal Isra. The stronghold was smartly built, with the most of the manor buried under the ground, and they had a fabulous watchtower, that had managed to spot us, so there was an armed retinue of guards waiting for us when we arrived, and naturally being Redoran everything was built of these ugly shells, that made me sick just to look at.

-“Step back Telvanni, you have no business here”, one of the guards yelled at me, pointing his weapon at me.

-“In the name of the Tribunal temple, this manor is to be raised to the ground, due to illegal construction, and your master Banden Indarys is to be killed, but I give him a choice of fighting me first”. One of the guards ran inside again, soon after he came out with the mer who had to be Banden.

I was a bit shocked when I saw Banden, he was taller than any other mer I had seen, and had it not been for his skin colour, I would have believed that big muscular body to be of an orc, and in his hand he was holding a massive Ebony Broadsword.

-“So, you dare to fight me woman…you shall regret it, because I Banden Indarys house father of house Redoran always kill my enemies…lets fight a duel”, and then he charged forward.

-“So a duel eh”? I said, as I took aim with my crossbows, “Don’t expect a chivalrous fight from me”, and then I shot two bolts towards Banden.

The bolts flew straight and true, and one of them slammed into his chest, the other however, missed some altitude, and locked itself in his left knee, which forced him to tumble over, and gave me an advantage.

I looked over at the screaming Banden, who was desperately trying to remove the bolt, that had locked his knee totally. I saw that he would not manage that without help, so I gave him a fireball to put him out of his misery.

-“OK, I’ll give you one minute to get the Oblivion out of my way before we start killing everyone here”, I yelled, and the guards was quick to run away. I walked into the manor, and gathered everything of value, including a massive oak throne, which stands in my house to this very day. We did the same as before, and loaded everything in crates, and shipped them towards my stronghold, and then we put the entire thing to the torch, but not before I had drawn a rough sketch of the watchtower. I bade the Ordinators goodbye, and watched them go back to Vivec, and I was about to move away myself, before I remembered something, Indarys’ sword. The big Broadsword was so heavy that I could hardly lift it, but it would make a great asset to my collection, so I teleported back to my Tel for some rest.

I awoke next morning feeling the odd way of having yet again gotten greater intellect, and I felt…lucky, not to mention stronger and fitter. I had had this same feeling of being…elevated several times before, and it felt great each time. I only had a quick breakfast, before I was off to Baladas study-room again, and found him happily awaiting me.