Immortal Words - Saurano Direnni

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Evening

I made it back to Mournhold without issue. I made it a point to see the king's captain at once. He took one look at the note I'd found, and prepared writs of execution for each of those mentioned in the assassination plan. I will admit I felt a pang of guilt for a moment, but it passed quickly. These fools were amateurs, and would only hinder my efforts. If anything, killing them would vastly improve my odds of being in the same room as the king. What better way could I prove my undying loyalty to Morrowind's new king?

The captain couldn't help me much with their whereabouts, so I was left to do my usual investigating. It didn't take me too long to find out that Bedal Alen was somewhat of a connoisseur of the written word. It just so happens that I know of a book store next to the armory I frequent. So I headed there.

Inside I found the owner. We spoke briefly but he didn't seem to want to talk much unless it had to do with selling books. So I took a look around and when he wasn't watching I slipped up a set of stairs.

In the upper room I found Bedal, and I wasted no time in presenting my writ to him. He wasted no time in calling me down and drawing his sword. After casting a fairly weak poison spell on me, he dove in with his blade. I was using my short sword, trying to keep up my practice, and the first strike rendered him unable to move. He was dead before the paralysis wore off.

Next I headed to the sewers below Godsreach. A tip from a guard had me on the trail of Hloggar the Bloody. He was said to be holed up in the underworld somewhere. After nearly a day of hacking through goblins and durzogs, I found a cave entrance in the sewers, and a short time later I found Hloggar. He was a stout nord, clad from neck to toe in heavy plate armor, and wearing a large hammer on his back. He looked exactly like the brute he'd been described as in the note.

Once again I presented the writ and once again insults were hurled at me, followed by the gleaming head of a very large warhammer. I absorbed the first strike as I was trying to cast an enchantment. The strike threw me off and I had to try again. A second strike repeated the issue. I scrambled backwards, trying to create some distance. Luckily I was more nimble-footed and quick than the mindless beast, and on the third try I cast my belt enchantment. This would help shield me from some damage and make me somewhat more difficult to hit as well.

I reached for my short sword and reconsidered. Despite wanting to keep up my training, I was more interested in not getting hit with that hammer too many more times. Longsword in hand I struck back, then circled and struck again. He retaliated with his hammer and a very loud grunt, but he missed, and I struck him two more times. Again he swung and again he missed. My slashing continued. The heavy-handed nord launched his steel again, this time striking me solidly. The blow nearly knocked me over, and forced me to find a health potion quickly.

The battle continued, back and forth, as I danced around him. His blows were powerful, but my maneuvering was his undoing. He fell dead just as his accomplice had.

Now I have one more to find. A fellow named Forven Berano. I'm told he's likely to be found in the temple or close to it.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Afternoon

Forven Berano was indeed in the temple district. He was wandering the gardens on an unusually beautiful day when I came across him. I was somewhat nervous to be in the temple gardens again. After my run in with that wretched elf Gaenor, I had been religiously avoiding the area. But I had no choice today. And I did my best to calm my nerves, while my eyes kept a vigilant watch around me.

My target had no idea what he was in for when I called out his name. But my words that followed made it all very clear to him. I suspect he even knew his fate. He was not really prepared for a fight, and the sight of me in my mix of glass armor and black brotherhood armor must have been a demoralizing sight indeed. Still, he had honor and didn't beg for his life. He drew his sword instead and invited me to do my worst.

I did.

The poor fellow put up a fight for only the briefest amount of time. My longsword made short work of him, and I believe he only struck me once. My real concern was that our fight may have drawn the attention of Gaenor, assuming he's still loitering in the gardens. But I scanned and scanned and didn't see a sign of him.

So I returned to the king's captain. I was certain that now I would gain an audience with the king, at which point I could offer the king my services directly and put into action the second phase of my plan. But to my extreme disappointment the king's captain tasked me with another job, and offered the king's thanks for him. It only made me more determined to follow through on what needs to be done.

This assassination will be my opus. I will bide my time and be more patient than any would have thought possible. I will willingly undergo the morbid agony that no other soul would ever choose to suffer. And the king's blood will be mine. And then all of Tamriel will know of my name and know that I'm the best there is.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Afternoon

No one wants to talk about the writer with no name. The one who pens The Common Tongue. The king's captain has asked me to located the writer and silence him by any means. But that's hard to do when the entire city acts like he's a figment of your imagination.

But after several taxing hours of talking to everyone on the street, I finally got a lead. Someone mentioned that the local pawnbroker might know more about the mystery man. So I paid him a visit, but not until after I visited my friend who sells me potions. I procured a very special potion from him today .. Telvanni bug musk. It's a strange elixir that enhances your personality for a brief period of time, allowing you to be more 'influential' with people. And I wanted to make sure I was able to sweet-talk the argonian pawnbroker.

The bug musk got the lizard-man talking, but he was still unsure of saying much more. So I made it worth his while with a hundred coins. It turns out he didn't really know that much after all. Just that the man behind the writings .. might .. be named Trels Varis .. and that he .. might .. be located in the craftman's hall in Godsreach. It wasn't much, but it was enough to pursue.

So I headed to Godsreach next, and spoke to everyone in the hall. No one knew of anyone named Trels Varis. Or so they claimed. My gut is telling me that he's here, and that they are protecting him. It would make sense. He would likely only surround himself by the people he trusted the most. But where could I find him, if no one was going to help me?

I was still poking around on my way out when I spotted a door off to my left. It was out of the way and somewhat unassuming in it's placement. I walked over to it and noticed a small signed posted ... "KEEP OUT!" I checked and the door was locked as well, with a very nice lock I might add.

So I've been hanging out, trying not to look too suspicous, to keep tabs on the door. But as of yet no one has entered or left. For all I know the others in the building have already alerted whoever is behind the door of my presence. My questions surely would have tipped off anyone trying to protect the writer.

It looks like my only option may be to wait for the right time, and pick the lock .. and see what's behind the door.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Evening

Beyond the door was a tiny room .. a room with a shelf and trapdoor to a room below. The room below was much larger, and the moment I dropped down the ladder I had four sets of surprised and calculating eyes upon me. My own eyes quickly surveyed the room and the occupants. Strewn about the room were copies of The Common Tongue, as well as supplies for printing. It was obvious I had found what I was looking for.

Of the four dunmer that were staring me down, two appeared to be workers, one appeared to be security .. judging by his set of chitin armor, and the last appeared to be the man I was seeking. I walked straight toward him before anyone had a chance to really react to my presence in the room. I had entered with my weapons sheathed, as a precaution to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed. I have no qualms with shedding anyone's blood really, but in this particular case I didn't feel it was going to be necessary. And someone this secretive my turn out to be a good ally after my true task is completed.

Unfortunately Trels was not at all happy to see me in his secret printing office. His tone was obviously threatening, and I was absolutely positive there would be no peaceful resolution. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't still appreciate the element of surprise. So I apologized and explained that I had arrived to the room by mistake and that I would bid them farewell and keep my mouth shut. Of course I had every intention of coming back while invisible and cutting them each down.

I'm not sure if they suspected this, or if they were just being appropriately cautious, but my response bore no weight for them. I was told I would not be allowed to leave unfortunately. That I would have to die. I don't think so.

I'll give them some credit, in the time that it took me to ready my amulet enchantment they had me nearly dead from some type of very powerful health draining spell. Weapons were drawn and I was about to be surrounded while outnumbered when I finally got my enchantment cast. I drank a health potion next, to avoid my certain death, and then realized that my chameleon enchantment wasn't working. The two men who I figured for staff members were still coming at me and swinging their weapons .. a sword and a staff, both carrying paralyze enchantments.

Somehow I avoided their strikes, and struck back with a vengeance. I managed to avoid two additional strikes and then they both fell dead under another pair of my own. At that point I crouched down behind a table and to my satisfaction, the other two men couldn't seem to find me. Because of this I was able to sneak around behind Trels and run him through the back with my longsword. He died instantly. His bodyguard met the same fate.

And then it was over. Four dead in a matter of a minute or less, and myself not too much worse for the wear. In the morning I'll head back to speak to the king's captain, and see if I can't finally get the king to thank me personally.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold Sewers - Unknown

I've been down here for days. Days. I've run out of food. Having to eat putrid durzog meat now. Every goblin I hack through is just one more reason I want to take the king's life. I shouldn't even be down here. It's madness.

The king's captain thanked me for killing Trels. Thanked me with five thousand gold coins. I'm not one to turn my nose at money, but I was fully expecting a thank you from the king himself. After all I've done so far it seems the least he could do. But no. I received the captain's thanks once again instead.

Things were looking better briefly, when the captain instructed me to speak with Queen Barenziah, the king's own mother. That is a sign of progress. But I don't care to spill the former's queen's blood. Well I didn't. Now I do. Instead of getting me closer to her son she sent me back to the temple, to Fedris Hler. She wants me to get in his good graces so I can gather information for the royal family. The irony is nearly killing me. I'm doing exactly the same thing, but with the royal family itself.

Fedris is convinced that Helseth is amassing a goblin army in the sewers. There are certainly goblins down here. Far too many in fact. But I've seen no evidence so far that Helseth is behind it. No doubt if he is, it's to help him overthrow the temple and secure his power in the throne. But this is insanity. I'm sloggy my way through the dark, with the sounds of goblins all around me. I'm risking my life around every turn. And I'm cutting through this goblin hoard one by one, this army of the king, by the request of his very own mother. It's insanity.

The only shred of benefit to my plight is that with every step, my skills become more and more honed. When the time comes .. I will be ready.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold Sewers - Unknown

I'm so weary of the dark .. of tunnels and ruins .. of the stink of goblins .. of feet soggy from water .. of a stomach full of duzrog flesh.

The only good news is I managed to run across a pair of goblin warchiefs. Not good in the sense that I wanted to meet them, but good in the sense that it was obvious they were in charge of the army of goblins I've been clawing my way through. They were both challenging opponents. Both made extensive use of magic. But I had several potions at my disposal that quickly evened the fight. Cure poison and resist magic are excellent potions for situations like these. Both warchiefs are now dead, and assuming this news will make Fedris happy and perhaps move things forward for me with the king or his mother.

The real issue now is just finding a way out. I'm basically underground, wandering in the lost ruined city of Old Mournhold, with goblins and durzogs everywhere I go. And fairly lost at this point, and trying not to give in to frustration .. or lose hope.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold Sewers - Unknown

Just as I was losing hope I came across a large section of ruins with a old metal door tucked away almost out of sight. I clambered down a rocky slope and waded through some knee-deep water and stepped through the door. On the other side, a room, with several goblins and a war durzog. After dispatching them I took more careful note of this room. It's different than the rest of the ruins. It doesn't strike me as goblin occupied. I even found a strange book, talking about bonemen .. with some sort of prayer inside it. Goblins aren't exactly known for their literacy.

There are four doors inside the room, not counting the one I came in through. I have no idea which to try first, but I can hear goblin sounds on the other side of each. So perhaps it doesn't matter that much.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold Sewers - Unknown

The first room I checked indeed had a goblin residing inside. He was as surprised to see me as he was to see my blade sliding through his stomach. I moved on and checked the next door, which led to a hall that turned sharply left. No one was inside. I began to walk around the corner and suddenly I felt myself falling .. through the floor!

Everything went darker and then I landed on stone with a loud and painful crunch. My armor protected me to some extent, but the fall still hurt and left me on the ground gasping for air. Before I could gather my wits I realized I could hear sounds of movement all around me. My eyes were still blurry from the pain and the darkness, but I quickly made out the forms of several goblins as they gathered around me to finish me off.

With their blows raining down on me, I somehow managed to get to my feet. I tried to fight but I was being struck at from all directions. So I did my best to push through my attackers, and created just enough space to cast a protection enchantment. I then turned to face the goblins with my sword, while drinking down a health potion. The fight that followed was intense, but the goblins each eventually fell one by one.

I just so happened to have a potion with me to allow me to levitate, and I considered using it to go back up to where I came from. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I continued on in the tunnels to see if there was another way out.

Eventually I came across another door, and stepping through I found myself in a small area with two well-armored dunmer. I wasn't sure if they were going to be hostile or not, but I was hoping they could help me find my way out. Or at the very least, offer me something to eat other than durzog. But the second I revealed myself they drew their weapons, and I prepared myself.

Except I wasn't quite prepared for the fight that resulted. The two dunmer were both very well-versed with their weapons in addition to being so well-armored. One wore heavy plate armor, while the other had a type of armor I've only heard of before .. orcish. Both were also well-armed. One brandished a very nasty ebony war axe, and the other an ebony longsword. Again, two items I've never laid eyes on before. These details alone alerted me to the fact that I was in serious trouble.

And if their arms and armor weren't enough, they possessed strong magic and great skill with their weapons as well. To make matters even worse, as the battle erupted with the blasts of fireballs and the clang of metal on metal, a war durzog raced in to join the fight. I was in a very bad predicament indeed.

Before I really had a chance to do anything at all I was almost dead. I had no choice but to take a health potion. Then retreat and do my best to cast my belt enchantment, and my strength enchantment. But the strikes were coming in so fast and hard I could barely do a thing. I had to take another health potion, and I hadn't even drawn my sword yet.

I realized that this was truly a dire situation at that moment, and I quickly used my ancestor guardian ability to protect myself. It's a power I was born with, and I use it very very rarely, as it's only available to me once on a daily basis. But I had no choice here. I needed all the help I could muster.

Finally I had my sword drawn and I was striking back. Both dunmer had shields, and many of my blows were being deflected. I was trying to focus my own strikes on one of them at a time, to try and improve my odds, but the fighting was chaos in the darkness. Weapons clanged against armor and cut against flesh, while the durzog snarled and tore at my body. I was going through health potions very quickly, and not making much progress on killing anyone.

So I grabbed another bottle. A bottle of sujamma. It's a liquid that gives you great strength but really impedes your intelligence. It's not something I would normally drink, but I happened to have taken it off of a goblin earlier, and I needed strength at this point more than my brain. The drink kicked in like an angry mule, and I finally started gaining an advantage on one of the dunmer.

The fight raged on, for quite some time, before I emerged alive and victorious. I had used up at least a half dozen health potions, more than I've ever used before I think. I had also used my enchantments and my ancestor power and a bottle of sujamma. But I was alive.

Unfortunately I'm still lost in these wretched sewers.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold Sewers - Unknown

My cuirass is useless. Beaten into bits of nothing by the relentless hoard of goblins in the sewers. The rest of my armor is not fairing much better. Even my sword is looking overly worn. I've been without a repair hammer for too long, and now I'm becoming more and more vulnerable to the denizens of this wretched place.

Everything looks the same down here, and yet it all looks different. I can only conclude I'm wandering in circles, doomed to spend the rest of my days slowly losing my sanity ... and my appetite. The durzog meat has not grown on me one bit. Just the thought of it now makes me gag.

I feel like I haven't slept in a month. I know I have ... but sleeping in dark corners on cold, slimy rocks with visions of goblin silhouettes haunting your mind is no way to try to rest. I'm pretty certain I've been down here nearly two weeks now. I'm losing my mind.

And yet here ahead of me ... a section of the sewers that looks familiar from days and days ago .. from when I first came down. Or perhaps it's just my mind playing tricks on me now. I see more goblins ahead. I only wish that was my mind playing tricks as well.

 

[snapzit]

You have to get out of there!

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Afternoon

Unbelievable.

I finally made it back out of the sewers. And now I have to go back.

After finding my way out, I went to see Fedris at the temple. Well, first I went to get a proper meal. And then I slept for nearly an entire day. And then I repaired my armor and weapons. But after all of that I went to see Fedris.

He was very pleased to hear of my exploits. I'm sure he had assumed I was dead .. that I had perished days ago in the sewers. But I wasn't, and he rewarded me not only with his thanks, but with fifteen thousand drakes. I was shocked. I guess the temple is doing well.

The truth is that the well-outfitted elves I had run into were trainers. They were down there training the goblins. Fedris was very pleased to hear I had slain them. And I was pleased to put the temple's gold in my pockets. But unfortunately he has sent me to speak with the lord archcanon for the temple, and the head priest has asked me to go back into the sewers on what could possibly be an even more dangerous mission.

I'm to enter the sewers below the temple, and escort another priest named Urvel Dulni to the Shrine of the Dead .. all so that he can perform a sacred blessing. The trouble, aside from being back in the sewers .. and aside from having to watch someone else's back .. is that the shrine has been overrun with undead. Killing goblins could be child's play compared to slaying wraiths and liches and the such.

I want to say no, and I would, except this is just one more step on my path. I have to see it that way. I can't rush the process. Patience is more than a virtue, it will be the key to my success.

 

[BIGwooly]

You have to get out of there!

You have no idea, lol. I was starting to think I was going to die down there with no armor left, hahaha.

 

[snapzit]

A clairvoyance spell could be very helpful down there.

This story is becoming more interesting by the day. I can imagine my character joining yours to help with the riffraff. He's got top archery and sneak skills, and is a bad, bad dude who has a soft spot for interior design. He likes nice armor, too, just got Blackguard. Oh, and he'll eat the dead.

 

[BIGwooly]

Well thanks for following it! And I agree, especially since it's gotten to be very nerve-wracking playing this character. When I fell through that trap in the sewers I thought I was dead for sure and I'm pretty sure I swore out loud, lol. I've become absolutely paranoid about her dying.

The spell would be a great idea except for two reasons.

1) Tavynu is unable to cast spells (worn enchantments aside .. it's assumed those are just activated)

2) Clairvoyance is not an available spell in Morrowind. d;-)

 

[BIGwooly]

Temple Sewers - Morning

Urvel is wearing nothing but a simple robe and shoes. His demeanor is that of a petrified child as well. This does not appear promising. I feel as though I've been given the task of rolling an egg down a rocky slope while keeping it from breaking open. This fellow is quite likely to die down here.

The moment we entered the sewers some rats and a bonelord spotted us. Urvel essentially panicked, and I did my best to put myself between him and our attackers. I think a better plan now is going to be to have him hold behind me a ways while I scout ahead and clear a path. But it makes me nervous to leave him out of my sight for even a moment as well.

I'm not cut out for babysitting.

 

[BIGwooly]

Temple Sewers - Unknown

You would think if they were going to send me down here with someone they choose someone that at least knew where we were going. It's bad enough this fetcher wouldn't survive a stiff breeze. But he doesn't even know where the shrine is. He's utterly useless to me.

And this is no place for him either. There are undead everywhere. Skeletons. Bonelords. Ghosts. Spirits. Wraiths.

The only good news is that so far they are proving somewhat easier to kill than goblins. Many of them I'm able to sneak up behind and assassinate before the others can take notice. This has helped immensely in clearing a path. And I've finally come to the doorway that leads to the old temple gardens. According to the vague directions I receive I'm to head east and then south. Hopefully it's that simple.

 

[BIGwooly]

Shrine of the Dead - Unknown

We finally found it. Or I should say .. I finally found it. Urvel is like a day old puppy, except not as cute. I left him outside the shrine so I could take a look inside first.

The door opened up to a cavernous room with pillars along the walls. I saw a figure in the center of the room. He was facing away from me, and I thought perhaps it was another priest. One perhaps that had been sent before us and had made it this far, but was stuck here for some reason. But as I got closer the pillars lit up with fire and they launched balls of flame at me. And the figure turned and I realized it was some sort of undead, but the likes of which I'd never seen before.

I drew my sword and quickly drank a fire resistance potion. As I charged in towards the being he summoned a very large beast. It roared a horrible roar as I ran past it. I knew I had to stay focused on the summoner, and kill him quickly. Fighting his creature would only tire me and leave me vulnerable to whatever other attacks the spirit was capable of.

And capable he was. I was slicing and slashing and running out of breath before I realized that the evil spirit was sapping my strength and endurance. Then I felt the sting of lightning as it cast more spells against me. I was forced to take a health potion, and then I went right back to my sword. The sinister apparition finally gave up it's spirit, and it's creature disappeared along with it.

But not before it had taken a third of my strength, and perhaps half of my endurance. I looked through my potions, and found my best two vials of strength restoration. I took both, and still my strength is not fully recovered. I don't happen to have any endurance potions.

There is a very large door in the room. Huge and metal, with ornate carvings covering it. I can only assume this leads to more of these types of spirits, and I'm feeling fairly nervous about continuing this task.

 

[BIGwooly]

Shrine of the Dead - Unknown

With about as much nervousness as Urvel himself, I pushed open the giant metal door and set my eyes upon a room with rounded steps leading to an altar. I could also see at least two more of the same spirits I had just faced. This was no good. I needed a plan.

While I was trying to come up with said plan, one of the beings approached me. Perhaps it had noticed the door was open, or maybe it caught the slightest bit of movement from me. Either way, it came to within ten paces of me and my heart nearly stopped. I was crouched and not moving a muscle, not even breathing .. or blinking. I was scared to death that my armor was going to creak just slightly and give me away. But it didn't. And I breathed a very slow breath of relief after the ghost had left.

I decided, especially not knowing what all awaited me in the room, that I should make use of my amulet. So I disappeared even more and crept into the room with my sword ready. As I approached the alter I noticed a third foul spirit nearby. It was coming up the steps towards me so I enacted phase two of the plan, and gulped down an entire flask of sujamma. My weakened strength returned, even if for just the next minute, and I waited for the wraith to pass me.

As it did I struck it hard and true in the back. It spun around, furious. But I was invisible to it. And I struck again .. hard. It fell to the steps as a pile of old clothing, defeated. I moved quickly and did the same to the other two. Then headed down a series of tunnels and struck down one more, all before my enchantment wore off. And all without triggering a counter-attack. I'll admit I smiled when it was over.

I made sure the rest of the area was clear, and then I brought the priest in. He explained to me that the spirits were acolytes, not that it means much to me. I was just happy they were gone. Urvel was too, and he immediately set about to cleanse the shrine. He didn't want to hang around down here any longer than I did.

The ceremony was fairly short, and we were on our way the moment it was completed. But there was one thing that still had my attention. I had found a crypt on the way in. It's door was locked, the only one I had seen locked that way. The name on the inscription was that of a "Gedna Relvel". I can't really explain my actions, but I told Urvel to stay put and I set about to picking the lock. There was no reason to venture into a locked tomb. In fact, there was every reason not to do it. But I felt drawn to go inside. I can't explain it.

The putrid stench that greeted me when I pushed the door open was like nothing I've ever smelled before. If anything, that alone should altered my decision to enter. But it didn't. I left Urvel behind me, a very nervous and unhappy Urvel. He certainly didn't want to stay down here any longer, and he definitely didn't want to risk losing his protection for returning to the surface. But I already inside and my mind was made up.

I wandered through the halls and tunnels, taking care not to touch a thing, but noting everything I saw. In one room I found several urns, one of which had a half dozen very valuable mage's scrolls. I was tempted to take them, so I could sell them, but the same feeling that had drawn me in convinced me to leave everything untouched. And then I began to get nervous. The feeling that had drawn me in had abandoned me, and I simply wanted back out. The overwhelmingly horrible smell, combined with the eery silence and shifting shadows, were welling up fear inside me.

Urvel was happy to see me when I stumbled out of the crypt. And truth is .. I was glad to see him as well.

 

[BIGwooly]

Mournhold - Afternoon

This is like a cruel joke. I've been asked to go back into the sewers to retrieve some sacred artifact for the temple. I'm so tempted to refuse. But I can't. The king's captain wants me to continue to infiltrate the temple's powers. So if I want the king, I have to go back into the sewers. A cruel joke.

 

[BIGwooly]

Temple Sewers - Unknown

I found the old crypt where the artifact supposedly awaits. It didn't take too long to find, thankfully. And I was able to avoid any encounters with the undead on the way here.

However ...

Just ahead of me in the crypt I can see several lichs wandering about. Lichs are very powerful. Very dangerous. One lich by itself is a force to be reckoned with. Several at once, I can only imagine. I'm going to need to come up with a plan of attack before I proceed, or this abandoned crypt will become my own.