Interesting revelations about Zerina’s mother! They shed a good deal of light on the origins of Zerina’s arcane skill. I think I know who the Telvanni master-wizard who helped her mother and father is; it will be interesting to see if I am right.

You don’t have to worry about changing some of the MQ around to suit the demands of your story. Your reasoning for doing it is sound; I wondered the same thing myself. Your new version of it, especially Rales’ motivation for seeking out Illunibi, is fantastic! I believe Rales has just fulfilled another part of the prophecy!

Having found my schwung again, I got another update.

I closed my eyes. What had I gotten myself into this time? And where exactly was I?
The short glimpses I had cast around earlier, indicated I was in what looked like a tower where a strange, organic smell linguired all around. I wondered if I was in one of the fabled Telvanni Wizard’s tower. ‘With an old friend,’ Zerina had said. I chuckled softly when I recalled his face. ‘Old indeed,’ I mumbled to no-one in particular.
I couldn’t help but wondering if the old man had been the Telvanni wizard that had helped Zerina’s parents escape.

Several hours later the old man had gathered all of us in his study. He was behind his desk with four women standing behind him that strangely enough all resembled him. I think he noticed I was staring at them. ‘My daughters,’ he said proudly. ‘Made from my own flesh and blood. My wife died ages ago and we always wanted children but couldn’t have any so I made them them in her honour. In fact, initially they were a side-effect from some of my experiments with the Corprus disease. ’ He briefly he looked at his daughters affectionately and continued with a melancholic tone. ‘If only they could have looked like her. But they helped make my long life beareble. Don’t know what I would have done without them these last few hundred years.’
The middle-left one briefly placed her hand on her father’s shoulder and the old man put his hand on hers. ‘Sweet Beyte,’ he mumbled.

The old wizard directed his gaze upon me. ‘As you may have understand by now, you are in Tel Fyr, my tower. My name is Divayth Fyr and these are my daughters. It would appear you have fulfilled another of the Nerevarine Prophecies. Supposedly, only the prophesised re-incarnation of our Lord Nerevar could survive the Divine Disease - or Corprus disease as you know it. Zerina has told me all about your… ah- adventures. Like I said earlier; you were not cured of Corprus - it can’t be cured - but the potion I gave you stopped the disease from spreading and causing the awful deformation to recede and cease forever. However; there are some..... interesting side-effects you should know about. First of all; you will be now immune to all diseases. Second, you may not like this, age will also not catch up on you.’ He paused to let it sink in, and sink in it did. I paled.
‘Surely you don’t mean I..’ I didn’t finish the sentence.
The wizard nodded slowly. ‘That’s exactly what I mean.’
‘That sounds…. lonely,’ I commented.
‘True,’ Fyr answered. ‘Immortality is a burden you will have to learn to live with. It can be lonely at times.’ He smiled briefly. The smile warmed up his wrinkled face and lit up his eyes. ‘However; it seems you have found someone to spend the exceptional long-life with you.’ His gleeming eyes fixed on Zerina for several moments and then looked at me again. ‘Hmm,’ he hummed, ‘judging your response, she hasn’t told you yet.’

I was at a loss for words. First of all because the old man could read me like a book and second because of what he had said about Zerina.
‘I am sorry, my love,’ she excused herself while looking down. ‘I just didn’t know how to tell you. I-,’ she sighed. ‘I am a lot older than you might think.’ Zerina looked in my eyes, the truth was evident.
It all clicked into place for me. Her mysteriousness sometimes suddenly made sense. As did her arcane skills.

‘So, how old are you really?’ I asked her whisperingly.
‘I was born a hundred-fourty-two years ago. The magical powers I inherited from my mother have severely slowed my aging process, like it did with my mother and my godfather.’
‘He,’ I looked at the ancient wizard behind his desk. ‘is your godfather?’ I had never been more confused with my emotions in my entire life. On one side I was exuberantly happy that I had someone like Zerina to share my exceptional long life, on the other side I was not sure how I should feel about being an immortal. Divayth made it very clear that as long as I wasn’t killed by unnatural ways - like a sword or poison - I would never grow old and would never die. That was distinctly different from the mages. Looking at the ancient master-wizard I could clearly see age eventually did catch up on them, regardless of how powerful they were. But I had no idea when.

‘Dare I ask, Lord Fyr; how old are you?’ I needed to know. I couldn’t imagine me spending aeons without my beloved.
‘Let me guess Rales, you are worried of ending up alone?’ I nodded and Divayth shook his head amusedly. ‘To be honest, I have lost count but I think about four thousand years, so you don’t have to worry about that for quite some time.’
‘Four thousand years….’ I breathed in awe.
The wizard winked at us both. ‘And should you end up alone before that, it would suggest you got her killed. In that case; I promise you, you don’t have to worry about living much longer anyway.’ He said it as a joke but I knew it wasn’t.
Luckily for me, I didn’t intend on getting her killed.

Yay! If they don't screw up and get themselves killed, Rales and Zerina could be together for a veerryy long time.

Good to catch up on this again

Fyr has to be my favourite character from Morrowind and I like your take on him. I agree that jumping that last bit of the main quest somewhat was a good narrative decision seeing as the build up was really towards him being named nerevarine and horator. I can't wait to read about that.

Very cool! I liked how you linked Zerina into it all, as she creates a bridge between Rales and Divyath. At the same time it hints that their meeting may not have been quite as accidental as it first appeared. Rather perhaps there was a divine (or infernal?) hand guiding things?

nits:
But they helped make my long life bareble.
You want bearable there. Bare is to unclothe, or be without covering.


or Corpres disease as you know it
Corpus?


I was at a losfer words.
That is loss for

Well, turns out I was wrong about the identity of the Telvanni master-wizard. I thought it would be Demnevanni because of his proximity.

You know, it wasn’t until reading this chapter that the side effect of immortality resonated with me. When my character was cured of corprus I concentrated more on the immunity to disease and the fact that I no longer had to quaff potions like a vampire in Oblivion. Once again I think that Rales should thank Azura for putting someone like Zerina into his life. She looks great for being a hundred and forty-two years old!

I hesitate to think about them together four thousand years into the future. Can you imagine the nagging?!

Destri's comment about how Rales approaches the idea immortality is one I thought I would reply again to agree with. You did that quite well. It reminds me of Karl Edward Wagner's character Kane (who killed Abel) who was cursed with immortality, and the way Wagner presented it, immortality was definitely a curse.

The take on immortality I've adopted actually kind of comes from the film Highlander but mostly from the song "Who wants to live Forever" by Queen and a little from "Interview with a Vampire". I am not really a big fan of Queen necessarily but the lyrics from that particular song always stuck with me.

@DestriPfaaww.. no nagging with my happy couple

As I said, I had some trouble getting the story to run after their "fun" in the Urshilaku tomb but now it all comes fluently again Writing about Divayth is big fun. I am trying to portray him a bit as though he was kind of Zerina's grandfather so he may be a bit more cheerful than he should be. Come to think of it, my story "lacks" detestable personae anyway. Should I try to incorporate some?

I hope you all like the new parts

‘What about the children we want together after all this?’ I said softly, almost afraid of the answer. ‘Will they share our life-span?’
The corners of Zerina’s mouth dropped. It was clear she hadn’t thought about that yet.
‘Uncertain,’ Fyr answered. ‘The situation you two are in is unprecedented throughout history. Who knows?’ he ended with a shrug and a wry smile.
An unsatisfactory answer but an answer none-the-less.

Divayth stroked his white goatee and moustache thinkingly for a while. ‘It would be interesting to find out though,’ he commented misschievously. Zerina and I looked at eachother for a while, not sure how to react to his interest.
‘You know what, before you decide to have children, come to me first. I will discuss your little- eeuhhm… issue with Baladas. He’s been reading up into that material. I have been wanting to visit him for, well-,’ he smiled briefly and winked again, ‘a couple of hundreds years actually. Time does fly, doesn’t it?’ Suddenly, the wizard got distracted and mumbled something about some armour and started rummaging through a chest next to his desk.
‘Ah, here it is,’ he exclaimed and pulled out a glowing cuirass of the like which I had seen only once before. Only the Lord’s Mail Zerina and I had retrieved from underneath Ebonheart could compete with the splendour of the cuirass Fyr held out reverently.

‘It’s a bit old - ancient in fact - but she,’ he gestured to Zerina, ‘told me about your resentment of heavy armour. You might like this, it’s really light and flexible and will protect you from magical attacks to a certain degree. Hmmm, Cuirass of the Saviour’s Hide it’s called if I remember correctly. I know; it sounds horrible,’ he laughed. ‘Take it, it will be of use to you come your confrontation with Dagoth Ur and his minions underneath Red Mountain.’

Gratefully I took the armour Divayth held out. He was right, it was really light, it weighed about half of the Lord’s Mail and was far more flexible than anything I had ever seen before. I didn’t dare guessing at the value of it nor dare insulting the wizard by saying I couldn’t take it because it was too valuable. Looking around his study, it was easy to see the ancient mage hadn’t a use for coin. Invaluable items were cluttered in his cupboards and weaponracks. I recognised several priceless ebony and daedric weapons. Not to mention the extemely rare daedric armour the wizard was wearing.
‘Thank you,’ I simply said and bowed slightly.
‘You are most welcome, son,’ he answered smilingly. ‘Oh, you also might want to take closer a look at some of the weapons you’ve been eying.’

I suddenly became aware of the lack of a sword strapped around my waist. The question was apparent on my face.
‘I am so sorry Rales,’ Zerina excused herself. ‘When they brought you in, Wretched wasn’t with you anymore.’
‘It’s gone?’ I whispered in disbelief. I couldn’t fathom I had lost Wretched in my disease-induced delirium. Even though I had hated it at the same time, the blade and I had been through so much together, it felt like I had lost an old friend.
‘Take anything you like,’ I have no need for them,’ Divayth added.
Slowly I strolled past all of the weapon racks weighing and balancing the exquisite blades on display. Finally, I stuck to a hellish looking Katana that felt just right. It was heavier than Wretched had been but the balance more than made up for it.

Divayth nodded in approval. ‘Good blade you are holding there. You know, you could have it enchanted to increase the effectiveness of it even more. Or how about a feather enchantment so it feels much lighter?’
The idea of such a formidable weapon feeling lighter appealed to me a lot. Offensive echantments are nice but they always seem to run out of charge when it’s least convenient. My heavy weapons training with the Nord in Balmora, what appeared to be ages ago, helped me a lot but heavy weapons are always that; heavy and encumbersome.
‘Look up my fiend Yagarn in the Corprusarium, he can enchant that blade for you and might have some interesting things to say to you as well. Zerina, remember not to come too close to my patients. The disease doesn't seem to be airbourne but can be transferred by touch. Raise your shield to make sure you don't catch it. It would break my heart to have you down there permanently.’
‘Thank you Lord Fyr,’ I neighed my head respectfully.
He waved his hand dismissively. ‘Call me Divayth, all of my friends do. Now, get out of here so I can finally get some work done again,’ he winked.

You are right, Divayth - or should I say Uncle Divayth? - was very personable. Although I do keep in mind that being Zerina's godfather, he is likely to be predisposed to be a little nicer to Rales than any schmo off the street. Lucky for him he is not a godfather in the sense that Al Pacino was in the Godfather films!

There is nothing wrong with not have irascible characters in your fiction. They can add some interest however.

I feel the same way as Rales does about losing his sword. No Wretched! That is like an elf not having pointed ears, or Homer Simpson without beer! I always loved the name Wretched btw. That was one you created was it not?

nits:
I had retrieved from underneath Ebonheart could strife with the splendour of the cuirass Fyr held out reverantly.
Strife sounds awkward there. I think you mean compete? Also you have a typo in reverently.


‘told me about your rescentment of heavy armour.
A typo in resentment. You might also consider using the word disliking instead.

Yes, I made up the name Wretched for the sword myself.

The words you suggested I should change are exactly the ones I doubted about whether or not I got the spelling right... guess not Thanks for pointing them out.

I am sticking with resentment. I want Divayth to speak scholarly, to the point of being formal but not too formal.

I too find it difficult to write hateful characters in my fiction, too. I always end up giving them some kind of redeeming quality.

I enjoyed this, but my heart sank when I realized that Firen had lost Wretched. That's like Julian losing her Kvatch Wolf! (which she does, eventually).

SubRosa has caught the typos I noticed, so no nits from me.

errr. H.E.R.... Firen? Rales you mean?

The loss of Wretched is loosely based on my game char swapping the Ebony longsword for a Daedric Katana at some point. But I wanted to make it a bit more dramatical than just discarding a sword for a better one. In my opinion, a swordfighter gets attached to his blade. The blade in its turn has to be just right for the wielder. So I deiced to have him lose it while under the influance of Corprus. Glad you liked it.

Oops, my mistake!

yes, Rales.

and I agree about a fighter becoming attached to his/her weapon. Especially one that has lasted as long as Wretched (or Julian's katana and Kvatch Wolf), through so much, it's hard losing it. One's hand feels so strange without it.

Divayth certainly doesn't want for coin... I swear he just put ten septims into a high interest account when he was young . I said I liked him and I still do, you show him as very friendly as he is in game and then some.

And wretched gone, I shuld hope the new sword develops a name soon. A daedric katana with a feather enchantment... sounds... nasty...

I knew it was Divayth! Yeah! And in the early chapters Rales said, "And we still are." (happy together) - WOO HOO !!!!!! I love this, of course you know how much I love Divayth anyway - I think you did an Awesome job portraying him !!!!

I agree with you about that attachment to a sword, it fits your hand automatically after a period, you know its strengths and weaknesses - it becomes your friend that is by your side at all times whether others are or not.

I am loving these new chapters!!!!

I don’t know how much you want to stray into the lore for a name for the new sword. But since daedric material comes from ebony refined and crafted by the magic of Oblivion’s lesser minions, and since Azura remains Rales’ patron as Nerevarine, Why not name the sword after Azura’s plane of Oblivion: Moonshadow? It certainly fits with the Moon-and-Star relic that identifies the Nerevarine.

As for writing disreputable characters, you should try it. There is something positively liberating about writing a character that just doesn’t give a @#%&! When you do, just make sure that you give him/her some moral imperative that allows him/her to justify actions that the rest of the world would find reprehensible.

Glad you all like what I've done with Divayth.

Not sure I am going to name his new sword. The name "Wretched" came spontanuously because of his love/hate relationship with it. Don't want the name to be to contrived. Moonshadow, think I'd prefer Moonshard. Thanks for the idea though Destri.

Well, I still have the Redoran/Sarethi questline I have some ideas about. God, I hated the arch-master in the game... And then there's Neloth and the Telvanni arch-master.... Hmmmmm...

In yhis chapter I am trying something new. I hope you like it. I also gave Yagrum a bit more to say than in the game.


Apparently, Telvanni master-wizards have no need for stairs because there were none to be found in Fyr’s tower. Although my arcane skill had improved over the last few months, I was still suffering from the drawback of Corprus and wasn’t quite myself yet. I couldn’t focus my will enough to cast a spell to get me safely down so Zerina cast what she called a “slowfall” spell on me and on herself, allowing us to float down the hole gently. It was completely safe but it still felt good having both of my feet on the ground again. It didn’t take us long to find the huge door leading to Divayth’s Corprusarium. An Argonian, who introduced himself as Vistha-Kai, was guarding the passage into the bowels and warned us not to harm the inmates in any way. He wouldn’t less us pass before we solemnly vowed to leave them in peace.

‘Was I deformed like that as well?’ I asked shudderingly when we entered the bowels of the Corprusarium. Several, barely recognisable as human beings, were aimlessly wandering around while moaning in an completely un-understable language. To be fair, they had plenty to moan about it, no one deserved the awful fate the poor buggers were suffering down there. What sort of madman could justify this horror and call it the “divine disease”?
‘Not as bad as the poor victims you see here but if we hadn’t found you as timely as we did, we wouldn’t have been able to recognise you and you would have been lost to us forever,’ Zerina answered, her voice trembling.

Cold chills ran down my spine as I observed the diseased while we snuck by them so we wouldn’t arouse their anger.
To be honest, I wondered if it wouldn’t be more humane putting them out of their misery but no one deserves death. Besides, maybe studying them would eventually lead to a real cure. As Divayth had stated, so far I had been the only one ever to recover from Corprus meaning the cure was either faulty or just not finished. Had it been luck I had survived or was it providence?

As we slowly made our way down to Divayth’s friend Yagrum my mind starting wandering off to months ago in the Urshilaku camp going over the prophecies with Nibeni.

Neither age nor blight can touch him. The Curse-Of-Flesh before him flies

It seemed Nibeni was right about the Curse-Of-Flesh. It was indeed referring to Corprus; the deadly disease I had conquered and what had rendered me immortal. We had solved the mystery but the price was terrible. What else had those damned prophecies in stock for me? What more did we need to suffer before this whole Nerevarine business was finished?
Shaking my head I pushed the worrying to the back of my mind and focused on the task at hand; finding Divayth’s friend Yagrum down there. I assumed he was a master-wizard like Divayth, helping him with his research of the dreaded disease.
Nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to encounter.

Amidst all the horrors down there, there was a carpeted spot and several cupboards like someone was actually living down there. I almost drew my new blade to protect us from what I thought was a construct like I had encountered in the ancient Dwemer ruins. There was some things that set it apart from the mechanical monstrosities. First of all, it was partially organic and partially mechanical. Its upper torso was awfully deformed - much like Corprus victims I realised - and its lower body looked like a metal spider. Secondly, it - or rather, he - spoke.

‘Ye here ta gawk at the last Dwemer or are ye sent by the old coot in his tower?’
Suddenly he became a lot more friendly when his gaze fixed on Zerina.
‘Is tha you ‘Rina?’ he asked, while scratching his monstrous belly briefly. ‘Last time I saw ye, ye were- hmmm… this high,’ he said laughingly while indicating four feet from the ground with his hand. ‘Hmm, I s'pose ye don’t remember, it has been over a hundred years ago.’
His ugly face was split into by a sincere grin.’It seems ye done better than I did,’ and looked down his deformed body. ‘Div and I have been able to slow down me deformation but haven’t been able to find a cure. All the poor buggers keep droppin’ dead when we give them the poison Div’s been brewin'. Anyway, enough of me naggin'. Why ye really here?’

‘Are you Yagrum?’ I asked him dumbstruck.
‘Aye, that be me, Yagrum Bagarn, the last livin’ Dwemer - as far as I know - and master crafter with Lord Kagrenac,’ he proudly stated. ‘What can I do for ye?’
‘I thought all the Dwemer had disappeared?’ I asked him, forgetting why we were down there.
‘Aye,’ he answered, the smile on his face replaced with a sorrowful expression. ‘I was in a different realm when Kagrenac’s tools became my race’s undoin’ so I was spared. Y’know, I warned Lord Kagrenac about tapping into Lorkhan’s heart but he wouldn’t listen to me,’ he continued melancholically. ‘I had been looking for traces of my people for over a millenium - unsuccesfully I might add - when I attracted the Divine disease and have been down here ever since. I guess I was right about usin’ Sunder and Keening on the heart. Me current form is the proof. And I still consider myself lucky, just look at me fellow Corprus victims. S'pose it could’ve been worse, much worse,’ he said thoughtfully.

Much of what he told us was a mystery to me but I had the feeling it was all related. The disappearance of the Dwemer, the Corprus disease and the Nerevarine prophecies.
‘I think you should know I survived the Corprus cure,’ I nearly whispered.
Yagrum’s eyes spread wide. ‘Say again, lad?’
‘I survived the cure Divayth gave me,’ I said aloud.
Yagrum frowned. ‘That could could mean two things; first,’ he ticked off on his sausage-like fingers while looking upwards. ‘the ol’ old coot has finally done it or, second; ye are truly the prophesised reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar. Which is it laddy?’

Yagrum... that was unexpected. Calling his game version two dimensional would be an insult to flat shapes so I expected you'd do something but not that. I love it. He's a real character and an entertaining one too.


We were warned.

Great stuff, real imagination and development and as ever you capture the feel of morrowind as the mystery starts to unravel and things being to come together (which was really what made that game great). Awesome.

No stairs in Divayth's tower? Well, wizards are supposed to be eccentric...

The last Dwemer is Scottish! Seriously, that is the accent I heard when I was reading his dialogue, which I am sure was intentional. Yagrum was very cool! I hope we see more of him.


nits:
warned us not to harm the inmates in anyway
I think the corpus rotted away the space between any way.


noone deserved the awful fate
It got the space between no one as well.


but noone deserves death
here too.


eventually lead to a real cure.As Divayth had stated
and the space after the period here.


my mind starting wandering of to months ago
I think you meant off?

I enjoyed Yagrum's dialect. He ought to be just a little mad, being the sole surviving Dwemer and stuck down in Divath's basement with a disfiguring disease and all. I think you've done well giving us a whole new character to enjoy.

Yeah, bit lame using a Scottish accent but it's the only I knew how to write and I really wanted to set him off.
I am definately not yet done. He still has to enchant Rales' new sword and I reckon he has some more to say about Sunder and Keening. I think the approach without the Divine help could be an interesting one although I played it with help from Vivec.

I am loving these new chapters!!!! Divayth and Yagrum - WOO HOO !!!! Now you're talking !!!! I loved what you did with both of them!!!

I agree with the others about Yagrum. That was an interesting characterization to say the least. I wonder about Zerina’s past dealings with him, and why she didn’t react at all when Uncle Divayth mentioned him. Even if their last meeting was a hundred years ago she would have still been in her early forties. I also wonder about her ability to walk through the corprusarium with impunity, as if she has no doubt that she can’t contract the divine disease. With each chapter it seems that the mystery surrounding Rales’ true love grows. I am eager to see what happens next.

Edit: ‘Moonshard’ is a much better name for a sword than ‘Moonshadow’. That would be why you’re naming the swords and I’m not!

Well, my explanation is that people (I indicated Yagrum mentioned 'Rina was about 4 feet high last time he saw her so really, really young and not in her fourties yet ) hardly ever remember their very early childhood. He says over a hundred years. Imagine what it would be like having spent so many time down there like Yagrum has. A hundred years, a hundred-fifty years, hell; even three hundred years. Pretty much the same I imagine.
You have a point with Zerina casually strolling along though. I will change that she raises a shield or something.

edit: I have added some lines in the conversation with Div. I hope it compliments the story because Destri was right. I neglected to adress the fact Zerina is NOT immune to Corprus. It might break with Lore (although there is notice of how Corprus gets spread) but I think its plausible to presume its not an airbourne virus or everyone in Vvardenfell would've had it.

Jeeennnkkkiiiiinnnnsss!!!!

Oops, dis be anoder geym, mon! Zularan Tusk-Eater be atta' here. Leytar, mon! ( a bare naked troll runs off in the wrong direction.)

Sorry, but the mere mention of that name put's me in trance where I shout some curses in Taurahe and Orcish in delight.

Now, I gotta second what Hauty said. Truely, this is one of the most best written stories I've seen so far, if not the most!!

Oh, and I'm sorry for catching up now.

Thanks for the compliment Urenias I disagree but thanks anyway

A little history-lesson in here Sorry for the walls of text. There was no real good way of breaking them up.

If there still were any doubts about me being the Nerevarine, there were none left now.
I sighed deeply. Yagrum didn’t need the confirmation, his body may have been deformed but his mind was untouched. He nodded his understanding.
‘I feel for you lad, it must feel like you’re carrying the weight of Nirn on your shoulders, right? Neverar was just like that,’ he mused. ‘Always so serious. Ye seem to be a bit more light-hearted though. Don’t ever lose that lad.’

‘You actually knew Hortator Nerevar?’ I asked.
Yagrum scoffed. ‘Aye, I knew the lad. Him and Dumac, Dwemer king Dumac,’ he elaborated, ‘were close friends before…..’ he paused a while. It was clear to see raking up all this ancient history was painful to him. ‘…before the war between the Chimer and the Dwemer. I wasn’t present when it broke out because Kagrenac had sent me on an urgent matter in a different realm - y’know, like I told earlier?’ Zerina and I nodded in acknowledgement. ‘So I don’t really know the ins and outs but from what I gathered, Nerevar was betrayed by his close friend Voryn Dagoth - ye might know him only as Dagoth Ur but he was once a Chimer named Voryn Dagoth and leader of the Sixth House, House Dagoth - and presumably murdered by his three councillors. His wife; Almalexia, the warrior-poet Vekh and masterwizard Sotha Sil.

Some say Nerevar died from his wounds after he had fought with Voryn, some claim the Tribunal murdered him but no one really knows for sure. Except the Tribunal itself of course. All that is sure is that the Tribunal and Voryn all four have used Kagrenac’s tools to tap into Lorkhan’s heart and make themselves a god with it. Something they vowed to Nerevar they wouldn’t, but I digress. Where the Tribunal have to tried to do good with it, Dagoth has aligned himself with the evil in the heart and has become far more powerful over the years where the Tribunal have diminished in power. The spreading of the Corprus disease is proof of this. Not even that dreadful Ghost-Gate stopped it’

‘For someone stuck here,’ I looked around to emphasise my words, ‘you are quite well informed,’ I remarked.
‘Ah, y’see lad, Div’s been keeping me updated. I may be deformed but my mind,’ he tapped his temple, ‘hasn’t left me. Well, at least not yet,’ he joked.
‘Can you tell us more about the relationship between Nerevar, Voryn and Dumac?’ I asked Yagrum. ‘I had dreams about Dagoth claiming he was my friend but at most he was my enemy. You seem to be the only one who knows what really happened.’

‘I wish I knew as much as I would like to. As I said before; the poor lad was betrayed by either the Tribunal, by Dagoth or even by both. Most of what I’m gonna tell ye now is based on several sources so might not be what really happened but it would appear the most likely. What I think that happened is that after the war between the Chimer and the Dwemer, Kagrenac’s tools fell into the Chimer’s hands. Nerevar entrusted his best friend Voryn to guard the tools so he could consult his councillors what to do with them. The decision was made to destroy them. When Nerevar asked Voryn - he possibly used the tools to tap into the heart’s power - to hand them over to be destroyed, he refused. In the following fight Nerevar was mortally wounded and Voryn presumed dead. However; Voryn Dagoth was not slain. In stead, he now had Kagrenac’s tools and access to the heart and made himself a god. When or how the Tribunal did or did not betray Nerevar, I dunno. All I know is that at some point they got their mitts on the tools to make themselves a god too.
Why they don’t have the tools anymore is a different question altogether. You will have to ask Vivec. Sotha Sil hasn’t been seen in millenia and from what I’ve heard, Almalexia has gone insane from her paranoia.’

‘What was the war about, Yagrum?’ I asked.
‘Ah, now there ye ask a question I can answer. Kagrenac made the tools to bring life to what he called the Numidium. Us Dwemer do not believe in Gods. We believe in science and craftsmanship. To prove this point, Kagrenac had built a terrible construct - the Numidium - and was planning on using the tools on Lorkhan’s heart to empower it so it could take its rightful place as the only true god on Nirn. I can only assume his calculations were off and wiped our race from existance when he used the tools but I am getting ahead of myself.
General Nerevar had heard of this abomination and had asked his friend Dumac about it. Dumac denied it but only because he just didn’t know. Kagrenac had not informed his king.
Nerevar’s councillors were certain Dumac was lying, so the Chimer declared war on the Dwemer.
After the war, when the Tribunal supposedly betrayed Nerevar, Lady Azura was enraged about the loss of her champion and she cursed the Chimer. She turned their skin to ashen where it had been gold like that of the Altmer and their eyes turned red as fire so it would be an eternal mark of the nature of their betrayel. Thus the Chimer became the Dunmer.’

History in six paragraphs. Nicely done, brief, to the point and it's always nice to read that bit again. I think the blocks of text worked fine (they weren't so big anyway) seeing as the content was moving quickly.

My one comment on the writing front would be to be less afraid of the word 'said', there's nothign wrong with it. I find that quite often the synonyms are more distraction than just repeating 'said' which is so common it's more or less invisible.

I'll confess I thought the accent was meant to be archaic rather than scots but then you made a better job of it than I'd likely make of trying to write someone elses accent... and it still makes him special as a character anyway.

Hmm, you got me redhanded Olen. I must confess, I wanted to have it sound Archaic (hence the usage of "ye") but I couldn't figure out how to transcribe it so it ended up more Scottish-like. Close enough hehe.

This is actually the best explanation of the whole Dwemer/Chimer war and the Heart of Lorkhan business I've read. Well done!

As for the wall-o-text, it reads tons better than my Organic Chemistry textbook!

Thus the Chimer became the Dunmer. They really are a hard-luck race in many ways. First they leave Summerset under Velothi and struggle to survive in the east. Then they get turned blue because some of their leaders made themselves gods. Then all the Dagoth Ur, corpus, ashfall, stuff. Then finally they get a rock dropped on them and wiped out.


nits:
far more powerful over the years were the Tribunal have diminished in power.
A typo on where


‘I had dreams about Dagoth Claiming he was my friend but at most he was my enemy.
That ought to be a lowercase "c" in claiming.


You seem to be the only one what really happened.’
I think something got lost between one and what. I think perhaps "who knows" was meant to go in there?


Dumac denied but because he just didn’t know.
but sounds odd here. Perhaps you meant it instead?

The mystery of what happened at Red Mountain revealed by the last living dwarf! Like Olen said, the wall of text didn’t distract because the content was so fascinating. I once started a lore topic that went on for pages debating what really happened at Red Mountain. The consensus is that nobody really knows. I like the fact that your history lesson doesn’t seek to explain everything. Yagrum is the first to say when he doesn’t know something. Given his removal from the events, how could he? Extremely well done!

@Destri: Wow, that means a lot comiong from you, the lore buff you are (don't deny it, you are ) Thanks a lot! And there was I fearing I'd mess it up. Fact is; I am hugely fascinated by the whole Dunmer/Chimer/Tribunal/Ashlander stuff. It's just so deep. I truly resent the path Beth have taken with "the Loveletter" and "Landfall: Ever since I started with Oblivion, Dunmer have always been favourite race to play with. I started loads of other characters but the only non-Dunmer character to make it through the MQ (and the rest of the game ) was Brennan the Imperial Warrior/Paladin. And that's because he was my first serious character after gimping a Dunmer archer because I just didn't understand the levelling system/game physics then.

You're doing great Remko! Losing Wretched was a big deal, but I think losses like that are to be expected. It is nice that Rales has found a good blade. I hope you will give his new katana a name at some point.

‘What happened to the Sixth House?’ Yagrum’s story made some things Nibeni told us a lot easier to understand. The House unmourned just had to be the Sixth House. But unlike what was led to believe that the Sixth House - House Dagoth – had vanished, it was still alive and very much so.
‘Well, that one is hard to answer. Some of the former Sixth House members were taken into the other five. Most went to House Dres, some into House Indoril and the rest were scattered amongst House Hlaalu and Telvanni. House Redoran refused to take in any former members from House Dagoth and with good reason. It is said that the influence of Voryn was forever embedded into their very being. Some forever heard what they called the “Poison song” and were driven mad by it. I believe ye may have encountered the most powerful of these members during your travels.’

‘The minions with tentacles in stead of a face,’ I murmured.

‘Exactly laddy. The disease has mutated them into a mockery of their former existance. Corrupted and deformed but still fiercely loyal to Dagoth Ur. The weaker ones probably eventually died or were killed. Some,’ he took some glimpses around the Corprusarium, ‘might be wandering around here.’
‘How dreadful,’ Zerina said. She had been quiet ever since we entered the bowels.
The shield she had raised blurred her outline somewhat but it was as clear as glass she was emotionally heavily affected by the victims. I decided to cut to the chase so we could leave. ‘Yagrum, Divayth mentioned you might be able to enchant this sword,’ I said while slowly unsheathing the wicked looking blade. The sound it made leaving its scabbard almost sounded like a sigh, as if the blade was relieved to be out of its confinement, eager to bite into tissue.
Yagrum let out his breath slowly and smiled widely. ‘Ye couldn’t have made me happier,’ he said while taking the blade I held out to him, hilt first.
‘I’ve been wanting to get me mitts on one of these beauts for quite some time but Divayth always forgets to give me one. Been naggin’ him for years about it,’ he chuckled.
Slowly he inspected the blade, looking for dings or any other flaws in the steel.
‘Tis as good as I imagined,’ he whispered. ‘What kind of enchantment would ye like?’

‘Well,’ I said thoughtfully, ‘you probably noticed it is rather heavy.’
‘Indeed, I have lad,’ Yagrum answered smilingly.
‘Offensive enchantments are nice and all but in my experience, it always runs out of charge when it’s least convenient so-’ Before I could finish Yagrum burst out in laughter. ‘That’s exactly how I feel about enchantments. I like your thinking lad. So what’ll it be?’

‘Divayth suggested a feather enchantment so it wouldn’t feel as heavy. I really like the sound of that.’
‘Hmmmm,’ Yagrum hummed. ‘The ol’ goat has some good ideas every once in a while,’ he winked. ‘I could imbue it with a dual-effect enchantment for ye. A feather enchantment so it feels lighter to the wielder and a minor strength fortifying effect so the impact of it is increased. I will also bind the sword to you so no one else will be able to use it without suffering physical pain. Sound good?’
I couldn’t help but nodding in approval.
‘Hold out yer swordhand laddy.’
Obeyingly, I held out my left hand. Before I knew it, Yagrum had taken the Daedric blade and cut my hand with it.
I cursed sharply and was about to ask him why he did that when he excused himself. ‘That’s for the binding, shoulda mentioned it to ya.’
Indifferently I shrugged, licked off the blood, focused my will and cast a restoration spell to heal the gash in my palm.

His six metallic legs clicked and hissed as Yagrum made his way to one of the cupboards and loudly started rummaging through it.
‘Ah, here it is,’ he said while holding out a small golden disc.
‘A grand soul gem,’ Zerina breathed. Yagrum nodded in acknowledgement.
‘Correct. Now comes the hardest part. Please be quiet while I channel the magic from the gem to the blade.’ Yagrum closed his eyes and started chanting. After a brief moment the disc began glowing and started making a low-pitched hum that made the glasses on the small table ring. Slowly the noise got louder untill it climaxed with a whoosh and the light vanished.

‘I felt a shiver go through my entire being when the sound was at the loudest,’ I commented.
‘That was the attunement of the blade to your essence,’ Yagrum said, his voice suddenly exhausted. ‘The more powerful the enchantment, the more exhausting it becomes for the enchanter. I really enjoyed yer company but if there’s nothing more I can do for ye, I kindly bid you to leave me for a while now.’
‘Thank you master craftsman. I am in your debt,’ I said while bowing like I had for Divayth.
‘You’re most welcome….. Nerevarine. And take care of ‘Rina.’
I nearly cringed at the word Nerevarine, even though it was the truth.
‘I will Yagrum.’

Feather and burden? Interesting choices of enchantment... methinks Yagrum might be having a little joke.

As ever I liked it, this slight deviation from the game works far better in the context of the story. Yagrum is a good character and it'll be sad to see him go, still I suppose there will be more ashlanders to see to soon.

I liked the description of enchantment, and of the blade being steel, I'd wondered exactly what daedric blades were made of...

Wonderful chapter again! I liked the description of the enchanting, and that it takes concentration on the part of the enchanter to make it work. A lot more realistic than the game mechanics, if you ask me (of course, I'm speaking of Oblivion, which is quite different from Morrowind in many ways).

I liked Yagrum's affectionate use of Zerina's name at the end - it gives him an added dimension that I'm sure is not present in the game.

Now that enchantment is probably very effective!! Feather and Burden? That's like combining coffee with creamrolls! Bittersweet taste but delicious nontheless!! Hmm.. Now why am I talking about food and not about your story?

Anyway, that chapter was outstanding! Like Hauty said, you really made the enchanting part very realistic!

I have to admit, at first the feather/burden combination sounds like they would just cancel each other out. But think the way it is supposed to work is that it makes the blade lighter for Rales to hold, yet hit with more mass. I think I would have just gone with a Fortify Strength instead.


This I particularly enjoyed:
The sound it made leaving its scabbard almost sounded like a sigh, as if the blade was relieved to be out of its confinement,

Very creative, Rales.

Am I reading it wrong, because to me it sounds like feather on Rales and burden on whomever or whatever it strikes? That, to me, is a very cool enchantment! Although now having said that, I don’t see how you can get around the charge that a ‘cast on strike’ weapon requires. Perhaps ‘Rosa has the right of it, after all.

I love the description of the act of enchanting a weapon, and mentioning Zerina’s shield was an especially nice touch. I also like the incorporation of one of the best books in the game, Poison Song. Your writing has improved tremendously since we all left the Imperial ship with Rales. I must admit that I am a little envious.

Yeah, I suppose SubRosa was right. If it needs to be a constant effect, burden won't do the job because it will still run out of charge.. Hmmmm... forgot about that little detail. I will edit it into fortify strength in stead cause although it's a nice idea, on 2nd thought it's flawed. Ah well

@Destri: My idea with the feather/burden was as you said it but Sub/Rosa poked a hole in it. Go figure, the writer of Interregnum envious of lil ol' me

Well, the nice thing about being late to the races, is that I got to read the edited version of Rales' new sword. Remko, you are brilliant! I love the way you conceived of tuning the sword to Rales, then using his blood to help execute it. I was hoping the successor to Wretched would get the attention it deserves and you have not disappointed. Now. . . don't forget, that wonderful blade still needs a suitable name.

Yes indeed, take take of 'Rina'.

Guys; I have been thinking the story over and came to the conclusion Rales and Zerina are after answers more than anything. There is only one path I can put them on, the path to Mournhold. Unfortutately, I haven't even started playing Tribunal yet. So I am sorry to say, the next update could take a while.
I don't want to UESP the whole quest cause that wouldn't allow me to have my own view and opinion on it. It would be too dry if you know what I mean.

I could write a chapter of them visiting Caius and Rales doing some Legion work but the legion work is more a side note than really contributing to the story so not really sure about that.

You and I have talked before about the really long term plans you have for the happy couple. For other readers, let's just say that Rales and Zerina are 'permacharacters'.

However, at this point for your mid term plans, I shall have to yield to your judgment since I have not played MW. What you say makes sense though. It sounds as if you want to play through the parts first, then write them. Makes perfect sense. Keep us posted here.

Whatever feels right for the characters is what you should do, Remko. Have fun with Tribunal.

You know me; I can't cut things short so I didn't. Besides, there are still some trials to go through, let's carry on shall we?


Nearby the exit of the Divayth’s tower, we came across a gigantic golden door and my curiosity got the better of me. A frantic pull and push on the intrically decorated doorknob proved it locked tight. Fyr waved his hand dismissively when I asked him about it and threw me a small golden key.
‘Go right ahead opening that door. To be honest, I can’t even remember what is behind it,’ he absentmindedly added.

The lock opened effortlessly and silently the heavy door swung open to reveal a Dunmer woman behind it. She shielded her eyes from the sudden cascade of daylight into the dank room. It reeked of old sweat and human waste. Zerina wrinkled her noise as the smell assaulted our senses. The girl, who introduced herself as Delyna Mandas, abashedly excused herself.
‘Thank you for letting me out Sera. Sorry about the smell but I can’t even remember how long I was locked up in there.’
I winked at her. ‘Quite a long time, judging the scent.’

She looked down at her bare feet. ‘I guess I could use a bath,’ she said with a small voice.’ Then her mood brightened. ‘You are here to get me out?’
I looked at Zerina briefly. ‘Well, I was just curious what was behind this.’ I said while tracing the patterns on the door with my indexfinger. ‘But I suppose Divayth won’t mind. After all; he doesn’t even remember you were here anyway. So, why were you locked up in here?’
‘One of the mad wizard’s daughters,’ I chuckled silently at her interpration of Divayth’s personality. ‘locked me in here because according to her I was a Redoran spy.’

‘And?’ I inquired although I already knew the answer. Redorans do not spy, that’s the Hlaalu way. ‘Are you?’
‘Of course not,’ she answered insultedly placing her hands on her hips. ‘I am the daughter of a noble. My grandfather - Maybe you’ve heard of him, Llerar Mandas?’ I shook my head. Although I was a member of the Redoran I didn’t know all the nobles and councillors yet.
‘My grandfather wanted me to request the Telvanni Master Wizard for an audition.’
‘Why?’
‘No one in Vvardenfell knows more about diseases than he does,’ she said. ‘Llerar wanted to consult him about the Blight Diseases that has been rapidly spreading. And more in particular; about the Corrpus disease.’ She lowered her voice conspiracally while her eyes darted from left to right. ‘Some say the Holy Tribunal has weakened and that they can’t keep the Blight out of Vvardenfell anymore. But of course, this rumour is considered heresy and is fiercely denied by the Ordinators and the Temple.’

‘So, have you spoken to Divayth?’
‘No,’ she answered frustratedly. ‘That wench locked me up before I even got the chance.’
‘You’re not going to like this, but I know that Divayth hadn’t been able to help anyway. In fact; he has devoted years in creating a cure but so far has failed…’ I let the last part of the sentence trace off. I had almost disclosed things we better keep silent. Delyna luckily hadn’t noticed I didn’t really finish the sentence.

‘There is no cure for Corprus,’ I said. ‘At least not yet.’
Delyna sighed defeatedly. ‘I will bring my grandfather the bad news then. Take this in gratitude for my release,’ she said while taking of a delicate necklace as soon as we emerged outside the tower.
‘It’s not very valuable but should you two ever find your way to my father in Ald’Ruhn or my grandfather in Ebonheart, I am sure they will properly reward you for rescueing me. This locket will be proof of your kindness toward me. Farewell kind strangers.’
‘It was our pleasure,’ Zerina said while softly placing a hand on her shoulder. ‘May the Lady of the Moon and Stars always guide your steps.’

And with these words our paths parted; Zerina and I headed north west, back to the Urshilaku camp and eventually back to Caius in Balmora and Delyna vanished in a flash after a short incantation - I assumed she teleported back to where ever she was heading. I was sure both Nibeni and Caius would be most interested in hearing how I had contracted the dreaded Corprus disease and how I was “cured” of it with a terrible - or; as Divayth called it, interesting - side-effect.

***

‘You look- Well, different,’ Nibeni and Sul Matuul agreed. Zerina and I had entered Nibeni’s yurt earlier and had walked into the Ashkhan and the Wise-Woman in an intimate embrace but it hadn’t bothered them at all. The couple leisurely finished their lovemaking before Sul rolled off Nibeni and lazily laid himself next to her as if we weren’t even there. Dunmer were reknowned for the lack of prudeness but it appeared the Ashlanders lacked any form of it. Even my own Zerina had often surprised me with spontanuously dropping all of her clothes - leaving them for me to pick up after her - when we were wandering around the Ashlands during summertime.
‘What if someone sees you?’ I remember asking shockedly and - admittedly - pleasantly surpised at the same time. Seeing her like that moved me to my core and stirred something in my lower region. She had simply shrugged laughingly.

‘We all look the same underneath our cloths, don’t we?’
‘More or less,’ I had agreed and eventually we were both naked as the day we were born. It was some getting used to for me but I had to agree; it felt good shedding the burden of civilisation. In the back of my mind I knew we could be in trouble if we would run into an enemy or a predator but a levitation spell negated that threat, we added a shield spell in case of an archer or a spellcaster.

Raaaales back! And with Zerina in tow!

I enjoyed the latest installment, though finding the Dunmer lady behind that locked door was a little jarring. I'm sure it's not your fault, but rather some of the weird stuff I've heard about Morrowind quests.

That last bit about attitudes about sex was worth a smile on my part. I'm a bit prudish by nature, but hey, as long as you're comfortable about it I'm not going to quibble! Besides, I enjoy beefcake as much as the next woman (assuming the woman next to me is straight!).