I would suggest a certain hammer, dagger, and gauntlet... but Teresa's already gone into the dreamworld, so that won't work. Even if she did, she can't take anything with her, as I'm sure she is going to find out in many Dhertee Innu-Enndo (read: Foxy)-exploitable ways next chapter.

Good part, I like the additional background you gave the quest in terms of the magic and character backstories. As ever there's depth in everything. Henantier promises to be an interesting character when he wakes up.

I very much look forward to the next part, this quest is a piece of genius. Teresa might learn a bit more about magic too.


Shot glasses kill the smell (not enough surface to evaporate and glass to hold the fumes) and chilling whisky kills smell and flavour... of course if that was the intention it succeeds, but then why not drink cheap gutrot?

This was great how you selected and controlled your content here. In the previous episode Teresa got the quest. In this one she reports for duty and enters the dream world. Perfect. This episode really built up some suspense!

Once one knew what to look for, the serpent-folk were even easier to read than humans or elves. It was one of the reasons she liked being around them. That, and the soothing tone of their husky voices.
Oooh! I see Teresa, Julian and Buffy all adore Argonians! And for good reasons!

For a moment Teresa wondered if they were painted by the same man who had done those Nerussa had in her bedchamber. What had his name been? Rythe Lythandas?
Lovely to tie in not only a reference to Nerussa, but to one of Cyrodiil's famous painters. Almost as famous as Mrs Treydog!

"Even in school he was getting into trouble. Not picking fights or playing pranks, but reaching too far in his quest for knowledge."
I figure the pranky stuff was the domain of a certain white Khajiit!

"I understand. Don't worry, I can keep a secret," Teresa nodded, thinking about how she had carried the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre.
Pappy and Kud-Ei have chosen well. Teresa certainly can keep a secret.

"A true friend is there through the hard times as well as the easy ones," Kud-Ei said. "I would have never graduated if not for Henantier. He got me through Mysticism. I never forget who my friends are."
*happy sigh* That's our Kud-Ei. Thank you for portraying her so beautifully.

Only a total stranger - someone whom he has not only never met, but never even heard of - can escape the splintering of their mind when inside his dream."
A perfect explanation to Teresa's obvious question!

"You are a brave girl," she said. "I can see Commander Vitellus sent the right person.
*begin John Wayne voice* Yup, he shore did, little lady!

I like this line



As they say, knowledge is power...

As usual, a great chapter I can't wait to see the quest for the next one

I noticed in the Construction Set for Henantier's house what seems to be upstairs underneath his bed is "Henantier's Magic Carpet." (or something along those lines). I have done everything but walk through the walls trying to get my hands on it and find out what it is - do you know? I looked everywhere on the internet and could find no other mention of it except in the Construction set itself.

I've just had a look myself. It is listed as MS05MagicRugTrigger, but it seems to be just a static object not mentioned anywhere else. I'm guessing that it's a relic of previous quest designs.

Darn, I keep missing the posts. Still, I like reading a few at a time. Rosa, you did a great job turning Bravil from the dreary place that it appears on the outside to a town like any other. There is a simple beauty in the rough-hewn houses of Bravil and Leyawiin.

So, Teresa is now in the FG? Out of curiosity, will she go through that particular questline, or is the membership for another purpose?

This particular quest has never been a favorite of mine (it took many hours for Linara to kill the minotaurs...) but it has a surreal quality to it. Something like reading a John Crowley book, perhaps.



So true.

Geen-Rana, what a lovely, aquatic-sounding name!

"Find Henantier, and restore the broken fragments of his psyche. Only he can get you out again." The magician's voice began to fade away, as if she was moving down a long tunnel. "Be careful that you are not killed in the dreamworld, else you will never waken…"
I love the way you’ve explained and launched this quest. I found it to be the most unnerving one in the game, and you’ve given me the uneasy feeling even before it starts!

Gaaah. I was hoping someone knew something I didn't and we would have access to a magic rug !!!!

haute ecole rider: Yes, and so it begins! You sound like Ambassador Kosh!


Thomas Kaira: You know I never got very far in Morrowind. I think I might go back and try it again after I finish my current Oblivion character.


Olen: I never thought about the whiskey fumes. As to the cold though, Nordic Whiskey is always chilled, even when it is at room temperature (and probably even if you put it over a fire), that is part of what makes it what it is.


Acadian: The pranks were indeed left to a white Khajiit! I cannot imagine Henantier filling someone's bedroom with watermelons!

Kud-EI was easy to write, given the trail that has been blazed by you and h.e.r.


Jacki Dice: I worked hard on the Lorkhan line. I was trying to get an ES equivalent to humpty dumpty.


mALX & Cardboard Box: The rug also appears in the dreamworld. Maybe they were going to use it as an activator to transport between the real world and the dream? As Cardboard said, it is probably something that just never got implemented.


Linara: I have slowed down my posting schedule to every 3 days to make it a little easier for people to keep up. I do not have plans to do the FG questline with Teresa. Although in the future I might do some things with the Blackwood Company.


Grits: I have always been a little disappointed that I have never really done anything with Teresa's old roomate Geen-Rana. There has just never been anywhere to work her into things.


Next: In our previous episode Teresa met with Kud-Ei, and learned that Henantier is trapped in his own dream. Next, she journeys into the dreamworld herself.


Chapter 28.3 –Through A Nightmare Darkly

Teresa opened her eyes to find herself in a room that was filled with red light. The air was hot and dry, like she imagined a desert might feel. After blinking for a moment, she realized it was the second floor of Henantier's home. Only it had become a dark reflection of what it was in the real world.

The paintings hung upside down, and the walls themselves had changed. The wall directly ahead was comprised of the neatly dressed blocks of a castle. Yet to her right it was the rough stone of a cave. The bed lay against it, nearly upended by the rough stone growing under it. Good, familiar wood covered in daub comprised the wall to her left. Yet as she looked she could see the surface of that wall gently moving in and out, as if it was breathing.

Behind her she found the smooth, white stone of an Ayleid ruin, complete with the typical square double-door entrance of the heartland high elves, and the circular handle to open it. Like the paintings in the room, it was upside down, with the steps leading to it emanating from the ceiling above her rather than the floor.

Screenshot

Standing across the room was Henantier. He was wearing the same blue robe he did in the real world, and was enveloped in a soft green light. He cowered away from her gaze, crouching down in a vain attempt to hide behind a dresser. Teresa stepped closer to the high elf, and thought that he looked strange. That is when she realized that she could see through his body, as if he was a ghost.

A ghost of his former self, Teresa thought as she stood before him. She reached out to him and noticed that her arm was bare, when it should have been covered by the sleeve of her leather cuirass. Looking down at herself, she found that she was stark naked, except for the amulet that fell between her small, yet firm breasts. A green light rose from the moonstone set in the center of the amulet and suffused her entire body with its glow, just as with Henantier.

"What the…" Teresa reflexively jumped back and lowered a hand to cover her nether regions. She turned to the dresser beside her and tried to open the drawers, but they would not budge. Yanking even harder, the handle came off in her hand. That is when she noticed that the drawers were either fused into the frame of the dresser, or they were simply decorative. She also noted that in spite of her nakedness, she did not feel cold. In fact, she was quite warm, thanks to the heat.

It isn't real, she thought. It's just a reflection from his mind. Looking back to the high elf, she saw he continued to squirm behind the end of the dresser. Well, she thought, he is certainly not a Peeping Tovas. The way he was reacting, she might as well be a Daedric Prince!

"Henantier." she said gently, stepping closer to him. Now that she could see him better, it seemed as if he was made of mist. She reached out to touch him, but then drew her hand back before she could. If he really was a vapor, she did not want to disperse any of him.

By Raven, what a strange thought to have! she mused as she stared at the high elf.

He did not answer, even after several minutes of her quiet prodding. Worse, the closer she drew to him, the more he shirked away. He was clearly terrified of her. Just what she needed. He was the one who was supposed to get them out of here!

Teresa stepped away from him to avoid frightening him any more than necessary. Thinking back on what Kud-Ei had said, she imagined that this must be a byproduct of the dreamworld divorcing him from certain parts of his personality. Apparently his courage was one of those things. Perhaps his ability to perceive as well, as he plainly thought she was a threat.

She looked around the room. In addition to the Ayleid door behind her, she now saw another exit set in the rough stone wall to her right. This one was of ramshackle wooden boards, like the one she had seen at the entrance of the goblin cave on the City Isle. At the far end of the room she saw the stairway leading downstairs. She stepped toward it, but that brought her closer to Henantier as well. She stopped and backed away as he tried to press himself into the wall beside him to escape.

Better to do whatever could be done up here first, Teresa thought. Maybe that would help put him back together enough for her to go downstairs without him hurting himself from fright.

Turning to the Ayleid door behind her, the naked wood elf set her hand to the warm stone of its surface. Instantly she knew that it was the portal to the Test of Perception. She had no idea how she knew that. It was just there in her mind.

Just like in a dream, Teresa thought.

She focused on the symbol of her Flare spell and called the magicka up within her. Only for some reason the energy did not respond. She could usually feel it deep within her, yet now she felt nothing. It was as if she had expended all of her magicka casting spells.

This must be by Henantier's design, the wood elf thought, so he could not just whip off a bunch of super-spells during his trials and finish them with no trouble. It was intended to be difficult after all, supposed to push him.

Swallowing hard, Teresa reached for the door again and took the circular handle in her trembling fingers. You can do this, she told herself, you have been through worse and come out alive. You can do this.

She pushed the doors aside and stepped through.

Screenshot

Spooky... I don't think I'd want to get trapped in this place any more than Henantier was.



Many a girl's worst nightmare, to be standing nude in front of a man and have no way of dressing themselves. It's a good thing Henantier has no mind of his own right now, but you might want to consider what's going to happen as you help him recover his mind, Teresa. I understand that such a quest is going to build a rather intimate relationship between you two, how much so is entirely up to you.

Well, a certain blondie bear makes a notable exception, of course.



Delightful.



That's right, girl, go for the Ayleid Arimer style first. I'm sure we need not remind you what drove you to that decision.

I'd forgotten what a good quest this was. You write it very well, it has the feel of a dream where things don't make any sense but Teresa is still thinking clearly.


This one line was very good, it explains the origin of the knowledge and solidifes the idea of this being a dream. It also says something about Teresa that when presented with such strangeness she just shruggs it off as being like a dream.


Though Henantier it seems is not. I blame Kud-Ei, while she might have fixed the bug Henantier left in the enchantment she seems to have introduced one.

And here we are inside the imagination of M.C. Escher. Yes, Henantier's room always makes me think of those etchings by the master-wizard of perception himself. You have captured that feeling well in your writing.

Funny, I always go for the Test of Courage first. Why? I really don't know. It's a strange thing to be doing without the Jewel of the Rumare, and downright scary too.

But the Test of Perception always leaves me shaking, though I have done it so many times already. Yikes!

'he is certainly not a Peeping Tovas.'
This is a delightfully TES phrase!

Stringy wood elf? By Raven, you need a less, um curvaceously hourglass body mod (just joshin' ya).

You have created an eerie atmosphere here and clearly share with us what Teresa is thinking.

Yikes! No magic, no bow, no clothes. Gulp!

My word! Teresa is nude!!

I like Perception the best out of the four. Its the easiest one for me



Huh... I never noticed that! Then again the only interaction I have with Henantier is a good punch after each test...

Since you are not the first to say that, I found another body mod, and after installing only the body files (and not the clothes that come with it - since it would not work with my other mods with those), I was able to get it to work. I replaced the previous pic of Teresa nude. Now she is less top-heavy, but seems to have a gigantic butt.

Oh noes! I was just joshin'! Teresa is gorgeous!!!

Thomas Kaira: Actually I picked that one to write about first simply because it was the nearest to Teresa! But I am glad it may seem there is some personal preference going on as well. It is usually the one I start with when I do the quest in the game. Because you can start from it, and do the rest in order around the house.


Olen: Teresa is used to strangeness, given her recent history with prophetic Emperors, Witches, spirit guides, etc...

She is not clothed simply because you are not supposed to bring anything in with you. I decided to take that literally when I wrote this. The only things in the dreamworld are what Henantier's subconscious provides. Since he has no clue who she is, his subconscious is not putting any clothing on her. I imagine that if it had been Kud-Ei who entered the dream, his subconscious would clothe her as he normally saw her. Or perhaps as he would like to see her... Besides, it is the only opportunity I am ever going to have to take naked pictures of Teresa!


haute ecole rider: I am glad the weirdness of the dreamworld resonates. I really wanted that to come across, with the little descriptions of the wall breathing, etc...


Acadian: I used the TGND body, which I rather like. It is too bad the replacement meshes for all the vanilla clothing that comes with it conflict with something else. So I had to just use the naked body meshes and textures.


Jacki Dice: The last time Teresa got this naked in the story, she at least had Nerussa to make up for it! Henantier is not her idea of a good substitution! Tadrose Helas on the other hand...

I always find this one easy too. It is just jumping and timing and watching your step.


Next: Teresa entered Henantier's dream in the previous episode. Now she begins the first test to rebuild the high elf's mind. Note that I am changing the names of the some of the tests to ones I find more representative.


Chapter 28.4 –Through A Nightmare Darkly

She found herself standing in a void. A platform of stone blocks was beneath her, apparently floating within the inky darkness. To her left she saw another platform of floating stone in the distance, and hovering over it was what seemed to be a dark sphere, outlined by glowing blue-white energy. Leading away from there was a path of stones that also hung in the void, traveling in a wide semi-circle to the right and eventually joining with the platform upon which she stood.

Floating amid the darkness between the platforms and the pathway were several glowing crystals, shaped much like varla stones, only red in color rather than the cool silver-white of the Ayleid artifacts. Teresa looked back and saw that the door she had stepped through was gone. Instead there was nothing but empty blackness behind her.

Screenshot

The only way out is through, Teresa thought, walking forward to where the path joined the corner of the platform. The stone blocks directly in front of her were shrouded in darkness, yet in the distance beyond she could see where they reappeared in the light. Reaching down with a cautious hand, she felt for solid purchase. She found nothing but emptiness.

A trap, she thought, meant to catch the unaware with a nasty fall. Backing up, she ran forward and leaped across the dark spot, landing in a heap on the far, lit side. Picking herself up, she made to brush the dust from her naked body only to find there was none. Nor was her soft skin bruised or scraped by her fall upon the rough stone blocks under her feet.

It's all a dream, she thought. Just don't get killed.

Moving forward along the path of stone blocks, the clunking noise of machinery came to her ears. Looming from the darkness before her she saw a circular ring of stone. Floating over it were several long bony objects like fingers. Hanging from them were rusty iron pendulums, much like she had seen in Vilverin.

Screenshot

Stepping to the edge of the ring of stone, she watched as the pendulums swung back and forth around it. One swipe would cut her in half, or knock her off the platform and send her to her death in the emptiness below. Staring at the swinging blades, she noticed that they moved at different speeds. Yet each had a regular rhythm. Counting the time each took to complete a swing and then begin a new one, she found a brief window when the walkway was clear.

Waiting for the next chance, she breathed deeply and slowly. This was no different than Vilverin she told herself. She just did not have a healing spell or potion waiting if she was sloppy. She only had to concentrate, and she would not need them anyway.

So why was her heart running like a thoroughbred stallion, and her mouth drier than the Alik'r Desert?

Teresa saw her next window of opportunity and sprang forward without a second thought. Her feet moved nimbly on the stone beneath her feet, and a blade whooshed by just behind her head as she took her second step. Keep moving, she thought as she saw a second blade descending out of the corner of her eye. It fell behind her racing form as well, and with a quick dive she was beyond the third and final pendulum and onto the pathway beyond.

She paused to catch her breath. Staring down at her hands, she saw them begin to tremble. Stop it! she cursed herself. There was plenty of time to fall apart once the job was done, she thought. For now she had to remain strong. Strong for Henantier - who at least had an excuse for cowering - and strong for herself.

Looking ahead of her, she saw nothing but a wide square of stones, making a small platform like the one she had started from. That is when she noticed a faintly sweet smell in her nostrils. Sniffing the air around her, she recognized it as some kind of gas. Moving to her right, she found the smell became stronger. Moving to the left it lessened, but only for a few steps.

She moved ahead, sniffing as she went, and found a pathway between the invisible clouds of the miasma. She had to move slowly, taking her time and depending on her nose. When she finally reached the far side of the platform she felt dizzy, and had to pause for long moments to breathe clean air once more before pressing on.

The path curved to her left, where it eventually straightened out into what seemed like a corridor lit by the glowing red crystals in the air. She could see long, rusty blades suspended from a stone ceiling hanging over the hall. Those would fall when she came near, she knew, then rise again to reset themselves.

Moving forward, she studied the blades, and the gaps between them. She was thinking of how she would have to jump between one and another as they fell and rose, when the stones beneath her feet began to shift. Cacat! she silently cursed as she sprang forward. It was another trap, meant to catch her while she stared at the blades ahead!

The stones collapsed beneath her racing feet and fell into the inky void as she ran. Now the wood elf looked only at the rock directly ahead of her as she scrambled with all of the strength in her legs. With another leap she cleared the last falling block and was onto the edge of the blade corridor.

That was close, she thought. This test was all about perception, she mused, as the name said. She had to not only use all of her senses to navigate its traps, but also make sure she was paying attention to the right thing at the right time!

The blades were easy after that. As soon as she stepped forward they began falling and rising back up again to reset themselves. She simply had to take one at a time and move ahead as they rose and cleared enough distance for her to slip under them. Then pause and wait for the next one to drop, and do the same, until she was finally beyond them.

Next she found a circular room, whose stone walls were actually a series of curved pillars that rose all around, with wide spaces between each. Teresa stepped warily into the chamber, and she thought she heard a rumbling from above. Stepping back into the corridor, her heart leaped into her throat as an avalanche of boulders crashed down into the room from above.

Screenshot

She waited for the rain of stones to halt, holding one hand to her bare chest to slow her thundering heart. When she was convinced that the rocks had stopped falling for good, she cautiously moved forward, glancing upward into the inky black of the ceiling in case she was wrong. Navigating her way through the massive boulders to the far side, she found another curved path of stone before her.

Many areas of the path were shrouded in darkness once more, and Teresa carefully felt her way along to be sure she was standing upon solid rock. This time nothing fell, or gave way beneath her. As she rounded the final turn she could see the final platform ahead of her, with its glowing sphere hovering in its center.

Screenshot

She eagerly stepped forward, then stopped herself short. It was too easy, she thought, this place had tricked her before by making her think of what was far away when she should have been concentrating on what was right in front of her nose. Looking down carefully, she made out the slight rise of a pressure plate in the block of stone in front of her toes.

So this was it, she thought as she crept forward around the trap. Taking her time, she found that the rest of the pathway was littered with the same pressure plates. She had no idea what they might do when she stepped on one, but she had no desire to find out either.

Eventually she was clear of the pathway and standing on the far platform. Walking slowly to the broken stone pedestal in the center of the large square, she was wary for more snares. Yet nothing sprung or fell upon her, and she found herself standing before that strange ebony orb that she had seen when she had first entered the test. It floated in mid air, surrounded by a halo of blue-white energy. Tiny sparks of light flew from it and meandered through the air around it, like motes of pollen on a spring day.

Screenshot

"Magic is all about symbols," Raminus Polus explained to the youthful Bosmer standing before him in his study. "That is because magic is not governed by the conscious, logical mind. Rather it is a product of the dreaming mind, what we call the unconscious. So to use magic, one must understand how to speak the language of dreams, which are of course symbols."

It was no wonder that Henantier had created a dreamworld to test himself then, Teresa mused. He was going directly the source of his magical ability.

The glowing sphere must be the symbol of one of the parts of Henantier's psyche, the forester thought. Best to get it and go. Swallowing hard again, Teresa bit her lower lip and reached out for the globe. It began to make a low hum as her fingers came near. Pausing to look around to make sure another trap was not going off, the wood elf then stretched out once more and took the ball into her hands. Instantly, she knew that it was the Element of Perception.

Her sight flashed with coruscating blue light, and suddenly she was back in Henantier's room. While she tried to gather her wits, the glowing sphere pulled her forward, dragging her body behind it. She blinked, trying to hold it back, but she found that she was not strong enough. It was going wherever it wanted to, she realized, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

So she let it go, and watched as it flew across the room and struck Henantier, who was now standing. He did not flinch away, or make a sound as it hit him. He just stood there with an expectant look on his face as the ebony sphere crashed into him.

Rather than knocking him over, or punching through him, the ball of energy sank into his body and disappeared. The same blue-white glow that had wreathed the ball lit around the high elf, only to likewise soak into his body. Afterward Teresa noted that his form now seemed more substantial, and when he gazed at her his eyes were no longer filled with confusion.

"Who are you?" His voice still trembled with fear however. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Teresa," she said in a soft voice, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal. "Kud-Ei sent me to rescue you."

"I don't know you!" he cried, shrinking away for a moment. Then he paused, squinting at her in the red light. "Where are your clothes?"

Teresa looked down at her naked body, and suddenly felt warmth blossom in her cheeks.

"I was wondering about that myself," she found herself almost laughing as she looked back up at the Altmer. This had to be the most ridiculous situation ever, she thought. How come things like this never happened in bard's tales? "This is your dream, how about you make me some?"

"I don't know how to do that…" he stammered. "This is all a nightmare, I cannot wake up from it!"

"This is your dreamworld Henantier." Teresa stepped forward slowly. He backed up, prompting Teresa to stop and raise her hands, open palms toward him to show that she meant no harm. This was bad, she thought. He does not even know where he is. There were clearly more parts of his mind she needed to collect - his reasoning, as well as his courage. "You made this place to test yourself, only you messed something up, and you broke yourself instead. Kud-Ei sent me to get you back. Do you understand?"

The Altmer shook his head, and still looked frightened as he stared at her.

She was not going to get anywhere talking to him, Teresa realized, at least not until she restored more of his psyche. "I need to go through there," the wood elf said, pointing to the goblin door. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need to walk near you to get there.

"Why?" the high elf asked, a look of suspicion clouding his features. "What is in there?"

"More of you," Teresa breathed as she walked forward cautiously. The high elf backed away from her, and for her own part the forester did her best to keep as much distance from him as she could. Then she was standing in front of the rickety door, and just as before, she suddenly knew it was the Test of Reason.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Screenshot

You've captured the pitfalls and traps that characterize the Test of Perception. I remember the first time I did this, I was so terrified! Even though it's just pixels, the idea of falling off the edge into limbo left me shaking as if it was real.

Who hasn't had the dream of falling? Yikes!

And now begins another scary test!

BTW, great screenshots, especially the one with the Element of Perception!

Strategically placed ebony orb, nice! There are so many things I never noticed when I played this in the game, because I was too freaked out by the dark and falling! I admire Teresa’s composure.

Teresa looked down at her naked body, and suddenly felt warmth blossom in her cheeks.
Well, there’s naked, and there’s nekkid… Maybe Tadrose can help demonstrate the difference

This chapter is a masterpiece. I’m in awe!

Great part, you caught the tension well, though I suspect Teresa might find this one of the easier tests as she is certainly perceptive. It also gives the feeling that she is more confident and skilled than she was, as this is meant to be a test her passing it shows how far she's developed.


Good bit of worldbuilding, linking this back to a previous event is excellent and makes the whole thing hang together. Your view of magic also fits very well with this quest...


Fair play, though I'm sure you could come up with other means for that...

Very creepy and very neat! You really captured the feel of this test. I liked how you showed Teresa learning about far distraction vs near danger. It fooled the wood elf once, but not twice.

'So she let it go, and watched as it flew across the room and struck Henantier, who was now standing. He did not flinch away, or make a sound as it hit him. He just stood there with an expectant look on his face as the ebony sphere crashed into him.
Rather than knocking him over, or punching through him, the ball of energy sank into his body and disappeared. The same blue-white glow that had wreathed the ball lit around the high elf, only to likewise soak into his body. Afterward Teresa noted that his form now seemed more substantial, and when he gazed at her his eyes were no longer filled with confusion.'
This was wonderfully described! You very carefully then showed some improvement in Henantier, but also that much more was needed to make him 'whole'.

Nit:
'So this was it, she thought as crept forward around the trap.'
I suspect you wanted to say: ...as she crept forward... ? Or if you wanted to lesson the use of 'she', perhaps: ...she thought while creeping forward around the trap.

I love how you fleshed out this chapter. Its generally a quick run through for me, but the way you wrote it, it's like time slowed down which shows Teresa's caution. Great write ♥

Now there's a gauntlet. Great bit of edge-of-your-seat reading in here!

Glad to see you keeping your head on your shoulders kept it from being removed from said shoulders, Teresa.

I feel the need to give a bit of warning to our slight-of-build Bosmer heroine: watch out for the wall-darts. They'll kill you before you can blink.



Is this going to become a recurring theme? Naughty, naughty!

WOO HOO! Teresa in the buff! The red lighting in that dreamworld takes away the red of her hair, though - she looks blonde! Or were the screenies taken before she dyed her hair?

I loved what you did with these chapters - well worth the re-read !! The dreamworld is one of my fave quests to play. Great Write!!



Awesome Screenshots !!! You did great to capture the mood of the challenges with your screenies, here are my fave two:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subr...ightmare08c.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subr...ightmare08k.jpg

Awesome Write, SubRosa - it always is when you hold the pen!

haute ecole rider: Is that Schrödinger's Cat?

I am afraid of heights myself, so I can relate.


Grits: I felt like I was in a Austin Powers movie, given how I had to strategically place the camera for all the pics of Teresa! Next chapter Tadrose will demonstrate indeed!


Olen: That probably will be one of the easiest for Teresa. Or the one coming next.

That little flashback with Raminus Polus was something new for the TF 2.0. In the original Teresa was just ruminating on the same basic thing. But as you said, linking it back to a concrete event does make it all work so much better.


Acadian: She did indeed mean to creep. Thank you for straightening out Teresa's creepiness!


Jacki Dice: This is a big chapter because I did as you said, slowed everything down and took it one step at a time. Hopefully it will continue to be exciting later on.


Thomas Kaira: A gauntlet was exactly what I was hoping it would feel like.

That will be a recurring theme!


mALX: You are right, she does look blond in that one pic. These were all taken when she had red hair though. It is just a trick of the lighting. That would make her a blond, bosmer, bowgirl, from Bravil...


Next: Teresa has complete the first of the tests required to reassemble Henantier's mind. Next she must face a test of her reasoning skills. Note that this next test is one that I have renamed from the game.


Chapter 28.5 –Through A Nightmare Darkly

She found herself standing upon a long platform of Ayleid construction, once again suspended in a featureless void. The slightly greenish stones under her feet were cut into gigantic blocks, each one long enough to fit a wagon and its horse upon and still have room to spare at either end. Directly in front of her was a low pedestal, upon which sat a metal container. It was hexagonal in shape, like many such small chests she had seen in Ayleid ruins.

Screenshot

Stepping up to it with care, her eyes darted to and fro in case of another trap. Yet nothing fell upon her, shot at her, or collapsed under her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she twisted the lid and lifted it off the body of the chest. Within she found a scroll that appeared quite new when compared to the rusted container and the worn stone beneath her feet.

Unrolling it, she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. It contained three groups of runes. The first a small set of only four lines, and the next two groupings becoming progressively larger. She recognized the faint image that took up the background of the rolled sheet as belonging to the Mage star sign; a wizened man holding a staff, with several stars dotting his figure connected by lines.

Screenshot

Wonderful, now what was she going to do with this? The only language she knew was Cyrodiilic, the common tongue of the Empire. Whatever the scroll was written in, if it was even a language at all, she had no idea what it was. Perhaps if she was a real magician it would all make sense to her. It might even be some magical code they were taught in the Arcane University for all she knew.

Rolling the scroll back up, Teresa was about to put it back in the container when she thought better of it. It must have been placed here for a reason, she thought, best to keep it.

So gripping the scroll in one hand, the forester made her way forward along the length of the un-walled corridor. She came to a place where it widened out into a large square-shaped area. A vaulted ceiling loomed in the darkness high overhead, and four gigantic blocks of stone rose one after another along each side of the square. Each was taller than she was, and bristled with nozzles that she knew would spray darts if their triggers were set off. In the open path between them Teresa could plainly see that the floor was taken up by pressure plates.

Screenshot

So how was she going to get across that? she wondered. It was too far to jump, and she could not go around. The entire breadth of the floor was taken up by the pressure plates, so there was no way to squeeze through between them either. Yet there had to be some way across. This was a test she thought, so there must be a way to succeed.

That is when she remembered the scroll. Pulling it open once more, she saw that the number of pressure plates equaled the number of runes in the first set of writings. Aha! she thought, so the runes were a key to crossing the plates. She just had to figure out how to decipher them.

With that in mind, the wood elf examined them more closely, and realized that some of the characters repeated themselves. Studying the instances of that single rune, she found that they were all adjacent to one another, creating a path across the maze of pressure plates.

Taking a deep breath, Teresa prayed to the Nirn Spirits that she had guessed correctly, and that the runes did not mean something else altogether. She stepped onto the first pressure plate and braced herself for the worst. She heard the deep-throated rumble of stone grinding upon stone as the plate dropped beneath her feet. Yet there was no whooshing sound of flying darts, nor sharp biting impacts into her bare skin.

She realized that she had closed her eyes, and opening them once more, she stepped upon the next plate in the diagram. Once again it safely depressed into the floor beneath her feet. She smiled faintly, and followed the rest of the runes through the plates and to the corridor beyond.

Well, that was not too hard, she thought with some small satisfaction. Continuing along the corridor to her left, she found it turned once more in her original direction. There she found the way ahead was blocked by more of the stone sentries, except for one gap between them. Stepping into it, her heart sank as she looked out at a sea of pressure plates. It was easily double what there had been in the previous area.

Screenshot

This is not a problem, she told herself as her heart began to race. She just had to find the correct rune and follow it through. Studying the second diagram on the scroll, she was disappointed to see that the first rune she had followed was not represented within it. The key rune must change every time, she ruminated. Spending long moments searching through the pattern of characters, eventually she came upon one that seemed to create a pathway.

Stepping out onto the first plate, she again gritted her teeth as it sank into floor beneath her. Once more no darts shot forth to strike her down, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Studying the scroll again, she carefully picked her way sideways along the pressure plates, then alternated between moving forward and to one side or the other, until finally she was across.

Phew! she thought, that was more difficult. Yet she had still managed to puzzle her way through. Continuing down the corridor to the next phase of the test, she once again found a row of stone blocks cordoning off her route, except for a single open space between them.

Stepping into the gap, she found an even more complicated test before her. Not only were there more of the pressure plates than the last two tests combined, there was an extra dart-throwing column right in the center of the maze. She imagined the route would be more complicated as well, and stared down at the scroll once more to figure her way through.

Screenshot

Once more a different rune unlocked the riddle of the maze, and the wood elf stepped onto the first pressure plate with a growing sense of confidence. She chided herself to not get too bold when the traps did not go off, and forced herself to stop and study the scroll again before following the runes along the path they spelled out.

As she had first guessed, the route was more circuitous then before, leading her around one side of the central dart-shooter and another, even going forward and back again, before finally leading her out onto an open platform on the other side.

She could see another of the dark stones floating in the air down the platform ahead of her, and cautiously walked to it. Just because she had gone through all of the tests did not mean the dreamworld might not cheat and spring a final trap on her, she thought. She was relieved when she arrived at the stone without incident.

This time she saw it hovered over a ring of metal spines that rose up from what looked like a well. Just like the star wells at Vilverin and Anutwyll. The sphere itself was black and featureless as the previous one had been, but crackled with a purplish energy this time. Once more a humming filled Teresa's ears as she reached out for it and took it in her hands. She knew that it was the Element of Reason, and then she was gone.

Screenshot

Good camera positioning for that last screenie

Good write of the part, you managed to keep some tension with her asking herself if she was definatly right which was good. That one was easy once you worked out the code (saying that the scroll didn't display properly on my old PC so I had to go by trial and character death...).

The next two should be real treats...

And once again we are treated to wonderful, strategically angled camera views of the Test of Reasoning.

I have to admit the first time I encountered this test I was paralyzed! I didn't understand the connection between the scroll and the pressure plates. I also knew the first mistake was going to be fatal. Ugh!

I remember how excited I was to see this test so well-written in 1.0, and version 2.0 does not disappoint! Well done again!

And yes, that is Schrödinger's cat, from the lolcat image you sent me. I just cropped it down so kitty would be more visible in the icon mode. I figured it was time for a change!

Screenshot


I love this screenshot for the camera angling to just the right place to keep hidden certain areas and reveal others - a delicate balance, and you achieved it nicely !! I am instantly reminded of Acadian's genius a week ago that had Miss Buffy stretching at the dining room in Leyawiin Castle - you two both have a talent for setting up screenies to get the most out of them!!

Awesome Write and rendition of one of my fave quests in the game!






ROFL !!! Ah, I learned a long time ago to swallow and put down my drink before reading any comments you have written, my keyboard is undrenched, lol.

Very well done! I was right on the edge of my seat the entire time, almost holding my breath with Teresa. Yikes!

Oh, and great screenies!

'Stepping up to it with care, her eyes darted to and fro in case of another trap. Yet nothing fell upon her, shot at her, or collapsed under her.'
Wonderful use of words here.

'She chided herself to not get too bold when the traps did not go off, and forced herself to stop and study the scroll again before following the runes along the path they spelled out. '
I was so relieved to see her cautiousness here.

'Once more a humming filled Teresa's ears as she reached out for it and took it in her hands. She knew that it was the Element of Reason, and then she was gone. '
Fabulous ending, right at the correct, magic moment for full impact! After all, even if you don't 'show' us the Element rejoining Henantier's mind, you showed us with the previous test.

Been a long time since the Oblivion Crisis ended, I'd wager. Perhaps Teresa needs a refresher on Daedric? I'll give a quick hint: Spell Scrolls are scribed in Daedric characters (Morrowind reference). Speaking of that...


You're not far off there!

It was great to see how Teresa reacted to each of the trap gauntlets, starting fearful, but naturally becoming a simple edginess with a quick flash of overconfidence quickly being snuffed. This tells us quite a lot about how conscientious of the world she's become.

Um...pardon me, good Well of Reason... you're in my way!



That's exactly what I thought too I taught myself to read and write Daedric, so I sat there for several minutes trying to figure out what it said! It was only after I wrote it all down that I noticed the letter patterns

Gah, the tests! I don't like this quest, personally, because it is confusing and difficult. But you have written it in an engaging manner, and although I know Teresa will survive I'm still on the edge of my seat. Now the minotaurs...

Olen: I worked hard to get that last picture!


schrödinger's ecole rider: I actually figured it out pretty quickly. When I first looked at the scroll I was like wtf? But I figured they were giving it to me for a reason, so I kept it. Then when I got to the first set of traps I decided to look back at it, and realized that there were the same number of symbols as there were pressure plates. After that it was easy.


mALX: I guess now the question is which character will be naked next? Julian? Jerric? Wrothken? Maxical? Derelas? Lattia Direnni? Maya?


Acadian: This was a difficult test to make feel tense. Because once you figure it out, it really is easy. I am glad Teresa's caution and uncertainty worked to keep up the feeling of excitement.


Thomas Kaira: Daedric writing for scrolls? It sounds like Bethesda just wanted to get the most out of the font they created. That does not make sense to me though. The whole point of a scroll is that it is a one-shot spell that anyone can use. But if they are written in Daedric, then very few people would be able to use them (which in turn means the Mages Guild is not going to make any money selling them ). I cannot imagine anyone other than Daedric cultists and a few magic geeks like Henantier who would want to learn to read, write, and speak Daedric. The same as I mentioned a while ago with summoning. Who would want to summon the creatures that continually try to destroy the Empire, and the world? So just like Aedric summoning will be a seen later in the TF, scrolls are all written in American (i.e. Cyrodillic/Imperial).


Jacki Dice: A good thing for well of reason being where it was, otherwise I'd probably be banned!


Linara: I have always liked this quest. No minotaurs this post though. I am saving the best for last.


Next: Teresa has recovered the second of the elements of Henantier's mind that she needs. Next she gets some clothes!


Chapter 28.6 –Through A Nightmare Darkly


She found herself back in Henantier's combination study and bedroom once again. This time she did not try to hold onto the sphere of energy for even a moment. She simply let go as soon as she realized where she was again. It flew directly into him once more, and again she noted that he grew more substantial after he absorbed it into his body.

"Oh my stars!" the Altmer said with his eyes wide. "What's happened? I've trapped myself in my own dreamworld! I must have made a mistake somewhere in my design."

"Glad to see you've been paying attention," Teresa said dryly as she stared at the elf. He shrinked away at the sound of her voice once more, and the wood elf shook her head.

"You, someone sent you here. It was Kud-Ei wasn't it?" the high elf started once more. "Oh no, she has trapped you here as well! We will never escape this place!"

"Just calm down Henantier," Teresa said in a soothing tone. "I already finished two of the tests, I can do the rest. Do you know how many more there are?"

"There are two," the mage stammered, holding up two fingers on one hand. "But you will never complete them, no one can!"

"Two more?" Teresa asked. The forester tried not to let his panic affect her. It was hard enough to keep from falling apart herself. His agitation only made it worse. She hoped that the test to regain his courage would be next. "Do you know what they will be like?"

"One is a test of bravery," Henantier said in a quivering voice. "The other is a test of faith. But they cannot be done, you will die if you try."

"Why?" Teresa asked. "Do you know what is in them?"

"No," the high elf responded, shying further away from the forester. "I just know they are impossible!"

One is a test of faith, Teresa thought, no wonder he had none in her abilities, just as he had no courage. Well, there was nothing to do but finish it, she thought, and turned to the stairway leading down.

"Where are your clothes!" the high elf exclaimed behind her. Looking back, Teresa saw that he had turned his head so he could not see her.

"I don't have any, thanks to your dreamworld," Teresa said plainly. "Can you make me some?"

"Well of course, that is simple." The Altmer gestured at the dresser. Following his hand, Teresa found a small, neatly folded pile of clothing sitting atop it. Quickly she gathered up the dress and made her way into its labyrinth of folds, buttons, and loops. When she finally slipped the dark shoes upon her feet, she wished she had a mirror to see herself.

Looking down at herself, she was stunned at what she found. The elaborate black dress not only hugged her torso like a second layer of skin, it also created curves where she was certain she never had them before. While it had a high collar that nearly touched her chin, it was slit open from the top of her breastbone down to the bottom of her ribs, with only a pair of small cups that came out from either side covering the centers of her breasts. A row of spikes rose from along the back of her shoulders, curving down around the front of her body to meet below her breasts, creating a mane of giant thorns.

The dress made a wide sweep out from her hips, like a bell, and the skirt had a scale design down the front. Along either side it was comprised of large silver plates that seemed form-fitted to her, and were somehow sewn together. Silver gloves of similar construction sheathed her forearms from fingers to elbows, and were shaped like fish, even bearing spines growing from the back of her arms. The shoes on her feet were of similar black and silver design, their toes shaped like the mouths of fish.

Screenshot

Somehow, in spite of how elaborate the outfit was, Teresa found that she could move just as easily as she had when she was naked. Once more she was thankful that this was a dream, rather than reality. Looking at the outfit, she did find herself wondering what Henantier normally dreamed? Then casting her gaze at the warped version of his home, she realized it was no stranger than anything else here.

She opened her mouth to say something to the high elf, then shut it again. There would be no point until she finished the last two tests. Then hopefully she could get something out of him.

She turned and went down the stairs to the vestibule on the ground floor. She found that the front door was now at the end of a short corridor that led away from the rest of the building. The walls of the new hallway were of rough stone and dirt overlaid with wooden boards, as if she was in a mine. The door itself was a typical rickety affair that she imagined one might find in a mineshaft as well.

This was the Test of Faith, Teresa realized as she stepped up to the door and set her hand upon it. Good, she thought, at least Henantier might start believing in her once she completed it. She pushed it open and stepped through.

Screenshot

* * *

The wood elf had expected to find herself floating within another void. Instead she was inside an underground cavern. Most of it was submerged in a layer of water, which was only ankle-deep where Teresa entered the chamber. She could see it deepened significantly the farther into the room she went. Across from her the wall of the cave was pierced by a tunnel, which was nearly completely underwater.

Now she wished she had the Jewel of the Rumare with her. This would be a lot easier with it, she thought as she looked down at the bare flesh of her finger where it normally resided. Well, there was nothing to do about it, she sighed. She would just have to swim the old-fashioned way for a change.

The ground rose up from the waves to her right, and upon the little island was a spoked dais of Ayleid design. Sitting atop it was one of their hexagonal chests. Teresa leaped up to the dry ground with ease, and was once more thankful for the dream-reality allowing her to move so freely in her newfound gown.

Screenshot

Opening the container, she found a bottle within. As soon as she touched it she knew that it was a Potion of Water-Breathing. However, she could also sense that it would only last a few minutes, and staring at the submerged tunnel, she wondered if she would have enough time.

She would just need to have faith, she thought as she stepped down into the water and waded to the tunnel. These tests were designed to push a person, to endanger them, she knew, not kill them outright. Or at least she hoped so.

Pulling the stopper from the bottle, she upended the potion and let the blue liquid slide down her throat. Tossing the empty bottle aside, she dove beneath the waves into the tunnel. She kicked hard to propel herself down, and was pleased to find herself moving as quickly as she would if she was not wearing anything. On the other hand it was not nearly as easy as when she wore the Jewel of the Rumare either.

Soon she felt the water pressing down upon her, weighing on her limbs, where the ring had made it seem as if it was not even there at all. But Teresa followed the tunnel deeper down, until it leveled out into a small chamber. Looking to and fro, she found a shaft leading down in the floor. Wasting no time, she swam down within and continued to plummet deeper. The light became dim, and she began having trouble seeing as she followed the well ever downward.

She felt the potion begin to wear off as she came to another small chamber. Looking around, she saw another opening in one wall, that seemed to curve down into another well. Should she continue downward, and hope she found air before she drowned? Or should she turn back? If she did she just might make it to the surface while her breath lasted.

Screenshot

Have faith, Teresa thought. With that in mind, she kicked furiously for the side passage, and followed it into the depths. By now the potion had completely worn off. Holding her breath, she pushed on deeper and deeper. Now the water pressed in on her like a lead cloth that dragged at her limbs. Her lungs felt as if they were about to burst, and every part of her body was screaming at her to open her mouth to take a breath.

Still, she pushed on deeper, and was rewarded with the sight of another decrepit wooden door set into the bottom of the shaft. Desperately reaching out for it with her hand, her fingers set upon it just as her breath began to finally give out.

Screenshot

Then she found herself standing in a shallow pool of water and gasped. Falling to her knees as she gulped for air, she noticed the water was colored teal and red. Looking up, she saw that the sky was orange above her, and that she was within the circular stone walls of a ruined keep. Looming on a dais in front of her was another of the dark stones, this one glowing with yellow light.

Screenshot

She climbed from the water and onto the grassy floor of the castle. Stepping to the dais, she wasted no time in reaching out for it. The next thing she knew she was back in Henantier's house.

this is the one test that freaked me out!

But I found the second potion about halfway through. Did Teresa not see it? It's hard to see though. I missed that the first time i tried it!

Ugh!

But yeah, it's possible to make the whole thing on just one bottle of potion.

For some reason I forgot about the test of Faith. While it isn't the hardest, it's not the easiest either. Especially with only one water breathing potion...Also, I can say with reasonable doubt that Maya is not planning on shedding her clothing anytime soon. I hope. Is that dress from a mod or Shivering Isles? I think I remember seeing a mod with clothing like that, but maybe not.

'One is a test of faith, Teresa thought, no wonder he had none in her abilities, just as he had no courage.'
The dialogue exchange that preceded Teresa's conclusion was so very supportive of this - well done!

'Looking at the outfit, she did find herself wondering what Henantier normally dreamed?'
The dress. . . Heh. It seems Henantier's taste runs toward spikes and cleavage, and I would submit he definitely likes fish.

'She opened her mouth to say something to the high elf, then shut it again.'
Oh no, Teresa! Now don't start acting like a fish, you'll only excite him!

The test itself. Well, I found myself holding my breath and beginning to panic right along with Teresa, so you obviously conveyed what she experienced masterfully (again).

My goodness. You have really built some tension up for what Henantier has said is the final test - of bravery. Gulp!

I had to double check the avatar because this just sounded like Foxy!

'Twas not Foxie, but aye sweet Dox...er...er...Ducchess???

Syl's dress! I've always loved it. Too bad you can't get it on the console

This test bugged me too, though it may be because I know I would never, ever get through it, even with breathing potions. Good thing Teresa can swim!

I drowned so many times in this quest - unable to cast water breathing and no Jewel of Rumare - and there is a fault in the wall of the cave that (if you swim into it accidentally) takes you off the map but still under water - unable to get back into the cave and drowning! GAAAH!

The screenshots really add to the chapter, how you took the time to get the one underwater - WHEW !!! I love this quest, and you are really bringing it to life here !!!

Let me explain a little further... the scrolls are scribed in Daedric, but they are not actually read from. The Daedric writing simply provides a conduit between the spell that has been imbued into the parchment and the inner core of Magicka for the user. Reading from the scroll is irrelevent. All one needs to do is allow the dormant spell within the scroll to touch their Magicka core, and the spell is then activated and cast.


Though I may just be overthinking it, so if that's the case, woe upon you.

(In reality, the Daedric characters on the scrolls spelled out simple phrases in plain english pertaining to the spell on that scroll. There was a placeholder, though, which was, of course, Woe Upon You (technically woe upon ou, because Y is generally not written in Daedric).


By Azura, are we forgetting something? The Oblivion Crisis and the Siege of Mournhold are the only times the Daedra have tried to destroy the world, and both times it was by Mehrunes Dagon, lord of destruction and chaos. This statement seems to be a bit of a hasty generalization, Sage Rose.

Not all Daedra are bad. Daedra are more often than not simply neutral, albeit in a rather aggressive manner (usually because you were intruding on the area they were tasked to guard). The only time the Daedra were ever "bad" in that sense of the word, was in Oblivion. In every other Elder Scrolls game, the Daedra were a neutral party.

The princes whom they serve give a good sense of their true alignment, though. Dagon is on the bad side of the spectrum, so naturally his servants tend to be rather aggressive (though it appears you have yet to encounter a Dremora you can chat with in Morrowind, and there are several). However at the same time, Dagon is the lord of chaos and destruction, so in reality, his servant daedra don't care much what they're breaking as long as they're breaking something. Still, he is the world-breaker, but that is his nature. The Oblivion Crisis was not the first time he threatened Mundus, nor will it be the last, but do take notice he is the only one who ever threatened them.

Azura, on the other hand, is a good Daedra, and her Winged Twilights are loyal guardians to many ancient Dunmeri families. She also aided the Nerevarine in his quest to purge the Blight from Morrowind, in fact, she chose the Nerevarine.

Daedra are not demons bent on destroying the world, they are simply those who did not partake in the creation of Mundus. They care very little about the affairs of mortals (well, most of them, anyway. I think only Azura has a history of aiding the people of Mundus). By the way, I am not talking about the Daedric Princes calling upon someone to perform a task for them to receive an item of theirs, I'm talking about events significant to the history of Nirn, which you will find very few princes have actually contributed to those, and almost every time, it was Azura (who is also the most level-headed and reasonable of all the Daedric Princes by far).

The only Daedra who are considered "bad" are Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, Sheogorath (who we learned in Shivering Isles is actually Jygallag, a good Daedra), and Malacath. It is no coincidence that every attempt by the Daedra to destroy Mundus was made by Dagon, it's what he does. Daedra being destructive demons is an urban legend, which was only helped onward by Oblivion's story arc.

Long story short, Oblivion's plot caused a huge misunderstanding of the Daedra. They are not evil, world-munching demons, but rather a party neutral to the affairs of those who dwell in Mundus. The reason people do continually try to summon them (every single lesser daedra you encounter in Morrowind was summoned) is because they know this, and they also know that lesser daedra are quite loyal to the will of the summoner.

Hope this helps you better understand the ways of the Daedra.

However, I do understand that it might take some time for Tamriel to get over Dagon's incursion, so I'll get off my high horse now.

Heh, well... He also seems to be a accomplished tailor, in his dreams at least, perhaps he should pack in the whole enchanting thing.


Great metaphor, there were a few but this one really worked.

This was definatly the nastiest test. There's something horrible about being underground and underwater, I enjoy both but as soon as you mix them it all goes nightmarishly wrong (a bit like cheese and coffee). You certainly caught the nightmare aspect there.

Great stuff.

SPEW !!!! ROFL !!! Acadian, I am ... shocked !!!

ROFL!!!! Oh my goodness how did I miss that?! -wipes tear-

That is an interesting view of using scrolls, but it does not explain why the writing would be in Daedric. Why not in Aedric? That would make much more sense, as it was the Aedra who created Nirn, and thusly it is their energy that its people have within them. Where the Daedra are utterly alien beings. If you do not have to read it, why have writing at all? In any case, it sounds like just touching the scroll makes the spell go off, which does not sound very workable, imho.

In the TF, all magic works under the same principles. Be it casting a spell, making a scroll or potion, or enchanting an item. I have touched on this somewhat already, and will go into it in more detail in chapter 30. It all comes to down to 3 things. A symbol, energy, and the directed will of the person. The only difference between casting a spell and making a scroll is that in the latter, the practitioner puts all three in the piece of paper - channeling some of their magicka into it, sending it into a symbol there that gives it form and direction, and willing it to work. So a person who uses a scroll, potion, or magic item needs absolutely no understanding of magic themselves. That part was all done by the person who created it. They just need someway to activate it. They either swing their sword and it works automatically when it hits someone, or they drink the potion and the magic within it is released, or read from a scroll and it does the same.

I think you are somewhat misinterpreting my presentation of Daedra in the TF. I am not trying to characterize every last one of them as being the evilest beings ever imagined. But rather I am convinced that in a real world, that would be the perception of them by the vast majority of the population.

Also you seem to be forgetting a huge amount of the Daedra's negative behaviour. The only games where a Daedric Prince is not either the main villain or in the background manipulating the main villain are Daggerfall and Redguard. For example, in Arena Jagar Tharn is just the frontman for Mehrunes Dagon. In Morrowind the entire game revolves around the corruptive evil of Lorkhan's heart (and Lorkhan is Padomaic, and often referred to as a Daedra, although not technically so). It is the cause of corprus, what makes Dagoth Ur such a bad guy, and having to fight it is what makes the Tribunal weak. Azura herself is not the angel of mercy you are trying to paint her as either. She cursed an entire race because of the actions of their leaders. (Although I like the idea that Azura did not curse the Dunmer, but rather that they did it to themselves by embracing their false gods. But that is not what is presented by Bethesda.) She then manipulated mortals for thousands of years to get her revenge upon the Tribunal. Just how many Nerevarine's did she send to their ugly deaths before one finally got lucky and destroyed her enemies? The Nerevarine is nothing more than a tool of Azura's revenge upon Dagoth Ur, Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil. An end is put to corprus in the bargain, but I have seen no evidence of that being Azura's goal. Rather it is a side-effect of destroying the people who miffed her by stealing the power of a Daedra to become demi-gods, and push her out of predominance in Morrowind religion (which I think is a great plot btw.) After the fact we do not really see the Nerevarine doing anything to change Morrowind for the better. He/she makes a vanishing act afterward in fact, leaving the province in the manipulative hands of Helseth, who is more interested in shoring up his own personal power than doing anything for the benefit of the people of Morrwind. Ironically he ends up abolishing slavery, albeit not for altruistic reasons, but rather to break the power of the Houses that rival him. I would not say all of this makes Azura out to be a monster. However, none of it is proof of a benign nature either. She is just serving her own ends.

To name just a few other things, Deadric princes are the creators of werewolves and vampires. When you look at the wiki page on them they are described in terms like: "rules over deceit, conspiracy, secret plots of murder, assassination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority". Molag Bal's sphere "is the domination and enslavement of mortals. He is known as the King of Rape. His main desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring mortals souls within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms". And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sheogorath is the Joker from the Batman comics given godlike powers. His alter-ego Jyggalag seems even worse. He is not just a personification of order (which in itself is a contradiction of the basic nature of Daedra as set down by Bethesda), but of order run so rampant that it crushes all forms life and variety of existence. Clavicus Vile is portrayed in the same basic manner as Satan in Christian Mythology, making deals for people's souls in return for power in the mortal realm. Hermaeus Mora seems alright at first, except that those who are drawn in by his promise of complete knowledge become so consumed by it that it takes over their lives. Malacath is literally a turd (honest!). Namira is a personification of revulsion. Vaermina of horror itself. Sanguine of not only over-indulgence (which of course go beyond mere fun and leads to ruination of people's lives, look at drug-abusers and sex addicts), but also of "passionate indulgences of darker natures". Meridia seems one of the less nasty ones on the surface. Until you remember that she wiped out the Ayleid city of Sideways, and not to mention backed Umaril the Unfeathered - making her the patron of a race that enslaved and tortured other races (a trait she shares with Azura), and slaughtered the members of many chapels in Cyrodiil. Nocturnal seems benign. She is only a patron of thieves - which is nothing compared to the others. But of course we hardly see anything about her either.

The truth is, Bethesda goes to great lengths to make the Daedra out to be very black and white villains, right down to calling them demons. If they did not want them to be seen that way, then they should not have gone to so much effort to do it in the first place.

In a real world, it would only take one of those things above to put a taint in people's minds against the entire bunch. Because when people are scared, they do not react logically, and rarely compassionately. Look at how Japanese-Americans were treated after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their belongings were seized and they were sent to concentration camps, where many died. It did not matter that they were American citizens, who had lived their entire lives on US soil, as did their parents, and were absolutely no threat to the nation. Or that some of them actually went on to serve in the American army in Europe. It is not logical, or fair, or in keeping with the ideals of the United States. That is just how real people act. I see no reason to believe that the majority people on Nirn would be any different. Especially after the Oblivion Crisis, where you had gates to Oblivion opening up all over (not just in Cyrodiil), and daedra destroying cities full of people. Maybe Azura really is a nice lady, but in a real world, most Nirnites would not be looking at her any differently than Americans looked at Japanese-Americans in 1942. It would take someone with an awful lot of compassion to see past all the bad apples, and when it comes to Daedra, there are more than just a few of those.

Bethesda is not interested in making a portrayal of a realistic world though. That is why you do not see those attitudes in the games, and priests of the nine and mages guild members will happily teach you to summon scamps and daedroth, even though the exact same creatures are literally roaming around a few miles away killing everyone they see. It would be the same as a modern American summoning up a suicide bomber, or teaching someone else to. Bethesda does not really think through what they put in their lore. Or even how they constantly contradict that lore. That is why I often have to throw out much of ES lore in general. A lot of it is just ridiculous.

In the TF I already touched on people's views of Daedra after the Oblivion Crisis, when Teresa is talking to Morcant about them. Morcant says that not all of them are dyed-in-the-wool evil, and throws out Azura as an example of a deity that is a patron of initiatory rites. As an ordinary person of Cyrodiil, Teresa is skeptical of course, being that her only experience with Daedra is them trying very hard to kill her, her mother, and her friends. Not to mention their mortal servants murdering her Emperor in front of her eyes.

Now don't get me wrong, if people want to portray the Daedra as being different in their games or their fiction, I am not going to argue with them about it. Acadian is rolling with Azura being a rather positive deity in the BF. I do not criticize that, as he has been consistent in his portrayal. However, I would caution folks that some reinvention of Daedric history would be a good idea if you want to make it believable. For example Acadian changed how Azura's Star works. In the BF it does not devour people's souls. Instead it simply sucks up their magical energy. This in turn paints Azura in a much better light than someone whose artifact eats people souls.

For example, here is an idea someone might try out: Maybe Molag Bal really is a nice guy after all, and all those stories of him inventing rape and creating vampires is just a lot of bad press created by his enemies. It would not be the first time one religion completely lied and slandered another to serve the ends of its mortal leaders. Molag Bal might be a god of spiritual healing in reality. Here is another idea: maybe it is the Aedra like Mara who are really the bringers of horror and destruction to the world, and they use the Daedra as scapegoats to frighten mortals into submission. Maybe Mankar Camoran was right. Maybe Mehrunes Dagon really was a liberator? It would certainly make for an interesting idea to read about in a story. One of the characters I played in the game believed the above to the case. She was a former Mythic Dawn sleeper agent, and I RPed it that the Oblivion Crisis was already over when I started playing her (obviously this entailed skipping the entire tutorial dungeon). She was a ton of fun to play.

And thus we must remember that all Daedra are aligned with chaos.

Thank you for clarifying that to me.

ROFL !!! - Now, I just had to take that as a challenge, lol. Maxical was next! I personally hope Jerric is next, then Lattia Direnni, lol.

schrödinger's ecole rider: That was always the most difficult one for me, because the monitor I had at the time was so dim that I could not see anything. I drowned constantly trying to find that second tunnel going further down.

I left out the second potion half-way down the tunnels. It makes it more dramatic without it being there.


Linara: There is actually a second potion half way down in that test. The dress is Syl's Dress from Shivering Isles. I have always loved it, and seeing that this was Henantier's nightmare, I wanted something wild and outlandish. It was perfect.


Acadian: Keep in mind that this is a nightmare, rather than a dream. So what we see is not so much what he desires, as what he fears. Still, I would submit that he likes fish as well. Teresa cannot help acting like one though, because she is!


Jacki Dice: You need to save up for a pc! There is so much more you can do with the game.


mALX: I think I did the underwater pics while in godmode. That or I just let myself drown. I cannot remember anymore.

Let's all party naked!


Olen: I am glad the nightmarish quality of this quest is showing through. It is supposed to be weird and creepy.


Next: Our intrepid dream explorer has recovered three of the necessary four elements of Henantier's psyche. Now she faces her most difficult challenge yet as she attempts to win the final element.


Chapter 28.7 –Through A Nightmare Darkly

Only one more to go, Teresa thought as she stepped into the living room. What she found gave her pause however. The comfortable chamber she had seen when she first entered the home in the real world had transformed into a charnel house. The floor was stained with blood, including a long drag mark that went directly to a door that now loomed in the far wall. Framed in stone, it rose to a pointed top and stood where the fireplace had been. Lying on a table next to it was a headless skeleton, its skull carelessly discarded onto the floor nearby.

Screenshot

Teresa gulped. This did not look good at all, she thought. Henantier had regained his belief in her success after she had returned from her last test. Yet if he could see this he might change his mind.

Well, the only way out was through, she reminded herself once more. Stepping forward, she realized that this was the Test of Courage. Swallowing hard, she reached out to touch the wooden planks of the door.

She found herself in a stone tunnel. Directly in front of her was a dais of spoked design, and another of the small Ayleid chests atop of it. Henantier sure has a thing for the Ayleids, the wood elf thought as she opened the lid. Or maybe they were the stuff of his nightmares?

Within she found a full suit of hide armor, just like the one Morcant had given her. She imagined that if his dream was giving her armor, it was best to put it on,. With that in mind she stripped off her gown and quickly donned the light armor of supple leather. She even pulled the helmet over her head. Normally she preferred to keep her head bare, but the butterflies in her stomach told her she might need it.

Looking back in the container, she also saw a staff. Drawing it forth, she found that it was easily as long as she was tall. Its rosewood shaft split into three gnarled branches at the top, forming what looked like two fingers and a thumb. She had no idea how it could have fit within the chest, as the container was only a foot or so high. Yet there it was in her hand, just as plain as day. This was a Staff of Lightning, she thought. Somehow she knew that just as she knew the names of each test she performed.

Screenshot

She had grown up hearing bard's tales of great swordsmen, so skilled with a blade that their weapons were described as being extensions of their arms. As soon as she touched the staff she knew that it was an extension of her will. She did not know how, but all she had to do was focus as she did when casting a spell, and the staff would shoot forth a bolt of lightning.

With that in mind she lowered the shaft and pointed the tip at a portion of the stone wall ahead of her. Jagged lines of electricity leapt forth from each of the twisted fingers of the staff. They crackled in the air and all met at the stone, blasting a chunk of it loose and leaving the rest blackened and smoldering.

Mara, this was amazing! she thought as she stared down at the staff. It made her bow seem a child's toy in comparison.

That did not fill her with confidence however. She knew that if the dreamworld were giving her such a powerful weapon, not to mention armor, that the trial ahead must be equally dangerous. With that in mind, she strode down the tunnel and into the open.

She found herself standing in an arena. Stone walls rose around her in a circle, topped by long metal spikes that pointed inward to prevent her escape. Blocks of stone loomed up next to the wall in regular intervals, seeming to buttress it. Near the walls were stone daises that contained blazes of white fire. These illuminated the scene, as did the red sky overhead. Four stone pillars splashed with blood and decorated with iron manacles sprouted from the dried and cracked dirt near the center of the arena. The circle within them was taken up by a rusted iron grill.

Between her and the grill was a curious rectangular area of white stone blocks set into the ground. It took Teresa a moment to recognize them as a stairs. She imagined that a trigger would make them rise up from the ground and form a true staircase. Looking overhead, she saw that she was standing underneath a wide gallery made of elegantly carved stone. The stairs would lead up to it once they were activated. That must be the way out, she thought.

Screenshot

Then Teresa noticed that she was not alone in the arena. Two others approached her from across the dirt. Splitting up, one ran along the Arena wall to the right of the wood elf, and the other to the left. Both loomed high above her, with massive frames that bulged with muscle. Their torsos were those of men, but their backward-jointed legs ended in cloven feet and were covered in fur, like those of animals. Their massive heads were those of bulls, and they carried huge war hammers in their hands.

Minotaurs, Teresa thought. Clever ones too, splitting up meant that she would have to divide her attention when firing upon them. If she paid too much attention to one, the other would blindside her.

Leveling her staff at the nearest, she willed a bolt of lightning to spring forth. Blue-white light sparked across the arena floor, and the beast-man staggered for a moment as the charged energy struck him full in the chest. He shook his head, then launched himself forward a moment later with a roar that fairly split the wood elf's ears with its intensity.

Screenshot

Well, that made him mad, she thought. She pointed her staff at him again and unleashed another bolt of lightning into his hulking frame. Again, the beast-man paused briefly before lowering his head and plowing on once more.

They moved quickly, but dodging did not seem to be in their repertoire, Teresa noticed. That made them easy to hit, but they seemed to be able to take a lot of punishment. It was plain to her that even with the staff, they would be upon her before she could stop one, let alone both.

Glancing to her side, she saw the second minotaur was closing in fast. Turning in his direction, she sprang forward to cut the distance between them. When he was only a few paces away she lowered the staff and fired a bolt of electricity into his chest. The minotaur reared back as the lightning struck him, growling in what Teresa imagined might be anger, or pain, or perhaps both.

The forester did not pause in her rush, scampering past the momentarily staggered monster. She continued to run, and did not stop until she reached the far wall of the arena. Turning, she set her back to one of the tall blocks of stone that buttressed the wall. That way one would not be able to sneak up behind her while the other occupied her attention.

Lowering her staff at the nearest one, she continued to blast away at him as he charged forward. The creature's fur was burned off and its flesh charred black, yet still it continued toward her. It moved with terrifying swiftness, seeming to gain speed with every step. The minotaur lowered its head when it was only a few steps away, and Teresa saw a red point of light form between its horns.

That cannot be good, the wood elf thought as that light came at her. Leaping to one side, the stench of burned fur filled her nostrils. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the dark blur of the gigantic creature as it lunged past her. A moment later she heard a crash as it slammed directly into the buttress. Dust and chips of stone erupted from under the monster's head. The minotaur did not fall, but did appear dazed for a moment.

Staring up at the tall stone blocks of the counterfort, an idea blossomed in Teresa's head. Leaving the minotaur to gather its wits, she took to her heels once more and raced to the next buttress. She could hear the snuffling breath of the second minotaur behind her, lending urgency to her steps.

Reaching the buttress, she did not stop. Rather she leapt straight up, reaching high with her arms. Her hands caught the edge, and she pulled with all of the strength in her slender muscles. Letting go of the staff to get a better grip, she let its wooden shaft roll free across the roof of the counterfort. Pulling her head and shoulders over the edge, she heard the loud breath of both minotaurs beneath her. Praying to Raven that they could not grab hold of her before she could get atop the stone pillar, she swung one leg up and hooked her foot over the side. A moment later she rolled across the roof, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she sprawled on her back and stared up at the red sky overhead.

A crash ran through the stone beneath her, shaking the entire buttress. She heard the wood of her staff clattering on the rock, and turned to see it rolling near the edge. In a few more moments it would fall. Not wasting a second, she sprang for it, stretching out her hand for its shaft. Her fingertips wrapped around the smooth wood just before it could tumble to the dirt below, and Teresa thanked Mara for her good fortune.

Maybe she should have kissed the Lucky Lady before going to meet Kud-Ei? It had been right out in the street outside Henantier's house. Every little bit helped after all. Then another shockwave ran through the buttress, and she had to steady herself to avoid collapsing onto the roof.

Climbing to her feet, Teresa cautiously approached the edge and peered over. She saw both minotaurs standing at its base, covered in dust and chips of stone that they had smashed loose with their headlong charges. She lowered her staff with a faint smile, and began shooting.

It took a few minutes, but eventually she reduced both of the monsters to motionless piles of roasted flesh. Neither seemed to be able to leap up and climb the stone as she had, making them easy targets. Collapsing onto the roof of the counterfort, she let the staff fall from her trembling fingers and gulped for air. She was alive! she thought, alive!

Screenshot

The harsh sound of stone grating on stone came to her ears. Lifting her head, she saw that the area of white rock in the arena floor was indeed rising to form steps. When it finally stopped there was a stairway leading to the gallery over the door she had entered. From her higher viewpoint, she could now see that a glowing ball of energy floated within the viewing area.

Grasping her staff, Teresa lowered herself to the ground. Cautiously stepping past the dead minotaurs, she made her way across the arena and climbed the stairs. Leaping over the rails of the balcony, she found that the orb was suspended atop what seemed to be eight bony claws that grew from the stone floor. Again, the sphere was black and featureless. Yet this one was surrounded in a halo of yellow-green light.

Screenshot

Teresa reached for what she suddenly knew was the Element of Courage, and a moment later she was back in Henantier's room and standing in front of him.

What is the green coloring that surrounds Teresa? Has she been poisoned? Great Write! (as usual) - I kind of hate to see this questline come to an end, you have done an Awesome job of bringing it to life for us !!!