A/N: Note, bolded text no longer means it is in another language. Bolding will now be used to denote something is in writing.
Also note that this story is the third installment of the Rogue Province, Rogue Agent series. However, I tried to make it completely unnecessary to read either of the previous two to understand this one. That being said, there will be massive spoilers for the two previous stories in this one.
Oh, and one last thing. This chapter, and many subsequent chapters have undergone minor revisions as much as a year after their original publication. That is why some of the comments in the reviews will be inconsistent with the current content of my chapters.
Now, let's get on with the story...
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
- Abraham Lincoln
Plucks-The-Plants,
As you might have guessed from the seal of this letter, this is indeed an important matter which I write of. Commander Civello ordered me to handpick someone for the task detailed below, and you were my choice.
You have, in all probability, not heard any in-depth report on the news about Argonia and exactly what led to Ocato elected to the position of Potentate. There is a good reason for that.
Allow me to proceed chronologically. The public is currently unaware of what prompted our sudden venture into Argonia during these hard times. I believe, however, we can avoid confusion at your target destination (which will be identified below) if I inform you of the details that led to what I am about to request:
Approximately a month and a half ago, the Imperial City guards captured a young Argonian woman they had suspected for the murders of Adamus Philida and Leyawiin Guard Captain Caelia Draconis. Under interrogation, she confessed to being a member of the Dark Brotherhood, and also provided a wealth of additional information readily: she revealed a secret alliance between the criminal organization and a secret pseudo-government deep within the Central Swamps of Black Marsh. It was called the Argonian Royal Court: it was the result of an attempt by the Empire to put the task of civilizing the province in the hands of an Argonian tribe. This project was launched under Empress Katariah, who gave large sums of money to them for the task, putting faith in their loyalty to our mission. However, she soon lost contract with the group, and all evidence of their existence vanished until this interrogation.
Due to the supposed pact between the Dark Brotherhood and Argonian Royal Court and the Dark Brotherhood's assassination of two high-ranking Cyrodiilic military personnel, the Elder Council decided, if such an organization existed, it would anoint a Potentate to declare war on the group. Believing, but not certain, advances in medical magic and technology would be enough for a non-Argonian to survive in the Central Swamps, a small expedition was organized to confirm the report of this pseudo-governmental tribe. The suspect who was interrogated (named "Soch-Eena") was one members of the expeditionary team (being promised her freedom if she complied), while the three others were all of different races.
One of the three non-Argonians decided to forfeit the mission, and the second died from what, according to accounts, seems to be the Khnahaten Flu. Clearly the Elder Council was wrong about the advancement of medicine.
The one non-Argonian who remained, Lance Corporal Densius Fidelis (who had, in fact, been involved in Soch-Eena's arrest), had aquired some kind of immunity to the Khnahaten Flu (and possibly other diseases) during a tribal ritual, in which his hand was placed in a cup of Hist sap with an aboriginal's. It changed the Imperial's physiology, both visibly and invisibly, to become more like that of the aforementioned native Argonian. This will be explained further during a subsequent paragraph.
As the two remaining expeditionaries continued into the Inner Swamps, and they were captured by this renegade organization.
The Argonian Royal Court told Densius Fidelis how his immunities were, theoretically, acquired. The Hist sap, according to their research, genetically alters some of the traits the two biological entities which are in contact with it to mimic the other. To put simply, Densius Fidelis took on some of the traits of the previously mentioned native Argonian, while the Argonian most likely took on some of his. The nature of this substance, we believe, is a survival mechanism for the tree, as Hist sap is only secreted by the plant in times of desperation, such as extreme thirst or heavy amounts of leaf loss. The secretions allow it to take on the traits of an adjacent competitor, and pass possibly inferior traits onto the oppositional life-form.
The Argonian Royal Court also believed the pre-historic use of the Hist sap explained the origins of the wide variety of "beast-races" found on the mainland before the coming of the manish and elven nations.
If these theories are true, and we have no reason to believe they are not, they are obviously tremendous discoveries.
Since Khnahaten Flu immunity meant Densius Fidelis' body was simply accommadating, rather than repelling, the disease, he was told going back to Cyrodiil could spread it to the denizens of the outside world. The Argonian Royal Court, however, had a substance which could expel the disease from his body. The group claimed they would give it to him and let him exit their captivity after he'd done a sufficient amount of services for them.
They put Lance Corporal Fidelis to various tasks, eventually using his body for experiments.
Using magic and Dwemer machinery to modify the effects of the Hist sap, the Argonians managed to fully remake approximately half his body in the image of other animals, and at speed far faster than the Hist sap is usually capable of carrying out biological transformation. His hands have been replaced with the claws of a large species of bird native to Argonia: the hackwing. His legs have become replicas of those of another species native to Black Marsh: the keenen, a large athletic herbivore known for its extraordinary leaping abilities (and speed, though Fidelis reports his capabilities of velocity have not been enhanced.)
Soch-Eena, previously, had escaped. This was after being sent by the Argonian Royal Court on an expedition to verify some suspicions they had about allies of theirs: the Sload of Thras. The expedition required of her the daunting task of proceeding to the Sload's home territory to gather intelligence. She indeed travelled to the Thrassian Isles, but returned to Cyrodiil rather than Argonia after retrieving her information: This is how the Empire learned of the Thrassian plot which has been ubiquitous in the news. In addition, she discovered that the substance which the Sload used to cure the Thrassian Plague (one I am certain you're familiar with) could also be used to remove the Khnahaten Flu from an individual, as the latter (the Khnahaten Flu) was a modified version of the former (the Thrassian Plague). This information made the invasion of Argonia possible.
Now that I believe I've provided a sufficient amount of background, I will detail your task:
You have been reassigned to work in the recently captured "palace" of the Argonian Royal Court, most likely monopolizing your time in the subterranean level. This is where the research on the Hist sap was conducted.
Once inside this installation, your first objective will be discovering how to reverse-engineer Lance Corporal Densius Fidelis' metamorphosis, restoring him to his former state. He is currently residing in Fort Homestead (located on the southern shore of Lake Rumare), his mutations a secret to all residents of the base but the Fort's Overseer, Captain Gro-Shurbuk.
You must journey to Fort Redman (the location of which is detailed on the map attached) and be there before the morning of 6th. Talk to a high ranking officer once there. At that location you will be placed in a unit which will escort you and many other staff to the illegal organization's former headquarters.
Several papers this letter came with will no doubt provide useful information for the research project I have assigned you to work on. Far more documents remain at the Argonian Royal Court's former base of operations as well.
Remember, your first task is to discover how to safely reverse engineer the changes in Densius Fidelis' body. Since his current mutations will, absent of intervention, spread at a rate of approximately four inches a month, it is recommended you send the required procedure to us as soon as you have solidified it. Mutation also seems to flower from any cuts inflicted, as evidenced by an incision made by the Argonian Royal Court to take a blood sample from him (scales now radiate from this site.)
Take into consideration that your work is in service of a war hero: Densius Fidelis was a recipient of the Medal of the Red Dragon for steadfast courage during an ambush on a humanitarian operation in the Elsweyri village of Cori Daglade, and may soon be presented with a second award for bravery exhibited during his rescue from the Argonian Royal Court's "palace." For this reason, I believe he deserves your utmost dedication and timely deliverance.
-Naspia Inilo, Cheif of the Imperial Biological Research Department