Darius could hardly believe five years had passed since the start of the Blackwood Wars. He was still a Lieutenant assigned to peace-keeping operations in Vvardenfell. Dunmer agents fleeing from the Imperial invasion of their country fifteen years earlier fled south into Black Marsh and began training Argonian guerillas to attack villages and cities in southeastern Cyrodiil in hopes of drawing the Legions away from Morrowind. The Dunmer and their Argonian proxies met with such resounding success that by 4E42, two years into the conflict, the armies of Argonia laid siege to Leyawiin, the southernmost city in Cyrodiil.

By no coincidence the insurgency in Vvardenfell escalated greatly that same month. The Empire, resolute to maintain its foothold in Morrowind, could not allocate troops to defend Leyawiin. Facing imminent destruction at the hands of the Argonian Empire, Leyawiin was saved by the Elsweyr Confederacy, which sent thousands of fierce Khajiit warriors into Cyrodiil and pushed back the Argonians across the Niben. In an act of gratitude to their liberators and a demonstration of defiance to the Empire that abandoned them, the citizens of Leyawiin peacefully removed the Imperial government and accepted annexation into the Confederacy. The date was 08 Hearthfire 4E42.

Determined to counter the growing threat from the southern provinces, Imperial High Chancellor Sergius Balderic organized a massive invasion force, nearly emptying the Imperial coffers and conscripting thousands into military service. Legion troops marched into Elsweyr from Bravil, brushing aside border patrols and overrunning several outposts. On the 24th of Sun's Dusk, the Imperial advance was halted outside the city of Rimmen when a combined force of Bosmer and Khajiit ambushed the foreign Legionnaires. Thousands of soldiers were killed or captured and sold into slavery. The Empire abandoned its plans of liberation in the south and was content with building up a series of defenses around Bravil. Meanwhile the war between Khajiit and Argonian continued.

The Island of Kuril, located in the mouth of Niben Bay, had remained largely uninhabited until it was colonized by refugees fleeing from the Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Because of its equidistant location between Argonia and Elsweyr, most colonies were established by Khajiit and Argonians who lived in relative harmony. During the early peaceful years of Chancellor Balderic's rule, the Kuril colonies were placed under temporary Imperial jurisdiction. Once the Blackwood Wars broke out, the race was on to expand territories; Elsweyr gained ownership of Leyawiin and the surrounding lands west of the Niben, and Argonia held onto all of Blackwood south of the Panther River and east of the Niben. With the exception of the secession of Orsinium almost ten years earlier, these were the largest land gains made by any Imperial province. In 4E44 during a year-long ceasefire agreement, the Elsweyr Confederacy claimed official ownership of Kuril and the thriving colonies that lay within. This angered the Kingdom of Argonia who argued for equal ownership rights citing the best interests of the large Argonian population. The debate continued for many months until the Argonians broke the ceasefire and seized Kuril by force. The War of Kuril Hill raged on, the Legions watching from behind the safety of Bravil's walls as their numbers thinned out from desertion.

"We managed to bring back with us about fifty men and a few volunteers including some healers." Caleb continued.

"I bet the Legions will need those healers in the coming months." Darius frowned.

"The sooner we gather enough men, the sooner we can march on the Imperial City and end the tyranny of this pretender Balderic. Of course if the Khajiit or Nords decide to invade Cyrodiil before then, we might be in a tough situation."

"Which is why I need to find these schematics!" Darius exclaimed, turning his attention back to the pile of books. "I've rested too long as is."

"Your father says you've been running back and forth between libraries for three days now. What are you looking for exactly?"

"Leftenant Racilius." Darius answered with a heavy sigh. "He is here somewhere, I know it."

"Who is he?"

"A Legion soldier I would imagine judging by his rank. I heard father discussing with his commanders that there is a shortage of material to make weapons and armour. Many of the deserters that come to us bring a few weapons and maybe some chainmail pieces, but if we are going to win this battle we must have heavy troops and cavalry to match."

"Yes, as our numbers grow our resources diminish."

"Then I remembered a letter I had found while exploring the Chapel Undercroft some time ago. It was a biography outlining the achievements of LT Racilius – a member of the city guard and later in life a prospector for iron ore and gold deposits."

"Here, in Kvatch?"

"Beneath it! Racilius is said to have discovered the location of an iron ore mine that stretched down for hundreds of meters into the heart of this plateau. He estimated the construction dated back to the First Era but the entrance to these mines was lost when the Camoran Usurper destroyed the city in 3E249."

"That was two hundred years ago, what makes you think there is still anything left?"

"Just three days ago I found another letter, a Request for Authorization from LT Racilius addressed to Count Ormellius Goldwine in the office of his personal assistant. The request asked for permission to open excavation sites within the city walls. Attached to the letter were several historical documents proving that at the time the location of this mine was lost, less than ¼ of the total amount of iron ore and mineral deposits had been exploited."

"If you find those mines Darius, our masons will have more than enough material to forge steel! Well done boy, well done!"

"Don't celebrate yet Uncle, I still haven't found where the entrance is. After 4E431, I can't find any record of Racilius living in Kvatch. If he left the city, he could have taken with him any evidence that would lead us to the mines."

There was a long pause as both Caleb and Darius pondered over what to do next.

"Racilius." The Nord repeated the name with a confused inflection. "That's not a common name you hear. Where is he from?"

"Cyrodiil I think. Take a look at his biography."

Darius handed the parchment to his uncle. The corners had been scorched by fire but the document was still in relatively good condition. The Nord smiled and let out a hearty laugh.

"This is not a biography! It is an obituary."

"What? Let me see!"

"Look." Darius stood and peered over his uncle's shoulder. "LT doesn't stand for Leftenant and his name is not Racilius. It's Acilius, a very common Cyrodilic name. LTR is an abbreviation."

"Abbreviation? For what?"

"Laid To Rest."

The air was stale and musty and the sound of his hurried steps echoed along the stone floor of the undercroft. The halls were illuminated by mounted torches spaced every six to eight feet making for poor visibility. Embroidered tapestries depicting scenes in Tamrielic history covered the old stone walls. Darius looked to these as landmarks that would guide him through the labyrinth of alcoves and narrow passageways beneath the Chapel of Akatosh. Left at the Tomb of Baurus the Architect, he navigated, and twenty and one paces to the First Battle of the Imperial City. Darius used the dim light of a nearby torch to memorize his next set of directions. Go past the entrance to the Hall of Mages and make a right by Black Wolf City Tapestry.

A small order of monks from the Order of Akatosh took it upon themselves to be the stewards of these Catacombs; a burial ground for the city's greatest heroes "Whose service to the great Kingdom of Kvatch is unparalleled in importance, valour, selflessness and bravery". Men and Mer of science, literature and technology who had advanced Kvatch to incredible heights and new ways of thinking were laid to rest alongside the greatest war heroes and military tacticians. A majority of the tombs predated the establishment of the Empire, when Kvatch existed as a sovereign state during the First Era. The monks treated the chambers with great respect, constantly scrubbing the floors or dusting the tombs of cobwebs. No monk ever spoke when in the Catacombs, making for an eerie unnatural silence.

Far past the hallowed crypts of Kvatch's heroes was the City Burial Chamber, where citizens who could afford the cost of interment were placed in stone sarcophagi beneath their city. Darius was able to find that in accordance with his last wishes the man named Acilius was buried in these Chambers. With a great amount of luck, Acilius would be buried with some clues that would lead him to the entrance of the iron ore mines.

Darius lit himself a torch and pressed his shoulder against the heavy stone door that served as the entrance to a stairway leading down into the City Burial Chambers. Cautiously he descended the slippery steps, a cloak of pitch black enveloping him. Unlike the Catacombs, there were no wall-mounted torches to provide illumination. His torch was the only source of light. He strained to keep his eyes open. Holding the torch far out ahead of him did little to improve his visibility. This caused him to become unbalanced and he slipped and fell on his rear. The torch tumbled out of his hand and extinguished as it fell to the bottom of the stairs. Now Darius was on hands and feet walking like a crab, thankful no one was around to see him so vulnerable.

When his feet finally detected the bottom of the stairs he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. He stood, using the wall for assistance and felt around for his torch on the floor, finding it a few moments later. Darius was about to make the seemingly impossible climb back up the stairs when his eye caught a faint glow of light ahead. It wasn't bright enough for him to guide by, but it would serve to relight his torch. He continued on taking small steps trying his best not to stumble over the uneven stone walkway until he reached the light's source; a lantern hanging above a sarcophagus. Standing watch over the tomb was the statue of a Breton or perhaps a Cyrod man, five to six feet tall with long hair that flowed down past his ears. It assumed no heroic stance like the one of Antus Pinder in the courtyard above. His hands clasped a sword by the hilt with the blade pointed downwards. His face was expressionless; his eyes opened gazing straight ahead. On his chest he bore the seal of Kvatch - the Black Wolf.

"I know who you are…" Darius whispered. "…but what are you doing down here?"