The Forgotten City

Fandom: Skyrim with DLCs

Author: Ahsoka'sBestFriend

Rating: T

Genres: Romance, Adventure

Erilona turned the key in the massive stone chest's lock, and opened it, confirming its contents were not missing. She then began shoveling them into the wooden chest in the back of her personal carriage, from Lakeview Manor. After making sure she hadn't missed anything, she sealed up the chest, and climbed in back next to Rayya.

"Alright, Gunjar. Let's get back home with this chest, and let's try to avoid Pinewatch. I know, the bandits would be easy prey for us, but I don't feel like killing bandits right now."

The carriage driver cracked the whip, and they set off for the house. When they arrived there, Erilona's elected steward for Lakeview Manor, the Imperial mage Illia was leaning against the wall of the house, conversing with a man in steel armor.

"Illia. We're back."

"Ah, yes. Here're the masters of the homestead."

The man turned, revealing himself as a Bosmer.

"My name is Denegoth Bragor. You started asking questions about renovation of some ruins?"

"Yes."
"I came to offer my services, for a price."

"Alright, what's your price?"

The Bosmer's brow crinkled briefly.
"I'd say 15,000 gold, as a base fee, which is my service fee, and transportation fee. Depending on what it is I'm doing to assist you, I may require additional fees paid, but I can't say how much. It depends on the situation. Give me the 15,000 and I'll travel to a location you specify, and I will wait for you to begin my work."
"Understood. Hold on. Let me count out my money."

She opened the chest, and counted out 15,000 gold and handed them in a heavy sack to Denegoth.
"That should cover your base fee."

"Thank you. Where are these ruins?"
"They're in the Reach. First, follow the road from Whiterun stables to Markarth until you find a Shrine of Dibella, which will be along the road. Head north of the shrine, and keep walking until you find a hole in the ground. That hole leads to a small creek, with a waterfall, and behind the waterfall there is a door. Do not enter until we arrive. We have a couple more places to go, then we'll meet you there and enter."
"I understand."


When finally Erilona and Rayya climbed down through the hole, they were not alone. The Dunmer ranger Janessa was also with them, and the steel armored Bosmer was sitting next to the creek.

"Our other contacts are not here yet, so Janessa, if you don't mind, will you stay up there, and watch for our contacts? For the other people we've hired?"
"I will, sera."

"Let's go."

They entered the Dwemer ruin, and eventually Denegoth sucked in a breath as he looked around.

"This is magnificent. I've never seen anything quite like this, and I've seen my fair share of ruins, mostly Dwemer, but also quite a few Nordic," he said, "this is very well preserved. If I didn't know better, I'd say there's still Dwemer here."

"We want to renovate this place. What would it need?"
"Well, we'd need some more lights, though that'd be easy. From what I've seen this doesn't need much work. So far at least. We'd also want to burn away all these spider webs, and get rid of any frostbite spiders that might be here. But I don't know if there are any. These webs...they could be from smaller spiders that are harmless. We'd also want to find a place near the beginning to inscribe a Dwemeris name. Or to find one. Have you found something that indicates a name for this ruin?"
"No, we have not. I was thinking something like The Dragon's Respite, or something like that," Erilona said, "but I've never seen anything that has any of those words written in Dwemeris, so I don't know what the translation would be."

"What about naming it Volendak? That means Hammer Towers, right? The Dwemer DID like towers. That works."

"Yeah, but how do we write it in Dwemeris?"
"I know how," Erilona said.