Tirdas, 18 Sun's Dawn
I write this on the road. The day after I promised to help Cassandra, she demanded to be let free despite her wounds and went to pack her things.
On the dead thug's body a ripped up letter was found. Cassandra and I spent hours piecing it together and even then it wasn't complete, it just read
"Swanson,
Head to…. After we're done… we're after… take orders… Bravil Base… Tome…"
I asked Cassandra about what the Tome the letter detailed was. She said that it was rumored the chapel protected an Ancient Tome of Saint Paladas, a famous saint who lived hundreds of years ago. Apparently that was the reason the thugs killed the people of the chapel. Even she hadn't seen the Tome or had even heard confirmation of its existence.
I met Cassandra at the gate to Chorrol. I waited for a while, leaning on the walls. I was dressed in blue and gold robes and I carried a newly bought staff. I took out a month's advance on my pay and bought the necessary equipment for a non-Legion funded expedition.
Before that, I had visited Ionna in Weynon Priory. She had agreed that if I killed the three men who massacred the people of the Chapel of Stendarr, she would let me go and I would be redeemed. I was excited, as well has confused. Could I really be forgiven so easily? Could I forgive myself so easily?
Finally, I saw Cassandra approach… not what I expected, however. She was wearing light leather armor and had her crossbow. The girl I saw from the Chapel was gone, the one I saw here was a trained rogue.
"Are you ready to go, Randall?" She asked and I flinched. She still didn't know my real name, but I really only wanted Ionna to know. "I'm ready, Cassandra. We should head out to Bravil now, for we have a long trip ahead of us."
I am finishing this entry at the campfire, halfway to Bravil. Cassandra is asleep and I'm supposed to be keeping watch. It's been rather boring up until now, we haven't met one travelling merchant or bard. But we did stumble across a dead bandit. It's strange how those things never seem to rot.
Turdas, 20 Sun's Dawn
We've finally reached Bravil. Me and Cassandra asked around the city for a bunch of strange men – surprisingly, there are a lot in Bravil. We finally got a lead when a strange Khajiit woman told us those men lived in an abandoned factory close to the Bravil Bay. Cassandra is loading up on bolts and I'm preparing by buying some healing scrolls. Cassandra's a little shaken, however. She saw those she respected, who she cared for, killed, and now she is going against her priestly ways to avenge them.
Loredas, 22 Sun's Dawn
I remember it vividly.
"So," Cassandra said to me. "Are we finally ready to take these three on?"
I nodded and smiled. "I'm ready. Are you sure you don't want to bring the guard into this?"
"No. I want this to be personal." She answered.
"Okay then, let's head out. I'd like to be back for Dinner at the Inn.
" Cassandra nodded in agreement.
"Thank you for helping me do this, Randall. It means a lot to me." She smiled and looked at me for a long time, before turning and heading out the Inn door.
We came to the outside of the warehouse. People were swarming in the streets, going in and out of buildings, but not one even went near the building the killers were supposed to be in. Cassandra went up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. Suddenly a child who looked like a beggar came up to us.
"Miss," He said timidly. "Sorry to bother you, but that's the Sero Building. It's sorta haunted. The doors are locked forever, and if you look inside the windows you see… ghosts." He finished with a shutter.
"What kind of ghosts, boy?" I asked.
"Everyone sees them different. There are ghosts of people from our past in there, trying to scare us away." The child continued to shake, he seemed on the verge of tears. "I need to go." He announced, then ran away into the crowd.
Out of curiosity, I looked into the window, despite Cassandra's protest. What I saw was not pretty.
It was Celeste, again, and the team. They were dead, sprawled across the ground.
I quickly looked away. I felt sick. I must have looked it, too, since Cassandra put her hand on my shoulder. "What did you see?" She asked worriedly. I just shook my head. "The place is haunted. Let's just go."
"No, we can't." Cassandra said firmly. "I must avenge my friends, the citizens of Chorrol."
I was still shaking. "Perhaps there is a ghost hunter in town?" She said cheerfully. It was meant as a joke, but I slowly nodded. "That's not a bad idea. A Necromancer has dealings with the dead – he could get us inside."
Cassandra looked at me like I was crazy. "The Mages Guild are against Necromancy."
"That doesn't mean they aren't out there. I bet there's even one or two in the city." I countered.
So Cassandra and I scoured the city again, asking for a Necromancer. We eventually got a report of a Necromancer hideout just outside the city – but the Necromancers usually attacked anyone on sight.
"Well, that's out of the question." I said disappointedly. Cassandra just looked at me with a thoughtful glint in her eyes. "Not necessarily. We just need some costumes."
Yes, that's right. We stole necromancer robes from two Necromancers from the hideout exploring the Bravil countryside. We slowly approached the Necromancer hideout and waved down the door guard.
"Where do you hale, for you are not of here." He announced. Cassandra looked to me quickly and winked. She had a plan for this.
"Sir, we hail from Chorrol. We were sent here by Anchorite Asarin to enter the haunted warehouse in Bravil. There is important treasure in the warehouse that Sir Asarin wants." It turns out that Cassandra once heard from the Chorrol guard that another Necromancer hideout was situated near Chorrol and lead by this Anchorite.
The door guard seemed to let his guard down. "Asarin himself? Come in, but I fear to tell you that we have tried to enter the house. It is haunted by a wraith, we fear. Only a master Necromancer can deal with that… and he is unwilling."
"Why is this Necromancer unwilling to enter the house?" Cassandra asked.
The Door Guard made a face. "Old Zaron turned 'good' and went to the Mages Guild. He refuses to work with us anymore."
Cassandra nodded thoughtfully. "But he still has the powers to enter the house?" Cassandra asked and the door guard nodded. "Indeed, but I will pay to see the day he helps a Necromancer."
Without answering, Cassandra walked away. I nodded a goodbye to the door guard and followed her.
Cassandra and I quickly redressed in our normal gear and entered the city, and headed to the Mages Guild. The nearest mage we saw, Cassandra asked "Hello Sir. By chance, is Zaron here?"
"I'm sorry, but Zaron has asked not to be disturbed right now."
Cassadra put on her best pleading face. "He's actually my uncle… I was wondering if I could see him… it's my birthday, you see…" She went on, and the mage got a pained expression on her face. I admired how Cassandra lied so easily, but I was scared at the same time.
"Hmmm. He's in the second room down the hall, try not to make much noise. Please." She finished and walked away.
Cassandra and I entered Zaron's study. Zaron was a large man, with wild gray hair sticking up in all directions, as well as a small goatee. He had small yellow eyeglasses and he wore a large black, feathered overcoat.
"May I help you?" He asked.
"Yes, We need your help entering the haunted warehouse in Bravil. We believe that some murderers are using the ghost as a shield to prevent their capture. And we aren't Necromancers." She amended.
"Then you must have dealings with them to know me." He accused.
"We just asked them," Cassandra clarified hurriedly, "We need your help desperately. It is personal."
Zaron stood up. We was taller than both of us and was very large altogether. "I need more information than that." He announced.
Cassandra sighed. "Very well. I was up in the attic of the Chapel in Chorrol…" Cassandra started to retell her story. Zaron was silent the entire time, contemplating the story. When she finished, he sighed heavily. The breath almost knocked us back.
"Very well," Zaron said, "I will assist you."
