Act VIII Part I : Cleansing the Stones – Wind and Earth

4E, Twelfth of Second Seed, Morndas

I used the campsite at the entrance of Vahlok's tomb just to spend the night. I hadn't any idea that so much time had passed in there. This was different than when I had the envoy with me. It was much easier. But since I opted to travel alone, I must endure the hardships of the fate I chose. Sudden twist in what was to be just an ordinary diplomatic trip. Before I slept, I placed a barrier around the campsite.

When I closed my eyes to rest, there it was again. Miraak's voice.

"There you are, fahliil. Too bad our meeting time was short. But do not worry, I will get you soon enough. You will be my zaam, even if you refuse."


My eyes flew open, and reaching for my staff, I looked around to see if Miraak was there. Thankfully, he wasn't. Over these past few days, I've grown very wary about that accursed Dragon Priest. Sometimes I even think I've gone mad. But this was a choice I made. I chose to sacrifice my life for the sake of my people, and for the rest in Skyrim. It may not be the same sacrifice as with the Nerevarine or the Dragonborn, but a valiant act nonetheless.

I just decided to leave the damned campsite and return to the Skaal Village.

After traversing the forest in the darkness for more than an hour and a half, I got to the Skaal Village. Exhaustion and lack of sleep nagged at my body, and my knees almost buckled, but I used my staff as a walking stick. There, in the village square, I saw Storn and a group of other villages seated on the ground in a circle, using their magic to make the barrier around the village stand. I wasn't able to find Frea. Perhaps she is at reast. But I cannot stand any longer. So my knees finally gave in and passed out.

"Almeria? Almeria, are you alright?" A voice said to me. I wasn't able to comprehend who spoke to me, for my head was still fuzzy and my body felt light. Then, I felt a warm light cover my body. A healing spell.

My eyes finally opened after several minutes, and I found myself in a room at a familiar cabin with Storn and Frea. "Thank the All-Maker you made it." Frea said. "Can you tell us what happened at Vahlok's tomb?" I collected my thoughts to narrate the things Vahlok told me about Miraak, but my body urged for me to rest some more.


"Let us have her rest for the time." Storn told her. "After all, it is only the crack of dawn. Perhaps later at noon, she will be alright." Frea nodded and the two stepped out of the room. I found my things beside me, neatly placed on the bedside table. My staff stood on the other side of the bed. There was a note that was placed on the table as well. When I found my strength, I sat up and took the note and read it. It was from Adril Arano. It said:

Lady Almeria,

Good tidings to you.

I do hope your stay there in the Skaal Village has been well. Neloth gave me at least some of the details. But I regret to inform you that the strange tidings here at Raven Rock had not settled down. In fact, more of the people here had been going to those All-Maker Stones, building some sort of arch that surrounds the said stones.

I do hope you also get to the bottom of the situation. I've also sent a letter to Morrowind asking for help especially from the mages.

Nerevar guide you,

Adril Arano


I shook my head and kept the letter in my robes. This was going to take a turn for the worst if I do not act now. I hurried downstairs and I found Frea and Storn discussing something quite serious. I did not wish to interrupt, so I stayed on the staircases and listened.

"But Father, surely the signs must have been made clear to you now!"

"Frea, calm yourself. The omens have been present. Herma-Mora's power over our land grows even stronger… And Miraak's return may be inevitable."

"Then what can we do? What do we do? Father, sitting here and holding up that barrier is draining your health! If we are to be idle then we are all going to die!"

"And we do not want that to happen!"

This was the first time I have heard the calm demeanor leave Storn's voice. I only nodded in acknowledgement.

"Frea, I'm sorry for screaming like that at you, but you must understand that being rash in our decisions can lead to far more disastrous outcomes. You must know this…for you will take over my stead once I return to the All-Maker."

So Frea was also a shaman? Well, her affinity in combat made me believe otherwise, but all the revelations being said, I came down to get something to drink, acting like I heard nothing.


"I trust your sleep had been good?|" Storn said, and I nodded. He seemd very exhausted. Mind you, using high-level magic such as the one he used to maintain the village's barrier can exhaust you quite fast, lest you had proper training.

The old shaman chuckled. "And I'm sure you heard the conversation I had my daughter?"

I was startled. We Dunmer, especially House Hlaalu, are good in sneaking, thus the Morag Tong. "I…did not mean to eavesdrop on your talk." I said, sheepishly, but Storn shrugged it off. The topic was very serious, and I knew the degree of severity that we all were in.

"I'd just like to ask," I said. "Is there any way we can hinder Miraak's return if it is not avoidable?" The question seemed to strike a chord in Frea, and Storn was equally surprised as well. Storn thought for a second. "There is one way, but it would be very tedious, and dangerous as well." he answered.

"What is it?" I asked. Whatever way there could be, I'm willing to go down that path, for if it means stopping Miraak, I'll gladly give my life for it. "You must purify the All-Maker Stones." Storn answered. The All-Maker Stones? Those giant monoliths? How do I cleanse those things?

"Cleanse…the All-Maker Stones?" I said. "Is there even a way to do that?" "There is a Shout, or words of power made from the dragon language that can be used." Storn said. "But since you are not Dragonborn, you must perform the Ritual of the Cleansing." He handed me a small book with a blue-colored cover and gold lining.

"In that book will be the necessary incantation you will use to perform the act." he continued. "I am confident, that with your skill in the arcane arts, you can perform this ritual without even learning it." "Then I shall be with her, to serve as sword and shield when she performs this." Frea said.


"All the help I can get would be most gratefully appreciated." I said, and Storn agreed to the proposition. After cleaning myself and preparing my things, I went downstairs again to meet Frea, who was dressed in her armor.

"Let us go." Frea said. She handed to me the book that had the ritual spell in it. "My father could not see us on our way for he has tol be with other elders to hold up the barrier." I nodded and we both went out of the house. We saw Storn along with some of the villagers seated in their usual place, concentrating their magic on the barrier. The two left the village, and were out in the forest. "Where do we start? And how many Stones are there, exactly?" I asked. Frea took out a scroll from the pouch she carried, and unfurled it. It was a map of where all the All-Maker Stones were in Solstheim.

"We have six stones in Solstheim, and each represents an aspect of nature." Frea answered. "And those stones are the Wind Stone, the Earth Stone, the Beast Stone, the Water Stone, the Tree Stone, and the Sun Stone. All six stones have been stained by Miraak's power, and the people of this island, including some of my people, have been manipulated into making those stones a beacon of sorts to guide and hasten Miraak's return." She looked at the map, and grinned. "We are close to our first stone, which is the Wind Stone." "Where is that?" I asked. "Just north-west of our village. Let us go, immediately." Frea answered as the two of us rushed north.

Not long into our sprint did we find the Wind Stone. To our horror, we found most of the Skaal villagers working on the stone. It was a large pillar-shaped rock embedded deeply into the earth with a light green light glowing faintly. "No!" Frea said, running towards her people. "Stop this madness! You are going bring disaster upon us! Stop, please…" But her words fell on deaf ears. The villagers did not respond. I even found some of the Redoran guards working there, and I tried convincing them to no avail. All of them recited Miraak's words as if those were the only things they could speak.

Quickly I opened the book, and saw the incantation. But I was at a disadvantage: Storn did not say that the spell would be written in the dragon language. "What are you waiting for?" Frea called out to me. "Do the ritual! I will protect you!" "I…" I stammered in shock. "I cannot… I cannot read this…" She ran towards me and looked at the book's contents.

"Dragon language…" she said. "By the All-Maker, this is in the dragons' tongue." The book's incantation was short and simple, but it was hard for me to read. It said:

"Alok bonaar bormah, daal daar sil. Kren fin gron, govey fin vokul!"

"Read it as it sounds to you." Frea said. "Remember you are not Dragonborn, so you can read these without channeling your very spirit into it. Just concentrate and recite the spell." I closed my eyes, and concentrated all of my magic. Then I parted my lips, and read the spell. "Alok…bonaar…bormah… Daal daar sil. Kren fin gron, govey fin vokul!"


A green light escaped my fingertips, making a beeline towards the Wind Stone. It hit like an arrow dead on target, and sparks of green and blue light flew into the sky, making the workers stop their acts. The very ground rumbled all of a sudden, and the arches built around the stone collapsed. The Skaal villagers and the Redoran guards who were once enthralled finally snapped out of their tranced states, and were surprised to find themselves by the Wind Stone. "What on Azura…?" one of the guards said. The water beneath the Wind Stone suddenly turned black and murky, just like the waters of Apocrypha, and bubbled up to reveal a creature that stood like a human, only that it was made of writhing tentacles and had two glowing red orbs for eyes. It came at us, swinging its tentacle-filled arms at us. The unwary bystanders who were in its way were thrown aside, and the Redoran guards drew their weapons in an attempt to help. Frea drew her weapons as well, a longsword in one hand, and conjuration of Frost magic in the other, using both at the same time.

I conjured up a Lightning Bolt, and hit the monster smack on top of its head. It fell down to its knees, and Frea finished it off with an Ice Spear. The guards approached me and bowed down. "Lady Almeria, forgive us for our inability to help." one of them said. "Nay, brothers. You are well appreciated." I said. "Now return to Raven Rock and inform Captain Veloth and councilman Adril about this. Oh, and don't forget to inform Lleril Moravyn as well." The guards bowed once more, and left for Raven Rock.


"Where to now?" the Skaal warrior woman asked, sheathing her weapon. "Where else?" I said. "Raven Rock, Frea. The Earth Stone's there." We followed the Redoran soldiers all the way back to Raven Rock. The place was almost a ghost town, had it not been for some of the passersby, and the Redoran guards patrolling. I saw Captain Veloth among the men as always, and upon seeing me, he approached right away and bowed.

"Milady," he said. "My men here have told me the news. Thank you very much fr saving them from that monster. But alas, forgive me for not being able to fulfill my duties. I shall be ready to accept whatever punishment you see fit." I chuckled and shook my head. "Nay, captain. You needn't worry about punishment. I would do all I can to help. After all, it is my mission. See to it that none of the people goes near the Earth Stone. And protect Adril Arano and his wife at all costs." The Redoran guards bowed before going on their way as Frea and I rushed to the Earth Stone.

As expected, the people were working there. Several Nords, apparently from the Northern Maiden's crew, along with three other Redoran guards, were working tirelessly at the stone's arches. They were indoctrinated by Miraak's spell. Opening the book, I recited the spell once more. This time, it was much easier to say, because of Frea's guidance. "Alok bonaar bormah, daal daar sil, kren fin gron, govey fin vokul!" The magic energy left my fingertips and hit the stone, Like the incident with the Wind Stone, the ground beneath us trembled, the pond around the Earth Stone turned dark and bubbled up until the tentacle-filled monster appeared again. This time, Frea and I went with a new trick: combining Frost and Lightning magic. I shot my strongest Lightning spell, and Frea topped it off with a Blizzard spell, and the monster was reduced to nothing in mere minutes. The people who worked at the stone were surprised and had no recollection of ever being summoned to work. I approached one of them, a Dunmer by the name of Rins Llervu, a beggar.


"Do you remember anything while you were at least working here?" I asked. "Like a… a sort of voice commanding you to do things?" "I'm asking myself why Miraak was making us build these shrines." he answered. "And I'm afraid…the answer will be far worse than any of us can imagine." "Thank you." I said, a tinge of fear gripping my soul, as he walked away. Frea came over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You seem very troubled. Much more than when I first saw you." she said. "You cannot blame me." I answered. "My people…and the whole of Solstheim… They are my responsibility… as the princess of House Redoran… But it seems that I cannot fulfill my duty here… This is far worse than I anticipated…"

"Worry not, Almeria." Frea assured me. "You've been doing what you can, and I have to say, it is yielding good results. None would dare talk to Vahlok like you did, and none would have the courage to stand up to Herma-Mora and Miraak…" I smiled at her. My body was beginning to feel light all of a sudden. I was exhausted. Impossible! I've just rested… But I cannot give up… Not now. Not yet. There are four more stones to be cleansed.


A/N: Sorry it took a while, because I got caught up with my employment requirements, hehe. Anyways, please R&R. Will the events be in the favor of the Skaal and Almeria? Or will things take a turn for the very worse? Later chapters will be coming soon... SOON.

Translation of the Cleansing Spell:

"Alok bonaar bormah, daal dar sil. Kren fin gron, govey fin vokul." - "Arise, humble father, reutrn these souls. Break the bind, remove the evil."