35

.~~~.

Ysadette strolled along the paved walkways of the Arcane University, marveling at the sheer size of the campus around her. Earlier, as she crossed the suspended bridge leading to the University's isolated corner of City Isle, she had wondered if she was actually headed the wrong way. She feared that the chaos had not yet touched the area for one simple reason; nothing of value awaited on the other end of the lonely bridge. There couldn't have been a place so large that existed solely for the preservation and expansion of knowledge. It rivaled the city of Anvil in its entirety. But as she entered through the opened archway at the end of the bridge, her breath had flown rapidly out of her lungs. Her legs had wobbled, suddenly finding it difficult to support her weight. The sun had even seemed to grow warmer and she felt such a lightness in her spirit it was as if she could leap from a rooftop and take to the skies.

For one of the only times in her life, she was so woefully naive, so incredibly wrong about what she previously believed, and she could not have been more elated to admit it.

A tower stood in the very center of the campus, casting its shadow over the area like a big clock hand, with a stained-glass window positioned just beneath its spire. Multi-storied buildings carved out of the same silver-white stone as the rest of the city were huddled close together behind the circular walls of the University. Figures moved around on the upper floors, passing the windows as they took their places. At first, she could only guess as to why, until she realized with a start that many of them were classes in session. The people she had been passing as she wandered aimlessly around the campus were all there with the same intentions in mind as her, that of learning more than they knew the day before. Aged scholars, some of which looked to be as old as Ulpo, trekked across the campus with dignified bearing in their steps. Those she assumed were the professors. Much younger people, some younger than herself, roamed from building to building, often with stacks of papers and large tomes loading down their persons. They were definitely the students.

As they passed, many shot her quizzical looks, quirked an eyebrow and widened their eyes, or chuckled pitifully at her before continuing on their way. None stopped long enough to explain themselves. Instead, she was left to wonder if it was her or simply Ulpo that they found peculiar. But as Ysa passed a window, she caught sight of her reflection. Pausing to look at it, she covered her mouth in horror as she realized how much more likely it was that the people had not even noticed Ulpo.

Ysadette tugged at her clothes to make sure those dark spots she was seeing were indeed stains and not shadows and folds as she had hoped they would be. The smudges of grime and soot on her face were apparent enough. She couldn't reason them away, but those she could at least wipe off with her sleeve. It was the flecks of dried mud in her hair that she feared would take more time to clean. Perhaps as much time as it would take to undo the chunky knots it had somehow tied itself into. She was thankful for her hood now more than ever before as the shadow it cast over her face hid the horrid bags underneath her eyes fairly well.

Wonderful. Her first and perhaps only visit to the illustrious Arcane University, and she looked as if she had only just rolled out of a bog earlier that morning. As Ysadette tried not to groan over her dismal appearance, someone earnestly cleared their throat behind her. She spun around. Smoke and embers flared in her palms, fires soon to start.

An Altmer woman with her hair gathered into a messy bun was standing behind Ysadette. The royal blue robes she was wearing were not unlike the ones Ysa had seen on the professors, but hers featured a striking gold trim. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and a brown leather belt was tied snugly around her waist. With her hand retracted against her chest and her lips drawn tight in curiosity, she cleared her throat a second time. "Erm, I apologize for frightening you," she said. "I saw you enter the gates a while ago, and I couldn't quite recall if I had seen your face at the University before. After watching you go round the campus a few times, I suppose my curiosity got the better of me."

Ysa wanted to check her surroundings to make sure there wasn't anyone else around. She settled for nudging Ulpo until he was at her back. "It's quite alright," she said, forcing a warm smile. "And this is my first time at the University, so your intuition was correct."

The woman raised an eyebrow and a hopeful smirk spread across her face. "You're a new student, then?"

"No, I'm simply here to do a bit of research before I go off on an expedition. I won't be long."

"Ah!" Eyes glittering, she clasped her hands in front of her. "An expedition! How exciting! Oh, please tell me what it is you're studying!"

Ysadette shrugged indifferently and crossed her arms. "Ancient magic. Of a kind, I mean. And how it can lead to a deteriorating mental state of those who indulge themselves in such a thing without caution. It's very dull, I assure you. Most of my friends find it too droll to listen to my prattling on about it, so I tend to do most of my research alone."

The woman's face continued to shine in a frustratingly genial manner. "Well, I for one would love to hear your findings when you have some to share. I'm quite familiar with magic myself, you know."

"I see. But isn't it illegal to practice magic in the city? How do you get anything done with that kind of law in place?"

"It is illegal, yes, but only in the city proper," she said, her index finger extended matter-of-factly. "Since the Arcane University is separated from the rest of the Imperial City, an exception of a sort was made. It would be rather unfair to the students who come here in hopes of studying the arcane to throw them in prison if they so much as light a candle with their flame spells, don't you think?"

Now there was something she could press the woman on. "Do the Gilded Sentries not come here, then?"

"Of course they do!" she replied, obliviously kicking Ysadette's ease back into unease. "You'll always find a few of them loitering here and there, keeping an eye on things. In fact, this is where they are often chosen. Students who show aptitude in many different Schools of magic can be selected for training after graduating from the University, you see. The only other organizations I know of Sentries being picked from are the Synod and the College of Whispers, the latter of which being where the current Imperial Battlemage studied."

At least Ysa knew now why the riot was avoiding the University. If they were lucky, they would only be fried to a crisp by a horde of disgruntled wizards. "So, what do you know about those two? The Synod and the College of Whispers?"

The woman's well-defined features sagged with dissatisfaction. "Not as much as I'd like, I'm afraid. The College of Whispers is a fairly secretive group. They aren't keen on visitors, to say the least, and certainly don't share what they know with anybody besides their own members. Hence their name, I suppose. And the Synod spends more time currying favor from the Emperor than they do conducting research. They're all brilliant, to be sure, but more so in politics than in other areas. Both organizations have members on staff here at the University." The woman's teeth peeked out between her lips as she began to snicker haughtily. "It seems that almost everybody is vying to increase their representation here. Even the Thalmor are sometimes coming and going. You might say that this place is like a piece of contested land among the magical community."

Ysa didn't want to think about it, but gods forbid she wasn't able to find what she wanted, tracking down those other two organizations may become viable options. "You seem to know quite a bit about the history of the city."

"Why, it would be almost criminal if I didn't. I was born in the Imperial City, and have always lived here as well." She paused for a moment, and her eyes flicked downward. "It isn't quite as welcoming as the city I knew before, but I have no doubt this upheaval will blow over in due time. My apologies if you were caught up in it on your way here."

"You had nothing to do with it..." Ysadette trailed off, an unpleasant realization dawning on her. "Ah, where are my manners? I don't even know your name."

"It's Tindoria," she said, extending her hand. "And you are?"

Ysadette reached out to return the gesture, but Tindoria fidgeted as their hands nearly touched. It didn't take long to figure out why. Ysa's face flushed as she wiped her palm on her leg. "P-please, you'll have to forgive me. It's been a difficult few days. I've spent so much time traveling and not very as much resting. I haven't had the fortune of staying as clean as I usually prefer to be. Or simply clean, for that matter."

"Oh, I see." Tindoria thrust her hand into a fold of her robes, fishing around until she produced a cloth with the initial of her name sewn into it. "Here you go, dear. You ought to be able to clean your face, at least."

Ysa hesitated to take it from her, but Tindoria made a subtle motion forward, already insisting before she could ask if she was sure. She sheepishly took the cloth in her hands and wiped her face, making sure to get the enormous smudge on her cheek that she had seen in her reflection earlier. When finished, she turned to Ulpo and wiped his face with whatever clean spots were left on the cloth, carefully avoiding his mouth so he wouldn't snap it between his teeth. After pushing his chin this way and that to be sure she hadn't missed a spot, Ysadette faced Tindoria again. "Thank you."

She smiled and clapped her hands together a single time. "Marvelous! Now, if there's anything else I can do to help you during your visit, simply ask."

Ysadette traced over the campus of the Arcane University, quickly remembering how lost she had been in the first place. "I suppose I could do with some directions," she said, sighing. "This place is massive. I have no idea where to begin."

"Well, all forms of research – expeditionary or otherwise – do involve quite a bit of reading, don't they? If you intend to do some," Tindoria pointed over her shoulder at the tower in the middle of the campus, "the Archives are inside there, Miss..."

"Minette," she said, haplessly spouting the first name that came to her mind. "And thank you for your help, Tindoria. If you'll excuse me, I really must be on my way. My grandfather isn't the patient sort. I love him dearly, but he's become a bit of a handful as he's gotten older."

Tindoria glanced at Ulpo, who had started poking himself in the chest with his fork and quietly whooping. "I can imagine so," she said, making a face. "Anyway, if that's the case, I won't keep you any longer."

Ysadette, with one more acknowledgment of Tindoria, steadied her eager heart before it made her want to jog the rest of the way. She could at least try to preserve some degree of grace despite her fatigued appearance.

After taking only a few steps, a wave of pressure rolled across Ysa's body and rooted itself firmly inside her skull. Strange magic melded with her own, interrupting its gentle, wave-like flow. Her forehead throbbed like someone had fashioned it into a drum. She staggered, losing her balance. Driven by habit, she fought through the crescendo of ringing in her ears to check on Ulpo, completely unaware of what was happening. Her vision blurred as another wave nearly knocked her off her feet and forced her to lean heavily on him for support.

"Is something the matter, Minette?" Tindoria asked, apparently taking notice of her drooping posture and yet appearing unaffected by whatever had caused it.

Ysa gritted her teeth. "Yes. Only feeling..." Inhaling sharply, she braced herself and attempted another step. "A bit lightheaded. So much traveling. It's worn me down. Once I'm off my feet, I'll be fine."

Tindoria's brow furrowed deeply, and her lips straightened out into something resembling a frown. Still, she said nothing as she headed toward one of the buildings in the opposite direction.

As Ysadette proceeded to the Archives, the pressure in her skull diminished enough that she could at least tolerate it. Even still, the air continued to buzz, muffling the voices and sounds around her. Her arms became like heavy stones tethered to her torso that threatened to pull her to the ground, and her legs busied themselves in cycles of dull aches and shooting pains that ran the length of her shins. Gods, she knew she had been teetering on the edge of her limit since yesterday, but she hadn't realized how close she was to delirium. Slipping another green jelly-potion into her mouth, Ysa pressed on, a muddled hope enduring in her heart that she could persist until her business was concluded.

.~~~.

The midday sun vanished behind the shutting double-doors as Ysadette entered the Archives tower. A resounding slam of heavy steel coming to a rest unceremoniously nudged her into the dimly lit entrance hall. As her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the change, she found herself across from a tall archway that led into a far larger room beyond. Tucked into the corner next to the archway was a smooth wooden desk topped with papers, forms, and ledgers. Enclosed behind it was an old librarian, his expression one of short patience.

"Welcome to the Arcane University Archives," he said, setting aside the stack of pages in his hand as he stood up from his desk. "May I help you?"

Ysa drew in a breath and gripped Ulpo's hand tightly. "I'm looking for books on antique magical practices, preferably ones that predate the Fourth Era. Perhaps some on Dunmeri folk tales and religion, too. Oh, and lastly, some on mental afflictions and their possible cures."

The old man raised his eyebrows, yet his surprise was markedly insincere. "Aren't you a busy one? Quite a selection of topics, indeed. Well, I won't keep you from your studies." The librarian bowed his head slightly.

"Ah, but a word of warning before you go in," he said just before Ysa could fully pass by the desk. "Only the first floor of the Archives is open to visitors. You may take any book from the shelves while you are here, but you are not allowed to take any outside the Archives for any reason. Every book must be placed in the crate next to the section it was removed from when you are finished. Students enrolled in the Arcane University are allowed on the second floor, and only professors and a few select others are allowed on the third and fourth." The librarian glanced apathetically at her. "However, I believe you will find what you need here on the first."

Ysadette hid her grimace. Being relegated to a smaller selection did not come as a surprise to her, and yet she had hoped she would be wrong once more today. "I understand," she said, hurrying underneath the archway before Ulpo could make a fool of himself.

The rustic scent of old tomes was thick inside the library. From the floor to the ceiling, packed bookshelves lined the walls and interior of the tower. Ladders and movable staircases lead to the uppermost shelves. Placid silence blanketed the circular chamber save for the gentle footsteps of the people inside and the flipping of pages as they went about their attentive reading. Students and unaffiliated researchers had claimed a large portion of the free space in the room and had constructed book forts to block out all but their academic pursuits. Above each person floated a shining orb of focused magicka. Neither a torch nor a candle was to be found. A wise choice, as paper and fire were two things that could come together at any moment to create a perfect tragedy.

Ysa could have spent an eternity browsing such an enormous collection, simply perusing every text until her curiosity was satiated. Had she been given such an opportunity, she wouldn't have hesitated to do so. But as she stood there flabbergasted, time needled her back with a grim reminder that it was on short supply, so she lifted a ball of light into the air and began her hunt without further delay.

Ysadette paced along the bookshelves, across the mouths of the aisles, reading each named section. After going around the room twice, she stopped on the one closest to the entry hall, a comparatively paltry gathering of books with loose relation to the mind. She proceeded down the aisle and climbed up a ladder, stopping on each rung to pull books from their places so she could thumb through their pages. Several were guides on proper studying techniques encouraged by the University. Everything else she found was surface-level at best and baseless postulations at worst. Given the nature of the subject, and how speaking on conditions of the mind often acted as a connecting point for a more taboo topic, she was hardly shocked. She often returned the books before she could glimpse their back covers. Having skimmed her way through most of them in hardly any time at all, she gave up and slid back down the ladder.

Ysa then turned her attention toward the extensive section occupying the center of the library labeled, "Cultures of Tamriel." Each of the bookshelves had been dedicated to a different race, their topics being that of history, religion, and other pervasive social orders. Fittingly, the most well-documented race was the Imperials. Cyrodiil was their homeland, after all. They occupied more than one shelf with a staggering volume of historical texts. Next to the shelf for Argonian culture, which had a dishearteningly low number of books, was one for Dunmeri culture. While the number of books may have paled in comparison to the Imperial's, she felt confident she would not walk away empty-handed.

Ysa traced over the spines of each book on the lower shelves, and when she read the title, An Abridged History of the Development of Faiths in Morrowind, she stopped. She removed it, sighed at the lengthy title, and opened to the first chapter.

"The Tribunal," read the chapter title hanging above the body of the text. "The Dunmer, who are descended from the ancient Chimer, for many years of their history worshiped exclusively a trio of Living God-Kings; the ALMSIVI, who were often referred to simply as the Tribunal. Owing their power to the Heart of Lorkhan, the three ascended to godhood in the aftermath of the Battle of Red Mountain, which is approximated to have taken place at the dawn of the eighth century of the First Era, and marked the end of the War of the First Council. The Tribunal would henceforth be revered in Dunmeri culture until the twilight years of the Third Era."

Feeling a dizzy spell fast approaching, Ysa sat criss-cross on the floor and leaned back against the shelf. Ulpo flopped down, nestled up to her side, and rested his head on her shoulder. He yawned, then looked at her as if he expected her to read him to sleep. When he promptly dozed off without any apparent trouble, she carried on with the book, flipping to the next page.

"After Dagoth Urfell at the hands of the prophesied hero, the Nerevarine, the Heart of Lorkhan was freed from its enchanted bindings, taking with it the source of the Tribunal's power. Soon after, Sotha Sil, the 'Mystery of Morrowind' and wizard-god of the Tribunal, would be revealed to have been slain by Almalexia, the 'Mother of Morrowind,' herself having been driven to the point of madness in pursuit of her slowly waning power. In turn, the Nerevarine, the Protector of Morrowind, who was believed to have been the legitimate reincarnation of Saint Nerevar Moon-and-Star, slew her."

Ysadette paused and rubbed her tired eyes. Yawning, she glanced over at Ulpo and wondered if he had witnessed something so extraordinary. A battle between gods, she could hardly imagine such a thing. She figured that if he had been in Morrowind at the time, he likely possessed no memory of the events. Still, she would have to ask him about it one day just to be sure. Giving him a slight smile as he awakened and met her eyes, she continued reading.

"Only one member of the Tribunal remained; Lord Vivec, Warrior-Poet and 'Master of Morrowind,' for which Vivec City, the largest city in Vvardenfell, was named. Endlessly wise and insightful, Lord Vivec knew that his days as divine were numbered, and so he warned his Priests of his approaching departure. His warning would prove sound, as he would soon vanish, his legacy contained for all future generations to witness through his thirty-six sermons. It is unknown what events led to Vivec's disappearance or for what reasons he may have departed from his palace, but the consequences brought about by the absence of the ALMSIVI would change Morrowind forever."

Ysadette turned to the following page.

"Without the power of Vivec to keep it aloft, Baar Dau, once called the Ministry of Truth, plummeted into Vivec City, finally concluding its long journey from the Void to the surface of Nirn. It turned the surrounding area, the Ascadian Isles, into a crater of eternally boiling water now known as the Scathing Bay. Due to the force of the impact, Red Mountain would erupt early in the Fourth Era, devastating the island of Vvardenfell and causing damage as far as mainland Morrowind."

Ysa skipped from paragraph to paragraph as the book deviated in favor of expanding on the sociopolitical ramifications of the eruption. As she understood it, quibbles between the Great Houses of Morrowind were common enough and played out in much the same way every time. She stopped when the topic of religion once again became the center of attention.

"After the Red Year, many Dunmer turned their backs on Tribunal worship, cursing the names of the gods who abandoned them in their time of need. Others would continue to worship in hopes that Lord Vivec would return to reward their devotion. Others still would go on to canonize the ALMSIVI as saints of the New Temple. However, in an unprecedented act of unity during a time of incredible disorder, the Great Houses of Morrowind would convene in the city of Blacklight, and the Nerevarine, who at one time had been hailed as the chosen hero and guardian of the land, and who had also gone missing at the dawn of the Fourth Era, would be unanimously rejected as Hortator. The legacy of the Incarnate would be all but erased – every depiction and nearly all recorded feats – and their name would be lost to time."

So much tragedy had befallen the Dunmeri people in such a short time. To have lost so much of their lands, their religion, so many pieces of their identity, and having to begin again. Ysadette's heart ached for them. For the ones as old as Ulpo, she could only wonder if he truly was alone in his madness.

"In the years following, many Dunmer returned to the religion of their ancestors, that of Daedra worship. The reverence once owed to the Tribunal would coalesce under the New Temple, eventually instating the ALMSIVI as saints. Once regarded as 'Anticipations' of the Tribunal, the three 'Good' Daedra – Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala – have now become the most commonly worshiped spirits in Morrowind. Remaining are the 'Rebel' Daedra, a grouping of spirits that comprise the Four Corners of the House of Troubles."

Ysadette narrowed her eyes and read over the paragraph another time. There it was. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the next page.

And realized that the book did not delve deeper into the topic it had only just raised. She skipped through the rest of the pages and found that the latter portion of the text was devoted to explaining the origins of the laws and practices involved in Tribunal worship. To gloss over a sizable piece of the discussion, why would anybody write something so peculiar?

Or perhaps…

This wasn't Morrowind she was in. This was Cyrodiil.

Ysadette flipped back to the page just after the mention of Daedra worship. She folded the book as far back as it would go, then wedged her fingers into the center. Flimsy edges of torn paper brushed against her thumb as she ran it along the fold.

Just as she suspected. The book had gone into further detail, but someone had ripped out the pages. Ysadette thought for a moment before clambering to her feet. She proceeded to the Khajiit shelf and shoved aside each book until she found one about their pantheon, a subject she had at least a passing knowledge of due to her childhood spent living next to a family of cat-folk. The names they used for the Daedra were different, but they worshiped a few of the same higher beings as the Dunmer in the end. She skimmed through the book as she looked for what she had begun to assume wouldn't be there.

As she feared, more torn out pages. She shut the book and returned it to where she had taken it from, a stifled growl hanging on the tip of her tongue. In both cases, anything beyond a mere footnote on the subject of Daedra worship had been removed. The Vigilant of Stendarr had been on more than one book-burning crusade in recent years, hoping to expunge anything on the matter, although she had not imagined the Arcane University would have allowed them to wreak havoc on such a fine collection.

She rubbed her chin. Unless they didn't?

Quickly tracing over the room, Ysa spotted a set of stairs that led higher into the tower.

Maybe just a peek.

She took Ulpo's hand and led him around the library with her. As they passed the stairs, Ysa pretended to be interested in the books nearby. Again, she paced around the library, taking a different path as to not arouse suspicion, and took note of the positions of the scholars within the tower. None of them seemed particularly interested in her. Not as she passed them by for the fourth time that day and not when Ulpo let out a horrendously loud sneeze, either.

Ysadette came to a stop and looked over the first floor again. The collection surrounding her spoiled, turning from awe-inspiring to painfully stringent in her eyes. All of the publicly available knowledge had been tampered with.

That left what wasn't readily available.

She had to do this. While she still had a chance. Rules be damned, she had to be absolutely sure before leaving empty-handed. With a final loop around the first floor, Ysadette slipped into the stairwell with Ulpo and made for the upper floors of the Archives. Passing the second and third, she headed immediately for the top, where the most coveted knowledge would assuredly reside.