(Grr,
formatting problems...) Heh, thank you. Yes, the title works with
the story. It's... Norwegian I believe. Means "Immortal Blade"
or something to that effect.
To
clear up the Dunmer/Ayleid problem: It says somewhere in 2920, The
Last Year of the First Era that Ayleids have an olive complexion
while Dunmer lean more toward the blue of the spectrum.
--------------------------------------------------------------
By the time Isa made it to Gnisis the sun was rising on a new day nearly a week from when she first left Balmora. How long she had been on Red Mountain she was unsure of, but she certainly was feeling the effects of something new awakening within her. At first she credited the odd feeling to her stinging tattoo and the mind control incident, but after some thinking she realized those weren't the culprits.
She paid the gondolier and walked into town. Few people were out at such an early hour, save for some chain mail-clad guards and two or three street vendors. Isa looked idly around at the insects flying dangerously close to still-burning torches and listened to the gurgling of the stream behind her. It was the first bit of peace she had had in days, but before she could appreciate it a stranger hailed her from near Arvs-Drelen.
"Welcome, Dagoth Isa." He said.
"I suppose you're who I'm going to be taking orders from?" Isa asked eyeing the stranger.
"Dagoth Hentus. Yes, you will receive two orders from me today, but you won't take action until after night falls. Until then, exit town on the way to Ald Velothi and stop at Arkngthunch-Sturdumz to rest. All homicidal animunculi have been stamped out, provisions are available and clean water has been provided. I'm sure you wish to bathe."
If Hentus wouldn't have pointed it out Isa could have gone weeks with the thick layer of red ash caked in her hair and on her skin.
She laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, well..."
"I thought so. Now, you'd better get going before you make a scene." Hentus said wandering off in the direction of the cave dwellings.
The trip itself was a fairly uneventful one. Occasionally, a rat would jump out at Isa threateningly. She chuckled and continued on, letting them bite at her heels until they tired of chipping their minute fangs on her boots. The sky overhead was cerulean blue and thin wisps of white and (Occasionally) pink clouds were scantily spread across the sky. The air seemed lighter in Isa's nostrils, but that was partly due to the fact that most of the ash in her sinuses had drained down her throat by this point.
The entire time she walked Isa didn't see how she would "make a scene". But, shortly after her arrival she felt a burning sensation begin to afflict the left side of her body. With good reason too, seeing as flames had suddenly spurt from where the pain was coming from. Panicking, she stripped off her obstructive clothing to get a better look at her situation. As suddenly as they had come the flames were gone, and in their wake icicles tore through her skin from her right arm. Just like the flames before, the icicles faded and made way for a jet of acid to come from spraying from her neck.
For the next few minutes various forms of harmful magicka bombarded her, and once the blinding pain subsided Isa was able to think coherently. She reasoned that the sudden attack was due to the Temple struggle from the day before. Standing, she wandered the corridors until she found a room that had been set up for her. A trunk was at the foot of a small, unmade bed and several sacks and bags lined the walls. She dug through the trunk and discovered several healing potions of all types and, with rapidity; she quaffed three and poured countless on her wounds. As her mind cleared up she reasoned that whatever damage she took on while wielding her scimitar she would have to make up for later.
Satisfied, Isa stood and examined where her wounds had appeared. Instead, she found the afore-mentioned ash from earlier. She went over to the sacks and found bars of sload soap in one. After more wandering Isa found barrels of water in a separate room. She threw her clothes in one along with a bar of soap and filled a basin with water from another barrel.
After a hasty, albeit thorough scrubbing Isa was feeling more alert. She threw on some plain robes that she had found and decided to look for food after her stomach gave a loud rumble. In yet another room there were crates of "food". Most of it was corprus meat, but there was the occasional mushroom, ash yam, or bittergreen petals. After eating all of the edibles that weren't touching the raw corprus meat Isa still wasn't satisfied.
She prodded a hunk of wrapped meat with a nearby tube, "Not if my survival depended on it." She said, thinking of how ironic that comment sounded.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Caelestis rode on guarback north along the Foyada Mamaea. Once the officers of Moonmoth realized that he was more experienced than even Varus Vatinius himself they had him lead the investigation on Ghostgate. Being "royalty", the other soldiers fought off the creatures that attacked the convoy as they moved. The "convoy" consisted of Caelestis, a few armed guards and a couple priests from the Imperial Cult. As they drew closer to Ghostgate an ash storm blew in and slowed their progress. Finally, the group entered the security of the Tower of Dusk.
"You, go and question the Ordinators here," Caelestis said pointing to one of the officers, "You will go to the Tower of Dawn and do the same. I saw a small Ashlander settlement on the way up here, so the remaining guards will handle them. And the priests will come with me."
Issuing orders wasn't anything new for Caelestis. While still in the Legion he had led several raids on insurgents, smugglers and other unsavory characters. A simple interrogation would blow over smoothly.
"Okay, you priests get started on clearing away that corpse." Caelestis said to the priests, "Now, would you mind explaining what happened here yesterday?" he asked the priest who had fought Isa and had been spared.
"Well," he began, "This cloaked stranger walked in and was asking for a Divine Intervention scroll. A lot of pilgrims usually stop by here for services, but it's against our doctrine to offer them. There are services provided in the two Towers, but the Temple is reserved for faction members only."
"What race was this stranger by chance?"
"Oh, we could see her face. Some type of Elf, olive green skin."
"I see... So, what happened when the services were refused?"
"This lady seemed very polite and soft-spoken at first, but then all of a sudden she acted like she was in a trance. She was quiet for a few moments, and when Uvoo asked if she was feeling well this Elf pulled out a sword and ran her through."
"What happened then?"
The priest rubbed the place where he had been kicked and continued, "We all attacked her with our magic."
"What type of spells were they?"
"Destruction. We were shooting to kill. This woman though... It was like she was immune to all of our attacks. Another one of the priests shot a jet of acid at her; hit her right in the throat. Didn't faze her. It was like she was a ghost or something."
"So, what happened when all of your mana ran out?"
"I was in the Fighters' Guild before I joined the Temple. I thought to myself, I could take this woman. She looked pretty frail and didn't have any backup, so I took out my staff and figured I could give her a solid blow to the head and knock her out at least. But, just as I was bringing it down on her head she caught it and booted me in the stomach. It was a good kick too, and to top it off she was wearing Daedric boots."
Just then the gaggle of guards filed into the room from both sides.
"The Ashlanders saw someone come out of the gates and go into the Tower of Dawn, but they didn't see them come back out." One of the guards said.
"And the Ordinators said the stranger used a scroll to escape." Another guard replied.
Caelestis stared at one of the shrines and thought about the new details. From the very beginning of this case the woman he was after was only a thief. It didn't make sense that she would all of a sudden go on a killing spree. There was something else to it that wasn't adding up.
"Is there anything missing on that corpse?" Caelestis asked one of the priests.
"Well, from the looks of her inventory, one Divine Intervention scroll."
"Would you mind transporting us to Fort Hawkmoth?" Caelestis asked the shaken priest, "We have some more people to question."
--------------------------------------------------------------
By the time Isa made it to Gnisis the sun was rising on a new day nearly a week from when she first left Balmora. How long she had been on Red Mountain she was unsure of, but she certainly was feeling the effects of something new awakening within her. At first she credited the odd feeling to her stinging tattoo and the mind control incident, but after some thinking she realized those weren't the culprits.
She paid the gondolier and walked into town. Few people were out at such an early hour, save for some chain mail-clad guards and two or three street vendors. Isa looked idly around at the insects flying dangerously close to still-burning torches and listened to the gurgling of the stream behind her. It was the first bit of peace she had had in days, but before she could appreciate it a stranger hailed her from near Arvs-Drelen.
"Welcome, Dagoth Isa." He said.
"I suppose you're who I'm going to be taking orders from?" Isa asked eyeing the stranger.
"Dagoth Hentus. Yes, you will receive two orders from me today, but you won't take action until after night falls. Until then, exit town on the way to Ald Velothi and stop at Arkngthunch-Sturdumz to rest. All homicidal animunculi have been stamped out, provisions are available and clean water has been provided. I'm sure you wish to bathe."
If Hentus wouldn't have pointed it out Isa could have gone weeks with the thick layer of red ash caked in her hair and on her skin.
She laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, well..."
"I thought so. Now, you'd better get going before you make a scene." Hentus said wandering off in the direction of the cave dwellings.
The trip itself was a fairly uneventful one. Occasionally, a rat would jump out at Isa threateningly. She chuckled and continued on, letting them bite at her heels until they tired of chipping their minute fangs on her boots. The sky overhead was cerulean blue and thin wisps of white and (Occasionally) pink clouds were scantily spread across the sky. The air seemed lighter in Isa's nostrils, but that was partly due to the fact that most of the ash in her sinuses had drained down her throat by this point.
The entire time she walked Isa didn't see how she would "make a scene". But, shortly after her arrival she felt a burning sensation begin to afflict the left side of her body. With good reason too, seeing as flames had suddenly spurt from where the pain was coming from. Panicking, she stripped off her obstructive clothing to get a better look at her situation. As suddenly as they had come the flames were gone, and in their wake icicles tore through her skin from her right arm. Just like the flames before, the icicles faded and made way for a jet of acid to come from spraying from her neck.
For the next few minutes various forms of harmful magicka bombarded her, and once the blinding pain subsided Isa was able to think coherently. She reasoned that the sudden attack was due to the Temple struggle from the day before. Standing, she wandered the corridors until she found a room that had been set up for her. A trunk was at the foot of a small, unmade bed and several sacks and bags lined the walls. She dug through the trunk and discovered several healing potions of all types and, with rapidity; she quaffed three and poured countless on her wounds. As her mind cleared up she reasoned that whatever damage she took on while wielding her scimitar she would have to make up for later.
Satisfied, Isa stood and examined where her wounds had appeared. Instead, she found the afore-mentioned ash from earlier. She went over to the sacks and found bars of sload soap in one. After more wandering Isa found barrels of water in a separate room. She threw her clothes in one along with a bar of soap and filled a basin with water from another barrel.
After a hasty, albeit thorough scrubbing Isa was feeling more alert. She threw on some plain robes that she had found and decided to look for food after her stomach gave a loud rumble. In yet another room there were crates of "food". Most of it was corprus meat, but there was the occasional mushroom, ash yam, or bittergreen petals. After eating all of the edibles that weren't touching the raw corprus meat Isa still wasn't satisfied.
She prodded a hunk of wrapped meat with a nearby tube, "Not if my survival depended on it." She said, thinking of how ironic that comment sounded.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Caelestis rode on guarback north along the Foyada Mamaea. Once the officers of Moonmoth realized that he was more experienced than even Varus Vatinius himself they had him lead the investigation on Ghostgate. Being "royalty", the other soldiers fought off the creatures that attacked the convoy as they moved. The "convoy" consisted of Caelestis, a few armed guards and a couple priests from the Imperial Cult. As they drew closer to Ghostgate an ash storm blew in and slowed their progress. Finally, the group entered the security of the Tower of Dusk.
"You, go and question the Ordinators here," Caelestis said pointing to one of the officers, "You will go to the Tower of Dawn and do the same. I saw a small Ashlander settlement on the way up here, so the remaining guards will handle them. And the priests will come with me."
Issuing orders wasn't anything new for Caelestis. While still in the Legion he had led several raids on insurgents, smugglers and other unsavory characters. A simple interrogation would blow over smoothly.
"Okay, you priests get started on clearing away that corpse." Caelestis said to the priests, "Now, would you mind explaining what happened here yesterday?" he asked the priest who had fought Isa and had been spared.
"Well," he began, "This cloaked stranger walked in and was asking for a Divine Intervention scroll. A lot of pilgrims usually stop by here for services, but it's against our doctrine to offer them. There are services provided in the two Towers, but the Temple is reserved for faction members only."
"What race was this stranger by chance?"
"Oh, we could see her face. Some type of Elf, olive green skin."
"I see... So, what happened when the services were refused?"
"This lady seemed very polite and soft-spoken at first, but then all of a sudden she acted like she was in a trance. She was quiet for a few moments, and when Uvoo asked if she was feeling well this Elf pulled out a sword and ran her through."
"What happened then?"
The priest rubbed the place where he had been kicked and continued, "We all attacked her with our magic."
"What type of spells were they?"
"Destruction. We were shooting to kill. This woman though... It was like she was immune to all of our attacks. Another one of the priests shot a jet of acid at her; hit her right in the throat. Didn't faze her. It was like she was a ghost or something."
"So, what happened when all of your mana ran out?"
"I was in the Fighters' Guild before I joined the Temple. I thought to myself, I could take this woman. She looked pretty frail and didn't have any backup, so I took out my staff and figured I could give her a solid blow to the head and knock her out at least. But, just as I was bringing it down on her head she caught it and booted me in the stomach. It was a good kick too, and to top it off she was wearing Daedric boots."
Just then the gaggle of guards filed into the room from both sides.
"The Ashlanders saw someone come out of the gates and go into the Tower of Dawn, but they didn't see them come back out." One of the guards said.
"And the Ordinators said the stranger used a scroll to escape." Another guard replied.
Caelestis stared at one of the shrines and thought about the new details. From the very beginning of this case the woman he was after was only a thief. It didn't make sense that she would all of a sudden go on a killing spree. There was something else to it that wasn't adding up.
"Is there anything missing on that corpse?" Caelestis asked one of the priests.
"Well, from the looks of her inventory, one Divine Intervention scroll."
"Would you mind transporting us to Fort Hawkmoth?" Caelestis asked the shaken priest, "We have some more people to question."