Scroll Scouting part 2
-Eastmarch-
The two of them rode calmly next to each other. Tarrion still had his horse from Whiterun and borrowed another from Riften for Serana. She first declined, but agreed anyway, after she realized she had to otherwise walk all the way to the College of Winterhold. The trip on itself was peaceful. The war was over, there were still bandits that would ambush travellers, but there were only few of them, the Dragons kept largely to themselves and had their nests high in the mountains and the weather was good.
It was not until after they crossed the border with Eastmarch that Tarrion asked what Serana knew of Elder Scrolls.
"I mean, you were locked away with one"
"True, but that does not mean I know everything about them." Serana said. "I know they have magical properties, and are practically indestructible, but aside from that, nothing. Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."
Tarrion had to swallow a witty remark, and instead just agreed.
He looked up and saw the moon. It was a new moon and he could only see a large, round shadow in the sky. Serana noticed how Tarrion focused on the moon.
"There is something I wanted to ask you." Serana said and she looked at Tarrion.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, you are a Werewolf, right?"
"Yes." and Tarrion nodded.
"Can I ask how that happened?"
He did not answer straight away. He got his Lycanthropy from Aela, and he knew that the Circle of the Companions were all Werewolves. But he also knew that this was not widely known, and he felt that he shouldn't explain all the details.
"I gained it willingly. From someone else." he concluded.
"You chose for it? Why?"
Tarrion did not expect this question and he did not really have a good answer.
"I… I am not entirely sure. I guess it felt like the right thing to do at that time. I don't regret it, if that is what you want to ask. It has saved my skin on more than one occasion."
Serana seemed to think. She threw her hair back and looked up.
"But doesn't it mean that you transform with every full moon, and have no control over what you do?"
"Hmm…. Both yes and no." Tarrion said. "I can transform once a day, whenever I like, and then I have full control over what I do. I'll admit, I feel hungry and a strong urge to bite, but that is within my control. During the full moon is a different story. Then I have very limited control. I cannot see what I do, but somehow I can recognize people and then I won't attack."
Tarrion sighed. That was the only thing about his Lycanthropy that was a bad thing. He was able to overwhelm many opponents by transforming, but during the full moon, he only had a little bit control.
"So, during the full moon, I force myself to leave the city I am in, and go somewhere isolated, so I won't hurt anyone. But why do you ask?"
Serana seemed to think, and Tarrion saw a conflicted look on her face.
"How did you become a Vampire?" Tarrion asked.
Serana sighed, and Tarrion saw that it was a painful question. Like a bad memory was behind it.
"I… I guess we have to back to the beginning. Do you know where Vampirism came from?"
"I'm not sure." Tarrion said and he scratched his chin. "I would say Vampirism and Lycanthropy have a similar beginning. So I would guess it would come from a Daedric Lord?"
"Exactly." Serana said. "And it was Molag Bal that created it. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric Lord and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves to him, he would bestow the gift, but they have to be powerful in their own right to earn his favour."
"So how did you become a Vampire then? Was there a ritual involved?"
Serana nodded.
"There was. It was… it… it was degrading. Let's not revisit that please. But we all took part in it. My father, my mother…. and me."
"Do you regret it? Becoming a Vampire?" Tarrion asked.
"No-one has ever asked me that before. I… I don't know. I think I mostly hate what it has done to my family."
"It sounds like it has affected your family a lot."
"It has." Serana answered. "You've already met my father. He is drunk on power, and… well… my mother is not a whole lot better."
Tarrion could not see Serana's face clearly, because it was dark, but he thought he saw something glimmering under her eyes.
'A tear.' he thought.
"You miss them, don't you?"
"… Yes…. I miss how they once were."
-Winterhold Hold-
The rest of the journey to Winterhold was long and cold. Tarrion knew he touched a very sensitive subject, and he now regretted bringing it up. He could see in Serana that it was an old, but grievous wound, and it still hurt her. He did not know what to say for the rest of the journey, but after a long time, when they finally reached Winterhold, Serana seemed a bit more joyous.
"So this is Winterhold." she said, and she looked around. "Strange, I thought it would be bigger. I heard it was once the capital of Skyrim."
"That is true," Tarrion answered. "but a large disaster struck this city. It is known as the Great Collapse. More than half of the city fell to the sea below, and the town has never fully recovered."
"Wow." Serana said and she looked up to the College. "What happened?"
"Many theories. Some believe it was due to the eruption of Red Mountain. That it caused a huge wave of storms that eventually made the city crumble into the sea. Others say that the mages from the College were to blame and that they summoned the storms."
"Why would anyone think that?"
Tarrion pointed at the College.
"The College still stands, while half the city fell. It made people suspicious."
After they left their horses at the Frozen Hearth Inn, they walked up to the entrance to the College. A large, but dangerously damaged bridge connected the College with the remains of the town. No-one stood watch, but this was not strange. It was in the middle of the night, and it was unlikely that someone would now come and apply for the College.
"Don't fall off here." Tarrion said as they reached a point in the bridge where both sides were completely crumbled, leaving only a small pathway with a huge fall to either sides.
The gates to the College opened as soon as Tarrion approached and the large statue of Shalidor, that stood in the middle of the courtyard, stared at them. The two of them entered the Hall of the Elements and then took the stairs to the Arcanaeum.
"We are probably alone here. I think everyone is sleeping." Tarrion told Serana. "Then who are we going to ask about the Moth Priest?" she asked back.
"Good point."
But Tarrion was wrong when he said that everyone already went to bed. A shadowy figure sat behind a desk, slowly mumbling to himself. Urag gro-Shub was sitting in his chair and had only one candle lit. Tarrion walked up to the old orc and saw that he was sleeping.
"Urag? Urag!"
"What?! I'll have you torn apart by angry atronachs, you…" the old orc yelled but stopped as soon as he saw Tarrion.
"Oh. Sorry about that Archmage. I was reading a book. I didn't hear you."
"A very interesting book I'm sure." Tarrion smiled. "You could read it with your eyes closed."
Urag grumbled something.
"Wait. Did he just call 'Archmage'?"
Tarrion nodded at Serana.
"I'll tell you another time. But Urag, I need your help again."
"More strange books? I haven't found any new books from Shalidor, but I am almost done with my translation from the last you brought me."
"No, no books this time. I am looking for a Moth Priest."
Urag looked surprised at Tarrion and Serana and scratched his old, almost bald head.
"A Moth priest? What in Oblivion do you need a Moth priest for?"
"I heard rumours about one visiting Skyrim, and I was hoping you would know more."
Urag thought for a few moments and then started slowly.
"Yes… I do seem to remember something about a Moth Priest arriving here a few days ago. Yes… He came in, asked a few questions regarding Elder Scrolls, and then left. Never saw him again."
"Do you know where he went?" Serana asked.
"I thought he mentioned Dragon Bridge, so I guess that would be a nice place to start your search."
"We started searching yesterday." Serana whispered.
After Tarrion thanked Urag, he and Serana left the College. As soon as they left the bridge and entered the town, a short man approached Tarrion.
"I've been looking for you." he said. "Got something i'm supposed to deliver. Your hands only. Let's see here."
The courier rummaged through his bag and pulled out a sealed letter.
"I got this letter from Falkreath Hold. Something about a house."
He handed Tarrion the letter and left.
"Looks like that's it. Got to go."
"A house?" Serana asked.
"Yes, I was actually waiting for this."
Tarrion opened the letter and read.
Thane Tarrion
We hope this letter finds you soon. We are nearing the final stage in building your manor, but there are a few problems involving the cellar. You said that you wanted a large, underground bath beneath the manor, but since it would severely undermine the foundations of the manor itself, we found it to be impossible to make it the exact way you described it. With your permission, we would like to move the cellar toward mountain that stands north-east of the manor. That way we can dig, without fear of damaging the foundations.
The remainder of the manor is almost completed. The following parts of your manor are finished:
The Entry Hall
The Main Hall + the two Floors above it.
The Master Bedroom that looks out over Lake Illinalta
The Armory
Both of the towers
The several other Bedrooms
The Kitchen
The Second Cellar
The Central Tower
The Outhouse
We still have to furnish all of the rooms. We will wait with this until everything is finished, and until the furnishing arrives. The following parts of the manor are not yet completed.
The Stables.
The Hunting Cabin
The Bath
We think that it will take us another three days to completely finish the manor, and then another two days, to fully furnish it. The most generous payments have been received, and are more than accepted. We hope to hear from you again soon.
BuildMaster Umar
Serana looked at Tarrion and asked what this letter was about.
"About my house." Tarrion said. "I have my house build at Lake Illinalta. But I need to send a letter back."
They entered the Frozen Hearth Inn and Tarrion approached another courier that sat at a table and asked for parchment, a feather and ink. The couriers have all these supplies on them, in case someone wants to write a letter, and so did this one. Tarrion wrote a quick letter and asked the courier to deliver it. After that he paid the innkeeper for the horses and left with Serana.
"So," Serana said. "You have your house build near a lake, and you are also the Archmage of the College of Winterhold. You have led an interesting life already."
Tarrion chuckled.
"Yes, yes indeed."
"So how did you become the Archmage?"
"That was something I did not plan." Tarrion said, and he remembered how one day he arrived at the college and had to prove himself to Faralda.
"Do you want the long story, or the short story?" he asked Serana.
"Well, it is a long road to Dragon Bridge, so tell me the long one."
And so Tarrion began telling how he became Archmage.
"I arrived at the College, with only the intention of learning about magic. I've always had a thing for magic. I don't know why, but it makes you feel different. Like you can do things others can't. Anyway, I arrived here and after a quick first lesson about Wards, we set out for Saarthal."
"What were you doing in an old Nordic Tomb?"
"'Learning about the history of magic', as Tolfdir would say it. I found this strange amulet that shattered a small wall as soon as I touched it. After going through hallways and corridors, we found a huge, strange orb. I still have no idea what it exactly was, but it sure was powerful. We brought it to the College, I was approached by one of the Psijic Order."
"Who are they?" Serana asked.
"Mages of some sort, protecting people differently than other mages." Tarrion said. "I'll have to admit, that I don't know for sure, but they seem to be neither good, nor evil. Just protective. They warned me of coming danger, and urged me to find a certain staff, called the Staff of Magnus. The Archmage's assistant, Mirabelle, gave me a lead that lead me to the Dwemer ruins of Mzulft."
"Let me guess." Serana smiled. "'Another long dungeon'?"
Tarrion nodded.
"Unfortunately, yes. I hate Dwarven ruins. They are huge, and filled with traps and dangerous Automatons. And of course the Falmer are also hanging around there, with spiders and Chaurus. All in all, it is a recipe for the stuff of nightmares. But I finally found the location of the Staff, but then I was warned to go back to the College. It turns out that a High Elf named Ancano, who was a Thalmor agent, tried to use the Orb, what most now called the 'Eye of Magnus', and in a huge burst of power he killed the Archmage."
Tarrion could still see how Savos Aren's body flew through a window and how he found it mutilated on the College grounds.
"Mirabelle gave me another lead that lead me to the ancient ruins of Labyrinthian. Again a huge dungeon, filled with the undead, and even an undead-Dragon. As I went deeper and deeper into the tomb, I heard a voice calling. First in the Dragon Language, but later in the Common Tongue. He, or 'it', thought I was someone else."
"What was it?" Serana asked.
"A Dragon Priest." Tarrion said. "A powerful, undead mage, who once served the Dragons. It was not easy, but after many destructive blows, I was able to defeat it and it was he that held the Staff of Magnus."
Tarrion sighed, as if the memory of the journey alone made him tired.
"I then returned to the College, only to find that it was engulfed in a massive barrier. I saw the others trying to get past it, but nothing seemed to breach it. But I thought that the Staff of Magnus would do at least something, and with it I walked through the barrier like it was not even there. Everyone else was forced to stay behind and I was forced to fight Ancano on my own."
"How did you manage to defeat him?"
"That was strange." Tarrion continued. "I fired spells at him, or tried to ram a sword through his gut, but nothing seemed to touch him. I then fired with the Staff at the Eye and broke the bond it had with Ancano. The eye opened and I fought with Ancano, since he was now vulnerable. But he knocked me away with a powerful spell and tried to reconnect with the eye, but then something went wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"The Eye seemed to fight back. I don't know what exactly happened, but the Eye opened and a huge amount of energy emanated from it. The bond seemed different and not even a second later, the bond broke and Ancano was sucked into the Eye. It then began to shake heavily, causing the entire College to shake on its foundations but I used the Staff to calm it, and close it. Then three of the Psijic Monks showed up and claimed it was for the best that they would safeguard it. They also claimed that it would be fitting if I would become the Archmage. Thank goodness the others agreed."
Tarrion had finished the story, and Serana looked at him with admiration, and Tarrion felt his face become red.
"Wow." Serana said. "So you, singlehandedly, went through several dungeons, killed an undead Dragon, a Dragon priest, and a crazy Elf that wanted to destroy the world?"
"I'm not sure about the 'destroying the world' part, but… yes."
"But, that leaves me wondering what this house has to do with you being Archmage."
Tarrion looked surprised at Serana.
"I never said it had anything to do with that. I have that house build, because a thane needs a proper house. And since I can decide for myself how I want it, and since I can afford it, I thought that a manor overlooking a beautiful lake would do nicely."
"Wait! You are the thane of Falkreath as well? How did that happen?"
"Do you want the short story, or the long one?"
=End of Chapter=
=Authors Notes=
So there is that :) A little bit of backstory about how Tarrion became Archmage, and some extra stuff about what it means to be a Werewolf. I hope I did not piss anyone off by writing this, because it is not entirely in-line with the Skyrim-lore, but oh well. I already mentioned that I will probably make a few adjustments and alterations in the lore. I also made the death of Ancano a bit different. I made it up as I was writing it :) Thought it would be fun
Concerning Lakeview Manor:
I wanted to make that house a bit bigger than it is in the game. The Hearthfire DLC is fun, but it did make me want even more, when it comes to the housing of the Dragonborn. So yes, Lakeview Manor is gonna be big, with almost every possible house-addition forged in one big manor + even more random stuff that would go nicely with the house. The place is going to be pretty big, and we'll visit it later in other Arcs.
Oh, and 'BuildMaster Umar'? I just made that name up, since I thought it would make no sense if Tarrion builds that big house of his all by himself.
Dragon Language used:
None used
Characters:
Mirabelle: Assistant to the Archmage, and 'runs the day-to-day operations'. Died while the Dragonborn was getting the Staff of Magnus.
Ancano: Main antagonist during the College of Winterhold quest-line. High Elf, Thalmor, Professional jerk, and dies during the final confrontation.
Urag gro-Shub: Librarian of the Arcanaeum at the CoW. Old Orc, grumpy, but nice guy.
Tolfdir: Master Alteration mage, and is the one that teaches you some stuff about Wards. Old man, and gets a massive boner when it comes to safety.
Aela: She-Werewolf, practically the signature Skyrim lady. Light brown hair, huntress, and your 'fore-bearer' (you get your Lycanthropy from her).
Molag Bal: Daedric Lord. More stuff on him later in the story.
PS: Sorry about the twice re-upload. I saw a few mistakes in spelling and had to change them
(As always)
BIG PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.