Nightcaller Temple was an hour's walk east of the city. Erandur took the lead and showed Inna and Relie Fanis the tower at the top of the hill as they made their way there. "People around here call it the Tower of the Dawn. I'm not familiar with the tower's history, but it was deserted for quite a long time before Nightcaller Temple was established inside." Relie Fanis seemed to be the only one who understood what the Elf was referring to. "When the temple was active, the priests would rarely be seen in Dawnstar. They preferred to live a solitary existence. The temple's been abandoned for decades now. It is like a ruin within a ruin. "
As they finished climbing the hill and walked down the stone steps leading to the exterior area of the temple, they saw two frost trolls roaring and hulking in front of the entrance. With quick movements, Inna ran up to one of them with her greatsword drawn whilst Relie Fanis and Erandur took care of the other troll using fire-based spells.
The Nord managed to attract two ice wolves to assist her in the fight, and so she was able to defeat the troll without much difficulty. The wolves stared deeply into her eyes before leaving - Inna was relieved that they decided not to attack her companions. "I can communicate with wild animals", she explained quickly. Erandur eyed her curiously, but did not question her further.
"Before we go in there, there is something you should know." Both women stopped walking and looked at him expectantly. "Years ago, this temple was raided by an orc war party seeking revenge. They were being plagued by nightmares just like the people of Dawnstar". "Were they successful, though?" Inna inquired out of pure curiosity, and Erandur shook his head. "No. Knowing they could never defeat the orcs, the priests of Vaermina released what they call 'The Miasma,' putting everyone to sleep. "
"So what does it do? I've never read anything about that in any of my books concerning the Daedra," Relie Fanis interrupted. The priest kept talking as they approached the temple's wooden door. "The Miasma was created by the priests of Vaermina for their rituals. It's a gas that places the affected in a deep sleep. Because the rituals would last for months or even years, the Miasma was designed to slow down the aging process."
Relie Fanis still had questions. "So why is it so dangerous?" The young women noticed the more Erandur spoke, the more concerned he seemed. As he spoke, all of them walked on ahead and opened the door. "I'm concerned that when this place is unsealed, the Miasma will dissipate and they'll awaken; both orcs and priests alike. The longer an individual is exposed to the Miasma, the more the mind can become damaged. Those who've been under the effect of it for extended periods of time have been known to lose their minds entirely. In some cases, a few never awoke at all."
The heavy wooden door closed behind them. They were in a large, circular room with the highest ceiling Inna had ever seen. There were a few benches in the center of the room and a small shrine of Mara in a corner of the room - obviously, Erandur's own personal touch - and books scattered on a makeshift altar in the center. Behind the altar, a carved wall blocked the way. Erandur asked Relie Fanis to accompany him (she looked as excited as though she he had been appointed Thane of The Pale) and the two cast various flame spells on the wall. After a few minutes, the wall changed from brown to light purple and became transparent. The two mages crossed the wall and Inna, still incredulous, followed closely behind them.
They continued down a dimly lit, wide hallway, filled with swirling purple gas. Erandur turned left and showed them a structure akin to a balcony with bars. A few floors below, they could see a statue and a staff surrounded by a shadowy aura, gleaming in the darkness. Inna felt her head ache as she looked down at the staff. "Behold the Skull of Corruption, the source of Dawnstar's woes. We must reach the inner sanctum and destroy it. "
He hurried off, and the two adventurers had to run to keep up with him as it would be too easy to get lost in that huge temple. Inna was the first to reach him. "Wait a minute, there's something I don't understand. If this staff is here, how can it affect Dawnstar?" The preist did not turn to her as he walked, and spoke louder so that everyone could hear him. "Lore holds that the Skull of Corruption has a constant hunger for the memories of others. The Skull has been out of touch for so long that I fear it has gained the ability to reach out on its own and try to feed. No one knows what it does with the memories it holds. "
After descending the first flight of stairs, they saw some armoured orcs stirring in their sleep, while others were already up. Inna, still high on adrenaline from the fight with the frost trolls, was able to finish them in a matter of minutes.
After the fight, Relie Fanis reached the door and was frustrated upon noticing that it was blocked by a magical barrier. "Could the priests have activated this barrier when the gas was released?" She asked aloud, and Erandur nodded and approached the door, taking a worn book from his leather bag. There was a figure of Vaermina on the cover and judging by its size, it did seem like an alchemy book.
The priest silently leafed through the book as he paced the narrow corridor.
"There's something very dark at work in this place, and I'm not just talking about orcs and priests," Inna blurted out, drawing everyone's attention. "You seem to know a lot about this place... indeed, it is almost as if you knew it from the inside." The Elf looked up from the book at the two young women with regret in his eyes. "You're right, Inna. There is no point in concealing it any longer. I once was a priest of Vaermina."
He began to justify himself almost immediately. "I'm not proud of what I did. Do you realise when the orcs attacked, I was only concerned with myself? I fled... and left my brothers and sisters behind to die." Relie Fanis cut him off. "I suppose there is no point in us getting upset with you. I think we knew something was wrong from the very beginning." Inna seemed to agree. "I've spent the last few decades living in regret and seeking redemption from Mara. And by Her Benevolence, I will right my wrongs. But I cannot do this without your help." Despite Erandur's lies, Inna and Relie Fanis decided to continue with the mission instead of leaving the Dark Elf behind.
"In order to get past this barrier, we will need a liquid called Vaermina's Torpor," he said, showing them a recipe from his alchemy book. Seeing the curious glances of the young women, he continued. "Yes. The Torpor grants an ability the priests of Vaermina called 'The Dreamstride', through which dreams are used to travel distances in the real world." Relie Fanis glanced at the text, but gave Erandur a confused look. "It sounds amazing, but... how can this be possible?" He placed a hand on the mage's shoulder. "I assure you, the Dreamstride is well known in Vaerminian Lore. I have yet to see it function in person." Having said this, he guided them through another part of the temple, up the stairs and past another wooden door, which gave access to an old library. As they walked, more and more orcs and followers of Vaermina attacked them.
Erandur was proving to be a skilled mage, since most enemies fell dead the minute his offensive spells hit them. He made a point of being on the front line and healing Relie Fanis and Inna at the end of each battle. The temple was larger than it looked, so a few hours passed until they arrived at the laboratory located in the east area of the temple. As soon as they entered the abandoned room, Relie Fanis found the Dreamstride in a small red bottle. Erandur uncorked the bottle carefully and stared at the two young women for a moment.
"Very well. I've taken us this far, but now one of you must guide us the rest of the way. I did not want to expose you to this risk, but as a sworn priest of Mara, the elixir won't work for me. The Torpor will only work for Priests of Vaermina, or the unaffiliated." There was a brief moment of hesitation in which Inna and Relie Fanis glanced at each other. For Inna, however, it was clear that she should drink the liquid. Certainly it wasn't a coincidence that she had been feeling some kind of discomfort, perhaps even a call from the moment she set foot into the temple. Inna took a step forward. Erandur did not seem to oppose her decision and Relie Fanis nodded in silence.
With the decision made, he held out the bottle to her. "As soon as you drink the potion, you'll be viewing the memory of another through your own eyes and with your own body. Those around you will perceive you as normal and you will find the words you utter may not be your own." Relie Fanis held one of her friend's hands briefly. "Don't worry, we'll watch over you to ensure your safety. If something goes wrong, we'll bring you back immediately." Erandur placed one of his hands on Inna's shoulders for comfort. "I swear upon Lady Mara that I will do everything within my power to prevent any harm from befalling you."
Inna felt no fear as she looked at the contents of the bottle and swallowed it in a few sips - instead, she had an odd feeling that her mission would soon be completed. It seemed she already knew that whatever she was going to see would change her life forever.