Chapter 2 – In My Time Of Dying
Hlormaren, Legion Garrison
"Come in"
The door to Commander Ralix Hermidius' office swung open and Varo strode in.
"Varo, what brings you here? I wasn't expecting a visit" Hermidius said, standing up from his desk. Varo threw the Blades document down onto Hermidius' desk, ensuring that its title – Ralix Hermidius' connection to Cammona Tong – was visible.
"The fact that a Legion officer is soliciting with a Dunmer crime syndicate – a Dunmer supremacy group – is not something to be taken lightly" Varo said solemnly. "Tell me everything"
Hermidius sighed and sat down again. "It's not what you think, my friend. It started years ago, when I was still serving back on the mainland in Cyrodiil. Myself and some of my men raided a Cammona Tong camp in the highlands near the Morrowind border. They were skooma smugglers, and we were putting a stop to it. We got most of them, but one obviously got away. He must have used an invisibility spell.
"He went to his superiors and told them what I had done, and before long I was marked for death. The Cammona Tong and House Hlaalu started sending agents after me, trying to kill me. I managed to fight off their attacks, though. They weren't trained assassins, just housemen trying to earn a bit of gold.
"But then, a civilian who bore a resemblance to me was killed on the streets of the Imperial City by a Dunmer agent. I could live with their attacks but I couldn't let innocent people die. So I went to Morrowind to speak to the Cammona Tong.
"They said that if I helped them in a very important quest they'd take the bounty off my head. They told me it was something to do with Vvardenfell, which hadn't even been declared safe by this point. I knew it would be dangerous, but I had to do it. They wanted me to help them recover an ancient artifact, some sort of blade, which they thought they knew the location of.
"The day of the quest came. Our ship was nearing where the village of Ald Velothi once stood when I attacked. I killed every Cammona Tong agent on the ship, but spared the crew, who were Khajiit and Argonian slaves. I told them that if they took me to Fort Frostmoth and told the Cammona Tong superiors that none of us had survived the mission, I would free them. A month later the ship returned to Fort Frostmoth and I gave the crew their freedom. And that's where it ends"
Varo paused for a few seconds to take in what Hermidius had said.
"I believe you, Ralix. I didn't come here to discipline you. I need your help"
"What is it?"
"You told me about an artifact. The Blades report mentioned rumours that you were helping Cammona Tong recover a blade from Vvardenfell, so your story checks out. To put it simply, I want that blade"
"Why? What's so special about this blade?"
"In the closing moments of House Dagoth's dynasty, Dagoth Ur sent two of his Ash Vampires, Dagoth Vemyn and Dagoth Tureynul, to distant corners of the island to protect Keening and Sunder from the destruction that Red Mountain's eruption was causing. Ald Velothi sounds distant enough to me"
"You think the blade is Keening?"
"Yes. And I need it. You know its whereabouts, Ralix. Will you join me?"
Ralix nodded slowly. "I will. It would do me good to escape civilisation for a few days. I've got a lot on my mind"
"Aurelia?"
Ralix looked forlornly into middle distance and said nothing.
"Oh, one more thing, Ralix" Varo said, interrupting the silence.
"Yes? What?"
"I left my ship under your command. I need it back"
"It's still moored here, and its crew are probably in the tavern"
Varo smiled. "The old fellowship, back together!"
--
Sinclair Manor, earlier that day
"So" Galmina said, smiling and placing her hand around Varo's arm. "Where are you taking me this time?"
"I don't know" Varo replied. "All I know is that it's some far-flung area of Vvardenfell we haven't been to yet. Two far-flung areas, to be exact. And you'll be happy to know that I'm trying to find the same people that we always go to far-flung areas with"
Galmina's eyes lit up. "Sten and Levisson?"
"Yes. They're stationed in Hlormaren with Commander Hermidius at the moment. And I plan to use Sea Monster to take us there – in my ship, of course"
"Don't forget me" a deep voice suddenly said from the next room. Varo's heart skipped a beat – he hadn't even heard anyone approaching the house – but then realised who it was. An elderly Altmer, with long, flowing grey hair and a beard, walked into the room, using a staff as a walking stick.
"Erdora!" Galmina cried with delight.
"It's good to see you both" the Altmer replied. "I suspect you're wondering what I'm doing here"
Varo and Galmina had first met Erdora shortly after they had landed on Vvardenfell for the first time. Erdora was a mercenary serving the Imperial mining surveyor Romanus Ratarius, who was currently in the process of rebuilding the ancient ebony mine in the old Imperial town of Caldera. Varo had admired Erdora not just for his combat skills but also for his kind and selfless personality, and he had reminded Galmina of the wizards who had taught her her trade.
"Commander, I'm sure you know that I am not long for this world. I'm sure you also know that wheels are being set in motion – something big is about to happen. All I want is to go on one last adventure whilst I'm still alive. Will you accept me back into your service?"
Varo smiled warmly. "As far as I'm aware, Erdora, you never left"
--
Hlormaren, harbour
"There she is" Sten Hawk-Eye said, nodding appreciatively at the ship. "Always fills my head with good memories"
The ship in question was a Dwemer steamship, a large craft clad in a tough golden metal and powered by a steam-driven paddle. A distant ancestor of Jurard's had discovered the ship in an underground Dwemer shipyard during the time of the Tribunal's reign over Vvardenfell, and Varo and his friends had recovered it. It had served them well throughout their war against the Dunmer, mainly thanks to its colossal speed and power, and the powerful steam-powered ballista mounted on its deck.
Varo approached the harbour's main pier, at the end of which the ship was moored, with four others following behind him. Galmina, Hermidius, and two of Varo's soldiers, Sten Hawk-Eye and Tertius Levisson. Sten and Levisson had served by Varo's side throughout the entire war against the Dunmer, and had been there right up until its dramatic conclusion in Vivec. Levisson was a skilled Imperial melee fighter, and Sten was an expert Nord marksman, who always carried a long-range Dwarven steam crossbow – essentially a smaller version of the weapon mounted upon the ship's deck.
One of the ship's crew spotted the group immediately and hoisted a plank between the deck and the pier. It was Rigs-Sails, an Argonian sailor. Rigs-Sails was ebullient yet articulate, a very skilled sailor and almost always drunk. He had a real name but nobody seemed to actually know it. His fellow deck-hand was the Khajiit S'Barama, and the ship's captain was a barrel-chested Nord sailor called Alfjned, although everyone called him Sea Monster.
The group all boarded the ship and greetings were exchanged.
"So, Varo, what do you need my ship for?" Sea Monster asked.
"I should remind you that it's my ship and that it's merely on loan to you until I need it again, such as now" Varo said. "I need you to take us to the north-western corner of the island, where Ald Velothi used to be"
Sea Monster nodded over Varo's shoulder. "Looks like another old friend wants to join us"
Varo turned round and sighed as he saw Jurard racing down the pier towards the ship.
"Commander! Wait!" Jurard shouted as he ran. Varo strode down the plank to meet him.
"What are you doing here, Jurard?" Varo said impatiently.
"I've worked out where you're going, and what you're doing" Jurard said between breaths. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? You have to let me come with you"
"I'm prepared" Varo said, holding up his left hand, on which he was wearing Wraithguard. "Although I suppose it would be useful to have you with us. I haven't worked out how I'm going to pinpoint the location of Keening yet"
"Leave that to me" Jurard said cheerfully as he strode up the plank onto the ship.
"Wait! Jurard!"
Jurard spun round.
"I entrusted my daughter to you. Where is she?"
"She's with the researchers I sent off to look at the crystals" Jurard said. "I figured you wouldn't mind, and besides, once she caught wind of what we were doing she wouldn't take no for an answer!"
Varo grabbed Jurard's shirt and dragged him back. "Jurard, we're friends, but you cannot even begin to imagine what I'll do to you if any harm comes to her"
On the deck, the rest of the group saw the spectacle unfold.
"Is he alright, Galmina?" Levisson asked.
"Something's troubling him" Galmina replied. "And he won't tell me what. All I know is that it's to do with dreams he keeps having"
--
The sea west of Gnisis, later that day
Varo and Hermidius stood at the bow of the Dwemer steamship as it thundered north at almost thirty knots. The ever-present thrum of the ship's furnace powering the steam paddle filled the air.
"Is this looking familiar?" Varo asked Hermidius.
"Yes, we came this way" Hermidius replied, gazing to the north. "I recognise that Daedric shrine"
Varo saw the shrine Hermidius was talking about. It was separate from the mainland, built on a small island. Crumbled remains of towers vaulted up towards the heavens. As far as Varo could tell, it was the north-western tip of Vvardenfell, and would be a useful reference point.
"I'm turning that shrine into a lighthouse one day" Varo said. "So, Ralix. Tell me what's wrong with you"
"It's Aurelia. I've lost her for good. She doesn't even want to speak to me anymore…"
"Commander! You might want to come and see this…"
Varo turned around to see Sea Monster beckoning him over, holding a telescope. Varo strode over to Sea Monster and took the telescope from Sea Monster.
"To the west. There's a ship there, looks like trouble" Sea Monster said. Varo peered through the telescope and saw it – it was a small clipper, not flying any flag. This was rarely a good sign – it meant that the captain did not want anyone to know who was on board the ship.
"Smugglers, probably" Varo said, handing the telescope back to Sea Monster. "Keep a lookout whilst we're ashore. If there's any sign of danger, send someone to come and find us"
Sea Monster nodded as he began turning the ship around the Daedric shrine, as everyone on board the ship gazed at it in awe. Despite the unmistakable evil it was associated with, it was an impressive structure.
"We'd better prepare to land, Commander" Sten Hawk-Eye said, turning back to Varo. "If this landing's anything like the one we made in Ebonheart for the first time we're going to need to be prepared"
"You're right" Varo replied. When a small dinghy had unloaded Varo and a few others onto Vvardenfell for the first time, they had landed in the crumbled and overgrown ruins of Ebonheart, where they had been viciously attacked by a band of Kagouti.
Sea Monster completed the turn and brought the ship's power back up to full. Hermidius walked over to the helm, where Sea Monster, Sten and Varo were standing.
"We were heading for a Dwemer ruin" Hermidius said. "That looks like it…"
To the east was a small Dwemer building perched atop a cliff, with a bridge spanning a gully providing the only visible access to it. Varo walked to the bow of the ship to examine it more closely, Galmina following behind him.
Varo stood in silence, leaning off the edge of the deck as Sea Monster continued past the ruin, looking for somewhere to land.
"I knew I'd been here before…" Varo said quietly.
"Varo? What is it?" Galmina asked.
"This is the ruin where our son was killed"
--
Varo had been sitting on his own in the furnace room when he felt the ship begin to slow suddenly. Sea Monster must have sighted a good landing site. Varo had been asking himself questions ever since he had seen the Dwemer ruin.
Why had Velas gone there?
Velas had been studying a map of old Vvardenfell that he had found in his father's study, and noticed the Dwemer ruin, flanked by two Daedric shrines. He had told Varo he wanted to go there, but Varo, preoccupied with making the area surrounding Caldera safe for the surveyors to make camp there, had been unable to go with him. So Velas had eventually gone with three of Romanus Ratarius' soldiers – Alanar, Burdush gra-Barat and Mistarie. Only the Orc Burdush had returned alive.
Could that have been the only reason?
No. Velas might have known that Keening lay within the ruin.
How would he know that?
The only way would be if Dagoth Ur had told him – it was before anyone even knew that Hermidius had gone there with the Cammona Tong to recover an ancient artifact.
How could Dagoth Ur have told him Keening was there?
Through a dream. Varo knew that rocks created during the eruption of Red Mountain that destroyed Dagoth Ur broadcast Dagoth Ur's dreams – this included glass and ebony, and other minerals, found in the rocks.
Had Velas been near the rocks?
Not directly. But he kept a large ingot of raw glass that he had found near Caldera whilst he was there with his father on his bedside table.
Varo leapt up and tore an empty page out of the ship's log, which was on a desk in the furnace room. He picked up the quill and began writing.
Romanus,
I have made a terrible discovery in regards to the minerals we are mining. We know that they broadcast dreams sent by Dagoth Ur, but the effect is worsening. I have found out that my son went to his death trying to recover Keening, under the effects of Dagoth Ur. I know the dreams helped us defeat the Dunmer, but I will not let innocent lives come under threat. I do not know Dagoth Ur's motives. I do not know if he meant this to happen. But until I know otherwise, we must stop exporting glass and ebony with immediate effect.
Varo
"Sea Monster" Varo said, striding up to the ship's helm. "I know I told you to stay here and keep lookout, but this is far more important"
Varo handed Sea Monster the letter he had just written. "Take this to Hlormaren and have it delivered to Romanus Ratarius immediately. He should still be surveying near Caldera"
"What is it?" Galmina asked, running over.
"I'm stopping the exporting of glass and ebony" Varo said. "I don't want Dagoth Ur's influence leaving this island"