Chapter 6 – Crash
"Hello, Romanus" Varo said, stepping into the drawing room of the manor. Romanus Ratarius stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and the pair shook hands.
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Varo?" Romanus asked.
"Stopping the mineral trade? Probably not, but right now it's the only cause of action. I dread to think what might be happening around Tamriel if people are sleeping anywhere near the huge quantities of ebony you've mined"
"I doubt Dagoth Ur would have any influence outside this island. What would be the benefit to him?"
"It's not a risk I'm willing to take, Romanus"
"Our economy will completely collapse!"
Varo sat down and motioned Romanus to do the same. "Romanus, we don't have an economy. All the money we've made so far from mining is either in a vault or it's been spent on building materials. We pay our workers but they have nothing to spend their money on. We provide them with food and shelter. There's hardly even any traders working on Vvardenfell"
"Maybe we could survive a temporary loss of economy, but I can't help but worry…"
"Worry about what?"
"What if there's another war? What if this whole saga of the Almsivi being re-instated comes to pass? What if everything we've worked for is destroyed, like it was when we were at war with the Grand Council? If we have no money we won't be able to repair the damage"
"I will not bring any further destruction to our people"
"I trust you, Varo. You have led us well so far"
"There's something else I wanted to ask you, Romanus. You and a few others went to explore all the old Dunmer fortresses to see if any of them were habitable?"
"Yes. A few of them were – Andasreth and Berandas up the coast from Hlormaren, and Indoranyon on the Grazelands"
"What about Kogoruhn?"
"We couldn't get inside from the keep. A rockfall has blocked the entrance. Considering it's in volcanic territory that's hardly surprising. But there's another way in – at the foot of Red Mountain, north of the crater, there's a cave"
"Did you go inside?"
"We got about ten yards in before we got attacked by Daedra. We got away – just"
"Varo!"
The pair heard Galmina shouting from somewhere else in the building. A few seconds later she appeared at the doorway, holding Fariel by the hand, and leapt into the room as a dagger flew over her head and thudded into the wooden door, embedding itself in there.
"Stay in here!" Varo ordered. "Fariel, look after them!"
Varo drew his sword and carefully approached the doorway. The door led into a corridor which turned a sharp corner and led to the rest of the house. He could hear rapid footfalls approaching down the corridor as he stepped out through the door. A Dunmer clad in leather armour was charging towards him. Varo threw up his shield just as the Dunmer threw another dagger – the dagger slammed into Varo's shield, the force of the impact knocking the shield clean out of Varo's hand. Varo raced towards the Dunmer, brandishing his sword as the Dunmer drew a shortsword from his belt. Varo lunged at the Dunmer and, before the Dunmer had chance to attack him, plunged his sword into the assassin's chest, killing him instantly.
Varo sheathed his sword and returned to the drawing room, where the other three stood.
"It's safe" Varo said. "Maybe one day one of these assassins will actually prove a challenge to fight"
"I think our business is done, Varo" Romanus said. "I should be returning to Caldera"
"Of course" Varo said. "Thank you for the information"
With that, Romanus left the room.
"How long is this going to go on for, Varo?" Galmina asked sternly. "I don't like danger being brought to our house"
"I don't know" Varo replied. "But they're after me, not you. If they come here again, they'll realise I'm not here then leave"
"Why? Where are you going?"
"Kogoruhn. The old stronghold of the Sixth House, the alleged whereabouts of Sunder. Are you going to join me?"
Galmina stood silent for a few seconds. "No, Varo. I'm not"
"I don't blame you. I can't imagine it's a very pleasant place"
--
After Varo had said his goodbyes to his family, he left for Hlormaren to round up whoever he could find who was willing to go to Kogoruhn with him. But when he arrived in Hlormaren his first port of call was the healing house, to check on Levisson, where he had found Jurard examining him.
"How is he?" Varo asked. Jurard looked at Levisson, lying almost comatose on a bed.
"Not good" Jurard replied. "Whatever ailment he has, it's nothing that common medicine can cure. I'm worried that…"
"What?"
"It's the Blight. That's why I sent for a blight cure from Moonstar. The Dunmer are the only people who know how to cure this cursed disease. It should be here in a few days"
"The Blight? I thought that died out with Dagoth Ur"
"That's what we all thought. But we found followers of the Sixth House alive and well in the ruin where we found Keening. My guess is that they were carrying the Blight and spread it into the air around the ruin"
"It has nothing to do with Dagoth Ur?"
"Nobody is entirely sure of the connection between the Blight and Dagoth Ur, only that it originally came to Vvardenfell borne in ashes from Red Mountain"
"Jurard, I'm going to get Sunder. It's in Kogoruhn, the old Sixth House fortress. I am seeking people to come with me"
Jurard smiled. "Alright. I'm sure it is a place of great interest"
"Do you know where the others are?"
"I know Sten left with Sea Monster this morning. They were going to Moonstar. Erdora has returned to the Council House"
"Very well. It's getting late. Tomorrow morning I'll find Commander Hermidius then we'll set off"
--
"Wake up, Varo"
Varo opened his eyes. The last thing he could remember was falling asleep in a bed in the Hlormaren legion garrison, but now he found himself, once again, in a vast cavern with the roar of lava filling the air. In front of him stood none other than Dagoth Ur.
"What is it?" Varo said impatiently.
"I have come to warn you that Kogoruhn has fallen to Daedra. It is Sheogorath's doing. Many Golden Saints now call Kogoruhn home. They are tough opponents to fight"
"I know that. Romanus told me earlier. Why are you really here?"
"Because I know that you want to speak to me"
"Yes. One of my friends is dying of the Blight. Right now I'm helping you fight off your enemies, and I will only continue to do so if you help me in return. The prospect of the Tribunal Temple returning to Vvardenfell does not worry me. The Temple are a peaceful people. It was only the Ordinators of the fallen house of Indoril who waged war"
"So what are you worried about, Varo? Why are you gathering Kagrenac's Tools?"
"So nobody else can get them. All I am worried about at the moment is this man who believes himself to be Nerevarine to the new Tribunal, and why I am being referred to as 'Dagoth Sinclair' on the mainland. I will deal with these two threats if you stop the Blight. I know it is in your powers to do so"
"Varo, I told you that this new cult wishes to exploit Vvardenfell's power to elevate mortals to the false gods that the Tribunal were. You and your friends have deduced the involvement of the crystals in this source of power. Let me tell you more. Romanus has not seen fit to tell you yet, but they have found an ancient door deep beneath Caldera. Behind this door lies the source of Vvardenfell's great power. The door is locked, but I have someone trying to find the key. An old friend of mine. Someone who was there when Kagrenac and his workers built that door"
"You expect me to believe that someone who lived in the time of Kagrenac is still alive? Who is it?"
Dagoth Ur paused for a few seconds. "It's Marconi. Knowing this, I do not want you to take advantage of him in any way. I have given him to you as a resource and I can take him away just as quickly"
"You don't scare me" Varo said sternly. "I know you've got something planned. The Ash Creatures. Marconi. Whatever it is, you've been defeated once and you will be defeated again"
--
At that moment, Varo awoke. Sunlight shone through the cracks in the shutters, the humid air of the Bitter Coast filling the room.
Varo made his way to the lobby of the fortress where he found Jurard and Commander Hermidius waiting.
"Are you joining me, Ralix?" Varo said, seeing the pair.
"I am, but I have a message from you. It came from Commander Cunius"
Hermidius handed a small scroll to Varo. Commander Cunius was the third highest-ranking soldier in Vvardenfell after Varo and Hermidius, and governed both the garrison at Pelagiad and all the ships owned by citizens of Vvardenfell.
"I'll save you reading it" Hermidius said. "They spotted ships, not flying flags, off the south shore. I sent some of my men to Pelagiad to help in case anything happens. I believe your ship is going to be ordered to sail to the Ascadian Isles as soon as it reaches a port"
"They want Vivec back" Varo said succinctly.
"Who do?"
"The Almsivi cult. It's the ancient city of one of their Gods. As soon as I heard about their cult I knew this was inevitable. Let them have it – it's a ruin on the verge of collapsing into the sea"
Vivec was the first sign of old Vvardenfell Varo had seen as he had approached the island for the first time. Once a grand statement of civilisation, the home of Vivec the Warrior-Poet himself, five hundred years of neglect and assault from nature had damaged it almost beyond repair. The great cantons had been stained a dark green with rot and algae, and the network of interconnecting walkways and bridges that allowed access between the cantons had collapsed into the sea. As soon as Vivec himself had died, the Ministry of Truth, freed from its stasis, slammed into the Temple and demolished both structures, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble protruding just above sea level. The Palace had been destroyed both by the eruption of an ancient volcano beneath the structure and Sea Monster crashing the Dwemer ship into it. Then, a few years later, the residents of Pelagiad were woken one morning by an almighty crash. The underwater foundations of the cantons had been weakened and eroded by constant tidal movements, and the Telvanni Canton had finally given way, toppling into the Arena Canton, almost completely demolishing it. No-one had set foot in Vivec since.
The idea that anyone would want to make the dangerous, ruined city home was dismissed as ridiculous.
"Varo, forgive me for saying this…" Jurard began.
"What?"
"Your decisions are getting rather reckless. There's a strong chance of another invasion and you give it no thought?"
Varo sighed. "Do you want to know my plan for Vivec? If anyone hostile sets foot in it, our soldiers will hole them in. There is no way of accessing Vivec other than by water at the moment. If they try to reach the mainland from the city our archers will massacre them. If they stay in there, I will order Sea Monster to crash my ship into whichever canton they've called home and demolish the damn city for good. I've got Wraithguard and destroyed the machine that controls Red Mountain. I don't care what happens to Vivec now"
Hermidius turned to Jurard. "Go to the Legion office and get the maps of Red Mountain. Find the best way to get from Moonstar to the cave that leads into Kogoruhn"
Jurard nodded and hurriedly made his way towards the stairs that led up to the upper floor of Hlormaren.
"He's right" Hermidius said to Varo. "You just don't think anymore. Why not?"
"Don't worry about me" Varo said, smiling. "Remember, I always know what I'm doing"
"Maybe, but this time I'd like to know exactly what it is that you are doing"
"Look. I firmly believe Dagoth Ur has the means to return to the mortal realm. Once he's here, I can get rid of him once and for all. He doesn't want these damn Almsivi cultists infecting Vvardenfell any more than we do. I'm trying to get events to a point where he feels the need to intervene"
"Stop" Hermidius said suddenly. "Can he hear us right now? Or read our thoughts, or whatever he does?"
"No, it's only while we're asleep" Varo said quietly. Other people were walking through the lobby – he didn't want any of them to overhear him. "He spoke to me last night. He thinks we're on the back foot, that's why he sent Marconi. I've known that somebody would want Vivec for themselves – that's why I haven't ordered it to be rebuilt. I've known that the same person would take objection to the Sun and Moon Cult, which is why a few years ago I ordered fortifications to be built there. But Dagoth Ur doesn't know this. He's powerless to almost any events that occur in the mortal realm"
"And Kagrenac's Tools?"
"I believe I will need them for a similar reason to why I needed Wraithguard last time"
Hermidius shook his head. "You shock and amaze me in equal measures, Varo. Come on, we need to get going. Is Galmina not coming this time?"
"I think she is starting to doubt me, just like everyone else. I just hope I can be our saviour again before everyone loses faith in me"
--
Moonstar, Tel Indarys
Father Indarys opened the front door of his tower to see Selvio Drath, holding several books.
"Selvio. What have you found?"
"Everything I could about Arlen Saroth. The census documents arrived from the mainland this morning. By profession he's a scholar in old Vvardenfell – he wrote these books"
Father Indarys took the books from Selvio and glanced at their titles. They were all to do with Nerevarine and the Almsivi, apart from one which concerned the Heart of Lorkhan.
"His research led him to dangerous places. His books would suggest he came to Vvardenfell several years before us or the Empire arrived. He had to fight off wild animals and Dunmer tribesmen, as well as the Daedra and ash creatures that still populate Red Mountain. Not only is he a very knowledgeable man, he is an extremely skilled warrior"
"And you think Arlen Saroth is our man – the new Nerevarine?"
"All evidence points towards that being the case. He has spoken of his travels to Vvardenfell and how he would give his life to see the 'old ways' restored"
"The 'old ways' being Almsivi worship and Great House rulership. Though possibly not the latter as he is of House Dres, who have never had holdings in Vvardenfell"
"Not necessarily" Selvio said. "He is one of a very select minority who has been a member of more than one house. He was raised as Telvanni but grew tired of their eccentricity and deferred to House Dres. When he was twenty, his parents divorced and his mother married none other than Almenis Dres, the son of the Archmaster"
"Almenis Dres… The note found on the assassin was signed A. Dres, was it not?"
"Indeed. It would seem that Almenis has, to all intents and purposes, adopted Arlen Saroth as his son, and as a successor to the Dres throne"
Father Indarys shook his head. "This is bad news, Selvio. At first I thought Saroth was a lone crusader, or at best the figurehead of a small cult. But now this – if he is a high-ranking member of House Dres he essentially has control what we should fear most of all"
"What?"
"An army"
--
Vivec City, many years later
Fariel Sinclair led the Breton up the grand staircase leading to the dome atop Vivec Palace. Crisp sea air gently blew in their faces, filled with the roar of the Dwemer steamship's furnace as it left Vivec's docks in the distance.
"I trust your journey was alright, Mr Larisse?" Fariel asked as they walked. "High Rock is quite a distance away"
"It passed without incident" the Breton replied. "That is, until I arrived in Vvardenfell. I am genuinely impressed with what you have achieved in so little time"
Fariel smiled. "Vvardenfell is all I have ever known, but I would never change anything about it"
The two reached the top of the canton where two soldiers – Tertius Levisson and Sten Hawk-Eye, guarded the entrance to the palace.
"Good morning Ms Sinclair, Mr Larisse" Levisson said, opening the ornate wooden door. "The Emperor is expecting you"
Fariel led the Breton into the palace, where a man in his late fifties sat at a table, seated in an ornate chair.
"Emperor, Mr Chaurre Larisse of High Rock"
The man stood up to shake Larisse's hand. "Emperor Ralix Hermidius. Pleased to meet you"