The next morning I climb up the spiral staircase up to the second floor to talk to Isran. I find him in his room, still asleep. I don't think he'll like me for waking him up…
"I knew it would come to this one day." He says, rising from his bed. "I knew, and no-one believed."
"I need to find someone named Florentius." I tell him.
"Who said something, Sorine or Gunmar? I thought they'd have learned their lesson by now. I don't trust that man, and I don't want him here."
"Sorine thought we'd need his help." I explain, hoping that he doesn't prove too stubborn in this.
"I suppose she's right. I shouldn't let my personal feelings get in the way." He concedes. "Last I'd heard of him, he was aiding the Vigilants of Stendarr at Ruunvald. He may still be there. If he can maintain some appearance of normalcy, I'll allow him to stay."
As he turns away, I head downstairs again and search out Dexion. I find him hanging around the forge. He seems to be wearing something over his eyes.
"I trust your journey was successful?" He asks when I get his attention.
"I've brought the Elder Scrolls." I tell him.
"I'm sorry, my friend. I can no longer be of use in this matter."
"Why? What's happened?"
"It's my fault. In my haste to read the first scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required." He shrugs a little sadly. "I thought I'd be able to allay the after effects, but I was wrong. Now I'm paying for it."
"That covering on your eyes… Are you –"
"Blind?" Dexion finishes for me. "I'm afraid so."
"Can anything be done to help you?"
"No. It'll have to run its course, and there's always the chance I may never recover."
"Then we're finished." I guess Harkon wins.
"No; there is another way. The question is, how much are you willing to risk to find Auriel's Bow?"
"What do I need to do?"
"I can't guarantee you'd be free from harm. Becoming blind could be the least of your worries." Well, I've managed fine with only one eye for 196 years; if it's only temporary, I could cope with a few days away from all this adventuring.
"Don't worry about that; just tell me."
"Scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known only as 'Ancestor Glades'. There's one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest." That's Falkreath, right? "Performing the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the Glade should provide you the answers you seek."
"Explain this 'Ritual'"
"It involves carefully removing the bark from a Canticle Tree which will in turn attract Ancestor Moths to you. Once enough of the Moths are following, they'll provide you with the second sight needed to decipher the scrolls."
"Carefully gather the bark? How?" I ask.
"In keeping with tradition," Dexion begins. "you must use a specific tool in the Ancestor Glade, an implement known as a Draw Knife. Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, but few ever get the chance to perform it… you should consider yourself fortunate if it works for you."
"Do I need to read the scrolls in any particular order?"
"From what I saw in the vision, the Elder Scroll which foreshadows the defiance of the gods with the blood of mortals is the key to the prophecy. Good luck; I hope you find the answers you seek."
Ok, I think I'll get Florentius first, then head off to this Glade. I check my map and eventually find where Isran had marked Ruunvald – up in the foothills of the Velothi Mountains opposite Shor's Stone. I head out of the door and into the fresh canyon air.
Following the trail, I marvel at just how much wildlife has set up home here, and how tame they seem to be compared to those outside of it. The deer here hardly move when you pass them, and I almost trip over a rabbit at one point.
Leaving the canyon, we are greeted by a trio of vampires who prove to be a bit of a challenge to hit since they are moving around so much they avoid most of Serana's attacks and quite a few of my bolts. We soon manage to defeat them though, and carry on up the road – until a pair of bandits in a nearby ruined tower take offence at our passing. Dealing with them is easier than the vampires were – they barely withstand one bolt each.
Around Riften to the north, we follow the road a little way until we find a track leading into the woodland in the general direction we need to be heading in. The track, however, steadily turns back towards the road, so after a little while we end up trekking cross-country, passing a caged wolf as we go. A pair are loose nearby, and they seem to assume we are the ones who caught their brother, so they attack us with barely a pause. Poor creatures have barely enough time to blink before they are dead at our feet.
Looking up into the mountains towards where our destination supposedly is, I spot what looks like the top of a peaked tent a little way up among the rocks, so I carefully scramble up the rocks to find that it is a tent, inside which is an empty bedroll, a pair of boots, and a journal, which I flick through to discover what happened.
Day 14: I knew I should have volunteered for the excavation earlier. For months, Moric had been going on to the Vigilants about detecting mystical energies deep in the east mountains. Said he'd found some old tomes about the ruins of 'Ruunvald' or something the like, a Nordic chamber thousands of years old. I remember thinking 'Yeah, if it's so old, how come no-one's found it yet? There's plenty of adventurers wandering around these parts.' Seemed like most of the other Vigilants agreed, we had more important things to do. But Moric took a team and went digging, and when he started turning up a long buried temple, well, didn't I feel like a troll in a dung heap. Soon enough he was sending back letters to the Hall, begging for as many men as we could send. I didn't volunteer at first, still seemed like a myth to me. But when word came back that they'd hit the main chamber, I packed up and headed this way to help. Always did want to be a part of history, and better late than never, they say. Well, 'they' didn't mention that the late comers would be stuck with guard duty. I just sit up here all day watching for bandits and wolves, neither of which I've seen. Mostly, I just see diggers coming up for supplies. Gotta say, I been seeing them a lot less regular, now that I think about it… that doesn't bode well. Let's see what the last entry says.
Day 19: All right, it's been 3 days since anyone's come up. The last one to emerge was Apa, and he just walked around a bit with a weird vacant look in his eyes. Told Florentius and me to come down as soon as we had the chance, then trudged back in. Something ain't right, and I aims to find out what… - Volk.
So it looks like we'll be trawling through the ruins searching for Florentius then. At least there shouldn't be any monsters inside.
Pushing open the wooden door set up in the cave entrance, I follow the short passage into a large cave, wooden ramps lead down to the floor quite a distance below. I can see somewhere ahead a Vigilant, so I start down the ramp, but stop a little short of the robed figure. Something isn't quite right about the red aura surrounding the person's head…
I pull out my crossbow just in time, as the Vigilant, upon spotting Serana and I, draws his mace and starts speeding towards us, an angry snarl distorting his face. Regretfully, I release the bolt and it drives deep into his chest. He falls just in time to reveal another Vigilant, this one aiming her own crossbow at us, but Serana kills her before she has the chance to pull the trigger.
So. Something in this ruin has possessed the Vigilants. As if the poor people haven't been through enough recently without this sort of thing happening. I descend to the floor of the cave and search around the area, mining the malachite vein I find before reading a journal I found nearby.
Discovering Ruunvald, volume I: I have decided to document our expedition to find Ruunvald in my journals, with hopes that, should we fail, it will bring illumination to those who follow us. I myself have stood on the shoulders of academic giants to get where we are today, spending endless hours in libraries and private collections. I am certain that there is some artefact of great power to be found in those ruins, one that the Vigilants could find useful in their mission. I do not mean to sound pompous, but I feel as if I am on the precipice of my destiny with this quest. I am certain we are digging in the right place. I can feel it in my bones, and I dream of finding Ruunvald at night. Even in my waking hours, I can almost hear a reassuring voice telling me we are going the right way. The expedition has had a great deal of luck so far. After only a few weeks, the first tunnel broke through into a large shaft, leading downward towards where I suspect to find Ruunvald. With just a few bits of carpentry, we've established our first base camp within the mountains. If we continue to be this fortuitous, we shall reach our goal in record time! M. Sidrey.
The author of this must be the Moric referred to by Volk in his diary. I tuck the book away into my bag and return back up the ramp a little to get to the passage deeper into the rock. At a place where the tunnel turns a corner, a little camp has been set up, and another pair of charmed Vigilants are lingering around. I don't take the chance this time, choosing to slay them before they attack in their magically addled state. In the corner camp, there are a couple of potions and another malachite vein, which I exploit before I continue.
In the next major cave area, there are yet another two Vigilants, as well as a dog which seems to be under the charm as well, which saddens me – I hate having to kill dogs. They're only doing what they've been trained to do, usually. Once they lie dead on the floor, I search around the cave, finding yet another ore vein and another little book, this one titled 'Discovering Ruunvald, volume II'.
Our luck continues! Not only do we continue to tunnel into caves and shafts that speed our descent, but struck multiple veins of precious ore. Now that the excavation has proven to be a financial success, the Vigilants have sent more supplies, materials and workers to further the cause. I find myself unable to contain my glee at times, and have become prone to cheerful outbursts in front of the men. One might find this very out of character for me, but the men seem to share my enthusiasm. Never before have I worked with a group so single-minded in their pursuit. To have so many people working towards the same goal with little to no deviation from the task at hand is an uncanny blessing! Stendarr be praised! With so much going well, I hesitate to document what seem like minor troubles in comparison. It must have something to do with the cramped spaces, but I have found myself prone to aches in my head. While these hardly deter me from my leadership role, I have found myself distracted at times. I have had many a conversation with the workers where I drift off, only to have them call me back to reality. Sometimes I lose small amounts of time and can't remember what I've done. I am hoping this is nothing more than excitement of reaching our goal, but I will try to keep note as we dig deeper. Perhaps half a tankard of ale before sleep will help me with these headaches. M. Sidrey.
Something seriously messed up went on or is going on down here. I put the journal with the other, and continue down the next tunnel. We're about halfway down when we find another Vigilant and a dog, both of whom spot us first and attack. I am really not liking this particular 'dungeon crawl'; having to kill Vigilants and dogs that, if everything were normal, would probably not even be here. When I find whoever did this…
There is a single Vigilant patrolling the next cave we enter, along with another ore vein and volume three of the Ruunvald notes.
The damnable headaches! Minorne be merciful, I just can't seem to shake them. What in Oblivion? The workers have started to report them as well, but while their focus on conversation and civility may wane because of it, they have not swayed from their task. If anything, they seem to have doubled their efforts. I myself cannot seem to focus on anything other than the dig. I sit here now, studying some unearthed Nordic artefacts, yet I feel a nagging call to see how the dig is progressing. The other day, without thinking, I picked up a shovel and started digging myself. Fortunately, no-one seemed to find this unusual, which is a blessing. I'd hate for the Vigilants of Minorne to think that I'd lost my senses! I think I know now who's to blame for the Vigilants' strange behaviour… As we dig, we uncover more Nordic ruins and architecture, but have yet to hit the main chamber. Everyday I dream we'll finally reach Ruunvald, and I can't help but reflect on what this will mean to my reputation! My family will be so proud, especially my father, Minorne. He and mother have always been interested in my studies, even if my sister Minorne was not. But I'm most excited to reveal my findings to my colleagues, Minorne and Minorne, and perhaps my mentor Minorne. Oh won't they all be pleased? M. Sidrey.
Down the next passage, I find an area strewn with pressure plates, so telling Serana to stay put for a sec, I dodge around them until I find crossbows set up to go off when the plate is stepped on, two atop barrels and one strapped to the ceiling. Disarming them is easy – a simple matter of removing the crossbows – and I gesture at Serana as I chuck them in a barrel, then mine the nearby malachite and almost trot down the next part of the tunnel, I'm so eager to kill the son-of-a-guar that caused this. And almost crash into the next couple of Vigilants with their dog. At least their recoil gives me a little time to ready myself for attack. I leave the dog to Serana to deal with, and focus myself on the Vigilants. Thankfully they are easy to kill, the poor fellows, and so leaving them behind I head into the fourth cave in the system. There are another couple of Vigilants down at the bottom, so after sniping them I head down and find the fourth volume of Ruunvald notes. These are extremely ominous indeed.
I have found my muse and her name is Minorne. Reading back over old journals, I realise she has called to me from deep inside Ruunvald. She is the voice I've been hearing, the one who has called me ever downwards into the mountain. The Vigilants, the workers, they hear her too! What joy to learn that I am not alone in her love! Oh, Minorne, how would we have ever found this place without you! As I write this we are digging out the last bit of rock to get to you. Those without tools have started using their hands! I cannot write anymore, I must get back to work. Ruunvald awaits! M. Sidrey.
Whoever this Minorne character is, she is going to pay dearly for this; for making me kill so many of the Vigilants who now have no home to go back to, thanks to the vampires of Volkihar. Serana catches up behind me, having taken her time descending the ramp, and together we pass through a pair of iron bound doors into the buried ruins of Ruunvald.
Following the passage, I find yet another little notebook, this one titled 'The Scripture of Minorne'.
Glory be to Minorne! Glory be to the mistress of all! My life for you, oh beautiful saviour! Where once my feeble ramblings seemed so grand, I now realise they are but scratches on parchment, unworthy of you. Oh, that I could properly describe you, I would write a thousand testaments to you! Damn my tiny thoughts, if only I were wiser! Minorne asks that we bring more here for her, more to worship her and do her bidding! I have sent word to the Hall of the Vigilants to come. A simple lie was told, for they would not understand. Not until they saw her, o glorious Minorne! But she is fearful! There are fools in this world that do not heed to her beautiful voice. The guard, Florentius, sent from the Beacon, he still prays to Arkay, an absentee god who pales in comparison to Minorne! I will prat to the goddess I can see! May he rot in his cage! Oh, sweet, sweet Minorne… Unlike the other books, this one is not signed, but the handwriting is Sidrey's.
Continuing down the passage, we enter the main chamber, where two Vigilants are attacking a man in a cage – that must be Florentius – while a robed woman watches. Assuming the woman is Minorne, I raise my crossbow and send a bolt flying into her stomach, throwing her back a couple of feet and causing the charmed Vigilants to pause in their torture. The next bolt is enough to finish her, and the pair of men also fall dead. At least now she can charm no others. I rummage in her pocket and find a key, and while tucking her staff into my bag, I use the key to unlock the cage.
"I knew it!" Cries the dark skinned man inside. "I knew Arkay would save me!" Excuse me? "I asked for help, and he sent you! You are a very welcome addition to this dreary place, my friend! I owe both you and Arkay a great deal. I'm sure I'll manage to repay him later, but you… what can I do to thank you?"
"You can meet me at Fort Dawnguard." I tell him.
"I suppose I could. What, pray tell, is there?"
"Isran needs your help."
"Isran? My help?" Florentius grimaces. "Is this… some kind of joke? Did Arkay put you up to this? Isran's done nothing but mock me. He's never given me the respect I deserve."
"Please; we need your help." I emphasise.
"Look, I've just gotten myself out of quite a mess here, in case you haven't noticed, and while I appreciate your help, I – What's that?" Wha..? "No, that's not what I – Yes, but –" Who is he talking to? "Are you sure? Really? Fine. Arkay says it's a good idea for me to go." Huh. "I don't agree, but he's not the sort of fellow you can just ignore. I'll see you at Fort Dawnguard, then. Don't worry; Arkay will show me the way."
So, a man who hears a god's voice in his head. I've worked with worse…
Leaving Florentius to recover from his ordeal, I use the key to unlock the door in the nearby wall and follow the passage through to a large room with a bed, a pair of urns and an alchemy lab inside, along with a large chest and a lever in an alcove. After emptying the chest, I head for the lab to try mixing up some more potions – the more I make, the more I'll have to sell and therefore the more money I'll make from the ingredients instead of selling them in their unused form. Once finished, I pull the lever, causing the circular platform in the centre of the room to rise up, revealing a staircase heading downwards.
At the bottom, a short flight of stairs lead straight ahead, up towards a door to the outside. Heading through this door, we emerge a little way south of the entrance and lower down the mountains. It's late afternoon, so I head westwards towards the road, then head south into Shor's Stone. Here, I decide to use the smelter to turn the malachite ore into ingots, and I use the forge to create several pairs of hide bracers. As I work, the sun sets, and the stars shine brilliantly from the black sky.
Following the road back south, we pass through Fort Greenwall and head up the road into Riften. It's too late now to sell my loot, so I head straight for the Bee and Barb and rent the room.