"Come here mortal, I have a job for you." Sheogorath said sharply.
I sighed and appraoched his throne. He wiped away the last trickle of blood from his cheek. I wanted to to do that.
"You are going to activate Xedilian. Get it up and running. Oh, you're going to need this too." He handed me what looked like a stick.
"What's this?" I inquired, turning it over in my hands.
"It's the attentuator of judgement. You're going to need it later."
I nodded and turned around.
"Wait." He said lowly.
I turned back around and he gestured to Haskill.
"Talk to him if you need more information. I'm far too busy to deal with you now." He said cheerfully and handed me a dusty tome.
I blew the dust off and it read 'Manual to Xedilian'. Great. I have to read now, too?
I didn't bother asking Haskill for help, since it was kind of self explanitory. I followed the 'X' Sheogorath had made on my map and came across an old, run down building.
"This must be it." I said to myself and gathered my wits and went inside.
It was so dusty in here that I began to cough uncontrollably. I took out another cloth and tied it around my face, continuing my progress in Xedilian. I approached a crystal thingy that the manual told me about.
"Well, this is it." I said to myself, looking around. "But I don't see a--"
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a blot of electricity blast me right in the small of my back. I screamed and turned around, and it was a grummite wielding a staff. I didn't even know they were that intelligent. No matter. I charged at him, narrowly avoiding another bolt of electricity, an manged to stab him in the head. He ran around for a bit then toppled over, spilling blood on my boots. I lifted my sword out of his head and took the crystal out of his staff.
"Thank you very much!" I grunted and kicked his bloody corpse.
I placed the crystal in the Nexus of Judgement and went along my merry way.
"Two more to go, this shouldn't be so bad." I said to myself.
I spoke too soon, because there were a battalion of grummites just ahead. I managed to dive behind a crystal formation. They grunted and squealed to one another, and soon enough it was just the Grummite with the staff left.
"Got'cha." I whispered and burst from my hiding place.
He must have heard me because I was scorched with a lightning blast in the stomach which caused me to double over, but I continued on. I noticed that the Grummites who wielded the staffs were incredibly weak armor wise, but that was okay. I didn't very much mind as I cut the little shit's head off. I snatched his staff and broke the crystal, placing it in the proper resting place. I limped along, black splotches dotting my vision. I had to finish this for Sheogorath. I couldn't let him down.
But why? Why did I feel such a need to impress him?
Did I love him?
No. No no no no no no NO I could NOT love a daedric prince, could I?
My thoughts were interrupted again by yet another grummite with a staff. Thankfully this was the last one. I quickly killed it before it could hit me with another electricity bolt. I quickly stabbed it in the heart and snapped the crystal off before tumbling on my side, cutting through my armor and scraping my side badly. I struggled to get up and limped to the Nexus of Judgement and placed the crystal down. After I activated the Resonator of Judgement I breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was short lived though when I steppe onto a teleportation pad and passed out. Not surprising considering my injuries.
When I woke up however, I saw a man in what appeared to be Mythic Dawn robes. Holy hell was I back in Paradise?? Before I could shank him in the left kidney, he approached me. He talked about how I need to this and this for Sheogorath and blah blah blah. Frankly, I really wasn't listening. The only I caught was that I need to go to certain rooms and wait for some asshole adventurers and either kill them or make them go insane. Yup, okay. Your name's Kiliban? Two blocks? Yeah sure, whatever. Questions? No I think I got it. Man this guy could just talk and talk. I noticed however that my wounds were healed.
"Did you heal me?" I asked, heading to the room that he directed me too.
"I tried to, but it's only temporary. You'll have to see Sheogorath if you want to fully healed."
Ah, another reason to see him. Good.
I saw the adventurers come in. There were only three of them, made of the usual gang, one fighter, one mage and one bow user/thief. Big surprise there. I yawned until the blocks next to me glowed and I carefully read the inscriptons. A real army of Gnarls, to kill, or a fake army of Gnarls, to go insane. Hmm, decisions decisions!
I decided to do the sadistic thing and please Sheogorath by making one of them go insane. Couldn't tell which one though, I was blind as a bat. A door opened behind me and I stepped onto a teleportation pad and into the next room. I walked in and waited for the adventurers, checking out the huge caged-in treasure. Finally they walked in and spoke in hushed tones. Again, the blocks glowed and I read the inscriptions. A fireball or a huge pile of keys. This was tough. I figured we'd go with fireball considering we made the last one go insane. When I pushed the block, the blast was so powerful it sent the mage (or at least I think it was the mage) across the room. I supressed a laugh and went into the next room, ignoring Kiliban's praises and adoration for my terrible mind. Last room and I can finally go back to Sheogorath. I watched as the last adventurer, the orcish fighter, walked through and cursed whoever made him comrades die or go insane. I decided to make insane because, well I was just sadistic like that.
"Goodbye, moron." I called from my balcony and pushed the block to make him go insane with a giant ghost. I watched and laughed hysterically as the orc eventually succumbed to my and Sheogorath's will. I exhaled sharply and doubled over, feeling my painful wounds come back. I walked back out where Kiliban looked a little worried.
"I can see the pain is coming back."
"No kidding." I replied. "Could that be because I'm doubled over?"
"Well, this was on the last adventurer you made go insane. I don't think he'll be needing it, hm?"
He handed me a sword that was cut in the center, with a large, purplish-blue gem in the center. It was excpetionally light for a long sword, but there seemed to be more to this sword than I thought.
"Apparently it's a strange sword because I found this scrap of paper explaining what it does with the orc."
I quickly scanned the paper and smiled.
"Cool. I have a blood thirsty sword."
He smirked and followed me down the stairs where what appeared to be some knights waited by the Resonator. Judging by the swords, they weren't too happy to see me. Kiliban tried to tell me to run, but I refused. I cast an electricity spell on the first one that charged at me, causing my fingertips to singe since I didn't do it right. I stood up straight and drew out the Duskfang, as it was called at night and stabbed the knight. Kiliban helped me with the rest of the knights and sighed.
"I'll just teleport you back to the palace, considering you're in no condition to walk."
I was about to protest when I felt blood trickle out of my mouth.
"Yeah..maybe you're right.." I whispered as an eerie green light glowed around me, and before I knew it I was back at the palace, facing Sheogorath.
"Good God, what happened to you?" Haskill asked, unable to catch me as I fell to Sheogorath's feet.
"Grummites..little bastards." I mumbled.
Sheogorath bent over and carefully took off my cuirass. If I had enough blood to blush I would have, considering I don't wear anything beneath my armor, save for a leather bra. I watched as a river of blood trickled down the first and second steps. I gasped as Sheogorath's warm hands were placed on my torso. The black, charred skin melted away and Sheogorath drew out the same white cloth that I had given him and wiped away the blood that remained. I didn't object, considering it felt nice for a change, for someone to care about me. He rolled me over and did the same thing on my back, wiping the blood away until I was clean.
"Thanks." I whispered, fidgeting with my fingers.
"It was nothing...mortal." He replied with a smile.