Northbound Pilgrimage - Second Book Extras

by Jay'all

This is a collection of extra content for the second book of my fic Northbound Pilgrimage. It includes the overview of the major plotlines and some bonus stories too. More short stories that didn't quite make it into the second book might be added later. Or any other extra content that might come to mind.

1. Plotline Summaries

Author's Note:

Dear all,

You're probably already familiar with this ;) This is merely a summary of all the important plotlines in the second book of Northbound Pilgrimage. It is for those of you who wish to refresh your memory before delving into the third book and don't have the time or inclination to re-read the whole thing, or even the whole series so far.

You can, of course, just read this if you want to start with the third book, but I really don't recommend it. You're very likely gonna miss a lot of callbacks and probably get confused in some cases :D And, if you haven't read the series, this will probably not be a very fun read since it's really just summaries with not much stylistic merit and whatnot ;)

I encourage you all to ask any questions in the comments/reviews here. If there are any things that didn't make sense to you, that you would like explained/justified, I am more than happy to try and provide any information that won't give away the plot points of the third book.

Spoilers for the second book below, obviously :D

All the spoilers!

---

Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline

Chapters: I, II, III, IV, V, X, XI, XVI, XX, XXI, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXIV, LXXVI, XCVII, XCVIII, CXXXIII (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 76, 97, 98, 133)

After the end of the first book (the events in Falkreath with Thorn and Bishop's revelations about his past and his secrets), Bishop and Aeyrin are separated and traveling alone. They both try to distract themselves by working for Karliah and helping her operations. Aeyrin is chasing after Maven Black-Briar's caravans to opportunely save them from dragons and make the woman doubt Mercer's rationality considering Aeyrin's bounty. Bishop is going through menial tasks and closing some loose ends. The first time they see each other after Falkreath is two months later at the Honningbrew meadery. The encounter goes somewhat poorly – the two of them, while they still love each other, can't go long without fighting about the slights of the past.

That night, Aeyrin stays at the meadery and she talks to Raven. Their talk makes her doubt her judgment in her affections eventually and she ends up kissing Raven. She realizes herself before things can progress further, however, and leaves the meadery, only to find herself in Bishop's company once more. She is too wary about their fighting though, too wary to lose their bond for good, so she leaves again, intent on keeping her distance.

When Bishop finds information about the Elder Scroll (see Dragonborn Plotline), he contacts Aeyrin to share things with her. Their relationship returns to their previous physical intimacy that night, but Aeyrin is intent on parting again, much to Bishop's dismay.

Their relationship is turbulent for a long time. They often meet each other, or seek each other out, whether for physical distractions or to share important news, but they always end up parting and often fighting. They agree on an arrangement to contact each other whenever they need support or distraction, but soon, Bishop starts to feel like Aeyrin only uses him for physical relief. After failed attempts at resolving this, Bishop ends the relationship for good.

Bishop wanders aimlessly through the Rift, trying to clear his head. He does not really succeed at that – the only thing he finds there is an old familiar place. It is a cottage left to him and Jules by an old friend – the old witch in Falkreath. It was supposed to serve as a home for Jules's family, but it was too close to dangerous people (namely the Lost Knife clan and Mercer), so it was never really used. Bishop begins to lament the desolation of the place and the life he could have had here with Aeyrin, if things went differently.

Aeyrin realizes her mistake soon and she realizes the old slights were not even an issue anymore. She just kept Bishop at a distance to avoid fighting with him and not to risk losing him. Now that this approach actually made her lose him, she is determined to try and make things right and asks for another meeting.

When the time comes, Bishop is eager to see Aeyrin again, but he has one more job to do for Karliah before that. He needs to free Thrynn from Mercer's grasp after the former bandit got found out for conspiring with Karliah. Unfortunately, while Bishop attempts to rescue Thrynn and lead him to Karliah's safehouse, he is betrayed and ambushed. He manages to get rid of his attackers with Karnwyr's help, but he is gravely wounded and left for dead in the safehouse.

Karnwyr musters enough strength through his wounds to go and get Aeyrin from the meeting place. When she realizes the wolf is distressed, she rushes over to find Bishop. It is a difficult process, but Aeyrin manages to pull Bishop from immediate mortal danger. When he regains consciousness, they finally talk without arguing or 'distractions'. Aeyrin apologizes for how she had treated him during their 'arrangement' and asks if Bishop would be willing to go back to the way things were before their separation. He agrees wholeheartedly.

Back together again, Bishop and Aeyrin continue to journey around Skyrim. Bishop surprises himself by his strange thoughts and plans now though. First, he gets it into his head that maybe it would not be too bad to get married. And to have some place to settle down eventually – like that old cottage of his.

Bishop asks for his favor from Maven (see Dark Brotherhood Plotline) instantly. He asks for the deed and the key to the cottage back, since he lost the original ones somewhere. Maven agrees and Bishop now has a very decrepit house outside of Riften.

Eventually, during their stay in Solitude, Bishop decides to buy Aeyrin an engagement ring right after he gets some money from his heist at the Thalmor bureau (see Pilgrimage and Dissident Priests Plotline). He runs into some trouble with Casavir, who suspects him of only trying to rob the expensive shop, but in the end, he manages to buy the perfect ring.

He waits for a good time to propose, but before he finds such a time, there comes a different opportunity – one for him to ditch Aeyrin for a while (albeit reluctantly) and to work on making the cottage livable while she helps with securing and building the secret chapel in the Rift (see Pilgrimage and Dissident Priests Plotline).

He summons Saadia and Lydia for help with the cottage and he reveals his plans to make this a place for him and Aeyrin to live in and to marry her. However, the two women get concerned about how much Bishop had thought things true – Aeyrin does have a significantly longer natural lifespan and the marriage would prevent her from marrying anyone else under the Imperial or Skyrim laws. And there are other issues they'd never discussed, such as settling down or having children.

Bishop gets insecure and uncertain about asking Aeyrin to marry him and he considers discussing it with her first, ruining the surprise. But the discussions themselves are daunting on their own.

Bishop puts all these concerns on hold, aside from agonizing over them occasionally, but then, during a surprisingly calm moment in Blackreach (see Dragonborn plotline), he asks Aeyrin to rummage in his armor to hand him something, forgetting about the ring hidden there altogether.

Aeyrin finds the ring instead and she instantly gets worried when Bishop panics. She assumes he either changed his mind, or that it was a stolen item he worried about her misinterpreting. But Bishop does eventually determine himself to ask Aeyrin to marry him. She accepts.

After the proper private celebrations, Bishop reveals to Aeyrin why he took so long and the concerns about her longevity. Aeyrin reassures him that it wouldn't matter to her. She doesn't want to think of it, but she does reassure him that she would never regret having him as her only husband and that it would not prevent her from loving again in the future, even without marriage. Right then though, she can't even begin to imagine such a thing.

They only mention their engagement to people sparsely, such as to the Blades when Erik notices the ring or when Aeyrin calls Bishop her 'fiancé' in front of some people in Falkreath. They are mostly keeping the good news for themselves for now though. Much like Bishop keeping the existence of the cabin a secret for now too.

They continue their travels together now, engaged and, despite all their insane troubles, excited for their future together.

.

Dragonborn Plotline

Chapters: VIII, X, XXXI, XLIII, XLVII, LV, LXVI, LXXXV, CVI, CXIII, CXXVII, CXXX, CXXXI, CXXXII, CXXXIII, CXXXIV, CXXXVI (8, 10, 31, 43, 47, 55, 76, 85, 106, 113, 127, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136)

The Blades' ranks are getting filled gradually. First, when Aeyrin meets the young adventurer Erik opportunely on the road while she chases after one of Maven's caravans attacked by a dragon (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship). More members join with Delphine's efforts – Marcurio, Borgakh, Stenvar, Vorstag, Adelaisa and Annekke. Now there are nine of them in total, scouting Skyrim, locating dragon lairs, learning about best ways to defeat them and trying to lure them away from travelers or villages.

When he's sent to the College of Winterhold for a mission from Karliah (see Thieves Guild Plotline), Bishop uses the opportunity to study up on the Elder Scrolls in the library. Despite his separation from Aeyrin at the time, he wants to show her that he's still there for her in this daunting task.

Bishop finds out some interesting things – namely the fact that a person cannot read an Elder Scroll without sufficient training and enlightenment without risking going insane or blind. He insists that Aeyrin cannot read the Scroll herself, should they find one.

He also finds out about the existence of a hermit who is claimed to be an expert on the Scrolls. Bishop travels to the treacherous ice fields on the Sea of Ghosts north of Winterhold to find the man. When he does, he only gets insane ramblings from him. But eventually. he makes sense of some things.

There is a Scroll hidden in Blackreach – an underground Dwemer crossroads complex. But this complex is inaccessible. It needs a key. And that key is apparently sealed behind a Dwemer safe in the place where the hermit resides to study it.

The man, Septimus, proposes an experiment. He believes that the Dwemer wall-safe will open only to the Dwemer. For that, he wants to imitate their blood and soul. He claims that the life-blood and souls of five different elven races will create a combination that would fool the safe.

He gives Bishop a device to collect the blood and souls and sends him off.

Bishop has no idea if this will even be helpful. He doesn't know what Scroll they need. But later, Esbern confirms that the Scroll can help them learn the Shout used to bind Alduin from seeing the battle of old at the Throat of the World. The time-altering properties of the Scrolls allow events of the past to be viewed by the reader, if read at the right place. For that, they don't need a specific Scroll. They do, however, need someone to read it and some way for Aeyrin to see it too.

In the meantime, shortly after they get back together, Aeyrin and Bishop have a run-in with Alduin. Aeyrin finds out that none of her Shouts affect him. They manage to escape, but the situation seems more and more dire. They later ask Paarthurnax about this and he explains that Shouts are internalized and when one is used and understood for a long time, they are so attuned to the dragon that they do not harm them. Alduin, being the first dragon ever, is immune to all of them, presumably. Except for the man-made one they need.

He also mentions that the dragon blood helps dragons control the Shouts.

That information proves detrimental later on when Aeyrin is infected with lycanthropy (see Companions Plotline). She finds out that with her blood tainted by the werewolf blood, she cannot Shout in most cases and when she can, the effects are diminutive.

It is particularly disturbing when they witness that the dragons become more impatient. One, for example, decimates the entire village of Karthwasten, leaving behind only a scorched ruin. Same thing happened very close to Solitude, surprisingly enough, when a small farm by the stables was decimated.

As they continue their journeys, Bishop and Aeyrin do try to find alternate solutions and ideas to the strange device by Septimus, but they have no other leads. They work on using the device on bandits only, and eventually, they collect all they need and bring it back to Septimus.

Much to their horror. Septimus keeps talking to himself, or something else, and once he opens the safe, he rushes to the price he expected inside. It is not, however, some 'Heart' he had expected, but a book. And when he smashes the soul gem with the Dwemer soul and proclaims he will 'pay any price for knowledge', a tentacle rushes forth from the book and impales him.

Bishop and Aeyrin run out of there instantly, only grabbing the key, which they at least know by now how it should look like, thanks to talking to Calcelmo previously, and some other device that looks interesting.

They never look back and just get ready for their journey to Blackreach.

In the meantime, Aeyrin deals with the harsh truth that she cannot use whatever Shout she might learn from using the Scroll at the Throat of the World (see Companions Plotline). She is reluctant to postpone their leads, but she is also reluctant to jump in. They will need the counsel of the Moth Priests first though, in order to know how to read the Scroll, if they even get one. Esbern did promise to contact them to send an advisor.

They make their preparations and head to Blackreach. The battles are difficult and the place is very dangerous. But eventually, they manage to find the Elder Scroll when Aeyrin tinkers with a Dwemer device randomly, much to Bishop's dismay – that behavior should not be encouraged.

They return with the Scroll to Sky Haven Temple and find out that there was no answer from the Moth Priest so far.

While they made huge strides by locating the Scroll, the entire process is still very uncertain.

And now they can't do very much but wait for Aeyrin to regain her powers and the Moth Priests to respond.

.

Companions Plotline

Chapters: XII, XIII, CVIII, CIX, CX, CXI, CXII, CXIII, CXIV, CXV, CXXVIII, CXXXV, CXXXVIII, CXLVIII (12, 13, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 128, 135, 138, 148)

Aeyrin is trying to avoid seeing Lydia after all the revelations at the end of the first book (see Lydia and Saadia's Plotline). When she does part with Bishop again after seeing each other though (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), she seeks out some kinship and shelter at Jorrvaskr.

The Companions are all disparaging about Bishop and the bounty on him in Whiterun and Aeyrin is uncomfortable talking about it. She leads them to believe she is no longer with Bishop, even though it's a bit more complicated than that.

Aela is still eager to meet with Aeyrin and discuss something, but she has some urgent matters to attend. Aeyrin promises to try and wait for her and, in the meantime, she spends her time with the twins.

One day, Vilkas suddenly drags her out on a mission – to clear a camp from giants. Down the line, Aeyrin finds out that this job is for Ysolda and when Vilkas starts suggesting that the merchant should come to Jorrvaskr to do them some counter-favors by offering her goods, Aeyrin decides to leave again to avoid her, leaving before meeting Aela again in the process.

The slander and bullying towards Bishop and Aeyrin is getting worse in Whiterun (see Lydia and Saadia's Plotline). With that, Aeyrin still keeps away from the city for the most part. At one point though, Bishop and Aeyrin agree to go see Saadia and Lydia and, while Aeyrin deals with the harassments in the city, Bishop is supposed to wait until nighttime to come in through his secret route.

Before they arrive, however, Aela and Vilkas, heading on a mission to clear a Silver-Hand hideout, overhear Saadia and Lydia talk about the two of them coming that day and night. Vilkas and Aela are shocked that Aeyrin is still together with Bishop and that he would risk coming close to the city. They agree to forgo their mission and hunt for the bandit instead for the twenty-thousand drake bounty.

They pick up Farkas and the brothers split from Aela to cover more ground. Aela manages to track down Bishop first. She is angry with him for hiding that horrible identity, but she doesn't have it in her to kill him. She still respects him as a fellow hunter and kind of likes him as a person. So instead, she drags him away from his camp to hide him from the brothers. In the end, she assures him that she'll stop the brothers from hunting him right now, but she asks that he deliver a message to Aeyrin about their meeting – next night.

Aeyrin is impressed with what Aela did and she goes to the meeting eagerly while Bishop hides out at Breezehome.

At that meeting, where Aeyrin expects to be induced into the Circle, only Aela and Skjor are there. Aeyrin is a little confused, but she follows them into the Underforge where they finally reveal what they are – werewolves.

Aeyrin is horrified, but she can't do anything as Skjor forces her head into a basin filled with blood. She remembers nothing after.

There is a commotion in Whiterun and Bishop, Lydia and Saadia have no idea why. The guards are keeping people away. Eventually, they manage to get some information – a beast attack in the city. Two people, one citizen, Amren, and a guard got mauled and killed. Bishop is worried about Aeyrin when Saadia mentions there are no celebrations going on at Jorrvaskr. He sends Karnwyr to covertly find her scent. The wolf acts strange, but he does catch the scent that leads out of the city. Bishop needs to leave and find her.

Aeyrin comes to somewhere in the wilderness. She feels sick and has a strange taste in her mouth. Aela and Skjor are there, joking around lightly and chatting as if nothing happened. Aeyrin is infuriated and heartbroken. She has become a monster she despises and she yells at Aela and Skjor. The two get a little uncertain, try to explain they just wanted to help her get stronger, but when she lashes out, they leave her to calm down a bit.

Aeyrin doesn't calm down. Instead, she stays in that same place and breaks down. Eventually, Bishop manages to track her down, but Karnwyr is still acting strange. He is both scared and aggressive. He keeps trying to lunge at Aeyrin. While Bishop finds out only barely what happened to her, he has to take Karnwyr away.

He understands that the wolf won't be able to stand Aeyrin's presence now and they have to part ways.

Aeyrin feels even more guilty for that, but Bishop promises her they'll figure it out and find a cure. Aeyrin doesn't believe there is one, but Bishop is willing to contact the brothers that tried to hunt him down just a while ago so that they can get some answers.

Before their meeting with the brothers, Aeyrin comes to a horrible realization. Because her blood is tainted with the werewolf one, her control over her Shouts diminishes. The implications of this are staggering (see Dragonborn Plotline).

Eventually, the brothers come. They are aggressive towards Bishop and Aeyrin finally demands explanations. It turns out, Torban Thrice-Banished and his children ambushed them on the road once and managed to kill their Companion father. Farkas and Vilkas had been trying to hunt Torban down for years, but he disappeared. And now that they knew his son was here, they wanted to take revenge and at least take his son away. Bishop clarifies that Torban is dead, that he was the one that killed him and that, even if he was alive, he would not care at all about Bishop's death. The brothers get a little caught off guard by these revelations and promise to stop going after the bounty at last.

The brothers then explain that Aela regrets her actions since Aeyrin reacted the way she did. That doesn't placate Aeyrin at all. They promise they know of a cure, but they need to search for some more information. They do know there is one though and that it can work posthumously too. Aeyrin is a little relieved.

They explain that, since Aeyrin was turned during the full Secunda, she will probably have a harder time controlling the monster. Farkas had it the same. They give her sturdy chains and advise her to chain herself during every full Secunda when she'll not be able to stop the transformations. In the meantime, they'll continue their search for the cure.

Aeyrin is horrified, but there's nothing else to do. She gets chained that night, tries to convince Bishop to leave, just in case, but he won't have it. When she turns, Bishop tries various tactics to placate the werewolf who is extremely aggressive. He figures out eventually that the werewolf calms a bit when he gives her the wolf-head ring he had given her ages ago. Also when he feeds her. He sees Aeyrin in the werewolf constantly and he's convinced she's there more than she thinks.

She never remembers a thing after she turns back, but Bishop attempts to get closer and closer to the werewolf during each transformation. In the end, he even manages to figure out she's lashing at him because she's scared she'll hurt him. And he manages to calm her down enough even to pet her.

Bishop tries to bring Karnwyr back once, but the wolf is still too agitated around Aeyrin. It can't work and he needs to stay away until she's cured.

Aeyrin only transforms semi-consciously once in Falkreath when backed into a corner (See Falkreath Plotline).

.

Bishop's Backstory Plotline

Chapters: XLI, CXIV, CXV, CXLII, CL (41, 114, 115, 142, 150)

Bishop finds out that another bounty was sent to one of the jarls – an anonymous sender tries to spread the word about his family's crimes this way, this time in Riften. That makes the second place the sender approached. Luckily for him, Maven Black-Briar intercepts the message and keeps the bounty to herself for safekeeping. So far, with Maven being friendly to Bishop, it's acceptable.

After the revelations about Torban and their vengeance from the Companion twins (see Companions Plotline), Bishop reveals the story about how he killed Torban.

He tells Aeyrin who Jack was – his older brother. The man somehow managed to get out of Torban's stranglehold where he would keep all the children obedient and without any money and possessions of their own, only serving him and his schemes. Jack somehow built his life, got money to support himself, even got a fiancé. He still came around the clan to 'check on them' and Bishop suspected he was not actually that free.

One day, Torban and Jack began fighting. Apparently, Torban raped his fiancé and Jack was furious. He challenged Torban to a duel. Torban accepted and killed Jack. That was the last straw. Bishop realized there's no way out while Torban is there and he began conspiring with Jules to kill him. In the end, Bishop challenged Torban but the man didn't know he had Jules to help. The two of them managed to kill him and left the family behind for good.

Bishop thinks that was the last blast from the past for him until the events in Falkreath (see Falkreath plotline). After he gets pardon at last and they can leave the horrible town, they get ambushed on the road by someone. Bishop recognizes his sister Kari.

Kari reveals that it was her who kept sending the anonymous bounties to the jarls in order to chase Bishop from Skyrim. She wants his help down in Cyrodiil. Since he killed Torban, he can kill Ost and Duful who now act just like him. She mentions her and her sister Liesl getting the worst of it and some 'little ones' too.

Bishop is furious about her tactics and about her request. He wants nothing to do with her and chases her away. Eventually though, it eats at him. And if nothing else, he wants closure and for his family to stop interfering with his life. After a talk with Aeyrin, they agree to go down to Cyrodiil and talk to Kari again and find his clan.

.

Aeyrin's Backstory Plotline

Chapters: LXIV, LXVI, CIV (64, 66, 104)

During the mess with the Butcher in Windhelm (see Windhelm Plotline), Aeyrin is trapped in a burning house with no way of escaping. Eventually, Bishop saves her, but she cannot shake the memories.

It makes her think of when she was little. Ri'zhassa ordered her to start a fire in one of the slum houses and bar the door. He used her because people wouldn't suspect her. During the night, he had the house coated with something to make it burn faster and in broad daylight, she was supposed to set it on fire to send a message. She was also supposed to bolt the door shut so that nobody gets in to douse the flames.

She obeyed, but while Ri'zhassa told her nobody would be in, she kind of suspects she knew what horrible thing she was doing. And she's pretty sure she heard screams coming from inside.

Those flames still haunt her in her dreams; even the waking ones (see Dawnstar Plotline).

.

Lydia and Saadia's (Whiterun) Plotline

Chapters: I, II, XII, XIII, XV, XVI, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XCVII, CVIII (1, 2, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 33, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 97, 108)

Aeyrin avoids seeing Lydia after finding out she helped Bishop cover up his lies. As time goes by though, and Aeyrin tries to work through her emotions, and after she's yelled at by Saadia on one of her Whiterun visits, she realizes she may be unfair to Lydia. After all, she is just another casualty of circumstance.

She decides to finally go back to Whiterun to face Lydia. When she arrives, Lydia is glad to see her, but there's a problem too. The Alik'r warrior who was arrested when hunting for Saadia, the only one alive, is going to be released and handed over to the Thalmor. Saadia's identity could be in danger.

Aeyrin agrees to help them, takes Lydia and goes ask Raven for help. The rogue agrees instantly and leaves Lydia and Aeyrin waiting for him to tie up loose ends. During that time, they finally clear the air and reconcile.

During her visits to Whiterun, Aeyrin gets mistreated more and more harshly and she finds out that life there for Saadia and Lydia is not easy. They get harassed like this constantly. Aeyrin gets services refused to her, a sign is painted on Breezehome saying 'BANDIT WHORE' and people even keep it secret from her that a dragon is trapped in Balgruuf's device and she gets hit by a soul absorption out of nowhere.

There is only one ally in the city that she knows of – Carlotta. She is still grateful to Bishop that he got rid of Mikael – her own harasser. And she saw for herself how nasty the gossip-mongers can be. She helps Aeyrin and Saadia and Lydia. She goes shopping for them and takes Aeyrin home after the absorption.

But other than that, Aeyrin and Bishop can clearly see that Saadia and Lydia live in an extremely hostile environment. They are unwilling to leave though, despite several offers and suggestions.

They are determined to fight to stay in their home.

.

Thieves Guild Plotline

Chapters: II, III, VI, VIII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXXII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XLI, XLII, LXVII, LXXXV, LXXXVI, LXXXVII, LXXXVIII, LXXXIX, XC, XCI, XCII, XCIII, XCIV (2, 3, 6, 8, 28, 29, 32, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 67, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)

After Thorn's demise, Karliah continues her operations to destroy Mercer's stranglehold on the Guild. For one, she uses Aeyrin's abilities to make Maven Black-Briar realize that Mercer's bounty on Aeyrin is irrational. Karliah sends her to follow Maven's caravan routes and protect the shipments from dragons whenever they attack.

In the meantime, her focus is on deciphering Gallus's journal in order to prove Mercer's treachery and uncover his plans. She sends Bishop to recover another script for her – a rare book from the Arcanaeum at the College of Winterhold.

While he's there, Bishop gets intrigued by Brelyna's current research of detect life spells and takes part in one of her experiments. In the end, his vision blurs considerably and he has to execute the entire heist practically blind.

Karliah has her text in the end and she continues on working on the deciphering.

After that, she sends Bishop on a mission to free Thrynn from Mercer's grasp. Apparently, the former bandit gave himself away about his cooperation with Karliah and now he disappeared. Karliah's scouts find Thrynn being tortured in a cavern near Shor's Stone and Bishop manages to rescue him.

When he leads Thrynn to the safehouse to recover though, he walks into an ambush. Thrynn made a deal with Mercer to get whoever tries to rescue him in revenge. In return, Thrynn gets his freedom from Mercer, though Bishop highly doubts that would be the case. He almost gets killed while Thrynn escapes, but in the end, Bishop perseveres in the battle and is saved by Aeyrin (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline).

Karliah apologizes to Bishop for not foreseeing this and she promptly makes sure that Sapphire, another former bandit cooperating with Karliah against Thorn, is safe and protected from Mercer. She is sent to a different safehouse before Mercer can find out she's involved.

In the meantime, Karliah made sure the remnants of Thorn's bandits and other allies of Mercer are taken care of as best as possible. She sends Aeyrin and Raven to Winterhold to dispose of a small smuggler ring associated with Mercer and she launches another attack on Lost Knife. That one fails as well as the last one though. The cavern complex seems indomitable.

Karliah, Raven, Bishop and Aeyrin then scheme about their new steps. After Bishop and Aeyrin are back together, Bishop's relationship with Raven sours perhaps even more after his kiss with Aeyrin (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline). Though Karliah detracts from their interactions with her new phase. She managed to decipher some parts of Gallus's journal and she finds out that Mercer was after a great treasure they had been looking for with Gallus together. A treasure so valuable it could buy a whole city. Karliah is very worried about what Mercer could do with this kind of money and whom he could buy.

And because of recent events hinting at someone looking for this very treasure, Karliah worries that Mercer began these efforts again.

She sends Aeyrin and Bishop to Riften in order to find out about the security of Mercer's mansion where he could have more information. Aeyrin is to purchase a house and pretend to want to commission work for security measures to gouge what methods they could be using. Bishop is tasked with finding the workers who worked on Mercer's mansion and finding out by eavesdropping or questioning them.

Aeyrin purchases the house, but she gets distracted from her tasks by Sibbi Black-Briar who begs her to help him with an affair of heart – to find his beloved who is hiding not to get him disowned for marrying a commoner. Aeyrin instantly recognizes the description as Lynly and Sibbi convinces her to go to Ivarstead and arrange a meeting with her without telling her whom she's meeting.

Bishop is left in the city to finish their tasks. He gets some information from the contractor and then follows some workers, but instead, he stumbles across an unexpected scene of Sibbi explaining his plans to use Aeyrin to lure Lynly out and then kill both of them – Lynly for revenge and Aeyrin for the bounty.

In panic, Bishop kills Sibbi and buries his body in Mercer's yard.

In the meantime, while Mercer hears the news of Sibbi, though he's largely uninterested, he reminisces about Gallus and Karliah. He is convinced that Karliah charmed and brainwashed Gallus. They had a deal to go along with her zealotry and steal the Skeleton Key from Nocturnal, but Gallus sided with Karliah in the end, leaving Mercer a Nightingale, indebted to the Daedra he despised. Mercer is resentful and hateful. And he reveals that he is well aware of Karliah scheming to get inside his mansion.

Instead of returning to Riften, Bishop and Aeyrin stay away and eventually return to the meadery, only to find Maven Black-Briar there. They worry about her knowing the truth about Sibbi, but she instead thinks it was Mercer's doing because she refused having her men go after Aeyrin's bounty. She promises a favor to Bishop and Aeyrin and she gives her full support to Karliah's cause. She also provides the security information and access to Mercer's safe, making Bishop and Aeyrin's task completely moot. But they have a house out of it before Karliah asks for it back.

Karliah eventually makes her way to Mercer's mansion to search for information about the treasure – the Eyes of the Falmer. She recounts her love story with Gallus, the pain of her youth that led her to Nocturnal and the Nightingales and Mercer's horrible betrayal. She retrieves Mercer's plans and finds out the location of the Eyes.

Bishop and Aeyrin get a message from Karliah to meet her near Windhelm. She outlines her plan to them then – the Eyes are in a Dwemer ruins and they are the best equipped to handle that environment.

They agree to go into the ruins and they manage to survive its denizens. But when they get to the final chamber, they see the Eyes disappearing in front of their gazes. They find out that Mercer is there, invisible. He knew when Karliah entered his mansion and since then, he had the ruins watched. He couldn't trust anyone with the Eyes and he couldn't handle the ruins himself, so he waited until she sent Bishop and Aeyrin and followed until almost the end where he could rush ahead.

With some well-placed explosives, Mercer manages to escape and collapse the chamber behind him. The tremors cause structural damage and water begins to fill the place. Bishop and Aeyrin only barely manage to escape with the use of their waterbreathing ring and Aeyrin's Shouts. When they get out, they spot a person lying in the snow covered with blood – Karliah. She had been waiting for them outside to provide healing should they need to retreat, but instead, she saw Mercer escaping. However, he managed to get the better of her and stabbed her. While he did that, he informed Karliah that he plans to use the money from the Eyes to travel to Lillandril and get help from the most brilliant mages and Stendarrites to help him get rid of his bond to Nocturnal.

Bishop and Aeyrin notice that Karliah's not dead and they take her to recover nearby. When she does, she is erratic and instantly wants to follow Mercer. She can't let him proceed with his plan. Nocturnal wouldn't forgive her.

Though confused by her brashness, the group sets off soon and they pick up Raven on the way. When they get to Riften, they stop by Maven's to get some of her mercenaries.

They go to the cistern and an exchange happens. The rogues are conflicted, but Karliah reveals that Mercer is stealing from their vaults and that he's killed Thrynn and that they had to protect Sapphire from him.

Mercer attempts to reveal the truth about Karliah as well, but before he can, Karliah throws a knife at his neck and kills him, pretending to have done it out of emotional rage because of Gallus. A battle ensues instantly.

Many rogues and mercenaries die, but when Karliah makes her way to Mercer's corpse instantly to recover the Key, Brynjolf stops her. He takes the Key, furious that this was her intent, and he holds her at knifepoint. That eventually stops the fighting.

People call for her head, but Brynjolf says there should be no more killing. He keeps the Key and orders the Guild to stop the fighting. Mercer was not coming back by it anyway and they'd lost enough.

Situation is tense and the rogues are trying to live with the new situation and the fact that Karliah will likely lead them now. Sapphire returns to the Guild, scared that she would be walking into an ambush. Only then she finds out nobody was after her – her friends didn't know why she disappeared, they didn't consider her a traitor.

Bishop gets called for a lot of tasks by Karliah and Brynjolf until one day, they tell him nothing specific and ask him to go out of the city with them. He finds out soon that Brynjolf has no idea what's going on either. He demanded explanations from Karliah and she promised she would provide.

She takes them to the Nightingale Hall and tells them of the old order and its glory and abilities. When she tries to induce Bishop and Brynjolf into the order, they have questions. And eventually, she fesses up about the involvement with Nocturnal.

Bishop and Brynjolf are furious. She admits to wanting to get all the Guild under Nocturnal's protection to help them and the three would create the chosen Trinity. But Brynjolf wants nothing to do with that and doesn't want his Guild indebted to the thing Mercer was willing to do everything to fight. Bishop does not want another master. Ever.

When Karliah insists on being in the right and on trying to sway the Guild to her side, Brynjolf has no choice but to kill her. She accepts her fate in the end, but she asks him for one last favor – to return the Key to the Twilight Sepulcher.

Brynjolf agrees and kills Karliah.

He and Bishop come up with a lie to tell the Guild and they come back, devastated. They only tell the truth to a select few.

After all that, Bishop has an unexpected talk with Raven. He found out that this was the first time Raven knew how any of the people close to him died and he begins to feel guilty about keeping the circumstances of Jules's death a secret. In the end, he admits everything.

After the events with Karliah, Raven is more understanding than expected and he and Bishop bury the hatchet at last, at least a little.

Brynjolf becomes the new Guildmaster and he vows to lead the Guild not in fear but in good contacts and smart business decisions. And with skilled thieves. He promises to return the Key to the Sepulcher and he offers a place in the Guild to Bishop, Aeyrin, Raven and Sapphire. All save for Sapphire refuse, but they still want an amicable relationship with the Guild.

Raven admits he has nowhere to go and Aeyrin offers him the house she had purchased in Riften at Karliah's behest.

Raven settles in and Bishop and Aeyrin leave for their adventures again, trying to deal with the revelations about someone they trusted so much.

.

Dark Brotherhood Plotline

Chapters: XXXV, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLIV, LXII, LXIII, LXIV, LXV, CV, CVII, CXVI, CXVII, CXVIII, CXIX, CXX, CXXI, CXXXVIII, CXXXIX, CXL (35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 62, 63, 64, 65, 105, 107, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 138, 139, 140)

A long time ago, Bishop had found a note in his pack with a black handprint and the writing 'we know' on it. It's been a point of discussion and contemplation a few times, but there were no clues.

The answer only comes after Bishop kills Sibbi Black-Briar (see Thieves Guild Plotline).

When he's celebrating Aeyrin's birthday in the wilderness along with Saadia and Lydia, the wild night forces him to go seek some water in the morning and he gets ambushed. Someone knocks him out.

He wakes up in a strange decrepit cabin with a woman clad in black armor with red accents and three people bound, silenced and with bags on their heads. The woman reveals herself to be the origin of the note – a representative of the Dark Brotherhood. When Bishop killed Neeshka in the streets of Whiterun in the first book, he got their attention. However, some were not convinced he had what it took to be one of them, but they watched. And then he killed Sibbi in Riften.

The Brotherhood kidnapped him to bring him into their fold. Bishop has to decide which one of the bound victims to kill in order to pass their initiation test.

Bishop doesn't hesitate much and when he gets a dagger handed to him, he stabs the assassin instead. She manages to scratch him with her hidden blades, but the wound incapacitates her enough that Bishop manages to escape.

In the meantime, his party finds him. He was poisoned, but he knows the poison used well and he can tell them what antidote he needs.

Seemingly it is the end of the story, though not a comfortable one. Eventually though, Bishop and Aeyrin run into a child in distress. When they help her, she attacks them and implies that she will take her 'brother' with her next time – another assassin. They know now that the Brotherhood doesn't give up on gaining their new recruit and Bishop has no idea why.

During their unfortunate adventures in Windhelm (see Windhelm plotline), Bishop encounters his old acquaintance and she's revealed to be another assassin, luring him away. He only manages to escape her with the help of a confused guard.

After some time of relative peace from these people, when Bishop and Aeyrin prepare to leave Dawnstar after freeing it from the nightmares (see Dawnstar Plotline), Bishop gets lured from the inn and outside by a man complaining about his wolf being aggressive. Bishop follows, but Karnwyr alerts him soon when he appears nearby – not where the man was leading him. Bishop realizes the man is something strange, like a vampire, based on Karnwyr's reaction, but before he can do anything, more people appear, all in the Brotherhood armor. They all turn invisible and Bishop bolts. He runs, opportunely running into Aeyrin and grabbing her on the way. The assassins shoot paralyzing darts at him and even shoot a crossbow. But the three manage to escape them by stealing a carriage.

Some time later, they get a letter from a certain Commander Maro from Penitus Oculatus. They have no idea who that is or what that organization does, but the letter mentions the Dawnstar incident and that they can help each other.

Bishop and Aeyrin go to visit Commander Maro and learn that he was the one who destroyed the Brotherhood presence in Cyrodiil some time ago. Now he's here to do the same.

Bishop, after some deliberation, gives him all the information he can. Then the commander devises a plan.

Since the assassins clearly want Bishop for something, he proposes using him as bait. With no other avenues, Bishop agrees.

He receives a ring with a fragmented soul gem in it that will alert others with the rings from the same set that something happened to him when he crushes it. The rings will extinguish their unique lights. That and clairvoyance spells are used to track Bishop while he and Aeyrin stay for a prolonged period of time in and around Morthal.

True to their plans, the assassins strike eventually and ambush Bishop when he's alone, though they are suspicious about how easy he is to catch suddenly. They knock him out anyway.

While Aeyrin is supposed to be alert whenever Bishop is out for too long, she goes to take a bath in the meantime, but some strange scent in the room puts her to sleep.

Bishop wakes up in a cave with a sarcophagus with a shriveled up corpse inside in front of him. There are several assassins there – Astrid, Gabriella, one who refers to himself as Cicero, and someone else Bishop suspects to be the one that lured him out in Dawnstar.

Bishop pretends not to be conscious yet as he listens to them talk. He finds out that they are looking for someone called the Listener who would hear that corpse speak and that it's against Astrid's wishes and just to shut Cicero up. That is why they had been so relentless about capturing Bishop. Cicero mentions some ominous words before they all agree that if Bishop is not the Listener, they'll kill him.

Bishop panics, but he devises a plan. He pretends to be the Listener and even convinces them by repeating Cicero's ominous words and then directing the assassin to their 'target' or 'caller'. He is not sure which, but he has to think of someone who both deserves to be assassinated and would be believable as the caller. He opts for Thongvor Silver-Blood.

The assassins go to verify this and they leave Bishop with Cicero only. Cicero is erratic. He wants Bishop to tell him what the corpse – their Night Mother – says, but Bishop can't hear her. He tries to make things up, but Cicero tortures him when he doesn't hear what he wants to hear. Bishop never finds out. He only crushes the ring to alert his rescuers, but they don't arrive.

Aeyrin wakes up hours later and panics instantly. Her ring still shines, but she knows Bishop is not there. She gets the Penitus Oculatus agents stationed in Morthal and they follow the clairvoyance trail to find Bishop. At some point during the journey, the ring stops shining.

Aeyrin disregards the agents' warnings when they find the place and she charges in. She finds Bishop barely conscious and getting hurt over and over by Cicero. She yells, but she almost gets shot after. Luckily, invisible agents rush in and incapacitate Cicero in time.

They return to Dragon Bridge with Cicero and the Night Mother. Commander Maro now interrogates Cicero.

After that, Bishop and Aeyrin have only one more encounter with an assassin when, in the middle of the night, an old mage in the Brotherhood colors attacks them while they sleep in their camp. They are saved by Karnwyr and they alert Maro as soon as they can.

One day, Maro's son comes to look for his father, intent to say goodbye before a long journey. But when he walks into the interrogation room, he hears something. And by his reactions, Cicero deduces what happened.

Gaius Maro is the Listener.

Gaius found his new purpose. At Cicero's behest, he uses his influence to save the Night Mother from his father and he contacts the Brotherhood to become one of them. After Bishop's tricks though, the Brotherhood is mistrustful.

Gaius is not allowed into the main sanctuary even after he passes their trial and kills an old woman in Riften. He is holed up in an old abandoned sanctuary in Dawnstar, along with the Night Mother. He is sometimes visited by Babette, even Gabriella, but they only reiterate that Astrid doesn't want him in the main sanctuary. The three of them wonder if they should try to free Cicero – Astrid wouldn't want to. Gaius urges them to do it though and he suggests that Cicero would stay here. The Night Mother needs her Keeper after all. It could be a secret from Astrid.

In the meantime, Gaius spends his days talking to the Night Mother. And he finds out eventually that she senses his thoughts, not just hears his words. He is astonished by this revelation.

.

Paladins Plotline

Chapters: III, VII, IX, XVIII, XX, LXII, LXVIII, LXXII, LXXIII, LXXIV, LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII (3, 7, 9, 18, 20, 62, 68, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)

During Bishop and Aeyrin's separation (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), Aeyrin gets called by Azshan for assistance with an issue in the Reach. She waits for him at an inn and when he arrives, he's wounded. He claims he was ambushed by Forsworn.

Aeyrin manages to help him heal and he tells her that the issue is a dragon attacking some noble woman's estate. They head out the next day and find the estate littered with bodies of guards or mercenaries. They were not killed by a dragon though – they have their throats slit.

The dragon appears soon after, but there are already people fighting it – two Forsworn. When the battle is over, Azshan gets aggressive, but Aeyrin recognizes one of the Forsworn as Cael's sister Robin. The other one is introduced as Anu.

Azshan keeps wanting to kill them until, finally, the truth comes out. The noblewoman from the estate has apparently been kidnapping Forsworn mages in order to learn the secrets of Briarhearts' magic. Azshan tries to argue, but Aeyrin had enough. She proposes the only thing that can result in no more death. Anu and Robin can take their mages home while Azshan smooths things over with the noblewoman and then the Forsworn will stop attacking the estate. Azshan is very unhappy with this solution, but has no other options.

Bishop and Aeyrin are still led to believe that Casavir was the one to poison Aeyrin and frame Bishop for it in the first book. But during Bishop and Aeyrin's separation, Bishop runs into Casavir when he encounters a dragon on his own. Casavir kills the dragon and saves Bishop's life. He tries to heal him too, but Bishop lashes out. He does not want help from him, not after what he had done to Aeyrin and to Elisie.

Bishop is aggressive and keeps lashing out to the point where Casavir gets too frustrated. In the end, he accuses Bishop of raping Elisie, which Bishop instantly refutes. Casavir also blurts out that he never poisoned Aeyrin, but Bishop doesn't believe him.

After their encounter ends and Casavir orders the man that came to his aid to leave Bishop alone, Bishop can't help but wonder. Casavir was convinced Bishop was the one to impregnate Elisie and he was pretty convincing about not poisoning Aeyrin too. Bishop is still conflicted and doesn't trust him, but he believes that he should share his doubts with Aeyrin, just in case there is someone else out there who did poison her.

Bishop tells Aeyrin and tells her to be careful around Azshan, since he had the access. Aeyrin does not believe that he would do it for a second and Bishop is hesitant too, but he's too wary to rule it out.

At some point after they are back together, Azshan writes to Aeyrin again and invites her to the annual ball she attended last year with Casavir. Aeyrin is reluctant, but due to other events, namely a strange note from Jora pointing them to Solitude (see Pilgrimage and Dissident Priests Plotline), they go there anyway and Aeyrin intends to refuse Azshan in person.

When they get to Solitude, they are called to Elisif instantly. She reveals Tullius's plans and offers Aeyrin thaneship to protect her from the Legion (see Civil War Plotline). Aeyrin agrees and after a favor, Aeyrin becomes the thane of Haafingar (with the ceremony to be held later).

When they meet him, Azshan is very convincing. He plays on Aeyrin's emotions to get her to agree to come with him, but much to their surprise, he eagerly invites Bishop as well. He mentions that he already has a date anyway.

Bishop is still a bit suspicious and suggests meeting Casavir to see if him blurting out he had nothing to do with the poisoning had any merit. The meeting goes poorly though and Casavir only admits to the poisoning again.

One day, Bishop and Aeyrin meet with Azshan to go make preparations for the ball – custom-made clothes and such. They find out that Azshan's date is a bitter woman named Gisli. And during the clothes fitting, Azshan bonds with Bishop a little when he tells him about his past – about his hard life in Castle Chorrol where he was born to two servants and about how much he loved watching nobles play their dangerous games with spreading rumors and manipulating people. He found this most rewarding when he eventually joined the Order.

In the meantime, while Bishop takes care of the Thalmor bureau heist (see Pilgrimage and Dissident Priests Plotline), he runs into Casavir again. In an attempt to do some good, Casavir begins harassing him, since he suspects Bishop is up to no good. When Bishop starts hovering around a jewelry store, Casavir decides to act. He orders some guards to alert him whenever Bishop nears the store again. It happens soon and while Bishop comes into the store nervously, intent on picking out an engagement ring for Aeyrin (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), Casavir interrupts him and accuses him of intended robbery. Bishop leaves the store, but Casavir, much to his dismay, gets chewed out by the jeweler. His reputation precedes him and so does Bishop's. He's still seen as the jealous rival trying to discredit Aeyrin's lover by any means necessary.

Bishop does manage to return eventually for that ring, but since he had been seen in the store already, he needs alibi to keep Aeyrin off the track. He buys her a ribbon for her hair to have an excuse for being there and he tells Aeyrin about the trouble Casavir caused him when he gives it to her.

The night of the ball draws near and Azshan, Aeyrin, Gisli and Bishop head to the event. Just like last year, Aeyrin is uncomfortable the whole time. Azshan uses her to show everyone that she has not forsaken the Order and Solitude because of Casavir's actions and that she is still willing to protect people from the dragons.

As the night continues, Bishop and Aeyrin retreat to the restroom to have some privacy. When Bishop leaves earlier, not to raise suspicions, someone else enters the room. It's Erikur – the disgraced former thane who had harassed Aeyrin during the Thalmor Embassy mission in the first book. He assaults Aeyrin, but she manages to kick him off herself and leave.

When Bishop looks for her in the ballroom, he overhears Gisli and Azshan talking about how someone is angry and how he will surely do something and that Aeyrin wouldn't do something herself. Bishop gets curious and then he spots it – Erikur marches towards Aeyrin angrily and pushes her, making her fall onto a table and getting her hurt.

Azshan runs to help Aeyrin and Bishop tries to attack Erikur, but people around stop him. After a while, Gisli comes with guards and publicly shames and denounces her brother for the assault and everything he had been doing to his servants, according to the rumors (abusing and harassing the Bosmer ones and Gods know what else).

Guards take Erikur away and Bishop confronts Azshan about his planning – he knew Erikur would attack Aeyrin. Azshan promises explanations.

When the dust settles a little, Azshan explains that he was trying to bring Erikur to justice and help Gisli. After the Thalmor Embassy, Erikur was disgraced and his title stripped, based on his behavior towards Aeyrin which kind of confirmed all the rumors about him and his Bosmer servants. But Gisli didn't believe those rumors and the accusations. When Erikur got proverbially lynched by the public, so did she for supporting him. But later, she found out that the accusations were true. At the same time though, Erikur was intent on clawing back into high society and was upstanding on the surface. To discredit him and have an opportunity to admit she'd been duped, she needed Erikur to do something again.

Azshan thought Aeyrin would be a good trigger for his anger, since she was the reason why his title got taken. And he was right. Now Gisli's name was cleared and Erikur arrested.

Aeyrin is angry about being manipulated, but she admits Azshan did a good thing.

As the night goes on, Bishop lets it accidentally slip that they own a mansion in the city. Gisli and Azshan question that and Aeyrin admits she had been promised the thaneship. Gisli flips out and accuses Azshan of involving Aeyrin and messing things up for the third time.

Azshan tries to play it off, but Gisli's words resonate with Aeyrin and Bishop. They figure the second time was in the Reach with the Forsworn and Bishop suggests the first was the poisoning. They know they need to get to the bottom of this and Aeyrin decides to contact Casavir to meet with him alone this time.

It takes a lot of convincing, but finally, Casavir tells the truth. He admits to Aeyrin that Azshan poisoned her and Casavir only took the blame in order to protect his people. He tells her about the conspiracy to replace the influential positions in Solitude, but since he is still disgraced and shunned, he doesn't have much clout to investigate. He still tries though.

He asks Aeyrin to leave the city as planned and not to help investigate. It will be a slow process that has to be low-key.

Aeyrin agrees as long as he keeps her posted and asks for help when he needs it. They end up discussing Bishop as well and they establish that neither of them did the things with Elisie the other thought. Casavir admits he will never forgive Bishop for who he was, but he's willing not to try to pin every crime on him at least. It's an uneasy truce.

.

Windhelm Plotline

Chapters: XIV, LVIII, LIX, LX, LXI, LXII, LXIII, LXIV, LXV, LXVI, CXXVII, CXXIX, (14, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 127, 129)

Windhelm is in a desolate state. There are new and new unfair orders with the killer still on the loose. When Bishop gets into the city, he notices the new order about mandatory household searches. It's obvious it's aimed at the Dunmer again.

In the meantime, the Argonians at the docks are starving and out of options. There's no work since the docks are closed. The Dunmer suffer more abuse by the Nords and Bishop even finds out there was an uprising during which a lot of them were arrested, including Ambarys. That pisses Bishop off and he goes to see Brunwulf Free-Winter who is currently helping free the arrested elves by paying their bails or fighting the accusation in the legal way. The nobleman explains that Ambarys was arrested for strange type of skooma possession and they won't release him since laws don't cover this particular kind. Bishop is not satisfied with that and he spends the rest of his bounty from Thorn on paying Ambarys's insanely large bail.

Later, after Aeyrin and Bishop are back together, Aeyrin gets called to Windhelm to talk to Ulfric (see Civil War Plotline). Aeyrin's banishment is lifted during that meeting, in exchange for information about Alduin's return. But Ulfric makes it clear to her that she cannot meddle in his city's affairs. After he is dealt with, the two of them go to the cornerclub to see the elves. Bishop is hailed as a hero there after freeing Ambarys.

During the night filled with revelry, Aeyrin is approached by Calixto – a veritable regular in that place by now. He mentions that he knows there's someone prowling the streets. He sees a person out there whenever he takes his nightly walks. Aeyrin is disturbed but she promised not to meddle. She is suspicious about Calixto walking around at night, but he says that as long as he's not a young girl, he's fine. That's whom the Butcher targets after all.

The same night, an annoying Nord comes to harass the elves. The elves are forbidden from fighting Nords – they would get arrested. It's exactly what the Nord counts on. Bishop, however, is not an elf and that night, he fights the Nord in their stead. He beats the drunk easily and they celebrate again.

When Bishop and Aeyrin go back to spend the night at Candlehearth Hall, Bishop is accosted by the same Nord in the hallway. The man wants revenge for being humiliated.

While Bishop is getting beaten up in the hallway, Aeyrin is in their room. Someone knocks on the window then and, when she opens, she sees Calixto. He informs her that the lurker is there in the night, but she can't get involved. She tries to explain, but Calixto disappears. So she steps outside, despite the curfew and tries to call to him covertly. Instead, she gets grabbed and passes out from some scented cloth pressed to her face.

Bishop is beaten up and goes back to the room. The window is open and Aeyrin is nowhere to be seen. He looks for her all over the inn, since he can't tell if she went outside – fresh snow covered the tracks, if there were any. He doesn't find Aeyrin, but he finds someone else. An old flame – a Dunmer named Gabriella. She says she will help him find Aeyrin, that she saw her going into one house in Valunstrad.

Gabriella makes herself invisible and Bishop follows. He can walk around at night, but elves can't.

In the meantime, Aeyrin comes to in a strange small room in some house. She is paralyzed and silenced and she can't do anything. She does see a thing – a humanoid-like form built from different body parts, clearly from different women. It has Susanna's face. And the killer reveals himself to be Calixto.

He complains about Aeyrin's previous meddling forcing him to stop in his plans. He says that he needed something from her that only she could provide and he had to wait. Her blood. He wants Dragonborn blood to revive that thing and make it invincible. It turns out he intends to resurrect his dead sister/lover this way. He bleeds Aeyrin slowly and considers taking something else from her to speed up his plans. He decides on her nose.

Aeyrin fights timing itself as she keeps waiting for him to forget to renew the spells. She gets one opportunity when he forgets to silence her and she Shouts her force Shout, making the room a mess and destroying his creation partially. Calixto begins fussing over that thing.

Outside, Bishop hears the Shout, but he realizes that Gabriella is leading him elsewhere. He wants to give her the benefit of doubt, but before he can, Gabriella holds him at invisible knife point and threatens him. It turns out, she's an assassin intent on luring him away (see Dark Brotherhood plotline).

Aeyrin manages to Shout once more eventually with her flame Shout. She sets Calixto on fire, but in the process, she starts a fire in the room as well. She's paralyzed, silenced again and stuck there while the building burns.

Bishop gets called out by a guard on the street. The man thinks Bishop is drunk because he walks funny, but he just has an invisible knife to his throat. The guard keeps insisting to talk to Bishop, making him walk and such. That makes Gabriella let loose a little and Bishop strikes, grabbing her hand and twisting the knife away. Gabriella slips away and disappears and the guard is confused. But there's no time to explain. Bishop hears another Shout and rushes to help Aeyrin.

The house is on fire and the guard helps Bishop get there and take Aeyrin away just in time. Then Ulfric and other guards are called to contain the fire at last. Ulfric wants explanations.

Based on the reports and given the fact that Aeyrin got rid of the Butcher, Ulfric agrees to one night of imprisonment for them both and then to release them when Brunwulf comes contesting the arrest, which he will. Aeyrin and Bishop spend one night in prison with many Dunmer still there.

In the morning, they do really get released and subsequently invited to attend parting rites for the Dunmer victim of the Butcher. They are surprised to see Brunwulf there as well as a rite for Susanna, not just the Dunmer.

The Butcher is gone, but it's uncertain whether Windhelm will get better.

At the very least, some time later, Bishop and Aeyrin do run into a woman bringing dried bugs to the Windhelm docks to feed the Argonians as a charity effort initiated by Jora and the Master priest at the temple in Windhelm. The docks are opened again, but the Argonians are still hugely underpaid and mistreated. The orders were lifted, but the Dunmer are still discriminated against and some are still imprisoned.

.

College of Winterhold Plotline

Chapters: VI, VIII, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLVIX, L, LI (6, 8, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)

Bishop visits the College of Winterhold on his heist (see Thieves Guild Plotline). He finds out that the giant glowing orb is still there, still hovering and not doing anything. He is also roped into Brelyna's new experiment – a spell that could cast detect life on others. The spell does not work as intended and Bishop ends up with blurred vision for the remainder of his heist. During the discussion with Brelyna, Bishop notices that Darren acts strangely absentminded and Brelyna explains he 'talks to imaginary friends'.

The next time Bishop and Aeyrin visit the College, they intend to get an enchantment to trap souls for the Dwemer contraption (see Dragonborn plotline). When they are there though, something happens. There are loud sounds coming from below the library and eventually, a flash of light.

Bishop and Aeyrin are revived by the librarian's atronach. They see that the Orc is holding down some sort of barrier. He says that something happened with the orb. Bishop and Aeyrin and him were just far enough to survive. Everyone caught in the field died, including the Arch Mage.

Bishop and Aeyrin go downstairs to find out the details. Apparently, Ancano, the resident Thalmor who had questioned Bishop and Aeyrin on the Eye of Magnus, the orb, before, tried to activate or steal its power somehow. Instead, he managed to release the power outwards. His body serves as a connection while the Eye 'attacks' the surroundings. The mages have to hold down barriers in several places to stop the field from spreading.

They are informed that Darren, by touching the Eye in the first book, attracted the attention of Psijic Monks who came to warn them about the danger of the Eye. It was apparently too late to stop some cataclysmic events and now it seemed like they were right. They need to do something to stop the Eye.

While Bishop and Aeyrin were unconscious, the mages went to consult a strange entity called the Augur – a seer residing under the College. They found out that they need to find the Staff of Magnus that can absorb the Eye's power.

To find it, the mages have an idea. They can use a Dwemer device recently uncovered and operated in the ruins of Mzulft. The mages ask Aeyrin and Bishop to help them. They can't spare the manpower as they need to hold the barrier, battle anomalies that come through the barrier from the field, and prevent the Eye from affecting Winterhold.

Bishop and Aeyrin agree, but they get roped into taking Darren with them because of his contact with Psijic Monks. Because of touching the eye, he is the only one they can talk to at a distance. He established a connection with untold power.

Bishop, Aeyrin and Darren don't get along, but they do head to Mzulft together. Before venturing into the ruins to find Synod mages who uncovered the device, they spend the night at a nearby Orcish stronghold. Aeyrin and anyone with her are welcome because she is known by the tribe as blood-kin (from her encounter with a dragon and a group of Orcs in the first book).

Darren is mostly silent with other people around. At least he's not bitchy.

The three of them head into the ruins the next day, but they find them empty and deactivated. Only after a while they find a large forge that would control the complex, most likely. And trails of blood. They discover Falmer in the area and participate in a few tough battles where Darren is mostly useless or does outright harm, though unintentionally.

They find out that the Falmer came through a crevice in the walls and slaughtered some of the Synod mages, but the rest locked themselves in with the device and survived. They are grateful to the three of them for killing the Falmer and they show them how the device works. They need a connection, a fraction of power, to locate something with the same power. Luckily, Darren is the connection to the artifacts of Magnus.

They pinpoint the Staff's location to Labyrinthian, but before they leave, Darren gets contacted by a Psijic Monk again. He is told that Labyrinthian is sealed and the key is in the Arch Mage's possession. Darren admits that the Arch Mage was there (he had a lecture about it) and that it's possible he has some kind of a key.

They need to go to College first, but they stay at the stronghold once more before that. Darren talks extensively with the Chief for some reason.

At the College, they hit a problem. Nothing can really get into the barrier without it having all magic seeped out from it, including people. The field kills. And the Arch Mage is inside the field with the key on him.

J'zargo gets an idea. He tries his flame cloak spell and, without hesitation, he charges into the field. Everyone tries to stop him, but he's there too fast. The spell allows him to go all the way to the Arch Mage's corpse, but there he falls. He never comes out. Brelyna is devastated.

This gives Aeyrin an idea though. She can use her ethereal Shout along with Tolfdir's cloak spells and walk to the corpse, let herself reform, then grab the key before the cloak spell dissipates and then make herself ethereal again.

Despite Bishop's panicked protests, the plan works, though too late for J'zargo.

The three head towards Labyrinthian at last. The battles are tough and they encounter an apparition of the Arch Mage and a group of his fellow mages. They depict a story of how the Arch Mage came here to defeat a great evil. The evil is trapped, but taunting them. Especially Darren. He seems to know what it is, but he won't say.

When they reach the evil, an ancient dragon priest holding the Staff of Magnus, they find out that the Arch Mage trapped this thing here when they couldn't defeat it by using his fellow mages for conduits to the prison, leaving them here for eternity. Darren is intent on breaking that thing's prison and defeating it and he orders Bishop and Aeyrin to kill those two mages, but they get suspicious.

They figure out that Darren wants to only grab that Staff from the dragon priest and trap them there again. His past behavior pointed to it. Bishop points his sword at Darren and threatens him, upon which Darren only gets emotional. He complains about people always thinking the worst of him. He only wants to finish what the Arch Mage wanted. All his past behavior was just posturing.

Bishop and Aeyrin believe him in the end and they manage to work together to get the Staff.

When they return to the College, Darren imagines himself saving them all and getting all the accolades and gratitude he deserves. He hopes to earn respect of his family back in High Rock who sent him here to shine amongst the backwater Nords when he didn't shine there.

But in reality, when they arrive, Faralda takes the Staff from him and saves the College herself, stopping the Eye's power and killing Ancano in the process. The College mourns its dead and the Psijic Monks come for the Eye and the Staff. They barely even pay any attention to Darren. Faralda is named Arch Mage and Darren is barely thanked at all. They all celebrate Aeyrin and Bishop who clearly did all the fighting and heavy lifting.

Darren is disheartened. He decides to leave the College and travels back to the Orc stronghold. He asks the Chief for a place there to help the shaman. At least the humble place without all that competition and judgment might help him fit in somewhere.

The College is saved, but pain from the ordeal lingers. Brelyna is like a ghost, Darren is gone and the Masters need to find a way to help everyone recover.

.

Falkreath Plotline

Chapters: CXLI, CXLII, CXLIII, CXLIV, CXLV, CXLVI, CXLVII, CXLVIII, CXLIX, CL (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150)

After the ordeal with Thorn, Aeyrin hopes to visit Falkreath again and reclaim the area. To find exciting adventures and nice new memories there.

When Bishop and Aeyrin arrive in Falkreath, they are instantly harassed by the Legion on numerous occasions (see Civil War Plotline). Bishop notices a woman in a tavern during a Legion draft. She disappears instantly and he's not sure why she caught his attention.

Regardless, the two attempt to enjoy Falkreath. They head out to Lake Ilinalta and their favorite little island there to spend some time together, but in the morning, they are disturbed by a scream coming from the nearby sawmill.

They investigate, but the owner of the mill points them to a nearby ruin instead. Shriekwind Bastion. He claims that the wind coming through the passages sometimes makes it sound like screams.

Bishop and Aeyrin decide to investigate the ruin only to find it full of vampires. They get through tough battles together and in the end, they emerge on an overlook outside. They spot another vampire there, leading a woman somewhere. They decide to help right away instead of waiting for the vampire to bring the woman into the ruins.

Much to their surprise though, the vampire takes a different turn and takes the woman to the mill instead. They follow, but they're too late. The sawmill owner tries to explain, but he gives up soon and attacks. He's a vampire too.

They dispose of the man and his wife – vampires running the mill. The victim is dead though. And soon, someone else comes – a random man, startled by the carnage.

Bishop and Aeyrin explain and he believes them. He warns them not to tell anyone though. Rumor has it that Jarl Siddgeir has a deal with the vampires and he might not take kindly to them killing the town's lumber suppliers.

Bishop admits that rumors say Siddgeir is as corrupt as they come. It's a possibility.

At night, when they're back at the inn, they keep their room trapped to prevent the Brotherhood from coming in unseen (see Dark Brotherhood Plotline). Unfortunately, one night, guards barge in and one of them triggers the trap. They get aggressive instantly and despite Bishop and Aeyrin trying to explain, though Bishop does it more abrasively, they end up arresting Bishop. One guard stays behind to keep Aeyrin in the room. She doesn't understand why and he won't tell her anything.

Aeyrin gets let out at last, but nobody will talk to her. She worries about this being a Brotherhood plot. She doesn't understand why only Bishop would be arrested for the dart. And if it's about the vampires, why only him too? But at last, someone informs her.

Apparently, Bishop's bounty was sent anonymously to Jarl Siddgeir, just like it had been sent into other places (see Bishop's Backstory Plotline).

Aeyrin is properly panicked and tries to negotiate with Jarl Siddgeir not to kill Bishop. No matter what she says though, he already has a plan. He wants Aeyrin to discredit his uncle, a Stormcloak supporter and the previous jarl. Siddgeir released an ancient vampire, their ancestor, whom his uncle Dengeir was supposed to keep in check. The vampire made himself a clan and Siddgeir arranged for some citizens of Falkreath to be sent to the vampire, abducted by that clan.

Aeyrin is now supposed to go there, free the citizens and show them planted evidence of Dengeir sending them to the vampire on purpose.

Aeyrin is horrified by Siddgeir, but she has to accept for Bishop's sake. The man gives her only a few days before he schedules an execution.

In the meantime, Bishop is beaten in the dungeons. He already knows it's for the bounty and he doesn't see a way out.

Aeyrin goes to attack the vampires, but she is overwhelmed and captured herself. The vamps, however, find her blood 'vile' and they are curious about what she is. Aeyrin suspects the werewolf blood.

She is being brought to a strange arena to fight odd dogs over and over again. The vamps want to see her desperate enough to show them what she is, but she can't. Only when they bind her and leave her to be killed by the dogs does she finally know it's time to adapt. She transforms and only comes to when there's a pile of dead vampires and dogs left behind her.

Aeyrin is very disturbed, but she can't waste time. She has no idea what day it is and if Bishop still lives. She does what she's supposed to, saving the remaining people, who are any race but Nords, and telling them about Dengeir's involvement.

They make it back to Falkreath the very day Bishop's execution is scheduled. Aeyrin rushes to Siddgeir, but he says because she took so long and couldn't bring everyone back, he requires her to make a public speech.

Aeyrin is furious, but she has no choice. She condemns Dengeir publicly and she implies her allegiance to the Empire, just like Siddgeir wants. At least Bishop is released, but she's shocked to find out he'd been sent to the temple. Siddgeir implies his guards were being abusive.

When they reunite, Aeyrin finds out Bishop had the words 'Bandit scum' branded on his shoulder blade in the prison. He takes it surprisingly well.

They leave Falkreath for good, forsaking the place. But on their way back, they get interrupted by Bishop's sister – the girl from the inn before during the draft (see Bishop's Backstory Plotline).

.

Pilgrimage and Dissident Priests Plotline

Chapters: XIV, LXII, LXV, LXXII, LXXIII, LXXIV, XCV, XCVI, XCVIII, CXXIX, CXXXVI, CXXXVII, CXLII, CL (14, 62, 65, 72, 73, 74, 95, 96, 98, 129, 136, 137, 142, 150)

Jora continues her efforts to care for Talos worshippers prosecuted by the Thalmor.

When Bishop comes to Windhelm during his separation with Aeyrin (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), Jora talks to him and implies that she cannot speak and operate freely in the city due to her Master being suspicious of her.

Eventually, during their visit to Windhelm when they're together again, Brunwulf Free-Winter approaches Aeyrin and asks about Jora's endeavors. He wants to help. Aeyrin lets him get in touch with Therien.

Right after the Butcher business is resolved (see Windhelm Plotline), Jora approaches Aeyrin, seemingly to offer condolences for Susanna, but she also passes her a note. It merely has the name of a Thalmor agent from Solitude. Aeyrin and Bishop are both disturbed and don't know what it means, so Aeyrin contacts Therien.

They travel to Solitude while they wait for the answer. It arrives at some point and Therien laments Jora involving Aeyrin. Apparently, Jora is seeking a list of known Talos worshipers that the Thalmor are watching. The list is supposed to be in possession of this agent – in his office in the Thalmor bureau. Therien warns Aeyrin not to get involved, but Bishop eagerly volunteers for the heist.

Bishop manages to copy the list without a trace left behind when he sneaks into the bureau. Though he spots a lost expensive-looking necklace there. It's clearly not there on purpose so he grabs it and sells it after. It gives him enough money to buy Aeyrin an engagement ring (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship plotline). But Casavir sees him around the bureau when he leaves. The paladin is suspicious.

Bishop sells the necklace, buys the ring and forgets about the whole thing after they send the list to Jora.

After a while, Aeyrin receives a letter from Brunwulf, inviting her to help him with something to do with this endeavor. Apparently building a sanctuary to hide the persecuted Talos worshippers.

She agrees to help and Bishop goes to fix the cottage instead (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship plotline). He sends Karnwyr with Aeyrin.

When Aeyrin meets Brunwulf, he clarifies that they're gonna build a chapel in the Jerall mountains with eventual access from both Cyrodiil and Skyrim, to hide anyone persecuted for their religion. They invited all the people from the list to come there.

Aeyrin guards the builders and helps out with the work, but eventually, when she and Brunwulf are on their way to lunch, Karnwyr notices something in the bushes. They discover a Khajiit Thalmor agent trying to spy on them.

When they interrogate her, they learn that there is a spy in the chapel of Chorrol monitoring Therien. They must have read his communication with Jora, because they knew someone would be coming for the list. The Thalmor planted something in the bureau to know when it happened (the necklace, begging to be stolen). Once that happened, the Thalmor sent their agents to watch the people on the list constantly and follow them wherever they went. That finally led the Thalmor here when the people from the list got invitations.

Aeyrin and Brunwulf comb the area for more spies based on what the Khajiit admitted, but this is concerning. There is a spy in Cyrodiil. Brunwulf promises to take care of it, but he forbids Aeyrin from writing to Therien not to give anything away.

When Aeyrin and Bishop reunite, she tells him what happened. Bishop is very apologetic about the necklace, but she reassures him that at least it served to uncover the fact that there is a spy down south.

Aeyrin is very anxious as she gets no news from anyone for a long time.

They visit Windhelm and ask about Free-Winter, but he's still 'on business' in Cyrodiil. And when the two of them visit the secret chapel, they get the same answer from the people there.

Finally, in Falkreath, Aeyrin receives a letter from Brunwulf that 'everything is resolved'. Still, she is anxious that Master Therien himself didn't write and she's afraid to write to him herself. She's worried she'd mess something up.

In the end, in an effort to get his own resolutions, Bishop suggests going to Cyrodiil to check on Therien, aside from checking on his clan (see Bishop's Backstory Plotline).

.

Civil War Plotline

Chapters: XXXII, XXXV, XLI, XLII, LIII, LVIII, LIX, LXVIII, CXVI, CXXIX, CXLII (32, 35, 41, 42, 58, 59, 68, 116, 129, 142)

The war continues to brew all around Skyrim.

When Aeyrin is asked by Karliah to purchase a house in Riften (see Thieves Guild Plotline), shockingly enough, the jarl she had never even met grants her thaneship along with a discount on the house. Aeyrin questions it, but eventually, it seems merely like a political ploy to be able to say that the Dragonborn protects the city.

Other people, such as Sibbi Black-Briar and Maven, are quite surprised about this event though, making Aeyrin nervous.

Thaneship means a new housecarl as well and Aeyrin gets Iona. She is very different from Lydia. She doesn't talk and she's incredibly uncomfortable to be around. Bishop and Aeyrin are eager to leave the house soon.

During the night, however, Bishop notices Iona skulking about until she approaches Aeyrin's pack and rummages around. Aeyrin makes a noise in her sleep and Iona is startled, but Bishop never falls asleep again. In the morning, when Iona is out of earshot, he can finally tell Aeyrin. Iona didn't take anything, but she clearly wanted something.

Based on Maven's previous reaction, Aeyrin decides to go talk to her. Maven says that the jarl is an avid Stormcloak supporter and likely sent a spy to the house. Bishop and Aeyrin decide to let it simmer in case they think of a way to mess with Ulfric by feeding him false information.

Later, when Bishop and Aeyrin take a carriage from Morthal, they end up with a co-traveler. And it turns out to be none other than the bard Alec – the man who played for Ulfric Stormcloak, implied dedicating the concert to Aeyrin instead and then refused to talk to her after a while in the first book. Aeyrin and Bishop expected that Ulfric didn't take kindly to Alec's stunt, but they weren't sure if anything came of it.

Now they were. Alec acts odd during the journey and he keeps asking Aeyrin about affairs such as her conflict with the paladins in Solitude or her thaneship in Whiterun. But every time he asks, he also shakes his head to indicate they should not answer.

Bishop aggressively shuts down his questions, but Alec seems relieved for that. Eventually, Alec manages to loosen the wheel of the carriage and the driver has to run after it. That is the only time Alec speaks freely.

He desperately asks for help, says that he is in trouble and the driver is watching him. But before they can make sense of it, the driver returns and Alec asks them to forget what he said.

Bishop and Aeyrin wonder what it was about and, in the end, they surmise that, based on what happened with Alec before and the questions he asked, it can only be Ulfric's doing. He is probably blackmailed to gain information from Imperial sources and spread propaganda.

Some time after that, Aeyrin gets summoned to Windhelm, from which she is still banished from. Ulfric wants to speak to her.

She reluctantly obeys and is marched into the Palace along with Bishop. There, Ulfric asks about Alduin. At that point, they realize they talked about Alduin when Iona could have been within earshot.

Ulfric is not surprised that the spy had been uncovered, but he wants to know if it was a ploy or if Alduin really returned. Aeyrin and him butt heads for a long time, until she insists on him cancelling the banishment. Finally, he agrees, but he warns her not to meddle in his city's affairs.

Aeyrin isn't sure if she should lie, but she tells Ulfric the truth, except for the fact that his war might be the only thing keeping Alduin from getting his own souls instead. She asks if Ulfric will stop the war but he disagrees. He does acknowledge the dangers and he says he will have to act accordingly. Aeyrin has no idea what it means.

Later, when Bishop and Aeyrin get to Solitude, Queen Elisif summons them to her court immediately. She informs them of a new tactic planned by General Tullius. Since Ulfric is getting a surprising amount of support from even the previously Imperial supporters (likely due to tricks like Alec), Tullius wants to get his numbers elsewhere. He got permission from the High Chancellor to employ forced conscription right on the Imperial territory.

Elisif feared both for her people and for the war effort so she negotiated with him. Tullius agreed that mass conscription in cities could cause riots and support of Stormcloaks. So, he agrees that any citizen of the capitals of each Imperial Hold are not subjected to conscription, but it applies to travelers on the territory.

Elisif suspects that he will use this to conscript high-profile targets, such as Aeyrin. She proposes a solution. If Aeyrin does another service for Solitude, Elisif will be able to grant her the vacant thaneship in her court. That comes with a mandatory residence in Solitude, so Aeyrin would get a house. A mansion, in fact, but Elisif hardly cares about giving those away. She would also be able to put Bishop's name on the deed to protect him.

They agree and are sent to investigate disturbances in the Solitude Catacombs. They more than earn their citizenship and now they're protected from this scheme.

In the background of all this mess, there are intense battles going on around Fort Sungard located near the Falkreath border with the Reach. Aeyrin and Bishop witness the Stormcloaks attempting to take it, only to lose. But then, a dragon attacks the fort and tries to kill the remaining Imperials.

After some time, news reaches them that Fort Sungard was taken by the Stormcloaks. When they get to Falkreath, they find out what it means.

Falkreath is suffering under the Imperials stationed there. Siddgeir suspects that Ulfric doesn't want to take the Reach, but has his eyes set on Falkreath instead. So Siddgeir allows the Legion to launch attacks from his city in order to retake the fort. In the meantime, the Legionnaires only bully and unnerve the citizens.

Imperials are clearly getting a little desperate with Ulfric's successes.

.

Dawnstar Plotline

Chapters: C, CI, CII, CIII, CIV (100, 101, 102, 103, 104)

Bishop and Aeyrin try to avoid Dawnstar as much as they can, due to the nightmares, but they do want to explore the area.

How bad could the dreams have been?

Once they sleep in Dawnstar, they remember very well how bad it was before. They agree not to sleep in the town again on their adventures. But in the morning, their morose mood gets interrupted by a stranger.

The man, Erandur, claims to be a priest of Mara who left two years ago, when this started, to find out how to stop this in the record halls of High Rock. He begs Aeyrin and Bishop for their help, promising explanations later. They reluctantly agree.

Erandur meets them in an old fort above the town. There is a magical barrier there and Erandur explains. He learned that this is a former place of a cult of Vaermina, holding a powerful artifact – the Skull of Corruption. Someone needs to enter a half-dream state – a realm on the far verge of Oblivion, connected to Nirn. That is the only way to pass the barrier and remove the Skull in order to stop the nightmares. He explains that those that enter will have their dreams manifested and since the two of them didn't spend much time in Dawnstar, there wouldn't be that many manifestations, as opposed to if the guards went. He also explains that the Vigilants, who are right around the corner, would not do this the right way and they would barge in with their spells, possibly ruining the only chance at getting inside the barrier and solving this.

After much convincing , Bishop and Aeyrin agree. They drink a strange mixture and enter the barrier. Their dreams do manifest, and among the many old dangers, such as Torban, Thorn, Ri'zhassa, or a strange shadow of Alduin, they also meet an ally.

Bishop gets to reunite with Jules again – at least the version from his dreams. Jules guides them through the fort, helps them in their tasks, and helps them uncover the truth – Erandur is a priest of Vaermina whose idea it was to use the Skull when this fort was invaded, causing the nightmares.

In the end, they cannot get to the Skull when their enemies guard it and Jules sacrifices himself, diverting their attention. Bishop has to say goodbye again.

But after some struggles, they remove the Skull and the effects stop. However, the memories of their dreams return, leaving them disturbed.

When they leave with the Skull, they find a note from Erandur. He apologizes for the lies and tries to convince them to leave the Skull there to rot. They know he would just come to recover it when they were gone.

They take the Skull to the Vigilants instead and the paladins go explore the temple.

When Bishop and Aeyrin return to Dawnstar, things are different. But people are hardly relieved. Everyone had a disturbing night even without Vaermina's involvement after all the dreams they suddenly remembered.

.

Jack's Cursed Rum Plotline

Chapters: LXX, LXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIV, CXXIII, CXXIV, CXXV, CXXVI (70, 71, 82, 83, 84, 123, 124, 125, 126)

While in Solitude, Bishop and Aeyrin run into a drunken sailor. Aeyrin insists on helping him because his leg is wounded, but he refuses to get healed – he wants to prove to his crewmen that he's cursed when he drinks his rum.

They take him to his ship to his crew instead, but on the way, Bishop steals some of the man's rum from a box he left down by the road. Once the sailor, Jack, is back on his ship, Bishop and Aeyrin promptly pop open two of the bottles to enjoy themselves.

When they are intent on leaving Solitude, they run into Jack again. He is grateful for their help and, since they are headed in the same direction, he offers to take them to Windhelm on his ship. They sail for a while until they encounter a storm and a dragon at the same time. The ordeal is touch and go, but they survive. With new friends and one more bottle of rum to boot.

After their ordeal in Morthal with the Dark Brotherhood (see Dark Brotherhood Plotline), Aeyrin and Bishop decide to celebrate their moment of peace with the last bottle of Jack's rum. After only a few rounds, they are much drunker than usual and they want to keep on drinking. Their memories only include strange random places, usually outside, before they both black out.

Bishop regains consciousness in the Temple of Dibella in Markarth. He is chewed out for stealing and he notices that his pockets are filled with gems. Confused and alone, he is thrown out of the temple. He goes to the inn, wondering where he'd been and how many days had passed, before he finds out that the reason he was looking for gems in the temple is that his ring for Aeyrin was stolen (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline). He is directed to Riverwood where some brutes were supposed to have stolen it.

After some altercations and investigation, Bishop finds out the ring was sold to Ysolda. Bishop is feeling especially guilty for having to do it, but he goes to rob Ysolda in the middle of the night to get his ring back. He almost gets caught, but in the end, he makes it out of Whiterun and he follows his next leads. In the end, he finds himself in a fort named Morvunskar with a strange portal inside it.

Aeyrin regains her consciousness in a bed, naked, with a strange man. While she panics about cheating on Bishop, she finds out that the man is dead. Then she panics about killing him.

Someone is coming to the room and she has to run. She runs away naked and only in a sheet wrapped around her, trying to find help in various sources. In the end, while she sneaks behind the houses in Winterhold where she is, she sees that the guards confirm there was no body in that bed. She has no idea what happened to that dead man.

After that, she sees Enthir and asks him for help. He seems reluctant and he proclaims that she owes him a goat. Aeyrin desperately tries to steal a goat and bring it to Enthir, but he says it's not the right one. Eventually, it turns out that Enthir made a dog look like a goat with illusion spells and Aeyrin happily gave that dog-goat to a giant so that it could make friends. Now Enthir needs the dog-goat back so as not to get beat up by its owner.

Aeyrin has no other avenues than to help make up for this and get the dog-goat back with Enthir. When they manage, she finds a note from Bishop telling her to go to Morvunskar. There she finds the same portal.

Bishop and Aeyrin find themselves in a strange rose garden where everyone is celebrating and enjoying themselves. A huge red-skinned, horned man sits there on a throne with an ever-overflowing cup of wine and a breathing giant rose in his hand. Other beings, similar to humans, walk around in strange clothes while the humans there only celebrate.

Aeyrin recognizes the dead man among the beings in strange clothes and questions him. The man, Sam, reveals that they had indeed drunk a bottle of rum that had Sanguine's nectar in it. They were challenged and played with and now that they made it to the garden, they could remain to celebrate.

Bishop and Aeyrin refuse to stay and feel uncomfortable until they can finally leave.

In the end, they find themselves back in Morvunskar with no portal in sight, only a hangover, and absolutely no memory of any of these events.

.

Markarth and Forsworn Plotline

Chapters: LII, LIV, LV, LVI, LVII, CXX, CXXXVI (52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 120, 136)

Oddly enough, ever since Aeyrin had the nasty run-in with Thongvor Silver Blood in the first book, their visits to Markarth are rather peaceful. They are very brief though. The Silver-Bloods make extra certain that Bishop and Aeyrin don't overstay their welcome.

They send their messenger to warn them not to meddle or stay too long and when they get arrested for getting tangled in a strange situation after encountering a summoned Daedric Prince in a basement of an abandoned house, the Silver-Bloods advocate releasing them so that they can leave the city.

The bounty on Aeyrin is not in effect anymore, but the Silver-Bloods are clearly still not excited about their presence in Markarth for some reason.

Bishop does send the Dark Brotherhood after Thongvor Silver-Blood though. He has no idea what that did (see Dark Brotherhood Plotline).

However, from Gaius's point of view, he knows that the Brotherhood came to confirm whether Thongvor called them and he said he didn't. But what that would mean for Bishop's tricks is still a mystery.

As for the Forsworn, after Aeyrin's encounter with the dragon and Robin and Anu outside of a noblewoman's estate in the Reach (see Paladins Plotline), she only sees one of them once. During one of the brief visits to Markarth, guards march a large group of prisoners into Cidhna Mine. There's many of them and all are Forsworn. It's clear that they were taken during a war skirmish. Aeyrin recognizes one of them as Anu.

.

Additional Information

In the first book, Aeyrin and Bishop have accepted a quest to retrieve the famed White Phial for the alchemist Nurelion, but they only managed to return it cracked. Now Quintus, Nurelion's apprentice, says he can fix it. He needs their assistance to get a special magical ice that never melts from the Throat of the World – nobody else has access. They agree, send the ice to Quintus and then get rewarded with the Phial itself. Nurelion passed shortly after he saw it fixed and Quintus wants it gone. He fills it with an invisibility potion for them. (Chapters CVI, CVII, CXXIX – 106, 107, 129)

When in Solitude, Queen Elisif asks Bishop and Aeyrin for a favor for the thaneship (see Civil War Plotline). She says there's a disturbance in the catacombs and her guards never returned after looking into it. She wants them to investigate. Bishop and Aeyrin find out that, when they interrupted the ritual in a cave to summon the old Queen Potema in the first book, something happened. Now Potema haunts the catacombs and builds an army of undead. They battle through her hordes and eventually, Bishop accidentally steps on a skull. It appears it was the skull that held Potema's spirit and now she's destroyed for good. (Chapters LXVIII, LXIX – 68, 69)

During Bishop and Aeyrin's separation (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), Aeyrin needs to blow off some steam after a fight. She comes across Shor's Stone, a mining village they had passed a few times before. The village seems odd and a person there eagerly offers her shelter. She's suspicious and finds out soon that these people are not miners – they have a skooma operation there. She decimates the operation and lets Karliah know about it so that she can repurpose the place for her operations without the skooma brewing. The village is thriving later under Karliah's and subsequently the Guild's management. (Chapter XVII, XXVIII, LXXXVIII, XCV – 17, 28, 88, 95)

During Bishop and Aeyrin's separation (see Aeyrin and Bishop's Relationship Plotline), Aeyrin comes across a group of Vigilants and their leader Vuaerion. They talk a while and she agrees to help them battle werewolves in a nearby cave. They are successful, but on the way forth, the group gets ambushed by Lost Knife bandits because of Aeyrin's bounty. She feels incredibly guilty when one of the Vigilants die in the battle, but she can't admit it was her fault. She does rely on Vuaerion as her contact in the Vigilants later when they report seeing a child vampire assassin (see Dark Brotherhood Plotline) or when they deliver the Skull of Corruption to them (see Dawnstar Plotline) (Chapters XVIII, XIX, XLIV, CV, – 18, 19, 44, 105)

During their visit to Morthal, Jarl Idgrod invites Bishop and Aeyrin to another lunch. She has another vision to discuss with them. She saw the dragon menace again, but this time, it was somewhat pushed aside by another urgent feeling – an eternal impenetrable darkness looming over the world. None of them have any idea what it could refer to, though Bishop suspects the Brotherhood a little, a lot of things don't add up. (Chapter CXVIII – 118)

Aeyrin's treasures:

A silver engagement ring with amber and onyx tears intertwined on it – discovered among Bishop's possessions on accident and after that, offered officially.

A silver ring with a carved wolf's head – originally given to Bishop by Jules. Bishop gave the ring to Aeyrin after telling her about his brother. The ring was stolen by Thorn during her capture, but Bishop retrieved it during their duel and subsequently gave it back to Aeyrin.

An amulet of Stendarr in Skyrim design – given to her by Vuaerion in her moment of soul-searching.

A white silk ribbon with golden threads for her hair – given to her by Bishop. Purchased as alibi to cover up for him purchasing an engagement ring.

A white fur cloak – purchased from Niranye in Windhelm to survive the awful weather.

Fancy clothes – from the Temple of Dibella with a big ruby in the shirt's cleavage. Very expensive.

Crystal armor – made in Markarth from ebony and crystals gathered in Blackreach. Very sturdy.

A book on Dragon language – used to decipher the Words from the Walls.

Books on Talos – given to Aeyrin by the Master of the temple of Talos. A little crumpled after Irkngthand, but legible.

Strange potions – retrieved from a barrow near Ivarstead. They make one look like a ghost.

A headband with an enchanted rose – given to Aeyrin by Casavir for the ball. Safely stored at Breezehome.

A bracelet with briars and the droplets of Dibella – given to Aeyrin by Cael after he had rescued her. A symbol of cooperation between their people. Safely stored at Breezehome.

A mask of a dragon priest – recovered after an exhausting battle upon escaping Raldbthar. Safely stored at Breezehome.

A broken but strangely powerful amulet – recovered from the ruins of Folgunthur in Hjaalmarch. Safely stored at Breezehome.

Bishop's treasures:

A silver ring with a carved dragon's head – given to him by Aeyrin as a symbol of the man he has become.

Dark leather armor reinforced with thin ebony plates – commissioned in Markarth after the Blackreach adventure.

A ring which muffles movement – given to him by Delphine for the embassy infiltration.

A ring which allows one to breathe underwater – given to him and Aeyrin by J'zargo as an apology for his faulty scrolls.

The white phial holding an invisibility concoction – given to him by Quintus after he helped so much with it.

A pardon for his banishment from Haafingar and Skyrim – given to him by Queen Elisif. A little smudged after almost drowning in Irkngthand.

A pardon for his banishment from Falkreath – earned by Aeyrin from Jarl Siddgeir.

A deed to the cottage in the Rift. Hidden in that very cottage.

A key to the cottage in the Rift.

Three Dwemer traps with poisoned darts. One is currently securing the cottage in the Rift.

Scars:

Aeyrin has an old scar on her left thigh – four claw-marks. It was made by Ri'zhassa when she was little and didn't have the money or the presence of mind to get healed. She likes to keep it as a reminder of what some people are capable of. The scars were renewed by Thorn, but healed to their original state. She also has small burn marks on the back of her hip after Blackreach. A tip of her right ear is missing, cut off by Thorn.

Bishop's scars are all over his body after various battles and Torban's and Thorn's torments, but new ones joined them, despite him traveling with a healer. Ha was left with some new burn marks all over his back and one on his thigh from Blackreach. More prominently though, during the Falkreath Plotline, he earned a brand on his right shoulder blade that says 'Bandit scum', plainly visible to anyone when he has his shirt off.

Aeyrin's Shouts:

FAAS, FEIM, FO KRAH, FUS RO DAH, GAAN, IIZ, KAAN DREM, KRII LUN, LOK VAH KOOR, STRUN, SU, TIID KLO, WULD, YOL TOOR, ZUL MEY GUT

---

Some of the smaller plotlines are not included, either because they are generally finished or because they are not mentioned very much further on. You will, of course, undoubtedly come across references in the third book which cannot be understood by just reading the summaries, but they should be sufficient for some reminders :) You can, of course, just re-read the second book or the series for the best effect if you don't recall all the plotlines :D I did put a lot of work and a lot of love into it :3

In any case, I hope this little guide was helpful. If any of you can think of any important information that is missing, please let me know.

Otherwise, see you in the third book. Very soon ;)