We approached cautiously, and as soon as we were within easy speaking distance, the figure turned toward us and beckoned. In a kind voice, he said, "Come forward. You have nothing to fear here."

"What's that?" Serana murmured warily, eyeing the altar, "I can feel some kind of power from it…"

"I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor. Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El," he greeted us. To my amazement, his skin was pale to the point of near translucency, akin to the Falmer we had fought in Alftand. But where the Falmer had been bent, and twisted creatures without eyes, this elf stood straight and tall, with pale green eyes, wearing light gray armor of a type I had never seen before.

I looked around, then back at him, "This cave is a temple to Auriel?"

He nodded, "Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh... so many different names for the sovereign of the snow elves."

"Snow elves?" Serana asked, sounding dubious, "You're a Falmer?"

"I prefer snow elf," he corrected her politely. "The name 'Falmer' usually holds a negative meaning to most travelers. Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."

"But of course, you're not here to reminisce about my people. You're here for Auriel's Bow. Why else would you be here?" He spread his hands to encompass the darkness of the cave behind us, and the broken-down remains of the building behind him. "I can help you get it, but first I must ask for your aid."

"No surprise there," Serana murmured. Then she startled and asked in a more normal voice, "Wait, how did you know that's what we're here for?"

He smiled at her, a little sadly. "For the thousands of years I've served as the Chantry's sentinel, there hasn't been a single visitor here for any other reason. They request Auriel's Bow, and I request their assistance. It's been repeated so many times, I can't imagine it any other way."

"So, many people have come here, and all have failed to retrieve the bow," I said, unhappy at the thought of our chances. "Okay, what type of help do you need?" I asked, wary of agreeing without knowing what I was agreeing to.

"I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur... my brother."

I gaped at him, "Uhhh, kill your brother? Why?"

"The kinship between us is gone. I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew." His pale shoulders slumped sadly, "I suspect it was the Betrayed... they did something to him." His voice grew soft as he added, more to himself than us, "I just don't know why Auri-El would allow this to happen."

I blinked for a moment then said, "What exactly did the Betrayed do?"

"They swept into the Chantry without warning and began killing everyone without pause." He explained, "The Chantry was a place of peaceful worship, so many of us who were there were not equipped to fight back."

I nodded slowly, the screams of my fellow villagers echoing in my ears for a moment before I pushed the memories away.

"I led a small group of paladins, but we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone and stormed the Inner Sanctum, where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur," Gelebor concluded.

"If they came in and started killing everyone, how can you be sure that he's even alive?" I asked, gently, kindly; trying to test the waters to see if he was aware of the possibility.

"He's alive," Gelebor responded firmly, "I've seen him. But something's wrong. He never looks as though he's in pain or under duress. He just... stands there and watches, as though waiting. He... He shows no signs of the mer he once was; like something inside him has drastically changed."

I paused and then asked, "Like he's under a spell?"

The knight-paladin nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly my friend. Exactly!"

I crossed my arms, fingers drumming. "Have you tried getting into the Inner Sanctum?"

He shook his head, "Leaving the wayshrines unguarded is a grave risk. If I do not leave without a truly good reason, I would be violating my sacred duty as a Knight-Paladin of Auriel. As it is, I have only a gut feeling. A lone assault on the Betrayed guarding the Inner Sanctum would only end with my death."

"I know of at least two spells that could have taken hold of your brother," I allowed. "But one of them seems unlikely, considering the source of the spell. And the other? Well, Serana and I can see if it can be broken. If it is something else, we may still have to kill him to take the bow. Keep in mind that I would rather choose another option if possible."

To my surprise, Gelebor's eyes turned misty, "If you can return my brother to me, then please do so. We are the only survivors of our race. But if you have no choice, then do what must be done."

I nodded solemnly and let the paladin take a few breaths to recover himself before asking, "You mentioned a wayshrine?"

"Yes, let me show you."

The knight-paladin turned toward the collapsed roof and cast a spell of golden light. There was a magical chime, and the sun on the roof flashed. There was a soft whirring sound of hidden machinery, a six-sided gazebo rose out of the shaft it had been concealed in. Peering inside, I could see an empty basin in the middle.

"So this is snow elf magic," Serana said with delight. "Incredible."

"This structure is known as a wayshrine," the snow elf explained. "They were used for meditation and transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our Initiates."

"What's that basin in the center signify?" I asked curiously.

"Once the Initiate completed his mantras, he or she would dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin and then proceed to the next wayshrine."

Serana sounded amused, "So these Initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water. Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?"

Gelebor spread his hands, "Well, once the initiate's enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would allow him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

"All that, just to end up dumping it out?" Serana snorted, "Makes no sense to me."

Gelebor sounded a smidge peeved, "It's symbolic. The simplest explanation would be an understanding of the weight of knowledge, and the responsibility of continuing to learn more. Only when one has truly obtained enlightenment, could the initiate be wise enough to share their knowledge with others."

Serana put a hand on her hip and tilted her head, "So let's get this straight... We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, so we can confront your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

"I know how it all sounds, but if there was another way I'd have done it long ago." Gelebor sighed and turned to me. "The only way to get to my brother is by following in the initiates' footsteps and traveling from wayshrine to wayshrine just as they did. The first lies at the end of Darkfall Passage: a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment."

"Okay, how many more wayshrines are there?" I asked.

"There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry."

I thought about the tunnels we had just come through, and tried to imagine five more scattered through a system of caves. "By Stendarr, these caves must be massive."

"Caves? Oh, no. The Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you'll soon discover. But before I send you on your way, you'll need the Initiate's Ewer." He handed me an ornate silver jug.

"So I need to fill this in each wayshrine?" I asked, rearranging my pack to make room for it.

"Once you've located a wayshrine, there will be a spectral prelate tending to it. They will allow you to draw the waters from the shrine's basin as if you've been enlightened."

My eyebrows hiked upwards; "Spectral prelates?"

"They're ghosts of the snow elf priests that tended the wayshrines before the Betrayed attacked," Gelebor explained. "Through the grace of Auri-El, they were restored to their spectral form to enable them to continue their duties."

"Will they be able to help us?"

He shook his head regretfully, "I'm afraid in their current form, they still believe the Chantry to be an active center of worship. They won't respond to you in any way other than believing that you're an Initiate and you're undertaking the journey to the Inner Sanctum."

"I guess we'll be off then," I got the ewer safely tucked into place and put my bag back on. "We'll do what we can for your brother."

"Then all I can do now is grant you my hopes for a safe journey." He inclined his head respectfully, his eyes wistful as he watched us step into the wayshrine. A shimmering portal into the darkness filled one wall, and we stepped through it.