Chapter 38: Hamvir - the skyshards

[4th – 6th of Midyear 4E 202]

The three archaeologists, Daeril, Irene, Antonius and I had started to explore the underground area below Hamvir's Rest, and it had turned out that the upper section was of Ayleid origin, whereas lower parts were clearly Dwemer. Together with the three mage brothers who had joined us, we had had to solve a complicated puzzle to get access to the lower sections, and we had found fascinating books and notes as well as various ore veins. The area had been guarded by a particularly powerful Dwemer centurion, which Mila Reiche, one of the archaeologists, had been calling a Forgemaster.

When we had discussed options to return later and make use of the area, I recalled that I had earlier, while exploring one of the smaller passages, found three large crystals, which looked like skyshards, and I told the others about it.

"How would you know that you actually found skyshards?" Hulbert Carter wanted to know.

"Not sure, but I must have read a book mentioning those crystals, and they look like it."

"Do you mind showing me where you saw them?"

"No, not at all – please follow me."

I led the way, and while the others decided to rest for the moment, Hulbert and Helvius came with me; five minutes later stood in the small room with the glowing and buzzing crystals.

"Incredible!" Hulbert exclaimed. "This is, as far as I can tell, indeed skyshards, and three of them together!"

"So, you know something about them, like what they are and where they come from?"

"Well, a little bit at least, for sure not everything. Some scholars believe that they fall down from the sky sometimes, as the name suggests."

"Interesting. Like meteorites?"

"Fancy that you mention that word, as some scholars call them 'meteoric glass'. What do you know about it, my friend?"

Indeed, what did I know about it? How could I explain that I knew what a meteorite was? I should have been less quick with mentioning such a term, but now I had to think about a proper response. All right, I had called myself a scholar before, so what was the problem:

"I know that some people believe that there are various objects around in space outside of Nirn, some of them pretty close and some of them far away, like between the stars. Sometimes one of those objects gets too close to Nirn and falls down to the ground; such an objects is called a meteorite. I had assumed that most of them are like stone objects, but maybe some are actually crystals."

"That seems to fit what we know, too. In one of the articles I read the author stated: 'Like other aetherial fragments, Sky Prisms fall to Nirn from Aetherius through the stars, although only during specific lunar alignments. As they fall, the Prisms can be seen splitting into three shards.' Got to admit that I don't understand all of that, but the skyshards are obviously reality, aren't they?"

"Indeed they are, and actually I have found one of them before."

"Really? Was the other one also underground?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact it was. That doesn't make sense, right? If they are meteorites, shouldn't they all be on open ground?"

"Excellent point, specifically when seeing three of them together, like here."

"Maybe some people collected them and decided to hide them in a cave or so?" I suggested. "I'm not sure if they can actually be moved, but I haven't tried yet. But, do you happen to know what such a skyshard is actually good for?"

That was, naturally, something I would like to learn about. In the game mod they had mostly been decorative, and after touching three of them the player got an additional perk point, if I remembered this correctly. Did they have any purpose in real Tamriel? It appeared that the archaeologist did not know that, as he responded:

"No, I don't, I only heard rumors."

"Such as?"

"One source claims that 'absorbing the power of even a single skyshard allows a Soul Shriven to be re-attuned to Anuic magic and thus return to Nirn from Oblivion'."

"Seriously? But what are the 'Soul Shriven'?"

"That I do not know. I'm an archaeologist, and not a walking knowledge base. However, I have heard that the Ayleids were known to harness skyshards in some way. Above and beyond that, I know that my people, the Bretons, sometimes incorporate skyshard slivers in the hilts of their swords, if they can get their hands on any. What this is good for, eludes me though."

That was interesting information. Once we had all touched one or all of the crystals, we returned to the central area, with many questions remaining unanswered. There was agreement, though, that we'd all – eventually – want to learn more about skyshards. For now, we were all somewhat exhausted, and we decided to make camp close to the forge area. Hanni and Nanni were going to alert us if some danger approached, but we were reasonably certain that this was not going to happen.

After breakfast on the next day, we packed some of the scrap metal into our backpacks, the archaeologists made sure that they had collected the relevant books and notes, and then we made our way back to the obelisk and the side passage to the lift. The platform was conveniently down here, and when the lever in the center of the platform was shifted, a rumbling was heard and the platform started to rise slowly. The ride took some considerable time, and while we were under way, Irene spoke:

"We talked about Ayleids yesterday, and it was mentioned that they were not known to have ever lived in Skyrim, right?"

"This is correct, lady" Helvius replied.

"So, some diaries from one of my ancestors, Atkynd, mention that he indeed met Ayleids in or around Falkreath."

"There are diaries about that? Really? But if he met Ayleids, that must have been quite old diaries, like from the First Era, right?"

"Indeed, yes. Our family does not usually allow outsiders to read them, but I know for sure that Ayleids were mentioned in southern Skyrim; if they were in Falkreath, they may have explored further north, too, like here."

"I have never heard about that, young lady" Helvius replied, with a glint in his eyes. "However, based on what we have found here so far, this seems to make sense. The more I find and learn here, the more I am convinced that opening a branch of the Archaeology Guild in Skyrim is a very good idea and overdue. We may not have picked the perfect time, with the Civil War and all, but we will do our best."

Finally the lift stopped, but we had not reached the top yet. Instead, it looked like we had arrived at some kind of intermediate station, and there was a single wide passage leading off. We looked at each other and were just discussing the question of either proceeding upwards or exploring the station, when the question was answered for us. A couple of doors in the corridor opened, and a swarm of Dwemer spheres and spiders appeared. Apparently there was an additional defense mechanism against any enemies gaining access of the lift without being authorized. Fortunately we were a good team by now and reacted quickly, mostly using magic; the three mage brothers once again turned out to be invaluable, although Ennic's frost atronach was unable to damage the automatons; however, at least the big atronach served as a walking barrier, helping to protect us. Mostly due to the mage brothers, Irene, and Daeril, we were able to defeat the automaton swarm without great difficulty.

After a quick rest and treating of minor injuries, we were able to make the lift going further up, and it finally reached the top and came to a stop; we welcomed the daylight around us. As usual for the top section of Dwemer lifts, we were in some kind of stone building, but a lever at the wall allowed us to open a metal gate and step outside. We looked around and saw snow and rock around us, but at least a narrow path started here and showed a way down. We still did not know exactly where we were and thus just followed the path, which ended in a narrow gorge about twenty minutes later. The end of the gorge seemed to be a thick bush, but surprisingly there was way through and into the open. From the other side, the path was not visible, and it looked like the bush was just growing along a rock wall; the path was, either naturally or intentionally, very well hidden, and I absolutely could not recall such a location from playing the game. Anyway, as we had the rock wall behind us and open area ahead, Antonius, who knew the hold very well, nodded and told us:

"I know where we are. This ledge here is about halfway between 'Hamvir's Rest' and 'Silent Moons Camp', but further north than the direct line between those two locations. I have actually been up here once, but had no idea that there was a path between the bushes."

"There seems to be a path leading north down there" I mentioned. "Do you know where it leads to?"

"I believe I do, as north of here you'll find Labyrinthian."

I shuddered when hearing that word, recalling a fascinating, but dangerous quest in the game, and Helvius wanted to know more:

"Labyrinthian? What is this place?"

"I am not really sure, but I have heard that it might be the ruins of an ancient Nord city" my housecarl replied. "There would be a nice shortcut between Whiterun and Morthal, if it wasn't for all of the dangers lurking there."

"Such as?"

"Quite a few frost trolls, at least, and plenty of evil magic inside. Not only that, but recently at least one dragon has been sighted in the area, too. Few people dare to pass the area and come back alive."

I turned around and looked to the south, and the others did so as well.

"Just planing ahead", Helvius asked, "do you think that the trail is wide enough for a cart?"

"Oh, I see" my housecarl replied. "No, I don't think so, but from here on it is. We can follow the trail downwards from here on, and we should be able to get to the road close to Dustman's Cairn eventually."

"But we'd be back in Whiterun much faster by going across the tundra, right?"

"Yes, indeed" Antonius confirmed; "that's for sure."

"Can we take the path to the road anyway, please?" the archaeologist requested. "I'd like to see how well it might be suited for carts; eventually we'd want to transport some ore. Even if we don't get any further insight into the Dwemer secrets, the place where we come from does at least have plenty of ore of all known types."

This made sense, and we quickly agreed on that. Our internal clock had been mostly right, but it was already long past noon now. We had originally hoped to be able to reach the Western Watchtower before the end of the day, but all of the exploring and fighting had also made us tired and exhausted. Thus, when we were about to pass a nice place with a small pond fed from a narrow clear creek with some trees, grass and rocks around, we spontaneously decided to call it a day and rest here for the night. We still had some food with us, but no fresh meat any longer, and I knew that Hanni and Nanni needed to feed. I sent them off to hunt together with Spirit, while I stepped on the largest rock. From there, I was able to locate a small herd of elk not too far away, and I managed to hit one of the smaller animals fatally with a crossbow bolt. While the archaeologists and the mages set up the camp and started a campfire, Antonius, Daeril and I went to pick up my kill, and we met my saber cats there, who had apparently decided they also wanted their share from that kill instead of hunting their own. That was fine for me; the Imperial and the Dunmer started the skinning work, while I stood guard. A couple of times a lone wolf approached, maybe a scout, but loud growling from my saber cats scared it off.

Half an hour later we had the best pieces back at the camp, and Hanni and Nanni had large bones with lots of meat on them, chewing happily. We humans had to wait, as we all preferred our meat not to be raw; while we waited and also had a mix of vegetables brewing on the fire, some of us told short stories from their lives. I started by offering the story of how I had found Hanni and Nanni and how we had grown to like each other. Ennac asked:

"But, when you found them, you could not have known that this really worked, raising them and having them so close to you."

"No, indeed not. I was not even sure if they'd survive without their mother. I tried to feed them a lot of milk, whenever I got a chance, and soon they started to hunt on their own."

"That's one of the reasons why I am proud to call my Thane a milk drinker!" Antoninus smirked.

"Yes, and I'd be the first to admit that without hesitation."

While I cuddled my saber cats, Daeril was next and had some report on his homeland:

"After the latest eruption of the Red Mountain almost two hundred years ago, some parts of Morrowind, in particular most of the island of Vvardenfell, has been no longer inhabitable."

"You are from Morrowind?" Helvius asked.

"I was born in Skyrim, and my own ancestors came here already before that eruption, but many Dunmer attempted to survive in their homelands somehow. Some remote relatives only came here a few years ago, first arriving in Windhelm."

"That must have been tough, with the attitude people in Windhelm used to show." I chimed in.

"Yes, indeed so, but fortunately, that has improved."

"It has, indeed, and I am glad that I was able to see that with my own eyes."

"You were in Windhelm?"

"Two times already, and during my longer visit in Morning Star of this year, I could see that the situation is improving for the Dunmer in Windhelm; I was there when Brunwulf Free-Winter was made a Thane of Eastmarch, and was also there when the alliance between Whiterun and the Stormcloaks was signed. I happen to know that equal treatment of all races is part of that alliance contract."

The Dunmer nodded and said:

"Indeed, and it seems that most Nords have come to accept that by now, even though they might just realize that they need us in order to get a chance to defeat Tullius' forces."

"Right, this might be one of the main reasons, but it is progress nonetheless."

Helvius Schliemann interrupted us now:

"Excuse me, but I am curious about that Red Mountain you mentioned. This is that big volcano, isn't it? The one which originally had a large Dwemer settlement close by?"

"Yes, indeed. People interested in the history of Morrowind know that it was once a place where Dwemer settled, and according to some sources a part of today's Morrowind was actually once called Dwemereth."

"Yes, I have heard of that" Helvius nodded and replied. "As a matter of fact, another group of archaeologists has started to move towards Morrowind, and they will try to find out if any traces are left from the old Dwemer places there."

"They should be able to find something. After all, I vaguely recall that I read something in a book like 'Vvardenfell is almost cluttered with Dwarven ruins poking through the surface of the landscape'. I am not sure about the precise wording, but I have seen some of those with my own yes, during some of my trips back home."

"Fascinating! Maybe you read the same book I have? 'Dwemer Inquiries Their Architecture and Civilization' by the scholar Thelwe Ghelein?"

"I don't recall title and author, sorry."

"Anyway, one passage in that book claims: 'The construction of those ruins is fundamentally different from the majority of what I've observed elsewhere. Furthermore, as we delve into Vvardenfell ruins, we notice that their internal structure is quite different. While major civic and operational chambers are found near the surface in a Vvardenfell Ruin, that is not typically the case on the mainland. Minor passageways and storehouse rooms are near the surface, but more important locations do not occur until we explore much deeper.' That makes my colleagues believe that digging there, and digging deep, may be quite interesting."

Helvius was about to talk more about that, but our meal was now ready, so that we focused on that now. Afterwards, we discussed guards and decided to not skip them here in the open tundra, and as I usually did, I volunteered for the last watch. While I got down on my bedroll, I still heard Helvius talking to his fellow archaeologists, and I understood something about a 'distinct possibility that undisturbed Dwarven archaeological sites exist throughout Tamriel, even in southern areas like Cyrodiil or Black Marsh, where Dwarves are not believed to have ever had a significant presence'. While this was interesting, I was tired, and soon I fell asleep, with one of my saber cats right next to me.

Nothing important happened during the night, and during my watch I happily observed the first traces of light showing up on the horizon. I had also hoped to see some polar lights again, but this had not happened, maybe because the night sky had not been dark enough during this time of the year. I had Hanni and Nanni sitting close to me and scratched their necks and shoulders while I watched the sky changing color and the sun finally coming up, and I really enjoyed this. Of course, having a loving female person next to me would have been even better, but Ferwen had been somewhat distant recently; maybe I should really ask her out on a date?

I got out of my musing when I decided that it was time to wake up the others and prepare breakfast. After eating and doing our morning chores we lifted our packs again and started to move southwest, on a barely visible trail. As Antonius had estimated, we managed to find the old road leading towards Fort Greymoor, but further south than he had expected, much closer to Redoran's Retreat than to Dustman's Cairn. The trail so far had been worn, narrow and in most places just barely visible, but carts should be able to travel along it without too much trouble. Now, on the road, we walked faster, and the three mage brothers had decided to come with us, too; they had left home to find adventures, and adventures they had found; they expected to find more by sticking around us. West of us I saw the rocks with the entrance to Redoran's Retreat behind them, and I smiled when I thought about one of the first tasks I had done after joining the Companions, as a whelp together with Farkas.

Naturally, with our large group of people, we did not have to pay much attention to dangerous animals. Smaller wolf packs did not dare to approach, and a lone saber cat which came close was killed very quickly by the mages before I had a chance to use my 'KAAN' shout. Further northeast we could see a dragon circling in the distance, but likely too far off to notice us. We did not feel an urge to call the creature's attention to us, and the flying beast also seemed to have other plans than to approach and bother us. Nevertheless I stopped for a couple of minutes just to admire the dragon from afar; those magnificent animals were so special, and felt sad about the need to fight and kill some of them at occasion; it would be some much better to befriend them, but I did not know if this was possible. Most likely, having dragon as friends or at least neutral partners was only going to happen after Fiona had defeated Alduin.

Turning away from the dragon which vanished behind a mountain peak, I hurried to catch up with my companions. After we had crossed the bridge across a small creek, or more precisely a series of ponds connected by creeks, we stopped for a late lunch, and just when we started to move on half an hour later, there was some fighting noise in the distance. Fort Greymoor was already visible, and my eyes could see people moving around there; occasionally sun rays reflected on some metal armor or weapons, too, and there were clear signs that some kind of fighting was going on. What was happening? The fort was usually claimed by bandits, and once or twice I had pointed out to Jarl Balgruuf that the strategic position the fort was on might warrant keeping it occupied by hold guards. With Whiterun being neutral for so long, though, the Jarl had not been inclined to actually do this. Had his view changed or were there maybe two different bandit gangs fighting against each other?

[Author's Notes: The next chapter will tell what's going on at the fort.]