Action, adventure and humor as only Ada can deliver. Thanks Helena, and wonderful as always!

Haven't posted any screenshots recently...

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/ecucej/MGEScreenshot012.jpg?t=1267637955
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/ecucej/MGEScreenshot015.jpg?t=1267638033
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/ecucej/MGEScreenshot014.jpg?t=1267638072

Mysteriously, fight #3 looks a little "rigged" - ROFL !!!

There won't be a faction with a standing member when you get through


O boy. OH BOY. OOOOOH boy....


I suggest the ladies beware when members stand!!! :hubbahubba:

Helena's last post was beauty enough, but Malxi, your post .... PRICELESS!!!

ROFL! Leave it to Foxy to see...standing members...er...when I was talking about...er...standing members? :rofl:

And then, just when everything seemed hopeless, an idea came to me. A truly evil, sneaky, underhanded, blasphemous idea


No.

A truly sneaky, brilliant, jawdropping, typical Helena idea.

:clap:

Nice chapter and screens, Helena

Cute...

That was actually one of the things I did on my first playthrough. I'd got so used to abusing the Levitation enchantment from Vivec's shrine that I didn't care what a game-breaker it was.

Chapter 32: You Don't Have To Be Mad To Live Here?

Athyn had made things clear enough: to gain his support I had to prove that I was a Responsible advlt, not a stroppy vase-throwing brat. And the first step on that path, I thought, was to face up to my responsibilities as Knight of the Imperial Dragon. Frankly I found the whole idea a bit terrifying, but having so thoroughly made my own bed, I didn't have much choice but to lie on it.

I went to Ebonheart to seek a special audience with Duke Dren. To my enormous relief, he quickly made it clear that this was pretty much a figurehead position. As long as I checked in with him and the Imperial high-ups every now and then, I was quite free to leave the real work up to everyone else (I always suspected that most high-ranking jobs were like that).

And to think people back home used to say I'd never amount to anything. If they could see me now, eh?

Since the next phase of my stronghold wasn't finished yet, I decided to get cracking with the Hortator business ? it was about time, after all. Although I knew the Telvanni would probably be the most difficult to persuade, I just couldn't bring myself to face Crassius Curio right now, so I finally decided to visit Master Aryon in Tel Vos. Luckily I'd set a Mark near the town earlier on, so I could travel there instantly instead of spending days cooped up in a boat. (Well, almost instantly ? it was still taking me well over a minute to actually cast the Recall spell.)

I'd hoped that Aryon's newfangled Western-style castle might include modern design innovations such as 'stairs', but no such luck. His private quarters were still in a mushroom pod that could only be reached by levitation. I hid in an alcove to change into Peakstar's scuzzy pants, hoping Aryon wouldn't be put off by my appalling fashion sense, then levitated up to his chambers. I was rather surprised to be met by an Imperial in heavy Western-style armour.

"Welcome to Tel Vos," he said, without missing a beat. "I'm Turedus Talanian, chief of Master Aryon's mercenary guard? and from the looks of you, adventuring is your trade. Maybe you'd be interested in a little work?"

"Possibly," I said cautiously. "But first I need to see Master Aryon on a very important matter of business."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your name?"

"Ada Ventura."

"And do you know Master Aryon?"

"No? but it's possible he may have heard of me," I said, remembering the Fighters' Guild jobs I'd done near to Vos. "Please could you tell him that I'd like to speak to him, if he's not too busy?"

Talanian looked skeptical, but headed upstairs to speak to Aryon, returning a minute later. "All right, he'll see you. Go on up."

I made my way up the winding staircase to Master Aryon's chamber. He sat on a throne-like seat and was absorbed in a book, but laid it down on his lap as soon as I approached. For a few uncomfortable seconds he looked me over with detached interest, the way you might look at a museum exhibit or a piece of pottery.

Aryon was another of those Dunmer who seemed strangely ageless. He wasn't young exactly, and yet he certainly looked a lot younger than Divayth Fyr. The smile he gave me was friendly, but slightly cryptic, giving the impression that he knew something I didn't. It made me a bit suspicious of him.

"Ah yes. Sera Ventura." He spoke flawless, near-accentless Tamrielic. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last. I assume you've come here because you wish to be the Telvanni Hortator?"

My heart skipped a beat. "How ? "

"Oh, quite easily," he interrupted. "I know of you by reputation, of course. The rising star of House Redoran. The scourge of the Fighters' Guild? or certain elements within the Guild, at least. And ? correct me if I'm wrong ? the new Knight of the Imperial Dragon?"

Good gods, how had a reclusive Telvanni wizard out in the Grazelands got to hear about that so quickly? Either he could read minds ? and I wouldn't rule anything out where the Telvanni were concerned ? or he had really good spies in the main cities. "You've been creating quite a stir in Vvardenfell," he went on. "Combine that with the rumours of a reborn Nerevar amongst the Ashlanders, and? well." He smiled. "It's not difficult to 'put two and two together', as you Cyrodiils say."

Realising I was still gaping at him, I picked my jaw up off the floor with an effort. "Perhaps I'd better tell you the whole story?"

"Yes, I think perhaps you had."

So I told him. He listened carefully as I ran through my story, just as I'd done with Athyn Sarethi, and showed him the Moon-and-Star. At first his expression showed nothing but faint amusemant, but by the time I finished he was looking genuinely interested.

"Yes, I understand," he said at last. "You are willing to take the responsibility, and I am willing to vote for you as Hortator."

"Really?" I hadn't expected him to agree this easily.

"Yes, really. And I think the other Telvanni councillors will also cooperate, though some might need a little? persuading." He leaned back in his chair, musing out loud. "Master Neloth is ill-tempered, and Mistress Therana is losing her mind. You are not a male, so Mistress Dratha will like you. Archmagister Gothren is another problem ? he will not refuse you directly, but will delay indefinitely. I recommend that you kill Gothren."

My mouth dropped open. Aryon's face broke into a smile. "I'll tell you plainly: I stand to gain if Archmagister Gothren dies. I say this so you won't think I'm trying to trick you, but my advice is still good. Gothren won't name you Hortator, but he'll never come out and say so. And in House Telvanni it is customary to settle disputes in this manner."

Once again I found myself thanking the Divines that I hadn't joined House Telvanni. "We'll see," I said at last. "So? you're really prepared to support me as Hortator?"

"As I said."

I looked at him through narrowed eyes. "I want it in writing."

"Ah, a true Imperial," he said with a sigh. "Very well, give me a moment."

He scribbled a short note on a piece of paper and signed his name to it with a flourish. "Will this satisfy you?"

I still wasn't sure whether I could trust Aryon, but from what I could see, his declaration seemed pretty watertight. I couldn't see any way he could wriggle out of it ? but then again, if he planned to do that, he'd probably find a way to do it anyway. And I had to admit that he'd been pretty helpful.

"It's fine," I said. "Thank you for your help, Master Aryon. I hope you're wrong about Gothren."

"I believe I may know him better than you do," he said with a shrug. "But we shall see."

As I was leaving, Captain Talanian came up to speak to me. "I hope your meeting with Master Aryon was productive," he said politely. I nodded. "Now, about that work? would you happen to be visiting the Zainab Ashlander camp in the near future?"

"Er, yes, at some point."

"Then perhaps you'd able to help us? We've been trying to establish trade links with the Zainab. I'll pay you 100 drakes to visit the camp and find out what goods the tribe would be interested in trading for."

100 drakes wasn't much, but I guessed this was his way of asking payment for Aryon's little 'favour'. "Of course," I said immediately, getting out my journal. "I'm not sure exactly when I'll be visiting the camp, but I'll definitely speak to them about it."

"Good," he said. "But remember, dealing with the Zainab is tricky. You'll need sharp wits, a silver tongue, and a good knowledge of the Ashlanders." Now he told me?

My next point of call was Tel Mora, just across the water. This was the home of Mistress Dratha, the oldest living Telvanni councillor. There were rumours that she kept herself alive through the necromantic arts, and when I saw her, I could certainly see why. She looked so old and shrivelled-up that I could have taken her for a walking corpse herself.

"Are you the new serving girl?" she asked, as soon as I entered the room. I shook my head. "No? Who are you, then?"

"My name is Ada Ventura, sera." I took a deep breath. "I've come to ask you to support me as Telvanni Hortator."

She frowned. "Are you a Telvanni? You don't look like one."

"I'm afraid not," I admitted. "I'm actually a Redoran."

"Then what makes you think I'd be willing to name you Hortator? I don't appreciate having my time wasted."

"Well, it's a bit of a long story." I paused. "I don't suppose you'd happen to have half an hour to spare?"

"No, I don't."

"Okay. Well, in that case" ? I began to pull off my left gauntlet ? "perhaps I should just show you this."

"By Azura. Is that??" For the first time I saw a spark of interest in her eyes. "Yes, I believe it is. Well." She shook her head. "It seems there is something to you after all, Ada Ventura. Perhaps you'd like to tell me just how you got hold of that ring?"

Like Aryon, she listened to my story with rapt attention. I had to say this for the Telvanni: they might be a bit crazy, but they were at least open-minded. Most people would have dismissed me as a lunatic before I'd even finished speaking the word 'Hortator'.

"Hmm," she said, when I was done. "So there's something to those old prophecies after all? Pig-headed Battlemages don't pay attention to Lady Azura's portents as they should." She shook her head, cackling wheezily. "And you are the foretold Nerevarine? Quite a shock to those mallet-headed House Fathers, eh? Nerevar comes back... as a woman? Haw!" I decided I rather liked Mistress Dratha.

"Certainly," she continued. "I'm quite happy to name you Hortator. Here. Take these scrolls with you. Never know when they'll come in handy."

She gave me four scrolls that could be used to summon a Golden Saint from Oblivion. I was pretty impressed, I had to admit. I usually avoid summoning Daedra ? there's no telling when the damn things might turn on you ? but there was no denying that a few Golden Saint allies could come in very useful in a fight.

I was a little nervous about asking for her signature, but she signed her name to Aryon's declaration very happily. "I just wish I could see Berel Sala's face when he hears that you have been named Hortator by all three Great Houses," she chuckled. "The captain of the Watch, I mean. I'm confident that you can earn the votes of the other councillors... well, except maybe Gothren. Someone ought to 'retire' him quietly."

Dislike of Gothren seemed to be a common theme among the other Telvanni councillors. I wondered why they didn't just band together to get rid of him, until I realised they probably all hated each other nearly as much.

Pleased with the day's work, I decided to stay in Tel Mora for the night. I rented a room at the local inn and spent the rest of the day exploring the village, admiring the bizarre architecture and the strange crab-shell helmets worn by the guards. I'd begun to notice that each of the Great Houses had their own fashions: they all wore bonemold armour, for instance, but the styles were distinctively different. In terms of clothing, the Redorans preferred loose robes of silk or satin in rich colours, while the Telvanni went for enchanted robes and Hlaalu clothes were closer to the Western style.

Sleeping inside one of those buildings was a slightly weird experience, but not as bad as I'd expected. Apart from a slightly musty smell ? one you get used to if you live in a mushroom, I suppose ? the room was quite comfortable, though I did spend a few seconds wondering where the hell I was when I woke up next morning. I was planning to go and visit the other Telvanni councillors that day, but then I realised that as the Ahemmusa camp was nearby, this would be a good time to visit them and ask them to declare me Nerevarine.

I might have known things wouldn't be as simple as that. As soon as I got near the camp, I was accosted by a very elderly woman wearing a magnificent feather headdress. "Stranger!" she called. "Stop! I believe you are the one I have seen in my dreams and visions."

All I could think was 'oh no, not again'. "Are you the wise woman of this tribe, by any chance?" I asked.

She nodded. "I am a wise woman, yes? but you must listen to me. The past seven nights, I have had dreams of a White Guar, sent by the gods to help my tribe. We have been suffering greatly from disease, and none of my magic will cure the ailment. Find this White Guar for us, stranger, and let it lead you to a new hope for my people."

A white guar? I'd never even heard of anything like that before. I wasn't quite as skeptical of 'dreams and visions' as I used to be, but this woman still seemed pretty unbalanced.

"Well, I guess I could try," I said uncertainly, "but wouldn't it be easier if I just walked to town and bought you some potions?"

"Potions?" She frowned, then shook her head. "Only the Guar can help us."

"No, seriously," I said. "I've plenty of money ? I can bring you all the cure potions you like. As a gift," I added, remembering how much the Ashlanders liked gifts.

She shook her head impatiently. "No! The White Guar must be found."

Oh, sod this. I'd hoped to have a quick conversation with the tribal leaders, wave my Moon-and-Star around in their faces, and get declared Nerevarine in time to return to Vos for lunch. And some old crone had to choose this moment to send me off on a wild? er, guar chase?

Cunning and diplomacy, I reminded myself. Cunning and diplomacy. "If I do this, will you allow me to speak with your ashkhan?"

"We have no ashkhan."

"No ashkhan?"

"Our chief wise woman, Sinnammu Mirpal, leads the tribe. But things are very bad for us now, outlander." She sighed ? a little theatrically, I thought. "Soul sickness, blight storms, blight-sick animals, blight monsters come down from Red Mountain. They kill our men, eat our herds, and bring disease and famine. We must have help, or there will be nothing left."

Good grief. I hadn't realised things were as bad as that ? the place actually looked quite pleasant compared to the Ashlands or Molag Amur.

"The 'corprus men' crawl out from under the mountain, and prey in the night like demons," she continued. "Our hunters and herders are scared to go out on the land. Lands to the west belong to the Urshilaku, lands to the south to the Zainab? and to the north? Water and monsters." She shook her head mournfully. "No safe haven for the Ahemmusa."

"Okay, I get the picture," I said hurriedly. "I'll just, er, go and find your white guar for you."

Her eyes lit up. "I knew you were the one! I am certain this animal will appear for you. In my vision, I saw it where the path was forked, where the rocks grow from the earth like fingers on a hand."

I only hoped she was right, or I'd be wandering the Grazelands for weeks. I managed to find the road to the west without much difficulty, but after walking for a quarter of an hour, I was beginning to suspect that she'd been having me on. For all I knew, the tribe pulled this 'white guar' stunt on outlanders all the time.

However, a few minutes later I reached a fork in the path ? and sure enough, right there behind a row of five stones, was a white guar. Well, I say 'white' ? 'smudgy grey' was really a better description, but close enough. It turned its head towards me with a look of mild interest, but didn't move.

At this point a slight problem occurred to me: I hadn't bothered to think of how I'd get the guar back to the camp. I could hardly hoist it up onto my shoulders and carry it there. If I'd had a rope I could have tried a makeshift lasso, but I didn't.

"Here, boy," I said cautiously, taking a few steps towards the animal. It backed away immediately.

"Good guar. Nice guar." I took another step forward, and again it backed away from me. "Come with me and I'll give you some nice? er?" What did guar like to eat, anyway?

I was just wondering what to do when the guar turned its back to me and began to lope off up a grassy slope. A few moments later it stopped and turned its head towards me expectantly, almost as if it wanted me to follow. Maybe it had found a kid trapped down a well somewhere.

I set off after the guar, which led on a short distance ahead of me, never letting me get quite close enough to touch it. At long last it stopped in front of a tree surrounded by rocks. As I drew closer, I saw a pair of legs poking out from behind a large stone.

The body of a young Dunmer woman lay behind the rock, her eyes staring blankly up at the sky. I couldn't see any injuries on her body, and she couldn't have been dead for long as the corpse hadn't decayed at all. She must be one of the Ahemmusa, I thought. But why hadn't the wise woman told me about her?

I quickly searched the body for clues to her identity, and found an amulet inscribed with the name 'Ashamanu'. It had an enchantment on it that looked like it could cure disease.

I took the amulet from her body and slipped it into my pouch. The guar was still hovering nearby. "Well, thanks for your help," I said, and immediately felt like an idiot for thinking it would understand. Though as I struggled to cast the Recall spell to get back to the camp, I could swear it was smirking at me.

Although I wondering how I was going to explain things to the wise woman, it turned out I didn't need to. "I have seen your journey in a vision," she said as soon as she saw me. "I know what the white guar led you to, and I know who she was. Ashamanu was a healer many, many years ago, who gave her own life to save the lives of others. You have witnessed a miracle, my child; you now hold the Amulet of Ashamanu."

Okay, so she'd been right about the guar. I still thought it would be easier just to have bought some potions ? or sent a couple of healers to learn a healing spell at one of the nearby wizard settlements. Why did people always have to make things so complicated?

"Glad to be of service, sera," I said solemnly, handing her the amulet. "I hope it helps your people. Now that I've done this for you, may I please speak to your chief wise woman?"

"If you wish," she said. "But first, you must show respect, and speak to one of our gulakhans. And take this shield in return for the amulet ? it is a shield of legend among my people, the Shield of the Undaunted. Use it, and you will feel the strength return to weary limbs."

She gave me a chitin shield, similar to the ones carried by Ashlander tribesmen, but enchanted. I was running out of places to store all the magical presents people had given me since I arrived in Morrowind.

I stopped to eat lunch in the camp before going any further. While I was there I had a quick look around, and noticed that the people there did seem a bit thin and pale. The children in particular looked undernourished, and sat listlessly in front of their yurts, rather than scampering around like the ones I'd seen in other camps. And some of the animals were no more than skin and bone.

Why didn't they just go to the cities? I'd seen other Ashlanders who'd settled and found jobs there, people like Hassour Zainsubani. Okay, I could see how it would be a wrench to leave their ancestral homelands, but surely that was better than letting your kids starve? I didn't think I'd ever truly understand these people.

Afterwards I spoke to one of the gulakhans to explain what I'd just done for the tribe, and tell him my Nerevarine story. "You must forgive us," he said bluntly. "Perhaps these are great days, perhaps the prophecies are fulfilled ? but to the Ahemmusa, all we know is that hunger and disease stalks us, and monsters prey upon us. Speak to the wise woman, Sinnammu Mirpal, and tell her you will find a safe place for our tribe."

A safe place? Where was I supposed to find a place to relocate an entire tribe? Maybe a Dwemer ruin or something? but they could hardly do much herding and hunting in a place like that. I could only hope Sinnammu Mirpal would have some ideas.

It turned out she did ? though nothing like what I'd expected. "In seasons past, when threatened, the Ahemmusa could take shelter in the Daedric ruins of Ald Daedroth," she told me. "But now the priestess Hlireni Indavel has come and restored the shrine, and worshippers of Sheogorath dwell there, protected by terrible sorceries and summonings."

I nearly choked. "You use a shrine to Sheogorath as a place to shelter?!"

"Indeed." The way she spoke, you'd think it was perfectly normal to camp out in Daedric shrines for months on end. "First, you will go to Ald Daedroth and make it safe for the Ahemmusa. Then you will return, and I will accompany you there, and if Ald Daedroth is a safe place for my people, then I will name you Nerevarine."

I wanted to object, but what could I say? It wasn't like I had any better ideas? well, in my view almost anything would be better than sheltering in a shrine to a crazed demonic overlord, but Sinnammu clearly thought differently. If they really were so badly off, I guess things couldn't get much worse then they were already.

"How do I get there?" I asked. "And how can I make it safe for you?"

"The surface ruins are on an island a great distance north as the racer flies. If I may pass in safety to the old sanctuary and see the great statue in the inner shrine, then the place is safe for my people." She looked at me sternly. "I have not the arts of war, but I have courage. I wager my life against the safety of my people. But if Ald Daedroth is not safe, if I die on my journey? remember, you will not be named Ahemmusa Nerevarine."

With that dire warning, she shooed me out of the tent. After checking my gear, and making sure I had enough food, scrolls and potions, I set off to look for Ald Daedroth.

Sinnammu hadn't been exaggerating when she talked about 'a great distance'. I had to water-walk several miles to the north, and though I managed to stop on several smaller islands along the way, I only just avoided a salt-water bath. By the time I reached Ald Daedroth, the sun was sinking low in the sky and a cold wind nipped at my face. And it seemed that someone had got there before me.

I could hear the sounds of battle even before I reached the island. Once ashore, I stayed well out of the way until the spells stopped flying and then walked cautiously towards the shrine, sword drawn. A little way up the sloping shore stood a man in a priest's robe, who looked at me with deep suspicion.

"Who are you, outlander, and what are you doing here?" His expression darkened. "Are you here to worship at this foul shrine?"

The words 'foul shrine' told me that 'yes' was probably the wrong answer. "Me?" I blurted out. "I'm just here to look for treasure."

His face relaxed a little. "All right then, we don't care about that. In fact, you'll be doing us a favour if you kill a few witches and warlocks in the process. Just be careful, leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone."

Realisation dawned on me. "Are you guys Ordinators, by any chance?"

"Witchhunters," he said, with a grim smile. "We're here to clean out this den of Daedra worshippers. Just stay out of our way, and you'll be fine."

Gods. This complicated things a bit. I wondered how the Ahemmusa would feel about having to share their 'safe haven' with a bunch of Temple zealots.

The good part about the Ordinators' presence was that it meant I didn't have to do much actual fighting. Inside the shrine, I watched them duke it out with the Sheogorath cultists while keeping out of the way as much as possible (though occasionally I'd intervene if it looked like the Ordinators were getting the worst of it). Luckily they seemed to be quite competent.

The 'inner shrine' Sinnammu had mentioned was a large chamber flooded with seawater. On a raised platform in the centre was a huge statue of Sheogorath, the Madgod. Strangely enough, instead of some hideous monstrosity, it portrayed a well-dressed old gentleman with a cane ? the better to fool unsuspecting mortals, so they say. Needless to say, I stayed well away from it ? having one Daedra Lord take an unsolicited interest in me was bad enough.

Since this part of the shrine was clear, it occurred to me that technically I could go back to Sinnammu and tell her I'd done what she asked. But I just couldn't do it ? it would be blatant cheating, and I'd done quite enough of that recently. Besides, there were lives at stake here.

I waded on through the shrine until I reached a staircase leading to the upper level. Picking my way past dead bodies, I made my way up to the top floor, which the Daedra worshippers seemed to be using as living quarters. They even had a pet scamp there, like the one I'd seen in Caldera. I wondered if this one could talk.

An Orc in bonemold armour was standing close by. On the broken pillar next to him was a pile of moon sugar and a bottle of Cyrodiilic brandy. He spotted me looking at him, and scowled. "What? You never seen a Khajiit before?"

"Khajiit?"

"That's right. Ra'Gruzgob the Khajiit." He patted the seat of his pants. "How do you like my tail?"

"Um." Ought I to play along? "You? look more like an Orc to me."

"Orc? Ra'Gruzgob is no Orc! Ra'Gruzgob is Khajiit!"

Sigh. Worshippers of the God of Madness have to keep up appearances, I guess.

A robed Dark Elf woman drifted over from the far corner. There was a strangely vacant, dreamy expression on her face: although she could clearly see and hear me, she didn't seem 'all there' if you know what I mean. I suspected she'd been hitting the moon sugar pretty hard, like 'Ra'Gruzgob'.

"Hlireni Indavel?" I asked, guessing that this was the priestess Sinnammu had mentioned.

A smile spread across her face. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Do you have your invitation? Are you a Player of the Game, or just a humble Spectator?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She sighed. "Dance with your partner. Swing the axe and mace. Rough and tumble, the spice of life and death. Don't you understand? Or do you want to die like a farmer?"

"I wasn't planning on dying at all," I said. "Or dancing, for that matter. I've come here because the Ahemmusa tribe need shelter in this shrine, and you're in their way."

Her smile widened. "So sad," she cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We all shed a tear for the poor little savages. It's a terrible world for the little helpless things. But... life must have its little tragedies, mustn't it?"

I don't care what Athyn said, I wasn't in the mood for polite negotiations. "How about you leave them alone, and I don't kill you?"

There was a tense silence. Hlireni's smile faded as she looked me over, noting my weapons and armour and grim expression.

"So the game is 'Challenge and Bluff," she said at last. "And, given the apparent high level of your skills, I hesitate to call your bluff. So? you win. I concede."

"You'll let the Ahemmusa stay here?"

She nodded. "I can't speak for the Ordinators, of course, but I promise you may bring the Ahemmusa here, and my followers will not harm them. I swear on the Mad God."

Good enough, I suppose. "Make sure you don't," I told her. "Because if anything happens to them, I'll come back here and gut you like a baby slaughterfish. Have a nice day."

With that nice parting shot, I cast a Recall spell ? which fizzled out without doing anything. So did the second attempt ? and now I was out of magicka. Oops.

"Ahem." I said. "Excuse me." Hlireni watched with narrowed eyes as I fished a magicka restoration potion out of my pack. I think it may have spoiled the effect slightly.

I finally managed to cast the spell correctly and return to the camp, where I told Sinnammu Mirpal what had happened, and we agreed to travel to Ald Daedroth together the next morning. She let me sleep in her tent that night, as I was too tired to walk back to Vos. As we were making preparations to leave the next day, I wondered how she was going to get across to the island. "Can you water-walk?" I asked her.

She nodded. "I have not the arts of war, but I am a wise woman, and not without power. I can walk upon the water... perhaps not so fast as a great witch-warrior, but fast enough."

Probably better than me, in other words. I just hoped I could manage the journey again without running out of magicka.

All went well until about half-way through our journey, when a couple of cliff racers swooped in on us as we were crossing the water. I leapt in front of the unarmed Sinnammu to fight them off, and in all the excitement I forgot to recast the Water Walking spell. Just as we were setting off again, the spell wore off and I plunged into the sea.

I resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, and hurriedly recast the spell before the icy water could freeze my hands. "Thought I saw a slaughterfish," I explained to Sinnammu, with an 'I totally meant to do that' expression. I'm not sure she was entirely convinced, but she didn't say anything.

Luckily the Ordinators had left by the time we reached the shrine (I'd been wondering how I was going to explain that one). I led Sinnammu into the inner shrine to show her that it was safe? at least, as safe as a shrine to the Daedric Prince of Madness could ever be. She looked around at the spiked ceiling, the twisted, jagged pillars, the knee-deep water covering the floor? and then she smiled.

"You have made this place safe for the Ahemmusa," she said, turning back to me. "And so, if you wish, I shall name you Nerevarine."

I could think of a thousand objections. How would the Ahemmusa drain out the floodwater to make the place liveable? Where were they going to get food and fresh water? How would they handle sharing their new home with a bunch of Sheogorath worshippers? But in the end, it wasn't really any of my business. If she wanted to bring her tribe here, that was up to her.

"Thank you, Sinnammu," I said at last, hoping I was doing the right thing. "It's an honour. I'm glad I could help you, and? I hope things will improve for you once you and your people move in here."

Just, whatever you do, don't touch that statue?

:rofl: Ada/Helena's personality shining through this whole chapter! I loved this! Awesome Write! (what else would one expect from you, lol!)

Wonderfully Ada. By that I mean:



And:
:toughninja:

:rofl: The Ahemussa are a weird bunch. :goodjob:

:clap:

Nicely done, once again.

I laughed at the 'Lassie' reference, which is painful when you've go tonsillitis. :cold:

I always felt that the whole "there can be only one" bit with the Knight of the Imperial Dragon rather blind-sided the player. Sort of like one of those "well, everybody knows that;" except that you don't until it's too late.

Of course, I would have more sympathy for Varus if he was less of an- equine's posterior- about things. He sends you for the Lord's Mail and Chrysamere, then rather curtly says- "Thanks, I'll take those."

As someone who also (ab)used Levitation to extremes, I completely understand Ada's choice. I will paraphrase Roger Zelazny- "When I fight, I fight to win, and I will do whatever it takes. It isn't a game with rules and points."

For obvious reasons, I liked this one.

"A few moments later it stopped and turned its head towards me expectantly, almost as if it wanted me to follow. Maybe it had found a kid trapped down a well somewhere."

Wonderful insights on the Telvanni, the Ahemmusa, and the Daedra-worshippers.

What really gets me about Varus' duel is that it's so easy to get it completely by accident. All you have to do is click on the word 'duel' for any reason whatsoever, and he instantly challenges you to fight him - without any warning and without giving you a chance to refuse. This is exactly what happened to me on my first playthrough - I randomly clicked on the word 'duel' in his topic list, without even going through the 'advancement' topic, and suddenly he was all "AAAAHH, WE MUST FIGHT TO THE DEATH".

As for the levitation shrine, I'm amazed that the devs didn't realise what a total game-breaker it was. The only reason I don't have Ada use it pretty much constantly is because it would make things so boring - "And so I flew in there and easily killed everything. Again."

Brilliant as ever.
I don't normally get into Fan-Fics but this isn't just a Fan-Fic, this is practically a novel. (A long one though)
Can't wait for more and of course the thrilling Finale!
Any chance of the Tribunal Story line? Or Bloodmoon?

Helena mentioned earlier that she'd be doing Tribunal but not Bloodmoon. Maybe it was in the first thread.

I swear she said possibly Bloodmoon, not Tribunal. Still, she hasn't finnished Morrowind yet

I know I'm horribly, horribly behind, but I just read the first three chapters and I'm hooked! :celebration:

I don't know why I didn't give this a glance earlier. :facepalm:

I just started reading this two days ago, and I'm on Chapter 12. It's a good read, and I have to admit that I avoided it in the past because of the title (I thought it was a joke version of the main quest).

Yeah I guess something like that is why I haven't read it before too. Glad I was wrong!

Glad you like it!


Well, it is... sort of.

New chapter coming right up...

--------

Chapter 33: Cooking The Books

So the Ahemmusa were moving into their new holiday home, and now I'd been declared Nerevarine by two of the Ashlander tribes. I only hoped they'd be OK in there with all the mad cultists and Daedric statues and whatnot. Sinnammu rewarded me with an amulet called the 'Madstone of the Ahemmusa', but forgot to tell me that it had a 'sound' enchantment designed to confuse and disorient people. I accidentally cast it on myself, and had ringing in my ears for the rest of the day.

I'd been planning to visit my stronghold that day, but got back to Ald'ruhn to find myself in the middle of the worst ashstorm I'd ever seen. It was late in Sun's Dusk now, and the freezing winter wind was nearly as bad as the dust clouds lashing my face. There was no way I could go out to Bal Isra in a storm like that ? just walking from the Temple to the Mages' Guild was difficult enough.

The wind had died down a bit by the next day, but it was still extremely cold. I wrapped up warm and wore my closed ebony helmet ? the one Llerar Mandas had given me for helping his son Arethan ? just in case any more storms blew up. It was twice as heavy as my usual Legion helmet, and by the time I reached Bal Isra, my neck was aching from the weight.

The building site didn't look all that different from the outside, though some of the construction materials had been removed or shifted around a bit. "Is the next stage complete yet?" I asked the foreman, who was sitting on a packing crate enjoying a tea break.

He nodded. "You want to see inside? Go ahead. Take a look."

I entered the building cautiously, expecting to see the place strewn with building materials and covered in sawdust. The sight that greeted me was so astounding that for a moment I thought I must be imagining things.

The door opened onto a large entrance hall, not filled with junk and sawdust but clean, tidy ? and furnished. A dining table stood in the centre, while chairs and benches had been placed around the walls. A small alcove at the back of the room held several urns, baskets and barrels. The floor was paved and the walls freshly decorated, with intricate patterns similar to those I'd seen in the mansions under Skar. There was a carpet on the floor.

There was absolutely no way this place had been built in two weeks. No way.

I was still gazing around in disbelief when a Dunmer man entered the room through a side-door. "What are you ? " he began, and then he saw my Redoran shield. "Ah. Are you here to inspect the building work?"

I nodded wordlessly. "Forgive me, sera. My name is Viras Guls. I will be the Hetman of this new settlement when it is complete."

"Pleased to meet you," I said mechanically.

There were a few seconds of awkward silence. "Would you like to see the rest of the manor?" he asked at last.

I nodded again, and he led me down the stairs into the main part of the building. If anything, this bit was even more unbelievable. It wasn't fully furnished yet, but there were tables and chairs and shelves and storage containers ? even a bar, for crying out loud.

How could I not have realised this before? Indarys Manor! This place hadn't been built for me, had it?

I managed to calm down enough to thank the Hetman, and used my Intervention amulet to transport me back to Ald'ruhn. Minutes later I marched through the door of Galsa Gindu's office under Skar. "Galsa? We need to talk about my stronghold."

"Why ? yes, the first stage of building should be complete." She backed away slightly, seeing the expression on my face. "Is ? is something the matter?"

"I went out there today to see the building. And I went into it."

Her mouth snapped shut. "Ah."

"I'm not an idiot, Galsa. And even if I were, I could still see that place wasn't built in two weeks." I took a step forward. "If this is some kind of joke you guys are playing on me ? "

"No! Listen to me, House Brother." Galsa leapt up from her seat. "You're quite right, the building work started several months ago. Please, just give me a chance to explain."

I folded my arms, my eyes fixed grimly on her face. Galsa took a deep breath. "As you know, it's forbidden to build new Great House settlements without a construction contract from the Duke. About eight months ago, we received? reliable information? that the other Houses had begun to build strongholds of their own without permission. We did not want them to gain an advantage over us, but at the time there were political problems which prevented us from obtaining a contract."

"So you started to build one without a contract?"

She nodded. "The work was carried out in secret. We chose Bal Isra because of its remote location, far from the main cities."

It was all starting to make sense now. That was why they'd chosen to build in the middle of nowhere, on a site that couldn't even be seen from the nearest road. So much for all that talk about Redoran honour?

"The work was funded by a Redoran lord named Banden Indarys," she continued. "But someone in House Hlaalu or Telvanni must have discovered our plans. Just as the main building was nearing completion, Lord Indarys met with an unfortunate? accident." Ah. "And so the construction work was halted, until we could find another Redoran to head the settlement."

"And the 5,000 drakes I paid ? "

"Were to restart construction. There are still the workers to be paid, and extra materials that must be purchased." She sighed. "Forgive me for not telling you the whole truth before now. But I'm sure you'll understand why we wished to keep the matter as quiet as possible."

I opened my mouth to reply, then paused. I was still a bit pissed off about being lied to, but really, what could I say? I'd basically been given someone else's stronghold at a knock-down price. Having it named after him was a pretty small price to pay.

"All right," I said at last. "Well, thanks for explaining everything, Galsa. Does this mean I'm a target for assa- ahem, 'unfortunate accidents' now?"

She shook her head. "Now that the work is legal, they would not dare. They would be leaving themselves open to retaliation."

She'd better be right about that, I thought. "Okay, fine. Is there anything else I need to do in the meantime?"

"If you wish to improve your stronghold, you must hire some guards. Percius Mercius at the local Guild of Fighters may know of some good Redoran fighters out of work."

I hadn't seen Percius since I killed the Guild leaders in Balmora and Vivec, and I still didn't quite feel ready to face him again. "Okay, I'll think about it," I said, and left her to get on with her work.

On my way out of the Council halls I ran into Neminda, who was manning her usual spot by the entrance. "Ada!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in weeks. Getting too grand and important for us lesser minions?" she added with a wink.

"Of course not," I said, hugging her. "I've just been? rather busy, that's all."

"Yes, I've heard? rumours." Her brow furrowed slightly. "I hope you know what you're getting into, Ada."

My mouth felt very dry all of a sudden. "Rumours?"

"Well, I know Tuls Valen at the temple is very keen to speak to you," she said. "If I were you, I'd go and talk to him. It can only make things worse for you if he thinks you're hiding something from him."

My heart sank, but I thanked her and agreed to visit the Temple as soon as I could. It was pretty clear that my secret was out, even if people weren't yet sure whether to believe it. I suppose I might have expected this after what had happened recently.

I went to Sarethi Manor after lunch, hoping I might see Varvur, but he wasn't there. His mother Domesea, her eyes shining with pride, told me that he'd volunteered for a week-long expedition in the Ashlands ? in fact, he'd specifically asked to be sent along. He could hardly have made it clearer that he didn't want to see me, and it felt like a slap in the face. He might not be interested in me any more ? if he ever had been ? but I'd hoped we could still stay friends.

Though Varvur wasn't at home, his father was, so I took the opportunity to tell him all about the Great Stronghold Conspiracy. Half-way through I realised that he wasn't looking at all surprised. "Athyn, did you know about this?"

"But of course, my friend. Did you think such a task could be undertaken without the Council's knowledge?"

"But ? " I broke off, shaking my head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Athyn sighed. "Perhaps I should have done, but I feared you might take offence. You have pride, Ada, I know that."

"Well, yes, but? oh, never mind. It doesn't matter." I couldn't bring myself to quarrel with Athyn. "Anyway, I've found two other Councillors to support me, and built a stronghold. Is there anything more you need me to do for the House?"

"Not immediately, though I can raise you to the rank of House Father if you wish. You have certainly proven your skill in combat. If you wish to reach the next rank, you'll need to improve your stronghold, and earn the support of two more Councillors ? Miner Arobar and Garisa Llethri."

A horrible suspicion gripped me. "Hold on a minute, what is the next rank? I'm not going to end up having to duel you to the death, am I?"

Athyn's lips twitched, but he shook his head gravely. "No, indeed. It's true that the next rank is that of Councillor, but ever since Arethan Mandas'? illness, there has been an empty seat on the Council."

"The Council?" I winced. "I'm not sure, Athyn. It's a great honour, I know, but? I really don't know if I'm up to it, to be honest. I don't really have any kind of political experience?"

"I understand. Still, I think you should seek the other Councillors' support even if you don't wish to join the Council yourself." He paused. "I must warn you that people in town are beginning to talk about you and the prophecies. I don't believe the rumours have reached the ears of my fellow councillors, but it can only be a matter of time."

I nodded gloomily. "Athyn? when all this does become public, what happens then? Will you have to? suspend me from the House, or something?"

"No. I have promised you my support, and I will stand by that." He smiled. "Try not to worry too much about it, Ada. Continue as you are, and all will be well."

I hoped he was right, but I wasn't convinced. Things seemed to be spiralling out of control ? first the Legion, now House Redoran? To be honest, I couldn't understand why Athyn would even want me on the Council ? no matter how fond he was of me, he surely had to see that I wasn't the political type. He'd said as much himself just a few days ago.

I put the thought aside and went to speak to Miner Arobar, Athyn's fellow Councillor. I was kept waiting for quite a while before being allowed in to see him, and when I did finally meet him, he was looking tired and harassed. "What do you want, outlander?" he asked, as soon as I entered the room. "You must explain why you have come here, and quickly."

"Right, well ? "

"No speeches or excuses," he continued. "Use your words with care, for I am a councillor of House Redoran and a very busy man with many duties and responsibilities."

"Okay, well ? "

"My time is precious, and cannot be wasted. I am not one to stand about idly while others pvssyr on and on about the most trivial of subjects."

"WouldyougivemeyoursupportontheCouncilpleaseCouncillor?" I asked, all in one breath.

He blinked. "What was that you said? You want me to support you on the Council? You are a Redoran, then?"

His servant had clearly introduced me by my rank no more than ten seconds ago. "Yes, serjo," I said, trying not to sound impatient. "I'm a House Father. Athyn Sarethi is my sponsor, and I'm having a stronghold built at Bal Isra."

"Ah yes, I believe he did mention? Then you are the outlander Sarethi spoke of?" He stared at me in confusion, very obviously thinking 'how did this Imperial chit get to be a House Father in two months?' Not that I could blame him, really.

"I'm afraid I am unable to grant your request," he said at last. "I respect you personally, but I cannot give you my support."

What? He'd only just met me. "But ? "

He held up a hand. "No. I am not prepared to discuss this, sera. I have given you my answer; now please leave my manor."

There wasn't much I could do except bow politely and leave. In a way I was quite relieved ? at least this gave me an excuse to put off becoming a Councillor ? but I couldn't help wondering what had made him turn against me so abruptly. Was it something I said?

The last Councillor on my 'list' was Garisa Llethri ? the 'Lord of the Northern Ashlands', according to my Little Red Book. He was clearly doing well for himself, as his manor was almost as large and imposing as Archmaster Venim's. Llethri himself seemed irritable and not particularly friendly, but he did at least seem willing to listen to me.

"If you want my support to make you a Councilman, you will have to perform a great service for House Redoran," he told me, when I explained what I wanted. "The Caldera ebony mines are in our territory, but the charter was awarded to an Imperial company. I believe the mines should be shut down."

I waited for him to elaborate. "First I want you to find evidence that there is corruption at the mines. Since they are run by the dishonourable House Hlaalu and the Empire, I am sure there is corruption. Do not take any other actions until you have delivered the evidence to me."

I almost had to laugh at this ? "Well, the Hlaalu and the Imperials run the place, so it must be corrupt." Still, I presumed he did have some actual reason to believe this. "What sort of corruption are you thinking of, serjo?" I asked. "And where should I look for evidence?"

He shrugged. "Look for journals or record books. Interrogate the miners. I am sure there is corruption there, and I have faith that you will find it." Gods, it was like working for Caius Cosades all over again.

By the time I got out of Skar, I have to admit that I was feeling a bit stumped. All I had to go on was that there was some kind of corruption at the Caldera mines, somewhere, possibly. I mean, were we talking major fraud here? Or just the kind of petty theft you'll inevitably get in any large organisation? ("Serjo, I have clear evidence that the treacherous Hlaalu are stealing inkwells from the stationery cupboard.")

At any event, it was obvious that I couldn't just go in there and announce myself as a Redoran investigator. I briefly thought of going in my Legion capacity, but quickly realised that would make the entire office clam up like? well, clams. If only I belonged to something like the East Empire Company, I thought? and then the ghost of an idea began to form.

I spent the rest of the day mulling things over, and as I did, a plan gradually took shape. The next day I travelled to Vivec and made a couple of purchases: black hair-dye, and a jar of face make-up (the type that actors might use for a play). After that I went to visit the clothier Agrippina Herennia in the Foreign Quarter, hoping she might have some Cyrodiilic imports for sale. Luckily she had exactly what I wanted, though it was hideously expensive.

The next part was more complicated. I dug out the list of Blades trainers Caius had given me long ago, and went to see the Caldera representative, a Breton mage named Surane Leoriane. She confirmed that the Blades were keeping an eye on the Caldera Mining Company for the Empire, and suspected them of corruption.

"We all think something fishy is going on ? probably several somethings," she told me. "But we haven't penetrated their operation. They're probably skimming cash, or raw ebony, or both ? but we're not quite sure who 'they' are."

"Suppose I were to try and find out for you," I said. "Would you be willing to help me?"

After I explained what I wanted to do, she thought for a minute and finally nodded. "All right, I'll help you ? as long as you keep me informed. I don't even mind you sharing this information with House Redoran, but you must bring it to me first. If you do find any evidence, I want to see it before you take it to your friends in the House."

As the ranking Blades agent I could technically have refused, but I preferred the quiet life. "Okay. You've got a deal."

She agreed to let me stay in her house overnight, as I didn't want too many people to see me in my disguise. While Surane disappeared off to Ebonheart, I dyed my hair, styled it carefully, and tried on the clothes and make-up to check that they worked. Seeing my reflection in the mirror was almost scary ? dressed in a fashionable Western-style gown, with dark hair and an olive complexion, I looked the picture of a Nibenese official fresh off the boat from Imperial City. I hardly recognised myself.

I was relying on Surane to provide the finishing touch, and she didn't disappoint. She returned from Ebonheart that evening, bringing a set of impressively official-looking papers for me to show to the mine authorities. I don't know how she got hold of them, and I preferred not to ask. After that she spent some time coaching me in how to play my 'part' ? I just hoped I wouldn't slip up and give myself away.

Walking to the Caldera mines the next morning was a slightly nerve-wracking experience. Usually I'd carry my sword everywhere, even if I wasn't wearing armour, but it wouldn't really have fitted in with my 'disguise'. It's a good thing I didn't run into any bandits or wild animals, since all I had to fight them with was a small dagger lent to me by Surane.

But the scariest part by far was approaching the company offices at the entrance to the mine. Could I really pull this off? I guess this would prove once and for all whether I really could act. I breathed in deeply, trying to channel every obnoxious bureaucrat I'd ever met, and marched into the building.

A Dunmer man, who was eating breakfast at a small table, got hastily to his feet. "Yes, sera? May I help you?"

"Indeed you can." I presented my papers with a flourish. "I am Messalina Borgia of the Imperial Audit Commission. Would you please direct me to the head of mining operations?"

The man's face had turned rather pale. "Th- the Audit Commission?" he repeated, in a slightly strangled voice. "I ? I didn't ? " He turned abruptly towards the stairway leading to the upper floor. "Meanen!"

A few moments later, a well-dressed Altmer man appeared at the top of the stairs. For a moment I struggled to hide the reflexive awkwardness I always felt around Altmer. Surane's words rang in my ears: "Whatever happens, remember this: You don't give a damn about any of these people. They are beneath contempt. All you care about is finishing the job so you can get back to your nice cosy office in Talos Plaza."

"Are you in charge here, sir?" I asked coldly, as Meanen (if that was his name) glided down the stairs. "I must admit, I was expecting to find things a little better organised."

The Altmer's mouth dropped open. "What ? " he began, and then recovered himself. "The mine owners are Cunius Pelelius and Odral Helvi. Both of them are in Caldera at present, but I'm sure we can answer any questions you may have. Now what exactly ? "

"She's from the Audit Commission, Meanen," the Dunmer cut in.

"Ah. I see." Meanen glanced briefly at the papers I presented for his inspection. "Forgive me, my lady. I was? not informed that an inspection was imminent."

"Well, of course you weren't. Wouldn't want to give you time to hide the evidence, would we?" I laughed heartily at my own joke. The others joined in, a little less enthusiastically.

"I assure you there is no 'evidence' for you to find, sera," Meanen said at last. "Having you arrive at such short notice is? not entirely convenient, but I think you'll find that everything is in order. I'm sure Stlennius here would be happy to show you around."

By now his Dunmer friend seemed to have recovered a little. "Of course. Did you walk here from Caldera alone, my lady?" he asked me, as Meanen made his way back upstairs. "I'm surprised you would take the risk. Perhaps you haven't heard that there are bandits on the roads who attack lone travellers?"

"Nonsense, my good man!" I said briskly. "They wouldn't dare. Now where was I? Ah yes, the inspection. I'll need to see all of your invoices, stock records, bank details, profit and loss accounts, and sales ledgers for the past two years."

The colour was starting to drain from his face again. "Two years? I ? many of those records are in storage, Sera Borgia. It will take quite some time to find them for you."

I sighed in mock exasperation. "When will you people learn the importance of proper record-keeping? Very well. I'll wait here for as long as it takes." As he bowed apologetically, flushed with embarrassment, I hissed under my breath, "Provincials!"

The expression on Stlennius' face defied description. I was starting to enjoy this.

He returned a short while later with crates and boxes full of financial records, and left me alone to examine them. It was such a massive task that I hardly knew where to start. Surane had given me a quick run-down of what went on at the mines, but there was still quite a lot I didn't understand, so I didn't want to ask too many probing questions.

I began to look through one of the recent ledgers, painstakingly adding up the figures to check for discrepancies. There weren't any ? the sums were perfect. In fact, almost too perfect.

When I was sixteen, my adoptive father ? in a vain attempt to get me interested in his line of work ? had arranged for me to work as a bookkeeper in one of his warehouses. I'd lasted two weeks before giving up, but in that time I'd learned that getting the sums exactly right was near impossible. There would always be a few little errors ? but this ledger didn't have any errors. What was more, the figures seemed a little too 'neat' ? too many tidy, round sums with only vague descriptions.

Getting suspicious now, I chose a few entries at random and searched for the corresponding invoices. All but two of them were missing. This ledger is a fake, I thought. A pretty clever fake, but still a fake. But how could I prove it?

What I really needed was to get someone here to talk, but there wasn't much chance of that. Unless, perhaps?

I went back to Stlennius, who by now was eating his midday meal. (What sort of work did he actually do, anyway?) "Very well, I've finished with the books," I said curtly. "And now I need to check on your slaves, if you please."

"To visit the slaves, my lady? What for?"

"Well, they are company assets, are they not? And of course, you've included their food and upkeep as tax-deductible expenses." I narrowed my eyes. "Perhaps there's some reason why you would not want me to see them?"

"Of course not," he said hastily. "I'll take you right away."

He led me out of the office and into the miners' bunkhouse, where a trapdoor in the floor led down to the slave huts. I followed, complaining loudly about the dust and uneven floors. Keeping up the 'snotty Imperial lady' act was getting quite tiresome.

"This is where you'll find the head slave Dahleena," he said, indicating one of the shacks. "She keeps the others in order. The rest will be in the mine at this time of day, if you want to see them."

"I see. Well, thank you. You may go now," I said graciously. He turned away, biting his lip.

I entered the miserable little shack, and found a half-naked Khajiit woman sitting on one of the bedrolls. Somehow she didn't seem as downtrodden as most of the other slaves I'd seen ? though she was thin and mangy, with worn patches of fur on her skin, there was a look of defiance in her eyes. She could be just what I needed.

"Hello, Dahleena," I said cautiously. I knew that some slaves, for reasons I'd never really understood, were loyal to their masters. "I've come to inspect the mines. Are you okay here? Do your masters treat you well?"

A hiss of disgust was her only reply. I leaned forward, speaking in a low voice. "A friend of mine thinks there may be fraud and corruption at the mines. Do you know about anything like that? You might have heard some of the miners talk, perhaps?"

Her eyes lit up with a vicious glint. "Oh yes, they talk. You want evidence? You let Dahleena go free if she tells you this?"

I hesitated. I'd have loved to free her, but there could hardly have been a worse time for it. "I will," I said at last. "I can't do it now, but if you tell me what I want to know, I'll come back later and free you."

"And how can Dahleena be sure you will come back?"

I thought for a moment. Finally, with some reluctance, I slipped the Moon-and-Star ring off my finger. It was quite a risk, but I couldn't think of anything else I could give her to make her trust me.

"This ring is very important to me," I told her. "If you make sure to hide it carefully, I'll let you keep it, and then you can give it back to me when I come to free you."

She nodded. "Dahleena will hide it well. And now she tells you where to get your evidence. Odral Helvi has a chest on the second floor of the Governor's Hall, in Caldera. Unlock the chest and you will find a book ? a record book. Bring this book back to your friend, and watch his eyes when he smiles."

"Thank you, Dahleena," I said. "I promise I'll come back as soon as I have the book." First spying, and impersonating Imperial officials, and now stealing from the Governor of Caldera? The things I do for you, Azura, I thought.

I didn't even think about trying to steal the book myself. I had some lockpicking skills, but I knew my limitations, and I wasn't going to risk my neck trying to break into a heavily-guarded manor. Instead, once I'd assured a relieved Stlennius and Meanen that everything was in order, I went to Surane Leoriane to ask for advice.

"This business is more trouble than it's worth," she said in exasperation. "All right, I'll try talking to some contacts in the Thieves' Guild. But you'll have to pay for it."

I ended up handing over a thousand septims to pay the Guild. This 'rooting out corruption' business was getting bloody expensive. For a moment I wondered how Garisa Llethri would react if I asked him for expenses ? certainly that was what 'Messalina Borgia' would have done.

The price was well worth it, though. Two days later, a parcel was hand-delivered to me at the Mages' Guild in Ald'ruhn. It contained a ledger from the Caldera mines ? a real one this time ? showing a steady flow of raw ebony from the mines to something called the 'Ashlands Management Fund'. It seemed I'd struck gold ? or rather, ebony.

I took the ledger to Llethri Manor to show to Lord Llethri. While I was there, he introduced me to his wife Fathasa ? the one who was rumoured to be having an affair with Bolvyn Venim. I noticed that she was both a lot younger than her husband, and a lot more attractive. She was very polite, but for some reason I got the feeling she didn't like me very much.

Llethri himself was as short-tempered as ever, but he seemed almost cheerful when I showed him the ledger. "Good, yes, very good," he said. "This book shows that the Hlaalu are taking more ebony than they report to the Empire. Now that I have this evidence, I want you to find a way to shut down the mines."

"And if the owners find out we did it?"

"Then we can show them these books to justify our actions." His expression darkened. "The Empire has taken enough of Red Mountain's blood. The ebony belongs to the Dunmer."

Maybe it ought to belong to the slaves who actually mined it, I thought sourly. Still, I'd promised to free Dahleena in any case; maybe she'd have some ideas on how to stop the mining.

That night, wearing Caius' black clothes and my Chameleon-enchanted jewellery, I snuck out of Caldera after dark and made my way back to the mines. Dahleena and some of the other slaves were asleep in their hut, as guards with lanterns patrolled the grounds. They looked up at me in silent fear as I slipped in through the door of the shack.

"Dahleena?" I whispered.

She sat bolt upright. "Ah, friend! Here is your ring, quite safe. You have the key to free us?"

Drat, I'd forgotten about that. "Wait here a moment," I told her. I headed outside, and hid in the shadows until a lone guard wandered past. Swiftly, I crept up behind him and used my Star of the West power to knock him out.

I dragged the body into the slave shack so it wouldn't be found, and searched his pockets until I found the slave key. "One more thing before I free you," I said to Dahleena. "My friend wants the mining to stop. Can you free the other slaves as well?"

She nodded her head fiercely. "Yes! Dahleena is head of all slaves. Let Dahleena go free and there will be no more mining!"

"Okay, I'll trust you to do it," I said, hoping she was telling the truth. "Good luck, Dahleena." I removed her slave bracer and handed her the key, and quickly cast the Almsivi Intervention enchantment to take me back to Ald'ruhn.

When I went to see Garisa Llethri the next day, he was looking very pleased with himself. "It seems there was a slave revolt at the Caldera Mines last night," he told me. "Perhaps you had something to do with this?"

I explained what I'd done the previous night. "Interesting choice," he said, nodding slowly. "Good slaves are so hard to find these days... I expect the Hlaalu will not resume mining for at least a month. Well, you have earned my support on the Council, and I want you to keep these fine boots made from the blood of Red Mountain."

I hardly knew what to say. The truth was that I didn't really like Garisa Llethri all that much, but a gift of ebony boots was astoundingly generous, even from a guy as rich as he was. I was actually rather touched, especially after what he'd said earlier about the Empire. I could hardly ask him for expenses after this ? those boots had to be worth five times what I'd paid out.

"Are you sure, serjo?" I asked. "Well? thank you. It's extremely kind of you."

I didn't tell him about the Blades, of course. I couldn't help wondering what they would do with the information ? and what they would think about us Redorans keeping it to ourselves, rather than doing the honourable thing and reporting it to the Empire. Oh well, it was his problem, not mine... for the moment, at least.

"WouldyougivemeyoursupportontheCouncilpleaseCouncillor?" I asked, all in one breath


Ahhh...the Helena touch. Once again, the whole chapter is priceless!!! :goodjob: .

I'm at chapter 17 now. :disguise:


I love the little details I immediately recognise from playing Morrowind too much.

Like when Ada was rescuing the woman from ashlanders near Ald Velothi, and that the ashlander woman cast a burden spell on her... Exactly like it happens in the game. Or earlier the hostile guy on the bridge to Arkngthand, summoning a creature. Or all the little side quests with their quest rewards. Or like how Rasha also takes off his own shirt when he asks you to deliver some clothing!

And it's just nice to think of how Ada would react to things I can see coming in advance, like the taunting of the dremora in the Maar Gan shrine... I already know the general outcome from the game but it's still funny to see how it plays out here.

It has also revealed a few things I didn't know about, like the Mark of Zenithar thing when you do the clothes delivery quest, or that you can ask Percius Mercius for advice on many of the FG quests. I had no idea!

It would be pretty interesting to hear of people who start playing Morrowind for the first time after reading your fanfic, how they recognise things from your fanfic while playing the game instead of what I'm guessing it is like for most people: Recognising things in the fanfic from the game.

:clap: :trophy: :bowdown: :goodjob: :thumbsup: :hugs: :cookie: