Loredas, 22^nd Morning Star, 4E 202

& Sundas, 23^rd Morning Star, 4E 202

Early on the 22^nd, our plans changed after Vayu suggested an alternative. Rava was no longer needed to transport the dead. Celestine and Sarah would use the airship to distribute the Witchmen poison antidote, plague prevention, and cure. Sarah was an Acolyte of Mara. Sister Jeanna and her bodyguard, Oliver, would accompany them. Four Bretons, two of them representing Lady Mara, would reduce fear and suspicion. The Ka’Po’Tun squad would provide protection.

After breakfast, Vayu, Inigo, and Meeko joined Rigmor, Lydia and myself.

• Lydia: How is Jo’rassa?
• Inigo: She is healthy. The fatigue from healing took its toll for the first two days.
• Wulf: She must take it easy for another few days.
• Inigo: I have never been so angry! I cut down four looters in seconds before screaming for help. I thought Jo’rassa would die.
• Meeko: Woof?
• Inigo: Yes, Meeko, that is how it happened. In the middle of an attack by a Daedric army, thieves tried to steal from a jeweller’s stall. Jo’rassa thought one of them was the owner, and while telling him to leave the stall and find somewhere safe, another looter stabbed her in the back.
• Meeko: Grrr!
• Wulf: You are right. Only the chaos of battle allowed somebody to sneak up on Jo’rassa.
• Inigo: My friend, what are we doing today?
• Wulf: I want to see if Forlorn is being rebuilt. If not, I shall tell Siggy it is to be a priority. Then, we will retrieve a report from the Imperial Officer at Deepcrag. After handing the reports to Advisor Kegor in Evermore City, we shall begin our search for Titalo Brolicius, a Blade hiding from The Thalmor.
• Inigo: If he still lives, will you take him to Sky Haven Temple?
• Wulf: Yes.
• Lydia: Delphine and Titalo were once lovers. And do not dare say it, Wulf!
• Wulf: Well, it is true. Titalo will have to break through the cobwebs if they are to resume their boot-knocking.
• Rigmor: WULF!!!
• Lydia: Celestine was right. That was full of menace, and I must practice my indignation.
• Wulf: I did not know you were listening, my beloved.
• Rigmor: You were too busy being a pervert to notice me.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Rigmor: Yes, of course, you found it funny. You have been around Wulf for years and caught his perversion.
• Inigo: I found it funny.
• Rigmor: You are as weird as Wulf.

Vayu entered the room and saved me from further berating.

I teleported us to Raven Spring’s entrance.

• Inigo: My friend, have you been inside yet?
• Wulf: No, Inigo. That is a pleasure that will have to wait a while longer.
• Vayu: Celestine told me the rubble and dead Daedra had been cleared. Some Daedric Vines and plants still need to be removed. Apart from those and a few destroyed buildings, there is scant evidence of the battle.
• Wulf: Siggy is investing in Raven Spring because it is a source of income and not out of concern for its inhabitants.
• Meeko: Woof?
• Wulf: Serfs are less valuable than merchants in the corrupt king’s estimation. That is why I want to see if coin is being spent on Forlorn.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Rigmor: Siggy does not rely on the farmers’ produce for daily meals. Therefore, he might be ignorant, not stupid. The citizens of Evermore rely on the farmers.
• Meeko: Grrr!
• Wulf: You are not allowed to bite him on the arse. That is not diplomatic.

We came upon a dead guard. Wolves had killed him. It seems the lack of patrols has allowed wildlife to wander into Forlorn.

A new sign mentioning Raven Spring was the first evidence of investment.

Houses destroyed by Dragonstar had been repaired.

Tents and lookout towers housed the engineers and craftspeople assigned to Forlorn’s reconstruction.

• Wulf: I am surprised that coin is being spent.
• Rigmor: We think that Siggy’s son will replace Lord Mortifayne. That might explain why there is an investment in Forlorn.
• Lydia: Siggy would want Prince Damian to be successful and popular.
• Inigo: Siggy is likely trying to soften our opinion of him.
• Wulf: I will teleport us to the Soul Stone nearest to Deepcrag. It will still be a long walk from there.
• Rigmor: Let us hope the weather improves.

We came out of the ether and headed for Deepcrag.

As we walked, the rain eased and then stopped. We heard the noises of tools and industry long before Deepcrag appeared.

I deliberately chose the route we took so I could look at Deepcrag from a height. I was impressed by the repairs already completed.

We inspected the site and came upon something unexpected.

The Orsinium’s Sons had erected a statue of Malacath. That has been replaced by a crude one of Saint Alessia in First-Era Imperial armour. A well-dressed Orsimer was standing in front of it.

He turned as we approached.

• Wulf: Good morning. Is that a tribute to the fallen Legionnaires of Deepcrag?
• Luther: Yes. Lieutenant Regulav Ponnete had it commissioned.
• Wulf: I am Sir Wulf Welkynd, Envoy to Evermore on behalf of His Imperial Majesty and Lady Mara.
• Luther: I know of Your Excellency. I am Luther Marobuk, and I am somewhat of an envoy.
• Wulf: Your accent is that of Daggerfall.
• Luther: You can tell that, even with my physicality changing the tone? The trick is to roll your tongue.
• Rigmor: Hello Luther, I am Divine Knight Eisra. His Excellency is, excuse the language, a smartarse.
• Wulf: Are you assisting with Deepcrag’s rebuild?
• Luther: No, I have a mission in The Reach. I desire to cease the racial feud that grips this land. The centuries of violence have yielded nothing but blood. Now, the voice shall make up for where the sword has failed.
• Rigmor: You hope that diplomacy will end the racial tensions.
• Luther: Yes, I am a trained diplomat. I hope to use those skills here.
• Vayu: A vast army sits on the border with Skyrim. His Excellency is trying to avoid the necessity of that army crossing into Evermore by using diplomacy. However, the long-held enmity is artificial and stoked by outside influences. Words may not be enough to stem the violence.
• Wulf: Daedric Princes other than Lord Malacath are fuelling the hatred. Outside political interference adds to the problems. The nobility of this kingdom does not desire peace, for there is more profit in division.
• Luther: Despite the ferocity seen on both sides of this conflict, there is hope for peace. Some will have you believe that peace is paid in blood. But look around and witness the corpses of that belief.
• Wulf: The average citizen wants peace, Luther. Twenty years ago, that desire was brutally punished at Munstor. The same happened in Markarth when Ulfric Stormcloak slaughtered Native Reachmen and those living with them. I am afraid peace will only come to The Reach when leaders with the same desire for peace rule.
• Luther: I am not naïve. Compromises will have to be made. The Orsimer will have to sacrifice whatever gains they have made in their onslaught.
• Wulf: They have made no gains. Orsinium’s Sons do not represent the wishes of Evermore’s Orsimer population. They are mercenaries employed by a foreign power. This place, Deepcrag, has no strategic value. It was taken to drive a wedge between Empire and High Rock.
• Vayu: History shows Breton to be the aggressor. It is they who breach times of peace and attack Orsinium.
• Luther: Hah! You are braver than most. Do not go saying that around the locals. They would have you lynched come nightfall.
• Wulf: King Sigmayne fears us because we speak and defend the truth with our swords and spells. We will defend you if others desire to stop the truth from being spoken.
• Luther: The Orsimer are in no position to make demands as they own no assets or power. Such is the reality of those at the bottom. Even then, this kingdom will not part with free labour.
• Rigmor: I assume you are not just referring to serfdom.
• Luther: No, they hide worse and claim it is for punitive reasons. Vast quarries and mines found across Evermore are home to a large percentage of the Orsimer race.
• Wulf: We are aware of the press-ganged and enslaved Orsimer. However, dispersing such knowledge will only incite more violence as Bloodkin from Skyrim and elsewhere seek retribution. Mass elimination of the evidence will occur if the enslavers are given a warning.
• Rigmor: His Excellency does not desire harm to the enslaved or the innocent citizens of Evermore. That is why we are using diplomacy first.
• Wulf: Divine Knight Eisra and her mother were enslaved. It is difficult for her to show restraint when faced with the evidence of enslavement.
• Vayu: You were studying this statue of Saint Alessia. The nobles of Evermore fear what she represents. However, the enslaved of Evermore cannot arm themselves and rebel as quickly as her people once did. Their fate is in our hands.
• Luther: Is His Imperial Majesty aware of the enslavement?
• Wulf: No. I was not aware of it till recently.
• Rigmor: How are you travelling Evermore without being accosted?
• Luther: I have utilised the protection of Imperial Patrols. However, it seems the casualties at Raven Spring have halted those.
• Wulf: Then I shall give you some Potions of Invisibility. They will allow you to flee danger if need be.
• Luther: My diplomatic papers will allow me entrance once I reach Evermore City. Thank you for the potions, which will make it easier for me to reach those gates.

I retrieved six Potions of Invisibility and handed them to Luther. They are small vials and easily fitted inside his pockets.

• Vayu: Are many Orsimer still trying to live in traditional settlements within Evermore?
• Luther: There are several stubborn Chieftains who live that way. Most have abandoned their homes and made the journey to New Orsinium.
• Wulf: We shall resolve the problem here, Luther. Then they can return home. If you speak to any remaining Chiefs, tell them Malacath’s Champion is working towards that goal.
• Luther: Are you Malacath’s Champion?
• Wulf: I am, and the Chieftains would know of that fact via their shamans.
• Luther: There must be a worthwhile tale behind Lord Malacath awarding that title to you.
• Wulf: There is, and I would gladly talk about it over cheese and wine. But for now, we must continue our diplomatic mission. Do you know where I shall find Lieutenant Regulav?

Luther pointed to a lookout tower and said, “He resides on the top floor.”

“I wish you well with your mission, Envoy Luther.”

“That is a title I cannot claim.”

“Official title or not, that is what you are.”

Luther wandered away as I read aloud the statue’s plaque.

“Honouring those who raised their shields for The Empire. They died so we can live. Saint Alessia now comforts all who were slain here.”

• Wulf: If only that were the case. But even after she defeats Molag Bal, the slain will not require her comfort.
• Inigo: Who comforts the slain who go to Sovngarde?
• Lydia: The infinite barrels of mead negate the need for such comfort, Inigo.
• Vayu: I wonder how many know of the Orsimer enslavement?
• Wulf: I assume Luther’s education and trip here were sponsored by somebody who knows. There may be quite a few people who are as cautious as us.
• Vayu: When you told us via Corb last night, Ghorbash and Borgakh were not surprised. There have been rumours for years. They know that if it became general knowledge, the Orsimer of Skyrim would cross the border to rescue their Bloodkin.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Inigo: Yes, it is sneaky. If you breed Orsimer in hiding, nobody will report them missing. The ones press-ganged are accused of crimes, and it would be impossible to prove them innocent.
• Wulf: Mother never knew her parent’s names. We know Ayleid enslavers kept records, like horse and cattle breeders. But all that information was lost to war. Perhaps the enslaved Orsimer will be more fortunate in that regard. We will release them with some knowledge on which to build their future.

We entered the watchtower and climbed the steps.

As we walked past a sergeant, Lieutenant Regulav moved to a table. Without looking up, he leaned over and stared at a closed ledger.

Regulav said, “Sergeant Caliles, how do they expect me to fix this fucking place if they do not send the requested stones and timber?”

Sergeant Caliles replied, “Ah, Lieutenant, somebody is here to see you.”

“If it is another engineer asking about his absent building supplies, I will scream!”

I stood before the desk and coughed. Lieutenant Regulav looked at me, yelped and assumed a proper but uncomfortable, upright stance while holding a salute.

Lydia said, “Since you are not using your seat, Lieutenant Regulav, I might rest my legs.”

I commanded, “Stand at ease, Lieutenant.”

Lydia settled with a contented sigh as Regulav took a more relaxed stance.

• Rigmor: It seems Lieutenant Regulav knows who you are, Your Excellency.
• Regulav: Captain Leomus was full of praise for Your Excellency. What is your comrades’ new designation?
• Rigmor: We are now known as Divine Knights.
• Regulav: Captain Leomus praised Your Excellency and Divine Knights.
• Inigo: I saw you in Raven Spring, Lieutenant. You commanded the initial platoon that arrived before the Oblivion Gate opened.
• Regulav: Captain Leomus tried to prepare us for what we faced. The horrors were far worse than what we read about in the histories.
• Vayu: Daedric Princes have unique minions. Lady Namira’s were not the same as those encountered during The Oblivion Crisis.
• Wulf: I spoke to General Tullius. The battalion has been awarded a commendation and flag, which are well deserved.
• Regulav: Did you see the new statue of Saint Alessia?
• Wulf: Yes. That is a depiction of her rarely seen outside of The Imperial Army.
• Regulav: Captain Leomus paid for it.
• Wulf: Then his name should be on the plaque.
• Regulav: I agree and will get it done. Is there a purpose for your visit, Your Excellency?
• Wulf: As a diplomatic gesture, we have agreed to gather reports for Advisor Kegor.
• Regulav: The report is the thick ledger in front of me. It is detailed and proudly displays the best bureaucracy training on Nirn. If you cannot win with the sword, dazzle them with facts and figures.
• Wulf: I hope you have included the cost of the ink and parchment used to create the report.
• Regulav: I have added it at the end.
• Lydia: I am impressed!
• Regulav: By the chair or my bureaucratic skills?
• Lydia: Both.
• Inigo: Her brain and large arse are both impressed as they occupy the same space.
• Lydia: Get fornicated, Divine Knight Inigo.
• Regulav: Can I ask a favour, Your Excellency?
• Wulf: Yes, of course. What is it?
• Regulav: Do you remember the woman rescued here? The one forced upon by the Orcs?
• Wulf: Yes, I remember Denize. Captain Leomus arranged an escort to take her to one of the temples.
• Regulav: We escorted her to the temple in Raven Spring, but she returned yesterday, talked for a bit, thanked us for our kindness, and then left. I am concerned for her safety.
• Wulf: Do you know where she was going?
• Regulav: From our brief conversation, I believe she has entered the wilds to search for a witch named Zenalata. She is known to perform dark rituals, and I think Denize wants the witch to deprive her of her child.
• Lydia: Why would Denize seek the witch? There are safer ways to terminate a pregnancy.
• Vayu: With Hedge or Reach Magic, a witch can use the souls of unborn children for many purposes.
• Wulf: We shall look for her. Do you know where Zenalata resides?
• Regulav: If you have a map, I can mark her location. We try not to patrol too close, as she is known to be hostile if she feels threatened.
• Vayu: Did you tell Denize where she would find Zenalata?
• Regulav: There was no need. Most locals know of her. I have researched the more dangerous folk in this realm. Of prominence are the witches, who are known to steer the Witchmen to greater ends, creating archaic military structures in which they see themselves as lieutenants. Hagraven are considered of a higher rank, with Matriarchs acting as generals.
• Vayu: Witches play a vital role in Reachmen society. Not all of them are in covens or subservient to Hagraven.
• Wulf: The Witchmen are not individual clans but one created from many others. The massacre in Munstor was the catalyst for this change. Their previous Matriarchs became subservient to one, who was a minion of Lady Namira. We recently ended her life.
• Regulav: Zenalata seldom travels from her lair and is known to make trespassers vanish if they stray too close. However, some are granted the ‘privilege’ of her presence. For whatever reasons, we are not sure. I would not be surprised if such ‘fortunate’ agents are woven into a grander plot. You should not trust a witch!
• Vayu: Your knowledge of such things is limited, Lieutenant. Zenalata has likely had many names over the centuries, and I look forward to speaking with her.
• Wulf: Divine Knight Vayu has trained in the magics used by witches and Hagraven.
• Vayu: The knowledge of such magic is not inherently evil. However, any school of magic, as demonstrated by Aventurier, can be an instrument of good or evil.
• Wulf: We judge people on actions, not superstitions. Zenalata has nothing to fear from us unless her actions endanger Denize or others.
• Rigmor: His Excellency is adept at uncovering grand plots.
• Wulf: We shall make visiting Zenalata a priority since Denize and her unborn child are at risk.

I handed Regulav my map, and he marked Zenalata’s location.

I laughed as I placed the hefty report into my Journal Case. I wonder if Ziggy will read it in its entirety.

Regulav returned my map, and I said, “Divine Knights, I will teleport us to Umbasir. Zenalata’s lair is a pleasant walk from there.”

When we came out of the ether, Rigmor asked, “Who cleared away the dead Orsimer?”

“The Orsinium’s Sons may be mercenaries, but they will not allow their comrades to rot in the sun. Lord Malacath does not look favourably on such disrespect.”

For the third time in a few days, we had to be cautious as we passed a Witchmen camp on a small lake.

A bit later, Vayu and I noticed something.

• Vayu: Can you sense it, Wulf?
• Wulf: Yes. Quite a bit of Magicka is being used nearby.
• Vayu: Zenalata likely has a barrier. It will be interesting to see if we are welcome.
• Rigmor: What if she has a barrier and does not drop it?
• Lydia: We shall offer Inigo as a sacrifice!
• Meeko: Woof!
• Rigmor: Although your farts can melt armour, I doubt they can bypass magical barriers.
• Lydia: Pew!!! There is no need to practice!
• Meeko: Woof!
• Inigo: I know, Meeko. Lydia is constantly blaming others for her repugnant bottom burps.
• Wulf: We had better move before Witchmen begin searching for the smelly culprit.

Zenalata’s lair was atop a steep climb. Several black spiders acted as guards. We could see a barrier, but its front was dropped to allow access.

Zenalata watched us with curiosity, not fear.

She said, “You are welcome, Your Excellency and Divine Knights. Denize is on the upper floor.”

The witch stood aside and allowed us access to Denize.

Denize was sitting and staring into infinity. I was surprised to see an Amulet of Mara around her neck. I stood nearby for several seconds before being noticed.

“Hello Denize. We rescued you at Deepcrag, but we wore different armour. We have come because we are worried about what you are doing.”

“I recognise you and know of your deeds in Evermore. Forgive me if I show no graces, Your Lordship. Please do not make me dwell on that memory. It made me ill visiting that place to tell Lieutenant Regulav of my plan. He deserved as much, considering the kindness he showed. I do not know if he understands my need to get rid of this spawn inside of me.”

“We wish to help and not lecture or make judgement.”

“If you want to do that, then aid Zenalata. She is the one who will free me of this omen that was thrust upon me.”

“There are many women in towns and villages that provide potions to cause miscarriage. Why risk death or injury travelling these wild lands to see Zenalata?”

“No injury could be worse, and death would be a welcome release. I came here with the notion of my demise at the back of my mind, and it was comforting. Peace either way, through her getting rid of my child or my passing on. Since I have made it this far, I hope it is the former.”

“I shall speak to Zenalata.”

Zenalata stood before an Enchanting Table. I could not detect the source of the Magicka powering her barrier. Vayu stood next to her and silently judged her intent and power.

I bowed slightly and told her, “I am honoured to meet one so knowledgeable of the old arts, Zenalata.”

“Am I the first witch not trying to kill you, Envoy Wulf? Denize told me your name, which I recognised, so I have allowed this audience.”

“Within this kingdom, all other witches have been hostile. They choose their fate by attacking us. Why are you helping Denize?”

“I desire to be a mother, animus that has willed me into helping this woman supplant her progeny unto me so that I may be imputed with dynasty.”

“You cannot conceive through other means due to using ancient magics.”

“Yes, that is an accepted sacrifice for our art. But now, a chance has been presented to me, and I wish to grasp it.”

“Is it not the most natural of things? The wish to procreate motivates many.”

“Maybe you have not seen it, but you are in a tale of mothers. Mothers are weaving stories in every stride you take.”

“I was sent to this land by Mother Mara, who blessed mortals with the ability to love and is the god of motherhood for many mortal species. I have been combating the Dark Mother, who knows nothing of carrying a child to term or the love of other beings. I have yet to discover Lady Namira’s motivation, for she does not randomly meddle in mortal affairs like other Daedric Princes.”

“With my child, I will have another destiny to write from my own. A fate that will leave red the world in its spill.”

“The destiny of an aggressor is death. There are better paths your child could follow. Were you a member of the Forlorn or Witchmen?”

“An age has passed since my time with naïve Native Reachmen dreamers. They let the wind carry them along with nary a care. Such was their downfall. I observed our cousins, donned in red and black, descend from the mountains and cleave their way through our people. They shed oceans of blood in their wake. Now the meat of our people has wrought an eight-legged augur that is moulding them into the self-eating mortal demons that plague the land.”

“Faolan, The Red Eagle, was the first to forge an alliance with Hagraven and become a Briarheart. Many Reachmen tribes of that time chose Hircine as their god, but Hagraven and their followers also worshipped Molag Bal and others. Now, Native Reachmen have abandoned individual tribes. They have become one tribe, Witchmen, and all follow Namira. She uses them for her foul plans. We won a major battle of the war against her days ago, but she is cunning, and I know more must be done.”

“You are a warrior for gods that can find no common ground with those we follow. It is a futile war that simply leaves us mortals its victims.”

“You are wrong. I am not only the Champion of The Divines but also of many Daedric Princes. I have aided Morrowind and Elsweyr. People of many faiths live within my abodes, and Divine Knights with The Order of the Dragon do not swear allegiance to any pantheon or god. Were you at Munstor?”

“I had made consort with the feathered women of yore, engaging in song, synchronised to soothe the land. A frozen waste birthed a fecund beginning.”

“The Native Reachmen occupied unused or useless land to the Bretons. More wealth was possible for Evermore via trade if they were left to flourish. However, the stupidity of Evermore’s elite is only surpassed by their evil and greed. They feared what your people offered the downtrodden of theirs. They decided they would lose more gold than make, and that is when they acted.”

“All the best efforts laid to waste by men from stone walls, civilisation had come to bring us to heel. The hegemony that seeks to oust all competitors.”

“That was not civilisation. That was barbarism birthed by fear, not of your people but their own. The fake nobility scared of citizens who knew their worth and would demand it if given a taste. Native Reachmen in Markarth impressed many with their ability to accept our ways if left to practice theirs. His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Titus Mede II, was willing to grant them autonomy. The Reach would be a far different place if that had happened. Munstor would not have occurred, and the Witchmen’s subservience to Namira would not have existed. But the experiment in Markarth ended in brutality equal to Munstor’s. The people butchered were victims of the ambitions of a despot called Ulfric Stormcloak.”

“Witchmen have honed their methods in combating your kind. I have honed my own. Where they are bold and terrifying, I find the opposite more alluring. Serving a more palatable meal. Subversion through hope, love and desire can render the wealthiest a beggar, all through their own doing.”

“You fall into the same trap that causes much grief and sorrow. You believe I must be the same as Manmer because I live behind walls and wear things other than bones and fur. I have spent much time teaching and preaching that each person should be judged on actions and intentions, not generalisations. I explained I have comrades and friends who worship different gods than me. I have close friends and trusted allies of all races. I am not like the Breton of Evermore, and they are unlike other Manmer in High Rock. Your experience of the world is limited, and your views biased.”

“That is true, but here is where I choose to live and what surrounds me is what I need to protect against and combat if I wish to preserve my culture.”

“You spoke of dancing to invoke the ancient magic. What can you do with such dance?”

“I divulge in the dance that melds one world to another. Through these dances, our bodies have flesh transposed with magics summoned from a raging stream of arcane noise that spills forth from every orifice and every end of the form. You manifest desire and become a beacon of dreams, not only your own but those of a thousand shrieking souls seeking your body as an outlet.”

“You somehow touch The Void?”

“Pragmatic are the civilised. If you want a change of destiny, bring me flesh. That would serve some utility to those who want results, yes? Deliver the skin of those you wish to mimic, and I will graft it onto your shape. A new identity will be birthed.”

“Only the physical change would be permanent. Your soul retains memories no matter the flesh it inhabits. The mind replicates those memories. Therefore, the subject would maintain their memories and gain those of the host.”

“What you say is true. The mind is not the same as clay, so the altered will itself anchored to the past despite best intentions. Some people ask to have memories removed, but it is a fraught exercise. After the graft, the body opens rooms of the mind where they were once locked. The first doors to loosen are pleasure and pain, thereby alleviating or exaggerating the carnal.”

“Therefore, somebody who was chaste may find themselves enslaved to sexual desire. The receiving of pain somehow mixed in. It seems those who undertake this transformation become perversions of their old selves. This problem would almost be guaranteed if they changed from ugly to having a body visually attractive to those they desire. The new imbalances of want versus morality present a danger, especially when combined with retained memories of past experiences.”

“Yes, your deeper self? How you move, how you react, your trauma, your pleasures from the past. These will stay.”

“I suppose there are many reasons an individual would undertake the transformation. But the basis is murder. To obtain the flesh needed, somebody must die.”

“I find humour in the desperation of the civilised to escape their fate. Such a privileged lifestyle should beg for docility and contentment with your luxuries. The deluge of souls who come for my services shows this is untrue. One such recent arrival was a demon of translucent red, smacked of all the despairs of your society. His every fibre rebelled against the rigid hierarchy of your world and sought escape. He threw vestiges of most regal flesh at my feet, and I went to work. Sowing and tearing where I needed, this being willed himself into a prince, and I helped him on his path. Now, the winds grow fierce, and the storm clouds gather. Munstor will taste vengeance in this kingdom’s waning.”

“We are here to aid Belize. What do you need for the ritual?”

“Deathbell to soothe the pulse, Nirnroot to sear the soul and ectoplasm to deprive that poor child of the flesh and have it ethereal. With these, the seed can be carried from its mother’s soil without much anguish for either mortal.”

“I assume there are reasons you do not have these things already. Since we have offered our help, we shall fetch them. First, I must reassure Denize of our intentions.”

Rigmor was listening and said via Mara’s Rings, “Ambition has murdered Damian. Siggy will place a demon in charge of Raven Spring.”

“We must allow that to happen if we are to discover if other Daedric Princes are involved. However, the concoction Zenalata wants to brew is a deadly poison. It will put Denize to sleep, allowing the witch time to prepare her incantation. The poison will seep through the umbilical cord and kill the foetus. Zenalata will have placed a Soul Trap on the foetus. As soon as it dies, the soul will be trapped in a Black Soul Gem, ready to be implanted into who knows what. Because it is the soul of an unborn, it is like a blank piece of parchment ready for the witch to fill.”

“What do we do?”

“We try to remove Denize from here without a confrontation that may endanger her.”

I gave a subtle hand signal telling my friends to prepare for battle.

As Zenalata moved to a lower level, we approached Denize.

Vayu cast a solid air barrier. It was invisible but would muffle our conversation.

I told Denize, “We need to get you out of here. Zenalata intends to poison you and steal the unborn child’s soul.”

“What? How? She has been nothing but good to me since I got here. Why hasn’t she killed me already?”

“Divine Knight Vayu and I are Master Alchemists and Mages. Zenalata intends to transfer your child’s soul to a foetus in her womb. Souls are not race-specific. The witch’s offspring could be any species or aberration created by her dark arts. She will bring it up as her own, but I do not know what perverted purpose it is for. I do know she acts against The Divines and is not a friend of Breton.”

“What do you mean by souls not being race-specific?”

“Souls not yet used in a kalpa are inert in The Void. When a foetus is several weeks old, a random soul from The Void is attached to the physical body. If the child is not born, the soul returns to The Void. Therefore, your child’s soul is not that of an Orsimer, Breton, or mixed race. The child’s physical characteristics may display mixed parentage later in life, but they can vary greatly. For instance, your child might not have Orsimer molars or ears but may have their characteristic nose. Do you comprehend what I have said?”

“It seems complicated, but I understand enough. I found no comfort in the temple in Arnima and left hours after arriving there. Not long ago, I may have welcomed death. But I cannot abandon my child’s soul to her. I want to get rid of this child and live a normal life. I do not want to die. If I give birth to it, I know I will lack the conviction to do anything after.”

“This is a familiar story to me and history. It should not matter how a child is conceived or of mixed race. It is an innocent that deserves love. If mixed race were of concern to The Divines, they would not have allowed them to be possible. An Orsimer impregnating a Breton is not a sin. The question of consent is where morality is decided.”

“My child is a product of sin, but not sinful.”

“Mother Mara is worshipped in some form in most cultures and by most races. The teachings of Mother Mara are the same across Nirn. Children are a blessing. No society condemns the termination of unwanted pregnancies, as failed pregnancies occur frequently without intentional intervention, and the soul of the child is not harmed.”

“Why didn’t Priest Matthew explain this to me?”

“Because he is not a real priest. If you were to enter The Divide’s or Arnima’s temple now, you would feel the love of Mother Mara, for we have activated her shrines. Do you have family that can take care of you?”

“I have a large family, but not one I can rely on. My parents had a lot of girls, too many for my father. It must have burned through his heart knowing he never had a son. He loathed every minute of our presence and called it a curse that his name would never continue.”

“You can hyphenate names at marriage. You can keep your name under the rules of marriage taught by Mother Mara. You could have a child out of wedlock, and that would be even worse for a man as shallow as that. The child can change its name after reaching adulthood if it wishes. Emperors, kings, queens, and nobility often use names other than their father’s. It is not an issue that should stop a fair man from loving his children. I am sorry you had a father such as him. I apologise if you feel anything for this man. Sometimes, I find such injustice bypasses my tact. Do you keep in contact with your parents?”

“Mother fell dreadfully ill when carrying her 12th child. She did not survive, and neither did my unborn sister. Mother’s body could not bear it! My father regressed further into himself, lamenting the fact his family’s name was dead, and made sure to remind us that we were the cause. When he married us off, it was the best thing I could think of and the worst. Being outside, in new places and forming new relationships were denied when I was with him. He had to ensure I was chaste before the wedding, lest I disappoint my suitor.”

“What a shallow man! Has he found another breeder upon which he can inflict his repugnant need for a male heir? I need not ask what his response to your child would be. I have heard such tales before, and my anger seethes. He is probably a racist to boot, with an irrational hatred for Orsimer. What about your sisters? Would they help?”

“We have not spoken for years, nor have I intended to do so. Only two arrived at my wedding and hurried off after the ceremony. Staying only to smuggle ale from the festivities and to chug it all in whatever pigsty they were holed in. We did not get along much, regardless. Most of my sisters were in the presence of whores. They slept most nights in the brothels instead of at home. The most beautiful of us had married off into some family of some cousin of some noble. The most unfortunate of us was murdered by a wretch in those very whorehouses I sought never to find myself in.”

“No doubt your husband is not an option.”

“My husband had been sent as a tailor to military camps around Evermore, our final stay being Deepcrag. You know how that story ended. I never knew marriage could be so loveless with not even a flicker of passion between us. Such was the fruit of a hastily cobbled arrangement for my father’s coffers. I wish I were a better woman, and I could tell you I am heartbroken knowing of my husband’s death, but I cannot. The moments I did have with him had waned my dreams.”

“I am sorry such injustices fell upon you.”

“To think of such misery until my death, I may as well have been dead already. A forced marriage and a hollow bond! Maybe all of this is retribution for my coldness towards him? This child is the weight I must carry for my sins.”

Lydia knelt before Denize. She held her hands, gazed into her eyes, and said, “I am Divine Knight Lydia. You have not sinned, but those around you have. The Divines do not punish. The miracle of motherhood is never punishment. It is a blessing and a gift from Mother Mara. Seek comfort in the teachings of Mother Mara. We have, and they motivate us to help women like you and the unwanted and abused children of this sometimes evil but always beautiful world.

You did not want to hand your child over to this witch, and I think you would have regretted it forever if you terminated it. You are already starting to feel the miraculous bond between mother and child.

It is an innocent child, and the evil act of its procreation does not darken its soul. It deserves to live, have its mother nurture it, and share the beauty around us with it.

The best thing for you to do is remove yourself from a society where the child would suffer prejudice. Somewhere like Riften’s Temple of Mara would aid you. There, expectant mothers are not judged, and their children are born into an atmosphere of love and safety. Racism does not exist, and all celebrate the miracle of mother and child. We can instantly transport you there so no long journey is required. The only thing expected is that you look after yourself and give you and your child the best opportunity to survive and thrive.”

“I must think about moving from my homeland to elsewhere. However, I no longer think death is an acceptable option, and I do not want my child’s soul to be used by Zenalata.”

I said, “I will speak to Zenalata. Take as much time as you need to decide about the move to Skyrim.”

Zenalata was still a level below when I approached her.

“Denize now realises the gift Mother Mara had given her. She is a mortal life I am sworn to protect, and your plan to poison her is deceitful. Your plans for the child are ones of revenge against those you think wronged your people. Allowing you to proceed would be an ill use of two innocents.”

“This river has no branches. Destinies are now running their course, and usurpers like you cannot dare to change them!”

“I do dare, and I do change them. Surely, your old magic tells you of the power of The Divines and the blessings they have given me. Look at how that current follows the path set by Lord Akatosh and how I remove the dams in its way. I have no quarrel with you. Do not make me end you.”

Denize joined us and said, “You and the Divine Knights have demonstrated compassion I have never experienced before. I would be a fool to refuse to surround myself and my child with such caring and love. You offered me a way forward, and I will accept. Can we please leave this place now?”

Zenalata growled, “Is it your wish to deprive me of motherhood, Denize?”

“It is not motherhood you desire. You wish to birth a weapon based on the corruption of an innocent and the death of its real mother. You want to abuse the gift of Mother Mara, and that is a greater sin than an Orsimer raping me!”

Denize turned her back on Zenalata, intending to join Lydia.

Zenalata prepared a spell, and I cut her down.

The others gathered around.

• Wulf: I did not want to kill Zenalata.
• Denize: Even though she has done evil things?
• Vayu: The magic performed by Zenalata was not evil. However, the beings who wanted Zenalata to perform certain rituals needed to murder people, which is evil.
• Denize: Beings?
• Vayu: Zenalata’s magic was also sought by immortals, such as Daedra.
• Wulf: Zenalata did not command or force clients to murder people. It was the desires and free will of her clients that led to the murders.
• Denize: But poisoning me was unacceptable.
• Wulf: Murdering you and stealing the soul of your child would have been evil acts. Zenalata was going to attack with magic, so I killed her in defence, not out of anger at what she planned or had done in the past.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Inigo: Yes, we can see you have been practising your levitation, but be quiet. We are having a serious discussion.
• Denize: I have not met many Khajiiti and did not know they could be blue. Can all your kind speak to dogs?
• Lydia: Divine Knight Inigo is unique. He is the only blue Khajiiti alive and the only one without a brain.
• Vayu: Meeko is not a dog, and all of us can speak to him.
• Denize: Are the people in Riften as strange as this group?
• Rigmor: No, Denize. The people in Riften’s Temple of Mara are kind, generous, and normal.
• Wulf: Unlike the temple in Arnima, Lady Mara’s presence permeates Riften’s temple, and the Priests and Priestesses are full of compassion.
• Inigo: Riften is my favourite city in all of Skyrim. You will find all races live there in peace.
• Denize: How old was Zenalata?
• Vayu: She probably used many names over time. Zenalata witnessed Red Eagle’s invasion of The Reach around 1E 1030. So, she was thousands of years old.
• Inigo: Yet she had far fewer wrinkles than Divine Knight Lydia!
• Wulf: We must continue our work, Denize, so place your hand on my shoulder.
• Lydia: His Excellency will teleport you into Riften’s Temple of Mara.
• Vayu: We shall join you seconds later.
• Lydia: It is not dangerous, but you will be in the dark for a second.
• Meeko: Woof?
• Wulf: Sorry, Meeko, we do not have the time to visit the orphanage today.
• Rigmor: If it is any consolation, the Blade we plan to rescue will likely be surrounded by bandits and bounty hunters.
• Meeko: Grrr!
• Wulf: Are you ready, Denize?
• Denize: Ahh…okay.

Denize placed her hand on my shoulder, and a second later, we exited the ether inside Riften’s Temple of Mara.

The others appeared, and Lydia and Rigmor gave Denize a tour.

Several people greeted me before I made my way to Priestess Dinya.

She said, “The passing of your friends saddened us. Many people have visited to give respects to Iona since her internment.”

“We accept such losses are the price to be paid when defending the innocent and weak, and we have been fortunate in the months since we arrived from Akavir. We will honour our fallen friends by continuing the task they died performing.”

“Is Evermore as dark as Lady Mara warned?”

“I am finding it difficult. That is why I have chosen the current group of travel companions. They are adept at keeping spirits high.”

“Who is the young woman Rigmor and Lydia are speaking to?”

“Her name is Denize, and she is a Breton from Evermore. After they killed her husband, she was raped by several Orsimer mercenaries and has fallen pregnant. She initially considered the unborn child a curse as she has a deep-rooted distrust of Orsimer and was traumatised by her treatment by them. We just rescued her from an ancient witch who was going to murder her and steal the child’s soul.”

“And now she seeks the compassion of Lady Mara.”

“Indeed. Look at Denize’s face. She is experiencing Lady Mara’s presence for the first time. The shrines in Evermore were not activated, and the priests were fake. The shrines have since been activated. Erandur performed that duty on several of them.”

“She is a bit older than some of the troubled pregnant women currently here. However, support groups are always formed, and Denize will soon settle into our routine. After some time, she will venture into Riften and find employment.”

“I will let Denize tell her story. Although tragic, it is another example of how the values in Evermore are askew. Lady Namira has taken advantage of the corruption to enable her plans.”

“Can you give me some examples of the corruption?”

“People were sacrificing virginal, pre-pubescent girls to a griffon, believing this was the will of Lady Mara.”

“What?”

“Many children go missing in Evermore. The griffon killed countless over decades, but many times more vanish. Some of their spirits roam Evermore City, and one asked me to help so she could move on to her afterlife. But I must be careful as the guilty will have no qualms eliminating the evidence.”

“They would kill children to protect themselves.”

“Yes. That is one example of the darkness that permeates Evermore. Yet its citizens, for the most part, are pious and honest. They deserve to have real priests and priestesses and experience the love of The Nine.”

“Sister Jeanna was going to return to Evermore.”

“She arrived in Arnima just before the Oblivion Gate opened. Sister Jeanna aided in the temple during and after the battle. Currently, she is travelling in our airship and delivering the cure for the plague.”

“I would not be surprised if Sister Jeanna is declared a saint.”

“I do not think Lady Namira is the only Daedric Prince interfering with Evermore. The canker Lady Mara warned about is not Namira but the moral decay of the kingdom. We are used to dealing with small numbers of despots and selfish, godless parasites. We have been caught unprepared for the extent of corruption within Evermore. It would be easy for the disenfranchised of other kingdoms and provinces to be seduced by the ideas rampant in Evermore. None of what has come to pass would be possible if real priests taught and practised The Ten Commands of the Nine Divines. If Evermore’s people had been entering temples with activated shrines, they would know the love and compassion of our gods. Alas, we must deal with the reality as best we can.”

“Say your goodbyes to Denize, and then we can settle her. One of the acolytes will be her guide for a few days.”

“Blessings of The Nine on all who enter this temple.”

“Carry Lady Mara’s love wherever you go.”

Rigmor and Lydia saw me approaching, said goodbye to Denize, and left us alone.

I asked, “You can feel her love, can’t you?”

“Is this what temples are supposed to feel like?”

“Yes. All nine of Arnima’s temple shrines have been activated, so the love is more prominent.”

“Divine Knights Lydia and Rigmor seem so kind, yet I know what you and they have done to protect Skyrim and other places. Reading the news sheets in Deepcrag was a privilege denied outside of Legion encampments.”

“Those who travel outside of Evermore know how different the teachings of The Priest Circle are from those of the rest of Tamriel. The Kingdom’s elite suppresses outside news to help maintain their false narrative. I heard several Town Criers fermenting hate and spreading propaganda.”

“Warriors who show compassion and defend the weak were something for children’s bedtime stories. It is a shock to find they are real.”

“Changes will be made in Evermore. I implore you to put aside the prejudices ingrained by your upbringing and learn how the rest of The Empire accepts different races and integrates without problems. There are racist elements in Skyrim, but they are of the minority.”

“I can see priests and priestesses of many races in this temple. I hope I do not offend them with naïve questions or boorish behaviour.”

“They understand, Denize. Do not be surprised when they refer to Lady Mara as Mother Cat or other variations. Mother Mara is a term mainly used within Evermore.”

“I cannot thank you enough, Envoy Wulf.”

“Our thanks come from seeing those we rescue from darkness thrive in the light of the world The Divines and their kin gifted us. Priestess Dinya will soon take you under her wings. She is Dunmer and is pregnant with her first child. Her husband is Maramal, a Redguard Priest of Mara.”

“Such a thing would make the priests in Evermore drop dead with indignation!”

“We must continue our work in Evermore. Therefore, I must say goodbye for now. I wish you the best, Denize.”

Dinya moved towards Denize with an acolyte who was likely younger than Rigmor.

My friends gathered around, and we teleported to Evermore City’s entrance.

• Wulf: The Daedra named Ambition has murdered Prince Damian.
• Vayu: Zenalata melded Prince Damian’s body with Ambition’s. He will look and sound like Damian.
• Wulf: During the process, Ambition absorbed Damian’s memories. However, he will also be plagued by his own. The magic used by Zenalata cannot remove memories from the host or recipient.
• Inigo: My friend, what do you plan to do about Damian?
• Wulf: First, we shall see if his transformation is enough to fool Siggy.
• Rigmor: Damian will replace Mortifayne as Raven Spring’s Lord if it is.
• Lydia: Zenalata did not worship Namira, did she?
• Wulf: She may have in the past, but I think she changed to Lord Hircine as she admired Red Eagle.
• Lydia: Why did she want the unborn child’s soul?
• Vayu: She did not think the Witchmen’s method of forcing change was correct. Where they are openly doing Lady Namira’s bidding, Zenalata enacted long-term plans using subterfuge. She seemed to hint that Ambition’s transformation was part of that plan.
• Lydia: Did she have a detailed plan, or was sowing chaos her only weapon?
• Rigmor: Wulf told me an unborn child’s soul is like a black sheet of paper. Zenalata could set it on a path of her choosing.
• Wulf: It all derives from the base instinct of ‘want.’ Whatever Daedric Prince Zenalata worshipped, that basic instinct was manipulated as Lady Namira has done.
• Lydia: I understand, and that knowledge adds to the darkness of this place.
• Inigo: Lydia, I was impressed by how you convinced Denize to move to Riften.
• Lydia: Quick, Vayu or Wulf! I think Inigo complimented me. If true, he needs help. If not, I need help to cure such delusions.
• Wulf: I am optimistic the insults will soon resume.
• Vayu: Think of it as an anomaly unlikely to ever be repeated.
• Rigmor: It was well done, Lydia.
• Lydia: I only told the truth.
• Rigmor: It was the empathy accompanying the truth that convinced Denize.
• Inigo: And Inigo the Great’s plan worked!
• Lydia: If you planned to be annoying, it worked months ago and hasn’t stopped.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Inigo: Thank you, my fellow flea sufferer. I do try.
• Lydia: I see. Well then, I thank you, Inigo, for shocking me with a compliment. It did drag me away from the darkness I was staring into. However, good deeds are diminished by boasting.
• Wulf: What is more likely, Rigmor? The achievement of peace for Nirn or these two ending a conversation without a knife twist?
• Rigmor: I think the latter is dependent on the former. If The Dominion makes peace with The Empire, there is hope for Inigo and Lydia.
• Inigo: Hey, you know it is all in fun. Don’t you?
• Rigmor: So, was it not an evil plan of Lydia’s when she suggested you accompany us?
• Lydia: Rigmor!
• Rigmor: Tis’ the truth, Divine Knight Lydia.
• Vayu: Inigo has also desired Lydia’s company in the past.
• Inigo: Vayu!
• Vayu: Tis’ the truth, Divine Knight Inigo.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Wulf: That is a good idea, Meeko. All this mushy stuff makes me nauseous as well, so we shall proceed.
• Rigmor: Everybody knows you are a big softy, Dragonbum!
• Wulf: If we see Advisor Kegor, we shall speak to him. I prefer to find Ambassador Veaser first and then rescue the Blade.
• Vayu: Will Ambassador Vaeser recognise you, Rigmor?
• Rigmor: No. Vaeser was appointed as Ambassador to Evermore years ago.

We entered Evermore City, and a guard told us where Vaeser resided.

Vaeser was enjoying a drink outside his home when he saw us approaching. He stood to greet us.

• Wulf: Are you Ambassador Vaeser?
• Vaeser: Yes, and you must be Envoy Wulf. I received paperwork informing me of your visit several days ago. But if the rumours from Raven Spring are correct, I can understand the delay in this meeting.
• Wulf: They are correct if the rumours say an Oblivion Gate opened inside Raven Spring’s walls. The Divine Knights and other fought for thirteen hours while I traversed Oblivion.
• Vaeser: You and Divine Knights achieved far more than that. That is what made the last Council Meeting different.
• Rigmor: I can sense gossip!
• Vaeser: Are you aware of my duties in Evermore?
• Rigmor: Your Excellency, out of respect for his ambassadorial position and to suck up to His Imperial Majesty, Lord Vaeser has been granted a seat on The Council. He relays word from The Empire and serves as a conduit for their dealings with Evermore.
• Vaeser: At the last meeting, King Sigmayne approved the opening of the royal coffers and distribution of coins to rebuild assets outside of this city.
• Rigmor: How shocking!
• Vaeser: I know!
• Wulf: Ambassador, how is The Empire regarded in Evermore?
• Vaeser: High Rock is the last stable province loyal to Cyrodiil since The Great War. Although people like me used to confer our skills to the many states throughout the province, we now limit ourselves to one. I hate to admit that The Empire is becoming weaker, but the recent fracturing of alliances with High Rock displays The Empire’s inability to control.
• Wulf: Your subjective opinion of The Empire needs revision. I ended Skyrim’s civil war with minimal casualties and damage. The armies of The Empire easily defeated The New Order. High Queen Elisif has the full support of all Jarls and is a popular and adept leader. Seven Imperial Legions are ready to defend The Empire and remove any hint of insurrection.
• Lydia: People thought Ulfric and his Stormcloaks had a chance to defeat The Empire. They never did.
• Rigmor: His Imperial Majesty did not want widespread destruction, so he kept the number of troops deployed in Skyrim lower than General Tullius requested.
• Wulf: I am tired of politics, Advisor Vaeser, and will gladly leave that excrement to you. However, I am concerned about Titalo Brolicius, the Blade who is in hiding. The Thalmor are trying to find him. I cannot allow that.
• Vaeser: I would not put it past Justiciar Naruman to try to recruit you for that task.
• Wulf: He did try.
• Rigmor: Envoy Wulf is The Dragonborn, and all Blades are sworn to his service.
• Vayu: Many Knights of our Order were Blades during The Great War. His Excellency has provided a haven for them and Blades who have not joined our Order.
• Wulf: Where is Titalo hiding?
• Vaeser: The last report placed him in Dissenter’s Peak.
• Wulf: Dissenter’s Peak is on my map. We should be able to get there in a few hours.
• Vayu: His Excellency will teleport Titalo to Skyrim.
• Vaeser: Then I will send a message telling Naruman that the reported sighting was misinformation.
• Rigmor: Justiciar Naruman will not be able to read your message.
• Vaeser: Why is that?
• Rigmor: His Excellency cut off his head.
• Vaeser: What? Why?
• Wulf: The Dominion, via Thalmor agents, have been sponsoring Orsinium’s Sons. They have supplied food, weapons, and intel. When spying on them, I witnessed a Thalmor Agent planning a massacre of the population of Dunlain. He was speaking to an Orsinium’s Sons war chief in Umbasir. We killed every enemy in that camp. 
• Rigmor: A few days earlier, Naruman threatened to have His Excellency assassinated for refusing to hunt and kill Titalo. We also heard him trying to convince Commander Drugo not to retake Deepcrag. That is what made us suspect Thalmor interference in Evermore.
• Wulf: I warned Justiciar Naruman that his diplomatic immunity would not save him if I found evidence of Thalmor interference. I found the evidence, and his head rolled.
• Rigmor: Have you seen evidence of them trying to eradicate the worship of Talos in Evermore?
• Vaeser: No. Not before or after His Imperial Majesty withdrew that part of The White Gold Concordat.
• Wulf: So, what were they doing here? What did you say High Rock was?
• Vaeser: The last stable province? Ahh, they are trying to steal it from The Empire.
• Wulf: Or at least make it break away.
• Vaeser: Do you have proof of this?
• Wulf: They left no paper trail. It would be my word against theirs.
• Rigmor: They will deny all accusations and say nasty things about Sir Wulf Welkynd.
• Wulf: They have been upset with me since I infiltrated their embassy in Skyrim.
• Rigmor: It was not His Excellency’s fault a few dozen of them died that night.
• Vayu: A Thalmor agent at The College of Winterhold nearly destroyed Nirn!
• Wulf: Enough about The Thalmor. They are as unpalatable a subject as politics.
• Vaeser: I am a politician, so I must ask. What do you think your visit to Evermore will accomplish?
• Wulf: We hope to implement a peaceful replacement of The Priest Circle and nobles, including King Sigmayne. Serfdom will be abolished, and Imperial Law, backed by The Ten Commands of the Nine Divines, will be implemented.
• Vaeser: Do you have proof of Sigmayne’s crimes?
• Wulf: Yes, but I will not tell you what we have uncovered. You still must treat Sigmayne with respect.
• Vaeser: I would find it problematic if rumours prove to be true. Currently, I can convince myself they are lies and exaggerations.
• Wulf: It might be impossible for us to implement a peaceful transition. This morning, we uncovered information implying that other forces, and likely other Daedric Princes, orchestrated the factional disagreements. We shall keep trying, but be prepared to hide in your cellar if chaos erupts.
• Vaeser: I was a career soldier and can still swing a sword.
• Rigmor: The problem might be differentiating between friend and foe. Good soldiers can also be stabbed in the back by a false ally.
• Vaeser: If General Tullius sends his soldiers into Evermore City, I will proudly take my chances and fight by their side.
• Wulf: A Governor may need to be appointed. I would hate for the prime candidate to die in battle.
• Vaeser: I would probably dislike that outcome as well. I wish you and the Divine Knights the best, Envoy Wulf.
• Wulf: Blessings of The Nine, Ambassador Vaeser.

We did not see Kegor, so we began our walk to Dissenter’s Peak.

It was a pleasant walk with no encounters.

• Wulf: Farrun and Jehanna are quite a distance from here.
• Rigmor: This must be one of the main roads to them.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Rigmor: Yes, Meeko, we must be careful not to get trampled by the hordes of people travelling this road.
• Vayu: It amazes me how Meeko inserts high levels of sarcasm into his bark.
• Wulf: Remind me to talk with Merlin. Whenever Meeko spends time at Dragons Keep, he learns a new spell.
• Meeko: Woof?
• Wulf: You are not a Mage, and it is dangerous for you to learn these things.
• Meeko: Woof.
• Wulf: If Merlin is sad because Gladys was adopted by one of the children, he can return to Aurane.
• Vayu: Meeko hopes that a full-time Merlin will allow more of the teaching you forbade.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Vayu: I am sorry, but you cannot put sincerity or indignation in your bark as well as you can with sarcasm.
• Meeko: Grrr!
• Vayu: If you ever tried to bite me, I would curse you with square pooh.
• Rigmor: Ouch!

Meeko sidled up to Vayu with a stupid grin and received a good ear scratch.

We turned off the road not far past Karthgran Vale Farm.

Dissenter’s Peak soon came into view. There is not much to say about our travels through it. Dozens of bandits died as we hardly paused in our search for Titalo.

It had been some time since I witnessed Meeko’s Dance of Death. He is an efficient killer!

Blade equipment and dead Thalmor were clues that Titalo was present in Dissenter’s Peak.

We encountered our quarry on the highest level of the tower. I used Zoom Vision to get a closer look.

• Titalo: Halt! Who are you? Speak clearly, or your following words may earn you an early grave!
• Vayu: He does not have a bow equipped. Will he throw his katana and hope it skewers all of us?
• Rigmor: Perhaps he is going to overcome us with idle threats?
• Inigo: Show some compassion. The man cannot see. Otherwise, he would recognise we are not bandit scum and wear Akaviri armour.
• Lydia: Your Excellency, you had better introduce us before he throws more threats our way. I only just avoided being hit by the first one!

I used The Voice, but gently, I was not sure of the structural integrity of the place.

“TITALO BROLICIUS, I AM SIR WULF WELKYND, DRAGONBORN AND CHAMPION OF THE DIVINES. MY COMPANIONS ARE DIVING KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF THE DRAGON. I AM COMING OVER TO SPEAK TO YOU. SHEATH YOUR WEAPON UNLESS YOU INTEND TO BREAK YOUR OATH.”

I Blinked and stood before the stunned Blade.

“I advise you to sheath your sword before I disarm you. That tends to break hands and cause screaming.”

Titalo quickly sheathed his sword.

“I assume we are the first friendly faces you have seen in some time?”

“I am constantly running and am very tired. If you were here on behalf of The Thalmor, I might even have welcomed death.”

“Now you have a chance to enjoy retirement. Do you know Delphine and Esbern?”

“Delphine! We, ahh, worked together rather closely on many a mission! Esbern was always around muttering to himself.”

“Well, they are alive, and I have allowed them to live in Sky Haven Temple. We have been recruiting new Blades. Well, they are now called Knights of The Order of the Dragon. My companions, many who were once Blades, all of them Dragonguard, are now Divine Knights.”

“Dragonguard?”

“Many Blades who survived The Great War made their way to Akavir. There, they were trained by Dragonguard of many species. Vayu, the tall Redguard, is a shaman and acting Grand Master in Skyrim. We are still sorting out the relationship between Blade, Dragonguard and Knightly Order, as the latter is a recent change implemented by His Imperial Majesty.”

“Can I join Delphine and Esbern?”

“Yes.”

“I am sure there is a long story behind all of this. Perhaps you can educate me on the long trip there.”

“I will teleport us there. That will take seconds.”

“Are the stories I have heard about Alduin true?”

“We defeated him at The Throat of The World and Sovngarde. He will not be eating any worlds for quite some time.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“A Justiciar tried to recruit me to hunt you down. After politely rejecting his kind offer, I asked Ambassador Vaeser if he knew your whereabouts.”

“So, we still have people in The Empire who don’t kneel to their Elven overlords?”

“Nobody does, including Emperor Titus Mede II. There are many reasons why His Imperial Majesty signed the White-Gold Concordat, and none of us has the right to judge him harshly. He saved lives and The Empire by doing so. Remember that when you enjoy the freedoms that his burden has purchased. He recently reenabled the worship of Lord Talos.”

“I would not be so self-absorbed to think you are in Evermore to rescue me.”

“No, I am not. But that is another long story, and I would rather get you safe and then continue my mission.”

“Okay, how does this teleport stuff work.”

“Place your hand on my shoulder, and I will do the rest.”

“What about your companions?”

“Divine Knight Vayu will teleport them to Sky Haven Temple.”

“Are there many dragons left to kill?”

“The Knights are forbidden from combating any dragons unless I give permission. There are many dragons in the skies over Skyrim, and nearly all are passive. I deal with the aggressive ones. Esbern and Delphine did not have to swear to this as their oaths as Blades means I am to be obeyed. You must also refrain from aggression towards Dov unless you wish to resign your position.”

“I have never seen a dragon and know nothing about them!”

“Well, perhaps I can introduce you to a few. I count many as friends and allies, including Alduin’s two lieutenants.”

“It seems I will have to educate myself on recent history.”

“Yes, educate yourself. Do not listen to the bullshit Esbern and Delphine will tell you. They came close to breaking their oaths and disobeying a Dragonborn. I would not have hesitated to kill them if they persisted.”

“I am glad they came to their senses.”

“I am sure some dragon hunting will be required. I have been too busy with other crises to visit them for some time. Is there anything you want to take with you?”

“Can I swap this armour for a less dented and smelly set when we get there?”

“There are many unused suits left behind by the last defenders of Sky Haven Temple. Well, the last living defenders. Powerful Akaviri and Blade spirits now guard the caverns leading to the temple’s entrance. They were initially placed there as a test for anybody claiming to be Dragonborn.”

“Then I am ready to go.”

Titalo placed his hand on my shoulder, and seconds later, we were in Sky Haven Temple. Vayu and the others appeared from the ether soon after.

We made our way to the centre of the main hall without seeing anybody. However, I heard Delphine and Esbern talking above us. Muted sounds of weapons suggested the other Blades were in the practice yard.

I used my Thu’um and said, “DELPHINE, I HAVE BROUGHT A NEW RECRUIT!”

Delphine came down the stairs and headed for me. Then Titalo said, “You are as beautiful as the day I met you.”

Delphine stopped and stared at Titalo before asking, “What happened to your curls!”

I said, “I hope to visit soon, Delphine, but we are on a mission for His Imperial Majesty. We need to return to Evermore.”

Delphine replied, “Oh…ah…see you soon then….”

Rigmor pleaded via Mara’s Rings, “Can we please leave before they start kissing or something equally as gross?”

“I paid for several private rooms to be constructed. I hope the walls are soundproof and the new beds do not rattle.”

“It has been many hours since we last ate, but I am sure I have a store of carrots I can upchuck.”

My friends gathered around me, and we teleported into Mara’s Rest.

Inigo insisted on cooking dinner. Rigmor ensured he did not apply his usual mouth-burning spices to the Elsweyr Chowder.

I contacted Celestine via Corb and informed her of Ambition’s transformation.

Rigmor was exhausted and retired to bed soon after supper. Meeko took up 75% of the bed next to her. Vayu had a long bath before retiring. Inigo, Lydia, and I discussed our lost friends for several hours. There were more laughs than tears. That is how they would want to be remembered.

Early the next day, we teleported to the entrance of Evermore City. Our only objective was to inform Vaeser of Titalo’s rescue and hand Drugo the reports.

Vaeser was not outside, so I knocked on his door. After confirming our identity, he let us into his house.

• Wulf: Ambassador Vaeser, Titalo is now in Sky Haven Temple with other Blades.
• Vaeser: That is good. You may want to know that Prince Damian has sent a message that he should arrive in this city later today or tomorrow.
• Wulf: Prince Damian is dead. A demon named Ambition is using Damian’s body.
• Vaeser: What are we going to do about that turn of events?
• Wulf: I have told you this because there is danger. You mustn’t object to any plans Damian might suggest in council meetings.
• Vayu: Ambition is his name. That is the only emotion he displays.
• Wulf: He is not encumbered by guilt, compassion, or other emotions. He will kill anybody he perceives as an obstacle to achieving his ambition.
• Vaeser: What is his ambition?
• Wulf: We do not know yet. If I offer friendship, he will accept me as a confidant. Hopefully, I will discover if he has allies in another faction. He may even be working for another Daedric Prince. He is not a friend of Lady Namira.
• Rigmor: His Excellency rescued Ambition from Scuttling Void.
• Wulf: I did not kill him at the time as he posed no threat and had committed no crime.
• Vaeser: Is Sigmayne in danger?
• Vayu: What is Sigmayne’s opinion of Prince Damian?
• Vaeser: He worships the ground his son walks upon. Prince Damian would have made an excellent and respectable king despite being surrounded by immoral despots.
• Wulf: We think Ambition will replace Mortifayne as Lord of Raven Spring. If he can further his plans from that position, Sigmayne will not be endangered.
• Vaeser: But as soon as Ambition needs more power, Sigmayne will be killed.
• Wulf: That is the scenario we imagine. However, we will not know his plans until Ambition arrives and we observe him.
• Vaeser: I can play the sycophant when needed. I will happily agree with whatever proposals Ambition presents to The Council.
• Wulf: Do so, but avoid becoming embroiled in his plans. Befriending him would multiply the danger.
• Rigmor: Ambition’s disguise might be inadequate. Sigmayne might see through it.
• Vaeser: If Ambition shows Sigmayne affection, the King would not worry about discrepancies.
• Wulf: Was Consort Murinne mentioned?
• Vaeser: She is remaining in Daggerfall for now.
• Rigmor: Was she supposed to return with Prince Damian?
• Vaeser: Consort Murinne is a well-loved member of Evermore’s society. Sigmayne has more difficulty with The Council when his wife is absent. He was reluctant to allow her to visit Daggerfall for an extended period, but she agreed to return with Prince Damian around this time.
• Rigmor: I think Ambition would have more difficulty fooling Prince Damian’s mother, so he likely killed her as well.
• Wulf: That is probable but speculation. I do not advise asking Ambition about her.
• Vaeser: How did Ambition steal Prince Damian’s body?
• Vayu: An ancient witch used Hedge Magic to do it.
• Wulf: Ambition will have Prince Damian’s memories and his own from his time as a mortal.
• Vaeser: Ambition was a mortal?
• Wulf: Yes, until Lady Namira changed him. He was not pleased with the changes made.
• Vaeser: That is why he opposes Namira.
• Wulf: Yes.
• Vaeser: Is there anything else I should know?
• Wulf: A self-proclaimed Envoy for High Rock’s Orsimer has arrived in Evermore from Daggerfall. He is well-spoken, educated, and a bit naïve. Luther tries to convince Breton and Orsimer in Evermore that they can coexist peacefully. He may arrive in Evermore City and attempt to speak in public.
• Vaeser: He would have no hope of gaining an audience with Sigmayne.
• Wulf: Do not speak to Luther. Remain neutral on this matter.
• Vaeser: That would be wise.
• Vayu: Other Divine Knights are using our airship to deliver the cure for the plague to the cities, towns, and Afflicted settlements.
• Vaeser: Did the Priest Circle have any chance of producing a cure?
• Vayu: No. It took the combined efforts of the best Restoration Mages from many countries to do so.
• Wulf: It also needed the cooperation of the Afflicted. We have a commune of them in Skyrim who helped us. In Evermore, they would have been incinerated.
• Vaeser: Do you ever rest?
• Wulf: We try, Vaeser. Hopefully, once we have finished in Evermore, we can relax for some time.
• Rigmor: There is little hope of that, Your Excellency. I am positive that Mortal Megalomaniacs and Daedric Princes have a roster, and no holidays are listed.
• Wulf: On that pessimistic note, we shall swap Ambassador Vaeser’s company for Advisor Kegor’s.

It did not take long for us to find Kegor. He had the voice of a sergeant and was barking orders at a guard.

• Wulf: Advisor Kegor, your smiling face makes me feel warm and gooey.
• Kegor: King Sigmayne has given me an extensive list of things I must do. Can you guess why they have suddenly become urgent?
• Wulf: Prince Damian is expected to return soon.
• Kegor: I should have known The Empire would know his movements. He is minutes away, according to that scout I just chewed out. It is not his fault I have little time to prepare.
• Wulf: Ambassador Vaeser was advised because of his seat on The Council, and he informed us. We do not have spies keeping an eye on Prince Damian.
• Kegor: Sigmayne was quite troubled by your refusal to accept a knighthood.
• Wulf: A knight of one Order cannot accept a knighthood within another. Besides, I haven’t earned it. Not a single girl child have I presented to Siggy!
• Rigmor: Why have you not been knighted, Advisor Kegor?
• Kegor: We both know the answer to that.
• Rigmor: You are too honest, Advisor Kegor. How will you ever climb the ranks by being honest?
• Lydia: Your Excellency, do not forget the reports.
• Wulf: Oh, yes, hang on a second.

Kegor looked on in amazement as I pretended to search through my journal case. I pulled out a pile of books, and each Divine Knight ended up with half a dozen. Then I said, “Aha, there you are, you sneaky bastards!”

I handed Kegor the reports and returned the books to my journal case.

• Wulf: There you go, Advisor, all three reports, as requested.
• Kegor: I hope you did not have difficulty with Tyyr.
• Rigmor: He was rude and insubordinate. But His Excellency was lenient on him.
• Wulf: I was not so lenient on Overseer Orreon. You knew I would uncover that dirty secret, didn’t you?
• Kegor: I hope you can do something about it. I am ashamed to be part of this kingdom. I am not the most tolerant of Orcs and Witchmen and others outside these walls, but slavery is an insult to decency. Breeding Orcs like cattle is simply wrong.
• Wulf: They torture the Orsimer enslaved in ways that would make Witchmen shudder.
• Kegor: Do we need to replace Overseer Orreon?
• Wulf: No, Orreon lives, but I think he needed a change of underwear.
• Rigmor: We must be careful how we deal with the Orsimer enslavement. We do not want an army of Bloodkin from Skyrim seeking to free them and reap bloody revenge.
• Wulf: It is not that we would want to prevent them from slaughtering every person involved in the enslavement. However, the enraged Skyrim Orsimer would endanger innocents, so we would have to.
• Rigmor: Not only that. If Siggy realises we know of this enslavement, he may dispose of the evidence.
• Wulf: He would slaughter every enslaved Orsimer to save his skin.
• Kegor: That is true. It says something about their plight when he values them less than serfs.
• Wulf: It is another crime for which justice will be served.
• Kegor: Among the myriad things to do is pass you a message. At least I will not have to try and find you.
• Wulf: And the message is?
• Kegor: King Sigmayne would like to discuss Thalmor support for Orsinium’s Sons and this plague cure you are distributing.
• Wulf: Okay, we shall go and speak to Siggy.
• Meeko: Woof?
• Wulf: I have told you several times, Divine Knight Meeko. You are not allowed to bite Siggy on the arse!
• Kegor: You have knighted your dog?
• Rigmor: Advisor Kegor, Divine Knight Meeko is not a dog. We do not know what he is.
• Lydia: It makes more sense to knight Meeko than a blue, flea-ridden Khajiiti.
• Inigo: Divine Knight Lydia, it is unbecoming of a member of our Order to display such jealousy in public.
• Wulf: Children, stop the bickering before I send you to bed without supper.
• Inigo: She started it!
• Lydia: Did not!
• Inigo: Did to. And you smell!
• Lydia: You smell!
• Inigo: Do not!
• Lydia: Do so!

Kegor made a rapid retreat as if insanity were a contagious disease.

There were no paranoid guards outside the palace.

Before entering, I said, “Ambition may arrive while I speak to Siggy. I do not want him to get paranoid. So, stay about twenty feet from the throne on either side of the wonky carpet.”

We entered, and Rigmor growled when she spotted the wonky carpet. That affront alone has earned Sigmayne a trip to the headsman.

The others halted where I suggested, and I approached King Slime alone.

“Advisor Kegor said you wish to speak to me.”

“I am alarmed you risked war with The Dominion by slaughtering Justiciar Saruman!”

“The Great War never ended. The White-Gold Concordat is a temporary truce. They kill our agents in Dominion territory, and we kill theirs in Empire territory. Indignant letters will be received demanding action be taken against Sir Wulf Welkynd. His Imperial Majesty will have a cleverly crafted reply telling them we uncovered their plot in Evermore. That will be the end of the matter. All of Saruman’s parts are being returned to his family. They only return the heads of our agents.”

“But…”

“Is there anything else? I am rather busy.”

“Why have you cured the Afflicted who harassed traffic to and from our main entrance?”

“I killed the Aventurier that had been murdering them. The Afflicted were not harming anybody or harassing visitors to Evermore City. They are innocents whose only crime was to catch a disease. There is no need to thank us for spending considerable time and money developing the cure.”

Rigmor said, via Mara’s Rings, “Ambition is headed your way. He seems to lack any concept of courtly protocol!”

I told Sigmayne, “Prince Damian just entered the room.”

“How would you know….”

Sigmayne’s eyes widened, and he stood when he realised I was correct.

I turned and watched Ambition approach.

Ambition looked at me and gave a slight nod. The demon knew who I was.

Ambition stopped a couple of feet in front of Sigmayne. I gave a subtle hand signal, and my friends moved forward. I changed my mind and decided they should be close if trouble started. He did not seem paranoid about their presence.

• Sigmayne: Son! My, you have changed so much in such a short time!
• Damian: And how much broader you have become! The chef must have been busy!
• Sigmayne: I have not had you to spar with. No one else provides much of a challenge.
• Damian: I see that my throne is still occupied! Down with the usurper!
• Sigmayne: The messages mentioned your mother remains in Daggerfall, but not why.
• Damian: Mother wanted to speak to several families about possible marriage candidates. Although I would like to have offered my opinions, crises heralded my return, and I came. And it is fortunate I did, for if I were gone any longer, the people would forget the face of their future king!
• Sigmayne: Come here, son. It has been too long. I have sat in this hall alone, with nothing but the guards to humour me.

I barely resisted saying, “The guards and little girls.”

Rigmor said via Mara’s Rings, “I have not had you to spar with. No one else provides much of a challenge. What a load of crap!”

“Rose-scented crap?”

“Perfumed pooh is the product of nobility. I do not think Siggy washes often, and his stench is not flowery. More like a fish that has been in the sun for a week.”

The pair hugged, and the contrast between the two was stark. Ambition is a square-jawed prince like those that populate popular romance novels. Sigmayne is the balding, creepy uncle who was rarely invited to family get-togethers. I wished Ghorbash were present so he could let rip a decent fart.

They finally parted, which was good, as I was getting nauseous.

• Damian: The longing was mutual, father. I had sought to return home ever since I had arrived in Daggerfall. Yet this kingdom grows further! And soon Evermore will provide all the west and more!
• Sigmayne: Soon, I hope. I wish to see the day they look up in deference while I still live.

Ambition turned to me. Sigmayne glanced at me with a smirk I felt like ending with my fist.

• Damian: Father, I see a small audience gracing us. It is not like you to forgo introductions.
• Sigmayne: They are not people of prominence but servants of the Emperor running errands. However, they did thwart a significant threat within Raven Spring. However, the tales from that place are spurious at best.
• Wulf: How dare you lie to your son like that, King Sigmayne! Divine Knight Eisra, did you witness this insult?
• Damian: Who are…
• Rigmor: KEEP QUIET! This insult to Envoy Wulf and those who fought in Raven Spring will be reported. Expect an official reprimand from His Imperial Majesty.
• Damian: But who…
• Rigmor: PRINCE DAMIAN, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO SPEAK!
• Wulf: It is okay, Divine Knight Eisra. The Prince’s etiquette training is lacking. How else would you explain him entering unannounced and interfering with parley?
• Rigmor: Your Excellency, it is unheard of! Prince or not, he deserves time in the cells.
• Wulf: Now, now, let us not be hasty. There is no harm done if Prince Damian has learned from this embarrassment.
• Damian: Oh, I have learnt a great deal!
• Wulf: There is no need for further chastisement. Prince Damian will do better, I am sure.
• Damian: Goodness, the rabble finally found some truth to their ravings, then? The Reach is host to much ill-will, but the twisted schemes of a god? Yet a mortal crew has prevailed over their plot despite Namira’s enormous power. Not many can boast of similar feats.
• Wulf: I would not be sure Dark Mother’s schemes are thwarted. I suspect that I will find more evidence of scum escaping Scuttling Void. And when I do, I will crush it under my heel like a cockroach.
• Damian: Such a trial lifts you above most others. So, forgive my father’s impertinence. Unlike him, I value that conviction.
• Wulf: I expect a young prince with ambition to value conviction over useless things like doubt or compassion.
• Damian: Know this of me, Envoy Wulf. I do not respect those who grovel! We are comrades, and I want your respect, not your fear. However, I have matters to discuss with the King. Much time has passed during my stay west, and now Evermore demands my focus.
• Wulf: I have confronted gods, Damian. The dragons I have conquered would swallow you whole. You are far from being somebody I would fear. As for respect, an inherited title does not automatically gain it. You must earn my respect! If your ambition is to become a worthy king, you must first learn your place. Divine Knight Eisra, introduce me properly to Prince Damian.
• Rigmor: Prince Damian, Envoy Wulf is visiting Evermore on behalf of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Titus Mede II. You are to show due deference to His Excellency, for when you address him, you are addressing His Imperial Majesty. Your noble ranking is well below His Excellency’s, yet you speak as if he was a commoner.
• Wulf: As denounced, King Sigmayne’s dismissal of our actions in Raven Spring is an insult. Many Legionnaires, Raven Spring Guards, Mages from Skyrim, and several of my friends died in the thirteen-hour battle. If we had not uncovered Lady Namira’s plot and prepared for the opening of the Oblivion Gate, you would have returned to find this palace occupied by Daedra. If Rados and I had not crossed Scuttling Void and defeated the Fake King, no preparation would have resulted in victory.
• Damian: Fake King?
• Wulf: Yes, Damian. Lady Namira used the false teachings of Evermore’s Priest Circle to make people, including Witchmen, think King Laloriaran Dynar was trying to return as king. However, an imposter talked to Lord Mortifayne. Dark Mother knew the Fake King would not be able to inherit her tower. We believe there is more about her plans to be discovered. It would be foolish to move against her till they are uncovered.
• Damian: And you are the only ones who can do that.
• Wulf: That is obvious since she ran circles around your father and the false priests of this kingdom.
• Rigmor: We discovered Lady Namira’s involvement the day after our arrival. She has been working in the background since the slaughter at Munstor. She used your father and other nobles for twenty years to seed chaos.
• Wulf: When insulting us, your eyes had a gleam of triumph. That was a short-lived emotion, King Sigmayne. Did you expect a beginner in this game of politics would get the better of us masters? Do you think His Imperial Majesty sent a buffoon to be his envoy?
• Rigmor: You would not look like a fool if you had introduced His Excellency with the respect he has earned.
• Wulf: Yes, too bad all Prince Damian saw was a pathetic shell of a man without manners or pride.
• Rigmor: Your Excellency, was your discussion with King Sigmayne of importance?
• Wulf: No. We are done here.
• Rigmor: Then we yield your father to you, Prince Damian. But remember this. If Envoy Wulf had been the lowest serf in parley with King Sigmayne about an inconsequential subject, you would have needed to wait till they finished. Such are the protocols and etiquette of true nobility.
• Wulf: I believe you will be given the Lordship of Raven Spring, Prince Damian. Do not hesitate to ask for our assistance. There are things to learn if an ambitious young man is to reach his potential. You will be popular for some time, but admiration will wane through incompetence.

When we exited the palace, Celestine summoned me. That was a signal she wanted to talk, so I summoned her.

• Vayu: I know that look. Somebody is a bit grumpy.
• Celestine: The Arch-Bishop has arranged for soldiers to escort four orphans to Evermore City from Raven Spring.
• Wulf: How do you know this?
• Celestine: We stopped at Raven Spring to check on the last two injured people in the temple. Priest Matthew told us he had received instructions to have the children ready.
• Wulf: Why do you think he told you?
• Celestine: Sarah thinks he is genuine in his desire to reform. We do not think he was aware so many children had been reported missing. He claims nothing was communicated via the Priest Circle about that problem.
• Wulf: That is due to the leader of the Priest Circle being involved. He has gone from being a blasphemer and fake priest to a molester. If children he has gathered in the past have been murdered, he will be executed, even if not the killer.
• Rigmor: Were these children orphaned during the Daedric invasion?
• Celestine: Yes. They were placed with adults in Raven Spring. However, their current caregivers and the children were warned by Priest Matthew that the orphanage in Evermore City is not safe. I told him we would soon arrive with the airship and take the children to one of Skyrim’s orphanages.
• Wulf: We shall visit Raven Spring and summon the airship once we have talked to Priest Matthew.
• Celestine: What about the soldiers heading there to escort the children?
• Wulf: I will leave a message with Priest Matthew saying the children are under my protection. You should be gone by the time the soldiers arrive.
• Celestine: Which orphanage should we take them to?
• Wulf: Dragons Keep. It is less of a culture shock than the orphanages in the cities. There are plenty of beds available after a recent spate of adoptions.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Celestine: I would also like to rip the throats out of the people hurting children. But we must be careful, Meeko.
• Wulf: If they currently have children, we do not know where they are. Like the enslaved Orsimer, the captive children are witnesses, and these people would have no qualms about silencing them.
• Celestine: Priest Matthew will be waiting near the back exit.
• Inigo: That is the marketplace where Jo’rassa was hurt.
• Rigmor: Ambition arrived and barged into our meeting with Sigmayne.
• Wulf: He seems to have fooled Sigmayne but lacks the political knowledge Prince Damian reportedly possessed.
• Rigmor: Wulf has offered to assist Ambition and advise him on noble matters.
• Celestine: Rigmor, you said that with a straight face!
• Rigmor: It will be the blind leading the blind, but I can provide accurate advice via Mara’s Rings. We might be able to convince Ambition that Wulf knows something about nobility.
• Wulf: Peasant, polish my stick. I want it shiny and slick before inserting it!
• Rigmor: You, my dear Dragonbum, are perverted.
• Wulf: You corrupted me. Anyway, let us get the children to safety.

We teleported to the entrance of Raven Spring and entered.

As we walked towards the market, I saw the repairs to Raven Spring were thorough. Aventurier had been tasked with removing some of the Oblivion plants. The fools need to cut them down and attack the roots with fire. I was not going to make their task easier by telling them that.

We took a few moments to look at the children and their demeanour. They all looked worried and sad. Compassion would not stop those blinded by unnatural lust. We cannot allow that to happen.

A little girl with silvery-blond hair pleaded with an adult not to be sent to Evermore City.

• Wulf: Priest Matthew, we shall take the children to one of my orphanages in Skyrim.
• Matthew: I am at ease trusting you with this task.
• Wulf: Let me guess. The children who were expected in Evermore City are orphans. Meanwhile, others with immediate family remaining are kept here for now.
• Matthew: The claim is they are better off receiving the care provided by the King’s generosity instead of being confined within these dreary abodes.
• Wulf: Who are these adults?
• Matthew: They are not blood relatives of the children but friends of the family.
• Wulf: Are they compensated if they house the orphans?
• Matthew: No.
• Wulf: So Sigmayne’s generosity does not cover what is best for the children. It has been shown repeatedly in many countries and over thousands of years that children thrive more when left in familiar surroundings. But Sigmayne would know this. He wants children sent to Evermore City, not for their benefit but for his and some sycophants’ amusement.
• Rigmor: Sigmayne prefers orphans as they have no nosey parents asking where their children are.
• Lydia: Evermore has provided an abundant supply of orphans.

I approached the girl who had been pleading not to be sent to Evermore City.

• Wulf: Hello, my name is Wulf. Can I ask yours?
• Lhambi: My mummy says… my mummy used to say I should not talk to strange men.
• Rigmor: Little one, Wulf told you his name, and he is a bit strange but very nice.
• Lhambi: Well, I suppose it is okay to speak to ladies. My name is Lhambi.
• Rigmor: What a beautiful name! I am Eisra, and I am delighted to meet you.
• Wulf: You asked that lady not to send you to the city. Wouldn’t it be better than stinky Raven Spring?
• Lhambi: That lady is Janice, who has a bakery. She is poor and cannot afford to keep me. But children go to the city and are never heard from again. Even ones that are not orphans. Their parents get sad, but they get beat up by those horrible knights or guards if they ask too many questions.
• Rigmor: Are you scared to go there?
• Lhambi: Raven Spring will get fixed up. I have aunties and uncles somewhere in Evermore that might want a new daughter. But they will have to be found and asked. If I am in the city, it will be too late. I will disappear like the other children!
• Wulf: I have a big castle where lots of orphans live. Do you trust me when I say no children disappear from there?
• Lhambi: What do you say, Eisra?
• Rigmor: Oh, the orphanage is lovely. The children go to school and learn all sorts of things. They laugh and giggle as they swim and dive in the big pool. There are many guards and even dragons to keep everybody safe. People visit to meet the children. Sometimes, if the child likes them, they become like new mummies and daddies. However, the children do not have to leave if they do not want to.
• Lhambi: Could I return to Evermore and live with an auntie or uncle if they want that?
• Wulf: What happens in the future depends on many things, but the most important is your happiness.
• Lhambi: The other children would want to come to the orphanage. None of us wants to be disappeared.
• Rigmor: We will speak to them, and if they want, they can also go to the orphanage.
• Lhambi: Will it take a long time to get to the orphanage? We will all want to pee in the town privies instead of bushes if it will take hours.
• Rigmor: Haha. No, Lhambi, it will take only minutes as you will be travelling in a flying ship.
• Lhambi: Oh, I have seen that flying around! Does it go very high?
• Wulf: It can go to the clouds if you want.
• Rigmor: I like to look at things from up high. Instead of rushing you to the orphanage, they can fly around for a while if you wish.
• Lhambi: Are you two coming with us to the orphanage?
• Wulf: No, but special ladies will accompany you. One of them is Divine Knight Celestine, who is a best friend.
• Rigmor: Another is Sister Jeanna, a Priestess of Mara.
• Lhambi: A priestess?
• Rigmor: Other countries have priestesses. Everybody aboard the airship and at the orphanage are friendly people.
• Wulf: Watch as I make the airship appear.

I used a bit of Thu’um and advised, “Do not be alarmed at the airship appearing overhead. It is safe and will not harm you.”

I placed a beacon and activated it. Seconds later, Rava’s shadow covered the marketplace.

I introduced Celestine and Jeanna to Lhambi. She then escorted them to the adults and children. After some discussion, all the children agreed to be housed in Dragons Keep.

I wrote a note for the Arch-Bishop saying I had decided the children would be housed in one of my orphanages until I deemed Evermore safe. I wrote another for the soldiers who will arrive to escort the children, outlining the same thing.

After a few minutes, Jeanna came over to me.

• Jeanna: We are saving these children from more horror.
• Inigo: It is bad enough they suffered the loss of their parents.
• Wulf: How is the distribution of the prevention and cure going?
• Jeanna: Most Afflicted are grateful. Some are devotees of Lord Peryite who do not want the cure.
• Wulf: They will be rounded up and forced to live in a single commune. That is not punishment but protection for the innocents. The prevention and cure does not work for everybody. People who have chosen to remain infected have no right to endanger others.
• Jeanna: None of them have been aggressive.
• Wulf: That would be a relief to Oliver.
• Jeanna: He suffers from sea sickness, which has become air sickness. He is miserable, with his head hovering over a bucket. He is currently in no condition to guard me. The Ka’Po’Tun Knights are formidable enough.
• Inigo: I am guessing there is a lot of curiosity surrounding the Ka’Po’Tun and the airship.
• Jeanna: Indeed, there is. There are not many Khajiiti in Evermore, so they always generate curiosity. However, when told these visitors were from Akavir, a million questions followed.
• Inigo: Expect a million more from curious children.
• Jeanna: Are you certain more Daedric Prince’s are involved? Celestine has given me a detailed account of all that has occurred during your time here.
• Wulf: I am sure, Sister Jeanna. Ambition cannot achieve his goal of defeating Lady Namira without help. He does not know caution or suspicion and thinks I am an ally. He will divulge his plans to me, thinking I will agree with them and cooperate. In the end, he will not feel betrayed but angry I stopped him from achieving his ambition.
• Jeanna: The other half, Husk, had the power to rescue you from Scuttling Void. Does Ambition wield equal power?
• Wulf: No. The use of Magic requires discipline that Ambition lacks. He may be more physically powerful than a mortal, but that is no danger to me.
• Jeanna: Speak to Lady Mara if the burden seems too much.
• Wulf: I will. Now, I desire to speak to the Arch-Bishop and explain how his harvest of orphans has failed. The message I gave Priest Matthew is to protect him from recrimination.

We teleported to Evermore City and entered.

We saw Vaeser leaning against a pole near the town square. He waved us over.

 Again, my eyes were having difficulty with light sensitivity.

“Good afternoon, Ambassador.”

“It might turn ugly, Your Excellency. Luther is about to take the stage.”

“We shall keep the peace.”

“And I shall make myself scarce.”

Luther was on stage and likely waiting for a larger audience. I doubt he will get one, but everybody in Evermore City will know of his talk.

I noticed Kegor was watching the proceedings. My friends found seats while I approached him.

“Good evening, Advisor Kegor.”

“Fancy seeing Your Excellency again. You will want to stay and watch this. It will be entertaining.”

“While Luther speaks, think about the courage it took for him to walk from Deepcrag to this city and then stand before a hostile audience. The only thing entertaining will be me ripping apart any hecklers.”

“You know this Orc…I mean, Orsimer?”

“I have met him and admire his naïve but heartfelt mission.”

I stepped onto the stage and stood next to Luther.

I whispered, “I will handle any hecklers for you.” Luther gave a barely perceptible nod of understanding.

His voice was strong, and his large canines only slightly hindered his accent.

• Luther: I greet you. The good people of Evermore are the most welcoming in High Rock. None are more ready to accept progress than you. My name is Luther, and I am forever grateful that your proud city permitted my speech. The topic concerns all here and beyond regarding the possible harmony between Breton and Orc. Tomes cover each atrocity committed in our racial feud. One can dwell over every page, or we could hope to stop the quill, with the resolution to this dreadful story a happy one! Forgo blood and forge peace. We are deserving of a better world.

A Breton leaning against a wall spat and sneered. He would be trouble.

• Luther: Many here roll their eyes in light of my words. To sleep without one eye open, to reap the grain without worry. Dreams of peace. But only through our effort does that peace become real. Let us break the cycle of revenge and banish that which haunts our relationship, the phantom of a savage past.
• Farisic: Ha! Peace with the grocks! Half ’ the jesters to come on stage now. And I hope you are not suggesting that we live among your ilk. Death holds more appeal!
• Wulf: What is your name? Luther has put his name to his words.
• Farisic: Who the fuck are you?
• Wulf: I am Sir Wulf Welkynd, Dragonborn and Champion of The Divines. So, who are you? Give us your name.
• Farisic: Dragonborn? Pull the other one.

I did not hold back, and the citizens of Evermore experienced my Thu’um once more.

“WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SUMMON A DRAGON? OR IS THIS ENOUGH PROOF?”

My questions echoed for several seconds, and dogs throughout the city barked in reply.

• Spectator One: That was The Voice that was!
• Spectator Two: That is twice he has used it in this city!
• Spectator Three: Tell him your name, Farisic! Oh, I already have. Haha.
• Wulf: Farisic, we are here to listen to Envoy Luther, but feel free to yell out idiotic comments. I will respond to them on behalf of Luther in the forlorn hope you will listen to me because I am not an Orsimer. Please proceed, Luther.
• Farisic: You should take a gander at Wayrest to see what race-mixing does to a city. One of the proudest kingdoms on the great Iliac was reduced to a degenerate, crime-ridden hole thanks to his kin.
• Wulf: Look at every city in Skyrim and Cyrodiil. Look at every city in High Rock apart from Evermore. There are dozens of cities in The Empire that are far more extensive and prosperous than this one, and all have mixed-race populations, including Orsimer. Divine Knights, what have you to say about mixed-race provinces?
• Vayu: I am Divine Knight Vayu, a Redguard from Hammerfell. My homeland has had problems with Orsimer invasions, but they have always been the work of one or two warlords looking for glory. Many Orsimer live peacefully in Hammerfell and were crucial allies in our defeat of The Dominion after The Great War.
• Rigmor: I am Divine Knight Eisra from Bruma. The Orsimer population is crucial to the prosperity of that county. Countess Rigmor Ragnarsdottier has many close Orsimer friends.
• Lydia: I am Divine Knight Lydia from Whiterun. Like other cities in Skyrim, Orsimer live peacefully within Whiterun. They contribute to its culture and wealth.
• Wulf: We all know what happened to Wayrest, which had nothing to do with its Orsimer population. Evermorin Breton invaded, raped, murdered, and plundered, not Orsimer. Will you tell us Orsimer disguised themselves as Redguard corsairs and invaded the weakened province a few years later? Wayrest is rebuilding, and its Orsimer population is crucial to that process.
• Luther: Farisic, much time has been dedicated to your concerns, for they are one of the reasons why I arrived here. This endeavour is not a solo venture I have undertaken. Daggerfall has committed many minds…
• Farisic: Grock thinks he has class. He may be a cut above the average Orsimer, yet that is still not worth the dung on my heel!
• Wulf: Do you panic when that happens, Farisic?
• Farisic: When what happens?
• Wulf: When you look down and see dung on your heel, do you panic, thinking you are melting?

Spontaneous laughter filled the city centre. Farisic was not so amused.

• Wulf: I know many Orsimer mages, officers, historians, advisors to kings and queens. What is your profession, Farisic?
• Kegor: He is a full-time Neet, not employed, educated or trained.

More laughter.

• Farisic: I do not have to stand here and be insulted!
• Wulf: Where would you like to stand and be insulted? Please continue, Luther.
• Farisic: We put Wayrest out of its misery because uppity greenskins were getting ambitious. You should take heed, Luther!
• Wulf: I thought we covered your lie less than a minute ago? Divine Knight Eisra, would you like to educate Farisic again? Perhaps I used big words and confused him.
• Rigmor: Farisic, if you are going to lie in public, make them believable lies. Orsimer in Wayrest are not a problem and not uppity. Everybody here knows why Wayrest was sacked, and innocents butchered. It was not Orsimer raping the women and children and slaughtering the unarmed Breton. People like you carry hate in their hearts and cannot stand still and listen to the possibility of peace. It was people like you that destroyed that beautiful city and allowed the corsairs to invade.
• Farisic: What about Luther’s friends who are raping their way through our very kingdom! The stench of death still lingers at Deepcrag, yet he has the gall to make demands.
• Wulf: Luther has made one request. He asks for people to listen. Orsinium’s Sons do not represent all Orsimer. No more than the people of Evermore represent all Breton. No more than The Stormcloaks represented all Nord. And to the relief of all here, you do not represent all the citizens of Evermore. Who wants to hear what Luther has to say?

A resounding chorus of approval came from the audience.

• Wulf: You have had your say, Farisic. It has been nothing but lies and racism. People like you would never let peace reign. You would prefer to hug your hatred because it is the only thing you have.
• Luther: The Orcs share a collective trauma, Orsinium, and all the defeats since then. As I stand before you, those like myself have been sent to the enclaves of my Kin. In case anyone believes the Orcs will go without concessions of their own, the demands made of the Orsimer are far heavier than I ask of you. However, honesty is needed. Some Orcs do hate, but it is not an inborn hate. It is a learned hate! The old may shirk the desire for peace, but the young have hope. A hope that will be stymied if they remain isolated away from the broader realm.
• Guard: Answer Farisic about the current violence. Show some respect!
• Wulf: I will answer first. Divine Knights, arrest Farisic. He is a Breton, as are The Exiles. Therefore, being of the same race, he is guilty of their crimes.
• Farisic: Hey, that is not fair. I have nothing to do with The Exiles!
• Wulf: Yet you dare accuse all Orsimer of being Orsinium’s Sons. Tell me, why are the rules different because you are a Breton?
• Farisic: I…ahh…
• Wulf: Keep seated, Divine Knights. I doubt Farisic, or the equally ignorant guard, will display their stupidity further. Please continue, Envoy Luther.
• Luther: Missionaries have been accepted by chiefs and elders alike, replacing beliefs in their wake. Malacath’s worship will cease to be. All of this, I promise, has one stipulation. New Orsinium is a precious prospect for the Orc and is to go without harm. The city will go without arms and malicious intent in exchange for its sanctity until we can live side by side.
• Wulf: New Orsinium is on land belonging to His Imperial Majesty and gifted by him. No county, hold or kingdom has a claim on it. There will be no need to abandon the worship of Lord Malacath to obtain peace. The Orsimer will not need to abandon their weapons. The Imperial Army will guard New Orsinium. Any attack on New Orsinium will be treason and dealt with accordingly. New Orsinium will flourish, and no backward, inbred morons like our wall-leaning idiot over there will stop it.

There was a smattering of applause from the audience as I turned to Luther.

“You are courageous to do this.”

“We will not have peace unless we risk violence to ourselves.”

“There will be no need to abandon the worship of Lord Malacath. He does not make Orsimer go to war.”

“But he has become a symbol for those who like to fight. Those who want to die a good death.”

“I have met a few of them on the roads of Skyrim. Perfectly healthy Orsimer who can still contribute, but they want to die in battle. It is a waste, as is the best warrior being declared War Chief because he has killed the second-best and the third-best warriors. That weakens the clan, not strengthen it.”

“We have heard rumours in Daggerfall. Rumours of Orsimer being bred out of sight and into a life of slavery.”

“We briefly discussed that in Deepcrag. How do you want me to address those rumours? If I answered in the affirmative, it would be more than Orsinium’s Sons baying for blood.”

“It is best they remain rumours for now.”

“Peace for your people will come. If New Orsinium proves itself, it will be the beginning of a new nation. You will be autonomous but with the protection of The Empire.”

“And we will arm ourselves again. We cannot ask others to fight without standing beside them on the battlefield.”

A terrible scream pierced the air. Seconds later, a brothel girl ran towards Kegor and cried, “The girls. They have been butchered! I cannot go back in there…Mara, Mara, Mara. How could this happen?”

Kegor hollered, “There is trouble in the brothel. Everybody is to clear the area. Envoy Wulf, we could use your help.”

Kegor and the girl ran to the brothel. He entered, but she did not. A well-dressed Redguard also stood outside the entrance. I assume he was the brothel manager.

A sign above the door named the establishment “Dibella’s Warmth.”

I told the manager and girl, “Please, follow us inside. I may need you to answer some questions.”

They reluctantly followed us, and I paused just inside the doorway. I wanted to get a sense of what happened before a closer inspection.

Vayu and I approached the gruesome scene and used our anatomical knowledge and battle experience to analyse what we saw.

A woman had been torn in half. She was not cut but ripped apart by a being of extreme strength and rage.

The woman’s bottom half stood in the water of a fountain with a statue of Dibella in the middle of it. Viscera lay on the side of the fountain. It had not been placed there but fell from the upper torso.

A foetus was amongst the viscera. I estimated it to be a month old. It was too soon to say what species it was, and its soul had returned to The Void.

A wooden stake had been driven, by force, through the centre of a lily and one of Lady Dibella’s breasts. That feat required phenomenal strength as the statue and lily were solid marble.

The woman’s upper torso was impaled on the stake. The woman’s arms had been twisted until bones shattered and then ripped from the body.

• Kegor: My gods. What a sick, twisted bastard.
• Wulf: A Daedra did this.
• Inigo: The stench, it is familiar.
• Wulf: Yes, Inigo. It is him, but let us not mention his name.
• Kegor: You know who did this?
• Wulf: Not who, but what.
• Vayu: As His Excellency said, a Daedra did this.
• Wulf: A Daedra from Scuttling Void. And before you ask, this one left Oblivion days before the Oblivion Gate appeared.
• Kegor: How do you know it was a Daedra?
• Wulf: Apart from Inigo’s excellent nose, the physical evidence is clear.
• Kegor: Ah, not to me.
• Wulf: This woman was torn in two so fast the bottom half remains standing where she died.
• Vayu: She was not cut with a weapon. Something held her bottom half with one hand and her upper half with the other. Then, using brute strength alone, the killer pulled upwards and tore her in half.
• Wulf: The creature then rammed a wooden spike through a marble lily and into the marble statue’s breast. Imagine the strength needed to accomplish that! The stake piercing the lily and breast is symbolic. The lily represents female genitalia, and the breasts represent motherhood.
• Vayu: The upper torso has been impaled on the stake. The arms were twisted till the bones broke and then ripped off.
• Wulf: This was pure rage. Whether targeted at females in general or this specific woman, we do not know yet. The Daedra did this in seconds. It has dragged another woman away, either dead or alive, but I think its intent is clear.
• Rigmor: It wants to spend time making a flesh sculptor!
• Wulf: You did not need to see this.
• Rigmor: Yes, I did. My sword now will travel that little bit faster when I cleave the thing in two!
• Kegor: You figured all that out in a few seconds of looking?
• Inigo: And sniffing.
• Vayu: We are Masters in Restoration and know anatomy. We have delivered enough wounds and seen enough injuries to gain a certain level of expertise. The evidence is clear to those who deal with death.
• Wulf: You inadvertently become an expert when you see wounds administered by various creatures and weapons.
• Lydia: We would all rather be expert horticulturists, but you play with the cards dealt to you.
• Kegor: I have had to kill a lot, but I doubt my tally approaches yours.
• Wulf: If I told you my tally, you would start wondering who the real monsters are.
• Rigmor: Are there any witnesses?
• Kegor: Omid, are there any witnesses?
• Omid: Kath, come here and tell them what you saw. You spoke of seeing the scum.
• Kath: Please, I do not want to look at it. I cannot see her like that.
• Omid: KATH! Get her right now or…

Vayu towered over Omid and growled, “One more word from you, and I will shove your teeth down your throat!”

I walked over to Kath, who was shaking with fear.

“Kath, you do not have to talk to us right now. I suggest you leave this place until somebody comes in and cleans it. If, at any time, you feel like giving a statement, find Kegor and do so.”

“O…okay. But I can tell you the killer was grinning when running into the storeroom! I…I do not want to remember any more. Please!”

“That is enough information, Kath. We shall find who did this, and justice will be dealt.”

I took Vayu’s place in front of Omid. Rarely have I seen him so angry. He stood behind Omid, and his presence was still intimidating.

• Wulf: These women are not yours to command like whipped dogs! I am sure you have ways of beating them that do not leave marks. After all, you would not want to make a dent in your profits by making dents in their faces.
• Omid: No, no, I am just upset by the deaths. Yeah, that is it. I would never hurt my ladies, I mean, the ladies.
• Vayu: Houses of Dibella are populated by priests and priestesses of Lady Dibella, who are willing and eager orgiasts, and epicureans are welcome in many cities. On the other hand, the Penitus Oculatus constantly closes cheap brothels populated by forced labour. Dibella’s Warmth would not be such an establishment, would it?
• Wulf: Divine Knight Vayu is an expert since he is trained in The Dibellan Arts and was once an orgiast.
• Omid: This establishment is approved by the Arch-Bishop!
• Wulf: Does he get a cut of the profits?
• Omid: Yes, to help fund the charitable work of The Priest Circle.
• Vayu: What are the victims’ names, and how long have they worked here?
• Omid: Fasiela Aulina is the one ripped apart. Estele Daloiele is the one abducted. They are, um, in their early thirties and have worked here for, ah, ten years.
• Vayu: That is a lie. Even in her current state, I can estimate Fasiela was in her early to mid-twenties. She might have been younger, but this kind of work prematurely ages a person forced into it.
• Wulf: Kath, did you know the two women?
• Kath: What will stop Omid from teaching me a lesson if I answer your questions?
• Wulf: These premises are now permanently closed for business. We shall take you somewhere safe in Skyrim if you desire. There you can decide what you want to do.
• Omid: What?
• Vayu: As I said, the Penitus Oculatus closes brothels like this. We also have the authority to do so. The use of Lady Dibella’s name is blasphemy. This establishment is a cheap brothel that has no connection to my mistress.
• Rigmor: Did you know the victims well, Kath?
• Kath: I had been here for a year before they arrived. That was fourteen years ago. I was eleven years of age. They were ten.
• Vayu: Was Omid in charge back then?
• Omid: No, I was not! I would not manage a brothel of underaged girls!
• Kath: Omid replaced the old manager a year ago. No other underage girls have worked here apart from us three.
• Wulf: Were Fasiela and Estele born in Evermore?
• Kath: No, they came from Wayrest.
• Wulf: They were war trophies!
• Kath: It is worse than that. King Sigmayne betrayed them! They were orphans who were promised a better life in Evermore. All they had to do was open the gates. They were children but were made aware they were also traitors. That is why they never ran back to Wayrest.
• Kegor: I regret ever swearing to serve and protect that animal!
• Wulf: Were they virgins when they arrived at this brothel?
• Kath: No. King Sigmayne claimed that privilege before he got bored and sent them here.
• Wulf: Fasiela was pregnant.
• Rigmor: What? Oh no….
• Omid: Impossible. They are given potions once a week to get rid of any unborn.
• Kath: Fasiela stopped drinking the potions. She wanted a child as motherhood is a gift from Lady Mara and something she wanted to experience.
• Wulf: The killer would not have known she was pregnant, but in his rage, it would have made no difference to the outcome.
• Vayu: We had better pursue the killer. There is little chance we will find Estele alive, but we might catch him playing with his trophy.
• Wulf: Kath, would you like to stay at one of my estates in Skyrim until you decide what to do next?
• Kath: Yes, please.

I summoned Urdr. After explaining the situation, she teleported Kath to Lakeview Manor. She will be looked after there and find healing in the beauty of the surroundings.

We then headed to the storeroom. Copious amounts of blood left a trail to a lift.

“Advisor Kegor, do your local constabulary stuff. We will take this lift down to The Cistern and continue the search. Hopefully, no beggars or Skooma addicts got in his way.”

“How did you know it goes to The Cistern?”

“You do not think we entered Evermore City by the front door, do you? After all, we did kill the Aventurier guards, which would raise all sorts of awkward questions.”

“You lot are not the upper-class arseholes you pretended to be.”

“We are not. However, we had fun pretending, didn’t we, you small city inbred?”

“Get fucked!”

“Get fucked, Your Excellency.”

Kegor chuckled as he moved away.

Rigmor and I got on the small lift first. I kit my lantern and hung it from my belt. Then I lowered the lift.

A chock had been inserted into the chains, so the lift stopped halfway to The Cistern.

We could hear splashing and grunting as our quarry hurried through cramped, smelly, slimy tunnels. We waited for the others before pursuing it. We had no idea how dangerous Ambition was.

After twenty minutes of travel through the winding tunnels, we found a trail of body parts and viscera. If not for Meeko’s and Inigo’s sense of smell, we may have been searching for far longer. We followed the trail of body parts to the rest of Estele.

Her upper torso was impaled on a vertical spike. She had been ripped apart like Fasiela. However, Ambition had also removed her breasts and cut open her stomach. Her womb was one of the nearby lumps of flesh.

There were several bloodied rags on the floor, as well as the pieces of flesh. One piece of flesh bore a familiar symbol and a nipple. Cut into the flesh with a knife was an eye with the iris partly occluded by the upper eyelid. I handed it around. Other people would have been squeamish. It is sad that my friends were not horrified or revolted.

• Wulf: The same symbol is on the clothing of Witchmen. It was also above the door to the room with the heart in Grey Belmor.
• Rigmor: I wonder what it means?
• Wulf: I suppose we will find out eventually.
• Lydia: He ran past Kath without harming her. That suggests he targeted the two he killed.
• Rigmor: They opened the gates to Wayrest City. Perhaps Ambition was angered by that action fourteen years ago?
• Vayu: There is no doubt they were acts fuelled by great anger.
• Inigo: If it was Ambition in Damian’s skin, he took a tremendous risk. I would have thought anything that endangered his plans would be avoided.
• Rigmor: Maybe his ambition is to rip apart young women. It might be his hobby.
• Wulf: I see the darkness of Evermore has infected you, my dearest.
• Lydia: If it was Ambition, then he may have been thinking about these women for years. His hatred overrode caution.
• Vayu: He is missing many checks and balances that normal emotions provide.
• Wulf: What is significant about the carving on the flesh?
• Vayu: It was done by an unnaturally sharp knife.
• Rigmor: Perhaps a ceremonial knife used for creating flesh sculptures.
• Vayu: That might be something that can be scried.
• Rigmor: The Missionary!
• Wulf: I am glad your speculation led to the same place as mine. Now the question is, why would Ambition leave this clue?
• Lydia: Could it be part of a ritual and not a clue?
• Vayu: It was left for us to find and not part of a ritual.
• Wulf: I bow to Vayu’s knowledge of rituals. He has participated in many of them from different cultures.
• Inigo: Even with a sharp knife, it would have taken many seconds to carve it so accurately.
• Wulf: Ambition had more time with Estel. His removal of her breasts and womb indicates a hatred for motherhood.
• Rigmor: He removed her womb?
• Wulf: Yes, Rigmor.
• Vayu: Ambition hated these two women but also dislikes Lady Mara’s gift of motherhood.
• Inigo: Some witches and Hagraven also dislike motherhood.
• Vayu: They are females denied that blessing due to the magics they wield, and some of them, mostly Namira devotees, disrespect motherhood.
• Rigmor: I wonder why Ambition dislikes motherhood?
• Wulf: Let us see if we can find where Ambition went from here. I think that he is the only one who can provide answers.

We soon found steps that led to a door and The Cistern.

Just inside The Cistern, a beggar watched us with interest so we approached her.

• Wulf: Milady, did you see anybody suspicious come this way?
• Beggar: Milady? Well, your honeyed talk will not help. I do not know anything, milord. I do not want to get involved in any of this business!

I held a large ruby in front of her.

I handed over the ruby, and we briskly walked away before she deposited it.

We asked many more beggars and handed out a few small bags of coins, but we only got the same description. They saw a grinning, slightly red and handsome man with blood in his blond hair.

We finally made our way outside and headed for the city centre.

I was not pleased to find Luther bound at the wrists and kneeling with a guard standing over him.

I asked the guard, “Why is Luther being treated like this?”

“There were murders in the brothel while this greenskin was flapping his lips. He was distracting us while the murderer did his thing!”

“Oh, so if Luther weren’t on stage, there would have been enough guards in the brothel to stop the killer?”

“Yes…I mean…ah…no.”

I cut Luther’s bonds and helped him to his feet.

I said to Luther, “I am sorry. Please keep trying to educate the people of Evermore. Most of them will listen, but you will always have idiots.”

“I did not expect to leave the city without some incident. Sir Wulf, you are Bloodkin to all Orsimer, and I hope to meet you in New Orsinium one day.”

“Tell the Chiefs that Malacath’s Champion is proud they have not been driven from their homes or joined Orsinium’s Sons. However, there may be a time a tactical withdrawal is needed.”

“If they have remained, their stubbornness precludes the chance of withdrawal.”

“If things get worse, they may change their mind.”

Luther shuffled off as we climbed the steps to the brothel and spoke to Kegor.

• Wulf: Kegor, why did you allow Luther to be treated like that?
• Kegor: Like what?
• Rigmor: He was in the city centre, kneeling on the ground with bound hands.
• Kegor: I will get him released straight away.
• Rigmor: We already released him.
• Kegor: Honestly, I did not notice. I was organising the cleanup and closing of the brothel and have been standing here in deep thought ever since.
• Wulf: We found the remains of Estele along a waterway. The Deadra was ripping her apart as he ran. Her top half was in the tunnels above The Cistern, skewered on a vertical spike.
• Lydia: Have any murders like these happened before?
• Kegor: Sordid murder comes as often as the rain here. However, this specific case carries a familiar scent. There was a string of similar murders decades ago.
• Wulf: You seem puzzled, however.
• Kegor: Similar victims and similar results from the looks of it. Yet the speed of this killer, combined with the viciousness of it all, suggests he is still in the prime of his life.
• Wulf: Daedra do not age.
• Vayu: Were the past murders conducted at a more leisurely pace?
• Kegor: Yes. The victims were also prostitutes, but the killer took his time with each one.
• Vayu: Were they torn apart?
• Kegor: No. They were dismembered but with something sharp. The upper torso of each victim was placed on a spike.
• Vayu: I think it is the same killer, but tonight’s murders had an extra motive.
• Kegor: But why the gap? Why return now?
• Wulf: I will tell you something for the same reason I told Ambassador Vaeser. Your life is at greater risk if not told.
• Rigmor: If King Sigmayne is told this information, he may act rashly, and the Daedra will kill him.
• Wulf: We believe there are other plots against Evermore. They may remain hidden or more difficult to uncover if the information I will impart is leaked.
• Kegor: Okay, you have given me reasons not to blab. I would be a fool to ignore them. You have my word that I will not tell anybody.
• Wulf: Unlike others I have met in Evermore, I believe you, Kegor.
• Inigo: That is amazing, considering how many have proven to be liars without guilt.
• Wulf: The murderer was described as a handsome man with reddish skin and blood-covered blond hair. The Daedra killed Damian. A witch moulded The Prince’s body onto the Daedra. If you were to make discreet enquiries, and I advise you do not, you would find Damian’s mother is nowhere to be found in Daggerfall and did not return with him. She was an obstacle that needed removing. He killed her as well.
• Lydia: The day Damian arrives home, these murders happened. It is not a coincidence.
• Wulf: The Daedra was a mortal who committed the murders years ago.
• Kegor: I must believe you. You know far more about these things than I do.
• Wulf: We think the Daedra is or was involved with the Witchmen. We know he is the enemy of the thief who stole Mados’ items. We know he is Lady Namira’s enemy.
• Kegor: What makes you think there is a connection to the Witchmen?
• Wulf: Many of the Witchmen have a symbol on their clothing. An eye with the iris partly covered by an eyelid.
• Kegor: Yeah, I have seen it.
• Wulf: Have a look at this flesh.
• Kegor: Can you hold it up and show it to me?

I held the flesh in front of Kegor for a few seconds. I could see he was disturbed, so handed it to Vayu.

• Rigmor: The symbol has been carved with a sharp knife, yet the bodies are torn asunder.
• Kegor: Yeah, why is that?
• Wulf: The carving of the symbol took time. The murders were an act of pure rage and passion and were done quickly.
• Kegor: Damian, or whatever its name, ripped the women apart in no time but calmly carved the symbol.
• Vayu: Yes, and we think it was left as a clue for us. But we do not understand why it would do that.
• Wulf: We think he specifically targeted these two women. The Daedra’s name is Ambition, and that is his driving factor. He has an ambition and will stop at nothing to fulfil it.
• Rigmor: If Ambition sees you as a barrier to accomplishing his desires, you will be ripped apart.
• Kegor: And I am supposed to act natural around it?
• Rigmor: We think Prince Damian will be given the lordship of Raven Spring. Therefore, he might not be in Evermore City for long.
• Kegor: Yes, Damian is to replace Mortifayne. The poor people of Raven Spring just survived one insane killer!
• Wulf: Damian will be a perfect prince, and his citizens will love him. He has plans and must be seen as a viable replacement for Sigmayne. He will wait till Sigmayne is torn down or will do it himself.
• Rigmor: What happened to the investigation of the murders decades ago?
• Kegor: Sadly, we had to drop the case shortly after it opened.
• Rigmor: You cannot spend good gold finding the killer of prostitutes.
• Kegor: That is what happened.
• Wulf: The knife used to carve the symbol may lead us to further clues. We shall ask Reamonn to do some scrying.
• Kegor: It is worth asking him.
• Wulf: We cannot bias his scrying by giving him a clue to the killer. Therefore, we will not tell him of our suspicions.
• Rigmor: That will be the last thing today, Your Excellency.
• Wulf: Okay, we will see Reamonn and teleport into Mara’s Rest.
• Kegor: I hope you can stop Evermore from ripping itself apart.
• Wulf: As we do, Kegor. We will keep trying, and you can be assured of that.
• Kegor: You are going to vanish.
• Wulf: Yes, we are.
• Kegor: Right. I will not flinch or squeal this time.

We teleported to Raven Spring’s entrance.

Then, we made our way to the temple.

There were far more Legionnaires than guards on duty. It might be a shared responsibility for some time.

All the temple’s shrines had been activated, and Mados’ corpse had been interred.

I approached Reamonn.

• Wulf: Good evening, Missionary Reamonn.
• Reamonn: And good evening to you, Your Excellency. We have not talked since the Oblivion Gate opened. Therefore, I have been unable to thank you and the Divine Knights. I am sorry you lost some friends in the battle.
• Wulf: They are sorely missed, but we know their souls have reached Aetherius, which comforts us.
• Reamonn: Even after a day of flying around and distributing potions, Sister Jeanna insisted on spending hours assisting visitors to the temple.
• Rigmor: Her love for Lady Mara gives her strength.
• Reamonn: Every person who enters after the shrines were activated has commented on the peace and love permeating the temple. I remember it well from those I visited in Cyrodiil, and I am pleased the people of Evermore can now experience it.
• Wulf: I have a favour to ask. Intuition tells me it will not be pleasant.
• Reamonn: After what you and the Divine Knights have done for this town and Evermore, any reciprocation would still fall short. What is it you need me to do?
• Wulf: There were some brutal murders in one of Evermore City’s brothels. The killer carved a symbol in the flesh of one of the victims. We think the knife used is for rituals or, at the least, of importance to the killer. Can you scry it?
• Reamonn: I can if you hand me the flesh. I will picture the killer doing the carving and go from there.
• Wulf: To organise my other tasks, can you estimate how long the scrying may take?
• Reamonn: The time taken varies depending on a myriad of conditions. See me at noon tomorrow, and I might have completed it.
• Vayu: We know the scrying is not precise. As you did with the relics, a general vicinity is all we need.
• Reamonn: Damian will arrive tomorrow morning to take up residence in the Manor. You may want to visit him once he has settled.
• Wulf: We will visit him soon, I promise you. I am going to tutor him on how to be a noble. He did not learn even the basics from his father.
• Reamonn: Anybody must be better than Mortifayne.
• Rigmor: I would not place a wager on that, Reamonn.
• Reamonn: Oh, secrets that I am sure you will share when appropriate.
• Wulf: Just be as careful around Damian as you were with Mortifayne. Do not be fooled by his persona.
• Reamonn: Warning noted. Since I value my head, I shall take heed.
• Vayu: The flesh is the breast of one of the victims.
• Reamonn: Oh!
• Vayu: Do you have to hold it?
• Reamonn: No. Place it on the table with the symbol face up. If I can see the symbol, my scrying will work.

Vayu places the flesh as asked. Rigmor and I sought out Sister Jeanna.

• Wulf: Do not wear yourself out, Sister Jeanna.
• Jeanna: I spent most of my day sitting on the soft chairs in your airship. Climbing up and down the ladder a few times was not strenuous.
• Rigmor: How is Oliver?
• Jeanna: Do not mention the airship to him. The memories of it will be enough to cause more upchucking.
• Wulf: Did the children enjoy the flight?
• Jeanna: Very much so! You warned me they would ask a million questions. They would forget I am blind, point to something and ask me what it was. Celestine helped and ensured the child was not embarrassed about their mistake. They were impressed when Nahfahlaar flew beside us for some time.
• Rigmor: He would have been looking for compliments.
• Jeanna: That is what Celestine suggested. The children’s compliments were genuine, and his laughter made the children laugh. When we docked at Dragons Keep, Nahfahlaar landed so I could feel his skin and smell his presence. It is fascinating how a being so large can be so gentle.
• Wulf: He would let you fly on him if you asked.
• Jeanna: That would be an experience!
• Rigmor: Did you meet Wujeeta?
• Jeanna: Yes, and she had some choice words to say about Wulf. But it was all bluster, as her compassion for the children shone through. She asked me to ask you something, Wulf.
• Wulf: What?
• Jeanna: They have been searching for somebody to teach religious studies. Erandur was going to fulfil that position.
• Wulf: Yes. Evermore was going to be the last task he undertook with us.
• Jeanna: Would I be acceptable?
• Wulf: It would have to be a serious commitment, Sister Jeanna. I would require a person to spend several years in the position. If they intend to leave, spending time bringing a replacement up to speed would be beneficial.
• Jeanna: I can do that. I am also comfortable teaching about other gods outside of The Nine and can do so without bias.
• Rigmor: What about your father? Would he be comfortable with you staying in Dragons Keep?
• Jeanna: If I word it as an extension of my missionary work, then yes, he would understand. There is another reason why I wish to settle under a roof.
• Rigmor: I can guess. It is not uncommon for people to fall in love with those tasked to guard them.
• Wulf: What?
• Rigmor: We forgive you, Wulf. Males are less sensitive to such things. In the short time I have observed Sister Jeanna and Oliver, their bond revealed itself to me. 
• Wulf: My grandfather was a guard for my grandmother. I heard some poor nobleman in Skyrim was nabbed by a Bruma harpy. Therefore, I am not a stranger to the concept.
• Rigmor: Would marrying a commoner cause issues, Sister Jeanna?
• Jeanna: You cannot say you are a devotee of Lady Mara and object to love based on social status. Father would not object.
• Rigmor: Has Oliver proposed?
• Jeanna: He has admitted his love. Social status has prevented a proposal, so I must do it.
• Wulf: Lady Mara will be pleased.
• Rigmor: Well, Dragonbum, what do you say?
• Wulf: If Oliver accepts your proposal, I will gladly hire you both, or Wujeeta will, as she seems to think she owns the place. You would be housed in a separate cottage. I want children rotated through that cottage to learn how to do everyday chores in a house environment, not a huge castle.
• Rigmor: Do you know what Oliver would want to do at Dragons Keep?
• Jeanna: The only time he got his head out of the chuck bucket was when he heard Dragon Keep’s horses. His father is a stablemaster, and he has always wanted to be one. He joined the army to earn money towards that goal. According to Celestine, he gingerly climbed the ladder and talked to the horses.
• Wulf: We currently rely on Legionnaires to fulfil that role. I am sure Wujeeta would approve of Oliver being employed as a stablemaster. That would also involve teaching children how to ride and care for horses.
• Rigmor: Wulf, do you doubt Oliver will accept Sister Jeanna’s marriage proposal?
• Wulf: No…ah…I would never question your expertise in such matters, my beloved.
• Jeanna: Did Celestine train you, Rigmor?
• Rigmor: She set me on the right path. You will have Oliver under your thumb in no time.
• Wulf: You will need to be cautious around Prince Damian. He will arrive soon to replace Lord Mortifayne.
• Jeanna: He is a demon called Ambition. Celestine told me that much.
• Wulf: Since speaking to Celestine, Ambition has murdered two prostitutes. We have asked Missionary Reamonn to scry for us as we are unsure who Ambition’s allies might be. I doubt he will ever set foot inside this temple.
• Jeanna: I will be cautious, Wulf. We have another day of potion delivery planned. That will keep me away from any possible encounter.
• Wulf: Hopefully, we will know more the next time we meet. Blessings of The Nine, Sister Jeanna.
• Jeanna: Carry Mara’s love always, Wulf Welkynd.

We teleported into Mara’s Rest, and Rigmor worked beside Lydia to make pasta for dinner.

We all slept soundly as Evermore’s oppressive nature never seeped into the humble cottage.