Part 30 Here
Chapter List Here
WARNING: ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM SPOILERS!
The Dead, The Long Dead and the Dwemer
I returned to Solstheim, ready to begin my numerous tasks. As I docked at Raven Rock, I could see my first destination.
I shouted at the stone and as before, its guardian rose from the ground as the structure burned away, freeing its subjects.
This time though, the guardian had help from the ocean.
Having defeated two of these lurkers, the townspeople were thankful to me for freeing them from the curse.
My plan was to skirt around the coast of Solstheim, stopping at the locations I had jotted on my map. They made a convenient ring which would have me finish back in Raven Rock where I had set off from.
So I started south.
I should have expected it, but travelling was not as straight forward as it could have been.
I had barely left Raven Rock when I had to rush to the aid of a soldier fighting some strange creatures.
They looked undead, but of no sort I had encountered before.
The soldier was clearly being overwhelmed and stumbled to his knees just as stepped in to save him.
I cut the monsters down and they fell leaving little more than a pile of ash.
One carried a note.
These things could read?
I spoke to the lone soldier as he mourned the passing of his companion.
He introduced himself as Captain Veleth of the Raven Rock guard. He had been fighting off these Ash Spawn for some time and was hoping to discover where they were coming from.
I showed him the note I had just recovered and he was shocked at the name at its foot. Falx Carius had been an Imperial General at Fort Frostmouth 200 years before.
He asked that I investigate while he reported back to headquarters.
It seemed a little rude that he did not accompany me when it was his problem, but I agreed. It would not take me out of my way.
I continued along the coast and noticed a ship and encampment.
As I drew nearer to have a look, I found that it was a reaver pirate ship.
Of course, it became my duty to remove the criminal element here.
The pirates had a good haul of loot on board that I helped myself to including another East Empire Pendant…
..and a rare copy of ‘The Lusty Argonian Maid’.
In the camp I noticed a strange type of rock.
It was foreign to me.
The place where I would find Sorine’s schematic was nearby, so it was my next stop.
The house had seen better days.
I entered and more of the ash spawn appeared to assault me.
Though between myself and my thralls, we saw them off.
Inside the house, I uncovered yet another pendant.
As well as a few other trinkets…
..and something that looked like an urn.
The schematic was nowhere to be found though, so I had to venture inside.
In the basement I saw two people at lunch.
I wondered if one of these was Hrodulf.
Neither was… Reavers again!
The place had been ransacked. Books were scattered all over the floor. Among the mess I found a note.
Something tragic had happened here.
I spied a diary.
Something had driven this Hrodulf mad it seemed. But I had now discovered the secret of the bookshelf.
Behind it was what seemed to be part of a Dwemer ruin.
The body of Bjornolfr was laying here. I do not know for how long.
He had a note on him.
I still had little idea what had killed the man and possibly taken the other, but I decided staying here for long might be unwise. I should search for my schematic and leave.
Which I did.
Fort Frostmouth was not far from the house at all, so seemed the best place to call at next.
In the distance I could see what I could only imagine was a giant mushroom?
Forstmoth, predictably, was guarded by more of the Ash Spawn, which my thralls and I had to fight our way through to get inside.
The creatures literally came out of the ground around us.
Inside the fort were more of the monsters, though these seemed to have contracted a form of undead albinoism.
The fort doubled as a mine for the strange stone I had found before. The mine doubled as a home for horrible fire spiders.
And an albino fire spider… whatever was causing this was not limited to one species!
Further inside the fort I found a diary of someone named Ildari, who seemed to be experimenting with a new form of necromancy that made use of these heart stones.
Falx Carius was her first test subject.
It was not long before we found the General who had a number of ash spawn serving as body guards.
He made no attempt to speak with me, we simply went to battle.
He was a strong man, but I had fought tougher and still stood among the living.
His weapon was interesting though.
Having stopped the threat against Raven Rock, I felt I should tell the Captain about it, but decided it could wait until I had finished my journey around the island.
My thralls decided to take up residence in the fort and I travelled on alone.
The Deathbrand map suggested that a piece of the treasure lay between my location and the home of Neloth, so I would search for that first.
I homed in on the place the map seemed to be marking and saw a Pryomancer and a Cryomancer duelling each other.
I’m not sure what I did to cause offence, but as I neared, both mages turned on me.
As I attempted to avoid being both frozen and scorched a powerful lurker vindicator emerged from the sea.
Temporarily, the appearance of the monster was helpful to me. It went after the Cryomancer, allowing me to cut down the Pyromancer. But with both of them dealt with, I was the only target left for the beast.
We fought a close battle.
I was victorious but with barely a moment to breath, I was set upon by Ash Spawn.
I took two down with ease, but the third was much stronger than its companions. As we duelled, a friendly spriggan flanked my foe and began tearing it to shreds.
After a few seconds, I realised that the burnt spriggan was in fact not friendly at all.
I chopped it down and as it fell I yelled ‘Anybody else!’
The only life I could see nearby was a huge creature that seemed docile.
I found the treasure I had been seeking after a little scouring.
It seemed that others had been here before me, but the ash spawn must have been too much for them.
I recovered the boots from the locked chest.
I was to find Neloth inside the mushroom, so I found my way up to it.
The path led me past a mer who was tending to the giant creature.
Revus Sarvani told me all about the Silt Strider and how he was looking after it in its old age.
At one time it had been something of a tourist attraction as it was one of very few left of its kind. This one was called Dusty.
He also had some wares to sell.
Little took my interest, but I was curious about a gem he carried.
I did not purchase it, but wondered what its use was.
I arrived at the mushroom village.
Here, Neloth’s apprentice was attempting to summon an ash guardian while the steward looked on, suggesting he stop doing dangerous things.
I entered the main mushroom and inside had to use a strange magic which would carry me to the top floor.
Neloth was there working and researching.
I asked him about the Black Books. He told me that they came from Hermaeus Mora and were the source of Miraak’s power.
I asked if I could use the one he carried, but he informed me that although it was a similar black book, it was not one that was linked to Miraak.
He did however know where I could find one that I could make use of.
It was in a Dwemer ruin nearby called Nchardak. He would take me there to retrieve it.
I watched as he used his magic to float down to the ground and I followed.
I followed him out of the village towards the ruin.
I noticed the next standing stone as we ran and thought it best to do my work here as I was passing.
Neloth waited as I took the detour.
This stone was being built by a group of reavers. I braced myself and shouted at it.
The construct burned away as before and as expected, a lurker rose.
I stepped back to let the reavers fight it at first.
They did not last long. One was killed, while the others fled…
..leaving myself and Neloth to finish it.
The task was done, so we ventured on to Nchardak.
We arrived to find it overrun with reavers.
We fought through them and made our way inside.
This was the reading room where we would find the book.
It wasn’t until we got here that Neloth told me it would be more involved than simply picking it up.
It was kept inside a case that could not be opened by any magic he knew. We would have to switch on the steam mechanisms in the room, which meant having to go deep into the ruin.
Part 32 ‘Dragonborn: Warrior, Explorer, Mystic, Friend of Daedra and Tribe Leader’ Here
Chapter List Here
