WARNING: ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM SPOILERS!
Shadows and Secrets
We reached Markarth and I asked Calcelmo for his help.
I was disappointed that he refused to show me his work or even make any attempt to help.
You would think that after slaying a giant spider and getting a girlfriend for a man, he would be happy to do you a favour, but not this old mook.
I was forced to sneak into his private halls behind his museum, which was full of hired guards.
Once one of them found me though, the rest were after me too. Somewhere in the fight, my Forsworn woman was lost, but the rest of us made it through to the chamber which held the research I was looking for.
I took a rubbing of the research before we were set upon by more guards including their Captain.
They were not too much trouble, and I decided to make the Captain one of my own in replacement of the Forsworn.
We returned to Enthir in Winterhold and showed him the rubbing.
Using it to translate Gallus diary, he found that Mercer had been a traitor to the Guild.
With this, Karliah would be able to return to the Guild and prove her innocence.
Which we did.
(But not before quickly nipping into the College and grabbing J’zargo).
Brynjolf asked that I search Mercers house to find any clue of where he may have fled to. They assumed he would head for the borders, but any hint would be useful.
He warned me that Mercers home was guarded by a man named Vald, who might have to be dealt with.
I learned that Vald worked for Mercer in order to pay a debt to Maven Black-Briar and I may be able to get him on side if I had her forget about it.
I spoke to her but she told me that she would only release him from his debt if I could find the Magic Quill he had lost.
It was supposedly in the lake, so I donned my Volsung mask and searched the bottom for a time.
It was a good while before I decided that I could not find it, forgetting that I had a spell which may have helped.
I think I may have lost my undead Captain somewhere here too…
I thought it was a waste of my time trying to help someone who was working for my enemy and went to Mercers home.
I spoke to Vald and tried to convince him to let me in peacefully, but he simply laughed and challenged me to attack him.
Still wishing to end it peacefully, I fired an arrow at a contraption in Mercers yard to lower a ramp
This startled Vald, who unlocked the gate and went for me.
He was felled in three strikes and had conveniently left the entrance open for me.
Inside two bandit guards attacked me, so we saw to them, and I took one along as a thrall.
In a secret room guarded by numerous traps (the swinging blades taking from me the bandit I had just claimed) I found some of Mercers plans (as well as some nice loot).
We took the plans back to Brynjolf and Karliah.
Karliah asked that I meet them at the Nightingales Secret Hideout and Temple.
So I claimed a new steed – Snowberry III – and set off.
I entered Nightingale Hall with the other two and was told to put on some special uniform armour.
Karliah then said that we were about to pledge allegiance and servitude to Nocturnal in life and death.
I didn’t much like the sound of this. I already had a lot on, what with being Arch Mage of Winterhold as well as a Thane of Whiterun, Riften, Winterhold, Markarth, Morthal and Solitude. Let alone the Dragonborn..
Besides, as a werewolf I think I was already pledged to an afterlife in the hunting grounds.
The Divines would have to argue over me.
Seeing as we were in a hurry and Mercer had to be dealt with I agreed, figuring that like Kodlak, I might find some loophole later on.
We went through with the ceremony. Nocturnal appeared and accepted us as Nightingales.
Once the ceremony was over, Brynjolf approached me and told me that they had decided I should take Mercers place as leader once this was all over.
The next thing we were to do was go after Mercer. He had stolen a Skeleton Key and without it, Nocturnal would not show favour and the Guild would collapse.
We were to meet in Irkngthand, a dwarven ruin where Mercer was supposedly attempting to retrieve the Eyes of the Falmer, two jewels each larger than a persons head.
With them he could afford to escape and be set for life, forever escaping punishment for his betrayal.
With J’zargo and Vigilance I travelled there upon Snowberry III.
Outside were a number of bandits and no sign of the other Nightingales. I assumed they had snuck past them and hidden inside.
Fighting through them was tough (I decided against stealth).
Once they were defeated, I came the decision that things were getting a little too dangerous for my doggy, so I sent Vigilance home.
He was somewhat upset about it.
J’zargo waited outside while I went in, believing this to be business of the Nightingales only.
I fought through a number of Dwemer guardians before catching up with Brynjolf and Karliah inside.
Once reunited, we gave chase to Mercer, who was already well on his way to the jewels.
Blocking the way were more Dwemer devices and a small army of Falmer.
Enthir had told me of how the Falmer were really victims of treachery from other races, but with them blasting me with curses and swinging weapons made of insects at me it was difficult to feel sympathy.
We caught up with Mercer just as he managed to retrieve the Eyes of the Falmer.
He enchanted the other Nightingales so that they fought one another, but attempted to face me in a duel.
He spent most of the duel hiding and invisible, trying to hit me with sneak attacks.
I was able to overpower him however with a combination of Thu’ums and my Legendary Elven War Axe of the Blaze.
Suddenly the room began to fill with water, so I grabbed the Key and the Eyes from Mercer while we tried to find an escape route.
I still carrid Volsung, so drowning was not a concern to me, but the other Nightingales had no such protection.
A cave exit was made available to us and we escaped.
Karliah told me, it was not yet over. The Key had to be returned to is rightful place in the Twilight Sepulcher.
I would have to travel a road full of traps and hazards to get it there while the usual entrance was closed off.
Now that Mercer had been stopped, I felt I had time to get on with my quest as Dragonborn to stop Alduin.
I travelled to visit the Greybeards and ask of the Thu’um I needed. Arngeir told me of the shout ‘Dragonrend’ and that I should speak to their leader Paarthurnax at the very top of their mountain.
They taught me a Thu’um that I would need to reach him, one that would clear the dangerous weather from my path.
It was a fairly short journey to the highest peak, where I was greeted by a dragon.
After the moment it took to realise I was in no danger, the dragon spoke to me. He was Paarthurnax, the one I was seeking.
He taught me the final word for the Flame Breath Thu’um and informed me that I would need to find an Elder Scroll in order to learn Dragonrend.
It would be needed so that I may travel back in time and learn it from the men who created it.
It didn’t sound simple, but I was getting used to that.
As a treat, I climbed the final part of the mountain to reach the highest point. The top of Skyrim, where I was surprised a miner had been before me…
I took the magic pickaxe as a prize, and left my non-enchanted one in case someone returned to do some digging.
Part 10 ‘Blades and Blackreach’ Here
Chapter List Here
