OOM: Ashlands, 1st week of Midyear, 3E 428

[moonandstar]

Garyn met with a rather interesting reception from the garrison at Fort Buckmoth, having apparently arrived not five minutes after the news that he had caught corprus in an assault on the Sixth House base and assuredly been killed. It took some amount of explaining to sort out how and why the message was only half-true. A crowd had gathered as he told as much of the tale as he could - and his men seemed to regard him now like a ghost or a miracle worker.

But they'd be left to their second-in-command for the time being. Garyn had more important duties, along with the perfectly plausible cover story of an inspection of his new stronghold in Bal Isra. Which, as it happens, he would need to do anyway. The men saw him off, saluting as though he were the Emperor himself. He felt as though perhaps he should feel less at ease with such displays of praise and admiration. But he wasn't.

He made good time to Bal Isra, intending only to stay briefly. The Hetman had a few things he wanted to sort out, however. As he'd been told, House Redoran had already started work on the place before the death of Banden Indarys. It was handsome, if austere, on the crest of a ridge topped by a row of tall basaltic columns that formed the rear wall, with a shorter wall in the Dunmer style being constructed around it. They needed more clay to finish the unfilled portions of the wall, as well as the second crab husk for the smith and trader. They also needed to send for women to convince more workers to stay.

Fortunately, this didn't take any further trips on his part. In his dealings in Ald'ruhn and Ald Velothi, he happened to know where these things could be found. He told Hetman Guls where to send his men to get what was needed. From there, he was on his way to his true destination.

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There was a different look to the Urshilaku as he entered their camp again. He was known to them, a Clanfriend, so the usual ritual hostilities were dispensed with. He did make sure to show the obligatory courtesies before entering the Wise Woman's hut, of course.

Nibani Maesa sat down on the floor of the yurt, leaning forward and deep in thought as she took in all he told her about the Lost Prophecies. But she did not appear surprised. Her voice is deliberate, thoughtful but not lost in thought.

"So these are the Lost Prophecies, hmm? You will tell me these things, over and over, until I have them by heart. And then you will tell me what these priests say, what they see in these words. And then, you must leave me. Hunt. Sleep. Train. Feed. Learn the land. I must bring these things into me, and place them before my ancestors, and listen to them, and to the skies and stars of my dreams. And then, when the moons have come and gone, return, and I will give you my judgement.”

Garyn knew better than to question a wise woman. And even if he didn't, he could surely stand to wait a day among these people. And so he went, joining the day's kagouti hunt. A productive one it was - he had even earned himself a nod of acknowledgement for landing the killing blow on a bull.

At dawn he returned, and Nibani Maesa remained, seeming not to have even moved since Garyn left.

“The ancestors and stars have given me clear signs. The lost prophecies leave no doubt — the Incarnate shall be an outlander. You, blessed by Azura, must lift the seven curses of Dagoth Ur. Prophecy has shown the seven steps of the Nerevarine’s path, and I have been chosen as your guide for each step on that path. I will read the signs, and show you the way. It is time for you to walk the path of the Seven Visions, and pass the Seven Trials of the Seven Visions.

“You are born on a certain day to uncertain parents. So you have passed the first trial. My dreams show me that you also fulfill the second trial, that ‘neither blight nor age can harm him/The Curse-of-Flesh before him flies’. I have read the signs, but I cannot understand. Can you explain this to me?”

At this, Garyn told the whole story of how he had caught corprus disease in Ilunibi, and survived the wizard's cure that had killed all others who received it.

“That you have overcome the Curse-of-Flesh is strange enough, but that it should protect you from blight and age is past belief. Yet the signs of my dreams are clear. You have passed the second trial. But the third trial is unfulfilled. The mystery of the third trial is not my secret to share. Go to Sul-Matuul, the guardian of our cult, and he shall tell you of the third trial. When you have fulfilled the third trial, return to me for guidance on your next steps on the path of the Nerevarine.”

Garyn bowed his head. "I shall not fail to heed your wisdom, muthsera."

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At this point the whole camp was abuzz and murmuring. Every eye of the Urshilaku was on Garyn as he left the wise woman's yurt. The Ashkhan was standing in front of his yurt, waiting for him. Then he turned and slipped back inside, the invitation already clearly offered without words. Garyn followed.

Sul-Matuul's face was stern as always.

“You wish to know about the Third Trial, and I shall tell you.”

Garyn merely nodded.

“You have entered the path of the Nerevarine. This is a hard thing to believe. But Nibani Maesa has spoken to me at length of this, and I have had time to consider. Therefore I shall keep my own counsel, and set before you my own test. I do not dispute with the wise women, but their ways are not the ways of the warrior. Many before have tried the path of the Nerevarine, but all have failed the warrior’s test. All too many times, a hope has risen and died before it. I myself have seen this. You must have strength, courage, and cunning. These things I would test."

A younger Garyn - not even MUCH younger - would have been frustrated at these words. Now, however, his face showed only determination and confidence.

“Nearby lies Kogoruhn, the ancient halls of the forgotten house, House Dagoth. In recent time, creatures of the blight have come to dwell there. I myself went there, with some brave hunters, and came back again, but it was a bad place, and I am not ashamed to say I was afraid, for myself and my men. If you would have from me the secret of the Third Trial, the ‘caverns dark’ where Azura’s eye sees, you will first bring to me three tokens from dark Kogoruhn.

“The first token is corprus weepings from a corprus beast, to show that you are proof against the disease’s corruption. The second token is a cup with the mark of House Dagoth, for I have myself seen such cups there, and will know you have seen with your eyes what I have seen with mine. The third token is the Shadow Shield, which lies on the Tomb of Dagoth Morin, in the lava tunnels deep beneath ruined Kogoruhn. Bring these things to me, and then I will tell you the secret of the Third Test.”

Garyn stood with his hand by his scabbard. "You need but tell me the way."

Comments

[last_kallig]

Ibani isn't exactly THRILLED to be this close, comparatively, to Red Mountain and That Karking Bastard under it!

"Red stone temple tombs surrounded by Dark power. This is reminding me ENTIRELY too much of Korriban," she quips.

She's checked the seals on her armor MANY times, as she's not immune to disease as Garyn now is. She checks the seals again ANYWAY.

[moonandstar]

"I think one need not have seen Korriban to know a foul place when they see it," Garyn says.

In truth, it is more the setting sun, reflecting off the ash that half-buries its walls, than anything in its architecture that makes Kogoruhn appear red. It's an eerie hour to arrive there, to be sure.

His sword is already drawn as they ascend the stairs. They can hear a bonfire roaring, and quiet voices chanting obscene prayers not far from the top of these stairs.

[last_kallig]

"Echoes in the Force of that Fucker under Red Mountain everywhere.." she grumbles in response to his words about knowing a foul place. Her refusal to use Dagoth Ur's name is a quite deliberate insult, not that she thinks Dagoth Ur would CARE about her doing that."

"Can probably hit the lot with Force Lightning if they're not too far apart," she says quietly as they climb. "Might not kill them, that sickness makes them tougher than Sith Spawn, but it will hurt them and give you plenty of openings."

[moonandstar]

Garyn nods, approving the plan before they crest the top of the stair together.

The cultists on the open, flat top of the fortress ziggurat are mere Dunmer, stripped to their smallclothes as they roast distended corpus flesh by the bonfire. Their own flesh will soon join the roast.

[last_kallig]

Their flesh will definitely burn, but perhaps not by fire.

Ibani wastes no time, calls the Force and channels it into a Lightning storm centered to hit ALL of the Dunmer. Purple lightning zigs and zags within the storm as wind lifts Ibani slightly into the air.

[moonandstar]

Garyn doesn't even break stride. The landing is silent now, save for the wind blowing dust across the flat top.

Around them are three different edifices - two small round huts, and a sturdy square tower which is surely the keep of this place.

"I say we scout out the smaller entrances first. We may get lucky and find some tokens without having to delve too deeply."

[last_kallig]

"Would be nice." She's not expecting it though. "I can't feel a pull toward anywhere in particular in all this foulness."

She draws her lightsaber and the blade ignites in a snap-hiss.

[moonandstar]

Garyn leads them on to the first of the two little domes. No sooner has he opened it but he hears a voice:

""For our fallen brother, we claim our revenge."

Garyn darts inside with sword drawn. Magicka begins to form and crackle within the robed Ash Ghoul's hands.

"The soul of Dagoth Gares is among us. You have broken his body, but his spirit is with us in our waking dreams."

[last_kallig]

"Oh no you don't," Ibani growls. She throws a Force shield up over Garyn and herself.

Once that's done, if the Ash Ghoul is still upright, she's going to hit it with the strongest lightning blast that she can.

She does not believe in the concept of 'overkill' in circumstances like this.

[moonandstar]

Garyn darts in the other direction of Ibani, thus splitting the ash creature's attention. Even as Ibani's lightning lances his body and makes his robes go up like a wick, he laughs:

"I am Dagoth Gires. The sons and brothers and all the kin of Lord Dagoth are legion. The day comes soon when they shall number all the world!"

The beast looks to the heavens with his arms spread as he falls to his knees, seemingly unbothered by his imminent death.

""He will not...come to you, Lord Nerevar. It is you...who must beg...forgiveness. Go to him...beneath...Red Mountain..."

[last_kallig]

"Forgiveness for WHAT?" Ibani growls. She's not really expecting a coherent or useful answer, but you never know.

[moonandstar]

Dagoth Gires simply laughs as it slumps forward to the ground, coughing out its last black, phlegmy breath on the floor. Garyn knows exactly what he means anyway, though he refers to things that happened four thousand years ago.

Garyn begins to peruse the tables and shelves (all of them marked and stacked on top of each other in disturbing ways) for any of the tokens he needs.

"Ah...well, it seems I've found one of the engraved cups, at least."

[last_kallig]

Ibani takes care NOT to step in any of the phlegm, just in case.

"Small mercies," she replies. "Doesn't seem to be much logic in the way things are arranged. Might make things easier to find or harder."

[moonandstar]

Garyn, meanwhile, takes a closer look at the thing's corpse. It bubbles and steams as it seems to retract into itself, transforming second by second into a loaf-shaped whitish mass. It sloughs off a sickly yellow substance which Ibani should be thankful her helmet blocks the smell of.

Garyn quietly takes a vial from his pack and collects some of the vile stuff.

"And these would be corprus weepings. So we're two out of three already."

[last_kallig]

Ibani makes a disgusted sound when the body starts dissolving. "Even in comparison to some of the things I've seen, that's disgusting."

"It's like he's turned them into Sithspawn, or something worse."

[moonandstar]

"Would it disgust you overmuch if I said I'd half a mind to study it for alchemical use?"

Garyn lets a lopsided smirk cross his face.

"Only for myself, of course, but seeing how quickly these things can heal and transform, it may be worth an experiment. Perhaps Divayth Fyr has rubbed off on me."

[last_kallig]

"I would worry that alchemy might coax from it something new and dreadful that you aren't immune to," she admits. "I don't know enough of how your world's alchemy works to properly measure the risk of such experiments."

[moonandstar]

"Well, at any rate, we'll need to come back alive with the last of the tokens first. As I recall, the last one is deep in the bowels of the fortress."

[last_kallig]

She sighs. "The last thing you need is always in the depths of the tomb or the fortress or the prison, every time."

At least that's been HER experience.

"Stealthy approach?" she asks. By which she means Force Cloak.

[moonandstar]

"It seems the best approach," Garyn says, nodding.

They come out into the landing again and head for the keep.

"This may be a long search. A part of me wonders if it will be in the top of the keep or far beneath it. It seems more House Dagoth's style to dig deeper."

[last_kallig]

"Down does feel right," she agrees. "I'll put the cloak on us once we're through the first door."

The keep is still creepy on the inside, to no one's surprise. She puts a Force Cloak over the two of them with the ease of someone who has done this thousands of times.

[moonandstar]

The atmosphere is familiar indeed. So too, unfortunately, is the company. The shambling corprus beasts, the Dreamers worshipping the smell of death, and the other horrors that lurk the halls.

The first staircase downward, fortunately, is easy enough to find. Garyn creeps as quietly as he can down each step - stealth was never his strongest suit.

[last_kallig]

It's not HIS strong suit, but it IS Ibani's. And she's quite capable of muffling sound as well as obscuring them from sight.

They'll make it down the stairs, if slowly. The REAL question is what the hell is at the bottom?

[moonandstar]

What awaits them is a stone catwalk above a tall, vaulted room. In the center of that catwalk is an Ascended Sleeper, decked in robes best described as "resplendently sickening." It stands with its back turned, yet it still speaks.

"Look! It's Azura's Fool! Look at you. Not a real thing at all. Just a pathetic puppet of prophecy. And you think you can trust the Daedra Lords?"

Its tone is different from the rest - more cruel and mocking than the usual deluded nobility. One might almost think it had a mind of its own.

Instead of answering, Garyn snarls and bounds forward. It's almost unfathomable how much distance he can cover now, with his unnatural strength. Sholagmer is in the thing's spine in an instant, so far as the thing even has one.

A foul green miasma billows around them as Garyn continues to dig the blade into the monstrous priest. An unearthly squeal fills the room.

[last_kallig]

Force Lightning might be a bit monotonous, but it has an excellent track record! That's why Ibani throws some at the thing while trying to push the miasma away from her.

She's impressed at the distance Garyn can cover now, even if she loathes how he GOT that ability deeply.