06 - Victoria - Elven Decline:

The interior was better lit than the Imperial ruins, for a number of glowing stones provided a curious source of illumination. Upon entering I was almost immediately charged by a number of Scamps, and their conjurer creators; leading to a deal of blade and magic work for me, and the usage of my ever faithful minion.

The upper region I had cleared contained a number of items of interest, including two stone thrones, a bed, and a table with a book and a number of alchemy ingredients; including a Deadra heart. Having claimed the book for later reading, and any other items of sufficient value, I felt drawn towards the thrones – as they stood immobile, glinting in the darkness and hinting of power and age immeasurable.

However I felt it would be foolish to approach them while those hostile to me remained in the ruins, and thus proceeded downwards until I came across a door, etched with the glowing carving of a tree. Such skills appeared lost to the world of today, and I gazed upon the carvings for a time, enthralled by their delicacy.

An open cavern yawned behind the stone door, which appeared to be a natural feature of the landscape – and was perhaps the reason the structure had been sited here. I could see two Scamps in the distance, and feeling secure I decided to experiment. The former I decided to use fire against, rather than my preferred electricity. To my surprise the Scamp appeared almost unaffected by the fire, did they have magical immunity? Eventually I tired of this game, and finished the scamp with a burst of lightning, however such information is valuable. The latter Scamp had remained oblivious to these activities; the first thing it knew of my presence was an arrow in its neck. Again however the Scamp appeared ludicrously resistant; but perhaps it simply that I am insufficiently skilled in archery. Either way, the scamp was practically a pincushion by the time it died, and I renewed my appreciation of the lightning touch spell that had served me so well.

Beyond the opposite side of the cavern a door stood, made of a wrought metal of unknown origin. Creeping in the shadows I peered through the gaps and beheld a number of mages, in addition to some of the ubiquitous Scamps – while my detect life spell revealed a number of further foes.

Opening the door, I crept immediately into a dark cornerto my right, where I analysing the room and considering angles of approach while remaining unseen. With such a large group it would likely be suicidal, even for me, to simply announce my presence with a bold charge and generous blasts of destructive magic. None seemed to notice me as I remained there, until at last I decided upon a course of action.

Moving behind a pillar, and out of the view of those in the chamber, I summoned my undead comrade forth; and as he stepped forwards into the light I again withdrew against the wall. This time I continued around the room, skirting the periphery. It didn't take long for the zombies approach to be noted, and he was set upon in short order – a chaotic series of events involving the conjurers running in circles calling their Scamp allies, before attempting to knife my servant. They were disorganised, and I used the distraction fruitfully, approaching the backs of the conjurers when the opportunity presented itself - laying them low with a single touch, and leaving their bodies twitching as I again melted into the shadows. This tactic proved so successful that I was left eventually with a mere two Scamps, still apparently unaware of my presence – while I remained uninjured from the encounters. Throwing caution aside I simply stepped into the light, disposing of them in short order, before standing triumphant – the ruins my own.

Despite my success, my sense of power was diminished slightly upon realising that I could not defeat even the relatively basic locks upon the side rooms – which likely contained the most valuable treasure. Controlling my temper I decided that while in Skingrad I would search out the local mages guild and begin my ascension through the ranks. I needed the spells, power, and resources that only they could provide. I would return here in the future to search those side rooms – but the investigation had certainly not been in vain, for I had acquired more treasure than I could carry. Perhaps a spell of Feather would also prove a useful addition to my arsenal...