14 - Victoria - The Inundated Associate:

I awoke at seven with no memory of any dreams, although Owyn claimed I had been 'twitching uneasily', as he put it. Perhaps it was a poor attempt at humour, but I didn't ask around to find out – deciding instead to leave the murky Bloodworks. The open air made a welcome change, for when fighting in the Arena you have little chance to take your time or admire the scenery, while the Bloodworks themselves are dark, noisy, and well - bloody. I walked first to the market district, planning to sell any unwanted items, and perhaps pick up a few spells, before beginning my journey to Cheydinhal.

The streets were still quiet, for the shops had yet to open – leaving me at a loose end. I didn't particularly mind, enjoying the sound of silence as I wandered, lost in my own thoughts. I had made a great deal of progress considering it was barely two weeks since my escape from the Imperial prison, however the Arcane University was still beyond my reach, and I remained a mere associate in the mages guild.

I considered the public fear of necromancy, and the recent move against it by the guild. Such a change in policy had been the downfall of my master, and had left me incarcerated indefinitely in an Imperial prison. I missed him, for in a way he had been my only family; of course I do have memories of my 'true' parents, but they are dark and troubled. I have a nagging sensation that I am missing something important, for my last memories of them are vague and indistinct, and this serves as a constant vexation for me; yet perhaps it is nothing.

If the training with my master had continued unabated I can only imagine how elevated my skills would have become by now, as opposed to their current stunted state – for I had been chosen, my race and the star deciding my fate...I was abruptly shaken out of my ruminations by the first call of the day; the shops had at last opened.

My first act was to sell any miscellaneous items I happened to have collected, which I accomplished at the Three Brothers traders, before moving on to have my bow and arena raiment repaired by Varnado of the Best Defence. It was at this point that my heart sunk, for I suddenly realised that no merchant held more than a thousand gold. Prior to now this had not been a practical limitation in my transactions, as I had sold nothing of such value, yet it meant that I would collect only a thousand gold for my reflect shield, worth over four times that value. There was no helping the situation however, and I finally forced myself to sell it to Viator Accius – leaving me with seven thousand gold in total.

From here I decided to investigate the stores which dealt in magic, for I had sufficient coin to cover both a small selection of spells, and the probable cost of the horse – I suspected that at the very most it would cost no more than five thousand Septims. Moving first to the Mystic Emporium I bought 'Touch of Rage' from Calindil, a spell from the school of illusion I had been hoping to find. I find it strange how the public fears and suppress necromancy, which merely utilises the dead – while spells such as these - which can wreck havoc upon the living - are largely ignored. I suppose the subtle school of illusion is easy to underestimate, appearing to lack substance to those with a merely superficial understanding, yet a spell such as this can allow me to not only kill anyone I chose legally – ostensibly in self defence; but also cause others do the killing for me. Touch of Rage induces a frenzy into the target, leaving them running amok – a state of events which is generally brought to a close rather...conclusively, by guards and fellow residents alike.

In addition to this most excellent spell, I also acquired a pair from Edgar's Discount Spells store; namely Ease Burden and Major Wound – the former lightening my load while in effect, while the latter draining the health of my foes, thankfully a ranged spell. I now entered Rindirs staffs, intending merely to browse, however it was all I could do to prevent myself from spending the vast majority of the gold I had immediately upon a staff; the staff of 'Apotheosis'. Priced at six thousand Septims, this staff dealt not simply fire damage – but also frost and shock damage, and in each of these was more deadly that my lightning touch spell. Certainly such a weapon would transform my long Arena matches into a series of one sided firework displays, but I knew that I must first buy the horse I had been saving for. Still, it had displaced the manor from the top of my buying list – that would clearly have to wait.

My final stop was The Main Ingredient, ran by Oglier Georick, for I had a great deal of ingredients. Unfortunately the vast majority seemed mutually incompatible – that is until I finally made a breakthrough in my alchemical abilities while mixing a potion. It is hard to explain, something just clicked, and what had previously left me bemused now seemed transparent. Examining my ingredients again, I percieved new combinations that could be created; and I eventually created forty seven potions, now with such advanced effects as Light and Reflect. The sale of these covered the cost of my recent spell acquisitions and, pausing only to buy a higher quality Calcinator, I passed the Chestnut Handy Stables and crossed the bridge, leaving the capital behind me.

Although I walked purposefully, my mind was distracted. Having made my breakthrough in alchemy I had of course re-examined my Nirnroot, thinking that I might perhaps finally discover a positive effect, as would befit the potion Sinderion had described. Instead I had found that in addition to its prior effects, it also drained agility! Sinderion had talked of how the root seemed to have transformed itself in recent years, could the tome then be outdated, and the root radically different? I decided I would keep this finding to myself for now, and see what transpired, but if Sinderion were lying to me I would give him a dose of his own medicine – and a potent dose it would be, judging from the effects I had found thus far.

To reach Cheydinhal I would first have to rise above Lake Rumare, following the Red Ring Road north and around. I could perhaps have saved time through simply swimming the lake surrounding the Imperial City, but once again I felt the journey was an end in itself, and wished to collect as much money as I could – for my hands itched whenever I thought of the staff at Rindirs.

It was not difficult to follow the path, both through having the lake lying upon my right throughout the journey, and the presence of sign posts. This was perhaps fortunate, for this was a region I had yet to explore, and I soon reached Fort Empire; which marked the periphery of my earlier travels in this direction.

I visited the fort briefly, primarily intending to appreciate the view from the roof, as it was day – my previous visit having been in the dark. The fort seemed to have again become repopulated with Imps; perhaps the Elven Ruin where I suspected I might have missed the Varla stone was similarly repopulated. The thought was both depressing – in that I could never make a lasting impression, but also reassuring – for I was doing this not for the sake of good, but for myself – and such a repopulation implied that given time, there might again be valuables to gather.

The roof was swept by a light breeze blowing in from Lake Rumare, and with the sky clear I sat admiring the view for a time, my hood swept back. It was a stunning vista, for from this elevated position you could see not only the gleaming city, but also the bridge, forests and distant mountains. I remained here for a time, enjoying it for its own sake, while simultaneously consuming a little of my food.

Still, I could not remain here indefinitely, and I set forth once more, my journey broken only by a brief encounter with some deer – for they chose to run before me; and by an equally brief encounter with some timber wolves - for they chose to run towards me. Now north of the lake and travelling east, I came across a ruin to the side of the path – apparently guarded by an archer. The bandit was swiftly dispatched, and I paused to replace my iron bow with the superior steel variant which he had wielded; it wasn't like he had any use for it now.

It was likely that he had been using the ruins as some kind of base of operations, or perhaps was part of a group currently looting the interior – certainly the presence of more than one bedroll suggested that there must be others in the vicinity. A fire still burned, strange considering the warmth of the day, but perhaps this to was merely the sign of a permanent presence. I determined to enter the ruins, hoping to acquire something of value; although the ruins seemed a little smaller than those I had searched previously.

As I was now accustomed to, the interior was lit by glowing crystals affixed to the walls, removing the need for my night eye spell. It was not so bright however as to prohibit stealth, and I made my approach as silent as possible, creeping down the passage in the shadows, before finally reaching the main chamber without incident.

A fire burned ahead and to the side of the passage, the contrast between it and the dim chamber creating difficulty in my initial survey, but I could see enough to be sure that I had found the rest of the bandits. None had yet seen me, as they talked among themselves, occasionally pacing the room in what appeared to be chainmail; certainly that alone would pay better than the leather and fur armour I had previously collected.

I will not go into detail here, for this single chamber turned out to be the extent of the ruins, and I had no great difficulty pacifying the residents. Suffice to say that I put my new frenzy spell to good effect, sneaking up behind the toughest mail clad, hammer wielding and ultimately aggressive bandit I could find – and casting upon him. The effect was immediate and gratifying, for he gave a roar and charged towards his former friends, who stared disbelieving as he raised his weapon, before finally swinging into action. It was all too easy really, although I sent my zombie minion into the conflict to add some spice. While this continued I scouted the periphery of the chamber, picking off the odd couple of lone individuals, until finally the chamber was silent. No singularly valuable items could be found, but I did gather a number of Welkyd stones, which were by now beginning to weigh me down a little. I looked forward to the time that I could place most of them - and the better part of my alchemy apparatus - into the saddle bags of my horse. The interior empty, I returned to the bandit camp among the ruins, and it now being late evening, I slept there until morning.

I rose with the dawn, keen to have claimed my steed before the sun had set, and returned to the path. The ruins fell behind me, and I passed the Roxey Inn – used by more 'civilised' travellers in preference to claiming a bandit camp for themselves no doubt. Still, I had no cause for complaint, my rest having been undisturbed, and I was making good progress. Looking towards the Imperial City I now beheld the Imperial Prison, where I had remained incarcerated for so many years. A sense of rage passed through me, swiftly to be replaced by implacable purpose. They had locked me up when I had barely entered my teenage years, and there I had remained for perhaps a decade. And now the emperor and his servants had the arrogance to demand I do their bidding!? I suspected that if it were not for the fact he were dead, I would even now be planning his downfall. A pointless consideration now I suppose, but I felt I had been a political prisoner. I was thrown into the prison following the raid upon my former life; yes necromancy had been outlawed, and yes there was more to it than that, but I remained filled with a cold fury. I must take care to channel this only into useful purpose, for I must not falter.

Approaching the remains of Fort Urusak, the road forked, and I joined the Blue Road, which lead me to Cheydinhal - the way now steep and wooded. The path was relatively clear, although immediately after blasting a timber wolf with my electric touch I realised I had yet to test my spell of major wound – a situation I swiftly rectified, the wolf proving a willing volunteer to sate my curiosity. Unfortunately the effect was short lived, for the creature fell dead almost immediately, leaving me suspecting that it had perhaps been upon the brink of death following my earlier attacks; major wound works over a period of time, draining the health of its victim. Some consider it a rather cruel spell for that reason, and while I myself have no particular moral qualms, I will create a faster acting variant when I finally have access to the Arcane University - it is simply a matter of practicality.

At last the walls of Cheydinhal came into view, and with it the Black Waterside Stables. I shall go into greater depth regarding my horse in a later entry, and here will say no more than that the acquisition cost me five thousand gold, and that I chose not to ride immediately, deciding instead that I would sell the chainmail I had collected, as well as attempt to earn the recommendation of the local guild.

Entering the main gate, I beheld the streets of Cheydinal. The floor was paved with pale flagstones, while tall and ornately structured buildings stood at either side of the road, themselves appearing diminutive before the mountains. A stream flowed through the upper section of the town, crossing provided by a small bridge which led to the local church; however I did not explore extensively, deciding instead to track down the guild, and my recommendation, immediately.

Stopping only to sell the armour I had collected, I entered the local guild hall – revealing a slightly cramped interior. My first act was to purchase what spells I could find of use, for this centre specialised in the magic of alteration. Ultimately I purchased water breathing, water walk, open average lock and hindering touch. The former would soon prove to be of immediate use, however water walking might prove convenient on my travels – and I had some hope that it would also work upon my horse, although that remained to be seen. Hindering touch created the opposite effect of my earlier ease burden spell – leaving the recipient weighed down. Open average lock would also likely prove useful, but unfortunately my skills in alteration are insufficient to allow me to use it as of yet.

This initial objective complete, I tracked down the guild head in search of my recommendation; but upon learning whom it was my heart sank. The guild head was a male Altmer named Falcar, an arrogant and petty individual with an openly condescending attitude. Still, his task seemed easy enough – to recover a ring of burden which he claimed had been dropped down the well behind the guild hall by a clumsy associate. I would have to ask the Argonian woman Deetsan for the key to the well, but even now I suspected I could see where the challenge would lie – for a ring of burden underwater could trap and drown the holder. Still, I was now armed with spells of both ease burden and water breathing, so I felt I was up to the challenge.

Deetsan seemed concerned regarding the task, but would not speak to me until Falcar was out of earshot. While waiting for such an opportunity I secreted the better part of my goods in a chest in the guild basement – for it would not do to carry more than I needed, as the ring alone would likely provide sufficient weight to drag me down. Returning, I found Deetsan had settled down for tea, and I engaged her in conversation. Her fears seemed to arise from the fact that this challenge had already been given to an associate some time ago, an individual named 'Vidkun', who seemed to have promptly disappeared. Nevertheless she provided the key, and I departed the building in search of the well.

I had no difficulties finding it, for the well lay barely fifteen yards from the guild hall, and the key opened the lock immediately. Pausing only to cast my newly acquired spell of water breathing, I plunged into the murky depths. The water was cloudy, more so than I would consider healthy for a human consumption – but I soon discovered that using this well as a source of drinking water would be extremely ill advised; for trapped again the ceiling I found the body of Vidkun, still wearing the ring of burden. It was clear that one way or another he had been ill prepared, his bloated features bearing mute testament to his incompetence. As I had suspected the ring was extremely heavy – so much so that I was forced to use my ease burden spell before I could again swim freely. Leaving the body, I was about to exit when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Investigating, I was thrilled to discover it was Nirnroot – suspiciously convenient. I wonder if the presence of a decomposing corpse in the water has given this particular sample additional alchemical properties? Too much to hope for perhaps.

Ascending the well I gave some thought to the situation. It was clear that Falcar had placed the ring here himself as a deliberate test, eliminating the associates who disturbed him in search of a recommendation. I suppose in his eyes it may have been an elegant solution, yet it struck me as a rather wasteful way of 'sorting' applicants – surely a use could have been found for the late Vidkun. My opinion of Falcar was low, yet with it dropped my estimation of Deetsan, had she not claimed to be worried about Vidkuns fate? And yet despite holding the keys to the well, knowing he had entered, and indeed her species innate ability of water breathing, she had not investigated the well herself. I was unimpressed at such hypocrisy.

Entering the guild hall, I could find no sign of Falcar, and, wearying of this constant burden, I tracked down Deetsan – for she had asked I contact her if I had learned the cause of Vidkuns...disappearance. She claimed to have confronted Falcar immediately following my departure, and after threatening to report his behaviour to the council he had apparently left the guild hall in a rage. Her incompetence certainly knew no ends – could she not have waited until I got my recommendation?

It seemed not, and further, she asked I investigate Falcars quarters to discover what had led him to act so strangely. Inhibiting my immediate reaction, which was to inform her that she was doubtless the source of his ire (and indeed mine), I forced myself to follow her words – for it seemed likely that in Falcars absense she would be the ranking member of this guild hall.

Searching Falcars belongings in the basement, I finally came across items in his chest which made my heart race. Black soul gems! I had never before held such items, yet I knew their significance, having studied them during my curtailed training. Black soul gems can be used to bind the souls not simply of beasts, but of man and mer, and are considered by some to be the very darkest form of necromancy. I burned to keep them for my own experimentation, but knew that these would likely have a sufficiently significant impact upon Deetsan to earn me my recommendation without a second thought. This turned out to be the case, but she took both from me, to my dismay. Perhaps I should have hidden one and then only shown her the other, leaving me with a black soul gem of my own? The risk might perhaps have been too great, but it is a lasting regret. Still, in time I will doubtless construct and study my own.

The spells bought and the recommendation acquired, my work in Cheydinal seemed complete, at least for now. Casting the worthless ring of burden back into the well (how ironic), I gathered my belongings, before exiting the main gate in search of my newly acquired horse. I looked forward to the ride to Bravil and Chorrol, for not only would I attempt to acquire recommendations from the two, but they also served as specialist centres in illusion and conjuration – and likely held spells that would serve me well. Further, the journey would familiarise me with my newest acquisition, my trusty steed, whom I have decided to name Shadow.