When we are at our most desperate and in need, it is our memories that remind our hearts to beat. Titus Valerius, the warrior not of this time is fading away. The confusion of his new reality means his memories have become like arrows from a Jaqspur’s bow. Those from his former life flash by too fast for him to grasp, whilst those of this new time tear him open, leaving him in pieces. At the grave of his wife, Titus contemplates a warrior’s death as his only release from his torment. 

In a rare moment of compassion towards mortals, the Celestial Warrior has decided to send him back to his own time before he looses all he was; perhaps these Celestial Guardians were once mortals after all. So with his duty here done, Titus Valerius returns home.

As for me, I am tired of these jagged wastes. With its armies broken, the Celestial Serpent has retreated to its mountain stronghold and as neither the Thief nor the Star-Gazers have asked any more from me, it appears it shall fall to others to make that final assault upon its Apex Stone. Thus my part in this story is also done, and I am once more adrift. So perhaps it is time now for me to return to my Heartland home, where my memories lie, to remind my heart to beat.

S.K

We enter the Loth’Na Caverns in Upper Craglorn in search of the fabled Temple of Skyreach. Emerging into an open glade, we try to ignore the snakes, lamias, and Scaled Court cultists mining nirncrux; stopping only to deal with the Argonian Visskar, for one should never leave an assassin at you back.

A magically hidden bridge leads directly into the temple itself, where in the centre of the chamber, before a giant pool of crimson nirncrux stands the ever loyal Little Leaf. Prepared to defend the one she loves beyond morality; proving that whilst true love is not blind, it is selfish. Eventually the Regent Cassipia surfaces, declaring herself to be the Exalted Viper. She believes she has elevated herself to become a peer of the Celestials and imbued with enough power to change the world.

Great people have great egos, perhaps that is what makes them great, and who knows, maybe Regent Cassipia is potentially a great person. She has certainly proven her intellect, perception and cunning. Perhaps she is even, how did her little bosmer pet put it, “as bright and piercing as a million stars”. But ultimately she is still mortal and shares that one weakness all us mortals share, our egos. So concerned was she that she should be powerful enough to destroy all others, she neglected to be resourceful enough to protect herself.

S.K

At the behest of the Celestial Thief I have travelled to a secluded valley in upper Craglorn known as the Howling Sepulchers. It is about as pleasant as its name suggests. The Sepulchers are an ancient Nedic burial grounds set into the foothills of the Dragontail mountains, whilst the Howling refers either to the winds that blow unrelentingly across its jagged rocks and crags, or to the wailing laments of the undead that roam these grounds seemingly unbound by the usual etiquette of quietus.

But there is something else strange about these undead, other then that they are up and walking about. They look very much like the draugr usually found in Skyrim. Indeed, as I look about the valley the architecture is all very reminiscent of Nord tombs. It appears whilst this may well have originally been a Nedic site, later on Nords took over the burial grounds and built their tombs on top. In one such tomb I discover a draugr actively awakening other draugr from their sarcophagi.

Another strange phenomenon I observe of these draugr it that many of them appear to be standing guard, and it is not until I reach the last tomb of the Sepulchers that I discover why. There on the central dias of a grand burial chamber I find the dragon priest Akiirdal performing some foul ritual. Surely there is no way that this lich has remained hidden away here all this time like some Dwemer Animunculi? I can only surmises that he has been, somewhat unwisely, resurrected by necromancy.

The dragon priests, like the dragons themselves, are now thankfully thought to be a thing of the past in Tamriel. The only reason I recognised his vestments is because I have seen them once before during the Mad God’s insidious tormenting of the Mages Guild. I was sent back in time to retrieve a relic from Vuldngrav, where I was to do battle with the dragon priest Korthor.

If left unchecked this resurrected dragon cultist who draws strength from his draugr servants, can only mean certain trouble for Craglorn. Especially for the potential restoration of Elinhir, to whom the roads of Upper Craglorn provide not only vital access to the stone mines, but also a trade route directly to Dragonstar.

S.K