241. The Crestshade mine

241 (a). The Crestshade mine

The recently forsaken mines on the outskirts of Crestshade village are now under occupation of trolls.  Whether the mines were abandoned because of the troll incursion or for some other mischance is as yet unclear.  Equally uncertain is whether the trolls will make this a permanent shelter or move on once they have ransacked all the resources left behind by the villagers.

Scholars suggest that these wild creatures might be domesticated by charm or subversion, just like the horse, guar or dog.  Some have even gone so far as to speculate that they might be trained with cudgel and armor, and turned into walking weapons.  An old Cyrodilic maxim reads ‘The most learned scholars are rarely the wisest.’

241 (e). The Crestshade mine

I’ve heard stories that in some rural communities of Skyrim, the Nords have learned to co-exist with mountain giants in relative tolerance of one another; even on rare occasion coming to each other’s aid in moments of conflict, much as one might come to the aid of a neighbouring village.  But these trolls have too much of the bear about them.  Perhaps we should first learn to co-exist and tolerate the wilds rather than attempt to ‘domesticate’ it.

S.K

240. Troll country

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When heading west out of Shornhelm into the oppressive hills and barren hollows of Rivenspire, it is wise to travel in company, and stay to the well-trodden roads.  To the locals this land is known as troll country.

Standing as tall as a Nord warrior on horseback, and almost equally as boorish, trolls can move with surprising speed when so roused.  Their long powerful arms, and sharp claws are their most formidable weapons, yet one would be foolish to ignore their big mouths full of jagged teeth… again much like the Nords.

A thick hide, and patchy coarse fur covers their large man-like frames, and a third eye is set high in their horny foreheads. Trolls are said to share the same temperament as the bear, solitary and reclusive, they are content to ignore the man or mer who keeps a respectful distance, but get too close and they are swift to turn savagely aggressive.

S.K

239. The lich Queen

239 (a). The Lich Queen

Palolel, the last queen of Abagarlas, returns to Tamriel thousands of years after she gave her life in defence of Molag Bal’s dread weapon, the Mortuum Vivicus.

As a lich, she if a far deadlier adversary then she ever was in life.  Her face skinless, rotting, and decaying, holds none of the former beauty of her Ayleid heritage.  Her hollow eyes radiate pure hatred and malice; this is a monster unencumbered by compassion or pity, intent only on inflicting on others the same agony and torment that she has endured in Coldharbour for over a millennium.

239 (e). The Lich Queen

We must hold the Earth Forge against this minister of the dark arts and her undead minions, lest all that the Fighter’s Guild has fought for be in vain.

S.K

238. The Earth Forge

The great Earth Forge of the Dwemer, whose fires are fed by the very heart of Nirn.  Legends say that the strongest chains are forged in Coldharbour, and only in the volcanic fires of the Earth Forge can we hammer weapons mighty enough to break them.

I am to assist Merric at-Aswala in forging the Prismatic Core into a weapon that might stop the dreaded Mortuum Vivicus, but as we work the mighty forge, the skeletal warriors of Abagarlas descend upon us.

Molag Bal has discovered us… or have we been betrayed?

S.K

237. The luminous black

237 (a). The luminous black237 (b). The luminous black

The dread weapon Mortuum Vivicus; on this plane it appears but a restless ball of distorted light, but on another it is a thousand tortured souls screaming in chorus.

Strangely, as I stare into the luminous black of the terrible Vivicus, I feel a sense of relief and abatement.  For too long in my dreams I have relived the moment the vile necromancer Mannimarco and his cult of worms tore my soul from my body with ritual bodkin, with no understanding as to why.  Although it may not stop my nightmares, or quell the throbbing emptiness that torments me, finally at least I have reason.

The daedric worshippers of Abagarlas had planned to unleash the Vivicus upon their rivals Delodiil, laying waste to the city and creating an army of undead for their deity Molag Bal.  I watched as the Alyeid warrior priest Ostarand attempted to destroy the abominable Vivicus with prismatic shard, only for Molag Bal to withdraw the weapon to Coldharbour at the very last moment.

Now, thousands of years later the God of Schemes has once again returned the dread Vivicus to Nirn, but this time he intends to raze the whole of Tamriel.

S.K