SSE 45: Mystery at Markarth 4: Treachery upon treachery

I wanted nothing to do with Thonar - so I rejected him. Having no stake in the Forsworn independence either, I decided to confront Nepos over the conspiracy.

Nepos is an established Reachman with influence in his community. He’s surprisingly welcoming despite knowing my intent. By the fire of his home, he admitted that he had been passing Madanach's messages from Cidhna Mine. He also personally chosen the Reachmen to be sent on these suicide runs - all to fulfil the instructions given to him by his king... and now that I know his secret, he cannot allow me to leave. 

I fought off Nepos' servants, but Nepos was killed in the fight - a part of me wondered if he had wanted to go down this way... amongst his possessions, I found Nepos' journal that showed the slow disillusionment of a man that tried to stay loyal to his key while he sent his countrymen to their deaths.

There's enough evidence in Nepos' house to indict the Silver-Bloods. I head back to Eltrys at the shrine of Talos. Instead of Eltrys, I find Guardsmen waiting - Thonar had obviously planned to keep me silent by sending me straight to Cidhna Mine... They say nobody escapes Cidhna. But the Harbinger Archmage Nightingale is hardly a regular guy... still it does give me a chance to meet Madanach, face to face - so I gave up without a fight.

With familiar feel of prisoner cloth on my back, and a distinct lack of inventory, I enter Cidhna Mine.

-

SSE 44: Mystery at Markarth 3: Unveiling the Conspiracy

The next obvious course of action is to question Thonar Silver-Blood. The younger of the Silver-Blood brothers obviously wants the investigation stopped - is there something the Silver-Bloods want to hide?

Expectedly, Thonar is tight-lipped about his involvement - at least, he was until his servants suddenly came at him with daggers... in the ensuing pandemonium, I fought off the attackers and found that Thonar had defended himself as well, but his wife was not so lucky...

The attack had changed things. Fuming over his wife’s murder, Thonar admitted that the Silver-Bloods were connected to the Forsworn. 

It began with the Markarth Incident, when the natives - called the Reachmen - rebelled against Nord rule. They were eventually put down by a coalition of Jarls led by Ulfric Stormcloak. Many of the Reachmen escaped to form what would eventually be called the Forsworn. The rest of the rebels that failed to escape were imprisoned for their role in the incident, and the Silver-Bloods made a deal with Ulfric to receive custody of them. These prisoners - including the self-proclaimed king of the Reachmen, Madanach, were then put to work at the Cidhna mine, spplying the SIlver-Bloods with cheap labour for their lucrative mines.

Eventually, the Silver-Bloods found another use for Madanach. They allowed the king to write letters to loyal Reachmen who continue to do his bidding in secret (many harbour a chance to overturn the Nords again, after all). Of those murdered by Madanach's bidding, most were enemies of the Silver-Bloods. All were targeted by messages passed on through the hands of the elderly Reachman Nepos - that must be the "N" on Wyelin's letter.

This recent turn of events at the Silver-Bloods home showed that Madanach had grown confident enough of his power (or at least mad enough) that he dared target his patrons. Thonar had decided to cut him loose, and now thinks to set me on Madanach. 

-

SSE 43: Mystery at Markarth 2: Investigations

Like Eltrys, Margret was investigating the spate of murders in Markarth, which she suspects may be connected with the Silver-Blood family. Unlike Eltrys, she hadn't been circumspect. The Silver-Bloods are the richest house in Markarth, having near monopoly over the silver mined in Markarth, including the Cidhna Mine under Markarth itself. 

Her suspicions, if proven true, will be particularly scandalous... could her murder be arranged by someone vested in the Silver-Bloods' fortunes?  As I left the inn, a guardsman confronted me, warning that I should stop snooping around Margret's death. 

If there's ever a smoking gun that Margret's on to something...

So I persisted with my investigation - this time by checking on the background of the murderer, Weylin. According to the locals, Weylin was a silver smelter employed by the Cidhna Mine. Conditions of the slumps where the smelters live are appalling; even if the Silver-Bloods are innocent, they're certainly guilty of exploiting their workforce. 

Amongst Weylin's few possessions in the Warrens I found a half-torn letter, informing him that he had been 'chosen' to strike fear at the market... the cryptic message was only signed off by "N". Who is N? Chosen... for what?

Exiting the Warrens, yet another person warned me to mind my own business - a boxer this time. His intimidation failed, and I beat him down handily. Soundly defeated, he revealed his employer. Thonar Silver-Blood, the younger Silver-Blood brother... mouths in Markarth often said that Thonar runs the business even if his older brother nominally heads it. The plot thickens. 

-

SSE 42: Mystery at Markarth 1: Rude Awakenings

I had awaken at the temple of Dibella in Markarth. That's about as far in Skyrim from Whiterun as I can imagine... and I have no recollection what happened in between. I'm hung over, and obviously in trouble with the priestess that's shouting over my head...

Apparently - according to the hag - I wrecked the temple in my drunken stupor and 'defiled' their statue of Dibella. The priestess now insists that I compensate the temple... Thankfully, I was able to persuade her to let me off with just cleaning up the shrine. She even tells me a bit of what I said last night.

Senna said that I mentioned in my drunken state that I came from Rorikstead - and that I had an appointment to meet. In my bags I also found a slip of paper from Sam Guevenne, detailing a couple of things I am to get before I return to him for the staff. Hmm. At least he remembered he owes me a staff.

My chore with the temple down, I headed out into the streets of Markarth. Head still throbbing from a mighty hangover, I stumbled out into the midday sun - I only visited Markarth once before to look for the researcher Calcelmo. Maybe this time I can get a better look of the city. It was a spritely day, and a perfect day for-

Murder. In the market a roughly dressed man suddenly lunged after a woman. In the commotion, the man succeeded in knifing the woman before the guards got to him. The man refused to be subdued, screaming about the revival of the Forsworn as the guards bring him down.

From my perspective, it almost looked like the guards wanted to cut him down, not giving him much chance to surrender. That can't be right, can it?

As the crowd dissipated, a man called Eltrys passed me by, lurching a slight closer than expected, he a pressed a note in my hands. I took a glance at the slip when nobody was looking - it says to meet him in the Talos shrine.

Despite the favour it owed the Stormcloaks, Markarth had sided with the Imperials in the Stormcloak rebellion. Consequently, worship of Talos is banned from the hold - the temple itself is still open, but hardly anyone ventures in now, making it a perfect place for a shady meeting.

In the shadows of the shrine, Eltrys explained that there had been a string of curious murders in Markarth - normal, sensible folk had taken to suddenly shouting about Forsworn independence and knifing innocent residents - some of these victims were even openly sympathetic to the Forsworn.

In all these cases, the guards were always too slow to react, allowing the victim to die before killing the perpetrator instead of arresting him (or her). Eltrys noted my quick eye after seeing what happened at the market, and wanted to hire me to investigate the secret behind the murders - being a Forsworn himself, he wanted to clear the name of his people so that peace can return to Markarth and the Reach again.

In truth, Eltrys' cause sounded so noble I could hardly refuse him. I decided to asked around town with regards to the victim. The woman - called Margret - is an Imperial from Cyrodiil - and stays at the Silver Blood Inn. 

I convinced the innkeeper to allow me access to the deceased rooms. Within I found Margret's journal, which gives a clue as to why she might be a target.

-

SSE 41: Drunk and Hunted

I head back to Whiterun where I was accosted by two fellows wearing masks. They denounced me as a "false dragonborn" and attempted to take my life... it was a piss-poor attempt, considering that the dragonborn is equipped to down entire dragons single-handedly - but the fact that someone is keen to stop a dragonborn is disconcerting enough.

On the bodies of these cultists I find a note that says I am to be prevented from reaching Solstheim, an island far to the north. Well well. Talk about not giving the enemy your plans... but suppose this is a trap, though?

Speaking of assassins, I also ran into some Thalmor that attacked me as I passed them on the road. This I would swear is a mistake - I have done nothing to contradict the Thalmor... but then I found their orders to kill me on sight. It would seem that the Thalmor now consider me an opponent... 

I decided to head to the Bannered Mare to gather my thoughts and plan... but then I encountered a strange man challenging everyone to a drinking duel there. He even offered to give anyone who can beat him with a magical staff he has in his possession. Since this Sam Guevenne had apparently outdrank everyone in the inn - that's formidable considering that we're in Skyrim - I decided to give him a challenge.

Things went swimmingly - until I woke upon... somewhere.

-

SSE 40: The Greybeards

At High Hrothgar I met the speaker of the Greybeards, Arngeir, who explained that there have not been a dragonborn in this age yet - dragonborns are not so rare, though not so common either. The founder of the new Empire - Timber Septim - is said to be a dragonborn, for example. And there are several from each age, though more might be born without knowing their power. With the dragons returning, I might be the last.

The dragonshout can be learnt by many, but it takes a dragonborn to learn the shouts near instantaneously. Most of the Greybeards take decades to master their singular shouts, and often choose to keep a vow of silence to devote their voice to their shouts.

I am tested and given some basic training, where I learn to bolster my "Unrelenring Force" shout and learn the "Whirlwind Spint" one. The Greybeards themselves are not so skilled in the shouts, and so cannot teach me much - I must collect my knowledge of the shouts from visit old ruins - barrows with dragonwalls, mainly, and build my knowledge from there.

There is more to be revealed, but Arngeir tells me to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller in Ustengraf to the far north as proof of my abilities, first. Do they send previous dragonborns to collect the same Horn and return it to Unstengraf at the his passing? Regardless, I will not get more from the Greybeards until I return with the horn.

-

SSE 39: Trek to High Hrothgar

Having gained leadership of the Companions, the College, and the Guild, I've decided it is finally time to confront my destiny as dragonborn. Jarl Balgruuf says that I am being summoned by the Greybeards to their temple on Skyrim's highest peak at the Throat of the World - a place referred to as High Hrothgar.

The path to High Hrothgar starts at the base of the mountain at Ivarstead. It is claimed that there are 7,000 steps from Ivarstead to High Hrothgar, but I'd say that's an exaggeration. The Greybeards that await at the end of the path are a brotherhood that guard the ancient art of the Thu'um - a tonal magic that uses voices to cast. In the ancient days, many Nords practice this art - but now the secret is kept by a few old men in a monastery half buried in snow.

As I started off, I encountered a pair of Ivarstead locals - Klimmek hauls supplies to the Greybeards. I offered to help.

The way up is treacherous but boasts spectacular views of the lands below. Pilgrims ply the road, while sabrecats and trolls stalk the path for prey. The path is also littered with bits of the origins of the Thu'um carved into stone stelae. 

A long time ago, the stones claimed, the dragons ruled Skyrim and humans were ruled over by those of their own kind that had won the dragons' favour - the so-called dragon priests. Could these dragon priests be the ones with the masks I have encountered so far? The dragons were near invincible for they were physically formidable and also naturally endowed with tonal magic that keep their enemies at bay.

Then one day the goddess Kyne, moved by the human plight, endowed the Nords with the art of the Thu'um. And so with that art the Nords started pushing back the dragons, fighting dragon magic with their own dragonshouts. The dragons were driven into extinction and the dragon priests hid in their barrows, and the Nords came to rule Skyrim.

But then the Nords continued to use their dragonshouts - now turned into a weapon of conquest over their neighbours. This happened until dragonborn Jurgen Windcaller was defeated in battle at Morrowind. In his defeat, Jurgen had an epiphany - that the Thu'um was not meant for conquest, but to defend Skyrim from the return of the dragons. Moved by this vision, Jurgen hence devoted himself to the upkeep of the Thu'um and preserved its traditions by setting up the monastery at the Throat of the World - this was the origin of the Greybeards and the Nord reverence to the Thu'um.

-

SSE 38: A Sapling for Kynareth

I also decided to fulfil a quest from the priestess Danica Pure-Spring at the temple of Kynareth at Whiterun. The Gildergreen is a tree in the centre of the temple that had once been a destination of pilgrimage. The tree is unique - it is a cutting from the fabled Eldergleam. In recent years, the Gildergreen had died, though Danica thinks a bit of sap from the Eldergleam will revive it.

But before that, we will need a particularly vile blade called the Netterbane - the Eldergleam is a tree of immense spiritual power, and will not yield sap to normal weapons. Netterbane  is a dagger made from a piece of the Eldergleam , and may have the power to hurt its mother...

I question the wisdom of this, but if Danica thinks that this is the best way to collect the sap, I'll give it a shot. Netterbane is in the possession of the Hargravens at Orphan Rock - they're understandably unwilling to part with their prized blade, so a confrontation was unavoidable. Orphan Rock is surprisingly defendable with only a bridge leading onto the mini outcrop and wide approaches vulnerable to the witches' lightning spells.

I return singed but with the blade in hand - Danica confirms that it is indeed the real deal, and told me to head for the Eldergleam to collect the sap. A supplicant called Maurice Jondrelle overheard that I'm headed to the Eldergleam and asked to accompany me.

The Eldergleam's glade is hidden amongst the hot springs south of Windhelm. The going is tough - for the warm waters attract all manner of beasts and unsavoury types. The exposed sky also makes us tempting targets for dragons. Keeping Maurice alive, in particular, is a chore.

We eventually reached the glades - a veritable paradise of flowers and plantlife. At the core with its roots reaching all corners of the glade sits the Eldergleam. Maurice is horrified when I drew out Nettlebane. When I explained the task Danica had set, he suggested a better way - he would pray to the Eldergleam for a new sapling for the temple. It seemed a more fitting solution to revive the tree in Whiterun, so I acceded to his plans. 

I returned to Danica with the sapling in tow. While that was not what she expected, Danica nonetheless accepted it and planted the sapling in the temple. The Gildergleam will return, but it will take time.

-

SSE 37: The Skooma Scourge

The issues with the Guild settled, Brynjolf took over as leader of the group at base. Karliah also decided to stay with the Guild but handles most of the travelling. That leaves me free to pursue my other duties. I am the Harbinger and the Arch Mage, after all. Still, there's opportunity to help the Guild with general larceny and fixing ledgers to hide the Guild's activities.

While heading out from Riften one night, I encounter a worker-woman, who begged me for a curative potion. I always have a couple on hand so I gave her one. After she calmed down, the woman - Wujeeta - claimed that she had to purge herself of Skooma symptoms before her turn up at work, or she'll be fired. Skooma addiction, in Riften? The Guild would want to stop this... (they're thieves, not drug dealers)

I pressured Wujeeta to reveal her source before I headed to the Jarl with the information.

The Jarl Laila is aware of the Skooma sellers plying their trade in Riften, but she had so far been unsuccessful in shutting down the operation. Sarthis Idren, the slippery Skooma dealer here in Riften, has informants in the Jarl's guard, and so was able to escape and restart his trade after every sting. If someone trustworthy outside of the guard is to confront Sarthis Idren alone, however... The Jarl need not say more.

Sarthis didn't see me coming. As luck would have it, I found a letter on his body that pins the Skooma refiners at Cragslane Cavern, a short distance north of Riften. I rooted out the Skooma makers once and for all before reporting back to the Jarl.

Hearing of my success, the Jarl Laila is grateful and eager to grant me title as Thane of Riften, allowing me to buy property in town and access to a housecarl. With the Guild based here, I thought it fitting to own property in town too.

I also helped another Riften local - Mjoll the Lioness - to retrieve her glass sword, Grimsever. Mjoll lost the weapon when her expedition to Mzinchaleft, a Dwemer ruin, went south. Mjoll nearly lost her life there, and had never gotten over the loss. Despite her views about the Guild's influence in town, a fine warrior like Mjoll deserves her weapon back - and she doesn't need to know that a leader of the Guild had a hand in returning it.

-

SSE 36: The Guild, part 9: Resolution

Inside Irkngthand, we find bodies of looters that came before. Judging from the placement of the bodies, their deaths came swiftly, and unexpectedly. Brynjolf confirms that the kills are recent. Mercer Frey is here.

We hope to catch Mercer Frey before he can make off with his prize - the Eyes of the Falmer. Caution is still needed however, for he had left many traps and pockets of Falmer behind him. Irkngthand is certainly an important place for the Falmers - there were elite soldiers better equipped than the usual rabble, and a great number of their poison-spitting insectoid Chaurus pets.

Still, we eventually find our way to the final chamber. Within a large cavern sat a gigantic statue of someone I pressume to be a Falmer (Dwemers love their beards) before their fall. And on that statue's face like an ugly stain hangs Mercer Frey, prying the jewelled eyes off it.

Wee’ everyone caught up just in time. Mercer Frey knows that he must now fight his way past us. He decided to come at me first. Poor choice.

Mercer Frey may be an accomplished thief, but he cannot hope to face the Harbinger and Arch Mage (and some say Dragonborn) of Skyrim in a one-to-one contest. The traitor got what he deserved and we looted everything of value from his corpse. The chamber now rapidly flooding (probably a mechanism triggered by losing the eye?), the Nightingales find an exit behind the statue.

Amongst the items recovered from Mercer Frey is the Skeleton Key. Karliah insists that we return the key to the Sepulchre as soon as possible - so we headed there without tarry.

At the Sepulchre, the ghost of Gallus explains the trials ahead - the normal entrance to the Sepulchre is closed with the loss of the key, but there is another path for supplicants we can now take to return the Key. Naturally, the Sepulchre had drawn the spirits of past Nightingales to it, but the loss of the connection to Nocturnal had driven some of the spirits besides themselves - they will attack anyone that enter. Great.

The path itself is a test of observation and stealth - fitting for anyone seeking Noctunal, in fact. There were areas lit by an unnatural light, where stepping out from the inky shadows meant instant death. And in the darkness lurk deadly traps for the inattentive. And the final puzzle - a dead end, at the bottom of a hole. I jumped into the pit at the end and saw no further way onward. A skeleton at the base tells me as much... am I to starve after coming all this way? There’s no way out - or is there?

I use the Key on the floor of the pit and it faded to reveal the fabled connection to the Ebonmere - Nocturnal's realm.

There, we summoned Nocturnal and restored the Key to her. She's not particularly impressed (Karliah says this has always been her way) but at least acknowledges that the Nightingale's powers are to be restored to them with this deed.

The triad that form the Nightingale each hold an aspect of Nocturnal’s power. The Agent of Stealth turns invisible when entering stealth - making him particularly untraceable at range, the Agent of Subterfuge (Mercer Frey might be holding this power when he influenced everyone to turn against Karliah) can cloud the judgement of others with his words. And the Agent of Strife absorbs the enemy's health for his or her own. I decided the Agent of Stealth best fits my abilities and so chose accordingly. The others having chosen their power, we leave the Sepulchre to start the rebuild of the Guild.

-

SSE 35: The Guild, part 8: Resurrection

Before we go after Mercer Frey, Karliah suggests that the Guild renews its pact with Nocturnal. To do that, three leaders of the Guild will need to become the new Nightingales at the shrine of Nocturnal. Luckily, that's just a hidden location on the outskirts of Riften so we made our way there.

Karliah decided that myself and Brynjolf should be the new Nightingales. We donned the Nightingale leathers and complete the ceremony with Nocturnal. The Daedric prince renewed her pact with Karliah and anointed her two new champions. The Nightingale armour gives bonuses to general rogue skills - sneaking, backstabbing, etc.

The ritual complete, our next destination is to make for Irkngthand, located among the mountains east of Windhelm. Before I make the trip, I decided to settle the deal between Sibbi Black-Briar and Louis Letrush. According to Sibbi, Frost is stabled at Black-Briar Lodge just outside Riften. I will also find the papers proving Frost's pedigree there. All I need to do was deliver both papers and horse to Louis.

I found the papers just at where Sibbi said I would, and I stole away from the lodge on the back of Frost, speeding through the countryside until I met Louis Letrush. I am to hand the steed over to him... but I persuaded the man to let me keep Frost instead - Maven would be incensed that she lost her prize horse, and Louis does not look like he can withstand her wrath. A Nightingale however...

With my newfound steed, I headed to Irkngthand posthaste. We encountered a dragon at Spearpoint... I dealt with the dragon only to find a masked spellcaster assisting him... there's something familiar - he looked like Morokei. And like Morokei, he magus leaves a mask on his body after I defeated him. Except this one is called Krosis and endows different boons. At Spearpoint I also find a dragon wall that taught Throw Voice.

The rest of the journey to Irkngthand is uneventful, thankfully. I eventually found a pathway in the mountains. As the abandoned domes of Irkngthand loom behind the mountain faces, it's time to take Mercer Frey down.

-

SSE 34: The Guild, part 7: Revelations

Karliah and Ethnir are waiting for me in The Frozen Hearth inn. They've made a temporary base of operations in the cellar, it seems.

Ethnir translated Gallus' journal using the rubbing I obtained. The results confirms Karliah’s suspicions - Gallus did suspect Mercer Frey, and he confided in the journal that he had enough evidence to confront Mercer Frey for stealing from the Guild vault to fund his lavish lifestyle. Gallus also mentioned that in doing so, Mercer Frey had 'desecrated the Twilight Sepulchre'.

But the Twilight Sepulchre is just a legend - a shrine of the elite thieves know as the Nightingales, dedicated to the Daedric Prince Nocturnal... or is it?

Now that the secret is out, Karliah confessed that the three of them were actually the leaders of the thieves network - the legendary Nightingales, favoured of Nocturnal. It was - is - the duty of the Nightingales to guard the Twilight Sepulchre - a connection between the material world to the realm of Nocturnal. The only way to access the Sepulchre is to unlock the door that blocks it, with the Skeleton Key - an artefact that unlocks any door. Use of the Key is taboo to the Nightingales because it makes breaking in any door a matter of fact, not chance or skill.

In his journal, Gallus reasoned that Mercer Frey could only access the Vault (which is designed to be unlocked by two keys and two persons) unseen because he had been using the Key. This closed off the Sepulchre and the connection to Nocturnal and her blessing, which the Guild sees as the source of the Guild’s luck. As the result, where once the thieves operated with unnaturally good luck, the Guild now suffers from the bad luck that everyone talks about.

Righting Mercer Frey's wrongs might restore the relationship with Nocturnal... at least, that's what Karliah hoped. 

Armed with the decoded journal, Karliah is ready for the next part of her plans - revealing the truth to the Guild. We headed to the Ragged Flagon in Riften to see if we can convince Brynjolf of Mercer Frey's betrayal.

Brynjolf is stubbornly loyal to Mercer Frey - Frey had been there to rebuild the Guild after Gallus and Karliah disappeared, after all. But then Karliah suggested Brynjolf check the Vault - she knows that the Vault can only be opened by two Guild members. So if Mercer Frey had been stealing from the Vault as Gallus suggested, the Vault will be pretty empty...

And it is empty. Brynjolf had no choice but to agree that Karliah is right - Mercer Frey had absconded with everything of value in the Vault.

Brynjolf thinks that Mercer Frey might have left plans in his mansion in Riften - Maven gifted the property to him a while ago, but he never stayed in there. Instead Brynjolf learnt that the master thief used it as a sort of planning base for his heists. Raiding the mansion might reveal where Mercer is headed.

We sneaked into the room to discover supplies, letters, and maps - enough to give us an idea of Mercer Frey's plans. He’s planning to steal the fabled Eyes of the Falmer. Karliah says that the Eyes of the Falmer were Gallus' final planned hit - one last big score before retiring. Mercer Frey must be planning the same before he quits Skyrim for good. This might be the last chance we have to stop him and retrieve the Key.

-

SSE 33: The Guild, part 6: Research

I awoke outside the Barrow, confused that I'm not dead.

Karliah stood over me as I recollected myself. Back in the barrow, she had an arrow of paralysis she intended for Mercer Frey - to capture him and bring him to justice (Justice, by a thief - imagine that). But seeing me near death, she shot it at me instead. The arrow slowed my heart and gave her enough time to drive Mercer Frey away and stop the poison.

Karliah then told me the truth about Mercer Frey - the three of them - Gallus, Karliah, and Mercer Frey, were indeed leaders of the Guild. But it was Mercer Frey that murdered Gallus in Snow Veil Barrow and left Karliah for dead. By the time Karliah recovered and headed back to the Guild, Mercer Frey had poisoned the Guild against her - and so she fled. 

She never gave up on revenge, though - she left Skyrim to rebuild her resources until she is ready to confront Mercer Frey again. Staging the competition against Maven Black-Briar was just a way to bait Mercer Frey out. Karliah thinks that when he was alive, Gallus had suspected Mercer Frey of stealing from the Guild - it might even be the reason Mercer Frey chose to act first and kill Gallus. 

But Gallus kept his thoughts in his journal, which are - unfortunately - encoded. Karelian says that an acquaintance in the College of Winterhold called Ethnir might be able to help.

Ah, Ethnir. Apparently this street-smart student of the College is also a contact for the Guild. Interesting. It’s time to pay him a visit at Winterhold.

I found Ethnir in The Frozen Hearth inn. The Altmer mage-in-training tells me that the script that Gallus used is not a cypher but an entirely different language: Falmer. A script, for the blind? 

Sensing my disbelief, Ethnir explains that the Falmer were not always the sightless brutes that lurk in Dwemer ruins - they were once a distinct elven (Mer) race that populated the surface of Skyrim. But war with the Nords eventually drove them underground, seeking protection with their Dwemer brethren below. Something happened then, and their refugee status with the Dwemer turned them blind. Some suspect that the Dwemer poisoned the Falmer somehow... enslaving their Falmer cousins by turning them into sightless thralls. 

But then the Dwemer disappeared suddenly, leaving their cavernous holdings to Falmer occupation - no one knows how many Falmer now live underground - but the prospect of them rising up to overthrow the Nords makes for a some sleepless nights...

Ethnir recalls that Gallus was always interested in things about the Falmer culture, and must have picked up knowledge of the script in his own way... the script is not well understood, and I will need the help of an expert to make sense of what Gallus wrote. Ethnir suggests that I visit Markarth, where the foremost mind on Falmer culture - the conjuror Calcelmo - resides.

Markarth is a hold at the extreme west end of Skyrim. Unlike other Nord holds, Markarth is actually carved into the rock face of the mountain. The settlement was once home to a group of humans unrelated to the Nords called the Foresworn - but the Nords had eventually settled and out-competed the natives. Being the racial chauvinists that they are, the Nords faced Foresworn rebellion from time to time - the most recent one being put down by a coalition of Nordic Jarls led by Ulfric Stormcloak himself. It was Ulfric’s claim to fame, and some say the beginning of the Stormcloak rebellion.

I found Calcelmo in the palace of Markrath. The mage is unwilling to help the Guild... so I have to resort to other means.

Sneaking into Calcelmo's laboratory was harder than one would expect - the mage had more mercenaries patrolling the place than the Jarl had men guarding his hold! I eventually found the transcription wall in the depths (well, heights, since this is Markarth and everything goes higher as much as deeper) of his laboratory and made off with a charcoal rubbing of it.

-

SSE 32: The Guild, part 5: Return

 I return to the Guild to report my findings.

Mercer Frey does indeed know Karliah. Years ago, Karliah, Gallus, and himself were the three leaders of the Guild. One day Karliah murdered Gallus when the three of them were exploring Snow Veil Sanctum, a barrow southeast of Winterhold. Karliah grieviously wounded Mercer Frey on her escape, and he would have died too, had he not fled fast enough to seek help. He eventually returned to inform the Guild of Karliah's betrayal, and committed to rebuild the Guild.

When Karliah mentioned the place where it all started, she must have meant Snow Veil Sanctum. Mercer Frey is keen to pay the traitor her due. He left Brynjolf in charge at the Flagon, and told me to meet him at the barrow.

At the Barrow, the Mercer Frey says he did a bit of scouting and is sure that Karliah is waiting inside. We have to be careful though - all the traps have been re-laid, and Karliah have doubtlessly added her own little surprises.

The sanctum is heavily trapped and progress is slow. Along the way, I find a Dragon Wall that impressed the words of Disarm Weapon into my mind. We eventually reached the end of the barrow where Karliah awaits.

I entered the chamber and found... betrayal. Mercer Frey stabbed me in the back - literally. As the poison seeped into my veins and consciousness slips, I hear Mercer challenging Karliah... and then, nothing...

-