As I left the palace complex and walked through the crowded streets of Markarth, I chanced upon Tyranus. The Vigilant of Stendarr was asking passers-by about a house. Apparently nobody knows who owns the place, yet Tyranus - having staked the place out for nights - have not seen anyone pass through its doors. In truth the Vigilant suspects that the room is used for some dark Daedric ritual and plans to investigate.
He persuaded me to back him up, so we entered the place. The main room looks lived in, though there’s not a soul in sight. Behind a closet, we find a tunnel that goes deeper - but the place got darker as we lingered - until our vision was clouded as if by some dark fog, and a booming voice could be heard in my head. We looked at each other in surprise. Tyranus can hear it too.
The voice is displeased at our curiosity, and says that only one of us with get out alive. Tyranus tried the door to no avail - some power has locked us in and now pits us against each other. Tyranus came at me with the first frenzied blow, and in my self defense, I struck him down...
The Vigilant lay dead at my feet as the darkness lifted. The voice in my head seemed please at the outcome. It bade me to come closer - towards the end of the tunnel, I find the source of the unnatural darkness and the coercive force that forced Tyranus' hand - a shrine, dedicated to Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of Domination and Subjugation.
The voice then bade me listen - the shrine has sat disused in Markarth for ages - until recently, when it’s presence came into the wrong attention of a priest of Boethiah, Daedric Prince of Treachery. Boethiah and Molag Bal being enemies, the priest had desecrated Molag Bal's shrine every month to please his master.
Molag Bal is fittingly incensed by this, and wants nothing more than to punish the man... but recently the Daedric Prince discovered that this priest had missed his scheduled visits - he was actually captured by some Forsworn - and now sits imprisoned in one of their hideouts. Molag Bal wants me to free the man and trick him into coming back to the shrine. Here, with my aid, the prince shall enact his final vengeance on him.
I would only be released from the room if I agreed - doesn't seem like I have a choice, that - but that's kind of the point, isn't it?
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