A Frozen Future (TES Quest) [M]

[Rhomeo]

“So, you want to know about the language of the Dwarves, huh?”

You nod enthusiastically, which seems to elicit a big smile from Erissa.

“Well, I'll do my best, but no promises! A lot of it is gibberish and hard to understand at first, so you'll just have to persist,” she states rather seriously. “Not to mention you'll have to work at it as often as you find time.”

After giving it some thought you give her a quiet nod and her grin gets wider.

“Good! Well, let's get started, shall we?”

True to her words, it becomes apparent that learning a language like this one is… extraordinarily hard. Your brief escapade with Dovah feels like nothing compared to Erissa's lessons and you end up leaving with a lot of words ringing around your head that you have no idea what they really mean. Still, you feel like you've made some minor progress.

Language gained!
Dwemer Language – Non-Existent

---

While browsing the library, you stumble across two books related to dreams and being visited by others. Ennav ends up suggesting one that seems based on trying to manifest your own consciousness into the Daedric realm while sleeping, which you quickly discard. The first, on prophecies and seeing into the future doesn't seem likely either. So, you end up studying the book related to Vaermina.

Vaermina is, as most know, the Daedric Prince of Nightmares. There's far more than that listed on the pages you flick through, however. Psychological terror, torment, evil omens and even stealing memories. Records of Vaermina seem to show the Prince as a female, which would match the woman from your visions.

Some of the book is written in a script you don't recognise, which Ennav merely shakes his head over. If it's a language he doesn't recognise…

Ambition gained!
Learn how to read ????: The language that you came across… you want to learn how to read it. Rewards: +20 Destiny Points, plus trait.

---

After a particularly boring day in the lab, you file into the large mess hall. Most of the tables are stone, with benches carved from a similar slab. As uncomfortable and unappealing as the aesthetic of the room is, it had really grown on you. Somehow. To your surprise, though, there's only one other person despite it being about the time for people to begin filing in for dinner. You grab a small plate and pile on some random food items before making your way over to reveal it as…

Dandre.

He's looking forlornly at his plate, as though he's deep in some unhappy thought. Hoping to cheer him up, you tap him on the shoulder. As he looks up at you, you give him a bright smile.

“Howl you doing?”

He blinks.

“Having a ruff day?”

He blinks again. Just as you think you've made a mistake, his expression morphs into one of joy as he falls into a fit of laughter. Thankful, you take a seat next to him.

“I didn't think I'd be cheered up with puns,” he manages through laughs. “Thank you.”

“Glad to be of service,” you admit, shovelling a small spoon of food into your mouth. “You want to talk about it?”

“No, no, it's nothing that bad. I appreciate the thought though.”

It's almost like he's forgotten he was ever angry with you. Score!

Relationship changed!
Dandre Gansley (Acquaintance, +5 to social rolls)

---

You end up in front of Eric's door at his request, but a quick knock reveals that he's not in. You initially set up to wait it out, but after checking to see if the door is unlocked it slowly opens. Curiosity overwhelms you and you make your way inside, revealing the intrepid explorer's room. There's the same stack of books and no sign of the owner.

Unable to stop yourself, you make your way over to the pile and look at the title of the topmost book. It's…

…

It's blank?

Confused, you pick the book up. As you turn the cover, all you see are blank pages. You flick through it, until-

Words start appearing.

It-

You-

Can't-

DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Through no small amount of will, you slam the book shut and let it drop to the floor. Your breathing comes in ragged gasps as you collapse to the floor, thoroughly exhausted. When Eric eventually shows up, you can't even hear him as he tries to talk to you. You're escorted back to your room.

The feeling never really leaves you.

Trait gained!
Strange Feeling (Random chance to become exhausted, nullifying an action): Every now and then, you find yourself collapsing on the spot. No one knows what's wrong with you…

---

You spend the night with Erissa at her behest. It's… rather educational in its own way.

You never knew that spending an entire evening talking to and learning about someone could make you feel so happy with your life.

Trait gained!
Content with your Relationship (+5 to all rolls): So long as you and your significant other – Erissa – remain happy with each other, you'll keep this Trait.

---

On the way to Ennav's room, you find yourself pouring over your thoughts. Coming up with another way to get resources to the Free Fort wouldn't be easy, but you thought you'd come up with something pretty clever.

Which was?

[] Write-in.

[Rhomeo]

At your own behest, Erissa had come with you to help explain the idea. As the both of you file into Ennav's office, he almost groans in expectation.

“If you've brought her along, I imagine it's going to have something to do with your constructs?” he guesses, leaning back with a rather tired look.

“It does, but!” Erissa starts, just as Ennav groans again. “I wasn't the one that came up with it, Sahlos did.”

“Oh? Well, let's hear it then.”

“Well, with our latest advances in automatons, we've made a batch that could effectively work as worker bots in a number of environments. I thought if we had a skeleton crew work with them, it would be entirely possible to move resources through the marshes with little to no effort, effectively making it possible to utilise the inland traders,” you explain with a confident air.

“That's...” Ennav trails off, thinking. “Actually quite genius, now that I give it some thought. We'd never been able to utilise the traders proper, but if I pulled some strings with the main branch… yes, this could work extremely well. Maintaining ship-based supply lines is a hefty investment, so this would allow us more money to spend on actual supplies instead. You can supply all the necessary materials and expenses for the constructs, Erissa?”

“Of course! I'm still working through all supplies from the ruin we stumbled across,” she admits with a small smile.

“Good, well then, make it happen.”

---

“So, you fell in love with the research girl, I see.”

Well, way to lay it out in the open. Liss doesn't look angry, more bemused than anything else. It's… an odd expression to see on a girl of her age, now that you give it some thought. Some of the responses you'd been giving were well beyond your years too, but considering your circumstances it made some semblance of sense. Whereas this was just worrying.

“I guess Erissa and I are in love, yes,” you frown, scratching your head. “I don't see why it's important, though.”

“Oh no, there's nothing wrong with it,” Liss adds with an almost sadistic grin. “It's just that getting too close to her might end up poorly for you. I'm glad she'll find happiness before the end, but...”

What…

What on Nirn was she talking about?

[] Confront her about what she's saying.
[] Leave it be, you don't want to know.
[] ASHLEY, SAVE US.

[Rhomeo]

“Ashley, save me!”

You pull the rock from your pocket and throw it at Liss, much to her surprise. What follows is…

…

Nothing?

You look at Liss closely, only to notice her face seems… frozen in place. A quick look around confirms this as Ashley, the rock, is floating in mid-air between the two of you.

What on Nirn is going on?

“What a chain of events you've gotten yourself into,” a voice sighs dramatically.

“Who's there?” you respond in an instant, looking around but seeing nothing.

“It's Ashley, silly!”

Your eyes turn towards the rock, still floating in mid-air.

No way.

Not a chance.

…

Right?

“You picked me up back outside Solitude,” the voice continues as if it was the most natural thing to admit to. “You had no idea what I was back then, but you held onto me through and through.”

“But… you're just a rock,” you deadpan.

“Am I? Am I really?”

It slowly dawns on you that, yes, this is actually happening. Ashley isn't just a rock. It's…

…

What?

The world shifts ever so slightly and everything seems to return to normal. Liss is looking at you expectantly, as she was about a minute ago. It looks as though time has gone back a few steps. But… what just happened?

Destiny Token gained!

“What just happened?”

“What do you mean?” Liss cocks her head to the side. “You've been standing there quiet for a while now.”

“Well, I guess… what do you mean, anyway?” you frown, recalling what she'd said before the incident with Ashley.

“Well, she's going to die, of course!”

“You mean Erissa?”

“Her, and all the others. It's their fate.”

But…

“Then what about my fate, Liss?”

She looks taken aback at that, but recovers quickly.

“Your fate? Well… you can do whatever you want, you don't really have one.”

“So does that mean I can change other people's fates?”

Liss' mouth opens to respond, but before she can everything crumbles. The walls fall in on you and you scream.

And scream.

And scream.

---

You wake with a start, sweat pouring off your body. Luckily, it seems like you'd managed to not transfer the scream from your dream into reality. Still, it looks like you'd managed to succeed in having a successful dream, but…

What did it mean?

And why did you see Liss, rather than the woman?

So many questions, and not enough answers.

---

It's the day of your trip with Shabael! You'd been sent to the armoury to gear up, which means you have a few choices to make!

You'll wear:
[] Just plain clothes to deal with the freezing marshes
[] Some leather armour in case you're attacked

And wield:
[] A longsword
[] A bow
[] A shortsword and dagger

[Rhomeo]

You immediately gravitate towards a familiar looking leather cuirass, which you end up having to get some help from the person on duty to fit the straps to your size. It doesn't take long for you to move over to the weapons and pick out a steel shortsword & dagger, which you also end up needing help to fit over the armour. He gives you an apologetic look, which you can only smile back at him for. A lot of the gear is made for an adult Nord, really, so refitting it down to your size is kind of expected.

As soon as you're finished, you make your way out of the armoury and straight into the waiting figure of Shabael. He's still wearing his customary robes, but as he walks you can hear the tell-tale clink of armour beneath it. Strapped to his side is a single blade, the material hidden by the rather plain looking sheath. His eyes look over your choice of armament for a few moments before he nods, content. After a few brief goodbyes and a particularly long embrace from Erissa, you and the Dark Elf depart from the Free Fort through the gate you'd initially entered from.

It had been in the back of your mind that this would technically be a perfect time to escape, but they did still have Liss. If you'd had any intent to leave, though, you're sure she could escape on her own. Still… you've had no reason to want to, and now you have Erissa.

“You're dressed rather lightly for an expedition like this,” the Dark Elf points out as you descend down into the marshes. “I didn't know Akaviri had such thick skin.”

“I just deal with the cold really well,” you admit with a proud smile. “It's not all that special.”

“If you say so, lad.”

Silence falls over the pair of you for the better part of an hour as you pick your way into the depths of the marshland. After you've settled in to the rhythm of the walk, however, you try to spark up the conversation again.

“So, how did you end up with the Free Folk, anyway?”

He seems to stop for a split second, as if struck, before continuing on like nothing had happened.

“It's not all that special, really,” he responds with a sigh. “I had nowhere else to go after something that happened, but they took me in. I ended up with the Skyrim branch after some issues with the main one, but I don't have any complaints.”

“So what happened before the Free Folk?”

A pained look creeps over his face.

“A lot of things, child, a lot of things.”

He hasn't really said all that much, but despite that, you feel a lot closer to him now than you were before.

Relationship changed!
Shabael (Confidant, +20 to social rolls): Shabael has opened up to you in his own way – this is the start of something important. Intrigue (Elite), History (Elite), History of Vvardenfell (Elite), Persuasion (Elite), Politics (Legendary), Stealth (Impressive), Sword and Dagger (Impressive), Dagger (Impressive)

Skill changed!
Persuasion: Elite (0/2500)

---

You and Shabael make good time through the marshes; amazingly so, even. By the time you arrive at the road snaking up to the outer gates of Solitude the sun has only just started to descend in the sky. Usually it would take the better part of a day to even consider making the trip, but it seemed that you and the Dunmer worked well together.

At the gates, the guards bow at the sight of you and open it before you even get close enough to be truly recognisable. Was Shabael really that important? You don't question it, though. Not your place to know things like that, you imagine. As you make your way into the city proper a lot of sights come as familiar to you. The Winking Skeever, Radiant Rainments… all still there. It's comforting in its own way.

“We'll be making our way to the Jarl's residence, so just keep your head down and do what I say,” Shabael murmurs to you.

After a quick nod in response, he sets out on a brisk pace through the rest of the city, cutting your sightseeing short. It's barely any time at all before you're at the familiar Blue Palace, in all its glory. Unlike the other time you were here, the guards aren't nodding in recognition of you, but rather your companion. Just who was he, that everyone had such respect for him?

Even as you file into the building itself, people are bowing and moving aside so he can move straight through into the audience chamber. As you ascend the stairs, however, the sight that greets you is one you aren't familiar with.

Or, well, the man isn't at least.

Rather than the soft-hearted Torygg that you knew, it's a large Nord with a small yet honest smile plastered on his face. A long scar runs down the right side of his face, but it's anything but ugly. If anything, it only adds to his rugged charm.

“I thought you'd be arriving later this evening, old friend,” the High King greets your companion as he stands. “Come, I'll put the rest of my appointments on hold for now.”

Uh… what do?

[] Ask to go with Shabael.
[] Ask to see Torygg, he'd be younger than you, right?
[] Go check out the city!

[Rhomeo]

“Ah, actually, I was wondering if I could meet Torygg,” you blurt out just as the pair move to leave.

All eyes turn to you.

It's extremely uncomfortable, but through no small amount of will you push through it.

“I heard he's a bit younger than me, right? It might be good to have him interact with another kid, and all.”

Silence continues to drift over the room before the High King breaks out into a smile. A collection of held-in breaths are released as he walks over to you and slaps you on the shoulder.

“I think that would be excellent, boy! Any friend of this gentleman here is a friend of mine,” he states happily, causing a nervous shuffle from the Dunmer. “I'll have Sybille show you the way.”

As he commanded, a woman breaks free from the group of retainers to take you by the hand. You note, funnily enough, that it's ice cold. She doesn't say a word as you make your way through the Blue Palace and towards the royal chambers. You know the way already, of course, but you can't point that out to her. It doesn't take long to arrive at Torygg's quarters, where you stumble across the boy in the middle of reading a book.

“Torygg? You have a guest?” the woman calls out, speaking for the first time.

Rather than the usual tone you heard her take before, this one is warm and kind. It's… almost unsettling, knowing who she is.

“Hm?” he looks up, revealing his young childish face. “A guest?”

“This is...”

“Sahlos,” you smile as you stand forward, bowing. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah!” he exclaims as he stands up to bow as well. “Likewise!”

“Torygg, you don't need to bow back,” Sybille groans.

“It's fine, you can leave us, if it please you.”

The woman nods and makes her departure. There was a lot of trust here, leaving a young man with a sword alone with the crown-prince. Still, that must just be the amount of power Shabael commanded.

Or maybe you weren't as alone as you previously thought.

“So, Torygg, what's it like being… well, you?”

He seems taken aback at that, but after a few moments of consideration he smiles.

“It's pretty good, I spend most of my time studying and training. It's a tiring life, but it's what's expected of me. One day I'll have to take over my Father, so that the Jarls think our family is worthy of leading Skyrim.”

That's… a lot of burden for one so young to carry.

“Would you like to play a game, perhaps?”

“That sounds like fun! What did you have in mind?” the young prince cocks his head, still smiling.

“Hrm… how about a game of riddles?”

“Okay! You go first.”

“It has a tail, a side and a head I call it what I call a snake, it has no body and it is dead.”

“Oh, that's from a book of riddles!” Torygg exclaims. “But… I don't remember the answer.”

“It must be a drake,” you recite with a grin.

“Ooh, okay, one point to you. Now for me… I like this one; Turn us on our backs, and open up our stomachs. You will be the wisest of men, though at start a lummox.”

You're stumped, you can't even think of an appropriate answer so you merely shake your head.

“A book!” Torygg grins, lifting up both his hands with one finger outstretched on both hands. “Your turn.”

“If you lie to me I will slay you with my sword. If you tell me the truth, I will slay you with a spell.”

“You will slay me with a sword!”

Oh, well, you tried. Torygg raises a finger on his left hand.

“My turn! It occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, and yet never in one hundred thousand years.”

“The letter M!” you exclaim, with a grin.

Torygg grins as well, as he raises a finger on his right hand. You're tied. It's time for your best riddle-!

“A natural state, I'm sought by all. Go without me, and you shall fall. You do me when you spend, and use me when you eat to no end.”

“...”

Torygg looks genuinely focused on the question, until…

“Energy?”

“No, it's balance,” you proclaim with a grin.

“Ah, you got me!” he laughs, lifting the third and final finger on his right hand. “Alright, you win. Winner takes all the spoils, I suppose.”

Winner takes all the spoils, huh…?

“Alright, I want your shoes.”

Torygg blinks a few times.

“Um...”

“Your shoes! Hand 'em over!”

Rather confusedly, Torygg slips his pair of narrow tapered shoes off and hands them over to you. Shoes get! Fortunately, your nature denies holding onto the shoes, however-

LardDude burns 20 Destiny Points to spawn an assassin in Torygg's closet!

A man jumps out of the closet! He's clad in glass armour from head to toe, with a brilliant glass shortsword and steel dagger in hand. It looks a little mismatched, but you're too worried about him charging over with an intent to kill you. In a panic, you throw Torygg's shoes at the assassin, through no small amount of dumb luck, you manage to hit him both in the face and in the arm, effectively blinding him for a moment and forcing him to drop his dagger.

In an attempt to catch him off guard, you charge forward and unsheathe your blade. There's a cry from them, but you still manage to thrust your sword forward. It sinks deep into their unprotected flesh on the inner side of their leg, but as you pull it free you note that it wasn't a particularly damaging wound. In fact, the assassin even manages to bring their blade down on your shoulder, sinking the green metal deep into your flesh. With a yelp, you jump backwards, but the damage has already been done.

Damage taken!
28 damage taken!

Injury sustained!

The assassin moves forward to strike at you, but the wound is obviously slowing them down. You easily parry the blow with your dagger and even manage to get a strike in at their side. Your shortsword pierces the brittle armour, hitting flesh and eliciting a hiss from the person underneath all that green.

“Guards!” you scream with all your might, hoping that somebody hears your call.

Anticipating your move, the assassin steps inside your guard and shoves their sword straight through your stomach. In the same movement, knowing you can't dodge, you thrust your own sword through the assassin's other shoulder. You're standing body to body with this person, and…

Gods does it hurt.

Damage taken!
20 damage taken!

Serious injury sustained!

With a fury you didn't know you had, you bring your dagger up and stab at the assassin's face. A feminine scream emits as you keep stabbing, and stabbing, and stabbing…

“Sahlos?”

You come back to reality over the corpse of the assassin, who now without the helmet is unrecognisable due to what you'd done. Resisting the urge to throw up, you take a step back and realise that there's still a very major problem. That is, the sword jutting out from your stomach. Almost out of pure reaction, you pull the sword free of its fleshy prison. Blood starts to pour out and even as you press a roll of cloth handed to you from Torygg to your stomach, it doesn't get any better. Words pour out from the crown Prince's mouth, but you don't hear any of them.

You fall into the abyss.

[Rhomeo]

You wake up in… a place.

A place that you're familiar with.

Buildings that don't make sense and an overwhelming presence crushes you as you look around. Yes, this is the place of your dreams.

“I see you made a few bad decisions, young one,” the voice says to you.

You instinctively turn to look for the source of it, but find nothing.

“You dragged another into your destiny, even though you knew you wouldn't truly win.”

“It was my only choice,” you respond.

“No, you had an ample number of choices – but you chose to make a stupid decision. Really, do you have any idea how much trouble you're making for me right now?”

“Fight me.”

…

“Excuse me?” the voice responds, glowering with anger.

“Fight me!” you yell.

“Okay then, if you wish.”

The world shifts from a grey expanse of twisted buildings to a glaring desert. Warm sand heats up your feet, even through your shoes. In front of you stands a woman. At a glance she doesn't seem threatening, but the aura surrounding her… is…

“You wanted to fight? So be it. You may have the first strike.”

You slowly walk up towards her, climbing the dune she'd decided to take her stance upon. She makes no attempt to attack you as you close in on her. Even as you place your hand on the back of her head and push it towards yours, she does nothing.

Not even as you press your lips up against hers.

Really, it's nothing like what you were expecting. Kissing a God is actually kind of worse than kissing a real woman, now that you've had a chance to try it out. Maybe she's just frigid? You pull your face back from hers, and she regards you with a strange look.

“I think I've changed my mind,” she says.

“About what?” you inquire.

“I don't think I'm going to kill you,” she responds with a sickeningly sweet smile. “I think I'm going to make you my servant.”

Oh.

“What type of servant?” you ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

“When you give men free will, they tend to make stupid decisions. So, I'm going to take away your free will and force you to do whatever I want,” she states with a smile that threatens to consume your very sight.

Through a reservoir of will you didn't know you possessed, you manage to shake off her seemingly loving stare. With what remains of your will, you manage to open your lips to say what may very well be the last words you ever say.

“Can I have another chance?”

Her smile turns sadistic.

“I don't think so.”

You don't even have a chance to move before she's in front of you. Her slender lips brush against your neck and…

…

All that remains of Sahlos Strunmah dies in that moment.

GAME OVER