EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, yes and no. I know for certain where the Axe was, shortly after it was created." Areldril explained. "The man it was given to originally was a Breton in Skyrim, not all that long ago. Relatively speaking. It is no ancient artifact. But, events have moved it outside of Skyrim. Unfortuantely, I cannot pinpoint its current location. Before I left, I had put in requests with the Justicars to try to locate it, claiming it to be important to my research, but they were denied as 'low priority'. The best I can say is that it was sighted in High Rock, and has perhaps moved to Hammerfell. I can give a few leads you can pursue, but it will take some searching on your part. Fortunately, the weapon is rather unique. It appears as a steel battleaxe with two engraved motifs of werewolves, but it is actually made from ebony. It might make it easier to track down."

"Of course, there is more you will need. Naturally, you are going to have to invade Clavicus Vile's plane of Oblivion." Areldril added in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it were not major news. "You will need sigil stones. Even they cannot bring you there from Tamriel, but I have devised a strategy to circumvent Mundus' protective barriers. I cannot give you all of the answers, but I can detail how to carry out the major tasks. It is far too much to explain here and now, but I can give it to you in writing."

When it came time for Areldril to address Sabine's suggestion, he appeared uncertain, far more so than he had at any point thusfar. "As for Barbas...I am afraid I cannot give any more details than I already have. I would describe Barbas as being a part of Vile; not truly separable from him permanently. Part of Vile's power is contained within Barbas. I can only speculate what happened to him, but for Vile to have the power he does now, he must have been able to take Barbas' share of his power away from him. The only circumstance I can think of where that could happen would be if Barbas were 'killed.' In that case, he would be destroyed and start to regenerate, which would allow Vile to claim his share of their power. Or at least the vast majority of it. I cannot even begin to guess how that could have happened, but if Barbas was destroyed, then he may not be in a position to be found. Perhaps...finding a way to force Barbas' regeneration might be helpful, but I would have to carry out much more research to determine if that is even possible to begin with. And of course, I cannot perform research while under arrest." He said, finally turning his attention squarely back on Lunise.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With his choice of wording, one could have assumed that Areldril was trying to confuse them, though he quickly clarified. "Yes, of course Vile cannot be killed in any literal sense, short of somehow bringing him to Aetherius first. No, but a Daedric Prince can be...how to put it...displaced. Their physical form can be destroyed. Like any other Daedra, they will regenerate, and quickly. However, the process of destroying a Daedric Prince drastically diminishes their power. It is a rare event, but it has occurred in history. As you mentioned, Dagon was destroyed by Martin Septim. Molag Bal was once destroyed by a mortal, albeit with the aid of the Chim-et Adabal. Even Vile himself had his power diminished a few hundred years ago by that whole affair with the Umbra sword and that floating city. Clavicus Vile had been in a weakened state for the majority of the Fourth Era, but something happened recently to change that. Well, within the past few decades, before the start of your war. Historically, Vile has always been held in check by his counterpart to prevent him from attempting schemes like this. Are you all aware of the lore surrounding Vile?"

Meesei gave a simple, confident nod. "Clavicus Vile is the Daedra we are all the most familiar with, save Hircine himself." She answered. Naturally, they wanted to be as well-informed of their enemy as possible, so most of the pack was educated about him.

"Good, then you know about his counterpart, Barbas. The Daedric hound is subservient to Vile, but he has always had the power and will to keep his master from overextending with these sorts of ambitious plans. Vile's actions have been uncharacteristic of him, compared to his actions throughout the rest of history. I can only conclude that something has happened to Barbas to diminish his influence over his master. I cannot say if this is something we could potentially use to our advantage, but it means that he is able to act unhindered" Areldril explained before pausing, then taking a moment to clear his throat. "Ah, but more to the point. You wish to know how to defeat Vile. He is essentially a god, with powers magnitudes beyond anything your entire kind is capable of, combined. You would need the power of a god to challenge him, but fortunately, you have access to a god willing to fight him, yes? Your master Hircine. Of course, Hircine's power has waned in your war, while Vile's has grown. Your master does not have the power to defeat him, but it is possible for even mere mortals like you to bridge that gap. It will be no small task, but you need to secure the kind of power that can affect Vile in that fight. Fortunately for you, I have already done the research for you. As much as I could, at least. The first step will be for you to obtain the blood of a Daedra to serve as the shell for a weapon against him. Specifically the blood of Vile himself. Blood, in this case, referring to his essence. In Tamriel, the only way to find a Daedra's essence is in the form of their artifacts. All Daedric Princes have at least one, and Vile is no different."

Meesei hummed, thinking back on what she knew of Vile. "The most obvious artifact is the Masque of Clavicus Vile. It has been given as a reward to those who serve Vile several times throughout history. There is also the Bittercup, though I would not even begin to know how to find either of those. Not to mention, neither of them are weapons. One is essentially a helmet, and the other a cup."

"What, you expect us to beat a god to death with a cup or somethin'?" Lorag added.

Areldril actually gave something approaching a chuckle as he responded. "Not quite. You do not necessarily need something sharp and pointy to serve as a weapon against Vile. But, I will agree that something which is already a weapon can be more easily converted to this purpose. Fortunately, those are not his only two relics. There is an axe, named the 'Rueful Axe', which, quite ironically, was given to a man to slay his lycanthrope daughter as a 'cure' for her disease. It is made from Vile's essence, and could be used against him with the right kind of power supporting it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"For the Thalmor, they are a threat, but not the most immediate one." Areldril answered. "Indeed, the presence of Vile's cult has delayed them, despite sharing the same goal. You see, the Thalmor does not trust Vile or his followers. Rightfully so, from my research. If my theories are correct and Vile intends to claim Mundus for his own by some means, then allowing him to carry out his plans to destroy the Towers would run counter to the Thalmor's goals. They cannot become Divine if their souls are absorbed by a Daedra, yes? So, they want the Towers to be destroyed, but not on Vile's terms. That is why they are willing to make deals with the Empire and a group of Daedra-worshipping mutts to deal with them. Even once Vile is defeated, the world will not be safe, but that is not your concern, worshipers of Hircine. It will not be your task to defeat the Thalmor, at least not alone. You need to be concerned with defeating your enemy, Clavicus Vile. The reason I have selected now, of all times, to leave the Thalmor is because my...allies needed to make sure that you do not cease your fight against Vile."

Lorag grunted. "Hmph, like he'd give us a choice."

Areldril raised his brow towards Lorag, though did not look as if he was uncertain of anything. More than anything, his expression made him look even more smug. "Oh, you may be surprised. You may not be aware, but Vile does not care about you in the slightest. You were always just a resource to him, a tool. Your souls are powerful, and I believe that Vile intended to harvest them and use their power to carry out a final, definitive strike against the remaining Towers. But, his followers did not prove competent enough to kill you all, so Vile has all but ended his efforts to harvest you. Certainly you have noticed that attacks against you have dwindled? Those who still fight against you have essentially gone rogue. Just as with the Thalmor, only the inner circles of Vile's cult know of his true intentions. The rest have been recruited through promises of wealth, power, or revenge. It was easy for him to recruit lycan hunters, and those with some personal vendetta against lycans. But, now that he is focusing on other means of carrying out his plan, they have grown unruly. Based on his actions, even the General of his forces was operating in ignorance of Vile's true intentions. I would wager that Vile's zealots may even offer you a formal peace, but you cannot accept. Not if you wish to continue having a world to live in. A few years ago, I would have told you the best way to stop Vile would have been to slit your own throats to deny him your souls, but I am afraid that would not be sufficient now. Vile is making other plans that do not require you. No, to stop him now, you simply must kill Clavicus Vile."

Even Meesei gave a somewhat startled reaction to Areldril's bold statement. Certainly, it was a ludicrous suggestion in every sense of the word. Even ignoring the fact that Vile had access to the power of a literal god, Daedra were also physically impossible to kill. A Daedric Prince even moreso. It was highly likely that there was some other meaning that went along with Areldril's words.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril largely ignored Lunise's outburst. Her anger and denial were probably what he was actually expecting from her. After all, drastically challenging someone's entire view of the world was rarely met with acceptance. For Meesei, she was concerned, to the point that she was almost unable to maintain her stoic visage. Regardless, Lorag's skepticism had rubbed off on her somewhat. "I will concede that your claims thusfar have come without proof, Areldril. Do you have evidence that you are not just twisting theories on these Towers to your own ends? Perhaps to sabotage my alliances?"

"A fair question, and a much fairer tone, I might add." Areldril answered. "I can of course explain everything about the intentions of Vile, and even more about the Thalmor. But I believe it is Justicar Lunise who can confirm it. You see, she holds the documents I claimed from our archives. I procured those specific documents for very specific reasons. Now that I think about it, I am glad you are here, Lunise. You know how to identify all of the small details on those papers. All the little seals and decorations that verify them as being genuine. The magical wards weaved by our lorekeepers to preserve and maintain them. You know how to identify everything about them to confirm, beyond any doubt, that they are the documents you were sent to recover. Indeed, I imagine you have already done so. I also imagine you were sent here with the orders not to read them. They contain information forbidden for someone of your station, but that information confirms everything I have said. If you want the truth about how you, how all of us, were misled, read those documents. I would start with the scroll with the blue seal."

Shifting his attention to the others, Meesei in particular, Areldril continued his explanation regardless of Lunise's response. "The Thalmor, at their core, are built around a certain...religious belief. We Altmer are the closest decedents of the Aldmer, the first and greatest Elven race. The Aldmer were once Et'Ada, gods, themselves. Granted, they were lesser spirits to the Aedra, but still Divine, before they became mortal. We Altmer share their likeness, and it is the source of our superiority. I do not dispute this, but it is what the Thalmor intend to do about this that I find, well, insane. They wish to reclaim divinity, and do not see the Towers as the path to Aetherius that they once were. Rather, they see the Towers as binding the Altmer to mortality in this world. They believe that Mundus was a mistake, that your kind, Marod, mankind, was a mistake. They want to erase the very concept of man from existence, dismantle this world, and return to the divine. I can certainly appreciate their intentions, but through my years of study, I have not seen evidence that destroying the Towers would have the effects they expect it to. If I did, I would support them without question, but it is far more likely that we will merely be erased from existence. They are too blinded by their zeal and idealism to see that. I am not willing to wager the fate of Mundus on the mere chance of becoming divine. The documents I stole detail all I have said, and more."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I am a fan of Tower lore.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh, only the highest, most faithful in their ranks are informed of Vile's true motives. I would surmise that they are promised power and standing within Vile's realm, once he does whatever he intends with Mundus." Areldril answered, again without hesitation. "And I would not be so quick to dismiss their plan as impossible. Certainly, it is not an easy task to deactivate a Tower, but Towers have been destroyed before, and it is not at all far-fetched."

Kaleeth was looking nervous. She had her sword in hand in case something happened, but her mind was focused on what Areldril was saying. It seemed insane to think that there were, evidently, buildings with the power to hold reality together. She supposed it could make sense with some sort of divine magic from the gods, but it seemed insane that their secret war with another Daedric cult could actually somehow be for the fate of the world, instead of just their own lives. "So these divine towers have been destroyed before? How?" She asked.

Areldril paused a moment, standing up straight with his hands behind his back as he collected his thoughts on the matter. "Each Tower has a stone, metaphorically speaking, which is bound to its Tower. If either the stone or Tower is destroyed, or the connection between them severed, the Tower will deactivate. Orichalc was located on the continent of Yokuda. When Yokuda was destroyed, Orichalc was destroyed with it. Green-Sap consisted of a network of Graht-Oaks in Valenwood. At one time, it was the subject of a plot to turn Green-Sap into another White-Gold, which may or may not have been related to its eventual deactivation. The exact reason for its downfall is a mystery, but though the Graht-Oaks still stand, Green-Sap is no more. Walk-Brass was the Tower forged by the Dwemer, their Brass god: the Anumidium. When Dagoth Ur interrupted the creation of their golem at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Dwemer disappeared, and Walk-Brass, their Tower, was left behind. It's pieces were eventually reformed into the golem you know as the Numidium, with its stone being the Mantella, which Tiber Septim used to conquer Tamriel and form the First Empire. The Numidium was later used in the Miracle of Peace in the Iliac bay, destroying it and bringing an end to Walk-Brass. The Red Tower, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, was deactivated when its stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, was destroyed by the Nerevarine."

Increasingly, the expressions of several of the pack became more worried as Areldril listed one by one the Towers, which supposedly held together existence itself, that had been destroyed or deactivated. And he was not yet finished. He continued on, his tone neutral, but his expression severe. "Crystal-Like-Law, erected by Elves in the Summerset Isles in emulation of Ada-Mantia, was destroyed by the invading Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Also at that time, the stone of the White-Gold Tower, the Chim-el Adabal, the stone at the center of the Amulet of Kings, was shattered by Martin Septim. Snow-Throat is one of the more...uncertain Towers. It is believed to be the mountain known as the Throat of the World, and its stone is known only as the Cave. I call it uncertain because it is unknown if it is still active. As stated in the prophesy of the Dragonborn: When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world / When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped / When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles / When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls / When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding / The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn. Everyone knows this prophesy has already come to pass, and it does imply that the Snow Tower has fallen, but none can say for certain. Ada-Mantia, of course, still stands. Its stone is both physical and metaphysical, the Zero stone, Convention."

Lorag was managing to keep up with what Areldril was saying, though much of it was references to history or religions that went over his head. Of all the pack, he was the most skeptical. With his arms crossed, he stared down Areldril. "Okay, so assuming you're not lyin' through your teeth about all this, this seems like something you'd just tell your own people. Seems like it'd be important to them. Why not just tell the rest of your Thalmor and have them pass it on to us? Why make yourself a traitor for this?"

Areldril turned his head slightly and slowly towards Lunise. It was hard to tell, but there might have been a slight grin on his lips. "Because of the ninth and final Tower: Talos. Well, not a Tower in the literal sense, but the man who ascended to the Divine serves a similar purpose. For he is, or has become, Convention, the very stone of Ada-Mantia. Or at the very least, he strengthens the Wheel of Convention. The details are not entirely known, but what is sure to any true scholar of the Towers is that Talos serves an integral role in the continued existence of Mundus. If Snow-Throat has fallen, then Talos may very well be only thing keeping Mundus stable, aside from Ada-Mantia. Why did I turn traitor to deliver this message? To that I give a question, for our venerable Justicar Lunise. What is the true, final goal of the Thalmor? Why have they devoted themselves to the eradication of the worship of Talos? And I do not mean the notion of heresy that a Human could become a Divine. No, I mean the real, tangible reason for devoting so many of our resources to hunting the believers of Talos. The reason that is shared only among the upper echelon of the Thalmor, such as myself. Have you managed to piece it together yet, Justicar Lunise?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril gave a brief hum as he glanced down at Marod. "I see that there are some educated within the Empire. Regardless, since the majority here are uninformed, I shall give the best explanation I can in...limited time. To truly understand the divine nature of the Towers would take far more time than you have."

Despite Lunise's continued anger and the magic that continued to flow through her, Areldril maintained an unmistakable calm. He was either certain that she would not act on her threats, or he did not consider her to be a danger to him. "A very brief, very rough description of the Towers are that they are what bind Mundus into the rigid, organized form we know today. The first tower, Ada-Mantia, what you would call the Adamantine Tower on the Isle of Balfiera, was the first structure in all of Nirn. It was created by the Et'Ada, along with the Red Tower to keep Mundus stable, allowing it to exist without the presence of the gods. The others came afterwards, created by the Aldmer and other mortals in the Merethic Era. They keep the laws of reality stable, maintain the barriers between Mundus and Oblivion, and prevent even the linear time itself from breaking down. They are some of the least known, but most important structures in Tamriel. For without them, Mundus will revert to its primordial state and cease to exist by any definition of existence that we are familiar with. There is some disagreement among scholars about how many are required. Some say that as long as one remains, Mundus will remain stable, while others, like myself, find it more likely that at least two are required. The ultimate goal of Vile's followers in Tamriel is to deactivate these towers to bring an end to Mundus. I suspect he may seek to gain some advantage through it, perhaps even use the instability to pull Mundus into his realm somehow, though I am less certain on that aspect of his plan. Regardless, the stakes of this war you have been fighting, as you can plainly see, are far, far higher than you could have imagined."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Across Tamriel, Thalmor tended to be reputable for their egos, and no amount of threats from Lunise seemed like it would change that for Areldril. He stubbornly maintained his dignified posture, as well as his tone. "Hmm, well we shall see what happens. Rest assured that I shall not try to go anywhere against your will. Evidently, this lizard had obtained an unusual degree of power. I shall not attempt to escape her."

At this point, Meesei decided to speak firmly. "Then you should hurry and say what you have to say; no more delays. What message do you have for me that it was worth all of this risk?"

Areldril gave a brief nod. "In short, I have determined the motivations and methods for Clavicus Vile's plans in Nirn."

"If that is true, then I am eager to hear it. Speak." Meesei answered. After so many years of wondering why they were fighting the war to begin with, it was understandable that Meesei would be skeptical of someone suddenly handing the answer to her. She motioned for the rest of her pack to cross the river and join her. She wanted them to be able to hear him themselves, and to be close enough to act if he tried to surprise them.

"Of course, but it does require some background knowledge to make sense. First, what do you know about the Towers?" Areldril asked.

Meesei gave a curious look to Areldril. "The Towers? It sounds familiar, but I am afraid you will have to be more specific."

Areldril answered immediately, barely giving Meesei time to finish her sentence. "The Red Tower, Crystal-Like-Law, White-Gold, Snow-Throat, Green-Sap, Orichale, Walk-Brass, and of course, Ada-Mantia: the original tower from which all others echo. The Towers. I shall admit they are not well-known or understood among even the most educated scholars. Is anyone here educated on their purpose, or do I need to give the explanation?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak was aware that their time to speak with the Baron was not limitless, so it would be wise to make the most of it. He wanted to be careful to ensure they kept up the friendly tone of this meeting. Their ultimate goal in attending this event was to ensure the Baron would remain an ally to the College. He was being friendly enough, though in political matters, friendly words meant little. Still, he had not thusfar had any reason to believe there were any problems between him and the College.

”Indeed, Lucilia does everything that she can for the College, and Ovak still fills his role effectively. I do not think I have ever been as impressed with another as I have been with the Arch Mage. His appearance is certainly deceiving.” Ssarak responded to the Baron, actually quite genuinely. He still remembered well how the Archmage had managed to single handedly end the single strongest demon attack that Ssarak was aware had ever happened in Tiien. “Regardless, you can rest assured that the College remains, and will remain a sanctuary for any of your subjects who have the desire to learn what we have to teach, living or undead. Personally, I believe that Tiien should be a place where any being who seeks to live in peace should be able to do just that.”

Feeling that he had spoken enough about the College itself, Ssarak decided to shift the conversation at least somewhat more towards the Baron on his people. ”With the demon presence in Tiien, have your lands fared well?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril mostly ignored Lunise's tone. He simply stared at her unemotionally as she approached with Marod and Meesei. He looked at her closely, seeming to inspect her expressions and facial features until his "captors" had reached him. "Hmm, a Thalmor Justiciar in the company of Hircine's Champion. I suppose the only person you could be is Justicar Lunise. A pleasure, I suppose. I had indeed hoped you would not be present for this meeting, but I suppose that was merely wishful thinking. Regardless, what I have to say is far too important to be bothered by you. Merely saying what I know may be enough to shift the course of coming events. Though, I will admit that I am curious what delusions you have in your mind about me. As a man in the inner circle of the Thalmor, a scholar with access to more knowledge and resources than any mage could ever hope, and a noble with more wealth than most people will ever see, I had everything to lose and little to gain by leaving. I am most curious about what is going through your mind on why I would possibly wish to do such a thing. Or have you put any more thought into the situation than what was written on the orders your superiors gave you?"

Turning his attention away from Lunise, Areldril refocused on Meesei. "At any rate, I should get to the matter at hand. They would be most disappointed if I managed to come this far without delivering my message."

"And who is they? Are you referring to those people you slew? Were they followers of Vile?" Meesei asked.

Areldril shook his head. "Those corpses were Vile's cultists, but no, they were not important, and not who sent me to deliver this message. Just means to an end. I have learned about you over the years, about your war with Vile and his cultists. I could justify it as a part of my research into the Daedra, but I did not need to learn about you, I needed to meet you. It was one thing to be able to acquire copies of reports about you, but to actually set up a meeting? Well, that was...outside my role. I could not do so without suspicion, so, I simply needed to attract your attention instead. There is nothing that would do so quicker than to make a 'deal' with the fools who follow Vile. And now we are here. If you think this is some kind of ambush or some other nonsense, then you can take me anywhere you like, so as long as you allow me to explain to you all everything I know."