Practice of Telvanni Magic: Chapter 2, Guild Mates

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    The History of Raven Rock

    Volume II

    by

    Lyrin Telleno

     

    Raven Rock is one of the more interesting colonies of Morrowind of the last two centuries. So much has happened to this tiny town in such a short amount of time, and so many lives have been affected by it, I felt it necessary to describe its rich history within these volumes. During my research, I lived in Raven Rock for almost three years, and I got to know many of my fellow Dunmer who call Raven Rock their home. I hope that my readers will appreciate the amount of fortitude and perseverance that it must take to endure life in such an inhospitable and untamed land.

     

    After a few years, the relentless ash storms from the ever-erupting Red Mountain had transformed Solstheim's southern reaches into pure ash wastes reminiscent of those present on Vvardenfell itself. The storms would leave behind deep dunes of ash that made life exceedingly difficult in Raven Rock. In order to protect the town from these drifts, Brara Morvayn proposed that the East Empire Company construct a large wall of her own design to protect the east end of town. The company quickly agreed and provided the necessary funds. After almost a year, the construction was complete and the huge edifice was named "The Bulwark." The wall proved to be extremely effective and allowed work to continue unabated in the mines.

     

    In 4E 16, when Solstheim was passed into the hands of the Dunmer people, the East Empire Company was forced to relinquish Raven Rock's control to House Redoran. The Council quickly named Brara Morvayn as councilor of their new town, and allowed her to rule Solstheim as she saw fit. As a result of this changing of the guard, almost the entire Imperial population left Raven Rock and returned to Cyrodiil. Brara continued to welcome the Dunmer that elected to settle on Solstheim. Some chose to stay in Raven Rock to work in the mines, and other took to more familiar territory and began a nomadic lifestyle in the ash wastes.

     

    The next few decades were the golden years for Raven Rock. Brara Morvayn was keeping the peace, the mines were still producing large quantities of ebony and the Dunmer that lived on the island were happy. After almost fifty years of prosperity, in 4E 65, Brara Morvayn finally succumbed to old age and passed away. She was interred in the family's ancestral tomb and her son, Lleril Morvayn, took her place. The people who had lived in Raven Rock during Brara's time as councilor were pleased to discover that Lleril shared his mother's notions of rulership. He was fair and compassionate, which kept the people on the island quite happy for many decades.

     

    14th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 203

    “You're shitting me!” Glover proclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

     

    Grulmar lazily shook his head. “I shit ya not.”

     

    Mallory took another big gulp from the bottle of Sadri's special sujamma and rubbed his eyes. “Alright, so let me get this straight. Gallus was killed by Mercer, Mercer was robbing the guild for years and also stole from Nocturnal. Then some Altmer chick shows up, Karliah comes back and Mercer gets dealt with and now that Altmer chick runs the guild?”

     

    “That's pretty much it,” Grulmar nodded and leaned back in his chair, letting Mallory process all that. Not really easy to process though. Lot of shit happened. How would ya feel if ye found out that someone's been lyin' to you for years? Like shit.

     

    “And your role in all this?” Mallory then asked, pulling Grulmar out of his thoughts. He reached for the bottle with slightly blurry vision and took a proper swig, enjoying the feeling of drinking liquid fire.

     

    “Basically none. I was just keepin’ my head low. Though that Altmer chick...I showed her the ropes when she showed up, ya know? So it's funny. She was green as grass and now she's the guildmaster,” Grulmar chuckled and remembered the first time she showed up in the Ragged Flagon. That was certainly entertainin'. The Orc then leaned closer and squinted at Mallory. “But I gotta know. The accent. Ya pulled it out of yer arse or bumped into it somewhere?”

     

    Glover chuckled and scratched his head. “Ha, I should've known you'd be interested in that. How is it you haven't dropped it yet? I surely did when I came here.”

     

    “It kinda stuck,” Grulmar shrugged. Come on, Glove, tell me. I really wanna know.

     

    “There was this one time I was in Solitude, crashed for a night at Skeever's and I ran into this Breton sailor. ‘Cheeky git from Koeglin’ is what he said. ‘Me and me mateys talk like that at sea. It's catchy.’ And damn, it was catchy. Talked with that fella all night. It was so enthralling listening to that accent and I noticed that everytime the sailor talked to someone they immediately shut up and just listened. Because it was such a strange accent, right? And so I thought I could talk like that too. Sound tough, you know. And boy, how that worked.”

     

    “I remember,” Grulmar chortled. “It was so funny at first, but then it just...stuck in my head.”

     

    Mallory laughed. “Yeah, you kept following me all around the place, hanging on my every word.”

     

    The Orc chuckled and scratched his goatee which had grown considerably in his time at college. Seven months does a lot. “Hmm. Matey. What does that mean?”

     

    “Something like friend or whatnot. Hah, you're going to use that?”

     

    “I'm definitely going to use that, matey,” Grulmar snorted and then looked at Glover with a serious look in his eye. “Ya were a legend, man. The best locksmith in the guild.”

     

    “Yeah,” Mallory nodded and took another gulp from the bottle, silence now between the two thieves. But not that kind of tense silence, no. It was that kind of silence between two friends, that moment when they just sift through their own thoughts, their pasts, with no need for the words. And it was Grulmar who broke that silence.

     

    “What happened?” he asked, his eyes trying to focus on Mallory. “One day ya were there and the other ya were gone.”

     

    Mallory avoided eye contact, his fingers toying with the bottle on the table, his eyes fixed on it. “I just had enough of that politics bullshit, you know? The deals with Maven and such. Plus, knowing how to repair bonemold wasn't exactly useful back in Riften.”

     

    “Bonemold? That's what these Dunmer use for armor?”

     

    “Aye,” Mallory nodded, smiling. "I had a friend over there, a dark elf named Vanryth... a very talented armorsmith. Spent a lot of time with the guy swapping smithing techniques. Learned a heck of a lot, including how to repair bonemold. After he moved on to greener pastures, I decided to pack up, move out here and put those lessons to the test. Been here ever since."

     

    “Vanryth Gatharian?” Grulmar raised his eyebrows. “The guy's back in the Flaggon now.”

     

    “Is that right? Lucky bastard,” Mallory shook his head with a chuckle. “And what about the others in the guild? They doing alright? I remember there was a new girl when I came in. She stayed? What was her name? Hm, Rilikja?”

     

    “You mean Sapphire?” the Orc chuckled. “Gave her that nickname and nobody calls her differently now. Yeah, she stayed. Vipir the Fleet keeps hittin' on her but she's a real ice queen.”

     

    There was a sad smile on Mallory's face when he nodded. “Sapphire. Not a bad name.”

     

    Grulmar felt an annoying pain in his innards and grimaced. It was almost as if something was trying to claw its way out of his abdomen. “Shit. I feel like I'm goin' to explode.”

     

    “I hope you haven't eaten anything down at the Netch,” Mallory murmured and frowned. “What did Geldis gave you?”

     

    “Scathecraw tea.”

     

    Mallory hit the table with his fist. “Damn, Geldis. I keep telling him not to give that shit to outlanders. You didn’t finish the tea, I hope? That's some serious shit. Dunmer here are used to that, but outlanders...it can rip your guts out.”

     

    Grulmar's eyebrows shot upwards and his face certainly had to have betrayed his worry. “I just had few sips. Are ya tellin' me the grey-skin poisoned me?”

     

    Mallory waved his hand in dismissal. “Nah, calm down. It's very mild, you should be fine. Though I'm afraid you'll have to sleep in a different room, 'cause you're about to get some nasty gas.” He got up from his chair and headed towards the counter at the other side of the room. He reached into the shelf and pulled out something that looked like a root. “This is Trama Root.” He broke off a small piece at the end of the dry twig and handed it over to Grulmar. “Chew it, but don't swallow it. When it’s all mash, spit it out.”

     

    Grulmar looked at it with frown but it was Glover Mallory telling him that. The Glove! He surely knows what he's doin'. He bit to the root and sour flavour assaulted his mouth. “Man, that's awful!” he grimaced.

     

    “Just chew,” Mallory chuckled and Grulmar obeyed. He was slowly loosing the feeling in his mouth and when he was sure it was all chewed up, he spit it out into a bowl on the table. “Wash it down with sujamma, that will do you good.” Grulmar listened again and took a proper gulp. As the burning liquid went down his throat, he already felt how the pain in his stomach subsided. “That's a good boy,” Mallory chuckled. “Now come on, I got something to show you.”

     

    The Nord headed towards the stairs leading up, on the other side of the room, but he didn't go up, instead he crouched and removed a rug from the floor underneath them, revealing a trap door leading to the basement. “Most people forget that this building has a basement too. Perfect hideout.” He opened the trap door and motioned to Grulmar to follow him.

     

    The Orc climbed down right after Mallory, into complete darkness. “Crap, forgot to take the candle. Getting more drunk than I expected,” Grulmar heard Glover mumbling. “Now where's the damn lantern?”

     

    The Orc focused and his mind reached into the streams of magicka, drawing on the residual light from the streams and ball of blue light appeared in his hand and slowly raised to the ceiling. The room wasn't big, but Grulmar's eyes immediately fixed on a mannequin with leather armor strapped on it.

     

    “Damn good trick you have there,” Mallory chuckled, but Grulmar barely listened.

     

    He looked at the armor, at the dark grey leather vest with no sleeves, the bracers and gloves, the boots and hood. It looked pretty much like his own armor only this one was a slightly darker shade of grey. “By Mora's testicles,” he exclaimed. “This is it? The Blackguard armor?”

     

    “Yup,” Mallory nodded, grinning. “Been improving it over the years, but the enchantments are still powerful as the day I got it.”

     

    “I heard rumors. That you stole it from a Summerset Shadow,” the Orc murmured, not being able to take his eyes off the armor. When he was making his own he designed it after the one in front of him. The armor of the legendary Glove…

     

    Mallory coughed and then laughed. “Yeah, that part is true, though the rest, like that part about me stealing it from that Shadow while he was wearing it certainly wasn’t the truth. People just kept exaggerating.” He then sighed. “It's just catching dust here. When I came here I had no idea this place would be so bad, but I should have anticipated it. Yeah, if you're looking for work, I've got bad news. This place is dryer than a damn bone.”

     

    Grulmar already had his own guess why that was. “Small town. And Mogrul.”

     

    Glover snorted. “I see you had the honors. Yeah, he runs the show here. Most people are stupid enough to pay him for protection, but you gotta give it to the Orc, when someone tries to steal from those people, he swiftly ends anyone foolish enough to do that. Plus Councillor Morvayn owes him big time, the Orc saved his life or something. So it's mostly about treasure hunting for us guild members, which is a line of work certainly more dangerous than what we signed up for.”

     

    “We?”

     

    “Ah, sorry. It's mostly me. Someone shows up here from time to time and gets out as fast as they showed up. So I'm all alone here, with no one to watch my back. Plus I screwed up recently.” Grulmar looked at Glover who took a seat on the ground, with his back against the wall, his eyes watching the armor. “A fellow Breton who went by the name Esmond Tyne showed up on my doorstep about a fortnight ago. He noticed the shadowmarks like you did, and I thought he was one of us.”

     

    The Orc already knew where this was going. “He stole something.”

     

    “That he did. Right out from under my nose, the little fucker. Can you believe it? It's my own formula for improved bonemold. Took me years to perfect. Before he ran off, he was talking some nonsense about trying to fence goods to the rieklings at Castle Karstaag. I told him he was crazy to even think about talking to those vicious little buggers, but he wouldn't listen. I'd bet a fat purse of coin that he's either dead or hiding out up there.”

     

    It's not really yer problem, is it, Grulmar? But this is the Glove we're talkin’ about here. Plus...wouldn't hurt if ya had someone to watch yer back while ya are stuck on this island, huh? Grulmar rubbed his eyes. “I could look for that formula. If I ever head in that direction.”

     

    Mallory snorted. “It's not really your problem, lad. But I won't turn down the offer. You scratch my back and I scratch yours, right? If you do that I'll make sure you're set up right.” Glover then closed his mouth and scratched the top of his head. “Sorry, lad, but I completely forgot why exactly you came here. I doubt it's because of me, 'cause you were pretty damned surprised to see me. You have some business here?”

     

    Grulmar chuckled. “Business, hah. Ya could say that. I've heard there's a Telvanni living here. I would like to become an apprentice.”

     

    “Old Neloth?” Mallory raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Ha ha ha, that's a good one.” Then he realized that Grulmar wasn’t actually joking. “Wait, you're serious, aren't you? Damn. I certainly wouldn't like to be around that crazy Dunmer, but if that's what you are really interested…” He then got back on his feet and patted Grulmar on his shoulder. “You know what, I remember I had a map of Solstheim stashed somewhere. That should point you in the right direction. And I'll mark the Castle Kaarstag there too, huh?”

     

    “Yes, that would be really appreciated. And I still have plenty of questions about this weird place. Lot of weird shit around.”

     

    “Hah, better prepared than sorry, right?” Mallory laughed and went up to look for the map.

     

    Grulmar shook his head and looked around the room. His eyes went over all the strong boxes and various gems Mallory stashed there and then his eyes went over the armor again. He then noticed something on a desk next to it and frowned. A piece of paper? He looked at the ladder leading up and quickly walked to that paper. It was a letter and he quickly opened it.

     

    My dearest daughter Rilikja,

     

    It's with a heavy heart that I write this letter. For years I've thought about how I could tell you this, and each time I imagined it would be face-to-face. I'm ashamed for what I did, and I hope that someday you'll learn to forgive me. Whatever you do, don't blame Delvin for any of this. He didn't know.

     

    Long after I joined the Guild, I was sent to rob a caravan that was stopping at a tiny farming village not far from the border of Skyrim. When I arrived there, I was a day early and decided to sleep for the night in the barn of a pig farm. I awoke the next morning when the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes upon walked in to do her chores. She wasn't even frightened when she saw me... in an instant I think we had both fallen in love. I ended up living with that woman in that tiny little village for a year until she was with child. And then, like a coward... I ran away. I was a thief and I didn't want to end up a farmer. It was a terrible thing to do.

     

    I didn't have the courage to return to that village for almost fifteen years. When I finally decided to visit, it was too late. It had been raided by bandits and burned to the ground. Everyone was either dead or gone. Including you... my only child.

     

    Years later, when you were recruited by Brynjolf I couldn't believe my eyes. You're a spitting image of your mother and I knew it was you in an instant. Only the gods know how you survived the attack on that village and why you followed in my footsteps, but I have to assume it was meant to be. I've wanted to walk right up to you and embrace you, to tell you the truth, but I was still a coward. I decided to leave Riften instead of facing your anger. I said my goodbyes to Delvin and I headed for Solstheim... as far from the truth as I could get.

     

    I'm sorry, my daughter. I'm sorry for never being there to hold you at night or to protect you from whatever hardships you endured. One day, I hope you'll make the journey to Solstheim and visit your father.

     

    Glover Mallory


    Grulmar looked at the ladder leading up and shook his head. Damn ya, Mallory. Sapphire is yer daughter...Grulmar couldn't help but think about Borgakh, about his own child. It should be born anytime now. And I'm not there. Just like Mallory, he ran. We're both cowards then. It was strange, to realise that this legend on a damn high pedestal was just a man, a mere mortal like Grulmar himself, making the same mistakes. But it isn’t too late for some of us, he thought and the letter ended up in his pocket.

     

Comments

17 Comments   |   A-Pocky-Hah! and 9 others like this.
  • Caladran
    Caladran   ·  January 18, 2018
    Chapters like these are nice to read. :)
  • Paws
    Paws   ·  February 5, 2017
    I had completely forgotten about Sapphire and Glover, nice connection to work in and use to tell us more about Greenskin's past. Getting hyped for Neloth now, though :D
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  February 2, 2017
    Karliah's a Dunmer XP
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      Ben W
      Ben W
      Ben W
      Karliah's a Dunmer XP
        ·  February 2, 2017
      Hahahaha, mate, you just made my day. Read it again, dear Ben. " Then some Altmer chick shows up, Karliah comes back and Mercer gets dealt with and now that Altmer chick runs the guild"
      • Ben W
        Ben W
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Hahahaha, mate, you just made my day. Read it again, dear Ben. " Then some Altmer chick shows up, Karliah comes back and Mercer gets dealt with and now that Altmer chick runs the guild"
          ·  February 2, 2017
        .... dammit
        • Karver the Lorc
          Karver the Lorc
          Ben W
          Ben W
          Ben W
          .... dammit
            ·  February 2, 2017
          xD
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  February 2, 2017
    Was fun reading through this. Nice to see old guildmates catching up after all those years. And he took the letter! Somebody check that Orc's temperature! He's doing something... nice. 
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      Was fun reading through this. Nice to see old guildmates catching up after all those years. And he took the letter! Somebody check that Orc's temperature! He's doing something... nice. 
        ·  February 2, 2017
      He just needed some paper. You know what Scathecraw tea can do with your innards... xD
      • A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        He just needed some paper. You know what Scathecraw tea can do with your innards... xD
          ·  February 2, 2017
        I imagine scathecraw tea would be just like aloe vera tea except way more foul tasting.
        • Karver the Lorc
          Karver the Lorc
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          A-Pocky-Hah!
          I imagine scathecraw tea would be just like aloe vera tea except way more foul tasting.
            ·  February 2, 2017
          Well, considering the fact Lis nearly talked my ears off with Scathecraw having FOUR negative effects... :D
      • The Long-Chapper
        The Long-Chapper
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        He just needed some paper. You know what Scathecraw tea can do with your innards... xD
          ·  February 2, 2017
        HAHAHA, I like that. 
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  February 2, 2017
    Grulmar's going to love it when he comes across the Rieklings.
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      The Sunflower Manual
      The Sunflower Manual
      The Sunflower Manual
      Grulmar's going to love it when he comes across the Rieklings.
        ·  February 2, 2017
      Oh, yeah, that is definitely going to be interesting. :D
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  February 2, 2017
    Nothing like a good catching up session with an old guild mate.
    That reminds me of something. I really to get back to my own thief story.
    • The Long-Chapper
      The Long-Chapper
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Nothing like a good catching up session with an old guild mate.
      That reminds me of something. I really to get back to my own thief story.
        ·  February 2, 2017
      Yep, more Silver Fox would be great. 
    • Karver the Lorc
      Karver the Lorc
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      A-Pocky-Hah!
      Nothing like a good catching up session with an old guild mate.
      That reminds me of something. I really to get back to my own thief story.
        ·  February 2, 2017
      You really should get back to writing the Silver Fox. :)
      • A-Pocky-Hah!
        A-Pocky-Hah!
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        Karver the Lorc
        You really should get back to writing the Silver Fox. :)
          ·  February 2, 2017
        I know. Right now I need to finish the last chapter of Eagles of the Sands before going back to that story.