The battle began instantly. As soon as the Monilee opened the crypt doors, Draugr poured forth and the party rushed to meet them. Edippa demonstrated her claim to power against the undead, wreathing the deathless warriors in fire that quickly consumed them. But a more potent foe led the charge - a masked woman in splendid white robes, wielding a beautiful curved sword in the Akaviri style. Quickly, she focused on Monilee, who reached for her own sword only to find her wrists yet again bound together. With no time to struggle, she looked straight as the charging woman and shouted.

 

"FUS RO"

 

Her adversary staggered back and, for once exactly as Monilee wanted, the apparition of Nocturnal appeared between them, shadowy blade in hand. The battle continued, for most of it just the mysterious woman holding back the entire party, but in the end she too fell. Monilee searched her carefully, confiscating her sword as well as the mask that had hid her face. Beneath it, Monilee recoiled slightly at the dessicated rictus of a Draugr's smile. 

 

 

Before she could appreciate these treasures, Monilee heard Nocturnal's words and felt cold steel wrap around her wrists and arms.

 

"Dragonborn, oh my Dragonborn. Why don't you take better care of yourself?"

 

Monilee gasped in pain as the chains pulled her to the ground and a heavy iron collar locked tight around her neck.

 

"I'll just leave you with this little gift to remind you who your master is," she hissed before dissolving into gloom and darkness.

 

The chains faded from the world likewise, but the collar remained behind. Answering the unspoken question of whether or not she needed to rest, Monilee shook her head sharply. 

 

"No, she isn't the master of me. We press on. I'll show her!"

 

 

Entering the vestibule just beyond the gates, a new sight greeted the party: a ghost with a grave warning. Questioned, he explained that this is the tomb of Hevnorak, long dead but, he said, soon to return. Monilee didn't doubt this, indeed she felt a complete certainty that she was sure was the hand of Dibella urging her on in the quest. 

 

Valdar's ghost explained that if the party could retrieve three magic vessels from within the crypt, he could stop the return of Hevnorak -- but the party was not alone in this goal, for dark forces sought to retrieve the vessels to secure their master's resurrection. 

 

Creeping deeper into the crypt, Monilee was certain she had found the first vessel almost at once. 

 

 

"Gorgeous," she whispered. "I wonder if the others are like this as well."

 

Shayna, however, seemed to withold judgment. "I'm not sure this is what the ghost was speaking of. This coffer... it feels familiar. Hang on to it, it might be useful elsewhere." 

 

Monilee wasn't going to argue with that sentiment. She carefully removed the coffer from its plinth - it felt lighter than it looked - before scooping up a spray of gold coins haphazardly spread about on the ground. 

 

The first of the promised competitors were mere bandits. Cowards, they threw down their arms as soon as they saw Monilee's party outnumbered them. One of them tried to be clever, working a hidden knife out of his sleeve, but before he could strike, Lydia shoved him hard, sending him to the floor. Monilee, in no mood for cames, brought down her armored boot directly on his crotch before kicking him several times in the ribs and finally ordering him to flee if he valued his life. The man whimpered his accession and started to crawl from the chamber at the best speed he could manage. 

 

 

Next, it was Draugr that stood in their way. With teamwork and boldness, they cut through the undead and pressed deeper into the tomb. After reaching a dead end, they doubled back and carefully examined the way they'd traveled thus far. At length, a hidden switch caused a section of rock wall to slide open, revealing another chamber. After defeating its sentinel, the party examined a much less ostentatious bottle. Still, as Monilee's hands neared it, she felt a tingle of magical power. 

 

"Yes," said Shayna, "This is more what I was expecting."

 

"You know," Lucien piped up, "I do believe what we found in the antechamber may be the legendary Coffer of King Ogr-"

 

Lydia shushed him, "Not now, Lucien. Tell us about it after we get out of here alive."

 

 

 

 

-----------

 

I would like to tell you more about this adventure. Indeed, let me tell you, Valthume seems to have a more fun and nuanced design than a lot of the crypts. Sadly, by this point the "delayed animation bug" others have described on the forums had struck full force and the game quickly spiraled into an unplayable state. 

 

For now I'll be rolling back to a slightly earlier save (the one I made right after the first fight described in this blog entry) to harvest her appearance, inventory, and other characteristics, which I'll import into the next game so we can have some continuity.

 

Monilee will return when the next version of SLaVE releases!