Search the Community

Hey, it's Runa. My mom is asking me about what I've been doing. We're in the hall of the Companions, feasting, and they all want to hear what I have to say too. So I'm going to talk as I write it down. I'm the Listener, and I did a lot before I went to Cyrodiil. Last time I told my story, I'd just recruited Vala Amatius after she murdered a couple guys with no escape plan. I appointed Babette and Nazir to be the new Speakers. I spoke with the Night Mother and she told me my next contract, just a random Corrupt Penitus Oculatus agent. I decided I could easily do it by myself and went and killed the Laborer he wanted dead (waiting until dark to do so). I came back to the Sanctuary and got another contract from NM, and decided it was time to help Averna out with her job. I took Cicero along because she looked pretty bored of cleaning the Night Mother's folds. We followed Averna's lead to an ice cave, where we killed a few randos and picked up a book in daedric. "I recognize the first few words. Seven souls, seven virgins. Guess that's what we need," she said, "Here, I have black soul gems." "You're pretty nonchalant about killing people who aren't contracted or don't deserve it," I said, "I'm a virgin, would you kill me?" "Well, no. You're the Listener. Just... take the soul gems," Averna said. "I'll take them, but, no promises. You might be following me for a while to get these," I said, "I don't think the kind of people that need killing are usually virgins. And I don't get what sets that apart as a different type of soul. But ok." We fought a band of goblins on the way out, which Cicero grabbed a goblin staff (giggling the whole time). Then I grabbed another mission from NM and took Undil. Averna and Cicero came too. "Where we going?" Undil asked, probably humoring me. "Windhelm." "We going to kill the Emperor?" He chuckled. When we got to Candlehearth Hall, we talked to an Argonian named Dreekius, "Took you long enough." "Not a perfect process," I replied. "I need you to save my brother, Dreynos." "Not our usual kind of job." "I realize it's a strange request for you people. But you're my last hope," Dreekius said, "He's been captured by the Thalmor. They have a secret prison west of here, near the border to Morrowind." And, just a break in my story, at this point in the Hall of the Companions, my mother was yelling, "FIVE THALMOR PRISONS! DO I HEAR SIX?!" "How long have the two of you been in the Skooma business?" Undil asked. I forgot, he has some kind of annoying mind-reading ability. But now it was proving useful. "How did you... Nearly 20 years. Since we were twelve," Dreekius replied. "Your brother... is a Dunmer?" Undil asked. "How do you know this? You're right. He's a dunmer. We were adopted by a kind Imperial woman after we lost our parents many years ago." "I have been known to be able to acquire information... whether I like it or not," Undil replied, "Speaking of which, I can see a secret entrance to the prison." "Alright, lets go," I said to the group. We made our way to the site, and Undil uncovered an ice cave, complete with trolls, that lead into a back entry to the prison. "I just realized I left my pet sabercat in Markarth," Undil muttered. "We're not alone, Listener," Cicero whispered. Averna went invisible as he approached. "Four guards, three prisoners," Undil said. I was starting to feel like I wasn't adding much to this crew. They were all deadly and skilled. When a guard patrolled this way, Averna jumped out and split his head open with her dagger, "There. We should be good for a little bit." I snagged a key off the guard. Then we strolled over to Dreynos' cell. Undil nodded to him, "Afternoon." "Thank the gods, you're not a Thalmor," Draynos said, "It's been a long time since I've seen a friendly mer." "Dreekius sent us," I said. "I can't leave just yet," Draynos said, "What my brother didn't tell you, probably because he didn't know, is the reason I got caught. The woman I love is here." Cicero was dancing at the moment, but I paid no attention. "I found out which prison she was in and got caught," Draynos continued. My mom was yelling, "BUT THERE ARE SO MANY, IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIGURE OUT!" Stop interrupting! "We cannot save her," Undil said, back in the story, "We cannot allow her to live. Your brother requested we leave no witnesses to your whereabouts." "You can't! Not if I kill you first!" He put up his fists. "Wait wait wait," I said, "Nobody needs to kill anybody. We don't need to kill your lady. I'm making an executive decision here." "I never would've expected such mercy from the Brotherhood," Dreynos said. "Yeah, we're full of surprises," I said. "Thank you, all of you." I opened the cell, then we walked over to her, and opened the other cell, letting the Dunmer woman out. We went out the way we came, and back to Dreekius. "There you are! My brother's saviors! What of the other matter?" "We killed the only guard we saw. But another prisoner, your brother requested we not kill her. I'm not in the business of killing for no reason," I explained. "I understand. I'm thankful you were able to get my brother out." I disbanded my little group and did another couple dead drops (the anonymous jobs that paid quite well). The last of which brought me into the Riften Sewers. I went a little bit deeper, not into the ghost part my mom had already cleared out, but a tunnel I'd never heard of, and I found myself face to face with Chaurus and Snow Elves! Not like the statue, not like the Falmer. Mutated, but beautiful. I backed out of there after killing only a couple of them. My next contact from the Night Mother: Isobel Richton. I took a group to see her, this time with the Khajit twins, Averna and Cicero. "What do you need?" I asked. "Oh, thank the gods. I'd almost lost hope that you would come." "The brotherhood will always answer a contract," I replied. "Anyway, it's my husband, Camos. He kidnapped my children. Please! They must be so scared. I need you to rescue them and kill Camos' guards and convince him to come home. If you don't, I'm afraid he will try again. Only kill him if you have to," she explained. "It will be done," I replied. We traveled to a camp at the very northern tip of Skyrim, west of Dawnstar. I strolled up, trying to avoid bloodshed, but the guards attacked me without so much as a warning. My retinue made short work of them without me even having to unsheathe my sword. "Who are you?" Camos asked. "Your wife is worried about your children." "She's not my wife. These aren't her kids. These are my kids. About six years ago she kidnapped them from me. I'm taking them back," he said, "Wait, are you with the Brotherhood?" "How did you-" "I've been praying for you for a while now," he said. I took a look at his shabby clothes and said, "I was told you were a noble." "I am a noble. I'm dressed like this as to not attract attention," he explained, "But if you are from the brotherhood I can pay you to fulfill my contract, and kill that crazy woman." About this time, Isobel showed up. "Please, honey. Come home," she said. "You're crazy. I don't know you," Camos said back. "Mommy!" One of the boys ran to her. M'jarra (one of the Khajit twins with me) said, "They call her mommy, why would they run to her if she wasn't their mom?" J'zakar said, "Weren't you listening? The only thing that matches up between them is these small children haven't seen the man for six years. They would know her as mom. J'zakar thinks something smells funny here." M'jarra said, "Camos, tell us the truth." Isobel said, "Yes, Camos. Tell us the truth about your injury." "What injury? I'm not lying! Lady, I have no idea who you are!" Camos said. "Camos, dear. The truth is my husband was injured during the Great War. His injury has gone deep, and it makes him forget. Sometimes he's back in the war, and sometimes he's here," Isobel said, "I got my children out of that house a long time ago, with your permission." "By Ruptga, you lie. I didn't fight in the war. My wife did, but she died giving birth to Kotaro here. You stole them. I spent my entire fortune tracking you down." "You know what? I don't think we should be getting mixed up in people's family business. I don't know who's telling the truth. So, nobody dies," I said, "C'mon guys. You two work it out amongst yourselves." Then I started walking away. When I got back to the Sanctuary, I slept for the night. I got up and Vala was milling about in the common bunkroom next to my master suite. "Everything alright?" I asked. "I was hoping to be gone before you got back last night," Vala replied. "Why would you want to leave? It's such a nice place to live. Plenty of nice old nordic stone. It's not much, but if you like dank..." "You're not funny," Vala said. "You could've been gone if you wanted to, easily. But you stayed." "I don't know why. There is something here. So am I prisoner here, because I can't show my face anywhere?" Again, I realized she didn't know how bounties worked in the holds. Then again, Solitude may send bounty hunters after her. "You're not a prisoner. A guest. A permanent guest," I said, "I'm willing to bet the guards weren't your first kill. Your eyes were cold after that kill, your face stone. You were alright with doing it. The NM says you have a killer instinct." "How did you...?" "I'm the Listener. I pay attention reeeeal good," I smirked. She sighed, "It was a long time ago. My dad died in the war. My mom's mental state was shattered. My uncle stepped in and took on my father's role, but his experiences in the war changed him. He drank. He... did things to my mother. I ran away, stupidly. When I came back, weeks later, my mom was dead. In that moment, something came over me. I snapped his neck." "Your family has a long history of violence. The Dark Brotherhood has been searching for you for a long time," I said. "What are you getting at?" "20 years before the Oblivion crisis, a man named Lucien Lachance was Listener for the Brotherhood in Solitude. He collapsed after a job. A women healed him, and he spent the night with her. Amatius was her family line. Your ancestor." "So my great-great and so on grandmother was-" "A legendary assassin," I finished, "You're capable of great things." "I don't buy it. You're a great organization. Feared throughout Tamriel. By the eight you killed the Emperor." "Nine." "What's a rich girl from Solitude going to do? Unless... there are so few of you in this Sanctuary. You're a dying organization, aren't you?" "We're as effective as we need to be. Didn't need an army to kill the Emperor," I said. "Maybe not. But maybe now you need more. Okay. I want to help. I want to learn," Vala said. We went to the Night Mother. She did some show with summoning Alisanna Dupre, an old Listener, to give the initiates a ghostly lecture on the Five Tenets. Nazir muttered to me as we were watching, "Listener, please, I can accept Cicero being back here, but could you do something about the dancing? God, I do hate jesters." I chuckled, "Nazir, take the twins on their second mission." We went back to the NM, and she sent Vala (now in DB armor) and I to contact a corrupt priest in Markarth. I gave Nazir and Babette instructions from the Night Mother on yet more contracts to distribute. To Markarth, I brought along Cicero (after she was done cleaning up the night mother) and Stabby this time. It was about time to continue going down his list of contracts. "There's so much stabbing potential!" He exclaimed. We went to the mine first, and I immediately knew it was a good idea to have this retinue. When I took down the guard (acting alone) a posse of bounty hunters charged in behind us. "We're here for Vala Amatius, for crimes against Solitude, and the Listener! Surrender and submit to trial!" The boss shouted. "Sorry, not going to happen," I said. It was a rather epic battle, as they used the same paralyze spells the Jail Master had. I'd only met the man once, but I knew it well. But we had enough that we took them out. When they fell, their armor unbound and they were naked. Curiously, all of them carried a lot of gold and a LOT of delicious cooked food. We took a break and ate a bit, then we worked our way in, killing bandits. I freed slaves as I went. When we reached the boss, I sneak attacked him with my greatsword, and the rest took care of him. Just like the last of Stabby's targets, his death summoned a Dragon Priest. We had another hard battle, but piling on an enemy just works. "This can't be a coincidence. Let me look at the contracts again," Stabby rubbed his chin, "By the nine! These are all from the came client! Name... eesbarn? Esbern? Do you know anybody by that name?" "Esbern, having us kill dragon priests? Yeah, that sounds like somebody I know," I replied. Obviously, the blade in the kimono. "We have three more. I know who they are, but I don't know where they are. I need to talk to Nazir. He knows a lot about these sorts of things," Stabby said. We traveled to Markarth again. It was, unsurprisingly, under attack again. It was at that time I was thinking the Forsworn (or at least the splinter group that is continuously attacking Markarth) has some kind of huge mammoth farm hidden in the mountains. A guard asked us if we wanted to join, and no, I do not. We went to the contract: Hroldar Farseer. "You must be the Dark Brother... Sister.... the assassins?" "You must be the priest. What do you need?" I asked. "Right... nearly every day for the past six months, along my walks out of the city, I come across Reachmen. Always beaten within an inch of their lives. I take time and heal them." "Odd, for a priest of Talos," I said. "Perhaps, but they are fellow men. Even if we do not share a religion and culture, it is my duty to help those in need. Anyway, the violence is escalating," Hroldar explained. "That must be why they keep throwing raid parties against the gates here. Hatreds that cover many generations," I mused. I may have contributed a little by doing that job and planting that forsworn axe a while back. But it was honestly embers on a raging inferno. It was still wrong, though. "First it was one or two men a week. Now, six. Last week, I found two dead. In one of their hands I found a piece of cloth from a Markarth guards' uniform. I believe the city guards are targeting Reachmen. And of course, no one is willing to do anything. So the job is this: take these guard uniforms. INfiltrate the guard and kill two of their number. Do it outside the city, and make it look like it was other guards." "Okay, more killing to try and stop the rivalry between the factions. I guess I'll play to what few skills I have and do this. Stabby and Cicero," I said. They looked at me. "Why don't you guys wait at the SIlver-Blood Inn," I said, "I'll take Vala. She needs the training." "SIlly Forsworn, think they're scary. I'll show them scary," Cicero muttered. "No prob, Listener," Stabby said, "So, Cicero, want to get a drink with me? I heard you like stabbin!" "Oh, yes yes! Cicero loves the stabbing! It's my favorite!" She giggled, and they took off. I'm sure my eyes had this broken, 'What have I started now?' look. Vala and I slipped in the uniforms and headed to the guard tower. It was just about muster time for a group of patrols, conveniently. As we walked in, they were lined up and we got in the back. The captain said, "All right. Security needs to be tight today. Keep your eyes peeled. Dismissed." Most of them were picking up their shields and whatnot, in no hurry to get to their posts and relieve the watches, when one of them said to the two of us, "Hey, you two still haven't upgraded your old guard uniforms?" I looked down, not having thought about the fact the guards now had a gold-and-green upgraded uniform. Though, here and there a guard would have a coat or helmet from the old style. The priest had given Vala and I an entire set of old guard armor. I growled. "Nostalgia, I guess," I said. "Hey, aren't you a little short to be a Markarth guard?" The man said as he strapped his shield to his arm. I thought fast, "I mean, I'm a new recruit. My dad was a guard back in the day. He wore this armor. Sentimental value." As the rest of the guards had already walked out, I smiled at him, "Hey, want to show me where the new armor issue is? I'm probably due for an upgrade." "It's all the way across the city," he smiled back, "C'mon newbie, I've got an extra set." He walked over to his bunk and tossed me a neatly kept set of armor and a helm that covered my face with a coif. I changed into it behind a divider. Before he could say anything else, I grabbed Vala and walked out of there. "Well, he was nice," she said. I was blushing under the helmet. He was nice. I decided I would not kill him. I would follow guards for a while and pick one out who was somewhere between disgusting and corrupt. The attack was over, and we walked past a few giant mammoth corpses. We slipped into an overhang and waited for a while. Two guards stopped by the river. I watched them for a while, but when one of them started talking about his kids, I decided I didn't have the heart for that one. "What are we waiting for?" Vala asked. "The right moment," I replied. We waited there for a while I think my bleeding heart was getting more apparent the longer we waited. She pursed her lips, "Out of curiosity, Listener, how old are you?" "How old are you?" I asked back. "I asked first. I'm 24." "Fifteen," I said flatly. "Really?" "Don't be so surprised. How old were you when you killed the first time?" "I think... eleven," Vala replied, "It's just, you're so young." "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, "You think I'm not doing a good job? That I'm not capable because I'm still technically a child?" I paused, then I said, "Do you think that my mother shouldn't have let me be swallowed up by this organization in which I have no idea what I'm doing? I mean... honestly, if the Night Mother thinks I'm fit to be her Listener... I wonder if this organization deserves to die out." "Well, no. I was thinking you seem like you really know where you're going in life. If you've made it this far by fifteen, just think where you'll be when you're thirty." "I dunno," I smiled a little, "Probably dead." "Well that's not a very positive way to look at it," Vala said. "I used to be positive. But I realized when I got into this, I have an impossible standard to live up to - my mother is the Dragonborn. I'm just stumbling around in the dark," I sighed. "I'm sure it's not all that bad. I've heard a lot of stories about the Dragonborn, but you know what - she's not a member of the best organization in Skyrim. The Dark Brotherhood!" "Actually, she is," I said flatly, "She just has the whole 'saving the world' to take care of right now. Call it a sabbatical." "Well, she may have helped, but you're the one who rebuilt this organization." "Still rebuilding. Also, she was the one who killed the Emperor," I said, then I noted two guards across the river. "What are those two doing?" I asked. "Uhh... looks like they're dragging around a Forsworn woman. She looks like one of the captives from the raid earlier," Vala replied. "Okay. Our moment," I took out my greatsword and dove into the river, using stealth like my mom taught me. When I surfaced, the guards - one on each side - were wrestling with her. One held her body, the other her legs as she swung and kicked at them. "What's that?" The one holding her body asked, and I plunged my greatsword through the other's back, lifting him up off the ground. Damn, I am getting strong. About time to upgrade to a heavier sword. "What are you~" The guard continued, but Vala grabbed his face from behind and slit his throat, and the woman dropped to the ground. He sputtered, gurgling loudly. I pulled out my greatsword from the first guard and beheaded the second guard. Can't make noise if you're decapitated. They both collapsed, rolling into the river. The forsworn woman, covered in blood, terrified, ran off into the wilderness. "Okay!" I shouted, "You're welcome!" "Nobody saw us, did they?" Vala asked. "Nah. I was looking around. We're safe. Now back to the guard station," I said. We went back to the tower and I put on my best distraught face. "Sir! There was a fight between two guards by the river! They're killing each other!" "Fighting?" The captain asked, "Why?" "They mentioned something about a woman coming between them!" I said, acting distraught. "No! Unacceptable! You two!" He pointed to a couple men off duty, "Go check by the river!" "You two," he pointed at us, "Wash up, get out of that bloody armor." "Yes, sir," I replied. I walked back over to the bunk of the man who'd lent me the armor and wiped it off as best I could, then I switched back into the old guard armor and we went back to the temple. For some reason, I kept the helmet. Carved into the back of the noseguard were the letters, 'H.K.' Curious. Hroldar was tending to the Talos statue, "I've already heard the news. They're going to have a full investigation of guard activities of corruption. Here's your payment, plus a bonus. Expertly done. Maybe this will make a difference in stopping the feuding for a while." We collected Cicero and Stabby, and I didn't ask questions about what they'd been doing. When we got back to the Sanctuary it was night again, and about time to sleep. We came in through the secret entrance, and BAM! The sounds of summoning and teleportation. "We're under attack!" Nazir drew his scimitars. Babette, Averna and the twins rushed down the stairs to aid us, Undil shooting magic from the next chamber. We took them down, but not without some wounds. I imagine they were expecting a much smaller retinue, since there were only four and we had nearly a dozen including all the anonymous Initiates. "What the hell was that?" Stabby exclaimed. "It was the godsdamned Morag Tong!" Nazir stabbed a scimitar into one of their necks. "But we're not in Morrowind. The Morag Tong have no jurisdiction here," Averna said back. "One would need a lot of money to convince these assassins to come all the way out here," Stabby said. "I bet it's those damned Bruma contracts! You killed someone really wealthy and powerful, and now their friends are coming after us," Averna growled. "I thought these contracts were for various individuals. But it seems they're all part of the same cult," Stabby scratched his chin, finally sheathing his daggers, but then pulling them out. Probably his 'thinking stabbers.' "Stabby, you better get your shit together," Averna poked him in the chest, "Find out who these people are before there's another attack! I went over to Dawnstar today to get some food and the guards are interrogating everyone, trying to find Brotherhood members. They know who we are because of this. We need to teach these pompous skeevers not to mess with the Dark Brotherhood!" "You're absolutely right," Stabby said. "Don't you tell me I'm right!" Averna yelled, "Oh wait, you think I'm right?" "Listener, I'm going to stab some information out of people. Meet me under the arch of Solitude, tomorrow night," Stabby said, then he walked out the back entrance, daggers still out. Cicero may have looked a little dejected, but she walked upstairs and was working on the Night Mother as I approached. "Good work on all fronts, Listener," her voice boomed in my head, "The blood of Lachance has passion. Do you believe that passion can be controlled?" "Definitely," I said back. "I have another mission to help train her. Talk to the Lonely Shopkeeper in Whiterun. So begins another contract," she said. I immediately hit the hay. In the morning, Vala, Averna, Cicero and I headed to Whiterun. It was definitely dangerous to go alone now. And when we crossed the bridge going into Whiterun, a Bounty Hunter group called out to us. "Halt. Vala Amatius, Averna, Runa Fair-Shield - you are under arrest for crimes against Skyrim. Technically, also, crimes against the Empire. But we're not here for that." "So Cicero can go free?" She chuckled, dancing a little, "Perhaps Cicero will go to Jorrvaskr and dance for the Companions!" I ignored it and said, "So how much is the bounty now?" "Ten thousand septims, to be paid by Solitude," he replied. "I can pay that... but," I took out my greatsword. "That's my kind of leader!" Averna went invisible. She stabbed one of his men in the back, but he turned and fought back. These guys were for real. They tried to use the paralyze strategy on us again, but to no avail. Amusingly, the guards did not pitch in either way. I guess they figured this was a little above their paygrade. When we finished cleaning up, we again found a boatload of cash and food items, and this time a fair bit of equipment I figured I would sift through later. We cruised over to the shopkeeper's house, and found it was marked 'Olava the Feeble,' the fortune teller. When I knocked on the door, a Redguard man let us in that I'd never seen before. I knew Olava was getting old, I guess she died? And this man bought the house, Coyle Aldwyr. "Are you the contact?" I asked. "You must be the people I prayed for," he replied, "I'm not sure I can do this... I'm beginning to have second thoughts." "Please, it's okay," Vala said, "Tell us what we can do to help you." "Well," he blinked, sitting down, "There's a witch in Whiterun. She put a curse on my family. I know... she's been eyeing us since we moved here. I just wanted to make a new life for us after moving from Hammerfell. But over the past year, every member of my family has ended up dead. All... natural causes. No disease, no poison, no obvious murder. Just, dead." "How do you know it was her?" Vala asked. "The other night, I was visiting my son's grave. And I saw his spirit. She was doing something to it. I'm not a fighter. I can't do anything to her on my own, especially a powerful witch," he continued, "On occasion, she goes to a tomb outside Whiterun and keeps notes there. But I know she shows up to the Hall of the Dead here at around 2 am, every night." "Find the notes, kill her, and free your family? Easy enough," Vala said. "If it were easy, I wouldn't have contacted you people," Coyle said, angrily, then he said, "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated. I have one more request after that, if that's okay." "Go on," I said. "After you've killed her and freed them. Kill me too. I can't go on," he said. "We will do this," I said. We traveled to the crypt he'd marked on my map, killed a few draugr, and snagged her notes. Easy. Then we returned to Whiterun and got a meal at the Bannered Mare, wasting time until nightfall. When it was almost time, we went over to the Hall of the Dead and lied in wait for a few hours. The witched showed, and didn't even try to act like a normal person just hanging out in a crypt in the middle of the night. She straight-up just started firing spells. So we slapped her down. The actual job wasn't too hard. When we got back to Coyle, he was sitting at that same table. He hadn't had any intention of sleeping tonight. "Is it done?" "Yes," I said, and laid the notes on the table, "She hadn't done any harm to them, yet. We can carry out your request, if you like." "Thank you, now I can go to Sovngarde, rather than be stuck here in perpetual limbo," Coyle said. I walked up behind him and stabbed him through the chest. We locked up the building, and went back to the Mare, sharing a midnight meal. "Listener," Vala said, "I have an idea for another recruit." "Who?" "A Bosmer that I've been friends with since childhood. She works at the Solitude docks." "That doesn't exactly sound like the best fit." "You'd have to meet her." "Alright, I'll humor you," I said. We slept at the Inn. She went and kidnapped her friend, and I got Nazir to line up one target in the Abandoned Shack (short notice). I wore the Markarth Guard's helmet and Vala wore her Shrouded Hood and we stepped inside. "What..? Where am I?" "Arine Mosshollow, we brought you here to test your killing skills," Vala said as she unhooded and unbound Arine, "The person behind you is a Dark Brotherhood contract. Kill him." "Vala, is that you?" Arine asked. Oh bollocks. "Dammit," Vala said, "I was trying to scare you. How'd you know it was me?" "Like I wouldn't recognize my best friend's eyes and voice," Arine replied. She stood, "What is going on? The Solitude guards say you're wanted for murder. That you killed three of them?" "Do you remember Dawnstar?" "That was ten years ago. That thief was trying to take more than just our money. That was just self defense," Arine replied. "Maybe. But what you did to his body certainly wasn't," Vala replied, "Remember the second thief who got away? And what else did we do?" Arine turned to me, "Who is this?" I pulled off the helm. "Don't worry. She's a close friend," Vala said, "What else did we do?" "We performed the Black Sacrament. Over and over. After a week, we stopped," Arine replied, "The Dark Brotherhood is a myth." "We're no myth," Vala said, "We heard your prayers. We found the second thief." About that time the man in the back started coming to, "What is going on here? What is this on my head? Where am I?" "I don't know if I can do what you asked," Arine said in a small voice. "Of course you can," Vala encouraged. Arine pulled off the hood. "You! You killed my partner all those years ago. I swear I'll kill you!" The man said. Even though his hands were tied, he lunged at her. Arine drew her dagger and stabbed him in the head. Gurgling, he fell backwards, dead. Arine dropped her dagger and ran. "I'll go after her," Vala sighed. I made my way over to the arch of Solitude alone. I set up a small camp and took a nap until later that night. Then, I found a small boat and rowed across the water, finding Stabby standing with a man, just like he said he would do. "Listener! How the hell are ya? I made a friend." "Friend?" The man said. He was definitely drunk. Stabby handed him another bottle of something, "Tell her what you told me." "Ahh, Argonian Black Rum. Good stuff, makes everyone happy," the man downed the bottle in only a couple gulps, "Well this guy was asking who put a bounty on the Dark Brotherhood. I told him what I tell everyone. If you want to know who's behind something, follow the money. Who was hurt by your lot killing the Emperor? The Metal Barons. The Silver-Bloods and the Gold-Loves. The Gold-Loves own the East Empire Company and the Cyrodiil Mage's Guild. The Silver-Bloods control the silver trade and Cidhna Mine. The Empire wasn't going to renew their deal with these families, so they paid to have him killed!" "I would buy the Gold-Loves having a member on the Elder Council, who is who really contracted for the death of the Emperor, but the SIlver-Bloods?" I shook my head. Stabby pulled out his daggers and immediately stabbed the guy, killing him. I blinked, "You didn't have to kill him! Tiber Septim's ghost! He was still giving us information." Stabby continued to wail on him as he talked, "Honestly, I think the Gold-Loves might have had something to do with it. I agree on your assessment of the SB clan." "Yeah, who would you have us kill me kill? Thongvar? Try again," I said. I went back to the Sanctuary. It was morning when I got there. I approached the NM again. "Our family grows, every day. Once this sanctaury is full, we will have to fill the others," she said, "Find the Wayward Alchemist in Winterhold. So begins a new contract." "Business is booming," Nazir said as I passed, "Will theer ever be a time when the people of Skyrim don't need our services? I think not." "Vala," I said at the bunk room, "We have more contracts." "So soon? I feel like this is nothing but go, go go!" She sighed, putting her shrouded uniform on, "I got Arine. She's here, and seems to be wanting to begin training." "No time for rest." "So, new family or contract first?" "I feel like new member of the family," I said, "Nazir, what do you have for me?" "An Orc. Time for kidnapping?" He asked. "Yep. Have him at the shack and we'll be there later," I said. "No problem," he chuckled, "We are resurging and I love it!" Later that day I brought Cicero, Averna and Vala to see the Orc. Can never have too much protection these days. Vala walked in without a cowl. "Guess we just don't care anymore," I said sarcastically. "Want a family? People who will accept you for who you are?" She asked him. "Sure," he said. His name was Azuk gro-Olpac. "I can give you that and more. You just have to do one thing for me. There are three people behind you. One of them has a contract out on their life. Find out who and kill them." She untied him, and he actually went through the trouble of questioning them. He killed the one on the right. "Which one was it?" Azuk asked. "It doesn't matter. You're in, if you want in," I said. "There is a black door in Dawnstar. When you get there you will be asked a question. Innocence, my brother is the answer," Vala explained. "How do you pick your targets?" Azuk asked. "We don't pick our targets. They're chosen for us," Vala replied. "How? The Black Sacrament?" "Well, yes." "How do you do it?" Azuk asked. "You need a skull, bones, flesh, and a heart," Vala explained. "Like this?" Azuk dropped all the things she'd mentioned. "I admire your spirit, but why?" Vala asked. "Like this?" He asked again, more insistant. "Yes, Encircle the effigy with candles. Rub Nightshade petals on a dagger and begin to stab the effigy," she explained. He set up the ritual there and said, "As I stab, what do I need to say?" "Sweet mother," Vala started, and Azuk started to repeat after her, stabbing, "Sweet mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." "Now what?" Azuk asked. "Now you would wait. But I don't understand what you're trying to do-" And then, I heard her voice, "Listener..." She fed to me an image of a Khajiit of some kind, and the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth. You know, the not-safest city in Skyrim, where people get murdered constantly and it keeps getting attacked. "I won't wait! What do I have to do to kill someone?" Azuk said angrily. "If you were a client, that would've alerted the Night Mother, who would've informed the Listener." "Ahem. She just did," I said. "What? There's no way," Vala said. "Yep. I'm as surprised as you are. Maybe she's curious where this leads," I said. "Okay, contact, who is the target?" Vala asked. "A Khajiit in Markarth," Azuk replied. "Does he have a name?" Vala asked. "Probably." "Are you serious?" Vala asked. "Meet me at the Silver-Blood Inn," Azuk said. "Can we go now?" One of the other prisoners said. "Oh, no, all of you that were picked are either scum, or murder targets. You're going to be cattle for the Volkihars if you're not killed here," I explained. I hopped in the little boat I'd taken from the arch of Solitude and rode with Vala to Markarth. We got there without incident. "Why are there so many people here?" Vala asked. "Party," Azuk said. "A party? This is not a good idea," Vala said. "Sit at the bar. Listen for Gortwog," Azuk said. He seemed to be thinking. I sat down at the bar, and a few seconds later (I'm not even sure if he said the word) Azuk stepped up and snapped a Khajiit's neck. Off duty guards swarmed him and carted him off. "Cidhna mine for you!" One of them shouted. "What the fuck just happened?" I asked. "I'm not entirely sure," Vala replied, "Should we break him out?" "Yeah, I guess." "How do you propose we do that? Brute force? Subterfuge? Waiting for him to serve his sentence?" Vala asked. "Hroldar owes us," I said. We went over to the temple and I fond him there, tending to the statue again. "What in Talos' divine undergarments are you going here?" He asked. "I need to break a... misguided Orc out of Cidhna Mine," I replied. Hroldar sighed, "Okay. I have a friend who is a high ranking guard. I can help you. Give him this note. But after this, don't take it the wrong way, but I never want to see your pretty face again." "Aww, you think I'm pretty?" I smiled jokingly. Then I headed over to the mine. A rough Orc woman guard rebuffed me at the entrance, but then I showed the note to Irbran. "The one who murdered a guy, right in the Inn? Usually I don't support letting murderers out. But Hroldar's note says you've done great service to the Forsworn. I have family that are Forsworn. Wait here." We got him and got the hell outta there. Azuk asked us to follow him, leading us to a small hidden cave. The floors were littered with pouches of gold, and there was a table with armor on it. "I don't get it," Vala said, "This is what we were doing this for? A full set of Orcish armor and ... remains?" "Ever heard of Gortwog?" "He was an Orc king, right?" I asked. "These are his remains, and his equipment. The Khajiit plundered them, and was going to sell them. You can have the armor, as payment." "No. You take the armor. It's very well made. You can use it to make the Brotherhood stronger," I said, "Besides, I'm more of a light armor girl myself." "Try out heavy armor sometime. You might like it," Azuk said, "I'm going to bury him, and go to the sanctuary." I sent Vala back to the sanctuary and did a quick side contract from the NM in Morthal, killing a Lumberjack. Luckily, the lumber mill was being attacked by Goblins and Durzog at just that moment. He joined in the fight, but, sadly, neither he nor the opponents made it. And I went back to the Sanctuary. Azuk was already there when I got back. "Hey, where you from?" I asked. "Skyrim," he replied. "You're a man of few words. This is like trying to get blood out of a stone," I sighed. "Why would anyone do that?" "It's just an expression." "I'm from the strongholds. The chief's wife made a pass at me. When I was honorable and said no, she lied and got me banished. Actually..." He started. "Yes?" "Would you be willing to help me with something?" "I know where this is going," I said. "I could do the sacrament again..." "It's fine. I'll do this one for free." "Alright, I would like the Chief's wife dead. Morzoga ga-Urgash. If you bring me her heart, there's something extra in it for you," he chuckled. I approached the Night Mother again. She gave me two missions: one from the Corrupt Penitus Oculatus Agent (again, man, this guy really knows how to hold a grudge) and a Frightened Salesman in Solitude. And she wanted me to bring Vala. New Mod:

Hi! This is Runa! I'm the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, and we're trying to recruit. A job I'm super-excited to do my best at! My mom asked me to talk about what has been going on for the past few weeks with the Dark Brotherhood while she gathered the moot and looked for Elder Scrolls. While Nazir worked on gathering new recruits, I spoke with the Night Mother. She spoke a little while about the Dark Brotherhood being as strong as it ever was, to which I listened intently. Then she said, "Another child prays to their mother. Speak with the Laborer at the Frostfruit Inn in Rorikstead and slay the target." Figured I would go do that job and come back. As I exited... "Listener!" Cicero said, "You were a fool to spare me. Now I shall take my revenge....." She giggled, "Just kidding. If it's okay with you, I'd like to return to my duties as keeper." "See, I had a good feeling about letting you live. My mom didn't want me to." "Thanks, Listener," she beamed, going inside the Dawnstar Sanctuary. Strangely, Shadowmere was waiting for me. He looked a little lost, but had figured out where I was. I later found out this was when my mom traveled to the Soul Cairn. I rode and talked to the Laborer and he pointed me toward a Fishwife (whatever that means) in Riften. I emptied out the mailbox at Honeyside (the stuff that was ours). I took care of her stealthily, swam over to Aringlow Estate (or wait... is the owner named Aringlow?) Goldenglow Estate, then traveled back to Dawnstar, stopping at Windstad Manor to get the mail there too (and kill some pests that'd taken up residence). Let me tell you, it's hard to kill bugs with a greatsword. I looked over the mail. Most of it was for my mom and I tossed it on the table. But a couple letters were addressed for me specifically, and I guess some of those meant for my mom were brotherhood related. One from a man named Kodrir, that thanked me for killing Ennodius Papius and inviting me for something. That's a trap, I believe. Another asking me to come to the Inn of Lost Souls because they 'knew what we'd done'. OooooOOoooOOoo spooky. I figured I could spare a few hours. I rode Shadowmere to the inn, and found a large group of skeletons and a couple witches fighting with Vigilants of Stendarr. Thinking the Vigilants died out, I helped kill the skeletons (of course, Shadowmere helped because he likes killing). They were steely, so I continued to the Inn. Inside it was dark and not very homey. Everybody inside looked like they wanted to kill me. Penitus Oculatus agents were standing in several places (including blocking the stairs to the cellar). So I walked up to the Innkeeper. I was starting to think this was a setup to 'take care' of me after having a hand in killing the Emperor. "Is someone here expecting me?" "Yes, it's all here in this note," he said. I took the note, but it didn't seem to be readable. Playing along, I handed it to the agent in front of the stairs like a pass. He seemed to be able to read it, and said, "This note doesn't prove anything. Step aside citizen. I raised an eyebrow. Worst setup ever. I took a step to the side, and the agent didn't stop me. When I stepped into the cellar, there was an Imperial noble standing across the room, looking at a large document. As I approached, he turned around. "Did you send the note?" I asked. "Are you going to kill me now?" I waited for him to continue. "Figures. That nord fool starts a Civil War and one of your members kills my cousin. And now you could finish the Mede line. I am Allian Mede," he explained, "The Empire has been thrown into chaos and it probably won't last long. But do you want to know what's really funny? Your lot won't survive much longer either. The Dark Brotherhood is a thing of the past. I heard there's only one sanctuary in all Tamriel and it was burned to the ground. Betrayed by one of your own! How many of you are left anyway? Three? Four? How formidable. You killed my cousin for a few septims?" He raised his fists at me. "Oh, honey. That's funny. You didn't even bring a weapon to fight an assassin who specializes in the unsubtle art of greatweapons? And no guards?" I pulled out my greatsword. Two Oculatus agents stepped through the door with swords drawn, to which I said, "Ah. So better setup than I thought." I swung at Mede, but the first guard interposed his shield between us. I did an elaborate dance, slashing and backing away. And even though I was wielding a greatsword my armor was far lighter than that of the agents, and they got in each other's way. "This is your best?" I yelled as I cut down the first and left the second with a mortal wound. I stepped forward and stabbed the second in the chest. Allian was now cowering in the corner of the adjoining room, with no way out. "Guards? Where are you?" He shouted. "When a fifteen year old girl can kill your guards and kill you, maybe your empire deserves a fresh coat of paint. Why shouldn't I kill you now?" I asked as I approached, not keen on killing for no reason. He just sat there, cowering so I made it quick and chopped him over the head, cleaving his skull. I walked out and said to the Innkeeper, "Sorry for the mess." He smirked, "Don't worry. Happens all the time. I'll take the cost out of their loot." I walked out, sighing as this was a deadend. I headed to Angi's Mill to follow up on Kodrir's note. Astonishingly, this was not a setup and he gave me a little gold. So I headed back to Windstad Manor to sleep. It was conveniently located near the Dawnstar Sanctuary, but I wanted to have a little privacy today. I bathed, had some sleep, and went back to the sanctuary. When I arrived, the Night Mother called to me. "Good work, Listener. Every day, more and more children are praying to their mother. The death of the Emperor has made our named feared throughout the lands. But we are too few to answer so many prayers," she said in her whispering, foreboding tones. She continued, "Our Dread Father has reached out for you, to help these children in their time of need. We must cure our family of its ills. Tell Babette, 'dreamstride.' She'll know. In the meantime, we must rebuild our numbers. This is the job for a speaker. But for now, we must be more flexible." I decided I would saddle Nazir with the official job of recruiting, since he'd expressed an interest in it already. "We need initiates," I said to Nazir, "The couple you got are great, but they don't have... you know, staying power." "What do you propose we do, Listener?" He asked. "A little kidnapping, just like you guys did with me?" I asked. "I can have some recruits at the shack, given a little time, just like the old days," Nazir said. "Got any people in mind?" I asked. "J'Zakar and M'Jirra. Ruthless. They'll be perfect," he smirked. "Any more?" "Agnar Hollowleg. I heard he crushed a man's skull with his bare hands," Nazir continued. "Alright. Let's get to it," I said, and found where Babette was hanging out. I also noted that the improvements ordered by my mom with the Thieves' Guild were finished. "So, Listener," she said, "Cicero is back and we're friends again? I can hardly keep up." "Yep. She'll serve her purpose. I mean, I don't want to clean out the old lady's folds," I said, "Hey, how did Astrid knock people out to kidnap them?" "I have a poison I can apply to daggers for you." "Perfect. Could you do this for Nazir as well? And the Night Mother told me you'd know what 'dreamstride,' means," I said. "I do. It shall be done," she said. "Also, we're recruiting. Got any ideas?" "Well, since both our mages are dead or ... gone," Babette said, "Ever heard of Undil the Warlock? He's an Altmer and very powerful. But not exactly, 'balanced." "Sounds pretty much on brand for us. Oh, and have you seen Arnbjorn?" I asked. "Not sure where he got off to," Babette said. I waited a while and then traveled to the shack. I slipped on my Shrouded Cowl, just in case, then I headed in. Two Khajit were tied there, with three hooded people tied up in the back, just like I remembered. Nazir set this up perfectly. "Who are you? Where have you taken us?" J'Zakar asked. "Be calm. Worry about what's going to happen," I said. I thought about it for a minute and realized this might not have been the best idea. I was strong for my age, but I didn't know if I could take two recruits if things went awry. I might need to rethink this in the future. "Do with Khajit what you will. Let my sister go," he said. "Ever heard of the Dark Brotherhood?" I asked. "We're no myth. I've heard the two of you are killers. Out of the three behind you, one of them has been contracted. Figure out which one," I explained, then I cut their bonds. "If we kill them, what then?" The female khajit asked. "You will have proven your worth to the brotherhood and will have a new family," I replied. They turned and cut down all three, without even questioning them. "I guess they were all probably guilty," I said, "Okay. Go north of Dawnstar. There's a black door there. Answer, 'Innocence my brother." I looted the bodies and also headed to the sanctuary. I took a trip around the Sanctuary to make sure the pair got there and look for Arnbjorn. And... a new face greeted me! "You're the Listener, right?" He was dressed in Nightingale armor, with bright green glass boots and a chef's hat. "Yes. Who are you?" I asked. "Where the hell are my manners, I'm Stabby. I've been in Cyrodiil for a few years. Starting to get the feeling that Astrid didn't get my particular sense of humor. She sent me far away and her correspondence was through letters. I kept doing jobs this whole time. You know, until the monthly letters stopped. I heard about everything that happened. Maybe if she hadn't sent me away, she would've lived. Anyway," he trailed off, "Anyway... where was I going with this. Oh yeah, the Empire found the sanctum (and my backup in Bruma, you know, the place where the Night Mother's coffin was being kept) and I grabbed all the contracts on the way out. Here you go, Listener. These are already paid for, the targets are incredibly wealthy. We could make a lot of money for the new sanctuary." He took a breath finally, "I'm... not sure, do we still do regular contracts or are they all Night Mother approved?" "We do both. I don't limit our contracts. We're hurting right now," I said. "My thoughts exactly, Listener!" He said. "Any of the contracts in Skyrim?" "Oh yeah, for sure. You just tell me when you're ready. We can go together. I can do some of them alone (though I do need some help). Your call!" Stabby said. Stabby opened up a contract, "First one: Captain Shadowscale. Lake Illinalta. They thought when his ship sank he drowned. But they forgot he was Argonian. It's been a few months since a rival pirate captain gave me this, but I'd bet it's still valid. He has a MOUNTAIN of treasure he was trying to hide in Skyrim. And if he's as greedy as they say, he probably is carrying it out of his sunken ship, by himself, a sack at a time." "Okay. We'll leave in the morning," I said. I walked over to Babette, sitting in the common area, "Hey, is this guy legit?" "Stabby? He's a little eccentric. But yeah. And Averna. She's asleep in the hallway over there," Babette replied. I walked into the hallway to find her. A forsworn woman sitting up on a bedroll. When she stood up her full height, she was tall. "Hi. How do you know Babette and Nazir?" I asked. "I used to work with Astrid. Her and I were very close. I left when she chose that beast instead of me," Averna replied, "Truth be told I didn't have a home out there anyway." "How did a Forsworn get mixed up in an outfit like this?" I asked. "I'm powerful. That's it. I left the Forsworn when I realized I had become more powerful than a Hagraven without submitting myself to such a horrifying transformation," she explained. "Well, welcome," I replied. "Sithis came to me in a dream and told me it was finally time for me to perform 'the ritual.' I am a Void Crawler, and to reach my true potential I must draw from the void and transform. He came to me a long time ago, but never told me who would help me until now. He said you could help me, so I returned. I'm ready to do whatever needs to be done in return," she said. "I can help," I said, "What is the ritual?" "It is written in an ancient grimoire. I believe an old copy is owned by an old friend of mine who lives in a coven of Hagravens." "I'll help you," I said, and she nodded to me. "Let me know when you're ready," she said, going back to sleep. I decided in the morning that I'd go with Stabby first. First come, first served. And while I was out maybe I'd find that nord recruit. We made it to the lake without incident. I dived into the water and found an Argonian there, carrying a sack of treasure off. I got out my sword and stabbed him through the chest. Easy. I came up and got some air, then ransacked the remaining treasure. Stabby and I took turns carrying the sacks of treasure up and threw them on the shore of an island. He sifted through the items. Mostly gold and art items. I grabbed the Lady Stone while I was there. "This," he picked up a goblet, "This is probably the most valuable item here. I can easily fence this for ten thousand gold. We're off to a great start, Listener!" "What's the next one?" I asked, ready to earn some more coin. "A soul gem merchant named Tharsten. The notes here say we're to plant forsworn weapons on him to implicate them." "Well, that seems pretty shitty. Don't we have a Forsworn among us now?" I asked. "Meh, she has no love for those guys. I don't know why," he said, then handed me a forsworn axe. "I guess," I said. We traveled across Skyrim to near Winterhold, taking about a day. We spent until the afternoon finding him. We passed some wolves, some more Vigilants (guess they're rebuilding) a pack of ghost skeletons (which... hat on a hat)... and then we tracked him to the Winterhold Inn, which he was just leaving when we arrived. I waited on Shadowmere until he walked out of town, then snuck up on him and backstabbed, then planted the weapon. With his dying breath, he did a shout! I'm not exactly an expert in these things, but I do know seconds later it summoned a Dragon Priest. I can tell you that I'm not strong enough to kill a dragon priest. Instead, I shouted, "RUN!" We ran into Winterhold and the guards ran out to engage the lich-like creature as it followed us into town. I snuck up on the thing and gave it a few blows while the guards and Stabby took the thing down. Stabby sighed, putting his daggers away, "What kind of religion worships a giant lizard? Anyway, ask Averna if you want to know more about Dragon Cults. I think we should rest a bit before the next contract." "First I'm going to go kidnap somebody." "Do they need stabbing?" Stabby asked. "Yeah, but nonfatally, I guess," I replied. "Aww.. you're no fun," he said. We went south to Riften, spending another day, and early in the morning we spotted Agnar Hollowleg standing on a bridge by himself. Either he was expecting me, or he was expecting someone. I took out the dagger. "Wait," Stabby said, "I'm an expert on stabs. I don't think a man of that size is going to be affected my that little poison." "Hmmm," I sheathed it, "Maybe I should talk to him?" I approached, not-stealthily. "Who are you?" The man was jumpy, already putting his hand on his warhammer. I stayed silent. "If you don't tell me right now, I'll crush your skull." "I represent the Dark Brotherhood," I replied. "The Brotherhood?! Do you realize how much civil unrest your actions have caused? The Empire is falling apart!" He drew his warhammer, "There have been riots in the Imperial City! My brother died in one of those riots! I'll kill you!" At that moment, Stabby, who'd been hanging back, jumped out of the brush and rushed the man from behind. Agnar swung his warhammer and clocked me in the chin, but I recovered, taking out my greatsword. Stabby stabbed both daggers into his back, taking him down. "Hmm... well, you win some, you lose some," I said, rubbing my chin. When we showed up to Markarth, the Lost Valley Forsworn were attacking the front gates again, but it was only a couple forsworn and a Mammoth. As soon as I jumped off Shadowmere, he started tanking the Mammoth. I guess being a magical horse has its benefits. The guards were mopping up the last couple forsworn (they only suffered a single casualty) while my team fought the Mammoth. I butchered the meat and skinned the pelt when we were done. Though mom didn't really take the time to do this very often, she'd taught me HOW to do it. It took me about an hour, but yielded a ton of meat. I figured I'd take it back to the sanctuary when this was over. Then I noticed Undil the Warlock was watching me, scratching his chin. "Hey, were you sent here to kidnap me?" He asked. I froze, "What...?" "You were, weren't you? Well, I'm game. Markarth is boring, where we headed?" He asked. Well, that was easy. I told Stabby to take the meat back tot he sanctuary and took Undil to the shack. I stepped inside and figured there was no need to put on my cowl. "What we doing?" Undil asked, paying no attention to the tied-up people in the corner. "So, Undil, have you ever heard of the Dark -" I started, then he cast a Fireball, which killed all three. "Did I pass?" He asked. "Wow," I said, not sure what to think, "Travel to the north to Dawnstar -" "Silence, my brother," he said, walking out the door. I blinked. What the hell? Could he read my mind? "Oh and I'm sorry I keep interrupting you," he said, running off in the distance. Well, that was easy. Powerful he was. -- MOOT BREAK -- When I got back to the Sanctuary, I waited several days and rested, telling the others of the goings-on. That was when my mom showed up and invited me to the Moot. AND I got to meet Serana, a delight of a woman. I stayed at Sky Haven Temple for about a week in total, then returned to the Sanctuary. Mom gave me Shadowmere full time, as she now had a skeletal horse. -- END MOOT -- My mom may not have noticed, but after the moot I stopped in Whiterun and went to the Bannered Mare. I noticed... there are a LOT of foreigners here. Refugees maybe? Now I knew for sure that the Empire was breaking under the strain of our assassination, and I brought all the news back to the sanctuary. Babette had something for me as well. "Have you ever heard of Vaermina's Torpor? It allows you to go into a dreamless sleep in which you can view another person's memories," Babette said. She handed me a potion. I walked to my master bedroom and drank it, laying down in the bed as I did. I awoke in another place - a Sanctuary far from where I was. Two ghosts stood in front of me. "Arquen, you're arrived. We're confused," the one on the right looked at me. "What is your last memory?" Arquen asked, as if playing out a set of lines that had already happened. But I was living out Arquen's memory. I was Arquen! "We killed the traitor Lachance, and entered the Night Mother's crypt, then blackness." "Brother, he was no traitor. It was Mathieu Bellamont who betrayed us. We were manipulated into killing our own," Arquen said. "What? Arquen, what are you saying?" Banus (the spirit on the left) said, "If Bellamont was the traitor, then Lachance and the family at Cheydinhal were innocent. We have broken...." "DO NOT MOVE, WORMS!" A voice said. I looked up and saw a lich, two bound bodies, and the great spirit of a woman. This is the first time I'd seen the Night Mother for real, maybe because I was in the form of a spirit. The Night Mother said, "This is Diamzel. For 2000 years, he has served our cause. I have raised him many times. He owes us many favors." Banus asked, "Mother, may I ask what you are doing with our family members?" He was referring to the bound men on the altar. "We are your family," she replied, "But that is a fair question. You murdered my children at Cheydinhal. These things a mother grieves. You must face punishment. But not in the traditional sense." Belisaurius said, "Lachance was as guilty as us for Cheydinhal." "In the eight years since he has paid his debt a thousand times," the Night Mother said, "To answer your question, your family members will be the vessels for your souls. You will be given new life. Lachance was sloppy with one of his contracts. He had a child. Within his blood boils the power of death. Speakers Arquen, Arius and Alor. You are stripped of your rank for breaking the five tenets. And you will find the child of Lucien Lachance. Only once you have the child will you know the peace of the void. Go with the dread father, children." "It is done," the lich said, having transported their souls into the bodies. Once she vanished, Banus said, "This is ... impossible. How will we three search an entire continent?" With many sighs, they all left. I felt a weight leave me, and I was in my own body, in the Winterhold Sanctuary. I approached the altar and found Arquen's journal, and first clue. I proceeded to search the Winterhold Sanctuary for anything else. I fought a few ghosts, some skeevers, and found some old books. One of them held a note that pointed out the location of a Markarth Sanctuary. So I traveled there. But it was completely covered over with hard clay. I walked into the Warrens and found a man having sex with a woman in the butt. And the woman also had a penis. Not something I really wanted to see. So I read the clue again, and it also gave information about an abandoned shack. I traveled there, and found the next clue and a hidden message in a fireplace entitled, 'Dead Drop.' Another source of assassination jobs, it pointed me to kill a nobleman in the Blue Palace that I'd never heard of, then gave me the location of another dead drop and I presume, payment. I looked up, and there was the ghost of Arquen. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Listener," she said. "Did you find the heir of Lachance?" I asked. "I was in Skyrim for seventy years. My hope dwindled. I maintained contact with Banus and Belisaurius. I eliminated the southern part of Skyrim. Bellisaurius died. Fifteen years later, I heard Banus had defected and joined the Morag Tong! Only three active sanctuaries left at this point, and my hope lost, I stopped looking for twenty years. But one day I was shopping in Solitude, and I saw familiar eyes. They were the same as his, but it was his descendant. I met with the man and explained, but he became enraged and stabbed me! I hadn't handled a blade in almost a hundred years. You will find the man's house just outside of Solitude. Name: Amatius. Go with Sithis." I figured now was a good time to do that first dead drop. I found my target sitting in a hallway with nobody around in the Blue Palace and I cleaved him in two. I guess I made a lot of noise because the guards rushed over, but I was long gone. I ran over to Amatius Manor. I knocked on the door. No answer. "Vala Amatius? My name's Runa Fair-Shield. I'm here to speak with you about something. May I come in?" I asked. I knocked harder and found, the door swung open. Immediately there was screaming coming from the basement so I drew my greatsword and charged in. I found a dark-haired woman standing between three men's corpses. "Stay back! Are you with them?" She yelled. "No. I heard screaming. What happened here?" I asked, sheathing my sword. "They broke into my house. They said they would rob me, rape me and kill me..." she said, her voice shaking. "You took on all three by yourself?" I asked, rubbing my chin. "I don't know what came over me," she replied. "Are you Vala?" I asked. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" "I'm from the Dark Brotherhood." "So you're here to kill me?" Vala asked, "I took on these three, I can fight you too!" "No," I replied. "You still haven't answered my question. Do... do you have some way of disposing of bodies?" She asked, "Do you guys have cleaners?" "You haven't thought this through have you?" I asked. "What do you mean?" "Your life in Solitude is over. Seems like you're pretty well off here," I said. "I'll just explain to the Jarl..." "Do you think it's going to make it to that point?" I asked. "What do you mean?" "I mean these guys are guards. The other guards are probably going to come looking for them. You know, their friends. And they won't bring just three. And they won't be taking prisoners." "Damn. I guess if there are guards that would rob an innocent woman's house, there are probably more. What should I do?" She asked. "You could run." "Where?" I was thinking about the fact that the holds don't share bounty data, but instead I said, "I could offer you amnesty." "You want me to join you?" She asked. "What do you know about us?" "Well, when I was a kid, my mother told me about you, but she said you were fairy tales. But then Vittoria Vici was killed at her own wedding! Nobody believed it, and the Emperor's bodyguards said they'd killed you all. But then the Emperor himself! But it couldn't have possible been true, could it?" "No myths. All true. I'm offering you a place in our family," I said. "You're not some crazy religious cult, are you?" She was starting to calm down now. "Well, kinda. But atleast I'm aware of it!" I giggled, "Come to the Sanctuary. We'll take it from there." She nodded. When we got there I opened the door for her, telling her there was a bedroll for her to sleep on. I walked over to the Night Mother. "So, you have found the Child of Lachance. You will need to train and shape her. I can see her hatred, just like her ancestor. Under your guidance, she can become powerful. Enlist your mother in this. While Lachance rests, take some of the initiates out on their first missions. They grow restless. Take Undil to Windhelm and the Twins to Morthal." I wrote down the missions in my journal. For now I still had a lot of work to do. New mods added