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4th of Heartfire, 427 3E
Rent for the pair of huts I'm using was due this morning and since Rey and I are doing so well here in Pelagiad I decided to renew for the rest of the month rather than going week by week. This little town is quite pleasant and today I got to officially meet more of my neighbors. Not far from my rental huts are a pair of small farms. One is occupied by a family of Dunmers, the other a family of Argonians. Each morning when I head out to go hunting I will often see my neighbors tending to their gardens. If they notice me they usually wave and give me a friendly smile.
The farm that is owned by the Dunmer family is the one that's closest to my huts so the wife of that household was the one I ended up speaking to first. I had come home from today's hunt, changed into some comfortable everyday clothes and had decided to go practice at the archery range. The lady of the Dunmer farm happened to be right outside her home feeding her goats and chickens when she waved and called out, "Good afternoon! I've been wanting to welcome you to Pelagiad and introduce myself. I'm Farusea Salas."
Coming to a stop, I replied as Farusea came out of the paddock and came over to speak with me on the edge of the road, "I'm Aeronwen Indarys. A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," she responded with a bright smile. She then caught me a bit off guard as she asked, "So tell me, Aeronwen, would you like to earn five drakes just for answering a simple riddle?"
This seemed like an odd way to start a conversation. After hesitating a moment, I answered, "I suppose so."
Appearing pleased with my response, Farusea said, "Here it is: The man who made it did not want it. The man who bought it did not need it. The man who used it did not see it. What is it?"
It took me a few moments, but after quickly thinking over the hints she had given me, I said, "A coffin."
She smiled even more as she responded cheerfully, "Yes, it was indeed a coffin! Here are your five drakes. The man who used it did not see it because he was dead." As I was hesitantly placing the five drakes into my coin pouch, Farusea continued dramatically, "But our soul sees so much when we are dead. Will yours see the right things, like the truth of the Nine Divines? Or will it see the horrors of Oblivion? Please let me answer your questions about the Imperial Cult and the Nine Divines, and perhaps through the example of my experiences help you make the right choice in your spiritual life."
More than a little surprised, I looked at her and asked, "You're a member of the Imperial Cult?"
Following a slow nod, she answered, "Indeed I am. I grew up in Ald'ruhn. I was not built to be a warrior so I would have been a peasant if I had stayed there. The Temple taught me it was my duty to our House and our ancestors to follow in tradition, and I would have done so my entire life. But then I met an Imperial Cult missionary, and my eyes were opened by the light of the truth of the Nine Divines. I moved to Pelagiad to escape the suffocation of Temple 'traditions'. My soul now feels peace and joy, especially when I contemplate the Nine."
At first I wasn't sure what to say in response. After a moment I said, "Please forgive my surprise. It's just that most Dunmer, especially the ones born here on Vvardenfell, are devout followers of the Tribunal."
Farusea responded somberly, "The Tribunal Temple has some good people in it, and does some good deeds, but they are misguided and bound by traditions, suffocating their followers without realizing it. Vvardenfell's society is stagnant because of them; unlike how it is in the Imperial Cult and the Empire where your life is yours to build to the best of your ability. But what can you expect when their religion is built around three mortals that became gods? The contradiction there is so obvious!"
Now to be perfectly honest, I am not a devoted member of the Tribunal Temple and never have been, but I suppose when I am in need of spiritual guidance I tend to be more inclined to seek help from the spiritual teachings of my Dunmer ancestors rather than the Imperial Cult. Puzzled at how she was so willing to turn her back on Dunmer traditions, I asked, "What about Tiber Septim?"
Raising her brows and appearing quite pleased with my question, she responded, "Yes, I know what you are thinking. Tiber Septim was once mortal and is now one of the Nine Divines. But the difference between that and the Tribunal is striking. Tiber Septim, or Talos, only represents the ideals of the Empire. The other Nine Divines are truly divine, or Aedra. Their powers and spheres are spiritual in nature, derived from their very other-worldly essence. How can the Tribunal, three born as mortals, ever truly have such an essence and thus impart true spiritual truth?" When I remained silent, she asked anxiously, "What is it, Aeronwen. Please feel free to ask your questions."
To that I told her, "I am familiar with the Imperial Cult. In fact where I grew up there were shrines to the Imperial Cult as well as Tribunal temples nearby, but I tend to feel more comfortable with the spiritual beliefs of my Dunmer ancestors."
Gesturing toward the north, Farusea asked, "Have you given any thought to what's happening at Red Mountain, Aeronwen? The crater of Red Mountain is thought to be Dagoth Ur's realm, where that devil and his evil servants dwell. The Tribunal built the Ghostfence around Red Mountain to imprison Dagoth Ur and his servants, protecting Morrowind from the blight storms that issue from the crater. Rumor has it that the Ghostfence is weakening. No one wants it to fail, but it just shows again the misguided beliefs of the Temple and the harm they do."
I immediately asked, "Why do you say that the Ghostfence is weakening?"
"It's being said that Dagoth Ur's ash monsters are escaping Red Mountain," she explained. Before I could reply, she continued, "And there is more talk lately about the Ashlander's Nerevarine prophecy. You've heard about that, haven't you?That one day a reincarnation of the legendary hero Nerevar will unite the Dunmer against the invaders and restore the ancient Dark Elven nation. But the Tribunal Temple says this is a false and profane superstition, and the Ordinators deal mercilessly with those who profess such beliefs. That just makes me think it probably is true. Don't say that around any Ordinators, though."
When she stopped talking long enough for me to respond, I told her, "I have heard a little about that prophecy, but my history teacher merely touched on the subject."
Stepping closer to me, she asked, "Have you ever wondered why is the Temple so upset about the Nerevarine prophecy? I think it shows how dissatisfied people are with the Temple. They have no confidence anymore in the Temple's ability to solve the problems of Morrowind. Of course, the Temple has to suppress this prophecy, because the more believers in it arise, the weaker their grip becomes. Hopefully, more people will come to see the truth of the Nine Divines, as I have." When I again remained silent, she added, "You seem confused, Aeronwen."
I assured her, "I'm not. It's just that I have always viewed a person's spiritual path as being...well...personal."
Farusea smiled and replied with a soft laugh, "That's what my husband Lloyn says. Forgive me if I seemed pushy, it's just that you seem like such a nice girl and I was concerned about your spiritual welfare. And please don't don't think I am completely against all native Dunmer traditions, though the Great Houses tend to leave much to be desired." She paused before, "Though there might be some hope for House Hllaau?"
Curious, I asked, "Why do you say that?"
She explained, "Not long ago our tax payment was due before we had a chance to sell our crops. An agent of House Hlaalu came by and was very kind as we explained that we didn't yet have the money. For a moment I thought we were going to loose Corky, which would have broken my daughter's heart."
I inquired, "Corky?"
Farusea gestured toward a mule that was withint he paddock. He is quite the handsome animal, and it's obvious from his coloring that his dam was a tarpan. A tarpan mule has the size, agility, and often the lovely coloring of a tarpan, but has the intelligence, patience, strength, and the gentle nature of a donkey.
Appreciating how much help Corky would be to the farmers, I commented, "I can see why you and your family wouldn't want to part with him."
Farusea replied, "Since we didn't have the money for our taxes, Lloyn offered Corky as payment. Oh he hated to do it but there wasn't much choice. Luckily the agent took pity on us and said he would arrange to extend the deadline for our tax payment. We immediately paid our taxes as soon as our crops were sold. We will certainly never forget that Hllaalu's compassion; a very nice Altmer fellow."
"You're fortunate that he was the one to come to your farm," I stated, knowing that very few House Retainers would have gone to any length to assist Farusea and her family.
It was around this time that Farusea's daughter came home from school, so we wished each other a good afternoon before returning to our routines. When I reached the archery range next to the fort I ended up meeting my Argonian neighbors who were practicing their archery skills.
A teenage male Argonian who had just put the bow he was using back on the rack, looked at me and said, "Hello! I'm Long shar ghi. Who are you?"
Coming to a stop, I answered, "My name is Aeronwen." Noticing a beautiful cat that was standing nearby, I asked, "Is she yours?"
Nodding, he replied proudly, "Yep. She's my best friend. She's an Akavarian cat."
Indeed she is. Her coat is a cream color but with a dark brown tail and black points on her ears. That pluse her bright saphire blue and sleek build made it easy to see that she was an exotic breed from Akavir.
Smiling at the way she wove around the boy's ankles, I stated, "It's easy to see that she loves you, and that you take very good care of her."
At that point Long shar ghi needed to head for home and do his chores, but I was then approached by his father, who said politely, "Good day, traveler. I'm Junal-Lei. I believe you are our new neighbor who is renting the little huts?"
I answered, "Yes, I am. I'm Aeronwen. I haven't been on Vvardenfell for long but I've taken a liking to Pelagiad and have decided to remain here for a while. This is such a nice, quiet town and I get everything I need."
Nodding briefly in agreement, Junal replied, "Yes, you should be fine here in the Ascadian Isles. I moved here from the busy city streets of Cyrodiil. There, I was known as the 'Leaping Lizard' due to my acrobatic skills that I demonstrated frequently for those who cared to watch. I'd go around performing through the streets of Cyrodiil, getting donations from the common folk who found my skill very entertaining. Eventually I amassed enough wealth and decided to call it quits. That's when I moved out here and met my wife Traveling New Woman. Now we live a simple life among these busy folk of Morrowind."
I asked, "Do you ever miss it? Performing, I mean."
He briefly shook his head before replying, "No, I enjoy living here quietly. I don't even really have much to do with Pelagiad other than selling my corkbulb. Of course the simple life of a farmer doesn't appeal to everyone. Adventurers typically move on as soon as they are able to since normally nothing happens here. At least not until recently."
Curious, I inquired, "What has been happening recently?"
Lowering his voice, Junal-Lei explained, "I haven't heard specifically of anything happening, but there has been talk about some sort of cult that has been recently taken root in Vvardenfell. However nothing is known of them for sure which makes me wonder if they really exist. But it's better to be safe than sorry. So it would probably be best if you stay away from the many caves that riddle the area. There's no telling who or what might be lurking within them." Glancing at the sun, he continued, "I should get back to tending my crops. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Aeronwen."
I replied sincerely, "Likewise."
From there I went about my usual late afternoon and early evening routine; practice at the archery range, then some time practicing sword techniques on the combat dummy, then to the Art Barn to work on a painting. Right before sunset I head back to the hut to prepare dinner for myself and Rey. This routine makes for a safe day and I should be able to survive by following two simple rules; don't go looking for trouble and don't take unnecessary risks. Those rules may sound dull but they can keep even a sheltered former princess alive. I'm proof of that.
*~*~*
Rent for the pair of huts I'm using was due this morning and since Rey and I are doing so well here in Pelagiad I decided to renew for the rest of the month rather than going week by week. This little town is quite pleasant and today I got to officially meet more of my neighbors. Not far from my rental huts are a pair of small farms. One is occupied by a family of Dunmers, the other a family of Argonians. Each morning when I head out to go hunting I will often see my neighbors tending to their gardens. If they notice me they usually wave and give me a friendly smile.
The farm that is owned by the Dunmer family is the one that's closest to my huts so the wife of that household was the one I ended up speaking to first. I had come home from today's hunt, changed into some comfortable everyday clothes and had decided to go practice at the archery range. The lady of the Dunmer farm happened to be right outside her home feeding her goats and chickens when she waved and called out, "Good afternoon! I've been wanting to welcome you to Pelagiad and introduce myself. I'm Farusea Salas."
Coming to a stop, I replied as Farusea came out of the paddock and came over to speak with me on the edge of the road, "I'm Aeronwen Indarys. A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," she responded with a bright smile. She then caught me a bit off guard as she asked, "So tell me, Aeronwen, would you like to earn five drakes just for answering a simple riddle?"
This seemed like an odd way to start a conversation. After hesitating a moment, I answered, "I suppose so."
Appearing pleased with my response, Farusea said, "Here it is: The man who made it did not want it. The man who bought it did not need it. The man who used it did not see it. What is it?"
It took me a few moments, but after quickly thinking over the hints she had given me, I said, "A coffin."
She smiled even more as she responded cheerfully, "Yes, it was indeed a coffin! Here are your five drakes. The man who used it did not see it because he was dead." As I was hesitantly placing the five drakes into my coin pouch, Farusea continued dramatically, "But our soul sees so much when we are dead. Will yours see the right things, like the truth of the Nine Divines? Or will it see the horrors of Oblivion? Please let me answer your questions about the Imperial Cult and the Nine Divines, and perhaps through the example of my experiences help you make the right choice in your spiritual life."
More than a little surprised, I looked at her and asked, "You're a member of the Imperial Cult?"
Following a slow nod, she answered, "Indeed I am. I grew up in Ald'ruhn. I was not built to be a warrior so I would have been a peasant if I had stayed there. The Temple taught me it was my duty to our House and our ancestors to follow in tradition, and I would have done so my entire life. But then I met an Imperial Cult missionary, and my eyes were opened by the light of the truth of the Nine Divines. I moved to Pelagiad to escape the suffocation of Temple 'traditions'. My soul now feels peace and joy, especially when I contemplate the Nine."
At first I wasn't sure what to say in response. After a moment I said, "Please forgive my surprise. It's just that most Dunmer, especially the ones born here on Vvardenfell, are devout followers of the Tribunal."
Farusea responded somberly, "The Tribunal Temple has some good people in it, and does some good deeds, but they are misguided and bound by traditions, suffocating their followers without realizing it. Vvardenfell's society is stagnant because of them; unlike how it is in the Imperial Cult and the Empire where your life is yours to build to the best of your ability. But what can you expect when their religion is built around three mortals that became gods? The contradiction there is so obvious!"
Now to be perfectly honest, I am not a devoted member of the Tribunal Temple and never have been, but I suppose when I am in need of spiritual guidance I tend to be more inclined to seek help from the spiritual teachings of my Dunmer ancestors rather than the Imperial Cult. Puzzled at how she was so willing to turn her back on Dunmer traditions, I asked, "What about Tiber Septim?"
Raising her brows and appearing quite pleased with my question, she responded, "Yes, I know what you are thinking. Tiber Septim was once mortal and is now one of the Nine Divines. But the difference between that and the Tribunal is striking. Tiber Septim, or Talos, only represents the ideals of the Empire. The other Nine Divines are truly divine, or Aedra. Their powers and spheres are spiritual in nature, derived from their very other-worldly essence. How can the Tribunal, three born as mortals, ever truly have such an essence and thus impart true spiritual truth?" When I remained silent, she asked anxiously, "What is it, Aeronwen. Please feel free to ask your questions."
To that I told her, "I am familiar with the Imperial Cult. In fact where I grew up there were shrines to the Imperial Cult as well as Tribunal temples nearby, but I tend to feel more comfortable with the spiritual beliefs of my Dunmer ancestors."
Gesturing toward the north, Farusea asked, "Have you given any thought to what's happening at Red Mountain, Aeronwen? The crater of Red Mountain is thought to be Dagoth Ur's realm, where that devil and his evil servants dwell. The Tribunal built the Ghostfence around Red Mountain to imprison Dagoth Ur and his servants, protecting Morrowind from the blight storms that issue from the crater. Rumor has it that the Ghostfence is weakening. No one wants it to fail, but it just shows again the misguided beliefs of the Temple and the harm they do."
I immediately asked, "Why do you say that the Ghostfence is weakening?"
"It's being said that Dagoth Ur's ash monsters are escaping Red Mountain," she explained. Before I could reply, she continued, "And there is more talk lately about the Ashlander's Nerevarine prophecy. You've heard about that, haven't you?That one day a reincarnation of the legendary hero Nerevar will unite the Dunmer against the invaders and restore the ancient Dark Elven nation. But the Tribunal Temple says this is a false and profane superstition, and the Ordinators deal mercilessly with those who profess such beliefs. That just makes me think it probably is true. Don't say that around any Ordinators, though."
When she stopped talking long enough for me to respond, I told her, "I have heard a little about that prophecy, but my history teacher merely touched on the subject."
Stepping closer to me, she asked, "Have you ever wondered why is the Temple so upset about the Nerevarine prophecy? I think it shows how dissatisfied people are with the Temple. They have no confidence anymore in the Temple's ability to solve the problems of Morrowind. Of course, the Temple has to suppress this prophecy, because the more believers in it arise, the weaker their grip becomes. Hopefully, more people will come to see the truth of the Nine Divines, as I have." When I again remained silent, she added, "You seem confused, Aeronwen."
I assured her, "I'm not. It's just that I have always viewed a person's spiritual path as being...well...personal."
Farusea smiled and replied with a soft laugh, "That's what my husband Lloyn says. Forgive me if I seemed pushy, it's just that you seem like such a nice girl and I was concerned about your spiritual welfare. And please don't don't think I am completely against all native Dunmer traditions, though the Great Houses tend to leave much to be desired." She paused before, "Though there might be some hope for House Hllaau?"
Curious, I asked, "Why do you say that?"
She explained, "Not long ago our tax payment was due before we had a chance to sell our crops. An agent of House Hlaalu came by and was very kind as we explained that we didn't yet have the money. For a moment I thought we were going to loose Corky, which would have broken my daughter's heart."
I inquired, "Corky?"
Farusea gestured toward a mule that was withint he paddock. He is quite the handsome animal, and it's obvious from his coloring that his dam was a tarpan. A tarpan mule has the size, agility, and often the lovely coloring of a tarpan, but has the intelligence, patience, strength, and the gentle nature of a donkey.
Appreciating how much help Corky would be to the farmers, I commented, "I can see why you and your family wouldn't want to part with him."
Farusea replied, "Since we didn't have the money for our taxes, Lloyn offered Corky as payment. Oh he hated to do it but there wasn't much choice. Luckily the agent took pity on us and said he would arrange to extend the deadline for our tax payment. We immediately paid our taxes as soon as our crops were sold. We will certainly never forget that Hllaalu's compassion; a very nice Altmer fellow."
"You're fortunate that he was the one to come to your farm," I stated, knowing that very few House Retainers would have gone to any length to assist Farusea and her family.
It was around this time that Farusea's daughter came home from school, so we wished each other a good afternoon before returning to our routines. When I reached the archery range next to the fort I ended up meeting my Argonian neighbors who were practicing their archery skills.
A teenage male Argonian who had just put the bow he was using back on the rack, looked at me and said, "Hello! I'm Long shar ghi. Who are you?"
Coming to a stop, I answered, "My name is Aeronwen." Noticing a beautiful cat that was standing nearby, I asked, "Is she yours?"
Nodding, he replied proudly, "Yep. She's my best friend. She's an Akavarian cat."
Indeed she is. Her coat is a cream color but with a dark brown tail and black points on her ears. That pluse her bright saphire blue and sleek build made it easy to see that she was an exotic breed from Akavir.
Smiling at the way she wove around the boy's ankles, I stated, "It's easy to see that she loves you, and that you take very good care of her."
At that point Long shar ghi needed to head for home and do his chores, but I was then approached by his father, who said politely, "Good day, traveler. I'm Junal-Lei. I believe you are our new neighbor who is renting the little huts?"
I answered, "Yes, I am. I'm Aeronwen. I haven't been on Vvardenfell for long but I've taken a liking to Pelagiad and have decided to remain here for a while. This is such a nice, quiet town and I get everything I need."
Nodding briefly in agreement, Junal replied, "Yes, you should be fine here in the Ascadian Isles. I moved here from the busy city streets of Cyrodiil. There, I was known as the 'Leaping Lizard' due to my acrobatic skills that I demonstrated frequently for those who cared to watch. I'd go around performing through the streets of Cyrodiil, getting donations from the common folk who found my skill very entertaining. Eventually I amassed enough wealth and decided to call it quits. That's when I moved out here and met my wife Traveling New Woman. Now we live a simple life among these busy folk of Morrowind."
I asked, "Do you ever miss it? Performing, I mean."
He briefly shook his head before replying, "No, I enjoy living here quietly. I don't even really have much to do with Pelagiad other than selling my corkbulb. Of course the simple life of a farmer doesn't appeal to everyone. Adventurers typically move on as soon as they are able to since normally nothing happens here. At least not until recently."
Curious, I inquired, "What has been happening recently?"
Lowering his voice, Junal-Lei explained, "I haven't heard specifically of anything happening, but there has been talk about some sort of cult that has been recently taken root in Vvardenfell. However nothing is known of them for sure which makes me wonder if they really exist. But it's better to be safe than sorry. So it would probably be best if you stay away from the many caves that riddle the area. There's no telling who or what might be lurking within them." Glancing at the sun, he continued, "I should get back to tending my crops. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Aeronwen."
I replied sincerely, "Likewise."
From there I went about my usual late afternoon and early evening routine; practice at the archery range, then some time practicing sword techniques on the combat dummy, then to the Art Barn to work on a painting. Right before sunset I head back to the hut to prepare dinner for myself and Rey. This routine makes for a safe day and I should be able to survive by following two simple rules; don't go looking for trouble and don't take unnecessary risks. Those rules may sound dull but they can keep even a sheltered former princess alive. I'm proof of that.
