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Ancient Dwemer Ruins, Part 2

Author: 
Sinder Velvin

Here's a list of important parts that you can jump right to: <Erasmo> <Dreekius> <Lakene> <J'Ffer, Again> <Entering The Ruins> <Steam Centurion>


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Erasmo: Ooooo... Visitors... Ooooo --

Cyrus: Greetings, I am Cyrus.

Erasmo: Aaahh! You scared Erasmo!

Cyrus: I'm looking for a woman named Iszara. Have you heard of her?

Erasmo: I hear many things. I hear the pipes rumble, the gears turn, and the whistle of seam! Heh, funny, Erasmo never hears any women.

Cyrus: What is this place?

Erasmo: What! Place scares me now! Some ancient Dwemer Observatory... Flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh!!

Cyrus: What...?

Erasmo: Richton ordered me to fix it, but the Ghosts keep me flaaasshhh!! Awake!

Cyrus: You say this place is Dwarven?

Pocket Guide To The Empire

Hammerfell's original name was Volenfell, named for the Dwemer "City of the Hammer" whose ruins lay nearly submerged by the sands of the Alik'r. Legend holds that these Dwemer were the self-exiled Rourken clan of Resdayn (Morrowind), who refused to participate in making peace with the Dark Elves. Thus, the Rourken chieftain threw his mighty hammer, Volendrung, across Tamriel, promising to lead his clansmer to "wherever it should fall." This mythic image has been depicted on the walls of several ruins in Hammerfell: a mass exodus of golden-clad dwarves, trudging through the Cyrodilic forests, Volendrung a falling star in the nightsky before them, urging them on. Sadly, these same ruins offer no clues to the mysterious disappearance of the Dwarves from Tamriel, which was everywhere the same, ca. 1E700. Before quitting this subject, we might as well address the oft-used misnomer for the Dwemer, the "Dwarves." There is nothing to suggest that the Dwemer were any less towering over humans than the early Aldmeri were; indeed, extant Dwarven goldmail more or less fits every human lucky enough to possess it. Imperial excavation of ancient and wondrous Dwarven machinery supports the Dlyxexic theory that the translation of Dwemer as "Deep Elves" might instead be read as "Smart Elves," despite the incongruity of that notion. Perhaps, then, the "brilliant students" of the titanic Ehlnofey mentioned in the Anuad are the Dwarves, and that their giant masters gave them this sobriquet.

Erasmo: Flash!! Dat's what Erasmo said! Them Dwarves knew a thing or two. Richton sent his men to the Ruins, and me here to fix this, flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh! Contraption!

Cyrus: Flash!...?

Erasmo: ...Flash! Flaaasshhh!!

Cyrus: Why did Richton send you here to fix it?

Erasmo: Aahhh!!

Cyrus: Hey, man, stop screaming.

Erasmo: But Richton kill 'Rasmo if he not fix! I was living here, lots of space and pretty metally stuff! He let me stay if I fix... If not, he say cut off Erasmo's arms and put me in a eehhh, box!

Cyrus: You mentioned the Dwarven Ruins?

Erasmo: Dwarves... Flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh!! Liked to build everything in small pieces! Damn Gugglies split without leaving instructions on their, flash!! Toys! The Ruins too big and scary for me! See for yourself, go to the west!

Cyrus: You, you ever run into any Pirates? Anybody known as Restless League?

Erasmo: You the first person I've seen in a while. Flash!! Nobody comes up here, especially Pirates! They scared, run away!

Cyrus: Run away from what?

Erasmo: Da Ghosts!

Cyrus: Ghosts? What Ghosts?

Erasmo: Flash!! Ghosts in dat Lighthouse! Shinin' da light, flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh! Sayin': 'Rasmo wake da hell up!

Cyrus: What - What about the Lighthouse?

Erasmo: Saintsport Ghosts will get you! Get you! Flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh!! Their lights will haunt you!

Cyrus' Logbook

Erasmo raves about Ghosts in the Saintsport Lighthouse keeping him awake all night, blinking "flash, flash, flaaaash".

Cyrus: Lights in the Lighthouse? You're not making sense.

Erasmo: Damn lights -- On then off, flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh! -- Keep my ass up all night!

Cyrus: Have you ever been to the Palace?

Erasmo: Once, before the Ghosts! Delivered some Dwarven books to Richton. You don't go in there unless you have something he wants.

Cyrus: What do you know about the island?

Erasmo: I know Erasmo's ass is stuck here till I fix this contraption! Aaahhh!

Cyrus: What?

Erasmo: Nothin'! I'm just doomed! Aaahhh!

Cyrus: Calm down. You look like you fixed it.

Erasmo: Wooh. No. Not work yet! Fix the Orrery, but 'Rasmo can't fix the Telescope! Eeeek! It won't fold down. Ghosts tried to get me, torment me, flash! Flash! Flaaasshhh! But I put most of it back together. No magic either! That Gear Room make Erasmo's head hurt and burn his legs!

Cyrus: Slow down, friend. What's in the Gear Room?

Erasmo: Gears! Flash!! Run on steam, them Dwarves had very very very large brains! Danger! Scary place!

Cyrus: You burnt your legs in the Gear Room?

Erasmo: Eeeek! The pain! Steam down there hot as Oblivion. Yow! Burnt my legs trying to fix the Telescope. Need another gear!

Cyrus' Logbook

Erasmo claims he's fixed the Orrery, but that he can't fix the Telescope because he's missing a gear. He says he tried to fix the Telescope, but he burned his legs down in the Gear Room.

Cyrus: You need another gear to fix the Telescope?

Erasmo: Dwarven gear! Not just any gear. Needs to go on the far side. Damn! I'd do it myself if it weren't for my legs.

Cyrus' Logbook

Erasmo says a Dwarven gear is needed to fix the Telescope -- Not just any gear.

Cyrus: How does the Orrery work?

Erasmo: Erasmo doesn't know! But it watches the sky! Dwarves knew the power of the stars, watched all the constellations and who they protected!

Cyrus: Constellations? Who do the constellations protect?

Erasmo: Flash!! Each other! Didn't your parents teach you about the stars of Tamriel? The 3 Guardians each protect 3 Charges from the Snake!

Cyrus: What - What are the Guardian constellations?

Erasmo: Every schoolboy knows of the Warrior, the Thief, and the Wizard. Of course, the Dwarves didn't believe in magic, so the Wizard is the Mechanist to them.

Cyrus: What do you mean, Charges?

Erasmo: Damn! You never read as a child! The Guardians each protect the 3 Charges of their circle. Flash!! The Thief watches the lover and Shadow. Warrior the Steed, and on and on. You Redguards are slow!

Cyrus: What - What does the Snake constellation do?

Erasmo: He slithers through the sky, ever changing with the stars. The Dwarves... Smart to watch him, just as each Guardian watches their Charges.

Cyrus: Stay calm, Erasmo.

I left the Observatory and went back to the city, where I talked to Dreekius about fixing the Telescope.

Dreekius: What is your pleasure?

Cyrus: How are you, Dreekius?

Dreekius: The Redguard. Good. Good to see you, again.

Cyrus: I've been up to the Dwarven Observatory. This crazy Elf there needs it fixed. I think I can get something out of it once that's done.

Dreekius: Don't know too much about Dwarves, Cyrus, nobody really does. You might want to talk to Lakene, though. He's a bigger Dwarf-buff than the Governor!

I left the Draggin' Tale and talked to Lakene.

Lakene: Redguard.

Cyrus: Lakene.

Lakene: What's going, Redguard?

Cyrus: You're good with a wrench, and know a lot about these Dwarves. Any ideas about fixing the Observatory?

Lakene: If it's Dwarven, the answer's in the Ruins. And I'm not about to challenge Richton's men up there.

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After I spoke with Lakene, I went to the well in the city and mixed the aloe that I had bought earlier into the water. I then put the mixture into the empty bottle that I had found earlier, and the result was a drink with healing properties. I then I went back to the Observatory, and from there I followed the path leading to the Dwemer Ruins, encountering and defeating several Imperials Guards on the way.

Eventually, I found the entrance to the Ruins, and near it I found a sign. After reading the sign, I tried to enter the Ruins, but I realized that this door was blocked, so I looked around

NO TRESPASSING

THIS SITE HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY THE IMPERIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

Next to a Dwemer Ballista, I found another entrance, which I examined.

Cyrus: It's covered by what I assume is Dwarven writing.

Since this entrance was also blocked to me, I took the nearby two bags of gold, after which I returned to the city. Once I was in the city, I went to J'Ffer.

J'Ffer: I greet you. May I do you service?

Cyrus: Sky above and sand below.

J'Ffer: And water within. You speak the Ta'Arga like a desertwalker, Cyrus. But there is no need for such formality.

Cyrus: Do you recommend Favoril's Dwarven Lore?

J'Ffer: Marobar Sul's Ancient Tales of The Dwemer is more comprehensive, but hard to come by, alas, and a weighty tome, too, at 16 volumes. For 54 gold, Favoril's little book is an excellent overview.

Cyrus: I'll take it.

Cyrus' Description of "Dwarven Lore"

This book on Dwarven lore reveals that the Dwarves were destroyed long ago by the Dark Elves. There is one interesting passage which translates the Dwarven language, which bears a slight resemblance to Elven.

J'Ffer: J'Ffer is sure you will enjoy it.

After taking the book, I went back to the Ruins and used the book to read what was written on the door.

Cyrus: Shahbth ih awerk. Stuh ndah bthahhrk. Awerd sheh ahhmmzrteh.

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The doors suddenly opened and I went inside. In the first chamber, there were broken pillars, pressure plates, two dead Imperial Guards and a large crystal hanging from the a special support in the ceiling. I avoided the pressure plates, since they made the crystal shoot harmful laser-like beams in the middle of the room. I climbed on the remains of a column, after which I was able to grab onto a ledge and get inside a tunnel made in the wall. After jumping over a chasm, I found a health potion and a bag of gold at the end of the tunnel. I then jumped on a wagon, and from there I was able to grab onto the remains of some rails. Following the rails, I managed to find a hole leading into another Dwemer chamber.

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This room contained a very nice fountain, three doors (one of which there would be no way to open right then), some nice murals, some statues, more pressure plates, a health potion, a bag of gold (I took both the health potion and the bag of gold) and two Imperial Guards. I stood in front of one of the pressure plates for a few seconds, which made one of the doors open, but it also made the statue (which was right in front of me) raise its sword and strike the spot that I was in. Luckily for me, I dodged the blow, and quickly went through the door. There, I jumped to the other side of a chasm (where I found a bag of gold), and then I jumped to another side of the chasm, where I grabbed onto a rope. From the rope that I had grabbed onto, Ijumped and grabbed onto another one, and from there I jumped on a pipe. Once I was on the pipe, I pulled a lever that opened a door on a currently unreachable part of the chasm. I returned to the chamber with the fountain and went to another pressure plate, opening and going through another door. This door led to another side of the chasm, where I found a rope from which I swung onto another rope, from which I was able to jump on a ledge where the door that the lever had opened was.

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This door led into a very small cave, where I found a health potion and a bag of gold; there was a hole in the ceiling of the small cave that led to a hallway in the Dwemer Ruins. I went through the hole and fought two Imperial Guards. I then went into a room where I found a health potion. Interestingly enough, there was a hole in the floor of this room. I, of course, went through it.

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Going through the hole, I found myself in a corridor. In this corridor, I was attacked by a Centurion Sphere, but the reward was that I found one strength potion, four health ones and a bag of gold. At the end of the corridor, there was a chamber containing two Dwemer thingies, a pipe going through one of them. I jumped on the pipe, grabbed onto a ledge and from there managed to get back to the hallway.

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At the end of the hall, there was a chasm. By grabbing and jumping on a couple of ledges, I was eventually able to get to the other side. The corridor ended in a cave with a health potion. After taking the potion, I climbed up the rope in the cave

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Climbing the rope, I found myself in a chamber with Dwemer schematics, where I fought and defeated an Imperial Guard. I went through a wide corridor which led to a large room full of pipes and blocks of stone, with a stairway to the left and an inaccessible ledge with a doorway on the right end. In this chamber, I fought an Imperial Guard and then I took the health and strength potions lying around, after which I went down a ramp leading into a cave with lava river flowing through it. Here, I found a bag of gold, a strength potion and two health potions.

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I went back to the large chamber and went up the stairs, then i went through a corridor (in which there was an inactive Centurion Sphere) and eventually I found myself in another large chamber in which there were three Dwemer Ballistae. A bridge went through the middle of the chamber and over a chasm. After I defeated the Imperial Guard in this chamber, I tried to go over the chasm using the bridge, but as soon as I approached, a large portion of the bridge fell into the chasm below.

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Having nothing better to do, I climbed down the stairs to the Ballistae below and started firing all of them. Interestingly enough, the projectile that was fired from the one pointing in the direction of the other side of bridge stuck in the wall. So I was able to cross the chasm using a long Dwemer pipe, and then grab onto the projectile, and then jump and grab onto the edge of the other side of the ruined bridge. From there, I went through a corridor (in which I saw another inactive Centurion Sphere) and fought an Imperial Guard. At the end of the corridor, I found a room with more Dwemer schematics and yet another inactive Centurion Sphere. I noticed that there were two large cracks in a wide vertical pipe, and that there was a rope going through the pipe. I went inside the pipe and climbed up the rope

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The upper part of the chamber that I was now in had several pillars and a locked door with a Scarab mural, while in the lower part there were three health potions and a doorway. I went through the doorway and found myself in a chamber with a Scarab device, dead, impaled Imperial Guards on both sides of a pressure plate. I took the two health potions on the other side of the chamber and then I stood on the pressure plate, making the Scarab rotate until its head was facing the other side of the room. I then went up on the walkway around the device and jumped on the Scarab's horns, making it reveal a head. I then turned it upside down using the pressure plate and jumped on its tail, making it reveal legs. I then used the pressure plate again, making it stand up. Afterwards, I went up the walkway and jumped on its wings, making arms appear. Arms that grabbed chains around the device. The chains being grabbed meant that, whenever I would stand on the pressure plate, the spikes that had impaled the Imperials would come out of the wall entirely for a few seconds (until now, only the edges of the spikes weren't inside the walls). As soon as I used the pressure plate again, I quickly got out of the way, so I wouldn't be impaled.

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I jumped on the legs and made them disappear, the tail taking their place. I went to the pressure plate again, and now the device's arms locked together. Once again, I went to the pressure plate and made the device stand up. The two arms grabbed onto the chain that opened the door with the Scarab mural that I had seen earlier. I went out of the Dwemer Ruins using the newly opened door. As soon as I came out of the Dwemer Ruins, I saw the two large bridges that had earlier been unreachable. I could now use them to get to the Dwemer Ruins on the other mountain.

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There were two active Centurion Spheres here, one of them on a bridge and one on the other. I defeated both and then I went to the other side, where I found a lot of pipes. After I looked around for a while, I saw a large Steam Machine and activated it. This made parts of the pipe sections start spinning.

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I went around the area and turned several of wheels, until the disks of an entire row of pipe sections became flat. I went to the Steam Machine, climbed on top of it and jumped from disk to disk until I reached a platform on the other side. There I found two towers with two wheels. I turned both wheels, making two pipes from this area connect with two pipes leading to the main facility. I then jumped off the platform and returned the pipes with disks to the configuration shown on a drawing. Steam power returned to the main facility and I was shown a short video where the disks of the pipes with disks in the main facility became flat.

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I went back to the main facility to find out that formerly inactive Centurion Spheres were now active. I defeated two of them and went back to the chamber with the pipes with disks, where I jumped from disk to disk, and then onto a chain, and then on the formerly unreachable ledge. I went through the doorway and through a corridor which led to a room where I fought another Centurion Sphere. In this room I found a potion of ironskin and three bags of gold. A doorway led to a ledge with a health potion, a ledge from which I could see the cave with the lava river. Here I found and turned a wheel which opened the formerly unopenable door in the chamber with the fountain. I then went through a corridor that led to a formerly unreachable ledge in the fountain chamber, a ledge from which I was easily able to climb down and go through the door that I had just opened.

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Behind that door there was a corridor with four health potions. At the end of the corridor, there was a chamber with a huge Steam Centurion.

Steam Centurion: Rrrooooaaaaarrrr.

While I was on the ledge around the room, the Centurion could not harm me, but I couldn't do anything to it either. I dropped down from the ledge and attacked the Centurion. To no avail. It was too large for Cyrus' saber to do anything to it, but I eventually found its weak spot: some sort of panel on its left heel. I attacked the panel several times, destroying the Centurion.

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Cyrus: Looks like a gear fell out of that creature.

Cyrus' Logbook

Salvaged a Dwarven gear from the wreckage of the Dwarven Mechanical Giant.

I took the gear that had fallen out and the four health potions and three bags of gold lying around. I then left the Dwemer Ruins through the door in the chamber that had been opened after the Centurion had been destroyed. I then went and fixed the Dwemer Observatory, and was eventually able to save Hayle's soul.

But that is a tale for the next part of the Redguard Storyline.