Chapter I:
Azra's Crossing
AZRA'S CROSSING
Our hero is Lonnasa, a Breton Battlemage. Intermingling with Elven blood has given Lonnasa an affinity for magic but hardiness is also part of her Breton heritage. Breton hardiness quickens the pace at which fatigue and health are recovered. As a Battlemage, she masters the combat magic. Mystic might increases the damage done by her, and she has a substantial magicka bonus as well. She is eager to do anything for an adventure; a typical adventurer.
Upon waking up in the morning, she finds that her village of Azra's Crossing is under attack by bandits and rats. Lonnasa grabs her dagger, healing potion, and a scroll of Blaze. Immediately, she prepares the Blaze spell and equips her dagger. She goes out and surrounded by rats and bandits, fighting her way through, eventually she reaches the Temple. She enters the building and greeted by the Acolyte Menlin.
Acolyte Menlin
"The bandits sacked our storehouse. Can you help?"
Lonnasa
"I have time, sure."
Acolyte Menlin
"We need our herbs. They packed them on those damn rats."
Lonnasa
"Where did they go?"
Acolyte Menlin
"They left the village along the stream. Bring me those herbs."
Lonnasa
"I'm on it."
She goes out and meets Gravel Trothgar, the trader.
Gravel Trothgar
"Those bandits have infested my shop with rats."
Lonnasa
"And you want me?"
Gravel Trothgar
"To kill the rats! Thin the swarm outside of town, then I will open my shop to you."
Lonnasa
"I'm on it."
She goes and slays more rats. She finds also the rat that brings the herbs that Acolyte Menlin seeks. She goes back in to the Temple.
Acolyte Menlin
"The herbs! You wrested them from those rats! Perhaps you could aid our Priestess as well? Priestess Almathea awaits you."
Priestess Almathea
"Bandits have taken many of our villagers. Can you rescue them?"
Lonnasa
"I can try."
Priestess Almathea
"Delfran will surely kill them if you cannot rescue them."
Lonnasa
"Where is Delfran?"
Priestess Almathea
"Delfran's Hideout is rumored to be northwest of here. If you reach Ghast's Pass, you've gone too far."
Lonnasa
"I'm on it."
She meets Trothgar again.
Gravel Trothgar
"Ya got the beasties! Nasty bit of work, but now I can reopen my shop."
She sells her dagger and purchases an iron longsword. She goes out of town, she meets Old Trinket
Old Trinket
"A while ago I saw rats dragging a chest toward Delfran's."
Lonnasa
"Really? Thanks."
Lonnasa follow the road, and spots some rats with chest. The hideout must be close by. Eventually she reaches Delfran's Hideout.
She goes in...
DELFRAN'S HIDEOUT
She enters the hideout and slays many bandits by using the combination of her longsword, Blaze spell, some sneaking and also running if needed. In one of the rooms, she slays Lieutenant Jolias who holds a key with "B" mark on it. She finds also Lieutenant Breser in another room, who holds a key with "A" mark on it. She wonders what are these keys, but she takes them anyway.
In one of the rooms, she meets Blanden Grizzle, a large and older thief. He seems powerful, but he doesn't attack. She approaches and begins a conversation.
Blanden Grizzle
"Ah... Bad business, raiding that village. Now you want blood. I was drinking on my own rather than watch Delfran gloat, but I am out of juice. If you would be willing to get me some juice from the kitchen... I will not stand in the way of your vengeance... and I tip well."
Lonnasa
"I'll bring some back."
In some of the cells, among the Azra villagers, she finds an Orc. He rises to his feet, wobbly, but his face set with ferocious determination.
Makor
(he nods towards his leg-irons) "I have nothing to give you now, but if you free me... My debt to you will someday be paid in full."
Lonnasa
"Who are you?"
Makor
"I am Makor. I got caught scouting for the bandit's Hideout."
Lonnasa
"How can I trust you?"
Makor
"Trust? I am just asking you to free me from your enemies. I will repay you if I can."
Lonnasa
"Okay, I will free you."
She helps pry the lock on the leg-irons. Makor thanks her and leaves. In the same room, she frees some Azra villagers. One of the villagers tells her that Birgitta was taken to a big room behind two gates. In one of the chest, Lonnasa finds a silver locket. She keeps this. She finds an interesting scroll, "Heal Wound".
In one of the rooms, Lonnasa finds a guarded elderly thief. After disposing his guards, she readying herself for the boss, but the elder thief just talks.
Grell
"I was just thinking of leaving Delfran and retiring. You help, you don't have to deal with me."
Lonnasa
"Help you how?"
Grell
"There are two rooms southeast of here where Delfran's men practice disarming traps. One of the chests Delfran had specifically warded against me. There are papers in the chest which will... help me retire. In exchange I will give you the key to Delfran's treasury just east of here."
Lonnasa
"You have a deal."
She goes out of the room and heads southeast. While examining the chests in one of the rooms, one of the chests produces a strange magical effect. A dazzling light shines from the chest, and a pair of ethereal hands rises. The hands touch her shoulder, slides over shoulder blade, and down to her shadow. The hands move around her shadow, feeling, searching. A flash and then the hands and light are gone. The chest opens. Inside is a letter of introduction, false ones, and a new identity for Grell. This must be the paper that Grell needs. She goes back to Grell's room.
Grell
"My men and I will take our leave" (Grell hands Lonnasa Delfran's treasure key then leaves)
She goes to Delfan's treasure room, and loots the valuable inside. Then she continues her exploration and mission. She stumbles into the kitchen, and meets the chef. The chef squints at her with weak watery eyes, sniffing the air.
Chef
"You must be new, you don't stink nearly as bad as the others."
Lonnasa
"Thank you."
Chef
"Take this food to the prisoners, will you?"
Lonassa
(realizes what is happening) "Sure."
Chef
(he gives her a container of stew and wags his finger) "No sampling!"
Lonnasa
"Your stew?"
Chef
(he scowls as he hands her the key to the prisoners' cells) "Let's see just how many tasty ways you can prepare rat." (he sneers)
Before leaving the kitchen, she picks some Bervez Juice. She goes to the cells, opens them, and releases the villagers. In one of the cells, she meets Heather.
Heather
"Would you be willing to find a family heirloom for me?"
Lonnasa
"What sort of heirloom?"
Heather
"My father was a silversmith. He made the locket for me before he died. The bandits scoffed at the simple locket, saying they would ‘use it for practice'. But its return would means a lot for me. Will you help?"
Lonnasa
"Is this your locket?"
Heather
"That's... it's... Oh, thank you! The Priestess was right, you truly are a blessing."
Heather hugs her, takes the locket, puts it on, and leaves. Lonnasa goes back to Blanden Grizzle and gives the juice.
Blanden Grizzle
"Ah ha! I figured you for the trustworthy sort. I am happy not to have to kill you."
He moves to a pot on the floor and taps it quickly with his foot. A dart flies up into the ceiling and a pouch is propelled upward. He catches the pouch and tosses it to her. Lonnasa thinks that it is time to deal with Delfran, and now she knows where Delfran is. She goes through the two gates, opens them with key "A" and key "B". Inside some bandits wait her, she disposes them quickly and in the fartest end of the room, Delfran awaits.
Delfran
"Ah... another villager for my growing collection."
Lonnasa
"Not today, Delfran."
Delfran
"Oh, I insist... As do my men. Take her, dead or alive."
A fight begins. In the end Delfran lay lifelessly on the floor. On Delfran's seat, Lonnasa finds Delfran's Shadowkey. She notices that in the same room there are two prisoners. She releases them.
Birgitta
"You have freed the captured villagers! Return to Almathea in Azra for a reward."
Skelos Undriel
"A thousand thanks would not repay you for rescuing me from these brutes. But far worse lurks in shadows than bandits and rats, and soon... My pardon, I forget myself. I am Skelos Undriel, Shadowmage. I should like to speak with you again, back in Azra's Crossing."
Both prisoners leave.
Lonnasa back to explore the hideout a little bit and she finds a strange gate, a Shadow Gate. She uses Delfran's Shadokey to open the gate. Inside she finds a guard, an archer.
Guard
"Delfran usually comes himself. How did you get his key?"
Lonnasa
"Delfran wants to see you."
Guard
"About time. I could use a drink."
The archer leaves the area.
Deeper into the small corridor, she fights some strange rats. These rats look darker, blurrier, and wrong in some way. Even their squeaks don't seem quite right, almost an echo of what's right. But their intent is unmistakenly ferocious. In the end of the corridor, she finds a large room with a chest. Inside the chest she finds Dusk Dagger among other things. She goes out and back to Azra's Crossing.
AZRA'S CROSSING
She goes directly to the Temple.
Priestess Almathea
"The whole village owes you a debt of gratitude, but this is all our Temple can afford."
Lonnasa receives 500 gold. She goes out and enters Gravel Trothgar's store.
Gravel Trothgar
"Always good to see a hero, especially one with good coin."
She sells her loot to the old Gravel Trothgar, and purchases some essential stuff. Then she talks with Skelos Undriel that has waited for her in front of Trothgar's store.
Skelos Undriel
"Exquisite timing on my rescue. I believe they were contemplating starting a game of ‘split the mage'. A mage named Jagar Tharn is hunting me, and I need a place, out of sight, in which to prepare my defenses. And... there's another matter, which I can tell you more about should you clear the Earthtear Caverns for me. It is located northeast of this village. Its remote location would make an ideal spot to defend myself. Are you up to the challenge?"
Lonnasa
"Earthtear shall be yours."
She goes out of town, northeast, and eventually find the Earthtear Caverns. In front of the caverns, there is a female knight. The knight greets Lonnasa.
Tanyin Aldwyr
"Ah an adventurous soul just when I need one. Vermin have overrun the cave just a few feet north of me. I was supposed to meet a group of... friends, but they were overrun. I need to stay here to warn others who I expect are coming. Inside is a map that is valuable to me. I came here for it. If you could find it. I would pay you a reasonable sum."
Lonnasa
"The map will be yours."
She enters the caverns.
EARTHTEAR CAVERNS
Inside she finds lots of rats, spiders and a handful of wormmouths. Beneath one of hanged skeletons, she finds a piece of paper, trampled into the ground. It's a letter of introduction for Tanyin Aldwyr to General Duvais. It's filled with vague references to ‘common interests'. In one of the chests, she finds Skyrim Map, the map that Tanyin Aldwyr seeks. In another chest, she finds Spider Impaler, a dagger that was specially designed to slay spiders. Then in a strange cavern with lots of crystal, she meets Rogurin.
Rogurin
"At last! Someone both walking and breathing!"
Lonnasa
"What happened?"
Rogurin
"I was finishing a letter by lamplight, then I felt a chill. As the cold grew, I saw a man pull himself up from out of my shadow. I tried to raise an alarm but the figure just touched my lips and I froze. He then wandered to the bridge, chanting deep and low. Vermin poured in from outside. We fought them. The chant changed, spiders boiled out of the chasm. Too many, too..."
Lonnasa
"I see."
Rogurin
"I am healing here. But I could use your help."
Lonnasa
"What do you need?"
Rogurin
"I need the letter I was writing, which I..."
Lonnasa
"Would this be it?"
Rogurin
"Yes! Yes! Thank you so much."
Rogurin gives Lonnasa his leather gloves. He salutes and leaves the caverns.
In the farthest reach of the caverns, Lonnasa meets a giant spider, the Spider Queen. Lonnasa uses all her magicka to burn her with her Blaze spell, and thanks to Spider Impaler, the queen is finally defeated. In the chest behind the queen, Lonnasa finds Spider's Shadowkey.
Later in one of the caverns, she has difficulties to enter the cavern. The way is blocked by an unseen force. A whispery voice says, "You...", then disappears in shrill shriek. And then the way is somehow opened.
Inside, a desiccated pair of undead bars her path. One speaks, with a voice like leather being torn, "Pergan". The other says, "No, not him. Hum of blood, warm, this one." And they attack. Lonnasa easily disposes the two undead. She continues forward. In the cavern she finds a strange glowing crystal. When she touches it a shadow slide and slip over the surface of the crystal, it cracks, pieces all away to reveal an item. A voice says, "Interloper, neither key nor Azra's handiwork are for you. What you take from him today, later I shall take from you thrice fold." The voice fades, leaving Lonnasa alone in the cavern. She has no idea what has happened.
Feeling that her missions have accomplished, she gets out of the caverns.
AZRA'S CROSSING AREA
She talks again with Tanyin Aldwyr.
Tanyin Aldwyr
"Clean execution of your mission. This will be most helpful to our cause. I am heading to Dragonstar city via Snowline. Perhaps I will see you again soon. This land needs people like you, people with courage to act."
The knight then turns her attention to the map, and leaves shortly. Lonnasa goes back to Azra's Crossing.
AZRA'S CROSSING
She directly seeks to talk with Skelos Undriel.
Skelos Undriel
"Yes, yes, yes! I doubt Tharn's minions will find me in that hole in the ground. I shall make quarters there and begin my work..." (he leans and whispers) "This work is vital. I know from conversations in Delfran's that someone is using the war to build a Shadow of Conflict. The war is but the fuel for this creature, this Umbra'Keth. It must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Jagar Tharn or some other likeminded mage. I ask you to help me contain this creature. It needs to be stopped. For that I will need five magical crystals, Star Teeth. Head north to Ghast's Pass. There, search for either the Twilight Temple or the Witch Tree. Those would be a good start. If you return the crystals to me I shall reward you. And you will be saving your homeland from untold destruction. Let me know when you are ready to take on this task."
Lonnasa goes to Trothgar's store and sells her loot from the caverns, then she talks again to Skelos Undriel.
Skelos Undriel
"Are you prepared to collect the five Star Teeth that I require?"
Lonnasa
"Yes."
Skelos Undriel
"Excellent, I am about to leave for Earthtear to research the warding of the Shadow of Conflict. Meet me there when you've collected the five Star Teeth I need.
Lonnasa
"Goodbye Skelos."
After a proper rest, Lonnasa goes out of Azra's Crossing and heads toward Ghast's Pass. There is a great gate that separates the area of Azra's Crossing and the Ghast's Pass. She enters the great gate.
Next: Chapter II: Ghast's Pass
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