Player
The player arrives at the Lake Arrius Caverns, high in the Colovian Highlands. They head inside. At the end of a short passageway, they find a door flanked by Mythic Dawn banners and a guarded by a single, non-agressive cultist.
Doorkeeper
Dawn is breaking.
Player
Greet the new day.
Doorkeeper
Welcome, sister. The hour is late, but the Master still has need for willing hands. You may pass into the Shrine. Harrow will take you to the Master for you initiation into the service of Lord Dagon. Do not tarry. The time of Preparation is almost over. The time of Cleansing is near.
The doorkeeper unlocks the door, and the player heads inside. There, they find another cultist waiting for them.
Harrow
I am Harrow, Warden of the Shrine of Dagon. By following the Path of Dawn hidden in the writings of the Master, Mankar Camoran, you have earned a place among the Chosen. You have arrived at an opportune time. You may have the honor to be initiated into the Order by the Master himself. As a member of the Order of the Mythic Dawn, everything you need will be provided for you from the Master’s bounty. Give me your possessions, and put on this initiate’s robe.
Player
With no choice, the player gives up up all of their possessions. In their stead, they receive the mythic dawn robes.
Harrow
Very good. Follow me. I will take you to the Shrine.
Journal
Harrow, the Warden of the Shrine, accepted me as an initiate into the Mythic Dawn cult. I was required to give him all my possessions and dress in an initiate’s robe. He said that the Master, Mankar Camoran himself, is here at the shrine, and might perform my initiation himself. I should follow Harrow and see if he leads me to Mankar Camoran and the Amulet of Kings.
Player
They head further into the shrine. As they walk, the player can overhear conversations between the cultists.
Mythic Dawn Cultist
When will the Master order the Cleansing to begin? Everything is ready. The door is unlocked. We just need to throw it open for Lord Dagon to enter.
Mythic Dawn Cultist
Patience. We will see Lord Dagon walk the earth with our own eyes. Nothing can stop us now.
Mythic Dawn Cultist
I hear that everything is ready for the Cleansing to begin. Sister Orla has seen the gate citadels. Lord Dagon is mustering His finest troops.
Mythic Dawn Cultist
It will be glorious when the smoke of the burning cities rises to blind the eyes of the false gods! Their reign over Tamriel is almost over.
Mythic Dawn Cultist
I can’t find Brother Jerrol. I need something out of the storeroom. Have you seen him?
Mythic Dawn Cultist
He’s never around when you need him. And he never attends services anymore. If he’s not careful, he may find himself on the altar one day soon.
The player chooses to talk to one of the cultists.
Mythic Dawn Guard
How can I serve you, sister?
Player
Can you tell me about Mehrunes Dagon?
Mythic Dawn Guard
We have been preparing for the coming of Lord Dagon for many years. You come to us at a fateful time. The Master has promised us that the Time of Preparation is almost over! The Time of Cleansing is almost here!
Player
Can you tell me about Mankar Camoran?
Mythic Dawn Guard
The Master is preaching in the Shrine as we speak! Hurry, you should not miss the chance to hear the Master’s words!
Player
They follow Harrow inside. They enter a large chamber with an altar and a statue of Mehrues Dagon. An Altmer, who must be Mankar Camoran, stands by a pulpit and speaks to an audience of cultists. He is wearing the Amulet of Kings.
Mankar Camoran
The Dragon Throne is empty, and we hold the Amulet of Kings! Praise be to your Brothers and Sisters! Great shall be their reward in Paradise!
Followers
Praise be!
Mankar Camoran
Hear now the words of Lord Dagon. “When I walk the earth again, the Faithful among you shall receive your reward: to be set above all other Mortals forever. As for the rest: the weak shall be winnowed; the timid shall be cast down; the mighty shall tremble at my feet and pray for pardon.”
Followers
So sayeth Lord Dagon. Praise be.
Mankar Camoran
Your reward, Brothers and Sisters! The time of Cleansing draws nigh. I go now to Paradise. I shall return with Lord Dagon at the coming of the Dawn!
Mankar Camoran opens a portal and disappears.
Harrow
We have a new Sister who wishes to bind herself to the service of Lord Dagon.
Ruma Camoran
Advance, initiate.
Player
They step up onto the dias. Notice the Mysterium Xarxes is on the altar.
Journal
Mankar Camoran escaped to his realm of Paradise with the Amulet of Kings, and closed his magical portal behind him. But the Mysterium Xarxes itself is here in the shrine. I must get the Mysterium Xarxes. It is my only hope of finding a way to recover the Amulet now.
Ruma Camoran
You have come to dedicate yourself to Lord Dagon’s service. This pact must be sealed with red-drink, the blood of Lord Dagon’s enemies. Take up the dagger and offer Lord Dagon the sacrificial red-drink as pledge of your own life’s blood, which shall be his in the end.
Player
I will slay the sacrifice.
Ruma Camoran
Lord Dagon thirsts for red-drink. Sate him.
Player
The player is given a ceremonial dagger. Rather than killing the prisoer, they decide to free him.
The player grabs the Mysterium Xarxes and runs.
Journal
I have the Mysterium Xarxes, the Mythic Dawn’s book of secrets. Now I must escape this place and return to Cloud Ruler Temple.
Ruma Camoran
She dares to touch the sacred Xarxes! Kill her!
All the cultists attack. The player defeats them and retrieves their belongings.
Jeelius
Where am I? What is this place? Arkay preserve me, I remember now … hooded men grabbed me as I was leaving the Temple … We must get out of here! Come on!
Player
They escape from the Lake Arrius Caverns.
Jeelius
I am a priest in the Temple of the One in the Imperial City. Perhaps our paths will cross again one day.
Journal
I have escaped with the Mysterium Xarxes. Now to deliver it to Martin at Cloud Ruler Temple.
Player
The player travels to Cloud Ruler Temple.
Jauffre
Thank Talos you’ve returned safely! Do you have the Amulet?
Player
No. Mankar Camoran escaped with it.
Jauffre
Please tell me you have some good news…
Player
Maybe. I have the Mysterium Xarxes.
Jauffre
Ah. Good. You should take that to Martin right away. He’ll be in the Great Hall, reading. He’s hardly taken time to sleep since you left.
Martin
Ah, you’re back. I told Jauffre not to worry… I can see you have bad news. You didn’t recover the Amulet, did you?
Player
No. But I have the Mysterium Xarxes.
Martin
By the Nine! Such a thing is dangerous even to handle! Forgive me. You were right to bring it. But you’d better give it to me. I know some ways to protect myself from its evil power.
Player
Hand Martin the Mysterium Xarxes.
Player
Can the Xarxes lead us to Camoran?
Martin
I don’t know. Maybe. I suspect that the secret of how to open a portal to Camoran’s Paradise lies within these pages. But I will need time. Tampering with dark secrets, even just reading them, can be very dangerous. I’ll have to proceed carefully. In the meantime, you should speak to Jauffre. He was concerned about reports of spies in Bruma.
Player
Can you tell me about daedric magic?
Martin
I put aside the dark arts when I became a priest. But the workings of fate may be seen in this, too. ‘The gods can turn anything to good’, or so I piously told those who came to see me for advice. Perhaps I may yet come to believe it myself.
Player
Can you tell me about the Mysterium Xarxes?
Martin
This evil book was written by Mehrunes Dagon himself, and given by him to Mankar Camoran. I believe Mankar Camoran used it to create his Paradise. It should give us the means to open a gate there ourselves. I will continue studying it.
Journal
I delivered the Mysterium Xarxes to Martin, and told him that Mankar Camoran had escaped to Paradise with the Amulet of Kings. Martin believes the key to opening a portal to Camoran’s Paradise lies within the pages of the Mysterium Xarxes, but he will need some time to study it, and ward himself against its evil power.
Player
Can you tell me about the Oblivion Gate?
Martin
It is now clear to me that the only way to stop the Oblivion invasion is to relight the Dragonfires. Emperor, Amulet, and Dragonfire—with these divine gifts, the daedra of Oblivion have been kept at bay for thousands of years. While the Dragonfires burned, the divine barriers kept the daedra from making more than fleeting visits to our world. But the Dragonfires can only be relit by an heir of the Septim blood wielding the Amulet of Kings. This was the essence of Mankar Camoran’s plot. He was undone only by the merest…chance…but his complete victory remains perilously close. We must recover the Amulet of Kings and relight the Dragonfires, before it is too late to stem Dagon’s invasion.
Martin
I hope to have at least part of the Mysterium Xarxes translated in a few days. Speak to Jauffre about those spies in the meantime.
Baurus
I never had time to properly thank you for your help back in the Imperial City. I wouldn’t have made it back here if it weren’t for you. Now that we have a free moment, I thought you might be able to use some tricks I’ve picked up fighting with the Blades over the years. Nobody who hasn’t trained with the Blades will know these moves, so you should find them useful. See, when they swing at you sidearm, you twist your wrist like this… exactly! You’re a natural at this. Let me show you another one…
Player
Can you tell me about Cloud Ruler Temple?
Baurus
I haven’t been to Cloud Ruler since I was a young trainee. It feels good to be back. The Blades have always been here, and always will be.
