Loth’Na Caverns
The caverns look menacing. There are two levels of the caverns. The top is path-like with no railing on the right and left and infested with goblins and snow wolves, not counting the Skyrim Raiders. And then the lower level, infested with poisonous floaters and some hungers. Near the entrance she finds a ghost, not a hostile ghost.
Pilgrim Ghost
“Skyrim… killed us, all of us, yet we are still bound to this place.”
Player
“Us?”
Pilgrim Ghost
“We were simple pilgrims, here to seek answers from divine crystal. They came, corrupted the crystal for their own purposes.” (the ghost hesitates) “And they killed us. I need final rest, as do my companions. Will you help us?”
Player
“I am on it.”
Pilgrim Ghost
“My beloved gave me a ring to bring me luck on my journey. It is on my body, which lies north and a little west of here. But first you must destroy the desecrated crystal. They use it to fortify themselves. With it they might be too powerful to defeat. The crystal lies in the northeasternmost part of this cavern.”
Player
“Okay.”
She goes deeper into the caverns. As the ghost said, there is a yellow big crystal in the northeastern part of the caverns; the fortifying crystal. She smashes it down, now those Skyrim Raiders should not be too hard to defeat.
In one of the corners of the caverns, she finds a Loth’Na Stone. As she touches it, the stone slits her skin, and then slips underneath. She feels a terrible pain; she feels her body is burning. Then the burning agony begins to subside. She realizes that her maximum health is dropped a bit, but her Strength and Agility are increased.
Then she finds a group of people, and she knows exactly that these are Skyrim Raiders and its leader, General Duvais. The General sneers as she approaches.
General Duvais
“So much for Aldwyr’s sensibilities. She thought you were on our side.”
Player
“I am. Just not today.”
The General and his boys are attacking. The player has to do lots of hit-and-run to defeat all of them. Eventually the Skyrim Raiders are dead. Near the body of the General, they find a Shadowkey. Interesting…
They explore the caverns some more and find a Shadow Gate in the middle of the lava chasm. Excited, they open the gate and find an orb in the center of the room. The orb glows with a light far more intense than that from the lava below. Beyond, they see a shadow. They reach out and touch the shadows flittering around the orb. They recoil. They try again, and swiftly they grab the shadow form. It quickly coalesces into the Shadow Stabber. A powerful short blade, but they prefer their Magicka Edge Axe.
Then they find a remnant of a pilgrim; this must be the body of the Pilgrim Ghost. In the body, they recover the Ghost Ring. They go back to the entrance to deliver the ring.
Pilgrim Ghost
(he moans slightly at the sight of the ring) “The pain… is the right sort… I am grateful.” (the pilgrim sways back and forth, lost in the thought, then he whispers) “My brethren still need to be freed. Will you help them?”
Player
“Yes I am ready.”
Pilgrim Ghost
(the ghost pauses, looking to the southwest) “Yes… they still call to me. There are five other ghosts. Please lay their bones to rest and return so I may know my time has come as well.”
Player
“I am on it.”
They try desperately to find those bones in these vast caverns. The bones are difficult to find. Eventually, they find them in the lower part of the caverns.
They quickly recite a prayer for the bones of the pilgrims, urging them to pass beyond. As they pray for the pilgrims, something behind them echoes those words. Turning quickly, they see nothing. They talk to themselves, “I have a bad feeling…” As they pray for the last pilgrim, a shriek pierces the air. Apparently, this one did not want to rest in peace. They continue. Then all done. The bones of the pilgrim remain, but their spirits have been freed.
Then, out of nowhere, a hunger attacks them from behind. They kill the daedra, but another one appears and begins slashing at them. They are spawning, so after defeating the last one, they depart, never looking back. They meet again the Pilgrim Ghost.
Pilgrim Ghost
“Thanks you, I am afraid of what is next, but still… thank you.” (the pilgrim ghost fades away)
Nothing more to do in these caverns, the player goes back out and heads for Snowline to meet Rilora.
Rilora
“You have come from Dragonstar? With news of Penelope? You are too wonderful!” (Rilora’s relief is obvious as her eyes start to water)
Lonnasa takes some rest in the Snowline and also unloading their loot from the Loth’Na Caverns to Wendek Freetalker’s store. Then, the player leaves for Dragonstar.
Dragonstar West
The player goes directly to Porliss Caith and tells their story.
Porliss Caith
“It’s done! That Skyrim foothold is no more!
Porliss nearly leaps with excitement, then composes himself. He shakes Lonnasa’s hand and grins, and he hands a Star Tooth to her. Now she has six Star Teeth. It’s time to go to Glacier Crawl. But before that she has to go to Penelope first.
Dragonstar East
Penelope
“Oh, oh! You have returned, and with news of Rilora! You are completely wonderful!” (Penelope hugs the playe rand smiles) “It’s wonderful to hear that Rilora is doing well.”
After all these, the player leaves and heads to Glacier Crawl. They know that Glacier Crawl is a cavern near the Stout’s Trading Post, which is located north of Ghast’s Pass. They have to go back to Dragonfield and then Snowline before reaching the Ghast’s Pass. A long way, indeed.
