Skip navigation
Library

Crypt of Hearts

Author: 
Xan

STOUT'S TRADING POST

Lonnasa walks steadily to the Crypt of Hearts. On the left side of the crypt, she notices a ramp that can be climbed, curious, she climbs the ramp. On the top, she finds a teleporter. She does not know where this teleporter would be teleport her, if she stepped on it. Perhaps dangerous, so she readied her Magicka Edge Axe, and then steps on the platform.

She is teleported to a high cliff and surrounded by several floaters. Frantically, she slashes with her axe, while the other hand busy with healing potions. These floaters are dangerous. Eventually they are dead, but Lonnasa is wounded badly. Taking several gulp of healing potion revive her. Lonnasa notices that there is a chest. Apparently the floaters are guarding this chest. Inside is a gossamer thin wrap of darkness to armor her arms, the Shadow Band, a powerful armor.

Upon arriving in the front of Crypt of Hearts, Lonnasa notices a familiar figure. Old Trinket!

Old Trinket

(his smile is slow, somehow dangerous, but still welcoming) "So you are going in, are you? I might be able to help a little. I scouted a bit inside."

Lonnasa

"Help is good."

Old Trinket

"The crypt's caretakers have been slaughtered, although I thought I heard one to two scurrying about, trying to stay alive. The thing you are looking for is deeper down than the level I scouted, although there is plenty to do before you can safely walk the first level. Would you like me to show you a trick or two before you head out? Might keep you breathing a little longer."

Lonnasa

"Sure."

Old Trinket

(he teaches how to increase her awareness of her opponents actions, never once slowing down his chatter during the lessons)

"I know you were trouble, the right kind of trouble, before you killed your first rat. You had that look. I had it once."

(Lonnasa torso-twists just in time to avoid a blow; Old Trinket nods approvingly)

"I was already yesterday's hero when I arrived in Azra's Crossing."

(Trinket's sudden leg whip drops Lonnasa to the ground)

"And you are tomorrow's hero just waiting to step into legend."

(Lonnasa knows that her defense has increased permanently)

"The problem is today. We cannot wait until tomorrow."

(he looks at her)

"Want to keep going?"

Lonnasa

"I can go another round."

Old Trinket

(Trinket's flurry of punches makes her regrets her hasty decision to go another round, but she quickly learn to counter a variety of his moves)

"Anyway, Pergan Asuul and his bunch are definitely laying in the weeds for you. But the way I see it..."

(she deftly dodges Trinket's combination; he grins)

"There are no weeds tall enough to hide them from you."

(he pauses, huffing a little; Lonnasa knows that her defense increases again; he nods to her...)

"Go get 'em."

Lonnasa

"Thanks. I'm on my way."

With these words, Lonnasa enters the Crypt of Hearts - Level I

CRYPT OF HEARTS, LEVEL I

The moans, the noises are unnerving, but the smell is what will stick with her the rest of her life... however long that may be. This entry level of the crypt is inhabited with ghosts, zombies and some nasty floaters, as well as rats.

In the southwest part of the crypt, she finds a locked door. She tries the door. From behinds the door she hears a muffled, "Go away, you undead fiends!"

Lonnasa

"I'm here to help."

Crypt Caretaker

"You sound... alive!"

Lonnasa

"Thus far. Please open up."

She hears a mechanical clack of a ponderous mechanism. The mechanism stops with a thud, and the door unlocks.

Crypt Caretaker

"Blessed be! Someone whose heart still beats. That wretched Shadow Master came, conjured, and killed so many of us.

Lonnasa

"Shadow Master?"

Crypt Caretaker

"Some mage, undead by the look of him. He is nurturing some beast in the depths of the crypt's third level. If you would be so kind as to remove the monsters at the entrance of this now evil place, I would be happy to share what I know with you."

Lonnasa

"Consider it done."

Crypt Caretaker

"What can I help you with? Braziers? Shadow Gate? Star Teeth?"

Lonnasa

"Braziers."

Crypt Caretaker

"The braziers bless the worthy. Those on this level fortify the body. Those on the next level increase the mind, and the spirit is fortified on the final level."

Lonnasa

"Shadow Gate."

Crypt Caretaker

"The one across the way? It requires three Shadowkeys to open. Mind you, I have never seen a single key. Rumor is, it locks in some pattern for a suit of armor; lower keys produce lighter armor, higher keys heavier armor, or some such. There is another Shadow Gate on the next level, but it's behind a maze of doors I have never negotiated."

Lonnasa

"Star Teeth."

Crypt Caretaker

"The Vault of the Heavens is the next level down, in the southwest. If you have enough, place the Star Teeth in the holders. The result is a powerful enhancement which can help you against creatures of shadow, but it is restricted to the Vault of the Heavens. You would have to lure the beasts in to the vault for the enchantment to help you."

Lonnasa

"Good, I'll be back."

The Crypt Caretaker looks at her with hope in his eyes, smiles, then begins to pack his belongings. Lonnasa goes back to the entrance, making sure that all the undead are exterminated. Then she goes back to the Caretaker's room.

Crypt Caretaker

(his eyes well up, looking at her with disbelief) "You did it, didn't you! I am going to live. I didn't think it possible until this moment." (he clasps Lonnasa's hand and then exits the crypts to go look for his family)

Lonnasa exits from the room and goes directly to the Shadow Gate across the room. The familiar form of a Shadow Gate lies before her. She remembers Crypt Caretaker's explanation of this Shadow Gate. Since she is a Battlemage, she needs only a light armor, so she chooses to use lower keys.

The problem is she doesn't know which ones are lower keys. So she chooses the earlier Shadowkeys. That means Delfran's, Spider's and Twilight Shadowkeys. She puts those three keys one by one, and the gate opens quietly, as silent as fog and twice as cold. Inside she finds Shadow Weave, an impossibly supple armor for its protection. Very nice armor, indeed!

In the southern area, she finds four braziers. These must be those braziers that Crypt Caretaker told her. She chooses one and touches it. The flames temper her sinews, increasing her agility. She touches the next brazier, and the fires toughen her, increasing her endurance. The next brazier increases her speed and the last brazier increases her strength.

Then on the southeast part, she finds maze-like path with some strange symbols on the floor. Lonnasa knows these must be traps. She tries her luck and agility to bypass those traps. In some parts, she succeeded but on the other, she had to feel some nasty stings. Luckily with her endurance she can survive those traps. In the far end of the maze, she finds a chest. Examining, she finds no other traps. She opens the chest, inside she finds the Shade War Axe. An incredible axe, more more powerful than her Magicka Edge Axe. Happily she wields the axe.

Then she meets Azra Nightwielder in the middle of a big room with some ghosts and zombies. After vanquishing those undead, she talks to Azra.

Azra Nightwielder

(he grimaces) "Good. You... are here. You must take the seven... Star Teeth to the Vault of Heavens. Find the beast and lure it there."

Lonnasa

"First, I help you."

Azra Nightwielder

(he shakes his head) "Destroy the Umbra'Keth and I shall step from the shadow elsewhere. If it is allowed to live, it will consume me completely. The creature is at the deepest level of this crypt. Find it now."

Lonnasa

"Okay."

Lonnasa explores this level a little bit, and finds nothing except more undead. Then she decides to go to the next level.

CRYPT OF HEARTS, LEVEL II

The noises are fewer here. It's quiet enough to hear her own footsteps. The smell is worse and the feeling more oppressive.

She explores the southern parts of this level. In one of the room there is a cabinet. Opening the cabinet, she finds a dark metal mace with a runic ‘A' on one end and an ‘N' on the other. This must be Azra's Mace. In the next room, she finds gilt-edged learning scrolls containing Azra's Sustenance and Azra's Wrath. She wonders how these items ended in this level.

In the southern part of this level, she finds a Shadow Gate. Excitedly, she examines the gate. This Shadow Gate has a lock, which keeps shifting slighting in shape. After careful observation she decides the lock is meant to take any Shadowkey. She takes a random key and uses it on the gate. The Shadow Gate swings open.

Inside there is no chest; instead there is only one brazier. The brazier's flames warm her, but do not burn. As the flames caress her body, she feels her heritage strengthening; her racial advantage improves.

Finally she finds a room with a teleporter in it. She steps on the platform and transported to the Vault of Heavens. Inside, she tries to put the Star Teeth in the pedestals. But the pedestals do not respond. Perhaps she needs to lure her prey closer before they can be activated.

In this vault, she finds two braziers. One brazier increases her intelligence and the other increases her willpower.

Then she finds a stairs to the lowest level, but Pergan Asuul guards the stairs.

Pergan Asuul

"I am getting quite tired of seeing you, whelp."

Lonnasa

"This is the last time."

Pergan Asuul

(he smiles, the most natural smile his distorted face can manage) "Absolutely. But I admit to being a poor host the last times."

Lonnasa

"Your death is all I ask for."

Pergan Asuul

(his smile stretches past the point of possibility) "Oh, but a good host always lets his guest go first. This time, you shall die!"

Lonnasa

"To the death!"

The battle begins. Pergan Asuul is indeed powerful in this incarnation. Lonnasa has to use all her magicka combined with Shade War Axe to finally crush the Shadow Mage. In the end, the lifeless body of Pergan Asuul lies broken on the floor.

CRYPT OF HEARTS, LEVEL III

This floor is quiet, but there is a rhythm she feels, like a slow powerful heartbeat.

Then, a host of zombies, ghosts and hungers attack. As usual, the combination of spells and axe proves more powerful than these creatures. As the last creature dies, its body contorts and speaks, "I, the shadow of conflict, await you."

Lonnasa goes further, and more undead and daedra attack. Like the previous encounter, the last creature that fell speaks, "I, the shadow of conflict, welcome you. You, hero, are the soul of conflict."

In the most eastern part of the level, a hideous creature emerges out of nowhere and attacks her. Lonnasa throws several blazing balls of fire at it, and surprisingly it falls. Umbra'Keth melts into the shadows to heal its wounds. She then prepares herself for an assault from the shadows.

Lonnasa retraces her steps, and heads for the stairs to level II.

CRYPT OF HEARTS, LEVEL II

As she steps on the level II, Umbra'Keth emerges again out of nowhere and ambushes her. Its attacks are terrible indeed; she has to run while using her healing potions. Again, after several direct hits, Umbra'Keth disappears. Lonnasa knows that Umbra'Keth will be back sooner or later; she has no choice but to go to the Vault of Heavens as fast as she can and then utilizes the Star Teeth.

She arrives in the Vault of Heavens, and immediately goes to the Star Tooth holders. She slips a Star Tooth into the holder. There is a low hum coming from the stand.

She places the second Star Tooth in a holder. The hum grows louder. She continues. The third Star Tooth produces a different tone than the first two. As she placed the fourth, all four Star Teeth begin glowing. The fifth causes the shadow shrivels and vanishes from the wall. As she places the sixth Star Tooth, she feels that something deeper within the crypt notices her. Then, the last Star Tooth. Something lashes out at her spirit, but recoils at the edge of the seven pointed star. She is now ready to hunt Umbra'Keth.

Then as the previous encounter, out of nowhere, Umbra'Keth materializes. This time three times bigger, and obviously tougher. Hit and run she goes, and eventually the magnificent Shadow of Conflict falls, forever...

She notices that after the death of Umbra'Keth, a teleporter glows in the middle of the star. Previously, the teleporter was not functional as she stepped on it. Inhales deeply, she steps on the platform. And in an instant she is teleported to Azra's Crossing. Azra Nightwielder is waiting for her, and he greets her happily.

Azra Nightwielder

"I'm glad to see my teleporter came in handy."

Lonnasa

"Ah, so that's how..."

Azra Nightwielder

"Yes, I figured you needed all the help you could get. I wish I could have done more... but it looks like you handled yourself well quite well on your own."

Lonnasa

"Thanks to you."

Azra Nightwielder

"No, it is I who owes you thanks. You truly are the hero I was hoping you'd be. But, now it is time I continue my own journey. The shadows call me. Safe journeys, hero. Until we meet again..."

Lonnasa

"Until we meet again."

Azra disappears after his last words. Lonnasa heads for the temple, near the temple she meets a happy Skelos Undriel.

Skelos Undriel

"You've done it! You've put an end to the Shadow of Conflict. I had my doubt about you, but it appears I worried for nothing. You saved my life, and for that I will be eternally grateful. In fact, you've saved us all from a horrible fate, and for that you will always be remembered."

Lonnasa

"My pleasure."

Skelos Undriel

"So what's next for our village's very own hero? Are you off to new adventures?"

Lonnasa

"Sleep sounds good." (smiling)

THE END