Episode 31: Show some cards, and get a big clue. But what does it mean?
grab the scroll, and the standard health potion
gear up, take our health potion, soul gems and empty bottle and head on out.
You're carrying the divine intervention scroll Strillian made for you, but if you're going into combat, having that healing potion might help a lot. You rush to your bunk and grab it from your bag. While you're there you also grab your soul gems and the empty bottle. You're not sure what use they'll be, but they don't take up much space. You toss it all in your inner coinpurse. It occurs to you that if it weren't for the leather skirt of your cuirass, the long crystals would probably visible through your pants. You make a mental note to avoid a certain orc woman for the time being.
Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers.
Talk to the Champion, tell him we have heard
share basic info on what they are.
If our squad leader is the highest ranking member we can inform, so be it - at the very least, inform them.
Talk to Strillian
Tell him about the ascended sleeper and what it is and what it is capable of
inform the Champion of the Ascended Sleepers combat abilities
inform Strillian
Inform the highest authorities in the Legion of what we know about the ascended sleepers.
I'm for explaining.
You head for the stairs. You're not sure who you're going to talk to, but by Celestia you're going to talk to somebody. Fortunately the 'who' problem resolves itself.
It seems that General Darius is still outside, talking to a legionnaire while another waits patiently for the chance to speak to him too. You go over to where they're standing and make yourself known. The General looks at you briefly, then resumes his discussion. The orc is explaining that he wants to be assigned to Fort Moonmoth next month, but only if he can be assured to get his present assignment back afterwards. It seems terribly unimportant given the gravity of your situation, and after a minute or so you start feeling stressed at having to wait.
:
"Excuse me, General?" "Wait your turn, Recruit."You brood silently. Darius wasn't the one who gave the order to be at the strider in 5 minutes. It's possible he has no idea that you're short on time. Or it might be that he knows, and he's making you wait anyway. Another minute passes and you feel a tap on the shoulder of your armor. It's Strillian.
:
"I was sent me to retrieve you. You'd better have a good reason for not being at the silt strider right now."Spells Known by ascended sleeper:
25-75 pts melee
Dagoth's Bosom - Drain Fatigue 20 pts for 30s on Target
Fire Storm - Fire Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Frost Storm - Frost Damage 1-10 pts in 10ft for 10s on Target
Paralysis - Paralyze for 5s on Touch
Shockball - Shock Damage 2-40 pts in 10ft on Target
Ash-chancre blight disease - Drain Personality 20-40 pts
Ash-Woe Blight blight disease - Drain Intelligence & Willpower 20-40 pts
Black-Heart Blight blight disease - Drain Strength & Endurance 20-40 pts
Chanthrax Blight blight disease - Drain Agility & Speed 20-40 pts
:
"...yeah. Actually, I do. I know what the slug creature is in charge of the attack on Khuul. It's a sixth house elite unit. It's probably strong enough to kill every one of us. The General needs to know about this."Strillian raises an eyebrow but says nothing. After a moment he falls into line with you.
:
"You're not going to drag me back to the strider?"He shrugs.
:
"Failing to appear as ordered is a lousy way to begin your first day on active duty. But the legion isn't stupid. I've never heard of anyone being punished for disobeying orders...provided that once the dust settled it turned out to be the right tactical decision. Just make sure you're right about this, Recruit.":
"Yeah.":
"Plus, I don't really want to die."You chuckle at that. The legionnaire the general was speaking to a moment ago leaves and the other legionnaire steps in and takes his turn with the General.
Quietly ask Strillian what the deal is with the Champion.
Good idea.
+1
:
"By the way, what's the deal with Entius?":
"What do you mean?":
"He seemed reluctant to take charge but the General ordered him to anyway."Strillian frowns, quickly glances both ways and speaks in a whisper.
:
"Champion Entius was charged with murder in Vivec. The Ordinators were after him and he was hiding out in the Arena underworks. Awesomeicus found him and dragged him back here. Entius swears he's innocent, but apparently there's a reliable witness. Right now there's a dispute over what to do.":
"Awesomicus brought him back? What do you know about him?":
"You remember him. You were with me when he requisitioned his armor. New recruit. Orc. On detached duty. I hear he's supposed to be really fast, and good with an axe, but I haven't spoken to him since that day we met him.":
"How did a new recruit get detached duty while I got stuck in four weeks of basic?":
"Didn't you ask about that once before? Realities of the Legion. Officers almost always come from rich families. Nobody starts at the bottom if they bring weapons, or troops, or if they're already an established veteran or mage. Spearmen are usually unskilled, inexperienced fighters. There are people out there who can solo entire platoons. I've seen battlemages who can take on 2-3 golden saints at a time. There's no point having someone like that stand in a shield wall or guard a fort."That does make sense. While you think of another question, the other legionnaire leaves and General Darius addresses you.
"Yes, what can I do for you two?"Before we go, spill to the General our intel about Ascended Sleepers.
Tell him that there are cultists hidden in cities all over the island
:
"General, I believe the 'slug creature' in charge of the assault on Khuul is an Ascended Sleeper. It is an elite combat unit and highly capable caster in the service of Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House. It favors fire, frost, and shock spells, as well as fatigue drain and paralysis. In melee it hits hard enough to kill the average man in a single blow and can inflict a variety of blight diseases that hinder the ability of both warriors and casters to fight. I fear it may be strong enough to completely annihilate our team. If it's true that a Sleeper is leading an entire team of ash creatures, the chances of a simple scout team surviving are very low."The General looks at you expressionlessly. You continue.
:
"The Sixth House cult has infiltrated all major cities, and has bases spread out across Vvardenfell. Major bases include Ilunibi, Kogoruhn, Odrosal, Vemynal..."You struggle to remember the others. There are a bunch, but those are the only names that come immediately to mind, since those are the only ones you absolutely have to go to.
:
"...of course Dagoth Ur's fortress inside the ghostfence, and others. "The General looks thoughtful.
"Ilunibi.":
"Sir?" "You said that the caves of Ilunibi are a Sixth House base.":
"Yes, sir." "Remember those three troopers I stationed at Seyda Neen after the Ash Ghoul incident? Three days ago Sellus Gravius dispatched them to investigate strange reports of activity at Ilunibi. There's been no word from them since."...wait. That relates to the main quest. Ilunibi is the cavern where the player contracts corprus disease. Does this mean that the main quest has been started? The way you remember it, the Legion found the caves and only one man made it back, insane but alive to report. Caius gets that report and sends the player to investigate. How much communication is there between the Legion and the Blades? Has the legion found the cave and reported to Caius, but he never reported his results back to the Legion? Or will at any moment an insane legionnaire show up to make his report so that the Blades can be informed so the player can be dispatched? Or does this mean that the player has been issued the quest but just hasn't turned it in yet? It's possible the Nerevarine might be at Ilunibi right now. But on the other hand, is the main quest even applicable? The assault on Khuul never happened in the game. Does that mean that the timeline you're familiar with doesn't apply? If so, how much else that you know isn't applicable? If the Sixth House really did directly attack a town as you suspect, what else might they do that you wouldn't anticipate?
"What can you tell me about these caves?":
"It's a Sixth House base. Inside you'll find some assorted ash creatures and a nasty ash ghoul by the name of Dagoth Gares who's good at infecting people with corprus."Darius nods then signals the two guards from earlier to come back over.
"Strillian, I'm going to need some messages dispatched to the other fortress commanders. If this information is accurate, I want everyone to know about it. "The two guards join the three of you and the General looks back to you.
"As for you Recruit, you're going to tell me how you know all this."
Level 5
Health 50/50
Armor rating: 1
25.7 Strength (20)
33.1 Speed (30)
35.7 Agility (30)
34.1 Endurance (30)
42.0 Intelligence (40)
42.6 Personality (40)
54.0 Luck (50)
Numbers in parenthesis are starting values
27 Acrobatics (0)
21 Athletics (5)
5 Armorer (0)
5 Block (0)
5 Heavy Armor (0)
5 Medium Armor (0)
5 Unarmored (0)
5 Blunt Weapon
5 Hand to Hand
5 Longblade
5 Shortblade
5 Spear
5 Alchemy (0)
5 Enchanting (0)
17 Speechcraft (10)
6 Mercantile (0)
* Cursed ring of athletics and drain health
* Chitin spear
* Imperial steel Cuirass
* Imperial steel helm
* Imperial steel shield
* Combat belt
* Commoner's shirt
* Commoner's pants
* Tennis shoes
* Interior coinpurse, containing:
* 44 gold
* 1 Standard Restore Health potions
* 1 empty bottle
* 2 soulgems of uncertain size
Stashed under your bed in the imperial barracks at Fort Darius
* Steel tanto, with scabbard and carrying straps
* Chitin club
* Steel longsword
* Imperial chain cuirass
Backpack (also under your bed in the barracks at Fort Darius)
Main compartment:
* A strange note that you don't know where it came from
* Letter of introduction from Ranis Athrys
* Colovian fur "helm"
* Commoner's belt
* Yellow notepad with 55 pages left
* 1 divine intervention scroll, trigger words 'take me home'
* 1 pen
* Apprentice mortar and pestle
* "20% cooler" Rainbow Dash t-shirt,
* Denim pants
* a cellphone and wallet with picture ID and $30 in cash
Small compartment
* 122 gold
* 1 ampoule Pod
* 1 bread
* 7 bungler's bane
* 3 hypha facia
* 1 kwama cuttle
* 11 luminous russula
* 1 rat meat
* 3 saltrice
* 5 spore pod
* 6 violet coprinus
ampoule Pod - [1]Restore speed
Bread - [1]Restore Fatigue
bungler's bane - [1]Drain agility
coda flower - [1]Restore luck
hypha facia - [1]Drain
kwama cuttle [1]Restore health
luminous russula [1]Paralysis
rat meat - [1]Poison
saltrice [1]Restore endurance
spore pod - [1]Paralysis
Small Kwama Egg - [1]Restore Fatigue
violet coprinus - [1]Water Walking
What do you do?