I'm replaying Enderal, a total conversion for Skyrim. I found it well-made, with a gripping story, great characters, and excellent music. I got a whole bunch of mods for my next playthrough, and one adds in a journal one can write in to record thoughts, events, etc. I'll be keeping this journal up as I play, and I figured it would be fun to share it here.
Heartfire, 12th, 4E 8234
Well, we're all certainly one big, happy, united family. Jespar and I walked in on a meeting between Arantheal, the Truchessa, Bartarr, Lishari, and Sha'rim. They had us figured for dead. The only one who thought otherwise was the grandmaster. Natara almost seemed disappointed, while Lishari was ecstatic. That is, until we told her about Constantine. It hit her hard. Probably harder than it would anyone else.
It hit her so hard that the Truchessa almost provoked her into a fight. Arantheal was barely able to contain the situation. I know Bartarr had his hand on the hilt of his sword. Had it come to blows, none of them would have laid a finger on Lishari, I can promise that. Even if I can't find Bartarr or Natara in the Sea of Eventualities - they're even tougher to find than the normal Keepers, and I reckon even the strongest arcanists wouldn't be able to do a thing against them with magic – Blutgang can hit more than hard enough to make up for that.
Fortunately, it didn't come to blows, and Arantheal diffused the situation. The Truchessa is still opposed to the idea of pouring more resources into the Beacon, and she got into an argument with Arantheal over it. She mentioned something about Qyra and Tealor acting on his pride, which isn't entirely far from the truth. But this is also desperation, and it astounds me that she doesn't see that. We have no other options to pursue.
Anyways, we all dispersed. Arantheal wants to talk to me as soon as possible, but Lishari also wants a word. Apparently those mercenaries we went up against when we first met were hired by someone in Ark. Maybe someone at the Sun Temple. At least, that's the implication, considering she won't talk about it here. She wants me to meet her at the Dancing Nomad. I won't keep her waiting too long.
The Beacon is finished. Or rather, it's constructed. It requires power, three sources, as Sha'Rim called them, to give it energy. Once they're found, the Beacon can be lit. And it's purpose? According to every writing we've got, it can destroy the High Ones, once and for all. The way Arantheal described it, it's like the Beacon is a natural counterpart to the High Ones. Light has dark, water has fire, the High Ones have the Beacon. Something that can conquer them. At least, that's the story. Whether or not it can actually do that is up in the air. We're close, though. But I don't think it can possibly be that easy.
I also asked Arantheal about what the Truchessa said about Qyra. It was a massacre. A long time ago, there was a movement who tried to challenge the Golden Queen: the Red Halfmoon. They were good at spreading dissent and fear, and when they got the Order's attention and a dispatch was sent to investigate, it's easy to see how things went wrong.
Arantheal was in command of a group of Keepers who got a tip about a village supposedly harboring members of the Red Halfmoon. When they got there, they weren't given a kind greeting. Every sign pointed to a trap, but it wasn't. The Red Halfmoon were just trying to put the Keepers on edge, make them afraid. And when some mook charged the group of soldiers, Arantheal panicked and ordered everyone to draw weapons. That was the spark the villagers needed to attack. Pitchforks and scythes against shadow steel wielded by trained soldiers isn't a fight. It's a massacre. Three hundred died, and only ten were Keepers.
After that the Holy Order pulled out. They had to. A few years later the Red Halfmoon destroyed itself through infighting. Figures. But that's what haunts Arantheal to this day. It's shaped him and the decisions he makes. He doesn't want to let self-preservation force him to make a wrong choice again. But I think there's more to that. He's prideful. That's one thing the truchessa made clear in her accusations. And pride is dangerous. It makes people stubborn. I hope Arantheal doesn't let it make him a fool.
As I was leaving the Temple I saw Calia looking over the city. I figured I should drop in and tell her that I was, you know, still alive. Funnily enough, she didn’t seem too surprised. Relieved, sure, but not surprised. She had already heard about Nehrim and their plans for war. It really pissed her off. I could tell, even through her aura of calm and collection, she was ready to start swinging.
We talked for a bit. She went on a bit of a rant about how stupid people are, how they’re always at each other’s throats trying to kill each other. And she’s not wrong. She doesn’t understand why people turn to violence so easily, how they can never unite and just stop fighting to just fucking talk. I didn’t have an answer for her.
Then she started talking about the nobles. She went for a walk through Ark yesterday after war broke of Nehrim’s imminent invasion. The Foreign Quarter was in a scramble, as were the Market and Barrack Quarters. The Undercity didn’t change too much. But the Noble Quarter? She said everyone was in a panic, either shut in their homes or packing and leaving. She saw them shove their golden urns and other collectibles into gem-lined cases, crowds fighting to be first to get their treasures out of the city.
It made her sick. They didn’t give a damn about their city. Didn’t care about the people in them, didn’t understand any of it. The money they had could be used for such good, but instead it’s wasted on trinkets – that more than anything just makes her mad. She told me she wanted to drag some of them to the Undercity and lock them there, make them live in the squalor. Maybe then they’d do something about it.
See, people aren’t driven to fight what doesn’t affect them. The rich won’t challenge poverty. Only the poor want that. The ones with money couldn’t give two gilded shits. But then there are people like Sirius. He didn’t know what it was like to be fucked over because he had pointed ears. But that didn’t stop him. He fought for me anyways. He always fought for what was right. Even if it didn’t help him, he’d stand for it.
I think… I think I see him in Calia. She seems the same way. She told me she walked the Undercity and felt angry. She wanted to draw her blade and hunt for the rats, ask questions and make enemies to flush out the thugs in the shadows who keep everyone under their thumbs so she could face them and drive them down. She wants to do the right thing. She wants to save people. And I think that’s why I… why I…
But that’s a moot point. She’s not really interested. Well, I’m not sure if she’s interested. It’s not interest, it’s just that she thinks it’s… dangerous. She’s never in her life entertained the idea of a relationship with anyone. She’s always seen it as a waste, and a hazard. I guess… I guess that’s fair enough.
She appreciates the support I’ve given her, though. Listening, talking, giving her the odd compliment, and just… not seeing her as a monster. But I think she just wanted to nip any potential feelings in the bud before they grew into something dangerous, which is, well, fair enough.
That’s a bit of a downer, but oh well. Lishari might lighten the mood a bit. I’ll probably be drinking tonight anyways, if only to celebrate making it back. Might as well not do it alone. That is, assuming whatever information she’s got doesn’t send me into a panic.
Link to Enderal. It's important to note that the writing above is based almost entirely on the story created by an extraordinarily talented group of modders. Credit is due to them, not to me. I would also be remiss to not credit Arcones for the idea of using a parchment-looking background to add some flavor.
