The arrival of yet another dragon in Winterhold is cause for concern. They may be Ulfric's people, but they're still potential Brotherhood targets. And, well, I still feel bad about Dawnstar.
Unfortunately the mages aren't around this time, so it falls to me to kill the dragon myself. Which I've done before, and I'm not too worried, but I'm simply not fast enough. At least one citizen is already dead by the time I ground the thing.
I chase it outside the city, noting that it's summoned fireladies to help it out. I'd get lonely too if all I did was fly around and torch cities.
I kill the thing with a familiar ease and head back into Winterhold to meet with Enthir and Karliah. There, I learn a few interesting things about the Thieves' Guild, namely that they're actually a cult that worships a daedra called Nocturnal.
So there's that.
Now, I knew the Brotherhood was a bit cultish, but I figured that went with the territory of an ancient order of assassins. But a bunch of pickpockets? Daedra worshippers?
I also receive official confirmation that Mercer is a huge jerk.
Karliah and I decide to head back to Riften and confront Mercer, which I'm totally game for. We split up. Later, I actually get the drop on a dragon for the first time.
The dragon dies quickly, the weakest of any I've fought yet. Which is probably why it didn't see me coming.
I arrive in Riften by late afternoon. As usual, Karliah's beaten me there, but I don't mind having her with me when we meet with the Guild. Mercer's already gone, but Karliah's return goes a long way toward earning us some support.
Unfortunately, Mercer's already looted the treasure vault and split, so I'm tasked with infiltrating his manor in Riften to try and find information on his location. His house seems completely impenetrable, with every door completely locked.
While lost, I stumble upon Riften's temple of Mara. There's something very familiar about Mara's statue, though I can't quite place it...
She's not forthcoming with advice, though, so after another few hours skulking around Riften trying to penetrate the manor, I just clamber onto the roof and go in through the balcony.
Mercer's thugs offer little resistance.
I also get confused by Mercer's house, unable to find anything important--or Mercer, for that matter--but then I remember that the guy's the head of the Thieves' Guild. He's not going to make it easy on me.
And thus:
No points for originality, but still very effective. Nearly fooled me, anyways. Inside Mercer's secret lair, I find evidence that not only is he gone (that much was obvious) but he's heading to some old ruins to get something very special. At least Karliah seems to think so.
In fact, she's taking the whole deal so seriously, she takes me and Brynjolf to some ruins of her own. She's going to initiate us into the Nightingales (some thieves' cult) or something.
Or something.
The ritual is a bit heady and involves me pledging my eternal servitude to a daedra. That sounds wrong by any count, but then I think I think it over. It sounds like in this current life, this can only do good things for me having a luck goddess watching over me.
And even though I have to serve her in death, which sounds alarming every time I think about it, I consider that that's actually better than any alternative I can think of. I don't know much about the afterlife, but if Sovngarde is real, then all I can look forward to is hanging out with drunk Noses for all eternity.
I take Nocturnal's offer.
I won't lie; the mask is a little stuffy.
Comments
"I also receive official confirmation that Mercer is a huge jerk"