Into Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 8 Nirn's Beta-Chapter 95: The dawnguard

All of the dawnguard seemed be on edge, and it didn't seem like it was due to the two vampires in their ranks. Finding Isran was easy, talking to the man might be harder than I thought though. He stood over a map with several points laid across it.

I recognized the flow of the marks, it was the trail of a player. I clicked my tongue, I really would need to speak with Hano. I had figured players would join the two factions. Except Hano seemed like he would let the world burn and the map Isran was looking made it seem like the other wanted it to burn.

I cleared my throat, "Isran, Sir? I'm a traveling hunter of anything that goes against my business dealings. Vampires, as you can imagine are very bad for business."

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Isran looked up from his map, his eyes were filled with sleepiness. "I suppose, however does that mean you wish to become a Dawnguard member or simple profit off us."

He seemed exhausted so I played it things more casually. "Well, I wanted to get the crossbow schematics, as well as buy some spells. However coming here I realize there might be more I want to know. What's with the two vampires?"

Isran sighed, "The khajiit is the founder of the Dawnguard. He lets me lead, but he founded, funded, and recruited almost all the members himself. I gave a few suggestions like Sorine and Gunmar, everyone else was basically gathered by him. Even the other vampire, which I suppose makes some sense."

He rubbed his eyes, "That woman is the daughter of a great vampire clan, thankfully she is on our side for now. Hano has guaranteed to convince her to stay on our side. However I have my doubts obviously."

The founder of the dawnguard? He has completely rewritten the history of the dawnguard and with minimal changes. I could see why he did it, but the question is how?

Viree peered over my shoulder at the map, "What are you tracking?"

Isran sighed, "A man named Akasha Kordorova, a vampire of the Volkihar clan. He is the main strategist of the Volkihar clan and the biggest obstacle to taking down the vampire threat. At first the creatures attacked at random just creating chaos. It wasn't until later when he joined them that they began to organize."

I frowned, "Does that means they already have one elderscroll."

Isran froze, "How do you? Wait... You are like Hano aren't you." He paused and let out a sigh, "Yes, we suspect they have at least one elderscroll. Hano says it was within the Soul Carin where the Bloodsucker's mother is. Which leaves us with one more to collect. Hano has said it was impossible to acquire ahead of time. Do you perhaps know where it is?"

I laughed, "I do, but he is right. The third scroll you want is someone else's destiny. Unless they sell it to you..."

Isran sighed, "Figures which brings us back to this stalemate of trying stop these attacks organized by Akasha."

Illia pointed at the map, "These are witch covens, some are forsworn covens, but almost all of these are witch covens."

Of course they were, "And the ones that aren't are likely vampire encampments right?"

Isran nodded, and I thought about it all. I sighed, "Like I said Vampires are bad for business. If you want to secure victory I suggest attacking these places. Starting with Redwater Den, It's a skooma den that uses the tainted blood of an ancient vampire as an ingredient. Who that vampire was? No clue, The problem is that vampires who drink from the spring created by said tomb are empowered. This is due to the mixing of vampiric strains."

I looked at Isran in the eyes, "Do not bury, do not burn the place down. Dig up the spring and collect the source of it. When it is collected send it to solitude. I will collect it there for study."

Isran frowned, "How will that help end the vampire menace?"

I laughed, "You want to end the vampire menace? Offer a cure, you create a cure, you turn their ranks inside out. How many vampires were infected by accident or by force?"

Isran nodded, "I see your point, you said you wanted the crossbow schematics? Go to Sorine, tell her I allowed it in exchange for information."

I smiled, "No problem, not gonna offer me a spot in the dawnguard though?"

Isran blinked his eyes and chuckled, "Why would I? It's not like you will help us hunt down vampires will you?"

I smirked, "No, you are right. If you ever need more information though. I run a guild in Solitude, we can trade more."

He shook his head and returned to the map. He plucked out the pins for the places I pointed out and replaced them. I left him to his thoughts and was greeted with only Illia. "Where's Viree?"

Illia shrugged, "Said she smelled something odd and wanted to check it out. I don't really smell anything though."

I knew where she went and followed her possible path. I found her talking to a red haired man. Viree was asking him a question. "So you just kidnap them at birth and train them?"

Gunmar nodded, "Yeah, since Trolls grow up quickly it is a risky process, but once you have a few, it is pretty easy to get more."

Viree looked over at me, "Vek! I want an armored troll!"

I stared at Viree, "No."

Gunmar laughed, "You heard him lass. Besides they take a lot of care and attention. Part of the process is imprinting the baby Troll to its care taker. Otherwise they get very bitey."

Viree frowned, "That sucks."

I looked around and found the two people I wanted to speak with. "Nice speaking with you Gunmar, but I need to talk with others."

He nodded, "All is good, I know my role."

He waved and I moved over to Sorine. Viree losing interest in the trolls followed me. "You want those crossbows don't you?"

I nodded, "Hello? Sorine right?"

The women jumped up and looked over, "Oh, hi, you are...."

"Vek Frostwane, just a complicated friend to all who needs it. In this case that would be Isran, we traded some information. He said I could get the crossbow schematics from you?"

She looked me up and down again, "I-I don't know, this is my life's work."

I raised an eyebrow, "A dwemer invention is your life's work? You managed to recreate it, but I am sure you have better plans than just making crossbows."

She was stunned by my response and froze up. Viree was looking at the half-made crossbow on the workbench Sorine was working on. Viree looked at Sorine, "He can likely recreate it from the half made one you have there. He is just being courteous and asking for a copy of the schematics."

Illia who was looking at a shelf of alchemy ingredients tossed in her own thoughts. "He likely wants the schematics to make is own alterations. His armor and sword were both forged by him."

Viree nodded, "That and he has terrible accuracy with a bow. Like real bad, only reason he wants to make a crossbow instead of a bow."

My eye twitched slightly at Viree's second comment. "I can hit an arrow fine. Bows just don't have the ability to add the attachments I need to increase my accuracy. In the end though the two of them are right. So before one of my companions make a comment they will regret..." I made eye contact with Viree and she shuffled back a step.

Sorine sighed, "Fine." She took out a notebook and flipped through the pages. "Here, just don't go sharing it around with every Tom, Dick and Harry."

I held up a hand, "I have never met anyone with any of those names. So it shall be done, one last thing though. Where would Florentius be? I wish to by some spells too."

She nodded, "In the sleeping quarters likely he tends to sleep during the evening."

I nodded and headed toward the sleeping quarters. My two companions followed along, "Who is the Florentius?" Illia was the one asking.

Viree looked around at the halls, "Likely a nut job, all these people seem to be nut jobs. I feel like we would fit in."

I nodded at Viree's words, "Florentius is either crazy or has a voice in his head. Either way he is a priest of Arkay with a habit of talking to himself."

Viree gestured with an obvious meaning, "See what I mean? We could totally fit in."

I found the sleeping quarters, and ultimately Florentius. He laid still on a small bunk, in the games you could alwasy just wake people up. In the later games they would get angry with you sometimes or react poorly based on their faction score. However I didn't know how this applied here.

I gave a light shrug, "Viree wake him up."

She looked at me, looked at the sleeping man and shrugged. She pressed a boot on his back and shoved. Making the man fall out of the bed. "Ogh, Gunmar! Ho- Oh it's you."

I raised an eyebrow, Florentius continued. "Arkay told me you would come. You are Vek Frostwane, right? Arkay only ever spoke about three people in the way he spoke about you."

My interest piqued and I responded. "How did he talk about me?"

Florentius waved it off, "Oh, various things. He was mostly impressed by what you manage to create. That and your accuracy at guessing, though that doesn't mean you should gamble."

Unless Florentius was told my name by someone else he may really have a god in his ear. To be honest though, that didn't mean much to me. I actually did believe Florentius spoke with Arkay or at least some aspect of the divine. I smiled, "Did he tell you what I would come for?"

Florentius nodded, "Actually he did, mostly some restoration spells. However he told me to, uh..." He began to get up and look around his bed. "Where is that spell tome..."

He rummaged through a stack of books until he pulled out a rather plain grey book. "He told me to give you this. Hano read it once, but he couldn't understand any of the words."

I took the tome and opened it. To my surprise it was in Dovazul, even the page numbers were in the draconic language. "Interesting."

Florentius nodded, "Found it one day and Arkay suggested I keep it for someone with the means to translate it. About a month or so ago he told me about you."

I paused, "The others he talked about, who are they?"

Florentius paused, waited a second and nodded. "Understood, Arkay told me I can tell you. However your companions would have to leave some room to speak. Don't worry to much about it, Arkay told me to do the same when discussing things with Hano."

I nodded slightly and Viree sighed, while Illia just backed up without fuss. The two women stood near the entrance of the sleeping quarters. Florentius paused and nodded, "It's safe to discuss now. The other two people were R'Hano'Do obviously as he was the one who saved me from a sticky situation and the third he told me about was... Complicated."

I raised an eyebrow, "Complicated how?"

Florentius continued, "In your case he mentioned your seemingly good luck. Particularly when making things up. Whether that be in crafting or in theories. In Hano's case it was his depression and desire connected with someone who could understand him. The third was less about the person and more a warning. He told me I should never attempt to go down into a place called Blackreach."

I expression of amusement dropped, "And? What else?"

Florentius frowned, "He suggested being very, very careful getting the Elderscroll down there. This was something I discussed with Hano and ultimately he seemed worried about it. Which is why he and Serana have been fighting for the past week."

I tried to hide my anxiety, I normally wasn't worried about other player actions. However something in my gut told me to worry. I didn't like the feeling at all and I had to bury it. I waved Florentius off, "Thanks for the info, I don't suppose I could buy those spells?"

He nodded, "Of course, I am sure you can put them to good use."