If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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He turned away from the dead stone, his golden eyes locking onto the final, massive prize resting directly at the base of the Word Wall. It was a huge, heavily reinforced steel boss chest, untouched for hundreds even thousands of years. Aerion stepped forward, reaching out to throw open the heavy lid and claim the final treasures of the Forsaken Cave.
The heavy, iron bound lid of the ancient boss chest groaned in protest as Aerion hauled it open. Aerion leaned forward, his golden eyes scanning the hoard.
His system assisted vision immediately locked onto a small, unassuming piece of jewelry resting atop a pile of ancient linen. It was a silver ring, but unlike the standard ornamental bands they had looted thus far, this one radiated a very specific, highly refined green aura.
Aerion reached out and pinched the ring between his thumb and forefinger, bringing it up to the dim light of his Magelight. The silver was masterfully polished, etched with microscopic, interwoven motifs of mortars, pestles, and blooming mountain flowers.
[Item Acquired: Ring of Pure Mixtures]
Description: A legendary alchemist's band. Wearing this ring passively enhances the user's alchemical focus, increasing the overall potency, duration, and value of any potion or poison crafted by a staggering 12%.
A highly satisfied smile touched his lips. Twelve percent might not sound like a world shattering number to a layman, but to a master alchemist, especially one who already possessed the Circlet of Peerless Alchemy he had looted in Korvanjund, it was a massive, compounding economic multiplier.
Furthermore, Aerion's encyclopedic meta knowledge immediately flagged the ring. He remembered this specific item. It wasn't just a random piece of radiant loot, this ring was uniquely tied to a specific retrieval quest. Somewhere out in the snowy expanses of Skyrim, most likely an aging alchemist in Dawnstar or perhaps a desperate merchant, someone was actively looking for this exact heirloom.
'I will keep this securely in my inventory,' Aerion mentally noted, dropping the ring into his dimensional void. 'When I inevitably cross paths with the quest giver, I can hand it over instantly. The relational goodwill and the associated rewards will be secured without the tedious necessity of backtracking.'
He turned his attention back to the chest. Resting diagonally across the bottom was a long, beautifully crafted staff.
Unlike the heavy, dragon shaped Golden Staff of Flames he received from the college, this staff was forged from a lighter, pale gold metal. The upper section of the shaft flared outward, forming an intricate, gilded cage. Suspended within the center of the cage was a brilliant, glowing crystal that continuously emitted a soft, warm, golden light.
Aerion recognized it instantly.
"The Staff of Magelight," Aerion murmured, pulling the weapon free. It was an incredibly useful utility artifact. Rather than constantly draining his own Magicka reserves to sustain floating light orbs in the darkest depths of the Nordic ruins, he could simply use the staff to adhere permanent, glowing beacons to the walls and ceilings. He slipped the staff seamlessly into his spatial inventory.
Next, he scooped up a small handful of glittering, blood red gemstones. Three flawless Garnets vanished into his void.
As he cleared the gems away, a perfectly preserved leather quiver was revealed. Inside the quiver rested exactly ten arrows. They were not the rusted, heavy ancient Nord arrows they had been salvaging from the Draugr, nor were they mundane iron.
They were Elven Arrows. The shafts were forged from lightweight, incredibly durable moonstone, fletched with the golden feathers of predatory birds, and tipped with razor sharp, armor piercing malachite broadheads.
Aerion picked up the quiver. He turned to his side, holding the bundle of arrows out to his heavily armored bodyguard.
"Jenassa," Aerion offered smoothly. "Your new Dwarven bow requires ammunition that matches its quality. These are authentic Elven arrows. Their penetrating power is vastly superior to the iron shafts you are currently carrying."
Jenassa's crimson eyes widened slightly as she recognized the golden sheen of the Aldmeri craftsmanship. As a professional assassin, she possessed a deep, inherent appreciation for high quality instruments of death.
She took the quiver, pulling a single arrow out to test its weight and balance. She spun the shaft between her fingers, marveling at the flawless, aerodynamic design.
"They are incredibly light, Patron," Jenassa noted, her gravelly voice laced with genuine lethal appreciation. "Yet the broadhead feels dense enough to punch cleanly through Imperial heavy steel. I will save these specifically for heavily armored targets or particularly dangerous beasts."
"Use them well," Aerion nodded as she secured the ten Elven arrows into the leather bag slung across her lower back.
With his companion armed, Aerion returned to the final sweep of the Overlord's chest.
He pulled out a massive, fist sized Grand Soul Gem. Unlike the dark, necrotic Black Soul Gems he had found earlier, this crystal was a brilliant, swirling purple, fully charged with the massive, towering soul of a mammoth or perhaps a lesser Daedra. It was a vital component for high tier enchanting.
Beneath the soul gem lay a small fortune in jewelry, two heavy Gold Garnet Necklaces and three delicate Silver Garnet Necklaces, perfectly preserved and ready for the merchant stalls of Whiterun.
Finally, lining the very bottom of the chest were several heavy, bulging leather pouches. The leather was rotting, but the gold inside was eternal. Aerion ran his hand over the pouches, the system enthusiastically tallying the massive influx of wealth.
[Gold Acquired: 1,250 Septims]
[Items Acquired: Ring of Pure Mixtures, Staff of Magelight, 3x Garnet, Grand Soul Gem (Filled), 2x Gold Garnet Necklace, 3x Silver Garnet Necklace]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 1.96 KG]
"The treasury is completely stripped," Aerion announced, the satisfying clink of digital gold fading from his mind.
He closed the heavy steel lid of the chest. They turned away from the towering Word Wall, leaving the smoldering, decapitated corpse of Draugr Overlord Curalmil to rot in the silence of his ruined throne room.
They walked down the short, worn stone steps, rejoining Lupin. The cinnamon fox was currently sitting patiently on the lower tier of the chamber, his ears twitching as he listened to the faint, echoing drips of condensation falling from the ceiling.
As Aerion stepped off the final stair, Jenassa suddenly paused. She raised a gauntleted hand, pointing the glowing green tip of her Glass Sword toward a specific, deeply shadowed section of the room.
Directly between the two sweeping flights of stone stairs that led up to the boss platform, tucked away in the darkest recess of the lower floor, was a heavy, arching stone doorway.
"Patron," Jenassa called out, her sharp eyes catching the unnatural geometry of the stonework. "We have not explored that corridor. Why do we not go down there before we depart? A crypt of this magnitude often hides secondary vaults."
Aerion stopped. He looked toward the darkened archway.
His meta knowledge fired instantly, pulling up the complete, highly detailed architectural layout of the Forsaken Cave. He knew exactly what lay beyond that shadowy archway. It wasn't just a secondary vault containing a few stray gold coins.
It was the resting place of The White Phial.
Or, more accurately, the resting place of the shattered, broken remains of the legendary artifact. The White Phial was a mythical, ancient bottle forged from the magically infused snows of the Throat of the World.
According to the lore, it possessed the miraculous ability to permanently, automatically refill itself once a day with whatever liquid was originally poured into it.
Aerion's strategic, highly ambitious mind immediately began calculating the sheer, staggering logistical advantages of such an artifact.
'If I retrieve the broken Phial,' Aerion thought, his golden eyes narrowing in the darkness, 'and take it to Windhelm to be repaired... the applications are limitless.'
He didn't want it for standard healing potions. He was a master of Restoration magic, he could knit flesh with a thought. But for his impending mercenary company, the private army he was currently building around Torsten and Titus at Pelagia Farm, the White Phial would be the ultimate, infinite supply chain.
He could brew a single, flawless, absolutely perfect batch of Ultimate Healing or Fortify Combat elixirs, using the peerless alchemy gear he had just looted. If he poured that flawless mixture into the repaired White Phial, he would have a permanent, daily regenerating source of the greatest potion in the world.
He could simply pour the contents out into mundane glass vials every single morning, stockpiling an infinite, entirely free arsenal of combat stims for his soldiers. It would save him tens of thousands of septims in alchemical overhead.
However, there was a massive, immediate problem.
Aerion knew that the heavy stone door guarding the Phial was not locked by a standard iron mechanism. It couldn't be picked, and it couldn't be blown open with magic. The door was sealed by a specialized ancient lock, a carved, empty bronze basin resting on a pedestal before the entrance.
To open the stone wall, a highly specific, magically reactive alchemical mixture had to be poured directly into the basin to act as a liquid key.
Aerion searched his memories desperately, trying to recall the exact ingredients of the mixture. 'Was it unmelting snow? Powdered mammoth tusk? Briar heart?' He couldn't remember the exact recipe.
The only person in all of Skyrim who knew the precise formulation was the dying, incredibly bitter High Elf alchemist who owned "The White Phial" shop in the city of Windhelm. Nurelion.
He couldn't access the artifact today. He needed the quest to trigger properly, and he needed the specific concoction from Nurelion.
Aerion turned back to his Dark Elf bodyguard, his expression shifting into a mask of thoughtful, scholarly deduction.
"A keen observation, Jenassa," Aerion replied, stepping closer to the dark archway but not crossing the threshold. "However, we will not be proceeding down that corridor today. We must return for it later."
Jenassa frowned, lowering her blade. "Return? Why leave potential wealth sitting in the dark, Patron? Are you sensing a trap your magic cannot disarm?"
"Not a trap," Aerion explained, gesturing toward the faint outline of the ancient basin resting in the shadows before the solid stone wall. "A lock. And a lock of a highly specific, esoteric nature."
He tapped his chin, feeding her a perfectly constructed, logical lie based on the dungeon's lore. "The ancient texts I studied regarding this tomb noted that Curalmil was not merely a warlord, he was a master alchemist of unparalleled skill. I strongly suspect that the chamber behind that solid stone wall is his personal, preserved alchemical laboratory and ingredient trove."
Aerion pointed to the smooth, seamless stone blocking their path. "You will notice there is no iron handle, no keyhole, and no lever mechanism on the wall. Only that empty, carved bronze fountain resting in the center of the floor. My magical intuition tells me that the door operates on a chemical, reactive mechanism. It requires a highly specific, uniquely formulated alchemical mixture to be poured into the basin to act as a liquid key."
Jenassa stared at the solid wall, her eyes widening slightly at the complexity of the ancient security. "A liquid key. Fascinating. So, without the mixture, the wall might as well be the side of a mountain."
"Precisely," Aerion nodded, turning away from the sealed vault. "And I currently do not possess the recipe for Curalmil's unique solvent. I will need to return to the Arcanaeum, or perhaps consult with some of the master alchemists in the eastern cities, to research the correct formulation. Once I have brewed the key, we shall return and claim his trove."
It was a flawless excuse that perfectly explained why they had to leave the dungeon "unfinished." Jenassa accepted the logic without a second thought.
"Understood, Patron. We shall leave the dead alchemist's secrets buried for now," she agreed.
With their path decided, Aerion took the lead. They did not backtrack through the massive, trap filled ruins they had just conquered. Aerion guided them to a narrow, hidden side corridor branching off from the main boss chamber.
They walked up a steep, winding flight of stone stairs and pushed through a heavy steel door. They found themselves in a long, narrow, unadorned stone hallway that clearly served as a maintenance or bypass tunnel for the ancient priests.
At the very end of the hallway stood another heavy steel door. Jenassa pushed it open, revealing a dead end of solid, unworked rock. However, protruding clearly from the right-hand wall was a heavy iron lever.
"Pull it," Aerion instructed.
Jenassa hauled the lever downward. The loud, grinding sound of hidden counterweights echoed in the tight space. The solid rock wall directly in front of them shuddered, splitting down the middle and sliding smoothly into the surrounding rock face.
The heavy, stale air of the crypt was instantly replaced by the freezing, crisp breeze of the glacial ice caves.
They stepped through the secret exit, emerging onto a high, icy ledge overlooking the very first sunlit cavern of the dungeon. They carefully navigated the slippery, frozen slopes, making their way back to the gaping, jagged maw of the cave entrance.
They stepped out of the shadows and back into the biting, howling blizzard of the Pale.
Aerion immediately raised his left hand, channeling a continuous, roaring burst of Flames. The localized sphere of intense heat pushed the freezing wind back, bringing instant, glorious warmth back to their chilled bones and thawing the frost that had accumulated on their armor.
Standing patiently in the shelter of the rocky overhang, exactly where they had left them, were Revan and Jenassa's bay horse. The massive black destrier let out a low, welcoming snort as Aerion approached.
Aerion carefully lifted Lupin, ensuring the fox was securely nestled into the warm, fur lined depths of the saddlebag, before swinging his long legs over Revan's broad back. Jenassa mounted her own horse with practiced ease, securing her weapons for the ride.
"The cold is truly miserable today," Jenassa muttered, adjusting her thick fur cloak as the wind howled around them. She looked over at the towering High Elf. "Is it time to return to Whiterun, Patron? Do we ride south to present the gold to the Jarl and finalize your property deed?"
Aerion sat in the saddle, his golden eyes narrowing slightly against the blowing snow. He mentally accessed his system map, plotting his grand logistical timeline.
He had the money. He could ride back to Dragonsreach right now and buy the Tundra Homestead. But returning so quickly after leaving might still raise eyebrows. Furthermore, while he was in the northern holds, there was one more highly lucrative, politically advantageous location he wanted to clear out before returning to the central plains.
"Not yet, Jenassa," Aerion answered, pulling Revan's reins to turn the horse back toward the east. "We have the capital, yes. But while we are enduring this miserable climate, we might as well maximize our operational efficiency."
He pointed toward the distant, jagged peaks. "Tomorrow, we ride to Ironbind Barrow. It is an ancient ruin heavily populated by bandits and the undead, but it houses a unique, highly potent magical enchantment that I require for my long term arsenal. Once we strip Ironbind of its wealth, we will ride straight south to Whiterun and pay the Jarl."
Jenassa nodded, accepting the grueling schedule. "And for today?"
"For today, we rest," Aerion smiled, feeling the deep ache of magical exhaustion in his bones. "We ride back to the Nightgate Inn. We will spend the remainder of the afternoon and the evening recovering our strength by the hearth fire. I have absolutely no desire to fight another Draugr Overlord without a full night's sleep."
"A highly logical plan, Patron. I wholeheartedly agree," Jenassa replied, the prospect of a warm tavern clearly appealing to her.
With a sharp click of his tongue, Aerion spurred Revan forward. The horses broke into a steady, ground eating trot, navigating the treacherous, snow packed foothills as they retraced their path back toward the isolated tavern.
As they rode, the rhythmic rocking of the saddle provided Aerion with the perfect opportunity to finalize his internal administration.
During the grueling, chaotic fight against Curalmil and his undead horde, Aerion had rapidly leveled up his Destruction and Restoration matrices, acquiring a massive surplus of cosmic energy.
[Unspent Attribute Points: 6]
He mentally grasped the six glowing points hovering in his interface. He needed to significantly bolster his physical foundation to match his devastating magical output.
He funneled three points directly into his Stamina.
The physical reaction was immediate and profound. Aerion felt a sudden, rushing sensation of absolute lightness spread through his limbs. The deep, lingering fatigue in his muscles, born from hours of traversing ancient stairs and wielding heavy blades, instantly evaporated.
His lungs expanded, drawing in the freezing mountain air with effortless, flawless efficiency. The heavy, dark robes and the Ebony Sword at his hip suddenly felt as light as silk.
[Stamina increased by 30! Current Stamina: 400/400]
[Maximum Carry Weight increased by 15 KG!]
His dimensional void expanded simultaneously, the magical pocket dimension stretching to accommodate a massive 500 kilograms of total mass.
He then took the remaining three attribute points and drove them straight into his Health.
A deep, powerful, radiating warmth bloomed in the very center of his chest. He could physically feel his cardiovascular system fortifying, his bones becoming denser, and his cellular structure hardening into an impenetrable, magically reinforced lattice.
The biting cold of the Pale blizzard suddenly felt like nothing more than a cool autumn breeze against his golden skin. He was becoming a physical juggernaut.
[Health increased by 30! Current Health: 400/400]
With his physical form perfectly optimized, Aerion focused on the road.
The ride was uneventful, the fierce blizzard keeping the usual mountain predators safely tucked away in their dens. Eventually, the sturdy wooden structure of the Nightgate Inn loomed out of the whiteout conditions, a beacon of warmth in the desolate landscape.
They rode into the stable yard. Aerion dismounted, ensuring Revan and Jenassa's horse were tied tightly to the heavy wooden hitching posts under the stable overhang. He threw thick, woolen blankets over both animals to protect them from the freezing wind and ensured their feed troughs were full.
Pulling Lupin from the saddlebag, Aerion and Jenassa pushed through the heavy wooden doors of the inn.
The wall of roaring heat, the smell of roasting meat, and the quiet crackle of the hearth fire washed over them.
Standing behind the main counter, exactly where they had left him hours ago, was Hadring. The innkeeper looked up as the doors slammed shut. He blinked, staring at the High Elf and the Dark Elf, a look of profound, weary confusion crossing his face.
"You're back?" Hadring asked, his voice rough. He reached under the counter, pulling out the exact same two heavy iron room keys they had returned that morning, dropping them onto the polished wood with a loud clatter.
Hadring crossed his thick arms over his chest, scowling slightly. "Look, Elf, I'm happy to take your coin, but why in Oblivion did you bother returning your keys this morning if you were just going to come back several hours later in the afternoon? Why didn't you just rent the rooms for two days and save us both the hassle?"
Aerion didn't take offense to the man's gruff tone. He simply offered a smooth, incredibly charming smile, projecting the aura of a wealthy traveler whose whims changed with the wind.
"My sincere apologies for the confusion, Hadring," Aerion replied, his melodic voice perfectly polite. "It was a sudden, unforeseen change of plan. The ruins we were excavating proved to be significantly more treacherous, and vastly more exhausting, than our preliminary research suggested. We decided discretion was the better part of valor, and retreated to the comfort of your excellent establishment to recover."
As he spoke, Aerion reached into his satchel. He didn't just pull out the standard room rate. He withdrew twenty septims and placed them deliberately on the counter.
The sight of the gold instantly smoothed over Hadring's annoyance. The innkeeper scooped up the coins, grunting in quiet satisfaction.
"Well, the Pale has a way of changing people's plans," Hadring muttered, sliding the two iron keys back across the wood.
Aerion took the keys, handing one back to Jenassa.
"Can I get you two anything else? The kitchens are open," Hadring offered, his tone significantly more accommodating now that he had been paid twice for the same rooms.
"Indeed you can," Aerion nodded, feeling the massive caloric deficit of his magical exertion. "I require two large bowls of your hottest stew, and a bottle of strong Nord mead."
Aerion turned to his right. "And for you, Jenassa?"
"A full plate of the roasted beef, and a tankard of mead," Jenassa requested, her stomach practically rumbling.
Hadring nodded sharply. He turned toward the kitchen doors, bellowing the order to the unseen waiter in the back.
Aerion placed another twenty eight septims onto the counter to cover the cost of the heavy meal and the drinks.
"It will be right out. Have a seat by the fire," Hadring said, wiping down the counter.
Aerion and Jenassa walked over to a heavy wooden table situated directly beside the roaring hearth. The heat felt magnificent against their chilled skin. Lupin immediately curled up on the stone hearth, soaking in the thermal radiation like a sponge.
As they sat down, Aerion's mind shifted from ancient tombs and magical artifacts back to the grand, overarching geopolitical chessboard of Skyrim.
Tomorrow, they would clear Ironbind. The day after, he would return to Whiterun, buy the Homestead, and begin constructing his mammoth army. But to execute his plans flawlessly, he needed to know exactly how the current political winds were blowing.
The Nightgate Inn was a central hub for traveling merchants, Imperial couriers, and Stormcloak scouts passing between the holds. It was a goldmine of macro-level intelligence.
Aerion leaned back in his chair, waiting for Hadring to bring over their drinks. When the innkeeper arrived, setting the heavy flagons of mead down on the wood, Aerion caught his eye.
"Hadring," Aerion began, his voice dropping into a smooth, conversational, yet probing tone. "You see a great deal of traffic passing through this pass. Tell me... what are the whispers on the road? How fares the current condition of the civil war? Have the battle lines shifted while I have been out in my adventures?"
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[Main Panel]
Name: Aerion
Race: High Elf (Altmer)
Health: 400/400 Stamina: 400/400 Magicka: 530/530
Level: 93
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Instant Shout (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire(+1)/Lightning(+1)/Frost) (Level MAX/14/89), Restoration (Healing/Purify) (Level 76/96), Alteration (Level 27), Alteration (Level 20), Illusion (Level 42), Conjuration (Necromancy/Summoning) (Level 37/86), Persuasion(+1) (Level 0), Smithing (Level 22), Sneak (Level 33), One Handed (Level 76), Two Handed (Level 65), Lockpicking (Level 35), Archery (Level 72), Enchanting (Level 34), Light Armor (Level 53), Block (Level 70), & Pickpocket (Level 8)
Shouts: Fus (Force), Tiid (Time), & Krii (Kill)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Steel Dagger, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Mammoth Tusk, Iron Shield, Steel Mace, Steel Warhammer, the Golden Claw, Calm Spellbook, Arvel's Journal, Inkwell & Quill, Thief Book, Scroll Of Summoning (Wolf), Scroll Of Healing, Steel Dagger of Minor Souls, Weak Potion of Paralysis, Ancient Nord Bow, Dragonstone, Ancient Nord Battleaxe Of Blaze, Potion of Minor Pickpocketing, Golden Staff of Flames, Parchment Rolls Of Mammoths Farm And Loan, Golden Emerald Circlet, Copper Sapphire Circlet, Ebony Claw, Orcish Dagger, Emerald, Sapphire, Silver Garnet Circlet, Jagged Crown, Elven Sword Of Lightning, Elven Shield, Circlet Of Peerless Alchemy, Ancient Nord Helmet, Ancient Nord Boots, The Mirror, Glass Sword, Ring of Pure Mixtures, Staff of Magelight, & Grand Soul Gem (Filled)
2x Iron Mace, Steel Axe, Steel Greatsword, Silver Amethyst Ring, Silver Necklace, Gold Emerald Ring, Potion Of Ultimate Magicka, Common Soul Gem (Empty), Weak Magicka Poison, & Gold Garnet Necklace
3x Iron Greatsword, Steel Sword, Scroll Of Fireball, Glowing Mushrooms, Potions of Minor Stamina, Silver Ruby Ring, Gold Ruby Ring, Amethyst, Silver Ingot, Quicksilver Ingot, Black Soul Gems (Filled), & Silver Garnet Necklace
4x Potions of Minor Magicka, Spider Eggs, Iron Ingots, Gold Ingots, & Garnet
5x Lesser Soul Gem, Dwarven Metal Ingot, & Ruby
8x Iron Arrows & Ancient Nord Arrows
9x Potions Of Minor Healing
Weight: 141.03 KG / 500 KG
Septims: 83,398