The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Exploring Atmora

The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Exploring Atmora

       Iriisii and her new friend step from the portal, everyone around notices she is not alone and the clamor begins when her new companion is recognized as an exceedingly large Night Tiger.

    Iriisii: "STOP! He is my friend, not an enemy. I know you are not aware of how we became acquainted, so I am informing everyone now. He is to be treated as you would treat Norok. He is very special and I will explain that later, for now, we have much, unfinished business.

    For now, we must move to the Fortress and prepare for a trip to Atmora, what we will find there, I have no idea, so we must be prepared for anything, and I do mean anything. It will likely be very dangerous, there are ancient operative portals there created by the Dwemer before they disappeared. Some were likely active and open at that time, and they may still be so. Depending on who came into the installation, it is possible they could have opened more portals. 

     It is also likely our target has gone to ground through one of those portals, and we may have to go through and find him. Do not underestimate him, he is a Vampire Assassin who has been plying his trade for millennia. Everyone who goes must be alert and aware every second we are there. A young innocent boy's life is at stake, and I want him back, safe and sound.

     Norok, you and my new friend will be coming along as trackers. Anyone else I will leave to volunteer, I have no inkling how far we will have to go, or how many portals we have to look into before we find them. Now I need to speak to Yennefer before we go further.

     Iriisii and Yennefer are in a meeting room. 

     Iriisii: "I promise we will find him, but first, do you have anything with his scent on it? I need it to provide my trackers with something to search for and trail.

     Yennefer: Yes, I thought you might need something so I have kept some of his personal things wrapped to keep them fresh. I will get them from my room.

     Iriisii: "When we are ready to go, not before. I know this is an unusual situation but Norok and my new Tiger are probably the best trackers we could ever find. Both have hunted with each other all across the Dreamlands, and the Tiger is a gift to me from the Dark Forest. Do not underestimate either of them, I can mind speak Norok, and I know the Night Tiger is intelligent as well. It will take a little time for me to speak to him as I do Norok, but I am confident that I will be able to. Already he can read my body language, and react to what I want him to do.

     Again, we will find him, and I will give you his captor to deal with as you wish."

     Yennefer: "Before I met you, I could never have imagined the life I have led to this moment. There are no words to thank you enough for what you have done and are doing for me."

     Iriisii: "You do not have to thank me, I saw and felt your need. I did what I had to do to bring about the change you needed in your life. The song your soul sings is no longer the sad, despairing, slowing fading melody I heard when first we met. Now it gains strength, gains purpose, and range. It begins to speak so eloquently of what could be, and what it so desperately now wants to become. Come let us see who else will go with us."

     It seems as if everyone feels they are needed in this endeavor, and she feels too they just might be. She gives the Custodian the coordinates for a door inside the Dwemer installation. 

     Iriisii: "Before we step foot inside, this is how it goes. Dettlaff, Telasine, the two of you will take point. I and Desidarius will be right behind, then Rigmor and Yennefer, Illyria, Byrsael, and Reaper watch behind us and bring up the rear. I want two of my 'Hand of Blood' with me, and two with each pair behind me, with four at the rear. The rest of you be ready to be called through a portal if I need you.

     There is no telling what we will face if the installation security was activated if any gates were open if our target has opened any gates to either impede our progress or he took his hostage through one to go to ground and wait for us to find him. Look for the control system but let me talk to it. I hope it can tell us what the situation is and what any recent activity has occurred that will narrow down where we have to search. Let's go."

     The Custodian opens a 'door' for them, Dettlaff and Telasine being the first to go through and take point. Then the others go through with a thirty second delay between each group. The first thing Iriisii sees is practically the same sight she saw at the installation with the portal to Sky's Divide. Everything is still and quiet, some wreckage lying around, but no active automatons or other life forms.

     She looks for any signs of scrapes on the floor, marks of dust, or anything else to give an indication of where someone might have moved through and toward. Telasine sees the first possible clue.

     Telasine: "Over here, look at this but do not disturb."

     Iriisii carefully walks over to see what she found, as she moves she keeps an eye out for anything moving or observing from any other vantage point in the main room. Once she reaches Telasine, she sees on the floor a scrap of cloth that might have come from a shirt or tunic. It is just a very small piece but it sits in front of a hallway leading somewhere away.

     Iriisii: "Yennefer, can you identify this scrap of cloth from the color?"

     Yennefer walks over and looks at it without disturbing it.

     Yennefer: "Yes, it is from an old tunic of Quintus that I cut down in size for our son to wear."

     Iriisii: "All right, we go down this hallway, everyone along the sides, do not disturb this cloth scrap, it is likely not trapped in any way but it might be spelled to give a warning if disturbed."

     They continue along the hallway taking care when coming up on rooms or other cross hallways. They find a second scrap leading them to a downward stair. At the bottom, Dettlaff motions for a halt. Then motions for Iriisii to approach, as she gets close enough for him to touch, he takes her hand and mindspeaks directly to her.

     Dettlaff: 'There are old spoor signs and faded scent on the floor just a few feet ahead, however further along there are fresher signs. I cannot identify what it is, how do you want to proceed?'

     Iriisii: 'I will send Norok and the Night Tiger ahead. If there is anything still around they are less likely to agitate it than if it smells us, our armor, and weapons. If it will be a problem, they can kill it, if it runs then the way will be clear.'

     Iriisii mindspeaks with Norok and the Night Tiger giving them instructions. The pair take off at a gentle lope, quietly making their way down the hallway, projecting an aura of 'no fear'. They disappear into a room some ways down and everyone hears the sound of a commotion. Iriisii motions for everyone to proceed. As they reach the room, Iriisii enters to see what was in here. She thinks it must have been from an open gate somewhere deeper in because she has seen nothing like this before.

     From the parts left on the floor, it vaguely resembled a Chaurus in shape but that was where the resemblance ended. It had a round mouth with a hell of a lot of teeth and she thinks some kind of visual sensory organs on flexible stalks behind its shoulders. It had more musculature than a Chaurus ever thought about, and even though curious, she had no desire whatsoever to open it up and look inside. She looks to the others and simply says, "this came out of an open gate." Looking at the ample bones lying around, she figures it killed and ate whatever was not fast enough to avoid it.

     Iriisii: "We keep going, but be more aware that there may be more of these around or something else."

     They continue onward. they set up a camp sometime later. Realizing the hugeness of this place, and the depth as well. She figures they have come down several hundred feet so far. Everyone grabs some food and water, not knowing when another opportunity will come by.

Iriisii decides to take a nap for a bit, and let her mind process what she has seen so far with what she remembers of other installations.

     Sometime later she wakes to feel that she is being watched. As she slowly looks around she sees no one else awake and becomes even more alert. She extends her senses but detects nothing, she hazards an 'Aura Whisper' shout and notices a life aura that goes dim and disappears down a dark hallway to the right of where they entered. She thinks either something got caught in a trap or something dead but still walking around caught it and killed it. She runs through the possibilities of what it could be but all are bad news.

     Thinking there is no help for it but to check it out, she notices the Night Tiger, trying to wake but somehow unable to. He obviously senses something, and he wants to wake but something is working to prevent that. She reaches out to him, touching him behind his head. He immediately calms, recognizing her touch, scent, and aura. She extends a small tendril of power into him, strengthening him and he slowly opens his eyes. Seeing her, he moves his head to where he is looking down the dark hallway where Iriisii saw the life sign go dark.

     She whispers to him, thanking him for pointing out where the danger was. Taking a deep breath and sorting the different scents she can detect. There is one that is faint and unfamiliar. She dives inside herself to see what she can discover about it. She finds a strand of it and goes deeper to look at its makeup. Damn but this is hideously complex, folds and twists abound. What kind of place would it be where this is needed for something to survive?

     Her Ancestral Memories have been busy taking what she has seen and working to design something that could neutralize its effects. They determined that the Catalyst still in her body, helped it to throw off the soporific effect. So they start there and build off of it until they have a design that works. They give it to her and tell her what it does, so she takes a water bottle, sips just a small amount, changes its chemical structure to mimic the soporific antidote, and lets it run back into the water bottle, carrying the change with it and converting the water into an antidote.

     She starts giving a little to those closest, and as they start rousing. She let them know to do so quietly, as she moves to another until all are awake. She points to the dark hallway, mouthing, "it is down there." The others nod and move to take positions around the doorway. It only takes a minute for another scent to cross her awareness and this one causes her to motion for everyone to move away, as far as they can move, while she moves directly in front of the doorway.

     It walks out from the darkness, she notes it has had some trouble of its own while in here. It has torn muscles and ligaments, she notes deep holes where teeth punctured its flesh. It sees her and begins moving toward her. She shouts for it to stop.

     Iriisii: "Why are you here?"

     Assassin: "Because you are here."

     Iriisii: "No, why are you here, what is your purpose here."

     Assassin: "To kill you."

     Iriisii: "Why do this?"

     Assassin: "You stand in the way of the Master's return."

     Iriisii: "The Master?"

     Assassin: "Yes, my father. He wishes to return and you stand in his way."

     Iriisii: "Who is your father?"

     Assassin: "He who waits beyond."

     Iriisii: "Beyond where?"

     Assassin: "Everywhere."

     Iriisii: "Why is he beyond everywhere?"

     Assassin: "He was exiled."

     Iriisii: "When did this take place?"

     Assassin: Nowhen."

     Iriisii: "Then who are you?"

     Assassin: "The son of the father."

     Iriisii: "Are you controlling this body?".

     Assassin: "It is now mine."

     Iriisii: "What happened to the soul that was there before you?"

     Assassin: "It is gone. It can not exist with me."

     Iriisii: "Where are you from?"

     Assassin: "Buried long ago, before time began."

     Iriisii: "You were buried when your father was exiled?"

     Assassin: "Yes."

     Iriisii: "And somehow you are free now?"

     Assassin: "No."

     Iriisii: "Still buried?"

     Assassin: "Yes."

     Iriisii: "Then how are you able to come after me?"

     Assassin: "Scent of me gathered by others, distilled. All parts of me are me. I escape to hunt you to free my father."

     And then it attacks. Iriisii throws up a shield as it runs headlong into it and is thrown backward.

     Iriisii shouts, "Keep your distance, ranged weapons only!"

     Then it starts being peppered with arrows and bolts. A few of her 'Hand of Blood' pull out their beta crossbows with explosive bolts. It is not long before they blast its arms and legs off. The torso is lying there trying to twist and turn to get a line of sight with Iriisii. Just as it manages to do so an explosive bolt is planted straight into its head which disappears as the bolt explodes. The body then deflates and starts to liquefy, Iriisii casts 'flames' and keeps a steady stream on it until there is no trace left.

     Rigmor: "Just what in Oblivion was that? I am guessing that one is not the first?"

     Iriisii: "Second, as to what it is I am still not certain. It has some kind of life to it, but nothing I have ever encountered. But now I have more information to search through to find an answer."

     Rigmor: "What do you know of it now?"

     Iriisii: "If I am not wrong, its shape is completely fluid."

     Rigmor: "Fluid, like water?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, but this one is being held in some kind of container. It said its scent is being gathered and distilled. I think whoever is doing this has no idea what it is, they just know it is toxic and so are distilling what they can catch in wind traps. What is escaping the container is just enough to have a scent but nothing more. Once enough has been gathered it is somehow projecting itself into anyone nearby, its natural toxicity kills the body so it animates and takes the body over."

     Rigmor: "And then it comes hunting you, why?"

     Iriisii: "For some reason, it sees me as a threat to the return of its father from wherever it was exiled to."

     Rigmor: "How long ago do you think this happened?"

     Iriisii: "I have no idea yet from what it said. It makes no sense."

     Rigmor: "What did it say?"

     Iriisii: "Nowhen."

     Rigmor: "Hmmmm."

     Iriisii: "What are you thinking?"

     Rigmor: "Has there ever been a period before what we know as 'time' existed.?"

     Iriisii: "I do not know, but I now have a question that I can ask of those who may know."

     Rigmor: "Who would know of something that far in the past?"

     Iriisii: "The Quantum Lords, and maybe the Shadow Lords."

     Rigmor: "Then you can also ask where this thing's father was exiled to."

     Iriisii: "I intend to, believe me. And I bet I am not going to like the answer."

     Rigmor: "Since you started on this path, when have you ever liked the answer to a question you asked?"

     Iriisii: "There has to be a first time."

     Rigmor: "True, just don't expect it anytime soon."

     Iriisii looks straight into Rigmors face, "I need a kiss."

     Rigmor: "About time you figured that out. C'mere."

     Everyone else has a pretty good idea of why these two are locked together in a kiss. If any of the others had someone special there with them, they would be doing the very same thing, because it is a reminder of why they are so deep inside a Dwemer Research Installation, looking to find a vampire assassin, who has taken a young boy as a hostage, and the boy's mother is family to all present in one way or another.

     Iriisii: "All right, let's go."

     They start out again, wondering if there is another of one of those things around the next corner. For that matter, why did the Dwemer have to put so many corners in their installation?

Sometime later they come across a series of 'dead' gates, some maybe not dead but dormant. Those still have a smell about them that could put a Legion cesspit after an all night drinking party to shame. Iriisii looks for a control panel anywhere close but sees no sign of one.

     So they keep going, and after a short while, they find an active gate. The question on everyone's mind is, 'is this the one?' Iriisii asks for Yennefer to take her hand and as she does, Iriisii extends her senses and focuses them to look over every inch of this room. Using Yennefer as a filter to identify anything that is even a close match to her. She finds nothing at all, which satisfies her that their quarry did not go through this gate. But something still has to be done with it. They cannot leave an open gate behind them for anything to crawl out of and follow them.

     Iriisii then comes up with an idea, based on something she saw happen to a gate in a similar situation. She looks to see if there is anything around big enough that if forced into the gate would not go completely through and act as a plug in it, but nothing is seen. But she is not out of possibilities yet. She has all that is laying around gathered into a pile, they even went into adjoining rooms to gather what was left there, finally she says it is enough. She concentrates her mind on what she learned about manipulating matter, to break down the bonds that hold it together but do it in a stable way as the Kinja did during the heyday of their Empire.

     Soon she has a floating black mass where once was a very large pile of trash. Then she imagines a shape that is like the inside of the gate, once she has it the black mass begins to assume that shape. And then she slides it into the gate, on this side, she has created an edge bigger than the frame of the gate, so that it can only be pulled through so far and no farther. Once it is solidly lodged, she reaches for the far side and does the same there. As she releases it, it holds, and that gate is solidly plugged. And so on to the next one.

     They find some more active ones as they go, plugging them as they did the first one. Until they come across a Dwemer Comtrol Panel that is still working. Iriisii steps up to it and reads it, remembering how a certain Telvanni wizard took time to teach her, when he realized how interested in learning about it she was. After a careful and thorough inspection of it, she determines that this one controls a very special gate.

     Not only for where it goes but for the fact that is made up of multiple gates, joined through 'Tonal Architecture' to allow any number of them to be activated at a single time. Thus the ancient Dwemer could control the size of the gate field from just big enough for a small group of people to go through, to big enough to pull a catapult or trebuchet through. Reading the control panel she finds that it was recently opened and closed again. The size of the gate portal was small. She also sees where the individual who opened it, did so by releasing a Tonal lock that had been in place since just before the Dwemer's disappearance. And there appears to be no record made of why the lock was placed. Clinching it as the one they want, Yennefer found the clothes he had been wearing, along with others of strange design. She figures they changed clothes to better blend in with whoever lived on the other side. The question now is when do they go after them?

     Iriisii contacts the Fortress Custodian and has him open a door, then a servant walks through with two small crystalline globes. Iriisii takes them and breathes on them placing one on this side of the gate.

     Rigmor: "What are those for?"

     Yennefer: Iriisii and I created them. They will allow us to stay in contact with the Fortress from the other side. That way if we need additional help, the Fortress has a way to know where we are and open a door wherever we are when we ask for one."

     Rigmor: "That is useful and very cool."

     Iriisii: "All right if everyone is ready let us continue on. I do not know what it will be like over there, or why the Dwemer locked the gate. But I believe we are about to find out."

     Dettlaff: "You think we might be walking into another place like this that they built over there?"

     Iriisii: "I honestly hope that is not the case, but I think that is exactly what we are going to find."

     Telasine: "Why is that something to fear?"

     Iriisii: "For those of you who know nothing of the Dwemer. There were supremely arrogant in their belief and adherence to 'science' and 'technology'. One of their mantras that they programmed into their greater control machines was this: 'May the Gods fear the March of Enlightenment'. They knew no boundaries in their search for this 'Enlightenment'. They broke so many of the natural laws, it was only because they were tucked away in 'Mundus', which was not an original part of Creation but came later that their activities were not noticed. Because of the Liminal Wall between our Gods and the mortal world, they were able to evade intercession from our Gods until they had reached a point where even a Dragonborn could not have stopped them."

     Rigmor: "But you could have stopped them!"

     Iriisii: "Now, yes, I could. But think about how many years separate us, now from them, then. How much farther would they have gone in a few millennia? And would our Gods still have been powerful enough to stop them without destroying Nirn to do so? I have no answer to that. It is enough for me that Kagrenac extended himself so far, that he did the Gods work for them. And brought their demise upon their own selves.

     But if they built another Installation on the other side, what were they working on so dangerous that they felt they needed this degree of isolation from Nirn? And what if it got loose in that other place."

     Rigmor: "Would you feel bound to fix whatever happened over there?"

     Iriisii: "If it was something the Dwemer unleashed? Yes, because if it was, then people from our world were responsible and it should be people from our world who repair the damage."

     Rigmor starts to say something but closes her mouth, thinks, then says, "you are right. Whoever first lived there did not do it to themselves, did not ask the Dwemer to conduct such dangerous experiments, to put them at such risk. Yes, it would then be our responsibility to make it right. This is a part of the 'Great Balance' you and now, we, serve. I understand a little more of what it means now."