17: Dunmer magic
This morning I took the statue to Lloros Sarano at the temple. "Another one?" he said when he unwrapped it.
"Yes. Different. Different effects anyway."
He studied it closely. "Physically they are very similar, but not exact. I would say made by the same craftsman." He set the statue carefully on a small pedestal and slowly passed his hands up and down along its sides.
"I could sense the enchantment, but no details."
"Could you now, master wizard?" he said with a smile.
Sarethi laughed from the doorway. "I didn't want to interrupt your examination Lloros."
The priest laughed also; a friendly laugh. "I had not actually begun, Athyn. I'll get started shortly." He glanced back and forth between us. The message was clear. Sarethi and I made a graceful exit.
"Lloros is a scholar," Sarethi said as we made our way to the great emperor crab shell known as Skar that shelters the manor district of Ald-ruhn. "His sense of magica is different from yours."
"How?"
"You, mages in general, you direct powerful streams of magica, streams that can alter, destroy, conceal. Most Dunmer do not pursue control of such streams. Have you noticed that the Telvanni do things differently than your own mages?"
"The Telvanni...blend is the best word I suppose...spells from what we consider different schools. In ways that seem, in most ways, grossly inefficient, at least coming at them from our traditions."
"That is because they do not come at them from your traditions. The Telvanni are Dunmer. Their traditions are the same as the Temple; the same as my friend Lloros. He is studying the magica in the statue. You know it is there, but you can't identify it. It isn't a stream. It is threads, carefully woven threads. Threads put together into a net that ensnares the minds of those around it."
"So he will be able to sort out why the statue Varvur had led him to kill, while this statue led the Morvayn servant to construct a shrine."
"Perhaps. Or perhaps the difference was not in the snare but in the snared."
I went back to the guild hall and teleported to Balmora. Sarethi's examples and explanations were a layman's view of the differences between experts, but they had given me a glint of insight...or at least opened a question in my mind. I spent much of the day closeted in Ranis' office. A Dunmer, risen to high rank in the guild, she could explain in depth and detail that made sense to me...eventually. If I have to duel a Telvanni at some point I will be much better prepared.
Late in the afternoon a tap came at the door. Ajira opened the door far enough to slip her head through. "Ranis. Good friend Arvil Bren. There is a message from Ald-ruhn."
The council has been in session most of the day, and is holding an extended meeting tonight. Acrimoniously, no doubt. Sarethi wants me to meet him at his manor tomorrow. Apparently Lloros has made some headway with the statues and their spells. His message suggested that I avoid being seen.
"Yes. Different. Different effects anyway."
He studied it closely. "Physically they are very similar, but not exact. I would say made by the same craftsman." He set the statue carefully on a small pedestal and slowly passed his hands up and down along its sides.
"I could sense the enchantment, but no details."
"Could you now, master wizard?" he said with a smile.
Sarethi laughed from the doorway. "I didn't want to interrupt your examination Lloros."
The priest laughed also; a friendly laugh. "I had not actually begun, Athyn. I'll get started shortly." He glanced back and forth between us. The message was clear. Sarethi and I made a graceful exit.
"Lloros is a scholar," Sarethi said as we made our way to the great emperor crab shell known as Skar that shelters the manor district of Ald-ruhn. "His sense of magica is different from yours."
"How?"
"You, mages in general, you direct powerful streams of magica, streams that can alter, destroy, conceal. Most Dunmer do not pursue control of such streams. Have you noticed that the Telvanni do things differently than your own mages?"
"The Telvanni...blend is the best word I suppose...spells from what we consider different schools. In ways that seem, in most ways, grossly inefficient, at least coming at them from our traditions."
"That is because they do not come at them from your traditions. The Telvanni are Dunmer. Their traditions are the same as the Temple; the same as my friend Lloros. He is studying the magica in the statue. You know it is there, but you can't identify it. It isn't a stream. It is threads, carefully woven threads. Threads put together into a net that ensnares the minds of those around it."
"So he will be able to sort out why the statue Varvur had led him to kill, while this statue led the Morvayn servant to construct a shrine."
"Perhaps. Or perhaps the difference was not in the snare but in the snared."
I went back to the guild hall and teleported to Balmora. Sarethi's examples and explanations were a layman's view of the differences between experts, but they had given me a glint of insight...or at least opened a question in my mind. I spent much of the day closeted in Ranis' office. A Dunmer, risen to high rank in the guild, she could explain in depth and detail that made sense to me...eventually. If I have to duel a Telvanni at some point I will be much better prepared.
Late in the afternoon a tap came at the door. Ajira opened the door far enough to slip her head through. "Ranis. Good friend Arvil Bren. There is a message from Ald-ruhn."
The council has been in session most of the day, and is holding an extended meeting tonight. Acrimoniously, no doubt. Sarethi wants me to meet him at his manor tomorrow. Apparently Lloros has made some headway with the statues and their spells. His message suggested that I avoid being seen.
posted by Tim | 9:09 PM
4 Comments:
And he's back again! I always was curious about the Ash Statues in the game. I knew that they were connected with the Sixth House in some way, but I found a bunch of them on a boat between Hla Oad and Balmora long before starting the main quest, and then every time I'd mention them to somebody besides Caius, who wasn't very helpful, the person would attack me! Thank you for providing a cohesive and well-embelished answer to my confusion.
Your description of magicka is the best thing about this.
Tim, I find it very interesting how you explained Dunmer magicka. However, I would like to know how you thought of this little gem of an idea.
hmmmmm....Sometimes the game generates these curiousities, and I just try to come up with answers that make sense.
For those who have not pursued the Redoran quests, this goes 'get the statue', 'report to Morvayn', 'take statue to Lloros to be destroyed', 'report back to Morvayn'. So, big question: Arvil Bren, Archmage, and very powerful (too powerful actually)...why take the statue anywhere? Arvil seems as capable of blasting a statue as anyone and more than most...
Finding an answer to that question led to this entry...and the next actually.
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