Chapter 6 - The Expedition

Viscera mine... The heart of high iron production in Fergana, under House Orinth, now dying... The once prosperous mine now diminishing, a threat the Count-Regent Bazanov Matvy sought to clear by ordering the mine's expansion to the north and south under the mountains between Fergana and Craglorn... For that reason he requested prisoners to be stationed there and dig the mines to not rick the lives of the fold of Lunaris village, resigin nearby, all miners by trade themselves.

However fate had other plans... On the Northern passageway a wall collapsed, revealing behind it a Dwemer ruin of old... Word reached the Regent, who ordered the captain of northern Fergana Forces and famous for the expedition at Yondsil Nostag gro-Obrulag, to go to the mine and guard the entrance to the ruin, until more is discovered. For that reason the new Head of the Lore Office and priestess of Stendarr, mother Betz Sybelle was tasked with researching on the newfound ruin...

The history books came blank... So the Count Regent and Mother Sybelle organised an expedition force to be sent in to the ruin, to explore, hoping their findings won't pose a threat to the mine and the workers themselves...

Reaching upon the camp outside of Viscera mine, the expedition force led by mother Sybelle herself, met with a puzzled captain Nostag reading a report and ordering his men to their positions. He welcomed them, perplexed by the mother's chocie of companions since one of them trotted on a massive talking Senche-Raht... After detailing them that the inmates are kept away, they all decided to start delving into the ruin... However just before that, an eager militant Snow managed to steal the report that puzzled the captain....

Inside the ruin held, standing under the burden of time, slowly rotting away... The dark corridors led them further to a crossroad with massive gates blocking their way forth, the path split into two at the group's sides. At the very center of the crossroad a pedestal with a red crystal layed there. Unsure of its usage the aprty inspected it, one of the companions Aelius used his Dwemer knowledge to try and understand its workings, however an eager militant Snow opted to throw a stone at the crystal, to see its reactions... The crystal toppled over, falling and breaking to the ground, alerting the ever vigilant curator-guardians residing in the ruins!

A fierce fight commenced, with Dwarven Spheres and Spiders attacking all without discretion! Having the element of surprise and although finally defeated the automatons inflicted serious wounds to the expedition force... Even managing to knock unconcious the towering Khajiit Do-Dazur! Thanks to their preparations and mother Sybelle's healing however the expedition continued...

The first path to the right led them to a room typical for a Dwemer ruin, hwoever upon closer inspection something was different... A machine decorated like an open mouth with gears stopped form working, a piece of cloth hindering their moves... The machine connected with pipes and wires to something else at the other side of the room... A Dwemer Centurion unlike any other with a utility hole on his chest and actual hands with joints instead of hammers and axes laid unearthed... Upon inspection of the room the expedition found more of those red crystals they encountered before... Finally activated them they were stunned to find the last voice of the Dwemer habitating this place... Appearing from the crystal like an apparition the voice introduced itself as "Memory preservation unit 1590" nicknamed "Custodo". The party astounded by their finding they talked to the voice which in turn replied, giving a view of a memory of the past.

The memory spoke a magister who operated this place. Itself being a facility for research. It depicted the magister and his helpers place a cylindrical power source in the centurion and operating it, codenamed "Gatekeeper". The Magister kept saying how Gatekeeper is the only machine able to lift the main gate's chains and open the doors to the antechamber. Advising to do so, if the worst comes to pass... Militant Snow's meddling with the lifeless machine forced mother Sybelle to decide his removal from the expedition...

With more questions than answers the remainders of the party set forth to find the power source for the Gatekeeper, after several delving in the darkness they encountered a bizarre room... A ceiling filled with wires and pipes, all leading to a pillar in the middle, from the ceiling a half made Centurion from the waist up would be found hanging... With his keen sailor eyes, Akamon was able to notice him having his very own power supply unit intact. Employing his nimble climbing skills he managed to reach the centurion not disturbing its sleep and remove his power supply unit. The party was finally ready to activate the Gatekeeper.

However... While Akamon was preoccupied with his climbing, the others found a piece of cloth stuck on a pipe... Piecing it together with the cloth stuck in the machine in the room they met Custodo, they were suspicious of the history of this place... On their way back to the centurion the experiences got even more bizarre... As Aelius mother Sybelle and Do Dazur felt like something or someone was there, with them. Aelius suggested to search the room, to which captain Nostag agreed... Upon their inspection they found someone they didn't expect to find.. It was militant Snow! Sneaking around behind them all along... Still perplexed if Snow was really the one why heard they asked him describing their experiences... Curiously Snow himself would speak how he himself heard voices... One voice to be precise... That of captain Nostag, insulting Snow and wishing him dead. Lashing at the captain, Snow went as far as to show him the report he stole and interogate his superior on its contents. And angry captain explained the situation. The report detailed a series of murders. All victims missing their eyes. Some inmates attributed this to a "Blind God". Captain Nostag naturally suspecting nothing but a serial killer among them.

Finally, after threatening the captain, mother Sybelle ordered Snow, to be arrested and sent back to Dragonrock to be held on trial, for stealing an official docdument of a high ranking officer of the military and insubordination... Militant Do' Dazur making sure Snow is indeed sent to Dragonrock.

Finally the party was ready... They activated the Gatekeeper, the whole ruin now shaking, going dark, revealing that Custodo now resided in the Gatekeeper, she guided them to the main entrance of the antichamber, finally opening the gates for them...

A balcony to a vast cavern. At its peak a pedestal with a metal covering on top, a mystery what's inside... With each step, a menacing feeling was felt, like a wave, churning the very souls of those present... One after another, all succumbed to the mysterious magic radiating from it... No one knows how much time passed... Or what happened in the meantime as all were trapped in its magic...

But once all emerged again... Something as different... Everything was different... The first to wake up, the unlucky captain Nostag gro-Obrulag was dragged by a cultist in front of the pedestal... Our expedition forces surrounded by those hooded men and unarmed, stood and watched, as the cultist violently removed the captain's eyes... Offering them to his very own... Blind God... Aelius surprised and angered to witness this sight cried out to the party to prepare themselves to fight or try to escape! To his horror and surprise... He found his former companions now standing as enemies... Mother Betz Sybelle, Akamon Ra'Elinhir, Do' Dazur... By forces unseen now pledged to fight for the Blind God, scorning Aelius and Nostag for not doing so...

As an act of mercy and humiliation... Aelius and captain Nostag were sent, as messengers of the doom the Blind God wished upon Fergana. The following night... Lunaris was embraced in fire... As the prisoners of the mine, the expedition force and guards, former subordinates of the captain, marched under the gaze of the Cult of the Blind God... Steel yourself Fergana, the Blind God is wathcing...