Frost in Morrowind

Edward Frost's time in Morrowind has come to an end; but his struggles are recorded here for any to read. A year in the making, and spanning one hundred and fifty chapters… Violence, suspicion, loss, betrayal, revenge, power with a price, a fight for survival, ages-old mysteries... all thrust in the way of Edward Frost, a man simply trying to rebuild his life.

Chapter 1 can be found here.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Chapter 103: Abuse devotion

The fear (well-founded or not) that Apelles Matius and his Legion cronies might at any time decide to 'liberate' Wolfen castle from me spurred me into action. Falorn - and my guardsmen - were right: I needed to prove to the world that I could be trusted. The course chosen for me (by a bunch of scared and I daresay drunken guards - but nevertheless) was to work with the Tribunal Temple - and of course I was already member and had worked with them before... which could only help.

In fact, I had never reported to Endryn Llethan - at the High Fane in Vivec - that I had completed my pilgrimage to the Sanctus shrine. Matters on Solstheim had distracted me - and then when I returned from the frozen island...

I decided to pay Endryn a visit: straight away, before the evening grew too late. Until then I had not dared remove my armour, for fear of attack: I had not changed since before becoming a vampire... since before my three-day trek around the island, in fact. After addressing my staff I retreated to my chambers to remove the Netch and Adamantium armour suit, before washing myself quickly in the breaking waves outside the castle walls.


I appeared outside the High Fane wrapped in a dark, hooded robe - hopefully indistinguishable from any other commoner or member of the Temple who had just used Almsivi Intervention to shorten a journey. Indeed, with my tell-tale glowing eyes hidden by the robe's hood, none of the golden-armoured Ordinators stationed about the Temple took the slightest notice of me. Light was showing through the windows and around the door to Endryn's office in the High Fane, so it appeared that he had not left for home yet.

I pushed my way through the door and came face to face with the priest. Unsurprisingly, Endryn started when he saw me... but so did I. The very instant I entered the room, it felt as if I had been dumped in scalding water! In fact, smoke was starting to issue from beneath the folds of my robe: the pain was terrible. Was it Endryn's doing?

"Stop it!" I growled, grabbing hold of his arms.

But the Dunmer priest merely looked confused - and terrified.

"Wh-what?" He gasped.

I glanced over his shoulder, and immediately had to squeeze my eyes shut. Several triolithic Temple shrines in the adjoining room were visible from where we stood, but I could not even look at them: it was like staring at the sun.

Throwing the petrified Endryn over my shoulder, I burst through the door and back into the night air. The burning sensation was gone as fast as it came, leaving my skin red and raw. So that was it... I could not even pass within holy structures anymore. Perhaps I was truly cursed in the eyes of the Temple.

I had a more pressing problem though: the Ordinators on duty there did not take kindly to the abduction of one of their priests, and were bearing down on me, weapons at the ready. Calling on my new 'Touch the clouds' spell, I leapt up to the top of the High Fane, well out of their reach. From there, still with Endryn over my shoulder, I leapt high, high into the sky, to land lightly on the top of the moon 'Baar Dau', that floated uncannily just above the Temple.

I set Endryn down, but kept a hold on his wrist, in case he tried to escape and fell from the massive floating boulder. He certainly looked scared out of his mind: too frightened to speak, even. I had to use both my Calming Touch and Charm spells to relax him enough for us to talk.

"Endryn, I'm very sorry for this: but I need to talk to you."

"Frost..." the priest said slowly, "you're Edward Frost. I sent you on the Sanctus pilgrimage... what happened? What have you done?"

"I completed the pilgrimage," I replied, "but..." And I told him my story: how I had let myself become a vampire to avoid dying - and how I wanted to prove myself to everyone by continuing to work for the Temple.

Endryn began to appear more relaxed, though still obviously under the effects of my Charm spell:

"Well Sera Frost, you'll understand if I can't send you on any... sensitive assignments. The rest of the Temple would likely throw me out if I sent you to cure the diseased, or somesuch - and they would refuse to recognise your contribution, too. However... recently they have been baying for the return of a particular relic... But I must say, this is quite unusual! A vampire asking to work for the Temple..."

In any case, Endryn went on to describe the relic they wanted returned, and afterwards I levitated the both of us back down to the great stone platform the High Fane rested upon. I set the priest down behind the building, out of sight of the swarming, searching and very angry Ordinators. I teleported away, leaving Endryn to return to his office and the inevitable questions as to what had happened.


So Endryn Llethan sent me on the first of a series of dangerous assignments (or 'shows of devotion') for the Tribunal. He, and later a priestess at the Ghostgate Temple named Uvoo Llaren, sent me all over the island to retrieve 'sacred relics' that had been somehow lost in hostile territory, or somewhere deep in the wilderness. Sometimes there was no pretence of an assignment being to recover Temple property: they simply sent me to kill someone - or a group of people. It was always Daedra worshippers, and I justified it to myself by reinforcing in my mind what everyone knew: Daedra worshippers were - without exception - dangerous murderers.

Still, I knew I was being used. At least my continued acquiescence seemed to be enough for those in power in the Temple: they were actually acknowledging my contributions - though not without a certain number of vocal objectors, of course. I needn't have worried about word of my actions reaching the Imperial Legion - and Apelles Matius in particular - either: according to Falorn and other members of my staff, "Frost, the vampire who works for the Temple" was all anyone in the nearby towns and cities could talk about.


A week or so passed, and I fell into a uneasy routine. I usually slept through the day, either in the secret vault or in my chambers - with the shutters closed and the doors barred. I found that I did not actually need to sleep anymore, but there was not much else I could do when trapped inside during the daylight hours. Occasionally I would visit the various Mages guild halls, as I could teleport directly to the Balmora hall, and from there to the others. The Vivec guild hall was housed within the Foreign Quarter; so I could also range throughout that entire canton, if I wished.

Doing so was not without its dangers, though. If someone suddenly threw open a door, or a window...

My nights were spent on Temple business, usually travelling far and wide beneath the stars to retrieve some saint's 'sacred shoes' or 'blessed axe'. Each night began and ended with the hunt for someone to feed from. It was always the first and last thing I did because I was - for obvious reasons - unable to hunt during the day; meaning I passed every afternoon in a state of perpetual starvation. The stolen blood in my body really only lasted until around midday...


Was it like that for all vampires? Was that why I was attacked by those gaunt, wild-eyed vampires just before dawn all those times?

This was just one of the questions regarding my new existence that had begun to nag at me. I had begun to discover some things about my vampiric nature on my own, but there was so much I didn't know! Perhaps I could even do things I had no inkling about yet... there was no way for me to tell.

I needed answers. I had to find my vampiric parents.

15 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not sure how ok I am with the skipping of so many days and quests we could have enjoyed but other than that it was just as good of a chapter as all the others that I have enjoyed.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 2:08:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seeing as how I hate all temple quests I am glad you skip'd them.

Now onto Ashmelech!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 2:12:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmm... I agree here with Anonymous. It would have been great to hear all about the quests, the forays into the Ghostfence and the Daedric Shrines.
And I know you would have done an excellent job of it.

And Matar If you remember It was In the Sarethi Ancestral Tomb where Frost was accosted and infected by his 'Parents'. And if I remember correctly I actually made an observation on what Frost might do or say to them.

Joseph, I know you are heading somewhere with this, but I am slightly disturbed about the Fast Fowarding of the story...

Morrowind Trivia - Where is the Book 'Smugglers Island'?

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 3:55:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah but Ashmelech holds the elder lady...

You know the only one who gives you quests even though there crapy.

Hey frost do you use Mge, Mwse, mwe, or anything?

If not why the hell not? They make morrowind alot cooler...

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:36:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Also you may wonder why I said 'Frost'.

I wanna know your answer while talking like him.

Sorry for being Vague :P.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:38:00 pm  
Blogger Joseph said...

Just to address some concerns: you must remember that the story is told through Edward's eyes; the telling of it is affected by his character. The story is not being fast-forwarded; rather, some of the recent events in Frost's life are being recounted in less than slavish detail by a man who does not assign huge importance to them.

This story has never really adhered to exact events as laid out in the quests in vanilla Morrowind: I think it would be quite dull if it did. Person is right: there are reasons for not going into detail on some of those Temple quests: but I can't talk about them without giving spoilers.

I am going to stay true to Edward's character, and that may mean departures from the way one might expect this story to be told. Just be warned. :-)

If anyone is worried about length, don't be. Frost in Morrowind still has a long way to go.

Sorry for the lecture. ;-)


Matar: If you really want Frost to answer that question, he would probably say something like this:

"What in the world are you talking about, Matar?"

...Which probably doesn't help you out all that much. If I answer, though: I use MGE; the Morrowind Graphics Extender, for the blood-meter and red-haze effects it provides when used with the Vampiric Hunger mod.

- Joseph.

Thursday, March 23, 2006 12:01:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But You have to remember Matar, That Frost knows NOTHING about Ashmelech.

And Joseph, as much as I don't like what you have done here I can understand by what you mean by Frost skipping those events. Because yes, He would deem them unimportant. Still... That's a lot we missed out on.

And yet again I think I shall post the answer my Trivia question - Where is the Book 'Smugglers Island'? It is located in the Lower Level of Falasmaryon.

Morrowind Trivia - Where is The Skull Crusher?

Thursday, March 23, 2006 9:28:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the Anudabia Daedric Ruin which is just east of Sadrith Mora.

You have to go through a tomb to get it... the tombs name eludes me...

Thursday, March 23, 2006 12:34:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh is it mt turn for Trivia?

Name all the books with the character Hallagard in them.

Thursday, March 23, 2006 12:37:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Correct! It Is in The Forge of Hilbongard inside The Anudabia Daedric Shrine. The Entrance to the Shrine is blocked, but you can access it through the Omaren Ancestral Tomb. The Tomb is located East of Sadrith Mora and the Daedric Shrine. As for the Key to the Chest that holds the Skull Crusher, it is located in the tomb near the Storm Atronach.

Hmmm... I think the books Hallgerd is featured in are: Bone Parts 1 & 2 and Hallgerds Tale. I feel as though I'm missing one...

Morrowind Trivia - Who is Marara?

Thursday, March 23, 2006 4:44:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Joseph: Ooh, this was very good! I must say, when I first read this chapter, I was slightly alarmed, but got over it as I continued. Maybe I have a short attention span?
Anyway, after reading your reply to Anony and Person's concerns, I feel much better. Thanks for alleviating my concerns!
As usual, this chapter was extremely well-written.

Person: At first I thought Marara was the Imperial Cult's Goddess of Love, but that's Mara, not Marara. So... I don't know, but the suspense is killing me.

Thursday, March 23, 2006 7:54:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

great chapter joseph. suspense is what u r known for afterall.

Person: Marara is a vampire by Vos i think it was. somewhere up north however that no longer wants to be alive. She attacks you on sight and she is holding marara's ring...which i always wear around until recently. It has Constant Effect Reflect 20%---Fortify Acrobatics 20%---and also has Resist Normal Weapons 40% all constant. Fighters guild for Hrundi if no one knew that.

Friday, March 24, 2006 2:32:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I liked this chapter - I wasn't bothered at all by the skipping around. Stick to major events - leave the little things at a sentence or two like they should be. It's more fun to read the big stuff.

Friday, March 24, 2006 8:09:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Correct! Marara Is a Vampire that resides in the Drethan (I believe) Ancestral Tomb near Ald Daedroth. She has no longer any will to live and if you are a Vampire she asks you to kill her. That still doesn't mean you can't kill her when you are mortal! As DaBigPMan said she has a Unique Ring with extremely powerful enchantments on her person. She also has a mention in a Fighters Guild Quest. Personally, one of my favourite combinations of enchanted items is Marara's Ring and the Necromancers Amulet, which gives a whopping 65% Resistance to Normal Weapons!

Morrowind Trivia - Who is Andre Maul?

Friday, March 24, 2006 1:21:00 pm  
Blogger Joseph Kennedy said...

Andre Maul is a Breton Savant who lives just outside Dagon Fel in a Dwemer Tower.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:56:00 pm  

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