Skyrim: Band of Thieves

Chapters

Interlude: Meeting the Clan
Clan: Visiting Riften
Clan: Angarvunde
Clan: Securing the Area
Clan: New Recruits
Clan: Practice and Unusual Items
Clan: A New Job
Clan: Helgen Business
Clan: Whiterun
Interlude: Back to the Rift
Interlude: On the Road Again
Interlude: Saints and Seducers
Interlude: Madness in the Sewers
Interlude: Bandit Problems
Interlude: Disaster
Guild: Returning to Riften
Guild: First Jobs
Guild: Back to the Road
Guild: Work in Whiterun
Guild: Honor and Treasure
Guild: Business in Solitude
Guild: Journey to Winterhold
Guild: Danger in Saarthal
Guild: Daedric Business
Guild: Information Sharing
Guild: Business in Riften
Guild: Work of a Thief
Guild: Pieces of the Razor
Guild: Helping a Dog Out
Guild: More Work and Cursed Sword
Guild: Finishing Guild Jobs
Guild: Dealing with Mages
Guild: Howls in the Night
Guild: Mage Information
Guild: The Silver Hand
Guild: Staff of Magnus
Guild: Meeting of the Princes
Guild: The Sepulcher
Guild: Looting a Ruin
Guild: The Wolf Queen
Guild: Dark Brotherhood
Guild: To High Hrothgar
Guild: First Major Contract
Guild: The Aetherium Shards
Guild: New Discoveries
Guild: Dark Plans
Prelude: Unexpected Transfer
Interlude: Bleak Falls Barrow
Guild: Stealth of a Guildmaster
Guild: Wrapping up Business

Interlude: Meeting the Clan

While Capper directed the horse down the path that was in front of them, following the directions he was given, Rarity just spent her time checking the crates that were in the wagon, to see what else they had stolen from the nobles, as Azure sat across from her with a frown on his face. It was clear that the Solar Guard wasn't too happy about watching Capper and Midnight break the law like that, but, at the same time, he didn't say anything since they were in the presence of someone he didn't trust, even if Capper seemed to. As they did that both Midnight and La'nari focused on the road as they kept an eye out for danger, since none of them wanted to lose the contents of the wagon, though as they did so the latter made sure to point out things to the former, so she knew what to keep an eye out for. It was clear that she knew none of them were familiar with the roads of Skyrim and was doing her best to make sure they appeared like they were familiar with all sorts of things, to help them pass as traveling nobles when they encountered the patrol she had mentioned.

Sure enough they found that the other cat had been right in her previous statement, there was a patrol heading their way, at least ten soldiers who were wearing the same attire that the guard of the nobles had been wearing, with one wearing a finer set of attire, likely a captain or general. La'nari found that Midnight was the first one to point out the other group and quietly told her new companions to keep calm, because there were times where soldiers would stop a wagon or even a traveling caravan, to either inspect their goods, to buy, or to arrest those they knew to be thieves. Interesting enough the group found that the soldiers didn't seem to care about them at all, rather they got out of the way and allowed them to continue on their way without interfering with their journey. While they passed the soldiers Capper found that some were like the nobles they had seen earlier, plus one or two more cat people and even a lizard person who seemed proud of serving in the army, plus one or two individuals who had pointy ears.

Since they weren't stopped by the patrol the group was able to continue down the rest of the road without any problems, a fact that allowed La'nari to explain a few more things to them, since it was better than blindly traveling through Skyrim like they were travelers. Apparently there was an ongoing war between the Imperial Legion, who served the Empire and it's Emperor, and the local Stormcloaks, a rebellion whose leader just happened to be one of the Jarls who ruled over the land, one of nine to be exact, though the size of the provinces wasn't fair between all of them. Four of the Jarls were on the Legion's side, since the Empire also ruled over Skyrim, while at the same time four of the remaining five opposed them, standing with Ulfric Stormcloak and his forces, leaving one Jarl, who ruled the central province of Whiterun, as a neutral party. With that in mind the war was basically at a standstill, as both sides were trying to convince Jarl Balgruuf to join them so one side would have control of Whiterun, and gain the advantage over the other side, while the patrols that both sides sent out were more like scouting parties.

"Fortunately for us the soldiers don't care about bandits or thieves, they simply ignore us and go about their days like we're not even there." La'nari remarked, which explained why the patrol had basically ignored them, no doubt believing that they were just nobles and guards moving to another part of Skyrim, though she did glance back for a few moments to be sure no one was coming after them, "Though there are a few things that we do have to be careful of..."

"Including other bandits and some wild animals?" Capper inquired, which made sense when he thought about it, since it made sense for one group of bandits to steal from another that was moving through their land, which was why he kept an eye out for potential danger while they followed La'nari's instructions.

"You got it. By the way, take the next two rights, then a left when we near a stone bridge. Treva's Watch is where my clan has set up our base of operations." La'nari said, informing them that they had a few forks in the path to keep an eye out for, which was good to know since they were unfamiliar with this land, but as they continued down the road she seemed to think about something else as she glanced at the pair, "You know, since you guys are new to Skyrim, we might be able to use that to our advantage... no one knows who you are yet, so we might be able to present you are merchants and sell a bunch of our loot in one of the nearby cities, like Riften since it is the closest. I'm sure that Brurid and Bek-Kajin would be excited by the idea, since we could offload a lot of the stuff we steal without anyone realizing what's going on."

"I'm sorry, who?" Rarity asked, because while she was sure that they were leaders of the bandit clan they were going to be meeting soon, based on what the cat, a khajiit as she recalled what the race was called, she knew it would be best to ask so she and her companions didn't make fools of themselves when they finally reached Treva's Watch.

"Our leaders. They're the ones that brought us to the fort and lead us in overtaking it from it's previous owners... who, as I found out later, were another group of bandits." La'nari replied, where she realized that she hadn't told them anything about the two chiefs that served as the leaders of her clan, so Rarity's question made sense when she thought about it for a few seconds, all while Capper slowed the horse as a bear wandered into the wilderness ahead of them, as he wanted to make sure it didn't come at them, "Both can be a little harsh at times, when someone breaks one of the rules, but they're better bosses than some of the greedy businesses that we end up stealing from all the time."

"You speak as if you have experience in such a field. Bad guild?" Midnight inquired, as it made sense to her, a bad group or organization would cause such a response from the khajiit, though as she said that La'nari had Capper bring the wagon to a stop and they realized why not a few seconds later.

As it turned out there was a deer or elk nearby, one that the bear had ignored as it went off in search of something else, where she pulled her bow out and readied one of her arrows, allowing them to watch as she pulled her hand back as she focused on her target. In the next moment she let it fly and they watched as it struck the elk in the side, striking it in the heart since it fell over not a few seconds later, but once that was done she and Azure moved to collect the elk, as she felt that he was the best option to help her out, while Rarity did her best not to look at it. La'nari's reasoning for doing this was simple, she wanted to bring the rest of the clan some fresh food as well, and the elk had been the best thing she had seen so far, so the group did their best to move some of the crates out of the way to make room for it. As soon as the elk was in position Capper returned to his seat and got them underway once more, while the others focused on the road to be sure they didn't draw any attention to them.

After that La'nari confirmed Midnight's comment, that she had been a member of the local Thieves Guild for a few years, giving her a fair number of skills that she could fall back on, but eventually she left due to the fact that the entire guild had been dying before her eyes. She further explained what she meant by that by revealing that many of the jobs that their superiors ended up assigning, ranging from the simplest to even some of their heists, ended in failure despite all of the planning that went into them, resulting in thieves being caught and gold being lost, and a loss of clients as well. Of course there were still those who worked with the remaining thieves, a number of which still had some skill, but the truth of the matter remained, unless things turned around the guild would die in the near future and an entire way of life would cease to exist. La'nari also told them that she had maintained contact with a select few of the Guild's members, mostly so she could trade some of the more valuable goods that her clan collected for a decent amount of gold, but other than that the group found that she preferred to ignore the dying guild since there was nothing she could do to help them out.

Capper asked what she meant by that and the khajiit was silent for a few seconds, either because she was tired of talking or because she needed time to think, before she admitted that no one in the Guild knew what was going on, rather each person had their own thoughts on the matter. Some thought it was just a string of bad luck, some believed that those who were caught were just failures in general, and then there was the more outlandish theory that one of the Daedric Princes was angry with them for some reason. There wasn't much more La'nari could tell them about those beings, she never bothered to read about them like the mages and scholars of the world did, so if Capper or the others wanted to figure out more about them they would have to seek out other sources. All of that information was good for them to gain, since it let them formulate a plan in their minds about what to do after meeting the bandits, though at the same time La'nari asked the group about themselves, since this was the first time she had encountered creatures like Midnight.

Capper explained that they were from an island continent that was far away from Skyrim, brought here by a magical spell that none of them had been expecting to be hit by, and the reason La'nari had no knowledge of their existence was due to a magic mist that was keeping their home safe from potential attackers. It was a lie, of course, but he knew that La'nari wouldn't believe him if he told her that they were from another world that was different from this one, though fortunately she seemed to think about his statement and believed him without asking questions. He didn't want to lie to her, after all of the truthful things she had told them since meeting them, but this was for the best, since she had told them that she wasn't a scholar, so learning this sort of thing might keep her curiosity in check, especially since she thought they were all thieves. Capper also knew that the others might not approve of this, but when he spared the others a glance he found that Rarity was conflicted on what to think, Azure seemed to appreciate keeping their truth a secret, and Midnight simply nodded her head, agreeing with his decision since he was the best at what he did.

Such a thing allowed him to focus on the path that was in front of him, while the others simply relaxed while keeping an eye on their surroundings, even though they were also trying to find the fort that La'nari had mentioned, since it would let them know they were getting close to their final destination.

Other than the bear there wasn't much for them to worry about as they continued down the path that was in front of them, a fact that eventually brought them to the bridge that La'nari wanted them to use, where the ground quickly found that there was a large stone fort on the other side of the river that it crossed. Sure enough they found a few individuals standing on the walls and roofs of the structure, some wearing armor that was like what their khajiit friend was wearing, some wore just fur armor, and there were a few wearing metal gear, no doubt the ones who served as the warriors for the clan. Each of them were armed, that was easy to see since a few had bows and others appeared to have melee weapons, like swords or even axes, and some were suspicious of people that were coming towards their domain, but upon realizing that La'nari was with them the gate guards eased up and opened the main gate. While they did that, however, Capper noticed two people who seemed different from the rest, one that seemed to be a nord in some fine steel armor and had a battleaxe as his main weapon, while the other was a lizard creature, wearing the same armor, though he looked strong due to his buff body, and he had a brass greatsword on his back, or what Capper assumed was brass.

He had to assume that those two were Brurid and Bek-Kajin, the chiefs in charge of this bandit camp, though at the very least it seemed like they were pleased with what they were seeing at the moment, especially since the argonian jumped off the wall he was standing on and landed near them, without hurting himself in the process.

"La'nari, it is good that you have returned... and with new recruits, I trust?" Bek-Kajin commented, though the group found that he was definitely interested in them, despite the fact that the rest of the bandits were noticing what was resting in the back portion of the wagon, showing that while Capper and his friends were interesting, due to being unique, the bandits were more interested in the potential loot.

"Four novice thieves that managed to score a good haul, which we might be able to sell for once... and some food, since I know our stores were a little low earlier." La'nari replied, where she got up and helped the hunters of their clan lift the elk off the wagon so they could carry it inside the fort, while at the same time she found that Bek-Kajin was looking at some of the containers, opening one every now and then to see what was inside them, while Brurid joined them as a couple pieces of jewelry, rings and necklaces, were pulled out of one.

"We encountered two wandering nobles and their guard that weren't paying attention to their wagon, so, while they were focused on arguing, we calmed the horse down and made off with the goods." Capper said, because that was the basics of what they had done and hoped that no one asked for more details, since there wasn't anything else to add besides their lack of formal winter clothing, even though this area wasn't covered in snow and meant their current clothes would work for the time being, "We were talking with La'nari about the idea of slowly selling this stuff off, giving us gold for food and other items, which is what everyone wants, right?"

"You are as La'nari says... the girl is a novice, totally unsure of the world, but you? You, khajiit, are definitely a thief... and I like the idea." Brurid stated, showing them and the other bandits that he liked what he was hearing, in fact Capper could see the gears in his head turning as he glanced at more of the haul and those that were looking at it right now, before he focused on the group for a moment, "The dark one is a thief as well, you can see the look in her eyes, while the other is a warrior... a lookout, no doubt. What are your names?"

"I am Rarity, and this is my friend and teacher Capper." Rarity replied, because if the bandits were going to think that they were all thieves, and that she was the novice while Azure was the lookout, she figured that it would be best to go along with the story and not challenge them in the slightest, hence why she made sure to call Capper her 'teacher', "Along with his partner in crime, Midnight Rose, and our lookout, Azure Blade."

Capper found that the bandit leaders glanced at each other for a few seconds, clearly thinking about everything they had just learned, especially with the loot that had been brought to them, before they watched as the pair turned their focus back to them without delay.

"I see. For the time being the four of you will be working with La'nari, who will teach you the rules of our clan." Brurid said, showing them that he was more than willing to accept them into the clan without asking any questions, especially after the haul that had been brought to their fort, which was a good thing in his books since they didn't have to worry about proving themselves to the clan, "La'nari, do you still have your guild attire?"

"...Yeah... I do. You want me to take some of the items to Tonilia?" La'nari inquired, though Capper could tell that the name had to belong to someone in the Thieves Guild she had mentioned earlier, where it was hard to tell if she was dreading meeting up with an old ally or if she was indifferent to the entire thing.

"I do. I want to make sure these items are good for sale... and you might as well pick up some gear for these four." Brurid said, where it was easy for the group to see that he was imagining all the wealth that was inside the containers that were in front of him, something that might allow them to retire as lords if they lived to see all of it sold, "For now, you five ought to join the others in offloading the loot and store it in the storeroom for the time being, then you can show these our new friends to the rest area. Bek and I will determine what to send with you tomorrow."

The group nodded their heads for a moment before getting off the wagon as La'nari directed them to pick up some of the crates, which they did without delay, as she claimed one herself and the rest were picked up by a few more bandits, who proceeded to head inside the fort by using a side door near the lever that activated the main gate. Once they were inside the structure the group followed La'nari as she brought them to an area to set down their crates in, where they passed by an eating area, a kitchen of sorts, an area that some bandits were using to prepare the elk, and even an indoor training area. The khajiit told them that there were two other significant areas for them to know about, the first being the secret path that some of their fellows had been tasked with guarding, as their leaders were sure someone would come through there at some point and try to attack them, mostly since they might be assigned there at some point. The second area just so happened to be the bed chambers, where they and other members of their clan could sleep when they were off duty, even though there were all sorts of other things for them to do to improve their skills.

Along the way they found where to set down the crates and did so without delay, where La'nari assured them that the rest of the clan would stay away from them, as Brurid and Bek-Kajin ran a tight ship and wouldn't tolerate anyone stealing the loot that another had collected, especially since it would benefit all of them once everything was sold.

"Like I said earlier, we're fortunate to have them as our leaders." La'nari remarked, once more confirming that the pair that guided this clan were definitely well respected by everyone else, where Capper had to wonder if that included all of the other Bandit Lords that ruled over the various other forts and caves that were scattered across Skyrim, before she beckoned to the room she stopped near, "I know it isn't much, but I doubt you guys will be in this part of the fort for very long... after a haul like that I would expect either Brurid or Bek-Kajin to elevate all of you to a higher position in the clan."

"Won't that annoy some of the others who have been here for a lot longer?" Midnight asked, because passed on what she had seen in the past she knew that there were members of an organization, and could have been with them for years, who would get annoyed if a newcomer or group of newcomers suddenly shot by them in the rankings.

"Depends on the group, honestly. My former Guild, for example, didn't seem to care too much... but most of the clan will look the other way if our leaders decide to promote you." La'nari replied, once again telling the group that the clan really respected the pair, which was always good to see in Capper's eyes, before she rubbed the back of her head for a moment as she thought about what she needed to do next, "Now, if you would excuse me, I need to go make sure my former guild attire is ready for tomorrow."

Capper nodded and the group watched as their khajiit friend disappeared into the heart of the fortress once more, causing him to let out a sigh as he and the others moved towards the back of the room, to give them some space in case more of the bandits showed up to talk to them, though he highly doubted that since no one had followed them so far.

"I cannot believe we are doing this. Midnight, we are royal guards!" Azure stated, keeping his voice low so that only Capper and the others could hear him, since he knew that telling the bandits this information might cause them to attack the group before they could figure things out, but he couldn't contain his disbelief at everything that was going on right now.

"No, you aren't... not here, at least. We're strangers, and no one will believe us if we say we're from another world, much less a mythical land like Equestria." Capper said, where he could tell that Rarity was still staring at the beds while Midnight just nodded her head, though as he said that he found a large blade resting nearby, either iron or steel, he really had no idea, and dragged it out so Azure could grab it, who raised an eyebrow in the process, "Here, we're nobodies... you two aren't guards, Rarity's not a heroine, and I'm not someone who fought evil to save the day... as far as everyone else is concerned we are a band of thieves from an unknown and mysterious land. Based on how the other bandits have acted, they seem to take one's actions as their word, and we're shown that we have the skills to steal things... that means..."

"...that we're thieves." Azure finished, though he found that he hated how Capper seemed to understand everything that was going on right now and knew the situation they were in, before he was able to do so, causing him to let out a sigh of frustration as he grasped the handle of the weapon and took it from the cat.

"That's right. That means you and Rarity are stepping into my world, the one Midnight has some experience in." Capper continued, as he understood that this was going to be tough for both Rarity and Azure, especially since this meant that the latter had to fight on the other side of the law that he was used to being on, working as a criminal and not a royal guard, but this was the hand they had been dealt and they needed to deal with it, "Look, I will do everything in my power to teach you guys every trick and tactic I know, to make us into the group that we told the bandits about, and we must be careful, since one wrong move can likely ruin all of our hard work."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll do fine. I mean, we have one of the best teachers around, don't we?" Midnight remarked, where it was easy for Capper to see that she was perfectly fine with this set up, in fact she seemed to be at home with the idea of being a thief and him being their mentor, causing her to glance at Rarity for a moment as they noticed that she had been silent since entering the room, "You okay with this, Rarity?"

"Not really... do they honestly think we should be sleeping on these things? I can hardly call them 'beds'." Rarity said, because while she was still coming to terms with the fact that they were joining a bandit clan and were going to become thieves, at least for the time being, her immediate focus was on the terrible beds that were in front of them, a frame with what had to be straw as the bedding and fur as the covers, "We can fix this, right?"

"We'll probably get better beds once we get promoted to a higher position in the clan." Capper replied, since La'nari made a comment about them not being in this portion of the fortress for too long, if their leaders approved of their deeds and the profit their loot would bring them, making it easy for him to assume such a thing and calm Rarity down for the time being.

Despite Rarity's focus on the lackluster beds, and Azure having to get used to breaking the law for the foreseeable future, all Capper could do was smile as he found that he was eager to see what the future held in store for them and the rest of their new clan, since there was no telling what this world might have to offer them and what challenges it might throw at them in the near future.

Clan: Visiting Riften

After talking about their plan, and what everyone was going to have to do, Capper did exactly what they had told the clan, he started to give Midnight, Rarity, and Azure a lesson on how to be thieves, or at the very least the roles they had given themselves before meeting the clan. He couldn't teach them some of the finer things, such as picking a lock or stealing from someone's pocket, as that would land them in hot water with La'nari and the rest of the bandit clan, but he could show them how to carefully sneak around for a time. In addition to that he made sure they knew how to silently listen to what was around them so they could accurately move through the portion of the fort their khajiit friend had brought them to, and since there were some bandits in the area they even got evaluated. Azure was a failure, they could see him easily, while Rarity had a tiny bit of skill despite her accidentally hitting something and revealing her presence to them, though Midnight, as Capper assumed, seemed to be somewhat skilled in hiding herself from the others, as she revealed herself when she thought it was time to do so.

Part of the reason for doing that was so they could gain information on the clan, not to be used against them, rather he just wanted to know the full number of members and the layout of the structure they were calling home, and they found that some of the bandits were more than willing to show them around while telling them about themselves.

That allowed them to discover that some of the bandits were definitely friendlier than one would assume, because there were a few members of the clan that were doing this because they were people accused of crimes and didn't have the gold to pay their fines, telling the group that those ones wanted to return to a normal life. Of course there were others in the clan that seemed to enjoy the act of killing and that they didn't want to be caught by the guards, so they fled the Hold that they were wanted in, though Azure wanted nothing to do with those bandits and forced himself to remain neutral for the time being. In addition to that there were also Skooma addicts among their ranks, a drug that was addicting and would ruin the life of whoever took it, at least that was their guide's opinion on the matter, and a number of gamblers who just wanted to make some gold to bet on the wolf matches. The bandit explained that there were a few dens where people bred and pitted wild wolves against each other, with people betting on who the winner might be, which was information they weren't expecting to gain, but none of them asked a question about it, rather they just decided to accept it as part of their new reality.

Capper also gained an understanding of the exact members of the clan, as there were fifteen warriors, seven archers, two mages, one thief in the form of La'nari, both leaders, and then the four of them, which made him realize that it was a good thing this fort was so large, since it had more than enough room for everyone.

Such a thing also explained why food was one of the top items on the list for this clan, hence why three archers and five warriors usually went out in the morning and hunted around the area, as it appeared that bandits would eat anything, even bears if they were lucky enough to bring one down. Stealing from others also allowed them to provide for the clan with ease, since most of the people that came by had food, in fact they occasionally brought down a group of soldiers and took their supplies, all while selling off the armor as if they had found the pieces in an animal's lair or something. That meant the rest of the clan had to stay and keep an eye on the surrounding area, as in the hill behind the fort and the road that rested on the other side of the river, just in case there were people to rob or individuals to worry about. It was an interesting thing for sure, especially when he found that even Brurid and Bek-Kajin came out to study the walls from time to time, and the various stations that the rest of the clan had set up to protect themselves from arrows or spells, while allowing them to keep an eye out for potential trouble.

Capper had asked one of the warriors about that statement, since 'potential trouble' was something they had to keep an eye out for as well, and he had to admit that the information he obtained was more interesting than he had expected it to be, as it was about the various heroes and dangerous people of the land. In addition to masters of their craft, like master assassins that could wipe out an entire camp on their own, powerful warriors that beat giants, or great wizards that could scorch their foes to ashes, there were people who seemed weak for the first few seconds before killing bandits that were greater than them. The warrior had told him that a number of the scholars called those people 'heroes', such as the Hero of Kvatch, a figure that helped save the world back during the Oblivion Crisis, who were seemingly ordinary people who had greatness thrust upon them, and those special people could do things that not even the masters of a craft could do, despite having less experience than a master. Capper then talked to a few more members of the clan and learned that no such individual existed in Skyrim, or at least they assumed so, but Brurid, who overheard him asking, mentioned the war that was ongoing and guessed a hero might show up to deal with it.

After getting back together Capper shared what he had learned with the rest of the group, who were interested in what could be learned from the clan, before they turned in for the night, where he made sure that there was someone keeping watch, just in case things turned south.

As it turned out he didn't have to worry about the other bandits coming to do them harm, rather they had accepted them into the clan and had no desire to disturb them during their first night in the fort, though as everyone got up one bandit came by and invited them to breakfast. While Capper and his companions were used to the food in Equestria they weren't really ready for eating meat, cooked in a stew with vegetables and cooked potatoes, where he found that the rift had one last gift for them, which was the ability to actually eat the food of this world without gagging or getting sick. Sure, Rarity and Azure had trouble with that fact and did their best to make sure the bandits didn't see them as food wasters, while Midnight was more like Capper, they showed no hesitation, though he had to admit that it was actually quite good, which meant their chef had some skill. That was also considering the fact that there was bread and other pieces of food as well, which was interesting to see and all four of them enjoyed having it as well, meaning they would be ready for their mission to visit Riften, whenever the leaders of the clan decided that it was time to get going.

After their meal the group found that Brurid was calling for them to get ready, where Capper discovered that the wagon had a single crate in the back, allowing three of them more room to sit during the ride to Riften, and La'nari was standing by it, wearing a brown set of leather armor that was more suited for stealth work, and it even had a hood that she pulled back for a few seconds.

"I haven't worn this for quite a while... was almost afraid that it wouldn't fit at all, but then found that it fit just like when I first got it." La'nari commented, as she could see that Capper was interested in her attire, with the pouches and areas that she could hide all of her thief tools in, something she had used to great effect back when she was an actual member of the Thieves Guild, "Our leaders have loaded one of the crates up with some of the easier to sell items, jewelry mostly, so we should be able to get quite a bit of gold from my contacts... even after we buy some gear for you guys and some supplies for the clan."

"A test run of sorts, to make sure the goods are worth the effort? Sounds good to me." Capper replied, where he climbed up onto the sitting area at the front as Midnight and the others took the back with the crate, allowing La'nari to sit beside him once more, because she knew the ins and outs of the land, so having her at the front made sense.

Of course Brurid and Bek-Kajin had a few words for them, mostly to make sure La'nari understood that she was to get the best price possible for the items before they sent more to the city, causing her to nod before the pair let them depart from the fort, this time continuing down the road they had been on previously. Like last time La'nari kept an eye out for dangers and made sure Capper followed the main path that was in front of them, following a road that went around several bends as he noted that the signs indicated that they were on their way to Riften. Rarity, Midnight, and Azure stayed in the back and kept their eyes open for anything dangerous that might come up from behind them, since there was a chance that an animal or another bandit might try to come after them. Of course most of them were unarmed, mostly because some of them didn't have experience with weapons, so they were hoping that La'nari would be able to assist them, even though Capper suspected that Azure might be able to use his new greatsword if he needed to, as he had spent some time with the warriors to be sure he could use the weapon.

While they traveled, however, Capper and La'nari went over the plan one last time, as they were going to enter the city, track down someone called Brynjolf, who was basically the recruiter for the Guild while also being one of the few higher ranking members, and talk to him before selling the loot to Tonilia. It was rather simple, if Brynjolf remembered her as a former thief that had sided with the Guild, even though she left while it was declining, there was a chance he might listen to her when she came to sell him some of the items they had acquired, though it was always a gamble. It really depended on Mercer Frey, the Guild Master, because he wasn't big on forgiveness and usually had traitors executed, but she wasn't a traitor, not like Karliah, who had murdered Mercer's predecessor in cold blood, so she didn't have to worry about being put to death. What she had to worry about was him deciding that she was no longer an asset that was worth allowing his agents to work with, which would mean getting cut off from Tonilia and everything she could offer, something that would annoy both of the leaders of her clan, since it would make it harder to sell things in the future.

After talking about the plan for a time, since there was no one around to worry about, Capper found his focus shifting to a group that was coming their way, nords that happened to be wearing what appeared to be specialized fur armor that no doubt had metal underneath it all to protect them from harm, something that caused La'nari to sigh in annoyance as she raised her hood and covered her head.

"Stormcloaks... I was hoping to avoid them. Focus on the road and hope they go by." La'nari said, while at the same time also lowering her head more so that none of the soldiers noticed her, or rather the fact that she was a khajiit, because this force was racist against anyone, literally anyone, who wasn't a nord, which was probably why every other race was part of the Legion, including nords that were loyal to the empire.

Unfortunately it appeared that the group of soldiers had other plans as they got close to the wagon, where Capper and the others found that the Stormcloaks weren't too pleased with their existence, as most of them were wearing revealing helms, allowing them to see their faces and the disapproving looks on their faces.

"Great, more beast races thinking that they own Skyrim." one of the soldiers remarked, confirming that he and his friends weren't too happy to see the group, in fact one or two of them might be itching to grab their weapons for some reason, but at the very least they weren't attacking the wagon, otherwise Capper was sure they would be in trouble, "A word of advice, 'friends', turn back while you still can... your kinds have no place in this land. Skyrim is nord land, and she belongs to nords, plain and simple."

"Don't worry, we are fully aware of that fact. However, we are on our way to Riften to trade some items and do business, as ordered by our superiors, and business is good for everyone, yes?" Capper replied, where he knew that Azure and Midnight likely didn't care much for the Stormcloak soldiers, especially since Equestria was a place where everyone was treated far better than what they were seeing at the moment, as racism was fading in their home world, "Once we are done with our business we'll be heading back to Cyrodiil."

That was the 'official' story they had come up with, especially since La'nari had claimed that the people of Skyrim wouldn't bother to check out if their tale was the truth or not, so they didn't have to worry about being called out on it, where they found that the soldier growled before saying nothing as his forces continued moving. Capper made sure they were a fair distance away from them before he got the wagon moving again, though they now understood La'nari's thoughts on this particular force, but for the time being everyone focused on the path and what was resting at the end of it. There would be time for them to talk about the Stormcloaks later, once they were done with their mission, though there was another thing that stopped the group in their tracks, not ten minutes further down the road, something that caused the khajiit to sigh as she looked at the scene. It was a trio of figures that were wearing the same armor that La'nari was wearing, where she was able to identify them as members of the Thieves Guild, but she didn't know any of them, where Capper found that one body was a male dark elf, the second was a male khajiir, and the third was a female argonian.

If one looked at their clothing it was hard to tell what could have killed them, since they seemed to be unharmed, but the arrows sticking out of all three of their foreheads was a dead giveaway, plus a story was told as Capper found that each one had a sake full of silverware, plus a couple of gems and some silver cups.

"They must have robbed someone and got killed in the process of escaping." Capper remarked, where he climbed off the wagon after bringing it to a stop, which was due to La'nari climbing off to check the thieves for a moment, though he did take their sacks, since they might be able to sell the stuff as well, before an idea came to mind, "Midnight, why don't you and Rarity put on one of the uniforms?"

La'nari understood immediately, there might be more Stormcloaks on the road and this would allow them to hide their more unique features, especially since both of the figures in question seemed to have magic that was designed to assist them in hiding themselves, as the hoods were altered to fit their ears and the armor gained holes for their tails. Not only that, but it looked like Midnight's wings vanished as well, though she revealed that she could reveal them or hide them according to her will, making her wonder what sort of magic they had from their homeland that would allow such a thing in the first place. She was sure that Azure would do the same thing, the armor fitting his form if he put something on, but since he was the lookout they had to get some decent armor, which meant that the third set went to Capper, which he did as the others did, hid behind the nearby rocks while he changed. She did find that Rarity seemed freaked out by the idea of wearing someone else's armor, even if that person was no longer of this world, but for the time being she was forcing herself to not be freaked out by this turn of events.

When Capper emerged she found that he was wearing the thieves armor like it was something natural for him, making her wonder about his time in the land they came from, before they got underway once more, because they had a mission to complete and none of them wanted to disappoint the leaders of their clan, even if some had private objections to working with a clan of bandits.

Eventually they reached the city of Riften, after more time than what Capper was honestly expecting, as La'nari spotted the walled city long before they reached it and did what she could to make sure they were ready, though she was slightly surprised to find that the guards at the gate they approached were directing them to another gate. She told the others that Riften had three gates they could enter through, though one had been sealed off thanks to other bandits slaying far too many people in the past, which meant visitors could only use the southwest gate or the north gate. With that in mind Capper carefully moved them around the outer edge of the wall, which wasn't easy thanks to a rock wall that was close to the stone wall of the city, but in the end he got them around it and directed the wagon to their forced destination. He had a feeling that he knew what was going on right now, it seemed like the guards might have been paid off to direct people to one gate and were likely expecting an entry fee from everyone who dared to enter the city.

When they reached the north gate, stopping off to the left of it if one was approaching from the north, Capper brought the wagon to a stop so Azure could carry the crate into the city, before they found that one of the guards walked up to them, no doubt to stop them or to demand gold if Capper's guess was right.

"Hold there. Before I let any of you into Riften, to do whatever it is that you're here to do, each of you need to pay the visitor's tax." the guard stated, where it was clear that he was being greedy, as Capper was sure that he could have asked for a single payment, instead of asking for gold from all five of them, and now he could call the figure out and get them inside the city with ease.

"Sure, we could do that... however, we both know this is a shakedown." Capper replied, leaning forward as he said the last part, because while he wasn't sure how many people were in on this scheme he did know that it would be bad if too many people knew what was going on, even though for the time being they seemed to be the only visitors, so the guard didn't have to worry about the secret spreading too much.

For a few seconds the guard said nothing before lowering his voice as he told them to do the same, before indicating that he would allow them to come and go as they pleased, allowing them to enter Riften at last, where it was easy for them to see a number of people, mostly citizens by all of the casual attire, walking around. There was one person, a nord in steel armor, who was leaning against one of the pillars that was holding up the walkway or balcony of one of the buildings that was on their left, who took one look at them before nodding his head towards what appeared to be a market. That told Capper that he likely saw the four outfits that belonged to members of the Thieves Guild and likely assumed that they were members as well, meaning he was likely a lookout for the guild and that he would likely tell his superiors about them. In addition to that they found that there was a canal running around part of the city, creating the upper area that they were on and the lower area that had to be connected to the sewers, if such a thing existed in this world anyway.

As they walked, however, La'nari pointed out a nord that was dressed in fine clothing in the market, who seemed to be in the middle of closing his stall for the day, and she had the group stop for a moment as she walked over to him, where the figure seemed happy to see her again and chatted with her for a time, though it wasn't long before the pair returned and brought them to an area that was near the Dead Gate.

"So, you four are the newest recruits to join Brurid's clan? La'nari told me a bit about all of you." the nord, Brynjolf, stated, to which Capper nodded to Azure, who set the crate down so the thief could see what they had recovered, even though this was just the start of the items they had obtained from the nobles who didn't pay attention to their belongings, and he was pleased to see the smile on the man's face, as he pulled a necklace out, "Your haul is decent, I'll give you that... I'll be back with Tonilia, as she'll give you a fair price for all of these."

This was good news for Capper, as it meant that the mission might be a success, while at the same time Brynjolf walked over to a large stone coffin and tapped something that was out of sight, which caused it to move back silently and reveal a short passage down into the ground, a hidden passage that La'nari told them was only used by members of the guild. Since none of them were actual members they were forbidden from using it, as she knew there was some magic on the entrance that prevented non members from using this to enter the guild's hideout, causing Capper to nod his head, as it made sense when he thought about it. Fortunately they didn't have to wait too long for Brynjolf to return, and when he did he had a second thief with him, a female redguard who had to be Tonilia, a fence for the guild and likely a master at that, though she seemed to be less friendly than Brynjolf was, as she ignored the group as she investigated the loot. In addition to that there was one other person with them, a thief wearing a black version of the guild armor, likely to indicate that he was one of the highest ranking members of the entire guild, and Capper could tell he was a breton, though when La'nari stiffened he knew exactly who was in front of them.

This had turned out to be the worst case scenario, as this was Mercer Frey, the Guild Master for the Thieves Guild, and right now he seemed annoyed, no doubt because he had a group of thieves running around stealing stuff who weren't part of the actual guild and were trying to use some of their services as if they were members.

"Brynjolf said there were some new thieves in Riften... but if I'm being honest, I'm not impressed." Mercer said, which was to be expected from the Guild Master, who had years of experience and had likely stolen from the Jarls themselves in the past, so the jewelry and gems, which were likely a lower grade than he was used to, made him think they were small time thieves looking to make a quick bit of gold, "Are you sure that you robbed some nobles? Because these items look more like what you would get from a small time shop... not worth very much either."

"There's more where this came from, as the nobles had quite a lot in their wagon... which we stole, by the way," Capper stated, though he wasn't sure if Mercer was intentionally lowering the value of the items so the guild could make more in the end, since they seemed to be falling on hard times according to La'nari, or if he was in a bad mood right now and had no desire to allow thieves to operate in the guild's domain, "and let me assure you, the remainder of the loot is worth a fair bit of gold. We all want to make some gold, right? So why don't we make a deal and be on our way?"

"It is pretty bold of you to assume that you're in a position to make a deal." Mercer replied, showing them that he was of the opinion that he outranked nearly everyone in Riften, save for the Jarl and maybe a few officials, something Capper would have to ask about in the future, all while he approached the pillar that Capper had decided to lean against while they talked.

Capper chuckled a little as he withdrew one of the pure stones that they had taken from the vault that the Royal Sisters had allowed them to take a few things from, a vibrant blue sapphire that held no magical power, it was just an ordinary gem, which he handed to Tonilia as she approached them to look at it.

"A pure sapphire, the first of many gems we recovered from the foolish nobles." Capper said, because while he didn't want to give up such a gemstone, he knew it was necessary to show Mercer and his allies that they meant business, so by doing this, holding back an item of value and then showing it off, he could entice them with the potential of more riches.

Tonilia was sure she could get a good amount of gold from this gem on it's own, in fact she was willing to offer a thousand gold for it, which came as a surprise to Mercer and Brynjolf, though Capper nodded as the lady went about calculating the total price of everything that was inside the crate. While that happened Midnight and the others chatted with La'nari, likely on what supplies they needed from the shops so they could get to work once the gold was in their hands, though at the same time Capper discovered that one of the pouches on the back of Mercer's belt seemed like it hadn't been worked on, in the sense of maintenance, for quite some time. It didn't look like any of the thieves even knew how weak it was, since it picked that very moment to snap, somehow without making a sound, and even hit the ground without anyone realizing it had happened, causing him to smirk for a moment as he moved it behind the pillar with his foot, before returning to how the others had seen him previously. Eventually Tonilia handed over a sack of gold that she said was worth two thousand, which confirmed that some of the jewelry was a lower grade than Capper had been expecting, but he was happy to do business with them as the thieves had a few more come out to take the crate into the hideout, allowing him to hand over the sack to La'nari.

While the others went out to get the supplies for the clan, and the thieves went back into their hideout, Capper waited to be sure the coast was clear before collecting the pouch and opened it, discovering that there were a few expensive gems inside it, a hefty sack of gold, a letter about treasure being inside 'Angarvunde', and a brass key with a spherical end that seemed to be out of his world while still radiating power.

"What in the world is this?" Capper silently asked, as this was a rather curious find, especially since he wasn't expecting it to be in the hands of a Guild Master that was having trouble keeping his guild running, according to La'nari, and right now he didn't feel like returning it, especially since Mercer hadn't noticed it missing.

He really had no idea what this item was, other than it had to be an artifact of power, causing him to chuckle as he slipped it into his own pocket as he headed out to regroup with the others, because things were looking up and he was eager to see what else the rest of the day, and the week, had to offer him and his companions.

Clan: Angarvunde

After making the deal with Tonilia, and trading the crate of goods for the payment, Capper let La'nari go out and purchase the items they needed for the rest of the clan, which involved purchasing a fair bit of meat, fish, and whatever items she had on the list she had been given before their departure. It was nice to purchase new items and help out their clan, though at the same time Capper found that his mind was on the odd key that had been in Mercer's forgotten pouch, it was a hard thing to just stop thinking about, especially since he could sense it's power now. He really had no idea what it was, no doubt due to the fact that he wasn't a native to this world, and while he knew that he could ask about it, since La'nari might know about it or could point him in the direct of someone who might know of it, but he decided against it for the time being. That was in the off chance that it might be an item of the Guild Master for the Thieves Guild, like a badge of office he guessed, and he really didn't want to invite unwanted trouble into their lives, so for right now he would keep the key's existence a secret, until he knew more about it.

As he finished thinking about that, however, La'nari and the others returned with a few bags that had to be the goods they needed to get for the rest of the clan, causing him to nod as they headed out to the wagon and loaded it up before taking their places and leaving Riften.

"We managed to get everything that was on the list, which will make our chiefs happy." La'nari remarked, where she took a moment to pull down her hood and wipe the sweat that had been forming on her forehead, as she had been worried that things would have gone wrong by now and was glad they were able to do this without any problems arising, "I'm just glad Mercer wasn't in a foul mood today... I honestly thought he was going to cut me off from using the guild's resources."

"Darling, he was most definitely in a bad mood. Trouble with contacts I imagine?" Rarity said, as it was frustrating that the Guild Master had lowered the value on their goods and forced Capper to hand over one of the gems he had pocketed during their brief time in the ancient vault, in fact she knew that her mentor and Midnight didn't like him all that much for that fact, and she could imagine why Mercer was annoyed.

La'nari nodded, as that was a good reason since the guild had failed a lot of jobs lately, hence her leaving in the first place, so it was only a matter of time until the remaining contacts started to sever their bonds with the guild, thus leading to Mercer being in a bad mood since less clients meant less gold. As far as she knew there was only one person in Riften that even had a need for the guild's existence, which was Maven Black-Briar, something they really shouldn't get involved with since that was a headache none of them wanted right now, causing Capper to bow to her wisdom on the matter. They stopped talking for a few moments as they passed by the other gate that allowed people to enter the city, in fact this time it looked like the guards might be ready to admit people from the southwestern entrance, likely due to Capper calling out their scheme at the main gate. Such a thing meant that the people who were coming this way in the future wouldn't have to go around the city, and potentially be attacked by bandits that might be watching Riften, which would be good for everyone in the future, both the citizens and probably their clan since it meant more people would be traveling.

As they continued down the road that was in front of them La'nari pulled out her bow as she noticed something that was just ahead of them, a group of bandits, four of them to be exact, though he could tell that none of them belonged to the clan that he and his companions had joined, due to the fang marks on their armor, and it looked like more were on their way across a nearby bridge.

"Damn... bandits from Faldar's Tooth, the fort closest to Riften... they must have seen the crate and realized that we might have gotten some gold from it's contents." La'nari remarked, though for her this was a terrible match up, because while the majority of them had some sort of weapon, since she had her bow and dagger while Azure had the greatsword and she was sure that Midnight had a pair of blades, but that left Capper and Rarity defenseless, "We're close to our base, but we cannot afford to send anyone to get reinforcements... they'll be picked off by the other clan before they can get too far."

"You've got me, remember?" Midnight stated, opening her wings for a moment as the bandits that were ahead of them just stared at them for a few seconds, though Capper could tell that they were getting ready for battle, causing La'nari to bring her hand to her forehead as she realized that fact, while at the same time Midnight handed Capper her weapons, "Hold them off for as long as you can! I'll go get reinforcements."

"Fly Midnight! We will fight these foes with all our might." Azure said, where he stared at the assortment of bandits that were in front of the wagon and drew his new weapon, because while Capper had been studying all of the ins and outs of their clan, and that even included the fortress itself, he had done what he could to learn how to actually wield his greatsword, even if it all he had learned was the basics.

Capper really didn't have experience fighting, as most of the time he was working in the shadows and letting others fight if it was a necessity, even though he did help take back Canterlot and used Spike as a flame spreader to take care of a group of guards, but in that moment he readied himself as he and Azure removed themselves from the wagon. While they did that Midnight took to the air and headed back to their base of operations, while at the same time La'nari nocked an arrow as she turned her focus on the clearly melee bandits that were in front of them, leaving Rarity to keep an eye on the bandits that were near the stone bridge that was close to their position. The pair getting off the wagon seemed to trigger all of the foes that were in front of them, as the four bandits that were close by rushed them, causing Azure to steel himself as he took a step forward and brought his weapon down, slashing open the chest of one of their foes, as he wasn't wearing armor at all, a bad move for sure. As that one was dropped La'nari loosed her arrow and it struck the calf of another bandit, slowing her down in the process while the third came at Capper, who steadied himself as he parried the incoming axe with both of the blades that had been left with him, though the fourth got by them and rushed at Rarity.

He knew that was bad, as Rarity was definitely not cut out for battle, due to the fact that she used ribbons and whatnot to deal with her foes, items she didn't have in this world, and he could see her freaking out over the idea of fighting someone, but the bandit had another weapon on his belt, a steel rapier that slipped out of it's sheath, causing Rarity to throw herself at it before driving it into the bandit's chest.

"Well what do you know... there's hope for her yet." La'nari remarked, though at the same time she loosed a second arrow and dealt with the bandit she had struck, taking her down before she could do anything else, allowing her to what as both Capper and Azure finished off the last one that was in front of them.

As they took down the first group two things happened, the main force of enemies, at least another ten bandits, stepped off the bridge and approached their position, while the second was that Midnight landed near Capper and Azure with a smile on her face, telling the group that her mission had been a success. Sure enough they could see Brurid and Bek-Kajin, along with at least half of their clan members, approaching the enemies from the backside, surprising the forces of the other clan in the process, allowing La'nari and Midnight to tend to Rarity, who was still shaking, as Capper searched the slain bandits. None of them seemed to have much on them, that much he could see, but he was able to collect a number of things, such as thirty gold coins in total, a few low quality gems, a few lockpicks, and their various weapons. He was only collecting the weapons because it would be nice to have some spares in the fort, just in case they needed more if one broke or new people joined them, both of which were possible, and he knew they could get away with this since La'nari wasn't worried at all.

The reason for that was because Bek-Kajin was leading the assault on the other clan, their warriors cutting down those that dared to move against them, causing the surviving trio to flee, allowing Brurid's portion of the group to claim more loot from the deceased before clearing the way for the wagon to move forward.

"This land is definitely very exciting." Capper remarked, where he returned to the front of the wagon and resumed moving towards the fort, though this time around he made sure to go at a slower pace so the rest of the clan could place their loot in the back, while La'nari focused on Rarity, who was definitely feeling a little sick after taking someone's life, causing him to turn to Midnight as she walked nearby as he passed her the note he took from Mercer's pouch, "What do you think of this?"

"Treasure in a ruin? Sounds promising, provided it hasn't been looted yet." Midnight said, in fact it might be a fun time, just see if there was more loot to add to their collection, while letting Rarity come to terms with what she had done, which she knew Azure and La'nari could help her with in no time, before she frowned as she noticed something, "Only... I have no idea where this 'Angarvunde' might be located."

La'nari overheard their conversation and mentioned that the ruin in question was just up the road from their base, in fact it happened to be a recent project that someone was working on and there was a chance that workers might still be moving stones out of the way so the ruin could be accessed at last. Of course she had no idea what this 'treasure' was that the note spoke of, but she had to assume that it was a bunch of gold or items that could be sold for a profit, before she informed the pair that if they wanted to go exploring they had to clear it with their leaders. La'nari was sure that both Brurid and Bek-Kajin would be okay with them exploring a bit, because of the large haul they had brought with them, meaning they might expect more treasure to be brought and shared with the rest of the clan. Capper then found that their new friend was right, both of their leaders were fine with the idea, so when they returned to the fort he let Azure handle the wagon, while Rarity stayed with La'nari, causing him to hand Midnight her blades before he acquired a blade of his own, steel from one of the bandits that attacked them, and the former Lunar Guard also took a bow with some steel arrows.

With their preparations complete the pair departed from the fort as the rest of the clan looked into the crate of items they had purchased from Riften and started to pass stuff around, though Capper found that La'nari's information was right, the passage to Angarvunde was literally ten minutes up the road, allowing them to enter an area with wooden scaffolding as they spotted an annoyed dunmer turning towards them.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear either of you enter this place." the lady said, where Capper and Midnight found that she wasn't even remotely prepared to be a treasure hunter, she was wearing casual clothing, like some of the citizens of Riften, and she had a steel dagger as her weapon, before the lady sighed and tried to calm herself down, "Sorry, I'm just annoyed by the fact that my cowardly work force ran off at the first sign of trouble, especially when we were on the verge of great wealth."

"What could have made them run off? The only things left in these places are corpses, right?" Midnight inquired, mostly due to the fact that she and Capper had no idea what to expect, this was the first time they were visiting one of the ruins that seemed to dot Skyrim's landscape, and based on what she was seeing the lady didn't even catch the fact that they had no experience in dealing with places like this.

"Well, yes, but they probably haven't seen the type that can get back up and wander around... draugr, to be exact." the lady replied, something that allowed Capper to understand that the lady had assumed that Midnight was referring to both the still dead corpses and those that were still moving, but this was good information to know for the future, since it would give them something to build off of, "There are three draugr standing between me and the treasure, but I need more manpower to clear the way so it can be claimed."

"Maybe we can work out an arrangement of sorts? We take care of the draugr, and also open the way to the treasure, and we can split it evenly?" Capper inquired, because he knew that the lady would want some of the wealth that was said to be in this place, otherwise it was a waste for her to come here in the first place, so by offering to split the treasure they could get some and she could get some.

The lady, identifying herself as Medresi, figured that allowing them to head into the ruin was better than her searching for a whole new crew that was capable of fighting the undead, though she also handed over a key that she claimed was for two doors that were deeper in the ruin, or so her notes claimed. With the key in hand both Capper and Midnight crouched and continued down the passage, finding that it changed from the scaffolding to a rocky path that brought them to the start of the ruin, a chamber of smashed pots with one that was intact, one that had a few golden coins and a ruby inside it. After Capper pocketed the loot they carefully moved into the next chamber, larger than the first one, before discovering three of the walking corpses that had been mentioned, draugr to be exact, which seemed like ancient warriors brought back from the grave, despite their lack of armor and their crude weapons. Instead of engaging the undead in a fight Capper and Midnight found some good vantage points, allowing Midnight to silently draw and ready an arrow that she loosed into the chest of the closest draugr, causing it to look down at the arrow before collapsing into a heap.

Once they confirmed that the undead stayed dead, after extinguishing whatever magic was keeping the first one alive, the pair turned on the other two that were patrolling the area, where Midnight struck down the second with an arrow as Capper stabbed the third in the back, tearing through it's weak armor as he brought it down.

As Midnight collected her arrows, and the arrows of the archer she had struck down, Capper found that there were definitely more doors in the area, two to be exact, so he had his companion backtrack to tell Medresi that the main chamber was clear as he made his way to the door on their left, opening it with the key they had been given. The passage on the other side of the door happened to be devoid of enemies for the time being, allowing the pair to study how the ruin was constructed, as it made the ancient nords look like masters of their trade, before discovering a hole that lead to a lower area. Midnight loosed an arrow into the head of the draugr that was in the way, clearing the immediate area so they could drop down into the lower passage, though as she dealt with all of the enemies that were in their way Capper checked out the urns, pots, and any chests they walked by. So far he wasn't too impressed, most of the containers had a few coins here and there, so he had to hope the treasure that was in this place was worth the effort that he and Midnight were putting in, especially since none of the draugr seemed to have coins or gems in their possession when they checked the fallen out.

While they continued down the passage Capper did find a chest that had a trap attached to it, there was a mechanism on the side that he could actually unlock, though while Midnight kept an eye out for trouble he discovered that when he moved to pick the lock the brass key from Mercer's pouch appeared in his hand. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed that and quickly returned it to his bag, only for it to reappear in his hand when he turned back to the lock, causing him to realize that this was a lockpick of some kind as he slipped it into the lock. Such a thing was followed by a secondary discovery, this lockpick had incredible durability, because part of him had wanted to test it out and actually tried to unlock the trap in the wrong area, only for him to discover that it wouldn't break, causing him to let out a light chuckle. An unbreakable tool was amazing and it made Capper realize how Mercer could become the best thief in the province, if he had such a powerful lockpick like this in his possession, and it wasn't long before he undid the trap and opened the chest, finding a few good quality gems, a ruby and a sapphire, with a small pouch of gold nearby.

After claiming the treasure he and Midnight got moving once more, where they moved into a chamber that had alcoves in certain places, some of which had draugr sleeping in them, something that caused Midnight to take point by loosing some of her arrows into the sleeping undead, leaving Capper to gather the loot. She knew that while he was okay with fighting, given his involvement in freeing Canterlot from the Storm King, it was better if they divided the workload between them, she being the fighter, in a sense, while he focused on tracking down the loot and gathering it. Capper was okay with this and offered to point out a few things to her while they carefully moved through the ruin, as he noticed a few traps along the way, pressure plates, or in this case stones, that would activate something and do harm to intruders, so he showed her how to get around them without triggering anything. Midnight nodded as she focused on taking out the undead that were in front of them, all while making sure that both of them were hiding in the darkness of the various rooms, as the draugr didn't seem too bright and sometimes they walked right by both of them without noticing them.

From what Capper could tell there was no real reason for the miners to have been worried about this place, because so far the draugr seemed to be kind of worthless, meaning Medresi could have hired someone to aid the miners and clear the way so they could work, but her decision was going to benefit them more than it would benefit her.

Eventually they reached the end of the passage and entered an area that had a lever, one that undid one of the barriers, a pair of iron gates, that seemed to be blocking the way into what had to be the treasure chamber of the ruin, meaning once both levers were thrown they should be able to head into the final area. While they dropped down into the central chamber the pair found that Medresi had walked down into the area to see how they were doing and was now standing near the pair of iron gates while she waited for them to open the final door. With that in mind Capper and Midnight crossed over to the other pathway and he used the key that had been given to them to unlock the door, allowing them to enter the next portion of Angarvunde, which had some stone tables and benches that they walked by. The interesting thing about this section of the ruin was that it seemed to be a loop, they had to make their way deeper into the area and then use another passage to reach the other side of the iron grate that both of them passed by, which likely had a lever to unlock the door that was on the opposite side of the room in question.

Much to Capper's surprise there wasn't too much difference between this section and the first one, other than the layout, so he allowed Midnight to clear out the undead that were in the way while he tracked down all of the loot, mostly gold with a few scattered gemstones, plus a few small potions that were red, blue, and green colored, and eventually ended up in front of the final lever.

"At last! The treasure of Angarvunde is mine! It's all MINE!" Medresi stated, consumed by the fact that her target was within reach as the last door opened, causing her to rush into the final chamber like she had gone mad or something, though as the pair dropped down into the area she had been in they were able to see that she stepped on a trap.

That trap, as it turned out, was a moveable section of the floor that pushed her up into the air and into a cluster of spikes that were on the bottom of another portion of the trap, killing Medresi instantly, though as both lowered their gaze Capper found that the floor portion remained in place, revealing a staircase leading down into another area. Both of them quickly checked out what they had assumed was the treasure room and found that the only chest had a small pouch of coins and a shattered steel sword, a trap to kill greedy individuals while protecting the true treasure chamber. As such both of them carefully moved forward and discovered that there was nothing down here for them to worry about, there were no draugr waiting for them and only a short path to the final chamber, where they found a large wall with a dragon design on it that had all sorts of writing that neither of them understood. Next to the wall was a large chest that had a few more spoils that were more worth the effort, a larger sack of gold that made both of them smile, a spell tome of sorts that might be worth a fair bit, a few brass swords, and a dull green spiked shield.

"Not what I was expecting, but we can make some gold off of this." Midnight commented, where she pulled out her pouch for a moment and deposited the items inside it, as it appeared that adventurers and certain people had containers that could store a large amount of stuff, which was why La'nari had purchased one from the vendor in Riften after they talked with the thieves.

As Capper nodded and they turned to leave, however, he sensed something and glanced back, finding that Midnight kept moving towards the staircase, meaning she was unaware of the transparent lady who was floating in front of the wall, who had silver runes of sorts on her throat and arms.

...d Capper... you must... find me... the figure said, where it was hard to tell if she was speaking in an urgent manner or if this was something Capper could put off, though he had to wonder if this was due to the fact that he was in possession of the mysterious key that had been in Mercer's possession until he took the pouch it had been stored in, The key... will aid you... You must... locate me... before... He...

Capper found that whatever message he was hearing was cut off, leaving him with little to do but sigh as he caught up to Midnight as they focused on leaving the ruin, as there was much he had to think about as he and his companions looked forward to what the future held in store for them and their clan.

Clan: Securing the Area

It didn't take Capper or Midnight very long to emerge from Angarvunde, where they found that the sun was still in the sky, though it was in the afternoon now, thus allowing them to walk down the road they had traveled after first meeting up with La'nari and return to the fort that was their main base without wasting too much time. There they found that the rest of the clan was in a good mood, due to the fact that they had taken down a number of the bandits from Faldar's Tooth, not to mention the fact that they were able to loot the fallen enemy bandits for everything of worth. From what Capper could tell the enemy clan had some wealth on them, which was either due to their location in relation to Riften or the fact that one of them must have made good bets in their gambling area, since they forced wolves to fight for their entertainment. Of course all of the collected gold from the bandits was gathered, counted, and then given out fairly to everyone in their clan, which wasn't all that great since each of them roughly got about ten coins apiece, but this was the way Bek-Kajin preferred to do things, as equal rewards meant no threat of being overthrown.

Of course that only extended to the gold they acquired, as everything else that might be of use was either given out to those that needed it, like an upgrade to an item or piece of armor, or was added to the collection of items they would be taken to the city to be sold to the local merchants, but they would give bigger rewards to the highest contribution of whatever was going on, to insure everyone did their best.

"Everyone has one more reason to celebrate: with the forces residing in Faldar's Tooth weakened, our leaders have talked and have decided it's time to strike them down." Azure commented, speaking to the pair as they returned to the area that had been given to them when they first joined the clan, though Capper knew that Azure was only putting up with both of the bandit chiefs because it meant he could punish more bandits, and they discovered that he was wearing steel armor now, "I will be joining the vanguard, charging into the fort with the others, though I'm sure they'll ask both of you to join us... since both of you did prove yourselves in that last battle."

"Well, I'll probably be focused on collecting the loot for counting and distributing later, but Midnight will be a good addition to the assault team." Capper said, which was the truth, Midnight was more suited for combat than he was, though at the same time he noticed that Rarity was sitting on one of the beds and seemed to be hugging herself, no doubt still dealing with the fact that she had killed someone, even though it was in self-defense, "I take it she'll be staying here?"

"Not quite. Brurid wants her to join us... not to fight, but to watch. He knows she's more sheltered than the rest of us and is trying to help her get used to the world in a more crude way." Azure quietly replied, as if he was worried that someone else might overhear them talking about one of their leaders, though Capper was starting to see a difference in the two leaders that ruled over this fort, causing the former Solar Guard to sigh for a moment, "This land must be harsh if everyone is so used to people dying all the time... it's so different from the land we've called home."

Capper and Midnight nodded, as Skyrim was definitely beyond what they were expecting and they had only seen a portion of what it had to offer, and that even applied to the people, there were rules and events that Skyrim's people were used to, while their group was only coming to terms with taking a life. He and the two former guards were different from the rest of the population of their home world, as he was used to stealing from all sorts of people and seeing the consequences if one failed to uphold a bargain, while the guards were used to fighting enemies and protecting the citizens of Equestria. Rarity, on the other hand, was a hero due to her being able to wield one of the Elements of Harmony and her involvement in taking back the capital from the Storm King, but even then this was the first time she would have done anything like this. It was only natural that she wouldn't be used to this sort of thing and needed to come to terms with it if she wanted to survive in this harsh environment, which Capper knew had to be Brurid's reasoning for having her come along for the raid, to help her get over what she was currently feeling.

With that in mind he and Midnight headed out to find their leaders, who were in one of the halls of the fort and they quickly showed off the loot they got from the nearby ruin, causing the pair to glance at each other before shaking their heads, as all of it belonged to those that had looted it. That told Capper that Bek-Kajin had an interesting set of rules that he lived by and he expected a few of them to be respected by his clan, even his fellow leader, especially when it came to the loot that had been obtained by the members of their clan. From what he could tell the argonian preferred to share the loot taken from the fallen and spread it out among the rest of their large clan, to help them survive and thrive, but when it came to the loot that was inside a ruin, however, he preferred that the loot went to those who claimed it, since they put in the hard work to even claim the items in the first place. Both he and Brurid did expect them to trade their loot for other items, if they really wanted to share it with the rest of the clan, an interesting set up in Capper's mind, but for the time being the pair returned to the chamber that Azure and Rarity were in, to rest up a bit before the raid.

As it turned out they didn't have to wait too long, as Bek-Kajin called for everyone to gather and Capper found that most of the clan was gathering outside the fort, though instead of giving them a speech or something he started to make his way down the road, leaving Brurid and a few of their clan mates behind to defend their own base.

Capper was still surprised that they were coming down this route again, so soon after traveling up and down this stretch of road twice already so far, but he kept that to himself as he, Midnight, and the rest of their forces reached the bridge that had been used by the other bandits. This time around there was a guard on the road and he stopped for a moment as he found the force moving, though a single statement from Bek-Kajin caused him to turn around and calmly walk away from the area, no doubt because a bandit clan war was something he didn't want to get involved in. With that in mind they walked across the bridge and approached the large fort that was on the edge of a lake, and had a good view of Riften, though as the group walked forward they found that whoever was in charge of the fort called for the others in their clan to come out. That was when a few archers appeared on the wall facing their direction and they readied their arrows, causing the clan to scatter and take up defensive positions, some using shields to protect themselves from arrows while another group tracked down an entrance to use.

As that happened, and Midnight used a few of her arrows as well, Capper noticed something that would help them out, as part of the stone wall happened to have an iron cage door that seemed unprotected, to which he rushed forward and found that the enemy bandits were freaking out, but they reacted too late as he quickly picked the lock and opened the door.

"Guys, I've opened the way forward! Go get them!" Capper stated, where the rest of their clan mates noticed the now open door and started to rush over, quickly finding a set of stairs leading them up to where all of their enemies were located, a fact that caused the bandits of Faldar's Tooth to turn on them without delay.

Unfortunately for their enemies Azure tore through their defenses and opened the way for the others to join him, where he was joined by Midnight, who was the first to ascend the steps, before the rest of their assault force caught up with them, a fact that made it impossible for the Faldar Clan to recover. While they did that Capper checked out the area and found a wooden path leading up to a tent, one that had a locked chest inside it, causing him to pull out both a sack to place the loot in and the strange key he was beginning to like, as an unbreakable lockpick was a great thing to have. The chest had a sack of gold coins, which the clan would appreciate, and a few potions, though he made sure to take the gold that was resting on the table above the chest as well, before making his way down to a locked door that seemed to be part of the higher section of the fort. Since they had cleared out so many of the enemy clan before the assault, and were devastating what remained of them, he found that there were no enemies to worry about and discovered another locked chest that he unlocked without wasting time, before reaching the highest point of the entire fort, which seemed to be the domain of the chief.

There were a few enchanted pieces in the area, they had runes on them that suggested such a thing, and a large chest that had a decent amount of coins, a few gems, and a few items that could be sold to the people of Riften, so he made sure all of the enchanted items were inside it before letting some of the stronger bandits carry it off, allowing him to focus on a book that spoke of 'proper lock design'.

"This will be useful for helping Midnight and Rarity." Capper commented, though at the same time he noticed an interesting passage, the author talking about how all of this would be rendered useless if someone happened to be in possession of what he, or possibly she since the author seemed to be an unknown individual, called the 'Skeleton Key', "And I might want to read it later... it might have some good information."

With the book in hand Capper headed down into the lowest portion of the exterior, as Azure, Midnight, and some of the other bandits were going to head inside and see what else this place had to offer them, and since he seemed to be their best lock breaker it was clear that one of them wanted him in the party to help get the loot. Rarity was with them as well, since this was to help her get used to the idea of killing people without falling ill every single time, and she stayed near the back of the pack as they delved into the depths, allowing the others to focus on fighting and looting. One thing Capper found was that there were cages with wolves trapped inside a few of them, being trained to be attack animals for the gambling that was taking place in this fort, where some of the bandits opened the unlocked cages and put down the wolves. Of course there were also a few more members of the Faldar Clan down in this portion of the fortress, unaware of the assault that had taken out the majority of their people, but Capper allowed the others to focus on them as he carefully picked the locks on a couple of chests and doors.

From what he could tell the real loot was coming from the slain bandits themselves, as some of them did carry more loot on them than what he and some of the others from his clan were expecting to discover when they looted the bodies, but this just made his clan happier than before. In addition to that there was the gambling den, where a lot of gold was located, not to mention a large chest that was behind a locked door, so while the clan dealt with the remaining enemies Capper did what he did best, he unlocked it and added a few more items to his bag, more gold, odd pearl colored gems, a few books that had magical runes on the front, and a few more potions. He even tracked down a room that had a table that seemed to be the location that one of their enemies had been gathering their winnings, or had been counting them in front of those who had lost a bet earlier, and he collected one hundred gold coins in the process. By the time he and everyone else reached the end of the fortress, allowing them to head out into the area that he had unlocked the door in, Capper was feeling good about the amount of gold they had obtained just now, and was even excited by the potential profit they might gain from selling all of the excess items that he recovered from the various chests and containers.

He also found that Azure was pleased with their deed, he really didn't like bandits and was keeping his opinions bottled up around their clan, while Midnight had found a better bow, dwarven to be exact, to replace her old one and had a few more arrows in her quiver, before discovering that Rarity was nowhere to be seen.

"Strange, I thought she was right behind us." Capper commented, though before Azure and Midnight could say anything on the matter they discovered where their companion had wandered off to, she had apparently moved out to check out the rest of the fort, areas that had been cleared, and had found another enemy bandit that must have been lurking away from the rest of the clan, one she had killed since her rapier was in her hand and she was huffing, "We should check on her."

As it turned out the bandit that Rarity had killed was a dark elf of some kind with an odd red attire that was different from what all of the others in this fort had been wearing, and the reason Capper thought of it as another type of dark elf was due to the small fangs that were in the slain bandit's mouth, partly covered in blood, but it was hard to tell whose it might be since they missed the fight.

"Rarity, are you alright?" Midnight asked, because while it looked like their friend was more used to death, she wasn't in the process of throwing up or anything, it was clear that she must have exhausted herself to make sure this foe didn't kill her, meaning he must have been slightly stronger than all of the others.

"No... I mean, yes. This ruffian attacked me, no doubt thinking I was an easy target, and I'm sure his teeth made contact with my neck, but I fought him back." Rarity replied, where she withdrew a piece of cloth and cleaned the edge of her blade, since she didn't want it to rust or anything, though the rest of the group wasn't surprised by her doing that since she had taken the article back while they were in their base of operations, "I don't know if I'll ever get used to killing people, but for the time being I'll do my best to keep my thoughts on the matter to myself... wouldn't want the others to think I'm soft and expel me at the worst possible moment."

Capper nodded and told her that if she wanted to talk about it he was sure that all three of them could assist her in coming to terms with what she had done, though at the same time he noted that it didn't seem like there was any damage to her neck, despite Rarity's thoughts on the matter. He could only think of three reasons for such a thing: the first being that she had been able to push back the dark elf before he tore into her neck; the second was that she had already healed the wound with one of the weaker healing potions that were in their possession; and the third one, the more unrealistic one, was that she had been wounded and her body healed it without her noticing. Either way there wasn't much they could do about this turn of events, other than looting the slain dark elf of his valuables and handing those to Rarity, though as they started to head down to where the others were gathering, to march back to their base, Capper found that someone was watching this fortress from afar. What he could tell was that the pair in question, as there were two people off in the distance, happened to be wearing plate armor, stronger than steel based on what he had gathered so far, and it appeared that they were in the middle of discussing something as they headed back into Riften.

Capper couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to come from them taking down the Faldar Clan, since this would open the way for some of the guards in Riften to retake the fort to better protect the roads around their fair city, but there was nothing he could do about it as he and the others rejoined their clan.

"All of you did well, taking down an enemy clan and looting everything of value that they had." Bek-Kajin remarked, where it was easy for them to tell that he was pleased with their actions, especially since this meant they were now the only clan on this side of Riften, since Capper knew that there was another one on the main road that stopped at the main gate, "And let us have some cheers for our newest members, who have shown that they are worthy to be called friends and allies... even that includes Rarity, who protected herself and others from a shadowy assassin that could have hurt us."

As the members of their clan cheered, however, it was hard to tell if he was weaving a false tale to make Rarity feel at home with them or if that was how he saw the situation when it unfolded, but for the time being Rarity seemed fine with this as she offered some smiles to the rest of the clan. While that happened they headed back to their base of operations without delay, as it was getting dark and there was dinner to be had, in fact there was more food than they were expecting since a few of their fellows had claimed everything that was in the kitchen area of Faldar's Tooth. With what they were carrying it sure looked like they might be able to feed a small army for weeks, maybe even a month or two, without having to worry about food being a problem, which would please Brurid when he learned that piece of information. While they walked back to their base Capper told Bek-Kajin about the loot he had recovered in the fort and that really put a smile on the faces of the rest of the clan, because gold talked and so far everyone had realized that this venture was turning out to be more profitable than they could have possibly hoped.

When they got back to their fort it was easy for them to see that Brurid was pleased with this turn of events, the destruction of another clan and them claiming all of the treasure to be distributed among the rest of their people, so Capper followed him to the area that they stored the unsorted loot in and deposited the share for the clan inside it. Because he was a thief, a specialist that was gathering more loot that would make everyone rich, both Brurid and Bek-Kajin were fine with him taking a larger share of things, like two hundred gold coins and even a few gems, like a ruby and a sapphire, which he gladly took since it meant they saw him as a higher rank in the clan. In addition to that supper, as it turned out, was meat and potatoes with some of their companions drinking mead, something that the group decided not to worry about for the time being, but Capper was happy to see that everyone was having fun, no doubt thinking about their bright futures. Capper also found that they would be returning to Riften in a day or two, as there was loot to sell and their superiors were expecting them to bring back another good haul, especially since half of the gold from the previous visit went to him and his team, where it had been divided into five shares.

When night started to fall, however, Capper excused himself and made his way to the highest peak of their fort, the tower to be exact, and found that no one was around for the time being, where he pulled out the book he had taken from Faldar's Tooth and opened it to the passage he had found that piqued his interest.

"Fascinating." Capper remarked, as the passage spoke about the 'Skeleton Key', a wonderful lockpick that was said to be neigh unbreakable, though there were sections of the text that had been ruined, either due to the book's age or due to the drunken nature of the bandit who had the book before him, but there was something that caught his interest, "What's this? It can unlock 'anything'?"

That intrigued Capper as he pulled out the odd key, which could very well be the Skeleton Key now that he thought about it, as he considered how he could go about testing it's power and seeing if it worked as advertised, though it was hard to just land on a single thing to test out. The concept of 'anything' wasn't just limited to the world around them, such as locks and vaults, rather it likely meant that it could open doors that were better left sealed, such as making a mortal into a god, sort of like how Twilight Sparkle went from a powerful unicorn and transformed into a far stronger alicorn. If that sort of growth was possible for her, and was possible for the villains when he recalled the tales of Tirek and Queen Chrysalis, it made him take a moment to wonder what sort of power he could awaken if he tried to use the Key for such a thing, or what his companions could unlock if he shared this with them. He also debated whether he should be doing this or not, since there was a chance someone could feel what he was about to do and come to investigate the true usage of the Key's true power, though that was followed by him making up his mind as he held it out in front of him.

Instead of focusing on himself for the time being Capper instead focused on all of the wealth they had collected before he and his companions had been teleported to this world, that he didn't want to lose anything else from their world, and the Key seemed to respond to his decision as he pulled it down and opened a portal in front of him. The area on the other side, as it turned out, was a small flat area, roughly about the size of the room he and the others had been given, in what had to be the depths of space, or 'Oblivion' as the mage of their clan had called the area in question. It seemed to be devoid of any hostiles, rather it was just a flat area with a silver, almost crystalline, floor, where he found a silver crystal floating in the air in front of him, like the figure that had called out to him, but nothing happened as he stared at the object. With that in mind he carefully placed the bag of coins he had taken from the vault previously and set them below the crystal, though once that was done he stepped through the portal and closed it with a thought, only to reopen it a few seconds later and discovered that it brought him back to the same place, causing him to smile for a moment.

He now had a secret vault to hide their true treasure in, to keep their wealth safe from those who might seek to steal it, that only he knew the way to, even though he had to add some walls to make it an official vault, though it only made him even more eager to see what the future held for him and the others.

Clan: New Recruits

The day following their assault on Faldar's Tooth, and the utter destruction of the clan that had called it home, Capper and his companions found that their own fort was a hive of activity as their leaders focused on dividing all of the loot that had been claimed from the other clan. As it turned out there was an excessive amount of items to be distributed among their ranks, as there were new weapons to replace old ones, better pieces of armor to be had, armor resources that went into improving things around their fort, and even the pieces of furniture were brought in. Capper heard that Bek-Kajin was a little annoyed that they couldn't tear down the actual forts and move the materials to their base, it was too time consuming and the amount of manpower would leave them almost defenseless, if he was serious about tearing it down. For the time being he focused on removing what they could and had it all hauled back to their base, which was what Capper's wagon was used for, transporting the resources to their base, with Azure and Midnight keeping watch over them.

Since his job during that time was to be a lookout, to help the others keep an eye on things, it allowed him to consider his new private vault, how he might go about accessing it without drawing attention to himself, and when he should tell Rarity and the others about it. He knew that keeping such a thing a secret was crucial, since there was a chance that someone might find a way to get to it if they knew it existed, but at the same time they were his friends, people he trusted more than everyone else, and knew he'd likely tell them about it when he was good and ready. What he found to be interesting was that Midnight had decided to hand him her bag of loot from the vault of the Royal Sisters, as she didn't want to lose items from their home world, something that actually caused Azure and Rarity to do the same. It was clear that all of them thought the same, which was a good thing in his mind, and he had double checked his vault early in the morning before being assigned to this mission, allowing him to deposit the bags next to the one he had placed in it during his test.

Such a thing did make him think about Rarity, who was definitely getting used to this world as best as she could, though after taking out that odd dark elf many of the other members of their clan had taken to talking with her, but it was hard to tell if she was suffering from the battle she had experienced while they were clearing out Faldar's Tooth.

One other thing he discovered was that the guard they had passed on the way to the now empty fort was eager for them to be done with the fort, no doubt because his superiors wanted to garrison it so they could better protect Riften from the rest of the dangers that existed in the surrounding area. Capper really couldn't assure him of when they would be done, since he had no idea when that would be, but he was pleased to see that the guard knew he didn't stand a chance against the group that was moving between the forts and stayed out of their way. He suspected that the guard might be able to call on more of his fellow guards, to potentially outnumber them if he really wanted to, but it was possible that he was under orders not to engage until he was given the command to do so, meaning they were free to do whatever they wanted. Other than that he found that nothing seemed to stop them from moving the items out of Faldar's Tooth and bringing them to their base, to be distributed to the rest of the base and put to use, allowing them to put up better protective walls on the outside and lightly improve the living conditions inside the base.

In addition to that Capper spent some time with Rarity and Midnight, teaching them how to improve their sneaking skills so they wouldn't be seen, since they were still thieves in the eyes of the rest of the clan, and with the couple of chests they had recovered he was able to lock each one and test their lockpicking skills, starting with the most basic of locks.

"Capper, I know you are the most experienced thief among us, but you certainly make this look easy." Rarity remarked, as she knew it would take her a lot of time and effort to figure out exactly how to do what Capper was able to do in a matter of seconds, while Midnight seemed to have a better understanding of how to do this.

"Well, it certainly helps that being a thief was how I lived my life before things happened." Capper replied, as he knew that his life before Rarity and her friends stepped into his life was why his skills were as good as they were, thus allowing him to teach the pair more about how to sneak, how to pick locks, the art of speaking and steering things in their favor, and even the art of picking pockets.

While they were training Brurid tracked them down and informed the group that they would be traveling with La'nari in the morning, to return to Riften and sell more of the items they had taken from the nobles, some of the more expensive items this time around, so he was expecting them to make more this time around. Capper understood that fact, because now that all four of them were outfitted, three of their number wearing light armor and Azure wearing heavy armor, that meant some of the coin didn't need to be spent and could be brought back to the clan to be spread out. With that thought in mind he made sure they were aware of which goods were going to be placed on the wagon, just so they could sell them well when they reached Riften and found Brynjolf, mostly to convince him that they weren't wasting his time. Such a thing did cause him to hope that Mercer wouldn't be present for the buying this time around, since he had cut into their profits last time and didn't want a repeat to happen, but they would know whether he was there or not when it came time to sell the items.

When morning arrived the group met it, even though they were getting used to a world where the sun and moon rose on their own, before having a light breakfast and then joined La'nari outside the fort, allowing them to climb onto the wagon so they could get underway once more. Sure enough Capper found that the trip back to Riften was dull, which was no doubt due to the fact that their clan had wiped out another one and the area that the Faldar Clan had been in control of had been freed from their clutches, meaning they wouldn't have to worry about encountering them again. They did, however, spot a large figure off on their right that seemed to be attacking a settlement with wooden walls, causing La'nari to sigh and tell her friends that what they were seeing was a giant harassing an orc stronghold, though before they thought about rushing over to get involved she also warned them that orcs hated outsiders. Capper translated that to mean that the orcs would either ignore them and force them to prove that they were worthy of entering the stronghold, or they would attack on sight if they got too close, so for the time being he focused on getting them to Riften, especially since it looked like the orcs didn't need their help dealing with the giant, as the figure collapsed as they resumed their journey.

Capper found that this time around the guards at the southwest gate were more than willing to let them into Riften, which was either due to the fact that their scheme at the northern gate had been silently called out, or because that scheme had been put on hold to allow more people into the city, but he wasn't about to complain.

"So, will our friend be in the market again, or will he be somewhere else?" Capper asked, where he and La'nari walked into the city while Midnight and Rarity carried the container, leaving Azure to watch over the wagon while they were gone, as he was curious as to where they might find Brynjolf this time around.

"We'll either find him in the Bee and Barb, keeping an eye out for potential targets and potential recruits for the Guild, or in the market, trying to sell one of his 'specialty potions'." La'nari answered, as she knew the figure well enough to know that his time in one of the market stalls was mostly a front for the few missions that took place in that area, and the 'potions' he sold were just things mashed together to make a convincing item, which was due to there being no real alchemist in the Thieves Guild, "I doubt he'd be down in the Ragged Flagon, since he's trying to find recruits to put the Guild back together... Mercer ought to be doing something as well, but he usually stays in the depths of the Guild, only leaving for a special mission that only he can accomplish."

Capper lightly nodded his head as he heard that, as it made sense that Brynjolf would be looking for people that would help turn around their bad fortunes, based on what La'nari had told them in the past, before turning his focus to the market area for a few seconds, finding that the merchants were already out and about. While many of the others were getting ready, as there was an argonian setting up a jewelry stand and a nord warrior in leather armor trying to sell her other gear to the rest of the city, it was easy to see that Brynjolf was still checking out everyone that happened to be in the area. Once he noticed that they were back in Riften, however, he removed himself from where he had been standing and headed over to where the Guild's secret entrance was located, allowing them to stand in a nearby corner, out of the way, as he fetched Tonilia. With how quickly she had valued the loot the last time they were in the city Capper was sure that she would be able to quickly do the same this time around, meaning they would be on their way in no time, they just had to wait for her and Brynjolf to come and evaluate their loot.

Sure enough it wasn't long before the pair emerged from the hidden passageway, where Capper nodded to his friends and they set down the crate that contained all of the loot they intended to sell today, allowing Tonilia to pull some of it out while calculating what sort of price she would offer them for all of it.

"Brynjolf told me you guys robbed a pair of nobles, and now I see that you were telling the truth." Tonilia commented, where her tone made Capper wonder if she was jealous of them being able to do such a thing, though at the same time she was more interested in the wealth that these items would bring to the Guild once she was able to sell them to her contacts, as she had a smile on her face, "You know, Brynjolf, you could always recruit them into our ranks... we might be able to make some progress at last."

"Wish I could, but they're part of Brurid and Bek-Kajin's clan, and you know they won't give up their members lightly... so I'm afraid there's nothing we can do." Brynjolf replied, though he agreed with her, at the very least two of the bandits that were in front of them could very well be the answer to their prayers, the key to saving the Guild from the downward spiral they were suffering right now, "How much do you think we can get for these pieces of jewelry?"

"Not much, I'm afraid." a new voice said, where Capper found that the speaker was a female nord that was dressed like she was a noble of some kind, or someone who seemed to think her way was the only path available to everyone else, plus her arrival caused the three thieves to pale for a moment, all while the lady stepped up to the crate and studied the items that were inside it, "These are hardly better than what you can find in the market right now... and a few pieces look like they were carelessly made, ready to break after a few uses. Best I purchase them to reform the garbage into real jewels."

"Garbage?! These are wonderful items, sturdy and true, not..." Rarity started to say, though a motion from La'nari stopped her as they found that the lady seemed more annoyed with her for speaking out of turn, allowing Capper to see that even the thieves seemed to fear the lady's power.

"Forgive us, Lady Maven, but these four are new to Riften and are not familiar with whose in charge of the city." La'nari said, which all but confirmed that the lady in front of them had more power over everyone than what even the true leader of the city, the Jarl, had, especially when he noticed a guard in the distance turn around and walk the other way once he noticed who was in the area, causing La'nari to turn towards the group, "This is Lady Maven Black-Briar, who owns the Black-Briar Meadery and pretty much runs the entirety of Riften... a single word from her would cause someone to spend the rest of the Fourth Era in prison, if she wanted such a thing."

"I understand. We are fortunate to have caught the eye of such an influential figure." Capper stated, putting on a smile as he presented himself like a gentleman, while at the same time Rarity and the rest of his group backed off while he did his work, though he refrained from snapping at the lady, since she reminded him of Verko far too much, "Shall we do business?"

He knew exactly what was going on, Maven likely knew that some of these pieces were actually better quality than some of the others, and she would be right since Capper had seen a number of the items before departing from their fort, but she didn't want to pay for them like a normal person would. Instead she was hoping to buy them for cheap from the Guild, as it seemed like she was the reason that Brynjolf and the others were able to operate without the guards arresting them for all of their crimes, so since they were in her pockets she felt that she could do whatever she wanted. Such a thing meant that by buying these for cheap, and only giving the Guild a fraction of what the items were truly worth, she deprived them of gold and that meant they would have no choice but to go on the missions and tasks that she had for them, to further her various schemes no doubt. If he was right that meant that the Guild would never get out from under her thumb, in fact he was sure she'd pay them meager amounts of gold when they completed her jobs, meaning she was just like Verko and he disliked her almost immediately, but he didn't let that show as they talked.

In the end he was able to get a few hundred gold for the items and another few hundred for the Guild, since they were why Maven was even getting the items in the first place, and once the transaction was complete the steel armored bodyguard she had brought with her hauled it off as she headed off to do something else, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief once she was gone.

"I have to admit lad, that was impressive." Brynjolf commented, as most people either backed down or paled when Maven talked to them, afraid of what she might do to them if they failed to do whatever she told them, but Capper had managed to keep his cool and made sure both parties got some coin for their effort, about two hundred for the Guild and three hundred for the clan, "We could use someone like you in our outfit... tell you what, if you ever feel like leaving the bandit clan that you are attached to, come find me and I'll convince Mercer that we would only benefit from making you a member."

"I'll consider it." Capper replied, because there was no harm in keeping a door like this open, since there was no telling what the future held, especially in a world like this, and he could tell that Brynjolf understood, even though he clearly wanted to induct the group into the Guild, just to give them some individuals that might be able to undo their misfortunes, though once the gold was counted he slipped the pouch into his bag, "For now, it was a pleasure to do business with you. We'll be back in a few days with the rest of our haul from the nobles."

"And we'll be waiting. If that haul was that good, enough to make Maven undercut us like that, I can only imagine what the rest of it might bring us." Tonilia remarked, as wealth was the only thing she really cared about and she knew that the items she was buying would fetch them a high price once she sold them, so it only made her that much more eager to see what else the group might have stolen from the nobles.

Capper agreed with her, it would be interesting to see how much they could get for the rest of the items that were back at the fort, though for the time being he wished the thieves well as he and his companions returned to their wagon, as it was time to head back home. The guards said nothing as the group rejoined Azure and started to leave the city, though he could tell that no one was very happy about their visit to Riften this time around and figured it was best if he didn't ask about it, as it would likely only make things worse for them. Capper decided to turn his attention away from Maven as he glanced out at the surrounding area, like the manor or estate that had been built in the center of the lake, on a number of close pieces of land since they were connected by bridges, causing him to wonder if Maven owned it or not. The meeting with such a figure had told him much more about the state of affairs in Riften than he was expecting to discover, and just how low the Thieves Guild had sunk if Maven was cheating them out of their gold, causing him to think about the bigger picture and what it might mean for them.

He had been hoping to go without meeting someone who reminded him of Verko, but he guessed such a thing was simply impossible once he thought about it, meaning that if they did join the Guild in the future they might cross paths with her in some manner, something he decided not to worry about for the time being.

"Just so we're clear, it would have been nice to have some warning about Maven's existence." Midnight remarked, keeping her voice low so that only the rest of the group could hear her, since she didn't know if any of the guards were in Maven's pockets and didn't want to give her anymore reason to hunt them down.

"Honestly, I was hoping to avoid drawing her attention... had I known we had caught her eye, well, I would have spoken up on the way to the city." La'nari replied, as she knew it was her fault that they could have walked right into a situation that would have ended with them being thrown in jail, since none of the others knew about Maven before meeting her, but she was impressed with Capper's resolve and unflinching nature, "What's done is done. We can only move forward and hope that our leaders aren't too annoyed with us for failing to secure more gold for the clan."

Capper said nothing to that as he continued down the path that was in front of them, eventually bringing them back to the entrance of their fort, because there were no enemies on the road in question for him and the others to worry about, due to taking out a rival clan and apparently scaring off the more dangerous animals. What they discovered when they returned to the fort, however, was that there was a new group standing outside the main gate, at least ten by his count, and the majority of them seemed to be outfitted in the same attire that some of their clan mates were currently wearing. Two of them were wearing better armor, normal steel to be exact, and seemed to be the ones in charge of the others, though at the same time it was easy for them to see that Brurid and Bek-Kajin were talking to them, the former smiling as the latter studied those that were outside their base. In the following moments the group noticed something interesting, some of the other bandits had small crates of items that seemed to be offerings that they made to the leaders of the clan, similar to what Capper and his friends had done when La'nari encountered them.

"It would seem that word of our war against a rival clan, and our victory, has reached some of the lesser groups that also call this Hold home." Midnight commented, as it seemed like they were gaining quite the reputation, or at least their clan was based on what they were seeing, so it made sense that the lesser clans were hoping to be taken in by the victor so they could all prosper together, instead of the lesser clans being wiped out, "They're also presenting offerings to our leaders, no doubt hoping that they'll accept them into the clan... but if this continues we won't have enough room for everyone."

"Then it's a good thing we took out a rival clan... maybe we can convince our leaders to expand and take over the other fort, thus expanding our territory?" Rarity remarked, though it would mean that moving everything out of Faldar's Tooth would have been for nothing, if they just took it over and moved some of their forces into that location, but she was sure that both of their leaders had a plan in mind for all of the newcomers that might be coming their way.

La'nari said nothing to that as they finally brought their wagon to a stop, where she looked at the items that were currently being offered to their leaders, as some of the bandits had lackluster items, stuff they had acquired from Faldar's Tooth to be exact, but a few had items of worth. Those ones happened to have some good pieces of jewelry and one even had a sword that was enchanted, which he was willing to offer to the leaders, and she was surprised to find that one even had a crate of Black-Briar Mead to offer to the whole clan. That offering made her nervous, because if Maven realized that part of one of her shipments had been stolen there was a good chance she could rain destruction down on those responsible, which could be what the bandit making the offering was aiming for, but without evidence there wasn't much she could do on this matter, only hope she was wrong. Capper, on the other hand, briefly pulled Bek-Kajin aside and explained the low amount of coins that had been brought back from Riften, where the argonian sighed and pinched the bridge between his eyes, showing him that they might have had experiences with Maven in the past and always lost out in the end, but decided to leave the coins in their possession.

Capper nodded and rejoined the others, who would be happy that they got something out of their efforts, though he agreed with La'nari, there was something about the newcomers that he didn't trust, causing him to prioritize the creation of his vault while waiting to see what the future held in store for them, and hoping that they were simply imagining things.

Clan: Practice and Unusual Items

As night fell on Treva's Watch, and the new clan members settled into the various rooms and positions assigned to them, because some were joining the night watch to keep the fort safe, Capper returned to the tower he had used previously, as it was private and he would remain undisturbed for some time. Once he was sure that he was alone Capper withdrew the Key and channeled it's power once more, allowing him to open the portal to the vault he had created and stepped through it, entering the area that was just a crystalline floor in the vastness of space. With the Key in hand he closed the portal and just looked around for a few moments, as he knew this wasn't much of a 'vault' since it was just the floor, and a pillar with an odd crystal floating above it, as there were walls and a ceiling that were needed to make the area complete. In addition to that he guessed he would need to move the portal itself, because warping directly into this place seemed a little awkward, so he was thinking of warding off the entire vault from anyone who might think to do such a thing.

His reasoning was due to the existence of the 'Daedric Princes', godly beings who saw mortals as toys and tools for their various schemes, and who ruled from the various Realms of Oblivion, of which he was building his vault in, so while there was a chance they might not be interested in this place he wasn't taking any chances. Fortunately the Key was the best item for him to do what he wanted, since it unlocked the knowledge that was in his mind and allowed him to understand the topic he was interested in, hence why he raised his other hand and made a rising motion at the edge of the vault. Such a thing caused a stone wall to start to rise before his very eyes, leading to him to nervously chuckle, as he never imagined that he would be able to do such a thing, simply creating from nothing or creating from the space that was around this area. The stony nature of the vault's walls really didn't seem very impressive, so he took inspiration from the floor and made both the walls and the new ceiling that he added out of the same material that was below his paws.

As Capper worked he pulled out the gem pouch he had filled back in their home world and had a strange idea as he tossed all of the gems into the air, catching them in certain positions around the vault and utilized the power of the Key to turn all of them into thick pillars that connected the floor and ceiling.

"I've got to admit, this place is coming together well." Capper commented, though he also noticed that he added a number of golden runes onto the crystalline walls, no doubt to keep the area safe from those who might try to warp into this area, a fact that caused him to chuckle again as he looked around his private vault, "I can't believe I'm even going this... Twilight and the other Princesses would have a fit if they saw me doing this."

With the current vault to his liking, since he might make alterations later on, Capper turned around and faced the wall that was behind where he started, finding an ebony ring around the center that he could step through, like it was transparent or turned into a liquid that he could easily pass through before turning solid once he was outside the vault. Once he was done with that he thought about what he wanted to do and the power he was relying on moved the portal to the exterior of the vault, though he also found that there was ground outside the structure, smooth stone for him to stand on. Such a thing meant he could stare out at the vastness of Oblivion, where he was sure there were actual spheres that represented one of the major realms, the domains of the Princes, and yet it looked like no one had noticed what he was doing, which was good news for him. He didn't want to bother them with his presence and it looked like they really couldn't be bothered to see what was going on in the vastness of Oblivion, where he turned the Key over again before opening a portal back to where he had been before heading into the vault.

As he did that Capper found that no time had passed since his departure, or at least it didn't seem that way to him, causing him to close the portal and head back down to their portion of the large fort, finding that the others were getting ready for bed, causing him to do the same.

When early morning arrived, however, Capper found that Rarity was the first one awake and noticed that something was off about her, her eyes were now blood red and there was a small pair of fangs in her mouth, though other than that it didn't seem like there was anything different about her. In fact she was glancing at herself like she was expecting more changes than what she had seen so far, but seemed confused as to what to do with what had happened to her body, something they would have to deal with, in addition to everything else they had discovered so far. Of course this did mean that the figure that had attacked her had infected her in some manner, meaning her neck must have been bitten or there was a secondary power they had all missed when Rarity fought her foe, something they might have to ask La'nari about later. There was also the fact that none of the others were awake, meaning Rarity would have to tell them what had happened as well, but for the time being she seemed fine and in control of herself, though Capper had to rethink his assessment as he spotted La'nari standing against a wall.

"It would seem that you turned. You're a vampire now, but... you're taking it a lot better than most people." La'nari said, as that fact surprised her, the figure that had been infected, without telling anyone about the illness that lead to this sudden transformation, was far too calm for her liking, but at least it meant they didn't have a raging monster to kill.

"Darling, remind me to tell you about the town I called home... this is nothing compared to what happened there weekly." Rarity replied, which was the truth, every bit of madness and magical mishap that she and her friends had experienced in Ponyville was far more than her simply changing eye color, growing a pair of fangs, and having a strange craving that just reminded her of when they turned Fluttershy into 'Flutterbat', "Just promise me you'll tell me what you know of this strange condition, so I don't do something stupid."

La'nari nodded and said she would do so later, on their way to Riften, because there was something else they needed to do, which was actual training in the art of being thieves and she had a way for her, Midnight, and Capper to get some training in the art, so they could be of better use to the clan in the future. This interested Capper more than he wanted to admit, as he and the others would be able to see how an actual thief in this world went about her job, or her previous job since she had quit after seeing her Guild fall into disarray, and while she didn't seem to care about this he could tell that part of her was likely pleased to practice her skills once more. Azure and Midnight, waking up when they heard her talking, were able to see Rarity's changes with ease, though since she was going to be told everything on the way to Riften the pair listened to what they were going to be doing today, the former not caring while the latter was excited. The more interesting aspect was that none of their clan mates overly cared about Rarity's changes, rather they seemed overjoyed to have a vampire in their ranks, as if that meant their fighting power had suddenly gone up despite her power remaining the same.

Capper had to smile at the scene in front of him, as the people who had been here at the start were overjoyed to see such an improvement in their lives and were simply enjoying themselves to the fullest, and even the bandits that had joined the clan after the Faldar Clan had been terminated were happy to have been accepted with little questions.

Once breakfast was over Capper and the others climbed onto the wagon and headed back to Riften once more, which was when La'nari explained vampirism to Rarity, since that was the most important thing for her right now, or at least what she knew on the subject, since she didn't know everything, but she was happy to see that Rarity was just fine and that she wasn't freaking out about the sun. Capper listened while directing the horses towards the city, where he and the others found that vampires survived by drinking blood, plus there was the fact that the creatures in question had far superior magical powers to some mortals, which was one of the reasons that people wanted to become vampires, not to mention having a longer life than before. After explaining what she knew about vampires, which was a fair deal, La'nari also told them about what she wanted to do in Riften, there were times where the guards would be tasked by Maven to act as targets for thieves, practice dummies in a sense so she could see who had potential and who was trash. Naturally this meant they needed a way to identify themselves from the guards who weren't part of the training, usually a scarf or something, but it changed all the time and she had no idea what it might be this time.

Capper found that to be very interesting, as it meant that he, Rarity, and Midnight would have to keep an eye out while they were in Riften, though as he glanced out at the rest of the path that was in front of them he found that they were able to get to the city without anything delaying them for once.

When they reached the city it was easy to find that the merchants were still out and the guards were keeping an eye out for potential thieves, while at the same time Capper noticed Maven sitting on her balcony, allowing her to glance out at the rest of the city while she sipped on something. It was hard to tell if she was waiting for the show to start, to see if there were any thieves out there that were worth keeping an eye on, or if the lady had no desire to watch and it was a simple coincidence that she was out here, along with a thief that looked like Brynjolf standing nearby. As he looked around he instantly noticed something on a couple of the guards, there was a black band of sorts right below the left arm portion of chainmail, which had to be what they were looking for and he quietly pointed it out to La'nari, who tilted her head slightly and made no move to let anyone else know that he was right. Of course she was hiding her surprise that he had found out the key so quickly, from just observing the area and the people, and it made her wonder what else Capper might have to show them further down the line, as his skills seemed to be far above both Rarity and Midnight's skills.

In addition to the guards there were a few other shady individuals who seemed out of place, some male, some female, and all of them of different races, most of them wearing leather attire that made them look like bandits, while the remaining few were dressed as beggars and citizens.

"There are thieves from all over Skyrim, itching to get in on the action." Capper commented, as that was the only reason for what they were seeing right now, something that caused La'nari to nod her head as she looked at them as well, though he suspected that one or two of them might be more skilled than the others, "Rarity, Midnight, I would observe them first so you know what not to do."

It wasn't that he didn't think the other thieves were skilled, rather he knew that observing and learning from the failures of others, or even successes, would be the key for the pair mastering their abilities, or learning new skills in Rarity's case, and it wasn't long before some of the other thieves started to move. Capper found that some of them weren't very good instantly, as the thieves in question started to sneak around the market area and the walkways that were around it, following some of the guards, though each one was stopped before they could even do anything. Such a thing just confirmed that either these people were those who didn't have talent or there actually was some sort of curse on the Guild that was affecting people who weren't even members, where he considered the latter to be odd given everything he had learned so far. One khajiit had a little more luck than the others as he was ignored by the guards, meaning they didn't even notice him lurking around the area, though when he attempted to pick one of their pockets he was found out instantly and surrendered as the guard knocked him to the ground, ending in him being taken to jail.

Capper found that this was definitely a sort of bloodbath, the rookie thieves were being wiped out before most of them had a chance to even get close to the guards, causing them to either sit back and watch or just give up entirely, and Rarity gave up instantly, because she sincerely doubted that she'd do any better with her current skill set.

Midnight, on the other hand, definitely had more skill than most of the other rookies, as most of the guards didn't detect her as she got close to them, allowing her to actually see what sort of items they had on them, something that caused the rest of the rookies to watch her closely, just like Rarity did. For the most part it didn't look like she was taking anything from the few guards that had the special marking, rather she took a coin here and there when she thought she could get away with it, a fact that caused La'nari to nod her head, showing that this was a good test of her skills. Capper, however, didn't wander out and start his practice immediately, like some of the others did, rather he wandered around the market area for a time, just getting the lay of the land and the patrols that all of the guards were using, both the test ones and those that weren't part of the test. While he did that he decided to stop at what appeared to be the blacksmith and noticed something that caught his attention, what appeared to be a pair of rocks that were, in fact, pieces of ore that seemed different from what they had seen back in their fort.

"What are those?" Capper asked, directing the nord blacksmith's attention to the pair for a moment, as one seemed to be a crystallized drop of amber and one seemed to be darker with yellow lines on it, like the item itself was mad in some manner, and while he knew he needed to focus on the guards he was still interested in the items the smith had.

"One is amber ore, and the other is madness ore... some traveler sold them to me, but I've been unable to shape them into weapons or armor." the smith replied, sounding annoyed by the fact that he was unable to do anything with the materials that had been brought to him, since that meant they were a waste of gold on his part, causing the man to sigh as an idea came to mind, "Tell you what, I'll sell them for ten gold apiece, if you're interested in them."

"Maybe later." Capper said, where he had to wonder where the materials had come from and why they were in possession of a smith that had no knowledge in turning them into something else, before he turned to the market and found that most of the rookie thieves were starting to call it quits already, "Well then, I guess it's time for me to get to work."

La'nari's eyes widened as she, Rarity, and Midnight watched Capper work his magic, as none of the guards seemed to notice him approach them, either they were preoccupied or they really had no idea he was sneaking around the area, and when he left the area that a guard was in that individual noticed that their coin pouch had gone missing. He even greeted some of the guards and struck up a conversation with them, asking about Riften itself and the surrounding area, as he pulled out a map and let his targets point things out to him, thus allowing him to walk off with more information and more gold than before, an interesting tactic in her eyes. The most amusing fact was that none of the guards seemed to realize that the person who stole from them was Capper, rather he seemed to be acting like he had nothing to do with the thefts and continued about his day like nothing was wrong, convincing the guards that he wasn't worth worrying about as they focused on the other thieves in the area, keeping a closer eye on them in the process. It was as if Lady Luck herself had blessed Capper, given how he was able to steal from every guard with a black band before they even realized what was going on, making her wonder if he held the key to saving the Guild before it completely collapsed.

Capper, however, stopped below the balcony as he stretched, making it look like he was on his way to a job or something and was preparing for a busy day, all while his ears perked as he heard Maven talking, which meant he would be able to get a few bits of information out of her before they left Riften, without having to pay for it anyway.

"Brynjolf, why haven't you recruited that thief into your ranks?" Maven inquired, because out of everyone that was present right now she was only interested in the khajiit that had realized how important she was, which had made her interested in him, though after getting a glimpse of the market area, and how the guards reacted to their gold being stolen, she realized that there was a new gem in the city, one that had to be in her possession at all costs.

"Because he's part of Brurid and Bek-Kajin's clan, and you know they'd be cross with us if we took their members." Brynjolf replied, which was the truth, the bandits at Treva's Watch were fiercely loyal to their leaders and the leaders were the sort that were better off not crossing, like how Maven was someone that no on wanted to cross, and right now he didn't want to invite disaster into Riften, since he knew the figures would invade to get their people back, "Trust me, if they were free to do whatever they wanted, I would offer Capper a position in the Guild without wasting him... skills like his are hard to come by these days."

"He is a polished gem, hidden in a pile of garbage... maybe I'll hire him for a job in the future." Maven remarked, which was news to Capper, that she was that interested in his skills, though since it seemed like this was all they were going to say for the time being he removed himself and headed back out into the city.

While he did that, however, he and the others noticed that there was a well dressed figure walking out into the market with a group of guards and someone who seemed to be a bodyguard, no doubt the Jarl as he considered things, which meant that the keep that was her domain was likely absent of guards. Such a thing caused him to mentally add another mark that would set him apart from the rest of the rookies, he entered the keep and found that while it did have a large fire pit in the center of the main chamber, with three long tables around it, there seemed to be no one around. With that in mind he walked over to the back of the room and found that the hallway was vacant as well, allowing him to head to the right and found a room that seemed to be the Steward's, before he found a few items of value to pocket, as in a few gems and a silver amulet with two expensive jeweled necklaces. Of course the jewelry were behind a locked container, but it was nothing before the might of the Key and his experience, allowing him to unlock it without delay and swipe the loot before closing the lid, making it look like no one had been in here for some time.

After that he headed up the stairs and found that it brought him to another door, leading to the second floor that had three new bedrooms, two that were smaller than the third that held his attention, since it had some of the more expensive items, even an elven greatsword on a plague, before he noticed a glowing red gem in a gold container off to the side.

"Another strange item... must be expensive, if it's in the Jarl's residence." Capper quietly remarked, where he swiped the gem and it's container without delay, along with a few nearby books that seemed to speak on the skills of a thief, more material for him to share with the rest of the group, where he grabbed the handle of the greatsword and slipped it into his bag, as it seemed like a good upgrade for Azure.

Once he was done checking out the Jarl's residence, and had collected a few coin pouches in addition to the rest of the items he had collected, Capper departed from the keep, walking like a gentleman that was out for a stroll, and once he was back on the outside he found that the guards were talking to some of the rookies, meaning they must have failed.

"Maven's going to be annoyed by all of these failures... but I wouldn't be surprised if she approaches you with some work in the near future, Capper." La'nari commented, which was the truth, he had stood out a little too much, to those that could see him while he was out in the market area to be exact, and it was likely that the most powerful person in Riften might seek him out for a job after this day was over, he was just that skilled, plus that wasn't even counting his visit to the keep, "Though don't be surprised if Brynjolf tries to invite you into the Guild again... after that display, he'd be foolish to let someone like you go, meaning he'll have to talk to our leaders to convince them that you're worth letting go so he can recruit you."

"Darling, considering how our leaders are, I don't think that'll be possible." Rarity remarked, as Brurid and Bek-Kajin seemed to like having Capper around, especially since it made things easier for them and their forces when it came to opening all of the chests and locked doors they were finding recently, another skill she would have to learn at some point.

La'nari nodded her agreement, she really doubted that their leaders would willingly allow Capper to be taken from them, especially after having proved himself to them since she brought the group to their fort, meaning the only ways Maven could get to him were to either hire him for a job or wait until someone destroyed their clan. It was known to happen, that either the Imperials or the Stormcloaks would wipe out a fort and secure it so they could have more control over an area that their forces were allied with, so there was a chance that the latter might come for them in the future. With their clan she doubted that such a thing would come to pass, they were well put together and well prepared for whatever forces might come to do them harm, but it didn't stop her from thinking of such a thing when she thought about the other clans that had fallen in the past. After thinking about that La'nari made sure to quickly purchase a few more things for the clan before they departed from the city once more, so they could regroup with the clan and see what their leaders wanted to do next, especially with all of the new recruits that had joined them recently.

As they departed from the city, however, Capper noticed the same phantom figure that no one else seemed to notice, but this time around he discovered that there was a crystalline greatsword, or the image of one, floating near her, like she was trying to tell him something.

You must... recover the Sword. the figure stated, where he was able to confirm that none of the others had noticed what he was seeing right now, since no one was reacting to the vision, meaning this was for his eyes only, and, just like the last time this happened, the images started to fade away like it was made of mist, Go to Solitude... claim the Sword before...

Capper really had no idea what was going on, and he hesitated to claim that it was a side effect of using the Key, but he had a feeling that finding the crystalline sword was a good step to figuring things out and seeing what the future held for him, his companions, and the clan, causing him to look forward to whatever the next few days held in store for them.

Clan: A New Job

After returning to the fort, and seeing that everyone was still hard at work training or making their base even better than it had been previously, it was easy to see how the newcomers were integrating themselves into everything, making sure they were useful to Brurid and Bek-Kajin, just like everyone else. Some of their fellows were interested in hearing about what happened in Riften, even though they knew that Rarity would require more training to be able to fit in with being a thief, all while Midnight would have done well and one even knew that Capper was a prodigy in the making. Capper had to chuckle as he confirmed their thoughts, even though La'nari told their clan mates how he had stood out, doing far more than the rest of the novices combined, meaning there was a chance that he might be approached by Brynjolf again in the future. She knew that the Thieves Guild was in desperate need of good thieves that could turn their luck around and he had shown that his skills were beyond what anyone might have been expecting from that event, meaning they would be fools to ignore someone with his potential.

"There's also the chance that Maven might seek you out, if she saw your skills while we were in the city." La'nari added, a fact that told the group how things were likely going to change for them now that they knew people had seen Capper's skills for themselves, all while she brought her hand to her head for a few moments as she thought about all of this, "Listen, if Maven does show up, I'd recommend taking whatever job she offers, as she pays well and might have even more tasks for you in the future... the few that have turned her down in the past ended up regretting it to the end of their days."

"Darling, do you really think such a classy person would come all the way out here to offer us a job?" Rarity inquired, as it seemed unlikely that Maven would bother with such a thing, instead it was likely that she would keep an eye out for them and speak to them the next time they were in Riften, which means she would be waiting since their next visit would likely be in the next few days.

"She's Maven Black-Briar. If she wanted to she could show up this afternoon and hire us for whatever job she wanted... such is her nature and outlook on life." La'nari answered, as literally everyone in Riften bowed to her whims, even her children did from time to time, despite the fact that one of them happened to be in jail on his mother's orders, which she had no real interest to learn about.

"La'nari's right, it's not worth turning down Maven... not when she could bring an army to annihilate use if we refused any jobs she offered us." Brurid added, as he had been listening to the conversation while everyone else went back to whatever they had been doing before the group returned from Riften, while his tone revealed that he had some dealings with Maven in the past and that it was better to take her jobs, "Plus her jobs tend to pay very well, and completing them within her very specific conditions tends to make her give more jobs to those that please her, so it is worth listening to her and accepting any jobs she sends your way."

Capper glanced at the others before all four of them nodded their heads, as it was basically do whatever Maven told them or risk their clan being destroyed, if she came by to hire him and his friends for a job anyway, something he would keep in mind for later, just in case they were ever approached by the lady. With that in mind he found some of the other members of their clan coming forward to ask about how he tackled pickpocketing in general, as some of them were thieves before coming out here to be bandits and they figured that asking him might help them master an ability they struggled with. It was quite the interesting way to round off their trip and Capper was more than willing to help the rest of the clan master their skills, in fact one bandit was willing to be the target he would be focusing on, allowing him to show off his skills while he noticed that all of his temporary students seemed to be taking notes. Of course there wasn't a lot of paper for them to do such a thing, rather they were observing his motions and how he managed to take the coin pouch out of his test subject's bag without even him noticing, despite the fact that he had agreed to help him with a demonstration for everyone else.

What he discovered, however, was that when he was done with his lesson the members of their clan that happened to be in front of him dropped a small bag of gold on the table that had been to Capper's left the entire time, where Bek-Kajin told all four of them, him and his friends, that when one gave lessons they were usually paid for it, so their clan mates made sure he was paid for his important lesson. This was news to Capper, Rarity, Midnight, and Azure, as La'nari hadn't said a word on it on their way to their new home, but he didn't hold it against her as he collected the pouches and started to count the gold that was inside each one, coming out to fifty coins per bag, and for ten observers that was five hundred coins total. It was a good haul, all things considered, and he was quick to store it away in his bag for the time being, even though he would be storing it in the vault in due time, just to make sure it was safe and sound. Rarity and the others considered such a thing as well, even though Rarity didn't have any skills to offer since making dresses seemed like an undesirable skill in this land, and the former guards seemed lost in thought about this matter.

As they got ready to head inside, however, one of the lookouts informed their leaders that someone was approaching their fort, causing the group to get up on the wall and discovered that it was none other than Maven herself, along with her guard and one other plate armored figure.

"Bandits of Treva's Watch, I seek the one known as 'Capper'. I have a job for him and his associates." Maven stated, which meant that she had been observing them and that he had caught her eye, just as their leaders and La'nari had told them about upon their return to the fort earlier, where Brurid and Bek-Kajin glanced at each other before allowing the main gate to be lowered.

In the next couple of seconds Maven walked into the fort and made her way up to the table that they were positioned near, though no one stopped her from taking the seat, a chair, that was near it, rather everyone seemed intimidated by the fact that she was among them and feared that speaking out of turn might cause her guards to kill them instantly.

"Lady Maven, I am Capper. What is this job that you have for me and my associates?" Capper inquired, as he knew that she was interested in him and his skills, and had seen the others several times while they were in Riften, especially when she just stole everything from one of their shipments, but he wanted to be more like a business person since she was coming to him with a job offer.

"I require you to take a shipment of my mead and deliver it to two locations: the inn in Helgen, who are preparing for the arrival of General Tullius and Elenwen, and the two inns of Whiterun." Maven replied, where her tone told him that she was going to walk out of here with them agreeing to her demands, as it was her way or those who defied her died, meaning he had to think about the specifics of what she wanted from them, before she produced a large sack of gold, "You will be given three thousand septims upon agreeing to the job, and there will be another three thousand upon your return... however, I will expect you to deliver to me the payments from the inns for my mead, otherwise I will deduct it from the final payment. In addition to that I need you to check in with someone while you're in Whiterun, an imperial named Mallus Maccius who will be in the Bannered Mare during his breaks and who should hand you a note for me... delivered it sealed and I might give you a little more money when the job is done."

Capper kept a straight face while everyone else had stunned looks on their faces, as six thousand for a perfect delivery was quite a lot of gold, even split between five individuals since they needed La'nari to help them get to their targets, though this did tell him that she was expecting to make quite a lot of gold from the three locations.

"Sounds like an interesting job. Do you require us to get moving immediately, or do we have to wait for the shipment to be made ready for transport?" Capper asked, where La'nari was honestly surprised by his words, as he was one of the very rare few people that seemed to talk to Maven without being intimidated by her, and it was easy to see that Maven was smiling, like she approved of someone having some backbone while respecting her power.

"I would prefer if you left immediately." Maven stated, where she gestured towards the road and they found that there were a few exhausted workers that were setting the mead crates down on the ground, who must have been carrying them for the entirety of the trip while the soldiers near them made sure they reached their destination without delay, "Succeed in this and I might have more jobs for you in the future... fail... well, you'll wish you hadn't failed when I'm done with you."

Capper nodded his head in agreement and Maven handed over the sack of gold, travel expenses in her mind no doubt, to which La'nari and the others got moving as he tended to the wagon, directing the horses out of the fort so they could cross the stone bridge once more. Once he was on the other side of the bridge the others helped the workers carefully load the crates into the back, which was definitely packed full of bottles of mead, while at the same time it was clear that the soldiers, Maven's own no doubt, were eying them like hawks. It was clear that they were here to uphold her orders to the letter, that if she told them to murder the clan they would do so without delay, but for the time being they seemed to be passive and did nothing as the last of the crates was loaded into the back. The moment that was done Capper and the others returned to their seats on the wagon and made sure there were no other instructions from Maven, who simply moved a hand like she was dismissing them, causing Capper to get them underway as their leaders wished them well.

While they moved down the road, heading back in the direction they had used to first arrive at Treva's Watch, Rarity kept an eye on everything that was behind them while La'nari focused on the road in front of them, before they sighed after putting some distance between them and their home fort.

"Now I really understand what you had said about her previously... I really got the feeling that she could have ended us with a single command if she wanted to." Rarity commented, as being around Maven made her nervous, because the lady really had the power to install fear and respect into everyone that was around her, even hardened and seasoned bandits that had struck fear into the area around their base of operations.

"She could have, if she wanted to... though to be honest, I wasn't sure if she was going to be offended by your lack of fear, but she seems to respect your skills." La'nari said, shifting the focus to Capper once more, as this just confirmed her earlier comment about the khajiit showing off too much of his skills while they were in Riften earlier, the powerful lady wanted to put his skills to use, and no doubt this was just a test run of sorts, to see if he was trustworthy or not.

"Still, she has her own force to deliver her mead to those who are buying it... why call upon bandits for this?" Azure asked, as that part didn't make sense, because Maven likely had her own people who did this and it made him wonder if they were being set up, like she wanted them gone for a long time or something, "You don't think she's going to exterminate the clan to get Capper to join the Thieves Guild, so she can use his skills however she sees fit?"

"That might be too extreme, especially since having a bandit clan in her pocket might be useful." Midnight said, because she suspected that Maven could use them to hinder the transport of mead from any competitors that were scattered across the whole of Skyrim, or whatever businesses she wanted to put herself at the head of, but at the same time she couldn't fault Azure for thinking that, as she had considered it as well.

Capper wasn't sure which was the right option, if he was being honest after considering the information they had, so for the time being he focused on traveling to their first destination, Helgen, which seemed to be where those nobles had been on their way to before he and the others stole their wagon. With that in mind there was a chance that they would still be there, so they might recognize their wagon despite none of their stuff being on it, but he knew it was a risk that needed to be taken since the other path to Whiterun was down a mountain path, much more dangerous than what La'nari had planned. This was why he was grateful for her sudden arrival when they first stole the wagon, because her familiarity with Skyrim's vast landscape, no doubt thanks to her time as a member of the Thieves Guild, was saving them a lot of time and effort, which also meant that she knew the quickest routes to take. He also considered themselves fortunate that they had come this way not that long ago, as it meant that they wouldn't have to stop for anything or anyone, though he knew that they would have to buy some food in Helgen, since Maven insisted they leave without any real preparations, meaning she really didn't intend for them to make off with all the gold she was giving them.

His thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later as they found a group of bandits, wearing an odd assembly of leather and fur armor, blocking the way forward, though unlike their clan these ones seemed like they were done on their luck and had no real skills in being bandits, causing him to bring the wagon to a stop.

"If you want to use this road, you'll have to pay us a toll... and hand over your loot as well." one of the bandits, who had to be the leader, stated, showing them that he believed that he and his three allies had the advantage over the five people that were on the wagon they were trying to rob, thought the reality was that this was four on four, unless Rarity was good to go after her last couple of lessons.

"Sorry, this is the property of Maven Black-Briar, so move it or pay with your lives." Capper stated, though when he found that none of the bandits seemed intimidated by that statement, which might be since they were dressed like the guards that were seen around Maven whenever she was wandering outside the city, causing him to sigh as he nodded to the others, as it seemed like they would have to kill some people to continue moving.

Azure stepped forward and drew his greatsword, the elven one that Capper had given him since it seemed better than the old one he had been using, where he swung it and slashed through one of the fur armored bandits before he even drew his weapon, much to the surprise of his fellows. La'nari took advantage of their surprise by loosing an arrow into the shoulder of a second bandit, knocking him backwards for a moment, causing the other two to move once they realized that this might have been a bad idea, one that couldn't be stopped now that the assault had been started. The third one rushed at them from the side and Midnight blocked her incoming attack, as she had been training off and on in the fort and it appeared that her training had paid off, only to flip over the bandit's head and stab her in the back. Capper found that the fourth one just ignored him and went right after Rarity, though this time around she seemed more ready to fight back as she slashed at him and grazed the side of his arm, drawing blood in the process, something that seemed to make Rarity stall for a moment.

In the next instant something seemed to wash over her as she leapt onto the bandit, knocking him to the ground, before she bit into his neck and started to drink his blood before their eyes, causing her target to shrivel up, like she was greedily taking every drop he had, and when she was finally done Rarity let go of the corpse with a satisfied look on her face.

"Rarity... are you feeling alright?" La'nari asked, because while this was technically the pony's first feeding as a vampire, she was still coming to terms with how fast she had turned and the fact that she seemed just fine in the sunlight, this wasn't what she was expecting from their changed friend, as she had never heard of a vampire drinking all of the blood that was in their target in one go like this, hence her worry for their friend.

"I've never felt better darling. In fact, I feel better than before." Rarity replied, where she had to wonder if maybe she was a unique type of vampire that grew stronger the more she fed, as in the more blood she drank the more power she got, even though she had no desire to actually test and see if her thoughts were right, as she knew she needed control now that she was actually drawn to blood, before she noticed the state the bandit was left in, "Oh my, did I do that?"

"Yeah... it's not a pretty sight." Azure commented, though at the same time he followed La'nari's instructions and moved the shriveled corpse off to the side of the road before Capper looted the stuff that the bandit had, since they could have a few useful items in their possession, but once he was done La'nari loosed a bit of fire from her right hand and set the corpse on fire, "Um, why are we doing this?"

"To make sure he doesn't come back as a vampire." La'nari answered, though she was unsure if that was true or not since this was the first time she had seen someone like Rarity drain someone of all their blood, so it was hard to know if the bandit would have been revived in due time or if he would have remained dead, all while Capper finished looting the bandits of all their gold, arrows, and even a few lockpicks, useful items to have to help Rarity and Midnight train their new skills, "Those who are bitten, scratched, or even attacked by a vampire's drain attack have a chance to come down with the illness that turned you into a vampire... better that we make sure he doesn't come back as another threat to the people of this land."

"I... I see. I will have to be more careful in the future." Rarity said, as she had no idea the illness could be transferred like that, even though it made sense when she considered how she had been afflicted with it earlier, but now that she knew about the potential threat her feedings could cause she realized that all of her future feedings would have to be done carefully, all to avoid what La'nari was worried about.

Capper realized that Brurid's plan to get Rarity involved in the battle for Faldar's Tooth had done what the nord had wanted, as the constant spilling of blood, and all of the death she had been made to witness, had caused her to become used to how this world worked and how the people operated. This meant she was likely going to keep improving her skills so their leaders kept her around, even though he knew Bek-Kajin would let her stick around since having a person like her could open more doors for them in the future. At the same time he knew that Rarity's sudden change into a vampire might have caused part of her personality or morals to erode, to the point where she would willingly drain someone of all their blood like that, but for the most part it seemed like it had only benefited her in the end. There was also how she reacted to doing what she did, a sort of indifference that was unusual for her, because she didn't seem disturbed by her actions, and there was the fact that she claimed to be feeling even better than before, which only made him wonder what was happening to her and if they needed to be worried about her changes.

Once they were done with the bandits, and La'nari made sure to put out the flames so they didn't spread to the rest of the area, Capper got them underway once more as they continued along the path that would bring them back to where they had landed when they were brought to this world. It was kind of interesting that they were coming back this way, though Capper did have to wonder what sort of event would cause the leader of the Imperial Legion and the emissary of the Dominion to be in the same town, enough for the innkeeper to order some of Maven's mead ahead of their arrival. Something big was going to happen, that much he knew for sure, and while it would be interesting to stick around and see what that might be, to see what was happening to this land, he knew it would be in their best interests to be on their way before the pair arrived for their event. The only reason he considered such a thing was because Skyrim was in the middle of a war and this could very well be them discussing the potential execution of prisoners that might be passing through the area, which he and the rest of the group really didn't need to see, hence why his focus was on getting them to Helgen and then out with Maven's gold for the mead they were transporting.

Despite all of this, however, Capper found himself smiling as he looked at the road that was in front of him, as Skyrim was a land of opportunity and so far he was enjoying every moment of their stay in this land, a fact that only made him wonder what the future held for him, his friends, and their clan.

Clan: Helgen Business

Capper and the others discovered that there didn't appear to be too much in the way of obstacles for them to worry about as they traveled to Helgen, save for a few wild animals every now and then, mostly wolves and a bear, though the latter did remain near it's lair and didn't chase after them. Such a thing allowed each of them to just relax and think about their job, or whatever they wanted to think about while they made their way to Helgen, the first destination that Maven wanted them to deliver her mead to, where La'nari was positive that they would arrive by noon at the earliest, if they were lucky. She told Capper that the route they were taking was definitely the shortest one possible, as traveling from Riften to Whiterun usually took eight hours at the quick pace they were using right now, so by starting from their fort they should be able to get to the small town in three hours, maybe four at the most. This was good information to have, especially since he could set a pace that wouldn't exhaust the horse that was pulling the wagon, even though there was a lot of things they needed to find out, especially in regards to who was in Helgen.

Unfortunately La'nari wasn't much help in this regard, as it had been years since she was in a position where she knew far more than an average person did, but what she did know was that General Tullius was the one in charge of the Legion's forces in Skyrim, directing the war against the Stormcloak Rebellion. If she had to make a guess on how the other figure was, Elenwen as Capper reminded himself, it would be that she could be a member of the Thalmor, an Emissary if she was going to be with someone of importance to the Legion in Helgen. That, of course, caused them to wonder why two figures of such importance to the Empire were going to be in the same place at the same time, before realizing that it had something to do with the Stormcloaks, causing their khajiit friend to nod her head as Rarity commented on the topic. La'nari had thought about it and determined that Ulfric Stormcloak, the leader of the rebellion, had to be near Helgen and they might be moving to catch him, because if they caught and executed him the war would end, as the head of the snake would be gone and the other Jarls wouldn't have the courage to stand against the Empire anymore.

Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in Capper's mind, the pair knew that Ulfric might be riding somewhere near the town and wanted to ambush him before he escaped, and if that was the plan they could be executing him before the end of the day and celebrate by night's end.

"The war's about to end, that's what's happening... we're delivering some celebration mead before they even capture their target." Capper said, because he imagined that if Ulfric had been captured he would have been executed immediately, as in on the spot where he was caught, all to prevent a potential escape and the prolonging of the war, which was why he was of the opinion that they were trying to catch the nord in question, causing him to chuckle a little, "I'm not sure how Maven knew that the pair would be in Helgen, when Ulfric likely has no idea he's riding into a trap, but she's definitely more connected than I thought she'd be... she's pretty good."

"Considering what we're hauling, I think you might be right." La'nari replied, though she couldn't fault Capper for thinking such a thing, as she was thinking exactly what he was thinking right now, the Legion had to be getting ready to capture Ulfric and execute him before his forces had a chance to save him, it was the only logical explanation she could think of, "Of course the solders in Helgen and the guards of Whiterun might give us some trouble, most of us look like thieves, but we should be able to convince them that we're making a delivery if we mention Maven's name."

This was good information for them, further confirmation of what they had been told previously, though even then Capper had to wonder if there was something they were missing, as it felt like there was a piece of the puzzle none of them had noticed so far, even though Midnight and Azure were focused on the road and Rarity was focused on her new power. He was still surprised by how Rarity had drained the bandit earlier, not stopping until every drop had been extracted, but even he had to admit that she was far stronger than she had been before that encounter, just how Azure was growing as a warrior as they fought more enemies. Of course Midnight lacked a field to go into, since Capper was the thief of their group, but she seemed to have a way around that as they passed by an abandoned alchemist shack and she got off for a few moments, only to return with a bag full of herbs and other items, as she had dabbled in alchemy in the past and she might be able to make some interesting potions with what she had. In addition to that Midnight decided to walk with the wagon for a time, as there were some good herbs nearby that La'nari said could be used in the process, which she knew thanks to the couple of alchemists she had spoken to over the years, and Midnight wanted to make sure she had then in hand for later.

Such a thing did make him wonder if he should use the Skeleton Key again, unlock more of the power that was sealed away within him, though not all at once since that would ruin everything, meaning he would have to think about this more so he didn't make any hasty decisions.

As they continued up the path, however, Capper and La'nari discovered something interesting, there was a group of Legion soldiers ahead of them, at least ten by their count, who happened to be heading in the same direction that the wagon was currently heading in. One of the imperial soldiers was a captain, he was wearing steel armor while the others wore leather that was lighter and easier for them to maneuver in, while his troop seemed to be a mixed bag since Capper could see that there were individuals of all races among the group. None of the imperials seemed annoyed by their presence, rather they seemed fine with having some new people to talk to since they had been marching in silence for a time, plus their spirits were raised somewhat when La'nari told them that they were transporting mead to Helgen as a job for Maven. Of course both she and Capper noticed that they were in an unusually good mood and that caused them to ask about it, since ll five of them figured that having good mead was only part of the situation they were seeing right now.

"Didn't you hear the news? We've captured Ulfric Stormcloak... he just rode straight into our ambush." the captain said, a fact that caught the group by surprise, as they expected him to have been executed after being captured, though it sounded like the local General wanted him brought somewhere so he could be publicly killed, to send a message no doubt, "He and his escort are being taken to Helgen, where the Headsman is waiting for them and will start chopping once their last rites are given to them. According to what I've heard there are a few others with his group that will be executed: a horse thief from Rorikstead, an imperial that likes to dress in dark colors and apparently uses maces, and the secondary prize, a khajiit with an ashen fur color who is said to have lines upon lines of Daedric lettering etched into her very skin."

"Really? You guys caught a daedra worshiper?" La'nari inquired, as this was news to her, even though she was thrilled by the idea that Ulfric was going to no longer be of this world in the very near future, but the existence of an ashen khajiit was what she was focused on, as it was the first time she had heard such a thing.

"Aye, and she was carrying two daedric swords with her... those will likely be kept by the General, until he hands them out to more worthy wielders." the captain replied, though he couldn't fault the group for being amazed by this information, since he and the others were still surprised by that fact as well, but his troop was in high spirits and he could tell that the group didn't seem to be Stormcloak sympathizers, so there was no harm in telling them anything, "According to what I've heard the ashen khajiit was either trying to murder the imperial or she got caught stealing from the woman in question... either way, some of our fellow soldiers caught and arrested them. I'm hoping that when we get to Helgen we can speak with the pair... Captain Alena is known for being too dedicated to her job, and she's likely to start to start chopping before we even figure out if the pair are guilty of anything."

Capper remained silent as they learned that particular piece of information, because while he understood wanting to quickly execute a rebel leader, to end a war before more lives were lost, part of him had to wonder why they might be moving Ulfric to a whole new area before executing him. It was also odd that they might be executing two potentially innocent people, as it seemed like no one knew anything about the noble imperial, because she sounded like an important person, plus they had no information on the ashen khajiit, other than she had daedric lettering on her body and carried two daedric swords, which seemed to be code for the people of Skyrim for a 'problem child'. La'nari lowered her voice and told Capper that there were some daedra worshipers in the past that tried to bring about the end of the world, or so she heard from the stories, so there were all sorts of groups out there, hunting down those who worshiped the Daedric Princes, to prevent that from happening again. That meant if the khajiit really was a daedra worshiper, like she seemed to be, it was possible she was trying to get the attention of her chosen Prince or was on a quest for them, and if that was the case killing the khajiit could prevent anything from happening.

Such a thing caused Capper to shift his head slightly so he could glance back at the others, where he found that Rarity and the former guards were in agreement, it was rude to judge a book by it's cover, causing him to wonder if they might be able to find out something about the khajiit because they weren't linked to either side in the war, before focusing on the path that was in front of them.

Eventually they reached the end of the first portion of their journey, where the sun was high in the sky, likely noon based on what Capper knew of this world, and everyone got a good look at their destination, which appeared to be a small town that had stone walls around it, two stone towers, and a stone keep, in addition to a few wooden houses. This was Helgen, as the troops that had been walking beside them confirmed that this was where Maven wanted them to deliver part of the mead shipment to, apparently called 'Helgen Homestead' as one of the soldiers told them. As Capper suspected there were a good number of soldiers in the town, which made sense considering what would be happening in the near future, but fortunately the troop they were with convinced the guards that they were just transporters, allowing them to enter the town. While they did so he spotted two figures that were in the middle of an argument, a middle aged imperial man in special looking red and bronze armor, befitting his position as the Military Governor of Skyrim for the Legion, while the other was an elf that had to be a member of the Thalmor, due to her dark robe.

Part of him wanted to know what they were talking about, but figured it would be best if they got their job done before they were dragged into the execution, causing him to follow the captain that had been talking for most of the trip and found that he brought them to an inn, located near where the execution would soon be taking place.

"Vilod, you've got a shipment!" the captain said, speaking to someone that was inside the inn, as the door was open and one of the workers was sweeping outside, where Capper found that the person who came outside was a nord warrior, or more like a retired one since he was the innkeeper for the town.

"We have your mead shipment from Maven Black-Briar." Capper stated, causing Azure and Midnight to remove two of the crates that had been loaded into the wagon earlier, as Rarity had found a pouch attached to one that had a note on how much was to be delivered to all three of their destinations.

The nord seemed surprised that they made it in time, as he had been worried that they would arrive at the same time as the rest of the Legion's soldiers or even after them, but that didn't stop Vilod from paying for the mead and having his sweeper move some of it into the inn for later. Capper was handed a fairly large sack of gold, which was easily a few hundred based on his estimates, that he handed to Rarity without delay, who nodded and stashed it away in the smaller crate that Maven had one of her workers put on the wagon before they departed from the fort earlier. He did wait for a few more moments, to see if there was anything Vilod wanted to place a shipment for since it would get back to Maven faster, but since he had no desire to do such a thing Capper called for the others to get ready to leave, causing them to turn the wagon around so they could head to Whiterun. While they did so all five of them noticed that the soldiers were getting ready for the arrival of their prisoners, in fact when the wagon passed by the gate they had entered through it was easy to see two more wagons coming down another portion of the path, containing everyone that had been caught recently.

Again Capper felt like sticking around to see the prisoners, to see the khajiit that everyone thought was a danger to the rest of the world, but decided to focus on getting on with their job so they could get back to Maven with good news, where they found that the soldiers opened the other gate, the one leading to the north, and let them through without delay.

"I didn't think that the escort would be here so soon." La'nari commented, all while breathing a sigh of relief as they headed out into the wilds of Skyrim once more, because she really didn't want to be anywhere near the execution despite wanting Ulfric to pay for his crimes, especially not after hearing about the Captain in charge of Helgen, who they were able to avoid meeting during their visit.

"Yes, it is a surprise... but not entirely unexpected, given that Ulfric is the rebel leader." Capper said, though as they headed down the road that was in front of them, with La'nari telling him to head to the left at the next fork in the path since it was the easier path to use, especially since it would bring them to the Guardian Stones, where he sighed for a moment, "We can only hope that General Tullius does the right thing and executes Ulfric immediately, instead of forcing him to watch as his soldiers are slain one by one."

Capper had gotten used to how this world operated, it was somewhat similar to how he grew up, just with more blood and death than even he knew, but there were things even he knew should be the highest priority right now, regardless if the ashen khajiit was a daedra worshiper or not.

"Still, I don't trust that Thalmor agent... something about her screams that she was here for another reason." Rarity added, because she had observed the elf in question during their very short time in Helgen and she found that while she seemed to dress well, or as well as one could with that sort of clothing, there was something about her that made her worry that she was a threat to what was going to happen in the town.

"Fair. As long as nothing stupid happens, the war will be over in an instant." Azure said, where Midnight nodded her head as well, they knew that Ulfric's death would be good for everyone and shared Capper's hope that the General did the right thing when the time came, causing them to focus on the path that was in front of them once more.

Capper found that there didn't seem to be anything blocking the path again, as in it seemed to be smooth sailing, meaning they were able to reach the path La'nari had mentioned earlier, allowing them to head down the winding road that would bring them to the Guardian Stones. At the same time he noticed that the mountain that was to the north of them had what appeared to be a nordic ruin, similar to the one he and Midnight had raided after their first visit to Riften, which was when Rarity froze after seeing dead people and Azure went with her to aid in her mental recovery. La'nari stared at it for a time as they continued down the road, trying to remember what it was called, before recalling that it was called 'Bleak Falls Barrow', something the local town of Riverwood would likely have more information on if they wanted to learn more about it. One thing many people agreed on was that the old nordic ruins had vast riches stored away inside them, still unclaimed based on what some treasure hunters have said over the years, which caught Capper's attention as he wondered if the tales were even a tiny bit true.

Such a thing made him wonder what sort of riches might be inside the ruins, especially the dwarven ruins and falmer caves, since La'nari said there were three types of areas that treasure hunters raided, though she also said that the nordic ones were what people preferred, as the other two were incredibly dangerous.

As Capper thought about that he brought the wagon to a stop as they reached their destination, a stone platform off to the left side of the path that had three stone pillars, each with a different design on them, the leftmost being a thief, the middle being a mage, and the right being a warrior. La'nari told them that some people generally touched the stones to try and get some sort of power from them, like a boost to their natural abilities, causing the group to understand what she was talking about, they could get a passive blessing of a sort from the stones. Azure stepped forward without delay and placed a hand on the Warrior Stone, causing a red glow to appear on the pillar for a few seconds before transferring to his body and quickly disappearing entirely, while Midnight touched the Thief Stone, causing a shadowy green color to appear. Rarity looked at the trio of pillars for a moment before touching the middle one, the Mage Stone, because she wanted to learn more about the magical powers she might be able to unlock in the future, be it from drinking more blood and gaining power or from any lessons she might have in the future.

Of course those that knew Capper weren't surprised by him touching the Thief Stone, it was in his nature after all, though as he did so the sheen twisted and contorted into a golden color, like it was trying to represent something, before fading away, even though he was sure that it had worked like when the others touched the pillars.

"Wh... What was that?" La'nari asked, because based on what she knew none of the Standing Stones, the collective name for all thirteen of the stone pillars that dotted Skyrim's landscape, used a golden sheen like that, though before anyone could say anything else the air shuddered as they heard a roar, a dragon's based on what the Equestrians knew from the past.

Capper glanced at the highest peak that they had moved around to reach Helgen and spotted a large winged beast, that had scales as black as night and rather jagged looking, with piercing red eyes and grand horns, and even had grand wings and sharp looking talons, even though it had a pair of wings and two feet, a wyvern to be exact. The beast landed on top of one of Helgen's towers and loosed a roar that caused their jaws to drop, as the sky tore open and fireballs, or maybe meteors, fell out of the sky before crashing into everything that was in Helgen, before he loosed another roar that seemed to kick up a broken wagon into the air. In addition to that the beast was capable of breathing fire on everything, setting the town on fire without even missing a beat, like it was taking great pleasure in destroying whatever it wanted, and based on how it flew all over the place it looked like it was fighting the soldiers that were there. Capper took a moment to glance at the others for a moment and they nodded, while there was nothing they could do to assist the people, in fact none of them knew how to fight such a beast, they suspected that they might be able to help people escape from the terrifying figure.

As they climbed back onto the wagon, and started to head up the path again, the beast smashed it's head into the fort and just destroyed everything that was in front of it, or at least that seemed to be what it was doing from their current position, before it seemed to have enough fun and flew overhead, torching the area around the fort before flying over Bleak Falls Barrow and disappearing.

"Great. As if Skyrim didn't have enough problems... now there's a wyvern on the loose." Midnight remarked, though based on the look La'nari had on her face she guessed they were going to have to call the beast a dragon, even though it was more like a wyvern, causing her to sigh as she turned her focus towards Capper for a moment, "What should we do?"

As Capper considered their options, to try and help the people of Helgen or continue onto Whiterun, he was interrupted by an interesting sight, a trio of bandits that happened to be heading towards a cave they had missed, one that almost seemed like an escape route for Helgen. If that was true it meant that someone was looking to take advantage of the situation and loot the burning town for all it was worth, all while killing anyone who might have survived the initial attack and the inferno, something that annoyed most of the group as Rarity, Azure, and Midnight were the first ones to get moving. As Capper got the wagon closer, however, an imperial lady wearing dark gray clothing emerged from the very cave they were making their way to, carrying a mace that she used to smash the skulls of the bandits that were coming towards her. When Azure took a step towards her the lady rushed off into the wilderness, instead of sticking around to see if they were friendly or not, which was just weird when Capper thought about it, something that caused La'nari to check the dead bandits for loot.

When the others tried to head into the cave, however, they were stopped by an imperial soldier that was wearing the lesser armor of a Legion soldier, just leather, though he was panting and seemed out of breath, causing Capper to quickly get off the wagon and have Azure stand guard over it as he approached the figure.

"I... I need your help. Sharva... she was attacked by that lady..." the soldier started to say, though before he finished Capper cut him off and told him to take deep breaths, all while Rarity and Midnight headed into the cave to see what they could find, even though they promised to return quickly since they had no idea if the cavern would remain stable or collapse thanks to what the dragon did.

Fortunately it wasn't long before the pair returned from the cave, where Capper found that the information that the soldiers from earlier had told them was accurate, the female khajiit had an ashen fur color, entirely unheard of based on what La'nari had told them on the way here, and her attire, the tunic of a beggar since her stuff had been taken from her, was messed up badly. The soldier that had been with her stated that she had been in the middle of a fight with a bear, one the imperial lady had triggered, explaining why she looked so bad right now, and when she won the dark lady struck her in the side of the head, knocking Sharva down and causing him, Hadvar, to find assistance. While they talked, and Rarity started to pull out one of their healing potions, Capper noticed that the other piece of information was true as well, there were lines upon lines of daedric lettering running up and down Sharva's body, not to mention spanning the entirety of her arms, legs, hands, feet, head, ears, and even her tail. Something about this told him that she wasn't a daedra worshiper by choice, in fact he had to wonder if she had been forced to sign her life away to a Daedric Prince, in some form or another, and while she didn't regain consciousness after Rarity had her drink the healing potion, at least her breathing became normal.

"Capper... this is madness. She's a daedra worshiper." La'nari commented, speaking to Capper as he found a small clearing that belonged to the bandits that tried to enter the hidden cave, allowing them to move the wagon over and set Sharva down on a flat surface for the foreseeable future.

"I get what you mean, but tell me: would someone like that go out of their way to save people?" Capper asked, as Hadvar had mentioned that the ashen khajiit, despite being bound and chosen for execution ahead of Ulfric, had done her best to save as many people as she could, no doubt so they could escape with the General, before following Hadvar, where La'nari shook her head for a moment, "Honestly, from what I've heard, Sharva doesn't sound like a bad person, just... unlucky, that's all... I just want to talk with her before we do anything else."

La'nari sighed and told Capper he could do whatever he wanted, since he was the leader of the group based on how Rarity and the others seemed to let him make the decisions, causing him to wonder what sort of mess they might be getting into, all while making him look forward to what the future held in store for them and the rest of Skyrim.

Clan: Whiterun

While they checked on Sharva, whose wounds they were able to mend thanks to the few minor healing potions that the bandits had been in possession of, Hadvar confirmed some of the information they had gleamed from the group of troops that had walked with them on their way to Helgen. Ulfric Stormcloak had been captured and brought to Helgen to have his head removed, to bring an end to the war, but that was where things got interesting right away, because while General Tullius wanted to do his job there was someone there who wanted to make his life miserable. Elenwen, as they discovered, hadn't traveled to Helgen to congratulate the General on a job well done, like everyone assumed after hearing that she was going to be meeting Tullius, rather she came to demand that Ulfric be released into her custody, as was her 'right' as the Emissary. Hadvar was sure that Elenwen was trying to stir up trouble, causing Capper to glance at the others and found that all of them agreed with his silent thought, the Emissary seemed more interested in prolonging the war than bringing it to an end, which explained why Tullius was so interested in offing Ulfric as soon as possible.

Hadvar also admitted that Captain Alena had broken some of the rules when they dotted down the names of each prisoner, ordering an archer to fire on the fleeing horse thief, Lokir he had been called, and even putting Sharva before Ulfric, but none of that mattered since Helgen was attacked by a dragon and Ulfric's group had escaped, meaning the war was back on and their one chance to end it was gone.

"I still can't believe what we saw... a dragon, one of the harbingers of the End Times." Hadvar finished, meaning the nords of Skyrim likely had all sorts of tales about the creatures and that one of those tales foretold the end of the world, in some way, which would be delivered by such a beast, "To be honest, I don't think we should be sticking around here, just in case that beast comes back to finish off any potential survivors."

"We'll be leaving soon, I just want to make sure Sharva's okay." Capper replied, as there wasn't enough room in the wagon for someone to be laying on the ground, not unless they wanted to be trampled by everyone else or get crushed by some of the mead containers, though before anyone else could say anything they heard a groan coming from the figure, causing him to support her as he noticed the khajiit starting to sit up, "Easy there, your companion told us what happened... you took quite a nasty blow to the head."

"Ugh... after finishing off a bear, no less." the khajiit commented, where it was easy for them to assume that she had barely won her battle before that imperial had struck her in the back of the head, especially when thinking about Hadvar's tale, plus they could tell that she wasn't like most of her kind, she spoke like a nord or imperial, which surprised La'nari despite having a similar upbringing, before she realized something important, "Xylia... where did that imperial vampire servant of Molag Bal run off to?"

"Easy, you are in no condition to be running off into the wilds." La'nari said, as she and Rarity stopped the khajjit from doing any additional damage to her body, though since she seemed to be fine, to a degree, they started to help her up and into the wagon, since it would allow her to rest some more before they reached Riverwood, "The imperial is gone. She fled as soon as she emerged from the cave, no doubt running from Hadvar... hold on, did you say she was a vampire and a worshiper of the Daedric Prince Molag Bal?!"

Sharva nodded, trying not to bring her more pain after everything she had been through, as she explained that she had been hunting Xylia for quite a while, partly due to the fact that she had witnessed her biting into someone's neck back in Cyrodiil, which she had informed the guards about before chasing her. The only reason was because after crossing into Skyrim she had witnessed the imperial reciting an offering incantation to her patron, sacrificing several souls of some slain soldiers to the realm of Coldharbour, no doubt in an attempt to gain more power for herself. Of course Xylia had caught her before she had a chance to kill her, and they had been caught by the Legion soldiers, something that caused her to groan as she came to realize that the hunt was going to have to start again, once she recovered again. While they were talking Hadvar quietly told Capper that it was time to move on, causing him to nod in agreement as they agreed to a brief journey to Riverwood, as it was on the way to Whiterun, though Hadvar was willing to hand over fifty gold coins for them to wait in the village for just a couple of minutes.

His reason was because they might need to send a message to Whiterun about the dragon and if the group was heading in that direction it was best to send it along with them, where Capper was willing to do so, especially since Hadvar was willing to pay for their aid, to which the soldier and Rarity helped Sharva into the back of the wagon before they resumed moving down the road. The khajiit, however, didn't seem in the mood to talk right now, as Midnight wanted to know if she served one of the other Princes, because she and the others had learned that the Princes of Oblivion really didn't like each other and a few did seem like they took great pleasure in killing the followers of another. Her reason for asking about that was due to the fact that people seemed to think that Sharva was a worshiper of a Prince, since it would add another reason to why she was 'hunting' Xylia, but the ashen khajiit really wasn't interested in talking. Hadvar even tried to ask about the markings, since he had never seen anything like them before, causing her to hiss at him when he tried to touch one on her arm, which caused Capper to briefly nod to the others, her past was definitely horrible and she really didn't want to open those wounds for total strangers.

Sharva did ask if they could stop by the Guardian Stones, as Hadvar had mentioned them and Bleak Falls Barrow while they moved down the path, and she touched the Warrior pillar that produced a fiery red, almost daedric, color that caused her to hiss at the stone before returning to the wagon, slightly confirming that there was something in her past that she despised with every fiber of her being, enough to bring about this sort of reaction.

Interestingly enough the group found a few wolves on the road, though none of them seemed interested in fighting them after seeing how many people were on the wagon, which allowed them to reach a small village, Riverwood, where Hadvar told Capper that his stop was at the blacksmith. Of course his uncle was surprised to see him and the group, though before they drew the attention of the rest of the villagers Capper told him that they would be waiting outside the village, as in on the other side of the wall that was opposite of the one they had entered through. Hadvar nodded and made sure Sharva was well enough to come with him before entering his uncle's house, though as they did that Capper told the others to check out the inn and the nearby trader, since they might be able to sell a few of the items none of them needed while they waited for the pair to return. He made sure to hand over a good amount of gold to La'nari and the others, as none of them had eaten since breakfast and getting some food while they had a chance was a good thing, especially since they might have to take the longer route back to their base now that Helgen was gone.

While he waited for the others to return he did notice that the local blacksmith came outside for a few minutes and quickly worked on something, where it looked like he was using some of the items he had been working on to arm Sharva, only it seemed like he was redesigning the material to fit her better. When Sharva finally emerged from the house Capper found that she was wearing leather armor, designed to comfortably fit her body while covering most of her markings, though there was no covering her tail, so people might notice that during her travels. In addition to that her hood was different than what a normal leather helmet was, as it looked like the blacksmith had added a bit of a mask on the inside to help hide the marks on her face, and her missing swords had been replaced by a pair of steel swords. He knew that those weapons wouldn't be able to replace the missing daedric swords that the khajiit had, possibly treasures that had saved her life on more than one occasion, but he suspected that she would be able to fight and protect herself in the future.

Hadvar, true to what he said earlier, told Capper that he and his uncle agreed that if the dragons had returned it was very important that the Jarl be told immediately, which was why they were asking Sharva to deliver it for them, causing him to hand over a small bag of gold, payment for making sure the ashen khajiit reached her destination.

With the gold in hand, and the others helped Sharva onto the back of the wagon, Capper set off and continued down the path that was in front of them, departing from Riverwood without delay as he crossed the short stone bridge and headed down the road that was to their right. The reason for that was because the path on the left seemed to be heading to where Bleak Falls Barrow rested, though the briefly winding path they had to travel down was nothing when they laid eyes on their destination, which they could see through the trees. Whiterun was an imposing city, built on a massive hill with several layers of walls surrounding it, dividing the city into districts to make things easier for the people that called it home, and there were a number of houses outside Whiterun, no doubt farms to grow food for the people. In addition to that there appeared to be a meadery outside the city, which they would pass by, and a massive castle that looked like it was purely made out of wood, at least from afar, which Sharva mentioned was Dragonsreach, her destination since that was the home of the Jarl.

While they traveled, eventually turning left at another fork in the path while Capper made a note of the two stone bridges that were in this part of the hold, they might be important later, before they found what appeared to be a tall figure, wearing a loincloth of sorts, that was swinging a club around while fighting three figures. One was a male nord warrior that seemed to favor heavy armor and a greatsword, the second was a female imperial who had chosen lighter armor, scaled as Capper recalled, while favoring the sword and shield, and the third individual was a female nord who carried a bow into battle and wore what he assumed was ancient nordic armor, like she was honoring the past by wearing it. Either the giant was a little more than the warriors could handle or they were going easy on it, since it was clear that the imperial warrior seemed to be lacking in comparison to the other two, though such a foe seemed to stir Azure, Midnight, and even Sharva. The trio rushed at the figure as Capper brought the wagon close to the farm area that they were fighting in, allowing him, Rarity, and La'nari to watch as they joined the fight, Midnight using her leaner body and agility to move around and avoid the club as cutting into the giant's legs, while Azure blocked the second swing and cut it's chest a little.

The main show, as it turned out, was from Sharva herself as she jumped onto Azure's back and launched herself into the air, drawing both of her blades as she lashed out with them, taking the giant's head clean off like it was nothing to her, which only made Capper wonder about her past since this seemed more than what a common adventurer was capable of.

"The three of you handle yourselves well, no thanks to your friends... you could make for decent Shield-Sisters and a Shield-Brother." the archer said, though at the same time the giant collapsed with it's back on the ground, which everyone had been able to avoid without being crushed, and Sharva landed, swung her blades like she was getting the blood off of them, and then sheathed them behind her back quickly.

Capper wasn't too annoyed by her comment, as she likely thought that everyone who was armed like they were happened to be warriors, and Azure was curious about the titles the archer seemed to give them, where she told them that the three of them were Companions, members of an order of warriors that focused on honor and seemed to be mercenaries, since she said they 'only showed up if the coin was good enough'. He found that to be amusing, that the archer could speak of honor while having a focus on the potential coin that could be gained from doing jobs, but decided to say nothing as the group took a few minutes to haul the slain giant off the farmland. Once that was done the others returned to the wagon and they found that the three Companions were heading back into Whiterun, where their greatsword wielder claimed that they should come with and join the group of warriors, even if the archer was more interested in adding Sharva to the order, but Azure said he, at least, would think about it. In addition to meeting the Companions Capper discovered that there was a tent outside the stone gate that they were heading towards, khajiit merchants according to La'nari, who had to stay outside the cities since a lot of people didn't trust them, for a number of reasons.

While they approached the area the caravan had set up shop in, however, Capper overheard them mentioning that they had found trouble on the road and that they would have to make plans to avoid them, causing him to ask about the dangers he had discovered, ending in him receiving a note from the merchant.

"Hm... the Saints and Seducers... two bandit groups that have made a name for themselves, the former having golden gear and the latter having dark gear." Capper commented, speaking as he looked at the note, which told him that the camps that Ri'saad, the leader of the caravan, knew of were further along the road leading to Markarth, from Whiterun, which was for the Saints, while the Seducers were on the path leading to Windhelm, near Fort Kastav, "He'll pay us, or anyone for that matter, who can bring them down and make the roads safer for everyone.... sounds like their gear might be good as well, which we might be able to use."

"It will be dangerous. If they're robbing the caravans, and the armies aren't dealing with them, then that means they're likely worse than normal bandits." La'nari replied, to which she focused on the path that was in front of them as they made their way to the main gate of the city, because that was more important to her right now, especially since she wasn't sure that the two bandit clans were worth hunting down since they were so far from their clan.

As Capper nodded they found that the guards outside the main wooden gate were hesitant to admit anyone new into their city, since the pair were willing to allow the Companions inside, though when they were approached Capper informed them that they had a delivery for the inns of Whiterun, and Sharva had information about the recent dragon attack. Such a thing was more than enough to allow them access to the city, with instructions to take their information straight to the Jarl, where they found that there were more people walking about and that the first building on the right happened to be a smithy and a shop all in one. Fortunately one of the inns was right in front of them, off to the left in between a path that headed into the residential area of the city and the main path that seemed to head to the market, all while Rarity noticed there was a small house to their right, one that seemed pretty nice despite having a notice on the front that said it was vacant and for sale, for five thousand gold coins no less. Capper decided not to worry about that for the time being as La'nari got off and headed into the first inn, The Drunken Huntsman it was called, though it wasn't long before she returned with a wood elf who had to be the owner, causing Azure to carry some of the mead inside as the owner handed Capper a bag of gold.

When they reached their second destination, which was The Bannered Mare, Capper made sure that the rest of the group stayed with the wagon, while he and Azure headed inside with the rest of the mead, allowing him to find that the owner of this inn, a female nord in casual attire, was happy for the delivery and handed over the payment as she directed Azure to where the containers should be placed.

"Before we leave, do you know where I might find Mallus Maccius? I have a message for him." Capper said, as while there were a few other individuals inside the building, two warriors that were in different sections, he figured that he could ask the owner about the person who was known to come here from time to time before he and the others departed, since that was part of Maven's conditions.

"Mallus? He's usually over by the cooking pot, whenever he has time to relax from his job." the lady replied, gesturing to the part of the building that she was referring to and allowed Capper to see that there was an imperial down there, who had to be who he was looking for, though that was the only thing the owner said about him as she turned to making sure one of the workers was doing her job.

As it turned out the figure in question had heard his name being mentioned and was prepared for Capper when he walked over to the small table he was sitting at, where he learned that Maven was expecting a report, causing him to hand over a piece of parchment that Capper carefully stored away for later, before wishing him well as he rejoined Azure in heading out to the wagon.

"Our job is done, we are free to leave... but we should make sure the Jarl is warned about that dragon." Capper said, where he raised his hands for a moment and pulled back his hood, as he suspected that the Jarl might not welcome Sharva if she came in with someone who was also hiding their identity, despite Sharva having a good reason for such a thing, "Rarity, why don't you, La'nari, and the others get the wagon back to the front of the city? I'll be along shortly, after making the Jarl aware of what's going on... I imagine Sharva will be heralded as a hero and be asked to go on a quest to help secure Whiterun from that beast."

"Helping people... it's been a long time since I've had a chance to do such a thing." Sharva commented, where she took a few seconds to rub her right arm, silently telling Capper that she must have had a troubled life up until being captured along with Xylia, something he wondered if she would tell them about at some point in the future, if they encountered each other after today, since he wasn't planning on joining her for whatever assignment the Jarl might have for her.

Rarity looked like she wanted to say something, but then decided that it was best to let Capper do as he wished, to which she nodded and the others joined her in getting ready to depart, to which he turned to Sharva and the pair started to make their way towards Dragonsreach. While they walked up the stairs he noticed a few things, namely the large overturned ship that was where the group of Companions called home, Jorrvaskr if what the archer said was to be believed, plus there seemed to be a large beautiful tree that had been struck by lightning fairly recently, a temple off to the left, and a statue of a warrior that had a priest preaching about the figure. What struck him was that the figure in question was Talos, the God of Man that nords worshiped, and he found that the statue was imposing, making him wonder if it was accurate or not, along with the tale of a mortal actually becoming a Divine, making the Eight become the Nine. Following that they started up the next set of stairs, passing by a small waterfall in the process, as he and Sharva made their way up to where Dragonsreach was located, which was more grand and imposing than he thought it would be from afar.

Some of the guards they walked by asked them to stop, where Capper told them that they had vital information about what they had seen previously, causing the guards in question to get out of their way and asked them to see the Jarl, and once the pair were inside the palace they could see that it was just as grand as it was on the inside as it was on the outside, though before they could take in the sights an annoyed female dark elf approached them.

"What is the meaning of this interruption? The Jarl is currently not receiving visitors." the dark elf asked, her tone informing them that she was serious, that they were in the middle of an important discussion and that she wanted to make sure her boss wasn't interrupted, to the point that she was paying attention to the main door and was approaching people before they had a chance to approach the throne.

"We understand... however, we have information regarding the destruction of Helgen and the black dragon that wiped out the town." Capper replied, showing the dark elf that he was willing to follow her decree, as he assumed she was a fairly high ranking member of the Jarl's court, especially since none of the guards had tried to stop the dark elf, though he refrained from smiling as he noticed how the lady looked after realizing that they were definitely important visitors.

The dark elf nodded and beckoned for them to follow her for a time, where they walked up the stairs and found that there was a fairly large fire pit in the center of the chamber, with two long tables on either side of it, while to their right rested the domain of a mage and the left was where the kitchen resided, and in front of them, sitting on an elegant wooden throne and with an important circlet on his head, was the Jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf the Greater.

"Did I hear what you said correctly? You two were at Helgen?" Balgruuf, a nord warrior who was dressed like a lord, asked, as he knew that his Housecarl would only allow these two to approach his throne if they had information, and based on the look on her face it was clear that they had something he could work with.

"Th... That is correct. My friend, Capper, happened to witness the destruction from afar, while I tried to survive the flames and death that was going on." Sharva replied, where it was easy for Capper and the others to see that she wasn't used to speaking to others, rather it felt like she was used to listening to someone talk while not talking back, another thing that just made Capper interested in her past, "Capper then brought me and one of the survivors to Riverwood, where we were told to deliver a message of Helgen's destruction, and the town's need for aid, to you, Jarl Balgruuf... all we know is that the black dragon wiped out the town and was last seen flying in this direction."

Jarl Balgruuf paused for a few moments, taking in the fact that they had confirmation of a dragon being sighted and that it had wiped out Helgen, something they had a vague rumor on after seeing the smoke in the distance, before sighing as he said that Irileth's report was right.

"My lord, in the off chance that the dragon returns, we ought to send some troops to Riverwood." Irileth remarked, which was a good idea in Capper's eyes, since a beast like that could fly wherever it wanted and could do whatever it pleased, so it stood to reason that they would want to reinforce a nearly defenseless village.

"No, we shouldn't do that, not in the middle of a war! The Jarl of Falkreath, young as he may be, may view that as a sign of provocation!" the nearby imperial, who seemed to be the Steward since he seemed to be one of the advisors, given that he hadn't been escorted out once they started talking about the dragon, though it also seemed like he was one who worried about possibly offending the neighboring Jarls, or at least one in this case, "He might assume that we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and that we'll attack him to show our loyalty to the rebellion. We should..."

"ENOUGH!" Jarl Balgruuf said, raising his voice to the point where it almost sounded like he wanted to snap at them, which was understandable since this must have been going on for a long time, causing him to sigh for a moment as he regained control of himself without wasting time, "Enough, Proventus. I will not stand idly by as a dragon burns my hold, slaughters my people, and does whatever it pleases. Irileth, I want you to send a detachment to Riverwood at once, to help the people in case the dragon returns or the town comes under attack from bandits... Proventus, to ensure that we don't upset Siddgeir, I want you to draft a letter and ask a courier to deliver it to him, to make sure he knows why we're reinforcing Riverwood. As for you two khajiits, you have done Whiterun a service and I will ensure that both of you are rewarded: you, Capper, shall be given a pouch of gold for aiding in delivering this message, while I shall outfit our young hero appropriately... though it does pain me to ask for more assistance from you, as your talents seem perfect for a task my court wizard has been working on since we saw the dragon."

As the others spread out, the two members of the Jarl's counsel moving to complete their tasks, Capper made sure to lay a hand on Sharva's shoulder and let her know that her past didn't define her, she could do some serious good by helping the Jarl with his work, causing her to nod her head in agreement. With that in mind she followed Jarl Balgruuf into the room that the wizard was working in, while at the same time one of the guards approached Capper with a bag of gold, four hundred pieces based on the note that was on it, which he pocketed without delay. He was happy to see that Sharva, despite her past actions, really did want to help the people of Whiterun out, maybe even the people of Skyrim as a whole, though he turned and headed outside, as her focus should be on learning what she needed to do and not worrying about him. Of course he wasn't going to leave outright, without saying goodbye or anything, rather he was going to stand outside Dragonsreach and just take in the sights, as he knew she would come out the main door when she was good and ready to do so, so he was perfectly fine with waiting for her before he and his friends departed for Riften.

Such a thing made him look forward to what the future held in store for him, his friends, and the rest of Skyrim, because it seemed like things were only going to get more interesting as time went on and he was curious to see what sort of twists and turns would be thrown at them in the days to come.

Interlude: Back to the Rift

With the Dragonstone in hand the group headed up the stone steps that were leading to another secret passage, one that required someone to pull a lever to activate, only to find that it was a short walk to a short ledge that they could jump off of, as there was a flat area just a short fall in front of them. Capper found another chest along the way and looted it as the rest of the group joined him, finding that it held a pouch of gold, a silver ingot, and a circlet that was made of copper and had a ruby set in the center, which was worth collecting. With those items in hand they headed out through the cave opening in front of them, where they discovered that it brought them out on another side of the mountain, though there was no safe way down, not without using a few stone ledges to reach an area with half buried skeletal mammoths. Midnight was the last one to emerge from the cave, where she stuffed some herbs into her bag with a smile, as she found some inside the hidden chamber, meaning when they got back to the fort she would be able to start her experiments in making potions, along with poisons if she was lucky.

As they exited the cave, however, Capper found that it was the early morning, as the sun had not yet risen and the moon had yet to fully go down, but it did tell the group they had been in the barrow for longer than they thought, meaning it was about time for them to get some sleep before worrying about anything else.

"I didn't realize we were in that barrow for so long... we really burned quite some time in there." Capper remarked, as the depths of Bleak Falls Barrow had been far larger than what he and Midnight had experienced in Angarvunde, which told him that there were 'major' ruins and 'minor' ruins, the former being massive and the latter being smaller, causing him to move to their left, as it looked like they were in a familiar area, "Come on, let's get back to Riverwood... maybe we can rent a room or two for a few hours, get some sleep, before we head back to Whiterun."

"We're going to have to use the longer path to get back to Riften, now that the Legion or bandits are scouring Helgen for any items of use." La'nari added, as they had used that path because it was the shortest route between here and Riften, but due to the dragon having wrecked Helgen, and that would likely draw the attention of many people for some time, they had no choice but to use the longer path to reach their main destination, "Farengar, from what you've said, doesn't seem like the type to give a reward... much less a reward in gold... and the Jarl is likely going to hand over a piece of armor or a weapon, so there's not much of a reason for us to head into Whiterun again."

Sharva looked like there was something she wanted to say, but decided not to, like she was enjoying her time with them and didn't them to go their separate ways, so instead she focused on the path that was ahead of them as they headed back in the direction of Riverwood. Capper found that they were on the other side of the river they had passed earlier, because he could see the Guardian Stones in the distance, before he and his companions found a small house that had no door and was where an old lady seemed to be sleeping, so they decided not to bother her. As they followed the river they spotted a group of bandits coming their way, aggressive ones by the looks of it since they drew their weapons upon noticing them, to which La'nari readied her bow and loosed an arrow as her friends readied themselves for battle. What Capper found was that none of the bandits were heavily armed, most had leather or fur armor and their brute only had iron, so La'nari's arrow found the heart of the fur armored bandit, a mage who dropped dead on the spot, while Azure cleaved through the iron bandit.

He and Sharva dealt with the other two, each of them using one of their blades to stop an incoming attack before using the other one to put down their target, where Midnight looked around and collected a few more herbs, there was plenty for her to take, while Rarity kept an eye on things as Capper looted the bodies of everything they had. His reasoning was due to the fact that the Riverwood Trader was near, so before they left he was planning on selling what the bandits had on them, since it wasn't out of the way and would earn them a bit of gold in the process, plus one even had a ruby that he added to what was inside the Vault. With the items stored away in another pouch, since one of the bandits had one of the magical ones that was like the group had, they continued down the path in front of them and found a shallow spot where only a tiny bit of their bodies, as in their feet, would get wet, allowing them to cross over without delay. The guards didn't seem surprised to see them return to the small village, especially since they had left their wagon in their care, but this was good since it meant the horse and the wagon were untouched, though after checking it out the group headed into the inn to see if they could get a room or two for the night.

There were only two rooms in the inn, as they soon discovered, and both rooms only had a single bed, but they were able to double up as long as one person faced the wall of each room, where Capper found that the lady who owned the inn was willing to allow them to rent both of them for twenty gold, ten per room. With the rooms obtained for a couple of hours, despite the fact that the breton lady claimed that they had them for an entire day, Rarity and La'nari took one room while Azure and Midnight took the other, as Capper was fine with sleeping in the back of the wagon, while Sharva joined him, as if she didn't want the comforts of the inn. He knew there was something odd about her, she wasn't like any of the khajiit they had encountered so far, but at the same time it really didn't seem like she wanted to open up about herself, rather she just laid at the front of the wagon, where Capper usually sat, and stared at the sky as she tried to get some sleep. Capper laid down in the back area and did the same thing, making him wonder if they could find or make something like what one of the showmares back in Equestria had, a carriage that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside.

Such a thing made him wonder about his magic for a moment as he pulled out the Skeleton Key, thinking about the number of possibilities he might be able to do if he used the Key to tap into his inner sealed powers, especially after it allowed him to make a vault in the depths of Oblivion. As he considered his options, to tamper with himself like he was thinking or to just put the Key back into his pouch, he heard Sharva snoring and came to a decision as he moved himself into the outer area of his Vault, a useful power when he considered what the artifact could do. In the next instant Capper held the Key out like he had done previously, something that caused three icons to appear in front of him, looking like the Guardian Stones to reflect the aspects of his sealed potential, one for combat, one for magic, and one for thievery. What he found was that each had a slot that the Key could fit into, like he could turn it in an 'unlocking' fashion to release more of the power associated with that aspect of himself, and yet Capper smiled as he found that the thief one was already nearly totally unlocked, demonstrating his own innate skills in that regard.

With that in mind he slipped it into the warrior icon and turned it just a little, as he felt like working up his skills and this was a good way to help learn the basics, before doing the same with the mage icon a few seconds later, though once he did that Capper held his hands out and flames danced around his fingers, which he could fire off into the open area, just a little bit, before cancelling the spell.

"Fascinating. The power of the Key is definitely endless." Capper commented, though that cause him to wonder something for a moment as he glanced out at the rest of Oblivion, where he was sure that the Planes of the Princes rested, causing him to lightly chuckle for a moment as a ridiculous idea came to him for a few seconds, "Imagine me becoming a Daedric Prince... nah, I doubt I have that much hidden potential."

He knew that coming here to master the basics of whatever power he unlocked would be a good thing, so when he trained in the fort no one would be surprised when he asked to do such a thing, but for the time being he decided to make sure the loot they had acquired from Bleak Falls Barrow was properly stored inside the Vault. Such a thing amazed him when he took a moment to consider what the ancient nords had buried in a single barrow, there was a fair amount, which actually made him curious as to whether or not all the tombs across Skyrim were packed full of precious loot. If they were he knew he and the others would be able to retire as lords and ladies without having to do much in the future, save for visiting the rest of the world to plunder their tombs for all the wealth that was contained within them, and even if they weren't as rich as Bleak Falls Barrow he knew that any wealth was good wealth. As he moved the treasure into the Vault, thinking about the gold, ingots, and gems they had recovered so far, Capper noticed that the odd floating crystal seemed to pulse slightly, as if happy to see that he was happy, which only made him chuckle a little more as he realized that he really needed sleep.

Once his work was done Capper returned to the wagon and found that no one had noticed his disappearance, where he just laid back down on the flat portion of the back area and allowed himself to rest for a time, since he knew that when morning arrived they would have to make a decision on what to do next.

When morning arrived sometime later, a few hours by his reckoning, Rarity and the others joined them outside the inn, and they had food, as they were able to purchase some from the bartender in the inn, where La'nari shared her opinion that the Dragonstone should be dropped off in Whiterun, before they headed back to Helgen. Capper asked about that, because all of them had thought that heading back there, so soon after it was destroyed, might be a bad idea, and she had agreed when it was mentioned previously, but she had thought about it for a time and came to the decision that she might have been wrong on the matter. It was true that people would be investigating the area at some point, or bandits would move in when they were sure it was abandoned, but before that happened she was sure that they should be able to quickly pass through the destroyed town and get back to the Rift before anyone else arrived. Rarity, Azure, and Midnight didn't have a problem with the idea, as in if Capper wanted to try Helgen again they were fine with it, or if he wanted to go around the mountain they were fine with that as well, while Sharva just sighed as she tore into her breakfast.

"I'm going to miss this... adventuring with you guys. Maybe we'll meet up when the Jarl is done with me?" Sharva asked, as she had a feeling that her experience escaping a dragon was going to make both the court wizard and Jarl Balgruuf give her more work when she returned with the Dragonstone, and part of her just wanted to put it on the table and walk away so she could run to join the group.

"There is one thing I have learned: never say never. We'll meet up again, I'm sure of it." Capper replied, as Skyrim was big and there were plenty of people that needed help, something Sharva could provide to them with her incredible skills, so it was only a matter of time until she caught up with them, plus she knew where they were going and might just seek them out as soon as she was done with the Jarl.

Such a thing put a smile on Sharva's face as they finished eating their breakfast, made sure the horse was ready to go, and then set off from Riverwood once more, though this time around Capper decided to try La'nari's new option, head back in the direction of Helgen. With that in mind Sharva got her stuff ready so that they would be able to pull into the stable area for a few seconds before doubling back to Riverwood, where it was easy for them to see that she was steeling herself for the next step of her life, like she was getting used to deciding her own path through life. Fortunately it didn't seem like anyone else was up right now, save for the guards, so they were able to reach their destination without delay, though as Sharva climbed off the wagon they found that there was someone getting ready to leave, Aela the Huntress had been hired to look into Helgen by Jarl Balgruuf. She asked them if they were heading back that way and even tossed Capper a pouch that had twenty gold coins inside it when he agreed to take her there, since they would be passing the area anyway, allowing her to take Sharva's place as Capper turned the wagon around.

While they traveled Aela asked why Sharva wasn't coming with them, learning that they were simple delivery people with a few bodyguards and the ashen khajiit was a hero in the making, and this was her tale, but Capper found that Azure asked about the Companions, meaning he might check out Jorrvaskr when they next returned to the city, and that Aela was happy to answer his questions.

It took some time to reach the now empty town, as there were no flames and most of the houses were either ruined or just about ready to fall apart, Capper found that the second gate they had moved through previously was still open and that the first one was also unlocked, with nothing to stop them from leaving. With that in mind he paused for a few seconds so Aela could climb off, though she did look at Rarity for a few seconds before wishing all of them well, though it partly sounded like the majority of it was directed at Azure, no doubt because she was hoping he'd join the Companions at some point. Once she set out to explore the ruined town, to see if there was anything that could be useful to the Jarl of Whiterun, Capper got them underway and headed through the other open gate, allowing them to start retracing their path back to their fort, and to Riften. Such a thing allowed the others to relax a little as they started to head into the mountains once more, because it meant they would be heading into familiar territory and wouldn't have to worry about new dangers, though La'nari kept her eyes open for anything that might be useful for their clan, food and other essentials.

As it turned out there was nothing on the road this time around, no deer for some reason, meaning either the bears were being a real problem or the deer were hiding, especially since there was a dragon and they might have seen it, meaning they were able to reach their fort without anything stopping them.

La'nari had them stop for a few moments as she spoke to Brurid and Bek-Kajin, who had been worried about them due to the roar that sounded yesterday, meaning everyone near Helgen, plus the surrounding area around where the beast had shown up, must have heard it, causing her to tell them that they would share the tale once Maven was dealt with. With that in mind Capper got underway once more and continued down the road as the sun moved above them, once more finding that there was nothing getting in their way, which was a nice change of pace when the group thought about it. The oddest thing came when they neared the mill that they had been attacked by previously, where a thundering voice shouted out a single word that was stretched out into three fragments, that being 'dov-ah-kiin', but what it meant none of them knew, not even La'nari knew. While they traveled Capper kept his ears open and found that there were no sounds blasting through the air, no dragons and no other words or titles causing the earth to shake, which was good since it meant the horse remained calm for the rest of the short journey.

"Hail travelers. What brings you to Riften?" a guard asked, as the ones posted on the southern gate now seemed to be more normal, more in the sense that they were allowing people to enter through this gate at long last, in fact the speaker had also waved at them before they made their way around to the northern gate.

"We are returning from a delivery for Maven Black-Briar." Capper replied, where he found that the mere mention of Maven's name caused the pair to nod their heads and usher them into the city without wasting time, though as they climbed off the wagon one guard made sure that the horse was looked after while they were inside the city.

As they headed inside the city it was easy to see that the market was busy, though it was hard to tell if they were worried about the dragon or if this was just an ordinary day for them, but Capper did spot Maven and she beckoned for them to follow with a nod of her head. Such a thing confirmed that she was used to people following her every whim, though none of them argued as they followed her into the inn, where the argonian innkeeper and barkeep said nothing as she told them that she would be upstairs for a time and that they didn't require anything, simply nodding as she walked by. It was simply amazing the amount of power Maven held over the people of Riften, so many were terrified of offending her that they just bowed their heads and listened to her demands without question, meaning that if she wanted something done it got done, no matter the cost. With that thought in mind they followed her upstairs and watched as she sat by a table that was in one of the corners, allowing her to keep an eye on the stairs in case someone tried to interrupt her, while the guard who followed her remained by a wall in case things went south, either for Maven or for the group.

Of course it was easy to see that she was slightly disappointed in them, no doubt because she expected them to be back far sooner than when they had actually arrived, meaning they could kiss some of their payment goodbye, since she was one of the people who demanded perfection in all things.

"You're late. You better have a good reason for arriving late." Maven stated, confirming Capper's thoughts without delay, as he had more than enough experience with people like her and knew how they acted, so it was easy for him to read her and figure out her mood without giving anything away.

"Our apologies, but we were assisting the Jarl of Whiterun in recovering information about the dragon that showed up all of a sudden... I take it news of Helgen's destruction has reached Riften?" Capper replied, once more acting like everyone else, someone who acted in Maven's best interests and made sure she was appeased, while they found that Maven sat there for a few seconds before nodding her head to confirm that she had heard the news, causing him to produce the bags of gold from all three of the inns they had stopped at, "We had delivered the mead to Helgen and received the payment, as instructed, and were halfway to Riverwood when a black dragon destroyed the town... we then helped someone who had information on the attack to Jarl Balgruuf, before assisting them in recovering more vital information. While we did that we were able to deliver the rest of the delivery to the inns of Whiterun's capital and acquire the payments for the mead, plus I spoke with Mallus and acquired the note you asked for."

"The khajiit caravans also told us about the Saints and Seducers." La'nari added, since they were important, given that they or more of Maven's people might go down those roads in the future and would be harassed by the two bandit clans, while at the same time the lady took the letter and silently read it.

"Yes, well, we'll get to that. As for your payment, I've taken some of your payment as punishment... any later and I would have taken more... and a small bonus for the letter." Maven said, which Capper knew was coming, because while La'nari had said that the lady wouldn't be annoyed with them for being late, since they would arrive with everything she wanted, he knew Maven would have been cross with them no matter what happened, while she handed him a smaller bag and an even smaller one a few seconds later, "You may return to your fort for the rest of the day. Tomorrow I expect you to return early in the morning for another job... you might have been late, but you show real promise in completing my jobs to the letter... plus this is more than you'll make as simple bandits. If you know what's good for all of you, you'll be there when I say so."

Fortunately none of the others raised their voices, rather they followed Capper's lead and nodded their heads, showing her that they understood her wishes, even though it seemed like she was going to send them after the two bandit clans, instead of hiring mercenaries to do the job. With the delivery made Maven dismissed them with a wave of her hand and they left, Capper holding onto the bags to make sure none of it was lost, though while leaving he found Brynjolf nodding, showing that he approved of them working with Maven. After that they headed outside before making their way through the south gate once more, where Capper sat in back as La'nari got underway, allowing him to count at least one thousand five hundred gold coins, half of what Maven had said the original payment would be upon their return. The smaller bag had a few gemstones inside it, a couple of garnets and an amethyst, showing him that Maven had really cut into their profit from this venture, a reminder for them to pay more attention to what she said in the future, least she punish them in some manner.

He sighed as he put the bags away, as there would be time for them to divide the payment when they got back to the fort, though Capper was looking forward to relaxing with their clan and catching up with them before he and his friends worried about whatever the future held in store for them.

Interlude: On the Road Again

After leaving Riften again the group returned to their fort, where they were welcomed back with open arms by the rest of their clan, as they had been gone for some time and many had been worried that they would have gotten caught up in all of the recent events. Capper informed them that they had seen the destruction of Helgen, after getting the payment for the delivery Maven had hired them to make, where many of their friends stared at them in shock and surprise, that the rumors of Helgen being destroyed by a dragon were actually true. In addition to that there was the fact that the Jarl of Whiterun now had a very skilled hero in the making that they had assisted, mostly to acquire something for him, but the reason they had left the figure to return the item on their own was because there was no payment for it, since the Jarl liked to give out armor and not gold. Plus they had raided Bleak Falls Barrow, so gold wasn't a problem since they had been able to acquire more wealth from the draugr, something that caused the other bandits to let out a roar of chuckles, as they weren't surprised by that fact, not from him and his companions.

One of their mages, a female breton called Vivle, asked Rarity if she was feeling okay, as they had finally noticed the change in her eyes and she told her that she was feeling fine, it was just taking some getting used to her unique vampire nature, even though there were some interesting benefits as she was slowly discovering.

"So, um... do you need to feed soon?" Vivle asked, because while it was interesting having a vampire in the clan, even if the one in question was only a few days old by vampire time, she also knew that there was some danger to it since they were always hungry for blood, some were just better at hiding it than others.

"I'm not sure how often vampires are supposed to feed, but I'm just fine." Rarity replied, as it seemed like vampires could go a few days before feeling the need to feed again, plus she had taken down two bandits and drained both of them of all their blood, which was different from what other vampires did according to what she had been told, so it would be some time before she really needed another bite.

Capper found that the rest of the clan was willing to get used to the fact that Rarity was different from the other vampires they knew about, while informing their leaders that Maven wanted his group to come by the city again tomorrow, no doubt for another job to deliver mead or to take on the two clans that were causing trouble on the road. Bek-Kajin told him that they had heard rumors of the Saints and Seducers from some of the travelers they had encountered before they joined the clan, about their weapons and armor, so if the job was to take them out he warned them to be careful. Capper nodded as he thought about what Maven might want from them, since it could be anything, before deciding to focus on hanging out with the rest of the clan for the night, get some actual rest in his bed, and maybe do some other things, but the first thing he did was make sure that Midnight and the others had their share from the job. Once the gold was equally divided among the five of them, with him getting the excess since the rest of the group thought it was fair due to him dealing with Maven, he made his way to the fort's tower and stepped into his private Vault again, depositing the gold and gems into the piles that were starting to form.

When early morning arrived Capper and his friends departed from the fort with a bit of food to serve as their breakfast, as they wanted to get to the city before anything else happened, and he discovered that they were able to get there without anything bad happening, allowing them to head into Riften and walk into the inn without delay, where they found Maven in the same area as last time.

"As you know, the main road between Whiterun and Windhelm is being plagued by these 'Seducers', while the path leading to Markarth is the domain of the Saints." Maven said, confirming that the job she wanted to hire them for was to eliminate the two clans that were hounding travelers and making it harder for people, caravans and travelers alike, meaning this was just to help secure the roads from the dangers that were plaguing the land, "Thanks to the leader of the khajiit caravans you now know where to find each camp, meaning you know where to strike to eliminate this threat. This time I won't bother with a time limit, but I am expecting you to return by the end of the week, as I might have another vital job for you, one that pays far more than the one you just completed... the payment for this job is two thousand gold, but if you really impress me I might boost your reward, though I wouldn't count on it."

"As you wish. We shall depart right away." Capper replied, where he got up and gestured to the others as they returned to where they had set up their wagon, as they used the north gate this time around, as everyone agreed that Maven was going to hire them to take out both the Saints and Seducers, so La'nari had suggested using the north gate for their departure, as it would point them in the direction of Windhelm.

The only real downside, as La'nari told them, was that there was a fort not an hour away from Riften, which sat on the main road since the road passed right through it, a fort called Fort Greenwall that was home to the Greenwall Clan, but she also knew of a side path, which also had a couple of bears on it. With that in mind Capper focused on the main road until they spotted the worn out side path that everyone seemed to be using recently, as there was another wagon heading towards Riften and the driver nodded to him as they passed each other, showing them that people preferred to avoid the fort and the clan that was there. La'nari told everyone that the Greenwall Clan wasn't as big as their clan or the Faldar Clan, but their position on the road allowed them to capture any travelers who didn't know about the side path, and from what she knew a few of their members were posing as drivers to bring unsuspecting merchants or people to their clan. Fortunately the side road was traveled so often that they didn't have to worry about bears, the main problem in this area, meaning they were able to reach Shor's Stone without delay, a little mining town resting beside a small mountain, but it looked like the miners weren't working today.

As they entered the area, however, Azure asked if they could stop and Capper did so, where the warrior got off and walked over to a couple of people who clearly called this town home, since they were dressed as miners, before one beckoned to the mine itself and Azure walked into it.

"Looks like they told him what the problem is and he's gone in to check." La'nari commented, though judging from how their companion was acting it sure seemed like he thought this was a problem that only one of them needed to solve, instead of all five going into the mines and endangering themselves.

"That's fine. It gives us time to check the information we've been given and plan accordingly." Capper replied, as he knew this was a good stop to make, because restoring the mine meant more people would come through this way and that meant a lot more gold would be flowing into Riften, and some might even use the road leading to their fort, so it was more gold for everyone in the end.

Fortunately they didn't have to wait too long as Azure emerged from the mine, after spending five minutes in there, and told the nearby guard something, causing him to go in and check before returning to announce that all of the spiders were dead, causing the local blacksmith to hand Azure a large bag of gold before he returned to the wagon.

"Seriously? Spiders? What was keeping the guards from taking care of them?" Rarity asked, though at the same time Azure handed Capper the bag and asked him to count it, because while he was sure it was a fair reward he really didn't want it, but took it to avoid upsetting the blacksmith, so he figured he could take a small portion of it and let Capper have the rest.

"They said it wasn't worth worrying about with the war going on." Azure replied, where he shrugged, because with how fast he dealt with the group of spiders that happened to be in the mines he was sure the trio of guards could have done it the same amount of time, but he guessed this was a good thing, since his tale would be one of heroism to the people.

Capper found that the blacksmith was fairly grateful for the mine being reopened, as there were one thousand five hundred coins inside the bag, to which Azure took a hundred of them and allowed Capper to store the remainder of it inside his Vault, though once he was ready to go they got underway once more. It wasn't long before they found that there were more foes on the road for them to deal with, namely bears by the looks of it, so La'nari kept her eyes peeled for danger and when she spotted one she had them stop so she could loose an arrow or two at the target from afar. Such a thing usually meant that an obstacle was eliminated before it could become a problem, as she knew that bears were highly aggressive and taking all of them out before one noticed them was the right way to go so the wagon could progress without slowing down. This time around La'nari also told them to not worry about the bodies they were leaving behind, as the other animals would no doubt find them and harvest the bears, plus a few people might claim a bear and cook it, plus her opinion was to make sure they weren't weighed down by all the excess weight.

Eventually they reached a fork in the road, the left path heading back in the direction of Whiterun while the path on the right was heading in the direction of Windhelm, to which Capper directed them down the right path, allowing them to pass by an orc that had killed some saber cats, so they nodded to him as they continued towards their destination.

As they headed down the path Rarity spotted something off on the right side and pointed it out, a large structure carved into the side of the mountain that seemed to have steam coming from it, to which La'nari had Capper go up the side path, which meant ignoring the stone steps since it would just slow them down. She informed them that this was a dwarven ruin, one of a number that were scattered throughout Skyrim, but the only one she knew the name of was Avanchnzel, due to the fact that it was close to their base, causing Rarity to rub the bad of her head, as every time they had passed by something else had demanded her attention. This one, by the looks of things, was locked, the main door seemed impossible to open, but at the same time Capper didn't pull out the Skeleton Key, as he suspected that this might be important later, though the same wasn't true for the outside structure, a storehouse that was unlocked. That caused them to enter the smaller structure for a moment, finding that it had a short diagonal walkway down into a central room, with a locked door to their right and a gate in front of them, which was also locked, but Capper did see something interesting on the other side of the gate, a glowing blue gemstone of some kind.

"It doesn't seem like there's much in here. Should we get moving?" Rarity asked, because it looked like this area might have been looted in the past and no one bothered with the gate or the door, maybe realizing that there was nothing else in the structure for them to take and sell off.

"Well, I'll check the gate and the door, then we'll get out of here. You guys are free to hang out at the wagon until I'm done checking the area." Capper replied, where he walked over to one of the shelves and picked up a few lockpicks, since a few had been left behind, though he knew that if Rarity was going to be a thief she needed to sharpen some of her skills, but he suspected she might walk a different path.

La'nari decided to head outside and keep an eye on the wagon, since there might be bandits nearby, where Capper found that the others decided to join her, leaving Capper to check out the potential loot as he unlocked the door to the right and found that it lead to a small room with two chests on the wall in front of him. In addition to that he found sixteen ingots that were of dwarven make, which seemed like bronze to him, while the two chests had a few pieces of jewelry for him to take, as while there were a gold necklace and a silver ring he also located a jeweled golden necklace among the treasure. With those items claimed, as he just moved the ingots into his Vault, he unlocked the second door that was in the small room and found that it brought him to the other side of the locked gate, another small chamber that confirmed this was the end of the area, but it held his prize. That being a blue crystalline shard that looked like it was a crest of some kind, cut from a larger piece, and he was sure it held some sort of power inside it, to which he stored it inside his Vault, along with a few more dwarven ingots, but he placed the enchanted battleaxe near the locked gate.

Before he headed outside Capper stepped into his Vault for a moment and picked up the crystalline shard, where he walked it over to where the odd crystal was floating and found that when he lifted his hands the new piece floated into the air, like it was orbiting around the center of the Vault, causing him to smile as he returned to the others.

"Got a few pieces of jewelry and an interesting crystalline shard... and this for you, Azure, if you want it." Capper said, where he handed the new dwarven battleaxe to the warrior of their group and found that he moved off to the side to test it out for a few seconds, before he shook his head and tapped his greatsword, showing them that he preferred swords over axes and maces, causing Capper to put it in the back of the wagon, "No worries, we can just sell it to a merchant later... probably get a bit of gold for it."

Once they were ready to go the group got back on the wagon and departed from the area that the storeroom was in, which meant returning to the main road before heading north once more, causing La'nari to focus on loosing arrows at the bears that happened to be in their way. Other than the bears it seemed to be a rather peaceful ride, though there was an area off to their left that was a giant's camp, as there was a large figure walking around a rather large fire, and near them wandered a mammoth, doing whatever it wanted to since the giant was it's protector. At the same time Capper noticed something else that caused everyone to go silent as he made sure the horse got them out of the area, there was a lone peak about ten to thirty minutes away from them that happened to have a dragon flying around it, as it had taken off after they spotted the lone giant. It wasn't the black dragon from Helgen, which made them wonder what was going on right now, while La'nari quickly pointed out that it was icy blue, likely a frost elemental dragon, though for the time being they focused on getting out of the area and remained silent.

Somehow they were able to get out of the area without the dragon noticing them, which was fine since Capper doubted that they would be able to bring such a beast down, causing him to focus on the road once more as he continued towards the city of Windhelm, even though they wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

As they moved along the path La'nari pointed out a group of travelers, adventurers by the looks of it, who stopped them and shared some interesting news with them, that the Whiterun guards had taken down a dragon, though in the chaos of the fight someone attacked the khajiit hero that was aiding Jarl Balgruuf. Capper and the others glanced at each other, because it seemed like Xylia was at it again, either seeking revenge for Sharva chasing her down or because her Prince wanted her tail to be eliminated before she continued with her task, but their battle made it impossible to tell who absorbed the soul of the now dead dragon. The nord adventurer said it was the power of the Dragonborn, a warrior of legend, but there was no way to know who got the soul, because both had run off into the wilderness and disappeared, meaning that many were thinking it was the imperial and some who thought it was the khajiit. That was all they knew on the matter, to which Capper informed them of what they had seen in the rocky crags, especially the dragon that was flying around, causing the adventurers to thank them for the information, in fact one paid him a hundred gold for it, since this might save their lives.

With their conversation down the wagon continued down the road, leaving the adventurers to talk about what they would do next, especially now that they knew about the dragon, though La'nari had Capper stop at the inn that was down the road for a few seconds, where she popped in for a moment and returned with food for them to eat. La'nari explained that most of Windhelm's nords disliked anyone else and some inside the city loved to harass the other races that called the city home, all while the Stormcloaks preferred to state that 'Skyrim belonged to the nords', almost as if they wanted everyone else to get out and go elsewhere. Right now she didn't want to go into the main city and be bothered by the nords, so she figured that a short stop at Kynesgrove, the inn they were passing by, would be more appropriate for them since they should be able to get to the first camp before night fell. She figured that, while it might not be the best option, they could take out the first of their targets and then use the camp the Seducers had set up, to get some rest before worrying about the Saints, or the long journey to get to where Ri'saad had seen the other bandit clan.

Capper agreed that her plan was the smart one, since they didn't want to be stopped by the racist guards of Windhelm, to which he focused on heading towards the city before turning to the left, passing by a large stone bridge that seemed to be the entry point for the city, which appeared to be fully made of stone, at least from far away.

Heading down the path to their left meant crossing over another shorter stone bridge, though that was easy to so as La'nari focused on keeping an eye out for enemies, though for the time being it just looked like a couple of wolves, which Midnight was able to take care of with a few swings of her blades. In addition to the wolves Capper spotted a trio of drunks off to the side of the path, causing him to set his food down when they stopped so he could see if they were in need of assistance, but the drunks just wanted to have fun and wished them well on their journey. Other than that he found nothing else on the way and that meant they were able to cross another stone bridge, passing by a clear waterfall in the process, before entering a small area with two houses and a mill, though it appeared that the workers were just hanging out, which might annoy their boss. Instead of wasting time on them the group continued up the hill and noticed that there was another waterfall off to the left, where someone was camping by a stream despite the fact that there was a settlement not even two minutes from the area he had picked out, but they decided not to bother him as they continued up the road.

As they drew closer to the fork in the road that would bring them to where the Seducers was located La'nari had them come to a stop and Capper did so, where everyone got off the wagon as she pointed at the top of the snowy hill that was to their right, where they found four figures, at least one nord, one elf, and two khajiits, waiting around a campfire. What they were wearing was an assortment of gear, as most wore two pieces of fur armor and one leather piece, but one wore a pair of black gloves, another had black boots, and one had a black spiked helm, and each had black weapons, meaning they had to be the Seducers. With that in mind she glanced at the others and nodded for a moment, because based on their position it looked like there would be no sneaking up on them, rather they were going to have to engage them and hope for the best, all while quietly asking Rarity if it was possible for her to bite the archer's neck. Her plan was rather simple, the four of them would engage their enemies and demand their attention, while Rarity found a way to bite and drain the archer, so with one less foe to worry about they could claim victory in no time at all, or at least that was her hope, causing Rarity to nod as they focused on their enemies.

Capper signaled for La'nari to start the assault and she did so without delay, loosing an arrow that struck a Seducer right in the side of his leg, causing them to turn towards the group as everyone readied their weapons, leaving Rarity to slip into the nearby shadows as she focused on the archer. Capper found that the one with the sword and shield came at him, which had to be the leader since he wore the helm and gloves, causing him to parry the incoming attack with his blades and found that his foe was definitely stronger than he was expecting, as he was pushed back almost instantly. Midnight and La'nari were in the same boat as they realized that these bandits were stronger than they had assumed, while Azure used the edge of his greatsword to parry the incoming blow and slashed at his foe's chest, pushing her backwards instead. Rarity, on the other hand, found that she was able to sneak around the area and ambushed the archer as she readied an arrow, where she sunk her fangs into her neck and drained her without delay, making sure she died like those she had drained in the past, and as soon as that was done she got up and hurled a lightning bolt into the leader's backside.

The leader, stunned for a moment since he wasn't expecting such a thing, left an opening for Capper to use and he took it, removing the bandit's head before he could react, while the others opened similar holes in the defenses of their foes and cut them down as well,

"Not to ruin the mood, but that seemed... well, a little too easy." Azure commented, because the leader had been the best of their enemies, even though he could tell that the weapons and armor were definitely stronger than what most of their foes had used in the past, while Capper found a journal and opened it.

"That's because this was only the secondary camp... there's a main one further down the road, where the true leader of the Seducers is waiting." Capper replied, though at the same time he started to collect the armor of the Seducers, finding that there was enough gloves and boots, but only two helmets and a single chest piece, where he found that the last piece had been inside the chest that was part of the camp, "Kind of revealing, if you ask me."

"I don't know, I think it suits me... plus it's probably good for stealth." Midnight remarked, where Capper found that she had discovered a pair of dark daggers that matched the armor they had recovered, stronger weapons than what she was using at the moment, before he shrugged and allowed her to take the armor, even though he did notice that the helm morphed to fit her ears.

As the others collected the rest of the gear, La'nari switching her bow for the archer's dark one as she collected the arrows as well, Rarity made sure to set fire to the bandit she had drained once his items had been gathered, though Capper found a large cage in the area as well. Inside it rested a bug of some kind, likely from an entirely different world since it didn't seem like something that would naturally be found in this world, to which he unlocked the gate and found that the odd bug walked around him for a moment before resting to the side, meaning they now had a pet, a weird one at that. While he made sure the wagon was brought up here, to ensure no one got any funny ideas, he Midnight reported having found a number of new ingredients for her to experiment with, before he focused on the fact that there was one tent available, but found that none of the others seemed tired right now. In the end he told them to just relax for a while, to make sure they were ready to go for whatever the next camp had in store for them, while he counted up the gold that had been collected, and a few ingots made of silver, before adding more wealth to his Vault.

All of this made him all the more eager to see what the main Seducer came had to offer them and what sort of items they could take from them while wiping them out, which only made him all the more interested in whatever the future held for him and his friends.

Interlude: Saints and Seducers

Capper found that Rarity and the others were good with an hour's worth of rest, no one wanted to rest right now, causing him to nod his head as they started to board the wagon once more, though at the same time the odd bug seemed to wait at the end of the wagon, staying on the ground.

"So... it's really going to come with us?" Rarity asked, because while she was getting used to things in this world she had a feeling that having such a unique critter with them would bring unwanted attention, even though there was something about this bug that unnerved her a little.

"I don't think we have much of a choice. It wants to come along, and will likely follow no matter what we do." Capper said, as that seemed to be what was going on right now, even though it appeared that it was following him more than everyone else, despite it choosing to remain at the back end of the wagon for some odd reason, before he noticed that something else was bothering Rarity right now, "What's wrong?"

"I think someone is following us... there's an argonian in leather armor that's following us." Rarity replied, where her eyes darted off to the side for a moment so Capper knew where to look, but he made no motions to do so right now, since he didn't want to alert the figure that Rarity had spotted, "I was reading the spell tomes we had recovered, trying to learn new spells that might help us out in the future, but caught sight of him around the storeroom... I didn't want to say anything, out of worry that it was just my imagination."

"But now you, and all of us, know for sure. It's likely one of Maven's people." Capper commented, as that seemed to be the most reasonable answer right now, since she seemed very interested in them and their various abilities, so the figure might be here to see what they were capable of and if they were useful to his employer, more than what they had done so far, as it seemed like what Maven would do.

As Rarity got underway, and joined the others on the wagon, Capper turned towards the horse and caught a glimpse of the argonian hunter that was currently following them, as he could see that he was dealing with a troll that was coming at him, him likely attacking it to keep his cover, before Capper got on the wagon. With that done they started to move and Capper had La'nari keep an eye out for the other Seducer camp, only to be surprised when the khajiit pointed out that the camp was not even five minutes ahead of them, as everyone could see it, which was a little odd. Capper glanced around the area for a few seconds before bringing the wagon to a stop, allowing them to get off and face a trio of individuals that were dressed in similar clothing to the first group, bits of fur and leather with one or two pieces of Seducer armor, with each wielding their own weapon, one a bow, another a battleaxe, and the third just an axe and shield. The only downside to this was that one of the bandits, who had to be the leader known as Svarig, had the power to summon what had to be the true Seducers, as the female warrior he summoned had slightly purple skin and seemed annoyed with them as she rushed towards the group to do battle.

Azure drew his greatsword and blocked the incoming attack from the summoned Seducer, finding that she was far stronger than the foes they had fought when they first discovered the area that one of their targets called home, though he pulled it away from where the others were fighting. Midnight and La'nari focused on taking down two of the other foes, the archer and the battleaxe user, where the latter jumped on some of the rocks and avoided the battleaxe as she loosed arrows into her foe's chest, leaving Midnight to jump around and even jump off of her opponent's shoulders before attacking. While the three of them were busy Capper and Rarity focused on Svarig, where Capper utilized his blades and parried the attacks that were coming his way, making sure to avoid any serious damage while huffing every so often, because doing this was taking a lot of his energy right now, but that was okay with him as Rarity struck Svarig's back with lightning. He wasn't sure why the next spell or ability she had gained from drinking the blood of their enemies happened to be that element, but it seemed to have a good effect since it drained their foe's magic, preventing him from summoning additional enemies or even using his magic to fight them.

With that in mind they were able to drain Svarig of his magic and that caused him to stumble, where Capper impaled him in the chest with his sword, not even missing a beat, and his death caused his summon to disappear in an instant, though while that happened the others brought down their foes as well, allowing them to relax.

"Okay, these ones were tougher." La'nari commented, referring to the fact that one of them had commented on the fact that the first group of Seducers had been rather easy to bring down, thanks to having the number advantage, while these three had been more difficult to bring down.

"Yes, but we prevailed and can acquire some additional loot." Capper replied, as there were scrolls on the stone table that was nearby, which also had a few Seducer weapons, a few soul gems, a couple of potions and ingredients, and a crimson red heart that La'nari identified as a daedric heart, expensive to the right buyer.

After claiming those items he and the others gathered the Seducer gear, because there was no sense in leaving this stuff for someone else to collect, Capper found that Svarig had a journal and it had some interesting information, the Seducers and the Saints were working for someone named 'Tharon'. This Tharon was wealthy and was asking the two clans to pillage the caravans for anything that felt 'off' or had even a hint of magic to them, even though he seemed to be living in a sewer for some odd reason, and, according to Svarig, was definitely insane. When he showed La'nari the journal she told him it was going to be hard to pinpoint where Tharon was hiding, because each of the main cities of Skyrim had a sewer, so that meant there were five cities for them to check out, before she mentioned that hunting down the Saints might give them an idea on where to find Tharon. Capper thought about it and agreed with her, both clans were bound to mention their benefactor and one of them might even mention where they could find him, since taking him out might permanently do away with both of the clans, making things better for everyone in the end.

Once they were sure that the area was clear of anything of value, and Capper made sure to store any coins or ingots in his Vault, Capper got the wagon moving once more as they started to make their way back to Whiterun, this time using a new path since it didn't make sense to head back to Riften first.

Fortunately there happened to an inn just beyond the short hill that was beyond Svarig's camp, where Capper told the rest of the group they would be stopping for the evening and made sure they knew that they could take the rooms, as he was fine with sleeping outside in the wagon, especially since he didn't want someone to steal it. As they headed inside, with the promise of bringing food out to him once they had the rooms for the night, Capper noticed that the argonian hunter came up to the inn as well and headed inside, without even acknowledging his existence, showing him that the figure was slightly good at his job. Rarity came out a few moments later and handed him a few bits of food, cheese and meat since that was all the inn keeper had, plus some water, though she found that the bug didn't seem to care about her offering, causing Rarity to shrug as she headed back inside. Capper munched on the food for a time, mostly to see if the argonian was going to come out and see what he was up to, only to find that the figure never came out of the building and that meant he was being left alone with the elytra, which seemed to be enjoying it's freedom while not straying from the wagon.

Once he was sure that the elytra was slumbering, as he heard an odd clicking from it that seemed to be snoozing, which was when Capper slipped into his Vault for a time and made sure that the gold and ingots were perfectly stored away like the rest of the wealth he and the others had gathered so far. While he did that Capper found that the blue crystal shard seemed to glow slightly, more than usual by his reckoning, and the odd crystal seemed to be doing the same as well, like someone was trying to tell him something and he was unable to decipher their message. As he watched for a moment he found that a third item floated into the air, one of the golden diamond rings he and the others had found during their travels, before he felt a strange magical shiver run through his body for a few seconds. Such a thing caused him to pull the Skeleton Key out and allowed him to discover that there was another icon among what he had seen previously, as the new one was made of gold and silver, with what appeared to be a pile of coins and gems with a faint golden dragon coiled around it.

There was something special about this icon, this door, which was why the Key had revealed it to him, now that he had been given a taste of what the Key was actually capable of, and yet he felt like sampling the power that was behind it, as he found the place to insert the artifact and did so without delay, turning it until he was sure it had reached the first position. This time he felt a more powerful surge of magical energy rush through his body, like it was just pure power, the like a mortal wasn't supposed to have or something, or maybe he was just imagining the whole thing since he wasn't used to using magic in the first place. Following that he tapped into the power he was feeling as he focused on the ring and the shard, where he found that he was able to gently remove a little bit of the shard's surface and let the material dance in front of him for a moment, because he found this to be amazing. In the next moment he guessed what the crystal had been silently telling him what to do, he applied the glowing blue material to the outside of the ring and found that it sunk into the material, forming a series of blue runes that were daedric in nature, he recognized some from what he saw on Sharva's body.

Even the diamond had been changed, it was now blue like the shard while not having the glow, meaning it wouldn't draw the attention of others to where he was located, and yet he felt some power inside it, what he had no idea and suspected that he might learn about it's power in the future, causing him to put it on his right pointer finger.

Once the crystal's glow had died down, and he was sure of that, Capper left his Vault behind and returned to the world that the wagon was in, finding that no one was around it, save for the elytra that was chirping in it's sleep, meaning no one had seen his movements and that made him happy that his secret hadn't been revealed yet. He discovered that he was able to sleep for a while without anything happening, which was good since he would be navigating the wagon, and when morning arrived he found that Rarity rose with it, making sure he had some breakfast, in the form of meat and cheese again, while the elytra woke up. Fortunately it looked like everyone else had gotten some decent sleep while they were inside the inn, as that was the whole point of the stop, and when the others were fully prepared to leave he had everyone take their places on the wagon before he started to move away from the inn. La'nari continued to use her map of the land to navigate them as best as she could, though she did know there was a fork in the road up ahead and that the left path would bring them back to Whiterun, where they could use the main path to return to the city's gate before heading towards the first Saint camp to deal with the other clan.

What Capper found was that the main road seemed to be vacant of enemies, which La'nari told the others was likely due to the Stormcloak patrols, since this was part of their portion of Skyrim, though she admitted that it could also be the Imperials as well, since they were looking for information.

Since there was nothing stopping them the wagon was able to reach the fork in the road and turn left without delay, which allowed them to leave the snowy area of Skyrim and return to the plains that were somewhat warmer and more suited for growing crops. There was a giant camp off to their right at one point, though he and his mammoths were a fair distance from the road, meaning they didn't have to worry about being chased by the tall figure, before Midnight noticed something ahead of them, a broken down wagon and someone in a jester outfit tending to it. Capper carefully made his way around the downed vessel before allowing Midnight to get off, where it seemed like one of the wheels had broken during the journey of transporting his mother's coffin to a new crypt, and that he had tried, in vain, to convince someone to aid him. The former Lunar Guard wasted no time in heading up the path that was off to the right, where Capper found that there were two people at the farm that Midnight was heading towards, likely annoyed by the presence of the jester and his attempts to get them to fix his wagon.

Fortunately they didn't have to wait too long for something to happen, the male figure seemed to get angry before calming down, eventually nodding his head before sending Midnight on her way, where she stopped by the jester and told him some sort of good news that caused him to do a jig before handing over a bag of gold.

"Helping a jester convince someone to fix his wagon wheel... definitely the strangest thing I've been paid for." Midnight said, though as she rejoined the others she nodded to Capper and he got them underway without wasting time, where she just handed the bag over, since she trusted him with their gold, just like Azure had done when he cleared out the spiders back in Shor's Stone.

As La'nari commented that this was definitely strange, as a jester in Skyrim was the last thing she was expecting to see while on the road, Capper noticed the amount of coins in the bag, seven hundred and fifty gold coins, where he quickly added two hundred of them to their overall coin purse and the rest to his Vault. After that they continued up the road and found that it was a peaceful venture since there was nothing coming at them, which was still unusual after everything they had seen on the roads of Skyrim, giving them some peace and quiet for a time. One thing they discovered was an area that three guards, Whiterun guards to be exact, were defending or used as their watch area, though all three of them took out three bandits that thought they could take them down, meaning there was no reason for the group to bother the trio. From there it was a simple matter to keep following the road in front of them as they returned to where the meadery rested, finding two more farms on the right side of the road while Capper directed the wagon, and it wasn't long before they crossed another small stone bridge and headed back towards the city.

This time around, however, Whiterun wasn't their destination as Capper followed the western path, allowing them to catch a glimpse of the destroyed watchtower that had been part of the tale about how some guards and Sharva brought down the dragon that had wrecked the place. As they drew closer he was able to confirm a few things, the first being that there had been a dragon, in fact there was a skeleton off to the side that was definitely dragon in origin, even though it was odd that it was missing all of it's flesh and organs. The second thing he confirmed was that this wasn't the dragon that wrecked Helgen, meaning there were definitely more dragons out there, coming back to Skyrim for the first time in forever, which only made him worry that they might encounter one on their travels. He also discovered that no one bothered to loot the dragon, as he discovered a small pile of fallen scales nearby and located a few loose bones, which he realized were valuable since this was the first time anyone in Skyrim would have seen these materials in a long time, so Capper got off the wagon for a couple of moments and used his new magic to warp the skeleton into the area right outside his Vault.

With that done he resumed their journey and brought the wagon by another fort, this one called Fort Greymoor, which was also occupied by another bandit clan, though for the time being Capper focused on tracking down the Saints, because they were the reason the group was here in the first place.

Eventually he found the camp they were looking for, as there was an area off to the left of the road that was much like the first Seducer camp, just a single tent with a large cage and had four people that were wearing different pieces of armor with odd golden pieces on their hands, feet, or head. These had to be the Saints, there was no doubt about it in Capper's mind, to which he made sure the wagon was off the road before noticing how many enemies there were, four like last time and one was an archer, to which he nodded to Rarity as he and the others got ready for melee combat. It was the same plan as when they fought the first Seducer camp, they were going to draw the attention of their enemies and Rarity was going to bite the archer's neck, killing him before he had a chance to loose an arrow, making it a five on three battle until one of the others fell. From there it would be a simple matter to avoid the incoming attacks and lash out when an opening showed itself to one of them, just like they had done previously, though while they did so Capper noticed some similarities between the two odd bandit clans, like how these were only the more agile members with the lighter weapons.

What he meant was that there was the archer with a dagger, one with a sword, another using a dagger, and the leader who had an axe and shield, no heavy weaponry among them, meaning their true leader likely had the two handed weapon, or he would be like Svarig and use magic. In the end it didn't matter to Capper all that much as they brought down the Saints and laid their corpses out in front of them, where the others collected the golden gear, plus the chest piece from a nearby chest, while he, in turn, lifted the golden sword and tested it's weight. The leader of this group had two things for them, one being a note about a blacksmith, a mad one at that, while the main piece was his journal, which detailed how the Saints were making good coin and that their boss, Kinthal, could be found near Karthwasten. Based on the information in hand they knew where to go next, to put an end to both the Saints and Seducers, and he was hoping that Kinthal had information on where their boss could be located, so they could take him out as well and tell Ri'saad the good news.

Capper made sure to loot the nearby chest as well, giving them the complete set of Saints armor, as well as a few gems to add to the collection, before he opened the iron cage and freed a second elytra, this one more greenish than the black one they found in the first Seducer camp, where, sure enough, this one chirped before following him, while the others looted the rest of the camp of it's valuables.

"Those elytra are odd. They just... follow us without being told to do so." La'nari remarked, where they found that Azure had put on the Saint's armor, much like how Midnight put on the Seducer armor once they had a complete set, and noticed how it perfectly fit him, like the armor had molded itself to fit his body.

"Maybe they go with the strong and assume that we're who to follow, since we took out their captors?" Capper inquired, as it seemed like a reasonable assumption to make, even though he felt that such a thing meant they should follow Azure, since he was the strongest of them all, unless they could feel the Key and were following it's unique energy.

La'nari really had no idea what to make of the situation, though she wasn't about to question it as they climbed onto their wagon, after Rarity made sure to burn the archer's body to prevent another vampire from rising, and they set out to find the last camp that needed to be taken out. Of course that meant that the two elytra followed after them without saying a word, rather there was an occasional chirping behind them, like the pair were conversing, if such a thing was possible, but it wasn't frequent enough to have him tell them to stop, so he and his friends focused on the road once more. Capper was still slightly surprised by just how much they were doing and how much they were gathering from a simple job, while Rarity confirmed that the argonian was still following the wagon, meaning Maven really wanted to know their combat skills, no doubt so she could ask them to do tougher jobs. Capper continued to ignore the argonian, since it wasn't worth worrying about right now, but Rarity did report something interesting, that being that some of the local wildlife wanted a piece of him more than they wanted to deal with a wagon and be outnumbered in the process.

There was something that worried him as they finally reached the next fork in the path, as off to their left rested an area with a downed wagon, with dead khajiit by the looks of things, while discovering that the right path went out into the wilds, where Capper glanced at La'nari for a moment since she was the navigator. She looked at her map for a few seconds before saying to use the left path, because according to the map the right one was a long winding path and might take longer to reach the area that was their new destination, while this one happened to be one straight line, following a river, with one area they had to cross. With that in mind it was easy for Capper to agree with her as he headed down the path in question, though he did pause for a moment to remove the couple of bear traps that were in their way, since he didn't want to hurt their horse, and he made sure to loot the dead for any coins or valuables, such as an expensive looking book, but once that was done he got back on the wagon and continued down the path. Ahead of them, at another fork in the path, was a pair of mages dealing with a trio of Imperial soldiers, the latter winning in no time as they marched down, heading towards Falkreath, where he let Midnight off for a moment and she returned with a two small coin pouches, a destruction tome for Rarity, and a staff that they stored away for selling later.

As Capper found the river to follow all he discovered were a few wild animals wanting to harass them, a wolf here and a bear there, plus a few stony mudcrabs, but La'nari pointed each one out and made sure to loose an arrow or two at them, since a bear took more arrows than a wolf, making the journey that much easier for everyone else. Oddly enough there weren't too many people on the road itself, like either this one wasn't traveled very much or there weren't many people heading this way right now, but he was fine with that since it meant they didn't have to stop very often. Rarity spent her time reading from the new tome they had recovered, which seemed to be a basic frost spell that gave her one of the three base elements, though trying it out would have to wait until later, when they were actually in combat or when they found an area with dummies she could train with. Other than that Capper also found an area with a shrine to one of the Divines, with a hunter relaxing near it, and further down the path there was a thicker stone bridge leading to an area with a bunch of odd branch huts, like those who called the area home preferred to live connected to nature, but La'nari told them to keep moving.

Apparently the nature huts were the home of the Forsworn, a force the khajiit had only heard about since she almost never came to this part of Skyrim, so she didn't have a lot of information to share with them, but she knew they were dangerous, far more than the Saints and Seducers, so it was best if they didn't bother those people.

Following that they crossed another stone bridge and passed by a decent sized waterfall, before finding a dark elf in heavy armor, steel plate, who informed them that she was a mercenary and that she was going to be dealing with some danger in the nearby area, the Forsworn they had passed by. La'nari wished her well and had Capper keep moving, since the lady had no chance in her mind, especially since she had an iron axe and shield as her weapons, before advising Capper to use the right path when they reached the next fork in the road. Such a thing was supposed to bring them by a small mine and yet another stone bridge, where she told them that they needed to turn to the right once more, though as they got near where she was talking about Capper stopped as he noticed three Forsworn rushing down the left side of the path, away from the path they needed to follow. It appeared that some guards were coming out to clear out the Forsworn, especially since they were close to Markarth, though since they drew the Forsworn away Capper was able to cross the bridge and head down to the right, getting away from the area without enemies rushing them.

After that Capper focused on following the rest of the path, passing by a cave in the process, but it wasn't important as he followed La'nari's directions again, noting that there were still no travelers to worry about, and the constant lack of threats allowed them to reach Karthwasten in no time at all.

As it turned out the area in question appeared to be a mine, with buildings for the workers and owner, though their targets were on the top of the hill to the right of the path, as Midnight took to the air a little to track down the camp, and once she had done so they left the wagon behind. Sure enough there were three Saints, the one with magic being Kinthal since he was able to an actual Saint with the fairer skin, though they separated their enemies like they had done before, meaning Azure tackled the summoned warrior, Capper and Rarity dealt with Kinthal, while Midnight dealt with the other melee bandit and La'nari focused on the archer. The lightning bolts really helped out as it meant that Kinthal's main power was gone and that he had to focus on his weapon, which was blocked by Capper's new blade, and when Rarity stabbed the leader in the side of his body Capper stabbed him in the heart. As the summoned warrior disappeared it became easier for them to deal with the remaining foes, where La'nari put a few arrows into the archer as Midnight severed the head of her foe, allowing the group to rest and claim the golden gear for their collection.

Capper, however, found a journal on Kinthal that had some interesting information, this group had found a unique sword and delivered it to Thoron, who was waiting in the Solitude sewers, causing him to wonder if it was the same weapon that the figure had asked him to recover, while the others gathered their spoils.

"So, we know where Thoron is... should we take him down now?" La'nari asked, because that seemed like the reasonable thing to do, as Solitude was probably four or five hours away from their current position, meaning they would arrive in the middle of the night, giving them time to search the sewers for Thoron, "I know Maven said that we had until the end of the week to return, and I'm sure she'll start taking from the reward if we're late, but... well, given the system he's established with the two clans, them bringing him stuff every now and then, he'd notice the absence of the clans and might be able to replace them before we tell Maven of our success."

"No, I agree with you. Thoron needs to die. Now." Capper stated, as he understood La'nari's worry that Thoron might have a whole new set of people lined up to replace the two clans if they failed him, plus there was the matter of the sword that was in his possession, before he glanced out at the area and beckoned towards the argonian hunter, who realized he had been spotted and walked over to their wagon, "Tell me: can you send a letter to Maven?"

"I... would have to return to one of the cities and hire a courier, but I can." the argonian replied, where he looked at them for a time, no doubt to come to terms with the fact that they might have seen him a long time ago and were only now talking to him because they had need of him in some manner, "Why do you ask?"

"We've discovered the location of the one controlling the Saints and Seducers, and are moving to take him out. I'd like you to send an update to Maven about our progress." Capper answered, though this was less about the gold and more about the safety of Skyrim, because Kinthal's journal indicated that Thoron seemed to be trying to 'bridge' something, meaning it was in their best interests to take him out, before he succeeded in his plans, "I think she'll be happy to know that we're taking care of the root of the problem, without having to be told to do so."

The argonian nodded and started to retrace his steps as he headed back in the direction of Markarth, allowing the group to climb onto their wagon once more before turning around so they could leave Karthwasten, as it was time for them to bring down Thoron so they could return to Maven with good news and then face whatever the future held in store for them.

Interlude: Madness in the Sewers

Capper found that the path in front of them really didn't have much to offer, as there was a stone bridge that they had to cross, before he spotted another ruin up ahead that seemed to be the site of another battle, as a group of Stormcloaks had killed a number of Forsworn, opening the path for everyone to use. Since the armed force didn't seem interested in them the group was able to continue down the road that La'nari was having them follow, though she also informed him that the next fork in the road was important, because the left would take them towards Solitude and the right would head back towards Whiterun. He nodded and told her that he understood, where he allowed the others to keep an eye out for danger while he focused on the road, where Rarity noticed that the elytra were still following and decided to just ignore them, since the pair didn't seem to be doing anything. Of course her thought changed when a trio of wolves came at them from behind and the elytra attacked, appearing to bite into the necks of the wolves and kill them before they could get close, the third being taken down by both of them, at the exact same time.

Such a thing caused Capper to wonder about the elytra, as they were different from what he had been expecting, which only made him curious if there was more to them than he knew or if they could be trained in some manner, something he and the others would have to focus on at some point in the future.

After the wolves they were able to continue down the road for a couple of minutes until Capper stopped them once more, as this time there happened to be a small wagon, like one would use to transport food freshly picked food into a city, though it happened to be resting in the center of the road. He thought this was strange and was proven right immediately as he and the others spotted someone resting behind some rocks on the upper portion of the hill on their right, along with some out in the wild on the other side of the road, plus a dead bandit near the cart. With that information in hand La'nari drew her bow and readied an arrow, though at the same time Rarity silently made her way over to the lone hidden bandit, where she used a hand to cover his mouth as she bit into his neck and pulled him down into the cover, preventing the other bandits from realizing what's going on. Following that La'nari loosed an arrow and let it fly, striking a bandit in her heart since her target was only wearing fur armor, though as the other two rushed into battle Capper found that this time that he and Midnight didn't have to get involved as Azure used his greatsword to cleave through one bandit and then beheaded the last one.

Capper found that the bandits really didn't have much on them, a few small coin pouches and some arrows, since he had no desire to sell their rags or fur armor to a merchant, while finding that the chest had a few more coins and a ruby, which he added to the collection for later. Once he and the others were sure none of the bandits had anything of value left on them they returned to the wagon, after Azure pushed the cart out of the way and Rarity burned the target she drained, and quickly resumed their journey, where Capper found that the sky was definitely getting darker, indicating that night was getting closer. He turned to the left and continued down the road, where it wasn't long before he spotted a saber car chasing a goat down another portion of the road, reaching yet another stone bridge that seemed to have a bandit camp on the other side, where Capper stopped so everyone could see what the end of the chase was. What they found was that the goat was killed before it even reached the camp, though that was followed by some of the bandits raining arrows down on the saber cat and brought it down, where some of the bandits moved out and collected both corpses, meaning they were going to eat good for some time.

"Three of their lookouts are going to be troublesome." Capper commented, pointing at the one of the wooden bridge above the road, another guarding a post that watched the other side of the road, and one that was on what passed as a lookout area near where he assumed the chief likely rested, meaning they might have to kill the entire camp since he was sure that someone would notice those three disappearing.

"Not necessarily. Look." La'nari said, where the three bandits that Capper had pointed out were heading into the main part of the camp, meaning there was a window of opportunity for them to pass through the area without being spotted, to which he nodded his head and got the horse moving again.

This time around the horse remained quiet, having seen a saber cat die had put some shock into it, or at least that was what Rarity was guessing right now, and sure enough it wasn't long before they heard some of the bandits singing, one even using a lute to play some music. Such a thing meant that they were drowning out any sound that might tell them that someone or a group was in the area, to which Capper and the others nodded to each other before going silent for a time as the horse followed the road that was in front of them. It was amazing that they were actually able to get out of the area without any of the bandits realizing that they were even in the area, allowing everyone to breath a sigh of relief once they were a good bit away from the camp, while letting them relax a little bit in the process. Ahead of them happened to be a Thalmor patrol, as La'nari pointed them out, causing Capper to say nothing as they continued down the road, letting the elves head towards the camp, where Rarity watched them for a time and found that none of the bandits allowed the elves to pass.

By that she informed the others that the bandits attacked the elves and ended up killing the three Thalmor, though they did lose two of their number in the process, giving them something to chuckle about as they headed towards Solitude, where Capper kept an eye out for something called the 'Dragon Bridge'. According to La'nari it would bring them to a village that was known by the same name, the last bridge they needed to cross before reaching their final destination, a special bridge thanks to how it was carved and how it looked, which is why he was focused on finding it. Along the way he did spot another wagon that had been attacked, as the horse and the couple that had owned it had been slain by arrows, where Midnight got off for a moment, searched the bodies for anything of value, and found a couple of crates that had been untouched, which contained some Legion gear. With that in mind she and the others nodded for a moment as they transferred the crates into their wagon, as delivering this stuff to Solitude might earn them some gold from those leading the Legion, and once the trio of crates were ready to go Capper got them underway once more.

The Dragon Bridge, as stated, was a long well carved structure in the style of a dragon, or at least it's head, and they were able to cross it without wasting time, which was a benefit of the time of day that they were arriving in, though there was a mill and a few houses, plus an inn off to their right.

Since they were well stocked from their last stop, and no one felt like stopping, Capper continued along the road that would bring them to Solitude, since everyone wanted to complete their self appointed task before returning to Maven, as taking the head of the snake would benefit her and the merchants in the end. Based on what they could see there was a single bear to the left of the small town's exit, which seemed to be sleeping right now, meaning Capper and his companions didn't have to worry about it coming and attacking them and didn't have to waste energy on it. In addition to the bear there was a temple off to the left that seemed important, despite no one being near it, and over the edge on their right, down below them, was a camp bearing the colors of the Stormcloaks, meaning they were likely harassing Solitude and were chipping away at their defenses every now and then. Other than that there wasn't much less to look at, save for a rock wall on their left, before he found the path leading to a stone watchtower, a farm on their right, what appeared to be some docks off to the right, and a city gate that had carved stone walls around both it and the rest of the city.

As they passed by a Solitude guard, who wore a red version of the chainmail armor that all Hold guards wore, he told them to keep their noses clean, least they end up like Roggvir, who happened to be a former gate guard who allowed Ulfric to escape the city after he murdered the High King, so the Captain of the Guard had him executed.

"You don't have to worry about us, we're just delivering some Imperial goods we found on the road, by a wagon that had been destroyed by some bandits recently." Capper replied, since they had no idea who had caused the deaths of both the married couple and the horse of the wagon they had passed by earlier that afternoon, so it was easy to put the blame on a group of bandits, especially after seeing some Thalmor die to them earlier.

The guard sighed and gave them directions on where to take the crates, as they just had to enter the city, walk up a path to where the blacksmith was located, and then go beyond that to reach Castle Dour, where they would find the General talking to his second in command, who would pay them for the goods. With that information in mind Capper thanked him before heading up to the main gates of Solitude, where he stopped the wagon to the right of the entrance so he and the others could get off and not obstruct the road when morning arrived, since that would annoy people no doubt. Following that the small crates were offloaded and they headed inside, allowing them to see the more well carved stone houses and buildings that made up Solitude, though since it was in the middle of the night it looked like almost everyone was asleep, save for the guards who had the night shift. While Capper followed the guard's directions they got a sense for how large Solitude was, as it was definitely larger than what they were expecting, though fortunately it appeared that they knew where to go next, due to the fact that there were two unique butterflies near a sewer grate, a purple one and a green one.

Midnight, of course, caught them and added their wings to her collection of alchemy ingredients, while Capper and the rest of the group brought the crates to the building, though it happened to be when General Tullius emerged for a late night walk and he just waved his hands at them, indicating that he didn't want to know, despite heading inside and returning with a bag of gold as they handed the crates to a pair of nearby guards.

"Can't really complain about that: five hundred gold for returning a few crates of Imperial gear." Capper commented, where he spoke once they were far away from the General, who seemed to be heading deeper into the city, allowing them to head towards their true destination, the sewer entrance that they had seen the butterflies near, while noting that the elytra were waiting by the main gate, meaning they weren't coming with them.

"I still can't believe we have to go down there... what sort of villain hides in the sewers?!" Rarity asked, though after every odd thing she had been through throughout her life she found that the idea of entering such a place didn't even stall her, which she was going to blame on everything that had happened since arriving in this world.

"I'm not sure, but Thoron's cornered himself with this decision." Midnight said, where she made sure Rarity was fine with this part of their quest, especially since they had no idea what might be in the sewers, and found that their companion was fine, though she was sure that turning into a vampire, and getting over some of her mental blocks, had allowed her to focus on the task that was ahead of them.

What they discovered was that it was just a short ladder climb down into the sewer, onto stone and not into water, though in front of them rested a fork in the path, the left leading to a locked door, and Azure tried it as soon as he noticed that it was there, while the right went further down. With only one option available to them the group made their way down into the depths, only to stop when they noticed that the section beyond the small room that the stairs brought them to was far more like the insides of a tree and less like a sewers, or a natural underground cavern with large tree roots. In addition to that the group found some unnatural plants growing outside the arch and on the other side, with more of the purple and green butterflies flying around, where Midnight made sure to collect whatever she could, as she was going to have a field day the moment she got back to their fort's alchemy station. La'nari and Azure noted that there had been a wall where the arch was located, they could see all sorts of broken brick and stone around the watery side of the arch, causing them to get ready, as there was no way of knowing what sort of enemies might be waiting for them in this area.

While they did that, however, Capper silently confirmed that the sword was down here, he could practically feel it resonating with something, definitely not Thoron, and in that instant he understood what the blade actually was, it was an artifact like the Skeleton Key, which was all the more reason to kill Thoron and claim it.

What he and the others discovered was that their enemies were more elytra, as it looked like they lived in this root cave, for lack of a better term, especially since there were far more than just one or two of them, a fact that caused La'nari to loose a few arrows at them before they got close. Once the enemies got close she backed off and allowed Azure and Midnight to deal with the wounded elytra, who made sure to avoid the venomous attacks since they knew how dangerous their poison could be after watching their pair fight those wolves earlier. While they did that Capper found that there were tree husks in the cave as well, which had an assortment of herbs and alchemy ingredients inside it, plus more amber ore, and when he told the others Midnight asked him to acquire as much as he could, handing him the bag she was using to store her alchemy ingredients. Such a thing caused him to chuckle as he stayed at the back of the pack, carefully collecting the items that were around him, plus the elytra had some ichor that could be used as well, so he bottled some up with the containers inside the bag, showing him how prepared Midnight was to collect her precious ingredients.

One other thing they discovered was that there were ladies that were made out of wood and nature energy, spriggans based on what La'nari said, though their attacks hurt far more than the elytra, where Capper was sure that it was due to the fact that they were infused with some of the energies that were coming from the root cave's depths. Even Capper got in on the action as he stabbed and slashed at some of the spriggans, while at the same time Rarity found some openings to hurl a few fireballs through, blasting the nature elementals in the back or sides, anything to do away with them. The other thing that Capper found inside the tree husks were a few gems, far better in rarity than what he and the others had recovered since their arrival in this world, but there were only three or four of them by his count, not that it mattered since he was glad to have all of them in his collection. Despite that fact it sure felt like they had walked into another world, given the amount of growth that was on all of the walls that were around them, transforming the sewer passage into a tree hollow, almost like they had walked into a realm of Oblivion, or maybe a small fragment of Oblivion had been brought to Solitude, since Capper was sure they hadn't entered any portals to do such a thing.

There were a few side passages that they carefully checked out, which seemed to be dead ends, though there were more of the corrupted spriggans for them to fight, which made them wonder how so many had come to be contained in Solitude's sewers, or if they had come through with all of the elytra.

When they took out another corrupted spriggan, which Capper realized had a amber color to parts of it, he passed around some potions to the others, Azure and Midnight getting health while Rarity needed more mana, though he and La'nari kept an eye out for more enemies, given how many were in this place. The only thing of value that this place had was the various tree husks that gave them alchemy items, amber ores, and the occasional gem, though he wasn't about to argue since they were getting closer and closer to where the sword, and Thoron, was resting. Of course they also found a few dead bodies of unfortunate hunters who had been dragged into the area, since this didn't seem to be a place that someone could fall into on accident, though La'nari made sure to collect their arrows so she didn't run out of them at the wrong time. After the next group of enemies they discovered an area that excited them, an area that was full of weapons and armor from both clans they had dealt with, the golden Saints gear and the ebony Seducer gear, like a battleground of sorts, with no bodies, which was very odd.

Azure smiled as he found a replacement for his weapon, a greatsword made of the same golden material of his new armor, while Capper collected another golden sword and the others went after everything else, though they were quiet about it, as around the corner was a path leading to where Thoron seemed to be working, as he was mumbling to himself.

"Okay... he's right around the corner." Capper said, where he and the others used his greater sneak ability to get an idea as to what the figure was doing right now, and as far as he could tell Thoron was channeling his magic into a spell, while the sword was wedged into what appeared to be the root heart of the entire cave system, though it was easy for him to see that all of them were nervous, "It doesn't look like he's seen us yet, nor has he heard the sounds of us fighting the corrupted spriggans and elytra, so we have a chance to attack before he even realizes what's going on. La'nari, I think you could use a barrage of arrows to start the fight, maybe even critically wound Thoron before he can recover, and since he's a mage we can use Rarity's lightning magic to cripple his mana... maybe prevent him from using spells completely. Azure, if Thoron is able to summon any Saints or Seducers, it'll be up to you to deal with them, since you were able to stall the summoned ones during our last battles, which leaves me and Midnight to finish the job... hopefully."

"What do you mean 'hopefully', darling?" Rarity asked, because that made her more nervous, as Capper didn't seem like he was convinced that the plan would work, rather it seemed like this might be the only thing he could think of, utilizing their various strengths into something that might bring their target down.

"He's got a Daedric Artifact and he's boring a hole into a Plane of Oblivion... his powers might be beyond us... but we have to do something." Capper stated, as that seemed to be what the notes they had acquired and the information that was right in front of them was currently suggesting, not to mention why someone had insisted on him, plus his companions, recovering the sword before it was misused in the worst way possible.

La'nari agreed with him, this was someone who might be a servant of a Daedric Prince, meaning their power might be on an entirely different level depending on which Prince it was, which was why she pulled out some golden arrows and readied her bow, nodding to the others as they silently readied their own weapons. Once everyone was ready she sneaked out into the end of their passage, just before where Thoron made his camp, and loosed her arrows right into his back, rapidly since they couldn't afford to give him a moment to defend himself or even fight back. Thoron staggered backwards for a moment as the first and second arrow tore through his back, as he was only wearing a loincloth and a strange helmet on his head, while she found that the third one pierced her target's side as he moved out of the way. In the next instant Rarity loosed a bolt of lightning as Thoron got off his spell, summoning a warrior Saint to attack them as the bolt struck him in the chest, leading to Azure lashing out at the summoned warrior with his greatsword, pushing her away so Capper and Midnight could join Rarity in attacking their foe.

Midnight slashed at his exposed chest, her daggers finding more purchase than they were expecting, even though he wasn't wearing anything other than the loincloth and helmet, and Rarity's next bolt of lightning knocked him into the barrier that was around the crystalline greatsword, where she did it again and opened Thoron's defenses so Capper could take his head off in an instant.

"It would seem that he wasn't as strong as we assumed he'd be." La'nari commented, as this was good news, because that meant that Thoron might have been an outcast, someone who was stripped of his power and suddenly everything seemed to make sense to her, as now she knew that he had been trying to get back home and his Prince didn't want him at all, which was a sad tale if it was true.

"We were fortunate that he was so distracted." Capper replied, though at the same time he looted Thoron's body, because he had a number of alchemy items that he handed to Midnight without delay, a pair of journals he pocketed, four tomes that seemed to be summoning tomes which went to Rarity, the odd helmet, an enchanted ring, and a staff that the mad wizard didn't have a chance to use, before he glanced at the trapped artifact, "Why don't you guys head down the other passage and check if it's an exit, and that the coast is clear? I want to be sure we have an escape route for when we retrieve that blade."

La'nari nodded as she and the others headed down the other passage, the one that seemed to be Thoron's escape route, to which Capper checked where the mad wizard had been sleeping, finding another journal, a jar with a bug inside it, a couple of potions, and an amber ore molded into the face of someone else, likely the Prince that Thoron was obsessed with, before he focused on the greatsword.

Behold, the Sword of Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order... note it's perfect symmetry. a voice said, causing Capper to turn his head to the left of the root heart and found the mysterious specter that had spoken to him previously floating near the weapon, though the interesting thing was that she was more vocal than before, why he had no idea and he wasn't about to ask, not yet anyway, Yet it's power to allow one to see the past, present, and future, as they flow as one within it's edge, will drive those who aren't used to the raw power of a Daedric Prince mad. I cannot help you in my current state, as I would need a physical body to manifest the power to counter the blade's power and blind it... for a short while.

"You mean that you need a physical body, in addition to my physical body?" Capper asked, where he was glad that he had sent the others away for the time being, otherwise they would either think he was insane or realize he had kept a secret from all of them, but that still presented a problem, especially since it didn't look like the specter could possess bodies, so Thoron's was out, "Well, unless you can tell me how to make one... which is crazy, when I think about it... then I'm afraid that I'll have to try my luck."

I can show you... it would require releasing the golden icon to fifty percent, but you would benefit greatly in the end, you can trust me on that. the specter replied, causing Capper to focus on her for a moment, because it seemed odd that she would bring this up now, after being silent for some time, and yet, despite how strange and mysterious this sounded, part of him felt that trusting her was the key to retrieving the sword, I give you my word, from one Prince to another, that I only have your best interests in mind... you will benefit far more from this than I will.

In the end Capper decided to put his trust in her, there was something about her that suggested that she wasn't trying to do harm to him or his friends, to which she had them return to the Vault, or the outer area where he had dropped the dragon skeleton when the wagon passed by the ruined watchtower previously. Following that the specter had him recover two items from the Vault, an ingot of whatever metal he desired and the crystal that was the core of her essence, which raised a few questions that he decided to keep at the back of his mind for a time as he retrieved the items. He discovered that the crystal that was the core of the Vault didn't even resist his touch, rather he was able to touch it and pull it down without delay, and as soon as that was done he focused on the ingots and went with silver, a counter to the edge of the artifact. With those two items in hand he returned to the area that was in front of the Vault and let them float nearby as he pulled out the Key once more, where the specter watched as he slipped it into the newest icon, turning it until she told him to stop, causing a surge of power in his body once more.

Once that was done the specter told him to magically link the crystalline core and the ingot with the dragon corpse, where her power would override the essence lingering on the bones, and once the three were connected Capper needed to make an image of a new form in his mind. Such a thing would allow him to make a new physical body for her to use, and once the sword was recovered she told Capper that she could teach him everything he needed to know, because whether he liked it or not some Princes might consider this to be a proper Plane of Oblivion and come bother him, so there were things she had to teach him before that happened. Capper said nothing to that as he focused on the three items that were in front of him, allowing the magic he had felt and used previously as he considered the form he wanted weave them into, and yet his mind kept coming back to Spike and the other dragons he had encountered before coming to this world. In the next instant an image formed in his mind, merging the form he was used to seeing and the new form he had encountered, before his magic reacted and the items swirled into silvery spiral in front of him, the specter disappearing as she was pulled into it.

The spiral turned into a vortex of energy for a few seconds, likely the specter's power finally waking up, before it died down and condensed into a smaller form, a humanoid form with dragon components, such as the horns, wings, and tail, which was when Capper found that her new body was just as tall as he was. He found that she had digitigrade legs and that her feet had four main claws with the fifth up on the inner side, like a werewolf he guessed, and her hands had five fingers like a person did, plus he noticed that her scales were silver with a silvery blue undertone. The membrane of her wings just so happened to be a faint golden color, like she was inspired by his wealth, and while her tail didn't have anything dangerous at the end he knew that it was powerful enough to do some damage if she struck someone with it. She also had the snout of a dragon, complete with sharp ivory teeth or fangs, while the short horns on top of her head seemed to be a silvery blue as well, making her imposing like a dragon, and her eyes were a vibrant golden color.

In the next moment he confirmed that she had a feminine body, meaning her power had overruled the bones he had used, before the lingering bits of magic formed a sapphire blue mage outfit over her body, like an Arch-Mage or something, and the intricate portions of it were a mix of gold and silver.

"I... I..." the figure said, where it was clear that she wasn't used to talking, as she had to cough a few times as she got used to having actual vocal cords again, before she took a deep breath and seemed to enjoy having actual lungs, in fact she seemed happy with this situation, even if the body wasn't what she was expecting him to give her, "It feels so good to breathe again! It might have served me well, but being trapped as a specter was unbearable."

"I'm... glad to be of assistance." Capper stated, as he wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, especially since he had no idea who she was or what her true intentions were, but he guessed things weren't too bad since the figure seemed fine with the situation she was in, before he focused his mind again, "So, are we good to deal with the sword? Also, do you have a name, or do I need to think of one?"

"Yes, I am able to assist you now." the figure replied, though in the next instant she brought her right knee to the ground as she crossed both of her hands over her left knee, her left hand resting between her knee and her other hand, before she bowed her head, like she was showing respect to someone that was greater than her, "As for my name, there is only one that matters right now, my Prince: Ithelia."

Capper wasn't too sure why she was addressing him as if he was a Prince of Oblivion, he didn't believe that one bit, but right now he knew he required her assistance and held his hand out, where Ithelia nodded, stood up, and took his hands as he used the teleportation power to bring them back to the sewers. She informed him that only a few moments had passed during their time in his realm, as time worked differently in Oblivion, so they had plenty of time to do the deed before the rest of the group showed up to report their success in finding an exit. With that in mind Ithelia turned her power on where the Sword of Jyggalag was resting, where Capper found that her magic was either cancelling the Sword's power or keeping it contained, but he wasted no time in grasping the handle, after making sure not to get in the way of Ithelia's magic, which was a cross of silver and gold energy. He found that nothing happened when he grabbed the handle, thanks to what his new ally was doing, to which he drew the artifact out of the root heart and the cave shook once it was out, the connection that had been established had been severed, causing Ithelia to nod as she made sure he could use the weapon without causing harm to himself.

Once Ithelia was sure that everything was in order, and she had Capper return her to the Vault so she could start planning her lessons, as she was serious about that part, causing him to sigh as he wondered what he was getting himself into as he placed the artifact on his back, all while worrying about whatever the future held in store for him and his friends.

Interlude: Bandit Problems

Capper found that there was nothing else for him to worry about after removing the Sword of jyggalag, rather the cave was silent and there didn't seem to be any new enemies for him to worry about, to which he made sure he had everything that had been in Thoron's possession before heading down the path the others took.

"Capper, we found the exit... and you've already removed the sword." Rarity commented, as she and the others happened to be coming down a set of stairs that lead to the entrance area of this portion of Solitude's sewers, though part of her was a little annoyed that their friend didn't want for them to return before he removed the weapon.

"Yeah, turns out the magic died down shortly after you left, allowing me to pull it out easily." Capper replied, which was part of the truth, even though he felt that sharing Ithelia's existence with them would have to wait for another time, likely a day or two in the future once he came to terms with what was going on, but for now it seemed like they were willing to accept his words, "Come on, let's get out of here and head back to Riften... Maven's going to be happy, in her own way, that we've taken out both of the clans and the head that ruled over them."

La'nari nodded, as she agreed that it was time for them to return to their boss with news of their success, causing them to head back up the stairs as Capper found that there had been a few skeevers in the way, as all three of the little rats were dead, which allowed them to reach the formerly locked door they found earlier. Since Rarity and the others found it they made sure to unlock it, just in case removing the Sword brought everything crashing down, meaning it was easy for them to reach the surface streets of Solitude, allowing everyone to see that morning was starting to break. With that in mind Capper had them stick around for a few moments, as some merchants came out to the nearby market stalls and he purchased a bit of food from them, which he shared with the others as they departed from Solitude, since wasting too much time would cost them part of their reward. Of course Capper wasn't heartless, as he told them they could stop at one of the inns that were on the path they would be following and get a couple hours of sleep, though La'nari agreed that getting back to Riften had to be their top priority right now, to get Maven off their backs until she had another job for them.

As they departed from the city it was easy for the group to see that the guards were nervous, due to the pair of elytra that were near their wagon, but Capper assured both figures that they were friendly and only attacked aggressors, meaning they were well trained, and when the guards nodded he got the wagon underway, elytra following as they did previously.

Capper and his friends found that more people were getting up as they left Solitude behind, as farmers were getting up to tend to their animals and crops, sailors were focusing on making sure their ships were fine and ready to go, workers were in the middle of moving cargo around, and everyone else just seemed busy. It was nice to see, even though none of them would have any idea what had been done for them, who they had stopped and what plan they had ruined, but Capper was fine with that, since it meant they could bring Maven the good news first, without news reaching her ahead of them. At the same time it appeared that the road was still clear, meaning they wouldn't have to worry about running into danger or being forced to slow down for other travelers, the latter no doubt resting at that very moment, causing everyone to relax as they took inventory of their spoils. There wasn't a lot of gold, rather it was just a bunch of alchemy ingredients, plus the amber ore that had been in the tree husks, and a rare few gems, but all in all it was a good haul, since it would help them in the end, of that Capper was sure of.

Fortunately none of the others asked about the greatsword that was on his back, which was magically floating above the back of his armor, allowing Capper to focus on what was in front of them for a time, as he didn't want to get sidetracked or lose focus at the worst possible moment.

As it turned out they were able to get through Dragon's Bridge rather easily, and across the bridge without delay since there was no one else using it, before Capper found something that was going to stop them for a time, that being the bandits they had passed by previously, the ones that killed the three Thalmor agents. The reason Capper considered them to be more of an obstacle this time around was due to the fact that they knew the wagon was coming and their ranged fighters were on the wooden bridge itself, bows at the ready while a few warriors seemed to be waiting. Such a thing caused him to sigh as he brought the wagon to a stop and everyone climbed off of it, where he had La'nari focus on the archers as he, Azure, and Rarity rushed forward, two of them drawing their weapons while Rarity's hands crackled with lightning, as she had found an element to focus on. It was a good element since everyone had mana and allowed her to prevent their enemies from using magic against them, especially since some mages liked to hide themselves until the right moment, and he found that she was able to adjust her power to lightly shock their foes to cripple their mana, without harming them.

While she did that La'nari loosed a few arrows and struck the archers, enough to stagger them as Midnight approached the ranged warriors from the side, slashing at their sides before they had a chance to recover and brought them down, just as Azure and Capper crashed with the warriors. Capper went with his golden swords, mostly because he was sure he wouldn't be able to wield the Sword of Jyggalag in an actual battle, plus he had no idea what it would do to someone else if he struck them, though he found that his weapons were more than enough right now. Together he and Azure pushed their foes back, breaking the lineup they had formed to stop their wagon from passing through and scattered the bandits as La'nari caught up with them, putting an arrow in one's knee so they were unable to escape, opening the way for his head to be taken off as Azure struck him. Capper focused on his foe, who seemed to be a mage that couldn't use her spells against him and had to resort to using a dagger to defend herself, a rather foolish decision in Capper's eyes since he would have picked an actual sword, as he was able to cut his foe's wrist, forcing the bandit to drop her weapon before driving the second blade into her heart.

In the next moment he noticed something odd, the bandit's body seemed to turn to gold before his eyes, spreading out from where Capper's blade was resting, before she was consumed by a brief light and Capper found a pile of gold resting where his foe had been standing, with a golden soul gem resting on top of it.

"Capper, darling... what did you do?" Rarity asked, though at the same time she and the others reported the same thing, the bodies of the slain had strange golden soul gems on them, but none of the other bandits turned into coins, which was very odd, especially since La'nari was confused by this series of events.

"I... don't know?" Capper answered, as this was a first for him, since no one had mentioned such a thing, though he quietly suspected that this was linked to what he had done in the sewers, releasing more of the golden icon to create Ithelia's new body, so this would make it a side effect he wasn't aware of and would have to ask his new friend later, "We should clear out the leader while we're here... then we can rest and think about the strange soul gems."

The others glanced at each other for a few seconds before moving up towards the main portion of the camp, a structure that was at the highest point and was made more like a permanent building, while Capper collected the coins and gems from all of the dead bandits, including the one that turned into a pile of gold. The chief of this clan was wearing steel armor, gloves, and boots, but, oddly enough, no helmet, in fact it didn't look like he was even aware of the fact that his clan had tried to rob a bunch of travelers and had been put to the sword, leaving him as the last one standing. Capper noticed that there was a wooden wall wrapped around the area that the camp was resting in, with an upper area, a lower area, the main entrance, the wooden bridge, and a lookout post on the other side of the road, a good location in his eyes, especially with five areas for people to rest in. Capper nodded to La'nari and she put an arrow in the chief's head, as he was standing at the front of the cabin with his back turned to the rest of the camp, meaning she was able to take the target out in a second, as he fell face first onto the ground and didn't move after that.

Once they were sure the chief was dead, and he also had a golden soul gem, Capper had the wagon brought up to an area where it would be safe, since they would be resting here for a time, with Rarity and Azure getting the beds near the start of the camp, while Midnight and La'nari took the tents across from them, leaving two tents without owners, while they let him take the main cabin.

"What to do with these?" Capper commented, because the others seemed to be taking his words seriously, that they should be getting some sleep before worrying about what the future held in store for them, allowing him to set the golden soul gems on the table that was in the cabin, where he picked one up at random and palmed it for a moment, though as he thought about Ithelia, and how she would know something, the insides of the soul gem started to glow.

The soul gem floated into the air for a moment before lowering itself down to the ground, where the wind whipped around it for a few seconds as the glow intensified and transformed the gem, where he found that it took on the form of a small lizard creature that was between two to two and a half feet tall. From what Capper could tell the creature had three claws on it's feet, a fourth smaller one up higher like he had seen on Ithelia's legs, and it had three fingers with a thumb on each hand, all while it's scales seemed much softer than a dragon's and it had a small pair of curved horns on it's head. It was like a small dragon, especially with the smaller snout and scaly tail, though it lacked wings, meaning it was ground based, and he found that it had light red scales and was wearing a loincloth around it's waist, though it seemed confused. Capper found that to be fair, as he wasn't sure what was going on right now either, though what he knew was that some aspect of him had changed, trapping the souls of those slain around him in unique soul gems, which could then be turned into something new.

In the next moment he decided to call upon someone who might know about this creature, where he posed the question to his new friend in his mind and sure enough Ithelia stepped out of thin air, like she had used the teleport power Capper had used previously, before she focused on the new creature and lowered herself as she smiled and rubbed it's head.

"It would seem that turning the Key on the golden icon had more of an effect than I thought... you're able to create new life, using souls that are in soul gems." Ithelia commented, keeping her voice low so the others didn't hear her, though it was all too clear that she was thinking about what this meant as she glanced at Capper's ring, which he knew seemed stronger than before, or at least that seemed to be what was going on, "In fact it seems like I'll have more to teach you when you are ready to get started, since you'll be able to prevent this from happening in the future... but this little one is a kobold, a race that I believe is extinct, though it's hard for me to say since I've been out of things for a few Eras. At the same time this one seems different from what I remember... like who he was when he was a mortal has influenced his new form... what were you, little one?"

"I... I was a warrior before my death, and there was a few other fighters with a mage and some archers in our clan." the new kobold said, where it was clear that he wasn't sure what was going on right now, though at the same time Ithelia nodded as she picked up one of the other golden soul gems, which had been the mage Rarity had weakened, and held it out for Capper to take, which he did so without delay, "What's going on?"

"You were reborn by my Prince's power... we're going to need to think of a new name." Ithelia replied, though at the same time Capper found that his current name wasn't up to her standards, something he would have to think about at some point in the future, but he focused on what she wanted from him right now as he focused on the second golden soul gem and watched as energy swirled around it.

This one produced a light blue scaled kobold with white arcane markings on her arms, which Capper knew since the figure was a little bit slimmer than the warrior and was more feminine looking, in kobold terms he guessed, and her attire was a ruined robe of a student of magic, confirming that she was a mage. Capper looked at the remaining golden soul gems for a few seconds before picking a third one, just to be absolutely sure that this was happening, and when he repeated the odd process the soul inside the gem took form without delay, appearing to be a gray female kobold. This one seemed to be more like a thief and less like an archer, though it was hard to tell at a glance since both types wore the same armor, though this one wore worn out looking leather attire with a dark brown hood, like the Thieves Guild armor. Such a thing caused him to sigh as he realized that something strange was going on, something in him had changed after he released more of the icon's power to pull out Jyggalag's weapon, though for the time being he safely stored the remaining golden soul gems away, as he needed time to think about what he had just done.

As they escorted the trio to the area outside his Vault, however, Ithelia mentioned that there was nowhere to sleep and that food was needed as well, to which he passed her most of the food that was in his pack as he thought about a house he had seen in Ponyville, allowing him to recreate it inside the private realm, with enough room for all four of them. He realized that things were spiraling out of his control, as the simple Vault had expanded into getting several followers and now he was in the middle of thinking of having to expand everything to make things better for Ithelia's small group. Capper made sure to outfit the house with beds, since he didn't want to leave that part out, while noticing that his second, since that was what he could think of Ithelia as, seemed fine with allowing him to focus on the mortal realm, since he still needed time to come to terms with what was going on. Capper nodded his head slightly as he returned to the cabin that he was supposed to be sleeping in and checked the large chest that was near the bed, which had a pair of what he assumed was glass weapons in it, a bow and a greathammer, and some gold, all of which he stored in his bag as he fell onto the bed.

Capper found that he was able to rest for a few hours, which his body appreciated greatly, as La'nari was the one who made sure they woke up and didn't spend the entire day sleeping, and once they were done eating the food that they had on hand she made sure they departed before they lost more of the day.

"So, can we talk about what happened earlier?" Midnight inquired, as she was curious about the strange golden soul gems they had seen earlier, not to mention why they had suddenly appeared when she and her friends killed their enemies, and why it seemed to start when Capper killed one of the bandits.

"I honestly have no idea why those gems suddenly appeared." Capper replied, which was the truth, as while he had some ideas and thoughts on the matter he had no solid answers and couldn't tell them anything without revealing what he's done with the Skeleton Key, and while he knew Rarity would be displeased with him lying he was also sure she would understand if he finally told them everything, "All I know is that they formed after taking down a couple of bandits."

"Maybe we can sell one or two to a court mage? They would throw a fit." La'nari commented, because she knew the types of soul gems that existed in the world and the most expensive ones were the black soul gems, especially when they had a soul in them, and a new type of soul gem would just cause everyone to go crazy, to study and see what sort of power they had to offer enchanters, "Probably offer a bunch of gold for them."

"I don't want to mindlessly hunt people down to confirm if this was a one time thing or not... maybe we can get a bounty for some bandits?" Azure remarked, because it would give them an actual excuse, instead of just attacking random camps and taking down those that were living in the various forts, and he found Rarity nodding her head in agreement, that she would rather have a reason for what they were doing.

Capper said nothing to that as he focused on directing the wagon along the road that would bring them back to Whiterun, a safe road since they had dealt with a number of enemies before reaching their destinations, keeping an eye open for any potentially new foes to worry about. The road brought them to Rorikstead, a small farming settlement that only had two or three guards and a few houses, though Rarity stopped for a minute before returning with more food, just to make sure that their food stores were good for the rest of the trip. Once she was back on the wagon Capper resumed moving as both he and La'nari kept an eye out for enemies, even though it appeared that there were only wild animals for them to worry about at the time being, meaning the trip was more peaceful than he would have assumed. He also found that both elytra were still following the wagon and stopped whenever they did, something that made him wonder if he could use the power he had discovered previously to transform them into kobolds and give them greater freedom, even though that would cause more headaches for him in the end.

While they continued along the road the group also found that there were more travelers out and about, such as the trio that Capper and his friends had robbed when they first arrived in Skyrim, who didn't even notice that their wagon and their horse was passing by them and their guard. One thing that stopped them was the khajiit caravan they passed by, which just so happened to be Ri'saad's group, giving them a chance to not only check their wares, since there was a chance they might have something of interest, but also to tell Ri'saad that the Saints and Seducers had been wiped out. The caravan leader was pleased with this turn of events and handed over a bag of gold, three hundred coins based on Capper's count once they were on the road again, which was a decent reward for all the hard work they put into bringing the two clans down. He also found that there was a skirmish between the Imperials and Stormcloaks, as the two factions were fighting each other, which was why Capper hung back and kept his friends safe from the chaos, all while using this as a test of the range that his odd powers possessed.

When the fighting was over, and three Imperials wandered up the nearby road, a hill to be exact, Capper started down the road once more, even though they did have to stop and move some of the bodies out of the way so they wouldn't get stuck on all of the loose weapons and armor. He discovered that the trio that had wandered off didn't seem to care much, rather it looked like they were licking their wounds before leaving to make their report to whoever their leader was, meaning they could loot all of the bodies, giving the group a few more pouches of gold, a lot of steel arrows, and some wine. Capper found that none of the soldiers that had died in the battle had any golden soul gems on them, meaning he had to be nearby, very close to the action, to create those gems, which was useful information until he could figure out how to use the power that had created the first set of gems. With that information in hand he focused on looting the bodies and moving them off to the side of the road, and once the path was clear everyone returned to the wagon once more before continuing on their way, as there was a lot of ground to cover before they reached Riften.

As they followed the road, getting closer to the mountain that Bleak Falls Barrow was resting on, Rarity pointed out what was ahead of them, as there was a few barricades on the road and it appeared that some bandits, who must have come from the fort that was on the left side of their road, at least from their direction, before one of the archers loosed an arrow that just missed the riders in the front.

Since the bandits wanted to rob them, as that was a warning to stand down and hand over their stuff if they wanted to live, though interestingly enough these two were part of the six bandits that were stationed outside the fort, as three more came rushing out after seeing the wagon and Midnight reported there being one more far from the others. With that in mind the five of them engaged the five bandits that were directly in front of them, though as Capper cut down the foe that charged at him he discovered further confirmation of his previous thoughts, those that died near him produced a golden soul gem for him to pick up. Of course things changed as more bandits poured out of the fort, at least another ten and an eleventh that was likely the chief, given that she wore steel armor while everyone else was wore fur or leather, something that caused the two elytra to join the battle as well. Capper was sure that this was the full force of the bandits, even though it was less than their own clan, though this time around his side suffered casualties as the bandit chief avoided the elytra bites and used a glass warhammer to smash the first into the ground, crushing it instantly, before kicking the other back and repeating the process.

While none of them had asked the little bugs to come with them, they had asserted themselves as pets and followers of the group, Capper and his friends were annoyed by the deaths of the two elytra that had been following them, causing them to lash out at the bandits in greater power, cutting each one down as Midnight repeatedly stabbed the chief in the back until she was dead.

"You know, while we didn't bond with them all that much... I'm going to miss them." Rarity commented, because the pair of elytra had been an interesting addition to the group, even if all they did was follow them, chirp at each other, and kill their enemies so they didn't get overwhelmed, and, sure enough, both of them had a golden soul gem on them, which was when a gust of wind wrapped around them.

Capper, like Rarity and the others, was saddened by the loss of the elytra, as they had been interesting company, though he didn't activate the spell that transformed golden soul gems into kobolds, rather it seemed like it was activating on it's own, producing two new kobolds, one that was yellow-green and one that was dark purple, both female and both wearing armor like the thief kobold from before.

"Capper... what are those things?" La'nari asked, though at the same time she noticed that the pair didn't seem hostile at all, rather it seemed like they were unsure of what was going on as well, which made her wonder if the souls that were inside the golden soul gems could be reborn as something brand new, something that would freak mages and scholars out if they knew about this.

"Kobolds. Created from using the souls trapped inside the golden soul gems." Capper replied, where he knew there was far more he had to tell his friends, as this was just the tip of the iceberg he had discovered on his own, but right now he really needed to figure some things out on his own before he worried the others, "Don't worry, they're friendly... I'm not fully sure what's going on, so I can't explain anything just yet, so all I can ask is that you be patient with me and know that I will try to explain things... once I fully understand things myself."

Rarity knew there was something he wasn't telling them, some secret he had discovered when he pulled the sword out of the heart of the root cave, but at the same time she trusted Capper, so if he said he needed time she was willing to give him what he needed, causing them to turn towards the fort as they wondered what the future held in store for them.

Interlude: Disaster

Capper found that while they searched the fort for loot, and were ignored by the old maid that seemed to call the place home and worked for whoever owned it, that the new pair of kobolds watched him and his friends, seeing how they went for the gold, gems, and armor of value. Such a thing caused them to wander for a time, where Midnight followed them to be sure they didn't get into trouble, only to find that they returned with a small bag that was full of pricey looking potions, as if the pair of kobolds understood that they were looking for and wanted to help out. That, of course, caused Capper to think about the ones that were living with Ithelia in the area outside the Vault, the trio he had created before reaching this fort, and if they would be the same, taking to their new lives and forms as quickly as these two were doing. He suspected that the mage and warrior kobolds would be training, since that was what Ithelia had in mind for them, and the first thief would be learning in some manner, before letting out a sigh as he realized that the only way to figure it out would be to head into his realm and see.

When he checked the large chest that was in the chief's part of the fort, the highest point, Capper found a bag of gold that had roughly a hundred and fifty coins inside it, a silver necklace with a sapphire and a gold ring with an identical gem, both of which were enchanted, a set of orcish boots, and a mage robe that seemed stronger than Rarity's attire.

"It doesn't look like these guys had much on them." Capper commented, joining the others outside the fort once they were done looting the structure, where he found that there had been a few more chests, as La'nari had some items that had likely come from another one she had discovered, mostly just a coin pouch and some fur.

"I would agree... you'd think with their proximity to the road they'd be a little richer." La'nari remarked, though at the same time she checked out the items Capper had found before taking the robes, as they looked more like the apprentice level, as she had seen several mage robes over her life and these looked like they were better than the novice rank, "Hey Rarity, looks like we found something better for you... not sure which class of magic this robe belongs to, but it should help you out with your magic."

Rarity looked at the robes for a moment before shrugging and mentioned that she could make it work, though as she and the others started to board the wagon, having brought it near the entrance to help transport any loot they might acquire from the bandits of Fort Greymoor, Capper noticed that the dark purple kobold had a dagger and was stabbing the nearby bandit corpse.

"Woah, careful with that." Capper stated, where he approached her and gently took hold of her arm, stopping her from using the dagger to stab the corpse again, which happened to be the chief he realized, which explained why she seemed so angry all of a sudden, she had seen the face of the one who killed her previous form, and this seemed to be her way of getting back at the dead figure.

"B... But... stabs!" the kobold said, looking from him to the body of her killer, where it was clear that she wasn't used to the concept of speaking or being able to do more than what an elytra could do, though at the same time Capper found that the other new kobold seemed to be collecting herbs and ingredients, handing them to Midnight.

"Don't worry, she's gone and can't hurt you anymore." Capper replied, which was the truth, the bandit chief couldn't harm her or the other transformed elytra, though at the same time he thought about all of the golden soul gems he and the rest of the group had collected since assaulting the clan that called this place home, meaning he could make the dead chief into a new kobold at some point.

The dark purple kobold seemed to think about his statement, confirming that they could listen and learn, before lowering her arm as her dagger was returned to the small sheath in her other hand, which she likely took from the one who owned the weapon originally, but for the time being it looked like she had calmed down. With that in mind Capper followed the rest of his friends back to the wagon and beckoned for the kobolds to jump up into the back, since forcing them to walk all the way back to their home base seemed far too cruel, especially since these were new bodies for the pair. There was plenty of room for all of them, though as they moved down the road he found that Rarity was fussing over the gear that the kobolds were wearing, since both of their attire was torn in places, which made her groan as she realized that there wasn't much she could do without supplies. La'nari asked what she meant and Midnight told her that Rarity was into fashion, designing all sorts of dress and formal attire, so the supplies in question were needles, thread, and fabric, to name a few things, but for the time being they were going to have to live with their current attire.

Capper also found that none of the others asked any questions about the kobolds, no doubt assuming that he would share his information with them when he felt the time was right, allowing him some additional time to arrange his thoughts while debating how much he could tell them.

As it turned out they were able to focus on the road that was in front of them and discovered that the watchtower was of no interest to the guards of Whiterun, other than using it to keep an eye on parts of the road, though one guard stopped them for a moment, as he saw them stop at Fort Greymoor. Such a thing caused Capper to inform him that they were attacked by the bandits that called it home, where they cleared them out and made sure there were no more bandits left, though the figure did tilt his head for a moment before recognizing Azure, causing him to nod his head for a moment. Capper knew that many had seen Azure talking to Aela during their time outside the city and had to assume that they thought he was either a Companion or was an honorable warrior of some kind, but he wasn't about to complain about this situation since it meant the guard believed their story. The guard informed them that there wasn't a bounty for the bandits of the fort, or at least he didn't recall seeing such a bounty last time he was in the city, so the only thanks they would get for their deed was a bit of thanks, before either the Imperials or Stormcloaks took it over in the future.

With the conversation done Capper got them underway once more, though this time around he didn't bother to stop outside the city, rather he resumed following the road that would bring them back to Riverwood, then to Helgen, and then back to their fortress, before heading to Riften to tell Maven about their success.

"You know, everyone is going to be surprised by our story... stopping a mad mage, acquiring a Daedric Artifact, and getting two individuals of a new species." La'nari commented, as it just sounded insane when she thought about it, everything they had done while taking this job had been one insane thing after another, which might be due to the fact that they had dealt with servants of Sheogorath, as she was now realizing what the names of the bandit clans really were.

"No, darling, they'll think we're insane or on skooma." Rarity said, because she knew about the substance thanks to some of their clan members, a few had mentioned it, and that was how some of their companions were going to see them after they told them about their adventure, causing her to glance at the pair of kobolds, who Midnight was giving some food to before passing some to everyone else, "Though seeing is believing, so there's a chance they might believe us right away."

"Especially with this greatsword... I'm actually surprised you can carry it, Capper." Midnight remarked, as that artifact was the one thing none of them had been expecting to find in the sewer, not until it had been mentioned in one of the journals they had recovered, and she was surprised by the fact that the leader of their little group was able to carry it with such ease, as his back wasn't hurting from carrying it.

"Might be part of it's enchantment... who knows, really." Capper replied, because he assumed that it was due to his nature, or the nature that Ithelia insisted was there, allowing him to wield the blade with little to no difficulty, even though he had no interest in actually using the blade and was keeping it close considering what it had done in Solitude's sewers.

Azure said nothing about the weapon, he had his golden greatsword, a weapon made by the hands of daedra, and he felt no need to exchange it for the Sword of Jyggalag, though he looked ahead of them and kept an eye out for more danger, but after everything they had been through recently he assumed there was nothing else for them to worry about. Capper didn't say anything else as he focused on the road, finding that no enemies seemed to be on the road, the guards seemed ready for whatever might come while they patrolled the area, and any travelers seemed to be in a good mood. That meant the road had to be safe for them to travel, something he was able to confirm as they rounded the corner of the meadery and went back up the path that would bring them to Riverwood, a portion of the road that was already clear of enemies. Such a thing was due to the fact that they had used this patch of road a few times so far, plus there were guards in Riverwood that would no doubt clear the road of hazards so travelers could reach the village without running into danger, and that meant they were able to reach their first stop without wasting too much time.

Instead of stopping in the village, like they had done the last few times they had passed through the area, Capper kept the pace as they made their way back to the ruined town of Helgen, which may or may not have dangers waiting for them since it had been some time since the dragon attack and he was sure the fires had died down by now.

Sure enough Capper and his friends discovered that the flames had gone out, though at the same time the gates were open and no one had moved into the area, meaning they were able to make their way through the ruined town and headed up the other path that would bring them back to their current home. The only thing that could stop them was the Stormcloak camp that was further up the road, but since those soldiers didn't seem to care about them, in fact it was hard to tell if they even knew about their existence, it was easy for Capper to direct them further up the road. La'nari pointed out a hunter that was up ahead, but that seemed to be the only person on the road right now, which was rather interesting since they figured that more travelers would be out and about, before Capper pointed out that their clan might be part of the problem, which caused their khajiit friend to nod her head. It was the most reasonable assumption to make, just like the clans they had just taken out to restore order to the roads on behalf of the khajiit caravans, which meant they had to be careful, since one day they might have to deal with attackers that would be seeking to purge the fortress of bandits.

After riding for a time they spotted what seemed to be a pillar of smoke in the distance, which worried La'nari since it looked like it was coming from their fort, to which she asked Midnight to check it out and the former Lunar guard took off, leaving the others to get ready as Capper continued down the road... though it wasn't long before Midnight returned to them, a look of concern on her face.

"Guys, we've got trouble: there's a force attacking the fort." Midnight stated, confirming what they had thought previously, that it was only a matter of time until someone decided to eliminate their clan to restore peace to the road, though none of them had expected such a thing to happen, so soon after thinking of such a thing.

Capper immediately gets the wagon moving faster than before, because if the clan was in danger it was better that they do what they could to defend them, especially after everything Brurid and Bek-Kajin had done for them since La'nari brought them to Treva's Watch. At the top of the hill they were able to confirm that things were dire, as it looked like there were ten or more warriors in the area that the bridge was in, spread out to make sure the clan didn't flee, and some of them had bows, allowing them to loose arrows at the bandits that dared to fight back. In addition to that there were a few mages in the group as well, meaning whoever was attacking the fort knew how many bandits were inside the structure and knew what sort of weaknesses they had, causing everyone to realize that some of the newer recruits had been liars who wanted to take down their clan. Such a thing meant they knew where everyone slept, the patrols that the chiefs used, and every important piece of information that would be useful in attacking the clan, meaning there was a fair chance their friends were dead and were being looted as they stared at the now burning fort.

When they reached the area near the bridge, however, Rarity drew upon her magic and loosed a bolt of lightning into the back of one of the enemy mages, knocking him forward as La'nari loosed an arrow into the female mage that was closer to the main gate, opening the way for the others to crash into the backs of their enemies. As that happened Azure slashed at some of the enemy warriors and cleaved his way through them, while at the same time Midnight stabbed her foes in their sides with her daggers, before using her wings to get around the gate that was blocking the way forward. That allowed her to find that everyone was outside, in the courtyard, as the twenty members of their clan were defending the walls, most were wounded, and that both of their chiefs were doing their best to keep order, despite the danger that was around them. While Midnight had the gate opened, thus allowing the rest of her group to join them, Capper cut down another warrior as they found that the two kobolds stabbed the rest of the force, collecting the golden soul gems as they followed everyone inside so the gate could be closed.

"While I'm glad to see you guys, you really shouldn't have returned... we're out of potions, and most of us are about to pass out from our injuries." Brurid stated, which was the truth, that while he was glad to see the group again, since they were good at what they did, he knew this wasn't the best time for them to return, in fact they should have turned away and just left them to their fate, "We had to collapse the secret entrance, as our enemies were using it to get inside, and the barrels of oil that they apparently sneaked into the fort ended up destroying most of the rooms and floors... that's why we're out here, as we have nowhere else to go."

"Not necessarily... it's hard to explain, but it's like this: I have a private area where we can rest up, and while I cannot open a portal there myself I do have this, which drew part of the Shivering Isles into Solitude's sewers." Capper remarked, taking a moment to touch the Sword of Jyggalag as the others stared at it for a few seconds, realizing that they had new weapons, armor, and even companions when the pair of kobolds approached them, though he had his doubts as to whether this plan would work or not.

As he opened his mouth, to tell them what he had in mind, Midnight tackled him to the ground, and into some cover, while Azure did the same for La'nari and Rarity, though they were unable to save anyone else as a volley of arrows rained down on the fort, piercing the ground and whoever was unable to move in time. Capper looked at the hill that the fort was built on and found that there were more enemies than what they had seen, there was a force of at least fifteen archers on the hill in question, their leader, a smug looking altmer with a magical bow in her hands, staring down at them. Midnight had even more bad news for them, as it looked like there were fifteen more warriors and mages standing outside the fort, near the bridge to be exact, meaning that whoever had hired these people wanted to make sure the fort was overrun. Despite not even knowing the bandits it was easy for them to tell that the pair of kobolds were sad, mourning their passing as Capper found that even their former clan had golden soul gems among them, while everyone else was both sad and enraged by what had just happened.

Capper, on the other hand, simply stood up as he walked over to Bek-Kajin's body, not believing that this was happening in the first place, before noticing that the enemies seemed to be more interested in watching them, like they were waiting for something to happen, and it sparked a burning rage inside him.

As Rarity recovered herself, and her portion of the group noticed the death that was around them, she noticed something was wrong with Capper, golden energy seemed to be seeping out of his body and took the form of four icons, three that looked like the Guardian Stones they had passed by a lifetime ago. The fourth one seemed unlike the others in the fact that it seemed like it was made of treasure, that was the only way to think about it, where she noticed that something seemed to turn the first three icons, breaking them when they reached the rightmost position, and the fourth one breaking caused a torrent of magical energy to wash over Capper. The wind kicked up as that happened, like his rage was causing something to happen, reminding her of when Twilight got angry and set herself on fire, though before she could comment on it she and the others found that the torrent died down, disappearing in no time. As Rarity laid eyes on Capper again she noticed that his attire had changed, as it looked more like what royalty would wear, fine threads that were well made, yet she and the others found that he was sporting a golden vest with golden sleeves that had a golden collar, a bronze colored shirt, and a pair of regal looking pants that seemed to be golden as well.

In addition to that she found that there was golden inlay on all of his new clothing, plus gems here and there of all types, as if he was a prince of some kind, plus his hair took on a golden sheen, causing her to wonder what in the world was going on right now, which was when a tear in space opened nearby and found a new figure, a female humanoid dragon, stepping out with three kobolds.

Capper barely acknowledged her existence as he waved his hand, the golden soul gems, those from before and those from right now, were lifted into the air and transformed into kobolds before their very eyes, a sea of colors and having different attire, like mages, warriors, archers, and the like. Ithelia wasn't disappointed by that fact, rather she knew that her Prince was angry and simply lowered her head, indicating that she would follow his will, where she watched as he pulled out both of his golden blades as his magic washed over them, fusing the two swords into a greatsword that looked like it could be used with a single hand, or two if he preferred. The blade looked like it had been made to resemble a crystal, similar to the Sword of Jyggalag, but this one was slimmer and flatter, more like a rapier, with silver inlay that was lined with small gems, one of each type, a weapon that seemed far more than an ordinary blade. In the next instant Capper vanished, reappearing in front of the archers as he swung his blade and cleaved the altmer in half, her body dissolving into gold and treasure as her soul was briefly trapped in a golden soul gem before being transformed into a kobold herself, all in the span of a couple of seconds.

As one of the other archers raised their bow, however, Capper raised his right hand and touched their chest, where Ithelia found that the magic of his ring ignited, transforming the figure into a golden statue, like his touch was that of gold, and it, too, dropped a soul gem that became a kobold. In the next instant he turned and the archers found themselves being forced into the ground, as if they were being forced to kneel before their new master, before Capper turned and beheaded all of the archers with a single swing of his blade, raining gold and treasure down on the fort, and a lot of confused kobolds at the same time. With the archers dealt with Capper returned to the front gate of the clan's home, where one kobold opened it without delay so he could turn his attention to the other enemies, allowing Rarity and the others to watch in surprise as he stepped out and seemed to move in the blink of an eye, his weapon parrying incoming attacks as he cut down or touched his targets, killing them in seconds. It was surprising how easily he handled all of this, slaying the attackers like they were no big deal, in fact La'nari could see that the kobolds that had been their clan members, who wore their usual attire and seemed to be somewhat taller than the two that had been traveling with them, were surprised by this change in Capper.

When the last soldier fell, however, Capper glanced across the lake and held a hand out, where the argonian who helped them by delivering a message to Maven appeared in front of him, which revealed much despite him not saying anything at all, but he found Capper's rage focused on him a few seconds later.

"Who ordered this attack?" Capper asked, where the argonian noticed that his rage had turned cold, meaning he was now more calculated than before, dispassionate like his own boss was, which caused a shock to go through his body, like he knew that he was standing before someone he shouldn't anger.

"M... Maven, your Lordship." the argonian stated, bowing his head quickly as he sweated for a moment, because he was very worried for his life now that he knew they had angered someone that shouldn't be angered, a being that shouldn't exist in the Mortal Plane, yet was for some reason, which was followed by Capper lifting his chin for a second before his body was turned to gold and his soul was reborn as a kobold.

After doing that Capper had the kobolds collect the gold, treasure, and the few golden statues that littered the area, while Rarity and the rest of the group just watched what was going on with interest and fear, since his rage had caused quite the change in him, but Rarity knew he'd return to them in no time. In the next instant they found themselves being moved from the fort and dropped into an area that seemed to be in the vastness of space, save for what appeared to be a vault nearby and a house that didn't seem big enough for everyone, since there were many kobolds along their number. As Capper and his odd companion stepped into the area as well, however, their friend raised a hand and suddenly things started to change, where she found that the ground buckled before expanding outward, in all directions, starting at the size of a small village, then a large city, and was still growing as they watched him work. In no time at all La'nari found that they were in the middle of a continent, which Rarity said was roughly the size of Equestria, and was likely the same length all the way around, like the land was a perfect circle from where they were standing, before the ground buckled and all sorts of environments started to form before their eyes.

There were forests, rivers, plains, hills, and whatever else came to Capper's mind, perfectly arranged around the continent while Rarity got a sense of unnatural beauty, as the grass seemed finer than what was back home and the apples that were on some of the trees looked perfect, and that was followed by this place being rich in more ways than one. In addition to that the area they were in was where Capper created a mountain that reminded them of the Throat of the World, large and could be seen from every inch of the land, though there was a ringed portion that wrapped all the way around the central mountain. It was there that they found a large city taking shape before their eyes, divided into districts since there seemed to be an area dedicated to the various crafts, a living area, and so on, a city that reminded Rarity of Canterlot a little, and at the highest point of the city rested a large golden castle with all sorts of inlay that made it look like a rich person lived there. In fact it had several towers with massive gems floating above them, like it was the domain of a prince, and Rarity found that the vault seemed to disappear into the heart of the castle, likely to be kept safe, before the ground at the base of the mountain shifted a little, revealing an area that looked like a mine.

In addition to all of that they found two orbs that appeared in the sky, one a yellow diamond that took the place of the sun and brought light to the realm, while the moon was formed from a brilliant sapphire, before the two orbs took their places, the sun rising as the moon set.

"My Prince, your realm is beautiful." Ithelia said, which was the truth, the new Plane of Oblivion that had been created was beyond what she had been expecting, especially when they caught a glimpse of an actual sea forming at the borders of the continent, meaning if someone wanted to fish or use a boat they could, as a shimmering barrier took shape far in the distance, the edge of the realm that vanished, making the realm seem endless.

"Yes. The Opulent Lands are just as I imagined." Capper replied, where Rarity and the others found that his anger had faded, that while it was likely still burning inside him he had returned to his original self, before he glanced at himself, as if only now seeing the changes for the first time, though it was hard to tell what he was thinking right now.

"My Prince, I know now might not be the best time to ask, but... have you thought of a Daedric name?" Ithelia asked, as she knew that there were many things that were going through Capper's mind right now, she knew the feeling since she was a Daedric Prince as well, despite what happened in the past, so she could help him adapt to his new role, and having a better name for the other Princes to address him by would be a good thing.

"...Midas... yes, that'll do. Midas, Daedric Prince of Greed, also known as the Gilded Prince, Ruler of the Opulent Lands, and Lord of New Beginnings." Capper stated, allowing Ithelia to realize that he had been thinking about the name and titles since she first brought up the idea, had likely been testing them to see which ones worked and which ones didn't, before coming to a decision on what he wanted the other Princes, and mortal scholars and people in general, to call him.

Ithelia bowed her head as she welcomed a new Prince into the ranks of Oblivion, knowing that it was only a matter of time until her Prince encountered the others, before escorting everyone to what she assumed was the rest area, so they could speak, eat, and rest up before facing whatever the future, and the mortals they would be dealing with, held in store for them when they returned to Tamriel.

Guild: Returning to Riften

"So... Capper is a Daedric Prince... didn't see that coming." La'nari commented, where she and the others sat in a room that was in one of the buildings in the strange new daedric city, a building that was near the castle that had been built during the realm's construction, while she and her friends glanced out at the new realm, "Did you guys know about this?"

"Darling, if we had known we wouldn't have been as shocked as you were." Rarity replied, as she could understand where the khajiit was coming from, because she, Azure, and Midnight had known Capper the longest, and of them she was the one with the most knowledge on their friend, but none of their memories had information about this, "It must have started when he grew Jyggalag's sword, which would explain why every enemy after that point produced a golden soul gem when he was nearby."

"That sounds about right... he must have been coming to terms with his power, and his new responsibilities, and didn't want to weigh us down with that information." Midnight said, where Azure found that she was sitting in the window of the area they had stopped in, allowing her to stare out at the realm and the creatures Capper had created to fill it, even though she suspected the kobolds were just the first step in filling this massive continent out, "Losing the clan, our friends no less, was the trigger that fully awakened his powers, allowing him to fully embrace his new status as a Prince of Oblivion... though it sure looks like Bek-Kajin and the others are pleased to have a second chance at life."

It was easy to tell which kobolds were their former clan members, as Bek-Kajin, Brurid, and the others were slightly taller than the rest of their new kind, plus most of them seemed to be wearing kobold sized versions of their armor, even though there were a number that either wore fur and rags and a number that were exposed. Rarity knew that something needed to be done about this at some point in the future, she just needed to obtain a number of supplies and get a few volunteers to help her make clothing for all of them, which showed that it was one of her strongest skills, even though her magic seemed to be growing more powerful as the days went by. While Midnight thought about that she could see the kobolds carrying the spoils of war to the castle, be they chests full of gold and treasure, golden statues, or just the weapons and armor that had fallen over the course of the battle, servants delivering the goods to their lord. She honestly had no idea what else they were going to do, the kobolds to be exact, but she was sure that Capper had some ideas in mind and was likely talking to the odd dragon creature that seemed to be his second in command, like how she had heard that Sheogorath had a Chamberlin, on what to do with his subjects.

In that moment she and the others understood the titles Capper had given himself, as the treasure seemed to align with his 'Prince of Greed' aspect, desiring material wealth, while the 'Lord of New Beginnings' was also true since he had given all sorts of people, even bandits and those that murdered his friends, a second chance, even if it meant being kobolds.

"He's still the same person we knew, just with more power than he expected." Azure commented, because based on what he was seeing Capper was like Twilight Sparkle, both were seemingly ordinary individuals, save for having power that seemed to be uncommon, who were raised into godhood in some manner, yet still remained the same person despite having all sorts of new power and responsibilities thrust onto them, "Soon he'll come back and tell us we're heading back to Skyrim so he can join the Thieves Guild... that was always the plan from the beginning, since I think he was waiting to talk to Brurid about us leaving to seek our destinies."

"Though if we're being honest, at least two of us aren't cut out to be thieves, so he, La'nari, and Midnight might go and join the Guild together." Rarity remarked, because she knew that Azure didn't want to be a thief, in fact he was likely going to seek out the Companions when the opportunity presented itself to him, and she didn't have any skills in that field, but she also knew that La'nari was a thief and would be at home in the Guild, though Midnight she was unsure on.

Midnight shrugged for a moment, she honestly wasn't sure if she wanted to follow Capper into the Guild or go find another faction to join, because there were a few more when she thought about what they had discovered since arriving in Skyrim, so the truth was that she, Rarity, and Azure were thinking of tracking down the other guilds. One thing she knew while she looked at the kobolds was that there were warriors, thieves, mages, and archers, at the very least, meaning it was possible that they, too, could join the various guilds and learn from them for a time, causing her to wonder how the people of Skyrim would take the discovery of a new creature. The Stormcloaks, racists that they were, would likely hate the kobolds the very instant they laid eyes on them and claim that they were there to take Skyrim from the Nords, while the Imperials might like them, but that was just her best guess on the matter. While she observed the kobolds, however, she found the one called Ithelia was talking with Capper, along with Brurid and Bek-Kajin, plus three figures that seemed to be the first three kobolds, since the two born from elytra were born after them, based on what her group had gathered so far.

Eventually Rarity found that it was time to go, as Capper seemed eager to leave, to which she and the others headed down to the main street before making their way down to what appeared to be a circular area with nine arches that seemed to do nothing, and she discovered that the first thief kobold was standing near him.

"We're heading back to Skyrim, since I don't want you guys to feel like your prisoners... and we have some business that I'll need to deal with at some point." Capper said, as he intended on repaying Maven for her deeds at some point, but before that there was something else he felt like doing, which he was going to share with the others so they knew what the plan was and weren't caught off guard, before he gestured to their new companion, "This is Tri Ki, a thief who was part of the bandit clan we took out after retrieving the Sword of Jyggalag... she's actually happy to have another chance at life, especially since I'll be joining the Thieves Guild later, as she'll be able to join me."

"And I'll join you... Brynjolf will be happy to have me among their number again." La'nari remarked, because while she had left the Guild in the past, due to them failing too much, the loss of her clan, the family she had lived with for a long time, had caused a change in her, and right now she needed some time away from them to come to terms with everything, before she and the others focus on Capper, "So, um, are you going to return to Skyrim in your golden attire? Might be hard to hide if you are wearing this stuff."

"No, Ithelia told me that doing so would be bad for Nirn," Capper replied, where they found that he seemed to relax a little, as if he was releasing a breath he had been holding, while his Princely form faded, like it was being sealed as he was left in his thieving attire that he had taken from one of the dead thieves they discovered previously, "so for the time being my power will be held back, as 'Midas' will be shelved for the time being while 'Capper' takes the helm of the ship. Best if I leave my new nature for when we're in this plane, based on everything she told me after the realm was formed."

"That does bring up an interesting question: which name would you prefer we call you by?" Midnight asked, because based on what little they knew of the Daedric Princes it seemed like a good idea to call Capper by the name he wanted, and not just assume what he wanted to be called, hence her question, "Should we call you 'Midas' now, or stick with 'Capper'?"

"I would prefer just using my name, but I guess it depends on which form I'm in... so I guess use 'Capper' for when I'm not in my 'Midas' form." Capper answered, which was going to take some getting used to, the fact that he was a Prince, had a Plane of Oblivion to rule over, and had the start of his subjects spreading out to search the land he had created, which needed a lot more work to make it work for everyone, "Also, leave revealing who I am to me... if I feel the need to reveal that I'm one of the Daedric Princes, I'll do so... just act like nothing is different, okay? Rarity, what are you and the others going to do?"

"Honestly, darling, I have no idea. Maybe I'll follow you, help you loot some stuff, snack on some bandits... maybe practice my magic." Rarity replied, though at the same time Capper turned towards one of the arches and a portal appeared, where it looked like it would bring them somewhere outside Riften, no doubt a location that was along the road leading to the city, while at the same time giving them some safety so no one knew about their new secret.

When Capper turned to Azure and Midnight he found that the pair really didn't have plans, though at the same time he knew that the former Solar Guard might visit the Companions, because they interested him and Aela had talked a lot about them when she was with the group. He suspected Midnight might have other ideas, since she was a former Lunar Guard, but for the time being he decided to not pry as he turned towards the portal, allowing the others to gather near him before they stepped through it, allowing them to travel from Oblivion and arrive in the portion of Skyrim that Capper was focused on, a fact that surprised La'nari. Capper suspected that it was due to the barrier between Oblivion and Nirn, preventing the rest of the Princes from passing into this world, which might be another reason that the other Princes could come by for a visit, to which he rubbed the back of his head for a few seconds before they headed towards Riften. From what Rarity could see the flames from the assault on their hold fort home had died out, though she knew that heading back that way would only make all of them angry, so she focused on the path that was in front of them as she and the others followed Capper back towards the home of the Thieves Guild.

It didn't take them very long to reach the city, where it was early morning and the vendors were heading out to start their daily routines, though for the time being Capper and the others headed into the Bee and Barb, where Brynjolf was sitting at one of the tables, but while he was surprised to see them he gestured up the stairs, causing Capper to leave the others as he heads upstairs, where he finds Maven waiting for him.

"You're late, again. Keep this up and I won't be hiring you for any additional jobs... in fact, you'll likely be laying in a ditch if you keep this up." Maven remarked, which was fully to Capper, as they were well within the time frame that she expected them to return in, as she quite clearly stated that 'there was no time limit' and 'that she expected them by the end of the week', where he found that she removed a portion of the reward that was sitting on the table next to her, "Now tell me, did you you eliminate the Saints and Seducers like I hired you to do?"

"Of course, we eliminated both camps of both clans, and then cut off the head of the snake to be sure they don't come back in the future." Capper replied, where he made sure to keep his voice even and not give Maven a hint of the anger he had for her, since her orders destroyed the clan that he and his friends called friends, because he had plans for her and he didn't need her to ruin them, "The mage leading them was located in the Solitude sewers and we killed him, though on the way back we found that another clan had attacked the fort and both sides were wiped out... there were no survivors, which is why we were late getting back."

His reason for mentioning the attack was to make it sound like her people weren't involved, meaning she would be looking for them for some time and would be wasting resources trying to figure out what had happened to them, and he found that Maven didn't seem to care in the slightest. Capper suspected that she was taking note of what he said and what her people might report when she looked into it, though he was fine with her doing that, especially since she believed him so easily, to which she presented the reward for the job to him. As he thought the price had been cut in half, as Maven was doing literally everything she could to save money by cheating him and his friends out of their reward, despite having done the job in a reasonable amount of time, but instead of raising the alarm or questioning it he simply accepted the reward. With the gold in hand Capper excused himself, since it appeared that Maven had nothing more to say to him, before heading back down to the main floor and discovered that some of the other patrons, of which there were a few, were staring at Tri Ki, which wasn't a surprise since her species was utterly new.

For her part Tri Ki wasn't backing down, rather Capper could see that she was sizing everyone while her group waited for him to return, her thief side coming out while not drawing attention to herself, to which Capper walked down to where they were waiting and glanced at Brynjolf for a moment.

"I take it you are still looking for new members?" Capper inquired, keeping his voice low as he addressed Brynjolf, because he knew that some of the members of the Thieves Guild wanted him and the others to join them, as their hauls had been some of the best they had seen in recent weeks, before tilting his head towards La'nari and Tri Ki, "How about allowing the three of us to join up? I'm sure everyone will profit in the end."

"I'll consider it... but first, there is a bit of an errand I need to perform, and could use an extra pair of hands... and, of course, you would be paid for your time." Brynjolf replied, also lowering his voice so that only they could hear each other, while also noting that the rest of the group wasn't even surprised by Capper asking to join the Thieves Guild, before noticing that his new trainee nodded his head in agreement, meaning he was right on larceny being in Capper's blood, "Good. Now, while I'm out in the market I'll cause a scene to draw everyone's attention, and while they're all focused on me I need you to pick the lock on Madesi's strongbox and steal his silver ring... you'll know it when you see it. Once it's in your hands I'll need you to plant it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing, and once that is done I'll wrap up the distraction and you will be paid for your time... provided you do it without getting caught."

Capper knew that this was different from Maven's jobs, it was actually a fair arrangement, do the job right and get paid or do it wrong and surrender the payment, where he headed outside and observed the market for a time, getting to know who was where, the patterns of the guards, and anything else that would be of use to him. He found that Madesi was an argonian that was selling jewelry near an opening that was near the smithy, there was a water well in the center of the circular area, and to the right of his stall happened to be a smaller one that seemed more like a stage, Brynjolf's no doubt. Across from his stall Capper found another one that belonged to a dark elf, who seemed to be Brand-Shei since the well dressed thief made sure to silently nod his head towards him, and Capper found that there were some crates near his target's stall, providing an area for him to sneak the ring into his pocket in. Such a thing made it easy for him to form a plan in his mind, though he also noticed a fourth stall diagonally from Brynjolf's, where a nord warrior in leather armor seemed to be selling armor and a few weapons, but it seemed like no one liked her and seemed to be steering clear of her.

In the end it seemed pretty straightforward, that even a novice could do this, but since the Guild was having problems he made sure to approach it as if it was a serious mission, so while the others hung back, to watch the job unfold, Capper just walked around and looked at the goods that were for sale, even though only Madesi's items interested him.

When Brynjolf finally started his distraction, however, Capper apologized to the argonian for wasting his time, only to find that he was fine with it, since his curiosity meant he might be back to buy something in the future, causing him to move off to the side as everyone in the market, even the beggars, gathered around Brynjolf's stall. While everyone did that Capper got to work, slipping into the area between the stall and the stone wall that was part of the market area, causing him to glance around before discovering that none of the guards in the area had noticed his movements, not even the people around the area knew what he was doing. With that in mind he pulled out the Skeleton Key, which seemed to be fine in his hands, even though he wasn't the Prince that had created it, and unlocked both the shutter that was in front of him and the lockbox that was behind it, finding a small bag of gold, a ruby, and a silver ring with special engravings and an amethyst set it in. It was an item that was easy to identify, just as Brynjolf said, though he made sure to take everything before closing the shutter, where he removed himself from the area and walked around, only half listening to the scam that was unfolding in the market, while at the same time noticing that Tri Ki was standing near Brynjolf for some reason.

It didn't take him long to reach Brand-Shei's stall, where he slipped into the area behind the stall and found that no one had noticed him, to which Capper pulled out the special silver ring and found an opening in the boxes, allowing him to slip the ring into his target's pocket, as well as remove his gold and a key that had to be for his stall, before slipping out of the area and moving to the side as Brynjolf wrapped up his distraction.

"Capper... I knew you were talented, but... what was that?!" Rarity asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice as she and the others stared at him for a moment, because it almost seemed like everyone ignored Capper, or just plain didn't see him, like he had been part of the shadows that no one paid attention to, all while noticing that Tri Ki walked over to La'nari after spending some time near Brynjolf.

"That, my dear, was the art of a high level thief... possibly even a master." Brynjolf replied, keeping the excitement out of his voice while lowering it so only they heard him, because this was beyond what he thought when he first met Capper, as the cat was far more than a simple thief, he had the skill to stand on Mercer's level, possibly even beyond that, meaning he likely found the one that would save the Thieves Guild, before he produced a pouch of gold, "It looks like I chose the right person for the job, so here's your payment... and there's plenty more gold in it for you, if you can make it to the Ragged Flagon, our base of operations, which is located down in the Ratway. Do that and I might have more work for you."

"Very well. Should be easy to do." Capper said, though he suspected that the missions after actually joining the Guild would be far more challenging than this one, in fact he was counting on it, before he noticed that Tri Ki had an ebony dagger that hadn't been there when they exited the inn, "Where oh where did you find this?"

"Found it on the ground near the stall... since no one came rushing to claim it I figured I could take it." Tri Ki stated, because she knew some of the rules that all of the guards lived by, such as 'discarded items could be claimed by anyone', and while the item hadn't been on the ground when she originally discovered it, as it had been on someone's stall, it had been quietly knocked off and she seized the opportunity when she saw it.

Brynjolf thought back to when he did the distraction and knew that he might have overreached when he grabbed the bottle his 'Falmerblood Elixir' was stored in, it was the only way the little creature could have gotten her hands on his weapon, to which he refrained from growling or making a scene. His reason for doing so was because the Guild's influence in Riften was lower than what it had been in the past, mostly because Maven was waiting for them to prove themselves before she fully gave the Guild her protection, which would allow them to bribe guards and do other things. Without that protection there was no way he was going to challenge the little creature over ownership of the weapon she had picked up, so for the time being he focused on making sure Capper and his companions knew where to find him and his group, even though Rarity and the others seemed more interested in remaining above ground right now. With that in mind Brynjolf departed from the area, allowing the group to see a pair of guards approach Brand-Shei, as he had nodded to them once the deed was done, and in no time Brand-Shei realized that he had a ring that didn't belong to him and was escorted to the prison.

With that done Capper, La'nari, and Tri Ki made their way down to the lower level of the canals, finding a door down there that La'nari said went into the Ratway, the sewers of Riften, though much like the Solitude sewers there was a stone path and no water in their way, meaning all they had to do was find their destination.

As it turned out there was a pair of individuals in the area just beyond the door they entered through who seemed to have a bone to pick with the Guild, in fact when Capper raised a hand they overheard how the pair of nords had set up this whole plan to rob anyone who came looking for the Thieves Guild. Apparently the pair thought that Brynjolf and the Guild were total idiots, beyond stupid in their eyes, for sending potential recruits down here, where they could kill would be thieves and strip them of their loot, to sell to the vendors in the market no doubt. That explained the sudden decrease in recruits La'nari had experienced before she quit working for the Guild, a pair of nords, no doubt belonging to a larger group that had been cut down to two people, were killing people before they could reach the Ragged Flagon. Of course that didn't explain all of the bad luck that the Guild had faced, which was why she had left them in the first place, but at least they now understood part of the problems that Brynjolf and the others were currently facing, one they would appreciate the removal of.

With that in mind Capper focused on the two nords as something interesting happened, one was coming their way, no doubt to keep an eye out for targets to slay, while his companion seemed more focused on the fire they had started, to which he had his companions hide in the shadows for a few moments before La'nari and Tri Ki stabbed him in his vitals before he had a chance to react. In the next moment Capper drew a blade and stabbed him right in the heart, where he found that golden sword had the same power as the greatsword he had created by merging the two golden blades together, it reduced the nord to a pile of gold and gems, leaving a golden soul gem behind. He paused for a moment and found that the blade was like a miniature version of the greatsword now, in fact both looked like they took on it's appearance, though this allowed him to learn more about his weapons and that he should be careful with them, since the treasure dropping could alert others to his position. Fortunately it appeared that the other nord was unaware of what was going on and continued to stoke the fire, to which the trio approached the figure before bringing him down as well, leaving Capper to finish him off, though once that was done a small portal opened nearby and a gray kobold carrying a sack walked out to collect the fallen treasure.

It was a system he and Ithelia had set up, that two or three kobolds could be left as collectors, gathering the treasure that was left when he killed an enemy with his blades, and they made sure to take everything of value that the two nords had been in possession of, to be sorted back in his realm, plus the golden soul gems would be waiting for him upon his return.

While the kobold did that Capper found that the path leading forward rounded a corner and discovered that the path, which was a wooden bridge, had been raised, though there was a tunnel to the left and one to their right on the lower level, though the left one seemed to be a shortcut of sorts. As such he dropped down into the lower area and found that Tri Ki used her new ebony dagger to stab a few skeevers, allowing her to add a few tails to the ingredients the alchemists could use and even collected a few more golden soul gems, which she gave to Capper. As it turned out the left path he discovered held a door that was easy to unlock, which brought them to a short of stairs leading up to a flat area, with someone standing over a table, before he decided to check what was down the other path, finding a trap on the door of the right path. He made short work of the lockpick and found that there were only skeevers down here, along with a beggar that tried to punch him, a fact that ended in his swift death, though Capper did collect his odd gloves, as they seemed unique, before finding that the rest of the path brought them to the backside of the guy by the table.

With that in mind Capper took that figure down as well, and he made sure to collect the book that was on the table when he gathered the figure's goods, before La'nari pointed at a door that lead to an underground tavern, causing him to grin as he wondered how the Thieves Guild would react to their success in getting here, and the success and wealth they would bring them in the days to come.

Guild: First Jobs

"So... this is the Ragged Flagon." Capper remarked, keeping his voice low as he took in the area that Brynjolf wanted them to meet him in, where it looked like part of the sewer's cistern that had been modified to fit a tavern, without disrupting the rest of the sewer's functions, and discovered four alcoves, two to their right and two to the left, all of which were empty, causing him to sigh, "This is kind of what I was expecting, thanks to your stories from when you were a member... but part of me was hoping to see more than a few members."

"I know what you mean... it feels like there are fewer here than when I was a member." La'nari commented, because she could see Tonilia, Vex, and Delvin sitting among the various tables that were in the Flagon, while Dirge, the gruff imperial guard that was usually standing beside the tavern's sign, was not at his usual post, in fact he was near the bar with Vekel and Brynjolf, the latter wearing a black version of the Thieves Guild attire.

Capper glanced around as he stepped forward, walking into the Flagon as he studied everyone, and found that Vekel was of the opinion that the days of the Thieves Guild were nearing their end, that with no new recruits, plus their bad luck since none of them were completing jobs, it was only a matter of time until the Guild disbanded.

"Sorry Vekel, but this time you're wrong. I've never seen anyone like this before, and if I'm right he's already here." Brynjolf said, where Capper could see that everyone was focused on him, La'nari, and Tri Ki, while at the same time he assumed that the thief in question was smiling, because they had just done what had been deemed impossible, causing him to turn and show them that he was, in fact, smiling, "Color me really impressed now. With all the problems we've been having I wasn't certain that we'd see you, or your friends, again... and yet here you are, standing before us."

"Not to boast or anything, but getting here was incredibly easy." Capper replied, which was the truth, in fact he was sure he could have done it on his own, and it wasn't due to the fact that he was now a Daedric Prince, rather it was due to his skills and how weak the targets in the Ratway had been, his natural skills would have won the day anyway.

"You know, after seeing you in action earlier, I can believe that... you really are quite the star recruit." Brynjolf said, which just confirmed what he thought when he witnessed Capper's skills in the market, he was a born thief and his skills were what the Guild needed if they wanted to survive, he was the key to turning everything around, "Before I fully welcome you into the Thieves Guild, there's one more small job I want you to perform, so we can verify the rest of your skills... do this right and I can promise you that even Mercer will agree to let you, all three of you, into the Guild."

La'nari knew that this would likely involve heading out into the city and doing something to some of the merchants, that was what she and plenty of others had done, even though she had only messed with one person before joining the Guild, and she knew Capper would no doubt ace this job as well.

"Very well, tell me what you need me to do and I'll show you my skills." Capper replied, because the only other skill that a thief could be tested on was their speechcraft, their ability to speak to others and persuade them, even get better prices from the merchants of the land, since Brynjolf had tested everything else so far.

"Simple: I need you to talk to three deadbeats... those being Keerava, Bersi Honey-Hand, and Haelga... and collect a payment that they owe us." Brynjolf stated, where he could see that Capper was already considering his moves on how to gather the gold from the people he had just mentioned, meaning he had to be right about how the cat would fit in with the rest of the Thieves Guild, and he was sure Mercer would agree with him, "I'll be honest, the debt is secondary... the real reason behind this job is to get the point across that we're not to be messed with or ignored, you just need to find a way to convince them to hand over their payments that will send a message to the rest of the city. A word of warning, though, I don't want any of them killed."

Capper nodded, as killing people in cities meant less targets for the Guild to steal from in the future, as the rest of the Guild members walked to their tables to relax, before he asked if Brynjolf had any information on his targets, since it would help him get the job done. As it turned out he had some information that could be useful, as Bersi had an urn in his shop that was of dwarven make, something he claimed was 'priceless' despite how common they were, and Brynjolf's recommendation on the matter was just to break the ugly thing and be done with it. For Haelga his information was about the Dibella statue that was in her bunkhouse, as she was a devout follower of the Divine in question and dotted over the statue, so using it against her might be the key to getting her payment, though when the discussion turned to Keerava, however, Capper decided not to listen to Brynjolf's suggestion. It was due to the fact that his suggestion was to approach the argonian that was in love with her, who also worked at The Bee and Barb, and convince Talen-Jei to hand over information that would force Keerava into handing over her payment, a line Capper didn't feel like crossing at the moment.

With the information in hand Capper decided that it was time to head back up to the main streets and see if he could use it to gain the payments that Brynjolf was after, where it didn't take them long to get back to the market and found that the others were just browsing at the moment, which was perfectly fine.

"So, what are we going to do?" La'nari asked, because she knew that Capper was different from the other thieves she had come across, even though she agreed that he was the best recruit Brynjolf could ask for, and suspected that he had a plan to deal with the targets he had been given, in a way to not piss them off.

"Simple, we're going to take their prized possessions. Nothing screams 'Thieves Guild' like stealing a priceless or personal item, like the urn and statue." Capper replied, it was simple when he thought about it, they were a guild that specialized in stealing things and being sneaky, so punching people to send a message seemed just plain wrong, and he suspected that if two of the three were hit the third might surrender without him having to do anything, "Then I'll approach them and tell the targets if they don't want anything else stolen they'll pay on time."

La'nari had to admit that it sounded far easier than what Brynjolf likely had in mind, because it would make the merchants and people fear the Thieves Guild again, which was the whole point of the mission he had been given, though as she quickly nodded her head Capper had both of them cover their faces with their hoods. This would ensure that the merchants would only know that the Guild was behind the thefts and not any single person, before he focused on their first target, which was The Pawned Prawn, which happened to be when a lady, Bersi's wife to be exact, exited the shop and headed into the market for a time. This was good for Capper, since it meant that there were fewer obstacles for him to worry about, causing him and his companions to enter the small shop and quickly discovered that Bersi, the nord owner, was alone right now, and as he turned to face them it took no time to locate the dwarven urn. The target was right across from where the trade bench was located, so Bersi could stare at his 'priceless' artifact all day when he had no customers to worry about, though Capper kept his head lowered as he pointed out an item on the shelf behind the nord, causing Bersi to look away for a few seconds.

It was in the following seconds that La'nari removed the dwarven urn from it's resting place and handed it to Tri Ki, where the kobold scurried outside, so when Bersi turned his attention back to the customers he discovered that it was missing, all while Capper and La'nari played at being innocent.

"M... My urn! Where did it go?" Bersi remarked, his voice already trembling as he realized that the object was gone, and if he had paid for it that was gold down the drain now, before he glanced at the pair that was in front of him and realized that one of them might be able to help him out, "Do you know where my urn went?"

"I do: it was stolen by the Thieves Guild, who also have a message. That message is that bad things will happen if you don't pay on time." Capper replied, where he pulled out a coin and flipped it for a moment as the nord glanced at him, before also glancing at the figure that was behind him, as if he was trying to figure out which of them had stolen the urn so he could call the guards on them, which wouldn't work since he hadn't witnessed the event in question, "You don't want anything else of value to be stolen, do you? Pay on time and you won't have to worry about receiving more visits like this."

Bersi paused for a moment as he considered his options, on one hand he could say no and the thieves would keep coming, but on the other he could just give in and hope no more thugs came to his shop, causing him to sigh as he handed over a bag of gold and told them to get out, he wanted nothing more to do with them. Capper found that it was a hundred gold, which was definitely a safety payment, causing him to collect the small bag before he and La'nari withdrew from the shop, but with their hoods up, and the fact that they could change clothes, he knew Bersi would forget about them and would no doubt take their business in the future. With that in mind they found that Tri Ki had retreated to an area near the building that Haelga ran, away from the guards, where she held the urn up and Capper smiled as he rubbed her head and told her that she had done a good job, before taking the object and warped it back to his realm. He was sure someone in his realm would be fascinated by the dwarven item, a common one based on what he had gathered, but once that was done he and the rest of his trio entered the Bunkhouse to hit their second target.

Sure enough they found that the place was empty, in fact the lower floor of the structure seemed to be devoid of people at the moment, not even Haelga was nearby, giving them a chance to explore for a few moments, before Capper located a very important statue on a place of importance, one that seemed to be a mix of silver and gold, though he held a hand out and it disappeared, landing in the pile of treasure in his realm.

"You three looking for something?" Haelga asked, because after claiming the statue they had returned to the counter, only to find that the female nord they were looking for had been in her room the entire time, likely working on the ledger for her business before realizing that customers might be present.

"We're just here to warn you of what happens when people don't pay the Thieves Guild: you end up losing things of value that are hard to replace." Capper replied, which was the moment that Haelga realized that he was talking about something inside the actual Bunkhouse and she walked over to the area the statue had been in, only to discover that her Dibella statue was missing, causing her to look at them, "You don't want anything else stolen... right?"

Haelga growled for a moment before sighing as she tracked down a small bag of gold and tossed it at Capper, who quickly made sure that the hundred gold coins were inside before nodding his head, allowing them to leave the Bunkhouse so they could head across the way to head into The Bee and Barb. Sure enough he found that it was somewhat busy, as there were a number of patrons from the houses at the various tables, though Keerava, the female argonian who owned this place, was behind the bar, which seemed to be what most of the owners of the inns and taverns did. Interestingly enough she already had the payment ready, no doubt after hearing Bersi come in and tell her to be ready for thieves coming to extort money from her, and the mere mention of Brynjolf's name caused her to hand it over without delay. With the third bag in hand, and it also had a hundred gold inside it, Capper and the others departed from the inn before heading back down into the Ratway without delay, as it was time to give their acquaintance the goods news.

Sure enough they found Brynjolf in the same place they had left him in, in fact Capper was sure the nord had been waiting patiently for their return and his smile from earlier was still on his face, no doubt assuming that Capper had done the job in no time at all.

"Jobs done. Here's the payments." Capper stated, handing Brynjolf the three bags that had been handed to him, where he found that the thief made a quick check to be sure everything was in order, meaning some of the other thieves might have skimmed in the past and he was just making sure he wouldn't have that problem with Capper.

"Well done, you are proving to be a sound investment, lad." Brynjolf replied, where he handed over a small bag of potions, a reward for the job no doubt, which Capper took without delay, causing the man to beckon for them to follow him, because he knew the trio wanted into the Guild and he was willing to show them to their destiny, "As you know the Guild has been in a downward spiral lately, everyone has been failing jobs and we've been losing gold... even Mercer, our best, failed a job not a few days ago, so be careful what you say to him, as he's been in a foul mood. However, I can assure you that with your skills you will be making far more gold than you'll know what to spend it on... and hearing of your exploits might be enough to get everyone else to push themselves to do better."

Capper nodded as they were brought to a secret passage behind a cabinet, one that brought them to an actual cistern that looked like it had been modified to house a large group of thieves, where he found Mercer, who was definitely annoyed by something, standing in the middle of the area, with a few other thieves hanging out around the outer ring.

"Mercer, these are the ones I mentioned earlier... our new recruits." Brynjolf stated, something that caused the breton thief to turn towards them for a moment, though Capper had to wonder how his last couple of missions had gone since he no longer had the Skeleton Key in his possession, since that seemed to be how Mercer was so successful.

"Yes, so you've told me. I can only that this isn't another waste of the Guild's dwindling resources." Mercer remarked, which made sense due to the fact that the Guild was suffering and most of the thieves were failing to do their jobs, leading to a loss in wealth and contacts, which explained why they had no respect in Riften, while at the same time Brynjolf glanced at his boss for a few seconds, like a silent exchange was taking place, before he sighed and turned towards Capper, "There is one thing I want to make perfectly clear before we continue: if you play by the rules, you'll walk away rich... if you break the rules, well, you lose your share. There will be no debates and no discussions... you do what we say, when we say. Am I clear?"

"Of course. Everyone has rules they live by, and so do guilds, so it makes sense to follow them." Capper replied, though he did think it was odd that the Guild was of the opinion that if you screwed up a job you wouldn't be able to explain yourself, especially if you did it right and some other force screwed you over, but decided not to raise that point.

Mercer seemed to maul this over for a few seconds before stating that he had a job that would allow Capper to show them his expertise, since Brynjolf was so sure of his abilities, and Brynjolf even mentioned Goldenglow, the estate that was right outside Riften and happened to be positioned on a small island in the middle of the lake. According to the information he had to give him Goldenglow Estate was critically important to one of the Guild's largest clients, Maven no doubt, but recently the owner took matters into his own hands and shut them out, meaning he needed to be taught a lesson. Brynjolf was then tasked with giving him the rest of the details, where he learned that it was a bee farm, of all things, a wood elf called Aringoth owned the place, and Capper's task was to burn three of the hives and steal the contents of the safe that was somewhere inside the estate. Brynjolf also told him that Aringoth had replaced the Riften guards that had been on his land with a band of mercenaries, who nearly killed Vex when she was sent in to do the job, so fighting his way into the estate wasn't an option, not unless Capper wanted to die an early death.

Capper also spent some time chatting with the other key members of the Guild, such as Vex, the female imperial thief that seemed to always be in a bad mood, or Delvin Mallory, an older breton thief, who believed that an entity had cursed them, hence the state the Guild was in. Capper thought it was funny that the others were so quick to dismiss Delvin's comment, as the Daedric Princes existed and had some presence in Nirn, usually cultists and followers, so it wasn't hard to imagine that one had been annoyed by something the Guild had done and cursed them accordingly. Delvin did have something he found to be interesting, that if they did enough side jobs in a city someone in that city would, eventually, contact him and set up a personal job, and if someone from the Guild succeeded in completing that job they would gain influence in the city that had hired them. Capper assumed it was something like their arrangement with Maven, if they had her backing, which she might reward the Guild with if they did this job for her, they could get away with things in Riften, and if they had someone like one of the families in Whiterun in their pocket they could do the same in Whiterun.

One other thing he did was check in with Tonilia, as he could now officially use her services as a fence without having to track down someone from the Guild to talk to her, because she had a set of armor for him, though it really wasn't for him since he and La'nari already had their own Guild armor.

"Tri Ki, come over here." Capper said, where Tonilia watched as the kobold approached him for a moment, leading to Capper slipping the gloves over her hands before they watched as the material shrunk down to fit her hands, causing her to flex her hand and fingers for a moment before both of them grinned as Capper helped her into the rest of the outfit, each piece of it shrinking and changing to match her body, while the boots became more like wraps around her feet, until she looked like a full Guild member, "That's good to know, armor and gear shrinks to fit a kobold's body."

La'nari nodded, as this told Capper that he could just obtain a lot of armor and hand them out to the other kobolds, giving them something to wear that wasn't rags, meaning it was something they could focus on in the future, once they were done with the current job. With this information in hand Capper departed from the Flagon and headed back to the surface level of Riften, because all he could do for the time being was just stake out the estate from afar as he came up with a plan of attack to fulfill the requirements that Brynjolf had set for them. As it turned out the sun was starting to set, meaning night would be upon everyone soon, which was great timing when he thought about it, and he found that Rarity's group had retreated to the inn for the time being, no doubt looking for leads on jobs to do when they left the city. Following that he headed out onto the docks and found that a few argonians were making their way into the city, for dinner and rest most likely, though this did allow him and the others to stare out at the two story estate that wasn't too far from where Riften was located.

Capper found that there was one way into the estate's area, that being the bridge connecting it to the main road that he and the others used to reach Riften, a bridge they had passed by previously, but Vex's information suggested that there was one other way to the backdoor, a sewer path by a hidden grate, before he glanced back at La'nari for a moment.

"Oh no, this is your moment. Show the Guild what you're made of." La'nari said, as she suspected that he was going to ask for her opinion on the matter, but Mercer wanted to see what he was capable of and she knew he was going to be surprised with the show he would soon learn about.

Capper smiled as Tri Ki decided to join him, as this was their show, to which he made his way to the gate they used when he and the others traveled between Treva's Watch and Riften, following it for a short period of time until he located the area that held the apiaries that were their targets, as there were six of them. His reason for doing this was because there were no mercenaries in that particular area, rather they had a single wooden wall around where the apiaries were located, which was a smart move since it helped them and prevented archers from damaging the structures, but it also helped him out. With that in mind he had the kobold get on his back before he crouched low and then leapt forward, like a ninja moving across the surface of the water or a frog leaping from point to point, and he stopped when he reached the rocky ledge of the area that his targets were in. Following that he jumped on the rocks for a few seconds and reached the backside of the wall, where he and Tri Ki carefully looked at the area, to be sure that the mercenaries were unaware of their presence, which was when Capper held out his left hand and summoned flames into his hand, a perk of unlocking his magic he guessed.

Such a thing allowed him to set fire to three of the apiaries, just as requested, and once that was done he quickly dismissed the magic and went back behind the wooden wall, where they found that most of the mercenaries in the outside area were on their way to check out the flames. With that in mind he found a path of shadows to slip through so he could reach a short wooden walkway that brought him to the front of the house, but he ignored it and headed towards the back, which just so happened to be looking in the direction of Riften. As Tri Ki climbed off his back Capper unlocked the door and they stepped inside, both crouching as they entered the structure, though he handed the kobold a couple of lockpicks and she nodded, because while they looked for the safe both of them were going to rob Aringoth blind. Of course they had to be careful, due to the fact that there were some mercenaries inside the estate as well, though Capper suspected that none of them would even know they were in the building, especially since it was night out and the mercenaries would likely be falling asleep in the near future.

As they sneaked their way through the estate, however, Capper found that the mercenaries seemed to enjoy playing gold all over the place, as there were coins in drawers, dressers, and in pouches hidden behind other items, plus there were a few chests to unlock and a knapsack to loot, earning them a fair amount of gold coins, a gem or two, and a few potions to add to the collection.

Eventually the main floor emptied out as the mercenaries were made aware of the flames outside, so it was all hands on deck to make sure the flames were contained, and no one noticed anything was amiss since Capper and Tri Ki hid in what appeared to be a basement, after unlocking an iron grated door and closing it a moment later. Part of him wanted to see if the safe was down in the basement, though he had Tri Ki stand guard over the entrance, and out of sight, as he made his way to the stairs leading to the second floor, where he suspected Aringoth might be hiding. He found a few areas that had a fair bit of gold, a small pile of it was on a table he passed by and looted, though the mercenaries on this floor were tired and falling asleep at their posts, in fact some were asleep, meaning it was far too easy for him to make his way to Aringoth's locked room. It was a simple matter for him to unlock the door and enter the room, where he found the wood elf hiding off in the corner, appearing to be in the middle of making himself look like he wasn't noticeable at all, where Capper sighed as he ignored Aringoth, because he wasn't paying attention and that made it easy to loot his room.

In the end he made off with quite a lot of gold, a number of gemstones, a bee statue that was interesting, and he even stole the elven bow from Aringoth, right off his back without the wood elf noticing, though he ignored the keys that were likely for both the safe and the door leading to the basement. With his visit to Aringoth's room complete Capper retraced his steps to the iron grated door and opened it once he was ready to move on, finding that Tri Ki had been left alone without anyone even noticing that she was down there, but once they were together again they opened the door and moved forward once more. Capper wasn't surprised to find a few more mercenaries down in the basement, which was where a lot of furniture was being stored, but for the most part it looked like the people down here were drunk, no doubt doing so where Aringoth wouldn't bother them. With that in mind it didn't take them long to find a series of turns that eventually brought them to a drunk mercenary in a chair, who they bypassed with ease, before heading down some stairs and reached an area with a safe, a chest, and a door heading into the sewers.

He found that it didn't take him long to loot the two locked containers, their locks meant nothing to him, but he did find an odd note that indicated that Goldenglow Estate had been sold, with 'Gulum-Ei' working as an agent for the buyer, and it had an odd symbol on it, something that made Capper smile as he wondered what the Guild would make of this information and wondered what future jobs they might have in store for him.

Guild: Back to the Road

It didn't take Capper and Tri Ki long to return to the area of the docks that La'nari was standing in, especially since he had found that the secret passage inside the estate's basement had, in fact, gone into the sewer Vex had told him about and he had used a ladder to leave, before crossing the water rapidly like he had done before. Once they caught up with La'nari it was easy to see that a few of the Riften guards, those that were the night shift no doubt, were looking in the direction of the estate and could see the flames from the three burning apiaries, and he suspected they were surprised by this discovery, that the area was hit. Since no one seemed to be interested in talking to them Capper slipped back into Riften with Tri Ki and La'nari following after him, where they made their way over to the small graveyard and he tapped the button that was on the larger grave, in the alcove that made it seem like someone important was buried here. He was still surprised by how silent the secret entrance to the Guild really was, and the fact that no one seemed to be in the area right now, allowing them to head into the short underground passage before carefully closing the passage behind them, so no one walked in on the Guild at the wrong moment.

Of course since it was night out the Guild members that were in the Cistern were asleep, save for Brynjolf and Mercer by the looks of things, as the former was standing in the center of the area and the latter was by his desk, sitting down and having a drink as he went over the numbers.

"Word from our man in the guard is that Goldenglow has been hit." Brynjolf commented, speaking once the trio were right in front of him, while at the same time it looked like he was pleased with the work that had been done, since he had a smile on his face, like he knew they would have succeeded where everyone else had failed, a sign that things were changing, "You got the goods, right?"

"Of course. This was in the safe." Capper replied, handing over the bill of sale that he and Tri Ki had found in the safe, while he kept the gold to himself since that didn't seem relevant right now, as the information that the estate had been sold was far more important than anything else that was going on at the moment, "There's a symbol on it that I don't recognize."

"I don't recognize it either... you know, I thought Aringoth was foolish, but cutting Maven out of a deal just makes him stupid, since it'll only enrage her." Brynjolf said, though at the same time it made him wonder what the wood elf was even thinking, as this seemed far outside the box for him, before he noticed the look on Capper's face and chuckled as he handed over a bag of gold, his payment for doing the job as specified, "You did well, lad, and proved that I was right to trust you. You'll find that the others will be more accepting of you and your friends, and both Vex and Delvin will have the odd job to give you, to help return the Guild to it's former glory. Now, there is something else for you: Maven sent word that she wanted to speak to you in The Bee and Barb."

"Ah, more business. Good, I shall speak with her immediately." Capper said, because he suspected that it was time for her to set her plan with Mallus in motion, meaning Maven would no doubt be sending someone to Whiterun to get the details and then complete the job, which should be interesting when he considered what it might mean.

Brynjolf knew that Capper's group had worked with Maven before, which meant that he knew this could be a good job for both him and the Guild, and understood that failure wasn't an option anymore, causing him to nod as the cat headed back out through the hidden entrance, his companions following after him. Capper, La'nari, and Tri Ki discovered something that really made Capper question the intelligence of people as a whole, because as they headed out into the market he spotted someone in Thieves Guild armor trying to break into the smithy, of all places. As it turned out they weren't the only ones that had noticed such a thing, as a guard started calling out 'thief' as she, it was a female guard, loosed arrows at him, striking the thief as he realized he had been busted, though he perished after taking an arrow to the head. Capper then noticed that the guard didn't seem to care about recovering any potentially stolen loot, to which he walked over and found an elven dagger on the corpse, along with a pouch of gold, some impressive silver silverware, a few low quality gems, and a golden soul gem since he died in the radius that surrounded Capper.

"So that's part of the reason the Guild is failing... even the newcomers are being picked off like they're nothing." La'nari said, because this was bad news, that all of the new recruits were being caught in the act and were being put down by the guards, though as she said that Capper recovered the armor of the slain thief and transported it back to his realm, along with the new gem that he would awaken at a later date.

Capper sighed for a moment, as this wasn't something he wanted to discover right now, before heading into The Bee and Barb, where he noticed that a number of patrons were still enjoying themselves, causing him to head back upstairs, where he found Maven in the place that they had talked in several times before, with her usual expression on her face.

"Capper, we meet again... it is disappointing that you can't do my jobs to my specifications, but will do well for the Guild you have joined." Maven remarked, though Capper refrained from lashing out at her, because she was the one constantly taking from the payments that he and the others rightly earned, especially since they met her demands on time and to what would satisfy anyone else, but he remained calm and collected.

"I am the best at what I do, and I fulfill my duties to the letter." Capper replied, making no move to do away with Maven while her guard was apparently down, as he had plans for her and he wanted to make sure the board was stacked against her before he made his move, and he made a little move as he lowered his head a tiny bit, "Do not worry, whatever problems you had before will be a thing of the past."

"I would hope not, because this job is more important than the others. You see, I have a competitor called Honningbrew Meadery that I would like to see be put out of business." Maven said, where Capper realized that she was likely talking about the meadery they had passed when they entered Whiterun in the past, as it was the only other meadery he happened to know about, and he remained silent as she fully explained what she wanted from him, "In addition to that I want to know how in the world Sabjorn got it up and running so quickly... I should have stopped him years ago, before he took his bile to market and took a chunk of my profits. When you get to Whiterun, speak to Mallus, he'll fill you in on all the details... and let me make one thing clear: screw this job up and you'll be spending the rest of the Fourth Era in prison."

Capper told her that there would be no problems and that he would depart first thing in the morning, as if to indicate that he had some preparations he had to make first, which was the truth as he departed from the inn and simply took in Riften for a time, as there was something he wanted to do before they left. This time around he let La'nari and Tri Ki spend some time with the others, even though they would be leaving once morning arrived, which allowed him to focus on the magic that he was currently thinking of using, something to help them travel fast from one city to another. He was thinking to the area of his new domain that had nine arches, as he had realized that he had created it to form nine portals, one to each of the main Holds, meaning he and his kobolds could travel from one Hold, stop in the Opulent Lands for a short time, and then head into another Hold's city without wasting time. With that in mind he was moving the portal outside the city to a place that was inside Riften, and right now the best thing he could think about for placement was near the small house that was to the left of the bunkhouse, as it seemed like no one lived there and would make a good place for the gate.

With that in mind Capper used his power to move the portal they had used earlier and placed it on the side of the house that no one owned, because as far as he could tell no one came this way and none of the guards looked here, so it was out of the way and no one would even know it was there, and to be sure it worked he stepped through it, reappearing in his realm, in the area the nine arches were resting in.

"I know you have plans for her, my Prince, but are you really okay with her talking down to you like that?" Ithelia asked, as she knew about the nine arches, because Capper had explained his plan to link the nine Holds together with a set of special portals, even if it was just for him, his companions, and the kobolds to use, but she didn't like Maven for multiple reasons, all of which her Prince knew about.

"She's important for the Thieves Guild... for now. I'll remove her when the time is right." Capper replied, because he knew that all of the other Princes, from what he had learned since arriving in this world, would either find Maven to be amusing or be infuriated by her attitude towards them and smite her on the spot, but he had other plans right now, before he sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, "Keep an eye on Riften and wake me when it's early morning... I need some sleep before I worry about this job."

Ithelia nodded her head without wasting time as Capper took up residence in one of the nearby houses, where she returned to tending to the other kobolds while keeping an eye on the city in question, knowing that her Prince had plans and that he would be awakened at the time he had specified.

When morning arrived Capper returned to Riften and found that the others were getting ready as well, though in addition to that he found that Ithelia had returned their carriage to them, it was outside the southern gate, and once everyone had a bite to eat they got on the carriage before departing from Riften again.

"So, as you might have heard, we're heading to Whiterun, as Maven gave me another job... this one for the Guild." Capper said, though at the same time he and the others sipped on their drinks as La'nari directed the horse down the familiar path, which would bring them to their old fort for a couple of seconds, and he could see that Tri Ki was excited to continue their hard work, even though Capper knew there would be more work when they got back, "We're going to head to the city, I'm going to speak with our contact, and then I'll get the job done... maybe while we're there Azure can see out the Companions and try to join their ranks."

"That's nice, darling, though I'm surprised that you want to travel slowly to Whiterun, given your... new powers and what we saw earlier." Rarity stated, because she was still thinking about the creation of a new realm and what the Princesses back home might think about someone like Capper gaining such a power, even though they'd be more focused on the power and what he had done with it, "Given that this job seems incredibly important, well, I'm just surprised that you didn't want to just open a portal to Whiterun and get it over with."

"That would be far too easy... and besides, I don't have portals in the other Holds." Capper replied, something that caused La'nari and Midnight to nod their heads in agreement, because there had been only one portal in the Opulent Lands, even though there had been nine portal frames, something that allowed the others to sort of understand what he was talking about, "I could probably warp to the cities on my own, but that is also too easy. So the plan is simple: we're going to travel to each Hold, like we did in the past, and while we're in each city I'll find a good area to set up a hidden portal that will be connected to the arches you saw earlier. Such a thing will allow us to move from place to place much easier, but for the time being I think traveling like normal people would be nice... besides, we might find some more spell tomes for you to read, might discover some more bandits to take out, maybe acquire some blood so you can feed."

"Basically we can do more things while on the road." La'nari stated, showing that she understood Capper more now, since it was possible that they would find more enemies to take out, acquire more loot to obtain for his realm and find more items for the rest of the kobolds, and she agreed that this would allow Rarity to feed and potentially gain new powers, if they were lucky to find a mage.

What was interesting to Capper was that there was something that stopped them about halfway to where their old fort was located, there happened to be a trio of robe wearing individuals, the type that a Vigilant of Stendarr would wear, that just so happened to call them over once they realized the group was passing by. In the next moment they discovered three dead bodies that had been looted of everything of value, save for their underwear as Capper found that it was one man and two women who lost their lives, before they noticed that the three fake Vigilants had familiar glowing eyes. Rarity was the first one to move, getting off the carriage as everyone reacted to the vampires that were in front of them, where she got behind one of them and sunk her fangs into the vampire's neck, causing the creature to gasp in surprise as she drained his blood, all while Capper had the others pin the other two vampires to the ground. The reason for that was because Capper knew that vampires had strong magical powers and that letting Rarity feed on all three of them had multiple benefits, as in it would let her sate her thirst, it would give her new magic to use, the trio would drop golden soul gems, and they could use the robes for the magically talented kobolds.

Of course he knew that Rarity didn't want to become addicted to blood, like some of the vampires that existed in the lands, but for the most part it seemed like she was focused on the power she might be able to obtain, though once she was done, and Capper had collected the golden soul gems from the vampires and the gold pouches from the dead Vigilants, Rarity made sure to burn the bodies.

"I know they're already vampires, but... better safe than sorry." Rarity remarked, because while they understood some of the rules of this world she knew that there were still rules they didn't know, especially since Capper was now a Prince, causing her to hold a hand to her face as she considered things for a couple of seconds, "Wouldn't want them to come back after all of that, so I reduced them to ashes as well... though after all of that it feels like my back is itching like crazy."

Capper raised an eyebrow as he decided to help Rarity out, where he had her turn around as she shifted her robes, enough for him to see what might be causing the itch without having her completely exposing herself, and what he discovered was that there now appeared to be a tattoo of sorts on her back, which hadn't been there before.

"It would seem that you've gained some sort of tattoo, in the form of a large pair of bat wings." Capper commented, running his hand over the icon for a moment and found that it wasn't like anything else he had seen, rather it seemed magical, as if the wings were actually sealed in her back or something, which caused her to wonder what in the world was going on right now, "I would hazard that you're developing as a unique vampire, and that eventually you'll develop actual wings... which I'm sure you'll be able to hide in this tattoo so you can blend in with people."

"So we have a unique vampire, a Daedric Prince, a bunch of kobolds... what's next? A primal werewolf?" La'nari asked, as it seemed like the group was just attracting all sorts of unique individuals, especially when she considered what was waiting in Capper's realm and what little she knew about the rest of Oblivion, before she sighed as she realized she would be seeing all of the madness the group would be getting up to in the future.

Capper chuckled a little, as there was so much in this world that could be found and obtained, and other powers to gain for the others, though after double checking the area for anything of value he returned to the carriage as they got underway once more, following the path that would bring them back to Whiterun. As they did that, however, Capper was amused to find that Aela was wrapping up a job in an area ahead of them, apparently having come to the mill that rested between the city and Treva's Watch, because of a bear that had gotten in where it was unwelcome. Capper and Azure offered her a ride back to Whiterun, since they were already heading in that direction, and she took it without delay, as the ride would allow her a chance to rest before she reported her success to the rest of the Companions, which she and Azure talked about, as she knew the figure was interested in her guild. At the same time Aela noticed Tri Ki sitting with the group and decided that she could ask about the creature later, since right now it seemed to be passive or even friendly, and it was her first time seeing such a being, meaning there would be a lot for them to talk about.

As it turned out there didn't seem to be much in the way of dangers for them to worry about, though Capper did discover an interesting fact as a pair of spiders tried to attack them, they, too, produced golden soul gems upon death, but this time he noticed that the energy inside their gems was different than those that came from mortals. Such a thing made him wonder if he could populate his land with animals and creatures, reborn in a more opulent form, where he suspected that the pair of spiders might be more akin to crystals while producing crystalline thread, while other animals might have more pristine pelts and additions that made them different from their mortal counterparts. He determined to collect a few more golden soul gems from the other creatures of the world, since it would be interesting to experiment with them in the future, but for the time being he focused on the road as La'nari directed them towards Helgen. It was the quickest route to get to Whiterun, even if the area had been wiped out by the black dragon they had seen previously, which would allow them to track down Mallus again and get the show on the road, plus it would allow Capper to set up another portal for quick transport between the two cities and his realm.

Since there turned out to be no enemies on the road, thanks to them clearing out the threats the last time they came this way, La'nari was able to get them to Helgen without wasting too much time, where they found that the ruined town was still bare, no bandits have moved in and no one had made an attempt to reclaim the place.

With that in mind they continued through the other gateway and headed back down the path to Riverwood, finding that they could just relax and make themselves ready for what the future held in store for them, since there didn't seem to be any foes in the area. Capper figured it was partly their fault, since this was the path they took to get to Whiterun, and there was the guards of Riverwood to thank as well, since he was sure that they were patrolling the area and eliminating targets that could do harm to the village, as per their orders. Riverwood seemed to be just fine as they made their way through one of the gates, though the guards spotted Aela and nodded their heads, showing them that the Companions were well respected and were usually admitted through areas without having to stop, making Capper wonder if Azure joining the guild might work to their benefit in the future, if he joined the Companions anyway. Other than that there wasn't much else getting in their way, so they were able to get through the rest of the path that could bring them to the meadery and, eventually, the city itself, and when the group rounded the corner it was easy for them to see their targets once more.

Capper found himself smiling as they continued towards Whiterun, as he was eager to see what the new job had to offer him and the others, plus he was interested in seeing if Azure would try to join the Companions while he was dealing with Maven's job, which caused him to look forward to what the immediate future had in store for him and his companions.

Guild: Work in Whiterun

Capper found that it was about ten in the morning when they arrived in the area outside Whiterun, where they allowed the carriage to be taken by the stable worker that was tending to the horses, something that was followed by them heading into the city itself so they could do what they set out to do when they left Riften earlier. As they entered the city Aela made her way to the mead hall of the Companions, though this time around Azure followed her, as he knew they would be in the city for some time and that it might be worth seeing what the group of warriors wanted from new recruits. As the pair departed, however, Capper found that two kobolds wanted to come out and join them, who happened to be the first warrior kobold, who picked the name Tuk Ur and wore iron armor that fit his new form, while the other was the first mage, Mah Oh, who had taken one of the more pristine mage robes to replace her torn ones. It was kind of interesting to have Tri Ki, Tuk Ur, and Mah Oh together again, since they were the first three Capper had created, though the warrior kobold lifted a greatsword, sized to fit his body's new size, onto his shoulder as he followed Azure, no doubt to learn more from the Companions, while Mah Oh stayed near Rarity, as if she could learn from her.

Such a thing reminded Capper to find a good spot for the portal back to his realm, where he discovered some houses near the edge of the wall that protected Whiterun, to the right of the main entrance after passing by the house no one owned, and set the portal on the backside of the furthest house, linking Whiterun to the Opulent Lands.

"You're getting better at using your new powers." La'nari commented, as it was interesting to see Capper wield his powers to this degree, something that was definitely getting better as the days went by, while at the same time she had to wonder if he would end up like all of the other Princes, not caring about mortals and seeing them as toys.

"They're like any skill, that the more you use them the greater your ability to use them becomes." Capper replied, where he made sure that the portal worked by having Tri Ki use it to head back into his realm and then come back out a few seconds later, meaning they could go from Riften to Whiterun whenever they wanted, which would be handy in the future, "Now then, let's go find our contact and get this show on the road."

Rarity and Midnight, as he expected, were more interested in checking out the city and seeing if there were any odd jobs for them to do, in addition to whatever jobs Capper was given, while La'nari decided to check out the shops, just in case they had some goods that might be worth stealing for the Guild. Capper knew that she was thinking about the jobs that Vex and Delvin had to offer, which he had decided to hold off on for the time being, because those involved breaking into places to steal stuff, or placing something, writing entries in the journals of the shops, or just picking someone's pockets. He and Tri Ki headed back to The Bannered Mare, since that was where he found Mallus previously, and he found that there were a few patrons inside, sitting at the benches and tables, no doubt to get some rest before facing whatever the rest of the day had to throw at them. He spotted Mallus hanging out in the cooking area of the tavern, where no one else was right now, meaning they could have a short discussion about the job before he and his kobold companion headed back to the meadery to do whatever needed to be done to fulfill Maven's demands.

Since it appeared that no one was focusing on them Capper walked over to the area that Mallus was sitting in and he found that the figure looked up as he stopped by his table, where he took a seat across from his contact and offered him a smile as Tri Ki kept an eye on the eating area.

"Let's get down to business, Mallus. Maven said that you had details on Sabjorn and our job." Capper said, keeping his voice low so only they could hear what he was saying right now, all while he kept his own senses on alert since he didn't want the people of the city to realize that they had plans for the meadery.

"Yes, he's about to hold a tasting for Whiterun's Captain of the Guard, an imperial called Caius." Mallus replied, which told Capper that Sabjorn must have been hard at work preparing for this day, even though now it was going to end in disaster for him, as he could see what the plan was before someone even told him everything he needed to know, "Now, the plan is to poison the mead and then have the Captain taste the poisoned drink... not enough to actually harm him, but it will be bad enough to make him deal with Sabjorn... and the beauty of the plan is that he'll be giving you the poison. I know that you are new to Whiterun, but it is well known to everyone in the city that the meadery has quite the pest problem, skeevers to be exact, and I know for a fact that he's been looking for someone to deal with the pests... so you are going to wander into the building, offer him a helping hand, and then use the poison he'll give you to poison the mead."

"I see. Am I correct in assuming that the two buildings are connected?" Capper asked, because from the outside the meadery and the building that stored the vats didn't seem linked, so he had to assume there was an underground passage to link the two together, where Mallus nodded his head, confirming that there was such a path, "Well then, I had better get started on the job, before Sabjorn hires someone else to deal with the pests."

As Mallus turned his head, indicating that he was leaving him to his business, Capper and Tri Ki headed outside and started to make their way towards the main gates of the city, though at the same time he found that Azure and Tuk Ur were already passing through the gates, meaning the Companions might have accepted them into their ranks. Sure enough he found that the pair headed to the right of the fork in the road that would bring them to the meadery, which seemed to confirm what had happened while he was chatting with Mallus, even if it was for a few minutes, causing him to assume that the higher ups in the Companions had put him to work as soon as he and the warrior kobold joined the group. While Azure headed off into the plains, maybe tracking down some bandits to kill, Capper and Tri Ki made their way over to the structure that was their destination, though he was amazed that people weren't even focusing on the kobolds, as even the guards seemed unfazed by their existence. Part of him had to blame the return of the dragons, meaning the people might not be surprised by the existence of the smaller lizards, and it was possible that some thought the kobolds were just a different type of argonian, as the khajiits had all sorts of different forms they could take.

In the end he decided to focus on the job as he and Tri Ki walked up to the meadery, finding a skeever running off into the distance, almost like it was trying to survive or something, and when they entered the building Capper found out why, as he found an older male nord standing over a dead skeever, with a bloody sword on the edge of the bar.

"It seems that we came for some mead at the wrong time. Vermin problem?" Capper asked, making it seem like he and Tri Ki were just travelers, especially since it didn't look like the figure knew that they were members of the Thieves Guild, rather it looked like Sabjorn believed that they might be simple travelers or even adventurers.

"Very funny... this is trouble I don't need, not with the tasting happening this afternoon." Sabjorn stated, though he sighed for a moment as he thought about what this might mean for him, as he didn't like the skeevers and wasn't about to head into the basement that they were coming from, since he was sure there was more down below the meadery.

"Maybe we can be of assistance? We've cleared out skeever dens before, but we don't work for free... if you pay us half the fee now we'll do whatever you request to deal with them." Capper said, as that was a steal, because he suspected that they wouldn't be given the full price anyway, Sabjorn didn't seem like the type to play fair, especially since he felt that there might be some history between him and Mallus, so cheap would be better than full labor.

"Fine. My only demand is that the den be taken out permanently... to that end I bought some poison, but it seems that my good for nothing assistant has vanished on me." Sabjorn replied, where he stepped behind the bar for a moment and pulled out a large vial that contained a fair amount of poison, more than enough to poison the nest and the mead based on what Capper was seeing, before the man seemed to consider something as he placed a key next to the vial, followed by a bag of gold, "That will get you into the basement, where you can deal with the vermin and their foul nest... the tunnel will no doubt take you into the area that the vats are in, so if you can bring a barrel of my Honningbrew Reserve back with you, which is in the middle vat on the right side, I'll pay you more... provided you get here before the Captain of the Guard does."

Capper nodded, not because he wanted the gold, because he was sure Sabjorn was lying and was saying things to get them to perform better than common thugs, rather it was due to the fact that this would allow them to complete Maven's job and further the power of the Guild in another city, but the half payment was quite nice. With the vial of poison in hand, and both the gold and the key in their possession, he and Tri Ki followed Sabjorn through a door and he pointed at another door that was at the bottom of a short set of stairs, before he returned to the bar to deal with the skeever he had killed before their arrival. After that he unlocked the door so he and his companion could get to work, finding that it was a storage area that the door had brought them to, but what was the most important fact was the hole in the wall that headed deeper underground, and the skeevers coming from it. There were two skeevers, which almost seemed stronger than normal skeevers since they were slightly larger and their coats seemed to be a darker shade than those he had seen so far, though he did let Tri Ki stab both of them with her ebony dagger, which put an end to their enemies before they became a problem.

Such a thing also revealed that Capper's earlier thoughts had been accurate, all creatures that died near him produced their own golden soul gem and the skeevers were no exception, allowing him to claim two more golden soul gems before he and the kobold headed down the tunnel, setting the bear traps aside to make things easier for them.

Not a few moments later they reached a small area that had four more skeevers just wandering around, to which Capper also got in on the action as he used one of his blades to cut through two of them, leaving the other two to Tri Ki, and, sure enough, his targets dissolved into a pile of gold and gems as they were slain. It was the side effect of his blades, that much he was sure of, which told Capper that he might want to invest in a weapon that didn't do this, even though this did cause a pair of kobolds with sacks to step out of his realm to collect the newly created treasure. It was clear that Ithelia knew that this was likely going to happen until he was fully in control of his powers, or maybe he knew he'd be bothered by leaving a pile of wealth behind and was tasking some of the kobolds to be 'collectors', collecting the treasure he created while he just focused on his chosen tasks. Capper resolved to talk to Ithelia about this when he returned to the Opulent Lands for a time, since it seemed like a worthwhile to talk about so they reached an understanding, but for the time being he focused on the path in front of him as he and Tri Ki found another decent sized area to pass through, this one filled with five spiders.

The spiders weren't hard to deal with, as none of them heard the pair coming and reacted only when the first two fell to the pair, and even then Capper wasted no time in cutting down those that were left, allowing him to grab all of their golden soul gems before pressing onward once more, leaving the Collectors to gather the piles of treasure. The rest of the path was far more simple than everything else the pair had experienced so far, it was just taking care of a few bear traps and a spike ball trap, even though this told him that there was someone else down here, because this deep meant someone didn't want to be discovered. After that they found what appeared to be the final portion of the underground area, which had a number of the darker skeevers and, more importantly, a shirtless man who seemed to be working at an alchemy table that was right next to the nest that happened to be their target. He had no idea who the man was and he honestly didn't care, because he seemed to be controlling the skeevers, so he left them to Tri Ki, who tossed a pebble at each skeever and then cut them down when they were far away from the others, meaning they wouldn't alert the crowd, and she didn't stop until each and every skeever was dead.

With that in mind Capper drew his blades and cut down the man that was standing over the alchemy table, raining treasure on the table and ground, where he let the Collectors pick up the treasure before he applied part of the poison to the nest, just as Sabjorn asked, and then he looted the nearby chest, which just had some gold inside it.

"Such a strange man... building an army of skeevers, in the underground area below a meadery." Capper commented, as it seemed odd and made him wonder if Mallus even knew that this guy had been down here, because if his contact knew this guy was down here it seemed stupid of him not to mention it, since that could have changed how he approached taking on this entire job.

"Yeah... wonder what drove him to do such an insane thing?" Tri Ki remarked, as she was sure that the journal the man had might explain why he was like this, because most of the people in Skyrim, from what she remembered, kept some sort of journal that detailed important events in their lives, so she suspected the insane mage's would do the same.

Capper decided not to worry about it for the time being as he headed through the other tunnel and found that it ended up in another basement, a new one that appeared to be the basement of the area that the vats were in, which was great since this meant the job was almost over. With that in mind he found the door that would bring them into the vat area and found that there were six vats in the process of making more beer, and there were barrels of the stuff, properly sealed to prevent any of it from leaking out, plus there were bottles stored in a few crates. It was clear that Sabjorn was preparing to make a big move since Maven might be lacking the mead for the coming month, which was part of the reason why she likely wanted Sabjorn out of the picture so Mallus could supply her with the missing items she needed. With that in mind he pulled out one of the bottles and opened it, taking a short swing of the Honningbrew Mead, finding that it had a sweet honey flavor to it, to which he looked at the vat Sabjorn wanted him to extract a barrel of, which he called Honningbrew Reserve, causing him to grab a nearby mug and fill it.

He wasn't much of a drinker, in fact he stayed away from the stuff back before he and the others came to this world, but he had to admit that the Reserve was actually quite delicious, better than the original while having a tangy flavor, something he could see people getting hooked on, which caused him to sigh.

"You know, I can see why Maven's so worried about this place... this mead is actually quite good. It would be a shame if it just went to waste." Capper commented, where he grabbed one of the smaller empty barrels and hooked it up to the vat with the Reserve, filling it to the brim with the drink, and once that was done he pulled out the vial and dumped the rest of the poison into the small barrel, leaving the vat pristine, causing him to grin for a moment, "I wasn't planning on making a place like this in the Opulent Lands, but a meadery sounds interesting."

Tri Ki found that her Prince opened a temporary gate into the Opulent Lands, where some of the other kobolds came out for a time and Capper directed them to take the mead, leaving all of the equipment behind since they would soon be Maven's, so it wasn't long before the bottles were collected and all of the vats were emptied. Sure, it took a few minutes for them to move all of it into their realm and into the building that Capper picked out for a temporary storage area, but he wanted all of them to know that this wasn't for drinking, not until they had their own brewery up and running anyway. Once he was sure the area was cleared, and that Mallus wouldn't suspect anything, he picked up the barrel with the contaminated Reserve and exited the area that the vats were in, where he found that it was now in the afternoon and there was a small carriage outside the meadery. Such a thing told him that the Captain of the Guard was here, he had arrived faster than Capper had thought he would, meaning he must have finished up his work in Whiterun ahead of schedule and figured he could pop in ahead of his appointment with Sabjorn, causing Capper to sigh as he and Tri Ki stepped into the meadery.

Sure enough they found a male imperial with impressive guard armor, Whiterun's but far more impressive with shoulder pads and other distinguishing pieces, looking at one of the walls, while Sabjorn was on the other side of the bar, the dead skeever was gone, and Mallus was standing off to the right, allowing Capper to silently set the small barrel on the edge of the bar, directly where Sabjorn was pointing.

"The job is done, as you requested." Capper quietly said, lowering his voice so only Sabjorn could hear him, while lowering his head a little so they could speak without the Captain overhearing them, though at the same time he wasn't expecting to be paid for this job, not until he got back to Riften.

"Good, now I won't have to worry about the skeevers... and don't worry about your pay, I'll give you the rest of it once we're done with the tasting." Sabjorn stated, keeping his voice low at the same time, since he didn't want Caius to listen in on what they were talking about, where Capper nodded his head a little as he and Tri Ki sat at two of the seats, showing Sabjorn that he was free to complete his tasting, just with a few more watchers than before.

Sabjorn walked down to the edge of the bar and told Caius that they were ready for the tasting to begin, where the Captain of the Guard told the man that it was about time, like he wasn't used to having to wait for others to get things ready, while he turned towards the bar. Fortunately Sabjorn had a silver cup ready for him and handed it over without delay, where they watched as Caius took it as the man told him about the Reserve, describing it as a fine wine or something, while the Captain told him that it was mead and didn't need such a description. As he poured himself some of the contaminated mead Capper knew that the time had come at last, and, sure enough, when he drank it he nearly gagged, causing some alarm in Sabjorn, where it wasn't long before the man advanced on Sabjorn, demanding an answer on why it tasted like it did. When the man was unable to respond, since he didn't know, Caius grabbed his arms and used one hand to make sure both wrists were restrained, before telling Mallus that he was in charge until everything was sorted out in the prison, and it wasn't long before he and Sabjorn left for the city.

Mallus, for the most part, was going to leave for a time so he could get some supplies, though he let Capper know that he was going to be a fence for the Guild after this and that this would be another Black-Briar Meadery in due time, and once he handed over another key, to Sabjorn's room, he departed to order the supplies he needed.

"Kind of stupid if you ask me, leaving a thief inside your residence without making sure they leave with what they need first." Capper commented, though he had to smile as he and Tri Ki headed into the area outside the first basement area they had passed through previously, where he let the other kobolds he called on earlier come out and they raided the barrels, taking the mead bottles and transporting them to his realm.

Once that was done he headed up to the second floor and found his way to the only bedroom that was up there, which he was able to unlock with the key Mallus had given him, though there didn't seem to be anything of note in the main room, as he found another locked door. On the other side he found some silver bars, a few pouches of gold, a small strongbox that had another container of gold inside it, and something that looked like a decanter, filled with Honningbrew Mead, which had to be another item he could sell to Delvin, like the bee statue that was still in his possession. After that he checked the rest of Sabjorn's bedroom, where he found that the dresser was locked and unlocked it with the key, where he discovered a note that had the same icon as what he found on the Goldenglow bill of sale, meaning someone wanted to drive weaken the Guild by attacking Maven, who would blame them in turn. The note even spoke about how the silent partner would keep all of Maven's assets and cronies away from this place, something they clearly failed to do since Capper had done this without anyone trying to stop him, but he also knew that this would annoy their patron when they got back to Riften and handed her the information.

As he and Tri Ki departed from the meadery their heads were held high, as they had succeeded in their mission and did the job with flying colors, something even Maven would have to admit when she was told the job was done, and as they headed back to the city Capper could only wonder how Azure and his kobold companion were doing with their task.

After splitting up from the group Azure and Tuk Ur headed into Jorrvaskr with Aela, where they found two individuals in the middle of a brawl, a common thing since this was a mead hall and that meant some of the Companions might be drunk, but since it was early in the day he figured they had a disagreement before their arrival. The male dark elf was putting up a good fight, since it was only fists, but the female nord warrior had overpowered him and knocked him to the ground, winning the battle and the argument at the same time, while the rest of the superior warriors nodded before going about their routines, all while one kept an eye on them. He suspected that the older nord might be interested in Aela, who seemed to be roughly around his age, maybe younger than him, but for the time being he focused on following her down into the living quarters of Jorrvaskr, which was where all the beds were located. From what Azure could tell there was nothing impressive down in the bedroom area, though he did pass by a stand that looked like it had the fragments of a weapon on it, Wuuthrad according to what Aela told him, the weapon of Ysgramor, causing him to nod as he filed the information away for later.

The Harbinger, the leader of the group, was an old nord warrior by the name of Kodlak Whitemane, while the younger nord sitting across from him seemed to be Farkas' sibling, a twin brother, but he found himself respecting the man instantly, as he seemed gentle and understanding, seeing things that no one else saw. Vilkas, the younger warrior, was of the impression that he was a nobody and that they shouldn't waste time on him or his kobold companion, and Azure felt that his comment was fair since next to no one really knew about him and his friends, but Kodlak was unswayed. He saw something inside the pair, a fire that burned inside Azure and Tuk Ur, and he asked them how they fared in battle, causing Azure to be truthful with the old man, since lying to him felt like the wrong thing to do, and he confessed that they had much to learn. It was the truth since he was still adapting to his new form, just like Tuk Ur was adjusting to his smaller form, but that only caused the old man to nod his head, indicating that he believed him and that he was willing to admit them into the Companions, they just had to train with Vilkas a little.

By that he meant head outside and swing their weapons at Vilkas, who just blocked with a shield as the pair attacked him for a few seconds, but he, ultimately, wasn't impressed and simply had them take his one-handed sword to Eorlund to have it sharpened, who, in turn, asked them to bring Aela a shield, who had remained in the living area to speak with the older nord who had been watching her previously.

"Don't worry about the errands... it's customary to send newcomers on a short errand run before their first job." Aela said, as she could tell that Azure was already regretting coming to the Companions if this was what life was like for them, but the knowledge that this was commonplace, and that all newcomers went through this, seemed to appease him for the time being.

Sure enough Azure and Tuk Ur were given a task a few moments later, after Farkas showed them to the area that the lower ranked members of the Companions slept in, as the rooms near Kodlak's area were for the members of the 'Circle', those who served as the upper echelon of the group, and the task was to wipe out some nearby bandits.

"Bandits? Well then, consider them wiped out already." Azure remarked, where he found that the camp in question was in the area of Fort Greymoor, to the north of it, a small area known as Redoran's Retreat, meaning he and Tuk Ur would be able to complete this task in a short period of time and be back to pick up a new task within a few hours.

As they left Jorrvaskr, however, Tuk Ur remarked that they were ahead of his Prince, as Capper and Tri Ki were departing from The Bannered Mare while Azure was heading through the main gate, meaning that by the time they reached the outer area of the city his companion was just leaving the city. Following that the pair headed back to where Fort Greymoor was located and then, when they reached the crossroads near it, headed to the north for a moment and crossed over the bridge that was along the way, all while noting that there were a some wild wolves in the area. Of course the animals seemed to not care about the pair, allowing them to head off to the left as Azure spotted the door that would allow them to enter the cave the bandits were hiding in and discovered that there were no guards outside. With that in mind they were able to head into the cave and discovered that there weren't many bandits either, rather there was a single dog, an archer, a warrior, and the orcish armor wearing individual that was the chief, since the latter always wore the best armor out of everyone.

Azure was actually disappointed in the bandits that they fought, as he and Tuk Ur slashed through the archer and dog with ease, the warrior seemed partly drunk and kept missing as they cut him down, and the chief barely heard them coming as Tuk Ur attacked her from behind, all so Azure could remove her head.

"I guess this really was a test, to be sure we were ready to join the Companions." Tuk Ur commented, though at the same time he looted the large chest that was nearby, which contained a fair amount of gold, a few bars of metal that might be the material to make orcish gear, and a few weapons that could be shared with the kobolds back home.

"And we passed with flying colors." Azure said, because these bandits were nothing, even the chief seemed like she had no real skills of her own, so if this was a test, like his kobold companion was suggesting it was, he suspected they had passed and would be given a more difficult job upon their return to Jorrvaskr.

Sure enough Farkas greeted them upon their return to the mead hall and listened as they reported their success, which was followed by him handing over a bag of three hundred gold, their share of the payment, before Aela tasked them to clear out a beast that had invaded a house near Riften, causing Azure to nod as he and Tuk Ur rejoined the others, as he was eager to continue his work as he wondered what the future might hold for them.

Guild: Honor and Treasure

As the group got back together, and Capper made sure everyone was accounted for, they climbed onto the carriage once more before departing from Whiterun, as he had explained that he wanted to travel first and then set up all of the portals to link the Holds, and by this point the others were fine with it. Rarity knew better than to argue with someone like Capper, since he was a Prince now and there was no arguing with someone who had the power to manipulate reality like he could, even though she also knew he was still getting used to his new powers. The three kobolds that were with them were happy to have some time to relax, for them to compare notes on what they had done with their respective teachers, which brought a smile to Capper's face as he, Azure, and the others did the same, speaking once they were beyond the meadery. That was mostly due to the fact that he didn't want any of the guards to hear him talk about sabotaging the tasting, but for the most part it looked like none of the guards cared about them, allowing the carriage to leave the area outside Whiterun as they continued on their way back to Riften.

Capper was surprised by how easy it seemed to be to join the Companions, just talk to the leader, throw a few swings at one of the higher ranking members, run a few errands, and then do a small test in the form of taking out a small bandit camp, but he wasn't about to argue with the results, because Azure wasn't a thief and this was where he wanted to be. The rest of the group was surprised by the fact that Capper had stolen the rest of the mead that had been inside the meadery, along with the fact that he was planning on making one of his own in the Opulent Lands, but he just told them that he didn't want to waste good mead. He did pass around one of the bottles of the normal Honningbrew Mead and one of the Reserve bottles, letting everyone take a sip of the mead while seeing what he was talking about, where he could see that Midnight liked the mead, Azure seemed indifferent, and Rarity seemed to turn it down. The three kobolds were happy with it, likely remembering how it was to drink the stuff when they were bandits, and Capper was sure that the others in his realm would be happy to have the stuff when he allowed them to actually drink the stuff, since he wanted their meadery up and running before draining their stores.

Other than them talking there wasn't much else for them to worry about, as they were able to make their way to Riverwood, up to the Ruins of Helgen, and around the backside of the Throat of the World as they headed back to Riften, though they did stop near the house that was near the southern entrance of the city.

"Time to see what sort of beast is inside the house. Everyone stand aside, the Companions are here." Azure said, speaking to the people that were outside the structure, who turned and looked at him and Tuk Ur, no doubt surprised by how the pair looked, before they stepped out of the way to allow the pair to enter the house.

The beast, as it turned out, was just a bear that had invaded the house, where Azure stabbed and slashed at the creature as it charged at them, while at the same time his kobold companion climbed onto the bear's back before stabbing it a couple of times, allowing them to bring it down. With the job done Azure pulled the bear's body outside, allowing the people to see he had done the job they had hired the Companions to do, before moving it into the wilds, since leaving it inside the house was a bad idea, plus this meant that nature would reclaim the body and other animals would grow. He stared at the area that was around the house and silently dared the creatures to come at him, as he suspected that there were more wild animals who might be thinking of invading the house, only to find that no bears or wolves came charging at them. With the area clear for the time being he and Tuk Ur returned to his friends and they headed into the city, where they noted that it was evening now and that it was time for the people to stop selling stuff for the day, though Capper wasn't interested in that, rather he was making his way to The Bee and Barb.

As usual Rarity and the others remained on the lower level, Azure and Midnight getting some food while La'nari and the pair of kobolds kept watch, while at the same time Capper and Tri Ki headed upstairs, finding that Maven was still in the chair she had been sitting in when she gave them the job to head to Whiterun.

"I trust that you have good news for me?" Maven stated, where the lack of mentioning her punishment told Capper that she hadn't forgotten her threat, rather she was banking on her name being the reminder that if he failed she'd cast him into the dungeons and leave him there to rot, or have him executed for wasting her time.

"Yes, the job is done and I have the information you requested." Capper replied, pulling out the note he had found back in Sabjorn's dresser, which was still an odd place to hide such a thing, before he handed it over to Maven, who took it without delay and opened it.

Maven was, of course, annoyed by how little she actually learned from the piece of parchment, and was even more annoyed by how the symbol was the only identifying mark, especially when Capper told her that it had been linked to Goldenglow, to which she remarked that whoever it was would pay for messing with her business. Since the mark had been in two places that were connected to her business Maven told him to take the information to his superiors, and his reward for finishing her job was incredibly lackluster, just like before, it was just an enchanted steel dagger, nearly worthless since he knew that he wouldn't be able to get whatever it's full price would be. This was just further confirmation that he didn't like her, she was too cheap for her own good, offering those that work for her some of the more lackluster items, because she wanted them to remain in her grasp and dependent on her influence, but he said nothing as he and Tri Ki departed from the inn. Azure and the others noticed that they were heading out and Capper indicated that they were heading back to the Guild for some time, meaning they could rest up in the inn, maybe talk to some of the patrons, and maybe learn about some other areas that they could clear out in the future.

He and Tri Ki carefully made their way outside, finding that the guards were patrolling like normal while no thieves were out and about, allowing them to reach the graveyard and quickly activate the hidden passage before anyone noticed what was going on, and it wasn't long before the pair were done in the main cistern. It was easy to spot Mercer, who was standing by the table that seemed to be his personal work station, and it seemed like the Guild Master was still annoyed, like he might have failed another job while they were gone, while Brynjolf wasn't in the center like he had been the last time they came back from one of their assigned jobs. Capper glanced around and found that the rest of the thieves that were in this area of the Guild were either sleeping, out on an assignment, relaxing, or training on the dummies to hone their skills, or some of their combat skills since there wasn't anything to practice their thief skills on. That was when he found an area of the cistern that happened to have more archery targets and a number of practice chests, to practice lockpicking on, and Brynjolf was standing in one of the corners of the room, appearing to check their materials so he could see if they needed to replace any of them or not, before he turned and noticed them.

"Lad, it is good to see you and the little one again. I take it you've completed Maven's job?" Brynjolf asked, because Capper seemed to be one of the few thieves that he could rely on, he seemed to do everything to the letter and completed his jobs with a staggering display of precision, without people even noticing him while he stole from them.

"Yes, we did. We discovered some information about how Honningbrew Meadery was set up so quickly and found that the symbol from Goldenglow was involved." Capper replied, saying nothing about the meager payment for the job, rather he was focused on the task at hand and that meant tracking down whoever was trying to drive a wedge between them and their ally in Riften.

Brynjolf sighed, as this wasn't something he was hoping to discover, before telling Capper that he should speak with Mercer, it seemed like he had information that might be useful and was likely going to hand him a new job, which may or many not be the key to tracking down the one that was behind this, and sure enough Mercer looked up at Capper and Tri Ki as they walked up to his small desk.

"So, the 'prodigy' thief returns... I take it you've had luck on your job?" Mercer asked, his tone revealing that he didn't have any information on the symbol that had been on the bill of sale for Goldenglow Estate and it had annoyed him, especially since Capper was a newcomer and was having far more success than anyone else in the Guild.

"I completed it and found that whoever the symbol is connected to also had a hand in funding Honningbrew Meadery, which allowed them to get up and running so quickly." Capper replied, where he could tell that Mercer wasn't happy with this bit of news, which was understandable all things considered, though he had a feeling they would figure out who was behind this at some point.

"Our enemy is attempting to bring us down by driving a wedge between us and Maven... they're well funded and have been able to avoid detection for years, but even then they've made a mistake." Mercer stated, his tone suggesting that he had spent quite some time thinking about the information that had been brought to him earlier and Capper was sure that their leader had something important to tell him and Tri Ki, "Despite all of their posturing and planning they've left behind a clue that we can use against them: the Goldenglow bill of sale mentions the name 'Gajul-Lei', which is an old alias for an argonian named 'Gulum-Ei', a slimy bastard if ever there was one. Your job will be to head to Solitude and shake him down for any information he might have on our buyer... and maybe you'll figure out why he stopped contacting us a long time ago."

"Very well. I shall make some preparations and get underway as soon as possible." Capper said, because this was good for him and the others, as it meant he could link another Hold to the portal area, and depending on the route they took there was the potential for him to get one of the smaller Holds as well, though as he turned to leave he paused for a moment as he focused on Mercer again, "Oh, and the bill of sale didn't mention 'Gajul-Lei', rather it mentioned 'Gulum-Ei' by name... but it is good to know his alias, since that might convince him to answer us truthfully."

He honestly had no idea why Mercer felt the need to lie about what was on the bill of sale, to the one who retrieved it in the first place, and he honestly didn't care as he focused on gathering any information on Gulum-Ei that might be useful, though all he got was that the argonian worked in the East Empire Company and that he might need to be bribed. Once he was done with collecting the information he needed Capper talked with Vex and Delvin for a time, collecting a number of jobs that they needed done, since doing things in the other four main cities would allow them to regain their footing, and in the end he had a bag of items and a list of jobs to do. After speaking to the pair, who were surprised by how many jobs he took, he and Tri Ki returned to the surface of the city, where they sighed as a trio of thieves, novices no doubt, being executed by the guards as the latter used battleaxes to take their heads. Capper paused for a moment, to make sure the coast was clear, before letting his kobold companion head out to collect the golden soul gems that would have been dropped, as well as whatever loot the dead thieves might have had on them, a couple of gems, a few bits of gold, and the usual pitchers and plates made of silver, a common item for lesser thieves.

It was disappointing when he thought about it, as all of the other thieves that were trying to join the Guild were proving that they were incompetent, though he suspected that his new thief kobolds would be trained to be far better than what they were when they were mortals, once he got to training them.

When the following morning arrived he and the others used the Riften portal to return to Whiterun, confirming that things were working as intended, before Capper found that La'nari, Midnight, and Rarity were heading back to get the carriage, as they figured the Companions would have more work for Azure and this would give him time to do it. Capper nodded and let them return to Riften, while at the same time he, Tri Ki, Azure, and Tuk Ur headed back towards Jorrvaskr, though the pair of thieves remained outside as the warriors headed inside the building, since the warriors of the mead hall would likely have problems if they entered the structure. As he suspected it wasn't long before the pair returned, though this time around they had a newcomer with them, Farkas, one of the members of the Circle since he seemed to be above Azure, Tuk Ur, and the rest of the newest recruits they had accepted recently. Azure told him that they were heading to a nordic barrow to retrieve a fragment of Wuuthrad, as part of a test to prove themselves, which meant there would be a lot of treasure inside it that would be left behind since Farkas wasn't interested in what the dead had on them.

"Do you mind if we follow you? We won't interfere, rather we'll just collect the treasure." Capper asked, because it seemed like a waste to have the trio focus on a single item and not worry about the rest of the items that might be down there, so he was offering to leave them along as long as he looted all of the chests, containers, and bodies that were in there.

"Do what you will." Farkas stated, where it looked like he believed that they were just treasure seekers, in fact he didn't seem to care about Tri Ki all too much as he noticed her, even though he knew about Tuk Ur's skills, to which he lead the way out of Whiterun as Azure and Tuk Ur followed right behind him, leaving Capper and Tri Ki a number of steps behind them.

Capper found that the path Farkas took brought them back to Fort Greymoor, turning towards the northern mountain once they reached the fork in the road, heading towards an area that appeared to be a graveyard with a hill next to it, the latter being their destination by the looks of it. Sure enough Azure and Tuk Ur drew their weapons a few seconds ahead of Farkas, to which the three of them headed inside first and started to investigate the area for signs of trouble, where they found a fair amount of shovels and pickaxes, like someone had been digging here recently. As the trio moved forward Azure noticed that Capper and Tri Ki were already getting to work, looting the nearby chest and containers, plus checking the dead draugr for anything they had on them, allowing them to move forward and enter an area where a number of draugr woke up after one heard them coming. The group of draugr, six in total, had different levels of power, as a few were beaten with ease, a single attack from any of them was enough to bring them down, while one or two were actually really powerful, one tanked a few of Azure's blows before he was able to cut it down.

The tunnel on the other side of the door brought them to a decent sized chamber, a sacrificial chamber according to Farkas, causing them to spread out and search for something that would open the door in front of them, though Azure noted that the only lever was in a small indent with a gate that looked ready to fall. Azure and Tuk Ur glance at each other before just stepping into the area so he could flip the switch, causing the main gate to raise while the one directly behind them fell, to which Farkas chuckled as he approached the other side of the gate, like he thought this was funny. While this happened the trio, along with Capper and Tri Ki remaining in the shadows on the upper area of the chamber, discovered five warriors in a mix of armor, mostly leather with bits of steel mixed in while they wielded silver weapons, that told Farkas that they had been waiting for the Companions to arrive. This told Capper that there was a faction out there that hated the Companions, in fact one remarked that anyone who wore 'that armor', referring to the wolfish styled armor Farkas and his brother wore, had to die, and a moment later it became clear as to why they wanted the warrior dead.

Farkas was a werewolf, as he let out a growl as he transformed before their eyes, hands and feet being replaced by claws, fur grew all over his body as he discarded his armor and greatsword, a tail emerged from his spine, and his head pushed out into a wolf's head. The howl Farkas let out filled the barrow for a time, telling those that were deeper in the barrow that one of their targets had arrived, and it even caused all five of the warriors to pause as a shiver ran through their bodies, which he used to his advantage as he slashed through one foe with ease. Two of the remaining warriors were beaten back as he just swung his arms at them, sending them flying into the walls with a sickening crunch, and the fourth warrior barely had time to move as he was cut down, showing everyone just how dangerous his claws really were. The last foe, a female warrior, just stood there as Farkas knocked her to the ground and then tore a massive chunk out of her neck, killing her instantly, though as soon as the area was cleared he dragged his armor and rushed into the now open passage Azure had opened.

When he returned they found that he was back in his human form, wearing his armor, and he must have found another lever to pull to raise Azure's gate, allowing him and Tuk Ur to walk out as the warrior collected his greatsword, before taking a moment to look at all of them.

"I hope I didn't scare any of you... and before you ask, no, I'm not going to turn any of you into a werewolf. Only members of the Circle carry the beastblood inside them." Farkas stated, which seemed like an incredibly important piece of information for him to just drop on them, like it was something he shouldn't have told them, before he glanced at Capper, since right now he didn't trust the shadowy figure and his equally shadowy kobold that was with him, "You aren't going to say a word about this."

"Don't have to, there's a group that already knows your secret." Capper replied, though at the same time he started to loot the dead warriors, finding that they did, in fact, have silver weapons and a few even had silver ingots on them, plus since all of them died in his radius he and Tri Ki found golden soul gems to collect, before he glanced at Farkas, "If it makes you feel any better, we won't say a word about this."

Farkas nodded and told them that these were bandits known as the Silver Hand, werewolf hunters to be exact, though it did remind him of the Dawnguard, vampire hunters that had set up a base near Riften, something Capper considered checking out since that meant people might come after Rarity at some point. Sure enough as the trio headed deeper into the barrow they discovered a few more members of the Silver Hand, where Azure cut one down as his companions did the same to the second one, all while Capper continued to collect the coins and goods from the slain enemies. Capper commented on the fact that maybe they could smelt down the excess weapons into silver ingots, more in the vein of adding more wealth to his realm and less about keeping the weapons out of the hands of those that would use them against the Companions. While he did that Tri Ki made sure to gather what she could, though since there was a lot of armor and stuff for them to collect, and would likely be a lot more in the future, Capper let a trio of collector kobolds come out and join them, allowing them to focus on the loot as Azure, Tuk Ur, and Farkas cleared out more and more of the barrow.

Azure found that the Silver Hand were definitely here in force, like they were looking for the fragment of Wuuthrad as well, so in some places he and his allies had to focus on tacking out the draugr while dealing with the werewolf hunters, and while some of them clearly had no skills there were some dangerous ones mixed into the group. Sometimes he had to use the edge of his weapon to block attacks, while other times he had no reason to do so as he slashed through his foes, while both Tuk Ur and Farkas did the same thing to their enemies, before they discovered a passage that was interesting. There were areas of the barrow where the draugr would get up and actually engage the warriors of the Silver Hand, where sometimes the undead would win and other times the werewolf hunters would, before the trio tore through them with ease. He also knew that Capper had fallen behind but was still within range, given the golden soul gems that Farkas hadn't noticed, or maybe he didn't care about them in the slightest since he didn't care about magical items, but he was fine with leaving his friend to his business.

The two factions warring with each other became more clear as they entered another portion of the barrow, where it took him and the others less than a second to see that the floor below them was a battlefield, Silver Hand fighting draugr, and while a number of them seemed to be dying it was clear that the living were currently winning.

Once the remaining members of the Silver Hand finished cutting down their enemies one of them notice the group walking on the upper walkway that gave them a view of the battle, causing the warriors to rush into a passage that would no doubt bring them right to where Azure and the others were waiting. Azure and Farkas were like brothers on the battlefield, as they made sure to use openings the other left while taking down those that challenged them, and with Tuk Ur involved it was as if a group of brothers were fighting, meaning they were earning good points for the Companions. Such a thing meant that it was easy for them to clear out the way, especially since the Silver Hand woke up more draugr that ended up killing a few of the weakened survivors, allowing the trio to eliminate the rest of them, and as they moved forward Capper made sure to collect the treasure that was left behind. He was actually happy that they were allowed to come with the trio since there was a massive amount of treasure in this place, far more than he had assumed there would be, and part of it was due to the fact that the Silver Hand had a bunch of silver ingots on them.

Eventually they came to what appeared to be the final chamber of the barrow, a large area with a number of coffins, a large chest that Farkas let Capper loot while the collector kobolds remained outside the chamber to make sure they hadn't missed anything, though there was another strange wall none of them could read, plus a fragment of an axe on a table.

"We had better ready ourselves. This smells like a trap." Capper said, drawing his golden blades as Azure collected the piece of Wuuthrad, where they found that the coffins started to open and a number of draugr started to emerge from them, some being the lesser ones and a few being the higher ranking types.

Capper found that it was quite the battle as the draugr came at them, the lesser ones being the first ones to come out, only to fall in a matter of seconds, though it wasn't long before the more dangerous ones stepped out of their coffins and turned on the group, as he could tell such a thing thanks to their armor and better weapons. Farkas pointed out that things would be bad if they encountered a Deathlord, draugr in impressive armor and wielding ebony weapons, which caused Capper to look forward to fighting them since obtaining ebony would be interesting, for both himself and his realm. There were three Deathlords, as it turned out, and one even loosed a power that sounded like it was shouting, sending a shock wave of sorts at them and caused them to stagger for a moment, where one had a sword, a second had an axe, and the third had a sword with a shield, all made of gleaming ebony. He also discovered that the ebony weapons were stronger than the other types of weapons they had encountered so far, slowing him and the others in their assault, but the undead couldn't deal with the likes of Tri Ki and Tuk Ur, which allowed them to deal some serious damage to the undead.

When the last one fell Farkas glanced around for a moment, finding a number of golden soul gems and piles of gold, which he suspected was due to Capper's enchanted weapons, before he sighed as he sheathed his weapon and checked with the pair he was observing, finding that the fragment was indeed a piece of Wuuthrad.

"Good. Let us return to Jorrvaskr and share our victory with the others." Farkas stated, because he suspected that Kodlak would be pleased with Azure and Tuk Ur, they were shining examples of what Companions should be, while he felt that the same wouldn't be true for Capper and Tri Ki, but their skills in battle were actually quite nice, so he might judge the shadowy pair more fairly if they wanted to join the Companions.

Capper nodded as the trio departed, using a secret tunnel that likely lead to the start of the barrow, before letting the group of collector kobolds into the final chamber, where they started to collect the treasure and items that were around the area, though all of this wealth made him all the more interested in what he might find when he reached Solitude and started his next job for the Thieves Guild.

Guild: Business in Solitude

With the treasure of Dustman's Cairn claimed, as that was what Farkas called the barrow when the group exited it, Capper and the others returned to Whiterun without wasting time, which was easy to do since there weren't any hazards on the road for them to worry about. Upon returning to the city Capper and Tri Ki remained outside the area that Jorrvaskr was in, allowing Azure and Tuk Ur to head in and get their congratulations for completing their trial, since it looked like Vilkas, the older brother he had been told about, had been waiting outside the mead hall. While their companions were likely being elevated to a new rank in the Companions, however, Capper tracked down the rest of the group, finding that La'nari, Rarity, Mah Oh, and Midnight were exiting the tavern, having food to share and information to tell him about. There wasn't much going on in terms of rumors, save for a boy in Windhelm trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood, there were problems with the local tree between Jorrvaskr and the Temple of Kynareth, and apparently the Jarl's children were troubled.

Capper wasn't sure any of those rumors were worth investing their time in, expect maybe the Dark Brotherhood one since tracking down the group of assassins, for that was what they were, seemed to be a worthwhile usage of their time, and with the boy being in Windhelm it would allow Capper to add another Hold to the portal area.

"So, where are we going next?" Rarity asked, because she knew that the job that Capper had been given was important, in fact she suspected that they would be returning to Solitude once they were done with Whiterun, but at the same time she knew that her friend was giving Azure and Tuk Ur a chance to prove themselves to the Companions, so they might head to a whole new area instead.

"Depends on what job the Companions give our friends." Capper replied, which was the truth, he wanted to make sure that Azure and Tuk Ur were settled into their chosen guild before focusing on Mercer's job, mostly because it made sense for him to take some time to get to Solitude, so the Guild Master wouldn't be expecting him back for some time, before noticing the pair exiting from Jorrvaskr, "That was a short ceremony."

"Well, we've officially been welcomed into the ranks of the Companions as their newest members... I guess by 'trial' Farkas meant seeing if we were worthy to join the group." Azure answered, which to Capper seemed backwards, because Kodlak, from what he learned from the Solar Guard, had been willing to accept the pair into the Companions without testing them, like he saw something in them that caused him to make such a decision, "Anyway, Skjor gave us a new job: we're supposed to head to someplace called 'Wolfskull Cave', which is somewhere in Haafingar, the region of Skyrim that Solitude is in, and find a warlock den to recover a stolen family heirloom."

"I have no idea where that is... granted I'm more familiar with the area around Riften, but I really don't know where that cave is located." La'nari commented, where she thought about the information in question for a few seconds as they departed from the city, heading towards the stable that she, Rarity, and Midnight had brought the carriage to, something that allowed them to take their usual seats before departing from Whiterun again, "Oh well, I'm sure we can ask around Solitude once we get there. Someone is bound to know where the cave is located."

Capper nodded, it stood to reason that asking someone in the city, or on the way to Solitude, was the best course of action, as a resident of the Hold had to know where the cave was located and could point them in the right direction, though he did suspect that they would have to ask someone in Solitude. Of course he had to marvel at the fact that the Companions were sending Azure on missions that happened to be in the same area that his Thieves Guild jobs were in, as it saved time and let them take out multiple birds with a single stone, even though he knew they weren't doing that intentionally. Capper was fine with this, because while he tracked down his target, and got the information he was after, his friends could track down the location of the cave and maybe clear it out while he was gone, or just leave the pair to their own job. Other than that Capper found that there wasn't much else for them to worry about, none of the others had anything else to report, but he felt that they might be able to find more rumors when they reached Solitude.

As it turned out the road was still safe, there were Imperials patrolling now that Fort Greymoor was in their possession and the bandits seemed to be in hiding for the most part, and there were no wild animals that were interested in them, meaning this time around they could simply relax. While they traveled, however, Capper notes that there is a group of black robed figures moving towards Solitude, mages no doubt based on their attire and the staffs a few carried, though when Rarity tried to speak with them the leader, an old crone, told her that they didn't want any trouble. It appeared that they thought that the group were heroes and would stop them if they were up to no good, which was kind of stupid in their eyes, though they ignored the mages as they wished, the carriage continuing down the path that was in front of them. Capper wasn't sure what the mages were up to, even though it was clear that they were rather secretive and might be planning something bad, but without evidence the group just continues on their way, knowing that they would arrive at their destination by the time night was upon them.

Sure enough night was upon them when they reached the stables outside Solitude, roughly eight at night based on what the group had learned from living with their clan, and when everyone entered the city itself they found that there were a good amount of people wandering around.

"Okay, first things first: locate a portal area." Capper remarked, though he had a good idea as to where to put it, as there was a wall behind the housing area of the city and he was sure there was an area that was hidden from everyone, meaning he should be able to do what he did in Whiterun.

As they found out there were a number of houses on one side of the city, a housing district to be exact, and while there was one house that seemed to be vacant right now Capper found an indent in one that was near it, a place that was out of sight and out of mind. With that in mind he placed the portal in that area and realized that all of the nearby barrels would be good protection against people discovering it, and once the magic had taken hold he moved between the Opulent Lands and the city, which was good in his mind since it would come in handy later. Once that was done Capper told the others that he was going to look for his contact, though when he spotted a guard walking nearby he asked about the inn, since that seemed to be the best place for them to go right now, and the man pointed them back to the main gate. Sure enough they found The Winking Skeever was right at the entrance, though Capper remained at the back of the pack as everyone else entered, as he wanted them to do their own thing without him drawing attention to what he was doing.

When he walked in Capper found that there were a fair number of patrons inside the inn, a number of different races, and there was one male argonian in fancy clothing in an area that allowed him to see everything while making sure that he was safe from thieves, which had to be his contact.

"What do we have here? Judging from the scent I'm smelling, there's a member of the Guild nearby... but that can't be right, since I cut ties with Mercer ages ago." Gulum-Ei commented, speaking as if he was a former thief and was now focused on being a law-abiding citizen, though at the same time his table had a second seat that Capper took, making it look like they were two friends catching up.

"That might be true, but I'm not here to talk about... I'm here to talk about Goldenglow Estate, Gajul-Lei." Capper replied, a fact that was followed by the argonian pausing for a moment as he realized that someone knew his identity, but he made sure to keep his voice slow so only his new friend knew what he was saying, "Tell you what, you give me the information I need to know... about the buyer that you assisted... and this will be the last time you have to worry us. I'll even track down an item for you, if that'll help you give me the information I need."

Gulum-Ei sat there for a moment before telling Capper about a case of Firebrand Wine that was in the Blue Palace, he even described the containers for him so he knew what to look for, indicating that he was willing to believe him and that he was willing to make a deal. With that information in mind Capper got up for a moment and headed back outside, where he made his way back towards the house that he set the portal outside and turned towards the structure in question, a palace that had a blue roof, which made it far too easy for him to know where to go. Interestingly enough he found that none of the guards seemed bothered by him walking towards the building, where he found that the Jarl and her court were discussing one last thing for the day, though it sounded like Elisif, since it was a female talking, was complaining about how she was being ignored by Tullius. Since everyone seemed to be distracted by what was going on right now, in fact the guards had no desire to stop him from walking inside, which he could blame on them being tired, though he was able to track down the case of wine, which had a fiery red design on the glass, an item he just picked up and walked out of the palace with.

He was amazed by how easy it was for him to get away with stealing the wine, where he quickly retraced his steps and came to a stop in The Winking Skeever, sitting at the table and placing the case on Gulum-Ei's side, who nodded and stashed it in a portion of his area, to be delivered to it's buyer later.

"Well, since you upheld your side of the bargain, so will I: I was approached by a woman who wanted me to act as a broker for something big, and she even flashed a bag full of gold in my face." Gulum-Ei stated, where Capper noticed that he quickly downed the drink that was in his hand, like he was planning on leaving once the conversation was done, almost as if the one he was talking about was nearby, and he could feel someone's eyes on them, not his companions, "The gold was for buying Goldenglow Estate, so I brought it to Aringoth and I brought the woman her copy of the deed... I didn't ask her much, since in our line of work it's best to keep our identities a secret, but I noticed that she was doing this to undermine Mercer... in fact, I'm sure she hates him."

"I see, so it's an old adversary. Good to know." Capper said, where he stood up and found that Gulum-Ei produced a pouch of soul gems, all unfilled based on what he was feeling, and realized that it was payment for acquiring the wine, though with the items in hand Capper and Tri Ki departed from the inn, making it look like they were done with the argonian.

Capper's thoughts were proven right as Gulum-Ei exited The Winking Skeever and started to make his way outside the city, where he and his kobold companion followed him from the shadows, finding that he walked down towards the stables, then down towards the docks, and then onto the docks themselves. From there he found that the argonian entered what had to be the East Empire Company's portion of the docks, the warehouse, to which Capper remained away from the area for a few seconds before he and Tri Ki approached the door the argonian had used. Sure enough the area on the other side was a large warehouse, full of goods despite Brynjolf saying that Gulum-Ei had told the Guild that the warehouse was empty, but it caused Capper to smile, just as his kobold companion did the same thing, before he called on the group of collectors from his realm. They knew what to do immediately, as soon as they knew what was in the area they had been called to, so while he and Tri Ki followed Gulum-Ei in the shadows, from afar so he didn't know that he was being followed, the collectors did what they did best, loot anything of value, stealing the various ingots, gold, and expensive items that were around the large warehouse, even unlocking and looting a few chests in the process.

The guards in this place were oblivious to what was going on right now, either because they were tired or just stupid, and Capper found that even Gulum-Ei seemed totally oblivious to the pair of thieves following after him, before he moved into a secret passage, one the guards didn't know about.

This time around it looked like the bandit passage, in fact there were a pair of bandits that Gulum-Ei walked by with a nod, meaning they were working together while robbing the East Empire Company without anyone knowing about the scheme, but instead of killing the bandits the pair continued to move through the area without drawing attention to themselves. As they did that Capper and Tri Ki made sure to loot the couple of chests that were along the path that the argonian was using, while discovering that the bandits were also stupid, drunk and enjoying their plunder, before Capper changed his mind as the rest of the kobolds joined them. With the full force among them Capper and the kobolds knocked out the bandits, as he didn't want to kill them this time around, because they were Gulum-Ei's allies in his attempts to rob the company blind, and one of the kobolds even handed over a map that looked expensive, which Capper added to his collection. Other than that it looked like there wasn't much in the bandit section, not until they reached what appeared to be the end of the line, an area that had a large campfire, which happened to be where Gulum-Ei stopped before he noticed that Capper's group emerged from the shadows.

Of course this meant the remaining bandits were knocked out, some of their gear stolen by the kobolds, before the group of collectors started to loot all of the chests that were around Gulum-Ei, while Capper approached the figure with a smile on his face, indicating that he knew the argonian's dirty secret.

"Well now, it appears that you've been caught in a compromising position." Capper remarked, which was the truth, because if the Guild realized Gulum-Ei was holding out on them, or lying to be exact, it was possible they might come to do him harm, or at least that was what Mercer might do, and since he knew this secret it meant the argonian had no choice but to give him the information he was after.

"Now now, let's not do anything rash!" Gulum-Ei replied, where the look on his face told Capper that he was worried about what might happen if the Guild knew about his little scheme, or maybe it was Mercer's doing based on the fear he was seeing right now, and it looked like he was thinking of a way to save himself, "Look, this isn't as bad as it looks... honestly, I was going to tell Mercer everything... eventually. Please, you can't tell him anything! Mercer will have me killed!"

"I know, he seems like the murderous type... that means he doesn't need to know about this." Capper stated, though as he said that Capper made no move to show the argonian his weapons, he wanted Gulum-Ei to know that he was willing to listen to what he had to say, instead of jumping to conclusions and cutting him down before he had a chance to say anything in his defense.

"I see you wish to be reasonable... I have misjudged you greatly. The name of the person you are looking for is 'Karliah'." Gulum-Ei said, where the two locked eyes for a moment as Capper raised an eyebrow, as he made no motion to indicate that the name meant anything to him, while at the same time none of the kobolds knew the name, meaning La'nari might know it if he asked her later, "Mercer never told you about her?"

"No one has said anything about a 'Karliah'. Who is she?" Capper inquired, because the argonian's comments let him know the name of the woman he had mentioned earlier, even though it meant nothing to him, mostly because it looked like the rest of the Guild had failed to tell him and Tri Ki about anyone that might be threatening their existence.

"You know, I can't say I'm surprised no one mentioned her, for she is the thief that is responsible for murdering the previous Guild Master." Gulum-Ei stated, though in the next instant he felt a chill run down his spine and realized how bad this had to seem to Capper, not to mention the little lizard creatures since they seemed annoyed as well, despite only one of them looking like a member of the Guild, "Look, I didn't even know it was her until I brought her her copy of the deed... honestly, had I known it was Karliah I wouldn't have assisted her in buying the estate, especially since I still have her copy, she never took it. I don't know where she went, all she said was 'where the end began'."

"Mercer is the only one who might know where that is... I'll have to ask him when I get back to the Guild. As for you, Gulum-Ei, you are more useful alive." Capper said, though at the same time the argonian pulled out the other deed to the estate, proof of what he was saying, which was followed by Gulum-Ei handing it over, showing Capper that his tale was the truth and that he was trusting him with this, causing him to think about things for a moment, "Shall I tell Brynjolf that you're willing to cut the Guild back in on the spoils from the warehouse?"

"Yes, please do so... you seem to be higher in rank than I assumed, or incredible skilled in my language." Gulum-Ei replied, as the more he looked at Capper the more he realized that there was something different about him, something that spoke to him on another level, like he knew far more about being a thief than the argonian knew, "Working with the Guild again will be a good thing for all of us, especially since things seem to be changing."

Capper knew what Gulum-Ei was talking about, as contacts and fences had left the Guild after their decline, due to the string of failures that stuck every thief, to the point where even the Guild Master was now failing to complete his own jobs, like the bad luck had finally caught up with him. Since he had joined the Guild, however, it was easy for people inside the Guild to see a light at the end of the tunnel, that the bad luck might be leaving them and that it's only a matter of time until the Guild was bad on whatever footing it had been on before things went downhill. With Gulum-Ei sensing the change in the wind he was willing to throw his lot in with the Guild again, meaning he wanted more gold and suspected that working with them was the right call, which spoke to the greed that had no doubt fueled the decision in the first place. Capper knew the Guild would like to have a contact inside the East Empire Company again, especially since there was no telling what loot might come in in the future, so this meant that everyone was going to profit from Gulum-Ei rejoining the Guild, and he made sure to tell him that Mercer would be in the dark about his involvement.

With that done Capper, Tri Ki, and the kobolds made their way back to the entrance of the bandit area, though he was eager to see what the future had in store for them, because things were getting interesting and he suspected that tracking Karliah would answer many of his questions, causing him to smile as he waited to see what the coming days had in store for him and his companions.

Guild: Journey to Winterhold

While Capper was dealing with Gulum-Ei, and whatever that entailed, Azure and the others decided to get a few hours sleep in the inn, which was needed after the long carriage ride and everything he had done for the Companions before coming this way, especially since he knew they didn't have to worry about Capper or Tri Ki asking for assistance. That was the benefit of the skills that their friend had, because he knew that Rarity's friend was a skilled thief, something he had confirmed many times since they arrived in Skyrim, meaning none of them had to worry about him having to ask for aid. Of course that wasn't considering the fact that Capper was a Daedric Prince now, a being that was far stronger than a mortal, but what he found to be interesting was how the cat didn't seem to use his powers for mortal pleasures, but that might be due to Capper still learning about his abilities. That made sense to him, that his companion would want to learn everything about what he was capable of, and he was learning from someone who apparently knew about Daedric Princes, which he was still slightly interested in since Ithelia seemed to be more than she had said so far.

When early morning arrived, however, Azure and the others got up, got some breakfast, and walked outside, though when they departed from the city itself he found that Capper was waiting by the gate that was a fair distance away from the main gate that they were leaving through, with Tri Ki sleeping next to him.

"I take it you were successful?" Azure asked, though as he said that Capper gently woke the kobold up and carried her down to the carriage, where they could tell that his new position as a Daedric Prince must have allowed him to stay awake while they were sleeping, and it seemed like he had been busy during the night, since he and his companion didn't return until this very moment.

"Yes, and Mercer is going to be annoyed when we get back." Capper replied, but he made no move to reveal anything more than that, he figured the information would be revealed once they were on the road again, not that he suspected that the guards would be able to do anything if they listened in on their conversation.

Rarity and the others shared a glance before they made their way back to the stables, where they climbed onto the carriage and made their way out of the area without delay, where La'nari took them in the direction of Dragon Bridge, though this time around she told Capper that they would be heading up a path to the right for a time. It was due to the fact that Azure had found where Wolfskull Cave was located and wanted to clear it before they left the area, which was understandable since he wanted to impress the Companions, to which he nodded and let her direct the carriage to their next destination, a temporary one. Such a thing allowed them to pass by an interesting stone temple, which had a statue that Capper was sure was connected to one of the other Daedric Princes, it held a bit of power that seemed to suggest such a thing, but he made no move to speak about it, since he was sure they would have a problem with him stepping on their territory. Following that they were able to reach a fork in the road that happened to be where Azure's directions had brought them, which was when he found a cave ahead of them and discovered some bones outside it, especially a wolf's skull, which meant they had to be in the right area.

As usual Rarity, Midnight, and La'nari remained outside for the time being, as to not get in the way, while Azure was joined by Tuk Ur and Capper, where they found that there wasn't much inside the cave, in fact it was just an opening, a path down, and a path down to a small camp, where three bandits were camping. Of course Azure knew that Midnight and the others might attack them in their sleep, for an easy kill, but he tapped the stone wall and forced the bandits to wake up, where he charged the leader as soon as he understood that they were under attack. Such a thing allowed him to hack his way through his foe's defenses, while at the same time Tuk Ur used his smaller size to his advantage as he slashed into the pair that was behind the leader, cutting them down before they had much of a chance to fight back. The battle was over in a flash, where Capper collected the golden soul gems as Azure looted the nearby large chest, finding the ring, the heirloom he had been tasked with acquiring, was definitely inside it and claimed it without delay, while he let Capper take the gold and jewels that were inside it.

Based on what he had seen these bandits had been quite successful, no doubt having robbed many people despite being such a small crew, and the treasure would be better in the hands of Capper, instead of someone who might use the small wealth to harm others, so the moment it was back in the Opulent Lands they returned to the carriage.

"So... back to Whiterun? Or are we heading somewhere else?" La'nari asked, though as she did that she made sure the rest of the group was aboard the carriage, after Capper made sure to loot the bandits of their goods, where her question was to see which direction they had to head in and if she needed to change her course.

"I know the Companions aren't expecting Azure to return for some time, just like the Guild isn't expecting Capper back for a day or two more, so I was thinking of visiting Winterhold." Rarity answered, though her reason was twofold, because she did want to visit the College and see if there were any new spells she could add to her arsenal, so she could be of better use to the rest of her group, and she could see that everyone, even her own kobold companion, was interested by the idea, "We can stop by Morthal and Dawnstar, since both of them are on the way to Winterhold, and find an area to put a portal in for the future... and on our way back we can stop in Windhelm for a moment to do the same. That's four new locations for us to move to in the future, once the nine portals are completely set up... should only leave Falkreath, which we have no reason to go near right now."

Capper thought it was a good idea, because it would allow them to explore more of Skyrim and set up more of their portals, and decided that following Rarity's suggestion was what they should do, especially with the fact that the end goal of reaching Whiterun was another good one. As they departed Capper had to agree with Rarity's unspoken comment, she wanted to join the College so she could learn more about magic and her powers, since there was no telling what she might learn from the mages that called that area home. Following that decision they headed back down the hill and traveled in the direction of Dragon Bridge once more, though this time around La'nari directed them to the area that Morthal was resting in, where she told them it was a small swamp town and likely wouldn't have anything of interest in it. Dawnstar, on the other hand, was a port town that might be interesting for them, since recent rumors suggested that the people were having trouble sleeping, a fact that made Capper wonder if there was another Daedric Prince at work in the area, since there were many others and he was getting used to feeling their energies.

What was interesting was that this time around the ride to their next destination was quiet, there were no enemies on the road for them to worry about, though there were a few areas of interest, like an area off to the left that happened to be an old battleground, or a fort overrun by necromancers. Capper made sure to collect the golden soul gems that dropped, as a few more died in the battle they passed by and he had Tri Ki collect them without drawing attention to herself, and once the items were in hand they continued down the path. The necromancer fort, however, didn't seem to care about them at all, in fact the undead just watched the carriage move by their domain and didn't even try to bother them, which meant they had to be guards and were waiting for intruders to get closer to the structure. Since they weren't interested in the fort La'nari just focused on the road as she moved away from the fort, allowing everyone else to see that there was a short bridge in front of them as they moved into the snowy portion of Skyrim once more.

Morthal, as it turned out, was right after the hill that the carriage moved up, off to the left, and it was as La'nari described, a small swamp town that had a Jarl's building, an inn, an alchemy shop, and a few other normal houses, plus a mill that was out of place, before Capper put the portal behind what appeared to be a house to the right of the guard house.

Once that was done, and he was sure that there was nothing else for him to worry about, Capper returned to the carriage and they continued to the east, where he and the others found that there were a few enemies on the road, spiders and the occasional saber cat, but the soldiers continued to clear the way. Capper was fine with this, as it meant they could use the soldiers to their benefit since they were clearing the roads to their various camps, though he was disappointed in them, as all of the camps were far too easy to see and it made him wonder why the war was ongoing if both sides were making such stupid decisions like this. There was also a carriage with a dead horse off on the left at one point, and a small mining area off on the right, but what was more interesting was the large dwarven ruin that was on the right after they around a bend in the path, where Capper paused for a moment as he checked it out, finding a fairly large bandit group in the outside area, which meant there was likely more of them inside the ruin. Other than that there really wasn't much else for them to worry about on the road, which was actually quite the disappointment when Capper and the others thought about it, as he was honestly expecting more ruins or something in this portion of Skyrim.

In the end it did take them a few hours to reach Dawnstar, where they found that it was a small port town built around what appeared to be a natural inlet, with two mines, a good number of houses, an inn, and the Jarl's domain, though again Capper saw no reason to stop and placed the portal on the backside of the guard house.

Following that they entered the inn for a moment, finding a priest of Mara that was talking to some of the local girls, though he was focused on talking about dreams and how they would pass with time, before they purchased some food and quickly returned to the carriage so they could eat while making their way towards Winterhold. Capper knew that half of the ride was going to be spent in peace, due to the fact that they had wiped out the bandit clan that had been in the area near the fork in the road between Winterhold, Windhelm, and the path back to Whiterun. He didn't know about the rest of the path, since there was no telling what else was on the road right now, but he suspected that there would be more bandits and maybe a few groups of soldiers to avoid, since those were common in Skyrim these days. As they moved away from Dawnstar it was easy to see some bandits getting beaten to death by a giant, where Tri Ki carefully scouted the area and returned with four more golden soul gems, but other than that Capper didn't feel like bothering the giant, so La'nari kept moving.

What was interesting was that when they approached a fort that was on the main path, in fact it was built on one side with an inn on the left side, though it appeared that it was under bandit control and those very bandits were dead, based on the amount of Thalmor that were in the area, and one of the black robed ones approached them, a male this time.

"You there. What business to you have in this dreadful place?" the Thalmor agent asked, where Capper noted a key fact as the carriage stopped, the slain individuals were actually Stormcloaks, meaning they must have stopped the elves, since the Stormcloaks were racists towards everyone that wasn't a nord, and the elves rapidly destroyed them.

"We are on our way to Winterhold, and we departed from Solitude earlier this morning." La'nari stated, because the time it took for both routes to reach the same location was nearly the same, so to the agent it seemed like they were trying to cut down on the journey and not waste time, before she glanced at all of the other Thalmor and found that none of them cared about them, "Two of our friends wish to visit the College and see if they can enroll, or at least be permitted inside so they can purchase new spells to learn, and after that we'll be making our way to Riften... we're only passing by this place since it is in the way."

"You don't say? Might I trouble you for a ride, since I have a missive that needs to be delivered to an associate of mine that's visiting the College?" the agent asked, in fact he offered a small bag of gold, at least seventy-five coins, which was more than what an actual carriage driver would make in a single ride, meaning he saw her as a carriage driver, though since he didn't seem ready to take up arms against them La'nari decided to let him sit with the others, before he laid eyes on the kobolds as he climbed into the back, "What... in Oblivion are these things?"

"We're not 'things', we're daedra... sort of. We are kobolds, and we hail from the Opulent Lands, the realm of Midas, who is the Daedric Prince of Greed." Mah Oh replied, because they knew that their Lord didn't want people that were out of the loop to know who he was, so they and their Lord had come up with a way to avoid telling people the truth, they were going to act like Capper and Midas were two different people entirely, before she glanced at the other two kobolds, "You know, I never stopped to think about where we sit in comparison to the beings that call the other Realms of Oblivion home... it might be worth looking into later."

"Right... and how did you get to this realm? The barriers between Nirn and Oblivion have been sealed to prevent this sort of thing from happening... you can only come here by being summoned." the agent pointed out, which was a fair fact as Capper thought about it, as it was one of the few things they had learned before the demise of their clan by Maven's command, but it wasn't something they were worried about since his powers seemed to just go beyond the norm, "And say I believed you about there being another Daedric Prince... where have they been all this time?"

"Maybe they didn't want to be involved with everything their brothers and sisters were doing? I really don't know, since one cannot understand a Daedric Prince." Capper stated, which was another fact they had learned so far, that people were often driven mad when they tried to understand a Daedric Prince, especially the Prince of Madness, before he carefully removed the Sword of Jyggalag from his bag while the agent wasn't looking, "We also found the artifact of the Prince of Order, who seems to have lost it when he last clashed with Sheogorath... I imagine if Jyggalag is out there, not communicating with us, whose to say there aren't other Princes we aren't aware of yet? And besides, we know that Midas is more than the Prince of Greed, he's also the Prince of New Beginnings, as these three used to be bandits before they were transformed... and we've also found golden soul gems, which means the person was marked by Midas in some manner."

Despite the fact that the agent was caught off guard by that statement, which was understandable considering that there was a set amount of Princes and here they were revealing to him that two more existed, one that had been known at one point in the past and one who was only now surfacing. The presence of the Sword of Jyggalag made the figure conflicted, as if he wasn't supposed to be doing anything with the daedra, but here he was jotting down notes and writing things down as the kobolds told him about the Opulent Lands, painting the picture of a rich and vibrant realm that was full of wealth, just like Capper wanted. Such a thing made him think back to what Ithelia said, about 'one Prince to another', and that made him wonder if there was a third Prince out there that would really mess up the Thalmor and the rest of Nirn, since they were so used to the established number that everyone seemed to be worshiping these days. All of this made it hard to tell if the elf thought they were liars or not, but he seemed to actually believe that there was another Prince out there and that he, one of the Thalmor, had learned of him first, meaning they could hold this over the Empire's head.

In fact the agent asked about what sort of artifacts this new Prince had, where Mah Oh told him that while they didn't know what Midas' relics were called they knew there were two right now, the first being the special ring he wore and the second being his golden greatsword.

"There must be an artifact somewhere in his realm that harbors a connection to his other title, the 'Lord of New Beginnings'," the agent commented, which would have explained the sudden arrival of the golden soul gems, as Capper found a chance to make one with a skeever that decided to attack the carriage, so the Thalmor agent could study it up close, and they found that he was just absorbing all of this with a lot of interest, "Once you three find your way back to the Opulent Lands I want you to ask your superiors a number of questions... like 'what is Midas' Summoning Day', what are his artifacts called and what do each of them do, and a few others that I'll leave with you. When I'm done in Winterhold I'll be returning to my post at the Embassy, so if you have a chance to return to the Opulent Lands, and I do hope you do, send them there and make sure they're addressed to 'Alerion', which is my name."

Despite being a Thalmor agent Capper found that the high elf was actually rather chill and open minded, which was nice to see since some of the others in his order seemed like they would tear their heads off for even mentioning the fact that they were traveling with beings from a Plane of Oblivion and had an artifact from a Daedric Prince. Alerion proved to be a more interesting person to travel with, in fact he seemed to pull his hood back and just relax with them, chatting and learning a bit about them, even though he did seem to ignore the fact that some of them were thieves, one was a vampire, and that the others were focused on their own path. If he did notice those facts he sure didn't make a comment on them while La'nari directed the carriage towards Winterhold, eventually passing by the areas that the Seducer Clan had been in, which was now fully cleared out of items, which was due to Capper's insistence with the collector kobolds, to make sure no one collected all of the Saint or Seducer items. Such a thing reminded him that he had tasked a couple of them to head into the area that the Sword of Jyggalag was contained in, to make absolutely sure every golden and dark piece of gear was acquired so none of it could be used against the people of Skyrim.

Eventually, however, they passed by another necromancer fort, which again ignored them, before reaching the tiny domain of the College, as Winterhold was literally a house, the inn, a trader, the Jarl's place, a few burned down buildings, and the stone bridge that went to the College, a bridge that looked like it was slowly crumbling away on the lower side.

Alerion wished them well and disembarked from the carriage, walking up to the lady that was on the start of the bridge, like a sentinel of some kind, where he talked with her for a few seconds before being admitted into the College, though while he walked along the bridge Azure, Midnight, and La'nari, plus two of the three kobolds, remained at the wagon. Capper simply followed Rarity and Mah Oh as they approached the lady, who was wearing what appeared to be master robes, destruction maybe, and seemed to be stopping people before they bothered the mages of the College, no doubt to see what they were up to or something. Sure enough she wanted to test the pair of mages, where she had Rarity use a fireball on the sigil that was behind her and tasked the kobold with using frostbite, though she didn't seem to care much for Mah Oh being a kobold, maybe something she would ask about later. Fortunately both figures were able to use their spells with ease, striking their target with ease, thus allowing them to follow the figure across the bridge and enter the College, all while Capper followed from a distance as everyone else headed into the inn, as he wanted to check out the place.

As it turned out the Master Wizard, the second under the Arch-Mage, gave the pair a short tour after arguing with a Thalmor agent who looked like he was utterly miserable, while Alerion seemed to be leaving with a smile on his face, since he had been able to deliver his missive, before the pair were able to join three other apprentices, a khajiit with a dark elf and a nord, who were listening to an older nord talk.

"Welcome, welcome! We were just beginning a new lesson, so please, stay and listen." the elderly mage said, welcoming the pair to the lesson without delay, even though he did seem interested in the fact that a new creature was among them, but for the time being he was focused on his lesson for the other apprentices, "As I told your fellow apprentices earlier, my name is Tolfdir, the master of Alteration Magic, and I am in charge of overseeing new apprentices, such as J'zargo, Brelyna, and Onmund, but you'll have to introduce yourselves after the lesson is over. Now, as I was saying before your new classmates joined us, the first thing I want all of you to understand is that magic is, by its very nature, volatile and dangerous... unless you can control it, it can, and will, destroy you in an instant."

Capper found that the female dark elf, Brelyna, seemed to point out that none of them would be here if they had no grasp of that concept, as if suggesting that they would have blown themselves up if they didn't understand the principle of magic that their mentor was trying to teach them. Tolfdir told her that he understood that each of them had the ability to control magic, but what he meant by his words was that he was talking about true control, a mastery that came from years of practice and study, and that he meant this to be a warning before something terrible happened to them. The male khajiit, who had to be J'zargo, was an impatient one and seemed eager to get started, something that really annoyed their teacher as he told them that their eagerness had to be tempered by caution, otherwise they would rush right into disaster. Even Onmund, the male nord, seemed offended by the fact that they weren't being taken seriously, despite the fact that they had only arrives a few hours ahead of Rarity and Mah Oh, so since this was their first lesson there was no way Tolfdir knew what their previous education was like and they were lashing out at him for wanting to start with safety as their first lesson.

Tolfdir sighed as he continued with the lesson, which seemed to be based on ward magic, which he told them was from the Restoration School and was an invaluable tool in a mage's arsenal, as it allowed them to block incoming magic, a barrier of sorts, and since none of them knew how to use that spell he taught them the most basic of wards. Following that he had the group take turns practicing with their new spell, which involved standing across from him, as he stood on one of the circular floor symbols and had the apprentices stand on another one, and calling forth the ward that he showed them all how to use. Once all of them knew how to call forth the lesser ward, and he approved of how they maintained their spells, he told each of them to hold the spell up as he hurled a few small fireballs at each of them, allowing the others to watch before taking their turn with their mentor. The only one that required a change of approach was Mah Oh, since he had to shift where his fireballs were going due to her being a kobold, a target that was shorter than everyone else he had taught so far, but Capper did have to smile as the man told them that he was pleased with them.

As the lesson came to a close, however, Tolfdir informed them that the College was actually excavating the nearby ruins of Saarthal and that it would be an excellent learning opportunity for all of them, so he was going to continue the lesson over there and beckoned for them to follow, causing Capper to smile as he wondered what Rarity and Mah Oh would learn next from their mentor.

Guild: Danger in Saarthal

With the lesson concluded Capper found that his thoughts were correct, Tolfdir was only concluding this portion of it and fully intended for the five apprentices to follow him out into the snowy environment that was outside Winterhold, so while Rarity and Mah Oh followed their instructor for a time Capper told the others to relax for a while. With the message given to the others he headed outside and tracked down the group that was making their way to the ruins of Saarthal, where he found that they were heading up a short hill before heading down the mountainside for a time. It was rather easy to spot their destination, due to a number of storm atronachs that were guarding the outer perimeter from bandits and trolls, the latter more common than the former since Capper spotted three dead ones nearby. Saarthal itself, from out the outside, was a large place and it seemed like it had been buried in a avalanche in the past, since they had spent a lot of time digging it out of the snow and ice, and so far it looked like they had only located a single entrance to enter the ancient ruin.

Despite all of that, however, Capper could feel something pulsing in the ground below them, a faint source of magical energy that the mages hadn't noticed yet, meaning it was likely his Princely powers allowing him to see and feel more than the mortals did, but he decided to just keep quiet since he wasn't totally sure what he was feeling right now.

"And here we are. Marvelous, isn't it?" Tolfdir commented, though at the same time he opened the only door in the area and ushered them into Saarthal, where it was clear that he thought Capper was just another mage, maybe even a mentor, since he didn't have any problems with him being there, "As some of you may know, Saarthal was one of the earliest and largest nord settlements in Skyrim... but not much is known about it's history, other than it was sacked by the elves in the 'Night of Tears'. I want all of you to appreciate the opportunity we've been granted, to study such an early civilization and the types of magic they might have used."

As they entered the ruin it was easy to see that a number of the stone walkways that had been chiseled by the ancient nords had collapsed, forcing the workers to make scaffolding to carefully excavate the area and build down to the lower levels, so they could see what else this place had to offer. Tolfdir even had tasks for each apprentice to complete so they could learn about the people who once called this place home, like how he tasked Brelyna to search for intact warding magic, Onmund was to search for residual energies, and J'zargo had to verify that they were, in fact, the first ones to come here. For Rarity and Mah Oh, however, he wanted them to check in with someone else that was further inside the ruin and help him out, a man called Arniel Gane, but he really didn't have much to offer Capper at this time, to which the trio headed deeper into the nordic ruin, where it wasn't long before they spotted a man standing over a small table. Based on what they could see Arniel was distracted by something else and Rarity had to tap his shoulder multiple times before he realized that Tolfdir had sent one of the apprentices to assist him with his portion of their work in Saarthal, and all he wanted from her was for her to look in the area that was around them.

Capper had to admit that Arniel wasn't very impressive, he was too distracted and didn't seem to care about Saarthal at all, but Rarity and Mah Oh searched the surrounding area for a few moments, finding three enchanted rings, each baring the same health boosting enchantment, and a amulet on a wall that, when removed, raised some iron bars to keep the pair trapped in the small chamber they were in.

"I don't mean to question the ancient nords, but... this seems stupid." Rarity remarked, because she had done quite a lot in the years since Twilight arrived in Ponyville and had learned a number of things, and occasionally read the books Rainbow liked since there were subjects in them that appealed to her, even if the adventure aspect was a minor aspect, before she put on the amulet and fired a spell at the wall in front of her, breaking it down, "I can understand hiding a secret passage, but... hiding the key to breaking it in the nearby area seems just plain stupid. Should have put it in another part of Saarthal, or even another ruin that had no connection to this place."

"Seems the residents of Saarthal were trying to keep something hidden... something magical, given the power that is below our hooves." Capper commented, as he could now feel the source of the magic more than when the wall was intact, which told him that the fragments had warding magic on them and drastically limited what was let out into the rest of Saarthal, to which he glanced at the pair for a moment before stepping back, "Just like with Azure and Tuk Ur, this is your show... I'll be in the back, gathering anything of value."

Rarity and Mah Oh nodded their heads and Tolfdir joined them, as he heard the commotion and found that they had broken down part of the wall, in fact he was willing to listen to what the pair had to say as he lead the way down the short winding tunnel, only for the air around them to shudder as a blue light overtook everything in a small chamber.

Hold, mage... and lizard creature... and... Daedric Prince?! a voice stated, which appeared to be a male high elf wearing a nice yellow mage robe that was unlike anything they had seen in Skyrim, meaning he was likely from one of the other mage organizations that existed across the whole of Nirn, where the figure just stared at Capper for a few moments, who stared back and raised an eyebrow, causing the figure to cough and refocus, Hold, mages, and listen well: know that you have set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped... judgement has not been passed, as you had no way of knowing about the danger that lies ahead of you. However, you will be judged on your actions in the coming days, and how you deal with the obstacles you will face. This warning is passed to you, mage, because the Psijic Order believes in you... you have the potential to prevent disaster... take great care, and know that the Order is watching.

Capper wondered who the Psijics were, since they seemed more knowledgeable than one would assume, though once the figure disappeared time seemed to resume and Tolfdir started to move again, where he actually asked about the fact that he felt something strange just how. Rarity told him that they, and by that she meant her and Mah Oh since she knew Capper wanted his identity kept a secret from everyone, had been visited by an apparition that told them about danger and a short warning from the Psijic Order. He informed them that the Psijic Order was older than the Empire itself, were very powerful and extremely secretive, and that no one has seem them for over a hundred years, not since the Isle of Artaeum vanished from the face of Nirn. Of course there was the other thing that he said, the old man didn't necessarily believe Rarity or Mah Oh when they told him that they had seen a Psijic Monk, which was odd since Capper was sure it should have been 'mage', causing the older mage to step forward and study the chamber that seemed to be a dead end.

Two of the coffins opened open and one revealed a hidden path leading deeper into Saarthal, though Rarity and Man Oh did lash out at the pair of draugr that emerged from the coffins, the former lashing out with shards of ice while the latter used a small torrent of flames. Capper found that it was exactly the same with Azure and Tuk Ur, the mages were skilled on their own and didn't need him to do much, so he stuck to checking out the slain draugr and a number of urns, mostly collecting gold coins since it didn't appear that the residents of Saarthal had much in the past. Following that the group reached a large circular chamber that had a number of coffins lining the walls around them, but only four opened and Rarity found that the enemies who came out happened to be the weakest of the draugr, something that allowed her and Mah Oh to wipe them out with their spells. Tolfdir was surprised by what they were seeing and actually told them to head on without him, due to the fact that he wanted to stick around here and study the area, which was just odd when Capper thought about it, but the trio decided to let him do what he wanted as the iron bars blocking the way forward were lowered.

On the other side of the door Rarity and Mah Oh moved forward and started to explore the ruin, Capper hanging back so he could check out the urns that were scattered everywhere, finding more gold and the occasional gemstone, while the pair focused on what was ahead of them. Such a thing meant discovering something new, a circular bit of magic that was resting on the floor, which Mah Oh recognized as one of the rune spells that a mage could learn, magic that could be placed like a trap, so when someone walked on them it exploded with the element that was part of the spell. Since this one was red she had to assume it was a fire rune, though she also revealed a way to get rid of them, a mage could just blast it from afar and not get caught in the explosion that would come from the destruction of the spell, causing Rarity to loose an ice bolt at it not a second later. In that moment she discovered that the kobold was telling the truth as the rune detonated, though it also woke up a few draugr that were sleeping in the area, where once more these were the weaker draugr that one could find in a nordic ruin, so the pair of mages were able to bring them down in a short period of time, ice freezing them and fire taking them down.

Following that Rarity found that the path brought them to a iron door and a hallway that had a number of alcoves for the dead, but there were only a few draugr that woke up to fight them, since most of the alcoves either had bodies that stayed down or were empty. This told her that the people of Saarthal likely didn't have enough time to fill the various places that their dead would be resting in and this was as much as they could get before they sealed the secret area, though she was fine with this since it meant she could gain some confidence with her powers. While she and Man Oh dealt with the undead, clearing the way while carefully ignoring the various traps that had been placed in the ground by the builders of Saarthal, she did have to wonder what was down here that it would require the defenses they had seen so far and the ones that they had yet to see. At the same time she had to wonder if she should check in with all of the master mages in the College once they were done with Saarthal, to see what spells they might be offering to teach her so she could expand her knowledge and make herself more useful to the overall group.

As she thought about that, however, both she and the others discovered a short passage that had six indents leading to a single lever, and in each indent there was a rotating pillar, but behind each pillar was an engraving that had either a while, an eagle, or a snake, allowing them to see the combination.

"Another simple puzzle... I often wonder why the ancient nords built their ruins like this." Mah Oh commented, because this was the part of things that didn't make much sense to her, why the puzzles would be so simple, and she hadn't figured out why the ancient nords did something stupid like this, since it made it far too easy for intruders to enter their ruins, "I know they had their reasons, but I can't understand why they would design things this way."

"Maybe it's to keep the draugr out... like simple is too much for their dead brains? Or whatever state their brains are left in... I don't want to think about that, actually." Rarity offered, it was about the only thing she could think about, though as she said that she checked the various pillars and moved them to match the symbols that were behind each one, and once each of the pillars were ready she pulled the lever, finding that she had been right as the iron gate ahead of them raised into the ceiling, opening the way forward.

There was a short passage that brought them to a small chamber with two floors, the second being where they found one of the stronger draugr, since it was more armored than the basic ones they had fought so far, where the pair continued to lash out with their elemental magic. Since the draugr didn't have magic that made it far easier for them to bring it down and open the door it had been guarding, revealing another short passage with two more rune traps, both shock types based on their coloration, so Rarity used a bit of fire to take care of them. Following that they reached another area with a puzzle, this one seemed to be four pillars around a lever, where she and Mah Oh found that one pillar moved the other three, the second moved two of them, the third only moved the last one, and the last one moved nothing. It was another situation where the puzzle was rather simple and straightforward, all they had to do was match the one that moved all of them with it's symbol, then moved the next one until all four were matching, and once that was done she pulled the lever and the iron gate that was in front of them moved out of the way.

The passage on the other side was short and curved a bit, which was also around the time that Tolfdir decided to catch up with them, thus allowing them to reach what appeared to be the final chamber of the ruin, where a large orb surrounded by magic floated, and there was a draugr fueled by it's power, sitting at a stone slab. Sure enough Capper's thoughts were right as Rarity, Mah Oh, and Tolfdir lashed out at the draugr with their magic, finding that the spells slipped through him like they were nothing, all while he was able to use his own magic against them in the form of torrents of ice. Rarity kept herself and Mah Oh protected with a ward, as she realized that this spell was definitely useful in the grand scheme of things, though as she did that Tolfdir had an idea come to mind as he rushed towards the barrier and struck it with his magic, causing a bit of a change in the magic around the draugr's body. This caused the magic around the undead to shift between fire, ice, and even bits of lightning, meaning Rarity and Mah Oh could use their own spells to harm the draugr and did so without delay, a fact that allowed them to bring him down in no time at all.

As they did that, however, Capper found that the draugr had a fragment of a powerful amulet around his neck and claimed it, and there was a strong staff on the stone slab that their foe hadn't used, but Rarity and Mah Oh were focused on the orb and what it might mean for them.

"I have never seen anything like this before... Rarity, Mah Oh, can you head back to the College and tell the Arch-Mage, Savos Aren, about this discovery?" Tolfdir asked, because it was clear that he wanted to stay and study this artifact some more, as it was unlike anything he had seen in the past, and right now he trusted the pair more than anyone else in Saarthal right now, even though he was unsure of what to make of Capper since the khajiit had remained on the sidelines during the fight.

Rarity and Mah Oh found that there was a door leading out behind where the teal sphere was floating, which brought them and Capper to one of the strange stone walls that none of them could interact with, allowing Capper to loot the large chest that was in front of it before using a secret entrance to reach an area they had passed through when entering Saarthal. As soon as they were back near the entrance the trio headed outside and started to retrace their steps back to the College, all while keeping an eye out for hazards on the way, before a group of bandits decided to attack them. Rarity figured that they were thinking that they had artifacts and treasures from a ruin that no one had explored yet, which was true despite the fact that they weren't carrying anything too expensive on them, but there were only three bandits to worry about, allowing her and her companion to knock them down. Once the bandits were weakened, and she was sure that there was no one around to witness her secret, Rarity drained all three of their enemies of their blood in no time, sating her vampire nature while she let Capper take the loot that was on the bandits, before burning all three of them to prevent the rise of new vampires.

Eventually they returned to the College and Rarity found that the door to the Arch-Mage's quarters were unlocked, allowing them to enter the domain of Savos Aren, a male dark elf who seemed to be in the middle of reading a book when the group stepped into his quarters, which had an alchemy area and an enchanting area, plus a rest area.

"You two are relatively new here, are you not? I am Savos Aren, Arch-Mage of the College, and I am content to see nearly every school of magic explored and investigated." the figure said, as he noticed them standing there and closed his book, all while addressing Rarity and Mah Oh as apprentices, because he knew that Capper was just a visitor, he didn't seem like the apprentices he had seen in the past, causing him to focus on the pair, "So, what brings you to my humble domain?"

"We were in Saarthal and found a secret passage that brought us to a strange floating teal sphere that gave a draugr some unusual powers." Rarity replied, which was the basics of what happened, even though she was sure Tolfdir would give Savos a much more detailed and accurate tale on what happened in Saarthal when he returned, or when the Arch-Mage made it to the ruin to check on what they had discovered, "Tolfdir told us to come tell you about the discovery, while he stayed back to study the orb we discovered."

"I see. Well, it would appear that I must see this discovery with my own eyes... though while I do that you two should check in Urag, our librarian, and see if he's got any information on what you found." Savos stated, where it was clear that he believed what Rarity had said, that there was something in Saarthal that demanded his immediate attention, causing him to place his book on the nearby table as he stood up, crossing over to a dresser before pulling out a pair of staffs, "These staffs should help you in case you find yourselves exploring another nordic ruin and are low on mana... they have magelight engraved in them, and can cast the spell as long as they have energy."

Rarity and Mah Oh took the staffs from him, finding that the kobold's shrunk to fit her form, before the Arch-Mage departed from his quarters, though as he did so Rarity discovered that Capper was catching up with them, where he had one of the red stones he had found previously, no doubt having stolen it from Savos' room. She wasn't sure it was a good idea to steal something from the Arch-Mage, but then considered that he was going to busy for the foreseeable future, speaking with Tolfdir and figuring out what the teal orb really was, so she decided not to question this decision. Following that the trio left the Arch-Mage's quarters and crossed over to the other stairway that was across from the one that was on the left on the main entrance of the College's main lecture hall, allowing them to reach a large circular area with a large number of books on the ground, and bookshelves lining the walls. There was an orc sitting at the main table, looking like he was reading one of the books from one of the various shelves, and for the time being it looked like there was no one else in the area, though as they walked up to his table he closed the book.

Capper had to wonder how much knowledge was in this one chamber, because the library, or whatever it was called, had a lot of books and that meant this was a treasure trove for mages, in fact he was sure Twilight would have a field day in a place like this, making him a little interested in what the orc might have to tell the pair.

"You are now in the Arcanaeum, which I am in charge of... it might as well be my own Plane of Oblivion. But heed my warning with care: disrupt my domain and I will have you torn apart by angry atronachs." the orc, Urag, stated, which Capper thought was a little extreme, as he was basically threatening the students of the College with death if they stepped out of line, but the pair just stood there for a moment, because they knew a true Daedric Prince, causing the orc to sigh, "Now, what can I do for you? And what is that?"

"I'm a kobold, a daedra from the Opulent Lands, the Plane of Oblivion ruled by Midas, the Prince of Greed." Mah Oh said, to which the orc raised an eyebrow for a moment as he stared at her, showing that he likely didn't believe her statement, not that she cared all too much since she knew they would find a way to spread word of Capper's Princely side, "You know, the Thalmor are going to be the first to learn about my kind and our Prince... anyway, we're here to learn about a magical teal orb we found in Saarthal."

"I see. Well, I do know of one book that could help you with your research, but it was part of three books that Orthorn stole when he ran off to Fellglow Keep." Urag replied, which explained why he was so protective of his library, since someone had robbed him in the past, though at the same time he kept his eyes on Mah Oh, like he was debating his decision not to believe her, and Capper could see that he might chat with her in the future, "I don't know if he's still there, but I would recommend checking there for the books... the keep is located near Whiterun, just so you know. The books you're looking for the 'Night of Tears', 'The Last King of the Ayleids', and 'Fragment: On Artaeum'."

Rarity thanked him for the information and departed without delay, where the three of them left the Arcanaeum, though Capper knew that Urag would ask about the kobolds and Midas when they returned in the future, though none of the other mages approached them as they headed out into Winterhold, only to find Azure and the others outside, along with two new people clashing on the road leading out of the ruined city.

"Looks like Sharva caught up with us again." Capper commented, because one of the figures that was fighting happened to be the ashen khajiit they had helped in the past, while at the same time he noticed that her foe was the female imperial, who wore black clothing, that Sharva had said was a vampire, "And it seems like Xylia caught up with her as well."

This time around it looked like Xylia had a demonic looking mace, something that was designed to inspire fear in the hearts of her enemies, while Sharva now carried a pair of daedric swords in her hands, likely the same ones she had wielded before being captured by the Imperials. Xylia wielded ice spikes in addition to the mace, the pair moving around the area that was in front of the small town, before Sharva pushed her out into the snowy area, no doubt because it would give her a larger area to work with, and she used that to her advantage moments later as she leapt into the air and swung her right blade down. Such a thing forced the vampire to defend with the mace, which Capper was sure was a Daedric Artifact, though it was clear that Xylia wasn't used to actual combat, because Sharva, who was bloody from having been hit by the mace at the start of the battle, forced the head of the weapon down into the ground. As Xylia realized that fact, however, Sharva gripped both of her weapons and drove them down into her foe's heart, the tips coming out of the vampire's backside, before the life faded from her foe's eyes as she dropped the mace into the snow.

Sharva huffed for a moment as she tore her blades out of the dead vampire's chest, blood dripping from her blades as blood stains the snow around her, before she dropped her weapons and fell into the snow as well, causing the group to rush over to where she collapsed, finding that it was the same as before, she was wounded and tired, to which Rarity used another of her healing potions on her.

"At least she took down her target... and, at the same time, we claim the Mace of Molag Bal." La'nari commented, because that was what the mace was, the artifact of the Prince of Domination and Rape, one of the worst Princes in existence, given his dark desires and the bits of information that she knew about him, before she noticed that Capper had something else in his hand after collecting the mace, "What is that?"

What she was looking at was Xylia's soul gem, which was a tainted golden color with blood drops on it's surface, which were part of the inside by the looks of it, causing Capper to stare at it for a few moments, because this was his power at work and he was interested in the meaning of this discovery as well.

"I think the change represents that she was the follower of a Daedric Prince... which means I've stolen the soul of someone who was destined to go to Coldharbour." Capper commented, as that was the only thing that made sense right now, and he was sure that it meant they might be visited by Molag Bal at some point in the future, which he honestly wasn't interested in or even happy about, before he slipped the twisted golden soul gem away for the time being, "We aren't going to be able to bring her with us, not with the current set up of our travel carriage... and I might have an idea that can help us out."

Rarity found that Capper manipulated their carriage, shifting the back area that they sat in and changed it into what looked like an area with a roof, like it was a moveable house that reminded her of Trixie's home, causing her to find a door on the back that, sure enough, lead to a large area that was impossible for the original carriage.

"It's perfect." Rarity stated, because it looked like there were windows in the inside that couldn't be seen from the outside, allowing them to see what was around them and react accordingly, and it seemed like there was more than enough room for everyone, including Sharva, and she could see that none of the guards were even paying attention to them, which explained why Capper had done this.

That caused Capper to nod his head as most of them climbed inside the new and improved carriage, which he would have to outfit at some point in the future, though Rarity and Midnight carefully moved Sharva inside as Capper stashed the Mace of Molag Bal away, all while wondering what the future held in store for them this time around.

Guild: Daedric Business

Following the brief battle that they witnessed outside Winterhold, and ended up meeting up with an old friend, Capper sat up front with La'nari while she directed them back to Riften, since he figured it was time to deliver the information to Mercer and get whatever his and Tri Ki's next job might be. He was still amazed by the fact that they had been brought into contact with Sharva again, after quite a while of only hearing bits and pieces of what she was up to, and that, once again, she had been beaten by a mace by the imperial vampire she had been chasing. The only difference between this time and the last time they had seen her was because Sharva had killed Xylia, her target, and it ended up giving them a new Daedric Artifact, the Mace of Molag Bal, so now he had two thanks to the Sword of Jyggalag. It also gave him a tainted golden soul gem that held the soul of one of the Prince of Domination's followers, which he was still thinking about since it might come with a price that they weren't aware of, but for now he wasn't touching it, it could remain in the gem state.

As they headed for Windhelm, a stop Capper wanted to make to set up another portal in the city, he thought about how to contain the artifacts they had collected so far, especially since there was a chance that they might end up finding more in the future, but before he could ask about them he felt the magic nearby shift as Ithelia stepped out, causing La'nari to stop for a moment.

"My Prince, I know you are busy, but... there's been a development in the Opulent Lands. One of the other Princes is trying to get into your domain." Ithelia stated, as she knew that Capper was focused on setting up his portals and having his revenge on the one who took the bandit clan from him and his friends, but at the same time this wasn't a matter that could be set aside for a time, not when she knew who was trying to enter her brand new home.

"It's either Molag, coming for the soul of his slain follower, or it's another one seeking something else." Capper replied, only to sigh for a moment as he understood that this demanded his immediate attention, causing him to get off the carriage as he turned towards La'nari for a moment, since she would need to tell the others what was going on later, "Just keep going and stop outside Windhelm until I get back... given the time difference between Nirn and Oblivion I should be back before you reach your destination, but you never know. I'd like to set up Windhelm's portal before we return to Riften."

La'nari nodded before Capper and Ithelia stepped into the portal that the latter had used to reach them, though as Capper crossed back into the Opulent Lands he let his power wash over him, allowing him to change back into his Midas form as he found that his Chamberlain had brought them to the outskirts of the continent, a flat area that gave them space.

"So, who is it?" Capper asked, because he was still learning about the other Princes of Oblivion and had no idea who might be trying to invade his realm right now, but based on the frown that was on Ithelia's face told him that it was one she knew and really didn't want to deal with, meaning they had some history she'd rather not think of.

"Hermaeus Mora, the Prince of Forbidden Knowledge and Lord of Secrets." Ithelia replied, where her tone confirmed that she knew this Prince and didn't like him, though when Capper considered how he found her, using the crystal to hide, it was easy to figure out that one of the Princes had wronged her in some manner and had likely stolen her title, "He also stole my title as the 'Prince of Fate' and holds a fragment of my true power... honestly, I wanted to confront him in a month or two, after everything had settled down and your realm was fully recognized by the other Princes, but sometimes things don't go as we plan. I was waiting for a better time to mention this, but I still have a few servants in my own Plane of Oblivion, and one of them has been safeguarding a special staff for me, one of my artifacts to be exact... may I request your permission to allow him to enter your realm? Since it seems like fate is catching up with me, sooner than intended, I'd like to have the staff in hand before Mora arrives."

Capper thought about it for a few moments before granting her permission to summon her servant, because Ithelia, despite the short period of time they had known each other, had proved that she had his best interests in mind and felt that doing this would repay some of her deeds and trust. Her servant was a daedra who wore pants and not shirt, but his chest and arms were adorned with special tattoos that seemed important to Ithelia herself, who carried a silver staff with a crystalline tip, which had to be the artifact that the transformed Prince was after. Of course the pair looked at each other for a couple of seconds, the servant completely surprised by his Prince's brand new form, plus he was surprised by the presence of a Prince that was unknown to him, but since Ithelia was okay with Capper that seemed to be enough for her servant. That told him that the odd daedra understood that he wasn't like the Princes who sealed his Prince away, rather he understood that he was her ally and would stand beside her, even if that meant facing another of their siblings, the other Princes that ruled over the vastness of Oblivion.

Eventually, however, the sky above them darkened as Capper found that their uninvited guest was making his entrance, as a few dark patches opened in the air in front of them and revealed a number of floating eyeballs, some small while one was far larger than the others, and there were dark tendrils coming out of the portals the Prince was using to manifest himself in this realm.

"So, you are the upstart that dares to call himself a Prince of Oblivion?" the figure, Hermaeus Mora, stated, where it was easy for Capper to see that he wasn't too pleased with what was going on, which made sense since it seemed like he and the rest of the Princes had dealt with a few 'problematic' Princes, since he didn't agree with their treatment of Ithelia.

"Correct. I am Midas, the Daedric Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings." Capper replied, though he stood his ground and didn't back down, because he suspected that if a Prince were to bow their head to another one it would be seen as a sign of weakness, and right now Capper didn't want to open that can of worms, "Welcome, Hermaeus Mora, to the Opulent Lands, the Plane of Oblivion that is my domain. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I have heard whispers of your existence, from the Thalmor that roam Skyrim, and from Urag gro-Shub, the librarian for the College of Winterhold, who have had encounters with your... kobolds." Hermaeus Mora said, which Capper thought was a good thing, because if the Prince of Knowledge had heard about him, about a new Prince, he knew that it was only a matter of time until the other provinces of Nirn and the rest of Oblivion knew of his existence, before he noticed something, the pair that were standing near Capper, "It looks like you have found Torvesard, a dremora that I believed was lost to time, and you have uncovered another new creature that I have not heard about before... your realm is a treasure trove of knowledge, and I would like to add this knowledge to my library."

"I am pleased that you find us worthy of your attention, but isn't it a little early to be pestering us for information, when we have barely done anything and have yet to establish ourselves?" Capper inquired, which was actually the truth, what he had done in Skyrim was just the first steps and that meant there was nothing for Hermaeus Mora to gain from coming here, at this point in time, especially since he and his daedra were so unknown to the people of Nirn.

"That might be true, but that is not the only reason behind my decision to come here." Hermaeus Mora replied, though as he floated off to the side for a moment he found himself looking at the dragon figure that was beside Torvesard, as she was an interesting figure and he wanted to know more about her kind, especially since she seemed to be high ranking in this new Plane of Oblivion, "You see, there are individuals that I keep an eye on, such as my own servants or even special beings, such as Torvesard... or even energies that might be of interest... and not that long ago I felt the presence of a power I have not felt for a long, long time, and it came from this realm. In fact, the figure the energy is coming from is among us."

"What, you mean me?" Ithelia asked, where she trapped her staff against the ground for a moment as she noticed a shiver run down the tendrils that Hermaeus Mora used, while his eyes went wide as he realized what had actually drawn him to this place, to which he turned his eyes towards her as he saw her in a new light, "Hello, brother."

"...Ithelia... I... I don't understand. You opened a path to a world without magic or daedric influence, to keep yourself in check, and I helped you into exile before the Vestige broke the path." Hermaeus Mora said, where it was clear that he was caught off guard by this discovery, as he was expecting to meet another Prince, not meet the one Prince he feared above all others, as she was far worse than Jyggalag when she got serious, "How... How can you be here?"

"Oh brother, I thought you would have figured it out... I sent my mad self away, but kept my main conscious in this timeline, and with my new body I can fully control my power." Ithelia stated, because in the moment of her defeat at the hands of the Vestige, which was partly due to her being weak from being released from her prison and had been in the middle of taking her power back, she had seen a path to keep herself in this timeline and took it, hence the crystal Capper had found, but as she said that the tip of her staff pulsed with her power, "However, you have something of mine... and I want it BACK!"

Capper found that in the next instant Hermaeus Mora sent his tendrils at Ithelia, who jumped out of the way as her follower dived to the side, before the dragon figure lashed out at the Prince of Knowledge, the magic of her staff revealing a silvery glow inside his main body, though at the same time Capper held his hands out as golden barriers surrounded the rest of the floating eyes and tendrils.

"Midas! You would side with the Unraveler?! You have no idea how dangerous she really is!" Hermaeus Mora stated, where he was surprised by the fact that he was basically being double teamed by two Princes, though he was able to confirm that Ithelia had greater control over her power, in fact now he realized that she might not be the danger he first thought she was, while the newest Prince, who should be incredibly weak, was actually quite strong, which was maddening.

"Hermaeus Mora... you enter my realm without my permission, then you attack my Chamberlain? Someone ought to punish you for your hubris." Capper said, as he could understand the desire for knowledge, it was like his desire for gold and jewels, but at the same time he wasn't about to let someone walk into his territory and just do whatever they wanted, even if that person happened to be another, and older, Daedric Prince.

A few moments later Ithelia tore the fragment of her power, the sliver of herself that happened to be her power as the true Prince of Fate, out of Mora's main body, allowing the last bits of her power to wash over her body and restore her to her full potential, causing a slight smile to appear on her face in the process. At the same time Capper's own power found the area that the fragment came from was now a receptacle for someone else's energy, and his energy surged into the gap, taking advantage of the weakness in the Prince of Knowledge's armor. The golden energy washed over Hermaeus Mora, where all of the eyes seemed to converge into a single mass in front of the trio as he was surrounded by a golden light for a time, sort of like what happened when Capper made Ithelia's new form. After a few more moments the light faded and Capper found that Mora had been forced into a more humanoid form, though he was shorter than both him and Ithelia, and while his new form was scaly it wasn't like a dragon or a kobold's, rather it was more like a fish.

Hermaeus Mora had a slim, almost feminine, body that looked like the legs had been replace by the tail of a serpent, before Capper found that the Prince was now definitely a woman, based on Mora's new chest area that was covered with a bra, like how there was a loincloth around her waist, and the tendrils Mora had used had been turned into her hair, while the color of her scales were a dark eerie green.

"Wh... What have you DONE?!" Mora asked, his voice now sounding like a woman's, mixed with a serpent's since that seemed to be the theme of what was going on with him, though as he, or she, got up the Prince thrust one of her hands forward, at Capper, before finding that nothing happened as golden runes appeared on both of her arms and around her neck, "Why... Why can't I use my powers?"

"Well, sister, it looks like you were reborn by my Prince's magic... and can't use your powers against him, his denizens, or his realm." Ithelia said, though this did confirm something in her mind, they needed to teach Capper how to fully control all of his powers, because while his strength was impressive, in fact she was sure he might rival Jyggalag or herself if they were to use their full power, there were times where he still lacked control, as he seemed surprised by this as well, "You are still the Prince of Knowledge, like how I'm the Prince of Paths, but in the Opulent Lands we are servants of the Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings... I am his second, his Chamberlain, while you would be... the Archivist, I guess. This is your new form, so I would get used to it, but my Prince is not without mercy and will no doubt allow you to head back to your realm at some point..."

"Well now, this is something worth crowing about." a new voice said, where Capper found that it was a man in a suit, which was split down the middle and happened to be orange on one side and purple on the other, though Capper also discovered that this was more like a projection, the Prince wasn't actually here, "I was in the middle of enjoying my vacation when I felt a change in the wind. A new Daedric Prince, one that is nicer and more pleasant than Jyggalag... no one likes him, you know, as even Malacath is more popular at parties than the Prince of Order. And not only that, but the return of an old Daedric Prince, one everyone loved and cared for, until we were made to forget... and now, through messing with the old floating eye, we have remembered what we have forgotten! Plus old Mora has changed as well... good on him, or her, because we daedra are the embodiments of change, and it was about time someone brought her into the fun. Oh, but where are my manners... I'm sure I had them somewhere... I am Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. Charmed."

"The, um, pleasure is all mine." Capper replied, though he wasn't sure what to make of another Prince showing up, in some form, but at the same time he knew not to overstep his boundaries, because he was sure Sheogorath would brush off his magic and turn him into something for a time, likely cheese since that was a favorite of his, "I am Midas, Daedric Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings. I take it you became aware of me after I collected Jyggalag's sword?"

"Give the Prince a biscuit! That's correct, and, as a favor for preventing my realm from colliding with the mortal world, I have kept your realm hidden from the others... or at least the barrier was supposed to do that." Sheogorath said, telling Capper that the Chamberlain of the Shivering Isles must have convinced his Prince to do such a thing and that the Prince of Madness must have created a different barrier than what he had been told to make, since Mora had found them, before the Prince shrugged, "Oh well, cheese for everyone! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to the fishstick... it's a very delicate state of mind... and to my vacation... oh, and if either of you are ever in New Sheo, do look me up, as I'd love to share a strawberry tart with both of you, my siblings new and old."

Capper stood there as the phantom image of Sheogorath disappeared, leaving behind a basket full of cheese, causing him to sigh as he rubbed the back of his head for a moment, as he honestly wasn't expecting all of this to happen when he decided to respond to Ithelia telling him that they had an unexpected guest. With the Prince of Madness gone, for the time being, he turned his attention to the transformed Prince of Knowledge, where he pulled out one of the mages robes they had found on some of their slain enemies and carefully slipped it over Mora's new head, where it was clear that the changed Prince was still coming to terms with everything. Capper also noted that he had been wrong with his assumption, Mora seemed about half as tall as him and Ithelia, though at the same time it seemed like the changed Prince didn't seem to care about her new body that much, or maybe she did and was simply taking the time to come to terms with what had happened. In fact if one were to look at them now he was sure that someone would think that Mora was a child, since the Prince was standing next to two, though he was also positive the mortals wouldn't be bothered by it too much since they'd assume he manifested the eyes to prevent people from seeing her true form.

Despite the fact that there was some clear history between the pair, since the transformed Prince had wronged Ithelia in the past, Ithelia helped her changed sibling into the robe, since Mora wasn't used to having arms or a head, since she preferred the eyeballs as what mortals saw when interacting with her, and it didn't take her long to finish her task.

"You turned me into a female tsaesci... why?" Mora asked, where they found that the changed Prince knew the species that she had been turned into, even though Capper had no idea what she was talking about since this was the first time he had heard of such a creature.

"Actually, you look more like a naga. The tsaesci are different from your new form." Ithelia commented, because she knew the snake people in question and could see that there were some similarities between the two, but there were differences that made her call her transformed sibling by the name of a brand new species, which seemed to be a pattern with Capper's transformation magic, "Though if we're being honest, Midas is still coming to terms with his power, so your form might have been an accident... we'll need to focus on honing his powers so this doesn't happen again in the future."

"I know, practice to make sure accidents don't happen... I'll get started on the lessons soon." Capper stated, as he agreed with Ithelia's comment, there were powers that a Prince could wield that he needed to master, before something like this happened to someone else in the future, causing him to turn towards the rest of the Opulent Lands as he started to head back to the main city, "For now, I will leave Mora in your hands, Ithelia, while I return to the others and continue to Riften so I can see what else the Guild has to throw my way."

"Wait... are you talking about manifesting on Nirn, in your full power? Because that's..." Mora started to say, something that was followed by Capper reverting to his more mortal state, while at the same time Ithelia and Mora were teleported out of his realm, appearing outside what appeared to be Windhelm, near what appeared to be a carriage with a group she had never seen before, and Mora also discovered that she and Ithelia were in a sealed state, their powers nearly nonexistent based on what she was feeling, "...impossible? What just happened?"

"Midas' power allows him to manifest himself, and other Princes, in the Mortal Plane, even though we do have to seal most of our power in the process." Ithelia stated, where she could see that her transformed sibling was interested in what she was seeing right now, and was no doubt imagining the potential knowledge that could be gained from working with the newest Prince of Oblivion and the one Mora had tried to erase in the past, "Come, sister, join me in the Opulent Lands... become the Archivist of Midas' castle, learn from the newest Prince and add more knowledge to both of our libraries, because they are going to be writing the greatest epic that Nirn and Oblivion has ever seen. Don't you want to be a part of that, writing the tale with your own hands and ensuring that it is historically correct, while being the first one to write about the newest Prince of Oblivion, his realm, and the races that serve him?"

Capper could see that the lure of knowledge, and potentially being the first one to discover this knowledge, was all that Mora needed, which confirmed that he was the Prince of Knowledge and that was all she seemed to care about right now, as the naga allowed Ithelia to bring them back to the Opulent Lands. He still wasn't sure what to make of this situation, the fact that he now seemed to have two transformed Princes working with him, even though dealing with Mora's addition, and her new form and the golden seals that were on her new body, was going to be a headache. He still wasn't sure how he had changed the Prince of Knowledge into her new form, plus he had no idea how he had sealed her power in a manner that prevented her from using it against Ithelia and the Opulent Lands, confirming that once he knew what his next job was he would need to stop and get some lessons before he did something else that was incredibly stupid. At the same time he knew that he had to tell Rarity and the others about this discovery, and deal with whatever consequences might come from this, which just caused him to sigh as he realized how busy his future was going to be, now that the Princes of Oblivion were no doubt slowly becoming aware of him and his realm's existence.

With that in mind Capper turned and started to walk towards Windhelm, because he was going to put a portal inside the city and then get on his way to Riften so he could see how Mercer reacted to the information he gleamed in Solitude, all while worrying about what the future held in store for them next.

Guild: Information Sharing

"I'm not sure what happened, but I am pleased to have Mercer in my hands once more." Karliah commented, where she walked down to where Capper was standing, and the strange lizard creature, before she focused on Mercer, who was tied up in such an odd and interesting manner, "Twenty-five years... I've been on the run for twenty-five years, never sleeping in the same place twice, out of fear that I'd be caught, all because of you and your lies... but now your lies will be brought to the surface. The question is, will you tell the Guild the truth, or will I have to do it for you?"

Capper raised an eyebrow for a moment as Karliah pulled out a journal, one with a new mark on it that Mercer recognized immediately, if the freaked out expression of his eyes was any indication, meaning it might hold some juicy information on it that could expose the truth of Mercer's activities to the rest of the Guild, before he noticed the look of defiance that crossed his eyes.

"Doesn't look like he's interested in playing along. Out of curiosity, what does the journal say?" Capper inquired, because it had to be good if just seeing the journal was causing Mercer to sweat like this, while at the same time a few of the collector kobolds joined them and picked Mercer up, allowing them to carrying him outside since there seemed to be a second way to enter Snow Veil Sanctum.

"Honestly, I wish I knew. It's Gallus' personal journal, and I know he was investigating Mercer before his death... however, it seems that the pages are written in a language I don't recognize." Karliah admitted, which was interesting that she assumed the Guild would listen to something they couldn't understand, though that meant she might also have a way to translate it, given that she was willing to threaten Mercer with the information Gallus had written inside it, "Gallus had a friend at the College, Enthir, that he spent a lot of time talking to, and I've talked to him a few times... maybe he knows of a way to quickly translate the journal? He'll either be in the local inn, or somewhere inside the College, so I will entrust the journal to you while I bury Gallus... though I must ask: who are you exactly?"

Capper, of course, introduced himself my his mortal name, since he wasn't entirely sure he could trust Karliah not to spill his secret, and he didn't trust Mercer with it either, though he did collect Mercer's weapons as well, mostly so they didn't rot in a ruin for the rest of their existence. He also introduced Tri Ki and the kobolds that were hauling out the loot that was inside the ruin, a grand haul in his eyes, and Capper could see that Karliah was surprised by this information, though as soon as all of the collector kobolds were gone he collected the journal and bid his new ally farewell as he headed towards Winterhold once more. Sure enough he found that getting to the small settlement was easy, there were no enemies for him to worry about, so he was able to walk in silence, but he did keep one of the kobolds near Karliah to make sure she was fine and that Mercer wasn't freed if he went too far. There was also the fact that he wanted the watcher to keep an eye on Karliah, since she admitted to being on the run for a long time and he had a feeling she might harm Mercer before he was brought before the rest of the Guild, but for the time being it looked like she was holding herself back.

With that in mind he focused on the task at hand as he found that he reached the small settlement in no time, where Rarity and the others were waiting outside, the carriage was with them as well, though he quickly informed his friends of what was currently happening so they knew what his next order of business was.

"So... Mercer murdered Gallus, not Karliah? Yeah, the others aren't going to believe that, not without solid evidence." La'nari commented, because while the murder had happened before she was even born, and she had only heard about it later on when she joined the Guild, she knew that Brynjolf, Vex, and the others would require more than Karliah's word, especially since most of them knew her as the murderer, not Mercer.

"And even with Mercer partly trapped as a golden statue, they'll believe he was forced to tell them what Karliah wants them to know, hence my latest mission." Capper said, where he held up the journal for a moment, thinking about what might be written on it, though while he knew that he could just ask Mora what was written inside it he had a feeling that this could be something not even the Prince of Knowledge knew about, so maybe he could translate it and then give Mora the guide as a gift of some kind, "I'm going to check with Karliah's contact, which was Gallus' contact, and see what's written on this, maybe even figure out how to translate it... then we'll take it and Mercer back to the Guild, let them figure out who is telling the truth and who is telling the lie."

Rarity sighed and thought about mentioning just asking Mora, since it seemed better to ask the Prince of Knowledge, but she decided not to question Capper's decision, because if he wanted to do things this way she knew better than to argue, and that was with the thought that he was a Prince, so it was unwise to argue with him. Capper, on the other hand, found that it wasn't hard to find Enthir, in fact the mage in question happened to be walking down the College's bridge and stopped when Capper hailed him, allowing them to speak between two of the buildings for a short time. Enthir confirmed that he knew the figure he was talking about, that Karliah would eventually bring him Gallus' journal, and when he studied the pages he had an answer for him within a matter of seconds, everything was written in the language of the falmer, the snow elves who had lived in Skyrim a lifetime ago. Apparently Gallus had been an academic and that lead to him meeting Enthir, after breaking into Enthir's room and taking note of the mage's notes, causing them to discuss things on the subject before he pointed the thief in the direction of someone who could help him learn the language, and now he was giving Capper that information since it would help Karliah out.

As it turned out the information Enthir had for them was that Calcelmo in Markarth would have the information needed to translate the journal, which was an interesting thing since Capper hadn't set up a portal in that city, to which he thanked the mage for his time and departed with his kobold companion.

"We're heading to Markarth." Capper said, where he and Tri Ki regrouped with the others, causing La'nari to nod her head as she got the carriage ready, allowing the others to climb into the inner rest area that Capper had created, and it wasn't long before they got underway once more, before he noticed that someone else was with them, "Ah, good morning Sharva. Did you sleep well?"

"Ugh... as well as expected, given the hits I took from that blasted mace." the ashen khajiit replied, though it was clear that she was still recovering from the fight with Xylia, meaning the vampire must have done a lot of damage to her before they witnessed the end of their clash, before she sighed as she looked at Capper, "Xylia's dead... right? I didn't imagine my victory over her, did I?"

"No, you didn't imagine it, because you killed her. You won, despite her attempts to bring you down." Capper answered, all while noting that Rarity was taking the ashen khajiit's measurements, because there was a chance that they could make her something thanks to all of the materials that were available to her, she just needed to figure a few things out before they worried about, "You should rest... we can talk more when you are fully rested and ready to take on the world."

With that said he left the ashen khajiit to the others as he rejoined La'nari at the front of the carriage, allowing him to think about the situations that were now unfolding, the first being the fact that he and Ithelia had to deal with the transformed Mora and the consequences of his actions, plus training to be sure it didn't happen again. In addition to that there was the fact that Mercer needed to be dealt with, which he was doing right now with tracking down the information to prove that the idiotic Guildmaster was wrong and that Karliah was the right now in this argument. There was also helping Sharva with her new Dragonborn nature, after telling her about it anyway, though he suspected that this would be a shock to her, once she got over the fact that he was a Daedric Prince and knew two other Princes fairly well. In addition to all of that there was the fact that he and the others would have to worry about the dragons at some point, even though right now it sure seemed like the wyverns, for that was what they were, didn't seem to be interested in people.

As he thought about that, however, he and La'nari spotted one of the wyverns off in the distance, appearing to be hunting down one of the horkers or another animal that it wanted to munch on, but it seemed like the beast had no desire to mess with them, if it even knew they were there, allowing them to focus on the road again.

The journey to Markarth was, by all accounts, boring since there were no wild animals to worry about and the enemies the group were used to fighting didn't seem interested in coming out at all, as there were no bandits to slay, no Forsworn to kill, and no battles happening between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks. Such a thing allowed them to make sure Sharva was fine, since a peaceful ride with no interruptions seemed to be the best thing for her right now, and when they reached the area that they took down one of the Saint camps in she got up and joined those that were inside the carriage, though it did cause her to be confused by the carriage's magical interior. The ashen khajiit was pleased to have her swords back, though none of them were interested in asking how she recovered both of the daedric swords, given that they had been taken from her and everyone was sure she hadn't stolen them back from the Imperials. Rarity did make sure she was outfitted and not just wearing the attire they had found her in, since her torn clothing wouldn't have lasted much longer, where Capper found that she went with the light elven armor, with matching gloves and boots, though she wore a hood over her head to help keep her daedric markings hidden.

It was early morning when they reached Markarth, where Capper and Tri Ki headed inside first, allowing him to see that the city was entirely made of stone, it had been carved into the mountain by the Dwarves, and there were a number of doors and paths to pick from, though he did find one path that lead to a dead end that no one used.

"And we found the perfect spot for the portal. Nice." Capper commented, where he found that he was able to set up the new portal at the end of the odd dead end and tested it out, finding that Markarth was now linked to the Opulent Lands, though as soon as that was done he beckoned for the kobold to follow as he tracked down Calcelmo.

As it turned out just asking the guards about the Court Wizard was the best way to go about things, as one pointed them to Understone Keep, the domain of the Jarl, and told them to head to the left after entering, which was easy to do, except for a pair to be arguing about the Hall of the Dead, though Capper ignored them as he tracked down two mages, one older than the other.

"What are you two doing here? I told the Jarl that I don't need anymore workers or guards for the excavation site." the older high elf inquired, though Capper got the feeling that he was either exhausted from his work or someone had driven him just a tad bit mad, but he determined that it was the former this time around, since this seemed to be natural exhaustion and not a Prince screwing with him.

"Oh, we're not here about the excavation site... we were looking for you, actually." Capper stated, where he noticed that the younger high elf didn't seem interested in listening to their conversation, meaning it was just the three of them and right now Tri Ki was willing to let him do the talking with the Court Wizard.

"And I just told you that I'm not looking for anymore guards or workers! You idiots. Do you even know who I am? The most recognized scholar on the Dwemer in all of Tamriel, and you people keep bothering me!" Calcelmo remarked, where his tone quickly turned hostile as he looked at the pair for a few moments, though as he growled, showing his anger for what he thought they had done, a moment of clarity washed over his face as he seemed to calm down sightly, "I... I'm sorry I... I got too excited. You must understand, I'm in the middle of some very... stressful work, and I haven't gotten as much sleep as I should be getting... I shouldn't have yelled at either of you. You said you were looking for me?"

"Don't worry, I fully understand putting in some late hours and not getting enough sleep. As for us, we heard that you were the expert to talk to, in regards to the Dwarves and the Falmer." Capper said, which was common knowledge apparently, or at least according to Calcelmo and Enthir, since he wasn't sure how many other people knew about the high elf and the work he was currently doing in Markarth.

"You are well informed... in fact, I'm on the cusp of completing my magnum opus: I'm calling it 'Calcelmo's Guide to the Falmer Tongue'!" Calcelmo stated, rather proudly based on what they were seeing right now, not that Capper was blaming him since this seemed to be an interesting discovery that could make him well known in the world of the mages, but this was what they were hoping to hear.

"Maybe you would let us take a look? We can offer you some patronage in exchange for a glimpse." Tri Ki asked, because while they were thieves, and could easily steal the information Calcelmo was uncovering right now, offering him some gold in exchange, to help further his studies and research, seemed like the best idea right now, all while she knew that her Prince was already considering what to do if this failed.

"Now I'm not sure how many scholars you two are used to dealing with, but I assure you that money is the lowest priority for a number of us." Calcelmo remarked, almost like he was offended that someone would offer him gold in exchange for even a tiny glimpse at something he was working on, in fact he seemed to go out of his way to assume they were paying him with the idea that this was all profit for him.

"We weren't asking to buy it, just that you could use the gold for items for your research... but I get it, you don't want anyone to see this knowledge before you're ready to release it to the world." Capper said, though in the next instant he felt one of his allies step through the more private portal to appear in the area that he was in, like how Ithelia could just appear nearby despite him being near none of the various portals he had set up in the Holds.

"Did someone say... knowledge?" Mora asked, where Capper and Tri Ki found that she appeared right behind him and tried to use the voice that many associated with her eyeball form, though Calcelmo seemed confused by what was going on right now, since he was staring at the figure, who let out a sigh as she lowered her arms, "I am Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Knowledge... see, the mortals do not respect me in this form."

"By the Divines, you really are the Prince of Knowledge... did Sheogorath do this?" Calcelmo inquired, though this seemed to turn the gears in his head, that the one Prince who would be interested in his research was coming to see it in person, even if he was sure that the Princes weren't supposed to be able to enter this Plane, all while Capper noticed that Mora took the opportunity to fully shift the blame onto the Prince of Madness, almost like she was covering for him.

"Yes. It is another of his many pranks." Mora said, acting like her old self again, no doubt because she wanted the newfound knowledge that was being uncovered in Markarth, confirming that not even the Prince of Knowledge had the information on how to translate the Falmer tongue, or if she did she wasn't interested in sharing it with Capper, "Now, you said that you were making a new book?"

Capper found that Calcelmo was willing to let Hermaeus Mora into his private area of the city to see his notes, in fact it was interesting to see someone believe that this was actually the Prince of Knowledge and that the Prince of Madness was the reason behind Mora's predicament. With that in mind they followed the Court Wizard over to the entrance that was on the right side after entering the Keep and he brought them into a museum for the Dwarves, the 'Dwemer Museum' as he called it, which was just a bunch of glass cases with items that had been found, armor, weapons, and certain books. He also found that Tri Ki wandered off for a moment and returned with one of the red gems he was tracking down, causing him to pocket it after rubbing her head for a few seconds, and discovered that none of the guards or Calcelmo even noticed the theft. After that they were brought into the upper reaches of the wizard's work space, where the guards up here were more surprised to see their boss walking around with some strangers, but figured it was best to let him do what he wanted, leading to him taking them outside and up to a single lone tower.

What they found inside the tower was a large stone slab with a number of chisel markings and a decoder section, which had to be what Enthir had sent them to acquire the information of, and he found that there were pieces of paper and charcoal, where it looked like they were making rubbings of the slab and what each piece meant.

The next few hours were a little slow for Capper, as he found that Calcelmo and Mora were having a good time trading bits of information on the slab, meaning it might have been a boon for him to turn the Prince of Knowledge into his Archivist, a fact he would have to address in the future. It wasn't long before the pair started compiling the information into a book, just like what the Court Wizard wanted, and Mora got what she wanted as they made two copies of it while they worked, one that claimed by Mora when they were done with their work, the other left with Calcelmo and even signed by Mora, like a personal copy for Calcelmo. With the new book in hand they retraced their steps back to the entrance of Understone Keep, with a now extremely happy Court Wizard leading the way, and Capper made sure to take a Dwarven cube that seemed like it also might be worth something to the right person. After leaving the museum the trio thanked Calcelmo for his time before they left the Keep, allowing them to head outside and track down everyone else, who were still with the carriage, and since there were no guards, and the stable was closed for the time being, they were able to cross into the Opulent Lands before he, Tri Ki, and Mora returned to Winterhold.

Sure enough he found that Enthir was still in the tavern area and that he was surprised by the newcomer, but he seemed to realize that they had the information he was after and beckoned for them to follow, where they headed down into the cellar and discovered that Karliah was down there as well, with Mercer, still trapped as Capper had left him, resting over on the right side of the cellar.

"Mora here was able to help acquire this information. Make sure you thank her." Capper stated, where they handed over the book and Enthir studied it while looking at the journal, though he could tell that Karliah was interested in the newcomer and what she might have done to help Capper acquire this information, before she focused on Enthir as Mercer freaked out in his corner area.

"I must say, this is very intriguing... but highly disturbing." Enthir remarked, where they found that he was translating Gallus' journal, writing the translation above the lines, as it looked like Gallus had designed his journal to be translated and left space for someone to write in things between the lines, and whatever it said was disturbing him, "It would appear that Gallus started to have suspicions about Mercer's allegiance to the Guild for months, as he uncovered something that he calls 'an unduly, lavish lifestyle replete with spending vast amounts of gold on personal pleasures'. From what I'm reading it looks like he was certain that Mercer had been stealing funds from the Guild's treasury without anyone's knowledge, and he had been looking into it before his murder... which means Mercer must have killed him, to keep his scheme going."

"Good, the Guild will believe this information... but... does the journal mention anything about the 'Nightingales'?" Karliah asked, because it sounded like there was something in Gallus' information that she wanted to confirm or deny before they left for Riften, since now the Guild had no reason to not believe them when they told them the truth of Gallus' death, and this time even Mercer realized how screwed he was, if the look of fear in his eyes was any indication.

"Hm, yes. The last few pages talk about the 'failure of the Nightingales', but doesn't go into great detail... I'm also seeing the same mention that Gallus was sure that Mercer desecrated something called the 'Twilight Sepulcher." Enthir continued, only the look on his face told Capper and the others that he had no idea what they were talking about now, while at the same time it looked like Karliah wasn't in the mood to answer this particular question, something he seemed to understand since he didn't bring it up again.

Karliah told Capper and Tri Ki that they had to take Mercer and the translation to the Guild immediately, something that the pair agreed with as Capper collected the journal as Mora collected the tome that allowed them to understand what Gallus had written, before he turned and helped Karliah move Mercer, as he was looking forward to presenting him to the Guild and seeing how they reacted to his betrayal, and what might come after the fact.

Guild: Business in Riften

Capper found that getting Mercer out of the area proved to be rather easy, most of Winterhold's residents were either still asleep or were somewhere else, like the College or the other structures, though he also found that Karliah didn't have any carts to carry the trapped thief back to Riften, like she was relying on the collectors to aid her. Fortunately the rest of the group was waiting in the carriage outside, a benefit of him setting up all of the various portals in the Holds, so they were able to climb aboard it as he introduced Karliah to everyone, and they laid eyes on the trapped form he had left Mercer in. While La'nari got them underway Capper explained the situation to everyone else, that Mercer was guilty of stealing funds from the Guild's Vault, that Gallus had been looking into it, and that the current Guildmaster had murdered his predecessor and blamed it on someone else, which was Karliah. As such they knew that getting to Riften was the best course of action, hence why the khajiit that was in charge of the carriage, when it was in use, got them underway as they retraced the path they had used to travel from Riften to Winterhold.

While they traveled, however, Capper asked Mora for the translation tome and looked over it and the journal, mostly to see everything Enthir had translated while looking for additional information, before he returned the tome to Mora so she could continue her reading, as there was nothing else for him to gleam from Gallus' journal.

"The evidence clearly points to Mercer being guilty... I can only hope the Guild is willing to listen to reason." Capper said, as it was entirely possible that the Guild would attack them the moment one of them realized that Karliah was with them, so part of him was hoping they didn't do anything stupid while they revealed the information they needed to know.

"Yes, I would rather stop a potential bloodbath from happening, and if they're not willing to listen to reason you should have this in hand." Karliah commented, passing Capper what appeared to be a silver blade of sorts with a black handle that had an interesting symbol on it, which matched the symbol that was on Gallus' journal, meaning it was connected to the secret group the dark elf didn't want to talk to him about.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about our boss, he's got weaponry covered." Tri Ki said, gesturing to the blades that were on Capper's belt, the special golden swords that he rarely used right now since he was a thief and was avoiding taking lives, since that meant losing people and losing potential profits since they might become targets of a job in the future, "Trust me, those two blades are on a whole different level."

Capper said nothing to that as he accepted the blade, mostly because it seemed unique and would look great as part of a collection, before focusing on the road once more as La'nari navigated her way through the area they were moving through, which was also devoid of foes since they had cleared the area the last few times they came this way. It was always nice to have a peaceful ride, especially since he knew that the rest of the province wouldn't be nice, and this time around they also passed by two different patrols, one was the Imperials looking for the Stormcloaks and the other was the Stormcloaks on the move. It was interesting to see both sides working like this, even though it was clear that they were preparing for the next clash of the war, wherever it might take place, but since that wasn't one of their main concerns La'nari continued towards Riften so they could settle this matter once and for all. While she did that Capper suggested bringing the carriage to the back entrance, as in the southern one, since it was the closest to the Ratway and would be the easiest way for them to get Mercer down into the sewer without anyone suspecting anything.

Of course that did mean he had to alter the golden bits into something else, causing him to encase Mercer in mossy stone, as if they were going to add something to the sewers, and he made sure to leave his nose open so he would be alive once they reached the Guild, since having him dead on arrival would displease everyone.

"Can I ask how you're doing this?" Karliah asked, because she was still coming to terms with the fact that Capper was able to move quickly, enough to avoid her arrow and snatch it out of the air, but the fact that he also had the power to make Mercer turn to gold and stone made her wonder what was going on right now, where she found that the khajiit raised his right hand, showing her a golden ring with blue runes in the Daedric script and a blue gemstone where a diamond would normally rest.

"This: the Eye of Midas, an artifact of the Daedric Prince of Greed... he's a new Daedric Prince, one who hasn't had an interest in Nirn until now. Still figuring out the ins and outs of this artifact." Capper replied, as the more that knew about the newest Daedric Prince the less he would have to explain things, though he honestly didn't care for the power of belief that nearly all of the other Princes desired, "But one of it's powers is what you are seeing right now."

Capper wasn't sure if Karliah believed him or not, especially since he was telling her about the existence of a new Prince, but for the time being it looked like she was willing to go along with his statement, so when they reached the back entrance he, La'nari, Tri Ki, and Karliah climbed out of the carriage and started to haul Mercer's statue into the city. As he suspected the guards were either too busy with their work, watching over the market to make sure no one stone anything, or just going out on their patrols, meaning they were able to slip down into the Ratway without being discovered. Since they had cleared out this area in the past there wasn't anything for them to worry about this time around, so they were able to move Mercer over to where the entrance to the Ragged Flagon, where Capper undid the stone binding and allowed the bits of gold to remain over Mercer's body. With that done they moved forward and found that word had already reached Brynjolf of their arrival, as he and the other thieves that usually relaxed in the tavern area when they weren't on duty, but right now they were missing and he suspected they were inside the Cistern.

Sure enough when they entered the core of the Guild's operations he found that Brynjolf, Delvin, and Vex standing between them and the rest of the Cistern, and it was clear that two of them were armed while the man who recruited Capper was still unarmed, and in the area behind them had the rest of the Guild, who seemed to be annoyed as well.

"The lot of you had better have a good reason for coming here with that murderer... and hauling our Guildmaster around like a trophy kill." Brynjolf stated, his tone revealing that he wasn't too happy with what he and the others were seeing right now, especially since they had no idea that they had been tricked by Mercer when he came back from killing Gallus, which was why Capper had the others set down the trapped thief as he pulled out the translated journal, "What's that?"

"Gallus' journal, fully translated for your viewing... I'm sure you'll find it's contents disturbing." Capper replied, where he let the thief take the journal before he backed up, showing them that he meant no harm and that he just wanted them to know what was going on, something that caused Brynjolf to raise an eyebrow for a moment as he opened the journal to the start of Gallus' entries and started reading the translation.

For a few moments Brynjolf didn't seem to be impressed by what was written in the journal, but then the information turned to the more important sections of the text and his eyes revealed his confusion as he read Gallus' suspicions about Mercer and his allegiance to the Guild. It turned to disbelief as he reached the part about Mercer stealing from the Vault, the fact that Gallus had been looking into it while Karliah had been busy with her own duties, though what that was he couldn't tell, before a look of anger appeared on his face as he looked at Mercer. In the next moment he returned the journal before he had the pair, and the group, follow him back to the Vault, where he had a key to it, Delvin had a key, and Mercer had the last, so only two of them were required to be in agreement to open the Vault. This was the ultimate test of the journal's tale, the Vault was either full and they deemed Gallus a liar, something that would shatter everyone since they looked up to Gallus, or it would be empty and their rage would be directed to Mercer, who would be sent to the chopping block in no time.

Delvin used his key first and Brynjolf used his a few moments later, though when the door opened they were met with a sad and anger inducing sight, the Vault had been cleared out of everything and anything that had been inside it, there were only empty chests inside it, to which Capper caught Vex's arm before she drove her blade into Mercer's head.

"Let go of me. I'm going to kill this miserable asshole!" Vex stated, the anger in her voice as clear as day, especially since her face was one of rage, though at the same time Brynjolf reached into Mercer's attire and found the special silver and gold key that went to the Vault, his copy of the key, which he took from the traitorous Guildmaster.

"No, his fate should be decided by the Guild that he betrayed... or by the ones he tried to murder, such as Karliah, Tri Ki, and I while we were searching for Karliah." Capper replied, where he found that Brynjolf shared his thoughts, that they should sentence him as a group, instead of someone taking over and ending their former leader on their own, something that was followed by Capper turning towards Brynjolf for a moment, "If Mercer has a residence somewhere I should be able to get inside and see if he's hidden any of the stolen loot inside it... are you okay with that, or should we just focus on him?"

"No, we should cover all of our bases. Mercer has a house in Riften, Riftweald Manor, but he never stays there... just pays for the expenses and hired some lout called Vald to guard it." Brynjolf said, where Capper noticed that Vex seemed annoyed by the mention of the name, meaning he might want to talk to her before he tried to infiltrate the manor, before he sighed as he looked back at the empty Vault for a few seconds, "I can't believe he took everything we had... even Gallus' plans for new places to heist were taken."

Capper kept that in mind as he checked in with Vex, who told him that she didn't care about Vald, rather he was someone they could get away with killing even though he was indebted to Maven, something about losing a shipment, an important one at that, causing him to wonder what it might be about. With that in mind he had La'nari and Tri Ki keep an eye on Mercer while he was gone, because he wanted to make sure he was kept safe and sound before they decided his punishment, and once they agreed to watch over the man Capper returned to the surface of Riften. As it turned out tracking Maven down was rather simple, she was inside the upper portion of The Bee and Barb again, though while she seemed annoyed by him being there, since she hadn't called for him, she was willing to talk about Vald and his debt. She revealed that he was in debt due to a special quill, the 'Quill of Gemination', which was lost in the lake outside Riften and she had been unable to recover it, but she claimed that it, with the special ink only she knew the formula for, could allow her to duplicate any document she was viewing in perfect detail, causing him to realize she could use it for forgeries.

With that in mind he headed out to Lake Honrich and stared at it for a time, as Maven mentioned Vald hitting some rocks and losing the boat that the lockbox holding the quill was stored on, before smiling as he dived into the water and swam over to where the fractured boat was located. It was honestly amazing that Maven, who could hire some argonians to dive into the water at a moment's notice, couldn't find this area and he had found it in no time at all, where he lifted the lockbox and carried it to the surface, allowing him to return to the dock in no time. After returning to the dock Capper used the Key to unlock the lockbox and revealed a beautiful golden quill that looked like it was both metallic and organic at the same time, while having a metallic tip that was ebony, yet he could feel the power inside it, the spellwork that went into making it exactly as Maven ordered. As he stared at it, however, he realized the potential of this and, while no one was watching, he returned to the Opulent Lands, because instead of giving this to Maven, and giving her more power over Skyrim, this could be the first part of his revenge against her, even if he had greater plans for the item.

As such he tracked down Ithelia, who was conversing with Mora right now, and the pair finished up as he approached them, though both raised their eyebrows for a moment as they stared at the object he was carrying, no doubt wondering what he was doing with this particular quill.

"I had an idea for a new artifact: a quill that makes whatever is written with it a reality... like make someone punch someone else or have someone commit a crime in front of a crowd." Capper stated, where he held the quill out for the pair to look at as they thought about what he was saying, as this was more an artifact that fit Ithelia's plane, instead of Capper's or Mora's, before he let out a sigh as he understood what was going through their minds, "I know this could be dangerous in the wrong hands, but maybe we can write a rule about how it is kept inside a special container that requires all three of us to be in agreement on so we can open it? A rule that cannot be changed, and one that all three of us must abide by."

"Yes, I see it now... the 'Storian', an artifact of fate that allows one to shape reality... you know, Mora, this reminds me of how you feared that I would become the 'Unraveler'." Ithelia commented, though at the same time she rested her hand on the odd quill and felt the power that was already inside it, where she found that Mora seemed interested in it as well, since her hand was also on what was going to become a new Daedric Artifact.

"Normally I would not trust someone with this power, but Midas has proven that power is not what he desires, and I trust that he will use this power sparingly." Mora said, where Capper watched as the quill, the Storian as Ithelia called it, he liked the name, was empowered and raised to the level of a Daedric Artifact, in fact once that was done a silver and black box, one sized to fit the quill and had special looking locks that reacted to their presence, appeared nearby, causing her and Ithelia to withdraw their hands, "Now, go test it and let us see if it works as intended."

"No, not yet... first I need to set the stage." Capper replied, as an idea had formed in his mind and he was sure that he could pull it off, to which he carefully slipped the Storian into his pouch and found that the quill seemed to be protected from any and all items, causing him to nod as he slipped back into Riften.

With that done he quickly tracked down Maven and handed over the lockbox, telling her that the quill was gone, which was mostly to direct her attention elsewhere, before he headed outside and headed over to the house that belonged to Mercer, which was easy to figure out thanks to the raised ramp and the wandering guard in the backyard. There were also three locked gates leading into Mercer's backyard, where Capper just used the key and unlocked one, where he kept an eye on the figure that was moving around before he jumped around the ramp and pulled himself up to one of the manor's back doors, the guard unaware of his presence. With that in mind he unlocked the door and slipped inside, finding that there were a few bandits that had been hired as guards, though this time around he called in a few of his collectors as he pulled out both of his golden swords, allowing him to slash his way through all three bandits. Such a thing reduced them to a pile of gold and gems, which the collector kobolds gathered without delay, plus he made sure the golden soul gems were handed over, but once all of them were taken care of he found a closet that was oddly placed.

What he discovered was that it was a hidden passage into a series of traps that Mercer had set up to keep out any and all unwanted visitors, such as the flame tiles that didn't activate, the trap trigger that failed, and the swinging blades and ram that just stopped working, allowing him to reach a small study place that was definitely Mercer's.

"What do we have here?" Capper inquired, where he found a locked display case and discovered that it had a unique glass sword inside it, one that had a chilly aura around it, causing him to unlock the case before withdrawing the weapon, which he added to his collection, before he found a crate full of scrolls, a bust of someone he didn't recognize, a sack full of gold and gems, and, more importantly, more plans.

After collecting everything that was of value, and ensuring that he had the items that were important, he sent the group of collector kobolds back to the Opulent Lands before dropping down into an area he knew was connected to the Ragged Flagon, allowing him to return to the Cistern with his head held high.

"I found a bunch of incriminating evidence: a sack that looks to be from the Vault, still full of stuff, a crate of scrolls that are no doubt Gallus' plans, and a plan Mercer was studying... all under his manor." Capper said, where he set the items down in front of Brynjolf, something that caused the rest of the Guild to look at the contained traitorous former Guildmaster with a sea of hateful and angry looks, where he glanced at everyone for a moment, "So... I take it we've decided on what to do with him? Or do you need time to determine what his fate should be?"

"We have decided that Mercer needs to die... and, after listening to Karliah's tale, we agree that you should decide it, which wasn't easy to do since Vex wants to stab him. Repeatedly." Brynjolf replied, though he knew Vex wasn't too pleased with this, as she really wanted to kill Mercer now that his treachery was fully exposed to the Guild, something that caused the thief to turn towards Capper for a moment, noting that the cat was pleased with this discovery, "I take it you have an idea in mind to make him suffer for his crimes?"

"That I do. I would ask that everyone leave and gather in the market area... you're going to see a show." Capper stated, which caused everyone in the Guild to raise their eyebrows for a moment, but since Brynjolf was willing to listen to him they were willing to head out and gather around the market that had been where Capper did his first job, in fact even Karliah, La'nari, and Tri Ki followed after them, leaving him alone with Mercer, "This is going to be very interesting."

Capper made sure to turn Mercer so he didn't see what was coming next, though once that was done he opened his pack for a moment and retrieved the Storian, where he silently sent Ithelia a message and made sure that she and Mora were hidden in the area outside the market, as he wanted them to see this event as well. With that done he retrieved one of the pieces of paper that were nearby and started to write, letting the words flow onto the page as he described the scene, one where the former Guildmaster would seal his fate and be put down for his crimes. Once he was done writing Capper watched as the words turned a mix of golden and silver before turning to normal ink, causing him to nod as he put the Storian away and walked over to Mercer, undoing the golden bindings he had placed on the man. Mercer took one look at him and seemed ready to throw a punch at Capper, but that was the moment that he walked out of the Cistern, using the secret entrance like always, and he followed after him as they headed out into the market, where people were shopping and Maven was looking at items.

As Capper leaned against the wall of Maven's manor, and he noticed that the rest of the Guild was watching from the bits of shadow around the area, Mercer walked into the market, appearing to be fully in control of his actions, before he pulled his fist out of his pocket and punched Maven hard in the side of her face, knocking her to the ground.

"I heard you were looking for me. That's right, I'm the one responsible for all your grievances lately!" Mercer stated, though while the Guild knew that wasn't true they also knew that Maven had no idea who was behind Golden Glow Estate and the creation of Honningbrew Meadery, though as everyone realized the danger he was in Maven gave the command without even missing a beat, the guards arresting Mercer without delay.

That was only half of the scene, because attacking Maven, in broad daylight, was bad enough, but declaring that he was the one behind her recent troubles caused her to have him escorted to the outside of the Jarl's Keep, where a guard with a sharp battleaxe was brought in to behead him, which he did without delay. Sure, it was quick and bloody, and likely wasn't what a large number of the Guild wanted, especially since Karliah wanted a drawn out death for Mercer, but this allowed Maven to place all of the blame on a single person and could start looking at the Guild in a new light, for the time she had left since he had plans to bring her down and fulfill his revenge. At the same time he could see her looking his way, knowing that he and the Guild were watching, noting that they hadn't stepped in to stop someone they didn't want to be linked to, causing her to shift her eyes as she headed into the Keep, no doubt to get a potion for her wound. While that happened Capper also found a golden soul gem that was half covered in shadow near Mercer's body, which he collected with a smile, because now he could force Mercer to serve him once he turned him into his new form, but he slipped it away for the time being, deciding to focus on the Guild for the foreseeable future.

He knew there was going to be a lot of work ahead of him and the others, especially since many thieves would want to know what he had done to Mercer to get this scene to happen, but it only made him look forward to what the coming days had in store for him and the others.

Guild: Work of a Thief

While the Guild members were returning to the Cistern, and the areas they normally worked in, Capper quickly returned to his realm for a few moments and was joined by both Ithelia and Mora, where the three of them stood over the box that had formed after they created the Storian. Sure enough it looked like the box recognized the rule that they had agreed on, that all three of them had to be in agreement on what to do with the quill, to which the box opened and he slipped the Storian inside it, and once his hand had been pulled out the seals engaged. He and pair stared at the unique silver and black box for a moment before he noticed that it actually looked like a picture frame from another viewpoint, though once it was inside the container he tried to open the box and confirmed that it wouldn't open for just him. In fact he found that Ithelia and Mora did the same thing, they tried to open the container on their own and found that nothing happened, meaning they had to be in agreement for it to open, just as Capper intended.

"Good, now the Storian is safe and sound." Capper commented, where he picked the container up and started to head over towards his Vault, an area that only he could enter, causing the pair to watch as he slipped through the barrier without delay and he set it down on the pedestal that had once been where Ithelia's essence had been floating, before he returned to the others for a moment, "And I've stored it in a place that only I can access, so you don't have to worry about anyone heading into the Vault and taking it from us."

"What will you do now?" Mora inquired, because while she knew that the Guild was no longer in danger, thanks to Capper taking out Mercer and pinning all of the blame on him, it was hard to tell if he was going to focus on being a Prince now or if there was more in Skyrim he wanted to do, yet she found that she did not care in the slightest, rather she was interested in the potential knowledge the new Prince might uncover.

"There is still work to be done to restore the Guild to it's former glory, contacts that must be reestablished, fences that must be found... plus Gallus' pet project seemed interesting." Capper replied, because from what he had seen of the plans that had been on the table it sure looked like whatever Gallus had been working on had been interesting, and he was sure one of the other thieves was likely looking over them right now in a way to see if they could claim the items and restore the Guild to it's former glory, "I'll probably be busy for a day or two, but it'll be worth it in the end... oh, that reminds me: Mora, I've found a few of these red gemstones. Do you know what they are?"

He pulled out the pair of glowing red gems he had recovered so far and let the Prince of Knowledge study them for a time, where she identified them as some of the Stones of Barenziah, which were pried from Barenziah's crown, and there were twenty-four of them in total, meaning he had to find twenty-two more. Fortunately she knew where a number of the other stones were located, no doubt thanks to some of the mortals she had interacted with or the knowledge she had gleamed over the years, which Capper found were represented as glowing red marks on his map. She also provided him with a couple of blue icons, the potential locations of the remaining Aetherium Shards, the blue crystalline shard that was in the heart of his vault, something that caused him to smile for a moment as he thought about claiming more of the precious material. As it turned out Mora didn't seem to care about forcing him to pay for the information, rather he was sure that she was secretly hoping he would find more knowledge that was unknown to the world so she could add it to her library.

With that in mind he returned to Riften and found that the Guild had definitely returned to the Cistern and the Flagon, where he did the same thing without delay, because there was more that needed to be done before the Guild was restored to it's former glory and he was eager to see what the others had to say on this matter.

"So, now that Mercer has been taken care of, and Maven believes that every wrongdoing she experienced was his fault and not ours, what do we do next?" Capper asked, where he could see Brynjolf, Karliah, Vex, and Delvin were talking around the table that Mercer used to stand around whenever he was in the Cistern, while the rest of the thieves were discussing their next jobs or what they would do now that Maven was no longer focusing on them.

"Capper... I will get straight to the point: ever since you arrived we've been talking about potentially making you the newest Guild Master of the Thieves Guild... even Karliah, who barely knows you, agrees." Brynjolf stated, which told him that Karliah must have been watching them for quite a while as she put her plan into motion, to try and ensnare Mercer, something that caused him to sigh as he rubbed the back of his head for a few moments, while both Vex and Delvin seemed to be mostly indifferent and Karliah had a bit of a smile on her face, "I mean, you proved to be more of a thief than even Mercer had been before his demise, your skills are far beyond what his had been, and we've already pulled in more coin from the jobs you've done than what he's pulled in recently. However, there are a few things we need to address before we make you our Guild Master, namely restoring our presence in the other four major Holds of Skyrim: Whiterun, Markarth, Windhelm, and Solitude. In addition to that there is something Karliah would like to ask you about... it's a more private nature."

Capper raised an eyebrow and nodded his understanding, allowing him and Karliah to walk over to one of the more private areas of the Cistern, where he noticed that Tri Ki was keeping an eye on the other thieves, allowing him to focus on the dark elf as she leaned against one of the walls.

"I'll be brief: Mercer stole something precious from the Twilight Sepulcher, and I was hoping to recover it from him or his corpse... but it wasn't there." Karliah stated, causing Capper to wonder if she was referring to the Skeleton Key, since he had stolen it from Mercer once upon a time and had used it to, before she focused on him again, like she though he had what she was looking for, which could be the truth, "Did you discover anything unique inside Mercer's house, or on his person before you used my arrow on him? And I don't mean a statue or weapon, I mean a key."

"Sadly, I cannot help you there... but I know who can." Capper replied, where he withdrew Mercer's golden soul gem and let his ring glow for a moment, causing Karliah to watch as the soul gem was consumed by magic for a few seconds, before a new kobold took shape, a male with dark gray scales and black clothing that reflected the black clothing the former Guild Master had been wearing, as it was black leather armor, "Welcome back, Mercer. You'll be remaining here, in the Cistern, to answer all of Karliah's questions truthfully... Karliah, please refrain from hurting him too much or killing him. Do that and you can ask him anything you want. I have other business to attend to."

His business was speaking to Delvin and Vex about the jobs they wanted done, though he surprised them by taking far more than two jobs, as that limitation was foolish and stupid, rather he took a list of jobs from both thieves, giving him enough to where he was sure all four cities would be contacting Delvin in the near future. He had jobs to change the numbers inside a number of businesses, jobs to steal items from the pockets of his targets, jobs to steal a specific amount of wealth in random items, jobs to invade homes to take items, to place stolen items, take a specific item, and take items from a store. He had a few pouches on him that contained the various items he needed to place, pouches to hold the stolen items, and notes that were on each one so he knew the jobs that were required of him, which put a smile on his face as he and Tri Ki headed out of the Cistern, La'nari staying behind to keep Mercer alive. He did feel a little sorry for the new kobold, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire with him, but he suspected that this wouldn't be the end of him and that he might get some more use out of him in the future, something Capper would think about in the future.

He had jobs in each major city, which included Riften, and that caused him to wonder where he should start first, before he regrouped with Rarity, Midnight, Azure and Sharva, as it was just them and Tri Ki, and he could see that they were eager to hear what sort of plans he had in mind this time around.

"We're going to head to Whiterun first, so Azure can regroup with the Companions and get another task... while you guys do that I'm going to complete my own missions, and get a few unique items." Capper stated, as three of Barenziah's stones just so happened to be in Whiterun, so he figured that he could grab those three while they were there, which was why he was going to have Tri Ki get the one that was inside the Companion's hall since Azure wouldn't steal it, "After that we'll deal with Markarth, zero in on Solitude, clean up Windhelm, and then come back to deal with Riften's jobs before turning them in at the same time... I imagine that when Azure is done with his next mission, and Rarity has collected the books for the College, Brynolf and the others will be ready to confirm that my jobs have been fully completed. I suspect I'll have some special jobs to do once that happens, but it shouldn't be too much for me to handle... then we can focus on what comes next."

"And... and what about me?" Sharva asked, because she noticed that most of the work they would be doing was centered around the group that had formed before she came into contact with them, which meant there was nothing for her to do during their visits to the other Holds, since her experience was in fighting, "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?"

"Darling, it's not about what we want... it's about what you want. What do you want to do?" Rarity replied, as she and the rest of the group knew that the ashen khajiit had been so focused on hunting Xylia down and taking her life, a hunt that was now over, meaning she had to do something with her life and find something new to focus on, and if Sharva really was the hero of Skyrim, the Dragonborn, it might involve fighting some dragons.

"I... I need to speak with my master, before I do anything else... do you know where we can find one of Dagon's shrines?" Sharva asked, causing Capper to raise an eyebrow as the others glanced at each other, as none of them were expecting her to be a follower of the Prince of Destruction and Change, and yet to Capper it sort of made sense, because such a hero was one who changed the flow of history, according to what Ithelia and Mora had told him, so her tale made sense to him.

"Well, we can either ask Mora, or maybe check out the museum that opened in Dawnstar... the 'Museum of the Mythic Dawn' as this notice says." Midnight commented, holding out the pamphlet she had been given by a courier while they were waiting for Capper to complete his various objectives, which indicated that there was such a place in the small port town that they had passed by on their journey to Winterhold for the first time, "I'm sure either of them would know where we might find one of the shrines."

Sharva considered her choices for a moment before deciding that they could check in with the museum, to which Capper added it to the list of things to do and figured that they could do two of the cities before jumping over to Dawnstar to check the museum, which only confused the ashen khajiit. She soon discovered what Capper meant as they used the Riften Portal to return to the Opulent Lands for a moment and then used the Whiterun Portal to appear in the outskirts of the city, which only confused her even more as she realized that there was more to the group than she originally knew. Capper decided to let Rarity and Midnight talk with her for a short period of time, as he, Azure, and Tri Ki had work to do before they left for the next Hold that was on his list, where he pulled out the short list of jobs that needed to be done in Whiterun as Azure made his way towards Jorrvaskr. Tuk Ur came with them as well, since technically he was part of Azure's team and had also been acknowledged by the Companions, though his focus was on seeing what their next job was before they proved themselves to the members of the Circle.

Tri Ki's role in all of this was simple, she was going to take the map that held the locations of Barenziah's stones and steal the stones that were in the cities they would be visiting, while he tracked down each of the targets he had to steal from, so while she headed off to track down the three stones that were in Whiterun he focused on his own tasks. With that in mind he went out into the rest of the city, where he looked at the portion of the list for this city and noted that he had to steal something from the general shop, three things from the local guardian's house, a bunch of stuff from the city, the archer that rested in the first inn had an item he needed to take, and he had something to give Nazeem. The general shop and the house of the local guardian were easy to break into, especially since the shop keeper and his assistant were gone when he broke in, and he spotted the steel plate armor wearing lady heading into The Bannered Mare, so breaking into her place was easy as well, and his targets were a few golden items. His other targets, the archer and Nazeem, were also easy to target, one was in the middle of harassing people in the market and that made it far to easy for him to slip the item into his pocket, while the other was in the middle of a business transaction, so when no guards were watching he slipped the pendant out of the archer's pocket and went on his way.

He didn't have to worry about the theft of a certain amount of goods since stealing the golden items from the houses was more than enough, so by the time he returned to the area near the portal he found that Azure and Tuk Ur were waiting with the others, and Tri Ki produced the three gems that had been her targets.

"They want us to clear out a bandit camp, said there's a vampire inside it... figured Rarity could come with us, get a boost to her power." Azure stated, as he knew that Capper would want to know what the mission was and he held out the note that he had been given with the location of the camp in question, so they could plan out where to go next in the future, before he thought about something else, "Skjor looked like he wanted to give me another mission, or maybe there's a ceremony that they're thinking of throwing for us, so we have that to look forward to when we get back later on."

"Good to know. And you did well, Tri Ki." Capper said, patting the kobold on the head as she handed over the stones she had collected, though there were a lot more for them to collect and he knew that it would take some time for them to collect all twenty-four of them, which was just a challenge that he was looking forward to completing, "Come, let us move onto the next city."

Capper didn't have to worry much as they moved to Markarth and both he and Tri Ki repeated the process, while Sharva's group headed to Dawnstar, which happened to be the smartest move right now, so he focused on tracking down his targets and Tri Ki focused on the stones. Since he had found one of the stones in the Dwemer Museum earlier there was only one in the city for the kobold to steal, which she was able to do without being spotted, and he was able to track down his tasks in record time, allowing them to return to the Opulent Lands once more. Following that Solitude was their next target, where one of the stones was supposed to be hidden with the rest of the furniture that was supposed to be sold to a specific house, but since Mora given them where the holding area of the items were it was easy for Tri Ki to swipe it and the other one that was in the domain of the Imperial Legion. Once Capper was done they stepped into the portal and went through another to end up in Windhelm, which should have been the most difficult of the cities since the guards were racist pricks, but they just ignored the duo as both of them fulfilled their objectives, stealing their stuff and swiping the red gems.

Once the stones of Barenziah were in hand the pair caught up with the rest of the group, finding that they were walking out of the house that had been transformed into a museum, to which Capper nodded his head to them as everyone turned to leave Dawnstar, either for Riften or for wherever Dagon's shrine was located.

"We, um, have a problem: Silus knows where the shrine is located, but he wants us to obtain the fragments of Dagon's Razor before he tells me anything." Sharva stated, which was aggravating to her, as she was Dagon's chosen, he had invested so much time in preparing her to kill Molag's main follower, and the man inside the small museum just ignored her like she was just a normal person, to which she pulled out a journal, "These are the locations of the three fragments."

"One is in Morthal... shouldn't be hard to get, just slip in while he's at work... the other two are in the hands of bandits, one in an orc controlled camp and the other with the Forsworn." Capper commented, though part of this was amusing, as one of the pieces just so happened to be where his altered map indicated another stone was located at, meaning it was an area he would have to visit at some point, causing him to nod as he tucked away the journal, "Very well, then we'll help you acquire the fragments of the Razor next... one is where a Stone of Barenziah is located, and the other happens to be near where the vampire is located for Azure's mission, so we can clear two birds with one stone. Getting the third piece will be easy, so that one we can grab last."

Midnight found that the others weren't even surprised by Capper planning ahead, he was in his element, especially since it was hard to tell what he needed to do now that he was a Prince of Oblivion, but once that was done he beckoned for them to follow him once more. As such they returned to Riften and followed him down into the Cistern once more, which meant he was ready to turn in all of the jobs he had been given earlier, and sure enough some of the other members noticed their return and followed them out into the Flagon. It was plainly clear what was going on, Capper was the talk of the Guild, the new top dog, the only one who was able to actually do jobs and succeed, meaning he knew something that no one else in the Guild knew, and everyone was eager to see if he was successful for not. Even Brynjolf, Karliah, and the revived Mercer, the latter of whom everyone hated and he rushed to Capper's side the moment they returned, were eager to see the fruits of his labors, while both Delvin and Vex seemed surprised to see him again, so soon anyway.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the jobs we're giving you?" Delvin asked, because the only time someone came back to him or Vex after getting a job, or multiple depending on the person, was due to them either botching the job as soon as they got it or because it was too much for them to handle, and this meant Capper might not be the top dog he envisioned him to be after everything he had done so far.

Capper, however, opened his pack and the jaws of the pair dropped as he placed items on the table with the notes about the job they were linked to, allowing them to see that not only had he done the jobs they had given him, but he had completed all twenty of the main jobs, five for each of the other main cities, in record time.

"Actually, I've already completed the jobs in Whiterun, Markarth, Solitude, and Windhelm." Capper remarked, though at the same time he knew that the rest of the Guild was stunned by this discovery, even Mercer was standing there with his jaw dropped, just totally caught off guard by the one that everyone said would replace him in the future, "I'm just here to turn all of them in and collect my payments, before I head out to complete some other business with my companions."

As it turned out the pair in front of him had no idea how to explain how Capper had gotten to all four of the cities and got all of his jobs done in such a short period of time, especially since he was keeping his portals a secret, before they handed over the gold as some of the items were collected. Since he had done twenty jobs, five in each of the other cities, that meant five hundred gold per job, for a grand total of ten thousand gold in the form of several sacks, causing Capper to nod as he and his companions collected the bags, as he didn't want to reveal this trick either. With that done, and the Guild looking like all of them had to verify his claims, Capper returned to his friends and departed for the outskirts of the city, to return to their carriage, but once they were in the clear he collected the bags, causing them to disappear and land in his Vault, as he would sort everything later. While he did that he asked Mercer if he told Karliah what she needed to know, who shook his head and told him that the item she was looking for, the Skeleton Key, had gone missing, leading to his current predicament, though Capper kept his information a secret from the figure.

He suspected that there would come a time when the Skeleton Key would need to be returned to Nocturnal's temple, but for the time being Capper focused on what he could do with the artifact and how he and his friends were tackling the various challenges that the world threw at them, causing him to smile as he faced the new day with his companions.

Guild: Pieces of the Razor

After leaving the Flagon, which would allow the Guild to confirm Capper's completed jobs, he and his friends gathered in the area of Riften that he had set the portal in, allowing them to transfer to the Opulent Lands for a few moments before he brought them to Whiterun.

"Wait, what did we just do?" Mercer asked, because while the new kobold was getting used to his new body, and the fact that he was smaller than before, he had noticed the sudden shift in magic and the odd world they had briefly been in before he and the others were brought to Whiterun, which he was struggling to wrap his head around.

"We walked though a few portals to move to a new area... don't worry, you'll get used to it." Tri Ki replied, as she and the rest of the kobolds were used to the newfound portals, just like how her Prince's friends were now used to it as well, though as she said that they headed outside the city, where the carriage was waiting for them near the edge of the city.

Capper nodded as they reached the carriage and La'nari set them on a course to reach Falkreath, since that was the first stop the group needed to make before he even considered returning to Riften to see if Delvin had any special jobs for him to do, so he could expand the Guild's power to it's formerly glory. He wanted to set up a portal in the southwestern Hold, as he wanted one in each main city, even if some of the cities in question were small and might not be worthwhile to the rest of the Guild, just so he and the others could easily move through the Holds without slowing down. Falkreath was the last one of the Holds of Skyrim he needed to set a portal up in, as he already had Riften since the beginning, then he got the rest of the main cities thanks to the path they took while doing the rest of Mercer's missions, and all of the lesser cities mostly came from following the northern coast. Once he had this portal set up all nine of them would be in place and he could focus on other things, both in his realm and in the mortal plane, but until then he had plans to complete, items to acquire, and riches to acquire, and soul gems if he found any.

What they discovered were more Legionnaires wandering around the roads, a few wild animals on the hunt or attacking the odd traveler that was in their territory, and the same old scenes Capper and his friends had encountered since arriving in this world, to the point that none of them were overly worried. Mercer, of course, was surprised by all of the discoveries he was making as he traveled with the group, not that he had much of a choice in the matter, and he found that when a group of bandits approached the carriage there wasn't much he or the other kobolds had to do. This was due to La'nari and the one called Midnight dealt with some with their arrows and daggers, Rarity froze her enemies so she could drain their blood before burning their bodies, while Azure and Sharva carved through their few foes with their weapons. Capper seemed to be the only one who wasn't interested in fighting, and yet when he was drawn into combat Mercer understood why he was such a dangerous figure, he wielded his golden blades like they were instruments of death, yet leaving piles of gold, gems, and the odd golden soul gem when he cut someone down.

In the end Mercer figured out one thing, he was in the presence of a Daedric Prince that was breaking all the rules, since he wasn't supposed to be in the mortal plane, and with that in mind he joined the collector kobolds that appeared out of thin air in collecting the treasure, which he learned was warped to the Opulent Lands.

Eventually Capper found that they reached the small town of Falkreath, where one of the guards asked them if any of them had seen a dog on their travels, as the local blacksmith had said he was looking for one and could have sworn he had seen one right outside the town. Placing a portal in this place seemed to be somewhat harder than Capper was thinking, but then the idea came to him as he went behind the general trader, where none of the guards could see him, to which he smiled for a moment as he etched the portal into part of the wall and one of the kobolds emerged to confirm that it worked. With that done Capper confirmed that he had a way into all nine Holds, meaning the denizens of his plane could travel between the Holds with ease, and now so could he and his friends, which would be useful in the future, of that he was sure. Mercer just watched all of this as it happened, not sure what to make of the situation that he had found himself in, but ultimately came to the decision that this was far better than serving Nocturnal in his afterlife, since that was sure to be pain and misery if she got her hands on him.

Capper smiled as he wrapped up his visit to Falkreath, because there would be time to come back later and see if there were items to claim, gold to steal, and the usual items that he was keeping an eye out for, though as the carriage left the town, so they could track down the first piece of the razor, Capper spotted something right outside the town.

"Well I'll be, looks like we've got another Prince to meet... never thought being a Prince would make me this busy." Capper said, where Rarity and the others noticed that he was looking at the road that was heading in the direction of the first piece of the razor, which happened to be where a normal looking dog was sitting, barking to get the attention of anyone who might be willing to help it out, or maybe it was looking for someone very specific, "Hello there, my fellow Prince. What brings you to this part of Skyrim?"

"Well, you're half right: my name is Barbas, and I'm a third of the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile." the dog replied, speaking with it's mind and not the barks that they were hearing right now, which wasn't much of a surprise to Capper, not after each of the odd things he and his friends had seen so far, though the dog, Barbas, walked over to the carriage and looked over him for a few seconds, before nodding and allowed himself to be picked up by Capper so he could sit with him and La'nari while they continued to move, "You see, my master and I had a bit of a falling out, and he's kicked me out until I can find someone to settle things between us... normally I'd track down a mortal champion, as is custom among Princes, but something tells me things will be more interesting if I convince you to talk with him. Who are you anyway?"

"I am Midas, Daedric Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings. I go by 'Capper' while in my mortal form." Capper stated, though he had to admit that this was interesting, meeting a figure that contained a significant portion of a Prince's power, as it was different from everything else he and the others had seen so far, while Barbas looked over him for a moment, where he suspected that the dog was seeing his Princely side despite showing him his mortal form, "Vile might be willing to listen since I'm another Prince, a relatively new one at that, but we have some business to attend to in a few of the nearby bandit forts and in one of the smaller Holds. Maybe I'll swing by his shrine once we're done with our tasks."

Barbas seemed fine with that information and told Capper that the shrine to Clavicus Vile was in a place called Haemar's Shame, a cave near Helgen that happened to be home to a clan of vampires who worshiped the Prince, causing Rarity to lick her lips for a moment, as it sounded like a good day for her. Capper also learned that most didn't know that Vile's power was split into three fragments, rather most assumed that it was just him and Barbas, but there was a third, the sword that went by the name 'Umbra', something that he kept in mind for later. The dog also came into contact with the kobolds, who smiled as he stared at them before asking Capper about the new beings, since he was sure they weren't supposed to be wandering around this plane without a summoner, something that caused Capper to tell him that it was his secret. Of course he knew it was only a matter of time until Barbas learned about the portals and took that information to Vile, but Capper just smiled, as he could still utilize that to his advantage at some point, he just had to be patient.

After that they found the fort that happened to be their destination, where they found a small group of orc hunters tending to the outside of it, but instead of warning them off, or asking what the group was doing here, two of them loosed arrows at them and forced Rarity to use her magic to stop the projectiles before they hit anyone. Since the four orcs were hostile the group drew their weapons and attacked them, where Capper noticed that the new soul gems that were dropped were more ashy in color, likely Malacath's since his realm was supposedly one of ash. Such a thing made him pocket the gems for now, as he might be able to trade them to the Prince of Outcasts in the future, though that didn't stop the kobolds from gathering the weapons, armor, and food that the slain had been carrying on them. With that done Sharva entered the fort and they found a few more orcs inside it, all looking like hunters and all attacking the group without asking a single question, which was why she and the others dealt with them in no time at all, only to discover that the chief was ready for them. It was easy to tell him apart from the rest of his clan, given that he was wearing the best armor and the best weapon, orcish to be exact, though the group let Sharva deal with him since this was her quest, or at least she wanted to claim the razor's pieces with her own strength.

Sharva used her natural speed and reflexes to avoid the incoming attacks, allowing her to slip her blades through the orc's defenses and wound his chest repeatedly, eventually stabbing both into his heart, tearing his battleaxe from his hands, and then took his head with his own weapon.

"There, the first piece should be ours soon enough." Sharva commented, where she looted the orc's body and discovered a key that likely went to where the razor's blade fragments were located, while at the same time Capper looted the big chest of everything that was inside it, allowing the ashen khajiit to remove her blades and continue exploring.

She found a door that lead to the second entrance of the fort, which also had a sealed path with spike poles blocking the way forward, though the key went to the nearby container on the wall to their right, something that turned out to be the hiding place of the mechanism that unlocked the path. Such a thing lead them into what appeared to be the abandoned portion of the fort, since it didn't look like anyone had been here for some time, and there were a few more locked paths leading into a pair of small rooms, which he let the kobolds loot. A few levers blocked the main path forward and Sharva pulled them, only to break a few tripwires with her blades, allowing darts to fire into the walls while she avoided them, before she approached a pedestal that held the blade shards of a very special blade. She looked at them for a moment before stuffing them inside a pouch, while also stepping to the side to avoid some more darts, a last attempt to stop someone from stealing the shards, but once that was done she returned to them with part of the artifact recovered.

With that done the group returned to the carriage and La'nari carefully moved them through the portion of the forest that they were in, as Azure and Tuk Ur's objective was close to where the orc fort was located, and it wasn't hard to see it due to the lone watchtower in the distance. This time around the pair of warriors went in on their own, save for Capper following with a few collector kobolds to collect the items and gold that the bandits had, where he found that Azure ducked to avoid the incoming attacks while cutting down his foes, while Tuk Ur used his short stature to avoid attacks and cut his foes down with ease. Capper found that there wasn't much to worry about here, the bandits were slow and didn't really react to what was going on, something that forced Azure to stop until he was sure that some of them were attacking him since he really didn't want to dishonor anyone, especially himself. Even the treasure inside the short mine cave was lacking, which had to be due to the chief wearing what appeared to be a few pieces of ebony armor, the gauntlets and boots to be exact, and when he was brought down Azure allowed Capper to take the pieces from the slain bandit, as he didn't need them.

Once the bandits were taken care of, and the kobolds confirmed that the camp was clear while Capper added more golden soul gems to his collection, they returned to the road and started to make their way to Markarth, or at least an area that was near it according to the notes Sharva had been given.

"Honestly, I've never seen anything like that before. Just turning slain enemies into a new type of soul gem." Barbas said, as the more he observed the more he had to wonder what was going on, since Capper was a Prince that seemed to break the rules, as if he wasn't aware of them and was learning as he went, and yet he seemed perfectly content with how things were going, especially as Capper stored the golden soul gems away, "What do you do with them?"

"Depends. If an animal's soul is in one, an opulent version of them will form in my realm when I use it... if a person's soul is in the gem I'll make a kobold, like Tri Ki." Capper replied, though at the same time he had to wonder if that was true anymore, as both Ithelia and Mora had taken on unique forms during their transformations, even if one was intentional and the other wasn't, and it made him wonder about the potential forms his kobolds could eventually take, and the other creatures that might be waiting for him to create them, "Though given how each Prince has multiple types of denizens in their realm, such as how Sheogorath has the Saints and Seducers, that could very well change in the near future... I'm actually considering the potential for creating a few other types of denizens, but I haven't fully committed to anything new yet."

Barbas nodded his head a little as he focused on the road that was in front of him, because the more he learned about the newest Prince the more interested he knew Vile would be, as it wasn't every day that a new Prince claimed a vast space of Oblivion to make their realm in, as the Opulent Lands seemed quite large. Of course he was still trying to figure out how Capper, as he was respectful enough to use the Prince's mortal name while in the Mortal Plane, had managed to manifest in this plane in the first place, since he seemed to be present in every sense of the word. It wasn't like how Mora would appear as floating masses, or how some might appear as faint masses of energy, or how Peryite would appear as mice during the hallucinations his followers underwent, rather it was like the Prince of Greed was fully here, yet his power didn't feel like the power of a Prince. In that moment Barbas had to wonder if Midas had figured out a way to slip through the Liminal Barrier, the barrier between Nirn and Oblivion, without actually manifesting his full power in this plane, like what Dagon had done during the Oblivion Crisis, which caused the dog to remain silent as they traveled across Skyrim.

It gave Barbas a front row seat to the group's abilities, as it seemed like they had the power to take down the Forsworn and the bandits that were in the region that was under Markarth's control, as there were warriors capable of cutting down their enemies, archers to weaken their foes, a mage who was getting better at hitting her targets, the Prince's kobolds that just collected everything, and the Prince himself.

When they tracked down the location of the Forsworn camp that was their second destination, which involved passing by an orc stronghold and promising the orcs that they were used passing through, Capper and the others launched a full scale assault on the Forsworn that were outside the structure. The reason Barbas called it that was due to the fact that everyone in the carriage got out and engaged their enemies, arrows piercing the Forsworn as a few lightning bolts pushed them back, opening the way for the melee fighters to reach the front lines. He also watched Capper for a time, finding that his blades were definitely on par with some of the daedric artifacts that some of the other Princes had created over the eras, and yet he suspected that there was more to them than what he was seeing. In fact Barbas was sure the new Prince had a second relic in his possession, the strange ring he wore, which only made him wonder how much power Capper actually had since he was fairly new in the grand scheme of things, but decided not to question it.

The kobolds went into the ruin and tracked down the stragglers, who came rushing out to join the battle and perished when they encountered the group, and not even the hagraven at the very peak of the structure, their target, lasted very long as Sharva dodged her magic and severed her head. Such a thing allowed the kobolds to gather around the ruins and locate the rest of the treasure that was held in this place, amazing Barbas with how effective they were in tracking down riches, though their true prize, the pommel stone, Sharva claimed from the slain hagraven. She also approached the Word Wall and stared at it for a couple of seconds, like she was learning something, while Capper picked up his target item, the next red stone that he added to his collection, and once the ashen khajiit was done everyone returned to the carriage. Everyone was pleased by their actions, as it meant that they were one step closer to completing their goals, and La'nari got them underway again, this time altering their course so she could get them to Morthal, the location of the last razor piece.

Of course night fell while they traveled, though Capper had them pull aside and everyone relaxed in the inside of the magical carriage, allowing them to eat some food, talk about their plans, and get some rest, while he made sure Barbas knew that he'd check on Vile once they were done with the razor.

Once morning was upon them it was the same as before, they traveled along the road, those inside the carriage talking and just enjoying the time they had to relax, such as Rarity talking with Sharva about tending to her fur and actually taking care of her body, something she would need to work on in the future. There were travelers on the road, as they expected, yet this time around they didn't have to stop for any troublemakers, La'nari was able to safely navigate the path without anyone else getting in their way, which was a nice change of pace in the grand scheme of things. Reaching Morthal was easy, and they went to the outskirts where the lumber mill rested, as that was where the notes said that the owner of the last fragment was supposed to live, and sure enough he and his wife were getting ready to start their days. Capper and Sharva approached the pair, mentioning the fragment and that it would be best if they took it from them, since there was no telling who might come looking for it, and it was the wife who handed over the keys without delay, allowing them to head into the small house so Capper could unlock the chest.

It was easy for Sharva to claim the final piece of the razor, and with it in hand the pair departed from the house, thanking the couple for their understanding, before returning to the carriage so they could depart, this time heading back to Dawnstar so they could hand the pieces over to the museum guy and be on their way.

Capper was amazed by how good their progress was today, as there didn't seem to be any bandits in this portion of Skyrim, and the fights between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks seemed to be over, meaning there wasn't much for them to do as they traveled towards the port town. Sure, there were a few wild animals here and there, but for the most part they steered clear of the carriage, as if they understood that it wasn't something for them to attack, meaning there wasn't much for the group to worry about. Getting to Dawnstar proved to be rather easy and once the carriage had reached it's destination Capper let La'nari turn the carriage around as Sharva took the razor fragments over to the house that doubled as a museum, as it was time to end this particular quest and get back to everything else Capper was focused on. As it turned out Sharva and the museum owner left the house not a few minutes later, the man first and the ashen khajiit a few moments later, and the group raised their eyebrows for a moment as the man rushed by them, like a Prince was chasing him.

"Follow him... he's going to ask Dagon to repair the Razor." Sharva stated, where she was addressing the artifact with more respect than she and the others had been doing before this point, though at the same time she turned towards Capper for a moment and withdrew four special looking tomes, which she handed to him, "Here, Mora will want to have these in her vast collection."

"Are those the Commentaries on the Mysterium Xerxes?!" a voice said, where Mora appeared in the back of the carriage, as in she was speaking through the window that the others used to check what was happening outside the vessel, before the transformed prince grabbed all four tomes and brought them into the Opulent Lands, "They're in pristine condition too... good, it would have been a shame if we lost this knowledge as well."

Capper chuckled a little at that, as Mora was like a kid in a candy shop when it came to gathering knowledge, but he let her be as La'nari followed the man from a distance, because if he actually reformed the Razor there was no way he was leaving a full daedric artifact in such an unprotected area. The damage one could do with one was hard to forget, if what they saw in Solitude's sewers was anything to go by, so he figured that collecting the artifacts might prevent the other Princes from this sort of thing, and he found that the others agreed with him. The man took a rather strange path through the mountain that was to the southwest of Dawnstar, where Capper realized that he was leading them straight to Dagon's shrine, which was a massive stone statue that was chiseled in a way that made it look like the Prince was sitting on the mountain's peak. This was what they were ultimately looking for, as the man could reforge the Razor and Sharva could speak with her master at long last, and after a point La'nari and most of the group stayed back, not wanting to go through the mountain area, so Capper, Tri Ki, Sharva, and a few kobolds went to go see what the end result was.

As it turned out Dagon didn't want to speak with the man, but the moment Sharva approached the altar Capper could feel the resonance in the air, the Prince of Change was speaking to her, a private conversation, though it seemed to freak the man out as he tried to attack Sharva, who cut him down without delay.

You there, come forward. Dagon stated, where Capper walked up the rest of the stairs and glanced at the statue that was above them, though he could tell that the Prince of Change was staring at him in turn, like they were sizing each other up despite one not being in this realm, Ah, there is another Prince on the board... the games you'll play with be amusing to witness. I am Mehrunes Dagon, Daedric Prince of Destruction and Lord of Change.

"Likewise I am Midas, Daedric Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings." Capper replied, because it sounded like Dagon was addressing him as an equal, or at least he wanted a chance to speak with the newest Prince before he left to go do the rest of his deeds, all while he noticed that the man's soul created a golden soul gem with a crimson sheen to it, and that the Razor was in one piece again.

Go. You have my blessing to count Sharva among your Court. Use her and the Razor to spread our influences. Dagon said, which was rather surprising to Capper, as he expected the Prince of Destruction to want something else, and he even noted that there was now a black key near the Razor, but he guessed that the Prince wanted to use his ability to spread both of their names to the people of the world.

As Dagon's voice disappeared, and Sharva realized that she was free to find her own fate, Capper had the kobolds use the key on the door below the shrine as he collected the Razor, feeling the power pulsing inside the weapon, and smiled a little as he wondered what the coming days might have in store for them.

Guild: Helping a Dog Out

Capper waited outside the shrine for a time and was well rewarded, where he found that the kobolds he sent into the area under Dagon's statue returned with gold and ebony bars, along with other ingots, a good bit of gold, a few enchanted items, some alchemy items, and a few odds and ends. There was a bunch of good stuff for them to claim and add to the Vault, so he made sure to add the gold and ingots to his ever growing collection of items, leaving everything else for Azure and the rest of the group to use, or keep for selling at some point. He also noted that the kobolds came back with a few daedra hearts as well, meaning a few had been inside the hidden treasury or whatever it was to Dagon, and they had more of the red tainted golden soul gems as well, just like the man Sharva had slain. It was just more souls for him to use for bartering with the other Princes, so he made sure to store the special ones in an area of his golden castle, where only he could access them, and once those were stored away he returned to the others without wasting time.

Once everyone had returned to the carriage he had La'nari set a course through Whiterun and down to the hidden shrine of Clavicus Vile, as it was time for them to help Barbas out, and once that was done they could return to Riften and see what the rest of the Guild had to say about the jobs he did for them.

"So... it would appear that I'm free to do whatever I want... and the Dragonborn was called to High Hrothgar." Sharva said, as she recalled what they had learned so far, and what many of them had heard since the death of that first dragon, and that caused her to focus on the sky shaking call that nearly everyone in Skyrim had heard that day, "Does that mean we should head up the Throat of the World and speak to the Greybeards?"

"If that's what you want to do, we can do so once I check in with the Guild." Capper replied, and he meant it, he didn't want to control his friends and force them to follow his path, even though many of them were fine with it, so once he was done in Riften he would focus on heading to the mountain and seeing what the Greybeards wanted.

Sharva nodded for a moment as they continued to move down the road, heading away from the shrine and Dawnstar while focusing on Whiterun once more, even though this would be a brief visit since they were just going to pass by it, since their destination was beyond Riverwood and even the destroyed Helgen. This did allow them to see that the Hall of the Vigilant had definitely been burned down, though Rarity went down with the kobolds for a time and returned with a few bits, a few bags of gold and a few silver goblets, and she reported a number of burned bodies. Midnight assumed that some where the Vigilants themselves, no doubt dead after the attack on their base of operations, while the rest of the burned corpses had to be the vampires that were slain in the assault, meaning the surviving vampires had burned the hall down. Capper thought about this discovery for a time as they returned to the road, since the only experiences with vampires happened to be on the road, but decided that there wasn't much they could do right now, not without tracking down the Dawnguard.

The road itself seemed to be just fine, the only bandits were the ones that had been slain in the nearby fort, meaning they could rest and relax once more, which was a good thing since none of them wanted to expend too much energy before the carriage reached their next destination. La'nari and the others glanced at everything that was around them, mostly to keep an eye out for potential dangers, like dragons, as some of the guards insisted that there were some out there, more than the black one that razed Helgen to the ground, or more wild animals or even bandits. Barbas remained up front with him and La'nari, mostly because he seemed to like being up here, though he didn't argue with the dog, rather Capper decided to let him sit there so they could talk for a time, so he could get some additional information out of him. What he learned was that Barbas was the voice of reason in the relationship, between him and Vile, and his other half had gotten annoyed with him, to the point that Vile had banished him from his realm and condemned himself to the shrine he was in.

Barbas wasn't sure what the argument had been about anymore, it had been a few years and he had been preoccupied with making his way to Skyrim, and when he finally did arrive in the cave Vile gave him the ultimatum he shared with them, hence him heading out to find someone who could help him.

Whiterun was totally fine when they passed by it, not even the guards in the lone structure facing the north road were even being bothered and Capper noticed that the trio was bored, meaning they were able to pass by it without anything stopping them, which put a frown on Tuk Ur's face, as he wanted foes to fight. Getting to Riverwood proved to be easy since there were no enemies to worry about, though they did stop to talk to the guards for a moment to let them know that they were just passing through, and it wasn't long before the group was on their way. When they reached Helgen the group found that there was a single Vigilant who seemed offended by Sharva's existence, since she had red daedric lettering all over her body and carried a pair of daedric swords, but she was willing to ignore him as she walked outside the carriage. She was doing so to get some exercise, though when the Vigilant swung his mace at her, viewing her as an abomination, causing her to step out of the way and cut him down with her blades, creating another golden soul gem for Capper to take.

Following that it was just a matter of passing by the Stormcloak camp, heading around the base of the mountain, and just kept going until they spotted the cave they had passed by a few times in the past, which was when Barbas jumped down to the ground and stretched as he turned to face them, while La'nari positioned the carriage for when they were done with this cave venture.

"Like I told you earlier, there is a clan of vampires inside this place, and we'll need to take them out so we can get to the area that the shrine is resting in." Barbas commented, though this time around he found that only one of them seemed eager to move forward, which turned out to be Rarity for some reason, only for him to notice the fangs in her mouth, causing him to realize that she was also a vampire.

"Good, a cave full of vampires and their thralls... it's been some time since my last meal, and this should sate me for quite a long time." Rarity stated, where she stretched a little as she stared at the cave, something that caused her to glance at the rest of the group, who nodded their heads, indicating that they trusted her and would be covering the rear, giving her time to deal with their enemies while they looted the slain, "Okay, let's see what I can learn this time."

Capper found that this time around Rarity opted to focus on stealth and not magic, as a cave full of vampires had drawn her attention and she wanted all of their blood for herself, and it wasn't long before they found that she was focused on simply sneaking around the cave. Rarity found that there was a thrall watching over the entrance and used a rock on a nearby wall, causing the nord to walk off the scaffolding that happened to be his lookout area as he investigated the area, only for her to appear behind him and bite into his neck. Barbas watched as she drained the thrall of his blood, and when she was finished with her meal she killed him, leaving Capper and Tri Ki to collect the goods, and a golden soul gem that had bits of brown that matched both his and Vile's fur, as some thought of Vile as a satyr, on it. Once the new soul gem was collected, and they had a chance to loot the dead thrall for his gold and other valuables, the magical kobold, Mah Oh, set fire to the body before they followed Rarity deeper into the cave, since she was leading them this time around.

While they walked Barbas asked what Rarity was doing, where Capper softly explained that she was unique, even among the vampires, as when she drank blood she could gain experience with other skills and drinking the blood of other vampires gave her impressive skill boosts, and spells, plus they burned the bodies to prevent more vampires from rising.

Rarity found that there was a pressure device on the way and walked around it, allowing the others to do the same while she pounced on a low level vampire and greedily drained her blood, where Capper found that she was gaining more power for her frost powers, not to mention her other spells. Capper made sure to loot the slain vampires and their thralls as Mah Oh just burned the corpses, though he was impressed by how Rarity was taking to being a magical predator, she stalked her prey in the shadows, used small sounds to distract one and bring them close to her, and then struck. One would think that she was an assassin with her skills, but as she worked, however, it was easy for Capper to see that she started to slip in bits of her magic, freezing the feet of her opponents so she could drain them of their blood, while also telling him to make sure she had more opportunities to feed.

Some of the vampires she ended up draining the blood of turned out to be some of the stronger types, since they seemed to be the ones that the lesser vampires were serving, and for a moment it seemed like Rarity was intoxicated by her feast, she was enjoying the feeling of drinking blood. It was different from how she started, doing it only because she needed to drink the substance, before he noticed that there was something off about her, like she was changing and growing while using the blood as a medium. Azure and Midnight weren't worried about her in the slightest, especially not when she reached the last chamber of the cave, leaving the kobolds to collect the treasure that Capper's group walked by, where Rarity drew each and every one of the higher tier vampires into the area leading up to the shrine and drained them. All this time Capper that each of his friends could now handle a dungeon on their own, as he had no doubt that Midnight could do so since she hadn't had a chance to do so yet, and once the last of the vampires had been brought down Rarity finally stopped.

When she did so, however, she doubled over as her back shifted, where Capper watched as a pair of slits appeared in the back of her robe as a large pair of leathery bat wings grew out of her back, causing her to huff for a moment as she flexed her new appendages with a look of fascination on her face.

"So we have a Daedric Prince, a bunch of kobolds, two special followers, and now a unique vampire... dare I ask what next?" La'nari inquired, because traveling with Capper had turned out to be the best thing in her life, due to the restoration of the Thieves Guild, that she had no doubt would happen, and now he was weaving what had to be the greatest tale of their lives, so the more stuff like this that happened the more the world would change, and she was interested in what might happen in the coming weeks and months.

"Hard to know, honestly. You alright?" Capper asked, addressing Rarity for a moment, where she nodded for a moment as all of them found that she could hide the wings in a pair of tattoos that were now on her back, causing him to sigh for a couple of seconds as he and Barbas approached the statue, which was of Vile himself and didn't have Barbas at all, "Clavicus Vile, Daedric Prince of Trickery and Bargains, I am known to my followers, and a few Princes, as Midas, the Daedric Prince of Greed and Lord of New Beginnings. I am visiting you at this time to return Barbas to you, as people have reported seeing him all over Skyrim and it's only a matter of time until some arrogant mage learned of his presence, and the power that one could gain if they tapped into his power... to either harm you or two bring your realm to this plane."

Midas, eh? You know, I've heard of you... Sheogorath has been spreading word of your existence to every Prince, even the realms he's been kicked out of. I don't know what you did, but he's invested in keeping you safe. Clavicus Vile replied, as his voice was coming from the statue that was in front of him, since he was forced to remain in this statue until he and his dog came to an understanding, before he heard a huff from the other Prince, You know, I was hoping for another mortal to come and deal with the vampires, so I could send them on a quest for another artifact... though I'm still trying to figure out how you got through the Liminal Barrier, since I can tell that this is actually you and not your avatar or chosen vessel for the time you are bothering some of the locals. Nice follower, by the way, she did well in helping me fulfill the last wishes of my old followers... though I'm not interested in taking Barbas back!

"Come now, is it wise to leave two-thirds of your power in the mortal plane, when there are people who can twist the power of said things to potentially invade your realm?" Capper stated, though he was interested in the fact that Sheogorath was actually telling the other Princes about him, and potentially even some of the mortals he dealt with when someone came to one of his shrines, meaning he might have people seeking him out in the future, "So why don't we make a bargain: you let me deal with your problem, Barbas and I will take care of it, and we'll be back before you know it... in exchange I would like the location of Umbra, so I can chain up that sword and seal it away in a case it won't be able to break out of."

This deal is definitely weighed evenly for both of us: I get my supreme power back, and you get Umbra and my boon. Vile said, as he was definitely weighing the pros and cons of the deal, sure he would have to put up with Barbas again, but as soon as he took the dog back in he'd be free to leave this shrine, return to his realm, and go deal with other mortals, while Capper was likely to receive two Daedric Artifacts, one being the boon he would have given a mortal champion and the other being an artifact that contained a bit of his own power, Very well, I accept. You see, there's an axe... an incredibly powerful axe that serves as another of my artifacts... that is currently in the hands of a wizard named Sebastian Lort, who should be in Rimerock Burrow. Barbas can lead you straight to it... bring the Rueful Axe and Barbas back and I'll give you the location of Umbra, plus my boon.

"Good. Now, where is Rimerock Burrow?" Capper asked, turning to Barbas for a moment, while at the same time noticing Tri Ki and the kobolds had looted the large chest that was behind Vile's shrine, which didn't annoy the other Prince, meaning he could focus on the task at hand.

"The western edge of Solitude's Hold, I can take you there in no time." Barbas replied, though in the next moment he found Capper walking over to one of the solid walls before tapping it, where both he and Vile watched as a transparent portal or gate appeared on the stone wall, something that surprised them since this was an unknown ability of the newest Prince of Oblivion, and even he could tell Vile was stunned.

Barbas was stunned even more when he discovered that the portal allowed them to cross over into a new Plane of Oblivion, the Opulent Lands he realized, before everyone crossed through another magical portal and appeared in Solitude, which let the dog know that Midas was definitely different from the existing Princes.

"You know, you had best be careful about who you show this ability to... there are Princes that would kill for the power to slip through the Liminal Barrier as easily as you can." Barbas commented, as that was the truth, the likes of Molag and Dagon would kill who knows how many people and beings to be able to use those portals, yet at the same time he had to admit that it was a great way to travel and wondered why the new Prince didn't use it earlier.

"Fair enough, but they would be limited to one percent of their power... they'd be no more than slightly powerful mortals, just like how I am in my mortal form." Capper replied, which was the major downside for the other Princes that Barbas was worried about, they wouldn't be able to enter Nirn in their full power and would be restricted to a small fragment of their total power, just like how Mora could only use a small amount of her overall power when she entered this realm.

"Oh... I guess that would help." Barbas said, because he hadn't known that fact before and was now more interested in the portals the Prince of Greed had set up around Skyrim, since that was what the portal area they had passed through seemed to indicate, making him wonder if the newcomer was going to focus on just Skyrim or if he was going to spread out to the rest of the world like the rest of the Princes.

With that discovery made the group departed from Solitude, where Barbas found that the carriage had appeared near the stables of the city, as if it moved on it's own or something, and it wasn't long before they were on the road again, this time with him pointing the way towards Rimerock Burrow. What Capper found was that the path they were following was back in the direction of Wolfskull Cave, though upon reaching it they had to turn left, wandering down another road, allowing them to see another fort off to their right that was no doubt occupied by bandits. This time around they did encounter a group of bandits, nothing the group had to worry about since Azure and Tuk Ur were more than enough to bring them down so the gold and soul gems could be collected, before Barbas had them following the turning path for a time. That allowed Capper to see a nordic ruin up ahead of them, which he marked down for later since it was bound to be full of riches, before following Barbas' instructions as he brought the carriage to what seemed to be a dead end, an open ledge on the edge of the side of the mountain, before locating a path leading to a small cave entrance.

Inside they found one flame atronach and a male wizard who seemed distracted, even when La'nari killed the elemental with an arrow he missed the explosive sound, allowing Midnight to cut him down as well, leaving Capper to pick up the axe that had two blades on it's head.

"So this is the Rueful Axe." Capper remarked, as it was an impressive weapon, he could feel the artifact nature of it while he was holding it, while at the same time the kobolds looted the small area, Tri Ki hauling the goods as they returned to his side for a time, causing him to shrug, "Very well, let's get back to the shrine and complete the transaction."

Barbas found that such a thing meant getting back on the carriage, heading back to Solitude with little happening, and then using the portal to get back to the Opulent Lands before passing through the temporary portal that brought them back to the end of Haemar's Shame.

"We're back, Vile, and we have the Rueful Axe." Capper stated, where he set the axe down on the altar that was in front of the statue, since it appeared that most of the Princes had an altar of sorts in front of their shrines, something he had to keep in mind for when it came time to place his own statue down, "Now, it's time for you to uphold your end of the bargain."

You sure made good time... kind of boring, having my problem resolved by another Prince... but a deal's a deal. Vile said, where the Rueful Axe vanished and Barbas barked happily as he was welcomed back into the fold, a dark daedric portal just opening in a spherical manner around him as he vanished, with a large dog appearing on the statue in front of them, which meant that the two were back together at long last, before a helmet with horns, shaped after Vile, appeared in front of Capper a moment later, There, as promised, I get supreme power again and you get my boon: the 'Masque of Clavicus Vile'. As for Umbra, last I heard it's in the ruin of Champion's Rest, an old nordic ruin located in the Rift, to the east of Shor's Stone... honestly, I'm not sure if you'll be able to contain that weapon, but that's your problem now, isn't it?

"Yes, but it will be better this way: Barbas is safe from those that would abuse his power, and soon Umbra will be in chains, of that you can be sure." Capper replied, though at the same time he shut down the temporary portal before collecting the masque, where he smiled for a moment before warping it into his castle for later, though he found it amusing that he had a fair number of artifacts from the other Princes now, before he turned towards the statue and nodded his head slightly to the Prince that was no doubt still watching him, "When this is all over, maybe you can swing by the Opulent Lands and see the blade's fate with your own eyes?"

Maybe. At least to appease Barbas. Vile replied, which told Capper that the dog must have liked traveling with them and might be interested in exploring the Opulent Lands once they were free to do so, something that made Capper smile since he was on good terms with another Daedric Prince, But now that I have supreme power again, it's time I went out to see if there are other interesting deals to make. Have fun, Prince of Greed.

Capper nodded and felt the presence of Clavicus Vile leave the shrine, to which he nodded to the rest of the group as they used the exit that was behind the shrine to head outside, allowing them to call the carriage to them again before resuming their journey back to Riften, as it was time to see if the Guild had confirmed Capper's missions and see if they had any special jobs for him, making him look forward to what the future held for him and his friends.

Guild: More Work and Cursed Sword

Capper and the others found that the trek back to Riften was uneventful, which was due to them traveling through the area a few times in the past and the armies that were no doubt outfitting their forces for the big battles that were ahead of them, or so it seemed. This meant that they didn't have to worry about having to stop every now and then to do battle with either the wildlife or bandits, which was a shame since Capper had been thinking they might be able to gather a few more bits of treasure, but this was fine as well. While they traveled he slipped into the Opulent Lands for a time and found that Mora was interested in some of the kobolds, or rather the few in front of her were more interested in her and the knowledge she had access to, like they were mages wanting to be scholars. They weren't the only ones either, as he could see that there were a lot of kobolds looking at other jobs now that they were being given a second chance at life, some were checking on the small meadery, others the stores, one the fields, and so on as he looked around his realm.

Such a thing put a smile on his face as he warped back to the carriage and sat with La'nari, as it seemed like everything was fine for the time being and he'd fully check on everyone once he was done with the Guild and Umbra, but for now he had a lot of work to look forward to.

After some time they reached the city, the southern entrance like usual since that was the one they used the most, before the group headed inside once more and found that nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, as all of the vendors were just trying to sell stuff and, more importantly, there were no thieves getting themselves killed. That was something that Capper had been annoyed by when they saw it happen in the past, seemingly novice thieves dying because they were either stupid, greedy, or just unlucky, but he could see that many of the newcomers were waiting in the shadows. It was like they were just waiting for something to happen, as if they had heard that Capper was the best thief in their business and was waiting for him to bring glory back to the Thieves Guild before they bothered to risk their lives for loot. With that in mind he walked over to the secret entrance as Rarity and the outstanding members of their group remained on the surface, allowing him, La'nari, and Tri Ki to head down into the Cistern before crossing over into the Ragged Flagon.

Sure enough Capper found that Delvin and the others were talking while they stepped into the area and the conversation just died down when they stepped into view, which confirmed that he was likely the topic in question, something he was fine with since it meant his fellow thieves might be done checking that he did his jobs.

"I'm going to say it: I have no idea how you did it, but we've got word from Whiterun that you did the jobs that were given to you... and Windhelm... and Markarth... and even Solitude. All in one day." Delvin said, where it was clear he and the others had no idea how to go about handling this information, that Capper had done more for the Guild in a short period of time, and a whole list of jobs in four separate Holds in a single day, than they might have done in a lifetime, "As it stands I have four unique jobs available to you, and you alone: there's Thane Erikur in Solitude, Olfrid Battle-Born in Whiterun, Endon the silversmith in Markarth, and Torsten Cruel-Sea in Windhelm. Each has a unique job that requires your expertise."

"Is that so?" Capper asked, where he took a seat across from Delvin and had a smile on his face, because this was what he was after, the people were talking about the Thieves Guild again, sending special jobs their way since they were likely the only ones capable of doing said jobs, and this made him very interested, "Do tell."

As it turned out Erikur was having some trouble with one of the ship captains in Solitude and had a plan to ruin him, Endon had an item stolen before it could reach Markarth and likely wanted it recovered, Torsten was having trouble with a rival guild of thieves, and Olfrid needed help with his friend. From what Capper gathered each of the four would give him more instructions upon his arrival in each of the cities, which meant he could do whatever he wanted, go to whichever Hold was more interesting to him, and then do one of the jobs before moving onto the next one. In addition to that Capper realized he could go after Umbra first, chain the sword down before it went somewhere else, and decided that this was the best course of action, start with Clavicus' problem first and then worry about the Guild's jobs after that. Even Tonilia had something for them to do, as the Guild was growing and this meant they would need a reliable way to transport goods, so she wanted him to bring the leader of the caravans a satchel of moonsugar to secure a deal with him.

With that in mind Capper just decided to do them in order of going around Skyrim, as in hit Windhelm, cross to Whiterun, head over to Solitude, and then circle back down for Markarth, before heading back to Riften to deliver the good news, and before that point he'd make sure to deal with Clavicus and his cursed sword.

Once he was done speaking with Delvin, and the rest of his thief group had a chance to relax for a time, Capper departed from the Ragged Flagon, followed by La'nari and Tri Ki, where it didn't take them long to head outside, regroup with Rarity and the others, before heading for the main gate of Riften. After leaving the city, and getting on the carriage again, the group headed down the path that was in front of them, heading towards the fort they had seen in the past, which was now in the hands of the Stormcloaks based on the blue flags that were on it's walls. With that in mind La'nari lowered her head as they passed through the center of the fort, since the Stormcloaks were racists towards everyone who wasn't a nord, but for once it looked like none of Ulfric's followers wanted to bother them. Such a thing allowed them to let out a collective of sighs as La'nari continued down the path and brought them to Shor's Stone, before they turned and headed to the east, since that was the directions that had been given to Capper when he ensured Clavicus took Barbas back.

Cutting through the area turned out to be somewhat easy since most of the animals seemed more interested in hunting or resting, so the carriage navigated the trees and the hills before reaching the snowy area, and it didn't take La'nari very long to find their destination, the cave known as Champion's Rest.

"And here we are. Umbra is somewhere inside this place." Capper commented, though at the same time he, Azure, Rarity, Midnight, La'nari, and their kobold companions got off the carriage before facing the entrance that was in front of them, as there was no telling what might be waiting for them inside this place, "Let's go claim another daedric artifact."

As the others nodded the group walked into the passage and found that it brought them to the start of what could have been a mine in the past, with ore on a table and a journal confirming the presence of miners, so Capper decided to let the collector kobolds get to work as his group made their descent. There was a stream leading into a hidden nordic tomb, which Capper realized were dotting the landscape of Skyrim and there was likely no map or markers of their existence to the rest of the land, something he thought about pitching to Mora in the future. As they looked around the group discovered that it was just like all of the other nordic ruins, in that it was collapsing and that whoever had been buried here didn't have much to offer them, and when they entered the first chamber a phantom of a warrior in ebony armor vanished. Such a thing told him all he needed to know, Umbra was no doubt watching the entrance and might be coming at them at some point, though at the same time he nodded to the others and found that everyone readied their weapons and magic without delay.

The chamber beyond that had two paths available to them, while the main path was sealed off, where Capper simply took a moment to glance at the others for a moment, because if this had been when they first started exploring he would have made sure they stayed together, but not anymore.

"Let's split up. Midnight, Rarity, Sharva, I leave the right path to you. La'nari, Azure, with me. Collectors, split evenly between the two groups." Capper said, where it didn't take long for the others to move into formation, along with the kobolds that fought and those who would be focused on collecting, before he closed his eyes for a few seconds and expanded one aspect of his power, the aura that created golden soul gems, only to open them a moment later, "There, now my aura is covering every inch of this place, meaning you'll be able to spot and collect golden soul gems without me being near you. Oh, and all of you, remember to have some fun while we're here."

The others nodded as the two teams headed into the paths he had assigned to them, where Azure stood at the front of his group while La'nari kept her bow at the ready, though while the first chamber had nothing to offer them, save for a chest that one of the collectors looted, the next had a single draugr. While Azure crushed it Capper glanced at the rotating pillars to their right and then glanced up at the slightly damaged icons that were diagonally across from them, before turning the three pillars to match the whale and two snakes that were on the other wall. Sure enough pulling a switch after that opened the passage that was in front of them, allowing them to pass by a lone nordic desk that had a number of gems and even a few soul gems for them to take, additions to the collection, only to find that this was literally the end of the passage. Capper stood there for a moment, wondering what in the world the ancient nords were even thinking with this since he expected it to take longer to reach the end, far longer than this, before letting out a sigh of frustration before they doubled back to the main chamber.

Sure enough the locked chamber was the scene of some action as a number of the coffins opened to reveal a number of the draugr wights and even a few deathlords, but as the group dealt with their enemies, leaving the collectors to do their job, Capper found that the main flames were lit, meaning pulling the chains near the main passage lowered the blockage.

"We're getting a lot of ebony from this place." La'nari commented, as the couple of deathlords they had taken out so far had given them a few swords, a couple of axes, two shields, and even a warhammer to add to the collection, though Rarity did take a sword in case an enemy got through her magic, which was the smart move, "And something tells me we'll find more as we delve even deeper into this place."

Capper nodded as he stepped into the now opened passage and carefully walked down the passage, eventually coming to a smaller chamber that had a single strong draugr, the death overlord he guessed, but he wasted no time in cutting it down with a swing of his blades, before pulling a lever to open the next gate. This one allowed them to step into a decent sized chamber with a hole in the center of the floor, containing a set of wooden steps, causing him and his companions to walk down it before ending what appeared to be a tomb area full of traps. They came in the form of hidden pressure plates that were stones hidden in the slightly high water, even though they were able to walk through it with ease, but his steps ignored the traps and the others avoided them with ease, while the kobolds were too short to be bothered by the flame traps. The larger chamber that was connected to the trapped area only had two more draugr to deal with, a scourge and a wight, but yet again Capper had no reason to worry as the others tore through them while the kobolds continued to collect everything they could find, some going to the Vault while the rest would be taken back to the Opulent Lands later on.

Following that they found their way to what appeared to be a darker tomb, where the purple specter was waiting for them before it vanished, but no enemies rose to fight the group, allowing them to reach a large chamber that seemed to be where Umbra was sealed, based on the stone ritual circle in the center of it, where the phantom was resting.

"And there it is. Umbra." Capper said, because the phantom had a powerful looking longsword that could almost pass as a claymore, a weapon that had a jet black handle, a curved crescent guard, a dark silver blade, and a slot near the guard that looked like where a soul gem could be inserted, plus he could feel it's power from here, causing him to draw his blades for a moment, "Leave this to me."

Sure enough he found that the phantom took on the form of an actual person in ebony armor, which had to be what Umbra wanted whenever it took possession of someone, and in the next moment the dark blade made contact with his golden swords, the air around them vibrating slightly. It was as Capper expected, the weapons of two Daedric Princes were clashing, their powers colliding somewhat, yet at the same time Umbra seemed to find that the golden blades didn't back down, as if the warrior had been expecting them to break. Rather both remained pristine and at the ready, parrying incoming attacks as Capper pushed his foe backwards, something that caused his opponent to summon what appeared to be phantoms that were like what they had seen before this point, causing him to glance at them for a moment before vanishing. In the very next moment he lashed out at the copies of Umbra, slashing them apart with his swords like they were nothing special, and he ended his attack by delivering six diagonal slashes to his foe's chest, three coming from the right and three coming from the left.

Following that Umbra displayed a few high powered spells, one designed to paralyze everyone in the area for a short period of time and another that was a large swirling vortex of ice that the warrior put in one area, though it wasn't enough to stop Capper as he cut down his foe, leaving a pile of treasure behind, just like before, as he glanced at the fallen ebony armor and the dark blade that was floating there.

"I see, it needs a worthy wielder to draw out the fragment of Clavicus' power that's inside it." Capper remarked, though as he said that the area around him shook as Ithelia and Mora stepped out of his realm, and he even summoned the Storian for a moment as well, allowing the two a chance to look at the artifact that was in front of them, "I have found and recovered the artifact known as Umbra, and have promised Clavicus Vile that I would imprison it, but to do that I require the Storian's vast power to seal Umbra away."

"It is a powerful artifact, and dangerous in the wrong hands, if what happened with Jyggalag's sword earlier is any indication. I agree, it should be sealed away." Ithelia stated, as she had been studying the information of the world, thanks to Mora being there to fully explain everything she had questions about, and agreed with her Lord, this was an artifact that needed to be sealed away so no one could use it's terrible power against Clavicus Vile.

"While I don't care one way or the other, sealing Umbra would place Clavicus Vile in your debt." Mora pointed out, though this time around it looked like she was more willing to assist him in his endeavors, especially since there was a chance that the Prince in question could offer Midas plenty in return for this special favor, "And having another Prince in your debt would be a powerful thing. It would seem that we are aligned: the Storian will be used to seal Umbra, this time forever."

Capper nodded as the seal on the Storian's container came undone for a moment, where he took the quill before he wrote on the piece of paper that Mora offered him, and in the following seconds Umbra was contained in a wooden container with a glass window for them to see it, before lines of magic wrapped around it and locked the sword inside it.

"As before, we three must be in agreement to undo the seal, and this time we must have Clavicus Vile's blessing to draw the blade, so it will remain locked away." Capper said, as he found that sharing the burden of responsibility seemed to be best right now, because it seemed to relieve some of the annoyance Mora was feeling about this situation, though once Mora and Ithelia confirmed that the container wasn't opening he returned the Storian to it's sealed container and moved both boxes to his Vault, "And the deed is done. Umbra is sealed away at last... be warned, Clavicus Vile will no doubt come by to check on the cursed weapon."

"Then I shall make sure we are prepared for his eventual arrival." Ithelia replied, though she was pleased to see that her Lord was getting used to being a Daedric Prince, the ins and outs that came from being such a being, and understanding how he had to deal with the others of his kind, even though there was one thing she knew he needed to know before she left, "Also, there is a chance that Nocturnal might come by as well, since you did take the soul of one of her followers, who she'll likely be asking for when she comes to visit."

Capper nodded and followed the pair back into the Opulent Lands, allowing Ithelia and Mora to return to their tasks while he headed into the Vault, returning the Storian to where he had placed it previously before having Umbra's container float in the air, at least until he had a proper place to place it's prison. With that done he returned to the others in the tomb and the group headed for the exit that was beyond where the warrior had been waiting, though he did find that the collectors had taken the ebony armor as well, not that he was surprised by this. Such a thing allowed them to track down the final chest of the dungeon, since each had one and usually they were full of treasure, so he let the kobolds collect the items that were in it before they found the path leading back to the entrance. With that discovery they were able to head back outside, found that it was barely any later than when they entered the cave, returned to the carriage, and were soon on their way to the city of Windhelm, to track down the first of Capper's new contacts.

Getting to the city took a bit of time, allowing them to arrive in the afternoon, but it hardly mattered since he knew that the man he was here to see would likely be in the inn, so he had everyone else remain outside while he headed inside, where it took him no time to track down Torsten Cruel-Sea, as Delvin gave him descriptions of his contacts, and the man was right by one of the stone walls.

"Torsten Cruel-Sea, Delvin sent me to help you with something." Capper commented, standing beside the man while he was focused on the city behind him, just to be sure the guards didn't come towards him while he was here, as he didn't want the racist guards to bother him and the Guild's client.

"That's correct. My daughter, Fjotli... well, she used to wear a lot of jewelry and she was murdered, and one of the pieces that was stolen from her body was a family heirloom, a special silver locket." Torsten replied, where he must have been told who to expect, since he barely looked at Capper, save for the first glance to be sure he was speaking to the one the job had been given to, and was focused on the wall, like he was reading history or something, "The one responsible was a bloody altmer, if you could believe it, but he's not around anymore... let's just say I'm a firm believer in an 'eye for an eye' and leave it at that... but he fancied himself a thief for a new guild that was setting up shop nearby. I don't know if they murder their marks or if they just rob the dead, and honestly I don't care at this point, I just want the locket back... and you can take out a rival guild in the process. The only useful information I was able to get out of him was a name, Niranye, who has a house in Windhelm, but I figured this was more your area of expertise."

"Very well. I'll talk with her, find the rival guild, and get the locket back." Capper said, where he was slipped a piece of paper and found that it held a description of the one he needed to track down next, causing him to nod as he departed from the wall and headed out to find the altmer that was his next target.

As it turned out Niranye was walking in a nearby street, between some houses, and when he approached her he found that she was defensive for a short period of time, no doubt from the racism that was in Windhelm, but when he brought up the rival guild she seemed very nervous. That much made sense, since it appeared that the rival guild, the Summerset Shadows according to the altmer, weren't above killing those that opposed them, even if their leader preferred to steal from the Hall of the Dead, the same leader that demanded that she fence for the Shadows, least they kill her. In the end it was easy for Capper to convince her to agree to help him out, he didn't want to hurt her and she promised that if the Shadows were dealt with she'd return to being a fence for the Guild, even telling him where their camp, Uttering Hills Camp, was located. With that information in hand Capper headed out to the others and they started to head up the road, like they were heading to either Winterhold or Dawnstar, since the camp was near the mill that people passed by.

Fortunately there was someone camping near the area that they had to cross and he ignored them as the carriage moved over the small river, though once they headed up the hill Capper found the Summerset Shadows, two of them, hanging out outside their base, and both Capper eliminated with his twin swords.

"This ought to be interesting." La'nari remarked, though she and the others stood back for the time being, aiding the group of collector kobolds in collecting the bits of gold and treasure that the Shadows had gathered, including the golden soul gems as well, because if Capper was using his swords that meant he was going to be fighting for a while.

As they entered the cave, however, the group found that it was inappropriate to call this a 'fight', as the thieves discovered that intruders were inside their base and rushed at them, causing Capper to dodge out of the way before delivering a single slash at each of the Shadows that came at him. Sure enough there was a trail of gold and items for everyone else to collect as Capper found a buried ruin the thieves had turned into their base, with an alchemy table for the ingredients they stole, all to make potions and poisons no doubt, and a few cells for prisoners, all of which were empty. He tracked down his target in no time, as the leader of the Shadows had a more shadowy version of guild armor and carried an ebony sword, but for the most part he was a disappointment as Capper slashed him apart and picked up the silver locket that had ebony engravings in it. With that done he used a bit of fire and burned the banner that the Shadows had set up, while at the same time Tri Ki and the collectors made sure to collect the various bits of gold and treasure, and as they left the cave Capper utilized some of his power to give the Shadows a new life as kobolds.

After that it was only took them a few moments to get back to Windhelm so he could hand over the locket, causing Torsten to inform him that he'd speak with Delvin about setting up the framework for the Guild to reclaim their influence, causing him to smile as the group departed for the next city, as he was eager to see what the other jobs had to offer him and what else the future held in store for them.

Guild: Finishing Guild Jobs

With their work in Windhelm completed Capper had them start moving towards Whiterun, as he wanted to follow the plan he had set for them when they left Riften not that long ago, and with how they had cleared the roads so far he knew that this would be a pleasant ride for them. Not only would he be able to complete the Guild quest for Olfrid Battle-Born, but he was sure that they would run into Ri'saad along the way, since that was one of the stops of the head of the khajiit caravans that roamed Skyrim, who Tonillia wanted to make a deal with. In addition to that Azure wanted to check in with the Companions, turn in the job he had done for them, see if there was more that needed to be done, and maybe relax with his new friends for a time, instead of traveling with Capper's group all the time. The others would be able to relax for a few hours, since he wasn't totally sure what Olfrid wanted from the Guild, but he was determined to do it right and ensure that the Guild was able to return to it's full strength in no time at all.

He also knew that some of the others were no doubt annoyed by the lack of enemies, but it was possible that the bandits of the land had finally wised up and weren't eager to die by their hands, and while it did take them a few hours to get to their next destination they didn't have to stop for any enemies.

"Looks like we're in luck, Ri'saad is still outside Whiterun." Capper commented, as it was easy to see the khajiit and his group hanging outside the main gate of the city, or at least near the first defensive point that Whiterun had, since they weren't even allowed inside the city.

Sure enough Capper was able to cross one item off the list almost immediately, as Ri'saad was willing to speak with him on the topic of the Thieves Guild, and when the moonsugar was introduced he said that he would accept and share the news with the rest of his people. It was clear that he, and likely some of the other khajiit, were addicted to this stuff and that they would be overjoyed to have some again, not to mention a source for them to buy the stuff from, so in the end Capper was able to do what he set out to do. With that in mind he and the others entered Whiterun as evening fell over the city, allowing Azure and Tuk Ur to head back to the mead hall while he searched for his next client, though fortunately for him he didn't have to go too far, as he spotted the patron of the Battle-Born clan near the family's house. It looked like he was simply in the middle of sitting and enjoying what bits of nature were near the house, even though he did seem slightly worried about something, which had to be where he came in, causing him to approach Olfrid and learn against a wooden post.

From what it looked like this also allowed the man to look out over the area of the city that his home was in, that way any deed would be seen by him and information might be gleamed before it reached it's intended destination, or maybe he was reading too much into the simple rest area that the client was using.

"Delvin sent me. What can the Guild do for you?" Capper asked, as it was best to get straight to the point and not waste time, since there was no telling what the man could be asking and how much time would need to be spent on this job, which was why he allowed the others to do whatever they wanted while he worked.

"Good, you arrived within good time of me hiring the Guild... I was worried that something might happen to Arn while I was waiting for you to arrive." Olfrid said, making not move to acknowledge Capper's presence, as if he was talking to himself, a fact that meant he must be used to dealing with shadowy figures and knew that keeping one's identity a secret was the best for everyone, all while he looked at the guards as they walked by on their patrols, "He's an old friend, we fought together on the battlefield for many years, and now it's my turn to save him from the executioner's block in Solitude... but before you go on about 'why am I here', let me tell you that Arn was imprisoned in Dragonsreach's prisons for drunken behavior. Now, this is more than a simple prison break, as I'm setting him up with a brand new identity, and we have time since the Jarl and his Steward have yet to realize that they have Arn in their prisons. What I want you to do for me is retrieve the letter that came from Solitude, which should be in the Jarl's private chambers or his desk, and I also want you to change Arn's entry in the prison registry to something else, you can make up whatever you want, as it'll force them to let him out after some time."

"Dragonsreach? Finally, a challenge." Capper remarked, as that was the truth, breaking into a Jarl's personal domain was far more of a challenge than dealing with a rival clan, which was followed him him nodding his head for a moment as he started to move from where he had been leaning, "Very well, I'll be back soon with news."

Capper wasted no time in heading up to Dragonsreach, because he had nothing to fear in the entrance area, everyone was welcome there, meaning he could easily just walk around before slipping into one of the side passages that existed inside the structure, as he knew there was one for the servants and one for the Jarl's people. From what he saw when he entered the building was that the Jarl was talking with his Court Wizard about something, no doubt about the dragons still, and found that there happened to be a break in the foot traffic of the staff. Such a thing allowed him to slip into the kitchen area before heading down the stairs into the servant portion of the Jarl's quarters, where he paused for a second, feeling the faint pull of a daedric item, before he walked up into Proventus' chamber. The prison book was open on a table, a fact that seemed strange to him since he figured it would be kept elsewhere, where he found that his luck had to be great or something since it was open to Arn's entry, causing him to smile as he used the nearby quill to completely rewrite what was on the page.

He was setting the stage as if Arn was totally innocent, the people had the wrong man since drunken behavior meant they had to have witnesses and there was no mention of them, so it could have been a brawl or something, and once that was done he headed up the twin set of stairs, found no guards in the Jarl's place, and located the letter, which was in his pocket as he exited the structure.

"Like taking candy from a baby." Capper commented, in fact he was slightly disappointed, he expected the guards to be at their posts inside the Jarl's quarters, but he wasn't going to complain too much as he headed back out into the city and made his way over to where he had left Olfrid, who raised an eyebrow as he returned, "Job's done, the entry is changed and I've got the letter that Solitude sent."

Olfrid was surprised by how fast he was able to do his work, though he expressed his approval of Capper's abilities and told him that he'd be sending word to Delvin to reopen the Guild's doors in Whiterun, causing him to nod as he departed from the area and returned to the carriage, where the others were waiting. Apparently most of them had elected to remain with the carriage this time around, and Azure said that he had another job to do in another part of Skyrim, but this time it was just recovering an heirloom from a cave, something they could wait on. With that in mind Capper decided to have them use the portal he placed in Whiterun and it wasn't long before everyone stepped out in Solitude, where he left everyone else to do whatever they wanted as he headed back to the Blue Palace, as it was where his contact, Thane Erikur, would most likely be located. As it turned out he found the nord Thane walking out of the Jarl's domain, meaning it was likely time for them to head home for the night, though he did take one look at him before walking into an alley near his house, which seemed to be quite close to where Elisaf's domain was located.

Fortunately it looked like everyone else in the city happened to be focused on heading home and their dinners, instead of the shadowy business that one of their Thanes was engaging in, and Capper let the shadows cover him while he focused on the nord that was in front of him.

"Delvin Mallory said you had need of the Guild's services?" Capper inquired, as working with a Thane meant he needed to be on point and focused, instead of worried about other things, and if he was on point he suspected that Erikur would be more willing to work with him, especially in the future.

"I am impressed, you got here in a timely manner." Erikur said, his tone revealing that he must have been expecting one of the thieves to arrive in a few more days, instead of so soon after he sent word to Delvin, and Capper was pleased to find that this worked to their benefit, since he would be more reasonable in the future, "I will speak plainly: nothing raises my ire more than having an agreement broken, and Captain Volf of the Dainty Sload has decided to try my patience by neglecting to honor one of the trade agreements we had set up. What I want you do to is show him the error of his wars by sneaking aboard his vessel, which is located just down the road from the docks, and plant some contraband in his quarters... and the only one that would get the response I require is the very illegal Belmora Blue. I know of only one person, in Solitude, that has access to the stuff, which would be Sabine Nytt down at the docks, aboard the red Wave... you'll know her when you see her, since she's always wearing steel plate, minus the helmet, and carried an ebony battleaxe."

"Find the contraband, steal it, and then plant it. Consider it done." Capper replied, because this sounded easy and decided not to say that to the Thane before he walked away, as he didn't want to give the client the wrong idea, where he headed out to track down everyone else and make sure they were relaxing.

Sure enough he found that Azure, Rarity, Midnight, and the rest of their large group were simply taking in the rest of the city, to which they waved him on and he headed out to where the dock was located, which meant heading down the main hill that brought people to Solitude's main entrance. From there he turned to the side and headed down to the dock, where he found a reddish ship docked at one of the piers, which happened to have a female warrior, or pirate he guessed since she was so heavily armored, that matched his client's description. With that in mind he made his way down to the dock and was grateful for night falling when it was, because this meant it would be easy to get his hands on what he needed, though while he could speak to her and buy the item, he had a fair amount of gold, he was going to do this like a real thief. Such a thing meant using the night to his advantage and not being seen, and fortunately it appeared that the moon was covered by a sea of clouds, casting a great deal of darkness over the entire area, causing him to grin as he got to work.

Since there weren't many guards patrolling the docks Capper made his way over to the Red Wave, silently walked onto the deck, and found Sabine standing near the mast of the ship, apparently bored out of her mind, to which Capper crouched as he approached her. Such a thing allowed him to look into the pouches she was wearing, one having a note and a key while the second one had her bag of gold, to which he swiped all three items and looked at the note, which seemed to be her copy of what the Captain wanted her to do, and where to hide the Belmora Blue. With that information in hand he started to step away from Sabine, since he had everything he needed, before he carefully removed the ebony battleaxe from her back and stuffed it with the rest of the ebony he had recovered so far. Such a thing continued to amaze him, that he could simply steal an item that someone was wearing without them realizing what was going on, though he decided not to worry about it too much as he weaved a few spells around him and sank into the water that was nearby.

The spells were mostly to breathe and see underwater, while also keeping his entire person dry, and he was able to see the chest that had been buried under the docks, where Sabine's key allowed him to unlock the chest so he could pull out a blue skooma bottle, which was the Belmora Blue.

With that in hand he returned to the surface and cancelled the spells without anyone realizing that he had stolen the item in question, where Capper let out a low whistle as he walked over the bridge leading towards the Dainty Sload, because this was going to be a simple job for him as well. While he walked Capper located what appeared to be the second entrance into Solitude, a secret one by the looks of it, and he made a note of it as he continued down the path in front of him, only to find that it didn't talk him long to locate his destination. Since night was falling he wasn't expecting the crew of the ship to be up at all and found that the ones that were supposed to be patrolling the outside had fallen fast asleep, allowing him to enter the ship with ease and quickly discovered that everyone inside the ship was asleep as well. This took the fun out of the whole job, as he was expecting someone to be awake, but he decided to just walk through the ship like a ghost, stopping every now and then to relief the pirates, as some reminded him of Captain Celaeno's crew, of their gold.

In the end he found a private looking chest at the Captain's portion of the ship and slipped the Belmora Blue inside it, and as he departed Capper claimed another red gem, allowing him to quickly retrace his steps before returning to Solitude, where he found his client outside his house still.

"Job's done, the Belmora Blue is in position." Capper stated, something that put a surprised look on Erikur's face, almost as if he had expected it to take longer than this to frame Captain Volf of possessing something he hadn't bought, but the Thane was willing to accept that he was telling the truth.

Erikur informed him that he would be have the guard arrest Volf in the morning, and that Capper would receive his payment for the job via a shipment that would be sent to Delvin, reminding him of Olfrid earlier, causing him to nod as he departed once more, allowing him to regroup with the rest of the group. Given his success with the other Guild jobs Rarity decided it would be best if they head to Markarth and see what the last one was before the day had fully turned to night, causing the rest of the group to agree with her. As such Capper and the others used the portal and returned to his realm for a couple of seconds, since it was quickly followed by them using the Markarth portal, appearing in the area he had placed the gate, and they were in incredible luck, because Capper spotted someone matching Endon's description hanging out near a bridge that linked his area to another part of the city. He glanced at the others and found that his friends were willing to stay near the gate this time around, since they knew he'd be done in no time, given what the other jobs had been like, where he walked down and out into the open area ans silently approached the silversmith.

Capper decided to stick near the shadows near the client's house and found that Endon walked over not a few seconds later, to which the pair locked eyes for a moment while he noted that none of the guards seemed to care about their city, which he found to be odd as he focused on his client.

"Delvin said that you needed the Guild's services. What can we do for you?" Capper asked, which was likely going to be the last time he said such a thing, since he doubted the smaller Holds would have anyone who might want the Guild's services, especially since no one was sent out that way.

"Oh thank goodness. Honestly, I wasn't sure who else to turn to." Endon stated, where it looked like he was relieved to see that the Guild had sent someone to help him out, meaning he must have lost something or someone precious to him, and Capper was willing to help him out since it meant they'd have Markarth in their grasp once more, "Look, several months ago I ordered a very special and irreplaceable silver mold from some artisans in Valenwood, but it never arrived... and I recently found out that the caravan it was with was attacked by bandits. I've tried asking the Jarl to spare some men, but he's refused due to the ongoing war stretching his resources, or so he claims... but then I heard about the Guild's crime spree and came to the decision that hiring you guys would be best, to steal back what had been stolen. I've tracked the bandits to a camp near Falkreath, a place called 'Pinewatch', but I couldn't work up the nerve to fight them..."

"Don't worry, the mold will be in your hands in no time." Capper replied, though this was more interesting, especially since the job was taking him all the way over to Falkreath, so he left Endon to head home, rest, and focus on himself, while he just returned to Rarity and the others.

"So, what did he ask?" Azure asked, as this was much like when they went to recover the item from the rival guild, and part of him hoped that they were going to be going out to take down another group like that, or maybe some bandits since those were a blight on the people of the land.

"Recovering a silver mold from some bandits, who are located near Falkreath." Capper stated, where he could see that all of the people in his group, including the various kobolds, were eager to get underway, to which they used the portal and then used the one that would bring them to the forest Hold.

The first thing Capper did was get directions from the nearby guard, where they learned that they just had to follow the road back towards Riverwood and it would be off on the left side of the road, a small cottage that no one could miss, to which he thanked the figure before the group departed. Sure enough it didn't take them too long to locate their target location, as the bandits had set up a patrol bridge near Pinewatch, guarded by two archers, to which La'nari and Midnight released a pair of arrows that slammed into their targets, killing them instantly. Following that they quickly looted the area, and Capper added two more golden soul gems to the collection, before he tracked down the cottage and used his skills to unlock the door, to which they found that there were two tables full of weapons and a single guard on the floor below them. It was far too easy to see a hidden passage leading deeper into the ground, so Azure beheaded the bandit, after drawing his attention to him, as Capper pressed a button and caused a large shelf to move out of the way, revealing the path down into the earth.

After that Capper stayed at the back of the group as he allowed Azure and Tuk Ur to engage some of the bandits in a fight, Rarity and Mah Oh lashed out with their magic and targeted the ranged foes, while Tri Ki joined Midnight and La'nari in just sneaking around and hurting their enemies with either arrows or daggers. Capper and the collector kobolds focused on the fun part, looting the dead, collecting the golden soul gems, and just adding more wealth to the Opulent Lands, both in terms of gold and in terms of residents. He knew that Ithelia and Mora would be pleased with newcomers, since the latter was in the middle of working on training a whole new group of kobolds, and if that was possible Capper suspected that they might enjoy having more on hand, to train and enlighten. Of course some might remain miners and the other lower cast, but so far the ones who remained in the lowest tier of class in the Opulent Lands seemed to be enjoying themselves, just enjoying the chance to have a second life, and he could only imagine what the newest kobolds might think when he created them.

As they moved through the underground hideout Capper also found some locked areas, one that happened to have one of Barenziah's stones inside it, which he pocketed, but the main focus was on the bandits and the loot they had, something that made the collector kobolds happy.

Eventually they found the leader of the bandits, who wore a full set of nordic armor and carried a nordic axe as her weapon, but that hardly mattered as Azure dodged her attacks and cut her down, allowing Capper to pocket a set of keys, the gold, and all of the leader's belongings. With the rest of the bandits slain, and the kobolds had collected everything from each and every foe and container they could find, Capper headed out through the secret exit passage and found that it brought them back to an area that was near the start of the underground base. The area in question had a large coffin that was stuffed to the brim with gold, gems, ores, and ingots, all of which he allowed his collectors to take, after he picked up the silver mold that Endon wanted him to recover, one that definitely seemed more than a common mold. He slipped the item into his pack and beckoned for the others to follow, allowing them to head back outside at long last before everyone headed for Falkreath again, since they needed to use the portal that was there once more.

This time around Capper didn't have them use the other portals when they returned to the Opulent Lands, something that came as a surprise to Rarity and the others, but, as per usual, they were eager to see what he had to say since he was the master of this place.

"Since it's still night in Skyrim, I believe it's time for us to get some well deserved rest." Capper remarked, as they had been quite busy for a long time and really hadn't taken the time for a good night's sleep, so since he couldn't turn the mold in until morning he figured that this was a good thing to do, let everyone get some sleep before they tackled whatever the coming days had in store for them.

Rarity and the others nodded as they headed for the area that Capper had made for them, houses that were suitable for them, while he focused on checking out the haul they had gathered with the kobolds and store it away inside the Vault, but it only made him all the more eager to see what the future held in store for him, his friends, and the rest of Skyrim.

Guild: Dealing with Mages

Capper, Rarity, Midnight, Azure, and the rest of their group spent the night in their rooms in the main city of Capper's vast realm, allowing them to get some well deserved sleep, and when morning arrived they even had breakfast in the palace, a fact that surprised most of them. Sure, it was a slight change of pace for them since everyone was used to sleeping while on the road and eating from their food stores, but he figured that this would be good for all of them, a chance to unwind and rest a little before they focused on their objectives. While they ate Capper asked the others what they wanted to do next, as he wanted to give Delvin some time to receive the reports of his success in the four main jobs, even though he needed to stop by Markarth to hand over the silver mold. Azure made a comment about what he thought might be the last job he had to do before the Circle allowed him and Tuk Ur to move up in the rankings of the Companions, and for the most part the rest of the group didn't care what they did.

"I think we've spent enough time away from the College. If it's okay with you, I think it is time that Mah Oh and I recover the tomes for the College." Rarity spoke up, as she had started learning from them and promptly left once she was given the job to track down some school books, and while it would be easy to ask Mora for copies of the tomes she didn't want to do things the easy way, hence her desire to head to Fellglow Keep next, "Then maybe we can continue our lessons before they send someone out to do another job."

"Plus we can see if they've moved that Orb or not." Capper added, because the pair had found the orb that radiated mana during their journey through the ruins of Saarthal, a ruin he had left to them while he and the kobolds collected the bits of loot that were along the way, and he was eager to see if anything had changed since their last visit, "I'm fine with it, really, but let me give the mold back to Endon and make sure he knows he's in the Guild's debt, so Delvin knows all four jobs have been completed."

Rarity and the others nodded their heads without delay, as they knew that Capper wanted to make sure the Guild was ready to return to it's former glory, and once they were ready to go everyone followed him out into Markarth, utilizing the gate he had installed. Such a thing meant all he had to do was track down Endon and hand over the mold, and since it was morning at the moment that proved to be rather simple, as the client was wandering near his house, no doubt enjoying the scent of the morning air or something. With that discovery made it wasn't long before Capper presented the mold to him, where the client was surprised by how fast he had recovered it, handed over some jewelry as a payment, and promised that he'd send word to Delvin as soon as the mold was in his shop. All Capper did was smile and nod, allowing the man to head home with a smile on his face, and as soon as he regrouped with the others they used the gate once more, before stepping through the one that brought them out into Whiterun.

The reason for that was due to the fact that the area that the mage who stole the books from the College of Winterhold had fled to a keep near Whiterun, a place called Fellglow Keep, so all the group had to do was travel over there, track down the mage that stole the tomes, and then recover the tomes.

With that in mind the group left the city, tracked down their carriage, and departed once everyone was ready to go, to which they nodded to the guards for a few seconds as they went by, who didn't seem to care in the slightest, allowing the carriage to head out into the wilds once more. Everyone remained silent for a time, as they knew that this time it would be Rarity, Mah Oh, and Capper's collection group heading into the keep, as everyone had an area they were the experts in and Capper preferred to allow those to deal with their foes on their own. This provided everyone with a fair chance to grow, learn new skills, or just improve their overall abilities without losing the experience to the others, and since they would be heading over to Azure's area after returning the books no one had any complaints. The only ones who didn't have something to do were La'nari, though she was thinking of being a thief again; Midnight, who was thinking about assassins; and Sharva, who had no idea what she wanted to do, other than check out the Greybeards at some point.

Other than a saber cat, who fled the moment they came into view, there was nothing for them to fight as they headed out into the wilds, and once they reached an area outside the keep Capper nodded, where he and a few kobolds stepped out as Rarity and Man Oh took point.

"Same as before: you two can do whatever you want, we'll be collecting the loot." Capper remarked, even though he could see three mages patrolling the area outside the stone keep, two of them had staffs and the third seemed to be a conjurer, as there was a fire atronach near them, before he nodded to Rarity.

"Of course, darling, I know you enough to know your plans." Rarity said, which was partly true, she knew Capper enough to understand his motives, but there was still much about him that even she didn't know, especially since her friend became a Daedric Prince, as there was likely no end to his ambitions now that he had access to a whole new level of reality, before she and Mah Oh turned towards the keep, "Come, dear, let us have some fun."

The pair moved forward without delay, where Rarity spun her staff around and loosed a shard of ice that slammed right into the chest of the flame atronach, causing it to stall for a moment before detonating, and while the mages reacted to that Mah Oh hurled a fireball at the now defenseless mage. As that one was set on fire, running around like a chicken, the pair turned on the other two mages and switched to lightning, each hurling a bolt of lightning that tore through them with ease, which just showed how skilled Rarity had become since coming to this world. They did discover that the main door was locked, no doubt barred from the other side by a wooden or metal bar, but Capper located another door that was a fair distance from the main one, so while he collected the goods from the slain he let the pair move down into the hidden passage. It only took a few moments for Rarity to find that another mage was guarding the inside of the underground area, one with a couple of pet spiders, and as Capper joined them both she and Mah Oh hurled flames at their foes, taking them out.

Rarity made sure that the golden soul gems were collected and handed to Capper whenever he caught up, he wanted more mages among the kobolds and now he was getting his wish, before she headed down some stairs and found four cages with a number of vampires in them.

"Oh look, a buffet." Mah Oh remarked, as she knew that Rarity was already eager to drain the blood from the vampires, that was how she really grew her power these days, and what was even better about this was that all of them were wearing rags, as they were captives of the mages, making them incredibly easy targets for them.

Rarity grinned as she advanced on the vampires, letting Capper use his magic to make sure they were pulled out one by one so she could drain them without allowing any of them to get away, and once they were dead she tossed them onto a flaming pile that let ashes and golden soul gems. Just like before Rarity found that her power rose sharply by taking in the blood of other vampires, making her magic far stronger than ever before, and a few of these ones had other skills that weren't even remotely linked to magic at all, but she was fine with that. In the end all of them gave her more power, which was her focus so she could stand on her own two hooves without having to rely on Capper all the time, and once she was done with the last of the imprisoned vampires she waited for Capper to collect the pile of golden soul gems before continuing forward into the keep. There were other mages deeper into the keep, where she and her companions found they were experimenting on the bodies of dead individuals, mostly khajiit since they knew that such people wouldn't be missed by most of Skyrim, but it only caused her and Mah Oh to tear through them without remorse.

Capper let Rarity deal with the mages and blast them into pieces, though he and his kobolds continued to collect the potions, soul gems, staffs, and other items that were in the keep, since he suspected they wouldn't be coming back and didn't want to leave anything behind. In the next chamber there were three caged areas, where it was easy to find a locked door, a mage in a side passage, and a pack of wolves trapped in one cage, before noticing a mage that happened to be trapped inside the center one. This meant they had found Orthorn, the mage who stole the tomes in the first place, which meant he might have an idea as to where the three tomes were located so they could get out of this place, hence why Rarity focused on blasting the enemy mage and Mah Oh dealt with the pack of wolves after letting them out of their cage. Capper, meanwhile, quickly opened the locked door so he could loot whatever was on the other side, mostly random loot based on the iron weapons, a steel chest piece, and a number of potions, and once he was done he rejoined Rarity.

She, on the other hand, threw the middle lever and the door that was keeping Orthorn imprisoned opened, where the mage seemed happy about this and walked out without wasting time, while Capper focused on keeping an eye out for any other enemies that might interrupt their talk.

"Out of curiosity, Orthorn, what was your plan? Integrate yourself into a coven and hope they shared their power with you?" Rarity asked, as that was something that was bugging her, the plan that the thieving mage had cooked up before he stole the books she was now here to retrieve, but she would get to asking about the books once she sated her curiosity.

"Well, um... yes, actually. Now the Caller has the tomes I brought them, and she locked me up." the mage replied, which was actually interesting to see, that he was willing to answer her question while also giving Rarity the exact location of the books that might be relevant to the orb they had discovered in Saarthal, before the mage looked nervous, "So, um, shall I assist you in fighting them and recovering the tomes?"

Rarity agreed, even though she and Mah Oh definitely didn't need the help, before entering another passage that brought them to an area that had some novice mages hurling fireballs at some caged vampires, three more based on the cages, and they were oblivious to the fact that they had company. With that in mind the pair hurled fireballs at the mages, blasting each of them into the walls, while Orthorn tried to summon a flame atronach, which he successfully did, but by the time he did so the area was cleared of enemies, much to his surprise. As Rarity expected the mage went on ahead to deal some damage to all of the members of the group he had sought to join, his way of getting revenge on them no doubt, while Rarity drained the trio of vampires of their blood, letting Mah Oh set their bodies on fire when she was done. Following that the passage that was beyond the training area brought them to an area with a number of graves that had some skeletons walking around, no doubt the domain of a necromancer, of which Rarity spotted two black robed figures ahead of them.

None of them were surprised to find that Orthorn didn't last very long, he stumbled into the passage after revealing himself to their enemies, a fact that allowed Rarity to see his now lifeless body pierced by a pair of ice spikes, though Capper did take his golden soul gem while she and Mah Oh dealt with their new foes.

The door at the end of that passage brought them up into what had to be the main area of the keep, the area on the other side of the barred door, though Rarity and Mah Oh did have to deal with a pair of summoners after opening a door, which was easy to do since the enemy mages weren't expecting company. Capper found that there was an eating area beyond the small summoning area, which had a bar, and beyond that rested the main kitchen and gathering portion, where one mage had a frost atronach at the ready, almost as if they were expecting company. Rarity wasn't intimidated by that at all as she let a pair of fireballs fly into the icy creature and it's summoner, while at the same time her kobold checked a side door and found two more mages, ones that were getting up from their beds by the looks of it. She wasted no time in wiping them out, leaving Rarity to find a grumpy mage tending to an armorer's table, where one improved their armor, why she had no idea and wasn't about to ask as she crushed him with lightning, before spotting something interesting.

"Oh Capper, I've got something for you." Rarity said, where it took her friend only a few moments to walk up to the room she was standing in, causing her to hand over one of the Stones he had been collecting, something that caused both of them to smile as he pocketed the item and nodded his thanks to her.

With that discovery made Rarity and Mah Oh continued to move through the keep, moving up another side path since they found yet another barred door, a common trend in Skyrim they were noticing, and sure enough that meant facing a couple more mages, even though they seemed to be running out of mages to send at them. What Rarity was seeing was that most of the magic users here were likely apprentices and even novices, weaklings that were likely fodder for the leader that ruled over them all, but they were outfitted like they were more adept than they actually were. As they tore through another flame atronach, however, she came to the conclusion that the Caller, whoever that was, had to be the strongest mage in this keep, or at least she would be if it wasn't for the fact that Rarity and Mah Oh were here. Of course that wasn't counting Capper, as he was a Daedric Prince and their magic was beyond the power a mortal could wield, but it did tell her that she needed to be cautious when they finally found the figure, since she was sure the Caller had the books.

Other than the mages there wasn't anything interesting for them to worry about, Rarity and Mah Oh just tore through the rest of their enemies before reaching an impressive ritual chamber with three pedestals, one in the center and two resting on the sides, with a book on each of them, with a blue robed lady in the center of the room.

"So, you are the ones who barged into my home and laid waste to my followers... how very nice to meet you." the lady commented, where Capper suspected that she was the Caller, she was the only one left and seemed different the the rest of the mages that Rarity and Mah Oh had taken out since they started tackling the dangers of this place, "Now, what can I do for you and your annoying companions?"

"We're not here to join your coven, or whatever your group was called. We're here to collect the tomes Orthorn stole." Rarity replied, though she could tell that this annoyed the Caller, almost as if she had been aware of what sort of power the pair had access to, since there was no way she could possibly sense what Capper was, and might have been planning on offering her and Mah Oh a place in her new coven, "Surely we can come to some sort of arrangement, instead of fighting?"

To none of their surprise the Caller decided to attack them anyway, she was just annoyed that all of her plans and followers had been ruined by the untimely arrival of the group, though Rarity struck the Caller in the chest with some ice spikes, which impaled and killed her.

"You're getting better at doing that." Capper remarked, where he collected the golden soul gem that contained the Caller's soul and pocketed it, while at the same time Rarity and Mah Oh quickly gathered the three tomes Orthorn had stolen, one of which seemed connected to Saarthal since it was called the Night of Tears, reminding Rarity of the time period Tolfdir had mentioned when they entered the ruin.

"It's just the nature of Skyrim, really. People have a habit of making stupid decisions." Rarity said, as she had been more than willing to speak with the Caller and come to an arrangement, but the lady had insisted on attacking her first, so she had to fight back, but she had no desire to drag the fight out, hence her quick killing of the Caller, "But we have the tomes, so now we can return to the College and give them the good news."

Capper nodded as they found the Caller's treasury, it had a single large chest that had a few valuable looking mage items in it, all of which he pocketed since Rarity didn't want them right now, and it wasn't long before they headed outside the keep and regrouped with the others. From there they headed back to Whiterun, since there was no reason for them to remain on the road for longer than was necessary and Capper was planning on using the gates to return to Winterhold, though there was something odd on the road ahead of them. One of the guards was standing near a dead cow, which hadn't been dead when they passed by previously, and it looked like a farmhand had been slain as well, though while the cow had been partly eaten it looked like the person had been drained of their blood. It was like a vampire and a werewolf had been through this area recently, which was weird since they had seen no signs of either while they were moving towards the keep earlier, yet at the same time Capper noted that it seemed to be the work of a single individual, instead of two.

"A creature that is a mix of werewolf and vampire... a werepyre?" Capper commented, as this was interesting, and while he thought about such a thing he made sure to let Ithelia and Mora see this, since they would be curious about the potential discovery they might have made, and once Mora made her notes they returned to the Opulent Lands.

It wasn't long before he and his friends returned to the gate, where Rarity paused and looked at Dragonsreach, feeling the same thing that Capper had felt no doubt, before they utilized the power of the gate, quickly returned to the Opulent Lands, and stopped for a moment. The reason for that was because Capper had an excess of golden soul gems and they watched as he channeled a bit of power into them, causing the various people they had struck down recently, from bandits to the vampires and mages, to be reborn as kobolds. Capper then spent a bit of time making sure they were organized and were assigned to their various duties, something his main two followers could handle in his stead, and once that was done, and he knew Mora now had enough mage kobolds to begin progressing towards scholars and other types, he and his companions returned to Winterhold. Once more they found that nothing exciting was going on in the small town, or settlement since it only had a small number of houses, so it wasn't long before Rarity, Mah Oh, and Capper crossed the bridge, leaving the rest to stay with the carriage since they weren't needed inside the College.

Once they were inside the structure, however, they found that the orc librarian who sent Rarity on the mission to recover the tomes was talking to some of the teachers in the main lecture area, which was where they found that the Orb had definitely been moved to the College.

"So, they managed to move it. Good to know." Rarity commented, speaking mostly to herself, even though she knew Capper was no doubt thinking of stealing the Orb, either because he really wanted it or he didn't trust the mages to keep it safe, but after saying that she focused on the orc librarian as she approached him, "Urag, we have the tomes Orthorn stole."

"Do you? I'll admit, I was wondering if we were ever going to see you again." Urag replied, taking the tomes from her as he checked them out, no doubt making sure they weren't damaged too badly, though he found that each one was in pristine condition, as if they hadn't been stolen by someone in the first place, before he handed her five books, which seemed to be both a reward and new study material, "Here, you've earned these. I'll go over the information you've recovered and get back to you once I have a better idea of what this Orb might be."

"Well, we'll be here, studying the Orb." Mah Oh said, which was the truth, all three of them were interested in the Orb, even Mora was interested since she slipped out of Capper's shadow to approach the item, tilting her head as she mumbled a few things to herself, causing the orc to raise an eyebrow for a moment.

"The Eye of Magnus... fascinating." Mora commented, speaking to herself as she moved around the Orb, giving it a name as Rarity and the others realized that they could have just asked her about the Orb, given that there had to be some knowledge of it in Mora's vast library.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Mah Oh stated, she was used to the fact that Ithelia and Mora could literally step out of Capper's shadow whenever they wanted, that seemed to be a benefit that his main followers had access to, before she just turned and focused on the floating Orb, or the Eye of Magnus she guessed.

Urag growled a little before departing for his portion of the College, no doubt more interested in the tomes and less on the stranger that was in front of him, which Capper found to be hilarious since he was ignoring a Daedric Prince, but he leaned against one of the pillars as he watched the trio, because they were going to study the Eye of Magnus for a time before it was time to leave again, making him eager about what the future held for them next.

Guild: Howls in the Night

Capper found that the mages were definitely interested in the fact that Mora was investigating the Eye of Magnus, after all of them came to understand that this form of hers was due to another Prince messing with her, which was common based on what he had learnt so far. This did come with some good information for them, as Tolfdir claimed that the writing on the Eye was of no language that they knew of, as it didn't match Daedric, Falmer, or even Aylied, where Mora told them that it was Aedric, the language of the Divines. It was easy to determine such a thing since this was an artifact of Magnus, the God of Magic himself, and he was said to have left a few items behind, such as his Staff, which was currently somewhere in this vast province, as Mora didn't feel like sharing everything right now. Despite that fact it was clear that she and Rarity had much to discuss on the matter, while at the same time Capper silently weaved his own magic on the area, mostly to sample the Eye's power while wondering if he should steal it now.

In the end he decided to leave the Eye where it rested and the mages told Rarity that they would contact her if they were able to discover anything new, but she did get a request from one of the other staff members, the one invested in studying the Dwemer, who wanted ten cogs from her.

"I guess if we're near a dwarven ruin the kobolds can gather as many as we need." Capper remarked, which was followed by both Rarity and Mah Oh nodding their heads, as they walked out into the open area of the courtyard of the College, as it was time for them to leave and see to Azure's next task, since he was sure this would make the Companions happy enough to move the Solar Guard up a rank.

With their visit to Winterhold done, and it didn't seem like anyone wanted anything else from them, Mora moved back into Capper's shadow and returned to the Opulent Lands, no doubt to go over the information she had obtained from simply observing the Eye. After that he and the others did the same thing, before stepping out in Windhelm a few moments later, as the area that Azure needed to go to was a small cave that was located on the eastern mountain, and thanks to the note that the Companions gave him they were able to pinpoint it's exact location. With that in mind they set out immediately, since it would be best to recover the item they were after before the client started to wonder if the Companions were ever going to get around to fetching it, though Azure and Tuk Ur were more interested in slaying bandits. La'nari continued to take her self appointed place as the one who moved the carriage down the road, at this point Capper had decided not to argue with her since she seemed to like it, especially since it let her keep an eye out for danger, and everyone got ready for whatever the next cave had to offer them.

About the only thing that were worth worrying about was the dragon that was flying around the lone mountain, harassing the giants that seemed to live in the area and chomping down on whatever wildlife it could get it's talons on, which caused Capper to pause them for a moment as he looked at the dragon.

"You know Sharva, since you're the Dragonborn I've been wondering who would get a dragon's soul... would it be you, due to your connection to the Divine, or would it be me?" Capper commented, as he had a pile of dragon bones in his Vault and was curious what might happen if he got his hands on the soul of an actual dragon, it could be the start of an elite guard for his realm, like how Sheogorath had his two forces guarding his realm, "Or would we split it? You get the knowledge of the soul while I get the soul itself? Might be worth investigating at some point."

"He's already thinking about new members for the realm... not surprising, really." Rarity remarked, which was due to the fact that Capper was constantly thinking about new additions that could be added to his realm, new buildings, new people, new races, and whatever else crossed his mind, and an elite guard was the next thing that was on his list, to help guard the place so Ithelia and Mora weren't constantly bothered.

"Honestly, I don't know and I honestly don't care." Sharva replied, though she was more interested in heading up to the top of the Throat of the World to meet the Greybeards, which she knew they would do once Capper restored the Guild to it's former glory, she just had to be patient a little while longer, even though this lifestyle was more interesting for her, since she was in control of her own fate at long last.

Capper shrugged as they continued moving once more, where La'nari brought them up the path leading back to Riften, one they had taken plenty of times so far, though this time they moved closer to where a Legion camp was located, since there was a small body of water and a cave near it. Once they located their target, however, Capper nodded as Azure and Tuk Ur stepped out of the carriage's magic space before entering the cave, where they found that their friend and a few kobolds followed them inside for the loot that might be in here. Azure found that there were three bandits near the entrance, as in they seemed to be patrolling between this point, a side passage leading to what was likely the main treasure area, and the end of the cave, which was likely a spring of sorts due to all the water that formed the small stream they were following at the moment. None of them were very strong, in fact Azure found that he was able to cut his foes down in a single swing as Tuk Ur had to stab his a few times to bring them down, though once those foes were done they moved forward as Capper's group collected the loot.

There were only a few other bandits in the cave, one mining in the falls that fed the stream, one watching the main path, and one standing by the main treasure chest, where Azure and Tuk Ur wasted no time in bringing them all down, allowing Azure to collect the amulet they had been sent to collect, before he noticed something.

"Another Stone... you're finding them more frequently now." Azure said, referring to the red stone that was resting on the short bench nearby, one that Capper collected before turning his attention to the large chest, which seemed to have some decent loot, as in gold, jewels, and even a musical instrument, which Capper was sure was a collector's item, "I guess that's it to this place."

"Sure seems like it." Capper replied, though he pocketed the last of the new golden soul gems and followed Azure and Tuk Ur back outside, where the rest of the kobolds followed after them with the armor and loot from the slain bandits, which he was fine with since he knew the lizards liked tinkering with the armor that wasn't needed.

With that in mind the collectors returned to the Opulent Lands once they rejoined the others at the carriage, where the trio returned to their positions as La'nari got them moving back in the direction of Windhelm, so they could use the gate to get back to Capper's realm and then hop over to Whiterun. Everyone else just chattered while the carriage moved, mostly with ideas on what to do once they were done with their various guilds, even though everyone came to the same conclusion, that helping Sharva would be the next step once Capper finished his business with the Thieves Guild. Due to the path being clear on the way to the cave they discovered that the way was also clear on their way back, though there was the giant at the large campfire that stared at them as they went by, likely watching to be sure they didn't harass it's mammoth. Since they didn't care about the mammoth La'nari moved the carriage towards Windhelm and, sure enough, they found that the guards still didn't like them, but they were willing to do business now that the Guild had their power back.

Capper did find that the elf he had talked to previously was now a fence, which was good for the Guild, and after that he and the others used the hidden gate to return to the Opulent Lands, only to cross back over to Whiterun, allowing Rarity and the others to rest up, since it appeared to be the afternoon as the trio approached Jorrvaskr.

"You two have done well." Vilkas said, as he had been waiting near the doors of the mead hall and was pleased to see that Azure and Tuk Ur had returned with the item that they had been sent to collect, while at the same time he noticed how their khajiit companion was looking at the mead hall, "There is more work to be done, but Skjor told us to tell you that he wanted a word with the two of you... and only you two. No offense, khajiit."

"None taken. It's Guild business, and better kept in house." Capper replied, gesturing to himself for a moment, since it was easy for him to tell what was going on and this allowed him to show the Companions that he understood why Skjor wanted the two warriors who had joined this Guild, "I am not a Companion, therefore I am not included in such things. Don't worry, Azure and Tuk Ur won't reveal anything to me or the others, so all secrets are safe."

That wasn't counting the fact that Farkas had revealed that the Circle were all werewolves, so Capper assumed this was the point where they welcomed both Azure and Tuk Ur into the highest position a member of the Companions could reach, so he would likely find them turning into werewolves in the near future. With that in mind he stepped back and allowed the pair to go find Skjor, though at the same time Capper decided to take one more look around Whiterun, starting with following Rarity, as she was heading into Dragonsreach, towards the bit of daedric energy he had sensed previously. He also had a bit of business in that building as well, there was a Stone of Barenziah inside the Jarl's quarters, he had spotted it when he went for the letter for Olfrid's job, and Mora's map confirmed that there was another inside the Halls of the Dead. Capper's plan was to claim those two Stones before they did anything else, though he was patiently waiting to claim the one that was deep in Jorrvaskr, since he didn't want to interfere with Azure and Tuk Ur's new Guild.

"So, is the daedric energy drawing you to it as well?" Capper commented, where he walked beside Rarity as she entered the structure, allowing them to see that the guards didn't seem annoyed with their presence, rather they seemed distracted by something else that was going on right now.

"I suspect that it is an artifact, and we can either use it or store it in your realm." Rarity replied, referring to the fact that her friend already had a few powerful artifacts in an area that she was calling the 'Daedric Hall', as Capper had Jyggalag's sword, Mehrune's razor, Molag's mace, and Vile's masque, plus Umbra, so there was a chance that whatever relic was drawing her to it might end up in the hall of artifacts.

Capper nodded his head as they found their way to the side passage he had used to get the items from the Jarl's quarters, only to make their way over to an ancient and burned looking door, where he slipped the Skeleton Key into it and opened the door, revealing a small chamber with a long katana-like sword on a small table.

"According to the tome Mora let me read, this should be the 'Ebony Blade', one of Mephala's artifacts." Capper said, though at the same time Rarity picked the blade up and he watched as it shrunk before their eyes, the length of the blade matching the length of a normal sword now, making it look like an actual katana now, plus it came with a sheath that Rarity slipped the blade into, before attaching the scabbard to her belt, "Looks like the Prince associated with this artifact is busy, so we don't have to converse with her until she comes looking for her artifact."

"Seems like a blood based weapon... might be why I was drawn to it." Rarity stated, blaming her vampire nature, though she was fine with this discovery, because most of the group had some sort of unique weapon or power and this made her even stronger, and even if she was wrong on what sort of weapon it was she knew leaving it behind would have been a very poor decision for all of them.

Capper had nothing to say to that, he wasn't about to question the relics of the other Daedric Princes, though as Rarity made her way back to the others, those that were in the market area, he headed up into the Jarl's quarters once more, where he found that none of the guards seemed to be on duty in here. It was another disappointment in Capper's eyes, though he just walked up to where he knew the Jarl's bed was located, acting like he belonged here in case someone showed up during his time in this place, and located the Stone he was after, right beside the Jarl's bed. A few seconds later he was walking out in the main hall of Dragonsreach with the item in his pocket and a smile on his face, though he walked down to where the dead tree was located, passed by the temple that was next to it, and entered the Hall of the Dead. From what he could see there was a single priest working right now, he had no idea where the others might be, but he slipped into the tomb area without the figure even noticing that he was there and discovered three walking skeletons that had ancient weapons.

He barely acknowledged the skeletons as he slashed through them and collected the golden soul gems that were dropped, where he found the alcove that held the Stone of Barenziah that was down here and collected that Stone as well, followed by him heading back out into the city to join the rest of the group.

Evening gave way to night as they waited for Azure and Tuk Ur to return from Jorrvaskr, where Capper took up a post that allowed him to view the area in question, while at the same time not drawing attention to himself since none of the guards even noticed him on top of the Temple of Kynareth's building. Eventually he found the pair following Skjor towards an area that was under the forge that was outside the mead hall, the same area Aela had been in previously, and they used the same secret opening that she had used, where he understood what was going on. A few moments later he heard the sound of two werewolves as one as tall as Azure stepped out of the secret area, only he had golden blond fur and bright golden eyes that reflected the presence of the moon, and he was joined by a smaller kobold sized werewolf whose fur almost looked like an altered version of scales. Of course since they were more like feral beasts the pair prowled inside the city for a moment, a fact that freaked out the guards since none of them knew where the pair had come from, but Capper found that both simply abstained from attacking the people of the city and fled from Whiterun.

With that in mind he regrouped with the others and had La'nari follow them, where Capper kept track of the pair with part of his own magic, only to find that they headed out into the wilderness and collapsed a few hours later outside a fort that had the banners of the Silver Hand.

"Just like vampires and the Vigilants are drawn to conflict, so too are werewolves and the Silver Hand." Capper commented, speaking to himself as a female werewolf dropped down into an area and moved behind one of the thick trees, where Aela came out a few moments later, only to drop two bundles in front of the pair as they reverted back to their base forms, and as that happened a male werewolf rushed into the fort, "So, murdering the Silver Hand, eh?"

"Yes, actually. A reward, of sorts, for these two... the Silver Hand has been attacking innocent people lately, so they should be fine with exterminating them." Aela replied, as if she knew that the pair would be openly okay with this information, while at the same time she seemed fine with an outsider knowing this secret, meaning Farkas must have mentioned that he had seen the transformation back during Azure and Tuk Ur's trial, so he was in the clear, "Skjor is securing the area, and when these two wake up we're going to massacre the Silver Hand."

Capper said nothing to that as he backed off for a time, allowing him to make sure the carriage and the others were waiting in a safe area, where Rarity and the others assumed that this was something the others would be doing, just like how she and the others had their own quests to do on their own, causing him to return to Azure and Tuk Ur.

"Ugh, man that stung." Tuk Ur remarked, which was understandable since the transformation had turned both of them into powerful looking werewolves, and yet Capper could see that both of their eyes still reflected the power of the moon, both of their tails ended in tips that matched their werewolf forms, and it looked like their muscles were definitely stronger, likely a side effect of the transformation.

"Yes, but it is our responsibility to use this power wisely." Azure said, where he found the two packs sitting nearby and gave one to his kobold companion, causing the two of them to change back into their attire and arm themselves once more, so the moment they were done they focused on Aela for a time.

Aela, of course, repeated what she told Capper when she noticed he was here, allowing them to understand that they were going to deal with the Silver Hand and that Skjor had gone ahead of them, though based on what Capper could see it sure looked like the elder werewolf had screwed up, no one was dead. With that in mind Azure and Tuk Ur lead the way into the fort, Gallows Rock as Aela called it, where the former swung his greatsword and crushed the bandit-like Silver Hand into the ground, while at the same time Tuk Ur rushed up to the other two and slashed them to pieces. Capper could see that there was a difference in their base powers, just like how Rarity was a vampire and her base powers had changed after her own transformation, so it would take some time for the pair to get used to their new forms and powers. Of course Aela followed the pair as they entered the fort, allowing Capper and a trio of collectors to obtain the goods from the outside area, and the moment he headed inside he found that there were more Silver Hand to be slain.

The disappointing thing was that he had seen Skjor rush into this place earlier and it really didn't seem like the figure had done anything, there were no dead bodies in the areas that Azure's group explored, no signs of a struggle, and nothing that suggested another werewolf had come through here. The only thing Capper saw were the recently slain werewolves and the ones that had been captured, those who couldn't separate themselves from their beast forms, and Aela confirmed that she had no idea who any of them are. They did discover something interesting when Capper freed one of the captives, it just bowed to him and rushed at the Silver Hand, which turned the fort into a true war zone as the werewolves tore into the rest of the werewolf hunters, and with the amount of cages Capper had ten more werewolves that wanted a piece of the Silver Hand. Their anger was more than what Aela, Azure, or even Tuk Ur were feeling, which was fair since the ten werewolves had been here for a long time, no doubt being starved so they could be tortured and skinned, but Capper stood back with his collectors as the empowered group literally tore their way through the fort.

It wasn't even a battle when they reached the final chamber, where the 'Skinner' was resting, as she and her group were just mauled and torn to death by everyone that wanted a piece of them, though once they had their fun Capper found that the ten werewolves backed off to allow them to study the area, only for him to find that Skjor was dead, his body halfway to his own transformed state.

"Damn, he was one of the strongest that we had... even with these numbers they shouldn't have been able to kill Skjor, not like this." Aela remarked, her anger as clear as day, though since she didn't care about the loot Capper had the collectors do their thing, loot the main treasure chest while he silently pocketed a golden soul gem that had been resting near Skjor's body, causing her to growl as she glanced at Azure and Tuk Ur, "I... I need some time to mourn and get Skjor back to Kodlak and the others... you two and I will avenge him, and make the Silver Hand pay for this deed."

Sure enough Capper found that Aela picked up Skjor's body, which was returning to his human form, before leaving the fort, confirming that she wanted to bury him first before she worried about the Silver Hand, before Capper turned his attention to the ten werewolves, who seemed chill in his presence. He glanced at them for a moment before switching the golden soul gem for one of the bandit ones he had collected previously, where he used his power and turned the soul into a kobold, as he wanted to see what sort of reaction the werewolves had, and sure enough they seemed interested. The werewolves then turned to Azure and Tuk Ur, allowing the pair to kill them so Capper could acquire their golden soul gems, and when he used one he found that the soul of the werewolf took the form it had been in previously, only now they looked more in control of themself and less like a feral beast. In addition to that Capper discovered that the reborn werewolves had a new coloration to their fur, as it was like silver now but looked like fur still, making them look like they were part of the Opulent Lands, and the ten reborn werewolves bowed their heads, overjoyed by the chance at a new life.

Capper smiled as he and the others escorted the reborn werewolves back to the Opulent Lands, so they could be given new places to live while he checked in with Ithelia and Mora, though he had a feeling that things were going to get even more interesting in the coming days and was looking forward to whatever the world would throw at them next.

Guild: Mage Information

Since it would take Aela some time to get back to Whiterun, and figure out how she wanted to use Azure and Tuk Ur to take down the Silver Hand, Capper and the pair of newly born werewolves returned to the others, allowing Rarity and the others to see how the pair had changed, while Mora appeared nearby.

"Someone has tapped into the Eye of Magnus. Not enough to do anything, but someone is interested in it." Mora said, to which the group glanced at each other for a few moments, because this meant they were heading back to Winterhold to see what was going on, and Capper wondered if now was the time to lay claim to it before it was misused.

"Then we should return to Winterhold." Capper replied, where he found that the others nodded without delay, because if Mora was coming out to personally tell them about someone potentially tampering with the Eye, and she was sure of it since Capper knew the Prince was used to be the right one among them all, then it was worth investigating.

With that in mind the group climbed into the carriage before departing for Winterhold, as this time Capper figured that it would be best if they just traveled like normal, because Mora's statement told him that they could spend some extra time on their journey this time around. If she had been more worried about the Eye being misused he would have had them head back to Windhelm to use the portal network, since that would have gotten them to the College with ease, but since she was calm, and indicated that danger wasn't upon them, this was his decision. It also gave Aela some time to get Skjor's body back to Whiterun so he could be buried in whatever manner the Circle wanted to bury him in, and give her time to figure out the area that the Silver Hand were hiding in so she could have Azure and Tuk Ur assault them. Such a thing also gave Capper time to think about the new golden soul gems he had acquired from the fort that the werewolves had overrun, where a new idea came to mind, that if Mora was focused on training a new class of kobold than so could he, utilizing the ranger types to raise hunters and even trackers.

Capper also found that the werewolves they saved from the Silver Hand headed out into the wilds, no doubt returning to their lives before they were taken, since it was clear that they weren't fully feral, which made him curious as to whether or not they would see them again.

While they traveled Capper put his idea into motion as he used some of the newer golden soul gems to give way to a brand new group of kobolds, who, as he discovered, were definitely archer types and some even knew how to track, which had to be due to the training that some of the Silver Hand went through. Sure, they had to get used to the fact that they were now serving a Daedric Prince with their second lives, but, much like everyone else, all of them seemed fine with this set up and started to adapt to their new forms. It wasn't long before he found that some were tracking the wild animals that were all around the road they were following, in fact La'nari kept track of them and pointed out some things for them, allowing them to grow as rangers and trackers, which was what Capper wanted. He suspected that in due time his realm would have every sort of class available, all accessible by kobolds no less, and it made him wonder what else he could do before reaching that point, hence why more ideas continued to swirl around in his head.

Fortunately it didn't look like they had to worry about running into any enemies, the road was clear and the sky didn't have any dragons for them to worry about, so it only took them an hour or two to reach Winterhold, where Rarity, Capper, and Mah Oh climbed off the carriage and entered the College without delay.

"Rarity, there you and Mah Oh are. I've been looking for you two." a voice said, which happened to be the mage that tried to test everyone when they first approached the College, who really did look like she had been busy looking for the pair, while at the same time Capper felt a new magical signature in the College, above the area the Eye was held in, "Ancano's been looking for you two."

"Really? We had better see what the Thalmor agent wants." Rarity replied, as none of them liked the elf in question, he was like most of his kind, though she kept an open mind when it came to the others that weren't part of the Thalmor, causing her and her kobold companion to sigh in annoyance.

"I'll be waiting near the Eye." Capper told the pair, where Rarity nodded before she and Mah Oh followed the mage back into the main structure, though he waited for a few moments before heading in as well, only to find that no one was standing in the area that the Eye was floating in, causing him to focus for a moment, "Ithelia, Mora, join me."

"So, this is the Eye of Magnus." Ithelia said, as she and Mora stepped out of Capper's shadow once more, where she had to admit that his personal portal was definitely one of the best she had seen, since it allowed them to manifest in this world and actually explore, even if most of their power was sealed away, "My Lord, what is your command?"

"We're taking the Eye, aren't we?" Mora inquired, because it was a good move in her eyes, leaving the Eye alone was a good way for someone to misuse it for real and do untold damage on the area that it was currently stored in, but taking it meant that it would be out of the hands of the mortal races.

"Yes, we are. And you, Mora, will explain that a new Daedric Prince took it." Capper stated, as he had been working on a way to start spreading the knowledge of 'Midas' to the rest of the world and it was like someone had thrown open the door for him, where he could see that both Ithelia and Mora were thinking over his plan in their minds, "Each Prince can influence the world in some manner, and they can also warp things or people to their respective Realms... one could easily say that a new Prince wanted the Eye and stole it, and there would be nothing the mages could do to counter it."

"One could assume you took the Eye to ransom it to another Prince, fitting the title of the 'Prince of Greed'." Ithelia said, even if she and Mora knew that their Lord had no such plans in mind, he just liked collecting certain things, despite most 'things' being gold and jewels, plus his golden soul gems, but it would help spread word of his existence to the rest of the people of the world.

Capper nodded and found that the pair agreed with him, to which they spread out and formed a triangle around the Eye, all while he made sure the coast was still clear, and once he was sure no one was around they gathered their power, warping the space around the artifact. Sure enough the Eye vanished into thin air, where he focused his mind and teleported it into his realm, though he made sure it was safely placed in the area that it would feel at place in, in a slot near the peak of his own castle, a fact that meant it could be seen from all over the Opulent Lands. He had considered placing it at the very top of his domain, for a few moments anyway, but he felt that this was better, though with the magic done he nodded and allowed both Ithelia and Mora to call off their magic. Ithelia bowed her head as she returned to the Opulent Lands, while Capper and Mora did their best to be surprised when the mages arrived, to see that the Eye had been stolen, and it wasn't long before such a thing happened.

Rarity and Mah Oh came down with the Thalmor agent, the Arch-Mage, and a mage that looked like he was part of another order, though the last one, in yellow robes, let a small smile appear on his face as the group approached Capper and Mora, who were acting like they had just discovered the missing Eye.

"What... What happened to the Eye?" the Arch-Mage asked, while at the same time Ancano looked concerned, like the Eye had been part of his plans and now he couldn't do anything he had planned, which was a good thing based on everything they had learned since recovering the item from Saarthal.

"I'm afraid that it was stolen by Midas, the Daedric Prince of Greed." Mora stated, something that caused the trio to stop for a moment as they glanced at the figure, since it was clear that they weren't sure what to make of her information, while at the same time Capper silently stood by Rarity and Mah Oh, so when it was time to go they could slip out, "He's a newcomer in the waters of Oblivion, having stayed away from this world for a long, long time... I don't know why he's suddenly turning his attention to this plane of existence, but there are traces of his energy in the area."

"Another Daedric Prince? Rubbish. You have no idea what you're talking about." Ancano remarked, though in the following moment the yellow robed mage grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him back, while Mora glared at the elf like she was going to strange him or blast him into Oblivion itself.

"Careful, she might not look imposing, but that's Hermaeus Mora, the Prince of Knowledge... if he, or she, says that there's another Prince, well, we had best listen." the yellow robed mage said, which was interesting to Capper, meaning this had to be a Psijic Monk, the very mages that had warned Rarity about the Eye in the first place, and it meant that they were more knowledgeable than he initially assumed.

"I would also like to tell you that Ithelia, the Prince of Paths, and Jyggalag, the Prince of Order, are back as well, so now there are nineteen Princes." Mora added, as she figured that this was the best thing to do, she might as well lay all the cards on the table, and she could see that the mages were interested in what she had to say, causing her to slither away for a moment as she wondered what to do next, "I have information on both, if you want to learn... you know how to reach me, if you are interested in my knowledge."

Capper knew that Mora was referring to her Summoning Day, since there was no guarantee that she'd come by here again in the future, so that might be the only way to get in contact with her, not unless they found new information that stood over everything the Opulent Lands could offer her, causing Ancano to huff as he walked away.

"We... might have information to exchange. Might I interest you in a way to locate the Staff of Magnus?" Savos inquired, a fact that caused Capper and Rarity to glance at each other for a moment, as Mora had explained that the Staff was a counter to the Eye, another artifact that was used by Magnus in the past even though people thought it was a tall tale, "I know you are the Prince of Knowledge, but it was hidden in a way to make sure no one could find it... and I think I know how one can go about locating it."

"Is that so? Tell me, and I will decide what your information is worth." Mora replied, though while she knew where the Staff was, it wasn't as well hidden as Savos seemed to think it was, she was interested in seeing if there was more to the magic he was talking about, plus she knew Capper would want to recover the Staff so it didn't fall into the wrong hands.

They discovered that there was a group of mages from Cyrodiil that were interested in the ruins of Mzulft, claimed that the dwarven ruin either held the Staff or might have a clue as to where they could find it, even though Savos was of the opinion that they were looking for all sorts of magical artifacts, not just the Staff. Mora ended up giving the Arch-Mage some brand new information on Jyggalag, so he and the other mages would have something to work on, and told him that she would check his sources out before determining how much more knowledge the College would gain. With that in mind they left the College and returned to the carriage, where they regrouped with the others and departed for Whiterun this time around, as it was time to check on Aela and see if she had any information for Azure and Tuk Ur. It also gave Rarity some time to think about the fact that there was another artifact out there for her to lead Capper to so he could collect it, since leaving powerful artifacts laying around seemed like a bad idea, given Ancano's reaction towards the Eye completely vanishing.

While they traveled, however, Mora pointed out where Mzulft was on the map in case Capper wanted to go there, and right now he was thinking of such a thing since there was a lot of metal that could be salvaged from such a place, both dwarven and ordinary, not to mention whatever else might be in the ancient ruin.

It really didn't take them long to return to Whiterun, given that they and the armies had cleared out the bandits and some of the animals that had roamed the roads in the last week or two, though this time Capper and the others stayed outside, while Azure and Tuk Ur checked in with Aela. A few minutes later the duo emerged from the city, informing the group that there was a Silver Hand hideout not far from the city, in the Silent Moons Camp, which Aela wanted them to destroy since cutting off the head of snake, or one of them, would weaken the group as a whole. Since it was nearby Capper figured that they could head over there and deal with the group of Silver Hand that were over there, since they were a threat to the city as a whole, especially if they believed that every member of the Companions were werewolves. Such a thing should make Aela pleased so she could focus on other things and not focus too hard on the Silver Hand, since he knew that such a thing could only spiral out of control, but with that in mind they headed out into the wilds once more, following the map to the area that their targets were in.

Capper found that it was just an ordinary ruin from the outside, with an area that seemed to have a forge due to the ringing they were hearing, plus there was a collapsed wall that seemed to have a way into an underground area, though there were ten bandit looking members of the Silver Hand outside the ruin, patrolling the area.

Azure and Tuk Ur rushed at the ruins before their enemies even knew what was happening, both cutting them down while also avoiding arrows that were coming at them, as it looked like the ranged members of the group had noticed them coming, but a tad bit too late in Capper's eyes. The interesting thing was that when he looked at these supposed members of the Silver Hand he didn't see werewolf hunters, rather he saw bandits who were being exterminated because Aela was angry over Skjor's death, but he couldn't blame her for such a thing. As the others slew the bandits, however, any thoughts Capper had on them being part of the group that hunted werewolves were made irrelevant as he discovered that each had one of the silver swords, some had necklaces to help avoid disease, there was a forge dedicated to lunar forging, and he located a missive detailing the Silver Hand's movements. Other than that he located a bunch of ore and supplies that likely went into the operations of those that were hunting the Companions, though Azure wasn't even surprised to see the kobolds come out and start hauling away anything of value, he was used to it at this point, even though they were now hauling off chests as well.

"With all of the citizens I've been gathering, we need storage for everyone, hence the chests... we'll have to enchant them, so they only open up for the one they're bonded to, now that I consider it." Capper commented, nodding to the kobolds as they did their work, especially since two were hauling around one of the larger chests that held greater loot, causing him to think about it for a few more seconds, "I can make the larger ones into storage units for the various shops in the city, also tied to each owner so nothing won't be stolen... though with how big the city is we're going to need far more than this. Oh well, I'll just be sure to grab every chest we pass by in the future."

Rarity wasn't even surprised by this, as Capper was purely focused on making the Opulent Lands the richest place and even give his citizens everything they could wish for in their second lives, even though they did have to work for it, but from what she had seen the reborn were quite happy with this odd arrangement. Even Ithelia and Mora, Daedric Princes in their own rights, were fine with this set up, even if it meant serving a Prince that was actually younger than them, but far stronger than they were since his power allowed him to do all sorts of odd and strange things. That brought up something she dreaded, as multiple Princes knew of Capper's existence as Midas, some were even aware of the fact that he could walk the mortal plane like it was nothing, so she knew it was only a matter of time until Nocturnal, Mehrunes Dagon, Jyggalag, or even Sheogorath came looking to abuse their abilities. That wasn't counting all of the other Princes as well, there were a lot that could seek to do harm if they decided to do something about Capper and his powers, causing her to wonder if he had a plan to deal with all of them or hold them back in some manner, before deciding that she could worry about it later.

With that in mind they made sure all of the loot had been claimed before returning to Whiterun so Azure and Tuk Ur could deliver word of their success to Aela, along with the missive Capper found, and once that was done they utilized the gate in the city to move to Windhelm so they could head down the path to Riften. Along the way Capper recalled finding a fragment of an unknown crystal in the storehouse, where he pulled out a map and smiled as he looked at it, as Mora had updated it to hold the known locations of the other three shards that went to it. One of them was in another ruin near Windhelm, one was southeast of Markarth, and another was somewhere to the northeast of Markarth, halfway between it and Solitude based on Mora's notes, and he already had plans to recover all three of them in due time. Mora was even kind enough to inform him that they were aetherium shards, a powerful crystalline ore that the Dwarves processed into relics of immense power, which explained why Capper had been so drawn to it and why his ring was so powerful, before he became a Prince.

It also made him wonder what he could do with the full Aetherium Crest, all four pieces linked together at long last, if one had allowed him to make his ring, causing him to smile as they continued down the road as he imagined what to do with the piece of aetherium he already had.

When they arrived at Mzulft, however, Capper found that everyone wanted to head inside, not just Rarity and Man Oh, due to the fact that it would take hours for them to get out and those left to guard the carriage didn't want to be bored, so they entered the ruin as well, after Capper returned the carriage to the Opulent Lands. There was a dying mage on the inside of the entrance, who mentioned that one of his fellows was alive deeper in, in the Oculory, before he died, allowing Capper to take the golden soul gem he produced as Rarity unlocked the door with the mage's key. Capper nodded to the area that was behind him and Rarity found that the kobolds were coming out in force, he wanted to collect every bit of metal that was in this place, not to mention treasure and other oddities, before allowing her and Mah Oh to start moving forward. No one was even remotely surprised when they discovered some metal spiders to deal with, where the magic users did what they did best as Rarity froze them with her frost magic, her specialty as the others were discovering. That was the amazing thing in Capper's eyes, the dwarven machines were supposed to be immune to frost, Mora's words, and yet here Rarity was, simply freezing them while Mah Oh hurled bolts of lightning at her opponents, allowing them to open a path for them.

As such Capper let them lead the way through the ruin, though there were instances for Azure, Midnight, and the others to shine along the way, as they found some of the blind and hideous Falmer lingering about the place, often joined by spiders, before they came face to face with the chaurus, horrible insects that looked like they came straight out of a nightmare. In fact he was sure that they could be referred to as 'horrible insects of doom' and literally everyone would know who one was talking about, though Midnight and La'nari dealt with those foul creatures with their bows. Such a thing meant that Azure and Tuk Ur were left with the Falmer themselves, which they did with gusto as they slashed their way through them, leaving Capper to do nothing but collect the loot and store it away, something he didn't need to do with his collector kobolds hard at work. Fortunately with how many kobolds there were he made sure to divide them into teams so those in the Opulent Lands could rest and then replace a group when it was time for a working group to rest, an effective system in his mind, plus there was a sorter division to divide up their haul and place them into the right areas of his realm.

The best thing about the ruin, and the fact that they were tackling it together, was that Capper was going to walk out of here with another hoard of golden soul gems, meaning soon the Opulent Lands would have more citizens and creatures to call it home, and would likely draw even more attention to his domain.

Of course he was also pitching in on everything that was going on, as some of the enemies rushed by the others and came at him, figuring that he had to be the weakest one of them all, but that was a fatal mistake on their part as he pulled out both of his golden blades. The following slashes allowed everyone else to observe as their enemies dissolved into piles of gold and gems, with their golden soul gems in the center of the piles, allowing the kobolds to collect the loot he left behind, though as he did that Capper glanced at the blades. He observed them in greater detail once more, and their combined greatsword form he could use if he merged them into a single mass again, causing him to think about something while they delved even deeper into the ancient dwarven ruin. That something was the fact that he hadn't given his weapon a name, like the rest of all the other weapon artifacts he had seen and heard about so far, something that caused him to smile for a moment as the perfect name came to mind.

"I know what to call my weapon artifact: Avarice, Blade of the Plunderlord." Capper remarked, where he could see that the rest of the group looked at him for a moment, knowing that 'blade' meant the greatsword and that the twin blades likely meant they would be referred to as 'blades', giving him three artifacts now, in addition to his ring and the Storian quill.

"And a new title that definitely fits: Midas, Daedric Prince of Greed, Lord of New Beginnings, the Plunderlord... you're really starting to fit in with the other Princes." Rarity replied, which was the truth, Capper had found his calling rather easily when they started traveling around Skyrim, it was like being a Daedric Prince was just another suit or skin for him to wear, and she had a feeling he'd obtain a few more titles in no time, since each of the powerful beings had a mass of titles.

Capper found that the others were approving of the artifact's name and his new title, though after that they continued even deeper into the ruin and found that there were more Falmer to deal with, one even had an odd magical crystal that caused him to call on Mora for a moment. She informed him that it was a focusing crystal, which likely went to the main core of this ruin, the very place that Savos had sent them to gain information on the Staff of Magnus, and it wasn't long before the group found a locked door, one they were able to unlock thanks to Capper having the Skeleton Key. The mage on the other side was shocked by their arrival and immediately tried to fight them, likely thinking they were robbers or something, but as soon as he cast his ice spell Capper slashed him apart, creating a pile of gold and gems for the kobolds to collect. From there they found a large dwarven orb that seemed important, it was a device that Mora told them was designed to collect starlight and make a map of Tamriel, so by slipping the focusing crystal into the device Rarity was able to use her frost to alter it a little to rearrange the beams.

After pressing a trio of buttons on the terminals above them the group found that Mora was right, the device created a map of the continent that had a number of glowing lights on it, revealing the locations of relics of incredible power, where Capper noted that one was in Labyrinthian, but smiled as they copied this information, as it gave him ideas for the future once they were done with the guilds and made him wonder what the future held for them.

Guild: The Silver Hand

With their work in Mzulft complete, and Capper's map was littered with locations containing powerful artifacts, the group departed from the ruin and found a side passage that brought them outside, meaning they could climb down to where they had stopped previously before summoning their carriage once more.

"So, the Staff of Magnus is in Labyrinthian, there are a number of Daedric Artifacts scattered around Skyrim, and it looks like there are a bunch of other targets... and that's just in Skyrim." Capper said, a smile on his face as everyone took their places on the carriage, because this allowed him to plan ahead for when they were done with the various guilds, and right now he was sure they were nearing the end of the Companions and the College, in terms of major events, "Well, we should return to Winterhold and meet with Savos, to uphold our end of the deal, but after that we can do whatever you guys want to do."

"In that case, can we stop by Windhelm? I would like to speak with that Aretino boy." Midnight inquired, because they had learned about him potentially summoning the Dark Brotherhood in the past and she wanted to see if there was any truth to that, even though she was still debating what to do about the assassins guild, despite the fact that they seemed to fit her, like how the other three guilds fit her friends.

Capper felt that such a thing was fair and it was on their way to Winterhold, so La'nari took control of the carriage and got them on the road once more, heading towards the city that Ulfric ruled over with an iron fist, where most of them relaxed as Mora rested in the back. She was going over Capper's map and was going over the various locations that had been revealed to them inside Mzulft, creating a list of locations and the items that they should have, allowing him to understand what sort of treasures he could claim if he visited them. Once more the group didn't have to worry about the dangers of the road, due to having traveled the road many times in the past and the armies traveling up and down this path, which everyone was fine with since they could conserve their energy for a time. Other than that Capper slipped into his realm for a moment and found that all of the kobolds, those that were in the sorting area of the city, were hard at work arranging everything, but at the same time made sure they were taking breaks.

He did find that his desires were being brought to life, as there were some kobolds who were becoming merchants, some were involved in the brewery on the edge of the city, others focused on being hunters, guards, and whatever else the city was in need of, and there was even a quarry on the edge of the city, full of miners.

"Looks like everything is moving along smoothly." Capper commented, finding Ithelia standing near the collectors, where he suspected that she was the one to thank for helping everyone awaken new skills in their new lives, before he glanced around for a moment and kept the smile on his face, as there were new warriors, mages, and even thieves being trained, meaning his domain really had everything to offer.

"Yes, though you had best prepare for Nocturnal's eventual arrival. She'll no doubt come for Mercer." Ithelia said, because while she knew that her Lord understood that fact, in fact she was sure that he was planning on her showing up and likely had something in mind for her, she also knew reminding him of that fact every now and then couldn't hurt, especially since his focus was so divided between everything he was doing right now.

"I know, and I have some ideas for when she arrives." Capper replied, where he found that Mercer was, in fact, focusing on training the thief kobolds on how to be thieves, which was good to see since it meant he was making the most of his time in this realm, as if he knew it was only a matter of time until Nocturnal came for him, "For now, proceed like normal."

Ithelia nodded as Capper took one last look at the rest of the Opulent Lands before returning to the others, allowing him to focus on getting to Windhelm, which didn't take too long to do, though this time most of them stayed outside the city while Midnight headed inside. It was mostly due to the racism that was in the city, they disliked people who weren't nords and had a very strict code that they followed, but Capper didn't want to deal with them right now and he knew that the others didn't want to deal with them either. Sharva glared at the Stormcloaks for a moment but remained inside the carriage, so they had no way of seeing it, though Rarity was happy that the ashen khajiit was improving and becoming more open, instead of just being silent while observing everyone else. Other than that they didn't have to wait very long, as Midnight returned a couple of minutes later and informed them that they could get underway, while informing Capper that the boy wanted the guild of assassins to murder an old lady in Riften, Grelod the Kind to be exact, because he hated her.

Capper refrained from passing judgement, rather it seemed a little much for a boy to want the death of an old lady, even if he hated her, where Midnight said nothing about it as they headed back towards Winterhold, as she would check in with the lady when they finally returned to Riften.

When the group got to Winterhold Capper spotted the elf known as Ancano pacing outside the main hall of the College, he was definitely worried about something and seemed to be waiting for someone to arrive, likely another Thalmor agent with news of some kind. Rarity headed inside the main hall for a few moments while the group waited outside, though she, too, returned to them in no time with an item in her hand, which appeared to be a stone door knocker of some kind, causing her to tell Capper that this was to the main door of Labyrinthian. He understood what this meant, either Savos knew about the Staff and didn't claim it when he found it, thus taking the key to make sure no one else could steal it, or he discovered this in the past, during his travels, and took it to prevent someone from entering the ruin. It also meant that they had the key to the area that held the Staff of Magnus, causing him to smile as Rarity stashed it away for the time being, since there was no real need to obtain it right now, so they decided to head back to Whiterun to see if there was anything new with Aela.

Such a thing meant using the gates to head back to Whiterun, which they used without delay after making sure Ancano was distracted by something else, though most of them headed for the main gate while Azure and Tuk Ur headed back towards the domain of the Companions.

"You know, once they get back we should retire for a time. Get some well deserved rest." Capper commented, because he realized that while he was a Daedric Prince, and was therefore no longer bound by the rules that mortals had to follow, he did know they were working too much and hadn't taken many breaks, so the others had to be getting close to getting tired, save for Rarity anyway, "I know we have the carriage, but I think everyone would benefit from sleeping in an actual bed for a night."

"Too right. I like the carriage, but a real bed would be nice for a change." Rarity said, and with everything they had gathered so far she knew Capper could update their rooms, which would be nice when she thought about it, before noticing that the pair were returning to where the gate was located and it looked like they might have been told off by Kodlak, "Azure, Tuk Ur, did something happen?"

"We've been asked to eliminate the coven that gave the Circle the beast blood." Azure replied, keeping his voice low so only their friends could hear him right now, while Tuk Ur was just focused on the task that was ahead of them, causing him to turn towards Capper for a moment, "They're located near Falkreath, and Kodlak told us exactly where to find them."

"Very well, one last mission and then we'll turn in, though you guys can retire for the night if you wish." Capper stated, where the second half was more for Rarity, Midnight, Sharva, and the others, since there was no reason for them to be involved in this event, it was purely for Azure and Tuk Ur to do, causing everyone to nod their heads in agreement.

With that in mind everyone used the gate to return to the Opulent Lands, where Rarity and the others headed back to their portion of the city, to the place that Capper had set up for them, while he, Azure, and Tuk Ur used the Falkreath gate to head out into the wilderness of Falkreath. Once they were on in the small graveyard town the group got moving, where Capper found that the pair seemed to move like each of them were possessed by the desire to please Kodlak, or maybe it was just the call of the wild, due to them being werewolves. Either way they ran off in the direction of the coven's lair and he followed after them, finding that there were no enemies that dared to get in their way, which was a nice thing since it meant the pair could focus on their job and nothing else. While they did so Capper found a path that seemed to lead to a place that looked like it might be a hidden temple of some kind, likely linked to Nocturnal, but for the time being he focused on the path as the warriors reached the outside of the coven's hideout, an area with taproots and other wooden stuff arranged like sacrifices to a wild god or something.

Capper lurked in the shadows as Azure and Tuk Ur headed into the cave, where they discovered that the coven was a group of hagravens, ugly woman that were half raven in terms of their legs and their arms, and they had pets, as one had a spider, three had skeevers, and one had a troll. Sure enough Capper found that the pair rushed out to deal with the hags before any of them could get away from them, but also made sure to wait for them to be separated from each other, where Tuk Ur slew the pets and distracted the hags. That caused their chosen foe to hiss at them and speak in what seemed to be a broken tongue as they hurled fireballs at their targets, but since the kobold was smaller than them he was able to get around the area without being hit, while opening the hagravens up to being beheaded by Azure. The interesting thing was that he also picked up the heads of the hags, which Capper assumed was due to Kodlak's request, though he kept one in his pack while he had Capper store the other four away, safely in a room or chest inside the Opulent Lands.

The collector kobolds did the rest of the work, looting the cave of anything of value, though Capper did hold the golden soul gems of the five hags, as an idea had formed in his head and he was eager to bring it about, so the moment Azure and Tuk Ur were done they headed back to Falkreath.

"You two did well. Didn't even give them a chance to fight back." Capper remarked, which was the truth, the pair had done well in dealing with the hagravens, to the point that the coven really didn't have much of a chance to do anything, though the three of them wasted no time in returning to the Opulent Lands, causing him to produce the five new golden soul gems as he walked off to the side, "Now, I think we'll have a new class of kobolds joining the roster."

His statement was proven right not a few moments later, as the five golden soul gems produced five female kobolds, each of which had a black witch robe on and a witch hat that was sized to fit their heads, and, just like the rest of the reborn of his realm, they were grateful for a second chance at life. Of course he knew that Kodlak might be annoyed with this, if he knew the coven had been given this opportunity, but Capper honestly didn't care, as the Harbinger had sent the pair to wipe out everyone that was in that cave and that was exactly what had happened. Capper also noted that the witch kobolds each had a black raven feather in the rings of their hats, no doubt a connection to their old lives, though none of them said anything about that as some of the other kobolds welcomed the witches to their new lives. It made him happy to see such a thing, as usually people despised opportunities like this, and yet the races of Skyrim seemed overjoyed by this fact, especially those who had miserable lives, causing him to look forward to what the witches might do for them in the future.

With that in mind he retired to the castle and decided to turn in for the night, which his realm reflected since it was following Skyrim's time, though he knew in the morning they would be hard at work once more and he put his excitement to bed so he could get a good night's sleep.

In the morning Capper and the others did what they normally did, had something to eat while the rest of the Opulent Lands woke up, while at the same time both Ithelia and Mora were focused on their own tasks, allowing his group to focus on their next tasks, such as returning to Kodlak and heading to Labyrinthian. Midnight wasn't too worried about checking out Grelod the Kind, she wasn't going anywhere, especially since it looked like the Dark Brotherhood had no idea that the boy wanted an old woman dead, so she felt that they had time before checking on her. Sharva was also eager to head to High Hrothgar at some point, but right now the ashen khajiit was just happy to have a say in her life and not be tied down to whatever her master wanted her to do, so she was fine with them taking their time, especially since the dragons seemed to be going next to nothing as well. Capper honestly found it funny that none of the revived dragons were bothering to attack people, rather it seemed like they just wanted to go back to sleep or something, or maybe their leader was letting them recover from being dead for so long, so when it was time to attack everyone was ready to go.

Once breakfast was over the group used the Whiterun gate and returned to the city as people were starting to get up, but not a few moments later everyone discovered a shocking scene, there were three slain members of the Silver Hand outside Jorrvaskr, causing Azure and Tuk Ur to head inside immediately.

"They must have been posing as merchants or hunters, to get into the city without raising the alarm." Capper remarked, as it seemed to be the only thing that made sense, because he suspected the guards would have been told off if they let a band of bandits enter Whiterun, though he was keeping an open mind since Skyrim was full of morons, before finding that the pair were leaving the mead hall with someone else, Vilkas, and all three looked annoyed, "I take it you discovered something bad while you were in there?"

"Kodlak's dead. Slain by the Silver Hand... we're going to exterminate them." Azure stated, though while he barely knew the old man, he and Tuk Ur were new members after all, he did connect with Kodlak during their time in the mead hall, enough to make him feel anger towards his senior's death, causing Capper to nod as they left the city.

As they returned to the carriage Capper figured out where the Silver Hand were hiding, in a place called Driftshade Refuge that was near Dawnstar, as all he did was ask Mora about it and she told him it was where the members of the group liked to hide out, like a main base of sorts. With that information in hand they boarded the carriage once more and La'nari started them down the road once more, though this time around things were different since Vilkas had decided to stand on top of the carriage, allowing him to look out over the land while his rage boiled. Azure and Tuk Ur kept their rage from affecting them too much, but everyone inside the carriage could see that they were angry and annoyed, especially since there was a chance that they could have defended Kodlak had they not decided to sleep in the Opulent Lands. Of course neither of them blamed Capper for wanting such a thing, since there was no way for him to actually know that such a thing would happen in the first place, so they focused on channeling their anger towards bringing down the Silver Hand.

The journey was silent this time around, no one was in the mood to talk since Azure and Tuk Ur were so annoyed, though Capper knew that would change once they were done with the Silver Hand, and following the path in front of them did let the group note down where some bandit camps were located for later.

Eventually they found the area that the Silver Hand were hiding out in, a lone structure that was up in the mountains near Dawnstar, out of sight and out of mind based on what they could see when the carriage came to a stop, though La'nari and the others remained outside to keep the carriage safe. Once more it was just Azure, Tuk Ur, Vilkas, and Capper, plus some collector kobolds who stayed at the back of the pack, though Capper found that the three werewolves wasted no time and transformed into their beast forms, but this time Azure and Tuk Ur's armor morphed alongside them. Instead of being just brutal beasts they were now werewolves with their armor on, now looking like it didn't weight them down at all, and Capper found that the trio rushed forward, tearing into the surprised pair of guards that were outside the structure. It was quite the surprise to find how differently the pair acted when in their werewolf forms, especially since Azure and Tuk Ur could use both their claws and their weapons, while Vilkas was stuck using his claws and teeth.

Capper watched as they quite literally tore the two guards apart before they had a chance to do anything, allowing them to enter the main entrance as the collector kobolds gathered the loot as Capper collected the golden soul gems with a smile on his face as a new idea came to mind. He still had the soul gem containing Skjor's soul, plus the ones containing the souls of the Silver Hand, meaning he could create a group of warrior kobolds to serve under one of his werewolf kobolds, which he knew would annoy the former members of the Silver Hand, but it was a well deserved fate in his mind. Capper then followed the trio of werewolves into the structure and found that they found their way to where a trio of warriors were patrolling, only for one to scream in terror as Vilkas slammed their head into the ground and clawed the life out of him. The interesting thing was that Azure and Tuk Ur, despite their feral nature and the rage that was inside them, were still calm and collected, as the pair was channeling their power into slaying the enemies that were in their way.

He also found that some of the members of the Silver Hand were weaklings, they were cut down in a single hit, which meant that those ones had to be bandits, but the pair of armed werewolves focused on slaughtering those that were in their way and left the collecting of loot to Capper and his collector kobolds.

For the most part this place seemed like a total ruin, much like some of the other locations they had seen across Skyrim, but that hardly mattered to the trio of werewolves as they tore through the members of the Silver Hand, Vilkas continuing to use his claws as he followed after Azure and Tuk Ur. Capper found that each foe that was cut down had about a hundred and fifty gold in their possession, roughly, so that really added up as more and more of them were cut down, granting him a fair number of golden soul gems to raise as more kobolds. He also discovered that some of their enemies had silver ingots in their bags, treasure to add to the Vault as he picked each one up, so he wasn't about to complain about this turn of events, and the few chests they passed by had some decent loot inside them, which pleased him greatly. The collector kobolds did what they did best, hauling off the chests as well, though he did find that none of the three werewolves were focused on him and what his kobolds were doing, allowing them to focus on looting while the Companions slaughtered the members of the Silver Hand.

There was even a side chamber that Capper unlocked after Azure stopped by it, and his patience was worth it since the trio found some of their enemies inside it, causing him to back off as they tore apart their foes before moving forward, leaving the kobolds to loot the goods once more.

An interesting thing was that one of the kobolds even reported there being more ingots than just silver, as there were steel, copper, and a few elven ingots, all of which he had his collectors gather without delay, while hearing the screams of the now dying members of the Silver Hand as the werewolves spilled their blood and took their lives. He really wasn't surprised by this turn of events, not after what happened in Whiterun, but he also knew not to say anything as he followed behind them, slowing down to loot the slain and claim their golden soul gems for later. Heading into the cellar of the structure was more of the same, the trio of werewolves simply slaughtered the members of the Silver Hand, he collected the golden soul gems, the kobolds collected the loot, and the Silver Hand's forces screamed as each one was slaughtered. It wasn't that the Silver Hand was full of weaklings, even though some of them were, but the rest just didn't have the strength to deal with the three werewolves, like they had lost their best members to Skjor and Kodlak.

With that in mind it really didn't take them long to reach the end of the structure, an area where the leader and the rest of his forces were waiting, but even they didn't last too long as Azure tore off the arms of the leader, while Tuk Ur and Vilkas cut down the other two, and once all of the Silver Hand were slain, and Capper confirmed it, the trio reverted to their base forms with one last howl.

"Looks like they stole the fragments of Wuuthrad." Capper commented, referring to the pieces of the shattered weapon that were on the table that the Silver Hand's leader had been resting at, which Azure collected without delay, though he felt this should have been information that was shared with them, before realizing that the two Companions had likely been told once they were in Jorrvaskr, "So, with the Silver Hand slain, I take it we need to head back to Whiterun?"

"Yes, we should lay Kodlak to rest, and return the fragments for mounting." Vilkas said, though he found that the kobolds did what they did best, looting everything that wasn't nailed down by the looks of it, yet he found that he didn't care about the Silver Hand, rather they deserved to have the little critters take their stuff, "Once we've finished mourning him we'll decide on a new leader... but that's for later."

Capper nodded as the collector kobolds gathered the rest of the loot that was inside the final chamber, including the nordic armor from the leader of the Silver Hand and the bit of ebony was in the chest, but once that was done they headed outside to regroup with the others so they could return to Whiterun and prepare for whatever the future held in store for them.

Guild: Staff of Magnus

After ensuring that everything of value was taken from Driftshade Refuge, thus giving the three werewolves to rest and let go of their anger, which wasn't an easy thing despite having wrecked the Silver Hand, Capper brought them back to the carriage and they set out for Whiterun. Vilkas remained on the roof of the vessel, so he could think about what they had done and what he had seen, especially since he now had confirmation that Capper's group was full of strange people and had seen all of the kobolds during the assault. Each of them had their own strengths and abilities, covering every aspect as far as he could tell, and they worked well as a team, even though they seemed to divide themselves into smaller groups and let one or two of them do something at any given moment. And then there was Capper himself, someone who didn't fight much yet seemed to be the authority of the group, causing Vilkas to wonder what in the world was going on with them right now, even though his focus returned to Kodlak, the Silver Hand, and their vengeance filled hearts.

Capper, on the other hand, continued to allow La'nari to get them back to Whiterun, all while knowing that the residents of the Opulent Lands were growing stronger with each passing day, because each new class brought more knowledge to the realm and made Mora happy. This was especially true as time went on, because Capper was finding more and more classes for a kobold to be, thus adding to the knowledge that Mora was constructing on the Opulent Lands, since she loved having tomes on each of the Planes of Oblivion and Capper's was a source of endless possibilities for her. That also didn't take into account everything Mora was teaching the kobolds that had formed her group, due to the fact that Capper was sure she would make scholars and even other classes with the mages that were following Mora. He was even sure that Ithelia was doing the same thing, she took some of the others under her wings to teach them, though since she was the Chamberlain of the Opulent Lands he suspected her followers were going to be more akin to caretakers for the castle and other points that were important to him.

All of that wasn't counting the other classes that had sprung to mind in his mind, he just needed certain souls to bring about the first of a new class, that much he knew for a fact, it was just a matter of finding them and collecting a golden soul gem in the event of a death, something he was looking forward to since it provided a bit of a challenge.

Other than everyone thinking about various things the journey back to Whiterun was calm and relaxing, just like the group was used to, and along the way Vilkas removed his helmet to show that he was finally over the emotions he had felt during the assault on the Silver Hand, or at least enough to be far calmer than before. When they finally returned to the city Vilkas told them that all of the other members of the Companions had likely prepared Kodlak's funeral by now, and had no doubt drawn some important people to the event, given how loved the late Harbinger had been. Based on what Capper could see it was like all of Whiterun was in mourning, that everyone, be it the guards or the citizens, felt the death of Kodlak like he had been a friend to each and every single person in the city, even to the annoying well dressed redguard. They were even able to confirm Vilkas' statement as they reached Jorrvaskr, where they found that Kodlak had been laid on top of a funeral pyre that rested on the Skyforge, and all sorts of people were present, like the Jarl and his Court, the Companions, and a couple of other people.

Capper had been a little worried that they weren't even allowed here, since he and most of the others didn't know Kodlak at all, but it seemed like the Companions had opened this up so anyone and everyone could attend, whether they wanted to or not, causing them to stand at the back and focus on the pyre.

Following that they bore witness to what appeared to be an ancient Companion custom for a Harbinger that fell in battle, as Aela used a torch to set the pyre on fire before she and the other members of the Circle, save for Azure and Tuk Ur since the pair wouldn't know the words, recited a couple of lines. Those included that they 'grieved before the ancient flame', that they 'wept at the loss before them', they 'shouted for the fallen', and that they 'took their leave', though Capper had no idea what the lines meant and really didn't care too much, but since the lines were soothing for the Companions he decided to let this pass. After a few minutes of observing the flames Aela announced that Kodlak's spirit had departed at last and that she and the members of the Circle would be meeting up in the Circle's 'special spot' to grieve their last together, code for meeting in the Underforge to talk about Kodlak no doubt. As people departed, that seemed to be how they knew the service was over, Eorlund, the smith for the Companions, talked with Azure for a few moments and that was when he handed over the pieces of Wuuthrad they had recovered, before learning that Kodlak had a piece in his private quarters and that Eorlund wanted all of them for mounting.

With that in mind Azure and Tuk Ur headed back into the mead hall while the rest of the Companions, those that weren't part of the Circle, just headed out into Whiterun, like they needed some time to think about things before returning to their guild and their responsibilities.

"I guess they'll be holding tryouts of some kind to determine who the new Harbinger will be... in the near future, anyway." Rarity commented, speaking while she and the others stood on the stairs leading up to Jorrvaskr, since this allowed them to be out of the way while everyone else departed for their homes and jobs, though she felt sorry for the Companions since the guild had just lost two of their highest ranking members in quick succession.

"For now, their focus will be on mourning their Harbinger. It will be some time before they seek a new leader." Capper said, all while noticing that Azure and Tuk Ur emerged from the mead hall for a time, enough to hand over the final shard of the weapon to the smith before heading down into the Underforge, to meet up with the rest of the Circle, before he considered something that was only now coming to him, "Though it would be funny if the four of us took the highest ranking positions in the four main guilds."

La'nari wasn't sure if Capper was joking or if he was being serious, because if it was the latter she knew that he and all of her friends would really gain a foothold in Skyrim, beyond the Thieves Guild, and possibly beyond the boarders of this province once the news of Midas' existence reached the other provinces. She had a feeling that such a thing was Capper's goal, first to spread his name to the rest of Tamriel, so all knew of the new Prince, and then move out into Cyrodiil once he was done with Skyrim, it made the most sense for a traveling Daedric Prince. Such a thing meant he might create his own guild, or even a branch of the one he would be in control of once they returned to Riften, that much she was sure of, but it made her simply wonder how much Capper wanted to do before he retired to the Opulent Lands. With that in mind she decided to just go with the flow like usual, it was the best way when one was dealing with a Prince of Oblivion, especially one that had tamed two others, which did make her eager to see what might happen next.

Eventually, however, their rest was interrupted as Aela came charging out of the Underforge with the twins, who rushed into Whiterun and headed for the gate, though at the same time Azure and Tuk Ur stopped by the group, now carrying a brand new weapon, the reforged and freshly sharpened Wuuthrad.

"We're heading to the Tomb of Ysgramor, the legendary figure for the Companions, and we need Wuuthrad to unlock it, so it was given to me before they ran off." Azure said, where he slipped the elegant battleaxe into his pack before Capper pulled out his map, so he could show him where the tomb was supposed to be located so they knew where to go from here, even if there were other things to do right now, causing him to point at an area near Winterhold, "It's right there, to the west of the College's location."

"Good, then we'll swing by Labyrinthian to grab the Staff. By the time we're done they should be at the tomb." Capper stated, because it looked like the Circle was either going to catch a carriage to Winterhold or they were going to beast out and then run there, to calm them down before Azure and Tuk Ur arrived to unlock the tomb, but to him that didn't matter, because they would arrive to help the Circle out in due time.

Rarity nodded as they walked over to Whiterun's gate to the Opulent Lands and crossed over for a moment, before using the one for Morthal to appear in the outskirts of the small village that was had to justify as a Hold, but once everyone was ready they headed up the hill and headed to the east. From there it was easy to track down Labyrinthian, it was a massive place in the middle of a mountain range, with tall stone walls that had been used to help guard it in the past, though right now it was guarded by trolls, frost ones to be exact. Capper let Rarity and Mah Oh do what they did best as they used magic to bring the group of enemies down, as both used fire spells to burn the trolls until they stopped moving, allowing them to collect each golden soul gem that was dropped. While they secured the surrounding area, making sure they were alone while most of the group was planning on staying out here, since this was more Rarity and Mah Oh's area of expertise, Capper found a wooden mask that had time magic attached to it, which Mora identified as a dragon priest mask.

This one, as they discovered, allowed the wielder to travel back in time while in the circular stone area it had been found in, as Capper vanished into thin air and then reappeared a few moments later, but he confirmed that there were eight masks they had to collect for something that was in the past.

"Another collection to complete... seems like a trend, doesn't it?" Capper commented, which was fine with him, because it meant there was more for him to do and he was sure that the map held the locations of the majority of the masks, though in the next moment he found that Azure, along with those that weren't going into the depths of Labyrinthian, were setting up a camp on the edge of a structure that allowed them to see everything in the area, "Knowing Ancano, I would recommend that you guys keep an eye out for him... he's already lost the Eye and he no doubt saw Savos hand over the key to this place, so it stands to reason he'll come here to steal the Staff."

"Don't worry, we'll hold down the area while you explore the depths." Azure replied, though at the same time he smiled at the rest of the group, because he had offered the idea of bringing out some additional kobolds and Capper had agreed, so they had ten warriors, ten archers, and ten mage kobolds in the area, a force that needed some actual training in the field and this was perfect for them.

"Good. And, just to make sure we don't miss anything, I'll enshroud the entire area with my aura." Capper said, meaning that if someone or something died in the area that made up Labyrinthian they would produce a golden soul gem for them to pick up later, just in case they found enemies while he, Rarity, and Mah Oh were in the ruin, and it wasn't long before he did just that.

With that done the trio walked over to where the entrance was located, it was hard to miss the large round door, where he produced the knocker and allowed Rarity to handle it, attaching it to the door before using it to knock on the door and open it, even though they did pass by phantoms of six mages, Savos and his old friends no doubt. It seemed like they had come here seeking secrets that had yet to be claimed and were arrogant, it was easy to see in how they acted, and Rarity found a new tome on the stone table to their right that she claimed, as it contained the Ironflesh spell for her and Mah Oh to learn while they descended. Beyond that they found a curved path that was dug into the mountain itself, leading to a large area with a number of skeletons, of both warriors and mages alike, before a skeletal dragon rose out of the center of the arena and roared at them. Capper stood at the back as Rarity and Mah Oh did what they did best, they hurled fireballs, spears of ice, and lightning bolts at their enemies, blasting the undead into the walls before combining their powers to tear down the skeletal dragon.

Capper stood there as the pair dismantled the undead, allowing the collector kobolds to collect the loot and the golden soul gems that were dropped from the skeletons, though the skeletal dragon didn't have one, before he found a larger soul gem resting in the core of the skeleton, almost as if Akatosh was watching them and gave it to him for some reason, or maybe it had been lingering in the air and his power caught it.

In the end Capper decided not to question it, there were things that were better left unanswered, before collecting the body of the skeletal dragon as well, as it's bones would be useful in some manner, and once the chamber was clear they crossed over to the other side and continued their descent. The phantoms appeared again, remarking that one of their own had been taken out by the cluster of enemies, and they decided to press on since they didn't want to be caught by the undead, though Rarity found an icy wall blocking the way forward. Capper found that it tried to sap them of their mana and simply brushed off the power with ease, while ensuring that the three of them were safe from the danger, allowing the magical pair to just burn away both the wall and an icy specter that was hiding inside it. That was when they found carved paths that had deathlords guarding each one, though while Capper smiled, as this was a free source of ebony weapons, Rarity and Mah Oh lashed out with their magic without wasting time, knocking their foes from their posts and damaging them before they had a chance to retaliate.

The other fortunate thing was that the collector kobolds pointed out areas for the trio to investigate, mostly allowing them to blast more draugr deathlords while Rarity collected a few more tomes, a few basic spells and a rare tome that she was sure no other mage had in their possession. In addition to that they found veins of ore that the miner kobolds dug into as soon as the coast was clear, allowing them to haul chunks of ore into the Opulent Lands so they could be processed like everything else they were collecting. He even found a number of gems scattered here and there, no doubt from when this place had been busy, plus rings, necklaces, and even circlets, plus there were soul gems scattered around the place, some full while the rest were empty, which he added to the loot to sort. Capper had to admit that this place was a treasure trove of artifacts and loot, as there were even ancient coins and modern coins, the latter from the unfortunate ones who found a hole in the face of the mountain and were slaughtered by the undead, all of which he gladly looted.

At the same time there were moments where the darkness inside this place seemed to speak with them, or tried to, since he could feel the same magical figure trying to connect with them multiple times, though he hardly paid attention to it as they continued deeper into the ruin, which seemed to be quite massive.

"Sounds like we have a persistent spirit." Rarity commented, as she knew about it thanks to Capper telling her and Mah Oh about the thing that tried to steal their magic, where she was thankful for him being with them to stop the process so they could stand against the draugr that were down here, especially with the amount of deathlords they were seeing.

"Indeed. We might have a dragon priest down here." Capper said, as Mora had told them that the dragon priests were some of the strongest magical users in the past, the Dragon Cult had been responsible for much before Alduin's fall, and each of the priests had been the highest ranking officers in the entire force, and according to the map at least one was somewhere in this area.

Rarity nodded as she summoned a lightning bolt and hurled it into one of the skeletons, blasting it apart before it could do anything to them, while Mah Oh did the same with a frost troll, only she used fire instead of lightning, before finding their way to what appeared to be an old large gate. Opening it was easy thanks to the lever that was on the side, and the enemies in front of them happened to be more of the skeletons that were brittle and easy to wipe out, though there was one of the phantom wispmothers hanging out in a graveyard area. The pair burned the foe down before she could hurt them and then iced a fiery wall that was blocking the way forward, even a fiery spirit that was guarding it, adding more and more items to the loot that Capper was collecting, and they even found Savos' phantom group again in due time. By that point there were missing a second member of their group, leaving only four, and yet they continued to press onward, knowing that they might die if they tried to retrace the path they took to reach this point.

Following that they discovered more undead, though these ones were glowing blue and looked like they were nerves, not bones like the group was used to, but there was no difference between them and their bony counterparts, they died in no time as Rarity and Mah Oh struck them with magic. Capper found that these ones had interesting weapons, ancient nordic with a blue glow, where some where swords, some bows, and some battleaxes, and they were enchanted to drain stamina, mana, and health respectively, so he claimed a few of each for his collection. By this point even he knew they were far down in the depths of the ruins of Labyrinthian, it was far larger than they were expecting it to be, yet Rarity was okay with what they were doing since her vampiric nature allowed her advantages over mortal mages and Mah Oh had been trained by Mora in their spare time to keep pace with Rarity. With them at the head of the trio Capper wasn't even too surprised when they used wards to block incoming spells so he could snag the soul gems that were powering some defenses, and they also opened the way for him to claim a unique looking helmet and greatsword, which he claimed as well.

"Should have brought Sharva with us, due to that Word Wall." Mah Oh commented, referring to the stone wall with dragon lettering on it that they eventually made their way to, even though she froze a deathlord as Rarity shocked it to death, which showed Capper that the pair were more focused than some of the others they had seen so far.

"We'll bring her back once the way is open." Capper said, as that was the truth of the matter, once they found the exit they would be able to bring the ashen khajiit back down here to gain more knowledge, since Sharva was the Dragonborn and this was something only she could tap into, before he focused on the path that was beyond it.

Rarity and Mah Oh used magic to tear through the rest of the undead that were in their way, a pair of deathlords and a few skeletons, where the collector kobolds gathered a few ebony bars and a few other pieces of loot, before entering what had to be the final area of the ruin. There was a small side area where Savos and two of his friends appeared, another had died before this point, and they agreed to die together or help each other to survive the dragon priest, where Capper realized that Savos had betrayed his friends to escape this place. In fact that was the truth, there were two spectral mages channeling beams at what appeared to be a dragon priest, a floating undead in special looking robes that mimicked scales, with a mask that completed the set, almost like a lich as Capper thought about it. In it's right hand was a staff of pure magical power, he could feel the power of the Eye inside it, like it had been carved from an important tree and affixed with crystals, a shard on the bottom and a small orb on top, likely small fragments from when Nirn was created.

It was an artifact of power, just like the Eye, and with it in the lich's possession Capper knew it would be a strong foe, though Rarity and Mah Oh did not stand down, rather they crushed the spectral mages and freed the dragon priest, who floated in the air for a moment before casting a bolt of faint blue lightning at them. The pair leapt into action as they summoned wards to protect themselves, causing the bolt to strike the ground with force as it was redirected, yet at the same time the lich just stared at them before summoning fireballs that it hurled at them. Rarity thrust her hand out and froze the ones that came at her, allowing her to shatter them before they hit her, while at the same time Mah Oh just rolled to the side and avoided the ones coming towards her before hurling lightning at the lich. Such a thing was followed by them discovering that the lich had a barrier around it, which it could now use since the spectral mages weren't blocking it's power, yet the mages didn't seem annoyed by this, rather they seemed up to the challenge.

What interested Capper was that Rarity loosed a beam of magical energy at the lich, who blocked it with it's own beam, no doubt intending on blowing her away in an instant, and yet Mah Oh fired a few fireballs at their foe, forcing it to divert it's attention for a moment, which was when Rarity appeared behind it and removed it's head with the Ebony Blade, causing the lich to collapse instantly.

"And there you have it. I didn't want to take our chances with this thing." Rarity said, gently removing the Staff from the hand of the lich before handing it over to Capper, who smiled for a moment before safely securing it inside his collection, which was ever growing, before she and Mah Oh let out a pair of sighs, "Shall we get out of here?"

"Not yet." Capper replied, where he collected the golden soul gem that came from the lich, he could sense it's power and had to wonder what form the dragon priest would take when he gave it life, before adding the robes the lich wore to his loot, and that included the mask to make the complete set, and once everything was gathered he turned to face Rarity, "Now we can leave this place."

Such a thing was followed by them tracking down the exit, where they found one last phantom of Savos as he apologized to his friends as he trapped them in a seal to keep the lich contained, while the collector kobolds finished looting the place with the pair of chests that were near the exit, allowing them to haul the loot back to the Opulent Lands. With that done the trio found their way to what appeared to be a door leading to an exit, one that someone had tried to use at some point recently, and by using it they were able to leave the ruin, coming out in the upper region of Labyrinthian. After tracking down where they were the trio climbed down the path to their right and headed into the center of the ruin, where they found that Azure and Tuk Ur had fought a few enemies while they were gone, due to the pile of ebony weapons and golden soul gems, plus a chest some kobolds had hauled out of the near ruin. Resting nearby was a dead Thalmor agent, not Ancano based on what they were seeing, though it confirmed that Ancano was interested in this place and was likely expecting this one to report to him at some point, meaning the elf would be in the dark for a time.

Capper lifted the Thalmor's golden soul gem and found that it took on the form of a kobold mage when reborn, while the one for the dragon priest created a powerful mage class kobold who was slightly taller than the other kobolds and floated like he did when he was alive, yet the reborn lich also wore the robes he wore while alive, minus the mask.

"Fascinating. And now for the big one." Capper said, holding out the gem that came from the skeletal dragon, where the rest of the group watched as it disappeared before the area in front of them shook for a second as a male humanoid dragon, like Ithelia's new form, materialized in front of them, kneeling with his head bowed, and he could see that the newcomer's scales were bronze colored, "Rise, it is time for the kobolds and reborn to return to the Opulent Lands."

This was good for Capper, as it meant he could make his elite force from the humanoid dragons, which needed their own species name when he thought about it, but all of this was good information for him to gain as they set their sights on the College and the Tomb of Ysgramor, as he was eager to see what the future held in store for him and his companions.

Guild: Meeting of the Princes

On the way out of the Cistern and the Ragged Flagon, where he found that many thieves were interested in observing their new Guild Master, Capper stopped by the fence and collected the armor of the Guild Master, the black version that was like Brynjolf and Vex wore. He guessed the thieves were like the Companions in terms of armor styles, in that the lesser ones had their own dress code and the higher ranks wore identical armor, even though he knew the Companions didn't hold fast to that rule, only a few did from what he had seen. With the armor in hand he set it aside in one of his bags before heading out into the open market of Riften, while the rest of the group followed him since this would be interesting, plus they knew he didn't want to reveal his powers to the entire Guild, rather only a select few would know this information. Brynjolf and Karliah were curious about what he was going to show them, which was fair since he hadn't explained anything to them yet, and they blindly followed him and his group through the Gate he placed in Riften.

A few moments later they found themselves in a brand new area that just caused their jaws to drop as they stared out at the surrounding city, the lands beyond it, and the kobolds that were walking around while tending to their various tasks, more than what they had seen so far.

"Wh... Where are we?" Brynjolf asked, as he was sure they weren't in Riften anymore, in fact it didn't look like they were even in Skyrim based on what he was seeing right now, though he was torn between wondering if they were in another province or a realm of Oblivion, the latter worrying him more than he was willing to admit.

"Welcome to the Opulent Lands, the Plane of Oblivion that I rule over... or Realm, if you prefer." Capper replied, where he let a bit of his energy wash over him as he shifted into his Princely attire, something that caused the pair to jump for a moment as they realized that he had been hiding something important from them since he joined the Guild, "Allow me to properly introduce myself: I am Midas, the Daedric Prince of Greed, Lord of New Beginnings, the Plunderlord, Lord of the Opulent Lands."

"A Daedric Prince... but... but that's impossible." Karliah said, as she knew there was no way for a Prince of Oblivion to even manifest in the real world, even though some Princes had ways of projecting their images into the world, like how Nocturnal was said to use a gate or lock to manifest a vision of herself to speak to people, despite the fact that all she had seen was the dark sphere that represented her Prince.

"Not really. I can seal my powers before using my Gates to enter Skyrim, so what you saw is basically me as a mortal... just a highly skilled one." Capper stated, which was the truth, without his powers and the Skeleton Key he couple pass as someone who happened to be highly skilled in the art of thieving, something he was fine with since that was his strong suit, despite the fact that he still had his golden soul gem power in his couple of forms, "If you don't believe me, I could have Mora vouch for me and back my statement up, or have my friends do the same and have them tell you what I'm capable of in my sealed state."

Karliah had to stop herself from breaking down at the mention of 'Mora', no doubt meaning Hermaeus Mora, meaning that the new Prince that was in front of them was connected to one of the most knowledgeable Princes out there and that there was no reason to doubt what he was saying, as odd as it sounded. As she and Brynjolf glanced around they discovered that all of the kobolds were busy, moving items from one portion of the city to another, where there were what appeared to be a number of shops and businesses, such as a brewery, an alchemist area, a smithy, and many others. In addition to that they found that the area they had warped into, the 'Nexus' as Midas called it, had nine portal frames and each lead to one of the nine Holds, as both figured if there was a 'Gate' for Riften then there had to be one for the other eight. They also found that there was a quarry on the outskirts of the city, where the pair found a larger amount of kobolds in a large mine, as they were digging into the ground and seemed to be extracting ores and gems, yet knowing the rules of a Realm of Oblivion it would only be a matter of time until they had to start from zero.

After watching them for a time Karliah opened her mouth to say something about Midas being the same as the rest of the Princes, dooming their citizens to be slaves to their whims, but what stopped her was that the kobolds were happy, in fact they seemed to be far happier than any other species in Oblivion, even the miners were happy.

"What... What is all this?" Brynjolf asked, as he expected the citizens of a Plane of Oblivion to be unhappy in some manner, all while presenting a happy front when their Prince was nearby or when their chosen protectors, like the Saints or Seducers for example, happened to be in the vicinity, but here everyone seemed happy, like truly happy.

"I'm the Lord of New Beginnings, remember? Everyone here was granted a second chance... sure, they have new bodies, but that hasn't stopped them from enjoying their new lives." Capper said, nodding to some of the kobolds as they hauled some of the ore from the mines to the smithy, as they had a decent amount of different ore, which he expected was due to how he collected every type of metal for his own Vault, so that was reflected in the ore in the ground, "You'll notice that those who have professions, like being warriors or mages or even smiths, are attending to their new areas and duties, while those that possess none are positioned in the mines or as transporters... we even have collectors, who help me loot bandit buildings and ruins in Skyrim. Now, the miners aren't forced to remain in the mines, so if they want to be something else we have the trainers to help them awaken new skills or even abilities, but do you see the miners? Most of them were bandits and those who had no skills, no abilities, no luck at all, but here they are, working with a smile on their faces because they've found a place where they belong, where they're happy."

"And that's not counting the fact that they can rank up, like a miner can become a warrior or even a mage." Mora added, as she had come to check on them and overheard the conversation, while at the same time noticing that Karliah and Brynjolf had noticed the newest addition, the dracthyr that was born from the dragon trapped in it's skeleton in Labyrinthian, which she knew was a gift from Akatosh, was getting outfitted in the smithy, "I'm even training mages to rank up to new types to help expand the expertise of the Opulent Lands... the amount of knowledge that this realm is producing is beyond what I thought when I first learned of Midas' existence."

Brynjolf took another look at the kobolds that were different from the others, as in the mages that were practicing, many of the warriors that were training, and the shadowy ones that were either watching them from the shadows or were running around a course designed to help teach them how to move like a thief. It was easy to see that Capper, or Midas since he was in his Princely form, had enough kobolds to take over all four of Skyrim's guilds, maybe five if he cared about dealing with the Bard's College, and if all of them could cross over into the Mortal Plane he was sure that they would take over in no time at all. That was if the Prince of Greed's goal was to do what all of the other Princes couldn't, take control of the world, but as he thought about it he realized something, Capper had been interested in gold and expensive stuff, like a thief going after a pile of gems or the like, meaning the most he could expect from him was an end to those threatening the land that he was interested in working with. As he thought about that both he and Karliah found another dracthyr, Ithelia according to what their host told them, who was different from everyone else and Capper introduced her as his Chamberlain, like Haskill in the Shivering Isles, yet felt like Mora, meaning the new Prince had two Princes serving under him.

In the next moment they stopped at an area that had floating steps leading to what appeared to be a platform floating far above the ground, giving them a good view of the entire realm, where a raven was sitting on a pedestal, yet on the floating area there was an elegant table with grand chairs, fit for two Princes.

"And now, onto the main event: Brynjolf, Karliah, you two will remain here. Raven, your mistress has permission to enter the Opulent Lands." Capper said, while at the same time knowing that Rarity and the others were waiting in the buildings near this area, waiting to see what happened next while Mercer was keeping his emotions in check, as Capper had a feeling that he would be addressed at some point.

The space next to the raven opened up in an oval of dark energy, light night itself, and out of it floated a light skinned lady who wore a dark robe with icons on the sides of the chest area and on the shoulders, while the chest area was upon to show off the inner sides of her breasts, and she wore a hood over her head.

"L... Lady Nocturnal!" Karliah said, dropping to a kneeling position as she lowered her head, this was beyond what she had been expecting when she and Brynjolf listened to Mora saying that Capper had company waiting to speak with him, while at the same time Brynjolf just stood there, unsure what to do in this situation.

"Karliah, though I am unhappy with you, you are not the reason for my visit to this realm... I am here to speak to Midas." the Prince stated, sounding like she was totally indifferent to everything that was going on, like this was a game to her and that the mortals were just pawns to her, yet Capper knew she was somewhat irritated and was keeping her own emotions in check, it was obvious due to how she said his Daedric name, "So... this is the Opulent Lands... far too shiny for my liking."

"Yet perfect for the 'Prince of Greed'." Capper replied, where he beckoned to the floating platform with a hand while giving the Prince of Shadows a friendly smile, while at the same time knowing that the others were already preparing some tea and other items for their talk, "Come, let us talk. I imagine we have some items to discuss."

Nocturnal stared at him for a moment, clearly wondering if he was trying to deceive her or something nefarious, before she came to the decision that he would be a fool for doing so after openly allowing her entrance to his realm, where she simply floated up to the platform and sat in the right seat as Capper took the left one. While she did that Nocturnal also noticed a few things, such as the fact that Hermaeus Mora was already present, in a new form no less, and there was a Prince that took her a few moments to recognize, as it was Ithelia, one Mora wished to erase the existence of, meaning if the Prince of Paths was back then the Prince of Knowledge had failed in the end. While this was humorous, she did like seeing Mora being beaten by Ithelia, especially since so many had had Ithelia's back since she had done nothing wrong and never abused the power she possessed, the very thing Mora was afraid of, Nocturnal was also worried. She could see that the new Prince's power was based on both his own wealth, something that this realm had plenty of from her estimates, and faith, just like all of the other Princes of Oblivion, and yet Midas had two Princes backing him as servants, specifically the Second and Third in Command.

She really had no idea what to make of this situation, especially since the Prince of Greed was calm and collected, like Ithelia had taught him how to act since her return, and as she thought about all of this a single creature, the natives of this realm, walked up to them and placed some cups in front of them before pouring tea into them.

"Now then, I can hazard a guess as to why you wanted to speak with me, but instead of wasting time why don't we cut to the topics you came to discuss?" Capper inquired, as he knew that the other Prince was busy and that she would rather be in her realm, making deals with mortals or doing whatever else she did in her realm, that aspect he had no idea about and honestly wasn't about to pry, rather he felt that them cutting to the chase would benefit them both.

"Fine by me. First order of business: I would like the Skeleton Key returned to it's lock in the Twilight Sepulcher." Nocturnal replied, as the sooner she was done with this the sooner she could return to her realm, though she did sip on the tea while keeping an eye on the figure that was standing nearby, a short scaly creature she hadn't seen before, yet it seemed to be a thief based on it's attire, "It is in your possession, is it not?"

"It is. Found it a lifetime ago, when I first visited Riften." Capper replied, where he held a hand out and the Key materialized above it, something that caused Karliah to drop her jaw for a moment while Mercer refrained from revealing anything, even though Capper knew the latter had to be freaking out inside since he had lost the Key and everything went downhill after he lost it, "Just tell me where the Sepulcher is and I'll be sure to deliver the Key. I no longer need it."

"I know you won't do this out of the 'kindness of your heart', as you are a Prince of Oblivion, just like us, and like all Princes you are expecting something in return. An exchange, if you will." Nocturnal said, where she reached into her robe for just a second before pulling out a sack that would fit in Capper's hand, an item she tossed over to him and he caught it, allowing him to open it and produce a dark ruby that looked like it was made of darkness, and there were a few more inside the small bag, "Shade Rubies, a somewhat rare item from one of my pocket realms, Shade Perilous to be exact... seven of them for the return of the Skeleton Key, as you will find the Sepulcher in the western edge of the Pine Forest, near where you found one of the pieces of Dagon's Razor."

"Good, I'll visit there and return the Key after our meeting is concluded." Capper said, as this was good, having new items to add to the Vault made him happy, to which he returned the Shade Rubies to the bag after making sure there were seven of them and placed the bag off to his right, allowing him to focus on Nocturnal once more, "I'm assuming that you would like to appoint new Nightingales to ensure that the Key remains safe this time, or at least until you feel like having some fun with the mortals?"

His reason for asking was because, as it stood right now, there were no Nightingales save for those who had been slain, as Karliah was likely an exiled member, Mercer had been slain and revived under another Prince's banner, and Gallus was long dead, meaning Nocturnal needed new members and fast.

"Yes, but I have deals in mind to fill two of those positions." Nocturnal answered, where Capper found her glancing at both Karliah and Brynjolf for a moment, no doubt meaning them in her remark, before she returned her gaze towards him while she thought about something else, "Tell me, are you going to turn the Thieves Guild into your followers?"

"No, they are free to serve whatever Prince they desire... but I expect them to be thieves and serve the Guild until they are ready to retire, or die in the field." Capper stated, which was the truth, he wasn't going to force the thieves to serve him, he was their Guild Master after all, so it all depended on each person and their own faiths, plus he also knew why Nocturnal was asking him this question, "If you want to make a deal with one or more of them, feel free to do so. What is the next item that you wanted to talk about?"

"Mercer Frey. His soul was to go to my realm, but you somehow caught his soul and claimed him. I want him back, so he can start his servitude in the Evergloam." Nocturnal replied, without missing a beat, she knew he was here, somewhere in this realm, and she was going to take him back so he could be punished for his crimes against her, especially since he had sold his soul to her first all those years ago, all while noting that the figure near them stiffened for a moment, "But again, I know you won't just give him over just because I'm commanding you to do so... even though he's mine, Mercer is technically one of your people now... so what do you want for him?"

"How about we make it simple? One of my followers for some of yours?" Capper inquired, though while he knew that he had the power to just give Mercer over, no strings attached, he wasn't about to correct Nocturnal and turn down a deal, not after she was willing to offer it in the first place, which told him that she was definitely annoyed in some manner and that it was affecting her decision making to some degree, "To be honest, the Guild is already fine with his punishment, so they'd likely ask if the trade was worth it since he's already in a world of torment."

Nocturnal knew what Midas was doing, he was indicating that the deal had to be worth it for him to hand Mercer Frey over, in fact she could tell that both of the other Princes that were watching them seemed surprised by his courage to say such a thing to her, and yet she admired his courage to suggest such a thing. She could tell that Midas didn't care too much about Mercer, since the thief must have wronged him in some manner as well, yet he was trying to get something for him before he handed him over, like a last repayment or something. She considered some crows from the Blackfeather Court, but was quick to dismiss that idea since this realm had a number of surfaces that might be able to show them their reflections and she didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time such a thing happened. Other than that she had her Shrikes, the brutal twilights and the fair twilights, and the Wraiths-of-Crows, all suitable servants from her realm and would be more than enough for this sort of deal, she just didn't know how many Midas would bleed from her to get to Mercer.

In the end Nocturnal mentally sighed and told herself that she was going to work Mercer to the bone once she got her hands on him, he was the cause of her inner annoyed attitude these days, before summoning an elegant piece of parchment and a quill, where she wrote some things down on it before letting the paper slide over to Midas.

"I will offer up thirty Shrikes, as in ten lessers and twenty greaters, twenty grievous twilights, twenty twilights, and five of my Wraiths-of-Crows... seventy-five souls, for Mercer Frey." Nocturnal stated, where in mortal terms it would leave her in the red for a long time, it wasn't easy to replace many of those servants, and she was banking on the offering being enough to tide him over and bring this matter to a close.

"It is a fair deal. I accept." Capper said, as he was sure he would learn a lot from the offered daedra and would be able to use them around his realm, maybe even let them enjoy their time in this realm, to which he handed the parchment to Ithelia, so it could be safely stored away, before tapping Mercer's head, who lowered his head and walked over to Nocturnal's side of the table, "Nocturnal, met Mercer Frey, reborn as a kobold and now returned to you."

"Is that what the scaly creatures are called? Interesting." Nocturnal replied, as it was good to know what the creatures were called, even though she had to admit that Mercer looked good in this new light, forced servitude in a form that wasn't even the one he had lived with during his time in the Mortal Plane, making her realize she should just leave him as a kobold, it fit him perfectly, "Now then, onto the matter of the Nightingales. As I said previously, I have two individuals in mind to take up two of the three positions that are available, but I require a third to complete the Trinity... I'm not foolish enough to ask that you serve that role, you are a Prince after all, so instead I would ask that the thief kobold, the one that is standing near the warrior and mage kobolds, take your place."

"Tri Ki? Well normally I would accept such a deal... but she is one of my 'Trinity', the first three kobolds I created, so she and her siblings mean more to me than many of the others." Capper said, which was the truth, he was attached to them for a number of reasons, just like how Azure and Rarity were attached to their own kobold companions, though he could tell that Nocturnal wasn't annoyed in the slightest, rather it seemed like she expected some push back, "However, if she is willing, I might be willing to accept the deal... but you would have to offer one of your followers in exchange, equal to her value mind you, and the exchange will only last until you decide to release her from her service. If not, well I'm sure we can help you find someone to become the third member of the Nightingales."

Nocturnal said nothing to that, not at first, because this was to be expected between Princes that were willing to deal with each other like this, if one wanted a servant of another they had to offer something of equal value, it was why she had also overpaid for Mercer Frey since she didn't like dealing like this. The problem was that she didn't have anyone that could fit the role of her offering this time, not unless she wanted to disrupt the courts of her realms, plus there was the fact that she was planning on keeping Tri Ki as a Nightingale until Karliah was able to secure three new recruits to replace her and the force she was currently building. That could take years and while time flowed differently in Oblivion she knew that the loss of such an important servant might have consequences she wasn't seeing right now, and right now she wasn't sure if Midas would be able to find her someone worthy to take on the role. She needed that kobold to become the third Nightingale, it was a fact she couldn't ignore, causing her to realize that maybe dealing with Midas had been a bad idea, his terms were both fair and harsh, there was no middle ground based on what she had seen, and it was definitely costing her.

In the end she focused on the Prince in front of her as she came up with her decision, signing another piece of parchment so it could be delivered to Midas, who raised an eyebrow when he noticed what she had written on it, as if he hadn't expected her to offer such a thing.

"For Tri Ki I will offer anyone who calls my realm home. A soul for a soul." Nocturnal said, it was a one to one trade, so while she had no idea who to offer in exchange for the kobold she was willing to allow Midas to enter the Evergloam and see her servants with his own eyes, a breach of security really, so he could pick someone and then be on his way, "The deal will last until I decide to release her from my service, at which point I'll collect my servant when I return Tri Ki to you."

"Very well. Welcome to the team." Capper replied, where Nocturnal realized that she had blundered as his magic went to work on her, her hands becoming slightly pointed like claws, beautiful feathers sprouted out of her arms, colored like forged midnight, that eventually took on the form of bird wings, while her feet and legs contorted into stunning bird talons and legs, complete with feathers, and her ears became pointed slightly, yet her hair took on the color of forged midnight, "You look stunning, Nocturnal."

"A harpy... how the people of Nirn once envisioned the race in question, beautiful and stunning, instead of the beasts they eventually discovered." Mora commented, though at this point she wasn't even surprised, Midas seemed to enjoy collecting Princes and showing them things that they missed while remaining stuck in their various realms, and she could see that the older Prince was looking at her new form, "Now you are capable of using Midas' personal portal to enter Nirn, despite having only a small amount of your power available to you... about two or three percent, really... you won't be able to attack him or harm him, and will have to obey him if he gives you an order, but honestly the deal is quite nice. You aren't forced to remain here, you can return to your realm and take on your other form, but when in the Opulent Lands this will be your form... I've gotten used to mine, and Ithelia loves hers... plus this allows you to work with the new Prince and the species he's created, and keep an eye on the servants you'll be sending to his realm."

Nocturnal stood there, unsure if she should be upset with herself, that she walked into such a blunder in her haste to finish her meeting with the new Prince, or fascinated by how stunning and mysterious her form looked, as she realized that she could slip into the shadows with ease and not be seen by many, save for Midas, before reforming nearby.

"As the deal states, you'll have this form for as long as Tri Ki remains one of your Nightingales, and when you release her I will do the same." Capper said, it was a fair deal, especially since Nocturnal could learn a lot more about the Mortal Plane while she was in this form, potentially even gain more than he could by the end of their deal, and he was sure that she also realized that this benefited both of them in the end, "Now then, let us discuss the transport of followers, are per our deals, before I deal with the Skeleton Key."

Nocturnal nodded and sat back down, allowing them to go over when she would collect the ones that would be coming here, as per the exchange for Mercer, and when they would be arriving in the Opulent Lands, where Capper nodded and smiled as he wondered what the coming days had to offer him and the rest of his group.

Guild: The Sepulcher

Following their meeting Capper and Nocturnal oversaw the addition of the species that the latter had offered the former in exchange for Mercer, who was now following his mistress around, though since Nocturnal was staying in the Opulent Lands for a time that meant he'd be staying as well. This allowed him to see that the Shrikes were scantily clad ladies that were tall and beautiful, also intelligent as Mora told him, with the only differences between them being that the lesser ones had slim metal collars around their necks, which they were fine with. The two types of Twilights were interesting, as the winged ones were similar to harpies, they had beautiful bodies covered in scales, their wings were similar to a bat's wings and happened to be merged with their arms, they had claw-like feet and the fingers of their wings were clawed, and had spiked tails. The grievous ones were totally different from the winged ones, as they were masculine and their arms were separated from their wings, but they appeared to be more brutish than their female counterparts, like enforcers.

The Wraith-of-Crows were more like scarecrows in appearance, merged with the appearance of a crow no less, and Capper quickly realized why Nocturnal had only offered five of them, as they were definitely stronger than the rest of the offered daedra, plus they had fully functional crow wings growing out of their backs and carried scythes as weapons.

"So, what will you do with them?" Nocturnal asked, speaking after the seventy-five daedra were brought in from her realm, as she returned to the Evergloam for a time and picked out the ones that would serve as her side of that bargain, before returning with them and making sure that Mercer followed her at all times.

"Honestly, it purely depends on their skills and abilities. I don't judge based on appearance or what they did before coming to my realm." Capper replied, where he gestured to some of the groups of kobolds that were walking around the city and all of the buildings, allowing Nocturnal to take a good look at them now that she would be working with them for quite some time, at least until she decided to release Tri Ki from the Nightingale contract, "Some of the souls I've collected are obvious, the warriors remained warriors, thieves stuck to their former profession, mages continued down the path of magic, and so on and so forth. Others are only skilled in certain things, like smithing, alchemy, and other such skills, and those that don't have a profession are either happily working in the mines, of their own choosing, or they're working with a mentor to learn new skills. For now you and those that were traded for Mercer can get used to the sights of the city, Ithelia will show you to your own room in the castle, and Mora will point out interesting things or information you might want to know... we can go over your role in the Opulent Lands once the new Nightingales are chosen, the Key has been returned, and the Guild is back at full strength."

"I see... I shall make arrangements to induct my Nightingales into the order, then you can be on your way." Nocturnal said, as it would allow her to focus on her own activities before focusing on the fact that she was now serving another Prince, like the two that were happily serving Midas, though while she knew he had a mortal name she preferred to address him by what all of Oblivion knew him as, "There is an old abandoned Standing Stone outside Riften, one that Karliah can lead you to... I will make Tri Ki and the others Nightingales in the area she brings you to."

Capper nodded as he made his way towards the portal that could bring him back to Riften, though along the way he did stop for a moment, focusing on Rarity as she walked over to the practice area that they had set up for mages, another area that was on the outskirts of the city.

"You know, before I return the Key, I could unlock your inner magic door a bit, give you more mana to work with." Capper remarked, which was the truth, he could still use the Key and give the others some boosts to their existing powers, though at the same time he knew that if they said 'no' he wasn't going to force anything on them, and he could see that the rest of the group that traveled with him was gathering nearby, "I can do the same for each of you, use it to raise something to make all of you stronger, if you want."

"Darling, as nice as the offer is, I don't need it... and I don't think the others need it either. Besides, I get what I need from the blood of my enemies." Rarity replied, as the more blood she drank the stronger she became, because she learned spells and skills from those that she consumed the essence of, and at times she found that it also included the amount of damage her body could take before bleeding, her overall stamina, and how much mana she had.

Capper didn't say anything else as he left them to their chosen way to pass the time and passed through the Riften gate, and a few seconds later Karliah and Brynjolf joined him, along with Tri Ki, Mercer, and the now harpy Nocturnal, though she did find that Capper had returned to his mortal form and that she was now sporting far less power than before.

"So this is how you get around everything... taking on a mortal form, a vestige of sorts, and using a small portion of the great power you have." Nocturnal commented, because she and other Princes had realized what Midas was doing, even though none of them could actually walk in this Plane like he could, and yet here she was, walking on Nirn like it was nothing, and for a moment she made sure no one was going to smite them for their crimes, from the Divines or the people, only to find that they were ignored.

"You won't have to worry about being chased or targeted by people... Riften is pretty chill, given all the kobolds they've seen, plus Ithelia and Mora from time to time." Capper said, where it was easy to see that the guards only glanced at the group for a second before turning away, while the people didn't seem bothered at all, in fact one of the newcomer thieves approached to talk with Tri Ki, since she was usually seen with him and that meant she had to be skilled, "Honestly, you'd think that the people of Skyrim would be more wary or concerned, but instead most of them are pretty accepting of other races... save for Windhelm, but they'll let you enter and keep a close eye on you if you aren't a nord. It's interesting how the 'land of racists' is really just a land of snow and hardship, with a single racist city... honestly, it is quite refreshing to see that so many are more open minded than the people of Windhelm. Now then, Karliah, if you would?"

The dark elf nodded and headed for the exit that was near the orphanage, which had someone new running it since the old lady had been slain, allowing Capper to see that many of Riften's people did glance at Nocturnal for a moment before simply nodding and going about their business. Karliah brought them outside the gate she had chosen and walked away from the city, where it didn't take them long to find the large stone with a hidden Nightingale symbol on it's backside, one that caused some stones, a secret door, to move out of the way when she touched it. Such a thing revealed a hidden door that brought them into a hidden tunnel and, in the end, an abandoned living area that looked like the domain of the Nightingales, likely due to the fact that no one had been here for twenty years or so. Nocturnal and Karliah lead the way into the core of the old hideout, where they passed by three special stones that actually magically dispensed armor for Karliah, Brynjolf, and Tri Ki to take, midnight armor that looked like ebony despite being leather, with a cape and mask as Capper found that everything fit them perfectly.

They looked like Nightingales now, as the armor was the official gear of the sect, and once the armor was on Nocturnal had Tri Ki and the other two follower her into the final portion of the Hall, an area with three circles for them to kneel on while there was a central one for Nocturnal to stand in.

"So, Mercer... where did you stash Gallus' plans for his various heists?" Capper asked, figuring that it was best if he let the other Prince complete her ritual without him eavesdropping in on the conversation she was having, while noticing that she let Karliah start things off for some reason.

"There's a mine near Maven's estate, one that I killed the miners of and set it up to make sure people would be scared off, so I could recover them at the right time." Mercer said, knowing that it was best to answer Capper's questions and not anger him at all, a lesson he should have learned after his dealings with Nocturnal, and right now he knew the heist plans weren't going to do him any good, so it was best to return them to the Guild, or the new Guild Master to be more specific, "You'll find them in a chest behind the waterfall."

Capper nodded his head as he filed away that information, allowing Nocturnal to continue the elevating of the trio into being her newest Nightingales, and it wasn't long before she stepped out of the chamber with her new Nightingales following after her, meaning she was done with her ritual.

"It is done, they are full Nightingales now." Nocturnal stated, where she could tell that Brynjolf would take some time getting used to his newfound powers, while Tri Ki would no doubt start using them before long, because it seemed like the kobolds had a greater affinity for whatever skills and powers they were trying to learn, like they were geniuses or something, so she suspected she'd start showing them off in no time, before she focused on Midas, "So, what will you do now?"

"I have something to pick up, first, but then I'll return the Skeleton Key, as I promised." Capper replied, because he had no need of the Key at this point in time, especially since he was great in the art of picking locks and had figured out how to make his own picks as unbreakable as the Skeleton Key, so he only needed one and was collecting the others so they could be given to the rest of the thieves in the Opulent Lands, "After that, well, we'll have to see... I did tell Sharva that we would visit the Greybeards when we were done with our guild work, and now that we're done with the Thieves, Companions, and the College... well, it might be time to speak with them and see what's going on."

"Of course, the dragons have returned." Nocturnal commented, as she and the other Princes knew of the events that were shaking Skyrim, even though a new Prince had been the most unexpected thing they had uncovered, especially one that was as smart as Midas since he had seized the chance to exploit her error before she had realized it, "I shall head back to your realm and speak with Ithelia... her knowledge will benefit me greatly right now."

Capper said nothing to that as he headed out of the Hall and returned to the area outside Riften, where he made his way around the walls and headed in the direction of Maven's estate, though he made sure to remain on the outskirts since his current objective wasn't the actual building. As he did that he found that some vampires, it was easy to figure out who they were thanks to their outdated clothing, chasing a bandit down a hill, but for some odd reason they turned on him the instant they realized that someone was coming their way, one coming to rob him and three coming to drink his blood. In the next moment he shifted his stance as he separated Avarice into the two one handed blades that went into making it, allowing him to slash his way through his foes before they even realized what had happened to them. As expected a pile of gold and gems was left where the bodies landed, where a few collector kobolds, his personal ones that were constantly watching him and moved in when he was done with his enemies, so he allowed them to get to work as he kept moving.

Sure enough he found the hidden mine that Mercer told him about, where he discovered some skeletons that were likely the miners the former Guild Master had slain, and it didn't take Capper long to track down the chest behind the waterfall, which was just a minor stream of water.

"There we go, all of Gallus' potential heists." Capper remarked, as there were some for Skyrim, including the Blue Palace and the vaults of the other Jarls, some were for Cyrodiil, others for buried locations in Morrowind that Gallus had confirmed to be undisturbed, and the rest of the continent, each province had something to offer, "All sorts of potential wealth, mine for the taking. I'll have to go over these later, when I have the time to do so."

With that information in mind he handed the chest to the kobolds and had them bring it to his personal chambers, since that was the best place for it to rest right now, before heading back out into the area outside Riften and quickly made his way to where his Gate was located, eventually allowing him to return to the Opulent Lands.

"Oh, Capper, you're back. Good, I was thinking that it was time to return to Windhelm and tell the boy the good news before it slips my mind." Midnight said, speaking as Capper returned to his realm, though it looked like she had been patiently waiting off to the side so she could catch him upon his very brief return, which was interesting to see, causing the former lunar guard to rub her arm for a few seconds, "Just thought it was best to tell you, before you wondered where I wandered off to."

"I appreciate the warning, even though I wouldn't have stopped you either way." Capper replied, though in that moment, as he found that everyone from his group was standing nearby, as in Rarity and the others plus La'nari and Sharva, he held out a hand before focusing, allowing them to witness as strands of silver pooled together above his hand, forming elegant silver rings with a golden gem set on top of them, and each one had a strand of blue lettering on the bands, "Here you guys go: a ring for each of you, which will allow you to collect golden soul gems while I'm not nearby... meaning if you go on your own adventures and I'm not in the vicinity, and each of you are more than welcome to do so, you can collect more souls for the Opulent Lands. I've enchanted each ring to be weaker than mine, so it'll be a smaller area for each of you, and each will have it's own Collector associated with it, so you can ensure that all loot is collected... and, of course, if we travel as a group my ring and power will be the dominate one, so yours will be nice accessories during that time."

Rarity and the others took their rings without delay, allowing Midnight to slip hers on before heading to Windhelm, though as that happened Capper found that the others were going to hang out for the time being, thinking about what they wanted to do, even though he nodded to Sharva, indicating that her time was coming. With that done he slipped through the Gate that brought him to Falkreath and stepped out into the small settlement that served as the hub of this Hold, though instead of heading into the village he headed out into the forest and headed back to the keep Sharva had raided for a fragment of Mehrunes' Razor. He found that the road was calm, there was no one coming to try and rob him while none of the wild life were interested in him, allowing Capper to walk towards the west for a time before he spotted the path in question, where he made his way through it and located a hidden iron door. It was clear that it was hidden by magic, so that only those that were Nightingales or permitted by Nocturnal to see this place, and since he happened to be Nocturnal's boss now that just meant that he was allowed to see everything she had hidden.

Sure enough he found a short tunnel leading to where a hidden temple was located, one that was nordic in design but was also focused on the shadows, since he could feel Nocturnal's energy or signature in this area, likely the lock he was here to place the Key inside, and standing in front of the stairs rested a transparent shadowy figure of a Nightingale.

I don't recognize you, and yet, while I can tell that you aren't one of us, I can sense that you are... more. the specter said, looking like he was here to guard the place, even though Capper could tell that his power was weak, the open lock had no doubt deprived the spirit of his powers, and it seemed like his acquisition of Nocturnal might have allowed her followers to understand that another power existed in this world, Who are you?

"The new Guild Master of the Thieves Guild, Capper... but, to really answer your question, I am Midas, the Daedric Prince of Greed." Capper replied, where he walked around the figure for a moment and studied the magic that was holding him in place, bound to this world as a guardian of the Sepulcher, before returning to where he had started as he tapped the air for a moment, "Hey Nocturnal, would it be alright with you if I took care of the guardians of this place, but brought them back as a mix of our two daedra? I might be able to make a type of kobold that's half the size of a person, but possesses the powers they had as a Nightingale... eternal guardians who can actually make a community here, maybe we can give them a special name as well, to set them apart from the other Nightingales."

"Lord Midas, I would appreciate it if you left my souls ALONE." Nocturnal stated, stepping out of Midas' personal Gate, like how she had seen Ithelia and Mora do it, or how they described it anyway, though she really didn't need him taking more of her followers from her, while at the same time noting that the Nightingale spirit in front of them was stunned by what he was seeing right now.

"I'm just offering you a way to keep the Key safer, so only the truly skilled can steal it." Capper said, where he walked up one of the stairs that were behind the Nightingale specter, who was just totally confused by what was going on, before pausing as he glanced back at Nocturnal, who was still getting used to all the changes in her life, "Just so you know, you would have retained ownership of their souls, instead of me stealing them like I did with Mercer's soul... would have waved the potential payment."

Nocturnal said nothing to that, she wasn't sure she believed Midas when he said he would have waved the payment, he was greed incarnate like how she was the night, each embodied their concepts to the fullest, and suspected that even for this he would have extorted her in some manner to add to his realm's growing wealth. Instead she said nothing and allowed her new Lord to head into the Sepulcher, since the connection between here and the end had been severed shortly after the Key was stolen by Mercer, where she found that Mercer kept his head down. She understood why that was instantly, because the specter in front of them was none other than Gallus, a fitting punishment for allowing himself to be blinded by Mercer, killed in action, and allowing the Key to be stolen, and it was possible that his time as a kobold had changed something in the traitorous former Nightingale. In the end she decided that it would be best to let the two guess at who the other was, since all they knew was that the other was a Nightingale, so they were simply staring at each other, allowing her to stand off to the side as she waited to see what Midas did inside the Sepulcher.

While that happened Capper headed into the temple and quickly reached what appeared to be a meeting hall, with seats and a podium for someone to stand at, where he detected more of the specters and found that they were aggressive, as in they were patrolling in silence, keeping an eye out for potential dangers. Since there were only two of them he slipped down the stairs in the center of the chamber and entered a passage that went to the second portion of the temple, an area where someone had to walk in the shadows while avoiding the light. He let a faint smile appear on his face, as it seemed like those who made this place really made it far too simple to get through, as he was able to bypass the tripwires that were lining the steps that went up and down through the area. He really doubted that this was made to honor Nocturnal, in fact he could see why she would ignore such a thing in the first place, as it didn't take him long to get through that course, nor did it take him long to figure out to pass through the following area all he had to do was pull two levers, one on either side of a statue of Nocturnal.

The last one was rather simple, he could walk through a short passage and bypass swinging blades or he could unlock the door to his left and go the long way around, where he simply twisted and turned for a time as he bypassed the trap, which allowed him to reach a short well at the end of the passage.

"We're here... that was far too easy for me." Capper commented, where he suspected that this place had been designed to test would be priests or followers who wanted to work beside the Nightingales, in fact he could see ways to make this a true trial while keeping the Key and lock safe, before he held the Key out as the floor opened and allowed him to drop into a final chamber with a lock in the ground.

In the following moment he slipped the Skeleton Key into the lock and it sunk into the ground, and while he backed up the lock opened up as the conduit of Nocturnal's power was opened, with three icons appearing on the ground around what appeared to be a circular altar, before he stepped through a blue portal and appeared near the entrance.

"And done... I'll be honest, I would rebuild this place from the ground up. Now I see why Mercer got away with stealing the Key in the first place." Capper remarked, where he found that Nocturnal and Mercer weren't even surprised by this, rather it seemed like they had expected such a thing when he stepped into the Sepulcher, while the other specter seemed unsure of what to make of everything that was happening right now, before he let out a sigh, "Well, that's what I would do if this place belonged to me and was under my control... this is your place, Nocturnal, so I'll just leave my opinions at the door."

Nocturnal already knew that Midas, as her new Lord, had the power to enforce such decisions on her if he really wanted, he could easily force demand her to do these things and she'd be forced to comply, but it was odd for him to not enforce such a thing on her, so for now she stored the information away for later.

"As you wish, Lord Midas." Nocturnal said, as she decided not to bother with his remarks about this place, at least not right now anyway, before she thought about something that came in from Ithelia while she and the two former Nightingales had been waiting for Midas to return, "According to one of your underlings it would appear that two figures drugged Midnight and are running off with her... Mora says they're part of the Dark Brotherhood."

"Really? Well, I was wondering when we'd hear from them... looks like the final Guild is ours to claim." Capper stated, as he wasn't worried about Midnight all that much, she was a former Lunar Guard and that meant she was skilled in whatever field she had been trained in before they came to this world, so he knew she'd kick her way out of wherever she ended up, which caused him to head for the exit, "Well then, it's time we returned to the Opulent Lands and see where they're taking her... this ought to be interesting, and a good distraction before we assist Sharva in her quest."

He was curious as to what this meant for Midnight, even though he suspected that she would reach a high position in this shadowy guild, just like Rarity and the others, and was very eager to see what the coming days had in store for them and the rest of Skyrim as a whole.

Guild: Looting a Ruin

Capper waited in the Sepulcher for a few moments, allowing Tri Ki to pick one of the circles that had appeared around the lock that he had slipped the Key into, Nocturnal allowed such a thing to happen, and she picked the one that was related to stealth. With that information in hand they departed from the Sepulcher, headed for Falkreath, and returned to the Opulent Lands without wasting time, where he found that the others were waiting near the portal area and were ready to direct him to where the Dark Brotherhood was taking Midnight. Rarity directed him to the west of Windhelm, the pair was using a pair of horses to get away from the city and that their friend was on the back of one, bound for somewhere to the west, which opened a lot of possibilities for where they could end up. With that in mind he had them depart from the city and head out onto the road, allowing them to use their own carriage once more, though Capper had something else in mind as they left the area, allowing the others to see that he was calling out more of his followers.

This time around Rarity and the others found that the newly trained scout kobolds, suited for tracking targets or even just gathering information without being seen, where it wasn't long before the newcomers, each armed with shortbows to suit their bodies and leather armor to grant them increased agility, turned to their Lord.

"It's time for a trial for all of you: Midnight was abducted by assassins from the Dark Brotherhood, and they are heading to the west. I want you to track them, and anything else you find to be of note." Capper said, as he wanted them to be focused on the main task, which was Midnight, but also wanted them to be on the lookout for anything they could circle back to at a later date, something that made the kobolds interested in their first official task, causing them to salute before heading off to accomplish their task.

"Is this really necessary?" Rarity asked, as there were a fair number of kobolds that came to Capper's call, at least thirty by her count, and she was worried that this might be a little too much, even though there were far more back in the Opulent Lands, just working away while some were hoping for a chance like this.

"Not really, considering the dangers of Skyrim and the amount of places we haven't been to yet." Capper replied, which was the truth, there was a lot to the land they now called home and he wanted a good idea on where to find items and places of either importance or interest, so he could expand their treasure, add to his domain, and just do what they normally did, not to mention that there were three shards he was looking for, in addition to Barenziah's missing stones, "If they find anything of note we can decide what to do with them in the future... if not, well then the kobolds can take care of things on their own, since they've been trained well in the Opulent Lands."

Rarity decided that it was best to not argue with Capper, his methods were usually right, causing them to focus on remaining inside the carriage while he glanced out at the snowy land that was around them, his thoughts on what else they might find and all of the potential wealth they might gain from the vast land. It wasn't long before they found that some of the kobolds returned, letting Capper pull out the map as they pinpointed where things were located for him and the others, such as the exact location of the dwarven ruin that was in the area, bandit camps, ruins, and caves. Capper was interested in heading up to Raldbthar at some point, due to the fact that there was an Aetherium Shard somewhere in there, a piece of four that he had one of, reminding him that he needed to track down the other pieces at some point. There was another dwarven ruin on the other side of the mountain, no doubt built with some space between them, the ruin of Irkngthand, which was mentioned in the tome of Gallus, meaning it might be worth investigating at some point in the future as well.

None of them were even remotely surprised to see that Capper was already weaving together new plans on what to do with this information, figuring out where he and the others could tackle and where the kobolds could head when he wanted them to be tested, and it created some new ideas in his head for other things.

"Someone can sit up here for a time if they want. I'm going to speak with Mora while the kobolds world." Capper said, where he slipped into the carriage and found that it wasn't long before the Prince in question showed up, because he had done a lot with the short period of time he had been a Prince and he knew Mora would be interested in what he wanted to talk about, "You know where all sorts of treasures and items of value are located, right? I was wondering if the two of us could make a conjoined relic, one that the people of the world can use to obtain information on where they might find relics or treasure, but have it set up so that they have to write what sort of item they're after on a page, your ability figures out the wealth of the item, and then makes them pay a reasonable amount for the information."

"Everything is about your greed, isn't it?" Mora remarked, though at the same time she knew what was going through her Lord's mind, each Prince had multiple artifacts under their name and Midas was no exception, though this was one of the rare times where multiple Princes would work together to make a new artifact, other than the Storian, making her think about what he wanted, "However, it shouldn't be too hard to make such a tome, one that accesses the vast depths of my realm and the vastness of my knowledge while also correctly calculating the cost of such knowledge... we can set it up so all souls can go to my realm when they expire, all while all wealth goes to your realm. I'll be sure to pepper in some lower cost treasures as well, since some of these treasures will be very costly, to help spread the word of what the tome can do so the various treasure seekers will seek it out."

"Good. Also, I had the idea to make a bag, a satchel really, that can hold an infinite amount of wealth... but that the relic lets you skirt death as long as you have enough wealth inside it." Capper added, where he could see that Mora seemed to be in the middle of wondering what in the world was wrong with him, even though this was par for the course for Princes, treating mortals like toys or currency, even though he happened to be far nicer than most of the other Lords of Oblivion, "Like your first death would cost you, oh, ten gold, then the next would be twenty, and so on until the bearer of the satchel would be using hundreds of coins and even gems to survive... of course there will have to be some exceptions, like death by dragon if the bearer was eaten. This would, of course, send the soul to my realm upon their final demise, and their wealth so I can add their treasure to my Vault and then send it back out into the world to be used by someone else."

"So, two relics designed to be used by treasure hunters... or the greedy, if you think about it in another light." Mora said, as it seemed like all of her Lord's personal artifacts were designed with how much wealth he could gather while they were in use, by him or the mortals, while at the same time being items that most might find useful, especially adventurers and those who desired to live forever, "I can work on the tome and have it ready by the end of the day for you to test it, though I'm sure you can easily make such a satchel while following the trail of the assassins."

"Maybe... you know, I think I'm going to bring us to the ruin that Gallus was planning on visiting, figure out if I can track down the treasure he was after while the kobolds work." Capper commented, where he opened the way into the outer portion of the carriage and checked the map for a few seconds, something that caused the rest of his group to glance at him while he did that, causing him to smile for a moment as he looked up, "La'nari, stop by the entrance of Irkngthand and prepare to set up camp... I'm going to give the trackers some time to figure out the rest of the region that we're in and figure out where the assassins are taking Midnight, though while they do that I'm heading into the dwarven ruin. Actually, let me bring the rest of the shadowy kobolds from the Opulent Lands, give them a chance to have some experiences of their own... we can loot the entire ruin of everything that's inside it, gain some more soul gems, and have some fun while the trackers work. We should be done before they return with news of Midnight's final destination."

Rarity sighed as La'nari deviated to a path that would bring them by a lake that went nowhere, she wasn't even remotely surprised by what Capper wanted to do next, but no one wanted to question him since they had been doing what everyone else wanted to do, so he was due for something he wanted to do. While they moved to their new destination, however, they did spot some people, bards by the looks of them, being killed by some bandits, where Capper simply sighed as he nodded to the others, allowing them to lash out at the four bandits that were in their way. Rarity unleashed a few shards of ice that slammed into the bandits, dropping them in seconds, while La'nari pointed out that the path their foes had come from was the very one that they were interested in using to reach Irkngthand, so Capper let her start the assault on the bandits while he collected the new golden soul gems. The ones for the bards he used without delay, finding that they were kobolds that were dressed in the clothing they had been wearing while they were alive, and once they realized what was going on, as in the fact that they had been given a second chance, they obtained their instruments and joined the group.

There were a few more bandits at a small campsite that was just inside the outer walls of the dwarven ruin, which didn't look very defensible, though Capper tapped on the air next to him once he touched the ground and the others found that Tri Ki emerged with the rest of the shadowy kobolds, both thieves and assassins.

"It seems like you've amassed a gathering." Nocturnal commented, emerging from the private Gate that her new Lord had, one she was getting used to seeing since this was beyond what most of the other Princes had, and she had come to see what was going on since Midas had called a lot of kobolds to his side, "What's the occasion?"

"We're looting Irkngthand: assassins will tend to the enemies that are scattered throughout the ruins, while the thieves will be gathering and transporting the loot." Capper replied, where he could tell that the kobolds were excited, dwarven ruins had a lot of treasure inside them and they loved to take everything they could get their hands on, be it actual treasure or the mundane items, since they could use some of this stuff in the city, before he glanced in Nocturnal's direction, "Before he was killed Gallus was interested in something that was buried in this ruin, so while we're waiting for the trackers to locate where the Dark Brotherhood is taking Midnight I figured I'd claim whatever this treasure might be... also gives the kobolds a good chance to shine as well. You're free to join in on the fun as well, if you want."

Nocturnal stared at him for a moment before reaching into her robe, withdrawing two sleek curved daggers that almost came up to her elbows, seemingly made out of shadows or darkness while confined to the shape of a weapon, before she turned towards the ruin that was in front of them. Capper smiled as he motioned towards Irkngthand with a hand, which was when Tri Ki slipped into the shadows and moved towards the bandits that were between them and the main door, while all of the other kobolds followed, some sticking to the shadows while others started looting. Nocturnal, on the other hand, ended up flying up into the air above where the bandit chief was resting, where Capper watched as she brought one dagger into the side of his neck before the second sliced his neck open, killing him instantly. She then watched as a golden soul gem formed near the fallen bandit, an orc with orcish armor and weapons, reminding her that all who died within Midas' sphere of influence, which had quite the radius in the Mortal Plane, had their souls trapped in such a gem, for him to make kobolds and other species in the future.

As she thought about that, however, she noticed that the rest of the bandits, a mix of species, fell to the blades and arrows of the kobolds, while one unfortunate bandit tried to kill Midas and had his head removed before being reduced to a pile of gold and gems that his Collectors gathered, just like the rest of the items they were collecting while the others fought. It was an effective strategy, one portion of the group moved forward and eliminated the enemies that were in their way, while the second portion focused on recovering any and all treasure, be it gold, gems, ingots, weapons, and even armor, before she realized that they were taking everything. It didn't matter what the items were, the kobolds took everything that the bandits had and everything that was inside the various chests, no doubt to outfit the rest of the Opulent Lands, and once the outer area was cleared, leaving the campsite for Rarity and the others to set up shop in, they approached the main door. On the other side they found more bandits, lesser ones since they were weaker than the bandit chief, that were slain before they had a chance to defend themselves from the assassins, allowing them to claim their treasure.

Following that Capper advanced into the ruin itself, allowing the assassin kobolds to move with him, though like he expected the only enemies from that point onward were the dwarven spiders, the dwarven spheres, and the various traps that had been set up by the dwarves, while further in he knew they would find falmer.

The traps were nothing special in Capper's eyes, one was just a set of pillars that let out small bursts of fire that were easily avoided, while the chests themselves didn't seem to be locked very well, he found that he was able to pick their locks with ease and handed anything that was inside the containers to the Collectors. Any ingots he found were instantly warped into his Vault, while he took an interest in the couple of interesting rings he found along the way, ones that were made out of the brass that all dwarven items were made out of, with big gems set in them that were the width of one of his fingers. He found that the rings were engraved and crafted to perfection, just like the rest of the items that the dwarves made, and he had to value them pretty high, as he guessed a single ring would fetch nearly a thousand gold on their own, so this was more like a small fortune. The elevator that was beyond that allowed them to access a lower region of the ruin, a large chamber that did, in fact, have a number of falmer structures, though with the grated wall in the way they had to go around, which was fine since Tri Ki looted a side passage and handed over the loot before they pressed onward.

Nocturnal continued to follow after her new Lord, where she found that he rarely got his hands dirty, in terms of killing those that challenged him, rather he left that to either the kobolds or the rest of the group that was waiting on the surface, and his focus was on looting and expanding his ever growing wealth. She also found that he happened to be serious, this was more of a training exercise for the kobolds, he left everything to them while doing a little of his own work on the side, and yet she discovered that the small creatures wasted no time in falling into their respective roles. By that she meant that the thieves stuck to unlocking doors and chests, handing the loot over to the Collectors that were following them around, while those that were assassins were either stabbing their foes in the back or loosing arrows into their chests. Their teamwork was even spot on, as they worked together to bring down the few enemies that noticed them, while two thieves worked together to unlock the gate that was in the way, by flipping two levers at the same time, thus allowing her new Lord to continue his walk through this place.

She really wasn't sure what else to call this, because while Midas was acting like a mortal thief she knew this was like a walk to him, nothing for him to worry about, especially since she was the same way, because even in her state of low power she was still a Prince and that meant this was nothing to her. That made her reflect on what she had learned about Midas, he was like all of the other Princes of Oblivion, he had his own Sphere of Influence, like Mora and knowledge or Sheogorath and madness, but he had this interest in Nirn that was just as bad as Dagon's or even Molag's. There was also the fact that Midas was unique among their number, he had his own personal Gate connecting to the Mortal Plane and had nine other Gates that were connected to the Holds of Skyrim, totally different from her portal in her 'temple', and that even moved into his other unique aspect. That second one was the major one, in her mind, because he had the power to bend even Princes to his will, meaning his control over the vast waters of Oblivion was more significant as more Princes were brought under his rule, willingly or not since she knew Mora hadn't agreed and had decided to stay with her current situation.

It made her wonder if Midas might be looking at a bigger picture, to become a mythical state known as 'Daedric King', as in the one who ruled over all of Oblivion and all of it's Princes, a state Mora said to be impossible to achieve since there was no way to obtain it, and Nocturnal had to wonder if she should ask Midas about it, before deciding that it was best to keep her thoughts to herself, least she loose a beast on the rest of Oblivion.

Capper, on the other hand, was more focused on the task at hand as the kobolds eliminated the dwarven machines and the falmer that had set up shop in the ruin, even though he did pause to marvel at one of the taller constructs that the assassins stabbed it in a way that brought it down. The only thing Capper didn't like were the chaurus, the horrible bugs that seemed to be the pets of the falmer, until they were turned into food or housing material, and that included the winged versions of them that occasionally burst out of what he guessed were cocoons. Fortunately the kobolds shared his opinion on the foul insects and killed them whenever they got the chance, while also gathering their eggs for the group of kobolds that were taking an interest in alchemy, especially since picking the eggs prevented them from hatching. Nocturnal even noticed that when they got to the falmer section of the dungeon, where the majority of the blind elves was located, the group slowed and made sure to eliminate each cluster of enemies they came across before moving onto the next set of enemies.

It was slow work, ensuring that no falmer or chaurus remained, but the kobolds did it gladly as the Collectors added more and more items to the pile, to be sorted in the Opulent Lands, before they reached the final door that brought them into the deepest part of the ruin, where a giant brass statue of a snow elf rested.

"And there it is, our prize: the Eyes of the Falmer." Capper commented, looking up at the statue's head, where Nocturnal and the others found a pair of large white opals that served as the statue's eyes, which seemed to pulse with a red glow a little, that allowed her to realize that these were what Mercer had been seeking, after Gallus did the hard work of locating which ruin they were buried in, "My turn to shine."

All Capper did was hold a hand out as the air around the statue shifted, where Nocturnal and the kobolds found that it just vanished, he teleported it straight into his realm, and sure enough Capper slipped into the Opulent Lands for a moment and found that it was inside the city. He quickly ensured that the Eyes were removed, gently with his magic, and were added to his Vault, before moving the statue itself to an area inside his castle, a secondary price since it was the only representation of a snow elf he had seen, which Mora was interested in. After that he returned to where the statue had been resting, where he, Nocturnal, and the kobolds simply turned around and made their way back to the surface, because now that everything had been looted they didn't have to stop for anything or anyone. On the return trip Capper also collected the bodies of the various constructs, as in the spiders and spheres, plus the giant one, because he was sure those working with Mora in his realm would appreciate having something new to work with, especially since he had an idea in mind and wanted to share it with Mora in the future.

Eventually they emerged from the ruin and Nocturnal got a good glimpse into the way that her new Lord worked, though as the kobolds returned to the Opulent Lands she followed them, allowing Midas to return to the campsite as he found that the trackers had returned while he was inside Irkngthand.

"The trackers have pinpointed where Midnight was taken: she's being held in an abandoned shack outside Morthal." Rarity said, something that caused Capper to raise an eyebrow for a moment, since he wasn't expecting the two assassins to carry Midnight that far, especially since they picked her up from Windhelm, it was just a long journey to make, before she and the others glanced at him as he noticed that it was later in the day now.

"Interesting. Well then, we'll return to my realm for a moment and use Morthal's Gate." Capper replied, because he was sure this was more than enough time for the Dark Brotherhood to speak with Midnight, even though there was a chance she had killed them and they'd arrive to see her unharmed, and felt that it was time to meet up with their missing friend.

The others nodded their heads and packed up their camp, even though they hadn't brought a lot out while they waited for him to clear out Irkngthand, though once they were ready to go Capper had them set a course back to Windhelm, to use it's Gate, where all of them were eager to see whatever the coming hours had in store for them.

Guild: The Wolf Queen

Once they were done in Irkngthand, and all of the kobolds rejoined Nocturnal in the Opulent Lands, Capper and the rest of the group made their way back to Windhelm, to use the Gate he had set up to warp over to Morthal so they could track down Midnight and her abductors. This was the quickest method available to them, instead of traveling across the rest of the landscape to reach their destination, something the rest of the group agreed with since it meant they could catch up with Midnight before something terrible happened to her. This was due to the fact that they had no idea what the pair of assassins from the Dark Brotherhood had planned for their friend, they could be interrogating her or killing her for all they knew, and if that was the case Capper was going to destroy them, and everyone wanted to get there as quickly as possible to avoid such a thing. Fortunately for them there were no enemies on the road for them to deal with, since they had traveled down this path earlier that day, and that meant they were able to reach Windhelm without wasting too much time, much to their joy.

With that in mind the group carefully dismissed the carriage when they reached the stables and headed inside the city, to which Capper brought them to the Gate, allowed them to pass into the Opulent Lands before stepping out into Morthal a few seconds later, where he pulled out the map as he headed towards the bridge to the north.

"Okay, according to the trackers the shack that the assassins brought Midnight to should be to the north of us." Capper said, as it looked like the location was a fair distance from the village, no doubt for the privacy that it offered the brotherhood, but it also told him that they would have to deal with some of the creatures that called the marsh home, which was why he took a moment to glance at his companions, "Keep your guard up, as the critters between here and the shack will likely try to eat us."

"Looks like someone burned a building down recently, near the inn. Maybe we should investigate later?" Rarity asked, due to the fact that helping the people of Skyrim liked heroes and Azure was someone who would no doubt do such a thing while they were traveling, plus she knew that Capper would do it to help build relations with the people of Skyrim for whatever his end goal might be.

"I would like to do so, if at all possible." Azure commented, where he found that Capper nodded his head, that he could take some time to gather some information once they were done with the Dark Brotherhood, causing the group to focus as they headed out into the marsh, each of them drawing their weapons like normal.

Capper found that there was a side path as they left Morthal, which appeared to go right to a vampire's lair, making him take a moment to wonder if the residents even knew it was out here or not, and if they didn't it stood to reason they might wipe out another small clan before it grew into a problem. After that they found that there were a few enemies out in the marsh, a couple of spiders and even some mudcrabs that wanted to pinch them with their claws, but the annoying thing was that there were a few chaurus on the surface, wading around in the water. Such a thing told Capper that they must have been born in one of the dwarven ruins and, somehow, found their way to the surface while leaving the falmer behind, and if that was the case there was no telling where they might have built a new nest. He considered clearing the entire marsh, but then decided that they would focus on the enemies that were currently in their way, leaving the rest for whatever the future held in store for them, but that didn't stop the group from dealing with the critters that attacked them.

Rarity froze her targets with shards of ice, Azure hacked his foes apart, La'nari loosed a few arrows into her targets, and even Sharva got involved, dancing around the spiders before slashing them apart, her daedric swords a flurry as she fought their foes, though after the second encounter Midnight stabbed a chaurus from behind and took it's head clean off.

"Well, this is a surprise. Welcome back." Capper said, which put a smile on his face as they regained themselves and stood off to the side, in an area where they wouldn't have to deal with the enemies that lived in the marsh, though he could tell that Midnight was thinking about whatever had happened to her, "What did they do to you?"

"I met their Leader, Astrid, and she told me that I owed them for killing Grelod." Midnight replied, where she reached into her pouch for a moment and withdrew three golden soul gems, confirming that the rings Capper had made for her and the rest of the group worked like a charm, which she handed to him without delay, "She and her partner, whoever it was, happened to have some guy who killed people during the war, a lady that apparently made some enemies in the past, and a khajiit who... well, has had a hand in a lot of dirty dealings. I was told that one of them had a contract on their head and that that person couldn't leave the shack, and at first I took the khajiit's life since he was the most suspicious of the three, but then I thought about the information the other two gave me and... I'm ashamed to admit it, but I took their lives as well, mostly to make sure I passed the test. Astrid then invited me to join the Dark Brotherhood, told me where the Sanctuary was and how to enter it... figured that I could check in with you guys, go check it out, and then decide whether or not to actually work with them after meeting the rest of the guild."

"Where is their base located?" Azure asked, because normally he would rush out and slaughter the underhanded guild with his own hand, but since he was okay with Capper owning the Thieves Guild, despite his thoughts on the guild, he felt that he would be fine with the assassins, as long as they weren't too bad.

"Outside Falkreath... like right outside the main town." Midnight stated, something that caused Capper to think of the side path leading down into the ground that they had noticed when they were helping Sharva recover the shards of Mehrunes' Razor, something none of them had actually investigated now that he thought about it.

"It's going to take some time for this Astrid to get back to the Sanctuary, so we can do something with our time." Capper said, as he expected that it would take a day, maybe a little more, for the Leader of the Dark Brotherhood to make her way down to Falkreath, to which he turned and started to head back to Morthal, his mind focused on what they could do to make sure Astrid had enough time to get home, "I've got it, we'll head back to Solitude and check out that haunted cave we overheard the Jarl and her court talking about... should check in with Falk before we do so, just so he knows that someone is taking care of it. We can check out the cave, clear it out, get the reward, and likely be back in Falkreath by the time Astrid arrives, then you can speak with them and figure out what you want to do with the Dark Brotherhood."

Midnight nodded for a moment, it was a fair assessment in her mind, before setting out with the group as they returned to Morthal, finding that none of the guards were up, or maybe there was a changing of the guard, thus allowing them to use a pair of Gates to get back to Solitude. There they found that some of the guards were watching the city that the Legion was operating in, even though none of them noticed their arrival, allowing them to head towards the Blue Palace once more, all while Capper wondered how much time this quest would eat up. Sure enough they found that Falk was an early worker and he was surprised to find that someone even wanted to clear out the cave, he didn't think it was worth their time, but he did feel that if they wanted to do so than they could go ahead and check it out. Following that they departed from the palace and made their way to the city gates, allowing Capper to bring the carriage back out once they were outside the city, allowing the group to rest up a little before they reached their destination, which was in the mountain beyond the abandoned temple one could see from the main road.

Capper had La'nari bring them up the main road a few minutes later and deviated from where the cave was located, as there was a side area he wanted to check out, a side cave below the building that the Thalmor had built, to which he had them pause for a moment. He discovered that the area he wanted to check out, which according to Mora's additions to his map had one of the Stones of Barenziah inside it, was just a small cave that didn't go anywhere, there was a single troll that was munching on someone's body, and there was an upper path that might lead into the embassy. Since he wasn't interested in the Thalmor right now, they hadn't annoyed him at all, he filed this information away for later and found a side portion that had a book for Rarity to learn from, a coin pouch, and the gem he was looking for, all of which he pocketed for later. Once he had the Stone in had he returned to the others, allowing them to head back down the road and spotted the cave that was called 'Wolfskull Cave'.

"Supposedly this place is connected to necromancy and Potema the Wolf Queen." Capper said, though as they made sure that the carriage was safe, that no one would notice it and try to steal it while they were inside the cave, he heard a creaking sound that reminded him of skeletons, and, sure enough, two skeletons emerged from the cave to fight them.

Azure slashed through them without wasting time, finding that both skeletons were shattered instantly and two golden soul gems landed on the ground for the Collectors to gather, causing him to glace at the others for a moment as they nodded, this was definitely a problem if the undead were coming back to life. With that in mind Azure took point as he marched into the cave, letting Sharva walk beside him while most of the others stayed in the shadows, keeping an eye on things as they quickly found that someone had been digging recently, rocks had been moved and a path had been formed. Sure enough the path brought them to a small camp that had two necromancers hanging out around a campfire, it was easy to tell due to their unique dark robes with skulls designs on the front, where La'nari put an arrow in one as Rarity ice spiked the second, before they could react. As Capper collected their golden soul gems, and passed some new tomes over to Rarity, Azure did open the nearby door and found that it brought them to another necromancer, who he beheaded, while leaving the pair of draugr to Sharva and Midnight, who fell in seconds.

"You know, it's hard to tell if these were weak draugr, or if we're just too strong now." Rarity commented, because she felt that the enemies in the cave weren't very impressive or very strong, though at the same time she glanced at the large hole that was in the center of the area that the third necromaner had been stationed in, because Capper was staring at it and what had to be down in the depths, "There's something down there, isn't there?"

"Yes, the soul of an incredibly powerful necromancer... Potema, no doubt." Capper replied, that was the only thing that made sense to him, based on the information they had been given, though at the same time that meant this was more important than they could have known, far more than Falk could have known based on the rumors he had been getting recently, to which he glanced at the others, "Come on, let's go."

The others nodded for a moment before they jumped down the short passage, landing on some stones a few moments later and headed down the path that was in front of them, which allowed them to access a massive underground chamber that had a long forgotten fort with a powerful font of necromantic power above the structure, with necromancers chanting about how they were calling Potema back into this world.

"Yep, that's definitely a problem." Capper commented, something that caused Azure to set down the path that was to their left so he could start their invasion of this area, because the sooner they dealt with the necromancers the sooner they were able to stop Potema from rising and doing whatever it was that she would do with a new body, before he tapped on the air for a moment, "Hey, Mora, who do necromancers worship?"

"It depends: some worship Mannimarco, the King of Worms, and some worship Molag Bal." Mora said, appearing from her Lord's personal Gate as Azure found a necromancer along the path he was following, taking off her head before she had a chance to summon aid or call for backup, though she and Midas stood there for a moment as she recalled something else that might interest him, "Once upon a time there used to be a Prince who was the 'Father of Necromancy', Malykriss he was called, and he stood as the Prince of Death... he, Xandria, Kaithe, and Nathrial fought each other over something in the past and they ended up wiping each other out. Mind you, we Daedric Princes cannot fully die, otherwise our Planes would vanish in due time and I've confirmed that their Planes are still out there, like how Mnemonic's realm of Deadlight is still there, even if he no longer has the power to rule his realm."

"So their souls are lost in the vastness of Oblivion... very interesting." Capper said, though at the same time Mora could see the gears turning in her Lord's head, he was imagining the potential alliances he could make if he found a way to reunite the four scattered Princes with their bodies, along with the addition of restoring Mnemonic's Plane and status to him, "You'll have to tell me more about them later, as all of them sound very interesting... would be interesting to know what caused the four of them to wage war with each other, and see if we can find Mnemonic."

In that moment Mora understood Nocturnal's concern, it was like their Lord wanted to seize control over ALL of Oblivion, as in all Princes and all Planes that they controlled, the mythical Daedric King she realized, but, at the same time, she decided not to say anything, to avoid giving Midas any additional ideas. With that in mind she returned to the Opulent Lands while Capper followed his companions down into the path they were following, where he found them fighting off another group of necromancers and the draugr they had raised to fight for them. This time around the necromancers were stronger than the ones they fought before coming down here, while at the same time the draugr seemed to be about the scourge level, which were stronger than the lesser ones that had been guarding the entrance, before Capper heard the Shouting that came from the Deathlords. Sure enough he found a few of the Deathlords walking down some stairs to where they were located, each of them wielding an ebony weapon like usual, though at the same time Sharva wasted no time in rushing up towards them as she swung her blades at one of them, while also resisting their Shouting as she used a 'Fus' every now and then.

That reminded Capper that they had to take her to the Throat of the World to visit the Greybeards, who he suspected were getting annoyed by the fact that she hadn't reacted to their summons, so he decided to remind himself that once they dealt with the Dark Brotherhood, in whatever manner they did, they'd deal with the Greybeards.

While they moved through the fort the group overheard the chanting of the necromancers, they were definitely trying to call Potema back to this world, in fact she understood that fact and seemed excited by the idea of returning to Skyrim, no doubt to continue whatever schemes she had been working on before her demise. As it turned out the necromancers were also trying to use the 'blood of the innocent' to bind Potema's soul to their wills, to make her their slave for their own schemes, a fact that caused the floating mass of necromantic energy, which definitely held the Wolf Queen's soul, to laugh at them as she informed them that they lacked the power to bind her. Upon hearing that Rarity glanced at Capper for a moment and he nodded his head, because if mortals lacked the power to actually bind Potema's soul than it stood to reason that the only ones that could deal with her were either vampires, since they dabbled in necromancy, or a Daedric Prince, and since Rarity didn't use such spells it was up to him to deal with her. At the same time he wasn't too sure if he wanted to tamper with the soul of Potema, she seemed like someone who might resist being a kobold, or whatever form she took since she seemed to be a unique soul in comparison to the others he had claimed, and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with her right now.

He was, however, more than willing to claim the ebony weapons that were in the possession of the Deathlords, plus the few staves that the necromancers had, since one had an icy one and one had a fireball staff, all of which he ensured were sent to his realm for later.

The higher up they got the stronger the necromacers got, which explained why they were able to command Deathlords, as these ones could sent out waves of frost magic at them and knew that killing the intruders was the most important thing for them right now. What they weren't expect was for Midnight to appear behind two of them and stab them in the backs, which served as a distraction for her to take their heads off, while Sharva and Azure dealt with the group of draugr so their items could be claimed by the Collectors. It wasn't long after that that the head necromancer, a woman by the sound of her voice, noticed that they were getting close to the ritual area and ordered the rest of her followers to attack them so she could focus on the ritual, no doubt to finish binding Potema so they could use her against them and whoever they were trying to bring down. He, Rarity, and Midnight made their move instantly as they jumped into the air and moved towards the top of the fort, two using their wings since Capper had none, where Rarity used her magic to freeze the woman's arms and legs, allowing Midnight to remove her head, even though Capper caught it and slipped the head out of the skull helmet that had been on her head, one made out of a troll skull and crystals.

With the ritual master defeated, however, the magic keeping Potema's soul contained shattered and it started to depart so Potema could return to either her body or her next vessel, where Capper raised his right hand towards the large soul and ensnared it with his magic without wasting time, causing her soul to be condensed into a golden soul gem that was tainted with black and dark green necromantic energy.

"It would seem that you were successful: you have acquired Potema's soul, and the Bloodworm Helm, an artifact associated with Mannimarco." Mora said, as she had been observing them and decided to come out after the battle was done, though at the same time she was surprised that the necromancers had such a powerful artifact in their possession, which was why Capper had the ritual master's floating nearby, "That explains why they were able to go after Potema's soul, they had such a powerful relic in their possession... and is also worrying, since many of Mannimarco's relics are unaccounted for... but at the very least you and your companions were able to save the day for Solitude. So, I dread to ask this, but what are you going to do with her soul?"

Capper stood there for a moment as the rest of the group dealt with the remaining necromancers, because Mora's question was very good, causing him to set the Bloodworm Helm down as he glanced at the area that the ritual master had been in a few seconds ago, to see if there was anything of hers that might inspire him. He found a glass bottle that seemed to be more akin to a more powerful mana potion, no doubt to enhance the ritual master's power for her foul ritual, before he glanced at Mora and found the remnants of a certain spell on her body, the one that prevented her from rebelling. Such a thing caused an idea to form in his mind as he considered what he was going to do, there was a way to do this that might work without him having to worry about someone trying to rebel and take over his realm while he was working on the guilds and the rest of the Holds. The downside to the idea was that Mora might go after Ithelia again, though at the same time he was hoping she had learned her lesson and wouldn't come after his Chamberlain again, and he could tell that Mora had an eyebrow raised as she wondered why he was looking at her.

"Mora, what would you do if I were to remove the portion of the spell that's stopping you from rebelling?" Capper asked, as he hadn't thought about that since the day Mora came and attacked Ithelia, he had been so busy that it had simply slipped from his mind, but now that he had thought about it again he figured he could see if she was going to remain loyal or if she was going to return to being a problem.

"Lord Midas, I know I originally disliked Ithelia, but you have my word that I will remain as your Archivist." Mora replied, due to the fact that there was so much she was learning from Midas and his companions, information that no one else had and secrets that were being revealed as they continued to interact with the world, especially since he made her think about the five other Princes that had been forgotten by most of them, before she realized why he had asked her this question.

Capper nodded as he held his hands out, letting Potema's soul gem float in front of him, where Mora watched as the lines on her body that represented the spell that prevented her from rebelling were lifted from her body and wrapped around the golden soul gem, telling her exactly what her Lord was doing. In the next moment Capper used his magic to pick up the glass container and altered it accordingly, reshaping it into something that could actually hold a soul and not shatter suddenly, to which Mora watched as it turned into a dark purple container with bone white markings. Mora recognized it immediately, it was a phylactery, something the powerful undead known as liches used to hide their souls, so that if their body was struck down they could go somewhere to hide before forming a new body, so if they were destroyed a lich would die. She realized that her Lord must have known about these from his world, or at found reference to them in something he had read since arriving on Nirn, but it wasn't long before he formed a new lich's phylactery and bound a portion of Potema's soul to it, like a way to control her.

In the next moment Capper focused on the tainted golden soul gem, watching as the wind kicked up as it transformed into Potema's new form, creating a female skeletal figure that floated above the ground, her torso and waist wrapped in what appeared to be cloth bindings with necromantic symbols on them. The figure had the skull of a wolf, or maybe werewolf was more accurate, with clawed skeletal hands, like a werewolf had been raised into undeath as a lich, and the power coming off of it was definitely on Potema's level, if not more so due to her newly ascended state. There were chains around her wrists, either part of becoming a lich or a symbol of her newfound bondage to Midas, yet Mora could see that the figure knew that she wouldn't be able to do much, like she understood the magic that was connected to her now. Potema floated there for a moment before bowing her head, confirming that she knew that there was nothing she could do against the power that had been wrapped around her soul, even though Mora also knew she would be looking for a way to get around this and rebel, or make a name for herself.

"Here, I trust you to hold onto this." Capper said, handing Potema's phylactery to Mora, who accepted it and stashed it away, and when he noticed her looking at her now empty space, where the binding spell had been located, he used a bit of power and reapplied it to the Prince, like Mora liked having that spell in place, "Potema, follow Mora to your new home. We'll be by later to talk."

Potema said nothing as she followed Mora, though at the same time Capper already had plans in his mind to fix things and bring order to the chaos that would be building right now, and he was interested in seeing what the other Princes had to offer and what the future might throw at them next.

Guild: Dark Brotherhood

After dealing with the ritual master and her necromancers, and securing Potema's soul in her new wolf lich form with Mora holding onto the phylactery that bound the vile figure, along with ensuring she didn't rebel, Capper let the Prince and their newest ally return to the Opulent Lands. He then looted the rest of the area, securing tomes and magical items, before they found their way back to the entrance of Wolfskull Cave and returned to their carriage without delay, where La'nari got them underway without wasting time, so they could deliver the news to Solitude. Of course Capper wasn't going to tell Falk about Potema being reborn in a brand new body, that would freak him and everyone else to no end, but they were going to make sure the news of the cave being cleared was delivered to him, since it would allow them to aid the Jarl. He wasn't sure what sort of job the Jarl might hand them, but if she gave them a personal favor that meant they were on the road to getting one of them to be a Thane, either him or Rarity, even though they might not have the power of the other Thanes.

The only reason he was interested in that was because it meant they might be able to purchase a house, which was where Mora's map told him that one of the last two Stones in this area was located, reminding him that he needed to steal the one in the Jarl's room later.

When they reached Solitude once more only he and Azure headed inside, since it would be a lot quicker that way, causing the pair to make their way towards the Blue Palace once more, again without being stopped since the guards seemed more interested in patrolling the city. Once inside the Jarl's palace they were able to find the Jarl, she was sitting on her throne in the upper level while Falk and the others talked around her, no doubt discussing a variety of topics, which was perfect since it looked like everyone was distracted. With that in mind Azure walked up to find Falk, so he could give him the good news, while at the same time Capper headed down the passage that was off to his left and made his way up to the upper floor, to approach the Jarl's bedroom from another direction. Fortunately, thanks to Elisif, Falk, and the rest of the court being totally distracted, and none of the guards even paying attention to the second floor, he was able to stroll into Elisif's bedroom and found that it was definitely a large place, with a bed that had been hers and her husband's.

Finding the Stone of Barenziah proved to be far too easy, it was on a nightstand and he swiped it without delay, he also took a few of Elisif's more expensive looking attire for Rarity, since he knew she loved this sort of thing, and once the items were stored away he retreated after making it look like no one had been in the room, allowing him to catch up to Azure as the warrior left the Blue Palace.

"You were right, Jarl Elisif asked me for a favor: she wants the war horn of her husband delivered to a shrine of Talos, since they were unable to honor the Ninth Divine during his funeral." Azure softly said, keeping his voice low so only Capper could hear him, while at the same time displaying the elegant ivory war horn that was part tool of war and part art piece, where Capper spun it around in his hand before attaching a faint spell to it and handed it back to Azure, "She whispered that there is one outside Whiterun that is well hidden, that we might be able to place it on as an offering."

"Good to know. We'll be heading by there soon, no doubt, so we can make a pit stop there... the spell is designed to let me know when someone steals it." Capper replied, because he wanted the war horn for his collection, though this time he felt that showing some restraint would be best so he could steal it from whoever stole it from the shrine, since he knew such a thing was going to happen after they dropped it off, "This job should put us in Elisif's good graces, enough for her to let one of us become a Thane of her Hold and purchase the house that's available... Rarity might like the house, honestly, plus it would give us a base of operations and lets me acquire one of the missing Stones."

Azure said nothing to that, this was what he had come to expect from Capper, everything he did was a step towards another plan, another goal, and with every step taken he knew that the newfound Daedric Prince would make another one for any of his various plans, because for every step he took he planned two more in it's place. He was like the other Princes, thinking and planning ahead to make sure everything went his way, yet he cared more about his people and the mortals of Nirn, but he decided not to speak up as they headed outside and regrouped with the others. Once they were back with the others the carriage started moving without delay, allowing them to share the information they had received from Elisif, about where they would be going soon and what they would be doing, while Capper let Rarity take her new stuff to her residence in the Golden City, as Capper was calling his capital. At the same time he made sure that the Stone was placed with the others, but it did cause him to do something else as well, he called upon the shadowy kobolds and a number of Collectors, allowing him to hand out maps with areas that held the other Stones circled, as he was going to send them after the ones they didn't have right now, save for the last in Solitude and the one right outside Falkreath.

Following that they started to make their way back to Whiterun by using the road, as they were still giving Astrid the time she needed to get back to the Sanctuary, though at the same time La'nari, Rarity, and the others knew that this would be a quick ride since the road had been cleared a few times before.

Sure enough there weren't any enemies for them to worry about, at least not bandits based on what they could see of the bandit toll area, though they were interrupted by an interesting arrival, a green scaled dragon roared at them from the air, it was just flying above them, and released a torrent of flames on them, which was stopped by an icy barrier. Capper found that it was Rarity who made the initial move, she had noticed the beast coming and moved to intercept, and once the dragon stopped it's attack Rarity, Sharva, La'nari, and Midnight removed themselves from the carriage, leaving him, Azure, and their collective kobolds to watch the carriage. Rarity formed icy platforms for the others to use as they leapt into the air, reaching the dragon in no time, surprising the beast in the process, where Sharva slashed at it's right wing and cut through the scales, while Midnight delivered a similar cut to the other wing. This allowed La'nari to loose some arrows into the air, targeting the dragon's eyes and found that her arrows reached their mark without delay, causing the beast to roar in anger as it loosed a burst of fire on those it was fighting, but Rarity, seeing it coming, used her magic to create icy barriers around them, saving them from the attack so they could go on the offensive once more.

"You know, I think it might be getting to be time for us to start splitting up again." Azure remarked, where he found that the four fighters brought down the dragon in no time at all, one was simply far stronger in magic than she had been previously, one was the ever-growing Dragonborn, one was an excellent archer, and the last was basically an assassin who struck out at weak points, and Rarity caught them as the dragon collapsed on the ground in a heap, "Give the others a chance to shine without someone stealing their thunder."

"Agreed. I'll pitch the idea to the others later." Capper replied, where he climbed off the carriage and walked over to where the others were standing, allowing him and Sharva to stand in front of the dragon to see if the past was going to repeat itself for them, and, sure enough, he was proven right, the dragon's soul was turned into a large golden soul gem while it's innate knowledge flowed into Sharva's body, "This is what I like to see: another dracthyr, coming right up."

Sure enough the others watched as a green scaled dracthyr formed from the large golden soul gem, who was surprised by what was going on, and once that was done Capper collected the bones and scales that were left behind, though he did stop for a moment as he considered something. That happened to be the gear for the dracthyr, because in their new form they were like an honor guard, like the Saints and Seducers from the Shivering Isles, and they deserved their own set of armor and weapons to go with such a position. Sharva, of course, was going over the new information that had been given to her, as each dragon she gained the power of strengthened her understanding of how they Shouted, though it was hard to say what sort of Shout she might have unlocked from this encounter. It made him think about their promise to her, to take her to the Throat of the World to meet up with the Greybeards, who had to be getting annoyed by her delay, but for right now it seemed like she was focused on helping them with their own missions.

Once the new dracthyr was with her new kin in the Opulent Lands, of which there were only two right now, and Capper put away all of the components, he regrouped with his companions and they continued towards Whiterun, allowing them to just talk among themselves and relax for a time.

Eventually they made their way to the area that was outside Balgruuf's city and passed by the entrance, since this time they didn't have to head inside, before heading towards the north for a moment, following the small map that was tucked away inside the ivory war horn, a way for Elisif to tell them where it was without actually mentioning it. As such they headed off on the right side of the area and made their way back towards Fellglow Keep, since it was on the way there, and, sure enough, they located the shrine to Talos that was tucked away in a cave that was like an alcove. It was a simple matter to place the horn in front of the statue, just as Elisif asked, though there was some terrible timing as a trio of Thalmor turned the corner and attacked them, thinking that they were Talos worshipers, an incorrect assumption since they could have been simple explorers. Capper wasted no time in drawing his blades and sliced through them, turning them into three piles of gems and coins, allowing the Collectors to gather them up as he turned the slain Thalmor's souls into three new kobolds and sent all of them into the Opulent Lands as well, to join their new brethren.

Once that was done, and they were sure that they had done their job, they returned to the carriage and made their way back to Falkreath, once more taking the road since there was no reason for them to use the Gates, not since they were giving the Leader of the Dark Brotherhood time to get back to her Sanctuary.

As it turned out there was no one one the road for them to worry about, they were able to relax, stop at Riverwood for a bit of food, while Capper noticed the female innkeeper almost glaring at them and silently assigned a shadowy kobold to watch her and this place, before they got on their way. They did deviate from the path a bit as Capper had them move up towards Helgen, where they got another look at the destroyed town, though this time he just made his way over to the ruined inn and jumped up onto the second story, where he found several bottles of juniper mead. Sharva had mentioned it at one point in the past, something that the innkeeper had been making before Alduin came and crushed this place, so he tracked down all of the bottles that remained and moved into the Opulent Lands, handing them over to the brewmaster kobold, a male who enjoyed making mead, ale, and other drinks. Once that was done he returned to the others and they departed from the ruined town, allowing them to head down the path and continued back towards Falkreath, giving the group some time to just to relax and rest up for whatever happened next.

Eventually they reached the outskirts of Falkreath and continued down the road, passing by where they encountered Barbas previously, before stopping on the side of the road as Midnight headed down the side path and stopped in front of the black door, which eventually let her inside when she spoke the correct passphrase.

"So, what are we going to do about this 'guild'?" Rarity asked, because from what she could tell the Dark Brotherhood was far weaker than the rest of the Guilds that Capper had now gained control of, even though he technically only owned one since she and Azure were high up in the ranks of their respective orders, so he had influence in hers and Azure's, "If they're hiding in a small cave under the road they won't be able to do much for you."

"This is true, and for right now I will leave that decision up to Midnight. If she wants to work with them, I shall step out of the way and allow her to do so... if she dislikes them, we crush them." Capper replied, it was a simple truth, especially since they had the passphrase and could center the Sanctuary whenever they wanted, so if Midnight wished the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood they could smash them with ease, thus allowing him to set in motion his own plan, "I've already got an idea for my own assassins guild, if we have to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, what I'm thinking of calling the 'Gilded Blades', and that's just the start... but, like I said, it all depends on what Midnight says."

Rarity and Azure glanced at each other for a moment, because this meant that Capper had already envisioned a number of different divisions for his realm, no doubt for all of the different types of lifestyles they were discovering, because now there were thieves, mages, assassins, miners, warriors, and the dracthyr as his honor guard. At this point they weren't even a tad bit surprised by this discovery and should have seen it coming, though they were sure that Capper had plans to build up his newfound divisions, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned it in the slightest. Rarity also suspected that he was going to use the information obtained from the Dark Brotherhood to further his understanding of the guild and create his own rules for his own assassins guild, or at least an assassins division if Midnight decided to keep these people alive. Other than that there didn't seem to be much for them to worry about, the area was clear of enemies and there weren't any patrols for them to talk to, allowing her and the others to continue to rest and relax, even though Capper was focused on thinking about what to make in his realm.

Eventually Midnight returned and climbed into the back of the carriage, where they found that she now possessed the attire of a Dark Brotherhood assassin, the same black and red gear that they had seen on the unfortunate assassins that had died after attacking them, and she handed Capper the Stone of Barenziah that had been in the Sanctuary.

"So, there are seven members of this 'Family': you have Astrid, then there's her werewolf husband, an argonian who claimed he's a Shadowscale, a dark elf, an old nord mage, a redguard, and a child vampire." Midnight stated, as she knew what to say after returning to the group, allowing Capper to understand the power that the small guild had to offer, while at the same time they could see that she was thinking about the information she had gleamed from the others, "There's a Word Wall in the Sanctuary... but, to be honest, I'm undecided on whether or not we should cut them down. Apparently they're gathering contracts by word of mouth, hearing rumors about who might have performed the ritual the boy in Windhelm had been said to be performing, and right now all of their contracts are minor... in fact, I have three: a miner in Dawnstar, an ex-miller that is on the way to Windhelm, and a beggar living at the base of the Throat of the World."

"So, follow the trail of targets, maybe take them out, and bring Sharva to the Greybeards while we're there." Capper said, to which he turned towards La'nari and she nodded as she directed the carriage on the path towards Dawnstar, because this would give Midnight time to consider whether or not they should strike down the Dark Brotherhood, since she was on the fence right now.

He still found the assortment of individuals in the Sanctuary to be quite weird, it sounded like a gathering of misfits, and that made him all the more curious about what Midnight might decide about them later, plus he was curious as to what Sharva might discover when they reached High Hrothgar, making him eager to see what the coming days held in store for them.

Guild: To High Hrothgar

Capper stared at the path that was in front of them as La'nari got them underway, his mind wondering about the couple of assassins that made up the Dark Brotherhood, though in the end he returned that idea to it's shelf, because it depended on what Midnight decided about them. With that in mind he focused on the main thing that was happening right now, as some of the shadowy kobolds returned from the areas that were nearby, in terms of where the remaining Stones were located, as the ones on the eastern side of Skyrim, for example, were still busy. Those from the western and southern sides had loot for him to look through, namely their Stones of Barenziah which he added to the collection, and some had some decent hauls, either in terms of magical items, tomes and books, or even usable items for his realm. As such he, Mora, and Ithelia went over the loot that was brought in when a group of kobolds returned, the gold coins, gems, and ingots going into his Vault as usual while the rest of the loot was distributed to the rest of the city for the other kobolds to use.

When they got near Labyrinthian, as La'nari was cutting through the mountain without going around the long way, Capper found that one group returned with a unique looking wizard's staff, in fact the top looked like a phylactery of some kind, but he confirmed that there was no soul inside it and stored it with the rest of the staffs he had gathered so far. He made sure to remove each collected Stone from his main map, just to remind him of which ones they needed to obtain and which ones had been claimed, and it was quickly reaching the single digits, with only the Solitude Stone and a few others left. They did stop in the middle of the old stone city, as that was what Labyrinthian must have been at one point, to get something to eat, just to relax and stretch their legs for a time, but they were able to do so in peace since no one had moved in since they last came through this area. Once that was done La'nari found the path out and returned to the northern road, allowing them to head towards Dawnstar at long last, and along the way Capper found two more groups returning, both having dealt with a necromancer in some manner, both having claimed their Stone, and one had a unique looking flute.

In addition to collecting the Stones Capper used his power on the golden soul gems, as the kobolds seemed to be able to produce them without needing his ring, meaning they were definitely his people, to make more residents for his realm, and it wasn't long before they reached Dawnstar.

"So, we're looking for one of the miners, correct? Shouldn't be too hard to find them." Rarity remarked, though at the same time most of them remained with the carriage, as there was no reason for everyone to search the small town for whoever Midnight had been sent to eliminate.

"Yeah, I'll find Beitild and deal with her. Shouldn't be too long." Midnight said, climbing off the carriage as she headed into the port town, leaving the others to rest, relax, and do whatever they wanted while they waited for her to return with news of her success in this task.

"Mora, I've been thinking about something: sometime after we regrouped with Sharva, after she hunted down her target, we encountered tracks that were a combination of vampire and werewolf." Capper commented, thinking that it was time to tell the Prince of Knowledge about this discovery, and he could see that Mora appeared inside the carriage to listen to what he had to say, while the others split between watching for Midnight and relaxing, "What do you make of this?"

"It shouldn't be possible. What you're suggesting would be a 'werepyre', a myth... Molag is the Father of Vampires, while Hircine is the same for werewolves, and they'd never work together." Mora remarked, but even as she said that she had to wonder about the information her Lord had obtained, because it seemed like his presence might be causing more changes than any of them had assumed, making her wonder if such a creature might be possible, "But if you are right, well, such a creature would likely have the strengths of both beings, and none of their various weaknesses... a killing machine that would be a danger to everyone."

Capper nodded as he remained on the carriage, before he decided that it was time to do something he had put off for some time, which was help the couple of kobolds that were their personal companions, like Tri Ki, compose a letter to the agent in the Thalmor Embassy, Alerion he was called. This was due to the fact that he had been interested in the new Prince that had made himself known, since Capper and the others kept pretending that 'Midas' was someone else, and they hadn't sent him anything so far, so he figured it was about time to do so. Capper decided to set his 'Summoning Day' in Second Seed, though he did have to think about a proper 'quest' for those who wanted to approach his statues for one of his artifacts, and it came with a unique idea, he was planning on making a number of unique artifacts, he would have four once they finished making the tome and the unique satchel, so the quest would depend on which relic the summoner wanted. By the time he finished with the kobolds, and shared information with Mora so she knew everything that was going on, especially since she knew all of the dates and made sure his Summoning Day didn't land on the date of another one.

After that they found that Midnight returned to the carriage and allowed them to depart for their next destination, which was the mill down the road from Windhelm, and while they were on the road she informed them that she had found Beitild inside her mine, near the entrance, which was why it had been an easy job.

During this portion of their journey they found that there were definitely groups of Imperials and Stormcloaks out, both of them continuing their pointless information gathering while they waited for Jarl Balgruuf to make up his mind on which side he wanted to join. Capper and the others had to wonder what in the world they were waiting for, as it seemed reasonable to assume that either could move and invade the city while the other was just sending couriers, meaning that the tide of the war could be changed in an instant if one side made the first move. He knew that some of the warriors might see that as a disgraceful thing, since the Jarl had yet to pick a side, but he figured that Balgruuf's neutrality could only last for a specific amount of time before either or both sides got tired of his attitude and made their move. Even the others had no idea what the two factions were waiting for, even La'nari, who was used to living in Skyrim, was lost and confused by this reasoning, a fact that made them travel in silence for a time since no one had anything good to offer to that topic.

"You know, given Alduin's return, and the people know a Dragonborn is somewhere in Skyrim, maybe the Imperials and the Stormcloaks are waiting for me to make a decision." Sharva remarked, something that caused the group to think about her comment for a moment, because to Capper it made sense, the nords put a lot of focus on their traditions and, despite not carrying about the legends, even the Imperials had some respect for what the Stormcloaks believed in, even if they didn't want them to worship Talos, "If that's the case, we control the pacing of the war... and once I decide which side to join I'm sure the war will begin in earnest."

"It's a reasonable assumption... I suspect Ulfric, at the very least, is waiting for the Dragonborn to come to him, even though he'll be disappointed to learn that you're a khajiit." Capper stated, as Ulfric and most of the Stormcloaks were racists, that he and the others knew, so they would be thrown into either a panic or a murderous frenzy when they learned who their grand hero really was, before he glanced up at the sky for a moment, "At the very least Tullius didn't seem like he'd be annoyed by such a thing... in fact, if you talked to him, he might just be happy to have another soldier in the army. Honestly, I doubt think any of us are going to side with Ulfric, because he seems like the type to try and expel everyone who isn't a nord if he gained full control over the province... I guess it's something we can talk about in more detail at some point."

"Later. I don't care enough right now." Sharva said, though the look on her face suggested that she didn't care about Ulfric or his Stormcloaks either, making him and the others wonder what else she might have been through before they caught up with her again, as it seemed like something else might have happened before they found her after she killed her target.

Capper nodded as they continued down the main path and headed for Windhelm, since Midnight's second target was near the city based on what her contact inside the Sanctuary had told her, where they passed by the camps that the Seducer clan of bandits had been stationed in. There was nothing else for them to loot from those areas, as Capper had cleared them out in the past, either with his own hands or by the Collectors that he had sent out to scour the land for information, so La'nari followed the path as they found that the road was bringing them to the mill. What was interesting was that they passed by the figure that was camping by the river, the waterfall section anyway, and Midnight realized that he looked exactly like the description she had been given on her second target. It meant the figure had been paranoid and likely left his job to avoid being assassinated, though he didn't look very impressive from afar, though he hardly noticed the carriage coming and that was more than enough for Midnight to slip in, slit his throat, and collect his golden soul gem after the body hit the ground with a soft thud.

With the deed done the group continued down the road once more, though this time around La'nari focused on heading to Riften, since it happened to be the best route to take to reach Iverstead, which rested at the base of the Throat of the World, the mountain that High Hrothgar rested on. Capper also knew that this would allow him to visit the Thieves Guild, check in with Brynjolf and the others, maybe check out the tribute chest while he was at it, before they continued on their way to their final destination, for Midnight's contracts anyway. On the way to Riften they discovered a vampire standing over a pair of dead travelers, farmers by their outfits, likely fleeing an area that a dragon must have been in, but Rarity simply sprung up behind the vampire and drained the figure of all it's blood, sating her thirst once more, before looting the corpse and then set it on fire, as was her custom. Other than that there wasn't much else for them to do while on the road, though Sharva did focus on the dragon sounds while they traveled, keeping herself ready in case another one decided to attack them, purely to defend the carriage from an attack.

In the end it was nighttime when they reached Riften, to which Capper let the others use the Gate to head into the Golden City, to their residences, while he checked on the Guild for a time, just to see how they were doing, chat with them, and get his share of the spoils before returning to his realm.

There was a fair amount of gold and gems inside the tribute chest, his cut of the spoils from what the rest of the thieves did, and he pocketed the loot before he focused on tracking down the ones he wanted to check in with, as he wanted to check in with Brynjolf, Tonillia, and maybe Karliah. What he discovered was that Karliah, despite being accepted into the Guild, spent her nights in the hidden hall of the Nightingales, which was outside Riften, no doubt because it was her calling despite being a thief at heart as well. Brynjolf was up for having a chat with him, allowing Capper to learn about the new recruits that were joining the Guild, some passing and some perishing because they failed to pass the first night test Vex had come up with to be sure they were hiring skilled thieves and not novices. Of course this meant the ones who failed ended up dead, which caused Capper to decide to assign one of the kobolds to Riften, to collect the souls of the slain thieves for him, though after that he checked in with Tonillia, sold her a few of the items none of his group needed, and headed back to his realm.

Once morning was upon them he and the others had a light breakfast before departing from Riften, where Capper ensured that the group of kobolds, seven of them, knew what to do and even arranged for them to have ownership of Mercer's old place, since Maven was letting the Guild have the house for some reason.

Following that they headed out through the other gate, found an area to summon the carriage in, and were on their way in no time at all, allowing them to enjoy the early morning while traveling down the road, the only dangers being some bears and the occasional spider. One thing Capper noticed was the orc stronghold that happened to have a dead giant outside it, though this time it looked like the orcs had survived without being harmed, and based on their constant troubles Capper had a feeling that speaking to them might bring them into contact with Malacath. Instead of worrying about that, since he had enough to worry about with the Princes he was connected to or had connections to, he focused on the road and found that nothing happened, no thieves came after them, no assassins were laying in wait, and the few animals knew not to bother the group. With that in mind it took them no time at all to reach Iverstead, where it was clear that the guards were still getting up and there was a burned down house on the other side of the river, plus there was a burrow, an inn, a mill, and a couple of houses, but Midnight pointed out the beggar by the destroyed house.

Since that was her target the others crossed over to the other side of the river, crossing a stone bridge in the process, before Midnight found the beggar and mercifully ended his life before the guards even realized it had happened, allowing her to catch up with the others as Capper dismissed the carriage.

"It's time to climb the Seven Thousand Steps and see what the Greybeards want." Sharva said, as she knew that this was her time to shine, this was her event and she was grateful for the group bringing her to the mountain at long last, before she took a deep breath before taking the first step forward as everyone else followed after her.

The reason Capper sent the carriage away was because he knew the path wouldn't allow such a thing, even though he also knew that a single horse would be able to walk along the Steps with ease, but at the same time he was fine with this since it meant they could get some actual exercise in since most of them had been riding for a long time. Azure did spot some stone tablets off to the side of the path, which seemed to be written in what Sharva identified as the Dragon Language, which she could read thanks to her Dragonborn abilities, despite there being a translated version off to the side of each one for those who didn't know this language. In addition to that there were a few random critters for them to deal with, such as a couple of spiders, a few wolves, a pair of saber cats, and even an ice wraith, causing Sharva and Azure to slash through their foes, La'nari to put an arrow in hers, Rarity to freeze the ones coming at her, and Midnight stabbing hers in the back, all while the kobolds did their best to aid them as well. The only foe they weren't expecting was the frost troll that was higher up, when they had already expanded a decent amount of energy to reach that point, but Capper drew his blades and cut it down so his Collectors could collect the treasure it produced.

Following that they found their way to a nicely carved stone structure that was definitely made out of the mountain's stone, but seemed imposing and official, where Sharva steeled herself as she stepped inside, the others passing through the iron doors and found a number of carved statues that looked like dragons, to a degree, with four grey robed monks walking into the entry chamber.

"So... a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the Age." one of the monks, the youngest based on what the rest of the group was seeing, said, while he and his order looked at the rest of the group for a moment, appearing to silently converse with each other without moving their lips much, before he turned back towards them, "And you have brought such interesting companions with you... but we must see if you truly are Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice!"

Capper knew the Greybeards were surprised by Sharva's appearance, her ashen fur, the crimson lines of daedric lettering all over her body, and her daedric swords, but for the most part they were willing to accept her and her companions, though in the following moment Sharva released a Fus that staggered the speaker for a couple of seconds.

"Dragonborn, it is you... Welcome to High Hrothgar, I am Master Arngeir, and I speak for the Greybeards." the monk said, to which he and his fellow monks noticed something almost immediately, Sharva seemed to become more nervous, maybe even submissive, at the mention of him being a 'master', "What is doing on? What is wrong, Dragonborn?"

"I... Capper, could you...?" Sharva inquired, which was something that Capper was expecting, Sharva wasn't fully free from being Dagon's slave, as she had spent so long being under his thumb that even being told that she was free didn't seem to break the chains that were still connected to her, so Arngeir's title was messing with her.

"Certainly." Capper replied, where he walked over to where the monks were standing while Rarity started to speak to Sharva, no doubt to ease her out of the barriers she had instantly thrown up after discovering this information, especially since she didn't react much to when the kobolds and the other Princes referred to Capper as their 'Lord', before he lowered his voice as he stopped in front of the Greybeards, "Sharva's... well, she's had a rough life, being enslaved by Dagon for almost her entire life, so to her the title 'Master' is the one that owns her and, given who actually owns her soul, she's learned a number of things, while also subconsciously becoming submissive when speaking to a 'Master'."

"I see. She needs to know the meaning of the word is different when dealing with us." Arngeir said, showing that he clearly understood the situation, even though he was also surprised that such a whipped warrior was the one chosen to be the Dragonborn, allowing Capper to stand to the side with the others as the monk faced Sharva once more, "Dragonborn, to us the word 'master' is more akin to 'teacher', as we are here to teach you how to wield your powers, not control your fate and make you bend the knee."

Sharva nodded as she tried to focus on the new version of the word, reminding Capper that they needed to find some way to break Dagon's hold on her, truly break it so she could fully live her life without fear of him dragging her back down, only for Arngeir to get started on the lesson he had in mind. Apparently the Greybeards had heard the first moment Sharva had Shouted, using the knowledge of the dragon she had slain to project her Voice into a Thu'um, or Shout, and that the word she knew, Fus, meant 'Force' in the Dragon Language, and when combined with 'Ro', or 'Balance', the Unrelenting Force Shout would become even stronger. One of the monks said something and the word appeared on the floor, allowing Sharva to absorb it just by looking at it, though they also granted her the knowledge on how to properly use this World of Power, to which she spent the next few moments going 'Fus... Ro' at spectral Greybeards that were her targets. This impressed her mentors, since this was the first time they were teaching someone with the Dragonblood in them, and that caused the monks to bring them outside, to a courtyard with a path leading to the top of the mountain, with an odd gate to the left and a lone tower near the windy path.

This was training to use an entirely new Shout, one called 'Whirlwind Sprint', and the first Word was 'Wuld', 'Whirlwind' as he told them, and, sure enough, she was able to learn the Word just by staring at what one of the Greybeards created on the ground, while the knowledge was granted to her by her mentors. Following that there was a demonstration for her, one of the Greybeards opened the gate and another one rushed off like he was spurned by the wind itself, passing through the iron gate before it closed, something that caused Arngeir to instruct Sharva. Of course she did look back at the group, who gave her smiles and nods of encouragement, before she stood next to her new mentor and took a deep breath to focus her mind, so when the gate opened she could unleash the power of her new Shout. Capper watched as she rushed through the gate before it closed on her, showing them that her abilities of the Dragonborn definitely allowed her to do much more than what the Greybeards had been expecting, as Arngeir looked like they had been planning to teach her for weeks, not minutes.

It made him curious about what Mora had said, that Sharva's fate was to save the world, and how Sharva knew it would be up to her to stop the war, though they waited for her to come back to where everyone else was standing, though it did look like Arngeir had something else to say.

"We have more to teach you, Dragonborn, but first we have a trial for you: retrieve the horn of Jurgen Windcaller, he who founded our order, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav." Arngeir said, where he noted that Sharva was focusing on the mentor part of his title still, thus allowing her to focus on what this meant and not what she had been trained to do when she encountered someone with his title, meaning traveling with the group was good for her, "This is just a test of your skills, Dragonborn, and when you return we will teach you the final Word in Unrelenting Force."

Sharva nodded as she regrouped with Capper and the others, after discovering that Ustengrav was located near Morthal, giving them another tomb to clear out in the future, something that made them all curious as to what the future held in store for them and the rest of Skyrim.

Guild: First Major Contract

After Sharva was done learning from the Greybeards, and they learned that no more answers would be given until she had returned with the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the group departed from High Hrothgar without wasting another moment, as they had only be allowed inside for the introduction lessons.

"I suspect that when we return with the Horn they'll welcome you for real, maybe open their home to you... I'm assuming for training purposes, to help you focus your Thu'um." Capper said, speaking as they started down the Steps, putting a bit of distance between them and the monastery that the Greybeards lived in before doing so, though he found that none of them were remotely tired, which was understandable since one was a vampire, another was a werewolf, he was a Daedric Prince, and then there was the Dragonborn, so La'nari was keeping up nicely, "Sharva, what do you feel like doing?"

"Let Midnight do her thing... the Horn can wait for a few more days." Sharva replied, as she was more interested in seeing what decision their friend might make in regards to the Dark Brotherhood, would she betray them and destroy the group of small time assassins, or would she follow them and see where their guild ended up, while at the same time she was eager to see what else Capper might have them do, given the vastness of Skyrim.

Capper nodded as they focused on the path, Rarity and Mah Oh creating floating orbs of light to make sure they could see the path in front of them, since night was falling on Skyrim, though he knew it was about time for them to head back to the Golden City to rest up. Since they had cleared out the Steps on the way up the group was able to make their way down in a much quicker and safer fashion, thus allowing them to reach Iverstead in no time at all, though while they were still coming down the mountainside he noticed something odd. There were two individuals walking into Iverstead as well, who seemed to be wearing strange robes, dark brown colored with a bronze right shoulder and a pair of bronze gloves, both scaled like a dragon, and they wore these strange masks. He glanced at the others and found that they were surprised by the arrival of these figures, though at the same time each of them remained at the ready, because he suspected they were going to try and stop them for some reason, it just seemed like something that would happen.

Fortunately it looked like most of the citizens of the village had returned to their homes for the night, meaning they didn't have to worry about anyone getting caught in whatever was about to happen, and, sure enough, the pair stopped just on the other side of the bridge, so they had no choice but to speak with them.

"You there, khajiit! Are you the one they call 'Dragonborn'?" one of the figures asked, where they found that this figure was male while the other was female, it was easy thanks to their bodies, though at the same time it looked like the second one might be getting her weapon ready, like she was expecting them to say yes.

"Does it matter if I say 'yes' or 'no'? You're clearly here for me." Sharva replied, showing them that while she had accepted her destiny as the Dragonborn, even though it had come as a shock to her when she first learned that fact, she had also come to accept that certain people thought of her in different ways, and these ones seemed to be aggressive, hence why she was already reaching for her blades.

"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver, for the True Dragonborn comes... you are but his shadow!" the figure, a cultist based on what Capper was seeing and hearing right now, stated, though at the same time both he and his companion started to pull out their weapons, daggers, with a spell in their off hand, showing them that they were ready for a fight, "When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness to his glory!"

Sure enough the cultists summoned a pair of flame atronachs, which flipped around as they came into existence, though in the following moment Mah Oh froze one of them with a wave of ice while Rarity slammed a palm full of lightning right into her target's chest, shocking the cultist into submission. Of course she used that opportunity to drain her foe of her blood, before snapping the cultist's neck and allowing Capper to look into what the figure had on her, while Sharva moved on the other one, ducking under his fireballs without wasting time. She was able to dodge around the cultist's attacks before she swung one of her blades and took his hand clean off, and when he staggered backwards she struck his chest area, dropping him to one knee so she could sever her foe's head. Capper found that there was a letter, a command order from the one called 'Miraak', where the pair had been ordered to travel to Raven Rock, use a boat there to get to Windhelm, and then find the 'False Dragonborn' and murder her before Sharva traveled to Solstheim.

After reading the note, and acquiring the goods from the pair of cultists, which turned out to be a collection of herbs, one had a staff they never used, some daggers, and a new book for Rarity, Capper summoned the carriage as Rarity burned the bodies, allowing them to head around the Throat of the World to return to Falkreath.

"Mora, we were attacked by some cultists seeking to kill Sharva, under orders from a 'Miraak'. Know anything about him?" Capper asked, because he had a feeling that Mora had some knowledge for them, since she had been using Ithelia's power before he brought Ithelia back as the Prince of Fate, so he was assuming that the Prince of Knowledge had seen Miraak at one point before he came into the picture.

"Yes, Miraak is my champion... an apprentice, really... but no such order was handed to him." Mora replied, looking over the orders that they had obtained from the cultists, where it was easy for Capper to see that the other Prince was disappointed in her current apprentice, no doubt because she liked having him around and wasn't pleased with Miraak going after Sharva like this, "He is contained in my realm of Apocrypha, but he has long been interested in Solstheim... he is no doubt seeking to return to his homeland and reclaim control of his destiny, and is likely worried about Sharva coming to challenge him, or he intends for this to be a challenge to her so he can claim her soul and it's power. He is the First Dragonborn, and his power is far beyond what Sharva possesses right now."

"Great, so we have the World-Eater to worry about, an ancient clan of vampires annoyed by the Dawnguard, and now the First Dragonborn wants me dead..." Sharva commented, her tone informing them that she was definitely annoyed by this, as they knew about the first and third foes thanks to everything they had discovered, while the second was something they had guessed at after everything they had learned so far, "Being the Dragonborn sounds incredibly exhausting."

Mora offered to return to Apocrypha and deal with Miraak personally, though Capper decided to hold off on that, because it seemed like the figure had no idea what was going on outside the realm he was trapped in, and whatever access he had to this realm seemed to be limited to Solstheim. This meant that they had time to deal with Alduin, at the very least, and maybe look into the vampire threat when they had time to do so, possibly even crush them if they were lucky, before Miraak even realized that his cultists had been slain and that Sharva knew of his existence. If things worked out that way Capper knew when it came time to head to the island of Solstheim they could surprise him and deal with him before doing anything else, or he and Mora could just move into Apocrypha instead of worrying about the island. Fortunately he wasn't too worried or stressed for time, because it seemed like Alduin really wasn't doing anything right now, save for finding the graves of the dragons and raising them, but even then he seemed to be taking his sweet time, so they had time to finish up with the Dark Brotherhood before going after him and the Horn.

With that in mind they focused on the path that was ahead of them, slipped through Helgen when they reached it, and went down the main path that would bring them to Falkreath, though since there was no one in their way La'nari brought them to the edge of the city, allowing them to dismiss the carriage and use the Gate to head to the Golden City.

When morning arrived Midnight left the Opulent Lands once everyone was done with breakfast, allowing them to step out into Falkreath in the early morning, where the guards were being lazy due to being totally tired from their night shift, which allowed her to head out into the area that held the Black Door. This time around Capper let the others relax around the city, it was better than just waiting in the carriage for someone to return, while he slipped in through the door after Midnight kept it open for him, the door didn't even react to his presence. With his status as a Daedric Prince he decided to make himself invisible to those that were in the Sanctuary, allowing him to glance around the area and listen to what Midnight might have to do next, since there was no telling with Astrid right now. He did spot a Word Wall for Sharva to read from, something they would have to come back for later, though at the same time it looked like Cicero, the jester that Midnight helped out outside Whiterun, was a member of the Dark Brotherhood and was speaking to Astrid.

From what he gathered Cicero had brought the 'Night Mother' here, like he was seeking a new place to live after what had happened to him before this point, and yet most of the Sanctuary seemed to be divided on the matter, half approving of the arrival of such a figure, a corpse, while the others weren't thrilled. Astrid was hoping that this didn't change anything for her Sanctuary, that much was clear to him and Midnight, though at the same time she did have a contract for Midnight, where she was to head to Markarth and speak to the girl that was the apothecary's assistant. This meant that it was hard for the Dark Brotherhood to get contracts since it seemed like this young woman had been praying for some time now, and Astrid had only just now heard of it, though that was what happened when they were missing the 'Listener', they who heard the voice of the Night Mother. Capper glanced at Midnight when he heard that piece of information, because since he, Rarity, and Azure were high ranking members of their particular Guilds, even the leader in his case, he suspected Midnight might be the missing link for the Dark Brotherhood, and he was interested in what it might mean.

Midnight did turn in the contracts she had completed so far, earning a bit of gold for herself in the process despite Nazir, the redguard, seemed to have a few remarks for her after she turned in each one, causing Midnight to turn away after that and she left the Sanctuary, allowing Capper to slip out with her.

"Well then, we'll make this easy: head through the Gates and see what this Muiri wants." Capper commented, where he and Midnight regrouped with the others, allowing Midnight to share the plan with their friends as they used the Falkreath Gate to head back to the Golden City, before using the Markarth Gate to reach the city that was their destination.

Tracking down the young woman appeared to be a trivial matter for them, as she was out and about since the shop wasn't open right now, so this was her getting some exercise in before her place of employment was busy, though Midnight made sure to add a dark scarf and a few other things to make her more like a dark assassin. She found an area where she could speak to Muiri in private a few moments later, where she silently dropped down on the woman as she stood near the edge of an upper walkway and the group watched her from the shadows. Capper listened in on them and found that Muiri wanted an ex-lover killed, apparently this 'Alain Dufont' was the leader of some bandits, hold up in Raldbthar near Windhelm, and he had used her to get to Muiri's close friends, the Shatter-Shields, to rob them blind during their time of grief, since they had lost one of their daughters. She wanted Alain to die, plain and simple, but she was offering an additional reward if Midnight killed Nilsine as well, the other daughter, since Muiri was hoping that it would make the parents remember that Muiri had been like a daughter to them, to make her part of the family again.

in the end Midnight pulled away from the woman and returned to the group, where she nodded to Capper and they quickly used a couple of Gates to appear in Windhelm, though Capper headed towards the main entrance and found someone that fit Nilsine's description in one of the alleyways.

"I'll be quick." Midnight remarked, slipping into the shadows for a moment before finding an opening that allowed her to use her dagger to slice open the lady's neck, dropping her to the ground in an instant, and once that was done she gathered the golden soul gem and the few bits of jewelry that Nilsine had on her, she knew Capper or Tri Ki would rob the corpse, along with the gold, before they left the city before someone noticed the corpse.

Once they were outside the city Capper made sure to summon the carriage once they were far enough away and La'nari got them underway, to bring them close to where he had wiped out a rival guild not that long ago, though he did make sure to tell Midnight that he and the kobolds would be coming in after her. The reason for such a decision was because this was the location of another Aetherium Shard, the second one to be exact, so he figured she could handle everything leading up to her target, but then after that he and all of the shadowy kobolds would take over. Along the way they noticed something that interested them, there was a dark scaled dragon, not Alduin, circling the area that was near Raldbthar, where it looked like a number of bandits were trying, in vain, to bring down the beast as it fought them. Sharva simply stretched her body before they reached the area that the rival clan had been in, allowing her, Rarity, and Azure to move in, while Midnight made her way to the start of the dwarven ruin she needed to cut her way through.

Once more Capper found that the combination of the group, with their kobolds and the dying bandits, brought down their foe and it wasn't long before he transformed the soul into a brand new form as Sharva took in it's knowledge, yet this new dracthyr still contained the dark coloration she possessed while in her dragon form, like she could blend into the night or even the shadows themselves.

"Another one... you had best be careful, Akatosh might visit you if you keep this up." Ithelia commented, which was true, as the souls of dragons were connected to the God of Time, and thus to those he chose as the Dragonborn of legend, and she knew it was only a matter of time until Alduin's father came by for a visit.

"My Lord, I, Vulnilah, will serve you with all of my power. Point me at your enemies and they will die." the dark dracthyr said, showing Capper that some were used to dying and being brought back, making him wonder how often Alduin did this in the past, while at the same time he glanced at the remaining bandits that were around them, who seemed surprised by what they were seeing.

Capper nodded as he withdrew two daggers from his realm, elven ones since they were the ones they had the most of, and handed them to the new dracthyr, who took hold of them without delay and stood up, where she stretched her body for a few seconds, since this was all new to her, in fact it was like she was bouncing from one leg to the other. In the next instant, once she was done checking out her brand new body, Vulnilah rushed forward, though it was more like she vanished from the area that Capper was standing in and appeared in the shadows behind the bandits. Sure enough Capper found that she was a born hunter, striking from the shadows while accurately slaying her targets, slicing the neck of one bandit, stabbing another in the eye before going for the heart, and so on and so forth. Despite this being her first time in this body she was a lethal killing machine, wasting no time and ensuring that she ended the lives of those that were her targets, thus allowing her to land nearby before bowing her head, impressing the Collectors and the shadowy kobolds.

He, too, was also impressed by her actions and ensured that Vulnilah knew he was impressed by her skills, which made him eager to see what the rest of the dracthyr could do, before Ithelia gave the newcomer a new set of attire, shadowy armor to fit her preferred profession, before she returned to the Opulent Lands.

Following that Rarity and those that weren't interested in running through the dungeon stayed outside the main gate, which was what they did the last time this happened, while Midnight headed inside as Capper's group followed a few seconds later, to give her time to work her magic. It appeared that the only bandit near the main entrance was asleep, thus allowing him to be slain before he even realized what was going on, before he found that Midnight headed down the path to the left, which would eventually bring her to the main chamber that was on the other side of the gate she ignored. This granted her access to a couple of other bandits, where she distracted them with a few pebbles, somehow ensuring that they came at her one at a time and granting her the ability to kill them one at a time, and once they were done she made her way into the area that Alain was standing in. Getting to him proved to be far too easy, as he seemed drunk at the moment and his pair of guards were too focused on the campfire they had set up, so Midnight slit their throats and caught their bodies before they hit the ground, and once they were dead she took Alain's head.

Following that Midnight pulled back, allowing Capper, Vulnilah, and the kobolds to move deeper into the ruin, since her task had been fulfilled, though Capper did claim the unique looking warhammer that had been the prize of the Shatter-Shields, before Alain had stolen it, which he was going to add to his collection. The door behind Alain proved to be the way forward, where he focused on the chests they walked by while Vulnilah led the kobolds to wage war on the constructs that were in the way, while the Collectors salvages what they could. It wasn't long before they found a lift heading down into the earth, to an area populated by the falmer, which was when she and the shadowy kobolds shined the most, slipping into the shadows as Capper watched as they slaughtered both the falmer and the chaurus, leaving the goods for the Collectors. Capper did what he did best, finding areas that required him to press a single button or pull a single lever to lower additional portions of the path so they could progress deeper into the ruin, thus allowing the others to continue on their way.

Eventually they found their way into what appeared to be the final chamber, where they heard gears being interrupted, so while the others killed all of the enemies that were here, and the Collectors recovered more golden soul gems, Capper found bones and skulls in some of the gears. He removed them without wasting time, allowing the gears to become less noisy in the process, and a kobold even found one in the water after seeing him do this just once, and once they were sure that the gears were clear, plus all of the falmer were dead and the loot was obtained, he pressed a button. This lowered a bridge and revealed a door guarded by one of the centurions, where Vulnilah slipped into the shadows and attacked the figure's legs, it's arms, and then slashed through it's chest, allowing her to drop it in a matter of seconds. With the way clear they headed into the final portion of Raldbthar, where Capper found what appeared to be a lock in the center of a room, a lift to the left, and a side passage to the right, with a few spider bots that they wiped out in seconds.

At the end of the side path Capper smiled as he noticed the Aetherium Shard that he was interested in, where he picked it up and studied it, confirming that it was the exact same as the one he collected from Mzulft's storeroom previously, and with the second in his Vault they cleared out all of the loot before using the lift to return to the surface, allowing them to climb down the side of the mountain and return to the others.

"The second shard was definitely here, so I'm issuing a change of plans: we'll tell Muiri the good news and then go after the other two shards, both of which are near Markarth." Capper said, where he found that none of the others were surprised by such a thing, he was always changing their plans when something caught his interest, and now that he had two of the four Aetherium Shards he was interested in tracking down the other two, "After we get them, well, we'll go after the Forge and see if we can find that. Once we're done with that we can give Astrid the good news and then focus on the rest of the Dark Brotherhood's contracts, since they'll have more for you after this, I'm sure of that... once we're done with that we can head to Ustengrav to get the Horn."

"And after that we focus on Alduin, then the vampires, and then Miraak?" Rarity asked, as she knew Capper well enough to know how he liked to tackle things, especially after becoming a Daedric Prince, and, sure enough, he nodded his head for a second, confirming her thoughts on the matter, to which everyone got up as he summoned the carriage down near where the rival clan had been positioned previously.

Capper was pleased to see that none of the others remotely cared about the plan he had set forward, it was reasonable to them, though with a second shard in hand he was more eager to see if they could find the other two and what might happen when they found the Aetherium Forge, causing him to smile as he looked forward to what the future held in store for him and his companions.

Guild: The Aetherium Shards

It took no time at all for them to return to Windhelm, where the group used a couple of Gates to return to Markarth, but instead of tracking down Muiri, and let Midnight tell her that she had completed her contract, they headed outside while Capper pulled out his map.

"According to Mora's map one of the remaining Aetherium Shards is to the north of us, and there's a path on the map that should lead us to our destination." Capper commented, allowing the carriage to appear nearby as everyone climbed into it, where he showed La'nari where to take them and she nodded without delay, even though he did note that there just so happened to be a nordic ruin on the road they were following, something for later he guessed, "The path will bring us close to Bthardamz, the actual ruin that's in the area, but we won't be heading there... apparently there's a crossing that holds the third shard. I find it odd that no one's taken the shard, since it's out in the open, but it should be easy to head over, claim it, and then be on our way to where the last one is located, then we'll have to look into where the Forge is located, though right now Mora has no idea where that might be."

"That doesn't fill me with hope, darling... something the Prince of Knowledge doesn't know about could mean bad news for us." Rarity pointed out, which was true, if Mora couldn't warn them about something, and claimed that she had no idea what was lurking in the area they were heading towards, it worried her that they were going to stumble onto something bad, or something that not even her group could deal with, "Especially since this is the dwarves we're talking about... there's no telling what they've done to secure the third shard from looters."

Capper had to agree with that comment, because the second shard had been secured by an entire ruin, though it did make him wonder why the first one they had found had been secured in a storeroom outside the main structure, and it made him take a moment to think about the dangers guarding the final shard. As he thought about that La'nari brought them up onto the hillside path that would bring them to the area near Bthardamz, where everyone focused and made sure their weapons were at the ready, since the Forsworn could be in the area. They were annoying warriors, some of them seemed to be even stronger than some of the normal foes they had faced, and Capper wanted to be sure they were ready in case a group just so happened to cross paths with them while they were looking for the shard. In addition to that he was keeping an eye out for more dragons, since the knowledge would be beneficial to Sharva, the bones and scales would be nice with his collection, and the souls would be nice to make more dracthyr, especially with how good Vulnilah with her new skills.

As it turned out there was nothing for them to worry about, there were travelers bathing in a small body of water, he found a few pillars for another Prince outside Bthardamz, which seemed to be Peryite's followers, before La'nari pointed out what appeared to be a dwemer bridge, two points that connected two sides of the river.

"What in the world is that?" Azure asked, as there appeared to be some sort of bowl shaped area on the other side of the river, to the right of where they were headed, and it seemed to be connected to the raised platform they could see, though he could see that there was nothing special about the area, save for the odd structure.

"I had no idea." a voice said, where Mora moved out of Capper's private Gate and looked at the area for a time, because this seemed different than what she was expecting, though they did climb off the carriage and used the smooth stone bridge to cross over to the other side of the river, causing her to point out the area at the top of the hill, "That's where my information said that the shard would be located... and yet, when we investigate, it's not here."

Capper could see that fact, there was an area like what was in the last two areas, the areas that he had found the shards in, and yet there was no shard resting in the slot, meaning either someone had taken it and it would take a long time to figure out where it was, or this was a decoy. As he thought about that he walked up the stairs that were connected to the raised platform and found that it had one of the dwarven control terminals, a square device of sorts that looked like it might need something to be inserted into the center. In the next few seconds he found a pedestal that had a brass cube of sorts on it, a device that had a small piece of aetherium resting inside the center of the device, which Capper picked up and studied for a few seconds, before finding that the console's insert point opened as he moved the device near it. With that in mind he just lowered it into the device and heard a whirl as the others joined him, to see what he was doing, as a bright light appeared in the air above them, like a miniature maelstrom of energy, as lightning flashed and struck the ground around them.

Following that a large spherical device, that was easily as tall as the Blue Palace, phased into existence above their heads, all made out of brass, made in the style of the dwemer that meant something to it's makers, before five devices were shot out of the bowl area and pulled it down to where they were standing.

"...it's a ship..." Capper said, as he recognized what they were seeing, to a degree, as the underside of the sphere had what appeared to be landing gear and even a fuel source that allowed it to move through the air, and the spherical gate that was in front of him opened as he approached it, revealing a spacious interior, "It's a freaking dwemer ship! MINE!"

Capper and Mora were the first ones to enter through the opening, where they found that there was a floor for them to walk on and explore, complete with a work area, a device on their left that seemed like a stone chair and a device mixed into one, and a bathing area to their right. There was a floor above them that appeared to have some work spaces, such as alchemy, enchanting, and even a food cooking area, before noticing that the floor below them had a smithy area that covered each type of station that one might need for making weapons and armor. He also noticed that there were three portals, one went to the upper level, one went to the lower level, and one went to a storage area, brass frames that seemed to be like what a centurion would be dispensed from with an orange magic of sorts. It was like a mobile home, in fact Capper was sure that if one messed with this place they could get the portals to lead to whole new areas that they couldn't see, before he spotted what they were looking for, there was a globe with the moons and planets around it, Nirn and the other celestial bodies, and inside the main globe was a familiar item.

He floated up to the globe and found that it stopped for a short time, allowing him to withdraw the Aetherium Shard that had been inside it, before he floated down to the others who were looking at both the ship and him with interest on their faces, causing him to piece together what this place might have been.

"The dwemer must have been using this place as a sort of research station and containment area... I think the cube that let me summon this place only appeared for a reason." Capper said, which was either because he had two of the other shards or it was designed to appear when the Dragonborn arrived, though he found that it was hard to tell for sure and decided not to question it too much as he slipped the shard into the Vault, "I wonder... it had a unique Gate formation, so I'm curious as to whether or not I can use the main terminal to move it, but instead of to one of the other ruins, like it might be designed, I'm wondering if I can move it to the Opulent Lands. Mora, what do you say?"

"I want to research this place!" Mora exclaimed, as this was unheard of, the vast information she had on the dwemer didn't go into stuff like this, because she knew the race was advanced enough to make all sorts of things, even a giant that went on to be a disaster for everyone involved, and a second one as well, but not a ship like this, which make her wonder if there might be more of them somewhere, before she regained herself, "I mean... if that's all right with you, my Lord."

Capper nodded as he slipped the cube onto the main terminal, as it appeared that it came out once the ship was locked in the dock, where he found that the aetherium fragment wanted his input on where to go, though he simply commanded it to blast off, sealing the door behind them as the floor shook. Sure enough he felt the power of the miniature maelstrom open once more, though this time he connected his magic to it and directed it into the air above the water near the coast of his realm, directly above the water based on what he could tell. With that in mind he found that the ship registered a new area to move to, even though it seemed confused on what to do next, where he directed it to warp back to Nirn and focused on the area they had found the cube at, and it wasn't long before it returned to where he had first summoned it. After that he and the others disembarked from the ship and he smiled as he stared at the ship, accessing the console near the crossing to send it back to where it had been resting for all this time, a temporary thing in his mind, and assured Mora that they would summon it once they were good and ready to do so.

With the cube stored away for the time being, placed in the Vault with the shards, Capper and the others returned to where they left the carriage, turned around without wasting time, and started to make their way back to the main road, because there was a path connected to it that would bring them near a orc settlement, which was near the last ruin. The plan was rather simple, they were going to use the main road to reach the path that would bring them to where the stronghold was located, and from there it would be a simple matter to locate Arkngthamz. After reaching the ruin it would be a rather simple task to track down the final shard and hopefully gain some information on where they could find the Aetherium Forge, the only place to work aetherium into items of power, which he intended on moving to his realm once they found it. He really had no idea if such a thing would work or not, this was uncharted territory since the dwemer were a strange people, but he was willing to put in the work to make sure his ideas could work, and he knew Mora would appreciate such a thing since it would open new things for her to learn about.

Once again Capper found that there was nothing on the road for them to worry about, save for dead Stormcloaks and dead Forsworn, as it looked like Ulfric's army was trying to gain intelligence on the area and the Forsworn, who seemed to simply hate everyone, killed them and themselves in battle.

With that in mind they were able to reach the area that Arkngthamz was located, heading up the side path that brought the carriage to where the orc stronghold was located, though it was accompanied by the ground shaking a little, where both they and the orcs were surprised by the sudden movement. Once they were sure that nothing was happening Capper made sure the orcs were fine, they had sustained no injuries, before continuing into the mountains, where it was easy to spot the ruin they were looking for, where a few saber cats seemed to be hanging out. Azure, Midnight, and La'nari put them down with ease, since the shaking of the earth of spooked them a little, though this time around the group decided to go in together, causing Capper to dismiss the carriage this time around as they headed inside the ruin. The strange thing they discovered was that the ruin seemed to be in the middle of falling apart, some of the walls were cracked, stones were falling, and there was a sense of dread that came from knowing that something was amiss.

"You know what, screw sneaking around." Capper said, where he summoned the Collectors from his realm, leaving the rest of the crew, the sneaky ones, behind for the time being as he faced everyone, which allowed him to see that most of them were worried about the state of the ruin, not that he blamed them, "Collectors, do your thing and take everything of value. Everyone else, just kill everything that moves and leave the gathering of items and loot to the kobolds. I don't like the looks of this place, so let's make our way through this place and get out of here before the entire ruin collapses."

Rarity and the others nodded as Capper drew his own swords, showing them that he was being serious, before they moved down the path that was in front of them, finding more fallen rocks and crushed dwarven constructs, only to reach what had to be the main chamber, a collapsing and broken area. It was sad to Capper, as he was sure that this place had been grand before the earthquake happened, though he did locate a dead woman on a pillar of rock, wearing normal steel armor, but in her possession they found a copy of the Aetherium Wars book, along with a journal that detailed where the four shards of aetherium were located. Sure enough the soul of the woman tracked them down and told them to flee, especially since this place was collapsing all around them, though Capper swiftly informed her that they weren't about to leave, not without the Aetherium Shard, causing the others to cross the collapsed pipes as they found a way to progress. This did mean they had to fight off the constructs that were still active, so Capper allowed Rarity and the others to move forward as he found that the soul continued to follow them, no doubt because they were about to steal her thunder.

The book contains my life's work, you know, until my own apprentice stole it... I can't rest until I prove that the theories are my own. the soul, Katria, stated, though at the same time she found that he was staring at the page with the map on the locations of the other Aetherium Shards, likely focused on where he would need to go after this, if they survived, something he didn't seem to be worried about right now, telling her that he was foolish, What are you looking at? I've been unable to determine where the fifth site is located.

"It's on the road leading to Riften... in fact, I'm sure I've seen it." Capper commented, as he recalled seeing an odd device of dwarven make while on the way towards the home of the Thieves Guild, something that wasn't connected to the ruin that was resting near it, and now he had an idea as to where he could find the Forge, causing him to put the journal away before he started following the others once more, "Looks like our quest might be over sooner, rather than later."

Katria, of course, wanted clarification on what he meant, though he ignored her for the time being as he followed the others to a area that had what the soul called 'kinetic resonators', which when hit would be locked in one position and opened the doors in front of them. Following that they found a bunch of falmer and their chaurus, which was common inside these types of ruins, so he drew his swords and rushed at some of them, slashing through the blind elves as the others engaged their enemies as well, Rarity freezing them, Azure and Sharva cutting their foes down, Midnight stabbing them and La'nari putting an arrow into their heads. While they did that the Collectors went to work without wasting time, where Katria found that they really tore into the weakened ruin while keeping their safety in mind, looting anything and everything that was of value before vanishing once they had a full bag, only returning as soon as their bags were empty again.

This was a shocker to Katria, that she had tried to stop people that were working so well as a group, making sure no one was alone when they fought the falmer, and she found that the kobolds, as they were called, also unlocked anything they passed by, be they locked doors or chests, leaving nothing behind. Not even the collapsing nature of the ruin seemed to slow them down in the slightest, rather it was like they were a seasoned band of adventurers and this was second nature to them, while at the same time it seemed like the one called 'Capper' was the leader. He was the one that did the least amount of fighting, rather it looked like he was studying her journal in great detail, especially the last page that contained her information on the tonal lock that was standing between them and the Aetherium Shard that was in this place. With their power it didn't take them long to track down where Katria had fallen to her death, where she lost her bow, and a single kobold rushed over to the fallen tree to acquire it, which did put a smile on her face since this meant it would see the light of day again, instead of being trapped in this collapsing place.

As she thought about that that they reached the final area, the large tonal lock that had five resonators, two on top while three were on the bottom, where Capper gathered five of the scattered arrows and sent them flying, hitting the bottom left, then the bottom right, following by the top left, top right, and then bottom middle, opening the doors to where their prize was resting.

And there it is, an Aetherium Shard...precisely cut, so that if you had another of equal size they'd snap together. Katria said, staring at the glowing blue piece of aetherium that Capper picked up, where she noted that he seemed to have noted the same thing, though this was good news for her, because with this group there was a chance she could track down the remaining three pieces and then track down the device she had sketched in her journal.

"Fascinating, the four pieces seem to lock into place together." Capper commented, just as the kobolds looted the chests that were resting in the final chamber, where he withdrew the other three shards for a moment and found that he was right, all four were the same size, with identical cuts, that appeared to make a key made of pure aetherium, before he set them back to his realm, "Well then, let's get the show on the road. We have a Forge to find."

Katria found that the group was able to disappear by using some sort of magic that she couldn't see, yet Capper did bring her into it with them and she found herself in what appeared to be a Plane of Oblivion, and before she could even marvel at what she was seeing they moved through a 'Gate' and stepped out into Riften. Following that Capper quickly summoned the carriage once more and everyone climbed aboard it, where La'nari took them out through the southern gate and quickly put them on the path that would bring them to the location Capper pointed out. Once more they found that there was a giant outside the orc stronghold that was along the path, being brought down by the orcs, and it wasn't long before they found their way to where the dwarven device was located, complete with three bandits setting up a camp near it. Sure enough the bandits attacked them without wasting time, they really never stopped to see if people were too much for them since Katria found that the group slaughtered them without wasting time, allowing the 'Collectors' to grab their loot.

Following that Capper approached the device, an astrolabe he noted, before finding a slot that the shards could fit into, to which he slipped the four shards into the center of the device and watched as it turned with each one he added, and once all four were added they were brought up into the center of the gear shaped device, creating a crest of aetherium.

When he removed the crest, however, the ground shook a little and everyone backed up, allowing them to observe as the platform rose into the air, revealing a hidden lift under it once everything was said and done, therefore allowing the group to stand on it before Capper brought them down into the earth with some kobolds watching guard to make sure no one found their way to this place. It took some time for them to reach the bottom of the shaft, which ended up bringing them to what appeared to be a massive underground chamber with water around the bottom of the cavern, with a single path leading to an older dwarven area, based on the weathered carvings. The face happened to have two more resonators, which Capper was able to activate with two minor bolts of magic, that went even deeper into the earth, revealing a path that brought them to a final chamber, one that was impressive, had a large pool of magma on the other end of it, and had a dwemer looking forge that was connected to everything. It was obvious that this was the Aetherium Forge, there was nothing else it could be, and that the dwarves had used the heat of magma to alter the material into whatever they wanted, though there were also some steam valves that were turned to cut down on the steam.

Such a thing prompted the Forge's defenses to become active once more, dispensing spiders and spheres to attack them, but those foes really weren't a challenge for the group, as Katria found that the others smashed the constructs without even wasting time, and the Collectors picked up whatever loot they could find. The main threat ended up being a large centurion that rose from the lava that was behind the forge, like it was coated to resist such a thing, and Capper found out why as he pointed out the couple plates of aetherium that were on the construct's body. Azure and Sharva stepped up to face it, where they rushed around the area and slashed at the weaker looking sections of the centurion's body, weakening the figure while it tried, in vain, to hit them, eventually allowing them to bring it down, much to Katria's amazement. Capper approached the downed construct and smiled as he extracted the aetherium plates that were attached to the figure, before walking up to where the Forge was located and found that it definitely responded to the aetherium he was carrying.

Katria found that he didn't make anything right away, even though she would have used the crest to do so, rather three new figures stepped out from the private Gate he seemed to possess and she had the feeling she was about to witness an event that no one else would be able to see. Together the four of them seemed to surround the enter cavern that the Forge was in and, in the blink of an eye, they were warped into the strange realm that Capper had brought them to earlier, only this time they were out in the sea, far from the Golden City. Before the molten material even had a chance to hit the water she found that the water shook, Capper terraforming the area with his power as she found an island taking shape around them, only it was far beyond what she was expecting, because the area immediately around them seemed to match the area they had found the Forge in, before finding room more for devices and even stations for workers to live and rest in. In the next instant she noticed that the rest of the island seemed to be made out of aetherium, as in the island was a massive aetherium mine, yet was set up so that the area would be totally safe for workers to work in, making this an island of innovation that would no doubt appease the dwarves.

There was even a bowl shaped area as part of the normal dwarven area, a large zone she noticed, that caused Capper to just vanish for a time, before a mini maelstrom of energy appeared above the bowl and a dwemer ship landed in the bowl, with the khajiit inside it, before he used the aetherium plates, some brass, and a few other materials to make something with the power of the Forge.

"Is that... an aetherium pickaxe?" Rarity asked, as that was what it looked like, it was like a dwaven weapon and yet seemed more suited for mining, where Capper walked out into the mining area and swung it, allowing them to watch as he extracted a piece of the blue stone with ease.

"Yes, and it's the start of something wonderful. Katria, will you join us in studying and working this material?" Capper asked, as he knew that she had devoted her life to learning about aetherium and even went out of her way to prove it existed, and died because of it no less, where he found that the soul nodded her head, causing him to expand his magic towards her and created a new form for her, a human sized kobold with dwarven boots and gloves, outfitted with small aetherium gems in them, plus a normal smithy attire.

Capper smiled as he set up a portal frame as well, connecting the Aetherium Island to the main continent, that way anyone could warp between the two easily, before he stored the crest in his Vault, because this had been a good day for him, he had lots of new items to look over and more items were being made, and it made him eager to see what the future had in store for him, his friends, and his growing Plane of Oblivion.

Author's Note

For those curious the dwemer ship is from a mod, AHO Dwemer Ship, that I repurposed a little for this chapter.

Guild: New Discoveries

Capper and the others spend some time in the Opulent Lands, something that allowed Rarity and the others to relax in the Golden City for a time, since there was no telling what might happen when they returned to Skyrim and focused on what else the Dark Brotherhood might have Midnight do. While they rested Capper spent his time working with Mora and Katria, one was focused on studying the dwemer ship and it's secrets, in an effort to find more information that might be useful to her Lord, while the latter was solely focused on using the aetherium pickaxe to extract more aetherium. This place was like a dream to her, she had the Forge at her disposal and a constant source of the mythical material nearby, meaning she could make whatever came to mind, once she was done gathering everything she needed. In addition to that both Capper and Mora had the same idea to find individuals from his realm to send over to Katria, like-minded individuals that would work with her, research the power of the Forge, help Mora research the ship, and so many other things.

Katria, in turn, also had a lot to learn about, such as the fact that she was working under a Daedric Prince, she now lived in one of the Planes of Oblivion, she was encountering a lot of new creatures, and everything that was associated with the aetherium she had spent her life studying and writing about.

"You know, this is going to worry the other Daedric Princes." Ithelia commented, though at the same time she knew that her Lord wasn't going to stop what he was doing, even if she warned him about the potential danger, but, at the same time, she felt that she wouldn't be doing her job as Midas' Chamberlain if she didn't at least mention this every now and then, "You now have a material that is possibly one of the strongest in the whole of Nirn, a Forge capable of working the material into whatever you want, a large number of followers that could form an army, and three Princes serving you..."

"As much as I hate to agree with Ithelia, she's right... sooner or later Molag or Dagon will make a move." Mora remarked, in fact she was sure that the Prince of Domination and the Prince of Change were keeping an eye on this Plane, especially after Nocturnal came into Midas' ranks and some of her followers had been traded into his forces, "Especially since you've helped the likes of Sheogorath and Clavicus Vile, have obtained multiple artifacts and relics of power, and have the Dragonborn in your ranks... it's only a matter of time until things get crazy."

Capper thought about that for a moment, as he was curious as to how he would turn things around and come out ahead in the end, but before he could focus on it too much he and Ithelia felt something, a scroll appeared out of thin air and quickly landed in the latter's hands, who read it before glancing at Capper.

"It's Peryite. He's requesting entry into your realm." Ithelia said, which was interesting that they decided to talk about what the other Princes might be doing, to prepare for the potential invasion of the worst ones, the ones that could do the worst amount of damage to the Opulent Lands, and here one was seeking to enter Midas' Realm.

"Granted. This should be interesting." Capper replied, though he thought that it was good that they were outside the Golden City, close to where the road connecting the city to the portal to the Aetherium Island was located, giving them plenty of space for a meeting, since Peryite was said to be a dragon, or was portrayed as one, but he was more interested in why the Prince was interested in speaking with him.

Ithelia nodded as everyone gathered behind Capper, where he found that the space in front of him opened into a Gate that allowed a fair sized sickly green scaled dragon to appear in front of him, though as the Gate closed Capper found that Peryite shifted his position, like he was sitting.

"Lord Midas, thank you for agreeing to speak with me on such short notice." Peryite said, though at the same time Rarity and the others found that Nocturnal joined them, no doubt because she had felt the presence of another Prince and wanted to see what was going on now, especially since she had been the last new Prince to come and had been bound into service, a blunder she would hold in mind for a long time.

"It is my pleasure, Peryite. What can I, and my followers, do for you?" Capper asked, because he had to assume that Peryite, the Prince of Pestilence, wanted to do business with him and figured that coming to him was better than simply waiting for him to come by his shrine or meet one of his important followers, and it made him interested in what sort of business the other Prince wanted to discuss.

"I wish to enlist your aid in dealing with a rogue monk of mine, the elf Orchendor... I have been unable to find anyone that is appropriate to deal with him, while keeping my other followers alive." Peryite replied, which wasn't too odd considering the fact that many people seemed to assume that he was a weak Prince and wasn't worthy to be worshiped as much as some of the other Princes, so he was dealing with those that still worshiped him and hadn't found anyone that might be able to deal with his wayward monk, "Now, I know you won't do anything for free, plus I've heard that you are collecting artifacts, so I'm willing to hand over Spellbreaker as payment... in addition to that I would like to join your Realm, like Mora has, which I am also willing to offer as part of my side of the bargain."

"Are you sure, Peryite?" Nocturnal asked, because it almost sounded like Peryite wanted to be bound to Midas' service, since it would give him access to Nirn and whatever else he was after, while at the same time Mora and Ithelia glanced at each other for a moment, knowing that this would only heighten the tension between them and the other Princes, "You do know that you'll be bound to his service, your power will be sealed to a degree, and you'll likely gain a new form on top of it, like what Mora and I have been given."

"Yes, actually. Mora, I also have a few ideas to suggest to you, if Midas will take me." Peryite answered, his tone revealing that he was perfectly fine with the idea of being bound to another Prince, especially one that was on the rise and was becoming a major threat for the remaining Princes, since there was no telling what Molag and Dagon would do, while Mora raised one of her eyebrows for a moment, "I'll even pay up front, right now, if you want."

"Are you sure about that?" Capper asked, because that sounded like a horrible idea on Peryite's part, paying upfront could be seen as a good move, but at the same time he knew that one of the other Princes would abuse this arrangement, as in they would seal Peryite in another form, take the shield, and never do the job, before he understood why Peryite was saying this to him, specifically, because he knew that once a deal was struck he would uphold it.

Peryite nodded, showing them that he was serious about this, in fact he produced a dwarven shield that reminded Capper of the docking area that they had found before discovering the dwemer ship, and handed it over to him without delay, which Mora confirmed was Spellbreaker. In the following moments Capper made sure that Peryite was okay with this, just to be absolutely sure, and when the other Prince confirmed that fact he nodded and held a hand out, where the golden magic just swirled around the dragon for a few seconds as his magic did it's work. Sure enough his new form was a head or two shorter than the other transformed Princes, but instead of being like a dracthyr, like Ithelia, Peryite was more like a bipedal rat, or an 'anthro' as Mora called it, and he wore a green robe that was colored like his scales. In addition to that Capper found that he had patches of scales on his arms and legs, baring the same coloration when he was in his dragon form, while Peryite had a dragon tail, instead of a rat tail, and a short pair of dragon horns, matching what he had before making this deal, growing out of his head.

Capper was positive that Peryite was like an alchemist of sorts, in his new form, and once the deed was done, plus he had a chance to confirm the seal was on his power, he asked where he could find the wayward monk and found that it was inside the ruin near where he found the dwemer ship. With that information in mind he told Peryite he'd add it to his list of things to do and that it was definitely an important thing for him to do in the future, though he found that the Prince was fine with this arrangement, since he knew Orchendor wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and was okay with waiting a few more days before the job was done. After that Peryite moved over to where Mora was standing and started talking about some of the ideas he had come up with before coming to the Opulent Lands, where Capper caught that he was thinking of a way to undo the poison that the falmer had been afflicted with. That caused him to raise an eyebrow and he could see that Mora was already interested in the topic, because if they brought the snow elves back it meant that there might be even more things for Mora to gleam and add to her endless library.

While they were chatting Midnight also returned to the Sanctuary for a time so she could see whatever else was going on with the Dark Brotherhood, allowing them to focus on getting Peryite up to speed on what had changed since the last time he heard about the Opulent Lands, before returning with an odd look on her face.

As it turned out Midnight was the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, as in she could hear the voice of the Night Mother and the figure had tasked her to speak to someone in one of the ruins of Skyrim, but Astrid, however, didn't want her authority challenged and told her to do work for Nazeem. Such a thing meant that she had two more contracts to deal with, one was near Falkreath, a vampire to be exact, while the other one was all the way in Morthal, an orc bard that was one of the worst in the entirety of Skyrim. With that in mind Capper realized that Astrid needed some time to see the truth, that Midnight was focused on making sure the Dark Brotherhood was worth working for or not, she didn't seem to care about power or any of the authority that some of the others possessed with their guilds. As such he decided that they could swing by the mill that held the vampire, let Midnight kill him so Rarity could have his blood, and then they'd swing by Morthal for a bit, kill the orc, and then maybe rest for a bit before returning to Falkreath so they could figure out whatever Astrid was going to do with this newfound information.

Once the group knew the plan, and he confirmed that Peryite was fine with working with Mora immediately, they returned to the small city and headed along the path that would take them to the north, to the mill they had passed by a few times while they were exploring Skyrim.

Tracking down Hern, the first target, proved to be quite easy since it was getting to be night out and that meant he wasn't in his house, rather he was working on the mill that he and his partner, also a vampire, happened to own, but when the group walked up to the bridge they found that the lady was nowhere to be seen. That meant she was either inside the small house, either sleeping or preparing to come outside, or she was out hunting for someone to feed off of, but for Midnight this was the best opportunity she could have asked for and took it without wasting time. She waited for the moment when Hern was walking away from the mill to strike, slipping behind him for a moment before slashing open his neck, and when the vampire fell it wasn't long before Rarity moved in to retrieve all of his blood. Capper found that the pair left the area without delay after that, and making sure to burn the body, before they started to return to Falkreath so they could use it's Gate to travel to Morthal, though it wasn't long before he heard the sorrow-filled cries of the female companion upon discovering the fate of her mate.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Capper asked, as he knew that Midnight might be on the fence about some of the people the Dark Brotherhood was sending her out to take the lives of, in fact he was sure that she regretted taking the girl's life in Windhelm, so he wanted to be sure she was perfectly fine with her the course she was following.

Midnight nodded, she didn't want to say much right now because she was focused on the fact that she was the Listener for the guild she had joined, before they returned to the small city that was the capital of Falkreath and used it's Gate to travel back to Morthal in no time. This time around Capper found that some of the residents of the small city were talking outside the Jarl's domain, so while Midnight headed for the inn, which was where she would find the bard, Capper stuck around for a moment to see what was going on. As it turned out they were talking about the burned down house that was near the inn, plus the wizard that had moved into the city and that none of them seemed to trust him, but for the most part it seemed like they wanted to know if the Jarl was going to do anything about the one who burned the house down. To Capper this was an opportunity and he informed the Steward, who was the one talking to the people of Morthal, that he would look into it, and he spoke when the others were heading back to their residences for the night, a few even heading towards the inn.

With that in mind he found his way to the burned down house, far too small for three people based on the information the Steward had given him, but there was when he found the ghost of a small girl in the house, who turned out to be the child of the man who set the fire and then pledged his life to Alva.

As it turned out she was willing to speak with Capper, but first he had to play hide and seek with her, he had to track down where she was buried and had to beat someone else to the punch, though he found that there weren't many places here for someone to be buried. With that in mind he noticed a path leading away from the burned house and it went into the hill that was behind it, where he found a vampire digging up a coffin, though he waited for a few moments, for Rarity to catch up, all with news that the bard had been taken care of and his soul had been claimed, before making his move. Together they took down the vampire and Rarity feasted on her blood, allowing him to speak with the soul of the girl once more, since her body was inside the coffin, and she revealed a few things to him that he had to work on. The female vampire was Laelette, she had been told by someone else to burn the house, and the vampire tried to turn the girl before her death, and the man that ran up to the scene also gave him more information about how Laelette had met with Alva before her 'disappearance'.

"Another vampire... perfect." Rarity said, though she and Capper knew what this meant, there was a master vampire near the city, a powerful one that needed to be eliminated before they could do any additional harm to the area, before Capper told Midnight and the others that they would be sticking around for a little while longer.

Capper asked one of the guards where Alva's house was located and found that it was near the guard building, though when he entered it he found that no one was nearby, rather it happened to be empty and that meant the vampire was likely in the inn, and her thrall was no doubt watching her from afar. Of course that meant he sneaked into the building and picked the lock to get inside, but he did find a basement and headed down into it, finding a single room with a coffin inside it, along with a damning journal that revealed that Alva was working with the master vampire to claim Morthal. With that in mind Capper returned to the Jarl's longhouse and found her sitting alone while the others were preparing for dinner, where he showed her the journal and she asked him to handle the vampire that was threatening the city. She also handed over seven hundred coins for proving that it wasn't the man's fault, it was Alva's, and he told her that he would handle Movarth, she didn't have to assemble a team to aid him, causing her to nod her head as he headed back outside.

With that in mind the group headed to the north a little and found the path leading to the cave, where Midnight told them that Alva had run inside after noticing the guards coming to speak with her, though he had most of them stand outside, just to make sure no vampires escaped.

It was just him and Rarity as they descended into the cave, where they found a few spiders wandering around the area, but the main part was that there were a fair number of vampires doing whatever they had been assigned to do, plus a couple of thralls that had no idea what was going on. Rarity proved that her stealth abilities were growing well as she made no sound and approached her targets, grabbing the thralls by the neck and draining their blood before breaking their necks once she had fully drained them, and once an area was cleared out she set fire to the bodies to prevent more from rising. In addition to that they found some vampires patrolling the cave and Rarity took great pleasure in dealing with them, draining each one of their blood and getting a good boost to her existing spells, since most vampires were mages, it was an odd thing, and she knew she might score and get a new spell. Capper did collect the golden soul gems that were left behind, and the couple of Collectors that were with them gathered whatever treasures might be down here, plus they did find Alva in a side passage, who Rarity quickly ended before she could flee once more, and it wasn't long before Movarth was found, sitting on a throne like a king.

Sure enough he didn't last long either, Rarity was getting good at slipping into the shadows and appearing behind her target, especially when she learned how to make her spells silent to others and gained an invisibility spell, she got lucky recently, so Movarth definitely went down with ease. The master vampire had a ebony sword in his possession, some decent magical jewelry that Rarity claimed for herself so she could boost her considerable powers, and the large chest that was at the end of the cave had some decent treasure as well, a fair bit of ebony with a pair of daedric gauntlets. Capper made sure all of this was taken to his realm, especially the gauntlets, and once the kobolds had cleaned the place out of everything of value the pair returned to the main entrance in no time, both of them smiling since they were quiet pleased with themselves. They did find that the ghost of the girl thanked them for avenging her and her mother, speaking to them before they left, and once she was gone they returned to the surface and regrouped with the others, allowing them to return to the small city so they could deliver the good news to the Jarl.

A few minutes later Capper walked out with the thanks of the Jarl, an offer to purchase property in the Hold, and a sack full of gold, twelve hundred to be exact, though with that done they used the nearby Gate and returned to Falkreath so Midnight could speak with Astrid.

"So, what are we going to do after this?" Rarity asked, as part of her wondered if it might be time for them to deal with that vampire clan that some of the vampires were working with, even though she knew that Capper might focus on Alduin and the dragons first, given his promise to Sharva, especially since it would grant him access to more dragon souls, which meant more dragon materials and, more importantly, the ability to make more dracthyr.

"Depends on the Dark Brotherhood." Capper replied, which was the truth, if the assassins guild had work for Midnight then they would help her move around and do things around the area while she worked, much like how he and Rarity dealt with the vampire threat in Morthal, but if they gave her no jobs then they would be on their way to do something else, though it wasn't long before they found Midnight returning to the group, "What's the verdict?"

"I've been tasked with heading to Volunruud, to speak with Amaund Motierre... Astrid thinks we would be foolish to ignore the order of the Night Mother." Midnight answered, which was a bit of a surprise to Capper, as he assumed that the lady had no desire to work with the corpse or even someone chosen as the 'Listener', but it looked like she was willing to bend the knee if it meant bringing glory to her Family, "The ruin is north of Whiterun, just beyond where we first encountered Cicero."

"Good, then we can swing into the city, let Azure check in with the Companions, and then deal with the client." Capper said, it was a good place in his mind, especially since it allowed most of them to do some work and it would let Azure focus on the more honorable missions he was used to, like clearing out vermin from a house or rescuing someone from danger, since there was no telling what the Companions might ask him to do.

Capper found that the others nodded their heads in agreement, this sounded like a good place to them, it was fair and none of them were going to question his decision, though at the same time he found himself looking forward to whatever might happen next, especially since there was another Prince in his Realm and there was no telling what the others might do with this information, making him eager to face the next couple of days with a smile on his face.

Guild: Dark Plans

With Midnight now having an official order to talk to the client that the Night Mother had told her about, since Astrid had to think about it before telling her to go speak with him, Capper brought them through the Gates and they stepped out in the edge of Whiterun. Sure enough Azure went off to see what the Companions were doing, since it had been a while since he had been in Jorrvaskr, but that didn't stop the others from heading outside so Capper could summon the carriage once more, so they could head to Volunruud. Based on what he could see there were no guards outside Whiterun, meaning they must have arrived during a shift change, so he was able to summon the carriage with ease and everyone climbed onto it, and it wasn't long before Azure caught up with them. It was definitely a surprise, since he thought that he might take more time to speak with the rest of his guild, but that just meant that they must have been tired and only one person had been up when he arrived, likely Aela or one of the brothers.

As soon as he was on the carriage they departed from the city and headed to join the road, this time heading over towards the road that brought them to where they had first encountered Cicero, since the path they needed to take was near that area, based on what Midnight had told them.

"Aela told me that there's another group of Silver Hand out there, and the Jarl has officially asked the Companions to deal with them." Azure said, which was fine with him, especially since this meant that everyone in Whiterun understood that the Silver Hand were monsters, due to the fact that they had attacked the Companions and murdered Kodlak, though while this would be a big bounty he cared more about delivering justice to the group, "My location is a little out of the way, since it happens to be on the western side of Whiterun Hold, a cave called 'Swindler's Den'... they've probably grouped up with a bandit clan or something."

"Well, it's on the way at least, so we can get it after Midnight meets her contact." Capper replied, as he had a feeling that they would be coming back through the area at some point, so it would give Azure a chance to turn in the bounty before he and the others focused on whatever other quest they were following at the time, "After that, it depends on whatever Astrid tells Midnight to do next... should visit Solitude at one point as well, to get the last Stone of Barenziah, as I'm sure Vex has some quest for me to do once all twenty-four are in my possession."

Azure nodded as they continued along the path that was in front of them, where they crossed the bridge heading north and headed back towards where they encountered Cicero, and this time around it seemed to be a peaceful trip without anyone coming to bother them. After reaching the area that Midnight helped the jester in they moved off the road and headed up into the countryside, where La'nari followed the map they had while the others kept an eye out for more danger, despite no enemies being in the area. As such they were able to reach the outside of a nordic ruin, this one built into the ground, and it wasn't long before Capper and the others headed into it, because while they were here there was a lot of treasure to gain by killing the draugr, while Midnight got ready to face the client. Following that the group found someone who had been slain by a skeleton and Azure smashed the undead, where Capper found a journal that talked about the important figure that had been buried here, the weapons he carried, and the Voice he had been linked to, where Sharva nodded, it was worth doing for the experience.

While he did that they found the chamber that the client was hiding in, which appeared to be after an area with a bunch of dead draugr, especially a deathlord that Capper stole the ebony axe it had been holding, before most of them moved into the main chamber as Capper remained in the shadows while Midnight entered the side chamber.

"By the almighty Divines, you've come. The Black Sacrament... it actually works." the first figure said, which seemed to be a breton noble, based on what Capper and Midnight could see, though at the same time the second figure looked like a very ordinary imperial warrior that must have been the bodyguard.

"The Night Mother has heard your pleas, and I have come to do business. Tell me, who needs to die?" Midnight asked, where she was going with a more focused assassin persona for this, instead of being her usual self, and based on what she could see it appeared to be just what the client was expecting, which she was fine with.

"Actually, there are several targets... I'm sure that you and your people will find this enjoyable, but each death paves the way to the real target." Amaund stated, something that made Capper raise an eyebrow as he listened from behind the wall that was linked to the door Midnight had opened, because this would be more work than what Astrid was expecting, in fact this made him interested in what he might say next, "I seek the death of the Emperor."

Midnight wasn't entirely sure what to say about that discovery, rather she told Amaund that she would bring his message to her superior, causing the bodyguard to hand over a letter, containing the list of people they would be killing and information that the Dark Brotherhood could use to kill each of them, along with an amulet that was quite expensive and could be sold to pay for expenses. With that information in hand Midnight returned to the others and they headed out into the ruin, where Capper found that there were two paths and both had minor draugr defending them, though at the end of each one stood a single deathlord with a pair of scourge guardians. He did discover that both had a ceremonial weapon beyond their resting place, so he swiped them before they were damaged, while the group hacked through the undead, with the magical ones blasting them as well, eventually ending with their victory and the Collectors gathering more items to add to the growing pile in the Golden City. The ebony weapons were nice as well, since it meant that those who didn't have the best weapons could replace their gear with new items, and those that already had the best meant that the weapons could be added to the rest of the stuff in Capper's realm.

With the two ceremonial weapons in hand they were able to open the other door that was in the ruin and it brought them to a chamber that happened to be where the main draugr was resting on a throne, where Sharva rushed at it and swung both of her blades at it, allowing her to parry it's impressive looking silver axe and sword before she cut it down.

"Yeah, we should resume splitting up when we do these things... should make things more interesting." Capper said, since it seemed like the combined might of the entire group was too much for most of their ordinary enemies, and he could see that the others were agreeing with him, though following that they set about looting the entire place, Sharva even learned a new Word from the Word Wall.

With the information and loot in hand the group returned to the outside and climbed back onto their carriage, though this time around La'nari started to cut across the country, following a path she knew while the others kept an eye out for danger as she did so. She knew that the cave that the Silver Hand were resting in happened to be near a stream, so she tracked it down and then started to follow the left side of it, while at the same time Rarity loosed ice spikes, Midnight stabbed a couple of bandits, while Azure and Sharva cut down those that got near them. Capper, as per usual, held back as the kobolds went out and collected the loot, since it was the best thing to do right now, even though he did make a note of the areas that they had yet to visit so he could return to them in the future, just in case they had anything else to add to his collection. With the group's collective effort they were able to make their way across the countryside and La'nari stopped once they were right outside the cave that was Swindler's Den, where Azure shifted into his werewolf form without delay, because he would be fighting the Silver Hand and this was the best way to deal with them.

Capper followed him and Tuk Ur into the cave, finding that the werewolf slashed through those that came at him while the warrior kobold hacked his foes apart, and it wasn't long before the Collectors went to work, gathering the loot from those that died and the containers that were around them. Sure enough he found that Azure feasted on the Silver Hand, as in he even tore them apart with his sharp teeth, yet at the same time he could see that the former Solar Guard was in control of himself, instead of letting the rage take control fully, like some would have experienced in this situation. As they moved even deeper into the cavern, reaching a large dining area by the looks of it, Azure seemed to reach a point where his armor simply reformed on his werewolf body, and he could wield his greatsword in this form, something that surprised the Silver Hand as he tore through them with little effort. Such a thing made Capper chuckle, as one of them had mentioned that their group was full of unique people, like Rarity being a unique type of vampire, Sharva being the Dragonborn, and so on, and Azure was now fulfilling that prediction, a 'primal werewolf' as one had called such a thing in the past.

It was an interesting thing to see, Azure overcoming the primal instincts of his werewolf form and mastering it, to a degree, though eventually they reached what appeared to be a waterfall area, where there were a bunch of redguard warriors and one that looked like a leader, something that caused Capper to hold a hand out to stop Azure as he stepped up to where the leader was standing.

"Stand down men, let's not rush into the jaws of death." the leader said, as he could see that this wasn't a battle they could win, if there was a werewolf that could slaughter an entire clan in no time like this, they could practically hear him before he even reached this point, and if he was wearing armor and wielding a weapon he knew it would be their death if he fought him and his people, "Shall we talk?"

"We were only here for the Silver Hand, and the bandits. If you and your men are another force, we can talk." Capper said, to which he glanced at the men for a moment and realized what he was looking at, which made him interested in what he could do with this, because these were members of the Alik'r, redguard warriors who wielded scimitars and seemed to be part of the military of Hammerfell.

"We are searching for a redguard woman, who is said to be in Whiterun, because she is wanted for treason by the houses of Taneth since she sold the city out to the Dominion." the leader stated, where the other redguards could tell that their leader was thinking of using the trio to track down their target, that was why he was revealing this much to them, something that made Capper interested in what he might be able to do with these people, "We are to take her alive and bring her back to Hammerfell, so she can face her punishment... there is a substantial bounty on her head, and many of my people want her captured. If you are willing to help us, speak to my men waiting in Rorikstead and I can cut you into our rewards."

"I'll consider it. Do you mind if we loot the final chest that the bandits left in this place?" Capper inquired, where he found that the redguard seemed to be fine with this, none of it was their loot, so Capper looted it and found that there was a bunch of ebony items inside it, causing the Collectors to grab everything inside the chest before he, Azure and the kobolds left the area without wasting time.

Sure enough Rarity and the others were surprised when Azure came out in his new form, before they found that he could switch between them with ease, without the usual time restraint that came with such a transformation, though once Azure's group was back on the carriage they headed south to return to the road. It was about time they returned to Falkreath so Midnight could return to Astrid and give her the information she had obtained from their client, something that would allow them to figure out what she would do with the knowledge that someone wanted the Emperor of Tamriel dead. Capper felt that there should be another path to this, instead of killing such an important figure, but for the time being said nothing on the subject, since this was something for the Dark Brotherhood to do, which was him not interfering like he had done in the past, letting the others work with their guilds. Other than that it didn't seem like there were any obstacles for them to worry about, making him wonder what was up with this portion of Skyrim since he expected more danger to be coming at them, but he wasn't about to complain as they made their way back to Falkreath.

When La'nari brought them to where the Sanctuary was located Midnight just disembarked alone and headed down into the opening, allowing the others to rest and relax a little while they waited for Astrid to get over the shock of the news Midnight was going to be bringing her, and, as Capper expected, their friend returned in no time.

"She wants me to take the amulet to Delvin, since he has a history with them, to find out what it is and if they can get away with selling it." Midnight said, something that caused the others to glance at each other for a moment, as this was an easy mission to do, in fact it didn't look like she had bothered to speak with Nazir while she was inside, she just went straight to the boss and came right back out.

Capper nodded as they headed into Falkreath and used it's Gate to return to his Plane of Oblivion, before crossing over into Riften again, allowing them to stroll over to the secret entrance of the Thieves Guild and head inside without being seen, to which he collected his loot from the tribute chest before they tracked Delvin down.

"Boss, always a pleasure. What can I do for you today?" Delvin asked, because he knew Capper was the best thief around, in fact he might be the best thief in most of the provinces right now, and he made it a point to make sure his boss had anything and everything he might need, even if it was for his companions.

"Midnight has some business with you, actually." Capper replied, allowing the former Lunar Guard to take a seat across from Delvin as she slipped him the amulet, where he stared at it for a moment before picking it up, where Capper nodded for a moment as he let Midnight take the reins of this conversation.

"Astrid sent me, wanted to know what this is and if we can sell it to you... and no, we didn't kill whoever owned it." Midnight stated, deciding to get straight to the point and not waste time, even though it looked like Delvin took more of an interest in the item than before when he learned that she was from the Dark Brotherhood, like he had assumed they were all thieves in some manner, despite their various sets of armor and weapons.

"This is an amulet of the Elder Council, specifically crafted for each member... worth a small fortune, anyway." Delvin replied, something that interested Capper, yet he could see that it was definitely unique, meaning that each member of the Council had their own unique amulet and that a great amount of septims went into making just one, before he placed it into his own pack and withdrew an important looking piece of parchment, "Here you are, a letter of credit that is usable by Astrid only, as per our standard agreement."

Midnight nodded as she took the letter, as Astrid had indicated that this was what she was expecting him to offer, before she thanked him and left the area, allowing them to head back into the city before using the Gates to return to Falkreath, and as soon as they did that she headed into the Sanctuary with Capper sneaking in like he did previously.

"You're back... what, get cold feet... or hooves, in this case?" Astrid asked, which was a fair comment to make since she had only just given Midnight the mission to check out what the amulet was and it was barely half an hour later, making her take a moment to wonder if the newcomer wasn't as devoted to the cause as she had assumed.

"I have wings, remember? I just flew there, found Delvin, and flew back." Midnight returned, which wasn't the truth, but she wasn't about to reveal the existence of Capper's domain to everyone, or the Gates that allowed such easy access to each of the nine Holds, before she withdrew the letter of credit and handed it over to Astrid, who stared at it in surprise, "The amulet was from a member of the Elder Council... seems like our client is trying to move up in the world and is eliminating those who might be standing in his way."

"Oh you, naughty, naughty little boy... this is getting more and more delicious as we uncover more information." Astrid said, because now this was an assassination contract so someone could cut open a seat in the Elder Council, maybe even opening the way for him to become the Emperor, which could have some serious consequences if he was different from the current one, but Astrid was focused on the here and now, "Anyway, your first target is Vittoria Vici, who will be getting married at the Temple in Solitude soon, and the public reception will be held outside it... you'll need to kill her then, while she's relaxing and enjoying her day. If you kill her during her speech to her guests, well, there's more gold in it for you... the wedding's in the morning, and the public reception is the day after, so you'll have plenty of time to plan your attack."

Midnight, like Capper, was interested in who Vittoria was and learned that she was actually a cousin of the Emperor, though he had originally been planning on coming for the wedding and cancelled at the last minute, so they were using her death to accomplish the same thing. This would, of course, give them some time to do whatever they wanted, meaning he could go buy the house in Solitude and obtain the final Stone of Barenziah, meaning he could have Vex reveal whatever it was that she was hiding about them, before even worrying about the assassination mission. With that in mind Midnight left the home of the Dark Brotherhood and returned to the others, where Capper found one of the Collectors waiting for him, as one was standing by the carriage with an odd bow in her hand. As Midnight told the others what was going on, however, they also found out that this bow was like two tendrils that had been bound together, with a pair of eyeballs on the front of it, to look at one's enemies, and it looked like it had some chaotic power inside it, maybe attuned to Sheogorath.

He wasn't entirely sure what the bow was, but for the time being Capper took it and returned it to the collection of strange relics inside his castle, he was placing it with the artifacts he had collected so far, before patting the Collector who brought it to him on the head, even though this made him interested in whatever the coming days head in store for him and his friends.

Prelude: Unexpected Transfer

It was a strangely peaceful day in the Everfree Forest, as the timberwolves seemed to be silent while most of the creatures were either sleeping or were doing whatever it was that they did, something not a lot of ponies knew about since most of the population of Equestria were scared of this place. With that in mind Capper had gone to Ponyville to find one of the few ponies he had become friends with, because he had heard rumors and stories about how some or all of them had, at one point in time, gone into the forest to find the 'Elements of Harmony', powerful artifacts to stop Nightmare Moon. Of course one of his companions, Rarity to be exact, had confirmed that the tales were true, even the ones where her sister and her sister's friends had come into the forest to do stupid things, all to figure out their Cuties Marks, though usually the trio in question had to be saved from their antics. He had been sure that he could convince one of them to come with him, show him to the castle, and then he could track down a couple of items to use to settle his debt with Verko, because while his debt had been lessened significantly the mole insisted on him paying a small fraction in the end.

When he told Twilight that, since she insisted on being told all of the information on what he wanted to do, she ended up using Spike's fire breath to send a scroll to her mentor to tell her about what Capper was up to, where he suspected that she was hoping to get some backup to stop him.

To Capper's surprise he ended up watching a magical exchange of letters between Twilight and Celestia, one writing down a response to the other before sending it once they were ready to go, and he, of course, had to provide more information than what he gave Twilight earlier. What he learned was that both of the princesses of Canterlot, as Luna was present for the exchange on the other end and must have been interested in what her sister was doing, were interested in his odd request, but, at the same time, were more than willing to grant him his request. He suspected that it was due to the fact that he had aided Twilight's group in their quest to defeat the Storm King, and the fact that they likely felt that he hadn't been properly rewarded for his efforts, so this, in their eyes, was a way to square the remainder of their debt to him. With that in mind the sisters had sent one final letter informing him and Twilight that two guards, one from both divisions, were on their way to Ponyville and that they would be there within the hour, to escort him and anyone who was joining him to the castle.

Rarity, who had come in during the end of the exchange, asked if it was okay for her to join the group and Capper figured it was okay, since they would have guards with them this time around, though they didn't have to wait very long as one of the chariots, like what brought Twilight here once upon a time, brought two new guards to Ponyville. The letter had explained that the Solar Guard was Azure Blade, who seemed to be much like the rest of the members of his division, while his Lunar companion, Midnight Rose, seemed to be having fun already, if the smile on her face was any indication. From what the pair learned a fair number of guards, from both divisions, had been brought before the pair of princesses and these two were picked above all of the others, though while both were happy to be off guard duty for once, only one seemed excited by the idea of heading into the Everfree Forest. Azure informed them that the princesses weren't expecting them to run into any trouble while they were heading through the dangerous forest, but it was better to be safe since there was no telling what the group would discover once they started their trek.

Sure enough Capper found that the princesses had been right, the trek had been uneventful with no timberwolves or even the massive bears that were said to be in the forest, in fact it looked like he had picked the right time to even suggest such a thing, since he and his companions were able to reach the castle without anything attacking them.

"So, this is the ancient castle... only thing we have to be careful of is crumbling walls and creaky stairs." Azure commented, though while this was his first time actually seeing the structure in question, which was as rough and worn down as he had heard, he knew it was only a matter of time until something collapsed and the entire place came crashing down, or at least the rest of it anyway.

"Whatever. I'm just glad to be doing something that's not guard duty." Midnight remarked, where Capper found that the Lunar Guard seemed more adventurous than her Solar Guard counterpart, as Azure was more like the rest of his mates, focused on serving his princess to the letter, but even then he also appeared to be grateful for something new to do, instead of guarding the Princesses all day.

"I'm glad to have offered you two something new." Capper said, even though it was a little weird to hear the guards talk, as the ones back in Canterlot seemed to be silent and did whatever their patrons asked them to do, but at least the pair were having some fun as they looked around the castle, before he glanced around for a moment, "Now, where is that path that Princess Luna mentioned?"

The area they were currently in was the main entrance of the castle, which once brought ponies and visitors to the thrones that Celestia and Luna used to sit on and rule from, though while the area that was to their left seemed to be broken, due to the collapsed walls, the right was perfectly fine. Midnight, having received instructions from her boss before they set out on this journey, beckoned for them to follow her as she headed into the passage that was to the right of the entrance, where Rarity found that the path brought them to the library and the hidden stairs her friends had discovered once upon a time. After that they headed down the stairs in question for a time, eventually reaching an underground area that Rarity and her friends had told no one about, save for writing it down in the journal Twilight kept of their adventures, before they headed down to their right for a time as the Lunar Guard followed her boss' instructions. Such a thing allowed the group to see that there were a number of lights that magically ignited as they got close to them, some of them revealing doors to other rooms, ones Rarity didn't know about, before Midnight stopped in front of a door with a gem icon on it.

Midnight produced a silver key from her bag that she slipped into the slot and unlocked the door, where Capper opened the door once she was done working on it, revealing a decent sized room that had chests that were full of gems and some that were full of gold coins, a small treasury that either the sisters kept hidden or one of them had kept from everyone, including their sister.

"You know, I was expecting it to take some time to find this place... it's nice to be surprised." Rarity remarked, where she had to guess that this was all Luna's treasure from when she lived in this castle, since it was her key that opened the door, and as they walked into the room she picked up a sapphire with her magic, "These gems are magnificent."

"Yes, they certainly are." Capper stated, where he pulled out one of the sacks he had collected previously, before traveling to Ponyville to look for a guide, and collected a number of the finer gems, because they should be enough for him to deal with his debt, and maybe leaving him with some to spare, though while he picked up a few gold coins he noticed that Midnight and Azure had followed them in, and were looking at something else.

That 'something else', as it turned out, was an odd golden statue that seemed out of place, as it was small enough to fit in his hands as he looked at it, like a brick or even a totem, though it resembled the chaotic creature known as Discord and it held a gleaming gemstone of some kind in it's hands that was shaped to look like some sort of lens, and right now it was resting on a pedestal of sorts.

"Must be an artifact of some kind... I wonder what it does." Midnight commented, as she knew that both Princesses kept all sorts of magical items under lock and key, including the Elements of Harmony when they had been recovered, so finding a lost and forgotten artifact made her curious, all while Capper picked it up.

"Well, we can ask Celestia and Luna when we get back to Canterlot, since leaving this here might be a..." Capper started to say, though as he handled the statue for a few seconds, to get a better look at it, he noticed that the eyes were now glowing, meaning the magic that was inside the artifact was activating before their eyes.

He, Rarity, Midnight, and Azure barely had time to process what was going on as the artifact burst open, as it literally broke apart and released a torrent of chaotic energy that wrapped around them, before transforming into a vortex of energy that pulled all of them into it as they wondered what might be on the other side of it.

Capper groaned as he finally came to, though as he started to move he discovered a few things, the first being that he and his companions, who he was sure were near him, were now outside since he could feel the ground beneath him, before he opened his eyes and found that they weren't in the ruined castle or the Everfree Forest anymore. It appeared that the vortex had dropped them off in an area that was covered in snow, as the trees and mountains definitely had snow on them, plus, from what he could see, there was a worn out dirt road a fair distance from where they had landed. As he thought about that he glanced down at his body for a moment and found that there really didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, as he was still an anthropomorphic brown cat, a term Princess Twilight had used to describe him and his people at times, complete with his dark indigo hair. He was also wearing his red open coat, where he found that his bag of gems was inside it, though below his coat he discovered that he had on what appeared to be ragged clothes, something beggars would wear when they couldn't afford nice things, which he instantly wanted to get rid of.

A groan next to him caused Capper to turn his head and discovered that the others were alright, though all three of them were no longer ponies, rather it looked like the magic that had brought them here had given them the same height that he was used to living with. In addition to that he could see that their new legs ended in hooves, they still had their tails and their pony ears, and their bodies were the same color that they had been before the vortex sucked them in, with Rarity having white skin, Azure's was a light blue, instead of the white a Solar Guard usually had, and Midnight had a light gray body. All three of them were dressed the same as him, as in they were wearing ragged clothing that might be good for a day or two, though the armor that both of the guards had been wearing was gone, likely taken away by the very magic that had brought them here in the first place. In addition to that he found that Azure's hair was a vibrant shade of blue while Midnight's was more of a dark violet, and while the Solar Guard had no wings and no horn, indicating he was an earth pony, his Lunar counterpart had a pair of dark leathery wings that were like a bat's.

Capper honestly wasn't sure what sort of species Midnight was, though for the time being he focused on making sure that all of them were alright as he gently roused them, finding that each one let out a groan as they opened their eyes and took in the world that was around them.

"Where... are we?" Rarity asked, because at a glance she would have assumed that they were somewhere near the Frozen North, near the Crystal Empire to be exact, before she glanced down at her body and found that she, along with both of the guards, were in the same situation as she paled as she noticed what she was wearing, "Wh... What happened to me? What am we wearing?!"

"I have no idea... honestly, I have no idea where we are or what happened to you guys." Capper said, though he was happy to see that, despite their circumstances, none of them seemed to be hurt or in pain, since he was able to get up and walk just fine, which made sense due to the fact that his body seemed unchanged, "As for what we're wearing, I would imagine that the vortex gave these rags to us... maybe to help us fit in with the residents of wherever we are?"

"We... We can't go out looking like this... we need something nicer to wear." Rarity replied, where she wished that she had some of her materials with her, because it would have helped her create something to replace what they were wearing at the moment, while at the same time she and the guards started to try out their strange new bodies.

As Capper thought about what to do, however, he heard something and ducked down low for a moment, though that was when he noticed that there were some bushes in front of them and moved so anyone looking their way from the road would be unable to see them. Rarity, on the other hand, stayed still for a few seconds before pulling herself over to where he was positioned, which Azure and Midnight did as well, allowing the group to discover whatever was on the road while trying to remain unseen, so if someone was coming they would be able to remain undetected for some time. It wasn't long before they discovered the source of the noise, three individuals were coming up the road and two of them seemed to be talking, about what neither of them knew, while the third seemed preoccupied with glancing around the area every now and then. Based on what Capper could see none of them were like him or his companions, as they had no animal features to speak of, though he could see that two of them were well dressed, meaning they had have some valuables on them, while the third was wearing what looked like the attire of a soldier.

Behind them was a horse, similar to the ponies that Capper was used to seeing but without the abilities or intelligence he was used to seeing, who was hooked to a carriage of some kind that had a number of crates stacked on it, where he had to assume they might find some gear on it, though as he shifted his stance he found that Midnight did as well.

"Midnight, what are you doing?" Azure whispered, because he really didn't know anything about the Lunar Guard that was observing the carriage at the moment, mostly due to the fact that they worked different shifts and he almost never saw her around Canterlot, but even then he knew of Capper's reputation and suspected that they were up to no good.

"Simple: we're going to try and take the carriage, or maybe just some boxes and see if they have better clothing to wear, so we're better prepared for this land." Midnight replied, also keeping her voice low as the carriage got close to them, since Azure had done the same when he spoke up, mostly because he likely didn't want to be attacked, before she glanced at Capper for a moment, as if there was more she had to say, "That is the plan, right?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was planning on doing." Capper said, which was impressive in his mind, as she had figured out the plan in the span of a few seconds, so that, combined with the fact that she was already ready to do some sneaking, told him that Midnight must have been a thief before becoming a guard, while he could see that Azure was frowning over what they might do next.

Rarity stared at the pair for a few seconds, weighing their options and debating whether or not they should be doing this, before lowering her head as she gave him and Midnight a brief nod, allowing them to do whatever they were going to do, while she and Azure kept an eye out for additional trouble. Capper, used to his body more than the others were, decided to keep himself low for a time as the trio started to move by the area they were in, allowing him and his companion to silently observe the wagon. Apparently the nobles were coming to this end of the 'empire' for a wedding, as that seemed to be what the pair were talking about, where the male seemed to indicate that they were on their way to 'Solitude' and that the bride was someone called 'Vittoria Vici', a cousin of the Emperor, and, more importantly, the gifts they were hauling to the wedding were their gift to the bride. Fortunately the male noble reminded his wife of the expensive stuff that was inside the crates, such as all sorts of jewelry, clothing, potions, and other items, like the trio were hauling a small fortune with them, though Capper did think it was strange for them to not be riding on the wagon since there was an area for people to sit on.

As he thought about that both he and Midnight paused as the steed stopped and nibbled on the bush, like it was hungry or something, and, to their surprise, it didn't seem to freak out as it stared into both of their eyes, allowing him to gently brush it's face for a moment as the trio kept going further and further up the road. When the nobles were a fair distance away, still unaware of their idiocy, Capper raised his other hand for a moment and beckoned for Midnight to move, where she carefully got up and made her way to the back of the wagon, making sure not to trip since that might alert the figures to what was going on at the moment. Of course, since she wasn't used to her body, it took her a while to do so, a minute or two based on what Capper counted, but she was able to reach the back and looked at the crates that were back there, each one labeled so the nobles could remember which one contained which item, causing her to open the food one and pull out an apple. With that in hand Midnight handed it to Capper, who, in turn, gave it to the horse, who seemed to enjoy the offering, which was when he nodded and his companion climbed onto the wagon without wasting time, allowing him to carefully move the horse in a way so it was facing the way that it had come from, doing so slowly since he didn't want to ruin everything.

After a few more moments he found that the nobles and their guard still had no idea what was going on, causing him to climb up onto the front of the wagon, while at the same time allowing Azure and Rarity to take the back as Midnight took the seat to his right, and once they were all on it he silently got the horse moving, only to come to a stop when he found a curve in the past, providing them with some cover.

"I can't believe you guys did that... nor can I believe that it worked so well." Rarity remarked, though she wasn't sure how she should feel about this event, that they had just stolen a small fortune from some people who make the mistake of not riding their wagon like a bunch of normal individuals, but her focus was on the crates as she found the clothing one and opened it, finding what looked like the very clothing that the nobles had been wearing, "Out of curiosity, do you guys have a color preference?"

"Not really." Capper replied, which was followed by Rarity handing him a brown suit and pants that he was sure went with his coat, while she had picked a light blue dress that had blue pants with it, while Midnight was given a brown set that was more like the male noble's, though Azure refused and went with a more plain white shirt and brown pants, likely a set that the guard would wear later.

Capper had to admit that the clothing would only provide them with some protection against the weather, even though they weren't in a blizzard or anything, but this was better than the rags they had started with, though they would have to get something for Azure later, once they knew more about the land they were in.

"Well, what do we have here? Four bandits, possibly thieves, scoring a big haul." a new voice commented, where the group found a female cat creature, similar to how Capper looked he wagered, who wore dark brown armor on her body, arms, legs, and her feet, leaving her head exposed, revealing her light gray coloration to them, "Unfortunately, you might be out of luck: there's an Imperial patrol further down the road, about fifteen minutes away... however, I have a proposition that will benefit all of us. How about I join you, as another member of your 'guard'? The patrol won't even give us a second glance if they see that we're a group of nobles with their guards, then we can continue on to the fort that my clan calls home, where I can convince the bosses that you guys are new recruits and make sure you get a bigger cut of the spoils."

Rarity resisted the urge to groan, as this wasn't what she had envisioned when she and the guards agreed to help Capper out, though her companion seemed to be considering the offer the cat was giving them, especially since they were in a land that none of them knew anything about, and it wasn't long before Capper and Midnight nodded.

"Sounds fair to me. I'm Capper, and this is Rarity, Azure Blade, and Midnight Rose." Capper said, taking a moment to move his hand towards each of them so the cat knew who was who, before he held a hand out, which the other cat shook with a smile on her face, which was fair since this was an easy payday for her since they had done the hard work of stealing the wagon and it's various treasures, causing them to climb up onto the wagon once more, "So, what do we call you?"

"La'nari. It's a pleasure to meet you." the cat replied, where she reached into the pack she was carrying on her back and pulled out a wooden bow, plus a quiver that was full of arrows, meaning she was going to present herself as an archer type guard to whoever happened to get in their way, while Azure and Rarity sat in the back with the crates as Midnight sat next to Capper, "Well then, let's get underway."

Capper nodded as he got the horse moving again, allowing them and their new companion to settle in for a trip since they had no idea where La'nari's base was located or what path needed to be taken, but it only made him all the more eager to see what the world had to offer them.

Interlude: Bleak Falls Barrow

Capper found that he didn't have to wait too long for Sharva to emerge from Dragonsreach, rather it seemed like she had been inside the building for about five minutes after his departure, no doubt gathering more information about what the Jarl wanted her to do before she set out on her quest.

"So, what's the quest?" Capper asked, though at the same time he stopped leaning against the wooden post that was at the top of the steps that lead to Dragonsreach, where he was amazed that the guards had allowed him to do such a thing, as his business with the Jarl was done, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Farengar, the court wizard, wants me to head to Bleak Falls Barrow to find a 'Dragonstone'," Sharva replied, where she let out a sigh for a moment as they walked down to where the ruined tree rested, while Capper made sure to stop at the market for a few bits of food before continuing towards the main gate, "which is supposed to be a map of dragon burial sites... I'm not sure why that's important, since we're dealing with a living dragon and not a long dead one, but he made it clear that this should be my top priority."

"Really? Bleak Falls Barrow? How interesting... I thought they would have sent you somewhere else." Capper said, because he did find it a little odd that the area the Jarl's court wizard was focused on was so close to the city, meaning he could have hired a few adventurers or something to do the job, instead of relying on random strangers, but he decided that it wasn't worth worrying about, since Jarl Balgruuf had apparently okayed the mission, "You know, like a library for a specific book or to a museum for an artifact to borrow... oh well, no harm done. I wonder if Bleak Falls Barrow is the same as Angarvunde, with draugr to worry about?"

Sharva looked like she wanted to say something, but decided not to as they headed outside and found that the others were waiting for them, the wagon positioned so it could leave at a moment's notice, to which Capper returned to the front seat as the ashen khajiit joined Rarity in the back, allowing them to get moving once more. While they did so Capper noticed that a trio of guards were departing from Whiterun as well, which seemed to be the detachment of guards Irileth was ordering to go out to Riverwood, though while he wasn't sure how much help they would be he knew the people would be grateful for a little aid. He did offer the trio a ride, since they were headed in the same way due to the fact that the quickest path back to their home was in the direction of the place the guards were on their way to, but the head of the trio declined and thanked him for the offer, explaining that them running was to get there as soon as possible. With that in mind he and his friends just watched all three guards run off in the direction of Riverwood, causing him to chuckle a little as he got the wagon moving in the same direction, allowing the others to return to what they did whenever they used the wagon.

While they traveled, however, it was clear that everyone else was lost in thought, Capper's friends no doubt wondering why Sharva was still with them and Sharva no doubt thinking about the quest she had been given, and when they rounded the corner by the meadery one of them decided to speak their minds.

"You know, the guards noticed us approach the Jarl together and saw us leave together, so... do you think we can team up to deal with whatever is inside the barrow?" Sharva asked, where it was clear that she had never asked such a thing in the past, in fact Capper was sure that she had been a loner for a long time, forced to fight on her own with no one to fall back on and no one to ask for help if things were beyond her control, and was trying to break out of her shell, "I don't care about any of the treasure, if there is any, but maybe you can use it when you tell your boss that I hired you to help me aid one of the other Jarls?"

"Maven won't be too happy if we're late... though she didn't give us a time limit on when to get the job done, so we're free to do whatever we want, as long as we deliver her gold in the end." La'nari said, as she knew Maven the most out of everyone that was on the wagon, so it was easy for her to say such a thing, though at the same time she had to grin as she glanced at Capper for a couple of seconds, who had a more neutral expression despite what she knew was going through his mind right now, "What do you say, leader?"

"We'll have to set the wagon outside Riverwood and ask the guards to keep an eye on it, and hide the gold we've collected so far, but it's doable." Capper replied, though as he glanced at the rest of the group he noticed that Sharva was happy, though at the same time it seemed like she had a hard time actually expressing herself, like whatever had happened in her past had stopped her from properly expressing her emotions, "At least with all of us going into the barrow you can guarantee that Jarl Balgruuf and Farengar will get what they want."

Sharva gave them a weak smile, which was likely all she could manage right now, while Capper continued to direct the wagon to the small town they had passed through earlier, though he knew after checking out the barrow they would have to take a break and rest up, since going too long would only bring them down. Fortunately it didn't take them too long to reach their destination, where the group found that the guards were already setting up a camp on the other side of Riverwood, over on the side that lead to the Guardian Stones, and one was already patrolling the area. La'nari got off and spoke with him for a few seconds, where Capper found that he was agreeing to keep an eye on the wagon while they were gone, though as their friend did that he picked up Maven's gold and moved over to the underside of the stone bridge, making it look like he was hiding it there. The reality was that he was slipping the container into the outside area of his vault, since he didn't have to worry about anyone stealing it from this place, and once that was done he returned to the others without them knowing about the hidden vault, allowing him to see that the others were ready to depart.

With that in mind, and La'nari made sure the horse had some food and water, the group headed over the stone bridge once more and headed up the path that was on their left, a stone path that definitely headed up into the mountain the barrow was built on. What they discovered was that there was a lone wolf on the path, one that took one look at them and turned tail before departing, showing that six people was far too much for it to deal with on it's own, allowing everyone to continue up the path as La'nari pointed out a stone tower up ahead. From what they could see there were a few bandits outside it, as they wore familiar fur armor, like they were lookouts for the main force or something, though La'nari had them stop for just a few moments as she raised her bow and readied an arrow. She was going to hit one of them and that was their signal to get moving, where Capper and the others got moving as soon as the arrow left her bow, striking the tree bandit in the leg as his companion realized they were under attack, only to be stopped by Sharva as she drew her swords and struck out at him, pushing him back.

Of course there was a third one, this one wearing iron armor, that came rushing at them from the tower, though Azure drew his greatsword and used it to push the nord back, allowing Midnight to use her daggers to deal with the tree bandit, but as those two fell Azure dealt with his foe. With the bandits taken care of Sharva and Midnight carefully observed the path that was in front of them as Capper carefully looted the bodies that were around him, finding a few coin pouches that would be the start of what they recovered during this venture. In addition to that he found another one inside the tower and a chest that was at the peak, one that was easily opened, though it had a few potions, a few for healing and a few for recovering mana, and a few more pieces of gold, all of which he looted before rejoining the others. There didn't seem to be any bandits in the area, not near the tower anyway, allowing the group to walk around part of the mountain before discovering a large carved stone area that might have been part of this mountain at one point in the past, no doubt the ancient nords carving the area into the temple that was in front of them.

The large arches told them that this had to be a place for dragon worship, they were large enough for such a beast to fly through based on what Capper was seeing, and there were three more bandits patrolling the area, to which Capper nodded to La'nari for a moment as she readied one of her arrows. As before she struck the best target, who seemed to be far away from the other two bandits, though this time she hit her target in the shoulder and dropped him to the ground, but as he cried out in pain both Capper and Sharva were already on the move. This time around Capper got involved as he rushed up to the closest bandit to his position before swinging at his surprised foe, who had enough time to block one of his blades as the second struck him in the chest, just like he had seen some of the others do in the past. While he did that Sharva rushed up the final step of stairs before leaping into the air, bouncing off her target's battleaxe before driving her blades right into his neck, allowing her to sever his head like it was nothing, while confirming that she had more battle experience than they knew.

As they made sure that these two were taken care of the bandit with an arrow in his shoulder got up and summoned fire in his right hand, though before he could do anything Rarity appeared behind him and bit his neck, causing the bandit to let out a scream as she drained him dry.

"Wait... you're a vampire?" Sharva asked, because while she didn't like Xylia, the only vampire she was aware of the existence of, she could tell that Rarity was different from the rest of the bloodsuckers she had heard about in the past, especially since she seemed to drain her targets until they were completely dry.

"Yes, just turned recently... I really wasn't thirsty, but I don't feel 'full'... this is so confusing." Rarity replied, though while she knew that the ashen khajiit might want a more flushed out answer she also knew that she didn't have all the answers, but in that moment her hands burst into flames, like she had seen La'nari do when she burned that bandit she drained, causing her to turn the flames on the corpse after Capper removed his coins and valuables.

"D... Did you gain his knowledge on how to use magic?" La'nari inquired, as that was what it seemed like, that Rarity was a unique existence and that she might gain skill knowledge by drinking the blood of her victims, meaning she might be able to become a legend in her own right after a couple of years.

Rarity nodded, as it sure seemed that way to her, to which she focused and extinguished the flames, ignited them, and then dismissed them again, where she had a look of wonder on her face as she did so, as this was totally new to her, especially since she never had Twilight's gift for magic, but now she could consider this to be a blessing and not a curse. While she did that Capper finished collecting the gold and valuables from the bandits, the one he killed even had a silver pendant with an amethyst inside it and another had a garnet in his pockets, before they approached the barrow's main door, which was large and like what a temple would have. He carefully opened the metal door, wide enough for everyone to walk through without alerting anyone to their presence, allowing them to see that the area inside was slightly covered in stone, fallen from the ceiling, with a bunch of dead skeevers all over the place, with a few dead bandits as well. In addition to that he noticed two bandits up ahead of them and held a hand up as he crouched, something the others did as Azure stayed at the back of the pack, since heavier armor made more noise than the lighter armor, to which he approached them first to see if they were saying anything of interest.

From what he gathered they were talking about something they stole from the Riverwood Trader, the 'golden claw', an item that seemed connected to this place and might be the very key to the treasure, to which Capper silently nodded his head and La'nari put an arrow in one bandit as Azure crushed the other with his weapon. While his companions finished off the pair of bandits he found a locked chest that he unlocked without delay, holding some more gold and an ingot that La'nari said was steel, she knew it thanks to the smiths in their clan working on it every so often. With the materials in hand, and all of the bodies were looting for anything of value, the group headed down the passage, which seemed to go deeper into the mountain a little, finding stone slabs that seemed to be offering tables, or just tables, with urns that had already been looted by someone. As such Capper and the others carefully followed the path that was in front of them and came to a stop as they found a room that had a lever right in the center, some stone pillars on the left, a few carvings near the ceiling, and a bandit that was in the process of pulling the lever, causing him to be pelted by poison darts as he perished on the spot.

"Okay, note to self: when ruins present a puzzle, solve it correctly." Midnight commented, though at the same time Capper carefully looted the now dead bandit, who had thirty gold coins in his possession, more than his fellows, before they took a moment to look around the chamber.

Fortunately the answer was surprisingly straightforward and informed them of the poisoned bandit's ignorance, there were three icons near the ceiling, one having fallen to the ground, and when all three of them were read together they figured out that the correct combination was 'snake-snake-whale'. With that in mind Azure moved the three pillars that were on their left to match the icons, causing Capper to pull the lever once he was done, which made the iron gate that was in front of them to rise out of the way so they could progress once more, entering a small room with a wooden spiral stair that went deeper into the mountain. Capper found a book that seemed promising, it spoke about picking pockets, which he pocketed for later as he looted the chest of it's gold and mana potions, the latter he handed to Rarity, before discovering that the urns were also empty, causing him to sigh as he pocketed a purple soul gem that seemed totally empty. Azure found a couple of skeevers at the bottom of the wooden spiral ramp and dealt with them before they could harm the group, where Midnight made sure to remove their tails, as they could be used in alchemy, before everyone entered an area full of cobwebs.

This part of the ruins looked like a number of spiders had broken into the area and turned it into their home, in fact Capper was sure of that as they found a larger chamber that had a bunch of webs on the walls, still bodies that were no doubt dead by this point, and some dark elf tied up in a web near the entrance they needed to take. In addition to all of that they found that there was a rather large spider in the center of the room, far larger than the corpses they had seen since entering this area, which meant that the tied up individual must have slain quite a few of them before getting caught by the parent spider, which was likely planning on eating him. With that in mind Capper carefully cut through the webbing that was blocking their path, no doubt placed there to prevent trespassers or to catch more prey, and once he was done the group moved in to deal with their target, since it was blocking the way forward. Sharva rushed out instantly and the spider spat it's poison right into her face, through the protection of the helmet, temporarily sealing her sight as she ran right into some of the other webs that were in the area, the ones not designed to catch prey, but that opened the way for Azure to hack one of it's legs off as La'nari killed it with an arrow.

While Rarity tended to Sharva, making sure to get the webbing off of her, La'nari freed the dark elf and told him to 'sit down and shut up', indicating that he would speak to Capper before they made a decision on what to do with him, though instead of doing that he rushed into the depths of the tomb, waking the draugr before activating a trap that took his life.

"Good to know that Skyrim has it's fair share of idiots..." Rarity commented, causing most of the group to nod their heads, as the dumb bandit had just caused the denizens of the barrow to wake up, at least the ones leading to the trap that had killed him, though it made Capper happy that their clan was far smarter than what they had seen in Whiterun's domain so far, "But seeing these webs reminds me: Sharva, when was the last time you took care of your fur?"

"Um... never?" Sharva answered, where they moved into the room that was at the end of the short passage, allowing Capper to loot it for anything of value, which was some gold, a soul gem on the ground, and a silver ring, though Rarity just stared at the ashen khajiit for a moment, like she was stunned by her statement, "My, um... boss... said that it wasn't important."

Rarity grumbled to herself and told Sharva that they would deal with that in the future, she refused to allow such a thing to pass by in front of her and not do anything, though she stopped as Capper and La'nari noticed that the chamber that was ahead of them had a couple of draugr, the weaker ones, walking around. Since they were already active, and would likely notice everyone when they tried to sneak through the area since Azure's armor would no doubt give them away, he decided to take them out first, causing him to nod to La'nari as she loosed an arrow into the heart of the first undead she saw. As her target staggered backwards, and fell to one knee as it's companions noticed it had been attacked, Capper rushed out and used his blades to end it's life as Azure approached another draugr and crushed it with his weapon, opening the way for the others to deal with the third one. This time around Sharva was struck in the chest with the greatsword of the third draugr, which cut through her leather armor like it was nothing, though she didn't seem to mind, or didn't care, as she slashed her way through the undead and brought it down, allowing Midnight to collect some crafting ingredients while Capper walked over to where the dark elf had ended up.

Sure enough the now dead bandit had a golden dragon's claw in his possession, which was more skeletal based on what he was seeing, and a journal that he decided to grab, before he noticed that there were three icons on the underside of the claw's palm area, first a bear, then a butterfly, and then an owl at the bottom, a code for a door no doubt.

Once the area was cleared out the group carefully made their way around the pressure stone that was in the middle of the walkway that continued deeper into the barrow, since it activated the trap, only to discover another burial room, which was to be expected, with a smaller passage that had a swinging blade trap inside it. Of course there were more draugr for them to fight, though Capper utilized Azure's armor to their benefit, as he figured out which ones would come to life and which ones wouldn't, it was the fact that the ones that woke up had clothing on and those that were bare remained dead. With that in mind he made sure Azure stayed back a little while everyone else got into position, so when the former Solar Guard just walked into the chamber the draugr had no idea that there were others waiting for them to awaken. As such it meant that they were able to eliminate all of the undead before they became a threat, which allowed the group to loot the bodies for any items of value as Capper found a chest hidden among some rubble, a container he opened with the Skeleton Key and added the gold coins and an amethyst to the growing pile of loot they were collecting.

From there he had the others pause for a moment as he slipped through the swinging blade trap, avoiding all three blades in no time as Capper found a chain to pull, which stopped the blades and opened the way for the others to join him, allowing the group to descend deeper into the barrow. There were a few more draugr resting in a few of the alcoves in the walls that they were walking by, to which La'nari used her arrows to take them out, though as she lead the others forward Capper did what he did best, he looted their slain enemies before catching up with the others. The passage beyond those foes brought them to a larger chamber that had a waterfall on the left side, a small one that cut through the center of the room, and only one coffin opened to reveal yet another draugr, who Azure cut down before it could do anything, while at the same time Midnight pulled a lever and opened the iron gated door that was blocking the path to their right. After that they entered an area that appeared to be a natural cave, no doubt formed before the barrow had been constructed, though Capper looted a pair of chests as the others moved deeper into the cave, where he was pleased to add an enchanted item to their loot, since it would sell well in a trader, along with some more gold and some potions.

There was one more draugr in the area, on a natural stone walkway that passed by a larger waterfall, so La'nari took it down with an arrow, allowing them to approach the area before coming to a stop, as Capper knew they had come so far already and understood that they weren't even at the end yet.

"Let's take a break for a few minutes." Capper said, though he counted themselves fortunate that there was a waterfall near them, as the water was clear and untouched, so it was pure and delicious as he sampled it, meaning they would be able to rest for a short while, get something to drink and refill their waterskins, before pressing even deeper into the barrow.

What he found was that most of them simply rested and drank some water, just like he did, while Rarity took Sharva down into the lower area and showed her a few tricks on how to clean her fur, where Capper smiled a little as he heard them, as it sounded like the pair might be bonding a little, which was a good thing to see. Of course the fact that their new friend hadn't tended to her fur at all, despite being about twenty years old by his reckoning, just added another layer to the mystery that was Sharva's life, as he had no idea what could have caused her to live her life like this. Fortunately he saw that they didn't have to wait too long for the pair to come up, as there was only so much Rarity could do without the materials she was used to using back in her home, but once she and the ashen khajiit were done she mentioned that there was a chest down in the lower area. Since she didn't have the skills to unlock it, her admission and not their assumption, Capper quickly tracked it down and unlocked it, adding another pouch of gold to to total, which seemed strange for a chest, before rejoining the rest of the group as they made their way into another chamber, this one with a slightly larger wooden door.

There was a single draugr patrolling the area, wandering from the door to halfway down the chamber, though since it hadn't noticed them yet Capper let La'nari loose an arrow into it's chest, stunning it for a moment as Azure and Midnight brought it down with their weapons. He did spot a chest off to the right that he unlocked rather quickly, earning him another pouch of gold, about twenty pieces, and a smaller soul gem, both of which he pocketed as they stepped through the door and found a stone brazier with dragon heads on the other side. Since that seemed to be purely decoration the group walked around it and found a passage that lead to another swinging blade trap, which had three blades, to which Capper had the others stay back for a few seconds as he gracefully avoided the three sharp tools and pulled a chain on the other side that stopped the trap. With that done they looked at the chamber he had discovered, which had a main floor and a second floor, the latter having a stone bridge, though there were three more draugr for them to worry about, though none of them were very tough as they went down in two hits each, allowing Capper to collect their gold before they headed up to the second floor.

As it turned out there was a passage on the other side of the stone bridge, one that brought them to a unique door, one that had a combination on it's surface and a place for someone to put the claw key into, to which Capper gently touched one of the three rings that the icons were on and it started to move.

"I see. That makes this far more simple." Capper remarked, where he pulled out the golden claw and quickly modified each ring so they matched what was on the claw's palm, before he pressed it against the central point, allowing them to watch as the rings spun on their own for a moment and then came to a stop before the door sunk into the floor, "Well then, let us see what the ancient nords were hiding from everyone."

What they discovered was a massive cavern that had barely anything from the nords that had constructed the barrow, save for a few braziers here and there, before finding an area that seemed to be a final tomb of sorts, with a large wall that was like what he and Midnight had seen back in Angarvunde. There was another stone path leading out of the area, which had to be the way out of the entire barrow, and there was another large waterfall that was louder than the one they had passed by previously, though before walking up the steps to the dragon wall Capper noticed two smaller chests in the area. One was off to the right, tucked out of sight and out of mind, that happened to have a good amount of gold inside it with a golden amulet that had a ruby inside it, plus a few gems to add to the collection, which made him smile as he stashed them away with everything else. The second one was hidden off to the left, near the exit, and it didn't have as much as the first, but he made sure to loot the gold that was inside it and add the potions to everything they had recovered so far, though after that he joined the others as Sharva approached the dragon wall, seemingly lost in thought.

As they did that, however, the coffin burst open as a stronger looking draugr woke up and attacked them, causing them to discover something interesting, it seemed to loose a burst of wind or something that knocked everyone backwards, almost like the Royal Canterlot Voice from what Capper had heard in the past. It seemed like a tactic to scatter his foes so he could hit them easier, utilizing a power that none of them were familiar with, though Sharva was the first one to get back up as she rushed into battle once again, the draugr swinging it's battleaxe at her as it cut through her leather armor. Capper suspected that she was used to sturdier armor that could withstand blows, so it was taking her some time to get used to the lighter set she had been given, though he shelved the thought for the time being as he and the others joined the fight, attacking the draugr while making sure not to crowd where it was standing. In the end Capper stabbed it's chest before Sharva used both of her weapons to cut it down, allowing everyone to relax as he made his way to the larger treasure chest, which was a major disappointment in that it was just a pair of hide shields and a spell tome he handed to Rarity, but the sack of a hundred gold made him smile a little.

What really made them happy was the fact that there was a fairly decent sized stone in the draugr's coffin, one that had a map of Skyrim on one side with a number of icons that were incredibly important, and Sharva understood what it was the instant she laid eyes on it.

"The Dragonstone... we found it." Sharva said, as she had doubts about Farengar's information, but those doubts were now laid to rest as she held the stone in her own hands, meaning she could continue to help the people of Whiterun by aiding the Jarl and his court wizard.

"Indeed. Now, let's get out of here." Capper stated, because it was time to use the way out and see where it brought them, though now that they had helped her recover the Dragonstone he knew that it was time for them to return to the Rift and deliver the news, and the gold, to Maven and hope that she was willing to forgive the delay.

He did, however, have to think about the fact that Sharva had stalled when she approached the dragon wall, like she could read it or something, which only made him even more interested in learning more about her as they faced whatever the future had in store for them.

Guild: Stealth of a Guildmaster

After setting up Windhelm's portal to the Opulent Lands, Capper picked a hidden area between two houses to the right of the main gate, Capper regrouped with everyone else and the new carriage got underway, heading down the path they had used to reach this area before the destruction of their old bandit clan. Thanks to them coming this way in the past, and all of the travelers that seemed to be using their route to travel between Riften and Windhelm, the group was able to relax for a time, which gave him time to explain the situation to the others, within his ability anyway. It was clear that everyone was surprised by the information, not that he blamed them since he was still coming to terms with what had happened, but for the time being it seemed like La'nari's statement of not bothering to understand a Prince's power seemed to convince the rest of the group not to question his story. Other than that there didn't seem to be anything else for them to worry about, so he had time to think about what had happened inside his realm, plus the new resident that was no doubt hanging out with Ithelia right now, which he knew was going to annoy the other Princes at some point.

As it turned out his thoughts were right, the journey back to Riften turned out to be rather boring, causing him to just use a bit of his new power to modify the inside of their new carriage, making it more roomy, giving them proper beds, and all of the other comforts they had grown used to so far.

Along the way, however, Sharva woke up and Rarity tended to her immediately, making sure she was well rested since her last battle had taken quite a lot out of her, where it was clear that the ashen khajiit was drifting in and out of sleep, like she only had some of her energy back. It was a step in the right direction, since she had taken a nasty blow from a nasty mace before the group had known she was fighting outside Winterhold, but that didn't stop the others from tending to her and making sure her body was well healed when she decided to fully wake up. While that happened La'nari reported that there wasn't too much happening outside the carriage, where she told them that both the Imperials and the Stormcloaks had cleaned up the area before their arrival, as there happened to be a number of dead bodies around part of the road, plus a few dead animals as well. Fortunately someone had cleared the road so carriages and wagons could pass through without having to stop and clear the area, which might have lead to both sides fighting each other, but Capper wasn't about to argue with it since this meant they could travel in peace for a time.

Eventually they reached the outside of Riften, just in time for night to truly fall, where he had the others stay back for now as he and Tri Ki headed inside, because this was going to be a quick visit and then they would be able to rest before worrying about whatever mission Mercer had for them next, and it didn't take them long to reach the cistern.

"Ah, good, you and the little one are back. So tell me, did Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?" Mercer asked, as the moment the pair entered the cistern he waved them over, because he was interested in hearing if they were successful and what they had to do next, showing that he had faith in Capper's skills and trusted that the cat would have only come back if he had something to share with him.

"Yes, he mentioned that 'Karliah' was behind all of this, and that she was a murderer." Capper replied, where he noticed that there was a shift in the air as Mercer understood what he was saying, especially since this was someone none of the others had told him or Tri Ki about, which meant there was information he could gleam from the leader of the Guild, "So, was he telling the truth, or was he pulling our legs?"

"No, he was telling the truth... Karliah destroyed everything the Guild stood for, murdered my predecessor in cold blood, and then betrayed us before disappearing." Mercer stated, though at the same time Capper detected a hint of treachery in the man's voice, like this was a practiced lie that was told whenever someone asked about Karliah, but he didn't say anything as he and his kobold companion listened to his words, "We were like partners, she and I, and I went with her on many heists and jobs, acting as her backup... if Karliah is back then that means that I'm her target, since I'm the only one here that knows her techniques and her skills, and if she kills me then no one will be able to stop her. If only we knew where she went."

"Well, Gulum-Ei told us that she mentioned 'where the end began'." Tri Ki said, as that was the other piece of information the argonian had given them, which seemed like a clue on where she was planning on confronting them, and sure enough they could see that it had a reaction in their leader, confirming that Karliah was after him and that he understood what it meant.

"That can only be one place: where she murdered Gallus. There's a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum, near Winterhold, that's where we're going." Mercer remarked, though at the same time he pulled out a fairly sized coin purse and tossed it to over to Capper, who caught it with a smile on his face, since he was playing at being an ordinary thief, before their leader turned and collected something from one of the containers behind him, "Yes, I'm going with you two, and together the three of us will hunt Karliah down and put an end to this. Make your preparations and meet be there as soon as you can, because this might be our only chance to capture her or take her down."

Capper decided to check in with the rest of the main leaders of the Guild, those that served under Mercer, mostly to make it look like he and Tri Ki were preparing for their new job, but he could tell that there were some mixed feelings in regards to this mission, and not because they were given it. The Guild was on the fence about Karliah, as many had overheard them due to Mercer being loud in announcing that she was back, when he and the kobold told him about her return, and while he chatted with the other thieves he was able to tell a few things. Back when Gallus died the Guild was sundered, many left the group after Mercer tried to take over, though Brynjolf told them that Mercer loved to tell a tale about how there was a long bloodbath that resulted in the deaths of many thieves, though while a few had fought him, and had died, the reality was that many of their former friends left for the other provinces. This told Capper that the rest of the Guild's former members were alive and well, as far as Brynjolf knew, and there was a chance that he could use the figure's contacts to visit the various other thieves guilds that were scattered around the provinces.

It left Capper with a lot to think about, that much was true, though he eventually pulled back when Mercer left the cistern at long last, causing the pair to leave as well as he tracked the Guild's leader for a time, finding that he was heading towards the north gate so he could get his horse and head for their destination.

Instead of focusing on Mercer, even though one of the kobolds was following him to let everyone know when he reached the area Gallus was murdered in all those years ago, Capper focused on Sharva as he and the others slipped into the Opulent Lands, setting her down in one of the houses he had constructed when forming the city. Based on what he was seeing it sure looked like she had been pushing herself to the extreme, exhausting herself in her search for her target, meaning that when it came time to actually fight Xylia she was running on whatever reserve power she had. With that in mind it wasn't hard to see why the ashen khajiit had suffered so much, the wounds that had been inflicted upon her by her foe's mace were due to her own exhaustion and the vampire taking advantage of her weakness, which seemed to be what Xylia had been planning the entire time. The only downside to the imperial vampire's plan was that she neglected to realize how much Sharva would push herself to make sure her hunt was brought to an end, the lengths she would go to, and had the vampire been smart he knew that the battle would have ended in Xylia's favor, but she was caught and Sharva killed her.

"She likely needs a new more hours of sleep before she'll be up and about again." Rarity remarked, because while she wasn't skilled in the arts of healing she could see that the ashen khajiit was recovering quite well, even though it seemed like she was still drifting between being awake and being asleep, as if finishing off Xylia had awakened something inside her, "You know, I've been thinking about it, but there must be a reason behind her hunting down the vampire, more than what Sharva told us in the past... I think there's more to the story, but until she wakes up we'll never know for sure."

"She's the Last Dragonborn, the hero that will save the world multiple times over." a voice said, where Capper found Ithelia approaching them, her eyes locked on the slumbering ashen khajiit, though at the same time she seemed sad, reminding him that she was the Prince of Paths, a being tied to fate itself, meaning that she could see more than all of them could, and that sight was causing the frown they were currently seeing, "I need to get used to being the Prince of Paths again, not to mention being able to fully see the Threads of Fate again... I didn't get a good glimpse of what might happen in the future."

"At least now I understand why it was so hard to learn, since it was natural to you." Mora added, as the newly transformed Prince was beside Ithelia, though her comment was the truth, it had taken her a long time to learn how to wield Ithelia's power to the degree that caused the mortals to call her the 'Prince of Fate', a headache that was now back in the hands of it's original owner, "Also, Alduin has returned at long last."

While the others were confused Capper assumed that Mora was referring to the black wyvern they had seen during Helgen's destruction, it was the only thing that made sense to him when he thought about it, before Ithelia bowed her head and went back to her duties, taking Mora with her while promising to come back and check on the khajiit later.

"You seem to have gotten a new follower... though I don't remember seeing anyone that could have made a creature like that." La'nari commented, because the newest addition had been a wonder, even though that fact was the lesser one when she considered that Capper apparently had another Daedric Prince serving as his Chamberlain, which was just insane, even if everything connected to the cat was just insane.

"Yeah, that's Mora... Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Knowledge, actually... remind me to tell you about her and Ithelia in the future." Capper stated, because there was a lot of information he had to tell the others at some point and right now his focus was on Mercer, though once he completed his work with the Guild he knew he would have plenty of things to do in his realm, especially since the rest of Oblivion would be drawn to them thanks to Mora's transformation.

"Capper, darling, we're talking about an existing Prince of Oblivion... this sounds like something we should talk about now, not later!" Rarity remarked, because if Capper had the power to transform a Prince's existing form into something new, and seemed to force or convince them to serve him, it meant there was going to be a struggle for power once the other Princes realized that the newcomer was a threat to their existence.

As Capper opened his mouth, however, the kobold that was tasked with following Mercer indicated that he had arrived at his destination, and the reason he knew that was due to a small golden shard he had given the kobold for communicating that fact to him, causing him and Tri Ki to depart, finding that Mercer was standing outside a nordic ruin.

"So, this is Snow Veil Sanctum." Capper commented, where he and his kobold companion walked out from behind the large rock that the other kobold had been hiding behind, who was now heading back to the Opulent Lands, though the pair made it look like they had been following after Mercer for some time, while they noticed that the ruin appeared to have a dome around it, with an open top he assumed, plus there was a dead horse behind them, "I take it Karliah is here?"

"Yes, and she left her old method of transport out in the open... I have disposed of it, to make sure she can't escape if this is a trap." Mercer said, though he showed no signs of confusion by the fact that they had followed him here as fast as they had, meaning he had been so focused on Karliah that he hadn't even bothered to look behind him to see if they were behind him, to which he turned towards the pair, "Let's get moving before she knows we're here... Capper, you take the lead."

That raised some red flags in Capper's mind, that the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild wanted a newcomer to take over one of the most important missions in the Guild's history, even though said newcomer was one of the greatest thieves they had seen in a long time, before he nodded. With that done he and Tri Ki headed up the dome's edge, finding that their leader was right behind them and seemed to be observing their movements, like he might be plotting to murder them because Capper was a threat to his position as the leader of the Guild. The main door to the ruin was locked, this time it had curved locks on it that seemed impossible to open, though Capper stood by a nearby barrel as Mercer tried in vain to open the door, like he was used to something being there and realized that he couldn't open the door without it. Capper knew it was the Skeleton Key, this was just Karliah confirming that the man had stolen the item, though he sighed as he pulled a hidden lever that was behind the barrel and the locks came undone, and since Mercer was looking at him when he did it that meant the man knew Capper was smarter than he gave him credit for.

Once the door was open the trio headed inside, though instantly Capper and Tri Ki crouched and started moving, while at the same time Mercer seemed to complain about the stench while remarking that they should be on their guard least they alert Karliah to their presence, all while he was the one being loud right now. The first chamber that they moved into had a pair of coffins that were linked to a rigged chest, Capper could see the wire of the trap, only for Mercer, in his stupidity, to trip the blasted thing and caused the pair of lids to open, revealing a pair of strong draugr, the scourge type. The two draugr didn't even notice Capper and Tri Ki, rather it was like they were invisible to their eyes, but Mercer found that the scourge zeroed in on him and him alone, forcing him to draw a special looking dwarven sword and a daedric dagger, items Capper wanted for his own collection. It was actually quite interesting to watch him defend himself, because while his movements were somewhat graceful he was loud, he shouted at both draugr, and his feet made too much noise, like he was stomping for some reason, making Capper wonder if he was cursed in some manner.

In the end he and Tri Ki drew their weapons and stabbed the draugr in their backs, allowing them to bring them down in no time, though Capper collected the pair of golden soul gems that were dropped from their foes, before unlocking the chest and collecting the loot, some gems and coins, that were inside it.

"Those are unique looking soul gems... might be worth a lot if we could sell them. Shall we split them?" Mercer inquired, as if being the leader entitled him to some of the reward, though while Capper would have been fine with this he knew that the man didn't deserve anything from him, not with that poor performance.

"Yeah, no. Maybe if you show me why you're the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, and do well, I might share some of the loot with you." Capper replied, though before Mercer had a chance to react to his statement, and the fact that he wasn't going to share with him, both he and Tri Ki resumed their sneaking and headed deeper into the ruin, as they had someone to find and a truth to uncover.

The next room happened to have a spike wall trap that would swing into someone's face if they triggered something, where Mercer loudly stated that the lever near it was likely it's activator, and it would raise the door, though sure enough his loud stomping woke up the draugr, who, again, focused on him. It was hilarious to see, that the undead didn't care about Capper or Tri Ki, though as that happened Capper decided to feel the air around the man and felt a daedric curse on him, meaning one of the Princes didn't like him, and when he considered that the Skeleton Key was Nocturnal's a picture formed in his mind. Of course he and Tri Ki came to his rescue time and time again, though he made sure that Mercer didn't claim any of the loot, both because of his natural nature and the fact that the man didn't deserve any of the items they were claiming, but he did find that these draugr had plenty of coins and gems on them. Such a thing told him that Karliah was likely tempting Mercer into feeding his thief nature and might be using the curse to try and kill him, for what reason he didn't know, but he and his kobold companion saved their leader multiple times and collected many bits of treasure thanks to his stupidity since he kept waking up the draugr.

The outrageous thing was that Mercer even claimed that they were, in fact, the ones making the noise and alerting their foes to their position, to which Capper decided to ignore their leader and left Tri Ki to stab the draugr, while at the same time he called in a few of the collector kobolds to collect the items from the undead they killed.

Capper found that the spike wall didn't swing when he pulled the lever, while Mercer had to jump back when he tried it out, which all but confirmed that Nocturnal was screwing with him, and there were bear traps that he and Tri Ki avoided, but the leader of the Guild stepped on them and they stabbed his legs. Such a thing also woke up more draugr, forcing Mercer to kill them and use his health stealing enchantment, which his unique dwarven sword had, to heal his wounds after he removed the traps, but it only confirmed something else in Capper's mind, the Guildmaster was worthless. They even found an area with some fire and oil traps, which Mercer tripped like an utter moron and blew up the part of the barrow, though they had to save him again, thus allowing Capper to collect more items from the now dead draugr before they moved deeper into the large barrow. Capper did stop at the various chests that were along the way, making sure they were opened the right way before looting everything that was inside them, usually gems and gold with a few bits of armor and weapons mixed into the treasure, all while he tuned Mercer out as they delved into the ruin's depths.

His disappointment was raised to new levels when Mercer walked into bone chimes, items that were easily avoided, and woke up a few deathlords, so when those draugr were dead Capper was able to add a few ebony weapons to the growing list of items they were gathering from this venture.

There was also a chamber with a fair amount of draugr that, as usual, Mercer woke up, so Capper left him and Tri Ki to deal with the undead, since he trusted the kobold more than he trusted their idiotic Guildmaster, and he did find an area with an interesting looking model ship, which he claimed before rejoining his companions. Of course it was on a pressure pedestal, to which Capper replaced it with one of the nearby urns and slipped it into the stash he was carrying, along with a few more ebony weapons since there had been a few deathlords among the draugr that were recently awakened. Another path just so happened to bring them to another area where Mercer remarked that this must have been child's play for Karliah, like he was blaming Capper for everything they were experiencing, causing Capper and Tri Ki to just frown at him for a few seconds before continuing on their way. The path even brought them to an area that had a large number of deathlords and a couple bone chimes, the latter resting between the main path and some chests, and since Mercer just woke up all of the enemies in the area Capper was able to loot the chests before he joined Tri Ki in cutting down the undead.

The best part about this entire venture was the loot they were gathering, the amount of gold and jewels alone were worth a small fortune since some of the gems were more pristine than the other ones, gems that people would pay good money for, plus there were a number of ingots, some of which were also valuable on their own. Then there were the pieces of armor, a number of them elven and dwarven interestingly enough, but Capper was sure that he could sell them for a good price once they got back to one of the cities, especially since they seemed fairly new and pristine. After those items came the ebony weapons, swords of gleaming midnight, axes sharpened more than any other axe he had seen, maces that would likely hold up to the Mace of Molag Bal, greatswords with razor sharp edges, warhammers that were ready for battle, and battleaxes that looked ready to behead people. The ebony gear happened to be the biggest score he could have asked for, because it was both expensive and happened to be some of the best gear around, and that was before he added the shields that were like gleaming scales, bows that radiated grace, and fierce looking ebony arrows.

The final chamber also seemed to have a few more draugr, one deathlord and a few lesser types, plus a large chest for him to loot as he spied a wall that Sharva might be interest in if Ithelia was right about her being the Dragonborn, before they found their way to a familiar looking stone door.

"Ah, one of the infamous nordic puzzle doors... how quaint. These are normally impossible to open, especially without the matching claw key, and since I'm sure Karliah has done away with it we're stuck." Mercer commented, where it was clear that he was considering something as he stared at the ringed door, like he would have done something in the past but couldn't do that now, almost like further confirmation that he had used the Skeleton Key to break all sorts of rules, before the rings started to move.

"Except there's a hidden switch behind some urns for us to use." Capper remarked, though he was tempted to remove the leader of the Thieves Guild here and now, Mercer had proven that he wasn't worth being the leader, even when he quickly considered that part of this was the curse that was screwing with him.

What they discovered on the other side of the door was a large chamber that seemed to have plenty of hiding places for one to hide in, where he noted that part of the ceiling was damaged and snow was coming in, but that was the least important thing in his mind right now. Capper could feel Karliah hiding in the shadows, studying them and debating how to go about her plan, especially since he and Tri Ki were now in the way, and he could sense that she was readying an arrow, though at the same time Mercer put a hand on her back and thrust him forward. In the next moment Capper made up his mind about Mercer and reacted accordingly, though he snatched the arrow that was coming his way out of the air and stabbed it into the man's chest, causing the paralysis poison that was apparently on the arrowhead to course through Mercer's body. While he crumbled to the ground, however, Capper realized that Karliah wanted Mercer alive, for some reason, and decided to use a bit of his power, bringing Mercer's feet together before turning them to gold, he trapped the man's hands by his sides, and he sealed Mercer's mouth.

He could have just turned him into a statue and extracted Mercer's soul, he knew that, but he also knew that Karliah had her own plans for him and figured that this might be fun, in fact she might have something for him to do while she transported Mercer to whatever end destination she had in mind.

"Come, Karliah, let us talk about things." Capper remarked, showing her that he had no desire to fight her, because after he listened to the stories of the other Guild members he had to wonder what the truth was, especially when he focused on how Mercer claimed she was the one who murdered Gallus, so she might have more information to share with him.

As Karliah, a dark elf with purple eyes who wore the attire of a member of the Thieves Guild, stepped out of the shadows he knew that the future was going to be more interesting for him and the others, and he was looking forward to seeing what might happen next in this grand adventure of theirs.

Guild: Wrapping up Business

With their work in Labyrinthian complete, and the newly reborn were brought to their new home while the loot was moved into the Opulent Lands, Capper and the others returned to the carriage before heading back to Morthal, mostly so they could warp over to Winterhold. His plan was rather simple, they had given the Circle enough time to reach Ysgramor's tomb, so this would allow Azure and Tuk Ur to meet up with them and head into the depths, and this time Capper felt that it would be best if everyone else stayed away, since it was the tomb of such an important person. It was also due to the fact that he was sure the Companions would try to murder him or his kobolds if they tried to loot the place, so he was giving them space while also not subjecting the tomb's guardians to being turned into golden soul gems. At the same time Rarity and Mah Oh would be finishing up their business with the College, at least informing Savos of the Staff's existence before it was 'stolen by Midas', maybe even rat Ancano out while they were there.

After all that, however, Capper thought it was about time for them to return to Riften and see what the Thieves Guild had to say, since he was sure they had been restored to full strength with the completion of the four special jobs and the fact that they had convinced the wandering khajiit traders to work with them.

"So, you even brought Morokei back as one of your own... normally I would be surprised by the addition of a dragon being reborn, but I have learned to accept that nothing is too much for you." Mora commented, as she had appeared to see each of the newcomers and make sure each was brought to the proper area of the Opulent Lands, while Ithelia had come to see the new dragon humanoid, a dragon reborn into a form like her own, which was fascinating to her, "And you have created a second dracthyr, since Ithelia was the first. That's the name we came up with for this unique species."

"Hm, I like it. Has a nice ring to it." Capper remarked, as he knew that a name would have been required at some point, since he was sure he could get more dragon souls if Sharva actually fought and brought down dragons, but it was good to have a name for the species so when he did his work it would be easier for him, before he thought about something, "We'll have to give the force a name once we decide on their armor and whatnot... you know, like the 'Golden Saints'... oh well, something to look forward to once we're done with the guilds."

Mora nodded as she returned to the Opulent Lands, allowing the group to return to Morthal without wasting too much time, though once that was done Capper and the others used the gate to cross into his realm before using another one to step out into Winterhold once more. Following that Azure and Tuk Ur headed down the path that lead down to the icy water so they could head to the west, since the Tomb of Ysgramor was off in that direction, while Rarity and Mah Oh focused on the path in front of them, leaving the others to do whatever they wanted. Capper decided to follow after the mages, he wanted to see how Ancano reacted to what they had uncovered, as his agent had a letter in his robes that detailed an exchange between him and the annoying elf, a plan to steal the torc for Labyrinthian from Savos, as well as Ancano privately admitting that he was planning a massive theft. Of course Capper had asked the reborn Thalmor agent if all of the information was true, and he had learned that everything in the letter was true, something the Arch-Mage would be interested in learning about since it would give him a reason to expel Ancano from the College.

Sure enough they found that the mages they were looking for were in the chamber that the Eye had been moved to, before Capper stole it, and Mora joined them with a few new tomes in her hands, no doubt ones that would help spread the word of Midas, Ithelia, and Jyggalag to everyone else.

"Tell me you are doing something about this theft! Someone stole the Eye of Magnus from your College!" Ancano said, as if complaining would solve anything, while at the same time it was easy for them to tell that Savos was getting annoyed with the Thalmor agent, meaning he must have been at this for quite some time.

"For the last time, Ancano, a Daedric Prince stole it. You were there when we got the news... there's nothing we can do about the Eye." Savos stated, his tone suggesting that this conversation was over, before he noticed that Rarity and Mah Oh had finally returned from their journey, which was followed by the others stopping what they were doing before glancing over at the group as they entered the large chamber, "Oh, good, you've returned. So, what happened?"

"We found the Staff of Magnus, in the hands of a dragon priest, but it, too, was stolen by Midas. However, the information you provided was accurate." Rarity replied, where Mora nodded her head and slithered up the to Arch-Mage, handing over the tomes she had brought with her, causing Savos to look at the small bundle of books for a few seconds while the rest of the mages, especially Urag, focused on the tomes, "You now have tomes detailing the information Mora has on the three Daedric Princes you didn't know about, those being Midas, Ithelia, and Jyggalag. We also have something to share with you: a letter we found on a Thalmor agent near Labyrinthian."

"Really?" Savos inquired, where he handed the tomes to Urag, who would take good care of them, he hated it when people ruined his books, before accepting the letter while Ancano seemed to freak out a little, meaning he wasn't expecting his ally to be found out by this point, before the Arch-Mage handed the letter to his second, allowing her to read it while he focused on the Thalmor agent, "So, you were planning on stealing from the College, both into the chambers of the staff members and my own residence, all to trade the secrets you uncovered with the higher ups in the Aldmeri Dominion, while keeping the Staff of Magnus for yourself. With the Eye you would have brought the entirety of the College down around us, just to show the rest of Skyrim and the Empire that your forces were superior to everyone else... tell me, Ancano, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I... You... How?" Ancano remarked, the confusion on his face telling them that he had no idea how he had been found out, as he was sure that the letter didn't contain all of that, before he remembered how they had been introduced to Mora, as in Hermaeus Mora he realized, which was why he had been found out, a Prince was screwing with him, "That's it! I'm going to bring this entire place down and kill all of you!"

Rarity stepped forward instantly, her ice washing over Ancano's hands as he formed a fire spell, which one she had no idea, and when he paused to look at his frozen hands she appeared behind him and bit into his neck without delay, allowing her to drain him dry before killing him and setting fire to his body.

"One less Thalmor to worry about." Rarity remarked, though at the same time she collected the golden soul gem and passed it to Capper, who placed it into the endless bag he was storing all of them in, before she glanced at the stunned mages that were watching what was going on, as they were surprised by what they had just seen, "Yes, I'm a vampire, but I don't have the usual urges that define a vampire... I only drink blood when I really need it, and that means I can usually go a week before I need to feed."

"No need to explain. I'm sure you have your reasons for hiding this from us." Savos said, where his expression told them that he was wondering who the group was at this point, since they had unique creatures, a unique vampire, and had connections to at least one Prince of Oblivion, before he glanced at Mirabelle for a moment, who nodded in return a second later, which caused him to let out a soft cough as he focused on her, "Well, you have determined time and time again that you are one of the naturals when it comes to magic, and you have shown bravery and determination in tackling whatever challenges have come your way. Normally there is only one 'Master Wizard', but Mirabelle and I have decided to allow a second to exist, one that goes out into the world to delve into ruins and gather more knowledge for us to learn from, and we have decided to bestow this honor onto you... Master Wizard Rarity."

Rarity felt like telling them that she wasn't a natural, that this was all from her vampirism and the skills she gained from her blood diet, but in the end she decided to accept the honor, mostly because it seemed like the best thing to do, plus it meant whenever they went into the other provinces she would be recognized with respect. They also had a circlet and necklace to give her, both of which were designed to boost a mage's power and mana accordingly, though while they weren't in her style she knew that Capper could customize them to fit her, not to mention this could be the start of kobold jewelers. She and the others were basically doing their own thing and then found ways to improve the races of the Opulent Lands, bringing in new ideas and jobs for the kobolds, especially since some might not be suited for all of the harder work that they would face in the future. She also wondered if Capper might have intended for this to happen, to let them see other things and then use their newfound knowledge to benefit his realm, and if that was the case she was willing to do her part to help it grow, but for the time being she focused on telling Savos and the others that she'd be leaving for a time and she'd be back to check in once she had more to share with them.

After that she and Mah Oh caught up with Capper, Tri Ki, and Mora before departing from the College, where they found that Azure and Tuk Ur were coming up the path they had used to head down to where the tomb of Ysgramor was resting, which caused Capper to raise an eyebrow as they regrouped in the carriage.

"We were able to lay Kodlak to rest, as his soul was definitely hiding in the final chamber of the tomb." Azure said, though as they sat in the inside of the carriage he held out Wuuthrad and passed it to Capper, who smiled for a moment as he slipped the weapon into the area that he was storing all of the important relics in, while the others raised an eyebrow for a moment as the pair relaxed, "Using the head you let us take we were able to separate his wolf from his soul, and then we and Aela struck it down, thus freeing him from his bond to Hircine's realm and allowing him to travel to Sovngarde... Vilkas and Farkas are okay, but both ended up staying back near the entrance due to... reasons."

"Vilkas was confused by the vengeance still in his heart, and Farkas was afraid of spiders." Tuk Ur remarked, though he was smiling as he said that, because it was hilarious that the latter was so taken aback by the eight legged creatures, especially since Farkas was a werewolf and a powerful warrior, "Oh, and Kodlak named Azure as the new Harbinger. Aela has agreed to work as his second, keeping the others in line while we're not in Jorrvaskr."

"This is good news, and calls for a bit of a celebration." Capper said, because it was a good day for them, Rarity was situated high in the ranks of the College and now Azure was the Harbinger, both respected levels in their own fields, though it did cause him to think about what they needed to do in Riften as well, "Though I do believe it's time we returned to Riften so we can speak to the Thieves Guild... they've had more than enough time to confirm everything they need to confirm."

"So it's finally happening? You're going to take the Guild?" La'nari inquired, as it would make three Guilds that will have come under Capper's control, because even if Rarity wasn't the Arch-Mage she knew that Savos trusted her enough to elevate her to a high ranking position in his own organization, meaning she was next in line to be the Arch-Mage when he decided that it was time to retire since she was better than Mirabelle, and if they dealt with the Dark Brotherhood nearly all of Skyrim would be in Capper's hand.

"Yes, though I suspect Karliah will want to have words with us later." Capper stated, because he had the Skeleton Key and the dark elf was looking for it so she could likely have it returned to Nocturnal's lair at some point, plus she likely had some sort of information to tell him about, all of which interested him greatly, "Plus Midnight wanted to check in with Grelod and see if she was as horrible as the kid said she was, so she can check that out before we check in with the guild."

The group nodded as they departed from the carriage for a moment, allowing it to disappear as they used the gate that was in Winterhold to return to the Opulent Lands for a few seconds, allowing Capper to see that Morokei and the new dracthyr were adapting to their new lives. It was clear that they were still coming to terms with things, even though Ithelia was doing her best to help them learn what they needed to know, just like she did with some of the newcomers, but it did put a smile on Capper's face as he watched them. After checking in with them they used Riften's gate and returned to the city where all of their adventures had started, since it was Maven who sent all of them out into the world to do her bidding and ended up drawing them in so he could deal with the Thieves Guild, and, sure enough, none of the guards even noticed them as they slipped into the city. Capper found that some of the members of the Guild were out in the city, some dressed more akin to civilians while others were in their full attire, the latter was proven when he spotted Sapphire outside the local tavern with her gear on, but he let Midnight head into the orphanage while he remained near the entrance to the Keep.

A few moments later she emerged with a golden soul gem in her hand, which she passed into Capper's without wasting even a second, which meant that whatever happened in the building had set her off, informing them that Grelod was just as bad as she had been told.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to actually do it... but at least the boy will be happy, and so will the other children since their tormentor will be gone." Capper softly said, though in the following moment he stored the golden soul gem away before he started to head down into the Ratway, causing the others to follow after him without delay, all while noticing that the rest of the Guild's members noticed his movements, because he wanted them to, and made their way towards the secret entrance while he used the main one, "Now then, let's get this show on the road."

Sure enough he found that nothing had changed in the area outside the Flagon, but inside the tavern that the Guild used as a base they discovered merchants had moved in during their time away from Riften, a blacksmith, a potion maker, a fletcher, and an enchanter. All four of them were clearly skilled in what they did, they had the air of being masters, and Capper could tell that some of the undecided kobolds came out to see them, no doubt interested in seeing if they could learn how to do what the masters did, but eventually regrouped with the main group. In addition to that Capper found that there were more thieves than before, as in there were new recruits around the Flagon, each spotting the attire of a thief, as in those that were actually members of the Guild, but they stopped what they were doing when he approached the Flagon. Even Delvin was very interested in them now, but Capper knew why, he was the thief that had, against all odds, completed a grand number of jobs in a single day, all of which their contacts had confirmed, and in no time had completed the special jobs like they were nothing.

He was, all in all, a god tier thief when compared to the others, a literal walking legend in the making, and when they walked into the main Cistern he discovered that there were more items and better looking stuff around, meaning the thieves might have picked up some luck despite him still having the Skeleton Key in his possession.

"Capper... I'll be honest lad, I wasn't sure when you would be coming back." Brynjolf commented, which Capper thought was a fair thing to think, he had been gone for a while now, leaving time for Delvin and the others to confirm that he had actually done all of the jobs he told them about, though at the same time many of the other thieves were looking at him, no doubt due to his legendary reputation, "Are you ready to get down to business?"

"I've been busy, as have my friends. Now, however, I am ready to do some business." Capper replied, which was a true fact, now that two of the four Guilds were dealt with, and they were starting on another with Midnight's deed back in the main part of the city, he knew it was time for him to speak with the thieves and see what was on their minds, "So tell me, what is on the Guild's minds?"

"Despite our misfortune, you have remained true to the Guild, have done what many of us have considered to be one of the hardest, if not impossible, tasks, and revealed a traitor in our midst." Brynjolf said, where Capper noted that they were right in the middle of the Cistern while the rest of the Guild was all around them, meaning this was definitely important if none of them were out there trying to make some gold, he even spotted Karliah approaching with Vex and Delvin, "We have talked this over, discussed everything there was to discuss, and have come to the decision that we would like to nominate you as our new Guild Master. Taking on this role isn't just about the loot, rather it's about being a leader and keeping this rabble in line, and after witnessing how you work as a team, well, I think it's safe to say we'd be in good hands if we accepted you as our newest Guild Master."

"Honestly, you can't do worse than Mercer did." Vex remarked, where a number of the other members seemed to nod and voice their agreement to her statement, which meant that after having his treachery revealed to everyone his popularity went down at a staggering rate, to the point where everyone seriously hated his guts now, something Capper was fine with since it meant they were open to a new leader.

"Also, after hearing about all of your exploits, I'm positive that you would be the best person for the job." Karliah added, to which Delvin simply smirked a little as the dark elf said that, showing that he agreed with the statement despite not wanting to say a word about Capper's skills, and he could see Karliah was pleased with this turn of events, "You did the impossible, made your name for yourself while all thieves were suffering, and completed more jobs in your short time in the Guild than any other thief I've known... you are worthy to be the new Grand Master."

"Since everyone is in agreement on this matter I will accept the position." Capper said, where he could see that the rest of the Guild was happy with this decision, since a legendary figure was taking and that was causing them to hope that their luck would turn around at long last, meaning he should get around to returning the Skeleton Key, "So, is there anything I should know to start things off?"

"Well, speak to Tonilia and she'll set you up with your official Guild Master armor, plus there are these two items that are more like a tradition around here." Brynjolf answered, where he held out a hand and Capper found an elegant key, along with a necklace that was different from anything else he had seen in Skyrim so far, causing him to take both as he studied them for a few moments, all while most of the thieves went back to work, "The key goes to the locked chest in front of the desk that Mercer usually stood near, a tribute chest that you are free to loot every now and then, while the amulet is one of the things that is handed down from Guild Master to Guild Master... it was the only thing Mercer brought back when Gallus was killed, and now it passes to you."

"Speaking of Gallus, there is something I need to discuss with you and Brynjolf." Karliah said, all while Delvin and Vex joined the rest of the thieves in heading back to their business, since there were more recruits to tend to and more jobs to give out, though at the same time Capper was interested in what the dark elf could say to him and his new second, "There's still the matter of our luck, and to restore it we need to track down the Skeleton Key, Nocturnal's personal artifact, and return it to her so she'll remove the curse she's placed on all thieves. To do that we need to head to a standing stone outside Riften and use the area I'll be revealing to you to speak with her... she'll know where Mercer hid the Key, and with it we can appease her and save the Guild."

Capper thought about that for a moment, debating whether or not he should actually tell Karliah that he was in possession of the Skeleton Key, before the air behind him shimmered as Mora slithered out, causing the thieves to raise their guards for a moment as he held a hand out to calm them, before facing the Prince of Knowledge.

"My Lord, I don't want to interrupt your business, but there's... a situation. One of Nocturnal's ravens have arrived." Mora stated, which told Capper everything he needed to know, the Prince that had cursed all thieves, specifically the Guild for the sins that Mercer had committed, was seeking entrance into the Opulent Lands, meaning it was finally time for him to talk with Nocturnal and strike some deals with her.

"I see. Well then, it's time we welcomed her." Capper said, where he turned to leave and then paused, causing him to turn back to look at the pair that was watching him and Mora, as Karliah was curious as to what was going on and Brynjolf was just plain lost right now, which wasn't surprising if he was being honest, "You two, come with us. This will be... enlightening."

He really had no idea what Nocturnal was going to bring to the table, but at the same time he was eager to meet with her for a time and bring an end to the curse that plagued the Thieves Guild, something that caused him to smile as he prepared himself to meet with a Daedric Prince and face whatever might happen next.