#intends besides killing vivec

[aladaylessecondblog]

Red Mountain Waffle House, pt. 32

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55071724/chapters/163098214

Author's Note: nsft oral+handjobs. Nerevar's doing a video in this one

-------------------------------

"You do look good in bronze colors."

"I know, I know," Vivec said, "But I hate the texture of it...of all metal, really. I can barely tolerate the pauldrons I wear, but they expect it of me. As I recall, you never liked the feel of it either."

"Which is why I was the house scribe. No need to wear the pauldrons, ever." There was a laugh. "You think the paparazzi will find us here?"

"Undoubtedly. As difficult as it is, we should avoid being seen from the window or the door. Molag Bal always jumps at the chance to try and get us caught."

A scoff.

"He cannot have you, so he settles for making you miserable."

"'If I can't have you, no one can.' He wails about how he has changed, and he can't show me he did unless I take him back. You'd think he'd realize I'm not that stupid."

"Well, you keep coming back to me, so you must be at least a little foolish." There was a laugh that quickly petered out. "Tell me, how long are we going to carry on with this farce?"

"Farce?" Vivec stiffened. "Is that what you call it?"

"Isn't that what it is?"

"It is not an absurdity. It's..."

"Sneaking around to find what pleasure we can. You can't be seen with me publicly, and I can't be seen with you even in disguise. My brother would never let me hear the end of being seen with anyone, even if he didn't know it was you. 'You are the guardian of one of the tools of Kagrenac!'" There was a sigh. "I'm not even your paramour, just...someone the public sees as a homewrecker. This time it's I who is seen as the unsuitable one, instead of last time. I say to you what you said to me then: I would like to be more."

"I know...I know."

"Besides, Ayem has seen the pictures. She's aware."

"I know."

Another sigh.

"It has been good. I'm not saying it hasn't been. Remembering the old days, when things were better. Before the Tools." He gave a weak smile. "I'm only glad it wasn't you to strike me down, I don't think I could have borne the pain of it."

"I wouldn't have been able to raise the blade against you."

"Well, at least there's that." He stood, and started dressing. "I need to get back, before anyone figures me out. My excuse only lasts for a few hours."

"Stay. Just--another few minutes."

"I already stayed another few minutes several times now. I have to go." There was a pause. "Staying isn't going to make things any different."

A final kiss, long and languid and needy.

Then a step back. Recall was cast, and he vanished.

Vivec sighed, lay back down on the bed, and inhaled one more time the scent of his beloved. He knew the man was right. They couldn't keep this up forever. Voryn might be upset, but nowhere near as badly as he would've been BEFORE. Perhaps still peeved, though...

What was there to lose now? His love's reputation? His own? That was already in the toilet.

Maybe it was time to rip the bandage off.

-----------------------------------

Nerevar had intended to sleep next to Voryn the whole time...but there were some problems.

Namely, that Voryn snored. Terribly. Even so, on nights like this he'd stay in his love's bed a little longer...

Seeing that sleeping face, he smiled, remembering his first awakening after the work of the Good Three.

Voryn's three eyes had opened, and for a moment he was confused...and then, there had been a strangely sleepy anger.

"You--you deceived me," he'd said. "All along, you meant to...take it all from me?"

"I meant to save you," Nerevar had replied, gently. He'd sent Sadara off - wanting to handle this himself. Not that he didn't want her help, but he knew Voryn might listen to him more easily. "Voryn, you know it would never have worked. You know it was not sound."

"I could have saved everyone."

"You could have killed everyone." He'd curled up close, and pulled Voryn's head onto his chest. The latter's hand came up, tracing his scars and then resting at the spot just over his heart.

"If I don't succeed, then what was it all for? What do you expect me to do now, if not what I was?" He seemed...weak, almost.

"Live," Nerevar replied. "There are better ways to make the Tribunal regret everything than just killing them. Killing's too easy for them."

"And our people? What of THEIR suffering?"

"What of the suffering you put on them? What is eternal life if it is nothing but eternal misery? Ulen signed up for this, but he was a rare case. He had nothing more to live for. What of those who did?"

Silence.

"You can do better, Voryn, you know you can."

The argument was rather circular, and went back and forth several times.

"We can't fix the past," Nerevar said, "And I do have a plan to deal with the Tribunal...and certain other elements that plot against us."

"But..."

"We have argued this to death and back, Voryn. Wouldn't you like to step out into public without having to disguise yourself as often? Wouldn't you like to be welcomed instead of feared?" There was a pause. "And besides, would you not like a real Great House wedding? Something to display the grandeur and majesty of House Dagoth?"

Another pause.

"That's not going to work." Voryn curled closer. "If I stop - what was it all for?"

"Making Vivec piss himself with fear? Making the Tribunal in general nuke their general reputation with desperation?" He stroked his love's hair and smiled. "You have me...both of us. You aren't alone any longer."

"I wasn't alone before," retorted Voryn, in a tone that wouldn't have fooled a child, "I had..."

"You had your dreams and the occasional outing to wail about losing me. And now - now, you can have both me and Sadara. Wouldn't you like that? Much as we liked Dagoth Ur...I think you know we would both prefer Voryn Dagoth. You can't exactly come to dinner in a loincloth and that mask."

Grumbling.

"I need the mask."

"You can keep it on sometimes...but Voryn, think. How are we to kiss you if you keep it on? How are you to whisper sweet nothings in our ears? How are we to remember what you look like?"

The argument cycled a few more times, but as with so many things before, Nerevar wore him down. The promise of humiliating the Tribunal was attractive enough to momentarily distract him. And when Nerevar proposed filming it--

There were some things Voryn wouldn't like, of course. But Nerevar was patient - he knew he had time now.

----------------------------

"WHO'S THE ASSHOLE? HUH? I WANT NAMES, AND I WANT THEM NOW!"

Vivec was screaming at a line of ordinators.

None of them said a word. There were a few shakes of the head, but no words until after a long pause.

"It wasn't any--of us," one of the ordinators stumbled. "We--were careful to pay attention. And we didn't see anything that looked like any of us."

"A likely story. If I hear that ANY of you had ANYTHING to do with this, you're going to get put on canal duty for the next three years. ARE WE CLEAR?"

"YES, MY LORD!" the line called out.

-------------------------------------------

Nerevar stumbled back into the main room of the Temple, his robe torn, his neck bruised, and his gait unsteady.

The room itself was dimly lit around the woman ahead.

Almalexia stood before him, war mask on and pose severe.

"So," she said, "You have returned. And you have failed."

"I...I did," Nerevar's voice shook, "I fought the Sharmat, and...and lost. He..."

"Debauched you, and sent you back, so that I might see what he had made of my champion."

Nerevar's head nodded quickly. He didn't meet her eye.

"You exude his filth and evil, but there may yet be a means to cleanse you."

"Is--is it true, my lady? Can anything do that?"

"There is a saying...fight fire with fire. And where evil has left its stain...there shall be that which will wash it clean."

"I don't understand."

Into the light stepped suddenly twelve ordinators, helmets firmly on and identities entirely unclear.

"Kneel, Nerevar."

He obeyed.

"Only with holiness may evil be banished."

There was a shuffling sound as the ordinators came forward, surrounding Nerevar. The first to get to him reached forward, gripped his hair, and mashed Nerevar's face into his crotch.

"I don't understand what you want," he said, on being allowed to pull back.

Almalexia was now unseen, but definitely not unheard.

"I want you to pray, Nerevar. Beg for forgiveness. Surely a pious man like you knows how to do that?"

Nerevar looked back to the ordinator and found himself staring directly at a cock.

He opened his mouth and took it balls deep immediately. The ordinator groaned, and clenched hard at Nerevar's hair before beginning to buck against his face.

"Yes, yes, very good," came the praise, "But idle hands are the devil's playthings. Use them for something better."

On either side of Nerevar stepped an ordinator. And while the one in front rode against his face, sending off an echo of lewd slurps and the occasional gag, the other two would demand their own brand of attention.

He reached up awkwardly, and found his hands guided to cocks which he started stroking at.

(Around them, the other nine ordinators were slowly jerking themselves off)

After a couple minutes of this, the ordinator he was sucking off asked Almalexia how he was to finish.

"In his mouth," came the reply, "You will swallow, Nerevar, if you are truly repentant, if you truly desire salvation from this madness of the Sharmat's."

A last few thrusts--a pulse--

Nerevar's head bobbed slightly as he swallowed, and swallowed again.

"And you, in his hands," Almalexia spoke again, as another moved up to take the first ordinator's place, "His face."

"But--" Nerevar started to protest, only to be silenced when the next ordinator's cock thrust past his lips. He groaned, and sucked as he was bid to.

"It is clear your face has been touched by evil as much as the rest of you. Do you not want to be saved?"

No answer. There was a collective groan -- one in his hand burst and emptied its seed onto his cheek, and the other the bottom of his jaw.

They were quickly replaced.

"You see now? You see?"

Another pulsation of cum in his mouth, another swallow. Then two more on either side of his face.

Nerevar's hands didn't still once. His wrists were aching by the time the last ordinators spilled onto his skin and into his throat.

They stepped back. He was left shaking and breathing hard.

"You are saved," Almalexia said. "Now, the ordinators will give you a bath. We cannot call you our saint if you remain unclean."

The moment the camera was off, Nerevar burst out laughing. He took an offered towel and pack of wipes and started cleaning his face off still giggling.

Oh, to see the look on Vivec's face...

[foulserpent]

it really is like....so sad that your nerevarine, no matter who they are, canonically play into the empires attempt to destabilize the region to further increase their colonial power and etc. theres a LOT of manipulating forces at play, azura also wants you to do roughly the same things for different reasons, and the scenario seems to be set up to make it inevitable that SOMEONE (tho not necessarily your nerevarine) will complete the prophecy, kill dagoth ur, destabilize the tribunal via severing their godhood and thus cause All That Shit but its still like....so sad. 

and THEN the red year is pretty much a direct result of this, which was also probably part of the “intended” outcome

[teensith]

big brain kagrenac theory

I’ve always been dissatisfied by the generally accepted story that the dwemer just “poofed” because Kagrenac did something with the tools and messed up, and that’s that, and Yagrum Bagarn is the only one left. There are a lot of in-game/in-lore inconsistencies about it, and I can see why it’s easier to think they all just blinked out of existence, but I don’t think it quite adds up.

The gist of it: Kagrenac was leading a cult, and led a mass suicide in the name of “transcending” the mortal coil, and the dwemer who didn’t poof went into hiding, interbred with other elves, and/or some other possibilities besides Yagrum “was in Oblivion at the time, then got corprus” Bagarn.

First, I want to define what a cult is.

These definitions as follows are taken from Wikipedia, and most of my direct quotes/sourcing will be from Wikipedia or UESP unless otherwise stated.

In modern English, a cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular personality, object or goal.

And further, I’d argue this is a destructive, possibly doomsday cult:

"Destructive cult" generally refers to groups whose members have, through deliberate action, physically injured or killed other members of their own group or other people. The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance specifically limits the use of the term to religious groups that "have caused or are liable to cause loss of life among their membership or the general public".

"Doomsday cult" is an expression which is used to describe groups that believe in Apocalypticism and Millenarianism, and it can also be used to refer both to groups that predict disaster, and groups that attempt to bring it about.

So let’s get started.

To contextualize Kagrenac into wider Dwemer culture, and our understanding of the lore, let’s look at his position in Dwemer hierarchy (at least in Morrowind). He’s referred to as Magecrafter, the High Engineer, High Craftlord (which might be his actual title), and, oddly, High Priest. The Dwemer are not considered to be a religious or spiritually inclined culture, with UESP even describing them as “agnostic” and idolizing science after a fashion. This is really important for the next few parts of this, so bear with me.

Kagrenac is our primary source in TES for a lot of points we take as a given, such as the Heart of Lorkhan:

"Beneath Red Mountain, Dwemer miners discovered a great magical stone. By diverse methods, Lord Kagrenac, High Priest and Magecrafter of the ancient Dwemer, determined that this magical stone was the heart of the god Lorkhan

This is from an in-game book called Kagrenac’s Tools written by Gilvas Barelo, who authored some other writings that were compiled later by the dissident priests - in brief, heretical members of the church of the Tribunal who believed the Nerevarine prophecy was worth study.

I’m not saying it’s not the god Lorkhan’s actual heart right now, but we really only have Kagrenac’s word to go on. At worst, it’s an immensely powerful magical object with enough energy stored up that it can give people godlike abilities and a degree of immortality.

At the very least, it appears that Kagrenac genuinely believed this to be Lorkhan’s heart, and set about creating a plan to place it into the heart of a new god, the Numidium, “for the exclusive benefit of the Dwemer.” More on the “is it the real deal” will come at a later point in my post. And a little more on the Numidium as well.

One thing the book “Kagrenac’s Tools” notes is that being in proximity to the Heart causes some sort of Madness, allegedly, and that’s because siphoning power off a god is bad. Thus the tools are “cursed.”

Another account of the discovery, from The Plan To Defeat Dagoth Ur by Vivec:

The Dwemer discovered the heart while building underground colonies. High Craftlord Kagrenac created enchanted tools intended to tap the power of the heart. The War of the First Council was fought to prevent this sacrilege. Kagrenac's use of these tools and the disappearance of the Dwemer race marked the end of the war.

And last, I think the Heart is mentioned here, in “Nerevar at Red Mountain”

Resdayn, present day Morrowind, was contested ground between two very different types of mer: the Chimer, who worshipped Daedra, and the Dwemer, who worshipped a profane and secret power.

So it’s considered profane or “cursed” by those outside the Dwemer and then later the members of the Tribunal.

It appears that Kagrenac wanted to reconquer Resdayn and make the Dwemer immortal, per Yagrum Bagarn’s in-game dialogue, using this Heart to power Numidium. Yagrum Bagarn was not in agreement with Kagrenac’s ideals and considered his theories “dangerous”, which explains why he was on another plane when The Poof happened.

So now that we’ve established some backstory, let’s move on to why I think Kagrenac specifically had some sort of cult going, based on what little information we have.

He informed me, however, that in Kherakah the precepts of Kagrenac were taught.

This is from the book “Nchunak’s Fire and Faith.” It’s a firsthand account of Nchunak’s journey and his attempt to understand Kagrenac’s teachings.

Kherakah appears to be some sort of special compound built by Kagrenac and his followers. Kagrenac has a very high status in Dwemer society and culture, at least where the Dwemer in Resdayn are concerned. It’s unclear how many people are under Kagrenac’s thrall by the time of the Big Poof. This is what they do in Kherakah, per the same book.

the Dwemer of Kherakah, the most learned people in the world, [study] Kagrenac's words and [give] consideration to their place in the life to come

“The life to come” appears to be a reference to what happens after Numidium is activated - the retaking of Resdayn from the Chimer, perhaps. The book makes no mention of conquering, however.

neither planar division nor the numeration of amnesia nor any other thing of utility was more valued than the understanding of the self and its relationship to the Heart..

So what radicalized Kagrenac to the point of developing his own religious framework around the Heart? Was it only discovering the Heart? This so-called “madness” that being in the Heart’s presence is alleged to produce? Was his goal to reconquer Resdayn for the dwemer with the Numidium, per Yagrum Bagarn, or was it to use the tools on the Heart to bring on some sort of “life to come?”

I think it’s a combination of several factors.

Kagrenac’s true aim I believe is using the Heart’s power to “transcend mortality” for the dwemer race. The first reason I think he’s uninterested in actually reconquering Resdayn is that Dumac had no idea that he was planning something with the Heart. From “Nerevar at Red Mountain:”

Kagrenac and the high priests of the Dwemer had kept their New God secret from their King[...]Dumac said the Dwemer were innocent of any wrongdoing

Dumac also does not seem to be interested in conquering Resdayn, given his shock at being accused of lying about the Heart. So I think Azura wants the Dwemer gone from Morrowind, for whatever reason.

Remember when I mentioned earlier that I’m not entirely sure we’re dealing with the real heart of Lorkhan? Here’s why:

Azura, who confirmed that [...] the New God of the Dwemer should be destroyed for the safety of not only Resdayn, but for the whole world

If it was truly a piece of Lorkhan, and not some sort of idol...I think Azura would say so, as much as she’s petty and spiteful. It also wouldn’t be referred to as “New God” or “a profane power.” There is also this - Lorkhan’s heart is essential to holding Nirn together on some level, and this is a common thread across all creation of nirn myths. Why would she want to destroy the world and, if nothing else, destroy all her followers? I guess there could be something really convoluted in there about Lorkhan and being tricked, but it doesn’t scan for me.

Also, here’s a line from the Monomyth that suggests it can’t be destroyed

But when Trinimac and Auriel tried to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan it laughed at them. It said, "This Heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other."

There is, again, this idea that being around the Heart causes some sort of Madness, back to Nerevar at red Mountain.

So, looking at images of the Heart as depicted in Morrowind, it seems to have been affixed with Dwemer technology. Perhaps to prepare it for insertion into Numidium? It’s unclear if Kagrenac actually planned to follow through with building the Numidium, or if it was a ruse, given that firsthand accounts don’t mention it at all. Or perhaps Kagrenac’s plans changed and didn’t give a memo? Who knows.

Dagoth Ur was actually against using the tools and advocated destroying them and the Heart, at first. Taken from his entry on UESP.

At first, Dagoth himself urged for their immediate destruction, either of the Tools or the Heart itself, which led Nerevar to believe he could be trusted to guard them while Nerevar consulted his councilors

This is in line with what Azura said. Why would he suddenly change his mind?

Dagoth refused to give them up, maintaining that he had been entrusted with guarding them. Unbeknownst to them at the time, Dagoth had experimented with the Tools on the Heart during Nerevar's absence and somehow managed to steal some of its divine essence and power.

Proximity to the Heart, is why. I don’t think the dissidents in the Tribunal church were entirely incorrect in their assessment regarding the madness, just that the madness stems from the stone itself and not the tools Kagrenac fashioned.

Also of note:

Dagoth Ur, who used a ritual of his own devising to bind himself to the Heart of Lorkhan, had apparently adopted the views and motivations of Kagrenac.

Recap:

I’m inclined to believe that this isn’t Lorkhan’s actual heart. It’s definitely an object of great power that has some sort of aura of influence, and everybody outside of Kagrenac’s followers and the Tribunal consider it an evil object. But the indestructible heart of a dead god that’s holding the fabric of the world together, probably not.

I’m also inclined to believe that Kagrenac’s real plans for the heart were not to be the core of Numidium so Resdayn could be conquered again for the Dwemer, but to use his tools on them such to “transcend mortality.” Or something.

So, the cult-y part.

I mentioned in my general exposition earlier that Kagrenac had constructed a compound for himself and his followers, where he is a High Priest, and where the most important thing was reflecting on “the self and its relationship to the Heart,” followed by meditating on one’s place in “the next world.” He also appears to be envisioning himself as the harbinger of this next world, leading people to a “salvation,” while also outwardly promising to give the Dwemer Resdayn on a silver platter vis-a-vis Numidium. Potent rhetoric for a people frustrated with having to cooperate with the enemy.

As mentioned in my definition of doomsday cults, they tend to center around the “end of the world” in some form, either in the predicting or the bringing of. There is also a tendency for believers to see it as a period of transition into a new world or state of being, where only the “wicked” would suffer. Sounds not unlike Kagrenac’s designs.

So he wants to “transcend” the Dwemer using his tools on the Heart to do so. It seems that part of this transcendance requires one to leave mortality behind - maybe the physical body, as real-world religions tend to claim? It’s unclear what portion of the Dwemer populus follows him, but Yagrum Bagarn is a huge detractor of Kagrenac and his beliefs, so it follows there are other detractors and plenty of groups that don’t follow Kagrenac, confirmed by in-game dialogue with both Yagrum Bagarn and Baladas Demnevanni. Demnevanni also is of the opinion that the Dwemer were using magic and practicing tonal architecture in ways that go against the laws of nature, so of course they would eventually Poof, but that’s a tangent I don’t care to go into for this post.

Accounts vary on how the Poof happened, but the two major thoughts are Kagrenac performed some sort of “calling” that maybe brought a mass together, or that he struck the heart with his tools and everyone disappeared simultaneously at the climax of the battle at Red Mountain. A third idea is that the Tribunal dusted Kagrenac and the Dwemer.

This idea of a “calling” is much more interesting and honestly sounds a lot more like it could have actually happened, in my opinion. From Chimarvidium’s publisher’s note:

[...]the mention of "the Calling." In this legend and in others, there is a suggestion that the Dwemer race as a whole had some sort of silent and magickal communication.

So let’s work off this basic assumption: Kagrenac used the calling (some sort of silent communication power, perhaps racial) to gather his followers together in one place - perhaps the site of the Heart? After everyone had gathered, he told them they were going on a “sublime journey,” and then something related to the Heart and the tools happened, and then Poof.

With this, I’d also like to propose that this is a sort of “destructive” cult, after a fashion. Maybe Kagrenac genuinely believed he was saving people, maybe not. I’ve also seen mention on some other posts on TESlore that he bound the souls of the Dwemer to the Heart with his tools, though I don’t think I found an in-lore source for that. But in practice, it’s effectively a mass suicide brought on by some sort of fanatical belief in the power of this Heart. And if my theory that the Heart is an eldritch object is true, the Heart led Kagrenac (and later Dagoth) down a path of complete devotion to it, eventually leading to Kagrenac and the Dwemer’s demise.

After the Poof, I could see where if a sizable enough group of Dwemer vanished before the Tribunal’s eyes (maybe, this is a reach, but someone witnessed it), it would be assumed that ALL Dwemer vanished in the same fashion. But we don’t know that. After all, Yagrum Bagarn (though he was off exploring other planes at the time) is still around, even if he believes that he’s the last of his kind. And we have ghosts in the ruins of Morrowind.

Dwemer appear to be a bit greenish/grayish but don’t look so alien that they wouldn’t be able to shave their beards and hide among the High Elves. Plus, if this disappearance really did happen around the climax of the Battle, Nerevar’s death, and Azura’s curse, maybe they blended in relatively well with the newly minted Dunmer. And since the Dwemer are viciously hated by the Chimer/Dunmer, it makes sense that they would try to blend in or go into hiding, and eventually interbreed with other mer. Kind of reminds me of Roanoke colony “disappearing” and then reported sightings of “Indians with blue eyes.”

My last thought is kind of a Big Reach but what if some of the remaining Dwemer formed the Psijic order, or joined it early? This is based partly off the publisher’s note in Chimarvidium, but it does mention there’s no known spell for this “calling” or “silent communication.” And the Psijics are known to have time and space-warping magic, and talk up a lot about maintaining the balance of the world...or something.

Anyway, let me know what you think! I wrote this all in one sitting so it might not be my best essay.

[blueclock3000]

Caretakers of the Emperor

By Sicilian Oravarian

[In 3E 389 the wicked mage, Jagar Tharn, ensnared Uriel Septim VII’s form onto his own and sent the Emperor to Oblivion. While the prison was of Jagar Tharn’s design, it was vulnerable yet to the influence of Princes who dominated the realm. This text documents the meeting of the unholy royalty and their concerns of what to do to their new guest.]

“Give me his asshole.” Molag Bal grabbed one of his servants and sent their head into pieces against his table. “There is much to do with a Septim but a little reminder of the forces he has mingled and barter with is in order first.”

LET’S KILL HIM! It’d be so easy just bash Bash BASH his skull in! COME ON! Just do it!

Mehrunes Dagon was never raised properly and thus didn’t know how to quote his words. Peryite’s many claws rapped against the chair his serpentine form curled around. The chaos and cacophony of these meetings always riled him up and it came to be expected that every few meetings he would explode into insanity much like his kin.

“Order, I say, order!” He chimed. Peryite rested his head as his temper fumed.

“Give me that royal ass! Aren’t you sickened by the violating hands of mortals slithering into our realm and taking our servants? I say we violate them back.” The Prince who said this needs no identification. He turned over to the woman quietly scrying far across the table. “And what are you up to, Azura? You secretive bitch!”

Hermaeus Mora slithered by, his casual negligence of his tentacles and their proximity to bodies giving Molag Bal a much arousing shiver.

“Vivec?” He cried out in desperate want.

Azura burst into laughter.

“Your lover is still struggling to maintain power in his faux temples. Don’t worry, I’m quite certain you and him shall see each other again.”

“I’ll rape you! I’ll rape all of you!”

“Order! Nothing gets done if everyone is just shouting what they want!”

“You’re shouting you want order.” Azura said as her second self spoke whispers upon dying sun rays to her servants far away.

“Yes, but what I want is best for all.” Peryite hissed.

“Azura.” Groaned out Mora. “Perhaps you and I shall discuss Morrowind. I have schedules with a certain part of it, if all works out accordingly. Shall we see if there’s any conflicts….or rather,” His voice dragged into a malevolent growl. “How far you intend to influence it.”

The sudden stink of wet swine and carcass invaded the room and all but Malacath quivered at the intense rancid mist only a Prince of dying animals could marinate and concoct.

“Morrowind, we speak? What business have any of you with it?” Hircine said.

“Far more than a mere hunt.” Mora replied.

“Technically you want Solstheim, idiot.” Azura said. “Keep that filthy isle. It’ll make a great dumping ground for your hogs and dogs. So please tell them to stop defecating on the meeting floor!”

Malacath rose out his seat and slammed his hand against the table.

“Stop oppressing his personality!!”

Sanguine’s mind found its way through the intoxicated fog.

“We should think of how to care for the Emperor. Uriel knows the pleasures of life and beyond, let’s at least be gracious hosts for a while.”

“If it’s sustenance he needs…” Namira gracefully but with quick purpose uncurtained her left breast, revealing a mushroom infested rot lump quivering with the release of new age pus, “…let’s give him a taste. They say in strife a man may find his star.”

Sanguine’s cheeks ballooned with a torrent of vomit, only withdrawn with hesitation and reminders of his drinks the night before.

Throw my lands into CHAOS! THE EMPIRE IS DESTINED TO FALL AS ARE ALL THINGS! I refuse to rest until we usurp the throne and GIVE ME WHAT IS MINE!!

A xivali risked it and whispered into the ear of his lord, reminding him of their meddlings in Nirn and the long term benefits. Suddenly the disappearance of Uriel Septim VII seemed to work just perfectly.

I WITHDRAW MY DEMANDS. PROCEED AS YOU WISH. I AM PLEASED.

The moving flow of stars left Azura’s eyes as she snapped to Dagon.

“What does that mean? What are you scheming?”

NOTHING. STATEMENTS WITHDRAWN FROM I. ONLY APATHY TOWARDS THIS MADNESS.

“Bullshit!” Azura screamed. “You monkey-looking maniac, what are your plans? Give them to me!”

Molag folded his arms and chuckled heartily.

“You plot too? I’ve got my eyes and servants on your vampiric hordes!”

“I’ll have my vampiric hordes on your servants as well.”

“Fucker dick! I’ll have a little surprise for your boyfriend.”

“Taking a male form are we?”

“Now why would I want to make you insecure?”

“God….damn…” Sanguine muttered through his pants. “The banter…”

Meridia hummed to herself as the outline of her form danced through many colors and lights. Peryite had used them to comfort his mind until he realize there was no pattern to them after spending half an hour thinking there was. It only swelled his stress. The maiden of lights just watched as others spoke, keeping note on Mehrunes Dagon and his sudden satisfaction.

Clavicus Vile had spent the whole meeting uttering conflicting information to pin the Princes against each other but none had cared to listen. Despite Sanguine’s invitation to a meeting afterparty, Vile proceeded back to his realm to listen to music and ponder if he had lost his touch.

“Why do you all fret so wearily?” Yawned out Mephala. “Is it not enough the Empire has been deceived by a falsehood, a falsehood that this Jagar Tharn will be unable to keep up? He’s a sneak with no knowledge of how to rule. With patience we shall see the Empire tear itself apart.”

“Death to evil!” Yelled out a paladin as he leapt upon the center of the table. “By the Nine I see all the vileness of all the worlds at conference! You fools! You merely line your heads for an execution!”

“ENOUGH!!!” Peryite shrieked as he slid onto the table, wrapped himself around the paladin and vomited cancerous surges down his throat. The paladin’s body erupted piece by piece into blood plops and infested meats.

“Whoa ho ho! Sick!” Molag Bal laughed as he pulled up to the edge of his seat.

For Sanguine this was hilarious but with the upset caused by Namira’s prior exhibition, it was the last straw. He later stood in a two foot hill of his own upheave.

“Boethiah doesn’t even bother showing up but she sends her pranks!” Peryite shouted. “ORDER I DECLARE! BAGAWK! ORDER!!” He span his head wildly in circles as Meridia slid over to talk to Dagon, as Namira began to produce lewd and putrid juices while darkness overwhelmed her among the vomit - which pile of vomit is up to you - while Nocturnal stood as she did since the beginning and waited for the ramblings and initial madness to exhaust itself to only incredibly irritating levels. She could exert her status and speak truths of the void but that cannot be withered in use. Namira knew of Nocturnal’s presence, which stirred her lewdness in the first place.

“Shut the fuck up!” Azura yelled as she hurled an ebony moon AND a star at the dragon. Peryite’s temporary fray into insanity had already expended itself in the taking of a life so he took the blunt damage as a reminder to maintain himself and returned to his seat. He left the tumor vomit corpse as punishment.

"What takes Nocturnal so long?" asked Azura.

Molag Bal whipped out his menacing rod and smiled as the narrative was now forced to use unpleasant innuendos.

“Yeah, where is she? I wouldn’t mind a threesome with you and her.”

Sheogorather blurred his form as his torso leaned in 45 degrees to the cloaked and despicably fragrant Prince of Nightmares. The blur was to hide or perhaps make notice of his legs remaining strictly upright. Lips popped in and out in a bubble fashion about Vaermina’s head, whispering plots. She took heed of each as she held her sharp chin in thought.

“Tell me your voices on this, Mad Prince. Nightmares for one long stayed in Oblivion will only seem like the anxieties of one in a crime ridden village. Horror awaits in memories of a world far kinder growing more distant away.”

Sheogorath nodded before jerking his neck abruptly and collapsing on the ground. A Sheogorath from within the corpse emerged, ripping through the carcass as if it were paper. The mouths around Vaermina’s head whispered in fear as they beheld the display. The new Sheogorath stepped out of his corpse like a man at last ready to attend the ball. He rolled the corpse into a paper ball and tossed it to the side. The mouths parted, allowing a silent one in the back to fly onto the featureless jaw of the Mad Prince, cracking a growing smile as it glided through the air.

“Old ideas scrapped, Vaermina!” His golden eyes sharpened. “This dream business has a lot more potential than what those deviled eggs over there are cooking up! I say, why torture the man any further? Give him pleasant sanity from these wonderful waters.”

“Help the Emperor? You’ve intrigued me before, I thought you’d be pleased with another Pelagius.”

“Bitch, please.” He chuckled. “Pelagius is more than one Pelagius as far as he and I are concerned. Besides, the Septim’s head is already a festival. The Divines speak to him, what’s another friendly voice? That Tharn lad has given us gold here. In the Septim’s time of need he will find new loyalty in wondrous dreams, loyalty that will carry over once he returns to Mundus.”

Vaermina’s brow jolted to join the wrinkles above.

“You speak of others but what are you concocting, Sheogorath?”

“A new kind of future for Tamriel. I say we proceed with Love, shall we?”