jo-jaska

[jo-jaska]

And after 49 in-game days and 41 real-life hours (not counting the time spent writing these journal entries) it's done! This was my first time actually playing through the entirety of Morrowind's main questline- the closest I've gotten before this was up to the Cavern of the Incarnate before I got bored.

It was really fun to keep this little in-character journal, helped me avoid metagaming. Thinking about when and where Jo'jaska would stop to write, and what his inner thoughts would be, was interesting.

I was playing on OpenMW with a few mods:

Chargen Revamped: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44110 (This was because starting in a new location sounded fun.)

Enchanting Balance Redone: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/44420 (I like actually being able to make magic items myself. For fairness's sake, I avoided making any Constant Effect enchants.)

Eye of Night Toggle (Default Values): https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/51400 (Basic QoL.)

Fair Magicka Regen: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/39350 (Basic QoL.)

Maxed Out Attribute Modifiers: https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/13384 (I hate not having the +5 each level and I didn't want to metagame and train 10 levels in different skills every level to get that.)

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 3rd of Frostfall

It is done. The Heart of Lorkhaj is banished, Dagoth Ur is defeated, and the skies above Red Mountain are clear for the first time in a very long time. Centuries, perhaps.

It was not as difficult as Jo'jaska expected. The Cliff Racers were as much a nuisance as ever, but he has grown strong these past weeks. The sharmat's servants were dispatched with little difficulty, and Vivec's plan worked just as promised. The day is saved, the Sixth House has fallen, and Azurah even appeared to offer khajiit a ring and her congratulations.

Though this one is still thinking about something that Dagoth Ur said to him before they fought. He asked Jo'jaska if Jo'jaska truly believed himself to be Nerevar reborn. It gave this one pause. Jo'jaska had assumed that he must have been, for he fit the prophecy and Azurah told him that he was. But Azurah is the Prince of prophecy, and the Mother of All Khajiit is as tricksy as her children. Perhaps she simply guided Jo'jaska down the path to this moment, to avenge her champion Nerevar and cast down the living gods who usurped her. Vivec thought her an enemy, at least, and with the Heart gone the Tribunal's power will fade as well.

Khajiit supposes that it does not matter. He is alive, and Dagoth Ur is not. The Tribunal may go to Oblivion for all he cares.

There is still much to do. There are many he can help, much work to do with the guilds, and he still means to speak to Yagrum Bagarn in Tel Fyr about what happened to the Dwemer.

For now though, this one will rest. He feels that he has earned it.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 2nd of Frostfall

This one has much to think about. The Archcanon of the Temple was not the one Jo'jaska needed to speak to, just the messenger. The Archcanon gave this one access to see the dunmer god-king Vivec. Vivec was strange. He spoke in riddles and philosophy, metaphysics that Jo'jaska barely understood. Khajiit would be interested to learn more of them when his duty is done.

Khajiit is currently resting in an inn at the Ghostgate, studying the notes he was given. The plan to slay a mad living god is simpler than he might have thought. He just needs to find a pair of artifacts, wear the gauntlet given to him by Vivec, and strike the source of Dagoth Ur's power in a certain simple pattern. The Sharmat would likely expect him to try to sieze godhood as he and the Tribunal have, but Jo'jaska does not know that pattern. Instead he will banish the Heart, which will kill Dagoth Ur.

Jo'jaska does not think that he would use it even if he could. Godhood is not Jo'jaska's to claim, and it sounds to him like a horribly lonely existence.

It is strange to think that it is not even two months since Jo'jaska was shipwrecked on Morrowind. It has been so little time since he first crept into that tomb, helping that dunmer woman fight the tomb's guardians for the promise of some supplies. And now here he is, with a grand destiny and plans to kill a living god. He wonders how that woman is doing.

This one wonders what he will do when this is over, when he has fulfilled his destiny. It won't be much longer. Only a day or two more, perhaps.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 30th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska already has the support of the Urshilaku, so this morning he used the Guild Guide to reach Sadrith Mora and traveled to the Erabenimsun camp. It was not difficult, he simply needed to dispose of the violent warmongers who led the tribe and allow the more peaceful wise-women and new Ashkhan to name him Nerevarine. It is not even noon as this one writes this, and if he is lucky he may be able to get another tribe's support before sundown.

It is now just past sundown as Jo'jaska is writing this, and he did very nearly manage to gain the support of the Ahemmusa before the day was over. If the old wise-woman had walked a bit faster, he would have. She did have a somewhat more exciting task for this one, to travel to a nearby Daedric ruin and clear out the cultists that had taken up residence there, but it was no great trouble for Jo'jaska.

There is only a single tribe remaining.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 1st of Frostfall

The final tribe, the Zainab, is proving much more troublesome, and troubling, than the others. First the Ashkhan sent him to defeat a vampire who had been terrorizing the region, which was no real problem at all for Jo'jaska, but then came his second demand: a high-born Telvanni bride. Of course no Telvanni would let their daughter marry an ashlander, so the tribe's wise-woman advised this one to instead purchase a dunmer slave and pass her off as one.

Khajiit is disgusted that he must participate in this vile trade, but cannot find any good alternatives. Thankfully the woman at least does not seem opposed to the idea. An Ashkhan's wife is likely a better station than she would be able to hope for even as a free woman.

This one also purchased the other slaves being sold there so that he could free them, and made sure to steal back all of the money he gave to the slave-mistress after. He would not have his gold be lining the pockets of such a vile woman. Khajiit does think it very odd how this woman sold the only men and mer he has seen enslaved here. All others were Khajiit or Argonian, and he had assumed that was the case for all slaves.

The real trouble was making the woman look presentable. This one spent all day running from one clothing shop to the next across half the towns on Vvardenfell, trying to find clothing fit for a Telvanni noble, and has only just finished as it is nearing midnight. He will escort her to the Zainab in the morning.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 2nd of Frostfall

The Ashkhan's bride has been delivered, and both seem very happy with the arrangement. Even the Ashkhan, who saw through the deception but approves wholeheartedly of this one's attempt to trick him. Jo'jaska thinks that he likes this elf.

Regardless, that just leaves Jo'jaska's visit to the Temple.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 28th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska had slept for the night at the Balmora Mages' Guild, and so thought to gain the support of House Hlaalu next, as they governed the city. The local members pointed him to Vivec, and with some bribery and blackmail Jo'jaska was able to be named Hlaalu Hortator with little trouble. This one has amassed a great deal of wealth from his adventures, and so even the more exorbitant bribes were little inconvenience to him.

The one point of unpleasantness is that he was forced to deal with Orvas Dren, a despicable slave-owner. The dunmer's eyes held a bitter coldness that made khajiit's fur stand on end, and even the short interaction that was required for this one to blackmail him into supporting Jo'jaska's aims of being Hortator left this one feeling like he had something horrible stuck in his fur.

Thankfully all of the Hlaalu councilors lived nearby to Vivec, so Jo'jaska was able to get all of this done fairly quickly. It is not even sundown as Jo'jaska writes this. He thinks he will take the rest of the evening to relax and celebrate his progress. This one has collected quite a lot of moon sugar and fine drinks from the smugglers he has bested, and he thinks he will put some of it to good use.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 29th of Hearthfire

This one is now the Hortator of all three Houses with any presence on Vvardenfell. The Redoran were simple to win over; once Jo'jaska rescued the son of one councilor the others were convinced of Jo'jaska's good character. As with the Telvanni Archmagister, the problem was with the House's Archmaster, who is apparently even more xenophobic than is normal for Dunmer and would not allow an outlander to be named Hortator. Luckily it was solved in much the same way as the Archmagister, though as an honorable duel in the Vivec Arena rather than Jo'jaska launching a surprise-attack when the Redoran's guard was down.

As with the other two Houses this one was given a little enchanted token to serve as proof of office. He as also given a note from the Archcanon in Vivec's Temple, telling him that the temple would be willing to listen to his case if he is able to fulfill the rest of the prophecy and be named Nerevarine by the Ashlanders.

This one had frankly expected that becoming the Hortator of three Great Houses would have taken longer than four days, but he is not complaining.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 27th of Hearthfire

Tel Branora was not far from the shrine to Azurah where the goddess first spoke to Jo'jaska, so before visiting the other Magisters he hiked over the sea to reach it. It is a good thing that he did, as Azurah rewarded him for his service by granting him her Star, an invaluable artifact for an enchanter such as Jo'jaska. He left an offering of moon sugar and the enchanted ring he took from Sheggorath's servant.

The lady of Tel Mora is a strange one. At first Jo'jaska thought that she hated him for being khajiit, but then he found that it was actually because he was male. Still, some bribes and groveling were all that it took for her to support his claim, and she even gave him a powerful summoning scroll as well.

The lord of Tel Vos was as easy to convince as the rest, though he told Jo'jaska that apparently the real trouble would be the Archmagister, Gothren. Luckily the Telvanni have a very simple method of resolving disagreement, and it is acceptable for Jo'jaska to simply kill the Archmagister. Jo'jaska will have to remember this fact if he ever gets into an argument with a Telvanni.

The Archmagister was as Jo'jaska had been told, delaying and avoiding the topic of Hortator, unwilling to even directly tell this one "no" without great effort on Jo'jaska's part. Jo'jaska had thankfully devised a pair of enchanted items that made quick work of him and his two dremora guards; one to paralyze them and another to steal their life force. It worked perfectly, as the Archmagister likely did not expect to be attacked so openly. Jo'jaska will lose no sleep over killing a Telvanni, and with the Archmagister gone one of the other councilors was able to name this one the Telvanni Hortator.

This one hopes that the other houses will be so easy to persuade.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 23rd of Hearthfire

This one has found something very special indeed! As he was wandering around Southern Vvardenfell, looking for tombs and bandit-lairs to plunder, he saw in the distance a great statue of Lady Azurah. The dunmeri depiction of her is not quite the same as the icons khajiit knows from the temples of Elsweyr, but the symbols she holds are unmistakable. Inside, a smaller statue spoke to Jo'jaska, telling him that he was to aid her in a contest against Sheggorath. Of course this one accepted, it is not every day that the Favored Daughter of Fadomai speaks to you personally.

She tasked this one with traveling to an island in Sheogorad and defeating a number of the Skoomacat's servants. Jo'jaska is in luck, as the island is not far from the Urshilaku Ashlanders, and he was planning to return to their wise-woman tomorrow.

Khajiit had luckily left a magical Mark near the Urshilaku camp, so that part of the travel was effortless, and he simply walked over the water until he found an island swarming with powerful Daedra. A powerful aureal seemed to lead them, but Jo'jaska was able to overwhelm them with a horde of his own conjured minions. Khajiit has collected several rare grand soul gems from bandits and smugglers in the past few days, and was able to trap the aureal's soul within one. It is a rare and valuable prize for enchanting, though Jo'jaska is almost too afraid to use it out of fear that he may waste it.

He is now making camp for the night in a smuggler's cave that he has just finished clearing out, and will be speaking to the wise-woman in the morning.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 24th of Hearthfire

This morning Jo'jaska was sent out to a stronghold occupied by the Sixth House to prove his skill in battle to the Urshilaku, and when he returned the Ashkan gave him the key to the third trial: a riddle. Luckily the other members of the tribe knew enough of the surrounding area to tell Jo'jaska where to go: a cave to the southeast, sacred to Azurah.

For tonight, khajiit will rest in the Urshilaku camp, and set off in the morning.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 26th of Hearthfire

This one spent many hours searching for the valley that held the cavern, and had to camp in a cave for a night. But this morning, at the crack of dawn, khajiit found the cave. Inside he found a great statue of Azurah, bearing Nerevar's signet ring. Jo'jaska saw a vision when he took it, of Azurah confirming that he was indeed the Nerevarine. When he came back to himself, the ghosts of those who failed before him appeared around the cavern, offering advice and gifts.

The gifts are not very useful, but khajiit took them anyway. He did not want to be rude.

His next steps are clear: He must gain the support of three Great Houses and the Ashlander tribes of Vvardenfell.

The Urshilaku Ashkhan was willing to name Jo'jaska Nerevarine immediately, as he has already proven himself. However, khajiit was cautioned that being named Nerevarine by all of the tribes could mean trouble, so he chose to seek the Great Houses before visiting the other tribes.

Khajiit will tackle the Telvanni first. They hate him for being a member of the Mages' Guild, and he hates them for being a bunch of maniacal slaving lunatics. This one would prefer to be done with them quickly.

The lord of Tel Mora was a surprisingly painless interaction. He gave Jo'jaska his support just so that Jo'jaska would leave him alone. Khajiit hopes all of the magisters will be like this.

Khajiit took a boat to Tel Branora, and the Telvanni ruling this place seems even madder than her fellows. Still, she gave Jo'jaska what he wanted without much trouble. Jo'jaska only wishes that he could free the slave he passed in her chambers, but he could not risk offending her. He will return when he no longer needs her support.

In lighter news, Jo'jaska was able to convince a Telvanni wizard to teach him a few powerful summoning spells, and now Jo'jaska is able to conjure Aureals and Winged Twilights in battle. These are still very difficult spells for him, but they are good to have.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 16th of Hearthfire

The spymaster Caius has departed, and left Jo'jaska to his own devices. Khajiit is now the highest-ranking member of the Blades on Vvardenfell, though apparently this means very little in practice. Jo'jaska will just continue trying to fulfill the prophecy of the Nerevarine. His next step is to seek out some of the missing prophecies.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 17th of Hearthfire

His search for the lost prophecies has brought this one somewhere unexpected: the Holomayan monastery, where he is camped out as he waits for dawn so that he may enter. Apparently the random, secluded place that Jo'jaska sought shelter in when he was first stranded on this island is actually the hideout of a group of renegade Temple priests. Jo'jaska wonders if their suspicion of him when he first came here was actually justified fear that he might have been an enemy, rather than unfounded suspicion of him for being a khajiit.

When khajiit delivered the prophecies to the wise woman, she told Jo'jaska to leave her to consult with the spirits "until the moons have come and gone." She did not specify if she meant a night or a month, but it sounded to Jo'jaska like she would need a while to do what she needed to. Khajiit will check back in one week.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 20th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska's friend Ajira has told him of something very exciting! She says that she has found the location of a powerful artifact, the Staff of Magnus, and has given Jo'jaska this knowledge. She says that she only wishes to see the staff, and it is Jo'jaska's to keep.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 21st of Hearthfire

The staff is truly a beautiful thing, and very powerful as well. Ajira has apparently heard tell of another artifact for Jo'jaska to collect, but he will not do so- at least not now. This one thinks he should have a better place to store such things than Caius's old home before he collects any more of them. At the moment he has several pieces of glass armor, a daedric war-axe, his two staves, a glass longsword, quite a lot of moon sugar, and several bottles of very expensive alcohol just laying in a pile in the one-room house.

Instead this one will simply explore around, honing his skills and gathering other valuables. There are many smugglers' dens and bandit lairs on this island, and Jo'jaska feels that he would make much better use of their possessions than they.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's diary: 14th of Hearthfire

The treatment worked. Obviously, as this one would not be writing if he had died.

So, this one is the Nerevarine. He does not doubt it now, when there is no other reason that the potion did not kill him as it had the others. He did not choose this role, but he supposes that Dagoth Ur must be stopped. If this one must be the one to do so, then so be it.

Jo'jaska is also not cured entirely, only of the disease's detrimental effects. This means that the beneficial side-effects, the immunity to other diseases and the agelessness, remain. The former is nice. The latter though, is troubling.

Jo'jaska has not thought much about his own death. He supposes that he, and most people, would prefer to die peacefully, of old age. It is strange to know for certain that he will not. Violence will take his life, or accident, but not natural causes. Will he live forever if he is clever and careful enough, never joining his kin in the sands behind the stars? Would he want to?

This one will walk back to give his report to the spymaster. He feels that he will need time to think.

On his way west from Tel Fyr, this one found an escaped Argonian slave named Reeh-Jah, and of course agreed to escort him to an Argonian embassy in Ebonheart. And so this one's plans of a contemplative journey were foiled, as the Argonian seems absolutely determined to make Jo'jaska's promise to keep him safe as difficult as possible.

The fool is unarmed and almost naked, yet charges forward towards any foes without fear. It would be one thing if it was only the rats and cliffracers, but the mad fool has attempted to punch an Ogrim! Did the Telvanni magically remove his ability to recognize danger?!

Actually on second thought that does not sound unlikely for the Telvanni.

It is good that Jo'jaska keeps a supply of jewelry and soul gems with him in case he needs to quickly enchant something, and was able to make a ring with a healing spell, and an amulet with a shielding spell, which have helped to keep the Argonian alive.

This one is writing from the entrance of a tomb that he and the Argonian are making camp in for the night, and he hopes he will make it to Ebonheart tomorrow.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 15th of Hearthfire

The Argonian has been delivered to his people, who will return him home when they are able. Jo'jaska was given a token of appreciation for his good deed, and now sits in an inn with a bottle of expensive brandy he has treated himself to.

Khajiit thinks that this was good for him. A reminder that regardless of any plans of fate, and regardless of what his future holds, he can do good here and now. Perhaps he will live forever or perhaps he will die tomorrow, but he will do his best to help where he can regardless. He simply needs to take things as they come, and do his best to do what is right. For now though, he will rest, and report to the Spymaster tomorrow.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 14th of Hearthfire

This one has found the wizard Divayth Fyr. He is an odd man. He has four wives, who he made through magic and who also are sometimes called his daughters. Jo'jaska did not ask for clarification on what exactly their relationship is, as this one does not want to risk offending his only hope of a cure for Corprus. He also honestly does not wish to dwell on it much at all.

The wizard's favorite hobby is apparently maintaining a number of traps and treasure-chests in the maze where he keeps his patients, and then invites adventurers to try to steal the valuables within. There is apparently some complex series of keys and chests, but Jo'jaska is skilled enough with magic to simply open the locks with his spells. There was another artifact in one, a cuirrass even more protective than his glass one and a powerful enchantment to resist magic.

Still, Fyr seems decent for a Telvanni. Everything Jo'jaska has heard of the house has painted them as mad and amoral, while the wizard seems more of a well-intentioned eccentric.

Khajiit has also found that there is a living Dwemer in the Corprusarium. Though he is afflicted, he seems lucid. This one will have to remember to discuss his theories about the disappearance of the Dwarves with him, if Jo'jaska is still alive tomorrow.

And on that note: The wizard Fyr has told Jo'jaska that there is no cure, but there is a potion he has been testing. It might kill Jo'jaska, as it has killed every other person Fyr has tested it on. But it might instead cure him.

Khajiit supposes that this will let him know for certain if he is the one in the prophecies. If he lives, when all others have not, then he will accept his place in Azurah's plans with grace. If he does not, then he will join his kin in the Sands Behind the Stars.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 9th of Hearthfire

Last night Jo'jaska saw him again in his dream. The wise-woman had told him that the dreams are from Dagoth Ur, and in this dream he called Jo'jaska Nerevar, and invited him to join the Sixth House. Jo'jaska does not know what to think of the fact that Dagoth Ur seems to think that this one is truly the Nerevarine. He could be lying, or simply wrong. The wise-woman did say that the Sharmat was mad.

Caius has told this one that he is to go to aid a Legion fort in clearing out a base of the Sixth House. It is a place called Ilunibi, a partly-flooded cave on the coast.

The cave was a horrible maze of strange monsters. Jo'jaska is not certain if they were once elves, or if they are some strange creations of the Sixth House. Their leader was something with a kind of tendril where its face should have been, and when Jo'jaska slew it, it told him that he was now cursed with Corprus. This one does not feel any different, but he can see something beginning to change beneath his fur.

He will return to Balmora on foot. He does not want to risk infecting others by taking the silt-striders or guild guides.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 10th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska returned to Caius to give his report, and is in luck. Caius knew the risk that Jo'jaska might be infected, and looked into any possible cures in advance. There is a wizard on the eastern coast of the island, one who has been studying the disease. This one's condition does not seem to be deteriorating very quickly, so he will continue to travel on foot, avoiding other people.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 12th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska is resting in a tomb as he writes this, as he has the last two nights. he has secured the entrance with a spell of locking to make sure that he is not disturbed. He still does not feel much different, though he knows what the disease will do to him.

He saw a few of those afflicted with the disease in Ilunibi. Khajiit thought them to be undead at first, as they looked and moved like zombies, but when his dagger sunk into them warm blood hit his paw. Their eyes held no thought, just pain and aggression. They disturbed Jo'jaska more than anything in that horrible place. Jo'jaska would rather die than become one of them.

The wise-woman of the Ashlanders said that the Nerevarine would be immune to the Corprus, "The curse of flesh before him flies." Jo'jaska had been frightened and confused by the idea that he might be this Nerevarine, but now he would gladly accept the role. He would give anything if it meant being spared the nightmarish existence that he is doomed to if he cannot find a cure.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 7th of Hearthfire

After Caius dismissed him, Jo'jaska has been spending the last several days training, using the gold he has gained from his exploration to pay for others to show him the depths of the magical and martial arts. But last night khajiit had another dream. This time it was just the masked man, speaking to him. He cannot remember the man's words, but everything else was so vivid.

When he went out onto the street, he was approached by an odd elf who called himself a "sleeper," and spoke of the Sixth House in some strange trance. Jo'jaska knows that these must be connected to his work with the Blades. It worries him, what if he ends up like that strange elf? He will go back to Caius to try to understand what is happening, and end it.

The spymaster sent khajiit to speak with an Ashlander merchant, since the Ashlanders are the ones who would know the most of the Nerevarine prophecies, and he learned that there was one tribe that would be the best to ask for information. Apparently the wise-woman there may have some insight into this one's dreams as well.

This one traveled to the tiny coastal village of Khuul, hoping to reach the Ashlanders' camp before nightfall, but as he was traveling over the mountains, he saw a Dwemer ruin and thought to peek his nose in. He was very surprised to find that the ruin was filled vampires! He slew them, setting free the enthralled slaves they kept as cattle, and found that one of them wore almost an entire set of glass armor- including the pauldrons. This means that this one's previous theft of a very valuable pair of glass pauldrons was both risky and entire pointless, as up to this point khajiit has felt too worried that he would be connected to the crime to even wear them in public.

Ah well, what is done, is done. Unfortunately this one's exploration of the ruins and battles with vampires took enough time that night was falling when he stepped outside. This one will make camp in the ruins, and visit the Ashlanders in the morning.

Jo'jaska's diary: 8th of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska was able to gain an audience with the Ashlander wise-woman after retrieving an item from the tribe's burial cavern. It is odd, this one thinks, how twice now he has had Dunmer ask him to rob their own honored dead.

The knowledge this one gained from the wise woman left him conflicted. Caius said that Jo'jaska might fulfill the prophecy of the Nerevarine, and the wise woman told him that it was at least a possibility. Khajiit does not know what to think of this.

It is very odd to think that he might be the destined saviour of a people who are not his own, especially when those people are the Dunmer. Most of Vvardenfell looks at Jo'jaska like he is less than them, and many of his kin are treated as though they are not even people. It is difficult for him to imagine that he might be an incarnation of one of their legendary heroes. Or that he may become it, the wise woman was vague on how exactly it worked.

Regardless, this one will have to report all of this to Caius.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 1st of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska has decided to do more work for the Blades. It was a simple job, just to go to the city of Vivec and speak to a few informants. A few lies and bribes were all that it took to get the information, though before he left Jo'jaska made a quick stop at the Telvanni Canton. He had heard it mentioned that there were slaves kept on the lower levels, and so decided to free them. While he was searching for the slave key, he also found that the Telvanni have a vault in the Canton, heavily-secured and no doubt filled with treasure. He will have to remember this for later, when he is more confident that he will be able to take everything he wishes from within.

When Jo'jaska returned to Caius with the information, the Imperial told him to take another few days to train and explore.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 2nd of Hearthfire

Jo'jaska had another nightmare with the same strange, masked man as last time. This time he led Jo'jaska to this one's own corpse, which woke when he touched it. It was so vivid, as still is this one's memory of the last dream. It has not faded from his mind as dreams normally do, but is still as fresh as the memory of this morning.

Khajiit does not know what they mean, though he is certain that they are an ill omen.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 30th of Last Seed

Jo'jaska feels that he has perhaps done something very foolish.

When jo'jaska was sent by the Mages' Guild to find some schematics in a Dwemer ruin, he found that the ruin was filled with many orcs, all of them using valuable orcish weapons and armor. He took as much of it as he could carry, and traveled around selling it off piece-by-piece to different blacksmiths, as none had enough money to purchase thousands of gold worth of equipment all at once. Eventually he hears that the Dunmer have a kind of armor made from some glassy green crystal as light as leather and stronger than steel, and thinks to himself that he might be able to exchange all of his orcish gear away at once in exchange for a few pieces of this armor.

He travels to the Ghostgate, where one of the few smiths who knows how to work the material can be found, and Jo'jaska learns that it is even more expensive than he thought. All of the gold he has gathered could only perhaps purchase one of the cheaper pieces. Jo'jaska is eventually able to haggle for a fabulously expensive helmet in exchange for an orcish cuirass and several waraxes. But just as Jo'jaska is about to leave, he sees that the smith has turned away, distracted by something, and no one is looking at Jo'jaska- or at the very expensive glass shield and pair of pauldrons next to him. He grabs them and teleports away.

Jo'jaska is no stranger to theft of course, but this was a very risky thing to do. Just one of the pauldrons is equal in worth to all of the gold that Jo'jaska has amassed, and he is sure that if his crime is discovered he will be punished much more severely than he would be for stealing some simple jewelry.

Thankfully he did not give anyone his name, and if he is lucky it will take long enough for them to notice that the pauldrons have gone missing that they will forget Jo'jaska's face. Still, it is probably best if Jo'jaska does not wear his new armor in public for a few weeks. And avoids the Ghostgate entirely, if he can help it.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 28th of Last Seed

This one has found not one, but two very exciting things today!

The first was in a Dwemer ruin when he was doing a job for the Mages' Guild, a book called "Hanging Gardens." It was written in Dwemeris and came with a translation in Aldmeris, so if Jo'jaska can find a scholar of both languages they could learn how to read Dwemeris. The others at the Mages' Guild were all very excited by its discovery.

After he left the Dwemer ruin Jo'jaska decided to explore the wilderness for a while longer before he teleported back to town, and stumbled on a Dunmer tomb where he found the second exciting thing. It was a very pretty staff being held by an orcish necromancer who was living in the tomb, and Jo'jaska could tell it held powerful magic. When he teleported back to Balmora he showed it to his friend Ajira, and she said that she recognized it from a book on magical artifacts, and told him it was called the Staff of Hasedoki. Apparently Jo'jaska managed to find a famed artifact by sheer luck!

It is a useful artifact as well, allowing the wielder to resist the magic of others. As Jo'jaska was born under the Apprentice, it helps to offset his vulnerabilities.

Jo'jaska is curious about the orc though. The last door in the tomb was locked tight and protected by a trap, but this one found no key in the room the orc was standing in and there was a long-dead corpse of another adventurer just in front of the door. The orc did not seem to be a lich, so he must have left for food and water occasionally. Perhaps he simply traveled to and from his lair with teleportation magic? That seems very foolish to Jo'jaska. If the orc had trapped himself inside of his own lair and could only enter or leave with teleportation, he should have collapsed the entrance so no intruders could get in. It is not like he was using it, and a pile of rubble would deter more than a locked wooden door.

Jo'jaska wonders if he is not the first person to have this thought. Perhaps even right now there are caves and tombs with no entrance, used as lairs by sorcerers who only access them with teleportation. He wonders what strange artifacts might be sealed away where no one might ever find them.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 25th of Last Seed

The puzzle-box was delivered in exchange for some notes about Morrowind's history, and was sent out again right after to ask an orcish mage about a related cult. Jo'jaska had been hoping that since he was already a decently well-ranking member of the Mages' Guild she would simply give him the information, but she insisted that he bring her a particular skull for some necromantic experiment first.

Jo'jaska is uncertain why a necromancer would choose to live here of all places when the dunmer so revile the practice, but it does not concern him. He has no interest in necromancy, and what curiosity he does have is outweighed by the horrible stench of the dead. Jo'jaska wonders if khajiit necromancers are rarer due to our sensitive noses. Thankfully the dunmer fill their tombs with incense, so retrieving the skull was not too unpleasant.

This time the information was about some prophecy, and Caius gave Jo'jaska a promotion when he delivered it, along with a few teleportation scrolls. Jo'jaska has little use for the scrolls, as he is already able to cast the spell himself, but they might be good to have in an emergency. Caius also told this one to leave him for a little while to think and plan alone, so Jo'jaska finds himself with some time to do as he pleases. He will likely spend a few days training and doing more jobs for the Guilds he is a part of.

Jo'jaska's Diary: 26th of Last Seed

This one had a strange dream last night. He does not normally remember his dreams, and has not had a nightmare since he was a little ja'khajiit, but last night he dreamed that he was being led through a crowd of corpses by a strange, masked man, unable to speak or breathe at all. He wonders if it means something. He feels like he is moving towards something he does not understand, something great and strange and terrible. Perhaps that is what prompted this nightmare.

This one's day will likely be spent learning the art of Enchantment, which Ajira has offered to train Jo'jaska in in exchange for some of the rare ingredients he has come across. Jo'jaska has already made one magical item, a cheap amulet imbued with the ability to restore some of the user's stamina, but he wasted many soul gems in failed attempts and feels that more powerful enchantments are beyond him without some training from a more experienced mage.

[jo-jaska]

Jo'jaska's Diary: 24th of Last Seed

It has been three days since Jo'jaska wrote his last entry, and he has been very busy! He has done several more jobs for the Mages' and Thieves' Guilds, and practiced his haggling with his new merchant friend Ra'Virr. He made much money, almost all of which was spent on new spells. Many are too complex for Jo'jaska to cast reliably just yet, but he is certain that they will be good to have.

Jo'jaska feels confident that he will be ready to achieve whatever his first real task as a Blade will be.

-

Jo'jaska's first real task as a Blade was incredibly annoying.

He was sent to go and get information about some local legend from a man in the Fighters' Guild, and in exchange the man asked Jo'jaska to retrieve a Dwemer puzzle box from a nearby ruin.

He spends all day running through this Dwemer ruin, evading traps, unlocking doors, and battling bandits, automatons, and ghosts as he searches for the puzzle-box he was sent to find, and just when Jo'jaska grows so tired that he retreats to a side room near the entrance to make camp for the night, what does he find? The box! Perhaps only a minute from the entrance! He could have avoided almost all of this!

Still the day was not a waste. The ruin was a good place to test Jo'jaska's new spells, and they proved more than good enough. His bound shield and armor protected very well against blows, and his spells of leaping and levitation helped him reach many hidden treasures which his spells of teleportation helped to transport back to town. He has gathered many gemstones from the ruin, as well as valuable Dwemer armor that should fetch a very good price.

Jo'jaska is now resting in the beds at the Mages' Guild, and will deliver the puzzle-box in the morning.