JoS/Henriette/12th Journal - Scrolls

Rain's Hand, 30th, 4E 202

A little R&R always lets your body and mind heal, in our case more than just in one way. Since we had fully recovered and were back at peak performance, it was time for us to try our luck inside Blackreach and continue our journey. This massive cavern ended up being way bigger than we imagined. Same can be said about the mushrooms. It's unbelievable to me that a place like this existed right under our feet.

We were really lucky to find an old Dwemer building very close to the door inside Blackreach, which was used as a field laboratory for some alchemist named Sinderion. He's been doing some kind of research on a cousin of Nirnroot native to this cave which takes a shade of Crimson. As someone who's fond of alchemy and gardening, I found it very intriguing, but not intriguing enough to distract me from my true goal. I bet it doesn't even have any difference to the original one apart from the color of its leafs.

There's a fireplace for making food here, an alchemist's lab and an enchanter's table, and even a bench which could be used for repairing armor. The bed looks good enough as well. It looks like a good base of operations for us, especially considering its close proximity to the lift that takes us to the surface. There was however one small problem with this shack… A damned trapped chest that I ended up triggering the instant I opened it.

Oh Sinderion, why didn't you at least put a warning label on it in case a fellow adventurer would come here?

I knew Dwemer were known for their inventions and machinery, some of which could be used for lewd purposes, but I didn't expect a magical trap that would automatically equip bondage gear on me, and even strip me naked. Is this even technology, or is this some kind of foul sorcery? Like really, how does that even work? It happened so fast. It put chains on my wrists and my legs, and even stuck a plug into my butthole faster than I could let out a scream. What made it all worse was a blindfold which made it so I couldn't see at all.

Sofia was able to dig through my stuff to find the tools I had made for taking these things off, but she wasn't really good at using them. She was able to get rid of my blindfolds on the third attempt, after which I had only one key left. She was so sorry and kept apologizing so much for being so clumsy. Oh, it's not her fault… But she should really practice handling these keys with care. Maybe I should lock her in some bondage once we're home and have her figure her way out of it as a "punishment".

I could get rid of the plug which had some kind of pesky locking mechanism on it, but after that, we had no more tools. Our journey has been halted before it even properly started. It's impossible for me to even walk without rattling these chains around, which makes sneaking impossible. The Falmer here rely heavily on their hearing, so… Yeah, we may have to make it back to the surface. There's still a chance Sofia can find something alone. She's going to go look around for stuff while I wait here. There were Falmer outside so I'm not too sure how safe it's for a lone female adventurer… She said she can handle herself against the Falmer, but I just can't help but to get worried. I just hope she doesn't encounter anything that's more than she can handle.

I think I'll rest and try to get some sleep.

Rain's Hand, 31th, 4E 202

I had a strange dream… A wet dream, or perhaps a nightmare? It was almost like the last time around, and I'm 100% sure it happened, like for real, it happened.

It was another strange plane of Oblivion I was stuck inside, stark naked. I still had my bondage gear on, and then some. There's even a clitoral piercing down there with a Soul Gem attached to it. The way it vibrated was agonizing, I can still remember it so vividly.

There were a lot of naked women there, and I was clearly the youngest. The rest were adults. There was also a man there, a Daedric figure with tiny horns and a bright red skin. He spoke to me, he raped me, he talked about how he has been watching me, observing me… About how he has taken me as his property, about how I now serve him in life and in death.

When he whipped me, the sting was real. When he made me cum, the pleasure was real too. His touch, his powerful grab on my skin, they were all real… I know, because when I eventually woke up again, I was still sore and horny. All of the bondage remained, and there were even marks on my skin, but even if that doesn't prove it was all real all along, this damned Soul Gem that's still attached to my clit sure is. Kind of makes me wonder, will it happen again?

Sofia had found some stuff we could use to make makeshift lockpicks out of. Normal ones rarely work, so I don't even feel like wasting them. It was almost enough, but there were still not enough. I was able to get rid of everything except for the clitoral piercing. None of the tools were delicate enough for it, and I doubt we will find anything that is. I have to carry it a while longer…

The mark on my stomach is constantly visible now, I'm still so horny. Damn it, I haven't even encountered any enemies here yet, and I'm already in this sorry state…

We still don't know what to do. Continue this journey, or get away from here for now? We can always come here and try again and again, but if I get myself caught in this state, with this vibrating magical gem attached to my clit, there's no way I'd be able to resist at all… Sofia can always run away, but will she be able to save me alone? She said that it's not that dangerous out there and that she thinks that most dangers probably lurk behind us. There's a lot of places to hide in here, and she even said that she might even have a good idea of which direction we should go towards. I trust her judgment fully.

Rain's Hand, 31th, 4E 202

We decided not to leave, not quite just yet. I turned out to be a good decision, as we might've found what we're looking for. I don't know yet.

Before that though, there were two things I found out down here. First, I can deal with this vibrating piercing. It's not that unstable, it has only activated itself once so far. That's definitely something I can deal with. Second, we found out that Falmer have a lot of slaves here. I mean, a lot. Men, women, young, old. That kind of suggests that we don't have to fear for our lives either, but it also worries me. It must be hard to keep that many people in check. There must be a lot of powerful Falmer here. Getting caught here might be really bad.

So anyway, we're now inside some tower. I remember Septimus talking about a tower too, and the mechanism inside this building looks mighty impressive and important. Remember that mammoth-sized floating orb I told you about? Well, you could probably fit then of them inside of this thing. On top of it, there are all kinds of mirrors and light sources too, all of which can be moved using some weird Dwemer machine. I have no idea how to operate it though… This might take a while, especially since I feel like I'm not making any progress using it. Sofia got bored of watching me try, so she's trying her luck now.

Rain's Hand, 31th, 4E 202

I can't believe it, we actually found it. We managed to operate the machine to open up the massive thing in front of us, and it contained the scroll! I must bring it to Castle Volkihar immediately!

And then, getting outside… Sun was just rising and its rays pierced my eyes like never before. It was so blinding, but at the same time, strangely satisfying. It may be a little painful to stand under its rays, but it's also a proof of my freedom, proof that I made it back to the surface.

We don't exactly know where we are right now, but looking by the mountains and sights around us… I think I recognize one of the old stone towers in the distance. It's right next to Dawnstar if my memory serves me right.

We're currently holed up in a tent. There was some kind of camp site right outside the lift. Looking at it, it really looks like it's impossible to open it from the outside, but why did they leave their stuff behind? Oh well, I hope they're not nearby. I don't really feel like fighting anyone.

We'll head towards that tower soon.

Second Seed, 1st, 4E 202

Since we were in Dawnstar, we had a perfect opportunity to visit the Sanctuary. They were happy to see me safe and sound, and I was extremely happy to meet four new recruits seeking glory with us. The Brotherhood is already bigger than it was in Falkreath, but whenever these initiates are actually going to stay alive for more than three contracts still remains to be seen. Nazir wondered, what had I been up to and said that I should visit more often to actually get them some work. I said that I try, but I'm a busy woman. Oh, and you should've seen the look on his face when I showed him what I had found. I told him to keep it a secret.

He also wanted to talk business. He said that we should eventually reform the Black Hand. With me as the Listener, I should pick a Speaker for myself. He had talked to the remaining senior members, but none were that interested. It's still gonna take time for us to reform, so for now Nazir's going to serve as the sole Speaker for me. I myself will also do Speaker's duties every time I come here, but I'll let Nazir handle most of the work. It only makes sense that way, since he handles the contracts anyway.

I'm sadly not able to stay here a whole lot longer, as I'll be leaving tomorrow with Sofia, but I've done my work here. I prayed to the Night Mother and gave new contracts forward, so my duty here is more or less done for now!

Second Seed, 3rd, 4E 202

We stopped by in Dragon Bridge to buy and sell supplies. We kind of get the impression that we aren't welcome here. Some of them recognize us, some look us the wrong way, but most don't talk to us. There was one citizen who told me to go away and leave them be, to which I simply replied nothing.

When we got out from the general goods shop - where we were surprisingly made feel very welcome - we saw some of the citizens talking with guards. We thought nothing of it since we've done nothing wrong here and proceeded to visit the blacksmith. He was really wary of me, but I tried to be as nice as polite as possible to put up a good impression, show that I'm not anyone he should be worried about. I ended up buying some iron because I needed to craft some tools to finally get rid of this damned jewel stuck to my clit. He let me use his forge after I paid him some extra. I guess he was warming up to me a little and was willing to let his guard down… Or maybe he was scared.

Then, I proceeded to try and remove the thing… And I broke my tool. Part of it got stuck inside the lock. I couldn't believe it, I was mortified. I turned towards the blacksmith, who at this point had figured out what was going on and what I was trying to do. He was willing to help me out if I pay up…

It was a little embarrassing spreading my legs to him. It made me a little horny and blush too. It didn't look like he was attracted in children though, so it didn't really matter that he got a close-up view of my private parts… Sadly, he quickly said that the lock is beyond his skill level, especially with the piece stuck inside. At this point, he seemed really scared of me doing something to him, but I just thanked him for being so helpful and tried to smile.

It was pretty clear to me after this that the guards weren't really interested in helping the citizens get rid of us. That was… Good, I guess? They simply just kept talking to each other, saying I'm not their problem and how they're not willing to get hurt or maybe even die fighting us. One of them politely told me to leave the village. I just clicked my tongue and said I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want to rest on my journey.

Something tells me that we aren't going to get comfortable sleep though. We kind of have to sleep with one eye open, or rather, with one of us constantly awake. We can't have these guards or villagers sneaking up on us while we're defenseless.

Like really, I've become famous in these parts of Skyrim, and not in a very good way…

Second Seed, 3rd, 4E 202

We shared multiple hugs, me and Serana. She had heard a lot of news going around, but she wasn't sure which ones she could attribute to me. She didn't think it'd take so long for me to come back, so she had lost all hope.

Before I could deliver the news about the second scroll to Lord Harkon though, Serana stopped me. She said, "He doesn't have to know". It puzzled me at first, but she wasn't willing to explain herself, not here. She did say that she had figured out where her mother might be, and she was being a little secretive about it. I feel like I'm betraying Lord Harkon's will, but… Serana is important to me as well, so I'll do as she says.

Her idea is that her mother is somewhere inside this castle, but the way it looks now… That might not be the case anymore. She has definitely been here though, just not recently, not in many years.

In order to find this place, we had to jump through quite a few rings and hoops. There was an entrance to an old waterway at the side of an island. Through it, we made it to the old courtyard with a garden. That place truly hadn't been tended to in centuries. It was a sorry sight to see.

Serana's mother had left us a little puzzle to solve. There was a moon dial in the middle of the garden, and by placing missing crests into place, we opened a secret doorway to an old, ancient wing of this castle, a wing that hasn't been used in equally long time.

There were a lot of skeletons and gargoyles guarding the way, but the three of us had no problem. I always forget exactly how useful Serana is to have around. I wouldn't mind dragging her along with my adventures… Three little Vampire girls is always better than two. Wouldn't you agree, dear diary? I should probably recruit Babette as well. Dawnguard would think twice about crossing us after that…

Which reminds me, where have they been anyway? They haven't been bothering me lately, thank Sithis for that. Vigilants haven't been bothering us either. Maybe they all got scared? Would the mighty Dawnguard really be scared of bunch of little girls!?

Anyway, Serana has a reason to believe that her mother has used a portal in this room to travel to Soul Cairn. It certainly sounds like a good hiding place, not going to lie, but… We're not exactly sure what to find there, or if it's even possible to get back safely. I mean, surely it is? Serana seems confident. I'm a little scared, but I'll trust her on this one.

I probably won't be able to write anything once I'm there, so… Expect some tales from my adventure to the afterlife later, my sweet diary.

Second Seed, 5th, 4E 202

Calling the Soul Cairn an inhospitable hellscape would be putting it mildly. It was a harrowing, nightmarish plane of existence, an endless place of suffering for those trapped inside, helpless to escape it clutches. I could perhaps write an opus only from the things I saw inside, but I'll try to focus on the important things and not talk about all those poor souls who were wailing to me about their suffering. It's depressing, you know? As a novice conjurer, I have to think twice before using Soul Gems in the future. I already have made the decision to never even touch a Black Soul Gem, and my journeys here just reinforce that decision.

Anyway, the big takeaway is that we succeeded in coming back to Skyrim. We're resting and recovering in Dragon Bridge now. Serana is with us too. We have all three scrolls in our hands and Harkon doesn't even know it… Or does he? Something tells me that he might have his suspicions about how we're been acting lately, and now that we've disappeared from his castle… He has to know something's up.

So, to stay on topic of Serana's family, let's talk about her mother.

Going there definitely made me rethink my allegiance to Harkon. We found Serana's mother Valerica pretty quickly, but getting to her was impossible at first. She had set up a protective barrier and imprisoned herself inside a castle located here. There was a way to disable the barrier, but not even Valerica herself could do it, not while stuck inside.

She was not happy to see us.

She knew more about the prophecy than we did, which was partially the reason she had sealed Serana away and escaped to this place to begin with. It also became apparent to us that Harkon has been neglecting to tell me some important details about the prophecy, which he presumably knows everything about himself. Serana also knew about all of this to some extent, but even she didn't know all the details… It's strange that she was willing to accept my help considering she knew I trust Harkon. Maybe she was confident that I'd turn around once we'd learn more? Well, she was not wrong about that. Despite us knowing only for a short while, she seems to know me very well.

To complete the prophecy, a Daughter of Coldharbor, a pureblooded female Vampire must be sacrificed. Harkon wants to use Serana's blood to corrupt Auriel's Bow. That's the only way for Harkon to plunge the world into eternal darkness. It's so strange for me to think that he could do something like that… To kill his own daughter without a second thought for something like this. What's more, Valerica wouldn't even want the prophecy to happen to begin with, no matter what the cost. What would a world without a sun even mean? It would be a cold, lifeless world and a far cry from the paradise Harkon wants for himself. He would be making too many enemies for him to survive in this new dark world, and there's not even a guarantee that other Vampire clans would be happy about it either.

So, that settles it. I won't be helping Harkon complete his prophecy anymore. I'm taking Serana's side in all of this. No way I'm letting any harm come to her. I feel like a fool for helping that liar to begin with, but how could I know? I was being manipulated by him, he was keeping secrets from me all along. Killing Harkon would solve a lot of problems…

But would I be able to do something like that? To kill perhaps the greatest Vampire to ever exist, a royal, pure-blooded Vampire who received his powers directly from Molag Bal himself? It sounds like an impossible task. Not even Valerica thinks it's possible, especially not for a little kid such as myself. Sure, she doesn't know that I too have a little gift from the gods within me myself… But would even that be enough?

So anyway, part one of us completing our task in the Soul Cairn was to kill three of the keepers guarding the area. Only then would the barrier come down. This is where we started getting into some serious trouble.

Let's make no mistake about it, we're behind enemy lines, and the enemy knows we're here. They want us dead… Actually, no, death would be preferable to what they have in store for us. Most of the enemies were just dust and bones and no match for us, but those shades which used fire magic to their advantage… Huge problem. We're lucky there weren't too many of them alone, although when there were, they usually came in pairs. That said, the sheer number of enemies was able to get to us even though they were mostly weak. All of the three guardians were also strong foes, but luckily two out of three we were able to face alone. The last one though? Well, that was actually where we got most of our bruises from.

At the point we had taken down and gotten back to Valerica, we were a sorry sight to see. Our equipment was ruined to the point of not being able to even cover up our private parts properly. She was questioning whenever I could truly be able to protect Serana when I was in this state and found the idea of us being able to defeat Harkon, but at the same time, she had to recognize our accomplishments in taking out the guardians.

Next, it was the part two of our quest, and the good news now was that we had one extra ally with us to brave inside this castle and the boneyard within though. Bad news was that we had one giant obstacle in front of us: a dragon named Durnehviir.

I'm not talking about a normal dragon here. This was an undead dragon, a foe unlike anything else this place has to offer. Along with it, we were faced with many skeletons that it raised from the dead. It was an endless horde, and none of our attacks even seemed to do anything against our flying foe.

The battle was long and tiring, but we were eventually able to ground him. That's when something struck me down, an attack from below my waist when I was aiming at him. The Soul Gem attached to me started vibrating furiously and mercilessly, way harder than it had vibrated before. I had almost forgotten about it honestly, it hadn't turned on by itself in such a long time. Now though, it drove me insane in seconds. I dropped my bow in an instant and couldn't even pick it up. I fell to my knees and my allies were left having to fight the hordes alone. Seriously, it was the worst possible time!

Tide of the battle had turned completely, which resulted in me revealing one of my many trump cards. You see, I rarely rely on my Voice anymore. Shouting with thunderous powers don't exactly fit my fighting style, you know? I'm supposed to be a stealthy gal, a freaking assassin. I don't want too many people associating me, a girl infamous for being a criminal and a rumored Vampire, with the Dragonborn of legend either. That would just create more problems and more unwanted attention on me. I only tap into my reserves when I really, really have to! Anyway, forgive my rant.

I blasted my enemies away with my draconic powers empowered myself with a thunderous battle shout I learned through deep meditation. At that point, the vibrating had stopped, and the dragon had realized what he was truly against. It must've excited him, as he only was interested in me after that. We met face to face, his voice against mine, my blade against his claws. Miraculously, it was me who came out on top. I couldn't have done it alone, not without my allies taking care of the skeletons, that's for sure. Truly, Durnehviir was nothing like any of the few dragons I had previously faced. I wasn't even able to absorb his soul before its body just disintegrated before my eyes… Maybe because his soul already belongs to the Ideal Masters or something.

After that we got our scroll and shared some words with Valerica. She finally seemed like a believer in me. She had no idea that I was hiding that kind of power. She could trust me as Serana's friend now, which was great. Unfortunately she wasn't willing to leave that place. She's a Daughter of Coldharbor herself, and her blood can be used to corrupt the bow just like Serana's blood can. I hope we can one day return to her bringing her news of Harkon's demise.

Before we were able to leave that place, Durnehviir returned. He descended in front of me outside the castle, and he spoke to me. He hadn't come back to fight, he had come back to pay his respects to the "Qahnaarin", as he had taken to calling me. Apparently it means "Vanquisher". It was the first time he had been defeated in battle, and he recognized me now as his superior. Dragons have some strange customs, don't they? Strange, but respectable. He also had a request for me, a request to return to Tamriel. I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but apparently it's about as easy as baking a Snowberry pie! I just have to call his name! If I do that, he's willing to teach me some of his tongue. I mean, sure? You can never know too much about the Voice if you ask me. I suppose it might also be cool to have him help me on the battlefield.

After that, we made it out with all three Scrolls in our possession, and it was time to read the rest of them. I still have a thrall of my own, a thrall that happens to be a Moth Priest, a thrall can read them… Well, used to. That useless fucker has gone blind. Well, it saved us from the trouble of having to read them with him in secret!

Okay, he wasn't actually useless yet… He still had a way for me to read the scrolls.

We're going to travel to some Ancestral Glade here in Skyrim where a ritual can be performed to read the scrolls safely. Kind of makes me wonder, why didn't he think of this earlier? I guess it was his selfish desire to read the scroll himself. Well, what's done is done. No point crying over spilled milk.

Second Seed, 7th, 4E 202

We have decided to stay for a day in Rorikstead. It's pretty amazing that I have never actually stopped by in this place considering its location and close proximity to many places I have visited. People don't know me too well here either, so I kind of like it here. We also needed to trade a lot of supplies. We don't know where our adventure will take us after we leave the Ancestral Glade, but we know that we have to be prepared.

One of the first things I wanted to do was FINALLY get rid of this damned jewel. I have tried so many times to remove the piece stuck inside, but fiddling around with the lock usually just activates it and makes it vibrate uncontrollably. It usually goes all the way until I climax, so… It's kind of exhausting trying to repair it, you know? It's not something I'd be willing just anyone help me with either. Maybe Alvor? Okay, that might be a bad idea. His wife would murder me.

Amazingly, with enough time, enough patience and enough nerves, I finally, FINALLY was able to get the piece out from the lock. After that, I bought some tools from the local blacksmith. This time I was even more careful than the last time, and…

I'm rid of it! How long was it stuck to my crotch? A week? Ah, I feel so happy and free to be out of its influence! I was so happy I could cry!

I spent the next hours of my time in the Frostfruit Inn talking to locals. It was there that I met a familiar face. I didn't recognize her at first, but she recognized me. Her name is Sonja, she used to be with the Stormcloaks the last I met her in Helgen. She really likes talking about ghost stories, and she's even convinced that some of them have really happened to her. I'm not sure which parts are true, and which are not, but I do know that ghosts are real, so who knows… She thinks she's cursed. I didn't think of her as a crazy person back then, but now that was the only thing on my mind.

She also talked something about wanting to marry the innkeeper's son Erik. He on the other hand wants to leave this place though and become an adventurer. I felt like butting myself into this would just create trouble considering that everyone's interest conflict here, so I decided to just wish both all good luck.

There are also two young girls living here in this village, as I found out after leaving the Inn. They're Sissel and Britte. I think they're twins, but I'm not sure. Their father Lemkil seems like a real piece of shit, and honestly, Britte is beginning to inherit those traits. They both hate Sissel, although Lemkil hates both of her daughters. Maybe Britte is just trying to prove herself to her father. There could be more to why she behaves the way she does.

Sissel seems like an interesting girl though, and she's very easy to feel sympathetic towards considering how much domestic violence she experiences. I made it clear from the beginning that I was her friend, someone who she could trust. She retorted by said that one of the guards had warned her about me, but I after I called the guards morons and laughed, I feel like I gained her trust. She doesn't like the guards too much either.

I talked about my adventures, she talked about what she likes to do. I talked about what I'm good at and she talked about how she wants to be a mage one day. She's currently receiving secret lessons from Jouane, a local elder, a gentle old Breton man who used to be a healer back in the days. I felt like I really connected with her, and we both decided to share secrets with each other.

She told me that see actually sees visions about an old grey dragon speaking to her, and that she believes she possesses some kind of power or immense magical talent. It wasn't much of a secret, at least compared to mine.

I pointed at my teeth simply told her that I'm a Vampire.

At first, I could see the color drain from her face. She was scared pissed. Can't blame an innocent village darling for that. I also told her that she doesn't have to worry about me doing anything to harm her. I can tell, she's weak, she's young, innocent and defenseless. I do not prey on the weak. I prey on the strong, on those who commit crimes, on those who deserve to face justice. I may be a criminal and a murderer but in my own eyes I am a virtuous young woman. After that, she could understand why guards didn't like me, but she also was worried, why aren't they trying to arrest me? Well, I just said that they don't have proof. She still trusts me, which is great

Sun was already setting, she was expected home, but we kept talking. She told me about how she was wanted revenge on her mean older sister and her horrible abusive father for quite some time now, but that she's also scared. She mostly sucks it up and takes the abuse because she knows she doesn't have any place she could go to. Her only real comfort here in this village is Jouane. I think she's having some kind of love affair with her teacher? That's kinky, not gonna lie…

Her father though, definitely a rapist, nothing consensual about what they're doing. Her father knows that she can't do shit to stop it from happening. Where could she even go if her father dies or is imprisoned? She'd be homeless. I'm not sure if I would even want Britte to become homeless like that. Not even she would deserve it.

Something has to be done though, but what?

Oh, what indeed. I told her that I have a place she can stay in. I'm an adventurer, I'm rich - I lied a little - and I can buy her all the books she needs for training. I could get rid of her father and give her a new home… What I suggested startled her, but it also seemed to excite her somewhat. She didn't understand though, why go through the trouble? Do I have ulterior motives?

Well, I simply said that I'm not home that often, and it would be nice having someone there cleaning and tending to the garden. It's quite in the middle of nowhere so she wouldn't have a lot of friends to talk to though, and that worried me… She seems to love social interactions, and I wouldn't want to take that away from her.

She said she has to think about it, after which I hugged her and whispered: "Just say the word and Lemkil is as good as dead".

I'll return here in a week, or maybe two, maybe three… I have no idea. I do have important errands that need attending to and I don't really have a schedule yet. If she hasn't made her mind by then, well… I won't do anything, but if she wants me to murder her father… I would love to butcher him like the filthy pig he is.

Well, it's my turn to go watch my girls while they sleep. You know, got to keep guard in case someone wants to hurt us or something. Sofia and Serana are both waiting at the Inn. We'll leave before dawn.

• 13th Journal - Prophecy