JoS/Kanna/6th Journal - Undercover

Hearthfire, 20th, 3E 427

Not too much writing in the past two weeks with me being busy absorbing all the knowledge I could muster from my new seniors. It's mostly just focused to how to handle daggers and swords, as there's no dedicated trainer for arcane arts here. M'raaj-Dar knows some useful spells, but not in the schools I'm good at. Besides, he's not present anyway, so… Yeah…

Apart from that, I've been helping where I can, mostly cleaning and cooking. Everyone here loves my food, or at least they say they do. Sure, I love my own food, but maybe I'm just being biased. Maybe they're being genuine, or maybe they're just being kind. I'm starting to also get interested in Alchemy. I wonder if I could overcome some of my shortcomings in terms of more difficult schools of magic with poisons and such? That would be cool. Could I even be good at that? My sense of smell and taste are great, which translate well into cooking, but does that logic work for Alchemy? Doesn't hurt to try.

For training Conjuration I've had to rely exclusively on books, and I've tried two summon spells already. I can bind a ghost to my will, which isn't anything special. They're amongst the most obedient servants you can summon, but also weak. They can only cast weak spells, which is fine enough. I can see them being useful in some situations. Not much to go in there.

Then, I received a little calling when figuring out what kind of weak, lesser daedra to summon. Dealing with them is much more dangerous, but I thought it might be fun to take that first step regardless of any possible dangers and summoned a Scamp and bound it to my will. They're characterized as small and dumb, but also as vermin, but the one I had the pleasure of summoning is all but dumb. In fact, he was a pesky prankster, and also a pervert to a fault.

This scrawny little pink-skinned, black-eyed, hairy legged bugger with massive rat ears, standing at roughly same height as me, couldn't utter a word, but he seemed excited about being summoned by someone. What did he see in me, I wasn't sure at first. He seemed strangely obedient, did almost anything I asked of him. I got tired of watching him run naked though, so I gave him shorts to wear.

He almost got himself killed when Gogron wanted to slice him in two with a battle axe, only to apologize later dearly to me when I got mad at him for bullying my minion. That little scamp hugged me as a form of thanks, so I've gotten a friend of out him. I decided to name him "Snoopy". If I ever need scamp's services, I'll summon Snoopy.

Of course, if that was the end of that story, it would be awfully boring, now wouldn't it? Being a trickster is in scamp's nature, so of course Snoopy played a prank on me for the high crime of taking a bath. That little bastard took all my clothes and blankets, carrying them away from my room, hiding them all across sanctuary, probably thinking it would be funny. Did any of the members even think about the possibility of questioning what my newly acquired little minion was up to? Nope!

When I finally got out from the bath and figured out what he had done, going to my closet to find even my spares and laundry being hidden from me, he snuck up on me and placed his palms on my chest while joking about how there was nothing to squeeze, all while also dry humping his hip against my butt. I could feel his penis pocking through the clothes, and obviously I got mad at him, scolding him for daring to be such a pervert and for defying his mistress. Of course, now that I had showed vulnerability, he wasn't going to respond to anything I told him to do. In fact, the sight of my naked body just made him want to shag me, and he was not going to stop without trying.

That little bastard put his fingers on top of my crotch and started rubbing me furiously, as I felt a strong rush run up my spine and my entire body. My legs felt weak and I couldn't muster any strength to resist. I tried to punch and push him away, but he took hold of my hands too, and pushed my face inside the open closet. I wondered if I should scream for help? I didn't want to be seen in such an embarrassing position, so I yielded to his will, hoping he would be satisfied after having his bit of fun.

I then realized he had displaced his pants, and that scamp cock was poking me straight between my thighs. He stopped me from uttering a word in response by placing his hand over my mouth, as he took me standing up and stuck that cock of his into me. I never put it besides him to try to do that, but it did shock me a little at the time, not that I could do anything about it. He started thrusting so vigorously from the get-go, probably excited beyond any reason about raping a human. The whole situation just drained my strength away completely, and before I knew it, he pushed me to the ground, still shagging my pussy from behind.

Instead of holding me by my hip or waist, he grabbed onto my wrists and pushed them down while continuing to pump deep into me. What's the most confusing about the whole thing was that any human would've surely cummed by now, but he just continued slapping against my butt. My body just couldn't handle being treated like that, and he unbelievably made me come. Hard. All of it was just further encouragement for him. I mean, his rape victim was feeling pleasure, so he obviously understood that as consent. I wasn't making a convincing argument either to be honest, as I was way past the point of telling him to stop. All I could do was wait for him to be done.

Eventually, he was. I can't believe the first daedra I ever bound to this mortal word nutted inside me. He came so much too, and my pussy was left aching, wet and satisfied, sticky with his white goo. His afterglow allowed me a moment to banish him back to Oblivion to wander the Deadlands, but that didn't change the fact that I was going to need another bath.

As a sidenote, I did summon him later to force him to apologize and warned him to never do it again, unless he wants to be trapped inside a Soul Gem. An idle threat, considering that I lack training in Mysticism, but whatever, he doesn't need to know that. With weapons at my hands, he seemed to take me more seriously. "I can find myself a new Snoopy", I just said while I pointed the dagger at him. "Do as you're told from now on, or you'll regret it". I think he understood that I'm not to be messed with, no matter how weak and defenseless I may seem at times.

Retrieving my clothes was easy enough, as he hadn't gotten them very far. Didn't have to worry about anyone catching me sneaking around naked like some pervert. Snoopy had delivered my panties to Teinaava, which I have to say was a little embarrassing! He joked about me not being able to control my little pet, but also said he's rooting for me to get better. "Not every nine-year-old girl can summon and control a lesser daedra", he said.

Summon, yes. Control? Still debatable. I'll get better, and I think I'll stick to scamps. No way in Oblivion I could handle anything more powerful than that yet.

Anyway, I'm getting tired of not receiving any news, but I have to be patient. Communication between regions can be slow after all.

Hearthfire, 23rd, 3E 427

Finally, some amazing news. Telaendril has found my brother, but my excitement is on temporary hold, because it seems that I won't be able to reunite with him quite just yet. M'raaj-Dar came to me and being grumpy as ever, commenting on how this was the most pointless and annoying mission he's ever had the displeasure of partaking it, and told me that I have someone to meet. This someone wasn't Karim, but instead someone that Karim had send in his stead. Karim can't leave Morrowind, which is understandable, if what the girl I met told is true. He's been given a second chance despite his past crimes, which is amazing, but that doesn't mean he's been forgiven completely. In order for me to meet him, I need to go to Morrowind.

So, the girl I met is a girl I've already met in the past, in that very same prison. Her name is Aliya, and by coincidence, her and Karim have met in Morrowind, becoming friends. Thanks to Aliya, Karim learned where I was, and now it's thanks to her that I'll be able to reunite with him. That's one unlikely coincidence after another!

We only talked briefly, as I had to return to sanctuary to pack things before I leave tomorrow. She obviously can't enter or even find out about where this sanctuary is, as she's not a member. She also isn't too interested in being a member, saying she doesn't like murdering people. It's not a moral problem, but rather a personal one, and she said she won't judge us for our "profession" of choice, being happy to be a friend and an ally.

That brings me to what I've talked with Lucien, which could be either good or bad. He said, that since I'm leaving, I should look into doing work on Vvardenfell, but also warned that I need to be very, very careful. The local leader and Lucien's fellow Speaker Severa Magia is known to ally herself with some people that even the Dark Brotherhood here in Cyrodiil has reservations about. Their hideout is actually in a daedric ruin named Ald Sotha, and it's a shrine devoted to Mehrunes Dagon, so yeah, they're allied with "Dagonists". Everyone in Cyrodiil trusts her judgment though, although they are quite open with their suspicions about her allies of choice. Lucien can't really comment on what kind of work I'll be doing there, but said that it'll probably be alright.

Tomorrow's going to be a big day, as I'm going to have a long journey ahead of me with Aliya. She already knows how we can get to that island, and said that we have to "smuggle" ourselves in since there aren't many legal ways to enter. I'm excited to learn more about her, and she already said that she shares the sentiment.

Hearthfire, 25th, 3E 427

Long two-day journey is behind us. First, we crossed the Valus Mountains to Kragenmoor, where we spent a night, and then we rode a long road through Stonefalls, a forested and mountainous volcanic region on the shores of the inner sea. Unfortunately we missed the boat we were supposed to take from Old Ebonheart to the small town of Seyda Neen, so we're going to sleep here for the night.

Old Ebonheart, by the way, is like a piece of Cyrodiil right at the heart of Morrowind. A lot is crammed inside its walls with boutiques and such, and the Cyrodiil-based Guilds have a strong presence here as well. I wasn't expecting it to feel so familiar at all, not after being introduced to the mudbrick houses of Kragenmoor. Ebonheart has been around longer than the Septim Empire, and it's always been a influential cosmopolitan city which has been under the leadership of many different houses and families. These days, the Empire holds this as its heart here in the Morrowind.

Me and Aliya have a lot in common. We're both young, we both share similar experiences, we both handle same kinds of weapons and armors, we're both good casters… Our personalities are a bit different, and she seems to be interested in completely different schools of magic than me though. She's also a thief, while I'm an assassin, so we're different in that regard too. But hey, maybe that's good, as we complete each other! I at least hope I can make a good friend out of her? She's already good friends with my brother, so that alone makes her dear to me also.

Thieves are who're going to help us get to that island too. Aliya suggested that I too should also make friends out of the local Thieves Guild. Considering that I'm "LEGALLY" a prisoner on the run, that would make sense… The headquarters of the Thieves Guild here in this old city at very least were very welcoming towards me, and said they'd gladly accept me as a member. I still have to think a little though. The perks seem good, but they don't come without a price. That price is the acquisition and trade of illegal and stolen goods. Makes sense, but I might not want to attract too much attention while on that island.

Regardless, I hope to be finally reunited with Karim tomorrow. Meeting him will have to take priority over everything else.

Hearthfire, 27th, 3E 427

Every single step from Seyda Neen to Balmora felt so long, I couldn't wait to get there. All I had on my mind was my brother, but Aliya wasn't sure where to find him. It was by a coincidence that we met him in a poorer area where Aliya seems to have some kind of residence, and I cried out to him, all while running as fast as I could. The nightmare of me being apart from him was finally over when he fell to his knees to hug me tightly. I was so happy I was crying. Things won't be easy going forward, but at least we're united, and at least we're both free.

After a while, after us both confirming that we're fine and going to be fine now, he told me that he has a place where I can stay. This place is a little house by the river north of the city, and this place is going to be my home now, a safe haven for me to sleep peacefully in.

We had the whole evening to go over our experiences and tell each other exactly what happened that fateful night. He's been devoting time to being a lawful Mercenary, trying to use his abilities to good, even aligned himself with the Blades. He was sent here after they found about his past, thinking that the Legion may not be as forgiving and understanding as the Blades are.

He has also aligned himself with the Legion here on this island, although he admitted to being a bit of an idiot for that… At least it has allowed him to also prove himself. The real problem with the relationship between Karim and Legion is now yours truly, as I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be in jail. We're both willing to risk all though, and he's confident the Legion won't be able to find out about me. I hope he's right, as I don't want to be the reason he gets into trouble again.

He was also shocked to hear what truly happened in that prison when I was freed, and shocked when I said that I'm going to be a member of the Dark Brotherhood going forward. As an outcast, I kind of need to ally myself with other outcasts of the society. Karim says he's worried about them being evil, but I try to tell him that they're good people. He finds it hard to believe… I suppose I can't blame him for being a little worried for me.

As for everything else that happened in that prison… Yeah, he knows, he learned it from Aliya. I told him that I'm fine now, and he seems to believe me, but also said that if there's ever anything I want to talk to him about it, he'll be sure to lend me an ear.

We then slept for the night, all three of us. Aliya is welcome to sleep here too, as we've got two beds. Only two though. We could maybe fit a large bed in one of the bedrooms, but this house isn't spacious, so having three separate bedrooms isn't possible. Besides, it's not a problem for me, as I'm more than happy to share a bed with my beloved big brother.

I can't deny my undying love for my brother, so I of course took the opportunity to sleep naked with him. We cuddled for hours, just exchanging pleasantries, talking about how amazing it is to be reunited once again. I must've kissed him at least a hundred times… I fear that Aliya might find out about my romantic feelings towards my brother though. Would she judge us? She doesn't seem like a kind of person who would, but I also see how she looks at my brother… No, I'm not jealous though, I'm just worried she might be… I hope not…

Then, today, I cooked for my brother, and said that I'd keep this house in top shape. I'll gladly be his pretty little house wife! I said this to him jokingly with Aliya still present, and he just looked embarrassed, while she just giggled. She went on her way after the dinner though, saying she has somewhere to be.

I'll stay put here for few days, but I have to go meet up with Severa Magia too. I told this to Karim too, and he said he's happy to accompany me on this trip. We're not in a hurry though. I kind of want to cut my hair too, as it's gotten long, unruly and messy. I'm looking forward to getting my shoulder-length bangs back.

Tonight, I think me and Karim are going to get a little farther… I wanna fuck him so badly, I wanna suck his dick too… I wonder if he'll like it? Am I even good at it? I just want to do so much with him right now…

Hearthfire, 30th, 3E 427

With Aliya being gone on a business trip, me and Karim have had a lot of time just for ourselves. Every morning I make him breakfast before he visits Balmora Fighter's Guild for work, and then Moonmoth to the east of here, and I have a dinner ready for him by the time he gets home. He's the breadwinner who brings money home, while I'm his housekeeper. It's like we're playing husband and wife!

In between these two meals, I do pretty much anything that needs to be done. I want this house to be tidy at all times, so I mostly just clean. I've also forced Snoopy to help me. He's so obedient these days, such a good companion to have around. I think I'm also going to put together a little garden in my spare time. I wanna grow salads, herbs and root vegetables, maybe even something extra, like a flowerbed, and maybe something poisonous too…

Afternoon to evening we spend time together. With no interruptions, it's mostly dirty stuff. It started with me insisting I want to give him a blowjob on our first day alone. He was hesitant, saying something about not wanting to put me through something like that considering all that happened to me recently… But I think I made myself quite clear that I was not going to be happy if we weren't gonna be making love. I just really, really want to put all those bad memories behind me and remind myself of how love and sex can be fun instead of being abuse. I wanted to remember how it feels to experience it with someone who I really love and care about.

That's why, for the past few days, we've fucked for hours in almost every part of the house, from bath to the kitchen, all the way to both bedrooms, trying all kinds of different positions and costumes too. He's really making all of my incestuous fantasies come true. Just today for example, I was wearing nothing but an apron, not even underwear, frying some spicy Saltrice with fresh veggies, when he bent me over the dining table to shag me from behind straight out from the work.

I still haven't had my first period yet, but honestly, at this point… I wouldn't even care if I got my first one. I would gladly bear his baby, even though my body is not really fit for raising it… It's a good thing I don't have to worry about it yet. I'm slowly getting to that age though, so who knows…

Although, at the same time, it's so fun to pretend. We did missionary just a moment ago, and I wrapped my little legs around him while admitting to him openly that I'd even become a mother for his children if that's what he wants. He, of course, came inside, clearly not caring about any consequences either.

As blissful as my life here is right now, I know it can't last for much longer. I have duties on this island, and I think we're gonna go traveling the first chance we get.

Frostfall, 3rd, 3E 427

Today it was time to put on my brand-new armor and wield my killing toys. Karim bought me a lot of gear, and I'm fully stacked in cute black leather and steel. Sure, the Dark Brotherhood has its armor too, but they didn't have my size… Besides, I'm not sure I would want to travel with that dreaded armor on. I'd just make myself a target for the guards!

You might not think this armor is protective considering I'm leaving my belly and my thighs open, with this chest armor and those pants being on a skimpier side… I mean, these shorts are really, really short! But defenses aren't the point. The point is to prioritize movement, and I've got plenty of room for all kinds of throwable gadgets and little poisons and potions too. It's amazing how much accessories one can carry around even in an armor this skimpy!

Anyway, today I traveled to meet up with Severa Magia. We were supposed to walk, but instead Karim wanted me to experience a bit of local culture by riding a Silt Strider with me to Suran. I had no idea what that was… Like, a local breed of horse or something? No, no horses here. Dark Elves travel riding giant bugs, which look like ticks, but are like a thousand times bigger. With those long legs of theirs, they're taller than houses! Insects bigger than freaking houses! Their shells are usually carved into something comfortable, which surprisingly doesn't hurt them. Such weird transport… They're super docile and peaceful though, so using them as transportation is the safest way to travel in these lands.

Ald Sotha is directly to the south from Suran, and Karim was able to escort me only so far. As soon as the coast was clear to walk to Ald Sotha, I had to continue alone.

There was a single man outside, saying that they'd been expecting me, saying that I must be that young girl from Cyrodiil Lucien sent a letter about. He told me that I should stick close to him and not wander off, as the daedra here are a little hostile. They've summoned a bunch of Dremora as guards. Yeah, they're aligned with Dagonists alright.

Severa was happy to finally meet me, although she admitted that I don't look too impressive, complained about me being weak, something about how children should just stay home playing with dolls. I'm glad I have Lucien vouching for me though, as she says she believes in his judgment. In fact, she has something very special in store for me.

"Our work here is still in progress, and our mission is difficult", she explained. "I'll also be honest in saying that we're in the losing side. Getting work is near impossible on this island, not even criminal organizations like Camonna Tong trust us."

Her plan for now is to condition me for the future by having me infiltrate the "rivals", as she calls them. Morag Tong, to be specific. They're bitter enemies with the Dark Brotherhood, and a band of assassins exclusive to this region. Their values differ quite a lot from our tenets, and to top it off, their work is legal. Yes, really, this region has a legal institution of assassins in it. How does that even work? How can you legally get away with murdering someone on the streets or their home? According to her, infiltrating them should be easy, especially for someone like me. "Nobody'll suspect you, especially since you're new on this island", she said. "Work they'll give you also will be easier than what I have in store for you, so it'll be adequate training. Think about it, you'll receive training from the enemy…"

"Okay, but what should I do there in specific?"

"Just do what they tell you to do", she said. "In addition, I want you to write about jobs that are given to you. In fact, write about everything, even the most inconsequential things… Every bit of information helps. Send me these reports as often as possible. They will without a doubt also give you jobs that go against our plan here. If it comes to it, if you have doubts about your targets, seek me out directly. Otherwise, just sit tight and wait for me to contact you. Oh, and don't worry, you'll be compensated handsomely, that is if you don't get yourself killed. Morag Tong pays well, and I'll have something in store for you as well for every bit of important information that's revealed to me."

This sounds fair enough: a special duty fit for myself! Severa lastly gave me instructions on how to find their hideout in Vivec City, and told me to where I can find local Dark Brotherhood members as well. We've got merchants and trainers all around the south-western coasts of Vvardenfell. Our contacts don't deal with stolen guilds, but all other kinds of useful equipment should be easy for me to come across. Full list of members and their names is especially important, since there are active Morag Tong writs for nearly all of them. Wouldn't want to accidentally kill my dark brother or sister, now wouldn't I?

I returned to Karim and told him what's next, so now we'll rest in the Vivec City for the night. There's a nice little place for lodging here in the Redoran Quarter called "The Flowers of Gold". According to Karim, it's probably the most expensive in this city, but also the safest. I'm a little sad about the lack of windows due to this place being in the middle of this massive block of bricks. Then again, every tavern and shop here is the same, same goes for apartments… Dunmeri architecture is so weird…

Frostfall, 4th, 3E 427

Being told to infiltrate the Morag Tong, I did as was told.

Their Grandmaster on Vvardenfell is Eno Hlaalu, who resides in their headquarters underneath the Arena Canton. Yeah, these guys have an arena similar to that of the Imperial City, but they don't fight for sports there. Honorable duels only. I would've never found this hidden place had it not been for the instructions given to me by Severa, but he didn't really question how I knew where to find him. All he did was congratulate me on my initiative and ask me why would I, a small, young child want to join a group of assassins, and more importantly, what could I offer them? This is where I had to lie, but I told him a story that is not too far from the truth.

"I was orphaned in a Bandit raid", I told him. "Ever since then my life has been a struggle, with me being abused, raped, hurt on many occasions. These experiences though, they've made me strong, and I don't want to just be bitter about it all, I don't want to live in misery and regret. You execute bad people, right? You're employed to honorably execute criminals, I know that, and I want to be part of that." Eno looked at me with doubt in his eyes, perhaps he was wondering if I was truly suited for this, so that's what I told him. "I want to use my abilities for good. I know I'll be worth your while."

"Perhaps you will", he said, "but child or not, you must pass the same test as any other."

He handed me a writ of execution, which gave me the identity of a man marked for death, Feruren Oran. He then said that I will be judged based on how I perform. For example, the writ allows me to escape trouble if I get caught, as the guards won't arrest me if I present them the legal writ. Getting caught means I also won't get good marks for my work though. If I want to join, I must kill him without getting caught in the first place. He asked me if I can handle this, and I replied that I'd do my very best. "It remains to be seen if your best is enough", he said. "Just don't die on your first mission, young one."

I was told where to find my target, but given no instructions beyond that. In the Hlaalu canton there's a corner club by the name of "Elven Nations", and my mark frequents that place. I found the guy, but he must've realized I was eyeing him. After two hours of him drinking Sujamma with his friends, he mentioned he doesn't like being stared when he walked past me to leave. I, of course, followed him.

He was heading towards waterworks, which was fine by me as there would be no witnesses… But he knew he was being followed. He confronted me about it, asking what my problem was. He told me how easy it would be for him to just make me disappear from the civil society to serve some rich douchebag as a slave in some plantation.

"Is that a threat?" I asked as I flashed my ebony dagger at him, all while summoning a bound one in my other. He suddenly looked distressed and started backing off. He said that he was just kidding, just looking to scare me so I would stop bothering him. He clearly isn't any kind of fighter, so even though he was much bigger than me, he looked so scared at the sight of my weapons. He tried to run away, but couldn't escape. Killing him wasn't even a challenge. It was so much easier than killing Rufio, and that guy was a weakling too. These techniques passed down to me by the members of the Brotherhood have proved quite effective.

Guards don't really come down to these waterworks, and there aren't any stores in the underbelly of this canton either, so I didn't worry too much about getting caught. Despite this, Eno Hlaalu didn't believe me instantly when I said that the deed is done, saying that he'll have to confirm it himself, but he was grateful enough to offer me a bed, as it was getting late.

Still, I've got to wonder, did he really deserve to die? What even was his crime? I was never told it. He didn't look like the same kind of criminal as the previous two I killed. Makes me wonder… Maybe I shouldn't worry too much though… An assassin isn't supposed to get attached to or feel remorse over her victims… Should I though? I mean, it would be nice to hear what that guy did…

Frostfall, 5th, 3E 427

Eno was out when I woke up, so I ended up wandering their hideout instead. There was only one person present at the time, that being a Dunmer man named Minnibi, a magister who specializes on Illusion and Mysticism. He wasn't too interested in small-talk, and simply wished for me to leave him be at his work. Does he not like me, or does he not just like people in general?

The only room I really got interested in was this small enclave with nothing but an altar in it. Altar to whom, I didn't know at the time, for there was no statue, no symbol, nothing like that. I could hear her voice though, and I knew instantly I was dealing with some kind of daedric entity when she spoke to me.

"It's not often that a stranger approaches my shrine", she said in a whisper, and I could just hear the smile on her face. "You're brave to have come here little girl, playing that interesting game of yours… You play with death itself with your lies and deception, and it amuses me greatly… Yes, I see through your lies, I see why you're really here…" I was wondering if I had made her mad, but that didn't seem to be the case. "Oh, but don't worry… I don't care about your petty, superficial mortal allegiances, not as long as you're willing to kill someone in my name…"

It felt strange speaking out loud when nobody was present, when the voice speaking to me was coming from beyond this mortal realm, but it was clear that she wanted me to respond. She had a task for me, so I asked her, who is it I have to kill?

Her quest to me is to assassinate someone called Balyn Omavel, a fellow assassin of Morag Tong. She knows what others don't, and she knows that this man has betrayed his organization, but most importantly, betrayed his mistress. Now she wants to test me personally by seeing if I can kill him without being discovered. I must infiltrate his home quietly, then leave just as quietly, and I must poison him to death. I'll get a good opportunity when he's making food, but his house is also tiny, being just a small one-room apartment in Balmora.

For the poison I first needed petals from a Bittergreen plant, which I was quick to acquire without even leaving the hideout. It's a medicinal herb, not poisonous by itself, but by treating it you can turn it into a weapon that does not leave any trace of poison behind. Of course, treating a herb like that is beyond capabilities of a normal mortal, but this daedra promised to "bless" this herb for me. All I had to do is dip it in that bowl of water that's standing on top of the altar, and the poison would be complete. This little herb will surely put some extra kick to whatever stew Balyn might be brewing…

Then, as she told me to get on my way to complete this task, I was interrupted by Eno standing behind me. "Praying to Mephala, I see", he said.

I wanted to learn more, so I enquired him about it. He was of course happy to tell, happy to teach an outlander interested in learning about the Dunmeri culture.

Mephala has been worshipped and venerated by the Dunmeri people since the ancient times as one of the "good" daedra alongside Boethiah and Azura. The reason why they pray to these particular deities is a rather complicated one. Their ancient belief system is mostly about their mortal lives being a test, and the gods are who test them. Some gods like Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon are seen as evil beings who test mortals in a negative manner, being considered "obstacles", while others like Sheogorath have motives that are harder to understand. The three good daedra, "the Anticipations" are viewed in more positive light that others, hence why Mephala is considered a goddess to be worshipped, being the anticipation of Vivec according to the Tribunal Temple for example. These three gods are beings for the mortals to learn from, rather than to be just tested, or something. Like I said, it's complicated, I don't understand these things completely.

Mephala is also important to Morag Tong for being their patron goddess, and this guild gets its values of secrecy and deception directly from her. According to Eno though, this is mostly just a tradition and while he and his colleagues respect and venerate their goddess, it can't really be said that they worship her.

I don't get it though. If Morag Tong and Dark Brotherhood are sworn enemies, why would Mephala reach out to me like that? Is it because she wants me to kill in her name, not in the name of Night Mother or Sithis? There's just something about this that rubs me the wrong way… Or maybe I'm just overthinking things! She also said that she doesn't care about my mortal allegiances. I'm happy to do this task. Maybe she'll even reward me for my loyalty?

Anyway, Eno did indeed confirm to me that I succeeded in doing what I was told. Assassinate target, don't get caught. He called me worthy, and said that he'd be honored to welcome me to their ranks. For work, I'll have to seek out other Morag Tong leaders, who I can find in Balmora, Ald'ruhn and Sadith Mora. They work a lot with the Great Houses, so it's only logical that they also have bases in the cities where these Houses have their councils. Eno also said that he might have some work for me in the future, but not yet. He also told me that there's no rush. "Take one job at the time, and take it slow", he instructed. "You may be legally permitted to execute your targets, but even in future, try not to get caught. Dealing with guards is always a bother, so you won't be paid if you do."

Roger that.

I met up with Karim after that, and we traveled back to Balmora. I can settle down for a while now.

• 7th Journal - Trip to Vivec (By Aliya)