Now that Sivreth has his Aetherium Forged gear there was only one matter left.
"Katria...do you want to live again?"
Katria was perplexed by the Falmer's words as she stared at him in bewildered confusion.
"What do you mean? I'm dead, my bodies decayed already. And now that you have helped me to lay my trumoils and wishes to rest, I can finally move on and rest."
"Yeah, no. I'm not letting you off into the afterlife that easy." He said as he raised his hand that wore the Dovah's Ring on it and activated its powerful Enchantment.
The air around him shimmered and twisted as he drew upon the power of his future self's mastery of Shadow Magic. The very fabric of reality bent to his will as he focused on the essence of life and the forces that created it. The ring's power surged through him, allowing him to manipulate the very essence of the shadows around them.
With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a form that resembled Katria's decayed body from the shadows, the magic weaving and shaping it into a perfect replica of her once-living form.
"What is this sorcery?" Katria's spirit recoiled, her eyes wide with shock and a hint of unease and alight fear. "How can you...?"
"This is not ordinary sorcery," Sivreth interrupted, his voice calm and assured. "It's the power of the Dovah's Ring, a relic that grants me a taste of the mastery my future self will one day hold. Watch, and understand."
He reached out with his Aetherium Gauntlets, their gleaming metal seeming to resonate with the power of the shadowy form before them. He closed his fists, and a tendril of shadowy energy snaked out, wrapping around Katria's ghostly arm.
With a firm grip, he pulled her spirit into the lifelike replica of her body. The fabric of reality stretched and snapped into place, the shadows retreating back into his ring as the body grew more substantial.
Katria's spirit now inhabited a new shell, a perfect copy of her once-living form, made possible by the power of the Aetherium. She looked at Sivreth with a mix of annoyance and amazement. "You refuse to let me rest."
"Come now, don't be like that. You were literally going to die when your spirit enters the Dreamsleeve, ah I forgot. Inhabitants of Nirn don't know what that is, well since you aren't destined to go to an afterlife of sorts you were just going to fade away. Also you died quite young in your adventuring career, consider this making us even since I kinda indirectly caused you to die earlier than you initially were supposed to. Please don't bother asking me what that means, I know bits of the future, that's all I'll say for now now come along, I'need of an archaeologist with your kind of skills and experience to work for me."
In a way, Sivreth had a point was what Katria thought.
Katria, despite her initial reluctance, agreed to the terms. Sivreth had after all, restored her existence and the prospect of continuing her work with a powerful mage was not entirely unpleasant. Plus she had always had a taste for adventure and the mysteries of the ancient worlds.
After Katria's revival, Sivreth looked at his Grimoire which held all the knowledge the Future Sivreth and alternate timelines of himself had acquired along with what he himself adds into the contents of its pages. As well as, a very neatly made 'To Do List Before Nuking The Thalmor' section of the Grimoire.
The next order of business was to visit Septimus Signus, a mage obsessed with Dwemer lore and artifacts. They arrived at his outpost, nestled in the frosty wasteland of Winterhold, where the mad mage greeted them with a wild look in his eyes.
"Ah, Sivreth!" Septimus exclaimed, his voice crackling with excitement. "You've come for the Lexicon!"
"You...know me? And it seems you have been expecting me?" Sivreth asked, a little puzzled by his excitement.
"Indeed, I have! Your name is known across the realms, my dear Falmer," Septimus said with a crazed smile, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of madness and genius. "The stars have aligned, and I have foreseen your coming. You seek the Lexicon, yes?"
Sivreth nodded, his expression unreadable beneath his hood. 'This guy is still as mad as ever.'
Septimus Signus was once a respected mage at the College of Winterhold but one day he left the College and went into the far North. There he found a large Dwemer box the size of a small house, and yet he has been unable to open it after many years of research.
Septimus had longed to open the box, but in the game the player is able to help Septimus by using the Lexicon cube he gives to you and allows the player to obtain the Elder Scroll needed ro learn Dragonrend which is required to defeat Alduin.
After using the Lexicon as a key ro obtain the Elder Scroll it Unlocks itself in a sense allowing for Septimus to use it in tandem with Elf blood to open the Lexicon Cube.
The likely reason that Elf blood of all Elf races in the game is needed is because there is no loving Fwemer left and their blood as used as a DNA lock for the Lexicon Cube. While there is only one Dwemer that still exists, he is infected with a disease that has eroded his mind and he is under the care and protection of Divayth Fyr himself.
Within the Lexicon Cube lies the Oghma Infinium which the Dwemer had obtained, much like the Black Book in the Dragonborn DLC that Neloth helps the player to obtain, which the Dragonborn needs to learn the 2nd Word of Power of the [Bend Will] Shout and makes a deal with Hermaeous Mora for the 3rd Word of Power.
The Oghma Infinium was also a artifact of Hermaeous Mora, similar to how the Mysterium Xarxes was for Mehrunes Dagon. The Oghma Infinium was a book that can grant the player unfathomable knowledge into any of the 3 main class playstyles in the game, the mage, the warrior and the thief.
He knew that the Lexicon was the key to accessing the ancient knowledge of the Dwemer and the Oghma Infinium, and that the Elder scroll contained within Blackreaxh was of the utmost importance to his growing power, hence why this objective on his needed ro complete plans was of absolute necessity. "I do," he confirmed ro Septimus' inquiry.
The group followed Septimus further into his cluttered outpost, the air thick with the scent of old tomes and arcane energy. The mage rummaged through piles of scrolls and artifacts before finally producing the Lexicon, its ancient script glowing with an eerie light. Sivreth took it with a sense of reverence, feeling the weight of its secrets resting in his hands.
With the Lexicon secured, they immediately set off for Blackreach, the vast subterranean cavern that was once the heart of the Dwemer's empire. Sivreth led the way, his knowledge of the place uncanny for someone who had never stepped foot in it. They approached the exit and found themselves face to face with a massive Dwemer door, sealed tight.
"Ah, i love the fact i can just skip enrire dungeons like tjis and go straight to the rewars." Sivreth murmured, taking in a deep breath before releasing it out as a deafening shout of "BEX (Open)!" The very air around the door seemed to shiver with the power of his voice, and the metal groaned as it began to shift. The door slowly ground open, revealing the elevator that would take them near to the chamber of the Elder Scroll.
Without wasting a moment, the group boarded the elevator. It lurched into motion, descending into the inky depths of Blackreach. The air grew colder and denser with each passing second, the pressure building in their ears. When the elevator finally stopped, they found themselves in a chamber that was eerily still, the only light coming from the bioluminescent fungi that clung to the walls.
The path to the Elder Scroll chamber was surprisingly clear, as if the very fabric of the ruins had been sculpted to guide them. Sivreth's knowledge of the ancient Dwemer language, he had previously studied back in the Imperial City, allowed him to navigate the intricate tunnels with ease after he had located one of the Dwemer's strange maps, his Aetherium armor casting a soft, ethereal glow that pierced the darkness. They reached the chamber within an hour, the anticipation building with every step, he would soon possess a second Elder Scroll for him to use as he wishes.
But the most important reason is he can force the Dragonborn to come to him for help in needing the Elder Scroll to learn the [Dragonrend] Shout to stop Alduin.
Before them lay the Elder Scroll, its ancient seal encased the Elder Scroll but was unable to prevent the leaking power of Creation emanating from it as it glowed with an inner light that seemed to pulse with the heartbeat of the very world itself. Sivreth placed the Lexicon into the pedestal besides a series of locked buttons before the two on the left unlocked themselves allowing for him to press them.
In the game it was simple to unlock. Press the 1st button a bunch of times and the 2nd button once if needed. Then when the 2rd button is unlocked just keep pressing until the 4th and final one is unlocked and press it to obtain the Elder Scroll.
However, Sivreth wasn't going to follow that route, instead he did it properly as he had no way in knowing if it would be the same. Hence, he took his time as he solved the puzzle by ensuring the alignment of the reflected beams of light from the crystal in the ceiling to the corresponding reflective mirror-like-crystal-panels.
One-by-one the buttons unlocked themselves as he solved the puzzle, and finally pressed the last one to unlock the Elder Scroll and transcribe the Lexicon.
Now that he had obtained the Elder Scroll and the transcribed Lexicon, all that was left was to return to Septimus Signus and obtain the Oghma Infinium.
Sivreth had already prepared some Orc blood within a vial of which he extracted from a bandit Orc along with a Bosmer elf's blood. And Teldryn Sero's blood fulfilled the need of Dunmer blood.
He approached Merril, the Altmer (High Elf.) "I need your blood, Merril," he said firmly, holding out the blood extractor. She stared at the device for a moment, then took a deep breath and offered her arm. The needle pierced her skin, and a crimson drop of blood welled up. Sivreth collected it with a gentle touch, adding it to his collection.
After Merril gave her blood sample, Sivreth had used it on himself ro extract his own Falmer blood.
After he returned the blood extractor and Lexicon to Septimus, he had rushed to open the ancient sealed Dwemer box that housed the Oghma Infinium within.
Sivreth's heart raced as he approached the box. He knew that once he opened it, he would be irrevocably linked to Herma-Mora, the daedric Prince of Knowledge. The box was a puzzle of Dwemer ingenuity that had prevented even Hermaeous Mora, a God, from obtaining his sealed artifact aftrt so many years, but with the Lexicon in hand, the solution was clear. Septimus used the Lexicon, and the metal panels slid apart with a hiss of ancient gears. Inside, the Oghma Infinium lay nestled on a velvet cushion, its pages fluttering gently as if eager to be read.
But as Septimus approached the Oghma Infinium he felt a hard impact against the back of his neck and his vison faded to blackness within the next second. Sivreth had knocked out Septimus in order to prevent his destined death.
"So...you have returned to greet me once more Mortal..." Hermaeous Mora's voice washed over the room and resounded within the ears of Sivreth, Merril and Rael.
"Hermaeous Mora. What do I owe the pleasure to meeting you once again. Surely you can let me take the Oghma Infinium this once free of charge as an act of good faith?"
Hermaeous Mora's voice, deep and resonating, filled the chamber. "Ah, Sivreth, the ever ambitious. I see you have brought your mortal companions. How... quaint. But your proposal, while interesting, does not align with our established pact."
"That is unrelated to this. I've already given you most of the knowledge I possess as payment for helping me and Elika escape your realm and from Miraak. While Elika herself made the deal with you to obtain and give the secret of the Skaal in exchange for curing me of your realms corruption on my body. We...as of now have no such pact, and you can't threaten me with Elika's life as she established that no loopholes are or rules have been violated, if you act against her now then you would pay a steep price as a result."
Hermaeous Mora's tentacles writhed in what could have been frustration or amusement, it was hard to tell with a daedric prince. "Very well, Sivreth. Your cunning and respect for knowledge do indeed appeal to me. Take the Oghma Infinium, but remember, I am ever watching, ever waiting. When you are ready to truly bargain, come to me. Though i suspect that wont take long Non-Dragonborn."
"Wait! What do you mean by that?! WHO IS THE LAST DRAGONBORN?!" Sivreth desperately shouted out, he had never let on to Hermaeous Mora his plans to learning who the Dragonborn was as he kept it in his head for years when he thought of the matter.
But then it clicked in his head, he had mentioned it with his conversation with Ahbiilok at the conclusion of their battle! Mora must have been watching him even then!
"DAMN IT! CURSE YOU MORA!"
Sivreth felt a rush kf anger and fear run through him. He knew that Hermaeous Mora's interest in him was a double-edged sword, but the opportunity to read the Oghma Infinium without immediately losing his sanity had alleviated some of his anger, and was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He reached out with trembling hands and took the ancient tome, feeling the weight of its knowledge press down upon him.
With a grin that could be described as both eager and slightly maniacal, Sivreth opened the Oghma Infinium. The pages were filled with an alien script that danced before his eyes, but with the Lexicon's power, he could make sense of it. The knowledge of the ancients rushed into him, his mind expanding to accommodate the vast information. He felt the power of the Dwemer, the whispers of the Skaal, and the ancient secrets of the Elder Scrolls themselves. It was overwhelming, but he reveled in it, his eyes lighting up with the newfound wisdom.
Merril and Rael watched in awe as Sivreth read, Katria was not present as she had been sent by Sivreth to Honningbrew Meadery to await Sivreth's next orders, meanwhile their own curiosity piqued by the arcane tome. The air grew thick with power, and the very essence of the scroll seemed to coalesce around Sivreth, his form blurring at the edges as he absorbed its contents. The Falmer's body quivered with the strain of holding back the madness that came with such unfettered knowledge, but he remained steadfast, his eyes never leaving the page.
The minutes stretched into hours, and still, Sivreth read on, his expression a mask of concentration. Occasionally, he would murmur under his breath, committing some particularly potent piece of wisdom to memory. His companions waited patiently, exchanging worried glances as the time ticked by. They knew that the longer he spent with the Oghma Infinium, the greater the risk to his sanity.
Finally, with a gasp, Sivreth closed the book and slumped back, his eyes glazed over with exhaustion. The room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the oppressive aura lifted. "It's done," he murmured, his voice hoarse from hours of silent incantation. "The knowledge is mine, I have learnt what I needed."
Merril rushed to his side, her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked, her concern genuine. Sivreth blinked a few times, his eyes focusing on her.
"I am fine, if something is wrong ill find out later," he murmured, his voice still carrying an echo of the ancient knowledge. He stood, his Aetherium armor creaking with his movements. "The power of the Oghma Infinium is...incomprehensible. But I have what I need. I've finally understood what the bottleneck I had been facing was, I can finally advance in learning Dawn Magic which I had to put on hold before."
...
With the Oghma Infinium's knowledge safely within his mind, Sivreth turned his thoughts to the task at hand. The wealth generated from Honningbrew Meadery under Ysolda's competent management had allowed him to fund the excavation of two critical locations: Serana's tomb and Ahzidal's tomb. He knew that Ahzidal, being one of Miraak's most devoted and powerful Dragon Priests, posed a significant threat that needed to be neutralized.
The Falmer leader's gaze sharpened as he considered the Falmer statue hidden beneath the frozen lake near Windhelm. The statue, a silent sentinel of his people's history, was rumored to hold the Eyes of the Falmer, artifacts imbued with potent magic. Sivreth had decided to claim them for his own purposes.
This statue was built in secret by the Falmer slaves as an secret act of defiance of their Dwemer slave masters of the time.
Sivreth, driven by the urgency to excavate Ahzidal's tomb before the Dragon Priest could rise again and pose a threat to his growing power, led his companions through the frozen wasteland of Skyrim. Ahzidal, the strongest and most dangerous of Miraak's three loyal Dragon Priests on Solstheim, had to be dealt with swiftly.
Upon reaching the lake, they found the hidden cave exit, a secret that had eluded many for centuries. It was clear that the Falmer slaves had constructed this statue as a silent rebellion against their Dwemer overlords. The entrance was cleverly disguised, but Sivreth's sharp eyes and intimate knowledge of his ancestors' craftsmanship allowed him to spot it without difficulty.
With a nod to his companions, Sivreth pushed the heavy stone aside, revealing a narrow passageway that led to the chamber of the Falmer statue. The air was icy, and their breaths formed clouds of mist before them as they descended into the darkness. The statue itself was a marvel to behold, its frost-covered form a testament to the resilience of the Falmer spirit. The Eyes of the Falmer gleamed atop the statue's head, two orbs of crystal that pulsed with an eerie light.
Though it may be an bit of irony and an insult that he would quite literally in the metaphorical sense, "blind the Falmer" by taking the Eyes out of the Falmer statue, thereby reflecting the blind and unfortunate fate of his race.
He swiftly removed the Eyes of the Falmer from the statue and descended down to the ground once more.
Once that was taken care off, Sivreth along with Rael and Merril both ascended the rope that they originally used to descend down into this room feom the secret cave exit.
Rael was too big and heavy so he climbed the walls and ceiling using his claws.
Now that Sivreth had the Eyes of the Falmer and the knowledge of the Oghma Infinium, there was only one final piece of the puzzle he needed before he could confront Arch-Curate Vyrthur.