Snap Leg Cave was the home of two hagravens. They would normally fight when you enter the dungeon and you could save a Spriggan to kill the remain hagraven. Since the hagraven almost always switches to melee when the spriggan engages. However I found one hagraven dead and the spriggan slumped in the cage. Using detect I could see it was still alive, just drained of its sap.
I looked to Viree, "You called it, go ahead and kill that hagraven."
She stared at me blankly, "Why do you know where so many of these ugly things are?"
I shrugged, "No clue on the specifics, just remember the locations."
Viree sighed lifted pendulum and rushed forward. The hagraven barely had time to react as the mace collided with its skull. Viree clobbered the hagraven into the ground with multiple swings. A second later the hagraven was turned into gore.
I pulled out some lockpicks, and started working at the lock. Only kept a dozen or so, thankfully it seemed to be a novice lock. I unlocked the cage and swung the door open. Viree asked, "Is it safe to do that?"
I shrugged, "Spriggans are intelligent creatures like atronachs. They are actually extremely peaceful outside their groves or if you gained the trust of the creatures that visit a grove with a spriggan."
She shrugged, "I'm going to collect anything valuable." A second of silence as I looked over the spriggan, Viree spoke again. "Why is their so many dead creatures here?"
I began casting healing hands, as I guess the reason why. "The hagraven's likely tamed the spiders. However when draining the spriggan it might've controlled them to attack the hagravens. By the way their should be a staff of paralysis around here, make sure to grab that."
She raised it up, "Found it."
I took a step back as the spriggan began to glow with a small light. it reacted and stood to its feet, uh twigs? It actually didn't have feet. "Woah, just healing you. You belong to Eldergleam Sanctuary."
It tilted its head and grabbed my hand with its own. I felt a little strange as it petted my hand. It nodded and a second later, it uh, tweeted? "Loooo-eeee? Twee Che Chwiii?"
I stared at the bark creature and it reached up to my head and petted me again. Before it smiled at me and walked out of the cage and around me. "Prrrrrl, Chi-Chi."
i expected it to wander toward Eldergleam however it just smiled at me. I looked at Viree and she shrugged. "No idea what its saying."
I raised an eyebrow, "Are you asking us to escort you to your grove?"
It nodded emphatically and i realized what was happening. "Is it because your weak right now?"
It nodded once more and folded its arms down. I only had one more question, "Are you fine with us stopping somewhere else to save someone else?" I had a quest now to escort the Spriggan, but I needed to save Derkeethus. So I had to ask the spriggan.
It nodded and smiled. Viree handed me the staff and I pocketed it. With a shrug and left the cave and the Spriggan followed behind silently. Viree whispered to me, "You ever read or experience something like this before?"
I shrugged, "Like I said before Spriggans are very similar to Atronachs. However they only are born on Nirn. There are Oblivion Spriggans, but those are vastly different and often tower over the trees they protect."
The spriggan seemed to look around as we walked over to Philip. The spriggan smiled when it saw Philip and rubbed her side. i paused, "Are you fine with us riding Philip here?"
It paused for a long second and eventually nodded. So me and Viree climbed up onto Philip and began riding toward Darkwater Pass. The Spriggan floated gently, but quickly behind us. Viree asked, "Should we name her? Uh, it? Do they have a gender? I mean it has boobs."
I had wondered that too, but I would have never spoke it aloud. "They are mostly female, I don't know why. However they turn into matriarchs given enough time so they likely are similar to Nymphs, though those are much rarer."
Viree asked, "Have you ever seen a nymph?"
I shook my head, "Only ever an image of one." Which was true as I only saw it in daggerfall. Truth be told in the games Spriggans likely replaced Nymphs. However here on Nirn they were clearly two separate species."
Viree spoke in a low-tone, "Before I contracted Lycanthropy, my dad said my mother was like a nymph. Entrancing and ethereal, however she died when I was born."
We closed in on Darkwater Pass, I debated about saying what I wanted. I sighed and decided it might help Viree. "You likely inherited some of her looks. You... are very... curvy."
She frowned at my words and punched me off Philip when we stopped. I shouted, "Hey! What the hell?"
The spriggan giggled and Viree rolled her eyes. "Curvy was not the thing to say there." I got to my feet and shook my head. "Be ready for a fight, and whatever you do. Don't get hit when we enter this cave."
Viree looked at me and even the spriggan tilted its head. "The cave is infested with Falmer, hopefully the guy we are looking for hasn't been killed by them."
Viree blinked, "Falmer? Aren't those blind?"
I nodded, "Yes, but they have excellent hearing. When inside make as little noise as possible."
I looked at the Spriggan, "I'm just gonna call you Orchid. Orchid, you stay with Philip. Falmer aren't the nicest creatures and well..." I looked at the Spriggan that literally hummed with life.
It nodded and crouched sitting next to Philip. With Orchid staying behind I began sneaking into the cavern. The cave did go straight through the mountian toward Darkwater Crossing. An incredibly small mining town that Derkeethus was from.
Since we entered from the back the cave was dark and a few glowing mushrooms lit the way. I crossed through the cave with Viree behind me. I began to get a little paranoid as I found no signs of Falmer. They should be here? There was Falmer traps and eventually we came up to a falmer hut. However I blinked as I casted Detect. Only one magical outline appeared. Only one person was within the entire cave.
I got up and shouted, "Is anyone there?"
Viree looked at me like I was crazy, "Didn't you say not to make a sound?"
I shook my head, and a second later a hoarse voice called out. "I-I am here! Please! W-Water!"
I looked at Viree, "Inspect all the walls, and I mean All of them. Anything resembling a tunnel of any kind collapsed or open. Falmer clearly were here, but now they are gone and Derkeethus wasn't saved."
Viree nodded and I rushed forward toward the the other side of the cave. I jumped over the collapsed coffin. The area was a nordic tomb, though much more recent than some of the ones scattered across skyrim. It was likely a burial site for Darkwater Crossing.
In a small pit filled with corpses, I found Derkeethus. He looked Gaunt and closing in on skeletal. I saw some of the corpses had teeth marks and I knew what he had to do to survive. I grabbed a lever on the far wall and the grate that kept him in the pit opened up.
"Let me pull you up." I held out my hand to the Argonian. He grabbed my arm and I pulled him from the pit. He laid flat on the ground and looked up at me. He reached out slightly, "Wa-Water, Please!"
I pulled out a flask and handed it to him. He began draining the flask and gasped when he finally stopped. "Thank you! Thank you! Oh, thank you. Please! Savior! What is your name!"
I pulled out some jerky, "My name is Vek Frostwane, my companion who is searching the cave is Viree. You are?"
He nodded and grabbed the jerky, "Derkeethus, my name is Derkeethus. Thank you once more savior!"
Viree walked in, "Found a collapsed tunnel, if I had to guess, if one tried to go down it they would barely fit."
I nodded, "Which means the Falmer left." I looked at Derkeethus, "Can you tell me when the Falmer might have left and why?"
Derkeethus blinked and thought for a moment. "It's hard to say exactly? I was captured about a month ago and they kept me alive as some kind of entertainment? Suddenly though this, I don't know how to explain it. It had to be some kind of Falmer, but it was bigger and it had these milky eyes that seemed to stare into my very being."
He shook his head, "I didn't dare speak when it was here."
A Falmer that had eyes? I frowned, "It couldn't be? Could it?"
Derkeethus spoke, "Do you know what that thing was?"
"Answer me this, did it speak the common tongue or did it..." I tried to think of the Falmer characters. The language they spoke, I couldn't put it into words.
Derkeethus shook his head, "It spoke in gibberish, I didn't even think Falmer could speak. The other Falmer though, they listened. They bowed to it and followed it into the cave. Even leaving me here, thankfully. Though i nearly starved and... I did what I had to survive."
I hadn't listened to Derkeethus, the Falmer its description. No Falmer had eyes anymore, and yet Derkeethus recognized it as a falmer. Which left two options, one was highly implausible. That was it was a unique Falmer some butterfly effect. The second one was most likely the answer, someone had chosen the Falmer as their playable race.
I couldn't see any reason why they would though? I frowned, unless the person is already normally blind. The only question was how did that work? How would a blind person even select their race? My head hurt from trying to remember my old life. I sighed and gave up, I couldn't seem to remember it that well. I knew major details that defined who I was. Everything else though...
I looked backwards into the cave, "Take me to the tunnel." Viree moved quickly and Derkeethus followed behind nibbling on the jerky I gave him. Viree pointed and I looked at the tunnel.
A falmer if crawling could likely fit through the collapse tunnel. The edges were thin, almost soft to the touch. Someone had froze the tunnel and followed it up with a fire. The ice that expanded into the walls of the tunnel grew weak. So when a fire was applied it collapsed the tunnel.
I sighed, a Falmer Player. What was the advantage? A horde of creatures that you could mold freely if done right I suppose. Good chance they weren't just a Falmer though, some kind of half-breed? What would even still be able to breed with a falmer? A snow-elf? Not likely, even despite the selection of being half snow elf didn't actually make me a snow elf. Since the slaves taken to Atmora was so long ago the snow elf blood I had was incredibly thin. I was only counted as half-snow elf by the system that was attached to me.
Could a dwemer live this long? If they were a half-breed? No, that would be insane. Unless they were a vampire, but... Falmer's normally take slaves, could it just be some lucky spawn? Viree suddenly grabbed my arm.
"Vek? Are you there? You weren't answering?" Viree looked at me with some concern. Even Derkeethus seemed worried.
I got up, "Just thinking, I'm usually pretty good at guessing something. This time though... I just can't come to a conclusion that satisfies me."
Viree looked at Derkeethus and whispered, "Is it something to do with your strangeness? I won't ever ask you about it, but... I'm here if you need to bounce some ideas off me."
I laughed, "Really I'm fine, just can't see the advantages. It is complicated and related to as you put it my strangeness. It's not important though and doubt it will really matters long term. Let's get back to you Derkeethus, got anywhere to be?"
He frowned, "I was a miner, but since no one seemed to look for me. I assume they think I am dead." He paused, "If you need me for anything I am willing to do it! Even if you want to use me as a meat shield I would do it! You saved my life when I thought I would die alone."
I smirked getting back to my usually groove, "Well I have need of a miner. Do you have any experience leading a team?"
Derkeethus scratched his chin, "Well, not one in the mines. When I was still a hatchling I would lead the other kids. Though i think that was because they were scared of my species. Argonians grow faster than other kids so as an orphan I was rather large compared to the other kids."
I nodded, "That's good enough for me! If you really have trouble I can get someone to help. So far you will be the only other miner, but I might be able to find others. I already recruited the two guards for the mine." Though to call the blind Ulfr a guard... Eh, I'll recruit more.
Derkeethus nodded, "I will do whatever you need me to do. Even if you want my hatchlings as your servants I will happily hand them over."
He was a little too devoted, but devotion was a good thing in your workers I suppose. "I'm asking you to be the only miner in mineshaft. The risks are high, you offering to work is already enough."
He shouted, "No way! You are offering me a job when I already lost my previous employment. As an Argonian I was already looked down upon there. Being trusted to work as your foreman is a blessing!"
Oh, A foreman, That's what they are called. Derkeethus wasn't done though as his face seemed to light up. He quickly checked his pockets and didn't find what he was looking for. I paused and then ran off. "Follow me, I thought of some payment for this life debt."
He jumped back into the pit of corpses and began digging through them. I wasn't sure what he was looking for until he held up a crystaline dagger. My eyes went wide as i realized he held up keening! "That's keening!"
Derkeethus smiled even brighter, "You know what it is? Is it valuable to you!" He got onto his knee and crouched before me, "I offer this prize to you, my savior! No, my Shin-Ohm."
What the hell did that mean? Viree seemed to have the same thought as she asked. "What does that mean?"
He smiled brightly, "Life-Lord, a term used for the person an Argonian owes a life debt too."
He was distubling devout actually, I hadn't expected him to be so... "Uh... Okay! Well, we have somewhere else to stop buy. Do you want to come with or can you make your way to Riften by yourself. The mine I want to operate is in the rift so we are staying in Riften for the time."
Derkeethus nodded, "I will go to riften! You mentioned you had guards ready? If so it would be best for me to meet them!"
Fair enough, "They are named Hajvarr and Ulfr, they are related and should be at the bee and barb the last time i saw them." Wait, did I give them money to drink ale with? Where did they get the coin?
I shook my head, and got back on track. "I also want you to talk to a women at the docks. Her name is From-Deepest-Fathoms or something. I actually don't think I got her name. She is an Argonian and she might be willing to work as a miner. You can tell her I have returned the lexicon and she can relax."
He nodded, "Understood!" He paused before running out the cave. "I should visit Darkwater crossing before that. I don't have much, but hopefully it is still there."
That was fair, "Go ahead, just make sure to get to riften before us we are heading up north past Darkwater Crossing after all."
He nodded, and sprinted out of the cave from the side of the tomb. Viree looked at me, "So he is rather interesting."
I nodded, "I didn't think we would be so grateful i saved his life. To think Keening was here too."
Viree looked at the dagger, "What does it do? and how do you think it got here?"
I shrugged, "This cave was likely marked as a passage on the couriers map. They crossed through here, but was killed by the Falmer. He was likely going to stop at Darkwater crossing for some supplies or bed rest."
Viree asked another question, "Courier? Do you know where it was going."
I nodded, "A man named Arniel Gane wants it for an experiment. As for what keening does, that is an extremely hard explanation." I looked at its enchantment, sure enough it was similar to the one I remember.
"It appears to absorb a person's health, stamina and magicka." Though it had a second enchantment called mortal wound. Damage done with keening harmed a person indefinitely, but it didn't describe how.
I equipped keening to my belt, and received keening sting as an effect. The 10 points of health, stamina and magicka absorption wasn't much. However it was still useful, and you never know when that 10 points may come in handy. Though i didn't receive the mortal wound effect. I suppose it didn't matter much since I didn't know how it even worked anyway. It was likely that it was an effect that only worked when using Wraithguard and Sunder as well.
Viree clung to my shoulder as we walked out of the cave, "So what's the story behind it."
I looked at her, "How much you want to know?"
Viree shrugged, "How far are we traveling to get to this Eldergleam Sanctuary?"
I smirked, "Well, it all started when the dwemer acquired the Heart of Lorkhan."