TESIV: Oblivion REMASTERED recently released (you can play it on Gamepass, btw!) and I very quickly dove head-first into the fiery depths of nostalgia.
In my last post Caelyra had finally embarked upon her new life of freedom after escaping the Imperial prison and fulfilling the dying Emperor's last wish, and now sought knowledge of a mysterious Grey Fox.
Choosing to rest for the night after an eventful day, Caelyra stepped into a nearby inn, ready to sleep well, but instead found herself in the company of the last Blade who had been with her in the Imperial prison.
He recognised her instantly and asked her to sit with him but pretend he wasn't talking to her. There was a man tailing him. He was going to get up, the man was going to follow, and she was going to follow him.
It was as he said. He got up, the man followed, she followed... and then witnessed as the man transformed into a robed miscreant just like those in the prison. The Blade slew him, then Caelyra rummaged about his corpse.
There was a book on his person about the Mythic Dawn - a cult.
The Blade told her about a scholar he knew of at the University who was well learned in the subject of cults and perhaps she could help them decipher this book and learn its secrets.
Caelyra was annoyed. These people still wanted her help. She had done all that she was asked. Surely that was enough! While that may be, she grudgingly told him that she'd look into it at some point and then took her leave.
She had no intention of searching through universities at this time.
Instead, the next morning she prowled the streets and hunted for more information about the mysterious Grey Fox.
This time the information flowed a little easier. She generously gave coin to the beggars, she bribed them a little more, she chatted them up and laughed with them and expended all of her social prowess until finally she got the knowledge she sought.
She had to visit an unkempt garden in the poor water district at midnight exactly.
And so she sat upon a rooftop nearby and waited.
Finally midnight approached and along with it came the shuffle of footsteps. A group of people appeared in the garden, whispering amongst themselves, and Caelyra leapt down to join them.
It was there that she made the great discovery - the Grey Fox was actually the leader of the Thieves Guild, and she had stumbled upon a group of hopefuls who wanted entry into the guild.
Without hesitation, Caelyra stated that she was there to join the guild, too.
Apparently having so many applicants was unprecedented. As a result, there would be a contest and only one of them would gain entry into the guild.
The contest was to retrieve a diary of a nobleman here in the city, without killing him - they weren't assassins after all! They were thieves!! and the person to bring the diary to him would claim the position in the guild.
Caelyra leapt into action. Suddenly she knew that there was nothing else she wanted but to be a member of this guild!
She had only heard rumours of this guild previously, and now she had the chance to actually join them. It was real!
Barging into the city, she found the beggars she had spoken with earlier and threw a few more bits of gold at them. Where did this noble live? She needed to know!
One of the beggars soon gave her the location of this man and she hurried to retrieve the diary, breaking into the house at the same moment as one of the other thieves, somehow she managed to grab the diary before the other's greasy hands could lay claim to it.
She handed it over to the Guild Recruiter, and proudly took her place as the newest member of the Thieves Guild.
Apparently more trusted members of the Guild got well-paid commissioned work. She needed to prove herself and become a member of the inner circle and earn her place beside the Grey Fox!
And she knew just the plan to go about this.
After all, she had overheard that fancy-dressed dunmer speaking of a treasure in Anvil.
That treasure would soon be hers, and soon be the Guild's.
Checking her map and following the signs, she discovered that Anvil was going to be quite the journey. And she'd have to go past Kvatch again.
A small part of her was curious to see what had become of that city after the Oblivion gate, and if the captain and his men were still fighting the good fight or had perished.
Perhaps she would see them as she passed through...
Until next time! ⚔️🔥