Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140702211836/@comment-24449631-20140706234931

The Nord gasped for air as he slightly stumbled back.

More eyes appeared from the black mass. All fixated on the scared man.

“ugh, gasp*”

“Wh-what are you…” Rowan muttered.

The large eye in the middle of the mass widened a bit. It appeared lidless so it could not convey any emotion at all. Not via its appearance anyway.

Suddenly a rather booming and old sounding voice filled Apocrypha.

“I was Herma Mora to the old Nords, I am the gardener of men, master of fates, I am Hermaeus Mora.”

Rowan realised he stood eye in eye with a god, a deadric prince.

An all knowing being.

“I eum… Am honoured by you presence.” Rowan bowed. Not in any way looking to insult the floating mass of forbidden knowledge.

“No, you are not. You are scared. Scared of my appearance.”

Perhaps this would suit you better.

The dark mass retracted together, like a ball of sorts and formed a body.

A human body.

The body of Manja.

Which then landed down right in front of him.

<p class="MsoNormal">It looked like Manja, the day they parted ways. Well… The day he left.

<p class="MsoNormal">“M-Manja?” Rowan asked bewildered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No. It is still me, Hermaeus Mora.” The reflection whispered in Manja’s voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">It seemed so surreal.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Does this help?” She asked smiling.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan was more freaked out than anything, but it didn’t seem wise to disagree.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, Thanks.” Rowan said.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hmm, I know you just say that, so you do not offend me…” Manja kept smiling.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan still thanked him for taking a human form though.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But it will have to do.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah, but I know why you are here… That is why I have brought you to this pond.” She sounded more serious.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan remained silent. He felt as if there was no need for him to speak any words.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You want to know where your Beloved Manja is Do you not?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan nodded. It was like the third time today this question was asked him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well I have the information you seek… Right here…” Herma’s reflection of Manja snapped with her fingers and a book came flying to Rowan’s lap. Where it landed with a dull dud.

<p class="MsoNormal">“eh.” Rowan sounded as the book was a bit heavier than he thought.

<p class="MsoNormal">He quickly opened it and saw how Manja and Nepht were trapped by a mage into some sort of dream world.

<p class="MsoNormal">Only a few seconds of reading seemed to shed full light on whatever happened to Manja after he left.

<p class="MsoNormal">He dropped the book in agony.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No! Manja!” He screamed.

<p class="MsoNormal">Angry with himself he pounded his hand to the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal">“… This is my fault.” He concluded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I never should’ve left.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The deadric Prince of knowledge stood in front of the Nord.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan looked up, and saw Manja tower over him, with that emotionless dead stare of Hermaeus Mora

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is that what you wanted to know?” she mocked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“grr, she’s in danger. Now I am even more worried.” Rowan sighed with anger.

<p class="MsoNormal">For a few moments it was quiet. But suddenly Hermaeus Mora seemed to beam with joy.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What?” Rowan simply asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I… might be able to help you.” The Deadric Prince said with a deep voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh yeah? How?” Rowan scrambled back up his feet.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I can teleport you back to Nirn. Perhaps even close to the house of the Mage who captured your loved one.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You can? I only thought black books could.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“This is my realm of reality, Mortal. I decide whatever happens in here.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan didn’t know how he could argue with that.

<p class="MsoNormal">Somehow there still was a nagging feeling though.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But… I have already given you the information you seek. This next bit of help will come with a price…” Manja smiled.

<p class="MsoNormal">Again, It still freaked Rowan out, just how uncanny the god looked like Manja, yet he didn’t have any of her mannerisms

<p class="MsoNormal">“What is this price you speak off?” Rowan wondered.

<p class="MsoNormal">“A life lesson.” The deadric prince of Fate declared.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t follow.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You Nords… I have always admired you. Yes… Even in the olden days I have watched you closely. I consider myself your… Gardener.” Manja Mora chuckled in an unsettling way.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Olden days?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, During the time of Ysgramor. I even met the legendary hmm… man.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait, you are telling me you met with Ysgramor? That sounds pretty amazing!” Rowan beamed up.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sadly. I could not bestow him with my gift. A Gift Only I could have given. I want you to have it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan felt honoured.

<p class="MsoNormal">He would claim that which legendary Ysgramor was denied.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I am truly honoured… But What is it? If I may be so bold.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja looked the Nord deep in the eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Patience…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan felt kind of cheated.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Patience and perfection.”

<p class="MsoNormal">This though made the Nord look up again.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So you are saying that the only way out of here? To Manja even… Is by accepting your Gift? Is that your trail?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja Mora simply nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well that doesn’t sound too bad.” Rowan proclaimed. He’d do just anything to ensure Manja was safe and he was out of here.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Do you accept my gift? Rowan Autumn-Arrow?” Hermaeus Mora boomed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Remember, once you agree. There is no turning back. No spell can undo this fate!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I accept your gift.” Rowan sounded determent. He just wanted to get out of here. Out of Apocrypha.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Then so be it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja Mora went and sat down on the floor. Ready to tell the Nord a story or sorts.

<p class="MsoNormal">She beckoned to sit with him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The story goes that Ysgramor once hunted a majestic beast. The white stag of Forogrym. It was said that the king of Atmora had been hunting the animal for weeks on end. Yet every time he had gotten close and tracked it, it proved elusive. With almost no difficulty. The stag made off into the snowy forests again, where it moved like the wind, and left almost no tracks visible to the human eye and made no sound audible to human ears. Ysgramor’s frustration grew great, since he had sworn to skin and capture the beast. It was then that a black hare spoke to Ysgramor. Telling it, it knew where the stag was. When the Atmoran king turned to the hare he asked: “How could you possibly know”, The all-knowing hare then proclaimed it could because of its long ears. Ysgramor then wished quickly and responsively upon the hare he also had ears with such capacities of hearing, eyes to see tracks he could never have seen before, and patience to hunt down his prey. After that, the hare twitched with his nose and his ears started to grow long and pointy. But before the gift was bestowed on the mere man. A fox devoured the hare. Ruining the whole thing.

<p class="MsoNormal">That is where you come in. Autumn-Arrow” Hermaeus Mora smiled.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So wait? Did the hare want to turn Ysgramor into an elf or something?” Rowan wondered, puzzling the pieces together.

<p class="MsoNormal">Suddenly a cold shiver went down his spine.

<p class="MsoNormal">He felt something turn in his stomach. As if his biological clock was unwound.

<p class="MsoNormal">It didn’t hurt. It just felt weird.

<p class="MsoNormal">“ugh, please…” Rowan sounded, realising what he had done.

<p class="MsoNormal">His ears tickled when he felt different colours fill his eyes. As if he had stared in candle light for too long and coloured shapes would appear.

<p class="MsoNormal">He felt his body changing, his mind. Loosening. It was a weird experience.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan stood up as he held his hands to his face.

<p class="MsoNormal">Feeling dizzy and turning.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What… Is happening?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan fell gravity pull him back and he braced for impact, but he did not fall on the hard rocky floor of Apocrypha, no.

<p class="MsoNormal">He fell in smooth sands.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Umpf…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan sounded discombobulated.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Where am I?” He sounded inwardly.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he opened his eyes though, the answer was rightly given to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">A large tower cast it’s shadow on him.

<p class="MsoNormal">He recognised it like no other. It was the white-gold tower. In Cyrodiil.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan drew a grin across his face. Laughing faintly. Glad that it was over.

<p class="MsoNormal">''No more Apocrypha, No more deadric prince, hah, even no more summerset Isles. Oh, that Londril character is going to be pissed. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">But it didn’t matter.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah… It worked.” He said to himself as he scrambled up.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wow…” He sounded as he suddenly dropped back a bit.

<p class="MsoNormal">''Since when did the waves of lake Rumare get so… Loud? ''

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan sat there for a moment as he felt a nagging feeling overcome him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait just a second” He got up and walked to the calm water front.

<p class="MsoNormal">With a sense of dread he looked down.

<p class="MsoNormal">His eyes widened.

<p class="MsoNormal">What he saw truly blew his mind.

<p class="MsoNormal">His ears. They were different.

<p class="MsoNormal">Long and pointy! And sensitive…

<p class="MsoNormal">Rowan quickly grabbed his ears. They indeed were long and pointy. It felt surreal.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No…”

<p class="MsoNormal">His eyes, they were brighter, beautifully so. And they felt sharper. He could see the water reflection as if it was a regular mirror.

<p class="MsoNormal">His skin, hair, posture, everything else seemed to be the same.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was then that it dawned to him.

<p class="MsoNormal">What had happened.

<p class="MsoNormal">What he himself had approved.

<p class="MsoNormal">He said Patience and Perfection. And that’s what he had gotten.

<p class="MsoNormal">He had been turned into a firstborn race, an elf. A new race of elves.

<p class="MsoNormal">A Nord elf…

<p class="MsoNormal">