While Green-Venom-Tongue works his way through that book to uncover whatever he’s hoping to find there, I take the opportunity to take care of some other stuff. I make sure to let the Anvil Provisional Council (I shouldn’t let Altmer name things) know to expect some pirates and to grant them amnesty because they assisted the Eyes of the Queen in taking out a hostile force preparing to attack Anvil. By which I mean I get someone who isn’t a Khajiit assassin (who is secretly a Dominion spy) to tell them that. Grishka is happy to pass along the message. (And being Hunt-Queen, she outranks them, anyway.)


    And then there’s slumming in Cyrodiil. Sometimes I wonder why anyone bothers with war when there’s just as many caves and ruins full of cultists and undead as anywhere else. Those are always fun to clear out and everyone is happy for me to do so. The towns already like me more than the other alliances just because I solve their problems instead of just crashing around breaking shit and waving flags around.


    I stop by Anvil to see if any new bounties have been posted, and see a note about an urgent and dangerous matter requesting a skilled adventurer to speak with a contact in the inn in Kvatch.


    I teleport over to Kvatch and decide to take the opportunity to see if anyone wants to arrest poor Vara-do, but my Khajiit persona gets no attention from any militant priests. Hopefully they at least had the good grace to be embarrassed about the whole “let’s behead the cat for airing legitimate grievances” thing. Lerisa’s sister may not have been the only one to back out after that. Hopefully they didn’t get beheaded.


    The Imperial man who posted the job notice is named Reman, but not that Reman. He tells me about a murderer who leaves messages in sweetrolls telling people they’re going to die. And then they die. By being stabbed in the face. Kind of a shitty prophecy. He offers to provide gold and unspecified services for stopping his associates from being murdered. (He is, of course, a member of the Gold Coast Trading Company. I don’t mention how much of their profits I have already seized lately.)


    Sweetroll notes doesn’t seem like the sort of modus operandi the Dark Brotherhood usually takes. Still, I double-check at the Sanctuary to make sure I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes by taking this job. The response, as expected, is that they don’t have anything to do with this and it’s exactly as silly as it sounds.


    I scour Kvatch looking for the people on the list Reman gave me. According to one Dunmer gardener named Louna, this has been going on for months and it’s strange that Reman has finally taken an interest in it. I find it strange that this has been going on for months amid the Dark Brotherhood and the Order of the Hour having a tiny war on the Gold Coast and everyone just seems to think the constant murder is business as usual. No wonder they’re so happy to welcome in the Aldmeri Dominion.


    One Altmer baker received a message but intends to just keep doing what he’s doing. (Also he’s annoyed that people think he’s the murderer just because he’s a baker.)


    “This one hears the Dominion is planning a feast to celebrate their conquest of Anvil,” I say. “Perhaps you could help cater? The killer would surely hesitate to harm you if you’re surrounded by Dominion soldiers.”


    “Hmm, that’s a good idea,” the baker says. “And I’m certain they’d pay well, too.”


    There’s also a suspicious Wood Elf who claims to be a beggar but is too clean, confident, and well-fed to be a beggar. It looks like she just smeared some dirt on herself and not in anyplace it would normally get just from doing things. I subtly give her a signal for the Eyes of the Queen, but she doesn’t seem to spot it.


    And then she gives me a merry chase through town which ends in meeting Razum-dar in the far corner of the market. Who proceeds to not attack me, much to her confusion. Both Raz and eye have a good face-palm (or mask-paw) about this before relocating to his safehouse. The Wood Elf, Yarmia, is a trainee of the Eyes of the Queen, who is having as much trouble with subtlety as I do.


    “Vara-do is also with the Eyes of the Queen,” I say. “Are his signals out of date, or did you just not recognize them?”


    “Um… I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention,” Yarmia says.


    “You again,” Raz says with some amusement. “And where is dear Kisha?”


    “Here,” Ilara says, appearing behind him. I think she actually did learn to turn invisible at some point.


    “Ah,” Raz says. “Raz should know, if he ever sees the one, the other will not be far away.”


    “Unless we are,” Ilara says with a grin. “In which case we confuse anyone that expects to see us together, yes?”


    We catch up with Raz on the situation at his safehouse in the upper floor of the enchanter. In addition to innocent-if-greedy members of the Gold Coast Trading Company, the infamous Sweetroll Killer has also slain some of the Queen’s advisers, which makes it Raz’s problem. So, Raz and I come up with a plan. This winds up involving running all over town some more trying to make sense of coded messages.


    Turns out the notes we’re following don’t lead us to the killer in question but to Naryu. Who doesn’t immediately recognize me since I’m being a Khajiit and not an Imperial at the moment.


    “Ah…” I say. “Vara-do thinks we have followed Morag Tong intel and not our killer, it seems.”


    “How do you– who are you?” Naryu demands.


    “This one promised you a sujamma last time we met,” I say. “And he did say he wouldn’t be dressed like he was at the time. Perhaps he will even show you his face.”


    “Silencius?” Naryu says. “Or Vara-do? Or whatever your name actually is.”


    “This one is being Vara-do at the moment,” I say.


    “That’s what you meant when you said Silencius doesn’t exist,” Naryu says.


    “It’s alright,” I say. “Vara-do does not exist, either.”


    “Were you the one who betrayed me?” Naryu asks, with a touch less venom than the accusation should warrant. “No one else knew I was even here.”


    “If this one wanted you dead, you would already be dead,” I say. “Vara-do would not have politely come in through the front door. Also, he would not have sent messages inside sweetrolls. It’s practically a sin.” I pause thoughtfully. “Is there a god of sweetrolls?”


    “Probably Sanguine,” Ilara adds. From the window, behind Naryu, completely unnoticed.


    Naryu tenses before realizing the latest Khajiit is just casually sitting on the windowsill rather than attacking anyone.


    “We’re getting off track,” Raz says, knowing my tendency to go off on tangents sometimes.


    “Yes,” Naryu says. “If you’re not trying to kill me, then who is?”


    “That is what we were trying to find out,” I say. “You are not the first victim. Many of the mysterious deaths in the last few months may be attributed to this killer.”


    After some discussion on the victims and the killer’s plans, we relocate to Anvil. I meet up with Raz, Yarmia, and Naryu at their secret, inconspicuous safehouse behind the tailor. Next to the giant mermaid statue, which Raz is admiring for some reason. Ah, young people so enthralled by simple curves of stone. For all I know, this is just a female giant in a skirt that sat down to dip her feet in the water and got turned to stone when she wasn’t paying attention.


    “Strange to think this is Dominion territory now,” Naryu muses. “And I’m sure Kvatch won’t be far behind at this rate. Count Carolus won’t have much choice.”


    We decide to investigate Reman, which will involve breaking into the Gold Coast Trading Company building and interrogating him. I decide that the best way inside is from the second floor balcony. I don’t wind up having to look any further, as I find Reman out there, dying of poison. Fortunately, I have healing magic and potions, so no dramatic death for him today.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    “I’m dying and it’s your fault!” Reman moans.


    “You are not going to die,” I say. “Here. Drink this.”


    Once I’ve made sure he isn’t dying anymore, Reman explains how he met this woman who had visions, and he’d previously worked with her because this is the sensible thing for a merchant to do who just met a woman who has visions. Which didn’t work out terribly well when he decided to send me after her. Reman points me to a farmhouse outside of town.


    I call up my support team to make sure Reman doesn’t die… and to take custody of him. I don’t need anyone trying to kill him again and I don’t need him running off, either. I have more questions for him and I’m not letting him off the hook here.


    Everyone is safe and sound except the Dunmer gardener, who disappeared without a trace. Who is, of course, the real killer.


    Raz, Naryu and I visit the farmhouse. It is, of course, an ambush.


    “Raz will never understand the desire of fools to attack you,” Raz comments.


    “Why is he more foolish to attack than us?” Naryu wonders, then looks over at me cackling madly and poking holes into people and says flatly, “Oh. He’s insane.”


    “It’s just sleeping poison,” I say. “We can kill them later if necessary.”


    “Why are you sparing people who are trying to kill you?” Naryu asks.


    “Because I can.” With all the attackers down and no more coming, I start tying people up. “Vara-do is not in a position where it is necessary to kill for survival because there are no alternatives, and while he enjoys the violence, he would prefer to minimize the deaths.”


    “You are a very strange assassin,” Naryu says. “That’s more of a Morag Tong philosophy than Dark Brotherhood.”


    As soon as Louna sees what we’ve done to her cult or whatever they are, she surrenders. And complains about the appellation she’d been given.


    “If you didn’t like being called the Sweetroll Killer, then why did you not pick a different schtick?” I wonder.


    Louna gives a heartfelt speech about how she was killing people in order to prevent disaster, and explains some of the things that her current crop of victims, who we’ve saved, were going to wind up inadvertently causing.


    “Vara-do does not have words to describe how stupid it is to have turned your gift to ends this sloppy,” I say. “You knew very specific things that might happen in the future and what led to them, and the best you could do was lead a group of bandits to murder people? Seriously?”


    “Even this one could have done better than that,” Ilara scoffs.


    I nod in agreement. “You could have easily manipulated events to prevent the thing you thought was ‘bad’ from happening without anyone having to die for it. And who are you to judge what outcome is good and what is bad? And good for who and bad for who?”


    “Assassins, decrying murder?” Louna says. “It matters not whether they were good or evil, only the outcome of their actions. Had they been permitted to continue, disaster would have occurred.”


    “You were trying to make the world a better place based solely upon preventing what you thought to be ‘disasters’,” I say. “This one can respect that. But you can do better. This one does not believe our views of what a better world would look like are that incompatible. How about working with this one instead?”


    “I… have not foreseen that outcome,” Louna says. “I only saw that you might kill me or release me. I… did not foresee any of your actions. I can’t see you. Why can’t I see you?”


    I chuckle. “I think I know why. And all your prophecies are wrong because of it.”


    Louna looks into my eyes, and says matter-of-factly, “If I refuse, you will kill me, won’t you.” It’s not a question.


    “Sure,” I say. “But sometimes people will cheerfully die rather than submit, no? And sometimes people will only do the minimum to survive and seek to undermine and betray. Regardless, you have to understand that Vara-do is unwilling to allow you to go free, as you have shown an unwillingness to use your power responsibly. This one is not sure if the Aldmeri Dominion has any specific laws against misuse of prophecies, but King Neri has declared it to be illegal to use weird magic to do annoying things without good reason.”


    “Raz likes Wood Orc legal terminology,” Raz says.


    “Louna.” My voice is carefully kept even. “Do you receive prophecies from Azura? Sotha Sil? Or is it your own gift?”


    “It’s my own,” Louna says, which I suppose stands to reason. Whatever might be said of them, I doubt either of them would espouse a policy as shoddy as this.


    “You fear these people bringing petty disasters,” I say. “Tell me. What sort of disaster will befall the Tribunal?”


    “I…”


    I take off my cat-mask and step up toward her. “Tell me.”


    Louna’s eyes widen, then she screams and staggers back. “Shadows… Nightmares… Blight… Fire… Ash…” She looks at me, eyes wide. “Hortator.”


    I cock my head.


    “Hortator?” Naryu says, then looks at me in puzzlement. “A High Elf? No… wait. I know that face. I’ve seen that face.”


    I incline my head toward her. “I may as well actually introduce myself at this point. Hi, I’m Nerevar. Please don’t tell my ex-wife I’m alive.”


    Whatever training Naryu received from the Morag Tong did not prepare her for this manner of revelation.


    Raz chuckles. “Raz doubts Almalexia would guess you were in Kvatch pretending to be a Khajiit assassin.”


    I remove my glove and show them my ring. “This ring is named One-Clan-Over-Ash-and-Fire. No idea what happened to Moon-and-Star, but I’m not a big fan of Azura these days seeing as she left me to rot.”


    “All the masks have fallen away and for one shining moment I have glimpsed your true self,” Louna murmurs distantly.


    “I’m sorry for forcing you to look, Louna,” I say. “The possible futures you saw must have been horrible.”


    “You had to get the point across,” Louna says with a sigh, shaking. “I’ve been focusing on the wrong things. All the economical failures in the world won’t matter… The big things are difficult to pin down. So many variables, so many interconnections.”


    “You tried to stop the Planemeld, didn’t you,” I say.


    “Yes,” Louna says. “I had to. How could I not? It seemed… impossible. Insurmountable. I gave up on trying to affect the big things after that. I thought I could make the world better in small ways. Was all I did simply making more of a mess of things?”


    “I don’t know,” I say. “All you saw was a problem but didn’t have enough hands or brains to take care of it.” At her hard look, I smirk and say, “Yes, I’m saying what you did was stupid. I do stupid things sometimes, too. But what I mean is, there are people who are good at thinking about things, gathering information and putting it to use.” I gesture to the spymaster and assassin behind me. “Raz? Naryu? What could you have gotten done with the sort of information she had?”


    “There… could have been a lot less death,” Raz says.


    Naryu nods in agreement. “Preparations could have been made. Courses adjusted. Why didn’t you put messages in sweetrolls telling us what to beware of instead?”


    Louna looks like that never even occurred to her. Naryu wins the prize for being the most sensible person in the room, and she’s still reeling from the revelation that her ancestral hero is a lunatic.


    “I targeted you because I saw your daughter would do something terrible and the world would burn for it,” Louna says.


    “What?” Naryu says. “I don’t even have a daughter.”


    “You don’t yet have a daughter,” Louna says.


    Naryu puts her face in her hand. “Well, in the unlikely event that I have a daughter, I’ll be sure to tell her not to set the world on fire, thank you.”


    “I will work for Indoril Nerevar,” Louna says.


    “Okay, so my first order is to never use that name again,” I say. “I’d married into House Indoril, but I don’t want anything to do with them anymore even if they wanted anything to do with me. If I ever went back and had to pick, I might join House Telvanni.”


    “Aren’t they mages?” Raz asks.


    “Sure, but they also don’t give a fuck. I’ll probably have to violently convince them and House Dres that relying on slavery is fucking stupid at some point, though. Now, if I were going purely for impressions, I might join House Redoran to impress the noble, honorable sorts, or House Hlaalu if being seen as cooperating with outlanders was in style. Telvanni, however, is a good option for still being a Great House but not giving a fuck about how much murder and smuggling I do.”


    “You took over most of the skooma production in Valenwood, instituted health and safety regulations and quality testing,” Raz says. “You somehow managed to keep skooma smuggling out by taxing and regulating local producers and putting checks and tariffs on imports while still having it illegal.”


    “It’s just a fine,” I say. “Basically a fee on failing to be subtle. It’s impolite to do drugs in public.”


    “You do it all the time,” Ilara points out.


    “No, no,” I say. “I’m on drugs in public quite frequently, but I don’t actually do the drugs in public. And no, you don’t count as the public, so you can’t count how many times I’ve done drugs in front of my friends and immediate victims.”


    “Your fake tail twitching is incredibly distracting,” Naryu says, trying to rapidly change the topic that’s spiraling out of control. “And for the record, I don’t tend to hold tea parties with Almalexia. Everyone thought you were dead.”


    “I was,” I say. “They murdered me. They sacrificed me to Molag Bal and I was trapped in Coldharbour up until… Raz, when the hell did I pop out of Coldharbour? Anyway, yeah, Planemeld gave me an opportunity to escape and then I later punched Molag Bal in the face and got him to knock it off.”


    “Wait,” Naryu says. “You’re King Neri?” She sighs. “Of course you are. That’s why Ash-and-Fire has Malacath’s symbol.”


    “Every time Raz turns around, he is doing something else ridiculous,” Raz says. “It is no wonder that no prophet can figure out what he is doing.”


    “Morrowind’s greatest hero is working for the Aldmeri Dominion now?” Naryu asks.


    “Morrowind’s greatest hero practically took over the Aldmeri Dominion already,” Raz says.


    “That… makes sense,” Naryu says. “This really is a dangerous secret.” She sighs. “Now that this whole business with someone trying to kill me has been resolved with her hopefully never annoying me again, I need to be getting back to Morrowind. Not that I’m going to be able to stop thinking about this. I believe you still owe me a sujamma, whatever face and name you’re wearing next time we inevitably run across one another.”


    “Didn’t you promise me a kiss, too?” I wink.


    “Didn’t you marry an Orc?” Naryu asks.


    “I married two Orcs,” I say. “And that’ll probably be more. Roku’s been nagging me to find more wives.”


    “Make it two sujammas,” Naryu says.


    “It’s a date,” I say lightly.


    “You know she flirts with literally everyone, yes?” Raz puts in.


    Meanwhile, Louna is just kind of staring at us like her entire world got knocked out from under her feet and replaced with madness. Ilara whispers not-especially-quietly to her, “You’ll get used to it.”