Greetings Master Claws,

Let me begin by saying that this missive contains rather unfortunate news. The Ritemaster is no longer with us, we’ve lost the Dawnbreaker, and Nocturnal may have all she needs to access the crystal tower.

I shall explain how we got to this point.

I returned to inform the Ritemaster what I had learned from Ebon Stadmont and was chided for taking such a risk as to trust Leythen to help us translate. He believed that the information we gathered was tainted because of the source. I agreed, however I also believed that the Triad wanted the Ritemaster to locate the heart, thus making it worth pursuing, but also a trap.

He let me know that Darien had recovered, so I went to see him. I must say, considering the state I last saw him in, I was very impressed at his current state of health. I do wish he’d put a shirt on though. He had fully repaired the Dawnbreaker which we needed to break through the barrier in the dreaming cave.

We all met there, and between the Ritemaster and Darien, they were able to open the blocked portal. This one led to the Evergloam. I don’t know why it’s not called the Evergloom. It was so dark and depressing there. At least there was no spiders.

The Ritemaster led, and the further we went, the more his memory returned to him. We even passed by several sets of talking crows who all seemed to recognize ‘the featherless one’. I assumed that meant Ritemaster Iachesis.

Our path took us to a statue of Nocturnal, and as soon as we arrived the crows went wild. ‘Recite the words of power!’, ‘Recite the words of power!’. The Earl of Nocturnal said we’d know when the time was right, and that was definitely the time.

As he began the spell, both Clavicus Vile and Mephala decided made an appearance. They both used their magic to attempt to capture him, but each kept the other from claiming him. Not that I had long to witness before we were set upon by several waves of daedra.

This continued until the Prince of the realm, Nocturnal showed up and banished the other two Princes. It seems that it was she who helped the Ritemaster prevent K’Tora from getting his hands on the heart of transparent law all those years ago, and she had now come to collect.

As the spell completed, it became clear that the Heart was hidden in the most obvious place. In the Ritemaster’s chest. A heart in a heart. The only way to access it was to remove it from him. Sadly, that’s exactly what nocturnal did. Turned him into nothing before our very eyes.

She claimed her prize, and then immediately took another. She used her magic to snatch the dawnbreaker from Darien’s grip.

Before things got worse, although I’m not sure how that’s possible, Val created a portal and took us back to Arteum.

Sotha Sil is here. He’s apparently got a message for the Ritemaster. I guess I’ll have to be the one to tell him he’s no longer with us.

Perhaps he’ll have some idea of what we should do next because I haven’t got the faintest idea.

Respectfully,
Tiberious Maximillion III