Thalia’s Folly
Chapter 1: Thalia’s Folly
Thalia
There it was again. That subtle feeling. As if a pair of eyes lingered on me for less than a moment. I looked around uneasily, shifting from one foot to the other.
I don’t like this, I thought. A cavern of this size shouldn’t be so quiet.
It’s the middle of Hearthfire, 4E 202. I was in Broken Oar Grotto, a huge flooded cavern in Haafingar. Long ago, pirates and smugglers often used it to house and launch their vessels. Now, it’s said to be a cursed place. Supposedly, those who enter the grotto are never seen again.
Now, I don’t listen to silly stories about spooky curses. However, I do listen to fun stories about treasure. Rumor has it that a hoard of treasure was left behind by smugglers and pirates when they abandoned Broken Oar Grotto. They say you can find sunken chests full of riches in its waters. A treasure trove just waiting for someone to find it.
That someone was going to be me.
So far, things were going smoothly. Broken Oar Grotto was easy enough to find. I didn’t run into any problems as I progressed through it. Even the local bestiary seemed to avoid the grotto. Finding that treasure hoard was going to be a cakewalk.
Then I started to notice that something was amiss.
My first clue was the structure at the end of the cavern. It had an upside-down sunken ship as a foundation. Different ships were torn apart to create a makeshift shack. There was also what could be best described as a storeroom. One that seemed to have been expanded upon over time.
Strangely enough, the whole thing looked nice. The place was very neat for something that seemed cobbled together. The walls were embedded with Everlights, magical torches that never burn out. They gave it an oddly fancy ambiance.
The shack seemed to be some kind of bedroom. However, the “bed” was no more than a large pile of satin and silk. The storeroom, on the other hand, contained mountains of riches. A huge treasure trove that was very well organized.
That was my second clue. This place didn’t look abandoned. On the contrary, it seemed to be inhabited. Then it hit me. The entire structure was built by someone, or something, much larger than me and they hoarded treasure. A possibility did cross my mind, but she was a myth.
Then again, dragons were a myth until last year.
My stomach lurched. If this is her den… I was starting to realize why no one comes back from Broken Oar Grotto. I have to get out of here before she comes back.
I quickly looked around until I spotted a dragon claw. It was one of the ones you’d find in a Nordic Ruin. However, this one was made of copper. Hmm. I wonder what puzzle door this will open…
Unable to help myself, I grabbed the Copper Claw and put it in my bag. After that, I rushed out of Broken Oar Grotto. However, a part of me knew that I just made a grave mistake…
—
Serana
Months have passed since my return to Castle Volkihar. I’ve managed to catch up on nearly a millennium of history. As I had anticipated, there was a lot for me to process. However, for the most part, I was pleased with what I learned.
Tamriel was in a moderately better state than it was during the Interregnum. Alas, I was unable to say the same about things at home. Dad’s obsession with the Tyranny of the Sun has consumed him. I knew he must be stopped, but a part of me felt conflicted. I didn’t want to fight my own father.
In any case, Dad wasn’t the only problem. Dragons have returned, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Mortals called this upheaval the Dragon Crisis. Evidently, the crisis began last year when a massive black dragon razed the town of Helgen. I suspected that the black dragon was none other than Alduin himself.
Unfortunately, the World Eater’s return wasn’t even my biggest concern. Every event foretold by the Prophecy of the Dragonborn came to pass. The Imperial Simulacrum, the Warp in the West, the Red Year, the Oblivion Crisis, and Skyrim’s civil war. Yet, only half of the final omen came true. The Alduin has returned, but there’s been no sign of the Last Dragonborn.
That deeply troubled me.
However, research wasn’t the only reason I’ve stayed in the castle for all this time. Dad had a monopoly in the Volkihar court for almost a millennia. Small details told a story of how he gradually lost power as his madness grew. Now the clan was on the verge of a coup. My return both helped and hindered certain groups.
The loyalties of the court was an issue I had to address. As such, much of my time was spent maneuvering in the politics of the Volkihar court. Centuries of experience has given me a long history of political success. Once I had most of the court on my side, it became safe for me to move against my father.
I was reading in my room when a voice said, “Serana.” I looked up and saw Garan. “Are you busy?”
I shook my head, closing the book. “Not anymore. Why?”
“Your father’s about to make an announcement,” the Dunmer explained. “It’d be best if you heard it as well.”
I nodded, then followed him to the main hall. Dad was on the balcony overlooking the chamber. “Scions of the night, hear my words! The prophesied time is at last upon us. Soon we will claim dominion over the sun itself and forge a new realm of eternal darkness.”
My expression was unreadable. Not if I have anything to say about it.
“We must find a Moth Priest to read the Elder Scroll I reclaimed,” Dad declared. “To that end, I have spread false rumors about the discovery of an Elder Scroll to lure a Moth Priest to Skyrim. Now it is time to see if those efforts have borne fruit. Go forth and search the land for rumors of a Moth Priest within our borders. Look to the cities. Speak to innkeepers, carriage drivers, anyone who would meet a traveler. Go now, and carry out this task. This is my command!”
As cheers filled the hall, Garan leaned closer to me, “This is your chance, Lady Serana,” he whispered. “This is the perfect excuse for you to leave the castle.”
I nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Let’s hope the Dawnguard will hear me out.”
—
Unfortunately, the Dawnguard didn’t hear me out. The vampire hunters were led by a man named Isran. However, he was so blinded by his abhorrence of vampires that my words fell on deaf ears. So I gave up and left. Some time later, I ran into a familiar face in Whiterun.
“If it isn’t the infamous treasure hunter,” I remarked. “I bet you weren't expecting to see me again.”
Thalia crossed her arms. “What are you doing here, Serana?”
“I need to talk to you. It’s… well, it’s about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me.”
She sighed. “You have five minutes.”
I nodded, then began to explain the situation. “Look, the reason I was in Dimhollow with the Elder Scroll comes back to my father. I’m guessing you figured this part out already, but he’s not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards.”
The treasure hunter raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me that even most vampires think your dad’s an evil bastard?”
“Pretty much.” I sighed. “However, my father wasn’t always like that. There was… a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and sort of lost himself in it.”
“What sort of prophecy?”
“It’s pointless and vague, like all prophecies. However, the part my father latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That’s what he’s after. He wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world.”
“You intend to stop him?”
“That’s the plan, yes. Like my mother, I don't feel like inviting war with all of Tamriel. That’s why I was sealed away with the Scroll.”
Her brows drew together. “I see. Well, that Elder Scroll of yours could have something that can help stop your father. Though neither of us can safely read it.”
I nodded. “We can’t, but the Moth Priests can. However, they spend years preparing before they start reading.’
Thalia sighed. “Normally, that wouldn’t help us since they’re half a continent away in Cyrodiil. Luckily for you, there are rumors of a Moth Priest in Skyrim. However, in return for my help, you need to help me find someone who can tell me more about this.” She then showed me a three-toed dragon’s foot wrought in copper. “I know it’s a key to one of those ancient Nordic puzzle doors, but I don’t know which ruin it’s from.”
With a frown, I took the claw from her and studied it. “It’s in good shape,” I noted. “Where did you find it?”
Thalia smirked. “Broken Oar Grotto.”
I blinked. In the weeks since my awakening, I’ve heard a few stories about Broken Oar Grotto. “Are you serious?”
She nodded, her eyes gleaming with pride. “I am completely serious. The grotto’s fabled treasure hoard is real. That’s where I found the claw.”
My brows knitted as I studied the Copper Claw more carefully. It was marked by powerful magic. From what I could tell, it was marked by a Shout. Thing is, there hasn’t been any sign of the Dragonborn. So the only ones capable of this were Tongues and dragons.
Question is, was it done by a Tongue or a dragon?
I looked Thalia in the eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She chuckled. “You’re good.” She looked around, then gave me a huge grin. “Contrary to popular belief, Broken Oar Grotto isn’t abandoned. Something lives there.”
“Go on.”
“When I was there, I found a structure made out of the ships left behind by pirates and smugglers. It has a makeshift shack that acts as a bedroom, along with a massive storeroom. That’s where I found the treasure hoard.”
“You found the grotto’s treasure hoard… in a storeroom?”
Thalia nodded. “I saw mountains of riches in that place and all of it was remarkably well organized. With that in mind, I believe the grotto is the She-Dragon’s home.”
My eyes widened. I wasn’t too familiar with those stories. However, I knew they spoke of some kind of dragon woman. “You shouldn’t have taken the claw.”
Thalia frowned. “Why not? The She-Dragon has so much treasure that she could never know that something is missing.”
“Dragons with hoarding tendencies always notice when something is missing from their hoard. If the She-Dragon is anything like a normal dragon, then she’s marked everything in her hoard.”
“I didn’t see any markings on the Copper Claw.”
“The marks are magical in nature,” I clarified. “Any mage can find them if they know what to look for. These marks are created with the Voice and give off a sound that can only be heard by whoever created them. They…”
I was cut off by a powerful roar. Now, I got to hear a dragon’s roar when an elder dragon attacked Fort Dawnguard. However, this roar was different. It was an oddly mellow, somewhat musical sound with a sharp dragonic edge. This was the closest I’d get to hearing a feminine dragon roar.
It was the She-Dragon’s roar.
Thalia paled. “Morwha’s mercy… I was right. The She-Dragon is real.”
Before she could even consider fleeing, a dragonic woman landed in the street, blocking our way.