[Dwemer] 1 – Escape from Reality

[Synopsis] Born within the Depths of Nchardak, a Dwarven City built on the coast of an island that would later become known as Solstheim, Machavin Inravnorz of Clan Inravnorz was a rising star within the Freehold city dedicated to the sciences and magic of the World. Deep within the depths of the coastal city, a special item, a Black Book of Hermaeus Mora, or the Librarian, as the Dwemer of the City had taken to call the Daedric Entity, was housed.

Said entity allowed the Scholars, Scribes, and Wise Men of the Dwemer to dive into his realm and attempt to learn the secrets hidden within. Much was learned from what was found within, but Machavin found a small Journal documenting the history of the world to come. It was through this Journal that Machvin learned that his people would be erased from the world within a few years. In his desperation to survive and give himself time, he made a pact with the Librarian, and through the Librarian, Machavin made smaller pacts with the other major entities of Oblivion, the Daedric Lords.

[Chapter Start]

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Dwemer Cities were not constructed in the same way as the other races of Nirn constructed their cities. Dwemer Holds were typically mostly subterranean structures, making up caverns, chambers, expansive tunnels, towers, and cave systems, the largest of which was known as Blackreach within Skyrim, a cavern so large that dozens of Dwemer Towers lined the cavern walls and formed pillars for the cavern. In contrast, a rather massive city was dug around the cavern and across Skyrim, keeping most of the Cavern's beauty intact. 

These cities were made of stone, crystal, and metal, glass being a rarity as crystal or gems looked better to the Dwemer. Buildings were more square, each structure being meticulously planned and built to be made perfect by a Tonal Architect, Dwemer Scholars, and Dwemer Miners. No more than a century ago did the Dwemer mostly dig themselves or with their Automatons, but with the coming of the Nords and the Snow Elves begging for sanctuary, the Dwemer Holds across Skyrim and Solstheim had a large influx of slaves and workers to do the work that the lesser Automata were designed to do. 

The influx of new slaves led to slave districts being dug out by the slaves themselves. These districts were relatively poor and prone to cave-ins as the Dwemer refused to help design or dig the Slave Districts. It did not help soothe the matters between the two races when the Lords of the Skyrim Holds demanded that the Snow Elves consume a specially made concoction that would keep them in line, but that was a worry for the Dwemer of Skyrim, as there were few Snow Elves on Solstheim.

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Inravnorz Clan Tower - Dwemeri Hold of Nchardak - A day before the Battle of Red Mountain.

The Inravnorz Clan has only existed for a few centuries. Over time, it quickly rose to power because its family was made entirely of Scholars and Wise Men. Nearly half of the Clan's members dived into the Black Book contained within the Observatory, while the other half made powerful Mages and even a few Tonal Architects.

The most notable member of the Clan was one such Tonal Architect, the youngest in the Hold's history, Machavin Inravnorz. He was given the title 'Mad Seeker' due to his penchant for delving into the Black Book far longer than what was recommended or healthy, yet somehow keeping his mind intact where others fell into Madness from the Librarian's knowledge.

Said Clan Member was at the deepest level of the Clan Tower, in a spherical Vault constructed explicitly for his use. Everything but the mining had been done by his own hands, from the protective runes and tonal magics to the exotic vault door that required an unknown component to unlock, and the Vault's exterior was made of a blend of Ebony and Dwarven Metal, giving the vault an appearance of swirling black and gold.

Inside the Vault was a different story. The Young Dwemer in his robes stood before a book, one made of flesh stitched together. This book was the Oghma Infinium, a Daedric Artifact of Hermaeus Mora.

When the Young Dwemer's hand touched the book, it flew open. The very dimension around him seemed to rip open, revealing countless eyes with different and impossible pupils and inky tentacles that seemed to reach out and explore the Vault's interior.

"I have everything I need. Tell me, Mora, do you know this will work?" the Dwemer asked the countless eldritch eyes blinking around him.

"Yes...It will...work. Are you...prepared?" Hermaeus Mora asked, his voice ethereal yet haunting, filled with mirth or excitement.

"I...failed. This is the only path that remains," Machavin said slowly, a hint of grief clear in his voice. His golden eyes glazed over at the thought of his family.

"You...tried...but the Fate of your people is...inevitable...Unstoppable..." Hermaeus Mora spoke, a tentacle brushing along Machavin's side.

Clenching his teeth, Machavin did not respond to Hermaeus's remark, instead taking a moment to turn away from the eyes and brushing off the tentacle before reaching out for the Oghma Infinium, flipping it open and letting the book flip to the page he sought.

When it stopped, an immensely complex runic formation lay before him, and at the top was a single line.

To escape the dream, one need only make a path.

After reading the expansive and complex instructions, Machavin stepped back and began. Hermaeus Mora watched as he stepped forward, his hand glowing a strange golden hue. The room around him exploded into color as rifts opened, items, ingridnets, and alchemical elixers flowed out of the ruptures in space.

With a focused glance and a wave of his hand, Machavin began directing everything to where he'd need it, starting with the more important components of the ritual.

Ebony, the crystallized blood of a God.

An assortment of rare and expensive gems.

Grand Soul-gem powder.

To center it all, a strange glowing blue orb covered in strange scripts overflowing with Magicka.

Ingredients were poured out of the rifts, and what became minutes turned to hours as Machavin meticulously crafted the Ritual Circle at the base of the chamber, which was doomed to be locked and inaccessible for the rest of eternity.

When Machavin finally did finish the ritual circle, the entire interior of the chamber was covered top-to-bottom in glyphs, runes, and runic script of both man, mer, and daedra. What should have been impossible was made possible through extensive formations, runes, and runic script that had one purpose: to breach through reality and open a 'door' for a moment, just as Magnus and his followers did, creating the very stars in the sky.

"You...are ready, my S̸̝̅e̴̝͔̽e̴̹̯̓̑k̶̳̯̇ę̴͛̓ͅr̷̮̫̓͒," Hermaeus spoke, the dozen eyes going over Machavin's work while the largest focused on him.

"Our Pact holds?" Machavin asked, guarded and ready to defend himself against the entity at a moment's notice.

"Yes," Herameous's voice rose in intensity, its presence becoming more and more potent as it squeezed into reality.

Taking a deep breath, Machavin looked to Hermaeus and spoke, "I am ready."

Abruptly, one of the inky-black tentacles pierced through his chest, directly to his heart, where instead of destroying it, black and green energy began to meld with Machavin's heart and soul. Across the surface of Machavin's body, inky-black tattoos set into place over his ashy-black skin. 

When the tentacle pulled out of his chest, Machavin stumbled, wincing from the pain.

"Our pact is made." 

Ignoring his comment, Machavin took deep breaths and stumbled over to the strange floating sphere at the center of the room, just above the ritual circle.

Raising his arms, a strange golden hue covered his hands before spreading out towards the sphere, activating it.

The sphere began to rotate and unravel, revealing a blue star of pure magicka at its center. In an instant, so much magicka flooded into the vault that Machavin coughed blood, his body unable to handle the sheer amount pouring into him. Despite the damage being done to his body and soul, he gritted his teeth and continued.

More and more magicka poured through every pore into his body, until he began to glow. 

When he absorbed everything from the sphere, he was on the brink of collapse and would be dead within the minute if he did not expel the Magicka, but that's where the other half of the enchantments and formations were around the sphere were designed for, containing the Magicka and preventing any from leaking out.

With blinding light, Machavin began to become a living star, before abruptly, his form collapsed within itself, leaving behind a tear in the world.

Watching the mortal disappear, with the Eye in tow, Hermaeus retreated back to his realm, where he began to observe something entirely new through the Pact he made with the mortal.