Velothril Sisters

Velothril Sisters is an organization that may provide the personal enchanting hireling for the Vestige should they choose to allocate points into the Enchanting Hireling skill for enchanting, once reaching the appropriate level. They will send a letter with select materials to the Vestige on a daily basis, although the items they sends may be improved with additional points into the Enchanting Hireling skill.
==Hireling Letters==
Velothril Sisters may send the Vestige multiple letters to their inbox, detailing their adventures as they gather resources for the Vestige. The following are a collection of the letters that they will send:
#Greetings, new patron! We at Velothril Sisters have purchased your contract from Melina Cassel. It is our aim to provide you with the same outstanding level of service. Though we have included our first delivery, we sent our employee Valgus into the field to recover material which will supplement your enchanting.
#[As Valgus the Barrow-breaker] Valgus the Barrow-breaker, at your service. It is my goal to provide you a wide variety of quality enchanting material, pulled straight from the resting places of those who no longer need it. Soon I travel to recover material from an untouched Ayleid ruin. Until then, enjoy something from my private stock.
#[As Valgus the Barrow-breaker] Valgus again. Though I do provide enchanting material, I assure you it is only ever from the long-dead and the much-hated, such as Ayleid flesh-warpers and followers of the dragon-priests. If they passed in this era, I leave them be. (Worm Cultists are an exception. But I do wash the blood off.)
#[As Valgus the Barrow-breaker] I, Valgus, have arrived at a remote Ayleid ruin located by the Velothril Sisters and scouted by a previous employee. I am fully prepared for whatever dangers may lurk within, be they ghost, creature, or bandit. Tomorrow I will send you the first of many deliveries culled from the ruin. I look forward to sharing what I pull from within!
#With great regret, we at Velothril Sisters must inform you of the demise of our employee, Valgus. Please accept this delivery from our reserve. We have assigned our employee Gaereleth to handle your account from this point forward. We offer our apologies for this inconvenience.
#[As Gaereleth Surefoot] Hail! I'm Gaereleth Surefoot, a rune diver from Valenwood. The Velothril Sisters reassigned me, so it's good to be working for you. I understand there was an issue with your previous hireling, something about a failure to deliver? Fear not, I'm told there's an untouched Ayleid ruin ripe for the picking. I'll have those runestones to you shortly!
#[As Gaereleth Surefoot] Gaereleth here. Rune diving is a lost art, but it requires a staunch commitment to the Green Pact. You travel along the graht-oak boughs at night. When you spot a runestone glimmer, you drop down by vine, pry it out, and ascend, all without touching the ground. The Green Pact does many things well, but driving away spirits isn't one of them.
#[As Gaereleth Surefoot] It's Gaereleth. My instructions were to enter an untouched Ayleid ruin scouted out by a previous employee. I don't have much to go on regarding the interior, but I've brought plenty of vines and sap glue. Fasten enough of them to the ceiling and I'll be able to travel above the empty heads of any skeletal guardians. Rune diving at its best!
#With great regret, we at Velothril Sisters inform you of the demise of our employee, Gaereleth. Please accept this complimentary delivery from our reserve. Due to the recent irregularities in your service, we have assigned our most trusted employee Sixul to your account. Again, we offer our profound apologies for this inconvenience.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I greet you, patron. My compatriots call me Sixul the Thorough. Velothril Sisters recalled me from Black Marsh to assign me as your hireling. They weren't particular regarding the circumstances, but said they required someone with my particular skills to manage your contract. And a promotion. Call me Sixul the Exceptionally Thorough, if you wish.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] It is Sixul. According to my instructions, my first task is to rendezvous at an Ayleid ruin. It was apparently discovered by a former employee, of whom Velothril Sisters has provided no details. The entire matter seems ill-advised so I shall research the ruin before setting out. Please, accept this delivery from my private stock.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Sixul again. I plan to seek out the local Mages Guild for additional information regarding the Ayleid ruin. I am not a member myself. All they seem to care about these days is locating books that presumably careless Mages Guild members left in remote places. I have no desire to become a glorified librarian's apprentice to forgetful magicians.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] A minor difficulty. I presented myself to the local Mages Guild as Sixul the Exceptionally Thorough. When I said I worked for Velothril Sisters, the magister gained the same look on her face as most dryskins do when I explain Argonian mating rituals. I was escorted from the premises and told not to return. Of course, I will ignore this suggestion.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I have a plan to gain access to the Mages Guild. I purchased a robe to conceal my distinctive scale patterns and elegant crest. I will return and present myself as Hunts-For-Books, an initiate from Black Marsh. (Without practice, most dryskins have difficulty distinguishing unique Argonian voices. I take no offense. Truly, I prefer the anonymity.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] My plan to access the Mages Guild went swimmingly. This is an Argonian joke. Did you enjoy my attempt at levity? No matter. I found a promising book on Ayleid ruins. More promising, there is a lock on the book. Most promising was the note stating it should not be sold to a Velothril Sisters employee. In accordance with their wishes, I borrowed it.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The Mages Guild realized their locked book on Ayleid ruins went missing. I am technically fleeing. Please accept this hastily prepared delivery.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] When pursued by hostile creatures in Black Marsh, one hides in the depths of the swamps. Yet I am not currently in Black Marsh, and the hostile creature pursuing me is an irate Mages Guild magister, so I went where she was unlikely to follow: the foulest sewer in town. I have emerged briefly to send your delivery. I suggest you wash the contents.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The magister caught my scent. Because I was in the sewer, you see? No matter. I returned to the sewer, where I stumbled upon a loose collection of people. I am assured they are fine, upstanding citizens who specialize in an alternative form of shipping. In fact, one was willing to deliver your goods. (But please inform me if anything is missing.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] It is not just alternative shipment I found available in this sewer refuge. It seems there are freelance locksmiths as well, so I availed myself of one such entrepreneur. He will open the locked book I borrowed from the Mages Guild, regarding the Ayleid ruin. Until then, please accept additional deliveries from my private stock.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I confess to some amount of confusion. The Mages Guild book, the one they explicitly wished to keep from anyone connected with Velothril Sisters, has absolutely no mention of the Ayleid ruin where Velothril Sisters directed me. The book was written long after the Ayleids disappeared from Tamriel. But how does an entire Ayleid ruin disappear?
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Please accept this hasty delivery. It seems I am being hunted! The magister has placed a bounty on me for borrowing an ultimately useless Mages Guild book. I ask your pardon for wrapping the delivery in my own wanted posters, but I had already torn down so many of them, and I am not the kind of person to let things go to waste.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] In the sewers, it seems you can truly find gold amidst the muck. The alternative shipper who has steadfastly delivered your packages asked after my particular inconvenience. When I explained my troubles with the Mages Guild, my new ally proposed a different sort of shipment out of town: me! Soon I shall be free to pursue my original task.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] If you have never hidden within a bale of hay on a moving cart, allow me to share my thoughts. First, it is extremely uncomfortable. The hay above you leaves no cushion against the cart's juddering on unstable roads. Next, hay is stiff and painful--enough to scratch the thickest scales. Finally, it's worth it if the trip ends with your freedom.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Today I bid a fond farewell to my alternative shipping friend. While consulting the temporarily borrowed Mages Guild book, I found mention of a separate Ayleid ruin within a day's journey. Perhaps it can shed light on the original Ayleid ruin the Velothril Sisters assigned me to investigate. Shed light, as in Welkynd stones, you see? No matter.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I found the second Ayleid ruin near a small river. (I will refer to it as the River Ruin so it is not confused with the first, missing ruin. Ah, the Missing Ruin! It names itself.) Unfortunately, I was unable to enter the River Ruin. There are nearly a dozen individuals encamped within. All well-armed. Tomorrow, I will seek to learn who they are.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The individuals camped in the River Ruin are most certainly bandits. They seem quite complacent and carry open bottles of wine more often than weapons, which means they recently found their way into a large amount of gold. In such a state of mind, it should be no trouble to slip past them and into the River Ruin.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I have been seized by the River Ruin bandits. They were quite alert for complacent drunks. When I realized none of them can read, I convinced them this delivery is a hostage request sent to my benefactor. Have no fear, I am called Sixul the Exceptionally Resourceful for a reason. I will soon figure a way out of this unfavorable situation.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The bandits who captured me have agreed to pass this along as another ransom request to a second imaginary benefactor, should the first fail to provide payment. Greed can be a useful motivator. The prospect of free gold without the need to do bandit work has intrigued them. Incidentally, please note how committed I am to completing my deliveries.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The bandits don't consider me a threat, so I am free to wander the River Ruin. I found five etched panels which clearly depict Ayleid ruins from the Mages Guild book. A sixth panel had been scored clean, with the exception of a stylized Ayleidoon word. I took an etching for later. (Assuming this third imaginary ransom request reaches you.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Last night, as I pretended to sleep, someone placed a cloak over my head and a dagger at my back. I was told to keep quiet and move quickly, which was rather difficult in the dark. Yet somehow, we departed the River Ruin without alerting the bandits. It seems she is a passing adventurer who noticed my predicament. I am saved!
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I am not saved. The adventurer is actually a bounty hunter, looking for me. I believe she was hired by the Mages Guild, but she has not been forthcoming. I admit to some surprise when she allowed this delivery, provided she read the message I sent along with it. Though I am not saved, I do appear safe. For the moment.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Today the bounty hunter interrogated me regarding the Missing Ruin. She primarily asked me to retrace my footsteps. I thought it strange she didn't react when I showed her the borrowed Mages Guild book. She plans to send a letter to her masters, and has graciously agreed to pass along this delivery to you.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] The bounty hunter works for Velothril Sisters! She was hired to track me down if I had not entered the Missing Ruin by a certain date. Now, she is to remain in my company until I successfully retrieve the enchanting material. A bodyguard, of sorts. A bounty guard, you see? No matter. (The phrase made her curl her lip at me.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I finally learned my bounty guard's name is Eron Salt. It took much questioning on my part for her to even share that. She is not what I would call a converastionalist, especially about herself. Before her arrival I traveled alone. If she doesn't care to speak, I shall continue to travel effectively alone. She'll have to get used to my humming.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Having learned all I can from the River Ruin, my next step is to translate the Ayleidoon word found within. Perhaps it can reveal vital information about the Missing Ruin. I certainly hope so, as my enchanting materials are rapidly dwindling. Have no fear, I will find an alternate source if needed. A contract is binding, after all.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I fought a troll! That is to say, Eron Salt fought the troll while I drank a potion of invisibility and called out its weak spots. It was surprisingly effective, and she seems to look at me in a new light. Just this morning, her nod was respectful rather than sarcastic. Now we hunt for the troll's lair.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Upon investigation, I am not at all surprised the troll attacked Eron Salt and myself. Within its lair were hundreds of smashed potion bottles and various magical accoutrements. It seems this troll had a taste for the enchanted! Thankfully, there were enough materials recovered from the detritus to restore my stock. Don't mind the troll fur.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Arrived in a small village today. The locals were delighted to learn we'd killed the troll that has been eating the traveling peddlers. They informed us of a local mage who would be most appreciative to learn of this, for it seems his orders have gone unfulfilled. Tomorrow we set out for his home. Perhaps he knows Ayleidoon?
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Davamin, the mage who lives in the troll-harassed village, was skeptical when I introduced myself as an employee of Velothril Sisters. Though he couldn't place the name, he was certain my employers had a poor reputation. (He put this more rudely than I describe.) Eron Salt suggested his body forcefully house the entirety of her boot. (As did she.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I mollified the prickly mage Davamin, despite Eron Salt's protestations. I suggested she camp outside the village while I plied Davamin with sweet talk. When that failed, I tried his sweet tooth. I'd noticed the various candies scattered about his laboratory, so gifting him with a particularly delicious Black Marsh slug taffy secured a meeting.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] According to Davamin, the lettering I sketched while amidst my bandit captives is indeed an Ayleidoon word. The letters form the word Hecul and roughly translate to outcast. The Missing Ruin is really the Outcast Ruin? The Ayleid have a harsh reputation. What could possibly have caused them to erase their own from their records?
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Despite my offer of monthly taffy delivery, Davamin could provide no further information on Hecul, the Outcast Ruin. He did write a letter of introduction to Prior Velan, whose clerk's mark graced the book on Ayleid ruins I long ago borrowed from the Mages Guild. If he made the manuscript's copy, he may have access to the original.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] After departing Davamin's village, Eron Salt spoke more angry words about the mage than I've heard her say since we met. Most of them are filthier than the gutters of Windhelm, but 'I'll make a cravat from his windpipe' was particularly inspired. Then he would be tongue-tied, you see? Or perhaps twisting in the wind? No matter.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] We arrived at the priory. Upon reading Davamin's letter of introduction, Prior Velan went a particularly ashen shade of gray. When I asked what he knew of the Outcast Ruin, he shouted 'Speak not its name!' and bolted from his own office. He made signs to ward off evil as he fled. What does one do when one's host flees the room? (I finished my tea.)
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Prior Velan refuses to speak with us. The brothers at the priory have gently but firmly requested we depart, and Eron Salt wants nothing more than to get moving. She thinks priests are bad luck, as they're always near the dying. When I suggested they best know how to care for them, she threatened to tongue-tie me. I did not press the issue.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] I suspect I am riding a stolen horse. Eron Salt woke me before dawn, insisting I get on a piebald palomino I remember from the priory. The pommel had a stylized 'Prior Velan' sewn into the leather. When I informed my erstwhile companion, she scraped the stitching off and said I was mistaken. I find it best to agree when dealing with bounty hunters.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] At great haste, and with the aid of the rarely talkative and always scowling Eron Salt, I returned to the Outcast Ruin. Velothril Sisters is contractually obligated to recover the enchanting material within nine weeks, and tomorrow is the last day. I would prefer more time to prepare, of course. Finding more questions than answers isn't reassuring.
#[As Sixul the Thorough] Today I enter Hecul, the Outcast Ruin. I will fulfill the letter of my contract, which is to recover one crate of rare enchanting material. I have potions at hand and convinced Eron Salt to lend me her dagger, which bears its own enchantment. I am Sixul the Thorough, and I have done everything I can to succeed on your behalf. Abavarlor.
#We at Velothril Sisters were disheartened to learn of the demise of our employee, Sixul. We hope this complimentary delivery can allay the inconvenience. We are currently reviewing the most capable employee to continue with your account. Until then, we leave you in the capable hands of Valyne Hlan, the procurer who stocks our personal reserves.
#[As Valyne Hlan] This is Valyne Hlan with Velothril Sisters. Formerly with Velothril Sisters. The enclosed delivery was one of theirs. I will explain shortly, but for now I must escape the city.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I'm safe. May the Three shelter me from the retribution of Velothril Sisters. Their purses are deep and their tolerance for disloyalty is minimal. It is madness for me to cross them. Yet I cannot allow them to feed another colleague to that accursed Ayleid ruin!
#[As Valyne Hlan] Before proceeding, I must be clear where we stand. Though I departed from Velothril Sisters with much haste, and I did so with a large amount of enchanting material, it was all earmarked for you, an existing client. As long as your planned deliveries continue, I am doing nothing illegal. (Which is what I'll tell the Guard, should they arrest me.)
#[As Valyne Hlan] I must keep off the roads. Did you know Velothril Sisters pays dozens of innkeepers a fee to report on the movements of their employees? It's true, I've seen the reports. Why does a middling procurement business need to spy on its own people? How can they afford to do so?
#[As Valyne Hlan] I arrived at a village with little trust for outsiders. They've grown used to my visits through the years. I wouldn't say they trust me, but they will keep me hidden for a handful of gold. Also, they make a delicious bean curd. I can't expose the darkness beneath the surface of Velothril Sisters on an empty stomach.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I owe you an explanation, along with your latest shipment. I worked as a Velothril Sisters procurer for eight years. Though they deliver enchanting material for those such as yourself, the contracts fund their true interests: acquiring dangerous relics from the far corners of Tamriel. For what purpose? I don't know. But it can't be a good one.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Velothril Sisters have no real enemies, but in their hunt for forbidden relics they certainly haven't made friends. Their fixation on Hecul, the Outcast (or Missing) Ruin is baffling. My best hope is to find someone who holds Velothril Sisters in low esteem and work to expose them. And pray to the Three, of course. That goes without saying.
#[As Valyne Hlan] An armed woman arrived in the village, asking about me. The gold she offered for information was less than what I paid the villagers for silence, so for now I'm safe. It must be one of the bounty hunters Velothril Sisters keeps on retainer. At least it isn't Eron Salt. I hear that woman is relentless.
#[As Valyne Hlan] The bounty hunter was, in fact, Eron Salt. She'll soon return with enough gold to bribe the villagers. If I'm to remain a free woman, I must flee. Fear not, the truth is on my side!
#[As Valyne Hlan] The truth may be on my side, but the weather is certanly not. The rains should throw Eron Salt off my trail. I hope.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I stumbled across a nereid today, amidst the rain. I don't know which of us was more surprised. I was still frozen in place as she curled her lips back. She aimed to tear my throat out, I'm sure of it. But then she pointed at me, shrieked in fear, and fled for her watery life. I am not an imposing person. Why would she do such a thing?
#[As Valyne Hlan] Fearful nereids aside, I stumbled across an abandoned hut not far from the road. I can hide from bounty hunters, stay out of the rain, and consider how best to expose Velothril Sisters. After I wring the entire Abecean Sea from my clothes.
#[As Valyne Hlan] It is settled. I'll seek out the mage Davamin, the taffy-appreciating mage who is no friend to Eron Salt. Sixul's private reports about his travels suggested Davamin knew more about the Outcast Ruin than he let on.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Did you know Velothril Sisters isn't actually a trio of Dark Elf siblings? It was originally a Breton outfit hoping to gain access to relics in Dark Elf lands. The 'three sisters' were a shallow play on our culture's veneration of the Three. All of it calculated, all a false front.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Davamin is dead! A few weeks ago he was found in his home, his throat sliced open, and his vocal cords done up like a bow on a package. It must have been Eron Salt. Isn't that fate what she wished of him?
#[As Valyne Hlan] Please don't think less of me, but I broke into Davamin's laboratory. I recovered his journal, but have no time to read it. His fellow villagers may have spotted me as I slipped from the lab. I write this from their own stables, allowing me to slip your material into the delivery pouch. I believe I have thrown off their trail.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I was wrong. I am still being chased by angry villagers. Must run.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I stumbled into a cave full of old rubbish. Broken bottles, a terrible smell, and signs of scavenging. This must be the troll lair Sixul and Eron Salt picked clean of materials. They killed the troll, so it's safe for me to rest and review Davamin's journal. At least for the moment.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Other than a surprising amount of prurient gossip about the village smith, Davamin's journal contains very little information beyond alchemical notations and notices to restock. I sit here in a dank, dark cave with the pungent odor of troll offal filling my nostrils. My brother would say it is the scent of poor decisions. I can't disagree.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Success! I used a thimble of blue-colored oil and some agitating oxide to create a mage's wick, a candle-sized flame that burns a bright white-blue for days. While it burned, I noticed some white-blue ink in the margins of Davamin's journal. He must have used ink to hide his thoughts in plain sight! Now, to investigate.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Davamin's hidden journal entries spoke of the meeting with Sixul and Eron Salt. The next entry seemed increasingly worried about the meeting Sixul, based upon additional readings. All entries after that repeat the same word, dozens upon dozens of times: Abavarlor. It sounds Ayleidoon, but what could it mean?
#[As Valyne Hlan] If Eron Salt seeks my trail in remote villages, the city where I started is the safest place to travel. I'm also running low on food. (And I refuse to eat mushrooms that grew in troll dung.)
#[As Valyne Hlan] I found a use for the troll dung mushrooms. You can trade them to shipboard apothecaries for use as ipecacs. In trade, I rented a hammock aboard his captain's moored ship until the day they set sail. Thankfully, Velothril Sisters does not bribe the dockmaster to watch the port. Hard to compete with the purses of Alliance spies.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I approached the Mages Guild. Sixul mentioned their dislike of Velothril Sisters, but I am cautious to mention the name until I know why. I made an appointment for tomorrow with one of their guild members who is fluent in Ayleidoon. Perhaps he knows what abavarlor means. I could swear I've heard that name before.
#[As Valyne Hlan] The Ayleidoon scholar informed me that 'abavarlor' roughly translates to 'forbidden symbol.' He seemed surprised at my inquiry, then grew suspicious. I made up a story regarding a relic I'd encountered in Cyrodiil, but as I excused myself he approached the magister. She signaled her adepts to take me into custody, so I fled.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I'm back at the ship, apparently safe. It appears the Mages Guild doesn't bribe the dockmaster either. Now to consider my next course of action. Also, to wring out my hair. I had to hide in a barrel of pickled perch, and since my return I have received nonstop innuendo from the Khajiiti boatswain. Most of it is crude, but some is almost poetic.
#[As Valyne Hlan] The Little Scrapper set sail today, and I with it. Velothril Sisters bounty hunters, Mages Guild adepts ... who shall pursue me next? Khajiiti boatswains excluded, of course. (Even the clever ones.)
#[As Valyne Hlan] Why such interest in this Outcast Ruin, and why did Davamin's journal repeat the Ayleid word for 'forbidden symbol?' Could it mean 'forbidden text?' If so, 'abavarlor' most refers to Hecul, the Outcast Ruin's real name. But why did it appear in the first place?
#[As Valyne Hlan] Abavarlor was the last word in Sixul's final update to Velothril Sisters. I remembered it this morning--nearly fell out of the boatswain's hammock. At the time I thought it was an Argonian farewell, or perhaps a prayer for luck. There's no source for this beyond Davamin, and Sixul certainly didn't gain access to his journal. Then how did he know?
#[As Valyne Hlan] I know my path. I must find Prior Velan, the skittish monk visited by Sixul. He knew more of the Outcast Ruin than he let on. I'm tired of being chased and I want answers. If he doesn't share, I'll force it from him. I don't fear retribution from his false gods.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I temporarily own a horse. An old nag, rented for a fortnight. She won't get me to Prior Velan any faster than walking, but I'd rather wear out the seat of one pair of breaches than the soles of my only boots.
#[As Valyne Hlan] You may wonder why I document my travels. You are insurance, of a sort. If I'm captured, I know of a substantial cache of runestones and can trade its location for your help in escaping. And if I suffer the same fate as my old colleagues? You'll have a record to bring to the Mages Guild, your Alliance, or someone who will take note. That's my hope.
#[As Valyne Hlan] No luck at the priory. The brothers insist Prior Velan is not to be disturbed. They said it was an illness, but those smug, cassocked s'wits are poor liars. From Sixul's account, Prior Velan copied the original book on Ayleid ruins for the Mages Guild. He must have seen what was written about the Outcast Ruin. I won't be denied this knowledge.
#[As Valyne Hlan] No luck at the priory. The brothers insist Prior Velan is not to be disturbed. They said it was an illness, but those smug, cassocked s'wits are poor liars. From Sixul's account, Prior Velan copied the original book on Ayleid ruins for the Mages Guild. He must have seen what was written about the Outcast Ruin. I won't be denied this knowledge.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I abducted Prior Velan. Good thing I paid attention when Gaereleth Surefoot showed us how to properly toss a grapnel. I brought him to a hunter's cabin--it's remote, and unused this time of year. He hasn't made a sound since I captured him, but he will. This hunter's cabin has hunter's tools. Also? A hook to hang the quarry.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Prior Velan talked. I'm not proud of what I did to make that happen, but it was necessary. He kept saying 'thrice-written, once damned' and 'it comes for my words.' When I asked if he meant Hecul, he shrieked and began babbling. I couldn't make sense of it, half of what he said was 'abavarlor.' I've never seen someone so terrified.
#[As Valyne Hlan] It happened so fast. Prior Velan tore himself down from the hook and forced his way from the cabin. He kept shrieking abavarlor as I chased him, growing more and more distressed. Then he leapt headfirst into a ravine. Didn't even lift his hands. Said one word as he fell: Free. Then he dashed his brains against the rocks at the bottom.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I'm tired. I'm scared. It feels as though I'm being watched, but I'm fairly certain that's all in my head. Tomorrow I begin my journey back to the city. I'll go directly to the Mages Guild and insist they explain why they care so much about a book that says nothing. I don't care what happens. I just want to know what this is about.
#[As Eron Salt] My name is Eron Salt. Valyne Hlan is in my custody. She said she sent you letters. I need to know what she told you about Hecul. No need to write me, I will find you.
#[As Eron Salt] Something is abavarlor. Contact abavarlor Sisters immediately. Do not allow Valyne abavarlor to proceed. She abavarlor more than she knows. Help. I'm losing abavarlor. Abavarlor.
#[As Eron Salt] abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor abavarlor
#[As Valyne Hlan] Eron Salt is dead. I watched her unravel before me, like someone had plucked at a thread in a knit cap and tugged until there was nothing but a pile of string. She didn't call out. She just stood there, repeating abavarlor until her jaw was thin strips of bone and gore on the ground. I freed myself from the hook, but I don't know what to do next.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I think I'm responsible for Eron Salt's death. Before it began, she kept muttering abavarlor, over and over. I told her she was coming apart at the seams--and a few hours later, she did. How does that make sense? If I could decide someone's fate with my voice, my old landlord would have long since buggered himself to death.
#[As Valyne Hlan] I buried Eron Salt today. I wasn't sure how her people did it, what words they say. But I know enough about vengeful spirits to avoid creating new ones.
#[As Valyne Hlan] Eron Salt's fate matched what I said to her. This isn't the first time someone's words resulted in someone's death. Davamin annoyed Eron Salt, and it appears her offhand wish for his demise came true. It's as if they were covered in kindlepitch, and the wish for their death was a lit torch. If words throw the torch, what spreads the kindlepitch?
#[As Valyne Hlan] Prior Velan was most afraid of the Outcast Ruin's true name. 'Thrice-written, once-damned?' From my records, Sixul wrote it three times. Unless you count the etching he made from the River Ruin's walls. Does that count? I don't know how many times I've written it down. Two times? Three? Only in letters I sent. Do you still have them? Can you check?
#[As Valyne Hlan] Prior Velan said 'It comes for my words' and then would not stop saying 'abavarlor.' His own words became 'forbidden symbols,' replaced with that one Ayleid phrase. Davamin's journal entries kept repeating the word. Eron Salt's letters as well. Is it some sort of infection? Once it begins, does it signal your doom? Sounds like a curse of some kind.
#[As Valyne Hlan] The curse must be a Daedric. Some sort of knowledge trap. The more you learn, the closer you come to peril--like a blind kwama approaching a source of great warmth, not realizing it's a volcano's lip. Once you're over the lip, you fall until another's ill-spoken words burn you to ash. You survive by avoiding words. Life at a priory, perhaps?
#[As Valyne Hlan] I quit. I want nothing to do with this anymore. I'll flee somewhere remote and live a solitary life. Before that, I'll return everything I took from Velothril Sisters. If they want their souls to become Daedric playthings, so be it. As for you? I suggest you burn my letters and sever all contact with Velothril Sisters as soon as you are abavarlor.
#We at Velothril Sisters have learned of the most unprofessional conduct attributed to our former employee, Valyne Hlan. As she maintained deliveries to you throughout her ill-conceived expedition, our contract with you was not technically in violation. Therefore we shall personally see to all future deliveries. Your discretion is appreciated.
==Trivia==
*A total of 100 additional mail messages were added with the introduction of .Update 14 Patch Notes
==Appearances==
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==References==