Third Arc: Exiles

~The Companions~

-To Whiterun: The group makes their way to Whiterun; en route, they are attacked by Lund, now running with a crew of bandits, and kill him.

-First mention of bandits paying homage to the Queen of the Karth.

*Later, the group will learn that the Queen is a hagraven servant of Namira.

-In Whiterun, Steinn is approached by refugees from Old Hroldan, seeking protection from the Stormcloaks attacking their town. Steinn promises to help if he can.

-Running with the Pack: Sabin tries working with the Companions, many of whom are fellow werewolves. After helping them hunt down an assassin who made an attempt on the Jarl’s life, she decides against joining them, and returns to the rest of the group.

~The Khajiit Caravan~

-Trade Negotiations: The group finds work assisting a Khajiit Caravan negotiate a trade with a Dunmer company. Afterward, their Leader Dro’Shakar invites them to travel with the Caravan to the west.

-The Caravan (Daedric Encounter): The group travels west; during the journey, Dro’Shakar attempts to help Sabin reconcile her dual natures; Hircine visits her nightmares.

~Dzurchkranzel (Dwemeric Encounter)~

-The Lexicon: Ylgar manages to open the puzzle box and access the message within, showing him a Dwemer Tower somewhere in the Reach. When they eventually see this exact Tower in the distance, the Mage convinces the group to explore it and reunite with the Caravan later.

-Possibly, this entire series of events was orchestrated by Ylgar the Blind.

-The Tower of Dzurchkranzel: The group traverse the Dwemer stronghold and city, learning a great deal from psychic remnants about those that once lived there.

-Dzurchimium: Ylgar is captured and used as a control center by the a Dwemer construct called Dzurchimium; when it becomes clear that defeating the automaton would also kill their friend, the group acquiesces to reactivating the portal systems using the power of the Voice.

-Nihlus also spends a short time within Dzurchimium, which will continue to make him vulnerable to Tonal Architecture and Dwemer Psychic Technology in the future. 

-Dragonbreak: Reactivating the Dwemer systems gives Arniel Gane a brief foothold in reality, during which he accidentally steals Ylgar’s hand (leaving a spectral one in its place) and gives an at the time very confusing warning about Namira and the immanent Void Incursion (notably, he does not mention Namira by name). Then, time and space break for a while, setting the group adrift in the Void, after which the group awakens back outside the tower (now ruined beyond recognition). Several days have passed.

-Nihlus’s direct contact with the Void alters his magic and body, leading to such manifestation as not needing (and being unable) to sleep and, later on, having a weakened relationship with gravity.