Floating Island of Legends - The Story

[Altbert]

The story behind the mod Floating Island of Legends, but without any spoilers. There will be 5 parts, one part each day.

[Altbert]

The Floating Island of Legends, part 1

Waking up one morning in Breezehome, it was to become a nice and warm day. To my regret no coffee, and I decided to visit the Coffee House for a nice cup of coffee. It was nice to have a real house after having spent several days in the ruined house near Fort Greymoor, but at least I had a bed there. I had a chest placed next to the bed to store any surplus loot I could not sell to the merchants in Whiterun or Riverwood. But after some time I had enough money to buy Breezehome and decorate at least the living room and kitchen.

Arriving at the ruined house, to pick up some gear, I was attacked by one of Boethiah's cultists. No hard time to get rid of him, and I walked down the road from Whiterun to the Coffee House. It was a quiet walk with just an occasional wolf or sabre cat with a death wish.

Near an area called Barleydark Farm, without an actual farm that is, I noticed something strange near Lone Mountain, in the center of the Whiterun plains. I decided to investigate this phenomena, and getting closer there was a well and a blue beam rising up from the well into the sky. When I looked up I saw a large island floating in the sky and one smaller island on the south side. Walking around for some time there was another island on the east side. Eventually I found that the well and blue beam are a portal bringing you up to the island's surface. First thing I saw was what I would call a large outdoor kitchen, stacked with food and drinks. Near a large fireplace barrels and cupboards with more food and beverages, even the most exclusive, such as the Balmoral Blue and Colovian Brandy, but also the cheaper drinks. Barrels were filled to the lid with vegetables, fruit, meat, crustations and fish. On the small wall around the fireplace was a strange Dwemer-type apparatus, a coffee- and teamachine. Buttons on both sides of the machine could be used to select coffee or tea. Yes! Also black coffee!



After finishing my morning coffee it was time to explore the island. First the larger farmhouse near the outdoor kitchen, then the smaller farmhouse and a mysterious tower between the farmhouses. Outside the larger farmhouse all the crafting stations you would prefer to have outside. On the porch on the west side of the house more crafting stations, but my eyes were drawn to something at the edge of the island, something that looked like an airship. Walking up onto the stockade tower where the airship was docked, various buttons seemed to select the destination of the airship. I had already seen the same type of stockade tower near the Whiterun stables. Okay, let's try the airship. I chose Whiterun and walked up to the airships deck and before I knew I found myself near Whiterun. I immediately used the airship to return to the island to see what else the islands have in store.



The large farmhouse was nicely decorated with rather exclusive furniture. Down in the basement, lots of empty chests and several large book cases full of strange books. On the table a journal from a man called Talin the Fair-Haired. I decided to take the book with me to the outdoor kitchen, took a seat and started reading the story of the Infernal City, Prince Attrebus Mede and his companions. The journal closed with a riddle about a treasure hidden by the prince. I should really follow up on this as it made me extremely curious, but first another walk around the island and then a good nights rest!

[Altbert]

The Floating Island of Legends, Part 2

Yesterday I found two graves on the north side of the island. These must be the graves of Talin and his wife Brunhilde. I travelled with the airship to the hold capitol where I presumed the treasure would have been hidden, but there was nothing there, until I tripped over a skeleton. As usual I checked if there was anything of value. Not much, but most interesting a journal from Prince Attrebus Mede. I took it outside and reading the journal it seemed the prince was ambushed and left for dead, being able to write down a new riddle, something about a Golden Dragon taking the treasure to another save place and the disappearance of the sword Umbra. I read about the sword in Talin's journal, used to destroy the Ingenium, which kept the Infernal City floating and being able to fly, destroying everything underneath and collecting the souls of all those poor people, animals and creatures.



So, I had to travel to another location pointed to by the riddle in the prince's journal. Since it was already getting dark, I used the airship to travel back to the island. Thrilled about this adventure, I forgot to eat and drink all day, but there was more than enough on the island to prepare a good meal. And, I deserved a Colovian Brandy, or maybe two!



The next morning, not after enjoying my morning coffee, I travelled to this new location, when I was immediately attacked by a witch. But it didn't take that long before a dragon started attacking the witch, and the fate she had in store for me, became her fate within just a few minutes. That dragon was the Golden Dragon the prince wrote about. I entered the cave with only one witch and a skeever to worry about. With a little distraction I could overpower the witch and the skeever was no match for my katana. But ... didn't the prince mention five chests? None of those here, no treasure. I was disappointed. Then I stumbeled on a corpse, an Orc bandit. At a short distance from the Orc I saw a slight purple glowing, the sword Umbra! That would mean that at least one of the bandits responsible for the prince's death met his fate here, not being killed by the dragon but by a witch.

Time to return to the island to prepare a good meal, but not after visiting the Coffee House.

[Altbert]

Floating Island of Legends, Part 3

The next day I decided to walk to Whiterun to sell some loot and on the way do some hunting. I was approached by a courier handing me a letter from Ysolda. In this letter she mentioned a Synod researcher from the Imperial City she was expecting but who never arrived. The researcher named Daglin was supposed to travel from the Imperial City to Whiterun through Pale Pass, and Ysolda asked me to find out what might have happened. It was really interesting to follow up on this, since Daglin wanted to talk to Ysolda about the Infernal City. Later I would discover that Ysolda had some knowledge about the floating city, when I found Ulag's corpse in Sleeping Tree Cave with a note from Ysolda and talking to Ysolda about it. Ysolda mentioned the Sleeping Tree could have fallen off of the island, but thought of it as a hoax.



I travelled to Pale Pass and quite nearby found the body of the Synod researcher. Before she died she was capable of scribbling a few notes on a piece of paper. She was attacked by an Argonian, a Saxhleel warrior, who seemed to be looking for the Floating Island and the sword Umbra.



Following the road towards Helgen seemed to be the most logical path this warrior would take, trying to avoid anything that would hinder his progress. I finally found this warrior between Greywater Grotto and Fort Neugrad, not too far from Helgen. Seeing him from a distance he seemed to be a very dangerous opponent, outfitted with full Daedric armor and wielding a Daedric battleaxe. My arrows didn't seem to hurt him one bit, so I would have to count on Umbra and after a heavy battle I got him on his knees, but a final strike with Umbra killed him, his soul got trapped in a black soul gem. Reading his orders, he wasn't the only Saxhleel warrior. Seven more warriors would have entered Skyrim in the east, north, west and south. Tracking them all down would take quite some time, but at least I knew where they all would have entered the province: the pass near Dayspring Canyon, Dunmeth Pass, Hsaarik Head on Broken Cape, along the coast north of Nightcaller Temple, near Darkfall Cave, near Dead Crone Rock and the pass near Halldir's Cairn. They were all ordered to avoid any contact with the citizens of Skyrim. Also they were all instructed to follow a certain route and to join each other near Bleakwind Basin. If they had not found the island they should spread out and continue the search.

Somehow I had the feeling I needed more black soul gems. The Ingenium in the Infernal City needed souls, and if the island was also depending on souls, I could at least soul trap those Saxhleel warriors.

It took nearly two weeks to track them all down, slay them and capture their souls, although I regularly returned to the island to sleep, eat and prepare food and drinks to take with me.

[Altbert]

Floating Island of Legends, Part 4

Returning to the island, I found the Golden Dragon on an inaccessible part of the island, it's lair. Near the graves of Talin and Brunhilde a third grave had appeared, the grave of Prince Attrebus Mede. As I discovered from a note from Annaig, one of the prince's companions, she and Fhena, another companion, have been following me ever since I started searching for the treasure. They took the prince's remains from the cave and buried the prince on the island near Talin and Brunhilde. They are now on the island to take care of it and restocking the barrels in the outdoor kitchen on a daily basis.



However, they also had a new adventure waiting for me. I didn't notice it when I arrived back on the island, but there was a very light rumble. The remaining part of the Ingenium seemed to become unstable. It could take days, weeks, months or even years before it could eventually destroy the island. I couldn't let that happen as I became very attached to the island and all it had to offer.



I had to find five Ayleid Ancestor Statues and I also needed five filled black soul gems. I'm glad I already anticipated on the last requirement. The Ayleid ruins are spread along the Druadach Mountains, the Dragon's Teeth Mountains and the Jerall Mountains. I have already seen some of these, the first one near the cave where the Golden Dragon killed the witch and when tracking down the Saxhleel warriors. There seem to be various Ayleid ruins along the western and southern mountain ranges of which only four are accessible: Ceya Glynn, Sedor Tarn, Talar Nalata and Vanua Twyll. Once I found all needed statues, I should store those and the five filled black soul gems in a large chest in what is called the Treasure Room. Then the statues and the black soul gems should be distributed over the five chests in that room.



Since I have never been to the tower yet, I decided to take a look. Going up into the tower I found the magic crafting stations I didn't find in the large farmhouse: an alchemy table, an enchanting table and a table to craft staves. On a small table an alembic. As I found out later I could use the alembic to distill skooma from moon sugar and double-distilled skooma from regular skooma. I'm not really into that sort of thing, but maybe Annaig and Fhena are, or maybe it was used by Talin and Brunhilde. Going down in the tower an area called the Undercroft had several working Dwemer machines. Could this also be part of the remains of the Ingenium? In the corner an old Dwemer barrel containing 75 gold ingots. The actual treasure? The lowest room in the tower was the Treasure Room, but there was a large empty chest in front of a partition wall and five inaccessible chests behind the wall. I already had five black soul gems with the souls of those slayn Saxhleel warriors, but I decided to wait until I have found the statues. Time for some dinner and a good night's rest!

[SIMelissa]

Nice story, Alle. Not sure I believe the part about you not being into distilling skooma or moon sugar, though.

[Altbert]

It's time to search for those Ayleid Ancestor Statues, but first coffee and some breakfast. I had already seen some of those Ayleid ruins in the distance, but haven't payed much attention to the ruins. I started my search for the statues near Volskygge, close to the Druadach Mountains working my way down to the start of the Dragon's Teeth Mountains near Dead Crone Rock and Hag Rock Redoubt. From there I followed the mountain range towards the pass near Halldir's Cairn, the point where the Jerall Mountains take over from the Dragon's Teeth Mountains, and towards the pass near Dayspring Canyon. I found all the ruins, sometimes just a few ruined arches, an ancient Ayleid well or a ruin with a blocked entrance. In four ruins, named earlier, I had to fight my way to a possible statue. I already found two statues, and the last three statues should be hidden in three of those ruins, one flooded, one heavily invested with bandits, the others invested with Ayleid and other creatures.



After replenishing my supplies a couple of times, I could return to the island with the statues to hopefully stabilize the remains of the Ingenium. I went straight to the Treasure Room and stored the statues and five of the black soul gems in the large chest. As soon as I closed the chest it was already empty again. I just had to assume the statues and gems were distributed to the five chests on the other side of the wall and that the remains of the Ingenium were stabilized.

Going to the outdoor kitchen to prepare myself a good meal and having a good drink, Balmora Blue this time, I noticed a new note on the round table, from both Annaig and Fhena. They seemed to be missing a special barrel, that may have fallen off of the island when the island was manouvred from the Imperial City to the Whiterun plains. That must be a special barrel or contain something special, why bother otherwise. But, first a good meal, a good drink and a good night's rest.



The next morning I started to search for this barrel around Lake Illinalta, first close to the lake, later further away if necessary, in the end, if necessary, searching the bottom of the lake. I sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that. After a good day's search I found the barrel close to the waterline of the lake. Opening the barrel I only found a spell tome to summon the barrel when I was near overencumbered. Closing the barrel it immediately disappeared in thin air. Back on the island, the barrel had appeared in a corner near the Dwemer tower.

To my relief no more note on the table. I finally had time to read some of those strange books in the library. First titles that draw my attention were some volumes called "The Poetic Edda". I took a few volumes to the outdoor kitchen, poored myself a tasty drink, sat down and started to read. Edda, I heard that name before. I remembered! Edda was the Imperial beggar on the Riften market. Could she have anything to do with these books or the story in it?