I had expected a visit from the assassin, the quest line was interlocked with Solitude. I hadn't really expected the visit from the thief though. The two of them provided different opportunities though. It started with talks and letters, unfortunately I was required to use the couriers office.
The courier stared at me with a wide grin and a small bounce every second. I sighed, I knew I had to address this at some point. "Sheogorath? Why are are you disguised as a courier?"
The Courier's smile widened more, "Oh, what gave it away? Was it the shoes? I must say they are very comfortable."
He raised a foot onto the counter and showcased a pair of jingling elf slippers. I took a deep breath, "Why are you following me?"
He laughed, "Isn't that obvious? You are the most sane, insane, sane person I have ever seen! or was it the most insane, sane, insane person i have ever seen? Or perhaps it was something else, I can't be bothered to remember."
I closed my eyes and Sheogorath was random madness and chaos, but random madness and chaos wasn't the same as deception. "Are you saying you are watching me to see if I go insane or something similar?"
He shrugged and took out a candy bar wrapped in tin foil and everything. I couldn't help to blink, but I paused. "Ah that's from Grey Prince?"
Sheogorath smiled, "This is why I like you! So smart! Who's a good boy! You ar-"
I cut him off, "I do need to send some letters. So can we speed up why you are watching me?"
Sheogorath's avatar paused and its face got serious, "Don't go locating Jyggalag."
I raised an eyebrow, "Did my plans seem like I was going to?"
He shrugged, "No idea! perhaps there is some hidden meaning in my words! Wouldn't that be crazy?"
I looked down at the candy bar in the Daedric princes hand and back up to the manic eyes. I tried to suppress my realization, but the god caught it. "Looks like you figured out what I wanted to say, not that it matters!"
He reached out and pinched my cheek, "You would've figured it out. Yes! Very smart in all the wrong ways."
I sighed Sheogorath made my head hurt without anything actually happening. "So are you watching the others as well?"
He laid down on the post office counter, "In various ways, you are all soooooooo much fun."
I rolled everything around in my mind, Sheogorath was giving me a warning to not accidentally mantle an already existing god. While also warning me that I might go insane if I am not careful. He is also watching some other players to see if they go insane.
I looked up and saw him with reading glasses and my one of my letters. "Ho- Never mind, Why are you reading my letter to Illia and Gwen?"
he pushed down the reading letter, "Did you realize you made no spelling mistakes, how horrible! Too bad you don't still have the Staff of Magnus. Perhaps you can do something about that? Any-woo! Gimmie your letters I will deliver them, no problems!"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "You deliver them or you manipulate a courier to deliver them without him realizing he was control."
He kicked his feet on the counter, "Oh I don't know. Don't worry though I can't interfere, that would be cheating! Ah! Cheating, like you! Candy bar?"
He held out a candy bar still wrapped in tin foil to me. My eyes twitched, "I'm fine, can you just deliver my letters."
He nabbed the letters out of my hand and smiled, He quickly flickered through them and tossed them on the counter. Once done, He rung a small bell on the counter and disappeared into the back room. A different courier peered around the corner and spoke, "Leave your letters on the counter and I will get them in a second sir! Have a nice day."
I shivered slightly and left the mail office. I wasn't sure if Sheogorath was possessing the man or simply disguised as a mail officer. Either way I was given the creepers by the interaction. That was no doubt part of his entertainment.
Sheogorath certainly didn't mind more madmen in the world, however he was once the hero of Kvatch. This made his 'advice' at least aligned in a way that would benefit him. Even if it meant steering someone away from madness.
I rubbed my chin in some thought as I walked. With the letters sent, a few things should roll into motion. I 'warned' Maven about the possible lost profits due to some problems with a wedding here in Solitude. As well as I possible deal to make up those profits. I sent a letter to Ingun listing the same, with one of the Ever-Filling Vials of Rejuvenating Springs, With a listed description.
This spread to the Fallowstone Settlement and its expansion. Ri'saad was able to provide construction material in exchange for work order contracts and information. It was a good deal, telling that it costed almost nothing.
Those were minor things though. Letters sent to the Dawnguard and College of Winterhold were more important. I would need replies quickly, th- I paused. I knew how to use the skeleton key. I had all the context previously, but I was lacking the right to use it. I hadn't stolen the key! I was planning on returning the key, that was why I was struggling. It was the attention behind the artifact.
I shook my head at the obvious solution. I headed toward Proudspire Manor. I would preform the test in the basement. I froze again and thought about Sheogorath. I frowned at the obvious coincidence and carefully connected dots in my mind.
The door opened in front of me and Viree jumped, "Oh, what are you doing?"
I looked at her and shook my head, "Thinking. What are you doing?"
She shrugged, "About to go do some training. Need me for anything?"
I shook my head, "Nah, don't over work yourself. I'll be in the basement though."
She nodded and headed down the stairs. This left me back to my thoughts I entered the Manor and head to the basement. This would be somewhat complicated, one couldn't just stab themself with the skeleton key to unlock their potential and my intentions behind the key were still problematic.
This would take up some room and the basement had low foot traffic, but we still had to store things here. I would need a different space...
"Ah, the dungeon in the sewers!" I moved to the back of the basement behind a small brick wall. I frowned and decided against going through the waste disposal grate. Which left me with one option.
I sighed as I began doing the math and mentally remapped Solitude in my head. I pointed to a wall and let magic do the hard work. A tunnel began to form as I rotated spells. Eventually the tunnel grew and I had to take a right turn, a left turn and another descent. Once I found my target it was easy enough to kick a hole through the stone wall.
I smiled at my skill, I had arrived perfectly centered into the dungeon I had originally met Viree in. The downside was I could already smell the rest of the sewers. I began some more magic work and turned the tunnel I carved into a stair case. Creating a double layered magic lock on the dungeon and finally forced the stench out of the room.
Looking around the room was decent enough, no body would really go down here either. For good measure though, I added an alarm to entry points and manually converted the Petrify spell into a rune on the floor.
Creating a functioning rune was actually pretty easy. The hard part was putting mana into it at a stable rate. I might need to learn a basic rune spell fuse it with all my other spells for future use. Rune magic though was simply circles and daedric with mana infused into it. The words grant the effect and element. Though that was easier said than done.
I cracked my knuckles, runes were easier talked about than done. The same applied to what I was planning on doing. This was the reason why I asked Sybille to study certain items. I looked through my inventory and find my items lacking for what I planned. Which meant I had to improvise this a bit and the outcomes may shift.
I flattened the ground with magic and began to draw multiple circles in chalk. After finishing the third circle I realized I could likely do way more. I rubbed my chin in some thought and summoned some things from my inventory. I looked into the psijic order's notes on Obscuros device, Unraveling staff, The hourglass of perceived time and the notes on varying species.
With the consultation I began writing down daedric runes. This was a stupid amount of effort. This was likely super dangerous as well. I would need to add some safety measures. I changed paths and added a 4th circle. Finally writing down the multiple runes The four first circles were almost done.
I set down my chalk and began using magic to etch the circles and runes into the stone. Behind me from the tunnel I heard movement and looked over to see Simon. The little Scuttling bastard was adventuring down the here. I paused, ah, I could likely take this a step forward.
I pushed Simon back up and made a note to put a door down here. Returning to the circle I took out some daedra hearts. I crushed them one by one and began pouring the liquid into the etchings. Pure daedric blood might be more effective, but I didn't have Daedric blood.
I rubbed my hands and began infusing mana into the improvised ritual circle. The circles glowed with magic, but waited to be truly activated. I smiled again, I couldn't help it. I finally took out the Skeleton key and the first circle of runes activated.
Black aura poured from the Skeleton key. The fog-like aura covered the circles, but the runes glowed through the fog. I smiled and began to release magic toward the circles and the second circle shined through the fog.
The first circle acted to harness and contain the artifact. While the second circle acted to direct it. The magic I released acted as the conduit. The black aura began to shift and pull toward me. This made the 3rd circle activate and I felt my legs crumpled. This might have been too much, the aura still poured into me though.
I took a deep breath, and watched the 4th circle not activate. I felt myself whimper, my skin tingled and a cold I didn't know I could feel rippled through my body in pulses. I heard steps behind me and Viree's voice. "What in the world are you doing. Are you okay?"
I raised a shaky thumb, "Unlocking my P-P-Po-Potential."
I felt her disapproving gaze on my back. It didn't last long as the power from the Skeleton key ended. I fell backyard and Viree caught me. Her face had concern and disapproving. "Perhpas you should've asked for my help?"
i raised a hand and waved it off. "I'm fine, but if you could set me on the floor? My skin is freezing and this position makes it tingle with pain."
She set me down and shook her head. "You feel incredibly hot."
Ah, that explains it. I was likely dehydrated and feverish. I summoned a canteen of water and Viree took it from my heads. "I'll do it. Tell me about what all this is?"
"That artifact on the floor is the skeleton key. However Noctunal didn't give me it, nor did I steal it. So it acted as a plain unbreakable lockpick, which is nice. However not useful to me. So instead I 'Stole' the power of skeleton key and unlocked my, uh, potential."
She sighed, "So what went wrong?"
I shifted and looked at the runes of the 4th circle. "They safety measures coaxed into the 4th magic circle didn't go off." I face palmed, "Ah, found the problem, this rune is short."
I fixed the etching and looked over the circle. Viree pointed to the runes, "What is this red stuff."
I looked at her, "You really want to know?"
She paused, "Ah, you are right, I'm good. Let's go back to that potential thing. You feel any different?"
I began skimming through my journal system. I hadn't seen a notification, but, "Ah, Unlocked Potential. A passive effect and an active power. The passive effect says all previous level ups are reactivated, while all future level ups are boosted. All skill level ups are boosted to their full potential and talent. Finally all legendary effects are doubled."
Viree nodded and I continued. "The active power says pushes the body to the absolute limit of what it can do. Lasts 120 seconds, and can be used twice a day."
Viree nodded, "So... You fixed the safety measures right?"
I laughed, "You want a turn? We can do it later. I think I need to do a few more tests and experiments. I think the key needs to be 'rested' as well. I think i will add a 5th circle that alters artifact power and absorbs it into a person. I have a bunch of room to and I think I could create a few more interesting circles using the languages of other species."
I rubbed my chin, "Thinking about it, a portal to the soul cairn might be possible, other oblivion realms would be possible as well. Ah, perhaps I could locate an oblivion realm cut off from the rest?"
Viree raised an eyebrow, "I'm not much of a historian, but aren't gates of oblivion extremely dangerous? You told me about the oblivion crisis, and a city of souls from oblivion. Doesn't sound like a great idea."
I shrugged, "There was also the events of cold harbor and so on. The portals themselves aren't dangerous it is the invasive forces that are. On that note, I can easily make a lock mechanism."
I got up and took out my notebook, "If I use the right magics and runes I could theoretically open un-accessed realms of oblivion. Oh, I can combine draconic and Atmoran to derive a long range realm cut acting as a wormhole. I wouldn't have to ride another boat and get sea sick! Ah, and if use the Sload language in the Soul Cairn portal I might remove the need to be undead or soul-trapped."
I felt Viree's hand on my shoulder, "Calm down, you can do this later. You have an appointment remember?"
Ah, I checked the time and sure enough. I did have an appointment to go to in an hour. "Thanks Viree!"
I marched up the newly created tunnel, but I paused. "Could you buy a door from the carpenter to block this tunnel off?"
Viree gave and affirmative and I went ahead to leave.