Article 16 from the Legion's Report on the "Sleeping Sickness"

Record submitted - 4E 295, 13th of Second Seed

The following appears to be the only clue into the epidemic sweeping Cheydinhal known as the "Sleeping Sickness". A written transcription by one of our scribes is included of the interrogation of a local farmer by the name of Frilmjar. No family name. The interrogating Legionnaire is Artoxius Dromus.

Transcription of interrogation of a local farmer from the Niben Basin, following the events of what's being called the "Sleeping Sickness"

Imperial Interrogator: Tell it again, from the start. The scribe will take it down as you say it.

Farmer: Uhh... Ok, hmm. Well, I was just coming in from late night chores, when I here a moaning coming from the bushes just over there.

The farmer points in the direction of Lake Poppad, near some bushes.

F: So, Well, figuring some poor traveler was set upon by a bandit or gob's, I went over for a look-see, and guess what, it's one of your men!

II: What do you mean by that? Be clear.

F: A legionnaire. Badly wounded too, in a sorry state if I ever saw one. Looked like a Minotaur got the best of him. Anyways I brought him into the house, and he was spouting a whole load of nonsense. Mentioned Vaermina by name several times. Said something about a bog, er, a quagmire to be specific. Didn't make much sense to me.

II:... go on. There is a dead legionnaire in your house. What exactly did he say?

F: Okay, okay... He mentioned something about the disease that hit Cheydinhal recently, saying it was going to get worse, saying he saw it! He mentioned sleeping people, vomiting out some form of cloud. It caused more people to fall unconscious... and eventually they just, disappear he said! He then began blathering about slipping into the quagmire again, how it would drown us all. It was a lot of nonsense...

The Legionnaire stands, an air of urgency about him. He grabs the disheveled farmer by his burlap shirt

II: Is that it? Was there no one else? No other legionnaires?

F: He was alone, on Akatosh I swear it! The Dagon take my soul. He said all the others were lost. Dead or worse! His words exactly! Oh! and this, he had this!

The Legionnaire release the farmer, who then produces a strange square cube, made of a strange metal. A dark orange-gold in color, covered in strange runes. The legionnaire snatches it from the farmer

II: This looks old. Did he say what it was?

F: No, it was his last act to hand that to me, before he died in my bed.

The interrogator sets the cube on the table the two men are sitting at.

II: Is that-

A flash of blue light, and the cube rises about an inch in the air, myself, the legionnaire, and the farmer are stunned in surprise. Suddenly, a metallic voice sounds, extremely distorted, and stuttering quite frequently

Voice from Cube: L-l-log Date - 3rd Er-, Year 350, Twenty-sixth of F-F-F-st -eed. Log o-o-o-of Mar-to-to-tonius Ar-

The voice breaks into static for a moment

Voice from Cube: Location indeterminate, signalling locashu-shu-shu- as per mergence proto...... Beginning recording.

*At this point the metallic voice clicks off, and after several seconds of silence, a male voice, much more human this time, clicks on

Male Voice: Oblivion has finally taken me. I'll kill those mages if I ever get back.

The voice sounds fraught with worry. Moments of silence pass before he speaks again.

Male voice: Bloody silent here. For the realm of Vae- Wait what was that!?

A swoosh, and what sounds like a hand slapping mud quite forcefully drowns out the voice for a moment. A yell is heard, distorting the noise. The sound of what my best guess would be someone sloshing through knee deep water is heard.

Male Voice: Oh no. Not today. Talos save me from this hell pit. Where is the legion! They should have realized I didn't end up where I was supposed to by now!

The sound of feet on hardwood.

Male Voice: What is this devilry... a ship? I'm on a boat? I could have sworn this was a bog...

A baby's laughter is heard, quietly in the background

Male Voice: Oh dear divines...

A new voice is heard. A woman's? Possibly a male. Different from the first. It at once sounds soothing and pleasant, yet still, it made the skin crawl nonetheless, like nails grating on a board of chalk.

Female Voice: Does this form, scare you? I can take others, not that you will enjoy them anymore. Not that you can do anything about it either!

A gasp from the male voice

Male Voice: What are you!? What do you want!? Let me go, please!

Grunts come from the male voice

Female Voice: No. I do not think so. You mortals are so. much. fun. And besides! You came to visit me.

The voice changes from a pleasant females to a piercing scream, barely audible

Screaming voice: YOU INVADE MY HOME, BREACH THE SLEEPING SANCTITY OF MY REALM AND DON'T WANT TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES?!?!?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?

The screaming dies down, and the male voice groans weakly

Female voice: What, do you not know who I am? What you were in for? Did your people learn nothing the past ten years!?

The pitch raises to a scream again

Screaming voice: APOCRYPHA! COLDHARBOUR! AND NOW QUAGMIRE!?!?! YOUR HUBRIS IS GREAT, BUT I CAN MAKE USE OF IT. SLEEP NOW. DREAM FOR ME, AS WE ARE DREAMED, AND I SHALL SHOW YOU THE NIGHTMARE THIS DREAM REALLY IS!

The sound suddenly cuts back to the metallic voice

Voice from Cube: C-C-C-C-orrupted sound -ata, p-p-p-layback s-s-s-topped. A-A-A-gain?

II: What in all of Tamriel was that?

Voice from cube: T-t-t-ermin-n-nating-g-g-g

The cube reforms, and falls gently onto the table. The farmer has fainted