Bump In The Night: Arlugbur I

Editor's notes are in ^[brackets]

Arlugbur I

Our journey begins in the misty Druadach mountains, where I was investigating rumors of a Lord among Briar-Hearts. I should, at this point, mention that I am Blood-Kin to the Orcish strongholds and had visited the four of Skyrim. I earned this right by participating in a particularly nasty brawl with three Giants and, most frighteningly, a goat.^[1]

But I digress, our story continues with me traveling up a particularly steep mountain, working up quite the sweat. I had traveled from Markarth after a week-long break there - ready to fight the Madmen of the Reach. Little did I know they weren't the only Madmen in that Gods-forsaken hold.

Eventually I reached one of the Thousand Peaks^[2] and looked around at the fantastic sight. It was an array of snow-tipped spears jutting from a fog-ground, stretching infinitely North and South, and to my East was the beautiful and rugged land of Skyrim. An odd spear jutted out from my immediate West, though. Instead of a snow peak, it was topped with what appeared to be a giant dish, with the peak dotted in grey and green architecture. The sun was setting over it's odd peak and from my wide-experience with the Pariah-Folk, I knew I was looking at what appeared to be an Orcish stronghold.

This perplexed me, for what was an Orcish stronghold doing up in the Druadachs? Of course, reader, you know that I had to discover the secrets within. Challenging the Chief, rescuing a maiden, and all those other tasks are what drives me to continue dealing with the Orcs anyways, and where there’s undiscovered settlements there's coin to be made! Of course I was woefully wrong, but I was smart and strong enough to get out alive.

I quickly descended the East mountain through the utilization of a Feather Falling spell, and hiked up the West mountain. As I approached the peak, the climb grew steeper and steeper until I was essentially playing rock-ladder with the mountain. It was more efficient to use a Levitation spell rather than continue climbing and I shot upwards towards the peak. I then realized the purpose of the dish impaled by the peak - it was an net. These people must have lived vertically, and any accidents could be caught in the dish, which also served as an effective defense - except against skilled Telvanni Spellswords, such as myself.

I shot over and landed on the lip of the dish to reveal the Stronghold. Orcs climbed complex systems of ladders and some levitated to reach their various destinations - I counted at a glance four black smithies, two apothecaries, and over three dozen residencies. At the peak was a giant assemblage of crates and a large wooden crane, that I could only surmise functioned as the Stronghold's mine as I noticed the smell of burning. My next question was twofold - where was the Chief's Longhouse, and why hadn't he challenged my presence yet?

I was met with quick and almost aggravated glances as the darkness of dusk began to descend along with me, as I walked on top of the dish towards the actual body of the mountain. Imagine my surprise when I stepped over a hatch, and it quickly opened and grabbed hold of my legs, pulling me swiftly in and knocking me unconscious as my head banged into the lip of the opening.

I groggily awoke in a rough wooden bed padded with straw so brittle it seemed to stab me. The decor of the room was customary of the Orcs - that is, it didn't have any besides trophies of battle and hunts and a wide array of arms. Only a single torch sconce lit the room, but it provided enough for me to become perplexed as I perceived that the roof and floor curved in. I slowly remembered the circumstances of my slumber, and when I arrived to the memory of being dragged under, I jumped out of the bed and clumsily attempted to unsheath my blade. It was gone from it's sheath. No matter, I would use my prowess in Destruction to blast my way out of this death trap. As I began to pick a spot to begin Fireballing, a figure stepped into the room and greeted me with a deep and guttural male voice.

"Calm down, we mean you no harm. We had to confirm you were not dangerous, Blood-Kin." The figure stepped into the light to reveal a light green, almost gray, Orsimer. He was adorned with a Orcish helm and a jutting jaw, garbed neck-down in a simple fur cuirass and boots. At his side was an Ebony sword that seemed to faintly emanate darkness, or rather, absorb light - I could not tell. I ceased resonating my spell, and bowed before the Chief. "I assume you are the Chief of this Stronghold? My apologies for my obtrusive entrance, I was enamored with your unique vertical lifestyle."

Take a lesson reader, the Orsimer may publicly admonish flattery and humility, but when dealing with an unknown and possibly hostile Chief, it is best to divert their attention with the wiles of a silver tongue while you size them up. The Chief appeared to be one such Chief that easily betrays their guard to a well placed comment, and smiled at my display.

"Yes, I am the Chief of this Stronghold. I am Kargur gro-Rozak and this is Arlugbur, called by the ancient Dragons Diillo Lok-Strunmah^[3] and a force against all those who wish to defile our kind. Why do you come to Un Drem-Ahrol, our peaceful hill upon the Mountain?"

I was astounded by the fluent and skillful integration of the tongues of the Orsimer, Tamrielic, and the Dragon's tongue - this was obviously a learned man, rare among Orcs, even rarer among their Chiefs.

"I come to sate my voracious appetite of curiosity about this place, great Chief. I have never before seen such a Stronghold, nor heard tell of Arlugbur."

"Oh we sate appetites well enough here Rothras^[4] but you'll discover that soon enough. Come, let me show you my Nonvul-Ogiim Suleyksejun, the Chief's dominion." At this Kargur grabbed the torch from it's sconce and exited the room through a narrow doorway. As the light retreated, I had no choice but to follow, intrigued by the mysterious Chief and his Stronghold.

The room we entered was adorned with the heads of various mountain beasts and a diverse array of forest game, but the true attraction was a throne formed within the jaws of a Dragon skull. Reader, when I say this throne put the seat of Dragonsreach to shame, I truly do mean it. The teeth were carved steps, and the throne was a plush divan of what I could only assume was the finest silken fabrics and sleeping upon which felt akin to being pleasured by the finest practitioners of the Dibellan arts.

At the sight of me standing aghast at the display, the Chief merely chuckled. "Oh, that? I only use that to impress new mates, nothing fancy. Come see what we've been working on since I ascended to Chiefdom," the Chief paused and seemed to draw in an almost wizened breath, "such a long time ago."

He looked at me with a glint in his eyes, before turning his head forward and leading me up a flight of stairs. At the top was a small greeting room and a large latch-style door in the roof. "This leads out to the Stronghold. Be sure to stay close to me, we have so many people it's difficult to keep them all calm when they meet new Blood-Kin."

He opened the latch door and we climbed onto the dish, where the Stronghold seemed to be even busier than when I first saw it, with the (in actuality) six smithies and four apothecaries working at full pace and the crane rapidly rising and falling. Lights were on in almost every house, and Orsimer levitated and climbed about the massive complex. At my arrival onto the dish, all activity seemed to hiccup, but scurried back along with a grunt of the Chief.

I looked down and was astonished to see the green-scale patchwork and curvature common to a Stronghold Chief's lodgings. "I see! The dish isn't just a safety net and wall, it's your Longhouse!" Kargur smiled knowingly, "The Chief is the blood and armor of his People, my Longhouse is the same to the Stronghold." We continued onwards towards the mountain, reaching a ladder that led to the Peak.

"While I thank you for your consideration, I can simply Levitate to the top, great Chief." The Chief seemed to frown for a moment in disdain before adopting, once-again, his ever-present smile. "It is not for you, Blood-Kin, but rather for me. You see, while many of us can, as you have seen, levitate, I cannot - for the ways of magicka are not within my grasp. I was born a warrior, which does not conflict with my Chiefdom."

"But surely, Chief, I can grant you a font of magicka to levitate, and a learned man such as yourself must at least know the basics of casting." The Chief grabbed the first rung, and forced another smile. "I said I was not attuned to the ways of the infernal mage. Now, if you'll allow me, I'll meet you at the Peak."

I, deciding to avoid confrontation, began my magickal ascent towards the Peak at a relaxed pace. I looked at a passing Orc, and noticed they shared the same skin tone and facial features as Kargur. To be expected from the peoples of the Chief-fathered Strongholds. But as I passed another, the similarity was markedly, well, similar! I looked around and also noticed no feminine frames, if you may call the female Orsimer feminine. I reached the landing of the crane, which was pulling up something from the black maw.

[1] The editor also does not understand the relevance of a goat in the duel. See the Giant Witches entry

[2] No other confirmed instance of the Druadach Mountains being referred to the "Thousand Peaks" exists. It should also be noted that no Orcish Stronghold of Skyrim, nor the Orsinium Archives, states a Rothras being named Blood-Kin.

[3] Translates literally into "Undead Eve? Undead-Decieve Sky-Mountain"

[4] It should be noted that Rothras had not mentioned his name to Kargur. He also has in no way confirmed that he is Blood-Kin, thus leaving how Kargur knew this entirely unknown.