Thrice Blessed and Thrice Cursed: Memories of a Dunmer Pilgrim (Part 3)

By Erdar Nyrandil, 4E 202

Prologue

The Curse of Loss and My Exodus from Morrowind Continued from [Part 1] (http://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/2tvmo0/thrice_blessed_and_thrice_cursed_memories_of_a/) and [Part 2] (http://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/2twa0r/thrice_blessed_and_thrice_cursed_memories_of_a/)

The priest joined us for dinner, and spent some time with our family. He was making a pilgrimage across the land, and had recently spent time serving as a disciple at the Ghostgate, the last defense against the evils of Dagoth Ur in those days. He only intended to spend a day or two in Ald’Ruhn before moving on. Even as a child, I could sense something was wrong with the mer. He seemed off, and disconnected with the world, and he had an incessant cough. Shy around strangers in the best of circumstances, I kept my distance from the disciple at all costs until he picked up and set out to continue his journey.

A few days after the priest left, my father began to cough. It was a minor thing for a guard to cough in Ald’Ruhn. Even with protective masks, the ash would get to the lungs eventually. It caused in many a harsh voice, and a minor cough. It was a part of a guard’s life. But his cough sounded deeper, and soon I noticed my father forgetting things. He became distant, and distracted. My mother thought it was just stress from the job.

Every morning, mother and I would see father off for his patrol. He had a small room which served as an armory, in which he would prepare for the day. He would hustle out, sword and helmet in hand, and stop at the main entrance of the house where my mother and I waited to see him off. One morning, my father stumbled into his armory, and never came out. After waiting some time, my mother called for him. When she received no answer, she went to the armory. Her scream haunted my dreams for years. Scared, I fled and sought out a city guard. My father was a powerful warrior; surely whatever had caused my mother to scream had also killed him.

When I found the guard and returned to our home, we found my father half dressed in his Bonemold Great House armor mumbling and standing over the corpse of my mother. He had contracted the Divine Disease. Father heard the guard and I enter, and turned to attack in his mindless violent way. Out of a sense of duty and protection, the guard killed the monster my father had become. In a matter of minutes, and at the earliest days of my life, I was cursed with the sharp pain of loss. If a Redoran holds dear above all else the values of Temple, House, and Family, then on that day I lost one-third of my life.

[Part 4] (http://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/2txisz/thrice_blessed_and_thrice_cursed_memories_of_a/)