As the gold dragon Thaarnvursos leave, the group decides to leave for the Shivering Isles soon as there is no time to waste. They decide it would be wise to gather supplies and Ra'Giin suggests acquiring diamonds, just in case he needs to cast Revivify. Arriving back in the city and entering the palace, they ask several guards for a meeting with the Jarl. They receive a small run-around as they are told the Jarl is very busy with assessing the damage of his city. They are able to request a list of supplies from one of the mages. She assures them that she will have their items soon, of which they request they are taken to the docks of the East Empire Company, as they prepare to leave via ship. As Ra'Giin steps out to retrieve dirt from the graveyard, Sal and Rynly assist the guards with tending to putting out the fires throughout the city. Nirius and Ephyra finally are able to meet with the Jarl. He tells them he will arrange for a ship to take them east on the Sea of Ghosts and will demand it leave within the hour. He does tell them of a bard's song he had heard previously of the Shivering Isles, and describes the island being in fog, but that is all he can recall.
Thinking Lanister may have more insight, Ephyra casts sending, asking him if he knows of the song and inquiring about whether he is ok. Lanister replys, telling her he is injured, but ok. He says he has heard of the song, but tells her once they are to the fog, they need to stop. Ra'Giin toys with the idea of speaking to Drathis through the sending stone again and Ephyra worries that they are being tracked. They decide to seek out the Mage's Guild to inquire about anything that could ward against such a thing. Before leaving the city, Sal and Rynly chose to stay behind in order to assist in the efforts of Windhelm. The group stops by the Mage's Guild where three gems are given to each of them that have been enchanted with a ward against scrying. While at the guild, Ra'Giin asks the mage to seek out the mage in Alinor whom has the sphere he had left behind. Once Ra'Giin shows him his amulet from the guild, the mage quickly casts sending to Samblar of the Alinor Mage's Guild. He tells Ra'Giin that Samblar urges him to return and that the item is safe.....for now.
Once at the docks, they are pleased to find a ship is ready to set sail for Kamai, a land northeast of Tamriel. The captain explains that they have been ordered by the Jarl to take the northernmost route in order for the group to find an island within the fog, to which the group suggests that once the fog is discovered, that the ship be stopped. The group finds a crate full of the supplies they requested, arrows, diamonds and other components, inside of Ephyra's room. Ra'Giin pulls out the sending stone and speaks with Drathis. He tells him that he was his master and that for his betrayal, he will be punished. To which Drathis responds that he serves no master. Ra'Giin takes this in their favor as he sees Drathis as reckless, arrogant and with nothing to lose.
Ephyra talks about her brother, how he didn't follow the path her family wanted for him, but rather she went down that road but even so, couldn't please her parents. So she has been trying to find her own way, but nothing seemed good enough for her family. She explains that he left a few years ago, that he was lost, and he had a falling out with their parents. He left and hey don't know where he is. She has been searching for him for a while. She feels if he wants to be found he would, but she doesn't understand as they used to be close. Nirius asked if she ever tried to reach out to him and contact him now that she has the ability but she explains that she puts it off because she feels a little angry. She does considering attempting to contact her parents in the morning. Before turning in for the night, Ra'Giin meditates on the skeleton key, though he doesn't gain any wisdom, he does sense a strange bond with the key.
Windhelm. Ulrik's Monographia Insominiae, a book covered in horrific imagery and nightmares. Fillinda's Tricks and Traps, a book about how to shape to appear as a mimic, roper or piercer. Principiae Lucens en Spectrals, a confusing book detailing magic dealing with waves, light and electromagnectic spectrums. And the Perdidexicon of Knaardge, which is filled with insane, psychobabble filled poetry. He spends time studying the book on light magic and while he does, offers the poetry book and skooma, to which after hours of studying, the skooma is gone.
Ephyra casts sending to her mother, to which she recieves the response that she needs to come home. The party realizes that their ship is surrounded by a dense fog. The ship comes to a stop, as the captain orders the anchor dropped. After an hour of waiting, the fog parts and a small island is before them. Once on the island, which is very small, spanning less than 100 feet, they discover a small altar table and a grave stone which reads "Seek below that which gains audience with the prince." They begin digging and find a tomb. Inside, is a body, soul gems yarn and rotted lettuce. Ra'Giin casts speak with dead though the questions do not offer answers that assist the group. The body's name is Kotmund, he died in Windhelm naturally and believed the only way to the Shivering Isles is through the Mage's. They decide to set the items on the altar (though they all have to play boulder, parchment, shears to see who had to touch the lettuce.) A large portal opens up before them and they jump through.
Standing in a new land, twisted trees, purple and blue clouded skies, strange deadric creatures. A disembodied voice welcomes them to his home and they express that they would like to see him because he has something they need. The ask for an audience, to which he surrounds them completely with wheels of cheese, stating that they didn't specify what type of audience. He then transports them to a vast forest. He asks them "how far can you walk into a forest?" After a while of attempting to outsmart the deadric prince, he offers up the answer: "halfway, after that, you are walking out. They find themselves in a field with three doors before them. Each door has a pillar in front of it, each one containing a small bottle. Sheogorath tells them they must drink in order to go through a door, to which Ra'Giin just drank from his own. He defends himself to Sheogorath by telling him that he didn't specify which one he could drink from. Sheogorath is impressed by Ra'Giin and therefore trasnports him, and Nirius and Ephyra respectfully to a large stadium arena. The Mad Prince then gives them yet another riddle. He tells them that since they are asking for such a precious and valuable item. that he requires something of one of them that is precious and valuable. The group answers "coffin" to the question "The maker doesn't use it, the buyer doesn't need it and the owner uses it without knowing. Sheogorath then tells the group they must pick one to give something valuable to Sheogorath. Nirius immediately volunteers and is transported to the center of the arena.
Standing before him, Nirius is faced with the Deadric Prince Jyggalag...or at the very least, something that looks like him. Jyggalag attacks and Nirius is struck down in a quick fight. Ra'Giin and Ephyra try to cast spells to help attack and run down to the pit, but their magic isn't working, they are unable to even get far, for as soon as they attempted to run, they were placed right back into their seats.
Ra'Giin and Ephyra watch as their friend falls upon the sword of Jyggalag. The Deadric prince throws Nirius's dead body to the ground and disappears. Finally able to move, the other two run to their friends body as Skooma Cat appears atop Nirius' body, crown on his head. He tells them he might as well keep his promise. Apparently discouraged over Ra'Giin and Ephyra's emotion over their friend, he tells them that they are no fun, scoffs and leaves. At that moment, Nirius takes in a breath and is restored to life. As soon as the portal opens in front of them, they grab Nirius and jump through, though not before Ra'Giin expresses "you know, I really do hate you..."
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