LIFE IN MORROWIND - DAY 8

Today, I have entrusted my life to Vivec - in a very literal sense. This trust was not misplaced - otherwise, my lifeless body would now be floating in the waters of the Vivec city canals. 

After having finished the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Pride at the Ghostgate, I felt that completing the rest of the "seven graces" should not be a challenge. It turned out to be true for all of them, except one: the Grace of Courtesy at the Puzzle Canal below the Palace of Vivec himself.

The Palace itself is a strange place indeed: a massive ziggurat where only the topmost and smallest chamber is inhabited by its sole occupant, Vivec himself. This chamber sits on top of five terraced levels which serve no other purpose but to act as huge pools and canals, with water streaming down from one level to the other. They call them Puzzle canals and I think that I understand now why. Nothing lives in there, except rats. Yet one of them holds a secret - and a miracle.

"The Shrine of Courtesy is found in the heart of the Puzzle Canal" - that was all the directions I had to work with. I've spent hours wandering the endless empty passages of the "Canal", listening to the echoes of my own footfalls and the splash of water on the canal walls. At least I was lucky to have the levitation and water walking spells at my disposal, so I could navigate this maze without getting wet. Finally, I found what I was looking for: a vast hall, mostly submerged in water as everyhing else in that place, but with a large dry platform at the center, accessed by ladders on its every side. There stood what I took to be the Shrine. Yet the inscription on it was strange: "Breathe the Waters of His Glory and the Way is Made Clear". What was that supposed to mean?

Then, I remembered. So many years ago, when I had been "here" already. At that time, it had been just a computer game, but I had been equally perplexed. I nevered figured out the secret on my first playthrough, in fact. Much, much later, in one the subsequent runs through the game, I finally found the answer to this riddle. It seemed easy when you knew it - easy, that is, when you are playing a game. 

For I knew now that I was expected to drown in the waters of the Canal. Only then would "the Way be Made Clear". Could I really do it, now that I was here in person, and drowning would mean a really terrible, painful experience - and possibly a lethal experience if something would go wrong?

One day earlier, I knew I'd have decided against doing something so dangerous, suicidal even. It would be pure madness to even think of trying it. 

But I remembered too vividly my experience from the Shrine of Daring, the potent blessing of levitation that carried me across the entire Vvardenfell in a matter of hours. Vivec did not mess around with his blessings, that much I knew now. The strange god of the Dunmer people, referred to as the "Warrior Poet", the same god who had stopped a meteor and left it hanging in the sky, this god was a very real power in the land of Morrowind, manifesting himself often and in many different ways. Could I really trust him, though? Well, there was only one way to find out.

And once again I did what my older self would never even contemplate. I went down into the waters of the canal, went down below the surface and forced myself to stay there, fighting the instincts that urged me to swim up, to get a breath of air. I knew I had to "breath water" but at first I could not force myself to do that: instincts kept my mouth shut, overring the commands of my brain. It was an agonising experience. Finally the sheer lack of oxygen forced my lips open, and water flooded my moth and lungs. Only it didn't feel like water.

A moment ago I had been suffocating and on the verge of passing out completely, but now all of a sudden my mind was crystal clear and my body energized. I heard a sound like thunder. Quickly I completed the gestures of the Water Walking spell, and the spell pushed me instantly to the surface. And as I emerged from the water, I could see that hall has changed. Where minutes ago there'd been a solid wall, now a whole new room has opened up, and massive stone bridge appeared, leading right up to it. And in that room, stood the Shrine of Courtesy - and something else. 

It was a figure that looked like a human clad in daedric amour, but its face was like a spooky mask made of the same daedric metal, and its eyes were buring with a red infernal flame. I knew it had to me the Dremora who acts as the custodian of this shrine. And as I approached it, I realised that I have forgotten to bring the "donation" associated with the Shrine - a sliver longsword, which I was supposed to hand over to the Dremora. 

Next to the dremora, there stood a large wooden chect. And I remembered from the game that is was supposed to have a stock of silver swords. Under the silent and expressionless gaze of the Dremora, I stooped to the chest and opened it. 

Immediately a felt a searing pain in my limbs. It felt like I have stuck them in a fire - and kept there - even through on the outside there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. The pain was excruciating, and it was not going away. I was screaming. I knew some healing spells but I could not think of casting one in my current condition. Luckily, I also had a few powerful restorative potions in my pockets. I managed to grab one and gulped it down as fast as I could. I felt a huge relief as the potion worked and I felt well for a few seconds. Then the effect of the potion expired - and the pain returned, just as strong as before. Whatever magic curse I was under, it was not going away. I drank the second potion - only one more was left. I shuddered at the thought that this curse might be just as long-lasting as the blessings I had experienced earlier. 

Fortunately, it was not the case. By the time the healing effect second potion was over, the pain was gone too and it did not come back. I am sure I understand what happened there: this curse was the "punishment" of Vivec for those who came to the Shrine unprepared. And though quite unpleasant, it was not deadly. 

I finished the pilgrimage by handing to the Dremora a sword from the now harmless open chest and reading the inscription on the shrine. I felt exhausted. Finding my way back through the canal maze was now too much for me. In fact, I could not even cast an intervention spell, so I used one of my scrolls. The Pilgrimage of the Seven Graces is now completed, tomorrow I will report this in the Temple and see what else they have in store for me.