With a small group of companions, Matthias set off after Mercer Frey - the treacherous leader of Skyrim's thieves' guild. Tracking the notorious scoundrel to the Dwarven ruins of Irkngthand, the band found that the once proud fortress had been turned into a bandit camp! The bandits proved a poor match against Matthias and his battle-brothers. But the true threat lay deep within the bowels of Irkngthand itself...
Me: I really hate Dweemer ruins. If it's not the traps, it's the mechanical spiders. And if it isn't the mechanical spiders, it's the savage Falmer with the super-hearing.
Brynjolf: Aye. But we made it... look at that statue!
Karliah: More.. look at the head... He's here and he hasn't seen us yet. Brynjolf, watch the door. Matthias, drop down and try to close in on him. I'll try and snipe him from here...
Mercer: Karliah, when will you learn you can't get the drop on me? Let's see you sneak around an earthquake...
Me: What the...
Karliah: The Key! This room is so fragile using the Key is unstabilizing the rock around us! He'll bring the whole mountain down on us if we don't stop him!
Me: Auuuuuuuugh!
Brynjolf: Lad!
Karliah: It's okay. He landed on his feet.
Brynjolf: Aye, but Mercer is down there with him now!
Mercer: When Brynjolf first brought you before me, I knew it would end with one of us on the other one's blade.
Me: Give me the key, Mercer.
Mercer: What's Karliah been filing your head with? Tales of thieves with honor? Oaths rife with falsehoods and broken promises? Nocturnal doesn't care about you! Or The Guild! Or even this key! You think she'd let me keep using it if she really gave a damn? Are you really going to fight me for her?
Me: No. I'm going to fight you for me.
Mercer: Ah, revenge. You really didn't learn anything during your time with us, did you? When will you all open your eyes and realize that your actions only differ from mine in terms of scale? We all lie, cheat and steal to get what we want! We'll use whatever advantages we can to win!
Karliah: True... but we never screwed over another thief.
Mercer: If only you knew the power of The Key... saw it as the tool to limitless wealth as I do. But no. You'll keep falling over your code and your honor.
Brynjolf: If anybody falls today, Mercer, it's you.
Mercer: Then the die is cast, and once more my sword shall feast on a Nightingale's blood!
Me: Ha! We've got you outnumbered, three to one.
Mercer: Do you? Tell me... did Karliah tell you about all the powers of the Nightingales? Specifically, how they can turn their enemies against one another?
Karliah: By The Nine, no!
Brynjolf: ... must... obey... NO! I won't! But... I must... run, Karliah! I can't resist....
Mercer: Kill her, Brynjolf! I'll deal with the upstart!
Me: Oh crap... RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
*BAMF!*
*BAMF!*
Me: Double crap!
Mercer: Running up the stairs won't save you, lad! Hiding behind that giant statue won't save you! The Key does more than give me the power of the Nightingales. It does more than letting me open any door... even doors in space itself! No, The Key can unlock the potential in any who wields it. With it, I've become the peak of human potential. How can you possibly hope to win against me?
Me: The same way I've won every fight I've ever been in. By using whatever advantage I have to win.
Mercer: What advantages? I am more muscular, more cunning, faster and larger than you are. AND... I'm a genius.
Me: Yeah... but I think you were right. There's no real difference between us, save one.
Mercer: And what's that?
Me: You really like to hear yourself talk. So do I. But the difference between us is I have something important to say. FUS RO DAH!
Karliah: ... witchcraft.
Me: *shaking my head* Dragonborn.
Brynjolf: By the Nine, my head... what just happened?
Me: We won... but we'd better get out of here. The chamber's starting to flood...
Karliah: We haven't won yet. There is one task left to us. But I agree. We must away!
SOMETIME LATER...
Brynjolf: Daylight. Never thought I'd be glad to see it. Of course, I never thought I'd be going on a holy quest to recover something that had been stolen, either...
Me: Yeah. So what now?
Karliah: Brynjolf will return to Riften to bring The Guild back under control. I must go and tend to one last personal matter. But you must see the final task done. You must return The Skeleton Key to the Twilight Sepulcher.
Me: You make it sound like that won't be easy.
Karliah: There once was a path the Nightingales could use to go there. But that way is closed to us now. The only way there now is through The Pilgrim's Path - a test of faith for those who would serve Nocturnal in other ways. But I have never taken The Path... so I can do nothing to tell you of what dangers may await you.
Me: Meh. What's one more temple full of booby traps at this point?
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