One Daedric Artifact Meets Another

Dear Kousei,

I'll have to say, the Dawnbreaker is quite a wondrous piece of weaponry that Meridia bestowed upon you for your troubles. It is certainly fitting for a skilled swordsman who was chosen to be her Champion. I am looking forward to fighting alongside you again, as you wield the Dawnbreaker to smite our undead foes. Just in case you are wondering if I am finally ready to get back to Dawnguard business, I assure you that I am already on my way to recruit Sorine Jurard near Markarth. However, I am writing this letter to you so you will know precisely how my own quest for Azura concluded.

Time to speak to the big boss now, huh?

I had to go back to Azura's Shrine near Winterhold to return the Artifact to Aranea Ienith. She was as surprised as you to see me holding the Star, even in its broken state. Clearly, Azura didn't tell her in advance about what I have been doing, despite being her priestess. Nonetheless, Aranea wasted no time communing with the Daedric Princess to establish what was to be done about the Star. Surely, she will be able to reverse Malyn Varen's tampering of it. Alas, I knew that something was still amiss when Aranea told me that Azura wished to speak to me.

Basically, you're Soul Trapping me, right?

If Meridia appeared to you as a sphere of light in the heavens, all that I encountered of Azura was her voice when I laid my hands on her shrine altar. She told me a little of the Star's workings, and how it will return to her realm in Oblivion in about a hundred years' time. Not that I will be around to witness that happen, she pointed out. Azura went on to explain that Malyn Varen's soul will have to be purged from her Artifact before I can use it as I wish. There was no other choice, but even if there was, I wouldn't have passed the opportunity to settle the score with Malyn once and for all.

No offense to you, Malyn, but this place doesn't look too cozy to spend eternity on.

The inside of Azura's Star was quite blinding due to the glow of the crystals. But there was a lone dark figure marring the brightness -- none other than Malyn Varen himself. He was expecting another soul to be devoured, his manner eerily reminding me of Lord Harkon's court. But I did not enter the Star to be eaten by a madman, and I made that clear to Malyn from the start. He did not believe I was capable of dealing with him, bragging that he had humbled Azura herself. Well, we'll see who has the last laugh here!

One of these Dremora is not like the others.

To further spite Azura perhaps, Malyn summoned three Dremora to cover his retreat while I sought to take him down. So, he wants Dremora against Dremora? Then so be it! I guess you can imply what I did next, Kousei. I relied on the aid of another Daedric Prince to help fulfill my mission for Azura. Sure, the single warrior Dremora I could summon out of the Sanguine Rose took quite a huge beating from Malyn's hench-Dremora mages, but we took them all down eventually. I wonder if Sanguine and Azura were having a nice chat over bottles of wine as the battle was going on.

Wait, wait, can't you let me loot his corpse?

And Malyn Varen? I guess he missed a crucial lesson during his training days about not losing sight of his enemies. Or maybe he was a little too confident about the abilities of his three Dremora to take care of all opposition. Whatever his reasons were, he just casually walked away from the scene of battle without so much a look back, and one sneak shot of a poisoned arrow was all it took to bring him down. Malyn, Malyn, I'm sure you could do better than that. But I will never know for sure, because Azura warped me out of the Star as soon as he was gone for good.

So many arms, but still only supports one Soul at a time.

And so Azura's Star, purified and complete, was finally mine to wield. But there is a sad note at the end of this story. Aranea Ienith told me that Azura will no longer grant her visions once I have succeeded against Malyn Varen, and for the first time in her life, she felt quite lonely. She gave me her word that should I need her abilities in battle, she will be there to aid me. I thanked her, but the most that I could promise was that I would visit her and Azura's Shrine every now and then. I feel pity for Aranea, but there is a sense of respect, too. It was not her fault that she had lost her link to Azura, but she still remained steadfast in her duty to the Shrine. It is not everyday that one meets a person like her in Skyrim. Quite like you, Kousei.

Your good friend,

Kiya