Janka Artalius — Rogue Female Imperial — Stamina Nightblade — Second Daggerfall Covenant
PC — North American server
toon created Monday 7 August 2023 with version: eso.live.9.0.8.2716820 2023/07/19 23:50:00 (4000.win.2716842.live.2716820)

My name is Janka Artalius, daughter of Lalaptima Tragureius. I was born on Fredas, 11 Last Seed 2e559. I never knew my father and grew up at the Domus Phrasticus, a walled town house owned by my uncle Phrastus located near the town of Elinhir in Craglorn. I call him my uncle, but I found out a few years ago that he was in fact my mother’s lover.

Something happened to me at puberty that I could consider almost supernatural. My older cousin, Lauradina, and I were playing close to what is commonly called a “wayshrine”. Those big monuments that no one seems to know what they represent. I pretended to invoke the goddess Kynareth, the deity of the heavens, the winds, the elements. At that point a flame burst off from the central brazier of the wayshrine and lasted for a few minutes. I advanced and touched the flame only to find myself on the outskirts of the city of Belkarth. Taken aback I jokingly invoked the god Arkay, Lord of the Wheel of Life. The flame reappeared and I touched it … only to find myself again with my cousin in Elinhir.

I knew another wayshrine north of us, near Inazzur’s Hold. I invoked Kynareth again but this time I focused my thoughts on Inazzur. And I found myself in Inazzur.

I talked to my uncle about my experience. He is a renowned scholar of Daedra. He believes that wayshrines could be fixed Portals. Skilled mages can use portal magic to travel across Tamriel, even bypassing major obstacles, both man-made and natural. However, the performer must know exactly where to generate the portals, or he will face catastrophic consequences. The mage must have been there or, at least, see clearly where the portal will spawn.

So, he went and tried to replicate what I did, to no avail. I invoked Kynareth and the flame appeared. The wayshrines are reacting to me. After a few more tests it seems that only the gods of the Cyrodiilic Pantheon are responding to my invocations. It has been 5 years since, and I have yet to see anyone else being able to do it. I also found a miniature way shrine in the basement of the Crossroads Tavern and Inn in Belkarth. Small enough to be stored in a backpack. A Redguard, Kasura, told me there is an urban legend about it: using it I could teleport myself to any homestead I own from anywhere on Nirn! If you believe the legend. Curiouser and curiouser because I know I can! Into my backpack it goes. I found since then that I could use it to go to Kynesgrove and visit my cousin 'Dina. You don't want to know what her home looks like; it shows her parents are both mages. Let's leave it at that!

In the summer of my seventeenth name-day, I told my mother that I wanted to explore the region and find other wayshrines. She was not very happy about it, but she approved. But I could not go alone. My companions are my cousin Lauradina, now a budding Arcanist living near Kynesgrove in Eastmarch and my big half-brother Telan, now a recognized Dragonknight living in Elden Root the capital of Grahtwood. My mother made only two conditions: we stay on the mainland, no sea voyage; and we do not go into Cyrodiil, there is still unrest after the civil war.

So, the three of us embarked on a journey. Travelled across 16 provinces and located 150 wayshrines. We did not go to the Alik’r Desert as there are no road access from the other provinces and I did not know any of its wayshrines. Because of a few Thieves Throve found we interacted with 5 fences in as many cities. The trek lasted almost 7 months. When we got back to Craglorn, we celebrated our journey and, maybe, the Gods themselves celebrated with us. That evening the sky lit up as a big piece of Aetherius fell to Nirn. It was the first major piece of Aetherius to fall on Nirn in more than five hundred years according to my uncle. It scattered around the world as millions of shards. It was Loredas, 6 Sun’s Dawn 2e578.

I wanted to go on another trek, but my mother was not feeling well. I decided to stay in Elinhir. During that time, I honed my skills with the blades and became somewhat of a night blade. I also went to Daggerfall and trained with the Masters of the Crafts: Danel Telleno, Felarian and Millenith. My mother passed away of an unknown sickness and went to Aetherius on Sundas, 16 First Seed 2e582.

Then a week later my life changed again. I woke up on the island of Balfiera …

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Note from Lauradina Cipenus: I was born in Windhelm, the capital of the Hold of Eastmarch on Tirdas 25 Hearthfire 2e558. My father was the Longhouse Emperor representative at the court of Queen Mabjaarn Flame-Hair.

My cousin Janka and I were born 11 months apart. Contrary to what she may have said I can also use the wayshrines, but my parents wanted me to keep it a secret. My cousin is the only one I know who can also use them. Telan was jealous of Janka’s ability, that is how I could deduce that it is something passed down through the generations from our maternal grandmother.

I will find out in a couple of years if only women can do it as my brother Lucius is now 11 years old.

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