Note: This book is a piece of fan fiction, based on roleplayed events.
The history of the Wild Elves is a subject that has stimulated the minds of scholars ever since they died, and will probably never lose its popularity. Thus, I was more than eager when an associate of mine invited me to join the exploration team for a newly found Barsaebic Ayleid ruin in western Shadowfen, in Black Marsh.
The expedition gathered in Alten Corimont. The trip to the west went without any obstacles, and after some of us left our mounts in Hissmir, we continued to the west to finally notice the characteristic white structures hidden within the jungle foliage. The entrance was not hidden particularly well, and so, we soon found ourselves in the entrance hall, lit by eerie blue light of the Welkynd stones. There, on one of the walls, we found a stone plaque with an Ayleid inscription. The big word at the top was "Mallarisel", or "The Hall of Gold" in Ayleidoon, and was probably the name given to this place by its builders. The rest of the text went as follows:
Admavoy, pellan:
Man mitta sino, av nagabala racuvar.
Karan delle anyammis, agea delle gorigandra.
Arctavoy oiobala av aldmeris.
Latta na emeroya.
At the time, we were lucky enough to have an Argonian with us who knew some Ayleidoon, but sadly, amidst the battles that followed, I lost the page of my notebook which contained the translation. Fortunately, my friend and fellow scholar, Salagar Feynn of the Wayrest Mages Guild, was able to provide the translation:
Hear, o outsider:
He who enters here, shall be cast down by the eternal power of death.
Armour grants life, wisdom grants obscure (secret?) gifts.
Ancknowledge the eternal power of the Aldmer (or just elders, ancestors?).
The light is your guide.
From what I have been able to determine, the first two lines are a warning: being cast down by the eternal power of death might be a reference to the swarms of undead we found inside, whereas the next line might mean that both combat prowess and an agile mind are necessary to succeed. And it was to be proven true soon. In the main chamber in the center of the ruin, we found a locked and magically warded cage, full of Ayleid coins and precious gems, and also containing an ornate Ayleid coffer. From there, two corridors led in opposite directions, so we split the group in two and each team checked one of them. They eventually led to two similar puzzles, each with three pedestals with a switch in their front side and an object on them. The pedestals found by my group had a daedra heart, a Welkynd stone, and an ornate urn on them. After one explorer's reckless attempt to press all the switches, which caused us to be swarmed by undead, we tried to press the switch under the Welkynd stone ("the light is your guide") and found that to be the correct answer. The other group found pedestals with an Ayleid sword, a black soul gem and a skull; I have been told that they chose the skull, and it was the correct answer. And indeed, the line "acknowledge the eternal power of the Aldmer" (or elders, or ancestors) indicates that a skull, which as a head is a symbol of wisdom, and also is literally a part of an ancestor, would be a logical choice. However, Feynn pointed out that the Ayleid sword would also be a logical answer, being a literal tool of the "power of the Aldmer".
After solving both puzzles, the cage was unlocked, but that was not the end: we had to fight a giant animated Ayleid statue before we could claim our prize. When we finally defeated it by luring it under loose celing that crushed it, the treasure was divided between all the participants. The Ayleid coffer, mentioned earlier, contained an enormous Varla stone, and a small Ayleid tablet with the following words:
Sunnabe, pellan:
Va tye lattia malatu.
Sino na gandraya.
which Feynn translated as:
Be blessed, outsider:
In you shines the truth.
Here are your gifts.
This was probably a message expressing respect to anyone who would be able to claim the treasure.
I have long wondered why would an Ayleid ruin contain a cage full of treasure within it, and why would it have messages to the outsiders who would try to claim it. At first it did not make any sense, but in the end, I was able to come up with a theory.
It is widely believed that the Alessian Order never reached Black Marsh, and thus, the cause of demise of the Barsaebic Ayleids is unknown. The name Mallarisel suggests that the ruin could have been a treasury for other Ayleid settlements in the region – that is, Varakun, Silyanorn, Nen Ria, Sul, Gandranen, Loriasel and Relleis Lor – but the messages to outsiders imply a darker fate. I believe it might be possible that, at some point, the Ayleids of the region became aware that their end is at hand – whatever the cause would be. Thus, knowing the inevitable fate, they moved their valuables to Mallarisel, and ensured that only someone worthy would gain access to them in the future. If this theory is true, one can only wonder what was the cause of the downfall of the Barsaebic Ayleids, and – which is perhaps much more important – if that is still a danger to the modern population of Black Marsh.