//------------------------------// // Chapter 77: Stratus // Story: The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM // by FireOfTheNorth //------------------------------// Chapter LXXVII: Stratus “Oh, it’s fine my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it’ll grow back.” Brumare’s count insisted that we stay the night after saving his city, so we enjoyed the banquet at Castle Brumare, and left the next morning for Horizon. The Pale Pass was still snowed shut, making it nearly impossible to cross, but we made it through and reached Splitten by dusk. We left the lake town in the morning and trekked back across Horizon to Whitetrot. Before, I’d been avoiding Whitetrot if possible, so that no attack would come to the town. But, the attack was bound to come sooner or later, and I’d prefer to get things out of the way and face it head on. No doubt Blackwing spies noticed our arrival that day and sent the information on to Ambassador-General Stratus at once. Word from Winterhorn arrived late that night that the Pegasari Air Fleet was on the move, headed in our direction. Jarl Valor’s Blade sent out messengers to summon the guards on the fringes of the hold to return to the capital, but there was no way they’d arrive in time. As the sun rose, the fleet came into sight in the north. Eight of the massive warships flew through the air, moving in perfect formation as they surrounded Whitetrot. The cannons began firing as soon as they were in position, pounding away at Whitetrot’s walls and its newly repaired buildings. The Stormcloud catapults returned fire, but made little progress against the armored undersides of the airships. The Pegasari troops flew from the airships next, swarming down at the ground. This attack had been launched specifically to target me, and had been planned by Stratus, who knew the power I wielded with my Voice. The airships were keeping their distance where they could, out of range of my Shouts. Still, they wouldn’t be safe forever. I galloped down from Dragonsreach, leaving the Jarl and his entourage to defend themselves. Pegasari troops landed in the city square as Steadfast, Mephalda, Mystic, and I reached it. The pegasi crashed through the dead branches of the tree in the center of the square as they hit the ground, drawing their weapons. <> I Shouted, marking the ponies before me for death. The Pegasari troops staggered as my Shout hit them, harming them from the inside. I drew Dawnbreaker and swung it up through the chest of one of the pegasi before she could recover. One of the pegasi had a bow and began firing arrows at us, forcing us down and behind the benches that ringed the tree. Mystic raised a ward over us as we circled the tree, causing the arrows to bounce off. We reached the pegasus archer, who Steadfast crushed into the ground with his warhammer. As another of the Pegasari soldiers leapt at us, war axe in mouth, Mephalda shot her from the air. More of the pegasi flew down from the airships, some being hit by Whitetrot’s archers, but many making it through and landing in the city. I swung Dawnbreaker around, blocking the swing of a mare with a battleaxe. I pressed up with my sword, forcing her away from me. I knocked the battleaxe to the ground before slicing down at the pegasus. She jumped to the side, but my blade still found flesh, slicing through her wing. She swung at my head, and I ducked down, angling my blade toward her forelegs. She kicked at my blade, managing to knock it back, and swung her battleaxe back down at me. I rolled to the side as the blade struck the ground, and I jabbed my Draconequus sword into her side before she could deflect it. The tip of a spear struck my back, scraping across my crystalline armor. I spun around, slicing the end of the spear off with Dawnbreaker. The stallion who’d been holding it dropped the useless stick and drew a shortsword instead. I swung at his head, and he blocked, pushing my sword to the ground. I swung Dawnbreaker back up, rending his gauntlets and slicing the flesh on his forelegs. He dropped his swortsword as the pain set in, and I swung my Draconequus sword up through his chest. <> I Shouted at a group of pegasi closing in on us. The ones in front had no time to dodge and were ignited instantly, but those behind them were able to fly over the flames and make landings elsewhere in the square. As one flew straight toward me, I blasted flames into the sky, roasting her before she could reach me. Mephalda’s arrows and Mystic’s blasts of magic kept most of the rest at bay, or at least far enough away that Steadfast and I wouldn’t have to worry about being overwhelmed. I rounded the tree, shooting ice spikes ahead of me and catching the pegasi troops off guard. Dawnbreaker swung through the air, rending the armor of any pegasus that stood in my way. As I completed a loop, I was tackled by a Pegasari soldier from the air. I disentangled myself from her as we rolled across the square, and held my sword up to block. Her battleaxe came down heavily, sending a peal ringing through the air as it struck my Draconequus sword. She hooked the blade around my weapon so that I couldn’t break free without opening myself up to attack, and began to press toward me. I was forced backwards, giving up ground. I drew my Changeling war axe and swung toward her side, but she spun her battleaxe around, slamming my sword to the ground and then bringing her weapon back up to block my axe. She swung her battleaxe up around, catching Dawnbreaker while keeping my war axe immobilized and began pushing me back again. I had no more ground to give as my hindquarters brushed against the base of the statue of Talhooves. Up at Dragonsreach, Jarl Valor’s Blade himself was directing the catapults, and managed to score a hit on the nearest Pegasari airship. As the stone went careening across the deck, the ship tipped to the side and its crew began to spill off, recovering as they remembered they had wings. One of the ship’s cannons fired just as it was hit, and its round fell short, careening through the square instead of Dragonsreach. It whooshed over my head, smashing into the statue of Talhooves. I quickly disengaged from the pegasus and held up a foreleg to keep her battleaxe from striking my face. As I jumped to the side, she remained stationary and was crushed by the upper half of Talhooves as it came crashing down. <<>> I Shouted, clearing the square of the pegasi nearest me. Whitetrot guards and Stormcloud soldiers had reached the square by now and were taking on the Pegasari soldiers, but were taking heavy losses. As before, everything hinged on the airships above the city. We galloped out of the city square, leaving its defense to others, and headed through the housing district. The ancient wooden houses were burning, pieces of their roofs torn away by Pegasari cannon fire. Pegasari troops roamed the streets, searching for Whitetrot’s defenders. Quite a few of the guards and Stormclouds already lay dead upon the cobblestones. <<>> I Shouted, quickly closing the distance with the first group of pegasi. I projected fire from my horn, creating a cloak of invulnerability around myself. The pegasi kept their distance and bided their time until I ran out of energy to keep the spell going. By the time that happened, however, a number of them had been taken out by Mephalda and Mystic’s long distance shots. When I ceased casting my fire spell, only two remained standing before me. One was plowed out of the way as Steadfast struck her with his warhammer. The other swung a sword at my head. I blocked with Dawnbreaker and forced the pegasus back. Flames still burned on the ground in places, and while the mare was focused on me, she stepped in one of the fiery patches. She yelped and jumped as her hoof was scorched, dropping her sword in the process. Dawnbreaker swung around, slicing through her chest instead of her neck as she tried to take off into the air. The building I was standing behind suddenly had its front taken off by a cannonball. Cannonballs rained down upon the housing district, coming very close to my friends and me. The nearest Pegasari ship was pummeling the area, determined to take us out no matter the cost to its own troops that were still among us. But in doing so, it had gotten too close to the city. <<>> I Shouted, and the clouds fled from around the airship. This time, the fleet had brought a weather crew along for each ship, and the determined pegasi fought to retrieve the fleeing clouds and reattach them to the ship. It was no use, however, as they ended up returning more clouds to the back of the ship than the front, and it began to tip forward, drifting toward the city. The Pegasari airship fell from the sky, crashing into Whitetrot’s wall and sticking in it, toppling houses as it did so. As the airship came to a rest, Pegasari troops spilled off of it, charging into the city. A few Stormcloud soldiers were making their way toward us from the square, but even with them there was no way we could take on so many attackers. Mystic raised a ward over us as the pegasi charged forward, deflecting the arrows fired at us. I shot a blast of lightning at the first pegasus to reach us. Mephalda concentrated on taking out the archers in the back, striking the closer soldiers when they got too close for comfort. Once enough archers were taken out, Steadfast and I left the protection of Mystic’s ward and went hunting for Pegasari soldiers. One of them rammed a pike through a Stormcloud soldier as he reached the fight. I swung Dawnbreaker down, snapping the pike’s blade off and rendering the weapon useless. The pegasus ducked as I swung my blade back around at his head, but he couldn’t dodge as the Blade of Hoofingar came back the other way, slicing through his shoulder. I impaled him with my ebony sword as he collapsed to the ground. I swung Dawnbreaker around and blocked as one of the Pegasari soldiers slashed at me with a greatsword. She pulled back and swung at my forelegs, forcing me to jump. I swung Dawnbreaker at her head, and she ducked. Her blade met the Blade of Hoofingar as I swung it around at her. She pushed back with her blade, driving my ebony sword back toward me. <> I Shouted, and her blade went flying from her mouth, allowing me to swing my sword up through her armor and into her heart. A higher ranking Pegasari officer stepped from the airship, entering the city. I blasted lightning at her, but the energy funneled down into an amulet around her neck before spreading out and coating her sword. As she pointed the blade at me, lightning leapt from its tip, and I was forced to dodge. I galloped toward the Pegasari officer while she took off into the air and flapped toward me. I tried to strike her as she flew overhead, but she was too clever and spun around, landing behind me. Her first strike landed across my back, her blade screeching as she drew it across my crystalline armor. I spun around, my blade meeting her own. I drew the Blade of Hoofingar as well, and pushed back at the pegasus’s sword. Unexpectedly, she struck out at me with her forehooves. I was thrown back, struggling to hold onto my swords. I held them up as she slashed at me, aiming for my neck. She brought her blade back up swiftly, and again I blocked. Repeatedly she swung at me, forcing me to retreat as she gained the upper hoof and kept it. I didn’t have time to strike back as she kept her blade moving, eventually knocking the Blade of Hoofingar from my grasp, sending it sliding into the ruins of one of the nearby homes. I continued to block her strikes, having a more difficult time now that I only had one sword. It didn’t take long before she relieved me of Dawnbreaker as well, sending it flying until it stuck point down in a pile of rubble. He pushed me back against a building, pinning me down so that I couldn’t fight back. “All this for you?” the officer said through her sword hilt as she held her weapon over me, “So much trouble just to kill one mare.” I was suddenly splattered with blood as the officer’s head was separated from her shoulders. I wiped the blood from my eyes, trying not to gag, as my savior rolled the pegasus’s body off of me. “The Jarl thought you could use some help,” Darkfeather said as she offered a hoof to help me up. “Thanks,” I said, “We could sure use some.” A crack resounded over the city as yet another of the stones fired from Dragonsreach found its mark, crashing through the Pegasari airship. The ship began to break up, splitting in two before its black powder went off, sending flaming chunks of wood raining down on Whitetrot. “Well, that’s two of them at least,” Darkfeather said, looking at the crashed ship near us, “But I don’t know how much longer we can last under that cannon fire.” I looked out over Whitetrot and spotted two ships hovering close to each other outside the city. Pegasari troops were dismounting from them, trying to surround the city and block up the gates so that nopony could escape. “The airships need to be taken out first,” I said to the dappled pegasus next to me, “If we can get down there, I can take those two out.” “How?” she asked. “I’m gonna use a Shout to turn the weather against them,” I replied, “But I need to be closer.” “Closer I can do,” Darkfeather said before charging off, throwing blades at the pegasi who were beginning to creep up from the market district. The Stormcloud soldiers had the situation here under control, finishing up the pegasi from the ship I had brought down, so we followed Darkfeather, heading for the steps that led down into the lower tier of the city. As a pegasus tried to fly over the Jarl’s bodyguard, I shot her with an ice spike, knocking her down where Darkfeather could pierce her body with her blade. The fighting just inside the city gates was fierce, the pegasi trying to keep Whitetrot’s defenders from pushing them out and Whitetrot’s guards trying to keep the pegasi from pressing farther into the city. <> I Shouted, roasting the pegasi in the back of the group, where no Whitetrot guards were able to reach. Darkfeather gave a battle cry as she charged down toward the remaining pegasi, swinging her blade through the neck of the first to turn her way. Mystic and I both shot lightning at another group that charged toward us, and our bolts spiderwebbed out, immobilizing all the Pegasari that came at us. Steadfast struck down a pegasus with a warhammer before she could even strike at him before turning to block the strike of a soldier with a greatsword. I swung Dawnbreaker up and blocked as a Pegasari soldier with a war axe swung at me. Spinning my sword around, I threw the weapon from her grip and sent it flying through the air. As she tried to fly away, I stabbed my sword up into her, throwing her back down to the ground. Cannon fire began to rain down on us as we took out the majority of the pegasi around us. Warmare’s roof caved in, hit by a cannonball that careened through the wall and smashed apart the forge before crashing into Whitetrot’s wall. A well-placed shot from the Dragonsreach catapult crashed through the airship above the armored layer and wreaked havoc within the vessel. A second shot followed, tearing the airship apart further as it tried to turn on the catapult. The ship began to fall, isolated explosions damaging it, but not destroying it completely. It crashed onto Whitetrot’s eastern wall, tipping until the bow smashed apart the Bannered Mare. More explosions tore apart the ship’s deck, a fireball consuming the pegasus crew as they tried to escape. Darkfeather pushed open Whitetrot’s main gates and ushered us out. I brought my sword up quickly as we passed through, running into opposition right away. I swung my sword around toward a pegasus’s foreleg, but she blocked with her spear. I spun the weapon around until it went flying from her mouth, and I impaled the Pegasari soldier. Mystic sent blasts of pure magic out in all directions, clearing the pegasi away from us. Darkfeather threw blades and Mephalda fired her bow as we advanced forward, heading for the walkway over the city’s outer gate instead of fighting through the mayhem that filled the path leading up to Whitetrot. “This close enough?” Darkfeather asked as we trotted over the outer gate, “Any closer and we’re not going to be able to get back out alive.” “It’s perfect,” I said, collecting the thoughts I needed in my mind. <<>> I Shouted, and the clouds obeyed my commands. The pegasus weather teams saw the cloud cover they’d created begin to swirl and churn violently, and rushed in to diffuse the situation. As lighting began to crackle across the clouds, the Pegasari airships realized the danger they were in and began to take off, trying to put distance between themselves and the violent weather. It was too late, however. Lightning began to lance down from the storm clouds, igniting the airships and the black powder within them. The ships began to explode, falling from the sky and crashing near the stables. As the pegasus crews tried to flee the ships, they too were hit by the deadly bolts of lightning, frying in midair. We retreated back toward the main gate as arrows began to fly toward us, shot by pegasi indignant about the loss of their ships. As they pursued us, driving us toward the main gate, help came from an unexpected source. The Whitetrot guards that Jarl Valor’s Blade had called back to the city all arrived at once and formed ranks, charging up the path and driving the Pegasari off. Some stayed to guard the main gate, but the rest passed through it, intent on retaking the city. The massive wooden gateway suddenly exploded before our eyes, hit by cannon fire. Many of the fresh guards were crushed beneath the falling stone or hit by cannonballs. As the guns ceased firing, we crossed over what had once been Whitetrot’s gate, and headed for cover before the bombardment recommenced. Three airships were left attacking the city, two flying high over it and out of reach, but one was coming near Jorrvaskr, pummeling the city square with cannon fire. We galloped for it, hoping to get close enough that I could drop it before it got out of range. We passed Breezehome on our way to the market district, where Pegasari soldiers were fighting the Stormclouds and Whitetrot guards near the wreck of their airship. I ducked down and slid across the ground as a pegasus swung a sword at my neck. I popped up as I passed her, my boots causing sparks to fly as they scraped across the cobblestones and I turned. She spun around at me, and I met her blade with Dawnbreaker. As I held her off, Mephalda shot an arrow through her neck. I finished her off with a swipe to the chest as she choked on the shaft. I conjured up a flame atronach before heading toward my next target. As my flaming construct spread chaos among the battle, roasting the pegasi, I headed toward a pegasus with a mace, Dawnbreaker and my Changeling war axe held at the ready. I swung my axe around, catching the mace with the blade and yanking it out of the way. Dawnbreaker came in a moment later, slicing through the stallion’s neck. I Shouted as I noticed some eagles nearby, picking at the body of a fallen cow. They all flocked to my call, wheeling over my head before the attacking the pegasi. As one of the Pegasari soldiers tried to keep an eagle at bay, I swung Dawnbreaker through her armor. The blow wasn’t fatal, however, and after she swung her war axe into the eagle harassing her, she came after me. I swung Dawnbreaker up, trying to catch it beneath the pegasus’s blade, but she altered her swing, hitting my helmet and dragging her blade down until it found my neck. I knocked the axe away before any serious injury could be inflicted, but I could feel the blood running down my neck. I quickly wrapped a bandage around it to stop the bleeding as I blocked the pegasus’s next swing. I dragged my blade along hers, eventually managing to succeed in my earlier goal and catch Dawnbreaker beneath the axe’s blade. I tugged upward rapidly, throwing the weapon from her grasp. She tried to fly away, but a blast of fire from my flame atronach scorched her wings and she fell back to earth. My blade once more slashed through her armor, finishing off the job it had started earlier. <<>> I Shouted, freezing all the pegasi around me. As the Stormclouds finished off the pegasus-sicles, I drank down a healing potion, repairing my neck before the injury could become worse. Darkfeather led the way up the stairs to the city square, anticipating my intentions. We galloped as fast as we could through the square, dodging cannon fire, and headed up the stone steps to Jorrvaskr. <<>> I Shouted as I reached the Skyforge. At once, bolts of lightning began to strike the nearby airship, both from without and from within. The vessel began to split apart as the strikes damaged it. Eventually the black powder was hit, and the side of the ship was blown out. The airship tipped sideways as it fell, the clouds attached to the other side still trying to keep it aloft. It crashed outside of the city walls, smashing to bits on the rocks. Now only two Pegasari airships flew over the city. A group of pegasi, some wearing different armor from the rest, flew away from one of the ships, landing on the stairs leading up to Dragonsreach. They began to hack their way up toward where Jarl Valor’s Blade commanded the catapult defense of Whitetrot. The Jarl fired his catapult, once again masterfully aiming the stone it threw. The projectile crashed into one of the Pegasari airships, flying out the other side. Bits of cloud flew away from the vessel as it dropped, passing over the city walls. Another shot hit it as it cleared Whitetrot, and the black powder within ignited, destroying the airship and sending the debris raining outside the city. The remaining airship turned away, heading back north and ceasing its cannon fire. A shot from the Dragonsreach catapult hit it as it retreated, tearing through the captain’s cabin and sending broken glass and wood raining down on the town. The group of pegasi on the steps to Dragonsreach stopped their advance as the airship flew away. “Coward! Traitor!” Stratus’s voice called out from the group, “I’ll see you hang for this, Admiral Cirrus!” Turning away in disgust, she continued up the stairs, attacking the guards blocking her way. With the last Pegasari airship retreating, the Jarl abandoned the catapult and pulled back into Dragonsreach. “We have to get to Valor’s Blade!” Darkfeather exclaimed, galloping down toward the city square. We followed as fast as we could, Mephalda flying into the air and shooting arrows at the pegasi as they climbed to Dragonsreach. Most of them still made it through and forced the doors open, charging inside. Shortly after, we too reached the keep and charged in. Two pegasi blocked our path, one of them a Blackwing. I Shouted, and time slowed around me. I galloped forward, swinging Dawnbreaker around and decapitating the Blackwing. The other pegasus I relieved the weapon of, and as time returned to normal she was crushed by Steadfast’s warhammer. I shot ice spikes at an approaching Pegasari soldier, but he dodged, only to be hit by a blast of magic from Mystic. Across the room, Stratus threw Jarl Valor’s Blade’s weapon from his mouth, knocking him down in front of his throne. “All this because of your Thane,” Stratus taunted the Jarl as she held a wickedly sharp dart over him, “You know, I really came here to kill her, but hopefully I can make her suffer before I do, by killing you.” As she threw the dart at the Jarl, Darkfeather suddenly jumped between them, the dart striking her instead. The point bored right through her armor, sticking her chest. As she fell, seemingly in slow motion, she threw a blade of her own at the surprised Stratus, striking her in the chest as well, next to her heart. “Darkfeather!” the Jarl exclaimed, rising and trotting over to where she had fallen. Stratus staggered as she pulled the blade out of her chest, wincing at the pain. She stumbled toward us as she headed for the exit, nearly running into me. I threw my foreleg up over my face as she found enough strength to send her wing-blades flying at me. I drew Dawnbreaker and the Blade of Hoofingar, swinging them around and tearing the blade mechanisms off her wings, as well as a few feathers. As she drew a sword, I batted it away and relieved her of the other weapons she carried with my magic. “So, now what?” she said, smiling as I pointed Dawnbreaker at her, “Are you finally going to kill me?” I knew I really should. After all, Stratus had tried to kill me and my friends so many times. She’d attacked an entire city just to get at me, and chances were she was willing to do it again. Yet, as much as I knew she should die, I just couldn’t. “No,” I said, pulling my sword away, “I’m not.” “But, I slaughtered Whitetrot,” Stratus said, “I killed her.” She pointed at Darkfeather, who was still lying on the floor, the Jarl bending over her and administering a healing potion and bandages. “She’s not dead yet,” I said, “And that wound wasn’t fatal.” “Oh, but it is,” Stratus said, flinching as her own wound acted up, “That blade was poisoned, and there is no cure. Healing the wound will only make things worse.” I looked over at Darkfeather, who was breathing heavily, her frame wracked with pain as the poison took hold. “I still won’t kill you,” I said firmly. “But, she was your friend, and I took her from you. And she wasn’t the first,” Stratus said, sounding confused, “I don’t deserve to live.” “No, you don’t,” I agreed, “But I’m going to let you anyway. I’m not like you Stratus. I’m willing to give ponies a chance to change, even when they don’t deserve that chance.” Stratus stared at me, perhaps for the first time rethinking her decisions in life. As her focus suddenly shifted downward, I looked at the green glow emanating from my chest. I pulled the latest Element of Harmony out just in time to see it flash so bright that everything else disappeared. ~◊~ ~◊ ZOFAN ◊~ ~◊~ Dragonsreach had disappeared, and only the ponies around me remained, colored by the green light. My friends looked expectantly at me, realizing that I’d somehow activated another of the Elements. Stratus had the look of surprise frozen on her face. The Jarl was even looking up from Darkfeather for a moment to see what was going on. The dappled pegasus was the only one not watching me, her face contorted with pain. ‘Generosity,’ a voice with a cultured accent said, identifying which Element it was I had just activated. ‘Charity and Generosity are both virtues one should treasure and practice every day. A giving spirit will always be rewarded, and will always be respected. Give freely, and out of your own desires, instead of through compulsion, or else your generosity will be tainted, as will your expectations toward other ponies. Witness now, the story of Hoofnoraak.’ I found myself once more viewing the Horizon of the past, when dragons ruled the land, and the earth ponies gladly worshipped them. All gave gifts to the dragons, and to each other, but one mare in particular seemed especially willing to give. ‘Hoofnoraak was always charitable toward her fellow ponies, even as a filly. No price was too great for her, if only it would help the ponies around her. Her giving nature caused her to join a group of five other like-minded ponies, who became fast friends. The dragons, pleased with the harmony of the Six Companions, bestowed upon them the most powerful artifacts of all time: the Elements of Harmony.’ ‘The Six Companions proclaimed themselves to be Dragon Priests, special emissaries to and from the dragons. The fantastical power they wielded was used to the benefit of all, ushering in a new era of prosperity for Horizon.’ ‘But, the power they were gifted with was too great, and they soon began to abuse it, including Hoofnoraak. She became obsessed with her generosity, believing that all ponies should be as giving as she had been. She built a vast city, Valgroom, from which she ruled the surrounding lands with an iron hoof, demanding tribute be given generously.’ ‘At first, her intentions were somewhat noble, using the tribute she collected to better the lives of lesser ponies. But, eventually she became more and more tyrannical, keeping the wealth for herself and greedily hording it. In addition, anypony who did not give generously enough for her she had executed, and led vast purges of the land. Her subjects eventually rose up against her, and sealed her within Valgroom.’ I departed from Valgroom, returning once more to Dragonsreach. ‘Guard well your Generosity, and give freely and joyfully. Otherwise, it will come to control your actions and your perception of others’ actions. Remain generous for the right reasons, and your Generosity will serve you well.’ As the voice finished her narration, the Element of Generosity once more flashed, and I was returned to reality. ~◊~ ~◊~ ~◊~ “The Element of Generosity,” I announced before anypony could ask, “Giving Stratus her life back, again; that’s what must have done it.” I looked around for Stratus, but she had already left, no doubt flying slowly back to Pegasor due to her injury, pondering her crimes. I hoped our paths would cross again, and under happier circumstances. I trotted over to where Darkfeather lay on the ground, trembling as the poison took full effect. Jarl Valor’s Blade sat next to her, holding her hoof as she faded away. I thought I spotted a tear in his eye, but couldn’t be sure. I joined them, sitting across from the Jarl and offering my hoof to the dappled pegasus as well. As her shaking began to subside, she looked up at the Jarl, a smile crossing her tortured face. “Now my debt has been repaid,” she said to him before lying back peacefully and dying. Level Up Health: 360 Stamina: 350 Magicka: 350 New Perk: Trade Ya [Block[ -- When blocking, you will now have an improved chance of taking an opponent’s weapon and using it yourself. Element of Generosity activated New Quest: The Only Cure -- Find a way to cure yourself of vampirism.