I made my way to the temple, barely able to see my way in the blinding ash flying through the air.

The ashstorm was still showing no mercy on Mournhold when I got up that morning. Almalexia was obviously being stubborn in her refusal to stop the storm. Perhaps once I showed her that I had reforged Trueflame she might reconsider and allow the ashstorm to stop. It was a shame to see the trees and beautiful flowers and gardens dying all around me under this punishment.

She was most happy to see Trueflame had been returned to the hand of the Nerevarine. She looked upon the blade with awe.

"The Blade is reforged!" she exclaimed. "Our time has almost arrived."

Ok, so far, so good........

"There is but one obstacle that stands in our way," she continued, "though it pains me to believe it is so."

I knew there was going to be some 'other' problem......

"What might that be?" I asked. I assumed it would be some monster hiding in the sewers below that needed to be slain by such a powerful weapon.

"Sotha Sil." she replied. "I cannot count the times I have fought by the Magician's side. It was he who stood with me the day I fought in Mournhold and banished Mehrunes Dagon to the depths of Oblivion. It was Sotha Sil who was able to delve the mysteries of Kagrenac's tools, and raise me to my rightful station. Now, though, the Tinkerer has become unstable."

"Unstable." I repeated. "Could you provide a little more background on him, please?" I asked. I knew so little of this third member of the Tribunal that any information would be helpful.

"Once, Sotha Sil was like we are, the Lord Vivec and I." she replied. "He spent time among these mortals, instructing them, counseling them, protecting them from harm. He may have loved them more than any of us, though I know not why. It has been many years since any have seen the Sorcerer, though. Many more since he took initiates into his service."

"Why would that be?" I asked. "Would he not have need of them, such as you would?"

"I believe he grew weary of mortal imperfections," she replied, "and retired to his Clockwork City, where he reshapes life, and some say the very world, into an image he finds pleasing."

"What can you tell me about this Clockwork City?" I asked. "I have heard of it, but why is it called by that name?"

"His lair is as puzzling as the mind of the Sorcerer himself." she replied. "Ever-moving, ever-changing, its levers and gears responding to its master's will alone. It is here he performs his profain experiments, aided by his magic and tainted by his madness."

I found that last part most disturbing. I had already fought one mad god, Dagoth Ur. I could only wonder what in store for me now. "Madness?" I asked. "Could you elaborate?"

"I have suspected for some time that the Lord Sotha Sil had entered Sheogorath's realm." she said, her voice growing more sad by the minute. "His visits have been more and more infrequent, and punctuated by violent fits of anger. He began to speak of the fall of the Tribunal and the return of the Old Gods. But Sotha Sil is not a Seer; he is a Maker. He shapes the Here and the Now, while only I have been privy to what is to come. I know this...he is no longer the man he once was."

"Are you certain?" I asked. "How can this be?"

She looked at me the way a mother does to a child that must be sent to war, knowing that it must be done, but regretting having to do so.

"He is completely mad." she replied. "It was his creations, these Fabricants, that attacked my city. This once great man is now a danger to Mournhold and to all of Morrowind. He must be stopped, Eldorf Dragonmeal."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Sotha Sil is responsible for the attacks?" I asked. "That is why the machines weren't of Dwemer origin. Still, it's almost impossible to believe."

"He must be stopped." she repeated. "I believe it is your calling to stop Sotha Sil's mad schemings. I do not know that he can be reasoned with, but it is possible. If he cannot be, you must end his life. Though the idea saddens me, it is best for Morrowind...and it is best for him, as well."

"Truly, this is sad." I responded. "What weapon could....."

She interrupted me by pointing her finger at the weapon I had reforged. "The Trueflame can kill a god, if wielded by one of noble intent." she said. "Steel yourself, Eldorf the Wise, and do what must be done. I will send you to his Clockwork City now, if you are prepared."

I had all the potions and enchanted items I needed with me already, and indicated that I could go there immediately.

"Then I shall send you now." she replied. "Do what you must, Nerevarine."      

With a wave of her hands, the room started to fade from view, and I was surrounded by sparkles of light. Suddenly, I found myself in another part of Morrowind, far from Mournhold, and waist-deep in water.

Again, I wished I had waited to change robes.     

Behind me was a huge door, but it was blocked by a large boulder, so the only way to go was straight ahead.

I moved as quietly as the water would let me, and found myself in a much larger room. There were several large doors connected to a huge, articulated arm.

I found what appeared to be some kind of control box, and gave the lever on it a twist.

There was a loud rumbling sound, and suddenly the entire door moved out of the passageway and lifted up to the ceiling with little more effort than one would need to lift a feather.

I tried this several times, and was intrigued by the simple and efficient way this machine worked. If this was Sotha Sil's work, and I could reason with him, I'd like a few of these doors in my castle, just for looks.

In one room, I found nothing but waist-deep water. In another, a dead Fabricant monster, the kind with the long neck and pointy nose on it's face. Each carried some kind of potion that would increase speed. Not sure if I would need it, I brought it along anyway.

Behind door number 3, I found a way out of this chamber, but there was a challenge: two huge, swinging axes awaited me, hoping to slice me into little pieces. Based on the look of the skeletons on the floor beneath them, someone had tried this before.

I got as close to the first one as I dared, timed their swing, and jumped past the two of them as each reached the apex of their swing.

After making it past the two swinging blades, there was an up-ramp, so I was finally out of the water....until just a few feet in front of me, there was a down-ramp, so I'd end up back in the water.

For being such a mechanical-type person, I was surprised he hadn't set up a pumping system to get rid of all this water.

I approached another huge door. So far, things had been pretty quiet, nothing more than a friendly set of swinging blades to greet me.

I found yet another door, and reached for the crank to open it. I remembered the dead Fabricant machine, and decided to be ready for them. Using the Ring of Weapons, I summoned a curras, shield, and broadsword, just in case I was caught off guard.

Cautiously, I turned the crank and opened the huge door. Inside, nothing but another dead Fabricant. Well, it was better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.

Another huge door, and another way out of this mess. By this time, I was hoping for some monsters, just as long as I could get out of this waist-deep water.

I readied my broadsword and entered the inner flooded halls, and hopefully higher ground (or at least, a switch to turn open the drain).

Yes, it was a live one, and it was out there, patrolling the halls, looking for trouble.