It was late in the afternoon when I arrived at the Museum of Ancient Artifacts. I went inside and shook the dust from Almalexia's requested ashstorm from my robes.

I was greeted by a lovely Dunmer lady. She introduced herself as Torasa Aram, Curator of the Museum of Artifacts. She advised me that this museum was privately funded, and was created to collect and display as many of the artifacts from the Province of Morrowind as possible. She did warn me, however, that this was not a store, and once sold or donated to the museum, it was gone for good, as far as I was concerned.

I explained what I was searching for - the pieces of the Blade of Nerevar. She was very surprised to hear that a piece of the blade could actually be found here.

"Here, in Mournhold?" she asked. "Now there's something I'd like to get my hands on for the Museum."

"Do you know of any of the pieces I might find?" I asked.

"I can't say that I have seen any that I know of," she replied, "but I do have one piece from roughly the same time, and it seems to be of Dwemer construction."

"I would like to see it, if you don't mind." I said.

"I don't have it on display," she replied, "because I haven't been able to positively identify it yet. It's a shield of Dwemer make, but not traditional in any sense of the word."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, the pieces of it just don't seem to match." she said. "I've wondered if it isn't some sort of a fake. I suppose I might be able to part with it, but I'll need some compensation."

"Er, what kind of compensation?" I asked. "I could donate quite a bit of gold, if that were necessary."

"Well, not gold." she said. "I'm always looking for new pieces of the Museum. Unique items, armor and weapons of lore - you know the stuff. If you would be willing to donate a couple of items to the Museum, I'd be willing to part with the shield."

"I understand." I said. "I'll see what I can find for you."

I went to the back of the Museum and found an old book there, listing things that the Museum was after. One of them, the Ring of Phynaster, was on the list, and it was right in my pocket! I couldn't even remember where I had found it originally, but I was glad to read of its history.

The Ring of Phynaster was made hundreds of years ago by a man who needed good defenses to survive his adventurous life. Thanks to the Ring, Phynaster lived for hundreds of years, and since then, it has passed from person to person. The Ring improves its wearer's overall resistance to poison, magicka, and shock. Still, Phynaster was cunning, and cursed the ring so that it eventually disappears from its holder's possessions and returns to another resting place, discontent to stay anywhere but with Phynaster himself.

Well, I hadn't used it in a long time, so I figured this might get me the item I was after. She was most surprised to see it held before her in my hand.

"Ah, Phynaster's Ring." she said, with a gleam in her red eyes, "I trust it has served you as well as it served him all those years ago. Are you interested in selling it to the Museum? Or perhaps donating it? I can offer you 9000 gold if you choose to sell it."

I offered to donate it, hoping that would end this situation right there.

"Excellent." she replied, taking the ring. "Small thought it is, it shall hold a prominent place in our collection."

She took the ring and placed it on a velvet-covered pedestal, promising to put a card nearby explaining its history and the fact that I was the one that donated it. Of course, that still meant I had to obtain one or two more items to obtain the last piece of the blade I was after.

I headed back to my quarters and sifted through the items I had collected so far. Not one unique items in the batch. Things were beginning to pile up in my quarters, however, so I thought of a plan. Gathering up as many items as I could, I did a recall spell, ending up in front of Creeper, in the town of Caldera. There, I sold him as much as I could get rid of. The rest of the items were all alchemy ingredients. That would mean a trip back to Solstheim Castle, not just to drop them off in the lab, but also to obtain several more unique items that I just happened to have stashed away.

Using a special scroll that brought me back to the castle, I arrived in the main hallway. Lucky the dog barked a friendly greeting at my sudden arrival.

It had seemed like ages since I had been home.

I headed upstairs, dropped all the alchemy ingredients I had in my assistant's hands for storage. I then headed to the Master's Chambers to change robes. The ashstorms had caused the dust to get into the fabric of my favorite robe, so I decided to have that one cleaned. Darned shame, too - I liked that robe.

I then headed into the Armory and headed right to my display room.

For some reason, I went right for the Umbra Sword. A long time ago, I had fought a mighty Ork warrior for this prize. It had an enchantment that would allow the owner to perform a soul-trap spell on whatever creature you were fighting, capturing it's soul into a soul-gem upon the creature's death.

I remembered his plea: That he had killed so many, that none could defeat him, and that there was no glory left for him. He just wanted to die in battle. I had managed to defeat him, and had given his sword a place of honor in my display room. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided I could not bear to part with it. Perhaps in my Will, I would donate it to the Museum, but not now.

Yet, there was definitely something else I had that might just fill the bill. 

Opening up one of my display cases, I took up the Staff of Hasedoki. Odd name, but it was on the list of things they wanted. From their description,

Hasedoki was said to have been a very competitive wizard. He wandered the land in search for a wizard who was greater than he. To the best of all knowledge, he never found a wizard who could meet up to his challenge. It is said that he felt so lonely and isolated because so many feared his power, that he bonded his life-force into his very own staff, where his soul remains to this very day. Magic users all over Tamriel have been searching for this magical staff. Granting its wielder a protection of magicka, it is a sure prize for any magic user.

I decided this would be just right. I had always felt a little odd about the tiny head at the top of the staff - it always seemed as though it was looking back at me........and perhaps it was.

Finally, one more item. I had put this on one of the statues in the armory, since it was just too odd a face for me to hide behind. Yet, the magic behind this item was powerful, indeed. This was the Masque of Clavicus Vile, that I had found after a battle in the northern island of Dagon Fel.

Ever the vain one, Clavicus Vile made a masque suited to his own personality. The bearer of the Masque is more likely to get a positive response from the people of Tamriel. The higher his personality, the larger the bonus. The best know story of the Masque tells the tail of Avalea, a noblewoman of some renown. As a young girl, she was grossly disfigured by a spiteful servant. Avalea made a dark deal with Clavicus Vile and received the Masque in return. Though the Masque did not change her looks, suddenly she had the respect and admiration of everyone. A year and a day after her marriage to a well-connected baron, Clavicus Vile reclaimed the Masque. Although pregnant with his child, Avalea was banished from the Baron's household. Twenty-one years and one day later, Avalea's daughter claimed her vengeance by slaying the Baron.

To all of this, I also added a shield that I had in the display room: Eleidon's Ward.

Eleidon was a holy night of legend in Breton history. He was a sought-after man for his courage and determination to set all wrongs right. In one story, it is said that he rescued a Baron's daughter from sure death at the hands of an evil warlord. For his reward, the Baron spent all of his riches to have an enchanted shield built for Eleidon. The Shield granted Eleidon the opportunity to heal his wounds.

I figured I had enough items to make the Museum happy, and if not, I had a few more stored away here that could be donated as well.