Lianda finds Dawnbreaker
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ye͏s
́
̸i c͘a͞n͞ al̢so h͢ęĺp ̸guid͞e yo̶u t͢hr̕óug̛h ͘the͘ la̡b͡y͡ŗi͘n̡th͟ ͞t҉h͏a̵t͝ fo͘r͟ms͢ the̵ ̧fir̡st̶ se̴ct̕i̛o͜n ̢of͠ t̶hè ̶t̵e̸mp̕le͟

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"Thank you." She's rarely had any help in ruins like these, so anything is appreciated, but someone mystically aware of the temple helping guide her is above and beyond what she'd ask for.

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Meridia starts to form a vision in Lianda's mind of the labyrinth, tracing the path along which she will need to guide the beacon's light.  It's a lengthy path that doubles back on itself more than once, through narrow branching corridors and grand chambers and heavy, magical-looking doors and stone bridges across wide artificial pits and chasms.  Even assuming it was converted from a natural cave system, it must have taken years to build.  It's not going to be a short trip.

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Good thing she didn't exactly pack light.

But if it's a known path - there's a very good chance the wraiths know where she's going, or will once she starts guiding the beams of light.

Hopefully they're less talented at navigating the maze than Meridia...

"This is a very impressive temple," she says out loud. "The labyrinth will hopefully aid us well."

Maybe she can lock herself behind some of the gates, to cut off pursuits or give herself time to rest...

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i͘nde̶e͡d̷
͡
͢thé ҉inv͜a҉ders̵ ̶k͏now ̶th͡e tem̛pl͞e an̢d̷ the̛ la̛byr̨int̢h ̧we͘l͠l̡
͞
b͡u̶t į ẁill̴ b̛e̷ able ̀to͟ ̛p͜e͞r̛ceiv͟é th̡e̕i͠ŕ ͞mov͏emen̷t͞s m̕or͠e ̡clea͡rl͟y͏ t̡h͠a͜n̢ ̡t̕he͢y c͏a̡n intu̸i͘t͘ ͡y͢our̵s

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"Better odds than some things I've done."

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Meridia fails to evince amusement, or indeed the emotional capacity for amusement.

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Eh, Daedric Princes are always a bit odd. "So, where next?"

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b͠e͠low͏ ͞t̨hi̡ś ͞room͟ i̧s ̴t̴h̸ę f̷i̶r͏st͞ mir͘r̨o͜r
̡
̨bu̵t͝ ͜t͡he̡r͜e҉ a͡r͢e w͡r̸a͟it̵h̶ ̴p͘a͞t͝ŕols̛ s͡ta͘t͟io̢n̴ed a̕t ͡lo͟c̨at͡ions ̀t̢ha͝t ẁou̕ld̸ b̛e l̸it by i͞t̕s̨ ͡mo͞vem͜ent

th̀àt͞ ͢wi͝ll̵ ͟al͠e͏r͢t ͠t҉he ̕n͜ec͜r͝om̡ańçer͠ ̶if t͝h̀e͏y͠ ̧ṕerce͡i̷ve ̢t͞h̵e ̕mirr͞or b͠ei̕n͘g ma̕nipu̕l͡aţed

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"Do I need to orient the mirrors in order? Can I do the first one last, for instance?"

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y͞oų ͠c͏a̸n
̡
̸a͢n͠d i̴t ̀m̴ay ͜b̶e pr̶uden͘t͞

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"Especially since I'd rather not have a trail pointing to my location and target."

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if ̵a͠ny҉ ơf ͠thè ͢ene͏m͝y̶'̨s͜ ́p͡atr҉o͘ls o͢r̨ sta̧t͢i͏on͢a͘ry ̷s͝ecur͞ity fór̸ce̶s r̶epo̢r̕t͠ y͢ouŕ prese̡nc̀e ̕at an͘y ̛òf̕ ̶t̷he͘ m͏ir̀r̵ors h̨e ͜will͝ l̶ikély gu̶e͢s͡s ̵your̨ i̧n͡t̡ent

͡bu͝t ͞vis̢i̕t̕in҉g̷ t̶he͟ ́mirr̴ors ou͝t ͢o̕f̕ ͜or̢de͡r̵ ҉an̡d̸ ̵kiĺl̡in͜g͏ ̢t̛h̵e͟ wr̢aiths̴ ͟t̕h͟e̢r̢e̷ b͘e͜fo҉re̢ they ͘ca͜n ͏esc̶ape͡ ̶w҉i̢l͞l̸ del̀ay̶ ́t̕h͝e҉i̸r̸ not̢ic̡e͏ ͏o҉f ͞y͝o̢u̕

She highlights the locations of the other mirrors in the map she's building in Lianda's mind.

t͡he͏re̢ a͠r͏e ͟f̀e͡w̡ ͜p͞athś ̷t̵h͡a̴t̨ take you ͝b͞e͟tw̧ęęǹ th̸e mi͡rr̷o͜r̶s

bu̢t m̧óŕe th͞àn͏ one

th͏e̢ longer p͠a̷ths̸ a͡re̶ ͡les͠s҉ ͞fr̡eq͏ue͠n̶tl̴y pa̷t͜r̀o͠l̴l̸e҉d

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"I have the supplies for the longer paths, hopefully."

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She doesn't reply in speech, just starts tracing a path through the labyrinth.

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She'll commit as much of the path to memory as she can, then set out.

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Beyond the entrance hall, the labyrinth is almost pitch-black before she lights her torch - it's designed to be lit by the beacon, apparently.  Pathways tangle around each other in three dimensions, stairways steep and often tightly coiled.  The trip is not as difficult as traveling overland, but it's lengthy, and dark, and quiet, and eerie.

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Keeping alert is going to be a challenge, over time, but for now Lianda has enough experience with dungeons largely empty except the occasional deadly enemy to stay in a sort of meditative state of awareness.

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The way is quiet: they do not yet know she is here.  Soon Meridia warns her, through a subtle wordless knowledge, that she is nearing her chosen first mirror room.

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She goes a bit more carefully, then, wary for ambush.

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Meridia sends her the layout of the room.  There are four exits; in principle the wraiths could travel through the walls as well, but they tend to avoid doing so unless the walls between adjacent rooms are very thin, which fortunately none of the walls of this room are.

The final mirror room is at an intersection of four corridors; there are no doors, but line of sight is broken in each corridor by a flight of stairs, up from the corridor to the mirror-pedestal.  Only a few more turns, now, from her position to the intersection.

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She'll try to get lines of sight as soon as possible, then, without sacrificing stealth nor battle readiness.

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There are three wraiths circling the final mirror.  One of them rushes her and two of them bolt down the right-hand passageway, toward the labyrinth's exit.

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She doesn't want to waste magicka, but not setting off alarms so early is more important and her stores have recovered somewhat -

She drops a flame atronach, directs it to stop the two fleeing wraiths, and closes with her dagger with the one charging her.

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Her atronach can block the other two from escaping long enough for her to take care of the wraith that rushed her, and then it's two on two.

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