Oblivion Remastered - The Vile Serpent Ep. 1: A Thief Has Been Stolen

In the coastal metropolis of Sunhold, Kaeloryn served as Director of the Division of Vital Preservation—a prestigious, state-sanctioned government post tasked with developing magical preservatives for naval supply lines. Under the cover of official ledgers, state budgets, and civil authority, he established a hidden laboratory beneath the deep docks. There, he conducted cold, methodical experiments on living subjects—captured smugglers, debtors, and prisoners—mapping the mechanics of vitality transfer, blood magic, and soul manipulation. When his illicit operations were uncovered by a financial audit, Kaeloryn reacted by locking them inside the facility, executing them, and forcibly harvesting their vital essences into black soul gems. Before igniting the docks, he liquidated the institute’s vaults, stealing what gold he could carry. The astronomical costs of black-market passage across the Abecean Sea, forged papers, and corrupt harbor officials drained his stolen fortune, leaving him stepping onto the Imperial City Waterfront virtually penniless.