"The madness! It isn't right! It isn't right!" A dunmer screamed on his knees.

I cocked an eyebrow at the strange man, not understanding the madness that spewed from his mouth.

"I'll kill you all!" He screamed, charging straight for me.

Before thinking properly, I drew my steel longsword and plunged it deep into the man's stomach. He gurgled and mumbled something, then fell to the ground, dead.

"Care to explain?" I cooly asked the guard while sheathing my weapon.

He sighed and rubbed his face, looking down at the dunmer.

"Anyone that's gone in there," He pointed at the strange door. "Hasn't come out right. Their brains are addled and they come out like this, all crazy."

I nodded and flipped a strand of heather grey hair out of my face, noticing a somewhat shady Khajiit skulking around the small island.

I wasn't old, not in the least bit. I was only twenty eight years of age, but with all the battles The Gods have taken me through, and the ones that I started myself, my hair just prematurely greyed out.

It all started actually when I started doing quests for Martin and Jauffre. I knew Jauffre knew, but he didn't say anything. Martin would always frown and say "I'm sorry for doing this to you, my friend."

Martin was long gone, somewhat destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon. Even though there was no love between us, I missed him. I think he had a thing for me, but that's just random thoughts.

"Okay, I'm heading in." I finally said, feeling a little bold.

"Go right ahead." The guard scoffed. "I'm here to warn folks, not keep them out. I'll be here to clean up the mess when you come back."

I rolled my eyes at the guard's comment. I saw the destruction of my best friend, I was sure I could handle a few crazy people. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and stepped through the portal, unsure of what laid before me.

To my amazement, it was simply a room. A room with a ticking clock, a book, a table and two chairs, one of which was occupied by a sarcastic, dry looking man.

"Please take a seat." He said rather boredly and gestured to the chair.

I nodded and sat down, unsure of what he was going to ask me.

"I presume you're here about the door?" He asked.

"Yes, I'd like to know why it's here." I replied, relaxing a little.

The man sighed. Obviously every person here has asked that question.

"It's here because my Lord wills it to be. He has broken no pact, no one is injured."

"What about the people outside?" I asked, slightly rude.

"They were ill-prepared and now their minds are the property of my Lord Sheogorath."

Sheogorath. That name sounded familiar, but why?

"Can they be cured?" I asked, worried about the Khajiit outside.

Suddenly the man's once stoic face turned into one of shock.

"Cured? You speak as if they are diseased."

I sighed, knowing this was going nowhere.

"What's your name?" I asked, knowing it was rude to ask before giving your own name.

"I am Haskill, Chamberlain to my Lord Sheogorath, now who might you be?" He asked, looking up from a book.

"My name is Layla Gallenus." I replied smoothly.

Haskill nodded and mumbled something about Sheogorath needing a mortal to act as his champion and that I would probably succeed in this.

"Talk to me again when you've made up your mind." He said dully, leaving me to my thoughts.

Why had Sheogorath's name sounded so tantalizingly familiar? It was so close, but everytime I thought about it, it slipped from my mind like water. I'm sure this is Sheogorath's doing, so I'll simply ask Haskill.

"Haskill, what exactly is Sheogorath?"

He blinked as if I had been living under a rock.

"Lord Sheogorath is the Prince of Madness, Lord of the Never-There."

AH HA! Prince of Madness! That was it!

"Okay." I said after some careful thinking.

"Okay what?" Haskill asked, folding his hands on his lap.

"I want to go in."

Haskill sighed lightly. "Very well, just beyond that door is the realm of Lord Sheogorath, you'll want to journey to Passwall, just before the Gates of Madness. Oh, and mind the Gatekeeper. He dislikes strangers in the realm."

I winced at the thought of 'Gatekeeper' and 'dislikes strangers'. Oh well, just another obstacle.

"Enjoy your stay." Haskill said and disappeared behind the door.

I was unsure of whether to follow him or not, so I decided to stay seated. As I gazed at the walls, they burned away into thousands of the most beautiful purple butterflies I've ever seen in my life, letting the dying red sun leak into the room. I watched as the last purple butterfly flutter away, and decided to head on my first course: Passwall.