Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 7 2006, 09:16 PM

You know the drill, I finish one story and begin with the next. Meet my latest character and headremover, Morvayn Dres.


In the service of a fallen god.

Morvayn Dres took two deep, silent breaths. He filled his lungs till they were about to burst. In one smooth motion, he stepped out of the shadows behind the pillar and drew his sword at the same time, already swinging it at his first victim before the Orc could blink. He pressed the point of his saber in the arm beneath the pauldron, just deep enough to draw blood. Smoothly, he pulled his sword back a bit, flicked his wrist to aim the blade and performed a backhanded slash that neatly separated the head from the neck.

The entire time between Morvayn stepping into view and the Orc’s head flying away could be counted in a single heartbeat. The other Orcs in the room hadn’t noticed anything yet. Morvayn calmly walked towards the back of the nearest one. He enjoyed the look of surprise and then horror when the Orc turned around. Behind Morvayn, the corpse of his first victim noisily dropped to the floor.

,,In the name of my lord, I bring justice! You will join your unholy master in Oblivion!” Morvayn shouted and raised his saber. He ducked the Orc’s warhammer and cut through his opponents legs. He raised himself, cut off another head and turned towards his next victim. Magical mist poured out of the two Orcs and entered the man who had slain them.

Morvayn felt the mist filling his veins and with it, the power it gave him. When he was two steps away from the third Orc, he acted. He moved faster than anything the Orcs had seen before. In their eyes, he was death turned into flesh and blood, with a grim face they only knew too well. All three remaining Orcs died before they could raise their weapons.

The power his sword had granted him fled and he turned to watch how the corpses fell to the floor. Morvayn removed his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His red eyes blazed with a fanatical anger when he turned to the statue that dominated everything else in the room. If it was meant to intimidate, it failed to serve its purpose on the Dunmer.
,,Mehrunes Dagon, this shrine shall no longer worship you. For the glory of my lord, I have brought justice.” He said to the four-armed statue of the Daedra and walked out of the room.

Outside the shrine, his face was covered by his helmet again. He gave a few quick orders to the group that had waited outside for his return. Morvayn had concluded they would only get in the way during the fight and told them to stay at the entrance.
,,You, pick up the heads of the outlanders and put them on stakes in front of the entrance. That should serve as a warning to any cultist who wishes to rebuilt the shrine. The rest of you, destroy the shrine. When we leave, I want that accursed place to be in pieces.”

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 8 2006, 11:31 AM

The people of Vivec respectfully cleared a path for him when he came trough. He didn’t expect anything else. Looking at the massive cantons of the sacred city, he was struck by both a sense of happiness and a sting of pain. This place was his home but it felt odd that the cantons were just under 200 years old. Vivec was beautiful yet, he still wished that he would have been able to see the bigger, older Vivec that was destroyed during what was known as the Oblivion crisis.

Now, only four cantons remained, one held Vivec’s palace, another the High Fane and the library and the next two held the temple and the homes of the common citizens. Morvayn walked slowly but with confidence towards his destination. In front of the huge doors of Vivec’s palace, he greeted the two Ordinators standing guard.
,,Rest well, Almalexia and Sotha Sil. May the death of your slayer bring you peace.” He began the traditional greeting.
,,Live well, Vivec. May your glory bring death to your enemies.” The Ordinators replied.

,,Welcome back, Master. Lord Vivec is expecting you.”
Morvayn nodded and entered the palace. Despite being called a palace, the room he entered was completely empty. The only thing that caught the attention of any visitor was the man floating above a platform. Lord Vivec himself, the last god of the Tribunal, greeted the kneeling Morvayn.
,,You have returned.” He simply said.
,,I have, lord Vivec. I bring words of victory. In the name of ALMSIVI, the cultists of Ald Sotha shall no longer worship Mehrunes Dagon.”

For a few moments, silence filled the room.
,,You have done well, Morvayn of House Dres. I give you my blessing. I have seen your actions and your service of the Tribunal. I believe that you are the right Dunmer for a very important task. Go to the city of Sentinel in the province of Hammerfell. There, the king of Sentinel shall hold a competition to select the best warrior of Tamriel. Though I have no doubts that you would win this competition, I want you to only join as a spectator. Watch the competition and make a selection of warriors you wish to hire for this task. You will have to endure the company of the outlanders. Now go and rest so that you are ready for your journey tomorrow. You will find a letter detailing your task on the desk in your room. Do not open this letter till you arrive in Sentinel. May ALMSIVI watch over you.”
Morvayn rose up from his knees, bowed and left the palace.

As the living god had told him, he found a small black envelope in his room. He kneeled in front of an alcove and began to carefully remove his armour, placing each piece in the alcove. He made a short prayer and lied down on his bed. His body relaxed while he relived his memories.

The skies above Red Mountain were a clear blue with a gentle breeze playing across the slopes. A young man with nothing but a simple brown robe and the wooden staff of a pilgrim walked barefooted through the ashy waste. He held his eyes firmly fixed on the ground and walked along an invisible trail, chanting sacred words of prayer as he went.

The ancient door of a Dwemer ruin invited him and he stepped through it into the darkness.
,,Welcome pilgrim, seeker of the rank of High Ordinator. You have entered a place of many curses and blessings. This is the place were the destiny of the Dunmer was decided. This is the place of the betrayal of Nerevar and the Tribunal by Dagoth Ur. This is also the place of his end at the hands of the equally treacherous Nerevarine. This is a place of hope and a place of tears.” A disembodied voice echoed through the metal corridors.

The pilgrim didn’t speak. He continued his prayers and searched a path into the depth of the ruins.
,,It all began in the beginning. Kagrenak, mastersmith of the Dwemer, created an abomination. The Tribunal and their mortal companions, Nerevar of House Indoril and Dagoth Ur, set out to fight the Dwemer and destroy their evil creation. After a long and hard battle in which many Chimer fell, the Tribunal claimed victory and all Dwemer turned to dust. Nerevar and Dagoth Ur entered the citadel where they found the heart of Loknar, which was said to grant great powers to its master. Nerevar left his friend at the heart and left to seek the advice of the Tribunal. The Tribunal decided that the heart should be destroyed for the safety of all.”

A long death Centurion sat against the wall. Its lifeless eyes seemed to stare at the passing pilgrim.
,,When they returned, the heart was gone and only Dagoth Ur remained. The power of the heart had claimed the man’s sanity and in a rage, he killed Nerevar. He then attacked the Tribunal, but was defeated by their immortal hands. All seemed well and the Tribunal led the people through the ages. Chimer turned into Dunmer, mountains grew, rivers dried and islands sank. In their wisdom, the Tribunal constructed the Ghostfence with the sacred souls of the Chimer who had fallen at Red Mountain.”

The pilgrim passed the corpse of a deformed man. No living creature dared to consume the cursed remains.
,,Then, bad signs for the future came. Ash filled the sky, foul creatures roamed the land. The Tribunal contained the problem within the fence and waited for prophecy to be fulfilled. Finally, the day the destiny of the Dunmer would be decided arrived. A ship arrived at the Bitter Coast. With it, it brought a man marked by destiny. This man was known as Luper Alkad, a Redguard born at a certain time to unknown parents. With the power of Akatosh flowing through his veins, he was called Nerevarine by the Ashlanders and Hortator by the Great Houses of Vvardenfell. Luper Alkad received the blessing of the Tribunal and defeated Dagoth Ur who had survived the wounds the Tribunal inflicted on him so long ago. Only the power of the heart had kept him alive.”

The pilgrim entered a cavern beneath the ruins at the heart of the mountain. There, he stoppd to prepare himself for what awaited beyond the door.
,,Sadly, the evil that had claimed Dagoth Ur also claimed this Luper Alkad. With the power of Akatosh, blessed by Azura and with the evil of the heart, he travelled forth and slayed the Tribunal gods Almalexia and Sotha Sil. He then turned on Vivec, last god of the Tribunal. Helped by the souls of his fellow gods, Vivec gravely injured the Redguard and forced him to flee. Luper Alkad would live the rest of his life in exile till this life was finally claimed by Mehrunes Dagon in the Imperial capital, Cyrodiil.”

The pilgrim took a deep breath and entered the final room, the room where the heart had been. He crossed a rope bridge suspended above the lava and arrived at a shrine in the center.
,,I greet you, pilgrim. Take the armour of the High Ordinator. When wearing this armour, never allow your face to be seen by the living. With this armour, people shall no longer know you as Morvayn of House Dres. They shall know you as High Ordinator, the hand and voice of the Tribunal.”

With calm movements, Morvayn removed his robe and threw into the magma below. His staff followed. He kneeled in front of the shrine and gave his words of thanks. He then took up the red armour of the High Ordinator and the sacred Ebony Saber, the ‘Word of ALMSIVI’. He was now the highest ranking Ordinator alive.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 8 2006, 07:40 PM

Oooooo, a very promising start to your next fic. You just seem to get better and better jack!

Seems like Morvayn is a dangerously devout Temple goer. I almost thought they would be at a Malacath shrine since it was full of Orcs, ohwell.

I also wonder how truthful that recollected history is, since it still contained previous Temple propaganda. Very intriging, I must find out!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 11 2006, 11:53 AM

Sorry for the holdup, writer's block. Ahem, no story of mine is complete without a Redguard waving a sword and kicking behinds. So here he is, Redguard waving sword and kicking....nothing.



The sun was at its peak and the temperature in the city was as hot as a forge in Oblivion itself. Most people had sought the shadows to stay cool. Not the leatherclad Dunmer who walked through the city at a brisk pace. Morvayn had been in Sentinel for a week now and was frankly, bored. There just wasn’t anything for him to do. He was really just waiting till this so called best warrior of Tamriel had been chosen. At least things were about to end now. The semi-finals were busy right now and the finals would be tomorrow.

No one stopped him at the entrance to the castle. Why should they? Half of Tamriel wanted to see the fighting. If a guard would have tried to stop the flood of people, he would be cushed like an insect. He passed merchants trying to sell their wares, gamblers, beggers, a few members of the thieves guild and a lot of spectators. Pushing a path through the mass, he managed to get himself a place where he could see the arena.

The arena was really just a big patch of sand with a white circle around it. The rules were simple. Two contestants would fight within the ring. Crossing the white line or harming spectators would lead to defeat. Other than that, the fight would continue till one fighter gave up or got killed, whichever came first. The only other rule forbid the use of Magicka. This was a competition to find the best warrior, not the best mage.

Morvayn took on a casual pose and prepared for another boring day. The current match was between a Redguard and an Altmer. The Altmer was tall and dressed in expensive clothing. He weaved two Silver Wakizashis in a complex dance-like pattern. All of his movements were calculated and calm, a slowness that hid lightning-fast strikes.

His opponent was pretty much the opposite. Instead of two Wakizashis, the Redguard had chosen a simple Iron Longsword as his blade. He was a head shorter than most of his kind and wore cheap, dust-covered clothing. He looked like a nomad who lived in the dessert. His movements were crude but effective, switching from a one-handed grip to a two-handed at times.

The two stared each other down for a few seconds, looking for a potential weakness. The Redguard stepped forward and delivered a low thrust, using the longer range of the longsword to his advantage. The Altmer stepped to the side, parried with one Wakizashi and stepped closer before slashing at the Redguard’s neck. The Redguard dropped and performed a backwards roll, stopping at the edge of the arena.

The same thing repeated itself a few times. The Redguard would try to attack from a long distance and the Altmer would counter with his exotic dual-wield style. Morvayn was about to turn away and find something more interesting when something caught his attention. All this time, the Redguard had been surpressing a grin. Now that grin revealed itself and he launched himself forward. Morvayn continued to watch.

The Redguard got as close as he could and wildly began to hammer away at the Altmer’s left side. This was no longer a contest of skill. It was pure hack and slash. The Altmer almost looked bored while he blocked and parried the longsword again and again with one of his Wakizashis.

Morvayn ignored the rest of the crowd and the words of disappointment. There had to be a trick somewhere. There was simply too much difference between the style the Redguard had been using first and his hacking right now. He looked closely at the situation and a thin smile crossed his lips. He might actually start to respect an outlander like this. The Redguard’s plan was ridiculous, simple but it might just work.

The Redguard did just what Morvayn had expected. After almost two full minutes of hacking at the Altmer’s left side, he suddenly switched to the right side. The Altmer had gotten used to defending his left Wakizashi and tried to do so. Left Wakizashi collided with right Wakizashi bringing the Altmer out of balance and creating a huge opening. The Redguard stepped around his opponent and calmly tapped the Altmer’s neck with his longsword.
,,Give up?” was the first thing the Redguard said since the start of the match. The Altmer nodded and hung his head.
,,Good. Now if you just keep yourself from falling into a pattern, you might win the game next time. I doubt I’ll be competing so you’ll stand a chance.” The Redguard commented before walking away through the crowd. Morvayn waited for a moment and then followed. He hoped to get a conversation with the man.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 11 2006, 05:38 PM

That Redguard must have some great endurance to hack so long But it was a smart move, since it worked.

Excellent fight Jacky, my boy! I do hope Morvayn plays nicely with him.

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 12 2006, 07:30 PM

Well, he's a tough guy alright. Sorry about this update, but I'm not very original when it comes down to names.




Following the Redguard without being spotted wasn’t too hard. The man walked without ever looking in any other direction than the one he was going. The hardest thing was keeping up. Morvayn lost sight of the Redguard for a moment but managed to pick the right direction just in time to see him enter a tavern.

,,Ah there you are. Managed to keep up?” The Redguard said with a grin just like the one he’d worn during his duel with the Aldmer.
,,Excuse me?”
,,Oh come on, do you really think you weren’t spotted? There are only so many people on the street and only one pair of feet heading in the same direction and keeping the same distance as I did. So what are you here for?”

Morvayn sighed and ordered a glass of water. The Redguard took this as a clue and raised a large wooden cup.
,,The usual for me.”
Morvayn sat down and looked the Redguard in the eyes.
,,I’ve seen you fight. It was a stupid trick but it worked.” He simply commented.
,,Nah, it wasn’t stupid. He was an amateur.” The Redguard replied and took a huge gulp of his drink.
,,This amateur did manage to make it to the semi-finals.” Morvayn countered.

,,Just a small and unimportant detail. The name’s Luper Alkad by the way, from Argonia. What’s yours?” The Redguard made a sweeping motion with his hand as if he wanted to push the subject off the table. Morvayn was now really growing interested though a small sting of anger had also entered his mood.
,,Luper Alkad? That’s the same name…”
,,As the Nerevarine. That’s the first thing every Dark Elf says nowadays. I heard that story. The Nerevarine, a hero who was blessed by Azura and who was invincible.” Luper interrupted.
,,I’m not invincible. Did you by chance hear the story of his end? They say that the Nerevarine got killed by Mehrunes Dagon himself. Nice story by the way. Now what’s your name?” He added.

Morvayn’s anger had become mixed with annoyance. It wasn’t often that people dared to interrupt him. Those who did were usually criminals of some kind of another. He bought himself time to deal with his emotions by drinking a bit of his water. Morvayn decided that he wouldn’t tell the Redguard that the Nerevarine wasn’t exactly seen as a hero nowadays. A tragic hero maybe, but not a hero. No matter what the Nerevarine did, killing two Tribunal gods was unforgiveable. Having people named after him hurt.

,,Morvayn Dres, from Morrowind.” The Dunmer said with a calm voice.
,,Ah, New Vivec perhaps? How is the Ordinator life?”
Morvayn couldn’t help but stare at the man.
,,Geez, get a hold on yourself before your eyes pop out of your sockets. Every Dark Elf compares me with this Nerevarine so I figured it would be best to do some research. I am definitely not like the guy of the stories. We both look like Redguards, but that’s were comparisons end. A friend of mine still has trouble with that. She’s a Dark Elf by the way. Sharp teeth and a bit hotheaded, but sweet otherwise. Would you like me to introduce you to her?”

Morvayn deliberately ignored the Redguard’s talk. His mind was fixed on the mission Vivec gave him.
,,If I want to make an expedition into the Black Marsh, what do I need?” He asked once the man had finished talking.
,,Well you could go through the whole food, waterproof covers for any weapons you might have and lots of healing potions and antidotes. But the most important thing is a guide. Now any Argonian is good though some are better than others. If you want a good sword by your side though, you’re better off with someone like….me. I’m as good in the swamps as any Argonian and better than most. So, what do you offer.” Luper’s voice didn’t have a single trace of modesty.
,,I’ll think about it. I might talk to you tomorrow after the finals, in this tavern.” Morvayn answered and got up. He left a single septim on the counter.
,,Good luck, by the way. Though you won’t need it if your opponent is an ‘amateur’.”

Luper watched the Dunmer leave.
,,Hmm, I haven’t seen an Ordinator in a while. I wonder how the good old twin-coloured god is doing?” He mumbled to himself.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 12 2006, 08:07 PM

Hmmm... no... It can't be... This Luper isn't lying is he?

Stop playing with my mind!!!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 12 2006, 08:21 PM

No, he's not lying.

Posted by: Kiln Aug 13 2006, 04:27 AM

Man Jack, the frequency at which you pump out these stories is amazing. I really like this new character so far, update soon. Oh yeah and I like Luper's personality, even though its not the same redguard that we grew so attached to from your other story.

Also, I'd like to thank you for your comments on my story and apoligize that I'm not able to comment on yours as often as I'd like.

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 13 2006, 08:53 PM

Kiln, I will accept your apology if you promise me one thing. Please continue your excellent work with the Eldest councillor.

Alright, time to continue. I might post another update tonight if I'm lucky. I'm going to do the best I can with the finals. Why? Because a Luper is in it and guys called Luper deserve a good fight.


Morvayn spent the rest of the day in his room. His conversation with Luper had made him feel uneasy.
,,Did he lie to me?”
He shook his head at that thought. During the years he’d learned when people lied and when they didn’t. Luper hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t told the full truth either. One thing was sure, the Redguard was a lot more than he was willing to show. With more questions than he could answer, Morvayn fell asleep.

,,Morvayn of House Dres. Heed the call of your master!”
Morvayn opened his eyes. He found himself floating in an empty space, suited in his Ordinator armour. In front of him, the divine shape of Vivec revealed itself. Morvayn kneeled in the air and bowed his head.
,,Lord Vivec.”

,,You are in a place I myself have created for the sole purpose of communicating with those who serve me. In here, time has no meaning. If I could, I could teach you my lessons for a thousand years and not a single second would have passed in Tamriel. Now, have you reached Sentinel?” The god spoke and waited.
,,Yes, lord. I have successfully made the journey. The competition has been fierce. Out of fivehundred competitors, only two remain. The finals shall be held tomorrow, in front of king Arthago.”

,,Good. Now Morvayn, do you believe you can find the right men to accompany you into the treacherous Black Marsh?” The god asked.
,,I do have several candidates. One of them shall fight in the finals tomorrow.”
,,Refuse him if he wins. With victory comes pride and glory. You will not be able to travel fast when your companion is well known. Now rest, Morvayn of House Dres. Tomorrow, the journey shall begin. The High Ordinator shall require all of his strength for the challenge that awaits. Fear not, for my blessing shall be with you.” The living god faded from view and Morvayn returned to his slumber.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 13 2006, 09:06 PM

Awww, I wanna see more Luper, but it's going to make me sad if he loses the fight. Maybe he'll do it on purpose or something. Then again, if he wins, I'm sure it will be cool, and it would be an epic "cameo" type thing.

Ohwell, I guess I'll find out in your next update. Can't wait to see the duel!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 13 2006, 09:39 PM

Sorry, but the duel will start tomorrow. The introduction was a bit longer than expected. Well I did have a nice cameo to include. Enjoy.


Morvayn considered himself lucky the next day. He’d already travelled to the castle before sunrise but it had still been hard to find a good place to watch the fight. It was clear that today’s event was extremely popular. He bet that those in the city who did not come to watch the finals could be counted on one hand.

The two finalists, Luper and an Orc, were already standing inside the ring. The Orc was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed and his hands on the blade of his sword, an Ebony Broadsword. Luper on the other hand was impatiently pacing back and forth. If Morvayn hadn’t seen him fight the day before, he would have been worried that the Redguard would be tired before the beginning of the match. The Redguard had used the finalist’s right to choose a weapon from the king’s armory. A simple choice to make, for his iron Longsword would be snapped like a twig by the Broadsword. Instead, Luper had now picked up a Glass version. Just how this was supposed to be an improvement, Morvayn didn’t know.

The sounds of horns echoed through the room and all faces turned towards the balcony. Accompanied by a pair of his royal guard, king Arthago strode into view. Despite his age and somewhat expanding stomach, he was still a strong man covered in muscles. It was well known that he could still go toe-to-toe with the best of his guards. He calmly took in the cheers of his people.
,,Citizens of Sentinel! It is my honour to present to you the duel between the two greatest warriors in Tamriel! It will be a memorable battle. But before it may begin, I would like to introduce our guest who has travelled here all the way from Cyrodiil. Fast enough to escape the excessive paperwork he has to face each day.” People laughed at the joke of their king. They waited eagerly to see who this guest was.

Two soldiers in what appeared to be Dwemer armour at first glance walked onto the balcony. Morvayn looked intently at them.
,,X-COM. What do I know about them? The first X-COM was Gerard Dreyfus, supposedly a man who came from beyond Nirn and the planes of Oblivion. After ending the Oblivion crisis, he created a guild of warriors with the sole goal of protecting Tamriel from the Daedra. When the first Cosades was elected as Emperor, he recruited the X-COM as his personal guard and made them part of the Blades. An X-COM soldier is suited in something called a Flying suit which enables flight, breathing when there’s no air and it also tells where enemies and friends are. The suits are powered by a combination of Sigil shards and Elerium. The weapon of an X-COM soldier is something called a Plasma pistol and a Heavy Plasma. Both launch extremely hot fireballs at the speed of light. Well I know one thing, I don’t want to fight them even if only half of the stories are true.”

After the two soldiers, an old Imperial followed. Tiber Cosades, fourth Emperor of the Cosades dynasty, a direct descendant of Caius Cosades the spymaster who had helped the Nerevarine. It was interesting how the threads of destiny were tied together. Even long after his death, the Nerevarine would still be known thanks to the descendants of those who had personally known the man.

,,Greetings. I am Tiber Cosades, Emperor of the Tamriellic empire. Thank you for letting me in, and for keeping the paperwork outside the gates. Now, that I have introduced myself, I won’t hold up the duel any longer.” The old man said and was carefully helped into a comfortable chair.
King Arthago waited till the Emperor was seated before continuing.
,,Now, let’s get this thing started. On the Northern side of the arena we have Arkming Gro-lurc, son of Bogahk Gro-lurc , who has been raised in the snow of Skyrim. He is a captain in the garrison of Snowhawk, the city of the disappearing mountain.”

The Orc opened his eyes and focussed them on his opponent. It was a soundless challenge, a promise that he would not hold back. Luper stopped his pacing and smiled friendly at the Orc in return.
,,And on the Southern side we have Luper Alkad, son of Cluson Alkad, from the Black Marsh of Argonia. His daily life consists of fishing, swinging sticks, hitting bad outlanders on their head, telling stories to the kids and annoying a lovely sharptoothed lady.” King Arthago frowned and looked at his notes as if he expected the words to change into something else.
,,Now, raise your blade and fight with honour. Let the duel begin!”

The swords were raised and the crowd fell silent. The final battle of the competition, the one that would decide who was the best warrior in Tamriel, had begun.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 13 2006, 10:37 PM

Hooray for cameos! That's the neat thing about your work, Jack. Since you have quite a few fics under your belt, you could cameo a few of them, I almost expected to see Aureus in the X-Scrolls one, just because he mentioned in. But this cameo is neat, just because he's merely referenced and not actually there.

This battle looks promising!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 15 2006, 07:01 PM

Ah yes, cameos. Well I did have to pull them out somehow. I would have brought Gerard himself if it wasn't for the fact that humans rarely live to an age exceeding 200.

And about Aureus, well he's simply too powerfull to be there when the Daedra attacked. Gerard wouldn't get to do a thing. The old vamp would simply pop through the gate, blasting anything that dared interrupt him, and blow up the whole tower!

Now I failed to make the battle epic, so I just did this. It includes a bunch of one-liners. Have fun.


The two fighters approached with short steps. Luper reached out with his blade and immediately pulled back again even before the blades could make contact. He was merely testing his opponent’s defence. The Orc bared his teeth in grin.
,,You won’t find any gaps with me. I’ve seen you fight, Luper Alkad. Your technique holds no surprises for me.” He said, stepped forward and slashed downwards with the heavy sword.

Luper stepped to the side, sank through his knees a little and brought up his Glass blade under the right angle to make the Ebony broadsword change directions and plunge into the sand, without damaging the Glass longsword. The Redguard produced one of his own grins and whispered so low that only Arkming could hear it.
,,You think so? Sorry kid, but the technique you’ve been seeing is my ‘example-for-five-years-old-starters’ style. You won’t see my ‘Alkadtastic-behind-kicking-and-chop-into-a-thousand-pieces-in-the-blink-of-an-eye’ style. So if you win, congratulations on being as good as a little child. If you lose, well sorry I just crushed your self-image. Also, you might want to save your breath. People who talk all the time get tired early.”

Morvayn couldn’t help but smile. Lip-reading did have its uses.
,,Well he surely isn’t lacking confidence.” At the same time, he wondered just how true the Redguard’s taunt was. He watched how the Orc pulled his sword out of the sand and went into a defensive stance. Barely controlled rage was burning in his eyes.
Luper calmly waited, sword pointed towards the ground. He raised one of his eyebrows as if he was wondering why the Orc didn’t attack.

The stalemate lasted for several minutes. The crowd became restless and began to move. King Arthago stood up out of his throne.
,,May I please remind you that you are supposed to fight a duel here? Making your opponent die of old age may be a reliable method to win, but it does take a bit too long to hold the interest of the people.” He spoke with a humoured smile on his lips.
,,Oh, now I doubt that Greenskin will win that way. I’ll still be running around long after he got underneath the ground. Longevity runs in the family.” Luper replied loud enough for everyone to hear.

That did it for Arkming. Screaming a battlecry that would make blood freeze, he stormed forwards. Luper bend down again and waited till the Orc was almost on top of him. He then pushed forward himself, grabbed Arkming by his belt and used the Orc’s momentum to throw him trough the air. He walked over to where his opponent landed like a sack of rocks and made a light cut on his right cheek.
,,Don’t let your emotions control you. Berserking might be all fun and nice if you try to scare little kittens, but no one gets scared by a clumsy Orc. Now get up and show me what else you’ve got.”

The Orc got up again. He moved slower now, more controlled. He made a move to the right, a move to the left and another move to the right before attacking to the left side. Luper moved his head to avoid the Ebony and pushed the blade away with his free hand while he made another light cut, on the left cheek this time.
,,Oh, I forgot. Thinking too much isn’t good either. Everything comes in a balance.”

Half an hour later, Morvayn shook his head.
,,Right, this isn’t a duel. This is a lesson. Luper’s going to win so I won’t hire him I guess.” He muttered to himself. Right now, the two were moving around the ring, Arkming striking and Luper evading and stepping backwards. The Orc’s face was covered in light cuts while the Redguard wasn’t even scratched.

Arkming was sweating heavily and stopped attacking for a moment. He realized he was growing tired, not to mention frustrated. He was using up his energy much faster than the Redguard, who simply refused to attack. It was all dodging, parrying and emberassing.
,,Now I know. Psychological warfare. You can’t beat my muscles, so you attempt to beat my mind by making me act the way you want it. No, I shall no longer play this game. I shall do that which you don’t expect any longer. Meet the raging fury of the North!” He shouted a battlecry and lunged forwards, swinging with all his might.

Luper couldn’t parry the assault without breaking his own sword. He did the only thing he could possibly do. He stepped away to stay out of reach. One step, two steps, three steps. On the fourth step, the Orc stood still, lowered his sword and laughed.
,,Look below you, Redguard! You have lost!”
Everyone looked at Luper’s feet. He’d stepped out of the ring.

,,Aw man. Oh well, remember what I told you. You’ve got potential, it just takes a while to grow. See yah.” Luper waved and walked away from the arena. He left the Glass longsword behind. It still belonged to the king and would be returned to the armory.

Morvayn stood dumbfounded. Pure luck, the Orc had won through pure luck. He thought over the situation and shrugged.
,,Who cares. Luper should have won but he didn’t and as a result isn’t the champion. I’ll get to hire the better one and he won’t be famous. Perfect.”
He didn’t stay to watch the fanfare surrounding the new champion. He had more important matters to deal with, including hiring a certain Redguard at a certain tavern.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 15 2006, 09:11 PM

It all worked out nicely for Morvayn it seems. Though I would personally find it embarassing to lose by falling out of the ring. But that means we get more Luper in this fic! Wee! I wonder if him and Morvayn will have conflicting relations...

One liners! Gotta love 'em!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 17 2006, 09:15 PM

Sorry, just a short one today.



Luper wasn’t sitting at a table to drink. Morvayn wondered if he should ask the bartender which would probably involve money or if he should just use a life detection spell. He chose the latter. As he’d expected, the Redguard had locked himself up in a room. As if the door of a tavern could keep out someone like Morvayn.
,,Hey, calm down you ashloving idiot. The door wasn’t even locked, no need to go kick it in. It’s a damn waste of fine wood.” The Redguard said with an annoyed voice.
,,Well I am very sorry to hear that. If you promise you won’t fool around like you did in the arena today, I’ll consider hiring you.”

Luper stood up.
,,Why should I? You’ve already made your decision. I can guarantee that I won’t lose a fight if that’s what you want to hear. Besides, give the kid his fun. Any questions?”
Morvayn didn’t need to think of one.
,,Why are you wearing Indoril boots?”

Luper laughed.
,,Oh, the boots? There was this Ordinator once in the Black Marsh. He kinda got bitten by a snake and well, he forgot to stock up on antidotes. He won’t be needing his boots any longer.”
The Dunmer frowned. Luper was once again telling the truth, but there was this odd feeling he couldn’t explain or get rid of.
,,I don’t feel right about this but till I find a better guide, you’ll do. Meet me at the East gate later. You have two hours to get prepared.” Morvayn turned around and left.

Two hours later, Morvayn was standing at the gate together with his two mercenaries.
,,Alright, let’s get the introductions straight. This here is Jarik. He’s apparently quite experienced at looting Daedric ruins.” He pointed at the tall Nord who nodded.
,,Nice claw tattoo, pal.” Luper mumbled with one of his grins.
,,Hi, I’m Luper Alkad. Your guide into Argonia. So we’re going to loot a Daedric ruin? Sounds like fun!”

Morvayn rolled his eyes.
,,No, we’re not going to loot anything. I’ve just heard that there is this really large Daedric shrine somewhere in the Black Marsh. A shrine dedicated to all the Daedra. We’re not going to loot it. My master has requested that I retrieve a single specific object for safekeeping. As far as everything else is concerned, you may pillage and plunder as much as you like. It won’t be my fault if the Daedra get your souls.”
,,Wow, you must have had a bad youth or something. Cheer up man, no need to be so freaking serious about your religion all the time.”
Morvayn shot a furious glance at the Redguard.
,,Don’t speak about my religion if you value your life.”

Morvayn soon came to regret his choice of companions. For some reason, the Nord and the Redguard just couldn’t get along. The insults flying back and forth gave the Dunmer a headache and provided prove for the barbarism of nonDunmer.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 17 2006, 09:19 PM

Hehe, a bit of a comical (and frustrating for Morvayn) startoff. I'm liking Luper all ready! I wonder what perils they'll discover roaming the swamps of the Black Marsh?

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 20 2006, 03:05 PM

Not a lot of perils. Remember, Luper is pretty much a native. He knows what to do and what not to do. Inside the Daedric shrine though......MUHAHAHAHA


Fortunately for him, they reached the Black Marsh in the end. Once his mission was over, Morvayn would get back to New Vivec and civilization as soon as possible.
,,stop your bickering for a moment and tell me what you know about the shrine.”
Luper threw out one last insult before responding.
,,The shrine was built by some Aldmer fellow whose name I don’t know. There is a room for each of the Daedra and a large room for all the Daedra together. Natives stay away from the place at all costs and all adventurers who did go there never came out. So, do you want to pray to Vivi for protection?”

,,It had better be you who prays to Vivec for protection against me! You may not believe in the Tribunal but you could at least show some respect!” Morvayn snapped at him. Luper simply grinned.
,,I suppose I could show respect but that would be so boring. Nah, Vivi and I are not exactly good friends. I’m more related to Akatosh and Azura. Especially Akatosh. Long story and I won’t tell you now. By the way, that Nord fellow is going to be in trouble.”

Morvayn stared at him.
,,You will call my lord Vivec, not Vivi. And why is Jarik going to be in trouble?” He asked with barely contained anger.
,,Maybe cause I don’t trust him? I’m telling you, he’s got plans of his own. But at the moment, his biggest problem is that snake that is trying to strangle him. It’s so hard to fight snakes if your hands are unavailable and your axe is still strapped to your back.”
Morvayn looked and saw that the Nord was indeed struggling with a snake that was slowly pulling him underwater.

,,Do we really need him alive?” Luper asked, sounding like a spoiled child.
,,Yes.” Was Morvayn’s simple reply.
Luper rolled his eyes.
,,Right. Time to earn my pay I guess. I’m telling you, I will regret this.”

The Redguard unsheathed his sword and launched himself forward, using the large treeroots as stepping stones. He landed on a root near the snake and the Nord. After a short hesitation, he stabbed the snake somewhere behind the head. The huge snake instantly went limp.
,,Don’t thank me. Thank the Dark Elf. If it was my decision, I’d have let you rot.” Luper stated as he walked back to Morvayn.
,,And one more thing. Try not to touch the water. Here in the Black Marsh, there are plenty of deadly critters.”

They began moving again and the silence was soon scared off again by a constant stream of insults flying back and forth. Morvayn shook his head as they trudged through the swamp.
,,Barbarians.”

By the night, Luper began to display unusual behaviour. He was not talking. Jarik threw a few more insults but after noticing that the Redguard didn’t react, he also shut up. Morvayn gave a few silent words of thanks to Vivec.
,,Ah, that’s it.”
Morvayn’s mood instantly became sour again.
,,There goes the silence.”
,,What, Luper?” He spoke angrily.

,,Nothing. Just hold on for a sec. The ground seems to be a bit soft here. Wait for me.” The Redguard went ahead and was soon out of sight. For a moment, Morvayn thought he saw a purple glow in the distance but he ignored it. Luper was clearly not capable of any spells, so it had to be his imagination.

An hour went by.
,,Do you think he drowned, sir Dres?” Jarik couldn’t mask a hint of hope in his voice.
,,Hey, I grew up on a ship. Don’t think I drown that easily. I’m a better swimmer than most Argonians.” A familiar voice called out from behind.

,,Trying to surprise us, Redguard?” Morvayn responded without turning around.
,,Not really, I just found a path to the local village. I live there.”
The Dunmer and the Nord exchanged pained expressions. If there was a village that could stand having Luper in their midst, it had to be a part of Oblivion.

Posted by: minque Aug 20 2006, 04:21 PM

Luper Luper! Always fun to follow his adventures....nice nice Mr Cloudy!

Posted by: Kiln Aug 20 2006, 07:15 PM

QUOTE(jack cloudy @ Aug 20 2006, 02:05 PM)

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 20 2006, 08:13 PM

Excellent update Jack. Nice one liners as usual to provide beautiful moments of humor.

I wonder if this village is going to be like Oblivion

Posted by: Avego Aug 21 2006, 10:11 PM

Nice story, gonna do some reading of the original Luper now!

Update soon please!

Posted by: minque Aug 21 2006, 10:21 PM

yes indeed! excellent writing!

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 27 2006, 08:29 PM

Gah, I hate real life. Gotta go.



At first glance, the village wasn’t too bad. A few wooden huts and shacks, one larger building in the Imperial style and all that spread around on an open and dry spot in the march, an empty stone platform on one side and what looked like a path leading off towards the trees. Luper walked into one of the small huts and came out with a fishing pole.
,,Alright, I’m off fishing. Make yourself comfortable here.” He told his companions. He then raised his voice and shouted at the top of his lungs.
,,Miss M, I’m back! I brought a cute guy with me, come check him out!”
He winked at Morvayn.
,,As I said, make yourself comfortable.”

The Dunmer and the Nord watched the Redguard go.
,,I don’t know about you sir Dres, but I’m going to take a walk.” Morvayn nodded and Jarik walked away.

,,So you’re the cute guy? Did he forgot about the creep he brought with him last time?”
Morvayn turned around to see who had spoken, keeping his hand near the hilt of his sword. He found himself looking at a young Dunmer wearing an elegant dress. A large amulet in the colour of wet blood hung around her neck. Morvayn bowed.
,,My name is Morvayn Dres, lady. I am here on an important quest for my lord.”

The way the woman looked at him made him feel uneasy.
,,Call me Jana. Well, you are kind of cute. Maybe Luper is finally learning about good taste, though that sounds rather impossible to me. Would you like to stay at my place?”
Morvayn thought about the offer. She seemed decent enough, not like the Redguard.
,,Very well, it would be my pleasure.”
The woman smiled and led him over the path leading into the trees. A short distance beyond the first row of trees, Jana’s home rose up into the sky. Morvayn looked at it while the uneasiness came back.
,,Are you a Telvanni?” He asked warily.

The woman laughed.
,,No, but I do know a few Telvanni. I managed to import one of their homes. It is very easy to redecorate when you want to change things. You just apply some Magicka at the right place and the whole mushroom grows itself.”
The entrance was bathed in the soft glow of two large crystals. Morvayn stopped. He remembered an important design feature of Telvanni towers.
,,I can’t levitate.” He explained.

Jana said nothing and led him to the central shaft where she pointed upwards.
,,Levitating is rather tiresome so I had a revolutionary invention installed. Stairs!” She told him with a big grin that reminded the Dunmer of Luper. He smiled and felt a bit like a fool.
,,I believe that makes things easier.”

They ascended to the top floor where Jana poured Flin in two cups. Sitting on the balcony, they had a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Luper was fishing at a nearby lake filled with surprisingly clear water. Jarik was walking north of town, near an extremely swampy area.
,,So, what is your quest?”
Morvayn looked at his cup.
,,I’m on a quest for Lord Vivec. You are familiar with the Tribunal?” He asked in return.

The woman nodded.
,,I am, though not that much. So you’re an Ordinator? I never managed to guess who or what was behind those masks.”
Morvayn chuckled.
,,Behind the mask, we’re just normal Dunmer blessed by the Tribunal. Anyway, I’m asked to recover a specific artefact from a Daedric shrine in the Black Marsh. A shrine dedicated to all of the Daedra. Speaking of which, do you perhaps know of a guide who can lead me there?”

Jana frowned and shook her head after a few moments.
,,Everyone has heard of the shrine but no one who wants to live goes there. Sorry, but the only person who is stupid enough to go there and expect it to be nothing but a fun adventure would be Luper. Then again, with him the greatest threat becomes not running away into the swamp out of frustration. He can be really annoying sometimes.”
Morvayn sighed. It looked like he was stuck with the Redguard. He looked at the surrounding swamp again.
,,Hey, where did Jarik go?”

Jana looked at the man Luper had brought. He was cute, but a bit too young for her taste.
,,Yeah, but everyone is too young for me.”
,,Who’s Jarik?” She asked, hiding her frustration.
Morvayn pointed at the swampy part to the north.
,,A Nord I’m travelling with. He was over there just a moment ago.” He said and watched the effect of his comment with interest.

,,Really? Why don’t you stay here and rest? I think I’m going for a small stroll through town.” Jana muttered absent-mindedly.
Morvayn stood up, with his hand on his sword again.
,,Alright, what are you hiding? What is over there that it is so important you freak out when a Nord vanishes nearby?” He asked.

Jana could kill herself. Whatever hope for a somewhat long-term relation she might have had, she just blew the opportunity.
,,Not everything here is what it seems.”
Before Morvayn could blink, he was lying on his back with a broken wrist and his sword was in the woman’s hands. She looked like she knew exactly what she was doing.
,,How did you just do that?” He spat, cursing his inability to cast any effective spells for combat. Jana looked down on him with sad eyes.
,,As I said, not everything is what it seems. I’m for example a vampire and quite a bit older than I look. Now be a good boy and stay here while I drag that Nord out of a place he isn’t supposed to be in.”

The vampire began to walk away. Morvayn raised himself with his good hand.
,,What’s so dangerous there? Do you keep an undead army or something?”
Jana turned around.
,,No, but if that Nord is a bit of a treasurehunter, he just entered paradise. The only downside is that the place is the home of a very old man and when he comes back…….Well, you don’t want to steal from someone who can easily blow up Red Mountain when he gets angry.” She said and shrugged. The next moment, the woman was gone.

Morvayn stood still for a moment to consider his options. It was his duty to kill any unholy beings, including vampires. However, she’d spared his life and gave him a chance to tell others of her existence, despite knowing that he was in service of a mighty god. And then there was the hospitality he’d enjoyed, though only for a short time. He shook his head and descended the tower. He’d think over his problem later. Right now, he had to bring a Nord back. He needed an expert at Daedric shrines and he couldn’t afford the possibility of a heavily injured, or vampirized, Jarik.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 27 2006, 08:49 PM

Yay! More cameos! Hopefully Jarik doesn't get Aureus mad, that's not a good thing indeed.

I wonder if we're going to meet any other familiar faces...

Posted by: jack cloudy Aug 31 2006, 07:14 PM

I think my cameos are getting a bit overdone. So this is the last cameo for a while. Rest assured, the mighty power of cameos shall be unleashed when the hour is darkest. (I don't know when that could be but, oh well.)

*mysterious voice*:,,Cameos, no mortal or Daedra can comprehend the power that hides within this concept. The power to bring characters from other places, other times and other stories can not be measured."

Alright, cut the dramatic music please. Let's just get this update going.



He carefully examined his wrist during the short walk to the north of town. The wrist was broken, but nothing too serious. Given time and rest, it would heal just fine as long as he didn’t used the hand. Coming closer to the extremely swampy area, he slowed down and looked around warily. It seemed that Jana had disappeared just as suddenly as Jarik.
,,Now where could they…Ow!”

He jumped back and rubbed his nose. He’d walked straight into a wall. He hadn’t seen it till he actually collided with it. Right now, the wall had vanished again. He carefully stepped forward and saw how the wall reappeared in front of his eyes. The wall turned out to be part of a tall tower rising up into the air.
,,Illusion. Not exactly a cheap spell either. Now who could place a large tower here and then actually hide it?”
To his right, he saw an arch. Morvayn approached it and looked at the symbol carved into the arch before opening the door. It was the sun rising over a tree accompanied by strange runes.

The hall he appeared in was a mess. Furniture was strewn all over the place, paintings were ripped apart and lying on the ground. Morvayn knelt down and picked up a small diamond lying on the floor. He held it in front of his face and admired the sparkle.
,,Treasure hunter indeed. He ransacked the whole place before moving on.”
The Dunmer lifted a torch off the wall. He didn’t need the light, but it would be useful as a weapon, considering the likeliness of vampires. Where there was one vampire, there were more. Still, the piece of wood failed to boost his confidence. Driving a wooden stake into a vampire’s heart might be a reliable method to kill one, but the torch was rather blunt and he had never been good at fighting with one hand while using a piece of wood.

Following Jarik proved to be easy at first. All he had to do was follow the trail of destruction the Nord had left behind. Soon though, the visible clues ended. Morvayn walked around for minutes without seeing a single soul. On the outside, the tower didn’t look that big but on the inside, it was huge and he was soon absolutely lost. He noticed an open door and went in to see a Dunmer with a book. Next to the Dunmer sat a zombie, also known as a Bonewalker. The Dunmer looked up and waved the newcomer over with his hand.
,,Good day to you. I believe we haven’t met yet. I’m Athus Mirhtri. I take care of this tower till its owner comes back.” He said with a friendly smile.

Morvayn didn’t return the greeting. He noticed the amulet that hung around the man’s neck, exactly the same one Jana wore.
,,Are you a vampire?” He asked warily, his eyes darting across the seemingly endless chamber filled with books as far as he could see.
The Dunmer continued smiling.
,,I see. You must have met my daughter. Rest assured, there are only three members of our clan. There used to be more, but a friend of mine wasn’t happy when I was infected and wiped out the clan till the last vampire, if you don’t count my family. Don’t worry, I haven’t drank blood for generations. I prefer a good Flin.”

The corners of Morvayn’s mouth twitched up a bit. Just a small clan. Whatever his decision would be regarding these vampires, a small group of Ordinators should be able to do the job.
,,You said you took care of this place till the owner came back. Would you like to tell me more about him?” He inquired as he sat down in one of the comfortable chairs. The zombie had completely forgotten about him and was reading a book. A book for young children.

Athus nodded. A small fireball flew from his outstretched hand and lighted a nearby candle.
,,I will, just so you reconsider the plans you are probably making. Aureus Lucis is a vampire. The oldest of the Silver Eye clan. He is the one who built this place, the one who wrote nearly half of the books you see here and the one who has saved this world countless times. He is a Wanderer and right now he is probably visiting some old friends who don’t live here in Tamriel or even Nirn. Now to make you leave us alone, I’ll give you a warning. Aureus is more powerful than any of us can even imagine. More powerful than Vivec, more powerful than any mortal. The only beings I know who might be able to match his power would be the Daedra. If you send an army to destroy our village, you will be defeated.” There was no humor in the man’s voice.
,,Now if you are looking for your Nord friend, Jana locked him up in the kitchen. He’s cleaning ingredients for tonights meal.” He continued in a lighter tone.

For Morvayn it was clear that the conversation had ended. He rose up from his seat and left. This time, he noticed signs hanging on the walls. After a short examination, he found out which one would lead him to the kitchen.
,,I don’t know how much of your story is the truth, vampire. I suppose I shall give you the advantage of my own doubts. Since you don’t seem to be a threat to the outside world, you may live.”

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Aug 31 2006, 09:32 PM

That cameo was definitely used well, jacky boy. Things are becoming more interesting as we speak.

I imagine that meeting Jarik again will be comical.

Posted by: jack cloudy Sep 2 2006, 09:02 PM

Comical enough like this?



,,You call that food?!” Even if the smell hadn’t told him he had found the kitchen, the voice did. Morvayn couldn’t help but be amused at the whole situation. Jarik was clearly unhappy. His face also bore the distinct markings of several slaps. Still, he defended himself with stubborn pride.
,,I eat this whenever I am away from civilization! It is food, very nutritious!” He barked back at his captor. The sound of a hand slapping across his cheek echoed through the room. Jarik brought up a hand and touched the stricken area.
,,You bwoke my cweekbwone, stuwpid Elb.” He mumbled angrily.
,,Well that’s your own fault. For as long as I’m here, this place is part of civilization so you dare to talk to me like that! I want food that tastes good, not this rotten Cliffracer dung!”

Morvayn didn’t know what the Nord was going through, but he could imagine. It wasn’t often that someone could casually break the bones of someone almost twice as big with nothing but a simple slap across the face. It was very embarrassing, not to mention that Jarik’s pride would suffer from it for a long time. The Dunmer stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat.
,,Excuse me for intruding. I understand that you are not pleased with the actions of my companion but I would be grateful if you are a bit more careful with him. I kind of need him to be in a not so injured state for my mission.” He said with a cool and forced tone.

Jana looked away from her victim.
,,I thought I told you to stay where you were. I know you Ordinators love to say the word scum but that doesn’t mean you have to act like scum.” She complained.
,,Now if you know what’s good for you, you will leave and let me handle this. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle to the big hormonefreak here.” She continued, calming down a little.
,,Now if you can’t even do something as simple as that, grab a towel and start cleaning the floor!” Morvayn heard barely after he’d stepped through the door.
,,Phew, I can’t believe everyone thinks that the most frightening thing about vampires are their teeth and the risk of becoming one. The last thing I’m scared off would be her teeth. Her anger, now that’s scary.” He thought to himself.

Apart from the trauma, the physical damage he received in the village turned out to be no big deal in the end. He’d just arrived back at the Telvanni tower when an Argonian came to him and handed over a potion. He sniffed it cautiously, who knew what those lizards would put in their potions. A careful taste of a single drop made him conclude that he was dealing with a harmless healing potion. He swallowed the liquid and winced as his bones grew back together.
,,Now I know why most healers add painkillers to their healing potions. Accelerated healing hurts as much as being stepped on by a Kagouti.”

He noticed later that he’d fallen asleep. He instantly realized that the healing potion also caused him to fall asleep. Why, he could only guess.
,,Back up again? Good Daedra, I don’t understand how you people ever managed to beat the Dwemer and make a bunch of gods when you sleep half of your life away.”
Morvayn rolled his eyes behind his closed eyelids. Being woken up by the Redguard was definitely not on his list of favourite moments of the day.
,,I’m sorry, it appears that someone here has slipped up during his alchemy. That healing potion knocked me out.” He grunted as he opened his eyes.

Luper grinned and shrugged.
,,Hey, it wasn’t me. Ever since I figured out that the only potions I make are the ones that make you sick and have you vomit throughout the day, I kept clear of the mortars and pestles.” He joked.
Morvayn thought of snapping something back but changed his mind. Luper had changed.

Not in his looks or his personality. His attire was different. The weathered clothes he wore were the same, except they now clearly covered a suit of armour. The iron sword was gone. Now, there was Daedric longsword to take its place as well as a large Claymore on his back. Two gauntlets of Dwemer steel covered his hands. The air around the man seemed to be buzzing with the power of enchantments.

,,Where did you get all that? Stolen from the invisible tower?” He asked out of curiosity.
,,No, this is mine. All honestly looted out of caves, tombs, ruins and other places. I left it behind when I travelled to Sentinel. It would be such a shame if something got stolen. Then I’d have to chase the thief, whack him on the head and give some stupid speech about why it is not smart to steal from someone like me.” The answer was a typical one that only someone like Luper would give.

Morvayn stood up and took in his surroundings. He was no longer in the village. The view that graced him was that of the Black Marsh. Jarik was sleeping on a tree root nearby. His face still bore the souvenirs from his encounter with Jana.
,,Thinking about that, just why do you live with vampires?”
Luper didn’t answer immediately. He then frowned with a strangely serious expression.
,,No good reason really. I met her a few years ago when I was still young and only half the swordswinger I am now. She insisted on running off into trouble so I started giving her sword lessons so I wouldn’t have to watch her back all the time. After she no longer ran into trouble, we learned of some more trouble that hadn’t revealed itself yet. I continued the lessons when I wasn’t beating up trouble all over the place and well, I never got around to leaving.”

His expression turned back to the normal arrogant one.
,,Oh yeah, I had to give you a message. Jana is really sorry that your visit was so rudely interrupted by the greedy Nord over there. She also says that you are quite attractive and she would really like it if you pay her a visit again sometime.” He said, grinning as usual.
,,Can I trust your words? This sounds a lot like one of your jokes again.” Morvayn responded in a sour tone.
,,Well, I admit that she didn’t say the attractive bit and the part about coming back. But I know her better than you do. I can tell you, you’ve got a good chance with the girl. So trust me.” Luper told him and winked.
,,Besides, after all those years, she’s turned into one of the three people I know who can beat me in a fight. I wouldn’t dare to lie……too much.” He added.

,,Now come on, the ruin is a good days march from here. Hey, you big blond bodybuilder who pumped up his muscles with Netch gas. Get up, we’re leaving.” It wasn’t long before the two men were flinging insults back and forth again.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Sep 3 2006, 02:54 AM

Hehehe comical indeed, Jack, good work!

I wonder if that claymore has a name. Maybe it starts with a 'C' as well...

Oooo, looks like we're going to see the ruins soon. Can't wait!

Posted by: minque Sep 3 2006, 04:50 PM

Yay....heh a bunch of updates .....nice Jack! I´m reading it with pleasure......very good work I´d say!

Posted by: jack cloudy Sep 9 2006, 10:00 PM

*yawn* Sorry, but I'm really in need of a soft pillow to rest my head on right now. Anyway, enjoy. You learn something more about our three heroes.



The shrine was a marvellous sight. Daedric walls rose up towards the clouds. Everything was built on a grand scale. Even the gate they stood in front of right now was as big as an Imperial fort.
,,They sure do like to build big, don’t they?” Luper commented with the usual mocking tone.
Morvayn decided to ignore the Redguard and instead focussed on Jarik.
,,You are the expert. How do we open this huge gate?”

The Nord inspected the gate closely.
,,There are three symbols near the top and three dome-shaped buildings. I’d say that there is a switch or something in each. Activating all three should open it.” He explained, still with his eyes moving over the gate. Morvayn decided quickly.
,,We’ll each take one of the domes.”

The Dunmer wandered into the first of the domes. He was greeted by a Golden Saint standing in front of a small platform, underneath a statue of Sheogorath.
,,Greetings, traveller. You have come to this place. Now answer my question or be struck with Sheogorath’s madness. Who do you serve?” The Daedra said with a chilly voice.

Morvayn drew his saber, pointing the ebony blade at the creature.
,,I serve Vivec, the great Tribunal god. Step aside, spawn of Oblivion or meet your end.”
The Saint looked at him without showing any sign of emotion.
,,Vivec, your god is nothing but a pawn of Sheogorath’s madness. To open the gate, you must step on the platform behind me. To pass, you must strike me down first. Are you willing to die for a false god?”

Morvayn was seething with anger.
,,Do not insult lord Vivec for when you do, you insult me!” He shouted and leapt forward. He made a twirling slash at the Daedra’s chest. The Saint summoned a spear and blocked the blow. Morvayn felt the shock of the impact vibrate through his arm. Still, he pressed on and gripped the spear’s shaft with his free hand. Holding the deadly weapon back with his hand, he brought his sword down and stabbed the Golden Saint in the thigh. He then stepped back.

The Daedra showed no signs of pain when the sword drained its essence and fuelled the Dunmer with it.
,,You have skill, follower of the false god. The Daedra appreciate the tricks of mortals. Still, you are caught in a web you cannot comprehend.” The creature’s voice echoed through the chamber.
,,I hope you appreciate your death, cursed minion of Sheogorath!” Morvayn lunged forward, magically accelerated by the power of his sword. He slashed the Golden Saint three times before passing it and stepping on the platform. He heard a rumble and the Daedric stone sank into the floor. Turning around, he watched how the Golden Saint vanished in a shower of sparks.
,,That is the first switch. No one can resist the glory of Vivec and his blessed servants.”

Jarik wandered into one of the domes. He was greeted by a statue of Mehrunes Dagon and a Dremora. The Nord kneeled down.
,,I greet you, great Daedra. I am Jarik Snowbeard, your humble servant. I wish to enter the shrine and gift our lord with what has been denied to him throughout the eras.” He whispered, knowing that the Dremora would hear it.

The armoured creature pointed the tip of its Claymore towards the floor.
,,You have come to serve our master. Yes, Mehrunes Dagon has informed us. Know this, you shall be allowed to pass the first trial, this trial. However, all the other trials shall need to be passed on your own strength and that of your companions. The inner chamber is denied to all of the Daedra so we cannot claim that which is rightfully ours by ourselves.” It shouted through the chamber with a thundering voice.
,,I thank you, Dremora. I shall not fail our master. Once again, the Daedra shall walk the face of Tamriel unbound by mortal men.” Jarik whispered. Upon hearing this, the Dremora walked closer.
,,Heed my warning. The inner chamber was sealed away from us by a mortal man. What you would call an Imperial, a vampire. He is still alive and though he has left this plane, watch out for that which he has left behind for it shall call him back. You must deliver your gift to our master before the Imperial returns for he holds power not even we, immortal servants of the great Daedra lord, can fully understand.”
Jarik nodded, thanked the Dremora and activated the switch.

Luper entered the last dome. He was greeted by a statue of Azura. A Winged Twilight descended from the ceiling.
,,Luper Alkad, son of our mother. Brother. I see that you are alive and well.” It sang as it landed in front of the Redguard. Luper didn’t grin. His expression was rather pained instead.
,,I am, but it isn’t quite right though. I never asked for this.” He grumbled.
,,True, yet what is done is done. The past cannot be changed. Not even by you, Dragon-born incarnation. To pass this trial, you will have to defeat the protector of this dome. You will have to defeat me.” The Winged Twilight continued with its singing voice.

Luper shook his head. His hands didn’t move towards either of the two swords he carried.
,,You know what the outcome of a battle would be. We both know. I have grown older, more experienced. There was a time that you would have swiped me away like a leaf in the wind. Yet the past cannot be changed, not even by me or Azura herself. Time can be slowed or accelerated but not stopped or turned back.” He spoke calmly.

The Daedra nodded and stepped aside.
,,You have matured. Outwardly you continue to show the habits of your early years but inside you have become worthy of your title. I admit my defeat in the future at your hands and therefore change the future by stepping aside. Pass, my brother. Enter the shrine and do what you must do. Azura will watch over you.”
Finally, a small grin reappeared.
,,We never really liked each other. Still, thanks. Even if we don’t look anything alike, you are my sister and I wouldn’t like harming you. Even though you are effectively immortal.” He said and stepped on the platform.

Outside, the gate rumbled and split in two. The plants that had been growing on it longer than any mortal could remember burst into flame and turned into ash. The entrance into shrine was now open.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Sep 10 2006, 12:29 AM

Hmm I see a pattern with Nord characters.... It seems they always have dark intentions. Poor guys are always stereotyped due to their Viking likeliness.

Of course, I'm not helping My Nord character is evil/bad as well!

Nice to see these new little subtleties added to each of the heroes. There's still quite a few Daedra to go through, I wonder how those meetings will go?

Posted by: jack cloudy Sep 18 2006, 08:55 PM

Yeah, Nords can be evil. I first thought of an Orc but that would be cliché. Just look at LOTR. All the Elves are good and all Orcs are absolute evil. No exceptions.



Slowly, the tree of them walked through the open gate. Hands ready to draw weapons, they looked like your typical gang of rough people who knew they were unwanted yet refused to leave.
,,Keep your eyes open, who knows when another Daedra challenges us.” Morvayn commanded sharply. Luper grinned and Jarik frowned. No further words were exchanged. They stepped further into the dark halls of the shrine.

Without warning, panels in the walls slid away and a group of Clanfear poured out. Hands grabbed weapons, a single look was exchanged. Without words, they came up with a plan. The plan was simple. Hack everything that got in the way.
,,Now, charge! For Vivec!” Morvayn shouted and took the lead.

The Dunmer spun around as his blade carved through the snout of the nearest creature. Once again, the Ebony saber drained the essence of its victim and transferred it to the Ordinator. His strikes became more rapid. Morvayn tore a path through the Clanfears who moved far too slow to even touch him. He reached a massive door at the other side of the room where he turned around, ready to fight again. Jarik crashed through a few of the Reptilian monsters with brute force. Luper was a few steps after him.

,,Now I am really enjoying myself here but maybe opening the door would be a good idea?” The Redguard joked. They were now standing with their backs to the black door. The remaining Clanfears continued to assault them, without any result other than being sent back to Oblivion.
,,Cover me.” Morvayn answered. He turned towards the door and raised a hand.

,,In the name of the Tribunal, by the grace of Vivec. I command you, open! Reveal your secrets!” There was a flash of Magicka, and the lock clicked open. The Dunmer pushed against it with all his weight. Slowly, he managed to push it open far enough to pass.
,,Come on!”

Behind them, the door closed and locked once more.
,,Great Ancestors. From the frying pan into the fire.” Jarik noted with a wry grin.
,,You could take that literally.” Luper added with a raised eyebrow. This room was just as large as the first, only it was almost entirely taken up by a pit filled with boiling lava. Fire Atronachs stood in countless rows, waiting for them to cross the wooden bridge that extended across the pit.

Morvayn sat down. So far, the beasts hadn’t attacked so he would take the time he’d been given and come up with a plan. He carefully took in their surroundings.
,,Clearly, the bridge is a trap. It would burn easily from the spells those abominations wield. As a Dunmer, I can endure the flames longer than any of you yet even I would not survive such an onslaught.” He said slowly. His eyes picked up the ridges running along the walls. They were just wide enough for a single man to stand.
,,A test of observation?” He now inspected the ridges further. There was a stepping stone of sorts at each corner of the room. If he jumped from there, he should be able to grab the ridge.

,,Let’s try it out.” The Dunmer stood up and climbed onto the nearest stepping stone. He calculated the distance and jumped with all his might. His fingers grabbed the slippery rock. Gripping the stone as good as he could, he pulled himself up. Once on the ledge, he took a deep breath and sprinted to the other side of the room. The sound of fireballs slamming into the wall rang in his ears. He ignored the noise till he was safely on the other side of the room where he could jump down.

Luper came next. He needed help to get on the ledge with his heavy armour. Help that the Nord reluctantly provided. During the dash across, the enchantment of his armour proved its worth as the fireballs were harmlessly absorbed by the energies that whirled around the Redguard. Jarik came last, running fast enough to keep ahead of the fire. The door opened, granting them passage into the next room.

The place was bathed in the cold glow of a Frost Atronach. It watched the intruders silently.
,,You have passed the test of strength and the test of speed. Now take the test of the mind. Answer me!” It howled. Morvayn forced himself to sheath his blade and stepped forward.
,,Ask your questions, Daedra.”

The Atronach seized up the Dunmer before speaking.
,,You, I know who you serve and why you’re here. All of you have the exact same goal, for a different purpose. You hold the greatest threat to Tamriel within the grip of your hands. What shall you do?” It spoke without emotion. Morvayn looked down at his feet as he thought about the riddle, if it was one.
,,I would leave it in a secure place.” He answered, his voice barely more than a whisper and his hand near the hilt of his sword.

,,You have answered well. Warrior of the north, step forward. Answer me.” The Atronach commanded. It waited till the Nord had stepped in front of him before continuing.
,,You have served your master. He is grateful for what you’ve done. Yet you have paid a great price for your deeds. Your master is willing to reward you. What do you wish?” Like with Morvayn, Jarik was silent for a long time.
,,I would ask him to give me the reward I need so I can serve him even longer.”

The Atronach didn’t show either pleasure of or disappointment. He beckoned Luper to step forwards.
,,Come, master and slave of time. Neither mortal nor immortal. Answer my question!” The Atronach blew out the words. The room had noticeably become colder since the three men entered.
,,Time has cursed you yet put itself into your hands like the hilt of a sword. How will you use it?”

Unlike the others, Luper answered almost immediately. He knew himself very good so he didn’t need to think it over.
,,I would use the time I’ve been given to deal with the big things. Like beating up big old baddies who threaten my home.”

The Atronach nodded. He stepped out of the way, letting them pass.
,,Go now, claim your prize. It has been decided that we Daedra may not pass beyond this point. You, men of Tamriel can. Go, do what you must. Once again, fate shall be decided as the scrolls have written. Know one thing. The future is not fixed. Endless possibilities exist, each leading to a different future. Choose your possibility wisely.” It spoke for the last time before vanishing.

Silently, they entered the last room. Titanic statues lined a path. Each statue represented one of the Daedra. At the end of the room, their purpose for coming here revealed itself. Jarik walked among the statues in awe. Morvayn didn’t even notice them. He chose to speak to Luper.
,,Not mortal and not immortal either? What was that thing saying?” He asked, for once without a hint of annoyance in his voice. Luper shrugged.
,,That’s not something I like to tell people. I bet you can figure it out by yourself.”

Jarik smiled. Finally, his quest had come to an end. He had needed two companions to enter, only he would leave. His hand closed around the shaft of the staff.
,,Goodbye!” He shouted before disappearing in a shower of purple sparkles. He did not notice the cracked plate in the floor, or the symbol etched into it. A symbol showing the sun rising over a tree. He also didn’t know about the wave of Magicka shooting forth, creating a rip between Tamriel and somewhere far away.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Sep 18 2006, 10:12 PM

Sorry, have to do this:

DUN DUN DUN!!!!

A rift to where I wonder? This will be good. I love what you've been doing with this one Jack!

Posted by: jack cloudy Sep 26 2006, 05:34 PM

Alright, it's time for the massive battle! In other words, time to call in the cameos!



Morvayn ran towards the door but he was too late. It had already slammed shut. ,,The honourless bandit! We’re locked in here! Now how do we get out of here?” He shouted in frustration. Luper merely grinned as he sat down near the statue of Azura.
,,Don’t worry too much. If that little symbol there is any indication, we can expect some help soon. Some help with serious firepower. Now didn’t I told you that the Nord couldn’t be trusted?” He said with his common smug grin.

,,I admit you did. However, I am right when I believe that you wanted to stop my mission yourself?” Morvayn replied. He was too frustrated at Jarik and his betrayal right now to be annoyed at the Redguard. Luper shrugged.
,,Well, looking at all the protection and the fuss that staff had, I doubt that Vivi would do anything good with it. You know that we don’t get along too well. I can’t blame him, it was me who stripped him of all his power.”
Morvayn’s hand gripped his sword. It was an instinctive reaction and he wasn’t really going to draw it.
,,You are the Nerevarine? Everyone says that Mehrunes Dagon killed him at the end of the Oblivion crisis!”

Luper laughed. ,,Now who do you think started that rumour? You may notice that the ‘witness’ in the story was a certain Repul Dakla. Why don’t you try speaking the name backwards? Did I ever mention that I hate fans, fame and all that crap?”
Morvayn gave a sour grin. ,,You faked your own dead? You’re not as crazy as you’re trying to make me believe. What did I get myself into?” He chuckled while shaking his head. Luper shrugged again.
,,As I always say, don’t bother with religion as it only makes things complicated. Now if you excuse me, I’ll run ahead. Mister bad guy wasn’t the only one who put a mark at the entrance.” The Nerevarine vanished.

Outside, Luper instantly craned his head upwards.
,,Aw man, not again. This is so boring and utterly predictable.” He complained while unsheathing his longsword.
,,I hate Oblivion gates. It’s the damn colour that hurts my eyes.” He added before turning his attention at the man standing in front of the huge gate.

,,Jarik, if I were you, I would run away right now.” Luper warned. The Nord laughed upon hearing that.
,,Why should I? You don’t scare me. How are you going to get me, or all my allies?” He shouted across the distance that separated them. Two Dremora stepped out of the gate. One took the staff that had been stolen while the other raised a Claymore and stood in front of the massive gate as a guard.

Jarik raised his axe. ,,I hate you, filthy Redguard. I am going to enjoy this.” He shouted as he charged at the Nerevarine. Luper grinned.
,,Likewise. Now I will kill you if you don’t get your ugly face out of my sight.” He spoke with the arrogant tone that never seemed to leave him. The axe and the sword clashed, the Daedric blade biting deep into the steel of the axe.
,,I won’t be defeated by you. You’re nothing but a mindless thug with a sword!” The Nord growled, his muscles bulging as he pushed his opponent back.

Luper frowned.
,,Oh, really?” He muttered to himself as he broke contact. Jarik leaped forward, only to stop in midair.
,,Luper Alkad, bigshot hero and incarnation of Akatosh who is also known as the Nerevarine. My specialties are messing with time, messing with swords, messing with Telekinesis and messing with fire. Surprised?” He grinned. With a pushing motion of his hands, he flung the Nord through the gate, after engulfing his victim in a raging fireball.
,,Now did anyone just claim that I’m nothing but a mindless thug with a sword?” Luper asked with the most innocent tone he could muster. He dropped his longsword and unsheathed the Claymore on his back.
,,As for you, oh big Dremora. I would like to pass, with violence if necessary.”

Meanwhile, Morvayn was getting rather impatient. He tried to move the door for the fifth time in two minutes, without any luck.
,,Now you seem to have gotten yourself into trouble, again.” A sarcastic voice spoke. Morvayn spun around, sword raised. He lowered it when he saw who had just criticised him.
,,Lady Mirhtri? How did you get in here?” He asked dumbfounded.

The Dunmer smiled.
,,Let’s just say that a certain old man has this big library and one of the books there was about a spell known as Passwall which well, lets me walk through walls. Surprised to see me? I came right away when the Aureus’ warning device began to light up the whole sky with a map of sorts.” She answered him and stuck out her tongue. Morvayn shook his head.
,,A map in the sky? You are some strange people. Now do you have an idea how I can get out of here?” He spoke while sheathing his sword. Jana put a hand on his shoulder.
,,Sure, I placed a mark outside. ” The two vanished in a shower of sparks.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Sep 26 2006, 10:40 PM

So many of our speculations are revealed, Luper IS Luper . He acted too much like the "other" one to pass off as someone different. And now Oblivion Gates are arriving once more and cameos are starting to appear once more. Goodie!

I wonder if I will ever write enough fics to have cameos in my future ones?

Posted by: jack cloudy Oct 2 2006, 08:11 PM

Sorry, I just can't say goodbye to the old guy. I just love him and his sword. (Long live Chrysamere!)

Don't worry, Mallet. You'll get plenty of opportunity for cameos later. Unless you kill off all your characters.
Now for the short update.



Outside, they instantly had to duck for a leg flying through the air. ,,Luper Alkad, can’t you look where you throw those bodyparts?!” Jana shouted angrily. Morvayn drew his blade instead and began to hack at the Dremora that were everywhere.
,,Well I can’t help it. I’m holding up a whole army, ok?” Luper complained as he drove a path of destruction through the Daedric ranks.

,,Now, the damn staff was a freaking Sigil stone! Here’s the plan…” Luper interrupted himself for a moment to knock back a magical blast with his Claymore.
,,Jana takes care of these filthy Dremora while the Ordinator goes in and destroys the bloody staff. Got that?” He ordered without expecting a reply.
,,Why me? I thought that you were the hero here? Shouldn’t you go, what with your reputation as the best swordfighter on Nirn and all?” Morvayn shouted at the man, ducking underneath a spear at the meantime. He drove his saber into the Dremora’s stomach before lunging at his next victim. Luper grinned.
,,Why I’m not going? That’s because I’m the one who will carve up that ugly four-armed Troll who just stepped through the gate.”

,,You dare insult me?!” Mehrunes Dagon roared and leaned in for a closer look. His face was a distorted mask of anger and bloodlust.
,,I remember you! Son of Aedra and Daedra! Luper Alkad, you won’t escape this time!” The giant raised four swords the size of trees. Luper flew up into the air till he was hovering in front of the Daedra.
,,Escape? I did not escape. That damn plasma-toting freak in the super armour and then little Martin got in the way. They stole my kill! I guess I can make up for it today. Let’s take a look at the vital organs of a bigshot Daedra like you. I bet they taste good after a barbeque.” He taunted.
,,Now go!” He shouted immediately afterwards. Morvayn ran towards the gate without hesitation.

,,Catch!” The Dunmer spun around. He hacked off the arm of the Dremora that wanted to catch the flying object and caught the ring with his free hand.
,,Thanks, Jana!” He slipped the ring on his finger and dove through the gate as a Daedric suit of armour formed around him.

It was his first visit to Oblivion. The red air and the ash blowing around was just the way he had imagined Red Mountain during Dagoth Ur’s reign. While there were countless Dremora invading Tamriel, the army that had amassed in front of the gate defied all imagination. He stopped his mad dash and frantically looked for an opening in the ranks. In the meantime, he was also surprised by the Daedric armour he was now wearing.
,,It’s not just bound armour. Every piece seems to be individually enchanted. The ring is apparently part of some remote recall spell. Feather, high power levitation and strength enchantments. If it wasn’t for my service to Vivec, I might actually like this. I’ll wear this armour for the battle but no longer than that.”
With this realization, he made use of the suit by rising up into the air and flying over the heads. He had to dodge the countless magical blasts flung at him but he was progressing much faster than he would have by walking.
,,Now where’s that staff? Forgive me, lord Vivec. For the good of all of Nirn, I shall destroy the staff.”

Back on Nirn, Luper was a bit frustrated. He’d learned several generations ago that being an incarnation of Akatosh also meant that he had inherited the Dragon god’s control over time. He now used that power to accelerate his own being beyond any mortal limits. Within the blink of an eye, Mehrunes Dagon was covered in countless minor cuts. These cuts were the cause of Luper’s frustration.
,,Damn regenerating, thickskinned Daedra.” He muttered as he reopened a wound that had sealed itself just a moment ago. The Daedra’s giant swords moved so slow, he could practically ignore them.

Jana was probably off best. Dremora were no challenge for her, even a few thousand Dremora. It just meant that killing them all would make her late for diner.
,,Not to mention I’m going to need a bad after this. I’m soaked in Daedric blood. Yuck.”

Morvayn finally found the staff. It was in the possession of a Dremora who was running towards an Oblivion gate as fast as his legs could carry him. The pursuing Dunmer realized he wouldn’t make it in time. That left him with just one option.
,,Please lord, guide my sword!” He shouted, brought his arm back and hurled the Ebony saber. The enchanted sword went just over the Dremora’s head. Only to bounce off against a rock and penetrate the Daedra’s helmet.

,,I’ll be taking that if you don’t mind.” Morvayn chuckled upon his landing. He retrieved both his sword and the staff. Now he just needed to destroy it. ,,Sigil stones are pure magic. So, a simple dispel should do the trick. Lucky me, one of the few spells I know.” He gathered some Magicka and watched how the staff exploded in his hands. Right away, the ground began to shake. Morvayn looked up and saw to his horror that the gate was collapsing. He’d totally forgotten to plan his escape. Now he was in trouble. He flew towards the massive structure as fast as he could, already knowing that he wouldn’t make it.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Oct 3 2006, 03:13 AM

Gasp! Oh no! Morvayn stuck in Oblivion! That doesn't sound good at all

Very thrilling (and comical) battle scene. I felt like I was there, and stinking of Dremora blood...

Posted by: jack cloudy Oct 14 2006, 05:09 PM

Muhahaha! I'm back, get ready for the pain! Ok, I'll just give you the update and then go read everything I missed while in Greece.


Luper continued to weave his net of bloody pain around the lumbering form of Mehrunes Dagon. From his point of view, he had been fighting non-stop for several hours and even his corprus-enhanced muscles were beginning to feel the strain put on them. He couldn’t keep this up much longer. ,,Why won’t you just die?!” He shouted angrily at his foe who couldn’t hear it. Luper’s speech was just as fast as everything else. The man used one of the Daedra’s giant swords as a spring board to propel himself to his next target area. He stabbed the now dull blade of Chrysamer into Dagon’s leg where it broke off.

,,No way, this is the second time my sword broke! Oh, now I’m really mad! Stop staring at me!” Luper summoned a longsword and lunged straight up towards his enemies face. The small Daedric blade looked like a toothpick compared to the giant Luper was fighting. Unfortunately for Mehrunes Dagon, even toothpicks can hurt. Especially when they’re jammed into an eyeball.

The Daedra lord howled in agony. He dropped his swords and his hands went up slowly to clutch the gory wound that had been his eye. Already, the wound was healing and the moment of weakness would be over soon.
,,I hope you don’t mind if I borrow that lump of rust.” Luper laughed, pushing off against Dagon’s nose. He wrapped his arms tightly around the tree-like hilt of one falling sword. Using his amazing strength supported by a large dose of Telekinesis, he swung the blade around.

The blade, with a mass comparable to that of your average Imperial fort, collided with the Daedra’s neck. The skin failed to stop it and the daedric steel tore through the softer flesh and the bones underneath. It finally exited through the skin on the other side. The head rolled off the neck where it began to fall.

Luper landed on the ground and finally allowed his body to follow time at a normal rate. The falling head seemed to accelerate for his eyes and crashed into the ground, whipping up large amounts of mud. The body followed a moment later, crushing a nearby building.
,,You’re not so tough without a head. Now that’s number four to my death god list, oh yeah! Who’s next?!” Luper shouted at the corpse with a big grin on his face. He stabbed the giant sword into Mehrunes Dagon’s heart just for fun. After that, he let go of the blade and sat down on the ground, utterly exhausted.

Jana rolled her eyes. This was just like Luper, dancing around like a child with a new toy. Now that their master was defeated, the Dremora saw no need to continue fighting. They lowered their swords and all ran towards the collapsing gate. Streams of Magicka poured out of the portal, supporting the structure and stabilizing the gate.
,,Hey, what is going on?! I’m not in the mood for another fight. All I want right now is a nice warm bad. A bad filled with water, not blood!” Jana complained. When something strange happened to a Daedric object, it usually meant something bad was going to happen.

Morvayn cut through the endless ranks of Dremora that blocked his path. His muscles were burning with exhaustion and blood flowed from several wounds. His armour was cracked and mostly missing. A Daedric club smashed into his leg, sending the Dunmer down to the floor. He could just give up and die right now, yet that was something he’d sworn he’d never do.
,,Go to Oblivion.” He whispered. He raised his sword one more time, hacking at his foe through a haze of pain.

The sword was pulled out of his hand. He felt how a Daedric boot pushed down on his back.
,,We are already there, mortal. Don’t worry, your death shall be painless. Your strength has pleased us and we salute you. Now close your eyes, your suffering shall end soon.” The voice of a Dremora echoed in his ears. There was a sound of rushing wind and the boot disappeared.
Something gripped his shoulder, something soft and unprotected. Morvayn felt nothing more as he succumbed to darkness.

The streams of Magicka fled as the last Dremora stepped through the portal. Now, the gate crumbled to dust. The only sign of its existence was a blackened patch of ground. Jana stared at it silently without noticing the tears streaming down her face.
,,Damn it, why do they always die?” She asked herself, already knowing the answer. Her friends always died, some faster than others. That was the curse of being immortal.

Luper stood behind her. He had no words that could comfort the woman who was the closest thing to a sister he’d ever had.
,,I’m sorry. I should have been the one who went through that gate. But no, I had to be the tough guy and fight Mehrunes Dagon. Kagouti Breath! I could have prevented this all from happening by killing the damn Cultist before we even got here!” He shook his head. Living with mistakes for eternity was another thing an immortal was cursed with.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Oct 14 2006, 05:42 PM

Take that Mehrunes! That feat that Luper did was crazy! I bet it would've looked hilarous if we could've actually seen it. A little guy carrying a gigantic sword. Good stuff!

This ending is looking to be bittersweet, hopefully Morvayn is actually ok...

Posted by: jack cloudy Oct 15 2006, 07:30 PM

Wow, a bit messy this one. I know that this is a major deus ex machina here. Sorry, I'll try to clear it up a bit with the next one.



Out of nowhere, Magicka streamed into the air. Another portal formed right where the first one had been. This one was without any solid structure, just a ring of Magicka that created a gap between two worlds. A welldressed Imperial stepped through, holding the wrecked form of a Dunmer. Blood dripped out of countless wounds, yet the red liquid failed to taint the old man’s clothes. He bent down and carefully put Morvayn down on the ground.
,,I apologize for being late. I was right in the middle of a meal and I never interrupt one of those for saving the world. I finished eating as fast as I could before coming.” He spoke with a thin smile.
,,Morvayn!” Jana rushed over to the fallen Ordinator and crouched down beside him. Her hands found his neck where they felt for a sign of life, no matter how faint. The Dunmer’s heart was still beating.

,,You don’t interrupt meals when the world is in trouble? Geez, gramps. That’s something I could have said. Congratulations for being late, we already took care of everything safe for one thing. Help him.” Luper ordered the old man while pointing at Morvayn. The Imperial shook his head.
,,No, there is simply no way I could heal him fast enough to survive. Magicka isn’t capable of regenerating wounds that large effectively. Let him rest. Don’t prolong his suffering.” He answered.

,,There is a way. You once regenerated a lost heart! Help him, Aureus! Turn him into a vampire if that is what’s needed but don’t just stand here and watch him die!” Jana yelled at the ancient vampire, the oldest of her clan. Aureus Lucis shook his head once more, harder this time.
,,I have once sworn an oath. I would never infect others with the curse of my blood. I regret letting you and your father be infected. I regret that every day. Don’t ask me to betray everything I am for a lost cause. The vampirism takes days to achieve its full effect. He has mere minutes to live. I won’t do it.” He notified before walking away. They wouldn’t appreciate his presence right now.

Jana sank down, crying. An armoured hand rested on her shoulder.
,,Do it. I know you don’t like the idea of this but it’s the only thing that can save him. You just take care of the vampirism and I will do everything else. Trust me, this will work.” Luper whispered in her ear. He then stood back and waited for the woman to infect her friend. It took a moment to happen. Biting in someone’s neck was something even a vampire rarely enjoyed. Once she was done, he knelt beside Morvayn and focussed his own Aedric powers on the Dunmer.

He gripped the blood near the new wound with his telekinesis. Then, he accelerated their passage through time. Seconds turned to minutes, then days. Within a mere moment, he had allowed the vampirism to develop in a process that normally took the better part of a week. He then released his hold on both time and the blood. The fully developed vampirism spread, doing its job. Morvayn’s skin began to burn under the sun.
,,Oh, Cliffracers on a stick!” Luper cursed. He gripped time once more, this time decelerating Morvayn’s entire body. The burning continued, yet so slow it was barely visible by the naked eye.
,,Get him inside, girl. Once the night has come, you can take him home. I think I’m going to pay a visit to an old friend of mine to clean up this mess.” The Aedra ordered. He stood up and walked to Aureus who had been watching.

,,I know that you don’t like what we’ve just done but really, don’t expect us to just stand there and watch someone die. We’re immortal but that doesn’t mean we have to face all of the consequences. Just watch over him. When he wakes up, he’ll have a whole new life to adjust to.” Luper picked up the remains of Chrysamere and the giant sword he’d used to kill Mehrunes Dagon. He was then whisked away by the power of an intervention spell, a spell he hadn’t used in a long time.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Oct 15 2006, 09:42 PM

Really creative thinking with the advanced vampirism trick there Jack. That was pretty cool.

Though I wonder how happy Morvayn is going to be when he finds out he's a vampire now....

Posted by: jack cloudy Oct 17 2006, 10:24 PM

Morvayn drifted on the verge of consciousness for days. He remembered a comforting voice, hands that fed him and shook up his pillows. The itching of his regenerating body, the cold touch of metal around his neck. One day, every sensation became clear. He opened his eyes and carefully examined the room he was in. Green walls like those of a plant surrounded his bed.
,,A Telvanni tower? Am I at Jana’s place?” He wondered. He then noticed the feeling of metal around his neck. He brought down his hand which felt an amulet. He brought the piece of jewellery up in front of his eyes. The amulet was eerily familiar, it looked like wet blood.
,,Wet blood? Didn’t Jana wear one of those and her father? Two vampires wearing the same amulet…..Please don’t let it be a mark of vampirism.”

,,Ah, you are awake, finally. I was getting worried, though I know that regenerating takes time.” Morvayn turned his face to the door. An old imperial stood in the doorframe. He to wore one of the red amulets. The Imperial bowed.
,,Good morning, Morvayn Dres. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He said with a polite tone.
Morvayn shook his head. He just didn’t know what to make of things.
,,Who are you?” He asked bluntly.

The Imperial smiled.
,,You will learn my name in due time. I was the one who saved you from that army of Dremora swarming around you. Just a simple display of telekinesis to hurl them over the horizon. Nothing hard for someone as old as me.” He responded, still with the same polite tone.
,,I will inform lady Mirhtri that you are awake. Don’t worry about anything, you are in good hands.” The Imperial left before Morvayn could say anything. The Dunmer lay down in his bed.
,,That wasn’t exactly helpful.”

As predicted, Jana came into the room a bit later.
,,I hope you’re hungry, I’ve been working on this meal for the better part of the day.” The woman told him. She was indeed carrying a tray that smelled deliciously. Morvayn nodded and happily began to eat the tray’s contents. He now realized he was starving.
,,So, who was that old man who came in a bit earlier? He was definitely bragging, something about throwing an army of Dremora across the horizon.” He asked between mouthfuls.
,,That? Oh, that was none other than Aureus Lucis, the owner of that tower our Nord friend broke into last time. He is a Wanderer. He can naturally feel things like Oblivion gates so he arrived just in time to help save your life. And I doubt he would be bragging.” Jana laughed.

Morvayn raised an eyebrow.
,,Aureus Lucis, isn’t that this ancient vampire your father warned me about? The one who would take down any group of Ordinators that might be sent here? He didn’t look like much, I can’t possibly see how he would do all that.” He questioned. He was quite puzzled.
,,Trust me, he can. You have seen Luper. Well, Aureus may not beat Luper at swordfighting or sheer brute strength but when it comes down to Magicka, even ten Luper’s wouldn’t be able to beat him. At least, before Luper learned how to manipulate time. Aureus, he is more of a god than the whole Tribunal at the height of their power.” Jana told him seriously before taking on a worried expression.
,,I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you. I know that you respect Vivec.”

Morvayn gave a sour smile.
,,Don’t worry about it, I am getting used to it. I’ll believe you when you say that this old vampire can defeat Luper and I’ll even go as far as believing that Vivec won’t swipe him away like a bug. It doesn’t matter, I’ve got bigger problems on my hands. Such as how I can ever go back to my role as High Ordinator now that I am a vampire.” He replied.
,,I’m sorry, but it was the only way we could save you. And I don’t think you have to worry about that. Luper left right after the battle. He said he was going to meet an old friend to clean up the mess. You can believe whatever you like but I don’t think that there will be any need for Ordinators once he returns. His definition of cleaning is dangerously similar to his definition of making a mess.” Jana explained to him. She smiled at him and left as fast as she could. The Ordinator would have to make his opinion without distractions.

Vivec was meditating. His eyes were closed yet he still saw everything that happened inside his city. Walls were no barrier to his mind. Something was bothering him. There was a small spot where he couldn’t see, as if he was blind. That spot was now ascending the stairs to his palace. Vivec’s eyes shot open. This abrupt movement caught the attention of his guards.
,,Something is coming. Prepare your arms.” The god ordered them. He drew two Dwemer blades himself, Purebreath and Coldfinger, the divine blades of fire and ice. Something knocked on the door.
,,Why does he knock? Doesn’t he know that the door only opens for the right key?”

A giant sword cleaved through the door. The Ordinators stepped back and exchanged worried expressions. Vivec remained calm. He was expecting this guest.
,,Mehrunes Dagon, come in.” He spoke, loud and clear.
,,Ha, I knew you were involved with all this. It just had to be you.” A taunting voice called out from beyond the door. The voice did not belong to Mehrunes Dagon. It was a voice Vivec could never forget, a voice that haunted him every moment.

An Ordinator had entered the palace. He wasn’t an Ordinator, Vivec saw that instantly. No Ordinator was this casual when in the presence of a Tribunal god.
,,Yes, what do you want?” He asked the man.
,,Let’s play the name-game.” Was the fake Ordinator’s response. The man sounded very disrespectful.
,,Do you remember the name, Kagrenac?” The first question annoyed him. Who was this man, that he dared to play a game with Vivec?
,,Everyone knows that name. He was the mastersmith of the Dwarves.” He responded. The warning tone of his voice wasn’t heard by the false Ordinator.
,,True, but do you remember the name Lorhkan?” Nowhe was getting slightly worried. The choice of names was eerie. Now the man raised his left hand which bore a ring. A ring that Vivec had hoped never to see again.
,, Last one. Do you remember the name….Nerevar?” It was the Moon-and-Star. The man was Nerevar Indoril, the ancient general he betrayed in exchange for immortality.

Now this man stood before him again, without the armour of an Ordinator this time. Vivec’s face revealed no emotions but inside, he was frightened and angry.
,,Your survival was unexpected. The prophecy claims that the Nerevarine is not harmed by age, it appears that the prophecy was right. I also see that you still bear Wraithguard. And you have managed to unlock the secrets of Kagrenak which you used to create a second Wraithguard. Why have you returned, Nerevar Indoril? Or do you want me to refer to you by a different name? ” Vivec practically spat out those words. Luper gave a smug grin, exactly the same one he’d given all those years ago.
,,You could have called me Luper Alkad, Repul Dakla, Akatosh or even Nerevarine. But know one thing, I am not the old general. It was all a lie, the whole prophecy. Nerevar would never return so Azura chose the easy path. She took the essence of Akatosh and formed it into a being to replace Nerevar. She created me. Now as for why I am here.” Luper paused for a moment. The Ordinators were slammed against the wall and sank to the floor, unconscious.

,,That staff created a gate to Oblivion. A gate through which an army of Daedra came. Mehrunes Dagon himself followed a bit later. You knew that this would happen, didn’t you? Am I right, when I think that you wanted to do just that. Give Mehrunes Dagon his gate for a reward. Were you planning to sacrifice Tamriel just so you could have your immortality back?” The Aedra continued. His grin had vanished, replaced by a stony mask of barely controlled rage.
,,You don’t know how I suffer each day for what you did. You took my pride, my power. You have slain my kin. You mocked me with your very existence. The Nerevarine, who united the Dunmer like no one had ever managed before. Who succeeded where we failed. Who was victorious, even when fighting a god! A mortal, claiming to be greater than we were. Yet after all that you have done, you still dare to judge me?” Vivec replied with a venomous voice.

Luper shook his head.
,,Yes, I killed Almalexia. No, I did not kill Sotha Sil. He was death when I arrived, slain by Almalexia’s hand. I put her down to bring an end to her insanity. The Heart of Lorkhan, it grants immortality but look at the cost. Even as it gives you unimaginable power, it steals your soul. Kagrenac, Dagoth Ur, Almalexia, they all fell to its temptation and its curse. Even you, Vivec. Even you are suffering from it. Slowly, your mind is slipping into insanity. For the good of the world and for yourself, I will judge you. Rest well, together with those who have passed on before you.” The Nerevarine spoke with the calm tone of voice he’d last used when he spoke with Almalexia moments before her death. Vivec never raised his hand in defence as Chrysamer penetrated his heart faster than he could see.
,,Rest well Vivec, last of the Tribunal.” Luper repeated. He left the god as he was. He vanished from the temple without a word. Now his last living connection with the Nerevarine prophecy was death.

Morvayn was sitting on the balcony, enjoying the night’s breeze. He’d accepted his new fate. Now that he couldn’t return to Vivec, he would just have to make the best of life. Somehow, it felt good to be free of the Tribunal. He never had time for his personal life before. Luper had returned months ago, only to leave right after he’d dropped off Mehrune’s sword. Where the man was now, the Dunmer could only guess.
,,Wherever you are, I hope you manage to ease the pain of your heart. It is a curse. People come and go yet we immortals shall remain till the end of time.” He whispered into the wind. He looked down at the fire burning in the village center. Tonight was the night his child would receive a name. He couldn’t wait.
,,Being a vampire isn’t so bad. It’s pretty good as long as I have Jana and this amulet that keeps me fed.”

THE END

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Oct 18 2006, 12:10 AM

I wasn't expecting such a thrilling end as this, jack! Excellent work!

You wrote the emotion wonderfully in this conclusion and tied things up nicely.

So when are ya starting the next one? Next week? Haha, just bugging ya. I'm sure we'll see something from you again, and I'll gladly read it like I have your other stuff.

Posted by: jack cloudy Oct 19 2006, 04:19 PM

Thank you for reading it. And yeah, I know that I tend to whip up the next one right after finishing. Don't get your hopes up though. I plan on working on some original fiction of my own for now. So that means no Luper and no Chrysamere.

Posted by: The Metal Mallet Oct 19 2006, 07:52 PM

Ohwell, it'll be interesting to see what you do this time then. That is, if you intend to release it on these forums, which I hope you will!

Posted by: minque Oct 19 2006, 09:59 PM

Thank you for sharing this excellent story with us! I have read it all but I´m sorry for not commenting as much as would have liked to!

You are a gifted writer indeed!