Morrowind, A fanfic Options

[Alexander]

Another fanfic about Morrowind you must be asking yourself? Do we really need yet another one? I've asked myself the same question
As some of you might know I tried a hand at writing some two+ years back, resulting in two chapters of something I didn't really like looking back. Though even back then, I'd had the idea for another, a different fanfiction.

For some reason despite the fact that I was very much convinced I was not a good writer, this idea stayed with me through all this time and kept nagging at me. Then early this year I decided to simply give it a go again, and the result is something I'm actually quite fond of. This is the result.

It's a fan fiction about Morrowind, set in the time after the events in the game Morrowind but before the events in Oblivion. It's told from the perspective of three people who play a large part in Morrowind's future, at least the future I've created with some parts told by other characters.

As you'll notice, some events in chapters start a little while before the end of the past chapters, just a heads up there.

And lastly, before I bore you all to death with my rants I'd just like to extend a very large thank you, firstly to everyone who ever read "Alexander in Morrowind" and told me it was good (whether they meant it or not ) and second a very special thank you to Treydog who sacrificed quite a bit of his spare time in order to proof read this story, and who played the role of Editor for me. I'm very grateful for that.

Now, on to the story.







The year is 3E 432 many things have changed since the return of the lord Nerevar, and even more things are changing. Four Great Houses have a new head. The Tribunal gods are slain. Temple doctrine is falling and failing rapidly. Oppression of other faiths has been removed. Many rumours float around, rumours of things unheard of in the very near past; The lord Nerevar wants to abolish slavery, Indoril generals are taking bribes and forsaking their honour, some or all of the Tribunal gods were killed by the lord Nerevar, the lord Nerevar used the powers of the heart of Lorkhan to make himself immortal and godlike, secret cults are rising in Cyrodiil, Imperial legions are being recalled to Cyrodiil to quell the unrest, king Helseth poisoned the last king, Mehrunes Dagon has come to earth in the guise of queen Barenziah, Sheogorath has started a love affair with Azura, Bosmer everywhere are planning the end of the world, Orcs have taken to worshiping Khajiit instead of Malacath.

Some rumours are a bit wilder then others of course, but if only half of them are true the future promises to be spectacular.

This story starts in Ebonheart, in the Grand Council chambers where the lord Nerevar is preparing for what could be the most important council meeting in many years.

[Alexander]

Chapter 4. Aftershock.

Several days had passed. Varvur did not recall getting up from beside the table in the Council Chambers, he did not remember walking out of the chambers or back to his own room. He did remember someone grabbing hold of his arm just as he was about to plunge his dagger into his stomach. It had taken several men, or women, to keep him from hurting himself. It wasn’t until someone had started chanting, and he’d started feeling very sleepy, that he let go of his weapon. When he woke he found his father sitting next to his bed.

Athyn had aged well. Still as tall and strong as he was in his younger years, all that seemed different was his face. A few more lines here and there, some grey streaks in his hair. He looked down on Varvur with those deep, knowing eyes and Varvur just broke out in tears. “It was all my fault, Father; I let him die; I should have tasted the comberry juice again. It should have been me lying there, not him. After everything he did for us, I let him down so much. Oh Father how can I face people again?”
“Yes Varvur, you should have tasted the wine, and you didn’t. Had you, I would have lost a son. Instead, I lost a friend. Neither is something I wanted.”
“Father, how can I redeem myself? Would not the best course be to take my own life, and make sure my family suffers no blame?”

Just then he noticed standing next to Athyn was a magnificent blade. He recognised it at once as he’d seen it so many times on the wall of the rooms of lord Nerevar; the ebony long sword given to Nerevar by Vivec after lord Nerevar destroyed Dagoth Ur. Varvur had always wondered if Vivec knew when he gave the sword to Nerevar, that just a few months thereafter he’d be slain with the same blade. Varvur looked up questioningly at his lord father. “With permission of the other house councils, I’ve taken the sword of lord Nerevar. We wish it to be your tool to redemption. Varvur, listen to me, you cannot bring back lord Nerevar. You could die yourself, but what purpose would that serve? One thing you can do, however, is bring the murderer of lord Nerevar to justice. Take this blade and with it, slay those who slew lord Nerevar, the man who gave the order and all who knew of it and did nothing.”

Athyn stood up. “The guards here have looked for clues but found nothing. I assume will you do better. Tonight we hold the ceremony for lord Nerevar’s funeral. Pay your respects, and then redeem yourself through justice. I will see you tonight and after that, again once you’ve brought justice.” Varvur swallowed hard at that; he knew what his father was saying. He would not be welcomed back at his ancestral home until justice had been served. But at the same time he knew what he had to do. “Very well Father, I will see you this evening.” As Athyn left the room, Varvur heard him say “Good luck.”

Varvur spent the rest of the day meditating. His teachers had taught him inner rest is as important as skill with a blade for a warrior. Concentration comes through inner rest and, without concentration, a warrior had better find a different profession. So meditate he did, allowing his thoughts to travel back to that dreaded day. He went past all the events that day, and after considering things carefully, he decided whatever had happened, must have happened when Jester entered. He had to question Jester. Somehow, someone must have known Jester would interrupt at some point, and thinking on it further, it must likely have been timed at that exact moment, just before Nerevar could name names, so either the mysterious Bosmer was much more than he appeared to be and had been able to fool everyone, or someone had made sure he would enter at that moment by almost physically pushing him in.

And of course there had to have been someone else, someone who put whatever it was into the cup of lord Nerevar. Varvur reviewed the events that transpired after the door was knocked open. All the councillors had been in front of him, facing the door. So it could not have been any of them. All the guards as well. No guards stood at the back wall behind lord Nerevar and Varvur, an arrangement Varvur had himself made. So Councillors and guards were out. That left the heralds and the servants. He remembered the heralds rushing to a side exit but he did not recall seeing the servants. Assuming the heralds had not done it, which was a good assumption based on their placement in the room, there were 4 servants. The servants had circulated throughout the room even while Nerevar was speaking; Varvur had not marked their locations as carefully as he should. Before he gave in to despair and self-recrimination, he recalled his father’s words. Justice must be served. In fact, it was even possible that the plotters had hoped that Varvur would take his own life, an action which would have hurt his father, one of Nerevar’s most loyal supporters. His duty was clear- he must live, not only to thwart the enemy, but to bring him to justice.

Varvur decided to question the servants first thing in the morning.

After freshening up and changing his clothes, Varvur made his way to the courtyard. He had decided to wear lord Nerevar’s blade as a message to the assassin. A large crowd had gathered in the courtyard already, men and Mer of all races together. Argonians stood next to Altmer, Orcs beside Bosmer, Bretons, Imperials, Dunmer, Khajiit, and Nords all were present. As Varvur walked through the crowd he felt the stares from all around him. He walked past most to stand at the very front of the crowd, next to the leaders of the Great Houses, Crassius Curio taking the place of absent Vedam Dren. And at the very centre, he saw king Helseth standing with his royal guards surrounding him. As Varvur approached, he saw Helseth looking him over. And he definitely noticed the sneer on his mouth, and the almost mocking expression in his eyes. Varvur was glad he had meditated; just a little less concentration and he might have done something that he would regret. Not very much, but a little anyway. The thought made him smile, until he looked at the coffin displayed before them.

It was a large solid stone slab. probably weighing a ton. Carvers had carved the likeness of lord Nerevar on the top of the coffin as was customary in western lands. Dunmer preferred to burn their dead, but then lord Nerevar had obviously not been Dunmer. Inside the coffin Varvur knew lay the body of the now dead Nerevarine, Hortator of three great houses, Lord Nerevar reborn. Varvur had always wondered why lord Nerevar had never sought out houses Indoril and Dres to become their Hortator. Perhaps he had simply lacked time to make such a journey.
The Ceremony commenced, a long line of great men and women all sharing their tales about lord Nerevar. Ashlander Ashkans and wise women compared him to the moon and stars, Divayth Fyr recounted how he had at first thought lord Nerevar was a burglar interested in looting his dungeon, Patriarch SaOmayni told how wrong he had been before to outlaw teachings other than those the Tribunal approved, and how glad he still was that lord Nerevar had shown him the way. And so many more. The Nerevarine had touched many lives in Vvardenfell and beyond.

Last in the long line came the king himself. Helseth started by saying how sorry he was to see such a great man go. And how much he had admired lord Nerevar in life. Varvur had no doubt that quite a few people had to force their faces to remain straight at that. Helseth went on:

“People of Morrowind, hear me. As we said, a great man has died this week, but we shall not forget him, he shall never be forgotten here. It was brought to our attention that before he died, he abolished slavery. As a last salute to him we will ratify his decision. We, king Hlaalu Helseth, first of our name, hereby officially outlaw slavery. Slavery is no more and every slave owner is required within a week to release all of their slaves and allow them to leave their land. They may keep everything that they own as they leave.”

“Now I realise just before he died, lord Nerevar was going to announce the names of people he knew were corrupt and taking bribes. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear as if he’s written any of that down. Varvur, you were with him so often, do you know of anything he left? Perchance he’s left some things in your protection, as we all know how good you are at protecting things, eh?”