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 11. Assault.

The past days had been booming with rumors. The ranking Hlaalu noble, Crassius Curio, had been murdered in his own home. The perpetrator, at least according to official sources, had fled the scene of the crime, observed by another nobleman of that same house. Baladas thought it unlikely Dram Bero would have ever harmed Crassius Curio, so someone must want to make Dram look bad, but why? Perhaps the answer would come to him. Helseth had been named the new head of the Hlaalu.

He had been busy as well. He’d taken his forces, passed by Tel Aruhn to gather those men and then gone on down to Tel Uvirith where they would be leaving very soon. Reynel Uvirith could only be called odd, even for a Telvanni. She had been born with a different last name, that of one of the previous masters of House Telvanni. That master had been killed when she was quite young, barely out of her teens. She responded to the killing in typical Telvanni fashion, by killing the killers. Everyone had expected her to assume the newly vacated position, but instead she told them they could keep it. She was last seen boarding a ship that sailed for Akavir. What she did there was known to no one, but when she returned many years later, she had changed. Not on the outside; she still looked very much the same as when she left, only older, but rumors were floating around that she’d studied magic with famed Akaviri Wizards. Magic was done differently in Akavir and they also used very different spells. Rumors told of impossible feats of magic perpetrated on the Akaviri continent, feats never before seen on Tamriel and feats no Tamrielic wizard could ever hope to copy.

She returned to Sadrith Mora one day, officially joined house Telvanni, and rose through the ranks like a meteor. Until she reached the rank of Wizard, that is. Then she declared herself content. She moved out here, into the barren Molag Amur region, had her Tel constructed at the site of a long dead Telvanni figure and took his last name. From then on she almost always wore a hooded black robe, and Baladas was not alone in feeling uncomfortable when he was around her. But the most astonishing thing had come later. She planted a small seed near the edge of Uvirith’s Grave, and while every one of her servants assumed the seed would never grow, it did. It grew into a magnificent tree. And around the tree what had always been barren land grew to be a meadow. The larger the tree grew, the larger the meadow grew, and right now it stretched for about two miles in every direction from Tel Uvirith. It formed an oasis among the Barren rocks.

When asked about it, Reynel would always say she got the seed as a gift from a great Akaviri Warlord. It came from a gigantic tree located in the center of the Akavir continent, that was believed to be the physical form of the god Epyon. While not much was known about him, those who were familiar with him knew he always brought joy to a room, and perhaps that would explain the meadow where once no life could grow. It was also said by Reynel that he made for an excellent chess opponent, but Baladas frowned at that. “A tree playing chess? Now I’ve heard everything.”

In front of the Tel, the troops were massing. Baladas knew, however, that they were far too few if it came to a fight over Ghostgate. With only two ways inside, and long, narrow, Velothi-style corridors beyond, he knew he needed an army far larger then this if he had to take it by force. He was hoping the sealed scroll would do what Divayth had promised it would. Destroying Ghostgate was simply not an option; the strategic value of a fort at that place was simply too great to destroy.

The journey to Ghostgate proved uneventful; there wasn’t much but stone and rock between Tel Uvirith and Ghostgate, and the host crossed the mountain range using levitation spells, or potions and scrolls for those who were unable to cast spells themselves. At the other side of the range the host regrouped and marched to Ghostgate in formation.

When they came into view, Baladas bid halt to his army and took only two of his retainers with him as he walked on. He left Reynel Uvirith behind in charge of the army, and in the sleeve of his robe, he felt the sealed scroll. He entered the Tower of Dawn, and crossed it to the Ghostgate temple. Inside he found Rilvase Avani, the ranking priest in Ghostgate.

She looked at him, and went to shout for the Armigers when she saw him reach into his sleeve. But when she saw it was only a scroll she seemed to change her mind. She reached for the scroll and Baladas saw her carefully examining the seal. Probably checking to see if it was genuine. She broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. It did not take long to read. She then looked up, straight at Baladas, then at the scroll again and lowered it.

“So, war is coming is it?” she asked him.

“Yes, it would appear so.”

She gestured for an aide to approach and told him, “Go to both towers; tell all of our Armigers that we’re about to receive many guests. Make sure they understand their duty and stay their weapons whenever our guests are around. They are to take no action. Understood?” When the aide had confirmed the orders, she gestured for him to leave and see to it.

Then she turned back to Baladas and asked, “Do you know what you hold here, Telvanni?”

“No, actually I did not read the scroll; what does it say?”

“It has but a single line: ‘Remember your oath, the old and the new’.”

Baladas had no idea what she was getting at, and it must have shown for she continued,

“When lord Nerevar vanquished Dagoth Ur and was awarded dominion of Morrowind, he held a meeting with all the high members of the Temple. In it he told us he wanted to make sure the Temple would never again get involved with a conflict internally in Morrowind. During the time of his return, we nearly cost lord Nerevar his life twice; once by keeping information from him, and the second time by proclaiming him false incarnate and declaring his life forfeit. He made us swear oaths that we would never again be involved in any conflict within Morrowind. And he made us swear that everyone not present at the meeting would swear the same oath, and last he made us add that new oath to the oath new priests take. You see, even if we wanted to, we could not oppose you, nor anyone else. From now on, we are always neutral.”

The enormity of that statement hit Baladas. If the Temple remained neutral, then three cities would remain neutral: Ghostgate, Molag Mar and Vivec. All three were governed by the Temple through their Buoyant Armigers. Divayth had been right all along; both Ghostgate and Molag Mar would not oppose them. While that did not help them should they face attack by other Great Houses, it would at least keep the Temple out of the way. This was certainly a good thing.