The Northern Champion, a story of Eric Snowmane Options

[Lord Veneficus]

This is basically the main quest but I've added and changed it around .

PART I

As a young Nordic man, Eric was a poor miner. He grew tired of waking up every morning and working his fingers to the bone, but he did it to put food on the table.

A few years had passed when his parents died of a terrible disease. The only thing he had left was the little cabin his parents had built when he was born. He worked at the mines for several more months and quit. He left Skyrim a few years later.

He then traveled to Cyrodiil to try his hand at the Arena in the Imperial City. After his first victory against an Argonian, he immediately grew attracted to the sport. He steadily rose through the ranks until he had reached Hero status. He then had to face the best the green team had to offer, Felius Redoran, a Dark Elf with a nasty mace called Dagon's Fist. Eric defeated Felius with a well placed blow to his head. Eric had finally become the Champion of the Arena! He then challenged Bartholomeo, the Grand Champion. The match started off with blades colliding and sparks flying. The match lasted at least an hour and Bartholomeo and Eric grew fatigued. Eric's armor was falling off from all the slits in it.

Then Eric swung his blade, it was sloppy but he timed it just right. The flat of Eric's blade broke Bartholomeo's arm with a deafening crack. He fell to the ground and started to yell in an agonizing tone. The crowd was screaming,"Cut his throat! Cut his throat!"

Eric stuck the blade to Bartholomeo's neck and gave a powerful pull. Blood poured out of the wound. He was dead. Eric had become the Grand Champion. He lifted his bloodied sword and let out a battle cry. People started calling him the Crimson Blade and he liked it.

Eric "The Crimson Blade" Snowmane purchased himself a quaint little home in the waterfront of the Imperial City. He was drinking a tall glass of mead, when he heard a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, sir," a legionnaire said." I've received a report that you murdered Hondar Ferano, a High Elf that resides in the Temple District."

"What?!" Eric shouted."I've murdered no one, I've been framed!"

"We have a witness, 'Crimson Blade'," the soldier argued."Come with me, you are under arrest."

It had been two years since that dreadful day. It was a regular prison day, thrashings and one meal, when two heavily armed soldiers and their captain came to the door of his cell. Someone else was standing behind them. It looked like Emperor Septim!

"Prisoner," the captain said. "I'm Captain Renault. You need to stand aside, I won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way." Eric stepped to the side and Captain Renault walked over and pushed a stone ten rows from the floor. What sounded like stone grinding against stone was Eric's bed disappearing into the floor, and the wall next to his bed was actually a door leading into what looked like an ayleid ruin under the city.

"Looks like this is your lucky day, prisoner. I'm Baurus and that man over there is Glardmir," he said. "Stay close behind and don't do anything you'll regret." They weren't even within two minutes of their trek when they were attacked by men in gray robes. Eric didn't have a weapon so he fought with his hands. He snapped a two of the men's necks and broke the other man's shin. After the battle Baurus said," That was amazing! Where did you learn to fight so well with your fists?"

"Baurus don't give a low-life that kind of admiration!" Glardmir said." Captain Renault's dead, where's the Emperor?"

[Lord Veneficus]

PART XII

Eric and Baurus arrived at Cloud Ruler Temple at midnight. All was normal; the Blades were changing shifts when they rode up the steps. Eric and Baurus entered the great hall; Eric saw Martin and strode over to him. Eric showed him the book he found on the altar.

“By the Nine! Such a thing is dangerous to handle! You are lucky you were not affected by the evil power it possesses. Forgive me; it’s just that I’m shocked. I never thought I’d see this book,” Martin said. He looked a little frightened by the fact that Eric held the book in his possession for so long. Eric apologized and asked what the book was since he did not have time to look through its contents at the time he picked it up.

“This book is the Mysterium Xarxes,” Martin replied. Eric laughed awkwardly at this; he actually carried the book that started this madness. Martin further explained to him that Mankar must have bound himself to the book in order to create his paradise. Martin went to bed and Eric went to bed as well.

Eric woke up early that morning and went outside to breathe in the cold mountain air. Something like that would always settle his nerves during a hard point in his life. Eric saw Steffan and Baurus talking near the watch tower; Eric could overhear them.

“… I know, sir. He saved my life. If he hadn’t been there, I would have never made it out of there alive and we would’ve never found the sanctuary and that book! You should at least move him up in rank,” Baurus said; he sounded rather perturbed.

“Okay! Okay! Due to his accomplishments and bravery, I will move him up one rank. I shall speak to him further on this matter,” Steffan shot back. Eric got the feeling that he and Baurus did not get along that well. But Eric did not let the rank advancement go to his head; all he wanted to do is protect the empire and the people inside it. Steffan paced over to Eric and told him that he had been moved up to the rank of ‘Blade Lieutenant’; just one below Steffan.

After breakfast, Eric went back into the great hall and found Martin at his usual table full of alchemical equipment and books. Martin was studying the Xarxes; he did not attempt to look up from his work. Eric approached him and asked if there was anything he could do.

“Nothing right, now, Eric. I am still trying to decipher the Mysterium Xarxes. So far, I have come up with nothing,” Martin answered. Eric glanced over onto the pages of the book and he saw the same strange runes that were on the cover of the book. No wonder he couldn’t decipher it.

“But I think that Steffan said something about spies somewhere close to here. You should go speak to him.” Eric left the room and went to the battlements where Steffan could always be found. He told Eric that a little to the south of here there were reports of people roaming around the base of the mountain and he wanted Eric to check it out.

Eric put on civilian clothes so he wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention to himself. He was halfway down the slope when he saw two women roaming about a large circle of stones. They hadn’t spotted him until he was just feet away from one of them. They both pulled a scroll out of their packs and read it aloud. A red haze hung around them and when they emerged from the cloud of smoke, they were wearing the same armor the men in the sewers had on.

The women were very tough; they blocked, dodged, and parried every thrust or slash of Eric’s blade. He killed the first woman, but the other one was still coming at him. He finally parried the woman’s attack and he was about to thrust his blade into her torso, when she threw a cloud of dust into his face. Eric pulled the dagger from his boot and threw it in her direction. It hit her in the throat and blood poured from her wound. He fell down and watched his vision fade away.

He had a dream that he was back in his native Skyrim, standing on the highest peak in the province, breathing in the fresh air. But down below him, he saw fire and cities being overrun by daedra and their mortal companions. He jumped from the peak and swung his sword in an attempt to save his village, but he couldn’t. He watched as his clansmen were slaughtered before his very eyes. He blinked and everything went black…