The Scroll, the Priest and the Angry Imperial, Formerly known as, 'Dawn of a New Era' Options

[redsrock]

Author's Note

My new fan-fic focuses on the 'new' Count of Skingrad, and the 'new' Cyrodiil. This story takes place three years after the Oblivion Crisis, and the story simply tells the Count's adventures, mishaps, etc. The first chapter is more of a 'telling' chapter, rather than a 'doing' chapter. It might seem boring, but I assure you, it has to be this way. I have to lay down all the ground work so that you don't get confused down the road. Trust me; there will be plenty of action in this fic. That is what has been lacking in my other tales.

Feel free to ask any questions about what's going on, I'd be glad to answer them for you. And of course I'd appreciate some feed back as well.


The Scroll, the Priest and the Angry Imperial


PROLOGUE

When the Gates of Oblivion were finally closed, and once Mehrunes Dagon and the Mythic Dawn were eliminated from existence, the province of Cyrodiil was still left with an enormous problem. They were without an Emperor, and without an Emperor Cyrodiil went into an immediate mode of panic.

Ever since the Oblivion Crisis, the cities of Cyrodiil have had to fend for themselves, resulting in several alliances. The territories of Cyrodiil have changed, and the map at the bottom explains everything.

As of now there are four regions spread out through Tamriel. These regions are simply classified as North, South, East and West. VERY simple, yes, but what's the point of making fancy names? Nobody cares anyway.

The North region, as you can see from the map, consists of Bruma and Chorrol. Essentially the entire area of the Jerall Mountains is under Northern control, and that in its self would make them a formidable foe if war were to break out. (Thankfully that has yet to happen) The leaders of the North are Countesses Arriana Valga (of Chorrol) and Narina Carvain (of Bruma). Both are skillful leaders in their own right, and Lady Carvain is a shrewd and tactful negotiator. As of now the Northerners are fairly quiet, and for the most part keep to themselves.

The East region consists of Cheydinhal and the Imperial City. The leaders are Count Andel Indarys (of Cheydinhal), and High Commander Adamus Hieronymus Lex (of Imperial City). Lex took over as leader of the Legion once the Chancellor Ocato was assassinated by an unknown assailant. It is rumored that Lex had something to do with the killing, but nothing is factual. After Ocato's death the Council got scared and decided to let Cyrodiil fend for itself as a whole. Yes, that does sound a bit absurd, but that is what has resulted.

Count Indarys lets Lex do most of the talking, though it is also rumored that Indarys wishes to employ a more Dunmerian influence within the Eastern leadership. It is highly unlikely for Lex to agree with that. Whatever is left of the Legion lies in the Eastern region. Though their area is the second smallest, they hold all advantages in terms of military because of their massive army-size.

You see, once Lex was formally named leader of the Legion (though of course he did this himself oddly enough, no doubt with a swift and iron first) he recalled all Legion troops from foreign lands. Now Morrowind stands Imperial-less, and Helseth is now the main-man over there, battling his way through the angry Ashlander tribes of course.

The Easterners are very active, fighting with the Southerners for area control. Also, the troops of Cheydinhal are currently dealing with some rebels in the northeast. As of now they have not bothered the North and West, but it is inevitable that something will happen sooner or later.

The South region includes the cities, Leyawiin and Bravil. Leaders of the region are Counts Marius Caro (of Leyawiin), and Regulus Terentius. The two leaders are power hungry, plain and simple. It is almost safe to say that the South and East are the 'bad guys' of Cyrodiil, but if one had to be chosen as the 'good guys' it would probably be the South. The East wants power all to them selves, and they pose the greatest threat. Either way the two forces are equally dangerous.

And last but not least is the West, which includes Anvil and Skingrad. The leaders of the West are Countess Millona Umbranox (of Anvil), and myself, Count Louis Vero (of Skingrad). There's no doubt in my mind you're wondering where Janus Hassildor is, correct? Well, I'll tell you.

The former Skingrad Count stepped down shortly after the Oblivion Crisis, one year to be exact. Nobody knows the true reason for his departure, but I have my own theory. Count Hassildor was a vampire, though not many knew this. I myself knew because I was a personal diplomat for the former Count of Skingrad. Somehow a few others found out about his dirty secret, and in my eyes Janus felt the need to leave before a riot started. Either way it doesn't matter, I (along with my lovely wife), am the present and future of Skingrad.

Like the Northerners, we Westerners like to keep to ourselves and not cause a ruckus. Out of all the major cities in Cyrodiil I'd say Skingrad is the most prosperous. Many merchants come to my city simply for the fact that I will let just about anyone open shop, as long as their items aren't illegal of course. I don't want a city full of skooma and moon-sugar addicts, mind you.

And now, as I stand here on my balcony with the cool, evening wind blowing in my face, I can only feel lucky to be in the position I am now. Skingrad has been lucky to have had a peaceful atmosphere for the past few years, and that of course has made my transition to Count smooth as well. However, something tells me that the peace will not last much longer. I don't know why, but I have a very bad feeling something major is going to happen. I just wish I knew what it was.


http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll18/re...nt=Cyrodiil.jpg

This post has been edited by redsrock: Apr 20 2008, 02:35 PM

[redsrock]

A LOT of dialogue in this chapter, but I swear, after this the plot starts to unfold and good stuff is just around the corner.....

CHAPTER FOUR


We teleported instantly to the Anvil Mages Guild, and an old Dunmer lady was sitting on nearby stool, mumbling something about the future. We of course did not have time for such nonsense, and I led my entourage straight through the guild building without uttering a word to anyone. I received a few questionable looks from the local mages, as if I was barging in impolitely, but I really didn't care at this point.

I led the four us in a directly through the sea of locals who were too busy milling about, gossiping and shopping, too ignorant to realize that the Count of Skingrad was gracing them with his presence. Of course, I am not surprised by this at all. Countess Umbranox does a good of job of not informing her people of the many happenings throughout Cyrodiil. Most of their information comes from secondhand-guessers, and guesses they merely are. In fact, Umbranox doesn't really give her citizens much of anything.

Inside the castle, Countess Umbranox was talking loudly with several of her personal advisors. I had recommended long ago that she assemble a council of her own, and she did that. Unfortunately her ‘advisors' are just as ignorant as her citizens are to my presence. All five of them know nothing, and yet they think they know everything. I absolutely hate those types of people, the ones strutting around like they own all of Tamriel. Such a personality can easily get my blood boiling if I am not careful.

As soon as she saw the four of us walk through the ironed double doors she immediately shut her mouth, and then quickly motioned for her big-mouthed advisors to do the same.

"Louis, it's good to see you; it's been a while, you know. How are you?"

Her welcome was anything but that. She didn't care about me; she only wanted to know what I was doing in her city. I could see the weariness in her eyes; she wanted nothing to do with me right now. Getting caught meeting with Lex was a mistake for her, and she knew this as well. It was plain on her tanned Imperial face.

"Millona, I need to speak with you in private," I said with no emotion. I could feel the burn of her advisors' stares hitting me in the face, but I paid them attention. I had not the time for their foolish bickering, which is all they do.

Countess Umbranox motioned for her advisors to leave, and then did, reluctantly. "Come with me to my chambers, please. I wish to speak with you alone."

I motioned for my honor-guards to stay put, but I wasn't going to do the same with Maxillius. He was here for a reason, and that wasn't to sit idly while I do the talking. "I am sorry, Millona, but Maxillius is with me for a reason. He will be joining in on our conversation."

She took a quick glance at him and replied, "Very well. Follow me."

The three of us ascended up a flight of pearl-white stairs, and then down a hallway decorated with many flowers and paintings. It was a shame that while her own castle was lavishly festooned with the most expensive items and arts, her town was a complete dump. That made me sick as well. She forced her citizens to wallow in utter trash and ugliness while she sat upon her throne, drinking expenses wines, watching her people drink from a dirty well. She's changed drastically ever since the rectification of Cyrodiil began.

Once inside her room, Millona Umbranox closed the door behind us, but unlike Hieronymus she did not lock the door as well. She pulled up a couple of chairs from over by our desk, and then requested that Maxillius and I take a seat. As we did she pulled up a chair for herself, one of more quality and comfortableness of course.

"I know why you're here, Louis," She said directly while folding her arms in her lap. "You are wondering why I was in the presence of Lex and Andel, correct?"

I looked her in the eye and said, "Yes, that is obvious. I want to know why you didn't mention anything to me about visiting the Imperial City. It seems a bit odd, don't you think? Especially when you know the East is at war with the South. I'm curious to hear what you're explanation is."

"Well, just so you know I was planning on telling you something eventually, I just haven't had time to let things settle in just yet. A very important document of mine was stolen from my personal chambers just a week ago. We did not catch the thief, but two days ago we did happen to catch a Legion spy sneaking through the castle. He didn't admit to be working for Lex, but we found enough evidence to throw him in jail either way, obviously."

I immediately looked at Maxillius, and he was just as surprised as I was. I wasn't expecting to hear what Umbranox just told me.

"A spy infiltrated your castle and stole something, and then you actually caught another one, two days later?"

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. When we caught the second one I realized it had to be the doings of Lex. So I traveled to speak with him, and get an explanation. When I arrived he was talking with Count Indarys, so I had to wait a little bit. But he called me into his room, and I talked with him and Indarys. Of course, as you know Lex, he did his best to weasel out of all accusations, and I was given nothing. He says the spies aren't his, but I don't believe it."

"Well, that's Lex for you," I said.

"Now that I think about it," she said with a sort of chuckle, "I should be asking you these same questions. You were there before I left the Imperial City, and you never told me anything about speaking with Lex. That's sort of hypocritical, if you ask me," she said, narrowing her brown eyes onto mine.

"Ironically I was there for the same reasons as you. We caught a spy walking around through the castle corridors two days ago; however I have not noticed anything missing from my own chambers, or anywhere else for that matter."

Countess Umbranox raised her eyes and then let out a sigh. "So you were spied on as well? I don't know why. As for my own city, I fear Lex has figured out where his prized possession is. After me having it for so long I knew he'd figure it out sooner or later," She said while shaking her head slightly.

I was totally perplexed by her words. "What do you mean, ‘prized possession'?"

She sighed once again and replied, "I've kept it hidden for several years now. After Lex began vying control of the Legion I knew he'd go for it sooner or later. I'm just surprised it's taken him this long to figure out I have it."

"Huh? You stole something from Lex? What was it?"

"I'm sorry, Louis. I probably should have told you from the beginning, but I was too afraid. The power of this item is very magical, yet extremely evil if in the wrong hands. And even when in the right hands, the power is just so tempting that you want to use it. But no, oh no…that can never happen."

All of these riddles and hints were starting to get on my nerves. "Millona, what in the world are you talking about?"

"I know Lex's ultimate goal, and I've known this as soon as he stared getting friendly with Chancellor Ocato after the Oblivion Crisis. It is to gain control of Cyrodiil in an attempt to name himself the new Emperor of Cyrodiil, thus forcing the cities back to their old ways. It was so easy to see in the beginning, I just had to act. As we all know, he tried to get himself put up for Emperor-ship as soon as the Oblivion Crisis was over. Once his request was shot down by the Council, I am sure he immediately started to plan."

She was still giving me riddles, though little by little she was also getting to the point. Because of this I stood still, content for the time being with sitting and listening.

"When he disappeared for a few months, everyone, including you, simply thought he went into hiding out of embarrassment of the rejection from the Council. However, I thought deeper than that. Lex is a man of strong will; nobody can deny him that certain aspect. I did believe he was hiding, but for far more than just pouting. He was planning somewhere, on taking the position by force. He ordered the killings of Chancellor Ocato and the other two Councilors. I know this for a fact!"

"What? Where is the proof of these postulations?" Maxillius asked sternly.

Countess Umbranox abruptly stood from here chair and walked over to her desk. She pulled out several parchments from her drawer and then brought them over to Maxillius, handing them to him with an emotionless face.

"These are the personal notes and letters from Lex and his assassins. As you can see he always addressed his men, and possibly a woman, with code-names and whatnot. Though he didn't do a good job of it, for I have deciphered several names myself. The former Imperial Officers Audens Avidius, Itius Hayn, and Giovanni Civello were just a few of the ones involved in the murders and disappearances of the many diplomats and Imperial officers. I am sure you remember the bloody catastrophes."

I sure did remember the horrific events. People disappeared and died left and right. I had assumed Lex was involved with this, but I never did stop to think about who helped him with the dirty deed.

I then stood up from my own chair and walked over to get a look at the old parchments.

"But those officers disappeared shortly after Lex took over. A lot of us assumed that they were plotting against him, and he had them killed, kidnapped, or something else," Maxillius said.

"Oh no, Councilor Grantum. Lex had nothing to do with those particular disappearances," Millona said with a slight grin. "The credit goes to me and my own spies and hired assassins."

"What do you mean?" I asked, now even more confused.

"When I began to realize what he was doing, I sent several spies to take a look at Lex's personal belongings. I did this as soon as possible because I knew for a while he would be busy appointing new ambassadors, officer, and other things. I knew his security for the time being wouldn't be very tight. Thankfully I was right and my men were able to retrieve many, many documents and articles."

"This isn't all you have? These missions to kill, there are more?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but most of what we found were ideas and notes jotted down with much haste. What you are looking at now is the best of what I have. Everything else I have is mainly journal entries."

"What do they say?"

"Nothing much really. Just thoughts on the Mythic Dawn situation mainly. Unfortunately it seems his entries halted once the crisis was over. Either that or he has others hidden away somewhere else."

"So your men killed the officers. Why did you have them do this?" Maxillius asked.

"Because I felt the need to do away with the traitors. If I knew who the other murders were, believe me, I would have had them sought out and killed as well. I don't take kindly to backstabbers."

I was going to ask then why not go after Lex, but obviously with his extreme case of paranoia that wouldn't be an easy task. So instead I inquired about a different subject, one that was itching at my brain, something I really wanted to know.

"Why have you done all of this? Just to spite Lex and anger him? If so then I really don't get it. Why waste all the time and let your men wander on such dangers territory so willingly? And why haven't you told anyone?"

"Because my spies were trying to find an actual plan on taking over Cyrodiil; possibly a list on whom he wanted to invade first, who to eliminate first. You know, all of those matters. I didn't tell anyone because, and this is no offence to you two, I trust no one. My spies were also looking for something else as well, but unfortunately Lex got to it and moved it to another location."

"And what item is that?" I asked.

"It's the ‘prized possession' I was talking about, thought it is not an ‘item', per se. Hieronymus Lex is after a Elder Scroll."

Maxillius immediately dropped all of the parchments to the ground in amazement.

An actual elder scroll? I said to myself. But how could that be?

"Did you just say what I think you said?" Maxillius said, still with his jaw dropped in astonishment.

"Yes, you heard me correctly, Councilor Grantum. I have an Elder Scroll in my possession, and it is currently locked safely away for the time being."

"But I thought all of the scrolls were burnt by Lex when he stepped in as Commander?"

She had a smile on her face, and then said, "No, wrong again I'm afraid. Lex did destroy most of the scrolls, and eliminated a high majority of the moth priests as well. However, he kept one scroll and one priest."

"Why?"

"Don't you understand? He only wanted us to think he was getting rid of the scrolls and priests. He did this to make it look realistic, like he was being serious. But my spy found this just the other week, inside a vault deep within the Imperial City compounds. I have to say, I'm very surprised his security isn't tighter than it is now."

She walked over to her drawer and pulled out yet another parchment, this one old and wrinkly. She handed the piece of ancient paper to Maxillius "Here, this is the diary note one of my men found just the other day," and then he read it out loud.

The scroll has been gone for months on months now, but I still have half of the divine-plan hidden away where no one will find him. Until I find that scroll he will never see the light of day, but that doesn't matter too much since his sight is much less enhanced than the regular eye. I cannot even think of taking the chance of him getting away, or kidnapped. Talos know the thieving Umbranox will no doubt be after him next. I cannot let her find him. I won't let her find him.

"I understand," I exclaimed. "Lex has the last priest, and I know this because of the line from the passage, ‘Until I find that scroll he will never see the light of day, but that doesn't matter too much since his sight is much less enhanced than the regular eye.' And you, Millona, have the last scroll."

"Exactly!" She yelled excitedly. "It is a game of cat and mouse now, with me being the cat and he the mouse. I will not make a move, and will instead wait, no matter how long it will take."

"I wonder why he hasn't just sent his army to take the scroll by force."

"Because it is too dangerous. He doesn't even know where the scroll is. By coming to Anvilhe would have to pass through your city's territory and your fort. Your soldiers, although not the same quantity, hold the same, if not greater, quality. Believe me; he has no intention of fighting Skingrad at the moment. He doesn't want to lose a large amount of his men just to realize the scroll isn't even in Anvil. No, he will wait until he knows the exact location."

"Then why has he been spying on me?"

She looked at ground for a second with her arms crossed, thinking deeply. "To be honest I really can't answer that. I will say that there's likely nothing to worry about. I'm sure he has spies in every city, even Cheydinhal for that matter. Besides, you said nothing has been stolen. If that's the case then I'm more than sure you'll be okay. The future is another story, but for now I wouldn't worry about his army marching towards your gates. It just wouldn't make any sense."

"Very well, then. Where do we go from here?"

"That, I am afraid," She said with a wink and a smile, "will have to wait until tonight's dinner."

This post has been edited by redsrock: Apr 20 2008, 02:34 PM