The Ordinator, The time of change is approaching... Options

[Gaius Maximus]

So, I decided I would psot it ehre as well. Enjoy!

Chapter I

Raynari Vandareth sighed in relief, taking off his Indoril helmet. Sweat gushed down his brow, and he could feel the same was happening to his back, which gave him an uncomfortable feeling, since he could do nothing with his armor on. However, he wasn’t an Ordinator captain for nothing, so he could endure this feeling, like he endured the hits that came from Corprus monsters a mere several minutes ago.

“Captain? Are you alright?” A voice distracted Raynari from the dead body of a once-man in front of him.

Turning around, he was faced with an Indoril helmet, worn by one of his Ordinators, with whom he was tasked to clear out a nest of Sixth House heretics.

“Yes… Yes, I’m fine. Only several dents in my armor… Those damn monsters know how to pack a hit.” The Ordinator Captain replied, cleaning the sweat off of his brow with a gauntlet-less hand. The gauntlet that was supposed to rest on the hand was lying in dirt, deformed to the point where it was impossible to use it for its original purpose.

“Casualties?” Raynari finally asked after a moment of silence.

“We’ve got at least half a hundred of those beasts. Yet at a high cost, they took at least a quarter of our own men, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s double the number of them left in this cave.” The lower-ranking Ordinator replied with a sigh. Raynari shook his head slightly.

“Tell the remaining men to regroup into a schiltron. The heretics aren’t known for patience, they’ll come at us soon, so we have to be ready.” The Ordinator Captain ordered with a weary voice, again cleaning the sweat from his brow – it was still pouring. “Dismissed, Suleri.” Raynari added, cleaning the tip of his spear into the ground, which was also stained in blood.

With a salute, the Ordinator called Suleri hurried off, leaving Raynari alone with his thoughts once again. However, those thoughts weren’t the nicest ones, as the Ordinator Captain could hear footsteps approaching them – more Corprus beasts were coming into the cavern in which the Ordinators were trapped.

If this lasts for long, we’ll all be dead. Apparently, the informant underestimated the Sixth House while gathering information about this goddamn cavern… Vehk save us if no reinforcements come. Raynari sighed again, then shot a glance at his Ordinators. They were all weary, yet still more than willing to fight for the glory of the Temple and the Tribunal. They didn’t have much hope of surviving, and the little hope they did was in the form of a circular schiltron, a forest of spears deadly against cavalry and useful against infantry.

When the second wave of Corpus monsters finally began, the spear-armed Ordinators met it with grim face expressions and tightly gripped spears and shields. However, the mad beasts did not stop for even a moment of consideration, slamming into the schiltron. The tight formation retreated slightly, yet suffered light casualties, while leaving many bodies of Corprus monsters on the ground.

The Corprus monsters slammed into the schiltron again, suffering more casualties, yet making the circle of spears retreat a bit more. This was certainly not a welcomed situation, as soon enough, the Ordinators would be pushed into the wall, and their formation disrupted. Raynari had to quickly think a way out of this. However, it wasn’t that hard.

When the Corprus monsters slammed into them for the third time, he yelled out the command that could either doom the Ordinators or save them:

“ATTACK!”

Thus, when the Corprus monsters slammed into a part of the schiltron, their flanks were crashed into by the other Ordinators. Soon enough, the Corprus monsters were forced into fighting on three sides – their flanks and the front. Now was the time when Raynari had to lead a handful of Ordinators to smash into their rear, an action that the Corprus monsters would not expect.

As fast as possible, the party of some ten Ordinators separated from the main force, trying to stay away from the fighting. It didn’t take long for them to reach the location from which they could charge down on the rear of the Corprus beasts, hopefully turning their attention away from the other Ordinators long enough for the fighting to turn the way they wanted.

Raynari smirked, looking at the temptingly vulnerable rear of the Corprus monsters. However, the smirk was left unnoticed by his companions, since his head was covered with the Indoril helmet, which was in turn smeared with blood, as was his whole armor. He knew that soon enough, his armor would receive a new layer of blood, and a new set of dents from the monsters that fought ahead of them. Since there was no time to be wasted, the Ordinator Captain lifted up his spear into the air, then yelled out the phrase that all of the Ordinators were eager to hear:

“CHARGE!”

It took several moments for the Corprus monsters to realize what happened when the handful of Ordinators slammed into their back, and when they did, several of the monsters’ numbers were already dead with spears in their backs. However, when they did realize what happened, they turned to fight with ferocity that Raynari had not foreseen.

The Captain himself, though, fought with ferocity that equaled, if not surpassed, the ferocity of his enemies. However, his ferocity blinded him temporarily, which almost cost him his life. As he impaled a Corprus monster with his spear, another one lunged at him from behind, knocking him on the ground.

Raynari was unfortunate enough to land on a rock with his unarmored hand. With a sickening crunch, he looked as his arm twisted in an unusual way, indicating that it broke. As if that wasn’t enough, he cut it quite deeply, and blood started gushing out of his wound. But it wasn’t the only of his problems – the Corprus monster jumped on him, pressing him to the ground.

After a bit of struggling, Raynari managed to turn himself around, coming face to face with the disfigured face of the monster. A sickening stench blew at his face, though he did his best to ignore it, hitting the monster in the face. This didn’t seem to have much effect, though, and in return Raynari got a hit that broke his nose. He felt warm blood on his face, yet ignored it, moving his head to avoid another such hit.

What the Corprus monster failed to see was that Raynari’s fine arm managed to grasp the shortsword that hung at the Ordinator Captain’s side. Just as the creature was going to land another hit, Raynari swung the shortsword. It too several moment for the monster to realize what had happened, yet it soon roared in pain, staring at what was left of its arm. The rest of it landed nearby, cut off by Raynari’s shortsword.

Blood poured out of the remaining part of the beast’s arm, mixing with the blood on Raynari’s face and arm. The Dunmer frowned in disgust, then drove the shortsword in his hand into the creature’s neck, causing more blood to pour on him and mix with that of his own. With a one last roar, the monster fell down on Raynari in full weight, hitting his head against a rock.

The last thing Raynari heard before passing out was cheerful shouts and heavy footsteps of many armored feet.

***

Raynari looked around a large room, seemingly made out of gold. He did not know where he was, nor how he got here, yet what he knew was that he didn’t want to be here. Still, the room was so beautiful, and the wooden door leading outside seemed so ugly in comparison, he couldn’t make himself leave. What drew him more were other doors, made out of precious gems and diamonds of all sort.

In an oddly sluggish way, Raynari walked towards the diamond doors. It took only several moments for him to reach them and open them. However, when he did, he felt himself falling through the floor before he could even see what was inside. As he fell into the abyss, darkness surrounded him. The Ordinator Captain heard someone laugh, before opening his eyes.

Sweat gushed down his enormously hot brow. Raynari felt weak and sick, which was probably the case, as the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a man in blue robes – the Ordinator healer. Raynari was back in Vivec.

[raggidman]

Bravely done! No autobiography this. It may be about the Nerevarine, but this is a story/history' as it might have been if 'Morrowind' had not happened.

And I remember that there was a prediction that if the Nerevarine failed then Dagoth Ur might conquer all of Tamriel

This post has been edited by raggidman: May 8 2008, 07:39 PM

[Gaius Maximus]

Bravely done! No autobiography this. It may be about the Nerevarine, but this is a story/history' as it might have been if 'Morrowind' had not happened.

And I remember that there was a prediction that if the Nerevarine failed then Dagoth Ur might conquer all of Tamriel

I thank you for your comment on the story; the idea came to me rather unexpectedly, and not quite as what it has become now. I'm quite glad that it has turned into what it has now, as it allows me to experiment loads. BESIDES being hugely fun to write.

Now, after along delay (i'm suspecting that for me, gaming and writing do not go hand-to-hand; whenever I start liking one game, I cannot think of anything to write ) I bring you, the first part of chapter XI.

Chapter XI

The winds howled loudly, tossing whole heaps of ash up from the ground, buffeting the vomit of the Red Mountain about in a playful manner. Somewhere in the distance, a cliffracer shrieked. The desperate cry of the creature rippled through the Ashlands and finally dissipated in the angry roars of nature.

However, problems of a creature so hated by the travelers of Vvardenfell was of no matter to Raynari; he had problems on his own, and the Ashstorm was, perhaps, the most mundane of all them, even if the most immediate and the most annoying, for it had completely halted his already slow-paced journey, forcing him to take cover in an Ancestral Tomb. Since he had no need to disturb the spirits of the dead, the Ordinator set up his little camp right next to the doors, so that he would immediately know when the Ashstorm stopped.

Still, Raynari was already beginning to think of this decision as a mistake – the constant howling of the wind and the creaking of the doors as they bent under the breath of the raging elements had already given him a headache, and undid his plans to get a little rest, a luxury he did not have for the past several days, save that short nap right before the battle for Ald’Ruhn began.

It was almost obvious now, though, that he wouldn’t have fallen asleep even if everything was dead silent, even the spirits below in the tomb (for during the entire three hours Raynari was forced to take shelter in the Tomb, the shades of the past did not silence – moaning was ever-present). No, there were too many vexing thoughts in his head – now, after the initial joy and surprise had passed, Raynari realized what he had done – set Dagoth Ur free from the Ghostfence by felling the Ghostgate, and brought ruin upon one of the greatest cities in Vvardenfell, the capital of the Redoran. His conscience was only beginning to carefully lift her head, and was quelled for the meantime by the joy of having his body back (for it had not yet passed, lasting like Dagoth Ur hoped it would). Inevitably, some day in the future Raynari would realize what had he done; for now, he was living in blissful ignorance.

His conscience, however, was only one thing that bothered Raynari – there were several others. His main concern at this time was the task at hand, issued to him by Dagoth. The words that were spoken to him only yesterday still echoed in Raynari’s head, a fresh memory:

“It is time for you to reclaim what once was yours but has been lost, Indoril Nerevar! The time for you to be accepted again by the Mer of Resdayn is at hand. In the coming war, we shall need for Azura to look upon us favorably; else all might fall, for the Mother of the Rose, as much of a pity is it to admit it, always gets what She wants. My hope lies with your fate - you are the prophesied Nerevarine, the Reincarnation of which Azura herself spoke; and She shall look upon you consent, if you are approved by the Nation of Resdayn as Indoril Nerevar Moon-and-Star Nerevarine. For this, however, you must recover one of your ancient belongings – the One-Clan-Under-Moon-and-Star ring.”

“I have heard, and the Sixth House ears and eyes were gleeful to prove my assumptions correct, that the Tribe of Urshilaku knows much of this, for they are the guardians of the Nerevarine Prophecies. Go to them, and discover the location of Moon-and-Star. These three tokens shall help you prove to them that you are a worthy warrior. There are reports that a few weeks ago, several of the Urshilaku warriors found my fortress at Kogoruhn; their Ashkhan should know where those things were taken from, and honor you accordingly.”

The ‘tokens’ that Dagoth spoke of were three items – a lump of Corprus meat, a ceremonial Sixth house cup, similar to which Raynari had seen in his own temple, and a Dwemer-made shield, with some runes carved onto it, and a green, gloomy glow coming from the iron ball in the middle. It was beyond him how those things would help him, though he guessed them to be from Kogoruhn, the lost Dunmer Stronghold which Dagoth mentioned.

Thoughts about those items, his mission and his past did not leave Raynari for as long as the winds howled outside; thankfully, about an hour later, the Ordinator realized that the fury of the nature seemed to have passed, and the ash was settling down outside.

Quickly, he rose from the ground, taking his cuirass with him. Thanks to the one remaining blacksmith in Ald’Ruhn, the ex-Ordinator’s armor was gleaming once again; that is, it was gleaming until the vomits of the past were raised and thrown at him. Still, it was once again without a scratch, just like before Ald’Ruhn fell. Raynari himself was, too, ‘fixed up’ – no less than three scars grinned on his body now, yet the wounds were sealed and no more than a grim memory.

Making sure that the straps of his cuirass were firmly holding both parts together, Raynari stepped out to the world beyond the door of the Ancestral Tomb.

Wind cut into his face like a hundred knives, yet the ash was gone. Relieved by that, the Dunmer lapped his head from nose lower with his tan, weathered and worn scarf for protection against the wind. Like many small whips, Raynari’s red hair flapped around, making him regret for once that he had such long hair – they reached all the way to his shoulders. Still, ignoring the irritating yet minor pain, he set his foot forward, his heavy boots releasing an obtuse ‘thud’.

Just press on. It shouldn’t be that far away… Raynari encouraged himself, struggling against the wind. Had he not been wearing his boots, the ash that was still flying slightly above the ground would’ve proven to be another source of annoyance and pain – and yet, this was the price one had to pay for setting out to travel right after an ash storm had passed.

By the name of all the ancestors of House Vandareth, I hate this place…

***

All things holy, I don’t know how much longer I will be able to take this… Raynari muttered under his breath, his fingers almost digging into the rock he had grasped. Obviously, climbing a mountain with armor was one of the worse decisions of his life, as he came to realize after noticing his progress was minimal – he had been already attempting for half an hour to scale this small mountain, which from his map he guessed to be the only thing between him and the Ashlander Camp, yet he had only climbed less than a third of the entire obstacle.

Suddenly, one part of him chuckled.

’All things holy’? So says the one who had done no deeds but unholy ones! So says the Nerevarine, ‘savior’ of the Nation of Resdayn, who sold himself to the Devil of the Mountain, the eternal enemy of the Tribunal! So says the one who had brought the fall of what generations of his own House had upheld, so says the disgrace to his ancestors! So says the executioner of the Great House Redoran, who-

However, the tirade of his conscience was cut off.

“You!” A shout came from bellow him. Looking down, Raynari noticed a number of Chitin-armored Dunmeri. Raynari could always boast having sharp eyes, so he noticed the many earrings those Dunmer had. One of them was aiming a small composite bow at him, the arrow prepared to bite into his flesh. Raynari knew all too well of what composite bows could do even to Ordinator armor, and what Ashlanders (for these Mer were ones, there was no doubt of that) thought about people with an appearance similar to that of Raynari.

“By the name of Azura, what are you doing there?!” The bowman yelled. The other two Mer, one armed with a spear and the other with a clutch of javelins, remained silent, yet from their pouting, Raynari guessed them to be completely for the idea of skewering him.

“Trying to climb over this Vehk-damned mountain, obviously!” Raynari yelled back, before biting his lip. He had shouted ‘Vehk-damned’ to try and sound inconspicuous, yet he realized too late that he was talking to Mer who hated both Vehk and all things – or Mer – associated with him.

“Don’t try to play smart with me, Temple lackey.” The bowman sneered. “Down you go, lest I let go of this arrow – and know, by your Vehk, that it will not miss.”

Raynari bit back a reply, for once ignoring his rash temper that was given to him by the Stars, and slowly began climbing down. The process was a lot faster, especially after the bowman encouraged him to hurry up with a well-placed arrow that now oscillated right where Raynari’s head was seconds ago.

With such aid, Raynari was quick to get down. He was greeted by the Ashlanders’ faces, filled with obvious hatred and disgust, and by the tip of the spear of which he had made note on his way down. The Ashlander that wielded it looked like he would not hesitate a moment to fulfill their unspoken promise to skewer Raynari as soon as he did something wrong.

“Did you not know,” This time, the javelin-wielding Ashlander began speaking. “That this is the land of Tribe Urshilaku? This is where we hunt – guars and disrespectful settlers like you alike.” By ‘disrespectful settlers’, the Ashlander obviously meant only the casual lone Ordinators – they were too smart to begin messing with larger groups of men or mer in which the Imperial legionnaires, House Guards and Ordinators usually traveled.

“If you are of the Honorable Urshilaku, then I have found what I was looking for.” Raynari replied, trying to disguise his true feelings about the ‘honorable’ Ashlanders and their tribes – nomad barbarians, as he called them even before beginning his dealings with Dagoth Ur.

All three of the Ashlanders raised their eyebrows in cold surprise.

“Explain yourself.” The spear-wielding one spat out.

“I have traveled to this place only to find the Tribe of Urshilaku, and talk with their wise Ashkahn.” Raynari replied.

“Ashkhan.” Spearman again almost spat the words out, with so much venom that Raynari could’ve swore that if he was closer to him, this hatred would’ve hit him as hard as any Ashlander’s fist would. “What dealings a settler, and a follower of your ‘Temple’ would have to do with our wise Ashkhan, Sul-Matuul?”

“I am no follower of the Temple, not for the past several weeks. Azura has enlightened me, and helped me realize how foolish the teachings of the ‘Gods’ are.” Raynari tried to put as much venom into the words ‘Temple’ and ‘Gods’ as the Ashlander did in the whole sentence, yet he failed utterly – for even if his mind and lips were saying one thing, his heart remained with whom it had been since his childhood.

“Your lips say one thing, yet your mind might be thinking the opposite. If you no longer follow your ‘Temple’, why did you call this hill ‘Vehk-Damned’, and why do you wear the armor of the cruelest and blindest of all settlers?”

“Old habits die hard. And, as I said, I was blind only until Azura came to me in a dream several weeks ago, and showed me the light.” Raynari replied as coldly as he could – all this interrogating was already getting on his nerves, and he was never one to hold down his real thoughts and opinions for a long time.

The three Ashlanders looked at each other for a while, occasionally shooting a venomous glance towards Raynari, before the javelin-wielding one finally spoke, as if they had been conversing all this time through their minds, or talking a whole different language Raynari could not even hear:

“Very good. You shall be brought before our Ashkhan, and tell him what you must tell. He shall decide your fate – we do not wish to take such decisions upon ourselves, for we do not possess the wisdom of our Ashkhan or our Wise Woman.”

Raynari held back a sigh of relief. “Could I, perhaps, learn the names of those who are to be my… guides in this rocky path to your Ashkhan?”

The spear-wielding Dunmer looked as if he was about to say something more than rude to Raynari, yet forced sweeter words to come out of his lips:

“I am Ashahulu Adur-Dan.“

“I am Han-Ilu Ashunbabi.” The bowman introduced himself. The javelin-wielding Dunmer hesitated for a while, before speaking as well:

“And I am Shabael-Matuul.”

Raynari realized that this meant that the Ashlander in front of him was a relative of the Ashkhan of the Urshilaku, judging from his appearance maybe a son. Quickly, he forced himself to bend his back in a bow:

“I am Raynari Vandareth. Now, lead me where you will – I have nothing to fear.”

***

Apparently, Raynari was taking the most difficult, yet the most straightforward way towards the Ashlander Camp, as he realized during his trip with the three Ashlanders. If he had climbed over the mountain, he would’ve then had to descend again, and then climb another mountain, this one somewhat smaller. All this would’ve left him exhausted, and probably resulted in trouble, as the Ashlanders were wary of travelers coming from that side. ‘Wary’ as in ‘hostile wary’, of course.

The three hunters whom Raynari had encountered led him through another path – it was a narrow path between mountains, one very difficult to find, thanks to both nature herself and the Ashlanders. Only the Ashlanders themselves and a few clan-friends were aware of this route.

The journey through the path took slightly more than half an hour, and the sun was already starting to sink west by the time that Raynari was brought before Sul-Matuul, the Ashkhan of the Urshilaku Tribe. Amongst the Ashlanders, only the Zainab Ashkhan was more powerful, due to Zainab’s fertile lands, yet Sul-Matuul had the most respect of them all.

“Father,” Shabael-Matuul bowed to the Ashkhan. Sul-Matuul seemed to be very physically fit, and was still in the age when a warrior can have greatness worthy of legends – he was older than Raynari, who was thirty-four in Dunmer count, yet no older than fifty. His eyes, however, seemed to be filled with wisdom beyond his years, reminding Raynari of the eyes of an old traveler he had once met in a roadside inn.

“Father, this settler claims that he had come to our lands seeking to see you, for he was enlightened by Azura.”

Sul-Matuul rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking at Raynari with a searching glance; Raynari tried to appear as best as he could to the Ashkhan. He had turned his hand in a way that the Ashlander could not see his ring, for some reason – the Ordinator suspected that somehow, the Ashlander might see a connection between the ring and the Devil Dagoth Ur.

“Thank you, Shabael. You may go now.” Sul finally nodded. Unwillingly, Shabael-Matuul turned around, casting one last glance of mistrust at Raynari before leaving the yurt.

“Sit.” Sul gestured towards one of the carpets on the ground, sitting down on one himself. He crossed his legs in a way it seemed like he was meditating, then folded his arms. Raynari sat down in the same way, waiting for the Ashkhan to speak the first word. His pack, in which the items Dagoth Ur gave to him were he put next to the carpet, within arms reach.

After a minute of silence, Sul-Matuul finally spoke:

“Tell me, Settler, what wind has brought you to my land? Is what my son told true – did you come here, seeking to see me in my humble dwelling?”

Raynari swallowed something stuck in his throat – lying to Sul-Matuul somehow wasn’t the same as lying to his son, or to the two other Ashlanders.

“My name, Mighty Ashkhan, is Raynari Vandareth, and I indeed do come to your lands to see you, for your son is no liar. The wind that guided me here is one that all good Dunmer know and pray – the guiding hand of Azura. The Mother of the Rose came to me in my sleep one fateful night, and spoke to me many things, many of which I wish to keep to myself for the time being, not because I mistrust you, Mighty Khan, but because She has instructed me so.”

Sul-Matuul nodded quickly. “I understand.”

“One thing that She has told me to share with you, was that I came here under Her guidance, and that I must prove myself to you, in order to learn of the Nerevarine Prophecies.”

Silence reigned in the Ashkhan’s yurt for several minutes, yet it seemed like an eternity to Raynari.

“You tell… of odd things.” Sul-Matuul spoke again. “Things that are very hard to believe – almost impossible. But you cannot be dismissed as a liar, for that would be a great mistake. If Azura did indeed speak to you, She was right by saying that you will need to prove yourself to me before I open to you the secrets of the Nerevarine Cult.”

Raynari nodded slightly, showing to Sul-Matuul that this is not unexpected to him. The Ashkhan coughed, and then continued:

“Several weeks ago, I and several of my finest warriors have made an expedition to the deep ruins of Kogoruhn, an ancient stronghold. We have seen many horrible things there, of which I do not wish to speak, and will probably only tell them to my son at my deathbed. Amongst the many horrors, I have seen several things which I had not seen before. I wish you to bring me back several of those things.”

“The first thing would be a lump of meat of a Corprus monster. Second, will be a large, red wooden cup, used for purposes no honest Mer will ever know of. Third, a Dwemer-made shield, with many runes crudely carved onto its surface, and an odd gleam coming from the inside of the iron ball in the middle.”

In response to those words, Raynari laughed loudly, then buried his face in the ash. Sul-Matuul seemed to be disturbed by this sudden outburst of joy, yet he did not call for anyone, waiting for Raynari to explain himself, or just move.

Finally, Raynari lifted his face up from the ash; this joy was not entirely feigned, as it saved him great many hours, the fact he already had those items with him. Slowly, he removed the cloth from the items in his pack, and showed them to Sul-Matuul – a lump of Corprus meat, a ceremonial cup, and the Dwemer shield.

“But… how?” Sul-Matuul seemed to be awed by the fact the very items he had requested several moments ago were lying in front of him.

“This, Mighty Ashkhan, is proof that Azura is, and that I am no madman. In my dream, Azura told me to get these items, and bring them to you as a gift; I found, through great difficulty and peril, the ruins of Kogoruhn – not without Her help, of course – and claimed these items as mine.” Raynari replied, bowing to Sul-Matuul.

The Ashkhan inspected the three items for a while, trying to make sure if they were real; however, he was left satisfied concerning the reality of this little miracle.

“This is very odd; it backs your claims as to being visited by Azura. Things that before seemed impossible now seem very real…” Silence once again reigned in the yurt for a few moments, before Sul-Matuul continued:

“I shall send you to my Wise Woman; she shall know what to make of this, for the ancestors guide her thoughts. Tell her that, if she judges you as worthy, she is to reveal to you in my name what we know of the Prophecies.”

Raynari stood up, then bowed. Without another word, the Ordinator left the yurt, leaving Sul-Matuul to his own thoughts.

Can this really be him..? The Nerevarine? Is the time already at hand? Azura help us all in these strange days…

This post has been edited by Gaius Maximus: Jun 27 2008, 11:20 PM