Tarvyn Dralor: Caught in the Web Options

[Callidus Thorn]

Well, here we are, my third assault on the bastion of fanfiction

They say third time's the charm, and I really hope they're right. And if not, well at least I'm having fun writing and playing. I'm pretty sure I've avoided making the same mistakes I did with my previous attempts, so any mistakes I make this time round will be all new ones. If I'm lucky

As ever, comments, criticism, suggestions, and nitpicking are all welcome, and as before, don't feel you need to pull your punches!

Since we have a thread for character trailers, I thought "why not write one?":

Trailer

Here goes nothing...


Prologue

As the sun sets on Cyrodiil, washing the sky with its myriad gentle hues, forces gather within the Imperial City.

As the shadows deepen across the city figures swathed in hooded robes make their way to access points to the sewers. Others, clad in the same robes, conceal themselves in shadowed alleys. They have been arriving in the city for days, and will quit the city tonight, through forgotten passages beneath the streets. For months they have prepared, finding secret ways lost to memory, and tonight they will exploit them to terrifying effect. They speak as little as possible to each other, though most intone prayers in near-silent whispers as they ready themselves for what is to come. The citizenry carry on about their business as usual, blind to goings on that didn't concern them, and those few that did catch a glimpse of the figures are quietly dealt with.

The heart of the Imperial City, White Gold Tower, buzzes with activity. A score of heavily armoured men and women prepare themselves for battle, checking the buckles of their armour and the edges of their blades. They are silent and serious, grim countenances dwelling on the thought of what is to come. Word has reached them that their brothers and sisters have failed in their duties, and each of them swears anew the oaths they took when they were granted their posts. They know the weight of responsibility that falls on them, heavier than the armour they bear, but they take pride in knowing that they are trusted beyond all others with this duty. They know too the cost of failure, and that thought weighs upon them heavier still, letting fear and doubt gnaw at the edges of their minds.

The Imperial City Prison, on the other hand, is still. The only sounds to be heard are the guards drilling outside, the gentle lapping of the waves from the lake, and the whispering breeze. The prisoners are oblivious to the preparations throughout the city, though one among them has been patiently waiting for such events, not that he imagined they would be so severe. He sits calmly in his cell, on a rough stool pulled towards the far wall of his cell, leaning back against it. His arms are folded across his chest, and he rests his feet casually upon the rickety table, beside his jug of water. The feeble torch by the gate fails to light the cell fully, leaving his corner darkened, his face swathed in shadow. Only his eyes are visible, gleaming crimson in the darkness. Though his face is cloaked in darkness, robbing it of expression, the prisoner exudes an air of calm, the surety of one who knows he is exactly where he needs to be, even if he doesn't know why.



And above him, in the dark corner where walls meet ceiling, a spider sits in its web, patiently waiting for flies to blunder into it and become ensnared...

This post has been edited by Callidus Thorn: Sep 29 2014, 02:48 PM

[Callidus Thorn]

Thanks guys!

Here's the next part, Baurus' Tale. I've always thought the game didn't do the Blades justice, and the thought kind of got away from me

Sorry it's taking so long to get out of the sewers.


Baurus' Tale

“The Blades are not mere bodyguards. Those of my order, the Order of Talos, are trained to defend the Emperor and his family. We are drawn from the Legion, chosen both for our skills and our loyalty, and sworn to serve the Emperor above all. With steel and sinew we defend the Dragon Blood, against any and all threats. Only the best of my order are chosen to serve in the Emperor's Guard, and there is no higher honour among the Blades, and no weightier duty. But we are not the only Order of the Blades.

The Order of Zenithar serve as diplomats and ambassadors, and the Orders of Kynareth and Julianos make up the remaining number of Blades; covert agents. Some to discover threats, others to remove them. These agents are spread throughout Tamriel, a clandestine net, ever vigilant for threats to the Empire. The agents report to the Spymaster, who in turn reports to Jauffre, Head of the Order of Talos, and Grandmaster of the Blades. Copies of those reports would then be sent to the Captain of the Emperor's Guard, so that we were not taken by surprise. It is only because of this that we knew the scale of what was coming.

Our agents began to find hints, minor things, but enough of them to suggest something was at work. More agents were sent to investigate, but they found little more before disappearing. Others were sent after them, but they too, vanished. Any agent that went looking for them, or for some clue as to those behind it, were never heard from again. Something was moving against us, and we couldn't even find out what it was. But while we knew nothing of them, it soon became clear they knew a great deal of us.

A week ago, we received word that the Spymaster had been assassinated. The grandmaster immediately had already begun to take action, moving the Emperor's heirs to secure locations, estates in the countryside where they would be easier to defend. Few knew of them, so prying eyes could be seen easier than in the cities. Grandmaster Jauffre decided nowhere in Cyrodiil was safe for the Emperor, save among the Blades, but he dared not move the Emperor, not yet. Leaving the Imperial City could not be done discreetly, not without preparation. Messages were sent to trusted Legion Commanders, patrol routes were adjusted, but we were running out of time. While the Grandmaster arranged this, our covert network in Cyrodiil was shredded, and within four days nearly all our agents had been eliminated.

That was when they went after the Emperor's sons. One by one they were murdered, along with the Blades who defended them. It was only the last remnants of our network that brought word to the Grandmaster, but word did not reach us of this. Until tonight not one message reached us. Captain Renault knew something was wrong, but did not want to act blindly. But when a messenger reached us tonight, half dead and carrying the news of the deaths of the Emperor's sons, her hand was forced.

'The time for discretion has passed', she told us, and so we escorted the Emperor from the Palace. A score of heavily armoured figures surrounding the Emperor, a steel-clad wall of bodies marching through the streets of the Imperial City, swords drawn. The citizens fled at the sight of us, and Legionnaires raced to report to their Captains. By the time we reached the Talos Plaza district, half the city likely knew the Emperor was departing. Not that it mattered, not once we reached Talos Plaza.

They came out of the shadows, silently darting from darkened alleyways and striking without warning. A dozen of them fell upon us from the rear, and three of us fell before we slew the attackers. From that moment on, every step carried a price in blood, ours or theirs. When we saw the main gate held against us, the bodies of Legion Soldiers in pools of blood before it, the Captain ordered us to the Elven Gardens District. We cut our way through, losing two more of our number, but gaining a dozen Legionnaires along the way.

The Elven Gardens were no safer than Talos Plaza had been. They harried us constantly, anywhere from three to six of them at a time. Four of us; the Captain, another Breton named Jhared, Glenroy, and myself kept back from the fighting, shielding the Emperor with our bodies in case they had archers with them. Following the Captain's orders, we fought our way across Elven Gardens, leaving a crimson trail studded with bodies, both ours and theirs.

The Market District was even worse. Half the Legionnaires were cut down within moments, lacking our extensive training, and still more attackers charged us. They grew more and more frenzied as we pushed onwards, harrying us from the sides and rear. At the time we thought we were succeeding, but now that seems folly. They herded us towards the prison. The Captain ordered the rest to stand rearguard, and hold as long as possible, while we escorted the Emperor inside. From there you know our tale. I doubt any of the others survived, not against those numbers."

As Baurus' voice trailed off, Tarvyn remained silent. Baurus had the look of a man stretched to the point of breaking, and he simply didn't know what to say. For long moments Baurus stared at the Emperor's body, as though it were the only thing in the world. Perhaps to him, it was. Then without warning Baurus surged to his feet, scooping up his katana, and turned to face Tarvyn.

“Nearly a score of us, all dead, and still we failed. Yet you survive, when so many fell. The Emperor was right to spare you, Tarvyn Dralor. Now go, I will wait with the Emperor, and should any seek to follow you, I will do what I can. Go.”

This post has been edited by Callidus Thorn: May 4 2014, 03:40 PM

[McBadgere]

Thanks guys!

You're welcome, always... ...

Here's the next part, Baurus' Tale. I've always thought the game didn't do the Blades justice, and the thought kind of got away from me

Oh, I know exactly what you mean... ...

Sorry it's taking so long to get out of the sewers.

Right, this is where I give my "Unqualified to talk really"™ lecture...

This story is yours...And yours only...How long you take to tell it is entirely down to you, and should never be cut short, altered to fit, sequence shortened steps removed etc for any reason other than YOU WANT TO...It's not up to anyone else...

Had you wished to follow the entire dungeon crawl exactly, with musings on the masonry of the under-city; who created the zombie; who put the stuff in the chests; where the Goblins came from, their smell, and the sound of their squeal they make as you drive your sword through their back...Wait...Hang on...*Makes notes*...

My point is, if you'd wanted all that in, because writing it really appealed to you, then that would have been absolutely fine also...

Getting out of the sewers takes a while in the game...You've not exactly hung about, you know?... ...

Everything has been written amazingly well, I've been massively enjoying it...So there's no need to apologise to me about it...I'd have been just as happy, and likely very impressed with the writing had you kept everything else in too...*Shrug*...

Anyways, "loved" the whole sad tale of the utter destruction of the Blades and their spy network...That was brilliantly worked out and written...

The desperate flight across the city was epic and tense...You did excellently there!... ...

Brilliant stuff Thorny-Boy...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...