Memoirs of a Morag Tong Assassin: Vvardenfell, Chapter Six: An Old Friend to Kill... Options

[Black Hand]

Chapter One:..to the east, to Morrowind
Chapter Two: Rise of the Black Hand
Chapter Three: Azura's Portents
Chapter Four: An Assassin Amongst Us....
Chapter Five: History rewritten, and History Reborn



Ebonheart; Grand Council Chambers, Three Weeks Later

Duke Dren exited his office, wearing the polished ebony armor of the Duke, accompanied by two of his Imperial Guard. He had specifically asked for me to show up and hold the meetings of the preparation of war in the Grand Council, for all intents and purposes, I was the Dukes equal upon the Island of Vvardenfell.

“You know, Sethyas. As of right now, politically speaking, you are the most powerful Man on Vvardenfell. Even the tribes of the Ashlanders have chosen you as War Leader. A feat that has not been accomplished since the first era. And certainly not by an outlander, you truly must be the Nerevarine…” the Duke mused.

“I am. I know that now more then ever…but I wonder, if I am this child of fate and destiny, am I also destined to win, or fall? Dagoth Ur is a GOD for Azura’s sake!” I said with defeatist tone.

“Now, now! You must seem strong and confident to your people! You are the General of the Dunmer once more, Nerevar, and they will look to you for inspiration and leadership…besides, I would wish for you to return, and to play with my Grandchildren in a world that you have made safe…” he said subtly.

“Right…I…” I said blushing, while thinking of Ilmeni, safe in my Stronghold of Bal Isra.

“Relax, Sethyas. The time now calls for preparation of our assault upon Dagoth Ur. The Council awaits us now. Come.” He said motioning for the Chambers.

I sat down at my Central Chair, the Chair awarded to Generals and Kings. Not a chair that I deserved to sit in for long. The eyes of Dunmer that I did not recognize, save that of Llerar Mandas and Eno Hlaalu gazed upon me with a mixture of skepticism and wonder. And pride. The pride from the Morag Tong and House Redoran, my chosen families.

There were in fact representatives from every faction in the Grand Council, the Imperial Cult, the Imperial Legion, Fighters and Mages Guild. The Thieves Guild obviously did not take place in the proceedings, and my little surprise showed up amongst the beginnings of the proceedings.

Sul-Matuul showed up with three other Ashlanders, after receiving my correspondence to gather three Gulakhans from the other tribes and show up on this day. There were gasps of shock and surprise as they took a seat at the Grand Council Table, all of them with a satisfied smirks on their faces.

“Sethyas…what are they doing here?” Vedam Dren whispered to me.

I stood up and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “Representatives, may I present the Great and honorable Ashkhan of the Urshilaku, Sul-Matuul! The three other Mer are Gulakhans of the Erebanimsun, the Ahemmusa, and the Zainab Tribes. They will join us in counsel as equal representatives of the Army of Nerevar! I will not have any grumblings or dissentions to the contrary! They are brave and wise warriors whom are willing to lay down their very lives for the Honor of destroying Dagoth Ur! They have equal standing amongst all others here amongst the Council.” I said with a hand outstretched and a powerful gaze overlooking the room.

There were murmurs and looks of hate and curiosity towards the Ashlanders. But all seemed to come to the same conclusion: We needed all the troops we could get. Ashlanders might have been hated, but their skills in the Ashlands and hunting were undeniable.

“While the House Dunmer grow fat and lazy in their rooms of stone, we Ashlanders live in the Shadow of Red Mountain, we see our lands die from the Blight. This is the same fate that shall befall all you, unless we now act as one people under Nerevar once more.” Spoke Sul-Matuul.

“Thank You, my friend. As the Chosen Hortator, and Nerevarine. I will set forth a few rules that I need obeyed in my interim. Eno. There will be a cessation to all Writs, House Wars will not be waged while we assault the Mountain. House Representatives, no duels, no murders. Sul-Matuul, Gulakhans, no raids, no tribal disputes. We are one people.”

There were a few murmurs again, but all Representatives agreed eventually, Eno shook his head in agreement.

“How do you propose we begin this war, Nerevarine? Just gather as many heads as we can, and walk into Red Mountain? We’ll get killed!” asked the Telvanni Wizard Lady.

“Vivec has already given us his outlines for the War, and how to best proceed. I have had made copies for all…..” I said as parchments were handed out.

Phase 1: Raids inside the Ghostfence
The Tribunal, Ordinators, and Buoyant Armigers are familiar with the terrain, and will provide maps and current intelligence reports. The region inside the Ghostfence is dangerous, and the Nerevarine will need to be familiar with its particular challenges. After measuring skills and resources against Dagoth Ur's defenses, the Nerevarine will know better how to pace a campaign, alternating raids with improving skills, getting better equipment, and stockpiling resources.

Phase 2: Raids upon Ash Vampire Citadels
Dagoth Ur's kin have become markedly more powerful in recent decades, after remaining stable for thousands of years. If they can be individually isolated and destroyed, they will not be able to support Dagoth Ur in later stages of the war. It may also be that the dramatic increase in their power comes from items enchanted by Dagoth Ur. Salvage of such items might contribute to our resources.

Phase 3: Assault on Gate Citadel Vemynal
Essential to recover the artifact hammer Sunder for Phase 5. The Ash Vampire Dagoth Vemyn has possession of Sunder, and probably seeks to discover the secrets of its enchantments. He may also have access to notebooks and journals of Kagrenac that have survived in the Dwemer workshops of Vemynal.

Phase 4: Assault on Gate Citadel Odrosal
Essential to recover the artifact blade Keening for Phase 5. The Ash Vampire Dagoth Odros has possession of Keening, and probably seeks to discover the secrets of its enchantments. He may also have access to notebooks and journals of Kagrenac that have survived in the Dwemer workshops of Odrosal.

Phase 5: Assault on Citadel Dagoth
All the previous stages are preparations for this stage. Recent expeditions show that Citadel Dagoth has undergone extensive expansion; the location will need to be explored carefully. The known route to the Heart Chamber will be well-defended; alternative routes may exist. Dagoth Ur will have anticipated our plan to destroy him by attacking the Heart, and he will almost certainly personally oppose approach to the Heart Chamber. Together the Tribunal could not defeat him, and he has grown stronger since then. Admittedly, the Tribunal had the distraction of maintaining the Ghostfence simultaneous with fighting Dagoth Ur, but, even so, the challenge seems daunting.

The adoption of this phased campaign seems to offer the best chances for success. In retrospect, the Tribunal's decision to directly assault Citadel Dagoth rather than proceed step-by-step through lesser objectives must be seen to have been a serious error. The Tribunal did not feel it had the option of a slow-paced and deliberate campaign, given that they had many other competing priorities, not the least of which was the maintenance of the Ghostfence and the outer defenses surrounding Red Mountain. The Nerevarine, on the other hand, should be best served by a careful, step-by-step advance, with the additional advantage of building confidence along the way while successes would undermine Dagoth Ur's own assurance in his defenses.

“Interesting, and how do we find all these Ash Vampires…and more Importantly, how do we stop them from coming back? Every one knows that Dagoth Ur eventually resurrects them…” she asked once more.

“It is possible to prevent that through Soul Trapping magic…” I said.

“And how do you know that?” She asked flippantly.

I tossed her the Grand Soul Gem that housed the Spirit of the Ash Vampire I had encountered beneath Kogoruhn.

“Say hi to Dagoth Uthol. He won’t be coming back anytime soon…” I said as she examined the gem, and remarked in surprise: “This IS an Ash Vampires soul!”

“The one you faced when I sent you to Kogoruhn? You faced down an Ash Vampire and Lived to tell the tale? Impressive Sethyas. That is already one down out of seven…” said Sul-Matuul

The murmurs of the Council now had a different tone, one that of hope. If I could face down an Ash Vampire single-handedly, then there was hope that a Unified Dunmer could defeat Dagoth Ur.

“Then we will begin with the first phase immediately! Let the Sixth House know that the Dunmeri Wrath is swift and vengeful!” cried Llerar Mandas, the Redoran General.

“Not so fast.” I said, interjecting. “Read the parchment again. A full scale war is exactly what Dagoth Ur expects, and he is well prepared for such an occurrence.”

There was a silence. “Then what?” came the response.

“I will act largely alone. What the significance of the unification means, is that the Dunmer are working together to DEFEND themselves against Dagoth Ur. The towns, the villages, now more then ever, must have every available man to defend themselves against the Hosts of Dagoth Ur. Now that I have returned, there is a different feeling in the wind, Voryn Dagoth senses me, he knows that I have returned, he feels the time is nigh to set forth with his ambitions to conquer the land.”

“What hope do you have against an army? Can one man defeat an entire army?” asked Llerar.

“No…I’m not going after every single Ascended Sleeper and Corprus Monster. I’m going after the heads of the army. The Dunmeri society was built from small fractious clans that needed to use secret murder to defeat their enemies. Kill a General, and an Army is useless. My trade is that of an Assassin, and I shall employ all my skills to this end. Ending eventually in facing Dagoth Ur and severing his link to the Heart.”

”I am attacking the weak points, not the strongest. Dagoth Ur, believes himself to be invincible. He sees his armies as easily replaceable within the ranks. This is somewhat true. But in my experience, everything has a crippling weakness. I intend to exploit it once I find it…”

The council talked amongst themselves for a time. There was a feeling of anti-climatic ness, but this was war, not glory. Just as the Empire exploited the political weaknesses of the Dunmer to Conquer Morrowind, so could Dagoth Ur. The in-fighting and petty squabbles had to cease, at least for the time being.

The council departed, and my orders were relayed to the Clans, and the Tribes. Defense of settlements and towns were to begin immediately, if aid was needed, it would be given, without consideration to the others Clan.

I then joined the Duke in his chambers for a brandy after the meeting.

“Wise Choices, Sethyas. And foolish as well. But, I believe you will succeed. You will assassinate the brothers of Ur, and the Sixth House Army will shatter like a scrib, then it will simply be a matter of cleaning up the mess. But our people will have the War they desire. And you. I wonder whether you will live through all this…”

”If I don’t, you must pick up where I left off. Follow the phases, kill the Ash Vampires. Recover Wrathguard if you can, present it to another Champion, one who is capable of facing the Sixth House.”

He nodded grimly. “Do try and live, Sethyas. I have grown rather fond of you.” He said finishing his brandy.

Before I returned to Bal Isra, I made a stop by the Arena in Vivec for a contact with my Master, Eno Hlaalu. For company, and a bit of luck.

“Sethyas! Nerevarine, and Hortator. I am proud of you this day…even if you are cutting into my profits a bit!” Eno remarked on the Cessation of Writs.

“Well, I have two new threads for you, as well as a request.”

He took the threads and asked me my request.

“Well, I know I asked for you to stop the Writs. But I would like you to make me one…for luck.” I said telling him, and he laughed as he wrote out the parchment, and applied his Morag Tong Signet Ring to the red wax.


”Here you go.” He said handing me the finished writ.

I read it aloud.

Dagoth Ur

The afore-mentioned personage has been marked for honorable execution in accordance to the lawful tradition and practice of the Morag Tong Guild. The Bearer of this non-disputable document has official sanctioned license to kill the afore-mentioned personage.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Aug 16 2011, 04:22 AM

[Black Hand]

I entered into the facility cavern, as I had three thousand years prior, and Voryn would have been at my side. Not so now. He was across the distance from me at the edge of the cavern, a warped version of his former self, inhumanly large, with talons for nails, hair grown long, and his features hidden by a golden mask. The Golden Mask of my nightmares all those months ago.

Welcome Nerevar. To this place, where Destiny is made. The persuasive voice of Dagoth Ur was slow and gentle. He wanted this, and waited for Millenia as well. I stepped slowly from the shadows of the entrance. Sword drawn, but not waved around menacingly. Dagoth Ur likewise, reached out to me, only to hold back. He occasionally would summon a fireball, only to let it dissipate. We studied each other carefully, wondering how time had changed one another.

"It began here. It will end here. Have you any parting words? Or would you prefer to skip the speeches, and get to our business. You are the challenger here, after all. So to you goes the courtesy of the first blow." Voryn started.

“We have time to talk. I am in no rush to die, and there are things we would both like to know, even if the Grave calls to one of us.”

"Now that you have come to me here, there can be but one result. Many times I have rehearsed speeches offering to share this place with you. 'If you dare to defy the gods, take my hand.' 'To seal our oath of alliance, you shall give me Wraithguard.' 'You have ability. Special gifts you don't even understand. Serve me, and I can help you master those gifts.'" He said looking off to the ceiling, and rising his hand in passion.

‘I thought we might once again be friends... comrades... brothers in arms." He said with a heavy sadness, that I confess made me shed a tear. He had three thousand years to stew in the juices of what he saw as a betrayal, and to offer forgiveness took a strong person, even for a god.

"But I have won this place and power by right of conquest. By right of daring and enterprise. I will not risk it to cunning and deceit. I offer you no deals. If you are my enemy, I cannot trust you. And even if you are not my enemy, I cannot let you live." His voice rose once more with a certain power, and he pointed one of his talons into my face.

"It will all be decided here. I believe I will prevail. But I cannot be sure, and I am vain enough that, should I fall, I would wish to be remembered in my own words. So, if you have final questions you would ask, ask them now. I have final questions I would ask you, if you would answer." He said slowly at the last sentence, and I nodded my head.

"My first question is: Are you really Nerevar reborn?" he asked slowly. Even he was uncertain.

I nodded my head, it wasn’t like it was my lifes accomplishment, but it was true. And I nodded once more. My voice cracking as I responded. “I am. Voryn, I am your old friend Nerevar.”

"That is bitter. The gods and fates are cruel. I served you faithfully once, Lord Nerevar, and you repaid me with death. I hope this time it will be you who pays for your faithlessness." He said with an icy edge to his tone.

“My second question is: if you win, what do you plan to do with the power from the Heart? Will you make yourself a god, and establish a thearchy? Or will you complete Akulakhan, and dispute control of Tamriel with the Septims? Or will you share the Heart with your followers, as I have, and breed a new race of divine immortals?"

None of the above I thought to myself. I was unsure of how to answer, and added my own version of an answer. Curious how he thought that I desired the same as he and the Tribunal. Anyone who touched that Heart was cursed, plain and simple, the Dwemer did not make it as a race, neither could the Tribunal or Dagoth.

"I have my own, secret plan for the Heart." I said slowly.

"Well. Perhaps there may be surprises in store for me yet. Or perhaps you obscure your plans on principle. Or perhaps you are an instinctive bluffer. No matter."

"My final question is: if I had offered to let you join me, would you have surrendered Wraithguard, Sunder, and Keening to me to seal your oath?"

I shook my head. “No, Voryn. I do not support what you have done. If the Sixth House stood for other things, had you gone about it in another way, maybe. But,..not like this.”

"Thank you for your forthright response. And now, if you have any questions, ask them. Otherwise, you are the challenger. I await your first blow."

“Yes..there are things I would ask you. If you are in no rush to die, either.” I said, to which he laughed slightly.

“What are your questions?” He boomed.

"What is your plan for the Heart?" I asked, wondering whether he would be as honest as I were. It turned out he was.

"I will continue to draw divine power from the Heart and distribute it to my kin and followers. I will continue to broadcast divine power upon the blight winds, so that it will touch each soul on Vvardenfell, and then more broadly, across the waters to the rest of Morrowind and Tamriel. In time, every mortal in Tamriel shall feel the liberating contact with the divine." He said with the passion of his Vision.


"What is your plan for the Sixth House?"

"The Sixth House will serve as the elite cadre of our movement. As cultists evolve through various stages of enlightenment, they will become, as suits their abilities, either holy warriors or priests. Their duty is to prepare themselves for service; their joy and liberation is to enter ever-more-deeply into the profound enlightenment of the divine dreamworld." He spoke with pride.

"What is your plan for the Dunmer?"

"I will free the Dunmer from the Imperial yoke, and cast down the false gods of the Temple. I will lead them out of their ancient superstitions, and gift them with intimate knowledge of the divine. Then, perhaps, when Morrowind is once again restored to its ancient glories, it will be time to consider whether the Dunmer should cultivate ambitions of empire." The Ancient General spoke reverently

"How do you justify your crimes?" I chided him.

"If, by my crimes, you mean the inevitable suffering and destruction caused by war, then I accept the burden of leadership. The Sixth House cannot be restored without war. Enlightenment cannot grow without the risk of upsetting the tradition-bound and complacent herd. And the mongrel armies of the Empire cannot be expelled from Morrowind without bloodshed. As I have charity and compassion, I grieve. But our mission is just and noble." What he said made sense, there were no good guys or bad guys in war, no chosen side. Just the strongest dominating the other.

"What happened to the Dwemer?" An old curiosity came through.

"I have no idea what happened to the Dwemer. I have been denied the opportunity to study Wraithguard, and I am not sure how much of Kagrenac's lore was invested in his tools, and how much in his own sorcery and mastery. I have long studied Kagrenac, and have come to admire his wisdom and craft. Someday, after the campaigns of the Sixth House are secure, I hope to have time to dedicate to this mystery."

"Why are you building Akulakhan?"

"Akulakhan will serve three purposes. First, it will be the champion of my armies, liberating first Vvardenfell, then Morrowind, and then, perhaps the rest of Tamriel. Second, it will serve as a sower and cultivator of the divine substance derived from the Heart. Three, it will serve as the prominent banner and symbol of our cause -- to defy the Empire, to liberate mortals from ancient superstitions, and to glorify our crusade against the gods."

“I have no more questions….let this be our final battle. Fight Well, Voryn. Maybe I will see you on the other side…but in this world, and in this time, you are my enemy, it was you, not I whom betrayed our friendship, for it was you whom took up the tools, in your desire to see yourself as Head of the Council.”

The scream of ancient frustration bellowed through the Chamber, and I pulled forward Sunder, and the power came over me like a renewing wave of the warriors battlecry.

Lord Voryn Dagoth screamed as I made contact on the center of his chest with Sunder, the sheer force causing him to step back, and he lashed out with his Talons, causing rivulets of blood to spread across the floor.

With a speed I had yet to see in the Dagoths, Voryn called forth a terrible magic, and I was flooded with a red energy that left me weak and crippled nearly, I had to rely on Sunder for strength. The Corprus Strength was gone, and I returned to my normal self. It was going to be hard to adapt, but I had bigger things to worry about, things like angry Demi-Gods bent on revenge against their former friends.

With a thundering crash to the skull, I broke through. The Golden Mask of Dagoth Ur, through bone and bits of brain matter flying through the air, the Demi-God went down far to easily then one should.

I breathed heavily, and felt the fear of death and adrenaline pumping through my system. Had I just won? No. This was all a fabricant, an illusion that Voryn used to test me. He wanted to see my weaknesses prior to our real meeting, and the double doors opened with the illusions passing, the entrance into Akulakhans Chamber.

I took several minutes to rest, drinking a restorative, and casting “Mephala’s Balm” a spell that restored all of my attributes a small amount. Looking at the base of the door, I also picked up a nice ring, the Heart Ring.

I prepared myself, took a deep breath, and entered Akulakhans Chamber.