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]

“Greetings Sethyas. Or Shall I call you by your new title? Grandmaster. Eno has sent the announcement to all the guildhalls, and all Tong agents now know you as such. Congratulations, I knew that this day would come, and I am proud to serve under you as a Master.” Goren Andarys bowed his head in respect to me, and I followed suit.

“I thank you, Master Andarys. It is a strange feeling, but one that I am proud to accept as well. I pray that I prove to be a good leader in time. I need the Guild now more then ever, as my own family slowly disintegrates before me.” I said slowly.

“Ah yes. We had heard about the attack on your wedding that left your wife dead, and the subsequent reaction that lead you to bring justice to her murderer. Blood demands blood. It is the way of the world that the Morag Tong brings order too. I trust you have grieved enough to maintain your focus, now that you are our leader?” Goren asked me carefully, in manner that showed that he respected my new position.

“I still feel the pain. But it will not stay my blade. I am prepared. Eno spoke of some Writs that I must fulfill? That the one of the Grandmaster Rank must fulfill?”

“Yes. Since the passing of Dagoth Ur’s Shadow, we have had many writs requested. The alliance that you built, has seemingly crumbled almost overnight, and no house or faction wants to be caught ill-prepared. The most challenging of these Writs I have saved for you alone. Are you ready to accept your first, Grandmaster?”

“I am.”

“Dram Bero lives in secret somewhere in Vivec, show him that he cannot hide from the Morag Tong. The Hlaalu Councilor has tried to hide from us for many years now. But someone wants him dead enough to offer 4000 Gold for this.”

“As the Grandmaster, am I privy to the requester’s name? Am I permitted to know why?”

”Of course, Sethyas. Our laws require that we keep it secret from the lower ranks, but you may order me to divulge the records as you see fit. The name of the requester is none other then Dondes Dralor, a Redoran Noble who has an ancient grudge to fulfill with Bero, though it may not seem as such, Dralor has money vested in Caldera, contrary to House Redoran’s wishes, and he profits from the cheap labor, and Bero and Crassius are both involved in projects to help clean house in Caldera, business and pleasure mixed it would seem, as his grudge and pocketbook will both benefit from Bero’s death.”

“Then Dralor is a criminal! Why would we aid him?” I raised an eyebrow.

“We are neutral. When Bero’s death comes to light, Hlaalu will undoubtedly invoke a writ against Dralor as well. Not every writ has a noble intention, that is why it is required to keep the backgrounds secret. The Morag Tong is as much a religious order as a business. Besides, wealth can buy power. Would you rather two private armies meet on the streets of Balmora, and the commoners suffer from outright warfare? I think in this sense, we Dunmer are more civilized then the west, as we acknowledge the suffering that open warfare brings, and don’t paint over it with words like honor and duty.”

“I take your point. I know these things well, I guess just finding out the truth is harder then most can accept. Very Well. To Vivec, and Dram Bero shall meet his end, for I already know where he is. In Mephala’s Name…” I said accepting the Writ.

In the Hlaalu Canton, I wandered around, thinking of the best way to handle the Councilor. While I certainly had the ability to simply walk in and hack him to pieces, that seemed too inelegant an end for the Councilor whom had voted me for Hlaalu Hortator. Now it seemed I had to repay his kindness with death. A twisted world we live in.

I saw Bero exit from the Plaza in Hlaalu, perhaps from visiting Curio. I saw him making his way down. Perhaps this was as good a time as any…

“You there, Gondolier! How much for your hat, shirt, and Gondola?” I asked Aren Maren.

“Is this some kind of joke? Maybe you should leave…” he said fingering his Iron Dagger.

“The Morag Tong needs it you fool! Here. One Thousand Drakes should more then cover your expenses, and buy your silence as well!” I said handing him a large pouch, his eyes widened in shock, and he quickly took off his shirt and hat, trading it for my shirt, and shoes.

“Don’t worry, Sera. I saw nothing. I just took a break in the Elven Nations Cornerclub to get a drink, whatever happened when I came back, I did not see!” He said flashing me a wide grin, and took off to the club to authenticate his story.

Dram Bero slowly made his way to the Gondola, and my face was covered mostly by the wide circular brim of the hat. “Gondolier! To the Foreign Quarter please! And I’ll have an extra five pieces for you if we get there in the next ten minutes!” Bero said amiably, obviously in good mood.

He got on the Gondola, and set us off, not quite used to rowing this kind of boat, especially while standing, but I got the gist of it, and Bero did not seem to notice either way.

“So. Any gossip going around? Did you hear the Nerevarine’s wife was killed? Just a week ago, when they blocked off the High Fane for his wedding! A shame! A true shame! I know the mer on a personal basis too. He gave us so much, and now the poor bugger is repaid with loss. A real shame.”

I found it hard to believe that I was about to kill this man, who spoke with such compassion to my loss. But do not let respect and compassion mix together. Stay focused. Slip out the Mehrunes Razor, feel its hunger. Focus on the kill.

”I have heard recently that a Councilor was assassinated by the Morag Tong, right in the middle of the Cantons, left dead on a floating Gondola. Tragic, yet beautiful, don’t you think? If I were to die, I think I would like the sound of the waterfalls to soothe me.” I said halting the Gondola.

“I haven’t heard anything like that! Why are we…Sethyas!!” Dram became deathly white, for a Dunmer that is.

I made it quick, not wishing for him to feel any pain. Not after last time. And I left him on the boat, with a Stoneflower by his head for respect. Ilmeni’s favorite flower.

I left the shirt and hat on the boat, and dove into the waters of the bay, and swam all the way to shore. I quickly made a stop to the clothier in the foreign quarter, and then paid for passage back to Ald’Ruhn.

“It is done Grandmaster? Then to you goes the full payment of 4000 Drakes. Dram Bero now rests with the ancestors. And from what you tell me, you killed him quite cleverly. Even adding a bit of artistry to his demise. Floating on a boat in the water…so peaceful. Almost poetic.”