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]

“Under Sun and Sky, Grandmaster, I greet you warmly.” Ethasi Rilvayn, the Balmora Chapter Steward greeted me, as I moved back the hood of my ceremonial red robes.

We bowed heads to one another, and we sat at a table sipping on Trama Root Tea to discuss our business. While taking a sip, she unrolled the writ, and I nearly spit out the contents of my mouth. The writ was for Larrius Varro.

“The Imperial Legion itself has hired us to dispose of this General. They fear a backlash from the Cammona Tong for his,…connections to the council club slaughter. The legion dare not arrest him for lack of evidence, but everyone knows he is connected in some way, Grandmaster. The only special instructions are to make it quick and quiet. No one must see you, no one must know. The Legion and the Tong must seem innocent in the matter, so the blame can be applied to the Cammona Tong.” She explained, taking a sip of her tea.

I dare not explain to her that I was the arbiter of Varro’s vengeance. Nor do I think that the Legion would believe me if I told them that the Cammona Tong had been practically crippled in recent weeks. But that was wishful thinking, the nature of this beast was that when you cut off the head, three more grew. Even as I write this, I am certain that there are lieutenants in the Cammona Tong consolidating their power in their respective territories; I have somewhat of a background in banditry in Cyrodiil. Though I was more of a solitary bandit, I still knew people in bands; I knew what areas to avoid.

“It is rather strange to honorably murder a Legion Officer. Since when are we permitted to assassinate heads of the local Imperial Office? The Emperor would disband the Morag Tong, its members forced to freelance, essentially allowing the Dark Brotherhood to take over Morrowind…”

“The Legion hired us, the legion sanctioned it. Again, utmost secrecy is required. If caught, you may use the Writ to get out of a legal bind, however the Legion will have lost it’s trust in us. As much as I would like to see the Emperors Lackeys leave our Nation, we still have to deal with them in the meantime. This is as much about removing Larrius Varro, as it is about diplomacy. Your skills are second to none. You will not disappoint.” She said with finality to her tone.

For three days I observed the Fort. Varro rarely left, and when he did. It wasn’t far enough from the fort to remain a quiet kill. Arknghthand was close to the fort, but it served me no help, as I had cleared out the Bandits over a year ago. I had to go inside, and slay him as he slept. There was little other recourse.

I waited until the late evenings light of Secunda and Masser, and I called upon my new power of Mephala Skill. I blended in perfectly with my surroundings as the guards continued about there patrols, archers thumped loudly down the ramparts. I creaked in the main fort door, looking about to see if I were noticed. No one saw a thing, and I slipped in carefully.

I crept in slowly to the barracks, and the sounds of dozens of snoring soldiers helped keep my already silent footsteps masked. I continued to Varro’s Chambers, the door loacked with a minor set of tumblers, I unfolded my small leather folder with a small pick set, and took to the task of unlocking the door. Success came within seconds, and I slowly opened the door, making certain not to let the old pair of hinges alert the sleeping form of Varro to my entry.

The General was sleeping quietly, and I had a perfect opportunity to simply slash and run. I unsheathed Mehrunes Razor with a soft hiss. Admiring how it glowed slightly in the darkness with an unearthly red. The blade came out to a point that almost begged for blood, the handle was exquisitely designed, with a pommel that resembled a small acorn, and perfectly balanced the blade.

But the question still begged, how would a Cammona Tong Thug handle this? If he could even get to a General in the fort…the Cammona Tong would need a specialist, an Assassin, someone like…the Ienith Brothers. Something wasn’t right here.

The writ was legal. In a sense. I had no choice, and I had accepted it. As Grandmaster, I had a duty, above all others to fulfill this writ. We had strict laws, and reneging on a contract was death to the appointee.

I slid the razor quickly across the Generals throat. My back hand muffling any sound he might have made, as I stayed until my former temporary ally died in my hands. I prayed to Mephala and the Nine for his peaceful passage. The Nine, though not my gods, have some part of my background, as I was raised in an Imperial Chapel Orphanage. Though usually teased and shunned being called names like ‘demon’ and ‘daedra’ by the other children. However in this time, the Nine were Varro’s gods, and I released him unto them.

With a muttering of a spell, I felt the mystical energy of a recall spell engulf me. And like a wave crashing onto shore, I appeared in a gust of yellowish-whitish energy in the Balmora Guildhall of the Morag Tong.


I placed the writ on the desk before me, and sat down, staring at the window until dawn broke some hours later. Ethasi, ever the early riser, gave me a surly smile, and looked at the writ before me.

“It is done, Grandmaster?” She yawned.

“Yes. But…who really ordered the writ?” I asked.

“The legion did..someone from the Ebonheart Fort more specifically. Vanis something or other. The Imperial names all sound the same, I’ll get the Record Book.”

“No need. The name won’t lead anywhere. The legion had nothing to do with this Writ. Nor will we reveal that we had anything to do with it. We will let the Cammona Tong take the blame, as they are the ones technically responsible.”

Ethasi’s jaw dropped as she finally realized. “OF course! How could I have been so blind? But he was dressed up and had a letter…it must have been a forgery!”

“Yes. The Cammona Tong tricked us. They wanted to lash back at the Legion, and Varro specifically. And in a twist of irony, I was the one who performed the Council Club Hit, and now I am the one who avenged their murders.”

“YOU? But…”

“It was for personal business with Orvas Dren. Not Morag Tong business. This stays between the two of us. And use the payment from the writ to clean up any mess I might have made. Bribes, whatever. I have business in Sadrith Mora with Dunsapil Dun-Ahhe.”

“But, Grandmaster…why did you not stay your hand if you realized that the Cammona Tong was behind this Writ?”

“Because a Writ is honorable and sacred, besides Varro and I were temporary allies at best. If he figured throwing me to the dogs to save own skin was better, he would have. Sometimes, the grey washes over the black and white. Sometimes we must do things that benefit only ourselves. As ugly and wrong as they might be.”