Crystal Fire, A Backalley Story Options

[Priest of Sithis]

Introduction:

In the days of Uriel Septim, there was a family living near the capital that would grow the finest vegetables this side of Vvardenfell. These vegetables, however, weren't widely known. The family was content, and the mother and father were proud of their son and daughter.

There came a day around the son's seventeenth birthday, that the father decided to share something with the family. So, that night, near their small fire, the family listened to what the father began to say. "It began as a competition," he said, "a competion, among gods. You see, the gods grew tired of their planes of Oblivion, and the Aedra were inquisitive as to how the Daedra were doing. So, before the creation of mer, the gods walked Mundus." The daughter was spellbound by the story, and the son cocked his head in interest. The mother smiled and lay back, closing her eyes in imagination.

"When the gods met, there was confusion, because the gods had no way of distinguishing who was better. They thought, Should the Daedra rule Aetherius, and the Aedra Oblivion? Who is to keep these boundaries in check? So they talked and schemed and one god, a certain Prince of Oblivion decided to make material objects to allow the borders never to be questioned." The father looked around, and each member of the family looked back at him.

"The gods wanted their own planes to themselves, but they wanted to be able to govern the soon to be mer, so they created Crystal Fire." The father emphasised the two words, and astonishment was written all over everyone in the family. "Crystal Fire allowed the gods to travel to any realm they desired, but, it was dangerous. So dangerous, that they had to hide it. An evil entity not part of the Divines or the Princes emerged, and he wanted Mundus for himself." The daughter asked, "Who emerged, father?" And the father simply replied, "Sithis."

"Sithis brought with him the Void, which swallowed everything into it. The gods were worried that Sithis would destroy everything that they had created, so they used Crystal Fire to seal Sithis off from Mundus. The rumor is, Sithis is circling just outside the stars, right now, ready to swallow you into the Void." After the last word, the father sprang at his daughter, and she jumped, then giggled as he hugged her close.

"You see, the gods were smart, even though they couldn't get along. They stopped an evil that could threaten everything." Then the father smiled and stopped. But the son, who was still interested, asked, "What did the gods do with the Crystal Fire, father?" The father looked back at his son and then looked at the fireplace. "Some say the gods destroyed it, but that wouldn't go with the story, now, would it? No, I believe the gods hid it on Mundus so Sithis would never find it and threaten the gods with the Void."
The father then said, "It is late, time to sleep," And he laid his daughter down by the fire. "I will see you all in the morning for your chores and breakfast. Goodnight," And he kissed his daughter on the forehead and went to sleep next to his wife.

[Priest of Sithis]

Chapter 1:
A Coming of Age and Placement of Trickery

A thing is certain when there is no doubt. This rock is hard, that is certain. The sun was on its downward descent and Elle was certain her father was going to kill her.

She had been running around with the Virille boys and blown the grocery money she was given. Elle was of age and they had spent all day in the tavern discussing absolutely nothing with the bottom of an ale mug. Elle grimaced remembering the couple of minutes behind the tavern, emptying her stomach's contents onto the road. The town guard was coming, and the Virille boys took off, leaving her leaned against a wall, shaken and dizzy.

Getting on her feet, she wobbled into a bookstore where her brother worked, "Brake's Books." Her brother was behind the counter as usual, combing a dusty tome and pushing his spectacles back up onto the bridge of his nose. "Hello Elle," He said, without glancing up. "I need to hide, can I hole up with you?" she asked.

The town guard walked into the bookstore and approached the counter. He said in his demanding voice, "A disorderly female was seen walking into your store. Are you the owner?" The man at the counter said, "No, the owner is upstairs, he's very old. I run the store down here though." The guard backhanded the man behind the counter, and sent the spectacles flying. The guard said, "I only asked a yes or no question, you stupid mer,...," The guard waited for the man to look back at him. Then the guard put his face right next to the man's. "Did you see a female walk into the store, mer?"

By now the ale had worn off and Elle saw the racist guard in clarity. He was short and stocky, and an Imperial. Her brother's spectacles were laying next to the bookshelf she was hinding behind. She saw he brother reach down into his pocket and pull out three coins, she couldn't hear what they were saying. The the town guard left and her brother retrieved his spectacles. He turned around and went back to his tome. Elle got up and said, "Derrick, I'm sorry for that, I really am, Here, hug your sister."

Derrick turned around and was smiling, he said, "Those coins have the enchantment on them sis'. Wanna do a job tonight?" Elle smile and hugged her older brother, feeling his warmth. It had been about four years since their father died during a robbery, and the bandits carried off their mother. They only had each other now. Brake the owner took them in right after the incident, and they look up to him. The three of them are Dunmer, and, of course, they're thieves.