Memoirs Of A Morag Tong Assassin; Volume One: Vvardenfell, Chapter One: "...to the east, to Morrowind." Options

[Black Hand]

The innocent possess no wisdom.

Would you take the word of a guard over a freed prisoner to what the value of freedom is?

Would you listen in earnest to the words of a rich man if he described hunger to you?

Would you believe a savior over a killer as to what regret truly is?

The hand that holds the knife often holds the pen for what is told after. This the case of my memoirs. I’ve tried to be as fair as I can, but I present no delusions that this is the objective account of my life, or the tale of the Nerevarine. This is my life as I have seen it, thus far.

If you wish to judge me, you are certainly free to do so. Though, I’ve made it quite clear in the title, this is the tale of an Assassin. Not the Dark Brotherhood so feared in the West, yet loved in the darkest thoughts of all.

No, I am an Assassin of a different cut, that of the Morag Tong. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, perhaps not. You’ll see soon enough that our order functions quite differently from our counterpart, and as to why we are legal within the Empire. So long as we keep our activities within our own province, that is.

If tales of treachery, deception, spilled blood; without regard to whether or not it was deserved, trouble you...read no further.

I am a Dunmer, born and raised in Cyrodiil, sent to the east, to Morrowind. I am the one who was once known as the Nerevarine. Though, I’ve left that part of my life, and myself behind me mostly. My actions have written a new myth, and that myth is best left in the hearts and minds of those it inspires, especially as I am far less than what it entails.

My name is Sethyas Velas, and this is my tale.

[McBadgere]

Excellent!!... ...

Looking forward to reading this from the start (re-)...

I've always loved your writing...So am looking forward to more...

Please?... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Black Hand]

The events that led to my arrest and subsequent seeming banishment to Morrowind began many, many years prior inside the White-Gold Tower itself. Though, I have no memory of that time, I’ve learned that my mysterious parentage has,…had, some sort of connection to the Emperor. That story comes much later.

For whatever reason, we were placed within some sort of Imperial custody that later forgot all about us. Some sort of long term gambit with some sort of prophecy. Nearly three decades separated me and my twin sister from these events. It was rather my own folly and shortcomings that led to our rediscovery.

The times between these two were unremarkable. We were raised in an orphanage within Cheydinhal County, the Brothers of Julianos Order. Julianos being the God of Wisdom and Logic, we were well educated despite our station and alien nature to the Province of Cyrodiil.

We were taught to read and write so that we could earn our keep with assisting in reproducing manuscripts.

The Brothers also produced a very exclusive wine that was available seasonally to keep funding coming in, despite taking vows to imbibe no intoxicants. We learned farming and winemaking from them to assist with the production and further earn our keep.

My fellow orphans, however; I learned something quite different from them. I learned that I was an outsider and a freak.

For whatever reason, in a time before I could remember someone had seen fit to tattoo a black hand onto my face. Being a Dark Elf was bad enough; to have such a visage only cemented that gap.

I learned how to take a hit from them. I learned how fight back and I learned how to protect my sister, Setsuna.

As my skill in fighting grew, I learned how to take on entire groups, each lesson was painful, and filled me with anger and hate. It left me with broken ribs, it left me alone and unable to even so much as crawl back to the Temple of Julianos.

What it never did, was keep me down forever. It toughened me up, yes, but not for the purpose of thinking I was better then everyone. Rather, for protecting her.

Setsuna was the only family I had. The person I was closest to, my twin, my friend. Had she not been there, perhaps I would never have had a reason to keep trying. I may have given up..

In a stark contrast to myself, she actually had friends. Not many, but more than I had. She even had a couple of admirers among the boys. They were the ones that were a bit worse to her, trying to get her attention, but having no idea how to do it correctly. An upset glance from me however usually sent them on their way.

As time passed and we grew into adulthood, we were sent on our way, and we would soon learn those without a trade, family or even a past found it hard to make their way into the world. We were far too old to become apprentices, and most folk didn’t take kindly to Dark Elves. Too foreign, too unsettling in appearance.

As such, we took odd jobs that we could find. Farmhands in the harvest season, caravaners in the off-season. It worked well with a dream that as siblings we shared, to see the world around us.

One of the brothers in the Temple had told me that he heard that I was an oddity, amongst a pair of oddities. The people who had entrusted us to his care said that we were both born on the same evening in the twelfth of Morning Star in year 399 Third Era, under the sign of The Ritual.

Setsuna was born first, and then I came technically making me the youngest. However, I did not draw breath right away. No, I did not draw it until the constellation of The Serpent had taken dominance in the sky, forever marking me as different.

I had asked him what that meant, and he replied with a raised eyebrow and a grim look.

He quoted from a book called ‘The Firmament’.

The Serpent wanders about in the sky and has no Season, though its motions are predictable to a degree. No characteristics are common to all who are born under the sign of the Serpent. Those born under this sign are the most blessed and the most cursed.

He said he had an old, crazy Uncle who was the adventuring type who was born under the sign. If I were anything like him, then my luck for survival would be astonishing at times. Our signs tended to be wanderers; never making root any one place for long. They loved the deepest, and lived the longest.

At the time, I had no idea how accurate his words would prove to be, and indeed how much of a blessing and curse living and love could be.

This post has been edited by Black Hand: Dec 21 2013, 02:07 AM

[Luna1945]

So glad to see Sethyas back. Such an intriguing assassin. I truly enjoyed reading his life stories, although I was too late for most of them. Looking forward to more.

[Black Hand]

So glad to see Sethyas back. Such an intriguing assassin. I truly enjoyed reading his life stories, although I was too late for most of them. Looking forward to more.

Not too late. Just caught me at a bad time.

More to come. Promise.

[haute ecole rider]

I keep telling myself to sit down and read Sethyas's stories, but I never do. *hangs head in shame*

I'm one of those people who, if I start reading something, I like to keep reading until the words run out. That means stories that are already quite far along demand more time than I have to spare.

This, on the other hand, as a WIP, will be easier for me to consume, as I will have to travel at the writer's own pace, not mine. No problem--it means I get to read this as it unfolds!

I find it interesting that the Brothers of Julianos would be located in Cheydinhal County, not Skingrad (the Chapel of Julianos is there, as are two well-known vineyards). However, there is no reason why wine grapes can't grow in Cheydinhal County, either, with all the south-facing slopes at the lower altitudes.

I am looking forward to more.

[McBadgere]

Awesome stuff Blackie...I wish that I was as fond of my own sister as Sethyas is of his... ...Not that I don't love my sister in some small way, it's just that we're not really all that close either... ...

Aaamywho...Brilliant post...Loving it muchly...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Black Hand]

#H.E.R.- Absolutely true to the game,...but Cyrodiil was also supposed to be vast tropical rain-forests before they went with homogenized rolling plains. They retcon...I retcon.

#McBadgere Well, now is the only time you possess in which to change things....if you want to, that is.

#Luna1945 Uncertain of what to say here as I replied directly already. Ummm, Hi!


___________________________________________________


During one of our travels; I can scarce recall the year, I believe we were both in our early twenties; my first time in taking life came to me.

It took the form of a much older, drunken adventurer and his cohorts that we’d had the displeasure of sharing some ramshackle Inn with. I believe it was in the south of Cyrodiil, near County Bravil, perhaps Leyawiin.

The lot had just come from some dungeon delving. I just had never developed the taste for it ever since a mishap when I entered some Ayleid ruins, when I was ten or eleven on a dare. I was fortunate to leave alive.

They cast lurid glances at Setsuna and made many offensive jokes as to our race. I took it in stride as I always had. When they laid hands on her, however, that was when I took to my feet. The Imperial man had many days of unshaven stubble and a glaze in his eyes that the ale on his breath confirming it’s source. Normally staring these men down got them to calm down. He took it as a challenge.

I let him land the first blow. As though it might protect me under some idea of judicial fairness. I smiled as I rolled with the blow, and came back with one of my own. I was smart enough to hold back after he spilled his guts and his friends said that he’d had enough.

No, I did not kill him then.

I killed him late the next morning when we’d paid our tab and set about our travel to the next settlement over, and they passed us on the trail. I saw the intent and the shame in his eyes as they rode past on their horses.

They stopped as I fully expected them to, and to his credit, only the older Imperial dismounted to come settle his score with me. Setsuna whispered that we should run. I told her that we’d be running forever and that they were in a better position to overcome us. We needed to settle it here and now.

His eyes did not waver as he came to pick a fight.

“I want you to get the hell outta my province you filthy Ashborn! You hear me?” He said in a sinister whisper as he came in to shove me.

A belt knife is a common tool that many carry. It’s for cutting bread and cheese mainly, and not very sharp unless maintained. Even people visiting nobility and the like are not disarmed of this very common and practical tool.

My hands did not shake in those next few seconds. The belt knife unsheathing, the entry into his lower gut, and me putting all my force into raising it higher up his abdomen.

…and just behind the rear intestinal wall is the Vena Cava, the largest artery in the mortal body, known to exist within all races of men and mer, as well as the beast races of Khajiit, Orcs, and Argonians. An old anatomy lesson was the only thing that buzzed through my head as I guided the blade towards it with all my might.

The blood spurted out thick and nearly black. I’d certainly performed an arterial wound, he’d be dead in seconds rather than days from the septic shock. Even as I let go of the knife, he fell to his knees the world apparently spinning around him.

My eyes simply rose to his horse and companions. We had no weapons aside from our belt knives, yet I still awaited their reprisal. They had leather jerkins, and armaments that spoke of experience and use.

They simply turned their horses and rode off.

I turned to Setsuna whose eyes were wide with shock over what I’d just done. From that moment forward she would always see me in a different light. Not as though as she were afraid of me; she knew why I had done it. I had done it to protect her.

Rather, it was the first moment that my actions had truly added the first degree of separation from our twin sibling experience. Slight at first, within the leagues and years to come it would be the breadth of continents in the gap that now existed between us.

I was not changed in that moment. Rather, I was awake for the first time to this…talent, I possess. I can take life with a steady hand.

The man whose life now lay in a still pool around him granted me the spoils of his demise. Forty-two gold coin, traveling boots, a steel shortsword, and rusty iron bow with a quiver of twelve arrows.

The horse we rode and sold off at the next town.

Yes, in those moments I was awake.

[McBadgere]

Well, now is the only time you possess in which to change things....if you want to, that is.

Yep, that's the thing now, isn't it?... ...

Anyways...Nicely done interlude...

Very noble protector is Sethyas...I'm sure his later charge - Athynae - would agree... ...

Awesome stuff...

Love it!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[minque]

Sethyas is back, I mean the story of Sethyas...revamped as it seems....I actually don't have to say à Word the honored author already knows what I think...


GODDAMNIT...Sethyas is BACK....

Best present evah....