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> Memoirs of a Morag Tong Assassin: Vvardenfell, Chapter Six: An Old Friend to Kill...
Black Hand
post Dec 22 2006, 09:51 PM
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From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



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

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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
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jack cloudy
post Jan 25 2007, 08:53 PM
Post #101


Master
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Joined: 11-February 06
From: In a cold place.



Wow, I never thought that Sethyas would go quite that far. Challenging him to a duel. Man, it must have been this 'no private killing' rule that made him utter the challenge. Nicely done though.

I don't expect that Sethyas will use the two artefacts since he is an assassin, not a Paladin as he already said himself. I guess he'll never see the true power of Chrysamere then. smile.gif


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Black Hand
post Jan 25 2007, 08:55 PM
Post #102


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Oh Dont worry, Chrysamere will be retunred to its rightful owner. There is a myterious Redguard, called "Akatosh's Incarnate" in the Sethyas' universe. He'll be VERY happy soon!
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minque
post Jan 25 2007, 09:02 PM
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So-right-on-spot! Haha....you caught the evil of Varus..yeah! And he paid the price! Neat and swift..he fell for the intelligent schemes of Seth.....And with that, Larrius Varro should be safe..or? That writ should be no longer valid or should it?

Can´t wait to hear more......

Besides...Renie will be so happy about this! So happy indeed!


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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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The Metal Mallet
post Jan 25 2007, 09:08 PM
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Excellent duel, despite the cowardice of Varus. Sethyas proved that ability beats dependance on equipment more often than not.

I look forward to seeing where this story goes to next.


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"This body, holding me makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion" - Parabola (Tool)
"This here ain't called boasting, it's called truthin' " - Mango Kid (Danko Jones)
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mplantinga
post Jan 25 2007, 09:09 PM
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Well, there goes the head of the legion in Morrowind. Somehow, I don't think the Emperor will be very pleased with that. But I guess there's not much to be done. I'm glad that Sethyas was able to defend the homor of the Morag Tong, and recover the artifacts from an obviously Tong-friendly man.
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jack cloudy
post Jan 25 2007, 09:26 PM
Post #106


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I hate to say it, but Varro was already death. A writ is sacred for the Morag Tong, even if it is essentially wrong.

To be honest, I see more similarities with the Dark Brotherhood than both sides are willing to admit.


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Black Hand
post Jan 25 2007, 09:58 PM
Post #107


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Larrius Varro was already dead. This is just the Morag Tong cleaning up.


=======================================================
At the Shrine of Azura, east of Molag Mar, there was a ‘hermit’ of sorts. A Redguard rumored to be the incarnation of an Aedra, Akatosh himself in fact, the Dragon God of Time. The blade sung out to re-join his true master, and I answered the call.

Kneeling before the shrine entrance, I held out the blade in my hands, and the rumbling of the stone door opened. I dare not to look up. But did see a dark-skinned hand reach down, and grasp the hilt.

“Ah. Chrysamere. It has been too long. Thank You, Hero. One such as you is worthy to wield the blade. But I see that your nature is a different one. You bring a light into the shadows. Go now, with my blessing. Akatosh be with you.”

I told no one of my journey, and returned to Ald’Ruhn as quickly as I could, to speak the news to Serene. Her uncle dead, the Morag Tong avenged, Redorans Honor upheld.

“You did a good thing Seth! That basterde had it coming to him, the things he has done! I cry now only out of happiness. Thank you, Assassin.” She said embracing me, and I rubbed the back of her head.

“I am no great lover of the Empire, for they also bring about great tragedy with their works. I must leave now. There is business that I must attend to, personal matters, in Ebonheart. The Dark Brotherhood has marked me for death. And I know not what lies in store for me.” I said walking away with my head down.

In Bal Isra, I prepared for my journey to the south to speak with Apelles Matius, as Eno Hlaalu had advised me. A shadow passed by a window, and I looked at Raynes sad face.

“Hello Rayne. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to make sure that you were okay. We haven’t spoken since…since…”

“I know. I’m fine. I hope that you are too. But you caught me at a bad time. I’m preparing to leave to Ebonheart.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother you.” She said with a sad tone.

I grabbed her arm gently, as she started to walk away. “I didn’t say to leave. I’m sorry.”

“There’s something…there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you…” she started, sitting down on the bed.

“What is it?” I asked, knowing what it was.

She started to cry. “But if I did, then it makes me the worst person in the world!” she said breaking down into hysterics, tears rushing forward like a waterfall.

I was tempted to comfort her, but I stayed standing. “It’s not like you to not say what’s on your mind, Rayne. You came here for a reason. Let’s hear it.”

“I can’t! Cant you see? If I told you, then it would be a slight against her! But I can’t stop the way I feel either! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do! Sethyas…I love you! But I know that I can never have you, because she will always be in your heart more then me. And it makes me feel terrible that I feel that way!” she sobbed out.

I put a finger under her chin, and lifted her head.

“Why would you think that love ever makes a person bad? Love is painful, and selfish, true, but never terrible, never evil. I don’t know what to say either, Rayne. What a young thing like you even sees in me, seems mysterious enough.”

“Do you…?” she squeaked out meekly.

I looked into her eyes, and the thought of Ilmeni nearly made me say no. But somehow in that connection with her that I still had, I knew that she would not want that. I felt her spirit in my thoughts, a healing hand took the pain away, and at last, my mind was here and now. My true feelings became known, even to me.

“Yes. I do…” I squeaked out meekly, and Raynes hands went onto my shoulders, gently guiding me down, bringing her lips to mine. She fell back slowly onto the bed.

My trip to Ebonheart could wait for a few days.


Here ends Chapter Six, and the Vvardenfell Installment.

SETHYAS VELAS WILL RETURN!!!
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DarkHunter
post Jan 25 2007, 10:03 PM
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Go Sethyas Go!... *ahem* lets let them have thier "alone time" huh?


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A skull, some blood, and a flying mace. Not much to work with. ~Imperial Legion Captian.
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mplantinga
post Jan 25 2007, 10:16 PM
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I'm glad to see that Sethyas is allowing himself to move on. He'll need that closure with his past if he is to survive the pains and intrigues of Mournhold.

I will look forward to the return of Sethyas. Please don't make us wait too long smile.gif
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Black Hand
post Jan 25 2007, 10:25 PM
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When have I EVER made my fellow forumers wait? Really. They dont call me post machine for no reason!

Thats what...six, seven months? For a whole Morrowind Story? Most take a year to a year and a half?

By the way, Sethyas is going to be published on the main site. I certainly hope that I am worthy of the honor, as I did refuse it at first. I dont think this story quite adds up to Sulhendra and Trey, but since the Loremaster himself, Trey has told me the opposite, I caved in.

Thank You to all the loyal readers with the eternally supportive comments, week after week, month after month, you guys kept me going with the ego-feeding, and now I have a head to big to walk through the door. And I am finally satisfied with the completion of the first Volume of the Sethyas Saga, and hope that you all are as well.

Mournhold should hold some surprises in store for our Decent Assassin. Love triangle, anyone?
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jack cloudy
post Jan 25 2007, 10:41 PM
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Nice end. Sethyas still remembers Ilmeni, but he seems to have taken the steps to get over the pain. That's good. And now, the war returns to the Dark Brotherhood. Assassin vs assassin, that has endless potential.

Love triangle? No wait, you wouldn't mean.......not her?! (Can't spoil the fun here by telling biggrin.gif )

And congratulations on the main site.


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canis216
post Jan 25 2007, 11:08 PM
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Wow... so many posts since I last logged on! Great job, Black Hand!



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Read about Always-He-Lingers-in-the-Sun, a Blades assassin, in Killing in the Emperor's Name and The Dark Operation. And elsewhere.
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The Metal Mallet
post Jan 25 2007, 11:26 PM
Post #113


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That was definitely a very satisfying end to the Vvardenfell section of Sethyas' Tale. Love has bloomed once more in Sethyas and has likely saved him, at least I think. Of course, going to Mournhold isn't exactly the safest thing to do right after rediscovering your love life.

I also warmly congradulate you on receiving the honour of getting on the main site. You most definitely deserve it!


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I am currently a Writer in The Order of Schola.
Official Fan Fiction Forum "Commentasaurus"

"This body, holding me makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion" - Parabola (Tool)
"This here ain't called boasting, it's called truthin' " - Mango Kid (Danko Jones)
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Lord Revan
post Jan 25 2007, 11:45 PM
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It's nice to see that Seth has recovered from his conflicting feeling in the aftermath of Ilmeni's death. biggrin.gif
So, are they going to go to Mournhold together, or is Seth (though I seriouly doubt it) going to leave her behind?

Can't wait to see this new beginning for Seth!
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mplantinga
post Jan 26 2007, 01:02 AM
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QUOTE(Black Hand @ Jan 25 2007, 03:25 PM) *

When have I EVER made my fellow forumers wait? Really. They dont call me post machine for no reason!


I meant my comment only in the most encouraging way possible. I may get behind quite often, and I don't post comments quite as often as I would like, but I still look forward to every update. Your accolades are well earned.
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minque
post Jan 26 2007, 08:59 PM
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A great ending of a great story, which most certain deserves it´s place on the main site! Of course we expect a return of Seth! In the meantime he´ll appear in my story, since I find him so sympathetic and interesting, besides being a great addition to Renie and her ...issues.

Love triangle? Now that sounds most intriguing.....I wonder.....

Thank you Blackie for enlighting these months this story had lasted.......it has been a sheer joy to follow Seth through Vvardenfell!


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