Teresa of the Faint Smile, Adventures of a Stringy Bosmer Options

[treydog]

Herminia’s grandfather is a delight- in his own grumpy way.

the Elder Council have their heads up their collective rumps as usual. One fart and they'd all choke, and we can't even get them to serve cabbage at the palace…"

And your depiction of the scholarly Herminia is excellent, as well. Your descriptions of the room and of Teresa’s reactions allow us to see and feel what she does. And then there is the mystery of her pale skin- and a possible explanation.

"And that Redguard who runs it is no help at all, is he," the Imperial commented as she wrote. "All he ever does is sneer at you. I always want to make a face at him when says 'good day', like you were something he found on the bottom of his shoe."

Confirming my feelings about him.

Irlav taking credit for the worthwhile scholarship of others is no surprise- and I have unfortunately seen it in RL, too.

The entire history lesson is brilliant. Lots of interesting bits of “lost” lore to keep it fresh- and you do world-building in a wonderfully entertaining fashion.

[Acadian]

Herminia is wonderful and you have really brought her to life. As I have said before, our 'she-elves' seem at their best when used as vessels to draw forth the personalities of others. Certainly that is the case here!

"Indeed they are," the Imperial breathed. Leaning down beside Teresa, the forester breathed in the soft jasmine of the other woman's perfume. Glancing at the finger the scholar used to point on the map, she noted that Herminia did not wear a wedding band. She was tempted to reach up and put her arm around the other woman's waist. It was what Nerussa would do, Teresa thought. Yet she was not as bewitching as the former courtesan, and the Imperial would probably be offended.

Goodness. It seems Teresa agrees about Herminia being wonderful. Daydreaming while under instruction? And not about horses either. Regardless, I have no doubt Teresa is learning much here.

[Destri Melarg]

History is invariably written by the winners. It would be interesting to hear how the Ayleids viewed the Alessian Revolt. I think the closest we will come to knowing is through Herminia in the TF. As much as I am a fan of Elder Scrolls lore, I have always enjoyed those subtle moments in which you choose to diverge from it. Leave Umaril for Pelinel, Queen Tenyeminwe is a brilliant addition because she gives Alessia a flesh and blood adversary to contend with in her struggle for power and freedom.

“And that Redguard who runs it is no help at all, is he,” the Imperial woman commented as she wrote. “All he ever does is sneer at you. I always want to make a face at him when says ‘good day’, like you were something he found on the bottom of his shoe.”

Phintias, skewered! I love it!

“Besides, a government can still suppress and marginalize a people without them being slaves.”

QFT! Nearly a hundred and fifty years ago in the United States they called it ‘reconstruction’. A hundred years ago it was called ‘Jim Crow’. And fifty years ago it was still called ‘segregation’.

[SubRosa]

Linara: There are a bunch of books in the ES games about the Alessian Revolution. Your best places to start are probably the UESP Wiki page on The Ayleids, Alessia, and The Song of Pelinal. The first two have links to a bunch of game books. And of course the Imperial Library's Timeline of the First Era.


haute ecole rider: Quite right that dad's treasure was not supposed to be there, but the tribute to stomach lining was meant as it was, as it is about tripe in general. It is actually a line I heard in a movie recently, but I cannot remember which.

I see I am not the only one annoyed at Phintias as well. I wonder if they did the voice-acting that way on purpose, of it was just accidental that he sounds like a snobbish boat.


treydog: The mystery of Teresa's pale skin? There is no mystery. It all just pure, random chance. Teresa will tell you herself. Its not like she's an Ayleid after all! Nope, not a chance.

Looks like there is a lot of love for Phintias out there!


Acadian: When you say "under instruction" it brings to mind an entirely different image than I think you intended! Funny you should mention horses though, because in the chapter I am currently working on two interesting horses make an appearance.


Destri Melarg: And rewritten again by the victor's descendants! Sometimes the only way to really tell what happened is to borrow H.G. Well's time machine.

Well, the subtle divergence from ES lore has ended. It is much more dramatic from here on out. But hopefully it all hangs together. If you like Tenyeminwe so far, wait until you read this post. Plenty more about her flesh and blood, as well as Alessia, Morihaus, and Pelinal.


Next: Herminia gets on a soapbox, and Teresa learns some shocking revelations about the Alessian Revolution.

* * *

Chapter 21.6 – The Last King Of The Ayleids

"In 243, a year after the great alliance, Alessia marched upon the Imperial City, then known as Aduial by the star elves. The name meant 'eventide' or 'the herald of the stars'. Pelinal Whitestrake was slain there, along with High King Umaril. But the city was taken by Alessia. It is said that she was the first to stride through its gates after her spells destroyed them. Although that is probably hyperbole."

"For the rest of Alessia's life her armies slowly conquered western Cyrodiil. By the time she died in the year 266 all of what is now Colovia and the Gold Coast was in her hands. Much of the area was settled by Nordic mercenaries and their families, who joined her cause for the promise of such lands. That is why modern Colovians tend to have fair skin and light eyes, where we Nibeneans are all dark."

"So that left eastern Cyrodiil still Ayleid then? Cities like Vilverin and Belda?" Teresa asked. This all sounded so different from the grand stories that the bards told of Pelinal Whitestrake single-handedly wiping out entire Ayleid cities, seemingly at random across the province.

"Indeed, and while still technically at war, a sort of unspoken truce existed between the new Empire of the Cyrods and the Arimer City States. In fact, trade between the two was common," Herminia went on. "You mentioned Vilverin. Queen Aldudenie of that city-state had very close economic ties with the newly renamed Imperial City, and was probably the human kingdom's strongest ally among the elves."

"This is where the Late Ayleid Period is often said to begin," Herminia explained, "although some put it at the beginning of the Alessian Revolt. The timing always revolves around Alessia, for she was the driving force of the Great Revolution and early Cyrod Empire. She was one of the greatest magicians of the age, and an excellent strategist as well. Without her the Empire could only sputter along, like a lamp out of oil."

"But what of the heroes, like Morihaus - the cosmic bull - or Pelinal," Teresa asked with beetling eyebrows. "Weren't they the ones who conquered Cyrodiil?"

"Hardly," the Imperial snorted. "Morihaus was a bull alright, but not some magical being sent by the gods. He was a field slave that Alessia took a liking too. Apparently his stamina was legendary, enough so that in time he became her favorite in bed. Although she still seems to have continued her relationship with Queen Tenyeminwe as well, for Alessia still kept her as a prisoner. In battle Morihaus seems to have been an excellent fighter, large and strong, and was popular among the troops. But he never showed the slightest bit of actual skill at tactics or strategy."

"Wait a moment, Alessia had a relationship with the queen who enslaved her, after she overthrew her?" Teresa blinked.

"Yes indeed," Herminia smiled. "This is one of the things many historians like to pretend never happened. As Tenyeminwe's handmaiden, Alessia would have served her Queen in bed as well as in other ways. That is typical of all elven courts. By all accounts Tenyeminwe was Alessia's first lover, and a real fondness must have existed between the two. Alessia refused to have Tenyeminwe executed after she overthrew her, even though most of her advisors badgered her to do so. She was too dangerous a magician to let go, so Alessia kept her as an honored prisoner, with the equivalent of a modern Dunmer slave bracer to prevent her from using magic. In fact, Tenyeminwe lived in more comfort and opulence than Alessia herself did. When she was not on campaign, Alessia often visited her old queen in private. One can only imagine what they did, but given that they were lovers in the past, I doubt that would have ended. In fact it was not until Alessia herself died that Tenyeminwe did as well, for she was murdered by Alessia's successor, Belharza."

"Wow," Teresa thought, trying to imagine what it would be like to have to fight Nerussa, and be faced with the choice of whether or not to kill the high elf. But something like that could never happen in the first place, could it? What could make someone fight the person they loved? Slavery, torture, and murder, Teresa thought. "But I would have thought Alessia would have hated Tenyeminwe, and all the Ayleids?"

"As the leader of the rebel cause, hatred was a weakness that Alessia could not afford," Herminia explained softly. "She still had to deal with the Ayleid rulers and their representatives, and manage alliances with them in order to succeed. Besides, she was still human, still a woman. She felt love, just the same as anyone, and still needed to be loved in turn. Even if by an enemy."

"We also must keep in mind that Tenyeminwe was not a fool," Herminia continued. "If Alessia had been nothing but a vessel of burning hate, the queen would have sensed it and simply killed her. Alessia must have used her own tender feelings for Tenyeminwe to mask her true intentions. It must have been an incredible tight-rope to walk. I do not envy her."

"Pelinal Whitestrake, on the other hand, had no idea what love was," Herminia went on in stronger tone. "He was clearly not human, and possessed great magical powers. When it came to killing he had no equal. Some even think he was an aspect of Lorkhan, given not only his power, but also his absolute hatred of the elves and the bouts of pure murderous insanity that he often suffered from. The latter eventually made him more of a detriment than an asset to the rebels. It is quite possible that his death at the Battle of Aduial was engineered by Alessia in fact, or that she at least allowed it to happen."

"What!" Teresa sputtered, and almost spat out her tea. All of her life she had heard Pelinal Whitestrake idolized as a near god. The great hero of the revolution who had almost single-handedly killed every Ayleid in Cyrodiil!

"Sounds quite different from what you normally hear isn't it?" Herminia smiled. "That is what history is like. When you really delve into it, you discover that much of what you were taught as a child was false. Or so warped by politics and bias as to be nearly so. In all of Cyrodiilic history, this is never so much the case as it is with the Alessian Revolution and fall of the Ayleids. Pelinal Whitestrake especially."

"For example, when Alessia was conquering the western highlands she had made an alliance with the Ayleid King Sinyaramen of Lindai. Her army's lines of supply and communication ran through his territory, so his cooperation with her was critical. Not to mention his soldiers were serving in her army."

"Well, Pelinal Whitestrake was returning from Sancre Tor with a group of Nordic reinforcements when he stopped in Lindai. Apparently Sinyaramen gave him some sort of slight, and Pelinal flew into a rage and killed the king in his palace. It quickly turned into a battle, and Pelinal and his Nords burned the city the ground after killing everyone that they could catch, humans included. They claimed the humans were collaborating with the Ayleids, and so deserved to die."

"When she found out, Alessia had to segregate the Ayleids from the rest of her army to keep them from learning the truth. In the end she poisoned them to prevent the unavoidable battle. Then she was forced to abandon her siege of Wendir and march back to Lindai to secure her rear. Because now all the Ayleids and humans that Pelinal had failed to kill there were up in arms against her. It was a complete disaster. In fact, it was just the example of human atrocities that High King Umaril needed to fully unite the Ayleid cities against Alessia."

"This was not the first time Pelinal had killed Ayleids who were allied to Alessia either," Herminia said dryly. "He murdered Enelye of Hrotanda Vale, one of the rebel cause's greatest heroes. Or someone who should have been so. For Enelye was the one who trained the newly created human army to fight as professionals, rather than an armed mob. Perhaps even more importantly he taught Alessia herself the arts of strategy and tactics. Yet Enelye was still an Ayleid, and when he took a human wife Pelinal went mad and decapitated him and his bride on their wedding night."

"Pelinal was too popular with the rank and file of the army for Alessia to remove him," Herminia went on. "The Nords especially, as they thought he was Shor's gift to them, if not Shor incarnate. Shor being their name for Lorkhan of course. But he had clearly become more of a threat to her own army than the Ayleids were. So I think when Alessia had the opportunity, she held back the army from the gates of Aduial and let Umaril finish him off. Supposedly the army was too terrified of the Ayleids to advance, and only Pelinal had the nerve to meet Umaril on the field of battle. But that is just plain horse manure. There were no cowards or shirkers in Alessia's army. They had been fighting for over a decade. The Cyrods had scores to settle with their former masters, and the Nords all yearned for fame, glory, and land. In fact, keeping them back had always been Alessia's problem, not making them attack."

"Wow, I never imagined Pelinal Whitestrake that way," Teresa admitted, "he sounds like a monster." She had never heard of Enelye, or Lindai, or Hrotanda Vale. She wondered how much of the rest of the stories that she had been told were just that, stories, rather than truth. Looking across her teacup at Herminia, she could now see why the scholar was not a sage at the University. Saying things like this would quickly alienate her from the Old Imperial Boys Club, that was for sure!

"He was a monster," Herminia said, "who fought other monsters. But that does not make him a hero. It was Alessia who was the hero of the Revolution, along with the real Morihaus, and the thousands of others who gave their lives in her cause. They fought and sacrificed to bring freedom and justice to an oppressed people. Pelinal Whitestrake fought for nothing but his own bloodlust. The way he is idolized today is a disservice to those with whom the true credit belongs."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 10 2010, 12:26 AM

[ureniashtram]

WHAT?! Pelinal's death was... This is simply unbelievable, shell-shocking, mouth-agaping... THIS CHAPTER IS BEST COMPARED TO AN APPEARANCE OF A GOD! I am simply MESMERIZED and CAN NEVER TEAR AWAY AT ITS VISAGE, dear Sage!

Wow.. Well, now that the part of being strucked by sudden lightning is over, let me say this; You had my full attention on the history lesson, I wonder if we can get some more?

"Pelinal Whitestrake, on the other hand, had no idea what love was," Herminia went on in stronger tone. "He was clearly not human, and possessed great magical powers. When it came to killing he had no equal. Some even think he was an aspect of Lorkhan, given not only his power, but also his absolute hatred of the elves and the bouts of pure murderous insanity that he often suffered from. The latter eventually made him more of a detriment than an asset to the rebels. It is quite possible that his death at the Battle of Aduial was engineered by Alessia in fact, or that she at least allowed it to happen."

Some leaders have dogs of war waiting to be unleashed. Half of those leaders made the mistake of not making the leash even tighter. Just look at the terminal of Certain Overseer of a Certain Vault who Controls a Certain Gang.

Is this the part where I say 'I'm waiting for an update'? If so, then there you go!

[haute ecole rider]

As someone who has performed the KotN questline several times, I found this all very interesting. It's funny how the heroes we idolize turn out to be merely crumbling clay?

I found the complicated relationship between Alessia and Tenyeminwe to be quite fascinating as well.

Enjoyable for a history lesson! Worth a story all by itself!

[Doommeister]

Sage Rosa, you have truly earned the nickname 'sage' with this post. Loved it.

S.G.M

[Acadian]

My goodness. This Herminia seems to know her stuff!

Our heads are spinning.

And not a bit of daydreaming or doodling on parchment from Teresa during the lesson!

This post has been edited by Acadian: Nov 3 2010, 07:06 PM

[Cardboard Box]

And with this, it seems I'm going to have to collect yet another story into an OpenOffice document with an eye to storing it on a future ebook reader.

Story. Triple Plus Good. More.

[D.Foxy]

And let's not forget WHO it was who first noted the excellent teaching and storytelling qualities of this character, shall we? (looks insufferably smug)

[Remko]

Oh wow..... Pelinal a mad beast on a indriscriminate killing streak rather than the hero..... I hadn't expected that. I have read in-game books stating he was mad but not like this.

[treydog]

It is always a pleasure to read a “true” history, as opposed to the “official” (usually meaning “sanitized”) version. In the hands of a skilled storyteller, history and the personalities that populate it come to life. That is definitely the case here. Wonderfully done.

[Destri Melarg]

From the opening paragraph of The Song of Pelinal:

That he took the name Pelinal was passing strange, no matter his later sobriquets, which were many. That was an Elvish name, and Pelinal was a scourge on that race, and not much given to irony.

Thanks to the lore we know that Pelinal is a corruption of Pelin-El, which means ‘Star-Made Knight’ in Ayleidic (or Arimic if you prefer). I find it interesting that both he and Perrif found names by corrupting the language of their adversaries. Alessia is a corruption of the title Al-Esh, which means ‘High Highness’ (go figure).

Your version of him strikes me as far closer to the reality than anything written about him by those who benefited from his reign of terror. I imagine the only time we are given a hint as to his true nature is the description of his first meeting with the slave queen when he wanders into her camp covered in Ayleidic blood.

The fleshing out (so to speak) of Alessia’s relationship with Tenyeminwe gives a much needed human face to this almost mythic figure who would go on to embody the idea of sainthood to the Imperial mind. It is easy to see why someone like Herminia would be marginalized for trying to see beyond the myth to the courageous woman who lived to forge it.

Because of this chapter I have had to shelve any thoughts I may have entertained about writing Alessia’s story. That territory has now been more than adequately marked and SubRosa’s scent warns all unworthy interlopers away. Dammit!

[SubRosa]

ureniashtram: Good comparison to Vault 101. Although Butch wishes he was as bad-boat a Pelinal! I am glad you liked it. More on the way.


haute ecole rider: I would not say the TF version of Pelinal was clay, more like sweating dynamite! My depiction of him is actually somewhat watered down from the Song of Pelinal. In there they describe him as going on insane rampages and laying waste to huge swaths of Cyrodiil. When I re-read that again, I am more convinced than ever that he was indeed Lorkhan/Shezarr/Shor. The Nords called him the Shezarine, and under his star-made armor there was a hole where his heart should be.

I never finished the KOTN questline. I just barely started it once, and your comment prompted me to go back to Oblivion and continue it. I am in the middle of collecting the crusader artifacts. In KOTN he is portrayed more as a mortal man now dead, rather than a piece of god. They certainly seem to be pretending that he is not a Daedra and was prone to slaughtering everything in sight! The Song of Pelinal describes him as wearing armor that was "star-made", which implies glass or ebony. But in KOTN it is just your standard medieval mail. Likewise, TSoP says he was killed at White Gold Tower. But in KOTN he points you to Vanua as where he died. I guess Bethesda did not bother to read any of their own lore books...

I got really inspired with Alessia and Tenyeminwe. There is so much more I came up with that there is just no place to put in. I know that Tenyeminwe was a very cunning woman, she knew that her handmaiden was closer to her than anyone else in the world, and thusly posed more of a danger to her than anyone else. She carefully selected Alessia to be her handmaiden when she was about 12 or so, and purposely isolated her from all her old friends and family. Then she went out of her way to make sure Alessia became totally emotionally dependent upon her. It worked too. Alessia fell completely in love with the queen.

I do not see Tenyeminwe as being one of the sadistic Ayleid rulers, although she could be ruthless when she had to. Still slavery was a reality under her, with all the standard inhumane conditions. Then when slaves got old and sickly they were given to the necromancers so their souls could be harvested. Plus of course there were a few young ones sacrificed to the daedra princes every year on their feast days.

After several bad years Lipsand Tarn was facing a famine and needed imported grain. To get it Tenyeminwe had to make a deal with the king of Sercen, who always needed slaves for his "gut-gardens". I have a very vivid picture of how they looked, with disemboweled humans hung on spikes and their intestines strung around into sort of a web overhead. Then reanimated through necromancy so they still moved, moaned, and groaned all the time. Still, I imagine they wore out after not too long, so he always needed fresh meat.

Tenyeminwe sold a large number of slaves from Lipsand Tarn in return for his grain. Alessa saw it all when she was there with the queen, and it is what created her resolve to overthrow the Ayleids. That night she would have started having dreams sent by the gods (which they allude to in the lore). Within a few years Alessia engineered Tenyeminwe's overthrow.

Afterward she offered Tenyeminwe a parole if the queen would swear to leave Cyrodiil and never return. But Tenyeminwe could not do it. She was tied to her land in the old pagan/Arthurian sense, and would not be parted from it. She could have lied, but at that point she and Alessia were beyond that. Not in the least because Alessia knew her too well, and of course knew before she offered the parole that Tenyeminwe would never accept it. Come to think of it, Alessia offered the same to all Ayleids, be they kings or peasants. The more she could get to just leave the easier it was for her, and always having that escape open would have probably tempted a lot of Ayleids to flee rather than fight to the death.


Doommeister: I am an aromatic herb known for its curative properties? Yay!


Acadian: I knew that would be a really powerful segment. Teresa's head is spinning too! Herminia really is quite the radical historian, and fun to write.


Cardboard Box: Thanks Box. Your writing of Irlav Jarol has completely taken over my image of him. Now I cannot imagine him as anything but an ultra-conservative, racist, snob.

I can email you my MS Word docs of the TF if you like. I also have it all in html on the website (link is in the first post).


D.Foxy: Hmm, who was that now? My memory is not so good now that I am in my sunset years...


Remko: I actually watered him down from how the Song of Pelinal describes him. Bethesda all but comes out and directly says that he was Lorkhan. Morrowind (the game) is based on the premise that Lorkhan was utterly evil, as the Tribunal was weakened because they resisted the evil of his heart. Where Dagoth Ur gained power because he embraced it. So Dagoth Ur himself would really be a sort of a mini-Lorkhan. Imagine how bad the real deal was?


treydog: It's like reading ES's Real Barenziah and comparing it to the official temple biography. What a difference! I was heavily influenced by the American Revolution, and how so many myths have cropped up around it. What I was taught in school bears little resemblance to what really happened!


Destri Melarg: I am really amazed that Pelinal has an elvish name too. I am certain the elves did not give it to him. Unless it was the humans who did. One can imagine that the only language they spoke was that of their elven masters. So maybe that is the case?

The TF version of Alessia would definitely have an elven name. She was an elven queen after all, in all senses except the pointed ears. Alessia learned the arts of rulership from Teneyeminwe, and it was only those lessons that made her able to lead the Revolution, create a new government from nothing, and fend off all the rivals she had within the human ranks for power. Everything she did, was with the image of her old queen in mind.

I really did enjoy working on Alessian Revolution, especially the relationship between Alessia and Tenyeminwe. Maybe when I have done all I would like to with the TF I will write about Alessia and Tenyeminwe. It would be difficult given their incredibly complex relationship (not to mention a character as deeply depressed and lonely as Tenyeminwe after she was overthrown) but it is inspiring.

One of the things that annoys me about the lore version of it is that Alessia seems to be almost a bystander and the entire thing is done by the demigods (semi-gods?) Morihaus and Pelinal. It is kind of like if the American Revolution had been won by a bunch of samurai who just thought the patriots needed help. I think that humans should be the driving force for the Alessian victory, not external, supernatural entities. That is why I worked to humanize Alessia and give her a larger role, show Morihaus as a real flesh and blood man, and reveal Pelinal as as much a hindrance as he was a help. That is also why the war I portray is a long, dragged out affair lasting centuries. It was a slow, steady campaign waged by humans, and won by humans, one city at a time across all of Cyrodiil.


Next: Handril's Bane


* * *

Chapter 21.7 – The Last King Of The Ayleids

"Well, if I can climb down from my soapbox now, we can get into the meat of the Late Ayleid Period." Herminia winked, and poured more tea for herself and Teresa. The forester could not help but smile faintly at the other woman. At least she knew how radical she sounded, Teresa thought, and could poke fun at herself for it.

"Things were relatively peaceful between the Cyrod Empire and the Ayleids from Alessia's death in the year 266 to 361. There were still some battles and little wars between the two, but nothing as world-shattering as Alessia's campaigns. In fact the Empire was too busy with its own problems to worry much about the Ayleids. For the Nords who settled in what is now Colovia had started up their own kingdoms there. While technically they swore fealty to the Emperor, they had a habit of doing whatever they pleased instead."

"So the Empire sort of turned into the Ayleids," Teresa observed, "becoming a loose band of cities out for themselves."

"In many ways, yes, exactly so," Herminia nodded with approval. "Then in 361 the monkey prophet Maruhk came, and with him, the so-called Alessian Doctrines. As you probably know, he claimed to be in direct communication with the spirit of Alessia. She supposedly told him to launch a crusade to annihilate the elves, and everything elven. It went right down to outlawing music, because the elves had played it while humans toiled in the fields. The same with any other form of entertainment, for slaves had been given none. Even worship of the Eight Divines was forbidden, as the Maruhkati believed in a bizarre monotheistic deity, which they claim was represented by the ghost of the Empress."

"The Emperor at the time - Ami-El - fully embraced the Alessian Doctrines. It is no wonder, for the Maruhkati espoused blind loyalty to the Ruby Throne. What followed was the near compete subjugation of Colovia and what is now Hammerfell, and then finally an invasion of Ayleid-held eastern Cyrodiil."

"Once more, it was a slow and steady advance, beginning with the Ayleid cities that remained on the west bank of the Niben: Wendyandawik, Anutwyll, Bawn and Telepe. Then they crossed Lake Rumare and began reducing the Ayleid cities there as well. In 372 they even turned on Vilverin, which had always been their staunchest ally, and laid it to waste."

"That was the spark that ignited a resurgence of Ayleid power. For the first time since the days of Umaril they were united again. This time it was under the charismatic leadership of King Handril of Mackamentain. It is said that as a child his father made him swear an oath of eternal hatred for humans upon the altar of Boethiah. He would make his father proud in the years to come. Even outnumbered by as much as three to one at times, Handril destroyed every Imperial army sent against him."

"Like at Lake Trasimene," Teresa offered, remembering the tale that Morcant had related about the battle there. "I was there not too long ago."

"I envy you," Herminia admitted. "I have never been far from a carriage during my trips outside the Imperial City."

"Well, just get out and go walking," Teresa said. "It's only a few days north of the Blue Road."

"Easy for a fearless adventurer like you to say!" the scholar exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye. "It's quite a different story when you are a princess of parchment like myself! I wouldn't last a day out in the wilderness."

"Well, I'd be glad to take you on my next trip," Teresa offered. "I have a friend who lives at the lake, though she's not there now. Tsume's probably around though."

"Who is he?" the Imperial asked, "a local hunter? He sounds like an Akaviri with a name like that!"

"No, he's a wolf," Teresa said with a faint smile, "and a good friend."

Now it was Herminia's turn to nearly spit her tea across her lap. "A wolf!" she sputtered. "You have a wolf for a friend? See, now that is just what I mean. A wolf would eat me for breakfast!"

"Oh the forest isn't half as dangerous as most people think," Teresa said. "You just have to keep your eyes open and think about what you are doing is all. The only real danger at the lake are the goblins. The Bone Eaters live on the eastern shore. I had a run in with them once."

"Did you kill many of them?" the Imperial asked, her eyes rapt with attention.

"Not one," Teresa admitted. "I hid when they came near, and they never knew I was there."

Herminia laughed, and Teresa found herself cracking the ghost of a smile as well. "Now that is just what I meant before," the Imperial said. "If that was a bard's tale, you would have felled a score of foes with your mighty sword, and then another score with your bare hands after its blade was dulled from lopping off goblin heads. The real world is usually quite different from poetic tales!"

"I suppose it is," Teresa agreed with a nod of her head. "So are all the stories about Handril that way then? I heard he led his army through the length of the Jerall Mountains and attacked Colovia, and even marched on the Imperial City itself once. Or is that all bluster too?"

"No," Herminia said, now serious once more. "If anything they are played down. Handril was one of the greatest military geniuses to ever live. No Imperial army, or general, could ever keep up with him. In the end he never lost a battle in the open field."

"So how did he lose the war?" Teresa asked. "That never made sense to me."

"Sieges. You see the problem Handril had - aside from always being outnumbered - was that he could only be in one place at a time. When Emperor Ami-El died in 382 he was succeeded by his cousin, Emperor Fabius Maximus. At the time he was called Fabius Cunctator however - 'the delayer'. Because he devised a new strategy to deal with Handril. Rather than trying to meet him on the battlefield, Fabius ordered his generals to avoid open battle, and instead shadow Handril's forces."

"At the same time, Imperial armies elsewhere in Cyrodiil began to systematically besiege and reduce the Ayleid cities in Handril's alliance. Perhaps most famous of these sieges was of Culotte. While the fleet blockaded the port, the Imperial army built not only a series of fortifications facing inward to hem the garrison in, but made another set facing outward."

"When Handril came to try to relive the siege, he found himself stymied by the defensive works and an army that would not come out and meet him in the open. Finally he was forced to withdraw as another Imperial army came and threatened to encircle him in a third set of fortifications it was building."

"Afterward there was a coup in Culotte and the city switched sides. It then became one of the most important Imperial bases east of the Niben. In fact it was from there that they launched their final offensive into the heart of Ayleid territory, Handril's own city of Mackamentain."

"It would take weeks to go through all the campaigns, battles, and sieges," Herminia said. "But ultimately Handril's confederacy was broken one city at a time, and the remaining Ayleid cities were forced to sue for peace in 393, on most humiliating terms. They had to pay an indemnity, dismantle their walls and other defenses, and were forbidden to maintain more than local city militias to maintain order."

"Handril himself fled to the east, where he took service under Dumac Dwarfking of the Dwemer, who was embroiled in a bitter war against the Nords. But while the Dwemer king may have respected Handril's abilities as a general, he did not trust him, for he never gave the Ayleid leader a significant command. In the end Fabius pressured Dumac to exile Handril, threatening to send his armies to aid the Nords if he did not."

"So that is when nightshade became Handril's Bane," Teresa said.

"Yes indeed." Herminia once more looked pleased, and Teresa wondered what it would feel like to hold her hand. "Handril fled south to Argonia. Just hours ahead of Imperial assassins, he took his own life with poison. Even in the end, he would not give the Empire the satisfaction of undoing him."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 14 2011, 07:32 AM

[Acadian]

Goodness. Teresa is certainly getting her septims' worth!

"It's quite a different story when you are a princess of parchment like myself!

Heh I loved this!

"Not one," Teresa admitted. "I hid when they came near, and they never knew I was there."

Herminia laughed, and Teresa found herself cracking the ghost of a smile as well. "Now that is just what I meant before," the Imperial said. "If that was a bard's tale, you would have felled a score of foes with your mighty sword, and then another score with your bare hands after it's blade was dulled from lopping off goblin heads. The real world is usually quite different from poetic tales!"

Lovely little interlude that keeps Teresa actively engaged in the segment and links her experience to how history is sometimes told and embellished.

"Yes indeed." Herminia once more looked pleased, and Teresa wondered what it would feel like to hold her hand.

Ahah. Nothing like some hormones to help hold Teresa's attention during a history lesson.

[haute ecole rider]

Wow! More history, and what history this was! Grand, sweeping, epic in scale. Quite fascinating, in fact.

A couple of nits jumped out at me, though:

At least she knew how she radical sounded, Teresa thought, and could poke fun at herself for it.

Looks like these two words traded places.

If that was a bard's tale, you would have felled a score of foes with your mighty sword, and then another score with your bare hands after it's blade was dulled from lopping off goblin heads.

Darn those possessive its! Always trying to take on more than they need!

[ureniashtram]

More history lessons! Herminia can sure make a fine teacher regarding the Arimer! I'm in such an Ayleidic high, I'm tempted to write a story about those wild elves.

".. At the same time, Imperial armies elsewhere in Cyrodiil began to systematically besiege and reduce the Ayleid cities in Handril's alliance. Perhaps most famous of these sieges was of Culotte."

Cullote? What, did those Imps brutally tore down the women's drawers to burn down the paganistic underoos, including their culottes? lol

And Handril served under the Dwarfking? Wow!

[treydog]

More excellent history. Please do consider writing the story of Alessia and the Arimer Queen- I can see that being quite an epic.

Interesting about the bardic saga versus the reality. One thing you see if you read Western European lit (starting with the earliest) is how the number of enemies slain by the hero decreases.

Besides the fact that the lore itself is interesting, you continue to weave in the personalities of the “historical” figures and of Teresa and Herminia.

So after Culotte was destroyed, the Arimer became the sans Culottes?”

Nits:

“While technically they swore fealty to the Emperor, they had a habit to doing whatever they pleased instead."

“habit of…” I think.

"That was the spark that ignited a resurgence of Ayleid power. For the first time since the days Umaril…”

Another “of” got lost from between “days” and “Umaril”.

"So are all the stories about Handril the that way then?”

An extra “the” after Handril.

[D.Foxy]

GRRRRR. Fiend-friend ACADIAN :meh: has made all the points I was going to make! boo yah to you!!!


So in the end I have only this to add:

"At the time he was called Fabius Cunctator however"

When I first read Roman History as a 10 year old boy I always giggled every time I heard that name, which frequently got me a rap over the knuckles from my long-suffering tutor...

[SubRosa]

Acadian: I knew you would like the prince of parchment, since it was one of your ideas from so long ago!

I am glad you noted the purpose of that little interplay between Teresa and Herminia about the goblins. You had it exactly as I intended.

And finally, Teresa's hormones are percolating quite nicely throughout this chapter. To be 18 again!


haute ecole rider: Quite right about my radical its. They must have been frightened by Handril being at the gates.


ureniashtram: Actually it was this Culotte. But come to think of it the Arimer men did take to wearing pantaloons afterward...


treydog: Did you ever read any of Parke Godwin's novels? I love how he took King Arthur and Beowulf and portrayed them in a realistic fashion, rather than the typical mythical view of them.

Looks like that dastardly Handril frightened off more of my good Imperial words there...


D.Foxy: D.Cunctator it is then!


Next: In the final segment of the history lesson, we meet the last king of the Ayleids.

* * *

Chapter 21.8 – The Last King Of The Ayleids

"So that's how it ended then?" Teresa thought aloud, "at the beginning of the 400's, east of the Niben?"

"Oh no," Herminia said. Her eyes were fairly aglow, and Teresa realized that she was enjoying herself immensely. "For there is an epilogue to our tale. It would be another eighty years until the Ayleid's fire was snuffed out for once and all."

"Eighty years?" Teresa said, "how come? It sounds like they were wiped out?"

"Not at all," Herminia explained. "It is true that many of their cities were utterly destroyed, such as Anutwyll, Fanacas, and of course Mackamentain, but others survived. Remember, the war ended when they sued for peace. The remaining Ayleid city states all became vassals of the Imperial throne. Conquered, but still in existence. While many Ayleid refugees whose cities had been destroyed fled to Valenwood in this time, some were allowed to settle in the ruins of Vilverin and rebuild it. You see its salt mines were valuable to the Imperial City, and there were literally not enough humans left to take over resettling the city and working them."

"But didn't the Alessian Order want to kill them all?" Teresa wondered. "I thought that was what happened?"

"The Maruhkati Cult did, but luckily for the elves, Emperor Fabius was not such a slave to their dogmas as his predecessor. While the Ayleids were beaten, the Empire had itself been gutted. Not just one, but two generations of Cyrods had been slaughtered fighting in the war. The Empire's own lands had been laid waste by Handril's counter-invasion, and its treasury bankrupted. Fabius knew that to pursue the campaign of annihilation any further would destroy his own government as well. So once again peace reigned in Cyrodiil, and finally wisdom asserted itself over religious zeal. For a time at least."

"You sound like you don't agree with what happened?" Teresa observed.

"Not all of it, no," Herminia admitted. "The Maruhkati Sect were friends to no one, be they human or elf. They preyed upon the fears and disesteem of people, gave them scapegoats to blame for all their problems, imprisoned and tortured any who contradicted them, and plunged Cyrodiil into a series of wars that eventually undid the entire First Empire. It is really an insult to our Empress that they called themselves the Alessian Order. They twisted her good name into something as dark and monstrous as what she fought all of her life to end. She deserves better than that."

"So do you think the Ayleids were right then?" Teresa bit her lip, uncertain of how the other woman would react.

"Not at all," Herminia answered firmly. "Bards always want there to be a hero and a villain. But as I am sure you've noticed, real life is not so cut and dried. Sometimes there are no heroes, just different sides. The Ayleids were only another villain. I have been to Morrowind, and I saw the slave market of Tear. It left me feeling so horrified, so helpless, that I never want to see anything like that again. It doesn't require elaborate tortures - 'flesh-sculptures' or 'gut-gardens' - to make what the Ayleids did detestable. The ordinary day-to-day business of slavery is monstrous enough. People being driven like cattle, whipped and beaten until their will is crushed and all hope within them extinguished, is bad enough. I think the Empire's most noble achievement was to outlaw slavery. I just wish it extended to all of Tamriel…"

Teresa nodded. She really had no idea what life must be like for a slave. If it was anything like being a street urchin, she felt sorry for them. Yet even living in the gutter, she still had the freedom to decide where to go from one day to the next, when to sleep, and so on. Nor was begging hard work either! Although she had certainly learned how dangerous it too could be.

"But here I am, back on my soapbox again," Herminia chuckled. "This is why I'm only a guest lecturer at the University, and not on staff. I come in and shake things up once and a while and get people arguing. But not long enough to make real waves. Raminus would lose his job if that happened, and even I would not want that."

"Do you know the headmaster then?" Teresa asked.

"He was one of my instructors when I was a student at the University," Herminia replied, a far-away look in her eyes. "I have to admit, I was completely infatuated with him back then. He was so dashing, with those smoky eyes and that brilliant smile of his. He never had cruel word for anyone, and was always the first to laugh at jokes at his own expense. I'd still wrap my legs around him in a heartbeat, even though he's married."

"That's funny," Teresa said, wondering what it would feel like to have Herminia's legs wrapped around her. "Raminus was my teacher too. When I was eight he taught me my first spells - a Flare and a Heal."

"At eight!" Herminia's eyes goggled. "You were learning spells when you were that young? It wasn't until I was twelve that I managed to wrap my brain around my first one. That was just a little copy spell to make duplicates of papers, nothing fun or dramatic like yours. Are you sure you aren't a student at the University? It sounds like you have real talent at magic."

Teresa stared intently down at her teacup once more, her eyes picking out every little chip and discoloration in the old ceramic. She was intensely aware of how warm her face felt, and wished once more for that invisibility potion.

"But back to history." Herminia saved her as she returned to her lecture. "The end began in 461, when Gorieus was crowned Emperor. He purposely inspired a resurgence of the Maruhkati Doctrines to shore up the power of the Ruby Throne, as central authority had grown lax since the days of Fabius. On pretexts that he conjured up, he made war upon not only his Ayleid vassals, but his human ones as well, and slowly the cities fell under his grip. He even turned on Skyrim - which had always been Cyrodiil's staunchest ally - and killed their High Chieftain in battle. But the more he tightened his hold, the more people everywhere came to resist him."

"Like Rislav the Righteous!" Teresa offered, "with his warhorse Corsair, and hawk Phantom. I heard he beat an entire Imperial army in the Colovian Highlands."

"Indeed," Hermina's eyes glowed once more at Teresa's observation. "It was the excesses of Gorieus and his Maruhkati henchmen that prompted Rislav to seize the throne of Skingrad and lead the Colovians in revolt. But that was only the beginning. For far to the west the Direnni elves of Balfiera had united High Rock against the Empire. In the north Hoag Merkiller had inherited the throne of Skyrim from his late father, and looked for revenge for the faith that had been broken with his people. Under the diplomacy of the Direnni, all joined to stand as one against Emperor Gorieus. In 482 the war came to a head at Glenumbria Moors, in High Rock."

"But there was another there as well. Abagaianye, the last king of the Ayleids, rode at the head of a column of Ayleid refugees. His name meant 'I do not fear' in Old Aldmeris, and it is said he lived up to his name in that terrible battle. By that time all of the Ayleid cities had been destroyed by the Empire, even his own home of Nenalata. He and his kin had no hope that day, except for revenge. They would have it."

"As you probably know, the Imperial army was crushed on the moors, and Gorieus was killed, along with Hoag. The Empire simply dissolved after that as infighting between the nobles and Maruhkati tore it apart. In the end the Maruhkati Doctrines were cast down, and Cyrodiil reduced to a collection of warring cities while the Ruby Throne sat empty."

"So what about Abagaianye, and the last of the Ayleids?" Teresa asked. She did not know why, but she found herself overcome by curiosity over their fate. Where she had begun only interested in likely places to look for Ancestor statues, now she felt herself swept up in these grand events that had shook the world millennia ago.

But it was just curiosity, Teresa told herself. It was not like she was an Ayleid herself after all.

"Well that has always been a mystery," Herminia said, leaning forward. "Some people say he was killed on the moors, along with his soldiers. Others say that he found asylum in the court of the Camoran Dynasty in Valenwood. Still others whisper that he returned to Cyrodiil. That even now his descendants - the Wild Elves - live in some hidden valley deep in the Valus Mountains to the east."

"So what do you think?" Teresa asked, finding herself leaning forward as well.

"Well, we know for a fact that many Ayleids fled to Valenwood during the Late Ayleid Era, for a period of centuries really. So if Abagaianye and any others did survive, they almost certainly went there." Herminia leaned back now and took a sip from her tea. "But still, I cannot deny how romantic it would be if the rumors were true, and somehow he slipped away into some secret valley, never to be seen again. That even as we speak, his descendants live in peace and harmony with nature, as the Arimer once did at the dawn of their rule."

"But that could never happen of course," the scholar said. "In the real world, it never does."

"Of course not," Teresa breathed.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Nov 7 2010, 07:05 PM