I just wrote this short story and left it on the Main Site. The 'Emporer' is Bethesda. I feel the a great era has ended in TES, and we may all have to look elsewhere for a good game.
The Hooded man is all of us, whether we praise or criticize.
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Throngs of Citizens gathered in the Temple District of the Imperial City to mourn the passing of their Emperor. Some loved the man, others detested him. Most were indifferent to him throughout his reign, concerned only with their own affairs.

But they were all here for the same reason, to remember a man who had passed on in an assassination. Perhaps the citizenry were afraid that they would not be remembered in there own passing, and this was an investment in their own future demise.

The High Elf Cleric woman gave a beautiful soliloquy from her dais, remembering the Emperors good works, inciting Akatosh to save the souls of himself and his sons.

Though the crowd had grown from inside the Temple of the One, and out into the streets, there was a mysterious figure that skulked through the people, wearing black robes and a matching black hood, which was strange for a sunny day as this, but no one took notice of him until he jumped clear and landed on a ledge of the Temple.

Excited murmurs of the acrobatic feat, took over the crowd. While hecklers yelled at the man to get down, and not to ruin the Emperors memorial. The hooded man was oblivious to all, only his chin and mouth visible from the hood drawn down.

“Ye wretches!” the man said. His voice echoing and permeating the crowd.

“Within this place, silence falls upon the voice of the true followers! While the heckle and commerce of the satisfied cattle moans over the dying gasps of the Reverent Few!”

“They take your children from your homes in the middle of the night. And you say nothing.”

”They slit the throat of your brothers and fathers, and you grow quiet in fear!”

“It is only the fear that is their true power! You yourselves have allowed this travesty, this mockery of progress and tradition that once named the people great!”

”DISSENT, DISSENT!! Let the voice of the people be heard!! When they take us, we can come back anew! When they silence our voice, we shall yell!”

Twenty Imperial Guardsman gathered around crowd, steel bows drawn, and arrows ready at the draw. The Captain gave the order to fire, and the sounds of a score of arrows whistled through the air.

The hooded man was mortally wounded, but with his dying breath, he looked up to the heavens, and whispered.

“I served you for years, and yet you are the one who cuts me down. But my love will free you yet,…..”

The Black Cloth of the apparel fluttered from the ledge to the ground, a large hole grew in the crowd as it slowly fell onto the ground, chock full of arrows.

And as the citizens gathered around the pile, hands grabbed naught but cloth.

The man had completely disappeared.

Haha that's a great one Black Hand. It's cloaked enough that they would probably miss it, but if you really think about it, you can tell what it's about.

Nice

So... we all know what the non-fans of Oblivion are going to do to them, now don't we?

you've got a point there abu the cat

Very clever, Black hand.

I like this very much indeed.

Brilliant work, Black Hand. I wouldn't have thought about the "subtle jab" hidden within the story if you hadn't posted this here but after reviewing it I can see how carefully you worked to bury your message inside it. Great work.

As for your comment, "I feel the a great era has ended in TES, and we may all have to look elsewhere for a good game."

I'm afraid that I'm inclined to agree with you on that one, if Oblivion is any sign of what we can expect from Bethesda in the future then I don't think I'll be buying many more Elderscrolls games if there are any.

Well call me a devils advocate by I can't find myself agreeing with Blackhand at all. I've known a man (from Portland no less..) who did the exact same thing. He thought himself superior and made "jabs" at a black friend of mine on her.. more or less ignorance of her own history. He knew what he was doing, I knew what he was doing, she, the intended victim of the farce, did not however.

Well lets just say I'm glad that man got fired, to me this is very low.

If you want better, you push for change, not abandonment.

To Channler:

I left SEVERAL non-flaming concerned threads about Oblivion not following Bethesda's traditions in making a great game.

I avoided terms such as "selling out" and "It wasnt a thing like Morrowind".

Despite what I felt was an open letter for intelligent discussion, ALL the threads were locked and eventually deleted.

This Short Story is my way venting my frustration, it would simply appear to be that based upon the actions of the Devs in the prior releases of the games when they would actually go on threads and talk to you about it, they are strikingly silent now, even if you had a constructive critisicm about Daggerfall, THEY WOULD REPLY.

Now I know there are a lot more people on it now with the release of Oblivion so perhaps the old ways don't apply, but it my opinion, they have taken a more facist approach to their forums. IE, if it doesnt praise our latest release, lock and delete.

Now, it IS their forums, I am well aware of the fact, and they have every right to conduct themselves and their forums in any manner they see fit.

But when I am slapped in the face repeatedly, dont expect me to say "Thank you Sir! May I have another?"

Ya, not only after reading that but playing Oblivion for the last 3 months makes me think about even trying the new Elder Scrolls series. I'm not very into action/adventure games which is exactly what TES has become.