Treacherous Tradition
An Elder Scrolls one-shot
"So, you're Jorgen Windcaller" said the Dragonborn, "I had to find your horn"
"Ah, yes. 'the horn of Master Windcaller' that's still the Tongues' initiation ceremony?" asked the Atmoran in Grey Robes.
The Dragonborn Scoffed, "There is no more 'tongues'. It was part of my initiation into the Greybeards"
With the man's raised eyebrow, he explained "I had to learn DAH. They wouldn't teach me otherwise"
The Atmoran asked in a confused manner, "What's the Greybeards?"
The Dragonborn choked on his jar of Godly Ale. Looking at the spilt drink with pity, he said "you don't know? Using the voice for worship, of course! You found it. after your defeat at the Red Mountain. You're wearing their robes"
The atmorans shook his head, "This is not Greybeard Robes. This is the normal Tongues Uniform. Helps us recover from our shouts faster. And that's not what happened. The Storm-voice is our greatest weapon. Why would I ever want to stop using it?" he scoffed, "using the voice for worship? That's mammoth dung! We are followers of Kyne and Shor! Fighting is our way of worship"
The Dragonborn frowned, "So, you're saying you didn't forsake the voice? You didn't choose to meditate instead?"
The Great warrior-tongue frowned, and dropped his head in shame. "I did stop using my Voice. But not by choice"
[linebreak]
Flashback Sequence
The Golden Warrior pointed his sword at the fallen Atmoran. "do you surrender?"
The Atmoran looked at him with sheer hatred, his eyes showing nothing but contempt. If he was any other warrior, he would scoff, and attack again. But he couldn't the fate of the Nordic Empire was in his hands. He couldn't gamble it.
"if I surrender, will my people have choice to leave unharmed? Return to our homes?"
Another golden warrior scoffed, "of course not! Nerevar, you're not going to let them go free, are you? They're animals! Like the Scale-backs and the cats! We must have something as a war-prize!"
He knew that one. The thrice-cursed DAGOTH who'd sworn by gods to lead them to victory in taking back the heart of Shor.
He looked angry, righteously furious at the invasion of Atmorans. But he could see the elf's eyes dancing with mirth.
It was all a plan! Cursed the Master-Tongue.
Another elf with a different skin said "well, we've already defeated their gods. What can a bunch of snow-backs do?"
"are you claiming that our foe, defeated by the Great Orator Himself, is a weakling? You DARE insult our greatest Hero, Dumac?" yelled Dagoth, "no, Dagoth. You know I wasn't-" the Dwemer, 'Dumac', gasped in pain as Dagoth pierced his heart with his shortsword.
The Mountain Elf fell, saying with his last Breath "Why, Dagoth?"
A few of his kind, scattered around on the Mountain, said "did he just kill our King?" "I TOLD you Chimer were untrustworthy" "Time to end this. Daedra Worshippers are not worth allying with"
The Golden Warrior who'd defeated Jorgen, the Indoril Nerevar' snarled "Damn you Dagoth! Your viciousness has gone too far! Our greatest Dwemer Ally is dead now. Can you even Comprehend what you've done?"
The Dagoth grinned wickedly. "Yes. Sent you into War with the Dwemer! Just as I planned, Nerevar! The house of Dagoth will-"
Nerevar ran through him with his sword, "the house of Dagoth will no longer exist! As don't you!" he snarled, and left the bleeding elf die.
"Dumac might've been a pain, but he was a friend and a worthy ally. Now, your treachery has sent us to another war, just as this one was ended"
Jorgen rose, "if it helps, he was the one who told us the Heart of Shor was here"
The elf turned with his sword, the Atmoran said "I'm not about to fight you. Tell me, elf. Can my people leave Resdayn in peace?"
Nerevar sheathed his sword. "if you give me your promise that your people will never attack us again. if you can promise me not to use your wind-break again. tell me, Human. Can you promise me that?"
Flashback Over
[linebreak]
"and indeed, in my weakness, I promised him. It was years later, when I learned about that cursed ring of his, when I finally understood what I'd done" he said
"after they let us go, I left Windhelm for Seven Years to leave in solitude. Not for meditating," he said with contempt, "I just couldn't bear to tell my people that I'd promised not to use my inborn gift again. has it ever occurred to you that without our Storm-voice, our people are nothing?"
He chuckled as several Nords and Atmorans turned towards him, weapons already in their hands. "sure, we're great warriors, but so are the dark folk from Yokunda. we may be good farmers, hunters, and pirates, but without our voice, our people is worth nothing in the world. You've seen how the others see us."
He was righter that he knew, pondered the Dragonborn. Ever since Jorgen's Defeat at the hands of the Tribunal, the next time a nord has actually done something considerable was when Hjalti Early-Beard had decided to flip the finger to the greybeards and just use his Thu'um for something worthwhile.
The last time Nords were respected as a race was when a Dragonborn was ruling them.
"our talk has…illuminated me, master Wind-caller. I Thank you"
The ancient tongue said "for that, I have a request from you. Tell these Greybeards of yours to stop. Rebuild the Tongues. It doesn't matter who has it. Man, Elf or Beast, anyone who has the Thu'um deserves to learn how to use it." "I will do my best. I promise you that" "then there is no more to say, Dragonborn. Go to the Warriors Three. We need to plan our attacks on the Dragons Alduin has brought here. Hakon Awaits you"
It was time the war between Nords and the spawn of Akotash ended. The Dragonborn took his leave and stepped towards the three warriors. It was time Destiny Chose its winner. Man, or Elf.
Done
A.N: so, after doing some lore-reading in UESP and the Elder scrolls Wikia, I found out about a few things.
1) the Last time Nords (or maybe Atmorans, actually) had a power in tamriel was the 1st era, when the Nordic Empire rules many of the provinces of Tamriel. The Nords had magic, Might, and The Voice at their disposal, and were basically undefeatable. Until Nerevar defeated them in the War of the First council. After that, the voice became 'a way of worship', Nords began distrusting magic, and their might never recovered again. until Talos came (and there are people who even say Talos was actually a Breton)
2) Until the Empire, Nords worshipped their own Gods (Shor, Kyne, Tsun, Stuhn, Mara, etc…), and Auri-El was basically their devil (Nordsbane), who'd spawned the dragons and the elves (which is actually true, Akotash is actually one of the Et'ada who are the ancestors to the Aldmer). Nordic Enemies Number One and Two. Until Alessia came and somehow, they began worshipping Akotash, the Nordsbane, as their chief god.
WHYYYYYYY?
3) why the hell would the Nords stop using the voice as a weapon? As I said above, 'using voice for worship' is not really something Nords would do. Almost like Elves using their magic for worship instead of fighting, or the Bosmer worshipping their bows.
somehow, in two eras, Thu'um stopped being a weapon, and now, the only way one can learn to use it is to (like Ulfric) join the Greybeards and live their life in seclusion.
And that, made me think about a new story, one in which a second empire of Nords is formed
Maybe I can write it soon.
Davoid, signing off