(Note: In this fan-fiction, many descriptions will not match what you would witness in-game. One might notice that the size of Ald'ruhn is highly exaggerated, as are many other things. Also, Ald'ruhn has neither Plaza, nor Bazaar, or at least not going by those names.
Not much is explicitly stated about Dremora or other Daedra in the franchise, so I'll have to make things such as their culture up.)
Chaos when it's least expected
Chapter 1: Ashlanders
Wind swept lightly over the Ashlands, not strong enough to raise a sand storm and devoid of the blight that tormented the Dunmer of Vvanderfell for decades, centuries perhaps. It was the same in most of Morrowind, though the Red Mountain had not recovered completely.
Ferele Dres leaned on his quarterstaff and looked up at the volcano. The Red Mountain had been home to Dagoth Ur since anyone could remember, but that had all changed since to coming of the Nerevarine. Everything had changed since the coming of the Nerevarine. Ferele groaned at that thought.
Most Dunmer, even those who previously supported the Sixth House had whole-heartedly agreed that the Nerevarine was a hero, but he – Ferele - had some doubts. At least DagothUr was going to drive the Imperials away, he thought, scowling. Out hero doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to do that.
He probably wasn't. Quite to the contrary, the Nerevarine was planning to make an expedition to Akavir with Vivec, one of the supposedly false gods that Nerevar Indoril's reincarnation would have to overthrow, according to the prophecies. Almalexia was already considered dead, and rumors about Sotha Sil had been coming from the continent. Shaking his head, Ferele got rid of that thought. A skilled assassin could have gotten past Almalexia's Ordinators, but no one had found Sotha Sil's Clockwork City yet.
Hands in his pockets, Ferele found himself looking in the direction of Mournhold, on the continent, as he had the last couple of months. With a heavy sigh, he walked toward the Bazaar, catching a glimpse of what was a Tribunal Temple. The temple was part of Ald'ruhn as much as the Plaza and Under-Skar.
He stopped before Under-Skar, and marveled at how he still fell in awe at the creature's shell. It was the founders of Ald'ruhn that came upon what was thought to be the last Imperial Crab, and killed it, despite its size. Holes showed where spears and arrows were driven in Skar's shell. According to legend, the founders were armed only with ebony, which was not hard to believe, as not much else could break an Imperial Crab's shell.
Rumor said there was a small Imperial Crab in Cyrodiil, lurking in caves. The Emperor had put a bounty on it, in hopes to gather the remains of the last of its species. Ferele shook his head. Imperials truly were ignorant. If such a creature still existed, it should be kept alive, perhaps even by magic means.
It took Ferele a while to realize that everyone was gathering in the Plaza, and he did not like what he saw when he got there. Ashlanders. It was Ashlanders that looted and took apart the Temple. Dunmer that have not knelt to the Tribunal, but rather remained nomads and waited for the Nerevarine.
The four Ashlanders sat atop Guars, both Dunmer and lizard looking simply worn out, as if they had traveled for days without stopping. They seemed to be led by an orange-haired woman that looked like she was about to fall of her Guar. She was babbling something about the leader of House Redoran.
Ferele only noticed Rodric Beleth when the fellow was already standing next to him. Rodric was fairly short and stocky for an Altmer, but still as high as Ferele. "What's the savage sayin'?" Rodric asked him.
He shrugged. "I think she wants to meet Archmaster Bolvyn. She'll be lucky if she ever even lays eyes on him, never mind getting an audience with him." Bolvyn Venim was known for his hatred of Ashlanders and outlanders. He was made famous when he nearly destroyed the Erabenimsun Tribe in his earlier years. One of the savages held an Urshilaku Tribal Flag though, so they were not likely to be Erabenimsun.
Urshilaku. Urshilaku were the core of the Nerevarine cult. Ferele found himself grinding teeth. Things such as Ashlanders simply walking into cities like Ald'ruhn were unheard of until the Nerevarine came.
Abruptly, he became aware of people making way for someone. Athyn Sarethi was pushing through the crowd, or rather, two bodyguards in full Redoran armor were. Councilor Sarethi was a fairly handsome man, Ferele supposed. His skin was a washed-out blue color, rather than the usual Dunmer dark gray, and his dark hair was covered in several white stripes.
The Ashlander woman raised her gaze at him and started speaking, seemingly struggling to speak. "Nordling invaders… East. Ald Velothi… already… raided."
For a second, Ferele's heart stopped. Nordlings haven't invaded Morrowind for hundreds of years. He was faintly aware of a sudden silence in the crowd and of Councilor Sarethi taking a step back from the Ashlanders. Whispers and overall commotion rose up quickly again, but Ferele was already entering The Rat In The Pot, the nearest inn.
Ferele gulped down the cheap ale the innkeeper, still wondering how this could happen. Invaders in Morrowind. He noticed Aengoth the Jeweler looking at him from his own table. He Jeweler was the leader of the so-called 'Thieves Guild' in Ald'ruhn. Nordling invaders in Morrowind. Ferele shook his head. Had Skyrim really broken away from the Empire, or were these just barbarians who knew no law?
He didn't remember his hitting his head, but before he knew it, he was asleep, with it on the table.
