The Daedric Wager
A Skyrim Fanfiction


Clavicus was almost surprised enough to be rendered speechless. It wasn't every day another Daedric Lord visited his little sanctuary... if one could call the ass end cave known as Haemar's Shame at the base of the biggest mountain in Skyrim a 'sanctuary'. He was a little less surprised by which Daedra it was, at least, which made the surprise a little less offensive.

"Well I can certainly say I did not expect this... to what do I owe the... uh... whatever this is, Sanguine?"

The Daedric Lord of debauchery examined the cave space with an appraising eye, an expression of mock impressment on his gray-and-red Dremoran face. "Nice place," Sanguine hummed. "Decorate it yourself?"

Clavicus couldn't decide if the intended banter was humorous or annoying. Maybe a little of both. "Oh, ha ha. Come up with that one all by yourself? I hope you're here for a reason, and it better be a fun reason." Especially being that he was rather confined these days. Not much to see, not much to hear, always with someone stumbling upon his shrine looking to fill some insipid and uncreative wish that only sometimes served to entertain him... for a short while.

"Oh, no particular reason. Boredom, I suppose... speaking of fun, its so hard to find mortals that serve for a good amount of entertainment these days."

"No kidding," Clavicus couldn't help but agree.

"I heard your hound ran out on you."

"Now hold on a moment, that no good mutt didn't run out on me, I am the one who sent him on his way! And good riddance, too! Now I have one less thorn in my side to bring irritation each and every day," the Daedric Lord fumed. A little more tentatively, he added, "Of course, its also been rather boring... since that damn dog took a good portion of my power with him, and I'm completely stuck here without him. Do you know how dull it is staring at the same rock wall day in and out? So sure, occasionally a few mortals wander through, but they're a fleeting distraction at best."

"Nope, can't say I relate," Sanguine shrugged his black armored pauldrons. "I've been too busy getting it on with drinks and parties."

"Lucky you," Clavicus retorted dryly.

Sanguine merely shrugged again. "Well if its really as boring here as you say, then I think I'll find some place else to be."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! You show up and decide you're just going to leave like that? You're the Daedric Lord of entertaining, so do something to entertain me!" The fact that he had no power to actually command another Prince wasn't lost on him, but it was a moot point as far as he was concerned.

"And what fun is there to entertaining a statue? You can't even drink. All you do is stand there in the same pose."

"Well you're no fun..." Clavicus accused childishly, voice pouting where stone lips failed to do so.

" 'No fun'? Well I'm the life of every party! I think you've been stuck in that statue too long."

"Preaching to the choir on that one. Alright, fine, if you have no ideas on how to cure the boredom, maybe I have a suggestion. Some woman came by the other day - or maybe it was a few days? I don't know, I can't tell time down here - and said something about wishing for a stop to some war going on across Skyrim. Maybe we can make a wager..."

Sanguine seemed interested but wary. "What kind of wager?"

"Well, wars have sides, don't they? Maybe we could... shake things up a little. It could be fun. Like playing chess. I've already got some interesting pieces on the board. What do you say, Sanguine? It could be a chance to spread your kind of fun."

"Conquering and warring is more Mehrunes Dagon's kind of fun... my kind of fun is whoring, drinking, and merriment. Why don't you go and bother him instead?"

"Do I look like I can go anywhere else to bother another Lord with this? Besides, I never said you had to partake in conquering and fighting. Inaction wins or loses wars too... and I never said you had to stop at manipulating just one side of the war. Your part of the wager could be ending it with drinks and song and whatever other things it is you do... mine could be trying to end it a little more... messily, let's just say. Mortals are rather unpredictable, lowly creatures. There's no telling in what way it will end, especially if they're getting a few extra pushes for both directions..."

Sanguine hummed, crossing his arms. Still, he had nothing better to do. This might give him at least a small bit of spurious entertainment.

"How will you play if you're trapped here though? Won't it be unfair to you when I have a much higher chance of winning?"

"Oh no, you have it all wrong. You see mortals, like all other lowly animals, are prone to fight more than they are to get along and let bygones be bygones. If anything, this just levels the playing field. You're going to need my handicap if you actually want a chance."

Sanguine hummed, not really fully agreeing but not seeing a point in arguing it further. Clavicus at least seemed confident in his words.

"Fine, then. A wager it is."


A/N: I'm taking suggestions for some characters :3 I already have a Nord Listener(Dark Brotherhood) character fully fleshed out and decided, and maybe another that's Dragonborn. I'm still kind of deciding/in need of characters for the College/Mages, Companions, and Thieves though, and maybe some with the Legion/Stormcloaks. Its very important that I have characters for the Guilds though, so feel free to suggest some ideas for race, equipment, social/political status, character history, etc. Doesn't have to be strictly lore-friendly in all aspects but something that would still fit into TESV decently well. Mind you, whatever ideas you send, I'll probably still tweak them a bit as I see fit.