First Contact
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Under the waning winter sun, the stronghold Kogoruhn, seat of the most noble house Dagoth, stood proudly amidst the surrounding forest, welcoming the waves of visiting Chimer. For the gold-skinned elves, the following day was special. The twenty-first of Last Seed was Lady Azura's summoning date and her followers intended to make the most out of the occasion.
This year, the honor of hosting the Daedroth Goddess had fallen on House Dagoth. Naturally, Dagoth Falmos, its current Lord High Councilor, wanted everything to be perfect. Nobles from many other houses, major and minor, kept arriving by various means, some riding guar carriages, some teleporting through the stronghold's propylon chamber and others arriving on foot. One of the Telvanni lords fell from the sky along with his servants, casting a slowfall spell at the last possible moment, but most chimer knew not to gawk at that particular house's bizarreness.
The celebration started as soon as dusk came. Even though the houses were fiercely independent and very often at war with each other, none dared to harm another under their Lady's vigil. And so, for one day, they would set aside their quarrels and ambitions and mingle, eating and drinking and dancing together. Even the least religious chimer recognized the social potential of such days. Such communal Daedric celebrations were ideal for forging new alliances, closing new trading deals and arranging beneficial marriages. The great houses had a chance to establish their authority, while the lesser ones an opportunity to better their station.
As per Velothi tradition, everyone was allowed to attend the first part of the Hogithum, from the dusk of the previous day to the dawn of the next. However, as Azura's mystic hour approached, the songs died down, the glorious stories came to an end and the elflings, already blurry-eyed and exhausted, were sent to their specially prepared chambers to sleep. Only adults were allowed to witness the summoning.
Gathered in Kogoruhn's grand hall, the chimer nobles and many commoners stared intently at the marble statue of Azura as the priesthood prepared their minds and bodies.
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A young elf of twelve years, little more than an infant in his people's eyes, was not content to simply fall asleep and miss the height of the celebration. Sneaking out of the children's bedroom had been a simple task. None of the guards expected any trouble.
Stifling a yawn, the child reached for his belt and retrieved a green vial, removing the cork and downing the contents. The taste was horrible, of course, and the strength minimal. Still, the potion he had covertly brewed last day was enough to remove the bulk of his weariness and chase away any desire for sleep. Smiling mischievously, he scurried through the empty corridors, following the sound of chanting and finally reaching the grand hall, where the summoning was to take place.
Instead of stupidly barging in and getting caught, he hugged the hall's outer wall, following it until he reached a dusty side corridor that was evidently only rarely used. Taking a deep breath he prepared for the most difficult part of his plan. Concentrating, he extended his hands forward and whispered the spell in choppy, yet passable daedric.
"Light bright, come through with might." Purple energies gathered in his hands and he tried to will them forward, guiding them to the wall before him. The spell reached its peak, then regrettably fizzled.
The elf glared at the unyielding wall, eyes narrowed, then tried again. This time the spell left him, purple sparks washing against the ancient stone, yet failing to produce a result. His heart rate went up after the second failure. He had measured the extend of his power and knew he could only safely attempt the spell one more time. In fact, his tutor would have skinned him alive if he knew how much he was draining his magicka reserves.
He had never been good with meditation, but he tried anyway, desperate to center himself.
"Light bright, come through with might!!"
The alteration spell was correctly voiced and guided. The energy reached the wall and the tiny elf watched with relief as the barrier before him wavered for a few seconds before part of it became transparent. Casting such a spell, more of a cantrip really, could get him grounded for months, since its original intent was peeping. Still, he was determined to see what that whole summoning business was about. His window was invisible from the other side and as long as no one passed by, he was safe.
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The hour of dawn was upon them. The offerings were neatly arranged and the priests and priestesses had already started chanting in daedric, their voices transcending Mundus and reaching the planes beyond. At the height of the ceremony, Azura's statue was bathed in golden light and a female figure stepped forward from within.
At first glance she resembled a chimer at the peak of her life. And yet her golden skin was radiant and her features perfect and her nude body painful to look upon in its beauty. Azura's avatar closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in her physical form. Two of the priestesses approached from behind and clothed her in simple, yet elegant robes, covering her nakedness mostly for the chimers' benefit.
"Another cycle has passed and another Hogithum is upon us," she stated in her clear, resounding voice. "I have heeded your call and I shall walk among you this day. Today I shall hear your plights and I shall reward the worthy and I shall celebrate with you, so that the new year will flow smoothly on the land of Resdayn."
Her serious visage broke into a small smile. "But first, let those couples that would be joined as one approach, so I might read their hearts and bless their unions."
Just as the impromptu wedding ceremony was about to start, the goddess' eyes strayed to the side of the great hall, focusing on a seemingly empty wall. Unnoticed by all adults, she did something most uncharacteristic. Smiling widely, she winked mischievously.
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The elf child had been awed simply by watching the summoning's preparations. By the time Azura's avatar stepped forward he had become completely focused on her, oblivious to the world around him and utterly unable to move. When the Lady's eyes met his own through a wall that was supposed to be transparent only from his side, his heart skipped more than one beats. Her hearty smile seemed to last an eternity and his mind became unable of coherent thought. Lastly, when she winked at him he became thoroughly disabled. His legs were reduced to jelly, causing him to unceremoniously land on his rear and his control over his little alteration spell snapped, causing the wall to return to normal.
It was only a full minute later he registered another breath behind him. Frantically leaping to his feet, he turned around, dreading an adult had discovered him. Instead, another boy of the same age was watching him with awe. "She…she acknowledged you," he whispered, almost wanting to doubt his own words.
The first elf regarded his peer inquisitively. There was no house mark on him, but his exquisite clothes spoke of great wealth. Normally, he would have thought of something more elaborate to say, but he was still very shaken. "I… I guess she did," he agreed.
"That's so awesome!" responded the other giddily, extending his hand. "I'm Voryn. What's your name?"
Taking the offered hand, the other elfling returned the smile. "I'm Nerevar. Nerevar Dorol. I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of my name. Our house is a small one."
Voryn raised a brow at that. "Are you your house's heir?"
The other child laughed a bit awkwardly. "Actually, I'm the youngest of five. Not much political power in my future. What about you? You didn't even mention your house."
The other chimer child seemed embarrassed. "It's Voryn Dagoth, actually. I'm the Lord High Councilor's only son," he replied, cringing a bit.
The inevitable reaction he had expected came as surely as the dawn. Neavar's eyes went wide. "You are the Dagoth heir," he gasped.
Voryn had dreaded that reaction. Everyone his age would always be intimidated by his title and station, which resulted in a very lonely childhood. Still, he had his pride and was ready to face this new, in his mind inevitable, rejection with dignity. He expected the other kid to stutter an apology and run away in fear.
His expectations were thoroughly shattered when Nerevar grinned widely. "That's so cool! Let's be friends."
The Dagoth heir nodded dumbly. "S-sure," he managed before he even realized what Nerevar meant. A mirroring smile found its way on his own elfin face a second later. "I'll be glad to."
As they both sneaked away from the dusty corridor, Nerevar whispering while chattering incessantly, Voryn turned away and wiped a tear of joy in secret. It wouldn't do for his first friend ever to consider him a crybaby.
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End?
A/N: Been playing Morrowind again, so I decided to write a bit in this category. This one is pretty stand-alone, although I have thought of much more material. Whether I'll write more is yet to be decided.
For those unfamiliar with the lore, this one is placed in the first Era, thousands of years before the Nerevarine. And yes, they are Nerevar and Dagoth Ur. Vivec himself says how the both of them were of the same generation and quite older than the Tribunal.
The Red Mountain hasn't erupted in millennia. Thus instead of ashlands we have forests and Vvardenfell is still part of the mainland. I've made a lot of assumptions about Azura's worship and the chimer society, but it can't be helped, since there is no lore to guide me. Nerevar's house in not yet 'Indoril' since he was supposedly the founder.