Chapter I

Homecoming

Vvardenfell grew bigger on the horizon. The sea was calm and the sky was clear. A perfect weather for sailing between lands. Fendril Rilios walked up to the upper deck and looked at the landscape with sentiment.

He was an ordinator, an agent of Tribunal, sent on a years long mission in the mainland… Well, at least he was until the Tribunal has fallen. He mourned that great loss, but not as much as his companions, who also were ordinators. Fendril was different.

While the love of other ordinators' lives were Vivec, Sotha Sil and Almalexia, his heart belonged to someone else. Elli Landros, a girl from the city of Balmora. The most beautiful dunmer Fendril has ever seen. Their relationship was so strong that it would withstand even fifteen years of separation.

However, he had to keep it secret, from the Temple and his colleagues. They probably wouldn't have understood that. But now after so many years, once Fendril would be done with all formalities in, now underground, Order of Ordinators, he will have yet another chance to look at the love of his life.

Tribunal may have been already gone, but Order of Ordinators remained, and in most cases their faith was not weakened. They still despised the daedric and aedric gods. But the truth is, that Fendril no longer cared about any gods, he just wanted to see Elli again.

Varyan, Fendril's closest friend on their mission, joined him at the upper deck.

'It's been too long' Varyan said 'I even miss the Ald'ruhn ash.'

Fendril laughed.

'Yeah… I can't wait to finally put the Indoril helmet back on my head.'

Ordinators, once guardians of the temple and the Tribunal, were characteristic for their unique helmets, resembling a face, with a big crest on top. They were sacred and exclusive to the order of ordinators.

'That may not be a good idea to wear it out there. I heard that those n'wahs slowly begin to forget who our true gods are.' Varyan warned him.

'I don't care what they believe… And besides, who would dare to stand against an ordinator.'

'Perhaps the Nerevarine himself…' said Varyan with a bit of fear in his voice.

Nerevarine was an incarnation of an ancient warrior Nerevar Indoril. He was the one to save Morrowind of from wrath of Dagoth Ur, but doing so, he defeated the Tribunal as well. Not many know how he achieved it, but some say it had something to do with ancient dwemer magic.

'He shouldn't be much of a trouble. Didn't you hear the latest news from Ulath? Nerevarine has left for an expedition in Akavir.' said Fendril.

'Akavir… Huh, now that's a journey. Either way I'd watch out when we arrive. It won't be the Morrowind we remember.' said Varyan with his grim dunmer voice.

At the time of midday, Elli didn't like to waste time, she either wandered and explored ancient foyadas or went hunting. She was not the kind of dunmer that would sit in the city all day, counting money or discussing politics. She loved a feel of adventure and she was curious about the world. Thanks to that curiosity she managed to meet Fendril.

Many years ago, Elli managed to collect money for a silk strider ride to the great and beautiful city of Vivec. In such a big and confusing metropolis, many happened to lose their way or get lost. Luckily for those people, ordinators were guarding the streets, and sometimes gave directions to lost travelers. One of those ordinators, was Fendril.

On the upper level of Saint Olms district, Elli walked up to an ordinator who was just admiring the temple of Vivec below.

'Excuse me, sera…' she said. Ordinator turned around and looked at her 'Do you know where I could buy myself a high quality bow?'

Ordinator didn't answer. He was shocked by a beauty of a dunmer he was just looking at. As usually, their bodies were completely covered by their sacred Indoril armor, except for the eyes, which in his case, didn't not fit the grim face that helmet represented. They were charmed by Elli's beauty, but he couldn't help it. Part of him wanted to act professional and just show her the way, but the other wanted to get to know her better. He was already going to do the first thing, until he saw that her beautiful red eyes say the same thing.

'It's rare to see a lady as beautiful as you looking for a tool for killing.'

Elli chuckled.

'Well, I am not like the others. I love to get out often, but the cliff racers are still out there.' she said. Ordinator replied with laughter.

'Hah, what's true is true… Those n'wahs…'

'You, sera, seem to be different as well. The other ordinator didn't bother to help me, and said that "he is watching me".' said Elli ironically, while trying to imitate the grim voice of a male dunmer.

The ordinator laughed again.

'Yeah, they tend to do that. You're not from here, so, let me guess… Ald'ruhn?'

'No. Closer, but not too close.'

The ordinator smiled under his helmet, and Elli could really see that by his eyes.

'Balmora.' he said, to which she replied with a smile 'I knew it.'

A moment of uncomfortable silence between these two began. They stood there and enjoyed that moment until Elli said:

'So… coming back to my original question…'

'Oh, yes… You should try the Foreign Quarter, if you want a good price, or Hlaalu Canton if it is quality that you seek.'

'Thank you, sera…'

'Please, you don't need to call me like that… My name is Fendril.'

Elli bowed gently.

'Elli Landros… I'm afraid I have to go now… I don't want to get late for my silk strider…'

As Elli began to slowly walk away, Fendril stopped her.

'Wait! Are you ever going to come back here to Vivec?'

'I doubt it. I barely managed to earn gold for the ride here and a new bow… I don't think I will…' Elli stopped the moment Fendril threw a satchel to her. She caught it and heard the gold coins inside. She looked at it with disbelief.

'I usually have to guard the city all day, and in the evening I don't even have time to grab sujamma with my colleagues. You're going to find more use for those coins.'

'I… I don't know how to thank you…'

'Just come back.'

Elli smiled.

'I will…'

'If you ever have trouble finding me…'

'There won't be any trouble. I will never forget those eyes…'

Elli liked to go back to her past while wondering the hills and foyadas surrounding Balmora. She was so courageous that sometimes she would even enter ancient dwemer ruins or explore daedric shrines.

But this time she had to get back home early. A couple of weeks ago Elli received a letter from Fendril, saying that he will be coming back. He specified that on the second day of Sun's Dawn he and his companions are going to get on a boat to Vvardenfell, which means that on the third he would be back. It was that day.

Elli awaited on balcony of the Lucky Lockup inn, which gave a good look at the road to Balmora as well as the beautiful landscape, with Ministry of Truth hanging in the air in a distant horizon.

The boat was getting closer. Fendril could already tell where Vivec is, not because he could see the city, but what's hanging above it. A huge meteor, frozen in the air, with the Ministry of Truth built inside.

According to the legends, the daedric lord Sheogorath directed the meteor Baar-Dau at the city to obliviate it. However, thanks to his powers, the living god of the Tribunal, Vivec, froze it in the air right before it would hit the city. Allegedly, if ever his people stopped loving him, the warrior poet would let go of the spell and let the meteor destroy them.

It was a cute story, or at least that's what Fendril thought about it. However, one thing made him wonder for some time. If Vivec is dead, then what was holding the meteor in the air? And what would happen if it actually fell? The city of Vivec would be a great loss, but it wouldn't affect Fendril's life, for now Balmora would become his new home. When he thought about it, he wouldn't really have much problem with meteor falling. He believed it was low enough that it would only ruin Vivec, and perhaps shake the ground a little, nothing more. But that was only a thought of a bored man waiting to get off the boat and get home.

'So, what are you doing when we come back?' Varyan asked Fendril, who answered in unsure way.

'I think I will take some vacations. I was always curious to see Balmora. And you?

'I'll go to Vivec. The ordinators are forming a new hideout under the city, that's where our power is centered now. Even high ordinators from Mournhold came over. We could really use your help…'

Fendril sighed.

'I don't think I can do it any longer without any rest. But one day in the future… Who knows?'

'Sure, but don't forget who we are…'

Fendril smiled.

'We are house Indoril.'

As the sun was going down, Elli leaned on a stone fence, admired the view from the balcony and wondered about her future. About her and Fendril. About the journeys and adventures they could experience together. She looked into the future and felt happiness.

However at some point, she began to see strange things happening in the south, almost as if the meteor, floating above Vivec, gloomed with a violet light. She has never seen anything like it.

Varyan suddenly noticed something strange happening in the surroundings of Vivec. He poked Fendril and pointed at it.

'You see that?' he asked.

'Yes… bizarre…'

Now it wasn't just Elli. Gradually, more people noticed that odd phenomenon. Some began to whisper between each other, theorize.

Suddenly, the violet gloom disappeared, and instantly Baar-Dau dropped down to the ground with unbelievable speed. The moment it disappeared, a gigantic explosion lighted up the evening sky. At this point light drew everyone's attention. All dunmers or outlanders, from the streets and from the rooftops stood up and looked upon the big, shining cloud that the explosion made. Very quickly after it happened, a shockwave could be seen, wrecking the landscape, ripping trees from the ground… and coming straight at Elli.

Once it hit, she flew over the entire balcony and fell down to the street between the buildings. Immediately afterwards a powerful earthquake began. Buildings crumbled, people fell over and the ground felt unsafe. And finally Elli could hear the sound of the explosion. Thunder alike rumble, that echoed across entire Vvardenfell.

Fendril and Varyan looked at the explosion with shock in their red eyes, and soon other ordinators joined them at the upper deck. Shockwave coming at them almost managed to shatter the boat, and made one of the ordinators fall into the water. Now, sea was in chaos, with the waves reaching height of a grown up altmer.

Ordinators tried to save their colleague, but the sea already took him away. There was no time for that, they had to control the boat.

'We have to turn around! We will never be able to reach Vvardenfell in such conditions!' yelled one of the ordinators. Fendril looked at him furiously while water splashed in their faces and boat flipped over in many different directions on the chaotic waves.

'No! Not when we are so close!' yelled Fendril.

'Are you mad! We are all gonna get killed!'

'No! I've waited too long!' said Fendril upon approaching the other ordinator, and afterwards hit him in the face so hard that he fell on the deck. Fendril took his place, grabbed the steer, and directed their boat at Seyda Neen, the closest port city.

'We are going home!'

Elli tried to stand up, but the ground was treacherous. She ran towards a bigger square upon the entrance to Balmora, where no rumble could hurt her. There, she and many others sat down, waiting for this nightmare to end. But, it didn't, it only got worse.

The Red Mountain that always stood so proudly above the Ashlands, erupted and squirted with rivers of magma. Elli immediately stood up. She didn't know what to do. She looked around for ideas desperately, until she saw it. The dwemer ruins of Arknghtzam, which stood on a hill above Balmora. She suddenly remembered how Fendril told her stories of the magical dwemer architecture. Fortresses that could withstand many wars and even time itself.

Elli immediately stood up and yelled to everyone around her:

'Hey! Everyone! I know a place where we will be safe! Follow me!'

Most of the people just looked high up at magma pouring over in the distance, with terror in their eyes, but with a lot of convincing, they all followed her.

The ordinator attacked by Fendril took his revenge. A brawl ensued. Despite the unconventional circumstances, they fought fist to fist while others tried to stop them.

Suddenly they could all hear a characteristic rumble, not as loud as before, but more threatening. Everyone stopped and looked in direction of Vvardenfell. Red Mountain erupted. Fendril immediately looked at the foyadas where Balmora would be located.

'Oh no… Elli…'

'Now we are definitely not going there!'

'No!' yelled Fendril 'We need to help them!'

'Help who?! They are all dead!'

Fendril quickly took out his sword and threatened everyone with it.

'We will not abandon our people! If you want to, then run away, seek refuge, go spend another decades in Cyrodill, live among filthy nords, or get murdered by an argonian seeking revenge… But know that there is no bigger shame than giving up, at this very moment!'

Elli and other civilians ran up the hill towards the dwemer ruins which stood still, unaffected by catastrophe taking place. Even guards of Balmora threw away their helmets and ran in fear.

Suddenly one young dunmer stopped as he saw a huge river of magma pouring over the norther foyadas.

'Hey! What are you doing? We need to go!'

'My brother… He stayed in Caldera…'

'Listen, I am sure he found a place to hide, but it's too late to go there for him. If you hide now, you may still get to see him.'

'Alright' said the boy and continued.

Red Mountain rumbled once again, louder. This time the tight crater on it's top exploded and bursted with magma. Elli looked at it with disbelief. Those were the last seconds of the old Vvardenfell.

'...there is no bigger shame than giving up, at this very moment!' yelled Fendril. Before anyone managed to answer him, Red Mountain rumbled again. It's peak exploded in an unbelievable way over the entire island, covering it by thick wave of ash, which reached as far as their boat.

'Everyone, hide!' yelled Varyan. And as he said, everyone crouched down and covered their faces, except for Fendril. In shock, he just stared at the huge explosion of ash devouring his homeworld, as well as the love of his life. For a moment he completely forgot what he should do, and the ash shockwave pierced his widely opened eyes.

Fendril could no longer see anything. He fell down, but felt nothing else except for extreme, sore pain in his eyes. Gradually he stopped even feeling that. Until there was nothing.

Red Year began, and affected everyone. Southern shore of island Solshteim has been ruined and devoured of life, just like all the lands surrounding Vvardenfell. The earthquake caused floods on Black Marsh, which drowned local roads. Even people of the Imperial City in Cyrodill could feel the ground shake during their supper, and in the province of Skyrim an entire cliff cracked off, falling into the sea together with the city of Winterhold.