PROLOGUE
The Dunmer noble, Vedas Sorathi, walked down an elegantly furnished hall in the Imperial Palace of Mournhold, nervously fingering the expensive silver worked dagger that was thrust in his belt.
His anxiety was caused by unusual summons to Lord Helseth's audience chambers, and Vedas had cause to worry. He had just recently finished his formulations of a plan to end Helseth's life; the man was simply becoming too powerful.
At two hours after midnight, two men of the Dark Brotherhood would enter Helseth's chambers and put and end to the man for a handsome reward of twenty thousand septims, not to mention nearly complete freedom for their order's work once a suitable replacement was found: Suitable being a person that could be easily manipulated by Vedas and his collaborators.
A scurrying maid brought the nobleman from his thought with a start, and he realized he was standing outside of the audience chambers. Steeling himself he opened the door and proceeded within.
Helseth, as usual, lounged, or appeared to lounge in his throne, though any man with half his wits would know that Helseth was a dangerous man. His brainless oaf of a champion, Karrod, stood to his right. Though deaf the man could fight better than any other Vedas had seen. The captain of the guard stood to the left, clad in his Royal armour.
Helseth rose from his throne and stalked down the four small steps that held the ornately made chair, and Vedas bowed quickly and formally, " My Lord has summoned me, what is his wish?"
The King inclined his head respectfully and answered, " I have caught wind of an assassination plotted against myself, yet I am unsure who has organized it," Helseth paused, obviously to gauge Vedas' response, and continued after a look of feigned shock crossed the nobleman's face," You are one of my most trusted advisors, and I believe that you can help me."
Again he paused and looked at Vedas expectantly, " what is it that my lord wishes?"
The King launched into a detailed schematic of interrogating other nobles whom Helseth felt might want him dead. The plan was to ask questions in hopes that something would slip, all the while leaving the conspirator completely unaware of his blunder.
The plan of course was well suited to all of Vedas' strengths, such as persuasion and illusiveness, and would probably have been failsafe had Helseth's own partner not already planned his Lord's death.
As morning came the next day, a cleaning maid found Helseth dead in his linens. Puncture wounds covering his body and blood streaked across the wall in a frightening message 'The Night Mother has fulfilled her promise."
Turmoil would envelop Mournhold and then spread to Morrowind as all the powers vie for the throne.
