After years of just reading fanfiction I've finally decided to write one. A few months back I watched a Skyrim machinima called the Siege of Markarth by Tyrannicon this will essentially be a story about the events leading up to that moment.
I do not own Skyrim or any of its characters. Though I sometimes wish I did
Madanach took his seat in Druadach Redoubt. He rested his head on his fist, and contemplated his next course of action. Decades of mindlessly terrorizing the Reach, and still his people were no closer to reclaiming their freedom now as the were then. It was time to take a new approach. His best leaders and briarhearts were gathered for a war council, as well as his friends from Cidna mine.
'All but one' thinking of his mysterious ally who helped him escape that hell after 10 long years
"Brothers. It is time for war. It is time to finally retake our homeland once, and for all." Madanach announced to his subjects. The empire has ruled the Reach since the days of Tiber Septim, but the rule of the empire is over. When the empire surrendered to the aldmeri dominion, they had all but doomed themselves. The resources, and men expended in suppressing the Stormcloak rebellion, and the assassination of the emperor by the Dark Brotherhood has weakened them. Now was the time to strike. The question was how.
"What do you mean my king" Uraccen his closest ally asked "Have we not been at war for years"
"No brother. We were never at war. We have deluded ourselves into thinking of ourselves as soldiers but in reality we are nothing more than terrorist, trying to reclaim lands lost to us long ago".
Madanach was no fool. He knew they had long since lost this war. 12 years ago they had managed to take back their land, and they had lost it just as quick. It was clear to him now that the old ways had failed them. It was time for a change.
"Madanach! What blasphemy do you speak." Bracken a young, and talented, briarheart; who at 19 earned his status as the youngest Forsworn Briarheart leader in history, on the battle field roared in disapproval. In all the years of the forsworn none had spilled more blood in the name of the Old Gods than he, his hatred of the nords was unprecedented, and extreme, even among the forsworn, he was debated to be, the best soldier in Madanach's army, and he knew it.
"Watch your tongue whelp" Borkul chastised the young warrior.
"And what will you do if I don't. Orc."
"Enough". Madanach decided to end this before it got out of control. "Bracken I understand your frustration but it is time to accept the limitations of the old ways"
"What limitations" Bracken demanded
"My child we have been fighting a useless battle against the invaders longer than you have been alive. Yet still our people are no closer to reclaiming our lands than we were then". Madanach admitted solemnly "It is time for a change"
"What kind of change." As the leader of the Briarhearts Bracken was effectively the religious leader of the reach men.
In the Old Beliefs when Anu reformed all of creation into Nirn, he started with the beautiful mountains and flowing rivers of the Reach. As man and mer came into the world they recognized the power's of Anu and Padomay. The worship of these gods started in the Reach
Now the beliefs of the Old Ways were bastardized into the aedra and daedra. The aedra were born of the blood of both Anu and Padomay and became the eight divines. Where as the daedra were the children of just Padomay. Only the reach men continue in their worship of the Old Gods.
However it was the Daedric Lord Hircine who taught the reach men many of their ways to survive the harsh terrain of Skyrim.
"I believe it is time we look for outside help to aid in our struggle".
Upon this proclamation the council was in an uproar, in all the years the forsworn had inhabited the Reach, never before had a king so blatantly attempted to disregard the Old Ways
"My king. We cannot look to outsiders for help with our conflicts. The Old Gods forbid it". Uraccen cried
"Forget the Old Gods. You seek to entrust the safety of our operation to a bunch of sell swords, they'd sell us all out first chance they got" Borkul added gruffly.
"Do not fret my brothers. I seek not to abandon the old ways nor do I wish to look to mercenaries for help. Brothers and sisters I believe it is time we evoke The Wrath of Sithis."
A collected gasp goes throughout the gathered forsworn and for a while there is nothing but silence
"My lord you cannot mean to hire The Dark Brotherhood" Bracken asked apprehensively
"Humph the Dark Brotherhood cowards who use illusions roaches hiding in the shadows of men better then themselves. What good could the be in reclaiming an entire hold from the empire". Borkul mocked.
"When used correctly one man can be worth one hundred". Braig added sagely
"That isn't the point. Though it was Anu and Padomay who gave birth to the Aedra, and Daedra, it was Sithis who created Anu and Padomay, and the Dark Brotherhood are Sithis' agents on Nirn". Bracken informed Borkul "Madanach are you so foolish as to invoke the fury of the oldest of all beings in existence"?
"Aye I am so foolish" Madanach answered the young briarheart "I believe that for the right price the children of Sithis will aid us in our task".
"I agree with Madanach as much as I hate their way of doing things the Brotherhood are the truest killers in all of Tamriel" Borkul added "Killing the emperor on his own ship surrounded by his elite guards. Now that is art"
"As if you would know anything about art Orc". Bracken sneered causing Borkul to growl in anger.
"I get it so we hire a Dark Brotherhood assassin to take out the jarl or maybe the entire Silver-Blood family". Braig suggested
"No my friend, your think to small Braig" Madanach tapped lightly on his head for emphasis
"What? How do you mean"? Braig asked his king.
"My friends I believe I said that it was time for a change. People hire assassins to kill kings and aristocrats every day" Madanach rebuked the idea completely. "I propose that we do something entirely different" Madanach added slyly
"What do you mean Madanach". Gavin leader of one of the great clans of reach men asked not liking where this was headed.
"I propose that we hire the Dark Brotherhood for and undertaking the likes of which no one has ever seen. I propose that we hire them to assassinate. The Reach".
"Madanach! Have you lost your mind". Bracken howled with rage "Ignoring the sheer impossibility of any organization succeeding in secretly wiping out 500,000 people without any one noticing, why would you give such a task to the Dark Brotherhood"?
"Sire, forgive me but I must agree. The Dark Brotherhood may be on the rise since the assassination of emperor Titus Mede II they are still, but a mere shadow of their former power". Braig inquired
"I know that's why I'm giving it to them" Madanach answered his steward
"My lord I'm not sure I understand".
"It's quite simple, I believe the Dark Brotherhood will succeed in any task they accept, but even if they should fail it will be no loss to us" Madanach explained
"I see, if the assassin's should succeed then the Reach is ours again, and if not it's no big deal" Borkul observed
"You maximize success while minimizing risk. As wise a strategy as their ever was". Braig agreed "But sir, what makes you think they would agree to suck a daunting task"
"Well I don't care. Relying on outsiders is forbidden" Bracken disparaged loudly
Madanach ignored the briarheart leader and spoke once more to the entire council "Oh they'll agree, because we'll make them an offer they can't refuse" Madanach countered confidently.
"It doesn't matter The Old Gods forbid it" Bracken announced once more
"No. It shall be done the Old Gods command it" Verruca announced in the gravely shrieking voices that only hagravens possessed "I has seen it, yes. In the entrails. Much blood. Much despair. Fire and shadow. All shall become one. Darkness and ice. Under the dark sun. Hire these death-dealers let them bring about the Fall of Markarth".
With the hags declaration any and all debate on the subject was over. Bracken looked down in shame as the forsworn war council came to their decision.
"Alright then; if no one else has anything else to add on the subject, I move to hire dark brother to deal with our problem. If there are any objections speak now".
The king in rags was met with only silence
"Alright then, so how do we do this"? The hag grinned and pointed along talon to the corner where a dead nord woman lie naked surrounded by candles. The hag handed him a grim looking dagger.
"Does it know the words. The prayer of the wife of Sithis hmm" Verruca asked him
"Yes I do" Madanach took the knife, and knelt down next to the corpse
'Oh well, no turning back now' Madanach raised the knife, and stabbed the woman in the heart "Sweet mother, Sweet mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear".
Miles away in the frozen wilderness of the pale, behind the black door of the Dawnstar sanctuary the corpse of an old woman hang in a large black coffin. As Cicero tended to then night mother he could have sworn that he saw her smile.
I googled the population of Tamriel and was suprised to see that the numer was just 5061 so for the sake of realism lets just say the entire population of skyrim is 20 million with 500,000 people living in Markarth. So I would love to get any reviews possible as well as any hints or recommendations for how the story should progress