Ten years after the defeat of Alduin, the World-Eater, an event unlike no other since the First Era occurred. But, to fully understand the depth of the matter, we must go back, thousands of years.
~~~~~~~1E 700~~~~~~~
Indoril Nerevar and Dumac Dwarf-king stood facing each other, on the Peak of Red Mountain. Behind him, Nerevar had Almalexia, Sotha Sil, Vivec and Dagoth-Ur. Behind him, Dumac had Kagrenac, High Craftlord of the Dwemer. Nerevar readied his staff and magic, and Dumac had a Dwarven battleaxe. Nerevar cast a fireball at Dumac, and Dumac swung at Nerevar, crippling his magic-wielding hand. Nerevar swung his staff, catching Dumac square in the jaw. Dumac swung, and missed, giving Vivec an opportunity to throw an Elven dagger towards Nerevar. Catching it, Nerevar stabbed Dumac in his throat and slashed his head off. Nerevar, enraged at the battle with his long-time friend, cast a spell like no other over Tamriel, and the Dwemer disappeared.
~~~~~~~4E 211~~~~~~~
The Dovahkiin, Hulgar Greatwind, returned to Solitude after a day of hunting dragons. His once golden, unkempt hair was now short cropped and silver. His wife, Ysolda and children, Hroar and Lucia, were glad to see him. After a day of rest, however, a courier from Markarth arrived at Proudspire Manor with and urgent letter from the Jarl. It read as follows:
"Hulgar Greatwind,
We, the people of Markarth, require your assistance. And, you may find the threat more challenging than a pack of Madanach's damned Forsworn. It's an army. Of things only dreamt about. It's the Dwarves, they've retur…" (the rest of the page is smeared with blood).
Hulgar directs the tired courier to the Winking Skeever, the local inn. He changes into his Daedric armor, grabs his Dragonbone Bow and Arrows, and his signature Dragonbone Mace and Daedric shield. Kissing his wife and children goodbye, he rushed to the stables and retrieved Shadowmere, his horse, which no one but himself knew its origins, and set off for Markarth.
When he arrived, the city walls were all but gone and the stables were burning. Suddenly, at least ten blue skinned elves, not as dark as Dunmer but much lighter, attacked him. "FUS RO DAH!" "YOL TOOR SHUL!" Three went flying, four were burnt and the rest were decapitated. An arrow whizzed by his ear. Pulling out his bow, Hulgar searched for the shooter and impaled him with three arrows at once. Approximately two hours later, after having the remnants of the city guards fight off the attackers, Hulgar reached Understone Keep.
"By Talos, what happened!?" he exclaimed. The attackers were murdering everyone in the halls, and shouting "This is OUR city, be gone!" Fighting through the Keep, he found the Jarl's housecarl, Yngvar the Singer and asked what had happened.
"The Dwarves! They stormed the city claiming it was theirs! They killed everyone! You must… Agghh!" A Dwarven Arrow had pierced his throat. However, Hulgar knew what he had to do. Taking three guards with him, they fought their way to Nchuand-Zel, the Dwarven ruin beneath Markarth. There, he did what his only option was; set fire to the main boiler. "WULD NA KEST!" he shouted as he ran from the city and leapt onto Shadowmere, as he sped towards Solitude. As he rode, the city behind him burst into flames.