A note From the author and also sort of disclaimer: Hello everyone, thanks for stopping by. While this isn't the first story I've written, it's the first fanfic I've put a substantial amount of effort into. It was a lot of fun doing a bunch of research on the lore of the elder scrolls and the history of the Falmer and elves and al that jazz. Now there's a lot of stuff missing from the elder scrolls universe in snow elves, which is part of their charm really, so I had to improvise and make up my own for a lot of it, but that was part of the fun of writing this whole thang. Most of the snow elves here are my own characters, but there are a few that were created entirely by those geniuses at Bethesda that I may reference here and there, like the Snow Prince for example. Also the design for the characters in my head is based largely if not entirely on the snow elves from the dawnguard dlc. I don't know how many chapters there will be, depends on the support I guess. But I'm going to spend some time exploring Celegriath's time before jumping right into the Dragonborn's. Alright that's that then. Enjoy the read, and I'll see y'all at the end of the chapter!
Prologue: Part 1
Celegriath breathed in the cool spring air as he surveyed the temple around him, a small grin on his face. Children were playing, the adults were chatting, and the guards stayed lax as they watched snow elves and others come from all around to view the magnificence of the Eastern Shrine of Auriel, the Sun God. The Shrine of the Rising Sun, it was called. Of course, it wasn't as magnificent as the Shrine to the West (The Shrine of the Setting Sun), but it certainly held its own. It sprung out from the mountain side, a massive structure built around a large waterfall, overlooking a large town where the snow elves would live and meet and be merry. Gleaming white marble mixed with gold spread across the land, shining hope for all men and elves alike who gazed upon it.
The elf shuffled in his armor. Celegriath had just turned 50, a relatively young age for the long living falmer, and had been promoted to knight. Life was good for him, for the most part. All he did was train and get a decent view of the gorgeous temple while standing guard. He met a good number of people as a soldier, a few of which he had never seen the likes of before. He saw his first man not 5 years ago, the only one he had seen since under peaceful circumstances. He had called himself an "Atmoran Settler to this land called Mereth". Strange names in a strange tongue. Even still he couldn't help but be fascinated by humans. They were intelligent relative to other creatures. They seemed to be curious beings as well, seeking knowledge when they could.
This of course was based off of Celegriath's experience with the one man he had met, but he simply assumed he was like those of the other humans. His elders didn't share Celegriath's curious and interested attitude. They saw the humans as a threat, a virus that needed to be eradicated. Despite relatively peaceful beginning relationships, mankind had already started to form large communities, just a few years after settling. They were starting to spread quickly across the Homeland. So Winter's Queen, the snow elf leader, decided they should be exterminated. The target was a large community called Saarthal, where most of the settlers were located. It would be Celegriath's first battle. If it could even be called a battle. He remembered the speech their queen had given the day before the attack.
"My fellow Mer, there is something you must understand about what we are about to do. This is not about wealth, this is not about land; this is survival! The humans have expanded in a few years more than we falmer expanded in a century. They will continue to do so if they are not removed. They have already filled up their own land, so they come to take ours. If we simply stand by and do nothing, we will be pushed out of our own lands. I have already seen it. Stand with me now, do the hard thing! And we will go on to see the day that we may be in eternal peace warmed by his majesty's light!"
It was a good speech. It got all of the Mer prepared to do the hard thing. It made them believe what they were doing was necessary, even if it meant killing women and children. Celegriath remembered the looks on the faces of the elves around him. Mostly grimaces marked with fierce determination. It almost seemed like they had brainwashed themselves into believing what they were doing was valiant. Most of the elves believed the humans a lesser species in the first place, believing their slaughter to be the same as removing an infestation of insects. He knew better. What they were doing was genocide.
Of course the night of the sacking itself he remembered best, despite his best efforts to forget it. The screams, the sense of betrayal, the blood and the tears. He had never really recovered, hearing distant screams every night in his head. He begged to Auriel for forgiveness. Whether he ever got any he couldn't know. He never received any signs of it, not gathering any relief in his clouded mind, feeling only self loathing. Celegriath was astounded at the ability of his fellow elves to brush it off, treating it like a dirty job that had to be done. He had gone to the ministers of the temple several times to try and find safety from the nightmares. However they simply shared the views of his fellow elves. Celegriath began to feel outcasted because of the effect the battle had on him. He was believed to be a sympathizer of man, and that somehow made him some kind of traitor. The traumatized elf was never actually punished by his queen, but the rumors were enough to have a large impact on his life.
4 years later, and his feelings towards the human's slaughter was long forgotten, even that the humans were ever an issue. In fact they were throwing a welcoming festival for a visiting group of Aldmer, relatives of the Falmer. They came from the far south, and thought very highly of themselves, as if their visit was like the gods coming down to Nirn. However Aldmer were not so different than Snow Elves. They practically shared the amount of prosperity of their nations. They rivaled each other in military might and education. In fact Snow Elves tended to be even more skilled in Magic than that of their proud relatives, who saw magic as a birthright of mer from the gods and a sign of great intelligence. So the Falmer didn't care too much for the Aldmer's boasting, but they kept steady relations all the same.
Celgriath, and all the guard for that matter were dressed appropriately for the occasion, in silk brown tunics, covering a white chain mail that showed slightly. On top of that they wore their finest armor, white as snow, a great serpent bearing its fangs above the breast plate, a contrast to the other elven armor. They wore headdresses with large blue or red jewels implanted into the center. The armor almost blended in with the elves' skin almost perfectly, making them almost invisible in the snow. It was perfect for ambushes in home territory, but for now it just looked nice, and added to the ooh's and ah's coming from their ancestor visitors.
Most of the falmer wore jewelry of some kind, as most elves did. Jewlery had significant meaning for the ancient Mer, or elves. Gems and precious metals were thought as totems of powers, gifts from the gods. Each piece was worn because of the meaning or history it held to the wearer, or simply because they thought it would add clarity of mind or strength of will. Celegriath wore two red earrings close together through his left ear, each given to him by the queen herself, as all Knights were given after their first battle, to wear with pride on both ears. But Celegriath Gal-Dred felt anything but honorable that day. He saw the red earrings as a mockery of the blood of the only two men he had murdered in cold blood during the battle from the gods. He stabbed them both through the cartilage of his left ear that day, and wore them since as a constant reminder of his actions.
It would seem an insignificant thing, wearing two earrings on the left ear instead of one for each, but to the elves these simple breaks in tradition were seen as a sort of heresy. Celegriath only felt more outcasted because of it. But in his state of self loathing he had little care for what others thought of him.
"Gal-Dred!" Celegriath heard a voice call him by his last name, breaking him free of his thoughts. "Arch-Curate Erelhin wants a word." Knight-Protector Karthan's voice carried authority as it forced its way into Celegriath's pointed ears, causing him to wince very slightly.
"Of course, sir," Celegriath responded clearly as he set his ceremonial spear and shield aside and made his way to the center temple. For the Falmer, the religious leaders held most of the power, since they were the voice of the gods in the elves' eyes. The Arch-Curates held power close to that of a prince or princess, although the Snow Prince himself was much more revered and respected. He had visited with Erelhin before. For an Arch-Curate she was incredibly kind and understanding, and that's saying something. She was the first one Celegriath came to when he was having troubled thoughts. She had given him some clarity, and seemed to be the one religious leader who would continually check on his mental well being. They had formed a considerable friendship over the years, which surprised Celegriath considering the amount of power the female mer held. His friends had joked that she was looking for some sort of relationship with him, but while Celegriath did care for the woman, she was much older than him(age mattered less to elves, but was seen as more of a class. With age comes wisdom, therefore separating the elder from the younger), and she was a Curate, forbidden from relationships. In a way it made conversing with her much easier.
The streets were bustling, as he expected. Aldmer and Falmer were all around the streets, smiling and greeting, as if there were nothing wrong in the world. But Celegriath could see dark clouds forming of in the distance. They cast a feeling of dread over the young mer, as he stopped in the oblivious crowd to gaze upon them. He suddenly felt as if he was in one of his nightmares, it was all too eerily reminiscent. He shook his head and kept moving. He could discuss it with Erelhin.
When he finally made his way to the temple, he found that it was crowded, mostly with Aldmeri tourists gawking over the incredible architecture of the building they were standing in. On the marble floor lay a massive golden sun, around it different symbols and insignias of the other god's the snow elves worshipped. The moom rotated clockwise with a large click every minute, a gift from the dwemer, or dwarves. Celegriath made his way as gently as he could through the crowd, which wasn't very gentle at all considering his armor and the amount of people. Eventually he reached the door to the Sacred Hall. He was about to open the door when he heard muffled voices on the other side.
"...said it was blessed by Auriel himself! How could this have happened in such a small amount of time?!" Celegriath didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded matured, authoritative, and a tad snobby. 'Must be an Aldmer,' the Falmer thought to himself.
"Do not twist my words, Aran. I simply told you Auriel gives aid to those who fight for survival." He recognized Erelhin's voice immediately. But that name….where had he heard it before?
"Regardless, this type of retaliation is unprecedented. They have a force much larger than your reports initially suggested. The Aldmeri Dominion will not-"
"Enough." Celegriath's eyes widened at the sound of the voice that had interrupted the man named Aran. It was the voice of his queen. She sounded the same as she did five years ago, calm, collected, and calculating. "This meaningless bickering will not stand. Aran, even you cannot deny the threat these humans pose. We are pacted by blood to assist one another in these events of survival. If they destroy us they will come for you next. The fact that this is even a matter of discussion is an offense to centuries of alliance." There was a silence after she spoke as Celegriath took in the information he had just overheard. The humans? Destroying us? What was going on? The silence was broken by Aran.
"I disagree. You attacked them, remember? You think it's a coincidence the first settlement they attacked was Saarthal? They're here for revenge, Mafrelda, even you must see that! My people were given no time to prepare for allout war! You told me the removal of Man would be as if to remove a thorn from your side!"
"I miscalculated," came the queen's simple response.
"Yes, you did. And now you must suffer for it. The Aldmeri need time before we jump into your war. Until then I am afraid you are on your own." Another moment of silence while the information was processed. "Now, I suggest you all enjoy the remainder of the festival, we leave at Auriel's Waking Hour. Good day."
Suddenly a few sets of footsteps marched towards the door Celegriath had his ear pressed against. He quickly moved out of the way and stood at attention, like he was supposed to be guarding. The doors swung open as three Aldmeri stepped out of the room. They all wore golden armor, designed to look like its platings were the feather of an eagle. The one at the front Celegriath guessed to be Aran, seeing as the two mer following him looked to be guards. The Aldmer wore a grand crown upon his head, in the shape of an eagle spreading its wings. He also wore a dark red cloak, even further promoting the sense of royalty. 'Subtle,' Celegriath thought to himself as he concluded that he was currently looking at the King of the Aldmer. He claimed himself king of all eleven kind, but this was mostly ignored by the other mer, and it became in large just a title.
Aran was shorter than Celegriath, but he still managed to seem like he was looking down on him when he casted a glance in the snow elf's direction.
"I suppose there's a reason you're standing there?" he spoke with a raised eyebrow.
"I was summoned here, my lord," the Falmer stated in a formal voice.
"By whom?"
"Erelhin, sir."
The Aldmer rolled his eyes. "I'll never understand your people's obsession with that god and his priests. Well, the mood is a bit glum I'm afraid. But good luck in there." And with that the King moved swiftly on, his guards following close behind.
Celegriath stood there, confused for a moment before entering the hall hesitantly. The Aldmer had been right about the mood, he felt it immediately when he entered the room. His queen had a hand pressed against her forehead as she leaned forward slightly with her eyes closed. Erelhin was sitting across from her, fidgeting with her robe and looking extremely uncomfortable, which was unlike her. They didn't seem to notice Celegriath's presence until he spoke.
"Arch-Curate, you...called for me? Is it a bad time?" the confused elf asked, staring at the queen, still not being able to believe he was standing so close to her. He had so many questions about what he had heard. The idea of humans returning to the Homeland was far from comforting. With a desire for revenge? A massive army? The more Celegriath thought about it the more it felt like his stomach was twisting around itself inside of him. Erelhin seemed to finally snap out of her daze and looked at Celegriath in surprise.
"Ah, yes of course! My favorite visitor." She spoke with a soft smile, and her anxious expression seemed to lose some of its harshness when she spoke, but the worry stayed in her eyes. "I was just...meeting with the leaders of the land to discuss some things. This is Celegriath, your grace, the one I was telling you about," she stated looking back towards the queen.
When Celegriath refocused on Winter's Queen she was staring at him with her icy, crystal like eyes. She was a beautiful mer, her hair long and elegant, white as the snow. She had very sharp, defined features, demanding the attention of the room wherever she went. She wore a silver crown with light blue opals and sapphires planted neatly in the center. Her dress was covered by the occasional piece of moonstone armor, and she had a dark silver sword strapped to her waist. She well was known for her skill in battle, and so were all of the Royal Family. She wore two light blue and gold earrings, one on each ear, another sign for royal blood. The queen was sitting forward in her chair, and she seemed to be studying Celegriath with interest.
"I know who you are. I have not forgotten the shame you brought upon your long respected bloodline with your sympathies towards mankind," the woman stated firmly, not breaking her eyes away from him for a second. Celegriath could not help but cast a glance downwards. He had become all too familiar with the feeling of shame. "Perhaps you will feel less sympathetic when you are defending your home from them. I have matters to attend to. Erelhin, when you're done with him I must speak with you further." And with that she brushed path Celgriath to the large doors leading back to the temple, royal Falmer guards falling in behind her as she swiftly left the room.
The doors shut firmly, and Celegriath let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. Erelhin moved up to him quickly, placing a hand gently on his cheek.
"I'm glad you came, we have much to discuss," she said, quickly directing him to the seat facing hers before sitting in front of him. "So first you must tell me how things are coming along. The nightmares, do they persist?"
Celegriath looked at her incredulously. "Yes, but-"
"So my protection charms haven't worked. By the Eight!" Erelhin cursed, thoroughly interrupting him. "Then my suspicions are confirmed, this is purely mental distress based off of your post trauma."
"I thought we already knew-," Celegriath shook his head. "Erelhin, could you please explain to me what I just walked into. Humans? Back on the Homeland? What was that all about?"
But the priestess didn't seem to hear him. "You should be doing activities to keep your mind off of things. Have you been practicing your magic? Those scrolls I gave you were expensive, you know."
"Erelhin."
"You should find someone to take your mind off of things for a while as well. You've been separating yourself from the others again, haven't you? Me and you should do something together at the festiv-"
"Erelhin! What is wrong with you?"
She finally silenced herself, her excited bubbly mask of an expression crumbling and revealing the true sadness and despair she was feeling. Her face fell into her hands, and she spoke softly. "It's all come apart, Celegriath... dark clouds block out our future... Auriel has abandoned us. All the gods have." Celegriath looked at her in shock.
"How can you say such terrible things? How could you speak as if all is already lost?" He watched as several tears trailed down her wrists. They sat there for a long while before Erelhin managed to regain some control over her emotions and sat up, looking Celegriath in the eyes.
"Because we have," the Arch-Curate stated flatly. "I have had visions, although they feel more like nightmares. The sun dims...the stars fade...I fall into an abyss as the newcomers from the east bury me there. It is dark, I am alone, and afraid. All warmth has left my body. But suddenly a welcoming hand comes out, a light in the dark. I run to it, but the hand clamps down around my head, and suddenly all is dark again..." Tears start to form in her eyes once again. "Mankind will be our undoing."
And there we are, first chapter done. Thanks for reading! I know this was short but I wanted this chapter to be like a taste test of sorts. Plus if I don't publish this I'll keep making little tweeks and stuff until I never get to it. Promise the next one will be longer. If you have any constructive criticisms don't hesitate to let me know. I have ADD, so inconsistencies are more than a little likely Im sorry to say. More on the way soon!