Disclaimer – Don't own Elder Scrolls III
A/N I'm taking a break from Mech based fics and since I play it so often figured I'd give a Morrowind fic a try. This started as a Self insert but I didn't really like how it turned out that way so I bled it down to just a first person story. In my game I have a few Mods installed that I'll mention at the end of this chapter. So if you see a Mod you know, or that's yours, I'll be acknowledging which I used at the end.
From Mournhold
Chapter 1
To the east, to Morrowind
My vision was cloudy, filled with mist. It felt as though I were wandering through both a fog and a sandstorm. Faintly in the distance I heard a voice call to me. With no choice I followed its call. Suddenly the ground beneath my feet gave way and I fell.
I fell forever it seemed. As I fell through the darkness I heard the voice again.
They have been brought from the imperial city.
First by carriage and now by boat, to the east, to Morrowind.
Land of your mother's ancestry.
Your own fate bound to that of its people.
My fall began to slow and eventually I felt me feet touch ground though all I could see was a void. Suddenly a white flash of light filled my vision and for a moment I was blinded. Then as my sight returned I saw before me a half moon shaped grotto set into an outcropping of rock. The ground inside the grotto was covered in fine bladed green grass and a pool of crystal clear water sat at its center.
The pool looked almost 15 feet from one side to the other and the grotto itself seemed almost twice that. I chanced a glance behind me; the path back was dirt with grass at its sides surrounded by towering walls of rock that stretched back into a cave opening of some kind. I also became aware of just how tired I felt. I turned to look at the water again. It was clean and appeared to have no stream feeding it. I approached the pool intent to drink.
As I cupped my hands in the water to drink I took not of myself. Nothing was out of place except that I was nude. Being as this was certainly some form of dream I actually didn't find that odd really. My hair fell to the middle of my back and was a deep brown, something I'm told came from my mothers side. I stood about 5'6 like most other men or mer, my body was toned and curved, and my eyes held their normal deep red. The only real thing that separated me from any other Dunmer, the mark of my father's blood in me, was my skin tone. Which was somewhere between my mothers dark skin and his light tanned skin, but leaned more toward my mothers dark skin.
My kind are known as "Stone Elves" collectively and result from Dunmer couplings with the Bosmer of Valenwood. I'm something of an accident really. My mother was, and still is mind you, a member in good standing of the Mournhold (also called Almalexia now) branch of the Fighters Guild. My father, unsurprisingly, was a member of the Thieves Guild and acted as an informant for them. How they came to be in the same bed I don't know. The subject wasn't a comfortable one for my mother, and once I became old enough to understand these things I knew better than to ask. My own first experience with these matters was at 13, not too unusual for Dunmer I'm told. My father stuck around long enough after that to hear my mother was pregnant and took off. The Guild put out a bounty on him and when word "slipped" that he had been passing information to the Fighters Guild the Thieves Guild placed one as well.
While my opinions of the Thieves Guild is rather...low…they can be an efficient lot when the pay is right of they feel threatened. So by now one of the guilds had placed him in his grave. My opinion of Bosmer in general isn't much better, reason for that is self explained. Perhaps it was growing up surrounded by Dunmer but the only other races of Men and Mer I have any real respect for are Imperials and Redguard. Redguard are a hardy lot and excellent fighters, their skin not too different than our own. While Imperials have ability in whatever they should deside to apply themselves to. Both also have the tendency to be excellent lovers, as I speak from experience, though I still prefer Dunmer partners.
My own heritage was frowned upon growing up and not discussed. My lighter colored skin singled me out among other Dunmer in Mournhold though it was still dark enough that most though me a Dunmer. Even my own grandmother, though she and my mother both loved me dearly, they didn't love my heritage too much. Both were members of the Temple and did everything in their power to raise me as would befit a Dunmer and stamp out what ever "vile Bosmer" traits that would appear. My grandmother, a mage by trade, going so far as to even create a spell "Purity" that would slowly purge the unwanted blood traits. And thankfully they succeeded. Like them I also joined the Temple, and sitting around the hearth with my cousins listening to my grandmother tell stores or read the sermons of Vivic are some of my fondest memories. My cousins accepted me rather readily which helped some. My eldest cousin Verine made it into the Ordinator ranks, though he was forced to mover to Vivec soon after. Being Temple devout my mother thought it fitting to name me after one of her own childhood heroes, Nervine Reidan is my name. My name derived from that of St Nerevar.
I followed my mother into the Fighters Guild when I came of age and like her I found proficiency with most types of blade. I did not however pick up her skill with throwing knives, daggers, or bows. When it came to the magical arts I fully shunned any I had in favor of my Dunmer traditions. Other than that I really didn't hold much magical ability though I made up for this through enchantments. The only spell I ever learned was the Purity spell created by my grandmother.
As my thoughts returned to my current place I felt my self drop back from the pool and as my rear hit the ground my vision began to swim and darken. As the darkness finally closed around me I heard the voice again.
Fear not, for I am watchful.
"Hey…wake up. Come on get up already. Get up you damned elf woman"
I groaned as I tried to roll over and swat at the annoyance I assumed to be on of my cousins and promptly found my self dumped onto the floor. After a moment on the wooden flood I remembered exactly where I was. I had gone to the Imperial City on a contract from the Guild. No sooner had I arrived than I was stuffed into a carriage and hauled to a port I didn't recognize. Then I was handed a packet of documents (death threat if opened), striped of my sword, armor, and enchantments and tossed into the hold of a ship with only the cloths I wore. Thankfully my bag and the things within were left to me. My bag I would have killed over as it had a light feather enchantment on it given to me by a friend at the Guild. My clothing was simply 2 common shirts, one red with a black vest like attachment and one a beep brown that hugged my figure and two pairs of pants, one black and one brown. I was wearing the red shirt with the vest attachment and the brown pants. My brown leather boots came to just above mid calf. And on my finger sat an ALMSIV Intervention Ring with an intervention enchantment that had belonged to my mother, it was a simple golden band with a red center set gem. My book was also still there. For each of our fifth birthdays my grandmother gave each of us a simple book with a red cover with black border. Inside she wrote out our two favorite tales of the ALMSIVI, for me it was Lives of the Saints and Saryoni's Sermons. We were to each add to our books as time passed to show out faith. Also still in my ownership was my coin pouch and the 300 septims there in.
What I lost was my Steel Spider Blade which was an enchanted steel short sword, a gift from the Guild for reaching the rank of Warder. I lost my Shield Belt which had a 2nd Barrier shield enchantment on it, my cloak which I had had a local clother make from a brown common robe by slitting the front open and removing the sleeves, my Imperial Chain Cuirass, my round Netch Leather Shield, and my gloves which were made from soft fibers and protected my hands well enough.
As I righted myself I looked to the one who had accosted me, a Nord woman in imperial steel cuirass and boots with a steel claymore across her back. She was around a full head taller than me. Other than the scowl on her face she was actually quite attractive.
"Get up and get on deck, we've arrived"
I was only moments from telling her where to shove that steel claymore of hers but though better of it. Nords were famous for their temper. Once I collected my bag and placed on my leather boots I followed the Nord to the deck hatch where she stopped.
"Hurry up and get on deck then, damned dark elf"
I climbed the ladder and stepped out onto the deck. What was her problem anyway? I mean it's nice to be called a Dark Elf even if they do prefer Dunmer but still. On deck I found one or two deck hands and a single guard, an imperial this time, dressed in full imperial chain armor standing next to the gangplank that lead to the dock. He motioned me over and then pointed toward a door at the end of the dock.
"You are to head down to the census office. You'll be given instruction from there"
I adjusted my bag which held my belongings and the document package.
"I'd like to know exactly what I'm suppose to be doing, and where I am for that matter"
"You're in the Morrowind province Vvardenfell district. As for what you're to be doing that I can't say as I don't know. You will receive further instruction inside"
I scowled and moved down the dock to the census office.
Inside the office I met an aging Breton with barely any hair on his head and wearing a long brown common robe. Off to his left stood an imperial legion trooper next to a broad door.
"Ahh good we've been expecting you. Now we'll have to record you before allow you entry. Do you have the packet with you?"
I nodded and patted my bag.
"It's safe"
He nodded.
"Very good then, you are to deliver that to the Weapons Master of the Balmora Fighters Guild. He will know what to do with it and will give you instructions on your assignment given to you by the guild"
I nodded, at last a strait answer. The Breton placed a piece of paper and quill on the desk next to us.
"I've already added your information from the records. Please review it and add any skills you may have"
I looked over the paper quickly. Simply wanting to get out of this place, deliver this package, do whatever job the Guild needed, and then go home.
Current Date - 25 Firstseed
Name - Nervine Reidan
Birth Date – 5 Lastseed
Sign – The Warrior
Parent/Known Kin – Serdine Reidan (mother)
Known Affiliations – Fighters Guild, Tribunal Temple
Rank/s – Warden, Novice
Reason for Travel – Business, to deliver documents to Weapons Master at Balmora Fighters Guild and receive further instruction.
Not much information on me, which was good. The less details the Empire had the better. Wanting to be out as quickly as I could, I listed some of my skills. I was proficient with long blade, short blade, shield, light and medium armor (couldn't stand the bulk of heavy), I was a decent armorer, fairly athletic, and had knowledge of Alchemy. While most consider Alchemy to be a magical subject, knowledge of what herbs and plants can do is essential to survival in the wilds. And fighters such as me do spend time there. I handed the complete form to him. He dribbled some candle wax onto the bottom and then pressed a seal from his pocket into the still molten wax. Once it cooled and the impression of the seal solid he handed it back.
"Go through to the next building and speak to the captain. Show him your paper work and you'll be on your way"
I took the papers from his hand and moved towards the door which the guard opened and then shut behind me. Further down the hall I cane to a room with a bookshelf and baskets along one wall and a set of stairs leading down to another door. A table and benches sat in the center of the room. On the table sat a bowl, pitcher, knife, fork, spoon, cup, and plate all made from silver. In the plate lay some boiled crab meat and next to the pitcher sat a bottle of flin and some bread. I quietly and quickly ate the meat and stuffed the silverware and bread into my bag after wrapping the bread into the paper it sat on. Into the corner of the table, through a note, was stabbed and iron dagger which I also placed into my bag. I also took the silver plates from the book shelf along with a copy of The Firmament which described the birth signs.
Wanting to know what else I could find I went down the stairs and to the door, which was surprisingly unlocked. Inside I found 2 large kegs, some sacks with various food stuffs in them and 2 bed rolls. They weren't the greatest things in the world but would do. I rolled up one of them and emptied out on of the sacks and took the roll and empty sack with me back into the main room. There I took out the dagger and cut the sack into strips which I then tied together. I used one of the resulting two long strips to tie the roll together and used the other one to make something of a strap.
Now normally I would refrain from taking things like this but in my current situation the 300 septims I had would only last so long. Plus now I had to reequip myself from scratch. With the loot securely in my bag I slung it over one shoulder along with the roll and slipped out the back door and into the courtyard between the buildings. I was more than ready to get whatever job the Guild had for me over with and go home.
A/N well there it is.
Acknowledgements for mods I've used and will mentioned in this fic
Better Bodies
Better Books
Better Clothes
Biscuits Balmora House V3
A Grand Abode
Books of Vvardenfell 2.0
Magic Backpacks
Balmora Marketplace
Bonemold Weapons
Master Head Pack
New_Seyda_Neen_FINAL
Soulgem Ingredient Retexture
Westly_Presents_Half_Races_of_Tamriel
Westly_Presents_Night_Song_Armour
Ultimate Textures-Armor_and_Weapons
SteelBroadsword_Fix
After having used them for so long I won't even play unless these are installed. The mods by Westly are musts for me even if I don't always use them. The character I made for this was originally supposed to be a Dunmer but I decided on using a Stone Elf from the Half Races of Tamriel mod to help create a slightly more interesting character. I recommend these to anyone who wants to enhance their game for a better playing experience. They can be found at Planet Elder Scrolls except Better Clothes which will take some Google-fu to find.