The attack on Kvatch- The survivors story.
Eight days after the Daedra-crisis in Cyrodil was over, investigaters from Anvil and Skingrad began their investigation on the attack of Kvatch.
The newly transfered Anvil guard-captain Hieronymus Lex was in charge of it.
The reason for the investigation was to better understand Daedra attacks, and to be better prepared so that no other city would suffer the fate of Kvatch. Hieronymus red the half-finished investigation-report,that had been sent to him this morning, at the dinnertable in Castle Anvil.
He tried to ignore the constant chatting between Quill-Weave and Countess Milona Umbranox that for the moment were about the renovation of Beniruis manor in Anvil.
But he liked it here in Anvil, the warmth and the sun, Much warmer here than in the Imperial City and the warmth lasted the whole year. Everyone were more friendly than in the Imperial City too , he guessed it was the Gold Coast culture. He then rememberd that he had to reed the report, and began reading. The investigators had first made a base-fact list.
Kvatch was a medium sized city that had 57 civillian inhabitants and 19 guards.
Which made the total population 76 people,
This made it bigger than Bruma, Bravil and Chorrol but smaller than rest of the cities.
Of the 76 inhabitants only 18 survived that horrible night. 11 men and 7 women.
Hieronymus felt a shiver down his spine ,less than a fourth of the population had survived!!
More to add is that the attack started around half past 1 in the night. Most of the survivors were awake when the attack started. To survive, it was crucial to act fast not linger and the investigaters believe that most of the civillian victims realized what was happening far to late to be able to escape the city. The investigation team that went into the city, concludes that most of the civillian victims died inside their houses, about two thirds were killed by deadra, the rest died because of the fires that were set by the deadra, on most of the buildings in Kvatch.
He started reading the reports and statements from the few survivors.
Of the 18 survivors ,6 were highly trained guards. The guards statements are shorter because of the fact that all the interviews are not finished.
Savlian Matius(Imperial)- The Kvatch guard captain, had 21 years of experiance in the Kvatch Guard. Retired after the liberation of Kvatch and now works on the rebuilding of the city.
Berich Inian (Imperial)- his second in command. Had served 12 years in the Kvatch guard when the attack hit. He is now the new guard captain in Kvatch after Savlian retired.
Jesan Rilian (Imperial)- South gate guard originally from The Imperial City. Had served 2 years when the attack hit. After the liberation he decided to stay and help rebuild the city and still wants to work as a guard.
Merandil (Altmer)- Transfered from the Bravil Guard and had only served a month in the Kvatch guard. One of the two High Elfs in the Kvatch guard but only he survived. He has moved back to Bravil where he now works as a priest-apprentice in the chapel of Mara.
Ilend Vonius (Imperial)- The only survivor of the group of 5 soldiers (led by Menien Goneld who is persumed dead) who went into the oblivion gate to close it. Illend had served 4 years in the Kvatch Guard. They never succed but The Champion of Cyrodil later did. Ilend is now working on the reperations on the Kvatch wall and plans to open a tavern in in Kvatch when its rebuilt, of course together with his wife Tavia who also survived the attack.
Tierra (Redguard)- She were by the time the only woman in the Kvatch guard and had served 2 years when the attack hit. She was also the only Redguard in the Kvatch Guard. Hieronymos rememberd that Tierra had moved to Anvil a week after the attack and said that Kvatch had become a little to "ashy" for her taste. She is now a member of the Anvil Fighters Guild and have become very popular by Anvils inhabitants for here humer and easy-going nature.
The rest of the survivors were civillians ,12 to be more exact. Most of the civilian survivors were young ,fast and agile and were during the attack, close to the Kvatch city gate or the Chapel of Akatosh.
4 of the 12 civillians and 2 of the 6 guards (Tierra and Berich Inian) took refugee in the Chapel of Akatosh instead of escaping the city. They barricaded the chapel and held out for over 7 hours before the reinforcements arrived. Something to add is that all the 6 survivers in the chapel stated that they were 7 at the beginning but one Nord named Hjalmar did not make it through the night.
Brother Martin (Imperial)- priest of the chapel of Akatosh and much more later on. When the attack hit he instantly helped others to escape into the Chapel.
Lenka Valus (Imperial)- Waitress at the Arena tavern in north Kvatch, she states that she was on her way home from her work on the tavern and were just passing the Chapel of Akatosh when the attack hit, She ran against the wall gates but where cut of by a group of scamps, who forced her to run back against the square.
She met Guilbert Selone at the square and they helped each other flee from the deadra, they both witnessed the chapel tower getting struck by a great fireball and collapsing. She states that she saw several fleeing priests and healers getting crushed by the falling tower. The collapsed tower blocked their way to the Kvatch gate, which forced them to change their target to the Chapel of Akatosh instead. They made their way to the chapel and was helped inside by Brother Martin,She states they had to spend "maybe 6-7 hours" in the Chapel.
Lenka states that Guilbert passed out numerous times and that she had to wake him up during the time they spent in the chapel.. She also states that one Nord man she dont know the name on collapsed and died during the wait for rescue, Lenka states that she and Oleta desperatly tried to save him but sadly it was in vain.
When the rescue came she were transfered to the refugee camp outside Kvatch were she lived for 2 weeks. Her only injury was two broken ribs which she got when one of the scamps that chased her struck her in her left side. But when she got in to the chapel, the healer Oleta could heal the injury in only an half hour.
She currently lives at the Faregyl inn close to Bravil, the inn dept is paid by The chapel of Julianos. Fellow survivor Guilbert Selone is also staying here, and they are said to have a close friendship.
Oleta (Redguard)- A healer who worked in the chapel of Akatosh, Before the attack she was taking a nap in one of the beds in the chapel.(she worked nightshift there) , when she was waken up by the noise of the attack. She states that she saw a group priests and healers flee the chapel, She decided to run after them but the same second she got out the chapel tower collapsed over the escping people and missed her by mere inches. She decided to run back into the chapel and together with Brother Martin (who had not tried to flee the Chapel) they barricaded the chapel and helped in other civillians and guards. Because of her healing expertice, she was the one who healed and treated all the people who made it into the chapel.
She states she had never seen such serious burn-injurys in her 22 years as a healer, as the ones that were on the two guards (Tierra and Berich Inian) who stumbeld into the chapel, three hours after the attack had started. She states that it took more an half hour of intense healing spells to even make Berich Inian recognizeable again. Something to add is that the both guards surely would have died if Oleta had not been there to help them. She then states that the time they had to wait for help , "felt like an eternity", because of the extreme heat in the chapel which forced them to ration the little water they had.
Oleta states that the worst part was when an old nord beggar named Hjalmar who had made it into the chapel, died out of dehydration just two hours before help arrived, Oleta guesses that Nords are more sensitive to heat than other races. She states that the guards had to throw out the body because of the smell and the risk for desise. She states that Hjalmars death made her almost lose hope the for survival
But help finally arrived after seven long hours.
And when the oblivion gate was closed she was escorted to the refugee camp outside Kvatch, where she lived for one week. Her only injurys was when she recived some cut wounds in the face from the splitter of the falling chapel tower.
But she stated that she could easily heal the wound when she got back in the chapel.
She currently lives with her daugher Clesa and Clesas husband Ernest in the Horse whisperer stable outside Anvil (Clesa is the owner of the stable). Oletas husband Orrus, who were sleeping at their house close to the arena (In North Kvatch) did not survive the attack.
Another thing to add is that she is the only civillian survivor who was awarded the Cyrodil Honor award for outstanding actions. All the surviving guards also recived the award.
Guilbert Selone (Breton). A merchant who owned Guilberts books that was cituated close to the square. He states that he was sleeping when the attack hit, and woke up. He then ran out to see what was happening. He grabbed a short dagger on the way out, But when he stepped out the first thing he saw was Lenka Valus being chased by two scamps.
Guilbert saved her by stabbng the scamps from behind ,wounding them and gave them time to run.
He and Lenka helped and suported each other on the short but dangerous way to the chapel, where they were helped in by Brother states that he has a very vage memory of the time he spent inside the chapel, but he vagely remebers that one of the other survivors died during the wait for rescue. He also remembers that Lenka numerous times had to keep him from getting unconcius, He states that he is thankful for this , because otherwise he might have suffered the same fate as the nord. After seven long hours, help arrived and he was tranfered to the refugee camp were he stayed for two weeks.
He only recived a few bruisers during the attack and no serius injury.
He currently lives at the Faregyl inn close to Bravil with the inn dept payed by the chapel of Julianos. During the attack he formed a close friendship with Lenka Valus who also resides at the Faregyl in.
-hey Hiro! What are you reading?
Hieronymus looked up from the sheet of parchments, Quill-Weave had taken a seat next to him.
,,Hiro? Everyone at Castle Anvil had started to call him that, even the Countess herself ,sigh
-The Kvatch-Investigation report, he answerd tiredly.
-Oh,, one of my cousins was killed in the attack, He were a member of the Fighers Guild there so I dont think he just gave up though, Quill-Weave said sadly.
-Sorry for your loss Quill-Weave, he said in a soothing tone
-Oh its fine, we were never that close but I feel so sorry for his wife in Black Marsh, he was working here so he could send money to her and their children. I have started to send money to them now, My latest book is still number one on the Tamriel best-seller list so money is my least problem.
-Well I thats very kind of you to do that , but if you excuse me I have to finish reading this report today, He said in a polite tone
-Oh sorry for distracting you, you just seemed so concentrated that I got curious ,good luck with the report, she said quickly
-Thanks, nice talking to you, he said honestly, Quill-Weave is quite sympatic after all and not as stuck up as he thought of her the first time they met.
She got up and sat down next to Dairihill the countess steward and imediently started to gossip about Mirabelle Monets daily scandals.
He started to read again.
8 of the civillian survivors made it out of the city during the attack, the investigation has concluded that they escaped in a certain order-
First Batul gro Sharob and Tavia then Ilav Dralgoner and then Athrelor and after him Sigrid, Boldon and Weedum-Ja, and as the last Hirtel.
All of the theese survivers supposebly escaped the city during a 15 minute interwall. After that, it was to late to escape the city.
Here are their witness statements on the attack.
Ilav Dralgoner (Imperial)- Priest in the Chapel of Akatosh. Ilav is a clear case of post-dramatic stress disorder and is only rambling on about the end of life as we know it and the fall of Cyrodil. Even though the Champion of Cyrodil and Martin Septim stopped the Deadra and the prince of destruction. Currently examined by experts in the Arcane University and will probably stay there for a long time. This is why there is no witness-statement from him.
Weedum-Ja (Argonian)- Receptionist at "The Gold Coast Border inn" in western Kvatch. She states that she had gotten home from work at 12am and went straight to bed. She then states she was waken up by loud crash ,she then went up and saw through the window that the Kvatch Mages Guild chapter across the street had collapsed.
When she ran out to help, a dremora attacked her, she manged to dodge the sword and punched the dremora in the stomach which made it stagger. She decided to flee but was grabbed grabbed in the arm by the dremora. Before it had the chance to stabb her the dremora was killed by a frost spell from the Mages Guild evoker Sigrid. Who had managed to escape the burning Mages Guild.
Thé two of them decided to work together to get out of the city alive. They choosed to run against the south gate and on the half way they were joined by Boldon who escaped his burning house the same time they ran past it. Everywhere around them, buildings collapsed because of the fire and they could hear the screams of people who were trapped inside the burning buildings.
She states that she had never felt so powerless and panicked before, and the only thing they could do was to keep on running before they themselves got crushed by a building or killed by daedra. When they were getting closer to the gate they saw that the whole town guard was fighting with the deadra and keeping them ocupied so that civillians would have a chance to escape. Once the small group got out of the city and past the Oblivion gate,they ran down the narrow road down the Kvatch mountain.
They later met more survivors that had started to settle a refugee camp at the foot of Kvatch hill. The three of them decided to stay there.
Weedum-Ja lived in the refugee camp for two weeks but currently lives at her older sister Mach-Nas house in Cheydinhal.
Weedum-Ja is also the civillian survivor who recived the most injuries during the attack. She broke her right hand when she punched the dremora, she recived a severe burndamage on her left arm when the dremora grabbed her, and she was hit in the right leg during the escape by splitter from a collapsing building. She states she has to go once a week to the healer in the Cheydinhal chapel for treatment of the place were the dremora touched her, in at least two more months, a big evidence of how dangerous dremora really are.
She is still in contact with Sigrid and Boldon and they visit each other regulary.
They formed a strong friendship during that night. Weedum-Ja also travels to Kvatch once a week to help with the rebuilding.
Sigrid (Nord)-Evoker at the Kvatch Mages Guild chapter. She is the only surviving mages guild member in Kvatch. She states that she was reading at the dinnertable on the ground floor in the Kvatch mages guild when the attack hit.
Suddenly the guildhall was put on fire, she states ran and woke up two other mages who were sleeping at the ground floor. They were just going to go up and wake up everyone else but then the pillars were yielding and they only had seconds to get out. They got out the same time the whole Mages Guild chapter collapsed with 4 guildmembers still inside it. Sigrid and the other two guildmembers (two apprentices, one Bosmer named Lianol and one Imperial named Fiona Vetius) then ended up in spellcasting-duels with a group dremora-mages more than twice as many as them, outside the collapsed guild.
The other guildmembers were killed after less than a minute, but not before taking many dremoras with them. (Sigrid states that she feel very bad for not being able to protect the two appreentices and that she know this is what she will have most trouble getting over.)
She then says that she saw Weedum-Ja being attacked by a Dremora across the street, she killed the dremora with a frost spell and she and Weedum-Ja decided to team up to get out of the city alive.
Here her story is the same as Weedum-Jas until they reached the refugee camp. She states that she recived her worst injury when a dremora-mage hit her on her left shoulder with a shock-spell which broke her collar-bone. Otherwise she only had a few bruisers. She lived in the refugee camp for two weeks but were later taken in by the Chorrol Mages Guild chapter, were she still lives. She had formed a close friendship with Weedum-Ja and Boldon ,and the three of them still keep contact.
Boldon (Redguard)- The owner of the "The Gold Coast Border inn" . States that he had just gone to bed in his private quaters at the inn but had not fallen asleep yet. He suddenly started to smell smoke. When he got out of his rome he saw that the Inn lobby was on fire. He instantly ran up the stairs to the inn-rooms where he woke up the only guest, Hirtel who were staying at the inn due to renovations at his own house.
But when they tried to escape the burning inn Hirtel tripped and were left behind by the unknowing Boldon, When Boldon just got out he realised that Hirtal was not with him, but when he decided to turn back in the whole inn collapsed. He sadly realised that Hirtel couldnt had made it. He then met up with Sigrid and Weedum-Ja and joined them in their escape from the city.
He lived at the refugee camp outside Kvatch for one week but currently lives with his daugher Tamika in her house in Skingrad. His divorced wife Rasheda is a merchant in Chorrol.
His only major injury was a burndamage on his left hand which he got when he touched the iron door handle to the inn, otherwise he only recived a few bruisers.
He formed a close friendship with Sigrid and Weedum-Ja during the attack and still keep contact with them.
Hirtel (Altmer)- Merchant and owner of the "Hirtels fine wares" in north Kvatch. Hirtel states that his shop/ house was being renovated and therefore he had lived at the "Gold Coast Border Inn" in south Kvatch for two days and were going to live there for two more. This lucky coincidence is the main reason he survived. If he would have slept at his house in north Kvatch he would not have had the time to escape.
He remembers that he were woken by the inns owner Boldon who said that the building was on fire and that they had to get out. But he says that he fell down in the lobby and that Boldon didnt notice it and got out. When he had got up again a bookshelf had fallen over the main door, blocking it. He ran for the back door and got out just in time before the whole building collapsed.
He states that he ran through the back alley and on to the main street where he could see Sigrid, Weedum-Ja and Boldon running a hundred meters ahed of him.
They couldnt hear his calls because of the noice of the attack. He also says ,that while running he looked back, he states that he saw a few armed fighter guild members run past the collapsed mages guild in the same direction he were running, But they were suddenly crushed by the collapsing house opposite to the Mages Guild.
When he ran for the south gate ,he saw a small group of guards fight against dozens of deadras, which kept them occipied so that he could escape. He is also the last civilian who managed to escape the city.
He ran down the hill and met all the other survivors who planned to settle a refugee camp there, something he thought was to risky. He decided to follow the Gold Road to Anvil where he informed several people on the road, of what had happend to his home-city.
He recived several bruisers during the attack but his biggest injury was a broken right arm when he tripped in the inn lobby. He currently lives at the Flowning Bowl at Anvil Portside. His Inn dept is paid by his aunt in Sommerset Isles.
Athrelor (Bosmer)- Merchant and owner of the " Luxuary Corner "(jeweler). He states that he were in his basement. And were sorting out gemstones when he felt an extreme heatpulse. He then heard a lot of comotion outside. When he got out, he saw that across the street that a large group of Dremora mages were putting the Mages Guild on fire. One of the Dremora noticed him and began to attack him, He choose to flee but were hunted by the dremora mage.
He fleed for his life but the dremora mage was gaining on him, just when it was about to catch him a female Kvatch Guard stepped out from the guard tower and saw what was happening, and killed the deadra stalking Athrelor. She then started to fight a group of scamps together with two other newly awaken guards. (the female guard was without a doubt Tierra) Athrelor says he decided to flee the city and he only focused on the Kvatch gate and didnt see what was happening around him.
When he got out, he ran down the Kvatch hill but decided to run off the path so that he would be harder to discover. He states he ran without stopping for about 5 minutes ,and then decided to stop and sleep by a large oak. When he woke up around 5am the sun had started to rise, he sneaked back against the Kvatch Hill. When he arrived he met other civillian survivors who informed him of what had happend to Kvatch.
He could see from the refugee camp that Kvatch was a burning ruin, he states that this were when he realised how big disaster he had survived. He stayed week at the refugee camp but currently lives with with his brother Rindir in the Market District in the Imperial City. He did not recive any injurys during the attack, but he got numerous scrapes and bruises when he ran in the woods.
Tavia (Redguard)- Waitress at the Arena Tavern. She worked together with Lenka Valus but her shift ended earlier than Lenkas. She say she visited her husband Ilend Vonius at the Kvatch Guard tower ,she states she stayed there for one hour. When Ilends night shift started she walked to their house close to the south gate.
She says that she had just gotten through the door when heard a series of damped explosions and then a series of loud crashes.(this was probably the Kvatch wall taking being hit by the attacking deadra) But when she peaked out of her door she didnt see anything out of order.
She then saw her neighbour Batul gra-Sharob peak out from her door. She says Batul walked out of her house and asked her about if she knew what was going on. But she states that she didnt had the time to answer beacuse then that moment the Daedra broke throgh the Kvatch wall.
She and Batul instantly ran towards the south gate, while doing this she states that half a dozen guards stormed out of the guard tower and started to battle with the daedra(Ilend being one of them) she remembers that she stopped and tried to turn around to aid her husband in the fight.
But Batul grabbed her arm and she reminded her that she would only distract Ilend and reminded her that Ilend could take care of himself, and that they had to get out of the city while they still could. Tavia states that she understood that Batul was right and the the two of them started to run again for the city gate. Tavia states that Batul had armed herself with a smith hammer and she killed two scamps that blocked their exit
They got through the South Gate and escaped the city(this made them the first civillians to escape the city). They ran down the hill but then decided to stay and build a campfire at the foot of the Kvatch hill so that they would be close to the city, to she how things turns out.
They expected that most most if the citys other civillians would arrive at their campfire soon.
But after an half hour only 5 other people had shown up.(Boldon, Sigrid ,Weedum-Ja, Hirtel, Ilav Dralgoner) Everyone decided that they would sleep in shift so that someone would always be ready to warn the others from danger. About 6 am in the morning Athrelor arrived at the refugee camp after sleeping in the woods, this made them think that only the 8 of them got out in time.
Tavia states she was worried sick about Ilend, but when the gate was closed and the Castle was liberated they could finally reunite. Tavia and Ilend lived in the refugee camp for three days after the attack but currently lives at the Gottshaw Inn and works with the rebuilding of Kvatch.
She is still a close friend to Batul gra Sharob.
Batul gra Sharob (Orc)- Smith and owner of "the Kvatch Fighter" a weaponry store by the south gate in Kvatch. She states that she was repairing swords in her basement when she heard a series damped explosions. She decided to go up and see what was going on. She remembers that she took a smith hammer with her, just in case.
When she peaked out her door she didnt notice anything odd, but there was still a lot of damped explosions from outside the city wall.
She then saw that her neighbour Tavia were also peaking out of her door. She states she walked over to her and asked if she knew what was going on. But Tavia did not have the time to answer because the daedra broke through the Kvatch wall the same second and began to fight against the Kvatch guard. Both of them instantly ran for the south gate. But she states that Tavia hesitated and wanted to help her husband Ilend. Batul states that she knew that Tavia would only distract Ilend if she tried to help and that they had to get out of the city. So she says she grabbed Tavias arm and reminded her of that.
Tavia understood the sense in what Batul were saying and followed her to the south gate. Batul states that she struck two scamps which blocked the way to the south gate, with the smith hammer she had taken with her. Both of the blows hit their heads and killed them. After that they escaped the city and ran down the Kvatch hill-road, she and Tavia decided to stay at the foot of Kvatch hill to see how things turns out.
Tavia made a campfire and Batul went to the Gottshaw inn and borrowed two tents which she and Tavia raised together. The innkeeper named Foroch later came with food and medicine so that they could help wounded survivors. Batul states expected that most of the other civillians would turn up soon, but after 15 minutes only 5 other civillians had arrived, she states that this made her realize how big disaster she had survived.
She also states that exept for the worry for all the other people in the city, Ilav Dralgoners constant screaming of the end of all life and the destruction of Cyrodil was the worst to face during the waiting for other survivors.
Batul states after an hour of screaming, she and Sigrid and Boldon had enough and together they threw him out of the camp. And told him to come back when he had calmed down.
She spent a week at the refugee camp but currently stays at her sister Umag gra Marad and her sisters husband Graman gro Marad in the Temple district in the Imperial City.
She is still a close friend to Tavia.
This was the survivors story of the attack of Kvatch.
When Hieronymus had finished the reading the report ha added some notes to a parchment, he had realized that one of the main reason there where so few survivors was that the city of Kvatch only had one gate in the wall.
There would have been more survivors if there whould have been a north gate as well. Several other cities in Cyrodil also had only one gate (Bravil Leyawiin Cheydinhal) and he noted to himself that he had to inform the counts of theese cities.
He also thought that one of the reasons were that people didnt wake up in time, which gave him an idea about an alarm bell that could be started when the town is attacked.
He wanted to present this idea to countess Milona Umbranox but decided to wait a little while. He wanted to tell her after the Memorial cermony in two days.
Two days later he were at the south gate of Kvatch, the city didnt smell like smoke and fire anymore.
16 of the survivors (Brother Martin had, as everyone knew, died to save Tamriel and Ilav Dralgoner were still being excamined in the Arcane University) stood in a row and watched the newly raised Memorial monument by the south gate.
More than a hundred other people from all parts of Cyrodil and Tamriel stood behind them.
The memorial mark was made of granite and was shaped as doomstone and about 3 meters high. A beutifully written text was situated on the highest part of it.
In memory of the 58 victims of the daedra attack on Kvatch
Their names and their destiny shall we never forget.
May the nines be with them.
Under the text there where three long columms wtih the names of the 58 victims.
The survivors joined with the Champion of Cyrodil (who resently had saved whole Tamriel and was the one who had closen the Kvatch gate)
walked to the memorial mark and each of them put a Ladys Mantle by it. (a yellow flower that is usual around Kvatch)
When they went back ten archers raised their bows and shot a salute into the sky. The very same time the sun shined through the clouds and gazed up on the ruins of Kvatch, making it look like the city was glowing.
That moment Hieronymus got sure of one thing .
Kvatch will rise again.