Hey everyone. Sorry I deleted the previous story but it was too big a project to take on at this time. This story, however, is significantly shorter - the whole thing will be about 6000 words and we're starting off with an extra long 'pilot' installment! Please remember to leave feedback and enjoy the story!
Important knowledge for the story!
For the record, it is set around 4E 177. The Great War has finished and the Empire accepted the White-Gold Concordat which, among other terms, ceded a large part of Hammerfell to the Thalmor from the Empire. The Redguards, feeling cheated, refused to accept the term and so Emperor Titus Mede II renounced Hammerfell as part of the Empire. This meant that Hammerfell could continue the war with the Thalmor, which ended in 4E180 when the Thalmor were kicked out of Hammerfell.
"Men of Taneth! The time has come for you to step forward and rid this great nation of the Thalmor scum! Now you must swear allegiance to the flag of our ruling family and take up your arms! All men between the age of 18 years and 45 years of age must report to the barracks and amouries for an evaluation and to be handed arms and armour. There are no excuses! Women, consider it your duty to encourage your men to go! Be they husbands, fathers, sons, brothers or cousins they must fight for you, they must fight for Taneth and they must fight for Hammerfell!"
The Redguard herald stood on a podium in the town square, wearing his own armour and sword. On either side of the podium soldiers marched out and began shepherding the men off to the barracks. The women watched in silence, some crying as the square was gradually emptied.
Iman watched the event unfurl from the balcony in the House of the Lords that overlooked the giant plaza. Her face was fixated into a grimace as she dissected the situation. It was such a shame to see the population of Taneth halved but she realised that it was a necessity - the armies of the Aldmeri Dominion were marching ever closer to city - the city of Elinhir had been the first to fall, collapsing under a three month seige and it was said that there was fierce fighting on the fringes of Rihad, which was a lot closer to Taneth than Elinhir was.
"Sister? Are you okay?" Iman turned round and saw her older brother, Kematu, standing there, dressed in full Hammerfell garb, his blue hood denoting the fact that he came from Taneth. His scimitar at his side glinted menacingly.
"Yes, dear brother, I... it's just I am concerned for yours and father's safety. Kematu smiled at his younger sister and embraced her.
"Iman, you must learn to relax. Father is the greatest warrior this country has ever seen. I have witnessed first-hand the brutality with which he deals with the Thalmor, and you must have heard the stories told by the soldiers. Remember, all the cities in Hammerrfell produce soldiers. Here in Taneth, we produce warriors."
Iman was slightly reassured at this - it was true that there had been great tales of her father - stories of how he had led just 700 men from Taneth across the Alik'r desert and had almost single-handedly been responsible for pushing the Aldmeri Dominion back across the border and into Cyrodiil, sending them into hiding in the Imperial City and forcing the Thalmor to sign the White-Gold Concordat. Of course, if Karrod knew what the terms of the Concordat were, he wouldn't have stopped at the Imperial City.
"Now come on, dear sister, come down and say goodbye to father and me." As the two siblings walked through the mansion Iman noticed that the serving staff now consisted of an exclusively female company.
"Kematu, are you and father taking the entire male population of Taneth to fight the Thalmor?" Kematu nodded grimly.
"Father is taking no chances. He says that if Hammerfell cannot be governed by Imperials, than it shall govern itself. He really has taken the split from the Empire to heart."
"It wasn't just father who felt the pain, Kematu. Every Redguard worth his salt was stabbed in the back that day."
Both Kematu and Iman looked round, searching for where this new voice was coming from. Then, out of the shadows, their sibling, Kellen, stepped forward. Kematu relaxed as he realised he wasn't in danger.
"Not every male is going off to fight the Dominion, sweetest, kindest sister," Kellen said, "father believes that I have more of a career in politics and so has left me here to look after the weak-willed and the women, all the while him and Kematu will be off gaining glory and riches by the cartload."
Kematu laughed and slapped Kellen's shoulder, who winced at the contact. "Come now, brother, father has always had our interests at heart. He doesn't just see you as a noble in a court, he sees you as a leader. Surely that must count for something in his favour?"
Kellen simply bowed his head as the three of them made it to the atrium of the house. There stood their father, Karrod, a great imposing Redguard, who stood at 6 and three quarters feet tall with hands the size of plates. Hands which were outstretched as far as they could reach while two squires ran about him, buckling up leather armour and fastening various daggers about his giant person. Finally the squire handed him his scimitar, which was about the size of the average greatsword. When his children wheeled the corner and saw him, he was busy talking to his generals.
"What news of the fight at Rihad?
"Not good, my lord. The Thalmor have breached the outer wall, but the commander of the guard has managed to hold them between the outer wall and inner wall. The situation seems stalemate, but there have been a steady stream of Aldmeri soldiers coming across the border from Cyrodiil and marching straight for Rihad."
When Karrod looked away from his generals and saw his three children standing there he waved away the squires and opened his arms in an embrace. Iman immediately split from her two brothers and ran into his arms where he engulfed her.
"Ah, Iman, it's so good to see you! It seems like we have no time together at all!"
"Why must you leave father?" Iman said, tears starting to form in her eyes, "you only just got back from fighting for the Empire."
"Fighting for the Empire was a mistake," he boomed, standing fully upright and dwarfing his daughter, "I fight now to protect you, and your mother and your younger brother, not the interests of some foolish Imperial."
"As do I," Kematu said, stepping forward. Karrod laughed and slapped his eldest son on the back.
"Of course you do, my boy!" He roared, "together, you and me will send the Thalmor scum fleeing back to Summerset Isle, and fortune will flood Taneth for years to come! Now, all three of you must come along with me - your mother is already waiting to say goodbye at the main gate."
And so the big man wheeled round and strode off out of the atrium and straight into the square, where he was greeted by a large crowd of soldiers and women, all cheering his name.
"Karrod!"
"Gods bless the Protector of Taneth!"
"Mercy on him and the Alik'r of Taneth!"
Karrod looked up and waved at the baying crowds, and then marched, children behind him, along the Divine Road which ran straight to the main gate. The crowds along the road were seven deep in some places, but gradually thinned out and became less of a cheering mob of civilians and more structured ranks of Alik'r soldiers, all commanded by officers who were dressed in ornate armours of gold which had been layered on top of strong steel. Karrod and Kematu were of course wearing the most ornate armour of all - ebony, which had been sculpted around their bodies, almost as if the suits were a second skin. When the Alik'r regiments saw Karrod and Kematu they raised their scimitars high in the air and roared their approval. Karrod and Kematu returned the honour, waving their own weapons high above their heads. Karrod made his way to the platform that had been hastily set up for him. When he had reached it, he brought his hands down in a cutting motion, silencing the whole crowd.
"Regiments of Taneth! You are the finest soldiers ever to have been raised from Hammerfell! Time and time again you fought for the Empire! And for what?! For them to turn around and abandon us? Now, it is the Redguards against the Aldmeri Dominion! You no longer fight for a decrepit old man who sits on a throne and lets you die for him! You fight for Hammerfell now! You fight for Taneth!"
The Alik'r roared and cheered for their leaders. A horn went up somewhere on the wall of Taneth and the great gates opened out onto the Alik'r desert. Kematu and Karrod stepped down from the poium and climbed onto their horses and joined the rest of the generals and other commanders. Karrod drew his sword and pointed out the gate.
"Forward, men of Taneth! Send the Thalmor home, dead or alive!"
The commanders charged out the gate, followed by thousands of Alik'r soldiers who simply poured out. Along with them went wagons of tents, arrows, medical supplies and food, ready for a lengthy campaign. Their movement was sped along by the citizens of Taneth, who waved from the walls of the city and cheered for them until they disappeared behind the dunes, at which point the great gate was closed, due never to open until Karrod gave the order.
Iman waited at the great gate until the great iron bars were slid across it, keeping it closed. She could feel her eyes starting to water and turned to find her brother, Kellen, for support. However, he wasn't there. She turned right around and saw him walking back along the Divine Road towards the palace.
"Kellen!" She ran after him, but he did not slow down; if anything, his pace quickened. She finally caught up with him just as they entered the palace.
"Kellen – are you okay?" She touched his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.
"Don't pretend to have sympathy for me – the only men you cared for in our family have just left, and hopefully never to return."
Iman was shocked. "How could you say such a thing?" She whispered, hands over her mouth.
"Father didn't care for me at all! All this bullshit about wanting me to go into politics – he simply wanted me off the battlefield so nobody could see how embarrassing his youngest, weakest son is to him! Good riddance if he dies, and Kematu as well! I know what he's trying to do – he's driving a wedge between me and you, sweet, dear sister. He wants me isolated from the rest of the family. I'm sick to death with the lot of you!"
Iman was now crying outright now, tears pouring down her face.
"You are the worst person in this entire city Kellen!" She screamed, running away from him, "I wish you had gone with father – there would have been a chance you wouldn't return then as well!" She ran past the guards and straight to her rooms, where she shut the door and bolted it.
Kellen watched her go. 'Kematu has done a good job on you', he thought as he walked in the opposite direction from where she went, 'you wait – when you see what I have in store for this city you will see me for the genius that I am."
Thanks for reading guys! I appreciate it very much and hope you'll stay tuned for the next installment, which will be in about 24 hours' time. I am looking at doing more of these origins of characters and their quests so if you have any suggestions for me to do after Saadia/Iman then please leave them in a review or message me! Also, please feel free to correct me in my Lore if I have got any of it wrong - my sources are mainly the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages, the Imperial Library website and the Skyrim wiki but if anyone has found a contradiction in my story then let me know!
Thanks again guys!