The Commission
Waking in time to see the sun rise and enjoying a nice breakfast thanks to the cooks of the inn, I was ready to start the day and looking forward to my current goal. The mystery surrounding this task was making me anxious. Dressed in my usual armor, extremely durable yet flexible leather dyed in greens and browns, my pack was full of my stuff as I wasn't expecting to come back- also dyed in greens and browns, complete with my pair of daggers at my waist and my personally crafted battle axe. Leaving the city gate I began my trek north around the hill that Kvatch sat on for Mongrels Tooth Cave.
The road was uneventful with few people along the way, didn't even see an Imperial soldier on patrol. Leaving the road it honestly was a nice walk through the countryside, nature had reclaimed and covered over most of the evidence of the Great War. Upon reach Mongrels Tooth Cave the sight of it made me pause- the reason being the tables laden with food and drink and more than a dozen people were partying outside the cave. Lanterns and streamers were hung, the red and purple cloth waved in the light breeze. Seeing the table laden with a wide assortment of cheeses I could help but laugh and think that Sheogorath was involved.
"Guess I found Uncle Sheo, wouldn't be surprised if Sanguine had a hand in this as well." I say out loud, mostly to myself. As if on cue a pair of large banners unfurled proudly displaying the symbols of both Daedric Princes. "Point proven."
Shaking my head as I step into the mouth of the cave I see that some of the décor from outside was around the inside as well, though not much as the party seemed to prefer the open air. I shrug my shoulders at the oddity of the situation knowing I've seen odder things and that seemed to be rather tame by both Princes standards. Pushing forward it didn't take long to notice that there was nothing to hold me back, no animals, trolls, man, mer, Khajiit, or Argonians. So far no Daedra or even goblins. A few minutes later the Candlelight spell in my hand revealed a heavy wooden door, a quick test showed it wasn't locked. Cautiously opening the door, I found roughly thirty people of a variety of races and all wearing differing styles of dress from the enormous Orc in full heavy armor complete with an equally massive war hammer to a scantily clad Breton woman, and Imperial woman in flowing white robes to a Bosmer in filthy rags. Certainly it was an odd grouping to be sure and emphasizing that was the tense atmosphere filled with anticipation, undirected animosity, the air of blissful ignorance, and deliberate refusal to even look at certain others.
An Argonian stepped forward once he had noticed I had slipped through the door. "Are you Denko?" He asks in the often raspy voice of his race.
"I am. Who are you?" I answer.
He stayed serious as he backed away, "Who I or we are is not what matters but who we represent.
The answer was cryptic but I could hazard a guess. A Dunmer woman who looked like she could be the sister of the one who sent me here began to glow with the power of Azura.
"Now that you have arrived we may begin." Azura says. One by one the others in the room began to glow and translucent forms appeared over the assembled mortals, excluding myself. The Orc took the form of Malacath, the Argonian I spoke to was overshadowed by a Hist tree, the Breton woman had become dibella, the robed Imperial woman- Mara, the Bosmer in rags into Namira. It didn't take long for the rest to become recognizable. Zenithar, Magnus, Sithis, Hermaeus Mora, Akatosh, Kynereth, Clavicus Vile and his partner Barbus, Nocturnal, Mehrunes Dagon, Sanguine, Talos, and the rest of the Aedra, Daedra, and Et'ada stood around me in a mere portion of their full glory.
Despite the feeling of intimidation I was getting from being in their presence, not factoring in the numbers, yet my curiosity was overwhelming my fears. Aedra and Daedra and other gods here together, the last time anything like this had happened to my knowledge resulted in the creation of Nirn, even if I knew these figures were mere avatars brought here through living mediums. It generally does take a lot to surprise me and this, this was definitely one of those times and rendered speechless, capable of only looking at the beings around me. At least until Sheogorath threw an arm over my shoulders.
"I think we may have broken him." The Prince of Madness cackles, snapping me out of my stupor. He easily and quite literally danced away from my reactionary backfist. I could here him mutter something that sounded rather painful and/or disturbing and I'd rather not know. In my dealings with I've learned to give his mutterings little worry. Honestly its when he spoke to you directly that you had to worry when things get dark, though even in jest it demanded caution. But he also prefers to be direct when issuing a challenge or orders or a simple contest that would nearly guarantee that you'd be humiliated in some way.
"So, what is this all about?" I ask, aimed at everyone present but keeping my eyes on the Huntsman as he was wandering close by, seemingly sizing up everyone around him as prey and valuing them. He was the one to answer the question though.
"You are going on an epic hunt, the likes of which has never been attempted and only recently conceived." Needless to say I was intrigued by his words.
"What will I be hunting?"
"There are many reasons and ways to hunt, every hunt ends differently beyond success and failure as no one prey is the same as the next. Hunting for sport, for survival, the precarious boundary between predator and prey. This hunt will be more of a capture and transportation to a destination. To kill track and kill prey is sometimes difficult but to capture it and keep it as healthy as possible in doing so is far more difficult. This task will be the greatest test of a hunter any mortal could attempt and I will enjoy watching how far you will go."
Hercine may have answered my question but the answer was left vague, luring my inquisitive mind and adventurous soul like the Lord of the Hunt that he is. The bait was set and drawing me in and I knew it. But I also knew that Hercine loved a challenge but kept things fair. Y'ffre stepped forward to speak since Hercine seemed to be taking his time, enjoying that he held my attention.
"You're first task is to set sail to the west. Follow the setting sun to where Yokuda once was. Some of the land has risen again from the sea. A ring of islands will be your goal as Falinesti has returned to Nirn once more and planted its roots deep into the land ensuring it will never travel through the planes of Oblivion again. There you will wake those who called the Walking City their home from their eras long slumber." The Ehlnofey says softly, almost as if he were singing but there was little room for argument in the tone. Not including that he said Falinesti had returned, Man and Mer had spent eras searching for the city and it apparently had wandered into Oblivion and by the time it came back it was across an ocean! Simply finding it would be the greatest moment in the Fourth Era and likely being considered as impactful to history of the Era as the Great War.
Lost in my thoughts of the Walking City and it's impact on history I nearly missed the draconic form of Peryite moving to my right and looking me over. The so-called 'weakest' of the Daedric Princes spoke once he had my attention. "The fox people of Black Marsh still live, hidden from Nirn behind magical barriers and illusions concealing their opening of a gateway into The Pits. The Lilmothiit have overstayed their welcome and I want them out. Convince them to leave however you see fit and take them to the islands to the west."
The Prince held up a clawed hand and within it a vortex of magika was formed congregating and creating a simple silver ring with a ruby cut into the shape of a fox head on it. "Find them in Black Marsh using this ring, it will glow when you are close and will allow you passage through the barriers."
I figured that would be a mission that would be easiest enough to carry out. From my historical studies my best chance to find the barriers into Oblivion would be within the Shadowfen region of Black Marsh as it was still traversable for those who weren't Argonian yet there were areas that would be out of the way from known Saxheel settlements. It would be beneficial for me to stay away from most Argonian cities without an Argonian friend to escort me safely since Black Marsh has become more isolationist than ever since the Great War and breaking away from the Empire.
Zenithar stepped up to me and began pacing in front of me and began to speak. "Your next task will be to travel north to the Wrothgar Mountains. There are the last two groups of Snow Elves, those who had not been corrupted by the Dwemer that is. Find them and take them to the islands so that they may begin anew without fear of the outside world." The short and curt command somewhat confused me as I had believed a god would have been a little more helpful beyond giving a mountain range to search for people who have been in hiding for thousands of years. Though the god of rewarding hard work this may also be a bit of a test for his favor, his interest in the Snow Elves was interesting in itself but may have been a group interest. On the other hand I have fought my share of Falmer when I had wandered through Skyrim years ago. Perhaps I could try locating the Snow Elf in the Forgotten Vale I had heard rumors of at the College of Winterhold, maybe they had something documented from the Last Dragonborn's adventures.
The massive form of Malacath marched up to me and looked me up and down, the Orc that acted as his medium was already tall enough that I barely came up to his chest making him even bigger than the one I have fought on my last job and the projection of Malacath enveloped him and his armor totally completely making the Daedric Prince far larger than myself. I felt very small now but refused to show any fear to him and matched his gaze, ready to accept any challenge he'd give me. With a curt nod, he seemed to like what he saw in me and took a step back before speaking.
"While you're in those mountains there will be five Orc clans who have been attempting to rebuild Orsinium. They have been loyal to me, dating back to when I was known as Trinimac. They have been attacked by a coalition of the Bretons and Redguards and have stood strong and victorious over their combined forces. Armies are being raised to destroy my followers yet again, I will not stand by and let this happen! Help them destroy the armies, kill their enemies, and lead them to the islands in the west." With his piece done the Prince of the Bloody Vow marched back to his previous place in the crowd to watch the proceedings.
While I was confident in my abilities to fight off multiple enemies at a time due to plenty of practice over the years, fighting an army was another beast altogether, even if I had my own army of Orcs at my back. Redguards were known for their skills with a sword and were considered the best swordsmen as a whole in Tamriel. The Bretons were known for their proficiency in the arcane arts as well as their martial skills, making them among the best battlemages when the Empire was at its height and even now. But from what I knew Hammerfell was no longer with the Empire since the Great War while High Rock was still under Imperial control. Personally this could either be both groups simply allying together again for their eras long habit of laying siege to any attempt to build Orsinium or this could be a test for defeating a commonly perceived enemy before High Rock may break from the Empire and truly ally with Hammerfell again to combat the Aldmeri Dominion.
The figure of Mara seemed to glide rather than walk due to her flowing robes yet throughout this entire meeting I couldn't help but notice that she had maintained a serene smile on her face such that one could claim her to oblivious to what was going on around her, honestly that smile while standing next to Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon was just plain creepy. "All beings deserve love in any form, in this case a simple new home away from prejudice so they may live in peace. In your travels you will come across some goblin tribes who's shaman will recognize this medallion as I have given them visions to guide them to you to lead them to their new home." In a small flash of magicka a rather simple medallion dropped into my hand, it was a circular copper plate with a large central bulge surrounded by twenty or so smaller bumps in two rows. Simple but I recognized that this could be an extremely basic model or what the collection of islands would be that I'm supposed to take all of these people to.
'There is yet another tribe who will require your assistance, a tribe of Reiklings have been working to 'modernize' themselves on the island of Solstheim. Bring all of these tribes with you to the islands to the west." With that said she glided back to her assumed position still with that smile on her face.
Never been to Solstheim before but I know of it, after the Red Year the High King of Skyrim had gifted the entire island to Morrowind to serve as a refuge for the Dunmer fleeing Vvardenfell and even some of the mainland northern coastline region that was being plagued by volcanic fallout that even they couldn't handle. Apparently the Dunmer were able to set up a decent community at Raven Rock where they were made a decent living mining ebony. Heard there was an old Nordic village there as well, the only place that was capable of forging stahlrim into weapons and armor. A few Dwarven ruins as well as Nordic ruins dotted the island were available for those who wanted to risk their lives to loot and/or study the ancient cultures. I vaguely remember hearing about Reiklings living on the island but little else, guess I'll figure things out when I get there.
Meridia approached next, actually floating towards me but not due to her etherial wings flapping. Your last task will be to retrieve the Dwemer from my realm. They have been lost in the currents of Oblivion since their attempt to use the Heart of Lorkhan. Recently they have managed to crawl their way into my domain where there is stability. My patience of their intrusion has already run thin but I will wait for you to remove them yourself. When you are ready come to my temple at Mount Kilkreath in Skyrim and I will send you to my plane of The Colored Rooms."
Despite being known as one of the "Good" Daedric Princes she was always bossy and hard-assed when she spoke to anyone, thus anyone who dealt with her quickly learned to deal with it. "Well that should be fun." I mutter dryly, apparently loud enough for some of the closest beings to react with a smile.
Sheogorath proudly marched forward to take her place and started dancing a little jig that left most of the room expressing some form of grief with the Mad God. "It's time for presents everyone!" He shouts joyfully as if he were a young child. This did pique my interest as Aedric and Daedric artifacts were often at least as powerful as what highly skilled enchanters are able to produce today. With a dramatic flair with his hands the Daedric Prince of Madness revealed in his palm a simple looking ring- a single band made of what looked to be ebony and moonstone seamlessly twisted around each other. "I call it… The Bender Ring! Though I had thought to call it the twister. Eh! Doesn't matter! Go ahead and try it." The last part came off as his usual tone when his darker side emerges but I took the ring anyway and slipped it on.
As expected from a magical ring I immediately felt an effect but couldn't identify what it was. What I did notice was the sudden surprised reactions from the others, most managed to keep it under control though Sanguine facepalmed hard enough for the slap to echo around the cave. With curiosity abound I looked over myself to examine what caused such a reaction from the gathered gods. First thing I noticed, mostly because that's what I had started with, was that my hands were smaller, more slender though the small scars and callouses and even dirt remained as I remembered. The trend continued up my arms and legs but my body was now far curvier than before with widened hips and breasts to match. A slight shift in my stance signaled that the change was rather thorough, even going as far as to adjust my armor to fit my changed figure. It was slightly annoying that I was now even shorter than before, I had enough height and reach issues normally. Figuring I could examine the effects this might have for my work later I took off the ring and was restored back to normal.
During my distraction it became very apparent that Hercine and Molag Bal had entered a heated argument over granting me lycanthropy or vampirism. Honestly I could see the benefits and negatives of both but with the way they were going at it nothing was going to be resolved anytime soon.
"Come now gentlemen! Can't we discuss this civilly? Make a compromise? A deal perhaps?" Clavicus Vile stepped in between the arguing deities and talking to them as though they were children. Whatever the two were going to say died on their lips as they looked to their "mediator".
"What do you have in mind whelp?" Molag asks, though asking and demanding were one and the same for him. Hercine for his part stayed silent and waited quietly and letting the Prince of Wishes guide the Rape King into whatever trap he may have in store.
"Why not grant our chosen champion both? Why choose one or the other when I could create a token that lets him choose freely to change from one to the other!" The Prince of Bargains announces, Barbas sat a stride away wined loudly but was ignored.
I saw the assembled the Aedra and Daedra looking about in confusion and speaking in whispers to each other while likely having telepathic conversations with others at the same time as they debated the proposal. I saw how such a gift could be utilized but knew there could be some drawbacks. Fortunately, I knew one of them would have little issue fixing that bit.
"Works for me but Meridia makes the amulet." I proclaim and steady my gaze at the gods before me. Clavicus visibly deflated though held some pride that it was his idea at play. Meridia for her part leveled scrutinizing eyes at me, searching for any hints of dishonesty or trickery and I had the distinct feeling that she was peering into the depths of my soul. After some time she relented and motioned for the Huntsman and Dominator to stand before her. I noticed the avatars of Kynereth and Akatosh moved behind her wings. I didn't have to wait long before feeling and watching as several massive powers merged and molded some stones and gems that were nearby in a brilliant display of multifaceted lights and magika. Seconds passed before a bronze amulet with a thick black strap was suspended in the air above Meridia's hands.
The amulet itself was a thing of elegant simplicity in its shape and beautiful craftsmanship in its prominent designs featuring a wolf head facing to the right as a bat faced the left. The two eyes in the profiles were set with flawless rubies yet as the amulet spun through the air on its back was the head of a dragon looking straight on. Its eyes were also rubies but in its mouth was a sapphire. The oddest part of the whole thing was the small switch at the top which currently rested in the middle. The Prince of Life and Energy allowed the newly created artifact to drop into her hands and a quick test of moving the switch left and right showed that it seemed to function properly for her. I couldn't help but notice that when switched from one or the other the jewels glowed, likely representing where the Princes "gifts" were stored within.
She then handed the amulet to me. "I've used my own power to ensure that you keep your own mind during these transformations, as well as making sure that when you die you will be cleansed of both "gifts" She says this quietly to me but loud enough for the others to hear. It was clear in her tone that she didn't like allowing this, particularly the vampirism, but would have the satisfaction of having the last laugh by denying both my soul. While she was still close I heard her telepathic message, "A little extra was added as well." The fallen Magne-Ge tapped a finger on the dragon as she withdrew her hands.
Of course, Clavicus Vile had to get a last word in. "So why don't we call it the Blood Bargen Band!" Barbas didn't even try to conceal his disappointment in his master as he rolled his eyes and wined. The others involved weren't much better. Sure the loop for the neck was thick and stretchy like a choker but what Vile had called it was likely just a poor attempt at a joke, nearly at the same level as what Dagon or Bal would come up with if they tried humor.
For some time nobody moved which left me thinking that our business here was done when I noticed that some of the shadows along the wall darkened and moved my way. Those shadows stopped moving once they were close before pulling away from the wall as a formless black cloud that absorbed all light around it. Slowly the cloud shifted to a humanoid form, constantly shifting and changing in hight and build, taking the figures of both male and female, never staying in one shape for more than a few seconds at a time. Several times I noticed the figure shift to the form of Argonians and Khajiit before changing again. Then it spoke, always in a whisper yet the voice changed with its forms.
"Denko, Silencer of the Dark Brotherhood, loyal child of the Night Mother, you shall spread my touch to others in time. For now I grant you my blade, the Shadowstrike. The true blade formed of my essence, will come from the shadows from which it was forged at your call. Use it well."
With that the figure melted back into the shadows which moved to the back of the cave, only noted as a darker shadow in a pool of shadows. Thinking upon what Sithis had said, I thought about summoning Shadowstrike to my hand. In a moment the shadows on my arm created by the few torches around the cavern moved and condensed into my right hand. I instinctively grasped at the shadows and they instantly became a dagger. Perfectly fitted for my hand, a slight curve to the double-edged slim blade and no guard. The entire weapon was darker that ebony as if it absorbed the light from its surroundings yet lighter than any weapon I'd ever held before. I knew that this was not a multi-functional tool as other blades were, this had only one purpose- to send new souls to the Void. I would never be without a weapon on hand ever again. Though with magic you could always fight but the limits of ones magika was finite, shadows always existed where there was light and without light and without light the dark is little more than all-encompassing shadow.
A few moments went by without anyone else moving or speaking besides myself as I looked around the cavern at the assembled deities. Without any warning the avatars vanished in a blrilliant display of light and color. Sheogorath burst into hundreds of butterflies that slowly faded as they flew and scattered. Some simply vanished, others seemed to burn away. No matter what they did they were all gone in less than a minute and I was left alone with their followers, all of which were visibly exhausted and collapsed to the floor.
A quick check on them showed that they were fine so I took the time to at least rearrange them to be comfortable when they woke. The Orc was a pain in the arse and was thankfully didn't require much moving but still extremely heavy. I certainly didn't mind that the Priestess of Mara awoke first and began tending to the others so we were done quickly after that. She assured me that she would care for the people here and I should begin my tasks. She still was required to tell me again and all but kick me out the door for me to give in.
Exiting the cave I could see that the party was in full swing and had grown massively, easily quintupling the crowd that had been there when I had entered. I couldn't help but notice that some of the partiers were lycanthropes in their normal forms as well as vampires while I grabbed some food and drink from the tables as I made my way through the crowd. As I grabbed some spiced roast chicken I heard that a group of devout Dibella worshippers had essentially taken over an inn nearby. That news certainly brought more cheer to the men and women to the nearly excessively cheerful party, which as far as I could tell had no purpose but to party- clearly Sanguines style.
I headed back for Kvatch so I could consult my sources and make my plans while slowly drinking from a large bottle of mead- I forgot the name of the makers and the label was illegible but it was valued not for the alcohol content but its flavor. Cheap to make but had brewing that required precise timing of certain ingredients to bring out the various subtle flavors that tickled the pallet. Apparently popular among the wealthy for those reasons and that was reason enough for the makers to raise the price a bit.
Made it back to my room at the inn by sunrise and felt content to sleep until noon, after I had written down the details I had been given by the Aedra and Daedra. A quick meal of a hearty stew for lunch while looking over my personal maps of Tamriel. I'd be going all over the continent and beyond and so I would need to ensure that I'd have the best maps in the various provinces I'd be searching in. Not to mention finding a ship and captain willing to search for Falinesti, convincing the groups I'm sent to find to come with me, solving whatever problems they may have to prove my worth, and finding those who are actively hiding. Needless to say there was no way I was going to get this done by myself. There aren't too many people I know who I could trust to help, sure hiring a mercenary would be easy but they tend to be more loyal to your coin and often lacking in skill, I've killed many myself due to that particular problem. Not to mention few are skilled in any kind of diplomacy that I'm sure I'll require.
Karliah certainly comes to mind but I'd likely need her services in moving goods and information. Plus she has the guild to help run, her duties as a Nightingale, and her love for going out for jobs herself arguing she needed to set an example for the others and keeping her skills sharp. While her skills would be missed she'd be a greater asset to me where she was and I knew she'd understand that. Adding the fact that Nocturnal was one of my "commissioners" would likely bump up any requests I may make to a priority.
Many of my other choices who would be decent unfortunately are too questionable morally or have a far too tight moral compass for the job. They might be better for a quick local operation and end their involvement there. Some of my various guild mates fall into that category as well, those who didn't lacked the skills and trust I needed. I easily spent the rest of the day in my room going over my notes and maps, planning routes, trying to anticipate travel times, climates, supplies required, resistance from wildlife and sapient creatures, contacts and dead-drops, and still trying to find companions to watch my back and assist.
Late in the evening after the sun had set I had my travel pack mostly emptied and its contents loosely sorted in piles on my bed and table, some on the floor. Sometimes I amaze myself with how much I tend to have in this thing most of the time. A small shake revealed that it still wasn't empty so with a shrug I flipped it over and shook the bag letting whatever was inside to fall onto the table. I realized a little late that I had some papers there that was now collecting dirt, a bit less than I expected given how rarely I clean it out, another shake dropped a single septim followed by a small ruby and a somehow intact juniper berry joining the dirt on my papers.
I was a little surprised that they were lodged somewhere in my pack not to mention the berry wasn't squished. Looking at them something clicked in my brain about who might be good companions for my journeys. Quickly I found some unused paper and ink and quill and wrote up nearly a dozen letters.
One week later…
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" A rather short Imperial girl asks.
"Of course I know where we're going!" The apparent leader of the small group tried to explain herself.
"You do realize that knowing our destination and how to get there is different, right" A woman with long black hair asks from her place at the back of the line.
"I-I know that! I just can't seem to figure out where we are on the map!" She responds shaking said map in her hands as they walked down the road.
"This might help a bit sis." The tallest of the four, a woman with long blonde hair, reaces over her sisters shoulder and gently plucks it from her grasp only to turn it over and drop it back into her hands.
"Oh… that helps a lot."
"We're doomed if you can't read a simple map." The short Imperial admonishes the younger girl, her long white hair waved in the light breeze as she continued her criticism of the other girl, not even noticing that she had stopped their progress.
While the blonde was content to let them continue with their little argument, the fourth member of their little party was watching a man running up the road towards them. As he drew near he eventually caught the white haired girls attention sparring their leader from her rant. The blonde stepped up to confront the man as he stopped in front of them. As he caught his breath he cast what looked to be a simple spell in front of him with no visible effects though he looked pleased at the results.
"I have something for you, each of you. Your eyes only." The courier says as he pulls out four letters from his carry bag and a quick check of the names and handing a letter to each girl before running away, likely to his next delivery. The girl in a red cloak was quick to open her letter.
"So what does yours say sis?" Red asks the blonde who simply turned it over so the shorter girl could read it.
"Oh, same as mine."
"Same here." White says.
"Yep." Black echoes.
"Wanna see what he's got for us?" Red asks looking at her friends and sister.
"Sure, let's finish this job for the guild and go. Blonde says excitedly while pointing her thumb at the small statue and various other items strapped to her back. Black and White echoed the sentiment causing Red to cheer and lead them again, only for her sister to grab her shoulder and turn her around to face where they were originally traveling.
"Hehe, oops."
Somewhere near the intersecting borders of Cyrodil, Morrowind, and Black Marsh, two young men were chatting about what kind of contract they should look for when they got back to the Cheydenhall Fighters Guild. Actually it was more the tall blonde man talking and the other man with long black hair barely saying a thing, mostly nodding or shaking his head in response. Meanwhile following them are two red headed women, one of which was much shorter than the rest of them all. The short girl was rambling to her companion and changing subjects as soon as they seemed to cross her mind leaving her taller friend to smile and nod with practiced ease.
A courier stopped them on a bridge, her horse panting from running for so long in a testament to its breeding and training, along with a carrot the short girl pulled from her pack, the horse recovered quickly and seemed ready and willing to run again as soon as her rider, a young Bosmer girl (likely age somewhere between 16 and 50) was. Handing the four their letters they took off again leaving those on foot to marvel at her skill on horseback.
"Think we could borrow her horse for a day?" The short girl asks watching the dust settle now that the horse and rider were far away.
"Doubt it, you'd have to catch them first." The blonde scoffs. She seemed to take that as a challenge but relented when their dark-haired companion placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She pouted until she remembered why the horse was around in the first place and tore open her letter. They soon compared the messages.
"So should we help him?" The blonde asks.
"I'm ready to break some legs!" The crunch of her Warhammer striking the ground permeated the air.
"We are between jobs at the moment." His sole male companion states flatly.
"It has been a while since we worked with him." The tall read-head chimes in.
"Okay then, off to Kvatch!" The blonde announces and begins leading the group west.
Authors Notes: Now things start ramping up! Aedra and Daedra working together? Falinesti has returned to Nirn? Who are the people who received mail? Will this mission be successful? Stay tuned for the next update!
Thanks for suffering through that poor humor starting the AN. This will be the end of most of the first-person view unless marked as such. Though the updates will be slow, likely once a month unless I get a lot of time and desire to write, the last part has been growing lately and I have plenty of notes to work off of to speed the process along with lots of head canon.
Hopefully I portrayed the Aedra and Daedra accurately in this chapter and if anyone has comments and/or corrections to keep this story as lore friendly as possible. As for the timeline of this story it is some time after the events of Skyrim though events relating to the region will follow how I played the Dovahkin myself. While I've already dropped some hints as to how things turned out, Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood are alive and well, though the DB are still in recovery from the events of the Great War and the PO killing members. Honestly if I remember how Ciciro had described the state of the DB in Cyrodil, it seemed that the sanctuaries were abandoned due to the fear of either the Dominion or Legion following a member to them combined with members getting caught in the crossfire from the armies. So to me while the Skyrim branch may have been the last active sanctuary- as they've frequently said- the rest of the Brotherhood likely went into hiding to bide their time, somewhat like the Blades but significantly less hunted making it safer to be one over the other.
Meanwhile the Thieves Guild went through much the same thing but their options for business have always been larger and so having a set up alongside the 'border' between the AD and Empire would be beneficial as there would be plenty of people desperate for work, help, and opportunities to play both sides would be abundant.
Tell me what you guys think and I'll see ya in the next update!