From the journal of Sattra, high elf arch-mage of the Arcane University. A log of events occurring in the Imperial City during the year 4E 218.
Morning Star
The civil war in Skyrim took a large toll on the Imperial Legion. With Skyrim seceding from the Empire, High Rock wasn't far behind. The Empire had all but completely dissolved. The Aldmeri Dominion haven't let up in their assault on Cyrodiil. Recently, they have been surrounding the Imperial City. Nobody has been in or out of the city in weeks. Our meager supplies are dwindling rapidly. Soon, we run out of food and the bodies will start piling up. Even though I am stranded behind the walls of the city with the rest of the people here, they still manage to to think that I am some sort of Dominion spy. Is it not enough that I've opened the university's supplies to public use? The more time goes by the more sense it makes to just join the Thalmor. I'm sure they'd be happy to have me. Who wouldn't want to have the arch-mage on their side? Apparently, these Imperials don't. They just simply can't trust an elf after what the Thalmor did during the sacking of the city.
Still, the thought of joining the Dominion is sickening. I grew up in the Imperial City, and I plan to die here too. It's been my home all of my life, and I will defend it or die trying. Although many of my life-long friends have turned against me, I will not die a traitor's death in an alley somewhere. I live for the Imperial City, long live the Empire!
There have been tales of disaster from Skyrim. Ever since several years ago, over a decade, I think, the sun has been replaced by a gaping void. My loremaster says that it's blocked Aetherius' contact with Mundus. He says it's made it possible for Daedra to reach Tamriel. From reports, Skyrim has been thoroughly swept by the forces of several Daedric princes.
Sun's Dawn
The siege has been broken. Nobody knows what happened, or how. We were awakened by the night guards' alert. We rushed to the gates to see slews of elven corpses lining their camps. All over the camps were long, string-like, crystalline strands covered in blood. I was sent in a search party to examine what had become of the enemies. What we found was a bit more than disturbing. The strands of crystal strings impaled the corpses, hanging them all in a clothesline-like pattern. We searched through tents, devouring food as we came by it. This went on for some hours as we traveled all around Lake Rumare. Eventually we decided to take camp in a few tents we had cleaned of corpses.
The next day, we continued our search around the city. Upon passing behind the Arcane University, I discovered a bridge of the crystalline strings leading to the University. I took a quick step onto the bridge to confirm that it could hold my weight. Afterwards, I ran as fast as I could over it to reach the city. The bridge curved over the walls and around the circular walkway of the Arcane University. From the bridge extended several crystalline strands that impaled mages below. I wept silently for my subordinates, but decided not to waste too much time lingering. I ran into the main building and ran through the portals leading to my chambers, weaving through the crystals lining the rooms. I reached my quarters, and there was a Khajiit. His back was turned to me, and he was leaning over the chest at the foot of my bed.
He withdrew several pieces of armor from the chest, heavily enchanted pieces that I couldn't afford to lose. But he was upon me in a second, his claws weaving patterns of crystal into the air. I stepped back, readying an ice spell, when I gazed at the Khajiit's eyes. Each one emitted a glowing hatred and evil. They each had dark black sclera surrounding a bright red hourglass-shaped iris.
I flung my spell wild, and ran for the portal out of the tower. Before I could reach it, a sticky liquid slid around my feet and hardened, immobilizing my body. Soon, the liquid was all around me, hardening into a shell of crystal. After that, I blacked out.
Rain's Hand
After I came to, I was bound by those crystalline strings. They covered my hands and feet, restraining them against a wall. I wasn't in the arch-mage's quarters anymore. I was in a different room that was large and circular. Around me were other people, mostly mages I recognized from the University. In the middle of the room was a pedestal with a large gem in the middle. I recognized it as Azura's Star, but it looked different. Darker, edgier. I could feel that my magicka being drained from my very being. Then I pieced everything together. This was the Khajiit's idea of a magicka farm. Ingenious, really. He used a soul gem to draw the magicka from a room full of mages. I was there for at least weeks. My life was maintained strangely through the crystalline structures that surrounded my extremities. I could feel the strength pour into me, just to have my magicka stripped away from me.
Many of us had struggled against our bindings, to no avail. The crystalline structures were solid as rock. The only thing that might break them is a blast of magic, and nobody in this room could perform that. Occasionally the Khajiit would come by and taunt us with news of outside. Eventually, he allowed that we were being kept in the White Gold Tower. The Imperial Palace was burned during the sack of the Imperial City, so his statement confused me thoroughly. My curiosities wouldn't be answered until the seventh of Rain's Hand.
On that day, a master wizard below me arrived in the room with a mage's staff. She blasted off fireballs all over the room, freeing the mages from their bonds. Before long, I was on the ground, gasping from the blow of the fireball. Soon, though, the master wizard was impaled by ten tendrils of crystal. The Khajiit had heard the commotion and come to quell it. These strands were different than the ones before. They wove together and curved around the room, killing mages one after another. I had to think fast. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed the star. The crystals chased after me, having killed most of the others in the room. I continued to run out of the room and down sets of stairs and out other doors. I reached the door to the Imperial City. No doubt the Khajiit was chasing me.
I opened the door to the city. I didn't stop running, but I registered everything that was happening around me. Bodies lined the street while motionless, dancing crystals weaved around the tower. Once I judged I was a safe distance away from the Khajiit, I turned around to gaze upon the tower. The tower was no longer had its white-gold radiance. It was completely covered in the deadly crystal strands that had woven together in an elaborate web pattern. I heard the Khajiit say two words, "The Star!" and I ran. I ran as fast as I could, as long as I could. I passed the ruins of Weye, and fell to the ground in the burnt remains of a house. I write the account of Rain's Hand in this abandoned house.
I don't know what to do anymore. The Imperial City has been lost to a single Khajiit.
