Faraldar 1: New Blood
Faraldar's descent into the depths of Blackreach had not gone as he had originally intended.
While justice for the Blades had been entrenched in his mind, something just seemed to click as he had stormed through the Dwarven ruins of Mzinchaleft, he had realized that it hadn't been about justice….It had been about vengeance. His fallen brothers and sisters would not want his cause to be one of hatred and death.
It also did not help that he had gone to the wrong set of Dwarven ruins if he had even wanted to join the fight. But then again, maybe it was Divine fate that sent him to the wrong place.
But his focus was now on other priorities.
When his brothers and sisters had died at the hands of the Falmer, it had left him the sole surviving member of the Blades meaning he was the de facto Grandmaster of the Blades and so it was his job to restore balance and order to the group and bring it back from the brink of destruction and from being simply a mere memory.
And so there has sat by the fire, warming up his cold hands within the Frozen Hearth Inn of Winterhold.
It seemed an odd place for any sort of recruitment efforts, but then again, it was odd for the Blades to even still exist and need any sort of recruitment, so all in all….The situation was rather odd.
But he had a feeling that someone would turn up and be the right sort that the Blades required, be it a weary traveler or even a mage from the College of Winterhold itself. But the key here….was patience and patience he would have.
Erandur, Ralis, Denascus…..His friends….All murdered by the Falmer and….the Thalmor….
As of now, the Thalmor were still out there and had yet to see their own actions judged for the part to play in what has since been dubbed the Falmer War.
Faraldar looked around the inn, really only seeing the usual folk who tended to reside there.
He sighed, figuring at this point, no one would show up and he would have to return to Sky Haven Temple empty-handed.
Until in walked a young robed man who seemed to have seen better days.
Slowly, Faraldar stood from his seat and walked over to the young man as he approached the bar.
"You look like you have seen better days…." He said as he pulled up beside the young man.
He turned to Faraldar and nodded.
"That I have…." He simply replied.
"I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but may I inquire what brings you to Winterhold?" Faraldar asked.
The young man sighed.
"I come back to the College of Winterhold to beg for forgiveness and hope they reaccept me into their ranks. I kind of….stole some tomes from them in the hopes of gaining favor with others. That plan backfired and now here I am. I was lucky I wasn't killed. They had hoped to use me for some sort of ritual."
Faraldar listened and nodded as he listened to the young man speak.
"I am truly sorry to hear that. However, I do not believe begging the College to take you back is the right solution."
The young man furrowed his brow.
"Then what is this solution then?"
Faraldar cleared his throat.
"I…am the Grandmaster of the Blades. I am seeking those who seek redemption or a fresh start. Judging from what you have told me, you could use a bit of both."
The young man stood from his seat.
"So you're going to blackmail me into joining you is that it? If that is the case…."
Faraldar quickly shook his head.
"No no….That was not my intention and if I gave off that impression, then I apologize. Divines forgive me…I am not going about this in the correct manner. I am simply trying to rebuild my order. They…They were murdered by the Falmer you see. I just don't want the Blades to die out as they nearly did all those years ago…The Blades…..They were considered great once. Perhaps even some of the greatest warriors in all of Tamriel. They had even been entrusted with the personal safeguarding of the Emperor himself. That was…until the Oblivion Crisis. Two Septims murdered. The Blades….disgraced. And then….they were cast out and hunted down by the Thalmor. And for a very long time, they were never heard from. Until just over a year ago. I was approached by a woman as I passed through the settlement of Riverwood. I had fled from Morrowind….It had been just after the Red Year and so I was seeking refuge. My intention had been to join the rest of my people in the city of Windhelm. But….she stopped me. Claimed to see something more in me. A higher purpose than to just sit, cramped in some home in Windhelm. And so…She offered me a place amongst the Blades. At first, I believed she would use the story as a means to take me to a secluded location and rob me blind of the few measly possessions I had on my person at the time. But then….She showed me an amulet….It was engraved with the symbol of the dragons upon it….." Faraldar was saying as he pulled an amulet out from around his neck.
"….The very same amulet…..She gave it to me that day and right then and there, I swore my allegiance to the Blades. I swore an oath to uphold their beliefs and ideals until my dying breath. Those beliefs and ideals are now threatened with extinction all due to the Falmer and to a greater extent….The Thalmor who have yet to pay for their role in the war with the Falmer. I do not come to you to blackmail or force you into joining….I only ask. The decision…is yours."
Faraldar slowly returned the amulet to its prior place and waited for the young man to respond.
For a few moments, the young man simply sat and pondered as he looked over the dark elf sitting before him.
It seemed like ages that he sat there, as Faraldar tried to get a read on the young man and what was going through his mind.
The silence was finally broken as the young man spoke up.
"What is your name?" He simply asked.
Not the question he had been expecting at all. He had anticipated…more.
"My name….is Faraldar."
The young man looked him over before nodding.
"Faraldar….My name is Orthorn….." He looked at the door and then back at Faraldar. "Coming to Winterhold….I had planned on returning to the College of Winterhold, begging for a place back there and work long and hard just to get back into their good graces, if even possible. But….I believe my chances with the College of Winterhold…are long past. I had my chance to be one of them and I failed. But…I now have an opportunity a redemption. An opportunity to start anew….Faraldar….I accept your offer."
Faraldar's heart skipped a beat as he heard the answer he hadn't expected. He had expected this young man to simply walk out on him and refuse. But now….Now things were looking up.
Faraldar unsheathed his sword and held it out in front of him.
"Before you become a Blade, you must answer these questions…."
Orthorn nodded.
"You have been given the chance to join the lost guardians of Tamriel. The dragon slayers. The Blades. Do you wish to become a Blade?"
"I do."
"Are you willing to trade away all claims and titles of your former life? To live here and devote yourself to protecting Tamriel from danger?"
"I do."
"Then by my right as acting grandmaster, I name you a Blade, with all the privileges, rights, and burdens that brings. Godspeed."
Orthorn knelt as Faraldar placed the sword upon his shoulders.
"Rise Orthorn….You are reborn. Welcome to the Blades." He said before shaking the young man's hand.
Orthorn returned the gesture and smiled.
Faraldar then looked towards the door.
"Now come….We have much to do. First, we must return to Sky Haven Temple. We must restore it to a functioning headquarters so that when others are recruited into our order, we will have established ourselves and give themselves and us a place to stay and coordinate our efforts."
Orthorn nodded.
Faraldar turned towards the door and smiled.
This was this first step in restoring the Blades to their former glory. He may yet get the justice he had been seeking for his fallen friends after all. But only time would tell if he could actually succeed or if he failed in the end. But for now, this was a step in the right direction.
His focus now lay on getting back to Sky Haven Temple and restoring it to its former glory.
Erandur…..Ralis…..Denascus….Delphine….Esbern….I do this for you….I will make you proud….He thought to himself as he exited the Frozen Hearth Inn and began the long journey back to the Reach.
Not the most exciting of chapters, but I figured I would reestablish Faraldar, the Last of the Blades into the story seeing as I unintentionally forgot his role in Skyrim: The Falmer War. Not the greatest of explanations as to his absence from the rest of that story, but from here on out, he will be featured. But, on to the content itself.
Faraldar has recruited one to the Blades, a first step in restoring the order following the deaths of many of its members during the Falmer War.
Can Faraldar restore the Blades? Will Orthorn change his mind and elect to instead return to the College of Winterhold? Who else will Faraldar recruit to the Blades?
As always, leave any ideas, opinions, improvements and the like in the comments section below and thank you for reading.