Skyrim Chronicles: The Saga of Alexander The Great

by T.H.Clark

A young man born into a generations old conflict between the two most prominent families on the small island of Stirk must learn to deal with life's struggles, do battle with his own fate, and become a man who finds meaning in an uncaring and meaningless world. Join Alexander as he finds purpose and transforms his life as a warrior without a cause into a life as a conquering hero.

1. Introduction

Introduction

The following is a saga about the man who was called Alexander the Great in Skyrim; Iskandar in Elsweyr; Xandr the Conqueror in Morrowind; and just Alex in his homeland. He was a man with as many names as conquests who lived as he died: freer than any man alive. His is a story of conquest, sacrifice, triumph, and ultimately loss; However, to those who knew him he was and always will be their one true king. Alexander's saga is a long one to be sure, and one in which there is a single grand enemy, who often evades view. Alexander fights many men and even, depending on who you ask, a GOD, but the armies battled, the foes he dueled, the generals he outwitted, were never his real enemy.

Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy this story I will be writing for the next few years! It is a story that is very close to my heart. Let me start by saying the following: these paragraphs will be only background information and context surrounding the story as well as some story notes. If you are interested in just reading the story as soon and as pure as possible, then just scroll past this to the first prologue chapter (uploaded 4/2/21) and enjoy the story. However, if you are interested in some supplemental information this "chapter 0" is meant to give some interesting information about the characters, names, places, etc. that didn't fit neatly in the story.

Alexander The Great, my main character for this work, is based off of a few great historical figures. Naturally, much of his inspiration comes from his real life namesake Alexander The Great of Macedon. There's lots to be said about him and this isn't a history lesson, but long story short they have the same name for a reason. Expect also to see aspects of Leonidas of Sparta, Grettir The Strong of Iceland, and Napoleon Bonaparte of France. There are also sprinklings of Leif Erikson, Thorkell The Tall, and my own personality. He, and his home, pull greatly from my readings into the viking sagas. Particularly, the Isle of Stirk is a romanticized version of Iceland with a warmer climate, and almost all characters and citizens of the island are altered versions of prominent figures featured in the Saga of The Jomsvikings, the Saga of The Greenlanders, and the Saga of Grettir The Strong.

This all springs forth from a character my brother and I made some time ago on Skyrim. He was called Alexander The Great, and he was going to be a primarily civil war character who only did main story missions as needed. Using mods we were able to give him a band of followers and naturally their backstories all evolved until we had written something of an epic story for our once humble civil warrior. Alexander's story inevitably outgrew what the game could handle and so he just became a legendary figure that we hardly play anymore, but often reference. I decided I would like to pen his story and a few chapters in, I decided this was the place to post it.

This story and these characters definitely convey some central themes, but I think that a story should be enjoyable on its own without forcing themes or symbolism, and as such I have tried to make this story enjoyable on its own. However, this story definitely does carry some major themes I wanted to convey. This story, in truth, has served mostly as a method by which I can better myself as a person. The characters and settings are all exaggerated personifications of ideals I hold and their conversations and battles are my version of socratic dialogue. Storytelling is a great vehicle for themes and philosophical debates, and Tamriel is a wonderful canvas to work on.

With all that said, I hope you enjoy the following story. For those finding your way in the world, I hope it can help you work through some of the philosophical questions you will find yourself with and save you some hard lessons. For those just looking for a good story, I'm certainly no Tolkien but I try my best. For those who are just fans of the Elder Scrolls universe, I hope my expansion of it lives up to the amazing world the Bethesda lore writers have created. Finally, to Alex, I hope my writings live up to the standard of work Alexander deserves.