Author's Notes: Hellooo Everyone! I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing with this story, well it's a bit of a side-project that I'm working on in tandem with "The Dragon of the North" my Game of Thrones x Skyrim story, and during my current playthrough of Skyrim, I realized that I hadn't set up Jon's Skyrim Backstory as Ormr of the Bloodskal Clan of Skyrim! So the Prologue is going to be a basic backstory before I go into the actual story itself! So please, bear with me and enjoy the Prologue to Bloodskal! OH! One last thing before I begin! I need to let you all know that as I play Skyrim to build up his story, I will be doing a Modded Playthrough to help build up the story, and I'll be adding my own modifications into the story to make it more original! And as I had said in the most recent chapter of "The Dragon of the North" Ormr will be a Universal Oc that I will be using for any future Skyrim Crossovers, and I will be presenting Dragon Breaks where the stories can be inserted into his adventures, these will be points in which Ormr's Story will be able to crossover with other Franchises and where I believe things will take a delightful and maddening turn. Anyway, that's enough out of me! Catch you on the Flipside! DOV-AH-KIIN!
Prologue: Ormr Bloodskal and Clan History
During the days of the Merethic Era, there was one clan of Nords that were advanced even beyond that of their contemporaries, these were the Bloodskal. These Nords were well versed in Enchanting, Alchemy, and Smithing, greater than that of any other Nord. Historical records say that their ingenious minds were rumored to rival that of the Dwemer, who often clashed with the Bloodskal when they found the chance to do so. The Clan itself lived in Solstheim Hold, and amongst the many things they were known to create, the greatest of them were the puzzles, traps, and the stonework for the Barrows and Tombs for the Ancient Nordic Heroes and Dragon Priests.
However, this was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to what they could create, for they were considered geniuses when it came to the Forge, the Altar, and the Table… It was they who first created potions that could cure any diseases. From Vampirism, to Lycanthropy, and most other diseases, the Bloodskal clan could cure any disease, in which the main ingredient for their potions came from the charred remains of the most disease ridden animal in Skyrim, the Skeever. However, obtaining this took quite a bit of courage to strike a bargain with the Giants, giving up livestock sacrifices in exchange for being left alone and the Charred Skeever Hides. Aside from their abilities in construction and potion making, the Bloodskal Clan were also well known for creating brilliant weapons and armor, one of the most famous of which is Nordic Carved Armor, where they alloyed a carefully balanced amount of Steel, Ebony, and Quicksilver to create weapons that could match the quality of the Orcs.
Aside from this, the Bloodskal had been among the few clans who were given the honor of learning how to create Stalhrim, an ancient magical ice that could never be melted, even by the flames of a Dragon's Fire Breath Shout. However, once they were taught how to create Stalhrim, they did what they did best, and experimented with it, eventually discovering the material enhanced Ice Magic to a greater degree, making Ice Enchantments even more powerful than before, and in the hands of a Master Enchanter, these magical effects were even greater, and Enchanting was one of the Bloodskal's greatest abilities. As such, they created Stalhrim Armors for great Nordic Heroes and Kings of the Merethic Era, but there was a sinister secret about the Bloodskal Clan that few knew about, and even fewer who dared to even whisper of it.
The Bloodskal Clan, unlike the other ancient Nords, worshipped the Woodland Man, or as they called him, the Man in the Mirror, Herma Mora, or more famously Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Apocrypha and Lord of Fate, Knowledge, and Memory. They worshipped the Daedra and provided him with the secrets of the world they would uncover, any knowledge that they could discover, they would give in exchange for any of the secrets that he was willing to share of equal or lesser value, and the Clan would record this forbidden knowledge for future generations. A lucky few who would become Herma-Mora's champions would be given passage into Apocrypha and allowed to plunder the secrets of his Infinite Libraries, but they would also have to fight their way out of the Realm of Oblivion if they wished to survive. As such, the Champions would prepare their best weapons and armor, as well as days worth of food and supplies so that they could traverse the Library and return relatively unharmed.
During the Time of the Dragon Cult, the Bloodskal Clan would not bow to the Dragons, and as such, many believed the dragons would raid Solstheim Hold to put it under their Thrall, but it was in the ingenious plan of their clan leader, at the time, who offered to become a Priest of the Dragon Cult, as well as an intermediary between his clan and the Dragons. As such he took on the name Zahkriisos, which translates to "Bloody Sword", the same translation of his clan's name Bloodskal, in which the "Skal" comes from the Atmoran word for "Sword": Skalm. However, aside from being an intermediary for his clan, he was also granted a chance to speak with Alduin himself, and with Miraak, the First Dragonborn. When he spoke to these two individuals, he was commissioned to create an object of great and terrifying power, a mask made of the purest gold, and yet strong enough to contain the magical essence of the enchantments the World Eater wished to place upon it. Upon being given the commission, Zahkriisos explained he would require a fragment of Alduin's Soul for the Enchantment and the aid of Miraak to forge the gold into a proper mask.
The World Eater agreed to utilize his soul only when the mask was complete and was ready for empowerment, and so Zahkriisos went to work, personally forging a mask with the aid of Miraak. During this time, they were also met by two other Dragon Priests, one named Ahzidal and the other Dukaan, both of whom wished to join in on the project, possibly earning a favor from the World Eater in return. Miraak was suspicious of the group, but Zahkriisos allowed them to join, and during the crafting process, they steadily bonded as a group, with Miraak acting as the leader of the four of them.
The preparations took days, but they managed to gather the materials necessary to make the mask, in which Zahkriisos had Miraak use his Fire Breath to light the smelter and keep it burning as Dukaan would grind the bones of Dragons into a fine bone meal to add into the molten gold, creating an alloy that hasn't been seen before or since. Once the gold was in the perfect point it became a large homogeneous slab of gold Zahkriisos hammered away, carefully using Ahzidal's flames to soften the alloy as needed, whilst working it into the proper size for a Dragon Priest's Mask. Once it was ready for carving, Zahkriisos utilized his lightning magics to carve away at the gold-Dragonbone Alloy, and crafted a mighty mask from it, with it's own horns
The Four soon would present their work to the World Eater, who would ask of Dukaan and Ahzidal, whom Zahkriisos would explained they appeared and aided in the crafting of the Mask, in which Alduin accepted the truth, and as such, surrendered part of his soul to empower the mask. Ahzidal, wanting to display his ability, offered to enchant the mask, and as such, created a make-shift Enchanting Altar, and set to work, binding his most powerful enchantments into the Mask, and thus, with Alduin's Soul, granted the mask the ability to heal it's wearer in times of greatest need. With the mask complete, Alduin was suitably impressed with the Priests, but Miraak had stepped in, looking at the mask, proclaiming that while the mask was strong in it's own right, the one who would wear it would require more than just a simple mask, and as such Miraak proposed creating robes that would would match the mask itself, and this got the Four Priests to talk about what they could do to make mask more opulent and worthy of someone who defeated the Dragon Priests who bore the other Masks.
As such, they created a hood for the mask, black with golden trim, and to match it with a set of unique robes to match the priest who would wear it, with gloves and boots that would match. The Mask itself would contain a powerful healing ability that would save the wearer of the Konahrik in times of greatest need. The Robes were made by Miraak after harvesting the skin of dragons that had been killed in battles with one another, whilst Dukaan would utilize a recreation of the Alloy, carefully weaving it into a wire that they carefully wove into the robes, gloves, and boots, thus granting the four pieces similar properties to that of the mask, at least from a physical standpoint. The four of them would also create a matching necklace and ring to aid the one worthy of being called Konahrik.
The Robes, Gloves, and Boots, along with the Mask, would be stronger and heavier than the Daedric Armors that would come in the future, and would be able to be improved through the user of Gold Ingots. To this, the group had decided to empower the remaining pieces of the set to amplify the power and authority of Konahrik. Each of the Dragon Priest had their own unique projects that, even though they were thinking separately, the enchantments they placed work together seamlessly.
Zahkriisos was designated to work on the gloves, and due to him having a feeling that the one who would find the mask would be one of his own blood, decided to grant his future descendant an edge when it came to picking locks, as well as granting him a greater ability to defend himself without any weapons. Miraak worked on the robes, in which he knew he wanted the power associated with these objects, and thus used his Thu'um to enchant the Robes with the power to fortify the regeneration rate of his life forces, his stamina, and magicka. Dukaan focused on the boots, and, having recently learned of the Water Walking Enchantment from Ahzidal, he granted the boots this enchantment, as well as the ability to muffle the footsteps of the wearer. Finally, Ahzidal focused all of his efforts on the Ring and Amulet, in which he had gotten the opinions of his fellow Priests and decided to create place enchantments that would work well with the other armor pieces. He enchanted the Amulet with a unique enchantment that would fortify the wearer's Health, Stamina, and Magicka reserves, but also, he added an enchantment that would fortify the user's stealth capabilities. Finally, with the ring, he enchanted it with the same Unarmed Fortification as Zahkriisos, but also an enchantment to increase the user's carrying capacity
When all 6 pieces of the set were brought together, they had unexpectedly awoke a special property of the set, a special power in which the set would allow, when the full set was brought together, to make the entire armor set completely weightless. Once everything was presented to Alduin, the World Eater was suitably impressed, but one man, a sage under the thrall of Zahkriisos would come before the World Eater with a Prophecy, one in which would proclaim that Konahrik would not be born in this time, and would instead be born thousands of years into the future, where the Dragons would be brought to extinction, in which the Last Dragonborn, sent by Akatosh and Shor, would punish Alduin for abandoning his role as the World Eater, and would take his place when all was said and done. This shocks and enrages both Alduin and Miraak, Alduin who looks to the sky and glares at his father, Akatosh for being so cruel to him, whilst Miraak, keeping his rage contained, but feels he has been slighted by the whims of fate.
News of this prophecy soon reaches the lower levels of the Dragon Cult, and talk of Rebellion begins, in which Kyne calls on Paarthurnax to teach the Thu'um to others, and those who seek to rebel against the Black Dragon beg Miraak to join them. Miraak, feeling slighted by his future successor, and knowing better than to mess with the tides of fate, refuses when the war begins, and thus turns to Zahkriisos in order to gain more power. Unable to refuse his leader and close friend, he leads Miraak to Hermaeus Mora, and the First Dragonborn gains unforeseen power beyond that of what his Successor would obtain. Miraak would, shortly thereafter, wed Zahkriisos's twin sister, and would father a child on her, and would later begin a rebellion against the Dragons of their own, later joined by their friends Ahzidal and Dukaan. The four priests and the warriors of the Bloodskal Clan would bring down many dragons around them, in which Miraak would devour their souls and steal their power for his own. Eventually though, before Alduin's defeat, a Dragon Priest named Vahlok would come to battle the Four Priests, and knowing that this would get ugly, Zahkriisos ordered his clan to flee and scatter to the southern winds, to live today and fight another day.
Most of the Clan abandoned their home, but one brave soul rushed into their clan's Barrow and sealed away the family sword inside, to ensure it would never fall into the wrong hands. The battle that took place between the four was intense beyond imagining, in which Ahzidal, Dukaan, and Zahkriisos were defeated, with the remaining Bloodskal guided the three priests to the Barrows where they could await Miraak's victory, sealed away in their tombs. Miraak, however, would battle on and the battle he and Vahlok waged would destroy the earthly tethers of Solstheim and seperate it from the mainland, creating the Island of the same name. Before the final blow was struck, Hermaeus Mora saved the Dragonborn, and Miraak simply smiled at his enemy, swearing that when it his time to return, his shame shall be avenged by one of his own blood, and that he would rise again once Vahlok was gone.
The Clan itself, having fled as far south as they dare, would build villages within the regions of the Jerall Mountainrange, on the Northern Edge of Cyrodiil, where they would build a Shrine to the Cyrodiilic Interpretation of Hermaeus Mora, living peacefully in the mountains and continuing their arts, successfully hiding from the Ayleids until the rebellion of saint Alessia, in which the Bloodskal make themselves known and join the Rebellion against the Ayleids, in exchange for being left alone by Alessia's Daedra hating allies, for they did not worship the Daedric Princes that oppressed them, and only sought knowledge from Hermaeus Mora's infinite libraries. Saint Alessia, after much thought, agreed, they would be left alone in their worship of the Hermaeus Mora, so long as they did not cause any trouble and swore fealty to the Empire, which the Bloodskal agreed to.
Over the Millennia, the Bloodskal would spread their bloodlines to the various races of Men and Mer, though the family lines would fall quite thin by the time, however what is known is that the Eternal Champion, the Agent, the Nerevarine, and the Hero of Kvatch have all had their family trees traced back to the Bloodskal Clan, all of them sharing strong Nordic Blood of the Bloodskal Clan, even if only in the slightest. According to the accounts of the Clan, the Eternal Champion and the Agent were all members of the Bloodskal Clan who sought out the aid of their Patron Daedra, Hermaeus Mora, for aid, and were thus granted power from the Oghma Infinium for their services, granting them the power they needed to complete their quests. For the Nerevarine and the Hero of Kvatch, the laws of Hybridism apply, in which the appearance and race of the child always favors that of the Mother, for the "Seed" adapts to the "Soil" in which it is "Planted".
The Bloodskal Records reveal that the Nerevarine was half-Nord on his father's side, in which the Bloodskal talent for picking locks and disarming traps came in handy for the Nerevarine during his mission in Morrowind, and even claiming the Bloodskal Blade to save his ancestral home of Solstheim. After his battle with Hircine, the God of the Hunt, the Nerevarine returned the Blade to it's resting place to await the time it's true master would require it's power.
For the Hero of Kvatch, his father was also a Bloodskal Nord, which afforded him great strength with the mighty two handed weapons he wielded throughout his journey. Even during his time he would locate the Crusader Armors, and defeating Umaril, his two handed weapon skills would aid him. However, his Bloodskal Heritage would truly show during his final battle with Jyggalag on the Shivering Isles, affording him the strength needed to take up the Mantle of Madness.
And this brings us to the Height of the Bloodskal's Power during the Third Era, for when the Hero of Kvatch had become Sheogorath, the Clan now had a second Patron Daedra in which to worship. The Madness induced onto them by their Hero-Madgod would provide them with bouts of great creativity, but also unpredictable bouts of rage that they would loose upon anyone who dared to cross them, like any Madman or Madwoman would. However, an unforeseen side-effect of this would be that due to their blood relation to the Madgod as a Mortal, and the fact that even in his insanity, and possibly due to it, his Love for his Clan was now stronger than ever, to the point of being obsessive and possessive of his Clan Members, would allow his Clan Members to control their insanity, allowing them to utilize it as a tool in their daily lives, and allowing them to switch between Mania and Dementia at will whilst maintaining a high functioning mind.
However, the Clan would see it's final days during the later end of the Fourth Era, where we come across our Hero, Ormr Bloodskal, the Last of Clan Bloodskal. Born Tirdas, First Seed 23rd 4E 174. during the Aldmeri Dominion's Campaign of Cyrodiil, Ormr's birth was personally witnessed by Sheogorath and Hermaeus Mora, the Clan would be going through their ceremonies in the Imperial City to celebrate the boy's birth, only for the Dominion to crash the Celebration and begin taking over the Imperial City. Unofficial Records that Ormr would later steal from the Thalmor would reveal that the Dominion would take all of the Bloodskal Members prisoner, torturing the men and killing the men, whilst raping then murdering the women when they wouldn't reveal the secrets of their Clan, which the Dominion required to secure their dominance. The once proud clan of 500 Nords that survived to that day were dwindled down to only ten, and in the year 184, the Thalmor, still wanting the secrets of the Bloodskal Clan, came to the last remaining members, torturing, raping, and finally murdering all but Ormr, who was forced to watch everything as the Thalmor, under the command of Elenwen, brought the clan to legal extinction.
Ormr, having grown up with Dunmer and Bosmer, was horrified by the brutality the Aldmer had brought upon his family, and thus had developed a bitter hatred for the High Elves, and when the house was discovered by Titus Mede II, General Tullius, and, at the time, Commander Rikke, who took pity on the boy, as Titus Mede II was friends with Ormr's father, and knew of the House's Secrets, and had the Legion seal away all of the Bloodskal Knowledge Sealed within the home for Ormr to inherit in 8 years. Ormr was taken in by Rikke's Family, whom raise him during the next 8 years, and help him build himself up, though he is shown that he hates the High Elves, no matter who they are. In 192, Ormr obtains his inheritance, and it takes him 8 years to completely read through all of his family's stores of knowledge, and, like his ancestors before him, takes worship to the Worship of Sheogorath and Hermaeus Mora.
On the Morning of the 1st of Last Seed in the 201st year of the Fourth Era, Ormr happens upon an old Thalmor Outpost, in which he discovers books that were left behind by the Thalmor, old interrogation and torture records, which revealed what the Thalmor had done to Ulfric Stormcloak, revealed that he was being subtly mind controlled by the Thalmor through the use of a complex combination of Illusion Magic and Alteration Spells, allowing a Thalmor agent named Elenwen to control the Jarl of Windhelm, driving him to start his Rebellion and weaken the Empire. The book also reveals that the Thalmor would gain access to one of the Towers, the Throat of the World, if they can get past the Grey Beards, so that they can deactivate it and regain their Godhood. Upon discovering this, Ormr rides to the Shrines of Hermaeus Mora and Sheogorath, saying prayers to the Gods of his Clan and wishing for the best luck, and on the 16th, Ormr, after making all of his preparations, would reach the Border of Skyrim, riding as fast and hard as he can, hoping to reach Rikke, his adopted sister, hoping that he might be able to reveal to her what is going on. Unfortunately, as his bad luck would have it, Ormr would ride right into an Imperial Ambush, and he would be captured, though, in his wisdom and haste, he would hide the journal he had collected on the 1st, being captured by the Imperials, and then knocked out with a sharp blow to the head. What happened after that… Is a story for another day…
Author's Note: And we're done! Heh! I have to say I had a lot of fun creating Ormr's Backstory and the Backstory of the Bloodskal Clan! Hell, I even managed to tie in the previous 4 Heroes of the Elder Scrolls Series into the Prologue, and while I will say, while it was a bit of a last minute thing, I quite enjoyed doing it! I had the help of Shoddycast's "The Storyteller" Series for Skyrim, specifically Season 1, Episode 3 "Half-Breeds", which helped me explain the reason why the Nerevarine and the Hero of Kvatch are related to the Bloodskal Clan, and while I don't know if that information is Canon or Not, I think it ties everything in well! Also be sure to go watch the youtubers of Shoddycast, FudgeMuppet, and Avarti, as their works in the Elder Scrolls Lore will be helping me flush out details I had no clue about in the future! Anyway I think that is enough out of me, I hope you all enjoyed the prologue to Bloodskal and I'll catch you on the Flipside! DOV-AH-KIIN!