The Imperial City - White Gold Tower
The storm out side thundered the windows of white gold tower and seemed to shake its very foundations as the spire swayed back and forth in the wind. The storm outside masked the tower from far away eyes, subtly hiding it behind the thick fog. The bustling inside the spire seemed to match the storm outside as the Elder Council argued and spat at each other over the giant table that was centered in the middle of the rounded room. Torches lined around the out side of the giant room like golden crimson soldiers in a line. The men were in heated debate and parchment was spread all across the table.
A rather large man with Long Golden hair stood and made his presence known about the room. When the arguing continued he smashed his fist on the table and yelled out. "SILENCE!"
The muttering councilman all put their conversations on hold as the all turned to pay attention to the man in the center. He had a thin trimmed beard that was accented by his long golden hair and extravagant robes.
"My friends, please listen to me." He said his voice clear and calm. "It seems we have much to talk about, this is acknowledged and we will all get to it in due time."
The arguing broke out once again across the large white table and the blonde man rose his hands for silence.
"Please!" The towering man said his voice booming above the rest. "My councilmen, I assure you, your concerns are being met." He said his voice not wavering.
"Somehow I doubt that Emperor!" a man dressed in black with short black hair shouted out on the left side of the table. He stood to address the council. "We continue to have reports of death up near Cheydinhal. Abductions continue and killings are common in the forests. I say we quarter the legion up their and flush the bastards out!" He raised his hands in rally and received a few cavalier reactions from the other elders.
"No." The emperor replied rapidly "We can not simply sit on the city and hope for results. The few friends that are still loyal to the empire there would be suffocated, we need to contain what little influence we have."
"So we allow them to suffer!" the black haired man shouted back his emotions getting the better of him.
"No we ask that they endure. We will never find the source of corruption when the majority of the citizens would turn against us. I have foresters combing the wilds this very moment. They will find the problem and eliminate it.
"Not good enough!" The black hair man yelled back "We need to take back what is rightfully ours, full military assault, Mage cleansing, whatever gets the job done!"
"You win battles with your tongue not your fist Antinoch. I would think you of all would realize this." The defeated politician recoiled for a second before returning calmer this time but his voice still gritting with anger.
"You have lead this land into the ground emperor. We can not stand under this tyranny. The crime in this empire is turning the government on its back and you are responsible." He paused for a few seconds and the room was still, the council in deep thought over the passionate mans verbalization. The emperor sat and put his face in his hands, he knew that the man was partly right. "I respectfully decline myself from this meeting." Antinoch said before leaving the room slamming the giant wood doors behind him. The Elder council remained silent for a second or two before breaking out in argument once again.
Emperor Horace Pilus held his face in his hands while his fellow politicians swirled their ideas around the room. This was a disaster, His father left the empire in shambles and crime ran rampant around Cyrodiil. His Legion was weakened mostly by men who believed their skills with a blade could be better used for opportunistic purposes. His borders were also constantly harassed by pirates usually hailing from the other provinces just waiting to get their greedy hands on a piece of Imperial Land. Poverty, Homelessness, and Pestilence covered the streets. This country was not the bustling republic that used to stand on the horizon. He had never asked for this position but he had no choice he had to pick up the pieces.
The young emperor looked up from his hand and brought his eyes around the circle. He noticed that furthermost seat from his was empty. He rose to his feet and boomed over the council again.
"Councilman Terence is missing. Does any of you know of his whereabouts." He scanned the council their befuddled faces peered back at him. "No, then where is he? He has never missed a meeting before." Pilus sighed, "No matter let us press on to more important matte..." His was soon stopped as a mangled body fell from the top floor. The body landed in the center of the table its head making a sickening crack on the stone. Blood poured out the corpse filling the indentation in the center of the table.
An immeadiate reaction jolted around the council, some of the men jumped back in surprize, others drew the daggers they kept on their belts.
Pilus jumped up and drew his sword staring up into the spire. He was soon grabbed from behind by some palace guards and began getting dragged away. Chaos swirled around the room as some of the men now understood their lives could be in danger.
"My Liege we need to leave!" one of the guardsmen exclaimed
"No let me be!" Pilus replied before muscling his way out of the guards grasp. He turned to speak to them. "Go and find this murderer he must still be here!" The guards reluctantly turned and pulled out their swords before they disappeared from sight.
The emperor stepped forward and looked down on the body in front of him. It was Elder Julis Terence, a distinguished member of the elder council for thirty years. Some of the councilmen returned to the body as well gasping at the horrific scene they saw in front of them. One of the councilmen stepped on to the table and searched the body.
"There is an note here!" He said his voice quaking with surprise.
"Read it." Pilus said his voice solid and unmoving.
The councilman cleared his throat and piped up unfolding the paper. Other notes fell from the parchment as he opened it carefully and passed the other slips of paper out to the other councilmen. The last one he held up in the torchlight to read. He began...
Elder council,
I am sure that this man's death comes as a surprise for you. In this paper I have included proof of this man's deception. This is Elder Councilman Julis Terence also known to select few as the Black Wolf. For the last ten years he has run an illegal woman trafficking business in the Northeast of Cyrodiil. He is responsible for the deaths of over seven hundred women as well as numerous counts of extortion, rape, drug trafficking, enslavement, kidnapping, bribery, and blackmail of public officials. Some of which are in this very room.
This is a message. Do not take it likely, it should spread across all of Tamriel and it should ring into the ears of every corrupt bastard. I warn you do not wain from the righteous path or I will find you. I am out there, and i will not stop until every criminal is laying in a pool of their own blood.
I am a Spectre, a ghost in the night, I will not stop. I will not yield. I am Revenant.
"Damn It!" Commander Yorik yelled as he haphazardly tripped over a candle stick on the floor. " The council definitely left in a hurry."
"See I knew bringing you along would be very helpful to the investigation." Investigator Reven Blackthorn said sarcastically.
Yorik was a giant Nord man that was wearing a full suit of Royal Imperial Armor. For thirty three years he has served as legion commander. Those who know him call him the Bull due to the fact that he would rather fight with his men then behind them. A fierce warrior and an even fiercer patriot Yorik is known all around as a man to avoid if your in trouble with the empire.
The two men pushed through the giant door that opened to the Elder Council Chamber. The room was empty. The body that had fell just hours earlier still Immediately the two men saw the grisly scene.
Blackthorn was the royal inquisitor. In charge of all crime laced throught
"Great." Yorik stated his voice mocking complacency "By the gods what a mess, i will never see the end of paperwork for this one." The two stepped forward to the body, the smell of dead flesh emmulated around the room.
"Let's get to work." Blackthorn said as he raised his hand in the air. He whispered a spell and a eerie green glow flashed in his hand, casting shadows around the room as he jumped up on the table and crouched down to get a good look at the body. "Why don't you look around Yorik." The giant hulking man grunted as he started to kick around the various objects spilled on the floor.
Blackthorn got to work. He moved quickly his practiced hands searching the body. His thoughts bounced around in his head. "No bruising on the body, sword wound through the stomach, clean cut, all the way through. Sword pierced three vital organs, practiced surgical cut. Powerful thrust." He ripped the man's shirt looking at the bleeding wound, "who ever murdered this man is a trained to kill, definetly not a thug with a sword." He searched the rest of the body and stood.
"Did you find anything." Yorik said as he walked up to the table piercing the veil of the greenish light.
"The murderer is a trained killer. Might be a bounty hunter or a mercenary. Not enough information to tell for sure."
"What's the plan of action?"
"We hunt this murderer down and make him pay." Blackthorn exclaimed, his voice solemn.