Cearbhail: Yes, a new chapter for the Shoutmen. We finally get to meet Forsworn...or should I call him Madanach? Well, I'm sure I have someone interested now, but before you start correcting me for it being 100 years in the future, relax. It's his grandson. Anyway, enjoy.

Bloodstain's journal, entry 3

I dreamt last night. It was a familiar dream. It was the dream where I wake up and I'm standing in the Blue Palace. Standing next to me are men and women I've never seen before. There are children present as well, all armed for combat. Standing in front of me is the original Shoutman, the Seer. She looks over at me and sticks out her hand for me to take it. She smiles and looks at me with her big white blind eyes. She wants me to join her in the fight. I take her hand, knowing full well that I was about to step into Oblivion with the worst of them. Looking around, I can see faces of old legend. Faces I've only heard about in the retelling of the Aedra Wars. I was honored to stand among them, even though I'm one of three adults present.

I got to go out and fight, proudly kicking the Thalmor where it hurt the most…their egos. But as soon as we get out there, I wake up. And now, here I am, lying outside in the snow; my fist is up in the air, grasping at something that I cannot see but can still feel. It is desire. The desire to help in any way I can. I can make this world a better place, I know I can. I am but a match who will ignite all the candles in the world. When we gather we will drive the darkness away. I know I can do it.

Bloodstain…

…

I thought getting from Markarth to the unnamed ruin that lies northeast would have been easy. I was wrong. I never guessed that even this mucked up world would have a slave quarry. All the land of the Reach was being dug up by slaves. By slaves I bet you can guess who's leading the charge. The Aldmeri Dominion had long taken Dunmer and Redguards into their ranks, allowing them to publicly hold the beast races as slaves again. Among them now were Imperials and Nords who fought the system and lost. All of them had slave collars. Collars that not only invaded your mind and left you a shell of your being but also filled you with a soft of numbing pain that seemed to work its way into your soul. It was a sort of pain that worked on your nerves and willpower until you couldn't fight it anymore. Once the pain died off, so did your desire to fight anymore. When you thought about fighting, it started right back up.

Looking down at the Khajiits and Argonians now, being whipped by the Dunmer and Redguards, I could only think about how the Khajiit were once in the pocket of the Thalmor, ruined by one cat with a shiny sword. She doomed her own race to a life of servitude. I guess it wasn't long before the Thalmor tried taking them over as well. They wanted elves on top, not cats. And getting the Dunmer to side with them was easy once they were promised slaves again.

So, where I was, lying at the top of a quarry, looking down at the slaves swinging pickaxes at an old Dwarven ruin. They were looking for bits and pieces, I'm sure. I don't know exactly what they're looking for but I won't let them get away with this. I bet if I somehow freed the slaves that they would rally. They would become the driving force that was freedom. Freeing them was the Nord thing to do. Nords don't do slaves. They were forced to let their almost hated allies get chained up. It was amazing how fast how not allowing Khajiits and Argonians into towns became a law instead of just racial fears.

With how fast Nords began sympathizing with the very creatures they hated only days ago, it was a fast transaction to riots. Riots that were silenced as fast as they started. Thalmor have no remorse on killing anyone who gets in their way.

So, here I was. I counted maybe 200 Thalmor, most of them Dunmer, but some of them were the Altmer overlords. I could see one now, at the very end of a long stretch. He sat on his seat, being fanned by two Thalmor females. He was petting some creature and was getting fed snowberries like he was some king. How could I see that far? Well…a special mage power that allows me to amplify objects in the distance. I love my Illusion magic.

I looked down at the ground, thinking of what I could do to get some distractions going. Better yet…what was my plan? I never really thought these things through, but I had to have something planned. Otherwise, I was going to drop in and fall right into the Thalmor's hands. I did not want that. But, I could not just leave these slaves be.

I groaned as I pulled off my hat and scratched the top of my masked head. I wish this had been a smaller operation but…I did not have a choice anymore. I had to act. If I left these poor creatures here then I was no better than the rest of the slime that kept their eyes closed every second of the day. As I stood up and reached for my sword…I thought of something. These slaves were not going anywhere and I was only a half hour away from my friend's fort. If he was still there and his forces were still training and preparing, then I might just get this thing settled fast. If everything worked out perfectly, I could ignite a flame so bright that everyone in Skyrim will wake up. Then, when I march up to Solitude and slam the doors wide open, everyone will see the change. Everyone will act.

…

I could not believe that I stepped away from the quarry. I did not know that they had children there are well. I knew that the Thalmor took orphans and did something to them. I did not know that they ended up in slave camps. It was a fitting punishment that I could see coming from the Thalmor. A person wakes up, sees what the world really is and then…gets killed by the Thalmor for doing so. Then their kids have nowhere to go, so the Thalmor take them. Then, they end up in camps to dig their whole lives.

Even still, as I looked down at the quarry before stepping away, a kid saw me and looked up. He only saw me for a few seconds but once he saw me…he noticed me. He knew who I was. I could see hope in his eyes. He knew that I was watching…that I would help. But…just as the heartless Nords of the present…I stepped away, stepping away from the ledge, away from the kid. It must have been spirit breaking to see; a Shoutman, a hero of the people…turn his back on the very thing he stood against. There was no hope now, not unless I did something.

That kid did not know that I was coming back, that I would bring an entire army with me. He did not know a thing, but I was sure to make sure he was the first one to see me again. He'd be watching. He would know freedom soon enough.

I smiled through my mask as I came up on the old fort. It was the old fort that no one ever talked about anymore. Fort forgotitsname. It was a very well-known fort. Now all I had to do was get inside it. I took a step forward, straightening my jacket as I prepared to walk inside.

"Move and we'll take your head off." A voice called from beside me.

I raised my hands slowly and raised them over my head. A person walked out of the bush next to me, pointing his ridiculous sword at me. "What business does a faceless person with no armor have with us?"

No armor? He must have not known what was under my overcoat. I was covered neck-to-toe in armor; it was just very thin crystal armor. Still strong enough to stop swords, arrows, and most forms of magic.

I sighed as I looked at more of the Forsworn walking out from their hiding places. There were about 20 of them. Good, I was glad that I had a full party here. I looked at my captor and said, "My name is Bloodstain. I'm a Shoutman. I am here to chat with my old buddy, Forsworn…the Shoutman."

My captor nodded and faced some of the people toward the entrance to the fort. "Go get Madanach."

I stood out there, hands on my head, waiting for Forsworn to walk out of the building. They called him Madanach. It was a name he gave himself when he became the leader of the Forsworn. Madanach. In all reality, he was Madanach's grandson. This was his legacy to lead, almost like a hierarchy. It seemed fitting that he continued the legacy by using his name as his own. I could understand it. There were some things that just needed to live on. If I were to die, I sure hope some new Shouter would throw on my bloodstained mask and called himself Bloodstain. As long as he lived by my virtues and fought to bring Skyrim back to life, I wouldn't care. He would keep us both alive in doing so. Madanach was only doing the same with his grandfather.

Finally, after a few minutes of standing out in the lightly falling snow, I could see Madanach walking out with two Forsworn behind him. He smiled and spread his arms out wide. "Put your hands down, old buddy. You're certainly not going to die here."

I lowered my arms and cracked my neck. It felt good to be able to move again. I could see that Madanach's life had not grown any easier than when it all started. His idea of a mask was the elk skeleton headdress he wore as a Forsworn. It was an appropriate mask to be sure. No one knew what his face looked like, not even me. Heck, I didn't really care. If he could disappear, better that no one could find him.

"What brings you out here anyway?" He asked. It was almost like he already knew the answer but still wanted to hear it anyway.

I shrugged and looked away from him. "I saw slaves today. They have children now. There is a settlement on a mile away. We could go there and free the slaves."

Madanach nodded, listening. "I thought about it. But…why are you here? You wouldn't come by here if you could just get the Stormcloaks to do it for you."

I sighed. "You haven't been listening to the news then. I guess that happens when you live out in the middle of nowhere, under a rock."

Some Forsworn started glaring angrily at me, but Madanach looked as patient as ever. "What news, Bloodstain?"

"Someone's killing the Shoutmen. It started with Ethereal. He was found fused to a wall. Then it was Captain Obvious. His ship blew up while it was out on sea. Someone said that the lighthouse guiding him in went silent for a few minutes. When the lighthouse was lit…his boat was gone and so was he. He was found a day later, his ship destroyed, his throat…slit. Then the murders moved on to Graybeard. Shouted right off of Mount Hrothgar. Then…me. I was pushed off of Mount Hrothgar by one of my soldiers. Someone wants us dead, Madanach. I feel you might be next."

Madanach nodded, scratching his chin in surprise. "But…why?"

I shrugged. "The Thalmor are getting a little…antsy if you ask me. There's a hit for us, you know. One million if I counted right. One million for my head, and one million for your head. That tells me one thing and one thing only. They fear something. There is something about us that makes them want us dead. It hasn't been this bad before, they usually left us in peace. Now…we're prey. I think it's because they've backed themselves into a corner. People are waking up. They are seeing that this is not the world they want. Now…it's time for change, old buddy. And we're it." I looked right at him and then at his buddies.

Madanach smiled. "So, you wish me to join you in taking Skyrim back from the Thalmor?"

I nodded. "Yes. I talked to some Nords about it earlier. They're awake now. They are fighting back. I heard the news about some 'farm boys' freeing slaves. I knew that it was their families that they were freeing but it still freedom." I said, grabbing my old friend's hand. "If we free the slaves and start an uprising, we can take back the Reach, as you grandfather has always wanted."

Madanach's eyes opened wide. He nodded and took my hand. "Together as one we Shout." He turned to his troops. "Today, we take back the Reach!"

I thought back to the dream I had earlier the day. The dream where I was standing next to Princess Cecilie and her army. I wish I could have been there back then, so I would not have to do this now. Too bad fate has other things in store for us than just living in the times we wanted. We lived in the times that we were needed. I was needed here, if only to be the only shining light in this world full of burning oil and dark machinery.

Cearbhail: Next chapter is just going to be one massive bloodshed. One scene for the slave camp, one scene for the aftermath of hte slave camp, and then... taking Markarth. Should be interesting, to say the least.