21st of Last Seed
I'm still planning out this potential invasion. Once we take Summerset, I'm temped to issue a ban on the worship Auri-El and see how the Altmer like it but I just can't do that to Gelebor. I also don't know what effect that might have on Auriel's bow, now that I think of it. Damn it. Phynaster it is then. We'll give them a dose of the medicine that they've been shoving down everyone else's throats for a while. I doubt that they'll care for the taste of it any more than we did with the banning of Talos. Walking will be seen as deference to Phynaster and thus an act of heresy. When they start to get a bit rowdy over it, we'll let them have their god back and let them stop running to get everywhere. Then we can point out the object lesson and let the complaining begin. I won't kill anyone for heresy, like the Thalmor have been doing, but I will put them in a holding cell until this runs its course.
I need to find some places to call up Durneviir. He says that the more time he spends outside the Soul Cairn, the stronger he gets so I'll need to get him out of there frequently to get his strength up and keep him strong so that he can be a good ally in the fights to come. I still don't trust him, but I doubt that the Ideal Masters will ever let him go now they have their hooks into him. No matter how many souls he gives them from this war, I doubt Durneviir will ever be free again. I think that deep down, he knows this. In other news, Durneviir has given my dovah a partial name - Qahnaarin, the vanquisher. The other two words have yet to be earned so its not a full name yet. Still, it's more than most dovah ever get much less a sossedov. According to dov tradition, the naming words will encompass defining aspects of my dovah. This is the first and the other two are yet to be revealed. I wonder with Paarthurnax will make of my partial name. I'll have to go chat with him. This might be the first time a sossedov has gotten a dovah name.
22nd of Last Seed
The East Empire Company hit me up again today about dealing with a dragon that's targeting their ships and caravans. Not anyone eles's, mind, just theirs. I had a hard time not smirking at that fool. There's no way I'm hunting that dragon. I hope all their ships and caravans burn. If I find that dragon, I'm going to give him a big hug and kiss. I don't know if dragons drink mead, but I'm open to buying him a tun, if they do. Heck, even if he just wants to try it out. I don't know what they did to make a dragon that angry, but it's one of the best things to happen since we settled the civil war. I'm off to have a long chat with Ulfric tomorrow about this. We need to get in touch with Maormer now and get started on building an alternative trading company to take over the routes while the East Empire is tied up with the dragon. They've lost an entire legion to the thing and still counting.
Fair practices, competitive rates, and goods that actually arrive without being extorted for fake "customs fees" - it won't take long before we can steal a huge chunk of their business. That'll start to put the pinch on the nobles and weaken the Empire's war machine considerably. I think Skyrim Trading Company has a nice ring to it. We can stamp everything with a dragon instead of a ship. Different colored sails and different uniforms should let the dragon know that these aren't East Empire ships. We might even be able to buy up some of their ships that are stuck in harbor for what's owed on them. Many of the East Empire ship captains can't make the payments on their ships if they can't sail. I won't hire them or their crews since they've become to used to operating as legal pirates. Once again we can't become the thing that we're fighting to overthrow.
If the war machine is on stand by because they're not getting paid, they won't send a ton of troops at us when we invade. The fewer troops they send at us, the fewer we'll be forced to kill before we make them capitulate. I don't know that they'll expect what's coming but I have plans. The Elder Council and current Emperor will be charged with treason. Once we drag out all their dirty dealings with the Thalmor, I don't think we'll have a problem getting a conviction. I can't think of a single Imperial institution that I want to keep except for the Moth Priests. The Penitus Oculatus are nothing more than a bunch of thugs and Thalmor imitators. The Army and the Fighter's Guild are both weak and ineffective. The trading company is corrupt and trades in things like slaves that I find reprehensible.
The priests of the Divines who have sanctioned all this will be defrocked and stripped of their power and property. The Synod is a bunch of strutting peacocks who are more hot air than magic. I'll shout the Synod into silence myself if that's required. If the conclave in Bruma is any indication, I know more magic than they do and my shouts continue to grow in power as I continue to consume dragon souls. I doubt that they can match me in destruction. I don't know of anyone living who can match me in enchanting. Much of what I can create is far better than even some of the legendary artifacts that we've hauled out of tombs and crypts. All the nobles and bureaucrats will be disbanded and disenfranchised. The Moth Priests are perhaps the one institution that I can see keeping intact. The fighters guild needs a definite overhaul and so does the entire Army.
We'll carve up Cyrodiil somewhat differently than it is now and institute a system of Jarls and I'll need to have a long talk with Ulfric about how he picks Jarls. More Sorli's and Maven's just won't do. All those with titles will be stripped of their titles, property and all the special rights that those leeches have been using to suck up coin they never earned. There's no regard for the people that they rule over because they're insulated from them by layer after layer of "nobility" who all walk around assuring each other of what a great job they're doing and now necessary it is for those who rank lower to sacrifice and suck it up.
When we're done with them, they can have one house with enough bedrooms for each family member, no more. The money's gone. The lands are gone. That means the power's gone. The servants are gone too. No more peasants tied to the land and forced to work without being allowed to leave. Everything else goes to the new Jarl. At least with the Jarl, you can go straight to the Jarl and they have to hear you. With the money gone and power gone, they'll quickly become irrelevant. Then they'll get to see what those they've been lording over really think of them. No more slaves either. Slaves are free and welcome in Skyrim, if they want to relocate. Winterhold, Morthal, and Falkreath could all use some more population. Some of the smaller villages like Ivarstead or Old H'roldan could use some new blood.
Their current system only works because the person making the decisions never has to listen to what angst, strife, and hardship those decisions cause. The layers of useless layers of nobility will be done. The new holds will be smaller so there will be more Jarls than there are Counts now. The earls, the dukes, the barons, and all their lackeys are all now average citizens. If they put up too much of a fuss, we'll use them for front-line fodder when we invade Summerset. They'll march at the enemy even if they have to do it with our spears at their backs. I do hope that they paid attention to the military part of their education. I have a feeling that they're going to need it. I expect that they're going to put up a bit more than a fuss.
They have abused their power, their people and even their own pets. When we were in Bruma, I upset one of the local noble families because I found a dog on the road. It had been abused, rather badly. I wasn't about to give him back for him to continue to be abused. I ran into an older fellow who had recently lost his dog, so I gave the dog to him. The dog is happy. The old man is delighted. The noble family is pissed because I gave away the thing that their patriarch had been abusing instead of them. Anyone who will abuse an animal like that will do the same to people. With the dog gone, he's turned his attention back to his family members.
I suggested that they do something about that besides get him another dog. The oldest son took my meaning and practically spit on me. Either stand up to him for abusing your family or admit that you're at the very least complicit in that abuse. I have no respect for any man that allows someone to abuse his wife and daughters, even if it is his own father. The other nobles all know what's going on and turn a blind eye to it because the old man is well connected and likes to throw his weight around. Even those that are more powerful and could stop him, won't do it. Worthless, the lot of them.
That's what the nobility in Cyrodiil are like. I'd say that I have no use for them, except that I do. They can be the first ones to face the Thalmor before the real troops engage. With a little luck, we can use them to trick the Thalmor into doing something stupid I can take advantage of. I don't have to kill them and they might prove to be useful for once in their lives. Some of them might even survive it. We can laud the fallen as "Heroes of the War" and move along.
23rd of Last Seed
It took Galmar and Jorlief both telling Ulfric that I'm right before he agreed to send word to the Maormer to see if they'd even be interested in doing this. We can do some of the shorter runs ourselves starting now. Ulfric's agreed to set up a regular shipping run between Windhelm and Solstheim with the Redorans. I've also told him to set up a regular trading run between Windhelm and Blacklight. I've got a standing order with the Redorans for ebony. If they can ship more frequently, I can get more ebony. More ebony means more of us wearing my special ebony armor which takes enchantments better than steel. That'll be a boon when we take on Cyrodiil and Summerset.
With this dragon strangling East Empire, now's the time for us do this. The other parts of the Empire will be hungry for trading partners since they're now isolated. With the city expansion is underway and the Grey Quarter seeing some repairs so that's not a slum, some of the local Dunmer and Argonians have agreed to crew the vessel and pass the word that Windhelm is improving. That should help us win House Redoran as an ally in the fight against the Thalmor. I need to head back to Solstheim and see how things are going there. I know that they were worried about reavers showing up to try to take over the ebony mine. I also know that Redoran hates the Empire and might be looking for a bit of blood since the Empire abandoned them during the Oblivion Crisis. I don't think Morrowind will ever be part of the Empire again but that doesn't mean they can't be allies against the Thalmor.
We're off to talk to Elisif about setting up some trading runs into High Rock as well. Jehanna and Farrun are likely targets but if we can find a third captain willing to take this on, North Point would make a good run too. It's far enough away from the other two that I'm not worried about saturation. It also gives us a good excuse to get boots with ears and eyes in those cities to negotiate for more trade and look for opportunities to find allies among those in High Rock. I don't much care what these captains deal in as long as it's not skooma or slaves. I won't tolerate either of those things. If they come up with something else that's really objectionable, we'll talk. High Rock will have their rules and we'll have ours.
I'll talk to some of the Khajiit traders to see if any of them are interested in taking on a trading run between Skyrim and Hammerfell. Elinhir or Dragonstar might be good choices. It depends on how much trouble tries to spill over the border and how much trouble the Forsworn cause. Markarth is closer to the border but has more problems with the Forsworn. Dragon's Bridge is probably a better choice. There's already a Stormcloak outpost there and Pinefrost Tower isn't that far away but about half way over the mountains. A bit more of a climb and then the decent into Hammerfell to Dragonstar. I'll send another courier to not-Erik to find out what they need the most and we'll see what we can spare for them. I'm cautious about sending too much because I never know when the Thalmor are going to grow a spine and try to strike at us.