Character #WritingContest
[Here is my entry for the contest. I'll add some screenshots tomorrow. The story is set before and after the events of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and has two Nord main characters, Ulfgthar and Vigdis Talos-Born.]
During the Oblivion Crisis that marked the end of the Third Era, the capital province of the Empire, Cyrodiil, was not the only province to be besieged by the Daedra. The Oblivion Gates appeared all over Tamriel and the demons in service of Mehrunes Dagon tried to destroy anything that they encountered. Skyrim was hit the hardest, although no scars of the Crisis exist two hundred years later. The Hist Sap gave the Argonians of Black Marsh warning about the impending doom and they had time to prepare, fighting so fiercely that they actually managed to invade Oblivion itself and eventually forced the Daedra to close the Oblivion Gates there. The Daedra invasion in the Summerset Isles was also met with grand resistance by the Thalmor, back then an obscure group without much importance.
This last group of Altmer (High Elf) supremacists gained a lot of respect among their fellow High Elfs because of this, gathered enough power to leave the Empire after the Oblivion Crisis was over and founded the Third Aldmeri Dominion. Eventually this resulted in what would generally be known as The Great War. A devastating war between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, thirty years before the return of the Dragons and the Civil War in Skyrim. This ultimately ended in the White-Gold Concordat that, among other things, outlawed the worship of Talos, the Nord that ascended to Godhood and who was an abomination in the eyes of the Thalmor.
Year 175 of the Fourth Era
Several weeks before the end of The Great War
The plains of Cyrodiil, just outside of the Imperial City
‘Bloody Thalmor!’ shouted Ulfgthar, a Nord captain in service of the Imperial Legion as he sunk his two-handed battleaxe in the shoulders of the Altmer mage. A moment later Ulfgthar felt a firebolt passing by him, which exploded quite some distance behind him, followed by screams. He looked where the magic came from and saw his Dunmer (Dark Elf) mage, Maladras, looking pleased. A raucous voice left his lips:
‘There were three of them behind you, pointing their arrows at your back.’ No sign of appreciation was shown in Ulfgthar’s face when he ordered:
‘Gather the men, my wife is fighting her own battle in Bruma and requires reinforcements.’
‘Dude, she’s just giving birth. I’m pretty sure that we can find some more Thalmor trying to get into the city if we look really hard,’ a deep voice said. Bagt, the teenage archer of the unit, was unusually laid back for an Orc. She was also extremely nimble and easily underestimated by her foes. She shouldn't have bothered opening her mouth however, as Ulfgthar was already on his way to the city in the north.
Two hours later the unit was about to reach the Bruma Gates. Marius Octavius, one of the Imperials in the unit was the first to notice something was wrong and said so as he readied his sword and shield. Ulfgthar readied his battle-axe and began running. The Bruma Gates were breached, everywhere lay dead soldiers, Thalmor and Imperial alike. There was no indication who had won the battle, but that became clear as soon as the unit saw Thalmor soldiers roaming the streets, executing anyone who wasn’t Mer (Elf). The ten men Imperial unit that Ulfgthar was in command of slaughtered their way through the High Elves. Eventually they reached the castle, but that too was breached.
As they entered the castle halls, Ulfgthar saw a Thalmor standing in front of his wife, who was forced on her knees despite still being in labour. Ulfgthar shouted:
‘Thalmor! Leave my wife be and let her deliver my child!’ The Thalmor looked up to Ulfgthar and his wide mouth turned into a sadistic smile. With disdain in his voice, he said:
‘As if I would allow a barbarian like yourself to procreate,’ and he thrust his sword through the woman’s throat. Ulfgthar didn’t hesitate and threw his massive two-handed battle-axe right at the Thalmor. As both Ulfgthar’s wife and the Thalmor (his head and part of his chest split in half by the battle-axe) fell to the ground, the Nord ran to his wife.
‘Move!’ said another hoarse voice. ‘I can still save your child.’ Ulfgthar looked up and saw Bandages-The-Wounded (or Bandy for short), his female Argonian medic standing in front him. He immediately let go of his wife and gave Bandy all the space she needed. ‘Maladras, help me. The child will need all the healing magic we can provide.’
Ulfgthar, however, could not stand to see how his wife was cut open and decided to go outside. It had began to storm and as rain and thunder and lightning adorned the night sky, Ulfgthar lifted his head to the clouds. As the hall behind him stayed quiet aside from Bandy and Maladras working their magic, Ulfgthar pleaded:
‘Talos! I stand before you now as godless as I always was. I command you: Give my daughter life!’ As it stayed quiet behind him and he got soaking wet from the rain, Ulfgthar continued: ‘Give my daughter life and we will fight your foes, carry ourselves with honour and reject the banditry that stains my lineage. Give my daughter life and our clan shall henceforth be known to all as Talos-Born!’ A thunder so extremely loud that Ulfgthar fell to his knees rolled over the night sky, to be heard all the way to the other side of Cyrodiil. At that exact same moment Ulfgthar heard a baby crying behind him…
Year 210 of the Fourth Era
The Plains of Whiterun, Skyrim
Several years after the end of the Civil War and the return of Alduin the World Eater and his merry bunch of fellow Dragons
‘Warriors! Today I stand here before you, ready for battle! Ready for the Second Great War of our Era! Skyrim is independent, its High King, a man of honour! High King Frothar, son of the former Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, asked me to remind you why we are here! You know the story of my birth! How my father and me were then forced to hide in the mountains because our very name was illegal within the Empire. We fought for our independence to worship who we want. To bring honour to the deity of our choosing, not the choosing of the Thalmor. And now we stand ready to give that same right to the rest of Tamriel! But we do not go into battle alone! Where we first were their servants, the Empire are now our allies! The Thalmor already now that they have no way to win this war. As we speak, the Empire is preparing for battle against the Thalmor from the other side of those mountains, just as we are! That is why I, Vigdis Talos-Born, Harbinger of the Companions, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, Nightingale of the Thieves’ Guild, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Knight of the Dawnguard, and Dovahkiin, leader of the Blades, will go into battle with all of you by my side. So all of you, Nord, Imperial, Mer, Khajiit, Argonian, Orc, Breton, or Redguard, raise your weapons and CHARGE!’
[Screenshot of the characters. I'll keep the two main characters at the top.
Vigdis Talos-Born
Ulfgthar
Maladras
Bagt
Marius Octavius
Thalmor
Bandy
Hope you enjoy it all!]
During the Oblivion Crisis that marked the end of the Third Era, the capital province of the Empire, Cyrodiil, was not the only province to be besieged by the Daedra. The Oblivion Gates appeared all over Tamriel and the demons in service of Mehrunes Dagon tried to destroy anything that they encountered. Skyrim was hit the hardest, although no scars of the Crisis exist two hundred years later. The Hist Sap gave the Argonians of Black Marsh warning about the impending doom and they had time to prepare, fighting so fiercely that they actually managed to invade Oblivion itself and eventually forced the Daedra to close the Oblivion Gates there. The Daedra invasion in the Summerset Isles was also met with grand resistance by the Thalmor, back then an obscure group without much importance.
This last group of Altmer (High Elf) supremacists gained a lot of respect among their fellow High Elfs because of this, gathered enough power to leave the Empire after the Oblivion Crisis was over and founded the Third Aldmeri Dominion. Eventually this resulted in what would generally be known as The Great War. A devastating war between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, thirty years before the return of the Dragons and the Civil War in Skyrim. This ultimately ended in the White-Gold Concordat that, among other things, outlawed the worship of Talos, the Nord that ascended to Godhood and who was an abomination in the eyes of the Thalmor.
Year 175 of the Fourth Era
Several weeks before the end of The Great War
The plains of Cyrodiil, just outside of the Imperial City
‘Bloody Thalmor!’ shouted Ulfgthar, a Nord captain in service of the Imperial Legion as he sunk his two-handed battleaxe in the shoulders of the Altmer mage. A moment later Ulfgthar felt a firebolt passing by him, which exploded quite some distance behind him, followed by screams. He looked where the magic came from and saw his Dunmer (Dark Elf) mage, Maladras, looking pleased. A raucous voice left his lips:
‘There were three of them behind you, pointing their arrows at your back.’ No sign of appreciation was shown in Ulfgthar’s face when he ordered:
‘Gather the men, my wife is fighting her own battle in Bruma and requires reinforcements.’
‘Dude, she’s just giving birth. I’m pretty sure that we can find some more Thalmor trying to get into the city if we look really hard,’ a deep voice said. Bagt, the teenage archer of the unit, was unusually laid back for an Orc. She was also extremely nimble and easily underestimated by her foes. She shouldn't have bothered opening her mouth however, as Ulfgthar was already on his way to the city in the north.
Two hours later the unit was about to reach the Bruma Gates. Marius Octavius, one of the Imperials in the unit was the first to notice something was wrong and said so as he readied his sword and shield. Ulfgthar readied his battle-axe and began running. The Bruma Gates were breached, everywhere lay dead soldiers, Thalmor and Imperial alike. There was no indication who had won the battle, but that became clear as soon as the unit saw Thalmor soldiers roaming the streets, executing anyone who wasn’t Mer (Elf). The ten men Imperial unit that Ulfgthar was in command of slaughtered their way through the High Elves. Eventually they reached the castle, but that too was breached.
As they entered the castle halls, Ulfgthar saw a Thalmor standing in front of his wife, who was forced on her knees despite still being in labour. Ulfgthar shouted:
‘Thalmor! Leave my wife be and let her deliver my child!’ The Thalmor looked up to Ulfgthar and his wide mouth turned into a sadistic smile. With disdain in his voice, he said:
‘As if I would allow a barbarian like yourself to procreate,’ and he thrust his sword through the woman’s throat. Ulfgthar didn’t hesitate and threw his massive two-handed battle-axe right at the Thalmor. As both Ulfgthar’s wife and the Thalmor (his head and part of his chest split in half by the battle-axe) fell to the ground, the Nord ran to his wife.
‘Move!’ said another hoarse voice. ‘I can still save your child.’ Ulfgthar looked up and saw Bandages-The-Wounded (or Bandy for short), his female Argonian medic standing in front him. He immediately let go of his wife and gave Bandy all the space she needed. ‘Maladras, help me. The child will need all the healing magic we can provide.’
Ulfgthar, however, could not stand to see how his wife was cut open and decided to go outside. It had began to storm and as rain and thunder and lightning adorned the night sky, Ulfgthar lifted his head to the clouds. As the hall behind him stayed quiet aside from Bandy and Maladras working their magic, Ulfgthar pleaded:
‘Talos! I stand before you now as godless as I always was. I command you: Give my daughter life!’ As it stayed quiet behind him and he got soaking wet from the rain, Ulfgthar continued: ‘Give my daughter life and we will fight your foes, carry ourselves with honour and reject the banditry that stains my lineage. Give my daughter life and our clan shall henceforth be known to all as Talos-Born!’ A thunder so extremely loud that Ulfgthar fell to his knees rolled over the night sky, to be heard all the way to the other side of Cyrodiil. At that exact same moment Ulfgthar heard a baby crying behind him…
Year 210 of the Fourth Era
The Plains of Whiterun, Skyrim
Several years after the end of the Civil War and the return of Alduin the World Eater and his merry bunch of fellow Dragons
‘Warriors! Today I stand here before you, ready for battle! Ready for the Second Great War of our Era! Skyrim is independent, its High King, a man of honour! High King Frothar, son of the former Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, asked me to remind you why we are here! You know the story of my birth! How my father and me were then forced to hide in the mountains because our very name was illegal within the Empire. We fought for our independence to worship who we want. To bring honour to the deity of our choosing, not the choosing of the Thalmor. And now we stand ready to give that same right to the rest of Tamriel! But we do not go into battle alone! Where we first were their servants, the Empire are now our allies! The Thalmor already now that they have no way to win this war. As we speak, the Empire is preparing for battle against the Thalmor from the other side of those mountains, just as we are! That is why I, Vigdis Talos-Born, Harbinger of the Companions, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, Nightingale of the Thieves’ Guild, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Knight of the Dawnguard, and Dovahkiin, leader of the Blades, will go into battle with all of you by my side. So all of you, Nord, Imperial, Mer, Khajiit, Argonian, Orc, Breton, or Redguard, raise your weapons and CHARGE!’
[Screenshot of the characters. I'll keep the two main characters at the top.
Vigdis Talos-Born
Ulfgthar
Maladras
Bagt
Marius Octavius
Thalmor
Bandy
Hope you enjoy it all!]
