User:Auri-El Reborn/The Mythic Homeland

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Authored by Auri-El Reborn

The Theme of This Story[edit]

This is part one of my Rise of the Mer fanfiction series.

This is about the fall of human-ruled Tamriel. In this the races of Mer (even those not living in Tamriel) unite to dispose of the newly founded Gratorius Dynasty. The current emperor of Tamriel, Tiber Gratorius, is a sworn enemy of the Mer and is proud of it. The current king of High Rock, Edgar Francois, is a large supporter of the newly reformed Aldmeri Dominion, and as a result has been accepted into the elven empire. But he has also gained the wrath of Tiber and the rest of the human empire. Now the Bretons, Dunmer, Altmer, what remains of the Dwemer, Bosmer, what remains of the Ayleids, Maomer, and Faomer stand against the Redguards, Imperials, and Nords. The beast races (Sload, Tsaesci, Tang Mo, Ka'Po'Tun, Kamal, Khajiit, and Argonians) remain neutral.

Preface[edit]

"Great god, Auri-El, may you grant me your blessing in this my time of peril." whispered Emanaril.

The end may have truly come. I don't know why they betrayed me. But they did. Now I'm rotting here in prison. Soon they'll be coming to take me to my scheduled public execution. As I said before, please, Auri-El grant me your blessing in this my time of peril. They're coming. Coming to take me away.

As the footsteps grew louder Emanaril's heart began to beat extremely fast. Louder, louder. Finally after what seemed like forever the footsetps stopped and above a gloomy and crouching Emanaril stood a towering Imperial.

"Come now, Altmer. The Emperor Tiber Gratorius, great ruler of Tamriel, wishes you to die this day. And his word is Divine mandate. What he says goes. That means you'll be coming with me. I don't know what you did, but if He say you need to die, that's good enough for me."

'These Imperials. How barbaric they have become.' Emanaril thought to himself.

As Emanaril was dragged from his cell and kick harshly by the Imperial officer. Indeed, Tamirel had changed much since the dawn of the fourth era. After all, that was over 1,000 years ago. The Imperial dragged Emanaril out into the execution square of the Imperial City, in a previously empty spot in the Waterfront. Emanaril was thrown the ground where the officer beat him until he could no longer move. Then, he picked Emanaril up and after a few words to the jeering audience, the executioner gripped his long, wooden handled (the handle was curved like a scimitar), black bladed axe. As Emanaril begged for his life and the croud laughed along with the officer the axe came down......


Part One: The Summerset Isle: Chapter One: Tiber's Atrocity[edit]

Emanaril ran down the hall. Never before now had he been able to ignore the enchanting beauty of Crystal Tower. But this was urgent and King Areldir had to know of this.

"My lord!" cried Emanalor, shoving the doors to King Areldir's quarters wide open with a bang. "King Areldir. Please you must listen to me. It is urgent!"

"What is it. Quickly now. Before I get impatient!" snarled Areldir.

"The Emperor. He's declared you...us.." he paused, trying to catch his breath, "He's declared Summerset Isle an enemy of the empire. All the Altmer there have been exiled and resisters, if not killed first, captured and tortured."

This last bit drove Areldir over the edge.

"Well if it's a fight Tiber wants, it's a fight he'll get!" roared Areldir "Come now, Emanalor. Prepare our armies. Tomorrow we set out for Valenwood. We shall attempt to convince them to join us and then whether or not they have, we will set sail once more either with more, Bosmeri troops, or with the same amount of warriors and go to High Rock. Maybe Edgar Francois can be convinced. But no full-blooded human on Tamriel will be spared after I'm through with them! This I promise! Now then. Fetch my armor while your at it, please."

Emanaril did so and after he had left to prepare the forces of the Summerset Isle and as King Areldir was putting on his Great Elven Cuirass something completely unexpected occured....


Part One: The Summerset Isle: Chapter Two: The Assassins[edit]

As Areldir was putting on his Great Elven Cuirass an assassin slipped throughthe door behind Emanaril into King Areldir's quarters. Seeing the king's back turned, the assassin saw his oppotunity to slip his knife into his back. Whether he was Dark Brotherhood, Morag Tong, or anything else Areldir could not be sur, but what he could be sure of is that he was an assassin and he intended to kill him. What the assassin didn't know is that Areldir had himslef once been the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, long ago. Quickly Areldir spun around faster than the wind, pulled out his sword, and ran towards the assassin. As the assassin stopped, about to run away, Areldir spun around to the right (left side when facing the assassin) side of him, moved the sword sideways in his hands, and thrusted it to the right, into the back of his aggresor. The sword went all the way through and after Areldir withdrew and sheathed his sword the assassin collapsed.

"Hmph. Amateur." said Areldir smugly.

"But where there's one, there's more." said Areldir, looking around cautiously. He knew this from experience and he also knew where the other assassins were probably hiding.

As he walked out the doorway from his quarters another assassin struck, just as Areldir had been expecting. This one he fried with a powerful Fireball. A sickening thud could be heard throughout Crystal Tower as the assassin fell from his hiding place on the ceiling. This one, like the last, was clad in a redish-black skin-tight light armor. He was now sure of it. They were Dark Brotherhood assassins.

"Betrayed....By my own brothers." he tearfully said, "I may no long be the Listener, but I'm still a speaker. Although I am what they call the "Elusive Sixth Speaker", why would they accept this contract? Why didn't Edgar stop it? A real friend, tht Breton. Well maybe he didn't authorize this. But more importantly who would have presented such a contract. Dearest Night Mother, why? Why did you not stop your children? Are you angry with me, Night Mother? Are you angry with me Sithis? I do not understand. But I still know thi much: I will get to the bottom of this."

As Areldir cautiously walked though the halls, beautiful, bright colors which would have blinded those not from (and having grown up in) the Summerse Isle. But he had spent his whole life with the dazzling hues which were made by he crystal-like glass catching the rays of sunlight and unveiling their true colors. He exchanged tense glances with several of his servants andttendants, though theirs was probably resulting from Emperor Tiber's outlawing of the Altmer andthe Summerset Isle, while his was from the stress of the assassins. He made it to the exit where he stopped to take a rest and relax (not lay down, mind you) to get th stress of worrying about assassins attacking him. After he finally got te strength and guts he stood up and exited Crystal Tower. Once he was outside yet another assassin attcked him after sword fighting with him for a while, as this one was much more skilled than he others, he was able to simply knock out the assassin.

The assassin came to several hours later only to find himself tied to a column-like structure. It didn't take long for him to notice the numerous instruments of torture. Calipers, tongs, pincers, knives, pulling chains, forks, swords, axes and much more were piled around the room en masse.

"So you've finally come to, eh?" said a guard. "Good. Now the fn can begin. King Areldir! The prisoner has come to!"

"Ah good, good." said Areldir, entering the torture room with five others, including the guard. "Now then, you're going to tell us everything we want to know. If you don't, you'll wish you were never born!"

"Alright alright! I'll tell you everything I know. I swear! Please just don't hurt me! Please!" begged the assassin.


Part One: The Summerset Isle: Chapter Three: Interrogation[edit]

Areldir began his onslaught of ruthless questions. Even the slightest hesitation was punsihed with some form of torture.

"First of all" Areldir began "What is your name?"

The assassin winced as the torturer moved towards him ready to use, preferably, the most painful instrument he had.

"Come on. We don't have all day you know!" said one of the men next to Areldir.

"What is your name?!" yelled Areldir.

"Dranalas Hlaalu!" screamed the assassin.

"Very good. At ease, torturer." said Areldir, a prominent tone of smugness in his voice. "But... We have only just begun. Now prisoner, who gave this contract to the Dark Brotherhood?"

Dranalas Hlaalu was silient. He had fear and reluctance on his face. He did not wish to tell Areldir this. But he would eventually. When he refused to answer Areldir the torturer pulled out the pulling chains. They hooked the prisoner up to them and attached the other end to a piece of metal obviously installed for the purpose of harboring chains. As the torture began Dranalas screamed in pain, begging them to stop, until he went hoarse. It is guessed this torture lasted about an hour. Finally, his limbs were ready to come off. And so he answered Areldir's question.

"For the last time, who gave this contract to the Dark Brotherhood? screamed Areldir "If you don't answer me, I'll have to order the torturer to move on to another form of torture!"

"Alright I'll tell you! Just please don't hurt me!" begged the assassin "I don't know exactly who but they said...Nemaril said that the contract was from someone in Valenwood. Please that's all I know! PLease stop torturing me! Please! I'm begging you!"

"Beg all you want. We still have eight more questions to go." snarled Areldir.

He answered all the other questios without hesistation and he was released the next day. Areldir was enraged by this betrayal and swore to find out whoever had asked this of the brotherhood. Besides, Valenwood was his first planned stop anyway.


Part Two: Valenwood and High Rock: Chapter One: A Motive and A Friend[edit]

"My king! We have spotted land!" stated a tall, typical gold-brown haired Altmer sailor.

"Very good! You shall be rewarded greatly uhhh....What was your name agaian? I'm terribly sorry. There's just so many people to keep track of and..." said Areldir, whom was cut off by the Altmeri sailor.

"Tiranil's my name, sir. And that's quite alright. I understand with as many advisors and attendants and such that you have to keep track of." replied the Altmer, awareness in his voice.

"Well, Tiranil, you and you crew will be greatly rewarded. And don't worry. Once this is over there'll be plenty of loot to go around." said Areldir.

There it was. Valenwood. Homeland of the Bosmer, the Wood Elves in Cyrodilic. But, as always, the Cyrodiils and all their cousins are wrong. Redguards are an exception in the eyes of the Mer, for they come not from Atmora (which is Altmora in Aldmeris) but from the know sunken Yokuda.

They landed in the port separate of the Bosmeri city of Greenheart. After asking to speak to the king of Valenwood, they were directed to Falinesti, the walking tree-city capital of Valenwood. Upon arriving near Falinesti, again landing close to the town. This time they had to track it. Once they had tracked the walking tree-city, they travelled via teleportation. Altmeri wizards are extremely gifted in the arcane arts and therefore no mark and recall was required (see the Mark article and the Recallfor more information on this). They then asked for an audience with the king and they had to stay there for a while. A few days later the king agreed to see them and Areldir and nine others attended. No one knows what was said but the kin, after four hours (about) agreed to Areldir's proposition. Areldir now had the Bosmer on his side. He was one step closer to deposing of the human-ruled Empire. He now had a new friend.

That night King Areldir wasattacked while sleeping in his tent. This man was clad in robes as black as night. However he was no Dark Brotherhood Speaker or even in the Dark Brotherhood as his robes lacked th hints of red the Dark Brotherhood's robes had. And he was far less skilled than any Dark Brotherhood assassin that Areldir knew of. On the body of the now dead assassin Areldir found a note which read:

Falenthir, You are the my last hope. The three Dark Brotherhood assassin failed to take out Areldir. He must pay for what he did to my parents and siblings. He will pay for torturing them right in font of me. This I promise. And you shall do this. You must do this. Either you or Vicente Motierre must carry out the execution of Areldir. Do this, and you will have the 4,000 drakes I promised you.

Isabella Francois

"A Francois? No. Isabella? It can't be! I never did anything to her or her family.... Wait. Now I remember. That night. I'm sorry, Isabella. But it had to be done. I don't think yu will be able to understand. I'm sorry." said Areldir silently. Suddenly a guard burst into the tent.

"Sire, are you alright..." the guard paused when he saw the body "I'm terribly sorry, my lord. I swear, no one saw him come in. I swear it! I'm dreadfully sorry, my lord. Let me clean this up."

As the guard dragged the body out of the tent Areldir stood. Frozen; shocked. Shocked that his own brotherhood would betray him. Shocked that a friend had ordered his assassination. Shocked about everything that had occurred.


Part Two: Valenwood and High Rock: Chapter Two: Edgar and Isabella[edit]

The next day the combined Altmeri and Bosmeri forces set sail (the Bosmer using their own ships) for High Rock. Areldir looked foward to speaking to his old friend Edgar Francois and getting to the bottom of Edgar's daughter's betrayal. Upon arriving at the great capital city of Daggerfall Areldir went to see Edgar Francois. He was let in without hesitatio by the guards but he could only take one other with him. For this, maybe since Emanaril had chosen to stay and watch the ship with a few others, Areldir chose Tiranil to go in with him.

"Ah yes. Greetings, my old friend! It's so good to finally see you again. What's it been, 1,500 years?" said Edgar cheerfully.

"Why yes, something like that. It's so good to see you too, Edgar. Still s Vampire as I can see." replied Areldir.

"Yes, but, young man." Edgar said to Tiranil "Do not let that nor my apearance strike fear into your heart. Any friend of Areldir's is a firend of mine!"

"Yes, yes. He speaks the truth. Oh, Edgar." said Areldir "I almost forgot. This is Tiranil, captain of my flagship. Besides e of course."

"Ah yes. Very good to meet you, Tiranil." said Edgar kindly, reaching out his hand.

"Yes very good to see you too, Mr. Francois." said Tiranil, gripping and shaking Edgar's outstretched, pale, skeletal hand. The bony feeling unnerved Tiranil, but only for the duration of the shake.

"But before I forget, Areldir. Yu wanted to see my daughter?" said Edgar, facing Areldir.

"Yes. Why? Is she here?" asked Areldir.

"Why yes, she is. Isabella! Someone wishes to speak with you!" yelled Edgar.

The next paragraph is through the eyes of Tiranil.

As she walked in, her enchanting grace creating the illusion of an glistening aura of beauty. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. A slim, kind, face with eyes seemingly made of stars. Her beauty was greater than that of the hues of color in Crystal Tower. Isabella Francois, the most beautiful woman in the world. And now, my wife.

"Yes father? Is there something you need?" asked Isabella.

"Yes. Do you know this man, Isabella?" asked Edgar.

She looked at Areldir without the slightest hint of scorn.

"No. Why? Should I know him? Who is he father?" she said.

Feelings of disbelief and suspicion overwhelmed Areldir and suddenly he exploded....


The End!!!

For the rest see the sequel, The Roots of the Forsaken which can be found (as of October 3rd) on my profile page. Thanks for reading!


The Evolution of This Tale[edit]

UESPWiki Version: 2009 Here only two major changes were made: The name of the series was changed from "The Meleriand Chronicles" to "The Rise of the Mer" (looking back on it, I kinda like the former (first one) better; tell me what you guys think!), and "Fingolin" was changed to "Areldir" and he became an Altmer.

Orignal, Finalized, Typed Version: 2007 Its was in this stage (after about 3 drafts in which I was slowly refining the story) that the most drastic changes took place. The time-period was changed from 3E 479 to 4E 334. It was centered around an Ayleid named Fingolin (a combination of "Thingol" and "Fingolfin" from The Lord of the Rings" series; I know it isn't a very Ayleid name, but hey this was 3 years ago, and 2 years before I joined the Wiki. I wasn't very Elder Scrolls educated!) I will soon create a page in the sandbox reviewing the history of the Rise of the Mer and the plotline and details of each individual draft.

Earliest Draft of Plotline and Story: 2005 This version was written during the time which I played Morrowind, and orginally took place in the would-be years 3E 479.