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6 yrs ago
Current "Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg." - Deor.
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8 yrs ago
"Point me out the happy man and I will point you out either egotism, selfishness, evil - or else an absolute ignorance."
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Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago?
Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
Hwær cwom symbla gesetu?
Hwær sindon seledreamas?
Eala beorht bune!
Eala byrnwiga!
Eala þeodnes þrym!
Hu seo þrag gewat,
genap under nihthelm,
swa heo no wære.

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Posted in the collab :)
There we go! Sorry it took a little while.
Hello all! Sorry for the delays, I shall pop in tonight, it's been quite a week for me and it temporarily devoured my attention.
Dalnoria Sarys


Three days afore...

Dalnoria sat on a small bench beneath one of the many white statues of the Imperial city, with her back to the steeple of White Gold Tower and the Imperial City. She wrote her notes with her magic quill, causing a quiet scratching noise as she scribbled and tried to decipher what she had seen. Other than that, it was remarkably quiet and peaceful outside the walls of the Imperial City. The bustle and flow of people was confined to the inside and the main road, which meant that sitting a short way around the side was remarkably cool and calm. The occasional resident on a stroll passed her by, of course - it was a city after all - but most preferred to take their strolls within the more even and better tamed grounds of the Arboretum.

She recalled the dream vividly as if it had been as real as the bench she sat on; The bleached bones of the people had sat under the harsh sky and the city burned to ash. Above it all had stood the four armed monster - Mehrunes Dagon, for that surely was he, the thrice cursed second corner of the House of Troubles.

Yet for all the slaughter and danger that her dream - perhaps more accurately called her vision or her premonition - had shown her, it had given her scant clues on where to begin searching for this danger or how to deal with it. Kvatch, the Imperial City, with the Emperor or the Blades or in a cave full of bandits - it was not exactly as clear as it could be. The true threat was daedric in origin, that much was certain, which likely meant a cult or some angry wizard which she suppose would be the strange robed figures that she saw. But just how much of the vision was literal and how much metaphor? Could the vision of dragons truly be literal even after they had been gone for so long, or were they all just representative aspects of Akatosh or the dragonborn emperors? Too many questions and too few answers.

The two cities had seemed like the best place to start and yet there was not much useful that she could think of that should have set them in the same vision. She had seen a temple in the vision - a chapel and not the highly distinct Temple of the One. The voice had told her Julianos but Julianos had his Great Chapel in Skingrad for as long as she could remember - and she could remember far indeed. So how did Julianos factor into this.

As for the danger that had been seen, well, Mehrunes Dagon had walked the world before, of course - and back then it had taken two of the Tribunes at their height to cast him back into the waters of Oblivion. Sotha Sil had not been seen in an age and it was rumoured that Almalexia too now had disappeared - certainly, she had said and done nothing since the return of the Nerevarine. Even Vivec - who was at least still present from what rumours could piece together - hid himself away in his palace and did little more than that.

Perhaps it had been true that the return of the Nerevarine spelt the end of Morrowind's living gods - and if so, what was left that might contend with the will of a Daedric Prince made flesh? The Aedra did not take form as the Daedra did, they could not directly contend the will of a prince. There was hope that the vision of him had been naught but metaphor, but she didn't feel comfortable trusting the gate of Tamriel to hope.

You have been chosen, the voice had said; Given those circumstances, she would rather have been unchosen.

Though for all her fear and haste, now that she was here everything in Cyrodiil seemed so frustratingly normal. The Emperor sat on his throne - as far as Dalnoria could tell, there was no imposter this time - and the Capital milled about its business without any sign of daedric interreference or angry four armed Destroyers striding over its walls. Her investigations had turned up nothing of note and earned her nothing but a guards angry admonishment of her for loitering around in the Imperial Palace. So far the only thing that stood out as destructive was the highwayman that had accosted her on the road and received a very nasty first degree burn for his trouble - but footpads and other such common thugs were hardly agents of Mehrunes Dagon about to bring down the Imperial City.

Dalnoria had been half been tempted to try and warn the Emperor about the impending invasion in the hopes that they might at least prepare for the onslaught even if she could not locate it, but it was hardly as if she was going to be able to secure an audience with the Emperor by showing up squealing about visions in her head and the threat posed by a daedric invasion of Cyrodiil - She was sure more than enough madmen had attempted to petition the Emperor that the palace guard would toss her straight into the Imperial Prison.

She supposed she could break into his chambers at night, awaken him in the bed and pontificate to him then. Of course, if he didn't believe her - and who was inclined to belief a raving lunatic who broke into their bedroom - she would then be truly and utterly stuffed. She didn't fancy her chances against a Daedric horde from a prison cell - especially if the Guards grew antsy and decided to behead the Sorcerer to be safe.

She had wondered for a while if there were other ways to achieve this goal. If she were more suited to deception, she might even try to worm her way into the good graces of the Imperial Court off the back of her status as a sage. Alas, her name did not carry her weight behind it and she suspected that it would be a waste of her time to do so.

Yet she couldn't shake the sense that there was an air of - fate and destiny surrounding the Emperor and the Amulet of Kings in her vision. If there was any truth to the religion of the Nedes descendants, then the covenant between Akatosh and Alessia should have prevented the imposition of such a Daedric Horde onto Tamriel (Of course, it should also have prevented the summoning of lesser daedra and undead spirits too, so Dalnoria put little stock in this claim. Yet there was not smoke without fire, the legends and myths often contained a small nugget of the truth within them.) but beyond that she could gather no clear indication of what she should be looking otu for.

She grunted in annoyance as she scratched out a previous pet theory and looked up, peering out over Lake Rumare as its surface shimmered and glittered in the sunlight.

Perhaps she was being too literal with her interpretation of the vision, maybe there existed some more subtle and hidden messages within. Clearly, there had been unmistakable symbolism within the dream itself. If the Amulet of Kings was not physically lost then perhaps the things that she had seen in the vision were more about what they represented that the physical beings themselves.

The Amulet of Kings ran deep in Imperial and wider mannish culture after all; It was not for nothing that it was once described as the heart and soul of men. Perhaps its presence in the vision was more figurative than little, representing the danger to the beating heart of the Empire and by proxy the danger to the hearts of all men. Or maybe it was to suggest a corruption of their soul. The Empire had once become corrupted and aligned with Daedra, and the worst of them all at that. Could it be that some desperate madness might turn brother against brother again? Had someone in the Imperial Court turned to Mehrunes Dagon to drive forward their ambition? It was certainly possible and wouldn't be the first time the Imperial City played host to ill advised and disastrous schemes.

If she were to consider a figurative and metaphorical level then even the vision of the Padomaic could have wider implications of its own. After all, Mehrunes Dagon was not merely the Prince of Destruction, his domain included change, revolution and chaos. Another interregnum would serve just that purpose. That would further explain the importance of the Emperor in the vision - but assuming it didn't happen in the battle for the Imperial City itself, what could possibly wipe out a dynasty so thoroughly?

There was the possibility that it had already been wiped out. There were rumours years ago that the Emperor's Heirs had all been replaced by dopplegangers by Jagar Tharn during the Imperial Simulacrum. Dalnoria did not suspect that to be any more than idle rumours though, for the Mages Guild would have long since detected such deception. She didn't think even Jagar Tharn could have kept such a back up plan hidden in plain sight for four decades, and so even if Uriel's sickness returned and granted him an untimely death, the line of succession was arranged and should go smoothly.

Dalnoria sighed as the questions without answers continued to vex her. She had been chosen to influence these events in some way, and there had to be some clue buried within as to how she should do that. Even whether these visions were a sign of things that will be or things that may be was clearly not for her to know. She had to hope for the latter and prepare for the former and in that case. Providence could be strange like that.

She stopped short as the splashing of a slaughterfish drew her attention. She looked down to the shoreline to see a fish flopping desperately on the beach; What had driven it to beach itself to begin with was beyond her, a mistake perhaps.

Dalnoria raised her hand and cast telekinesis - she daren't handle the vicious thing with her hands - tossing it back into the water.

A mistake on the part of the fish but a boon for her mind.

Maybe she was vexing herself by over thinking the dream, maybe she was thinking too narrowly, focusing too much on the Imperial City and not enough on Kvatch. She had splashed out of the water and onto the beach. After all, had she not felt something change when she saw Akatosh, a subtle difference in the passage of time, as though it had stopped and then begun to move again? That was when she saw Kvatch.

If the Dragon was truly Akatosh, god of time itself, then didn't it make sense that time would apply differently in his presence. If the order of the events in the dream were reversed then the beginning was the end and the end was the beginning, and that meant that she should begin at Kvatch. Whether Kvatch was the beginning of the problem or solution she could not yet say but with her options exhausted here, what other choice did she have? She was as that fish out of water.

Dalnoria snapped her notes shut and stuffed it back into her leather rucksack. She practically leapt to her feet and moved briskly towards the stable to retrieve Rils.

Onward to Kvatch then.

***

1st Last Seed, 3E 433

As Dalnoria rode down the Gold Road, well away from the Imperial City and travelling swiftly towards Kvatch, the sight of the mighty seated atop its hill drifted into view over the trees. Although its majesty paled in comparison to the Imperial City, she could appreciate it all the same. An eagle soared over her head, flying towards the distant city with a screech.

Eagles, the ancient Aldmeri Symbol for the Aedra and ascension. Not of her faith or culture of course, for the Aedra themselves were not, and she knew better than to ascribe the presence of an animal as some form of divine intervention. No, the Aedra did not work that way, they were distant gods who did not answer their mortals more often than not. At least the Daedra answered - and when giving orders, tended to provide clearer instructions.

It took her a mere further half hour to reach the city and have her horse turned over to the safe keeping of the stables. Cost her two of the coins from her purse as well and she became acutely aware of her rapidly dwindling financial situation. Staying in the Imperial City had not been cheap - and staying long in Kvatch would not be either.

Dalnoria sighed heavily; She would have to seek some form of income before long. Perhaps she could brew and sell a few potions on for a pretty penny; She had passed some blackberry bushes and aloe vera on the way into town. Together, they would provide a potion to stave off weariness, and she knew Cairn Bolete would grow in any of the caves nearby. Pasted Cairn Bolete and Aloe Vera extract would produce a fine healing salve. She could set out to gather some the following day and have the potions ready by the evening.

Dalnoria could hear the crowds and celebrations even before she passed through the city gates. She couldn't recall any holidays that fell on the 1st of Last Seed - not in Cyrodiil at least. A nearby flyer gave her the information she required; The Counts Summer Games, apparently. Dalnoria gave a wry smile as she read over the ostentatious poster - someone had spent a lot of money on these games indeed if even the posters were so elaborate. She had seen this political tactic many times before, of course, it was just Kwama Eggs and Theatres.

Of course, such games meant that there would be all kinds of strangers in the city. In some ways this was both good and bad; It was the perfect time for people like her to blend in and watch without attracting any unwanted attention to herself - and on the flip side of that, it was also the perfect time for anyone with nefarious schemes to blend in as well. Dalnoria peered around the plaza for a moment and then wrapped her travelling cloak around her.

She also didn't dare to think of what this meant for vacancies at the inns and other places of rest. Perhaps Akatosh ought have provided her with divine directions to an inn room while he was at it...
An interesting first post. Its too bad for Kvatch that those summer games will be book ended by disaster.

So what're people's thoughts, should we all start and coalesce in Kvatch and get ourselves tangled up in the gate opening then? I can't imagine all of our characters sharing one cell in the imperial prison to trip Oblivion's opening sequence, so unless the GMs want a more criminally inclined character to pull that duty (or who knows, a dutiful and upstanding character being somehow roped in as another Ad Hoc bodyguard for old Uriel), I'm guessing the GMs already have a plan for how the info of Martin's illegitimacy reaches us and him.

Just trying to get my bearings for a first post and want to make sure I set Dalnoria on the right path, don't want to accidentally create a situation where some of us are rapidly riding across Cyrodiil to catch up to the plot goings on!
Alright, two more reviews here.



Wow, what a richly detailed sheet, @darkwolf687!

Right of the bat, the attention to details in just the spells section is incredible. Of course, covering 556 years of life alone is a daunting task, yet you have accomplished that and told a superb story through your character's background. It is clear Dalnoria's personality is shaped through more than five centuries of personal growth, family affair and historical events. Despite having experienced so much already, she still has room to grow. Finally, her skills and flaws connect nicely with her background, and they are very much relevant to her deity.

Dalnoria is a well fleshed out character. She is approved, unless @POOHEAD189 says otherwise.




I'm flattered, you are too kind :)
After GCold review the last two CS's, I will post up the intro post (expect it within 36 hours)! And we also have one or two more people showing up as well :)


I await review and the introduction eagerly

Talos Dunmer Rogue incoming.


Talos champion being a Dunmer, imagine what Rolff Stone-Fist would say! I look forward to meeting your character :)
On one hand, I'm tempted, not least because it's been a while since I've RP'ed.

On the other hand, I've only ever played Skyrim, but have never completed the game, and even my knowledge of that era is dubious at best.

On the third hand, you guys seem to be missing your 'rogue', as in, someone who is sneaky and stabby and may or may not be a thief, which is something I have been itching to play, lately.

On the fourth, I'm rusty, and I worry that I wouldn't be able to keep up, especially with IRL obligations and such, and I'm entirely unfamiliar with the Oblivion system, as it were.

Disturbing number of hands aside, I'm conflicted.


The more the merrier I say, I know I'm hardly going to be a whirlwind of posting myself and we are indeed missing the roguish archetype.

In terms of dubious lore knowledge, I'm happy to (and I'm sure others would be) to give a basic overview of things if you need. The lore itself has a bit of a tendency to give conflicting accounts and muddy the water anyway so you can't quite be sure what's true anyway.

I can't imagine Oblivion mechanics will come up too much in rp tbh. The skill levels already don't really line up to how Oblivion skills work (Novice means below 25 of 100 so all skills are novice skills at minimum in Oblivion, clearly not so here given how we're asked to pick some.)
@POOHEAD189

Hello, I updated my post on the second page with the finished version. I'd repost it for your convenience but unfortunately I'm on my phone right now and it refuses to copy/paste more than a few thousand characters :)
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