Alduin's Rise

[Macman253]

Tordin grasped the amulet in his hand and stared at it for a long moment. "By Talos... the Dragons have returned, I thought we defeated them long ago? How did Alduin survive?" He asked the stranger as he tied the amulet around the shaft of his hammer. Tordin remembered his death, he remembered taking Alduin's life... but not his soul. He gripped his hammer tight and growled.

 

"My sacrifice was worth nothing then..." He said as he sighed, He looked to the Stranger and nodded. "Give us a place to start." He said coldly and full of anger.

[Spawnsy]

The Dumner puts away his Greatsword and his armor rattles a bit. "A prayer everyday? So basically I'm on my own if i forget?" The dumner sighs and orders one more ale before their off "Wait, old man, you gathered us when there are plenty of rebels, did you summon others and they did not make it or did you sign us up for a possible suicide mission?"

[twentynine29]

Edwin agreed with Artago. "Even with these new gifts I don't think five people are going to take down an entire dragon empire." He thought this stuff only happened in prophecies and legends where a lucky prisoner gets freed and has to save the world. But if it means preventing the world from getting down on their knees and worship dragons and dead people, he would do it. He sighed and thought of the comfortable life he once had is now crushed and stomped into dust and blown away by the wind. "Let's do this. I can't go back to Wayrest which leaves me with no other choice. What's the plan?" Edited August 27, 2013 by twentynine29

[Keanumoreira]

Abdul said nothing. He was a man of few words, to be sure, but recent events had left him dumbstruck. He wandered away from the congregation that appeared to be forming around this mysterious stranger, and felt as his mind mingled with memories that have long been locked away...

 

--

 

The scent of water lingers on the wind, and the leaves of the hist, which grow all around, shake and shutter. You can feel it in the air, like a terrible omen- a great darkness had settled in the soil of the marshland. Hatchlings fall into the arms of their mothers- fear and horror have stricken their faces. The horizon is set ablaze like the sun unto the dawn of a new day, yet, it falls...and still, the land burns brightly.

 

Screaming...turmoil...confusion, what does it all mean? Men, woman, children...they fall in the streets like puppets do unto their strings...the streets are littered, and still, the suffering ensues.

 

Ashes...ashes...smoke and rubble, but mostly...ashes. There is nothing left to remember.

 

--

 

Abdul had often struggled with this memory through the course of his life, but it had been many moons since he last allowed himself to remember. Anger, such terrible anger, flowed through his veins, and like a torrent flushed with rage, he unleashed his poniard into the wall in front of him. He quickly retrieved it, and aimed it in the direction of the elderly man.

 

"I will accept your quest! Alduin WILL fall by my hand." He rejoined the group, poniard sheathed and bow in hand, "Let's send that bast*rd back from the chasm he clawed his way out of!"

Edited August 27, 2013 by Keanumoreira

[FennecFyre]

"Your sacrifice was not in vain, Tordin." said the man. "If you and the others had not destroyed Alduin when you did, his reign over Skyrim and eventually all of Tamriel would have begun much sooner. His soul not be destroyed because it is still his destiny to bring about the end of the world. But that was not his time and it is not his time right now." He leaned forward, voice quieting. "In fact, as long as there are heroes to stand against him whenever he rears his head, this world may be able to buy a little more time for itself."

 

"Artago, I was not the one who chose you. The gods spoke to me to act as their messenger. And why they chose each of you, I cannot be certain. Perhaps it is because you are brave. Perhaps your skills complement one another. But that is theirs to know, not mine." A conspiratorial smile flitted across his wrinkled face. "As for Azura, I'm sure she won't notice if you forget to pray every now and then."

 

"Edwin, sometimes it is not the size of an army that counts, but the determination of those in it. A small group can travel quicker and attract less attention than a legion. I will not try to hide the fact that Alduin's lackeys will be on your trail as soon as you take down the first Priest. Stealth and speed will be vital. And who knows? Perhaps the holds you liberate may provide help in some way. I will tell you this, everyone: The Jarls are alive."

 

The man jumped slightly as Abdul's blade thunked into the wooden wall. "Hey!" shouted the innkeeper irately. Ignoring her, the man said with a smile, "That's the spirit, Abdul. When Alduin is not feared, you will find that his influence decreases. He thrives on fear and worship. Take that away from him."

 

"Where to first?" asked Sivari.

 

The man produced a worn parchment map of Skyrim and spread it out on the table. "Whiterun. The central hold of Skyrim. You kill the Priest there, the Draugr he controls will die as well. Hevnoraak was a proud man, and may accept a flat-out challenge, but he is wily as well. Whatever you do, keep your amulets with you at all times. He is a lich, and able to control the minds of those around him, either through subtle influence or iron grip. If he catches you without your amulets, he will not hesitate to crush your will. You will be trapped in your own bodies, slaves to him for as long as he permits you to live."

 

Sivari shuddered, curling her fingers around her amulet. "Does he have any sort of weakness?"

 

"Yes. As with many undead, fire spells are very potent against him. He also has a phylactery that serves as the vessel for his soul. If you could destroy that, you may not have to fight him. But it will be heavily guarded.

 

You should go now. Whiterun is not far, and you will need to act quickly if you wish to take Alduin and his forces by surprise."

 

Sivari brought the hood of her cloak up over her helmet and tightened the straps of her dagger scabbards. "I hope they can take what's left of me back to Cyrodiil." she muttered to herself.

[Macman253]

Tordin nodded, he took the strangers words to heart. He gripped his hammer until his knuckles were white. He placed the amulet around his neck and felt the power wash over him. Talo's was with him in this and he felt it, electricity began to form around his fingers and arc between them and his hammer, control of the storms returned to him it seems but they were nowhere near their formidable strength yet, for now he could produce bolts and sparks but not yet call upon the mighty storms he did in his previous life.

 

He clinched his fist to stamp out the lightning and turned to his companions. "We should depart now... we will need horses and it will be patrolled by Draugr." He said to the group as he walked for the door, his red cape flowing behind him as he stepped through the door and out onto the street of Riverwood. He raised his fingers to his mouth and let out an ear piercing whistle, thunder racked the sky as a vortex in the clouds began to form, a heart beat later a single lightning bolt struck the earth a few feet from him followed by the haunting cry of a steed and the sound of hooves clattering on the cobblestone street, out of thin air a ghostly Charger appeared in a pale blue light then formed into a sterling white steed with blue and black armor, as it stamped it's feet small sparks of lightning jumped to the earth.

 

Tordin smiled and stepped towards the large animal and gently kissed it on the nose.

 

"Faasnu... my old friend." He said as he gently patted the war-horses neck.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Macman253

[Keanumoreira]

Abdul nodded at the man with gratitude. Turning to follow Tordin as he made his way outside, he directed his words to Sivari, "Do not fear death, Khajiit. It is the only thing we can look forward to." He left his words to linger behind him.

 

Once outside, he stared in the direction of the road that would take them to Whiterun. Ignoring the drama unfolding behind him, he was once again silent. This was crazy, perhaps he was crazy; certainly, he had time to think about it. He gazed down to his bow, renewed by the rage that still boiled within him. "I have never been to this corner of Nirn", thought Abdul, "but I suppose that if my time has come, there would be no better land to perish in."

 

He breathed in the winter air, his scales frigid, "Night Mother...wrap me in your cold embrace. If any mortal woman should sway me, may it be you. If any mortal woman should be so frightening, may it be you. If any mortal woman should steal my breath away, and take me beyond this world, may it be you. If any mortal woman should mourn her child, may it be- mourn me. Wrap me in a sheet, oh loving Mother, and carry me from this land when I die."

Edited August 29, 2013 by Keanumoreira

[Spawnsy]

Artago picks up his helmet and looks at the faded Dawnguard emblem on the helmet. "Ill prove you wrong Isran, my anger will not end me, it will end my enemies." He puts on his helmet, as he walks outside he gets a vision of Azura. "Do not fail me Dumner!" Artago's eyes fill with determination. "Lets go, skyrim needs us!" he looks at his armor "A horse is not a viable option for me, ill create to much noise, ill be the protection from behind." He leans against the Inn

[twentynine29]

Edwin pulls up his hood, polishes his sword and readied his spells. He walks outside and immediately starts shivering. High rock was pretty temperate in his region, it got cold sometimes but never this bone chilling. It wasn't just the cold that made him shake either. Edwin had never seen real combat, the closest he had to a fight were sparring practice with non-lethal spells and the occasional drunken brawl. At least he had team mates who've been in worse spots before. He quietly says to himself "If I die here, then hopefully I will have died with dignity and honor. Akatosh guide me on this journey" He climbed upon his horse, drank some wine to calm the nerves and quietly read his tomes before leaving.

[FennecFyre]

Tordin's lightning did not perturb her, she had seen mages before (and even had a little healing magic herself), but the talk of horses made her wince. The only horses in the caravan had been a few slopebacked draft horses used to carry loads, and she doubted they had worn a saddle for years. When she needed to go somewhere, she walked. She took the map and stood up, following the others out the door, snorting as Abdul spoke to her. "Sivari's fear of death is what keeps her away from it."

 

She stepped outside, then nearly jumped two feet in the air as a bolt of lightning struck the cobblestones, followed by some horse materializing from nowhere. She was no judge of horseflesh, but even she could see that this animal was a cut above the carthorses of the Cyrodiilian cities.

 

And this Tordin fellow could summon it out of midair. "Just what exactly are you?" she demanded of the Nord.

 

----------------------------

 

As the last of them left the inn, the man sat back and shut his eyes. All was quiet for roughly two seconds before the innkeeper stalked over, her face a mask of fury. "Alright, Paarthurnaxx, don't think I don't know what you're doing."

The man's grey eyes opened again. "Drem Yol Lok, Delphine." he said pleasantly. "How's your inn?"

"Falling apart and nearly taxed to death by those damn Priests. Do you find amusement in sending those poor fools to their deaths?"

"I have faith in them."

Delphine snorted. "They aren't warriors. Not good ones, anyway. They'll be crushed underfoot, and all you'll have done is gotten Skyrim's hopes up."

"There is more to a fight than brawn, you know."

"You wouldn't know what it;s like down here, living up on your godsforsaken mountain. I see the despair in the face of everyone who visits my inn. As far as they're concerned, the world has already. This is a nightmare they can't wake up from. And know these 'adventurers' are going to die, and you'll be--"

"DELPHINE." Paarthurnaxx boomed, rising to his feet to look her in the eye. "If the gods believed them to be the ones, who am I to argue with that? Once I may have held the power they do, but no longer." The light seemed to die in his eyes, and the wrinkles in his face became more noticeable. "I am old. I am not the dragon I once was."

"Are you?" replied the woman. "Or are you worse?"