The Hidden Story

[SubjectProphet]

Welcome to Mzulft, a great Dwarven city built long ago, stretching into both Skyrim and Morrowind. This is the time of the Dwemer, ages before they were gone. The story follows three Dwemer who find themselves in a situation of lies, and they must crawl out of the web to prevent war with the newly intruding humans.

 

 

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"Ugh...." a Dwemer wearing dark-yellow, torn clothing sat up on his stone bed. He rubbed his head, just waking up. By him was a table with a Dwarven steel greatsword, but the Dwarven steel was hand crafted by the best smith in all of the kingdom. Mzulft was one of the oldest stone kingdoms, but still a fine place to live.

 

"Kagrac, wake up! Those new smiths from Blackreach are coming in today!" a voice said from outside the metallic door leading out of the stone bedroom. Kagrac sighed.

 

"Alright, I'll be out in a moment!" he stumbled to his feet and opened a chest. Inside were pieces to a set of Dwarven armor, golden and shiny, powerful too. The smiths of the Dwemer were amazing, crafting armor at top quality. No wonder the Dwarven armies were so tough. He put the armor on and sheathed his greatsword on his back, opening the door and walking through stone hallways. Kagrac had a huge scar going down his left eye, and his face was pretty roughed up. He was a soldier who fought with the automatons, but that didn't mean he could help show the toughness of the Dwemer to his enemies. He was bald with a light stubble going around his upper and lower lips, stretching across his chin and throughout his cheeks. Like all dwarves, he was short, but unlike most, he saw the surface often, so he wasn't completely pale.

 

 

Kagrac found his way to the soldier's entrance to Blackreach, which was also used for traders and arriving dwarves. He looked at the two people by him, one a man, in a full suit of damaged dwarven armor, tan skin, a warhawk, and no facial hair. Other than the armor and skin color, you could probably never tell he was a soldier. He had a bow at his back, with a quiver of dwarven steel arrows. On the other side was a woman, wearing robes like a mage, with long black hair and pale skin, probably a court mage to welcome the traders.

 

"So who are these guys?" Kagrac asked. The women looked at him.

 

"Traders here to sell a new type of ore to the courts. It's apparently popular throughout Blackreach," she said.

 

"Don't kid yourself Maven, Dwarven steel is better than any other type of ore they'll find in that hole they call "Blackreach." The political structure down there is lost, they prefer the automatons over our brutal strength, when we should be the ones on the frontlines," the man said.

 

"Mzulft will be forced to change soon Grogan, you can't deny that," Maven said.

 

"Not without a fight first," Kagrac said. The three looked over to the exit to see seven dwarves in normal clothes walk inside, the grand doorway closing behind them. They looked like normal merchants, nothing too major, but then again, always be ready for the unexpected.

 

"We're here to lead you to the courts. Follow us, and DO NOT wander off,' Grogan said.

 

"We know. Shut up and lead on. No soldier should be aloud in the courts, they're too low in ranks," the leader of the merchant band said.

 

"See? They've lost all sense of honor. Next thing you know, we'll have a surface trade!" Kagrac exclaimed.

 

"There are still some cities who cling on to the old ways. Ralbthar hasn't turned yet, and they're our closest. We'll preserve the Dwemer ways, one way or another," Grogan said.

 

"Shut up you two. I'd say the Dwemer ways should change. There's a whole world up there teeming with life, we need to explore it," Maven said.

 

"What do you care? You've never been on the surface, Kagrac and I have. It's chaos up there, humans sneaking in, the Ayleids wielding magic mindlessly, heh, I'd say we just wipe the surface out completely, or never open the doors up to the surface again," Grogan explained. The three got silent after that line, as they walked inside the courts of Mzulft. The noblemen of the kingdom were lined up in thrones, each one of them wearing a different crown to resemble they're role in the court. The merchants scattered into a single-file line, and the court leader looked at the three dwarves behind the merchants.

 

"Soldiers, leave now," he said.

 

"Yes milord," Grogan said. They walked outside, the great steel gates crashing shut behind them. They lined up on the wall, relaxing for a bit.

 

"What if the humans discover us and want our land?" Kagrac asked.

 

"Ha! Like they'd stand a chance! They shouldn't of even come here in the first place! they gave the place a name, 'Skyrim' or however you say it, and all they can talk about is honor and pride. They shun magic, the gods' gift to us, and will fall to they're own ways!" Grogan said.

 

"But we've lived underground forever. I'd like to see the surface. I hear of it, but I never see it. What is it like? People say it's madness and ugly, blood spilling in every corner," Maven asked.

 

"It's not THAT bad. You see that life that grows down here right? Well up there, it's amazing, a wonderful sight. Trees, grass, wooden buildings, nothing like down here where all you see and smell is stone," Kagrac explained.

 

"We have small outposts up there made of wood, they live off of the old ways, no automatons, just magic and the strength the gods gave us," Grogan said. "Maybe you could come on one of our next patrols?"

 

"I'd like that," Maven replied.

 

 

 

 

More to come soon. Keep in mind that there isn't much knowledge of the Dwemer in TES, so I made it as best I could.