INTERVIEW HISTORIES OF THE DAEDRIC INVASION OF CYRODIIL

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW HISTORIES OF THE DAEDRIC INVASION OF CYRODIIL

 

INTERVIEW STORIES FROM SURVIVORS OF KVATCH

VOLUME ONE

 

BY MAHARG67

 

A MAHARG67 HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS

THE MAHARG67 PUBLISHING GUILD

#3 COTTAGE

THE VILLAGE OF MUDINDUST

ALMOST CLOSE TO SOME WHERE IMPORTANT

 

PLEASE DO NOT MIND THE DOG AS IT LOOKS MEANER THAN HE IS

CHEAP BEER AND DOG BONES WELCOME

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW #1

 

Interview with Harris Bongos, a Clerk working for the Kvatch City Council. Scribe work and archival work of documentation. Small, plump Imperial with intensive eyes of one who is constantly reading and working with documents. Harris wears typical clerical type clothes and other gear. The interview took place in a small, cramped clerical office. Harris Bongos managed to hide in a basement area where the daedra failed to reach. He was with some three dozen or so others who also worked for the Kvatch City Council.

 

Maharg: Can you describe what was happening before the daedra invaded and why you were up in the middle of the night as you were, in the Kvatch City Council Hall.

 

Harris: Aaahhh, it doesn't matter what I have to say now about that old fool of a Mayor Pallis. He got himself into trouble by unofficially loaning city funds for improper purposes. He is dead now, along with his cronies. I was never happy trying to help Pallis escape justice but he put pressure on all of us, stating that he would claim that we helped him. Well, we did! Looking back on the situation now I can only say it was a really foolish thing to do to get involved with Mayor Pallis. That night we were trying to track down any official records, anything at all, that might be used to implicate the mayor in an imperial court of law. Irony was that we did not find much. Double irony was we were in a rather isolated, older basement area of the great building that could easily be missed by strangers. It seems the treacherous Mythic Dawn did not give information about everything of the city or perhaps the daedra, arrogant monsters, just ignored some of it. As it was some of us, including myself, went out and managed to save some others in the building by getting them to hide with us. I was surprised by my own courage that night. Wish I had had the courage to stand up to Mayor Pallis.

 

Maharg: “Why wasn't Mayor Pallis there?”

 

Harris: “That sniveling, greedy coward? He would want to keep a safe distance from what we were doing. He attended a gentleman's gathering in a grand lodge of some kind. I hear it was a building that the monstrous daedric siege-engine smashed right through. We, down in the basement, did not witness the struggles, did not see any monsters, except two who saw things happening in the distance from an upper level window. Not much more than I can say.”

 

Maharg: “How was it to survive there?”

 

Harris: “We had water, some food that we divided up and we got into a stash of fine wine that the foolish mayor had put down there. Figuring we might not survive, there were no fighters or anything to fight with, amongst us, we got drunk on very expensive alcohol. Mandy Tuttle gave way to my yearnings, if you know what I mean, twice. Now she is embarrassed that a mere clerk like me has had his way with her. Still it was fun while it lasted. It was certainly not something I thought would happen; I was more sure we would be brutally killed by daedra monsters.”

 

Maharg: “Aren't you worried that the imperial courts will read your interview and catch up with you?”

 

Harris: “I figure that the Empire has a lot more important things to worry about than a corrupt dead mayor and a nobody clerk like myself. For once I am glad that I am just a commoner. Anyway that is all I have got to say. These days I work with listing the dead and the missing, working with a whole lot of such documents. I try not to think about it too much and hope not to see too many names that I know; alas, I have had to write down far too many of such into the death list. I have to get something to eat for lunch. Thanks for the gold coin. Will come in handy.”

 

PS: It later turned out that Mandy Tuttle had become pregnant to Harris Bongos. They became married and at first the marriage was not a happy one; after some months Mandy realized she actually liked her husband and the marriage continued as a happier relationship.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW #2

 

Interview with Handisa Abledo, beggar. Dressed in cheap welfare stuff given out by imperial charity. That is a rough cloth shirt, a rough cloth set of knee length pants and sandals. Face was flushed and his breath indicated strongly that he had recently drunk a goodly quantity of cheap wine. He was an Imperial. The interview took place in a small, cramped area where the beggar was living at the time with an old bed that obviously needed replacing.

 

Maharg: “Can you describe what happened when the daedra invaded?”

 

Handisa: “Ran away when other people began running. City Guardsmen ran the other way, along with other fighting folks and some mages. Brave of them and... well I used to be a fighter but not for a long time, a very long time. So I almost ran.. stumbled along... and found a hiding place with some others like myself. We beggars know lots of hard to find places in the city. We even managed to save some non beggar types but most of our 'betters' just ignored our attempts to save them. I do not have much to say about the rest of the time we spent huddled together.”

 

Maharg: “What were the conditions like?”

 

Handisa: “For us beggars it was fine, a hard little square area with some shelter, long lost when a big building was added to part of the city, with a narrow squeeze to get there between the two buildings. Comfortable enough but the non beggars did not like it much. Mind you they were so grateful to be in some kind of safety that none of them complained. One woman promised she would buy me six cheap beers or two cheap wines once a week for saving her life and so far she has kept her promise. Amazing, a woman who kept her promise to a mere beggar. Thank ye very much for the gold coin. This is going on a new mattress and stuff like that, not on more booze. Even a beggar has to have good sense some times.”

 

PS: The woman kept her promise for over five years, buying the beggar each week six cheap beers or two cheap wines, depending on his wishes for that week. Handisa used the golden coin to buy a mattress, a cheap blanket and some other items to make his life just a little more comfortable.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW #3

 

Interview with City Guardsman Abe Faran. He is in guardsman armor and other gear because the Kvatch Guard still has to do its duties. One of its major tasks is to protect properties from being looted until legal status of property and goods can be worked out. Abe Faran was one of those who witnessed the start of the attack from the city walls and managed to survive. He is a Redguard. The interview took place in his office in the damaged but standing Kvatch Guard Fort.

 

Maharg: “You were able to witness the appearance of the three smaller Oblivion Gates and then the one big one from which came the monster daedric siege-engine.”

 

Abe: “The three smaller Oblivion Gates appeared very quickly, one after the other, and then daedra were pouring out of them, hundreds of daedra. As we Guardsmen stood on the battlements I remember thinking that it was good we still had the tall, thick city walls between us and the attackers. We tried to get the city rallied, tried to spread the warning, but after at long period of peace, people had become complacent. They refused to believe the warnings and even claimed it was some kind of sick joke. The Kvatch City Guard Commander, he believed it and he began to do what he could but by then the big Oblivion Gate had opened and out came that great big monster of a siege-engine on its legs, yes it had legs and not wheels like some kind of living machine.”

 

Maharg: “The daedric siege-engine had other threats other than the wall smashing ability?”

 

Abe: “You have done your background research well. Yes, it fired off huge fireballs that exploded against the battlements. That was bad enough but it seemed to know where to strike to get the catapults, tripod-crossbows and other big weapons on the walls. Somebody had betrayed the city by giving the daedra the locations and it would not be surprised if it was somebody in the Kvatch Guard itself. We managed to hit the great enemy device with some catapult projectiles before all of the catapults were destroyed. The catapults did only a little damage, not even enough to slow the great monster down.”

 

Maharg: “Did you have any mages, or battlemages, on the walls who were powerful enough to assist?”

 

Abe: “The Mages Guild had been getting increasingly lazy in sending mages, battlemages, to patrol the battlements of the outer wall. So we had none to assist us against the great daedric siege-engine. Except that a mysterious robed stranger did appear briefly, threw some kind of crazy spell at the monster and it was frozen for some minutes. You might figure it was not much but it was enough for more Guardsmen, and other fighters to get to where they were needed. It was also enough delay for more people to escape the daedra than otherwise might have done. Then the mysterious figure went and vanished away. What he did was good but I wish he, or she, had done more.”

 

Maharg: “Perhaps he did what he could do and could do no more. The great daedric siege-engine did not smash through the main gate but through a section of wall. One would have figured that the main gate would be the weakest point of attack.”

 

Abe: “The main gate was, is, covered by many defense towers and great, steel reinforced, wooden beams were pushed into place. Perhaps I should not be telling you this but some of us suspect that the area of wall was not just chosen carefully, that it had been secretly undermined, weakened, for many years before the attack began. The wall crumbled with amazing speed and destruction. Then the inner wall fell the same way. I would do more to investigate the suspicion but those in power do not seem to be interested in the idea and we are always kept very busy.”

 

Maharg: “Perhaps the imperial authorities are doing more than you might think but it is the type of work best done by certain kinds of specialists. When the walls collapsed, how did you manage to escape?”

 

Abe: “I was not in the area that collapsed. The daedra seemed intent on getting into the city as quickly as possible. They only surrounded Kvatch thinly. That is why many people managed to escape out of the secondary gates. The urban farms, the stables, were saved at the edge of the city. Strange how the daedra rushed in and started killing as if they were more intent on just killing folk than in occupying the city or looting it or even destroying the city. They did destroy some buildings with strange devices that exploded with great force, sometimes killing lesser daedra. Yet, as I said, they seemed mostly intent on just killing people, as many people as they could. Oh, yes, they seemed to be particularly keen to kill priests and priestesses of the Divine Orders, even more so than they were keen on killing soldiers or mages or others who threatened them.”

 

Maharg: “After the daedra began to storm into the city, where did you go?”

 

Abe: “The daedra began to come up onto the walls, clambering up the broken ends of the walls. They seemed driven as if with berserker madness. We killed many of them, raining arrows down on them and stabbing them with long-spears as they got into range. We even poured hot oil onto them. At last some battlemages appeared and began hurling fireballs and spark bolts at them. We fought hard on the walls until the daedra abruptly started to withdraw from the city. They fled quickly and took no loot with them, no slaves. Later on somebody went in and closed the big Oblivion Gate, some kind of hero, but the smaller three Oblivion Gates closed before then. There are lots of things about this whole event that do not make sense.”

 

Maharg: “Perhaps you are right, perhaps you are right. This gold coin is not bribery but a gift for you to have some drinks with your comrades as a salute to your courage.”

 

Abe: “Sounds good to me, Maharg. For a scholar you move awfully smooth like a highly trained killer. Still, it's none of my business. The coin will be well spent. I have to go back to duty. The Thieves Guild, oddly enough, does not seem too keen for looting but many common folk are only too keen to be so.”

 

PS: Abe Faran turned out to be so brilliant, so savvy in working things out, in detecting oddities or clues that he was recruited by the Blades and was to become one of their best agents.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW #4

 

The woman is in gladiator gear and yet she has been duties assisting the Kvatch Guardsmen in protecting sites against looters.. Her name was Katina Smithe. Lately she has also been searching for survivors in the Kvatch Sewer Tunnels but also in the cave tunnels and ancient ruins that can be found beneath the city. She is officially called a Kvatch Guard Auxiliary but gets the same pay as a Guardsman along with other conditions. She is a Breton with some good magical abilities. The interview took place at a corner table in a repaired and reopened tavern.

 

Maharg: “You became aware of the daedric attack before you needed to start fighting?”

 

Katina: “I was sleeping in the large gladiator living quarters beneath and one side of the Kvatch Arena, which is was badly damaged but is still mainly intact. We were woken by news coming that three smaller Oblivion Gates had appeared outside of Kvatch and that daedra were pouring out of it. A tall man, in a gray hooded robe, brought a warning to us of what was happening. He also gave us some keys to unlock some old storehouses full of gladiator armor, weapons and other useful items. Because of that we were able to give out weapons, armor, even arrows and bolts, to non gladiators as well as gladiators. He also brought a horse drawn cart full of other useful items such as blankets, water, tents, wooden f@&!ts and much else. Then he vanished.”

 

Maharg: “What did you think of that at the time?”

 

Katina: “I was too busy to think much about it. We gladiators, along with the others who worked with we gladiators, were too busy dealing with refugees and preparing for trouble. We got ready the arena as a fortified defense point. We recruited others to our cause. Soon the arena was filling with people, animals and goods. There were some arguments with people who did not want to share food and other such resources fairly; a couple of heads were banged.”

 

Maharg: “How fast did the fighting escalate?”

 

Katina: “The enemy came in waves! They were barely ordered chaos. Each wave seemed to get bigger and have more powerful enemies. There were plenty of those scamps and clannfears. There were those nasty fire elemental creatures and those ugly faced dremora. They came racing at us and we rained arrows upon them from the higher, outer parts, of the arena. Many of the attackers died that way, very many of them. Many defenders had crossbows or javelins instead. The good thing about using javelins against clannfears, and scamps, is they can not use them back against you. Those dremora did pick up javelins and throw them back but were not greatly skilled at using such weapons. Which was good because they make dangerous sword and shield fighters. Dremora archers fired back but they were at a disadvantage firing upwards. The scamps, with their fireballs, had no such troubles but they were still exposed in the open.”

 

Maharg: “Did any other kinds of daedra attack?”

 

Katina: “A couple of those massive daedroths, one of those nasty spider-daedra, and some of those nasty ice elements.”

 

Maharg: “Atronachs, they are fire and ice atronachs.”

 

Katina: “I will have to remember that as I doubt the daedric threat is finished. I saw something strange and disturbing. Three Mythic Dawn Followers, with summoned weapons and armor, came to join the fight against us. I saw the traitors and wanted to kill them. I did not have to do so. The daedra turned upon them and butchered them, killed the last one as she tried to run away. The disturbing bit was that they were supposed to be allies. Treachery leads to treachery, at least it did in that case.”

 

Maharg: “I have heard that not only did many people survive in the arena but because you halted the daedra attacks at the arena, many others had time to escape. Also other forces had time to gather, prepare and counter attack.”

 

Katina: “So have I and I am glad it happened that way. Yet if it was not for the mysterious tall man, in the gray hooded robe, matters would not have gone so well. It was a dark time for all but we survived. The worst thing was listening to the screams of terror and pain of the people who did not manage to escape from the butchery, citizens whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would love to talk further but I have to prepare for future action.”

 

PS: Katina was to die fighting daedric invaders just north of Kvatch. She was part of a large group trying to block off a smaller Oblivion Gate until it could be closed by a force entering the gate.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

INTERVIEW #5

 

The man is a mage and is standing close to where the ruined Kvatch Mages Guild Lodge is being knocked down. Materials are being salvaged when possible and already the lodge has been stripped of salvageable goods. The Mages Guild building will be rebuilt to be attractive, traditional looking but stronger and with greater magical protection. The whole city of Kvatch is being rebuilt to make it stronger and for greater survivability. Word is that other cities are building up their defenses as much as possible. The mage is frowning softly being an Imperial of strong mature appearance. His name is Avon Redding.

 

Maharg: “You became aware of the attack early on when the Mages Guild Lodge had an unusual visitor.”

 

Avon: “A tall man in a gray hooded robe, he came knocking and warned us of the attack even as it began. He brought magical devices and supplies, even scrolls and books. He simply gave them to us when they were worth a goodly fortune in gold coinage. Then he was gone just as quickly as he appeared. He warned us not to try to summon any daedra. We went out to help defend the city, to try to deal with dremora mages, to heal people and thanks to the stranger, we were ready to do so.”

 

Maharg: “When did you come up with your curious plan to save people, animals and goods?”

 

Avon: “Very early on during the crisis! I had been completing a magical painting with one of a set of magical paint brushes, the origin of which are still a mystery to me. The painting was large and showed a typical forest valley with a distant village. I knew one could enter the 'painted realm' and stay there so I put in fruit bearing bushes and some other sources of food. The village was large with a temple, an inn, a shop, a blacksmith, a few houses. There was a farm there also with crops and an orchard. I went into the painted realm to complete it and when the crisis began I finished it.”

 

Maharg: “A curious idea!”

 

Avon: “A desperate idea and one that has hopefully not led to disaster. I opened the painted realm to many people. They went into it and took with them animals, goods of all kinds and even items to be saved like paintings, books... yes even paintings. It was most ironic and amazing to watch all of those people to vanish into the painted realm and then to become part of the painted scene. That is when the troubles began. The painting closed up when the last person went in, as if it was full up. I considered that this might happen and I looked for a good safe place to hide it. I did so even as the daedra reached our part of the city.”

 

Maharg: “You did what then?

 

Avon: “I fought against daedra, did some healing and was exhausted when it was done. Despite meaning to go to the painting at once, I slept many hours. Using so much demanding magic took much out of me, as it did with other mages. When I went seeking the painting, it was gone! I panicked and got others to help me look but none of could find anything. We are still looking. I do not think the daedra stole the painting as they did not even seem interested in stealing things. Nor did they reach the basement chamber I hid the magical painting in. We are still searching for the painting, though we have much else to do. I will not rest easily until it is found and those in it, found safe.”

 

Maharg: “I not only wish you well in your search but, knowing a few people, will assist you to find the lost magical painting. Here is a gold coin.”

 

Avon: “That will go to the rebuilding fund for the lodge. Thank you but there is much work to do. I hope to see you again and well.”

 

PS: The magical painting appeared, mysteriously, in Avon Redding's sleeping quarters. He was able to free the people from the painted realm but was surprised to find some folk wanted to stay there for it was peaceful there. It also gave them somewhere to stay until matters improved in Kvatch. Avon Redding was to later move into the painted realm, to the village there, where he would carry on research into the magical paint brushes and their workings. Other folk, and animals, were also to remain living there. The village became known as Avonville and the painted realm became known as Reddingland.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Edited October 15, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Edited October 15, 2012 by Maharg67