Main Idea:
A man from Akavir, Lord Rahl, has come to Cyrodiil and caused mass destruction, including the subtraction of magic from the world. Strangely, only Rahl possesses magic now. A man named Richard Cypher has sent out a letter of distress to still-standing cities, towns and encampments, requesting their finest warriors to meet him at the inn of Ganus, a city just north of Bruma, on Turdas the 23rd of Morning Star. With their help he hopes to seek out Rahl and destroy him before he destroys Cyrodiil all together.
Beginning:
Richard Cypher, a Breton man at the age of twenty-nine, is awoken from a deep and worrisome sleep by his close childhood friend, Laila, an attractive Breton woman of nineteen, to be informed that he has been shouting, presumably due to a strange occurrence in his dreams. Facetiously, Richard jokes about his dream concerning the robbery of a copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid that he quickly denies to actually own. Though Laila leaves the issue alone, she knows his dreams have been far worse than he lets on to.
Richard dons his clothing and the two travel to the inn together.
Meanwhile, a young Imperial man named Tecido Laenius, twenty-three, is being led north into the deeper Jeralls Mountains, along with many other manhunters such as himself, to be massacred by Akaviri soldiers. When a small group of five prisoners attempts to flee, chaos breaks lose as the remaining prisoners, taking advantage of the soldiers’ distractions, flee as well. Tecido heads south, hoping to break through at a nearby city.
While sprinting downhill through the snowy woods, Tecido listens to men behind him being shot down by crossbow bolts. Though he is madly afraid, he quickly decides he will not let that fear take control of him. Suddenly, something impacts with his left shoulder and it is not long before Tecido is beginning to limp, coughing up blood with a bolt jammed in his shoulder blade. Looking over his shoulder at the bolt, he finds that the rest of the prisoners have been murdered. However, a stroke of luck hits him when he finds a stray black stallion grazing in the forest. He mounts it and the stallion accepts his proposal to ride. He rides to the south.
Back at Ganus, Richard and Laila are warm inside the inn. Richard takes the time to practice his speech one last time. Though surely by now it is rote, he is extremely nervous and finds that reciting it distracts him from the butterflies in his stomach. The innkeeper, Farlow, becomes impatient and asks Richard when the arrivals will appear and how many their number will be. Richard replies that he prays for ten or more, but is not expecting more than five. LAila assures Richard that more people will arrive than he expects, for men would seek to defend their land and families.
A middle-aged, silver-haired Imperial by the name of Vicious is sitting in the corner of the inn, listening to the conversation between the three. He introduces himself to Richard and proclaims that he desires to accompany Richard because he is bored and has nothing better to do.
Dumbstruck, Richard retorts violently, insisting that a man that does things to cure his own boredom are worthless in the span of a lifetime and that the man at least stick around to hear his plan before making a decision.
Meanwhile, a forty-three-year-old Akavir-bound Imperials man, Jeremiah Chursone, who was hired by Lord Rahl for his astounding talents to be a bounty hunter and enforcer, is at a farm in the Jeralls demanding that they pay the Lord Rahl for his ‘protection’. The farmer insists that he has no money to spare, for his children need food. In response, Jeremiah takes the children, telling the farmer and his wife that the obstacle preventing them from paying has now been removed (Guardog, you sick bastard).
Concurrently, a Breton nearing the age of fifty, Lamprecht Atticus, Grandmaster of the Swabian Order, is loading deer carcasses onto the back of a wagon, intending to use them as collateral to pay for a knight at the inn. Having received Richard’s letter, he and the men that accompany him (which I believe is five knights) plan to assist him in the hunt for Rahl.
Meanwhile, a Nordic twenty-nine-year-old man, Utholf Voldenguard, is chasing down an Altmer, Thulan, for betraying him in a mine so that he, the elf, might gather all the loot for himself. Utholf promises not to kill him, but will not promise that on behalf of what remains in the mine. With a mighty hurl, he throws the elf into the darkness of the mine and has the door locked behind him.
During all of this, Tecido has been riding on his newly named horse, Argento. To his great relief, he soon stumbles upon Ganus. He trots his horse through the front gate where he collapses, unconscious, from lack of blood with a loud shout of pain.
Laila, hearing the scream, rushes outside, followed by Richard and in his wake, Vicious. A group of villagers are gathered around a man laying in a puddle of blood. Laila begins bustling about with her herbs, for she is an accomplished healer, while Richard suggests that he be moved inside. Richard and Laila gently carry Tecido inside the inn where they rest him upon an inn table; Farlow naturally fusses about it. Keep in mind that Tecido knows no one here yet. Laila offers him an herb telling him to chew on it. He complies.
A couple enters the bar, the farmers Devon and Lacy who lost their children to Ssi-Roth (title) Jeremiah. Richard asks for their help and they agree, offering him water. They enquire about Akaviri in the surrounding wilderness. He admits that the bolt buried in Tecido’s chest is of Akaviri design and, ergo, there must be Akaviri around. However, he makes no promises about their number.
While this catastrophe continues, the farmers’ four children, Dillan, Zedd, Henry and Feric, have been sent to Rahl’s capital (location unknown) and are currently being spoken to by him. The youngest two are taken away (Dillan and Henry) and fed to the Panis Rahl’s (a.k.a. Lord Rahl) dragon mount. Zedd mocks Rahl’s bravery, but Rahl merely laughs, explaining how he only has need for older children. Younger ones do not make good laborers.
Jeremiah has been sent to a spot of slave revolt, where most slaves were killed while the soldiers suffered no minor or major casualties. However, the one man that Rahl insisted on being slaughtered is missing: Tecido Laenius. Jeremiah realizes he must track him down. He takes off in the direction Tecido headed: towards Ganus. While they pass closer to Ganus a little later, Utholf, hidden in brush, takes notice of their move, and swiftly yet quietly rushes to Ganus to forewarn them of the possible impending attack on Ganus.
Tecido has regained minor consciousness and is, of all things, embarrassed of his situation. He hears Laila comment on removing the bolt and loses consciousness when a red-hot blade is pressed into his wound, much to the relief of Laila (his unconsciousness, that is). Meanwhile, Grandmaster Lamprecht and his team of knights is approaching the village.
Sometime before this, a Bosmer woman with an age corresponding to Laila’s, named Iliria, is attempting to reach Ganus. After some time of traveling with her dog, Shoukan, she reaches Ganus and requests Richard once in the inn.
Back at normal time, Tecido is healed and carried to a room and Richard, stressed, wanders outside and notices that a blizzard will be approaching soon. He decides that they would leave tomorrow.
Laila comes out and requests that Richard speak to the couple inside (the farmers Devon and Lacy). She also informs that a new stranger has arrived and is seeking him out. Richard complies and returns inside.
Richard quickly tells the stranger, a forty-year-old Imperial named Sir Quintilianus of Cantaber, to await the others to arrive for only then would Richard greet and introduce. He then makes his way to the couple. As Lamprecht enters the inn, Richard hears the story of how Devon’s children were taken from him and his wife. Richard agrees to try and assist them so long as it didn’t distract from his primary objective.
Tecido, somewhat recovered (it has been longer than it seems) goes downstairs and thanks Laila for her hospitality. Laila, shy, merely gives him a smile. She then suggests for Richard to introduce himself. Excited about the knights, Richard starts with Lamprecht. LAila follows suit. At the same time, Utholf enters the inn, heading to the bar for a drink.
Richard goes on to greet Vicious, apologizing for earlier. At this time, after meeting Vicious, Iliria enters the inn. She nearly collapses and Richard holds her up. At this time, a seventeen-year-old Imperial woman named Cassandra Lucrezia Eleanore d’Allesia (Sara for short) enters the bar. Tecido makes small talk with her about the strange assortment of people in the inn. Sara jokes about Iliria, for she has gotten to her knee, begging Richard to allow her to join.
Then, yet another person enters: a four-hundred-thirty-two-year-old Dunmer named Relian. Smiling, he announces he has come to join Richard’s quest.
Deciding it the opportune time to do so, Richard makes his speech. It is greeted by both outrage and respect. Utholf announces he will join, somewhat drunkenly.
Richard announces they will move to the Arcane University first and then follow any clues they might find. Seeing as this quest revolved around magic, the A.U. seemed an ideal place to start. Their first goal is to restore magic. Devon announces he will join as well. Meanwhile, Jeremiah is getting ready to attack Ganus and, if need be, raze it to the ground...
Sincerely,
The Sixth Lord
P.S. I took the Banhammer to the face and survived!
