The Graveknight's Oath - Prologue

• Posted by Rhoth October 3, 2015 - 1,464 views

  Prologue

  "He betrayed the Divines.

  "All of them.

  "He was once a member of the Knights of Nine, awash in the reflected glory of the Hero of Kvatch when the Nine Divines granted that worthy their favor and allowed him to recover the lost Relics of the Crusader.  That should have been enough for him, but as always happens in these tales it was not.

  "A powerful vampire lord plagued the West Weald around Skingrad and the knight was determined to destroy it and show Tamriel the birth of another hero. The knight had good intentions, as they always do, and believed wholly in his own sanctity and ability to defeat the vampire. In his hubris he knew that, like the Hero of Kvatch, he was worthy to wield the Relics of the Crusader. One night as the rest of the Knights slept he stole into the Priory Undercroft in secret and appropriated the Relics for his own righteous quest.

  "I'm sure you can see where this story is headed, can't you?" the man shifted in his seat to re-position himself before continuing.

  "The Knight girded himself with the Relics and prepared to do battle with the vampire lord. ‘How could he fail?’ he thought to himself. Yet fail he did, utterly and convincingly. The Relics would not allow themselves to be used by the unworthy, for such was the Knight in all of his pride and arrogance. Bereft of any defenses the Knight quickly fell to the vampire, rising days later as one of the hated creatures. "The holy Relics of the Crusader were lost to the ages again, and the Knights of the Nine scattered to the winds, once more becoming a forgotten part of history.

  "The Nine cursed the knight to wander the land as a wretched vampire. Legend tells that the Nine decreed that, for his betrayal and failure, he would never be able to become human again. He would live forever with the knowledge that it was his failure that lead to the loss of the Relics of the Crusader."

  "It's a good tale isn't it? Quite believable I would think." The hooded man cocked his head to the side and lowered his coarse voice to barely a whisper, "It's all true of course."

   The woman in red lounged carelessly in her seat across from him looking to all the world as if she hadn't a care in the world. The man knew better. Her piercingly bright eyes constantly darted around the taproom, measuring the other patrons anxiously for threats. A skeptical look crossed her face as he finished his tale, which the man caught before she was able to smooth her features back to impassivity.

  "I see you don't believe me," the man continued.

  "It's not that," she replied, her voice light and airy, "There are dozens of tales about betrayals and fallen knights in the lorebooks. The bards always declare them true tales, but they rarely are. I've learned not to take much of anything I hear at face value anymore." She fidgeted at that before quickly adding, "It's nothing personal of course."

  "I...see. Well, I can't blame you of course, but I can prove it is true. If we are to travel together for the time being I need you to know the truth now. I don't want you to discover it when it's...inconvenient, for both of us." The man glanced warily around the rest of the taproom, but no one paid attention to the two seated in the darkest corner. All were lost in their drinks or their revelry. He turned back to her and with a quick shrug he lowered a portion of his hood to show her his face.

  Her gasp of surprise was lost in the noise of the bard's song.

  That day changed my life. Before I met her, I was a wretched thing. I never stayed in one place longer than a few nights, making my way across Tamriel, a shadow in the night. I would do a few chores, chopping wood here, gathering crops there, to gain the trust of a farmer or woodcutter until I had a chance to catch them unaware and feed.

  I tried to kill myself, but the curse of the Nines robbed me of that escape. I sought the help of mages to attempt to cure myself, but that was denied to me as well. I longed for release, and even began to pray to Arkay once more, that He at least might relent in His pronouncement. I fell into despair and neglect, barely feeding until I could no longer stand the hunger.

  Years passed, then decades, then centuries. Nothing changed. I continued to pray to Arkay daily, but received no sign of His presence.   My wandering continued. My misery increased.   

  Then I met HER and everything changed.

  

  

  Prologue

  Art Credit:

  • Fallen Knight
  • Arissa the Wandering Rogue