TCoT: Red Year

  • The Chronicles of Theryn

    Red Year

     

    I was below deck, writing into my journal. I left the port of Stros M'Kai two months ago. I was traveling to Morrowind to visit a friend. He was a Dunmer living on the hills surrounding Red Mountain. He told me that he found a long lost magical artifact deep within a Dwemer ruin. It was supposed to lead us to the Heart of Lorkhan.

     

    He didn't believe that the Heart was destroyed by the Nerevarine when he confronted Dagoth Ur. He wanted to sell it to the Elder Council and get philty rich. He was a classic tomb robber.

     

    I was called up as we were nearing our destination. As I got up, I saw the skyline of Vivec City. The city has grown since The Nerevarine left for Akavir. Two more cantons were built and the Temple Canton was expanded. The port nearby was also expanded and has merged with the city, becoming known as Port of Vivec.

     

    "Get ready to drop anchor!" yelled the Redguard captain as the ship approached the eastern docks.

     

    The docks were full of shopers and fisherman. Huge amounts of fish were drawn in from the Inner Sea and goods came in from all over the continent. You could smell the different species of fish that were in the boxes and in the nets.

     

    The ship docked and the passengers started to get to shore. There were two Khajiit brothers that came from Anvil, an Argonian from Soulrest and a Nord from Winterhold.

     

    "Where are you headed now?" the Nord asked me. I smiled. "I'm going up to Seyda Neen to get some gear that my friend ordered." I explained.

     

    "I'm going up to Balmora to visit my father." said the Nord. "Maybe we'll meet if you get there."

     

    "Maybe we will." I said.

     

    A few minutes later, I got up to the Foreign Quarter as "outlanders", as the Dunmer called everyone that wasn't born in Morrowind, were mostly directed towards that particular canton. I got up to the Waistwork, the third level of the cantons, to visit the blacksmith as I didn't carry a weapon.

     

    "Maeg' ovannen. I'm looking for a weapon. A sword." I said as I shook the smith's hand.

     

    "I've got different kinds of swords." said the smith.

     

    "I need a light one handed sword made from steel." I said.

     

    The smith nodded. After a bit of digging around, he came back to me and gave me a steel short sword.

     

    "35 septims." he said.

     

    I payed for the weapon and made my way to Seyda Neen.

     

    As I got to the bridge connecting the canton to the mainland I saw a giant statue of the Nerevarine standing over the body of Dagoth Ur.

     

    After a few hours I was standing at the gates of Seyda Neen. The small port village has grown a lot as the Nerevarine left all his wealth to the town when he left.

     

    I walked into Arrille's Tradehouse. "Excuse me, I'm here to pick up a package for Nyrion Tarhnet." I said to the shopkepper.

     

    "Ah, you must be Theryn Elinos. I was expecting you yesterday." said the shopkepper.

     

    "I know. My ship was attacked by pirates in the Sea of Ghosts." I said.

     

    "No matter. I've got your package. It has been paid for by your friend." he said as he gave me the gear.

     

    As I got out, I opened the box and saw a drill made from Dwemer steel. "Damn you, Nyrion." I thought to myself.

     

    I got up to the Silt Strider. "How fast can you get me to Balmora?" I asked.

     

    "An hour, more or less." he said.

     

    45 minutes later, I was getting setting my foot on the streets of Balmora. I payed the Silt Strider and made my way to the Eight Plates tavern were I got myself a room for tonight.

     

    In the morning, I made my way to the stables. Horses were present in Morrowind for a short time, as the Empire's grip on the province was lossening and several forts were abandoned with the horses. I bought a horse when the entire city heard a loud noise. The noise was followed by a big earthquake.

     

    "Everyone!" the guard yelled. "Get in your houses and hide under your tables!"

     

    Then, the earthquake stopped and everyone got out.

     

    After a few minutes the earth shook again. But now, nobody was moving, not even the guards. Everyone was starring at Red Mountain.

     

    I looked at the mountain as well and I couldn't believe my eyes. The Mountain was throwing fire and rocks high into the air, higher then clouds.

     

    "Everyone, to the boats!" finally yelled the guard.

     

    Panic spread like wildfire as everyone rushed to the docks. Women and children were running through the swamp that was sepparating Balmora from the port.

     

    I moved towards the northern gate when a guard stopped me. "What are you doing? We have to leave!" he yelled.

     

    "I've got a friend on the mountain!" I said.

     

    The guards showed me the giant ash cloud. "That thing is coming here fast. Your friend is dead! When that cloud reaches Balmora, everyone that is still on Vvardenfell will die! No turn around and help us get the citizens to the port!"

     

    I listened to him and turned around. I knew that Nyrion was dead. I guess I just let my emotions got me. I knew Nyrion since the Oblivion Crisis and he has always helped me when I was in trouble. In return I would help him explore the various Ayleid ruins throughout Cyrodiil.

     

    I got to the edge of the swamp leading to the port and I helped the children over the small wall that was built to keep the swamp water out of the city canal. Most of them were crying. I guess they figured out what happened. Most of them ended up homeless and lived in shacks built on the edge of the Inner Sea. Some of them went to Solstheim or Skyrim where they ended being oppressed by the local Nords.

     

    I heard a cry coming from a nearby house and I ran towards it. As I got inside I saw a child trapped under a wodden beam.

     

    I ran outside and called a guard. "Hey! I need some help here, there's a kid trapped in there!" I yelled.

     

    The guard and me ran into the house. We tried to lift the beam but it was to heavy. I took a small piece of wood to get some leverage and raise the beam. I put the wood between the beam and a chair I found lying around. I slowly lifted the beam and the guard took the child from under it.

     

    The child was holding his leg and crying. The beam must have broken his leg. The guard ran off when he saw the ash cloud through the window.

     

    I lifted the child and got out of the house. The sight was terrifying. The ash cloud has almost sourrunded the city and the sunlight was barely trying to get through the smoke and ash.

     

    "Close your eyes!" I said to the child as I ran towards the swamp. I jumped over the wall and started a mad dash for the port as the ash cloud tried to catch us like a hungry monster.

     

    The ash cloud had a hard time getting through the swamp and the trees and we managed to get to port. Most of the boats and ships were gonne except for one that was to small for anyone to use.

     

    We got on the boat and managed to get away as the ash cloud swallowed the port and docks.

     

    The child stopped crying and fell asleep.

     

    We got to the mainland and joined the rest of the refugess. I handed the child to a guard.

     

    "He has a broken leg. He needs a healer." I said to the guard and gave him the child.

     

    I told the guard to take the kid to the orphanage in Riften. Five years later, I found out that I made a mistake by doing that. Turns out that the headmaster is not as kind as they said.

     

    I left Morrowind a week later after helping as much as I could.

     

     

     

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Comments

1 Comment   |   Kopo Copo Qopi and 3 others like this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  April 29, 2017
    And bang goes the mountain...
    It's nice to get some background.. I'm looking forwards to more of these..