This is the backstory for my second character, who will rely purely on the sneak skills.
The Dunmer Tedril Therayn was born E4 168 in Morrowind but moved to Winterhold at a young age after the eruption of the Red Mountain.
His family legacy, that of his great-great-grandfather the Nerevarine, has been reduced to a mere memory under the years that have passed since the Therayns greatest achievement. Tedril lost his father and older brother to bandits on their perilous journey to Skyrim. He tries to make a living out of odd jobs in the city in Winterhold, but is forced to reduce himself to a life of crime to be able to survive. Pickpocketing nobles and stealing food from traveling merchants have become regular things lately. Tedril feels he is not worthy of his family name.
One night, Tedril snuck around a warehouse to find something to eat. The guards had been patrolling the market all day, so Tedril hadn't eaten anything. The owner of the warehouse, a Khajit merchant by the name of Ri'Dat saw Tedril. "What do you think you're doing! Put that back!" - he shouted as he saw Tedril pick up a loaf of bread. Tedril dropped the bread immediatly and tried to run. He was no match for the quick and agile Khajit. Ri'Dat climbed on top of a stack of crates and jumped down on Tedril as he tried to run for the door. With a loud crack the Khajit smashed Tedril to the ground. Tedril had broken his left arm. Moaning with pain he tried to crawl out of the warehouse "Okay okay, I will leave! You will never see me again! Just please don't call the guards!" - he cried. It was in Tedril's most vulnerable moment that the Khajit felt sorry for the thief. "Come here", he said, "I'll patch you up, I didn't mean to harm you". Tedril looked at Ri'Dat suspiciously, having a hard time to understand what Ri'Dats intentions were. He hesitated for a moment, but then he realized he wouldn't have a chance alone with a broken arm in the cold city of Winterhold. He got to his feet and followed the kind Khajit to a back room. Ri'Dat fixed Tedrils arm with a Restoration spell and after being given a good meal Tedril went to sleep. Little did he know that this was the beginning of his new life.
The next morning Tedril woke up by the sound of the town guards knocking of the doors of the warehouse. "Ri'Dat we have had reports that you are housing an enemy of Winterhold! Come out now, we need to search the premises". Tedril panicked, but Ri'Dat shut him up with a simple gesture of his paw. "There is a hatch in the floor, hide in there!" - Ri'Dat whispered to Tedril. Tedril didn't doubt for a second, and quickly hid under the floorboards. Ri'Dat went to open the door. "What is the meaning of this?", he said, "Why would I hide a criminal?". The leader of the guards responded firmly "We have a source who saw a known Dunmer thief on your property. For your safety, we ask you to stand back so we can guarantee your safety". Without further ado, the guards went inside and started their search. The opened every crate, looked in every corner and checked every closet. Luckily, they did not see the well-hidden hatch in the office floor. They left the warehouse givin Ri'Dat a warning that if they heard anything else about him housing a thief, he would pay dearly.
Tedril was terrified. He wasn't used to anything bigger than maybe running from a single guard after he got caught pickpocketing. He had counted at least five different voices when he was under the floorboards. What made the guards so anxious to find him, a mere thief who stole nothing more then what he needed to get by? Ri'Dat opened the hatch. "It's safe, you can come out. But you have to leave Winterhold tonight. What have you done that made them want to find you so bad?" - he said. Tedril answered him: "I don't know! I never did anything bigger that steal a trout from one of the merchant stands!" The fact that Ra'Dit allowed Tedril to stay the night raised even more questions for the Dunmer. "Why did you let me stay here? Why would you even care about a thief? Nobody cares about people like me." - he asked the Khajit. "I let you stay here because I saw something of myself in you. I once needed to steal and commit crime for a living as well, but thanks to the kind man who owned this warehouse before me I now have a way to make a living. My best guess is for you to go to Falkreath, and seek out a man named Clusan. He will help you if you say I sent you" Ra'Dit said. "I will help you get out of town. Tonight."
A few hours after dusk, the two left the safety of the warehouse and made their way across Winterhold. They avoided guards at every corner and had almost made their way out of the city. Only two guards stood between them and Tedrils only chance for escape. Ra'Dit looked around for a way to get past them, but the whole area was lit by the guards torches. "Sneaking out of here is not an option." - he said. "What do you suggest we do?" - Tedril asked, being unexperienced in these types of situations. "We pray to the Night Mother, and hope she is with us" - Ra'Dit said, carying a grim look on his face that Tedril had not seen before. Who was this Night Mother Ra'Dit spoke of? How could she help? Would they even get out of town? Tedril wanted to ask his Khajit companion, but before he got a chance Ra'Dit was gone. Tedril panicked. For what seemed like an hour later, but what was only a brief moment, Ra'Dit appeared wielding an Elven Bow that Tedril remembered seeing in a smithy the day before. "Did you just steal that bow? Do you know how much that thing is worth? They will execute us!" - Tedril cried out quietly. "Only if they catch us my friend, only if they catch us." - Ra'Dit said, still having a grim look on his face.
Before Tedril could stop him, Ra'Dit raised the bow and fired an arrow at one of the guards. With a sickening thud the arrow hit the guards head, killing him in an instant. Tedril was shocked and froze to the ground. The other guard responden quickly. "Murder! Murder! He killed a guard!" - the guard screamed at the top of his lungs. His shouts echoed through the town, alerting the whole town guard. Ra'Dit now ran towards the second guard and pulled out two daggers. The guard didn't stand a chance. The Khajit blocked an incoming blow with his left hand, and plunged his other dagger into the guards chest. More guards started to appear. Ra'Dit called out Tedril, who was still in shock with what just happened. Tedril did not move. Ra'Dit cast a spell of red light on Tedril and suddenly he wanted nothing more that to join the fight and kill every single guard in sight. Ra'Dit threw him one of the daggers and they fought the guards together. Not realising he was under a spell, Tedril cut down two guards in his uncontrolable rage. Ra'Dit fought three guards at one. He seemed to be winning, lashing out in every direction as fast as lightning, until he was struck by an arrow in the lower back. One of the guards stabbed Ra'Dit in the chest in the split second he was pushed of balance by the arrow. Now it was him who didn't stand a chance. He was cut down like dog, then the guards focussed on Tedril. The second Ra'Dit died, Tedril became himself again. Terrified by the sight of the whole town guard coming for him, he threw his weapon to the ground and sat down on his knees. "I don't know what just happened! I don't remember anything! Please!" - he cried out. The guards kicked him to the ground. "You will hang for what you did you filthy Dunmer!" - one of the guards screamed at him. All throughout the beating that followed Tedril begged for mercy, but the guards wouldn't listen. They beat Tedril senseless.
When Tedril woke up in a cold dungeon cell, his entire body was aching. He had bruises and cuts all over his body. Tedril knew what was about to happen. He was about to be executed.
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