Morthal and Morihaus. A Skald's Tale

• Posted by Paws March 5, 2016 - #Short  - 1,450 views

  'The story of how Morthal earned it's name has been told and retold so many times and been embellished over and over so often that the facts are now lost to history. But who cares about facts when all we Nords need is hot words to thaw the ice from our thoughts, eh? That it did happen or it didn't happen doesn't matter, the belief that it may have has is all that is important on a cold winter's night and that is what makes any tale true.

  This particular yarn begins back in the days when Ysgramor and his sword-brothers, The Companions, battled the evil ice-witch Aumriel. Mor already had a reputation as a wall-breaker and ground-stamper even in those bitter days and the sight of our enemies fleeing before the magnificence of his wings and sound of his mighty bellow always cheered the mighty Nords, for Kyne always favoured us despite (or maybe because of) the climate we endured.

  Yet Aumriel the snow-devil was wily, her magic powerful, and it was many long years of countless battles before she was sealed away forever. Ah, but to have been alive in those days! The ground soaked crimson with the blood of the white mer as the Sky-Children clashed with the armies of the devils and sang songs about all who's ancestors came from Old Mary.

  The Companions and Kyne's Son sealed away the witch-elf's sword along with the body of the hag, a weapon said to have been quenched in the tears of captured children. It was a blade so pale and frightful that it was as though her soul incarnate - if the beast can be truly said to have possessed one.

  We lost many fine warriors and shield-maidens back then, the purple blooms of the deathbell so common in this land even today mark the sites where some of Ysgramor's mightiest fell, their names long forgotten by men when the ground honours them still.

  After this Mor departed, heading south for a while to aid in some Heartland rebellion or another but nobody had the sense to name a town after him then. No, it wasn't until the days of the battle-that-never-was that Morthal got its name.

  To cut to the chase, "It's a really long story" Aless told the hosts who turned up expecting a sword-meeting with Dagon. Some where overwhelmed with disappointment and shook their spears or banged their shields with axe or sword, but most were in awe that a mighty Demon-Prince had ben outsmarted by a simple farm girl and her favoured bull who, it is said, circled once in farewell before flying over the mountains.

  Thus Morthal earned it's name, although Aless may have been more fitting.'

  That's what the skald told me. It cost me 10 Septims to hear him repeat (excuse the pun) such bullshit.