Cyrodiil, pt. I

181^st Year of the 4^th Era, Mathieu Aviènne

Foreword

The Great War is undoubtedly the largest conflict we will ever see in our lifetime, it took the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians alike. I was a Field Medic in the Imperial Army, I tended the wounds of the people who were hurt or injured during the war. After the war I continued lending my aid in any way I can. When I left my home in Daggerfall at the beginning of the war, all I wanted to do was to return home, now I know I need to help those who have no home to return to. As I helped people I made many friends, we exchanged stories and I discovered that you can only learn the horrors of war from someone who experienced it first-hand. Here I documented the most striking stories from the Cities, hoping that when future generations read this, they will know the suffering war brings and never make the same mistakes that we do.

Bravil

Malus Chorus

Malus was an Imperial Legion soldier assigned to patrol the Green Road along with his squadron. The Night the Dominion attacked Bravil, Malus and his squad were spending the night in The Lonely Suitor Lodge an inn located in the city.

“Me and my squad were taking the night off at the local inn, when all of a sudden we heard the Dominion’s siege artillery attacking the walls. We didn’t know what was happening at the time, I looked out the window and saw people running and panicking. My commander, Arctus Varus, ordered us to help the citizens get to the castle where they would be safer. The city guard was holding but for how long? So much was running through my head at the time. I saw my friends being burned alive in a hale of mage fire. I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do at the time, then Varus told me to take his horse and ask for reinforcements at Fort Variela. I ran outside the city gates, I saw the Dominion were trying to encircle the city so I went faster. Then they started shooting arrows at me, I could hear them whip past me so I just went faster. I didn’t even look back at the city till I reached the fort. I spoke with the fort commander and he sent me back to the city with a contingent of 80 men. 80 men. We were facing the entire dominion and he could only send 80 soldiers? They were just Auxiliaries for the Divine’s sake! They’ve never even experienced battle yet. When we reached Bravil it was too late… They hung the count’s body in front of the City gates along with my commander and several others.”

“And then what happened? Did you retreat back to Fort Variela?”

“We were going to… I ordered my men to march back to the fort but we were cut off by the Dominion. Half my men routed, they ran in different directions. The ones foolish or brave enough to stay were slain in battle. I killed a few of them till my horse was killed by an arrow and I fell to the ground. As I was standing up I saw an Elf staring at me in the eyes. It looked as if he knew me his whole life and wanted me dead. He stabbed me in the stomach and I passed out. Next thing I remember I woke up and an Imperial scout saw me, he carried me on his horse and took me to the Imperial City, next thing I know I’m lying in bed and you’re standing there with some potions and whatnot.”

Malus Chorus recovered from his wounds, and was assigned a new squad. The fall of Bravil would not be the only siege he would have to fight in. He was in the Imperial City during the siege in 4E 174, and I have not heard from him since. May the divines bless his soul.

Leyawiin

Aria Viatrix

Aria was a bard, she would sing in the Castle from time to time, her father was the Captain of the Town Guard, and he was known to be very protective of her. She wasn’t a noble but nonetheless she and her father were well respected throughout the city. The day Leyawiin was besieged, that all changed.

“The day the city was attacked; I was at my friend’s house. We were practicing our performance for the Count later that evening, and it was drizzling outside. We were hearing what we thought was lightning and paid no mind to it. Then the sound grew louder and louder till we couldn’t ignore it anymore. We stepped outside and the streets were empty, but when we looked at the city walls we saw some elves climbing on to the city walls and the city guard were fighting them. We watched it happen from a distance, and then I saw my father rallying his men down the street. He looked at me as if he was mad he asked me why was I still in the city, he said he thought I was with the rest of the townspeople. I asked him what was going on but he just told me that everything will be okay, he gave me the necklace that his father gave him the day he died, and then I knew that this was the last time I would ever see him again. We said our goodbyes, I wanted him to leave but he said that the city needs him. He told two of his men to escort us out of the city with the rest of the evacuees. And we travelled all the way to Cheydinhal, without stopping. Half the people we were with were starving but we would just move on. When we saw Bravil across the Niben, we saw the city in flames. Men were hanging from the city gates, and a group of soldiers were fighting outside the city’s walls. We went deeper into the forest so they wouldn’t see us. We stayed at the house of my friend’s uncle for a year without word of what happened in Leyawiin. When we were told it would be safe to return to our homes, I took the next carriage ride back to Leyawiin.”

Aria Viatrix now resides alone in her family’s house at Leyawiin, the whereabouts of her father are unknown, there have been reports that the Dominion kept prisoners of war but whether her father is one of them is anyone’s guess.

Anvil

Travis Jarrun

Travis is an imperial sailor and dockworker at the Port in Anvil. Travis was never popular in Anvil, he grew up without a family and learned to fend for himself while growing up. Travis has commited burglary in the past in both Kvatch and Anvil, until he went to work for Captain Avernii, a man with a known drinking issue.

“It started out like any other day Captain was drunk as a fishstick, blabbering on about how he could single handedly take on the city’s watch. He was talking trash as always. He ordered us to raise anchor and sail west. While leavin’ port I asked him where to? he replied to me “Today we kill those slug bastards at Thras! And then I drink their women and rape their ale!” the whole crew burst into laughter, me included. Then the captain got pissed, he did. Stared me right in my eyes, and kicked me in the stomach and threw me over board. Didn’t even say a word to me, he just did it. Well my mates told me to climb back on board on the other side of the ship. As I was climbing a huge ball of flame hit the ship’s hull a few feet from where I was. It sent me flying through the air, and I landed on some flotsam. I was slowly passing out so I held on to the flotsam, last thing I saw was the Ship sinking to the bottom of the sea. I woke up at dawn near the port in Anvil, in a pile of dead bodies. I looked around and saw a bunch of elves piling bodies in groups.”

“What did you do after that? How did you escape?”

“I’m getting there mate, let the story tell itself. I didn’t know what was happening at the time, but I knew that If I was caught snooping around they’d kill me for sure. I tended to my wounds with some herbs, an old trick this alchemist fellow taught me at Stros M’kai. It was rough work but it had to do, grabbed the sword of some dead guard and made my way through the city’s outskirts. I saw two elves walking outside the City Wall, thought I could kill ‘em both and get their money, hell it would be the least they could do to repay me, since they took my city. I went slowly for one guy and slit his throat. I was about to do the same to the other guy, but the other elf couldn’t just die quietly and said something in elf tongue. I stabbed that bastard again, and then I turned to his friend who tried to blast me with some stupid ice spell. The fucker couldn’t hit me even if I stood still, he even made a nice opening for me to stab his face, made sure he was dead too, couldn’t have him crawling back to his friends now. I took a bunch of gold off their bodies, and a journal of some sort, too bad it was in elven but I brought it anyway. I went east along the Gold Road, till I saw a patrol of Imperial Guards. I ran to them asking for help. That was the dumbest mistake I’ve ever made, I forgot I had a sword in hand and blood on my shirt. One guy shot my foot with an arrow, I fell to the ground and then they dragged me back to Kvatch.”

“So you were imprisoned then? How were you set free?”

“Well they sent me to the dungeon; the Interrogator kept asking me who I killed. I told ‘em my story, but he wouldn’t hear me out told me he remembers back when I was a thief. And so I gave them the paper I found on those elves, the bastard looked shocked, and went out the room in a hurry. That’s when it got weird, the Count, he went down to the dungeons ordered I be set free, thanked me for the information I gave, he pardoned me of my old crimes, gave me some gold and a horse and then he let me go, just like that.”

The Documents that Travis Jarrun recovered turned out to be the siege plans for Kvatch. Travis moved to Chorrol where he rented a little hamlet, I met him when he was wandering the Chapel looking at the injured from the war. The Documents became a valuable tool in the defense of Kvatch. The count ordered the troops from Forts Linchal, Wariel, and Hastrel to add to the garrison in Kvatch before the City was besieged. The citizens of Kvatch evacuated the city a day before the Dominion invaded it. Travis Jarrun is a War Hero that will never be heard of. A hero that would prefer a humble life at sea, than fame among nobles. A few days ago Travis left to look for a job as a Sailor in the Illiac Bay, I asked him if I could use his story, he smiled at me and said “Sure, just make sure you change my name.”