Cyrodiil, pt. II

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.

Kvatch

Viniel Korchav

Viniel was a cotton farmer who resided in Kvatch along with his wife and son. He lived a rather normal life before the war, the life of a common man. He never wanted a life in battle but little did he know that the battle would find him. Before the Siege half the City was evacuated and the capable men were conscripted to add to the City garrison along with soldiers from the surrounding forts. Viniel was one of the men conscripted.

“I never thought I would be called to fight for the city, my family left because I thought they would be safer away from the city. Me and my friend, Amiel, were given a spear, and a short sword. We were told to return home for the night and to go to the City Wall when the invasion came. I was barely sleeping that night, I knew they would come that night I could feel it. The horn was sounded; we came out of our homes, and went to the city wall. I could see the whole bloody Dominion, it was dark that night aye. But their torches were lit, they’re arrows were burning, and so were their magics. I watched as the enemy charged up the mountain path like stampeding horses. Then I saw this massive cat giant thing running up the hill with a battering ram in hand. In hand. The bloody bastard was holding a huge battering ram with a hand. We were told to stock up and use our body weight to hold the gates. There must have been 15 of us there, I can’t remember. That didn’t do much; the bloody cat giant broke through the gate anyway, sent me about 12 feet away from the gate. The thing killed a good amount of my friends too. Then It was heading towards me I held up my spear and closed my eyes. Then I saw Amiel stab the thing in the back with a Scythe. It fell on its knees and I then I stabbed it in its neck. Little did I notice an elf was behind me, stabbed me in my shoulder before I even noticed. I tackled him to the ground and gave him a pounding to the face for what he did. We kept fighting for a while think I killed another cat man but he wasn’t as big. Amiel probably killed more than me, he always was good with a sword never told me why. Then later the Captain of the watch said the enemy has routed. I’ve never thought I’d be happy that people would run away from me, but here I was cheering along with the rest.”

“So you won the first wave then, but didn’t the Dominion take the City eventually? How’d you survive that?”

“I didn’t. After the battle Amiel heard tale that the Dominion would strike again at twilight. He suggested we leave before they did. The City wall would fall any minute, half the army was wounded, and we had a shortage of arrows, and not to forget the Walls began to crumble. We left the city before they even noticed. We ran North towards Chorrol. While on our way we were attacked by a wolf. The thing almost bit my foot off, but Amiel killed it. I must have screamed really loud, about a dozen of the Dominion’s soldiers came running towards us. Amiel told me to run he said he would hold them off while I did. I asked him why he would sacrifice his life for me. He didn’t mind me and just pushed me away and told me to run. I didn’t look back till I got to Chorrol. I can still hear Amiel’s screams, how he insulted the elves with his dying breath. Then when I got to Chorrol I asked for a healer and was sent to you.”

Viniel Korchav returned to Kvatch after the war. His family has yet to be heard from, till this day he waits for them to return. Where some men would turn to vices, Viniel turned to faith. He prays to the Divines that they return home safely.

Skingrad

Finn Bellamont

Finn was a Breton Merchant who travelled all across Tamriel along with his brother, Pelle. Back in Wayrest, Finn was a known restoration mage, he would usually be seen in the Temple lending help in any way he could. While Pelle was a philanthropist, he would help the poor with his donations and even put their needs above his. The generosity of the two Brothers would help dozens of strangers during the siege but the Divines aren’t this generous to their sons.

“I was trading with the local merchants; showing them the wares I had in my wagon, trying to strike a deal like any good trader. Then all of a sudden my brother comes running to me and he looked exhausted. I asked him what happened, he told me that we must head to the Castle immediately. He wouldn’t tell me why just told me too. Since the castle was on a hill outside the city we had to go out through the City gate. When we did go out I think I found out why he was running. To the south of the city was a huge army firing siege weapons at the city walls. Pelle told me to move faster, but I couldn’t leave our wagon alone, so we whipped our horses so they would move faster. As we were going up the hill, the city guard were coming down from the castle headed towards the city, while the citizens were running from the city towards the castle. When we finally reached the castle the place was crowded with evacuees. Me and my Pelle settled our wagon in the castle courtyard. The guards shut the gates closed even if some people were still outside. We would hear them screaming for an hour till the screaming stopped. All throughout the day the sound of death, and destruction could be heard. We would hear news that the city walls were breached, and other times we would hear everything was okay. That night everything went quiet, but for some reason, the silence only made us more uneasy. Not everyone in the castle had food to eat, so we had to share what we had with the rest. It was like that for two days if I’m not mistaken.”

“Two days of silence? Why didn’t you take that opportunity to leave?”

“We wanted to, but the Dominion encircled the city. They weren’t besieging us. They were waiting for us to surrender; they wanted us to starve to death instead of fight. But I guess that all changed in the third night. That night we heard news that the Empire sent a legion to break the enemy’s line. They said we would have a short window of opportunity to run away. Me and Pelle we took our horses and followed the messenger along with a few others. As I looked to the Dominion’s position you could see their camps to the east of town. There were probably hundreds of them, just waiting for a chance to attack. We stopped outside the City gates, we met up with the Captain of the City Guard he said that we should wait for his signal before we make a run for it. We only waited for a few minutes for the Legion to come, but to me it felt like hours. I felt vulnerable there outside the city wall, with only a handful of soldiers to protect us. When the Legion finally came, fighting erupted to the east of the City. The Captain told us to run for it, and so we did. As we ran so did the City Guard they ran into the fray on a desperate counter attack, hoping that this could break the enemy’s morale. I made it through the fight without so much as a scratch, but when I looked back I couldn’t see Pelle. I waited for a while to see if he would emerge from the carnage. When I couldn’t wait anymore I went back into the battlefield. There I saw him, a tree fell on his horse and his legs were crushed. He screamed for my help, I tried to run towards him. I tried to save him but I couldn’t. I wasn’t… I wasn’t strong enough to save my little brother. He told me to leave him there, he said that we can’t run a business with two dead men. Even in his last moments he could make me smile. As I went back to my horse I saw an Elf approach him, and that was it…”

The Counter-attack made by the City Guard proved of little effect. The City became vulnerable from the west and fell the day after. Finn Bellamont left Cyrodiil and returned to High Rock. He goes back to Skingrad every year to make offeings at the Chapel there. He continues to run his family business alone, though he hasn’t changed the name of it yet. The Brothers Bellamont Trade and Wares.

The Imperial City

Legate Gaius Averius

Gaius was the son of a Synod Councilor, a noble by birth and a soldier in life. He grew up learning how to fight at an early age, his father would teach him well in the school of destruction hoping he too would join the Synod. Instead Gaius joined the Imperial Legion, and his father considered him a failure before he died. Despite this Gaius married and had a daughter, he eventually rose in the Legions ranks and now he leads the Eighth Legion, the Legion assigned to guard the Imperial City.

“It was the 11th of Second Seed, the Aldmeri forces led by Naarifin were surrounding the City. The Emperor told us of his plan to break through the City walls, with a handful of his best men. Along with his personal guard, he picked men from the Eighth Legion to ride with him the next day. I was among those he chose, I was honoured to say the least. Though I also felt grief, this meant that I was to leave my Wife and child just for the Honour of fighting alongside the Emperor. But it was my duty, I swore an oath as a Legionnaire, but what of my oath to my family? Was I not supposed to protect them? In the end I decided to follow orders. I said goodbye to my wife and to my daughter. I told them to hide in the basement and to lock all the doors and bar the windows. My Daughter, Laura she asked me where I was going, I told her “Don’t worry Laura, daddy will be home in no time, I always return right?” That’s what I always tell her when I go campaigning. It always used to make her smile, but this time it was different. The happiness in her eyes disappeared, and it was replaced by sorrow and agony. I’ll never forget that night I said goodbye. The next morning we were awoken by the Emperor himself, he said it was time for us to go. To ride for honour! He said, I hope that it was honour that drove me to ride with him. We charged through the city, hacking away at the Aldmeri forces that were within reach. On our way out I saw my home, there was fighting outside, but all the windows were boarded and the doors were closed just as I told them to do. With this I was assured that they were safe, so I spurred my horse and I smashed through the Enemy lines along with the Emperor and his guards.”

“Where did you go from there? How long was it before you returned to the city?”

“We went North, we joined with General Jonna’s army who just came from Skyrim. The Nords were good folk, made friends with some of them, one of them stood out among the rest. Ulfric Stormcloak I think his name was, a born leader that one, he says he’s the son of a Jarl, whatever that is. We regrouped for months before we retook the City, and all I could think of at the time was my Daughter. How could a little girl and her mother survive this long? It drove me mad that I couldn’t do anything to help her in whatever situation she was in now. It was winter when we finally made a move to take the city. General Jonna assigned me to lead a battalion of 550 men to march south in attempt to flank the Aldmeri Forces of Lord Naarifin.”

“What happened during the battle then? How did you retake the city?”

“Like I said earlier, I led my men south along Red Ring Road, we were met with resistance but nothing a few legionnaires couldn’t handle. We took our positions rather fast the others took two days before they could get to theirs. We held our position for two days I couldn’t remember how many mer I killed at that time, It didn’t matter to me all I wanted to do was get back into the city. After the second day we received orders to march into the city at noon. That was the moment I was waiting for all along.”

“So what do you remember during that siege?”

“I remember everything, I led my men to charge the city, we grouped up at the bridge. We continued fighting till we got to the city. There I met with the Emperor, he asked me the status of the battle, and I told him we could retake the city at sundown at this rate. He smiled then rode on. I saw Lord Naarifin himself trying to ride out of the city by going through the Temple district and out the waterfront. I threw my spear and it hit the back of his horse, and then he fell afterwards. As I was running towards him the Emperor arrived and subdued Naarifin himself. Claiming the glory for capturing an injured old man, he could have him for all I care. Not long after the city was retaken and the Emperor announced victory while he had Naarifin on a leash, they hung the old man from the top of the White-Gold tower, but I wasn’t there for the festivities. I went back to my house to see what had happened and…”

“What happened then? Did you find your family?”

“The windows were broken, the door was gone, I entered the building and I saw my wife’s rotting corpse on the floor before me. Those Bastards left her there to rot, at that moment I lost it I went on a rage and broke everything that wasn’t nailed to the floor. The day after I gave her a proper burial and asked a priest of Arkay to bless the grave.”

“And what of your daughter?”

“I couldn’t find her, I looked through the bodies of everyone who was dead in the streets and in the houses, but I couldn’t find my own daughter… I failed my little girl… I didn’t return when she needed me most.”

“So what’ll you do now?”

“I’m off to Hammerfell, I heard they’re still fighting the Dominion there. I’d take on all of those Long eared bastards myself If I could. If you want to follow me soldier then you will be welcome, if not then I have no need of you.”

I followed my Legate, Gaius Averius. We went to Hammerfell lending aid against the Dominion in any way that we can. I wasn’t in the Imperial City the day it was invaded, no I was at Chorrol healing the wounded men of General Decianus. But Gaius he’s a troubled man. He thinks that by fighting his troubles will disappear. He lost all that he has and even If I want to return home, I can’t. He needs someone now more than ever, we trained together in the Imperial army and I’ve known him for years. He may act like he isn’t affected by what happened, but deep inside all I see is a broken man who blames himself for crimes he did not commit.