Hammerfell

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

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.

Accounts from Hammerfell

Stros M’Kai

Avik Ellasar

Avik was the Helmsman to the Red Pearl, a cargo ship belonging to the East Empire Company. Avik lived in Stros M’Kai ever since his Father left him there 20 years ago. He once led a life of piracy before being caught by the Imperial Guard, and has turned his life around ever since. Hitherto Avik has never found a reason to lift a blade, but not all things stay constant forever.

“It was the 8^th of Sun’s Dusk when it happened. We were sailing along with two other ships, our job was to deliver food and supplies from Anvil to Stros M’Kai. It was a fair day, the wind was good and the crew was happy, sometime around evening we spotted a large group of Altmeri ships to the south of where we were. We didn’t pay much attention to them, we thought they were just merchant ships, but when they got closer we started to make out that they were anything but merchant ships. Their hulls were enforced and they had enough artillery to sink Thras twice over. At that point our Captain, Captain Akkad, told us to go full sail and double time towards Stros M’kai. The other ships didn’t pay much attention to them and continued on at half sail. The Altmeri Ships started firing mage-fire and artillery right at us. At that time we thought they were a large group of pirates, we never even heard of the war or the ultimatum yet, we were confused. One of the ships we were with caught on fire and sunk, we didn’t have time to stop for survivors so we just kept going. The Altmeri Ships continued their chase, they eventually caught up with the other ship we were with, and sunk them too. It was just us now, luckily we led them on for so long that we could already see Stros M’Kai. While we were approaching the docks we could see soldiers rallying people inside the city walls, and artillery was being fired from the city’s defences, it was an all-out war.”

“How did you escape the City then?”

“It wasn’t easy, the Altmeri Ships had already landed on the shores and they were starting to unload their men to start their invasion by land. They started blasting the city’s southern walls, and we all knew they wouldn’t hold for much longer. Then suddenly this Imperial soldier came running towards us, he told us the General ordered that all ships in port should circle round to the northern shores of the island, and start boarding evacuees and to try to save as many as possible. Captain Akkad agreed and then ordered us all to raise sail and sail north. When we got to the northern shores of the Island, we could see the people who escaped the city, it was dark that night but we saw how many they were from the torches they were carrying. The people started boarding our ship, and then all of a sudden a ship rammed us from starboard. It was corsairs, they boarded our ship and started to slaughter everyone refugee and sailor alike. I recognized that ship; it was the same one I used to sail in during my days as a Pirate. Then I saw my old Captain Harris jump onto our deck, he was leading his men to sack all the ships that were trying to help the refugees. I knew he had to be stopped. I ran through the fight, and made sure I got to stab him in his back while he was fighting one of our sailors. The rest of his men saw this but were reluctant to leave, we continued fighting on the deck of our ship, and so did Stros M’Kai. After a while the battle against the pirates ended, but the city was still under siege and refugees were still coming. Our ship was already battered and could sink any minute so we decided to leave, and sail for Hegathe.”

Avik Allasar, sailed his men to the port city of Hegathe, aling with a few refugees that were onboard their ship. Stros M’Kai, held on for days but thanks to the plan of the General to use cargo ships to evacuate the island not many of its citizens died. Avik’s Captain died of his wounds on their way to Hegathe, Avik was then voted by the crew to be the Captain. After Avik and his crew landed in Hegathe, him and his ship was conscripted into the navy and did not survive the city’s siege. May the Divines bless his soul.

Roseguard

Ancola Lixus

Ancola was the wife of the blacksmith at Roseguard, and mother to an Imperial Soldier that was stationed in the villages’ fort. The small village she grew up in was nothing more than farmland, surrounding Fort Roseguard. She and her husband was somewhat the pillar of the community, being that they were the only ones that the Imperial Legate would listen to whenever the community had a problem. Except during war, the roles in society always change.

“The day the invasion started half the fort’s soldiers were already called to add to the garrison at Rihad, and the village was left vulnerable. I was just happy that I could still see my son, he had become a Prefect at the fort, and led the villages’ garrison in absence of the Legate. My husband was always so proud of his son; he’d usually boast of his achievements in the local inn and drink till he passed out. That evening he was delivered to our house by his friends drunk as always I told him. He paid no mind to me and just laid down on the bed. After an hour or so I heard knocking at our door, I told my husband to wake up and answer it but he was too drunk to even talk. So I opened the door and to my surprise, it was my son! He was sweating all over and gasping for air, I gave him some water but he shoved it away, he just said that we should hide in our basement and that everything is gonna be alright. He woke up his father and escorted him to the basement along with me. He told us to lock the doors and ran back to the fort.”

“And I’m guessing that was when the invasion started?”

“Sadly it was. We heard screams, and fighting from above and my husband grew restless. He said he wanted to go up there and fight alongside his friends. I told him to stay put but he wouldn’t listen to me. Then silence just gripped the air, for a while we thought the battle was over my husband wanted to go out and check but I told him to stay in the basement while I went upstairs. As I got near our door someone knocked on the door and screamed to us, he said “By Order of the Aldmeri Dominion, Open this door immediately!” Before I could react my husband pushed me aside, and approached the door. He had a war axe in hand and kicked the door open, I watched him as he bashed the head of an elf with it, but he didn’t notice the mage that was next to him… I watched him as he…”

“It’s okay, tell me what happened”

“He was burned to death and that elf just laughed at him while my husband screamed and begged for his life. Then they grabbed me and took me to the fort along with the rest of our neighbours. When we got to the fort they herded the rest of the villagers, and I saw the Imperial Garrison in a line headed for the gallows. I saw my son, he was beaten and his hands were bound, he looked at me straight in my eyes, and he probably realized his father wasn’t with me. I’m pretty sure he was in shock cause I saw a tear run down his eye, then all of a sudden he and his men started to fight with the elves, the towns people joined in the rumble and it was chaotic everywhere. His hands were bound but he got to take some of them out either way. But what did end his life was an arrow to the chest. Then when his men saw he had fallen, the fighting stopped just as fast as it started. The elves continued to hang the soldiers in the gallows, and the rest of us were thrown into the dungeons, and we were kept there till the end of the war.”

Ancola Lixus, left Roseguard after the war and has moved to Sentinel where her brother resides. The memory of her son’s bravery in defending Roseguard was remembered by all who survived the fight for the city. She should be proud of her family; after all they have been titled the defenders of Roseguard, even in death.