A Note found at Fort _________

29 Frostfall, 201 4E

Dorik and Falki returned last night. They couldn’t negotiate our freedom, and they asked for death. I did the job myself.

After the blood had dried on my blade, we held a short vote. The Imperials are planning to storm the castle that very night, we knew it. They’d try and take as many of us alive as they could, probably to hand us over to the Thalmor. I could hear them preparing the chains and whips outside.

When the votes were counted, it was pretty easy knowing what to do. Every single man and woman voted against surrender. We were gonna fight and die to the last.

Deep in the dungeon and behind the quartermaster’s chest, there’s a cavern. The last garrison had been digging some sort of emergency tunnel, but it was never completed. There’s no exit, but it's a wide area and perfect for our last stand. When the Imperials breach the gate, I’ll give the signal, and every single one of us will die.

Children, and some of the older folk will have to be killed first. Once that’s done, we’ll fall upon one another. A real free-for-all, every man cutting down every other. I’m already looking at my men — Young Snorri, from Upper Yorgrim. Ysa Lonely-Bow, who I know is a bit shy on me. The cook, whose name I never knew, but who kept us alive and even happy during this long and bitter siege.

Will I be the one to kill them? Will any of them be the one to end my father’s line?

But don’t think we did this out of desperation! I couldn’t give a skeever’s ass about Imperials and Thalmor. I know we could escape any kind of bondage. But I could never be unfaithful to my liberty like that.

The love of freedom is what will guide our blades.

When Ulfric killed the Could-Have-Been-King Torygg in full view of the entire Empire, it started a fire deep in my heart. When I ran through the woods and slew Thalmor by the dozens, I did it as a free man. When I came to this castle to break this siege, I did it freely. I even failed freely.

Do you know what it’s like to wake up in the morning, breathe cold Kyne’s breath and know that you’re free?

And they’ll sing songs about those Imperials who fell to take this fort, and those Nords who chose freedom over chains. Imperials love a good story, and Nords twice as much. Tamriel will know of Hjeimdal, whose stalwart defenders could only be slain by one another’s blade.

In full view of Shor and Kyne and Sovngarde, I give you this message^note. Use it to remind you of our liberty, and guide you there.

NU-MANTIA!! DEATH!! NU-MANTIA!! DEATH!!

Note: This reproduction of the message found at Hjeimdal was sent to an expert in Whiterun for translation and analysis. High Hrothgar continues to refuse its involvement, but Hjeimdal may have made that neutrality impossible. Luckily, we are currently await a response from Farengar Secret-Fire, although he is being unusually slow.

Two things must be made clear to Farengar. First, there were no bodies discovered at Hjeimdal whatsoever. Spies within the Imperial units responsible for the castle's capture made it clear to me that there is no way the castle's defenders could have escaped.

Secondly, the final words in this note ("Nu-mantia" and "Death") were almost certainly added after the rest of the missive was composed. Its writing does not match the rest of the note, and was written in blood, rather than ink. The jury is still out on whether it was the same blood found on the wall-inscription.