Admissions of a Tharn

By Armina Tharn, advisor to Provincial Governor Fortunata ap Dugal of Anvil

Let me tell you a little secret about what life is like in the Tharn family, it's unbearable. It's unbearable for all of us. For all of us except for Chancellor Abnur and his favourite daughter Clivia (I doubt that he even knows who her mother is). When you are 164 years old, is the Grand-Chancellor of the Elder Council, has millions of Drakes in your personal treasury, has had twenty-three wives and hundreds of concubines and lovers aswell as has sixteen children who you admit to having (but having many more which you don't) life can't be all too hard. It's the same when you are the Empress-Regent of the Cyrodiilic Empire and has the aforementioned individual as "loving" father. Clivia gets whatever she wants, she just has to ask for it. I wonder where she's gone to, after the taking of the Imperial City I have not heard a word of her. I'd imagne that she is taking a vacation on some ship in Topal Bay, or in some Hammerfell mansion. Maybe living with the relatives of Euraxia in Elsweyr. Wherever she is I am absolutely convinced that she lives a life as luxurious as she did in the Imperial city, reciving hundreds of Drakes from her father every day. She probably hasn't even though of all those who died and had their souls ripped from their bodies in the taking of the City.

Actually, I don't know where Abnur has gone to either. But considering what a coward he is I assume that the bowed down before Molag Bal and Mannimarco immediately when they took control of the Empire. He's probably counting Soul Gems for the God of Schemes right now. He hasn't been in contact with most of his other children in years, and a few moths ago he called his second-to-youngest daughter Septima "grand-niece". Septima didn't even try to correct him, but I hear that my cousin Magna saw her fist clenching around her staff when he said it. It would seem that she is letting that anger out on the innocent citizens of Bangkorai, not that I pity them. To be honest I'm unsure if Abnur is still aware of my existence. He hasn't contacted me for eleven years, and hasn't spoken to me for tewenty years. That was when I was seventeen years old, and he made a suggestion of a "fitting consort" for me. I did argue with him quite fiercely then. Come to think of it, that might be why he hasn't spoken to me since, and seemingly hasn't wanted to contact me at all. I did call him some rather foul things then, but that is irrelevant. I don't miss him or his gold.

The whole family is also completely corrupt, but that is a fact that has been well documented elsewhere. I made the right choice in leaving that cursed family behind. After my mother died there was no one who cared about me left in it, not even my own siblings. Joining the Red Sails was the best decision I've made. Being the advisor to Governor Fortunata is not the perfect job, but it is millions of times more fun than sitting around all days with piles of gold and nothing to spend them on. Ten years ago I never could have imagined that a life outside of the family could be so much more fun. I am a little grateful to my family though, if they hadn't been so terrible I probably wouldn't have left them behind and discovered this exciting new life. Javad still tries to bring me back though, despite me having declined many times. He wants me to join his Legion in Reaper's March. There is no chance that I would though. I only look forward to seeing him get defeated and killed. That man has always disgusted me. To think that he could be the brother of Magna, who is always so nice to me (although perhaps not to those who do not support the continued existence of the Empire). I will have to visit her sometime soon. Only her though, the rest of the family can cast themselves off the White-Gold Tower for all I care.