A History of Skyrim's Civil War (Part 2)

Leon Aventius
Imperial Scribe
Castle Dour, Solitude
Hold of Haafingar

I write this from the clammy halls of the castle dour dungeons, as a brutish yet illiterate seeming giant of a man watches me with a vigilant stare. I dare not run, for his arms are like blocks of stone with which he would wring my neck with should I make a slightest movement of my legs.

I'm sure by the time your Excellency receives this letter, the news will have reached Cyrodiill that Solitude has fallen to the rebels. General Xaessar Tullius has been slain, and the High Queen has become a puppet of Ulfric the Usurper. I shall complete my report of the war as I had been originally sent to Skyrim to do, even if the outcome is not the one you had been hoping.

Our favor turned around on us the day we brought Ulfric Stormcloak and some of his men back to Helgen for their execution, on the 17th of Last seed. The Thalmor Ambassador Lady Elenwen rode to The town as soon as she had heard word, and proposed to General Tullius to bring The Kingslayer back to Cyrodiill for a public execution in the Imperial City, yet Tullius rejected her proposal, claiming that patrols of Stormcloaks were advancing towards Helgen and blocking all roads as he spoke.

And thus it was that Ulfric was led to his execution along with the common criminals of the area. However, as we one by one led the rebels to their deaths, the unthinkable happened. Exact reports are conflicting, so I have included the words of the General, as his word is the most truthful. He claims that "The sky turned dark, and the ground shook like one of those earthquakes in the Gold Coast, and a deafening roar echoed through the forest, shaking the leaves off the trees." he then goes on to say that a black monster descended from the skies on thin leathery wings and accompanying it he said that "fire fell from the clouds, which had burned black." That monster was a dragon, from the legends of the ancient Nordstrom and Atmorans. I am sure the denizens of the Imperial province have already received word of the dragon crisis in Skyrim, which had by now most likely spread to Bruma and the Wrothgarian Mountains. The dragon laid waste to Helgen, and the General and Lady Elenwen barely escaped with their lives. It came to be that in the chaos Ulfric Stormcloak and some of his rebels escaped and fled back to Windhelm. Where they would continue their wretched rebellion.

Following this initial dragon attack, attacks and sightings began to pop up all throughout the province, and so heavier garrisons were requested throughout the province. Many of our forces were taken from the war effort and sent to join the garrisons.

The war then started right again, with now the camps being fortified with special defenses to combat the sudden dragon attacks that began to plague the region. We began by swiftly defeating the Stormcloaks that were stationed at the Pale Pass in 30 of Last seed during the Second Battle of Pale Pass. A peasant force stationed themselves along the mountains, attacking from above as a contingent of Imperial soldiers led by Legate Falcius pushed the rebels back through the pass, and unbeknownst to them, a small force of Bruma militia charged into the backs of the Stormcloaks and within minutes the rebels were cut down.

Not even a week after, a dragon attacked one of the watchtowers in Whiterun hold, destroying it and most of its garrison. A force was sent out from Whiterun to reclaim the tower, and reports from the survivors of the battle claim that the "soul" of the dragon was "consumed" by one of the men of the reclaiming force, and it's skin and flesh tore off in a display of colors. They locals claimed this man Dragonborn, the ancient hero of the Nord people, said to have the soul of a Dragon. Attempts were immediately made to contact this man and have him join the cause as he would definitely help us garner the support of the locals. He did, and took the oath.

After this, Legate Rikke proposed to us to reclaim the Jagged Crown, which would help solidify Queen Elisif's legitimacy. A force including Rikke, Tribune Hadvar, and the Dragonborn headed to Jormungund, where the crown was said to be kept. The Stormcloaks met them there and clashed with them, but at the conclusion of the battle, the crown was ours. The Legate and Tribune remained to set up a camp while the dragonborn was sent with an escort to return the crown to Solitude.

We were foolish in allowing the dragonborn in our ranks so quickly. In our haste to win the support of the people, we did not see that the dragonborn had actually been working alongside the Stormcloaks. He murdered the escort and instead gave the crown to Ulfric the kingslayer. With the support of the people, the rebel's numbers swelled to a force enough that Ulfric had the bravery to threaten Jarl Balgruff of Whiterun to join him. The brave Jarl of Whiterun refused, and openly pledged his allegiance to the Empire of Titus Mede II. We immediately sent a large force to support Whiterun and bolster their ranks, and in the meanwhile Ulfric marched his own forces along the White River, the traitor Dragonborn among them. The rebels took the logging town of Riverwood easily, despite our attempts to defend it. They then blocked off the city of Whiterun's supply line from the town, preventing them from building defenses. They used the wood for themselves and then built large blockades along the roads preventing falkreath from reaching whiterun.

The siege then began, on the 20th of Hearthfire, first with a continuous bombardment of flaming wooden crates filled with alcohol, then large boulders until the stone walls of Whiterun had come crashing down and large portions of the city were ablaze. The defense was led by Legate Harvard and Legate Falcius. The main rebel force charged through the front gate, making it easy at first for the legion to fire at them from afar. Large blockades of debris had been stationed to slow down the Stormcloaks significantly, however the dragonborn used the ancient power, a type of Tonal Architecture, that the Nords call Shouting, or the Thuum. He pushed away the blockades and allowed the rebels to storm in and slaughter the men, and then soon break through the gates to take the city. Jarl Balgruff was allowed to live but was exiled to Solitude, and Vignar Gray-Mane, a Stormcloak supporter, was placed as Jarl of Whiterun.

The brute now tells me that I must finish my letter and head back into my cell, and so I will not be able to continue my report. As soon as I am able, I shall finish my report and have it sent to you.