Skaal-ti Tailshadow

"I was sent by one of Daric's generals to infiltrate the Setting Suns, because some appear to think they are working with the Emperor, though I haven't found much that points to that. The name is Skaal-ti by the way."

- Skaal-ti introducing himself to Etienne and Caesar

 is an Argonian scout who formally worked for the An-Xileel and then as a mercenary under the employment of Caius Mede, serving Daric Lariat's goal in the Stormcrown Rebellion.

Early Life
He was born in 4E 174 in Argonia. When he was a mere 9 years old, his family got a hostile letter from one of the 'higher ranking' members of a 'higher ranking' family. Skaal-ti didn't know anything about the contents within the letter, only that 2 weeks after they had received it, his family got assassinated while they were asleep. Skaal-ti woke up before the assassination began because he had been thinking about the possible contents within the letter. He snuck out of bed, into the family's archive room, locked the door, and started reading the letter. Shortly before he was finished, his family was already getting assassinated, and when he was done, it was too late. Two days later a traveling merchant took him in, and travelled back to Skyrim, where the merchant was from. A rather excited Argonian couldn't wait to go to the place 'where the snow falls around the year'. Originating from a family centered around the art of sneak, Skaal-ti was a natural when it came to stealth. He also helped out smithers and enchanters alike with their work thanks to his "Uncle." Quite adapted in speechcraft aswell, and could convinsingly bargain with customers if the merchant was feeling a little under the weather. Most of the spare time he had left was used hunting, either shooting them with bows from a distance, or coming up close with a dagger or a sword with help of his sneaking, caught enough prey for him and his "Uncle" for years to come.

In his adulthood he acted as a mercenary and eventually came into the service of Daric Lariat's general Caius Mede. He was ordered to head to Hammerfell to gather intel in the province to help further King Daric's cause.

Character Form

 * Class: Scout
 * Skills: Master Sneak, Expert One-Handed/Archery, Adept Smithing/Speech/Enchanting.
 * Powers: Histskin, The Shadow
 * Equipment: Leather Armor, Glass Sword, Glass Bow and Arrows.

Return of the Septim Dynasty II
In Hammerfell Skaal-ti had infiltrated the city of East Dragonstar and eventually joined a rebel group called the Setting Suns to better gather intel on both the West and East parts of Dragonstar. However as he was an Argonian his progress in the rebel faction was slow, the Redguards didn't trust him. One day a rebel scout spotted two intruders in the Setting Suns base. The gruff looking Redguard rebel leader ordered the men to go with him to intercept the intruders, Skaal-ti when with him. They gathered in a large chamber and awaited to ambush the intruders, when the two of them came into the dark room they were surrounded by the rebels. One of the Suns shot an arrow at the intruders, missing by only millimeters. The intruder that was almost hit shot a lightning bolt at the rebel. The blue light from the bolt momentarily illuminated the room showing the half a dozen rebels and the two intruders. One was a Breton and another was an Imperial. The bolt missed. The man the Imperial almost hit lit a torch and the room partly illuminated. A Suns leader said that the spell was close. He suggested to the duo that they don't move, as half a dozen arrows were pointed at them right now. He asked them why they were there and if they were working for the guards or the council. He also pointed out that they didn't look like locals as he examined them. The Breton said that they used to be sweetroll merchants, but now they're treasure hunters of a sort. The Redguard laughed, saying that it was rich that he tried to pass himself off as a sweetroll merchant. He then looked at the Breton and asked if he took him for a fool, saying that it was obvious that they were sent to find them. Skaal-ti kept his hand on his sword, ready to draw it. The Redguard looked over to the Argonian then back to the strangers. He assume that the duo's silence meant that he was right, and that they were sent to find them. He pointed out that as they could see it wasn't a good choice. The Setting Sun leader then turned to his men and ordered them to subdue them and take them to the hideout, and said to make sure to put a bag over their heads first so they didn't find out the location of their base. Five Suns started to walk towards the intruders with their weapons drawn. The Imperial charged a chain lightning spell and said that it looked like they'd have to fight them all.

Skaal-ti was with the 5 Suns, he started slowly walking towards the Imperial and the Breton. Then suddenly, he stabbed two of the Setting Suns in front of him and shouted For Daric!. He ran over to where the duo were standing and briefly said that he would explain later. The Imperial looked at the him and asked which side he was on. He then cast the chain lightning hitting the two remaining Suns. The Argonian revealed that he was sent by one of Daric's generals to infiltrate the Setting Suns and gather intel in Hammerfell as a whole but that was a while back, before King Daric had taken all of High Rock. Skaal-ti told his name to them and said that he was supposed to keep an eye out in Hammerfell so the Stormcrown Alliance would know if the Legion decided to march north from there. The Imperial introduced the duo to the Argonian, mentioning their names and respective ranks. He told Skaal-ti that they were trying to end the Suns so the local government allied with them. He mentioned that the Suns apparently had an inside man on the guards or something like that, so that was why the Council sent them. He looked around to the four dead Suns and then asked the Argonian if he knew where their base was. Skaal-ti said that he had only been with the Setting Suns and as they were wary of strangers they didn't trust him with the location. But he thought their best hope was to follow any leads they find. The Blade said for them to search around, as they obviously had some sort of base around there somewhere. They split up and started searching. A while later the Argonian called them over. He told them that there was a lever there. When he pulled the lever a small ladder came down from the ceiling. He said he would go check it out. Skaal-ti walked up the ladder and left the duo down there. He then told them that he thought it was up there.

Caesar and Etienne followed Skaal-ti up the ladder. They made it to the base. There was a big cistern and in the center stood the gruff Redguard. He spoke, saying that Skaal-ti really disappointed him because of the betrayal. But he said that it was too bad for them as he knew the Argonian was not one of them from the beginning. Five archers stood behind him and pointed their arrows at the three intruders. The Setting Sun leader said that no one crosses the Suns and lives. Etienne muttered to Caesar that his Chain Lightning would be useful right about now. The Imperial charged the Chain lightning, he said that he wouldn't be able to hit them all, just two. He told the commander and Skaal-ti to get ready. Caesar cast the Chain Lightning spell and it hit two of the archers. The three remaining archers fired onto the three intruders, one of the arrows hit Caesar on his left shoulder. Etienne charged ahead and attacked one of the archers, only after stabbing him did the Breton notice the arrow in his thigh. Caesar cast another Chain Lightning spell at the remaining archers. With his magicka now empty he couldn't heal his shoulder, but he did pull out the arrow. Speaking to the Redguard leader of the Suns he said it's over and to surrender now. The leader replied that they would never surrender, they would be victorious. He said that the west would conquer the east. He then drew his scimitar and yelled. A dozen other Suns appeared from the sides of the cistern and charged at the intruders. Caesar looked around for a better weapon than the dagger he was using, he picked up a scimitar from one of the archers and charged at the Suns. Etienne plunged his dagger into a Setting Sun and took his weapon, decapitating another soon after. He asked the leader if he was sure he didn't want to surrender. The Leader slashed at the Breton, asking if that answered his question. Caesar sliced a Sun. Then three suns ganged up on him so Caesar was forced to stay on the defensive while his magicka recharged. Skaal-ti backed away from the fight and casted his 'The Shadow Stone' power and became invisible. Etienne blocked most of the attack but receives a cut down his forearm. He thought it could've been worse. The leader continued slashing at the commander, he activated his Adrenaline Rush ability and was able to use many power attacks at the Breton. Caesar held his own against the three Suns that surrounded him. His magicka had partly refilled so he cast lightning bolt at one of the suns. Etienne held up his sword to block the attacks from the Redguard. After withstanding many hits, the sword shatters in two. He then charged a Firebolt spell. The Leader kept on fighting the commander.

Caesar switched to the offensive now that he killed one of the three Suns attacking him. He slashed at one of the two and stabbed the other. There were six Suns remaining, two went to help out their boss while the other four charged at the Blade. Caesar blocked the attacks with his sword but he was getting ganged up on an some blows hit him, slicing at his armor. The robe he had been wearing over his armor was now completely ripped and fell off him. The leader was pulled back, and as Skaal-ti appeared behind him the Argonian's blade slid across his throat. Right after he slashed the other two suns helping their boss from behind. He then quickly switched his view to the Suns attacking Caesar. Skaal-ti switched to his bow and shot one arrow after another, killing two of the four, and the third arrow was blocked by a shield. The Sun came charging at him. Caesar stabbed the sun that was still fighting him and then sliced him in the chest. Afterwards he went after the Sun that was charging at Skaal-ti. The Argonian rolled over and let Caesar kill the charging sun. He thanked the Blade afterwards and asked if they should get going. Caesar knelled down next to the dead sun. He pointed out that they had high quality equipment for rebels, so someone had to be financing them. He then got up and said that they should get out of there, saying that they needed to see the Council to tell them they dealt with the Setting Suns. Caesar, Etienne and Skaal-ti made it to the Council Chamber.

When they entered the eldest councilor greeted them and asked if they were successful in completing the task. Etienne said that they did and told the councilors that now they had more reason to attack the monarchy on the west side of Dragonstar. He told them that the Setting Suns were the best financed rebel group he'd ever seen. But not only that, he told them how their leader said "the west will conquer the east". The commander came to the conclusion that the Council's rival had been plotting against them for months, if not years. The elder said that he feared as much. He said that the Suns were too well organized to be just an ordinary rebel group, he figured the King of the West was financing them. The old Redguard then said that now that they were taken care of the Council and East Dragonstar would side with him. He told the commander to expect their guards to aid them in taking the city in their name. Caesar then asked Etienne when should they strike.

Return of the Septim Dynasty III
Skaal-ti suggested that he observe them while hidden. He was born under the sign of the Shadow and was a master of the art of sneaking. He said it might give them a strategic advantage to have eyes on the enemy. Caesar agreed with the plan, telling the Commander that the Argonian could infiltrate West Dragonstar and help them from the inside. Etienne told them to go, but not to get them killed. He then told the Blade and asked how he thought their Redguard friends were doing. The Imperial said he wasn't sure, since last time they heard from them they had lost Taneth and King Cluson had taken over command from his missing cousin. He asked if they should head back to the army camp outside the city. Etienne agreed and the two of them departed from the city. Skaal-ti didn't go with them, instead he headed to Western Dragonstar. Skaal-ti went with stealthily over there. He wondered what would be the best disguise. He knew a guard wouldn't work as there were no Argonian guards in Hammerfell. He guessed a mercenary would be the best, due to his gear. He entered an inn in the west part of the city. As Skaal-ti entered the inn, he was greeted by an Orc welcoming to King's Rest. He asked if he wanted food, a drink or a room. Skaal-ti asked for some bread, an apple and a room. The Orc smiled friendly at the argonian. He said it would be 20 gold for the room and 7 for the food. As Skaal-ti found the gold, the innkeeper had someone make the food. He thanked the Argonian for the room and told him it was just upstairs on the 2nd floor to the left. He would get someone to bring up the food. Skaal-ti thanked him and went upstairs. He took most of his gear and put it in a chest in the room. He hadn't slept for 2 days, so he needed the rest. He fell asleep.

Skaal-ti woke up to the sound of two men entering the inn. He stood up and leaned against his door. They started asking the Orc some questions, they were looking for a suspicious Argonian that entered the inn. The innkeeper told them he didn't let Argonians in the King's Rest, and he asked why the lizard would be suspicious. One of the guards quickly asked if an Argonian entered the inn or not, he told the Orc to reply or they would search the area. The innkeeper told them there was an Argonian there, but he left soon after. He said he just bought some food and left. The other guard said they would be back, the two men then stormed out. There was a knock on his door. The Orc asked him if he was up. Skaal-ti said he was, but asked why. The innkeeper said he needed to know his business in the town, whom he worked for. The Argonian revealed that he was not some sword for hire, but the Orc had to share some his secret first. The Orc told him he was undercover, serving Daric Lariat. He suspected that Skaal-ti heard all the commotion moments ago, and suspected that he worked for the High King too, seeing that the guards wanted to get their hands on him. He asked if he was wrong. Skaal-ti thought long and hard, wondering if he was trustworthy. He asked for proof from the innkeeper. The orc took a document from his pocket and passed it under the door. He said it was good to finally meet someone who fought for the same cause as he did. The Argonian agreed to come out. He took his gear and the document and went downstairs with the Orc. After a few minutes of explaining, Skaal-ti asks for the orc's name. He was told it was Gorum gro-Balg and was asked for his own. Skaal-ti told him his full name, and said he really needed to go. Gorum said they'd meet again. Skaal-ti used one of stealth powers and went outside. After walking for not very long, he saw archers upon the wall, spreading arrows. He thought that the time had come. Skaal-ti quickly made his way up towards the tops of the walls where the archers was standing. He wondered how he would open the gates. He knew he needed to move fast because it seemed that the archers had a tactical advantage. He then turned his attention to finding a lever to open the gate. After some time he found a door which might leave to the lever. It was locked. Skaal-ti decided to take a risk and started climbing at the outer wall. He asked why it couldn't have been water, he hated climbing.

The Breton army had started their assault of West Dragonstar, Skaal-ti hurried as his allies needed to get inside. They were under fire from the city's archers on the battlements and losing soldiers fast. Skaal-ti knew he needed to hurry. The gate would be instrumental to the army. He finally made his way to the gatehouse, but discovered that there were two levers on opposite sides and found out that they needed to be pulled on the exact same time. He cursed his luck. While speculating on how he was going to open the gate, Gorum appeared. Skaal-ti had been pacing back and forth when Gorum showed up. The Argonian was surprised. The Orc said he forgot to mention the two levers, which he knew about. He had come to help. Skaal-ti said to open the gates quick. The two make their way to the two different levers and pulled them on the count of three and the gates opened. The Breton soldiers had used ladders to make it up the wall when the gates were closed, only a few of them had made it up before Skaal-ti and Gorum opened them. Dragonstar guards were organizing and marching towards the open gates to meet the Breton forces. As Skaal-ti and Gorum were about to make their way down, two redguard soldiers appeared in front of them. The Orc readied his shield and shoved them down the wall with a bash. Skaal-ti was impressed with his strength. They made their way over to Caesar, whom had climbed a ladder onto the wall and was fighting with the archers. The Argonian called to him as soon as he spotted the Blade. He ran over and reported the success of his mission, as well as introducing Gorum. The innkeeper greeted the Imperial. Caesar pointed to the remaining archers still on the wall and ordered Skaal-ti to aid him to help him clear them out. He drew his katana and charged at the archers. Commander Etienne's forces were charging at the open gate and into the city, but the Argonian didn't pay much attention to them right now, he focused on helping the Blade. Caesar slashed and sliced at the enemy Archers. Both Gorum and Skaal-ti used their bows to shoot at them. The Imperial lead his men after the last of the archers on the wall.

Afterwards he spotted Etienne and his army fighting in the city. He expressed his relief, since his own men were starting to lose the battle before they got reinforcements. The soldiers on the battlements finished off the last of the archers. Caesar looked down at the city bellow, where the Commander and his men were engaging the enemy guards. Then he looked at the wall and told his subordinates that he had an idea, and for them to follow him. He lead his men through the wall to the opposite side of the city. They killed any guards they found along the way. Caesar and his men got down from the walls, they were now behind the enemy soldiers. The Blade told them they were going to flank them and said for no one to say a word. They approached the guards, who were too busy fighting Etienne's men to notice them. When they were close enough Caesar ordered them to attack and charged at the guards. The Argonian and the Orc remained as archers, firing accurate shots at the enemy. The guards were surrounded, Caesar's men attacking from the back and Etienne's men from the front. The Blade unleashed a fury of slashes, slices, dices, stabs, cuts, chops and bashes at the guards. They cut through the guards. The Dragonstar defenders were at a major disadvantage and were being slaughtered by the Bretons. Etienne decapticated one of the guards. His sword was covered in blood. He told Caesar that they needed to find the monarch. After stabbing a guard then kicked him off his sword, the Blade pointed to the large palace in the middle of the city and told him he must be in the palace. The Commander and two of his soldiers broke off from the battle and started heading towards the palace. Caesar followed him, motioning for Skaal-ti and Gorum to come aswell. They went with him.

The group headed to the Palace. There the Elite guard still protected the King. The Blade asked Etienne what he planned to do to the king. The commander said it depended on what he planned to do to them. The group climbed the stairs up to the entrance of the Palace. The Elite Guards pointed their lances at the intruders. Seeing that they were part of the invading forces they blocked the doors. The captain of the king's guards ordered his men to protect the king. Etienne attempted to persuade the guards to stand down, telling them that their lives were worth more than their duty. He said their king would rather kill his opponents from teh shadows than face them honorably. The guard captain asked for the Breton to elaborate on his comment. Caesar kept his katana ready. Etienne told the guards that their king was funding the group of rebels in East Dragonstar to usurp the council, rather than attack them head on. He said the king did not care how the public thought of him, he only wanted power. He asked if he would you serve a false king who worked from the shadows. The commander told them he wouldn't. The Captain and his men lowered their weapons, for Redguards valued honor just as much as the Nords and the Orcs. He asked for evidence of their king's involvement, or if they were just supposed to believe him. The commander told them that sadly they didn't, but they couldjust watch their king confess when they confronted him. The captain raised his spear again, saying he could not let them do that. By his honor and his oaths to the king, he was sworn to protect his life no matter what. As where his men. The other guards raised their weapons. Caesar said that they had no other choice, they had to fight. He lifted his Shield and crouched, pointing his sword forward and covering his body with his shield. Etienne drew his greatsword. He tried to expose the weak point of the spears. The Elite Guards kept their spears and Halberds pointed at the Bretons. Caesar approached slowly with his shield covering his body. The commander approached slowly. As he got closer, he swung upwards with his sword, attempting to break the spear. He managed to break that guard's spear. The guard moved back and drew his scimitar. Caesar lunged at a guard. He used his shield to push his spear up and then broke it with his katana. Before the guard could back away the Blade kicked him down and then stabbed him in the chest.

Etienne ordered his other troops to replicate his attack. Breaking the spears would give them a huge advantage. Skaal-ti and the Orc switched to their melee weapons, following the commander's example. In close quarters combat Caesar was excellent, he bashed the Redguards and slashed at them. After a while the elite guards were defeated. Etienne and his men went inside the Palace. There was a long hallway with a large set of doors at the end. Caesar deduced that is must be the throne room. The commander ordered them to watch their backs. He slowly made his way towards the large set of doors and opened them. Caesar followed the order and turned around. He watched their six as they approached the doors. Etienne held his greatsword in one hand and pushed the door open with the other. The King was sitting on his throne. His guards move in front of him to protect him from the Bretons. The Blade turned forwards, facing the King and his guards. He asked if they were going to kill him. The Breton thought it best to take him alive, since the council would want him. Caesar nodded and approached the guards, holding up his shield. Etienne with Caesar on one side and Skaal-ti on the other approached the king. He ordered the monarch to surrender and they would bring him no harm. He gave his word. The King said he would not surrender his city, or his throne. He stood up and drew his scimitar. He said that if they wanted it, they needed to come and take it. Caesar bashed one of the guard's spears and broke it then he cast lightning bolt at the guard. Etienne slashed at one of the guards. Skaal-ti shot at another. The King lunged at the Breton Commander. He swung his scimitar at him. The Blade sliced at a guard and stabbed another, while the Argonian killed the first of them with an arrow to the chest. Etienne blocked the attack with his greatsword and took a defensive stance. The King activated his Adrenaline Rush ability and began to power attack the Commander. Caesar slashed another guard in the chest, saving Skaal-ti from his blow. Etienne raises his sword to block the attacks. He received a few cuts, nothing serious except for one across the chest.

The Imperial left the guards for the other soldiers. He went over to help his commander. He bashed at the King, staggering him while Etienne slashed at the king's legs. The King fell over due to the wound. Caesar went over to his commader and asked him if he was alright. The Breton replied that no, since it was a pretty deep cut. He complimented the king's sword, then warned the Blade of an attack from behind him. His voice was shaky as he spoke. Gorum and Skaal-ti continued to fight alongside the soldiers against the remaining guards. Caesar turned around just in time to raise his shield, protecting himself and Etienne. The commander unsheathed his dagger and threw it at a guard. The Imperial got up, thanking the commander for the warning. The Bretons had killed the last of the Redguard guards. He looked at the king who was on the floor in pain, then asked if they should drag the overthrown king to East Dragonstar. The commander nodded and said he would survey what happened outside the palace. Caesar motioned for his men to grab the King. He then followed Etienne outside. Skaal-ti and Gorum when with them, but instead of going back to East Dragonstar they headed to The King's Rest to celebrate their victory, as the Breton Army had defeated the West guards. Gorum hung up a sign that said "free ale for the rest of the evening" outside of his Tavern. The Argonian smiled at the sign and then ordered a round of drinks. Caesar, as well as other soldiers, went to the tavern to have a few drinks. The rest of the soldiers also relaxed for the night after the battle. The Blade sat at a table with Etinne. He ordered a round of drinks for the soldiers and told them of the commander's promotion to general. They all started to cheer and toast. Etienne chuckled and sipped from his glass of mead. He told his men to drink up, since they deserved it. Skaal-ti toasted with some of the men, but mostly kept to his own. Skaal-ti asked Gorum if he had any Argonian Ale. The Orc handed him a cup. The Argonian took a sip from the cup. The inn eventually cleared out as the drunken soldiers tried to make it back to camp. Skaal-ti fell asleep, so Gorum closed the inn and turned in for the night.

Skaal-ti woke up with an empty bottle of argonian ale, though he quickly got up and woke up Gorum. He said for them to get going, shouting outside Gorum's door. He heard some noise from inside and then the Orc said to give him a second. The Argonian waited a little bit and Gorum came out. They went out of the inn and met up with the soldiers at their camp outside of Dragonstar. The Bretons, after getting over their hangovers, left Dragonstar behind. They started their journey to Skaven where they would meet with King Bodean and his men. Skaal-ti and Gorum were marching with the others to Skaven. When they arrived at the outskirts of Skaven, General Etienne began to plan the siege with Bodean. As he waited for that to be over, Skaal-ti observed a nearby lake. At the break of dawn some days later the siege began. The two armies, the Bretons and the Forebears, surrounded the city. Forebear catapults fired on the wall. Etienne ordered the support troops to bring up ladders to climb the walls on. Skaal-ti followed Caesar to the ladders on the east side of the wall. The Blade blocked some arrows with his shield then cast Chain Lightning at the enemy archers. Skaal-ti and Gorum were holding the ladders helping the other soldiers get up. Caesar climbed the ladder that the Argonian was holding. The Forebear catapults had broken through the wall after many volleys of rocks thrown over almost an hour. Caesar made it to the top of the wall, the Argonian and the Orc followed him up. The Blade slashed at the enemy soldiers. One by one they fell before him. Etienne joined up with them in atop the wall. Caesar pointed at a tower nearby and said that it was through there that they would get down onto the streets. Then suddenly an arrow pierced his left shoulder. He yelled and dropped his shield. The Imperial broke the shaft of the arrow off, saying he could handle it. He didn't pick up his shield back up, likely due to his injuries. The general headed to the tower, being careful not to be shot. Gorum handed a healing potion to Caesar. Skaal-ti kept his head down, while Gorum kept his shield up, preparing for possible incoming projectiles. Caesar drank the potion and thanked the Orc, the bleeding seemed to stop. He grabbed his katana with both hands and followed Etienne to the tower, with the Argonian close behind. The Breton opened the door of the tower and entered.

Caesar and the others followed him. He said to head down the stairs to reach the street. From behind the door to the tower appeared a Redguard soldier and he lunged at the General with his Scimitar. He said the Breton wouldn't make it out of there alive. The scimitar hit Etienne's back armor plate, knocking the general over but not doing much else. Caesar stood in between the General and the Redguard as the General got back up. He, however, had a handicap, his hurt shoulder and the fact he usually used a shield. He distracted the Redguard but was unable to injure him. Etienne, slowly and carefully, got up and slashed at the Redguard. He ordered everyone else to push ahead, he'd take care of the Redguard soldier. The Blade called over the group of soldiers that was atop the wall and went down the stairs with them, qhich included Skaal-ti and Gorum. While Gorum remained with the Breton soldiers, the Argonian went off on his own.

Trivia

 * It is implied that Skaal-ti is affraid of heights, which would explain his hate for climbing.