Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5583506-20161225200655/@comment-5583506-20170202053728

"Welcome to Saarthal, Beast Slayers", said the guard as he raised his torch to show them the path. "This way."

Myrdana treaded carefully down the icy steps, shuddering as they began their descent into a thick darkness. Even the Underkeep had more light than this frozen hellhole. Not even the thick cloak she was wearing cold keep the warmth from escaping her. She decided to keep close to Mongo, expecting him to not be as intimidated by the cold as she was.

"Is this the passage to the underworld?" she said jokingly, not expecting a response.

"Close enough", shrugged the guard.



(Sorry for the delay, here is the long post which has been cooking in the oven for quite some time.)

"I've been instructed of everything that ocurred to you on your journey", Trymir began, "and you all have my sympathy. No Beast Slayer should have to suffer through what all of you withstood. Yet you all knew what you signed up for the day you agreed to become one of us."

The old Nord trimmed his thick moustaches. "Now I am hearing some disturbing reports. The Imperial Legion, you say? Could never have imagined that they would still be around... or worse, be the ones responsible for all these centuries of scraping by in order to survive."

Ran stared into the table surface. The weight of knowing just what treachery they had been exposed to still weighed heavily on him.

"The Imperial Legion wants us gone because they believe mankind to be too divided, far beyond redemption and salvation", sighed Trymir. "They want us wiped out and then restart anew from a clean slate. Problem is that they don't seem to be having any second thoughts about letting every man, woman and child with hopes and dreams of their own to be left to the slaughter."

The old Nord grunted. "In a way they are right. We are too divided. Beast Slayers, City-Dwellers, Outsiders... Outsiders preying on other Outsiders... We can barely keep ourselves together as it is. If Beasts doesn't annihilate Mankind, Mankind itself surely will."

"There is one thing banding us all together..." said Ran'Jinro. "One last thing and our last hope. One big gamble. And that is the secret that I have been keeping from you, sir. One secret that could potentially make us stand a chance."

The Khajiit pointed at Evelyne. "I present to you, the First Queen of Mankind, sir."

Trymir smiled at first, as if he believed Ran'Jinro to have completely lost his marbles. Was this some sick joke? Had the Khajiit finally lost it after decades of fighting and suffering? Now when they stared total annihilation and defeat in the face, was this his way of coping with their demise? The big secret he had promised him was... his own student? As a queen?

"Excuse me?" shrugged Trymir, seemingly somewhat amused, but just as perplexed. He was still smiling, expecting the Khajiit to state that he was joking anytime soon, but when he saw Ran's stern expression, he realised that Ran'Jinro was serious. "Excuse me?" he repeated, this time more cravingly.

"Evelyne... is the descendant of the First and the Last King, sir. By his lineage, she would automatically bear the title of Queen. In this case our First Queen."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Evelyne squeezed the hand of Ja'Keil tightly, worried of what this would result in. Trymir did not look happy, but at the same time he did not look angry. He looked... confused. Perhaps a bit awestruck, as if he didn't know what to say or to think at that moment.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"You... Are you sure? Do we have..."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"We have the evidence we need, sir", said Ran. "In the books written by Reman Cridus' ancestors. Research done on the lineage of the First and the Last King. The genealogy. The traits. They all result in Evelyne's existence. She is his trueborn descendant, and that makes her the heir to this fractured world we would call home. A home in which everyone; City-Dweller, Outsider and Beast Slayer alike... are her subjects and subordinates."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Trymir swallowed. "If... if this is true... then... then what do we do?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Ran looked up at the Nord. It was the first time he had heard those words uttered by his own commander. What do we do?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"This is the gamble I was talking about, sir. Mankind is not divided. We have one last thing in common that could make us stand strong against these bastards. Our faith and devotion to the First and the Last King. His heir."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Evelyne felt herself breathe heavier. She felt herself under a ridiculous amount of pressure, she didn't know if she would be able to take. Her heart was beating so hard against her chestbone, she thought for a moment that it would pop out and collapse onto the table surface. Ran smiled at her however, and the smile from her mentor calmed her.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "In our power as Beast Slayers, sir, I would have us coronate Evelyne as our rightful queen. The First Queen Evelyne, ruler of Mankind."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> Trymir looked at the Khajiit for a moment as if he thought that he was mad, but at the same time he realised just what an opportunity they had. An opportunity not just for the survival of everyone, but also hope for a future of everlasting peace between the three divided parties of Mankind. City-Dwellers, Outsiders and Beast Slayers alike all shared the faith of believing in the First and the Last King, but they had never shared his ideals of a world united. That had been their major flaw. But now they held his descendant, a woman who could just utter the words of the late king and remind Mankind of what they had forgotten: how to co-exist in peace. How to work together and resist any attempts to destroy them. This was too good to be true. For centuries there had been talk of the return of a descendant, but Trymir could have never expected in his wildest dreams that it would happen in his lifetime, if at all.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "But..." mumbled the old Nord, a drop of sweat falling from his moustaches. "This... this is all too sudden. How could we...? I mean... Would it be acceptable? Would the City-Dwellers and the Outsiders just... shake hand and that it be it? Just because... Evelyne... is now..." Trymir began to stumble on his words. "How would we...?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "As Beast Slayers", filled Falana in. "We have defended Mankind since the days of the First and the Last King. Hell, he founded our faction from the very beginning with the purpose to defend Mankind against the growing threat of these monsters! Beast and Imperial Legion scum alike! If the word is spread that the Beast Slayers have found and coronated the descendant of the First and the Last King, they have no choice but to accept it as the truth."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> Trymir nodded and began to smile nervously. "Y-yes!" he said. "This... this... this could actually work..." A tear began to fill his eye, which he quickly wiped away. He was restraining himself from showing his own excitement as all the pieces began to fall into position. "We shall coronate Evelyne as queen. Outsiders and City-Dwellers alike will know our words to be true and righteous. If... if we... sorry..." He nodded to Evelyne. "... if Evelyne gives the order... we could make them work together. Whether they loathe each other or not, they have no choice but to heed the word of their rightful ruler who has finally returned to save them all."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> Ran nodded with a smirk. "All is not done yet however. We need to rely on that City-Dwellers and Outsiders alike will co-operate. You could say that this is all a great gamble... with their faith. But from my experiences, the belief that someday the descendant would finally return has never truly dwindled, so our odds to pull this through are greater than our odds at fighting the Beasts and the Legion by ourselves."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> Trymir rose up from his chair, walking around and rubbing his cheek. "I... I will issue these news immediately. All of Fort Slayer must know... We... We finally have a monarch again. A queen nonetheless. The First Queen... may she not be the last."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> The Nord clapped with his hands together eagerly, quickly giving a short nod to the entire group. "This council meeting is over", he said. "Do not lose hope, Beast Slayers. It has just been rekindled."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> With that the old Nord walked out of the chamber, appearing to be happier than Ran had ever seen him before.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "You people sure knows how to speak", shrugged Swift. He then gazed over at Evelyne. "Queen, huh? So... I guess I can't call you Evelyne... or Eve any longer?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "I..." Evelyne fell silent, swallowing hard. She didn't know what to say. She felt so isolated, despite being surrounded by friends. The pressure of not knowing what her new position would result in felt so utterly crushing she might as well have been trapped between two icebergs.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "Now... now", chirped Beatrix. "Don't be like that, Swift. Eve is our friend. Better yet, she is now our ruler. Though I personally wouldn't want to bow and scrape to someone I have always considered as a little sister, I would be perfectly fine with making an exception for Eve."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "You don't have to... I..." Evelyne squeezed Ja'Keil's hand harder which Ran seemed to take notice of.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "Eve", he said calmingly. "I understand... It's... it's definitely a lot to take in now. It isn't the least fair to put this sort of responsibility on you. But... Mankind is in danger. The Legion was right. We are divided and weak. But with you as our common denominator, our morning star, we could prove them wrong. Bring peace to all Mankind. Make us stand together and fight these threats and maybe..." He struggled to find the words. "... maybe there could finally be a future for us all."

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> Evelyne looked around at all the faces in the room. Normally she was used to that Ran would be in this position in which he asked for opinions on what their next move would be. Never had she imagined such responsibility to fall onto her. She had been but an apprentice, not even a year ago. Trymir had deemed her unworthy of becoming a full mentor ever since he learned of her previous missteps.

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> She looked at her own wrist. The scars from the blade she had tried to use were still there, but had begun to fade. Were they always that healed? Or had the blade merely scraped her skin?

<p style="font-weight:normal;"> "Please", she said, feeling close to tears. "I do not know what to do. All of you... please... Tell me what to do. And please... help me do so..."