User blog:ReDquinox/By Shield And By Faith - Prologue

''So this is the beginning of a story I'm working on. It's set around 4E 270, and takes place in the Legend of Nirn canon. It doesn't directly hold any relation to any of the canon's content, though, so everyone should be able to understand it even if they're not familiar with LoN. This is my first serious attempt at writing a proper story, so please, by all means let me know what you think in the comment section!''

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The towering building looked somewhat out of place in the city of Kragenmoor. It was, indeed, towering, its dark grey stone masonry reaching up far higher into the sky than it was wide, dominating all the other buildings in the vicinity. Shining golden rooftops decorated the top of the octagonal structure, which culminated in a number of large bartisans surrounding the apse, far above the ground. Down below in the streets of Upper Kragenmoor, access to the massive tower could be found through a small courtyard hidden behind a wall with a currently open gate, guarded on both sides by a pair of intimidating sentries wearing golden face masks and armour and flowing blue garments, their spears resting against their shoulders and their shields resting with their bottom on the ground but always ready to be used in an instant if need be.

This was the Tower of Ordination, built to house the solemn order of the Ordinators after the catastrophic destruction of Vivec City in the Red Year over two centuries ago. Though the living gods they had served, the divine Tribunal, had died, and their worship as deities had long since ended, the Tribunal Temple had not vanished; it had been reorganised into the so-called New Temple, which combined the old pre-Tribunal ancestor and Daedra worship with sainthood for the Tribunal. Thanks to this reorganisation rather than deconstruction, the Ordinators were able to continue to exist, operating from this impressive tower.

Keeping in mind the Ordinators’ reputation for being solemn, stern warrior-priests of renowned combat prowess, perhaps one might say that the young Dunmer woman standing in front of the Tower’s gate, with her unimpressive stature and long, flowing black hair, looked as out of place next to those proud warriors with their large stylised golden mohawks as that huge tower did next to all those smaller, older buildings. But she was not here by mistake. No, she had come here with an express purpose in mind.

She was going to go in there and join the order. She was going to become an Ordinator.

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

It was not the first time, not in the slightest, that Sarlyn Releth had said that recently. Not that anyone could blame him for doing so. The aging Temple priest simply cared too much for his daughter to be able to just let her go off on her own, even if he knew that in the end, it was an inevitability; he owed it to himself to at least keep trying.

Vyrine merely let out a sigh and smiled at her father, whom she looked so similar to yet differed from so greatly. It was also not the first time that she had done that; she did so nearly every time he brought this up.

“No, father,” she said, after which she paused for a moment to work some ash yam stew into her mouth. “You can’t. I’ve made my decision and I’m going to stand by it.”

“I just… I don’t understand what you find so appealing about it,” her father sighed. “Why not join a more peaceful arm of the temple, like the priesthood? Or if you must indulge yourself in violence, perhaps the Buoyant Armigers?” He glanced down at the dinner table. “They aren’t loyal to Indoril, but at least they’re more… lighthearted.”

“They’re also second-rate,” Vyrine replied. “The Ordinators are the real thing, father. You of all people should know that. You’re a priest, for Vivec’s sake.”

“Could we please stop having this discussion under dinner?” Her mother sighed. “You two will ruin my appetite for stew at this rate.”

“I know, dear, sorry,” father nodded, digging back into his stew in silence for a moment.

“You’ll make a great Ordinator, honey, don’t you worry about your father,” mother smiled, taking Vyrine’s hand and giving it a squeeze. Vyrine smiled back at her mother. The two of them hardly looked alike, and one could’ve sworn they were completely unrelated had it not been for their nearly identical eyes, which always glistened with excitement and determination.

“Thanks, mother,” Vyrine uttered, in between chews.

“I just don’t want to see you-” father begun again, but he was promptly cut off by his wife.

“Sarlyn,” mother warned, shooting a reprimanding glance his way.

“Right, right, I’ll stop now, Fevila,” father said, raising his hands in surrender. “Vyrine, you know that I’m proud of you regardless of your decision to join the Ordinators.”

Vyrine smiled faintly and glanced down. “I do, father… Thank you.”

“Even if I think you would do really well as a priest- ow, okay, okay, I get it!” Father exclaimed as mother batted him over the head with a spoon.

Vyrine stepped past the two sentries flanking the entrance, passing under the small portcullis into the courtyard. There was little to see in here, save for a small bronze statue of Lord Indoril Nerevar, Moon-and-Star, the Hortator of the Chimer during the First Era. The artwork, placed on a marble pedestal, was situated in the centre of the square courtyard, facing the entrance from the street. Vyrine observed it for a moment, inspecting the fine craftsmanship, but then decided not to pay it any further attention and stepped past it. She wasn’t here to look at art. She shouldn’t start stalling now of all times.

Beyond the statue, the large double doors that led into the Tower awaited, stately and majestic. Vyrine took a deep breath, gathered all of her courage, and gave the doors a mighty push.

She was met by a large entrance hall, which was truly awe-inspiring. Large, intricately woven tapestries on the walls depicting famous Ordinators and ancient Dunmer saints were illuminated by narrow windows set high in the walls. Further to the back of the hall, in the centre of the Tower’s octagonal base, a wide spiral staircase went up and disappeared into the ceiling. Currently, the hall appeared to be empty; all the Tower’s inhabitants must have been elsewhere at the moment.

Vyrine felt a bit small and puny, scampering around in this huge, impressive hall. But she felt even smaller next to the Ordinator that was stood next to her when she turned around. She gasped in surprise at his unexpected appearance, which she immediately felt a bit stupid about. What a great first impression she made there.

The Ordinator in question was a mountain of a man, well over six feet tall and with a physique like a bull. His sharp, hawkish nose and piercing eyes were offset by a large, square jaw, and his head was completely bald. Next to him, Vyrene was quite tiny.

“The Tower is off-limits for visitors, girl,” ‘Bull’ informed her, his voice surprisingly smooth. “If you do not have business here, I’ll have to demand that you leave.”

“O-oh, I’m not, uh…” Vyrine stammered, before stopping herself, composing herself, and gathering her wits. “I’m not visiting. I have come here to join the Ordinators.”

‘Bull’ looked her up and down, making no effort to hide that he was sizing her up.

“You aren’t making a joke, are you?” He said, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t appreciate such pranks.”

“I’m not!” Vyrine exclaimed, a little too loudly. She stopped herself and lowered her volume. “I was raised by a priest. I’ve spent years preparing myself for this. I’m serious!”

‘Bull’ was silent for a moment, sizing her up once again. “Don’t you think you’re a little… small for this?”

“Why does my height matter?” Vyrine frowned, putting her hands on her hips. “I know how to handle myself. I know about all the scripture. I know how to fight! I am up to the task.”

‘Bull’ pursed his lips for a second, glancing at the ceiling.

“Wait here,” he told Vyrine, and with that he marched off towards the spiral staircase. A minute or so later, he vanished from sight as he scaled the stairs into the ceiling, leaving Vyrine behind to scamper about in this huge chamber.

Just as the girl was starting to wonder if the Ordinator was even going to come back, two figures came striding down the staircase. One of them was Bull; the other was an older man, his long grey hair braided in a style interestingly similar to the kind the Nords of Skyrim tended to make. His armour, unlike the other Ordinators’, was not gold, but rather silver and white. Vyrine immediately recognised him as a High Ordinator, one of the order’s senior, leading members.

“This is her, Serjo,” Bull declared, gesturing at Vyrine. “She seems very sure of herself.”

“Hmm…” the High Ordinator uttered, inspecting the girl before him.

“What is your name, girl?”

“Vyrine Releth, Serjo,” came the reply, followed by a short but courteous bow. “Daughter of Sarlyn Releth. I’m here to-”

“I know why you are here, Vyrine,” the High Ordinator interrupted her before she could go off. “Bralon here already told me all about it.”

He folded his hands behind his back. “I am Curate Faver Deris. I oversee the initiation and training of new Aspirants. You wish to become one such Aspirant, yes?”

“Yes, I do,” Vyrine nodded eagerly, without hesitation.

“Very well,” Curate Faver said. “The path you seek to tread is a noble one. As I’m sure you know, the Ordinators are sworn to protect the Temple - from threats within and without - and uphold the law of both Resdayn and the Empire. We are the watch, we are warriors, we are inquisitors, and we are scholars. We are the order that preserves the Temple. But this path is also a solemn one, fraught with hardship. Your training will be intensive, it will be difficult, and not least importantly, it will not always be fun. This does not end after your training; life as an Ordinator is not always rosy. Do you fully understand this?”

“Yes… I do,” Vyrine nodded, once again. She had gone over this in her head countless times.

“Good,” Curate Faver nodded back. “Then, if you are certain, you are ready to begin your initiation. If you have any second thoughts, Vyrine, this is your last chance to turn back.”

Vyrine glanced from Faver, to Bralon, to the large doors behind her. She was silent for a second, making herself aware of the life-changing step she was about to take. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and spoke.

“I am ready, Curate.”

Curate Faver smiled approvingly and nodded.

“Excellent. Then follow me. It is time to initiate you into the Ordinators.”