Meeting of the Powerful - Origins - Chapter 1: Ingmar Torbreaker

• Posted by Morthevin May 5, 2014 - 822 views

  Tirdas, 6th Second Seed, 4E 202

  Over the past few nights, I've been having dreams. Strange dreams. I figured it would be best to write it down, let it all out. I picked up Pa's old journal, and started writing away my bad thoughts.

  The best way I can describe the dream, is the Imperial City... but the sky. The sky is on fire, and there's a beast sitting on the White-Gold Tower. A beast with a moving cloak. He's looking at the city, and smiling. Could this be a vision of the future? Is Tamriel in danger? I've been to Cyrodiil. It's so nice. I would hate to see the Imperial City burn. And if it does, is Skyrim next?  

  Soon enough, another figure enters the dream. This time, it's beautiful. I can't see her face, but I can just feel it. She had a white robe, draping from her, and white hair was just visible from where I was standing. She had wings. Glowing wings, and that just made her all the more alluring.

  They were talking, but I couldn't hear them. The beast wouldn't listen, and he whipped the fair lady with darkness. He laughed, and then screamed. Smoke was rising from his flesh, and it was slightly seared. A dark cloud wrapped around the woman.

  There was more screaming, and the woman broke free from the cloud. I can't explain it, but it was bright, and seemed divine in nature. Could this be an avatar of Mara, Dibella, Akatosh? I can't even begin to guess.

  This avatar, then loosed fire at the beast, but he was too powerful, and too dark. The fire was extinguished in his midst, followed by more screaming. He then, in response, shot pure evil at the Divine, and she curled up, in a ball, before opening her arms. The darkness rebounded off her chest, and slammed into the Arcane University. Gods, when will this happen? Has it already happened? Is it happening now?

  The Divine now lifted her arms, and with a fluid motion, released a blinding light. There were words now, that I couldn't hear. The beast lowered what appeared to be a ward, and struck the Divine. That is where my dream ends...

  I can't even begin to guess what that dream meant. It was a frightening vision, yet, I felt somehow protected.

  Middas, 7th of Second Seed, 4E 202

  The dreams haven't gone away. I figured, that maybe some fighting could help.

  I'm off in search of a Nordic temple, just any one. I need to get my mind off these dreams before they become something serious. Maybe I should go to the mages in Winterhold, and see if they have anything for me. Possibly some directions, or something to help me.

  Fredas, 9th of Second Seed, 4E 202

  I went to the mages, and all they gave me was an iron sword, and the location of some random barrow near Falkreath. Bleak Falls Barrow. They told me that this sword would help if I was going to any barrow. They say that the rumors of draugr are true, and that the Nords that worshiped the Dragon Cult were cursed. It'll take me a couple of days to get the barrow, which means more sleep. I'll take a carriage to Whiterun, and walk the rest of the way.

  Morndas, 12th of Second Seed, 4E 202

  The barrow isn't too bad so far. Sure, I had to deal with the odd bandit along the way, but nothing I can't handle.

  I reached a chamber with webs hanging off the mossy stonework. An immense spider dropped from the ceiling. I immediately drew my sword, and a gentle crackling found it's way into my ears. Behind the spider, I could hear a voice, sounding like a dark elf, though I payed it not too much regard.

  The spider lurched, and I jumped to the side, my blade cutting across it's abdomen. It screeched, and turned to meet me, eye to eye. It had horrible eyes, like they were peering down your very soul. It stood on it's hind legs, and it's front ones landed on my chest. My sword flew from my grasp, and the gentle crackling once more reached my ears.

  I reached for my blade, grabbed it after a short struggle, and cut at it's front legs. They fell from it, and it squealed a horrible squeal. It spat poison at me, and hit it's mark. As I desperately tried to pull the poison from my chest, the spider lunged and cut my sword arm. Blood ruptured from the wound.

  I gripped my sword tighter, and swung with all my might. The sword struck, and the spider went up in flames, screeching. The spider fell to the ground, mangled and charred, blood flowing from the open cuts, and drying when it came into the slightest contact with the fire.

  I've decided I'm going to have a rest, though I doubt it'll be an easy one with that dark elf whining all night.

  Tirdas, 13th of Second Seed, 4E 202

  I awoke to the sound of that dark elf screaming. Wimpy little creature. He appeared to have no combat experience whatsoever, other than just swinging a sword. I approached him, and only then did I realize that he was stuck in webs. He whispered, "You there, let me out, before more of them show up."

  "Why should I?" I mockingly replied.

  "I have this... this... Golden Claw. It can unlock all sorts of secrets. If you let me down, I'll share the treasure."

  I considered his offer, and after a while, reluctantly cut him loose. Once on the ground, he smirked, and ran down the meandering corridors while muttering something about me being foolish, and why he would never share the treasure. I heard his scream.

  I ran after him, and was greeted with his deformed corpse. He seemed to have been ripped apart, but by what? I shuffled through his pockets, and found only a journal, and a strange claw. That must have been the one he was referring to. I slowly examined the claw, to see if I could recognize any form of magic, but to my dismay, I couldn't. I picked up the journal, and flicked through the rotted pages. It read:

  "My fingers are trembling. The Golden Claw is finally in my hands, and with it, the power of the ancient Nordic heroes. That fool Lucan Valerius had no idea that his favorite store decoration was actually the key to Bleak Falls Barrow.

  Now I just need to get to the Hall of Stories and unlock the door. The legend says there is a test that the Nords put in place to keep that unworthy away, but that when you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands."

  Whatever that means... I was never really a student of history, but I do somewhat recall Pa telling me these legends. He told me that each claw was actually a key, and that when placed correctly in a certain door, there was great power and riches to be found.

  I continued down the halls, and heard a soft growl. I drew my blade, and it crackled it's approval. Creatures with brown, and dry skin rose from their resting places, and descended on me, probably just as they descended on that wimp. They had horrible empty eyes, and blunt, rusted weapons of ancient Nord make. This meant only one thing to me. Draugr.

  I lunged at one, my blade pushing through it's frail skin, setting it ablaze with ease. I span, and cut down two more, my sword arm throbbing with great pain, and once more bleeding. I swung again, only to have my blade met with an armor plate. I looked, and was struck on the head by a blunt battleaxe. The draugr that delivered the blow then thrust with it's axe, and I felt my ribs break beneath the sheer force. I passed my blade through a gap in it's armor with a swift motion, clutching my broken rib, and the draugr fell, flames rising from it's mangled form.

  I went into my pack, and pulled from it a flask, filled to the brim with a red liquid. I poured it down my throat, and lay down, the pain slowly seeping away. I rested while I waited for the potion to do it's work.

  Middas, 14th of Second Seed, 4E 202

  When I awoke, my rib felt better, as did my sword arm. I continued down the ominous halls, cutting down draugr as they emerged. I felt like I could bring down this entire barrow on top of my head. The confidence surging through me made me feel truly powerful.

  I reached a long chamber, and it seemed to be more well-lit than the other rooms. At the end of the hall, a circular stone door, with small stone circles, each with what appeared to be animal carvings. I recognized them. They were on the claw. For hours I sat, trying to figure out what was happening. I was starving, but had little food to spare. Lunch could wait. I glanced at the claw a last time, and saw the carvings again. They were in a different order than that of the door.

  I moved to it, and pressed one of the carvings. It rotated, and another carving came into view. I pressed the carvings to match how it had appeared on the claw, and when I was done, nothing happened. I dropped the claw and moved off, just as it began to hum with strange power. I looked back, and the claw was shaking. I lifted it, and as I moved it closer to the door, it began shaking with more ferocity. It was beyond my knowledge, and possibly unsafe, yet curiosity got the best of me. I dipped the talons on the claw into small indentations on the door. It shook, and opened, like a gaping mouth ready to receive food.

  I excitedly moved into a chamber, drawing my sword, and dragging it along the ground, leaving a  trail of flames in my wake. As I neared a coffin, it burst open. From it, emerged a draugr, no different from the rest in appearance. Despite this, however, it seemed to resonate power that the rest didn't have. It drew a short sword that glowed with energy, and charged at me.

  I lurched forth, and my blade passed through it's left arm, leaving a small gap where I struck. It turned to me, it's empty eyes meeting mine, and laughed. "Fuuuus... Ro DAH!"

  I was thrown across the chamber and was sent sprawling. I lifted my head to see it standing over me, and rolled, as it's blade bounded off the cold, hard ground. It turned, and swung at me. And threw myself back, then lunged, my blade passing through it's arm once more.

  This draugr seemed to have had enough of me. He moved his blade with one swift motion, and cleaved through my right knee. I fell to the ground, and reached for my pack. I gripped in my hand a flask, with a red liquid filling it to the brim. As I moved to consume it, the draugr swatted it from my hand, the sound of shattering echoing through the chamber. It lifted me, and looked long and hard at my face, determining who I thought I was. It dropped me, and I crawled to my blade.

  As I reached it, I turned to see that the draugr had decided to finish me. I lifted my arm, grasping my sword with all my might, and blocked the incoming blow. I slowly stood, blocking the strikes as they came, wary not to put strain on my injured knee.

  The abomination paused it's attacks for a split second, and in that split second, I swung my blade, and in a clean and graceful motion, parted it's head from it body, watching it stumble around for a moment before finally dropping.

  I limped to the chest, and rubbed my hands together, hoping for some riches. However, when I opened the chest, I gazed only upon a strange relic, spherical in shape, and somewhat radiant. I grasped at it, and pulled it to my chest, not moving my eyes from it, and a voice rang out in my head, "A new hand touches the beacon... LISTEN. Hear me and obey. A foul darkness has seeped into my temple. A darkness that you will destroy. Return my beacon to Mount Kilkreath, and I will make you the instrument of my cleansing light..."

  The voice died away, and silence filled my head. The pain in my knee disappeared, and I followed the voice.