User:Vook/Hlaalu Hortator

Fanfic to Morrowind by Vook

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"Master Orvas Dren, we need to talk."

"Outlander, my time is short, and if you came here to ask me to name you Hortator of House Hlaalu, you can leave now. I won't."

"I came to discuss the future of Vvardenfell."

"Who are you to discuss the future of my land? Do you think I don't know about your connections?"

"You mean with the emperor? Yes, I think you don't know. That's one of the matters I came to clarify. If you think I'm an Imperial spy, that's just the outermost part of multi-layered problem. Sure, I'm in the Blades. Not quite by my choice though. And not with my soul."

"You caught my interest. What do you have to tell me that I don't know?" Orvas invited Nerevarine to one of the chairs by the table. Nerevarine without asking poured two glasses of flin from a crystal carafe that was standing on the table.

"First, the matters of priorities. My heart is bound to Vvardenfell; this is where my loyalties lie. I was born outlander, to uncertain parents, but my dreams kept me to this land. Whatever I say, keep that in mind."

"Let's assume I believe you..."

"This..." Nerevarine pulled a ring off his finger and handed it to Orvas "This is the Moon-And-Star, the ring of Nerevarine. Don't wear it. Really. If you want to check if it indeed kills anyone but Nerevarine, feel free to test it on a slave or an enemy."

Orvas Dren was studying the ring with attention. "But this proves... nothing..."

"Of course crafting a ring that kills anyone but a single chosen person isn't that much of a deal. Its famed leadership properties are all but strong. I can craft a ring of stronger influence now and here." Nerevarine pulled a Grand soulgem from his pocket, waved it, and put back in his pocket. "Moon-And-Star is just a symbol. A trinket to get small minds to believe, a seal of union between Nerevar and Azura."

"So why did you show it to me?"

"Look at how worn it is. It passed through many hands. It was worn on many fingers."

"You said it kills everyone but the Nerevarine?"

"No. I say it kills everyone but -A- Nerevarine."

"A Nerevarine? You mean there's more than one?"

"Not at a time. There's at most one Nerevarine alive at a time. Of course, simultaneously, a large number of false Nerevarine can live, but... they wouldn't survive wearing this ring. But yes, one Nerevarine at a time, quite a few by now, all dead. I'm just another one in the line."

"Now that's really interesting. The legends say a hero will be born to defeat Dagoth Ur, Lord Nerevar reborn..." Orvas put the ring on the table.

"And either that's me, or one will be born. Dagoth Ur will be slain by a Nerevarine. Nobody else can, only the Nerevarines are capable of this feat. Which one of them will, is still undecided."

"And what about the power of the prophecy? Gifts of Azura?"

"They are subtle and weak. The Nerevarine's soul is protected from corruption by Dagoth. The body is able to fight corprus... with help of the right medicine. I receive some guidance in my dreams. I can..." Nerevarine picked up the ring and put it on his finger "...wear the Moon-and-Star. But if you added some poison to this drink..." he raised the glass with flin and took a good sip "I'd fall dead right now."

He tasted the drink for a while, took another sip, while Orvas Dren was pondering the news in silence. Then he continued.

"Azura's power protects directly against dangers originating from the Red Mountain. Madness, corprus, misdirection. It won't protect me from Kagouti's teeth though. I need my skills, weapons, and so on for that. And that's how all the Nerevarines failed before me. That's why I believe I can succeed."

"Let's say... Okay, I think I believe you are the... a Nerevarine. That if I name you a Hortator, you'll kill, or try to kill Dagoth Ur. Or that if I kill you right now and here, another one will come to me, asking to be named Hortator of House Hlaalu, and maybe he will be more to my liking and kill Lord Dagon. So what do you have for your defense, spy?"

"The Emperor is a wise man, skilled in many mystical arts. He values Tamriel above everything else, and mark this, Tamriel, not the Empire. The heirs are useless. The empire unstable. The emperor old. The days of the Empire are numbered."

"You can't turn the fate of the Empire. And I certainly won't help you."

"The empire is doomed. Nothing can save it."

"So what's your role? Why did he send you? What do you do for the Blades?"

"That's the trick... the clever plan of Emperor. I wasn't enrolled with the Blades so that I would help them in some secret plan. Emperor wanted me in the Blades so that I could officially get all the imperial help possible in defeating Dagoth Ur. I don't serve them. The Blades serve me."

"Is that so? But then..."

"My loyalty lies in Vvardenfell."

"Heh. So you're to defeat Dagoth Ur, for the good of Morrowind, with gratuitous, if small help of Emperor. Send a legendary hero from forgotten dungeons of Cyrodiil, add a pinch of Blades instead of half the Legion, and have the Dagoth problem solved. And I'm to believe there's no hidden agenda on top of that."

Nerevarine chuckled. "Of course you're not. It's just that accidentally the hidden agenda might be to your liking."

Orvas poured more flin to Nerevarine's glass, took a sip from his own, and just said "Speak", then leaned in his chair.

"Assuming I don't slip on a dead scrib, breaking my neck, and actually manage to defeat Dagoth Ur, what then? This of course won't save the Empire. There will be crumbling empire and one redundant legendary hero, great leader of all forces of the whole province left. With quite a bit of influence in the Blades, who will be left with no emperor to serve, with strong backing of the Imperial Legion, as you know, in my... spare time...? I've been doing some Legion errands and got a decent rank, with good support of the Imperial Temple, and so on and so on. Generally, after the collapse of the empire, the Nerevarine, with the province of Morrowind backing him, would be the strongest remaining power."

"The conclusion is quite obvious but I'm not quite sure if to my liking..."

"Your vision of Morrowind of your dreams is... Outlanders driven out of the land, with the exception of slaves. Dunmer king ruling independently over the Dunmer country. Borders protected from invasion, resources of Morrowind not robbed by other provinces. Armies strong enough to defend against any Skyrim invasion. All the land in hands of the Dunmer. Camona Tong in Morrowind being about what Blades are in the Empire."

"That pretty much sums it up."

"What about my vision: Outlanders serve the Dunmer. No slavery, because hiring servants is cheaper. Nerevarine ruling the whole Tamriel from a throne in Ebonheart. Skyrim under tight control, unable and not daring to raise hand against Morrowind. Resources from all over Tamriel brought to Morrowind. All lands of the Morrowind and a major part of Tamriel in hands of the Dunmer. Camona Tong leaders taking leadership positions in the structures of the Blades, controlling all of Tamriel."

Orvas Dren closed his eyes for a long while, glass of flin in his hand. Nerevarine drank the rest from his glass, put it back.

"Tempting. Very tempting. I need to think this over. Come back in three days and I'll tell you if I'm ready to name you the Hortator of House Hlaalu."

By Vook '2006