The Elder Scrolls: A New Era (OOC)

[sandman9913]

A New Era

It is the end of the Thrid Era. The Oblivion Crisis is over, and the world is once again at peace...at least, for now. In any case, the world is open to a new event. A new dawn is breaking upon the continent of Tamriel. The Empire is in a tad bit of disarray with the rise of High Chancellor Ocato in the place of the, now extinct, Septim Dynasty as it's ruler. However, along with this new dawn, comes the rise of new adventurers and heroes. New villains and new trials. It is time to see just how far some will go in this new time. It is the dawning of a new age. A new Era. The Fourth Era has arrived.

The last two years have made for an interesting tale to be told in the lands of Tamriel. In the middle of the year, the news had spread. The Emperor was dead. In an instant, an empire of mourners was created. However, the search was also on. Where was the Amulet of Kings? Who had slain the Emperor? What of a new heir to the throne? From this confusion rose a lone prisoner who, despite the odds, would end this confusion. Soon it was all brought into the light: The Mythic Dawn, a Daedric cult dedicated to Mehrunes Dagon, had slain the Emperor and now they were attempting to murder his bastard son Martin. The Empire now began focusing it's efforts on suppressing the enemy and weeding them out wherever they may be. This lead to it's current line of issues...but that is another story. Anyways, the Empire was at war with a hidden enemy. In one great triumph, the Hero of Kvatch, the Blades, and Emperor Martin Septim ended the Oblivion Crisis in one quick strike. The Battle of the Imperial City ended with Mehrunes Dagon banished back to Oblivion and the Mythic Dawn crippled. Purges over the next year would trample any hope of recovery of the cult.

Not soon after the end of the Crisis, a new threat arose. An ancient and long-forgotten Ayleid King returned from the dead, and he was vengeful. Umaril the Unfeathered was rampaging across the Chapels of Cyrodiil. Once again, the Hero of Kvatch answered the call. After many long weeks of questing, absolving himself of sin, rebuilding the Knights of the Nine, and re-claiming the Relics of the Divine Crusader Pelinal Whitestrike, the Hero of Kvatch went to battle with Umaril. After a two day siege on the ancient city of Garlas Malatar, Umaril and the Hero dueled. Umaril fell, however, his spirit attempted to escape and, in an amazing stroke of heroics, the Hero of Kvatch destroyed the spirit of Umaril himself. Forever ending any possibility of his return.

However, this was not the end for our Hero. He had one final call to answer. One final challenge to overcome. Sheogorath, the Mad God, opened a portal to the mortal plane, inviting adventurers to solve the issue of the Greymarch once and for all. Many answered his call, and few were even able to overcome the madness which they encountered. The Hero of Kvatch also descended into the realm of the Mad God. There he found exotic plants and animals, as well as a world with a stark duality to it. There, our Hero dueled with the forces of Order and fought another god. He solved the issues of the Shivering Isles and defeated the Daedric Prince Jygglag. This came at a great price: The Hero of Kvatch became the new Sheogorath. He was now the Mad God. In the instant that he became the Mad God, the portal to the Shivering Isles collapsed. The island where it once was is still inhabited with strange plant life, and the shell of the portal still stands, an ever-present reminder of the Hero of Kvatch and his sacrifices. Some say that the Hero in fact died in the Isles...others claimed that he had earned a well-deserved rest.

Now, some time has passed, and the world is beginning to tremble once again. Whispers of an uprising in the Summerset Isles and tremors felt on the isle of Vvardenfell have begun to spread throughout the Empire. Adventurers are beginning to move and vibrate once again. Bandits and Marauders prosper off of the misfortune of others, and dark mages have begun to move once again. The world is beginning to go into a state of disarray, and it needs heroes...or just a really clever villain. Will that be you?

The Mages' Guild

The Imperial Mages' Guild has a long and storied history. Beginning with the Arch-Mage Galerion the Mystic, going all the way up the line to the current Arch-Mage Traven. Just as the last two years have been a trial for the rest of the Empire, they also proved a test for the Mages' Guild. Many abandoned the Guild after Necromancy was denounced as an illegal practice, and the return of Mannimarco the King of Worms, caused a series of battles over the mere existence of the guild. Several guild halls across Tamriel, particularly in Northern Cyrodiil, Southern Skyrim, and Eastern Hammerfell were sacked in a month. This month is now christened "The Month of the Black Rose". The Arch-Mage and his inner council made a rash decision. They would act decisively and quickly to end this conflict. They would utilize a powerful new apprentice to act as their arbiter. An Altmer named Viarmo was to be what was essentially their sacrificial lamb.

Over a few long months, they trained and honed Viarmo's skill, and even placed a particularly powerful soul within a massive Black Soul Gem captured from the Necromancers. In a period of three weeks, Imperial Battlemages and a group of mages led by Viarmo went to war with the Necromancers. Battles raged in "abandoned" forts and isolated caves across the continent. Finally, in one great battle in northern Cyrodiil, Mannimarco was slain by Viarmo. Viarmo was elevated to the inner circle of Arch-Mage Traven thanks to his miraculous survival. The cost of this war: Hundreds of mages, and scores of Battlemages across the continent. Now, the Guild is in a state of disarray. A great mirror of it's patron.

The Fighter's Guild

The Fighter's Guild. A honorable and venerated guild, they have been providing Imperially sanctioned mercenaries since the Second Era. In recent times, their leadership has been focusing on consolidation. Across Tamriel they have been pursuing contracts, however, in certain areas they have been losing their contracts to...more culturally accepted guilds. While they have been met with great success in the majority of the Empire, they have been severely lacking in Skyrim and in southern Cyrodiil thanks to the culturally acceptable, and more affordable, alternatives of the Companions and the Blackwood Company respectively. In the recent months, however, the Donton family has relinquished it's control over the guild. Rumor also has it that the guild had a major conflict with the Blackwood Company. However, the Blackwood Company has been totally annihilated recently, and if anyone in the guild knows...they aren't talking.

The Dark Brotherhood

Word on the street is that the Dark Brotherhood has hit a bit of a rough patch recently. Sanctuaries across Cyrodiil have been on lockdown, due to rumors of a traitor amongst the ranks. The Brotherhood went through the pangs of a civil war as the rogue amongst their ranks killed off the leadership of the organization one by one until only a few of the infamous Black Hand remained. One Speaker, Lucien Lachance, utilized his own Silencer to root out the traitor. Once he got close, Lucien was framed and brutally executed by the remained of the Black Hand. The Silencer, however, was elevated to the rank of Speaker in the place of his old master. In Bravil the leadership of the Brotherhood convened and the Speaker assassinated the traitor before he could harm the Night Mother. Now, the leadership of the Brotherhood is struggling to efficiently contact it's other sanctuaries across Tamriel. Rumor has it, however, that there are new competitors arising from this confusion...could there be a new organization that will replace the Brotherhood or are they just that, rumors?

The Thieves' Guild

As the times have changed, so has the Thieves' Guild, and this time it is no different. Recent upheavals in the guild have seen the Grey Fox become little more than a legend, vaunted and shunted aside as the remnant of a much more lenient guild. Now, they have become more than a tad bit tougher. Extortion, burglary, and intimidation have become much more common place all around. While the beggars remain a key source of information for the Guild, they have lost their protected status. The poor who live in the shanty towns have also lost their status as protected. No one is safe from the Guild now, and they rule through fear. The Waterfront of the Imperial City has become a much more dangerous place. Some guards will barely even go down there, and being assigned that duty is now deemed a punishment. Those who used to be viewed as the heroes of the poor, are now seen as little more than a conglomeration of common criminals robbing any and everyone they see.

The Provinces
In the recent months, Tamriel has been thrown into a state of upheaval, the likes of which haven't been seen since the War of the Diamond little over two centuries ago. On the Summerset Isles the seeds have been planted. A radical faction of Altmer wizards is on the rise, modelling themselves after Tiber Septim's greatest foe: The Aldmeri Dominion. They call themselves 'The Thalmor' and have recently been gaining support amongst the younger mages and the less fortunate, calling for the dominance of the Elves, the subjugation of the Beast races, and the death of Man. In the last few weeks, they have sacked several shrines to Talos, denouncing him as little more than a man who is over-glorified by the Nords and the Empire as a whole.

Meanwhile, in Morrowind, the Dunmer have lost their cultural icon. Vivec has disappeared and, worse yet, there have been reports of great tremors shaking the very foundation of the island of Vvardenfell. Rumor even has it that black pillars of smoke have even been seen emanating from Red Mountain. Other news has been equally grim. It has slowly come to light that a slave revolt has been initiated by the Argonians across Morrowind. The Great Houses and their forces are currently scrambling to cover all their bases. Soldiers from each house have begun to brutally suppress the revolt with lethal efficiency. Previous news had reported that slavery had been abolished in Morrowind, however, this had not been the case. If anything, they became more restrictive in their policies.

In Elsweyr the Renrijra Krin have begun a campaign of liberation or, so they believe. This radical organization of over-grown felines is funded, and supported, by the growing Thalmor. However, the Thalmor is using this organization of freedom fighters to disrupt the Empire on the whole. In the southern portions of Cyrodiil, the launch guerrilla raids on the Legion and trader caravans. Their efforts are mostly focused upon the city of Leyawiin. Over time, the Imperial Count and Countess of Leyawiin have gained a reputation for...less than acceptable methods of rooting out the Renrijra Krin. The people of Leyawiin are disenchanted with the Empire. A perfect place for a new rebellion to begin...

The swampy lands of Black Marsh are laying in wait, for the time being. Members of the Order of the Shadowscale have been moving in the darkness, tracking the actions of the Dunmeri Great Houses. Unconfirmed reports even tell of soldiers preparing to launch an invasion of Morrowind, throwing the Empire into another Civil War the likes of which have yet to be seen since the days of the Imperial Simulacrum. Despite these rumors being unconfirmed, the King of Morrowind himself has begun moving his own soldiers to Morrowind's southern border, leaving the borders with Skyrim and Cyrodiil relatively unguarded, leaving Morrowind all the more vulnerable...could this be the end of the venerable Kingdom of Morrowind and the line of Barenziah?

In the tall forest lands of Valenwood, home of the Wood Elves, the Thalmor are moving in secret once again, gaining the trust and support of the nobility and the people, spreading their message of hate and deception. Many Bosmer have bought into their message of hate and disgust, however, a good number have their doubts as to the legitimacy of the superiority of the Mer races as a whole and more to their belief of the superiority of the Altmer over all other races. The local beast race known as the Imga, however, have all but subjugated themselves to the Thalmor. They have wholeheartedly bent their knees and nodded in silent agreement over the superiority of the Mer races on the whole, the Imga seeing the Altmer as the epitome of this superiority. Will Valenwood fall victim to a group of radicals thanks to the treachery of the Imga and the ignorance of the nobility?

The sandy deserts of Hammerfell are finally at peace...however, there has been a significant increase in their military preparation. Redguards from all across the deserts of Hammerfell are joining the Legion, foreseeing a conflict with the up-and-coming Thalmor. The chants are being sung in the chapels of Ebonarm, and the sons of Yokuda are beginning to wonder whether or not the Empire is their best bet for survival. A few are beginning to cry for independence, but their voices are growing in strength with each week that passes. How long will it be until their voices are heard throughout the Empire?

In the mountainous lands of High Rock, the winds of change are blowing. The three kingdoms of Daggerfall, Wayrest, and Orsinium are at an uneasy truce for the time being, and they have been since the Warp In the West. Soldiers from both Wayrest and Daggerfall are banding together, launching unauthorized raids into Orsinium's territory. Hundreds of refugees have begun to file into the city of Orsinium, and the strongholds that are outside of the city walls have started to militarize. Armies are being raised, and what is essentially a cold war has begun. Tensions are on the high, and mercenary companies as well as guilds of assassins have begun to capitalize on this tension. Will they enter a period of detente, or will a major conflict erupt in the mountains of High Rock?

From snowy tundras, frigid taiga, wild forests, high mountains, and low rocky valleys, Skyrim, the homeland of the Nords is stirring. In the west, the Reachmen have begun to speak of forming their own kingdom, separate of the High King and his dominion. They have begun to coalesce in camps throughout the Reach. Groups of them, initiating their savage rituals to the Old Gods and even consorting with daedra. However, they are not the only group of savages to begin their moves against the Nords. More and more Falmer are coming out of the shadows from the depths of Blackreach. Men have begun to disappear, and more tales of the savage Falmer raiding villages in the night have begun to spread. Some hae begun to wonder whether something from below is pushing them upwards or if the Falmer are beginning to expand once again. Despite their other troubles, there is a change in the air...roars have been heard from the mountains. Strange occurrences have begun near Helgen...Will Skyrim survive the upheaval? Or will it go the way of Atmora and Yokuda?

Finally, in the low river valleys and harsh wilds of Cyrdoiil sits the Imperial City. The home of the great Empire of Tiber Septim. The third empire of Tamriel is still flourishing, despite it's troubles. However, it is sitting between a rock and a hard place. It's footing is unsure, that much is sure. Radicals, unruly nobles, rampant bandits, and civil upheavals have begun to usher change in upon the great continent of Tamriel. Bandits, marauders, and rogue conjurers are moving. Enemies of the Empire are gaining political and popular support. Can Cyrodiil prevail over her enemies? Can Cyrodiil find a light in the darkness like it has time and time before?

Da Rules

1. Basic RP etiquette is required.
2. One - Two detailed paragraphs are required.
3. No, you aren't the Dragonborn. No you can't use the Thu'um. No you can't take on an entire bandit fort by yourself.
4. Romance, Cursing, Blood, and Gore are all allowed. However, please be reasonable. I'm okay with you describing what a warhammer does to a skull. Just don't embellish.
5. Don't fight in the OOC. If you have a problem with someone else, take it up with them privately.
6. If you have a question, ask me or someone that I delegate as a Co-OP.

Anvil, the Docks

The ship Septim's Fury eased itself slowly into the docks of the city. After many months at sea, it had finally pulled into it's final destination. After sailing around the entirety of Tamriel, the Septim's Fury had not only earned it's rest for the next month, but it had dropped off many men and women. It was a transport ship, chartered and funded for the express purpose of bringining new immigrants into the Imperial Province. All walks of life file off of the ship, warriors, thieves, assassins, hell, even nobles. Some were natives and revered in Cyrodiil, sent on quests for their lieges. Others were foreigners in this land.

As the occupants of the ship filed off of their vessel, agents of the Imperial Census Office motioned to the nearby Legionnaires. The Legionnaires, along with an auxiliary from the town guard, began to herd the travelers from the docks to the census office. Each and every one of them was handed a document to fill out. Those who weren't able to read, were provided their questionnaire in a verbal capacity. It went as follows:

Imperial Census Office Questionnaire

Name: Pretty self-explanatory.
Race: Altmer, Dumer, Bosmer, Orc, Redguard, Imperial, Nord, Breton, Khajiit, and Argonian.
Gender: Male or Female?
Homeland: Where are you from?
Appearance: Picture or Description.
Age: How old are you?
Equipment: Be realistic! If you're carrying around ten staves and fourteen claymores, I will make sure that the long-forgotten Divine 'Gravis' will crush your spine. Brutally.
Class/Skills: You can select a class...or choose seven major skills. Tell us, what are you good at?
Personality: How do you act?
Biography: Tell us a little bit about yourself. We'd like it for our files.
Miscellanea: Anything that you would like to just throw out there?

[Regomania]

My App is W.I.P.... Just need to play more Oblivion...

[TolarianDrake]

i'll post a cs shortly too!

[Pronto]

I would love to join this but I'm in enough role plays as it is at the moment. I definitely want to be a part of this at some point though, will character acceptance be ongoing?

[OlNoSoul]

Hmmm...Khajiit thief or questing knight?

[sandman9913]

I would love to join this but I'm in enough role plays as it is at the moment. I definitely want to be a part of this at some point though, will character acceptance be ongoing?

Yes, recruiting will be always on-going. It's going to be pretty free-form as far as story goes, however, the group can come to a consensus, I think anyways, as to what the story should be. If you all want to be lone agents, that's fine. Don't expect to last too long unless you're a nobleman.

[Gravislayer]

Argonian Knight who desperately tries to fullfill his masters wishes but has a hard life as a non-human or orcish barde on his eternal quest...trying to sing....with his fists...

[OlNoSoul]

Fist-Bard sounds pretty rad.

[TolarianDrake]

i'm gonna use a khajiit char. A complete.. thieving liar with no honor whatsoever. everyone loves those companions..

[sandman9913]

I'm currently working on some new stuff to add to the OP, so before you post just wait a while. Relax. Chill out.

---UPDATE---

The OP is finished for the time being...the Lord shall take his rest...after posting his character sheet.


Name: Salvius Aquilius

Race: Imperial

Gender: Male

Homeland: Cyrodiil

Appearance: Without the Weapons and Armor, of course.

Age: 25

Equipment: Leather Armor, Imperial Sword, Twenty Steel Arrows, and an Imperial Bow.

Class/Skills: Imperial Legionnaire Scout (Light Armor, One-Handed, Archery, Sneak, Pickpocket, Lockpicking, Hand-to-Hand)

Personality: Aquilius is a tad bit...cold. By all intents and purposes he is not one that is exactly friendly or warm all of the time, however, this is a product of his former profession. Being a scout, one gets used to the isolation and is accustomed to living on one's own for a good long period of time with just yourself, or your unit. In his earlier life, Aquilius was much more joyous than he is now, however, his experiences in the Oblivion Crisis and in the events directly afterwards, most definitely shaped him as an individual. Mental scarring is there, and sometimes he may even have flashbacks to what he saw.

Biography: Aquilius was born to a pair of poor day-laborers down on the Waterfront. During this time, the Waterfront was as it once was, slightly downtrodden, however, it still had it's own little charm. Aquilius, as he grew up, witnessed many things on the Waterfront. Particularly, the good Captain Hieronymous Lex attempting time and time again to arrest the Grey Fox. He never grew up having money, like the more fortunate children in the Temple and Talos Plaza districts. Indeed, he and his friends resorted petty thievery to survive. Aquilius became particularly good at this, due to his father's skooma addiction and the death of his mother at a relatively young age. By the age of fifteen, he was on the fast track to becoming a career criminal. This all changed one fateful night on the Waterfront.

You see, despite the fact that Aquilius had gotten by relatively well before...he had never truly been alone. He had never known the exact extent of what trouble his father was in, and he still doesn't know to this very day ten years later, however, all he did know was that his father was brutally murdered in a skooma related incident. For three days, Aquilius sequestered himself in his family hovel. It took the Thieves' Guild to intervene for him to snap to his senses. It was then that Aquilius made his decision: He would dole out a brutal retribution, the likes of which only the legends held. For five years he investigated the murder. Five long years, and he finally had tracked down his enemy...The Orum Gang. He began first in Cheydinhal, and then moved from there.

In Cheydinhal, he tracked down the Orum Gang and their associates. He stalked his prey for a week. Following their routines and observing their lives. Over time, he gathered more information, coming to the realization that they were bigger than he at first had supposed. In truth, they were selling their skooma not only to the dealers in the Imperial City, but they were also peddling their illegal substances to dealers in Bravil, Leyawiin, and the Cammona Tong from Morrowind. Supplied by the Renrijra Krin, the Orum Gang was a very profitable venture for those involved. Particularly the more corrupt elements of the various City Guards and Legionnaires involved, who were paid extremely well to look the other way. In a single night of blood, Aquilius broke into the headquarters of the Orum Gang and assassinated their leadership. From there, he followed several leads, hunting down the Cammona Tong couriers in the wilderness, and even began to move towards Bravil and Leyawiin to begin his own shadow war against the Renrijra Krin. These plans would never come to fruition.

During a short stay in the Imperial City, Aquilius was arrested and charged with six counts of murder, and at least three more counts of intent to cause bodily harm to another citizen of the Empire. After ten days in the Imperial City Prison on the island known as "The Bastion", he was put to trial. No amount of bribery or could get him out of that particular dire straight...however, he did take a plea bargain in exchange for not being executed. He would serve in the Legion for at least five years, after which time he would be free to go off into whatever profession he chose. Upon entry into the Legion, Aquilius was put through the training to become a forward scout. He was placed into a legion stationed in Western Cyrodiil, near the area around the former Fort Sutch. There he met his mentor Caecilius Iucundus.

Caecilius taught Aquilius the secrets of how to survive in the wilds, archery, and how to move more effectively in light armor. In the vestiges of their makeshift fort in the Colovian Highlands, they lived and thrived. This peacefulness lasted for two years. Those two years could quite possibly be considered some of the best in Aquilius' life...and then that's when the Oblivion Crisis came. In a period of little over a month, Aquilius and his legion engaged in a massive Battle at Fort Such. Daedra and Legionnaire alike spilled blood on the soil of Colovia. At the beginning of the second month of the battle, Aquilius and his cohort were able to break through the lines of the Daedra and infiltrate the Oblivion Gate which spewed forth their innumerable enemy. Deep in the heart of the Oblivion Gate, they came across something much more horrifying than what they had been prepared for. Scores of men from their legion were found dead, their corpses burned and mutilated. Among them, Caecilius. Aquilius and his cohort, with the aid of the Hero of Kvatch, sealed the Oblivion Gate for good.

Their legion was pretty much out of the Crisis after that, drained and under-manned, they rested. The more intact portions of their legion were drawn from the fort to protect the Imperial City. Left behind, Aquilius and the remainder of his cohort, along with several other depleted cohorts, held their own for around three months until the end of the Crisis. Once they had been replenished and were ready to march again, Aquilius and his legion were ready. They were to march to the Black Marsh border and investigate the reports of a marauder horde growing in the aftermath of the Crisis. The scouts were sent out...but they didn't return. Aquilius was one of the only survivors of their expedition into hostile territory. For five bitter months, he was forced to fight in a makeshift arena, with no weapons, against other captives. Be they fellow legionnaires, citizens, or wild animals. In the end, he was freed, and his term of service was ended early...lest more misfortune befall him.

After he was released from the Legion, Aquilius began to ply his trade as a mercenary and bodyguard. Traveling across Cyrodiil he protected nobles, acted as the arbiter for merchants, and even lead the charge with other mercenaries against several encampments of bandits. His most recent employer sent him from Cyrodiil to Skyrim, hunting for an ancient relic in the frozen far north. An ancient amulet from the days of the Akaviri Invasion, dubbed "The Coiled Serpent". He eventually discovered it, and is now finally returning to his home land, going towards the Imperial City to give the amulet to his client, and to get his Divines be damned money.

Miscellanea:Not at the moment.