Castle Moonhall, Stormhold, Black Marsh
23rd of Midyear, 4E 205
Rules-With-Claw and the Various representatives of Tamriel
After a long rest, Balgruuf entered into the Summit Room, in his usual spot. He began his day with a bottle of Mead, while his advisors started off their day with a glass of wine. Balgruuf sat first in the room, discussing any remaining points that had to be done. “ We have made deals with the Dunmer , Redguards , Orcs and Bretons , we should begin seeing what the Argonians want and the Khajiit want, on top of that push the idea that all nations shall work on the docks togehter , and lastly what side of the Khajiit’s should we trade with? “ asked on of the advisors.
Aelid and his entourage would enter the summit, sitting down in the same place they had before. He appeared calm and reserved once more, refreshed from the events of yesterday. Hearing the end bit of Balgruuf’s advisor, Aelid piped in.
“I agree, the more cooperation between the Realms the better. Altmer Craftsmen shall be deployed to Black Marsh upon my return to Alinor to begin construction of the first of the trade ports. The Dominion would advise the Kingdom of Skyrim to aid Morrowind in creating their trade port in Vvardenfell, if they wish to assist in this project. Though speaking of Morrowind..” Aelid turned to the High Justicar and spoke to her;
“I believe the High Justicar proposed sending a Battalion of Thalmor soldiers to Morrowind in order to maintain Peace and ease the workload of your own Dunmer security forces. Think of it as a gift to our newfound friendship.”
Among the other representatives, Ildoryn was first to enter the hall after the Argonians. He watched each representative walk inside in grandiose attires, as if trying to out dress each other. Ildoryn himself was wearing an ornate Ebony armor, but he dresses in it as a precaution, not for attention. Once Aelid mentions Vvardenfell, Ildoryn shifted his attention towards the Altmer leader, and listened further.
“Morrowind gladly accepts the help of the Nords and Altmer on the construction, we will see to it that the construction of the port will pose new opportunities for our people.” Ildoryn pauses for a second after seeing a Dunmer messenger enter the room. “As for the Dominion’s gift, Morrowind gladly accepts it, our lands in the south succumbed to chaos after we’ve moved further north, we could use all the help we can get to bring order back.”
Upon finishing his words, Ilodryn turned to the messenger and took the scroll and began to read its contents, distracting him of what was going on the meeting.
“ I have something to ask of the High Elves “ Balgruuf said. “ The College of Winterhold.. is back into shape.. however I seem to lack .. trust. After the Eye of Magnus , and general disruptions in Winterhold, People alike feel magic in skyrim has no use, and convention warfare is the way to go, I was one of them, until Jartod re-made the guild, and had a new arch-mage in it, I propose that some High Elf mages teach some students about magic, for a brief period of time.. “ purposed Balgruuf, opening his first bottle of mead.
The High Elf smirked slightly at the Nord and popped a bottle of summer wine, brought from the Isles on the High King’s ship. Pouring himself a goblet, he would stir a golden finger over the rim of the cup lucratively as he stared at the Nord.
“Our Arcane Society is truly one of the Envies of the World, at least as far as Magicka is concerned. We may be persuaded to send tutors to the College. But the real question is, what could the Nords do in return for us..? Perhaps if some Nordic warriors were to pledge themselves to the Dominion in return, I could convince the Arch-Mage of the Society to indeed send some Mages. The Society is just terribly busy, and we must send our limited amount of Mages only to the worthiest of tasks. I’m sure you understand.”
“Hm.. very well , I must speak with Jartod concerning this, but I understand.” Balgruuf said, taking brief jote notes. “ But first, the construction of the docks in Black Marsh, Rules-With-Claws must elect one city, before I could appoint a contractor to lay out the plans , then the Nords will supply stone , Glass , Clay and Iron Bars , nothing more. “ said Balgruuf.
One of the later arrivals at the summit, Rules-With-Claw and Stalks-The-Stars walked into the summit much as they left it the day before. Rules-With-Claw remained in the scarred, etched ebony that told tales of the past, while this time Stalks-The-Stars was in only slightly formal robes. It seemed he felt unfearing of the meetings participants and, being that this was his city, he felt more than content to act as he saw fit. Sitting at the head of the table, they said nothing and allowed the conversation to continue.
“The Hands of Mer shall lay the bricks sent by Men, it appears this summit is actually getting somewhere. If I would advise Black Marsh, I would recommend Lillmoth. My fleet currently resides there, and it appears a little… cramped. But the perfect coastal city for trade.” Aelid said with a nod. He then turned back to the Nord, a idea having come to him.
“We should like Lillmoth’s expansion, yes: but we want more than that. To use the Nord’s plan, we will have Lillmoth as a city for exportation, while a second city: a city that shall be constructed by an alliance of workers and nations, shall be the city Black Marsh makes imports from. There is a site in the most southerly corner that would make a fine location for a new city. Until then, we would be content with Lillmoth acting as our link to the outside world.” Rules-With-Claw nods, before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the source of interest yesterday: the small vials of Hist-sap. He placed them on the table, but said no more about them.
“If we receive these Nord Warriors for the Tutors at the College and indeed like them, then we would ask for a Dominion funded Mercenary group be found in Solitude. Nords across Skyrim who have fallen on hard times can sell their sword arm to the Dominion for gold.”
“ I’m sorry, I’ll give you these Nord Warriors but a Dominion funded Merc group wouldn’t fit in well, due to the Companions being the primary fighting guild for Skyrim, we’ll have the exchange and I’ll offer a small batch of mercenaries who you may ask to get their services, their costs and numbers will be decided later. “ stated Jartod , nodding to Aelid.
Aelid flashed a smile, and spoke; “Are you sure? The Companions are a small and elite unit specializing in taking care of the people of Skyrim. The Mercenary group I propose would have nothing to do with Skyrim. You sign up, get your gold, and are shipped off to whatever region the Dominion needs the Nords in. The two groups would never even meet.”
“”Let the group be Nord Operated and run, the money however can be from Dominion hands”
purposed Balgruuf
The High King of the Dominion bit his lip, they were close now. They almost had a deal. He could understand wanting Nords to operate and run it, it would just make everything run smoother and everyone feel more comfortable in Skyrim. Yet the Nords would have to get used to looking at Altmer faces soon enough..
“Agreed, with the stipulation that at least one Thalmor Representative will be there to advise the Nord Owners.”
“No Offense, but we wouldn’t prefer a representative, it makes people uneasy and not willing to work, I’ll have a full set of regulations imposed by Jartod later , but consider this a start to the dealings. ”
“You want me to pay gold for Nords to sign up to fight for the Dominion, but don’t want those Nords to have anything to do with the Altmer? The Thalmor are more than happy to fund this little venture, but we won’t fund something that we don’t even have a set of eyes on. No offense yourself, but how do I know the money is being spent properly? No, I’m afraid I need someone there I know and trust to give me reports that everything is running smoothly.”
“ Very well, the representative can come, but… only three times a week , not including the day when the money is dropped off” said Balgruuf.
Aelid smiled and nodded in the affirmative. “While not ideal, I think this is an acceptable compromise. I shall make all attempts to not have my Representative be too intrusive into your dealings. I simply want to make sure the money is going where it is supposed to and the troops well-equipped. Simple things like that.”
“ Weapons and Armour shall be made by us, all you focus is on is having the money”
“You are too kind, Nord. It’s strange your race can be so damned thick-headed, and yet generous too. With our burgeoning new trade route with High Rock, I can assure you the coin will flow into Skyrim, as long as your swords flow out.”
“If I might take a moment to first offer trade agreements with Skyrim, Orsimer, Hammerfell and Black marsh. Jarl Balgruuf, your former hold of Whiterun is known for it’s steel, and I would like to see what you would ask for it… I would put the same to Orsinium… but they don’t appear to be present... And speaking of Hammerfell… I have a spin on the offer you may find interesting” The Councillor said, turning to the redguards “Seeing as how you and Skyrim were negotiating over wood, I would first like to offer to assist in this trade, seeing how Cyrodiil has no shortage of wood. “ Not anything more than an opening point with the two nations at the moment… he’d see if either of them were interested in any further negotiations first, given the Empires reputation
Balgruuf has his first swing of the mead, looking to the Councillor. “The Steel in Whiterun is “Special” , we would offer Imperials weapons and Armour, in-exchange for a fee of per set and per blade , simple as that… I must speak with Jartod to see if he’s willing to deal with the … Empire .. but if things go well … we may have a deal .. on the topic of the Hammerfall and Skyrim trade deal , the Orcs , that haven't arrived yet wanted to charge me a tax , for weight , if you know a better route to Hammerfall , half of the shipment could be from Skyrim, and the other half from Cyrodiil, the gold being split ” Purposed Balgruuf.
“Of course, we will pay a small fee for your sets, we’re not thieves after all” The Councillor said with a smile
Dornthal sat at ease once more as the summit continued, taking small sips of wine. At the proposal from the Cyrodiil repetitive. He waited for a moment as if weighing his response before answering. "There would have been a time where my answer would have been a simple refusal. It is no secret the Empire proved itself weak in the ending days of the Great War, and our people still remember that betrayal even to this day. Redguards of Hammerfell a weary of dealing with an empire so quick turn meek at the face of adversity. However, that is the past, in the present day the Empire has begun to prove that it still holds at least some of it's old honor with their quick victory in Valenwood. So it with Temijen's wishes that our relationship be reforged anew, a clean slate offered in which your empire can rewrite it's previous wrongs."
Dornthal took another sip of wine then continued. "It is with that I also would inform you of Hammerfell's willingness to open it's harbors to trade from the Empire as well. Silks, fine wine, rare gems and jewels from the heart of a the Alik'r Desert, are among the many treasures we can offer, but Temijen wishes more than just a trade agreement. However, beyond our current need of lumber, what else would the Empire offer us?" Dornthal made sure not to give too much away just yet, he would goad the empire on just a bit more before offering anything else.
“Where are the orcs? “ asked one of the advisors. “ A pressing matter seems to enter my mind! “
After recovering from yesterday’s drinking, S’arah made herself a promise to not take a single sip of alcohol today. Joining two militiamen in the corner seats, S’arah reached for a sweetroll to start her breakfast. While she ate her food, S’arah adjusted her clothing. The tigress had purchased a blue noble dress from an Argonian tailor, in addition, she also worn a set of glass pauldron and bracer to give her outfit a more protected look. Though her armored dress seemed strange on Tamriel, it was a common setup for Ka Po’ Tun noblewomen.
“Morning boss,” a militiaman greeted. “This one received some bad news, Corinthe has fallen to the north.”
The tigress was not surprised, the drunken heap of a cat they called the mayor was nothing without her help. “And what of our comrades?”
“Most of the guards fought to their death. But our militia escaped with few casualties, they have taken refuge in Senchal and pledged their allegiance to its mayor. We need have a talk with the north today, cowards attacked without declaration... ”
Before S’arah could respond, she was interrupted by the entrance of an Orc.
“Honorable representatives,” he shouted to attract attentions. “My lord, Yagurz has a hangov...uh...caught a minor case of swamp fever. He will be absent for a short period and should return later.”
Rules-With-Claw seemed bemused by the news that someone had been caught ill at his summit, but the smile on Stalks-The-Stars face was one of amusement. He was tempted to offer the Orc a trip to the healer, but he hardly wanted to insult the prideful Greenskin’s honour. They had been good to the Argonian’s summit thusfar...Respectful, even.
An obvious grin can be seen on Ildoryn’s face while he reads the scroll. Upon reading all of the contents, Ildoryn lifts his head back up and turns to look at the representatives around the table. He murmurs a few words indirectly to the guard beside him, before turning back his attention to the meeting. “I apologize for that, was there any transactions that Morrowind should be concerned?”
Yagurz groggily woke, fumbling to put on his armor properly. It was some sort of swamp sickness that had gotten to him. Or he was just getting old. Probably the latter. Yagurz yawned, strapping his axe to his hip and began the march down the hallway alongside his entourage. The lot of them were burly, and you could probably hear them coming from a mile away. Yagurz turned to one of his guards, motioning him over, “Take a companion with you and await the Bretons. Tell them that we need to talk later.” The guard nodded and took another Orc alongside him to the Breton’s quarters to deliver a message.
However, it was at that point that Yagurz entered the Summit Chambers with a groan. He wasn’t hungover, by any means...merely groggy. The swamps had a tendency to do that to him. He was just like that in Leyawiin during the pacification efforts following the Great War. Yagurz took his seat at the table and looked around, cracking his neck before speaking, “Good morning, esteemed representatives. If you have an offer for Orsinium, let us hear it.”
The Councillor nodded in response to Dornthal “Besides the wood we have to offer, we too have wines. Veins of gold and silver run beneath Cyrodiil, though obviously not to the extent of the Nords rich lands. Resources dot the landscape, ancient ayleid ruins hold precious stones with magical properties... But given that you said that you are interested in more than a trade agreement, we can offer friendship. The Empire’s legions make for powerful allies, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more disciplined, organised and diverse force in all Tamriel. Our navy may not be as good as yours or the elves, but they’re loyal and willing. The Empire can offer much to friends” The Councillor turned his head to Chieftain Yagurz
“It’s no secret that your people are great craftsmen, Chieftain Yagurz. The Empire is looking for someone to craft better arms and armour for them in the north, and we’re wondering which of the Northern nations would be the better choice for such an agreement. As you saw, Skyrim would consider an agreement over their well known Skyforge Steel, but I’m wondering what the Orsimer would think of such an agreement?”
Yagurz ran his thick armored hand through his beard, pondering on the Councillor’s words as he considered the forging capabilities of Orsinium, it was true that the Orcs were some of the best craftsmen in all of Tamriel, but it all came down to the size of the agreement, “Well,” he began, “it depends on how large of an order you are speaking of. Supplying, say, a single legion is a non-issue, though it would occupy the vast majority of our major foundries, leaving some of the minor foundries for domestic use. However, if you are talking greater than a single legion, we would need to expand our forging infrastructure to a higher degree. The Nords have the luxury of a larger landmass than us, but we can expand our current foundries if we are paid well enough. Ultimately, we would need to know how much you want, and what you can offer us in exchange. Coin? Some form of knowledge? It depends. We would love to trade with the Empire, but for what is the question.”
“Ultimately the Skyforge is but a single forge, I don’t think they would be able to match Orisium with a single forge. But I do understand your concern, we attempted to upgrade our armours in the past only to find those with the knowledge inside our own lands were too few, not it seems the forges of the Orcs are too few. Regardless, we can offer a lot of coin for the armour and weaponry, Orcish is of renowned quality, the weapons superior to many other forms and we obviously wish to capitalise on such an opportunity. The money we pay may help you to expand your foundries, though I’m sure we could also invest in the Orcs for such, the long term payoffs could be grand. But overall, we will pay in coin and we want to equip as many of our legions as possible, uniformity across the armies is important”
Yagurz looked a bit like a deer-in-the-carriage-lights once he heard the offer of the Imperials. He knew that the idea of outfitting the entire Imperial Legion with armor and weaponry would take an extreme amount of materials, time, and a grand expansion of their foundries. Before it was all over, Burkash would probably be known as ‘Burkash the Builder’ due to the programs that would take place under his leadership. Yagurz spoke carefully, “I can see why you would come to us, then...true, a single forge would not be able to even remotely fill an order of that scale, no matter how many smiths you had working it. We can fill your order, but as I said, we will have to expand our foundries. We have many smiths, outfitting your Legions won’t be an issue with foundries to match them.”
“Of course, we understand that the order will be slow to progress due to the construction of your foundries, but we are willing to wait. After all, unless enough Ebony or Glass to supply the Empire suddenly crops out of the ground, you are easily one of the best options for equipment”
Yagurz smiled, a rare sight from the orc, “Fair enough. We will happily supply the Empire. Send an Emissary to Orsinium soon. Burkash will give them an estimation on cost and such, though, we will have to work out a deal with either the Bretons or the Redguards to transport them to a convenient location for transfer.”
“Understood, I shall send for for an emissary will be dispatched to Orsinium. As for working out transport deals, the Bretons are part of the Empire and would likely benefit as a result of being part of an Empire with legions equipped in some of the best armour and weapons we can find, I’m sure they would put a small tax on the transfer, but I doubt it would be too much trouble to get them to strike a deal.”
Yagurz nodded and took his own notes on the deal, “Fair enough, Councillor. I will inform King Burkash of our arrangement.” Yagurz sighed and looked around the room, “Are there any others who seek a deal with the Orcs at this time?”
“One Deal, from the Nords.” said an Advisor. ‘Well two if you think about it.“ said the Advisor once more. “ First off, the Nords purpose to the orcs , a blacksmith guild be created. “ stated on the advisors. “ The guild shall revolve around teaching the way of smithing but also resolving mine dispute and resource disputes” “Then next off, the issue of Gloombound Mine.” stated Balgruuf. “ The mine is on Skyrim’s land, but it’s where a orc stronghold is, so I purpose , to begin the state of dealings a deal of 60/40 in the Nords favor + 10,000 Per Extraction for the Orc Stronghold.” stated Balgruuf, looking to Yagurz.
Dornthal nodded as he listened to the Councillor before responding. "Indeed, it is our belief that this new Empire can a prove most reliable ally. In fact, Temijen aims to cultivate our common interest into a defensive alliance, if you will. So as long as neither side is the instigator of a conflict, the blades of Hammerfell will be prepared to defend our common interest. Of course this new agreement will prove invaluable in defending our trade interest abroad, with The Imperial navy in the south and east, and the Yokudan in the west we would have quite the formidable defense for our trading interest. However, I would further wish to invite the Bretons into this agreement as well. Such pact would all but insure the safety of our trading fleets."
“Indeed, I have no doubt such an alliance would be a boon to us both. As for the Bretons, I believe inviting their kingdoms navies into this pact would be useful as well, supplementing those provided by the Imperial Navy” The Councillor said with a nod
Aelid coughed and seemed to search for the proper words. He knew that the other representatives would hate him for it, but he cared little. It was becoming increasingly obvious a fair amount of the Representatives only respect strength, and after Aelid was seen putting up little fight during the Bosmer Rebellion, he knew he had to prove himself.
“And why should the Dominion allow such a deal? Military Alliances in the North-West and upgrading the Imperial Legions with better armor and weapons? I will make it clear that if the Dominion feels threatened, we shall strike first, and swiftly.
“Well, King Aelid, I must say that this is interesting, whatever happened to ‘Men under one banner, Mer under one banner’?” The Councillor questioned as Aelid stepped in to oppose the Military Alliance
“Indeed, but as I said, One Banner to bring Harmony and Tranquility to Tamriel. The Altmer, as you should know, live a long time. Because of this, we have not forgotten what happens when Men band together and focus on Military technologies. We would not see Alinor and the rest of Tamriel burn under the Second Founding of your Empire of Man. Men united the lands with blood, and that is the truth of it.” Aelid nodded to the Councilor.
“A military alliance for defensive purposes, as has been stressed, will help to maintain those values. It’s much less likely that someone would attack a nation which has allies than one which is a sitting duck. As for military technologies, equipping the legion with better equipment to bring them up to par with some of the other nations is understandably concerning to you, but we did just sign a peace treaty, would it not be a disaster for our images if we were to go to war again so soon?”
“Indeed it would, but nobody ever said the Empire was smart. The Dominion shall watch this union carefully, and if ships are amassed in Bravil or Stros M’Kai, and I promise we shall deal with them effectively.” Hearing the Redguard speak, Aelid would raise a eyebrow inquisitively, before finishing up.
"Your fears King Aelid of a military alliance, while well founded, are baseless, as the councilor has pointed out. This is a defense pact, aimed in securing our trading fleets. It should come as no news to anyone with the events at the shores of Elsweyr and Stros M'kai that pirates are getting bolder every season." Dornthal sighed, and took a small sip of water.
“I shall agree to this Union with one stipulation. I am sending Trade and Cargo to Daggerfall and the rest of High Rock, yet my ships must sail close to Hammerfell to accomplish this thing. If my trading ships are promised safe passage to High Rock from both the Empire and Redguard, Then The Dominion will consent to this.”
“King Aelid, High Rock is a province of the Empire, by that alone the Imperial Navy is pledged to ensure that any vessels passing through High Rocks water are not raided by pirates or the likes. We’ve even sent ships to hunt down Dupont’s raider, though they are finding limited success due to the majority being in Hammerfells waters. Therefore, the Empire guarantees that your ships will receive equal protection under law and the navy as all other ships in those waters do, after all damaging High Rock damages the Empire.”
Dornthal narrowed his eyes at that, another redguard, a lord of some standing by his formal dress and rich jewels, whispered in his ear. The two seemed to argue in hushed whispers for a time, then finally, Dornthal returned his attention to the summit at large. A resigned look on his face as he spoke. "To this we can agree to, however only if the Altmer agree to searches by our coastal patrols. No goods will be seized or damaged, unless we believe them to be used for some heinous goal, but we hardly want the Aldmeri Dominion smuggling troops right under our noses."
Aelid honestly wasn’t sure if he should be offended or find this hilarious. Sneaking Dominion troops past the Redguard right into High Rock? That would be both brilliant and incredibly impractical.
“As the Councilor said, High Rock is a Imperial Province. I doubt they would accept Thalmor troops. They were barely accepting of a Dominion Representative being sent. We shall accept searches AT RANDOM of ships, though we refuse to have every single ship searched. It is frivolous and simply slows down my merchants. I give you the option of random ship searches to put your mind at ease, however.”
"Very well then. Trading vessels shall be allowed to cross our waters under the agreed terms."
Balgruuf sat and watched the talks, his advisors busy writing all of this down like the other various conversations. “ I’d like to speak with the Orcs , about two things, and lastly I would like to speak to the High Elfs and Imperials to finish off our trade deals, same with the Redguards to as well “ stated Balgruuf, grabbing four sheets of paper
Dornthal swallowed the slice of meat he had eaten and took a sip of wine before responding to Balgruuf. "Ah yes, there are several detail left to discuss, should the empire be so kind to allow it, the wood can circumvent Orsinium all together, while the rest of our trade can traverse the open waters to the ports of Solitude and Dawnstar. Meanwhile we can send over the best shipwright's we have to offer to help build Skyrims new navy. They will oversee their construction and can offers countless decades of shipbuilding perfected since we Yokudan's first stepped foot in Tamriel."
“ Very well , I also , invite you to join the Black Smithing Guild , a guild that shall be formed by Skyrim to oversee all Minerals and Ores , Miners and also teach the way of smithing to Tamerials People, and lastly I would also buy silk from Hammerfall , and other clothing materials as well.” purposed Balgruuf, writing down the last of the Redguard - Nord Dealings.
"The Dragontail mountains are also rich in ore, Hammerfell would stand to gain in working with this 'Black Smithing Guild.' Also of the fine silks, and textiles we have to offer, they too of course will be part of the trade deal, as well as any other goods that are bought and sold in the port cities of Hammerfell, of which there are many have no doubt, Skyrim will gain much in this agreement, as Hammerfell will also benefit." Dornthal seemed pleased with this agreement, with the mining expertise if this guild, unlocking the riches in Dragontail mountain would become much easier.
Balgruuf let out a quick smile before he went to writing the last of the deal.
Yagurz looked to Balgruuf’s advisor and sighed, “I cannot cede any mineral rights from Gloombound mine. It is the only way for Narzulbur to make it’s livelihood. However, we would be pleased to participate in this guild. However, where will it be based? If possible, we could have a hall in Orsinium and, to my understanding you have an impressive forge in the city of Whiterun.” He then turned and looked to Balgruuf himself, “And what is it you wish to speak of?”
“ Gloombound Mine , I feel your side of the argument, since this mine is the driving force of the economy for them, but it is the largest source of Ebony in Skyrim, we request that at least some Ebony per month be used for Skyrim? “asked Balgruuf.
Yagurz sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a minute before speaking, “I am sorry, but it simply cannot be done. However, I am sure that the Dunmer would be more than willing to trade you for Ebony. It is to my understanding that ebony is plentiful in the lands of the Dunmer.” He then looked to Aelid, “If the prospect of the Imperial Legion being outfitted with our weapons and armor is an issue to you, we would be more than happy to make the same deal with you.”
“ Very well, I’ll message you when to expect the Blacksmithing Guild to begin it’s preparations and construction of buildings. Balgruuf wrote down the last words
The High King of the Dominion rubbed at his chin in thought, unsure of this deal. He knew the Orcs had vast forges and expertise in these matters, but did they match up to Elven craftsmanship? He decided it would need to be put to the test. He smiled polietly, and nodded to the Orc.
“Perhaps this deal may be struck. When I send my Representatives to your Strongholds to see the strength of the Orcs, we shall also test Orcish steel against our own. If we find it superior in certain aspects, we would be happy to update the Dominion’s Military with such finely crafted tools.”
Yagurz nodded and wrote that down as well, “Fair enough, I will work on such a deal with our smiths. However, you will be paying the same rates as the Imperials, therefore I would respectfully request that both of your emissaries arrive at around the same time, that way we can all discuss how this will work.”
“The same rates as the Imperials? Fair enough, I suppose. The Emissary will be sent immediately upon my return home. Are you sure you're Smiths can handle such an Operation though..? You are hard workers and smiths, but a landless people. Can you truly outfit both the Entire Dominion and Empire?”
Yagurz smiled and leaned back, “Do not worry about my side of the logistics, good King. We can most assuredly handle this alone.”
Dornthal quickly chimed in on the subject of the guild. "As for the Blacksmith Guild involving Hammerfell. I believe the building of a chapter house within the inland province of Totambu would be an excellent position to make full use of the guild skills."
“ I’ll speak with Jartod about settling an official Rule Sheet for the Guild , he’ll appoint a representative to handle guild operations in Skyrim, I suggest you do the same. Once this is done , and the first chapter house is made we’ll begin the rules and how pay shall be divided out.” planned Balgruuf, writing a new entry on the blacksmith Guild. “ Oh and one last thing, if the Orcs need help with the orders at any time of the stage , the guild would most certainly be available” added Balgruuf.
Rules-With-Claw was most happy with the summit thus far. For generations to come, this was looking to be known as the summit that brokered an age of peace in Tamriel. The Altmer and the Empire were agreeing to peace and every nation seemed to be dealing with each other to some extent or another. The proposition of a Tamriel-wide trade pact was ingenious, and no doubt had huge implications for Black Marsh.
Yet one other issue still remained. Black Marsh was immeasurably improved by all of the dealings, yet one other nation had been left relatively untouched, despite its importance and close proximity.
It was Stalks-The-Stars who spoke next. He received a nod from his father, before standing up and looking over the gathered attendants. “Esteemed lords and brokers of deals.We all know that this summit is proving a great success. Each nation looks to profit from the dealings done here, yet one nation is left in the dust. Shall we turn our attention to the divided Elsweyr? We have representatives from both sides, and even know: word reaches us that the north has invaded a southern town. I for one, would like to hear justification for this act. From the Northern representative, and from the Imperials who fund these...disputable actions.” Stalks-The-Stars smiled, before turning to the Khajiit representative and the Empire’s representatives. He was calling them out very openly, seeing just who he should support. Careful maneuvering here could end generations of Khajiit-Argonian hate.
“If I may speak first, on behalf of the Empire.” The Councillor said “Elsweyr has always been a relatively divided and unstable region, held together by the Mane in most cases. With the death of the Mane, of whom the killer is still uncertain and unknown, the South and the North have begun another dispute. This is not uncommon in Khajiit history, and we believe that the problem would sort it’s self, if there was a Mane. In place of the Mane, his former Guardian has, as I’m sure you know, taken over running of the nation on behalf of the Khajiit, with an Imperial Governor-Militant serving as an advisor in this time. The Norths actions against the south are ill advised, and we have been trying to reach a peaceful resolution, but our calls for a peace meeting with the south were promptly ignored. While I do not support a civil war in Elsweyr, I can see the reasoning behind the Norths actions, and the Governor Militant is pledged to assist the former Guardian. I hope that we can, today, solve this issue before it grows even larger, but I fear that we will be facing an inevitable Civil War.”
“You will forgive me, representative: but I am not satisfied with the situation. No matter how small a part you play, you are still on the side of a ruler who slaughtered innocents. Suppose you find this new Mane: he will be a child. At the whim of this callous man, and need I remind you of the hatred Khajiit hold for my people? What is to stop this man from attacking Black Marsh, under the guise of this puppet Mane? I move to propose that we support the Southern half of Elsweyr.
“I must stand against you here, firstly being they would have to cross Cyrodiil to take a stab at your people, and marching an army of Khajiit across Cyrodiil without attracting the attention of the Empire is not an easy task. The South and the North have never truly agreed except when under a Mane. As for being at the whim of a callous man, there is an imperial administration in Elsweyr designed and set up to advise the current Northern Government and..”
“Look at how much your advice is being listened to now, Imperial.”
“I should point out not even five years ago they weren’t even under Imperial sovereignty. Conflicts such as this have much deeper roots and neither north nor south is willing to listen to reason at the current time, it would seem. As for this slaughter of innocents, I do not believe that the attack on Corinthe was designed to slaughter it’s people so much as seize control of the town, it’s a war and towns will be attacked, what’s important is stopping more attacks, and the solution to that is not through the north's military endeavours, or the souths rebellion, but through a proper, negotiated decision.”
“Are you telling me that the lives lost in the attack on Corinthe were justifiably lost because of this false ruler’s intent to capture the town? I do not accept that. Nor do I accept that this war is inevitable. Were such hatreds set in stone, would this summit not be pointless? Would the Altmer and the empire not also be a conflict with ‘Much deeper roots’?”
“Look at any period when the Khajiit have not been under a Mane, almost all of them have been war torn. It has been this way for longer than this Dominion has been standing. I am not claiming any lives were justifiably lost, I am claiming we cannot say that in a war there is not going to be loses, and we cannot call these losses deliberate attempts to slaughter innocent people”
“I think you misunderstand my intent, Councillor. I do not wish to blame the Empire for this, as much as I wish for the being who is attacking the south without major provocation be dealt with. I am proposing to representative S’arah that she will receive allies from the Argonians, if she wishes them. We will not see our fellow ‘Beasts’ be slaughtered by an unfair fight.” Stalks-The-Stars practically spat out the word beast. Hating the connotations of it, as if the Argonians and the Khajiit were lesser than Men or Mer. Stalks-The-Stars couldn’t help but smile slightly at the prospect of the unfamiliar, Un-Khajiit catfolk being so thoroughly under pressure. She would have an opportunity here, let us see how she could exploit it.
After observing the fray for the last day and half, S’arah was finally invited to speak. To be honest, she wanted no part in this conversation. But at situations of such, words are capable of much more harm than blades or magic.
“We from Southern Elsweyr salute the Argonians’ willingness for justice and cooperation,” S’arah announced as she quickly gazed at the Argonian lord. Turning her gaze back to the Imperial Councillor, she changed her tone to a harsher one. “The Imperials of Cyrodiil and their Northern puppets once again moved to destabilize our Confederation. Not only do they sack the free city of Corinthe, we also have news of a raid and abduction in Senchal. Let us not only hear from this Councillor of an outside realm, but from the representatives of the North itself.”
Balgruuf sat on the seat, looking to the Elsweyr representatives. “ Skyrim doesn’t have a stance on it, nor what side we support at the moment, we feel however that it’s a matter for the Khajiits to solve, a civil conflict that requires no outside intervene , if I may say, if there is a spill over onto your lands , you may engage with the hostile forces, but until then…. the Khajiit should be able to take care of their own problem” stated Balgruuf.
“Your own civil conflict was not without ‘outside’ interference, Balgruuf, or do you forget the Imperials who died on Whiterun’s doorstep, defending it from Ulfric. If you think I will sit and watch as innocent beings are slaughtered in within helping distance, you are sadly mistaken, and I have overestimated the Nord’s sense of honour.”
“ I ain’t saying in that way, that I enjoy this slaughter , that I enjoy a country being split apart due to ideology's, I know this. I lost my hold because of this. But if we assist one side, it’ll come back to haunt us , it’ll be wise if we send healers and basic medical teams to treat civilians and troops of both side and help maintain cease-fire zones and purpose peace talks , but those conflict should remain the choice of the Khajiit, not outside superpowers wanting a piece or something out of the Khajiit.” said Balgruuf
Yagurz grumbled a bit before looking to Khajiiti representatives, and then looking to Rules-With-Claws, “If a cease to conflict is what is being sought after, then perhaps it would be best for leaders of each side of the conflict to call a ceasefire and work out their differences in a neutral location, such as Skyrim, Hammerfell, Orsinium, Morrowind, or really any other province.”
At the suggestions of various leaders, a militiaman perked up with rage. “How can all of you talk of ceasefire when they have just sacked our city? None of you understand what this is, the North wants to destroy our lives, and we’ll fight back to destroy theirs!” S’arah placed a sharp glance on the Khajiit, telling him to stop talking.
“While what my colleague said was rash, his sentiment is certainly correct ” S’arah continued from the militiaman’s rant. “We cannot negotiate when Corinthe is under occupation and other territories under constant harassment. Lord Argonian, we ask for your assistance in protecting our homeland, as the warriors of Black Marsh would act as fine peacekeepers. In addition, we would also like to extend trade with various nations. The Imperial occupation and their puppets currently maintain a blockade without any justification. This heavy reduction in trade brought upon supply shortages, causing unnecessary suffering for our people.”
“We attacked Corinthe with the aim of killing no innocents and only those who pose a threat! Any innocents that did die, died in a conflict that shouldn’t have happened but everyone is to blame for! Ab’Farahn finds it funny how you go on about us destroying your cities, rightfully, the cities are also ours. Also, you can’t talk, you’re the ones who burnt down our towns, including Takar!” Roared Ab’Farahn. With a face of disgust. “It’s our land, don’t you see, the both of us, all the Khajjit. But it’s impossible to negotiate when we are both fighting each other! And what are we fighting over? The death of the Mane? He will return in another form! until then we wait. We are the land of Elsweyr with our great canyons and cities! We should be together! Surely we can settle this soon.” Then he paused to think. “And we are not northern puppets! They have not controlled any of the Northern methods in the war! And an abduction? We certainly have nothing to do with that, and if you’re accusing the Empire of it, Why would they need to?! They have Northern Elsweyr on their side, and soon hopefully an allied, peaceful Elsweyr. They would have no need. Personally, Ab’Farahn thinks that an enemy of the Empire, The many that we have,” He laughed “Did it and tried to blame on the Empire…” He paused again. “Argonian, we would have no need to attack you unless you were in the way of our conflict with the south. Ab’Farahn gives you his word. You stay out of this, and nothing will happen to you. Why are North and South in a war. Can’t we just end it now. We are like two pieces of a puzzle, only we are not pieced together. On a final note, Ab’Farahn is fed up of everyone taking their own part in our conflict, stay out of it for your own sake, if not ours… Thank you!” He raised his hand to indicate that he was done talking.
The Councillor stepped in to speak again “While Ab’Farahn’s reply could have been more constrained, you can understand his displeasure, considering he’s just been called a false ruler and beset by both Black Marsh and the South, who have attempted to make the South appear angelic and the north appear aggressive. The burning of Takar came before the attack on Corinthe, and unlike Corinthe, where much of the civilian population still lives, there was only one survivor from Takar. As for the accusations of abduction, what does the North stand to gain from that? All they would have needed to do is take over all of Elsweyr and the abduction would have been entirely pointless, no, there is some external hand in that one, and either side in this conflict would have done such a thing. Ab’Farahn’s word that he would only attack Argonian forces if they were to be fighting for the south may not mean much to you, but the Empire shall ensure that he sticks to it, as for a ceasefire, it has been called for and promptly ignored, so it is not true that the south is trying to avoid this conflict. The south can slander the North and it’s Imperial allies all they want, but they have shown their arguments to be hollow and their accusations to be heavily hypocritical. Indeed, I find it odd that I was prevented from making a speech against the Thalmor earlier, which was arguably less insulting and hypocritical as this one, and yet now the one who prevented me from making my speech is actively joining in on slandering the North, calling their leader a ‘False ruler’ and how they are ‘Imperial Puppets’. Neither the South nor Black Marsh can talk about slaughtering innocents, the attack on Corinthe came after Takar was razed and the Norths lives were destroyed first, so it was not unprovoked, the argument that the North might be involved in an abduction does not stand up to inspection, as they could have just tried over all of Elsweyr and achieve the same, the blockade is in place to stop you importing goods to burn down another town, or are we forgetting Takar? The Arguments here do not stand up to closer inspection and neither side seems to have truly clean hands, no matter how much they want you to think that. As for the outburst from one of the Souths soldier, there’s been a great war in which many people had their homes burnt, including my own, Sacking of the Imperial City and the sort, and certainly Hammerfell has felt such a blow. Black Marsh has ravaged the South of Morrowind not so long ago and the Orcs get routinely invaded by their neighbours, so no, I’m sure none of us know what it’s like at all…”
“Our invasion of Morrowind was the ill-thought out acts of a previous government. The sacking of Corinthe is something that can be addressed, directly, to the perpetrator himself.” Stalks-The-Stars was staring at the Khajiit, sizing him up and offering the catfolk a chance to attack. Daring him, almost. “We of Black Marsh will supply a Battalion of An-Xileel to Southern Elsweyr: purely as peacekeepers. We will not engage in any offensive engagement, including the retaking of Corinthe.”
He paused to let his words have their full effect, before speaking again. “Imperial, you cite example after example of nations failing to help each other.You repeat the times in which neighbours abandoned one another or warred with one another for personal gain. You may wish to propagate another generation of failure, but the new Black Marsh will not do so. Our alliances will be honoured, our pacts made truth and our sense of justice will defend those who have no one else to defend them. If you or your empire call the death of even one innocent life, no matter the reason, then I your banner is already less than dirt.”
The impassioned speech was a cutting one, it seemed that Stalks-The-Stars was a much more opinionated creature than his father. “However, as a sign of good faith: The Argonian people swear that no Shadowscale shall operate in Northern Elsweyr. We want the best resolution, and that means letting the north and south debate it for themselves...Fairly, without the threat of more burning cities or innocent dead.”
“ Before Skyrim talks on the issue , we want to finish of , f trade negotiations with the Imperials.” stated Balgruuf.
The Councillor turned his head to Balgruuf “I think that finishing our negotiations would be an excellent idea, though I think we should not brush over the issue of Elsweyr so quickly, I do think those are more pressing”
“ Skyrim Purposes we send you gold ingots and silver ingots, in exchange for food and various crops, and wine “ said Balgruuf.
The Councillor nodded, somewhat absently as if his mind was still on the topic of Elsweyr “I think we’ll find those terms acceptable, as we have an excess of food, to be sure. I would like to ask for one more thing from you, however. The dawnguard are known to have tamed trolls to serve them, as you can imagine the Empire is quite interested in knowing how once would do this, taming some of Cyrodiils trolls would be very useful to us”
“ The Dawnguard would happily help you, in-exchange however, I would like to install a Dawnguard Military installation in Cyrodiil to fight against Vampires and other Rogue Warlocks and spirits.” Proposed Balgruuf
“A dawnguard military base, you say? I suppose that is acceptable, of course if I would be allowed to choose it’s location and there would be a hndful of Guardsmen on sight to observe and protect, I would propose that it is established in the former Cultist site of Lake Arrius Caverns, having such brave people in a former lair of evil would certainly help calm peoples nerves, especially after recent Cultist troubles in Cheydinhal. Though I must suggest we do get back to the task at hand, I think that Elsweyrs troubles are somewhat more pressing than trade agreements, do you not agree?”
"Morrowind would like to extend its concerns about the event that occurred in Cheydinhal." Says Ildoryn who kept his silence all this time, only to break it when the Imperials mentioned the town near the Velothi Mountains. "According to the reports we received, its the Ordinators of Morrowind that took care of the Cultists hideout in our shared border. Morrowind is the rightful claimant of the site, the Empire cannot decide on what the site will be until Morrowind is finished with its investigations.”
“You are the rightful claimant of Lake Arrius Caverns, which lay near Lake Arrius on our side of the mountains, just above Cheydinhal? I’m afraid that Cheydinhal County is Imperial Land, belonging to the city and Count of Cheydinhal, not Morrowind” Count Cheydinhal said, as he cocked an eyebrow to the Dark Elf’s words “As for taking care of the Cultists, we do thank you for that, they had managed to nestle themselves away quite well in those mountains, but that doesn’t allow you to claim my lands…”
Ildoryn raised his eyebrows for a second before speaking. "Ah, forgive me count, I've merely jumped to the conclusion that you were referring to the cultist hideout my people cleansed for you." Ildoryn snaps his fingers and lets one of his guards carry a jar with scores of dust covering the contents to the count’s chair. "Morrowind would like to apologize for intruding your deal with our Nordic friends, we also take back our claim over the land you were referring to."
The count receives the jar from the guard, who goes back to Ildoryn's side after doing the act. "Its something our men have found on the cave. Since you are the rightful ruler of the land, that jar rightfully belongs to you as well, it would be indecent if Morrowind held on to such a thing." Ildoryn says before plastering a faint smile towards the councilor. "I'm sure your people can protect its citizens well, expect that Morrowind wouldn't extend further claims to your land in the future."
The Count took the jar and wiped off some of the dust from the side, before his face hardened and he placed it down out of sight, under the table… The Councillor looked over and his eyes widened “I… Uh, Yes… Thank you for returning it” The Count stuttered, taken somewhat off guard by the sudden, grotesque image. The Councillor took over quickly, relieving the count
“I’m sure the Count will be careful to step up his efforts in the future…” The Councillor said, choosing his words carefully to try and save face “It showed a very big flaw in the management, one which is being repaired, I assure you...”
“Our people will be relieved to hear of it. It was our kin that suffered the most from the attacks. Morrowind can rest easy, now that the Empire gives us the assurance of safety of the Dunmer in its lands.” Ildoryn added, his face shows a slight expression of satisfaction upon seeing the count turn pale, though he hides it by covering his face with a cup of mead.
Dornthal cleared his throat to gain attention of the summit as the topic of Elsweyr was brought up. "As we are discussing the events in Elsweyr, I do believe we should also bring our attention just a little further west. Valenwood as many of you may know is currently in turmoil, so much so no representative from that land was even able to be sent. The possibility of further conflict is almost assured, and no talk of peace can be taken unless some kind of agreement is made. As it is well known, the Dominion has used Valenwood as a staging platform for their invasions of the rest of Tamriel for as long as any race can remember. Hammerfell hardly wishes it to return to High elven hands any more than the Imperials. Though nothing pertaining to ownership of the province can take place without a Valenwood representative present, we can at least agree that no foreign force may assault the province in any hostile fashion. Thus a non-aggression pact would be most prudent, does everyone agree?"
“ Skyrim can not commit any forces to help the cause , I presume Jartod has a few campaigns planned to eliminate hostile factions in Skyirm.” stated Balgruuf. “ However a Non-Aggression Pact would be good” said Balgruuf.
Aelid would speak now, having listened long enough to the various representatives of nations voice their thoughts and concerns. His face was hard, and serious, as if he knew he must be fierce if to be understood.
“The Aldmeri Dominion has heard much, yet seen little. I applaud the Argonians of Black Marsh for their decisive stand on this issue, and as such I shall do the same. With the agreement of allowing a Dominion Representative who reports to me, not the Thalmor, into the personal council of the Southern Leaders, I would send them aid. This aid would be in the form of ships which would end the Imperial Embargo of the Seas on the South, using force if necessary. Though we are sure it won’t come to that, will it, Councillor?”
“That might help if we had an embargo on the sea’s, Altmer, it’s not us blocking that avenue” The councillor said, cocking an eyebrow “As for your stance, of course you would do so, but your lack of knowledge on the Imperial Embargo’s actions and location shows your true lack of care for the situation or the people of Elsweyr, and your words belie your intentions merely using the suffering of Elsweyr to undermine the Empire for your own ends, but then everyone knew that would be the case, so it’s hardly surprising.”
Aelid smiled and nodded with humility, then took a small sip of his luxurious summer wine in his elven goblet before replying with a slight smirk.
“Imperial, our problem is not with you, but with your intervention in the lands of Elsweyr. Did you not notice that my only demands for the people I would see protected is that food is allowed to reach their shores. Is this too much to ask of such Tyrants as Men? We have only recently struck a peace deal, but bite your tongue, man. I do not fear you.”
The councillor grinned and spoke again “I don’t ask you to fear me as you do not inspire fear in me either, or indeed anyone in this room, the truth of the matter is that you do not really care again, you are simply moving to undermine us once more and make yourself appear bigger, as I pointed out before you don’t seem to care much for the Khajiit, as you didn’t even take the time to find out what the imperial embargo was doing or where it was before you spoke, if you did you would have known the embargo was from Valenwood, and they don’t export any vast quantities for food now, do they? Their only other source of foreign food at the time was the Empire, and you can hardly make yourself independent and expect food to keep coming in, no one would have to renegotiate a trade arrangement, would they not? And, in fact, if you had taken the time to learn ANYTHING about Elsweyr, you would have learnt that it is only near the south that the soil is fertile, so if the north was embargoed a lack of food might make sense, but it is the south whose trade with Valenwood and the Empire has ended, is it not?”
“Make whatever point you will, but do it with a smile and pleasant tone, or I would slit your throat before this entire audience, man.” Aelid said seriously, frowning at the insults of the human.
“I have done my best to keep snide remarks and the like to a minimum, yet you seem to lash out at me with unrestrained fury and hatred. You say I am the bigot..?” Aelid smiled and bowed his head slightly, yet now his smile was cold and malicious.
“Now, I would expect Respect, or shall we take this outside..?” Aelid spoke cheerfully, yet with a dead stillness to him.
“I shall not be spoke down to and have my entire race called Tyrants, when you do it with a proper tone, then maybe I shall. If you try to slit my throat, I tell you that you will face a very staunch resistance. It is clear to anyone that you are the one who is being snide and hateful, considering you just insulted four of the nations at this meeting, one of which has yet to take a side and the other two who are neutral.”
“Your voice drolls on words that have no meaning, Councilor. Perhaps this Cease-fire was a mistake. The Empire still seems weighed down by the past, and by their hatred for my kind.”
“Yes, I hate you because of the past and not because of the way that you insult my kind… I must say you’re tiring me, can you take it back to the matter at hand and stop turning it into a personal vendetta? Thank you.”
“If you’ve such a problem with it, why don’t you come stop me?” Aelid taunted once more with a nod, his hand sliding to his own sword handle.
“My request is a simple one, I have tried vehemently to keep the snide remarks to a minimum, You appear to be doing no such thing. I would ask you to do so, face me with honor, or leave this summit. You disgrace not only the Dominion by having us engage in such petty disputes, but you disgrace the Empire as well as Black Marsh, who must host such a thing.”
“Because we are in a place of diplomacy, and not a field of battle?” The Councillor said, cocking an eyebrow once more as he was asked to fight “Your version of minimum differs greatly from my own, it seems. If this is such a petty dispute, then why are you getting involve and so irate over it, King Aelid?”
“I would not be disrespected over and over while I attempt to keep peace. If you won’t try and play nice, neither will I, Imperial.”
“If you want to keep the peace, maybe you should start by not telling me to fight you. Lets end this petty game and get back to Elsweyr, shall we?”
“You call it a mere ‘fight’, but we both know it to be a Duel, with Honor. The Nords are said to know much of such things, and it is doesn’t surprise me that the Imperials have lost the ways to such a tradition without them. In any case, though, I would agree that the region of Elsweyr is far more important than dealing with a disrespectful ambassador.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m here to act as a diplomat, not duel. And yes, I agree, so let us return to Elsweyrs troubles, and stop this game of tongues, hm? I grow tired of hearing the same words tossed across a table” The Councillor said, shaking his head slowly as he glanced to the Count, who let out a grin before hiding it quickly by taking a drink from his goblet. “Does anyone else wish to voice an opinion on Elsweyr?”
“After such recent transgressions, I believe the Dominion shall send a token force to defensively aid the South as well, as the Argonians have done. I’m sure the Empire understands our concern for the Southern Confederacy.” Aelid nodded, and looked to Rules-With-Claws, wondering what troops he could send to most effectively compliment the Argonians.
“Here to keep the peace he says, yet sends soldiers the next second. Do what you will with your force, may they be blessed with luck, for I think they shall need it.” The Councillor said with a smile, before turning his head to look at the other diplomats “Now, does anyone else have an opinion to voice on Elsweyr”
Aelid smiled legitimately now, actually filled with a light warmth for a moment, and took a sip of his wine. He nodded to the Imperial, seemingly pleased with the man.
“Now you're playing the game of politics, Councillor!” The High King said with a slight chuckle.
Dornthal watched the imperial and mer argue for sometime finding it somewhat amusing at first, but it soon grew old quite quickly.
"Enough of this, I would kindly ask both Imperial and mer to kindly remove the stick firmly lodged up their rear ends and stop bickering like old hens, or fight, kill each other and be done with it. As for the matter of Elsweyr, Hammerfell has no stake in the matter, currently, however the longer the conflict goes on, the less safe the waters in which we wish to trade across become. An agreement between both the south and north must be made if further civil war is to be avoid."
“I agree with the Yokudan. It is my belief that with proper negotiations, Corinthe may be returned to the South, with the agreement that the South pay reparations for...Takar?”
“This is an agreeable first step.” Stalks-The-Stars nods, agreeing with the Altmer’s statement.on the matter. “We will however, continue with our plans to send a battalion of the Au-Xileel as peacekeepers in the south, with the stipulations we have already stated.”
“Outrageous, we will not-” the militiaman’s response was cut by S’arah, who slammed the Khajiit back onto his chair.
“Forgive my colleague here, “the tigress apologized. “The food of Black Marsh have agitated him, perhaps the guards would kindly show him to the latrine?” At her request, two Argonians appeared beside the militiaman, escorting him to a nearby building.
“Now, onto the matter at hand.” S’arah nodded to the Argonian. “Your battalion would be most welcomed in protecting our peace. Contrary to the North’s belief, we also want a united Elsweyr. Therefore we accept all offers under one condition, the rebuilt Takar shall be initially under Southern administration, until an agreement can be reached.”
“Wait…” Ab’Farahn paused for a while. “Ab’Farahn does not see why we should give you back Corinthe and allow you to rebuild Takar under your rule. Almost everyone from Takar is dead anyway, therefore, it is pointless to rebuild it as no one will live there unless they are moved. What makes it even more pointless, is that you will rule it.” Again he paused “Also, Ab’Farahn notices you don’t speak in the way of Khajiit. You don’t name yourself or say ‘she’ or ‘this one’, as Ab’Farahn and other Khajiit do. Ab’Farahn does not believe you are from Elsweyr… Are you, S’arah?” He finished with a sharp, suspicious stare.
“If Ab’Farahn is finished with his nitpicking, we shall return to the main issue.” S’arah countered.
The councillor cut in quickly “In Ab’Farahn’s defense, every Khajiit I have ever met has spoken in such a way, does he not have a right to question why you do not speak as such? If you claim to be of Elsweyr, does he not have a right to question that claim if you do not speak like you are from Elsweyr? If the Empire sent a representative who spoke as though he was from the Thalmor, would nobody question such? Why can Ab’Farahn not question someone who claims to represent Southern Elsweyr, but does not sound like they are from Southern Elsweyr?”
“Councillor, you have injected yourself, an outsider, into Khajiiti issues. What do you actually know of Elsweyr? Ab’Farahn, are you so self-absorbed that you resort to attacking people’s speech?”
“You do not speak like Khajiit, Ab’Farahn merely points this out, Ab’Farahn agree’s with the Councillor, how can this one trust you to represent the south if you do not sound like Khajiit? Even the Khajiits that are not raised in Elsweyr, or by Khajiit, have this way of speech. It is part of Khajiit culture. Everything Ab’Farahn does is for the people of Elsweyr. Do not say that this one is self-absorbed, when clearly, something is suspicious here.”
"It doesn't mean that someone who speaks differently, deserves to be questioned like this Ab'Farahn. One does not determine a position of a person by where or how the person is raised, as long as their motives promote the belief of the people they represent, who are we to judge them?" Ildoryn suddenly says in defense of S'arah. “This is a slanderous accusation that Morrowind finds disturbing.”
“It does matter! This is the war of Elsweyr!” Snapped Ab’Farahn “Not the war of Tamriel! This is Khajiit versus Khajiit. How can Ab’Farahn trust someone if they’re masquerading as Khajiit. How can Ab’Farahn sort this out if the south’s leader is a foreign agent. The south wouldn’t like it if Ab’Farahn was a foreign agent. Ab’Farahn does not find this fair on the people of all of Elsweyr. The people are fighting a war for Elsweyr, when one side isn’t even led by the Khajiit. How can anyone say foreigners should stay out of this if a foreigner is leading one side…”
“You speak of a war between Khajiits, yet you bow down in front of the Imperials. Led by foreigners? That is precisely what Northern Elsweyr is, a puppet of Cyrodiil.”
“Oh no, we’re not. The Imperials do not control us! We are an alliance not a puppet! They do not command us, we work together. Ab’Farahn could easily tell the Imperials that Elsweyr does not want to be allied with them anymore. Alliances are for the good of more than one province.”
[Part One of Two]