"I was born on a dark and stormy night in the country of High Rock, or at least that's what I'd like to tell you. In truth, I was born on a balmy evening when the wind from the Iliac Bay was stifled halfway up the shoreline like an out of breath noble. According to my savior, Father Peryval dโStrohm, I was found in a shallow grave in a cemetery outside his temple, the Temple of Arkay. He had been awoken not by the mewling of a babe, but by a shriek of what assuredly were the products of necromancy. Armed with nothing more than his wits, prayers, and a dulled shovelโthe Father had fully intended to slay the beast. To slay me, honestly. Instead, he used the blunt edge of the shovel to scrape away the light powdering of dirt that had been choking me. Hence, the shriek, or at least I like to justify the noise by saying that. Anyway, he told me that the soil had been excavated by fingers and nails in what could only be described as a frenzy. I had been left for dead, and the Father saved me. Or to put it in his eloquent words: 'It will be a long night because the God Arkay has gifted me a damn bastard.โ
Our story begins on the 19th of Morning Star 3E414 in a small town in the region of Stormhaven. The next morning, Father Peryval tried to find the parents of the babe to no avail, which only confirmed his suspicion of the bastard nature of young Guifort. He considered depositing him at the temple of Dibella. They were surely more apt than himself to take care of a child. Yet, he shuddered at the thought of innocence growing up in such a place. All of Arkay's statues kept his breasts covered. Every evening Father Peryval would tell the child that would be his last night there. The nights ticked to days, and those ticked to weeks and then months. In that time, he found a wet nurse to tend to the things he couldn't provide, and he started bringing the babe with him to pray to Arkay. He stated, quite frankly, it was because the child would wail otherwise. Yet, maybe he found the way that Guifort pawed at the talisman around his neck delightful. Not that he would tell anyone.
As Guifort grew up, he grew odd. There were certain aspects about the young man that confirmed Father Peryval's thoughts. The point of his ears was something that the Bretons did display, but the faint green hue of his skin along with the blunt nature of what should have been angular features told a far different story. This was furthered by the way Guifort's bottom row of teeth grew in. Yet, if that bothered anyone, they didn't say anything. Guifort was constantly helping throughout town. He had a lot of energy to expend, and there were so few things within the temple for him to busy himself. So, he moved sacks of flour, pulled carts, thatched barrels, and even buried stones when the ground became too muddy for the horses to move through. The townsfolk were delighted and thought he was a sweet child no matter how awkward he looked or acted. Theyโve said something about โit takes a villageโฆโ Every night, he returned back to the temple where he'd tell Father Peryval about his day. The Father would always correct Guifort when the young boy tried to call him "father" in a paternal sense. "Uppercase 'F,' not lowercase." Then he'd finish the evening by telling Guifort to bathe, tend to his prayers, and that this would be the last night in the temple.
And maybe Guifort would have followed that advice, leaving the temple for a normal life in the country with some young man or maiden, but there came a fateful autumn evening where things changed. You see, Guifort befriended a three-legged cat in town that he immediately called Mister Catterly. Heโd rescued the beast from the river, half-drowned and mewling its head off. At first, it was a fight of claws and yowlingโfrom both parties. Then it turned into a game of wits where Guifort would be slow to say that the cat won most of them. But one night, almost as if by a whim, Mister Catterly followed Guifort into his bed and slept next to him. They went everywhere together, and the cat more than proved his worth as an excellent mouser. So, people were glad to have them both in their house even if Guifort had a tendency to not know what to do with the dead rodents when presented with them. A lot of mouse corpses were found in bushes years later. Unfortunately, it was fair to say that Tamriel was not the sort of place a child and their pet grow old together. One of them usually had to say goodbye. Guifort found Mister Catterly tangled in wire with his throat slit right outside the temple. It was obviously a cruel prank performed by the other children. Mister Catterly had held on until the young boy clutched him closer, and then his final breath escaped his feline chest. Guifort couldn't feel anger for the loss of life. The only thing that clouded his thoughts was sadness. He'd seen death through the temple, but he'd never felt the ramifications of it. The body of Mister Catterly, slowly losing warmth and fluidity in his muscles, was just a thing now. No more consequential than a stone. Yet, only an hour before had been so much more. That was gone now, and yet Guifort's tears remained. Father Peryval located him as the sun had started to set, and together they buried Mister Catterly in the cemetery Guifort had been found in all those years before.
Father Peryval placed his hand gently on Guifort's head and smiled. "Do not mourn that he died. Be happy that he has completed the circle of his life, and has returned to the dreamsleeve. Because that is Arkay's will." The Father paused at the young boy's confusion and continued on. "There are multitudes of souls in existence, Gui, but there's only so much room for them here. So, we're allowed to come and experience life in its wholeness, and then we return back to allow another soul to experience lifeโwiped clean and started anew. So, Mister Catterly had that honor, and he's passed on to allow another cat to take his place. And so, the cycle continues."
"You think cats go to the dreamsleeve?" Guifort asked, his mind a series of jumbled questions that only cared about a destination.
"I don't truly know. Where do the Khajit go after they pass? Surely, it canโt be any different." Father Peryval, even though he had years of dealing with death, wanted to move beyond it at that moment.
Guifort laughed despite himself, his emotions more tired than his body had ever been. "That's racist, Father. You should love all things and not judge."
"And where did you learn that? All that mischief about love? Don't tell me you've been visiting the Temple of Dibella, again."
Guifort shrugged through red eyes, cracked lips, and a meek smile.
"And I highly doubt it was for the lessons. You just wanted to take a glance at her exposed bosom? I know you, Gui. And for that, you'll be staring at Arkay's fully clothed one and going over your prayers all tomorrow." And without realizing it, Father Peryval said
tomorrow without inferring that Guifort would be gone in the morning. So, the boy stayed. If Arkay instilled so much faith in the cantankerous nature of Father Peryval, he had much to teach Guifort.
At the end of the third era, the Oblivion Crisis did little to the immediate landscape of Guifort's life. Yet, it would have low, rumbling repercussions like thunder over peaks of mountains. Dark magicks and daedra were on the breath of everyone but only spoken about in dark corners of inns and alleys. That being said, Father Peryval went about the studious task of fortifying the temple. It wasn't much, but he flexed the long-unused muscles of magick to protect the small-town folk. He knew that the daedra were not the undead, but Arkay's purview only fell to the abominations that ignored the cycle of life and death. He figured it would ease the concern of the town, and that ease would keep them from banging on his doors. Guifort studied raptly and took notesโhe was always writing much to Father Peryvalโs chagrin. He'd been in the shadow of the Father when the older man had created concoctions, both for health and protection against diseases. He'd also studied vigorously in the school of restoration, the gift of magicka in his veins like the many Bretons before him. Guifort, much to Father Peryval's ire, was become quite the skillful successor.
And then came the day that the young Guifort would have never foreseen but had prepared for. While some were happy to sequester themselves away, there were others that took these unnatural happenings as a call to adventure. One such Breton Expedition found its way into the small town. They paused by the Temple of Arkay, hoping that they'd find resources for their quest.
Yarvis Belancourt was the leader of this expedition, a man with a stout mustache and a stouter charisma. He had once been a bard whose career on the road had led him to many secrets and many more septims. It was fair to say, he wished to exploit those secrets. He and Father Peryval immediately butt heads, which enamored Guifort to the bard. What had begun as nothing more than a bargain for goods and services became a way for the young man to leave the nestled fold of the town. The expedition was to head into Skyrim, and if their map was correct, well into the territory of Nordic Ruins. While a follower of Stendarr would have been the more logical choice for this journey, there was nary a temple around that could spare one so few years after the Crisisโif they had one at all. A disciple of Arkay had to do. Father Peryval stated that Guifort should accompany Yarvis and his men. That there werenโt enough people in their small town to warrant
two priests of Arkay.
"You said every evening that it was my last night. I suppose tonight is my last night," Guifort said to Father Peryval, who had grown more diminutive through the flow of time. Yet, his spirit had not even sputtered once.
Father Peryval scoffed. "And good riddance to you, boy. You have left my coffers dwindling for too long." And that was that.
While Father Peryval didn't say anything with words, Guifort awoke the next morning to a tailored set of robes, an old potion whose contents seemed to sparkle in the light, a few rations, and an old dagger with the goddess Dibella roughly hewn into the wooden hilt. There was a handwritten note next to it, "I suppose you have questions. Well, you'll need to live to ask them." He wrote back that he would, and thatโd he see the Father in the seasons to come. But, that would be the last thing Guifort ever see of the Father or that small town he called home.
The trip was arduous, and despite the pleasant nature of Yarvis Belancourt he didn't go easy on his men. This was especially true for Guifort. He'd grown up in the temple and had a sinewy physique attached to long limbs and smothered by robes. He wasn't made for travel. That didn't mean he couldn't learn. Days were spent forging ahead, and nights they'd all gather around the fire and chat. The wine partook, stories were told, and laughter was to be had. At least, while they were still in the temperate climate of High Rock. Guifort learned more of the world in those few weeks than he had in his years previously. The nature of men not bound a divine duty was... interesting. Initially, he had been slow to take the wineskin, but after a fortnight he was just in the cups as they. Guifort lazily recorded the stories that were told, adding markings in places where the presenter meandered a bit from the point. The one person he'd never had to do that with was Yarvis. The man was a masterful orator and had a flair for the dramatic. He'd had been a bard of sorts. One with wealth to fund this trip and clout to make it all about himself.
Once they reached Skyrim, though, the eveningโs festivities died down. During that time, Guifort used the knowledge of craftsmanship from the town to help keep things in order. He dug carts out of slushy potholes, carried packs that were twice his size, and foraged for what little he could. It wasn't for rations, but instead to create various incenses to keep the more curious wildlife away. Guifort started to fill his robes out, looking more the part of an adventurer. He'd actually taken to packing them away and wearing traveling clothes. The only thing to denote his priesthood was the talisman around his neck.
Yarvis's ruins were further away than the map had denoted. The old bard had to make the trip stretch, and by doing so had earned the ire of a few of his men. Some went without rations, some without water, and all without drink. Days turned long and conversation became short. Guifort was aware of this shift, and he tried to confer with Yarvis on more than one occasion. The man waved the young priest away, stating that he knew the natures of men better than he. When they did reach the ruins proper, half of the company was nearly in tatters. What once had been quite the stable expedition had crumbled to fine snow all around them. They decided to traverse the ruins in the morning to have better light. Guifort was asked to stay behind despite the fact that the reasons for him being there were his healing prowess and power over the undeadโthe latter only in practice. So, Guifort waited with the horses and supplies. And waited. And waited... until a few days had passed and there'd been no sign of Yarvis or his men.
Anxiety bubbled in his stomach like a twisted knot. But he knew that he had to find out what happened. Securing the horses the best he could, he grabbed the dagger that Father Peryval had given him and donned his Robes of Arkay. The ruins were mostly uncovered, skeletal fingers of a time far past scraped at the gray sky above. What little flora thrived here at the base of the mountains made the path difficult to traverse, and Guifort had to pause many times to cut himself out of a tangle of root. He didn't have to travel far to start seeing the bodies. Cold, unmoving, and with eyes that found solace in the sky before death. Guifort paused over each of them, as was his duty. Yet, he couldn't perform full funeral rites as he had to find Yarvis, or at least someone that had the map out of this place.
Maybe you know how this story ends, or maybe you don't. In the land of Tamriel, it's hard to fathom the price of lives and their impact on the world at large. What you need to know is that Guifort's retelling is never the same. What he will say, in a voice quiet and low, is that the undead do not bleed.
Guifort found Yarvis beset on by skeletons with a nasty cut on his brow and his long sword wavering. Alongside him were a good handful of his men in various stages of exhaustion. They had barricaded themselves in a hallway, and had been exiting when they were attacked. One of the skeletons turned to Guifort, the rotted visage of its face boring into the young priest's eyes. He took a step back, the heel of his boot catching on rubble and sending him to the ground. He held out the symbol of Arkay and pulled the magicka from deep within his veins. In his other hand, he gripped the dagger his fingers having slipped over the blade and his blood dripping onto the ground. The pain mixed with the fear, and his heart stuttered in his chest. It was only a moment, but warmth filled what felt like icy veins. Power comforting, yet foreign, ripped through him and out poured the light of Arkay. The skeleton froze, momentarily, before taking a step back and then another and another. Guifort stood, brandishing the talisman in one hand and extending it like a shield. The skeletons let him pass, but Guifort knew he couldn't hold them long. Yarvis and his crew didn't speak a word of thanks as they fled the corridor, keeping pace with Guifort the best they could as they exited those ruins.
Once they were far from danger and back with their horses and carts, Yarvis laughed, his breath showing up against the coldness of the Skyrim sky. He pulled away a rotting canvas to an old Nord artifact made from a substance that Guifort had never seen before and would never see again. The young priest tried to tend to Yarvis's wounds, only for him to swat him away stating "the blood's not mine, priest."
The night after what happened, Guifort found himself wandering away from camp intent on prayer. He bandaged his hand while speaking to Arkay, asking the god to make sense of what had happened. He asked if this journey was cursed, or if he was cursed for taking it. There was silence, but it wasn't the bad sort of silence. It was the sort that led him to think and reaffirm. Guifort hadn't been strong enough to destroy those abominations, but he had been strong enough to repel them. They were unnatural, bucking against Akrayโs wishes of death and life renewed. Sure, heโd healed some wounds before, but never had he truly felt a divine presence. That was all the validation he needed at that moment, and it was enough for his sore bones.
The profit from the expedition was quite a bit, and the dividends had heavily increased after the death of half the crewโas did the rations. Yarvis had a buyer in Solitude that he didn't say much about stating that "the way things were after the Crisis, we'd do well not speak of such clandestine meetings." And, "they didn't travel this far from Cyrodiil for us to start asking why." Guifort knew that was Yarvis's way of telling him to shut up and enjoy the money. And he did. He purchased a rather nice Breton hat with an elegant buckle and an odd feather, along with new robes, a few journals, quills, ink, and other items. After all that, Guifort assumed they were to part ways, septims in hand. Yet, Yarvis was slow to return to High Rock while his men swiftly wanted away from the madman that had led them there. Guifort was somewhere in the middle. His soul ached from the death he'd seen, but he'd also never felt so close to Arkay before. So, he conceded to travel with Yarvis... if only for a little while more.
A little while more turned into years.
"This part might be a bit long if I told you all of it, but there are some things I learned from. For one, Yarvis Belancourt was not even this man's real name. He'd won it in a game of cards years before. He was an astute liar and frightfully loud conman. He was always finding 'adventures' and 'long lost ruins.' If you asked me now, a devout priest of Arkay, how I could have stayed with him for that long. I'd tell you it was because Yarvis had a personality that was addicting like wine... or skooma. Not that I've had the latter, but I've heard stories. I hadn't forgotten about that night in the ruins, but at that time I was slow to believe Yarvis had done anything beyond what had come naturallyโsurvival. Once he started teaching me his tricks of the trade, though... I learned. I learned that he'd only gotten as far as he had by stepping on the heads of others, and unfortunately, my head was next."
Despite Yarvis's travels to wherever he deemed interesting, whether it be across the length of Skyrim or small dips into Cyrodiil, Guifort still tended to his duty as a priest of Arkay. He'd perform funeral rites for towns that didn't have their own priest. He'd handle small undead nuisances for a small fee, despite Yarvis's opinion otherwise. Heโd make sure that their traveling routes crossed temples of the Divines and Arkayโa pilgrimage of sorts. More importantly, he turned into quite the orator. They'd find themselves in inns or taverns (Guifort avoiding the brothels that Yarvis liked to dip into), and he'd tell the tales of the various things they'd seen. But more interestingly, he would discuss the stories of peoplesโ lives. He'd heard quite a few in his time, tending to the funerary rites of many. There was so much wisdom people had accumulated over the years, and he'd written it all down. Yarvis would always ask him if he was writing a book. Guifort laughed "there are far more interesting books in Tamriel than mine." Which was true, but there were far more boring stories as well.
Guifort had traveled to be closer to Arkay, but on a stormy evening right inside the border of Cyrodiil he never felt further from him. It hadnโt been just Guifort and Yarvis. Guifort was always a slow-speaking accomplice to the louder and more verbose Yarvis, but just that... an accomplice. There were others in Yarvis's troupe, and they cycled through as swiftly as chattel with the exception of a Nord man by the name of Engrad. He'd hung around for a few missions and taken to the work of excavation and battle with the glee of a chopped log.
The rain pelted down, and Guifort headed to the woods by the road to relieve himself. He grumbled about needing a better hat for weather like this. A flash of lighting, and a roll of thunder later, he had finished his business. He returned back to the road to find Yarvis dead, and his men gone. It had only been an instant. Blood mixed with rain and mud. Yarvis's cold eyes stared up at the stormy sky, not surprised but not welcoming either. It reminded Guifort of all those years before. The men at the ruins had the same look. Yet, their throats hadn't been so obviously cut with emotional turmoil in mind.
Yarvis's septims were gone along papers and other things of value. All that was left were his clothes, an old crossbow that he had a rather salacious scene emblazoned on, maps, and the marked coin that he always used to win bets. Guifort pocketed the maps, crossbow, and the coin, and buried Yarvis in the deepest grave he could create in the deluge of rain and without the proper tools to do so. "I don't even know your real name to give you a proper send-off. But Yarvis, whoever you may truly be, be well. May Arkay guide you. More so, may whatever soul that replaces you be as interesting if not more so than yourself. Though, I do ask it be far more moral and with a less fluid sense of right and wrong." Guifort chuckled at his words but only for a moment. It was hard to see his tears in all that rain.
He decided that was the end of his journey. It was time to head back to High Rock and it was time to take over Father Peryval's place as leader of the Temple of Arkay in a town he could barely remember the name to. Yet, not long after he left Yarvis's makeshift grave did he come across Engrad and the others from the group. A crumpled paper in his hand and anger in his eyes, he cornered Guifort. "I have reason to believe that that fool Belancourt lied about your participation in the massacre at the Yseal Ruins. I have reason to believe that your hands did not dirty with blood. But I also know that it did not deter you from cavorting with a murderer and liar, Priest. You can't tell me you're so naรฏve as to not have known. Hm?" He pointed at Guifort in the storm, his accusation punctuated by crisp lightning. "I should kill you. But, your god knows what you did. And if he still accepts you, then who am I to spit at his feet? But you are no longer welcome in Skyrim." He glared. "And you may think yourself clever, how could Engrad and his men patrol the country? Just know, Priest, I have eyes on the ground and in the sky. If you step foot in my country again, you will die.โ And that was that.
"I figure that Engrad had someone he'd known or loved on that first expedition. I figure that the living members of Yarvis's troupe had told the story. I figure that Yarvis had penned a letter or two blaming the entire thing on me. And either he'd forgotten to destroy them as we traveled together or he'd fully intended to blame me for the entire thing. What I did know, was that there was no direct route back to High Rock without traveling through Skyrim. And I didn't have the septims for a boat. So, I suppose Cyrodiil was my home now. I've had two father figures in my life. Both of them from opposite spectrums of the world, and both left with me weapons with lascivious imagery on them. How terribly lucky can one man be?"
So, Guifort found himself in Cyrodiil. With barely a septim to his name, he began his "pilgrimage" yet again. Things were direr here, the state of the country worse off for the events that had happened many years prior. So, it was of no surprise that his services as a priest of Arkay were welcome. Either by performing rites, healing, or tending to manageable abominations did he carve out a living for himself. No longer did he see the sights of ruins, dungeons, or the dark dens of interesting cities. Those went with Yarvis. But he did see a lot more of the temples of Arkay. It was almost as if someone had splashed cold water on his face to awaken him from years of the same drunken stupor. Though, ironically, he found himself more in the throes of a drink than before. This time, though, it was through chatter and camaraderie. He'd write more stories down in his books, he'd learn new things, and he'd see more sights. There was a culmination of a life he had in-between Father Peryval and Yarvis Belancourt. As much as Guifort hated to admit, he rather liked it. And that comfort showed itself on his form as he went from a sturdy adventurer to a well-seeded one. But Guifort's story was far from over.
"With a renewed purpose, but a dark realization that home was to always be very far away from me, I tried to carve one out here. The sad thing was when I had come to an ultimatum, I'd come to it in Skingrad."
He'd been set upon by the Count's men for helping some poor peasants that found themselves restrained in stocks on a crossroad. A small band of the Count's guards was hanging around, and they seemed more preoccupied with rifling through the poor peasant's things than watching Guifort. A woman's wrist had been so bruised that the whelps were enormous, and she was losing circulation. He had realized she'd lose her hand if nothing was done, and then her life following it. The moment that the magicka of Arkay flowed through him and into the wounds on woman's wrists, did he see stars in a bleary, black haze. Over him was a town guard, the butt of his sword having connected with Guifortโs head.
"Don't think because you're a priest, that we're goin' to give you a pass. Now shoo." There was a smugness to the guardโs tone that acted as if he was doing Guifort a favor.
Guifort shook his head. "Let me tend to this woman's wounds. Itโs obvious her punishment isnโt death, but sheโll be dead soon if nothing is done.โ
The guard laughed. "I don care, she broke the law. So, she's here. And ain't you a priest a death or sometin'? Let her just die."
"It doesn't work that way. If it did, the world would have eaten itself up from lack of giving a shit. Now move I'm tending to this woman. By Arkay's divine will, if you try to stop me..." Honestly, Guifort had hoped that had been enough. But another crack to the head proved otherwise.
When Guifort awoke, he did so in the stocks. The woman he'd tried to save laid limp in her restraints face red hot from fever. He had to do somethingโanything. This wasn't about to be the ruins again, he wasnโt about to let the time for action pass him by again. Guifort couldn't quite fight his way out of this situation, at least not in conventional ways. So, he began to speak.
"I'd tell you the whole speech, but honestly I was a bit out of it from the knock to the head and the fever that was setting in from dehydration. It was momentous, though. It sent the crowd into action. Or at least, I thought it had at the time. In truth, there was no crowd, but it had been a planned attack by Isobel and her troops."
When the dust had settled, he'd been free. The members of the rebellion had moved as quickly away as they had arrivedโguerrilla tactics and all that. Guifort said what little he could muster over the dead. It was a day where the road were painted with blood. Blood that didn't seem to end no matter where he went. The funerary rites began to blur together. The dreamsleeve was getting its fill of souls, and a deficit was felt in Guifort's heart. He considered finding a temple and settling, hiding his face from the goings-on. But he remembered the rebels and their call to arms. He'd read about their growing movement in the Black Courier. The aimless wandering he'd called a "purpose" for so many years had to stop. He may not have been able to lead troops, but he could heal, and more soโhe could provide comfort and knowledge. The circle of life needed not turn so much. So, he sought Isobel out. A priest of Arkay with an affable nature and a penchant for stories and wine could be of use. People tend to speak a little looser around those that promise redemption for secrets.
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