I love reading background stories because they often give me ideas for new characters. And sometimes, a great background story can make a run-of-the-mill 'class' into an amazing RP character. So let's hear 'em!

Thaik the Tribal Archer

The yellow emptiness of the Alik’r desert stretched infinitely in all directions, and so scalding were its sands that the boy Thaik liked to imagine he was running on the sun itself. He ran as fast as ever, pushing himself to his absolute limit. The arrow had cut but a small gash on the back of the fox’s neck, but he wasn’t worried. He just kept on running, fuelled by the thrill of the hunt and a feeling of complete freedom.

Finally, the unfortunate animal slowed as the cobra’s venom began to take effect. He had a kill. Thaik screamed jubilantly, for this was a turning point for all boys of his tribe. He knew he would be summoned to the Elders’ Tent, a tremendous honor he would never forget. Carrying the fox on his shoulders, he took the first proud step towards home. He was a hunter now.

Thaik recalled that moment fondly as he sat once again in the great tent, in the center of a ring of men: elders, warriors, and other dignitaries. To his right sat his uncle and chief of the tribe, Azzan, a man wise beyond his years with muscles toned to perfection from years of combat. To his left was Talib, an elder with a great, curly white beard. Before him stood an elderly woman, wearing a thick, sleeveless robe covered in bijous and feathers of many different shapes and colors. Her wrinkled, tattooed face was staring into nothingness, and her frail body convulsed rhythmically to an unheard beat. She was the great seer, and most respected member of the tribe after the chief himself.
“It is time.” instructed Talib, drawing a short curved dagger from its wooden sheath.
Thaik extended his right hand and steeled himself. He did not wince as the dagger cut across the palm of his hand. The seer approached and drank of his blood which ran freely from the wound. She then imbibed a murky liquid from a copper flask that hung from her leather belt. All fell silent in anticipation as the great seer suddenly stood still.

Thaik felt uncomfortable with the curious stares of the men around him, and the dizzying mixture of their hot breaths, sweaty bodies, and the strong incense that pervaded the tent. The heat was almost unbearable. He tilted his head back to try and breathe fresher air and regarded curiously the tapestries that hung from above, one in particular which depicted a battle in which his tribe had served as militiamen alongside the Imperial Legion. His father had fought bravely in that battle. He wondered when he too might bask in the glory of honorable combat. Fending off desert raiders just wasn’t the same.

The great seer was in a deep trance now. She spoke in Yoku, the ancient tongue of the Redguards, which few present but the tribe’s elders understood.
"Ra nogo!" she exclaimed, pacing the center of the ring like a trapped beast, her face contorted with fear.
"A great danger." translated Talib.
The old woman spread her wrinkled arms out like wings.
"Ra tobr'a!" she cried.
"A great evil."
She raised her arms to the heavens and screamed. “Zhang-gak-hi!"
The elders gasped and whimpered. Some covered their weathered faces with trembling hands, while others prayed.
"Destruction magic." translated Talib.
Whispers circulated all around the great tent like bees. Ignoring or oblivious to the growing noise, the seer fixed her gaze on Thaik for a long while before rolling her eyes back into her head.
"Dua togo tokt tobr'a." she commanded. "Dua togo sogat kuloto!"
The whispers quickly turned to an uproar. Some men argued, some cheered, and others wept. A few minor scuffles broke out. Some of the elders tried in vain to stop the commotion, shaking their heads in disappointment. Azzan lowered his head and sighed, concern clearly visible on his handsome face.
"What did the great seer say?" inquired Thaik. "Uncle, what did she say?"
The great chief helped himself up and extended his hand to Thaik. "Come." he said, solemnly.

The racket could still be heard outside as they entered Azzan's tent and sat on richly embroidered pillows.
“Tea?” offered the chief.
Thaik declined with an outstretched hand.
“You must find this evil. You must resist it.” recalled Azzan whilst pouring some of the fragrant liquid into an ivory cup. “Those were the seer’s words.”
Thaik could not hide his confusion.
“Me? I am to resist a mysterious evil I know nothing about? I don’t understand.” he complained.
Azzan took a modest sip of the fine tea and cleared his throat.
“A few nights ago, the great seer had a major vision.” he explained. “She gazed into the eyes of evil, great amber orbs inside of which a thousand fires raged, and saw reflected in them the terrible destruction it had wrought. She saw its great shadow hanging ominously over the land like a dark blanket, and all that it covered came to ruin. And then, Thaik, she saw you.”
He took another sip of the strong tea before continuing.
“When the elders heard of this, they weren’t sure what to make of it, particularly the part that concerned you. You see, time is an ancient tapestry woven with fate and mended with patches of free will, our actions. A seer’s vision is but a glimpse of that tapestry, but where fate ends and free will begins is difficult to discern, so finely are they woven together. Are you destined to fight this great evil alone, or are you but a mere stitch in the coming tale? That had to be discerned, and is why we convened.”
“And the great seer foresaw my vanquishing of this evil?” inquired Thaik.
“No, child. She saw that your fates are strongly intertwined, but it will be up to you to weave the end of this tale, as well as any who may decide to help you along the way. Your bow will be the needle, and your arrows the thread.”
Thaik lowered his head in contemplation.
“But why me? What is so special about Thaik?” he asked.
Azzan laughed.
“Have you not been paying attention? You are destined to face this great foe, so you will find your way before the time comes. Trust in yourself.”

Azzan got up and made his way to the far end of the tent. From an elaborately adorned chest he produced a large cloth package, which he placed at Thaik’s feet. The young man gently unfolded the rich fabric, noting the exquisite cross-stitched patterns which depicted a large battle between Redguards and the Thalmor. Beneath the last fold was an unassuming, unstrung long bow.
“That belonged to your father.” explained Azzan. “It is yours now. Cherish it, for it has a rich history and will bring good fortune to whoever wields it.”
Thaik gazed upon the weapon reverently. “I will guard it with my life.”, he promised.
Azzan smiled and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder.
“Go now, child.” he commanded. “Rest well, for you rise with the sun tomorrow.”
Thaik made for the flap in the tent before turning back.
“Will I ever see you again, uncle?” he asked.
Wise Azzan smiled wider.

I was crossing the border, when I was captured by Imperial soldiers, and I am to be put to death alongside Ulfric Stormcloak and his allies.

I have a colourful imagination.

Her name is Gretl King-Maker. She was born in Skyrim in 4E 176. Her father, ?lfric King-Maker, was a distant descendant of Alajael, the Champion of Cyrodiil. Alajael also was the half-sister of Ithilwen, the Nerevarine. (The line of descent is as follows: Alajael had a son called Martin, who had a daughter called Swanhilde, who had a son called Hoth Heavy-Heart, who had a daughter named Greta, who had a son named Wyrd King-Maker, who was the father of ?lfric.) Gretl's mother, Sprota Sprakalagg, was killed by a stray arrow in [either the Great War or the Stormcloak Rebellion, haven't figured this one out yet] when Gretl was only three years old.

After Sprota's death, ?lfric and Gretl relocated to the Imperial City, where ?lfric remarried to a Bosmer woman, Trine. They had another daughter, Itta King-Maker, who was Gretl's half-sister. They both grew up and Gretl became engaged to a childhood friend named Thorgil. In 4E 200 the then-21-year-old Itta went missing, and Gretl left to look for her. Thorgil did not like this one bit and said he would break off the engagement if Gretl left, but she still did so anyway and never looked back. She was following Itta's trail when she got captured by Imperial soldiers while crossing the border into Skyrim. And the rest is history.

(Since arriving in Skyrim she has married Erik the Slayer, the mercenary in Rorikstead, and they live in Markarth.)

Halof was on his way to visit his brother ralof when he bumped into him at the border and got caught in the ambush, when he got away, he stayed with his brother and sister in riverwood for a few days and then left for whiterun, looking for his childhood friend, aela, he look around town until he eventually finds her, after spending time with her and getting rather close, he is asked to help fight the dragons and has to leave aela and his siblings, every day he wishes it would just end so he could see his loved ones again, he is sworn on hunting down and killing anthing that is a threat to the world (deagons, vampires, falmer etc), just to protect them

Which one?

I got my Redguard Agent, Nord Warrior, Dunmer Witch Hunter, and Breton Battlemage.

All of 'em ^^.

i am zeus god of gods, ive sent my thunder down onto humanity to punish them all

Mistake

Let’s get technical? Why was my character, Shannon Stark, a tall, blue-eyed blonde, crossing the border from Cryodiil into Skyrim? According to Dufus, in the wagon, she was captured crossing the border. Questionably, if in fact she were captured in or near Dark Water Crossing, along with Ulfric and his Stormcloaks, that would make it approximately a day’s march from the border of Cyrodiil and Skyrim. At an average walking pace of 2.5 miles per hour --without resting-- that would put her approximately 50 miles inside of Skyrim. This is hardly crossing the border in my mind. Plus the fact she is a Nord, a native of Skyrim. So, it wasn’t like she was an illegal alien? (For all we know she was out hiking?) And, why was she dressed in rags? Was she stripped, [censored] and thrown those rags after the men had finished with her, or was she dressed incognito? If I had to guess, I would say that she is a Dual Swords-woman / BattleMage who prefers women companions, is married to the beautiful Muiri, and who takes no sides in her country's struggle for independence, especially when it comes to the Thalmor. For they are the true enemy of Skyrim.

Right, i am not typing the whole story right now, but I will tomorrow, added to favorites, lol.

I actually started this in Morrowind, I created my own Dunmer house. They are called the Kuurong, they live secluded in the Kuurong Isles, away from any other civilization. There they are shrouded in secrecy. All of the people in this house are family, even if it means that the husbands change their last names to Kuurong. They are known for having the best warriors in Tamriel, even if it is rare to see one, my Morrowind and Oblivion characters are both part of this house.

My Nord escaped, and being the kickass barbarian he was prior to capture, sought out a band of people to kill the biggest creatures around. Naturally he stumbled upon the Comapnions tangling with a troll, joined in, and quickly advanced through he ranks to a werewolf. Hates magic, and thinks this whole "Dragonborn" thing is a load of crap, but soon he'll discover his shouting talents and become the hero Skyrim needs. Because he can take it.


My Breton mage escaped, and quickly became interested in all things magic. After befriending the townsfolk of Riverwood, he was out collecting alchemical ingredients to practice with when he found himself in the dead of night by a cave. Curious of new alchemical reagents, he entered to be confronted by a gang of vampires. Narrowly escaping with his life, he made his way back to Riverwood, and with a queasy feeling in his stomach, told not a soul of his growing hunger. Days later, he awoke in the dead of night with an inquenchable thirst for blood. After feeding on the very people he befriended, he was forced to turn his back on the only home he had and search for answers. After being outsted from Whiterun after awakening in the inn thirsty out of his mind, he sprinted out of town to the wilderness where he camped in a cave. Remembering the legendary College of WInterhold, he made his way North, to become an upstart in the College which opened him with open arms. His powers grow as he seeks meaning to his life and learns to live with his curse.

Lily Gwendolyn (now Lily of the Valley Of Death) was born of a noble family of powerful court mages in the Kingdom of Daggerfall. She was the youngest of three siblings and arguably the most powerful mage in the family even at a very young age. When she was four she fell off a horse and would have died had she not been so competently able to heal herself. When she was six she accidentally burned down her house killing everyone except for her. She was understandibly traumatized by this event and has been wary of using magic ever since. She was shipped off to an impovershed orphanage in eastern High Rock where she spent the next twelve years living a simple but content life with her new brothers and sisters of various different races. All that changed when she was fourteen, and a group of Bandits calling themselves the Valley of Death gang attacked the small farming hamlet she lived in. They killed almost everyone in the village and took Lily prisoner because according to them "this one's got spunk." For the next four years she was passed around like a peice of meat with a hole in it, getting gang-[censored] almost every night, and sometimes going out on raids with the others and being forced to kill innocent people against her will. One evening when she was 18 she finally snapped. She slaughtered everyone in the Valley of Death gang, screaming like a woman possesed, and wiped the leader of the gang's blood on her face. When she came to her senses and realized what she'd done, she started running east. Trying to cross the mountains into skyrim, she slipped and fell down a huge cliff, losing consciousness. When she came to she was in the back of an Imperial cart with some other prisoners, on the way to Helgen. She keeps the "of the Valley of Death" monkier being the last surviving member of the gang, as a grim reminder of her old life, and also to remind herself of what she never wants to become.

This is what I have come up with:


Shannon was born to, a shield-maiden: An Amazon woman from the Isle of Atlantis; (adjacent to Summerset Isle, (to the southwest.) Her father, Jon Stark, was a descendant of the Stark clan who had once occupied the lands near Solitude. Her mother had died during child birth and she was raised by her Sisters on Atlantis. Born with the Dragon blood of the Nord's, she was returning home.

Alright.

Nakota (Redguard Agent):

Alvor Indalas was a Nord loyal to the Empire. He fought in the Battle of the Red Ring and struck down many Altmer. After their hard-earned victory, he was shocked and angered by the Empire agreeing to the Thalmor's conditions and ceding of Hammerfell. Alvor was proud and stubborn; even though the Empire had abandoned Hammerfell, he would not. He deserted the Legion and crossed into Hammerfell, joining the Forebears in their fight against the Thalmor. During a daring raid on a Thalmor camp, Alvor was injured terribly, ending his soldiering days. The nurse who tended to his wounds was a beautiful half-Redguard half-Imperial woman named Anora. A romance blossomed between them and Alvor helped her tend to the wounded since his injury prevented him from fighting anymore.

A year later, Alvor and Anora are married in Whiterun where Alvor has friends and family, wishing to escape the fighting and chaos of Hammerfell and seeking a safe place for their future family. They have two children, Nakota and Freya, but things took a turn for the worst when a rebellion began to develop in Skyrim. Looking for somewhere safe to raise their family, they returned to Hammerfell where they established themselves in Sentinel. With the war over and Sentinel untouched, it is an island of stability, peace and prosperity in Hammerfell. Life is good for many years as they raised their children as citizens of Hammerfell, but Alvor decided to take a short trip to Falkreath to visit old friends and fellow veterans from the war. He is captured as part of an Imperial raid on the tavern, suspecting Stormcloak activity. Instead, they learn that he deserted the Legion and is sentenced to death and executed.

Nakota Indalas, Alvor's son, is a capable Agent in the employ of King Daron of Sentinel. Outraged at his father's murder, he begged the King to let him go to Skyrim to avenge his father and monitor Imperial activity in the province rather than continuing the information-gathering mission in Bruma. The King gave in, and Nakota crossed into Skyrim from Cyrodiil, where he was ambushed and taken prisoner along with several Stormcloaks. He may not know it now, but his adventure is just beginning.

Nakota's main mission right now is spying on the Empire, the Stormcloaks and the Thalmor and trying to subvert these factions. He has no love for the Empire that capitulated to the Thalmor, nor does he love the racist Stormcloaks who have threatened all of Tamriel with their actions. He's in Skyrim to kill his father's murderers and to assess the situation in Skyrim.



Olin (Nord Warrior):

A young Nord from Bruma, Olin served in the same legion unit as Ulfric Stormcloak in The Great War as a fresh-faced recruit. Olin and his father Askar served together, feeling it was their duty as Nords to serve and to stand against the evil and militaristic Thalmor. They fought in the war but Askar died when the Emperor fled the Imperial City to meet up with reinforcements from Skyrim and High Rock. Olin was further dismayed when the Empire outlawed the worship of Talos and left Hammerfell to fend for itself against the Aldmeri Dominion. Olin becomes a shell of his former self, wondering what all the fighting and loyalty was even for. All alone, since his mother died in childbirth and his father died in the war, Olin does his best to make ends meet for many years as a mercenary and a member of the Fighter's Guild.

Twenty six years pass until some Nords arrive in Bruma, claiming they are escaping a civil war in Skyrim. Olin learns from them that Ulfric Stormcloak has murdered the High King of Skyrim and plunged the province into civil war, claiming that the Empire has no right to rule in Skyrim since they abandoned Talos and have made themselves subservient to the Thalmor. Olin develops an almost immediate sympathy for the Stormcloaks and sells his house in Bruma. He then makes his way north toward Skyrim where he intends to return to the soldier's life, but this time it won't be under the Imperial Standard...


Ravos (Dunmer Witch Hunter):

Ever since he was a child, Ravos had been interested in witches, werewolves and vampires. His interest turned to obsession when witches captured and sacrificed his girlfriend in order for their Matriarch to become a Hag Raven. Ravos has devoted his life since then to improving skills necessary for hunting witches, Hag Ravens and other foul creatures. In the process, he has become adept with many of the schools of magic, and has become a capable alchemist. he never leaves home without his trusty poisons, bow, silver weapons and good spells. He wanders the land searching for his targets and occasionally visits the cities, towns and villages of Skyrim to learn of any rumours or leads. He is ruthless and efficient and has vowed to rid Skyrim of witches, Hag Ravens, werewolves, and vampires.


Celeste (Breton Battlemage):

Celeste is a touch naive, but her heart is in the right place. A novice Battlemage, she hails from Wayrest in High Rock where she is a member of the King's Court, and by extension the Knights of the Rose. Proving his loyalty to the Empire, the King of Wayrest sent Celeste and several of his most capable Knights to Anvil by boat. After that, they made their way north to Bruma where they were to help deal with the influx of refugees from Skyrim. Shortly thereafter, they received instructions from the King to cross into Skyrim where they were to join the Legion and help suppress the Stormcloak Rebellion. They are turned away at the border, but are determined to follow orders. They split up to avoid detection and attempt to cross into Skyrim illegally. Celeste however is captured in an ambush aimed at capturing Stormcloaks and their leader, Ulfric. She is taken prisoner and brought to Helgen. She knows this is all a misunderstanding that will eventually be cleared up and will carry out her orders to help reunify the Empire.

Irony

by

Zazan Coldvein

I am writng this book for I am afraid what I have become will soon be the end of me

I was born to house Coldvein on the 22nd of Last Seed 2E 882, who were well known in Morrowind for being the greatest vampire hunters. Sadly I am the last of the great house and it falls to me to exterminate the blood svcking undead where ever they may appear.

I heard the location of a cave in the province of Skyrim, by the name of Broken Fang, from a traveling Nord Merchant. He said he would be returning to his homeland soon. I asked him if i may join him in his trek back home and he kindly replied "Yes."

Months have gone by and I had decided to complete the rest of the journey alone. I made my way across the border of Skyrim and into the hands of a group Imperial Legionares. They knocked me out and i awoke on a carriage on the way to Windhelm. They sad the others were destined for the fabled Helgen and that i was one of the http://www.gamesas.com/user/620012-zuufff/# ones. We were just outside of Whiterun when i made my escape. I dove out of the carriage into the river along side the trail.

I waited for days for it to be safe for me to enter the city. Once inside I made my way to the inn they call The Bannered Mare. I spoke to a women named Hulda about Broken Fang Cave. She marked its location on my map. I left the inn and journeyed north once outside Whiterun. A few hours later i found myself outside the cave openinig. I prepared myself for the coming battle and charged in.

I awoke days later in the east tower of Valtheim Towers. There was a strange feeling in my mouth so i opened it and felt around. Fangs! I had fangs! For me, the last of the great Dunmer vampire hunters to become a vampire, brought such dishonor toward myself. I had thought long and hard about how i could, in some way, benefit from this. Then it came to me, who better to fight a vampire than another vampire.

Now at age 649, I find myself wandering through the night searching for my fellow undead, but with a different motive in mind...

Sarven, Argonian (Vengeful Archer)

After the oblivion crisis, Sarven was very young, only seven or eight, and his father had died fighting off the daedra on the far reaches of Black Marsh. He was raised in Archon by his mother, and was part of a crippled family fishing business. After his father had died, the business started to dwindle, and he decided to leave. He trekked across Tamriel, and was caught illegally trying to cross the border into Skyrim, when the dragon crisis began. He joined the Companions and found his wife, Aela the Huntress. He also joined the Thieves Guild, in a desperate attempt to raise more money for his family back home. He is trying to get the Riften Jarl's favor to get the privilege of owning a house by the water in Riften, where he can fish just like he did back in Archon.

Because of his fishing skills, Sarven was a natural archer, and preferred to use weapons instead of magic, despite his race's natural talent for manipulating the mind. He also was fascinated by the daedric princes and the daedra that served them. He did lots of research into the subject, and wanted to exact his revenge on the beings who had claimed his father's life. He collected artifacts through his travels, but lost them trying to cross the border into Skyrim.

He is currently married to Aela the Huntress, and lives in Whiterun.


Montes, Khajiit (Dark Assassin)

Montes was raised in Hammerfell by a fugitive Khajiit family, convicted for moon sugar and skooma dealing. He turned his family in to the empire at a young age, and decided to go somewhere he could start fresh. Coincidentally, he met with some stray Stormcloak soldiers on his way to Skyrim. He heard of their tales of Skyrim, and made his way in. There he became the Dark Brotherhood's listener, and freed the Forsworn in Markarth.

He is currently married to Mjoll the Lioness, and lives in the Dawnstar Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.

...

Rilduin Dincuru (Telephen)

Of His Childhood

Rilduin Dincuru (aka: Telephen) is a wood elf from Greenheart, Valenwood, born in the Second Century, year 122, 4E. As was tradition in his family, and with the families of other Bosmer who honored the customs of their ancestors, Rilduin was named in the old tongue of the Aldmer, and, as it was customary not to name a child until he or she “shone the light of their true spirit”, during his early years he was simply called “Yon”, meaning “son”, until his official naming came to pass.

Before the days of war, the forests of Valenwood knew only peace. The echo of time was a shimmering lake, and each creature’s life but a pebble dopped in it. From an early age, Yon had love for the water. Many times during his youth, he would be heard laughing, playing, and swimming in the rivers of Greenheart. When he was alone, as he often was, he sometimes spoke to the river as if it were a person, conversing softly with it in a cadence of benevolent prayer. During the summer months, he would spend nights alone on the riverbank, listening to the ebb and flow of the rippling current as it caressed his mind into a deep meditation. He would return home the next morning, eyes clear and full of wonder. “I spoke to Y’ffe last night, mother” he would say, as if in a trance. “She spoke to me through the river.” His mother and father did not forbid him doing this, for they lived deep within the forests of Greenheart, far from any Aldmeri outpost or bandit camp, and had no fear of immenence to Yon or his sister. While the woods were replete with natural predators, Yon was taught his Beast Tongue power from infancy, thus the wild animals of the forest never threatened him.

As a boy, Yon quickly became a skilled marksman. He was given a bow by his father, a reknowned craftsman and bow maker of Greenheart, who took Yon on lengthy expeditions along the southern coast of Valenwood. They travelled to Haven, Southpoint, and the distant reaches of Woodhearth. Once, when Yon and his father were walking beside the Juiswai River in eastern Greenheart, the morning sun’s reflection was dazzingly bright on the clear water. Suddenly, Yon stopped, exclaiming: “Father, is that not a brilliant river!” Yon's father smiled at him and nodded. From that point forward, Yon was known as Rilduin, meaning “brilliant river” in old Aldmer, and it became his name henceforth.

It was on these long treks into the wilderness that Rilduin learned the arts of stealth and marksmanship, how to blend with the landscape and remain cloaked in the trees. He was taught to track game in wild and untrodden lands; how to navigate without aid of instrument alone under the stars. In time, he became an adept pathfinder, and through the shadowy woodlands of Greenheart he crept like an enchanted lynx. His eyesight became keen and sharp, and during the daylight hours he could easily descry a rabbit’s footprint from 100 yards. Upon the ground, his footsteps were light, and it was said that no hunter could track him lest he wished it to be so. His Bosmer compatriots in Greenheart often said: “Rilduin is a phantom at your elbow. Turn away to glimpse the horizon and expect him gone before you look back.” Another remarked: “Ril can remove a leaf from a deer’s mouth, and the animal will remain unaware.” So, it came to pass that when he was 17, Rilduin was given a second name by his friends. He was called Dincuru, meaning “silent skill”.

When they hunted, his father would tell him: “Notch one arrow from your quiver with no intention of removing another.” Many times during their hunts, Rilduin’s arrows flew arry, and many times he would not eat, despite his father having adequate supplies. “Y’ffre feeds those who are worthy.” his father would say. Eventually, after many nights of failing to bring back a kill, it became that Rilduin could never pick up his bow without feeling a ravenous hunger build within him. But soon he killed easily and without fault, and each of his arrows was sure and deadly. Soon, he only took one arrow on his solitary hunts, having need of no more.

Concerning The Thalmor and the Order of Y’ffe

In the early days before the Altmer, the purity of peace pervaded the land. It was imbued in the cloudless heavens. It flowed in palatble waves across every lake and river. It emanated from the land like the smell of dew in the morning, and resonated in the heart of each living thing. In those tims the Bosmer lived without anger, without lust, without greed or envy. Each day they awoke to the serenity of the forest, and were christened by the benediction of Y’ffre.

Then came the Altmer. Their reasons at first seemed agreeable: there had been pirate attacks of the coast of the Summerset Isle, banditry on the high seas, and it was necessary to stop the threat to their people. Soon it became clear to the Bosmer that the Altmer had no intention of leaving Valenwood, but that they intended to stay indefinitely. The Altmer legions supposedly dispatched to root out the pirate encampments built garrisons, erected outposts, and founded an embassy. An interim government was established, and Altmer merchants were seen accompanying the military patrols, appraising the value of the forests and discussing amongst themselves what materials were ripe for exporting back to the Summerset Isles. All this was done under the auspices of the Camoran Anxemes treaty. Many acres of shared ancestral lands were ceded to the Altmer central authority for re-appropriation to the Altmer.

It was a time of great turmoil and bloodshed in Valenwood. Bosmer were forced out of their homes, many were taken as slaves. Those Bosmer who protested the intrusion of the Altmer were viciously slain. This era of persecution became known as the “Kirithu Maas” or “Endless Autumn”, as blood was spilt so frequently that the very leaves of the forests were stained red.

It was at this time that Rilduin’s grandfather, Alsaan (Warrior of the Sun), founded a secret organization that would become highly influential in Tamriel in the coming years. Known as the Order of Y’ffe, the Yondi Y’frfe (Children of Y’ffre), or simply “Yondi”, it was a resistance movement that attempted to expel the Thalmor from Valenwood through guerilla warfare, sabotage, and other indirect means. As the Thalmor were in conflict with the Empire even in those days, the Yondi deemed it necessary to ally with the Empire in hopes of supplanting the Thalmor in Valenwood. For this reason, many of Rilduin’s lineage, himself included, became agents of the Empire indirectly through the Order: carrying out mercenary work at the behest of the Imperial command, spying against the Thalmor in Valenwood at great peril to themselves, and sabotaging the efforts of the Aldmeri Dominion whenever possible.

Rilduin traveled far across Tamriel for the Empire. He went cloaked and hooded, known only as "Telephen" (Silver Eye), because of the color of his right eye. Many took him for a blind beggar, a harmless vagabond of no consequence. But Telephen saw more than was supposed, and his sight was the guidance of the Yondi.

Of The Great War and The Final Persecution

During the Great War, circa Third Era, the Order of Y’ffe continued to serve the Empire under Titus Mede II with the same ulterior motive of ridding Valenwood of the Thalmor. They did so in great secrecy, as the Thalmor had bolstered their power in Valenwood, and suspected in their high councils that the unseeming Bosmer were more clever than first thought.

Deep within their secret camps, Yondi strategists plotted. It was projected that if their assitance against the Thalmor on behalf of the Empire proved successful, Titus Mede II would be in a position to undermine Altmer hegemony in western Tamriel, would be able to weaken its military presence there, and afterwards provide enough overt support to ensure the success of a Yondi rebellion, which would return Valenwood completely to the Bosmer.

During the year long siege of the Imperial city, 4E 174, Order of Y’ffre agents in Valenwood, Cyrodil, Hamerfell, and Elswyr, spied against the Thalmor and were highly instrumental in providing key intelligence to the Imperial high command regarding enemy supply routes into Cyrodil. This information was pivotal in allowing Imperial forces to penetrate Thalmor lines during the great siege, and, after successfully disrupting these arterial routes, Titus II was able to strategically position his forces for the re-taking of the Imperial City during the Battle of the Red Ring, leading directly to an Imperial victory and the war’s inexorable conclusion.

After Titus’s success, Yondi captains, including Rilduin’s father, Farath Fuin, traveled to the Imperial City to present Titus II with a comprehensive stratgey for routing the Thalmor in Cyrodil, Hammerfell, and Valenwood, a strategy built on intelligence that had been painstakingly gathered by a vast network of O of Y’ffe agents over the preceding decade. Titus II, however, wished for respite from the long and gruesome campaign that had brought his kingdom to the brink of ruin, and declined the proposition, choosing instead to sign the White-Gold Concordat with the Thalmor, thus ending the war between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire.

Under the stringent conditions of the Concordat, Titus II was required to disband the Blades, an organization with which Yondi agents had closely collaborated. To the Order of Y’ffe’s horror, the Blades were ordered to disclose to Thalmor officials key pieces of intelligence provided during the war. The Blades attempted to destroy such documents before they could be seized, but they could not expunge them all, and many were seized by the Thalmor. Consequently, hundreds of Yondi agents throughout Tamriel were discovered, rounded up, and executed. A heavy and unrelenting scrutiny was placed on the province of Valenwood by the Thalmor with the explicit intent of eradicating the Order completely.

Rilduin lost many during this final purge. His mother and sister narrowly escaped death by fleeing to the swamps of Southpoint. His father, Farath Fuin, was captured and tortured. The time was seen by the Bosmer as their final hour. A meeting was called by the Order of Y’ffre, and it was officially dissolved, times being too perilous to trust any Yondi network that remained.

The agents were each given indvidual objectives, and sent to the four corners of Tamriel to continue the Order’s mission. Rilduin was dispatched to Morrowind, where his grandfather had served as an Imperial agent and who still had contacts in Balmora. Rilduin’s orders were to take asylum in Morrowind, to meet with Yondi sympathizers there, and to bide his time until this latest Thalmor persecution passed.

Before he arrived, Rilduin was set upon by an Imperial patrol along the northern border of Cyrodil, and, having no proof of business in that province, nor presenting any verifiable knowledge of his bloodline, kin, or home, he was accused of espionage, arrested, and taken to Skyrim for execution. During his voyage, he met another Yondi agent who told him that his mother had been found and killed. There was no word of his sister. He was warned that the Thalmor had dicovered his plans, and had sent agents to Morrowind to assassinate him.

This was all Rilduin leanred before his captors took him into Skyrim. He crossed many leagues. The sky was a whirlpool above him, and he fell into a black void. When he awoke, he found himself in the back of a carriage with other prisoners, surrounded by tall, snowy mountains. Rilduin knew that his death was nigh. But before the executioner’s ax could fall upon him, Y’ffre intervened and showed him mercy, and he found himself free once again in a strange and unfriendly land.

A new and alien hatred had been ignited in Rilduin for both the Thalmor and the Empire, and while his original path from the Order’s final meeting had been disrupted, his goal was clear: Do not despair, be patient, and observe the path that Y’ffre has chosen for you. Remain vigilant. Seek the best means to undermine the power of the Empire and the Thalmor, for they are now BOTH our enemies.

And so he went alone into the hills, remembering only a prayer from his youth:

Your power, ever present
Like the River
O Y’ffre

Neither past, nor future
Is your voice,
O Y’ffre

Chaos you have made whole,
And Blindness into vision,
Wise one.

Your spirit, not a bounty,
But a treasure
We will preserve.

Your whisper, We will heed
As each animal of the forest,
Eternal teacher.

Praise be to Y’ffre