» Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:20 am I made an Altmer Mage, Imperial Warrior, and Orc Barbarian.
Just wondering if anyone had any opinions on which would be best/most fun to play as?
Brace yourselves these are long.
Altmer Mage
Elindil Rumarene was born to a wealthy altmer noble in the imperial city in the year 152 4E. His father, Aldaril, served as the Thalmor ambassador to the Synod. Soon after the outbreak of the Great War in 171 a mob of imperials attempted to kill the ambassador and his family. Elindil’s mother was killed and he and his father only escaped due his father’s great magical prowess. They fled to the northwest, hoping to find the Aldmeri army and return to Alinor. They had managed to avoid capture up to the border of Hammerfell when one night a gang of redguard bandits, seeking to profit on the breakdown of law and order the War was causing crept into their camp one night and slit Aldaril’s throat. One bandit took pity on Elindil and told him to run away. At the age of twenty the altmer appeared very young and was not bothered by patrols. He fled to the country west of Bruma, where he came upon an ancient abandoned farm. Undeterred by the skeleton that hung from the roof Elindil holed up inside the farm, barely finding the food needed to survive with his limited magical talents until the signing of the White-Gold Concordant. He then journeyed to the Imperial City and attempted to gain audience with Lord Unudain-the Thalmor ambassador. The ambassador’s assistants and guards were quick to rebuff him at the onset, as he had no proof of his lineage and espionage was suspected. Elindil was detained and after thorough interrogation was entered into the fold of the Thalmor Embassy. After 5 years of training he was given a post in Bruma as an assistant to the Thalmor Emissary there. It was quite a generous posting for an elf of only 28 years. Many of his superiors were aghast at having such a young apprentice, but most were stunned with the vigor and aptitude with which he went about his work. He quickly rose through the ranks and in the year 201 he found himself in command of an assassination attempt on one of Ulfric Stormcloak’s most talented generals. The strategic genius shown by the general in early skirmishes threatened a resolution of the war in the favor of the Stormcloaks. And a quick end of the war was not in the interest of the Almeri Dominion. Now, Elindil was called on to show the same brilliance in the field that he had shown in his diplomatic work. However, his youth and inexperience caught up to him on this mission; his knowledge of magic being far less than it should have been for such a delicate operation in which success was more dependant on making it appear that the Penitus Occulatus had fulfilled the assassination than even actually killing the target. Elindil had claimed that he was a master of illusion and would be able to conceal both himself and the two thalmor assassins assigned to him. While he had read extensively on the theory behind such spells he had never actually applied them to practical use. His attempt at casting invisibility was shaky and led to their early discovery. While the skill of the assassins allowed them to still complete the assassination, both were killed and there was no question the Thalmor were responsible, Elindil barely escaping with his life. He dared not return to the Thalmor embassy, but he was quickly located by Thalmor agents who brought him back to the Bruma headquarters. Lord Aldaril harshly reprimanded Elindil, stripped him of his rank, and sentenced him to torture and death in the belowground torture chambers of the embassy for his failure. Elindil spent several days the victim of the vicious experiments of the warden, before the one good friend he had made in the embassy, Itertil, unlocked his cell, provided him with clothes and several days food, and smuggled him out of Bruma. Elindil fled north, bitter that his father, who he had so revered, had been an agent of what he now saw to be a cruel and unjust institution, and from that day on he swore never to have dealings in politics again. It just so happened that the divines would be truly unkind to Elindil that day as he wandered directly into an imperial ambush that was capturing Ulfric Stromcloak. A soldier who had fought during the Great War and nurtured a deep hatred for all Altmer, caught him from behind and beat him viciously into unconsciousness, and then hauled him in chains to the cart destined for execution.
Imperial Warrior
Astius Calliei was born to an Imperial merchant in the year 149 4E. His father ran a prosperous trading company out of Anvil and was often away. As Astius’ mother had died in childbirth, during these long voyages he stayed with his grandfather, a retired imperial legionnaire by the name of Vodus. His grandfather earnestly hoped Astius would join the Legion as his own son had not. While he loved his son and respected his choice to stay out of the military, Vodus desperately needed someone to carry on his name in the Legion. So Vodus taught Astius the art of swordplay and the use of heavy armors from an early age and encouraged him to join the Legion. Astius’ father thought the military an ill befitting life for his son and told him that it was his responsibility to carry on the family merchant business when he came of age. This difference was the source of many arguments between Astius’ father and grandfather, but in the end Astius’ future was his own choice. While Astius respected his father, he had spent more time with his grandfather while his father was away on long voyages and simply revered his judgement. So, at the age of 21 his grandfather got him a commission as an officer in the ranks of the Imperial Legion, unbeknownst to either of them, near the eve of the Great War. When the Thalmor emissary delivered his ultimatum to Emperor Titus Mede II Astius was sent to the western frontier in Hammerfell, where he earned several field promotions as many officers were lost during the struggle and he showed his aptitude to military life as well as his years of versing in strategy and fighting technique from his grandfather. When Imperial armies withdrew from Hammerfell to retake the Imperial City Astius played a critical role in the Battle of the Red Ring-leading a division into the city via the sewers that took the Thalmor by surprise and quickly captured the Elven Gardens and Market Districts before aiding in the final assault in the retaking of White Gold Tower. In this final struggle Astius was severely injured by several arrows and a concussive fire spell that kept him in a hospital bed for the next year. After he had recovered from his multitude of injuries he was given an official commendation by the Emperor for his distinguished service record and discharged with considerable pension. He returned home to Anvil to find that his father had been killed when the Thalmor had sacked Leyawiin while he was at the market there and that his grandfather was sick and likely on his deathbed. After his grandfather passed away 4 months later Astius bitterly departed from Anvil, there was nothing left for him there. He contacted old friends from the Legion and became involved in some mercantile dealings for a time until he realized that many discontented ex-Legionnaires were hired to rob honest merchants for the goods used in the trading organization. He told his friends that while he would certainly not report them he could not be affilitiated with such an organization. He then moved to Bruma where he opened a small corner tavern that never showed a profit, but which he kept in order to have something to fill his days with. One day he had been drinking heavily when several thalmor emissaries wandered through the street by him. Suddenly, a deep hatred was rekindled inside of him. He retrieved his old longsword and murdered the three Thalmor in the street. The town guards attempted to detain him unsure of what exactly to do. Astius fled north but being quite out of shape and favoring his right leg from his old arrow wounds he was soon caught. The killings nearly sparked international incident, which Titus Mede barely managed to contain. His actions were weighed against past deeds and it was decided he would be stripped of his standing and pension and was sentenced to 10 years in the Imperial Prison. Titus Mede deeply regretted the severity of his punishment, but had no choice in order to maintain the peace of the White-Gold Concordant. When Astius was released in the year 200 he was a greatly changed and disillusioned man. He headed north for Skyrim where civil war was breaking out and as chance would have it passed Ulfric Stormcloak on the road just as an Imperial ambush was launched. A veteran of the Great War, Astius saw the ambush coming and was prepared to defend himself—he killed one man before he realized it was imperials who were attacking. He quickly surrendered, but the dead man’s friends revenged him brutally, beating him unconscious and dragging him off for execution.
Orc Barbarian
Ksarul gro-Zarok had no memory of parents or of upbringing. As early as he could remember he had to work and hunt and fight for his survival. Growing up east of Bravil in the wild forests he gained skills in hunting and fighting and as he grew he became a fearsome warrior. He journeyed north to Cheydinhal at the age of 14 and had his first real experience with a city. He spent the next few years hunting in the countryside and selling meat and furs in the market, making enough money to be comfortably fed. He was quite content to ignore talk of the recent Great War, White-Gold Concursomethingorother, and other treaties and disputes throughout the Empire. As long as it did not affect him he reasoned, why should he care? At the age of 19, while hunting in the woods north of the city he came upon two bandits. While at first they tried to rob him he impressed them with his skill with an axe and they encouraged him to join the bandit clan which they belonged to. He accepted, wishing now to kill targets of greater intellect and challenge than the wild animals he was used to fighting. Ksarul was brought before the bandit chieftain, also an orc, Gramluk, who made him pass several trials of strength and skill before making him swear an oath of loyalty. His brutality and strength impressed the others as he participated in raids. Ksarul, realizing his impressive abilities, thought himself stronger and more worthy than Gramluk after only a few short years with the clan. He sought to challenge the warlord for leadership to the clan. His downfall was that while he had the respect of all, he had no friends or even anyone who particularly like him at all due to his arrogance and introverted nature. In the end he simply challenged Gramluk to single combat. Unfortunately for Ksarul, Gramluk did not fight, fearing the younger orc, and set the clan upon him claiming some obscure treachery. The clan attacked him and it was only Ksarul’s extraordinary strength and skill that allowed him to escape. He fled to the north and when he ran into a fateful Imperial ambush he thought them to be his clan hunting him down. He killed many of them before 10 or so legionnaires beat him into submission, tied him, and sent him to Helgen for execution.
