[Sot2A] Memento Mori

Evi1_An9e1

4E 237

I am writing this in hopes that whomever finds it will read and chronicle my life into their memory and learn some of Tamriels dark secrets as well as fallacy and frailty in some of its religious beliefs. I will inscribe in this text the many adventures I had as well as the misadventures. This is not written for my death but I fear my days of traveling openly and broadly are over. I will begin with my early childhood moving to my young adulthood, death and rebirth before ending my tale. It is long and not for feint of heart. Do not attempt to locate me for it will not end well. So begins the tale of Galdryn Arethi, vampire assassin and three banners bard.

Evi1_An9e1

2E 565

A proper place to begin, this was the year of many changes in my life the first is typical but the second major change I what would steer me down the path I walked. I was born an Ashlander 15years earlier and learned many things but I felt that there were things I would only learn if I left. The opportunity wouldn't arise til this year when a beautiful young nobles daughter came through our lands with her family, they taught me a couple new things like what the constellations were realm named and how to find ones way around Mournhold but again I wanted more and i wanted more time with the girl.

I left that night on my guar and rode til we collapsed in an ash yam field. I awoke in a bed and found an older woman sitting next to my bed. She told me that a young man should not be wandering around alone. This became my home for the rest of my life. Alwyn introduced me to her nephew a former Morag Tong agent and began my tutelage in the finer arts of literacy, history, philosophy and wet work.

Evi1_An9e1

2E 570

I lived on the Arethi plantation for a short time, I spent most of mine with my mentor whose face I never saw. To tho day I still don't know his real name. I returned late that year to be formally adopted by Alwyn and that's the beginning of my tenure as an Arethi nobleman. Alwyn came out to our training camp and taught me etiquette in the morning and I trained as an assassin the rest of my waking hours. Mentor taught me how to blend in no matter what role I needed be it a chef a peddler or bard which was my favorite. He taught me lute and all the songs he knew as well as poems and stories, it was the best part of my training save for the stealth.

About three years would pass and finally Mentor brought in someone my age and matched for my skill in to spar. To my surprise it was the young noble woman whom was in my tribes camp years before. I soul lil to say the battle was even but I was infatuated with her and she easily bested me. Mentor asked where I went wrong and I replied that it was my own inner weakness to which he seemed pleased. We went again but this time the candles were snuffed and we relied on hearing and scents to fight and this time it was an even fight but again I was bested. I could not hurt her. My lessons from then until my first real mission I would be trained brutally to forgo my feelings of life and to mercilessly take those I needed. It was a dark 10 years.

Evi1_An9e1

2E 580

As I said the 10 years prior to my first solo assignment were hell, Mentor constantly pitted me against the girl, now a woman whose name was Sylvara. We met frequently outside of training and became close. She was beautiful, probably the most beautiful creature in Tamriel, so much so that i would have given anything to be hers but being of pure noble blood she was promised to another. I didnt meet him for a few more months but he was pretentious and daft as a lame guar but he had money and a house behind him, he was a Hlaalu. Now if you know nothing of the Great Houses, Hlaalu tended to deal from the shadows and often procured services from the Tong and sometimes the Brotherhood to get their points across or advance their agenda, this pathetic Dunmer was a member of Hlaalu and I would end up under his employ more than a few times.

At the end of my mentorship I was given an initiation trial, Mentor brought me before the Morag Tong and sponsored me. Being a former member he had some pull and they gave me my first writ of execution, the target was an arrogant Dunmeri noble heretic who had an infatuation with folk music, the perfect job for me. I used some of the Tongs assets and contacts to get me playing in the corner clubs he frequented as to be invited to his home to play. That part went off without a hitch, unfortunately the kill was rather sloppy and I barely escaped with my life. He knew he was being hunted and so he bought some body guards. Now the Tong works different than the Brotherhood, if I had been a child of Sithis I would have killed them too however I was of the Tong so the noble was the only authorized target. I finally got out via the cellar and into the sewers. It was a success though and I was officialy inducted.

Now I must say that while I prefer the role of bard I quite effectively make a convincing noble and would use these two the most. I went so far as to only accept writs where I could act those parts of which there were many. The two years between now and the Alliance war were filled with many lives being cut short by my hand and much coin lining my pockets. But something happened in 2E 581 Hearthfire on a Morndas that soul change my life and my soul.

First I realized I could no longer serve a Tribunal of false gods so while on a mission I setup a way to "die" and leave the Tong, this went as well as it could, the complicated part was staying hidden. The Tong did not know at that Tim that I had been named an Arethi so for a time that's what I became. It wasn't until I was called upon by the Webspinner that they would tail me. Mephala, displeased with the Tribunal had been "contracting" assassins to kill according to her designs which usually meant causing discord in courts by killing Thanes and Dukes and Dunmeri nobles but I was chosen for something different, something I would not fulfill for many years, but that is for later. For now suffice to da I killed as a freelance hireling. I would scout a job offer, pray to Mephala and if she approved, kill the target.

My final issue occurred during a contract involving a man from Rivenspire residing with a Count Ravenwatch. I however got a bit lax and did not realize my target was a vampire nor that he had not fed in quite a while. Unfortunately tho vampire was not one to feed and run. I opened with my usual move of throwing poisoned knives before weaving shadows around me and bounding after him with blades drawn poised to attack he however was ready. I dont remember what happened after I lunged but when i awoke I stood before Cound Verandis Ravenwatch. He gave me two options, either take my chances with my weakened state in the wild or let him help me in my recovery. I asked him many questions about vampirism and if those abilities would help, I willing asked for him to turn me but he declined. My request was finally granted by the one I had a contract on. He was unfortunately a servant to Molag Bal and after turning me sent me to Coldharbour for attacking him. I'm not sure how long I spent there but when I returned to Tamriel the war was well underway.