A thick set of files arrives by courier. The seal is enchanted, attuned to Legate Aurelius Maximius. Anyone knowledgeable of magical auras or communications of this nature would know any tampering or opening by someone other than this individual will trigger an immolation cantrip which would destroy the package and likely injure the individual doing the tampering.
The seal itself bears the planetary image of Nirn with a shield set before it, and an anchor chain recoiling from its surface. A secondary seal is recognizable as the Order of Exorcists, and the third, Justice Mercy’s personal seal.
The collection of files is topped by a scroll from Justice.
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Legate Aurelius,
Pardon the delayed arrival of these documents. As I promised in the beginning, I believe in full disclosure between us. However, this is also a tremendous responsibility as it reveals certain vulnerabilities in those whose trust I hold precious. I know you too will hold this information close and protect these files and the lives of those now in our shared charge as well.
For Tamriel,
Ambassador Justice Mercy
Squadron Commander of Midnight Squadron, 4th Cell Tamrielic Incursion Specialists
Primum Medicus of the Order of Exorcists
Legionnaire of Invicta
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The thick collection of individually bound papers contained in the package bear personal histories and information on every member of the Midnight Squadron’s 4th Cell.
Each collection of documents reveals mundane information including lineage, birth dates, place of birth, political proclivities, education, and other general information. There are copies of military documents for those who served in the wars, letters from former command and lists of awards as well as disciplinary histories where pertinent.
Evaluations of personality, eye witness testimonies, and even sensitive intel is included in each packet.
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The Idicci’s
Lady Valoria Idicci:
Notable family affiliations in the collected folios include the Idicci twins; Valoria Idicci and her younger brother Titus Idicci, the only survivors of the Imperial patrician Idicci house. Valoria currently serves as military attaché for Octavian Varianus, Governor of the Imperial fallback position in Reaper’s March. She has a spotless military record with several honors for bravery, as well as notable commendations for organizational matters. She does not see much field time to her regret, a side effect of the command structure attempting to preserve the old blood of the Imperial nobility. She chafes under this restraint and has an impressive number of appeals to high command to lead various battle groups, and seems to have taken up a daily practice of turning in respectfully worded, detailed arguments of why she should be allowed more field time. To date, they have managed to keep her on a short leash, though she has found an outlet with Justice’s group of specialists. She is proving herself a skilled heavy defense personality, and does not cower in the face of the most dangerous Daedric leaders. The Squadron has delegated her as a front line, sword and shield troop leader responsible for directing tactics against the most dangerous of foes.
Noted under personality traits is her absolute devotion to her younger brother whom she regards with a paternalistic concern. He is identified as her weakness, with noted concern as to impaired decision making were he threatened in any way.
She favors a dog she found as a stray in the ruins of the Imperial City, and a white Imperial bred charger of her family’s breeding. She is not known to have any romantic affiliations, though there was once a family arranged engagement to another patrician house that did not survive the fall.
Though as a patrician household there was a considerable amount of wealth left to the family, all but one holding has been lost and destroyed including a winery in Cyrodil, An equine breeding facility in the same area, and a primary city estate in the Imperial City. The remaining holding is a walled estate in Reaper’s March that the twins share. Other estates in various cities have been liquidated or boarded up due to the lack of staff and funds to maintain the properties.
Lord Titus Idicci:
Born within seconds of his sister, Titus is the titular scion of the House. He is impeccably educated in estate management, political intricacies, and all manner of aristocratic arts. The fall of the Empire has altered both his fortunes and outlook. Known for his womanizing, general debauchery, and caustic outbursts, the younger Idicci displays no notable discipline or appreciation for authority. He has traded his aristocratic ties for underworld associations, focused on regaining familial wealth by any means and shirking no method of doing so. He has shed the manners of an aristocrat thoroughly, embracing a plebian manner and cynical outlook.
Titus brings to the group the ability to operate in both circles, with ties to the aristocracy and the underworld. He is intimately connected to the black markets in several cities, and is a renowned smuggler in certain circles.
Though classically trained as a swordsman, he is reputed to be a dangerous street fighter favoring edged weaponry and known to use any advantage to win including shadier options and use of poisons.
He has no noted romantic affiliations, though many casual partners. He does not seem inclined towards any emotional bonds with the exception of his twin sister. As is the case with her, it is likely he would do anything to protect her. To this end he works against her, without her knowledge to keep her off battle lines, using his ties to the old guard to do so. He does not approve of her activities with Mercy’s group, and will often have her called up on Imperial duties when she is scheduled to lead a Squadron group on a daedric event.
It is not recommended that Titus be deployed along with his sister or vice-versa as their attempts to protect one another could cause difficulties in unit operations. Titus works well with Crimson Smiles who has claimed him as her ‘furless kitten’, and seems to hold Justice with some regard. He respects the Old Wolf, and bears a debt to him as indicated in the file of the Nord, and enjoys a lighthearted relationship with Hisst. He bears Wulfran a grudging respect, and seems to heed his direction. Daggoth Bloodsworn is a family retainer and something of a bodyguard for the Idicci youngsters, though he seems to favor a hands off approach to Titus. He is very much aware of his charge’s shortcomings and is not known to step in unless a circumstance is life threatening. Daggoth is a positive influence on the younger idicci who grudgingly seems inclined to reflect the traits the orc sees in him when others lose faith. Ultimately, however Titus prefers and is best at lone missions.
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Crimson Smiles:
Crimson Smiles is a Khajiit shadow operative with a lethal reputation on the battlefield. She favors a massive two-handed weapon, usually an axe, though her skills with a dagger are formidable as well, and her bow skills are significant though more infrequently utilized. Little is known about her past, though it is thought she is the offspring of a travelling Bandarii trading clan which makes definitive identification more difficult. However there is no record of her connecting with any family members as far back as we have been able to ascertain, and of course her trade name has subsumed any family name.
A cautionary note: While Crimson is affable and personable in interaction, she is extremely dangerous on mission with no compunction about killing any given target. There are rumors- very privately held- that she may be familiar with the Dark Brotherhood as she sees those killed in her craft as more of a ceremonial sundering of imperfect mortal existence than as a negative action. She has a startling familiarity of all known poison types with an impressive alchemical familiarity in their concoction and cures.
Crimson is particularly fond of those in the Squadron and seems inclined to ‘mother’ the members, especially the Idicci heir. She was not recruited in the same manner as the other members, and simply appeared at a very secure location of her own volition with the explanation that she would now be part of the 4th Cell. It was decided that attempts to dissuade her would not be beneficial to the mission, and she has worked from this group ever since.
She is skilled at breeding and training feline companions to include mounts and pets, and is generally accompanied by both. There is a strong bond between her and Ri Tahj the Kahjiit Templar, though her particular skill set seems to be an obstacle in this relationship.
Crimson Smiles is open to working with any team member and on any sort of mission, though she excels at single target elimination, information gathering, and information procurement from prisoners.
Mission command may however find that other team members are put off by her as she has a great fondness for killing, exhibiting no reluctance to do so, and no understanding of restraint by other team members. She is not malicious in this regard; simply care free in her application of lethal skills. In short, she will happily undertake less than savory agendas with no emotional after-effects.
She has no known residence and seems content to operate from any given Squadron holding she happens to be near at the time.
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Daggoth Bloodsworn
Daggoth is a young Orc warrior of the 4th generation in service to the Idicci Family. The family name ‘Bloodsworn’ was taken after an incident in which the chieftain of a small orc clan was rescued by an Idicci ancestor (*please refer to accompanying documentation for specifics) who then swore a blood debt to the Idicci family.
Raised as another family member and not as a servant, Daggoth was educated in the knightly arts with care taken to familiarize him with his cultural heritage. Away during the fall of the Imperial City, he bears a deep regret that he was not present to guard the other Idicci family members, or lead the defense of their lands. His father, Durak Bloodsworn was recorded to have fallen when the Imperial City was taken and the Idicci estate was overrun by daedra. Eye witness testimony of one survivor states the enemy dead piled waist high around him and he wielded his sword ‘Oath Keeper’ before the fallback location of the family matriarch despite grievous injury from countless wounds. He was confirmed dead, the heirloom blade missing, and those he fought so valiantly to protect slaughtered in the room behind him after his fall.
Daggoth searches for the blade of his father, and has renewed his vow to see the house of Idicci returned to its prior status, seeing his membership in the Squadron as the best means for removing the daedric evil from the land.
Daggoth is skilled in two handed combat, with a reputation for cutting through enemy lines with devastating effect. He augments his battle skills with ancient combat magic that can heal and increase the fury of his attack. He exemplifies knightly honor in combat as well as official dealings off the field.
He is able to function in traditional knightly fashion given his training, though favors a casual soldier’s mannerisms in daily interactions. He is very slow to anger and fancies himself a courtier when it comes to female acquaintances. He is amicable towards menial tasks as well as more refined duties and has a good deal of familiarity with Imperial and Orcish culture. Daggoth often feigns a slower intellect though in truth this is far from accurate.
Daggoth’s remaining family resides in Orsinium, and he has taken up the mantle his father bore as retainer to the Idicci household, considerably reduced as it may be. He ascribes towards the hard knocks philosophy when it comes to Titus- believing in letting him deal with the consequences for most of his actions, but keeps in range should the proffered lesson be too harsh.
He seems to have an untarnished opinion of the Idicci heir despite his activities, having a firm faith in his ‘brother’ that ultimately he is good and will grow out of his present proclivities. This positive belief in turn has the effect of somehow making Titus live up to Daggoth’s opinion in many cases where even his sister’s influence fails.
While Daggoth has a place with his clan, his elevation to his father’s place means that he lives as a Household Guard Captain and retainer with the Idicci’s at the estate in Reaper’s March. Daggoth favors a young Echalette as a companion pet, though on occasion will be accompanied by a war dog as well. His mount is a black wolf.
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Fahitma Denesh
A female Redguard of the Forebearers, Fahitma is a shaman attuned to the land, and an astrologer of note. Fahitma served with Justice Mercy before Justice took vows with the Order of Exorcists or gained command of her Cell of the Squadron.
Loyal to Justice after the circumstance (* see reference to Molag Bal abduction event) where she was rescued and healed by the Templar, Fahitma believes her fate of being Justice’s companion was written in the stars, and that it is her intended destiny.
Fahitma is something of an outcast by her own people due to her proclivity for magical abilities. She had signed on with the Imperial unit Justice served in as a priestess, where her flexibility in a fight was greatly valued. She can summon the powers of Nirn to defend attack and even heal and bolster troops as required, though she has no true mastery of any particular technique. She is best deployed to augment a specialist in other martial endeavors rather than serve at a primary mission task.
Valuable in covert operations, Fahitma has an uncanny ability to gain information from nature per her shamanistic skills. Able to call a formidable battle bear to her side she also possesses great skill at nurturing and healing animals. Though in tune with wild life, she has a very practical outlook on hunting for meat, harvesting natural materials, and domesticating animals. Her primary mission is eradicating the unnatural presence of Molag Bal’s servants, and is uncomfortable with mages that utilize daedric pets though she does not outright condemn magic use or see it as a weakness as her people usually do.
For this reason it is recommended she not be paired with those who call upon daedra. While possessed of a gentle nature when not in battle, she becomes distracted and thus is a liability in fights where allies rely on summoned daedra.
Fahitma prefers outdoor accommodations, and dislikes large crowds typical of cities. She is content with her unit and those she knows, and can appear stand-offish until she comes to know someone. She has no known romantic ties or history, and has no familial or personal home aside from Squadron properties, most typically those places Justice is assigned.
Fahitma is commonly seen with a number of animal companions, as wildlife in the vicinity is drawn to her presence. She is comfortable riding any mount, and has no specific preference.
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Lady Llunell R’ain
Another family of significance, the R’ain Great House of Vvardenfel is represented by a daughter of the eminent Daedric researchers, Adolin R’ain and his wife Llaaonah R’ain (a daughter of the prolific Hlaalu lineage).
Lady R’ain represents much of what we have come to expect of Dunmer culture. Arrogant, convinced of her own superiority to other races, patronizing, and intolerant of challenges to that sense of privilege that marks her as a scion of an ancient House.
In Dunmer reckoning she is still very young which can in part explain her personality. She very simply, does not get on well with others- including her own family members which may explain the willingness they demonstrate in both funds and Daedric research in return for keeping an eye on the youthful R’ain and giving her various tasks to occupy her time.
This is not, however to discount her potential. Llunell has an intricate understanding of Dunmer culture which extends to specifics on Houses and the gossip and plotting and maneuvering that occurs therein. Though she goes to great pains to affect a disinterest for her family’s scholarly reputation, she has been well educated in a number of specializations that generations of her line have studied. She has a brilliant memory for information, and will often recite by word segments of obscure writings pertinent to a given situation in those moments when she forgets to affect a jaded, worldly exterior. She is also a gifted mage of the fire school, though she has a reputation as something of a pyromaniac.
In Justice’s estimation of the young elf, much of Llunell’s personal abrasion is a call for attention from parents too involved in the scholastic to pay much heed to their third child. It is her estimation that given patience and positive reinforcement, that the young Dunmer could mature into a significant asset. Justice advises occupying Llunell’s restless intelligence with tasks that challenge her to keep her out of trouble and out from under other Squadron members who take issue with her brash personality.
Lady R’ain very simply does not work well with any cell member on a regular basis though she seems fascinated by the Archmage, and is tolerated by Dhok who has taken some of her teaching (and discipline) in hand. She avoids the Old Nord, is intent on harassing Wulfran, and clashes with Titus on a regular basis, often having to be taken in hand by Daggoth lest they do serious injury to one another. She responds best to Justice who seems to understand the young woman and is the most patient with her. It is best she not be left alone with Hisst as they have a genuine dislike of one another given what seems to be an irreconcilable view of one another’s cultures.
In short, this young noble can be an asset with a very specific set of skills, but she has a volatile personality to go along with those positives.
Lady Llunell has a number of pets typically favored by her people, though she rarely takes them on travels away from her home. She favors riding a nightmare courser said to be a gift to her family by Mehrunes Dagon himself.
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Cidhe
Simply known as ‘Cidhe’ in her native tongue, this young Bosmer is not technically an operative of the Squadron, but a charge of Axel who has in turn been adopted by Justice and other team members. At best summation, the girl is a wildling that was said to have been raised by wolves until she was found by Axel who subsequently took her in.
Of her own volition she has assisted in numerous missions, proving to be an excellent tracker, hunter, and infiltrator. She has few social skills which include a tendency to steal things that catch her eye, not demonstrating much comprehension of the concept of personal property.
Though not officially mute, the girl rarely chooses verbal communication though she seems to understand what others say. Instead she usually communicates in gestures and sounds, though Justice and Hisst have achieved some success in teaching her written communication as well.
Cidhe shows tremendous skill with a bow and considerable aptitude for close quarters brawling where she demonstrates a physicality that can overwhelm many opponents. She is known to bite and claw as well as use blades, making up in ferocity what she lacks in size and strength. A favorite technique is attacking from stealth, which often results in her victory before the target has an opportunity to engage.
She is timid when confronted by strangers, often preferring to hide and observe. She does not like large populated areas, nor live indoors even in extreme weather though barns and caves are acceptable accommodations. She shares a notable kinship with wolves and has been seen somehow communicating with these wild relatives in several instances.
Cidhe is something of a mascot to the Cell, and even the more irascible members tend to look out for the young Mer. She adores Axel and is often successful in coaxing him out of even his darkest contemplations, making it hard to say whom it is that actually was instrumental in saving whom.
With no known Bosmer familial ties, she has been taken in by Axel, with quarters at his home, though she is content to travel between Cell member assignments to check in and help where she can. Cidhe typically rides a wolf mount gifted to her by the Old Wolf. Though not a pet, she is often accompanied by a Nixad that seems to favor her and otherwise watches over her.
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Dhok and Archmage Rune
From the ranks of the Mage’s guild in the Summerset Islands, we include a rare mystery and Dwemer specialist in our ranks. Freed from the daedric planes during Justice’s counter attack (* see reference to Molag Bal abduction event), Archmage Rune and her assistant come to us from a peculiar circumstance.
Of Aldmeri ethnicity, and skilled in the use of Magicka, little more is known of the Archmage other than what was discovered during her rescue.
Freed from her captivity by Molag Bal in the events described in the attached record, it is supposed that the breaking of the containment cell she was trapped in caused either a temporary or permanent impairment of memory in the Mer we refer to as ‘Rune’.
The only certain information we have is that she was a very powerful mage kept in stasis from ages prior to this current conflict. Indeed the only information surviving from the mage’s guild suggests she likely is the long vanished Archmage ‘Rumena Alkinihle’ (of the First Era) which the rescue party misheard as ‘Rune’ which has stuck due to the uncertainty in identification post rescue.
If indeed this is the indicated, long thought lost Archmage, the wealth of untapped knowledge she has locked away is almost unfathomable. However short of accessing that hidden information, she is still a preeminent scholar on the Dwemer Archaeologies, and an unparalleled Dwemer technician able to recreate and repair most of the old technologies she turns her hand to.
Unfortunately there was some sort of damage taken either during imprisonment and torture, or upon the breaking of her stasis cell. Though those with the aptitude measure Rune’s innate potential with magic to be unparalleled, she seems to have retained little actual skill in spell casting except in random urgent situations that threaten her life or those in her proximity. Even in such scenarios, she retains no memory of the actual spells used or how to manipulate the magick streams she had recently accessed.
Experts believe this to be a lingering issue of self preservation stemming from her time as a prisoner of the daedric planes, to which end Dhok has been assigned as a caregiver, assistant and chronicler. His task is to keep her monitored, to calm her if she is given to an anxiety attack (at which point she is known to atomize and lose corporal form save in the most general sense), and to assist with her studies of Dwarven technologies.
Of his own noteworthy reputation, Dhok had a past as a renown battlefield mage before he came to the philosophy that prioritizing the Daedric threat was the wiser path. He volunteered for the task of accompanying Rune to the Squadron- a demand she made from within her confinement before her mental break and subsequent rescue.
Dhok and Archmage Rune are Specialists who only rarely take part in direct missions. Instead they supply arcane intelligence and Dwemer Expertise to missions of that sort as well as Altmer contacts as needed. They are neutral in the war as in the case of the Mage’s guild.
A peculiarity of the Archmage, is her insistence on wearing pristine white and her obsessive dislike for soiling her skin or her apparel in any way. She prefers things of mechanical nature which extends to her mount preference which primarily consists of a Dwemer style automaton horse, though she has helpfully crafted similar machines for other Squadron members. She has also revived and recallibrated a number of Dwarven machines which follow her around like loyal hounds. Dhok does not share his mentor’s preference and usually rides a horse of Mer breeding.
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Imperial Chef, Hisst Arrowinee:
Eye witness survivor’s recollection:
“We were done for, sure. Me ‘n Hetty ‘n Jinksy just kind’a huddled under the stairwell by the kitchens waitin’ fer the end. We could smell the smoke an’ the blood an’ the shit…hear the screams an’ the sounds of the daedra howlin’ and laughin’…then outs from nowhere comes this crazy lizard in cook whites, bellowin’ and roarin’ and crackling with magic- swingin’ a huge two handed sword and slicin’ an dicing them whats was in ‘is way….an he looks right at us ‘n says “Get your asses out of here, fools!” an’ he points the way out with that huge fuckin’ sword where the way was clear…so out we ran!”
– Head Groundskeeper, Martin Arnsworth
“No one came for us, of course. What was left of the Imperial Guard was helping the nobility. So we had gathered in the kitchens for some reason, and tried to barricade ourselves in. Then Chef arrives, and if he wasn’t a sight for sore eyes! His staff was gone and somehow he had ended up brandishing this huge sword that was almost the length of his old favorite pot-stirrer…he had us gather up butcher blades and cleavers and the like and led us through the halls until we got to the sewers. There was daedra there as well of course, but by the divines if he didn’t slaughter them like cattle…and he did it. He got most of us clear. Then he turned around and went back in with that ridiculous sword of his…”
– Imperial Sous Chef, Tamar Lundquist
“I knew he was sought after of course, but I had always thought it was for his Direnni Hundred-Year Rabbit Bisque! Who would have thought his martial skills matched his kitchen related skillsets? Yet there he was wading into the fight amid lightning blasts and swings of his sword- a sword mind you…no staff for him!… bolstering my house guard as we made a run for the gates…”
– Sir Reginald Farnsworthy
“We would have been lost if Hisst had not picked that moment to make his introductions. I had nothing left but a prayer to the Divines. I was holding the Archmage up, watching helplessly as a number of the prisoners we had just freed fell beneath the renewed onslaught of the Daedra. Then a crazy Argonian jumped into the middle of them from an opening above where we had made our last stand, yelling about how “dinner was served, you bastards!” and somehow we rallied and made it out of there alive…pulling him out by his apron belt along with us…”
–Justice Mercy
“Hisst is one of those rare individuals who has found what he loves doing, and has excelled in it, despite hurdles in his way. A primary obstacle? His being born Argonian. Yet somehow despite this, he ended up as a favorite chef in the Imperial kitchens, sought after across Tamriel.
Everything he has found interest in, he has mastered to include smithing, woodworking, tailoring, alchemy, as well as rune crafting. He has the soul of an artist and the irascible temper of wet cat. He may not be the best mage I have ever met, but he is good in his own unorthodox way. He is one of those individuals you find yourself wanting to impress though he rarely has a polite word for you. Maybe it’s because of an unspoken understanding that he would go to the ends of the world and beyond for someone he sees as a friend? I am not sure, but I will say I am heartily glad to count him as a friend and have him at my back in a fight.”
– Personnel evaluation excerpt, Justice Mercy.
Hisst has personal family property in the Great Swamp as well as extensive family scattered in the lands, though none in the immediate sense. His cousin, Whiskey Copper-Still, also serves at the peripheral of the cause.
While his primary skills have always been in various artistic fields, most notably as a chef- he is a promising though not fully developed mage. He disdains the use of a staff, preferring instead a large two handed sword crafted in the Argonian style whose use is augmented by magic skills and various enchantments.
He has no tolerance for those that are inclined to see Argonians as a slave race, or who might keep slaves of their own. He is known to be an exacting but fair taskmaster in his kitchens, insisting on spotless accommodations, the freshest ingredients, and knowledgeable assistants.
Hisst has purchased a property he plans to open as a resort to serve as an attractive spot for intelligence gathering and searching out alliances while offering a tempting array of dishes made noteworthy in his service at the Imperial court.
Hisst has no serious romantic ties, though he is known to take various lovers from amongst any number of the races, many of whom seek him out for his fame and various skillsets. He prefers to ride a pale white guar charger and has a noted fondness for a pig companion that will follow him about like a dog when given a chance.
He works well in a group of competent team members, but requires strong leadership or he will step up and assume command of the group when there is a vacuum. He will give a tongue-lashing to anyone shirking responsibilities without a second thought, so it is advised more timid personalities be assigned elsewhere.
In short, this Argonian will not willingly suffer fools or cowards.
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Axel Jotunnsson a.k.a The Old Man, or The Old Wolf
For the record- A regional Skald’s tune often sung as a lament in the deepest winter-
Lament for the Last of the Jotunnssons
In vain the bright course of thy talents to wrong
Fate deadn’d thine ear and imprison’d thy tongue,
For bright o’er all her obstructions arose
The glow of genius they could not oppose;
And who, in the land of the Nord, or the Mer,
Might match with Axel, Clan Chief of the hills?
Hear the wolf cry now: Winter has come.
Hear the wolf cry now: His enemies undone.
Thy sons rose around thee in light and in love.
All a father could hope, all a friend could approve;
What ‘vails it the tale of thy sorrows to tell?
In the springtime of youth and promise they fell!
Of the line of Jotunnsson remains not a male,
To bear the proud name of the Chief of the vale.
Hear the wolf cry now: Winter has come.
Hear the wolf cry now: His enemies undone.
And thou, gentle Dame, who must bear, to thy grief,
For thy clan and thy country the cares of a Chief,
Whom brief rolling moons in six changes have left,
Of thy husband and father and brethren bereft;
To thine ear of affection, how sad is the hail
That salutes thee -the fallen wife of the line of the Chief!
Hear the wolf cry now: Winter has come.
Hear the wolf cry now: His enemies undone.
(attributed to the legendary Skald, Sir Walter Scott)
**
Last surviving member of the Nordic highland clan whose name he bears, Axel was the head of his clan and was liegeman to the late Thane Skavaald in the mountains bordering Craiglorn in his younger years.
Axel’s clan thrived under his leadership, but his battlefield prowess threatened his own liege lord and rival clans to such an extent, that a terrible plan was concocted between them to forever banish the threat he posed to their own ambitions.
Summoned to service three decades ago, Axel and the best of his warriors were called away, leaving their village vulnerable. Disguised in wolf furs and features hidden behind snarling wolf masks, Cadlin Snargussan, longstanding rival from across the valley, led his own men on a sneak attack, slaughtering every remaining man, woman and child of Axel’s tribe- including his wife, two sons and newborn daughter.
A wounded messenger reached him on the road too late, though with his last breath the runner named the villain. And so it was that Axel set foot on a path of vengeance and relentless predation which he still walks to this day.
Every last warrior of his tribe has been given to the eradication of the bloodline of his enemies- for in his quest for vengeance he learned his own Thane had surrendered him to his nemesis. And so it was that Axel’s hunt earned the attention of Hircine Himself.
Yes, Axel is a werewolf. An alpha among alphas, a pack leader with no pack.
His is a sad tale darkened by the virulence of true hatred and blood feud that is as relentless as the seasons and as cold as the mountains of Skyrim. Those of his enemy’s blood still remaining hide well, for they have come to know the Old Wolf bears no mercy.
So how was it Axel came to be in service to Justice Mercy and the cause? It is suggested his enemy had made a pact with the Daedric Lord of Schemes, and the implacable warrior caught wind of this and had broadened his quarry to include the minions let loose on this plane as his primary targets grew more scarce. Perhaps too, the lone wolf found the comfort of a pack once again. However the specific tale has the Old Wolf saving the older of the Idicci twins when a scouting mission turned bad and the Imperial party she commanded was ambushed by shock troops boiling out from a daedric portal. With his timely assistance, the enemy was defeated and he took Valoria to a medical camp where a young healer now known as ‘Justice Mercy’ worked to care for wounded soldiers.
Axel has a strong relationship with Wulfran of Riften. He is a father-figure to the waif Cidhe, and sees to the well-being of other cell members in his own aloof manner. He has not given up his hunt, and has sworn to stay on track until he has eradicated any lingering blood relation of his enemies.
He has taken the holdings of his former liege-lord as his own, known now as “Wolf’s Den” by locals, more for the common sightings of wolf packs in the area than any inkling of the Old Man’s true nature.
Axel, though trained to bear the heavier, traditional Nordic armors of encumbering steel, prefers leather with lighter metal plate adornment. His combat style pairs speed gained from his greater agility with the massive damage of a mighty two handed sword wielded in the finest Nordic traditions. His battle style is enhanced by the battlemagics of the ancient dragon-knight, allowing him to sustain himself during longer conflicts.
He favors a piebald battle trained destrier named ‘Horse’, and is sometimes seen to be accompanied by wild wolves inclined to escort the Old Man in the wilds.
Currently his Halls host the Archmage ‘Rune’ and her companion caregiver Dhok as the catacombs on his property are coincidentally the site of a Dwemer ruin as well. His charge ‘Cidhe’ is usually in the vicinity and Wulfran of Riften often comes to visit with the old man as well. He appreciates a good drink and to that end enjoys the brews Hisst will concoct especially for his consumption. The Idicci twins idolize the Old man- each in their own particular way. Where Valoria will coax tales of battle from him, Titus will allow himself to be silenced by a simple glance from the icy gaze of the Old Man. Axel has a respectful if protective relationship with Justice though it is clear he sees himself more as her caretaker and protector than one of her soldiers. It is not suggested the Nord be paired with the Dark Elf, though he works well enough with other team members. He however, prefers hunting alone.
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Ri Tahj
Ri Tahj is a tall, male, Khajiit with light coloured fur, almost white, with a band of reddish brown around his muzzle area. He usually favours simple garb, either plain robes or armour, and can often be found in poorer areas of cities, seeking to aid the poor. He is a devotee of Mara and especially favours aiding children. It has been speculated that he may have been orphaned and taken in by an orphanage run by a Maran sect but no proof has ever been found to support this theory.
Ri Tahj’s exact place of origin is unknown although it is beleived he is from somewhere in northern Elseweyr, as he has been reported to have relayed tales of spending time in Dune, Riverhold and Rimmen. These references could, however, just mean he has traveled to these cities and enjoyed his time there.
He has had loose affiliations with various charitable and philanthropic groups over the past several years, and it is unclear how he became affiliated with the band of daedra hunters assembled by the Breton known as Justice Mercy. He seems to enjoy cordial relations with most of the group, but seems to have a strong bond with the assassin known as Crimson Smiles despite her being “on a dark path”. There is no evidence as to how deep the bond between the two Khajiit is, or if it pre-dates their joining of Justice Mercy’s group.
Ri Tahj has shown no evidence of addictions or proclivities to any type of questionable activity, aside from his association with some of the members of Justice Mercy’s team. He does not avoid taverns or brothels but does not seek them out. Often his visits to such establishments will be in company where he tends to be a moderating influence on his companions.
She stood, tilting her head as she looked up at the twin moons observing her from high overhead. For a moment the glowing, mottled orbs reflected in her startling blue eyes, and she was still, save for the twitch of her tail and the slowing drip of gore from her blade.
He hunted, as always.
guardianwulf 