ArgoniaLit.- Year 397 of the Third Era

[KuKulzA]

This story will be written like 2920, The Last Year of the First Era. It is about the end of the Arnesian War as well as some events occuring within Morrowind and within the Black Marsh. I will post a book (month) each time, 11 books in all. Enjoy!
NOTE: the Morrowind Calendar has no "Morning Star" month (January) and the other 11 months are simply longer. As this is made by two savants, an Argonian and a Dunmer, they chose to use the Dunmer calendar to appeal to the potential Dunmer audience.

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Year 397 of the Third Era
As told by:
Bokur Eedal, head historian in the Gideon University
Dalen Uvenim, reknown writer of Great House Hlaalu

Sun's Dawn
Book One - Year 397 of the Third Era

1 Sun's Dawn, 397
There was a crack and a snap, the giant tree came falling down and as it did, every twig broke and the leaves scattered all about reflecting the soft moonlight, and the thud of the enormous trunk hitting the earth shook the ground around it. A hiss came and some croaks and yells from the shrubbery at the forest floor. The Dunmer axmen quickly retreated, while extinguishing their brands, and a tall figure in bonemold on the top of the hill gave the order for the Dunmer archers to nock their arrows. A blood curdling war cry went up in the darkness of the forest and out of the jungle came a horde of scaly warriors. The entire mass of reptilian bodies surged at the Dunmer at the top of the hill. When they got closer, the sky rained with arrows and hidden cavalry on the flanks burst out of their cover and charged into the mass of skewered scaly flesh.

Uduk Jula awoke suddenly in his reed hut. A messenger was at the threshold.
?What is it marshbother? Are the tidings good or bad??
?I am sorry Battlechief, the new is very bad?
?What is wrong, does the Warchief need my tribesmen??
?The Warchief is dead, the Dunmer chopped down an old Hist tree to anger the army and then lured them into a shallow valley where they had cavalry hidden on both sides and archers at the end on a steep hill. None of them are alive right now.?
?Quick, call up the warriors, they have felled a Hist tree, they will not get away!?
?The massacre occurred early this morning, and the Dunmer had set up a fortified camp, they will not be moving, but they don?t need to.?
?That?s what they think, yes, but the wind is changing, we will win, I can tell?
As he said this, Uduk Jula mounted his parrapton and clicked and croaked and the flying beast rose into the air and flew off. Soon a few others joined him with warriors on their backs and Argonian footsoldiers could be seen traveling single-file on the warpath far below in the forest.

3 Sun's Dawn, 397
A watchman rode by quietly and looked across the floodplain to the eves of the jungle. He knew what was out there waiting for them. Not crocodiles or disease or quicksand, that was a given; out there were hundreds of bloodthirsty argonians whipped into a frenzy as one of their beloved Hist trees had been felled. It was Hizibital Dres? idea. This young Captain was a good leader and strategist, but right now the watchman wasn?t so sure of this young leader?s genius. Of course two days ago they had slaughtered an army of Argonians, but they had lost their momentum, even he could see that. Hizibital had attempted to send warriors on foot-raids into the jungle but they had found nothing. Now the rains were getting to the men and they were losing their will to fight. An orc strolled over and nodded to the watchman.
?Briras, give me your spear, I will sharpen it?
?Thank you Gronak, one might say it is too bad you are an outlander.?
?Ah, it is nothing. I am a wanderer, a hireling, I kill for gold, my home is not Orsinium, nor is it Morrowind.?
?Well when this damn war is over, you would be welcome in my house any day?
As Gronak the burly orkish smith of the garrison began finishing sharpening the spear he replied, ?I do not know who has done the other a greater favor today. Offering friendship and a home in the future, or sharpening a spear to survive till that day?
The two laughed good-naturedly and the orc handed the spear back to his comrade.
?They say the war is going well Briras, and an army from Mournhold is on its way to deliver the crushing blow.?
?Gronak, you are a great warrior, I doubt it not, and an optimist at heart, but I do not think there is anything to be gained in this war. Both sides have lost lives, I only hope those lizards get what they deserve.?
?And what is that?? asked Gornak in an amused tone.
?Death, they killed one of ours, so well kill them?
?And so it goes on and on?, chuckled the orc, ?it is the same everywhere young elf, live longer and see more wars, they are all the same after awhile.?
?You may think so?
?I know you don?t believe me but please I- ?
The orc never finished his sentence as when he turned around a javelin struck him on the side of the neck and he fell down into the mud. Briras the watchman ducked behind the palisade and was about to creep back out when another spear came over and landed just in front of the young Dunmer.
?Raid?, yelled the watchman as a few poles came up, and on top of them, Argonians vaulting over the short palisade wall into the small sentinel camp. He charged at the nearest lizardman who deftly side-stepped him and knocked him on the head with a club. Briras fell into the mud next to his orc friend. As he lay there, too hurt to move but still conscious he tried to think of revenge and of how he would escape, but all that came into his mind was the throbbing pain on the back of his head and the screams and yells he heard far off though they came from only a few feet away. The Argonians were repulsed but they had already killed five and left two injured. The sentries would have to retreat.

4 Sun's Dawn, 397
Enwahr strode up to the table. Behind it was a savage looking Breton scribbling names onto a piece of paper. The ugly man looked up at the Bosmer and grunted.
?What is the name elf?
?Enwahr, I am an archer?
?Alright, N-W-A-H, go over to that Dunmer with the whip over there?
?Sorry sir, my name is Enwahr not N?wah?
?Listen, don?t get sassy with me, hey Mavon, this kid?s name is N?wah!?
The Dunmer drillmaster turned, looked at the Bosmer and laughed. ?Come N?wah, as along as you do as I say I won?t hurt you, come along!?
The young Bosmer had no choice but to go along with the Dunmer. He had run away from his folks awhile ago as they had been terrorized by Altmer from the west and Kahjit from the east. He decided to stop wasting arrows and go to Morrowind as a mercenary. At least from what he had heard the Dunmer were winning against the Argonians.
?Hey there, I am Mavon Drenim, your drillmaster, your friendly Telvanni, and also your manager, now go into that ship, when we land we will train for two weeks and you will be sent to the front, you will be paid every three weeks.?
Enwahr did as he was told and when he jumped below deck he found himself face to face with a large Cathay-raht, it smiled and took out its cutlass. Fortunately Mavon Drenim had followed Enwahr onto the ship and was about to close the hatch when he saw trouble. After the Khajit had been sent off on an errand, Drenim found the Bosmer a good niche between an Orc and a Nord and left for the deck. Enwahr found it stuffy and crowded it this ship where a hundred mercenaries had been crammed. He prayed that he would make it out alive as he saw the nord to his left and the orc to his right exchange glares, barking at each other with gruff voices, and go for their swords.
When the ship finally docked at Tear eightey hirelings emerged from the ship and two were led away to Mavon Drenim to be his slaves. He was a telvanni, and afterall, he had to be paid for his excellent skills. Hundreds of others from other ships joined them but two weeks of harsh discipline and death whittled their numbers down to a hundred skilled and fresh troops ready to be sent to the front. Enwahr, or n'wah as his comrades now called him, felt ready to fight any danger now.

25 Sun?s Dawn, 397
A few thousand warriors milling about the inside of the fort looked like ants from the top of the tree half a mile away. Uduk Jula knew that his lightly armored troops would not be able to besiege the fort. On the walls were archers, many of them Bosmer. Within defending the gates were Nords and Orcs, and if they got through the initial defense there was an inner palisade where the other hirelings were stationed. If he got through the two walls, he would meet up with a Dunmer army. He gave a few quick clicks and a naga strolled over. He gave it very specific instructions. Then he turned and sighed. He would have to give battle for many of his warriors needed to be back at their villages hunting game or readying the plots for seeding, the rainy season approaching. Uduk Jula grabbed his slingshot and a few pebbles from a nearby stream. He then took his spear and buckler and joined his brethren on the forest floor.
This time only the people of the roots would be fighting the Dark Elves. The Nagas, Sarpa, and Paatru were nowhere to be seen. The Battlechief Uduk Jula called his warriors together and hoisted up a long pike. But instead of a flag on it, there was a long dead corpse. It was the corpse of a mer name Roris, and it still had on its racer plume cape and Dres bonemold on though punctured by arrows. The head lay at an odd angle as the pike had been forced up the body and through the neck. The Battlechief mounted a durzog and called his Argonians forward. They marched out of the jungle and into the plain.
They stopped, just out of arrowshot. They waved the large and cumbersome corpse-banner of Roris about and waited. Understanding very well the shortcomings of his warriors Uduk Jula had them make two rows, the frontline all swordsmen and axmen and clubbers. The back composed of archers, slingers, and skirmishers, as well as many spearmen. The frontline would bend in the middle under pressure from the enemy and when the enemy broke into the space between the two ranks, he would call the spearmen to charge in, therefore enclosing the enemy on all sides in a triangle. His success relied to two things, the fact that the front would hold and that the archers would whittle down most of the enemy. He breathed out slowly; this would be a bloody battle, but certainly not the last. Plus, this battle did not matter; all that mattered was that the Dunmer would come out of their fortress.

26 Sun?s Dawn, 397
Briras jumped upon his guar. It was night and Hizibital Dres had finally given the order to advance. Strange, this general is very keen on attacking at night. Perhaps the Argonians are slightly more sluggish when it is cooler. As Briras rode in with the other guar-riders he saw Hizibital upon a Dres Hornet, a giant wasp capable of carrying people. He was silently making hand motions and ordering troops left and right, but they moved somewhat reluctantly, the general had lost the trust of his troops and their will to fight was already gone. He saw his regiment was ordered to move out and they did. As the entire garrison quietly emerged from the fortified camp, leaving only the Bosmer archers led by their captain, Enwahr, Briras had a feeling of joy. This would be a good night. This would be a final crushing victory. He was wrong. He saw the Dres footmen?s eyes alight on the Argonian banner? a corpse. They all yelled in unision, their rage surging, and charged at the Argonians. Hizibital Dres tried to stop them but they all charged in a disorganized mass soon followed by the hirelings and other House warriors. The cavalry was called back, and the general ordered the to pack up and leave for Thorn. Briras did as he was told and when he ermged from the fort and came back to his guar with several sacks of ash yams and saltrice he saw something that made him vomit. In the floodplain, bodies lay floating about, but the Dunmer ones were all headless and their heads stuck onto pikes. The three thousand strong garrison had been defeated by an Argonian force of one thousand and the lizardmen were hacking up the bodies and putting the heads on sticks. Now Hizibital turned to the remaining warriors, several Dres guards, the Bosmer archers, and the Guar cavalry.
?See what madness has done? See what happens when three thousand warriors mindlessly charge into the enemy trap? See what happens when you let your passion overcome the discipline I had tried to impress upon you all? But we will have victory, now that you know what to do?
He instructed the Bosmer to hide along the far side of the hill and told the Dres guards to form a shield wall in front of the Bosmer, then he ordered the guar-riders to skirmish with the several hundred Argonians left and lure them up onto the hill. They did as they were told and when a few hundred had been led up, the Bosmer released their arrows. Only a couple hundred survived to limp back into the jungle but many were cut down as the cavalry turned to strike again. Briras knew this was a victory, but he felt hollow inside. Three to one and they still lost more men. He was not sure if vengeance was what he wanted anymore, but now he trusted his general, there would be no more disobedience.

30 Sun?s Dawn, 397
Danu-Ra thanked the Dunmer emissary and saw him off. Today he was supposed to reinforce Uduk Jula?s forces at Chasecreek. However he knew Uduk Jula was running low on warriors. Danu-Ra had come from the coast after gathering several thousand warriors only to find the Battlechief had been relying on Naga and Paatru guerillas hiding behind enemy lines to disrupt their supplies. Disgusting. These northern tribes did not value the glory of field combat, rather, they used guerilla warfare; additionally they trusted in the Naga and Paatru! But the Dunmer would not need to worry about that anymore. When that Hizibital storms Thorn he will find a Dunmer-Argonian population there, and the Dunmer would help him take the city. When Uduk Jula?s small force would go to intercept the Dres, Danu-Ra would move his troops to intercept Uduk Jula and give Dres time to take Thorn and reinforce him. A horn sounded, the sentry and sighted Uduk Jula?s troops moving. Danu-Ra had his warriors grab bonemold suits from the several gift-wagons the emissary had left. Danu-Ra donned a Chuzei bonemold helm and turned to the Dunmer advisor that had been sent to him.
?What are my rewards should I conquer Helstrom??
?You will be given fifty thousand pieces of gold, as well as a hundred slaves to begin your own kleptocracy. You are also promised a peaceful relationship with the Great House Dres?
?And if I choose to aid my people??
?You can aid your people by fighting for us, your people will be spared, but if you mean aiding Uduk Jula, then you will be enslaved or killed; it is very simple argonian.?
?Very well, it speaks and we listen?
He gave the order to march, they would intercept Uduk Jula.

[Ebonyknight]

Bravo !!! Now make one where it shows the imperial tactics in northwestern argonia

[KuKulzA]

Originally posted by Ebonyknight
Bravo !!! Now make one where it shows the imperial tactics in northwestern argonia

I will write what I will write... it takes a long time and my english isn't great so I am really trying ok geez

by the way, do you guys have any criticism on the way it is going so far?
if you hadn't gotten the plot it is the last year of the Arnesian War... the Dunmer are losing lots of men but actually winning the war, the Argonians are starting to get tired of the war, more mercenaries are pouring in... and some Argonians are even siding with Dunmer
the nxt part will be what happens to Uduk Jula and his band and also introducing three new perspectives.... events that occur in Morrowind, in Blackwood (Imperial vs. Argonian) and also some Argonian internal issues

[SwedishFish]

Pretty good, it would be cool if we could drop these books into Argonia and mention the location of several cool items for the player to search for. I was surprised at the fact that you barely mentioned the effects of disease on Dunmer, refering to your adament request for many diseases for the mod.

[KuKulzA]

these guys are fresh.... if you couldn't tell, Hizibital is a newer general and is leading relatively fresh troops into Argonia... don't worry... the disease and mud and piss and animals and heeat will come in soon... I did mention the rainy season was coming, and when that does, disease will run more rampant as filthy water and dirt will be everywhere, it will grow steamy-hot, good for bacteria

[Remux Dreadfire]

Thats great! But I agree with swedish fish but if the rainy season is coming than you should add more. And you should add more about guar cavalry falling into mud and quicksand.

[KuKulzA]

Originally posted by Remux Dreadfire
Thats great! But I agree with swedish fish but if the rainy season is coming than you should add more. And you should add more about guar cavalry falling into mud and quicksand.

I will... but the key is the rainy season is COMING not here yet... some soft rains are coming but not the huge terrents of rain coming down on you like a waterfall from the sky...

[KuKulzA]

Year 397 of the Third Era
As told by:
Bokur Eedal, head historian in the Gideon University
Dalen Uvenim, reknown writer of Great House Hlaalu

First Seed
Book Two - Year 397 of the Third Era

2 First Seed, 397
Decius Varro looked into the fog warily. It was now the rainy season, and hostile tribesmen had stalked his men day and night. He had been sent to reinforce the Royal Argonian army. This was what remained of the old Argonian Royal Court set-up by the Imperials. As he ordered the Legion to make camp an Argonian courier arrived upon a parrapton. He hastily ordered his archer to be at ease.
?What news do you bring Argonian??
?The Royalists are marching up from Lilmoth to Blackrose and have it firmly in their control general??
?Which means we will have no support way up here?
?Well his majesty would like to??
?Your majesty is taking it too slow, the Argonians here are not friendly, all the northern tribes are at war with Dunmer and us Imperials. You may have the support of coastal Argonians, but what have you done??
?Sir, please listen, our forces are struggling with the northern tribes as well however we have a cease-fire with the Dunmer.?
?a cease-fire? with Great House Dres? How??
?Simple, we want to secure the Black Marsh, as loyal Imperial subjects of course, and the Dunmer want to pacify the northern tribes, our goals and the measures necessary to complete them overlap.?
?So we still will have no Royal reinforcements!?
?No, bu tmy lord bids you good luck, and beware, the Dunmer like you no more than they like us, except you have no treaty with them.?

5 First Seed, 317
Uduk Jula stared coolly into the Dunmer?s eyes. The Dunmer returned his stare and then broke the silence.
?So you are the Battlechief??
?Yess Dunmer, I am the Battlechief. And you are the Elf Battlechief??
?Indeed, I am very impressed with your tactics scum, but you have failed. Your own people led by Danu-Ra and the Royalists have turned on you, and your northern tribes scatter even as Imperials arrive from the west.?
?I failed? We will see??
And as he said this, a dozen Argonians burst into the camp, threw down the bodies of the dead sentries and freed Uduk Jula. Hizibital Dres shouted in frustration and the camp awoke and rose up to annihilate the intruders but they disappeared into the night along with their Battlechief. At least the coastal lizard-men are not on his side, Dres thought as he shoved his sword back into its sheath.
He ordered his camp to move on, and as his army was now composed only of the cavalry, the Bosmer archer companies, and the veteran Dres and Hlaalu foot-raiders, his force quickly mobilized and left. He needed to break the Argonians in a war of attrition but how? A haughty Indoril general, who would no doubt underestimate the Argonians, would lead the arriving Indoril army from Mournhold. Therefore he could only rely on himself. A puffy hissing noise from the swamp on either side of the trail brought him back to the present situation.
?Run to the clearing! Set fire to the brush as you go!?
The Dunmer did as their general had orders and soon the small army was running down a blazing trail. Briras led his guar cavalry out into the field and guarded the army?s flanks as the infantry regrouped. When the fires subsided due to yet another wave of soft-rains, the Dunmer could make out large shapes moving in the mangroves, taller, and bigger than argonians, and more hunched. Hizibital ordered Enwhar to station his Bosmer on the front rank, reinforced by Hlaalu behind them, and Dres behind them. Then the general ordered the guar-cavalry to skirmish with the enemy. Briras felt a lurch in his stomach, though he was not sure whether it was out of illness or fear.

10 First Seed, 397
The sky darkened as the storm clouds rolled in. Uduk Jula signaled to his Argonians to move back to the wall. He had bolstered his army with local tribesmen, however he knew they were relatively inexperienced. The Naga were off in the northeast thwarting the Dres general?s attempts to break through and march on Stormhold. His army was tired and demoralized though they had fought on grimly. He turned to his army gathered behind him. He sighed quietly, the Imperial were a day away, the Dunmer three.
?People of the Root, marsh brothers and sisters! The Imperials, seeing us at war with the Dunmer have invaded our lands as well. The tribes of the inner swamp are peaceful and will not help us, they do not know the terror of war. The coastal tribes gather under a king, and they betray us and ally with the Imperials and Dunmer. Here we are, at the Tenmar Wall. Long ago we fought the Men of the Heartlands here; back then we lost. But this time we will not lose. Think of your children at home, think, it is almost time to tend to the crops, almost time to return to hunt game. I promise you, warriors, if we can fend off these Imperials and the Dunmer now, you can all go home. But this day we do not feast, this day we do not freely roam, this day we do not sit with the Hist-shaman and hear the tales, this day, we fight for ourselves, our clans, and for our people!?
All together the army cheered and the forest echoed.
Decius Varro ordered the Royalist Argonian auxiliaries to form the frontline. He then ordered his troops to form lines of shield walls. The plan was simple, to have the argonian auxiliaries, carrying planks and dirt, pile up a ramp on the large earthen wall; then the Imperial Legionaries would charge up the giant ramp and overrun the defenders.
?Charge!?
Ten thousand soldiers rushed at the Tenmar Wall, thrice a Nord?s height and as thick as a mountainside. From the outcropping and palisade-lookouts above, Argonians threw down spears, rocks, and show arrows at the incoming tide. The ramp was completed in half an hour. In another hour the Legion had rushed upon it thrice, being driven back each time. Decius watched, frustrated as ever. His men had been sickened by disease, whittled down by guerillas, and now being pitted against a strong defensive position. He was about to order a retreat when he heard horns. They were the horns of Gideon and Soulrest, the Royalists of the southern coast had arrived.

21 First Seed, 397
?So the northern tribes are scattered, though not yet defeated, and the Imperials and the Royalists are allied??, growled Alam Indobar, the Indoril general of Mournhold.
?That is correct sera?, replied Hizibital.
?And who is this?? he roared as he pointed at Danu-Ra standing at the other side of the pavilion.
?That is Danu-Ra, a Royalist, we are currently at a cease-fire and he helped us take Thorn.?
?hmph, perhaps, but never trust an argonian.?
Hizibital turned and strode past the bewildered Argonian chief. He was angry, this Indoril has taken all the credit for the successes, and was now ordering his own troops. He would not stand for this and Hizibital swore to Sotha Sil that he would get revenge. He quietly talked to Briras and Enwhar and bade them to speedily gather al they could and leave the camp. If that pompous Indoril wants his glory, he can fight for it, without me doing his dirty work thought the young Dres as he mounted his wasp.

27 First Seed, 397
Alam Indobar looked into the distance. Somewhere far out there in the gloom was an approaching Imperial-Royalist Army. Somewhere out there was also an Argonian Battlechief with a warband, struggling to evade the ambitious Danu-Ra, in truth a pawn. And somewhere, six days march from the camp was a rogue general. Indobar swore he would find and kill that little fetcher someday. He turned his attention to his men. They were sick, many suffering from leg-rot and foot-worms. The Temple healers who had followed the Indoril army now scurried around trying to keep these men alive. The heat was getting to them. Alam Indobar took off his war-mask, but put it back on as the stench of rotting flesh and vegetation came to his nose. Turning away he saw a sentry riding hard towards the camp. On the two hills far the with south and west of the camp he could see small shapes moving en masse. The Legions and the Royalists had come. He was about to order the soldiers to arms when he found himself stuck in the mud. In rage he whipped around, killed his slave who had rushed over to aid him, and tore his legs out of the sucking mud and shouted at the top of his lungs.
As the Indoril soldiers formed their ranks, Indobar planned out his strategy. He would have the Mournhold cavalry charge into the more lightly armed argonians and have his Indoril infantry pin down the Imperials. When the argonians were routed the cavalry could swing around and hit the Legion?s flank. He smiled, now this was a real war.

[SwedishFish]

Really good, I think I want to put this story on the site. How much more is there?

[KuKulzA]

well it follows the Dunmer calendar... so after Suns dawn... first seed.... 9 more months...
meaning there will be nine more books, or chapters or whatever