Chapter 2
”Azura is the only Daedra Princess I have ever worshipped who seems to care about her followers.”
-- From Invocation of Azura
Temple forces had raided along the Bitter Coast, starting first in Hlaalu lands, then moving northwest into Redoran territory, before finally retreating back to Vvardenfell. It was not Ordinators that led the attacks, but the Buoyant Armigers. It was odd to many that the Temple would send soldiers whose main purpose was to defend pilgrims on Temple grounds - indeed, Nethyn remembered, not too long ago, dining with Archcanon Farwil, and hearing him offer High King Rythe a detachment of Buoyant Armigers for their travels. However, Nethyn and most of his staff knew why it was now that the Buoyant Armigers were being used as frontline troops: the Temple was facing its swan song, and its military was badly depleted from the wars with Morrowind. In the face of a growing Ashlander problem, the Temple could not afford to sacrifice its Ordinators from their main armies - and the auxiliary troops had to come from somewhere. Even more telling was that the Buoyant Armigers had reportedly attacked some civilians, and were taking from widows and children as well as men and government coffers. Once upon a time, the Buoyant Armigers had been seen as one of the most noble of the Temple’s military orders...now, however, their depleted ranks seemed to be filled with whatever rabble or sellsword the Temple could afford. They were quickly becoming the Temple’s thugs - even worse than the Ordinators. It was a sign not only of the military decay happening within the Tribunal Temple, but the moral decay as well.
“How quickly can we raise an army?” Nethyn asked.
The advisers all exchanged nervous glances at that question. Nethyn had called an emergency council that morning, delaying it only a little when fresh news had begun to arrive from the north. All his advisers were there, Athyn included, as well as some of their staff and other important figures in the House Hlaalu. Nethyn had spent much of that hour in prayer, and Azura had spoken to him. She had made it clear that judgment was about to fall on the Temple. Judgment had finally come to the False Tribunal. This was why Nethyn had asked his question so matter-of-factly - in fact, he had asked it as soon as the update on the situation up north had been completed.
“At the moment, we can raise a little over 900 men,” Brelo Merosid replied, “but it would take quite a few months before we can have them organized and ready to fight as a single force. Grandmaster...does this mean you are thinking of attacking the Temple? Without the Kingdom?”
“They have violated Hlaalu sovereignty, have they not?” Nethyn retorted. “They have taken our gold for their own coffers, to help pay for their failed purging of the Ashlander revolts.”
“There are greater issues than that,” Priestess Drilame replied, “namely, the Temple believes that you are dishonoring the ALMSEVI - blessed be their names - by your adherence to blasphemy. I am certain they see this attack as divine retribution.”
Nethyn’s red eyes slowly glanced over at Drilame. Although she had remained as civil as possible since the council held not so long ago, she was still obviously quite bitter about Nethyn’s actions. Whether or not her words were true meant little to Nethyn - she may be speaking Temple policy, or she may simply be speaking of her own personal beliefs. As a priestess, she was, in many ways, an agent of the Temple, though Nethyn had kept her under watch to make certain she did not slip useful information to the Temple on his actions or whereabouts.
“They could have come to me by diplomatic means,” Nethyn replied coolly, “not send their thugs to plague my people. I do not believe Azura ever made her followers treat their fellow Dunmeri so.”
Drilame pursed her lips angrily and crossed her arms, looking down with a glance that made it seem as if her red eyes would burn right through the table. Sensing the growing awkwardness in the room, Chancellor Vatollio spoke up:
“Grandmaster, if I may...send me to Queen Yelithah. I will put forward your grievances, and ask for the kingdom’s position to launch an attack. I will make it clear that we are defending ourselves, and making certain the Temple will not do such things again.”
“Very good,” Nethyn replied, nodding to his chancellor, “go as quickly as is convenient for you, Vatollio.” His red eyes darted quickly to his marshal, “Brelo, I want you to send an urgent message to all our officers: tell them to prepare all Hlaalu levies for war. However, await my summons.”
With that, the meeting was dismissed. As most began to move out of the room to attend to their specific duties, Athyn stayed. The court chaplain approached Nethyn just as the grandmaster was rising from his chair. He had a nervous look in his eye, one Nethyn was not acquainted to see - at least not in him.
“Grandmaster,” Athyn began, “if I may speak with you?”
Nethyn nodded, giving his court chaplain a small smile, “What is it, Athyn?”
Athyn was quiet for several seconds. For the first time in a long while, the grandmaster could see sadness and despair come over Athyn’s face. Finally, as if unable to find the words, Athyn bowed low, saying in a whispered tone:
“Forgive me, grandmaster...I have tried to speak with the people, and I have been unable to do so. They are not heeding my words. I fear that their traditions with the ALMSEVI are too great...I fear that I have only made things worse. There are rumors that when next I preach, there may be a riot. They may even tear down some of the Hlaalu banners. I am not worthy to perform this task.”
It seemed like the court chaplain truly feared being a failure to both Azura and Nethyn - perhaps it was, at that moment, his greatest fear in the world. A wave of sympathy came over Nethyn, and he gently placed a hand on the chaplain’s shoulder, “Athyn...it can’t be that bad. You must simply be strong. Azura will break through to them by her grace. Remember, it does not depend solely on you.”
“I shall be a stumbling block for Azura,” Athyn continued, his tone not being any more uplifted, “I...I stutter, and it is dreadful for even me to hear.”
It was true that Athyn stuttered, but only under certain conditions. When he was alone with Nethyn and felt comfortable, he didn’t stutter at all. At council meetings, he only stuttered if he felt pressed or put into a corner. Indeed, if you knew him well, or heard him speaking with friends and good acquaintances, you would swear that he never stuttered at all. However, speaking in front of other people - especially in front of a crowd he was unfamiliar with, or seemingly hostile towards him - would cause Athyn to stutter horribly. Sometimes it would get so bad that he could barely speak at all. This was one reason why, after his Temple training, he had pursued a career as a theologian rather than as a priest or even a monk. It is hard to stutter with a pen.
“You have a detriment,” Nethyn said, “but you will find, soon I hope, that Azura will either use it for you, or remove it from you. For now, I reject your request to be removed from your post. I don’t want anyone but you to do it, because I have faith in no one else but you. And I know that Azura has far more faith and love in you than even I. Rest on that.”
That seemed to lighten the chaplain’s spirits, and he departed to return to his missions. Nethyn spent the rest of the day in his private chambers, praying before Azura and the True Tribunal. He prayed that Azura’s will would be done, and that she would have mercy on the Hlaalu House’s situation. It had been made clear to Nethyn that only the House Hlaalu could serve Azura faithfully and efficiently, but at the moment there were many things hindering it. If judgment was to come to the Temple, Nethyn would need the kingdom’s backing, or the High Queen might very well turn against the Hlaalu for fear they were overstepping her authority. What’s more, Nethyn was praying for his friend and chaplain, Athyn. He pleaded with Azura to assist him in his preaching, and to help his quest to win the hearts of the Dunmer in Narsis. He prayed that Azura would give him strength and courage, and fill him with the sense of her love.
Weeks went by. Months. And then, one night, Nethyn had two dreams.
In the first dream, his chancellor, the Muthsera Vatollio, was in the high queen’s personal palace in Salen Vulgate, speaking with Yelithah herself. The Dunmeri queen was moving about the room, looking at a new sword that had just been forged for her. The familiar tapping sound of her pegged leg followed the softer plop of her good foot, and she seemed to be admiring the new sword and listening to Vatollio at the same time. It was an almost comical sight, as any great movement - however well balanced - would have caused her to tip over and lose control, stumbling over her bad leg. Yet despite this, the queen moved about, tapping her wooden peg on the floor as if it was perfectly fine, and she would have been able to handle a battle against a thousand swordsmen without any difficulty.
“...but the good Grandmaster has concern for your highness,” the chancellor was saying. “He knows he cannot simply raise his armies and launch an attack against Vvardenfell without the kingdom’s approval. That is why he wants to be certain he has assurance that you will support him in his retaliation.”
“Retaliation,” repeated High Queen Yelithah, “or conquest?” She turned and looked rather coldly at the chancellor, who shifted a bit in place but remained where he was standing:
“If her highness believes he will be eating up land for himself, or usurping the Farwil’s title, then I believe she would have good reason to worry, given the affairs of court, but she would be mistaken. My grandmaster is not like that. The Hlaalu are not interested in the crown, only their personal safety. All property taken will be the property of the kingdom, and will still pledge loyalty to her highness. On that, I will give you my personal word.”
That seemed to satisfy the queen. She held the sword up horizontally, glancing down from the hilt to the tip of the blade, saying casually:
“You know, Vatollio...the Temple sent me a very angry envoy when rumors spread that your grandmaster had taken the faith of the Ashlanders. They think he’s a threat - they think he might start to work with the Ashlanders against them. They advised me to arrest him.”
The chancellor, again, shifted a bit, but did not move back, “And what did her highness say, in her judgment?”
Yelithah grinned towards him, “Nothing. I sent them home and told them my affairs are my affairs. I am not concerned over Tribunals or daedra or man-gods; a noble of mine who aggravates Farwil is a noble I love indeed. Now go. You have your war. You may push all the way to Solsteim for all I care.”
In the second dream, Nethyn recognized the local temple across the way, on the other side of Narsis. The Dunmeri common folk had gathered, and seemed very agitated. Some were armed with weapons, some seemed clearly skilled in some level of magic. Nethyn looked about for any Hlaalu guard or personal protection, but found none. What he did see was Athyn, wearing his robes and standing before the crowd. The peasants began to call out to him, and threatened to burn the city down if he did not shut up. Some began to rub their fingers over their lips, as if imitating a stutterer.
It was then that Athyn held up his hands and gave a mighty cry for silence. It was Athyn’s voice that left his mouth...but Nethyn had never heard him speak in such a way before. Indeed, even the crowd seemed shock, for all fell absolutely silent.
It was then that Athyn began to give a sermon. It was far too much from the heart to have been prepared beforehand, and yet Athyn spoke with great clarity and cadence. He spoke wonderfully, and without a single stutter or pause. In the end, he had the attention of the entire mob. Some even began to sit down, as if to better pay attention. Those that were armed dropped their weapons, those that had some skill in magic crossed their arms, covering their hands. Athyn continued to speak, though Nethyn did not know what happened when he finished, for soon the grandmaster woke up.
A few days later, Nethyn received two messages: one from Salen Vulgate, where Chancellor Vatollio informed him that Yelithah had given her blessings to the Hlaalu: the other was from Athyn, who said that a revival of sorts had broken out in Narsis, and now hundreds, if not thousands, were declaring their love and adoration for Azura and her coming champion.
This was it. Azura had answered Nethyn’s prayers.
And so, at the beginning of the month of Heartfire, 2E475, the Hlaalu sent a message to the Temple, giving them an official declaration of war. It was the Hlaalu push onto the island, and from there, Nethyn knew that Azura would drive them to Vivec City, and perhaps all of Vvardenfell.