#cadwell would be the priest

[littlegalerion]

Okay, screw it, whatever canon NPC x Player Character ship you got, reblog this and put their dream wedding in the tags.

[squadron-of-damned-writes]

Chapters: 19/21 Fandom: Elder Scrolls Online, Elder Scrolls Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lyris Titanborn & Abnur Tharn, Lyris Titanborn/Sai Sahan, Varen Aquilarios/Clivia Tharn, Zamarak/Khamira, The Silvenar/The Green Lady, Prefect Calo & Abnur Tharn, Gadris/Zur (Elder Scrolls) Characters: Lyris Titanborn, Abnur Tharn, Minor Original Characters - Character, Other Character Tags to Be Added, Sai Sahan, Varen Aquilarios, Clivia Tharn, Indaenir (Elder Scrolls), Gwaering, Cadwell (Elder Scrolls), Zamarak (Elder Scrolls), Prefect Calo, Khamira (Elder Scrolls), The Silvenar, The Green Lady, Razum-dar (Elder Scrolls), Zur (Elder Scrolls), Mannimarco (Elder Scrolls), Khunzar-ri, Gadris (Elder Scrolls), Iachesis (Elder Scrolls) Additional Tags: Recovery, Fire, Post-Canon Fix-It, Bickering, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Don't copy to another site, Violence, Depression, Blood and Injury, Humor, Bathtub Sex, This is not the porn you're looking for, Bathing/Washing, Undead, Canon-Typical Violence, Light Angst, Magic Theory, Soulmates, Friends In Denial to Actual Friends, Trust, nobody has their shit together Summary: Important revelations are made and people are talking too much. Obligatory excerpt:

“What about the lunar lattice?” Khamira asks all of sudden.

“That would kill you. Shatter your soul like a glass marble” Cadwell dimisses her out of hand. “And I am not sure what it would do to me, but I am quite certain none of us want to know.” Then he pauses with a frown, and then he brightens up: “But we could use the reflection of the lunar lattice.”

“Since when are you the expert on the lunar lattice?” Khunzar-ri scoffs.

“Since when I murdered a temple full of priests and became attuned and then jumped all over the Oblivion. Oh, Anequina hasn't told you: If you release a large amount of vital energy in small area, such as in mass slaughter, you can use it to become attuned to the lattice. Pretty simple, really. Morally frowned upon, though.”

[ask-demon-princess-astarte]

In the lands of ColdHarbour

 Azirina sat, playing with a doll that the sailors her village traded with had brought for her. The Kharabbi village of Elsweyr was often avoided by travellers and other Khajiit. But they had the best spices and silks in the land so this ship traded with them. And they adored her, bringing little extras for her. As she sat, her father leant against the altar she was sat upon, speaking to a dark elf. 

 "Well, what is it that you want? You have mewled and whined like a newborn for the attention of this one. Yet, now that you have it, you fall silent." Her father growled. He was a tall Khajiit, leader of their village and chief priest. His impatience was clear, which is what made her look at him. 

 "I have come to offer our lord a gift." The dark elf before her father said. "My daughter. She has agreed to serve our lord Molag Bal as a daughter of ColdHarbour. Surely, you do not wish to disappoint our Lord, Ri'siri." Azirina turned to look at her father when movement in her peripherals caught her attention. Near a doorway, blue fire flickered, making her stand and walk towards it, dropping the doll. 

 "Khajiit would rather offer Khajiit." She heard her father say as she stepped through the doorway. Energy rushed around her as she left her home and came to a new place. The sky burned above her, black sludge made up the land she walked on. Screams and wails filled the air. Although she had never been there, she knew where it was. This was ColdHarbour. The realm of their lord. She slowly began to walk through the realm, heading down a path. 

 The soul shriven of the realm stared at her as she walked by, her ears flicking back and forth. The tortured wailed as they saw her. 

 "Why?! Why show us this child?! Why must you torment us?!" They cried out. The Dremora of the realm turned as they heard their victims wail. The froze as they saw the child walking through their realm. 

 "A child? How did a child get here?" One growled. 

 "Is it another one of our Lord's tricks?" Another demanded. She smiled, waving at the Dremora before carrying on. She wasn't sure how long she walked for. Time didn't seem to flow here. She paused as she saw a soul shriven sitting by a fire, a pot upon his head. He stared as he saw her. 

 "Hello! Why, I haven't seen a cat person here before. What's your name little one?" He asked. 

 "This one is called Azirina. What can this one call you?" She asked, bowing before him. 

 "I am Sir Cadwell. It is an honour to meet you. But what are you doing here? You are far too young to be a daughter of ColdHarbour. At least, I hope you are. And you don't look like a soul shriven." He asked her as she sat beside him by the fire. 

 "This one came through a door. It was glowing." She said. The soul shriven turned to her. 

 "Wait ...you came from Nirn? You're not deceased?" He asked her. 

 "This one does not think so. This one still has a heartbeat." She replied. Her hand was over her own chest, feeling her heartbeat.

 "So you are alive. That is remarkable. I haven't seen a live person pass through here before. And never thought it would be one so young." He exclaimed. She tilted her head as she looked up at him. 

 "Is that why all keep staring at this one?" She asked. They both jumped as a particularly loud wail echoed through the air. 

 "Sounds like Molag Bal is really going at Mannimarco today." Sir Cadwell noted. Azirina looked at him before standing. The pot headed soul shriven looked at her. 

 "This one wants to see her Lord. It will make the father of this one happy." She said. He looked at the small Khajiit as she took off in the direction of the wail, unable to say anything to stop her. 

  Blue fire lit the path as she walked towards the wail. It continued, wavering only slightly but never fading. She walked along a black stone path, the edges of her tunic blowing in a darkened wind. It was then she came upon it. A large wheel, dark with decades of blood and spiked. She walked towards it slowly, jumping as a pale elf with white hair raised their head. 

 "Why? Why do you torment me so? Is this an image of one of my victims? Why, Molag?!" He wailed. His eyes were turned up to the sky. She slowly turned, following his gaze and froze. Though his back was to her, she immediately recognised him as the Lord her village served. The Daedric prince of Domination and brutality. Molag Bal. 

 "Child, I do not know if you are a vision." Her ears flicked, as she turned back to the elf. "But if you are not, do not follow my path. Learn from my mistakes."  

 "You…." The elf turned to look at her. "Who are you?" The elf's eyes widened and he began to yell out. 

 What are you carrying on for Mannimarco? This torture has barely begun. She turned and looked up as the great Daedra began to turn. 

 And what is all this about a child? Children have no place here in ColdHarbour. They are too weak. They could never survive��. He trailed off as he finally spotted her. In an instant, Azirina bowed low, feeling those cold white eyes fixate upon her.

 "My lord. This one is honoured to finally meet you." She said. She stood up straight, watching as he leaned closer, lowering his hand until she could step into his palm. After awaiting a confirmation from him, she quickly climbed into his hand.

 How did you get here? What is your name? He seemed as dumb struck as the other Dremora of the realm. He looked at her, holding her up so that she was on level with his face. 

 "This one is called Azirina Kharabbi my lord. This one came through a door that glowed." She explained. She turned back and looked at the elf. 

 "My lord, who is that?" She asked, pointing at him. Molag glanced at Mannimarco then back at her before laughing. 

 You honestly do not know?

 "No, my lord." Her ears flicked as the elf wailed more.

 Oh, little kitten. You have just inflicted more torture upon him than I ever could. Do you hear that Mannimarco? The new generations do not even know your name. You have been forgotten in the pages of history! He cackled, bringing a finger up to rub between her ears. Azirina, that is your name correct?

"Yes my lord." She nodded.

 Well, you have just proven your family's continued loyalty to me. I will have to reward them. Now, tell me, what do you know about my realm?

 The entire village was in a panic. No one could find her. Her mother had searched the wilderness with the other Senche-raht of the village. But they had not found anything. 

 "The elf must have taken her!" One yelled as they gathered around their leader. 

 "Please! Be calm! We will find her! She cannot have gone far!" Their leader pleaded.

 "This is your daughter Ri'siri! We have to find her! Who knows what ..." Another cried.

 "This one knows! And we will find her!" Ri'siri snapped. 

 Everyone froze as the sound of a portal opening. Slowly, everyone turned as a gate to ColdHarbour opened. A large, pale blue hand reached through, fist closed around something. Slowly, the hand unfurled to reveal….

 "Papa! Mama!" Azirina cried out as she reached out for them. Ri'siri and her mother, Inorsi, ran towards her. He lifted her from the hand, hugging her close as her mother nuzzled her. 

 "Azirina! Where have you been?!" He cried. 

 Your daughter was visiting my realm Ri'siri. Everyone bowed as Molag's voice echoed through the village. 

 "My lord. Words cannot Express our relief that you have returned her to us." Ri'siri replied. 

 Hmm. I don't know how she survived in my realm. But the fact she did is promising. Therefore, I want you to prove your loyalty to me. Ri'siri, there is a ceremony that will promise your daughter to me. Perform it and prove you are the most loyal of my followers. Everyone in the village froze as Ri'siri glanced at her. 

 "Of course my lord." He said. The hand receded back as they all slowly stood. The portal closed as everyone turned to look at her. 

 "Well…. It appears we have a ceremony to prepare for." Inorsi said. 

[maepolzine]

Elder Scrolls Online: Who Are the Five Companions?

When you start playing Elder Scrolls Online you are greeted by Lyris one of the five original companions, who assists you espacing Coldharbour. And you later meet each of these companions in some way. But who are they? The short answer is the five members of the last Emperor Varen Aquilarios' inner circle. Who attempted to help him locate the Amulet of Kings, and use it in a ritual to make Varen into a Dragonborn. Which would legitimize his claim to the Ruby Throne. But what the rest of the group didn't know, is that it was a trap set up by the dark necromancer Mannimarco to destroy the veil between Nirn and Oblivion to allow Molag Bal to merge Nirn with Coldharbour by using the Dark Anchors. Which are a vast network of interplanar machines designed to move entire worlds. This event would be later known as the Soulburst, and heralded the beginning of the Planemeld.

But who are these individuals and what is their background?

Lyris Titanborn

She is the first companion that you meet on your quest to regain your soul from Molag Bal. Lyris is part Nord and part giant. She points you towards the Prophet who is actually Varen Aquilarios, which you learn later on in the game. 

Lyris was born to Gjalder, a Nord man who was a descendant of giants. Due to Lyris' giant blood, she was a considerably large infant and her mother died in childbirth as a result. Lyris was raised by her father in Skyrim, who believed his wife's death was on his hands, but loved Lyris dearly none-the-less. Lyris later left for Cyrodiil and enlisted in the Imperial Legion, enduring constant harassment from her fellow soldiers during her training due to her height. Lyris rose up through the ranks and eventually became one of Emperor Varen Aquilarios' most trusted advisors, forming the Five Companions with him, alongside Councillor Abnur Tharn, Dragonguard leader Sai Sahan, and Battlemage Mannimarco. The Companions set out to find the Amulet of Kings between 2E 580 and 582, as Varen believed it to be the key to legitimizing his rule as Emperor. When they located the Amulet, the Companions initiated a ritual upon the Dragonfires to proclaim Varen as a Dragonborn. However, they were tricked my Mannimarco during the ritual, who used the Amulet to extinguish the Dragonfires and cause a tear between Mundus and Oblivion in an event known as the Soulburst, allowing his master Molag Bal to invade Tamriel and begin his Planemeld. Bal captured Lyris and Sai Sahan, keeping them prisoners in Coldharbour.

Varen Aquilarios

This is the second companion that you meet though he is referred to as The Prophet for many hours of gameplay until you learn that he is truly the Emperor in the tale. Varen is an Imperial sorcerer, Moth Priest, and the former Emperor of Cyrodiil.

Varen was born in 2E 536 as the son of a Colovian Duke, and later became the Duke of Chorrol. He had an unknown sibling whose son, Carolus Aquilarios, in turn being Varen's nephew, viewed him as a role model. When Leovic, third of the short-lived Reachman dynasty known as the Longhouse Emperors, assumed the Ruby Throne, he legalized Daedra worship across the Empire. This outraged much of the population, and prompted Varen to spark a rebellion. He left his homefront, the Gold Coast, in the hands of his nephew Carolus. Using large amounts of stone, Varen contructed a wall spanning around the Gold Coast, later dubbed "Varen's Wall", in order to protect the region should Leovic's forces arrive.

In 2E 576, Varen and his army stormed the Imperial City, before breaking into the White-Gold Tower and driving his sword into Leovic's heart at the foot of the Ruby Throne, thus instantly killing him, and immediately declaring himself Emperor. For Abnur's loyalty and assistance in the rebellion, Varen agreed to take Leovic's widow, Clivia Tharn, as his bride. Due to the mass amount of casualties during the uprising, Varen converted the Market District of the Imperial City into the Memorial District, filling it with mass graves.

Varen's rule went mostly without problems, but he was constantly worrying about him being an illegitimate ruler as he was not Dragonborn. Believing that only a Dragonborn can rightfully take the Ruby Throne, in 2E 577, he formed the Five Companions to find the Amulet of Kings after the Altmer sorcerer Mannimarco convinced him that he knew a ritual that would allow Varen to become Dragonborn. After hearing of this, he set out on a two-year quest to find the Amulet with his Five Companions: Varen himself, the half-giant warrior Lyris Titanborn, the sorcerer Mannimarco, Sai Sahan, a Redguard blademaster and the captain of his personal Dragonguard, and Elder Chancellor Abnur Tharn.

The Five were able to recover the Amulet and begin the ritual in 2E 579. They gathered at the Temple of the One in the Imperial City and began to perform the ritual. While Tharn held the Amulet, Varen asked Akatosh to rightfully grant his claim as emperor by making him a Dragonborn. At that moment, Mannimarco immobilized everyone present and revealed his true intentions; he was an agent of Molag Bal, and the ritual did not reignite the Dragonfires, but in fact did the exact opposite, destroying the ancient barriers shielding Mundus from the forces of Oblivion and thus allowing Molag Bal to begin the Planemeld, a forceful attempt to drag Nirn out of Mundus and into his own realm of Coldharbour. This event was known as the Soulburst, and it shook every corner of Tamriel.

Subsequently, Lyris was captured and brought into Coldharbour. Sai Sahan fled with the Amulet and managed to hide it in Sancre Tor before also being captured later on. Mannimarco summoned his Worm Cult and turned the Temple of the One into a sacrificial ground where dozens of souls were harvested and brought to Coldharbour, and Abnur joined him in order to gain his trust and spy on him. Varen, however, disappeared.

After the Soulburst, Varen woke up weak and near death at the Abbey of the Moth Priests, with no memory of his past life as Emperor. The Moth priests took pity on him, assuming he was a lost vagabond, and gave him shelter within their establishment.

It was there where he set his eyes on the Elder Scrolls, mysterious artifacts of immense knowledge and power. He began to study and read the scrolls in order to learn the events of Tamriel which have happened and have yet to happen, including his life as Emperor and his destiny with the Vestige. The priests were shocked to discover how quickly he managed to read the scrolls, believing it to be a prophetic sign from the Eight Divines. As a result of continuously reading the scrolls, Varen gradually lost his eyesight. He carved himself a staff which he also used as a walking stick. Blinded, Varen still continued to study the scrolls in his mind's eye, and foresaw the events to come in Tamriel's future.

Word of Varen's prophecies began spreading across the land, eventually reaching the Imperial City. When Mannimarco discovered this, he arrested the Prophet under the grounds of rumor-mongering and treason. The King of Worms had the abbey and its contents burned to the ground, and transferred Varen into the custody of Molag Bal. Bal then initiated the Planemeld upon Nirn, and had Varen imprisoned in The Wailing Prison.

In 2E 582, a mortal was captured and sacrificed by Mannimarco. Their soul was brought to the Wailing Prison in Coldharbour. After being transported to Coldharbour, a projection of Varen, using the pseudonym "The Prophet", appeared before them, giving the mortal the name of Vestige and telling them to find Lyris Titanborn. At the time, Lyris was unaware that The Prophet was her fellow Five Companions member Varen.

The Vestige journeyed through the prison with Lyris after she freed them. They struck down several of Molag Bal's minions before arriving at the courtyard and destroying a Sentinel, a minion made to stop prisoners from escaping. They find that Varen's cell is warded off, so they seek Cadwell for help, whom directed the two to the Undercroft.

Once Lyris and the Vestige reach Varen's cell, Lyris tells the Vestige that the only way to free Varen is for Lyris to take his place. Lyris then chants for her to take Varen's place in the cell, freeing Varen but imprisoning Lyris. Varen, still concealing his identity, and the Vestige journey to a portal out of Coldharbour. They strike down the Guardian of the portal, and Varen restores the Vestige's corporeal form before they both return to Tamriel in different locations.

Abnur Tharn

He is the third companion you meet in the game and is father to Clivia Tharn, the Empress Regent of Tamriel. Abnur is known as High Chancellor, Overlord of Nibenay, and Imperial Battlemage of the Elder Council. Abnur is 164 years old with at least 16 children, though it is unknown why he is still living since Imperials often die earlier from old age.

He is a decisive man, and is part of a line of secret Daedric worshippers, which is just one more reason why the Alliances wish to dispose of him. His family is working with the Necromancer Lord Mannimarco in order to combine Nirn with Coldharbour, Molag Bal's Daedric Realm, after realizing the threat posed by the Ebonheart Pact, Aldmeri Dominion and Daggerfall Covenant. However, Abnur, despite sharing his family's traditions of Daedra worship, despises Mannimarco due to his involvement in the Soulburst.  He is known to have personally tortured Ayrenn prior to her becoming queen, and this is one reason for the Aldmeri Dominion deciding to try and conquer Cyrodiil. He is the ancestor of Third Era Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, the progenitor of the Imperial Simulacrum who ruled the Empire for 10 years before the Eternal Champion freed Uriel Septim VII from Jagar's prison.

Sai Sahan

He is the son of Nazir Itaf Sahan of Bangkorai, was a Redguard noble, martial artist, master swordsman, and leader of the Imperial Dragonguard. Sai is also a Grandmaster of the Order of the Blades and was the head of the security detail of the then-incumbent Emperor Varen.

Sai learned much from his mentor and friend Kasura in the ways of the ancient Yokudan sword-saints during his childhood in the Valley of the Blades. He promised himself to revive these martial traditions, but when he failed to do so he shaved his head and served as a warrior in Tamriel's battlefields until he met Varen Aquilarios, a powerful Colovian military leader.

During the war with the Longhouse Emperors before Varen became Emperor of Cyrodiil, Sai rode at the head of a column of mercenary soldiers tasked by Varen to assist in the liberation of Leyawiin. It turned out that then-Emperor Leovic employed those mercenaries as double agents. When Sai came before the gates of Leyawiin with the mercenaries, they turned on him, hoping to deliver the severed head of Varen's legendary Dragonguard Commander to Emperor Leovic. Rumors say Sai cut through two armies of the would-be assassins bent on killing him. When he returned to Varen's rebellion base at Bruma weeks later, he did so with the scalps of eighty-six men and the news that Leyawiin had been freed.

After Varen deposed Leovic and proclaimed himself as Emperor, Sai Sahan helped him to find the Amulet of Kings for a ritual to make Varen into a Dragonborn, thus fully legitimizing his claim to the throne. However, the ritual was actually a dark trick by Mannimarco used to weaken the veil between Nirn and Oblivion, and thus begin the Planemeld. In the chaos after the ritual, Sai took the Amulet of Kings and fled, managing to hide it in the depths of the ancient, ruined city of Sancre Tor, only to be captured and brought to the Halls of Torment in Coldharbour later on.

Mannimarco

Lord Mannimarco is an Altmer Necromancer and Molag Bal's main agent on Tamriel. He was stripped of his companionship after he betrayed the original Five Companions by using the Amulet of Kings to create the Soulburst, which would weaken boundaries between Nirn and Oblivion enough to allow Molag Bal's followers to use the Dark Anchors to try to merge Nirn into Coldharbour in an event known as a Planemeld. He worked with the Chancellor of the Elder Council, Abnur Tharn, after the latter pledged loyalty to him shortly after the soulburst occurred. He is also mentioned in the book Mannimarco, King of Worms in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Born on the isle of Artaeum, Mannimarco was an aspiring and intelligent Altmer mage who, along with his contemporary, the Mages Guild founder Vanus Galerion, entered into the prestigious Psijic Order of mystics. While Vanus was a good person, Mannimarco was described to have a dark demeanor, and this eventually led him down the path of necromancy.

In reality, Mannimarco had no intention of remaining Molag Bal's servant; he intended to use the Amulet of Kings to trap the Daedric Prince and absorb his essence over time, eventually taking his place as the Lord of Brutality and Domination. To this end, he required the Amulet of Kings. 

After the Soulburst ritual, Sai Sahan fled the Imperial City with the Amulet and hid it in the catacombs of Sancre Tor. He was captured shortly after and imprisoned in the dungeons beneath the Imperial City. After Mannimarco concluded he needed a better place to break the descendant of Yokuda he sent Sahan to the Halls of Torment in Coldharbour, where the Duchess of Anguish tortured him mentally and physically for years. During this time, Mannimarco placed an enchantment upon Sahan in the event that he escaped. This proved wise, as the Vestige was able to rescue him.

Mannimarco was eventually betrayed by Abnur Tharn, who was rescued from the Castle of the Worm by the Vestige and Lyris Titanborn. The two mages fought a magic duel which Mannimarco lost when the Vestige struck him from behind, breaking his concentration and allowing them to escape.

During Sahan's torture, Mannimarco learned that Sai would require the Ring of Stendarr's Mercy to retrieve the Amulet from its hiding place. The King of Worms dispatched a Daedric Titan to the ring's location, the Abbey of Blades in Hammerfell. The Vestige, Lyris Titanborn, Abnur Tharn and Sai Sahan arrived shortly after and were able to dispatch the beast, though not before it destroyed most of the abbey and killed most of the students. The leader of the abbey, Kasura, had hid the ring in the nearby catacombs which housed the remains of Sai's ancestors. Mannimarco appeared in the catacombs and raised the dead within in an attempt to stop the Vestige, to no avail.

Mannimarco continued to monitor Sai's movements through his enchantment. Eventually the Five Companions went to Sancre Tor to retrieve the Amulet, and the King of Worms traveled there himself and revealed his plan for Molag Bal to them, explaining that the wards of Stendarr Sai had placed on the chamber containing the Amulet would hide him from Molag Bal's sight until he was ready to strike. Mannimarco then tried to slay them by resurrecting the dead within. The Vestige was able to confront Mannimarco and kill him, yet his spirit survived and promised death would not slow him for long.

At that moment, Molag Bal appeared in Sancre Tor and seized Mannimarco's spirit, revealing he had known of his impending betrayal and dragged him screaming into Coldharbour. There he was tortured relentlessly by undead in Heart's Grief, the seat of Molag Bal's power in Coldharbour.

When the Five Companions arrived in Heart's Grief to perform the ritual with the Amulet of Kings, they found Mannimarco magically shackled to a stone table. The Vestige is then given the choice to free him or leave him to his grim fate. If he is freed, Mannimarco vanishes from Coldharbour, claiming future generations would curse the Vestige for their decision.