Alnar and the Myths of Legends

The Book of Myths

They hiked along the boggy ground in the forest of Yundahr, around the oak trees, around the birch trees, around the mahogany trees, around the cherry trees. Yundahr was a wonderful place, full of various creatures of different shapes and sizes. The birds ruled to skies and treetops, excluding Esther, who ruled the trees in general, the squirrels and raccoons ruled the trees themselves, the foxes and wolves ruled the ground, the worms, insects, beetles and bugs owned the earth and the goblins and gremlins ruled the cavernous caves. The group tended to avoid these caves, for obvious reasons, and evaded the trees, except Esther again who swung from tree to tree and leaped from branch to branch. The sky was mostly clear, except for the odd cloud here and there. The sun was beating down, but with it being autumn, there was a reasonable chill. Cuthbert insisted he was alright when Salnar and Alnar suggested he put on a sweatshirt or something to keep himself warm rather than be exposed to the cold with his bare chest.

After a little while, the group decided to stop for something to eat. In this break, the concluded to call themselves the 'Beastiari', which was Latin, an ancient language used by their ancestors, for 'Beast-Fighters'.

After their lunch-break, the Beastiari continued on towards Elvendar, directly South of Forsworth. It wasn't long until they encountered an uncharted collection of huts in the forest; however, they were all half-heatedly destroyed. They still stood, but with things obtruding from them, smoke pouring out any holes and even some bodies lying in different positions and places. The stench of burned flesh and wood immediately struck Alnar's nose, a repugnant, pungent smell. It was a shout that alerted Salnar from a nearby hut. It was incoherent and almost alien to Alnar at first, but it became clearer the second time. He readied his mind and hands with a spell of ice-bolts, prepared for combat. Salnar readied her bow and Esther went to check the hut. Within seconds, she screamed out in the throaty Argonian voice, "Guys! It's not looking good!"

They ran over to discover a man trapped underneath a fallen rafter of the hut, the rafter ablaze at one end. The hut was circular with destroyed possessions everywhere: statuettes busts, glasses, vases, plates, chairs, a table, windows. Alnar called to the man from the door as Esther and Cuthbert ran in to lift the rafter away from the man, "What happened?"

The man replied through grunted breaths, a hint of panic in his voice, "They came so fast, I don't know! Just help me!" And as he said this, Alnar felt a cold, icy form touch his shoulder and pull him back from the door. He flew across the ground to hit a pile of rubble with fierce force. He tried to look up, but he failed to do so. He was dizzy from the impact, rendered stunned and useless. He heard a heavy body trudge towards him, but then a thunk as an arrow, possibly, hit the body. Alnar took several seconds to get up and get his visuals, but when he did, he was surprised. An ice atronach, as they were called, was fighting Salnar. An ice atronach was a huge, tall beast, at least eight feet tall, with muscular arms constructed of ice. They had no faces, but they were a body of ice, like a huge ice-made giant. It was throwing punches and kicks at Salnar, but she evaded them with ease. Alnar heard the clunk, hopefully of the rafter being moved, from the hut. He saw Cuthbert run out, wielding his great sword. He hacked at the atronach, dicing the arm in one. It turned to hit him, sending him into the hut once more. Esther ran out, leaping over a dazed Cuthbert, jumping onto the back of the atronach. She stabbed it, sending chunks of ice flying. Alnar came to grips with himself, and shot a few ice-bolts at it. No use. He attempted again, but with fire-bolts. This began to melt the atronach a with speed, and it lurched towards him just as it melted to water. Cheers all round came to Alnar, but he was most concerned about the man in the hut.

Salnar, Esther and Alnar jumped over Cuthbert as they went in to find the man cradling himself in a chair that was still intact. He seemed distraught and traumatised by the experience. Everything he ever owned and possibly ever will was destroyed by an attack by ice-atronachs. Salnar went up to him, clasped his hand to give him hope. He was an old man, white hair, a rough combover after the assault, a white face. Alnar couldn't tell what sort of race he was, but he presumed a Breton from the North with how pale he was. Salnar whispered encouraging things to the man like, "Everything is fine, it's ok," and this seemed to calm him down. He eventually answered an incoherent question from Salnar, which was, "It was at dusk they attacked, many, many creatures, Daedra, atronachs, ice and storm, goblins, gremlins, everything! We even saw their God, Jyggalag, come down and wreak havoc. I hid in here, but then the rafter fell down in me a few hours ago. Thank you for helping me. Mara help me..."

Alnar wasn't satisfied with this, "Why did they attack you?"

"They wanted the Book of Myths, I believe. It was hidden here by the High Council a long time ago, but I remain it's keeper."

"What is this Book of Myths you speak of?"

"It is a book supposed to be written by the Lord Talos himself when he was a mortal on earth, and it was handed to the Elven King of Elsweyr when Talos conquered Elsweyr. He listed all the beasts and their weaknesses, and it predicts that one of the Daedra Lords will come for it, use it to conquer Elsweyr, control the beasts and then conquer Tamriel. It is in the Great Library of Elvendar in Elvendar, tucked away for safety. It is said that if the band of Heroes find it and use it, they can conquer the Myths of Legends, and later the Daedric Lord himself. The Daedric Lord we speak of is Jyggalag, the creation of the God of Madness, Sheogorath. If you are these Heroes, you must go to the Great Library, retrieve the book, defeat the Myths of Legends, defeat Jyggalag and end all of this. More will be revealed by the God Sheogorath if you continue your journey."

"Myths of Legends? What is that exactly?" Called Cuthbert from behind he had risen and was aware of the lecture they were received from the old man.

"Read the Book, and you will be enlightened..." The man drifted into sleep.

"I'm not looking to become any God or Prophet," Esther commented.

"You don't reckon we're the Heroes he speaks of, do you?" Salnar said.

"He can't be serious," Alnar replied a hint of doubt in him.

"I've got no reason to doubt him.'

"I won't say 'No' to being Heroes; what about you lot?" Cuthbert said questioningly.

"I certainly won't! I say we rest, then head to Elvendar as quickly as we can tomorrow," Alnar suggested. He wouldn't mind being a Hero for a day, especially if he was predicted by a God.

"What about the Legion's presence?"

"I think they're being controlled. The bloke here said that him with the Book of Myths can control anything in that book. Imperials surely are."

"So we better get a move on if Jyggalag has the Book," Salnar intervenes. "Esther, tomorrow can you tell the village? Well get skier est for now, then go tomorrow."