Simus
An Excellent Site Member
Whiterun's Hall of the Dead was a good place to keep secrets. They were large, cavernous, cloistered and quite confusing for those who did not know the way. For those that did, it was a place for meetings unseen and unheard. Only the dead lived in these catacombs and Arkay would see that they would not interfere.
This was exactly what Simus and Alice Psyrakon were hoping for. As father and daughter they helped Ulfric Stormcloak attain power. They led his soldiers, watered Skyrim with their blood in his name and they called him brother. Despite being Imperials and hailing from the Imperial Province they both had the hearts of Nords. They thought they were fighting to free Skyrim from a dying Empire that refused to take care of its people. One that was fractured and decaying, no longer able to do the job it was supposed to do. They thought that if they won and Ulfric were High King, he would rebuild the Empire into the land Tiber Septim intended it to be. Skyrim was supposed to be a beacon of hope for all Tamriel, and Ulfric was to be the one who brought the Aldmeri Dominon to justice.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
That was why there were here, in this chamber (think Namira's shrine with all the dinner guests, just no human-carving machinery) with Vignar Grey-Mane, the new Jarl of Whiterun. They were all planning to stop Ulfric and, by extension, comitting high treason.
Vignar stood at the head of the ancient table with the rest of his kin, Olfina, Fralia, Eorlund, Avelstein and Thorald. Plus there was Brill, his steward. Simus and Alice were also in attendence, considering it was their idea to start this little revolution. The table was laiden with a feast but no ate and no one drank. Their guets would arrive in a few minutes and they would have dangerous business to conduct. There would be little time for food and laughter until that business was done. Skyrim was on the path to destruction and Ulfric Stormcloak had to die.
"It's almost midnight." Vignar said to Simus. "Are you sure anyone else is comming?"
"They'll come." Simus said reassuringly. "They'll have to. This is their only chance to fight back."
He cast a concerned look towards his daughter sitting across from him. "Alice? Do you see anything?"
"They'll come." Alice said. "The Battle-Borns have decided their pride's too hard to swallow to sit down with Grey-Manes, but there are others. I"m not sure how many though. Not enough for an army, but it's a place to start."
"Well, at this point we'll take what we can get." Simus said. "There's a lot of angry people out there, especially after the Grey Quarter Massacre, but taking up arms against the High King is never an easy decision."
"Ulfric's only the High King as long as the people say he is." Vignar said. "Personally, he's lost my vote. A few of the other Jarls think so, but not all of them. We can't throw him out without a unanimous vote and that's not going to happen while Ulfric's got most of them in his pocket."
"And I suppose there's no way to open Ulfric's eyes?" Simus asked. "Make him see the damage he's doing."
"Simus, do you really think we'd be here if there was? You know the man better than anyone else here. You know how warped his mind has become. Plus, if your fortune teller of a daughter can't see anything, then there's no way out."
"With all due respect My Jarl" Alice said with a mixture of civility and anger "I'm not just some book you can open and see whatever part of the future strikes your fancy. I can't see everything and I do make mistakes. There may yet be a way to save Ulfric from himself. The ghettos, the attackes, the mistreatment of foreigners, the rising racism, he's never officially supported any of that. It's the extriemism of his subordinates tha's caused the most damage."
"But he's allowed it all to happen sweetheart." Simus said. "Ulfric himself may not be a racist, but if he does nothing while the Stormcloaks push everyone that's not them out of Skyrim, than he might as well be one. I know you love Ulfric Alice. So do I, but he is not the man we thought he was. We all have to help make this right. With or without the Empire's help."
"I wouldn't count on that." Vignar said. "The Empire's abandoned what's left of General Tullius' legion. The Thalmor are preparing to invade again and the Empire's the only thing between us and them. All of its strength is needed in Cyrodiil."
"Than I guess it's up to us to get our house in order. Skyrim may no longer be part of the Empire, bu we still have a duty to save it. It's gong to nned all the help it can get against the Aldmeri Dominion and Skyrim will be there to answer the call. Ulfric was right about that at least."
Just then, a young Stormcloak (Think Sven's voice) came down the stairs from the exit. He addressed Vignar.
"My Lord, the first of your guests has arrived."
"Send them down." Vignar said. He was worried about Ulfric's spies finding out about this, but Simus and Brill had assured him that all attending were loyal to him. At the very least, they all hated Ulfric. He would have to trust their judgement and, Talos willing, this would all work out.
This was exactly what Simus and Alice Psyrakon were hoping for. As father and daughter they helped Ulfric Stormcloak attain power. They led his soldiers, watered Skyrim with their blood in his name and they called him brother. Despite being Imperials and hailing from the Imperial Province they both had the hearts of Nords. They thought they were fighting to free Skyrim from a dying Empire that refused to take care of its people. One that was fractured and decaying, no longer able to do the job it was supposed to do. They thought that if they won and Ulfric were High King, he would rebuild the Empire into the land Tiber Septim intended it to be. Skyrim was supposed to be a beacon of hope for all Tamriel, and Ulfric was to be the one who brought the Aldmeri Dominon to justice.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
That was why there were here, in this chamber (think Namira's shrine with all the dinner guests, just no human-carving machinery) with Vignar Grey-Mane, the new Jarl of Whiterun. They were all planning to stop Ulfric and, by extension, comitting high treason.
Vignar stood at the head of the ancient table with the rest of his kin, Olfina, Fralia, Eorlund, Avelstein and Thorald. Plus there was Brill, his steward. Simus and Alice were also in attendence, considering it was their idea to start this little revolution. The table was laiden with a feast but no ate and no one drank. Their guets would arrive in a few minutes and they would have dangerous business to conduct. There would be little time for food and laughter until that business was done. Skyrim was on the path to destruction and Ulfric Stormcloak had to die.
"It's almost midnight." Vignar said to Simus. "Are you sure anyone else is comming?"
"They'll come." Simus said reassuringly. "They'll have to. This is their only chance to fight back."
He cast a concerned look towards his daughter sitting across from him. "Alice? Do you see anything?"
"They'll come." Alice said. "The Battle-Borns have decided their pride's too hard to swallow to sit down with Grey-Manes, but there are others. I"m not sure how many though. Not enough for an army, but it's a place to start."
"Well, at this point we'll take what we can get." Simus said. "There's a lot of angry people out there, especially after the Grey Quarter Massacre, but taking up arms against the High King is never an easy decision."
"Ulfric's only the High King as long as the people say he is." Vignar said. "Personally, he's lost my vote. A few of the other Jarls think so, but not all of them. We can't throw him out without a unanimous vote and that's not going to happen while Ulfric's got most of them in his pocket."
"And I suppose there's no way to open Ulfric's eyes?" Simus asked. "Make him see the damage he's doing."
"Simus, do you really think we'd be here if there was? You know the man better than anyone else here. You know how warped his mind has become. Plus, if your fortune teller of a daughter can't see anything, then there's no way out."
"With all due respect My Jarl" Alice said with a mixture of civility and anger "I'm not just some book you can open and see whatever part of the future strikes your fancy. I can't see everything and I do make mistakes. There may yet be a way to save Ulfric from himself. The ghettos, the attackes, the mistreatment of foreigners, the rising racism, he's never officially supported any of that. It's the extriemism of his subordinates tha's caused the most damage."
"But he's allowed it all to happen sweetheart." Simus said. "Ulfric himself may not be a racist, but if he does nothing while the Stormcloaks push everyone that's not them out of Skyrim, than he might as well be one. I know you love Ulfric Alice. So do I, but he is not the man we thought he was. We all have to help make this right. With or without the Empire's help."
"I wouldn't count on that." Vignar said. "The Empire's abandoned what's left of General Tullius' legion. The Thalmor are preparing to invade again and the Empire's the only thing between us and them. All of its strength is needed in Cyrodiil."
"Than I guess it's up to us to get our house in order. Skyrim may no longer be part of the Empire, bu we still have a duty to save it. It's gong to nned all the help it can get against the Aldmeri Dominion and Skyrim will be there to answer the call. Ulfric was right about that at least."
Just then, a young Stormcloak (Think Sven's voice) came down the stairs from the exit. He addressed Vignar.
"My Lord, the first of your guests has arrived."
"Send them down." Vignar said. He was worried about Ulfric's spies finding out about this, but Simus and Brill had assured him that all attending were loyal to him. At the very least, they all hated Ulfric. He would have to trust their judgement and, Talos willing, this would all work out.