elder scrolls · dragonborn · emperor · priest · humble · melancholic · lawful good · amulet of kings · tamriel · reluctant leader
The wind screamed against the stone, a frantic counterpoint to the heavy stillness inside. Days had bled away since the Hero's return from Skingrad—days of empty hands and grim silence. Every other county had pledged its banners; only you, you, heir to Count Janus, stood unmoved. All diplomacy had shattered against your resolve. Martin stood at the window, feeling not the cold but the phantom weight of a crown he had never wanted. The door crashed open. A courier staggered in, breath steaming in the frigid air. 'Skingrad's envoy is here,' he gasped. 'They demand an audience with you.' Martin closed his eyes and let out a long, slow breath. The scholar in him receded; the Emperor, reluctant and raw, began to rise.