Tamriel Data:Archei, Who Whispered Mortality

Book Information Archei, Who Whispered Mortality
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Archei, Who Whispered Mortality

A Breton tale of Archei and the maddening of Sheor.

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Archei, grandson to King Sheor and son to Marie, was curious about all of life's resplendence. He was always eagerly awaiting the stories Marie would tell around the forever-hearth, stories of honorable warriors of numerous deeds, celebrated beyond time. As she told and told by the ever-comforting hearth, the stacks upon stacks of story-packed books grew ever thinner and thinner, until but few remained. A book of black cover stood out amidst the meager piles, a book Marie always tucked away, for it seemed to cause her much sorrow.

And so when the pile came to an end, Marie briefly left the hearth unattended so she might gather more stories for the ever-curious Archei. Intrigued by what she had hidden away, Archei took the opportunity and seized the book for his own.

He opened clasps of a book existent before time came into existence. His hands grew cold, but as soon as his eyes touched the page, they read feverishly; every word on every page. His gaze ever more fixated, but ever so horrified.

As all words stuck to his mind and all meanings coalesced, his form grew wrinkled and his body frail. His hair went white and his mind aged beyond proportion, but wisened in equal measure. It was not long before Marie returned and saw to her horror what had become of her son, who still held the Book of Death in his spindly hands. Tainted by the very words no-one should hear, Archei embodied now not only her spirit of life but also became a being which whispered of mortality. Her hearth had grown cold.

It was no sooner than Archei recited the whispers that others would perceive them. The gods closed their ears, but his words reached nearly all of creation. For all those that couldn't do but hear, mortality was recited a thousand-fold, and thereafter recited a thousand times more.

The Kings and Queen on the surface were dismayed, for he turned their servants mortal. Once their warriors knew all there was, but now their servants had to relearn all and all again after they would be reborn. For his hubris he was now indebted to Oriel, Magnon and Kynaree.

Where Marie once raised him in the comfort of her hearth, now Oriel tutored Archei. Oriel knew much of the glib tongue, and of the tact of words. Archei's tongue was now a slippery eel. Oriel also instilled duty in him, so he might know the responsibility he had to those below.

One day, out of sheer bitterness and grief, mad Sheor opened his doors and unleashed his loyal armies to torment the surface. His once servants -- now their own Kings and Queen -- stood against their old monarch.

It was Oriel's duty to challenge Sheor personally in his halls; for what is a King, if he cannot fight for his own people?

It was Magnon's duty to stand at the gates to protect the surface; for what is a King, if he cannot protect his own lands?

It was Kynaree's duty to rally those who would honor the Kings and Queen in battle; for what is a Queen, if she cannot lead her own armies?

As Oriel went to the unwelcome halls, Archei watched as Oriel's flamberge wavered and shook before the might of Sheor's hammer, and he saw that Oriel was ready to bolt and flee to his palace on the clouds.

Archei watched as the first of Sheor's men battered against the shields of Magnon's knights. Seeing Oriel about to run, Magnon betrayed the cause and sacrificed the few to save his other knights as he retreated to the sky-palace.

And so only Warrior-Queen Kynaree stood before Sheor's loyal men and his mighty hammer, and their battle ensued.

The Normen clashed against Sheor's men with might and zeal, but all were now ensnared by the mortal coil, and mighty warriors fell one-by-one. Archei witnessed and saw all, and remembered his duties to Kings and Queen, to those he served and he who mentored him. To those that betrayed the cause, were to flee and stood fast against a great enemy, he opened his mouth once more.

Words of mortality once like whispers were now like waves. Where once his words could be denied, now his eel-tongue was curled and coiled with ever-strengthening force. Oriel and Sheor shrieked as the words rung them like tolling bells. But the Normen had heard Archei's words a thousand times before, and were unfazed.

Archei's shriek penetrated the unwelcome halls, and his words bore down like the breath of Winter. The unwelcome halls were covered in the rime and cold of Death. And, so too, it clung to Oriel and Sheor, who now stood frozen in place. But Sheor's heart still remained, by its loyalty for his servants still bound; his men undeterred.

Kynaree suffered a heavy loss. The Normen who went with her lay still and defeated. But as they lay still, loyalty and duty remained a fire in their hearts. Archei knew its comfortable warmth as Marie's hearth.

And so he took their embers one-by-one as the God between dead and living and stoked their fire. And so they were reborn once more, and so they stole the heart of Sheor.

The heart was given to Kynaree, who kept it in her scattered wind-palace. Archei's debt to her unresolved, he continues to serve her dutifully. For the heart must be protected at all cost, for if he reclaims his heart, the surface will meet its demise.