» Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:27 am
Some have done something similar, but I'm RPing this slightly differently.
Basically, the whole backstory behind my character is that he was the bastard son of a Nord noble, born into House Askold during the Great War between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire. House Askold had emigrated a couple of years ago from Skyrim into a region of Cyrodiil known as the Border Princes, a relatively lawless land where brute force and conniving politics in equal measure helped one keep power. At the end of the Oblivion Crisis, various Daedric artifacts found their way through the black market and nomadic Khajiit caravans to the Border Princes, where it quickly became a common sight to see warlocks, chieftains and champions adorning themselves with the arms and armor of the Daedra. This in part contributed to the anarchic state of the Border Princes, for with so many warriors whose power had been augmented to immense heights by the artifacts, any form of overarching authority was impossible to implement firmly.
Because of this, the children of House Askold - my bastard character included - were schooled in the knowledge of Daedric artifacts, including their usage and how to keep oneself from becoming wholly consumed by the aetheric property of these relics. Their father thought it an essential part of their education, especially in a region such as the Princes where the influence of the Daedra waxed through their artifacts.
Some time into the Great War, one of the rivals of House Askold - a warlord in possession of no less than three Daedric artifacts (or, should I say, three Daedric artifacts in possession of a warlord) - played upon a passing Thalmor Justiciar platoon's hatred for Talos, and led them towards Askold Keep. The warlord, his men, and the Justiciars quickly sacked the fortress, and my character - albeit younger, probably age 14 - witnessed the full power of the Daedric vestiges as they laid his family low. Only a number of stragglers escaped the massacre at Askold Keep; the steward, my character, and two of his sisters. During the flight from the Keep, my character became separated from the other survivors, and wandered the lands of Cyrodiil as a bastard beggar-child. For the next few years, his wanderings continued from town to town across the countryside, until many seasons later when he embarked on a fateful pilgrimage across the border into Skyrim.
His run-in with the talking dog Barbas made him realise that the reach of the Daedric artifacts was not limited to Cyrodiil alone - a number were scattered across Skyrim itself.
So, he took on the title of Oblivion Walker and embarked on a search for these Daedric artifacts, that with his knowledge and training he might prevent Skyrim from degenerating into the lawless mess of the Border Princes. Although he's not particularly proud of some of the things he's done to attain these artifacts (i.e. sacrificing that irritating mage from Riften to Boethiah), the ends justify the means - to him, at least.
This justifies why my somewhat-lawful character can go around collecting Daedric artifacts. He also figures that with his soul gifted to him by Akatosh, and with Tsun promising his return to Sovngarde, his soul is safe from the insidious clutches of the Daedra.
And more importantly it justifies why my character can walk up to a Vigilant of Stendarr in Ebony Mail with the Masque of Clavicus Vile and still receive Stendarr's blessings.