I am back now with an outliner of the major events of the book I am now writing. I hope I can get any feedback whether positive or negative as to the general likeness of the story or any lore details I may have faulted. This is only the first draft of the outliner so it may be far from finished. After some time, I will then release parts of the story. Any help is greatly appreciated.
The Dishonored Oath
In the makings of the first era, Omath Nashir, a tested Sword-singer from the heart of Hammerfell, is placed with the duty of protecting the sacred hall of the singing swords. Ancient orichalcum blades gifted to the great swordsmen of the Yokudans by the god Diagna so that they may defeat their enemies. However, through time and change, the people of the Redguards, even Gaiden Shinji himself, have become hypocrites in the eyes of Omath. An opportunity calls from a rising city of Orsinium. It is time Omath has received what he was once promised for his services. But with greed comes befalling of dreams. Now is the time of the Orcs. For too long have they shuddered away from the sight of the world. Too much have they lost. But all is theirs to inherit as is the will of Malakath. Given from the realm of ash, the Orcs have attained a great power to wield flame and death upon those who stand between them and reclamation. And all the while, the people of the Ra' Gada and those Bretons of High Rock wallow in their own greed against one another. For if they do not both hold firm together, they will be smitten from Nirn lest a once noble warrior can himself recover from his selfish ways. These are the days of the coming of Orsinium.
Outline
Intro
-Redguard named Omath Nashir, a Sword-singer warrior and servitor of the Order of Diagna, takes to the Wrothgarian Mountains one of the legendary Singing Swords. One of the orichalcum weapons given to the Sword-singers by the god Diagna. He hopes to sell it to the Orcs in return for a large sum of gold and a mysterious creature they poses that could weave a cloth like material.
-Omath and his hired Kahjiit escort are ambushed by the Orcs, the Kahjiit all being slaughtered. He is taken blindfolded and bound and brought to the great Torug gro-Igron. Chieftain of Orsinium.
-Torug tells Omath of his interest in orichalcum and gives a small glimpse into Orc culture and government. Then shames Omath for his dishonor in breaking his vow to keep the weapon safe and sells him to Dunmer slavers.
-His slavers are intercepted on the edge of the Reach by the Order of Diagna. One of whom is Gaiden Shinji. Blade Master. They take him back to Hammerfell.
-Omath is imprisoned in Sentinel for breaking his oath of protecting the Singing Swords. During his stay, a beggar appears outside his cell and rambles on about the deadric lords and how they are at work. He foretells what will happen and warns Omath. Then he disappears.
-Before he is executed, Sentinel is attacked by a Breton Navy. During the attack, Omath breaks himself free, retrieves his family yataghan, and attempts to escape. He fights Breton invaders across Sentinel making his way to the outskirts of town to his homestead. While in his home gathering his belongings, Breton invaders attack sentinel from inland. They cut off any escape and Omath is forced back into the city.
-Breton horse riders come swiftly towards towards him. Omath manages to kill a rider and takes his horse, some of the Breton go in pursuit of him. The road leads to a draw bridge over a river running throughout the outer city. Omath knows a rout over roof tops and takes the horse up and around the river. His path leads him to the docks where he is finally knocked off the horse by a great stone flung from a siege weapon.
-When he awakes, men are rushing around in the aftermath. Word spreads that full scale war between all of High Rock and all of Hammerfell is upon them. Sentinel received pleas from Dragonstar all along the northern coast to mobilize troops. Omath makes another attempt to leave the city but catches Gaiden and some other Sword-singers on patrol. He steals the outfit from a dead arbiter and makes his way within a crowd of soldiers boarding a large vessel brought from Hegathe. Without his wanting, he is now stuck on a voyage into war.
Rising Action
-Omath is aboard the ship for more than a day. They cross the Iliac bay passing all kinds of bad omens. Some of which Omath remembers the beggar foretelling. A Redguard boat near the wreckage of some ships tells the men aboard that they must head farther northeast towards Wayrest. That their are violent storms and strange events happening in northern Iliac.
- A Breton blockade of ships guarding the entrance to the Bjoulsea river stops the hopes of reaching their intended destination. A sea of ships of both Breton and Redguard fight and burn across the mouth. Omath and many other soldiers cross the sea of ships and boats on their way through the blockade to reinforce soldiers posted at Wayrest.
-Wayrest is a lowly yet sprawling port city cut in half. On the west side are the defending Breton soldiers lead by the fearsome captain William Mason. On the east are the invading Redguards. The Redguard advance is stopped when they fail to cross the bridges.
-During the night, the Bretons attempt to scourge the Redguards from the city with volleys of arrows and magic from the outer citadel. Meanwhile, Omath protects others from assassins who crossed to their side. One of which turns out to be Gaiden. Omath makes away with his disguise.
-Before break of dawn, some of the Redguards cross over the river and take the draw bridge. The others use parts of their boats to creat tools to overcome the citadel. Finally more reinforcements arrive and push through the Breton defense of the fishing city. Gaiden fights and kills Mason in the end. Wayrest is taken.
-Just as Omath was about to make his way out of the city, he was once again intercepted by Gaiden. They argue and Omath finally is able to gain some of Gaiden's trust. Amongst the invasion force, Omath, Gaiden, and the Order of Diagna make their way northeast through battlefields attempting to reach the path Omath had once followed.
-The armies comes across forward units who were in combat with the enemy. They find that little remains but ash and the charred statues of warriors of both sides frozen in fear. On the outskirts of the death field, they make camp to contemplate the aftermath and plan their next move.
-Gaiden and some others lead a calvary charge to find any enemy. They come across a small Breton encampment and slaughter all except a one prisoner.
-During the night, Omath comes across the Breton prisoner in a cage. He tells of death and destruction and the loss of hope. Later that night, great winds of fire erupt throughout the sky and flames scorch the ground. Roars rush through the air like wild thunder. The army perishes all around Omath. He is narrowly saved by the Breton prisoner who hides him under rock.
-When he awakes in the morning in a cloud of ash and dust, nothing around Omath lives. He is alone of the living but surrounded by the dead. He sees movement in the distance speak a language he is not familiar with. He attempts to hide and escape but eventually is found and fights his attackers. It is the Akaviri he fights lead by Commander Onimaxshi and his apprentice, Tetson, and after a short skirmish he is beaten and surrenders.
-He is kept alive because of his identity. The Akaviri were looking for him. They explain that they are there to deal with an ancient weapon. They seek Yoziirven. A dragon once devoted and part of Alduin's inner circle. They were notified of his presence and survival in the Wrothgarian Mountains by a Reachman. Omath is taken through their hideout to this man and he shares to Omath secrets of the dragon and how the Orcs are coming to power. A tool is used by the Orcs given to them by the deadra Malakath. The Chains of Boethiah used to capture Trinimac are being used to control Yoziirven.
-The Akiviri were told by the Reachmen in Dohva that Omath would help them on their path to Orsinium. He refuses to help them even after being told that Evermor and Dragonstar had both been captured by great Orc armies and that there was no way out. Confident of his own abilities, he leaves them in the morning and heads to the Reach.
-Omath continues is journey east steadily making his way to the mountains that boarder the region. He stops at the charred remains of a village. Bodies impaled and all a ruined. Omath is forced to remember his love of swords and his finer days of fighting. Identifying his selfishness as coward's play, he rejects fleeing any longer.
-The Akaviri army march on to the Wrothgarian Mountains. They are intercepted by Orc calvary and fight well until giant armored centipedes burst from the ground. The forward units become trapped and take losses until Omath appears and bravely kills them. After finishing the Orcs, Omath agrees to help them.
-There are many watch towers and fortifications all along the path to Orsinium. The Akaviri use stealth tactics and quick skirmishes to easily make their way up. They do not camp but move swiftly through a blizzard night.
- At the gates or Orsinium, they are halted by a great tower which rises above. Many Orc archers are inside raining death upon their invaders. With the help of Tetson to hold the arrows back with an aura, they chanted their Akaviri magic until the tower crumbles over the cliffs. And then the dragon appears. Beyond is Torug gro-Igron in the city with the ghostly chains in his hands controlling him. Despite their best attempts, the Akaviri are destroyed by Yoziirven. In the fight, Omath is bit by the dragon leaving a tooth in his shoulder and he and Onimaxshi are blown right off the cliffs landing in an ice cave.
-Omath and Onimaxshi find themselves following the endless and winding ice caves until they reach ancient Altmer ruins. Inside, they are ambushed by wolves but before they fight, the wolves are scared off by snow trolls. The two are chased by the trolls through the ruins until they reach a broken ladder with a lever controlling it. To give them time, Onimaxshi uses a tome to summon a fire atronach which is able to fight the trolls allowing the two to escape up the ladder. All the while, a ghostly figure watches them from the shadows.
-The path opens up to a large oricalchum mine underneath the mountain. It was filled with goblin miners and Orc blacksmiths creating weapons of all types out of the green ore. Through the smelters, tunnels and patrols, they manage to sneak themselves through the underground to a scrap deposit where debris was been thrown into a whirlpool that left the cavern. When spotted, the two fight there way to what may be their only exit, throwing themselves in down into the clutches of the water.
climix
-When Omath awakes, the water withers away and turns to sand. The sun rises and he finds himself in the Alik'r Desert. He is approached by a beautiful Redgaurd girl who riddles him on selfishness and defense. The girl transforms to the Reachmen from before and then to the Breton prisoner and once again into the Redguard beggar. Omath identifies him as Diagna. Diagna gives him the choice of walking out of the Alik'r desert free to do whatever he pleases, even join him in the Dragontail Mountains. Or, he can descend a pool of water to stop the Orcs from destroying the others in both High Rock and Hamerfell, and even beyond. However, he is warned by Diagna that even if he does save the Redguards, there will still be forces working against them. A power struggle for the Singing Swords and the Chains of Boethiah. Omath chooses the pool.
-When Omath emerges from the water, he ascends from a fountain in the middle of Daggerfall City. Nobody notices him as the city is under siege from the Redguards and all men are running through the city spreading supplies during the attack. He makes his way dodging hazards and siege weapon strikes to infiltrate Castle Daggerfall to find King Jolie and convince him to seize the fighting.
- When Omath approaches King Jolie, he offers him the tooth as proof that he fought a dragon that the Orcs intend to use it to destroy them. Finally after persuading Jolie he opens the gates of the docks to the Redguards. When Mubaron Commander Jartim arrives, he is told of the dragon Yoziirven and how the orcs have completely cut off High Rock and parts of Hammerfell from the rest of Tamriel by using him. A day later, Gaiden and the rest of the surviving Ansei arrive from the east. Gaiden announces he is willing to fulfill Jolie's request. They brought word of a great Orsimer army heading to Daggerfall.
-It is agreed that the continued war between the Bretons and the Redguards would mean the destruction of both by the hand of the kingdom of Orsinium. During these talks, Onimaxshi enters the room, swords from all pointed at the Akaviri soldier. He understands that his forward army from southwest Skyrim is lost and that only he remains. He requires the help of Omath and the Sword-singers to defeat Yoziirven. The parties create a plan to defend the city from the approaching Orc army as well as a plan to destroy the dragon if he appears. The city prepares.
-To kill the dragon, they must first destroy the Chains of Boethiah which give Yoziirven incredible strength. After they are broken, he can be killed. To break the chains however would require a great force. Onimaxshi suggests an enchantment of storm which can break spells. It is old and powerful and well known to the Akaviri as a dragon slaying enchantment. However, the weapon itself would have to be great to destroy such an artifact as the chains. Stronger than even Onimaxshi's personal sword, Dragonbane. Gaiden suggests to create a Shehai or spirit sword. King Jolie's elite spell blade bodyguard, Knight Alabastyr, suggests that the spirit be embalmed in the finest of Breton steel forged and tempered in the ancient Daggerfall forge. They agree on the weapon and Omath uses his own spirit in the binding of the blade. The sword is named Consonance of the Three arms.
-The Orc army arrives lead by Torug gro-Igron's first lieutenant, Lurkul gro-Urok. He wields the very singing sword which Omath had taken to Orsinium. With it and large siege towers, Lurkul breaches the outer defenses into Daggerfall. The defending Bretons and Redguards attempt to keep the Orcs back on the Eastern side of the river but eventually the Orcs break through with hoards of goblins.
-The allied forces fall back into the barricaded courtyard of Castle Daggerfall. They keep the invaders back until Yoziirven appears and breaks their lines. The plan then commences as the Redguard siege engines on their ships in the bay fire on the dragon and bring it down. From on top of the castle, Alabastyr forces wind to blow back the smoke that covers much of Yoziirven's body to reveal the chains that ascended to the peaks of the Wrothgarian Mountains. Whilst the main forces fight the invading Orcs, Omath, Gaiden, Alabastyr, and Onimaxshi fight the dragon. Omath manages to break the chains with Consonance which frees Yoziirven from his Orsimer slaver. Now he writhes of his wishes to destroy all the armies for his suffering. Onimaxshi manages to down Yoziirven with Dragonbane but is wounded in the process. When he crashes to the ground, Omath finishes him off by driving Consonance between his scales at the neck.
-Around the body the fighting lingers on. From the dust, Lurkul emerges and attacks Omath with the singing sword. He breaks Omath's ancient family Yataghan, but before he could strike again, Omath summons his Shehai blade from the scales and kills Lurkul taking back the sword. Onimaxshi give Omath his thanks and sets out to return to the Reach. Gaiden acknowledges Omath as an Ansei and full member of the Order of Diagna.
Falling Action
-Over the next few months, the armies of Daggerfall and Sentinel unite and are able to push the Orsimer back into the Wrothgarian Mountains, the other regions of Hammerfell and High Rock follow suit. Orsinium's defense proved impermeable after several attempts to storm it. The allies set up two temporary military towns along the base of the Wrothgarian Mountains and one in the Bankorai Pass. Over the next year, the Wrothgarian Mountains would become a complete battleground. Orc and allied armies would fight back and forth for control of different outposts along its dangerous cliffs and frozen peaks
-One night, 12 years later. 30,000 flames appeared around the Bankorai camp. Torug gro-Igeon had come with an army. They rained flaming arrows onto the camp, lighting many ablaze. The garrisoned troops attempt to fight back while losing numbers, the only one keeping a great defense was Alabastyr. The Sword-singers arrive lead by Gaiden. They do well to tear down the Orcs, until Torug himself challenges them. He wields a mighty warhammer which when it makes contact with its foes, they are paralyzed before being slaughtered in the next hit. Gaiden does his best to fight Torug until he is hit. Torug finishes him with a final menacing blow. He notices his forces are losing ground and orders a retreat, but with confidence.
-The hammer was described in detail by the survivors as an ancient Dwarven weapon unlike any other. Word is received that years before, an Orc party detached from the main forces near Dragonstar. There was an attempt to stop them but they did well to protect something they had in tow. It is believed that they originated from the ancient Dwarven ruin of Nzul Sheft. Alabastyr orders to dispatch an investigation. Omath is notified and agrees taking along Jartim, grateful to leave High Rock, to accompany him to Hammerfell.
-Omath, Jartim, and a few other Sword-singers of Ansei rank including Makela Leki arrive in the valley of Mounatin Folk on horseback. They ride into the crevices of sand stone all the while a sense of being watched. Finally, they reach the gates of Nzul Sheft, it's heavy doors surrounded by the remains of dead Orcs.
-They fallow the dark descent of the Dwarven ruin moving deep into the unknown. The group is then ambushed by Falmer, but the group's skill easily fight their attackers off. Finally they reach the chamber of Volendrung. Suddenly, the ghost of the Altmer from under Wrothgar appears and tells them his need for the fall of Orsinium. He tells them the secrets of Volendrung before disappearing.
-A year later, Omath returns to Bankorai camp. King Jolie grew tired of the unsuccessful campaign, until one day, Omath proves his resourcefulness again when he breaks through several centipede tunnels during a counterattack. The tunnels lead way to the forgeries under Orsinium where he an Onimaxshi escaped before. King Jolie requests that the Redguard warriors take a leave of absence from High Rock for the time being unless they can devise a plan to break through the Orc defenses for the last time. Omath's find comes at the most opportunistic time.
-Mubaron Commander Jartim assembles the allies for a meeting. They plan that the main forces of Redguard with supplementary Breton units will once again charge to front gates of Orsinium but this time the Sword-singers will infiltrate through the forgeries to open the gates and begin a surprise attack from inside.
-The plan is carried out to a great success as ranks of Redguard in front lead by Mubaron Commander Jartim and ranks of Breton covering the rear lead by Knight Alabastyr poor into Orsinium for the first time. The battle spreads across the high mountain city with the Sword-singers giving cover to the main forces along the way. The allies overwhelm the Orc forces all the way until they are stopped by the rear defense in the palace. The great building is filled from the bottom floors up the staircases to the top with fighting soldiers.
-With the main forces preoccupied with the rest the Sword-singers push on into the inner chambers to a great prayer room devoted to Malakath. Here, Torug gro-Igron and his elite guard wait in ambush for the intruders. When they present themselves, the Sword-singers call upon their Shehai spirit blades as well as reveal the Singing Swords given to their ancestors long ago by Diagna. The swords sing in harmony echoing throughout the palace. Omath gives a blow to Torug's Volendrung in the spot where the Altmer told him to being seriously injured afterwords. Omath however made the chieftain open to the killing blow from the Makela Leki and the Maidens. Torug gro-Igron lay dead. Volendrung evaporating into thin air underneath the statue of Malakath.
Conclusion
-A flash back before the war. The Breton high rulers meet with each other. One from every kingdom in High Rock attends. They discuss the ever strengthening tension of the approaching Redguard borders. They also discuss the situation of Wayrest. It is clear the Redguards are a continued threat and message sent to Gaiden Shinji in the hopes that a peaceful exchange of good will could be made was ignored. News is brought that Sword-singers had been spotted at the boards crossing into High Rock. The kingdoms agree to unite under one banner to invade Hammerfell and destroy the kingdoms of the Redguards.
-Back at the camp in Bankorai Pass, the allies began building reinforced blockades to wait out the rest of the forces deeper inside Orsinium. Omath attends the after battle meal. Many of the captains, both Redguard and Breton were in. The meal was to show good faith in both sides. However, King Jolie held a private meeting afterwords with his immediate table. They had taken notice of Sentinel's crippled remains of an army and decided to take advantage of their weakness. It was planned that all the members of the Sword-singers were to be immediately executed and the rest of Redguard forces driven out from High Rock.
-Alabastyr's trust in the the Redguards would give him an attempt to warn them but he is wounded in the escape. Omath's quarters were searched but he was not found. The Singing Swords themselves had also disappeared. The Breton guard made a quick dash to find the rest of the Sword-singers as well as ambush the local Redguard forces. Battle once again rages in the Wrothgarian Mointains, the Breton warriors in Bankorai Pass dealing heavy blows to the Redguards while the Breton forces at the foot of the mountains confused and panicked blocked any retreat. Makela Leki and here maidens fought to the death as the last surviving Sword-singers killing King Jolie in the raid and dispersing the rest of the Breton forces.
-In the panic and chaos of the betrayal, no true account of the event would be acquired. Alabastyr would be crowned king and swear to honor the Redgaurd's bravery and alliance. As for Omath and the swords, a kindly beggar assures the people of Sentinel that they are in good hands.