» Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:46 pm It was all supposed to get better after the Oblivion Crisis?
One Year after Martin Septim saved Tamreil from the pending Daedric doom; the elder council declared that the fourth era had begun. Celebration swarmed the streets; hope filled the air like the smell of honey on a warm summer's day. Unity, perseverance, and faith held the empire together as it began to rebuild. But, the economies of the provinces had been worn thin by the crisis, and the Elder Council couldn't make effective decisions because of mixed interests. Reconstruction was slow, agonizing, and setback after setback prevented there from ever being a full recovery.
About ten years after the beginning of the fourth era, it was decided that the elder council could not rule Tamriel effectively, and it was decided a new emperor needed to be coronated. High Chancellor Ocato was the obvious first choice, but in a surprising move he turned it down and retired from political life. The Champion of Cyrodill was also quick to turn down the throne, also retiring to a life of peace.
After about 2 years of searching, 2 candidates for the throne were put up: Xavier Rex, A skilled Imperial councilman who had a fought at the battle of Bruma and took Ocato's place as high Chancellor, and Terimas Servan, a Dunmer lord who had been a political figurehead in all of Tamrielic affairs for nearly one hundred years and had become a living political legend.
What had become quite apparent to the people of Tamriel, though, was that whoever they chose as their new emperor was going to show bias to their race in where the scarce funds for rebuilding would mainly go, despite the leaders saying of "Equality and fairness in reconstruction funds". So the election came to a split: Cyrodill, Hammerfall, and Skyrim supporting Rex and Valenwood, Morrowind, and Summerset supporting Servan. High Rock had become so split politically over the election the Orsimer actually seceded and formed the province of Orsimium. With Blackwood and Elswyer showing a neutral vote, the election came to a standstill.
Then the day that would change it all came. Hearth Fire 14, 4E 13. Everyone knows where they were when they heard the news Servan had been murdered, and since Rex was the only candidate left, he was emperor. The elves were enraged, claiming it was a setup by the imperials to get their man in the throne. Riots and violence began to break out amongst the elves and the men. The newly crowned emperor renounced the elves violent behavior and insisted that they would be treated fairly.
To no ones surprise, Cyrodill got most of the promised gold for reconstructing, with a badly beaten Morrowind getting the least. Morrowind, which had experienced a devastating riot in Vivec from a mysterious cult, was furious from the lack of support. They demanded help or they would secede. The emperor did not grant the help. Morrowind seceded from the empire in 4E 15.
Tension grew even higher between man and mer, with the beast races becoming more reclusive as tension grew. Elswyer closed off its borders to immigration to stop the massive inflow of people into the province to avoid what was obviously the beginning of conflict. Black Marsh began to attempt to get rid of imperial missionaries so it would not appear as though they were supporting them. Black marsh also became a haven for argonian refugees who did not want to be caught up in the current events.
The powder keg exploded between man and mer in 4E 21. In order to streamline decision making, the emperor disbanded the elder council and made himself the only decision making man in the empire. The Altmer, Bosmer, and Orcs joined with Morrowind in secession and created the Empire of Mer, with the remaining provinces held under the emperor's flag. The empire threatened the mer with war if they did not rejoin the empire in 1 week. In this week, both sides amassed a large army, both knowing how this was going to turn out. Both sides expected a quick, decisive conflict.
The mer struck first, going straight for the heart of the beast: the Imperial City. The empire, expecting this, had amassed their army at the city and met the mer forces at the gate. What was expected to be a quick, decisive battle lasted 10 long years. The war itself would last 150.
One hundred and fifty years of brutal war. Entire generations were wiped out in the conflict. Cities were reduced to rubble in the battles wake. It was terrifying. While at first, the war helped the weak economies of both sides, eventually the prolonged conflict put them into even further debt. Both sides had reached a bloody stalemate, and neither side was showing any signs of surrender.
Then, the last ten years of the war became the bloodiest. Morrowind launched a surprise assault on Skyrim and forced it to surrender. They then tried to launch an attack south on Cyrodill from Skyrim, but the badly outnumbered blades at Cloud Ruler temple were able to hold off for over a year against the superior force before they were finally rooted out. Gave the emperor time to move out from the imperial city in secret and into the Hammerfall capital of Sentinel. The elves had gathered a massively large force of most off all four armies to stack the imperial city. At first it seemed like an easy victory for the elves, but what they didn't know was that the imperial city was a trap, and that the real army was waiting to surround them. The army of the empire pulled off their trap without a hitch, and had surrounded the elven army and after a massively bloody battle, the elven army surrendered and was sent to prisoner of war camps. The next 8 years of conflict the now very superior army of the empire rooted out the elves one province at a time, until they finally surrendered and joined the empire again.
Even after this, nothing got better. Almost every major city had been ravaged by the war. Then the great winter came, and most of Tamriel's crop was killed in the bitter cold that lasted almost all year. The economy was totaled by the war, and reconstruction came to a standstill. Hundred of soldiers were left unemployed by the wars end, so many turned to banditry.
Soon hundreds of bandits scoured the landscape, raiding small settlements and stripping them of food and gold. It became a huge issue, to the point the empire attempted to put the legion in charge to stop it. But this didn't work. The bandits had the legionaries outnumbered in numbers, and soon the legion was at the brink of destruction. The once beautiful Cyrodill had become a burnt, bleak landscape. The other provinces were left in a similar manner, even neutral Blackmarsh and Elswyer. The imperial city's white gold tower stood tall above the cities broken walls and rubble. Many citizens of the imperial city had resorted to living in the sewers to avoid the dangers of life above ground. Still, life in the sewers was hard. Monsters had become more common, and every day the populace is fighting disease, monsters, and even sometimes each other.
Civilization as we know it seems on the brink of anarchy and destruction. From bandits, monsters, and harsh conditions, civilization barely clings on. So, in secret, a group was formed. They were known as the Guardians. Guarding what is left of society from threats, they are the best warriors in all the land. They are few in number, and extremely reclusive, but they are among the best warriors in all of Tamriel. As more and more things threaten Tamriel's doom, these warriors' numbers seem to dwindle. Now, they are out recruiting new men and women into the fold, for they fear something else, something menacing, is on the horizon of a bitter new dawn.
Remeber, this is a rough draft. Please, make comments and criticisms on this Idea! If I can get enough interest, I'll start the RP.
Also, since there are alot of events in this about 200 year period, I may add a timeline to the final draft.
