» Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:21 pm
Companions eh? I remember when I was a young boy, they impressed me quite a bit. I remember when my father took me to Whiterun to get my first sword, made at the Skyforge. I was totally awestruck by the impressive-looking men and women who I so badly aspired to be like... when one of them handed me my sword and patted me on the head I was struck dumb, couldn't even say thank you for a while. **He laughs at the memory** "That boy will make a fine swordsman." one of them said, laughing. Turns out he was right. I was more than a fine swordsman, I was... particularly gifted at wielding a blade, I could beat any of my mentors by 17 years of age and my father had to send for Cyrodillic masters to help me further develop my skills. Not that he was mad about it... he was always proud of me, and my brother, Gunther. I was the soldier and he the tactician. **He smiles warmly, remembering his brother.** Of course as I grew my opinion of the Companions changed, I realized they were a bunch of ruffians who bullied helpless peasants for money and whose battle prowess was mediocre at best **he blushes as he realizes he's speaking to a former Companion** sorry... I... I didn't mean it like that. At any rate, I had my sights set on being a Knight of Arkay! Would you believe it?! Me, the vampire, serving an order dedicated to rooting out undead. **He laughs a bitter, cynical laugh** You know something? I would trade everything in a second to be a Knight of Arkay, well... everything except... her.
**He falters for a second, as if remembering something painful.**
Of course you will have figured out the Divines had other plans for me (as I'm standing in front of you, and my eyes are shining instead of my armor). You see my father had made me the militia captain of one of his villages, my family was rather influential back then and we had considerable lands around Whiterun Hold. I served there for about a year, training the peasants and recruiting a levy. One day, a half-crazed man ran into the guard house. He was pale as death and we had to put several jugs of wine into him before he did anything. Then he cried, (an cry he did). Between the fearful sobs we understood that "they" had taken his wife to a cave which is now days called Broken Fang. We assumed that it was just a group of bandits and that the man was scared because after all, he was a farmer; a life of growing cabbages and milking cows doesn't prepare you for facing a 7 feet tall orcish ruffian in heavy armor. Anyway, we set out despite the fact that it was almost night, figured we'd rescue the poor woman before EVERY bandit had his way with her. I took ten men-at-arms, I left the other ten at the village in case the bandits had friends hiding in the hills. The men were cheerful, singing and laughing, eager and excited at the prospect of teaching these bandits, who made life for country folk so difficult, a lesson. I however was... apprehensive and through the whole journey there was doubt gnawing at the back of my mind, but like a fool I ignored it **stops for a second and the warm smile appears on his lips** bet Gunther would have told me not to go... but I digress, we reached the cave by midnight and it was obvious that these were no bandits. The stench was abhorrent even from several meters away and the entrance was surrounded by human bones and blood. Whatever was in there, it was obvious the poor woman was dead, but we couldn't leave, we had to destroy whatever evil dwelt within.
**A blank look appears on his face and his eyes almost (but not quite) well with tears.**
We charged in, yelling and screaming, waving our weapons in the air, when we saw "them". They were already strange creatures; they looked like normal folk, there were two Nords, a Dunmer, an Orc and either a Bosmer or Altmer (I can never tell the difference). But they were somehow different... their skin was pale, their faces gaunt and skull-like and their eyes red as hot embers. They were hunched over some poor fellow, who seemed to be in a trance and moaned as if in pain. Our charge surprised them, that was for sure, and they whipped around, their strange faces contorted in shock and aggression, like wild beasts, interrupted at a meal, ready to strike or flee at any moment. But seeing our small party of mortals, their faces quickly took on a different look... one of wicked joy, and anticipation of a meal to come, once again I must compare them to wild animals except this time around they looked like starved ones who finally cornered a deer and were savoring the meal before them. They drew their weapons with lightning speed and charged with the fury of a drunk Nord. Many summoned atronachs or raised the dessicated corpses which littered the cave and my men and I were soon outnumbered as well as outmatched. Needless to say, they didn't last long and soon I was standing alone, with my back to a wall, surrounded by these horrid beasts... vampires as I had figured out by then. **chuckles** I think I killed two... no, three; one of the Nords, the Dunmer and the Orc. Then out of the most wretched bowels of that place HE emerged. He was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. At the same time he had the terrifying, evil and otherworldly aura of a Daedra, but was as glorious as the most noble of kings, and seemed to glow with a dark light. His body seemed like a horrible contrition of man and bat, but at the same time had Adonis-like beauty... his face so horrible yet so amazing. All I could do was... stare at this being before me. My hand lost it's grip on my sword and I dropped to my knees, oblivious of the wild faces grinning down at me, only concerned with admiring HIM. He looked down at me, and said he was impressed wit my skill. The first thought that ran through my mind was what could I... a wretched worm like ME have done to impress this magnificent figure? He said he needed someone like me and offered me his blood, along with powers like his. At the time, my mind was clouded (as you can imagine) and I accepted without a second thought... I wished to be like him, so others could bask in my glory and power.
**The painful expression returns to Fjolfr's eyes as he remembers his Turning.**
The rest is rather straightforward. That man, you now know was Lord Harkon, a powerful Vampire and for a hundred years (give or take a month) I served loyally as his bodyguard. I had power, power and respect, but it wasn't good. I never felt alive. I felt as if it were all some strange, never-ending dream, neither good or bad. There was nothing positive nor negative about my existence, I just WAS (well unless you count svcking the life out of hundreds of innocent people as negative). Then she came and things changed... she's Harkon's daughter that's all I shall tell you of her. She made me feel alive and in retrospect, I suspect my sudden vacation order has to do with my advances towards her. **He grins widely** Of course, you must understand what bothers Harkon aren't my advances towards her, it's that the lass quite enjoys my company. Anyway... that's all there is to it, it's neither a sob story neither is it one of adventure or brave deeds but I hope I didn't bore you TOO much, you mortals are very impatient after all. **he smiles bitterly**