» Tue May 17, 2011 2:17 pm
The opening cinematic begins, and "Requiem for a Dream" starts playing. The Imperial Palace is shown on a seemingly bright, sunny spring day, and the words "Seven years after the Oblivion Crisis, during the reign of Emperor Ocato..." float up. The cutscene that follows includes several dark cloaked figures (all clad in large hoods that obscure their faces, save their uniform scowls, and maybe a goatee on one of them) approaching the palace, making short work of the Imperial Guards with some sort of dark tinted magic and/or oversized swords (a katana would also be suitable). The doors are flung open, and Ocato, being a sniveling High Elf, utters a blatantly cowardly plead to the aggressors, who, scowls intact, execute him just as the background music reaches a refrain. The assassin pauses to look Ocato in the eye as his sword is in his gut (again, the scowl hasn't shifted, I cannot stress that enough) as the High Elf breathes his last.
The cutscene flips to you, a prisoner of an ambiguous crime, just as the jailer is releasing you from prison, shouting, "The Emperor is being attacked! We need all available hands at arms!" You are tossed a sword and told to join the glorious fight outside the palace, where the assassins are again making short work of the Emperor's finest during their escape. You, however, are able to fight off at least eight of them, thanks to level scaling, and the guards are amazed at your prowess. Though the 'top assassins' escaped in the fray, you are granted a pardon for your actions, and given a mandated to hunt down the remaining assassins and unfold the plot.
As the rest of the game unfolds, you are thrust into a plot in which the dark evil assassins of badness, who are directly connected to a cult of a nasty macabre unholy deity/socialist commune, continue to shake up the status quo in Tamriel. Throughout your adventures you are pelted with innumerable instances of comic relief, such as the wacky hi-jinks of a cowardly Khajiit, the assistance of a bumbling but lovable Orc, and references to naked Nords, annoying Bosmer, and cliff racers. Somewhere along the way you rescue a fair elven maiden who you're pretty sure has the bosom of Aphrodite herself, yet has a sassy, independent attitude. Throughout the rest of your adventure your interactions with her will comprise of both of your strong wills clashing, with undertones of sixual tension, culminating in a passionate confession of love at the game's climix.
At the end of the game, you, in your full Daedric armor and Umbra (version 3.0) in hand, you face off with the head of the assassins/cabal, who gives a "You and I are not unalike" speech (or maybe a World of Cardboard speech, depending on the situation), and then you slay him. You are named Emperor, and remarkably the advent of an ex-convict adventurer being given the throne begins a golden age of prosperity in the Empire, and all of the provincial governments are quelled...
...for now!