07-15-2006, 03:24 AM
Conoon Chodala
by
Tivam Sadri & the Dissident Priests of Holamayan
Azura be Praised
by
Tivam Sadri & the Dissident Priests of Holamayan
Azura be Praised
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Introduction:
This is a story of Conoon Chodala's life. He was a great Ashkhan of the Kaushtababi Tribe that still lives along the Azura's Coast in the Gah-Morash mushroom wood. He was close to fulfilling the Nerevarine prophecies, however he died before he could. As the Ashlanders keep oral histories, we write them down so that their legacy may not be lost. This we know from his Tribe and also from what the Nerevarine said Chodala's ghost said to him:"I was an ashkhan. I led my people against the Akaviri while the Cyrodiil dogs fled before them like kagouti. I quested deep into the strongholds and Red Mountain, cleansing the unclean things in their own blood. I did not heed the counsel of the women, and, to my shame, I craved glory, but never saw my real enemies. My axe and boots are yours, with my blessing."
When Chodala says he fought against the Akaviri but does not specify which kind we can assume he could have fought both the Kamalese invasion of 2E 547 led by Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal and the Tsaesci invasion of 2E 572. Our descriptions of the Kamal are scant however, only that they are monsters of fire and ice. At this time the Tsaesci Potentes were struggling to gain a firm hold over the Empire and it is very possible Imperial troops fled from the scene. However at this time Dagoth Ur and his brothers have not awakened so it can be assumed that the "unclean things" are Blighted beasts and the remnants of the Sixth House that was operating from Red Mt., possibly under the telepathic influence of Dagoth Ur.
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He has awakened, refreshed, and happy. He nudged his wives and they rolled to the side, off of him, allowing him to get up. After putting on his clothes and donning his Ashkhan headdress, he walked out of his Yurt, greeted the Wise-woman who was already awake and had begun teaching an initiate how to make Water-Walking Potions. As Ashkhan Conoon Chodala pulled some horse-meat out of a basket, a rider came up to the camp and quickly prostrated himself before the Ashkhan. From the young Dunmer?s tattoos, Conoon could tell he was of the Erabenimsun.
?Welcome Clansmer from the great Erabenimsun Tribe. What news do you bring??
?Ashkhan Chodala, we have grave news. We have reports of Akaviri invaders coming from the East!?
?Akavir? That fantasy-land of snake-men, ice-demons, monkies, and dragons??
?It is no fantasy great one, Ice Demons have landed on Vvardenfell, they have already swept through the Telvanni.?
?This is indeed grave news sera, and I thank you nevertheless. Here, take this mazte on your way home, tell the Erabenimsun Ashkhan we will walk on the warpath with him, and we will drive the Akaviri out of Morrowind!?
Dawn came. The air was strangely colder than usual. Three armies were gathered in the Ashland plain. An Imperial Legion, miserable in the wastes and also sensing the unusual cold, was suffering from low morale and terrible leadership. The Ashlander army was hidden in the hills, behind bushes and outcroppings. The Kamalese army was in plain sight, their king, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, personally burned their ships and it was clear that he had told his kin that they would fight, and retreat was not an option. A horn rang in the still morning air and the Legion charged. This army has arranged itself in a gigantic wedge and was coming down the hillside at the Akaviri force. Initially many Kamal were slaughtered by the charge, however as the Legion forced its way into the heart of the enemy force, the king had his flanks envelope the Legion from behind and the massacre began. It is said that only five horsemen escaped and only one legionnaire returned to Ebonheart, having abandoned his horse. Now the Ashlanders laughed and began their war-cries. As soon as the Kamal began charging up the hill at them, they let loose their arrows. As soon as the Kamal neared the top, nix-hounds trained for war were let loose and the fighting began in earnest in the true barbaric fashion.
?Stand your ground Tribesmen! Stab them under the breastplates!?
And being the Ashkhan he led by example. A large Kamal brute pounced at him, he quickly side-stepped and drove his glass-ax into its neck. He turned and saw the old but feisty Erabenimsun Ashkhan wrestling a Kamal by himself and a dead Aharasaplit gulakhan by his side. Conoon threw his ax into the side of the beast and rushed in. He kicked the Akaviri in the face, tore out his ax and hacked off an arm. The beastly warrior fell to the ground and the Erabenimsun Ashkhan drove his spear into its chest.
?My thanks Conoon, let us bring our Tribes victory together as brothers!?
However the tide soon changed when Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal charged into the fray. He was a Kamal larger than any other in the army and he knocked aside both friend and foe to get at the Ashkhans. He pounced on Conoon and raised his club, but then stood up in rage, a spear was sticking out of his side.
?Run Conoon, I will fight the beast, tell the warriors to retreat!?
?No, great one, brother I will stand by you.?
?Get back! Go back to your camps, repair your weapons, mend your wounds, we must fight them on our terms, not theirs!?
As Conoon led his warriors away he saw the Kamal-king rip the Erabenimsun chief apart single-handedly as well as a few of the gulakhans who refused to leave their Ashkhan.
This battle was lost, the Ashlanders would now fight from behind rocks and hit when the back is turned, they would not fight in the open field against the Akaviri, they had lost too much already.
Soon it was apparent the Kamal-king would assault Red Mountain and spies reported he has looking for a god?s heart to feast on and grow powerful on. This could mean only one thing, the Heart of Lorkhan. Soon the Tribunal Temple would not be content letting the Imperials and Ashlanders deal with the invaders, they had to act.
Conoon waited impatiently at the top of Mount Assarnibibi. One of the false-gods was to meet him here and they were to make an alliance to drive out the Akaviri. However when he saw the god-king, no, a goddess, that led the Ordinator cohort, his irritation turned to delight.
?Good morning sera Ashkhan? said Almalexia as she smiled and held out a pair of enchanted bonemold boots. ?Take these f?lah, they are enchanted and will make you faster and more resilient.?
?My thanks to you lady Ayem?. you spoke of an alliance??
?Yes, Ashkhan Chodala, we would love to have an alliance with your people. I am thinking perhaps if you could lead your warriors to whittle down the Kamal army, together we could strike a decisive blow when they climb Red Mountain.?
?A bold move I say, that would have been my plan as well muthsera.?
?Well then it is agreed, our warriors will fight as brothers. Your people, the Ashlanders, will have all of Vvardenfell forever if we have victory, and even an embassy in Mournhold so that you will all have representation? ?
?These promises are honorable and I will not forget them, but come, it is growing dark??
?Yes I should return to my camp Ashkhan but??
?Oh not necessary muthsera, you may sleep in MY yurt, the finest in my tribe, and look, your camp is all the way down at the bottom of the mountain, it will take hours to return.?
?Well I have nothing against sleeping in a yurt, as my tent is so drafty and unwieldy?, said Almalexia as she glanced irritably at her servant who quickly blushed and bowed his head in shame.
As Chodala led Almalexia to his yurt he sighed, ?I may have the grandest yurt, but I have only one bedroll, I hope you don?t mind sharing??
At this Almalexia giggled and said promiscuously, ?Ooooh, sera! No I don?t mind at all??
The Gulakhans standing nearby laughed heartily and a bewildered and shocked Temple army trudged back down to camp.
That was Chodala?s best night, and perhaps his last happy time.
A small Kamal army was nearing Red Mountain. The sky was dark with red Blight and at the bottom of the mountain a Temple-Ashlander army awaited the Kamalese.
?Alma, I need to go to battle now, defend Red Mountain, we will have victory!?
?Yes Conoon, be careful?? and with this the goddess embraced the tall warrior and they kissed passionately.
After Chodala was well out of ear-shot, the goddess turned to one of Her Hands.
?Do you have materials for the summoning??
?Yes my lady, and by the way, who was that??
?Ah, only one of the my better lovers, better than you Drals Indobar? but I?ve lost count, how many lovers have I had??
?He is your twelfth, I was your eleventh?
?Yes, you would care wouldn?t you Drals?, laughed the goddess as she touched him on the cheek. ?Now go, get the summoning ready.?
Chodala hacked left and right. The Kamal were breaking through despite their smaller numbers. He grabbed the Ordinator commander and told him to drive his warriors into the left flank and the rear and drive them towards the ashlanders held in reserve, the hammer-and-anvil tactic, overused but extremely effective.
Almalexia watched as a ferocious Ashkhan Chodala, leading the combined armies, slaughtered the Kamal army. However a small company of heavily armed Kamalese, having broken through, was quickly climbing Red Mountain, despite several dying from the strange Blight and the volcano?s heat. She ordered Her Hands to charge down at the advancing company and then turned around and looked at the hastily constructed summoning-circle.
?Rise Underking, son of Atmora, Nord no longer, blown to ash and from ash returning!?
A spectral image of a skeletal Nord king Wulfharth arose from the ash-pit.
?Who calls for me??
?I am Almalexia, goddess of Morrowind, I summon you here and you shall fight for me. The ice-demons want to take the Heart.?
?The Heart of Shor, we must defend it!?
Almalexia put on her snake-faced war-mask and waited.
Chodala watched as the bodyguard of Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, and the king as well, climbed Red Mountain and engaged the Hands of Almalexia midway up the volcano. Even though the most of his bodyguards died, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal and a few surviving companions raced ahead and neared Star-Wound. Chodala called to his warriors and the ordinators?
?Today is a good day to die for Morrowind. Ashlanders, with victory our lands shall be safe and we shall keep them forever! Ordinators, you will go home knowing you have served Almalexia well and helped to save Morrowind! I see in your eyes the awe and fear of one who has looked into death and conquered and now looks upon Hell itself. Together brothers, we will have victory!?
And with that, the army climbed Red Mountain as fast as they could with Ashlanders in the front and the slower Ordinators in the rear.
?He comes Wulfharth, blow his demons to ash!?
The ghostly Nord king opened his mouth and the sound of an enormous gale and the snapping of bones came from the maw. The remaining Kamal died save Dir-Kamal. The Kamal king roared and charged at Almalexia. She brandished Hopesfire and slashed at the ice-demon. The Underking then shouted again and Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal was thrown back, but the thu?um failed to kill him, he simply got back up and charged once more. The three fought tenaciously and just as it seemed that the Kamal would win, Almalexia side-stepped and chopped downwards at Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal?s neck. The beast roared and turned from fighting the Underking and as he was going to maul the goddess the Underking shouted again and the Kamal fell off the top of the mountain and landed far below, now broken and dead.
?Ordinators, kill them now! Kill the Ashlanders!?
Conoon Chodala and his forces were nearly to the top of Red Mountain when he heard it. He turned around and saw the Ordinators following his Ashlander army turn on his warriors, cutting them down from behind. Enraged, Chodala and his Tribesmer, killed perhaps half of the Ordinators. The rest of the Temple-army fled.
?Almalexia, you traitor-bitch, snake-faced Queen!?
The goddess laughed scornfully and said, ?Did you really expect me to keep my word to an Ashlander?! Wulfharth?.?
And as Chodala charged up to the top, the Underking blew him down with his thu?um.
Almalexia turned to the Underking, ?I need you no longer, leave!? And the Underking disappeared in a cloud of ash.
When Chodala awoke he was being carried by his Gulakhans to the Tusenend Shrine to take refuge. The Ordinators were regrouping as the Ashlanders scattered and harried them as they fled back to their Tribes. Conoon Chodala approached the Wise-woman and said, "Appoint a new Ashkhan for me, I have received a dream from Azura about the Nerevarine Prophecies? ?
?Perhaps you are an Incarnate, perhaps you are not, but go and we shall see what fate has in store for you.?
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Conoon Chodala died several years later. Some accounts say he was fighting Sixth House guerillas when a group of Ordinators fell upon them and killed them all, including Chodala. Other say that Chodala grew so blood-thirsty and ambitious that the Ordinators feared he would outdo them and they assassinated him. Either way he did not see his real enemies coming and the Temple took his life though he could have been their greatest ally.
Anyhows, maybe there should be a go-to thread for people offering their proofreading services. Later peoples, proud of you both.