[EVENT] The Emperor rides back to Cyrodiil

[u/mewtwo928]

As much as he wished to help the orcs and bretons defend High Rock, he knew that he was much more needed in his homeland. He wished them the best, leaving one of his mage-clerks to get ahold of them if they needed anything, and rode through Hammerfell towards Cyrodiil.

[u/[deleted]]

The Emperor's outriders bring back reports of a lone horseman wearing Alik'r garb following the party. He is armed, and following at a distance, but non-hostile.

[u/mewtwo928 → u/[deleted]]

The Emperor tells one of his men to signal the man over. He needs to speak with Tamir as soon as possible even if it means a detour to Sentinel.

[u/[deleted] → u/mewtwo928]

The lone rider reigns in much closer to the center of the riding column than the guards would normally allow. Several guardsmen formed ranks as the rider dismounted and strode forward confidently before throwing back his hood and revealing the wryly-smiling face of King Tamir of Hammerfell.

"Hello again, brother," he said, addressing the Emperor directly. "Leaving so soon?"

[u/mewtwo928 → u/[deleted]]

The Emperor is surprised to see Tamir. Pleasantly surprised. "Good to see you too, brother. I wish I could stay, but alas, my people need me. I do have something important to talk about. In private company, however..." He couldn't have even the guards seeing it. Luckily, they could set camp easily enough.

[u/[deleted] → u/mewtwo928]

Tamir nodded. "Of course. I wished to see you off safely, though I fear our business must be brief. Lucretia would have my head if I were away longer than I promised to be; she's pregnant again, and determined not to let me miss the birth of our second child."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/[deleted]]

"Oh my, congratulations!" he replied. "When is she due? I might be able to stay for a day or two."

As soon as they were situated to where it was only Tamir and Titus in a tent [that's a tongue-twister], he spoke again. "I need to move a project to the Alik'r Desert. It is a dangerous project that needs to be contained somewhere where there are no or few people, as opposed to where we currently have it. The proximity to dwemer ruins and artefacts helps as well. I will tell you all the details you need to know." He took a deep breath. "We are trying to reconstruct the Numidium. I would not have agreed to something like this if...well, one night...gods, it was so long ago. I was a prince at the time. I prayed to Talos. And...he answered. Told me 'Totem.' This led to my father's battlemage retrieving the Totem of Tiber Septim. You know of this artefact, yes?"

[u/[deleted] → u/mewtwo928]

Tamir was skeptical but nodded. "The artifact used to control the Brass-God, yes, I know the legend. The story says that only one of great and prestigious blood can control the golem." He leaned in close. "But more importantly, all evidence and reports say that the Numidium was destroyed during the Warp in the West. How could it still exist even when all the conflicting accounts point to its destruction?"

[u/mewtwo928 → u/[deleted]]

"We cannot find the Numidium, but we are attempting to build one. Talos has guided me to this, I must have faith in him. But I do not wish for it to be built in a place that is populated, or under risk of Aldmeri attack."

[u/[deleted] → u/mewtwo928]

"Titus, I know your faith is important to you, and if your god has told you that this is the path to take, I cannot dissuade you but... the last time the Numidium was replicated, it nearly destroyed the world. How can you even power it without the Heart of Lorkhan?"

[u/mewtwo928 → u/[deleted]]

"That...is something I will need to figure out," he said with a frown. There was no Mantella anymore, and no Heart of Lorkhan. "We might not have a choice. The Dominion needs to be stopped, for the sake of all. Why would Talos want the world destroyed?"

[u/mewtwo928]

/u/legionofmisfits