Songs Of Return

The Aftermath

Eastmarsh

“General Tullius, Sir” said Tribune Legate-General Rikke of the Fifth Legion, “The Battle is over!”

Her Superior Officer, Imperial Legate Severus Tullius said “Finally. Good news at last.” He looked at the Burning city in front of them. “How many Casualties?”

“More than I care to count, sir. Using Trebuchets as Support was not a good idea.” She shook her head, “neither was the Fustuarium you issued should anyone desert. This was home to many of our Men here”

Windhelm, by some accounts the oldest remaining city of Mankind was reduced to dust, whatever remaining of its walls charred, as almost all the buildings inside were obliterated. The Docks on the east were burning, the Stable basically non-existent. There were no Imperial Camps here, so quickly the order of Charge had been issued. Now, there was nothing more to do, return to Solitude with the Traitor’s head.

Speaking of which…

“What happened to their Officers?” he asked his Second in Command. “You were supposed to bring them here. There is a large Y cross in Solitude that is waiting for them, remember?”

Rikke, with eyes dropped, said “They Escaped. Took as many as they could, and sailed away with a ship. Well, all of them Except Stone-fist. He fell to the Might of the Legion.”

Tullius’ eyes flashed in anger, he turned and said “What about that upstart Nord? The one with the ‘Peace Treaty’?”

“On the ship when it left, Sir. What are your orders?” she asked, Tullius said, as he got on his horse, “Order every Imperial Battleship to search for them. I want them alive, as many of them as possible. Return to Solitude when You’ve finished up here”

He said, and rode away to the West. Rikke Sighed again, looking at the Ancient Ruins.

A New day had Dawned over Windhelm, and Skyrim would greet it with Teeth flashing. She wouldn't have any other choice anyway.

The Winter Hold

Winterhold didn’t see much destruction in the Civil War.

That was mostly because there wasn’t much to be destroyed. Less than five buildings remained on land, most of the people already wishing to leave the town.

The Aftermath, for them, was quite brief.

Three Cohorts, led by Auxiliary Legate Sevan Telendas rode into the city, forced everyone out of their homes, and then barged into the Jarl’s Longhouse, Dragging the Jarl and his Housecarl out, and summarily dropping them both from the Hill that the remains of the city was placed on, before Giving Jarldom to another Nord, Kraldar, and leaving back to their Camp.

Kraldar, of course, tried to Make a deal with the College again, tell them that they are welcome in the City again, but it was to closed ears. The Gate to the College remained Close, two Dremora Churls guarding it in case anyone had an idea of entering it.

Then it only got worse. the Mages in the College got ambitious, an Altmer deciding to play with an Et’edan Artefact until There was a Massive Explosion on the College, with a group of Wraith Like Magickal Anomalies leaving the Halls of Shalidor for the City below, much to the surprise of the Legionnaires who were no match for these purely magical beings.

Five days later, almost nothing was left from Winterhold, the College still closed, its staff rebuilding after the disaster caused by the Aldmeri Dominion Advisor, Ancano.

The Rift

Riften was almost as much of a Cesspool as it used to be. With the Black-briars in Charge, the Guards as curropt as humanely possible, and the Guild of Thieves operating under the city.

Nothing had changed, even if Maven didn’t walk out like a peacock flaunting her wealth to the public.

Outside the City, however, a lot had changed. The Old Fort in Dayspring Canyon had been repopulated again, even though the Jarls had all agreed to Destroy it. The Dawnguard had started recruiting and bullying the people of Rift, just as the Silver hand had in Whiterun. Even though there had been no Vampire attack for nearly five months, the Guardians of Dawn hadn’t give up yet, Gurlob Blue-Beard, the new leader ordering an advisor to every city in the Land.

The Pale

After the rather swift invasion of Dawnstar, almost nothing was left of the Docks, and the Mines were out of Use, what with five Cohort worth of Stormcloaks inside, rotting.

Jarl Brina Merilis, the New Jarl, had fared better on her first days than Skald had on his last. She had already asked for Lumber from Falkreath and Quarry from the Reach, planning to build the city again.

It wasn’t her fault that two of the most powerful Ungodly Deities had decided to place a claim on the city, and she did as well as one could expect.

Unlike their northern and western Neighbors, The Pale Flourished under the rule of her new Jarl.