The Trial of Vivec

I propose for, role-playing sake, that we judge Vivec and the Tribunal in an improvised Daggerfall type tribunal. If Vivec is condemned then he gets to rotten for ages in a dark imperial prison cell.

We need a jury. Anyone who comes to this forum will do.

A judge, someone who knows something of Tamriel law and application of law.

One or more acusation advocates.

One or more defense advocates.

So lets exaust all evidences and look throug them at the light of Imperial law and see if Vivec should punished. If neccessary we create new and just laws. But let not justice be undone.

We also need an acusator and witnesses and the acusator would be me.

I acuse the Tribunal of the murder of Nerevar and usurpation of power by illegal means and without a contract with the Dark Brotherhood.

I acuse the Tribunal of retaining and hiding a valuable and very powerful magic artifact called the heart of lhorkan and use it for his own needs without first consulting the Emperor. Considering the fact that the Tribunal has put in danger the entire world of Nirn and created that abomination Dagoth Uhr and the Corprus plage. These is very serious indeed.

I acuse the Tribunal of falsely claming to be Gods without the aprovation or intervention of the 8 divinities. Tribunal godhood is an insult and mockery to the gods and corrupts people faith in the eight divinities.

I acuse the Tribunal, with his Godhood claims to conspire and try to weaken the power of the emperor, just like they tried to usurp the throne of the Nerevarine and succeced.

We first need a judge, advocates, witnesses and a jury then the real tribunal will be open. Anyone is ineterested ?

---

Dumb, deaf dreamers,

You struggle to make the idea of my trial conform to your standards. To this, I refuse. But to swim in the new phlogiston, I will submit myself to a challenge of accountability--

--under Dunmeri rules.

What is required is a Tribunal, silly Incarnates, which accuses me of crime or crimes, and to which my final judgment is foregone unless I save myself. And a High Council to sway or solidify their position, or to generally throw stones and verses. And eye-witnesses, whose presence has taken me awhile to…secure.

And since Vehk and Vehk will not give ground on his soul to any but his equals, I appoint my own Tribunal to charge me. And I command them to do their best to damn me, even if it tugs at their conscience. Thus do I appoint to mythic status:

Mercy- Allerleirauh, my sweet Nord, so ironic that my heart sits at the feet of the daughter of CHEMUA, YSMIR, HOAG. Do your best, Mother.

Mystery- Hasphat Antabolis, Dwemer-infested and confused, so fitting to sit in my brother’s seat, what shall you bring to this?

And Mastery- my little Nigedo whirling, I expect the deepest strokes from you. Enigma, you’ve become Enemy. Wrest the right to Teach from me, or I will have Kha-bul-Nuit vomit on your mind.

Thence does this Tribunal charge me and hold me to debate and parley, and against every charge they bring I shall either win through my proofs or eat the seven swords.

The High Council shall be the rest of you unwashed masses, representatives from the world’s five quarters. Here, I give you a razored stone. The first is free.

And one last solemn oath—I will bring the only eye-witnesses that matter, channeling their voice-deeds by way of the Provisional House.

Expect Nerevar, Dagoth-Ur, and my lover-liar Alandro Sul.

Zingbat: rude talker, I have appointed my birds. Choke on them.

Events Summary

After the events of TES3 and the deaths of Almalexia and Sotha SIl, a scholar named Zingbat proposes that the Tribunal be judged for their trial. Vivec, as the last surviving member of Almsivi, agrees. Vivec mandates a trial in Dunmeri custom and appoints Allerleirauh, Hasphat Antabolis and Nigedo as the tribunal of judges. Sheogorath is appointed as Vivec's defense counsel.

As the trial begins, Vivec denies that he murdered Nerevar, although he once hid a message in his Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec that contradicts this claim, saying, "He was not born a god. His destiny did not lead him to this crime. He chose this path of his own free will. He stole the godhood and murdered the Hortator. Vivec wrote this."

Vivec uses his water-face (a condition that makes him cannot lie) and says, "As Vehk and Vehk I hereby answer, my right and my left, with black hands. Vehk the mortal did murder the Hortator. Vehk the God did not, and remains as written. And yet these two are the same being. And yet are not, save for one red moment. Know that with the Water-Face do I answer, and so cannot be made to lie."

The Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath, appears at the trial. The discussion between the Mad God and the Last Living God is interesting to observe. Vivec states that he did not so much divert worship from The Black Hand Mephala as he did become Hir living celebrant on this plane, the implication being that he did no disservice to the Daedric Princes or the natural order of the universe in assuming godhood with his fellows. In speaking with Sheogorath the Mad Lord (his appointed defense counsel) Vivec attempts to illustrate that his replacement of Mephala in the pantheon of Morrowind worship was hardly noticed by the Dunmer people. Though many Temple priests would no doubt agree, it is a difficult point to argue from either side, and will likely be better asked of Mephala herself or Azura come the Hogithum summoning.

Eventually, Vivec proposes summoning the Daedric Prince Azura as a witness to give testimony about the alleged crimes of the Tribunal. The judges agree and all attendants prepare to summon the Prince of Dusk and Dawn in the next Hogithum, 21st First Seed. In order to summon Azura, the High Priest Ainoryl says that the Council needs four items; the artifact Azura's Star, the antlers of the beast King Dead Wolf-Deer, a single ringlet from the Wraithmail of Alandro-Sul, and a shadow stripped, willingly and permanently, from one who watches this trial.

Breton scholar Louis D'Onus agrees to give his shadow, fulfilling that requirement.

Stri'Ker, the Khajiit scholar, and a scholar named Mafafu travel to the High Rock to procure the antlers of the King Dead Wolf-Deer. Ainoryl gives them more information about the antlers, "King Dead Wolf-Deer is one of the surviving monster-mer of the Wild Hunt that slew Borgas of Skyrim. He is thus one of the oldest creatures in Tamriel, and therefore no trifle. That he exists still to haunt High Rock thousands of years later speaks to the danger of retrieving his antler-crown." The hunt does not go well, and Stri'Ker is killed in the process, although he manages to kill the beast. Mafafu comes back to the council with the antlers and the bad news. The Council mourns the death of the Khajiit scholar. Vivec says that the day (4th of First Seed) will be known as "Dusk And Dusk."

Lugagius, an Imperial Scholar, finds the last location of the artifact Azura's Star; the Mortrag Glacier in Solstheim. With the help of Korst-Windeye, he manages to retrieve the artifact and bring it back to Hogithum Hall.

Harold Trontskii and Solyn Kaerethi undertake the quest for the Ringlet of Alandro-Sul's Wraithmail. They find it deep in the Urshilaku burial caverns. The Ringlet needs to be verified as authentic before it can be used in the ritual. Aynoril describes the process, "The verification of the ringlet shall be so: Harold Trontskii must place the ringlet in his mouth. Almost immediately he shall feel heavy, yet light-headed. And a Voice will speak through him, carrying a simple yet beautiful yet powerful message from the greyness between times. If the ringlet is true, Master Vehk shall hear his lover-liar Alandro Sul in this Voice, and this part of our quest is done, and much glory will there be in the name of Harold Trontskii. If the ringlet is false, the speaker will die."

Harold Trontskii is willing to take the risk, and puts the Ringlet into his mouth. His mouth opens, and a whispery voice come forth, without any movement of jaw or throat. "I am Alandro Sul. Why have you disturbed the resting place of my child and conjured me forth in this grotesque fashion?"  The whispery voice speaks once more: "I am tired of this haggling. For three centuries after the battle I was the center of debate, for I opposed the Tribunal, the new leaders. Eventually, I knew I could no longer live among them, and so left. It has been a half and three millennia since the battle. Though I still miss my lord, I will no longer disrupt these proceedings with my words. I have said what I can; let another who is better known step forth. I yearn for rest. Let these rude conducts continue; what was done was done, and I will always remember that, Vehk, no matter what decision these foolish young ones come to. I will stay here no longer." The ringlet suddenly shoots from Harold's mouth, who promptly begins to swear in a slightly muffled tone. The Ringlet is confirmed as authentic confirmed.

As the trial wears on, its proceedings attract interest from more esteemed scholars, Loremaster Celarus, Gosleigh and Divayth Fyr of the Psijics among them. Emperor Uriel Septim VII himself also speaks to the assembles Council, "I speak here only because it is my duty to speak for Tamriel and the Empire. I have already placed my faith and sanction in the integrity and authority of the court. The court is a thing of the Law, The Empire is the Law, and the Law is Holy. I would only say... let no mortal man presume to judge this immortal Vivec. Such things as these eyes have seen -- such things as MY eyes have seen -- these things are weighed in the hands of the Gods. That Vivec has chosen to place himself in the hands of the Law pleases us, and does him honor. His acknowledgement and acceptance of the Law brings him within our countenance. We neither smile, nor frown, but say... let Justice and the Law be done."

The trial continues as Hogithum draws near. Against all the accusation of stealing the godhood, Vivec says, "The Tribunal gloriously usurped the worship of our Anticipations, as was foretold in the words of Veloth. That you would categorize this as a crime is confusing to me. Perhaps you wish to know true history so that you will not go longer unlearned. Providence. That is my plea regarding my replacement of the Black Hands Mephala. I spoke of this in an earlier life, but earlier than myself were Ayem and Seht. They had supplanted in the orbit of the Chimeri soul those Daedra that predated them, Boethiah and Azura respectively. None of us did this out of criminal intent. Rather, as I have said, these beings were our Anticipations in the truest sense, the fore-images of the gods that would come for Morrowind. We hold the original Triune in honor as the bringers of knowledge and culture, and difference, and revere them as the harbingers of the glory of ALMSIVI. And never did we question their divinities or remove them from our holy books. But as I once spoke of the Rainmaker, the needs of the people change, and those that provide guidance to them must also change. While it may seem strange to imply that our fore-images, being Daedra, were adverse to change, they were, and they are. In this they are very alike to the Aedra in their fundaments. While born of Padhome, they are of too much ego to give up their realms entirely, especially for altruism, which is perhaps what they most hate. And so from their basis did we spring, called to heaven by violence, our people throwing our mantles to us across stars, and across time, and magic and dream, and here we remain. Even those of us who are dead. Or are destined to die."

After lots of discussions, in the appointed day, 21st First Seed, the Council gathers in the Hogithum Hall in the Imperial City and ready to perform the summoning. The air is thick with clouds of incense. Ainoryl begins his incantation. "Hir ylu ghelibrulen, cojet handu alu ma. En sen di toen ambri el. En ense el ambiolis cemn solu neht, solu sequesenhet. Cortu den se bjhaten kalem ir ne trame se vasdo nipex sooh. Se mehwe quesne lirrimo si treste atu del. Azura en Vehk garjes mustra, cen cae sirtremil trenbien. Je en el entra se, Je en eltru cemn setru natra seen olon."

Azura appears. The judges Allerleirauh and Nigedo address her, offering the assembled artifacts and presenting her with the artifacts, but Vivec interrupts. "Silence. There will be no questions. This is something different now."

It quickly becomes apparent that Vivec never intended to submit to the rule of the assembled judges, and instead used the whole trial to trap and punish Azura for what he perceives to be her crimes against the Tribunal. In trying to prove whether Vivec is a liar who stole power, the assembled scholars allowed Vivec to lie and steal power. They are betrayed. He addresses Azura, "Rude spirit, you should never have come. Not here. Not to the world of the liars, where your power is fleshed to law, bound by the bones of the compromise. Shallow changer, whorescamp, say you that you rule dusk and dawn? Let me show you the power of the true Dawn, when Gods walked."

Vivec then binds Azura temporarily to Mundus using shadow and incantations, and asks her to answer for Almalexia's demise, ""How does it feel, Lord Azura? To so fully manifest here is the Mundus, stripped down only to your name? Perhaps it feels a bit like my sister did, when your machinations split her, name from land, nymic eth maliache velot, thoughtless save for domain. AE ALTADOON DUNMERI for my sister's madness I eat you."

Then, he uses the spirit trapped in Azura's Star (a lover of Clavicus Vile that she had imprisoned) to bind Azura further and question her about Sotha Sil's end, "How does one feel when weighted down by their heaviest of mysteries? When one gazes into their soul and sees their own eyes staring back? Perhaps it's how my brother felt, folding into himself like a prism until your darts were thrown, nymic sel sulimet elhnodidan, thought thinking thought. AE ALTADOON DUNMERI for my brother's wasting I eat you."

Fear and confusion spreads through the hall. Some scholars try to stop Vivec, but he and the guards silence them. Vivec draws forth the antlers of Dead King Wolf Deer, and breaks off one of its bloodied tips. He reminds her of S'triker and makes her answer for what Vivec perceives as Azura's slights against him, "Recognize this? The blood, I mean, not the silly bone-frozen Bosmer. No? It's from one of yours. He died in your name. And so by the blood of this khajiit, I climb you, moon and moon, and Dance on your Tower. AE CHIM CE ALTADOON for my own revenge I eat you. AE CHIM CE ALTADOON for my own revenge I eat you."

With Azura finally bound to Mundus, Vivec summons his spear Muatra and stabs her in the mouth. She explodes, and is banished.

Vivec laughs maniacally at the shock of all assembled. His scheme is complete, he has tricked everyone and banished the Daedra that had cursed him and his people thousands of years ago. Mad with power, he thanks all that participated in his trial, "This was my last gift to all of you, which as they all have ever been, was a gift unto MYSELF!" Before he leaves for good, he repeats the secret message of the Lessons, and thereby admits his guild: "He was not born a god. His destiny did not lead him to this crime. He chose this path of his own free will. He stole the godhood and murdered the Hortator."

Then, he vanishes for good.

Thread Archives