Black Horse Courier

FIGHTERS GUILD FACES TOUGH COMPETITION

The Fighters Guild has been an institution in Tamriel for as long as most anyone can remember. These brave men and women have, for countless years, always been available to do those jobs that the average citizen is simply not qualified to handle. Whether it be ridding a homeowner of a plague of rats or rescuing a wayward scholar, the Fighters Guild has always been available for anyone with enough coin to pay their modest fees. Now, however, it seems that the Fighters Guild is not the only game in town.

A new group has recently been making a lot of waves in Cyrodiil. They call themselves the Blackwood Company, and they’ve let it be known that they’ll handle any job that the Fighters Guild will, and many that they won’t.

While the Fighters Guild has always maintained the strictest standards on both the quality of their members and the legality of the contracts they accept, the Blackwood Company makes none of the same claims. They have no screening process when accepting new members, and they seem willing to accept any contract, assuming one can afford the price tag.

Some have questioned the Blackwood Company’s methods. They are rumored to be reckless and indiscriminant. Many have spoken of needless damage to person and property during the fulfillment of a contract. None of those we spoke to were willing to go on the record for this article.

What the future holds for this upstart group remains to be seen. Are they the perfect solution for a quickly changing world? Will their methods force the Fighters Guild to adopt more lenient business practices? Only time will tell. Until then, if you need a job done, and the Fighters Guild won’t do it, check with your local Blackwood Company!

Becomes available after the Dark Brotherhood quest “Permanent Retirement” SPECIAL EDITION! ADAMUS PHILLIDA SLAIN BY DARK BROTHERHOOD! by Waldorf Wordswell In what can only be described as a blatant assault on the security and liberty of the civilized people of Cyrodiil, retired Imperial Legion commander Adamus Phillida was brutally murdered by the secretive assassins guild known as the Dark Brotherhood. The slaying occurred in the sleepy town of Leyawiin, where Phillida had chosen to spend the remainder of his days. It was to be a life of quiet solitude, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the Imperial City, where Phillida had served the Imperial Legion proudly for more than twenty-five years. But even in retirement, the noble Legion commander could not escape his past. Throughout the years, Adamus Phillida had become a rather vocal opponent of the Dark Brotherhood and its practices, and vowed to expose the organizations’ secrets and bring its leaders to justice. Indeed, Phillida had been targeted for assassination twice in the past, but both attempts were thwarted by the commander and his Legion soldiers. Sadly, his luck ran out in Leyawiin. When asked if there was any doubt as to the Dark Brotherhood’s involvement in Phillida murder, newly appointed Imperial Legion commander Giovanni Civello had this to say: “It was the Dark Brotherhood, all right. No question about it. This was a crime of vengeance, a despicable act of hatred and evil against a pinnacle of nobility and virtue. Adamus fought the Dark Brotherhood every day of his life, and he died for what he believed in. Adamus Phillida was a great man. He taught me everything I know, and I’ll be damned if I let his dream die with him. From this day forward, I vow to destroy the Dark Brotherhood and everything they stand for!” Adamus Phillida may be dead, but it would seem his fight against the Dark Brotherhood lives on in Giovanni Civello and the rest of the Imperial Legion. There may soon come a day when those bloodthirsty assassins have more to fear than the good people of the Imperial Province.

Becomes available after the miscellaneous quest “The Siren’s Deception” SPECIAL EDITION! GANG OF TARTS THWARTED! Temptresses Terrorize Anvil No More! A ruthless crime ring of female thieves plaguing Anvil’s men folk has finally been broken. These shameless women employed feminine wiles to seduce the men, lured them to remote locations, then robbed them, leaving them without a stitch of clothing. The gang’s ringleader, Faustina Cartia, had preyed upon Anvil’s male population for some time, but the shamefaced victims had been reluctant to admit what was happening. Now, thanks to an extensive undercover operation by two unnamed Anvil Guard Investigators, and with the aid of an anonymous private operative, this menace to Anvil’s men has been summarily dealt with, and the wives of Anvil may rest easier knowing their gullible husbands will no longer be imperiled by predatory seductresses.

SPECIAL EDITION!
EMPEROR AND HEIRS ASSASSINATED!

Elder Council Named as Regents!

Emperor Uriel Septim VII is dead, at the age of 87, having ruled Tamriel for 65 years. He was killed by assassins unknown. At the same time, in separate locations, the late emperor’s three sons and heirs (Crown Prince Geldall, 56; Prince Enman, 55; Prince Ebel, 53] were slain by other assassins. An investigation into the identity and motives of the assassins is under way, but the Elder Council, Imperial Guard, and Blades Guard have forbidden the publication of reports and rumors concerning the event until further notice.

By ancient precedent, the Elder Council rules the empire until a new emperor is crowned. No direct heirs survive, and the council has proposed no list of candidates. Chancellor Ocato, Imperial Battlemage, speaking for the Elder Council, presented an appeal to the empire’s citizens for calm, and asked that the people remember the Emperor, his sons, and the Elder Council in their prayers.

Emperor Uriel’s early reign was marked by peace and prosperity. The Empress Caula Voria bore him three healthy sons, was a loving companion to the Emperor, and a great favorite of the people. However, the emperor and the empire suffered terribly during the Imperial Simulacrum (3E 389-399], when he was held captive in Oblivion while the usurper Jagar Tharn assumed his appearance and ruled in his stead. Emperor Uriel was finally rescued and restored and the impostor defeated by the agency of the sorceress Ria Silmane and her shadowy protégé, but the affairs of the empire were in great disorder, and Empress Caula Voria, exhausted by her ordeal, withdrew from public life.

The decades following the Restoration were once again peaceful and prosperous, but increasing political tensions among the petty states of northwest Tamriel finally erupted in the Wars of the Iliac Bays, resulting in the establishment of the modern borders of Daggerfall, Sentinel, Wayrest, and Orsinium, and culminating with the remarkable events associated with the Warp in the West.

The latter years of the Emperor’s reign have seen a flourishing of Imperial influence in the provinces, and with the fortunate resolution of the religious wars and the Vvardenfell Crisis, and with the wise and firm guidance of King Helseth and his mother, Queen Barenziah, an extension of high Imperial culture even into the more remote parts of Morrowind.

The Emperor’s murder, and the murder of his three sons, is a terrible crime, and a great tragedy for the Empire. Battlemage Ocato assures us that all the resources of the Elder Council, the Legions, the Guard, the Arcane University, and the Imperial Battle College are being employed to bring the assassins to justice. But, in the meantime, the greatest tribute we citizens can offer to the memory of our beloved Emperor is to go earnestly and diligently about our daily affairs, honoring the life of the great Empire he loved so much, and served so faithfully for so long.

Becomes available after the Miscellaneous quest “The Wayward Knight” SPECIAL EDITION! CHEYDINHAL HEIR SAVED FROM CERTAIN DOOM! Sir Farwil and Companions Close Gate Threatening City! Farwil Indarys, son and heir of His Lordship Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal, has been delivered from the sulfurous torments of Oblivion by a questing hero. The count’s courageous son and his boon companions, the Knights of the Thorn, had boldly entered an Oblivion Gate threatening Cheydinhal, intent on slaying its monstrous horrors and protecting the city and its citizens. Sources report that the Knights were outnumbered a hundred to one, and only the dauntless courage and strength of arms of Farwil and one other brave soul managed to hold them at bay. Thanks to an allied adventurer who entered the gate to offer his aid, the Knights of the Thorn, led by the noble Sir Farwil, were able to assault the main citadel and shut the gate forever. Cheydinhal and its people are forever in the debt of Sir Farwil and his brave companions.

GRAY FOX UNMASKED!

Vlanarus Kvinchal recently admitted to being the notorious thief, the Gray Fox. Under questioning by the Imperial Watch, he also confessed to being the reincarnation of Tiber Septim, the love-child of Lord Stendarr, a were-shark, and the mother of Hieronymus Lex. Only after he spent a night in the Imperial prisons was it discovered that Vlanarus had recently consumed a near-lethal dose of skooma.

Vlanarus is now back home and recuperating from the hospitality of the Imperial Watch and from the close attention he received during his interrogation. He speculates that he might be able to work again in a month or two, so long as it doesn’t involve walking or lifting anything heavier than a beer mug. The sometimes- dockworker has sworn a solemn oath never to trifle with Skooma again, and earnestly warns everyone to stay away from the Orum gang.

Is a so-called Thieves Guild masterminding all the thefts in the Imperial City? Captain Hieronymus Lex of the Imperial Watch seems to think so.

When asked about the Thieves Guild and its mythical leader, the Gray Fox, the captain was quite emphatic. “This one man is responsible for all crime in the city!” The energetic and tenacious Captain Lex has therefore devoted himself to apprehending this masked menace.

When questioned on the subject, Adamus Phillida, Legion Commander and Captain Lex’s immediate superior, had the following response. “Ridiculous! The Gray Fox is just a fairy tale. There is no such thing as a Thieves Guild, and there never has been.”

Stories of an unstoppable thief called the Gray Fox have been circulating around the Imperial City for centuries. The stories claim he can turn invisible at will, shrink himself down to the size of a mouse, turn to mist and seep under locked doors, and perform any number of other truly unbelievable feats. If even half of these stories are true, Captain Lex will have his hands full capturing the Gray Fox.

Becomes available after the Miscellaneous quest “A Brush with Death” SPECIAL EDITION! CYRODIIL’S GREATEST PAINTER SAFE! Disappearance Still a Mystery! Rythe Lythandas of Cheydinhal, one of this period’s most noted landscape painters, is finally back in his studio after an unexplained absence. He’d reportedly been missing for several days. Neither the artist nor his wife would comment on the circumstances of his disappearance, though both expressed deep gratitude to the unnamed citizen responsible for his safe return. [The citizen remains anonymous at the request of the happy couple.] Speculation by sources within the Cheydinhal Guard of a kidnapping and ransom demand behind the disappearance cannot be confirmed. A grateful Empire expresses its appreciation to Lythandas’ anonymous benefactor. The Courier is pleased to report that Lythandas is back to work in his studio, and anticipates a new exhibition by our great living painter in the near future.

QUILL-WEAVE PLANS NEW ‘DOOMSTONES’ CYCLE
“Doomstones not Magical” Says Noted Argonian Writer

The author of ‘The Goblin with the Golden Arm’ and ‘Red Crater’ plans a new series of historical works set in the early days of the Reman emperors. The stories will center around the sorcerers and battlemages that play such a prominent part in the legends of the Reman emperors’ rapid rise to power in the closing years of the Second Era. She plans to call the series “The Paths of the Doomstones.”

The Argonian authoress declined to reveal any details of the characters and themes of these books. However, Quill-Weave clearly has quite ambitious plans for this series, since she plans titles to correspond with each of Cyrodiil’s twenty-one Doomstones. These ancient monuments are scattered throughout Cyrodiil, and each is known in legend by its own name.

“I always carefully research my subjects,” Quill-Weave says, “and I find no evidence at all to support the popular notion that these runestones were once artifacts of great magical power.” She noted that thirteen of these stones are associated with the common birthsigns by which people have always marked the aspects of the heavens when children are born. “Such stones as the ‘Mage Stone’ and the ‘Serpent Stone’ were certainly associated with the primitive sky worships of the Beast Folk of the Mythic Era. Other stones, like the ‘Aetherius Stone’ and the ‘Magnus Stone’ were also doubtless associated with other long-forgotten cults.”

The Courier asked Quill-Weave why she might choose to abandon the popular tales of thieves, outlaws, murderers, and low-lifes that have made her so famous in Cyrodiil and throughout the Empire. She explained that she has long sought material with more mature and epic themes to celebrate the noble virtues of Cyrodiil and the Empire. She assured the Courier that she will fill the Doomstones series with the lusty and colorful characters we’ve come to know and love. “But this time,” Quill-Weave says, “my characters will uproot trees, devastate cities, and summon rains of boiling blood before slipping away to explore the private and intimate mysteries of the heart.”

Becomes available after the Thieves Guild quest “Taking Care of Lex” New Watch Captain Named Servatius Quintilius was recently promoted to Watch Captain to replace Hieronymus Lex. Captain Lex’s career was marked by frequent tirades against the mythical thief and master criminal, the so-called “Gray Fox.” At the same time, Hieronymus Lex announced that he has been retained by Countess Millona Umbranox of Anvil to be her new Captain of the Guard. Captain Quintilius is a practical man who does not believe in the Thieves Guild or its imaginary grandmaster, the Gray Fox. He has promised peace and order in the districts under his protection. Guard patrol routes will be posted so that all citizens will know where to find a Watchman when they need one. When asked if this would also make things easier for thieves, Captain Quintilius responded, “Never. Criminals are dumb. Wouldn’t be criminals otherwise, right? Stands to reason. You smart Courier boys should just leave the crime-fighting in this city to professionals like me.”