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Rise and Fall of the First: Endgame

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"Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days and days to weeks... Solstheim was mine, Vahl. My betrayal of the Dragons spurred whispers of rebellion amongst those who feared them. And when word of my ability to slay Dragons got around to eager ears, I was approached by Hakon One-Eye and his lot. You've met them in Sovngarde. It was they who aided us in felling Alduin, but they came to my temple begging for my help in Alduin's undoing. That was three thousand years ago, but I denied them my help in my hubris. I believed myself perfectly capable of killing Alduin, should I choose to, but I was delayed..."

Vahl leaned in closer, keenly listening to the climax of Miraak's tale, millenia in the making.

"The Dragons were not amused with my betrayal, so they met me in battle at my temple. The Dragon Cultists and the Dragons themselves against my own cultists and the Atronachs of Apocrypha. It lasted for several hours... heavy losses on both sides. My temple and cultists burned, but I had slain and devoured the souls of innumerable Dragons that were sent to kill me. At last, we had reached a stalemate, with each side refusing to give way to the other... And when the fighting ceased... I heard the voice I had wished never to hear from in this fight."

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Solstheim: 3 weeks after Miraak's betrayal


"Stay this madness, Miraak!!!!" a voice cried out amidst the ruin of this terrible conflict. Miraak looked towards the voice's source and was shocked to find out it was none other than Vahlok, dressed in his finest armor.

"So, you use my own friend against me?" Miraak directed towards the Dragons in a condescending tone, all the while fighting back the tears forming in his inverted eyes. For Miraak knew, what Vahlok had come to do, before he even announced his intentions

"Miraak... The Dragons have demanded your death, and tasked me with bringing said death to you... And so it shall be. I'm sorry, my friend, but we shall have one final duel and let Fate decide as to what will become of you. It is better this way." Vahlok said, clearly heart-broken at his closest friend's betrayal. Vahlok had always looked up to Miraak during their time in the order, and aspired to be a strong willed leader like him. But those days were long gone. His friend was twisted and corrupted by the lust for forbidden power, Vahlok drew his sword and readied his spells, ready to make his move.

Miraak stared down at Vahlok and uttered a tearful response "So be it.... Mul... QAH DIIV!!!!"

The First was surrounded by ethereal armor, taking on the aspect of the Dragon. A shout of his own creation, a shout that was the very essense of power.

"Wuld... NAH KEST!!!!!" Miraak shouted as he bolted down towards Vahlok. The two priests clashed blades and began hacking at each other, but each combatant knew the other's fighting style well. They spent the next few minutes parrying and slashing, Miraak with the sword of Hermaeus Mora and Vahlok with a Ceremonial Dragon Blade. And at last Miraak's blade found its mark. Vahlok felt his strength leaving his body as the tentacle drained his stamina, but he would not be fazed. He picked himself back up and confronted Miraak once more. But Miraak was quick with this shout.

"Tiid... KLO UL!!!" Miraak shouted as time slowed down. As Vahlok's strike was slowed down, Miraak grabbed Vahlok's sword and shattered it, leaving the Dunmer Dragon Priest weaponless, but not defenseless.

As time returned to its normal speed, Vahlok countered with a shout of his own "Fus... RO DAH!!!!" The First Dragonborn was sent flying, but recovered quickly, shooting powerful Lightning bolts at Vahlok, with Vahlok blocking with a Ward while returning fire with his own Lightning bolts. This contest of their mastery of magic and shouts lasted well into the night, and to the dawn of the next day. The Dragons and Cultists were wise enough to leave the area while both Priests battled it out, but none were prepared for what followed next.

"Miraak let's just get this sorry fight over with!" Vahlok said, not wanting to fight his friend any longer

Miraak looked Vahlok in the eye and said "Hmph. As you wish..." And with that, Miraak and Vahlok both roared to the heavens with a shout so powerful and loud, it called out to Space itself. The sky darkened and turned a blood red. The earth quaked, tornadoes and thunderstorms were formed and meteors began to fall from the sky. It was a forbidden shout, that was so destructive in its nature, it broke the very earth apart.

Vahlok looked down and the ground was splitting beneath his feet. "Miraak, we're tearing this land apart! Stop this now!" But Miraak wouldn't listen. He jumped past the divide to end Vahlok. And it was then they started hurling their worst spells at one another for days. By the dawn of the 3rd day of battle, Miraak and Vahlok were brought to their knees out of exhaustion. But Vahlok found the power within him to stand and pick up the sword of a fallen Cultist and put it to Miraak's throat.

Miraak looked up to Vahlok and begged for death to the point of tears "Vahlok... Don't let them kill me... Don't let the Dragons kill me! YOU... You kill me... here and now... I beg you..."

Vahlok felt pity for Miraak, and reassured his friend "I always looked to you as a brother, Miraak. It's a shame you must meet your end this way, but it is for the best."

"I know..." Miraak whispered, closing his eyes and waiting for the end

"Good-bye, brother..." Vahlok said tearfully, as he raised the sword, ready to bring it down on Miraak's neck, but Sahrotaar, Kruziikrel and Relonikiv had descended from the skies to protect their master, and in the chaos, a mass of tentacles snatched Miraak and his three Dragons and transported them to Apocrypha

"Did you think.... I would give up.... My Champion.......? You...... Are sadly........ Mistaken........" Hermaeus Mora laughed and as quickly as he appeared, he vanished leaving Vahlok all alone on the newly created island of Solstheim. He made his way back to the Dragon Cult's temple where he was praised as a hero and paragon of loyalty for his defeat of the man who would forever be known as "The Traitor".

Miraak awoke in Apocrypha, dazed and confused and looked towards the sea of Apocrypha, hearing Mora's chilling laugh echo through the realm. And he wept, because he chose this path without hesitation and he must suffer the consequences for the rest of his life.

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Epilogue
Apocrypha: 3000 years later

Miraak stood all alone in Apocrypha, he had spent the past 3000 years gathering enough power and influence to enslave the people on the island of Solstheim. Word has reached his ears that Alduin and the Dragons had returned, and the First was eager to finally end the World Eater. But to do this, he needed to return to Nirn in full, because his time in Apocrypha had tethered his being to the Daedric Realm. Miraak wanted nothing more than to set things right.

"I... am so sorry Vahlok. I know you are long gone from Nirn and that your soul rests in Sovngarde, but I will return and set right the wrongs I've committed. Not a day goes by where I don't regret clashing blades with you that one fateful day, but the past is the past... Eh Vahlok? Yes... The time comes soon when... What?" Miraak said before he was interrupted by an intruder, in the form of a young Dunmer woman. He turned around and shot a flurry of lightning towards the newcomer bringing her to her knees, before walking towards the Dunmer and demanding her identity

"Who are you to dare set foot here?" Miraak asked, but he felt Vahlok's blood in her veins as well as the presence of a stronger power

"Ah.... You are Dragonborn. I can feel it. And yet...." Miraak said

The rest is history...
The dramatic ending of the tragedy of the First Dragonborn.
© 2014 - 2024 MCab719
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TastyGamingWithRib's avatar
Wow this is awesome, made me wonder what goes on in my Miraak's head, given I downloaded the mod too, I am thinking he was a miner and he lead a revolt. BETHESDA, THANK YOU FOR UNDERDEVELOPING HIM! Oh my friends and I are going to have fun...