Biography
Xenophon is a Breton, who signed on with the Empire's intelligence service in Cyrodil. He made a name for himself in undercover operations, partly due to his natural facility with various illusion and alteration tricks. Eventually he was deployed to Skyrim to infiltrate the Stormcloak rebels. It was as though assignment in a harsh climate but he sent back a couple briefs and was instrumental in luring the leader Ulfric into a trap.
Character Profile (based on Militant Wizard kit in AD&D wizard's handbook)
Loyalty: high to the Empire, likes Redguard and Orcs (Daggerfall Covenant), likes the Forsworn, dislikes Nords who oppress the Forsworn Bretons.
Piety: high to Julianos (magic) medium to Dibella (healing/beauty) low to other divines
Passion: magic, spycraft/intrigue, highborn ladies
Selfishness: medium, willing to work for the good of the Empire but expects to be rewarded
Cruelty: medium/low, but sometimes must interrogate or betray in the line of spy duties
Sanity: high, believes in a code like Sun Tzu
Journal
Today Ulfric was to be executed, along with the rest of our Stormcloak commandos and a couple of unlucky bandits, in the Imperial village of Helgen. I had led us into an ambush in the pass to Ivarstead, having set up said trap with a covert missive to the Whiterun Battleborns. I continued to play my part as a doomed fellow prisoner right up to the end, in case Ulfric were to let go any word of secret contingency plans that could be triggered upon his death.
But Ulfric smiled at me just as his turn on the headsman's block was to come, and a nirn-shaking roar issued from the sky! Fire rained down as a dragon descended upon the keep and attacked. Several guards, prisoners, and townsfolk were incinerated and the rest of us scattered around the town square. Ulfric dragged me away from danger, but I had had enough of his boorish company and in the chaos I slipped his grip and found my way to a guardsman rounding up civilians and ushering them into an armory. He released my hands from bondage and introduced himself as Hadvar. As the dragon raged overhead smashing down the guard tower and burning the houses and shops, he lead me down through the jaol to a subterranean tunnel that would take us out of town to safety.
We emerged some distance West, and began running for Riverwood, leaving the smoking charnel house of Helgen behind, knowing that the neighboring peoples must be warned of this draconic menace. Dragons hadn't been seen in Skyrim for generations. What did it mean that Ulfric was not surprised by his last-minute salvation? Was he somehow in league with the terrifying monster? We jogged the rocky trail for hours, finally arrived in the quaint logging village where we paused to rest at the home of Hadvar's uncle, the village blacksmith. We told him our harrowing tale, gasping for breath, and then he had his wife prepare us a meal as he headed off to the tavern to spread the word.
Upon refueling our bodies and taking some supplies for the road, we then continued our rapid hike down the foothills and into the tundra, to bring word to the local jarl in the hold capitol of Whiterun. We reached the city gates long after nightfall, hurried through the darkened streets, and Hadvar convinced the guards at Dragonsreach to admit me. As an Imperial Envoy, I gained an audience with the bleary-eyed Balgruuf and explained what had transpired. He sent for his court wizard to be awoken, an interesting fellow called Farengar Secret-Fire, and after some consultation he directed me to retrieve a stone fragment with a map of ancient dragon burial sites from a tomb near Riverwood, with hopes that he could discern from whence this dragon had appeared. Then we feasted, planned my excursion, and I slept.
Shouts in the great hall woke me just before dawn. The dragon had been sighted at the Western Watchtower! The jarl gestured me over as he spoke in clipped tones to his court wizard and guard captain. I volunteered to join a detachment of soldiers led by the guard captain to go fight it off. We grabbed bows and spears, then ran down the grey city streets, out the gate, and marched Westward. There it was! The guard tower was in shambles, fires burning and a few screaming guardsmen left alive. The dragon circled overhead and dove when it saw us approach! After a pitched battle we slew it with arrows and magical fire. Then something odd happened... as I approached its fallen corpse, it's skin kind of split open and some kind of spiritual energy leaped out of it an into me! The guards were astonished and began murmuring that I was Dragonborn, some strange superstition in this land. Anyways, we then returned to the jarl to report on what happened.
As I entered the great hall, a surreal shout echoed across the city, "Dovakiin." The guards began gossiping again, and when I had explained all that had transpired to the jarl, he also looked astonished. He named me Thane of the Realm for my heroism in slaying the dragon, awarded me a small parcel of land with a log cabin out near Riverwood, appointed a beautiful and stoic housecarl named Lydia to my service, and suggested I make my way to the Throat of the World to confer with the Greybeards who had probably been the ones to issue the surreal shout as a way to summon me. The wizard Farengar then interjected with a request to retrieve and ancient artifact he had uncovered word of in his texts, called the Dragonstone. It was rumored to be located in (barrow) and to contain a map of the ancient dragon burial sites, which Farengar believed would reveal some clue as to why and from whence the dragon had come.
So then, new housecarl in tow, I decided to head back to Riverwood to reassure them that a hold garrison was on it's way, and from there seek Farengar's artifact. On our way out of town we stopped at Warmaiden's to get Lydia some solid adventuring gear. Adrianne the blacksmith didn't have anything in her size, but after a little hushed girl talk, she offered to craft her some custom armor if we would procure some corundrum and help her out with a little marital problem she'd been having - her husband just wasn't that into her.
We hiked back up into the foothills, and man was it nice to have someone to carry my burdens! Stopping for a bite in Riverwood at the Sleeping Giant, we bumped into the proprietor of the Riverwood Trader and his sister, Lucan and Camilla Valerius, discussing the theft of their prized possession - a golden claw - and their speculation that a bandit had taken it and might be camped out near (barrow). Since I was headed there anyway, I suggested that I might be willing to retrieve it if they would pay a bounty, and they were interested. Lucan was desperate to get it back, and his sister seemed to take a shine to me... was Lydia jealous? So far she resolutely ignored my charms, all business. Anyway, we headed out across the river and became to climb towards the (barrow)
(get claw, dragon stone, fight drauger leader, find word of power) (then return claw to the Valerius's head up past helgen, to Ivarstead, reveal the sneaky illusionist, climb the mountain, train with the greybeards, climb back down, head down in to the valley of the hot springs on the way to Darkwater Crossing, through the pass to rescue an Anrgonian from the Falmer, get to the Crossing and meet the friendly ex-adventurer miner lady who also has a chat with Lydia, who now seems more open to me)
We stumbled across the beautiful Eldergleam Santuary and spent some time there, talking. We decided to stop and check out my new home on the way back to Whiterun, and began our hike.
We find it on the western riverbank, and wow was it a thane's manor. More like a compound. We spent a couple days opening it up setting up a household, then continued on to Whiterun, which could be seen off in the distance from my new scenic deck.
We hiked all morning and reached the gates in the afternoon, finding Adrienne the blacksmith at her shop. I gave her the corundrum and she set about crafting Lydia a new set of armor while we waited at the Inn, taking a vacation and visiting her by night to check her progress and counsel her and her husband. Finally she completed it, and Lydia was now more formidable as a result.
From there we hired a carriage ride to Solitude, and I finally was able to debrief the Imperial General about the Stormcloak plans, and events I had witnessed in Helgen. I also agreed to assist on a quick sortie to a nearby fort that had been plagued with bandits. I requisitioned some funds and headed to the Winking Skeever, a nearby saloon at which mercenaries were rumored to hang out. I hired one such strapping fellow and we set out for the fort!
We scared off the bandits, and cleared out some ragged necromancers from Wolf Skull Cave on the way, and returned to Solitude as Imperial heroes. I finally obtained an audience with Jarl Elisif the Fair, and she seemed to have eyes for me when hearing of my exploits, and was impressed by my title in Whiterun, but I would have to shake off the boorish Erikur from her court before she would see a potential tryst with me as feasible... the court sorceress Sybille seemed to be of one mind with me there and might prove an ally.
Then we stopped by the Bard's College and offered some advice on how to get their effigy ceremony started, and took a carriage back home to Riverside Lodge. Spent a few more days there, got a guard dog, and I decided it was time to head back to Cyrodil to check in with my superiors there. Lydia and I began hiking through the pass south of Helgen, into Bruma Hold.
In the Pale Pass fort, we came across some Imperials having a bit of a problem with a Stormcloak captive. I agreed to help interrogate him with my Penitus Oculatus training, and once again posing as a fellow rebel, I gleaned that a terror cell was plotting an attack on the Imperial City itself! It was a good thing I came by.
As I entered the great hall, a surreal shout echoed across the city, "Dovakiin." The guards began gossiping again, and when I had explained all that had transpired to the jarl, he also looked astonished. He named me Thane of the Realm for my heroism in slaying the dragon, awarded me a small parcel of land with a log cabin out near Riverwood, appointed a beautiful and stoic housecarl named Lydia to my service, and suggested I make my way to the Throat of the World to confer with the Greybeards who had probably been the ones to issue the surreal shout as a way to summon me. The wizard Farengar then interjected with a request to retrieve and ancient artifact he had uncovered word of in his texts, called the Dragonstone. It was rumored to be located in (barrow) and to contain a map of the ancient dragon burial sites, which Farengar believed would reveal some clue as to why and from whence the dragon had come.
So then, new housecarl in tow, I decided to head back to Riverwood to reassure them that a hold garrison was on it's way, and from there seek Farengar's artifact. On our way out of town we stopped at Warmaiden's to get Lydia some solid adventuring gear. Adrianne the blacksmith didn't have anything in her size, but after a little hushed girl talk, she offered to craft her some custom armor if we would procure some corundrum and help her out with a little marital problem she'd been having - her husband just wasn't that into her.
We hiked back up into the foothills, and man was it nice to have someone to carry my burdens! Stopping for a bite in Riverwood at the Sleeping Giant, we bumped into the proprietor of the Riverwood Trader and his sister, Lucan and Camilla Valerius, discussing the theft of their prized possession - a golden claw - and their speculation that a bandit had taken it and might be camped out near (barrow). Since I was headed there anyway, I suggested that I might be willing to retrieve it if they would pay a bounty, and they were interested. Lucan was desperate to get it back, and his sister seemed to take a shine to me... was Lydia jealous? So far she resolutely ignored my charms, all business. Anyway, we headed out across the river and became to climb towards the (barrow)
(get claw, dragon stone, fight drauger leader, find word of power) (then return claw to the Valerius's head up past helgen, to Ivarstead, reveal the sneaky illusionist, climb the mountain, train with the greybeards, climb back down, head down in to the valley of the hot springs on the way to Darkwater Crossing, through the pass to rescue an Anrgonian from the Falmer, get to the Crossing and meet the friendly ex-adventurer miner lady who also has a chat with Lydia, who now seems more open to me)
We stumbled across the beautiful Eldergleam Santuary and spent some time there, talking. We decided to stop and check out my new home on the way back to Whiterun, and began our hike.
We find it on the western riverbank, and wow was it a thane's manor. More like a compound. We spent a couple days opening it up setting up a household, then continued on to Whiterun, which could be seen off in the distance from my new scenic deck.
We hiked all morning and reached the gates in the afternoon, finding Adrienne the blacksmith at her shop. I gave her the corundrum and she set about crafting Lydia a new set of armor while we waited at the Inn, taking a vacation and visiting her by night to check her progress and counsel her and her husband. Finally she completed it, and Lydia was now more formidable as a result.
From there we hired a carriage ride to Solitude, and I finally was able to debrief the Imperial General about the Stormcloak plans, and events I had witnessed in Helgen. I also agreed to assist on a quick sortie to a nearby fort that had been plagued with bandits. I requisitioned some funds and headed to the Winking Skeever, a nearby saloon at which mercenaries were rumored to hang out. I hired one such strapping fellow and we set out for the fort!
We scared off the bandits, and cleared out some ragged necromancers from Wolf Skull Cave on the way, and returned to Solitude as Imperial heroes. I finally obtained an audience with Jarl Elisif the Fair, and she seemed to have eyes for me when hearing of my exploits, and was impressed by my title in Whiterun, but I would have to shake off the boorish Erikur from her court before she would see a potential tryst with me as feasible... the court sorceress Sybille seemed to be of one mind with me there and might prove an ally.
Then we stopped by the Bard's College and offered some advice on how to get their effigy ceremony started, and took a carriage back home to Riverside Lodge. Spent a few more days there, got a guard dog, and I decided it was time to head back to Cyrodil to check in with my superiors there. Lydia and I began hiking through the pass south of Helgen, into Bruma Hold.
In the Pale Pass fort, we came across some Imperials having a bit of a problem with a Stormcloak captive. I agreed to help interrogate him with my Penitus Oculatus training, and once again posing as a fellow rebel, I gleaned that a terror cell was plotting an attack on the Imperial City itself! It was a good thing I came by.
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