2920 , vol 12 - Evening Star A part of the twelve volume set titled " 2920 " . Contents . 1 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920 Balmora , Morrowind The winter morning sun glinted through the cobweb of frost on the window , and Almalexia opened her eyes . An ancient healer mopped a wet cloth across her head , smiling with relief . Asleep in the chair next to her bed was Vivec . The healer rushed to a side cabinet and returned with a flagon of water . " How are you feeling , goddess ? " asked the healer . " Like I ' ve been asleep for a very long time , " said Almalexia . " So you have . Fifteen days , " said the healer , and touched Vivec ' s arm . " Master , wake up . She speaks . " Vivec rose with a start , and seeing Almalexia alive and awake , his face broke into a wide grin . He kissed her forehead , and took her hand . At last , there was warmth again in her flesh . Almalexia ' s peaceful repose suddenly snapped : " Sotha Sil - - " " He ' s alive and well , " replied Vivec . " Working on one of his machines again somewhere . He would have stayed here too , but he realized he could do you more good working that peculiar sorcery of his . " The castellan appeared in the doorway . " Sorry to interrupt you , master , but I wanted to tell you that your fastest messenger left late last night for the Imperial City . " " Messenger ? " asked Almalexia . " Vivec , what has happened ? " " I was to go and sign a truce with the Emperor on the sixth , so I sent him word that it had to be postponed . " " You can ' t do me any good here , " said Almalexia , pulling herself up with effort . " But if you don ' t sign that truce , you ' ll put Morrowind back to war , maybe for another eighty years . If you leave today with an escort and hurry , perhaps you can get to the Imperial City only a day or two late . " " Are you certain you don ' t need me here ? " asked Vivec . " I know that Morrowind needs you more . " 6 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920The Imperial City , Cyrodiil The Emperor Reman III sat on his throne , surveying the audience chamber . It was a spectacular sight : silver ribbons dangled from the rafters , burning cauldrons of sweet herbs simmered in every corner , Pyandonea n swallowtails sweeping through the air , singing their songs . When the torches were lit and servants began fanning , the room would be transfigured into a shimmering fantasy land . He could smell the kitchen already , spices and roasts . The Potentate Versidue - Shaie and his son Savirien - Chorak slithered into the room , both bedecked in the headdress and jewelry of the Tsaesci . There was no smile on their golden face , but there seldom was one . The Emperor still greeted his trusted advisor with enthusiasm . " This ought to impress those savage Dark Elves , " he laughed . " When are they supposed to arrive ? " " A messenger ' s just arrived from Vivec , " said the Potentate solemnly . " I think it would be best if your Imperial Majesty met him alone . " The Emperor lost his laughter , but nodded to his servants to withdraw . The door then opened and the Lady Corda walked into the room , with a parchment in her hand . She shut the door behind her , but did not look up to meet the Emperor ' s face . " The messenger gave his letter to my mistress ? " said Reman , incredulous , rising to take the note . " That ' s a highly unorthodox way of delivering a message . " " But the message itself is very orthodox , " said Corda , looking up into his one good eye . With a single blinding motion , she brought the letter up under the Emperor ' s chin . His eyes widened and blood poured down the blank parchment . Blank that is , except for a small black mark , the sign of the Morag Tong . It fell to the floor , revealing the small dagger hidden behind it , which she now twisted , severing his throat to the bone . The Emperor collapsed to the floor , gasping soundlessly . " How long do you need ? " asked Savirien - Chorak . " Five minutes , " said Corda , wiping the blood from her hands . " If you can give me ten , though , I ' ll be doubly grateful . " " Very well , " said the Potentate to Corda ' s back as she raced from the audience chamber . " She ought to have been an Akaviri , the way the girl handles a blade is truly remarkable . " " I must go and establish our alibi , " said Savirien - Chorak , disappearing behind one of the secret passages that only the Emperor ' s most trusted knew about . " Do you remember , close to a year ago , your Imperial Majesty , " the Potentate smiled , looking down at the dying man . " When you told me to remember ' You Akaviri have a lot of showy moves , but if just one of our strikes comes through , it ' s all over for you . ' I remembered that , you see . " The Emperor spat up blood and somehow said the word : " Snake . " " I am a snake , your Imperial Majesty , inside and out . But I didn ' t lie . There was a messenger from Vivec . It seems he ' ll be a little late in arriving , " the Potentate shrugged before disappearing behind the secret passage . " Don ' t worry yourself . I ' m sure the food won ' t go bad . " The Emperor of Tamriel died in a pool of his own blood in his empty audience chamber decorated for a grand ball . He was found by his bodyguard fifteen minutes later . Corda was nowhere to be found . 8 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920Caer Suvio , Cyrodiil Lord Gla , apologizing profusely for the quality of the road through the forest , was the first emissary to greet Vivec and his escort as they arrived . A string of burning globes decorated the leafless trees surrounding the villa , bobbing in the gentle but frigid night breeze . From within , Vivec could smell the simple feast and a high sad melody . It was a traditional Akaviri wintertide carol . Potentate Versidue - Shaie greeted Vivec at the front door . " I ' m glad you received the message before you got all the way to the City , " said the Potentate , guiding his guest into the large , warm drawing room . " We are in a difficult transition time , and for the moment , it is best not to conduct our business at the capitol . " " There is no heir ? " asked Vivec . " No official one , though there are distant cousins vying for the throne . While we sort the matter out , at least temporarily the nobles have decided that I may act in the office of my late master , " Versidue - Shaie signaled for the servants to draw two comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace . " Would you feel most comfortable if we signed the treaty officially right now , or would you like to eat something first ? " " You intend to honor the Emperor ' s treaty ? " " I intend to do everything as the Emperor , " said the Potentate . 14 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920 Tel Aruhn , Morrowind Corda , dusty from the road , flew into the Night Mother ' s arms . For a moment , they stayed locked together , the Night Mother stroking her daughter ' s hair , kissing her forehead . Finally , she reached into her sleeve and handed Corda a letter . " What is it ? " asked Corda . " A letter from the Potentate , expressing his delight at your expertise , " replied the Night Mother . " He ' s promised to send us payment , but I ' ve already sent him back a reply . The late Empress paid us enough for her husband ' s death . Mephala would not have us be greedy beyond our needs . You should not be paid twice for the same murder , so it is written . " " He killed Rijja , my sister , " said Corda quietly . " And so it should be that you struck the blow . " " Where will I go now ? " " Whenever any of our holy workers becomes too famous to continue the crusade , we send them to an island called Vounoura . It ' s not more than a month ' s voyage by boat , and I ' ve arranged for a delightful estate for your sanctuary , " the Night Mother kissed the girl ' s tears . " You meet many friends there , and I know you will find peace and happiness at last , my child . " 19 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920 Mournhold , Morrowind Almalexia surveyed the rebuilding of the town . The spirit of the citizens was truly inspirational , she thought , as she walked among the skeletons of new buildings standing in the blackened , shattered remains of the old . Even the plant life showed a remarkable resilience . There was life yet in the blasted remains of the comberry and roobrush shrubs that once lined the main avenue . She could feel the pulse . Come springtide , green would bolt through the black . The Duke ' s heir , a lad of considerable intelligence and sturdy Dunmer courage , was coming down from the north to take his father ' s place . The land would do more than survive : it would strengthen and expand . She felt the future much more strongly than she saw the present . Of all the things she was most certain of , she knew that Mournhold was forever home to at least one goddess . 22 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920The Imperial City , Cyrodiil " The Cyrodiil line is dead , " announced the Potentate to the crowd gathered beneath the Speaker ' s Balcony of the Imperial Palace . " But the Empire lives . The distant relatives of our beloved Emperor have been judged unworthy of the throne by the trusted nobility who advised his Imperial Majesty throughout his long and illustrious reign . It has been decided that as an impartial and faithful friend of Reman III , I will have the responsibility of continuing on in his name . " The Akaviri paused , allowing his words to echo and translate into the ears of the populace . They merely stared up at him in silence . The rain had washed through the streets of the city , but the sun , for a brief time , appeared to be offering a respite from the winter storms . " I want to make it clear that I am not taking the title Emperor , " he continued . " I have been and will continue to be Potentate Versidue - Shaie , an alien welcomed kindly to your shores . It will be my duty to protect my adopted homeland , and I pledge to work tirelessly at this task until someone more worthy takes the burden from me . As my first act , I declare that in commemoration of this historical moment , beginning on the first of Morning Star , we will enter year one of the Second Era as time will be reckoned . Thus , we mourn the loss of our Imperial family , and look forward to the future . " Only one man clapped at these words . King Dro ' Zel of Senchal truly believed that this would be the finest thing to happen to Tamriel in history . Of course , he was quite mad . 31 Sun ' s Dusk , 2920 Ebonheart , Morrowind In the smoky catacombs beneath the city where Sotha Sil forged the future with his arcane clockwork apparatus , something unforeseen happened . An oily bubble seeped from a long trusted gear and popped . Immediately , the wizard ' s attention was drawn to it and to the chain that tiny action triggered . A pipe shifted half an inch to the left . A tread skipped . A coil rewound itself and began spinning in a counter direction . A piston that had been thrusting left - right , left - right , for millennia suddenly began shifting right - left . Nothing broke , but everything changed . " It cannot be fixed now , " said the sorcerer quietly . He looked up through a crick in the ceiling into the night sky . It was midnight . The second era , the age of chaos , had begun .