The Speech of Alaric Wulfharth

7E 318, 13th of First Seed

In a brilliant ten year campaign, Alaric Wulfharth and his Nordic army conquered much of the Nirn. From Summerset Isles to the Snake Palace of Tsaesci.

In 4E 216, they returned to Thorn, Black Marsh, where Alaric ordered some of his Nordic veterans to return home.

But angry at perceived insults to their honour, as well as Alaric's adoption of Imperial customs…they mutinied.

According to the ancient historian Calcelmo, Alaric executed 13 ringleaders before confronting the army.

Alaric's exact words are not known, but modern historians believe Calcelmo records the essence of a real moment of history, passed down by eye witnesses.

The Speech is as is follows;

"What I'm about to say isn't meant to stop you from returning home. As far as I care, you could go wherever you wish. But I want you to know how you've behaved towards me. And how I've treated you."

"I'll begin as is right with Alduin, the World-Eater."

"When I found you, you were making futile attempts at stopping the dragons. Wearing iron and trying to inflict the tiniest of nicks on their scales. And you could barely defend your homes from them."

"Under me, you began retaliating against them with good armors and blades. And I turned you from mere survivors to dragon slayers! Rulers over those very creatures you used to fear!"

"I saved Whiterun, protecting the center of Skyrim so that we had a good footing in the war against them."

"The Rift was almost destroyed by their attacks! Well, they don't dare to approach there now."

"Eastmarch and The Pale, always on the brink of destruction, were so prospered that they became the strongest and the richest of the Holds!"

"I went to Winterhold and saved it from being destroyed by the hands of a Thalmor Agent who was dealing with powers beyond himself."

"Hjaalmarch and Falkreath were saved from the threats by me."

"The Reach was in chaos by the return of the Red Eagle and his Forsworn. They don't exist now!"

"After saving Haafingar from the evil reign of the resurrected Wolf Queen Potema and her Daedric minions, I was declared the High King!"

"I killed Alduin at the Throat of the World and killed him once more in Sovngarde! Ending the terror of the World-Eater!"

"This is what I did for you as a hero."

"Great enough on its own."

"But small compared to what you've gained from me as a King!"

"I crossed Bruma even though back then the Imperials still commanded Cyrodiil."

"I defeated the Imperials, The Emperor Titus Mede the Second, and made you the rulers of Chorrol, Skingrad, Kvatch and Anvil and took Cheydinhal by siege!"

"The rest of the land surrendered willingly and their wealth became yours."

"All the riches of the Imperial City, Bravil and Leyawiin are yours now."

"Hammerfell, Black Marsh, Elsweyr, Valenwood…all belong to you."

"The wealth of the Imperial City! The treasures of Elsweyr! And the jewels of Hammerfell!"

"You are now satraps. You are generals and captains."

"What have I held back for myself apart from this brown cloak and diadem?!"

"Nothing!"

"No man can point to my riches. Only the things I hold in trust for you all!"

"And what would I do with them anyway?"

"I eat what you eat. I get no more rests that you. Many times I spent the night on watch so that you could sleep soundly."

"Who among you think he's worked harder for me than I have for him?"

"Come on!"

"If you've got scars, strip and show them to me. I'll show you mine!"

"There isn't one part of my body, the front at least, that doesn't bear a wound. My body is covered in scars from every weapon you can think of. Dragon teeth, swords, arrows, stones, clubs, magic…"

"All for the sake of your lives! Your glory! And your wealth!"

"And yet here I still am, leading you as the conqueror of the land and sea, rivers, mountains and plains."

"We've celebrated our weddings together. Many of your children will be cousins of my own."

"Many of you wear dragon bone armors, enchanted blades, badges of honour given you by me."

"Anyone of us who was killed, who met a glorious end, we buried with full honours."

"Many now stand immortalized by statues in Skyrim!"

"Their families are honoured, pay no taxes."

"Under my command, not one man has been killed fleeing the enemy!"

"And now I wanted to send back some of you who've been crippled and grown old to be welcomed back home as heroes!"

"But since you all wish to go…then all of you, go!"

"Go home and tell them that your King, Alaric Wulfharth, The Conqueror of the Imperials, Redguards, Argonians, Dark Elves, who now rules over the Wood Elves, Khajiti, High Elves and as far as the Tang Mo of Akavir."

"Who crossed the Padomaic Ocean, even Jun-Kamal and Saviriesci!"

"First to sail to Akavir since Uriel Septim the Fifth himself!"

"No man has advanced to the Tsaesci, I killed the last one of them myself!"

"I would've crossed the Crimson Citadel and advanced upon the Ka Po'Tun if you hadn't cowered in fear!"

"Who crossed the Serpentine Bay and the jungles of Tsaesci where no one had led an army!"

"When you get home, tell them that when you got back to Thorn you abandoned him. Leaving him under the protection of the foreigners you'd conquered!"

"Perhaps this record of yours will seem glorious in the eyes of men and worthy in the eyes of the gods!"

"Begone!"

After The Speech, the Nordic troops begged Alaric for forgiveness, leading to an emotional reconciliation between the king and his army.

Alaric began to plan further conquests.

But in Elsweyr, less than a year later, he died, aged just 36, while protecting Tamriel from a combined invasion by Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Sheogorath and Namira.

Sheogorath managed to escape with grievous wounds, but the rest of the Daedric Princes along with their Planes in Oblivion were erased from existence. And there have been no news from them for over almost 5 thousand years.

———•———•———

This was what I envisioned in a nutshell when I was thinking of going the kingdom building route without any DLCs. But I won't be going that route in this story.