A Breton Amongst Dremora
Much to Dianne's pleasure, Prince Daeinde was happy to approve her request, on the basis that she not neglect her other duties. "I don't have to tell you how disappointed Boss Zebgeb would be if you slacked in his laundry crew," he told her. "He's had nothing but high praise for you since you started."
This surprised Dianne. She wasn't used to hearing nice things said to her about her skills and abilities. "Really? What all did he say?"
He put his teacup down. "He said that you were kind and friendly to everyone on the crew, you worked hard and never complained even when you were exhausted and sore. You never complained about the food for lunches, and you were smart and agreeable."
Dianne stared at the floor. Her hands twisted in her lap as she said, "I'm really not very smart. The teachers when I was growing up all said so. I didn't do well at all."
"I will stop you right there," he answered, his voice taking on the stern tones she'd heard before. "Do not be so hard on yourself. You are very intelligent. I don't know all the details about how your life was when you were growing up, but I do recall you mentioned having been abused and bullied. Now tell me: do those circumstances make it easy to absorb information and learn?"
She shook her head. 'Why does he have to be so damn kind and understanding?' she thought with a mix of annoyance and uncertainty. 'I thought a Daedra Prince would be harsh and mean, especially to a mere mortal.' She said as much, expecting him to be exactly that in turn and confrm her worst fears.
"You have much to learn yet," he said. "Are you at all familiar with politics?"
"Not a lot," she admitted. "Respectfully, sire, what does that have to do with--" He raised a hand. "I realize that it must seem that this discussion is growing more derailed by the moment, but I ask your forebearance, please." She nodded, and he went on. "In politics, with Daedra as it is with mortal, there's a certain amount of what your people might call 'smear campaigns', especially with regards to the rivalries between the Nine and the Princes for worshipers. "He sipped his tea, then continued."As you might imagine, my sphere overlaps a bit with that of Mara and Dibella. Neither of them are too thrilled about it, nor am I, for that matter, but we have a tenuous pact to not poach each other's followers..
"That's one aspect of the political doings. Back to smear campaigns. You know of Molag Bal, yes?"
"I do, kind of," she said. "Just what everyone knows."
"Then what do you know? Speak honeslty. Trust me when I say you won't be imparting anything that he hasn't heard before." He waved Kavaz over; his teacup was empty. Kavaz stepped forward to serve more tea. As he did so, he gave Dianne a reassuring smile. He offered them both more pasties, then resued his place. Resisting the urge to stall by eating a steak and kidney pasty, she said, "Well, he's called the King of Rape, because he forced himself on the woman who would become the first vampire. He dominates, enslaves, and corrupts mortals. That's all I really know."
Daeinde nodded. "Yes, that's usually how the story goes. How much of it is true, do you think?"
She chewed her lip. "Hard to say, really. The ways of Daedra are said to be unknowable by mortals. That just makes me think mortals try to fill in the gaps with what they do understand. I think there's always a bit of truth to every myth, maybe." She thought on it some more. "Are you saying that a lot of it is made up by mortals or other Princes or the Nine Divines?"
"Make no mistake. He's not a good person as mortals understand it. But the truth of it is this. Molag Bal did not rape that long ago Nede woman. He desired her and seduced her, and she willingly allowed herself to be seduced.Her fate afterwards was unexpected. He did not intend her death, nor did he intend to create vampires. They were an unpleasant and unexpected consequence."
"I see. So... why then is it said that he did it on purpose?"
"the young woman was part of an influential family," Daeinde explained. "They stood to lose a great deal of status if word came out that she had willingly lain with him. She had been promised in marriage to the son of another powerful family. Humans being what they are, a very high premium had been placed on her beauty and virgnity. She hadn't wished to wed this man, and took charge of herself and her body."
"Only to suffer a horrible fate for it," Dianne sighed.
"Yes. But do not confuse her fate with punishment for her actions. Wishing to have agency over oneself and one's life is never a sin. Now, back to what I was saying. Whn she fell ill, her family put forth the rumor that she had been raped, wishing to hold on to their status, casting the blame on a powerful god. That's never a good idea. So while he never intended for her to become the first vampire, he didn't exactly put a stop to it when he figured out what was happening, either. As far as Bal was concerned, it was a fitting punishment for their attempt at unjustly blaming him for Lamae's fate."
"In Morrowind, he's one of the Four Coirners of the House of Troubles," Dianne said.
"Correct! Do you have understanding of what is eant by that?"
"I'm afraid that I don't."
"Well. Each of the Four Corners: Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Malacath, and Sheogorath represent some aspect of challenge to the Dunmer native to Vvardenfell. That, and they refused to accept and believe in the divinity of the Tribunal. In Bal's case, he is said to test the purity of Dunmer bloodlines and genetics. In other words, he isn't so much involved with rape, but miscegenation. The mixing of races."
"Just as he once... mixed his own being with the Nede woman," Dianne observed. Daeinde nodded. "As I said earlier, do not mistake the misconceptions of mortals for meaning that Daedra of any kind are what they would consider 'the good guys'. we are forces of nature, the shadow--though not necessarily evil--part of mortal nature, as well. Look to my own sphere. Companionship. It seems wholly positive, but with it comes things such as rivalry and competition. I can't tell you how many times I have seen friendships form due to those things, and be torn apart by them. You have Meridia, who detests the undead and champions those who would serve the light. Howver, she also sided with the last remaining Ayeleid, who intended to undo all that Pelinal had done. There's Azura, and since you know the legends of the Nerevarine you already understand her nature, both helpful and harmful. You know basic information of the Nine, and can no doubt see some overlap, as well know that they represent the 'civilized' aspects of mortals."
"I think I understand what you mean."
"Good." He leaned forward, smiling. "Now, tell me again that you aren't very intelligent. You have grasped more than most mortals ever will."
Dianne blinked. How in the-- he distracted me! Then she grinned.
"You circled back to our original discussion."
"Yes. Now, I expect that you see that you are far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for." He stood up to see her out. "Do give Xaurax my regards. He's gaining an excellent and clever helper."
This surprised Dianne. She wasn't used to hearing nice things said to her about her skills and abilities. "Really? What all did he say?"
He put his teacup down. "He said that you were kind and friendly to everyone on the crew, you worked hard and never complained even when you were exhausted and sore. You never complained about the food for lunches, and you were smart and agreeable."
Dianne stared at the floor. Her hands twisted in her lap as she said, "I'm really not very smart. The teachers when I was growing up all said so. I didn't do well at all."
"I will stop you right there," he answered, his voice taking on the stern tones she'd heard before. "Do not be so hard on yourself. You are very intelligent. I don't know all the details about how your life was when you were growing up, but I do recall you mentioned having been abused and bullied. Now tell me: do those circumstances make it easy to absorb information and learn?"
She shook her head. 'Why does he have to be so damn kind and understanding?' she thought with a mix of annoyance and uncertainty. 'I thought a Daedra Prince would be harsh and mean, especially to a mere mortal.' She said as much, expecting him to be exactly that in turn and confrm her worst fears.
"You have much to learn yet," he said. "Are you at all familiar with politics?"
"Not a lot," she admitted. "Respectfully, sire, what does that have to do with--" He raised a hand. "I realize that it must seem that this discussion is growing more derailed by the moment, but I ask your forebearance, please." She nodded, and he went on. "In politics, with Daedra as it is with mortal, there's a certain amount of what your people might call 'smear campaigns', especially with regards to the rivalries between the Nine and the Princes for worshipers. "He sipped his tea, then continued."As you might imagine, my sphere overlaps a bit with that of Mara and Dibella. Neither of them are too thrilled about it, nor am I, for that matter, but we have a tenuous pact to not poach each other's followers..
"That's one aspect of the political doings. Back to smear campaigns. You know of Molag Bal, yes?"
"I do, kind of," she said. "Just what everyone knows."
"Then what do you know? Speak honeslty. Trust me when I say you won't be imparting anything that he hasn't heard before." He waved Kavaz over; his teacup was empty. Kavaz stepped forward to serve more tea. As he did so, he gave Dianne a reassuring smile. He offered them both more pasties, then resued his place. Resisting the urge to stall by eating a steak and kidney pasty, she said, "Well, he's called the King of Rape, because he forced himself on the woman who would become the first vampire. He dominates, enslaves, and corrupts mortals. That's all I really know."
Daeinde nodded. "Yes, that's usually how the story goes. How much of it is true, do you think?"
She chewed her lip. "Hard to say, really. The ways of Daedra are said to be unknowable by mortals. That just makes me think mortals try to fill in the gaps with what they do understand. I think there's always a bit of truth to every myth, maybe." She thought on it some more. "Are you saying that a lot of it is made up by mortals or other Princes or the Nine Divines?"
"Make no mistake. He's not a good person as mortals understand it. But the truth of it is this. Molag Bal did not rape that long ago Nede woman. He desired her and seduced her, and she willingly allowed herself to be seduced.Her fate afterwards was unexpected. He did not intend her death, nor did he intend to create vampires. They were an unpleasant and unexpected consequence."
"I see. So... why then is it said that he did it on purpose?"
"the young woman was part of an influential family," Daeinde explained. "They stood to lose a great deal of status if word came out that she had willingly lain with him. She had been promised in marriage to the son of another powerful family. Humans being what they are, a very high premium had been placed on her beauty and virgnity. She hadn't wished to wed this man, and took charge of herself and her body."
"Only to suffer a horrible fate for it," Dianne sighed.
"Yes. But do not confuse her fate with punishment for her actions. Wishing to have agency over oneself and one's life is never a sin. Now, back to what I was saying. Whn she fell ill, her family put forth the rumor that she had been raped, wishing to hold on to their status, casting the blame on a powerful god. That's never a good idea. So while he never intended for her to become the first vampire, he didn't exactly put a stop to it when he figured out what was happening, either. As far as Bal was concerned, it was a fitting punishment for their attempt at unjustly blaming him for Lamae's fate."
"In Morrowind, he's one of the Four Coirners of the House of Troubles," Dianne said.
"Correct! Do you have understanding of what is eant by that?"
"I'm afraid that I don't."
"Well. Each of the Four Corners: Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Malacath, and Sheogorath represent some aspect of challenge to the Dunmer native to Vvardenfell. That, and they refused to accept and believe in the divinity of the Tribunal. In Bal's case, he is said to test the purity of Dunmer bloodlines and genetics. In other words, he isn't so much involved with rape, but miscegenation. The mixing of races."
"Just as he once... mixed his own being with the Nede woman," Dianne observed. Daeinde nodded. "As I said earlier, do not mistake the misconceptions of mortals for meaning that Daedra of any kind are what they would consider 'the good guys'. we are forces of nature, the shadow--though not necessarily evil--part of mortal nature, as well. Look to my own sphere. Companionship. It seems wholly positive, but with it comes things such as rivalry and competition. I can't tell you how many times I have seen friendships form due to those things, and be torn apart by them. You have Meridia, who detests the undead and champions those who would serve the light. Howver, she also sided with the last remaining Ayeleid, who intended to undo all that Pelinal had done. There's Azura, and since you know the legends of the Nerevarine you already understand her nature, both helpful and harmful. You know basic information of the Nine, and can no doubt see some overlap, as well know that they represent the 'civilized' aspects of mortals."
"I think I understand what you mean."
"Good." He leaned forward, smiling. "Now, tell me again that you aren't very intelligent. You have grasped more than most mortals ever will."
Dianne blinked. How in the-- he distracted me! Then she grinned.
"You circled back to our original discussion."
"Yes. Now, I expect that you see that you are far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for." He stood up to see her out. "Do give Xaurax my regards. He's gaining an excellent and clever helper."