| Book Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: | |||
| Writer | Richard BakerREF | ||
| Publication Date: | May 10, 2022 | ||
A Conversation with the Ascendant Order
By Adandora, Chronicler-at-Large
Who are the knights of the Ascendant Order? The provocative statements and protests put forth by these radicals have alarmed authorities throughout Tamriel. Dark rumors of hidden actions to match the angry words are even more worrying. Now, thanks to your humble chronicler's persistence, the secretive leaders of the Ascendant Order speak directly to you, my faithful readers!
My meeting with the Ascendant Order leaders involved a blindfold and a long wagon ride on a meandering route. When the blindfold was finally removed, I found myself in a farmhouse cellar with hooded guards standing watch. Before me sat a proud mage and a lordly knight, each dressed in fine plate armor with helms that hid their faces.
The lord spoke first. "You may refer to me as the Ascendant Lord, Madam Adandora. I am told you wished to meet with us. How can we help you?"
"I'm a chronicler," I replied. "But no chronicle is complete when you hear only one side of the story. The authorities say that you're agitators and anarchists. I want to give you the chance to set the record straight."
"You'll relay our message without the typical embellishments and baseless speculation that usually marks your work?" the mage said, no doubt sneering beneath his visor.
"What you call embellishment is simply journalistic style!" I explained. "People don't read things that bore them, you know." As I'm sure you appreciate, dear reader!
The Ascendant Lord raised his armored hand. "You condemn her before she's written a word, Magus. I am willing to see if the lady is as good as her promise. Ask your questions, chronicler."
I decided to start with the obvious. "Who are you?"
"Ah, anonymity is our shield and our armor. We are all around you—your relatives, your neighbors, the everyday folk of Tamriel. As I stated, you may call me the Ascendant Lord. This is the Ascendant Magus, my second."
Everyday folk, indeed! Clearly, the Ascendant Lord was a noble of high breeding. His manners and speech made that much clear. And the Magus, likewise, spoke like a person of wealth and education. I moved on to my next question. "What is it that you want, Lord?"
"An end to empires," the Ascendant Lord replied. "How much blood and misery has been the result of the ambitions of Tamriel's kings and queens? The rich and the powerful have us fighting each other so that they can grow richer and ever more powerful. It's time to bring these foolish wars to an end."
"And bring those tyrants to justice," the Magus added with some vehemence. "There must be a reckoning for generations of oppression!"
"Yes, that's what your leaflets say," I replied. "Why do you—the Lord and the Magus, the men beneath those helms—why do you want those things?"
The Magus snorted. "No one with a conscience can stand by and let oppression go unchecked."
"Ah! So you're an idealist," I said, scribbling furiously in my notes. "Some people would say you're a fanatic, you know. What about you, Lord? Are you an idealist too?"
I could not see the Ascendant Lord's face, of course, but I sensed that he was amused. "An idealist? Not exactly. I founded the Ascendant Order because I saw a world that could be different. Better. And I possessed the will and ability to make that world a reality. Injustice will always be with us. But we can give people the power they need to deal with injustice themselves, instead of begging some distant throne to solve their problems."
"It's rumored that Ascendant Order knights murder guards who get in their way," I said. "And sometimes rob merchants and farmers, too. How does that make the world better?"
The Lord and the Magus fell silent under their faceless helms. I wondered if perhaps I had gone too far in my questioning.
"I told you this was a bad idea," the Magus said to the Lord. "What sort of fair report do you think she will give us? Better that she says nothing at all."
The Ascendant Lord shook his head, the merest motion of his helm. I realized then that my very life might depend on the next words he said! I tried not to let my fear show. "Silencing her would only prove the truth of those ugly rumors to her readers," he said. "Besides, I extended a promise of safe passage. I do not break my promises."
I quietly exhaled in relief. "Do you have an answer, Ascendant Lord?" I asked.
"One shouldn't pay heed to unsubstantiated rumors, Madam Adandora," he said. "But no change comes without cost. The greater the change, the greater the cost. I hope one day, chroniclers will look back on what we accomplished and see that the ends justified the means."
"What do you plan—" I started to ask, but the Lord motioned with his hand. The hooded guards came forward.
"Blindfold our chronicler and see to it that she's returned unharmed to the place where you found her," the Ascendant Lord instructed them. "Good day, my dear. We will find you if we have anything more to say in the future."
And that, dear reader, is the story of my meeting with the Ascendant Lord and the Ascendant Magus. Will they choose to speak again? Only time will tell!