Into Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 8 Nirn's Beta-Chapter 96: Hano’s Story

Viree left just before they sky began to darken. I would meet up with her again later tonight. With the full moon she would need to use the ring of hircine or transform. I figured it would be best she transforms and goes hunting.

Hano's voice came from behind me, "I don't remember a werewolf like her. Though I don't remember much anymore."

I turned and looked at him. His ears twitched and his green mossy fur shined in the darkness. "Are you going to tell me your life story?"

Hano revealed a grim smile. "If you would hear it, it is a pretty long one. I'll keep it simple though, since if we got into every little thing I did we would be here for days. "

I shook my head, "I want to know why are you in the dawnguard first."

Hano let out a chuckle, "To make up for my sins I suppose. Don't worry about it too much though. I'll make sure to include it."

I frowned, "How old are you?"

Hano looked up into the sky, his eyes were blurry. "Honestly? I have no idea... I've stopped counting the years that passed."

I gestured for him to start, "From the beginning."

He shook his head, "Well, I remember we were all gathered at one point to create our characters." He let out a laugh, "Did you know I selected Khajiit, not because of the stats? I was a furry, I can't even remember my old life. I remember that stupid decision though..."

I let out a small laugh of my own, "So you didn't help the stereotype."

Hano shrugged, "I suppose I didn't, despite that it was a wise decision to make. I believe I selected Sneak, Hand to Hand, and Restoration."

I nodded, "A solid base for a khajiit."

His eyes blurred again, "The unarmed bonus I gained over the years..." He shook his head and he refocused. "You seem knowledgeable about the games. How well do you know skyrim's timeline. The very first events that happen in it, not based on the player's perspective."

I thought about it for a second and I froze. I looked at him seriously, "You couldn't have."

Hano gave the same grim smile as earlier. However this time I knew the true meaning behind the expression. "I thought it was clever... you clearly know what I did. However I think I should put it into words."

I nodded and he took a deep breath. "I don't remember what I wrote, its been too long. However when selecting my backstory, it was something like I was a witness to Alduin's defeat with the Elderscroll."

I shook my head, "It was clever in a way, except for the fact you woke up in the late Merethic era."

He laughed, "Pretty much, it even fun at first too. Until I realized I was going to die alone, I could make a family, friends, all that. However I would die alone in my existence."

I skipped over the part he didn't mention. "How did you live for so long. I mean the answer is obvious, you are a vampire. However that doesn't actually explain much."

He nodded, "I was one of the first turned by Lamae Bal. She was not a kind patron due to her hatred toward Molag Bal. However with my knowledge I helped as her right hand for a long time."

"Noxiphilic Sanguivoria, the first strain of Vampirism. Strengthened in the night, not corrupted by feeding and instead empowered." My words seem to hurt him more than any physical wound I could cause to him.

He nodded, "Molag Bal made future strains weaker due to Lamae Bal's actions and my own. I devoured millions of people over the years. Other than Lamae Bal herself, I am the strongest vampire to ever live. However..."

i jumped to the obvious conclusion, "You aren't just a vampire."

Hano sat on the ground and brushed his hands through the dirt. "I ripped her heart out myself and ate it whole. After that I just started wandering, I got lost, and just started fucking around."

I interrupted him, "Like make a electric guitar and started playing rock music in Elswyr?"

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He laughed, "Yeah, it was made by some dwemer. Though it was damn hard to actually get them to make the thing."

I pulled out the guitar, and strummed the strings. "It still plays great too. Though I had to figure out an alterative for the string replacement."

He messed with the strings as he continued, "The Khajiit loved the music I played surprisingly. Many tried to replicate it, but never could. To this day it puts a smile on my face."

I nodded, "Certainly explains the story Ri'saad mentioned."

Hano looked off into the distance and put away the guitar and got up. "My wandering ended just after Planemeld. Lamae Bal and her cultist came back around that time so I had to go into hiding. Ironically I found myself as the lord of Riften."

I frowned, "Don't tell me you accidently created the dawnguard?"

He shrugged, "Pretty much, I had an adopted son at the time. I pretty much needed one to inherit the title after all. When some of Lamae Bal's cultists came looking for me. My son realized I was a vampire and built the fort to hide me. He was a good kid, but the story twisted over time. The basics remained though, the original guards of the fort became the first vampire hunters. They didn't just hunt vampires though. Worm Cultists, Dark brotherhood members, even werewolves like that Viree girl."

"However they ended up focusing on vampires due to your son though."

He nodded and smiled, "He was a good kid. After that though I started to wander again."

I interrupted him, "Before that, do you know about any worm cultists relating to Lost Prospect mine? I own the place and if there is anything to dig up..."

He looked at me curiously and laughed, "Sort of? I remember them blowing up the cave system. You should be able to dig into the old cultist hide out though. Who knows what survived though."

I thought for another moment, "In this next set of wandering where did you go?"

He smiled, "Where else? Into the realms of the Daedric princes. It was pretty fun and was some of the closet calls of my life. Hircine tried to hunt me across three realms. I didn't blame him though it was fun."

I looked at him oddly, "So you never collected artifacts during that time?"

He laughed, "I did, thought I returned most of them. Mostly I tried to make my own after a while."

He shook his head though, "I created a few, however..." His eyes flicked to my sword, "I never managed to create a masterpiece though. So how did you make that blade of yours?"

I gave a shrug of my own, "Reforged Dawnbreaker and the Ebony Blade as well as a few other items. Took some luck and the lunar forge."

Hano's eyes widened, "You used my old forge?"

I raised an eyebrow in question, "Your old forge?"

Hano nodded, "Like I said I was chased by Hicine through three realms, why do you think he did that?"

That was fair I suppose, tilted my head though. "I ended up destroying the thing after making Sable Wave though. I'll need a new forge to make a weapon for Viree. Malacath wants to see what else I can make and I have a feeling a few other gazes are on me."

Hano paused, "Wait... You! Actually... never mind. I think it will work out for you."

I looked at him and asked, "Why did you never ascend to godhood? It sounds like you could've."

He laughed, "Number one, because that isn't my style. Number two, I'm a vampire, so I would have to usurp a portion of Molag Bal's power. I am technically bound to him after all. So I avoid him and he doesn't care what I do."

That made sense, "Back on track, so you spent some years learning smithing and crafting and all that other stuff. Did you unlock any secret skill trees?"

Hano's eyes widened, "Oh, so you have unlocked one? Yeah, I learned a couple. I won't tell you how to unlock them or anything like that. However I will tell you three I think you should unlock." I stood in silence and just listened. I was always willing for more knowledge. Hano continued, "The first is called Needlework. Its very similar to Smithing and incredibly hard to unlock. I learned it after a fling with a seamstress who made some magical robes."

I nodded, I could recognize why it would be good. I gestured for him to continue and he nodded. "The second you should try to unlock is channeling. This one is pretty hard to explain, but is incredibly effective. It's like mediation? Eh, I'll just move on. The last one is the most important. Tonal magic, I won't elaborate on this one."

I gave a second nod, "I figured Tonal magic was a skill tree the confirmation is enough for me." I looked up at the night sky and looked back at Hano. "So what happened after all this skill acquisition?"

Hano breathed out again, "Right, well. The rest can be explained pretty easily. Around that time Dagoth Ur started to move and I guess you could say I snapped back to reality."

He frowned, "I returned here, this fort." His expression became grim again. "I could've helped stop those events. However I hid away and just let things play out. This sounds dumb, but I saw myself as the main character for years. I wasn't the Nerevarine, I wasn't the Hero of Kvatch, I wasn't a dragon born. I was just a guy, just some guy..."

I didn't bother to comfort him. It was pointless as I knew exactly what he told himself for years. "So you sat here in the dawnguard fort until now?"

He nodded, "I left sometimes to learn how things went. However about three? No, Four years ago Isran found me here. It was a complicated meeting, but eventually he realized my connection to the dawnguard. After that the rest was history, we reformed the dawnguard."

Hano could be summarized as a fool, who bent the rules and found the thing that made him special was meaningless as it would never be recognized. "So? What will you do from now on?"

He shrugged, "Be depressed? Serana understands me the most. Due to my actions though, I alienated myself from anyone else who would understand me."

I thought about the rule that required our arrival in skyrim and I laughed, "Well, you arrived in skyrim..."

He let out a laugh of his own, his though was filled with melancholy. "That I did. I'll help you with whatever you need. You might not be the best person, but you seem like you won't let the world burn in hell fire. That's good enough for me... I might try my hand at smithing again though."

I brushed Sable Wave and spoke, "You want to create a masterpiece."

He smirked at me, "Do you know the difference between a masterpiece and a normal artifact?"

I raised my eyebrow, "No."

His smirk grew, "The effects changes depending on who wields it. Sometimes it is just slightly, however sometimes it is like night and day."

That made sense, and I nodded. I shifted gears though. "Meeting you I realize a plan I had come up with may fall short."

He looked at me with curiosity. "How would I interfere? I'll step back from whatever it is."

I shook my head, "A step forward actually." I looked at the sky and checked the time. I would need to leave soon to meet with Viree. I looked back at Hano, "You remember me mentioning Lost Prospect Mine?"