Lore:Crimson Dirks

The Crimson Dirks were a bandit gang from Cyrodiil active sometime between the Great War and Skyrim's Civil War. Made of 16 members, it accomplished feats rivaling that of any guild and became legendary in only a short time span. However, they also made many enemies as well, and were eventually forced to disband and scatter north into Skyrim for safety.

History

The Glory Days

The gang was created when Tyra Blood-Fire visited a Dunmer known as Reaver at his manor in Skingrad. Reaver was the one who had trained Tyra how to become a bandit eight years prior, and now she came to him looking for a crew. Not just any crew, but one made of loners and outcasts, survivors like Tyra herself. Of her requirements the Reaver only knew three men, Aesrael, Antonius, and Peladius. After recruiting these three, Tyra raided Reaver's estate as her first target, with Aesrael and Peladius taking care of the guards while Antonius cast a spell on the servants. Tyra killed Reaver, but not before he gave the location of Casival, then a boy begging on the streets much like Tyra was when Reaver found her.

Within a year the gang had grown to 15 members, with only Casival joining later on. They performed jobs from Bruma to Dune, raiding warehouses and sacking farms, but primarily raiding caravans. They also attacked Argonian supply caravans, and cargo ships leaving the Imperial City waterfront. On Saturalia, after receiving an Amulet of Talos as a gift from M'Sharra, and reports of Thalmor crackdowns on Talos worship from Peladius, Tyra got the idea to forge Amulets of Talos, and place them on caravans they looted and burned, thus framing the Thalmor in the attacks.

Meanwhile, Peladius and the Breton twins, Edward and Erwan, robbed the Clan Mother's treasury in Dune, and killed a merchant that tried to betray them, with Erwan taking the Ring of Masser from him.

Sometime after this, Fathrys left the bandits, heading to a Nordic ruin near Windhelm to find a dragon scale for Zaharia. He never returned, having been killed by the draugr Ulfnir Bone-Skin.

Later, the Dirks, using a forger as an intermediary, bought a building next to an East Empire Company warehouse. Then they dug an underground tunnel connecting the two, smuggling out many shipments of goods, including a Dragon skull and armor, from right under the Empire's nose. However, this was the only heist they were able to accomplish against the company, as they took notice and hunted them down, using local guard commanders as well as their own forces. For a while, they had to lay low and scrape by on just caravan raiding and petty thievery, which they did well but resented as being beneath their reputation and skills.

Downfall

Eventually, their luck would change, and they managed to steal a shipment of enchanted swords from Anvil, Colovian furs from Chorrol, and shipments of expensive perfumes and furs. In addition, Erwan and Skjol, investigating a new smuggler's operation based outside the Imperial City, stumbled upon a Daedric cult instead and were kidnapped. However, Erwan was able to break them out using the Ring of Masser and a hysteria spell, this victory netted them a trove of Daedric artifacts including armor.

To launder these goods, Casival, Aesrael, Ehlhiel, and Pale-Eyes met with a rich merchant noble with connections across all of Cyrodiil. Unfortunately, this noble also had dealings with the Thalmor, and for this he was killed by a Penitus Oculatus Inspector, who also wounded Casival before he himself was killed by Aesrael. This brought the gang under investigation by the Oculatus itself.

Eventually thanks to Ehlhiel betraying the gang, the Crimson Dirks hideout was discovered. However, he double-crossed the guards by warning Tyra three days ahead of the raid. She ordered as much of the spoils given to beggars as they could, before dumping the rest into the water. On the day of the raid the gang planted dead bodies inside the burning hideout, before disbanding and going in small groups to Skyrim, taking advantage of the high tensions between the Jarls and the looming Civil War.

Members

• Tyra Blood-Fire
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Aesrael
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Antonius
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Bjormund Wind-Strider
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Casival
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Edward
  • Last known status: Alive
• Ehlhiel
  • Last known status: Unclear
• Erwan
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Fathrys
  • Last known status: Deceased
• M'Sharra
  • Last known status: Presumed deceased
• Pale-Eyes
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Peladius
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Skjol the Tongueless
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Urgnok
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Yakhtu gra-Orklug
  • Last known status: Deceased
• Zaharia
  • Last known status: Deceased

See Also

For game-specific information, see the Skyrim^CC article.