#also yes unlike the others i made her in skyrim... i wanted to play as a battlemage so it's a win-win

[tacticalhimbo]

— OC INTERVIEW

name: galsveni r'nur

nickname: gal, sven/sveni

gender: cis woman

star sign: virgo sun, virgo moon, taurus rising

personality type: hard to place an mbti, but describing it: calloused, though not mean-spirited. wary and weary to an exhausting degree. galsveni has seen enough loss in her lifetime, and she would rather not see any more. even if that means keeping people at arm's length.

height: unknown; pulling from other fantasy sources and their guestimates/canonical heights... probably around 7ft.

orientation: lesbian

nationality/ethnicity: dökkálfar (dark elf); native to alfheim.

favorite fruit: cherries. they're definitely a luxury, but the few times that a market should last (though they were more common, especially with merchants from other realms, in the earlier stages of the war) in alfheim... galsveni will buy herself cherries. as a treat.

favorite season: mid-winter/late winter

favorite scent: organic scents; think woody and smokey, with the occasional hints of vanilla or something more spicy.

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: tea, 1000%. it's easy to brew, requires less trading for (re: easily obtainable herbs), and provides just enough energy to not distract her from her work

average hours of sleep: between 4 and 6, though usually leaning around 5.5/6 hours. a little less than she'd like, but more than enough to keep her going.

dogs or cats: cats. she's had her fair share of run-ins with hunting hounds and wolves alike, that she's become a bit wary of canids

dream trip: she would love to visit the light again. to see it in all its power, and make sure that it's still... there. but the tensions between the dökkálfar and ljósálfar (light elves) are too dangerous for her to wander to such a contended point.

number of blankets: one or two, depending on where it is she rests her head at night.

random fact: it's not something she discloses so easily, but galsveni was a battlemage back in her youth. those who are very familiar with the war in alfheim may recognize her from a few... "rumors" around her efficacy and terrifying mystic prowess. she feels a lot of shame for her service now, though, as she realizes that the fight is fruitless if 1) ragnarök is destined to be approaching and 2) neither side's leadership will stop to consider the long-term outcomes of either harnessing the light (and thus drawing directly from the lake of souls, thus disturbing or outright desecprating the dead) or destroying it (and thus permanently altering, if not halting, the journey to the afterlife for millions across species).

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tagged by the lovely @carlosoliveiraa to fill out this meme! tyvm and so sorry it took me. this long. skdjdkdk. i'm gonna steal the tag list from my last few posts so sorry for the spam! these are always no pressure tags, so dw if you wanna skip over any 🩷 @vendettavalor (always love tagging ur rp blog for these hehe) , @ollierachnid , @alexxmason , @kourumi , @perpetuagf , @scarfacemarston , @bbrocklesnar , and anybody else who wants to hop on!

#txt #pic #my ocs #ayyy using a development meme to actually develop a wip character! #also yes unlike the others i made her in skyrim... i wanted to play as a battlemage so it's a win-win

[icicleteeth]

Aljsdfljds so Tamriel bread post got really popular, and I realized I never actually wrote a detailed breakdown of how/why each province’s bread was designed the way they were (Mostly because I hand wrote each description in the art so I had to keep them brief alsdfj), so I thought I’d write a more thorough post about it! More under the cut--though as with everything TES related I make, these are just my headcanons!

High Rock: Given High Rock’s prosperous kingdoms, most cities and the province in general flourishes with the comfort of being wealthy and powerful (Headcanoned this way since High Rock is one of the three main powers in the alliance war during ESO’s timeline, as well as being home to two large kingdoms, being Daggerfall and Wayrest, in TES2) This richness in the economy and resources allowed for the most experimentation and decadence with the province’s food, including its bread. A lot of these individual breads were based off french breads (baguette, buttery croissant, bread rolls, etc) Cinnamon swirl breads and sugary donuts (I call dough knots here/in my fic) exist, as High Rock’s geographic location in the Iliac Bay allows for a robust importing market where spices like cinnamon and sugar are brought in regularly from other provinces.

Hammerfell: Bread in Hammerfell isn’t nearly as decadent as High Rock, as food is treated with more utility and nutrition in mind, rather than flavor. Oats and seed breads are unassuming yet filling. Oats and rye are grown in the less arid eastern lands of the province, as very little is able grow in the western Alik’r deserts. That being said, livestock raised in the west are vital to providing milk, butter, and eggs, which are used in/eaten with the breads frequently. Smaller portions such as the bagels are compact and easy to pack for long journeys across the desert.

Wrothgar: Wrothgar’s climate (specifically the greener western parts of it) allow for them to grow their own grain (typically rye). Orcs’ tastes in bread also drastically differ the bretons in that they don’t go all out with making sickeningly sweet pastries (in fact, the only time they’ll sweeten their bread is with some snowberry jam). They do, however, love huge portion sizes, as many orcs live together in large tribes with just as large tribesmen and warriors, so they bake their breads in huge loaves. 

Skyrim: Skyrim’s bread was the easiest to figure out design-wise as they’re directly based off the bread you find in-game, though some parts of it (namely the decision to have a Jazbay crostata here rather than the other fruits) were chosen to fit a general theme of sweetness. Sweetrolls are famous all across Tamriel for a good reason: nordic breads, given Skyrim’s significant honey industry, are generally very sweet (as honey is used generously, in more than just the mead markets) Jazbay is referenced to be very sweet, thus the Jazbay crostata. Braided bread is very buttery and large, like most foods from Skyrim. Like orcs, the nords love their generous portions!

Morrowind (this part’s really long, apologies in advance aljsdf): The bread of Morrowind was broken up into three categories based on very differing cultures within the province: Common (Found in the mainland and settled regions of Vvardenfell) Ashlander (found within Ashlander tribes) and Northern (found in northern villages and Solstheim, with nordic influence). The Common baguette is based on banh mi, which is just “bread” in Vietnam. Vietnam (yes I’m gonna kind of derail into history I’m sorry aljsf) used to be owned by the French, so a lot of our foods share some roots in french culture, which is why Vietnamese bread is similar to french baguettes (though are different, not just in look, but texture and taste, though it’s hard to explain in words) In TES3, the encroachment of Imperial/western conquest and control plays a big part in Vvardenfell’s politics and in (especially in it’s more southwestern region) architecture and culture. I found this mixing of the west with the east to mirror Vietnam’s history somewhat, thus Morrowind’s Common bread being directly based off banh mi.

Ashlander bread was designed in mind not only for nomadic people (thus they would be quite small and compact) but also with keeping in mind that Ashlanders would likely lack access to large ovens/utensils/space to bake anything substantial, so these were based on small pan-baked buns. The bowl they’re in is a hollowed-out green shalk shell!

Northern bread is directly inspired by nordic braided bread, though it’s baked much smaller than the nords’ usual preference for large portion sizes. The influence comes mostly from Solstheim, though it’s also found in north-western cities like Khuul.

Black Marsh: This one was a bit tough to figure out for a while, as one would expect you can’t grown much of anything in swamplands. I was however able to find a reference to the existence of marsh rice in one of the A Culinary Adventure volumes (they’re lorebooks from ESO I believe, in which an Imperial writes about authentic Argonian cuisine; it’s really wild and I highly recommend them!) Therefore these are loosely based on small slices of rice bread, wrapped in large banana leaves (yes this was also taken from Vietnamese cuisine. A girl likes to include bits of her own culture in her art sometimes, even if it’s really vague aljsdfjd)

Valenwood: Probably the most controversial choice that I should’ve explained better, as the existence of the Green Pact would have one assume bread is outlawed in the province due to the use of grains (plants) needed to make it. I still wanted to incorporate mostly meat into these breads, though the fact that bread is still used is based off a headcanon that the Green Pact only applies to plants grown within the forests, but doesn’t apply to grains grown in other provinces. One could infer that, especially at the time of the alliance war, travel and trade within the Aldmeri Dominion’s other provinces was very normal, thus bread could theoretically have made its way into bosmeri cuisine, first by bosmer living in other provinces, who brought the customs over to Valenwood.

Summerset: Altmeri bread prioritizes beauty, flavor, and presentation. Very unlike the nords, they aren’t inclined to large portion sizes (the smaller the better, as one should not indulge in gluttony) but what their bread lacks in proportion is exceeded in richness and taste--essentially the bread version of $200 tiny cuts of filet mignon with a bit of $300 truffle on the side (and maybe with a glass of $1000 wine for good measure) The food ought to look and taste as beautiful as Summerset’s city, right?

Elsweyr: Breads in Elsweyr are, like Morrowind, broken up into multiple sections due to Elsweyr’s drastically different northern and southern regions. Flatbreads like naan are found primarily in the north, and heartier breads that incorporate fruits are found in the south (as fruits are more easily able to grow in these tropical climates). Though it’s important to note that trade between the north and south is common, so these breads aren’t entirely restricted by region.

Moon sugar butter cookies are popular treats found all throughout Tamriel, though not entirely in the same innocent reasons that sweetrolls are popular. Since moon sugar is a narcotic that non-Khajiiti races react poorly to, potent moon sugar cookies are sometimes smuggled via the pretense of being less potent and non-harmful cookies (which use only a tiny bit of moon sugar along with regular sugar, which is the benevolent much loved treat anyone can enjoy). Think really, really strong weed brownies that some people have probably eaten by accident, which certainly would ruin the day of both the person who ate it and the smuggler it belonged to! Though of course, just like skooma, these more potent cookies are just as often willingly sought after.

Cyrodiil: Cyrodiilic bread is based on ancient breads (I tried to pinpoint it specifically from Rome, but “ancient” can mean a lot of different things to Google, haha.) The dry, basic, and unappealing nature of these breads aren’t actually meant as a dig at Cyrodiil (at least, not from my own personal standpoint). They were designed this way based on a line in The Red Kitchen Reader, which is a story about an Imperial speaking of his passion for food. The important bit is this excerpt:

As a child growing up in Cheydinhal, I did not care for food at all. I recognized the value of nutrition, for I was not a complete dullard, but I cannot say that mealtime brought me any pleasure at all. Partly, of course, this was the fault of my family's cook, who believed that spices were an invention of the Daedra, and that good Imperials should like their food boiled, textureless and flavorless. Though I think she was alone in assigning a religious significance to this, my sampling of traditional Cyrodilic cuisine suggests that the philosophy is regrettably common in my homeland.

Thus the design of Cyrodiilic bread is underwhelming and unappetizing.

#the elder scrolls #tes #morrowind #skyrim #food #bread #foodposting

[werelesbian]

Contradictions

Seriously questioning my sexuality once again has brought back a flood of memories that make me confused/question myself, especially when it comes to boys. However with women, it’s quite straight forward. I’ve always liked them, even when I tried my hardest to suppress it in order to fit in and be “straight”. With men on the other hand, it’s more confusing. I sometimes genuinely cannot tell if I ever actually liked them now even though for so many years of my life I thought I really did. I will bulletin some here:

1. Crushes on fictional characters-- I often crushed on fictional men growing up and read fanfics and watched videos about them. I know that lesbians often have crushes on male fictional characters because they’re safe. This may be true. However, I also noticed I tended to make female characters that really weren’t representation of myself to ship with them or shipped them with another fictional character, never really myself. Plus I tended to make female characters that were their daughters and tended to focus on more of seeing the male characters in a fatherly light to the daughter characters. I also notice now that I tended to put myself more into the role of the daughter characters who I often made bisexual or lesbian. They also tended to be very similar to the male characters I liked. Maybe I actually wanted to be the male characters instead. It’s also very weird. Now looking at any of the fictional male characters that I thought I liked, I don’t find them attractive at all anymore. My attention has diverted to female characters more now. It’s also funny because I had many crushes on female characters as well and tended to romance female characters more in video games, primarily games like fire emblem or Skyrim. I did like some of the male characters too, but always preferred romancing female characters. The only time I primarily romanced male characters was when I was very closeted and repressed. 

2. Crushes on people growing up--looking back on crushes I had growing up, I realized that I had a lot more crushes on women than men. I can see that growing up, I most likely had a crush on 2 girls in elementary school (one of which carried into middle school), probably 3 in middle school, and 4-5 in my later teen years. I didn’t recognize I had a crush on a girl until I was 14 and didn’t recognize I had many more crushes on girls in elementary and middle school. Before then, I could only recount one crush and it was on a boy in the 7th grade. And with boys, I can only really think of 3 possible crushes, but for the most part I did not care about men. I noticed I focused on trying to crush on men when I made a “goal” with myself to get a boyfriend into order to fit in with my friends. For three years, I put so much time and energy to crush on boys and date them, but for what? I discussed this with my sister and it seemed that I was trying to prove something. Possibly that I was straight and that I was attractive? I only paid to male attention anyways because they were noticing me when I became skinny due to an eating disorder. I honestly didn’t care much beforehand. I also did try to suppress my attraction to women for years and even when I did, I still found women attractive. Now that I realized that I am very much attracted to women, any attraction to men seemed to have plummeted. I don’t really find anything attractive anymore. They honestly just exist. I also notice as well that I’ve been finding myself looking at women more where beforehand I’d only look at men. It’s very confusing. 

3. Relationships-- I mainly have only dated men in the past, but often times I never really felt all that much for them. I often only dated them because they asked me out first and I just went along with it. I never had a crush on any of the men I dated. I dated them out of obligation and when I was very closeted. This was also during the time I made a pact with myself to get a boyfriend in order to lose my virginity. They were nice to me yes, but I never felt as much for them as they did me. I also did have sexual relations with them, but it seemed as if I put on an act. I never really wanted to touch their bodies much and seemed to go with the motions more than anything. I also never really cared to please them and cared more about my pleasure. When it came to doing anything with their penises, I was relieved when they became soft and I preferred when they didn’t have to penetrate me. Towards of the end of my relationship with my last boyfriend, I didn’t want to do as much stuff with his penis and tried to avoid doing certain sex acts with him. I chalked all of this up to anxiety around pregnancy, which I certainly did experience, but now I wonder if it was also because I wasn’t attracted to any of them. When it comes to relationships with women, the girl I did date, I really wanted her and I loved our brief relationship together. When we did things like sexting, it never felt like a chore (unlike my ex bf’s) and it made me feel good. I also felt very comfortable with her. I also really cared about her feelings and wanted to do things for her and get her gifts. A lot of things reminded me of her and she was on my mind a lot. We never had physical sex but I really wanted her. I craved her touch and wanted to touch her sexually. To think beforehand, I thought the idea of having sex with a woman was not good (even though I admitted to myself that I did always want to have sex with a woman). She made me explode with raw lust, unlike any of them men I was with who I played up an act of an oversexual dame with. Even after that relationship with her, I noticed that I still wanted to pursue relationships with woman. I crave a woman’s touch at the end of the day and I love to cuddle with them. When I cuddled my ex bf and laid on me, something didn’t feel right. I felt very awkward. It was easy when we only cuddled in a certain position.

Looking back at all of this, there feels like there is so many contradictions to everything. For the years I was severely closeted, any idea of being with a woman went out of my mind but my attraction to women still showed up. Now that I have acknowledged this attraction to women, any of those thoughts of the men I was with don’t make sense to me anymore. Attraction to men doesn’t feel as right. Maybe I’m going through a bi-cycle right now. Maybe I’m realizing I’m a lesbian. Only time will tell

#questioning #wlw #sexuality #lgbt #journaling #bisexual #late blooming bisexual

[nam-imperii]

The Tullius Family in my Skyrim

We start in Oblivion actually.

Lysayne, not a Tullius, Dark Brotherood top assassin and future Listener. Lucien lives because I'm a clichè who wants nice things (i still have to work on how she becomes the Listener but the general concept is that Lysayne stops the purification). Lysayne x Lucien

Gonna change the order of quests so the killing of the guy in the imperial prison happens after she becomed Listener, it's just a general contract she's doing but then she has to play prisoner when the frikking Emperor of Tamriel shows up.

She's not sure she deserves all this heroism stuff but of course after what happened she goes to search for Jauffre asap and the main questline starts. Lysayne x Lucien becomes Lucien x Lysayne x Martin because as I said I'm a clichè bastard and of course Lucien steps in to help Lysayne when things escalate. Main quest goes as normal and Lysayne goes in a bit of depression after Martin dies

She's pregnant omygod but they dont know if its Martin or Lucien the father of course the Empire would be like super interested in the baby but Lysayne wants to kinda avoid any association with the elder council now because she fears she'll lose the baby like she lost Martin

She marries an imperial legionarie who distinguished himself in the battles of Bruma and Imperial City in exchange for the Blades promise to hide her son, the Elder Council makes the new Lysayne Tullius, wife of Tiberio Tullius, Countess of the rebuilding Kvatch but she spends all the time with Lucien, then the baby is born and some time after that she becomes Sheogorath, which is know by the Blades who completely hide the baby from Lucien too (Lucien is of course heartbroken)

They probably get all reunited when Lucien dies and he's in the Void, Martin in Aetherius and Lysayne in the Shivering Isles. Little consolation

Anyway the baby is given to Tiberio Tullius -which is a decent enough man and accepts to fake it was Lysayne and himself son-

Pre-Great war Marcus Tullius (our General Tullius in Skyrim) is the heir to Country Kvatch but he doesn't care much. He has no patience for politics and in the rising years of the Thalmor he wants to join the Legion. His parents agree on the condition that he will give them an heir because they dont want to lose the "we are the HoK descendeants" honor, Marcus agrees. He's not a very present husband but it's what you can expect from a marriage of convenience.Valania Tullius is born, Marcus join the Legion and for when the Great War happens he's General. He has a second son he calls Octavian around the end of the war or right after that. Everyone knows his story from that

Valania Tullius proves herself talented in enchanting, illusion and alteration. She's probably the most suited of her family to ruling and nobility life but she still leaves to study at the College of Winterhold (in fact, she's the first Tullius to arrive in Skyrim) and spends years there. The title of Count/Countess of Kvatch fall in the hands of some distant cousin probably. She does the College of Winterhold questline, rebuilds the College as Arch-Mage and other magic related quests like Shalidor Labyrinth, helping Neloth and the Undeath mod questline on the good guys side/stopping the ritual. She usually travels with Teldryn Sero as bodyguard and love interest while she fights with alteration and illusion (Apocalypse Magic mod)

Valania is a very high-class lady being born in nobility but years and year in Skyrim made her understand nords very well, altought not always LIKE them. She loves elegancy and cyroodiil habits and has an account opened with Radiant Raiment, visting them when she's in Solitude and having clothes and jewels sended to her from Cyrodiil. She has also an habit to address people as "My dear" but despite her spoiled appereance she's very adaptable and takes no shit. She coul swim in a pool of mud in an ancient ruin and look dignified. As Archmage she exchange letters with all court mages and other magical institutions. She has also a strong momma instinct

Octavian Tullius is her younger brother. He knows magic too but only fire magic and only in a military use. Like his father, he's a soldier of the Imperial Legion, unlike General Tullius, he craves power and promotions. Despite this tho he's honestly loyal to the Empire, thinks the cause is righteous and can be very rutless with who takes arms agains the Empire but his ambition will not make him betray the Empire or his values

Like he can put rebels corpses as example and then go to help this random farmer who has nothing to pay him back because it's the right thing to do. He simply has an abit to demonize who takes arms against the Empire. At the same, he wants promotion and will plot to take power in the ranks but if he has to choose between saving the Emperor with his body and letting him die and become Emperor he will take the blade for him because that's HIS emperor and he swore loyalty and DAD HAS RAISED NO QUITTER

Out of legion affairs he has "bitchy bastard" or "helpful" as only moods. Or horny pansexual idiot. Would totally drink a coup of milk in the middle of Windhelm

Gives the Forsworns back their land with King Madanach in exchange for Forsworn accepting to be yes indipendent from Skyrim but still a province of the Empire and their magical support in the next great war, Madanach accepts because Madanach is smart and why the fuck should he care about Tiber Septim worship being outlawed anyway

It's Octavian a good person? MEH. That's up for debate I suppose, but he generally does always good things for Tamriel, from stopping Lord Harkon with the Danwguards to put the bleeding province back under peace and normal life which is what the average nord farmer Jim wants

Dragonborn canon suck so Octavian ruins Hermeus Mora plans. Octavian and Mora are direct enemies, Octavian has a good relationship with Meridia, he did not interacted with other princes (he has done the Namira quest but he never talked with Namira becasue has soon as all the cannibals were reunited he killed them and saved the priest) (Also Molag Bal isn't around from ESO here, he's been replaced by @the-sixth-house-unmourned prince oc)

Disliked Serana a lot at the start of Dawnguard but now they're friends and he admires her a lot gonna call it character development when he stops trying to murder all undeads on sight.

Had a duel against Ulfric

Ironically, he was kinda scared to become a new Ulfric when he discovered himself the Dragonborn. Phaarturnax helped him discovering how to search for personal power/ambition without being consumed by his dragon soul

His back is covered in long scars after the final battle against Alduin

And that's all I think, my Skyrim worldspace has some differences from game Skyrim because I like lore despite considering canon an optional guide so I consider things like the old nordic pantheon and the original cities and climates that Skyrim had in Arena. But I'll probably make another post about that

#the elder scrolls #skyrim #oblivion #imperial legion #skyrim empire #oc: valania tullius #oc: octavian tullius #oc: lysayne

[juun-the-aira-mun]

600 Follower Giveaway and Follower Forever!

Listen up, everyone!

It has been three long, long years since I started my journey on tumblr and I have gone an incredible way from the beginning. When I started I didn’t expect to even get a doozen followers and now look at where the blog has come to (even though it is still as deserted as back then most of the time).

SO now I want to say “Thank you, everyone.” Some people have helped me outside of this blog, in a certain sense in reallife, others have given me a lot of fun with the roleplays I have. There are a lot of followers I really owe a lot to in one way or another. And while I can’t say thank you to everyone, I can still direct certain people further below.

To that I am going to make a Giveaway that is directed at OCs in the community moreover than the people who play canon characters. While this sounds harsh on said people, I want to give OCs a bit of love or try to at least. I know how hard the community can be on them and how little some of them get no matter what so I think this gievaway will be justified. More about this will be posted relatively soon, hopefully during this very week even.

So, now to the specific thanks that I will direct at people around. Some might be a bit surprising as the people might never have interacted with me, others will very well be no surprise at all. I just will tag everyone I think I should make a note on! And while I usually see these things swamped with tags at all followers, I think I will pass on that for now!

@thecatofdarkness Hey sis :3 I mean, really, my shipping partner, my sister in soul or mind or whatever you want to call it, the one I often have to say “Donchu dare” to in all sorts of variations. If I were to not put you here first, I think I should be leaving this blog right now. I am allways happy with whatever you do for our muses, for me and whatever you message me with to tell me. I adore Ren and our conversations and am more than happy that a thread of a cheeky teasing cat evolved in a more than complicated and incredible detailed relationship. You listen to me rambling and groaning and are there when I need someone to talk to. Really, I can’t thank you enough. So thank you. Just thank you for being there.

@shukuchiisms Tales of Ice, flametales, do you remember these names? And how luna was a Skyrim muse way back? Or a fluffball that you would cuddle before the blog reset that turned her into a bloodsoaked monster that now has to deal with a Shadowlady that annoys the heck out of her and at the same time makes her melt? Holy hell, we never really got to any roleplays. All of our msues history is entirely set up in IM alone and yet it all makes sense. I love your character, I love talking to you and I allways grumble that we barely talk with each other anymore. I really, REALLY hope you come back to your bloga s an active member of the community and as the goofey idiot you sometimes are that gets bitten by his muse who definitly did not try to kill you with that. Thank you for sticking around with me.

You two were the ones who kept me in the blog. If you hadn’t been there, I would probably have abandoned the blog for real 2 years ago. Thank you. A round of applaus.

@crystals-angel Hello owo Remember me .3.? Yes, we barely talk. Yes, we had both our differences and our nice conversations. And yes, we basically talk apart from each other a good 40% of the time. But you are still a person I am happy to not have missed back when I found your blog. It is already so clouded as to how that happened that I am almost sure that it was just a random blog recommondation that caught my eye but what came of it is still incredible valuable for me. I was sad when you ahd deleted your blog back then and I was happy when I found you on skype and you reopened your blog. Your muses are diverse, Fawniss is a total goof that can sometimes just be described as adorable and at other times is just badass. I am happy for our interactions. And I really hope that we can talk more and interact more in the future.

@thecelestialchibi1 Muhahaha, I bet you weren’t even expecting me to tag you here :3c Or maybe you were. Knowing you, you weren’t and since you don’t roleplay anymore or use tumblr it wouldn’t really surprise me xD But you are still here. You are one of these people who I could just take and shake for half a minute while giving you a lecture about why you are awesome and you shouldn’t hate yourself or dislike yourself or ... whatever there is else you could think about yourself that is negative. You are an awesome person and I hope to see you again around in the future. For now there will be more patting and pouting in Discord though!

@castdeath Well, this one is actually surprising. I feel like we parted in a more negative way than I would like, but I am convinced that we can work through that ... somehow. I hope we can set these differences aside. We only did one single play so far but that one was very much important to me. I don’t get to play Aira in her AU that much. And I only that oen time got the chance to actually play her out the way she is. I hope we can return to being friends. I really do. (I also hope you are fine by now. Fucking storm sucking out all joy of the stuff we had going just from the time it forced you away).

@properbalance Boop :3 While the origin between us will remain a mystery, I have come to like you and come to like talking to you a lot. You are very hard to get a hold of though, one day ypou will be there, the next you will be gone for half a year to never be seen again. Just to pop up out of nowhere. I hope we will find the ways to do things in the future. But for now I will gladly focus on the idioticiy that we are doing anyways and will look forward to whatever idioticy we can brew up from thing air from now on xD

@staardusts You are probably the one who just jumped onto this list the most recent. You are the only Soraka-mun who ever had taken the time to show interest in my muse, the only one who bothered enough to actually think would could go on. And to add to that you are so incredibly nice as a person that I simply love talking to you in private. I hope things brighten up for you and I hope that we can continue and build up something special!

@littledesertsparrow I mean ... you and your muse are both adorable in their own ways. So far I had nothing but fun talking with you. Well, disregarding the one thing with my clinginess. Sorry for that once more, I am trying my best to change it currently. Your Taliyah is very unique and I think you play her in a one time way that noone else would be able to achieve. Even though I still don’t know how you managed to start shipping Darius and Taliyah. Then again, I managed shipping Elise and Quinn >.> Don’t ask how. I really, really hope we can make some things happen in the future between our muses and maybe between each other as a person as so far I just had a blast talking to you and sending things in for you to answer. And yes, I know this wording is weird. I am not good at social interactions :3

@rinidinger We abrely ever talked BUT you are one of the reasons I even started this entire blog xD I still have the old things I tried to make for an Ingame Model for Rin somewhere on my PC. Even though we did indeed never interact and there were only a handful of conevrsation, it is very easy for me tos ay thank you for your character and what you did for the community. You and two other blogs alone inspired me to start roleplaying here. And I made lots of friends due to that!

@asknasus-thecuratorofthesands Youuuu are probably dead. I think. I am not sure. But your blog is dead for sure. Thank you for the memories and the time our muses shared. They have helped develop my muse a lot and I am more than grateful for you to accept me just jumping in your inbox as if our muses knew each other and just going with it unlike other people who I did it back then with long before IM were even a thing and plotting was new to me. You helped my character to develop and it pulled it through the earliest stages of the blogs development. Thank you, kind sir. You helped me a lot.

@lillium-the-scout I ... think I should put you in this list as well. I have no clue what happened back then. I don’t know what the entire drama was that you were involved witha nd I honestly care little for it. I am not even sure that the mun I am tagging here is the same mun who played with Aira back in the early months’ of the blog. But for the chance that it was, disregarding every rumour and every bad reputation: Thank you for back then. You were one of the first roleplay partners I had. Even though in hindsight the entire starting ship was a terrible idea. I stilll want to thank you for the experience.

@askspiderqueen  I have to thank you for the single interaction we had with our muses. It might not make a lot of sense but it showed me a lot of things about hwo I paly my character and what she does. I really, REALLY want to interact and talk to you more, but I fear our muses just won’t work out. Elise being pissed and Aira having no real reason to ever visit the Spiderqueen. maybe I will find a way in the future. For now I thank you.A nd silently hope you might eba ctive again. Because your character is a lot of fun to read.

@noxian-rose We literally never roleplayed and we barely talked because I am shy as hell and SCARED like hell to approach you. But your character is amazing in the way you play her. I have been watchng your rolepalys in the past with excitement and am allways happy to see you on my dash. It pulled me back into roleplaying a while back. Thank you for that. Maybe things will come by in the future.

@shorthammertime And at last the mun I literally allways feel like I upset them when they suddenly stop to reply. I think of all the people on this list, you made me laugh most. Your muses are incredible, your love for them is noticeable and you yourself are just a fun person to talk with. I still hope that we might roleplay someday with each other. When I can’t tell. But I can at least hope.

Honorable mentions: These are a few people that I wanted to mention because they give me life in their roleplays or because I roleplayed or roleplay with them. Because I enjoyed our conversations or anything otherwise similar. Thank all of you for what you have given me. I will cherish it. Promise.

@ladyem-s-grimoire @verum-exsolutus @lustful-heavens @sexydeceiver @the-demacian-pariah @grabthelantern @maiden-soraka @the-everchild @ask-xayah-therebel @seliniakocharitos @sacredtempest

Thank all of you so much. Let’s hope that the future stays bright.

#ooc #mun things #follower forever #I think x3 #thank you all

[tastesoftamriel]

A pinch of moon sugar (a long tale by Talviel)

Fredas, 22nd of Sun’s Dawn, 4E 207. I left the walls of Riften regretfully, looking over my shoulder as I set down the road. It had been a whirlwind past few days, with my mother’s illness and Lisandre and catching up with the Guild and Brynjolf. I wanted to hang up my apron and dawdle, but that was not to be. Time was crucial to me, as I had been summoned by Count and Countess Caro at Castle Leyawiin to prepare a feast for the birth of their son, and I had about two to three weeks in the saddle ahead of me. I had never been so far south in Cyrodiil before due to my working time constraints while there, and was excited to have the opportunity to both cook for the nobility and explore the area around the Niben River and Elsweyr to the west.

After spending much time with Khajiit merchant caravans travelling through Tamriel, I was intrigued by their native land, even though it lay in Aldmeri territory. As I began my long journey south, I bumped into M'aiq the Liar again. We spoke briefly, and when I told him I was planning on visiting Elsweyr, his face lit up like a Yule tree. “Truly, you wish to see the warm sands of my homeland? M'aiq has many friends through Elsweyr. Simply say my name at any town and you shall find good company.” He grinned, though I remained dubious. He wasn’t called “the Liar” for nothing, but as I had no contacts in Elsweyr, I decided it was worth a shot and made a mental note of what he had said.

I made it to Leyawiin in good time, three days before the planned feast. I worked with the castle chefs on a banquet featuring the best of Tamrielic cuisine that I knew of so far, to cater to the guests that came from far and wide. House Caro was an ancient family and were proud of their bloodline, and despite their out of the way town, had managed to promote racial harmony after hundreds of years of tension between the Imperials, Argonians, and Khajiits who called Leyawiin home. The fortressed town was busy with commerce, from book sellers to tailors and smiths. The Fighter’s Guild and Mages Guild held strong influence, with many from Black Marsh and Elsweyr travelling from their homelands to join their ranks. And of course, the Thieves Guild was present and flourishing. Shadowmarks graced almost every door and awning, and a notable number of people walked through town brazenly in their Guild armour. Brynjolf would definitely be proud that Riften’s influence had made it all the way south in the few short years he had been Guildmaster.

The day of the banquet rolled around. Over a hundred guests filled the halls of Castle Leyawiin to meet little Marius Caro II, the future Count of the bustling trade town. “He’s got a challenging and busy future ahead of him,” his mother the Countess said, as she fed him from her breast on her throne. The visitors were seated in the early evening, and treated to a ten-course dinner ranging from Skyrim roast beef and Imperial pastries to Redguard tagine, Breton duck in orange sauce to Khajiiti spanakopita. Not a belly left the dining hall feeling other than stuffed and satisfied. The Count handed me a generous pouch of coin for my efforts and promised to put in a good word to all the nobility in his circle. I thanked him profusely and went to bed at one of the taverns happily, feeling the swell of pride I always got when my cooking was appreciated.

The next day, I wandered the town, but found nothing of particular interest. It was time to move on. I spoke to a Khajiit baker about the possibility of crossing the border into Elsweyr, and she strongly urged me to go. “This one must ask a favour of you, traveller. In Alabaster, my family waits of word from me. I cannot afford a courier. Could you please pass them this letter? They will give you food and lodging for word of this one’s good health and safety.” I agreed, relieved to have a contact in Elsweyr at last. The baker, S'turra, marked my map with directions and gave me a large loaf of potato bread and some buns to eat for my journey. With that, I shouldered my satchel and hopped on Roach, spurring her west. Alabaster was but a day’s ride from Leyawiin, so I set out at a quick trot, eager to finally catch a glimpse of Elsweyr with my own eyes. Khajiit had always intrigued me as a child, with tales of their homeland of warm sands and moon sugar and their descriptions of their strange architecture and tribes, and most importantly, their food. I had only encountered the lives of men and some mer, and being put out of my comfort zone entirely gave my heart a little thrill.

I crossed the Niben River and reached the walls of Alabaster in the late afternoon. The town, like Leyawiin, was fortressed, with docks to its south serving as a trade route to the Summerset Isles and carrying passengers directly to Senchal. The smooth white walls towered overhead, casting a shadow over me as I trotted up to the main gate. “What business do you have here in Alabaster, traveller?” One of the guards asked, clad in light leather armour. “I carry word from S'turra the baker in Leyawiin, who wishes for me to visit her family.” “Ah, this one knows S'turra. Continue straight through the city and turn right at the big moon sugar factory, then left. You will see a great lodge by the pond belonging to matriarch Dra'varra, to whom you should speak. Welcome to Elsweyr, friend.” The guard opened the great gate for me, and I rode into the town proper. I tried not to gape in awe at the raised wooden homes with peaked roofs, the smooth white cobblestones that mirrored the outer walls, and the hundreds of Khajiit who milled around, ignoring me as they went about their daily business. Unlike elsewhere in Tamriel where they were forced to assimilate, they wore comfortable clothing suited to the southern climate, and pierced ears glinted in the sunlight while heady spiced perfumes graced every fur. None but the town guards carried weapons; after all, who needed a sword when they had claws? I tried not to gape in wonder as I took everything in, so foreign from everything I had ever known.

Alabaster was known for producing a fruity spiced ale for centuries, and I was keen to see how it was made as my good friend Lisandre in Skyrim was in the middle of setting up an ale brewery on her property near Falkreath. After my business with S'turra’s family was done, I planned on finding its recipe, probably with a bit of bribing in store. Not to mention, I was eager to explore the town right down to its last alley to drink in the sheer wonder of it all. Clipping down past the sickly sweet smelling moon sugar factory, I rounded a corner and came across a massive lodge, sprawling across a swampy area and overlooking a large pond. I dismounted from Roach and walked over to a Khajiit who was pruning some bushes near the entrance. “Greetings, foreigner. Are you lost?” “No, I was told to come here by the town guard, and S'turra. My name is Talviel of Riften, and I have a letter from her that I’m meant to deliver to her family.” I said, pulling the scroll from my satchel. The Khajiit’s face lit up. “Truly, you bring word of my cousin? Dra'varra is inside, let this one take you to her.” I followed along a maze of corridors, and was met by children and adults alike who greeted me with questioning looks. Finally, we stepped out onto an open porch, drenched in sunlight. A Kahjiit woman sat in a comfortable looking chair, engrossed in needlepoint. “Dra'varra, this foreigner from Skyrim brings word of S'turra.” Dra'varra looked up from her embroidery and squinted at me in the harsh afternoon sunlight. She dismissed S'turra’s cousin, and beckoned to me. “Come, child, sit. Dra'varra does not scratch. What news do you bring of my daughter?” I passed her the scroll, and she read it in silence. Finally, she sighed and tucked it into her pocket. “Thank you, stranger, for bringing this to me. I am glad that S'turra is well, but I fear for her in Cyrodiil. For this deed Dra'varra thanks you and offer you my family’s hospitality. Is this your first time in Elsweyr?” “Yes, it is, honorable Dra'varra.” I nodded, remembering the name Dra meant that she was a respected older woman. “Then come, let this one show you my home and my family. I believe it is much different to that of your homeland.” She said, standing up.

Dra'varra was tall and lithe despite her brood of fifteen children of varying ages, and the younger ones ran through the house. In fact, the property itself was home to most of her extended family, ranging from cousins to those who married into the clan. I was introduced to a large number of various Khajiit, whose names I almost immediately forgot due to the foreigness of them all. They all greeted me with pleasant smiles, and I was hustled into a parlour for some traditional apple tea, sweetened with moon sugar. Despite being served in small glasses and being absolutely delightful, the moon sugar made my head spin. As with anyone who wasn’t a Khajiit, the moon sugar played tricks on the brain. “Are you alright? You look pale.” Dra'varra said with concern. I smiled, trying to figure out how not to be impolite. “I…I’m not used to the partaking of moon sugar. It does funny things to us foreigners.” Dra'varra slapped her forehead. “This one forgets, she has not hosted a foreigner in many years! You do not have the tolerance for moon sugar. Dinner will be difficult, as all dishes of Elsweyr are prepared with it. I wish to extend my hospitality but alas have no idea what to feed you for dinner now! My humblest apologies. Are cheeses palatable to you? I can have my servants prepare you cheese and fruit, maybe some dried kagouti also, but as it is now almost time for dinner we have no time to prepare you your own meal.” “Oh, please don’t worry about me, honored one. I love cheese, it's my favourite food. In fact, I would love to see Khajiiti cooking in action.” Dra'varra stared at me quizzically. “I’m a travelling chef, you see. I’m wandering Tamriel to learn of every cuisine I can and bring them to others across the continent.” I explained. “Why, delightful! Dra'varra and her clan would be most pleased if you could prepare us food of what you have learned during your travels. We do not often see foreigners in Alabaster and have not had a chance to taste much of the world.” I agreed, and ate my dinner of cheese and fruit and bread with the family, promising to cook for them the following day.

In the morning, Shamiz, the Khajiit who had introduced me to Dra'varra, accompanied me to the markets to find ingredients (“The merchants will rob you blind if not with Khajiit”), and took me on a brief tour around town. I bought a few bottles of Alabaster ale, which I sent back to Skyrim for Lisandre. The fish from the port was fresh and the array of southern spices, which differed from those sold in Hammerfell, were fragrant and mouthwatering. After much bartering and hissing, Shamiz escorted me back to the house, where I began to set up in the kitchen. To my surprise, a small crowd of Dra'varra’s relatives had assembled, ready to see the strange northern outsider cook. “What will you be feeding us, friend?” One of them piped up. “Well, since there are so many of you, I’ve planned a whole banquet menu.” I rattled off the dishes I would be serving, and was met with murmurs of intrigue and delight. “May this one help you?” A young boy asked, tail swishing. “Me too, me too!” A teenage girl chimed in. Soon everyone was clamouring for my attention. “Alright, I’ll take on three assistants to help with the washing and chopping and stirring. As we say in the north, too many cooks spoil the broth.” The first three children who volunteered were my assistants for the day. I showed them how to julienne vegetables, Imperial style, and laughed when they gasped as I flambéed steak Diane. But most of all, I was asked the question, “Where is the moon sugar?” I had to patiently explain that foreigners didn’t eat moon sugar as it made us ill, which caused much confusion.

Dinner rolled around and over thirty hungry Khajiit assembled themselves around the dining hall. Unlike other parts of Tamriel, the Khajiit did not sit at one or two long tables, but rather a few smaller circular tables seating about five people, sitting on the floor cross-legged on colourful cushions. My proud assistants helped to serve everyone, as I explained each dish. To my surprise, each table had a bowl of moon sugar, which the Khajiit sprinkled liberally on their food. “Is the food not to your liking, friends?” I asked, concerned that I’d made something unpalatable. “No, no. We Khajiit just cannot taste the food well without moon sugar.” Dra'varra said, stirring a healthy pinch into her Potage Le Magnifique. I shrugged, sitting down to eat without the help of any moon sugar. Dessert was Skyrim jazbay crostata, which pleased everyone greatly. Yet at the end of the meal, Dra'varra waved a paw at one of the younger children, who brought out a large tray of some sort of candy. I bit into a piece, which was a delicious, slightly salty caramel sprinkled with nuts. Yet after a couple of shards, I felt my head start to spin. “What is this?” I asked. “Moon sugar brittle, most traditional of Khajiit sweets! Do you like it?” The serving boy smiled. I nodded uncertainly, and fell over in my seat. Faintly, I heard the room of Khajiit laughing and felt strong hands carry me back to my room.

I woke the next morning feeling slightly nauseous, and was greeted by Shamiz, who had brought me some strong coffee to wake me up (free of moon sugar). I wandered through town once more, scaring off any potential pickpockets, skooma dealers, and scam artists when I lied that I was with the Skyrim Thieves Guild and flashing my knife. All in all, Alabaster was a nice town, albeit not a very big one, so it was time to move on. I booked passage to Senchal on a boat, and made my way back to Dra'varra’s home. Thanking her and her family profusely for her hospitality, she gave me a warm furry hug and told me to come visit anytime I was in the area. I promised that I would, and rode to the docks with Roach. I didn’t normally like people immediately, but the Khajiit of Elsweyr were truly something else. I was going to settle right in, thousands of miles from home.

#khajiit #elsweyr #fanfic #fanfiction #alabaster #leyawiin #cyrodiil #the elder scrolls #tes #tes blogging #geek #nerd #games #gamer #gaming #moon sugar #chapter 9

[ariannadi]

The Bonds of Siblingship

Part 8 of my Skyrim fic! :) In this installment, Farkas gets to know Marly better for the sake of his brother.

Vilkas was the happiest Farkas had seen him in quite some time, and it in turn made Farkas happy.

It was no secret among the Companions that his brother was a notable sourpuss, and while such a fact still remained, Marlyna had definitely improved his disposition.

"She drives me crazy," he had confessed one evening with a sly smirk, "But, in a good way." 

The pair were equal parts hot-headed and stubborn, which made them a perfect match in Farkas' eyes. It was only natural that the man poke his head into their affair every now and again, just so he knew his brother wasn't being toyed with.

Neither seemed to appreciate him popping in on them when they were necking in a secluded corner, however. He'd had a number of items flung at him in response.

And one evening, when the opportunity had risen to find out more from Marlyna's perspective, he hadn't wasted any time in taking up the challenge.

"You know I'd join you in a heartbeat, but I promised I would help Kodlak with his research this week," Vilkas said to his woman apologetically while they were all seated for dinner. Farkas instantly perked up at the conversation, leaning over just a tad so he could pick up on the bits and pieces.

"It'll be dangerous," Marlyna sighed. "And everyone else is busy with their own jobs. Perhaps I could ask my brother's housecarl for assistance..."

Farkas nearly jumped from his seat, marching over to the woman and announcing in a single breath, "I'll assist you, sister."

Marlyna blinked at him, and Vilkas regarded him with a questioning look. 

"Farkas, you don't even know what my assignment is," Marlyna argued.

Farkas wasn't fazed by the statement, instead offering her a shrug. "Don't matter. You need a shield-sibling, I'm here to help."

"Brother, you have a job in Falkreath, yourself," Vilkas pointed out, looking annoyed.

Again, Farkas shrugged. "It's just roughing someone up for being an ass. I'm sure Njada can do it while she's out. Anyway," he tilted his head at Marly, "Whaddya say?"

Marly glanced at Vilkas, who just sighed in defeat, then turned back to the bigger twin. "Well, if you're up for taking on an underground vampire coven up north, then you're more than welcome to join."

Farkas' disposition instantly fell. Bloodsuckers. It had to be bloodsuckers, of course.

They ended up departing Jorrvaskr two days later; Farkas having woken Marly before dawn so they could get going as soon as possible. Vilkas had been up to see them off, of course, and ultimately delayed their departure by a good fifteen minutes. It took Farkas chucking an apple at he and Marly to get them to finally stop swapping spit.

Now the unlikely pair were on the road, Farkas antsy with the millions of questions he wanted to ask Marlyna. She must've picked up on this, for eventually she turned to him with a sigh, asking, "Is there something on your mind, Farkas?"

The man wasted no time; firing off his thoughts in the matter of seconds with an excited smile.

"So are you happy with my brother? Vilkas can't keep his eyes off of you. He acts like he's not watching whenever you walk by but I see him. He's been smiling a lot more, too. That has everyone in the hall talking. The only time Vilkas really smiles is when he kills something big. But nope, one look at you and he's just all smiles."

Marlyna was laughing by the time he finished, which he supposed was a good thing.

"Yes, Farkas. As stubborn and blunt as your brother is, he makes me happy as well." she replied, her eyes rising toward the sky above.

"Good," the man said, his chest swelling with pride and relief. "Just wanted to make sure. I like you, Marly, but Vilkas is my brother. Just wanna make sure he's not being played."

Marlyna turned to glance at him then, a questioning look on her face. "Are you saying that's happened before?"

Oh. Farkas hadn't even considered that coming up. Then again, he had kind of just told her.

"Well... Vilkas doesn't like when I bring it up..." he said sheepishly, scratching at his beard.

"Farkas..." Marly prompted him, and the man let out a deep sigh.

"Just... don't tell him I told you, okay? He'd probably tan my hide." Taking a deep breath, Farkas then began his tale.

"We were about twenty-three summers, and both of us had just become members of the Circle. Naturally we thought we were hot shit, and with the beast blood we started turning to the ladies around town to alleviate the harsher symptoms."

"It's no wonder I've been getting dirty glances from every female in town," Marlyna snorted under her breath.

Farkas flashed a smirk her way, then proceeded with his story. "That continued for some time, and then this girl came to town; Greta. She was pretty, and sweet, and Vilkas really liked her. She had him wrapped around her fingers. They talked all the time, and he would take her outside the hold to show her things. Pretty soon they were completely serious about each other, and we were all certain he was gonna ask for her hand."

Marlyna was frowning when he glanced down at her. "But...?" she inquired.

"But, turns out she was a no good, dirty, rotten thief. She pocketed a number of valuable things from the hall one night and fled, and Vilkas woke the next morning heartbroken. Aela and I ended up tracking her down eventually, and I taught her a lesson she'd never forget. You don't mess with my brother. You just don't."

"Something to remember," Marly said with a smile, and Farkas nudged at her arm with his elbow.

"I don't think I need to worry about you. You put Vilkas in his place when he's being a horker, but you also make his heart pound. You're not too sweet, or nice, so you're not suspicious," the man reassured her.

"Hey! I am too nice!" Marlyna whined, and Farkas just playfully shoved at her - nearly sending her to the ground in the process.

"Says the woman who dumped a tankard of ale on Torvar when he used her bow without asking," he argued, laughing at her offended expression.

"He deserved it." Marly grumbled, jutting her lip.

It took them two days to reach the location of the vampire coven, and in that time Farkas and Marlyna became closer than bread and beet stew. Marly was more than willing to answer any questions thrown her way, and didn't even blush at the more risqué ones. 

"Not a fan of vampires?" she ended up asking of him as they made their way down through the icy cavern.

"They're vile. They feed on anything that suits them. Plus they're a hell of an enemy to take down. And the thralls, don't even get me started on the thralls."

"And yet you wanted to join me in taking down a coven," Marlyna teased, prompting Farkas to roll his eyes.

"Okay, you caught me. I just wanted to get to know you better for my brother's sake, and I figured this would be the best way."

"You couldn't have just sat me down and asked?" Marly deadpanned, but went silent and yanked Farkas aside when an unknown person came into view.

"Great, and we're not even at the heart of the cave yet," Farkas grumbled as he looked upon the figure.

"I can take that one out with my bow," Marlyna offered. "If we're lucky we won't draw attention to the others who may be around."

"By all means, sister," Farkas agreed, then watched as Marly loaded her bow with an arrow and quickly fired at the individual. They toppled over in an instant, a startled garble the last sound they would emit.

"Pretty sure that was a thrall. Dammit," Farkas spat. "My guess is that they're patrolling the tunnels, while their captors are rooted at the center."

"Then we'll just have to keep moving," Marlyna said, proceeding forward.

Farkas' hunch ended up being correct, and thankfully there only ended up being a few vampires residing in the cavern's depths. Taking them all down definitely took longer than a bandit or thief would, but the pair managed - looting the area of goods before heading up to the surface once more.

"Farkas, you were bitten," Marlyna gasped once they came into proper light. The man looked down at his arm, which, sure enough, had two distinct punctures that were leaking blood.

"Well, would you look at that," he said, uninterested.

His companion quickly sunk to the ground, pulling her pack off her shoulders in the process. "Hang on, I think I have a poultice or something..."

"Marly, I'm fine. If there's one benefit to being a werewolf, it's that we don't contract diseases," Farkas explained.

The woman looked up at him, obviously confused. "You don't?" she questioned.

Farkas shook his head. "Nope. Got nothing to worry about. Now you, Marly, if this had been a flipped situation, would be in a deep shit. We'd have to find you a specific potion before the disease took root."

Marlyna seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Well, thank the Divines it was you, huh?" she replied with a smile.

Farkas puffed out his chest, looking entirely pleased with himself. "Always here to be your shield, little sister. Don't you worry."

"We're back!" Farkas announced to those within Jorrvaskr the moment he and Marly stepped inside. The only people present were Ria, Aela, and Vilkas; the former two just eyeing Farkas curiously before going back to their conversation. 

Vilkas, who was reading at a table in the corner, set his book down and rose from his seat the moment they approached him.

"So you are. You were successful, I gather?" the older twin asked.

"The whole coven is eliminated. They won't be a problem for the people of Winterhold any longer," Marly answered.

Vilkas nodded, his expression relieved. "Good. And, ah-" he moved toward Marly in a predatorial fashion, one hand slyly shifting to her hip, "-I don't have to worry about a potential bloodsucker for a lover, do I?" he asked, his voice a near-purr.

Marlyna flashed him a smile. "Only one pair of teeth has ever touched my flesh, dearest wolf," she whispered back, Vilkas' eyes sparking at the implication.

"Oh, for the love of... you two are fucking, we get it," Farkas quipped in exasperation, and, going ignored, turned away before he audibly hacked at the couple’s sweet nothings.

Likes and reblogs are soooo appreciated!!

#Skyrim #Vilkas #Farkas #The Companions #The Elder Scrolls #The Elder Scrolls V #The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim #Jorrvaskr #Marlyna #Vilkas x Marlyna #fics #fanfiction #fanfic

[templardragonknight]

The Stormcloak Bible DEBUNKED PART 4 (Is Ulfric A Power Hungry Dick?)

In the fourth part of his project of a holy book (http://colonel-killa-bee.tumblr.com/post/69194871525/stormcloak-bible-part-4-is-ulfric-a-power-hungry), the author says why he thinks Ulfric should not be considered just a power hungry dick, but a power hungry good guy (someone who wants power for the sake of his people). But in a nutshell (as I am going to explain) yes he is power hungry and yes... he is a dick. Not JUST a power hungry dick, both power hungry and a dick. Colonel-Killa-Bee’s entire post is based on the idea that someone can not be a “power hungry dick” if he/she trully believes in what he/she says, however the opposite is shown both in TES Lore and real life history. Don’t believe me? Then do some research about the lives of Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler, as these men who arguably became some of the most brutal dictators in history (along with Mao Zedong) truly believed in the ideals they managed to spread, and still did not hesitate to ruthlessly persecute anyone that got in their way, even if the persecuted were part of the groups Hitler and Stalin fought for. In other words Hitler and Stalin were clear examples of leaders who did believe in the causes they fought for and cared about the groups they fought for, but still wanted to do it in a way that gave them more and more power and influence. This is also seen in the Thalmor themselves, as you do not have to be a genius to know that the Thalmor trully believe that what they do is the best for the Altmer (after all they believe the Altmer are superior to all races and the righful rulers of Tamriel), however in the series of books “Rising threat” (https://www.imperial-library.info/content/rising-threat) it is shown that the Thalmor persecuted, exiled and even assassinated Altmer individuals that opposed their beliefs (Legate Fasendil, an Altmer, also reveals this). So the fact that someone believes on what he/she is saying does not mean he/she is not a “dick”.

First the author tries to prove that Ulfric did not assassinate Torygg by using a UESP developer’s comemnts regarding Sybille Stentor’s dialogue. Yeah, Colonel deadass just ignored what as not convenient for him here, but I will get to that later. He then claims that that Ulfric wants to fight for his people, and not only for self gain, by using one of his speeches, and this is one of the most ridiculous ratiocinations one can make. Following this ratiocination, the Thalmor want the best for Tamriel, what is exactly what Elenwen (the First Emissary of the Thalmor in Skyrim) says if the player asks the right question during “Diplomatic Immunity” (https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Elenwen_(Skyrim) ) and seek only to help Skyrim, to guide its people through this time of transition, to help lead them to a better future... what is exactly what Ancano (the Thalmor "advisor" to the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold) says if you ask him about the Thalmor (https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Ancano_(Skyrim) ). To SAY something is always easier than to DO something. You judge na individual by his ACTIONS, not by his WORDS (because one that does something will defend it, but one that says something may not want to DO it). With this said: Ulfric says that he fights for the freedom of his people, but when Galmar says “If he is not with us, he is against us” Ulfric will reply with a “He knows that. They all know that”. And if the player does the Civil War questline, Ulfric will soon decide to force Balgruuf to pick a side… all of this while he says he wants his people to be free and while Whiterun was NEUTRAL and Talos worship was even allowed. Before you ask: yes, the Stormcloaks were preparing to attack Whiterun since the beginning, and the proof of this of this is the Whiterun Stormcloak Camp:. Unlike the Whiterun Imperial Camp, the stormcloak camp will exist since the beggining of the game while the imperial camp only spawns if Whiterun is taken by the Stormcloaks  and if the player goes to the location before Battle for Whiterun, the Legate will just be standing there due to a glitch (https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Whiterun_Imperial_Camp http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Whiterun_Imperial_Camp https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Whiterun_Stormcloak_Camp https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Whiterun_Stormcloak_Camp), what proves that the rebels were thinking about directly attacking Whterun when the empire was not. And when Balgruuf sees that Ulfric will stop at nothing in order to expand his own position and get what he wants for Skyrim, no matter how much blood is unecessarily spilled, Balgruuf joins the Empire. And before anyone cries about that “Whiterun is on a strategic position! The Stormcloaks need it!” thing, it simply does not matter because, since Balgruuf tries to be neutral, not even the imperials benefit from Whiterun’s position, and attacking it just because it does not support the Stormcloaks is just a way to say that you do not care about the freedom of Skyrim’s people unless it is done your way, that you care more about expanding your territories and winning the war. In other words, it shows Ulfric is an authoritarian ruler that only wants freedom for those who directly support him and his ideals. That without mentioning how Talos worship is supposed to be the main reason of why the Stormcloaks fight in this war, and it was legal on a neutral Whiterun.

After this, the author talks about how simply talking to Torygg would be “stupid”. He says that it would be suicide to try to convince Torygg right at “the belly of the beast”, as he could get arrested for treason. Then we can see that stupidity on this statement: to speak to the High King and try to persuade him at the “belly of the beast” would be stupid as he could get arrested for treason, but killing the High King  at the “belly of the beast” was courageous and honorable. Yep, logic is overrated. In fact Torygg’s death just made the war wrse, as it is revealed by Hadvar at the very beginning of Before the Storm: Dragonborn: Who are the Stormcloaks? 

Hadvar: You haven't heard of the civil war in Skyrim? I guess down in Cyrodiil people have other things to worry about. It's pretty simple. Ulfric founded the Stormcloaks years ago, as a sort of private army to advance his ambitions. He's always used the ban on the worship of Talos to stir people up against the Empire. He never succeeded in getting much support, so a few months ago he murdered the High King! That got the Empire's attention.

Basically Cyrodiil was barely paying attention to Skyrim’s Civil war until Ulfric killed Torygg, essentially making the war worse than it already was, murder or no murder.

Then the author tries to justify Ulfric by mentioning the Skyrim’s laws and traditions, which I admit woul be a good argument... if Ulfric himself respected such traditions above anything else, but he doesn’t. Don’t believe me? Then lets also take a look at the dialogue between ulfric and Galmar as soon as the player returns to tghe Palace of Kings to finish Joining the Stormcloaks: Ulfric: "Tell me again why we're wasting time and dwindling resources chasing a legend. We don't even know it exists!" Galmar: "The Jarls are upset. They don't all support you." Ulfric: "Damn the Jarls." Galmar: "They demand the Moot." Ulfric: "And damn the Moot! We should risk letting those milkdrinkers put Torygg's woman on the throne? She'll hand Skyrim over to the elves on a silver plate."

And that without mentioning what the man says if you ask him about Elisif:

Dragonborn: Why did you kill the High King?

Ulfric Stormcloak: I killed Torygg to prove our wretched condition. How is the High King supposed to be the defender of Skyrim, if he can't even defend himself?

Dragonborn: Some call you a murderer.

Ulfric Stormcloak: I challenged him in the traditional way, and he accepted. There were many witnesses. No "murder" was committed. True, he didn't stand a chance against me. But that was precisely the point! He was a puppet-king of the Empire , not a High King of Skyrim. His father before him perhaps, but not Torygg. He was too privileged and too foolish, more interested in entertaining his queen than ruling his country.

Dragonborn: And what of his widow? Doesn't she claim the throne?

Ulfric Stormcloak: Indeed, Elisif has become Jarl of Solitude, historically and conveniently home of the High King, backed by Imperial interests. But the Moot has not yet met to name her High Queen. And they won't. Not as long as I have any say in it.

Read the last piece of dialogue again, but slowly.  But the Moot has not yet met to name her High Queen. And they won't. Not as long as I have any say in it. So what was it about Ulfric respecting the traditions again? Ulfric directly disrespects the jarls and the moot (which is part of the nord traditions, something Colonel-Killa-Bee admits when he says that “Either Torygg agrees to the duel and he wins, and a moot is held, which Ulfric would have won due to being the winner, since Elisif likely would back down out of fear to him, or Torygg doesn’t accept, and Ulfric has a good chance of winning due to Torygg looking weak“ and that “ Either way if the Empire did not interfere, Ulfric may very well have been the new High King. ” and lets just ignore how Hadvar’s dialogue reveals the Empire barely intervened in Skyrim before Ulfric killed Torygg , or how Ulfric himself does not want the moot to be convened while there are still jarls who don’t support him, completely disrespecting the nordic traditiosn regarding the moot in the process. “Muh but Elisif does the same“ we are talking about Ulfric here, not Elisif, and I am not claiming Elisif would be a perfect ruler (because quite frankly she woudn’t). “This does not sound like the workings of a savage to me. It sounds like one who knows his people’s politics and knew how to play them well.“ yes, one who uses his people’s politics and “plays them well“ in order to try to reach his objectives at all costs, no matter how many people are unecessarily killed in the process. Definitely not savage, is it?

Next he says that Torygg would have never joined Ulfric’s cause thanks to what Solitude’s Court Wizard says, when she says Torygg might have joined Ulfric (even if not the way Ulfric would want him to do), but he acts like if she said that there was no way Torygg would pay attention to Ulfric’s toughts (once again, logic is overrated). This without mentioning that, as the events of TES V show, the Empire does not arrest Stormcloak supporters unless they are actually captured in battle. The proof? Solaf (http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Solaf), Bolund (http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Bolund) and Thongvor Silver-Blood (http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Thongvor_Silver-Blood). These three nords live in cities that were controlled by the Empire in the beginning of the game, and none of them hides their support for the Stormcloaks (I know, Thongvor’s brother, Thonar, bribes guards to ignore the Silver-Bloods, but this Family is still the most influential and famous one in Markarth, and Thongvor’s claims would not go unnoticed by Jarl Igmund). But what is that? They are not in jail! How interesting.

The author then tries to say that what is mentioned in “The Bear of Markarth” happened because the Thalmor made Ulfric do it… when in fact Ulfric only joined those nords after Jarl Hrolfdir requested his help. Regarding Braig, I will admit I was previously wrong about what Braig revealed, or Colonel-Killa-Bee’s interpretation of this event, and I have come to hate the Markarth Incident card as an argument on this debate, but this does not make him right because Colonel-’s logic here is “Braig’s daughter was killed after Ulfric was arrested, so what people say about what Ulfric did in markarth are not true”, which is incorrect thanks to some simple facts:

1- The Bear of Markarth is an in game book, and as such it does reveal some important pieces of the Lore unless it is directly contradicted by another book or a non partisan dialogue.

2- The Bear of Markarth is never directly contradicted, and in fact Nepos the Nose’s dialogue reveals that the part of Ulfric executing every reachman officer is true.

Of course these two factors do not necessarily mean that every single word of the book are true, but thanks to what I said I can conclude that, by now, we are unable to know which claims of the book are exegarrated or not, which makes me call using the book as an argument against Ulfric and acting like if there was no way of it being true as pure bias.

And about the “Ulfric misused the Voice” thing: it does not matter much, because by using such power to defeat Torygg, Ulfric intentionally wanted to make the duel unfairly easy at his advantage, which may very well have been the reason some call him a murderer. So even by the point of view of nordic tradition, Ulfric was a coward to do so. In fact it may or may not be against the nord traditions, since the non dragonborn nords have not used this power outside High Hrothgar, as we have no definitive evidence that it is or it isn’t forbidden by now. In fact, even if it is part of the nord tradition it would not justify what Ulfric did, because it was in practice no duel. Think about it: no one that witnesses the duel, and not even Ulfric himself, claim that Ulfric and Torygg engaginh on clashing and slashing of steel like Ragnar the Red and Shield-Maiden Matilda, Kjoric the White and Asurn Ice-Breaker or Jorunn the Skald-Prince and Fildgor Strong-Prince did (for more information on these last two duels, read https://www.imperial-library.info/content/crown-freydis and https://www.imperial-library.info/content/brothers-war), all that is mentioned in game is Ulfric using the Thu’um to have the upper hand against Torygg, regardless if Ulfric used his sword to deliver the killing blow or not. If they had ended up fighting blade to blade, it would be mentioned by someone somewhere... but it isn’t. Thanks to this, I can conclude that Ulfric used the Thu’um at the very beginning of the “duel”, before they had the chance to fight blade to blade. In other words: in practice it was no duel but an execution, what certainly contributed for some to claim Ulfric murdered Torygg. Now had Ulfric spared Torygg just like how Jorunn spared Fildgor and demanded a new moot, all of this could have been avoided and the war could cave ended there, but as it shows rational thoughts are far from being a characteristic of Ulfric Stormcloak.

Next he says the author of “The Bear of Markarth”, Arrianus Arius, supports the Forsoworn, when that is actually not true (and shows Colonel-Killa-Bee’s stupidity and how he does not properly interpretate a text, at least when it is not convenient for him) if we actually read the book in wich he shows his findings about the Forsworn: https://www.imperial-library.info/content/madmen-reach if we read the damn thing we can see that everything he said is that it is innacurate to say that the Forsworn are “bandits”, since they do not care about gold and only claim to be able to rule “their lands” once again. Arrianus Arius was not justifying the actions of the Forsworn, but explaining them (it’s different). Personally I am no fan of the Forsworn, but it is interesting how the logic of the Forsworn is similar to the logic of the Stormcloaks. Think a bit: “You want to know who the Forsworn are? We are the people who must pillage our own land [...]We are the true sons and daughters of the Reach. The spirits and hags have lived here from the beginning, and they are on our side” this part was taken directly from the book;  "This was our land. We were here first. Then the Nords came and put chains on us. Forbid us from worshipping our gods. Some of us refused to bow. We knew the old ways would lead us back to having a kingdom of our own. That is who we are. The Forsworn. Criminals in our own lands. And we will cut a bloody hole into the Reach until we are free."- Madanach. Do these dialogues remind you of a certain line of dialogue heard in the Palace of the Kings? Not making any theory here, just make your own conclusions about this part.

#Ulfric Stormcloak #Speech #Liar #Hypocrite #Whiterun #Balgruuf #Empire #Talos Worship #Torygg #Duel #Sybille Stentor #Thum'm #Unfair #Coward #Barbarian #Murderer #Nonsense #Markarth Incident #The Bear of Markarth #Jarl Hrolfdir #Braig #Forsworn #Thalmor #Elenwen #Ancano #The Stormcloak Bible DEBUNKED

[gta-5-cheats]

Gadgets 360 Staff Picks: What We Bought, and Loved in 2017

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Gadgets 360 Staff Picks: What We Bought, and Loved in 2017

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Looking back at 2017, we rounded up the favourite gear that the Gadgets 360 team bought over the year, with phones, game consoles, and some offbeat items as well. Here’s a look at everyone’s favourite gadgets from 2017.

Abhinav Lal: OnePlus Bullets (V2) Of my few tech purchases this year, the OnePlus Bullets (V2) earphones stand out. The earphones thus far have served me well, offering balanced sound, a comfortable fit with plenty of different sized earbuds to choose from, pretty decent hands-free reception, and solid build quality across the board. They look quite good too.

Buy OnePlus Bullets (V2)

Aditya Shenoy: MacBook Air After patiently waiting for sales on e-commerce sites, I managed to pick up the one gadget that I have been waiting for: the MacBook Air. I wanted one since I started working but the price always put me off. I managed to buy the updated MacBook Air on PayTM for Rs. 44,250 after all the cashback and discounts. At that price, the MacBook Air was a no brainer.

After using the laptop for close to 3 months, I can say that it is probably the best purchase I made this year. It is lightweight and is easy to carry during my commute to office. The processor is powerful, 8GB of RAM helps me multitask easily, and the battery life is simply impressive.

Buy MacBook Air

Akhil Arora: Nintendo Switch Of all the purchases I made this year, the red-and-blue Nintendo Switch has been my favourite. I can’t imagine why anyone would opt for the dour, colourless grey Joy-Con scheme. For someone who spends two to three hours on the road the days I commute, it’s been worth it simply for that time. Instead of spending it reading (mind-numbing and frustrating) news on my phone, I’ve invested that time in games that make me smile, laugh, or cry.

The Switch is perfect for on-the-go entertainment, not just because it has been the source of some of the best games this year in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, and Mario + Rabbids, but also because you can pause at any moment, unlike TV shows and movies, which I’ve never been too fond of viewing on small screens anyway. It has its flaws, as the battery life and internal storage aren’t great, but that’s fine. It’s turned my most useless hours into the most fun.

Buy Nintendo Switch

  Aman Rashid: Beats X 2017 has been the year of the death of the headphone jack. Almost every other top tier phone manufacturer doesn’t have a headphone jack on their flagship device. And that brings me to my best tech purchase this year: the blue Beats X. Initially I used to think that the transition will be difficult, but I’m glad I went the wireless route. The audio quality is great, the fit is comfortable and it charges from 0-100 percent in like 20-25 minutes.

And on top of that, I’m able to squeeze out two days of use from them on a single charge. Though it’s true that wireless earphones have their own set of disadvantages and on top of that to get a decent pair of them will cost you around Rs. 10,000 – 12,000. But if the price is not an issue then I can surely say the Beats X won’t disappoint.

Buy Beats X

Ankit Chawla: Mi Air Purifier 2 I live in New Delhi and we have been plagued with the world’s worst pollution for the past few years. After reading up on the benefits, I picked up a couple of units of the Mi Air Purifier 2 for me and the folks.

There are better air purifiers in the market but this one hits the sweet spot with the price and its minimal UI. Setting it up is super easy and everyone at home is now hooked onto the Mi Home app, tracking PM2.5 levels all day. And, yes, we had a safe Diwali this time around.

Buy Mi Air Purifier 2

Gagan Gupta: Amazon Echo It’s a tough year to single out a single tech purchase that has been a game changer for me, since there were just so many of them. But gun to my head, I would pick the Amazon Echo. I was a bit concerned when I picked it up at launch, and I did have some trouble with the app initially, but now it’s a very crucial part of my bedroom. It reads out the news to me when I’m up, it plays ‘morning music’ when I’m getting ready for work, and it even keeps my kid entertained without having her to look at a screen for extended durations. Though I don’t use it as often as I would like, it rarely disappoints when I ask it to do something. It has inspired me to make my home ‘smart’ with the Echo speaker as the main control point.

Buy Amazon Echo

Gopal Sathe: Nintendo Switch After a lot of hemming and hawing, I bought a Nintendo Switch this year. Nintendo’s newest console reminds me a lot of my favourite console ever, the PS Vita, but with the added advantage of letting me plug it into the TV and game on the big screen without buying anything extra. The ability to start playing from your couch, and then just pick up the Switch and keep going is amazing, and makes even a (nearly) seven-year-old game like Skyrim shine again.

Buy Nintendo Switch

Jagmeet Singh: Apple Watch Series 2 While Apple launched the anticipated Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE support earlier this year, I bought the Apple Watch Series 2 as the new gadget in my bouquet a few months back. I didn’t find it worthwhile to spend more on the Series 3 as its standalone voice calling feature is not yet available in India. Moreover, I can get all great features of the latest Apple Watch version right on my wrist – even at a lower price.

The Apple Watch Series 2 has a water-resistant build that makes it a perfect wearable for daily use. Also, there is a built-in GPS antenna that provides me with accurate distance and speed measurements. I’m not a fitness geek, though. There is a large number of watchfaces, and I own various wristbands and cases to personalise my Apple Watch. The best thing about the Apple Watch is its seamless connectivity with an iPhone. This is something that convinces me to pick my Apple Watch each day I leave my home. The Watch offers me real-time notifications as well as allows me to attend voice calls or reply to new messages or emails without bringing out my iPhone.

Buy Apple Watch Series 2

Jamshed Avari: iPhone SE 64GB People are often surprised to hear that I don’t buy every single top-end phone that comes out. The truth is that while I do love using the latest and greatest devices, I have a mental block when it comes to spending so much money. This year, I picked up a iPhone SE 64GB online at a great price right around the time that it was being phased out, which means it was already a year old. I think it offers tremendous value, with pretty much the same hardware as the iPhone 6s.

It’s going to receive iOS updates for quite a few years and the processor handles all my dozens of apps without any hiccups. It takes great pictures, though this is admittedly one area in which it lags behind more up-to-date models. Apple finally got its entry-level pricing and storage capacity strategies right, and I wholeheartedly recommend the current 32GB and 128GB models every time they’re discounted online.

Buy iPhone SE

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  Naina Gupta: LG Q6+ This year, I decided to change my smartphone that had already started to look old and dated. After going over the endless smartphone options satisfactorily, my eyes stopped on LG Q6+, which was launched this year. The LG Q6+ packs a FullVision display that has an 18:9 display aspect ratio. I am more of a person who loves binge-watching shows on my phone and this year’s hotly adapted trend of larger-than-usual mobile displays came as a delight with Q6+.

Other that this, I love clicking photographs on my phone as the camera is good enough for novice photography (I’m not a good photographer). The only thing that concerns me is the battery life, but this doesn’t stop me from loving this phone.

Buy LG Q6+

Pranay Parab: Apple AirPods I bought the Apple AirPods in 2017, thanks to a sale that brought its price down to Rs. 9,000. Initially I was too scared to use it while running (“What if it falls?”, “It’s not waterproof, will sweat damage AirPods?”) but since when did that stop a Gadgets 360 staff member from taking a chance? That is how AirPods became my favourite headphones for listening to music while running. Now I sync music to my Apple Watch Series 2 and go for a run without my iPhone. Yes, that means I’m out of touch with people when I’m out running but it’s good to be offline once in a while. From short 5km tempo runs to half marathons, I’ve run all distances with the AirPods and faced no issues. That’s why AirPods are my favourite purchase of 2017.

Buy Apple AirPods

Ravi Sharma: iPhone 7 Having been in the Android camp since I purchased the Moto Defy in 2010, I finally decided to move over to the iPhone side this year. Though not a fan of a closed ecosystem and not much impressed with iOS on my iPad, I still decided to go with iPhone 7 because I was tired of replacing Android phones once a year.

iOS on the iPhone 7 offered more features than I expected it to, and several synergies with the iPad that made working on two devices very cohesive. The iPhone 7 experience has been good enough so far to make it my favourite purchase of the year, ahead of the Amazon Echo Dot.

Buy iPhone 7

  Rishi Alwani: Xbox One X Last year I singled out what was known as Project Scorpio – Microsoft’s answer to the PS4 Pro – as 2017’s hottest piece of tech. Now known as the Xbox One X, it’s delivered on most of Microsoft’s promises. From cutting-edge visual fidelity in current titles like Halo 5 and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, to the ability to play games from the original Xbox that released back in 2001 like Crimson Skies and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it’s my favourite tech purchase of 2017.

The Xbox One X has more or less replaced everything else that I usually game on when I’m at home. All that’s left is Microsoft India to realise that there’s real demand for iterative consoles (if sales of the PS4 Pro here are any indication) and release it here officially. Something for 2018 perhaps?

Buy Xbox One X

Roydon Cerejo: Sony MDR-1000X Call it a weird coincidence but like last year, my best tech purchase this year has also been a pair of headphones. This time, it’s the mighty Sony MDR-1000X noise cancelling cans. I’ve been itching to get my hands on either the Bose QC35 or the MDR-1000X for a while now, but when I found the Sonys for $299 (roughly Rs. 20,000), it was simply too good a deal to pass up. Other reasons for leaning towards the Sony more intuitive controls (touch-based) and the high resolution codec support (LDAC) for music. It’s only been about two months since I got it but so far, it’s been absolutely fantastic.

Buy Sony MDR-1000X

Sandeep Kumar Sinha: Vu 39-inch Smart TV After surveying the market, I found the Vu 39-inch Full-HD Smart TV as the best bet for my living room. The TV has a bunch of web services, including Netflix and YouTube among others, that mainly inclined my buying decision. And once I installed it in my room, I observed that apart from these integrated services, there are many good features that makes the Vu TV a compelling option. The A+ Grade IPS panel produces decent colours. The TV also has three HDMI ports and two USB ports that are enough to connect the screen with other devices. Further, the stereo speakers on the TV produce decent audio across my room.

The most attractive point of the Vu TV however is its affordable price, which is significantly lower than the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony.

Buy Vu 39-inch Smart TV

Shubham Verma: Amazon Echo When Amazon announced that its Echo smart speaker range is hitting Indian marketplaces, I was completely convinced to get myself a unit out of the first batch of Amazon Echo. I got my Amazon Echo speaker in the beginning of November and have been using it sparingly. The personal digital assistants such as Google Assistant, Cortana, and Siri are already available in India where Google’s Assistant enjoys an upper hand, solely because Google and its services are driven heavily by the behaviour and usage patterns of Indian users. Having tried all of them, it was time to unbox the newcomer (to India), Alexa.

Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, has been adapted to suit to multiple Indian accents for English, along with integration with Bollywood, English, and other Indian regional music. Alexa’s promptness to listen to my voice, even from a reasonable distance, is quite admirable. Talking about the speaker itself, Amazon Echo is pretty decent at filling a particular space in your house with loud, clear, and distinctive sound.

Buy Amazon Echo

Yousuf Jawed: Apple Music 2017 has been more about app purchases and subscriptions for me. The one app to which I am consistently subscribed to is Apple Music. I used Airtel Wynk and Play Music, but Apple Music is the app which I like, for many reasons.

It has a nice UI, I can also see what my friends are listening to, and it help me to share their music taste and vice-versa. The music recommendations made by the app serve me well and are quite useful most of the time. It’s been six months since I got it, and I’ve no plans to change in 2018.

Get Apple Music

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