#elder scrolls essay

[shivering-isles-cryptid]

The Theocratic Papers

Bit of background before you read these, these are 4 essays written by me in character for what I believed should have been a third option in the Skyrim Civil war. Also, warning, this was proofread but no spelling or grammatical errors were brought to my attention so I’m not sure if there are any or not, and it’s very long. Very.

Also here it is @nerevar-quote-and-star and @stormbeyondreality the complete thing, even though Mal has already read it all.

You can also find this on Ao3:

My fellow citizens of Skyrim. Our land has been plagued by a brutal war that has deprecated not just our home, but families. That’s why me and my comrades are proposing a third option. We shed our imperialized form and return to the glory days of the Old Nordic pantheon. The glory days of Kyne and Shor, Tsun and Stuhn, of Jhunal and the Testing Gods.

Now, i understand that this will be a difficult choice for many. The Imperials have had a grip on Skyrim for centuries, and we do not expect for it to change over night. But we do believe we can get there eventually, with the grace of Jhunal. In this document, we shall list the many reasons why we believe neither sides of this war are truly good options, and why we think you should join with us in returning to the true glory days of Skyrim.

Point 1: the Sins of a Stormcloak

The first issue we wish to bring to light is the sins and crimes committed by the Jarl of Windhelm. This list is by no means small, and many of them were well hidden by him and those using him.

First, the Markarth Incident. The Reachfolk took back the city, which was stolen from them in the first place, and treated all of the Nord residents fairly, allowing them to live their lives as if nothing changed. The Empire wasn’t going to do anything about it, as they were already spent from the Great War, and trying to keep the Aldmeri Dominion at bay. They had bigger enemies to worry about than some Skyrim natives fighting over land. But Jarl Hrolfdir decided he wanted his castle back, so he contacted Ulfric and told him he would allow Talos worship in his city. So Ulfric gathered a militia and ransacked Markarth, slaughtering women and children’s n’s every single Reachman in the city.

Stuhn teaches us the value in keeping prisoners of war. But Ulfric slaughtered all of them. Man, woman, child, none were spared by his harsh hand. This one example shows the cruelty in Ulfrics heart, as he took the kindhearted Reachman who merely fought for their homes and never harmed a single Nord that didn’t attack them first, and he massacred them all. That is what truly happened. It was not a Markarth Incident. It was a Markarth Massacre.

I have personally interviewed a Nord resident of Markarth who was present for this event, and his story will further support our argument.

“I was there when the Forsworn took the city. It was not a blood full battle, with the Legion having left us for the Imperial City. They dethroned Jarl Hrolfdir, instead of executing him. They lived in the city, occupying empty homes instead of removing us from ours. I remember them all, reuniting with family and friends, making new friends and starting new families. I watched children grow up, seeing elders die, and couples wed. 2 years they lived alongside us, families mixing and growing. Then he came. Ulfric, wielding powers long forgotten. He invaded the city, alongside a militia of farmers and mercenaries. And the dethroned Hrolfdir. Ulfric gathered every Reachman in the city to the city square, executing each and everyone of them. Man, woman, child, elder, it didn’t matter to him. They were all killed, save for Madanach and the few who escaped. He even killed Callacha, my sweet Callacha.”

At this moment, the man broke into tears at the memory. This quote acts as a first person account of the true event of the Markarth Massacre. Ulfric is no hero, he is a battle thirsty, power hungry man who doesn’t deserve any kind of power, much less the power of the Voice. And once our informant finished mourning his lost love, he continued to explain to us that despite the victory, Ulfric refused to cede the city to Hrolfdir until he decreed that Talos worship be allowed in the city. When the Thalmor agents came and demanded Ulfrics arrest, many of the cities residents demanded Hrolfdir agree.

Ulfric killed their friends, their families, and almost took control of their city, and then faced no punishment until another invading force came and demanded it. Ulfrics actions not only caused the deaths of hundreds of people and the ruin of countless lives, but he directly caused the Thalmor to occupy Skyrim, which they hadn’t paid any mind to nor did they enforce the White-Gold Concordant.

Second, Ulfric murdered the High King of Skyrim. This is a topic under heavy debate across Skyrim. The Stormcloaks argue that it was an honor-duel, a tradition that dates back to the first kings of Skyrim. That is something I can not argue with, as a challenge was made and accepted. But that does not mean Ulfrics victory followed the rules of the duel. Ulfric used a power not seen by any but the Greybeards for hundreds of years. His use of the Thu’um to kill Skyrims High King is an affront to Kyne and a bastardization of her gift to her people.

The Thu’um May once have been used by Nords the way swords are used today, but that day has long since past. Once upon a time, magicks were used by the Norse under the watchful tutelage of Jhunal, but that day was long ago, and has been replaced with a fear and hatred for the ancient arts. Would the Stormcloaks defend Ulfric the Murderer with as much fervor and fury if he had used a spell instead of a Shout? Would they still declare him king if he had used the gift of Jhunal instead of the gift of Kyne?

No, they wouldn’t have. And I ask you, dear reader, what is truly the difference between the two arts? What is the difference between flames from you hand and flames from your mouth? Moving back the High King Torygg. We hold members in our ranks who work in the Solitude Court, and their accounts of Torygg show that he agreed with Ulfric. He believed that Skyrim should be an independent nation, and that the Imperial Empire had grown weak.

But Ulfric challenged him anyway. And yes, I will admit that Ulfric couldn’t possibly have known of Toryggs beliefs, but if he had just given him a chance. If he had pleaded his case first, instead of jumping on the chance to challenge the young man. This challenge held no glory, no honor to be won. Torygg was young, with little martial training, and Ulfric was a war veteran wielding an ancient power from the Gods themselves.

All who die in worthy ways go to Shor, on the wings of Kyne and her daughters, but because of Ulfric, Torygg will be going to him young, dishonored, and without the wisdom of age.

Thirdly, Ulfric caused the return of the dragons, however unintentional it may have been. We all know of the Dragonborn. The hero who bears the soul of a dragon and the body of a mortal. We grew up on the stories of their return, on the stories of Alduins destruction of the world. And we all know the prophecy.

When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world.

When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped

When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red-Tower trembles

When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding

The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn

Those last two lines are the ones I’d like to bring a focus to. “When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding. The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn.” Our scholars have spent wells analyzing this prophecy, and they have come to the conclusion that the Snow Tower refers to Skyrim herself, a bit obvious once you look at it, and once we learned that, it was obvious what the other words meant.

With the death of High King Torygg, Ulfric set the final part of this prophecy into place. By killing the High King, he left Skyrim “sundered, kingless, bleeding.” He opened the path way for Alduin to return, setting in motion the end of the world. While he also set in motion the return of the Dragonborn, if the Dovahkiin had failed, all of Nirn would have fallen under his control.

Ulfrics lust for power and hunger for glory has placed not just him, not just Skyrim, but all of Tamriel in danger! He had endangered everyone in his quest for glory with no concern of the consequences. While he may not have known he would cause Alduins return, even the political backlash from the Empire, Thalmor, and Skyrim itself weren’t considered by Ulfric the Murderer.

All of these reason, and more we may not know yet, are why Ulfric is not fit to rule Skyrim, or even Windhelm. He has shown a blatant disregard for the lives of the Nords, and even though he claims to hold the values of a traditional Nord, he only follows the ones that support him and his lies. He calls for an ancient duel, then uses magic to win, he calls for religious freedom so he can worship an Imperial god. He lies and cheats when it suits him while preaching about honor and Nordic pride. But do not take my criticisms of Ulfric for support of the Empire, for that has issues of its own.

Point 2. Imperial Issues

The issues with the Legion are easier to list, as they have been happening for centuries, unlike Ulfrics all being within the past 20-30 years. Many of our issues are not with the legion itself, but with the Empire, much like Ulfric we have members who are war veterans, who fought in the Great War, who even joined the Civil War when the Empire called for them, but were dismissed due to injuries and saw how little the Empire truly cares about Skyrim.

The first thing we should discuss is the Great War. This war weighed heavy on many people in Skyrim, and all of Tamriel, with the deaths of loved ones and almost themselves. This war with the Aldmeri Dominion is not an issue itself. The Dominion is a blight and that is plain for us all to see. Their head god is the killer of Shor, and they talk as if they’re inherently better than the Nords.

Our issue is not with the war. Our issue is with its conclusion. During the siege of the Imperial City, Emperor Titus Mede II sacrificed an entire Legion so he could escape. He then called all of the troops from Hammerfell and Skyrim back, leaving the provinces defenseless while he marched on the now Dominion controlled Imperial City. Jhunal and Stuhn teach us the importance of strategic planning, but this follows the precedent of the Empire abandoning Skyrim. Much like during the Oblivion Crisis, when our lands were ravaged by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, and yet the Legion couldn’t spare a single legion to help. Yes, they had they’re own issues to deal with, but they couldn’t even send a militia?

Now, back to the Great War, more specifically the treaty that ended it. The White-Gold Concordant was a treaty signed by Emperor Titus Mede II 4E 175, after he had taken the Imperial City back. And it was completed unnecessary. The Empire had won, they had the City back, they had driven the Dominion from Hammerfell, it was only a matter of time before they regained their strength and took the rest of Cyrodiil back.

And they still signed it. They outlawed the worship of the God of the Empire. They gave Hammerfell to the Dominion, without even discussing it with them. They disbanded the Blades, the honor guard of the Empire. This is such an obvious show that the Empire doesn’t care for its citizens, or it’s traditions. They sold an entire country to the Dominion, what’s to stop them from doing it again? They outlawed the worship of the man who founded their empire, why wouldn’t they outlaw our gods? They disbanded the Blades, the personal guard of the Dragonborn, if they would throw out they’re own traditions without a second thought, imagine what they would do to ours?

Secondly, Titus Mede the First was not a liberator of the Empire, but a conqueror and the Mede Dynasty holds no legitimacy to their rule. After the assassination of Chancellor Ocato, a Nibenese witch-warrior was crowned emperor. While he was not liked by the people, he was favored by the Elder Council, who’s duty it is to choose the Emperor. They had made their choice, and as citizens of the Empire it was our duty to respect it.

But Titus Mede did not. He marched on the Imperial City, crowning himself Emperor. He conquered an Empire, not founded. He dethroned the Emperor and went against the Elder Council. This once again shows such a blatant disregard for tradition that we can’t help but fear what they’ll ignore next.

And our current Emperor, Titus Mede II has made our current empire a shadow of itself. Valenwood and Elsweyr have been ceded to the Thalmor, Morrowind has yet to recover from Red Mountain and hasn’t been a part of the Empire since 4E 48, Hammerfell was sold to the Dominion before ceding from the Empire itself, and Black Marsh was lost long ago. The current state of the Empire only includes 3 countries, and they struggle to hold onto even those.

Titus Mede II signed the Concordant which started the Civil War, and he makes no moves to end it, sending one general without an army, with no weapons, no money, and no supplies. He is unfit to rule, as he had proven time and time again. And that’s not even touching on the illegitimacy of his claim to the throne.

Titus Mede I stole his crown, conquering the Empire. Titus Mede II dragged the Empire to the ground. And neither are truly worthy of their titles. The Empire was started by the Slave-Queen Alessia with the help of Kyne and Mara. The Second Empire was started by Reman Cyrodiil, the next in the line of Dragonborn Emperors. The Third Empire was started by Tiber Septim, Dragon of the North. Our current empire was conquered by Titus Mede, a Nibenese noble with an ego.

One of these things are not like the others, with Titus Mede being the first non-Dragonborn emperor to start a new dynasty. Why, in this time of war and dragons, would the Last Dragonborn not be born in the line of Emperors, if they were truly meant to rule? Why would Akatosh not bless the ruling family with his blood if he truly approved of their reign. Because they hold no legitimate claim to the throne. Instead, he gave the power to Skyrim, with the blessing of Shor and Kyne, in order to stop Alduin the Word Eater and set the world to a new age.

The Last Dragonborn holds a stronger claim to the Empire than any of the Mede’s could hope for. And yet they make no grab for power, because they know they don’t have to. They have their kingdom here, in Skyrim. The land of the Nords and home of the Sons and Daughters of Kyne.

Now, while we call for a return to the Old Ways of Skyrim, we understand that many may have forgotten their roots, and will need a reminder. So in the next passage we shall educate you all on the true path of the Nords.

Point 3: Traditions and Customs

A return to tradition can not happen if we do not know our traditions and history. Us Nords are an ancient culture, and our ways date back to the founding of Skyrim. We have many things to cover, so this may be the longest part of the Papers. First, the gods of the Old Ways.

Kyne

The Kiss at the End. Goddess of the Storm. Widow of Shor and patron of warriors. The Mother of Men. She, her daughters, and Parthunaax taught the Nords the Thu’um or “Storm Voice”. Her tears over Shors death were the first rain in Nirn. She is associated with hawks.

Mara

Goddess of Love. Handmaiden of Kyne. Concubine of Shor. Goddess of fertility and agriculture. She is often depicted as a she-wolf.

Dibella

Goddess of Beauty. Worshipped across Skyrim, each of her cults being dedicated to different parts of her sphere. Some are devoted to women, others art, and others the more sensual sides of her. Dibella is often times associated with moths.

Stuhn

God of Ransom. Brother of Tsun, Shield-thane to Shor. Warrior-god who fought against the Aldmeri gods. He taught Men how to and the importance of taking prisoners of war, and is represented by the whale.

Jhunal

The Rune God. God of knowledge and hermetic orders. His worship and teachings have been shunned by modern day Skyrim. He is often times depicted as an owl or has an owl with him.

Shor

God of the Underworld. Shor sided with Men after the creation of the world. Elven gods conspired against him and brought along his defeat, dooming him to the afterlife, Sovengarde. He is the Chief of the Gods. Not explicitly worshipped, for he is a dead god. Shor is depicted as a fox in most cases. And it is commonly believed that Shor would come down to Earth in mortal vessels known as Shezzarines to the Imperials and Ysmir to us.

Orkey

Also called Old Knocker, he is the god of mortality. Nords once held lives as long as the elves, until Orkey tricked us into a bargain that shortened our life spans to 6 years, until Shor removed the curse. Orkey, like the other testing gods, is depicted as a snake.

Alduin

The World Eater. He is fated to destroy the world, eating it in order to make place for the next. He is both a creator and a harbinger of the apocalypse. Many of modern day Skyrim has become very well acquainted with Alduin, due to his return and defeat at the hands of the Dragonborn. Alduin is, obviously, depicted as a dragon.

The Testing Gods

Herma Mora (the Woodland Man) tests the Nords through wit. He is an ancient demon of knowledge, who spent much of Ysgramors life targeting him. He is also called Hermaeus Mora

Mauloch (God of Orcs) tests the Nords through warfare. Mauloch spent much time torturing the heirs of King Harald. He is also called Malacath.

Tsun

The Dead God of trials against adversity. He died defending Shor in battle and now guards the whalebone bridge leading to Shors Hall. He is the brother of Stuhn. Despite being one of the dead gods, when Tsun is honored he is often depicted as a bear.

Now that we have covered the Gods themselves, it’s time to talk about the traditions. One thing that is very important in both the old ways and modern ways is music and stories.

The skalds of old held places of high esteem in our society. The oral traditions and stories they passed down hold the history of our people, and the songs they spun acted as the light in the darkest of days. And with Dibella being the patron of the arts, it is no wonder that the skalds hold her favor.

Another part of our traditions are the ice wraith hunts. In the dead of winter, young men would go to the tallest peaks for weeks hunting the wraiths in order to earn their citizenship. This acted as not just a test of their battle prowess, but as a way to prove their faith in Kyne, for those who’s faith is strong are rewarded with an immunity to the cold.

One very special tradition is the naming ceremony. Where a priest of Jhunal and a priestess of Mara would use omens and prophecy to choose a name for a child during a special ceremony before they’re ninth birthday.

One tradition that is not so happy is the practice of wergild, an act of retribution in Stuhns name. Where if one life is taken, another must be given, or an amount of high value items will be taken as payment, if it is agreed upon.

To bring this back to a lighter note, there are 4 holidays celebrated in the ancient traditions. The first is the Feast of Dibella, where a silver, moth shaped mirror is displayed for the goddess so that she might be drawn in by her beauty and bless the city. Another holiday is Feast of the Dead, where on the 13th of Suns Dawn, a feast takes place in honor of the Five Hundread Companions of Ysgramor. One very special holiday is Konunleikar, which is a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the High Kings coronation, which we sadly did not get to celebrate for High King Torygg as we had not even made it to the one year anniversary of his rule.

One lost tradition is the use of the Thu’um. Like Ulfric and the Greybeards, the ancient Nords were capable of using the Thu’um and shouts since we were created by Kyne. The Ancient Tongues were a staple of Nordic civilization and honored as parts of the society. They were instrumental in wartime and sieges, while also acting as voices for the gods. But that changed when Jurgen Windcaller banned the use of Thu’um outside of times of “true need”.

Windcaller never specified what true need meant, and so the Greybeards, his disciples, sit in their home of High Hrothgar doing nothing as the world falls around them. Tiber Septim did establish the Imperial College of the Voice in hopes to return the practice to Skyrim, but it never amounted to anything.

The funerary rights used by ancient Nords are still in practice in many places today, such as Windhelm, Markarth, Winterhold, Riften, and Falkreath. While Falkreath doesn’t bury their dead in a tomb, the rites used are those done by ancient Mords, albeit with an Imperial twist that honors Arkay instead of Shor. Winterholds burial practices are more similar to Solstheim’s burials as they entomb the body’s in ice using magic only known by the College of Winterhold. Another funeral rite that was practiced by the ancient birds was ancestor veneration, with offerings of gold, wine, apples, snowberries, and weapons being left for them to take to the afterlife. This is a practice still held by many Norse to this day.

Now, we have covered as many of the old traditions as we can, it is time for us to move on to the true point of these essays. How the old ways and help us move into the future.

Point 4: The Future with the Past

We know how we sound, we must return to the past in order to move into the future. But listen to me my brothers and sisters. The Nords have lived under Imperial control since the first empire. Since Alessia, they have tried to convert us to their gods. They have tried to make us forget our culture in favor of there’s, and for centuries they had failed.

We can return to that strength again, if we return to the old ways. The ways of Kyne and Shor, Jhunal and Stuhn, Mara and Orkey. The gods gave us strength, and ever since we abandoned them, we have gotten weaker. Now do not get us wrong, we understand that this can not happen immediately. It will take time for the Nords to return to our old ways, so here is what we suggest.

First, we dethrone Ulfric as Jarl of Windhelm, replacing him with an actual True Nord of Skyrim. Then, we convene the moot to vote in a high king or queen who is dedicated to the old ways. Then, we reinstate the temples to the old gods in each city. Converting the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun to a temple of Kyne, the Temple of Talos in Windhelm to a temple of Shor, we shall open a temple of Stuhn in Morthal, and Winterhold shall be known as the City of Jhunal.

The High King or Queen shall also act as avatars of either Shor or Kyne on earth, being placed as the heads of not just the country, but also the religious practices.

The traditions named previously shall come back to Skyrim, with the naming ceremony and ice wraith hunt being the first to come back. We know that many in Skyrim do not hold the martial prowess for the ice wraith hunt, so we do not expect the first one to take place for 9 years after we take command, as to rightfully train Skyrims people in warfare, to at least take on a wraith.

Skyrims Halls of the Dead shall also be converted into temples of Shor and Tsun, and be open will laces of worship and veneration to not just the gods, but ancestors as well. Outside of each major city, there shall be a spot of nature and trees sacred to Kyne. Hunting is permitted here, as long as you can prove yourself to the goddess and her servants.

Efforts will be made to excavate Labyrinthian, and return it to the great city it once was. We shall also set up a museum to teach about Nordic heroes and history such as the Dragon Cult and the Nordic-Falmer War. With help from the College of Winterhold, we hope to excavate as many Nordic ruins we can, either converting them into cities, burial mounds, or at least setting the dead to rest.

And as for the Thalmor and Empire, they will be given a chance to leave Skyrim or join us, but if they wish for neither then we will make them leave. We hope to avoid war, as enough blood had been spilled during the Great War and Civil War, but if we are left with no other option, then we will fight and we will win for the glory of Skyrim and her children.

Now, one thing that neither side of the Civil War has yet to address is the Dragons. We will not be as blind. With the defeat of Alduin, the dragon threat has been reduced but not eliminated. So we shall create a group dedicated to wiping out the rest of the dragon threat. Under the patronage of Kyne, our Einherjar will eradicate the dragon threat from Skyrim.

This is not everything we wish to do, but it is as much as we can say at this point in the war. We hope this essay has convinced you to side with us against both the False Empire and the Traitorous Stormcloaks. If so, come to the Skyrim Historical Society in Whiterun and present them a copy of these papers and they shall know what to do next.

Published by the Skyrim Historical Society, Whiterun Wind District.

#elder scrolls #skyrim #tes #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls skyrim #Skyrim civil war #the theocratic papers #Skyrim essay #elder scrolls essay #tes essay #Nord #ancient birds #ancient Nordic #Kyne #Shor #Stuhn #Tsun #Alduin #ancient Skyrim #theocracy #Skyrim theocracy #semi theocracy #Nord religion #old Nord religion #what Skyrim should have been #vel talks

[creeperthescamp]

i think one of the least used concepts in elder scrolls lore is its nebulous relationship to truth.

like something i do actually appreciate about that cunt kirkbride's writing in morrowind is that the mythology of the tribunal is allowed to be relatively ambiguous and there's room for poetry and fable and unreliable narrators. there's a strong general tendency in both fandom and dev to interpret lore quite literally and treat every text as reliable sources of fact about tamriel even when the text is like. fiction or written with a clear bias towards certain factions or prejudices.

the main example I'm thinking of is the 'notes on racial phylogeny' lore book. it's literally just racist pseudoscience and in a real life context would be considered unreliable and deeply offensive. but in tes, i rarely see anyone stop to actually consider that perhaps this lore isn't really a factual study of how bodies work but about how the imperial empire categorises the people it colonises and justifies it's supremacy. there's so much focus on determining the rules and metaphysical aspects of the world that there's no consideration that the way factions like the empire see the world is inherently flawed.

it's fun to think of a world where stars are literal holes punched in the fabric of the sky, or that water is made of memory, but i also think it would be a much more fun and flexible world if these theories are considered to be just a few of many lenses that people in tamriel use to try to understand their world. some of my favourite pieces of lore and world building are things like 'cherims heart of anequina' that imply a rich world of culture and art; i love the idea that tamriel has art and art critics and people who discuss ideas for other purposes than trying to figure out what's The Only True Lore.

#martin posts #tes #morrowind #the elder scrolls #ugh i do not feel that confident in my ability to analyse and write essays on stuff but i like to try anyway #when i started googling stuff i just got more confused and frustrated. these games must be very hard to write a wiki about #i would someday like to put these ideas into better words and gather more evidence. but writing it here is a start i guess

[fisherman-fight]

ROUND TWO

JIANGXUE from GENSHIN IMPACT vs THE LAST DRAGONBORN/PLAYER CHARACTER from SKYRIM

PROPAGANDA:

JIANGXUE - "he only shows up when he’s fishing in the game and you have to fight monsters so he can keep fishing"

"he is strongly implied to be stupid powerful but decided he just wants to fish. might also have been in a gang before but now he’s just fishing, sometimes giving the fish to his chef friend who definitely used to be in a gang."

LAST DRAGONBORN - "The Dragonborn, also referred to as the Last Dragonborn or Laat Dovahkiin, is an adventurer gifted with the ability to consume a dragon's soul and perform Thu'um, or words of power created from the Dragon language. They're part of an apocalyptic prophecy involving Alduin, the World Eater, predicted to return during Skyrim's imminent civil war, and have the ability and duty to stop him. However, they're just fishing. By Talos, they're simply fishing. 380 hours in and they don't even have the Steam achievement yet for joining the Imperials or the Stormcloaks. It's been nine years in game and the civil war hasn't even started yet. Everyone's still waiting on the Dragonborn to pick a side. They have so many pogfish in their pockets they're unable to run. They didn't stop the apocalypse, they simply put it off indefinitely because Mila wants a second goldfish to keep her first one company."

#skyrim players sound off in the notes about your own personal dragonborns. mine is an orc named grogg #genshin impact #genshin #fishticuffs #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #skyrim #the elder scrolls #shoutout to whoever wrote this essay in the submission form for the dragonborn. absolutely hilarious

[tes-trash-blog]

What do YOU headcanon about provocation from Atmorans? Do you think they just immediately started being... themselves even before Ysgr*mor and thus angered the old Falmer, or is there something else you can think of?

Interesting question! Truth be told, I actively don't think about what was the one specific cause!

"But tes-trash-blog! You overthink everything!"

I know! But I think here is where my imagination hits its limit, and where any draws from history would be... Well, it just leaves a really bad taste to me.

What I do keep in mind though are:

The Night of Tears did not happen in a vacuum. No one woke up one day decided to sack Saarthal.

The Atmorans of old were coming to Falmer-Land long before Ysgramor did.

The Falmer may have known of the climate change happening in Atmora, and possibly found out about man-made devastation of the country: deforestation, war, etc. There were likely a few Elves who thought (maybe even aloud) why these people can't go back home and fix the mess they made instead of coming to mess of their home. Nationalism rears its ugly head!

Perhaps attempts to keep the Atmorans from repeating the cycle were met with resistance? Knight-Paladin Gelebor did say the Snow Elves were at constant war with the Nords, though he could have simply been too young to remember a time before the Falmer-Atmoran war.

I do think there was a growing animosity, and altercations that proved violent.

Whatever the final cause was, the march on Saarthal was not a decision made lightly, and while no Snow Elf would be so brazen as to say it aloud, it wasn't as popular a decision as historians theorize.

Nor do I think the Night of Tears was a surprise attack on a poor defenseless village. If I absolutely must use a historical allegory, I'd use the Alamo: not the act of brutality the "remember the Alamo" people paint it as, a bunch of dumb white guys died, the site turned into a nationalist rallying cry, and people still believe the whitewashed version (and ignore that a part of the Texan Rebellion was because white Texans wanted slaves - slavery being illegal in Mexico at the time).

Mexico if you're reading this please take back Texas. We don't want it or its Zodiac Killer senator.

I don't like the theories that the Dwarves somehow tricked the Snow Elves, and I avoid looking at KINMUNE or the Eye of Magnus as a cause. Too MacGuffin-y.

#idc what people say the zodiac killer meme is still funny #look what rolled into the trash bin #the trash talks #the elder scrolls #baseless headcanons #anon you don't have to worry about censoring ysgramor's name i'm a big gremlin #i can handle it #ilu all the same #''oh i don't think about it much'' i said writing out an essay's worth of Thoughts #i do want to keep the 'cause' of the Night of Tears as vague as possible #let the player's imagination run with what could have caused a people as generally Not Asshole-ish as the Snow Elves to -do- such a thing

[nine-blessed-hero]

The more I read about Tiber Septim and what he did with Numidium, the more I think that Zurin Arctus did nothing wrong

#the elder scrolls #tes lore #this thought is like a year and a half late posting from its inception #but I was reminded of it again while reading through the worldbuilding comments I left myself on The Ruby Falls #and the micro-essay of lore delving which inspired them

[luxettenebra]

due to Revan being a Glamfellen in Pillars of Eternity, the thought of her managing to stumble into different fantasy settings is just -- one I think about a lot. because there's a reason Glamfellen are known as pale elves, and it certainly doesn't help matters that their skin is notably lacking warmth

#Ryn rambles #my PoE hyperfixation strikes again #I really really should be working on my essay due Friday #the three I think about the most is Elder Scrolls; Witcher and Tolkien

[troythecatfish]

#the elder scrolls #tes #elder scrolls #morrowind #the elder scrolls morrowind #tes morrowind #npc #npcharacters #video essay #gaming videos #gaming #gaming post #video game #video game posting #crab #time for crab #crab posting #crab time #fantasy creature #fantasy #tumblr recommendations #recommend #recommendation #youtube recommendations #video recommendation #youtube #youtube content #youtube video #youtube link #video link

[inupibaldspot]

So It Matches Your Eyes.

Characters: Gojo Satoru x Reader

Note ₊˚⊹♡ : Highschool!Gojo has a crush on you, idk mane.

To Yaga, this was a sight of fresh air which almost acted a light reminder that his students being so strong and special affiliated with cursed energies where still children.

His four second year students were all under detention after forgetting to make a veil when they carried out a mission. Dealing with the after math which consisted of explains to the elders and finding excuses on how to twist the media had led him to not sleeping for three days! Now he was making all of them write an descriptive essay on why veils are such importance to jujutsu sorcerers . Shoko’s seat was empty though , she was summoned in the infirmary after a third year student was severely injured from a mission, Yaga hoped Shoko didn’t miss out too much of her school days.

Despite, Yaga having a book in his hands as he read through got distracted my a certain trouble maker student, Gojo Satoru. A strong young man born into the esteemed Gojo Clan, blessed with infinity and six eyes was currently looking a certain someone sitting next to him.

You who was always diligent was working on your essay, occasionally closing your eyes with a small pout and when you felt you finally got a point worth writing down,tongue slightly jutting out from the corner of your lips which would make Gojo’s lips curl up as his eyes soften. Ahh young love.

Yaga had noticed how Gojo’s seat would be much closer to yours as compared to the regular seating arrangements, and if anyone Yaga himself would come in early and make changes to the seating, Gojo would always nonchalantly, without fail shift it closer to yours.

“Yaga Sensei, I’m done!” You shouted up from your seat which made both Yaga and Gojo, jump as you rush quickly up to your teacher with your paper which you had your essay written on. “ I’m done so I’ll be leaving. Drama of Haruma Miura will be coming out and I haveeee to watch it live.”

“Wai-!” Ignoring Yaga’s shout you quickly made your way out of the door leaving a trail of dust behind with how quick you were which made Geto laugh at your antics.

Yaga quickly scans through you essay and sighs. It’s well written so I have no place to complain. “Sensei, I’m also done!” Gojo quickly rushes to his teacher and places his paper on his table about to rush away, in a rush to follow you.

Before Gojo could take another step, he felt a tug on his collar as his turns his head to look at his teacher who had a scrowl on his face. “Satoru,I asked for a descriptive essay!”

“Not only did you write me an argumentative essay, your essay completely sided with not putting up a veil because that’s a drag and ordinary people should just suck it up.” Geto sits completely amused, as Yaga never lets go of Gojo’s collar as he continues to shout at him, the way you’ve got Gojo completely following you everywhere with his puppy love was funny as fuck.

You flinch as the door to your slams open which makes you turn your head to find a scrolling Satoru Gojo walk in with his hands in pocket. “ Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

“Beats me.” Despite entering the room like an uncivilized person would gently close the door behind him, he didn’t want more scolding from you. His eyes trails to you who sat on your bed with a small table on your bed, your hand was extended with nail polish es sets on the table. “Weren’t you gonna watch a drama or something?”

You huff as you made sure your left hand was staying still,making sure the mail polish dries properly. “He kisses the female lead so I don’t wanna watch the drama no more…”

Gojo’s smiles, a condescending one in fact as he walks and slowly sits on your bed making sure your nail polishes don’t fall over. “Sucks to be you~” He purrs out his words.

“Hmp! I hope Inuoe Waka gets exposed for having a husband.” You say with Gojo going ‘blah blah’ in the background, smile still plastered on his face. Your eyes look over to his, sharing an eye contact as you smile. “Want to put on some nail polish?”

Gojo peers over. “You gonna apply for me right?” And smiles when you have a nod of confirmation as he hurriedly out-stretched his hand towards you.

“Really? I thought you’d be against it,saying something like this ain’t what men do?” Gojo have no shit to that thought, as long as the girl he had a big fat crush on, holds his hand, a win is a win.

You look over you collection. “What color do you want?.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Maybe blue…a blue which would look similar to your eyes.”

“Beautiful…” Gojo slightly melts as you peer over your collection, your hair slightly covering your face as the evening light from the sun gives your face a heavenly look. “I meant of course! My eyes are a beautiful blue!” He stammers through his sentences as he fights back the heat on his face.

You looked at him with a scowl, what an egotistical brat! Was written all over your fave but then you didn’t say a word as you picked up a color and held his hand, bringing it closer to yours as you start applying the nail polish.

Gojo felt as if the part of his hands which were held were extremely warm, he hoped he doesn’t start sweating. But as he continues to look at you and your eyes which was focused on his fingers, he felt very light, as if this was how it was always meant to be with him being with you and you who looked simply so beautiful as the room was engulfed in a comfortable silence.

“Done!” You smiled as you looked at the nail polish on Gojo’s fingers before your lips curled upwards turned into a pout. “You’re so unfair, Satoru…”

Gojo tilted his head in confusion. “What did I do?”

“Even your hand is so pretty.” You huff as you brought your hands next to his. Gojo’s hands were big yet it was so slim with proper trimmed nails , you had no doubt if he were to become a nail model he’d be booked and busy.

Gojo felt heat rush into his face as he tried to keep his heart from beating too fast as his brain starts to make unconfirmed scenario but in which all of them contained you. “What do you mean ‘even’?”

You looked into his eyes for a brief second as you slowly look away, your cheeks had a beautiful flush to it. “I mean… you’re born into the Gojo clan so you’re already freaking rich… you have such cool cursed techniques, you’re already a special grade sorcerer.”

Gojo bites the inside of his cheeks In disappointment from your answer. As he opened his mouth, about to make a snarky remark you beat him to it.

“You’re tall, your hair always looks good no matter how you style it, your eyes are so beautiful which looked like the limitless skies , you’re also good looking…” you finally look into his eyes, Gojo thought that it was his day to die for a second at how adorable you looked with a shy look into your face. “So it’s unfair that you even got pretty hands.. you literally got everything.”

“…you.” Gojo muttered in a low, quiet voice which you couldn’t understand properly so you titled you head as you have him a confused look, blush still dusted on your cheeks from your confession.

“I don’t have you…” He repeated. “If you were mine then only can I say I have everything.” Gojo had always made many scenarios which was about him confessing to you as he attended class, in his showers, before he slept but this, this wasn’t part of his scenario. This wasn’t how he thought he’d be confessing to you but then the moment now seemed just right.

“I see… I guess that really means you’ve got everything.” You break into a smile as you then put out your hand towards him. “Do you mind coloring this hand of mine?”

Gojo smiles as his heart soars, he tries to control his lips from curling into a smile but then despite being the strongest sorcerer of his generation he is unable to; he was simply that happy, so happy that you reciprocated his feelings. “What color?”

“Blue like yours…So we can show everyone that I belong to you,Satoru.”

Guys I’m kinda proud of this cus even I was giggling, twirling my hair and swinging my legs writing this

#gojo imagine #gojo x reader #gojou satoru x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk x reader #gojo saturo #gojo satoru imagine #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen imagine #gojo fluff

[msviolacea]

why you should play elder scrolls online in 2023

Okay, I've been considering making posts about "why to play X game I love" but finally decided "what the hell, no time like the present." And since ESO is on my mind today, it gets first dibs!

What is ESO??

It's an MMO set in the Elder Scrolls universe - think Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, etc. It's the Elder Scrolls theme park in the same way that FFXIV is the Final Fantasy theme park. But, in the same way, it's not exclusively for people who have experience with the previous games - it's a fun, immersive fantasy world whether you know anything about previous lore or not.

You should play ESO if ...

You like immersive fantasy worldbuilding. Listen, if there's one thing the Elder Scrolls team can do, it's worldbuild like motherfuckers. Do you want a story that reaches back thousands of years and covers dozens of countries/empires/territories, where you can find lorebooks around every corner, and expansive essays on the internet about the briefest of details? ESO has you covered.

You love overland exploration. This is ESO's bread and butter. The explorable areas are expansive and varied and absolutely gorgeous, and the game is built for the player who just wants to travel and collect things and see the sights. Tamriel has pretty much every biome you can imagine - you want medieval Britain? Head for High Isle! You want an Arabic-style desert? Alik'r Desert is your place! Rugged arctic landscape? Listen, there are FOUR SEPARATE Skyrim areas for you. You're like "I just want weird fantasy things that don't look like anywhere on earth?" Vvardenfell and its surrounding areas have you covered. You can explore as you play the story, you can go on a hunt for the perfect screenshot location, you can find an RP location that fits your character exactly, you can make it your goal to complete every exploration achievement in the game ... you can do it all.

You want a game where exploration isn't gated behind your level. ESO made the switch to what they call "One Tamriel" fairly early in their development cycle - this means that all mobs and quests are synced to your level in the overworld, and you can start or go anywhere you want no matter how low level you are. You can play through the storyline in release order, or you can say "I want to start in the newest expansion," or you can go "listen I'm only here for vampires in Western Skyrim," all of these are valid and possible ways of playing. You don't have to go "man the new expansion looks great but I have to put in HOW many hours to get there??" It's all available to you from level 1!

You love decorating houses. Listen, if there is one thing ESO does better than any other MMO (at least the ones I've played), it's the housing system. You can own ALL THE HOUSES. SO MANY HOUSES. Small and large and every conceivable style! You can buy land with no house on it, and build your own structures! You can decorate without having to learn how to glitch or press six buttons at once! And housing feeds very well into the rest of the gameplay - you earn furnishing plans from pretty much every conceivable gameplay system, so it becomes an excellent reason to go do your daily stuff and explore. And the housing community in ESO is one of the most creative groups I've ever seen, I could watch their YouTube videos and streams forever.

You like MMOs that allow you to play mostly solo. None of the story progression is gated behind the need to group up. There is plenty of group content, but it's all optional. There are bosses across the landscape and in public dungeons that require multiple people to kill, but you'll always come across people who want to help kill them without having to group up. And with the last few expansions, you now have companions - NPCs you can unlock and have follow you around everywhere. They can be set and geared to perform any role - tank, healer, DPS - and the AI is good enough at any of those to get you through pretty much anything overland you want to do. (And as a side note, some of the companion quests are really good, and they've been getting really, really good voice actors for the companions themselves - see: Laura Bailey, Brandon Keener - and they have fun dialogue as you wander.)

A couple of caveats:

If you play for story, your mileage will vary. Don't get me wrong, ESO has some very, very good stories within it! But it's not a linear story a la FFXIV or single player MMOs - it has a main storyline for the base game zones, and each DLC/expansion has its own storyline that sometimes connects into what happened in the base game, but for the most part ESO's story is a fragmented experience, and you have to go searching for the stories that connect most with you. Can you find them? Yes, but be ready to put in the time to look. (My personal recommendations? The vampire story that starts in Rivenspire and continues in Western Skyrim and The Reach is my absolute favorite; Elsweyr is also very good, but is more of a direct continuation of the base game story than anything else, so would probably need that context going in. A good portion of the fanbase will cite the larger Morrowind-Summerset storyline as the best the game has, and it's very good, but didn't quite stick with me as much as the others mentioned.) ESO tends to be more about the story of the world at large than about the stories of individual characters.

And speaking of story, the game is absolute balls at directing you to places where starting the story would make the most sense. If you want to experience the story in a vaguely linear fashion, here's what to do when you create a character - immediately head to whatever city is your chosen faction's starting city (Daggerfall, Auridon, or Stonefalls), and wander around until you trigger the "Soul Shriven in Coldharbor" quest. That starts the base game main story, and is the best place to start as a brand new player. The other tip: the fancy striped quest markers are indicative of the "main" story quest in each zone, do those when at all possible.

And speaking of factions, those only matter if you want to play PvP - and only Cyrodiil and Imperial City PvP at that. Otherwise, it's just flavor these days.

In conclusion:

ESO is my comfort "explore and collect" game - I find it very chill to just wander around, level new characters, dig up antiquities (ANTIQUITIES, my favorite side system, seriously I could look for leads and dig things up forever), collect materials to sell in my guild trader, and vaguely achievement hunt while listening to music or YouTube. The scenery is beautiful, the character creation is robust and turns out very cool looking characters, and the combat system is simple enough that I easily remember how to do things even if I've been away for a little while. And it is free-to-play, after buying the game; you don't need a subscription to access anything you've purchased, you just miss out on a few good quality of life features. (The craft bag, I could not live without my craft bag, seriously.)

Some version of ESO will be free on the Epic Game store starting tomorrow - my assumption is that it will be the version that contains all DLC/expansions except the Necrom chapter, which was just released last month. I highly recommend picking it up if you play on PC, just to check it out, if anything above sounds appealing to you! (And if you want to splurge, I can very highly recommend Necrom - the new class it introduces is maybe my favorite class to play yet, the two companions it introduces are fantastic, and Apocrypha is a fascinating area to explore if you like creepy eldritch horror type stuff.)

If you want to know more about ESO, just give me a shout! And if you're a mutual who decides to try it, hit me up, I have many gifts to give people!

#elder scrolls online #eso #i felt like pimping it out this morning #just because

[mothermara]

Betrayal is such an interesting theme woven throughout the lore of the Elder Scrolls- at least, the possibility of grand acts of betrayal towed in the dark undercurrents of many of the series' heroic narratives.

For instance, its generally understood that Mundus, the mortal plane that contains the planet of Nirn, was a project led by the missing god Lorkhan that led to the schism between the Aedra (whom stayed on Nirn and lent their divinity to the formation of life and the laws of nature) and Daedra (whom did not take part in the creation of Mundus and thus retained the full scope of their power and influence) and ultimately led to Lorkhan's death. The details of how and why Lorkhan was killed are filled in by various, contradictory accounts. In the Imperial myth of Shezarr's Song, it's said that some of the Aedra (said to later become the primary gods of the High Elven pantheon) became angry at Lorkhan for convincing them to create Mundus, as it had robbed them of much of their power and killed him as punishment.

Mankar Camoran and the mythic dawn believed the Divines to be nothing but usurpers who had betrayed Lorkhan and claimed his plane of Oblivion (Mundus) as their own, thus Mehrunes Dagon's invasion was actually a reclamation of Tamriel's lands as his Daedric Birthright.

I was going to go on to discuss the parallel themes in the story of the First Council and the Tribunal's ascent to Godhood, but I realized that my ADHD meds finally kicked in and I immediately wasted the mental energy on writing an essay analyzing literary tropes in the elder scrolls. VOLUNTARILY? fuck off

#ezzy.txt #my writing #<- it counts. #the elder scrolls

[flowersandbigteeth]

Hiiii 😭New in blog!

Do you have any tips/source in writing orcs?

Bc planning to do some bc got the spark your fics an inspiration 😩😩🙌

Halllooo! Welcome! 🥰 I started answering this question and it got so long 😭 I could honestly write an essay on this, there's so much to think about. So my candid thoughts are below 👇🏽

As far as pop culture goes: I generally like Durotan in the warcraft movie as my favorite Orc "look". I'm not too inspired by Tolkien's Orcs personally, but technically the DnD Orcs are based on that description. I started out basing my Orcs and half Orcs on the DnD races and elder scrolls online (orsimer are an orc like race) and then it grew into developing my own lore.

The DnD community is great because there are a lot of OCs to consider for reference and spin off games and lore, though (not saying you would, just for those who need to be reminded) you shouldn't steal other people's OCs. You can browse OCs on toyhouse and Pinterest, as well. Warhammer, Magic, and Warframe also have orc type characters to look at for character design ideas. Tolkien originally developed his Orcs from old English monsters, so that would be an interesting rabbit hole to jump down for inspiration.

Aside from the aesthetics there is a big pitfall to look out for when writing Orcs specifically:

Orcs started out as a villain race, but I find that extremely reductive. Orcs deserve culture, art, motives, and a spectrum of personalities. Tolkien's Orcs have been criticized as well as DnD rules about Orcs. I'm not going to do a deep dive into that because there is a lot to parse through. You can look it up if it interests you. There is far, far more discussion on it than I'm going to get into right now.

But my ultra, ultra simplified take away from what I've read is it's important to acknowledge the personhood of any character you write. And that's true for any writing really. Not to say you can't write an orc as a villain, but, for example, there is difference between writing a mindless killing machine and a villain with a personality, motive, strengths and weaknesses, and backstory if that makes sense.

If they are a mindless killing machine, there should be a reason other than Orc=bad. What happened to them to make them that way? Is there a societal expectation that they are trying to live up to? Do they have an internal struggle about it or do they feel justified for their violence? Are they under a spell or brainwashed? Why is that?

Villains are tricky because you want a satisfying ending, the villain may be complex, but they have to reach a point of no return where the hero has to act. So what was it that sent them off the edge? Vanity? Greed? Revenge? Etc.

Separate from Orcs it is a good way to look at all monster writing. As the counterpart to "born sexy yesterday" I think "born evil yesterday" is also kinda blah.

I'm not at all going to say I am great at this, it's often hard to create full, complex characters in short fiction but it's something to strive for. I'm sure I have characters on this blog I could have developed better, but I try to keep it in the back of my mind the more I learn about writing.

It's the same for an Orc hero. Orcs aren't dumb, malleable studs. I personally like expanding on Orcs canon skills (strength, loyalty, stamina, leadership) and flesh them out. Saber is strong, but he's also nimble and charming. Reven is big and can be scary, but is skilled in style and fashion, as well as being steadfast and loyal. Cedar is a warrior but studious and kind. Golmad loves weapons and is a leader but also gentle and good humored.

For visual ideas, I look at a lot of different styles and cultures, but it usually has a lot to do with the environment. I like to look at ye olde hairstyle and clothing ideas relevant to the place the Orcs are from, if that makes sense? Like if they lived in the artic you'd look for cultures that live in cold weather and draw inspiration from the materials they would have at hand for processing, sewing, and decorating.

In general, I tend to lean on more traditional depictions of mountain Orcs, but jazzed up? I don't like ripped, careless dirty rags, but clean, utilitarian and neatly cut leather and furs, as they are big hunters there rather than farmers. If they live in a village or town they'd wear whatever is in fashion, cotton or linen. Where are they from, their social class, and what types of clothes would be best for that environment are good questions to ask when developing costumes, next their personality. Whether they are vain, utilitarian, or cocky and like to roll around with their shirt off. 😸 I think keeping the environment and personality at the forefront of your mind, you won't fall into cliche traps. There's nothing wrong with having dirty ripped clothes but if it doesn't make any sense in the context of the world you're building it flattens the character. The assumption that Orcs are filthy or unskilled at tailoring by nature doesn't work for me.

Idk without going on too long, I hope some of that helps?

#sweet asks #sweet anons #orc lore #orc headcanons #orc boyfriend #monster romance

[shivering-isles-cryptid]

Sheogorath & Me

By now I think it’s obvious that I love Sheogorath. He’s my PFP, he’s the inspiration for my username, my second account is based off him, but I felt like I should explain WHY I have such an appreciation (read obsession) for him.

There’s multiple reasons honestly, so I’ll make this a list.

Alice in Wonderland

From when I was 4 to now, Alice in Wonderland was my favorite story. I would read the original book before bed every day when I was 8. So at first, my love for Sheo probably stemmed from the Mad Hatter.

Skyrim was my first Elder Scrolls game (and RPG, and actual video game not made for kids or on a Wii) so that was where I first met him, and his first interaction was heavily Mad Hatter themed. Table, tea party, strange world, ended up there after talking to a mad man (AKA rabbit). So, with those associations, it was easy for me to start loving him.

My personal mental health

I come from a family where the mental health policy is to ignore it. My issues and emotions were treated as a joke, and even after multiple teachers called home, nothing changed. My mom even refused to get me tested for neurodivergence because, and I quote, “I wouldn’t have been able to handle having a husband and 3 kids with it.” So seeing Sheogorath actively support and embrace his madness struck a chord with me as that’s something I’ve been trying to do for years, more or less.

And when Haskill said “you say that like there’s something wrong with them” that also struck a chord because I was always treated like my problems were just that, problems. Like they were my fault and I was broken. So just seeing that kind of support and kindness towards things like that made me grow attached.

The Shivering Isles DLC

I got Oblivion maybe 2-3 years ago, and I already lived Sheogorath at the time. But I also loved Hircine, Boethiah, and Clavicus Vile just as much. I already knew his lore, and I already knew about the DLC, but actually seeing and playing it, it captivated me.

The Saints and Seducers, the artifacts, the dresses! They all drew me in, and then I spoke to him. Sheogorath in the DLC is very different than the one in Skyrim. It’s probably because we actually spend more than a couple minutes with him, but seeing all the emotions, hearing all his lines, watching him play around with his staff, they all made me live him so much more.

Those are the main ones, I’m also drawn in by the colors, lore, and role-playing possibilities, but these are the reasons why he’s such a big part of my identity on here. And why he’s my favorite Daedric Prince

#elder scrolls #skyrim #elder scrolls skyrim #elder scrolls oblivion #oblivion #the elder scrolls #tes #martin septim #hero of kvatch #Sheogorath #character essay #why I live Sheogorath #Morrowind wasn’t mentioned here cuz I don’t like him in Morrowind #I also never played Arena or Daggerfall for more than an hour #vel talks

[wolficake]

elder scrolls is fallout tens of thousands of years in the future after the continents collide together in this essay i will

#elder scrolls #fallout #bethesda #skyrim #new vegas #morrowind

[terrified-spider]

D&D Vampirism & the Results of Regenerative Abilities

A small note:

I’ve posted about both Elder Scrolls and D&D on this blog, and I’m pretty sure I’ve already written some headcanons about TES’s portrayal of vampirism. What’s described here is only for my D&D world building, Barovia/General Ravenloft in particular, where the condition is generally treated much more like a curse than in the Elder Scrolls franchise, where it’s a contracted illness. I won’t promise that I will or won’t write about TES vampirism, as i think it’s fun, it’s not something I find fitting for the Domains of Dread.

This post contains spoilers for the heavily modified version of Curse of Strahd I will be eventually running, and spoilers for the novel I, Strahd. Changes from the RAW 5e module include:

Alek is back! He’s not having a good time. 

Escher is Van Richten’s lost son. It’s not that important to this essay, but I do mention their shared eyesight problems in passing.

Shout out to @mx-lamour and their fanfic "What have I done?", for being the reason I finally sat down and wrote this all out. 

An Introduction to Vampirism & Wound Recovery in Undeath:

Whether described as a curse or blessing, Vampirism is a magical condition, one that has a number of effects on the patient’s natural recovery/healing process, and by extension, the development of scars throughout one’s unlife. While none of the information here is intended to impact gameplay and balance, it can have an influence over roleplay and certainly does in character design. Flavor is free, and I want it all.

Becoming a vampire is akin to pressing pause on one’s life and body, stopping the aging process, but not reversing it. For example, no more of Strahd’s hair will turn gray, but the streaks that are there will never change back to black. Escher’s eyesight and the myopia inherited from his father are impacted by age, getting worse over time. While being turned provided him with some new dark vision, he will remain nearsighted to the same extent he was upon death. The march of time has stopped, but that doesn’t mean it can be reversed. 

Scar tissue is subject to the same forces, and old scars obtained during life will stop fading, remaining just as visible or unapparent as they did upon the body’s death. Unhealed wounds will repair themselves only once regeneration begins, but are subject to the same factors as other wounds obtained post mortem.

General Post Mortem Wounds and Scaring Trends:

While there is some variation in these trends, there are three main degrees to which wounds will leave a lasting impact.

Minor wounds don’t last. These are the results of unsilvered weaponry, mild damage from running water, and necrotic magic. Very little is in the way of the regeneration and healing process, so there are less chances for something to go wrong, such as debris entering the wound, or the injury to scab over, and increase the chances of a scar forming. On the off chance one does form, it usually vanishes within an hour at the latest.

Most magical damage provides the same level of regenerative difficulty as that of sivered weapons and most instances of water damage. Silver and water, both considerable weaknesses of vampires, react poorly with the dark magic of a vampire’s curse, and interfere with it’s influences over the body. Similarly to those described prior, these scars will fade with time, simply taking longer, usually over the course of a couple days, or several weeks at most. 

Sunlight will cause the most dramatic injuries, leaving burns over the exposed skin, and healing to form scars that never fade.

Turning Wounds:

Turning wounds are usually bites, the injuries that kill someone as they become undead, and the place of the curse’s transference. Given the nature of the wound, magic doesn’t make the wounds particularly easy to heal, even with the assistance of vampiric regeneration, which is usually what heals them.

Unlike other wounds that result in varying scar types and will reflect the type of damage when applicable, turning wounds usually lave behind contracture scars, where the skin has tightened over the wound in the healing process, giving the impression of skin stretched over the injury. It results in much more obvious scar tissue that can sometimes cause the individual pain, both due to the nature of the scar type, and the magical influences.

While most turning wounds are bite marks, such as those on the necks of Alek and Escher, they can take the form of other injuries, such as the numerous arrow marks across Strahd’s torso and chest.

Different Types of Vampires & Exceptions to the Trends:

The patterns here assume that the subject described is a vampire spawn, a common type of vampire within Ravenloft and Barovia in particular. Consumption of blood will have an impact on healing speed, where greater access to blood will speed up the process, and under feeding can drag out the process for months or longer. However, differences in the nature of one’s curse can manifest as much more dramatic differences in healing ability.

Failed Spawn - Alek Gwilym:

For some reason, the curse didn’t transfer right. In the case of Alek, his blood was already used to reanimate someone, and the Dark Powers forbid Strahd from ever having a good time. Alek just got caught in the crossfire.

Technically they use the Nosferatu stat block but that’s behind the DM screen, not in game.

Turning wounds on failed spawn don’t heal properly, leaving open wounds that won’t bleed, but can be opened up further, and can cause significant pain if not kept clean or become irritated.

The Dark Powers hate you in particular - Strahd von Zarovich:

Aside from turning wounds, any scar will fade with time, including severe sunburns.

Injuries resulting from critical hits will have lasting impacts, such as vision or movement issues, punishment for mistakes in combat.

It needs some work, but this is inspired by the parts of Strahd’s relationship with Barov I’ve been able to flesh out. It needs some work still, but the man taught Strahd mistakes have lasting consequences, either in a material sense, or Barov holding failures over Strahd.

Cleveland Clinic on Scars (:

#so sunlight and running water both deal 20 pts of damage per round but I consider sunlight much more thematically significant in Barovia #I considered drawing stuff for this #but I realized that i have way too much to draw already and i needed to get everything out as fast as possible #spider's dming tag #curse of strahd #cos #strahd von zarovich #spider chatter #world building #dnd #d&d #vampire #vampirism #its almost midnight as I'm writing this (gonna add this to the queue for tomorrow) #sleep well everyone (: #long post #not art

[secundus-cinaedus]

i fucking love elder scrolls lore videos like i know we joke but i would literally put on a 4 hour skyrim lore video essay and watch the whole thing more easily than like a 90 minute movie

#щ #elder scrolls #skyrim #oblivion #morrowind #daggerfall #for the real fans

[owl-writing]

Get To Know Me!

Tagged by @literarynecromancy - thank you so much!

Rules: Answer the questions and tag!

Last song I listened to - Song Of The Abyss (by Aviators) ((and crying about it))

Currently reading - Memories & Memoirs: Essays, Poems, Stories, Letters by Contemporary Missouri Authors (though "contemporary" means 2000, so, uh...yeah, been a bit)

Currently watching - The daydream in my head with my blorbos.

Currently obsessed with - An Elder Scrolls fanfic that is soooo fucked up.

Tagging: ...I dunno, whoever wants to do this! Gently pushing this to @obsidiannebula, @caktusjuice-draws, and my other pals who know me best from @jasper-the-menace.

#owl original post #personal #tag game #literarynecromancy