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dalamusrex · 11 months

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Shor's Stone

(Content warnings for: abuse mention; descriptions of blood, gore, and corpses)

“‘Hop over to Shor’s Stone,' they said. ‘It will only take a couple hours,’ they said,” Dalamus grumbled to himself atop his horse. The palomino mare below him ambled along the cobblestone path, tired from a short skirmish with a small pack of wolves. The Rift’s woods were full of them, and Opal was not a warhorse. Thankfully, the wolves had been easily dissuaded with a well-aimed horse kick. The rest immediately fled in a panic. Hopefully they would tell the rest of their brethren not to bother with this adventurer.

“I am sorry, girl. I will be sure to get you a treat once we are back home, hm?” He reached forward and petted the side of her neck in an attempt to calm her. Just a bit longer and he would be able to get out of this blasted sun…

During a routine visit to buy alchemy ingredients, Elgrim had asked Dalamus a favor. The miners of Shor’s Stone had fallen ill, and they needed medicine. Elgrim is too old to be traveling, and hardly trusted a soul. But he has known Dalamus long enough to know that the mer could handle himself should trouble arise. Not that trouble will arise, of course, Elgrim assured. The mer was given a box full of elixirs to deliver, which he balanced before him while seated in the saddle.

Shor’s Stone--a mining village just North of Riften, between the Velothi Mountains and the mountains which contain Redbelly Mine. The mine from which the village makes its income. Unfortunately, mining is a dangerous job in many ways. If one did not get crushed by collapsing tunnels, they risked being choked by fumes of unearthed gas, or accidentally set aflame by torches lit in gas-heavy chambers. The constant chipping of stone and ore fills the lungs with dust, often causing breathing issues. Such is the issue this time, as well. Without the miners, their income has slowed to a crawl.

It will only take a few hours, Elgrim said. Just drop off the medicine and come back. Simple as that!

But when was anything as simple as that…

Another half hour passed and Dalamus finally saw the peaks of houses appear before him. Filnjar, the blacksmith and unofficial leader of the community, stood at his forge staring distantly into the embers. It was not until he apparently heard Opal’s hoofbeats that the Nord looked up. Filnjar did not smile, but some tension leaked from his shoulders in relief when he noticed the box of medicine.

“I presume you are the delivery man for Elgrim.” Filnjar spoke as Dalamus carefully dismounted his horse, attempting to keep the box level as he did so. Once on his feet and the box secure, he could face Filnjar.

As much as Dalamus hated being thought of as a ‘delivery man,’ he could hardly argue. He handed the wooden medicine box to the Nord. “For today, I am. Here are the elixirs. Give each miner one elixir to drink over the course of a week. Hafjorg sends her well wishes.”

Filnjar took the box from the Dunmer’s hands and placed it on his workbench. Grabbing a nearby tool, he pried the box open to inspect its contents. Sure enough, at least eight peach-colored potions sat inside, compartmentalized with thin wooden slats and wrapped in parchment to prevent breakage during transit. Filnjar smiled, shoulders sagging with relief. “Thank you for coming all the way out here, lad, even though I suspect it’s not your day job. Before I set you off with your coin, may I ask.. Are you a mercenary? A blade for hire?”

Dalamus’ hands hesitated on Opal’s reins, anticipating a new request if he were to answer affirmatively, and inwardly groaned. He just wanted to get home. The heat of the sun was thinning his patience. And yet… “I can be, for the right price. Why?” He turned his piercing glance back to the blacksmith, and could have sworn the Nord shrunk a little.

“Well…” Filnjar began. “We haven’t seen the guards from the nearby watchtower in quite a while. They’re probably just in a drunken stupor and sleeping it off, but if something has gone wrong, no one here is equipped to deal with it. Since you’re already here, would you mind checking on them? I will give you what money I have left to spare, plus what I owe you for the delivery.”

Dalamus mulled it over for what seemed like an eternity. Even Opal nudged him impatiently, as if asking him to make a decision already. He did not want to do more. He had already done the job he promised. He wanted to go home. But.. if the guards were just being lazy, it would only take a moment. And he had not yet been paid. “...Fine. I will check on the guard tower.”

“Thank you, lad.”

Dalamus scoffed. This was supposed to be a quick delivery job. Deliver the medicine, Elgrim said. Now he was trudging off to a watchtower to investigate. Hopefully, the guards would be completely fine, and he could leave.

But as he approached the tower, he quickly realized that the worst had happened. The smell of old blood and active rot filled his senses and immediately placed him on alert. He approached with caution, hoping that perhaps the guards were not the source. Perhaps they had gone hunting and this was the smell of their kill. Judging from the pit near the entrance which had not seen fire in at least a week, this seemed unlikely. The mer scrubbed his face with frustration.

“Hello?” he called out towards the tower. This was stupid. Why did he have to do this? Anyone else at the town could have called up to the tower just as easily. But the lack of response was concerning…

...No, it was not! Dalamus did not care about these people. He was not invested in their safety. He was delivering the medicine for money. He could assume the guards were dead, and return. There were many ways he could lie.

...But what if townspeople come looking for bodies to bury?

Why did it matter?! It was not his problem! He did not owe anyone this investigation. Except, he had agreed to it. And his payment might get withheld if it was discovered that he lied one way or the other. And he was already here.

...Fine.

“Hilye,” he said, ordering Opal in Dunmeris to stay put while he approached the tower. The smell of rot hit him like a wave once he reached the abandoned fire pit. It had not been lit in many days–no smolders, no fresh ash, no trace of food or utensils nearby.

As he turned towards the tower, he spotted a guard. Or… what used to be one. Leaning against the side of the tower’s entrance was the corpse of a guard, pale and rotting. A sword wound split the man’s chest nearly from shoulder to hip, and various insects clung to the putrefying form.

One guard found… Two to go.

He made his way to the tower’s entrance and onto the stairs. With each step, the stench of decay grew greater, straining even Dalamus’ sensory tolerance. He could not hear any heartbeats, nor sounds of movement, and could only conclude that the worst had happened.

Two Riften guards lay slaughtered on the top floor, one with an arrow through the skull, the other stabbed in the back multiple times with a bladed weapon. Their armor appeared ill-fitting, their corpses filled with putrid gasses causing bloat. Judging by the lack of a struggle, the guards were likely attacked at night. Perhaps the guard meant to keep watch had fallen asleep, himself, allowing their quick demise.

A letter sat on the table next to their last meals, now molding.

Akar,

We’ve word of a band of Legion soldiers advancing on your position. Reinforcements are on their way. Talos guard you.

A black brow rose on the vampire’s face. So they had had a warning, yet still fell? Filnjar had implied that the guards partook in revelry if not frequently then consistently. Perhaps they really had imbibed too much on the night of the attack. Fools.

The sound of rustling in nearby trees froze him. He kept low to the floorboards and crept over to the ledge to peer down. Were the soldiers back? Had a brigand come to loot the bodies? No… It was much worse.

A large troll had followed the scent of the blood and rot--and possibly Dalamus’ yelling--straight to the tower. It grabbed the corpse at the side of the tower, picking it up with the ease of a child lifting a doll. In a gruesome display of strength, the troll ripped a limb off the body with a sickening crack and squelch. It put the arm in its mouth and peeled the metal armor off with its teeth before spitting the inedible material aside. The wet sounds of chewing were occasionally punctuated by the loud crack of a bone.

“You must be fetching kidding me.” He cursed under his breath in disbelief at his rotten luck. Dalamus dragged a hand down his face again. What now? He could wait and hope the troll leaves once it had its fill. What if the body out front was not enough to satisfy its hunger? It might ascend the stairs to consume the two corpses here. He could drop down the other side of the tower, but would still need to cross the troll’s line of sight to get to Opal and return to town.

The sound of Opal’s nervous whinnies pulled him from his thoughts and into action. The troll had noticed her and was advancing towards her, hoping for a large, fresh meal. Opal, Divines bless her, was dutifully waiting for Dalamus to return despite her terror.

“Miraga!” he yelled from the top of the tower, commanding Opal to flee and find somewhere to hide, giving her permission to escape by whatever means necessary and get to safety. “Miraga!”

The mare turned and ran, and the troll attempted to follow but was stopped by Dalamus landing upon its shoulders after leaping from the tower, and sending them both tumbling. Dalamus immediately rolled to his feet in time to dodge the swipe of a massive clawed hand. The troll roared, sending spittle and loose food flying, enraged that its meal had been interrupted.

Another swipe from the creature aimed to take Dalamus’ head clean off his shoulders, but he ducked and thrust a dagger upwards into the troll’s arm. Its skin was thick and leathery, extremely difficult to cut or pierce. Even his ebony-steel could not find purchase in the troll’s arm. Dalamus leaped backwards to avoid the second hand, but misjudged the length of the creature’s arm and was snagged by sharp claws and sent off-balance.

A backwards roll brought Dalamus to his feet again, adrenaline coursing through him and allowing him to temporarily ignore his wound in favor of strategizing a way to either win or escape. Trolls were generally slow but persistent. There was no guarantee it would not follow him back to town should he turn and run. The miners were in no condition to defend themselves, and he did not want the guilt of a town massacre on his hands. He was not heartless.

One slip up and Dalamus knew he would end up in two pieces on the ground. And, of course, this battle just had to take place in the middle of a beautiful sunny day–his wounds would heal slowly, if at all. Bumps and scrapes were the least of his worries though.

For once, Dalamus wished daggers were not his weapons of choice. Normally he enjoyed getting up close and personal with his enemies in combat, but not when it involved getting within grabbing distance of a troll with rancid corpse breath.

He kept the troll at a distance, circling the small space behind the tower. Dalamus could feel the troll’s eyes sizing him up, possibly mulling over which limb to separate from his body first. Vampire flesh tasted terrible, but trolls were not picky.

The troll lunged, and Dalamus ducked, bringing a dagger straight down into one of the beast’s feet. It roared, but before Dalamus could pull away, he was lifted from the ground by his middle and forced to leave his dagger embedded in the troll’s flesh. The giant hand surrounding him threatened to crush his rib cage. He felt a bone crack in his side, then the troll’s other hand grabbed his left arm and began to pull. A scream tore from his throat as another rib cracked and his left arm dislocated from the socket. Through tears and searing pain, Dalamus reached for his second dagger still in its sheath at his hip, and with as much force as he could muster, he thrust the ebony steel dagger straight into one of the troll’s eyes.

It dropped him immediately, clutching at its face and roaring, stumbling backwards in agony. Dalamus had only fallen a few feet, but he felt as though he had been tossed from the top of the watchtower to crumple to the ground. Everything hurt, but he could not afford to stay still. He was now entirely unarmed, and his left arm mostly useless, not to mention the sharp pain which bloomed in his side with every movement. Though he needed no breath, mild panic brought the habit back, and to his detriment. Every gasp invited stabs of pain.

The troll, now finished with its anguished bellows, pulled the dagger from its eye and tossed it aside far too distantly for Dalamus to ever dream of reaching. If he got caught one more time, he would be killed.

So, Dalamus kept his distance once again, he and the troll circling the small clearing. Even the brutish creature was hesitant to step within fighting distance, the dark blood spilling from its eye a grim reminder that this Dunmer was no simple prey. Drips of crimson began forming a circle as they strafed their small battlefield. Normally, a troll might leave this battle. Wounds severely diminished its ability to hunt. Certainly losing an eye did. But there were three corpses here, and it was not about to let so much food go to waste. It drooled with anticipation and frothed with anger.

After the dripping blood had created three quarters of a full circle on the ground, the troll lunged. Dalamus dove to the left, landing on his shoulder and the pain forcing a cry from him. Red eyes searched for his destination, one of the fallen guards’ corpses. Another hasty leap had the vampire practically landing in the stinking corpse’s lap. Putrid flesh and offal smashed under his weight and stained his clothing with rot.

He could hear the thuds of the troll’s feet stomping in a rush towards him while his back was turned.

In a decisive movement, Dalamus grabbed the fallen Nord’s sword, pivoted, and stood, bringing the blade straight up, right through the troll’s lower jaw and into the skull. Its rage ceased instantly, but momentum brought it forward to collapse on top of Dalamus, and the corpse. Pain exploded everywhere at once as he was pinned to the ground between two stinking masses. He did not know which was worse, the rank troll drool and dark blood now dripping to stain his front, or the faint sensation of slimy rot and wriggling creatures against his back coming from the corpse below him.

After what felt like an eternity, Dalamus managed to wiggle his right arm free to lift the shoulder of the beast off him. Then he continued to wiggle until he could get his knees up and kick the troll body away from him. He crawled to a clear area of ground and laid back down to process what had happened and assess the damage. Two, maybe three ribs broken, left shoulder dislocated, an open wound on one side of his abdomen. Blood stained every inch of his shirt, and he was pretty sure some degloved corpseflesh clung to his back and maggots were crawling into his hair. Somehow, it was the best case scenario after a fight with a troll in the middle of the day. He would not heal if he continued to lay in the sunlight though, and after all this, he deserved his damned payment. Oh, and the villagers would probably like to know what had happened to their guards. But first he had to at least take care of his shoulder.

“Opal?” Dalamus called, hoping she might be within earshot. After a painful moment of waiting, he heard the crunch of leaves under hooves, much to his relief. She had taken refuge in the nearby trees, waiting for the battle to subside.

With more than a few winces and grunts, Dalamus got to his feet and all but hobbled over to his horse, taking her reins and leading her to a tree with a fork at his chest level. He put the tree between himself and the horse, and the reins over the fork in the tree, wrapped around the wrist of his dislocated arm. The goal was to have Opal help him relocate it.

“Bivi. Re’aldis.” He told her to back up, and slowly. Opal obeyed, moving backwards step by step, slowly lifting Dalamus’ arm up and over the fork in the tree. He clenched his jaw to tolerate the pain and braced himself against the trunk. Opal continued until he was pressed up entirely against the tree, but once there was resistance in the reins, she stopped.

“Bivi,” the mer ordered again, too tired to remain patient. Opal was reluctant.

“Bivi!” he shouted, and the horse, startled, pulled backwards as commanded. All his frustration evaporated as pain rushed to fill its place. A shout was forced from his chest, and Opal rushed towards him in concern.

Reins no longer taut to hold him up against the tree, Dalamus fell backwards onto the ground, white hot pain ricocheting up his side and shoulder as he caught himself with his now relocated arm. The reins were relinquished and his horse snuffled at him from above, disheveling his hair in a supposed attempt to soothe or perhaps apologize. Dalamus was too exhausted and in too much pain to care about his hair, or his ripped clothes, or the corpse jelly that clung to him, or the maggots on his shirt, or how he reeked, or how much blood was oozing from his side.

Although he would not die of blood loss, at least not any time soon, the more blood he lost, the sooner he would need to feed in order to replenish it. And with the sun still high in the sky, his wounds would not close. The longer he sat here, the more of a danger he was to the people of Shor’s Stone and Riften when he returned. Perhaps it would be best to feed from an animal between here and there. With a groan that eased into a whine, the mer slowly pushed himself to his knees, and then his feet, placing a hand on Opal to steady himself.

“Juli, Opal,” he rasped out in praise, giving her neck a stroke. His hand left a smear of dark blood on her coat. Whoops.

Dalamus trudged slowly over to the troll’s corpse, a sneer lifting his lip to reveal a threatening fang at no one in particular. Despite thirst scratching at his throat, the dark, stinking blood pooling around the dead creature was anything but appetizing. He was here for something else…

The sword he had used to impale the troll was still seated firmly in its skull, blood seeping out of either end of the wound it had created. With a few shoves of his foot, Dalamus managed to roll the hulking creature onto its back, then braced the foot against its chest in preparation to remove the sword. His muscles protested and burned, broken bones sending electric jolts through him with every strain. Through gritted teeth and a whimper of pain, Dalamus pulled the sword out, the flesh squelching as it released the steel.

He grips the sword hilt in both hands, brings the blade up over his head, and swings the sharp edge down hard into the throat of the troll. Again. And again. And again. Blood and odd slivers of corpseflesh flung into the air and onto Dalamus himself. Swords made for terrible chopping tools, especially once it reached bone–but perhaps he would get an extra reward if the townspeople knew the trouble he had been through for their ‘simple’ errand. With every swing of the weapon, his body screamed at him. Even more so when his arms absorbed the shock each time the blade bit into the ground.

Once the majority of the flesh had been hacked away from the spine, Dalamus changed to a more delicate approach. He used the point of the blade to try and slip between the segments of neck bone, stabbing the rubbery disk until finally it gave. Then, with a final chop, the troll’s head rolled free of its body.

Dalamus grabbed the troll’s head by a fistful of fur—hair?—and lifted it to peer into the dead eyes of his enemy. The jaw fell slack, still oozing foul saliva and stinking blood. If he did not get compensated for this… He sighed in exasperation, triggering a jolt of pain in his side.

Dalamus glanced at his horse and his shoulder throbbed in response. The mere thought of pulling himself up into the saddle caused discomfort in his shoulder, and the slowest of gaits would still jostle his broken ribs as he kept balance and time with the horse's movements. Walking, it is.

The only consolation—if one could call it that—was the sun still hanging in the sky. It meant he still had time before the vampirism began knitting his body back together. If it were to heal back wrong, such as during physical activity with the body in motion, it would have to be re-broken. Such was a fate he wanted to avoid if at all possible.

After gathering his daggers from the area and placing them back in their sheathes, blood and all, they began the trek back to Shor's Stone. Opal walked diligently beside him, allowing him to lean against her flank when pain halted their progress. If paused for too long, she would reach back and snuffle him with her big soft nose and remind him they still had a ways to go. Walking the path uphill was surprisingly laborious, but he knew it meant they were close.

As they crested the small hill, Dalamus could see the miners of Shor's Stone lining up to get their medicine from Filnjar. They looked and sounded terrible, a step away from draugr. Constant coughing had left them completely exhausted, their entire bodies sore, evident in how they shuffled forward. Darkened eyes and unkempt hair spoke to their lack of sleep. One face in the line stood out to him, and he felt the hairs on his neck bristle and his posture stiffen.

A scarred older Dunmer with greasy black hair falling to his shoulders stood halfway down the line of miners. His eyes were tired, barely open, and trained on the ground in front of him. He did not see Dalamus approaching, and this gave the vampire confidence.

Leaving Opal's side, Dalamus strode past Filnjar towards the line of sick miners. The Dunmer in line glanced up at the commotion, locked eyes with Dalamus, and all exhaustion in his body was replaced with terror. Drevain was flung to the ground before he could get a single word out—not that Dalamus would have listened to anything he had to say.

The vampire's previously dislocated arm threatened to fall out of its socket once again, the joint screaming at him, but the pleasure of landing a perfect punch across Drevain's face was too good an opportunity to pass up. The world around him ceased to exist and all decorum dissolved once he saw Drevain on the ground, frightened of him. The sick older mer was weak, thinner, exhausted, and Dalamus drank it in like ambrosia.

The vampire grinned, a flood of victorious adrenaline surging through him and pushing his own pain to the back of his mind. It could be dealt with later. But right now? He had Drevain at his mercy, and his head swam with the possibilities.

He knelt over Drevain like a sabre cat over a felled elk. His fangs caught in the light, and at this angle only his father could see. Dalamus' arm came down again, this time gripping Drevain's throat tight, pinning him against the ground. With every movement, every attempt to escape, Dalamus squeezed tighter. His fingers bit into Drevain's flesh like a blacksmith's vise; he could feel a pulse under his fingertips, struggling against the pressure. The vampire's lip quivered with barely restrained rage, his father's gasps and whimpers music to his ears.

Then, betrayal! He was being pulled off of Drevain! He struggled against the weak hands and arms, but it reminded him of his own pain and exhaustion. It took at least four people, but he was thrust back into Shor's Stone, where his revenge could not take place. Where he was surrounded by witnesses who did not know of Drevain's atrocities. Who only knew him as a miner now being assaulted.

He resisted the urge to spit and hiss and bite, to fight back, to throttle the closest person for daring to come between him and the revenge he had dreamed of for years. Instead, while being restrained and questioned, he explained himself, his words dripping with venom. “That mer, that fetcher, is my father! He is filth. Rot. Liar. Abuser.”

Stunned speechless by the accusations, all the restraining hands left Dalamus, although they remained close just in case intervention was necessary again. Dalamus moved to stand over the fallen Drevain, the rest of the townspeople hovering around him like a cage ready to close.

Dalamus' face twisted into a contemptuous smirk, and his voice lowered to a growl. “Look at you. Feeble old mer. I could kill you right here, right now. It would be so easy.” The townspeople tensed, ready to leap into action, but such was not Dalamus' plan.

“But I will not. Because I am not you. I am better than what you made me. I even brought medicine.” His voice darkened and his red eyes seemed to glow with malice. “I hope you choke on it. I hope it burns. I hope it sits heavy in your stomach and nauseates you, knowing that I saved your life. I hope it eats at you for the rest of time knowing that. You. Owe. Me. That you live because I will it. Because I am better than you.”

Dalamus turned his red eyes to Filnjar, who visibly startled. Only after recovering was he able to hand the injured Dunmer the money he was owed--and he seemed more than eager to get rid of it, all but flinging it into Dalamus' hand. Dalamus weighed the heft of the coin pouch and, satisfied, nodded. “Unfortunately, your watchtower guards were killed by passing Imperials. I killed the troll that had begun feasting on their bodies. It should be safe to reach them for burial, if you wish, but I warn you the sight is.. not pretty. Oh. And, Father~” he called, locking eyes with the other mer for a final time, his sing-song tone not enough to disguise the venom on his tongue.

“If I see you anywhere near my family, I will tear you into so many pieces that every animal in the Rift will get a bite.” It was Drevain's turn to live in fear. He tossed the troll's head towards the downed mer as proof of his prowess in battle, proof of his strength.

Dalamus then pushed himself up into Opal's saddle and they began their trek towards home. Every broken bone in his body screamed in time with hoof beats, but it was important to Dalamus that Drevain see him leave strongly. He had to make an impression, even if it meant searing pain. He had to appear strong. Triumphant.

It was only after he was certain they were out of eyesight that Dalamus curled in on himself in the saddle, gripping at his side, sucking in air through his teeth in a vain attempt to somehow stabilize himself. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain came rushing back. He felt as though he had been run over by an entire herd of horses. Twice. And the sun was getting low. He needed to get back to Riften quickly. The sooner he could lay in a bed and get everything stabilized, the sooner he could heal correctly.

But it was not just the physical pain that engulfed him. The confrontation with his abuser left him trembling despite his own clear upper hand. He had felt so powerful in the moment, but now he was wracked with fear. Were there going to be consequences to this? What if Drevain did not believe his threats? Had he just endangered his family rather than protecting them? He slumped in the saddle and fought the urge to sob, clenching his teeth to prevent any sounds from escaping. Nothing could prevent the sting in his eyes. He had come so close to killing Drevain. So why did it feel like Drevain had still won?

When he got back to Riften, he would warn his loved ones of Drevain’s presence in Shor’s Stone.

“Ruhn,” he told Opal. The word for “home”. He just wanted to get home. Everything hurt.

Everything hurt.

#missy writing #dalamus story #shors stone #aka Dal and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day #copy/pasted directly from LibreOffice so please for the love og god Tumblr don't mess up the format lkjdhfg #drevainrex #abuse mention #not described just mentioned #descriptions of blood and gore #descriptions of corpses

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nerevar-quote-and-star · 7 months

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Balgruuf the Greater: In bed with the lights off at 7:40pm.

Balgruuf: Big as Shor's stones glass of ice water.

Balgruuf: I don't care what happens to anyone or anything.

Balgruuf: Bye.

#shor's stones hehehe #i crack myself up #balgruuf the greater #jarl balgruuf #dragonsreach #whiterun #nerevar queue and star #incorrect quotes #incorrect elder scrolls #incorrect skyrim quotes #tes #the elder scrolls #skyrim #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #source: tumblr

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bergamotmandarin · 11 months

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ive been really into skyrim lately but i am just fuckin it up so bad lmaooo just tonight i joined the dawnguard, got a 9000 bounty in riften that im apparently not allowed to pay, and now because of that the dawnguard attack me on sight. net zero good done by the dragonborn

#bergamot personal #and i found that spider cave that instantly makes nebarra leave! that was fun #he wouldnt talk to me for a hot minute after too aksjakdj drama queen #now to wait for the bounty hunter lmao #literally i know no other way to do this like most of my gold isnt even stolen?? ive been earning that shit like cmon #well i knew the dawnguard wouldnt last long 😂#im even thane of riften?? that option doesn't even present itself #like it's either pay the fine. which i can't. or go to jail. which they murder me in #i can't win! guess ill avoid riften 😂 all for killing a vampire too #damn dawnguard #and im the dumbass who kept quicksaving instead of actually saving so i can't go back to a reasonable point #oh well. makes it more fun this way #also when i got to shors stone to pay my bounty all the guards were already dead?? not sure what that's about but not my problem ajshsk

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landgraabbed · 1 year

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#p #skyrim tag #bye morthal! see u when we're stronger #he left on a potion delivery to shor's stone of all places

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holycrowe · 1 year

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I love Sylgia as a wife but the amount of mods that had ruined her in my eyes makes me avoid her now

#skyrim #sylgia #shor's stone

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dawns-beauty · 4 months

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Okay, to counteract all my complaining, here are some (lore friendly) mods that I just like a lot (no animals, people, weapons/armors, mesh/texture replacers, etc. because there's too many and it gets boring.)

Ghosts of the Deathbells: adds a really rare, somber event to picking a deathbell flower.

Falmeroon: adds Snow Elf ruins to some remote edges of the map. I've made an unofficial SE port here.

Snow Whale Bones: adds the remains of Snow Whales in some mountainous areas (iffy canon but sorry they are Cool.)

Windmills of Skyrim: adds windmills with unique, custom-painted sails to farms.

Scarecrows of Skyrim: adds scarecrows to farms.

Scribes of Skyrim: makes books and notes use a variety of typefaces (any fellow Pentiment fans out there?)

The Old Ways-Nordic Religion: adds totems representing the Nordic pantheon around Skyrim. Has patches for the next recommendation.

The Great Towns/Villages series: overhauls the smaller, worldspace towns in a really cool way, includes voice-acted NPCs. Personally, I like Kynesgrove the best because it actually adds to the lore about the Nordic pantheon. For Shor's Stone, I recommend this mod as well.

Redbag's Rorikstead: I like this mod over Great Village's version because the houses have sod roofs and I'm a sucker for sod roofs.

Capital Windhelm Expansion: adds some really thoughtful lore touches (Dunmer refugees outside the walls, an Arena, and a cool vampire quest)

Relic of Dawnstar: adds a Gehenoth skull to the White Hall (requires Cities of the North), inspired by the lore of the Travels game

Environs series: thoughtful additions that makes certain places change over time.

WiZKid's mods: especially Lund's Hut, Lively Farms, Icy Windhelm, Pinewatch, Hall of the Dead Stained Glass Windows, and Pavo's House. Sepolcri is also pretty good but loses immersion points for using celtic cross gravestones. You can pry Lanterns of Skyrim II from my cold, dead hands, though. Lux? Idk her, LoSII is my bestie.

Fancy Sleeping Tree Replacer: the Sleeping Tree is supposed to be a remnant of the sentient trees of the flying city of Umbriel (from the novels.) It should be weird, is what I'm saying, and this mod makes it alien and beautiful.

Unique Culture Riverwood: a mod that gives Riverwood its own style of farmhouse and a little more personality. The author has also made a mod for Falkreath.

Immersive World Encounters: adds more and edits World Encounters, including encountering faction NPCs out and about (ex. the Companions outside of Whiterun doing Companion-y things in the wilderness).

Glorious Doors of Skyrim: adds some really cool doors. 'nuff said.

Redbag's Dragonreach: adds some unique flair to Jarl Ballin's crib.

Cultured Orc Furniture: replaces generic furniture in Orc Strongholds with custom furniture.

Lavinia's Memorial: adds some gifts from her grieving parents to the little girl's grave in Falkreath. Ouch.

Nocturnal Moths: adds moths that spawn around lanterns at night.

Moons and Stars: fixes the positions of the stars and moons, as well as making moon phases consistent.

DK's Realistic Nord Ships: replaces Skyrim's ships with some gorgeous new models.

Morgenstern's Mushroom Circles: adds more fairy rings in the wilderness. Delightful!

Bloodmoon Brodir Grove: makes the grove in Solstheim a little more like it was in the Morrowind DLC. The mod author also has more mods that bring Bloodmoon details and locations to Solstheim.

Ships of the Horizon: does what it says on the tin.

EVG Animation Variance: the whole animation series by Everglaid is nice (haven't tried Traversal yet, but that is some incredible technology) but I especially like this one for the old people animations

jasperthegnome's houses: these are SO cozy and comfy.

Arctic- Frost Effects Redux: makes frost spells have cooler effects (including 3D ice spikes)

Northern Roads- Let Me Guess Someone Stole Your Sweetroads: a plugin that cuts down on Northern Roads, removing all the landscape changes and bridges and just keeping the clutter. Way more compatible than the original mod.

Skyrim Bridges: this is my favorite bridge mod. There are many, but I like this one best.

Edit: forgot two tiny mods in my original post:

Nightcaller Temple Unique Shrine of Mara: replaces the generic shrine with a wooden shrine Erandur carved

Broken Tower Redoubt Unique Shrine of Dibella: similar to the above mod, but Reachmen carved this one.

#skyrim #skyrim mods #mod recs #tes

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full-pockets · 2 years

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The Rift is the perfect place to practice conjuring, cause you can conjure somethin used to attack THE BEARS THAT COME OUT FROM NOWHERE EVERY 5 SECONDS

#Seriously walk up the road from IvarStead and BOOM bear #atleast 2 #One time I lured 3 bears to the Rift WatchTower #not the one wher the dead bodies are at #I think that one is Shor's Stone #Skyrim #Elder Scrolls V #tes #tesv #not ac #gonna go level my conjuratuon by shooting magical arrows at bears and summoning a W O L F #yup my conjure familiar summons a wolf #My magic skills are poopy low level

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gamerism · 23 days

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Skyrim - Shor's Stone In The Rain [Towns and Villages Enhanced: Villages]

#skyrimedit #skyrim #the elder scrolls #tesblr #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #videogameedit #gamingedit #gamingnetwork #video game gifs #gameedit #video game scenery #userdestiny #usermaro #userblighted #my.gifs #my.stuff

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molags-balls · 1 month

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Bethesda assumed people would be happy with the generic quests in Starfield, but they don’t understand what makes Skyrim’s generic quests appealing.

I did a fetch quest in the Reach. The quest was “get an ore sample from Shor’s Stone”. The most generic fetch quest imaginable. Firstly, you learn some lore. You learn that alchemists are involved in mining operations. They don’t just make potions, they analyse ores for miners for whatever reason.

So I get the ore from Shor’s Stone and the guy complains that he’s been waiting. Then I find out why he’s in a bad mood anyway. The mine is overrun with spiders and the guards aren’t doing anything about it. So I kill the spiders and get paid. Not only that, but I’ve made a friend, and also a marriage candidate. Further, the world has physically changed. The miners have gone back to work instead of sitting around all day.

I take the ore back to Riften and the old woman thanks me and gives me some potions. But now she’s my friend and greets me differently. As she is my friend, she counts towards becoming thane, as well as being a potential sacrifice for the Ebony Blade.

That’s one boring fetch quest and I’ve made two friends, become closer to becoming thane, changed the world physically, got a potential husband, and got money and potions. Skyrim’s fetch quests lead you to other quests and other hand-crafted locations. Or at the very least they give you some lore - such as the Hag’s Cure quest in Markarth which is a simple delivery but confirms that viagra exists in Skyrim.

Compare that to a Starfield fetch quest. You come across a generic, unnamed settlement and talk to a generic, unnamed NPC. He also wants me to collect ore, so I do. He pays me, and that’s it. He doesn’t even have a name. There’s no reason to do the quest since i’d get more money from selling 3 guns looted from Spacers. Nothing has changed. No friends or connections made. No lore learnt. The whole quest was a waste of time. Bethesda assumed people would be happy with their generic quests but those quests provide nothing. They’re useless filler that nobody would gain any enjoyment from.

#it was in the rift not the reach

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skyrim-dungeon-ratings · 2 months

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Redbelly Mine

RATING: 2/10

This is a mine and not a dungeon, first and foremost- the inclusion of spiders doesn’t make it a dungeon. Secondly, the layout of this mine struck me as familiar, as did the inclusion of spiders. Which is when I remembered- somewhere, in a spot I forgot the name of, there’s an entire cave that is just the concept of “one big spiral full of spiders” taken to an extreme. And that is why I have bothered to rate it at all. It’s just.. sad that this neat little side quest in Shor’s Stone isn’t even unique.

I genuinely wish, with my whole heart, that there was more to it. There could’ve been. The blacksmith even says the spiders moved in overnight once they dug too deep. They couldn’t have just put a wall leading to a hotspring cave with a giant spider in it or something? Regardless of my thoughts on the matter, Redbelly Mine is a strange little spot.

It does feel very nice to help the outpost get back on its feet though.

#dungeon ratings #redbelly mine #spiders #skyrim dungeon #skyrim #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls #in my heart i know nobody will make a mod expanding these niche locations but i can sometimes dream #while not technically a dungeon i mourn for the fact it could have been #and indeed it even SEEMED to be a dungeon from a surface level talk with all the folk #twas not.#The red haze could’ve made a cute little gimmicky ambush spider dungeon #perhaps with a bit of nordic tomb inspiration?

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loremaster-lavellan · 1 year

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Skyrim Travel Times/Distances - City to Settlement

Other Travel Times

Solstheim

City to City

___

Got my game fixed and enough down time (and motivation) to get part 3 of this little project out. This time we're looking at traveling between major cities and the smaller settlements.

As before, some location have 2 or more plausible routes between them. I documented only the one which was the quickest/most direct or that made the most sense. For instance, the road through Labyrinthian is marked as a main road and is a faster route if your coming from, say, Morthal or Dawnstar and headed to Whiterun, but Labyrinthian is a known hazard and I'd assume the average traveler goes around.

Maps are included to show which routes I took, and I've included estimated travel times for on-foot, horse/carriage walking, and horse/carriage trotting.

About Ivarstead - the north road out of town is narrow, rocky, curvy, mostly uphill, and not paved. That north road is difficult to locate traveling TO Ivarstead, and the main paved road north of town is tricky to locate coming FROM Ivarstead.

NOTES: 1. These routes only follow main roads. 2. Times are rounded to the nearest quarter hour. 3. These times do not account for factors such as resting, party size/fitness, bad weather, road conditions, uphill travel, warzones, bandits, or other hazards that impede travel. 4. The road between Whiterun and Windhelm splits and then reconnects - the times/distances are very similar and therefore share a measurement. 5. There are two routes from Solitude to Helgen - one through Whiterun, and one through Falkreath. I included both because they both make sense (major stops along the way) and the times are close but not too close.

WHITERUN to . . .

Whiterun to Rorikstead Miles: 30 On Foot: 11hrs 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 7hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 45min

Whiterun to Ivarstead Miles: 80.22 On Foot: 1d 7hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 20hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 9hr 30min

Whiterun to Karthwasten Miles: 51.24 On Foot: 19hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 12hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr

Whiterun to Dragon Bridge Miles: 51.48 On Foot: 19hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 12hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr 30min

Whiterun to Helgen Miles: 25.32 On Foot: 9hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 6hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr

Whiterun to Kynesgrove Miles: 41.82 On Foot: 16hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr 15min

Whiterun to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 63.14 On Foot: 1d 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 15hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 30min

Whiterun to Riverwood Miles: 13.43 On Foot: 5hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 3hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 1hr 34min

SOLITUDE to . . .

Solitude to Rorikstead Miles: 27.92 On Foot: 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 7hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Solitude to Ivarstead Miles: 139.12 On Foot: 2d 5hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 16hr 15min

Solitude to Karthwasten Miles: 36.16 On Foot: 14hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 9hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 4hr 30min

Solitude to Dragon Bridge Miles: 10.2 On Foot: 4hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 2hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 1hr 15min

Solitude to Helgen (through Whiterun) Miles: 84.22 On Foot: 1d 8hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 21hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 10hr

Solitude to Helgen (through Falkreath) Miles: 109.55 On Foot: 1d 18hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 3hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 13hr

Solitude to Kynesgrove Miles: 89.29 On Foot: 1d 10hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 22hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 10hr 30min

Solitude to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 111.08 On Foot: 1d 18hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 3hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 13hr

Solitude to Riverwood Miles: 73.38 On Foot: 1d 4hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 18hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr 30min

MARKARTH to . . .

Markarth to Rorikstead Miles: 31.92 On Foot: 12hr 19min Horse/Carriage Walking: 8hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 45min

Markarth to Ivarstead Miles: 129.34 On Foot: 2d 2hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 8hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 15hr 15min

Markarth to Karthwasten Miles: 15.19 On Foot: 5hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 3hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 2hr

Markarth to Dragon Bridge Miles: 39.34 On Foot: 15hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 9hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 2hr

Markarth to Helgen Miles: 24.26 On Foot: 9hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 6hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 2hr 45min

Markarth to Kynesgrove Miles: 94 On Foot: 1d 12hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 23hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 11hr

Markarth to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 111.08 On Foot: 1d 18hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 3hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 13hr

Markarth to Riverwood Miles: 25.44 On Foot: 9hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 6hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr

MORTHAL to . . .

Morthal to Rorikstead Miles: 27.09 On Foot: 10hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 6hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Morthal to Ivarstead Miles: 143.12 On Foot: 2d 7hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 11hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Morthal to Karthwasten Miles: 43 On Foot: 16hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr

Morthal to Dragon Bridge Miles: 15.43 On Foot: 6hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 3hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 2hr

Morthal to Helgen Miles: 89.29 On Foot: 1d 10hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 22hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 10hr 30min

Morthal to Kynesgrove Miles: 61.96 On Foot: 1 day Horse/Carriage Walking: 15hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 15min

Morthal to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 85.52 On Foot: 1d 9hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 21hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 10hr

Morthal to Riverwood Miles: 77.74 On Foot: 1d 6hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 19hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 9hr 15min

DAWNSTAR to . . .

Dawnstar to Rorikstead Miles: 48.65 On Foot: 18hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 11hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr 45min

Dawnstar to Ivarstead Miles: 119.33 On Foot: 1d 22hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 5hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 14hr

Dawnstar to Karthwasten Miles: 62.19 On Foot: 1 day Horse/Carriage Walking: 15hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 15min

Dawnstar to Dragon Bridge Miles: 37.1 On Foot: 14hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 9hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 4hr 21min

Dawnstar to Helgen Miles: 65.73 On Foot: 1d 1hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 16hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 45min

Dawnstar to Kynesgrove Miles: 39.11 On Foot: 15hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 9hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr

Dawnstar to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 64.67 On Foot: 1d 1hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 16hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr

Dawnstar to Riverwood Miles: 54.89 On Foot: 21hr 11min Horse/Carriage Walking: 13hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr 30min

WINTERHOLD to . . .

Winterhold to Rorikstead Miles: 82.22 On Foot: 1d 7hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 20hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 9hr

Winterhold to Ivarstead Miles: 47.47 On Foot: 18hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 11hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr 30min

Winterhold to Karthwasten Miles: 107.55 On Foot: 1d 17hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 2hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 12hr 45min

Winterhold to Dragon Bridge Miles: 70.68 On Foot: 1d 3hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 17hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr 15min

Winterhold to Helgen Miles: 73.15 On Foot: 1d 4hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 18hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr 30min

Winterhold to Kynesgrove Miles: 35.69 On Foot: 13hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 8hr 55min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 4hr 15min

Winterhold to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 59.6 On Foot: 23hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 15hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr

Winterhold to Riverwood Miles: 63.14 On Foot: 1d 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 15hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 30min

WINDHELM to . . .

Windhelm to Rorikstead Miles: 76.57 On Foot: 1d 5hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 19hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 9hr

Windhelm to Ivarstead Miles: 17.67 On Foot: 6hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 4hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 2hr

Windhelm to Karthwasten Miles: 93.49 On Foot: 1d 12hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 23hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 11hr

Windhelm to Dragon Bridge Miles: 75.98 On Foot: 1d 5hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 19hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 9hr

Windhelm to Helgen Miles: 67.49 On Foot: 1d 2hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 16hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr

Windhelm to Kynesgrove Miles: 5.89 On Foot: 2hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 45min

Windhelm to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 29.8 On Foot: 11hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 7hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Windhelm to Riverwood Miles: 56.66 On Foot: 21hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 14hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr 45min

RIFTEN to . . .

Riften to Rorikstead Miles: 86.7 On Foot: 1d 9hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 21hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 10hr 15min

Riften to Ivarstead Miles: 26.97 On Foot: 10hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 6hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Riften to Karthwasten Miles: 119.09 On Foot: 1d 22hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 5hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 14hr

Riften to Dragon Bridge Miles: 122.27 On Foot: 1d 23hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 1d 6hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 14hr 15min

Riften to Helgen Miles: 39.93 On Foot: 15hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 10hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr

Riften to Kynesgrove Miles: 37.22 On Foot: 14hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 9hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 4hr 45min

Riften to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 9.22 On Foot: 3hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 2hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr 30min

Riften to Riverwood Miles: 54.54 On Foot: 21hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 13hr 30min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 6hr 30min

FALKREATH to . . .

Falkreath to Rorikstead Miles: 31.57 On Foot: 12hr 15min Horse/Carriage Walking: 8hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 45min

Falkreath to Ivarstead Miles: 28.03 On Foot: 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 7hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 3hr 30min

Falkreath to Karthwasten Miles: 48.29 On Foot: 10hr 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 12hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 5hr 45min

Falkreath to Dragon Bridge Miles: 72.56 On Foot: 1d 4hr Horse/Carriage Walking: 18hr 15min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 8hr 30min

Falkreath to Helgen Miles: 12.01 On Foot: 4hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 3hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 1hr 30min

Falkreath to Kynesgrove Miles: 34.75 On Foot: 13hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 8hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 4hr

Falkreath to Shor's Stone (white) Miles: 64.31 On Foot: 1d 45min Horse/Carriage Walking: 16hr Horse/Carriage Trotting: 7hr 30min

Falkreath to Riverwood Miles: 11.54 On Foot: 4hr 30min Horse/Carriage Walking: 2hr 45min Horse/Carriage Trotting: 1hr 15min

#skyrim #the elder scrolls #skyrim cities #skyrim travel #travel time #whiterun #markarth #morthal #falkreath #solitude #dawnstar #winterhold #windhelm #riften #maps #skyrim settlements

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vivifriend · 5 months

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WIP Wednesday

How is it Wednesday already??? ^^ Thanks for the tag @wildhexe

I'll tag @rainpebble3 and anyone else who wants to, consider this your tag. (No pressure for anyone of course. :) ) I've got a snippet from a fic I'll start posting tomorrow. It's in my Connections series and this bit is from Copper's point of view. It got a bit long, so I'll put it under a page break.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pulling away from the tree, they turned, moving slowly back toward the stone, more moths gathering to fly around them in a thick mass, a dim ray of light falling, seemingly from the cave roof, to illuminate the stone where the knife had rested. Heartbeat thrumming hard in their chest, they approached it, giving Serana a small nod, watching her pull the Elder Scrolls off her back and line them up next to the stone. Nervously they settled the knife back into place and rested the bark in front of them before reaching for the first scroll and opening it.

They spoke. They knew they did, but the visions overtaking their mind consumed them, making it hard to focus on anything past what they were seeing. The vastness of it all crushed around them, tearing words from their lips even as they watched blood and death raining down, the weapon of a God twisted past imagining.

Without thinking, they lifted another and unraveled it, realizing as stars flooded their vision that Dexion's comment on the fragmented prophecy had reason. That there was something almost wrong here. Pain pierced their eyes and they blinked hard to clear them, sharing more of the vision, shying away from the visage of Molag Bal as they continued, lifting the final. Stars flooded their vision again, their stomach twisting with nausea as they spun in their sight before exploding outward, leaving the vision of a cave in craggy rock, twisted junipers scattered on the slopes of the surrounding mountain. Knowledge of where to find it imprinting on their mind. Darkness shrouded their vision and they let the last scroll clatter to the ground, dropping to their knees, hands over their eyes.

"Copper, Copper!"

Serana's voice came as though from a great distance, and Copper tried to blink the excessive moisture from their eyes again when she grasped their wrists and tugged on their hands.

"Shor's Bones," Gunmar said, his voice strangely echoing. "Are they blinded?"

"I can't tell," Serana snapped, moving her hands to Copper's cheeks. "They won't open their eyes."

"Can they?"

That was Sarlfi's voice and they couldn't stop a small smile at his tone.

"Did I say enough?" they asked, their voice sounding rough.

"Yes," Serana said. "We have what we need to stop him. We know how to stop my father."

A cold laugh rang through the glade, a shiver running through Copper as Serana's hands convulsed.

"What is it?" Copper whispered, hearing the grinding sound of Sarlfi shifting into his werewolf form.

"He's here," Serana said. "Why is he here? Oh Gods. Vilkas."

#wip wednesday #skyrim fanfic #do Elder Scrolls count as light reading?#original characters #Dawnguard #serana

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itsthesinbin · 3 months

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Some Elder Scrolls/Pokemon lore drops while I work on the next piece:

The major studies on Pokemon are done in the Summerset Isle, but notable Colleges, Universities, and Guilds do studies for their native creatures.

Professor Dra'Atasi Mirriam leads Pokemon-related studies at the College of Winterhold, along with her Nordic assistant, guard, and translator, Sisva Amanita. Many Nords disagree with having a Khajiit in charge of such a thing, despite Professor Mirriam being born in Skyrim as well.

Rarely do people have a full team of 6, because most are wary about having so many creatures at once. The majority of Nords consider Pokemon dangerous, or unneeded.

The Nords' overall dislike of Pokemon teams/partners stems from the fact the Altmer embrace the concept and use Pokemon often.

The general population will have maybe one singular Pokemon partner, usually by circumstance rather than seeking one out.

Professor Mirriam is one of the minority with a full team.

Adventurers/Nords don't let their Pokemon do the fighting alone. They'll let their Pokemon battle with the enemy Pokemon while the adventurers themselves will fight the other challenger.

Mer (and some Bretons) tend to respect the Pokemon duel. Nords, Orcs, some Redguards, and the beast races tend fight each other during the battles.

Starters aren't traditionally given, nor are they usually unique/rare Pokemon. The court Tamer may give out starter Pokemon to eager children if there is an excess of Pokemon in the pastures. These Pokemon tend to be native to the individual Holds.

Children are heavily discouraged from adventuring and traveling as they age- between bandits and wild Pokemon, the roads are dangerous.

There usually aren't Pokemon-specific healers in the cities, as many Jarls are wary about having them freely about, but there tend to be healers along the roads. Professor Mirriam and her family own one such homestead along the road between Shor's Stone and Riften.

#pokemon #elder scrolls #skyrim #the elder scrolls pokedex #ik i talked a bit abt the professor more than the assistant but ill get there dw

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critter-in-skyrim · 6 months

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Drunken Confessions

“You’re a good guy, you know that?”

Erandur raised an eyebrow slightly, a fond smile making its way to his lips as he turned to look at his companion. The Dragonborn was known to enjoy a pint of mead or two every time the two of them found themselves in an inn. However, it was only at the Bee and Barb that the Dragonborn ever got plastered - like they were at the moment. Erandur simply nodded. “Yes, yes, of course.”

“No Erandur, I mean it!” they emphasized, leaning closer to Erandur. “You…you get all up in your own head, thinking you’re some bad guy, just ‘cause you got a past. But like…I got a past too. Nearly everyone I’ve met in Skyrim has got some sorta past. You can still be a good person, even if you’ve had a really messed up life.”

“Well, that’s nice of you to say,” Erandur said placatingly. He noticed a few of their fellow patrons paying attention to this conversation - he hoped that the Dragonborn didn’t continue to steer the conversation down this rather treacherous pathway.

“I really don’t think you understand how fucked up your life was before,” the Dragonborn said suddenly.

Keerava made a slight hissing sound at the Dragonborn’s language. Erandur gave an awkward chuckle, wrapping an arm around the Dragonborn’s.

“I think it’s time we head to bed, yes?”

“But I’m not tired,” they protested, though they allowed Erandur to pull them to their feet. “And we’re not done with this conversation yet.”

“Well, let’s at least continue it in privacy, please,” Erandur pleaded with the Dragonborn quietly.

They sighed, throwing their head back dramatically. “Fine.”

The Dragonborn was relatively steady on their feet as they made their way to their room upstairs, at least until they reached the top step. They tripped, slamming down on their hands and knees.

Erandur’s eyes widened. “Dragonborn? Are you alright?” he asked, when the Dragonborn didn’t move from their position. He placed a hand on their shoulder, only to feel it shaking. Erandur’s concern worsened, but only for a moment, as the Dragonborn’s laughter soon became audible.

“I’m such a goof!” they lamented through their laughter, allowing Erandur to help them to their feet. “A complete goof!”

“You’ve just had a little too much to drink,” Erandur patted their shoulder, as the two headed into their shared room. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Positive,” they said, before pausing. “See, this is what I’m talking about. You always doubt that you’re a good person, yet here you are, all concerned over me simply tripping over my own feet.”

Erandur closed the door behind the two of them. “My being kind to you does not exactly cancel out my servitude to Vaermina,” he said, lowering his voice.

The Dragonborn hummed, flopping on their bed. “And what, all the other good you’ve done also means nothing? Being a Priest of Mara? Helping Sylgia in Shor’s Stone? Saving the people of Dawnstar?” They narrowed their eyes, leaning forward. “Besides, it’s not even like you really wanted to be a servant to Vaermina, if I remember your stories correctly,” the Dragonborn pointed out. “Weren’t you quite literally a child when you were practically forced to join an abusive religious cult out of a means of survival?”

“Don’t try to assuage me of guilt,” Erandur said firmly. “I could have left at any time, but I didn’t. I stayed there through my childhood, through my teenage years, through my adulthood. It was only once things began to go truly bad that I made my escape.”

“If anything, that just shows how strong of a person you are,” the Dragonborn said. “You went through a lifetime of indoctrination, and were still able to break free. Do you realize how hard that is for some people to do? Yet you made the choice to turn away from Vaermina, to turn towards Mara. You did that.”

Erandur hesitated. “Dragonborn…”

The Dragonborn waved away Erandur’s attempted protest. “I’m as stubborn as an ox, Erandur. We could talk in circles about this all evening, but there’s nothing you could say that could make me see you as less than the great man you are.” They crossed their arms. Erandur gave them an exasperated look.

“I’m not trying to fight you on this,” Erandur said patiently. “I just…simply have a different perspective on my own life than you have.”

“Yeah, and that perspective sucks,” the Dragonborn frowned. “You think of yourself as some irredeemable monster.”

“That’s a little extreme…”

“How would you describe yourself, then, hm?” The Dragonborn raised their eyebrows.

Erandur sighed heavily, looking around the small room they shared. “Oh, I don’t know…” He looked at the Dragonborn, then looked away. “I suppose ‘irredeemable monster’ isn’t too far off.”

The Dragonborn was quiet for a moment. When Erandur chanced a glance at them, they looked deeply upset. “Erandur…”

Erandur swallowed hard, looking away from them again. Oh, how he hated himself for making his dear friend make such an expression. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just…being honest…” He was once again reminded why he always resorted to lying.

“I…appreciate your honesty, I do…” the Dragonborn said, and their voice sounded genuine. “I just…hate that you think such horrible things about yourself.”

The Dragonborn must have gotten up off their bed at some point, for they suddenly grabbed Erandur’s hand, squeezing it gently. Erandur hesitated, looking down at their clasped hands, before looking up at the Dragonborn. Their other hand cupped his cheek, before they leaned forward, kissing him.

Erandur froze, his heart racing faster than it ever had. Then, slowly, he allowed his eyes to flutter shut, as he kissed the Dragonborn back.

The kiss was short, sweet, the Dragonborn pulling back after a couple of moments. They continued to hold onto Erandur, though, gazing down at him with a deep tenderness in their eyes. “You mean the world to me, Erandur.”

“Oh?” was all Erandur could manage to respond.

“I…just thought you should know that…” The Dragonborn briefly butted their forehead up against Erandur’s, before pulling back completely. They once again went over to flop on their bed. “I think I’m gonna try and get some rest…”

“That’s…probably a good idea,” Erandur said softly. He went over to his own bed, settling into it, though he knew he would likely not be able to sleep for hours.

“Goodnight, Erandur,” the Dragonborn called out.

Erandur smiled softly, touching his lips. They still felt warm from the Dragonborn’s lips. “Goodnight, Dragonborn…”

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