#Greybeards

[elderscrollsconceptart]

High Hrothgar. Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Adam Adamowicz

[aldruiel-scribbles]

[skyrim-forever]

What your fav Skyrim Faction says about you!

(This is just for fun!!! It's a joke <3 and this is based off of all joinable factions as listed on the ES wiki)

Thieves Guild: Be gay do crime? No, be bisexual do crime

College of Winterhold: FUCKIN NERD

Bard's College: This is your fav as a meme

Imperial Legion: While you're bringing back the glory of Rome you should also take out that stack of dirty dishes by your computer.

Stormcloaks: You're either the worst type of person or the best

Dark Brotherhood: You use dark humour to cover up the fact you deeply crave connection

The Companions: Team Jacob

Dawnguard: You have a holier than thou attitude

Volkihar Clan: Don't cut yourself on all that edge 😛

Blades: This is no one's favourite

Greybeards: You read once about the existence of professional hermits in the 19th Century and have longed for that life ever since

Coven of Namira: Enjoyers of Cannibal by Ke$ha

Nightingales: You probably think Nocturnal is hot and the armour is sick. You are not wrong

House Telvanni: You are one of the cool nerds 😎

Tribal Orcs: The chillest people you'll ever meet

[macabre-changeling]

it is pride month dragonborn

[wolf-tail]

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

Wanna know what sounds great?

A fanfic where the Greybeards find a baby Dragonborn on their doors, and just take her (using your Leara DB as an example) in, and raising her.

They eventually find out she’s Dragonborn because of her ability to use the Way of The Voice so easily, or something. Paarthurnax takes an interest in this child, and so she stays at the Throat of the World, until Alduin returned.

Wait that's so soft.

Just imagine how much trauma Leara would avoid if she was raised by the Greybeards? It'd be so beautiful. Dragon Dad could be her actual dad.

[sukitra]

Throat of the World!

[mazurga]

Season Unending

[the-southern-cereal-king]

A bag of hot cheetos would obliterate the Grey-Beards

[lakeviewcellar]

My gal Jeanne at the Skyrim Civil War truce negotiations

[oblivions-dawn]

[elderscrollsconceptart]

High Hrothgar

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Adam Adamowicz

[aldruiel-scribbles]

Since 70% of my LDBs tend to be a Snow Elf I was imagining the nords reaction to finding out that their dragonborn of legend is a snelf.

While we know that this concept (being Dragonborn) exists all throughout Tamriel, it has never had more presence or importance in a culture of a country like Skyrim. Perhaps another could be Cyrodiil, but even despite the dynasties/empires initiated by St.Alessia or Tiber Septim, imperials don't integrate Dragons into their cultures like the nords do. With their Dragon overloads of old, the dragon cult, dragon priests, true first dragonborn (it was believed it was Alessia until Miraak in TesSkyrim), then the dragon wars, dragon hunting, dragon mounts, even dovahzul (which the Atmorans seemed to be fluent given by the number of walls), their previous use of the Thu'um, Greybeards with The Way of the Voice, and last but not least the prophecy of the end times with Alduin's return.

It's a normal day like any other and then it happens, Alduin has returned. Dragons are attacking, and rumors spread about the dragonborn since the Greybeards summoning them. I mean everyone heard them and felt the earth shake at the power of their voice.

So here at this point, Nords start wishing for a second Talos to come by walking and save them, imagining this mega Chad Atmoran of legend vibing like Ysgramor, only to find out their savior is a motherfucking ELF. Can you imagine their faces? And one that looks like a pale as fuck Altmer. The majority of adults are veterans from the great war, their worship of Talos is forbidden, Thalmor are taking people, there's a civil war, and dragons are back. I can't think of the amount of profanities some Nords must've yelled. Specifically Stormcloaks. Both hilarious and concerning. And that's before they find out that the LDB is a Snow Elf, their ancient foes. Actual natives of Skyrim, while Atmorans had to do great feats of mental gymnastics to convince themselves that this was their land and they came back to claim it (which of course had nothing to do with the fact that they were fleeing from Atmora with its civil war and also it was freezing), basically gaslighting themselves into thinking it was their home and all elves were colonizers. So they still think that snelfs are invaders, and enemies.

I imagine their conflictive feelings towards their gods, and this milk drinker elf the gods chose to save the world. While also being in awe at the fact that they are witnessing an actual dragonborn killing dragons. It must've been so bizarre for them.

This kind of nuance was missing in the game, because we know, Bethesda knows, and everybody knows, that the Nords would've reacted (A LOT) to the race of the dragonborn, a being so integral for their culture. Especially if they were elves, even bosmer who are the least hated elves. They would've think it was a Thalmor plot or something like that at first.

With a few comments from people, and extra charisma needed to do things (that a human wouldn't have the need for) could've changed the story.

(P.S: And for Khajiits and Argonians is a whole topic altogether)

[mareenavee]

Better To Seek Forgiveness Than To Ask Permission

Hello friends <3 Wrote a birthday gift for @thequeenofthewinter!!! Featuring Young!Ulfric. It's a character study of the moment he decides to peace out from being a Greybeard. (:

I hope you like it, my friend 😭❤️🫂✨ I pulled some inspiration from this prompt from the Arc's archives:

The Prompt

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ― Mary Oliver

and also, of course, Winter's Ulfric in her fic "In the Midst of Winter." <3

Without further ado:

Better To Seek Forgiveness Than To Ask Permission

Ulfric Stormcloak stands at a crossroads. The two paths are ones he has contemplated abandoning all together—though he knows turning back has its own consequences. He is young—barely trudging through his nineteenth summer. Hearthfire looms. If he does not choose a path, his twentieth year will be spent in silence, too. Some would say he has wasted most of his life up until now atop this very mountain.

Monahven—or the Throat of the World—has been his home since he was a boy. He recalls the day he was made to leave and make a new home upon the mountain. One moment, he had been pelting Balgruuf with snowballs in the fields surrounding Whiterun while their fathers spoke in Dragonsreach—and the next, so it seemed at the time, he’d been relegated to a corner of High Hrothgar. Has it been a decade already? Ulfric is sure, with the disconcerting news the pilgrims bring with them daily, that his time will be better spent elsewhere.

But here is where his conflict lies. His father expects him to honor his calling—all believe it to be his becoming a Greybeard. Below, however, his home might fall to ruin before his eyes, all while he does nothing but shovel snow and contemplate ancient tradition. He did not choose this path, and given the chance to go back in time, he would not have. All this despite how beautiful the Way of the Voice is—but beauty does not win wars.

Ulfric stands in the courtyard of High Hrothgar, and seethes when he closes his eyes. He knows of the Thalmor, and what they have done. So many lives lost—good men and women, some of which he’d known growing up—all for what? He glances at the path that leads up to the peak of the mountain—a path he has heretofore been prevented from walking. He has not mastered the Shout needed to clear the way. Most of the Greybeards, despite their age, have not. Their leader lives alone upon the peak in the harshest of elements. He stares down at the world and lets the chaos continue, despite the power he must wield to have this position.

Part of Ulfric wants to force his way through and make his case. Would the leader, mysterious as he is, release him from his oaths? It would not clear the shame that would fall on his father’s house for abandoning such a sacred duty. His home, though? His people? Would they not be worth the risk? The sacrifice?

In his mind’s eye, Ulfric envisions great battalions of Imperial soldiers marching from the White-Gold tower in Cyrodiil. He has never been there before, but he has seen the bas-relief carvings and gold-framed paintings in other places here in Skyrim. Despite his feet being so firmly planted in the soil of this province, he cannot help but feel a call to action. He has a single Shout, and with it he can make himself as valuable as an outfit of soldiers all on his own. He can turn the tide of the War. He knows this, and yet some piece of him still feels conflicted. -> Read the rest on AO3.

[elder-dragon-reposes]

Paarthurnax (or “the Old One” according to other dov) is the leader of the Greybeards and the first friendly dragon that the Last Dragonborn comes across in the Main Questline. He assists the Last Dragonborn throughout the game and is also available to help them Meditate on the Words of Power (Fus, Feim, and Yol) which can give some bonus effects to certain Shouts when the Last Dragonborn uses them. 

Biography

During the Merethic Era, Paarthurnax was a lieutenant under Alduin who committed and witnessed many atrocities against “mankind” (specifically Nords) but ultimately defected, and alongside mortals, he betrayed Alduin and taught men how to use the Thu’um. Mankind prevailed and won the Dragon War, with Paarthurnaxx retiring to the Throat of the World to continue battling his lust for power. He also became a follower of the Way of the Voice during this time, a pacifist creed created by Jurgen Windcaller that stated Thu'um should be used for worship rather than the glory of battle. Paarthurnax l became the Greybeard’s grandmaster but would continue to live in isolation at the peak of the mountain. 

During the First Era, Paarthurnax would continue to live in isolation but did make visits to Numinex who was trapped in Dragonsreach.

During the Fourth Era, Paarthurnax would assist the Last Dragonborn in defeating Alduin during the Dragon Crisis, helping them with tasks such as finding and learning the Dragonrend Shout and helping them reach Sovngarde to ultimately defeat Alduin. At one point in the Main Questline, the Blades (Delphine and Esbern) will ask the Last Dragonborn to slay Paarthurnax due to the atrocities committed during the Dragon War that he was complicit in. If the player chooses to not kill him, then he will be present for the Epilogue of the game. He will comment on his desire to teach the Way of the Voice to his brethren and can then be found perched on the Throat of the World’s Word Wall and will continue helping the Last Dragonborn Meditate on Shouts. To continue with the Blade Questline in Skyrim, the Last Dragonborn must kill Paarthurnax. 

Cool Quotes

“Dov wahlaan fah rel. (Dragons were created for domination.) We were made to dominate. The will to power is in our blood. You feel it in yourself, do you not?”

“Dahmaan (Remember) - remember, Alduin also follows his destiny, as he sees it.” 

“Lot krongrah. (Great victory.) You truly have the Voice of a dovah. Alduin’s allies will think twice after this victory.”

“But I cannot celebrate his fall. Zu’u tiiraaz ahst ok mah. (I am sad at his fall.) He was my brother once. This world will never be the same."

[yagodichjagodic]

possibly the backrooms.

35mm porta 160, scanned, no editing.