#Lore Friendly Breton Name

[terrible-mmo-names]

Thank you for respecting my immersion

[tearlessrain]

do you ever make just. a fun little sacrificial horny idfic oc.

like welcome to existence my dude you're about to have the worst time but fortunately you will be turned on by it and more importantly so will I

[garygoldenbignaturals]

"sebastian lacroix" is a lore-friendly breton name btw

[the-insouciant-scientist]

5 for everyone??

5. How did you choose their name and why? Was it simply based on vibes or is there any specific meaning behind the name? Are the reasons behind their name different in- and out of universe?

Oh wow, hope you're ready for a very long explanation because I have a Lot to say about this and a lot of characters dhfgdjafdgj. Including some ~secret never before seen middle name lore~ just for fun! Under a cut because this got very, very long.

(Most of these were chosen by scouring lists of Victorian era names, so I probably don't have to mention that every time. Just take it as a given!)

Harper (Middlename/Theory/Marten/Russula/Twillbert/etc.) Faraday

Since Harper was made as a slightly different character before getting Flondon'd, I don't actually remember the details of their first name specifically! I think I was just angling for something reasonably gender neutral and around the right era, and Harper just stuck. Faraday came when I realized I needed a last name for them and just panic googled Victorian-or-earlier-era scientists and realized that Harper Faraday sounds absolutely delightful to the ear. So, named after Michael Faraday! Which is, ironically enough, about what happened in character too. They do not have a defined middle name because they (and I) forgot they needed one for way too long, so now if asked they usually just say the first thing that comes to mind, which is not usually a name that normal humans have. They will never live "Twillbert" down for the rest of their days.

Phileas Emrys Clarke

Phileas was a combination of Jules Verne reference, it being slightly reminiscent of a recurring family name, and just being objectively fun to me. Clarke fit the vibes more than anything else, plus I liked the idea of it being a name picked up from his time working in Irving's shop! It was initially a job related surname, after all. Emrys came way later and definitely reads to me as one he would have chosen himself (as opposed to his first name, picked up as an urchin, and his surname, received as an older teen), and means immortal, which really loops into his whole "I will never die there's too much cool stuff to do and trouble to get into while I'm alive" very nicely.

Irving Basil Merritt

Hers was extremely vibes based/just names that sounded nice with each other I'll admit! I was going for the sense of like, this is the name of a very stereotypically proper Victorian Englishman, except no this is a very gender-nonconforming tailor/dressmaker who is so very gentle and friendly to literally anyone who comes into her shop and not that at all. Basil, however, is a loose reference to the character of the same name in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Not in a way that means you should be concerned for her own safety! Just. That artistic touch and devotion and queerness really resonates I think.

Caoimhe Ann Coledoc

I knew from the get-go that I wanted her to have a Very Irish Name, and I wanted something that could sound nice alongside her twin (who also needed a Very Irish Name), and who I was naming at the same time. Caoimhe was the one that caught my eye the most, and I especially liked the softer sound of it compared to the rough and tumble butch I was sticking it on. Cian suited her brother pretty well, so together it just worked. Fun fact, Coledoc is not their real last name! It's a derivative of their mother's maiden name, Colloc, or rather the word that was derived from. It's an old Breton word that means beloved, at least according to the sources I've seen. Idk, I'm running with it. Either way, it was a bit of a secret password between the twins, so when Caoimhe descended to the Neath alone and needed a new surname, she kept that close as a reminder of why she had gone. Ann was honestly a bit of an afterthought, just needed a one-syllable name to bridge the gap and it was relatively popular in her region of Ireland around when she was born, so!

Agnes Maria Day

Her entire name has so many layers to it. Baseline it's a play off "Agnus Dei", but it's also a reference to St. Agnes of Rome, who has a very sad story even by saints' standards. Maria is technically her confirmation name, not a middle name, the Italian version of Mary. So her entire name is uhhh extremely Catholic, which makes sense based on how she was raised on the surface! But really that pun kinda took on a life of its own.

Geneviève Blackwell

Another vibes-based name! I knew I wanted something incredibly dramatic sounding, and just kind of picked though name lists until I found some that fit! Still haven't decided on a middle name for her yet, hard to get something to fit alongside the others sdlkghfgklhd.

Hyakinthos Athanasiou

I put waaaaay too much effort into this guy's name I'll be honest. Hyakinthos (also known as Hyacinthus) was the name of a Spartan prince, beloved by both Apollo and Zephyrus, and in some stories killed out of godly jealousy and others by accident. Turned into a hyacinth flower after that. I really loved the contrast between the softness of the floral name vs the whole "was murdered" thing, drawing a line of death through his entire character, and then additionally some victorian floriography assigns the meaning of "sincere care" to hyacinths, which! Yeah!! And then Athanasiou is a really fun one, because given the time period he's from it literally means "son of Athanasios" rather than being like. A family name? But the kicker is that Athanasios means immortal. He's the son of immortal and he can't die. Running around in circles and kicking my feet up about this guy I had a Blast figuring out a name for him that was both thematic and actually historically accurate! This literally could have been a name back then!! Sorry I'm just so excited about that.

[alma-amentet]

Tried to get back to Skyrim (yeah I meant it, other story and emotionally hard, when I said 'maybe I'm too dumb for all this should go back to Skyrim').

Ended up recreating my Tarnished there 😆 Even pulled out those few screenshots I have left, for reference (when that PC died I didn't even bother saving anything from the drive... sad).

First I thought of making me a beautiful Breton girl just like my HoK from Oblivion (love my Amelia, need to draw her some day, yes). But then I was like ' was it possible to recreate Lyra, how would she look'. And went on.

Usually I love making wholesome lore-friendly OCs and not use the same ones in different worlds/stories, but now I enjoy seeing this as Lyra's weird dream. She's having nightmares even in distant postcanon, as a result of her past experience. Often dreams of her first death (at sea - thus, Lyra's actually afraid of the sea). At some point she might have taken a weird new potion and... 😏

My actual Dragonborn is a dunmer girl named Laere. She's happily married to Uthgerd. There were some posts abt her earlier.

Some moar Skyrim Lyra because I like her (in general, I mean). Maybe, cheeks to wide.

[riften-rogue]

I named my Breton Áine (pronounced Awn-Ya), which is an irish name, years ago. Then I found out in modern lore, they have more french names. I could change her name to Anya. It's roughly the same pronunciation, and it's lore friendly.

So what would you do?

[caithyra]

Skyrim and Storyline Synergies

So... Having been planning a big fic about Skyrim and laying out timelines and whatnot, I cannot help but wonder if certain things got cut either because of the 11.11.11 meme date, or because they were too ambitious with too many choices to program.

Like, the first thing you’ll notice when playing through the bigger questlines is that aside from the Main and the Civil War questlines, they are all seemingly isolated from one another. Yet, certain details make me believe that certain questlines were meant to be able to be “braided” together. For example:

In the Thieves Guild questline, Mercer Frey and Brynjolf has clues that could be interpreted as hailing from the Reach (my headcanon is that they’re both Silver-Blood bastards, except that Bryn’s parents were a love match that eloped against his Silver-Blood mother’s family’s wishes and ended up destitute, while Mercer’s antecedents were less happy and his mother possibly having been a Breton Priestess of Dibella who gave him his father’s given name as a surname, thus explaining why it doesn’t fit any of the races naming practices except the “[Name]’s son/daughter”). 25 years before the game, Mercer kills the former Guild Master in a ruin just north of Windhelm and takes over.

In the Civil War questline, the Stormcloak Rebellion was sparked 25 years ago when Ulfric Stormcloak of Windhelm took over the Reach from the Reachmen.

And the Forsworn questline, thus, has its beginning 25 years ago.

There is of course the whole of the Great War. Which would link nearly all the questlines in some manner. Like, the father of Vilkas and Farkas, Jergen, died fighting in the same legion as Ulfric, Rikke, Galmar, Brina Merilis and a bunch of others (the twins having Jergen’s journals, anyone?). This could have made becoming friendly with them also give the Dragonborn info about characters in other questlines.

But basically, I don’t think it is a coincidence that the Nightingales/Thief quests follow the timeline of the Civil War/Forsworn quests, but that at some point, it was planned that various quests would provide info for various choices (maybe even unlock them?) in other quests, but then it was realized just how monumental it would be to create (and expensive), especially with a meme deadline looming, so we got the Skyrim we have...

I wonder if the Meridia-Dawnguard connection would have happened (Dawnguard uses Beacons of Meridia to reveal vampires, whom Meridia hates. The Vigilants of Stendarr abhor all Daedric involvement, but Isran is obsessed with ending the vampiric threat...) if they could go off more on a tangent. Perhaps if you did the Companions, you would get Silver-Hand lore interacting with the Dawnguard and Vigilants of Stendarr? Perhaps doing Hircine’s hunt the Companions questline in different orders causes slightly different questlines?

Whatever the truth is, I will still stand by that Bethesda should have aimed for a 12.12.12 deadline instead. Not to add stuff, mind you, but fix everything we got at 11.11.11 to a better state (from Lynly/Svidi’s hair color, to the Darkwater/Cyrodiil Border Crossing paradox that likely exists because they already recorded the voice actors, to the writing of the entire Thieves Guild questline, not to mention Svana Slut-Shamer complete lack of choices, and the fact that the Blades is the only joinable faction that the Dragonborn should become the leader of, yet it is the only one of three [Blades, Stormcloaks/Imperials, Bards] in the base game that you don’t become the leader of, or even a leader of. At least in the Civil War you end up second only to the leaders and the decider of the war, leaving only the Blades and Bards, which is... yeah).

Also, Lokir stole a horse in the Rift according to the beginning... Then we get to the Rift and steal a horse named Frost? Um...?

[electronicdelusionstarlight]

New game, list all the dragonborn OCs/players you remember making:

Lets see how many dovahkiins I did I remember:

1) Very first Dragonborn, vanilla skyrim, was a Argonian called Stalk-In-Shadows (Technically, Shadow Stalker, then I mentally retconned the name to a lore friendly one), stealth archer with some early destruction and restoration spells, wanted to be just a mage at first then passed half my gameplsy crouching with a bow, self fulfilling prophecy if you will, with medium illusion and high conjuration magic. He ended up marrying Ysolda and was a generic edgy bitch, jack of all trades at times, one of the only two dragonborns who ever managed to kill Alduin. Main companions were Sven (Dead), Lydia (Left in house with Wife), Serana (Last One).

2) First Modded Dragonborn and second overall dragonborn was Ascarioth Hlaalu I think (or a name similar to that), Male Dunmer, this time managed to stay a mage also thanks to the spell mods. Only other Dragonborn who ever managed to kill Alduin, also married Ysolda, companions Inigo Sophia and Recorder at the same time.

3) The most long running Dragonborn I had with sex mods on was a Imperial Woman, Mia Sl*tbl**d (In Italian, dragonborns are named Sangue di Drago (Blood of the Dragon), and 1* years old me wanted to be edgy and topical and make a pun on it, even if in english)). Fucked half of Skyrim and was in a open romantic relationship with fellow sex positive woman Haelga from Riften. Didn't have a class given the... nature of her gameplay.

1-3) Months later got all 3 dragonborns the same backstory, three outcasts from Bravil, who met at a young age, and later become friends and then a love triangle and then a throuple. They decide to try their luck in Skyrim together, but during the Imperial Ambush 2 of them die. This splinters reality in 3 timelines where either of them survived and Akatosh turned them into a Dragonborn.

1B) Stalk-In-Shadow first tries to fulfill both his friends dreams of entering the college, drown his sorrows and survivor's guilt with that, his aptitude in magic is quite low tho so they give up midway and join the Dark Brotherhood after Sanguine's drunken blender. Adopts the Whiterun and Whindhelm orphans, kills the emperor and ulfric.

2B) Ascarioth drowns his sorrows in work. Is a Daedric Researcher, joins the college as a stepping stone for that, becomes a Vampire Lord to ensue eternal life, all to get closer to the mysteries of creation. Kills Ulfric, Miraak, Harkon, Ancano.

3B) Mia, who wanted to enter the college to research sex magic, just tries to drown her sorrows in hot bodies, doesn't finish any quest, just here to fuck. Does turn the peace council at high hortghar into a orgy tho, a real unifier that one. Doesn't kill ulfric but she does peg him.

At the end of their story each would die in certain circumstances and go to Sovngarde, where the timelines are reconnected and they find each others again as Dragonborns.

Both Ysoldas (Ascarioth's and Stalk's wives) are also there, so now it's a quintouple, if you will.

4) A Breton Shield-Mage, name forgotten, on his 50s. First Savior of the Forgotten City among my Dragonborns, Peryte Champion, Kills Ulfric, finds MARPHIN but doesn't fix him, First SSE Dragonborn, almost kills Alduin but is killed by his Draugr army before Sovngarde due to the Warzone Mod. No relation to the previous 3 Dragonborns. Killed Ulfric.

5) Several Iterations of the same, not Ascarioth Dunmer Dragonborn, male or female, mostly characterized by the Imperious Mod having them hear the whisper of their ancestors and go insane, trying to fulfill their wishes by killing people and shit. Never accomplished much, one of them even gets killed by Ulfric at Helgen when she finds him with Ralof during the Extended Intro Scene and her ancestors scream at her to kill him, another dies while trying to make camp in the cold wilderness. Most of them fix Marphin and save the forgotten city.

6AB) Vigilant of Stendarr, Imperial Man and then Breton Woman, each start as one with LAL, get a vigilant as a follower with AFT and leave the Halls to fix Dawnstar daedric problems.

A) Breton Woman learns that the ways of the vigilants are flawed after meeting and befriending Erandur, convinction empowered by the destruction of the hall and after she meets Serana, becoming more accepting if still weary of daedric folks. Kills Harkon and Ulfric. Fixes Marphin, saves firgotten city, Dies in slavery during the AHO mod, regretting her decision to trust that orc Triminac Follower she met at Dawnstar.

B) Imperial Man gets tempted by Vaermina with power and kills Erandur. Becomes Arthas, blood templar out in search for power to dominate his foes, kill daedras with daedras, gain their artifacts, fall of grace storyline culminating with him sacrificing the vigilant follower from the start to Boethia, tricking her into coming with him. Kills Miraak, Harkon and Ulfric, becomes a Werewolf, only companion among my dragonborns as to date. Dies during sex before he can become Harbringer for poisoning his husband Farkas with the ebony mail by mistake ("The Mail stays ON during sex") and triggering his transformation while he was getting dicked down.

7) Khajiit Dragonborn, sex mods on, escapes the LAL Dungeons by himself, befriends Inigo, world crashes the second he sees his blue dick after discovering wearing cloaks and tail armor at the same time turns khajiit naked. World is restored but different, saves Susanna from the butcher before he can kill her, butchering him right in front of Ulfric before telling him he's next, starts a open relationship with Susanna, attempts to seduce Janessa and even unlocks her tragic lesbian backstory, becomes Ysolda's Drug Mule and Boytoy, but then gets killed by my sudden desire to add maids to the game and the fact Mjoll's amorous mission didn't start, so I like to think he was Killed by Crime Lord, NTR Villain and Sex Criminal Aerin for snooping around Mjoll (trying to trigger her mission), who is a actual thing in amorous adventures I discovered later which is BAD like SO SO BAD.

8) Argonian Man. Tries to start the Maids storyline. Discovers is 10 times more heavy Gigabyte wise than vanilla skyrim + core set of mods, attempts to do so anyway, dies as the world burns and reality shatters in a orgy in Riften's market square, right at the start of his journey. Last Dragonborn in years, now to be suceeded by a new one.

[daggerfall]

If Darien is a demiprince, would Phoebe have like... watered-down daedric powers? Quarterprince?? idk

i think that’s probably how it would end up working? Phoebe ends up being a very powerful mage in her own right, apprenticing under some of the best of the mages guild before she’s even an adult. Part of that comes from Isla, but there’s definitely some influence of Meridia in there. I think the power of Meridia definitely gets watered down, significantly, but there’s still something there, like a resistance to the undead or extra healing abilities.

fun fact a lot of work went into Phoebe’s name because I wanted it to be lore friendly for bretons but also... mean Light... because... u know........

[mudcrabmassacre]

So what’s the deal with Snow Elves?

content warning, this is a friggin’ text wall

Okay so I normally don’t make lore posts I kinda lay low in the TES fandom and in most fandoms beyond that, but I gotta say something on this and bear with me, it might get lengthy

I booted up morrowind today for the first time in ages and while on the fighters’ guild quest to deal with the caldera mine, I passed an undressed nord who claimed to have been drugged by a witch. Okay, no big issue, except further dialogue prompt yielded:

hold up, what??

No, yeah, I read that right. Morrowind takes place in 3e427, and yet a nord claims in his lifespan, snow elves killed his father? I tend to try to keep my ears to the ground when it comes to falmer lore, given how inconsistently it’s peppered throughout the games(with their first mention being a single secondhand line in daggerfall, and then never mentioned again til now).

Doing a quick search I’ve compiled a list of all mentions of snow elves in lore since daggerfall(which I believe is the first mention of snow elves as a concept, with the small exchange: 

"Everyone! What of the Bretons? What of the dark elves? And the wood elves. Of the ice elves I say nothing. They are gone, gone altogether and forever."

"Such shy folk ... I tried," Lucky faltered. "I did try. The ice elves were very hard to find, and not that friendly when I did find them."

"Are all the elves to follow them, and the Bretons, and then the other races?")

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:King_Edward,_Part_X https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Frontier,_Conquest https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Fall_of_the_Snow_Prince https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Bloodmoon:Old,_Wet_Note https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Pocket_Guide_to_the_Empire,_1st_Edition/Skyrim https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skorm_Snow-Strider%27s_Journal 

honestly, if anyone in tesblr can help me figure this out it’d be great. Because the conclusion I’m coming to is that it was probably a haphazardly tossed in thing. Interesting to note is Ysgramor as a character was first introduced IN morrowind, near as I can tell? I cannot find a single mention of Ysgramor PRIOR to TESIII, and it is in sole reference alongside the snow elves in Frontier, Conquest

Going with the idea that TESIII introduced the concept of Ysgramor, it’s also neat to note the book the fall of the snow prince doesn't actually state which era it takes place in. In fact theres no dates whatsoever in the book.

Leads me to believe that they could have intended this to have been relatively recent to the backdrop off screen world shown in morrowind, just meant to be a sort of. Background event? Intended to reintroduce the concept of snow elves from the single ice elf name drop from daggerfall, it seems, using secondhand sources to discuss some unseen war going on in the nordic homelands at least at some point in the past century or so

But after bloodmoon concluded and finished up the tesIII development it was completely dropped, only mentioned secondhand in oblivion, and then skyrim re-affirmed it indeed as something that definitely happened in the merethic era(the falmer genocide, that is).

And it paints a pretty inconsistent picture when you take into account the fact a living adult nord mentions his father was killed by snow elves, meaning they're alive and known well into the third era at least in skyrim

But in the same breadth an altmer Scholar from summerset is baffled because apparently NOBODY not even OTHER ELVES knew about the existence of the snow elves in the third era outside of rumor and hearsay, and the book "fall of the snow prince" is supposedly(in universe) the first tangible proof of a now extinct race that once inhabited skyrim, being published and copied by this very altmer and existing as a widespread lorebook during the events of TESIV: Oblivion.

One day I hope to like, be able to have a sitdown with one of the loremasters from morrowind and figure out what the heck is up here if it’s intended to be that way or if they just had an oversight of Hlormar Wine-Sot’s dialogu, which I’d understand seeing as he’s a very minor character.

[thradrantir]

Review: Maids II Deception

I completely and totally uninstalled Maids II, simply because once you get past the death of Kasia (basically the main character) the story's pointless.

Too much exposition, too much conversation, a great guide for TV Tropes (including sexy killers, nerfed character -in that your character is captured at one point and has an amulet placed on you that strips you of spells, shouts and perk abilities-, dangerous nympho, damsel in distress, the secret war -because for some reason the plot of Maids II is far worse than Alduin or Miraak or even the Volkahar vampires-, there can be only one, against impossible odds, and others), a disconnect from what we would see as risk-reward (sometimes the risk is not even there and we're awarded with 50,000 septims, other times we're facing impossible odds and we're given 2500 septims),  the Golden Maidens (the sexy killers) are practically one dimensional, and there's no options to convince people to join your side.

Also, many of the names feel like they were ripped right from Resident Evil.  The main bad guy organization is called -get this, in a high fantasy setting no less- Project Purity.  Meanwhile, the other organization which I dare say isn't the good guys, is called Serenity's Sirens.

It's made perfectly clear that the Golden Maidens are well trained killers, infiltrators, manipulators and all around love sex.  All but one, Xara who is the newest member.  Xara is very standoffish and hesitant when it comes to both killing and sex.  But no option is given to try to get her out of the Golden Maidens.  By the time you have to fight the Golden Maidens, Xara is one of the members you have to kill, not being given a chance to get her out.

There's also a Dunmer woman who you have to make the choice of leaving at a checkpoint or taking with you.  If you leave her at the checkpoint, she's the only survivor of an attack and due to the fact she was already mourning a massive attack and slaughter of Serenity's Sirens sisters at Fort Pazarath, this attack drives her insane (there's another trope).  She eventually gets killed wanting revenge when she's sent out with the player character to infiltrate and gather information about the movements of the Heroes of Nirn (merc organization hired by Project Purity).  If you take her with you, she reveals she wants to leave the Sirens and join the College of Winterhold.  There's a really good chance if you've gone through the College quest line and that you've become the Arch Mage, she'll be excited to learn this and look forward to joining the College.  Which never happens because she's still sent out on the aforementioned mission and killed.

The Dunmer woman and Xara are just two of a small handfull of characters that were treated very poorly.  These were the interesting characters of a sea of one dimensional characters.The only one that really has potential outside of those ones who doesn't get killed off is Freya.  Who is just... she has a very demented view of things.  She flirts with your character, and if you flirt back there's a good chance you and Freya could end up in bed together at some point (which is fine, apparently, because the one character that the mod was promoed as having a massive romance with was Kasia and she ends up dead at the end of Act 3).There's also a massive disconnect in the economy created in this Maids II world and the rest of Skyrim.

I already explained that many of the quest rewards are in the thousands of gold.  One can only assume your given that so you can turn around and use it in the brothel (oh, yeah, the Euphoria Palace is a brothel which is just a front for a highly trained military force in the middle of Skyrim that for some reason the Stormcloaks, Imperials and Thalmor just ignore).  One night with a lady of the evening in Euphoria Palace costs at least 4500 septims.Conversely, the Flower Girls mod adds prostitutes to the major holds around Skyrim.  All of whom only charge 25 septims.Granted, those prostitutes don't have a fancy room, a brothel mistress, guards or any of those.  But still, that's a huge leap.

As far as the game mechanics go, there's too many times when control of your own character is just taken away from you.  And it isn't in a cutscene which I could be okay with.  It's just taken away for more exposition.The new zones that mod created as well are far too big.  They don't need to be that big.And there's several areas that were made which are never used.  And the number of load times in order to complete a mission and receive the quest reward is ridiculous.

Example, finishing the quest Escort mission, you have to go to Markarth (one load), go into the Temple of Dibella (second load), go back outside and patrol the city (third load), get knocked on the head and taken captive where you awaken on a ship (fourth load), then go back to Skyrim proper just south of Dawnstar (fifth load) and travel to a location just south of Morthal, which forces a load (we're onto six now), then you have to return to Euphoria palace (which would be a seventh load by fast travel or you could run all the way there... did I mention the Palace is south of Riften, so it's on the other side of the map from this quest location), enter the palace (seven or eight), go into the lower dorms (eight or nine), go into the basement (nine or ten), go into the dining room (ten or eleven), and finally go into Matari's Mediation Chamber (eleven or twelve).

This could have been cut down a lot by making cells smaller and joining certain cells.  As an example, the main lobby of the palace could have been smaller and the two pubs connected to the lobbies could have just been doors that close behind you once you enter (one of the two pubs you never go into at all during the entire mod, so you could just have one pub).  The basement area, which connects to the Grotto, the dining hall (and Matari's chamber), the armory and the catacombs could be cut down as well.  The basement itself serves zero purpose save for a place to load into.  The Grotto is an exterior area, so it would have to be it's own cell, as with the catacombs as it has it's own textures (using assetts from the Nord Ruins).  But the basement, armory, dining hall and Matari's chamber could all be one cell without any loading whatsoever.

This is constant throughout the entire mod, as most areas you go into are way too huge.  The town of Jonestead, for example is an underground town built into a mountain.  There's about ten buildings in there which includes home for orcs, warehouse, watchtower (really, you need a watchtower in an underground cavern?!?), town hall, home for bretons, home for Khajiit, home for dunmer, home for Redguards, home that really has no purpose and the Pinder home.The Pinder home is the one you interact with the most.  At one point, you have to liberate the town and by doing so enter every home, defeat the two guards and rescue the one captive there.

This could have been done way easier by just having a small group with everyone in the town held captive in the town hall.  That way, instead of being disconnected from the story with constant loads (one load for entering and one load for exiting), you have one load into the town hall, an epic fight with the mercs, and rescuing the captives, then moving onto the Pinder home to rescue Marcus.

Finally, onto one gripe I have with this mod that centres around the main promo, which is the romance of Kasia Pinder.  The mod author has made it nearly impossible to romance Kasia.  This goes back to the risk reward kind of thing, but you're never given a clear view of what would work for a good romance option.  While Friendship Points (really? Friendship Points?) are handed out without really doing or saying anything, Romance Points (see previous) are given sporadically.  What would have been better (if you were really married to using a points system instead of just using a system similar to what Flower Girls uses) is allowing some options to give 1 RP others to give 2 RP and if you say something wrong, you lose 1 RP.  But no, you're just given 1 RP no matter what if you say the right thing, but say the wrong thing and you lose 10 RP in one shot.

The final word, it's a mod that has a lot of potential but misses the mark on a lot of things.  From grandiose exposition, too hours of conversation (which was way too much), to the over use of stereotypes and the janky game mechanics, it really hurt the enjoyment of the mod.  If people are looking for a good quest mod, I'd suggest the really well done and sort of lore friendly Clockwork which has both an LE and SE download at Nexus.  Another that's really good is an LE download based entirely on Terry Pratchet's Discworld.  It is a monumental mod that covers everything from Going Postal to many of Pratchet's well known works.

Ultimately, Maids II Deception was a sex mod that had a massive adventure that came with it.  And if you really want that, just get Caesia as a follower and the Flower Girls patch, and just go adventuring.  Or Seductress Faye, a follower built for Flower Girls.  Those two follower mods would work better than Maids II tried to do.

[ashmerra]

may i kindly ask you all the oc questions?

Yes, yes you may.

Quick note:  A few OCsI won’t mention by name and a few answers will be vague just as to not spoilanything.  I have an entire fanversegoing on here.

-50 OC Asks-

Quick reference:  Meri is the Hero of Kvatch.  Arrais a Breton mage in Skyrim.  Dreyns is a Dunmer assassin.  Vitiais the Dragonborn.  Sannit is an old, former Ashlander. Veabris is an Ayleid who’saround back before the First Era.  Jaka is the Nerevarine.  Estor isNot a Thalmor ™.  Stigr is a proud Nord boi.  La’Mihr is a smart kitty.  One-Who-Knowsis yearning for the suburban Skyrim dream.  

 1. “Your first OCever?”  

That would be proto Meri. She was really the first that grew into an actual character.  She was also supposed to star in an Oblivionrewrite/webcomic/fanfic thing I drew like one page of years ago.

2. “Do you have a personal favouriteamong your OCs?”

I like different ones for different reasons!  Arra’s dialogue and one-liners, Dreyns’swhole ark of getting old, Vitia’s philosophy, etc.  etc.

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

Nope.  And I’d neverconsider them mine.  I handcraft them andbake them one-of-a-kind each time.  Butmore seriously, the most I could take is an idea for a character, because Ialways like to twist things on their head and really make it my own.  I don’t enjoy writing NPCs for thisreason.  I can’t get in their head and myheadcanons get a bit much, so I’d rather just write for those I know.

4. “A character you rarely talk about?”

Tactus Gavros Sigilis!  An inspector/investigator for the Empirein Skyrim.

5. “If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?”

I think that’s not really up to me.  I can’t decide who fans will latch onto.  I know who’s the most well-liked at thistime, but that’s no indicator of who would be well-loved by a much wideraudience.  I’ll leave this one to my fans!

6. “Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?”

I do my best to give everyone unique looks andclothing/color schemes, but!  There’sthree that got based on each other and aren’t the same but even I’m confusednow.  I’ll make a separate post to breakit down.

7. “Are your OCs part of any story or stories?”

None of them exist outside of the Elder Scrolls universe,and I have yet to write fanfiction.  

8. “Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!”

Currently Arra, Sannit, and Veabris.  Though I think I’m game to RPing any of them,I already have a few more that I want to add to my RPing blog!  (btw, if you like the idea of RPing with me,all you have to do is ask.)

9. “Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?”

No.  Not give, nevergive.  But that doesn’t mean they can’tappear in your writing/meta/art, just that it’s a crossover, you don’t own themjust like I don’t own yours when I allude to them in RPs.  (Did I ever post that here?)

10. “Introduce an OC with a complicated design?”

All the ones I don’t draw, lol

Okay, more seriously…no, that’s pretty much why.

11. “Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a ‘sunshine’?”

100% Arra

12. “Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot”

Can I say all of them? My favorites are the ones who are woven into the lore and pre-existingcharacters, and ones that feel like real people and not just “ArgonainDragonborn #76”.  I like the ones whotake it as seriously as me, and as I see people do, I feel more confident totalk about and expand them.

13. “Do you have any troublemaker OCs?”

Actually, not really.  Dreyns, Jaka and Stigr can all be at times, though.

14. “Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory”

I want to legit change that to one without tragedy in theirbackstory because they’re all tragic…

15. “Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?”

Sometimes!  But I trynot to go overboard because I’m not sure if people like it.  

16. “Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?”

My Daedric biologist, I would imagine.

17. “Any OC OTPs?”

I’m not much of a shipper, honestly.  And I really can’t think of any at themoment.  

18. “Any OC crackships?”

Read 17.

19. “Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)”

I’ll pass on this one only because my answer would start gettingtoo personal for this ask.

20. “Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details(headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?”

Veabris has a beautiful singing voice that would sound agood deal like Annie Lennox.  Actually,just listen to “Into the West” and you’re good to good.  But you’ll never hear it because Vea is superself-conscious and private about singing.

21. “Your most artistic OC?”

You know, I think I overlook making them artistic justbecause I am.  It would be too obvious.  But let’s say Stigr and La’Mihr are.

22. “Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?”

In world or OOC? That’s a really important distinction! But Veabris’s intentions are usually misinterpreted.  

23. “Introduce an OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what thecharacter would be like?”

Most of them!  I workon them for a while until I feel they’re ready to be revealed.  24. “If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?”

Don’t do this to me!!!!  Ahhhh I don’t know I love them all! But Jaka would probably be the most fun to hang out with?  Then again, a day out with Sannit would begreat.

25. “The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, sharedlike/dislike for something etc?)”

Meri.

26. “Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about themagainst your will?”

Arra and yes, I’m still bitter about it.  I won’t get into it because I’d rather notmake posts like that, but if anyone would like to know feel free to message me.

27. “Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?”

Nah, they come about and the songs fit them after.

28. “Your most dangerous OC?”

Okay!  So we haveMankar Camoran’s kid, Molag Bal’s Undying Champion, a lesser Daedric Prince anda double-memoried Godkiller.  Have funwith that battle royal!

29. “Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at nightwithout telling anyone they’re going?”

Tactus Gavros Sigilis, it’s his literal job.  Wait it’s Estor’s too.  …And kinda Veabris’s.  Well!

30. “Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animalcollection?”

It’s Dreyns.  It’s soDreyns.

31. “Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like(what they reblog, layout, anything really)”

Sannit treats it like a regular website blog and only postsstories from his life or answers to asks. No reblogs and he doesn’t follow anyone.

Meri posts advanced DYI stuff and martial technique.

32. “Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonistand why?”

I don’t play horror games but I’m thinking Estor in creepy,culty fan theory version of Rorikstead. (Should I write this?)

33. “Your shyest OC?”

She’s so shy she won’t let me talk about her.

34. “Do you have any twin characters?”

Not yet!

35. “Any sibling characters?”

Yes but I won’t say just now.  Spoilers!

36. “Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else(siblings, lovers, friends etc)?”

Not currently, but I’m not against doing it.

37. “Introduce an OC who is not quite human”

The Argonian, One-Who-Knows! He’s saving up money to buy a new fancy hat right now.  Rock on, scaly bro!

38. “Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?”

I feel like it would be Vitia for some reason.

39. “Introduce any character you want!”

THESE QUESTIONS ARE TOO VAGUE AGHHHH!!

40. “Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!”

Writing “Arra’s Story” (An RP post).  The power and emotion of it and the approvingly,emotionally shocked reactions of my fellow players made me realize I couldactually write good.

41. “Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or twohere (remember sources & permissions!)”

Here and here  😊

42. “Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?”

Daedric biologist person would be!

43. “Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend tofavour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess!”

We already found out I like investigators, is that my type?

44. “Something you like about your OCs in general”

I like how they all have gotten their own personality andidentity.  It’s taken a lot of work, but Idon’t feel like personalities repeat anymore.

45. “A character you no longer use?”

I have a few in limbo. I’m not sure if they’re coming back or they’re

46. “Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?”

No.  Only because Ihaven’t told them about all the bad things I’ve done to them in the first place.

47. “Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?”

Not yet, there’s still time.

48. “OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure?”

I think they call this a “hot take”, but in my opinion everyperson has flaws and depicting them otherwise is bad character writing.  Like sure, they can be nice and all, but theystill topple the board over when they’re losing Risk (or Axis & Allies).  Showing only one side of a character seriously,(not if it’s just for laughs) is boring to me. Where’s the growth?  They don’teven need to have “flaws” per se.  Whatif the “One True Hero to Save the World” is balled up on the floor crying tothemselves because they don’t think they’re strong enough?  Hot take over and it’s probably little kidDreyns.  (Which breaks hearts because hegrows up into something not pure.)

49. “Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes”

Arra would love meme songs like “SEAGULLS! (Stop ItNow)“He-man singing “What’s up?”, and “mmm whatcha say”.  And Jaka would love reaction gifs and objectlabeling memes.

50. “Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want”

I wanna talk about how long it took to fill this out and howmany characters I resurrected from the darkest depths of my mind to completeit.  You’re welcome.  ♥

[eslore]

Sooo, I've got a few names, though most of them are from a time that I wasn't even thinking about lore-friendliness and I'm just mostly wondering how hopeless it is }x'D Ak'aasha and Sen for khajiit, Vinrich for nord, Roderick for argonian (that actually just took the name out of some human story), Avik for redguard, Lliare for dunmer and Jennifer and Reige for breton. Sorry if it's a lot and I love your blog, so happy to see you on my dash again }:D

Happy to be back! Since you’re so nice, I’ll do all of them. ;)

Ak’aasha: Spot on, title and all! Meaning is unknown.

Sen: “Sen” is in a lot of Khajiit names. It works! Jeh’sen means “autumn,” so the meaning might have to do with the seasons.

Vinrich: “Rich” works, but “Vin” doesn’t really.

Roderick: He’s gotta be completely estranged from his Argonian ancestors, because that’s not at all Jel, lol.

Avik: Considering that’s the name of a character in Redguard, you’re in the clear!

Lliare: It works. Lli- is common, but Llia- isn’t, while -are is common as well. Llivare would fit better.

Jennifer: There’s a Jenna in ESO, so why not!

Reige: Reine + Serge (existing names) = good enough for me.

[amazonlilypad]

My Elder scrolls toon names

And back stories, since I've been asked in game and i forget shit

My templar/healer Lilly Pad was my first toon ever, had her since beta. She is a dark elf with the ebonheart pact. She was adopted by Argonians, after her parents died or abandoned her in a swamp. She's asexual, and lives to heal and help everyone. She a very outgoing and fun. *gathering herbs for the alchemists in the swamps and gets kidnapped and becomes the vestige*

My Breton stam night blade, who i made very soon after launch is fun. Her faction is daggerfall. Not a great name, Amazon Orchid, shes tsll and strong, but still has a bit of a soft side. She grew up in shornhelm, has wonderful parents, was an only child but had cousins and friends. Loves the ladies, and ladies love her ;) puts Darien to shame lol *stumbles upon bad news at a bar becomes the vestige she gets too drunk with a pretty lady *

And for my main my favorite! Elise Rose, fairly lore friendly for a Breton, shes a dragon knight mage. She is also eith daggerfall Covent. Again no tragic back story really, came from a lower nobles family like reallly low. Has both her parents, a brother and a sister. She was is a self taught master crafter, helping the family stay afloat. Rose is probly a demi sexual is the correct term I THINK?? She only feels attraction to people she loves kinda thing. She became the vestige when she took a job with a stranger, to hunt down some pesky rodents she was told. She became a vampire and regretted it, started drinking (i got the drunk personality its so funny) she looked for a cure and found an alternative to hurting people. She was a vegan vampire and used a drink called bloody mara that worked for a while, till she found a cure. She is an expert in fire magic all this time, realizing the stupidity of it all. Fire kills her, yet thats her main weapon

My sorc dark elf was an accident actually but i made a back story for him. I was trying to see if a name was taken and created him lol and i made hom aldmeri dominion! By not choosing a faction. any how! His name is Drevnis, he had a house name but doesnt use it. Reason one hes disgusted slavery in any part of the pact is ok, and his boyfriend is a high elf so the fam is pissed. He disowned himself lol

So yea this my nerd shit, eso toon back stories

[mazurah]

Morrowind Fanfic Series “Child of Azurah” Main Cast Dossiers

Contains minor spoilers for some of my future plot ideas and the Julan Ashlander mod, Thief Companion Constance mod, and Jasmine Companion mod, and contains information included in the White Senches Race Mod. This is mostly for my own reference, but I’m not averse to sharing.

Read the Fanfics?

Ma’zurah (Indoril Hlaalu Ma’zurah Nerevar Mora)

Race, Class, Occupation: Khajiiti mage or mystic, breed: moon cursed (should have been Alfiq), Imperial Blade, House Hlaalu, Mages Guild, and Thieves Guild member

Sex and Gender: Intersex and Non-binary, uses she/her pronouns

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Age, Date of Birth and Starsign: Age 22, Born 14th Sun’s Height 3E 405, The Apprentice

Known Relatives: blood relatives unknown; raised by tribe Clan Mothers, and mentored by Clan Mother Dra’nassa (an elderly trans woman who objected to Ma’zurah’s exile from Elsweyr)

Place of Origin: Elsweyr, Central Tenmar Forest

Languages Known: Ta’agra, Cyrodiilic, Some Dunmeris

Religion: Khajiiti Pantheon and The True Tribunal

Special Attributes and/or skills: Nerevarine and Dragonborn, but doesn’t know that yet

Personality: friendly, chipper, compassionate, devout, optimistic, intelligent, curious, outspoken, mischievous, playful, fearless, shameless, sensual, hedonistic, unscrupulous, impulsive, insensitive, selfish, vindictive, arrogant, proud, vain, ambitious (as in strong “will to power”), greedy (draconically so), holds a traditional Khajiiti communistic worldview

Additional Comments: Ma’zurah was adopted by a small tribe in central Tenmar Forest after being abandoned at birth; she was dedicated to Azurah and given her name which means “Child of Azurah”. She was outcast from Elsweyr at age 16 by regional leaders because of her moon cursed status despite the tribe Clan Mothers’ protests, and moved to the Imperial City with Clan Mother Dra’nassa, where she stayed for six years. Clan Mother Dra’nassa mentored her in the ways of the Clan Mothers until her death four years later, and Ma’zurah began attended the Arcane University to study Mysticism and a respectable mix of all the other magickal schools until her imprisonment and deportation to Vvardenfell two years later. She was imprisoned on mistaken charges of illegal prostitution because of her friendship with the workers at a local brothel.

Likes: sweet foods, dancing, learning, books, stories, mysticism magic, esoteric lore, Khajiiti and Velothi culture, Azurah and the True Tribunal

Dislikes: slavery, insults to physical appearance, bitter foods, electricity, thunderstorms, being asked to sing, Sixth House bells

Physical Description: 5’10” thin athletic build, whole body covered in short white fur with black tiger striping; intersex with a combination of both usual sets of genitalia; small breasts (A-B cup); blue eyes; very fine, straight, light cream colored hair, cut to chin length; merlike or Ohmes-raht facial structure and ears; always wears mismatched red and blue crystal earrings (red on right, blue on left) hung from near the point of the ear; whiskered cheeks and eyebrows; retractable claws on hands; digitigrade feet with cat hind paws

Julan Kaushibael

Race, Class, Occupation: Dunmeri warrior, Velothi Ashlander, outcast

Sex: Cis Male

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual, but really hasn’t figured it out all that well

Age, Date of Birth and Starsign: Age 22, Born 7th of First Seed 3E 405 (actual date unknown, celebrates on First Planting), Sign: The Lord

Known Relatives: Mother is Mashti Kaushibael, a mabrigash in the Grazelands

Place of Origin: Morrowind, Vvardenfell, Grazelands

Languages Known: Velothi, Dunmeris, Cyrodiilic

Religion: The True Tribunal, but mostly Azura

Personality: Personality: fun loving, compassionate, honorable, dutiful, snarky, quick tempered, paranoid, judgmental, idealistic, immature, whiny, inexperienced, possessive, loyal, devout, a romantic

Additional Comments: Thinks he’s the Nerevarine; delusional False Incarnate

Likes: books, poetry, Queen Barenziah, drinking at taverns, Ashlander traditions, learning about foreign cultures (NOT Imperials)

Dislikes: decadence, slavery, bureaucracy, The Empire, House Hlaalu, the Tribunal and Tribunal Temple

Physical Description: 5’11” athletic build, mid-tone ash grey skin, bright red eyes with red sclera, shoulder length dark brown (almost black) hair, no piercings, tattoos, or tribal scarification

Constance

Race, Class, Occupation: Bosmeri Thief

Sex: Cis Female

Sexual and Romantic Orientation: Asexual, Aromantic; Not sex-repulsed

Age, Date of Birth and Starsign: Age 21, Born 28th of Rain’s Hand 3E 406, The Mage

Known Relatives: Uncle is Balgoth, a thief in Seyda Neen

Place of Origin: Wayrest, Daggerfall, High Rock

Languages Known: Cyrodiilic, Some Dunmeris

Religion: Nonreligious

Special Attributes and/or skills: Knows how to enchant some scrolls

Personality: energetic, playful, silly, friendly, attention seeking, fun loving, outspoken, impulsive, irreverent, immature, whiny, mischievous, insensitive, unscrupulous, compulsive thief, possessive of her stuff,

Likes: expensive things, her bow, dancing, drinking and taverns

Dislikes: rules, large male strangers, the dark, people sexualizing her

Physical Description: 5’5” mid dark tan skin, blue eyes, shoulder length curly yellow-blonde hair, no piercings or tattoos

Jasmine

Race, Class, Occupation: Redguard scout, Ex-Imperial Legionary, retired to become a writer

Sex: Cis Female

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Age, Date of Birth and Starsign: Age 26, Born 17th Midyear 3E 401, The Steed

Known Relatives: father, mother, and younger brother live in cottage outside Ebonheart

Known Friends: Seyda Neen’s resident Blade scout, Deandre the Breton bard, who can usually found in the Eight Plates, Balmora

Place of Origin: Hammerfell

Languages Known: Cyrodiilic, Some Dunmeris, Some Yoku

Religion: The Imperial Nine Divines

Personality: contemplative, compassionate, reserved, detached, quiet, mature, serious, skeptical, private, polite, caring, gentle, sensitive to others, meticulous, careful, hesitant, sarcastic, derisive

Additional Comments: Has a creepy stalker ex-husband; had an affair with Deandre the Bard; owns a house outside of Seyda Neen; knows Ma'zurah is a Blade from the beginning

Likes: books, poetry, Yokudan lore, cleanliness, simple comfort, family

Dislikes: stalkers, slavery, wasting time, nonsense, disrespectfulness

Physical Description: 5’8” muscular build, mid dark brown skin, significantly lighter natural lip color, slightly coarse straight black hair down to her hips which is usually worn loose, brown eyes, wears kohl on eyes on a regular basis, no tattoos or piercings

Shani (Shanishilabi Zainsubani)

Race, Class, Occupation: Dunmeri archer. Velothi Ashlander of the Ahemmusa Tribe

Sex: Cis Female

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Age, Date of Birth and Starsign: Age 20, Born 8th Evening Star 3E 407, The Thief

Known Relatives: Father is Adibael Zainsubani in Location Unknown, Uncle is Hassour Zainsubani in Ald-ruhn, Aunt is Gunta in the Ahemmusa camp with her girlfriend Lanabi, Cousin is Hannat Zainsubani in Location Unknown

Place of Origin: Morrowind, Vvardenfell, Grazelands

Languages Known: Velothi, Dunmeris, Cyrodiilic, only partially literate

Religion: The True Tribunal

Personality: cheerful, energetic, dutiful, fun loving, snarky, shameless, mischievous, proud, defensive, selfish, vain, hedonistic, insensitive, greedy

Additional Comments: Shani is Julan’s ex-girlfriend and childhood sweetheart

Likes: scrib jelly, exotic flowers, Almalexia, painting, causing hijinks

Dislikes: Red Mountain, guards, thunderstorms, getting yelled at, sitting around, not getting her way

Physical Description: 5’1” unusually pale ash blue skin, bright red eyes with red sclera, bright red hair which is usually worn in two braids tied high on her head that hang down to her waist, likes wearing red lip stain made from fire petals, wears two long thin red crystals hung from her ears, ritual Ahemmusa scarification, no tattoos

Dossiers are subject to change. I just thought they might be interesting to somebody.

[sagenundlegenden]

The Infernal City lore notes

Posting for a friend, these are notes I made after reading the Elder Scrolls novel The Infernal City. Just random things that struck me as interesting or notable. Spoilers, definitely.

PART ONE

PT ONE Ch 1:

-          Pushbottom is the slum of Lilmoth- “Imperials had dwelt here, too, in the early days when the Empire had first imposed its will and architecture on the lizard people of Black Marsh.”—now dominated by criminals and political opponents of the An-Xileel

-          Attrebus rescued a colony of Argonians from slavery

-          Glim: “My people knew slavery under the old Empire. We knew it pretty well.” Annaig: “Yes, but that was ending when the Oblivion crisis happened.”

-          Lilmoth’s imperial estates were looted, but some foreigners kept on by the An-Xileel as advisors (like Annaig’s father); ch 3- “only licensed foreigners” allowed in Lilmoth

PT ONE Ch 2:

-          Penitus Oculatus: has Inspector rank, barracks is the Telhall; are taught not to question orders “You are an instrument, a utensil of the Empire.” (Intendant Marall to Colin)

-          Colin thinks of a Nord story about a baby born with a knife for a hand; his mother had been impregnated in a rape and attempted murder; the baby cuts his way out of her and she laughs as she dies; when his victims ask him who he is, he answers “Dalk” which means knife in old Nord

-          Colin’s assassination target mentions a book called Astorie Book III and quotes from it: “No food, no wine, no lover’s kiss is as beautiful as a long deep breath.”

-          One of the PO is a Khajiit

PT ONE Ch 3:

-the An-Xileel ruling council is called the Organism, in Lilmoth led by Archwarden Qajalil

-Argonian native language is called Jel; Lukiul=”assimilated”, used for Saxhleel who have adopted imperial culture; Xhu=okay; Xhuth!= exclamation;

- “The Hist gave his people life, form, purpose. It was the Hist who had seen through the shadows to the Oblivion crisis, who called all of the people back to the marsh, defeated the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, drove the Empire into the sea, and laid waste to their ancient enemies in Morrowind.

The Hist were of one mind, but just as he was four beings, the mind of the Hist could sometimes escape itself. It had happened before.” – the city tree of Lilmoth was a fragment left over from a tree destroyed 300 years earlier b/c it went rogue

-Lilmoth is mostly sunken into the soft soil; its patron is Xhon-Mehl the Fisher, Ascendant Organ Lord; the An-Xileel had excavated an ancient pyramid that used to be part of the city

- the Psijic priest Urvwen warns about Umbriel, says “We don’t teach our beliefs to outsiders. We counsel, we help.” “Help with what?” “Change… Change is inevitable. Indeed, change is sacred. But it is not to be unguided.” “Mundus—the world—is a very delicate thing, you know. Only certain rules keep it from returning to the Is/Is Not… I feel the ropes of the world, and they have become too tight. And that is never good. That is what happened in the days before the Dragonfires first burned—“

PT ONE Ch 4:

-          Lazarum of the Synod had created a flying spell; Synod has conclaves, members have to pay dues

-          Annaig does virtue tests on a substance from Oblivion, finding out its main property is restorative, secondary alteration

-          Drykillers- only non-Argonian mercenary company in Lilmoth

-          Glim thinks Coo is a venin bat or bloodmoth

PT ONE Ch 5:

-          Black Marsh coast is lined with mangroves which look like crouched spiders with legs interlocked; there was an Argonian folktale that they originally were spiders that had gone against the Hist and earned their wrath

-          Umbriel resembles a giant jellyfish but the underside is like a mountain ripped out of the earth and turned upside down; the top is level with towers and arches; there is a long, drooping fringe hanging from the upper edge like a lace collar disheveled by the wind and frozen in place, or like spider silk but some shining, and constantly dipping down then returning to the center of the island

-          Glim starts to return to Lilmoth in a Hist daze

PT ONE Ch 6:

-          if Argonians go far enough away from the Hist, they don’t hear anything

-          Glim says “What the Iyorth was that?”

-          From Umbriel they see humans, Argonians, sea creatures including Dreughs marching; some Bretons at Hereguard Plantation (one of the only farms still run by Bretons) fight the Umbriel creatures

-          Glim understands that the rogue Hist only wants the “Lukiul” (assimilated) and foreigners to be killed by Umbriel; the An-Xileel and Wild Ones had gone away during the siege

-          Annaig mentions a person called Irenbis Songblade who exploited faction fighting in Cheydinhal, probably in a story

PT ONE Ch 7:

-          Umbriel residents speak a dialect of Ehlnofex

-          Argonians do not have a sense of time, all moments are together as one

PART TWO

PT TWO Ch 1

-          Attrebus: “The Empire is still reclaiming territory, both literally and figuratively. There are many battles yet to fight before our full glory is reclaimed.”

-          Attrebus wants to fight for a place called Arenthia in Valenwood, Mede I won’t allow it

-          Mentions bandits around Cheydinhal

-          Annaig’s last name is Hoinart

-          “Titus Mede had been—and was—many things. A soldier in an outlaw army, a warlord in Colovia, a king in Cyrodiil, and Emperor. And to Attrebus, a father. They looked much alike, having the same lean face and strong chin, the same green eyes. He’d gotten his own slightly crooked nose and blond hair from his mother; his father’s hair was auburn, although now it was more than half silver.” - Titus has curly hair

-          Mede is not concerned with Umbriel moving towards Morrowind

-          Says he took the city with under 1000 men; “routed Eddar Olin’s northward thrust with barely twice that”

PT TWO Ch 3

-          New town of Ione, where Attrebus has a house—an Oblivion gate opened right in the middle of a company of soldiers, commander Tertius Ione led the defense w/ a cobbled-together militia of local farmers, he disappeared but a Breton came out who was half mad & died a day later; gate later exploded

-          Sardavar Leed- “where the ancient Ayleid elves had once herded his ancestors, bred them for work and pleasure.”

-          Vaermina – “Dark Lady”

PT TWO Ch 4

-          the Ayleids used a metagastrologic in their banquets- like a drug that stimulates the taste sensations

PT TWO Ch 5

-          Colin mentions an insurgent faction from County Skingrad called the “Natives”

-          Describes magic as “the spark in himself that belonged not to the world but to Aetherius, to the realm of pure and complete possibility. He was lucky—this was easy for him. If he’d needed to start a fire or walk on water, it would require training, a mental sequence worked out by someone else to convince him that such things could be done. But for what he was doing, he need only focus and pay attention, look beneath the rock that everyone else didn’t notice.”—is able to conjure up the ghosts from the attack

PT TWO Ch 6

-          “cats are less than friendly with the Empire they had once been a part of”

-          Riverhold is swarming with imperial agents

-          slarjei- desert animal

PT TWO Ch 7

-          Penitus Oculatus was watching the Thalmor; there was a Thalmor sympathizer sleeping with an official in the war ministry

-          The rebel “Natives” in County Skingrad are supplied and funded by the Thalmor

-          Mede says “the Thalmor are in everything these days” “their aims are obscure”; Colin objects “their goal is clear—the pacification and purification of all Tamriel—to bring about the new Merithic (sic) era”; Mede responds “we have an inkling of their long-term goals, Inspector, but their intermediate plans are less scrutable”

-          Colin says they are harassing refugees from Summerset Isles and Valenwood

-          Mede says Leyawiin is still restless under his rule

-          Colin’s inspector says he could get assigned to spy on Nords

-          Colin drinks Colovian highland ale with juniper added, popular in the west; most Colovians in the IC are military

PT TWO Ch 8

-          Rimmen has an Akaviri shrine called the Tonenaka with 10,000 statues, canals

PT TWO Ch 9

-          Cheydinhal is famous for thirty-layer cakes

-          Khajiit mounts are like apes, with thick forearms half the size of their rear limbs, with red stripes (Senchetigers—pt 3 ch 5); a Merish looking woman had black tattoos on her skin

-          “the moons come from the east”

-          Je’m’ath= protection for a favor

-          The Khajiit start hospitality with a ritual of serving cake sprinkled with moonsugar and a few drops of liquid—this is a rite of hospitality that confers protection on the guests; they then ate honey and date soup

-          The appearance of Khajiit depends on when in the moon cycles the kits are born

-          The potentate of Rimmen has declared free clans outlaws

-          There is no law in the north of Elsweyr since the Empire left—bandits roam freely

-          Rimmen has domed buildings of white stone, a palace with a golden dome & sheets of water; there are “viridian moths”; only half of the residents are Khajiit and most of those are skooma addicts

-          Attrebus and Sul buy moon sugar at the “Kingdom of Rimmen State Store”

PART THREE

PT 3 Ch 2

-          Skyrim has steam baths, which have spread as a fashion occasionally in Cyrodiil

PT 3 Ch 2

-          A former 18th legion soldier who fought with Mede is working as a regulator for the Kingdom of Rimmen because there is little work in Cyrodiil

PT 3 Ch 3

-          scratching under one’s chin and then under the other person’s is a Khajiit greeting (or show of respect?)

-          “Seidar”— like a debt of honor

-          Northern Elsweyr is swarming with renegades in hill forts

-          Vivec held up the Ministry of Truth (described as “a moon from Oblivion”) and after he died or disappeared, Vuhon and others built the ingenium that used souls to keep it aloft; the ingenium exploded, hurling Vuhon and Sul into Oblivion, and the Ministry fell to earth, triggering the eruption of Red Mountain

-          The ingenium used souls to keep a vent into Clavicus Vile’s realm open; Vuhon may have made a bargain with Vile to trade energy for souls

-          When Sul arrived in Oblivion, a black figure named Umbra tossed a sword back through the rift; this figure had cut a piece of Vile’s power off to make the sword more powerful, after which Vile had circumscribed the walls of his realm to imprison the figure there—only the sword could get through the rift

-          Vuhon made a pact with Umbra to make a new ingenium to let him escape Vile’s realm

PT 3 Ch 5

-          In the collapse of the old empire Bravil and Leyawiin were independent and at odds; Water’s Edge was protected by remnants of the imperial navy and served as an alternate port

-          College of Whispers outposts are called cynosures

-          Attrebus’ sword is called Flashing

PT 3 Ch 7

-          Khajiit call Hircine “the Hungry Cat”

-          Hircine will always give prey a chance to escape for the sake of the hunt

-          Khajiit expression for dying is to be “on Khenathi’s path”

-          They are confronted by a driver of Hircine’s hunt who is a werebear- tall Nord with blue markings on his chest riding a bear

-          Hircine hunts with a pack of werewolves; looks like an enormous man with the antlers of a stag

PT 3 Ch 8

-          Vivec City is now Scathing Bay, a perfectly circular lake with an island at its center that is indented by a crater; the Argonians perform some kind of ritual there

-          Some Argonians settled in southern Morrowind but would be in Umbriel’s path

-          Sul’s real name is Ezhmaar, his lover is Ilzheven; he summons her as an ash wraith

PT 3 Ch 10

-          Colin uses the Cloak of Nocturnal for stealth

PT 3 Ch 11

-          Glim has a faintly chlorine scent

-          Sul conjures a crocodilian daedroth who snarls in hate at him but must obey his command

PT 3 Ch 12

-          Sul uses a white-fire spell called balefire

-          Vuhon had devised a way to use living souls to power the ingenium, but it requires “large” souls—Ilzheven had one of these; Sul tried to free her and the fight destroyed the ingenium, sending the Ministry hurtling to land

-          Vile tightened the circumscription after the sword was thrown through, and the only way Vuhon could escape was to leave with a piece of Vile’s realm “twisted like a sausage skin until it separated”; he came to Mundus so that Vile couldn’t pursue him; he was able to seal the rift but is searching for the sword through agents, and wants to bring Umbriel to rest on White-Gold Tower

PT 3 Ch 13

-          Sul summons a powerful daedra but it makes blood come from his nose