#bran and sceolang

[thestuffedalligator]

You are a woman in a fairy tale. You are pregnant, but one day a witch curses you and turns you into an animal like a dog or a duck, and when you give birth your children have also been cursed and are born as puppies or ducklings.

You raise your animal children in the woods. They have human intelligence, but their animal shapes are all they’ve ever known. And then one day your husband finds you and breaks the curse and you’re human again.

[gawrkin]

(From Gods and Fighting Men, by Augusta Gregory)

Arthur up to his old bad habits from the tales of the Saints.

This time, Arthur is stealing the hounds of (who are also coincidently the cousins of) the guy who can toss islands... and lived atleast a century before 500 A.D.* How the hell Arthur managed this when the dogs in question are so huge they reach up to Fionn's shoulders is left up to the imagination.

Hm. I wonder if "Lodan" is a corruption of Lothian...

*More implications of Arthur being a stock character that you can insert into any story, regardless of Timeline, like Morgan le Fay and the Trojan War

[monsterdrinkingkyle]

If the vampire lords weren't so fuckin ugly, maybe I'd stop doing the companions quest line because vampires are cool as hell and dimming the sun sounds fun

Also Sceolang and Bran, my beloveds (especially Sceolang)

[gemscontentchest]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ new mod! ˘ᵕ˘

gem's essential dawnguard dogs is now out on the skyrim special edition nexus and the oldrim nexus!

this mod flags bran, sceolang, garmr, and cusith as essential, so you don't have to worry about them dying during combat. enjoy!

[thewolfisawake]

Sceolan was named with the meaning of 'survivor' but there was the connotations of the famed hunting dog that had similar naming to her. A vicious, terrifying and loyal beast...well, it's a little questionable if Bal had used clairvoyance to tell what his daughter would be like. Maybe it was a slight nudge to Faolan or Bal simply had the wish for his child to 'survive.' But it also so happens that the companion dog to Sceolang--whom they are spoken of as sister and brother--is named Bran....and while it would be a decent name meta wise, Bal really couldn't name his kid that.

Not because it was a bad name but because it ends up being too on the nose. Way too on the nose. He was supposed to be keeping the parentage secret dammit! And he can't just give a hint as to what his kid's aspect was. So the baby was named Nathair as it completely unrelated to it and still a name that had like...a 'strong' feel to it. Although hilariously, it was still slightly on the nose albeit more roundabout. With Nathair also being a variation on 'beithir' which can be 'serpent' but it can also mean 'lightning' which is his other aspect.

Of course the children are the only one that know their true names. And unless it becomes pertinent, it will not be told (aka, I'm not likely to look it up). However a small funny part is that both Mhoirbheinn and Risteard get into disagreements so often and they refer to each other as a 'dog' and 'snake' respectively. So sometimes during their arguments, the kids will poke their heads in because they thought they were being talked to or about. And there's a simultaneous 'Not you' before they're back to arguing.

[archaichearts]

I want a white borzoi and a black Belgian shepherd and I'd name them Bran and Sceolang and run really really fast with them until I collapse with runner's high.

[aquitainequeen]

For context:

Fionn mac Cumhaill married Sadhbh, who had been transformed into a deer by the villainous druid Fear Doirich; she regained her human form when she set foot on Fionn's land. When Fionn was away defending his country, Fear Doirich returned and turned Sadhbh back into a deer, and she vanished; Fionn never saw her again, despite all his searching. Seven years later later Fionn was out hunting and found their son, Oisín, wandering in the woods; in some versions he's first encountered in the form of a fawn, and his name literally means 'young deer'.

All of which I knew from childhood, but then there was Wikipedia:

Bran and Sceólang ("raven" and "survivor" are the hounds of Fionn mac Cumhaill in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. The dogs are described as being mostly white, with purple haunches, a crimson tail, blue feet, and standing as tall as Fionn's shoulder. Bran is normally male, while Sceólang is normally female, although there definitely is a version by Soinbhe Lally, where Bran is female, and Sceolang's sex is uncofirmed. Bran is also sometimes described as a merle. The hounds' mother, Uirne, was transformed into a dog while pregnant, hence the canine birth of her twin children. While Uirne is returned to full humanity after giving birth to her pups, Bran and Sceólang remain hounds throughout the duration of their mythos. As Uirne is the sister of Fionn's mother Muirne, Bran and Sceólang would be their masters' cousins.

Fionn mac Cumhaill: If I had a coin for every time a member of my family was transformed into an animal while pregnant, I'd have two coins. Fionn mac Cumhaill: Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[your-talos-is-problematic]

I swear, sometimes I feel like the devs expected me to join Harkon

[dumbfuck-mojave]

Someone on Youtube pointed this out and I can’t stop thinking about it. 

(These are also the ones I know of wouldn’t be surprised if there was more)

[full-pockets]

ARE YOU TELLING ME BRAN & SCEOLANG CANT DIE?!?

[erromes]

@ulfhrafnx​ said: " hey, wait a minute, you're hurt... how long have you been hiding this?! " ( nahia i s2g )

injured muse meme.

          THEY’D NEEDED TO keep moving. that was their only goal for the time being, and as a pilgrim, nahia has the talent of emptying her mind of all else except walking. eyes wide and distant, pinned only on her feet as they tread upon the soft, damp undergrowth of the woods. one step turns into two, two into three...

            it’s only the stillness that comes from lira stopping them in the middle of a clearing that nahia registers a hair-raising warmth in her side. bran and sceolang both begin to whine, ears pinned against their skulls. the latter barks at lira, seemingly not a fan of the edge in the elder woman’s voice. nahia doesn’t register it. she doesn’t realize she can’t -- which is more terrifying to her than any of the pain beginning to throb in her side. she can always pin the emotion in someone’s voice, but her head feels like it will detach from her body from how light it is. she can only focus on simple words.

            ‘ i...i wasn’t hiding. ’ her voice is breathy, almost dreamy. she has no reason to lie, especially since her face is beginning to blanche gray. ‘ i didn’t-- ’ without warning, there are suddenly two liras and four dogs. she hopes there’s a tree beside her, because she’s wavering slightly. ‘ i just need a moment. ’

[teamhawkeye]

1,4,5,10,16,18,20,26,29 and 31 for the Dragonborn asks please!

Thank you! I only have one Dragonborn, Lyra, so these will all be for her!

1.) What is their background and backstory, summarised into a paragraph?

- Lyra is a Nord with mysterious heritage: she doesn’t know for the longest time that she is in fact the descendant of Martin Septim, last Emperor of the Septim line, and Vesper, Hero of Kvatch and Champion of Cyrodiil (and now current avatar for Sheogorath...). She was a mercenary pre-Helgen who was being taken to the executioner’s block for the charge of murder and given a new lease on life by Alduin’s intervention. Lyra is proficient in most forms of combat, but prefers a great sword or axe and to be in the thick of a fight. Her greatest weaknesses are her impatience and desire for power and knowledge, all of which she is forced to confront and temper throughout the course of her journey. Her greatest strengths are her physical and combat prowess, and her honor and willingness to go the extra mile to help those weaker than her and taken advantage of by others.

4.) At present, how are they perceived by the people of Skyrim? By the general population, and by different factions?

- Lyra is fairly well regarded by most people, known as being fierce but honorable. She can be a bit grumpy about taking on services without payment rendered, but she is a decent woman who will help those in dire need without asking.

5.) How were they perceived before their Dragonborn identity became widely known?

- Lyra was known for being a mercenary whose services could mostly be bought. She had a strict policy of not involving children, families, or innocents that eventually was violated - unknowingly on her part - and her murder of her contractor was what had her headed for the executioner’s block in Helgen

10.) Which factions are they aligned with? Including civil war sides, Thalmor, guilds etc.

- The Greybeards, the Companions, The College of Winterhold, and the Dawnguard. She starts off on the side of the Stormcloaks at the start of the civil war, but becomes disillusioned with both sides and wants no part in their war, especially as she becomes most focused on the greatest threats to Skyrim and all of Tamriel, such as Alduin and Harkon.

16.) Where did they choose to live and what drew them there? Does it really feel like home?

- She initially takes up residence in Whiterun when it’s most convenient for her, but she eventually commissions the construction of Lakeside Manor to have a bit of solitude and a place for the numerous orphans she takes under her wing. Eventually, her travels take her to Solstheim and she falls in love with the island and decides to permanently relocate there after game events

18.) Your Dragonborn is now an actual dragon- what do they look like? Do they possess any unique features or abilities?

- She would have silver scales, to match her instantly recognizable silver hair, and golden eyes.

20.) Which NPC have they killed and absolutely NOT regretted it (excluding the major villains)?

- Grelod the Kind comes first to mind. She also killed Astrid when taken to the abandoned shack for the Dark Brotherhood initiation and never looked back

26.) Which follower(s) would they never go anywhere without? On a personal level, what is their relationship with the follower(s) in question like and why do they stick with them?

- Lyra is very close with her fellow companions Farkas, Vilkas, and Aela and travels a great deal with them at the start of her personal journey as Dragonborn. They were all part of the Inner Circle and werewolves together, and while Aela eventually is the only one who retains her lycanthropy, the four of them are still tightly knit and brothers and sisters in arms. After meeting Serana, Lyra would rather not be without her (in both the universe where they’re romantically linked and the one where they’re not) as the two of them have been through so much together and help each other overcome their lycanthropy and vampirism

29.) What do they do post-Skyrim, once all the main quests are finished? What happens to them in the aftermath?

- When Paarthurnax departs in search of other dragons to teach the Way of the Voice, Lyra is lonely and disillusioned with the civil war still waging and the Blades still attempting to manipulate her. Her heart leads her back to Solstheim, where she felt most at home during the events of the “Dragonborn” DLC and spends the rest of her days there...or at least until Hermaeus Mora comes to collect his champion...

31.) VERY IMPORTANT BONUS QUESTION: In their opinion, who is the best dog in all Skyrim?

- Bran and Sceolang! The huskies from Dawnguard! <3

[farshores]

Remind me not to use this spell when Serana is on the team

[teatitty]

Bran and Sceolang slamming their mad buttons whenever Fionn gets on his himbo bullshit

They’re so embarrassed over their cousin...Bran and Sceolan owned the braincell all along they just couldn’t say it out loud rip to them

[lancelotlikeslewds]

So in mythology Fionn actually had two hunting dogs named Sceolang and Bran, and not only were they great hunting hounds but in some versions of the myth they were actually once human, and what's more is that were also related to Fionn by family.

And the fact that they don't even mention this in FGO is just even more disappointing because it again just shows how little they actually touch on Fionn's character in myth and all the other awesome stuff he did outside of the whole Diarmuid thing.