#but i want to explore more of nirn

[kagrenacs]

What's your interpretation on why there are so many cave systems on tamriel?

Scientific Answer:

There are a few different types of caves, meaning a few processes would be at work depending on region.

Solution or karst caves are formed by the dissolution of soluble stones, most commonly limestone. Which itself is often formed by marine deposits. Either Tamriel or parts of it were underwater at some point, and tectonics have uplifted the marine stone. Or inland seas may have covered the continent, and since drained away (An interesting connection to a possible previous Kalpa which was said to have been ruled by the underwater dreugh).

Lava caves are formed when molten lava cools on the surface, but continues to flow beneath. When it passes, it leaves behind a rock ceiling. These would be expected to account for much of Morrowind’s caves, particularly those near Red Mountain. If located in other regions, this could indicate more prevalent volcanic activity in the past (perhaps in the Velothi mountains, near Skyrim).

Sea caves are formed by waves eroding holes into zones of weakness on a rock surface such as fault lines. Anywhere with a coastline likely has these.

Talus caves are formed when talus (rock fragments) fall in such a way that open spaces within are formed. We would see those at the bases of mountains. iirc there's a few in Skyrim. But they would also be common in any mountainous region.

Ice Caves form as meltwater from glaciers flows through ice and creates holes. An example would be Septimus Signus' Outpost and Castle Karstag. Ice caves can also refer to caves in rock with ice features.

But this of course doesn't explain caves in certain areas of Cyrodiil for example, such as the Gold Coast which doesn't seem to have the conditions for cave formation.

Lore Answer:

According to the Weeping Wind Cave loading screen, one theory is that Nirn is like a living body with veins and arteries, that once pulsed with Aedric energy.

True Answer:

I understand caves from a level design standpoint. They're enclosed areas that limit the player from exploring too far. They're born from the map making of fantasy TTRPGs. But what I really want to see in a RPG computer game is a level/dungeon with the amount of anxiety I had over reading this article on underwater glacial caves.

[jiubilant]

Hii. Going through your Ayo featuring fics on ao3 and having thoughts :^) Has Ayo ever created a Shout herself? What are your general thoughts on Shout creation, actually? 👀

hurray thanks for the excuse to talk about this (and for reading!)

IN SHORT: my thought is that the thu'um as represented in tes v's gameplay (i.e. "shout these exact words in this exact order for this exact thing to happen; the more words you shout, the more powerful the end result") is a nonliteral game mechanic and that the "creation of new shouts" is essentially ubiquitous among those who use the thu'um. a master of the thu'um can and will combine any number or permutation of dovahzul words into a shout that does whatever they want it to

NOT IN SHORT: the ability of a thu'um user—i'll be saying 'tongue' from now on—to shape the world around them by communing with the ehlnofey depends on several factors:

their training or, in the dragonborn's case, latent and instinctive ability. not everyone knows how to draw upon their su'um (inner spirit, vital essence, the source of one's thu'um) in order to shout. esbern, for example, is probably fluent in dovahzul—but he's not a tongue trained to draw upon his su'um, so the language holds no power when he speaks it

their knowledge of dovahzul vocabulary. a tongue fluent in dovahzul will almost certainly be a better, or at least more versatile, tongue than someone who has a remarkably strong su'um, but only knows two or three words of dovahzul

the strength of their su'um, which determines the extent to which the ehlnofey are willing to listen to them and act in accordance with their will. taking the above example of a tongue who only knows a few words of dovahzul, but has a remarkably strong su'um—maybe this person only knows "fus," but they're going to be able to level towns with it

the last point is key; a tongue might improvise the shout "MAH STRUNMAH" in an attempt to topple the throat of the world, but even alduin, who of all dragonkind seems to possess the strongest su'um, would probably lack the power to move the tallest mountain in skyrim. if the world's comprised of ehlnofey, the world has su'um, too—and any shout a tongue devises will only work if their su'um is powerful and persuasive enough to appeal to the su'umme of the earth and air. nirn is an animist world in which every inanimate object has a consciousness that can be communicated with in dovahzul, which is why the thu'um works at all (i love how @boethiah represents this in her writing, particularly in barfoksdaga)

so in essence ayo's coming up with unique shouts every day as she continues to explore the possibilities of the thu'um. highlights in what you might have already read include "come here, vole," "heal, little man," "wind, make a staircase," "die," and "i'd like a, uh, double cheeseburger"—which, jokes aside, didn't work because the ehlnofey of the college recognized that she didn't actually want something else for dinner. she wasn't putting her su'um into it

[dirty-bosmer]

Fandom: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Relationship: Mathieu Bellamont/Lucien Lachance but in the "haha, I think of you nonstop and want to kill you so bad that I'll cut you open and crawl inside your skin to be inside you" sort of way :) content warning: dissolution of the self, murder and the grief that accompanies it.

I just really love Mathieu Bellamont, okay? He gives me more excuses to write angst. Here I wanted to write a series of microfics that explore the tragic relationships he has with the people in his life, past and present

Preview:

Because at nine you saw His sickness in the flesh, an evil so mindless, so monstrous that your little voice couldn’t yet find the words to name it anything but death. Because death’s fist clenches much further than its arm can reach, and only in her absence did you learn her passing had killed the both of you, that beyond the artifice, beneath the skin, it was all blood and bone and borrowed time.

Remember the breeze? Remember its salt tang? Remember the snap of the sails in the harbor, the rolling rhythm of Wayrest’s waters, how sharp the first breath hit the back of our throats when we rose from the white-wash, hand in hand?

When we were together— alone together— we were perfect, could have stayed like that forever. Weren’t you happier too when it was just the two of us, you and I away from Father? If only you knew what I knew, that nothing else really mattered. Together, we were whole. Mother, why did you have to bring us back to that house we knew was never a home?

— from the diary of Mathieu Bellamont

—

Because at nine you saw His sickness in the flesh, an evil so mindless, so monstrous that your little voice couldn’t yet find the words to name it anything but death. Because death’s fist clenches much further than its arm can reach, and only in her absence did you learn her passing had killed the both of you, that beyond the artifice, beneath the skin, it was all blood and bone and borrowed time. Ten thousand suns and ten thousand more to come— they rise, each one, like the weals left by biting gnats. As a boy, all your wounds too were circles, and sometimes you wonder, were there anything left of him, what shape would he have become?

The shadows pulse along the sanctuary wall— yours, a gnarl of limbs bent by the weight of accruing grief that as a boy frightened you so much you fell asleep with your eyes open. Hours you’d spend watching your silhouette warp in the receding light, convinced even your own body could betray you. And why shouldn’t it? Flesh deceived you once before, and your father’s blood beats within you still, a traitor’s poison. Hear it sloshing. Hear it straining, slow and viscous, stirred by some feat of necromantic magic keeping your corpse tethered to Nirn. Yes, though these eyes blink and this mouth moves, you hang beneath the surface of the skin. The hand in the puppet, the echo of an old command, yet there is no more man here than there is in a persistent haunting. Were you a curse or were you never more than an afterthought of Arkay’s to begin with? See, it’s not so much death you’ve cheated as it’s life you’ve managed to escape, but men as small as you can do that when made up of empty space.

Your existence has been no more than an exercise in breathing as little as possible, taking only from Nirn what is needed to carry onward one more day. Consume too much of life, and you risk dissolving the formlessness you’ve cultured. Someone might notice, reach out and touch you, pull you off your liminal stage. Pray tell, what happens then? Do you precipitate? A deposition? Can you turn the vapor back to crystal, form the memory of what was into the man who should have been? If someone called your name, could you answer sure and without wincing? Could you level a stare, gaze back into the eyes of the damned and living and see reflected there the shape of you, the quake of you? Could you risk it?

To go on knowing that maybe you weren’t drowned completely, that all this time you could have saved yourself if only you had reached, that when Arkay turned his back and let the dead wash up, blue and bloated, maybe your mother’s life wasn’t the one you’d been brought back to retrieve.

And are you both or are you neither when all that’s left of her is your face? No, no. Tell yourself she is not gone, merely going, and keep your grip tight even if it demands all of your strength, because wherever she is, there you are too. Remember that her heart beat once for the both of you, and though what you share now is not life, it is sacred— a bond more binding than your father’s blood. How could anyone else comprehend it? The others sleeping in the sanctuary will never know you’re not their brother, already someone else’s son. And you’re a son as long as you remember that you are a part of her, the heart of her, that even before you came into this world, you were wanted, you were loved.

And if the boy you were was still here, would you recognize him? Would he, you, lying awake as you are now, dry eyes turned to the horizon’s beginning light? Imagine him somewhere on the water, trawled up and imploded, body misshapen, his smile split like an open coffin. Imagine him shadowless and shapeless, lying still and blistering with hope as he waits for the next of ten thousand suns for the day he’s made back into one.

Take comfort then in having been born again a ghost, for you do not look to the future. There is none.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

I'm not into Fallout, but I dread all tv adaptions of games. I only have to point at the travesty that is the Netflix Witcher as to why (don't get me started, I've got a long list of reasons and I WILL go through them all given the opportunity). That said I think Bethesda games are a better choice for adaption than the Witcher or TLOU because there isn't really a set protagonist or cast of characters to misuse - as long as it's entirely original, only based on Fallout lore, it might be okay.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I agree that a lack of a set protagonist is one of the boons to either a TES or Fallout TV series in terms of not immediately stepping on established series lore.

As you know, the Fallout show itself is making massive changes to established lore in the games. Not necessarily reconning things per se, but I don't want to get into more detail in a post due to obvious spoilers for a brand new show.

I feel a TES show *could* work simply due to the fact that

A. Tamriel is massive and Nirn is obviously an entire world.

B. We have multiple dimensions where things could take place in thanks to all the realms of Oblivion, known and unknown.

C. TES has a massive massive timeline that stretches beyond known history in their world. They could set a show in late Merethic era Elsweyr or High Rock and barely step on any established lore. A TES TV series absolutely *could* add to the lore while not quashing established lore or creating lore problems.

All in all, my biggest worry is the impulse for TV show runners to want to place the series in the most recognizable or familiar setting/timeline. God forbid a TES TV show happens and they try setting it in directly post-Oblivion crisis Cyrodiil or something like that. Thats not to say that such a period couldn't be explored in the lore, but I certainly don't trust TV executives and writers to start taking "creative liberties" or "fix" the lore of well established periods and locations. Additionally, a TV series could be made thats 100% non-canon and treated as such. I think most of the fandom would be totally cool with that and the show could tell any story it wanted without upsetting anyone. Sadly it seems like a lot of these big "TV adaptations we've seen over the past decade seem to insist on becoming canon or adjacent to it.

Never forget the Rings of Power...Never forget the Witcher on Netflix...Never forget Game of Thrones... Creators/rights holders allowed their properties to be taken by television companies to make shows out of them. They all ended up sucking, disrespecting the source material, and greatly upsetting most of their fans in the process. Television shows based on adapted material should not be made by people who don't care about the property itself and just want to make a popular TV show.

I think a TES TV show of *some* kind (perhaps animated?) is almost inevitable if the Fallout show is good and a huge success, and I think it absolutely *could* be both quality television *and* respectful of established lore. I just don't personally trust television executives to make a show of that caliber *and* respect the source material.

[cloudcountry]

My sea bunny asked about my favorite franchise????? My wife wants to know about TES????? I get to talk about my special interest without being called names by my brother???????

AAAHAHHAHHAHHA YAAAAYYYYYY

Ok ok ok!! I got this!!!!

I'll talk about the newer games because I know the most about them!

The Elder Scrolls are a series of games made by Bethesda where you explore a fantasy world on a continent called tamriel on Nirn (the mortal plane), also called Mundus for much of its history, it has been divided into the nine provinces of Black Marsh, Cyrodiil, Elsweyr, Hammerfell, High Rock, Morrowind, Skyrim, the Summerset Isles, and Valenwood. Every game has been focused on these provinces, but you also occasionally go to the relms of oblivion. Oblivion are the other collections of relms where daedra reside, daedra are demonic entities (however evil is in the eye of the beholder so let's just call them tricky and bored because they live forever and come back when they die)

The playable races are Altmer, Argonians, Bosmer, Bretons,Dunmer,Imperials, Khajiit , Nords, Orsimer, and Redguards however there are many more nonplayable races.

There are beastfolk, man, and mer.

Beastfolk for playable races are Argonians (who look like lizards and people at the same time) and Khajiit (who look like cats but have many sub races that all look different according to what moon cycle they where born on, there are two moons named Masser and Secunda. Masser is the larger of the two, well over twice as large)

Mer, also known as elves for playable races, are Altmer (high elves), Bosmer (wood elves), Dunmer (dark elves), and Orsimer (they are orcs but still count under elves to most people)

Man (typical humans in our world) are Bretons, Imperials, Nords, and Redguards.

Then there are the Nine Divines

Akatosh – The Dragon God of Time and Chief god of the Pantheon

Arkay – God of the Cycle of Life and Death, and burials and funeral rites

Dibella – Goddess of Beauty and Love

Julianos – God of Wisdom and Logic

Kynareth – Goddess of Air, Wind, Sky, and the Elements

Mara – Goddess of Love and compassion

Stendarr – God of compassion, mercy, justice,charity,luck,and righteous rule by might and merciful forbearance (he and his worshipers don't like daedra)

Talos – Hero-god of Mankind,conqueror God,God of Might, Honor,State, Law, and Man (the Altmer don't like Nords worshiping him and try to stop it during Skyrim)

Zenithar – God of Work and Commerce, Trader God

They are considered the "good" gods and are commonly worshiped by the general public.

The Deadra, however, are thought by most as bad and/or dangerous with the exception of the "good" daedra Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala. Who are worshiped by the Dunmer.

All the daedric princes (gods) are as follows:

Azura - Twilight, Prophecy

Boethiah - Conspiracy, Deceit, Unlawful overthrow of authority

Mephala - Lies, Sex, Secrets, murder

Clavicus vile - The granting of power through pacts and wishes (one of my favorites, he also works with his shape-shifting hound Barbas, who is a part of him)

Hermaeus Mora - Fate, Knowledge, Learning, Memory (another favorite he talks annoyingly slow though)

Hircine - Hunting

Jyggalag - Order (he is confined in Sheogorath because he was too powerful, and the others didn't like [and perhaps even feared] him)

Sheogorath - Madness (also a favorite, so silly!)

Malacath - The Spurned, the Sworn Oath, the Bloody Curse (don't ask me what that means cuz idk he's an orc though and calls them his siblings, not that bad compared to the rest)

Mehrunes Dagon - Destruction, Revolution, Change (I don't like this guy he killed my husband).

Meridia - Living things (hates undead and is incredibly annoying)

Molag Bal - Domination, Enslavement, and no, no touching (I HATE HATE HATE THIS GUY!!!!)

Namira - Darkness, all things repulsive (a cannibal but stays in her lane and doesn't really bother me)

Nocturnal - Night, darkness (worshiped by thieves)

Peryite - Ordering of the lowest orders of Oblivion, Pestilence (considered the weakest but is still really powerful)

Sanguine - Hedonism, Debauchery, Indulgence (drunk uncle vibes)

Vaermina - Dreams, Nightmares,omens

The daedric princes deal with mortals the most.

But also have also tried to take over Nirn out of boredom many times, the games take place during those times (not all of them but a lot of them have)

Dagon tried to in the game Oblivion (he killed my husband Martin :'( )

In Skyrim, however, they didn't try to take over Nirn. Dragons did, though.

My favorite game is online, where Molag Bal tried to, in the dlc's more tried as well.

I'm getting really hungry, so I'm gonna stop here, but I might rant more later if you still want it.

ANGELFIIIIISH THIS SOUNDS SO COOL!!!! THE WORLD BUILDING SOUNDS AMAZING????? the SECOND i get home i'm checking this out OMG.

julianos is the divine that caught my eye, wisdom and logic sound cool as hell WGHDIEHUDJEH

sanguine's drunk uncle vibes have me intrigued, and vaermina sounds SO COOL TOO LIKE NIGHTMARES???? HELLO WHAT!!!!!

imagine taking over the world bc you're bored LMAO they sound so goofy

I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO TELL ME MORE PLS <3 make sure you eat a nice meal and drink water too okay?

[the-tharns-speak]

What was it like in Coldharbour?

It was in short extremely stressful. The place is desolate without any sunlight (or moonlight or starlight) or healthy greenery. You never know how much you miss grass until you don’t get to see it for three weeks. Speaking of that, every surface is hard under your soles, and your feet will hate every step you are going to take. The air is full of ash, prolonged periods of breathing outside become painful. It is chill, not in the refreshing way like an early summer morning, but the clawing way of abandoned houses which gets worse over time despite the temperature not changing. That, or it is too hot to even think about existing.

I suppose that I switched to a forty-hour daily schedule. I say that I suppose that, because in Coldharbour I had no actual means to measure time, and my assumption is based purely on the clash with the day-night cycle and my adopted regime from the first weeks upon my return on Nirn. There was food, mostly meat, my compliments to the chef for not actually presenting it as “pork” with a smirk. Were I a religious person, I would have called that time a lent. Sometimes there were carrots. Carrots were a blessing.

At almost every time I was surrounded by the Worms or daedras, usually the Xivikyns or Dremora. After half a crate of soul gems - Don’t ask me what that is in hours or minutes, I have no idea. I could do twenty-seven crates between two pauses for sleep, do with that information whatever you want - the solitude of my room was the greatest comfort I could imagine at the time. I say “my room” as the requirements of it being a broom closet are to contain at least one broom. Or one anything. Even prison cells have at least the decency to have some bars or maybe a window. This had none of that and if the door was closed, the darkness was so pure that probably not even a Khajiit would be able to see in there. That is a guess, I never had a Khajiit to give it a try. And also it muffled the persistent screaming somewhat.

From that you can surmise that I was free to walk around enough to explore both the inside and close outside regions of the castle, I was fed, I had my own room in which I was even allowed to rest, and I was not actively physically or mentally tortured, so as far as Coldharbour goes I couldn’t really wish for more.

[rabbittwinrithings]

My new Dragonborn, Yakov (Not really his name...)

Long post, heads up!

So, a bit of context... I think Naarifin is neat! I found a lot of interest in his backstory.

Basically, if you don’t know who this pathetic man is, he was a commander during the Great War who lead the battle at the Imperial City. He’s a Boethiah worshipper who wanted to conduct a ritual called “The Culling,” which would unleash daedra into the city. He was defeated and from the city’s tower he hanged for 33 days, and on the 34th day a winged daedra took his body away. 

So, i decided, since I have a weird facination with this horrible man (and feel bad about it,) and I want to redeem him. Introducing Naarifin (Pathetic Meow Meow Edition!)

(I don’t have a pic of him before he got all nice and somewhat presentable...)

But my twist on his story is that all this time he’s been in Boethiah’s realm facing punishment for failing in the battle. Though it’s felts like centuries for him, it’s really only been around 30-40 years. Now, he’s escaped the realm and has returned to Nirn. Having to discover things are completely different, he’s seen as a failure by the Thalmor, and having to find his new place in the world as Dragonborn; all the while finding connections with others who help him become a better person. During this time he comes up with the name Yakov to stay hidden.

His main party is Khash, Varrick, Lucien, and Miraak.

I’m still exploring the order of quests I want to do, but coming up with a bunch of neat ideas for him. 

(My favorite is I’m making that Lucien’s mother was the one who fought him in battle so he absolutley freaks out when he learns this boy he’s picked up is the son of the one who bested him in battle.) 

He also starts off as a bit of a Karen. When someone says something wrong to him (before he learns that everything is different,) his catchphrase is “Do you not know who I am?! Me? Me?!” 

But after he softens up he takes Lucien and Khash in as if they were his own kids. Kinda co-parents Lucien with Varrick (who I’ve decided teaches Lucien how to fight instead of Naarifin.)

(Khash also hugs his leg is she’s upset. Look how short she is!)

And due to his name being a female Bosmer name, I’ve decided one of his mothers was a Bosmer. And due to this he wanted to prove himself extra harder in the ranks of the Aldmeri Dominion. 

He also wears glasses to try and hide his identity.

I totally wanna make more posts about him. But I’ll leave it here for now. 

[vestige-nan]

The Clockwork God’s Apprentice: Ch 4

Summary: Snippets of the vestige being Sotha Sil's apprentice before the vestige became the vestige, because being Seht's apprentice is the dream.  

Fun stuff: kena means scholar in dark elvish, i'm not just slapping a name on the vestige ,':D. As always, vestige is gender neutral and not described, however they are a psijic.

The clockwork god liked to observe his apprentice work, perhaps more than his apprentice liked to observe him—which wasn't inconsiderable. Their approach to problem solving was unique, and even though Seht was able to anticipate their decisions more every day, he still found it somewhat transfixing. Their fingers moved clumsily to an unobservant eye, but their craftsmanship was never stunted or broken. Through irregularity and an organized chaos that only a god could follow, the vestige consistently proved their own competence and ingenuity. And when they failed, the clockwork god's apprentice was filled with even more vigor to try again.

Every mistake was exciting to his apprentice; a new avenue for discovery with every failure. It was a quality the god envied: that excitement. It was a hateless, melancholy envy, both muted and solemn, the envy a shackled prisoner feels for the birds who sing in the sunlight.

"What is your world like?" His apprentice asked, not taking their eyes from their work. The clockwork god was watching them from behind. Their nixad fabricant wasn't with them, they seemed to let the creature explore as it pleased. The apprentice's graceless attempts at coalescing two copper parts wasn't going as they planned, however the god knew that they would solve their own riddle in short time.

Sotha Sil and his apprentice didn't always talk as they worked, but they talked just enough for the god. It was likely this was because his apprentice only ever talked about things of importance. Idle talk wasn't in their nature. It wasn't as if others have attempted to make idle talk with the god of mysteries, but with comfort for many came idle talk. His apprentice was comfortable with the god, but they had never broached conversation without an objective in mind; without a weighty question needing answer.

"It is Nirn, but perfect." The clockwork god answered.

Their fingers stumbled and their brow creased ever so slightly. They didn't like his answer. "What does that mean?"

"It is as I said."

They chewed their bottom lip as they always did when they wanted answers. With their hands still focused, they asked, "What does it look like?"

"It is small enough to fit in this room."

"What?!" They nearly dropped what they were doing, whipping their star-blown eyes towards the clockwork god.

Brass fingers turned their head back toward their work, "Focus, kena."

The god's apprentice moved their fingers slowly, not focused in the slightest. "How do people live there?"

"How do you think?"

"They must be shrunk down, right?" They asked.

"In the simplest of senses, yes." He answered.

"Fascinating." To his apprentice's credit, they truly tried to continue working, however slow and distracted they may be. Sotha Sil could see the gears turning past their eyes as his apprentice must have been attempting to puzzle out even a broad idea of how the mechanics and magicka would work in tandem to create such a thing. They, like so many others, wouldn't be able to understand it fully. "Once your there, what does it look like?"

The god paused to ensure his answer would satisfy his self. "It is an oasis of bronze and copper. Trees fashioned from wire and cord. Bushes crafted from alloy and plate. Lakes of oil and a sky of clockwork. Fabricants of flesh and gear roam fields of gold, and in the center lies the Brass Fortress: a culmination of my greatest craft and the workmanship of apostles dedicated to learning all there is. It is Nirn, but perfect."

The god's apprenticed seemed torn between captivated wonder and... an expression that could have been any number of things, and though the clockwork god could have discerned it, he didn't. "What makes it perfect where Nirn isn't?" There was no accusation or anger in his apprentice's tone, only genuine curiosity.

"It is the redemption of Tamriel. The unification of competing forces. The destruction of the Daedra."

"And that's why you created it?" They paused there fingers a brief moment.

"No." The god said, "I create it because I must."

His apprentice stopped their work, this time thoughtfully. After a breath of silence, they turned toward the clockwork god. As he looked into their eyes of stars and questions, he saw their future in them, their soul, their very impression on the Mundus. However, in that moment, his apprentice saw something in his own eyes. Whatever it was, and Sotha Sil purposefully didn't dwell on what it was, it was enough to make his apprentice’s eyes dilate in concern, their brow slightly creased. They wanted to say something to him, but they knew not to, and Seht was grateful for it. Instead they turned around and continued their work, quicker and more focused than before.

"Doesn't Arteaum have all of those things?" They asked, still focused.

"Nearly." The god replied. "That is why I spend time working here, among other things."

His apprentice continued to work, almost finished with their coalescing having solved their own mystery, before a wide, playful smile grew across their face. "Am I "among other things"?"

"Yes." The clockwork god said, plainly. Had it not been for his apprentice, he would have returned to the clockwork city long before then.

They finished merging their two copper parts, and their smile as they turned to the god was a bird's song in the golden rays of sunlight. "I like working with you, too."

[superaskthebatimocsandfriends]

Ink and Scrolls the Beginning

just a thing for an au I have involving muses from another blog 

          Kola stood with Free in the middle of the field just outside of the city of Whiterun. She shuffled from one foot to another as her companion set everything up for the ritual they were about to perform. They wanted to make it easier to go from city to city while they didn’t mind taking the carriages but sometimes they took a bit too long. And this would also work as an alternative if they couldn’t take anymore passengers. Being brought out of her thought seeing the other was about finished, she looked down at the strange book in her hands. She read the words cross the cover “The Illusion of Living by Joey Drew” across the front in flourishing writing. Making her wonder who that was and a better was where the book came from as she looked up asking “Free w-where did you get t-this book?” she asked the older. Free, who had just finished up, looked over “I found it in some random part of apocrypha figured it could help with this,” she says to her. Hearing the other mention where it was from, the younger gave a huff but didn’t say anything about it not wanting to spend more time on this seeing as rain clouds started to roll in. And she wasn’t going to lie she was curious about, it thinking if it survived the ritual she’d give it a read. Stepping into the circle next to the other as both started to cast the spell, using all their focus to do so. Finally gathering enough energy, the two finish casting the spell silence followed as the two looked around realizing that they hadn’t left their spot. Wondering if maybe they hadn’t done it right or it was a fluke, Kola went to ask Free about it when suddenly a dark pool of what looked to be ink opened under them. Causing Free to pull out her bow and start firing arrows at it while Kola tried to use a few fire bolts to get it to go away. But it was to no avail even as they kept firing at the hands now grasping at their legs, the two were pulled down into the darkness below them.  

            After what felt like hours, both awoken on a hardwood floor sitting up as both rubbed their heads. Looking around, confused at where they were, the two saw strange things hung on the wall along with the same black ink dripping down. Free stood up off the floor and walked forward a bit, as Kola took a moment to gather her thoughts. Peeking around the corner, she saw the place was bigger, not only that pipes seem to run about the place. She wondered if for a moment they had teleported to a Dwemer ruin but that couldn’t be right, seeing as the floor was wooden and not made of stone. Behind her the other had gotten up off the floor and joined her, looking around also before simply saying “I-I don’t think were i-in tamriel a-anymore” in response. Hearing that made the mer give a snort in response at the joke the other had made, but the understatement and dry delivery too. But Kola was right, this didn’t seem to be tamriel, not only that it didn’t seem they were on nirn either. Signaling the other the two walked in further, deciding to explore this new place a bit more. Along the way, they found two tape recordings, another book like the one they used and a body of a strange creature wearing strange clothes. Both wonder what it was, better yet, what tore it open. And also wonder if it was still around causing Free to decide to use a shout after not seeing anything around relaxing, but Kola was still on edge. But didn’t voice her worries, something about this place feeling something off about it. As the two explored some more and finding a strange machine after messing around with a strange box thing nearby and finding a few objects for some pedestals they found. The two turned on the flow for the same inky substance, both ready to fight it in case it came to life again to attack them. Tho it didn’t, they wanted to stay alert, not wanting to get surprised once again. 

          Walking up to the now boarded up room only causing a moment’s pause, thinking nothing of it after a moment's thought. As they took another step, a demonic creature appeared, reaching for them between the slats. Free jumped back as she picked up Kola and ran the other way to front door, not wanting to deal with ever that was. She had a gut feeling that trying to fight it right now was a bad idea, even if she felt like she could, it was a stupid idea. Right as the door came into view hand reaching for it, she fell through the floor with a yelp. Landing with a loud splash, both coming up gasping for air, the younger of the two swearing loudly. Looking about, Free saw a nearby turn wheel and went over, twisting it, draining the ink from the room. Kola walked around the room trying to find a way for them to climb back up but couldn’t find a ladder “f-forward it is” she muttered in response going to pick up the nearby axe. Free stopped her and shook her head before using her unrelenting force shout on the wood blocking their path. Not trusting the axe to not break after a few uses when they both had perfectly good weapons on them along with magic too. Moving down the short hallway to the next room, they looked around, seeing a few candles and a pentagram in the middle. The two also noticed the coffins making them think that whoever they were probably failed at summoning a Deadric Prince or angered one. Thinking the pentagram wasn’t going to do anything, both stepped over it, causing both to see random flashes before passing out on the floor, blacking out.

[talldarkandroguesome]

23rd of Morning Star, Morndas

We conducted the usual sort of Nest business. Everyone reported in with how they felt their trainings were going. I did a few special lectures after prayers on the subject of slipping potions or poisons into someone’s food or drink in order to provide a desired effect.

Mostly it was to do with slight of hand and distraction, but also how to find the proper instrument to contain your additive and how best to utilize it for administration of the substance in question. Obviously a powder can be used in a poison ring, but liquid will not hold its properties properly in such a state. Things of that nature.

Next, I had a brief lecture continuing on the subject of the subtlety of seduction. It was just going into more techniques for them to practice in the coming weeks and to have them test how the techniques they have been learning thus far are growing.

Finally, I asked everyone how they felt about each pillar. I wanted to ensure that those who had not yet desired to delve into the pillar of mort should have a chance and for those already exploring to have the option to step away if they felt it necessary. I wanted everyone to be comfortable before taking my apprentice Deathweavers to their lessons.

We went through the exercises at the practice room in the Cathedral of Webs. Apparently they have access to the room for three hours a day, something that Zethith has been facilitating on my behalf. I am ever so grateful to them for that.

I must say the Spiderlings are improving. They are able to move through it more quickly, less stilted, almost naturally. I think as they continue to practice they will get the basics done and we can move onto using some of the more advanced routines, before proceeding into the magickal sections.

A part of me still feels that pull not to share the secrets of House Intelligence. But if I cannot impart secret techniques unto my Spiderlings, then I will be doing them a disservice. I know it is silly, I am raising these Spiderlings to practice in a way condemned across Tamriel, why should I be so hesitant to share the secrets that will serve them best? Some strange sense of loyalty, perhaps? The conditioning is strong. I suppose it makes sense.They needed to ensure that we would not allow others to know the extent of our competence or weakness.

Now I must do the same within our Nest. I need to be as the House Spymaster. To be able to ensure that all of my Spiderlings are able do what is needed with the utmost skill and secrecy.

We finished up with our usual group prayers and my rewarding Tanur for his service.

Then I slipped off and teleported to the Cathedral of Webs and summoned Zethith. We spoke of many things. We spoke about potential upcoming plans for the Spiderlings. More so than that, what sort of objectives I should be thinking about in the long-term. Obviously I need to consider how to use my immortality to further my Prince’s influence upon Nirn.

In the immediate years, of course, I am training my Spiderlings to become the inner circle of my personal Nest and to work towards populating the Cathedral of Webs. I need a set of well-trained and trustworthy Deathweavers and another set of Scuttlers who will continue to spread the more gentle and subtle influence of our Prince.

I had Zethith return me to my bedroom in the Davon’s Watch manor so that I could be back to my family. They truly are such a meticulous mentor. I cannot thank them enough. I must simply work to make them proud.

Yesterday we attended many performances for the Lunar festival and I indulged Sildras and Avon alike. We leave tomorrow to return to Mournhold. I am almost sad to see the end of the festival. It has been so lovely to spend the time with those I care about.

After returning to Mournhold, I need to find a time to visit the Mabrigash. I must see the wisewomen. Hopefully one of them will have the answers I seek. If not, then I must brave facing the Farseer. And potentially Mother’s ire as well.

If needs must....

The Three guide me.

[bigmammallama5]

im ready for mass effect andromeda but i dont wanna get my hopes up too far just yet do u see my predicament :/

[uesp]

Theory: Todd is the sleeping Godhead that we all talk about. Also he achieved absolute CHIM

You're definitely free to come up with whatever theory on that you like, but if you're genuinely curious, I would say you're a bit off from the intended takeaway.

Trying to figure out who the Godhead is a bit of a self-defeating exercise. In fact, to get a bit ahead of the point I'm going to make, it's often easier to describe the One by what he is not. If you're looking at the rare in-series mentions of the Godhead (most of the uses of "godhead" are actually referring to more generic godhood, which is also a more modern form of "godhead"), you come up with two mentions of the Godhead, and only one of them describes the Godhead at all.

The eyes, once bleached by falling stars of utmost revelation, will forever see the faint insight drawn by the overwhelming question, as only the True Enquiry shapes the edge of thought. The rest is vulgar fiction, attempts to impose order on the consensus mantlings of an uncaring godhead.

From Waking Dreams of A Starless Sky

The Godhead is uncaring. And that is basically the depth of actual text on the Godhead. If you go with sources that did not appear in the game, you'll do a bit better, but not really to any satisfying degree. So how do we get a satisfying answer? We escape the confines of the rare and deliberately esoteric mentions of this part of the lore and look at its real-world inspiration. Speaking for myself, the best summary of this part of the lore I ever read is:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism

Sincerely, after reading that and its associated articles, I went from "wow this is all a bit complex" to "alright, this is surprisingly straightforward". To tangent slightly, while there are numerous fan writings that try to explore these concepts, and I do enjoy a lot of them, I find that some of them often have trouble expressing what it all actually means because they often restrict themselves to the trappings of TES. We're going to remove those trappings, and see if it helps.

If you want more help, here is how I mentally tie some TES lore topics to its real world counterpart.

The Godhead is the Godhead (Monad)

CHIM is Gnosis

CHIM has been described as the secret syllable of royalty. It is best understood as a state of being which allows for escape from all known laws and limitations. It is the process of reaching some sort of epiphany about the nature of the universe and one's place in it, leading to a simultaneous comprehension of the full scope of existence as well as one's own individuality.

Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge. It is best known from Gnosticism, where it signifies a spiritual knowledge or insight into humanity's real nature as divine, leading to the deliverance of the divine spark within humanity from the constraints of earthly existence.

Amaranth is Emanationism

The Tower touches all the mantles of Heaven, brother-noviates, and by its apex one can be as he will. More: be as he was and yet changed for all else on that path for those that walk after. This is the third key of Nu-mantia and the secret of how mortals become makers, and makers back to mortals.

Emanationism is an idea in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems. Emanation, from the Latin emanare meaning "to flow from" or "to pour forth or out of", is the mode by which all things are derived from the first reality, or principle. All things are derived from the first reality or perfect God by steps of degradation to lesser degrees of the first reality or God, and at every step the emanating beings are less pure, less perfect, less divine. Emanationism is a transcendent principle from which everything is derived, and is opposed to both creationism (wherein the universe is created by a sentient God who is separate from creation) and materialism (which posits no underlying subjective and/or ontological nature behind phenomena being immanent).

Anu and Padomay and their derivatives are Aeons

Lorkhan is the Demiurge

Lorkhan, the Missing God, is the Creator-Trickster-Tester deity present in every Tamrielic mythic tradition. He is known as the Spirit of Nirn, the god of all mortals. Names for versions or aspects of Lorkhan include Lorkhaj (the Moon Beast) in Elsweyr, Lorkh, the Spirit of Man, the Mortal Spirit, or the Sower of Flesh to the Reachmen, Sep in Hammerfell, Sheor in High Rock, Shor in Skyrim, and Shezarr in Cyrodiil. He convinced or contrived the Original Spirits (et'Ada) to bring about the creation of the Mundus, upsetting the status quo—much like his (figurative) father Padomay is usually credited for introducing instability, and hence possibility for creation, into the undivided universe (or the Beginning Place).

In the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the demiurge is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. The Gnostics adopted the term demiurge. Although a fashioner, the demiurge is not necessarily the same as the creator figure in the monotheistic sense, because the demiurge itself and the material from which the demiurge fashions the universe are both considered consequences of something else. Depending on the system, they may be considered either uncreated and eternal or the product of some other entity.

The word demiurge is an English word derived from demiurgus, a Latinised form of the Greek δημιουργός or dēmiurgós. It was originally a common noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan", but gradually came to mean "producer", and eventually "creator". The philosophical usage and the proper noun derive from Plato's Timaeus, written c. 360 BC, where the demiurge is presented as the creator of the universe. The demiurge is also described as a creator in the Platonic (c. 310–90 BC) and Middle Platonic (c. 90 BC – AD 300) philosophical traditions. In the various branches of the Neoplatonic school (third century onwards), the demiurge is the fashioner of the real, perceptible world after the model of the Ideas, but (in most Neoplatonic systems) is still not itself "the One". In the arch-dualist ideology of the various Gnostic systems, the material universe is evil, while the non-material world is good. According to some strains of Gnosticism, the demiurge is malevolent, as it is linked to the material world. In others, including the teaching of Valentinus, the demiurge is simply ignorant or misguided.

I think that by seeing these concepts side by side it will help make sense of it all. You can definitely research this further, and argue that specific parts of the lore are more directly related to other concepts, but from my limited understanding of theology/philosophy, this is a framework for understanding what the lore was based on, and the ideas that might otherwise go unconnected. If you can do better than me here, by all means, be better than me.

But this takes us to the secret question within all of this: How does this effect the setting? The answer to that is that it really doesn't. Knowing that the setting of The Elder Scrolls is the material world created by the Demiurge, separating its inhabitants from the Godhead, doesn't really change anything. After all, you can literally say the exact same thing about our world. The presence of these concepts in The Elder Scrolls setting should change how you appreciate it in roughly the same way that this school of thought existing in our own world changes your view on our setting.

If you thought this was interesting, I certainly agree with you. If you think this is all a bit too much, and don't want to think about it anymore, you won't be missing out on much by ignoring it going forward. If you want to explore different theories on this, you’re definitely free too, I hope you enjoy exploring your own thoughts on this subject.

[janearts]

ExCUSE me, Lucelion is BI?! When did this happen? How does he find out, if ever? What kind of person would he romance if that were even an option to his super-repressed mind? asdfkdgr You can't just drop something like that! (You absolutely can, this is your blog, I just. HE WHAT. He was already so relatable and now this.)

I mentioned it once in brief in this post, so it would have been easy to miss. Here is the relevant quote:

Lucelion is technically bisexual (i.e., that somewhere deep deep deep deep deep down he desires sexual intimacy with another regardless of sex), but he was raised to consider a heterosexual relationship with a partner of his father’s choosing as the only viable one. 

I’ve answered the rest of your questions under the cut.

Lucelion’s sexuality is a bit of a minefield. In the first place, Lucelion does not experience sexual attraction with any great deal of frequency, but I think this is part biological (I think of him as having a low libido to begin with) and partially due to how seriously he took his own upbringing (i.e., he accepted that the wife chosen for him will be The One, regardless of any natural inclination towards another). This might put him somewhere on the asexual spectrum, but his romantic feelings are only superficially heterosexual. In fact, he was not raised to be generically heterosexual: he was raised to enter into a sexual relationship with one woman of his father’s choosing (in this case, Briisebrom). As far as his father (Nocteriil) is concerned, Lucelion is to copulate with a pre-arranged acceptable woman of his kind and then, once his son has produced heirs, Lucelion is free to indulge his tastes whatever they may be. The entire point is to save the family line first. Lucelion hasn’t internalised that nuance, however, he internalised and did not question his simple, singular duty: marry his betrothed and produce children. End of story.

I’ve only ever imagined how he’d explore his sexuality in an AU where Lucelion & Brii get married. In this AU, Brii is discomforted by the idea that Lucelion loves her because he was told to since they were wee ones. Brii is of the opinion that you cannot say, for example, that vanilla is your favourite flavour if you have never sampled other flavours. Lucelion is of the opinion he is perfectly well-founded to state that vanilla is his favourite flavour even if it is the only flavour he has ever sampled because it cannot be more a true statement. Brii wants him to explore not loving her quite so singularly (i.e., explore non-monogamy) while Lucelion wants to stay monogamous. Brii is not fussed about whether he wishes to explore on his own (e.g., they are the primary relationship while they each seek other partners) or if he wishes to seek another or multiple with her by his side (e.g., they form a triad with a third partner, etc.).

This makes Lucelion uncomfy because, in addition to the possibility of being rather more on the asexual side of the spectrum, his anxieties and insecurities around sex make him resemble a demisexual (i.e., he needs a strong, titanium-grade foundation of trust and connection with another prior to instigating sexual relations). Lucelion is well aware that he is sexually inexperienced and thus only really knows how to sexually please his wife; everyone else is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He likewise struggles with imagining how on Nirn he is going to be able to handle both time management and multitasking in order to please 2+ people fully and equally. It is, for him, a logistical and social nightmare.

 In this AU, he indulges her because he indulges her on all things at least once even while advocating against the thing they’re doing (from not having children to exploring non-monogamy to sharing a singular bed instead of each having an individual suite of rooms, the list goes on). The kind of person I thought would join him either on his own or in a triad would likely be someone from his retinue because they already have a pre-established, long-standing, amicable relationship with Lucelion. They know... how he is. They are also Thalmor, because Lucelion is very much socially, professionally, and ideologically tied to the Thalmor. I cannot see him with someone who is not an Altmer or (more aptly) see someone who is not an Altmer put themselves through the agony of being emotionally intimate and vulnerable with someone who does not truly see their heritage as equal and as profound as his own and who is a member of a ruling political party that conquers, controls, and colonises other provinces and populations (e.g., Valenwood & the Bosmer, Elsweyr & the Khajiit).

[kettlequills]

I've been thinking so much about LDB!Miraak. Growing up in a ruin below the surface with the blind Falmer, venturing out to explore and sate his desire to learn about the world. Being amazed and confused by things like rain, and snow, and ashfall. Discovering he is a hero of legend to a people he is a stranger to, caught, as always, between his past and the future he imagines. Gaining loyalties and fame, arrogance and strength, cutting down dragons as he thinks he is meant to, as he thinks he wants to. Thinking himself master of everything, of himself.

And then, finding a name in a book that leads him into Oblivion ... to the First Dragonborn, caught in Mephala's web, who tells him he is just a stupid boy, he is being played with, and he won't make it out of any of this alive. That he is murdering their friends. That he cannot be taught, that he is the worst sort of fool, and if he is wise, he will forget everything he thinks he has learned, and destroy whatever book lead him to Laataaz, the murderer of the Spiral Skein, and if he can, kill them too. That if he is wise, he will forget his ambitions of power and greatness, expect only betrayal, and go home to the noisome under-earth. Force it to end, the relentless cycle of worlds, under the jaws of Alduin.

Miraak, wanting to know everything they know, deciding to dedicate himself to setting them free. Mora, opening his eye on young Dragonborn who wants to know more than he has wanted anything. And Laataaz, who thinks they've seen it all, who would rather remain in ignorant imprisonment as Mephala's catspaw then deal with the fact that it was the consequences of their choices that sparked a war between dragons and men that chased dragons from Nirn entirely and caused so much death and destruction... released, once more a plaything of the gods.

what should I call this AU? timeswap?

[yffresbeard]

Can we get your opinion regarding all of the various daedric princes?

I went less “Yes I like them, no I don’t” and more “here’s aspects I like or aspects I don’t like, here’s what I’d like to see more of”.

Also, me liking their complexity and concepts and finding them interesting is different than me liking them personally, y’know?

Azura

I’d really like to know more about her ties to the Dunmer and the Khajiit and which she favors, given that the Dunmer at large spent uh, centuries enslaving her other “children” and she didn’t do much about it.

Boethiah

I’m always sorta annoyed that Azura is the focus of any Daedra-Dunmer discussion, because I personally think Boethiah is way cooler and would very much like to see the connection to the other 2 good daedra expanded on and explored more beyond “here’s why they worship them, but we’re not really gonna show you examples beyond Azura and Mephala via the Tong.” Also would really like to know what she did to Trinimac if she didn’t literally consume him.

Clavicus Vile

Bastard man. I’d love to see more about his actual metaphysical relationship with Barbas, love to see him get outsmarted by a mortal or two. Part of me feels like he’s underutilized but I think he’s actually at a perfect amount, it just feels like a lot less because other princes are overutilized in comparison.

Herma Mora

I always thought it was really interesting that Mephala is his “sister” over Azura, since Azura’s sphere includes prophecy and Mora is the prince of Fate - those two always seemed more connected to me than Mephala’s sphere of secrets and Mora’s of forbidden knowledge, but I also see the connection. Bastard for abducting Miraak. I wanna know what knowledge he sought from the Skaal.

Hircine

I fucking love Hircine, man. The fact that he honors hunter AND prey makes him one of the most fair and even-handed princes. He doesn’t really do trickery or deceit, what you see is what you get. Impeccable design, he got a great major appearance in Bloodmoon and we know a lot about why different people revere him to different degrees.

Jyggalag

I would be fascinated to know more about Jyggalag beyond what we were given in Shivering Isles. There seems to be so little lore beyond why the other princes wanted to destroy him. Like, why do mortals seem to know so little about him? Did he ever have widespread worship among them?

Malacath

Malacath is easily one of the chillest Princes, he’s just a cool dad. I think it’d be really cool to see more of him - he’s utilized just enough in ESO to not feel like it’s too much or not enough, and he’s talked about enough outside of those quests that it feels very natural. I’d really like to hear Malacath talk about Trinimac, though.

Mehrunes Dagon

I actually really like Dagon conceptually! Like all the Princes (the ones that aren’t Molag Bal, anyway) the things he stands for aren’t necessarily evil. Change, natural disasters, revolution, ambition... none of those things on their own are bad things. I would really, really love to know Dagon’s motivation for the Oblivion Crisis. Sure, Mankar tells us that Nirn was Dagon’s realm and they’re taking it back, but Mankar was also an idiot who said the wrong realms for a bunch of princes. I wish he was still super polite a la Battlespire.

Mephala

Same deal w/ Boethiah here, although Mephala does get a bit more discussion via the Morag Tong. I’m not a fan of how her sphere is soooo secretive that even we’re not allowed to know it as fans and not characters. I’d be interested to know how she felt about the Tong abandoning her worship in favor of Vivec to continue their existence. Also wanna know how she feels about them not doing Secret Murder anymore and instead doing like, government-sanctioned executions.

Meridia

Meridia has the potential to be a lot cooler than she is, and I’m actually really hoping that they continue to expand on her like they are in ESO! Like, I think them taking away her title as the Prince of Greed and instead portraying her as more benevolent was actually a detriment because it just didn’t fit with the Daedra. It’d be cool if they played more into her former status as a Magne-ge and her fall from grace, too.

Molag Bal

The writers should not have given him some of the titles he has. The point gets across by just calling him the Prince of Subjugation and Domination. You don’t need the other one. I actually like that there’s a villain that’s not really nuanced or complex and you can just hate because you’re supposed to.

Namira

Not nearly used as much as she could be given her deeper lore. The Khajiit call her “The Dark behind the World” and believe Namira was the Darkness inside Lorkhan’s heart. Unfortunately, all we ever get is cannibalism as a taboo and nothing about her as Darkness or as the Spirit Daedra.

Peryite

I talk about Peryite too much already, you all know how I feel about Peryite. I don’t need to talk more about him.

Sanguine

Sanguine’s a bro. He’s vibing. I think there’s a good mix of showing his fun hedonistic indulgent side, and the darker side of indulgence as well, there’s just not enough of him and I think he could do with an expansion of his sphere to include something else to make him a little more robust as a Prince.

Sheogorath

Listen, I love Sheo. Greymarch is literally my url. I think the lore is fascinating. But in terms of overuse, Sheo takes the cake. He’s a fan favorite, and for good reason, but he’s both saturated in the series and now means a little less. He’s wacky cheese wheel fish stick man more than anything now. ESO brings back a little of the darker Sheo present in Shivering Isles, which I appreciate.

Vaermina

Man, Vaermina could be so much cooler if they did literally anything with her. Like she has so much potential, and it’s wasted. Like I can’t even speak to what could be expanded on because they’ve done so little with her.

Send me a TES topic and I’ll talk about it. Or maybe meme.

[fictionalliving]

Brief Dabble

Based on prompt: Imagine teaching your f/o about one of your interests, or how to do one of your hobbies. (But I reversed it) 

Fennorian examined the computer with a look of awe and confusion. His hands ran gently over the keys as if a harder touch would instantly break it. <<And you can access information with this device?>> he questioned, uncertain of how he should proceed. 

<<Yeah just type in like… surface gravity on Mars and you’ll get all the scientific stats.>> Sva replied as the young vampire turned to her looking even more confused. 

<<Surface gravity on Mars?>> he parroted and Sva realized that his astronomy was much different than theirs. 

<<Well see, unlike how Nirn has two moons and the sun is apparently a hole to Aetherius, we have a burning hot star comprised of hydrogen and helium. The nine other planets in the solar system also have their own conditions based on how close they are to the sun, their size, and if they have an atmosphere or magnetic field…” Sva trailed off shaking their head as they moved towards the computer and typed in a question. 

<<What is the sun made of?>> they said aloud as they typed before hitting the enter key and smiling as the page lit up with numerous pages and information. Clicking on the first result from NASA they showed Fennorian all the relevant information. <<See, it lists all the known information that we have about our star  — which is not a hole to another plane of existence — it even talks about its orbit and rotation. Astronomy is interesting, but way too many numbers and mathematical bits for me to be able to delve too deep.>> 

They looked over at Fennorian looked over all the information with wide eyes. <<This is incredible!>> he said excitedly. <<So much information and it’s so easy to find! You have no idea how many late nights of pouring through old tomes this would have saved me.>> 

Sva laughed at the vampire’s amazement. <<I keep forgetting that despite all your worlds magic you don’t have access to stuff like this.>>  

<<If we ever did, I think the Dwemer were the ones to come closest. Even us Altmer, in all of our pride, lack technology such as this.>> He turned with bright red eyes. <<Do you think I could learn more about this?>> he asked gesturing to the solar information.

Sva smiled as the perfect series came to mind. <<If you want to learn more about astronomy I know the perfect thing to watch.>> 

Later that night, Fennorian could be found sat cross-legged on the bed with a notebook in hand as The Cosmos played on the TV. Well practiced hands scribbled down information quickly, and every now and then he would reach up to push locks of stray dark hair away from his face. While Sva tried to focus on the documentaries series, they found themself too often distracted by the studious vampire perched in front of them. With every interesting fact, he’d hum and make a note, so enraptured that he’d lost track of his surroundings. After a while of watching, a soft chuckle left Sva’s lips as Fenn gasped at the implications of black holes. This small noise drew him out of his trance for a moment and he quickly turned and cocked his head. <<Spaghettification sounds horrifying I…>> he trailed off with a slightly confused smile. <<What’s funny?>> 

<<You’re just adorable, that’s all.>> They responded smiling back. <<And prettier than any celestial wonder.>> 

A slight blush crept over Fennorian’s face, a side effect of having eaten so late. Tucking another stray strand of hair behind his ear he smiled shyly, <<You’re too kind…>> he placed his notebook off to the side and turned to properly face Sva, a cool hand reaching over to touch their face. After a brief moment, he leaned closer, his lips ghosting over Sva’s. <<You always know just what to say…>>

<<I’m just telling the truth, it’s not my fault you’re so precious.>> Sva half-whispered back. Fennorian hummed, the corners of his lips turned up in a smirk as he closed what little distance remained with a chaste and teasing kiss. 

As the documentary continued playing in the background, momentarily forgotten, the two lovers took the opportunity to explore the intimate beauty of each other.