#dunmers are so hot

[k-im-lost]

I am on something (again) so I'm gonna give you a little lore on my Elder Scrolls OCs

Only the ones I've drawn as little guys so far

Let's start left to right

This is Kazjir, he's my favorite until you mention Lazare.

To start, he has been unfurried because he was hard to draw. But not to worry because I made him a werewolf, and I don't feel like giving him a cure rn. He also has an abusive mother and sister (no dad because if I can't have one, neither can he >:[) his mother is also an Alfiq because I thought it would be funny. And I don't like it when my OCs are in happy relationships, so obviously, that's the one thing he wants lol. Also, when he got to skyrim, a child was murdered and he was framed for it. The person that killed the child also decided his identity was neat they took it for themselves.

Middle guy is Falanar Selnor. He's hot as fuck.

His mom died when he was born. His dad never got over it and took it out on him. When the Red Mountain eruption happened, he escaped to skyrim, guess where. That's right, Windhelm. He met a girl he liked and got a face tattoo to impress her. Guess what? It failed, and now he feels like an idiot when people point them out. He was framed for murder was in prison the dragonborm came around and said "yeah you're mine now" so that sucks. He found a baby bunny at some point. Do I plan on murdering it in a horrible way? Fuck yeah.

Lastly my favorite, Lazare

I love her so much I forget she exists and forget to give her lore. I killed her husband, and I still don't know why. I'm gonna burn the tavern she loves down soon. She ran away when she was young and years later she realized that was dumb as fuck and now she's stuck on this path that didn't seem so bad until I decided her husband had lived long enough. She's also blind. Why? When I made her I saw white eyes were an option, and so I decided it was time to blind her. She looks sick as fuck tho, right?

One of these days, I'll actually sit down and properly write out their stories, but that's not gonna happen for a while. So, for now, I'll do this with other OCs I draw as little guys

[the-sunlit-earth]

Dunmer Conjurers enjoying a day at the beach with their summoned friends 🌞🏖

(my hc is that Talvas studied at the CoW before becoming Neloth's apprentice, as he mentions he's 'learned more than I would have in twice the time at the College of Winterhold' to Varona)

[moonnen]

I LOVE DUNMERS SO MUCH OMGOSH I LOVE THEM LOVE LOVE LVOE

Woo! Finished another one, took a long time. No. 3 in elves hanging in or tavern adjacent.

This is my dumb Nerevarine Teldryn play through so...eh...

He gets the mohawk-rattail hybrid mullet as well, that's just the in-game 2002 style.... and I'm accepting the style, it is fun to draw and paint XD

I'd put this after the Bloodmoon expansion (I play Main, Tribunal then Bloodmoon) but before the Oblivion Crisis where he goes off to Cyrodil to fight and fails miserably.

[yamikuruku]

Can’t believe those two idiots are first 👀 Mfw i am boasting about posting oc smooching and talking about them and my opponents ocs are Enu (dunmer) and Cyril (breton/imp) 🧍🤢

Let’s ignore that drawing kisses is hard and i was crying throughout this thing and sobbing, throwing up, started praying to the artgods et cetera

Rambling, as promised:

They’re both so different but also so similar it’s insane. Still surprised of how good they of fit together. Two assholes made for each other. Disaster couple. Okay but they would not even call themself that - calling themself a couple haha.

In my mind i always compare Cyril to a stray cat. A stray who is not used to getting any pets or attention. First when you try to get closer to the cat it might hiss and scratch you. It can even happen that it bites since it’s trying to protect itself from the evil that is getting pet lol. And then if you are patient and give the cat time it might happen that it comes closer from alone. It actually realises that it wants to be loved and pet but has no idea how that works etc. So yeah. He is probably a stupid orange cat. No braincell. Also that metaphor was kinda weird. I feel weird. Anyways.

Enu is an ex assassin that once upon a time worked for the morag tong until an oopsie happened. And Cyril is just a hot-headed cultist who is a little pyromaniac who likes collecting weapons - and using them :D hint hint stabbing . Both idiot shitheads work for the same oc of mine who kind of ended up making a little gang? „Organisation“( they are kind of Bandits haha)

Since they both frequently see each other around during their working hours, they had to interact. Most of the time they end up fighting and bickering like little kids. While they have to share a space they sometimes end up talking, so i guess they warmed up to each other. Until Cyril opens his mouth and spoils it lmao, or Enu goes too far again with being friendly or his usual doucheness (new word unlocked, you are very welcome).

They both absolutely despise each other. Like that is their whole thing. I don’t even want to call this enemy to lovers. Its just coworkers to enemies to whatever those two are.🤷 i think if they would just sit down and talk like adults it would make things easier for everyone, but alas. Fighting like idiots it is. Just don’t show any weakness and feelings i guess.

This is just them 🧍

Ok … if you are still here then uh, thanks for listening? I am bad with words. Also - first time i ever talked about these two. Cringe.

[trickstarbrave]

Things I’m learning from the hygiene UESP page:

>Dunmer prefer no body hair. Did not know that. I suppose that implies it’s done for a practical matter (they do seem to have unique forms of flees and lice based on lore. They could wax to get to prevent the spread to other places in the body)

>Dunmer have nail polish made of shalk resin

>werewolves are very clean and enjoy grooming each other or having special tools for it

>sewer systems are extremely common it seems, and old. The Dwemer likely had indoor plumbing all the time across also castes, but for commoners of other races outhouses and needing to carry water in for washing seem to be the standard. The second era empire built large and complex sewer systems in several major cities tho so I think all races understand and accept them

Questions I still have:

Do you think the Dunmer and Nords like. Bathe privately? For IRL Norse ppl bathing was mostly done in streams, rivers, hot springs, and only large settlements MIGHT have had bath houses. Dunmer I genuinely dunno. I feel like they could have public bath houses easily but then I also remember they are a rude and paranoid ppl. I kinda wanna go with “yes” on the public bath houses.

As for the Nords I think bc they are a colony of the empire and I feel the empire def has public bath houses they slowly introduced those concepts to Skyrim. Only like, major holds really have them though and otherwise if u wanna bathe at a inn or smth u request a tub, take it to ur room, and gotta boil water, fill it, and bathe. And this is only for nice inns too. If ur a place like riverwood they will maybe give u a bucket of u wanna just clean ur face and wipe down but otherwise they expect u to just bathe in the river like everyone else.

[jiubilant]

how hot do the Vvardenfellian Dunmer serve their food. (racial 75% resistance to fire damage.) how does the scarcity of timber impact their mealtimes: are we sitting on chairs from imported wood, or on cushions on the floor. what do they age their alcohol in? shein is comberry wine, if you're fermenting wine you have to accept that sometimes, the cask will explode. are wooden and corkbulb barrels meant for bougie greef aged for fifty years before it's first served. what are we brewing shein and sujamma in. ("liquor made from fermented saltrice" is sujamma Fantasy Sake.) what are we using to fuel our cookfires and our pottery kilns. does "chitin" behave like eggshells when exposed to vinegar. I am losing my mind

YOU. KEEP TALKING

i've put a bit of thought into that first question...i don't always interpret game mechanics as canon but i think that the velothi resistance to fire is a fun detail so i've folded it into my worldbuilding to an extent

my take is that only a dunmer's skin is resistant to fire (so eating scalding food would hurt), and only somewhat; dunmer can't walk through infernos unscathed, but they can reach into the hearthfire to snatch out something important that was tossed in (the fire would still burn their hands, but not as quickly and painfully as it would burn ours). ravi does this in the wip at least twice and both times is like "it's all right dears we're born with oven mitts on in deshaan—oh god oh fuck"

[eff-plays]

Ah yes ... the "I should reinstall and play Skyrim" experience ... scrolling through 100 titty mods to find 1 (one) cosmetic mod you might actually use ...

Uh-oh spaghettios ... I just bought Skyrim Special Boy Edition and might install it soon ... Uh-ooooh :3c

[tastesoftamriel]

Three-Scuttle Bread Boat

There's nothing quite as indulgent as the scuttle bread boat, also known by the Telvanni as khachapuri. The traditional use of three types of scuttle, said to represent the Tribunal, is almost obscene for the average working Dunmer, making khachapuri a treat rather than an everyday meal. Topped with a cliff racer or kwama egg, this mouthwatering bread boat is best served immediately! Serves four.

You will need:

Bread:

1 tsp dry yeast

270g plain flour

55ml water

200ml milk

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Filling:

2 eggs (one whisked, for brushing)

80g mature cheddar, grated

80g fresh mozzarella, chopped

80g feta, crumbled

1 tbsp butter

Crushed dried chilis or chili powder to serve, optional (and non-traditional)

Method:

Combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and flour. In a pan, bring the milk and water to a gentle simmer (you should be able to touch the water without burning yourself, about 25C/77F) and pour into the dry ingredients. Knead until smooth and stretchy, at least 15 minutes.

Add the olive oil to your dough, and knead for another 3-5 minutes so it sinks in. Pop the dough into a well-oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave to rise in a warm spot (out of direct sunlight) for an hour.

When the dough is about double in size, punch it down, then leave it to rise again for another 30 mins. When ready, shape the dough into a large oval, then roll flat until about 1/2cm thick.

For the filling, simply combine the cheeses and sprinkle into the boat. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese in a thick, neat line on the left side of the dough, and another 1/3 on the right. Take the edge of the dough and roll it over the cheese, then roll the outside diameter inwards gently a couple of times to form a raised lip. Sprinkle the rest of the filling in the middle.

This will therefore be a stuffed crust to start, as well as a method of keeping the outer edges raised! Finally, pinch or twist the ends together to a sharp point. This will help to contain the filling when it melts. Whisk one egg and brush over the entire bread, filling and all, until glossy.

Bring your oven to 230C/450F and bake on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, until the bread is firm and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, and make a deep well in the middle of the cheese by pressing down with a tablespoon. Scatter butter over the cheese. Crack the last egg into the well and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the egg white is slightly cooked but still runny.

To serve, vigorously whisk together the cheese and egg with a fork until entirely combined (the egg will continue to cook in the hot cheese). Simply tear the bread apart with your hands to eat and dip. Sprinkle with dried chilis or chili powder if desired.

This is what your khachapuri should look like after scrambling the filling!

[devout-of-the-elder-scrolls]

(Disclaimer: This post isn't like. sourced or academic. It's just my thoughts and opinions on some canon stuff. Take it as you will.)

Something fascinating about Azura is this specific depiction from the Khajiit.

Anything... particularly familiar about it? Let me jog your memory a bit.

This same kind of visage can be seen in many depictions of the Triple Goddess - One woman facing forward, and one to each side, often melding into one another. Most famously, Hekate, who has been attributed to the Triple Goddess at later times in Hellenic Polytheism.

For Azura, this depicts her three aspects - As Goddess of Human, Mer, and Khajiit.

This isn't to say that the Triple Goddess of Wicca or Hekate specifically is necessarily likened to Azura, nor can you necessarily worship Azura in place of the Triple Goddess. However, there is reason to assume and believe that this depiction of Azura is based off of this specific kind of depiction of Hekate of Hellenic Polytheism.

Hekate, too, has been likened to the Triple Goddess, which I know is a topic of hot debate amongst Hellenic Polytheists so you might wanna turn to someone more properly into HelPol for that one.

But, my point being, again - There's a possibility this depiction is based off of Hekate's triple aspect depictions, and possibly Wicca but less likely, as Hekate has been depicted as this in art much longer.

What does this mean for Azura?

Well, point blank, it's pretty much canon that Azurah is seen as having three aspects - Human, Mer, and Khajiit. However, this likely doesn't really change much about Her, as it's more that She has three forms.

She just is a goddess who shows Herself a Human, Mer, and Khajiit, likely depending on who She is showing Herself to or where She is (going by how She always appears as a Dunmeri woman in Morrowind, if the limitations of the game can be assumed to be canon for lore). There's not much else in terms of what this actually means for Azura(h), just that She has three forms.

Also, she's not like Hekate as Goddess of Crossroads (though you can make UPG arguments that Her rulership of fate does make Her more a Goddess of Crossroads than canon says), nor is She depicted as Mother, Maiden, Crone of Wiccanry. She does have some similarities to Hekate in that both are Goddess of Magic, though.

And, if you don't like this, you can just leave it out of your worship. This is the only canon case of Her depicted as a triple formed goddess, and it's likely only rooted into Khajiiti myth than the myth of the Dunmer or anybody else.

[yansurnummu]

oh shit I guess we're doing pinned posts now

hi I'm Rory/Yans and I don't know what video games are

AO3 // Pillowfort (18+)

Gardening & woodworking sideblog: @garryoakenthusiast

Discord: yansurnummu

ESO: hentus-yansurnummu (PC-NA), yansurnummu (Xbox)

I mostly post about Elder Scrolls with a focus on ESO but sometimes throw in other stuff for flavour. This usually includes Critical Role, Baldur's Gate, Destiny, cool art I like, and probably others once in a while. I occasionally post nsfw art & fic that will be tagged #yans after dark.

Tags:

my art

my writing

music recs

Fic Archive:

ESO:

To the Horrors I've Known and Loved (2023 - Ongoing)

Like Winter (2022 - Ongoing)

A Variation of the Truth (Completed; 2022)

Oblivion:

The Blood of the Coven (Completed; 2016)

Destiny 2:

Destiny Oneshots Collection (2018 - 2021)

My ESO OCs:

Dralvayn "Drals" Arano (he/him)

Dunmer // Arcanist

My cranky old wizard. To the Horrors I've Known and Loved is his story, where he gets put through the horrors and learns the power of friendship.

He's gay/demisexual but he doesn't discover that until partway through the fic, and even then he has a ways to go before he allows himself nice things. He becomes hopelessly in love with Azandar, and later on has a bit of a thing with Zerith-var. He starts out kind of an asshole but he will get better. Probably. He's my little chew toy :)

(tag)

Asha-ammu Kaushad (they/them)

Dunmer (Ashlander) // Nightblade // Vampire

Asha is my precious little princess who I would die for. Like Winter is sort of a character study, following the progression of their relationship with Donobhan, and told from his point of view.

They're nonbinary & transfem, and very shy and a little awkward. They love fungi & dwemer architecture.

(tag)

Donobhan Ravenfriend (he/him)

Reachman // Warden

Don is my sweet boy. He was originally of the Spiritblood clan but left when he couldn't go through with the Vateshran's Rites. He loves nature and has a lot of wisdom about the ways of the world & life & death but is also kind of an orange cat and sometimes his head is empty. His best friend is his guardian wolf, Calahan.

(tag)

Sadryn Favel (he/him?)

Dunmer // Warden // Werewolf

Sadryn is a hot bisexual mess whose favourite pastime is being a public nuisance. He's like 22 and will never die. He has a twin sister, Serysi, who belongs to @tilliphont. She's a grumpy butch and the two of them would die for each other but will probably kill each other first before that happens. The two of them were born to a Telvanni family that expected a lot from them and they ran away from that bad situation at some point. They also have a pet bear named Sujamma.

If he stopped for longer than 2 seconds to look inwards he would probably have a weird gender but alas he is going 5000mph and has a substance abuse problem so we may never know. He's got a big ol crush on Ember but she thinks he's stinky.

(tag)

Auredil (he/him)

Altmer // Templar // Vestige

Auredil is my canon Vestige and gay disaster. A Variation of the Truth is sort of a tragedy that alternates between his point of view (past) and Lindir's point of view (present). Auredil was once a captain in Queen Ayrenn's navy (First Auridon Marines) where he fell in love with Prince Naemon and he and Kinlady Estre became good friends. After the events of Auridon, Naemon shuts Auredil out which drives him to make a pact with Meridia while in a bad mental state, thus being granted his Templar abilities and the rest of the main quest being set in motion.

(tag)

Lilanwe (she/her)

Altmer // Necromancer

Lily is trans & bisexual and could be a villain if she was just like 12% more evil. But instead she chose to be niceys and is just kind of a little morally dubious sometimes.

She was once a promising mage and scholar who, after her brother Auredil's disappearance, fell in with the wrong crowd and turned to necromancy and the Worm Cult. They meet again on opposite sides of the conflict, and Auredil convinces her to leave the cult behind and help him fix everything. She has a penchant for being headstrong and righteous, and after the Planemeld and Auredil's (supposed) death, she goes on a revenge quest to eradicate the remains of the Worm Cult. As a treat.

(tag)

Coralantar (he/they)

Maormer // Sorcerer

Coral was a powerful storm witch who joined up with the Sea Vipers when he was young and wanted to get away from Pyandonea, but quickly recognised the atrocities the raiders were committing. After meeting Auredil in Khenarthi's Roost, he turns on the Vipers from the shadows and eventually works with the Eyes of the Queen as a spy. The Desert is a Memory of the Ocean is sort of an unfinished sequel/spinoff of Auredil's fic, in which Coralantar and @tilliphont's Galen find themselves lost in Elsweyr in the aftermath of defeating Molag Bal and have to work together to piece together what happened.

(tag)

[k-im-lost]

I'm an absolute whore for dunmers it's not even funny

[orsinium]

SO i've been using your original handwritten daedric font for a hot second now (ty so much for your hard work btw) and only recently did i realize that there's going to be a "Handwritten Daedric 2.0", is that still in the works? i'm particularly interested to see how it works with dunmer tategaki (which is how i hc dunmer write; vertically from right to left)

omg ty for your interest! im so glad ppl like it ^_^ to be honest i havent picked it back up in a long time lol but it's still on my list of things to expand on yeah. sorry that's not the most exciting answer!

oh and i too am curious to see how it can work vertically!! so i'll def be looking into that as well

[p1xiemeat]

favorite race to play in eso? mine is kahjit because cats 🐱

i love questions about games lol

my favorite is dark elf🖤

i love their look and they have amazing racial passives and i love their diversity when it comes to classes. and i've always had a thing for dark elves in video games lol whether its playing as a dark elf in skyrim/eso or being a drow in bg3. i just love them so much.🥰 plus dark elves are hot okay🤷🏻‍♀️

i also loveee wood elves.

i am still learning eso so i keep restarting and trying out different characters😂😭 im so indecisive when it comes to games but ill let u guys know when i finally have a "main" lol

i don't mind restarting tho because even the tutorial is fun to play. eso is becoming my new favorite fantasy game🥰 don't be surprised if my main ends up being a dunmer tho lol

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Wip Whenever

Got tagged in wip Wednesday by @skyrim-forever <3 Gonna throw a collection of art and writing i've done this week (last two days...i've been sick)

Art

I decided to throw the blue sketches here for funnsies

Writing

A little from Sleepers Awake 14. Or Josh meets his first Ashlander.

“Back already, sera?” Boderi smiled at him as he placed a stack of twenty drakes on the counter. Teldryn smiled back and nodded, tucking a strand of his long hair behind his ear.

“Ash looks to be picking up,” He stated as he pushed the stack of drakes towards the publican, “Will probably take that room you were offering, yeah? Is twenty enough for a filled tub an a meal?”

She nodded and took the coin from him, replacing it with a small, metal key, “Your room is downstairs, first door on the left. Tub and hot food might take an hour or so.”

“All good, I got errands,” Teldryn smirked at the older Dunmer as he waved his newly bought copy of ‘Words of the Wind’ about, “Zainsubani was down those stairs, yeah?”

He nodded towards the staircase just off the bar, earning him an affirming nod from the publican.

“Right, well…wish me luck I guess.” Teldryn sighed as he set off towards the staircase. He let his fingers brush against the cool, blue tile that decorated the walls as he made his descent. The smell of hackle-lo and dried kreshweed permeated from the floor below. A thick aroma that told him Hassour Zainsubani liked to take part in a similar vice to that of most Dunmer, himself included.

The room he found himself in was richly decorated with thick, red tapestries that had the sigil of House Redoran embroidered within the rich red fabric.

He felt a little homesick.

Teldryn’s eyes scanned the room, finding it mostly empty save for a few mercenaries happily lazing about on the various cushions that littered the room. Most had been arranged around several hookahs that were being thoroughly enjoyed by what Teldryn assumed to be Zainsubani’s caravan guards.

It made his fingers itch, and he placed his hand in his left pocket, feeling the cool, metal tin between his fingers. He’d play this by ear, hopefully he would be able to get away with one to relieve his nerves. Though he’d try and get through this whole ordeal first. He sighed, letting go of the case and folding his arms. He scanned the room, peering through clouds of sweet-smelling smoke for his query. Eventually, he locked eyes with an older Dunmer dressed in netch leather that had been cut in a way that he was unfamiliar with. The mer leaned forward, placing the hose in his hand back onto its stand, a lightly blue-tinged smoke still billowing out of the tip. “Yes?” The mer asked, raising a thick, unruly eyebrow at him, “Do you have business with me, dumu?”

Teldryn tilted his head at the term, he’d heard it, sure, spoken by his father decades ago when he was still around. It was Ashland, he just couldn’t place the word’s meaning. Honestly, what he remembered of his father he could fill in a thimble and there’d still be room for fuck knows what else! Assumption and rumour usually— shit he’d always tried to bury— shit that he did not need to bring into this exchange.

“Hassour Zainsubani, I assume?” Teldryn asked, raising his eyebrow as the older mer nodded and gestured for him to take a seat opposite him.

“Yes, I am Hassour Zainsubani, may you bless and be blessed,” The mer smiled at him as he reached for the mouthpiece of his hookah, unhooking it from its stand and bringing it to his mouth.

“Ah— Teldryn Sero,” Teldryn stammered as he quickly took his seat, “I ah—”

Zainsubani exhaled a cloud of blue-tinged smoke before offering him use of the contraption, “And what is your business with me, Teldryn Sero? I do not wish to be rude, but I am at leisure and wish to be alone with my thoughts.”

Teldryn reached for the pipe closest to him and took a long drag, letting the sweet-smelling smoke fill his lungs. Some sort of blend of kreshweed, hackle-lo and heather that left him wanting. He found himself coughing a little as he exhaled, earning him a chuckle from the older Velothi.

“It is always funny when the youth try it,” Zainsubani smiled at him as he took another puff, “It is smoother than what we make back home.”

Teldryn reached instead for his case of cigarettes and placed one in his mouth, lighting it with the tip of his finger, “Nar, just prefer the imported stuff.”

The Velothi chuckled as Teldryn took a long drag from his cigarette, “You have travelled far then?”

Teldryn shrugged, “You could say that.”

“Far enough to sample what the Westerners have you offer, yes?” Zainsubani replied, pulling his waist-length, greying plait over his shoulder, “But you have business you wish to discuss, yes?”

“Ah yeah…” Teldryn mumbled as he reached for the newly purchased book of poetry and placed it in front of him, “I was told that it is customary amongst strangers to give gifts before discussing business. I was told that you have an interest in literature…ah—”

Zainsubani reached for the book that Teldryn had just placed between them, the smallest of sparks igniting in his grey-rimmed eyes as he read the book’s title, “Words of the Wind?”

“The Shopkeep said you were interested in—"

[aladaylessecondblog]

Red Mountain Waffle House pt. 3

When Sadara first start working, the walk to work wasn't that bad. Sure, she and Jiub had to keep an eye out, and keep their hands on the company issued swords. Sure, there were cliffracers. Sure, there were corprus monsters, and the occasional skooma-head. Sure, she'd been nicked by one of the crazier ash monsters. Well, bitten, rather, but Jiub had helped her toss the guy out and cleaned up the wound.

It wasn't that bad. They, as Jiub was so fond of saying, had faced a lot worse. Like when they'd lived on the Waterfront in the Imperial City those couple of years. As long as they kept Sadara's ring covered up, and didn't make eye contact with any of the addicts or corprus monsters, and kept a watch around them, it wasn't that dangerous.

And night shift could be fairly pleasant, when there wasn't someone fighting or making a nuisance of themselves. When Nibani was there sometimes she'd even put something on the jukebox while they all did some cleaning up...as they were all doing tonight.

"Did you two clean out the fryer like I told you?"

"Yeah, yeah, Jiub's just, uh...he's washing the baskets out. They were just extra-clogged today."

(What Sadara did NOT say was that the hot water was out in the shithole their landlord called an apartment, and so Jiub was bathing in the enormous backroom sink.)

And then there was a sound she had not yet heard in her time living and working in Red Mountain.

The sound of rain on the roof.

Nibani stirred from the back off, and opened all the window blinds.

"It's nice to see rain," Sadara gave a slight smile, "Isn't it? I hope it'll go on a while, we could use it right now."

"This isn't about liking rain," came the harried reply, "Because it doesn't just up and RAIN here around Red Mountain."

"What's the deal? It's only rain."

"It is NOT only RAIN. Lesson...I'm not even counting anymore. Something you should hold to if you forget everything else I tell you. When it's raining, Dagoth Ur is out and about."

"Dagoth...what, the evil guy in the volcano?"

"Evil guy in the--that demon is no mere mer! You outlanders--you don't understand the danger he presents. The blight winds spread his disease and his dreams. And those who fall under his influence--"

"He's dangerous, I get it. But I was always under the impression that he never left the volcano. At least that's what everyone here has told me."

"Of course the dunmer of the Great Houses would say such things. They don't know. They don't know what it is to--" Nibani was silent for a minute, and walked closer to the window, squinting, and murmuring, "When old Dagoth goes walking, he comes with the rains, the dead follow after, and all hope he drains."

"What's that?"

"An old ashlander song. If he comes in--"

"Be prepared to fight?" Sadara asked, "I'll handle him."

"You will do no such thing!" Nibani burst out, "Do you have a death wish?"

"If I can handle a drunk guy with a broken bottle I can handle this Dagoth guy. And I don't mean fighting. Did you think I was going to go out swinging? I know how to play the game. You want me to be diplomatic, and I will be."

"But not too polite. Or he'll think you're interested in joining his...'family.'"

"I don't think we have to worry about that." Jiub finally emerged from the back room, and went to the grill.

"Where's your shirt?"

"Wet. I fell in the sink."

"The same as with the sleepers and dreamers, then." Sadara looked back to Nibani, took a momentary breath, lit a cigarette, and got a few puffs in before replying again. "It'll be FINE. He's probably out testing the Ghostfence for weaknesses, or...something. Old man hobbies."

From what she had heard of Dagoth Ur so far, that was how she imagined him. Oh sure, the pamphlets talked him up, painted a nice picture of what image they wanted to put forward, but she was pretty sure no man, even a god, would be looking like that. She remembered depictions of the Nine back in Cyrodiil, how a few people had seen them in dreams. Sure they would be pretty, or majestic, but they'd be dressed.

Only an old man had this kind of chutzpah, to go about wearing a loincloth like he was said to do.

(Imagining him like this was better, too, than just being out and out scared like some of the others. Took the edge of it off a little.)

Nibani, however, would not be so easily calmed down about it. She kept a watch out by one of the windows as she worked on the next week's schedules. They had four or five Temple pilgrims come in, too, equally frightened. They ordered to-go boxes and left quickly.

The rain grew heavier, and Nibani stiffened at one point. She leaned up to the window by the plant, and looked carefully out.

"Azura preserve me..."

"What? Big temple group?"

"It's him," she said in a strained voice. "Him!"

"Alright, calm down and we'll handle it," Sadara replied, "I'm sure he can't be up here for very much. He'll come, maybe intimidate us, and leave. What use does he have for waffles?"

"Man's gotta eat," Jiub shrugged. "Hey, when did you get the Ald'ruhn 700s?"

"The other day." Sadara got a few of them out. Not until they sorted this little gift did she finally look up to the window again.

Someone was definitely coming up the path, someone frankly enormous. Tall as hell, wearing very little, and as they passed under the sign, the light it gave glinted off...the mask.

That mask, the one that the temple pilgrims and non-Tribunal faithful alike seemed so fearful of. THAT mask.

She took a deep breath and resolved to be as polite as possible. She talked a big enough game with fighting, but really, there'd be far less injuries with words than with weapons. But, she thought, keeping her hand on the Waffle House branded iron sword, it was good to be ready.

The bell at the door rung, the mer ducked, and entered.

The first time she laid eyes on Dagoth Ur, Sadara could only think that the pamphlets had only been exaggerating a little bit. He was built well, exactly the sort of body made for showing off. It left nearly nothing to the imagination, that loincloth, though. He had to be freezing...or fuck it, she thought, he was a god, did it really matter what he wore if he could control so much else?

"Will you be needing a towel?" she asked, "We've got some dry ones."

There wasn't an immediate answer. The mask turned at the noise, and looked in her direction. Its gaze moved down, looking right at the ring on her finger, before moving back up. He reached up, and twisted at his lengthy dark hair, wringing it out.

"That would be advantageous, yes."

His voice was rather lyrical, in a way. Not quite a baritone. A deep tenor.

She handed over a towel, and went back to cleaning the table in front of her, then once he'd taken a seat she walked back over.

"Coffee, I imagine? After a trip in that weather you must need warming up."

He agreed, and she brought it over. There was a brief moment of skin contact and she mused briefly that he didn't seem cold. He was a dead god, a dead man, they all said, and yet he was warm? Interesting.

"Something on your mind?"

He'd noticed, and trying not to anger him she hurriedly said, "I've been told you're...undead, and yet you're warm. Forgive me for--for musing on that."

He laughed, and despite not seeing his face she could almost see the smile. Certainly she could hear it in that jovial sound.

"I hope in future you won't pay heed to such rumors. I can be as warm as I please."

That was when the mask came down, and the cup of coffee was lifted to his lips.

Sadara had a moment to look. High cheekbones, two red eyes as expected, but on his forehead was opened a third. The two below were focused on the cup, but the third met her own, and she looked quickly away, not eager to be caught staring.

"I've had a few of your...ah...followers here, trying to steal my plant," she finally said, having grasped for a subject to speak on that wasn't his lack of dress or third eye. "They keep saying it belongs to you. I suppose you've come to collect it?"

"No, nothing of the sort. And frankly, I'm of a mind to let you keep it. Has it flourished?"

"Oh, yes, unlike all the other plants I've ever kept," Sadara gave a brief laugh. "I've got a black thumb, if you'd believe it, never grown anything from seed to flower on my own. Normally I'd kill a plant without even meaning to, but this one..."

"This one simply grows for you."

There was a smile then, and she had a sudden strange feeling of déjà vu.

"Yeah..."

He asked about several things while he sat there, drinking the coffee and later eating the waffle covered in several different syrups. And when Nibani left for the back office, he asked another question.

"Have you been injured?" he pointed to the bandage on her arm.

"That? Oh...well, a week ago," Sadara shrugged. "Someone decided it was a fantastic idea to bite me and I've been--I covered it with antiseptics and put a bandage over it even after healing it, just in case."

"And you've been well since then?" Dagoth Ur sounded concerned, and she reminded herself it was an act.

"Well enough. I haven't noticed anything strange like they said it would if it turned out to be..."

"Corprus." His expression shifted into the slightest of smiles. "Let me see it. No one could tell you better if that is indeed what it was."

"It's not necessary, really." But not wanting to be rude she uncovered the spot to show the healing scar. "I'm fairly certain if it was the divine disease...I'd be breaking out in a rash right now."

"Unless, of course..."

One of those long-fingered hands moved over the wound as Dagoth Ur's sentence petered out. After a slight glow--a diagnostic spell, she recognized it--he looked up with something of a smile.

"It is indeed corprus."

"But how--I would've been--"

"There is one circumstance which would explain this," and here his tone brightened even more, "And everything else here, too. The ring, the plant. And that explanation is that you are Nerevar reborn."

"What?"

Nerevar reborn? THAT old story? Everyone here said it was lies, said it wasn't possible. Well not everyone--Nibani seemed to believe it.

He withdrew his hand, paid, and left. With him went the rain, which over the next hour slowed and then stopped.

But his departure had kicked off a whole other storm in her head.

[priafey]

AO3 Twenty Questions

tagged by @ladytanithia. a big thank you, as always!

tagging @inkoherentwriting, @azures-grace and YOU, dear reader

(copy/paste for the questions below the cut)

1 – How many works do you have on AO3?

Four, not counting the work I published as a reference list for my OCs.

2 – What's your total AO3 word count?

84,627

3 – What fandoms do you write for?

Just TES:Skyrim for the moment. Sadly, I haven't been able to play any of the other games just yet.

4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?

I'm dying for Among the Many Lost Souls to surpass Sought and Found. It was my first venture into longform writing and it shows. Bleh.

5 – Do you respond to comments?

Almost always. If I don't respond, it's usually because I tried my darndest and couldn't think of a constructive or meaningful response.

6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The one I'm writing right now :3c (Among the Many Lost Souls). I'm putting Gwilin through the wringer and then I'm gonna hang him out to dry.

7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Sought and Found, I suppose.

8 – Do you get hate on fics?

No, I don't. I lowkey wish I did. Firstly, because haters can be remarkably perceptive, and, secondly, because I am as interested in what makes someone scrunch up their nose or click away from my fic as I am about hearing people's thoughts on what was well-executed about them. I think my stuff is too niche to really draw a lot of negative attention (right now, at least).

9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Always, my man! I consider it my moral duty to make my characters fuck nasty. Why? BECAUSE IT'S HOT DUHHH

10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

People who write crossovers scare me so bad. I can barely limp my way through having to structure a plot around already-existing lore and making sure everything that happens in the story is congruent with in-universe rules, meanwhile there are people out there writing Skyrim x The Walking Dead crossovers. It's cocobananas.

11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know. I don't really give a fuck if people steal my shit. Fighting with someone over authorship of a work that is principally riding on the coattails of an existing IP, which can't even be monetized, mind you, feels like a real 'race to the bottom' situation to me. I'm well aware of the quality of my work and I'm proud to have the drive to constantly better my skills. That's all that matters.

12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Though I did start translating Sought and Found into Spanish, I dropped it when I started writing Among the Many Lost Souls. In any case, I would be so, so touched if someone decided to translate a fic of mine.

13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?

Also nope. Never tried collaborative writing outside of an academic setting. Totally open to it, though!

14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?

Uh, I'm not real big on shipping existing characters. I mostly just think about my OCs, or my friend's OCs, with each other. Aside from Gwilin x [pretty much every other NPC in Skyrim], I think thoughts about @abstractredd's guys, Hedgrod and Athrar, quite often.

15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Fic-related WIP? Just one. I wanted to write another romance fic (like Sought and Found) featuring a netch farmer who's a cowboy-type character. Sexy Dunmer with a southwestern accent. Brokeback Mountain: Morrowind Edition. You get the picture.

I might still finish it, but I'm reluctant to even touch it because I haven't played Morrowind, and would have to do a real deep-dive into everything related to Dunmer in TES lore to write it. I know a lot already, but I never feel like I know enough, y'know?

16 – What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm good at setting a scene and painting a picture. This is, I think, a new ability I acquired in the past year or so. I've also been told my smut-writing abilities are pretty good, which is always nice to hear :) If I had to list what I consider to be my own strengths, I'd add that I've gotten a lot better at cutting the fat out of my writing (especially from dialogue tags and in describing facial expressions and body language).

17 – What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue is a bitch a half for me to write. It's probably the thing I most obsessively tweak before publishing. I think my dialogue tends to fall short.

Pacing is another issue. I often criticize, in other fic author's works, that they present an interesting image or idea and then leave me hungry because they don't elaborate on it, but I am the biggest culprit of this if I don't constantly remind myself that, yes, people want to hear more about this or that. They want you to mystify it, justify it, make it sexy, make it like a puzzle for them to solve. You can't just leave it cut-and-dry, much as my autism compels to do because "It's quite literally saying the same thing". Like, that's great, bestie, but you have to elaborate! Say the same thing just make it sound cooler than it is!

18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

This is cool. I don't mind busting out Google Translate to enjoy a fic. That mouse-hovering feature that lets you add alternative text to a fic on ao3 is super useful for this sort of thing.

19 – First fandom you wrote for?

My first, and only other, fandom: My Little Pony. I was 12.

20 – Favorite fic you've written?

I love them all for different reasons, BUT Among the Many Souls has blood and sex and drama in it, so yeah. It's in the lead.

1 – How many works do you have on AO3?

2 – What's your total AO3 word count?

3 – What fandoms do you write for?

4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?

5 – Do you respond to comments?

6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8 – Do you get hate on fics?

9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?

13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?

14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?

15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16 – What are your writing strengths?

17 – What are your writing weaknesses?

18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19 – First fandom you wrote for?

20 – Favorite fic you've written?