#elder scrolls Blackreach

[butch-de-101]

Blackreach and it’s Beneficial Flora Hive-Mind for the Falmer. Thoughts/Head-Cannon

So what is Blacreach? Blackreach is a massive underground system of caves, caverns and tunnels that span underneath the holds of The Pale, Winterhold, Hjaalmarch, Haafingar and The Reach, and it’s also home to various creatures and inhabited by the Falmer. It’s most noticeable cave being it’s namesake Blackreach or in Dwemer “Fal'Zhardum Din” or "Blackest Kingdom Reaches". Now as we all know one of the most notable features in Blackreach has to be its bioluminescent walls and celling which in my opinion appeared to be some form of fungus, Lichen or Moss.

Some might say these are Glowworms but these glowing ceilings appear in almost every cavern inhabited by Falmer, such as Darkwater Pass and the giant Mushroom Trees appearing in Darkfall Passage and the rest of the Vale.

Flora Hive-Mind? Uhh Explain Yourself

I’m glad you asked because it’s about to get very science-icy in here involving plants their root system/structure and chemicals. Have you ever mowed a lawn, broke a stem or tore a leaf in half? If you said yes to one of those things you would have noticed a peculiar pleasant smell. Well that’s the chemical reaction of a plant screaming in agony releasing a signal to all surrounding flora that there is an unforeseen threat that is harming them and that they should keep their guide up. And another way plants can communicate with each other is through their root system which can connect the largest of trees to the smallest blade of grass, and one of the biggest connectors in this system is… Fungus aka Mushrooms. Now this form of air communication is called Biosemiotics but particularly form is Volatile Organic Compounds. Which are chemical signals released by plants to signal plants to warm of them potential threats or to attract pollinators, and the root base communication is called Mycorrhizae in where roots and fungi are connected underground in a mostly beneficial relationship. This root/fungus base communication allows plants to share information, nutrients, water and even provide aid for damaged or sickly plants and works as a massive support group in different ways.

Also not only are the walls and ceiling of Blackreach are covered in glowing fungus but on the cavern floor stands large and almost tree like Mushrooms that tower over creatures and buildings. If these over sized mushrooms have a Taproot structure that would mean they go deep into the ground and hold it from any form of erosion, either from underground water and rivers which Blackreach has. This also goes for the long glowing tendrils that come from the ceiling and ground.

Now for my Blackreach Hive-Mind theory, so while exploring the various Falmer dwellings you’ll find that various species of mushrooms from near the entrance to deep within their lair. Now although mushrooms don’t have roots they do have Mycelium, these are fungi threads that can span deep and extend miles connecting large areas of flora to a network of beneficial interest. Three places of interest in this theory are Shimmermist Cave, Lost Echo Cave and Darkwater Pass all of which are Falmer inhabited, home to glowing mushrooms and show no sign of entry to Blackreach accessible to the player, but let’s say that the Falmer Wall Holes lead to unseen tunnels and caverns that also contain glowing fungus which would mean a large network of connections back to Blackreach fungal mass. So if we use the examples of root/fungal network and how they use this to share information, resources and aid we also know that Falmer caves and Dwemer ruins are all over Skyrim, so if we used this information that would mean that the entirety of Skyrim surface area from farms, forest and meadows are connected to deep underground tunnels allied with fungus that Mycelium threads connect them to a larger network of underground ecosystems doing everything in its power to live and thrive.

(corn is know to release a chemical signal that wasps will pick up to come to it’s aid when it it’s being eaten by pest such as locust)

How does this benefit the Ecosystem?

Skyrim is a large and diverse nation when it comes to weather and its environment, but even evaluation has it’s effects on how temperatures work. But to simplify it, the Northern Parts of Skyrim are cold while the Southern Parts are Warmer but that doesn’t matter as winter will still cause frost and if Nir tilts like Earth, then night will be longer and more intense etc.

But let’s so it’s winter and most of the Flora has “died” and won’t be able to photosynthesize, well that to worry as Skyrim is full of Pine/Spruce trees which are Evergreens. That means they do not lose their foliage and have the ability to attain nutrients from the sun, and they actually share their nutrients with their dominant neighbors and they share these nutrients with the previous fungal Mycorrhizal Network. Now let’s other important nutrients from decaying plants/animals aren’t as abundant as before well the surface won’t have to worry as deep beneath the surface are large tunnels and caves filled with Falmer and Chaurus, Vale Deer, Durzogs, Trolls and insects such as Spiders, Moths, Shroom Beetles, Cockroaches, Nixads and even Gloomspore Creatures. Which are giant sentient fungal growths that take the form of animals.

So now let’s say there’s a drought in Whiterun hold the fungus in Blackreach can share much needed water and let’s say theirs a blight effecting the trees in Haafingar Hold, again the glowing fungus from the tunnels would be able to transfer that information to the network system and warm the other of a possible threat and to prepare antibodies for themselves and to send to the infected plants. As plants do in real life

How Does This Benefit The Falmer?

One thing I noticed while in Blackreach is that it’s able to support Trees, Shrubs and Grasses, which would mean that the bioluminescent that is produced from the wall and ceiling glowing fungus, lichen or moss and the giant mushrooms like trees/tendrils are able to produce the same amount of ultraviolet lights as the sun. which would give the Falmer and other creatures a daily/yearly supply of vitamin D which would give them stronger bones and immune system, but that is not all. The root from the tress and mycelium from the fungus would hold the ground, cleaning and walls tightly keeping the ground above and below them steadily in place.

Also water from the surface that will be absorbed by the ground will be purified from pollutes and other undesirable materials. As roots and tightly compacted soil will work as a natural filter and provide clean drinking water to the Falmer, creatures and foliage that grows there. Also according to Elder Scrolls lore the Mushrooms that cause the blindness in Falmer are ironically extinct so that don’t have that to worry about but they do still have a large option when it comes to edible vegetables as they could grow crops like the Falmer in the Vale do.

(And if you ever had to de-weed or cut roots, you’ll know what I mean)

End

I think I written and botched enough of what I was originally thinking and thought/theorized about. I hope I made sense and that the read wasn’t boring but I had fun and I hoped you liked it too.

Also @falmerbrook was a huge inspiration and please go give them a check and read what they have to say.

[kydra-umbra]

Blackreach, underneath Skyrim

[skyrim-forever]

Skyrim affirmations part 7

[lotusfaebell]

“ You sought the truth for years, but did the revelation justify the sacrifices you made along the way? “

⊱ Done by PaniWolf ⊰

[ludinusdaleth]

"Under deep. Below the dark. The hidden keep. Tower Mzark. Alftand, the point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping. Delve to its limits, and Blackreach lies just beyond."

[mazurga]

Crimson nirnroot and Falmer in Blackreach

[leolovesthings]

Blackreach.

[stellastra-scribbles]

July 2, 2024 - Artfight 2024 Attack 2: "Motherhood"

Queen Yzralys for @thescrolls-haveforetold

[darling-leech]

TESFEST Prompt: Free day!!

Blackreach(Blackreach: Arkthzand Cavern, Blackreach: Greymoor Caverns, and Blackreach: Mzark Cavern respectively)!!

@tes-summer-fest.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Crimson Nirnroot

In-game asset for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Asset by Megan Sawyer

Megan was responsible for creating all the harvestable plants and their ingredients in Skyrim

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

Akatosh, handing the Last Dragonborn over to Paarthurnax: You're gonna want one of these.

Paarthurnax: What does it help with?

Akatosh: Everything.

[aellestee]

Mysterious Blackreach ⊹₊ 🌌

[maxandkon]

Dwemers in Arkthzand be like

[skyrim-forever]

"how do you feel about Blackreach?" yeah

[scales-like-ash]

Some of the nicest loading screens in Elder Scrolls Online I managed to capture

[ludinusdaleth]

it always makes me sad hearing the quests "discerning the transmundane" & "touching the sky" (and their respective zones, blackreach & the forgotten vale) are generally hated for being long & ardous, because for me, they are skyrim at its best. exploring a massive unique area you'll never truly find every corner of with a questline drenched in lore that is at times peak deliciously incomprehensible & pretentious, standing in an absolutely beautiful land with air choking you alive with history your character was destined to be a part of, thats what tes is ABOUT for me