#elder scrolls daggerfall

[erika-xero]

Queen Morgiah, daughter of Queen Barenziah

[videogamepolls]

Requested by @pachnychnyszek

[delafiseaseses]

So, ever read the Morrowind to Skyrim skill book 'Night Falls on Sentinel'? If you have, are you aware of it being an epilogue to a Daggerfall quest called The Missing Prince? No spoilers for the book or the quest here, so don't worry if you haven't read them. I'm just gonna comment on an odd creative choice.

The Prince of The Missing Prince was unnamed in Daggerfall, in spite of everyone around him being named his was up to the Daggerfall Redguard name generator. The book, which I will say is a good epilogue to the Daggerfall quest and certainly works standalone too, made the odd choice to retroactively give this Prince the canon name of Arthago, rather incidentally, too. He could've just been 'That Prince' throughout and it'd be pretty much the same story.

And, even odder, its a name that couldn't be generated in Daggerfall. Procedural Redguard names in that game never started with 'A', only his mother Akorithi and sister Aubk-i being Redguards with 'A' names in that game (on the subject the book also spells Aubk-i as 'Aubki' for some reason).

Well, I guess one of the Dragon Break's least known effects was giving Arthago a name, hahahaa.

[mannimarcoiscool]

Join my cult

[the-mercurial-star-o-vesper]

What do you know about the Night Mother of the Dark Brotherhood?

In Morrowind, the NIghtmother is just a top-dog position, akin to Arch Mage or head Fighter.

But come both Oblivion and Skyrim, the Nightmother has been elevated to a more mythic status. And in fact, the position is not, in fact obtainable, and to declare yourself Nightmother is basically heresy and sacrilege.

Now this could be inconsistancy in the writing, new writers misreading or forgetting stuff (see any Ariella Septim page).

... But let's take the more interesting approach.

What if, akin to how Talos appeared between Daggerfall and Morrowind as a God, then full on Ninth Divine by Oblivion (which occured only a few years after Morrowind, mind), that something happened that caused the Nightmother position to enter Godhood. Akin to divinity, it became retroactive.

( Example again is Talos. He's made of the Oversoul which combines three entities--Tiber Septim, Zurin Arctus, and Ysmir Wulfharth. This was only possible by the Warp in the West, as the Underking (Arctus or Wulfharth... or probably both) was that missing piece. By the Warp in the West, Talos retroactively became a god upon Tiber Septim's death. )

While I doubt that the Morrowind Nightmother was playing around with Shezarrines, it isn't out of the question to assume that either a mantling occured (Where you take the steps to act as someone so well, that the universe itself cannot distinguish between you) or something else happened (Ala how the King of Worms became a Necromantic god), to retroactively raise the Nightmother from Guild Leader to God.

Not just A God either, but a Wife to Sithis, the closest we've gotten to an outright Elder Scrolls Titan or Primordial, no less.

The thing is, is that we don't, actually know, how.

We could probably assume that the only named Guild-Leader Night-Mother, Severa Magia (of the Morag Tong questline in Morrowind), did something or completed some underlying pattern of reality which raised her to godhood upon her death.

( Which means, congratulations Nerevarine, you made the Nightmother. )

And that the retroactive retcon status, is the result of watching a mantling / goodhood from the Outside perspective. It also means, given evidence provided, that this was a mantling or akin to a mantling, of Mephala (in the similar sense that the Champion of Cyrodiil can mantle Sheogorath ).

In which case, a mantling of Mephala involves the sacrifice of at least 5 people, or possibly children, or possibly metaphorical children. (can't take metaphors for granted in the Elder Scrolls )

But either way, it would explain the severe change of temperments and meaning between games, in regards to the Night Mother.

ADDENDUM:

Personally? I don't think it was Severa Magia. Stopping factional conquest doesn't scream "Hey let's alter reality!". But you know what expansion pack did involve the Dark Brotherhood in a major way? Tribunal. Where we find a mad mortal-god, hellbent on maintaining divinity, no matter who she kills. Who is known as a Mother of a peoples. Who's divinity comes from a divine spark of a Sithic Being. Whom, in a kin to her Anticipation is associated with plots and destruction, but whose acts rather include Murder and Secrecy, akin to the anticipation of one of her mortal-gods of their triad. Whose closest warriors are known as her Hand(s). What I'm saying is... the Goddess Nightmother is actually what's left of Almalexia.

[laurarolla]

Almost my birthday, and Gunhound should be finished before then. So, let's to the poll for the next game before my birthday arrives so I know which of these older western-made RPGs I'll start playing after Gunhound is finished.

Yes, these have all been in previous polls, with the exception of the Unity remake of Daggerfall (the original was in the last poll).

[exaflux]

daggerfall mfs be like- Gif of just the dance beneath the cut just in case

[dono-cho]

Playing through Arena and Daggerfall for the first time, made a Champion/Agent OC

[madgod-of-magic]

Do you have a favorite pastry aside from strawberry tortes?

Hmm.. OOOH DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE! I'm crippled with indecision!

SO TERRIBLE! SO HARD! OH SO DIFFICULT!

There are so many to choose from!

Like croissants! The ones with the chocolate in the middle.

Or.. OOH! OOH! SCONES!!!

Or SWEET ROLLS!

OH HOW I LOVE MY SWEET ROLLS!!!

I Just can't pick a favourite.

[skyrim-forever]

@uesp im ur biggest fan

[mirthandir]

There's a lot to be said about Bethesda and the Elder Scrolls, but you gotta appreciate the hustle of coming up with in-universe lore bullshittery to handwave away cross-game inconsistencies.

The cat-people look different game-to-game? Uuhh they have entirely different body structures based on their own version of Turbo Astrology. The lizard dudes looked like humans in the first game? Uuhh they're mutant plant people that evolve rapidly. This entire country looks different because we're trying to cash in on the fact that Lord of the Rings just came out a few years ago? Uuhh Lightning Jesus retroactively changed it. Which one of these endings is canon and who gets to keep the giant robot? Uuuhhhhh time paradox

[nirn-root]

[delafiseaseses]

So, I've done some readin' of Elder Scrolls wiki pages, as y'do. The little info on those forgotten shrine deities from Daggerfall an' found this.

There's somethin' kinda delightful about a deity apparently associated with 'the pursuit of lore' to be so obscure, I think. Almost poetic. T' know of this Q'Olwen is to be in that aspect, in a way.

[mannimarcoiscool]

Worms

[pyronianmage]

UESP Out of Context

[laurarolla]

One more time with this poll, because it feels odd to only get a handful of votes and decide from there. I'll be combining the results of both polls.

You can vote again on this poll if you voted on the last one. I don't mind. ^_^