#it does please me to see Taliesin in a flower crown :)

[wellthebardsdead]

The mourned and the heretics pt1

Follow up from this post

———

Kaidan: Morrowind ey? When do we leave?

Riiju-Lei: I? You guys, want to come along?

Taliesin: Of course~ as, charming as skyrim is, Xelzaz & Sero have charmed me with tales of blacklight and I’d love to see it for myself~

Kaidan: aye, and the dominion has no presence there.

Khash: When are we going??

Riiju-Lei: *remembers his mothers stubby tail, where it had been docked and punctured for a chain to be looped through it to bind her to her station in the ash rice fields… the whip marks on her back and legs, her smooth numbs were her horns had been hacked clean out* …

Xelzaz: *gently pats Khash on the head* Morrowind is still a very. Very dangerous place for argonians Khash. I’m safe because of my ties to house telvanni but, you yourself have told me that other argonians attack you, and with many, many violent ones still rampaging through the land, it’s not safe for you there.

Khash: but- I can protect myself I-

Riiju-Lei: Xel is right Khash… please. *pats her head and smiles* stay home.

Khash: b-but I missed out on the trip to solstheim too! This isn’t fair!

Caryalind: oh Khash, it’s not all bad. Miraak and I will be sitting this one out too.

Riiju-Lei: you will be?

Caryalind: of course! Someone has to help Lydia watch the kids.

Miraak: Besides, I have a lot to catch up on with Paarthurnax… Khash, would you like to visit him with me? He quite liked the flower crown you made him last time.

Khash: I- wait! Really?! I can actually come meet him now?!

Miraak: of course. So long as you’re alright with flying.

Khash: I GET TO FLY THERE?!

Miraak: so long as your father is okay with it?

Riiju-Lei: I’m fine with it, just- please don’t let her fall off.

Nerevar: *chuckles* well childcare is sorted then, Lucien? Inigo will you be coming?

Inigo: Yes absolutely! Are- things okay there for khajiit though?

Nerevar: I believe so. Of course there are a few bad yams to spoil the crop but it’s a lot more pleasant there now than it was a few hundred years ago.

Inigo: great! Count me in then!

Lucien: Oh can we please visit some dwemer sights there?! I want to see how they differ from skyrim and solstheim.

Nerevar: I can take you to the court of my old-… Acquaintance… Dumac. *sighs* it’s not in the best shape now, but I spent many days and nights there with him… he was my closest friend next to voryn.

Riiju-Lei: *gently holds his hand*

Nerevar: *smiles and squeezes it* though, now we’re a lot more than just friends.

Riiju-Lei: speaking of which… the reason we decided to leave for morrowind now is… we’re getting married.

Everyone: WHAT?!

Khash: b-but you promised I could be the flower girl!!

Riiju-Lei: and you will be Khash. When we come home and have a ceremony here that is.

Nerevar: because we both have such widely different pantheons and cultural rules, given he was raised in a nord household. We’ll get married in morrowind first and unify our houses.

Riiju-Lei: then come home and be married under the eyes of mara.

Khash: so? So I won’t miss out then?

Riiju-Lei: *smiles* no dear, I want you and all your brothers and sisters to be there. But morrowind is a very long trip away, and you really hate water. More than taliesin does I believe.

Taliesin: my stomach and I. HIGHLY, doubt that.

Khash: I do hate water… *plays with her shirt a little*

Riiju-Lei: Oh Khash… *pulls her into a hug* it’ll only be for a couple months dear. You won’t even notice we’re gone…

Khash: but that feels like forever… what will I do on my own?…

Riiju-Lei: you won’t be on your own Khash. *smiles* you’ll have Cary and Miraak, and Lydia and your brothers and sisters. You’re not on your own anymore little shadowscale…

Khash: *looks down shyly then back up at him* will you bring me back something pretty??

Riiju-Lei: *chuckles* yes Khash. I’ll keep an eye out for a bow maybe. Or a new dress. Maybe some interesting flowers we can grow here.

Khash: *gasps and claps her hands* Ohh! Yes please!!! *hugs onto him* but- wait. If you two are getting married… Mr nerevar what do I call you?

Nerevar: *smiles* whatever you’d like Khash. It’s not my place to demand a title from you. But I’ll raise you along side LeiLei, and I’ll love you and all your siblings as my own. Speaking of which- aren’t you? Playing hide and seek right now?

Khash: …I FORGOT I WAS IT!!!! *bolts out of the house scrambling to find the other kids*

Kaidan: *snickers* She’ll be okay… so… when are we leavin?

Nerevar: in a couple days. It should give everyone time to prepare. It’ll be a very long trip.

Lucien: I’ll write home tonight and- is there somewhere I can redirect my mail?

Nerevar: I’ll give you the address to the Mournhold post house. They collect all the correspondence for the temple separately for us.

Xelzaz: I? Temple? Sir?

Nerevar: of course, that’s where we’ll be staying mainly and we’ll travel from there. As head of house indoril and the Hortator it’s the seat of my kingdom. You’re all my welcomed guests.

Taliesin: Well then~ I’ll start packing~

Sero: Me living in a temple~ it’ll be a miracle if it doesn’t collapse on my head haha!

*Meanwhile in the bowels of the clockwork city*

Vivec: *steps into the main chamber after making light work of all the guards both flesh and metal* my, my… *removes his hood and mask, pacing around the room, staring at the mechanical corpse of sotha sil* what a number you’ve done to yourself my friend… *walks to it and pulls a ceremonial mask from his cloak, placing it onto the corpses face* no matter, let me put you back together… *takes muatra in his hand and slices his thumb with the tip, letting his blood drip into the open screaming maw of the mask* awaken back to this realm Seht, walk the waking dream once more so we may take ou-

“No.”

Vivec: *looks around hearing the familiar voice of sotha sil* Seht?… *looks to the corpse but senses no life or response from it… before slowly glancing up to see the steam from the many pipes and valves forming into the shape of a dunmer* you… you promised… You promised we’d ascend together!!! Instead you left me here to fester in this body!!! You left almalexia to wither away with your disfigured corpse!!!

Sotha sil: *glares down at him, form twisting and shifting in the steam* That was before I saw the person you really were, Vehk. Before I saw the person she, really was… When we betrayed Nerevar we agreed it was for our people. For the betterment of our people… I held true to that promise and left them this city so I may continue to help them… you two. Fell to vanity. Greed. Lust. And power corrupted you both and when the heart began to fade from your grasp your true colours revealed themselves from beneath the grey and gold. Almalexia killing me was the last phase of my plan. By striking me down with the last of her power I ascended… please my friend. It is not too late for you to do the same… Don’t pursue this path… it will only lead to your end…

Vivec: *glares up at him gritting his teeth in anger* you knew she was coming to kill you… you planned this! You used her and left her to die!!

Sotha Sil: She made her choice even in her madness… If this is the path you wish to take Vivec… I will not help you… goodbye my friend *disappears as the steam suddenly evaporates*

Vivec: *steps back and laughs softly* you… h-heheh- you sneaky- FUCKING BASTARD!!! *runs muatra through his mechanical corpse ripping it from its now obsolete wires and framing letting it drop and shatter to the floor* I should have listened to alma and killed you when we did nerevar… *pulls another ceremonial mask from his cloak and looks around the chamber before spotting a pile of bones and armour nestled haphazardly in the corner of the room, her body just left there to decay by nerevar when he walked as the nerevarine* At least she’ll help me… *walks to the bones and gently places the mask on the skull before squeezing his blood into its mouth* Breathe life once more, walk the waking dream… *steps back watching as the bones begin to connect and sinewy tissue begins to worm and twist its way over them like hundreds of writhing worms that give way to muscles and organs before being covered in a dark, grey, flesh* Rise now. Almalexia.

Almalexia: *floats up from the ground, landing on her feet letting the mask drop to the floor revealing her new dunmer face* …Agh- *snaps her head back and gasps in a deep, long breath as she opens two, red eyes before bellowing out a roar like a wounded animal* NEREVAR!!

[tumblunni]

My ideas if Wales gets referenced in this new britain region which is probably unlikely but we can hope:

* Another sheep pokemon/a mareep regional variant/just mareep being common over here

* llamhigyn y dwr regional variant of gligar! As a kid i always thought gligar was meant to be one of those! Its a mytholigical flying frog with a scorpion tail, and really the only reason i dont think gligar is based on it is because its ground instead of water type. Like its really specifically similar right down to the wings being webs under the arms!

* Welsh Lady pokemon! (The traditional costume kids wear at eisteddfods)

* Maybe instead some sort of legendary based on eisteddfods in general? Theyre a poetry/art festival where the winner gets "the chairing of the bard" aka just imagine ur average school contest except if ur in wales u literally get knighted with a fake sword, crown and The School's Personal Throne. Its very weird in retrospect but it just seemed normal when i was a kid. I won it once and i was so anxious having to go thru the big celebration thing!! Like aaa just let me take my certificate and run! XD So yeah maybe a legendary based on the eisteddfod throne itself? Its called a throne but its more of a fancy wooden chair with patterns carved into it. So some sort of wooden dragon! And the legend would be that only the most talented bards can ride it and it bucks off anyone it thinks isnt purehearted enough. And maybe it could have a lovespoon for a tail cos thats also another wooden welsh thing. (Fancy carved spoons for good luck and/or romantic gifts)

* welsh cake pokemon!! Theyre just a sweetened scone with raisins in it, but i think it could be really cute as a design. Im thinking a rock type that just coincidentally looks like a cake with raisins, and it rolls around sideways like a big goofy crab~

* or if you wanna go for other local foods maybe mix the kelpie with bara bryth? (Seaweed bread paste stuff) So its just a loaf of bread that evolves into a badass horse and it would make no sense to anyone except brits, lol.

* perhaps a legandary based on the bard taliesin? It could be similar to nebby in starting off with a weak baby form but then becoming a badass! Cos his origin story was that he wasnt naturally all super cool so talented at singing that he could make literal magic happen just by sheer creativity. Instead he accidentally drank a magic potion of creativity that a witch made, and his abilities came at the cos of Pissing Her Off Forevermore. So maybe the baby form cpuld be a witch's cauldron? And have a tail made of chains to symbolize how he was enslaved as that witch's assistant and managed to escape with her most valuable prize. And then his ethereal fancy humanoid form could maybe be similar to meloetta's living music thing but more with calligraphy instead? But perhaps still have a similar chain tail to show his origins, except now the links in the chain are all fancy calligraphy Os, lol

* accompanying legendary possibilities: ceridwen (the evil witch from that story) or morfran (her innocent son) Morfran did nothing wrong but is often painted as more of the villain of the story than she is, simply because he was black. Yeah there's racism even back in our mythology, ugh...! I always felt so depressed for morfran cos the story is that ceridwen only made this super magical potion of being the best bard ever cos everyone said her son was the ugliest man on earth and EVEN SHE AGREED so she thought she had to give him some magic powers to stop people from hating him. And instead taliesin steals it and goes off to be the most powerful and respected and also handsome man ever, the end. And seriously the ONLY THING they mention about why this child is ugly is that he was "black like a crow" and also his name means evil crow. And thats just the end of his story forever, being some other dude's origin story and then forgotten into the void :( So like hey a pokemon criticizing that part of the myth wouls be great too! Like maybe have morfran be a counterpart legendary like latias to latios and he just looks equally beautiful with a reversed colourscheme of dark skin and white calligraphy patterns. And maybe the pokedex entry could be like "taliesinmon got its powers thru a magical gift from meloetta" and "morfranmon worked really hard for its powers all on its own and also is very socially anxious and relateable and tumblr user tumblunni's favourote character in all british mythologies despite also representing the worst part of our nation but hey its not this man's fault please rescue him ok" Srsly its not like its common to see taliesin referenced in fiction but morfran is even more forgotten and i think he needs at least one positive fictional depiction to make up for being screwed over in the original myth.

* Another myth with unintended bad messages is the one of Blodeuwedd or Dwedd (friends may recognize that i named my Gourgeist after her!) Her story is that she was an artificial human created out of plants in order to be some guy's sex toy basically. Yet she's the villain of the story cos she refused to marry him and ran off with another guy. Like seriously she was BORN to marry this dude! Even if he's the big mythological prince we're supposed to root for, with modern morality perspectives its kinda impossible to see it that way. At least unlike morfran she actually does do other stuff to establish her as a villain other than just existing, she comes back with her new boyfriend to kill the dude who made her and thus set the course of history awry cos he was A Really Inportant Destiny Prince And All. But seriously dude this is 100% your own fault for being creepy enough to not want to date real women and instead have some messed up preprogrammed woman who'd do whatever you want. "The only reason she wouldnt obey like he wanted must be because the seed of evil was in her heart" yeah no maybe it was the seed of free will u bastard. Anyway they have a funny sequence where prince douche mc douchebag is prophesized to never be killed by etc etc etc so dwedd and her new boyf have to trick him into THE MOST CONTRIVED CIRCUMSTANCE EVER to find a loophole. I think it was something like one foot on a goat and one on a bucket while at the border line between two countries at the crack of dawn? And as fitting a standard boring hero story of course eeeevil dwedd gets thwarted and prince pompous is ressurected and she's punished forever by being turned into an immortal owl for some reason.

* SO YEAH! Plant owl legendary! I just thought this myth in particular would be cool cos a female plant legendary with a disney villain aesthetic instead of the cliche pretty sexy thing everyone would probably expect. Make her bombastic and badass and terrifying!!! The pumpkaboo line is the closest thing so far cos bat pumpkin is KINDA close to daffodil owl. At least in terms of spooky aesthetic, lol

* oh and also her boyfriend was named gronw pebr and honestly he barely does anything in the whole story but he has a really cool name so i felt like mentioning it

* our national flower is the daffodil and our national vegetable is the leek so maybe a farfetch'd variation with a daffodil? Or maybe a saucepan or somethin. It could kinda work with farfetch'd origin, plus one of our most famous nursery rhymes is about saucepans. AR GATH WEDI SCRAPU GROOKEY BACH

* our national animal is actually the dragon not the sheep! So definately give us some good dragon types!! Our flag is a dragon so maybe our legendary could be that? And perhaps reference the whole "red dragon beats the white dragon symbolizing how much england sucks" legend by having it have two forms like minior or darmanitan and the weaker cowardly defensive one is england. Just sayin!!

* i dont think you can really make a pokemon personification of england conquering and literally owning us and us taking so long to even get considered a separate country again and be able to have our native language in schools except it was already so many generations passed of it being forbidden to be spoken that barely anyone still knew it and even nowadays when we have billingual road signs the rate of billingualism is incredibly low and im really jealous of my sister growing up in a school that taught it from a young age cos i was thrown into intermediate level welsh without having the basic lessons and thus nevee managed to learn it at all and felt both stupid and disconnected from my ancestors irretreiveably

* MAYBE A RUGBY POKEMON I DUNNO LOL