#oc Elbryn

[a-lonely-dunedain]

my son crump he has every disease

[a-lonely-dunedain]

New year new Skyrim save file I just created the most sopping wet cringefail mage who’s scared of magic

[a-lonely-dunedain]

every magic school has the Cringefail Newbie and the Self-Proclaimed Prodigy that adopted him <3

so I finally managed a drawing of Elbryn I'm actually happy with! idk if I'll ever write a proper fic involving him but I do have many Thoughts™ about the lil guy so I'll just dump them here under the cut

so after his rather embarrassing magical mishap in Helgen (which he's pretty sure didn't summon the dragon? but he isn't ruling it out as a possibility) he basically swears off using spells entirely and opts for a war axe

somehow manages to not die despite his lack of skill, figures out he's the Dragonborn yadda-yadda, we've all played the quests.

actually counts the Seven-Thousand-Steps to High-Hrothgar like the nerd he is. It was significantly more than seven thousand and his legs hurt so badly.

after making it to High-Hrothgar the Greybeards basically told Elbryn that he would need to become stronger before he could battle dragons as equals and master his Thu'um. Unfortunately they didn't provide much guidance on exactly how he should go about that, only telling him "that path would be made clear" and leaving the rest up to him.

Decides to go back to Whiterun and join the Companions. He's very intimidated by them, but they're probably the best people he could hope to learn from if he wants to master his skills with a blade.

Notably he goes to great lengths to hide his status as the Dragonborn from basically everyone. He feels as though the people of Skyrim are disheartened enough with the return of the Dragons, and if they knew this "legendary dragon-slayer" was really just some scrawny Breton ex-mage it would only dishearten them further, so he feels like it's better to let everyone assume the Dragonborn is some strong and fearsome Nord warrior or something of that nature. At least until he feels as though he can live up to the title.

He also hides his past as a mage from them because he gets the sense that the Companions would like, instantly stop respecting him if they knew. He does feel very bad about keeping so many secrets from them though, seeing as they all talk a big game about how they "don't deal in secrets like thieves and mages do"

Anyway things with the Companions go surprisingly well! His fighting skills improve significantly and he actually starts to form an unlikely friendship with Farkas. a bit of an "opposites attract" type thing. Farkas sees that Elbryn has a lot of potential but lacks confidence, so he sorta decided to take him under his wing. (Vilkas is a bit less fond of Elbryn though. not that he really dislikes him or anything, but he catches on that he's hiding something and doesn't quite trust it)

anyway if you know how the Companions questline goes you know that they take you into the Underforge with the intention of turning you into a werewolf alarmingly fast. Elbryn was still willing to work with them upon learning they were werewolves, but becoming one himself? no no no no nope. He basically tells them "yeah uhh I'll need to think about it", goes to his room, packs his stuff and sneaks off that very same night without saying a word to anyone. In hindsight he feels bad about that. Kinda wishes he had left Farkas a note or something, but he was scared and in a hurry. Oh well, nothing to be done about it now...

now I know they weren't going to force him to become a werewolf or anything, but Elbryn didn't know that. I mean they said they weren't going to force him but they also said the Companions don't deal in secrets, yet here they are doing this under Kodlak's nose in the dead of night! he has no idea what to think or expect or who he could even talk to and these guys have teeth. so he just runs.

north specifically. Not for any particular reason, he just had to pick a direction and it happened to be north. Wanders around for a bit, unsure of were to go now that his only source of martial training fell through.

Eventually comes across Frostflow Lighthouse (REAL downer of a dungeon that one) Now the thing about Frostflow is that near the end you drop down a cliff, and the only way back out is through the final boss. the giant Chaurus Reaper. So he's cornered down there, alone, with a foe he is woefully unprepared to fight. (In game it kept two-shotting me lmao, but I decided to make a story thing out of it!)

So in desperation he decides to use his magic. Not a lot mind you, maybe just to heal himself or create a flash to stun it so he could get away, but whatever it was he intended to do with it hardly matters, because that's not what ended up happening.

See, as it turns out, when you're naturally gifted with high amounts of magic, trying to suppress it for long periods of time like what Elbryn did basically turns you into a magic bomb. So the moment he tried to tap into his magika reserves, it was like a dam burst open. Everything in the cavern was engulfed in a storm of pure untamed magical energy, swirling and burning and tearing until nothing was left of the Chaurus but some strips of charred flesh and chitin

Elbryn immediately passes out, wakes up an indeterminate amount of time later dazed and utterly horrified at the carnage he left behind. I mean sure, it worked out in his favor this time, he was surrounded by foes and going scorched earth was really the only option, but if someone else had been with him? if something like that were to happen when he was with a friend or trying to protect or rescue someone... He looks back at the charred bits of Chaurus strewn about.

yeah, just suppressing his magic ain't gonna cut it, he needs to learn how to control it or else. There's a college in Winterhold right? that's where he has to go then. So he sets out east over the ice fields and hopes he can make it there before getting hopelessly lost and dying.

(ok I had a lot more to say but this was getting LONG I'll have to make another post later lol. sorry, Elbryn decided he wanted to have a story so I guess there's a story now)

[a-lonely-dunedain]

home sweet home <3

[a-lonely-dunedain]

I'm going to get Elbryn a unicorn bc he deserves it

[a-lonely-dunedain]

Jarl Korir: *hates mages, hate magic, hates the college, stubs his toe and blames a wizard for it* also Jarl Korir, speaking to the new Arch-Mage: yeah you can totally be a Thane if ya want, here's a cool new sword. you're my bestie now. *turning back to his wife* Now where was I... oh yeah, I can't believe we still have a wizard staying in the local inn! it's outrageous!

[a-lonely-dunedain]

"just read the book" he says "what's the worst that could happen" he says, J'zargo we are in Apocrypha now

[a-lonely-dunedain]

Elbryn found a pet rabbit named Thistle and RED ALERT SHE'S THE CUTEST GOSH DANG THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD

SHE LOAFS. I CAN'T. I'M GONNA DIE OF CUTENESS.

[a-lonely-dunedain]

ALSO when Elbryn inevitably joins the collage of Winterhold (bc I always do in my playthroughs) he's going to be besties with J'zargo <3 I just feel like they would have a fun dynamic. Mage who's so scared of magic he can hardly use it meets mage who is so so overconfident about magic that he almost blows both of them up on multiple occasions. they're gonna be so silly together

[a-lonely-dunedain]

most NPCs in Skyrim either say "By the Nine" or "By the Eight" depending on how much they like to kiss the Thalmor's ass, but Elbryn has taken to just saying "by the Divines" because he knows it's the only option that won't piss someone off

[a-lonely-dunedain]

basically Elbryn after Frostflow Lighthouse

[a-lonely-dunedain]

Elbryn decided he wanted to adopt an orphan but Boy you Do Not Have A House

[a-lonely-dunedain]

gotta say the diseases in Skyrim don't mess around. I just talked to Onmund and he was like "you ok? you don't look so good..." and I was like "ok let's see what's wrong with Elbryn this time" and he has something called "bone break fever". the heck is that. like a fever that breaks your bones?? yeah Onmund I think that might've been an understatement someone get this man to a hospital

[a-lonely-dunedain]

Update: Elbryn is now the Archmage of the college he just joined like. last week. to be fair like everyone else in line for the position died but. But. Tolfdir is still around and kicking, what about him huh?

I use the Immersive College of Winterhold mod that would allow me to transfer leadership to Tolfdir until I felt ready for it, but uhhh my game crashes every time I try to tell him to take over. game really said "NO. Elbryn gets responsibility NOW."

Anyway J'zargo is very excited about this development

[a-lonely-dunedain]

I love playing a Breton. look how short he is next to the other mages I'm gonna lose it. he's literally just a little guy. Yes everyone that's the Dragonborn right there you can use him as an armrest

anyway I think Elbryn likes it in the collage but being in the center of this whole eye conspiracy is making him a bit tense. I like the Psijic Order tho, they're being very reassuring! sorta. it's like "hey if you don't act on this the world might be in danger and it's all on you to fix it. but we believe in you! you can do it! go team Elbryn! :D" so he's under a lot of pressure but isn't having a totally awful time

[a-lonely-dunedain]

Also Elbryn joined the Companions for a bit in the hopes of honing his abysmal sword skills. Went well for a bit, he even managed to keep his status as a mage hidden (because goodness knows they would never respect him if they knew about it). Then the werewolf thing became apparent, and he was like, "ok not thrilled about this" but still willing to work with them, until like three missions into his time with them they take him in secret to the under-forge and try to talk him into becoming a werewolf 😭 like, fellas, he JUST met you-

He was like "uhhh yeah I'll need to think about it" then snuck out in the middle of the night with NO intention of returning. I think it's time for him to head on up to Winterhold soon