#oc: arthano

[skyrim-forever]

Achieving new levels of insane guys, I keep looking up geese/swan hybrids aka A SWOOSE and being like "omg that's Theodora x Ondolemar and their children"

It's literally them guys!!!

This is literally Arthano I am deranged

[the-elder-polls]

omg hi :) love your polls <3 im here to lore dump about my ocs!

My main Dragonborn is Theodora Viticius (her father picked that name out of a book as he did not know his own father, technically has no history). She was born off the coast in Senachal as her parents were pirates at the time, but grew up in Anvil. In my headcanons after the war Anvil kind of became a company town, the East Empire Company stepped in to try to rebuild but at the cost of people's freedoms.

After her father dies she heads to the Imperial City and joins the arena as a way to make money, most of her father's wealth is tied up and she can't access it right away. She ends up becoming quasi-famous and is up for the Grand Champion title before she realizes she doesn't like the fame and leaves Cyrodiil to go find her aunt in Hammerfell.

Along the way of course, getting captured by the Legion, you know the rest :P Initially she ran from being Dragonborn; headed to Riften planning to leave for Morrowind when she ends up joining the thieves Guild. Eventually destiny knocks and she tries the whole hero thing.

After defeating Miraak (and her man Ondoelmar faking his death to leave the Dominion), she ends up back in Cyrodiil, just outside the city with 3 kids.

Arthano the oldest grows up to be Grand Champion, before becoming a hired mercenary, traveling through Skyrim and High Rock. Choosing to settle down in Falkreath with an old childhood friend.

Ricardo ends up becoming a Moth Priest and dedicating his life to the study of Elder Scrolls. A strong advocate for knowledge he eventually leads seminars and becomes a prominent scholar.

Ceridwen originally went to study the school of Illusion in the Summerset Isles, but left for the College of Winterhold and became fascinated with Conjuration. She becomes a Telvanni Master Wizard after marrying a Telvanni she met at the college. she ends up surpassing him in skill quite early on.

Sorry this is so long!

hi!! glad to hear you're enjoying the blog! i enjoy yours too, i've been following you for quite a bit!

they all sound so cool!! i love her story, esp the bits about her family and her stint with fame. also that's the first time i've seen anyone have a moth priest oc!! also ondoelmar is such a valid choice i love him

no apologies necessary for it being long, i love hearing from y'all

[lumilasi]

So now that I felt like I'm FINALLY happy with my Telepaths oc set, I decided I'd finally try to get back to my OG ones and work on them too. Their story is more inspired by general fantasy themes/more around-the-world mythology, so there won't be that many Japanese names/Japanese yokai inspired characters like my other "Telepaths" set. (That one's basically a "fake manga" lol)

I'm starting with someone who honestly would be in my top ten, I just couldn't put him on the list in that Meet the Artist thing, cuz his design was out of date lol

I wanted to put as much of the info as I could on the images themselves, but in case you can't read the texts, I've included them below + some extra info:

Shaell Amaros/The Shadow King: Former ruler/Deity of Arthanos

Human Disguises:

Amaros typically appears to people in human form, usually that of his child or teen self. His voice still tends to have the echo from his adult form, especially if he’s in his teenager Deity form. He has more access to his powers in teenager form, but the child form is safer as it completely hides his presence, and makes sure he doesn’t accidentally overwhelm more magic/spirit sensitive people with his powerful aura. He’s much shorter even in teenager form, only about 160 cm tall, when his adult size is around 190 cm.

Basics:

Age: ~800, he was 31 when ascending

Family: Descendants Azul & Reuben Samaros

Love interest: An astral spirit (light element spirit) called Helias (it’s complicated…..)

Being type: Former human, An ascended Deity.

(ascended Deities are humans who become Deities of something, typically like a Guardian Spirit for a place or a region, like Amaros is/ was. Their powers tend to vary depending on the way they ascend/ their reasoning & personality)

Abilities:

Summoning his Lost Soul Demons, shapeshifting, traversing between the different dimensions of their world, shadow/dark flame magic, ability to create his crystals that can trap/damage people’s minds and souls, or form weapons. telepathy. Granting his magic power to those who can handle it.

Personality summary:

Amaros is very no-nonsense, serious type of person, who doesn’t much care for pointless chit-chat. He’s very intelligent and cunning, willing to bend the rules to do what he believes he has to, sometimes at the expense of others. While he can be sinister, Amaros is capable of genuinely caring for people, and tends to express this more through action than his words.

Role Summary:

Amaros is the mentoring figure of his descendant, a young mage Azul Samaros, whom he has tasked with undoing the failed repeat of his ascension ritual. This failure resulted in all the citizens of Arthanos having their souls trapped in crystalline form, littering the ruins of the kingdom currently.

The person responsible didn't understand what they were doing fully, due to all the knowledge of this forbidden act having been scrubbed from their history books: this was done by a traitorous family who dethroned the Amaros bloodline, and trapped Amaros himself for over a century, declaring any worship of the "Shadow king" heresy.

While still bitter and angry towards the traitors, Amaros takes his role as the Guardian Deity of his kingdom very seriously, and genuinely wants to undo the harm done by the ignorance of others. He's also fond of his descendants, who are the only people he allows to talk back to him, and even use his first name rather than just calling him "Amaros."

INFO THAT DIDN'T FIT IN THE PICTURES:

Amaros is basically one of the central characters of this character set, the main mentoring figure for the protagonist Azul.

He doesn't really mentor Reuben, because Reuben's powers are very different and he can't channel Amaros' powers at all. Amaros still cares about him though, he's one of his children after all.

The surname of the protagonist siblings comes from Amaros' name; his descendants who managed to escape the kingdom still wanted to keep their trapped Deity's memory alive, but could no longer recall his full name, only that his first name started with an S. They therefore added the letter at the beginning of their surname.

his family crest is the purple star, and his dimension's sky is purplish starry sky.

Amaros had a few concubines to produce a heir (common tradition for the ruler in Arthanos) and while he never had any romantic feelings towards any of them due to his preferences, he treated them all well and they typically served a bigger purpose than just being a mother; advisors, Grand Priestess, Chief healer, etc. He tended to take their opinion into consideration if the topic at hand touched their area of expertise.

The woman whose bloodline eventually lead to the birth of Azul and Reuben was a Scholar, specializing in studying ancient magic. She was the one in fact who discovered the Ascension Ritual and told him about it. (She was actually against doing it once she realized the sacrifice it required, not to mention the fact he deceived someone she could tell he had genuine feelings for.)

The Lost Soul demons are Arthanosian warriors, who ended up losing themselves to their powers, becoming demonic beasts. (When he was sealed away, pretty much everyone who had this channeling power lost their minds, no matter what state they were in at the time)

Amaros always warned anyone wanting this special channeling power, and did not hand this out lightly. Any soul who ended up losing control was banished into his realm, though they could be summoned back either by Amaros himself, or someone strong enough/someone who had a personal connection with the transformed soul.

The thing with Helias is "complicated" because he essentially tricker Helias into helping him with his ascension ritual, something Helias might've not done had he known it required the sacrifice of a lot of the citizen's souls as well, not just a bit of his blood he gave to Shaell.

These two still have lingering attraction/feelings towards one another, with Amaros even saving Helias from certain death after he was freed from his prison. (He did ask/demand them to take Azul and Reuben in in exchange, as the kids had lost their former home and needed a safe place to live/place for Azul specifically to grow his power and abilities for his needs)

Azul's personality is very similar to his ancestor, although he is fundamentally a kinder person. Still, this similarity allows him to use and resist Amaros' magic far better than anyone before him, which is why Amaros tasked him with fixing the mess with the failed ritual.

Amaros is polite towards the siblings' adoptive parents, although does not care about them much. He only really sometimes protects them because the brothers ask him to. They're just helpful tools for his goal, though he is pleased to see his descendants having a loving, supportive family around them.

Azul sometimes calls him "Grandpa Shaell" if he's extremely annoyed with him. Azul (and Reuben though he never does this) are the only ones who can get away with this without being punished.

While quite a devious person with lower levels of empathy, Amaros did genuinely care for his citizens, and did not make the choice to perform the ritual with light reasoning. In his mind the situation was desperate enough to warrant it. (There was a war going on that Arthanos was at the verge of losing, and a mystery curse based disease released among the citizens they struggled to combat)

As a Deity, he gained the nickname "Shadow King" because typically he discussed and advised his descendants and was more of the true ruler rather than the current generation of his mortal brethren. He was also the one who typically chose who got to be the ruler next, as well as punished those who betrayed their people in some way.

He tends to come off kinder in his child form, and he's chattier as a teenager. This reflects to how he actually was as a human, and the main reason Amaros is so cold and calculative nowadays was due to his harsh upbringing.

The extra piece of cloth on his hood is a veil that the rulers of Arthanos used to cover their faces when interacting with common folk. Amaros is not wearing it properly though, given he always found this tradition pointless. (He was the first king to let citizens see his face, and after his ascension this tradition died out, up until the dethroning of his bloodline; the new rulers brought the tradition back)

Amaros can still appear in adult human form too, but he does that extremely rarely, given keeping his power at bay in that form is much harder.

He's not evil per say, just a little bit sus

There was a survivor of the failed ritual, who also happened to be the prince of the current royal family. Azul ends up meeting this man years later, and the prince agrees to help them in their quest to fix things. Amaros is initially hostile towards him, but eventually let's it go, noting the young man's a worthy leader and genuinely wants to help.

[tezabelmondmusic]

Ancient houses, acrylic paints, and noble pursuits. Just a little something I threw together for fun based on an OC of mine!

[skyrim-forever]

I bring you not one, but two!!! Yes two!!! Chapters because I've been consumed by thoughts of how Theodora and Ondolemar would navigate a life together and decided to try writing it <3

MDNI: First chapter has smut because they get married of course they fuckin, it's them.

[skyrim-forever]

The Viticius Kids

Finally making a post about Theodora and Ondolemar's children <3

Eldest: Arthano Viticius, born 4E 208 Arthano features in this fic and he was born during the events of the Dragonborn questline. Appearance wise he looks nearly identical to his father, except he dark hair which he shaves and brown eyes. He has a lot of energy, gets into shit, but is a very protective older brother. As the eldest, Arthano is privy to the most information about what's going on politically around him from his parents. Theodora trains him in swordfighting once they decide he's old enough and eventually he pursues his dream of being Champion of the Arena. His weapon of choice by the time he is an adult is a bound battleaxe. Later on in life he becomes a mercenary, travelling throughout Tamriel, not unlike a certain Uncle Teldryn :P He can be brash and is very outgoing, which causes him to clash especially with his brother as they have very different approaches to life. He has Theodora's desire for freedom and prioritizes that above most everything, save for his family. He's particularly close with his mom, big mama's boy <3

Middle: Ricardo Viticius, born 4E 211

Ricardo is the middle child. From a young age he takes an interest in history, particularity the history of Cyrodiil. He grows up to be a renowned scholar and eventually becomes a moth priest as his desire for knowledge grows. Ricardo is a pacifist, due to not only learning how wars have shaped Tamriel's history; but also the role different miltaries have played in his family life. He shuns the idea of violence as a fact of life and advocates for peaceful discussion. Him and Arthano can be at odds with each other and sometimes he feels very different from the rest of his family. Moving away from home is good for him and it allows him to develop a better relationship with his brother, where they sort of agree to disagree on each other's respective views. He frequently gets confused for being a Breton, especially when he is visiting somewhere to give a talk. Often he'll be asked "So where is your family from in High Rock?" and he has to say he's actually Imperial/Altmer, but he has Theodora's skin tone and pointed ears he understands the confusion but the assumptions get annoying fast. Ricardo is closer with his father as they both have an interest in history. He is named after his maternal grandfather, although they couldn't be more different.

Youngest: Ceridwen Viticius, born 4E 213

Ceridwen is a curious child who, like her brother Ricardo is interested in knowledge, but like her eldest brother;, she is interesting in fighting. She eventually chooses to study at the College of Winterhold because she wants to travel Skyrim like her mom did; despite her parents protests saying that "Winterhold is miserable" and her father trying to bargain with her to go literally anywhere else. She is persistent though and eventually they agree. Originally she though she was interested in Alteration, but once she starts learning Destruction it's over. She focuses on storm magic. She meets a Telvanni while in Winterhold and eventually they get married and she joins the House. Becoming a Master Wizard and surpassing them. She has the gold Altmer skin, Theodora's dark hair, and she's the only one of the three kids who doesn't have the pointed elf ears. Cerdiwen benefits from being the youngest in that she gets the most time with parents, she is unofficially her father's favourite as he wanted a daughter <3 She was named after her paternal grandmother.

[skyrim-forever]

Ralos Venim is about to meet his girlfriend Ceridwen Viticius's family for the first time. He knows her brothers are quite the characters, but she has been vague about her parents…

A fic about my blorbos 25 years down the road :P Just a fun time all around, chapter 2 is like 1/3-1/2 done :) Though I may be distracted by something else so if you see me post something new before the next chapter shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[skyrim-forever]

MDNI: A cute and fun ;) chapter before I send Theo away for 2 months poor girl is gonna find something out while apart from him again

Summary: Through their efforts, the alliance between the Summerset Isle and Valenwood has been broken; leading to Dominion agents slowly being pulled back. Though, Theodora will be needed in Valenwood to aid in restablization efforts.

[skyrim-forever]

For dearest Theodora:

13, 17, 20! I hope these haven’t been asked already...👀

13) Does your OC have a rival? How did it start?

I don't think Theodora has a rival, she's been mostly focused on doing her own thing in life so competing with others doesn't happen. She also has some self-esteem issues, mostly centred around what she views as her "lot" in life. She had a brief 'relationship' with a married man but never though she was competing with his wife because, she's not the kind of girl you marry! (allegedly :P)

17) If your OC has kids, are they a good parent? Do they ever feel guilty if they have to leave them?

Theodora does have kids! Three, two boys and a girl with Ondolemar <3 I think she is a good parent, she tries to parent like her father did. Despite his reputation, Ricardo was a very involved father and treated her with respect. She knows as the kids grow up their gonna have lots of questions, especially about their parents. So she operates under the belief that if they are old enough to ask, they are old enough to be given an answer. A good example would be her eldest, Arthano, being told his born on Solstheim and not in the Imperial City. He asks why, so Theodora and Ondolemar give him an age-appropriate answer. Someday they over hear someone call their mom Dragonborn and are like "what does that mean?" and they get an answer, followed by more questions. Her father raised her like that. She treats them as people, they are her children who she loves deeply, but still people with their own thoughts and ideas.

After Theodora and Ondolemar can be together full time (written here), she feels guilty leaving the kids with anyone other than them and Aunt Phy <3 When Arthano was born she had to deal with Miraak and had no choice but to leave him with babysitters. Once they move to the Imperial City and she busy with government work, she just brings the kids to meetings. They kids get friends so sometimes they hang out with their friends, Aunt Phy, or they join their father. Eventually the kids do move out and go figure themselves out in the world and its a bit hard, but she trusts she's done a good job and they will come back to visit. They do :)

20) If they fight, what's their weapon of choice?

I answered this previously but can't find it so have it again <3 Theodora uses dual dwarven swords, a gift from her Uncle Elo who taught her how to fight. Her father was a bladebinder but when she was absolutely hopeless with magic, Uncle Elo stepped in.

[skyrim-forever]

Day 8: Free Day

A/N: WE DID IT LADS, THEY (ME) SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE BUT! Here is day 8, the happy ending I so desperately wanted Theodora to have. Warnings: Slightly suggestive towards the end so minors begone! May have went insane and this is 3k words and includes a timeskip, oopsies. Tagging: @tes-summer-fest

Did it have to be Morrowind? Ondoelmar thought as the Northern Maiden followed the course to Solstheim. Anywhere in Tamriel and she chose Morrowind? Sky darkened with ash, he could see the Red Mountain in the distance, growing closer as the ship approached the island. Being in between Vvardenfell and Windhelm was quite possibly the last place he wanted to be. Or it would have been, had love not apparently made him a madman. 

Upon arriving at her property, Lakeview Manor, he only recalled after he was met by her steward and his wife. Theodora had mentioned them before, he had visited the property once whilst the staff were away. The Bosmer steward, who he would relearn was named Faendal, was apprehensive to help him at all. He both cursed the mer for making the task that much more difficult and was thankful that Theodora had people supporting her; even if it made his own life harder in that moment. 

It was his wife, an Imperial named Camilla that aided him, hearing the ruckus at the door caused her to approach. When he said he was looking for Theodora, she asked for his name. Using an alias would do him no favours. 

“Ondolemar” he said plainly. And to his joy, she knew who he was. 

“Faendal it’s okay, he means Theodora and us no harm.” Camilla turns away from the steward, she addresses him with a warm smile. 

“Come in, you look worse for wear.” Not only did they provide him with the information he was seeking, that Theodora had left for due to some threat on the island of Solstheim, but they also fed him and let him stay the night. Although he wondered what in Morrowind would require her to solve it, he felt the best he had in weeks knowing where she was. 

“You can take Theodora’s room.” Camilla had told him when they finished eating, they had had stag. A meal he was certainly not accustomed to but one doesn’t turn away hospitality. Besides, he figured he’d bruise the Bosmer’s ego by turning his nose up at his catch. “It’s up the stairs there” she said pointing to the stairs behind him, on the left side of the house “right down the hall.” The room had been the same as when he last saw it a few months ago, he had previously gathered that she didn’t stay in one place for long. There were some papers discarded off to the side, bounties for various bandits in various holds; her father’s wanted poster still hung by the door. Ricardo Viticius, it said. He remembered how Theodora lit up when he asked about it, more than happy to talk about her wonderful, albeit criminal, father. 

That had been several days ago, thanking them and taking the information, he made his way dreadfully to Windhelm and managed to get passage to the island. 

“Land ho” one of the sailors calls out and the ash rock comes into view. Ash rock as that’s exactly what it is, he can’t bring himself to call it an island. Though by Dunmer standards it certainly was. The air is thick, something he made note of as they got closer. Though Skyrim was cold, cruel, and wretched in many ways, it had very crisp air. Something he sorely missed. 

As he gathers his things to leave the boat he is approached by a well-dressed Dunmer.

“I don't recognize you, so I'll assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock, outlander. State your intentions.” He says. 

“I’m looking for a Theodora Viticius.” This causes the Dunmer to look him up and down, almost hesitantly, as though he already knows something about him. Luckily, his demeanor soon softens. 

“Follow me, she has taken up residence in town.” Ondolemar follows, as he leads him off the dock and into the town. Raven Rock he recounts him saying. He’s never felt this out of place, there’s nary anyone around who is not Dunmer, and those that are look equally as unfriendly. For the hundredth time today he wonders what business she could possibly have in a place like this. Stopping by an outdoor market, his guide speaks again. “She lives in that house over there” gesturing to a large building at the edge of town. 

“Thank you” He doesn’t respond to his thanks. 

“I am Second Councilor Arano and I’ll be watching you closely outlander. It would do you well to remember that Raven Rock is sovereign territory of House Redoran. This is Morrowind, not Skyrim. While you're here you will be expected to abide by our laws.”

“Understood.” He nods at him and Ondolemar walks towards the property. He doesn’t get far before he sees her, chopping wood off to the side and it stops him in his tracks. It is in this moment that it dawns on him he never considered what he would do when he found her. A part of him wonders if she would even recognize him out of uniform, another worries that she had moved on from their time together. Nerves begin to overtake him, he cannot even walk closer lest his worries prove right. Perhaps by divine intervention, she turns to look right where he is standing. 

“Ondolemar” His worries are forgotten as she runs towards him, tossing the axe to the side. Arms open as she rushes into them, pulling her head into his chest. 

“Theodora”. It’s all he can say while he’s so deeply thankful to feel her again. The wholest he has felt since she was gone. Words stammer out of her mouth, he’s never known her to be at a loss for words. 

“I, um, I didn’t leave, um, Elenwen, she-” He cuts her off, tilting her chin to look at him. 

“It’s okay, I know, I know.” A smile beams on her face amidst the tears that have begun to fall. 

“I’m so happy to see you. I’m so sorry, I should have left a note or something.”

“Shhhhh, it’s okay. I understand darling. You did nothing wrong.” 

“Why are you here?” Theodora adds on before he can answer. “Not that I’m not thrilled, I am. Believe me I am, but does anyone know you’re here? Won’t you get in trouble?”

“I’ll explain later, but no. No more hiding, no more soldiers, no more duties. I’m here to stay.” He places a kiss on her lips, one she deepens by pulling him closer, arms wrapped around his neck. Breaking it he says “if you’ll have me of course.”

“Of course! Of course I will!” Another kiss, this one for ages, slowly as to savour it, as though she’s not yet convinced it’s real. As though she might lose him again. 

It is mid-kiss that they are interrupted. Not by an enemy, or a creature, or even one of the citizens of Raven Rock; but by the sound of a baby crying. Ondolemar gives her a confused look, his mind already in a whirlwind at having found her and her still wanting him. She returns his look with a smile, a full genuine smile. One he remembers missing so much. “Shhhhh, come here.” He leads her to a table by the property, on it a small basket where the noise seems to be coming from. A child? He watches her reach inside of it and turn around holding a baby in her arms. A small child with golden skin and pointed ears. His child.

“Oh yes my son, your naptime is up, that's right.” She rocks him softly side to side, that smile still on her face, even brighter now. If that was even possible. Theodora walks over to him, instantly his hands open. “Arthano, meet your father.”

Father. A word that changes you and in that moment it did. His months of confusion are washing away into a new clarity now. She places him, Arthano, his son, in his arms. 

“Arthano” he says quietly, “that’s a good name.” Theodora wraps an arm around him and uses the other to touch the baby. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

“How old is he?”

“Six months.” Six months? For six months he had been alive and Ondolemar had not known of him. And even longer still had he existed, the whole time he had missed her he had not known of him. And it is that moment in which the former soldier, Thalmor, an example of everything the Altmeri Dominion promotes, cries. 

As though she can read his thoughts or sense his worries, she comforts him. 

“It’s okay love, it’s okay. You’re here now. And that’s what matters.” A sniffle comes from him. Gods I’m such a wreck. Though she is right, had he not come he could have been robbed of a whole lifetime. Regaining some composure he smiles. 

“He’s beautiful, truly beautiful.”

“He is. I dreamed about him, he came to me in a dream when I first found out. Looked just as he does now.”

“Was it hard? Did you have help? Were you safe?” The questions leave his mouth frantically, he hopes she didn’t suffer. I don’t know what I’d do if she did.

“It was painful, certainly painful. Yet, all the pain washed away when I got to see him. I had him in a village northeast of here. I had help, don't worry.” A sigh of relief leaves him, much louder than he expected as she laughs at him. 

“You’ve already got the parental worrying down.” her chuckles as well. Old worries replaced with new ones. 

“What do we do?”

“I think what we can. We do our best and hope it’s enough.”

“Oh Gods, I’m scared.”

“I’m scared too. But he’s been okay so far.” Theodora’s gaze goes up to meet his, causing him to tear his eyes away from their son for a moment. “And now he’s got you, we have you.” Their lips meet for another kiss, it’s a new feeling. One of beginnings after so long of living like it is the end. 

“You do.”

12 Years Later

She gave the goblets a dry before putting them back into the cabinet. The meeting with Dignitaries from the Summerset Isle had gone well, better than Theodora had hoped for honestly. Their plan for overthrowing the Dominion government in order to establish a representative council was moving along. Through funding resistance measures and counter-intelligence, the group had taken the entire Western half and had cut off-trade routes to Alinor. In part thanks to her prior connections to the Empire, she was able to establish a branch of the Imperial Legion to support them, overseen by her. There were challenges of course, many of those soldiers had relatives who fought in the Great War. Training them to not seek revenge had been difficult, luckily it seemed people on all sides were sensitive to the issue. With her husband’s decades of experience with the Thalmor they were able to gain a significant advantage due to the insider knowledge. 

As the last of the goblets are put away, the Altmer were going to drink her out of house and home one of these days, she feels arms wrap around her midsection. 

“Finally the day is done darling.” Ondolemar placed a kiss on her head.

“And what a long day it was. The children are asleep?” 

“Yes. Arthano is easy, a simple ‘Night Dad’ and he’s good. Although he’s been sleeping with that dagger next to his bed, says he’s prepared incase of an attack.” Theodora rolled her eyes, she nearly didn’t let Teldryn give him that dagger last time they visited because she knew this is how he would be.

“What attack? What is he worried about happening?”

“I don’t think it's a worry love, I think he’s hoping to get a chance to use it.” Ondolemar lightly laughs “The boy is already behaving like a hardened warrior, I wonder where he gets that from?.” Another kiss is placed on her head as she leans into him, enjoying the comfort he brings.

“Perhaps.” A wide smile appears on her face. Arthano was like her, maybe a bit too much at times. Especially now that he is getting older, he’d be 13 in a few months time. Theodora wondered where the time had gone. “How are Ricardo and Ceridwen?” Ondolemar turns her around to face him.

“Ricardo wanted help picking out a book. So I took him into the study, and he discovered the Dwemer collection.” 

“He’s done with the military history books already?” She smirks at him. 

“Apparently so. He said he wasn’t really into war history.”

“I can’t say I’m upset to hear that.”

“Me neither.” Ondolemar clasps her hand and they begin walking to their room. The children’s rooms were on the second floor with the study and balcony. Their room was off to the side of the courtyard, offering a bit of privacy. At least as private as you can get with three children.  “We found two for him, hopefully they will keep him busy for a bit, Chronicles of Nchuleft and I convinced him to try some fiction with Chimarvamidium.” 

“Ah, two books? So he’ll be up half the night and then be surprised when he is exhausted tomorrow?” She laughs at him, a little snort coming out of her. 

They both begin getting ready for the night, changing out of the formal clothing and into comfortable robes. Theodora sits at her vanity, taking pins out of her head and freeing her ears from the heavy jewelry. 

“Ceridwen took a bit longer. She has created a whole set up with her dolls, paperweights, anything she can get her hands on actually. She insisted we play with them before bed.” He sits on the edge of the bed, looking at his wife. He thought she looked her best at the end of a day, something Theodora would vehemently oppose. Perhaps he liked her best at these times because they would be free from obligations until the coming morning. 

“Ah, make that two tired children.”

“I’ll confess I can’t say no to her.”

“What was the story tonight?”

“Well, she assigned us all respective dolls. For some reason I am a Minator, trying not to be offended by that.” Hair finished, she goes to join him on the bed, sitting up behind him and rubbing his shoulders. 

“Did she at least give you an explanation?”

“Well the Minator is the tallest, so obviously it’s me.” 

“Oh obviously.” Her hands stop as she gives him a small kiss on the neck. “Who am I?”

“You are a small dragon carving. I think she took it from Arthano’s room.”

“Well that’s fitting. And the boys?” Ondolemar sighs lightly, shaking his head. 

“The poor boys are rocks she found outside.” This time a loud snort laugh erupts from Theodora. 

“Oh that’s too good, for someone so cute she sure is something else.”

“I think it makes her even cuter.” Ceridwen was the baby of the family. Having a daughter had been really healing for her, she got to recreate all the things she had wanted to do with her own mother. They were very blessed by all the kids, they all had such strong and vibrant personalities. Switching positions, Theodora now laid back on their bed looking at her husband. It still felt unbelievable some days, they were married. Not only married but living outside the Imperial City, three kids, the whole domestic life. Although hectic in its own way, especially given their involvement in current politics, it was so much more peaceful than anything she had known before. 

It’s Ondolemar who breaks the calm silence. “The advances that have been made in the past month are quite promising. Regaining stability will be difficult but I see trips to Sunhold in our future.” Sunhold, the place of his youth. 

“That would be lovely, I want the children to see where you’re from. Vacations in Anvil are nice but I want them to have sufficient cultural exposure.”

“So do I. We have done good though. They all speak Altmeri, to various degrees, Ricardo in particular seems very interested in the culture.” Moving to the Imperial City had been strategic, it provided them with the opportunity to balance both of the family's cultures. The children were very happy to celebrate many festivals. “And besides, I've longed to take you there for many years.” He moves over her, a hand gently rubbing her side. 

“It sounds beautiful, from how you’ve described it. I can only imagine words pale in comparison to being there.”

“They do, we will have to take a trip there once, just you and I.”

“Is that so?” She pulls him down into a kiss, one that starts chaste and upon the second time they touch lips becomes hungry. Biting his bottom lip, earning her a groan from the Altmer. A hand finds its way under her robes and to her breast.

“Yes.” His voice is low, still full of the same desire for her as when they met. Although deepened by years of time together. Ondolemar’s fingers toy with her nipple and she begins taking him out of his robes, feverishly between kisses. 

Suddenly, there’s a loud crash from upstairs. Ondolemar lets out a long, tired sigh. 

“The children are blessings.” 

“That they are.”

“In moments like this I feel the need to remind myself of the fact.”

“Which one do you think it was?”

“It wasn’t Ricardo.”

“I’ll give Arthano the benefit of the doubt and say it was Ceridwen.” 

“Well then I’ll tell him his mother thought better of him.” He smirks, getting up and retying the robe. “You stay here, I’ll find out what happened.”

“Thank you love.” It’s true things were still unpredictable at times, the world was moving towards a better state but not yet there. Having three children who took after their parents in both the best and worst ways could be difficult. Figuring out what was best for their future, making sure they were eating right, had good social lives, learning; these were all difficult. But, as Theodora lay there, in their large room in their estate outside the Imperial City, the house that had allowed them to raise those three children; she was incredibly grateful that these were her difficulties. Such wonderful difficulties.

[skyrim-forever]

Day 7: Companion

A/N: Being brave and posting this before the final day is written, hoping it will motivate me to do it today. This one features Theodora adjusting to life in raven Rock, the threat of Miraak still looming, with a newfound friend. Enjoy! All of my tesfest pieces are up on ao3 under the name We Will Find a Way. Tagging: @tes-summer-fest

Though the threat of Miraak still loomed over Solstheim, Theodora had made good progress in Raven Rock. Upon arriving she intended to go after him right away but after her experience at his Temple she knew she wasn’t in a state to handle him now. Even if she hadn’t been pregnant at the time, discovering Miraak’s allegiances to Hermaous Mora had frightened her. Of all the Daedric Princes, Mora was the one she  wanted to interact with the least; it was one thing to outright be killed -going mad was an entirely different matter. But from the first day in Raven Rock she quickly learned the town was in dire straits. After having been attacked by Ash Spawn she took on the role of discovering their source, an Imperial Captain in Fort Frostmoth who long should have been dead. After this, she became more trusted by the people in town, eventually getting the ebony mine reopened and even stopping a plot of the First Councilor’s life. 

Though the people of Raven Rock were deeply wary of outsiders, Theodora had earned their trust, now residing in Severin Manor. Although, she couldn’t have done it alone. Frea of the Skaal had been very helpful during the latter months of her pregnancy, supplying herbs and even delivering Arthano when the time came. Whereas the people of Raven Rock could be guarded, the Skaal had been very welcoming, especially once she said she was there to defeat Miraak. Frea had already done so much for her and she promised she would more than make it up to her. 

But in truth, the biggest help had come from the mercenary, Teldryn Sero. Self-proclaimed best swordsman in Morrowind, he had more than lived up to it. Not long after arriving on Solstheim, Theodora became acquainted with the local tavern, a sujamma joint named the Retching Netch. Although she couldn’t drink due to her condition, she had spent a lifetime socializing in taverns and the little fact of being sober wasn’t going to change that. The owner Geldis Sadri had recommended him and the Dragonborn couldn’t be more thankful. He had acted as a guide, formidable spellsword, and had become somewhat of a friend. A constant companion as she fought dragon priests and ash spawn. 

“I have to say I am quite a fan of the work you’ve had for me recently.” Teldryn chuckled as their dwemer swords clashed. 

“What, you don’t miss the Nordic ruins?” Theodora threw back at him. He let a deep laugh, one that showed the years of ash damage he had taken. 

“As long as you're paying I’m game for it.” Ducking under her next blow he continues “but practicing sword forms does certainly carry less risk.” It had been a few months since she’d given birth, Arthano was already six months old, but now that she had had some time to recover she was ready to get back into training and regain her strength. I’ll need all the strength I can get. Thankfully, she had the best around as a sparring partner. A couple more swings until Theodora puts her hand up, panting. 

“Okay, I have to call it here for the day.” 

“You’re doing well, the muscle memory is still there.”

“I’m still too weak though, it’ll be a miracle if I am back to normal by the end of the year.”

“Do not worry, you’re Dragonborn aren’t you? Can’t you just shout him to death?” Theodora lets out a half-hearted chuckle. 

“So is Miraak.”

“Well, what does he have that you don’t?”

“I don’t know, just a dragon, a Daedric Prince backing him, and give or take 4000 years experience?” Teldryn lets out a long sigh. 

“The Daedra aren’t all they are cracked up to be, believe me.” He pauses for a moment. “You’ll get there, you’ve already improved a lot in the past few weeks.”

“Thanks.” Sheathing her swords, Theodora makes him an offer. “Do you want anything? Tea, food? I’ve got a couple of jars of sujamma. Geldis insisted on giving them to me and I can’t have them for at least a few more months.” 

“Well I suppose I could take one off your hands. How much time do you have?”

“Cindiri is looking after Arthano until dusk, so I could spare a couple of hours.” The Second  Councilor’s wife had been incredibly kind to her. They began meeting for tea when she was still expecting, confessing how she had always wanted children but unfortunately was unable to do so. So when Theodora mentioned needing someone to look after him, the woman happily offered. Theodra was thankful, not only because it gave her more time to train, but also meant she knew he was in good hands. 

Tossing a jar of sujamma at him, Theodora then takes a seat opposite him. It felt nice to sit down, not have any obligations for the next few hours. Arthano was a good baby, not that she had much experience, but he was sleeping mostly through the night now and had begun to crawl,not yet walking so mischief making was limited. He looked exactly as he did in her dream. A beautiful golden boy with dark eyes. Although she had to confess she was hoping he would look more like her, rather than the spitting image of his father. Being a mother had been even more tiring than anyone said it would be, but he was so sweet that she couldn’t imagine being without him at this point.

“Gods you look tired.” She side-eyes him. 

“Thanks Teldryn, ever the charmer you are.”

“The great warrior, brought down by motherhood.”

“I’d like to see you try to be the Hero of Tamriel and take care of a child.” Teldryn takes a large swig of the liquor.

“No thanks. The hero's life is far less glamorous than the songs would leave one to believe.” Changing the subject, Teldryn asks “I’ve noticed you have a very Dunmer fighting style, evident even before we started training. Who taught you how to use a sword?”

“My Uncle Elo, when I was young.” Theodora beams. 

“Your uncle was Dunmer?”

“Not my biological uncle, no. He was my father’s first mate and most loyal friend. He always brought me back gifts from their adventures, and taught me everything he knew about swordmanship.” She gestures to her swords now hung on the wall. “Those were a gift from him, I was 13. My father had been a bit apprehensive about giving them to me, until Elo reminded him that he’d been in jail at my age.” Teldryn laughs.  

“Sound slike quite the character. First mate? Are you from a family of sailors?”

“Pirates.”

“Fascinating. So where was this Elo from?” Her face scrunches a bit, trying to recap the memories. It had already been so long since he passed that details began slipping. She realized it had been a long while since she spoke about him. The last time she spoke of him was to Ond- don’t think about him. It’ll only hurt.

“Oh, somewhere near the border with Black Marsh, outside one of the major cities.”

“Tear?”

“Yes! That was it, Tear, I’ve got to remember that. He didn’t talk much about his upbringing, but I gathered none of it was good.” Teldryn gruff voice responses. 

“I’d reckon, a dastardly place. Controlled by House Dres, most of the population is slaves.”

“I knew Elo was a bastard of some Dres noble but wow.”

“My people can be beyond twisted. But then again, so can yours.”

“Believe me, the Empire will gain no sympathy from me.” 

“Don’t lie, didn’t you end the Civil War for the Empire?” Her eyes darted up to meet his, only finding the chitlin helmet he never took off. 

“I wasn’t given much of a choice but to side with the people who would have chopped my head off if not for that dragon attack.” Tedlryn lets out a roaring laughter.

“Of course they’d nearly kill the one person in Nirn who could save them. Anything to make the paperwork easier.” Now it is Theodora who laughs. “So what’s next after Miraak is taken care of, back to Skyrim?”

“I don’t know yet, I have several properties there.” Lakeview would be viable, secluded, lots of space. Faendal was a good steward and could be a good influence on her son; she knew him and Camilla wanted children so Arthano could have other kids to hang out with. She planned to hold on to Proudspire to keep it in the family but she wouldn’t feel comfortable in Solitude. Let alone at the family estate. I’ll want to sell Vlindrel Hall eventually. But that would mean going to Markarth. 

“Theodora” Teldryn says. 

“Oh sorry, my mind wanders.”

“I can tell.”

“But to answer your question, I don’t know yet. I’ve been leaning toward Cyrodiil, the Imperial City is big enough to get lost in. People from all over the continent are there so it would be good for the boy. I’ve given up on planning too far ahead, so much can happen in such a short time.”

“You sound old.” 

“Oh you’re terrible. I am old.”

“No you're not.”

“For a human I’m not as young as I once was. How old are you anyways?”

“Old enough to remember the Red Year.”

“Now you sound old.” They sit in silence for a few minutes, Teldryn polishing off the last of his sujamma. 

“You know, you don’t have to go. You’ve got property here, you’re quite well-liked and these people do not trust easily.”

“I’ve briefly thought about it, it is nice to be out of the Empire’s grasp. I just don’t know about raising Arthano alone here.”

“Well you’re not alone, Second Councilor Arano’s wife considers him a gem, I think you could go away for weeks and she’d be perfectly happy to watch him. And besides, as he gets older he’ll need to have someone to teach him magic.”

“You want to be Uncle Teldryn?”

“Why not? Well, once he’s older and can handle himself better. Besides, he’s half Altmer, magic is in his blood. It would be a shame to waste that potential. With the proper training we can prevent him from becoming a stuffy mage. ” Theodora softly smiles. Teldryn made a point, perhaps he could be to her son what Elo was for her.

“Thank you Teldryn, you can be quite kind when you want to be. I’ll think about it.”

“You’re welcome Boss.” 

[skyrim-forever]

4. for Theo and 13. for the kids

Thank you so much!

4. Regardless if something happened or not, which Aedra or Daedra would hate them the most, and why?

As a whole Theodora avoids anything Aedra/Daedra related, she grew up pretty non-religious. Her father was very "religion is how they control you" he encouraged her to "work with, never worship". She grew up around her Uncle Elo and his faith in the Three; as well as her best friend's faith in Y'ffre. So I'm going to cheat here and discuss a God(????) that does not like her.

But when she is an adult she's interested in learning about the Divines since those are supposedly her people's gods. She is particularly interested in what's the deal with Talos? Looking for facts is a bit difficult but it's when she learns of his connection to Queen Barenziah things take a turn. Reading the Real Barenziah and learning about how he behaved and did certain things against her will makes her disgusted. She thinks whether or not he is a god doesn't matter, either way he shouldn't be worshipped because of his actions in life. Do to her upbringing she doesn't have a lot of respect for the Empire and the fact it's founder is him, makes this worse. She begins to hate him more once she receives her own destiny as Dragonborn because people try to draw comparisons between them, especially the Legion who wants their symbol.

Long af answer but as Theodora doesn't like Talos, he does not like her. Even well before the whole Ondolemar thing :P

13. What’s their hobbies? 

Arthano: He is a bit of brash warrior-type, enjoys drinking, fighting, he's quite the dancer :P but also has a calmer side. He takes up mercenary work after retiring from being Grand Champion of the Arena, mostly treasure hunting for wealthy people. He enjoys learning about history and diving through Dwemer ruins/Ayelid ruins etc. Likes learning, just not a books guy :)

Ricardo: He is a books guy. Ricardo loves a good dense book, he is studying Elders Scrolls and the Dwemer in Collage; but for fun he enjoys reading fiction books from across Tamriel and more Dwemer history in general. Also likes tea, watching the birds, very grandpa activies because he is an old man/mer at heart <3

Ceridwen: Ceri loves adventure first and foremost, she enjoys seeing new places. Whether that be a new land or just a new tavern, she enjoys adventuring. She has a goal of going to every nation in Tamriel, and by 20 she's hit Cyrodiil, Summerset, and Skyrim. She also enjoys alchemy which she learned from her mom (wanted a way to heal but finds Restoration boring), and romance novels <3

[skyrim-forever]

How's Ondolemar gonna handle it when Theodora dies of old age?

First, I'll start with their ages. Theodora was born 4E 177, making her 24 at the start of Skyrim and she meets Ondolemar in 4E 204 at 27. They get married when she's 32.

I don't have an exact age for Ondolemar. I have him born after the Thalmor took power (4E 42) becuase I think it works best for his character to only know a world with the Dominion. So this means at most he's 162 when he meets Theo. I think I like around 150 so we'll go with that.

I headcanon that being Dragonborn does allow you to live a bit longer (this might be a canon thing too I can't remember). With the races of men living a max of 100 years, Theo makes it to 125. Probably could have lived longer but my girl did not take the best care of herself in her younger years. So they get 90 odd years together, not bad :)

It would be hard when she does pass, it's something they talked about because baring him being killed, she will die before him. Thankfully by the time that comes he still has their children, as well as some grandchildren <3 So he's not alone. But there is a noticeable absence without her. I think he'd cope by spending time with the family they've built and being happy they got what they did since they never expected to be able to have anything long term. It's hard to lose her but they had so much life together <3

[skyrim-forever]

The Star and The Devil for whichever OC you want to talk about for the ask meme :)

Hey! Thanks so much! Just answered another one of your asks :)

Ask game here!

I'm going to answer for Theodora <3

The Star: When has your character been most hopeful?

Theodora is the most hopeful when she discovers she's preganant with her first child, her son Arthano. She discovers it from a healer before she goes to fight Alduin and although she fears the outcome of the battle, she knows it's up to her to create a future for him. Akatosh sent her for a reason, she can handle it. She would go on to say Alduin was a piece of cake compared to childbirth :P

The Devil: Does your character ever neglect their wild side?

No, if anything Theodora gives into her wild side too much. Having lost both her parents and her uncle Elo by the time she's 14, she turns to vice such as sex and drinking to cope. This leads her down a difficult path and it is finding out her destiny as Dragonborn that saves her life. and not all her choices were bad. What started as a fun forbidden trist with Ondolemar ends in marriage and three kids.

[skyrim-forever]

5 Songs

tagged by @dirty-bosmer to share 5 songs that remind me of my WIP/characters. Thank you so much for tagging me!

Too Much Labour by Paris Paloma, the song isn't even out yet (release date March 24th!). This song reminds me of my HoK Val who I'm currently still developing but she is arrested for killing her abusive husband (the murder of which gets her recited into the dark brotherhood). Female rage is so powerful.

Girls against God by Florence + the Machine, this song reminds me of my Dragonborn Theodora (my queen), particularly in her late teens and early 20s where she is angry at the divines for the death of her parents and then this resurges when she discovers she is the Dragonborn.

Me and the Devil by Soap&Skin, this song is also so Val-coded, reminds me of her journey into the dark brotherhood, ultimately ending up become very devoted to the cause, Sithis and the Night Mother

The Last Stand by Sabaton reminds me of the son of my OC and Ondolemar, Arthano who goes through his own religious crisis and ends up a Talos worshipper (causing conflict particularly with his father) He also trains with the greybeards and is a Dragonborn as well. Holy Warrior vibes

Heaven is Here by Florence + the Machine (her whole discography inspires my characters tbh) this song is Theodora when she accepts her role as Dragonborn and saves the world.

This is such a cool tag! I'm tagging (no pressure everyone but I'd love to see your answers!) @faiyamon @sheirukitriesfandom @lucien-lachance @ciceroandlucien @crysdrawsthings @average-crazy-fangirl @nerevar-quote-and-star

[lumilasi]

Another OC design update. I’m still mad at my past self for deciding he needs to be bald. I’m even madder at my current self for agreeing lmao. At least I sorta like his new outfits

Anyway, this guy’s...a lot, to put it mildly. He’s kind of a devious figure in the world most of my ocs live in, while not really being a villain. Maybe someday I’ll draw proper pics of these characters again, for now I’m just gonna be plopping these design/bio thingys in-between fic updates and fanart

More info below:

Name: Amaros

Alias: The Deity of the lost city of Arthanos/Ghost king

Age: He ascended when he was around his late twenties/early thirties. He has existed as a Deity for around 300 years, so he is the youngest higher being of this world. 

Sexuality: It’s not exactly known what it was when he was a human, but it was suspected he had a preference towards men and/or androgynous folk, as the old legends about Amaros as a king always implied he wasn’t interested in his female concubines and only had them around for the bloodline continuity. He did treat them well though, just never had any emotional investment.

An ascended Deity: A mortal being who became one of the Deities of this world, instead of being natural-born one. (there’s 7 natural born Deities in this world; 4 Daughters of Mother Nature (Fire, water, earth, wind), The King of Night-realm (neutral darkness, meaning dream beings, nightly creatures and spirits, general symbolism of the night and so on), Queen of Magic (Basically all types of magic), and the Oracle/Apocalyptic Death (Mostly just a neutral observer who protects the very balance of the existing world, until it is time for it to die and reach the new cycle of existence)

Known relatives: Joshua (indirect descendant) Azul and Reuben Samaros (direct descendants)

Occupation: Former ruler of the lost warrior Kingdom of Arthanos, now a Dark Deity known for the power he can offer, but also the demonic monsters he commands, monsters you can turn into when borrowing the Ghost King’s power if you aren’t careful.

Personality summary: He is generally calm and calculative with fairly little empathy to offer. A devious figure who enjoys messing with people either for fun or for revenge. He is protective over his own peers though (such as his descendants and demons, and his ex-lover from when he was a human, Helias) and will make one’s life absolute hell if you harm them needlessly. 

About his former kingdom

Arthanos was a very known and feared warrior kingdom for centuries, but it was recently destroyed when Joshua (the current heir to the throne) was a child, by a foolish mage who attempted to perform the ritual that Amaros had done, failing at it.

Most citizens of Arthanos were either killed by turning into crystals, or morphed into mindless demons that Amaros can now control. Those left alive scattered all over the world, some still carrying the risk of transforming as well if they use their powers too much. 

The ruins still attract looters and explorers, though you need to be really brave to step in there, as Amaros will absolutely taunt and terrorize any foolish figure daring to step into his territory, at least if you are an outsider.

About Amaros

Amaros used Helias’ special blood as a vital part of his ritual, which also required the sacrifice of a large chunk of his citizens. As a result of this, Helias’ sister especially still hates his guts, while Helias feels conflicted

Helias really fell for him because of his naivety, as Amaros has always been able to charm people easily. That being said the Ghost King is genuinely fond of him and did in fact save Helias’ life centuries later when their kingdom Mirthas was attacked and Helias almost died.

He turned himself into a Deity to protect his kingdom from a very powerful and dangerous enemy, but what this enemy was has been forgotten by time; even Helias and Gwendolyn no longer remember what or who it was.

Basically, he’s bit of an asshole who tends to go to the extremes to reach his goal. He’s an asshole within reason however, not doing extreme things just for fun. (messing with people is different as he doesn’t see it as extreme)

Amaros can summon his demons from his misty collar, or morph it into things, like wings, spider like legs, even long clawed arms reaching out towards you. He can actually also still transform into his human form if he wants to, sometimes even taking the shape of his child self

Amaros has the ability to change and modify any information about him, be it written, pictures or even hearsay tales. He can’t typically erase facts, but he can add to them, or create new things. Therefore anything containing information of the Ghost King is considered highly dangerous artifacts, because he will always know if you have it, and can do whatever he wants with it either to help or hinder you at anytime. 

This is also why there are no children’s tales about Amaros even as a scaring tactic because it’s just too dangerous to make something like that. Only the most experienced and cautious mages are allowed to handle his artifacts and things containing information about him.