#sahloknir

[aldruiel-scribbles]

[helgiafterdark]

[esdithequeen]

Soul Bound

I want thank you all for over 100 kudos on TCWATN! I can’t believe it’s been over 2 years since I started writing this fic, the enthusiasm and love you’ve shown for Rijha and her story mean so much to me!

[nightmare-soldiers]

crystal dragon sahloknir sketch

[the-poet-and-the-pendulum]

[aurianavaloria]

In my experience, Odahviing has always been the most photogenic. He definitely knows, lol.

Sketched some colorful dragons.

I swear getting right screenshots of them were a pain. Except Odahviing. He knows when I’m doing photoshoots apparently.

[levi-thorne]

The fight against Sahloknir. I was worried that I made the nights too dark in my modlist. But as it turns out, it was worth it to finally hve an excuse to use torches and candlelight. But also, stuff like this. Also the fight took about 25 minutes, it was wonderful. Dragons are a threat again.

[kroganloveinterest]

[jackals-ships]

@fujikos-gun doin it like this so i can do a longer reply BUT YEAH !!! like. smthin i Do think about often with him getting tossed forwards in time is that in his perception it's probably been like A Second. so it makes sense imo that he's pretty much popping out like 👁️👁️ w. where's my cult. where's, hold on a god damn second Where Is My Cult???? + idk but Personally if i got my ass handed to me by ants and thrown into Time Jail i would be holding a big ass grudge HFJ

i think the blades also made a pretty big deal of it iirc? but it's also been like. A Second since i played far enough to interact with both delphine And esbern (god they're like a whole nother ramble HF love them as characters. Drive Me Up The Wall Tho)

but also i do have to admit it's a lil funny that YEAH,,, everyone's kinda "oh cool dragons are back. Now Can You Make Them Leave Again Please And Ty,"

actually thinking about it i need 2 play thru again on the basis of. i also don't remember how much of the populace Knows alduin exists as an Actual Flesh And Blood Entity? and how much is just "Fuckin Dragons What The Fuck-"

[mirthandir]

Delphine, literally within 5 minutes of watching Alduin raise Sahloknir from the dead: Hmm... who could be behind the dragons coming back. I bet it's those damn Thalmor

[kagedbird]

Cicero Loves You, Listener! TESSDE AU - Dark Brotherhood route

~ [First] ~ [Next] ~ [Prev] ~

Something had gone wrong while we were up on the cliff.

I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it. It felt like we were being watched. I was certain the others could feel it to, with the way Inigo’s tail whipped up a storm, ears flicked back tightly against his skull; Lucien nervously kept checking over his shoulder, waiting for something to pop out; Kaidan scanning the horizon line repeatedly for anyone in the close vicinity or far distance.

I couldn’t hold back my own shivers of discomfort as we slowed our pace, feeling very much like we were being corralled to something.

We were not too far from Falkreath, in Reachmen territory. Normally, according to my boys, this usually spelt disaster. But I’d managed to make friends with many of the tribes in the area, and they’d given us clear passage by warning others that we weren’t to be harmed.

They really enjoyed my hurdy gurdy songs I’d shared the first time.

Due to this safety net, however, I knew it wasn’t them stalking us like prey. Shepherded closer and closer to the edge of a cliffside, my hands felt clammy while holding the grip of Kaidan’s bow, and I felt as taut as the bowstring along my entire body.

I just wished something would happen, so we could get it over with all ready!

Suspense was my most despised form of horror. Not knowing when the other shoe would drop raised my anxiety levels too high; pulse skyrocketing in my veins. Sahloknir and Mirmulnir could hardly contain Nahagliiv with the amount of turmoil coiling through me, try as I might to douse it with vague hope.

My heart was palpitating and squeezing too tightly. My mouth felt like cotton had taken over to live on my tongue, and I felt sweat trickle down the base of my arms. I was sure to have an anxiety attack before long if this kept up.

Inigo whipped around, bow drawn, a snarl on his face as we all turned to see what had caught his attention.

But there was nothing in the area behind us.

I whipped my head back around— equal parts sure it had been a diversion, as well as thinking I had heard something this time— only to find nothing yet again. Sequestered between two boulders that hugged the edge of the cliff precariously, we all waited, as still as our breathing, for anything to happen.

…And waited.

…

…And waited still.

Despite nothing happening, none of us were willing to look away and untense to let our guards drop. We’d been through too much for that. We knew better— even Lucien, who I could tell was struggling to keep still.

I swallowed thickly again, trying to hear anything beyond the beating of my blood in my ears. We were on our way back to Whiterun, and all I wanted to do was to fall into Bren’s arms and rest with my family. I wanted to go home and cook for them and not think about being the Dragonborn for five minutes. Not have to think about the Gods that pestered me endlessly about saving the world.

I wanted a break. Not to break.

Kaidan shuffled in place, the sound of his gloves creaking from his grip sounding like blaring sirens in the stillness. Lucien’s breathing was tight, fire alight along his fingers and palms. And though no longer drawn fully to conserve energy, Inigo was still poised and at the ready to shoot anything that remotely popped up out of the blue.

I could feel my magicka swirling just under the surface of my skin, aching to be let out and released, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I couldn’t draw eyes to us just because of this tension. It would only give whatever was out there a hidden third party to kill us all the easier.

I was growing weary with every passing minute though. Why wait this long? Why drag it out? Were they even there anymore?

The temptation to call out grew more and more, but I could hear my sister berating me for outing myself to an enemy and risking my team. So I continued biting my tongue and kept my eyes peeled—

There. A shadow had moved behind the boulder on the right, I had seen it. I silently nudged Inigo and Kaidan, as they were closest to me, and nodded towards that boulder. They nodded back, eyes sharp, as I slowly moved to Lucien’s side to warn him as well.

What I hadn’t anticipated was the sudden and sharp whistle from a fired arrow racing towards me, catching me in the shoulder in mere moments.

All hell broke loose. Kaidan and Inigo immediately went on the hunt, shouting out war cries as they raced after the perceived threat, while Lucien caught me as I fell into his arms. I stumbled, knees hitting the dirt and small rocks painfully; my hand reaching up to the arrow that was surely sunk into my muscle.

Another whistle, I couldn’t think, I just shoved Lucien down, watching as the next arrow shuddered into the dirt behind us.

“RUN!” I screamed past the stranglehold on my throat, getting up as fast as I possibly could and dragged Lucien up with me.

“Where?!” He yelped back, stumbling upright and hurried off as I pushed him.

“Anywhere! Serpentine! Just run!” I croaked. Anxiety was clawing at my insides— I couldn’t think.

Another arrow just barely missed Lucien’s foot as he dodged left, leaving him yelping again. I turned to the direction the arrows were firing from, but saw nothing but open spaces.

Wait—

Along the ground of the cliffside, there were specific pocket markings, as if the dirt had been turned over. Risking the spare moments between an archer’s reload time, I could see that the motions continued in a semi-circle from one boulder to the other.

Exactly covering the section only I remained standing on.

My pupils were dilated as time slowed down. In his haste, Lucien’s feet ripped up the dirt from behind him, loose as it was, sending trickles of it throughout the air.

Another arrow just missed him, sending him skating further beyond the line.

A trap.

I went to run— I needed to get out of here— but another arrow stopped me in my tracks as it pierced my thigh. I screamed in pain, falling forward into the dirt, and felt it shudder under the force of my weight.

I howled in agony as I broke the arrow in my thigh, digging the arrowhead further into my skin; barely seeing past the blinding white pain of Lucien attempting to run back to me. He was stopped by dozens of arrows flying his way, keeping him trapped. Kaidan and Inigo were nowhere to be seen from my position. I couldn’t hear much past the tinnitus ringing in my head.

I was being targeted. By what? Or whom?

It didn’t matter. I needed to—!

The ground shook horrifically, just as predicted, and I turned my head to see the dirt collapsing behind me over the edge. I grabbed fistfuls of grass and dirt, desperately clawing my way across as best I could.

Lucien was braving through the storm of arrows, diving headfirst along the ground to reach out to me—

My fingertips grazed his—

He gasped in pain as his body retracted from being shot in the side again and again; eyes peering widely into my own.

And I let out a terrified scream as my body plummeted down, down, down below.

[mareenavee]

The World on Our Shoulders | Chapter 35: I’ll Carry as Much as I Can

Chapter 35: I’ll Carry as Much as I Can

25th of Sun’s Dawn 4E 202

“Do you mean —  Teldryn  Sero?” Nyenna whispered.

“Ah, yeah, that sounds about right. I’d have to rifle through my correspondence in the room below to be sure,” Delphine said, more nonchalant than the woman had any right to be.

Nyenna started looking pale, eyes going distant. Her demeanor was getting more meek by the second. Athis watched as she swayed on her feet, trying to hold it together. He was already pissed off, but his rage swelled like a tidal wave at the mention of that fucking sellsword. As Nyenna said, another ghost. Or he would be in no time at all if he’d anything to say about the situation.

“Absolutely fucking  not,”  Athis growled, marching back over to where Delphine, curse her, and Nyenna stood.

“And what, pray tell, do you think is our other option?” Delphine spat, squaring her shoulders as if to get into a fistfight with him. Wouldn’t that be a treat.

Athis exhaled loudly through his nose. “I will get her there myself. We’ve killed Thalmor before, and we’ll do it again.”

“Absolutely fucking  not,”  Delphine parroted and let out a sarcastic bark of a laugh. “You’re a  liability.  You’ve always  been  a liability — I knew it during that battle with Sahloknir when you turned your back to a  dragon.”  She scowled and prodded him in the sternum. He could have ripped her arm from the socket in that moment, but bit back his temper. Delphine threw her hands up and stalked away from him. “Imagine, trusting you — and then what would we have? A dead Dragonborn, and a world set ablaze.” She huffed and let out a bitter laugh. “As if the world isn’t already on fire.”

“Delphine, Athis is right — I can’t trust Teldryn Sero.”

Nyenna’s voice was firm and as even as she could make it, but heavy with so much sorrow. Athis turned and laced his fingers through hers. She exhaled and let her shoulders drop, tension too much to keep holding on to.

“How do you know that?”

“I hired him when I was in Solstheim. He was the one that saved my life, true — but matters are much more complicated than I’ve been able to properly convey.” She paused and gave Delphine a moment to calm down and circle back to where they were standing, glancing sidelong at her the entire time. “He’s a sellsword and a thief. He had…no interest whatever in my actual safety. He wanted — he wanted more from me than that, and when I refused, he turned on me.” Nyenna hung her head and slid her fingers from Athis’s grasp. “Suffice to say… He can’t be trusted.”

Delphine cursed under her breath. “Brynjolf is part of the Thieves Guild, so yes, you’re right — Sero  would  be a thief. If he’s taken up additional work as a sellsword, that’s his prerogative.” She let out a long, irritated sigh. “You can go with him, and make use of the kind of work he’s really good at, according to my contacts, or you can find all the trouble we’ve been fearing between here and the Thalmor Embassy. I don’t see another option.” She scoffed. “Sorry to say.” -> Read the rest on AO3!

[phantom-of-this-bitch]

Not only can I not complete Blood On The Ice, Skyrim's buggiest quest, I can't report back to Ulfric after the battle of Whiterun. I've played Skyrim countless times, usually siding with the Imperials if I do the Civil War quests at all so I don't know if this is a common bug or not. I'm also playing the anniversary edition on Switch which is Not The Best way to play Skyrim. Haven't really had any other big problems though, just one crash after killing Sahloknir.

[wellthebardsdead]

Clockwork Heart pt18

Part 17 here

———

Wyrm: *eyes cast skyward to the winged demon of his destiny. The black of his scales making him almost invisible against the darkened stormy night, only the red of his eyes glowing like embers between flashes of lightning showing his presence in the shadow* Alduin-

Alduin: *roars down at the mound of earth before Wyrm. His thuum shaking the ground beneath the dunmers feet as it begins to crumble and split open* Slen Tiid Vo!!

Wyrm: *staggers back and screams in terror as the skeletal form of another dragon rises up from the dead, it’s gaping maw growing muscle and flesh as it breathes air into its lungs like bellows to a forge* N-no! No! *turns to run only to slip and land on his back in the mud, staring up at the sky as alduin flies off to rebuild his army* im not the dragonborn… I’m nobody… *sniffles remembering his life as he prepares for death, thinking surely the newly awoken undead beast would devour him whole* I’m sorry papa… *chokes back a sob seeing the jaws of Sahloknir looming over him, ready to eat him whole* goodbye… *closes his eyes*

???: BY HONOUR OF THE BLADES I WILL END YOU BEAST!!!

???: Wake up!

Wyrm: *blinks open his eyes and cries out in shock feeling gentle hands grabbing him up from the mud, unable to comprehend what’s happening or whose holding him as he’s suddenly lifted up and carried down the hill* what- what’s happening?! Who- *pauses for a moment seeing golden skin and immediately starts bawling his eyes out hugging his saviour thinking it’s Taliesin* t-ta- l-lii! Taliii!

???: It’s okay! It’s okay I have you- NEREVAR LOOK OUT!

Wyrm: *looks up in shock at the name, finally seeing the three eyed face of his saviour beneath long dark hair* I- I know- *looks over to see the familiar golden armour of indoril nerevar as he charges into battle against the beast who was seconds from being his demise* you…

Taliesin: WYRM!!!

Wyrm: *jumps and looks back to see Taliesin, Kaidan & inigo running up the hill towards them* t-taliesin!!

Taliesin: *not even registering the other elf holding his companion until he’s right next to them* Are you okay?! Gods you’re drenched you’re covered in mud! Your pretty hai- Who in oblivion are you?!

Voryn: Voryn Dagoth but I think the fire breathing lizard should be of greater con- *pushes Wyrm behind himself and holds up a ward as debris get sent flying towards them* NEHT?!

Nerevar: *sword in the dragons neck riding it like a bull* GET HIM OUT OF HERE!!!

Voryn: *turns and picks Wyrm back up without hesitation only for Taliesin to grab him too* I-

Taliesin: *pulls the dunmer into his arms* I’ve got him.

Wyrm: *immediately clings to Taliesin and just starts sobbing into his robes*

Voryn: … *smiles* You’re the one who puts his heart at ease.

Taliesin: I’m the wha- *instinctively shields Wyrm with his body as he hears the dragons final roar cut short before fading into a death rattle* its- *looks back up the hill and sighs with relief seeing the beast laying dead, Kaidans sword impaled through its skull and Nerevars blade through its chest* dead… *starts walking up to it so Wyrm can absorb its soul*

Voryn: *unsure if there’s still danger or not* I- w-wait what are you doing we need to get away from that thing!

Taliesin: *glares at him unsure if he’s even trustworthy after blinking to find Wyrm missing from his bed and suddenly up on the hill with these strange elves and a dragon* It’s dead. Get out of my way so- *pauses seeing the dragons body flake apart like ashes in the wind as it bursts into threads of light, all of them swirling towards him and Wyrm like a gust of wind unhindered by the pouring rain*

Voryn: *immediately puts himself between them and the light thinking it’s a threat, only for the dragons soul to dance right around him and into Wyrms trembling body* What the? It… *looks at them then at the dragons now skeletal body* he took it’s very soul…

Nerevar: *hurries to them immediately removing his cape and shielding voryn with it* Are you okay? I told you to run I- *pauses seeing Wyrm and feeling his heart break hearing his frightened cries* it’s him…

Taliesin: I take it you two know him…

Kaidan: *walking over carrying inigo over his shoulder* Yeah can we maybe get out of this focking weather before your reunion then thanks?!

*a few minutes later*

Kaidan: one of the living gods of the tribunal ay?… well shit… a lot of things suddenly make more sense…

Nerevar: *seated across from him drying his hair with a towel* I take it he’s had… a few episodes?…

Kaidan: I… wouldn’t really call them that. Nightmares I guess? He’s been sleep walking a lot, and he’s always talking about sotha sil afterwards… now I know why.

Nerevar: *sighs* they were a lot more than just nightmares… believe me when I say if it weren’t for voryn they’d of been far worse.

Kaidan: …I take it that’s why he needed you to carry him the rest of the way down the hill?…

Nerevar: his body suffered greatly as he reached out to try and help your- Wyrm? Was it?…

Kaidan: aye, took me some getting used to too… You feel less terrible calling him it when you think of him as the type of dragon and not well, an earth worm… by help… you mean, he was trying to help him through these, fits of his?

Nerevar: *nods* it’s, hard to explain, but, let’s just say his heart is connected to the heart of lorkhan, and everyone who touched it… He lost track of Wyrm when he fled morrowind as a child. But… he found the soul of lorkhan and suddenly voryn had a connection again.

Kaidan: the- soul of lorkhan?!

Nerevar: that’s what voryn called it… he was left convulsing and screaming in agony for hours, fading in and out if consciousness as he had fit after fit… and on the way here he had more of them but… that one was the start of them… after that though, we were able to track him here. When we arrived we saw the dragon attacking and found Wyrm laying in the mud on the hill.

Kaidan: and I’m glad you found him when you did.

Inigo: *limps in drying his tail* thank you for not letting me get eaten by the way, have our friends finished bathing yet?

Nerevar: I don’t think so… I’m sure Wyrm has plenty of questions for Voryn.

Kaidan: I’m sure Taliesin has plenty too.

*meanwhile*

Taliesin: *now dry wearing his thalmor robes inside out as his other clothes dry by the fire. Sighs cleaning some scrapes on Wyrms arm* you almost adopted him?

Voryn: *seated by the wash tub, now dry and warm in a comfy robe as he washes Wyrms hair* Yes. Neht wanted to adopt him, when I first encountered him I suffered what I’ve come to affectionately call ‘heart ache’. Being in close proximity to one who’d touched the heart of lorkhan as I had, elicited a strong reaction and bond from me… I suppose I frightened him with my reaction though because he took off running in fear… Neht and I have been looking for him for 80 years now… *strokes Wyrms face, the small dunmer now hypnotised by him, calm, sedated almost, but no longer weeping or screaming or refusing to let go of taliesin* I’d lost that brief connection until only a short while ago now… he’d. Come into contact with an artefact connected to Lorkhan… and through that, reconnected with me… so we came to skyrim to find him.

Taliesin: and you believe he’s sotha sil?

Voryn: his reincarnation at least but… *smiles* I recall seht being just as sweet as him when he was his age. He was afraid of everything… his sister used to get him in a great deal of trouble.

Taliesin: *snorts* I have two of them, of that I can relate. *stares at Wyrms blank expression* will he… will he be like this for long?

Voryn: hm? Oh no. He’ll either fall asleep once he’s in bed or come out of it. *rinses the dunmers hair and wraps it in a towel to dry* I know it may seem extreme, but it’s harmless, he’s merely dreaming whilst awake. *lifts him from the water with ease into an awaiting towel held up by Taliesin, and immediately smiling as he feels a warmth spread through Wyrms heart as he’s handed to the high elf*

Taliesin: …what is it why are you smiling like that?

Voryn: hm? Oh no reason. You make him happy is all.

Taliesin: what-

Nerevar: *steps into the room holding clean blankets* how is he?

Voryn: he’ll be okay after a long rest. *smiles up at him* speaking of which.

Nerevar: *places a blanket around him and lifts him up* You need to rest as well.

Voryn: *rolls all 3 of his eyes* We. Need to rest.

Nerevar: I’m not the one still recovering from almost dying, several times.

Voryn: *shakes his head and sighs resting against his shoulder* you worry too much for me, neht.

Taliesin: *smiles a little, setting aside the dozens of questions rattling away in his head and watching them both be so in love* … *looks down at Wyrm snuggled in towels to find the dunmer still hypnotised, but smiling up at him* …Oh little moth… *sets him on the bed and carefully dresses him in the few dry comfy clothes he has left in his bag, being mindful of his modesty as much as he can* please stop running into trouble where I can’t see you…

*a few days later*

Wyrm: *bundled in several blankets atop Naomi as they approach winterhold, Taliesin equally as bundled up behind him* th-the blizzard will let up up ahead. It’s l-like this all the time.

Kaidan: *up ahead leading the group along via a rope tied to their horses* I-I f-focking hope so! Who the fock thought it was a good idea to build a city in this environment!?

Wyrm: Shalidor b-but he was clearly only focused on the magical wave points and not the w-weather.

Taliesin: maybe we should set up c-camp? Or f-freeze to death either way we’ll be rid of this wind at some p-point-

Voryn: *quietly holding a little ball of fire in his hands to keep warm beyond just his blankets and robe* we’ve passed the mine yes? We shouldn’t be far.

Nerevar: *holding voryn in his lap to save him from the cold leather of the saddle* I sensed azuras presence not far back, we’ve passed her shrine at least.

Inigo: *whiskers frozen and fur bristled up at the back of the group* c-can we pl-please hurry the-

Wyrm: *suddenly points ahead through the blizzard* THERES THE COLLAGE! *suddenly leaps from Taliesin s horse and runs ahead hugging the blankets tight*

Taliesin: WYRM COME BACK!

Voryn & Neht: SEHT WAIT!

Wyrm: *sprinting through the snow ignoring the cold lashing against his cheeks, just laughing as tears freeze against his face, seeing his home so close he can practically touch it* papa! I’m coming home! I’m- *halts as he approaches the village to see a number of strange Mages, all dressed in equally strange golden robes. All of them turning to face him and raising their hands to cast* oh no…

[powdermelonkeg]

So I beat Sahloknir, and IMMEDIATELY after that, got ambushed by two dragons. This is the path DOWN from Sahloknir's burial mound.

[incorrectskyrimquotes]

So, there's this one parallel shot in Into The Spiderverse

And I could see something like it with Eryn and a statue of Talos

Eryn, right after she learns she's the dragonborn (and only sort of what that means) looks up at the statue in Whiterun. He was mentioned as a dragonborn (though, not the first one, nor the one before her). And the well polished statue reflects herself back.

And she doesn't quite fit. She's not sure of herself or her power or her destiny or her ability to face any of it. Dragonborn, hero of Skyrim, is such a daunting title, one that looms over her.

But time passes. And she does pray to Talos a fair bit. But not like her fellow nords seem to do. She doesn't ask him to bless her battles, to turn the tides of war for her, she can deal with all of that on her own.

But she can't learn about being dragonborn on her own.

The Blades believe the Voice is the ultimate dragonslaying weapon, a thing to be used only for violence. Eryn has no aversion to violence, but her Voice is too powerful to use it in only anger or to cause suffering.

The Greybeards believe the Voice is the ultimate canticle. They learn the Voice, the words, the shout, the languages, the meanings, and they use it to praise Kyne, to praise all the divines. They speak only for True Needs. Eryn talks far too much to ascribe to that philosophy.

Ulfric Stormcloak believes it's a different type of magic. He was never a mage, and this is the closest he gets to understanding the aetherial gifts. Even if The Voice is not such one. He believes you can use the Voice for a variety of things, just like any magic. But it is even more emotionally reactive than magic is. When he uses a shout like Unrelenting Force, he has to tap into an emotional mindset where he needs to push everything away. But it takes work. Years, to both learn and understand the word, and to find the emotions you need to be feeling and connection to the word to use it. For him, with Unrelenting Force, that feeling is anger.

To Eryn, Ulfric sounds like the Blades with more philosophical jargon. She's not sure any of them are right. But still, she tries to hold her tongue when she can.

But she has to admit, using her Voice feels nothing like using her magic. Even her most powerful telekinesis spell just doesn't tap into the draconian energy she has for her Voice

She must find her own way. And she does. She wins the civil war, goes to Ustengrav, goes back to Riverwood, picks up Ralof to follow her along the way, she gets in and out of the embassy with no shouting, and when she finally gets back to Riverwood for her stuff, she's barely shouted at all.

She takes the break to go see the Grey Beards for their wisdom. She may not agree with their overall philosophy (hiding away from a world in trouble is selfish, to her), she does agree that she needs to give them back the horn, and see if they can answer anything else.

They welcome her as a dragonborn, and offer to answer questions she may have. She has so many, but she knows no one can answer them. Hermaeus Mora himself probably doesn't know. But, still, in spite of her lack of knowledge, she presses on, now carrying the final word of Unrelenting Force, and knowing she has to go meet Delphine down in Kynesgrove.

After Eryn takes down Sahloknir (whose name means phantom hunter of the sky), she heads back up to Windhelm. She is right there, after all. She'd love to see everyone there. She stops at the Talos statue that overlooks Windhelm.

Her Voice is hers to decide. Now she is ready for the rest of her destiny.