#zaan the scalecaller

[silencedog23]

……At the end of the story, she and her dragon are finally able to live together.

This piece is commission.

[scalecallerpeak]

How Zaan Got Her Name

A really old wip of a comic I started in 2022 I think? Sadly I never finished it because I spent too long trying to render everything.

In short, Zaan meaning 'shout' in Dovahzul was given to her because when Thurvokun tested her in front of Nahkriin and Morokei her first reaction was to shout back at him.

[daggerfall]

mountain pog...

[hellshire-harlot]

I’m on a Skyrim hyperfixation kick and per usual it’s mainly about the Dragon Cult so: Headshots of all known Dragon Priests (plus three fan made!) and headcanons about them! Presented from oldest to youngest:

Nahkriin. His name means ‘Vengeance’, a fitting name for the Priest of Alduin. He lives in solitude within Skuldafn, tending to his duties unerringly. He is stern but not overly cruel, and his few friends (mainly Ahzidal) know that the stony exterior hides a surprising inclination for harmless mischief. He is Apothisexual and Quoiromantic, and uses He/Him.

Otar. They are the only named Priest whose name does not translate, and that is because Otar is actually their birth name and not the name given to them by the Dragons. Once known as Hahdrem, meaning Mind, they were Nahkriin’s little sibling and a fair, successful ruler. But their desire not to be lost in their brother’s shadow led to them entering into a pact with Clavicus Vile, a pact that drove them mad and plunged their city into ruin. They ages more visibly than any other Priest because they refused to wear their Mask after losing their mind. They are a sex-indifferent Asexual and Panromantic, and use They/He.

Hevnoraak. His name means Brutal, and he more than lives up to that title. He was a vicious and cruel overlord who ruled with terror, brutalizing dissidents and any who stood against him. Like most Priests, he had a harem of concubines, but his particular harem was infamous for being comprised mainly of prisoners whom he found particularly enticing. His bloodthirstiness led to him attempting to become an undead Lich far ahead of the plan to entomb the Priests and reawaken them upon Alduin’s return, and so his city was evacuated and a nord hero was sent to stop him, sealing Valthume and keeping Hevnoraak trapped. He is Bisexual and uses He/Him.

Suleyk. One of my three Priest OCs, his name means Power, a name he earned frighteningly fast. His prowess in battle, defeating every enemy thrown his way and leading the charge in several key battles in the name of the Dragons, made his catch the attention of the other Priests. He was bestowed with the Mask of Heart Stone, and bound to serve the Dragon Krifmulzii. He is a mix of Nahkriin and Hevnoraak- stern and strong, but neither stoic nor sadistic. He is Cupiosexual and Straight, and uses He/Him.

Morokei. His name translates to Glorious, and it’s no wonder why. He is the most magically gifted of the Priests, rivaled only by Ahzidal. It was he who recovered the Staff of Magnus from Saarthal and used it to drive back the Snow Elves. He and his beloved little sister, Tulnir, rule over Bromjunaar with wisdom and grace. He prefers to spend him time reading, studying, or practicing the arcane arts, rather than warmongering with his peers. He is Graysexual and Polyromantic, and uses He/Him.

Zaan the Scalecaller. Her name means Shout, given to her for her rallying cry and her charisma. A stern, devoted woman, she swore her life and the lives of her people to serving her Dragon Patron, Thurvokun. She was strong, her faith in the cause completely unrelenting, until Thurvokun vanished without a trace. In his absence, her devotion became anguish became rage, and to spite the Dragons, she turned to Peryite, forsaking the Dragon Cult entirely. She is Polarsexual and Lesbian, and uses She/Her. (Fun fact: Zaan is the only canon female Dragon Priest!)

Zahkriisos. Their name means Bloody Sword, a name they chose to honor their heritage from the Bloodskal Clan. They were born in the peninsula of Solstheim, and spent their life studying shock magic. Unlike their peers, they kept largely to themself, quiet and introverted. Under Miraak’s tutelage, they rose to great power, and even followed him down the path of rebellion against the Dragons. However, unlike Miraak, they were swayed by Vahlok and remained in power after his defeat. This was mainly due to their relationship with Rahgot, their partner whom they couldn’t bear to betray. They are sex and romance-indifferent aroace, and use They/Them.

Vosis. His name was difficult to translate, but I believe it means Blood Undone. He and Krosis are siblings, but of the two, Vosis is far and away the troublemaker of the pair. Famous for his mischief, he nonetheless served the Dragons faithfully, and generally ruled fairly. Though when put together, he and his little sister were well known for the chaos they wrought. He is Pansexual and uses He/They.

Britfaaz. Another of my OCs, her name translates to Beautiful Pain, an indication of her famous dichotomy. Well-known for her radiant beauty and mercy, something uncharacteristic for a Priest, she was one of the most beloved of the Priests, and wore a Mask of Stalhrim. While merciful and kind she may have been, tales are also told of the horrors she inflicted upon those who wronged her or her people. Unlike some other Priests, she genuinely cared for each of her citizens. She is Demisexual and Panromantic, and uses She/Her.

Rahgot. Their name means Anger, a fitting name for one of the most volatile Priests. While known for snapping at others and being quick to rage, they were also able to hold their tongue and govern wisely, often coming up with creative solutions other Priests hadn’t even considered. Their better half, Zahkriisos, often facilitated this, but that’s not to say that either of them were on their best behavior when together. They were also known for sparring frequently with other Priests to train, most commonly Vokun, whom they shared a complicated frenemy relationship with. They are Bisexual and Demiromantic, and use They/Them.

I’ve reached the image limit, so part 2 to this post will come soon!

[madam-whim]

ESO players, tell me about the weirdest bug you’ve encountered while playing the game and how you worked around it (if there was a workaround at all).

For me, it would have to be that time when me and my dungeon team ran into a rather weird issue with Zaan’s HM in Scalecaller Peak. Now, in case you haven’t seen the HM, the big difference between it and the normal mode is that during the shield throw/poison phase, there are four separate methods to protect yourselves, and each player has to pick one of them up.

The options are: - Zaan’s shield, which would be used by everyone on normal mode, but can only be picked up by one person on HM, - the ice field that freezes you, previously seen during the ogre twins boss fight, - the stone orb that petrifies you from the gargoyle boss fight, - and finally the Nereid geyser thingies that pop up during the giant matriarch fight.

Now, we decided to get some HM practice in before trying for the trifecta, and went for this:

We worked out an entire rotation based on the healer and tank picking whatever method was most inconvenient for them first, and then we got started.

Only it turned out that our other DD could not pick up the nereid puddle for the life of him. It would always directly spit him back out when he tried it, and then he’d die. 

Well, shit, we thought, so much for that achievement.

But then our healer just went, “Wait, the achievement description says nothing about not dying at all, only that you can’t die to the poison. So how about you just... throw yourself off the cliff when it’s your turn to pick up the puddle, and then we resurrect you and move on?”

And so, for the next several tries, our buddy would roll or jump off the cliff during the first poison phase, until finally nobody else messed up and we got the achievement. To this day, we have no idea what caused this, since he could take all other methods without issue.

[hellshire-harlot]

Say no more my friend

On Nahkriin: The man was reserved, more than any of us. He was devoted to his work, to Alduin. I respect his dedication… but I am glad he lives no more.

On Otar: A grim reminder… I am lucky. Lucky to have survived Hermaeus Mora’s snare, lucky to have my mind intact. Why, Hahdrem? Why did you not learn from my mistake?

On Hevnoraak: Good riddance. I toured Valthume once or twice in my time. I saw firsthand the things that he did. I will not deny my own crimes, but… does his name not speak for itself? Brutality? It was fitting. I am glad he is gone. The refugees from Valthume I welcomed into my fold, I hope they are at peace now.

On Morokei: Only in death would he ever be parted from his staff… fitting, hm? He once ruled Saarthal, you know. His mal briinah and himself were the last of their line. He swore to defend Bromjunaar no matter the cost… and I learned much of my magecraft from him. Rest well, zuwuth fahdon.

On Zahkriisos: I remember them, the Sword-Blood. They were my favorite of my acolytes, because they kept to themself. Quiet, calm, as I was. I… do hope they were not punished for taking my side. Farewell, Zahkriisos. Say hello to Rahgot for me, hm?

On Rahgot: I suppose I should not be surprised. If any of us were to last so long, it would be them. To see what they did to Forelhost to keep it from falling, what their people did… I am glad you put it to rest, Dragonborn. They are with Zahkriisos now.

On Ahzidal: Hah, he would have raged to see his home in such a state. But is it not fitting for a mage of fire to return to ash? He was the first to split from my rebellion, I recall. A wise choice. May he find the peace he lost on the Night of Tears.

On Volsung: Ah, the Horror of Volskygge lies defeated. He was the perfect balance- a cruel warden when needed, but a fair ruler. His devotion, too, was something to behold. You gave him an honorable death, Dovahkiin.

On Vahlok: …Zeymah. He was my brother, you know? The one I knew I loved above all else. I would have given my life to protect him. He was so certain that worship of the Dov and merciful rule could be as one. I did not believe him… History tells our stories differently, hm? Siljan… I’m sorry.

On Dukaan: A satisfying end for such a scheming woman, eh, Dovahkiin? She was a cold-hearted bitch, just as I was. I taught her well. I recall she was the last to abandon me… I wonder if she understood the mistake I was making? Maybe that’s why she supported me. I did teach her not to interrupt her adversary when he made mistakes, after all.

On Krosis: …Hm. I am not surprised she remained at her Dovah Thur’s side in the end. She served Paarthurnax, you see. I suspect she was among the first he taught the Thu’um to. She would have wielded it well… I wish I had been there to witness it.

On Vokun: The youngest of our order, now gone. I do not mourn his fall. He was a crafty one, you know. How else could he have ascended so young? But he held the arrogance of a seasoned ruler. You think I am boastful, Dragonborn? If you had seen him in my time…

BONUS!

On Zaan (ESO): Ah, the Scalecaller falls. How ironic, that her faith once again failed her in the end. I pity her, you know. Both her masters abandoned her… A pain I know well. I hope Peryite is kinder with her soul than Hermaeus Mora was with mine.

On Vosis (ESO): And so ends the other half of Sorrow. He was zeymah to Krosis, you know. I wonder, was he proud of her? Did he disown her for her choice to side with Paarthurnax? …Was he even alive to know?

On Tulnir (ESO): This Mask… do you know who it belonged to, Dovahkiin? Her name was Tulnir. She ruled Bromjunaar with Morokei, her zuwuth zeymah. She… was beloved, for a Priestess. A sweet girl. Where is she now, I wonder? Only her Mask remains. I… I hope she is with her brother now.

On Suleyk (OC): …He earned his name, I give him that much. I gave him Heart Stones from the depths of Solstheim for his Mask, as a show of allegiance. I admired him. Where is he? His city, his people- where have they gone? Is he merely a memory?

On Britfaaz (OC): Ah. I remember her. She requested Stalhrim from Solstheim for her Mask and robes, you know. I said I would give it to her, but the price I suggested was… in poor taste, even if I was joking. When she… showed me the error of my ways, I knew she had earned her Stalhrim… I hope her death was as merciful as she.

On Nahlot (OC): The Silent one, hm? Do you know of them, Dovahkiin? Even their legacy is silent. They had their Mask and robes made of ivory to move quietly. Not once did they speak, but their presence in all things was felt. I enjoyed their company, if only for their quietude. May their soul be silent now, as well.

I wish follower miraak was canon so i could hear what he has to say about places in skyrim and also his opinions on the other dragon priests you can find

[yffresbeard]

Scalecaller Peak, once the site of a Dragon Cult following, now served as home to some of Seheura's fathers most devout - and scarce - followers. Zaan the Scalecaller, abandoned by her Dovah in an age long past, had turned to Peryite in the face of her abandonment and subsequent resurrection and been granted the right to wield one of Peryite's greatest gifts - the shield known as Spellbreaker.

Seheura now scaled the peak to take it back from her.

The devout let her pass without incident at a display of her power - with her animus restored, the skeevers of Nirn were less apprehensive of her and flocked to her feet in a great swarm. Some tried to praise her as she passed, adoration she neither needed nor desired, while others merely stared - in awe or fear, she could not tell. The feelings of mortals still largely eluded her, though she cared very little.

The plague being created by the alchemist Mortieu was something to be admired in the way it strengthened the beasts that dwelled on the mountain while being certainly deadly to man and mer. It was no Thrassian Plague or Knahaten Flu, but it had its own elegance, to be sure. Mortieu followed Seheura like one of Nirn's pups, slavering for even a hint of praise or recognition from her, which she did not offer. Without the mask, she could see his mangled features, ear and nose rotted away from exposure to his own experiments.

Peryite did not require devotion or faith like other Princes might demand, only fealty and spread - despite this, Mortieu seemed determined to offer his reverence to the Demiprince of his master, and though the impenetrable sea of rodents at her feet prevented him from falling to his knees before her, Seheura strongly suspected he would if the opportunity arose. It did not.

Scalecaller's strunmah - for it truly was hers, now, without its original dovah - was a barren, stony chapel with a statue representation of one of Peryite's more widely recognized forms. The three-bodied draconic figure gazed impassively on the form of the Scalecaller knelt before it in prayer as Seheura entered through the heavy door.

"Scalecaller," she hailed. "Zaan. I offer greetings to a faithful servant of my father."

The former Dragon Priest rose and nodded toward Seheura, her long strides carrying her before the shorter entity. "Demiprince, why have you come?"

"You were granted Spellbreaker because you had need of it, Sonaak. That time has passed. You will relinquish Spellbreaker to me and I will return it to my father's realm."

"Nid! Faal spaan los dii!" Though the Scalecaller had long been without her Voice, the raw power of Dovahzul itself shook the walls of the cavern, loosening stones from the ceiling. The visage of Zaan's mask stared hardly at the Demiprince, who at once relinquished her mortal guise to show her true form - tall, even for a Dremora, with sickly green markings where one would usually see red (she was made in Peryite's image, not Dagon's), though her robes depicting her father's draconic image remained.

"You will release Spellbreaker or I will take it by force, Zaan. The choice is yours."

[sassyfahliil]

Mourning the fall of Zaan the Scalecaller (ft. @the-ebonarm & @themapleleafdiaries)

[psychicduelistrbd]

Phoebe’s fight with Zann on Scalecaller Peak was 80% actual fighting and 20% hurling insults at each other in a language others couldn’t understand.

To say they didn’t like each other was an understatement. The fight was surprisingly cathartic for Phoebe. I wouldn’t put it pass Phoebe to destroy the statue of Pryite after everything was done out of pettiness. 

______

Funny thing is that if it wasn’t for Phoebe beeing singled out for one of Zaan’s attack every single time I went through the dungeon I would have never thought. “Damn, Zaan really hates Phoebe”  and it wouldn’t have led to changing Phoebe’s original back story. (Which now is more interesting if I’m being honest)

[simplymiraakulous]

while i’m here can we talk about the motherfuckin dragon priest Zaan the Scalecaller???

the only dragon priest thats (canon) female???

SHE’S GOT A COOL UNIQUE DESIGN LIKE HOT DAMN????

no offense to the skyrim dragon priest robes (but full offense)

SHE KNOWS HOW TO WEAR SHOES, MIRAAK’S NOT THE ONLY ONE!

she speaks??? (i think)

also she’s not floaty and mysterious like all the other dragon priests (- miraak)

unique mask !!! unique mask!!!

had a really close relationship with her patron dragon (called Dragon Lord) and went into a v v deep depression after he left for some reason

in that way gave us some lore about dragon priests and their relationships with the dragons, each having a patron Dragon Lord 

I REALLY LOVE HER DESIGN OKAY I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS FOR AGES (i know its got boob armor but ,,, god. i still love it.)

makes me imagine that most likely all the skyrim dragon priests had different designs and it was just for ease of gamemaking that they all have the same in skyrim (also miraak is unique too yknow)

also it shows??? her face??? (assumed before she became a lich or w/e)

I REALLY LIKE HER OKAY, ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE REALLY TREATED US RIGHT !!!

[silencedog23]

I appreciated the stars,they looked like your eyes

"It's so cold…Am I dying?"

"You will be unseal after my death,If the Dragonwar continues,be careful."

"……"

"What am I talking about…I know you can't hear that.You're strong,enough to be safe."

"It's a shame…"

"Farewell,Thurvokun."

死前我望着天上的繁星，好像望见了你的身影

"身体好冷啊，我这是快死了吗。"

"我死后你那边的封印会解除，如果战争还在继续的话，一定要小心。"

"……"

"我在说什么呢，明明知道你听不到。算了算了，你那么强大，肯定没事的。"

"果然还是……好遗憾啊。"

"永别了，瑟沃坤。"

this piece is a commission

[scalecallerpeak]

Seeing other people into Zaan brings me such joy 🥺 I'm glad she's getting the respect she deserves

[scalecallerpeak]

I will never forget 'buut Zaan is a woman' genuinely my funniest interaction

I'm confused about your tags on that post, did you mean to say "but Zaan isn't a woman?" Because I was under the impression that Zaan was? So it makes sense they would choose her for the Priestess prompt

Oh fkajfka it's a joke from when @scalecallerpeak posted that art and someone on twitter made that reply and we were all perplexed by what they meant, cuz the theme for the day was priestess and like. Yeah? We're in agreement? She's a woman???

It's just a little friend funny no worries!

[hellshire-harlot]

Your dragon priest headcanons are divine please give us some more

OK HERE WE GO

-Each Priest had their own personal harems, composed of everyone of the gender(s) they are attracted to. All of the Priests have slept with their concubines at least once, except for Nahkriin, who is a sex and romance-repulsed Aroace. Miraak especially has quite a reputation with his harem. Fucking manwhore

-Vahlok and Miraak are brothers! They did almost everything together and despite Miraak being more introverted, he always made time for his younger sibling. They call each other by their birth names when they’re being serious (Vahlok was named Siljan, and Miraak was named Tyrjan). Even their Masks were made from the same material (Bronze), which speaks to how close they were because each Priest was encouraged to choose the material for themselves.

-Vokun is the youngest mainland Priest, in his early twenties, and is kind of a prodigy in things like magic. His skill is the only reason he became a Priest so young, and the others sometimes envy him.

-Krosis has a sibling, Vosis, who featured in ESO. I haven’t read up on the ESO Priests, but I do know that they were partners in crime and neither of them had the brain cell.

-Morokei was the most magically-inclined Mainland Priest, and also one of the most merciful. He prefered to study, learn, and experiment as opposed to the political intruigue of normal Priesthood. He also had a little sister, Tulnir (Another ESO Priest), and her wooden mask is the one you find in Labrynthian. Morokei got the staff of Magnus when the Eye was uncovered beneath Saarthal, and he was able to save the staff before the Elves could find it.

-Dukaan is albino, and her only real motivation is power. Her parents were… not very good, even by the standards of the time, and this left her with a crippling fear of powerlessness. As a result, she constantly needed to be the most powerful person in the room, which led her down the path of becoming a Priest and even forsaking her former role as a Priestess of Kyne, a role her family had forced her into. Her power-hungry attitude means she has absolutely no limits to what she’d be willing to do, and I mean NO LIMITS. She has frequently tried to sleep with other Priests in exchange for power, most notably, Miraak. Her desire for power is also what made her join Miraak in his worship of Hermaeus Mora.

-Rahgot is one of the less-popular Priests among the people, and has assassination attempts made against them on the regular. They are frenemies with Vokun, who they more or less adopted at this point, and are also dating Zahkriisos, who is also NB.

-Otar is a Demiboy and mainly uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Their brother was Nahkriin, and his fame, success, and power left Otar feeling overshadowed. Desperate not to fall into obscurity, Otar made a pact with Clavicus Vile in exchange for power, and this drove them mad.

-Almost all the Priests unanimously hate Hevnoraak, who is absolutely infamous for being a serial murderer, necromancer, witch, rapist, and just all around horrible person. Even the fucking dragons are afraid of him, which is really saying something. Krosis, Morokei, Nahkriin, and Vokun often team up to ‘kidnap’ Hevnoraak’s subjects, prisoners, and concubines and bring them into their own cities just because they hate Hevnoraak so much.

-Volsung is pretty chill now, but wasn’t always that way. Before the dragons gifted him Kiirlaas to raise as his own, he had quite a mean streak, which goes along with his name- it translates to ‘Horror’ in Dovahzul. Ever since he began raising Kiirlaas, however, he’s taken a complete 180. He made sure to never direct his wrath onto children, and when he received a child of his own, he did his best to care for her and be the best father he could. They have a wonderful relationship and Kiirlaas is literally his entire world.

-Ahzidal is an absolute dingus. He’s a magical prodigy, rivaling even Morokei, and brags about that quite a bit. He also loves to use his spells to fuck with the other Priests, mainly Miraak. He, along with Zahkriisos and Dukaan, are what the other Priests refer to as the ‘Trouble Trio’.

-I have several fan-made Priests of my own! There’s Britfaaz (Beautiful Pain), a motherly Priestess on the more merciful side who has a Stalhrim mask; Suleyk (Power), a man who rose to power frighteningly quickly by proving his incredible skill in battle and who wears a mask made from Heart Stone; and finally, Nahlot (Silence), a mute person who is surprisingly a force to be reckoned with and wears a mask carved from beautiful ivory.

-Each Priest wears a mask made from a different material. Nahkriin’s is ebony, Otar’s is orichalcum, Hevnoraak’s is iron, Suleyk’s is heart stone, Morokei’s is quicksilver, Zaan (a priestess from ESO)’s is made from bone, Zahkriisos’s is basalt, Vosis’s is silver, Britfaaz’s is stalhrim, Rahgot’ sis malachite, Ahzidal’s is petrified wood, Miraak and Vahlok’s are both cast from bronze, Volsung’s is corundum, Nahlot’s is ivory, Dukaan’s is marble, Krosis’s is limestone, Tulnir’s is wood, and Vokun‘s is made of steel.

-Kiirlaas, had she been able to succeed her father in becoming a Priest, would have chosen her mask to be made from moonstone.

[deplorablebeast]

A rough, sort of unfinished redesign of Zaan the Scalecaller - because the default female concept art character is ugly and I wanted to make her look nice

Features to add - Body Hair - More detail/texture to hair - Scars

[yffresbeard]

Since you're a fan of Peryite, which of the Daedric Princes do you think he would get along with best?

Honestly? None.

Most people would say Namira but I disagree - Peryite has a purpose in his spreading of plagues where Namira's association with the grotesque only aeeks to inspire revulsion in mortals.

Dagon, Bal, Nocturnal, Clavicus Vile and Mephala all attempted to destroy Nirn in one way or another which is against his sphere of the natural order (yes this includes Nirn).

Jyggalag and his sphere's would've been in hard opposition so I doubt there was any good will there (but he's probably not too fond of Sheo either, few of the other princes are.)

Malacath was Trinimac and now isn't, that's gotta be a subversion of natural order, right?

In the Maelstrom Arena, Fa-Nuit-Hen's tutor mentions one of Peryite's roles as the Taskmaster - keeping sentient chaotic creatia from causing damage in Oblivion via realm rips. Riparius says, "trying to keep ahead of it all keeps Peryite mighty busy, but nobody really feels sorry for him." Apparently he earned it, but nothing is said about why. I wonder if whatever slight he committed dates back to the Convention or the creation of the Mundus. What did he do to draw the ire of the other Princes? Why is is sphere so much more nuanced - favoring neither Oblivion nor the Mundus but supporting both?

He is polite with mortals almost universally which already makes him a bit of an aberratio, apparently took enough pity on (or had enough use for) Zaan the Scalecaller (hi @scalecallerpeak ) that he raised her from the dead and gifted her Spellbreaker, the reachmen respect him for making them stronger through adversity...

Sorry, I'm just talking about why I think he's cool now. My answer is none of them.