I like reading into various characters backstories and motivations. I recently restarted Skyrim after the new update, and I'm going through the normal beginner stuff like running to Whiterun. I passed by Olfina Gray-Mane on my way to Jorrvaskr, and noticed for the first time that she had a similar name to Olfrid Battle-Born. Given the clans past friendship, I wondered if she had been named in honor of him.

If you ask Vignar Gray-Mane about the Companions he will say this:

"They used to be something. Nowadays they just squabble amongst themselves. Take my advice and keep away. You look too smart to get caught up with this bunch."

Brill will tell you that Vignar is just an old man that likes to complain. But it seems like he's actively warning you away from the Companions due to the current internal debate over lycanthropy. Kodlak is desperate about finding the cure, so he can escape Hircine and go to Sovngarde, while the devoutly religious Vignar apparently doesn't need the cure (suggesting that he didn't partake in the beast blood ritual).

When asked about the Battle-Borns, Vignar has a few lines that show he still respects the Battle-Borns and laments their lost friendship.

"We Gray-Manes have been feuding with the Battle-Borns for years. There's no more bitter enemy than an old friend."

"Aye, they're an old clan like ours, but they cast their lot with the Empire when the uprising began. Olfrid Battle-Born made his money from farming, an' got himself some new friends among the Empire's nobles. Now he's in the Emperor's pocket like the rest of 'em, with no regard for honor an' tradition."

"Aye, we used to be fast friends, though it was long ago. We were two of the city's oldest an' most-respected clans, an' we could trace our histories all the way back to Ysgramor's companions. But then Olfrid got rich an' decided he an his kin were too good for us simple, backwards Nord folk. When the troubles began, he took the Empire's side. We haven't spoken much since then."

Notice how Vignar's lines are much more respectful than Olfrid's explanation of the feud. Olfrid is much more dismissive of the Gray-Manes. He also claims that Vignar is jealous of his wealth. However, the Gray-Manes only criticize their wealth in terms of being corrupt and snobbish, which they are on both accounts (Olfrid is a Thieves Guild contact).

"Uncivilized, pelt-wearing axe-draggers. It's a wonder they don't still live in a cave like those ancestors they keep boasting about. It's true the Vignar Gray-Mane and his lot are one of Whiterun's oldest and, depending on who you ask, most respected clans. I don't dispute that. But it's one thing to take pride in your lineage, and another to cling blindly to the past. What they call honor and tradition, I call ignorance."

"Money, you laggard! What else? It always comes down to coin. The Gray-Manes have deep roots in Whiterun, but so do we. Difference is, we're rich, and Vignar hates it. Oh, and they hate it, too. All their big talk of pride and honor, and what have they got to show for it? Beggar's rags and stale bread. We've got the same pride, the same honor, and we've got wealth. No wonder they envy us."

If you ask Olfrid about Thorald's disappearance, he is mostly dismissive.

"What's there to say? You go against the Empire, you wind up dead. Thorald got what was coming to him. Best not to ask too many questions about it. People might get the wrong idea about you."

Meanwhile, his son actually has this to say:

"Between the two of us, his family is better off thinking he's dead. Thorald and I have a history, all right? We used to be friends. So I looked into it when he disappeared. I found out the Thalmor have him. And they don't let anyone go. So I've kept my mouth shut. Like I said, his family is better off believing he's gone, because he's never coming back"

Both of them harass Thorald's poor mother and taunt her about her son never coming back, but only one of them has any justification for it.

Additionally, none of the Battle-Born children appear to be named after the Gray-Manes.

I think this would suggest that Vignar and Eorlund valued the friendship with the Battle-Borns much more than Olfrid did.

In the Five Songs of King Wulfharth we hear that Shor-as-Wulfharth made peace with the Orcs, and presumably Orkey-Mauloch-Malacath who he fought earlier, in preparation with for the Battle at Red Mountain. This is notable to me, as the Orcs represent Trinimalacath, the Witness at Convention. With Red Mountain involving a Dragon Break and at least one enaction of the Enantiomorph, this is intriguing. Spitballing ideas, does it suggest the Nordic army was playing the roll of Witness in some way? What theories are there on its significance?

What race is jagar tharn

I love the lore and history of the orcs in TES universe especially the almost sysiphean task of them trying to form a strong and stable homeland but being thwarted every time by other races or infighting.

It's been a long time since an orc really tried to establish a new Orsinium or improve orc perception among the other races, so if the Dragonborn was born an orc how could they leverage their power (literal and political) to improve the lives of the orcs across Tamriel?

The Dragonborn has access to anything they can get in Skyrim special edition and has completed the main stories.

My current thoughts are they should definitely side with the empire, they are way more tolerant of orcs then any other faction and may support the idea of a powerful united state of the best fighters and blacksmiths in the world loyal to them. Especially since the Thalmor would be a common threat to unite around.

I think after saving the world, stopping the rebellion, and potentially destroying the dark brotherhood who tried to assassinate the emperor, they would be very willing to assist the Dragonborn especially since they'd also be a tide shifting force in the war against the dominion.

I think for uniting the orcs themselves, the closest others have come is using the cult of Trinamac. Uniting orcs under the banner of a former aedra who was brutally betrayed but can be restored through their devotion could be the best way to unite the scattered orc clans under one banner.

The Dragonborns strength and connection to Akatosh, Auriel would also strengthen this as Trinamac was Auriel's general.

I think there's a decent amount of evidence in the lore that Trinamac could legitimately be restored but that's mostly speculation so either way I think it would be the best move politically.

This idea was inspired by The Puppet King mod for Skyrim, by the way.

I’ve been thinking about the College of Winterhold questline, and something about the Dwemer’s apparent lack of involvement with the Eye of Magnus doesn’t quite make sense to me.

The Dwemer are famous for being fascinated with and studying powerful divine artefacts like the Heart of Lorkhan. So much so that they developed sophisticated technology to locate these sources of magical power. The College questline gives us a first hand account of this when we visit Mzulft to use the Oculatory in order to find the Staff of Magnus. The Eye of Magnus itself was clearly visible of the projected map.

Given that the Dwemer were present in Skyrim during the Merethic Era, it seems reasonable to assume that they knew about the Eye or had some indication that there was an incredibly powerful source of magical power in Saarthal. They would also be aware of the conflict between the Snow Elves and Atmorans/ early Nords that centred around Saarthal.

What I find strange, is that there seems to be no indication about why the Dwemer never tried to acquire the Eye. It seems exactly like the type of artefact their society would be interested in studying, and I find it difficult to believe that Ysgramor and the 500 Companions could prevail against the Dwemer if they launched a military campaign to acquire it.

A hypothesis that I have thought of is potential political infighting and internal instability among the Dwemer - similar to what happened with the Aetherium Wars later. This could potentially have resulted in difficulty organising and mobilising a force to take the Eye by force.

Are there any established explanations or lore that addresses why the Dwemer never tried to acquire the Eye of Magnus?

Written by: Shagrol gro-Kirzgal

Swords cut good. Better for stabbing. Axes are heavy and slow. Axes chop good. Bleed more. Maces are heaviest. Maces crush armor. Kill little breton knights.

Two swords better than one. Mace and sword best for knights. Crush armor then stab the crushed bits. Kills puny knights easy.

Axes Shagrol favorite for killing. Heavy like maces. Cut like sword. Shagrol likes blood. If you like blood use axe. Axe is best.

Years ago I remember reading a post about the Numidium on this subreddit. My memory is foggy but I remember a few details:

• It was about the Numidium facing down a group of people
• The Numidium used the phrase "NO" and the power of negation to wipe people out of existence
• Somehow the people or person it was facing down managed to defeat the Numidium using "YES" or "I AM" or something along the lines
• The Numidium eventually came to the realisation of "I AM NOT" and then died

I could be misremembering some details but does this sound familiar to anyone? I believe this post was tagged as Apocrypha

Ok, here me out before you throw stones...

Elder Scrolls has magic, so while I doubt it will ever be mentioned or show up in game, who's to say there's not magic or alchemy potion or even a ritual for two lesbians to have biological children together?

Don't know about two males having bio kids together though

So for context in Battlespire the weapon carried by Si'ess (who is the dark seducer who has the crescent on the cover and opening cutscene) is a specific artifact called the Broadsword of the Moon Reiver (being called broadsword and looking like a generic sword is most likely just due to Battlespire artifacts being random generic items with unique enchantments like the Spear of Bitter Mercy, and is shortened to just Sword in dialogue and notes) and since outside gameplay she is always shown to be wielding a daedric crescent it is pretty clear that the daedric crescent in Battlespire is the Sword of the Moon Reiver and therefore the weapon made of Dagon's essence, just with no unique art for it.

All the evidence for this was discovered by a UESP user named Hagrin Frost-Eye, and his more detailed explanation is here: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore_talk:Daedric_Crescent

While the Daedric Crescent's name and lore in Morrowind is most likely the result of it's writer (understandably) misunderstanding/being unaware of the previously established lore of the weapon on Battlespire's cover when wanting to add it, it doesn't exactly go against Battlespire's lore as:

1. There are several daedric structures in Battlespire with similar crescent shapes
2. It is established in Battlespire that daedra often fashion weapons to mimic the shape of their patron prince's artifacts, with Hernes crafting replicas of the spear of bitter mercy and thinking the real one is simply a very well made replica (though not as good as their own) when you obtain it
3. No weapon has a unique appearance in battlespire so retroactively there could be many swords used by daedra that are actually crescents (this is part is just speculation on my part)

With all this in mind, I wonder whether or not (from a lore standpoint) the Crescent wielded by Volar in Morrowind is actually just a regular crescent that happened to be undestroyed or if it survived because it is the Sword of the Moon Reiver, it's name and significance lost to mortals, and surviving because it is unable to truly be destroyed since it's a daedric artifact.

EDIT: Clarified that the sword has no unique art and that the part about crescents being in battlespire would be retroactive

sorry, weird question but i’ve always been a bit confused by this

i have this Breton character, Emilie Dusant, and she’s some talented mage and daughter of some Breton lord yadda yadda

when i’ve been playing and writing her, she’s a devout worshipper of Julianos and abhors the Daedra, but she’s also incredibly fascinated with the Dwemer and studies them.

a lot of the Conjuration spells i’ve found in this modlist i’m playing (Nordic Souls) have been to summon Dwemer machines, which is cool! but i always thought Conjuration magic was straight up about doing Daedra shit, like bringing them from their respective planes and whatnot. would the Dawnguard and the Vigilants of Stendarr also be using Conjuration magic? i figured they won’t because that goes completely against their whole thing

same for this Altmer Priestess of Auriel character i’m playing right now, Nimarie, i feel like due to the nature of her being an Altmer and worshipping the Aedra that she’d abhor anyone who uses Conjuration magic because that associates with the Daedra

i guess my real question is, would a mage put aside all that worshipping shit just to use Conjuration magic to be more powerful? or would they view Conjuration magic as evil Daedra-related actions and avoid using it?

thanks y’all!

How were the Dwemer able to make their Automatons cognitive. They clearly posses some degree of cognition since they can respond and adapt to their environment, but I can’t find anything mention any sort of brain. At first I thought it might be the soul gem or dynamo core but most sources suggest the soul gem is a powerful source and the dynamo core essentially uses the soul gems energy to produce heat to power the constructs steam engine.

There's a dialogue line in Morrowind: "The Empire is built on the arts, crafts, and sciences of the High Elves. "

What are said developments?

And while it makes sense on a basic level that Altmer (alongside Imperials) would be the innovators of Tamriel, I'm curious to see examples of what the Altmer pride themseleves on so much.

For example, the Direnni are commonly known as the ones who laid the foundation for modern alchemy, conjuration, and enchanting.
Can we attribute certain architecture or art trends, judicial practices or technological development to the Altmer?

I'm open to more exaggarated sources or even dubious claims, I'm just trying to conceptualize a further response to that first quote I've left.

I need to know because I'm looking to put in an art commission of the Nordic Gods as furry characters, each God's species corresponding to their associated animal totem, so Shor = fox furry, Kyne = hawk furry etc

The tricky thing is that 2 of the Testing Gods, Herma Mora and Mauloch, don't really have their own animal totem. Luckily Mora already has plenty of animalistic elements to his character so he was simple enough, he can be depicted as a rabbit-squid hybrid tentacle crab thing

Mauloch on the other hand doesn't really have much to go off of, at least not to my admittedly apprentice-level lore knowledge. Does anyone smarter than me know of any prominent animals associated with Malacath or even Trinimac because I need to know

​

Hello, I'm writing a little fanfiction about my Argonian in Skyrim and I want to make it lore friendly. The idea is that she is born under a sick hist which makes her weird and frail and lost.

Is there anything else that could happen if the hist is sick?

Is Galathil, the face sculptors service illegal?

I also have a Khajiit who was very badly injured and is now disfigured.

Is there some kind of magic or ritual that can fix him?

I imagine that normal restoration only heals wounds but leaves scars.

Maybe something sinister or some kind of illusion? I dont know.

If the Khajiit touches a Peryite artifact and get sick, can he be healed?

How long is the journey from Winterhold to Markarth?

Like a toothbrush or straight razor? Could I make ear plugs? A valve? Maybe a prosthesis? A bottle? Luggage?

What are the limits?

Can you summon an ethereal version of a dremora? Not an actual dremora, but a fake one that looks like a dremora with the blue ethereal glow you see in Skyrim.

Regarding the Black Atlas of Lyg

By Callax Dorminus Haeccides, Librarium-Curate of the Imperial Mages Guild.

To his Eminence Chancellor Ocato

19th of Second Seed, 3E 389

In the past, The Mages’ Guild had a task of surveying the cosmos for esoteric realms over which the Emperor may eventually exert his primacy.

Having already brokered treaties with the 16 Princes of Oblivion by default of being Emperor of the White Gold Tower;

Most planes of Oblivion proved trivial for occupation given the proper ritual engagements and so aren't an overall concern.

But as you might have gathered, given our frequent reports over the past few years; The Realm of Hermaeus Mora has proven a matter of intrigue with rumors of a new sort of “Black Book” passing into his realm of Apocrypha.

One that might give the Emperor more resources and influence in the Mundex Plane.

The existence of the Black Books of Hermaeus Mora are well documented but are not of themselves well understood. Those who read the Black Books scarcely return unchanged.

I will leave it to your imagination as to what those horrid changes might be as the topic of this report is of a peculiar Instance of Black Book known to be in the possession of the Scholarchs of Apocrypha as “The Black Atlas of Lyg.”

In short, it is reported that it is a book of charts and maps detailing a series of strange incongruous geographic locations all supposedly connected in the same space, a sort of “Mismatched Continent”

The book is said to be divided into twelve chapters that all contain geographic and ecological and historical reports claiming Fully Accurate description of “The Continent of Lyg.”

Although the author of the book appears to vary page by page, rather even paragraph by paragraph, sometimes purporting the existence of lands created or destroyed by various famous or obscure divine figures of the past, present or even the future.

It is said all of the Histories of Each Chapter converge into a singular historic motif of a divine creator or destroyer being, having a bleeding hole gouged in their chest, before the chapter ends by describing a torrential flood of black liquid, and the next chapter starting as if the previous did not exist.

But you may begin to ask why this artifact may be of any interest to his Exalted Excellency's rightful reign over the Mundus.

You see, “The Black Atlas” purportedly contains a kind of tenuous fabric to its pages.

It is reported that under certain conditions, the chart-work ripples like water, and one can travel right into the various landscapes that the documents depict.

These are not mere trespass into dimensions of Oblivion; these are traversals into elsewise unrecorded realms within the very fabric of Mundus itself dubbed “Adjacent Places”

Inhabitants of these dimensions appear to be always long extinct or displaced into the outlying oceans surrounding their aching maroon landscapes. Colonial efforts regarding these places should prove trivial.

It is by this reason that these spaces are of immense interest to the Mages Guild in regards to providing the Empire access to an untapped array of mineral resources, farmland and other provisions, as well as having an effective military advantage in that transport between these adjacent places and the regular mundus simply requires the presence of the Black Atlas itself and the requisite portal rituals.

We merely request the Emperor's aid in Gold and Steel in acquiring the book itself from The Wizards of Hermaeus Mora's realm, who doubtlessly use such an artifact to defile The Emperor's Sacred Land and Harass his people in secret.

Enclosed alongside this letter is a writ detailing the resources the Mages’ Guild believes is required to acquire this artifact.

Signed, Haeccides,

Glory Be To Emperor, Country, and Red Diamond

If so, then I bet the Ravenwatch Vampires treat their cattle far better than the Volkihar Vampires treat theirs. I wish the Volkihar Dragonborn could make their Vampire brethren treat their thralls better, though at least they seem to treat the Moth Priest thrall well.

What were they thinking when they did this? It's true that this move brought thousands of years of peace (from dragons) to Tamriel/Skyrim but they're literally just screwing over the future. They didn't know when he'd arrive in the future, or what kind of warriors would be there to combat Alduin. There are no Thu'um users in 4E Skyrim apart from Ulfric, The Greybeards and us as the Dragonborn. Thank God a Dragonborn happened to be incarnated in this time period.

[Been thinking about this idea for a while. Basically wondered how a cameras or photographers could look in universe. Hope it fits here.]

The practice of shadow-trapping is quite obscure and exotic indeed.
In the end the price for a session is too expensive to be worth-while for mere commoners and most nobles prefer to be immortalized in much more detailed form by the way of painting instead.

There however were quite few curious servants the kings and eccentric nobles taking interest in the practice.
And also some purely not willing to wait in one single position several hours before their portrait is finalized.

How does it work do I hear you ask?
Traditionally, the process is as simple as the namesake implies not. No trapping of shadows, freezing of their form, or forcing them to become an art project is happening.

Instead all shadow-trapper needs is knowledge to cast pure Meridian light, or have scroll or staff (client's favorite for the thud summoner makes while casting) imbued with such spell as well as pair or more of blindfolds. Pure Meridian light is known for turning people into physical equals of the Moth priests.
Such intense light makes the very walls pale on contact and by the end of the session an outline of the client is formed by parts of the light being obstructed by their very body.

There however is another process.
Instead of the "trapping" of the "shadows" some shadow-trappers simply brew a concoction of bleeding crown, juniper berries, and just a slight bit of moon sugar, which they brew until it is burn charred, apply this thin layer of salve on the desired wall, let the dark slimy liquid be absorbed by the wall, and cast simple Mageflare letting all unobstructed solution be burnt away by the spell.

Although more traditional shadow-trappers call practitioner of this sessions "charlatans", they are the ones to become much more desirable for clients for this practice doesn't carry a risk of blindness with itself as well as not carrying temporary, yet quite undesirable skin darkening.

One Auridon noble by the name of Laryss raised a complaint that for 2 weeks after the session her skin condition gave her too much of a bosmeri appearance.

“The Blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour will blind the eye of the dragon”?
As far as I’m aware, Magnus isn’t depicted as a Dragon in appearance.

Akatosh(AuRiEl) be like: that’s a nice thing you’ve created. It would be a shame if it wasn’t yours anymore:). Or did Magnus nope out of dodge so hard he wasn’t even aware of the turd he left in the sky.

On a Serious note, I really don’t like Bethesda screwing the Lore up with Dawnguard I feel like the DLC writers wanted to do their own thing instead of following expanded Lore material.
The Eye of the dragon line in the prophecy was written by Vyrthur supposedly, a Snow Elf. Who believe Auriel, supposed the same entity as Akatosh. looks like an Elf, not a Dragon.
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDD!!!!!!!

Elder Scrolls Lore has given me a stroke three times trying to comprehend it all.
Apparently Akatosh’s true form is a planet that appears in the sky. But is a realm that is actually infinite in size. However whenever he chooses to appear in Mundus, he takes the form of a dragon. 😭

What would Lord Indoril Nerevar think about his prophesized reincarnation being of a different race than elven? I mean, Racism and slavery are quite long traditions in morrowind... Actually, what were nerevar's views on slavery, too? I mean, one could give the founding fathers argument and all that...