esvie/aka | 22 | she/her
elder scrolls sideblog of @aethersflames. mostly reblogs but working on putting out more original stuff. art, screenshots, stories, oc's and more. known beastfolk and altmer enthusiast
To encourage infighting among the Daedric Princes, we are going to release their popularity rankings, as chosen by you all choosing to view their articles.
In first place, we have Molag Bal, although Azura was directly below him. Unsurprisingly, third place ended up being Sheogorath. The rankings of every Daedric Prince known to us, from first to last would be:
i really think thereās some fucked up shit going on with elsweyr/khajiit culture. like, itās very heavily appropriated by its neighbors. thereās a lot of other things i could get into, like martial arts and shit, but iām thinking about their religion and mythology.Ā
nowhere in any other creation myth in tamriel (or elsewhere, for that matter) is a story like the anuad presented, of anu and padomay as brothers and nir as anuās wife, giving birth to the other etāada in specific order, ending with nirās death. nowhere, except of course, for the khajiit. the story given by clan mother ahnissi isnāt identical, but it has many similarities - nir in the anuad is replaced with fadomai, and ahnurr takes on the anuadās padomay role as well. ahnissiās nirni instead takes on a different role, one after the primary events of the anuad, after the death of her mother, as the mother of mortals.Ā
but this specific arrangement of designating the original duality as either brothers or husband-wife is not found anywhere else in any other myths. if i had to guess, i would definitely assume that the khajiitās came first. the imperials likely took it for their own, but changed that storyās padomaic bent and painted anu as the true benevolent force in the aurbis.Ā
āļø matthias, my hero of kvatch, a thief (half of the grey fox along with his twin sister) turned knight turned madgod turned saint. he's crowned in marigolds (grief, mourning, the sun, the divine, guiding spirits to their afterlives) and bay leaves (glory, victory, protection against witches and devils, "i change but in death"), and surrounded by poppies (pleasure, sacrifice, remembrance, oblivion). also, he wants to know what's in your pockets... āļø
I imagine that, in a nordic context, Mara takes the role of the protector of the family ahead of the god of the family. Like obviously she still protects the family regardless of the pantheon, but in skyrim she is very specifically the protector. Given that she's the she-wolf and all, it feels logical for her to fill that role. Rather than gathering her children into a soft, warm kind of love, she circles them, guarding, lashing out at predators.
adding some details to this because it's gotten some traction and I have more thoughts
walls in nurseries and children's bedrooms are hung with wolf pelts, both for warmth and to bring in Mara's protection. It is also common for swaddling clothes to be made of wolf pelts.
Amulets of Mara vary in style and construction, but wolf fangs are one of the more commonly used materials, especially for those who aren't particularly wealthy. These are hung in doorways, tucked into babies' clothing, and given as wedding presents.
There are stories of lost children being taken in by wild wolves and protected until their parents can find them. Many consider this an old wives' tale, but many others believe these wolves to be manifestations of Mara.
if kyne has hawks then i think itd be cool if namira had vulturesā¦ birds of prey who actively hunt vs ones who are generally more on the scavenging already decomposing life sideā¦ i think itād be neat
July/Sun's Height 12th is a special day for a certain two oc's of mine...
... but the significance is different for each, and the resulting irony is delicious.
for Kytha, this day is her birthday. something she holds in high regard, especially as the favoured child of her family, always told that she would be destined for greatness. though she is still a relatively young mer by the time my characters' stories take place (4E 201 and the years beyond) she already has plenty of experience under her belt, and never hesitates to flaunt the progress of her ruthless climb to power.
(how in-line her behaviour is, with the traits associated with her birthsign of the Apprentice)
... which is why she finds it supremely infuriating that it is also a day that her sworn enemy can celebrate over the very reason of her hatred. the constant reminder that the bloodline she was born into is far from perfect.
because for Aeva, this day is one dedicated to bringing awareness to, and celebrating the beauty in the one feature that she has otherwise been shunned and ridiculed by her family and many others of her race for: her heterochromia. to know that elsewhere, what most of her people deem "an anomalous mark of inferior breeding" is instead perceived as simply a particularly striking natural variation, certainly would boost her self-image.
it is the one time of the year that she can clap back against her sister who has bullied her so much over it.
So I want to get my little Solstice rant out there...
So, the season of the worm cult is finally here, and with it our beloved bread boy. But at what costā¦ Suffice it to say Iām still pretty much heartbroken about what happened, even though Iām so happy about all these beloved characters coming back. But that doesnāt mean Iām 100% satisfied with how the story went.
The story, at its core, is good -Ā but the ending isnāt great
I want to preface this by saying that I think the zone was great overall, though some of that certainly comes down to personal preference as I really enjoy Sanguine content, and the main story was, for the most part, really good as well! Not good enough to give Summerset or Elsweyr a run for their money, but definitely good enough that I got insanely emotional over it (holy shit the music during Gabbyās farewellā¦ I cried), something I genuinely missed these last few years.
I am also still not over that one conversation with Gabrielle, where she admitted to being in love with Darien.
That said, I think whatever was up with the Gift of Death was handled just a tiny bit poorly, and so was Darienās writing. (Iāll talk about that later, but want to preface it by saying I absolutely donāt blame the writers for this one!) The last quest had its great (if terribly sad) moments, but also just a few weaknesses that I hope might be cleared up in part 2.
This is gonna be a long one, so Iām gonna put it under a cut.
What the hell is Darien and why isnāt it talked about anymore: The Summerset Memory Gap
Anyone remember that bit of dialogue in Summerset? The one where we could approach Darien and basically go āYouāre not really a Breton, are you?ā, and heād say he didnāt really know himself? We know that man has barely any memory of his early life, and while we know he has a āfatherā, this might all simply be due to altered memories. Other people have discussed this in far greater detail, but basically there are a few things that Darien could be, and my list is by no means complete:
- Someone who used to be a normal Breton, and is now something a bit different, changed by Meridia
- A vessel holding some of Meridiaās power, who acts as her champion when she wishes to get involved
- A Demiprince of Meridia
Personally, I think itās between option 1 and 2, but my point in all of this is that Darien was never, to my understanding, really dead. We know from his one letter found in Orsinium that after Coldharbour, he retained his consciousness at least, and after Summerset we assumed that he was, well, gone, but again, not dead, just dormant until Meridia needed him again.Ā
And I would assume the Vestige would have told Gabrielle this, and yet she believed him to be really dead and decided that therefore, she could bring him back with the Gift of Death.
So why does Gabrielle get that idea when she should know Darien is not really dead? And why did it work?Ā
Was itĀ
a) a really lucky coincidence, with the Gift being a tainted Light of Meridia and using it for its assumed purpose purifying it, but the Coloured Rooms already changing its functionality so that Gabrielle could actually āsummonā Darien?
Or was it
b)Ā that its use within Meridiaās realm purified it, as Darien said, but it was only returned to its original state? Which would then mean that this caught Meridiaās attention and she sent Darien, because the artifact likely wouldnāt have worked that way anymore.
Itās a bit confusing, and I kinda like to know which option it is, because I want to know if if was Gabrielle or Meridia who really did the thing. Iāll take it though, even though I feel like itās a flaw in the storyās logic. But Iām really not too happy with Gabrielle really thinking of Darien as dead instead of trapped somewhere else.
Omitting previously established lore
And that, specifically,Ā leaves me with some questions. What on earth happened to the hints that we were fed during Darienās seven year MIA phase? Thereās just the general Meridia negativity that was all over Southern Elsweyr and Greymoor (remember Southern Elsweyr daily quest man, who repeatedly informed us she was not good and liked stealing people).Ā
And then there were also really solid clues that there was something up with Meridia, namely one quest, also in Southern Elsweyr, where it was explicitly stated that sheās in need of a new, more loyal champion, as well as the Kilkreath quest in Greymoor, where Meridia did fuck all to stop literal undead from overrunning her followers, leading me to believe something was preventing her from intervening. Even if she didnāt care about her followers, undead in her temple are canonically something she hates and wants OUT.
There was also the fact that Gabrielle quite literally told us she joined the Antiquarian Circle for Darien-related reasons. Girl was researching how to break into the Coloured Rooms. Mind you, this was also after Summerset, so we can assume that even with the Golden Knight Vanishing Act 2, she didnāt believe he was dead at that point. Again, the Vestige would have told her.
So why does she suddenly act like she believes just that in Solstice? Where did all the rest of the lore go?
The only thing I can come up with is that all of it was discarded to make the whole thing more palatable/easier to get into for new and returning players who havenāt been frantically checking every DLC for even vaguely Meridia-themed scraps and who the writers either canāt or wonāt expect to catch up on several years of clue hunting.Ā
The Season of the Worm Cult was marketed as a continuation of the base game story, so everyone was aware of that. But new players and those returning after a long time might not know about Summerset, and really, that was seven years ago. Many folks who were around for Summerset arenāt playing anymore. I imagine the quest was written with a target audience in mind that doesnāt recall events from every chapter that ever happened.
Now why does the writing feel a little flat in some places?
There were a few little things bothering me as I was making my way through the MQ. I think the biggest thing that concerned me at the end was how flat everything felt after Gabrielleās death. Mostly Darienās reactions to it, especially with how Gabrielle spoke of him before. He references her, honors her sacrifice of course, but he just seems to take it all in stride. I know that this is partly just due to how he is ā ever-cheerful, optimistic guy who pushes forward because thereās no other way ā but I would have liked to see some genuine grief from him instead of a bread joke someone snuck into his dialogue. (Yeah, I smiled. But still.) Especially after everyone was safely out of the Coloured Rooms and there was no more need to run off and face the Wormies.
I also think the entire MQ veryā¦ impersonal at times? In some places it feels like the Vestige and everyone around them suffer from memory loss specifically affecting their personal relationships, unless you make it a point to go through specific dialogue options. I know that, again, this is likely so that any new player can jump right in and not constantly wonder āWhy does this NPC talk to me as if weāre old friends?ā, but thatās canonically what they are! Especially Covenant Vestiges! They have been close with most of the characters involved in Solstice for - depending on how you interpret the timeline - years! In my case, I go with āone chapter per yearā so my girlās known them for 10 years. These people are more important to her than anything else and I would have very much appreciated to be able to lean into that a bit more.
And, like, I get it! Weāre coming off a series of one or two year standalone stories that you could jump into without any previous knowledge. Blackwood, High Isle, Necrom and Gold Road as well as any additional DLC during those years required absolutely no knowledge of previous stories or returning characters. (Iām counting Blackwood since having played Orsinium was in no way relevant to what was going on there, aside from having met Eveli before, whereas in the Markarth DLC, for example, it would have been a good idea going in with knowledge of Rivenspire.) So yeah, going back to referencing older content more might be an adjustment, but it would be so much better for the depth of the story!Ā Ā
Is it rushed?
In my opinion, the ending is. I would have wished for Gabrielleās death to have a bigger impact especially on Darien (who also might just love her) and Skordo (whoās been her friend for years). I would have liked an option for the Vestige to address the topic with them, because the Vestige is also among her closest friends. I suppose I was just a bit bothered by how quickly the quest was concluded. I know that itās intended to be just āthe middle of thingsā and thereās gonna be a whole bunch of Stirk Fellowship folks arriving at any moment, but to me it seemed like at least some of the people already there should have beenā¦ in shock? Grieving? At the end. As it is, Azahās grief over Merricās death in the prologue was given more room than what surely the characters would have felt about Gabby dying, and that doesnāt sit right with me.
My advice: Make a choice who youāre writing these quests for!
In all honesty? In my experience there are only two types of people playing this game. Those who actively go questing, listen to all the dialogue and know what happens in the story, and those who rush through for skill points and achievements. If anything, there is a very small āmiddle groupā who has a vague idea of whatās going on but doesnāt particularly care.
So, dear writers, just write for the group that actually loves your work. For the small but dedicated fanbase thatās been (in this case) turning over every pebble in search of Darien hints for the last seven years. For the people who can handle more than the most straightforward, simplified storylines. That means you donāt have to go āPreviously on ESOā¦ā as if we can only play one quest per week (one little summary at the start of the second half of an arc is okay and much appreciated). Instead, you could give the characters more depth and feelings, and you could bring in references to long-ago DLC and simply assume that the person who actually reads through all the quests/listens to the dialogue will remember and know what itās about. I promise. It would improve the quality of the quests so much and be a huge step in returning them to the insane level they were on in the base game and certain older chapters and DLC.
Yes, I know the writers will never read this. I am a small blog with no reach. I also know itās just a dream of mine and they probably have been told to make the quests easily accessible for people who have no idea about previous stories. But I still wanted to get it out there.
Still, and I need this to be understood, I LIKED this questline. I have been waiting for it for seven years and Iām so glad to have it.
That being said, I see three ways this could endā¦
Now, as for my predictions regarding how the whole thing will turn out: Mannimarco and Vanus both have to come out of this alive (or close enough to it anyhow), if not, practically ancient TES lore will be contradicted. But what of our beloved friends?
We finally get a happy ending (not bloody likely)
There is a chance, however small, that we somehow get to save Gabrielle and keep Darien, this time around. Knowing Darien and his role in previous arcs, itās not likely, but a woman can hope, right? It would be a nice ending to the whole Worm Cult mess, with the Daggerfall gang all back together, without any dead or missing friends this time. In all honesty though, one of the reasons I think this wonāt be the case is that Gabrielle being in love with Darien and him having some feelings for her at least is now canon. That paired with the fact that so many people ship Darien with their Vestiges, and the writers maybe not wanting to take Darien away from player characters, makes the whole thing a tiny bit complicated, doesnāt it? I suppose weāll see if we get flirty dialogue options for him like we did for Raz. (I sure hope not...)
We lose them both and the Vestige goes bonkers
Thereās also the distinct possibility that weāre gonna get hit with a worst case scenario: Gabrielle stays dead and Darien, once again, sacrifices himself and the cycle starts again. Now, if this happens, I genuinely doubt weāre ever going to see Darien again after that ā weāre not going to get him back another time, or it would begin to feel less impactful. That said, my Vestige at the very least would absolutely lose it if this happened. That woman has been held together by a support system of one Orc warrior, one Breton mage and a gaggle of vampires for the last few years. If she loses even one more of them, her sanity might just walk off the nearest cliff. I canāt be the only one with this problem.
The Switch Back
And then thereās the third option, in which Darien and Gabrielle switch back ā he sacrifices himself, maybe even permanently this time, to bring her back. I donāt want to think about this one too much. Mostly because Darien/Gabrielle is my OTP.
This is it for now ā big rambling post of the year concluded. What do you all think? I would love to yap about your thoughts with you!
