THE MANY-HEADED DRAGON

[dracochrysalis]

the further i look, the closer it gets.

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𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙲𝙾𝙲𝙷𝚁𝚈𝚂𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂 : a private writing blog for the last dragonborn from the elder scrolls: skyrim. adapted to a general fantasy verse that is malleable to other verses. includes verses in dragon age, baldur's gate 3, etc. thematic explorations include: the cyclical nature of time, fate vs. free will, narrative control and the metanarrative, the sins of the father, frozen grief. 🐉 i’m also over at @doctrinate & @sanguinates

[dracochrysalis]

this blog & all of my blogs are going on indefinite hiatus. things are not looking good for my mom and i have a lot i need to figure out

[dracochrysalis]

fingertips graze o'er lake's reflection, moonlight shimmering down 'pon forms below. grass now painted silver & ethereal, night sparrows acting as evening choir. "do you think dragons dream?" with little warning, question spills forth from lips like great flood. / @maidmyth

a small smile works at fehn’s lips at the question. the pale light of the moon blankets remilia in a soft, ethereal glow. fehn watches the surface of the lake shimmer and glitter at remilia’s caress, the air around them alive with the gentle, lulling chorus of night.

“ i would like to believe so. ” fehn rests her head against her hand as she takes a few moments to contemplate. “ what do they dream of, i wonder? perhaps of the past, or of future events? do their unconscious minds get swept into the slipstream of time? ”

it is a concept that haunts her, that grand, achingly distant repository of all draconic souls: akatosh, each dov that dots the sky a sliver of something much larger than any of them, all threads that tie time itself together. a strange sense of melancholy grips her, the smile she wore dissipates as her voice softens. “ what do you think? ”

[dracochrysalis]

sooo i wanted to write up like a full history for fehn, but i think i will leave things purposefully vague! i think there’s a fun sense of intrigue that comes with that, and i enjoy the idea of dropping lore in the form of historical texts and old letters occasionally. it also allows for crossovers and verses to be more accessible, imo

[padomaeic]

i was considering dropping lore for fehn, martin, & galis primarily via letters and historical texts. so here’s a letter galis wrote to his sister after martin died

Vilvhasa,

I will begin by apologizing for any anxiety my delayed response caused you. You may call me presumptuous for such a statement, but this is no time to put on airs. I have attempted to start this letter many times, but have struggled to find the proper words.

In short: I am alive. Fehn, too, is alive. It goes unspoken that I will do everything in my power to protect her in the coming months. She will be fine.

The Empire is collapsing without Martin. I would be remiss to say that I do not have a hand in expediting the process of its death. He was the one thing justifying its existence. In the wake of his and Ocato’s deaths, there is no one left to reign me in from my more destructive tendencies. The best thing for Tamriel is to wipe the slate clean entirely. I cannot be convinced otherwise. Likewise, I cannot justify the actions I have taken in the name of the Ruby Throne, nor will I try to. This was the path that Martin chose. And it, ultimately, was for nothing. It meant nothing.

You will not hear from me for quite some time. I am uncertain if I will have the opportunity to say this again, so I will leave you with this:

Despite how strained our relationship has been over the many years we have been alive, despite the betrayal and devastation I have wreaked upon our family, you have still endeavored to be understanding and fair to me. You are much wiser than I am, and speaking with you has always brought me comfort. You have been a stern, guiding presence, always looking after my best interests and attempting to see things from my perspective. These are gifts that you have given to me, and they have never gone unnoticed. I thank you for them.

Live well, dear sister. May Azura watch over you always.

—Tytlo

[dracochrysalis]

❝ you have made quite the name for yourself here, my friend. ❞ in the many towns she finds herself stumbling into, in the many encounters with individuals across hyrule that she has, there is a sense of fond amusement in discovering that link had been there just days, sometimes hours, before, solving small crises and giving people a sense of ease. ( or, perhaps, a healthy dose of well-intentioned chaos. ) ❝ does it weigh on you? the title of hero? ❞ / @hyliaen, sc.

[virtualgoths]

I wonder what it feels like to know what the fuck is going on

[wra1thguards]

the will that is dagon

[notmorbid]

a lush and seething hell, pt. 1.

dialogue prompts from a lush and seething hell: two tales of cosmic horror by john hornor jacobs.

violence leaves its mark, and horror makes siblings of us all.

would you like to know my given name?

are you still in mourning?

you’re quite the bookworm.

we all have to work, do we not?

you do not know what i’ve been through.

there is a beyond and beneath to every person.

the world thinks you’re dead.

i’m not beautiful, and you’re not smitten.

did you know who i was before we met?

you can be very charming, when you have a mind to be.

i am old, and have nothing to lose.

at some point, every exile must return home.

what if i don’t want you to go?

you’ve got a real hard-on for authority.

sartre had it right: hell is other people.

i am a mystery, even to myself.

blood calls to blood. bad calls to bad.

i miss our conversations and our time together.

hell must be full of poor academics.

i imagine you have some questions.

the body wants to live, even if the mind has given in.

do you not remember?

are there pictures in your wallet?

the hand that kills cannot be the hand that resurrects.

there are other worlds than these.

i’m glad you reconsidered.

feed the cat. for your protection.

i don’t even know if i’ve ever loved anything.

we kill part of ourselves with each loss of innocence.

we’re all sorry. i’m sorry. you’re sorry.

maybe this place is haunted.

that’s a door you do not want to open.

there are ghosts here: ghosts of myself, ghosts of people i knew.

divorced? i didn’t know you’d even been married.

there are no endings, just beginnings.

hopefully i won’t dream tonight.

who deserves anything?

i know where i am. do you know where you are?

[dracochrysalis]

the explanation of her history is... quite lengthy, so until i get to writing out all of it, here are the key details

fehn grew up in cyrodiil around the time of the oblivion crisis

her father was my oblivion pc/hero of kvatch, galis, and she also looked up to martin as a father figure

fehn, prior to the events of skyrim, was in what was essentially magic cryosleep/stasis for 200 years in a chunk of magic amber. she does not know how it happened or who put her there

fehn spent a handful of years in morrowind before going on to skyrim

fehn has only ever canonically done the thieves guild questline out of all of the skyrim guild questlines (excluding dlcs), but is affiliated with the events of the dark brotherhood questline (while not being an active member herself) in one way or another. still figuring that out

she has mehrunes' razor. while she is not a worshiper of dagon, the temptation to be one is there

she saved miraak from apocrypha and has been dealing with the consequences of that ever since

[dracochrysalis]

❝ shadowmere seems to have taken a liking to you. ❞ the beast seems right at home in the marshy landscape of morthal. shadowmere butts her head against din's hand as he reaches out to her, her glowing scarlet eyes alert and discerning. with a quirk of his lips, fehn continues: ❝ you will have to forgive her unnerving appearance. i assure you that she is quite gentle. ❞ / @warplanet (for din), sc.

[dracochrysalis]

❝ it occurs to me that i have an affinity for becoming involved with books and scrolls of great and dubious powers. ❞ though meant as a lighthearted remark, the tone that delivers it is as flat as the grasslands to the south. the pages of the darkhold crinkle in her hands as she extends them to wanda. ❝ this is a fitting task that you’ve given me. ❞

she averts her gaze from the sprawling, swimming text that glares up at her in dark ink from the pages she relinquishes. she knows of ways to protect herself from dark magic (the protective nature of the simple spells is amplified by wanda's magic), but it is nigh-impossible to not be beckoned by its vortex.

❝ the pages have whispered to me, as you warned. ❞ fehn is no stranger to the eldritch hums of the beyond, but their promising lull always tests her will all the same. the offer of power, framed as righteous and deserved, always makes the draconic urge harbored within her rear its many heads. she settles for a half-truth and swallows down the hesitation that sticks in her throat. ❝ i am … glad to be rid of them. ❞

wanda takes the pages from her and fehn withdraws, crossing her arms over her chest. she eyes wanda with a burning, scrutinizing gaze. ❝ the book must have a powerful voice when all of it is assembled ... have you held it when it was whole, before? ❞ / @nexusbeing, sc.

[dracochrysalis]

[ 🎐 ]ㅤ.ㅤ do they have a sound, like a song or voice, that they associate with peace ?

i think the voice they associate with peace is martin’s. potentially paarthurnax’s, as well. and the voice they associate with protection (but distinctly not peace) is galis’s. / prompt

[dracochrysalis]

[ 🧩 ]ㅤ ㅤwhat’s a truth about themselves they refuse to admit ?

that killing can feel righteous and powerful. that sometimes he does want to resolve things with violence. that there have been times where he’s killed for selfish reasons or personal gain. that his judgment isn’t always impartial / prompt

[aedearly]

✎ㅤ. . .ㅤ𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺.

₊˚⊹ ㅤa collection of character analysis/headcanon questions to learn more about your character and your partners'! writing/headcanon prompts requested by anonymous. feel free to edit these as you see fit.

[ 🖐️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do their hands feel like: soft, calloused, trembling ? [ ☂️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they crave touch or fear it ? [ 🎐 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a sound, like a song or voice, that they associate with peace ? [ 🕊️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen did they feel the safest ? [ 💤 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they sleep ? curled up, sprawled, holding onto something ? [ 🦇 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a fear they never talk about ? [ 🔒 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a secret they’ve sworn never to tell ? [ 🪢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they broke a promise ? [ 🫳 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they feel they owe, but never paid back ? [ 💼 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do they always carry with them ? [ 🧨 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the quickest way to set them off, even if they hide it well ? [ ⛓️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does guilt feel like to them ? [ 💢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho have they never forgiven and never will ? [ 🩸 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there something or someone that, if lost, would break them ? [ 🌧️ ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a pain they refuse to heal from ? [ 🪞 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen have they looked at their reflection and hated what they saw ? [ 📿 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat superstition or ritual do they cling to ? [ 🌊 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they cried ? [ 🐾 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo animals like them instinctively ? [ 🪶 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they laugh ? [ 🫀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho taught them what love is ? did it hurt ? [ 💭 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they believe they’re worthy of being loved ? [ 🎀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is their main love language ? [ 🔦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they search for ? [ 📜 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a story they love sharing with others ? [ 🌒 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a dream or goal they have given up on ? [ 🕯️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat memory do they replay when they’re alone ? [ 🌪️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the one choice they regret (not) making ? [ 🧩 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s a truth about themselves they refuse to admit ? [ 🍻 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of drunk are they ? [ ✉️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of letter would they write but never send ? [ 🗡️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a scar that they have but never talk about ? [ 🕸️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a favourite lie they like to hear ? [ 🪦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat would they want on their gravestone but never admit aloud ? [ 🎱 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of future do they crave, and who’s in it ? [ 🌀 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a recurring dream or nightmare ? [ 🍃 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they feel like they belong ? [ ⚓ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does “home” mean to them ? [ 🧭 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhere would they go if they could disappear tomorrow ?

[dracochrysalis]

in the tall, arching halls of the castle, a pervasive sense of melancholy clings to the air like a ghost’s haunting. empty, lonely, gilded. these are the descriptors fehn considers apt. a strange sense of longing and familiarity passes over her, there and then gone as quickly as it came.

sparse portraits line the walls, thoughtfully displayed. her eyes roam each of them as she walks slowly, hands clasped behind her back. she notices the brushstrokes, the detailing of the features. she pauses near a portrait of a woman, a reddish tint of paint subtly gracing her lips and depicting the mild blush of her cheeks, coloring her warm with life compared to the more pallid tones of vampires. “ is this your mother? ” fehn asks in gentle consideration. a half-rhetorical question, the resemblance is as clear as day. “ she’s beautiful. she looks very kind. ” / @dhampiyr, sc.

[dracochrysalis]

“ how can you bear it? ” is there any other more pressing question to ask? she wonders. is there anything else to be gained from their meeting besides a mediation on the dead and dying? “ death, that is. ”

the cosmos expands overhead, masser and secunda hanging low in the atmosphere. on this cool, dark night, illuminated by the many stars poking holes in the sky, the veil is thin. fehn can feel it. she cannot remember if she is dreaming. she supposes it doesn’t matter.

“ forgive me, i do not mean to overstep, but— … the lives that i have taken by my own hands, the deaths that i have seen … ” she glances away briefly. she thinks of daggers through the heart. she thinks of blood spewing in long arcs. her mind wanders towards visions of all-consuming, divine dragonfire. “ they weigh so heavily on me … to witness death on such a cosmic scale, to have it embedded in your very being …” gently, she shakes her head. “ i cannot begin to imagine. ” / @deathbarer, sc.