#alftand

[infericon]

A moment of tenderness in Blackreach

Story below:

For those who don’t know, I played the Dragonborn DLC during the main quest, while searching for the Elder Scroll in Alftand. This is when I chose to save Miraak, before even finishing the main storyline. So, instead of fighting, Norana and Miraak teamed up and searched for the Elder Scroll together, exploring Blackreach side by side. At one point, Norana watched Miraak effortlessly defeat Vulthuryol, which left her doubting her own abilities as a Dragonborn. She realized she still had a long way to go and compared herself to him in silence. For Miraak, it was the first time he saw the usually confident LDB show vulnerability. It was also the first time he offered her support, reminding her that she was the one who had freed him from Apocrypha, and that alone made her worthy. So he helped her back on her feet, and together, they continued their journey.

[dustfromsaints]

[my-screenshot-dump]

[wowdetails]

Dwemer Chandelier

Alftand, Blackreach

[skyrim-dungeon-ratings]

Alftand

RATING: 8/10

First time doing this legit and immediately it’s already interesting…

The skooma addict khajit and his brother, the falmer lurking in the walls, the research notes.. it’s all very atmospheric for this first part, very ominous. There isn’t hide nor hair of the falmer until you get to the second part of the dungeon, seeing masks and egg sacks hidden just out of sight. A creeping dread. Mere hallucinations, like the late J’zhar said in his journal, when his group was trapped in by a snowstorm.

The sense of dread builds and builds as the falmer slowly begin to appear the deeper down you go, as you find the corpses and bones of many who came before. The way back up is broken. Deeper. Deeper. There is no reward for knowing these people once ventured here the same as you. Only dread. You discover the two survivors at the end, unable to progress. Stuck. Murderous. No key, no food. And you must kill them to progress, for a unique shield and little else. And then it’s down to Blackreach, where no joy lives.

It’s a really cool dungeon! It’s also not that long, surprising particularly for how imposing it seems whenever you start a playthrough. My own dislike for falmer dungeons had me using all sorts of nonsense to get around it. But it’s not that bad! I like the story especially.

[helgiafterdark]

oh, hi marc :3c

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

Aurora Orianus, on entering Alftand on the hunt for an Elder Scroll: The point remains that this is the setup for some great stories.

Erandur: Or terrible, horrifying, traumatic experiences.

Aurora: Great clearly means different things for us.

[you-are-carrying-too-much-to-run]

Moons over Alftand