#bug squad tag

[vounoura]

hey! so a couple of years ago I finally managed to source a physical collector's edition for ESO: Morrowind bc I collect that sort of thing, including a pristine copy of Naryu's Journal which I consider my most prized possession lmao. I usually keep it in a cabinet and don't touch it much to keep it in good condition, but I pulled it out and cracked it open today to see it bc it also doubles as an artbook for ESO's pre-CWC DLCs.

Something that's not included in the transcripts on UESP and the Imperial Library is the fact that each of Naryu's targets has a charcoal drawing of their faces, so for all two people that care (me and uh. one other person lol) abt this Tong lore, I'm dropping it here to save it. Also, this is the official appearance of Naryu's adopted brother.

In order: first page, Vonos Bero, Odral Quintayn, Vuldronu Oth, Rels and Myrvyna Llothri, Tlera Verano, Dathus Ildram, Rythe Verano, Naryu concept art

[vounoura]

speaking of prized possessions, a few months back I also managed to source a full copy of the Morag Tong lootcrate from back when those were running

[vounoura]

remember when naryu canonically stole someone's whole ass cat

[vounoura]

me thinking abt how Naryu, a Tong executioner from birth and thus Mephala adherent, has love and violence closely entwined all the way down to even the concept of parenthood as the Tong makes sure to frame even business relationships like teacher and student as parental (not to mention how her position, as most definitely is pretty standard, is an inheritance from her father) or between Tong members as familial by calling a few ranks words like ‘brother’ and ‘sister’, and how for Naryu as a Mephala adherent sex and violence are explicitly connected and sex is often simply a tool through which to conduct violence, and how a close relationship with an outside party like the Vestige, romantic or otherwise gives her a snapshot of a life without the blood that she never got the choice to have even if she otherwise doesn’t regret who she is:

[vounoura]

I’ve never been able to formulate this thought correctly but the existence of a treaty between Dunmer and Argonians via the Ebonheart Pact might be interesting for the Tong, ie. Argonians heavily venerate Sithis, the patron of their rival sister guild

idk someone smarter than me complete the thought

[vounoura]

I honestly think some of the most interesting Tong lore in MW is that the Tong, even in 3E, an organization heavily tied to Dunmer culture (esp. housemer culture) and mostly dedicated to murdering belligerents in lieu of civil war, not only freely distances itself from the Tribunal (Tong HQ freely reveres Mephala, not Vivec, even in 3E) but also freely accepts Ashlanders and non-Dunmer without any fanfare. I love that this is environmental storytelling vs smth that’s explicitly drawn attention to

[vounoura]

The fact that Taros will still give you Mephala’s quest to kill Balyn Omavel even if you’re not a Tong member might legitimately be one of the funniest things in Morrowind

[vounoura]

I just utterly love how batshit the Tong is on a daily basis. the Potentate incident. all of 2E Tong. like 3E Tong is less obvious about it but it still has a dead guy stuffed into a closet for no reason and has Mephala herself get so pissed off at a dude she sends you to kill him personally. 4E Tong spends like 30 years trying to kill one guy and fails