My idea for a TES game featuring Elsweyr is that the protagonist/player is the mane but nobody believes them because there's already a corrupt leader claiming to be the mane. And of course there's an end-of-the-world scenario where you have to prove (or fail trying) that you are the mane. I'm sure they can come up with some reason for why the mane can be some other race too due to the lore claiming the mane is actually a reincarnation who is born again and again in different bodies, which is why there can only be one at a time. And I think someone could make this in the Skyrim engine before TES 6 comes out
pppft sorry nonny my brain has become mush from staying up for registration u-u
BUT
Here are some hcs I do have
Hierarchy/Thur-ship
Dov follow a system that falls along the line of "Strong shall rule the Weak" sort of deal. In the eyes of mortals, this can be seen as an inherently evil thing (& can develop into such an issue, see: Alduin enslaving mortals) - but to the dragons, this is not the case. Power, to them, is not inherently evil. The strong-willed being in charge ensure safety & longevity of the flock. Yes, a Thur who earned their position through strength could have earned it through incredible cruelty, but strength in the culture of dragons is more than that. A Thur can be named through their leadership skills, how they answered a challenge, or how they protected their flock - but if the beasts were to be honest, these still heavily rely on a strong soul & thu'um to backup these actions.
But moving onto hierarchy, it's not something always followed exactly. Some flocks have no Thur or council, but those with the territory, time, & resources might have the full set-up. Going off what writing/statue/oral history/etc. researchers can find, it was concluded that a fully built hierarchy & dragon society - like one under Alduin's rule potentially, went as such:
Thur: The Lord, their word is often law.
Konahrik: The Warlord, second-in-command to the Thur. Is also head of any council formed, if any, & usually next in line to be Thur should the previous one fall + no one challenges them. This title is also given to exceptional Dragon Priests, and while said priests may not have all the same benefits as their dragon counterparts, their input within the council is extremely important - & those below the rank of Council know to listen.
Kroniid: The Conqueror, 3rd in command. Also part of council & works with the Konahrik on plans to either attack enemies, expand territory, or gather resources. Dragons known for their exemplary fighting prowess are given this title by the Thur, which is considered a great honor.
Council: There's no known term in dovahzul for this word, but essentially this is the group of dov that fall under the Konahrik's command & contribute to ideas benefiting the flock. Alongside the two ranks above them, those in the Council are given their own stretch of territory within the Thur's own to rule.
Tovitaan: Searcher(s). Essentially the scouts that fall under the Kroniid's command. While any dragon can join in a fight or battle, the Tovitaan are the ones who search for territory & resources to claim, send messages to members of the council, keep an eye on the general population & test the waters of rival flocks. Some records show that mortals & dragons both worked together under this rank
Dov: Your general population of dragons, they operate on their own whims, but still respond to those of higher rank. Often within flying distance of the Thur's territory/nest.
Joor: The mortals in a dragon society. Be it through unsavory means like under Alduin's lordship, or just a population that came to co-exist with the dragon society. In the case of the latter, it's an ongoing argument if mortals were considered under the same ranking as the general populace of dragons, or if they still were considered lesser.
Lir: Weakling. The lowest of the low one could go in such a hierarchy - especially since this term is used as an insult. Under stricter rulings, this would be given to dragons who fled from a battle or challenge. But more often than not, it is given to ones who attempted to challenge someone of the Council or higher, or attempted to betray their flock, & failed miserably. Should they live such an encounter, they're essentially catapulted to the bottom of the ranks & bullied relentlessly. Lir are not allowed their own territory, & under the ruling of especially cruel Thur their resources might even be limited. There has been note, however, that such a title is never handed over to those who are ill, injured in other circumstances, or overall unable to function as well as their siblings. It's seen distasteful in the flocks researcher's have come across.
[Note: There has not been a name recorded, or at the very least found, for dragons who are completely solitary.]
Language/Communication
It's well known that the go-to language of Dragons is Dovahzul. This, alongside the Thu'um, makes up most of their spoken language - however, Dragon communication expands a bit more than that. A huge factor in Dovahzul is frequencies/calls & body language!
In regard to the former, I'm gonna be honest & say a big part of this hc is inspired by how the Legendary Godzilla films handle it lol, though it's less about and "alpha" call that tells everyone what to do & more about how these frequencies help get the tone across in conversation. (Though the first bit does sorta happen, i'll try & explain it best I can lol). This is essentially the baseline on what a dragon could really mean during an encounter
For example, if a dragon is responding to you with slow, low, long growls - almost like a purr, then you are safe (for now). They're currently calm &, more likely than not, unbothered by your presence.
Quickly repeated growls, especially those of higher pitch - is a form of warning/alarm.
This plays a little differently in regard to the Thur. There're certain calls made by them specifically! Ranging from ones to establish their position as lord after a victory, whip those loyal to them into a frenzy, or even tell them to back down/move aside. A dov attempting these calls while not being the current Thur is considered a great insult.
The body language of dragons are still being studied, but there are some actions that researchers are confident they know the meaning for! (might draw these out when i get the time):
Upper half of body lowered, if not nearly flattened, on the ground. Wings curled forward, the tips on either side of the head: A form of submission, mainly seen when a new Thur, Konarik, or Kroniid is named.
Bowed head, purposefully tilted to the side to avoid direct eye contact: A bow, this is more common & generally seen in lower-ranking dragons when those of higher rank pass by or greet them.
Upper body lifted high & mouth open - brandishing horns, teeth, & claws: A form of warning to potential rivals/threats. Essentially "stand back! I am dangerous!"
Standing on legs, wings spread, mouth open & scales on tail raised/rattling (dependent on subspecies): Immediate threat/challenge posture, this is a dragon ready to attack! May also slam its tail on the ground as a final warning.
Fully raised tail & spines (if any), often paired with mouth open & (if the subspecies is able) a puffed-out neck: A rude gesture in dragon culture. Often seen in dragons on the "younger" side who wish to push the boundaries.
Wings & body rolled off to the side, head down & avoiding eye-contact. Belly exposed: A form of trust, actually! Or...perhaps an insult depending on the situation. This dragon is exposing its soft underbelly to you, it does not see you as a threat at all.
Health/Soul mechanics
Dragons are generally healthy & hardy beings. It usually takes a powerful illness or another dragon to cause any real damage. But an interesting factor about their ability to heal is that due to the consumption/destruction of the soul being needed to truly kill a dragon, they have intense regenerative abilities! If they have the energy for it, they can close open wounds or even begin to grow back limbs. More powerful dragons can do this instantly, for example: Say Alduin loses his head during a battle. If his soul hasn't been claimed, he can just regrow it in a horrifying eldritch fashion!
But this ability isn't perfect. As stated earlier, it takes an immense amount of energy, especially for the weaker subspecies, & there still might be issues. (i.e. chronic pain in the area, it doesn't reform properly, the reformed tissue/limb is notably weaker, not everything heals up properly).
The need of the soul's destruction to fully kill a dragon can lead to some...embarrassing situations for dragons as well. Keeping the former Thur or potentially a traitorous member of the flock beheaded - their body on display - is a common humiliation tactic. Under Alduin's rule, it was something done against the dragons that aided Miraak & those who were suspected to assist the mortals.
Annnd that's all i got for now lol. Hopefully it makes sense/I don't have any weirdly written sentences
Ok so I'm writing this Oblivion fic and need a convenient poison because my Hok got stabbed and nothing is simple when Martin has to care for someone. (I kinda go on a tangent here so this may will get long.) I wanted to write it all out so this is my excuse to post something for once.
I know nothing about poison so I made one up that would make sense for Martin to be able to go "Oh no, I've seen this before." And it wouldn't seem (too) forced.
So this poison (that isn't always a poison) is called Fool's Ink, or that's it common name among the mortal plane. Fool's Ink is a substance made from the blood of a daedric prince that is diluted with regular ink and something pertaining to the prince themselves. This ink is used to sign the contracts of mortals who bind themselves with a prince.
The contract itself isn't always signing a piece of paper and the ink is never really used as actual ink, unless you're Clavicus Vile. The contract, as well as it's signing, varies from prince to prince.
Martin for example, bound himself to Sanguine by taking a shot of the ink. Sanguine's ink is diluted with brandy so it's not too bad but his blood makes the ink as a whole a potent aphrodisiac. So......yeah... It also makes the veins around entrance site, whether your throat/mouth or in my Hok's case, a few stab wounds, turn a deep, inky, black. (haha, see what I did there?) This is the only commonality with the princes Fool's Ink besides how you make it.
Now Dagon is different than Sanguine. Being the Prince of Destruction and all, he likes to kill things. As well as his followers. So, his blood acts as a poison that weakens the mind and body with a severe fever, loss of appetite, weakness in limbs, really anything kinds sicky. His blood has a unique somewhat magical trait that accentuates any injuries you have. Making putting this on a blade very useful. The reason the poison does not kill you is so your mind is more susceptible to the pull of his vile but cool book, the Mysterium Xarxes. Or just the temptation of the power he could grant you. In my Hok's case, it's the former and not the latter. His ink and blood are diluted with the petals of a dried tulip. According to google they symbolize change and are conveniently harmful to eat.
This is way longer than I intended it to be so if I can think of some good stuff I might make another post with some examples of other princes Fool's Ink. Feel free to expand on this any way you like, just tag me or something so I can see.
I was going to make a ref for Wolpnil but I needed to workshop the concept more. At the withers this thing is over two meters tall but they're also built for speed. It's all going to be so incredibly awful.
Werewolves, to me, represent a total loss of control of your mind and body, and among all the metaphors I like the one about societal trauma the most. I think the werewolves in Skyrim are pretty awesome but at the end of the day feel very underwhelming to me and it's just that there is little drawback to being one. I fail to see it as a curse, unless you happen to be as unlucky as Sinding. You can transform at an instant and you have total control of your actions. As much as I like this idealized version of lycanthropy, I unfortunately also like tragedies, so I'm going to lean in more heavily on the negatives instead.
The transformation itself is painful, and you need to keep track of the moons and plan ahead in order to avoid hurting anyone you care about. The only time you get any restful sleep is immediately after the rampage, and the rest of the time you only become more and more sleep deprived until you can no longer hold the beast back again. Now the dinner table looks like those you slaughter, and your hunger for it makes you sick. Animals go quiet near you. The more you lose control the more people close their doors on you - no need to keep the monster close after all. Some say that with enough mental strength you can learn to control this, but at this point the idea seems ridiculous. Some others say you can lift the curse.
Random dragon redesign studies. Skyrim dragons hate to see me download a scientific paper called "posture, locomotion, and paleoecology of pterosaurs" but I think I'm winning. I need to make them look less clumsy somehow after all, but also weird and terrifying.
Do you think moon sugar is actual sugar in the chemical sense but with special properties, or is it more like a magical addictive aspartame? I like to imagine it's the latter but now I'm also considering the idea that Khajiit would be especially knowledgeable about blood sugar levels compared to the rest of Tamriel.
Brought about by some ruminations: was Faenil born Dragonborn, or did they acquire the blessing through deed or accident at some point later in life?
This is a good question, because I always imagined the title or term dragonborn / dovahkiin implies that you're literally born that way, your soul and blood has always been that of a dragon since the day you were born, so you can't acquire it or erase it later no matter how much of a blessing or curse it is. I'm sure however, Akatosh/Auriel being the god of time, he can probably fuck around with your timeline and go "Ok, you've always been like this actually" and I do find the idea of acquiring the state of a dragonborn through deed or blessing instead very intriguing, but no, Faenil has always been dragonborn and will always be one, and had no idea of it until they killed Mirmulnir. I have an idea of why it's Faenil specifically, but it's a secret I've no interest in sharing. But generally it's a big part of their story where they lament and sometimes deny being dragonborn however looking back on their life it ultimately makes a lot of sense. Faenil would never have chosen this themself. DOV-AH-KIIN, "dragonkind-hunter-born" it's quite literally in the name, they were born to be a hunter of dragonkind, physically and mentally they were designed to kill their own kind.
Okay, so I really want to redesign Skyrim's dragons, because not only am I itching to brainrot and draw dragons now, I need to hit them with my massive headcanon beam... Passionate dragon yap below:
The biggest headcanon I have for dragons is that all dragons look unique from each other rather than there only being the limited and bland range of types the game offers. I'm gonna keep their wyvern-like anatomy the same though, as they are all children of Akatosh rather than, say, Peryite, so they should reflect the time-god's form. I'll keep their designs somewhat recognizable for the important characters too, but then, I'm making their wings bigger and giving them a less clumsier posture (I think they should be able to walk on ground effortlessly rather than crawl so awkwardly) and generally I think they should be much larger with more variation in mass, proportions, scales, horns and markings - hell, why does the head shape always need to be so similar, there's so much you can do with dragon heads too. Alduin should have an oily sheen to his black scales, maybe Paarthurnax is pearlescent white in contrast and looks more regal save for some scars, stains and a few broken horns, and Odahviing should maybe own up to his name too... I think he should be a brighter red to highlight his slender blue wings - he's like the falcon of dragonkind, built for speed and agility. The game is just a guideline for me, you can bet your ass I'm gonna go insane with these designs.
However, the other headcanon I have is that despite the variety, it's the eyes that all stay somewhat the same; they differ in color but all have very constricted pupils and you can see this on dragonborns too. Something about the eye being a window to the soul, or something. There's nothing like this in the lore, it's just my own invention lol.
Oh, and a slightly smaller note - I think dragons are actually ear-shatteringly loud when they use their thu'um. It's only fitting for an innate magical ability called shouting, I mean I'm not only making dragons bigger but I think it adds to the terror when they can actually stun or damage you with their sound alone. Perhaps if you're somehow lucky enough to survive getting blasted with a dragon's fire breath, your eardrums definitely need a checkup afterwards.
Ah well, that's enough for now, but keep your eyes peeled for some dragon redesigns in the future...
