If y'all thought I forgot about this—you were wrong (I still love you)! I've just been hyper busy between classes and travel! But now, at the eleventh hour, may I present to you the 2026 TES Pinup Challenge!
(screenshot by @stormbeyondreality)
Last year's challenge was heavily themed around Oblivion given the Remaster's release, so this year I made sure to open the prompt list to broader TES themes and concepts, with bent toward contrast.
Remember to tag your entries #tes pinup challenge 2026 so I can reblog them here!
Araszha-ko, first Khajiit Arch-Mage of Winterhold College, portrait c. 2E 595.
Excerpt from welcome lecture to new Adepts, 2E 598
I hope that I will get to know each of you during your time here. I would say that my door is always open to you, but this one’s office is also his personal living quarters; it is best for all of us that the door is closed sometimes. If it is open, though, please know you are most welcome—it would not be right to keep the sleekest wizard’s tower in Tamriel all to myself! I will not always be available, but there are quiet places to study, a fascinating library of books and artifacts, alchemy and enchanting tables, a decent chance of snacks, and the second-most impressive alchemy garden on campus. And if I do happen to be available, I am happy to help with your studies! Unless you are studying herbamancy. Trust me, you do not want this one’s help with that.
Sadly, this one does not get to teach many classes these days. But I do have the privilege of teaching your first and most important lesson, right now.
We begin with an easy question. Look at your lovely new Adepts’ robes—anyone who knows, do not be shy, just say the answer: what is this sigil here on the shoulder?
Ah, thank you! Even if you were not one of the volunteers just now, hopefully you still knew we are looking at the Eye of Magnus—though perhaps unsurprisingly, this one prefers to say Magrus.
Magrus is the Father of Magic, and the image of his Eye is our heraldry here at the College of Winterhold. And we are not the only organization of mages who use the Eye, are we? The Mages Guild and the Psijic Order use it too. And even in the heavens—The Ritual constellation—Magrus’s Eye represents the very concept of magic, of magicka itself.
So, since all of us in this room are talented mages, we greatly revere Magrus, yes?
No. If you study magic elsewhere, you may hear otherwise—in some circles, what I just said is an invitation to a fight! But here, you will learn the truth for yourself: it is a mistake to revere Magrus. It is also a mistake to revile him, however—as Argonian mentors have taught me of the Void, it is unimportant whether we love or hate the sun. It is simply a feature of our world. Our survival depends on it, yet we also cannot survive without protection from it.
Like the sun, magic simply exists; it is a neutral force. Magicka is water, or fire, or language—its power to destroy or nurture lies entirely in how you choose to use it. There is no good magic or evil magic. Aedric light and Greensinging can be used to kill; necromancy and mind magic can be used to heal. Here, you will learn the basic concepts behind those disciplines and many other varieties of magic. That is why Winterhold College is known as a place of experimentation and curiosity—you may show natural aptitude for a particular mode of magic, but you will not know until you try, yes?
Anyone can learn magic, but our innate qualities also determine much about how magicka flows through us—a mage’s particular style is a combination of their education and their biology. Which means each of you has gifts that only you can share with Winterhold College, and with the world. As you get to know this school and me personally, I hope you will feel how those gifts—and you—are seen, wanted, and fiercely loved.
Yet on day one, I stand in front of you all to say: you are not special! I am laughing as I say it, but it is true! An aptitude for magic does not mean you are chosen by the mystic forces of Nirni, or that you have some inherent rightness in your being. Some people are natural mages, and some can only ever muster basic spellcraft, but as I said before, anyone can learn to bend and shape magicka—if you have learned otherwise in prior studies, you will unlearn that here. The ability to wield magicka does not make you better than any other person.
But! Today, it does win you a very sleek set of robes, yes? One fun perk of becoming Arch-Mage was that I got to commission my Arch-Mage’s robes to look more or less however I wanted them to, although there were a few points on which I did not have a say. Of course this one had no choice in the matter of his robes looking sexy and elegant—this burden, Araszha-ko can never escape, he can only try to bear it with grace. But as for instructions this one was required to give the tailor: the Arch-Mage’s robes must be Winterhold green, and they must prominently feature the Eye of Magrus.
As you can see, I dutifully followed those instructions in both letter and spirit, but my choice of additional imagery was a bit controversial to some here. These two sigils on the cowl, you will likely recognize if you studied magic in Elsweyr or Morrowind—can anyone name them?
Very good! Boethra and Azurah. Their sigils are right here alongside the Eye of Magrus, because in my opinion, the story of Magrus’s Eye is incomplete without them.
Magrus shaped much about this world, but ultimately deemed we mortals a failed experiment, and despite his incredible power, decided to abandon his project, the Mundus. Were it not for the Ehlnofey—which remain an actual physical source of magicka in the Mundus—our existence would have been over before it began.
According to Khajiiti tradition, for Magrus’s cowardice, Boethra clawed out his first Eye, and Azurah the second, which she fashioned into a means to ensure that no one entity, no matter how powerful, could ever choose to end all of existence.
It is a reminder not to get too comfortable in your power, yes? We live high on a hill in a frozen fortress, yes, but said hill is in the center of the capital of Skyrim; thousands of people—your new neighbors—live within the disaster radius of the College of Winterhold. Never forget that; a mage must always be responsible for the wages of their power. Learning how to wield magic can make you powerful—it can even make you a god—but it does not give you the right to take risks that needlessly endanger others.
We mages tend to view Magrus’s Eye as a symbol of our power and privilege. Of course it is that, but if you learn nothing else from Araszha-ko and the College of Winterhold, remember this: Magrus’s Eye is also a warning. Magrus himself paid for his hubris, for his belief that his power was so infinite that he could end the mortal world simply because he became bored with it.
When you wear this Eye on your very fashionable new robes, remember: a mage must always be responsible for the wages of their power, and no mage is above that duty. Not even the gods.
———————
the upside of having aphantasia and having to relearn how to draw from scratch every single time i make something is that experimenting with a new style is roughly as difficult as doing exactly the same thing i did last time 🤷 so my oc ara (eso-era, but he’s not the vestige) gets a portrait of him as arch-mage. his robes are based on the eso costume called ‘wizard about town’.
he’s araszha-dar until he becomes arch-mage, at which point he begins using -ko in formal situations. he still primarily uses -dar bc it bothers stuck up people, which is his favorite thing to do. he uses the feminine -ko instead of the masculine -jo. he feels it suits him better, and all of his magic heroes use -ko, or would if they were khajiit.
in the 2nd era, i decided that Winterhold is kinda the hippie magic academy, in contrast to the Mages Guild and Shad Astula. So this lecture is appropriately kinda like *sits backward in chair, throws textbook in the garbage*, unfortunately 😂
because i am insane, i also made the 2nd-era winterhold arch-mage’s quarters in eso housing. i need to make a better post about it, but it features all of the amenities he mentions in this.
Araszha-ko, first Khajiit Arch-Mage of Winterhold College, portrait c. 2E 595.
Excerpt from welcome lecture to new Adepts, 2E 598
I hope that I will get to know each of you during your time here. I would say that my door is always open to you, but this one’s office is also his personal living quarters; it is best for all of us that the door is closed sometimes. If it is open, though, please know you are most welcome—it would not be right to keep the sleekest wizard’s tower in Tamriel all to myself! I will not always be available, but there are quiet places to study, a fascinating library of books and artifacts, alchemy and enchanting tables, a decent chance of snacks, and the second-most impressive alchemy garden on campus. And if I do happen to be available, I am happy to help with your studies! Unless you are studying herbamancy. Trust me, you do not want this one’s help with that.
Sadly, this one does not get to teach many classes these days. But I do have the privilege of teaching your first and most important lesson, right now.
We begin with an easy question. Look at your lovely new Adepts’ robes—anyone who knows, do not be shy, just say the answer: what is this sigil here on the shoulder?
Ah, thank you! Even if you were not one of the volunteers just now, hopefully you still knew we are looking at the Eye of Magnus—though perhaps unsurprisingly, this one prefers to say Magrus.
Magrus is the Father of Magic, and the image of his Eye is our heraldry here at the College of Winterhold. And we are not the only organization of mages who use the Eye, are we? The Mages Guild and the Psijic Order use it too. And even in the heavens—The Ritual constellation—Magrus’s Eye represents the very concept of magic, of magicka itself.
So, since all of us in this room are talented mages, we greatly revere Magrus, yes?
No. If you study magic elsewhere, you may hear otherwise—in some circles, what I just said is an invitation to a fight! But here, you will learn the truth for yourself: it is a mistake to revere Magrus. It is also a mistake to revile him, however—as Argonian mentors have taught me of the Void, it is unimportant whether we love or hate the sun. It is simply a feature of our world. Our survival depends on it, yet we also cannot survive without protection from it.
Like the sun, magic simply exists; it is a neutral force. Magicka is water, or fire, or language—its power to destroy or nurture lies entirely in how you choose to use it. There is no good magic or evil magic. Aedric light and Greensinging can be used to kill; necromancy and mind magic can be used to heal. Here, you will learn the basic concepts behind those disciplines and many other varieties of magic. That is why Winterhold College is known as a place of experimentation and curiosity—you may show natural aptitude for a particular mode of magic, but you will not know until you try, yes?
Anyone can learn magic, but our innate qualities also determine much about how magicka flows through us—a mage’s particular style is a combination of their education and their biology. Which means each of you has gifts that only you can share with Winterhold College, and with the world. As you get to know this school and me personally, I hope you will feel how those gifts—and you—are seen, wanted, and fiercely loved.
Yet on day one, I stand in front of you all to say: you are not special! I am laughing as I say it, but it is true! An aptitude for magic does not mean you are chosen by the mystic forces of Nirni, or that you have some inherent rightness in your being. Some people are natural mages, and some can only ever muster basic spellcraft, but as I said before, anyone can learn to bend and shape magicka—if you have learned otherwise in prior studies, you will unlearn that here. The ability to wield magicka does not make you better than any other person.
But! Today, it does win you a very sleek set of robes, yes? One fun perk of becoming Arch-Mage was that I got to commission my Arch-Mage’s robes to look more or less however I wanted them to, although there were a few points on which I did not have a say. Of course this one had no choice in the matter of his robes looking sexy and elegant—this burden, Araszha-ko can never escape, he can only try to bear it with grace. But as for instructions this one was required to give the tailor: the Arch-Mage’s robes must be Winterhold green, and they must prominently feature the Eye of Magrus.
As you can see, I dutifully followed those instructions in both letter and spirit, but my choice of additional imagery was a bit controversial to some here. These two sigils on the cowl, you will likely recognize if you studied magic in Elsweyr or Morrowind—can anyone name them?
Very good! Boethra and Azurah. Their sigils are right here alongside the Eye of Magrus, because in my opinion, the story of Magrus’s Eye is incomplete without them.
Magrus shaped much about this world, but ultimately deemed we mortals a failed experiment, and despite his incredible power, decided to abandon his project, the Mundus. Were it not for the Ehlnofey—which remain an actual physical source of magicka in the Mundus—our existence would have been over before it began.
According to Khajiiti tradition, for Magrus’s cowardice, Boethra clawed out his first Eye, and Azurah the second, which she fashioned into a means to ensure that no one entity, no matter how powerful, could ever choose to end all of existence.
It is a reminder not to get too comfortable in your power, yes? We live high on a hill in a frozen fortress, yes, but said hill is in the center of the capital of Skyrim; thousands of people—your new neighbors—live within the disaster radius of the College of Winterhold. Never forget that; a mage must always be responsible for the wages of their power. Learning how to wield magic can make you powerful—it can even make you a god—but it does not give you the right to take risks that needlessly endanger others.
We mages tend to view Magrus’s Eye as a symbol of our power and privilege. Of course it is that, but if you learn nothing else from Araszha-ko and the College of Winterhold, remember this: Magrus’s Eye is also a warning. Magrus himself paid for his hubris, for his belief that his power was so infinite that he could end the mortal world simply because he became bored with it.
When you wear this Eye on your very fashionable new robes, remember: a mage must always be responsible for the wages of their power, and no mage is above that duty. Not even the gods.
———————
the upside of having aphantasia and having to relearn how to draw from scratch every single time i make something is that experimenting with a new style is roughly as difficult as doing exactly the same thing i did last time 🤷 so my oc ara (eso-era, but he’s not the vestige) gets a portrait of him as arch-mage. his robes are based on the eso costume called ‘wizard about town’.
he’s araszha-dar until he becomes arch-mage, at which point he begins using -ko in formal situations. he still primarily uses -dar bc it bothers stuck up people, which is his favorite thing to do. he uses the feminine -ko instead of the masculine -jo. he feels it suits him better, and all of his magic heroes use -ko, or would if they were khajiit.
in the 2nd era, i decided that Winterhold is kinda the hippie magic academy, in contrast to the Mages Guild and Shad Astula. So this lecture is appropriately kinda like *sits backward in chair, throws textbook in the garbage*, unfortunately 😂
because i am insane, i also made the 2nd-era winterhold arch-mage’s quarters in eso housing. i need to make a better post about it, but it features all of the amenities he mentions in this.
you know, this new model for quest lines being released in old zones and just being 6 or so quests, no POIs, random side quests, delves or public dungeons, its actually really nice.
for years we've been forced to decide between either constantly pausing and going out of our way to do side quests during the main quest (even when the tension is peaking), or risking the "ewok party" (yes that's actually what they call the mandatory final quest party that's happened since summerset) missing npcs because they only show up if you did the side quest before the party.
the thieves guild story just being a few quests where it makes sense to do them back to back, no pausing to rank up or hunt down side quests, its kind of a relief.
I don’t care if the rest of Morrowind dresses conservatively. If the Tribunal and Dagoth Ur get to dress that sluttily, the Nerevarine deserves a chance to match the energy.
i saw a post from a long time ago that is really bugging me, but it’d be weird to rb it now.
the post was taking issue w/the fact that people compare altmer (and by extension altmer-enjoyers) to nazis. that definitely isn’t the only post i’ve seen making this general point: it’s shitty to reduce an entire race/culture to racist eugenicists just because there’s a faction of ethnonationalist fascists who are very nazi-esque (the thalmor). i’m sure you’ve heard that argument here, from people who are fans of altmer culture or have altmer ocs (or blorbos).
imo, altmer are way more interesting as a culture because their entire culture IS in fact supremacist ethnonationalism, to its very core, in every fiber of what it is. it’s just that the elder scrolls does a very, very good job of making sure their ethnonationalism is normalized to the point of invisibility, so that when you inevitably start to like altmer characters, or things about altmeri culture, and you start paying attention to it, you have to fucking reckon with the fact that that culture is hideously ethnonationalist and incredibly successful at it.
but! no, they’re not nazis—in the real world, eugenicists and ethnonationalists base their claims of supremacy on bullshit, because humans are all one race, and even though we pretend there are differences between the various ethnicities of humans, there are no clean lines between us, and never have been. racial purity is impossible and arbitrary and the desire for it has always been about political power, not physicality.
in the elder scrolls, the idea of racial purity is still decidedly bad, stupid, and impossible, but the races actually do have very distinct physiological differences, and since there are no visibly mixed-race people, there are fairly clean lines between the races physically speaking. altmer live the longest, and they can therefore make a decent case for their supremacy—not because their longer lifespans actually make them superior, but because their longer lifespans make them the de facto lorekeepers of all creation. of course the story they’re telling is about them.
they’ve done it so well, in fact, that acceptance of that ‘fact’ is inherent to mainstream tamrielic culture, which is why it’s less visible to us as players—just look at how pocket guide to the empire talks about summerset. altmer have been able to impose their language, laws, aesthetics, values, religion/view of magic, and gods on the rest of tamriel. very few people argue with the idea that altmer are directly descended from the gods. very few people ever question why the psijic order gets to call shots the way they do, or why the altmeri view of how magic works is the dominant view. shit, in eso, no altmer really bats an eye at the existence and methods of the divine prosecution, and even queen ayrenn, whose kin attempt to assassinate her for not being racist enough, is openly and unapologetically supremacist from the moment you meet her.
no, altmer aren’t nazis, but if that point is extremely important for you to defend for some reason, you’re being disingenuous—you’re meant to see the nazi/ethnonationalist parallels (they kill their disabled babies ffs!). eso depicts the roots of the thalmor as ~cultural stewards striving for unity, not to retcon the thalmor, but to show that even a well-meaning effort built on a foundation of supremacy is still rotten from its very beginning. skyrim-era thalmor are therefore not bad apples, or extremists, or wildly out of step with altmeri values. they’re just the logical extension of the idea that a single race can be superior enough to hold all the cards.
yes, you’re meant to question it as a player, and yes, you’re meant to see it as bad, because it obviously is bad. altmer are loud and proud supremacists, but the point isn’t that altmer are bad! it’s that supremacy is still a lie even if there is somehow an objectively physically superior race. despite their numerous physical and cultural advantages above all the other races of tamriel, altmer still cannot hold onto power without violence, subjugation, intolerance, and systemic oppression, very much including against members of their own race who step out of line. which means despite all those advantages, they are ultimately just as wrong about their supremacy as every other supremacist culture in history or fiction.
While I was checking our messages today I noticed a private message from a former ZOS employee, reaching out to us to thank us for everything we do, and to say they used our site everyday.
On the same day they were laid off they took the time to reach out to us, because they truly cared about The Elder Scrolls. I personally know the same is true for many other names on that list. These weren't empty suits forwarding emails from one layers of managers to the other.
Just look at their job titles, a lot of them were clearly involved very heavily with game projects.
Apparently I don't have any good Gina Bruno posts to reblog in appreciation of her, but I do have this clip of her telling Alcast to stop mansplaining how to use a microphone, so please appreciate that
