#TamrielDrifter
Text
Necessary malice
In more peaceful times, mercenaries like myself are looked upon with disdain by the citizens of Tamriel. We are seen as little more then agitators, nuisances, looters and thieves. Lawless rascals with short tempers and long swords, who choose fighting as a substitution for an honest days work. But life is a fight, and now in these rugged times of tumult and turmoil, they turn to us ‘agitators’, to defend them with necessary malice from the true miscreants.
Miscreants like the Gray Viper bandits who have taken up residence nearby in the both the broken Vlastarus Towers and the Ayleid ruins of Nornalhorst, as they prey upon the refugees fleeing the war with what little they can carry on their backs. Or the band of violent poachers who have been belligerently overfishing the nearby Silverscale Pond.
These bandits and poachers are little more then bullies taking advantage of those who are not fighters. But they also the reason why rascals like me, who may not be accepted, may not be wanted, and may never be welcomed… will always be needed.
S.K
#659#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
The occupations of Bruma
Bruma is a city under occupation. When the Planemeld first struck, Bruma was attacked by both Dremora and Shadowed Path cultists. A Dark Anchor was swiftly built and opened above the city in an attempt to stream Daedric reinforcements into the north of Cyrodiil. It is even believed by some that they planed to draw the city itself into Coldharbour. But surely that would have been a strategic mistake, for when you have an agent in play on the Tribute board, why remove it on your own turn?
Yet in some peoples eyes Bruma has always been occupied territory, a Nordic city within the Heartland borders. But it’s not just a Nibenese city become occupied by Nord migration or conquest. It’s architecture is Nord, it’s leaders are Nord, it’s militia is Nord, and it’s icons are Nord. And it is an occupation that seems to have been acceptable to both Imperial politicians and people alike, for who else would want to live in the cold, inhospitable climes of the Jerall Mountains, but Nords.
It is clear however that the Dremora and cultists believed that the Nord city would get little support from the rest of the region, and it turns out they were right. The few survivors who have barricaded themselves within the chapel and manor house sent out pleas to the alliances for aid, but none came. Now they must rely upon wandering mercenaries and small bands of Alliance soldiers for aid, and this has meant that they now suffer another occupation, by the Banners themselves who fight blade and spell over a flagpole.
S.K
#698#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Twilight in Toadstool Hollow
Whilst training to become a legionnaire our barracks was visited by a priest of Arkay. He spoke to us long and piously about the difference between light and darkness, good and evil. His message was that it isn't just enough to take a stand against the darkness, we have stand apart from it too.
Toadstool Hollow seems a strange name for such a cold and icy cave, but then this is a strange and unaccountable place. For hidden beneath the frozen caverns infested by spiders and bats, there lies a long forgotten crypt. It’s residents, whether by necromantic means or in reaction to the anguish and turmoil in the lands above, have risen from their tombs and walk once more. I would be content to let them roam their catacombs until their bones crumble to dust, only recently some have begun to find their way above ground.
But I was also to discover a journal whilst in the crypts that suggested that some foolish residents of the near-by occupied town of Bruma, seek to reanimate more of these long-dead soldiers to rise again in defence of their land. Some might consider the undead to be but neutral tools, marionettes obeying their puppeteers strings. But it is the act of raising a corpse, be they soulless skeletons, or soulful spirits, that is at the very least, morally questionable.
No matter the adversity we face, the Priest of Arkay taught that we cannot make the mistake of fighting evil with evil. But then ask yourself, is it better to die virtuously, or to survive immorally? The lonely priests who gives up all for their calling hold their piety aloft like a torch. But for the everyday man and woman with family and friends, questions of morality can only ever be answered in twilight.
S.K
#697#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
What lies beneath
Northern Cyrodiil is littered with ancient Ayleid ruins that were built into the foothills of it’s mountain ranges. Most are now blocked and inaccessible to the modern explorer, and some believe this is for the good; that the evils waged by the heartland elves is a history best buried. Others of course, like the scholars and archaeologists attempting to break into these lost settlements, disagree, arguing that only by looking at what lies beneath our feet, can we learn not to repeat.
So what can we learn from the perceived evils of the Ayleids? Their eventually downfall seems to have began with the rise in the influence of the Daedric cults, especially amongst their kings and aristocrats. Indeed, their domination and enslavement of the Nedic people for generations was enabled by their deals with the Princes, with entire armies of Daedra helping them to conquer and subjugate other cultures.
But it also led to a fierce civil war between the Aedra and Daedra-worshipping Ayleids of Cyrodiil, and even wars amongst themselves; it was in the company of Sees-All-Colors that I witnessed first-hand the conflict between the city states of Abagarlas and Delodiil. And eventually when the Nedic peoples rose up during the Alessian Slave Rebellion, many rebel Aedra-worshipping Mer joined forces with Alessia to help her take the White-Gold Tower, thus founding the Alessian Empire, and the resulting Ayleid diaspora.
How familiar this history to the downfall of our own Imperial Empire, which arguably began when Emperor Leovic legalized Daedra worship. Perhaps the Longhouse Emperors should have been looking more closely at what lay beneath their feet.
S.K
#696#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Cheydinhal
The walled city of Cheydinhal in eastern Cyrodiil is one of the few cities left in the province still under the control of the Imperial Legion. The good news is the presence of an Imperial garrison seems to have ensured that the people do not suffer attacks from bandits, goblins, or wayward Banners as other settlements in the area have. The bad news however is that the garrison’s leaders have acted overly oppressive towards the people of the city, even going so far as to try and force all able-bodied residence to draft into their ranks.
Unsurprisingly the people have revolted against this tyranny, forming their own militia, and I arrive to find the city is split in two by the river that runs through its heart; with the west side under rebel control, and the east controlled by the Legion. Despite this civil war within their walls, many of its people have chosen not to flee, staying in their homes and putting their faith in the leaders of the revolt. In reality they probably wouldn’t find anywhere safer outside the city’s high walls anyhow. At least the troubles within the walls seem to be keeping the troubles outside, out.
I remember visiting Cheydinhal as I was growing up, the first landmark one would look for on the approach to the city was the top of the spire of the Great Chapel of Arkay. I recall it being a lively, prosperous city; a bustling stop-over for merchants and adventurers upon the blue road to Morrowind. It is also the ancestral home of House Tharn, though despite Meridia suggesting he would return to Cyrodiil after the Planemeld, I don’t expect to find Abnur hiding out in the bosom of his loving family.
S.K
#682#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tangles and knots
The misnomer “Ruby Red” was given to this cave north of Chalman Keep in order to fraudulently entice people to invest into a mine in which no gems were ever actually found. It is no surprise therefore to discover that it has since been taken over by the Black Daggers bandits.
I have been encountering the Black Dagger’s illicit activities all over Cyrodiil, from Hackdirt down to the Green Lake, from Breakneck up to the Ruby Red. Their operation spans the Heartlands like a spiders web. As I traversed the region I began pulling apart each strand I found, even managing to kill their leader who I accidentally discovered in the supposedly abandoned Breakneck cave in the south, and fully expected their web to collapse. After all each strand of a spiders web is connected so a vibration anywhere should be felt everywhere.
But alas it was not so, for according to a note I discovered the bandits here at Ruby Red are awaiting upon orders from their posthumous leader to attack the nearby town of Bruma. Building a web in darkness it seems only end in tangles and knots, and one might argue that this bandit gang is only still a threat in the north because of such failures.
S.K
#695#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Perceptions of Pelinal
In the foothills of the Jerall Mountains, west of Kingscrest Keep, three ghostly figures can be found guarding the sealed entrance to the Ayleid ruins of Sedor. These ruins play an important part in human history, for it was here during the Alessian Slave Rebellion that the wandering King, Pelinal Whitestrake, won back the freedom of the ‘Thousand-Strong of Sedor’, a human tribe enslaved and held captive by the ancient Mer who inhabited here.
To humans, especially Cyrods, Whitestrake is a hero and a saint, a Divine Crusader who helped free Cyrodiil from Mer oppression. To the Ayleid’s he was a villain, a bloodthirsty warlord whose sole aspiration was the annihilation of their culture. I wonder how modern Mer view Whitestrake now? I am certain none would call him a hero, but could they acknowledge his achievements in context of Tamriel’s history? Probably not, for our histories are forever dyed by the colour of our suffering.
It is a lie that history is always written by the victors. When two cultures clash both sides record the event from their own biased perspectives. Whether they be the winners, losers, or onlookers, we all see the same acts from different angles. Our libraries are filled with our perception of history, whist libraries in foreign lands are filled with their own, often conflicting with our version of the same events.
The wise will say that we must learn from history so as to not repeat it, but we can never learn from a history that teaches us that we are forever the oppressed and never the oppressor. Every single group of people in Tamriel have been both the oppressor and the oppressed at some point in time. Every single nation and religion has persecuted other people for being different or not accepting their god, and yet we look back in our own history books and record only where we have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, and beaten. And It goes on still, because the only history we have not learnt from is that of our enemies.
S.K
#694#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
To light a candle?
Is it It better to live with fear, hope and wonder, or to know what is to come? For most people the unseen future is a frightening prospect, like walking into the darkest of nights without a torch. Yet surely stepping into the light can be just as daunting as the dark. For if we knew all the consequences of our own actions would we still have the courage to fulfil our destiny?
The Temple of the Ancestor Moths in the White Fall Valley of north-eastern Cyrodiil, is home to the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, a priesthood dedicated to the practice of divining the Elder Scrolls. The Scrolls are said to archive all of Tamriel's history and future simultaneously. The process however extracts a heavy price upon the augurs, rendering them blind of both sight and clarity; they do say that to light a candle is to cast a shadow. Our eyes however can only see what our minds can comprehend, so surely these augurs are but slaves to their perceptions, their minds denying knowledge in order to rationalize their faith and bias. They also tell us the information they reveal is never absolute, and that our destiny is our own to craft; only once a foretold event is carried out does it become fixed. So I have to ask, what is the point to their practice?
Many of these Elder Scrolls were stored within the Imperial Library at the White-Gold Tower, but when the Dark anchors fell upon the city and the capital was lost, the Cult moved them, hiding many around the grounds of the Temple of the Ancestor Moths. Eventually however Banner’s soldiers discovered the scrolls and stole them, building their own temples across Cyrodiil to house them close to the battlefield, thus bestowing the Scrolls' supposed blessings upon their troops. Any experienced General will tell you that it is not numbers or strength that bring the victories in war, it is having stronger morale then your adversaries.
Moth Priest Crassius Viria who leads what is left of the Cult of the Ancestor Moth has sent emissaries to reason with the alliance leaders, although none have yet returned. Ironically if the Scrolls were to be returned then perhaps the augurs might divine the path of this seemingly endless war. Such potential knowledge is perhaps more powerful than any sword or spell. But then what would sap an army’s morale more, fear of the darkness, or fear of the light?
S.K
#693#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Of spriggans and spiders
The Kingscrest Caverns in northeastern Cyrodiil were once mined by the locals for flint, but now spriggans and a colony of spiders have moved into the caverns forcing the locals to mine elsewhere.
It always surprises me when I find spriggans underground or in mountain caves, for if ever there were a creature of the forest and open air then surely it is the spriggan? But I guess most of us don’t end up where we most desire to live, but where we feel the safest.
Spiders themselves are often thought to be solitary creatures, but most in fact live in small colonies, sharing webs, feeding together and helping to protect eggs and spiderlings; this despite many females notoriously cannibalizing their mates. The most unsettling thing I find about spiders is their noise. Not the dull thud of a spider’s body hitting the floor before it attacks, nor the scuttling sound they make upon the walls in the darkness, nor even when they are large enough that you can hear their frightful chatter, but it is the malicious silence of the stalking spider’s stare.
S.K
#692#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The scar of Fanacas
To the west of Farragut Keep can be found the ruins of Fanacas, once a mining hold for the human slaves of the Ayleid empire, and according to scholars, perhaps the birthplace of the Tharn dynasty when one of their Nedic ancestors rose to the rank of slave overseer. Visitors have of late reported feeling a heavy aura about the ruins, as if dark and evil deeds of the past linger in the ancient stones.
All I was to find at Fanacas was a Breton enchantress and her soulbound servants preparing to perform a ritual she hopes will grant her great power. Mabrel Pierel speculates that countless offerings of blood and souls must have been made here for such an aura of evil to linger still. Her mad purpose is to open a pathway back to the days of the ancient Ayleids and use their power for her own insane ambitions.
Why is so often that evil endures the corrosion of history, when good does not? The mark of a kiss quickly vanishes, but the wound always leaves a scar. Perhaps evil is only remembered because history is dyed by the colours of our wants and desires. Even today people have a most annoying habit of only remembering the things they shouldn't. Perhaps my blade will help this deranged enchantress to forget.
S.K
#691#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The White Fall Valley
In a valley at the foot of the White Fall mountain can be found an Imperial estate next to which has been built an Orsimer Stronghold. An odd sight. It would not be unreasonable to presume that the Orcs had taken advantage of the ongoing war and laid claim to an abandoned estate whose previous owners had either fled or perished. Or, more likely, with no effective Legion left to protect the province, these savage Orc’s had taken it by force. But as it turns out this particular clan had enough wealth to purchase the estate legally before attaching their stronghold and renaming it the Shurgak Clan Estate.
Orc’s settling in Cyrodiil is of course not uncommon, I’ve mentioned before about the Orsimer units within the legions I saw that scared even their fellow legionnaires. It is not unusual therefore for an Orc veteran to retire to the Heartland’s countryside on a handsome stipend; but rarely a whole tribe. I guess choosing to live so far away from Wrothgar they can avoid paying levies to the Orsinium King. The tribe themselves prove not to be very welcoming hosts, but I suppose with so many bandits and Banners crossing the mountains it is only natural for them to tip their weapons rather then their caps in greeting. Such defensiveness however does little to assuage the locals rumours that there is a horde of great wealth hidden somewhere on the estate.
At a lake to the west of the estate I meet a drunken artist and a surly Nightblade. Both have come to the secluded lake seeking inspiration for very different reasons. The Orcs of the Shurgak Estate come here also to fish and draw water, as does plenty of wildlife. Soldiers come here as it’s bridge is the shortest route between Farragut and Kingscrest, whilst pilgrims also make use of the crossing on their journey to the revered Temple of the Ancestor Moths to the North. All these disparate people and creatures whom share no connection or empathy come to this same lake, take what they need and return to their stories. That is until inevitably some selfish bastard will decide to build a fence around the lake. How can there ever be peace in Tamriel when we forget that Tamriel belongs to us all?
S.K
#690#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#eso#screenshots#esorp#rpg adventure#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
The King of White Fall Mountain
I arrive at the foothills of the White Fall Mountain, the quickest way across it seems is a trail that leads all the way up to the summit. Unbeknownst to me the peak is the home of the giant Malvor, the king of the mountain; well in his mind anyway. I guess they do say that a Kingdom is not a place but a state of mind. As I reach the summit and survey the lands from his mountain home I can see why he might feel like a king.
Giants are not often seen in Cyrodiil nowadays, thy tend to stick to inhospitable mountains and the Northern wilderness. In Skyrim and Orsinium giants are said to be a common sight, often more nomadic and travelling in groups with herds of mammoths between seasonal camps across the lands. Giants in Cyrodiil however tend to be much more solitary, only gathering occasionally at ceremonial sites to trade and mate, usually away from the prying eyes of man or mer.
The common perception is that they are harmless if left alone, but when disturbed become very territorial and aggressive to perceived intruders, be they man or beast. They seem more tolerant of Nords however, perhaps because of familiarity, or maybe that some Nords consider them but distant cousins. Certainly some Nord maids I have met have shared their grey skin and hairy feet. They seem particularly hostile to elves though. That may be because elvish alchemists in particular prize their toes as an ingredient for their potions, apparently having a positive affect upon ones good health, stamina, and oral hygiene.
Malvor clearly was not expecting any visitors today as he seemed most put out by my presence, greeting me with a swing of his massive club. As I entered the Ayleid entrance which led into a tunnel down though and eventually out of the mountain, I contemplated his demise. A solitary king is never safe, for whether in the own mind or worn atop the head, it takes but a sceptered blade to sever crown from pate.
S.K
#689#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#eso#rpg adventure#screenshots#the elder scrolls#esorp#mmorpg
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Guile and knavery
The Quickwater Cave within the Cheydinhal Foothills is now but another camp for the bandit gand known as the Black Daggers, who are well known throughout the Heartlands having plagued the northern Colovian countryside for many, many years. Recently however, perhaps due to the fracturing of the Legions, or simply guile and knavery amidst the chaos of war, they have managed to expand their operations throughout Cyrodiil. The focus of this particular group seems to be the town of Cheydinhal. Perhaps the town’s Imperial garrison and armed militia might sombre their ambition, if only they could just stop fighting each other.
The cave itself seems much like any other, a dark and shadowy place that’s oddly warm when it's cold out and cold when it's warm. A place where you can find or lose yourself depending on your heart. And a place that can be filled with monsters, and yet is far more horrible to man when it is full of emptiness and nothingness. But this particular cave does have one unique feature. To reach its deepest caverns one must be willing to get a little wet, by diving through a whirlpool.
I have speculated before that the Black Daggers might have a nefarious contact or two rousing their efforts to undermine this province, and the presence of a rather large Daedroth within the deepest caverns certainly suggests that the bandits are either working for, or with, a Daedic prince. Alas for the Black Daggers, for even the most bladdered Nord scholar will teach that the only safe alliance is when each party is equally afraid of the other. Pity the skeever that befriends the hungry wolf to raid the sheep’s pen.
S.K
#688#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Faceless
To the south of Cheydenhal lies Vahtacen, an Ayleid ruin reputedly swarming with skeletons and wraiths, the risen husks of its former inhabitants. These undead monsters have of late been seen wandering out of their ruins as far as the lake, searching for fishermen, travellers, or lost Bannermen to drag back into the depths of the catacombs to place upon the alter of their master, a powerful lich known only as The Faceless.
In everyday life most people seem content to be faceless in a sea of faceless people. In the Legions we were taught the philosophy of being faceless soldiers for the greater good of the empire. And the undead skeletons and wraiths that haunt these ruins are nowt but faceless creatures who fight with neither enmity nor anger, and without conscience. What really is the difference between any of us?
It was only when I regained my soul in The Colored Rooms that I realized that the reason I was faceless was because I had no hope. You see hope, like beauty is all around us but you have to learn to recognize it. Once you began to recognize hope, you began to find purpose and meaning, even when others argue that none exists. And hope breeds courage, the courage to challenge the beliefs and assumptions of yourself and others, and the courage to face the world with yours eyes and heart wide open. Only then can you start carving order out of the chaos and make your mark, becoming a face that people remember.
I’d love to say that I entered these ruins on some noble cause, searching for an ancient lost wisdom perhaps, or on a quest to find some relic to help the people of Cheydenhal survive this endless war, or even just to overcome the undead menace within. But no, this is purely a treasure hunt, a selfish enterprise in search for any ancient relics I can find to fulfil the greed of Vyctoria Girien, and thus fill my pockets with gold. My face is that of a mercenary, not a saint.
S.K
#687#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#rpg adventure#eso#screenshots#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Barren Cave
Whilst returning to Cheydinhal, I hear a shriek from a secluded cave beneath a waterfall. Not the call of a bird or beast, but an unnatural howl, both sorrowful and anguished. Warily I enter the black cavern and in the distance spy a pair of crimson eyes piercing through the darkness at me. For a brief moment they shine like rubies in moonlit pools before vanishing as quickly as they appeared. Whisperings and faint wails lure me ever deeper into the caverns, till finally I discover the figure of a man hunched over another.
Closer still, and I discern the famished stare of one accursed by their own slavery to life’s warm-blood; a vampire. It’s blazing eyes and scarlet lips glimmer in the torch light, in stark contrast to its ghoulishly pale cheeks. It’s unhallowed claws tearing at the bloody shrouds of a still breathing priest of Arkay. The vampire is cursed to only ever know peace when the blood of another fills its heart. And contrary to the fanciful bard songs, vampires don’t tend to nibble upon the necks of their victims, they tear and render the flesh, suckling the blood and gore from each chunk.
S.K
#686#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#screenshots#eso#rpg adventure#esorp#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Burning ambitions
Atop a hill to the Southwest of Cheydinhal once sat the Juncus estate, now it is but the carcass of a family home, burnt to the ground by flame atronachs. I am told it is the Shadowed Path cult who are responsible for this atrocity, laying their Daedric stones about the estate to summon deadly atronachs with which to waylay travellers and even soldiers foolish enough to traverse the Nibenay Basin alone.
This is the farthest east I have seen the Shadowed Path Cult operating. To the West they attempted to raise a Lich in Lindai, and to the south they searched caves, mines and delves for a mystery artefact they believed would will help them in conquering the Capitol and all of Cyrodiil for their brutal patron. What they lack in talent, they make up for in ambition and numbers. For they have managed to overrun sites all over Southern Cyrodiil, and now there may well be more Shadowed Path Cultists operating in Cyrodiil then there are legionnaires.
They have proven a well organized group capable of focusing many hands upon on a single purpose, but their activities here seem somewhat vagrant from their labours to the west and south. What is the purpose of their wicked endeavours here at the burned estate? Could it be just to establish a foothold in the region, or do they have larger ambitions yet to come? Perhaps the summoning and gathering of an atronach army much like that of the Celestial Serpent?
Only one thing is clear, the leaders of Cheydenhal will need to pay many more adventures to climb this hill in the future to smash their daedric stones, else the verdant green Nibenay Basin may be turned into the grey wastes of Eastern Craglorn.
S.K
#685#the elder scrolls online#cyrodiil#tamrieldrifter#eso#rpg adventure#esorp#screenshots#the elder scrolls#mmorpg
2 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
mothzilla-aka-mozzy
Princess Of The Monsters
tenebbris-blog
Untitled
pm-me-ur-dog
Just Hangin Out
jabartoto
JABARTOTO OFFICIAL
hexmaniac-okadarkness
Oka darkness