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orfeoarte · 2 months

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Some khajiit headcanons...

Lots of variation even within the same furstock! Weirder Senche face proportions and fur shapes!

babboon-like skin on their noses and upper lips maybe?

another senche, same furstock, different shape!

hygiene :)

#khajiit #tesblr #the elder scrolls #skyrim #tes headcanons #elder scrolls #tes art #orfeoarte #speculative biology

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the-drunken-huntsman · 9 months

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Okay I just put it in the tags of that last reblog but in case no one sees that here's my new headcanon:

Orc children aren't born with their tusks, they grow in like the rest of their teeth and are significantly more painful while they're teething. They also lose their baby tusks like their baby teeth. Orc mothers will often string their childrens' baby tusks on leather cords and wear them as necklaces, sometimes for sentimentality and sometimes to show off how many children they have been able to bear.

#rikke.txt #headcanons #tes headcanons #orsimer #yes this is getting implemented into the sun will rise

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jag-rat · 3 months

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Merethic Era Falmer (snow elves)

I was thinking of doing a mini project about Merethic Tamriel and a documentation of the people that were living there in a sort of semi-historic way.

Of course most of it would probably not be entirely lore accurate and there will be a lot of headcanoning but it's fun regardless. So enjoy the first addition to this series.

Falmer: The falmer during the Merethic era were the tallest mer race on Nirn growing on average between 6 - 7 feet. They were also the hairiest and bulkiest on average due to the cold climate. Their culture and practices during this time were very similar to modern day nordic ones due to the cultural overlap and assimilation on the atmorans end when they first arrived to Skyrim.

They valued strength and honour. Their original gods are long lost now however historians speculate the modern nordic gods could share traits with the Falmer's old gods.

In the early Merethic era the snow elves invaded and seized what is currently the Summerset isles. This is how it is assumed Auri-El (An Altmeri/Aldmeri God) was introduced to Skyrim and later would become the primary god in the snow elven pantheon.

Furs, beards, and long hair was the norm in terms of falmer fashion for a long time due to the extreme weather however the shorter hair and beardless look though impractical in such weather was popularised in later years. Again influenced by the fashion trends on the much warmer summerset isles.

Generally speaking when the Falmer weren't invading distant lands or declaring wars with other clans they were a prospering civilisation and in the early days were much like the nords not particularly interested in magic. This was partly due to the fact Skyrim has large iron deposits meaning smithing and weaponry were the most practical but that didn't mean there was no magic at all.

Healers generally could manipulate the weave and tell or even change the future. But when Auri-el was popularised magic become a much larger part of the Falmers lives being combined and assimilated into what they already had. For example enchanting among smiths and manipulation of elements specific to Skyrim (Ice magic mostly).

These changes didn't come fast of course, the falmer were quite stubborn. But over time a cultural shift did happen going from axe-wielding barbarians (As the Aldmer called them) to a slightly more tame society that we know a little bit today.

This didn't come without its challenges however as while the falmer were changing the Atmorans living there were not and in fact had taken on a lot of the cultural aspects or even gods of the traditional falmer. This inevitably was the beginning of the end as tensions got higher with these cultural and religious differences it ended the only way it could, in a war. And well, you know the rest.

Currently the ancestors of the Merethic snow elves thrive in cave systems below ground. While the nords toil above ground, the nords frost resistance of course being a product of falmer and atmoran ancestors. Regardless both societies still hold the values the early Snow elves held. Strength and Honour.

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cosmictyto · 5 months

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How Khajiit Show Affection (Headcanons)

General:

While they’re generally aloof regarding strangers or the other races, the Khajiit are probably the most clingy and physically affectionate race on Tamriel.

Every hug is a full-contact hug (or snuggle.) You’re sitting on the couch? They’re flopping right on you and giving a headbutt.

Or they’ll just drape themselves across your lap.

Light bites are a common, playful sign of affection or as a way to get one’s attention.

The Alfiq/Alfiq-raht will ride on the shoulders of people they trust.

Expect lots of small gifts. "This one found a feather that reminded him of you, here."

Khajiit-to-Khajiit affection:

When meeting someone new, you greet by touching noses with your eyes closed. Focusing on the scent. Even Ohmes khajiit do this.

With coworkers or friends, you gently rub your cheeks, kinda like the European cheek kiss thing but with face rubs instead.

With close friends, family, or lovers you greet by pressing your foreheads together to greet or say goodbye.

In furstocks with raspy tongues, face grooming (with the tongue) is a way close friends, parents, siblings, or lovers show affection.

Grooming with combs, brushes, or fingers is appropriate for the rest of the body or for furstocks with non-raspy tongues.

Khajiit-to-other affection:

Ohmes/Ohmes-raht can and will engage in typical man/mer affection customs with no real problem.

The larger quadruped furstocks don’t mind being used like a chair occasionally. You might even have your hair licked if it’s not too long.

Kissing can be awkward for the cat-faced furstocks, but it is understood that the other races enjoy that contact. So, compromises are made.

The equivalent of a peck is a light mlem on the lips, cheek, or forehead.

“Making out” is more like rough nuzzling. The Khajiit will just rub their face all over yours and your neck, giving little mlems along the way. Or maybe even a nibble.

Feel free to add your own!

#the elder scrolls #tes #tesblr #headcanons #tes headcanons #khajiit #khajiit headcanons

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mellowscrolls · 7 months

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I’ll bite! Tell me about your Dragon Cult headcanons :0

Okay! Dear God, let me go find my notes spread over like ten different documents (exaggeration)!

Alright, so starting off, I'm going to throw in a disclaimer that this is lore built off of Metallic and Liches' works and headcanons all given a new coat of varnish as I scoot my plagiarism ray out of frame. I'm going to throw it under a read more for clarity and the sake of everyone.

TW for manipulation, cults, mutilation (non-graphic)

Starting with the ancient hierarchy, I have it go somewhere like: Alduin > High Ranking Dovah > Konahriik > High Rank Dov's Ruling Priest > Low Ranking Dovah > Their Ruling Priest > Wooden Masks > Acolytes (unmasked) > Divines Clergy > Everyone Else. Technically Akatosh/Bormahu was supposed to be/was advertised as the top of that chain, but that didn't work out so much in practice.

Within the cult itself were a few key customs. Let's start with the masked priests.

Dov have one masked priest each to handle the politics and mortal affairs of their Junaar (kingdom). These masks are made of precious metal or material and can be made custom to the specifications of the dov who requires them. There is one Masked Priest per dovah who earns one, and that internal hierarchy amongst the dragons means that your status and what you are in charge of may change very frequently depending on your dragon's social standing.

It is a great honor and a great burden to be chosen for the role of a Named Masked priest. Masked priests are given names by their dovah, usually approved by Alduin, in a naming ceremony that erases their mortal name from living and recorded memory. Only the dov bestowing the new name may remember the old, and to keep a copy of the name in physical form is considered a great insult.

In preparation for a naming ceremony, priests are usually imbued with "blessings" by being carved with (or even forced themselves to carve) Words of Power into their skin, which are then imbued with power and bound to the priest-to-be's soul by their dovah. These enchantments are binding to the soul in a way that can either slightly shift their personality to favor the nature of the word or can make them a completely different person, at their dovahthuri's discretion. These blessings are extremely hard to sunder and cannot be harmed by the person they are upon unless directly ordered by their dovah or Alduin. (Most of the carving part of the headcanon was pioneered by @metallic-scaled-scarf with Nonvul, go check them out)

Under the Masked priest within their own Junaar was usually a group of attendants ranging in number from about 3-5. They are the Wooden Priests, wearing wooden masks in the style of their Priest, symbolizing their un-named and un-blessed status. They were not allowed to speak, but were usually able to communicate telepathically as a sort of hivemind while still maintaining most of their original personality. Masked Priests were always chosen from their predecessor's pool of Wooden Priests, so there was a long-term competitive nature usually fostered within their little group. Any Clergy below the Masked and Wooden Priests went without a facial covering and could communicate freely. When converging in Bromjunaar for moots, the Masked Named priests would trade their masks for wooden ones to hear the words of Konahriik, as both a gesture symbolizing equality as well as silence before the words of the Mouthpiece of Alduin.

In global politics, mer were much more unlikely to ever make it to the rank of Masked Priest, with the Falmer treated as slaves and prisoners of conquest while the Ayleids and Chimer were treated as highly tenuous allies at best. Dragons did not usually care for their priests so much as use them as tools of communication and politick. A Masked Priest was very regularly simply a new game of chess to start with the other Dov as one would vie for another's power, land, or status.

As for individual Headcanons, or how I write my dragon priests, I will make another post in the near future.

#skyrim #dragon priest #dragon cult #alduin #kagrenacs #tes headcanons #tes #tes v #tes v skyrim #mellow answers #headcanons

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dunmeri-bitch · 1 year

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once again TES shenanigans is completely distracting me from my BA thesis. thinking about how the nerevarine being chimeryaasified is a pretty common trope, I was thinking about where on the body that shit would start, and think that it would be neat if that shit would start at whereever the fatal blow to the last incarnation struck. So say, if the Nerevarine incarnation previously was killed by a hit to the head, the current nerevarine would see skin goldening from there, leading to hair turning white in that area too cuz I'm extra like that. and i like the idea of the of the skin spreading in different patterns depending on what kind of killing blow it was. so if it was blunt trauma- the change would start deeper in the skin, perhaps even in the bone structure, and would spread like a bruise. a stab wound would spread along the lines of the wound, getting longer before wider. poison would follow the bloodvessels from the point of entry. so if hit with a poison arrow or dart, it would follow the "rules" of a stab wound along with the veins turning golden, while if it was by eating something poisonous it would spread from the mouth.

#tes headcanons #Nerevarine #dunmer #chimer #morrowind #tes3

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thana-topsy · 9 months

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Idk if you've discussed this before, but I saw on one of the asks you like to think about the magical side of things in TES, so was wondering: in your headcanon, which of the schools of magic are probably the most challenging to use and master?

Anon, I just need you to know that this ask sent me into an absolute fit of inspiration writing an entire treatise on this topic from Neloth's point of view, but judging by the amount of unfinished WIPs I'm working with at the moment, I didn't want to leave you (or this question) hanging for months.

I think the most challenging schools are the ones that require the greatest force of will, namely Alteration and Illusion, both of which require you to impose your will on the world around you.

With Illusion, you're manipulating the minds of others. I think @dirty-bosmer had a great passage exploring this from this post of her writing: "Sylawen flushed but rolled her eyes, then shut them. Illusion. She hated Illusion. She wished she could tell him illusion was for the weak, a field of mind games and emotions, just alteration without the grounding laws of physics. Alteration for people who were bad at math. Illusion required Sylawen to be too close to others' emotions, and though she hated to admit it, sometimes she simply didn't understand how other people were supposed to feel."

I IMMEDIATELY adopted that into my headcanons: Illusion is a school that requires you to have a tremendous amount of intuitive empathy to use effectively, which has so many twisted and interesting implications. A master of Illusion, then, might use it very sparingly.

With Alteration, you're directly impacting the world around you but still bound by the laws of the natural world -- creating shields, opening locks, transmuting metals, producing light (I don't care what Skyrim says, light spells are NOT Illusion?? make it make sense). But then there's the school of Thaumaturgy. (This classification was phased out by the time Skyrim came around, and then picked back up in ESO). I like having this distinction from Alteration. Thaumaturgy deals in changing the laws of reality, if only for a brief period of time -- breathing water, levitation, water walking, etc. I think this requires some of the highest skill to master. (I also feel like invisibility should fall under this school, but there's an argument to be made that you could use both concepts to reach the same end goal).

For a truly spectacular take on Alteration (without me splitting hairs about spell classification), I might suggest reading the beginning of chapter 93 (an excellent occult number) of @chameleonspell's Morrowind masterpiece "How to Disappear Completely", which forever altered the way I both view TES fanfic AND how I think about magic in Tamriel.

I'm going to leave my Mysticism rant for another day, because fwew I'll get lost in my own meta and this post is long enough. Thank you so much for asking!! As I said... I do love to talk magic.

#topsy's asks #elder scrolls #tes lore #elder scrolls lore #tes magical theory #tes headcanons #tes fanfic

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ping1n · 4 months

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I've seen a couple posts about the progression of enchanting tables in Tamriel, and it always bothers me that the Skyrim enchanting table is clearly a downgrade from everything that came before.

So instead, I'd propose that this enchanting table is unique to the region of Skyrim, rather than the era. Skyrim famously does not respect wizards, and the extreme cold and ruggedness of the region makes bringing in precise equipment near impossible. As such, mages are forced to jury-rig enchanting setups by carving runes and using whatever pieces of magical equipment are available (hence the crystal ball, candles and skulls).

(neloth's enchanting table is obviously contradictory to this headcanon, but my response to this is that todd howard is a bitch and should fight me)

It's interesting to consider the other enchanting tables in tes as regional differences as well. Consider the enchanting tables from Cyrodiil. Significantly less paraphernalia, no runes, no crystals, just a stand with some candles. Is the Arcane University just shit at making enchanting tables? I don't think so. Consider this instead as a form of gatekeeping - Oblivion being the only game where enchanting is locked behind membership of the Mages Guild. The lack of any assistance from the table itself puts all the effort of enchanting onto the raw skill and knowledge of the enchanter. Where other tables channel soul energy as part of their construction, a cyrodiilic enchanting table can only be operated by a mage capable of safely channelling this energy by themself. As such, the unskilled lower class, with no access to such training, are effectively prevented from creating their own enchanted equipment and therefore are incapable of staging a revolution against the oppressive upper class whose rule is enforced by battlemages and enchanted soldiers.

#tes #tesblr #skyrim #oblivion #tes headcanons

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globofhoney · 6 months

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In my headcanon, I believe female dragonborns (no matter what the race)...

- is secretly a Jills and not really a Dov.

- is papa Akatosh's favourite. When you die, you go back to Akatosh and abandoned your mortal shell, will eventually get turned back into a Jills and stay with your sisters and father. Safe and sound in Aetherius while the drakes (Dov) stays in Tamriel, fight for dominance and act like tough shit.

- Believe it or not, in my HC, Akatosh treats his daughters, the Jills, nicely since they are quite duty oriented and well behave.

- Imagine seeing Alduin there in Aetherius as well and he remembers you, since you die and lose privileges of dragonborn, plus already turned into a jills, Alduin will now be your big bully despite him being in a time out.

- Don't worry, papa Akatosh will deal with him for you. Daddy loves all his children, he just have a softer spot when it comes to his cute little Jills.

#Akatosh #tes headcanons #Alduin #female dragonborn #Dovahkiin #skyrim headcanon #skyrim #the elder scrolls #the elder scrolls v: skyrim

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orfeoarte · 8 months

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Faendal is a longbowman guys, his back+arms muscles must be to DIE for

#thirst for the first npc you meet in the first town who has like. 7 lines? sure #faendal #skyrim #tes headcanons #i guess?#saathel #because these thoughts are definitely coming from her #not art #←FOR NOW

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littlebookoftamriel · 2 months

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⟡ Happy Heart's Day/Mara's Day/Sanguine's Summoning Day from Little Book of Tamriel! ⟡

Looking for a detailed cultural breakdown on what the holiday means across Tamriel? Look no further - Sugar and Spice are here to give you the information you need to make sure you dont have a major faux pas with Bretons, a spoiled soiree with the Altmer, or a ruined romp with the Nords!

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Altmer society places little importance on the romantic aspect of Heart's Day - public displays of affection are typically frowned upon. Instead, the day focuses on acts dedicated to Mara, as opposed to focusing on one's partner solely. Children are given small sweets, such as sugared nuts and fruits, fresh agricultural produce is a staple for the day's meals, and traditionally, acts of service are performed for the poor, the elderly, and the infirm - although, with the rise of the Thalmor, this tradition has fallen out of favor.

Argonians do not celebrate Heart's Day or Mara's Day, in fact, due to their communal structure there's never been an interest in it - up until the Imperials and Dunmer began entering the region. The only known Argonians who practice religiously and culturally are those who have fully assimilated to foreign cultures such as Breton, Nordic, and Cyrodiillic - with many in Morrowind even converting to celebrate Sanguine's Summoning Day! As the region's culture has gradually shifted due to a slowly rebounding traditionally Argonian population with interspersed dense pockets of foreigners, some Argonians have begun to celebrate a bastardized version of the traditionally Eight-based holiday, instead making the holiday about playing heart-themed games, seeing it as a lucky day to work, and basing entire outfits around reds and gentle pinks.

Bretons, especially the southern Bretons, absolutely adore Heart's Day! Originally introduced by their Imperial ancestors, Heart's Day has morphed into something all about love, love, love! Bretons will save up all year just to purchase the most lavish and expensive gifts for one another - if its not extravagant enough, then the gift-giver is likely to be shunned by acquaintances and even friends, as it is seen as a terrible social blunder. There are multiple feasts, balls, and most marriages happen on Heart’s Day - making it one of the most beloved holidays of the people of High Rock.

Bosmeri culture places a special kind of importance on the holiday, which is commonly known as All-Hearts Day. As with most Bosmeri holidays, they begin their day with a hearty breakfast and alcohol - lots of alcohol! The Bosmer are one of the unique races in that they are forbidden from consuming any plant matter, and rely on a purely meat based diet - additionally, they are one of the last known races to practice cannibalism. This extends into the way they show love... by giving eachother hearts! Any and all relationships will give eachother hearts to consume on All-Hearts Day, feeding the organ to eachother to symbolize their devotion and care for one another.

Dunmer do not celebrate Heart's Day, but rather, celebrate Sanguine's Summoning Day, as the festivals fall on the same dates. Lavish banquets and feasts are held across Morrowind, with almost every Dunmer over the age of majority drinking in excess at these feasts. Many Dunmer find themselves elevated in the ranks of their Houses on this day, depending on what acts of magic or craftsmanship prowess they show off to their tutors - as today is seen as an auspicious day, many schedule their hearings to be on the date!

The first instance of Mara's Day being referred to as Heart's Day comes from an Imperial account. Gifts for romantic partners are carefully considered and vary in price, although a common superstition in Cyrodiil states that if the gift is bought because the price was cheap, the relationship is doomed to fall apart. Handmade trinkets are also a common gift, especially in rural areas, and typically include something belonging to one's partner, such as a lock of hair.

Khajiit do not celebrate Mara's Day. Instead, they have their own festival later in the year dedicated to Nirni, the personification of Nirn. Traditional offerings during this festival include local flowers and herbs, as well as seasonal fish and cicadas.

Nords are the people to party with on Mara's Day - having village and city-wide celebrations. Mara is one of, if not the, most important divine in the Nordic pantheon, and Nords are given the day off from work to reflect this. Children are expected to present their parents with gifts, and this often carries over into adulthood too. Savoury food is nearly impossible to find on Mara's Day, whilst sweetrolls and honey nut treats are abundant. Mara's Day is a particularly auspicious date in the Nordic calendar, marked by rhymes such as:

"The farmer who sews his seeds And the father's child conceived On Mother Mara's blessed day Will reap good fortune along their way"

The Orcs are a very reclusive people, stalwart and rugged - as a result, they have no holidays today, nor do they celebrate Mara's Day or Sanguine's Summoning! Despite efforts to convert the region, Orcs tend to be most similar to Redguards as they would treat today like any other day of the week. Wait until spring, when the Orsinium celebrates with their yearly fertility festival - just be careful, as its not uncommon to find young lovers engaging in various forms of fighting to show off prior to properly celebrating!

Redguards traditionally, like Argonians and Orcs, do not celebrate any form of Mara's Day or Sanguine's Summoning, instead having rejected it and all worship of the Eight during the Great War. Today is just another day for the Redguard - the closest thing to Mara that the Redguard have is Morwha, and her destival is not until later in the year. So, if you're looking for a place that is free from the holiday, try having some goat kebabs in Hammerfell!

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jag-rat · 9 months

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Okay hear me out. What if the Falmer were culturally far more similar to the modern day nords rather than the altmer or the ayleids?

Like if the Falmer's culture was a more intense version of what we see of the ancient nords in Skyrim. Because the nords kind of just integrated their own culture into the falmers. Maybe the Falmer were originally far more similar to the vikings and other ancient Scandinavian cultures rather than just being the altmer but pale.

Or maybe even towards the end of their reign they started to shift cultures to a more altmer influenced lifestyle and religion making Auri-el a more prominent God figure in their pantheon. Sort of similar to how Scandinavia got christianised.

It would explain why tensions between the Atmorans and the Falmer suddenly became so high when they were previously living peacefully together.

It would also be fascinating to consider the fact the nords could actually be descendants of both the atmorans and the Falmer. Sort of like the bretons. It's very difficult to completely wipe out an entire country worth of people. And not every Falmer wanted to go underground with most being opposed to the idea. So it would make more sense for those who didn't join the Dwemer for protection to be slowly "integrated" with the atmorans which would explain the entire disappearance of the rest of the Falmer. It also gives the modern day Nords a new context which I really like because its sort of poetic irony the nords themselves would be another small part of what was left of the ancient falmer.

Also there's no way a bunch of people living in freezing cold temperatures aren't going to have beards. Bethesda is lying to me.

Anyways it might not line up with canon but it's an interesting thought. Also brings some funny scenarios to mind.

For more details go here

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cosmictyto · 5 months

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Concept/headcanon - Cicero with Trichotillomania

(Is this self indulgent? Yes, yes it is. Am I doing this silly, minimally edited, free-writing exercise to keep myself from pulling? Yes, yes I am.)

Obligatory warnings since this mentions hair pulling, anxiety, obsessive & repetitive compulsions, balding, damage to the scalp, embarrassment from said balding, etc.

In this hypothetical o’ mine, this all flared up during his time in Cheydinhal. But, before that, I could see him being the kind of guy who’d run his hand through his hair or tug slightly as a self-soothing mechanism when stressed. His scalp is generally sensitive and he enjoys the feeling of someone touching it either by combing his hair or running their fingers through it.

The plucking didn’t start immediately. While, yes, he was upset to lose the Bruma sanctuary and his siblings, he could manage that. It was all the pressure that came after.

Other sanctuaries were being destroyed. The active listener was being threatened. He botched his contract. Their communications were cut off. The listener was dead. The Night Mother forced out of her crypt.

More and more.

He’s elected to be in this revered role. He also has to learn how to DO said role via old books and just kinda… have faith that he’s doing it right. Probably with the constant nagging feeling that the lack of any new listener might be his fault (since the NM’s corpse is her conduit to speak with mortals, and if she’s not taken care of properly her connection is severed.)

Even more pressure as the Cheydinhal sanctuary is crumbling around him. One by one the remaining members die and more and more pressure is put on Cicero. All the while he’s also fretting over why the NM won’t just speak to him instead.

With Garnag left MIA, Cicero is just left completely on his own. Stuck (presumably) underground and unable to really leave the sanctuary.

All the while, he’s been rubbing his scalp and tugging at his hair to just get even the slightest feeling of peace, pacing all throughout the halls waiting for Garnag to come back with supplies. Being overwhelmed with laughter. Until, one day, while rubbing his head he feels something off. A single hair with some odd texture. A wrong texture. He plucks it, feeling the sharp sting fade into a wave of soreness, pulls the strand taught between his fingers. Investigating it. His hair is normally smooth and silky. But this one wasn’t. Something… clicks.

It started with one… Then another, and another, and another.

If his hands weren’t busy preparing oils or tending to Mother, he was plucking. Sometimes he’d feel the length of the strand, other times he’d touch the root of the hair to his lips (something about the sensation was pleasant. Blissful even.) But as soon as he tossed the strand aside, his hands were back at his crown foraging for similar threads.

It became a pattern. A frantic rhythm. Pluck, feel, touch, toss. Over and over. His hands hasty and shaking slightly. Part of him knows that this isn’t right, but he. just. can’t. stop.

The halls of Cheydinhall are dusted with shed ginger strands from where Cicero would pluck as he paced, muttering and laughing to himself to fill the empty air. And as he ran out of “bad hairs” he started targeting the “good ones.” But, of course, it wasn’t the same. It didn’t scratch that same itch. And that was just as maddening as the silence. His plucking grew more and more intense and rough.

It eventually gets so bad that the crown of his head starts to bleed and scar. But, then the scabs give him something else to futz with.

Later, after he makes his jester outfit and sends out the letters to Astrid, he finally notices just how much damage he’s done.

There was only one mirror in Cheydinhal. In the liar Rasha’s room. So, he used it to get a good look at his new outfit. He’s dancing about, humming. And then he finally notices the massive bald spot, pale white and covered in maroon scabs, on the crown of his head.

The humming stops. His heart sinks. His stomach twists. The immediate wave of panic and shame stung at his eyes. What you were doing never fully clicks until you’re staring at the consequences of your compulsory actions head-on.

Instinctively, his hand claws its way through what little remaining hair he has left back there. And he pulls it back with a yelp, gripping his wrist with his other hand. His fingertips tingle with pressure as he forces himself to not try and pluck or pick. And something in his mind burns at the thought.

Before anything else happened, he grabbed his hat and pulled it taught against his head. Out of sight, out of mind. Like it never even happened. He still had enough hair on the rest of his head, so everything looked fine. He could feel the itching feeling fade as he tried to even his breathing and just… forget everything he just witnessed.

And it worked. As long as he kept the hat on, the habit was temporarily broken. Plus, he was so busy trying to move mother across the continent, there wasn’t any time to fret, or pace, or pluck.

He did have a slight flare-up with his eyebrows and eyelashes while on the long, long boat ride to Dawnstar. The rolling waves made him nervy and nauseous. And the very thought of his mother, stuck in the cargo hold, being constantly surrounded by ship crew made his skin crawl. He just couldn’t help himself. But, that never felt “as right” as it did with his head hairs.

Then, things got better. A new, true Listener was found. His life was spared. The pretenders who dishonored the name “Dark Brotherhood” felt the wrath of Sithis. And now, there was an opportunity to start anew!

Post-DB-questline, I imagine his plucking would slow down significantly. For the first time in a long while, things are stable. He’s not alone. Mother is happy and actively talking to someone. Things are looking up. He still falls into old habits here and there, since you never fully stop with these sorts of things, but he feels the urge way less. And when he catches himself doing it, he’ll try and redirect instead to something that needs both hands. There’s always something in the sanctuary that needs cleaning or mending. He’s even working on a new jester’s outfit (because it’s too damn cold in Dawnstar for his current one) and he’s doing all the embroidery work himself.

He did too much damage to his scalp, though. Some of the hair has grown back. But, it’s patchy and thin. Baby fuzz mixed with old, long strands. And, yeah, this is a sore spot of his. He knows it looks odd. He wears his hat almost 24/7 because he’s so self-conscious/embarrassed about it. It’s an unfortunate reminder of his lowest point. So, he tries to keep it covered and to not think about it. (And if you dare try to take his hat “as a joke” you’re dead. No warning, just stabbing.)

Maybe, just maybe, if you’re close enough with him he’d be fine taking the hat off. But that’ll take a lot of trust before you get to that point. And it’ll take even more than that before he’d even let you touch his head/hair. (However, when you get to that stage, he will 100% melt into a puddle of goo if you comb his hair.)

Anyway, if you got this far, thanks for reading! I only edited this lightly so apologies if anything’s worded weird or if there are any mistakes.

#yeaaaah this is a lot of projection #gotta get that representation somewhere #trichotillomania #bfrb #headcanon #cicero headcanons #skyrim #tes headcanons #skyrim headcanons #tes #tesblr #cicero #cicero skyrim #skyrim cicero

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fruitydraugr · 8 months

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Miraak Combat Headcanons

As a disclaimer - all of these are going to be very canon divergent, and based almost exclusively off of my own logic and interpretation. To get a good baseline of the type of combat I describe here, I recommend watching some of Monty Oum's animations, as he is my biggest inspiration.

Weaponry

Something I personally noticed in my fight with Miraak is that he doesn't use his staff as often as I would expect him to, and instead relies on his magic first, and sword second. I also personally find his staff redundant for the combat style I expected him to have, and have thus removed it altogether. Replaced with a mandatory dodge roll. He can also wuld, of course.

As for his magic, I predominantly see him using lightning magic when I fight him, which I'll go on more about in the personality segment. I would usually say this goes hand in hand with his sword - magnetizing it and wielding it without his hands, electrifying it for more damage - but it doesn't seem to be a mortal metal.

Separation and individuality seem to be a big theme with Miraak, so I'm going to be keeping his magic, and his blade separate from one another.

There's a few ways this can be made interesting, but because I see Miraak as extremely lightweight, I'm effectively going to make it a cooler version of Skyrim's off-hand magic - he uses his blade with his right hand, and grabs, blocks, or punches with his left.

A few of his spells can be used to magnetize others' weaponry, even shields, and either disarm them or launch them back at his opponent, usually too fast for them to recognize what's happening.

Miraak is also extremely lightweight, as I mentioned before. He isn't the most agile, his bones are starting to hurt, but he's still faster and trickier than the average Dragon Priest. Predominantly relies on blocking, dodge rolls, or jumping back in order to avoid damage.

Personality

How someone fights has a big impact on their personality, and vice versa, at least from the way that I write.

I have a headcanon that the personality of a mage will determine what element they excel in - for this case, we'll be using Skyrim's three dominant elements. Fire, ice, and lightning.

Miraak is unreliable and unpredictable in his everyday life. He's not exactly what I would call loyal, either, no matter who it's to. But he's still remarkably smart, curious, and rather strong when it comes down to it.

Lightning magic fits the bill here almost perfectly. He would be well aware of the pros and cons of his element, and with all the time he's spent in Apocrypha, he has a masterful grasp on it. The unpredictability and inherent danger of lightning magic, despite it being amazing all the same, is perfect for Miraak.

As for his blade, it's distinctly damaged. Scratched, unpolished, poorly taken care of, and most likely ancient. The tip is still sharp, but I believe that's only because it isn't a mortal metal - it's a gift from Hermaeus Mora.

I personally feel this represents Miraak's exhaustion with being trapped, hatred of Hermaeus Mora, and, despite appearing otherwise on the surface, lack of care for himself.

Much of Solstheim's plot didn't feel like Miraak trying to take over the world, despite how it was portrayed. It felt very much like an escape mission, someone who was doing everything awful (don't get me wrong, Miraak did some horrible shit to put it lightly) in order to build his power and leave.

(I do firmly believe that Miraak did all these things to build his ego, again, don't get me wrong, and it was a wholly disgusting way to go about things. I still like to peer deeper into his personality, though.)

The only reason that Miraak carries Mora's sword with him now is because it reminds him of how far he's come. He sharpens the blade as an act of self care - he feels rather tied to the blade at this point, and doesn't feel right trying to take care of himself without taking care of something he owns.

Either way. Miraak wielding his blade is an indicator of anger, self-loathing, and exhaustion pre-escape, and of recovery and determination post-escape.

Style (And Examples)

So, how does this all culminate?

Miraak has an abnormal spellsword combat style, with his shouts adding some extra options.

I would personally describe it as rather defensive, but understand that this doesn't mean he's not trying to win. You can be aggressive without being on the offensive.

Much of his style relies on waiting for his opponent to approach, and then demolishing them with a combination of lightning spells, mostly AoE, and using his blade when they come too close. Struggles greatly with any form of ranger for this reason.

Some of his spells can cover a rather large area or offer passive damage - a thunderstorm, runes, cloak spells - and he readily uses this to his advantage. Much of his strategy revolves around making the environment inhospitable both for himself and his foe, relying on his armor and resistances to his own magic in order to minimize recoil.

This usually results in collateral damage, and a very ruined arena after the fight.

His swordsmanship has struggled in Apocrypha, but he's had enough time to practice. Has improper form when fighting, but utilizes his shouts or magic to circumvent this, not to mention that he swings very hard.

Miraak's blade is somewhat heavy, so he tends to get in a flurry of slashes before backing up, and reintroducing himself to the fight.

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I think that's all I have for now, though, the Monster is wearing off :] Hope y'all like it!

#Marlin #Skyrim #Miraak #Skyrim Miraak #Skyrim headcanons #TES headcanons #Gonna do the Tribunal and Daedric Princes next!#Sotha Sil and Miraak would have a CRAZY matchup. I know next to nothing about Seht but that fight would be nuts.#Very evenly matched #If any of you have any requests or suggestions for matchups I ENCOURAGE you to send them!!! Please send them!!#Fightcanons Series

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ehlnofay · 2 years

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The Dwemer have been gone for millennia, but their animunculi remain, patrolling their citadels and dutifully performing their tasks. They have not survived because they are wonders of technology (though they are that) – no construct (no matter how powerful) could last so long before breaking down without routine maintenance, much less survive incidental environmental damage and the occasional overbold adventurer busting into their homes swinging swords and slinging spells. Every remaining construct has been damaged to the point of losing function more than once. They continue to operate only because they repair each other. There are groups of automatons whose sole purpose is to mend and maintain all the animunculi in their area – usually hidden until their rounds, so it’s rare for aforementioned adventurers to come across them – and they are able to keep each other functional and fix any damage, unless key components are destroyed or taken.

#surprise headcanon!#I have no idea if this is original at all or ANYTHING. I'm just having a time here #this thought came to me in the middle of the night and I stumbled out of bed to write it down. so I had to fix it up and post it #I really like the idea of all the robots in their empty cities carrying out the machinations of their own unconscious society #all having a role and doing it well. caring for one another and the space they reside in.#I don't know if I'll ever have a lot of thoughts on the dwemer bc they are obviously very enigmatic in canon. and the stuff I like #to think about in my headcanons is usually slice-of-life style stuff. which isn't super applicable to a culture that #I don't really have much of a starting concept for #I'm not oppose to thinking about them more I just don't have a lot of thoughts now and don't have any particular desire to generate them #but I do quite like thinking about the animunculi #tes headcanons #dwemer #dwemer animunculi #tesblr #the elder scrolls #fay talks

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thana-topsy · 10 months

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What’s Neloth’s thoughts on smoking? (Random question that just crossed my mind)

It's funny, you asked this right as I was imagining another drawing of Neloth lounging with a pipe. (I've drawn similar things before, and I'm probably due for an updated version).

I feel like smoking is probably another one of those Deeply Cultural Things in Morrowind (and not just because all the voice actors sounded like they were sucking down a pack of Newports a day).

I can see Neloth winding down with a pipe every now and then. Hookah (or something similar) is a pretty social activity, and the old coot doesn't socialize much anymore. Maybe in his earlier days. But no doubt he keeps some good stuff on hand. And we know Divayth Fyr partook in bugsmoke at least once. I bet Neloth's tried his fair share of mind-altering substances. In the name of research, naturally.

New rough sketch of Neloth lightin up (left), and an old 2020 drawing of a much younger Neloth in a state of undress (right).

#topsy's asks #neloth #neloth rambles #tes headcanons

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