And it was at this moment Aicantar wished he could disappear like the Dwemer

he's going to Get them :-)

"Dwarven Spider"

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Adam Adamowicz

Indoril Nerevar :)))

Evalien: *suddenly drops back down from sheogoraths realm dressed like Alice from wonderland and holding a basket of cheese and the wabbajack*

Kaidan: *catches her as she floats down and sets her back on her feet* Whot, in the mind boggling fockery just happened?!

Taliesin: *holding her armour* one minute you were here the next we were worried you’d run off naked somewhere!

Evalien: oh- don’t worry about it, just visiting an old friend. *picks up a piece of cheese and eats it… only to shrink down to half taliesins height* Oh!

Kaidan: Ha! Now you really are a dwarf.

Taliesin: HOW DO WE REVERSE THAT?!

Evalien: hm?… *licks another piece of cheese and fills the corridor as she grows to 10 times their size* UGH!

Taliesin: STOPLICKINGTHEDAMNEDTHING!!!!

*meanwhile outside*

Lucien: do you think they’re okay in there?

Inigo: I’m sure it’s fine our friends can handle anything-

Caryalind: *taps his shoulder and points to a window where a giant shoe is poking through* …

Lucien: oh dear.

Gore: *walks over with khash* whatd we miss- *looks at the shoe* …Wow.

what if. I made a dwemer oc

i don't think ill ever fully understand elder scrolls lore and i think that is ok

AAAAAUGH I have to find the Dwemer ruins that goes into BlackReach, go throu it to actually access BlackReach, then go throu THAT MESS to find the Scroll? Idk I'm supposed to find something to transcribe the information onto the one of the lexicons, and somewhere along the way I'm supposed to transcribe the other lexicon.

Then I have to go back to Septimus Signis, I think I have to kill him then starts Hermaues Mora's quest for the Oghma Infinitum? And then I have to go Elf blood hunting.

Such a mess. The Blood Scroll was so much easier to obtain than this. Idk when I even get the Dragon Scroll. I've been dreading BlackReach and I absolutely never want to step foot into another Dwemer ruin, not after Alftand *shudders*. I know I have to, for Solstheim and I gotta kill a guy cause I'm doing the Dark BrotherHood quest line and the fucker is in there somewhere.

2nd of Hearthfire, 4E201 Dear Diary, As the carriage traverses Skyrim's rugged roads, memories of my journey flood my thoughts. Born on the 30th of Sun's Height, fifty years have shaped my life in pursuit of magical theories and Dwemer mechanisms. My mother, Maria Octavius, an esteemed enchanter scholar, shaped my relentless pursuit of arcane truths. Her guidance, a beacon amid the shadows cast by Torbert, a negligent and abusive Nord Battlemage and sorry excuse of a father. Maria, my unwavering protector, shielded me from his malevolence. Tobias, my paternal grandfather, stepped into the role Torbert should have embraced—a father. Their earthly sojourns have since ceased, bidding farewell to Maria, Tobias, and even Torbert in my adulthood. The Imperial City, a cradle of scholarly endeavors, forged my path amidst its corridors of knowledge. Oh, the marvels I unearthed from Dwemer enigmatic constructs, weaving their principles into contemporary magic and machinery. The accolades echoed, mingled with the discordant whispers of skepticism—a melody I've grown accustomed to. Romance eluded me, my focus on enlightenment shunning personal distractions. A solitary figure, ensconced within libraries and Dwemer gears, I found solace. My reflection in the mirror, an unsightly portrayal of excess, spoke volumes about my corporeal existence. A figure not graced by the standards of handsomeness; rather, a canvas painted with the strokes of indulgence and scholarly neglect. Weight, an uninvited companion on this journey, clung to me like the remnants of an arcane experiment gone awry. Yet, in the labyrinthine corridors of wisdom, appearances mattered not. The symphonies of my thoughts drowned out the whispers of societal judgment, leaving me to dance with the profound truths hidden within the pages of ancient tomes and the intricate dance of Dwemer machinery. The Great War's aftermath disillusioned me, seeking refuge in Skyrim's College of Winterhold. Here, I stand as the esteemed professor of Aetherial Physics and Dwemer Engineering, an anchor in this storm of magical mysteries. Sameth and Myvrana, my dedicated proteges, draw inspiration from my teachings. Collaborations with Tarakel, Aicantar, and the esteemed Calcelmo – both revered colleague and rival – elevate my scholarly pursuits. I tread the path of enlightenment, a solitary seeker pursuing the Dwemer's arcane legacy. The carriage heralds a journey physical and metaphysical. Skyrim's frost-covered bosom whispers the Dwemer's enigmatic secrets. Until again, Dr. Otto Octavius Aetherial Physicist and Dwemer Scholar

The Dwemer ruins in morrowind are some of the scariest places I’ve ever visited in the elder scrolls.

Compared to the Skyrim ruins, they are barren. Utilitarian. The outsides are decorated sure, but it’s more like a show of strength than any sort of actual artistry, huge statues bearing spears and ballistas made from dwarven metal.

The ruins are loud, clanging and metal clashing as the ambient sound. Occasional swells of battle music only adding to the tension. Typical orchestral sounds replaced by something far more artificial, more mechanic.

Metal walls, metal floors, odd machinery still working long after the dwarves disappeared. Corpses of long dead adventurers lie in the corners, adventurers much like you.

Sometimes you’ll come across an automata. The spiders are egg like but organic to an uncomfortable degree, their bodies flop and shift when they attack in a way that makes them seem not entirely metal. Spheres suddenly pop to life from the corners, Centurions are large, steam spewing and oddly lifelike in comparison to the art deco feel they have in Skyrim.

Sometimes you’ll be attacked by a Dwemer spirit, souls somehow trapped in the places they dwelled long after their race disappeared. They’re lifelike, looking more natural than the last living dwarf, but still not quite natural.

Compared to the stone halls and grandiose sculptures of the Skyrim Dwarves, I wonder about the cultural differences between these two groups of Dwemer. One carved through the mountains, crafting beds and desks and all sorts of artworks from metal and stone alive. The other clad hallways in almost never ending panels of the same copper-bronze colour, desks spaced meticulously, artwork all but abandoned.

If I have one hope for the next elder scrolls game, it’s a return to the horror of the Vvardenfel Dwemer. And perhaps a return of the Dwemer themselves, an ultimate enemy or an ultimate ally.

You can’t kill a god, after all.

Markarth has to be like the worst place in Skyrim to live in

Like yeah there's a Mafia, a guild of thieves and corrupt guards in Riften and racists and a serial killer in Windhelm and there's moronic jarls in Dawnstar and Winterhold

But in Markarth you have to worry about potentially getting killed in a Forsworn attack on the city because The Reach was overtaken by colonizers, you have dwemer automatons, falmer and their pets and a giant spider living in the abandoned dwemer city underneath the actual city, a third of the city's population are cannibals and are taking part in a cannibal cult who is stealing corpses from The Hall of The Dead, there's a fucking Mafia in the city that supports Ulfric, there's a fucking haunted house, there's a fucking Thalmor patrol in the goddamn Jarl's palace, the jarl and guards are corrupt and are being payed off by the Mafia, the jail is a fucking slave mine which mainly consists of the indigenous population of The Reach put in there by the local Mafia

Whumpril 2024 : days 26 to 30

The last days of @whumpril !

26 . « How could you ? »

Ever since they came upon Boethiah's altar, the Dragonborn had been acting strangely. Falsely. It was almost too late that they realized that the Daedric Prince was speaking to thir soul, leading them to the abyss of betrayal.

They have almost sacrificed the trusting Lydia, their thane, their unwavering support since the beginning. She had been narrowly saved and was staring, shocked, at her thane who had betrayed her.

“How could you?” Auri spat. "How could you even think about that? She is one of us!"

Kaidan just slapped them, his eyes filled with anger. The Dragonborn looked away, a tear rolling down their sore cheek. (105)

•

27 . « Please don't go. »

They have their hand on this new Black Book, ready to open it. Lucien grabbed their wrist, his face betraying his concern.

“Please don’t go.”, he begged, his voice sharp with anguish. Lucien stared at the Dragonborn who seemed determined to open it. Lucien's blue eyes grew wet and bright. He added :

"This is a Daedric kingdom and its Prince is a devious being. There is no certainty that you will be able to return intact... Please..."

Lucien knew that, there would be no guarantee that Hermaeus Mora would not lock them away in his world, as he had done to Miraak before. (104)

•

28 . Fight/Flight/Freeze

They saw some webs but they did not expect the monstrous size of the frostbite spider that descended on them. Inigo welcomed the sight of this spider with joy, ready to face the creature head-on. Nebarra's heart raced as he caught sight of the arachnid's menacing form. Under his helmet were hidden his features distorted by terror. His breathing had spontaneously stopped. His legs gave out, causing him to collapse to his knees. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, unable to grab his sword or cast a ward. While the others attacked the threat, he remained frozen, unable to defend himself or even flee. (105)

•

29 . Reluctant Caretaker

It was his turn on duty at Lucifer's bedside. Xelzaz was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. Reluctantly he sat at the injured man's bedside. The wound was badly infected and Lucifer was layig motionless, his breath shallow and labored, a feverish sheen coating his scales. Xelzaz had concocted a medicine for him which everyone hoped would work quickly. The Altmer sighed.

“And I’m the one being asked to babysit you, Lute.”

He placed a cloth soaked in cool water on the Argonian's forehead without much care.

“You better not die under my watch, now.”, he threatened. (100)

•

30 . « We're out of time. »

As the Dragonborn and his companions moved deeper into the Dwemer ruin of Arkngthamz, sinister rumblings were heard. Remiel and Lucien, both fascinated by Dwemer complex mechanisms and architecture, had lingered to examine a particularly intriguing tonal mechanism. The ground trembled beneath their feet, creaks echoed through the halls and walls began to crumble here and there. Both were so absorbed that they had become oblivious of the imminent danger and deaf to the calls of their companions. It was only when they were forcibly taken away by the latter who shouted "We're out of time!", that they realized the danger of their situation. (105)

You can find all the drabbles written for Whumpril 2024 here (in addition to other whump drabbles on Skyrim Custom-voiced Followers written for various challenges).

Remember to leave me a little comment, it’s always nice ;)

Dwarven spider legs

"centurion spider basic leg configuration"

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Adam Adamowicz

Dwarven Creation vs. Sotha Sil Creation

There are distinct similarities between the aesthetics of ancient Dwarven culture and Sotha Sil's Clockwork City. It is found that a big portion of Elder Scrolls players often have trouble identifying the differences between the two, and the idea that Sotha Sil's creations are Dwarven. This is not the case at all, but there is a reason why they are so similar. In Sotha Sil's lifetime, he was heavily inspired by the Dwarves as he came to power when they were in their peak in the First Era. (Sotha Sil died in the Third Era to the hands of Almalexia, as seen in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind). Dwarven science and architecture was at the base of all of Sotha Sil's research but he didn't completely steal all of their ideas. The architecture and automatons you see in Clockwork City are made out of a completely different material than what you would see in any Dwemer ruin. Sotha Sil used brass, the Dwemer used Dwarven metal that is completely unique to their kind. Another thing, Sotha Sil could take any Dwarven idea and make it better, turning it into an entirely new creation that is his own. For example, take a Dwarven sphere and a Factotum. A Dwarven sphere may be programmed to complete a task, but they have no intelligence and are rather weak. Factotums on the other hand are pretty much what people would consider to be a modern day robot. Factotums can complete several complex tasks, sense physical feeling such as weight being added or removed from their person, they detect and report crime, they can scan for resources, maintain a city, they can TALK, they can give the player tasks, and document important information such as citizenship and banking as seen in Elder Scrolls Online's Clockwork City DLC. Factotums are also usually in charge of the local guild traders, which is also an extremely important source of goods for any Elder Scrolls Online player. In greater and more powerful Dwarven automatons such as the centurion, they cannot function or "turn on" unless they are given a source of power, usually from a lever that is pulled. I remember the first time I played Skyrim, it took me so long to figure out that the centurions were not just decorations and that they could actually move and attack you. The Dwarven centurions Clockwork equivalent would be an Imperfect. Though imperfects are a lot larger in size, it is the same idea except that they can move and function on their own and the player doesn't need to manually power one on. Imperfects don't have as much dialogue as factotums, but they are a lot stronger than centurions. (Do not try to kill that one imperfect that is a world boss in Clockwork City alone, you will fail). Like the Dwarves, Clockwork City also has automaton spiders. Sotha Sil created two different kinds of automaton spiders: the Firepot Spider and the Dancing Spider. The Firepot one was created to be used as a barbecue for chefs, which is really weird but okay I guess. Could have just used a normal grill. There's not much to say about the Dancing Spider though, it's very similar to the Dwarven Spider except it's attacks and movements are a lot more dramatic hence the name "Dancing Spider". I will say though, both of the Clockwork spiders are incredibly strong in-game and are extremely annoying to encounter despite their small size. Sotha Sil also created an automaton dinosaur species but I'm not going to get into the details of that one because it can't be compared to anything Dwarven. Basically, the Dwemer didn't have dinosaurs. Another huge point that I should have brought up earlier before I started yapping about automatons is the fact that Dwemer cities were powered by steam and the Clockwork City is powered by Sotha Sil's magic alone. Well, it WAS powered by Sotha Sil but it is now powered by his artificial Heart of Lorkhan that he created to save the city during his death. If I see anybody else call Sotha Sil "Dwarven" I will redirect them to this post. Sotha Sil is NOT short, he's like seven feet tall. Nirn's tallest elf. Thank you.

Sophrine Aulette's Skyrim Encyclopedia (Part 1)

Ok, an explanation: my brother bought me Philomena Cunk's hilarious reference book for Christmas, and it inspired me to write this goofy semi-fic. It's now Sylvieverse canon that Soph writes a humorous guide to Skyrim and it's a bestseller for years.

--

Atmora

Atmora is sometimes called the “old country,” largely because everyone from there had beards, which made them look quite a bit older. It’s also called that because the original Nords came from there thousands of years ago in search of better weather. Why they stopped at Skyrim is anyone’s guess. One of the most famous people from Atmora was Ysgramor, who was fond of killing elves and living in an upturned boat.

No one’s heard anything from the Atmorans in a while, which means they all either froze to death or their postal service is terrible.

Automatons

Dwemer Automatons are creatures made of metal that run on magic and steam. You can find them lurking around old Dwarven ruins waiting for treasure hunters to show up, and then slicing them to ribbons. This is the only game they seem to know.

There are four main types of automatons: spiders, spheres, ballistas, and centurions. Actually they’re all called centurions, but that’s confusing, so here we are. Spiders are the ones that look like spiders and are sort of cute. Spheres are the ones that look almost human on top, but roll around on a big metal ball, in which they possibly store lightning. Ballistas resemble an angry fish with legs and are horrible. Centurions look like metal giants and use a huge amount of energy, which is why they sleep in big magic arches that don’t look very comfortable.

Dwemer automatons don’t seem to work outside their ruins, which is a relief, because can you imagine running into one at the market? On the other hand, it would be very funny to have a mechanical butler.

Cheese

Cheese is basically milk, but solid. It’s also the best food to ever be invented, and features in all the best dishes: cheesecakes, cheese souffles, cheese straws, cheese omelets, and fondue. My aunt Sacha, who lives in the Shivering Isles, once taught me how to make a kind of cheese that turns all colors inside-out, but I don’t usually attempt that one.

Most cheese in Skyrim comes from goats or cows. Giants have been known to make mammoth cheese, but they’re not very good about sharing it. I swiped some once and it was remarkably chewy, but very good.

Dragonborn

A Dragonborn is a person who, through no fault of their own, was born with the wrong type of soul. Generally speaking, humans have human souls, elves have elf souls, Nords have alcohol, and so on. A Dragonborn, on the other hand, has a normal person-type body with a dragon’s soul stuffed inside.

The main job of a Dragonborn is to slay evil dragons and boss around the less evil ones. For a long time, though, there were very few dragons around, so Dragonborns had to occupy their time by becoming emperors. This lasted right up until the time Martin Septim exploded.

I am currently the only living Dragonborn, which is a very fun position to be in. There was another one hiding out in Oblivion named Miraak, but he tragically perished for reasons that were only partially my fault.

Things Dragonborns Can Do:

Absorb dragon souls

Use aforementioned souls to quickly learn Words of Power

Scream at things

Read dragon language without taking lessons

Get free garlic bread at the Frostfruit Inn in Rorikstead

Kyne

Kyne is the Nordic goddess of wind, sky, the outdoors, and probably camping. You might know her as Kynareth, Khenarthi, Tava, or Kenny (though I’ve only met one person who called her that, and he was very drunk). 

In Nord tradition, Kyne was married to Shor (aka Lorkhan) and rain is the result of her crying because her husband tragically died from having his heart stuck under a volcano. It follows that the best way to get rain for your crops is to shout things like: “Missus Kyne, remember how much you loved your husband? Wasn’t it tragic how badly he was murdered?” That usually does the trick.

Kyne is also supposedly the one who taught the Dragon Voice to humans, to which I would like to respond “thank you” and also “why.”

Mead

Mead is the primary beverage, export, and religion in Skyrim. It’s made out of honey, and is therefore sweet enough that you don’t realize for a while just how strong it is, and then you’re in a bar fight with a racist old man in Windhelm. Not that that’s ever happened to me.

My husband is something of an expert on mead, and it’s his most cherished belief that happy bees make the drink taste better. I’m not quite sure how you can tell a bee’s emotional state, but I’m sure there’s a knack to it.