dibellan-duck - Tumblr blog

[dibellan-duck]

I had the pleasure of drawing for the wonderful @ohmyarda again of one of her characters from ESO

If you haven't already please go check out her lovely art! She's amazing~

[dibellan-duck]

I think I’m done. Added lazy highlights but I think they help adds more detail.

Now I don’t got any new lore around seeker Neloth so just enjoy the art I guess lol

[dibellan-duck]

Just a drawing of my Dragonborn oc :>

[dibellan-duck]

he keeps getting hyped like he’s in a tavern listening to a bard but overtop of dead bodies :(

[dibellan-duck]

Look, the prettiest man in Riften! I think Keerava is a happy woman

I want to draw all the argonians from tesV like that, so who you want to be the next??? (i love them really much so can't decide ahh)

[dibellan-duck]

[dibellan-duck]

i can’t stop looking at this screenshot i’m in tears

[dibellan-duck]

Herma Mora

Having a lot of fun with this style of heavy symmetry lineart. I haven’t explored the sort of repeating pattern trippy style since highschool. It’s pretty fun to just focus on lineart and not on rendering.

[dibellan-duck]

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.

---

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

[dibellan-duck]

⟡ 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!

════════════════════════════════════════════

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!

════════════════════════════════════════════

[dibellan-duck]

hello tesblr!

have you ever thought the in-game fast travel times for hit game Skyrim were just a little bit too low? do you want a more ~realistic~ approach to writing your characters within this world in terms of travelling?

well do i have the document for you! within This beautiful gorgeous one-of-a-kind ao3 link, all of your dreams can come true! over the span of three days multiple weeks ago, i painstakingly did 300+ lines of math to figure out what the travel times within skyrim are by foot based on the average walking speed!

see, i had been shown a few times those big maps with “accurate travel times” for skyrim, and i looked at how fucking gigantic they made skyrim and i thought “this is a province, not the entirety of fuckin russia.”

This link of skyrim travel times (originally to avoid vampires late at night) was what i had been using for my fic writing purposes to have accurate travel times. i trust her with my life. but to the distaste of many, the numbers seemed too small—and it made me realize: these numbers don’t change when using a carriage or fast travelling through the map. therefore in my mind, they would be more accurate as hours by riding a carriage. and so i created the Skyrim Travel Times By Foot document!

please enjoy, and i hope it brings you aid as it does for me <3 also nobody tell me some shit like “but in-lore skyrim is much bigger than in-game!” i don’t want to hear it if that’s the case, i have no respect for lore.

[dibellan-duck]

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.

[dibellan-duck]

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!

[dibellan-duck]

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.

[dibellan-duck]

THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM 💭

Witchmist Grove

[dibellan-duck]

Tamriel Wars

Art for the intro of The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

Art by Mark Jackson

[dibellan-duck]

"Wisp Encounter"

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Adam Adamowicz