henryspencer

[henryspencer]

Writer of darker fanfiction with original characters for The Elder Scrolls and beyond. Also working on original cyberpunk/dystopian fiction under my real name, but I don’t use my real name for fanfiction—Henry Spencer is borrowed from David Lynch’s Eraserhead.

Work I completed: Dragonborn Begins the Ballad of Bjorn the Swordsmith. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16784941/chapters/39391648

Summary: Set before Skyrim, this story follows Bjorn, a young Dragonborn born in Skyrim but raised in Hammerfell. His parents, fugitives from the Thalmor, built a new life in exile, shaping Bjorn’s childhood with survival, blacksmithing, and culture. But peace is fleeting. This is an unofficial prequel to Skyrim, featuring my own original characters.

What begins as a coming-of-age story soon grows darker, exploring vengeance, battling inner darkness, the blurred lines between good and evil, and moving on from past trauma.

Bjorn is my canon Dragonborn, handling the main quest, Dawnguard, Dragonborn, the Companions, and the Civil War. I’ve always used different characters for different questlines, as it makes more sense than one character doing everything. It also features Cordelia, my character for the College of Winterhold questline, and Hela, my Dark Brotherhood character. Sadly, Ervador, my male wood elf for the Thieves Guild, didn’t make it in—maybe in a sequel. Amirah might be my TES VI MC depending on when it takes place.

Content Warning: This story contains dark themes related to trauma and violence and may be triggering for some readers. Please be advised before reading.

Work in progress: The Nerervarine, Thief and the Heroine: link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64379635/chapters/165282217

This story follows the intertwined lives of Azarath, a male Dunmer Nerevarine; Bellona, a female Imperial Hero of Kvatch; and Laverna, her rogue twin sister. As I mentioned in my other story, I enjoy creating distinct characters with their own personalities and backstories, rather than self-inserting or making the character “me.” Azarath is an antihero—an assassin and thief who follows a strict moral code. Bellona is a traditional knight, devoted to bravery and duty. Laverna is a cunning and resourceful rogue, operating in moral gray areas with a code of her own.

The story begins as a coming-of-age tale set before the events of Morrowind and will time-skip to periods before and after Oblivion—and possibly into Skyrim’s timeline, depending on where I take it. Laverna completes the Thieves Guild and Shivering Isles questlines in Oblivion, while Bellona handles the Fighters Guild, Knights of the Nine, and main questline. I like assigning different characters to different questlines to enhance roleplay and keep them distinct.

[henryspencer]

yeah

[henryspencer]

In this episode of Let’s Talk About the Deep Stuff, Sean Kneese shares his thoughts on the growing normalization of hate, dehumanizing rhetoric, and the erosion of basic civil liberties. He talks about the danger of propaganda, the abuse of power by public figures, and why these issues go beyond politics and into basic human decency.

Sources:

I didn’t go much into Stephen Miller in this episode but he’s important to look into to understand the racist roots of Trump’s immigration policy and what’s really gong on here, Here’s a link to info on him: https://uproxx.com/culture/stephen-miller-high-school-hostile-minorities/

Another U.S. citizen detained by ICE for 3 days not mentioned in episode- no phone call allowed, no charges:

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/disabled-veteran-detained-immigration-raid-speaks-out/

Stories mentioned in podcast:

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/u-s-citizen-detained-by-ice-agents-in-downtown-los-angeles-speaks-out/amp/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLgR9tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsxrXKzKAzRyqWtL1XlEzbbGrOuAQP5O1CYOicPRrrITfYS6ixY6l5mkctek_aem_dVCboNCqoByyeMBK6K7hvA

https://migrantinsider.com/p/ice-has-deported-at-least-70-us-citizens?fbclid=IwY2xjawLgR_xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqcDq9s1D2uVJtzwQyHfcFOFKAzz08KkVPDx45DqQtGWd_ZfkPVvO0Y5HJeh_aem_Ab37ZKd7oR-6qrj3oJjb9Q

https://belatina.com/lulac-warns-sexual-predators-targeting-immigrant-women-impersonating-ice-agents/?amp&fbclid=IwY2xjawLgewlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnuKgs1jqq4eLVSSrWx99wKlN8XWAWuUQbrntaL_nlf2Wi0-prp-W_nHbPV__aem_V0JKj2rQGDns2EOS7zgBDQ

https://www.ntd.com/dhs-us-citizen-detained-for-obstructing-arrest-of-illegal-immigrant_1069448.html

https://www.latintimes.com/trump-ally-slammed-saying-alligators-everglades-detention-center-are-guaranteed-least-65-586091

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5396985-trump-homan-immigration-detainments/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/07/12/donald-trump-threatens-revoke-rosie-odonnell-citizenship/84803705007/

https://www.ncai.org/news/ncai-condemns-ann-coulter-s-we-didn-t-kill-enough-indians-violent-and-shameful-hate-speech-targeting-tribal-nations

https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/a-surprising-number-of-americans-believe-these-6-false-claims-about-immigrants-here-are-the-facts/

https://www.visaverge.com/healthcare/giant-bugs-intense-heat-and-hospital-struggles-at-alligator-alcatraz/

https://www.visaverge.com/healthcare/giant-bugs-intense-heat-and-hospital-struggles-at-alligator-alcatraz/

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5366178/trump-deport-jail-u-s-citizens-homegrowns-el-salvador

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-discriminating-against-blue-states-sets-up-historic-crisis

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-fcc-chair-goes-after-pbs-and-npr-with-twin-probes/ar-AA1y9oKI

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-fcc-chair-goes-after-pbs-and-npr-with-twin-probes/ar-AA1y9oKI

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mamdanis-nyc-primary-win-sparks-surge-anti-muslim-posts-advocates-say-2025-06-27/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-are-nyc-rabbis-who-support-zohran-mamdani-heres-why/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/brad-lander-zohran-mamdani?utm_source=chatgpt.com

It turns out Thomas Jefferson NEVER said dissent is the highest form of patriotism. That quote has been misattributed to him and never verified so my mistake on that, but my opinion on that still stands. While Jefferson didn’t literally say ‘Dissent is the highest form of patriotism,’ the sentiment still holds—and his writings absolutely support the right and duty to challenge unjust power.. :  

https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/dissent-highest-form-patriotism-spurious-quotation/

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fifth_amendment

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-say/

The Voltaire quote i mentioned is actually from Evelyn Beatrice Hall, so my mistake on that too. But once again, still something I strongly believe in.

https://www.vox.com/politics/419040/zohran-mamdani-racism-islamophobia-nyc-mayoral-race?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/minnesota-state-lawmakers-shot-search-underway-suspect-local-media-reports-say-2025-06-14/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Buffalo_shooting?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-06-15/political-violence-is-threaded-through-recent-us-history-the-motives-and-justifications-vary?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/22/political-violence-extremism-america?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-trump-orders-deportation-drive-targeting-democratic-cities?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/buffaloshooting-onlineplatformsreport.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://icct.nl/publication/buffalo-attack-analysis-manifesto?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://icct.nl/publication/buffalo-attack-analysis-manifesto?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.history.com/news/kkk-birth-of-a-nation-film

https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow

https://encyclopedia.densho.org

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-s-attacks-destroy-79-of-gaza-mosques-3-churches/3469056

https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-says-gaza-to-be-totally-destroyed-population-concentrated-in-small-area/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-seeks-to-calm-waters-with-jordan-after-racist-extremist-speech-by-smotrich/

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/dont-blame-gazans-for-hamas.html

[henryspencer]

The Nerevarine, Thief, and the Heroine.

Link to Ao3 story: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64379635/chapters/165282217

This story follows the intertwined lives of Azarath, a male Dunmer Nerevarine; Bellona, a female Imperial Hero of Kvatch; and Laverna, her rogue twin sister. As I mentioned in my other story, I enjoy creating distinct characters with their own personalities and backstories, rather than self-inserting or making the character “me.” Azarath is an antihero—an assassin and thief who follows a strict moral code. Bellona is a traditional knight, devoted to bravery and duty. Laverna is a cunning and resourceful rogue, operating in moral gray areas with a code of her own.

The story begins as a coming-of-age tale set before the events of Morrowind and will time-skip to periods before and after Oblivion—and possibly into Skyrim’s timeline, depending on where I take it. Laverna completes the Thieves Guild and Shivering Isles questlines in Oblivion, while Bellona handles the Fighters Guild, Knights of the Nine, and main questline. I like assigning different characters to different questlines to enhance roleplay and keep them distinct.

[henryspencer]

Fight the power

[henryspencer]

Taken from the latest episode of let’s talk about the deep stuff entitled “When we Stop Seeing People as People: On Authoritarianism and Dehumanization” listen wherever you get your podcasts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sean Kneese (@skneese1989)

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

a feel like the new generation of fanfic readers NEED to understand that clicking on a fic (interaction) does nothing. ao3 has no algorithm. your private discord discussions of fic do not reach the authors. if you do not actively engage with writers they will stop posting. this isn’t social media this is community.

[henryspencer]

Oh, How could I forget about that art?! Shame on me :D

It was a flash mob in Ask before the New Year "Drunken Secret Santa" and the characters did not receive exactly the gifts they wanted. In Haskill's case, of course, having a Ghost Guardian was not on his wish list, but... what's stopping an old man from trying, right?

And behind the Daedric font there are a few curses, forgive me, old man was tired, he wanted to rest.

[henryspencer]

Project K H A J I I T I

Concept Summary

~

It is the one-hundredth year of the Fourth Era, and the Void Nights have finally ended. For two years the moons Masser and Secunda have been missing from Nirn’s sky. For most of Tamriel, this has been a curious and frightening occurrence, and Mage’s circles across the continent are in uproar, but that’s about where the implications of the vanished moons end. For the Khajiit of Elsweyr, however, this unnatural phenomenon runs much deeper. For the Cat-folk, the entire development of each cub’s physiology is determined by the twin-moons and the shape they took at the hour of the cub’s birth. With the moons gone, Elsweyr has suffered a mass loss of life, with every Khajiit pregnancy ending in a stillbirth. With no lunar lattice to determine what form a child would take, no Khajiit child born between 4E 98 and 4E 100 has survived.

Further, moon-sugar, a sacred narcotic and staple of many Khajiiti food and drinks, as well as a religious ceremonial substance, has ceased to grow, delivering a devastating blow to not only the Khajiit’s ability to sustain their population, but their ability to engage with an integral part of their culture as well.  Without the flow of moon-sugar, which the majority of Elsweyri natives are habituated to, many have underwent a withdrawal, depression, or worse, which has extended to kneecap their economy.

In other words, Elsweyr has been crippled.

Almost immediately after the moons’ return, amidst the joyous celebrations of the Khajiit, an Aldmeri ambassador from the Summurset Isles has landed in Torval, the capital of the Elsweyr Confederacy and seat of the Mane. The ambassador claims that Altmer mages have been hard at work to discern the cause of the moons’ disappearance, and with the development of a new kind of “dawn magick”, they have been able to unveil them and return the moons to Nirn. The Mane, their political and religious leader, endorses this claim, and the Aldmeri Dominion gains massive influence within the province, almost overnight. Before long, every notable Khajiiti aristocrat or merchantlord has Aldmeri courtiers and court-mages at their ear. Within fifteen years, the reach of the Imperial Empire, which Elsweyr had been independent of for just barely a century, has dwindled enough that the Dominion stage a coup, dissolving the unified Elsweyri Confederacy, re-establishing the ancient kingdoms of Anequina and Pellitine, and absorbing both as client states of the Dominion.

Within the new Aldmeri Elsweyr, the worship of Rajhin, a folk-hero, and apotheosized God of Thieves, is banned, much like the outlaw of the mangod Talos within the Dominion, due to the Elven assertion that no mortal could never become a god. Though not as heavily enforced as worship of ‘the Ninth Divine’, it is still used as a tool of oppression, and in some cases punished by death. Despite this, worship of Rajhin still persists in the shadows, and word begins to spread that the Trickster God’s legendary Ring of Khajiiti has been found. While the richest Khajiit in Elsweyr rub shoulders and drink with Aldmeri benefactors, the common-cats suffer enforced moon-sugar rationing, ever-increasing taxes, and a racist bureaucratic regime. All the while the Aldmeri preach of unity between Elves and Cat-folk, and their mages and scholars assert that the Khajiit themselves are descended from Elves, an idea which sways even some Khajiiti nobility.  But in practice, the High-Elves’ sense of ethnic superiority pervades every aspect of the alleged “alliance”. And on top of everything else, spies within the Renrijra Krin, a band of anarchist Khajiiti freedom fighters and Elsweyri separatists, learn a deadly secret: the Void Nights was staged by the Dominion. An act of genocide too cruel to forgive, and a truth that, if revealed, would shatter the Dominion’s grip on their land faster than they made it.

~

KHAJIITI takes place some time before the Dominion invades Hammerfell and the beginning of the Great War. It is told from the points of view of multiple characters within and without Elsweyr, and covers events over a number of years. It centres a story of rebellion, and of a people who have been the rope in a game of tug-of-war between two indifferent occupying forces for too long.

However, we know that by the 201st year of the 4th Era that any secrets concerning the Thalmor’s role behind the void-nights has not yet been revealed, and that Anequina and Pellitine are still under Thalmor control. KHAJIITI could be split into two parts, with the second half taking place over a century later, sometime between Skyrim and Elder Scrolls VI. It would see a seed planted in the first book come to fruition, and the truth grow towards the light.

[henryspencer]

In this chapter, we return to Laverna and Azarath’s perspective as they head back to the Valerius estate for a second heist. This time, Dar’Jhan sends them to retrieve a rare book tied to a powerful secret hidden in a Dwemer ruin. But as they explore deeper, they uncover more than they bargained for—dark secrets, restless spirits, and forces that were never meant to be disturbed.

[henryspencer]

💀 Making Your Villain Make Sense (Without Making Them Right™)

("because if I see one more war criminal with a sad diary entry get a redemption arc, I’m gonna throw my laptop.")

Here’s the thing: your villain doesn’t need to be redeemable. But they do need to make sense.

And I mean sense beyond "they’re evil and they monologue about it." Or “they have a tragic past, so now they do murder <3.” Or “they were right all along, the hero just couldn’t see it 🥺.”

Let’s fix that.

─────── ✦ ───────

🧠 STEP ONE: BUILD A LOGIC SYSTEM THAT ISN’T OURS Your villain shouldn’t just be wrong, they should have their own internal system that works for them. Morally flawed? Absolutely. But coherent.

Ask yourself:

What do they value more than anything? (Power? Order? Loyalty? Vengeance?)

What do they believe about the world, and how did they get there?

What fear drives them? What future do they think they’re trying to prevent?

The villain doesn’t need to know they’re wrong. But you should.

Make their logic airtight. even if it’s awful. Give them cause and effect.

─────── ✦ ───────

👿 STEP TWO: STOP GIVING THEM THE BETTER IDEOLOGY Listen. I love a “morally gray” moment as much as anyone. But if your villain is making all the good points and the hero’s just like “no because that’s mean,” your arc is upside down.

If your villain is critiquing injustice, oppression, or inequality, make sure their methods are the problem, not their entire worldview.

✖︎ WRONG: Villain: “The ruling class is corrupt.” Hero: “That’s not nice.”

✔︎ RIGHT: Villain: “The ruling class is corrupt, so I’m burning the city and everyone in it.” Hero: “So you’re just… committing genocide now?”

Your villain can touch a real issue. Just don’t let them be the only one talking about it, or solving it with horror movie logic.

─────── ✦ ───────

🔪 STEP THREE: GIVE THEM POWER THAT COSTS THEM The best villains lose things too. They’re not just untouchable horror dolls in sexy coats. They make bad choices and pay for them. That’s where the drama lives.

Examples:

They isolate themselves.

They sacrifice people they love.

They get what they want, and it destroys them.

They know they’re the monster, and choose it anyway.

If your villain can kill a dozen people and feel nothing, that’s not scary. That’s boring. Let them bleed. Let them regret it. Let them double down anyway.

─────── ✦ ───────

🧱 STEP FOUR: MAKE THEM PART OF THE WORLD, NOT OUTSIDE IT Villains shouldn’t feel like they were patched in from another genre. They should be part of the world’s logic, culture, class system, history. They should reflect something about the setting.

Villains that slap:

The advisor who upheld the regime until they decided they deserved to rule.

The noble who’s using war to reclaim stolen legacy.

The ex-hero who thinks the system can’t be saved, only reset.

The priest who truly believes the gods demand blood.

They’re not just evil, they’re a product of the same world the hero is trying to save.

─────── ✦ ───────

👁 STEP FIVE: SHOW US THEIR SELF-JUSTIFICATION You don’t need a tragic backstory™. But you do need to show us why they think they’re right. Not just with exposition, through action.

Let us watch them:

Protect someone.

Choose their goal over safety.

Justify the unjustifiable to a character who loves them.

Refuse to change, even when given a chance.

A villain who looks into the mirror and goes “Yes. I’m correct.” is 1000x scarier than one who sobs into a journal and says “I’m so broken 🥺.”

─────── ✦ ───────

🧨 BONUS ROUND: DON’T MAKE THEM A HATRED MEGAPHONE Especially if you’re writing marginalized characters: don’t let your villain become a mouthpiece for slurs, abuse, or extremism just to make them “evil enough.” That’s lazy. And harmful.

You don’t need real-world hate speech to build a dark character. You need power, consequence, and intent.

─────── ✦ ───────

TL;DR: Good villains don’t need to be right. They need to be real. Not a vibe. Not a sad boy in a trench coat. Not a trauma monologue and then a sword fight. They need logic. They need cost. They need to scare you because you get them, and still want them to lose.

Make them dangerous. Not relatable. Make them whole. Not wholesome. Make them make sense.

—rin t. // thewriteadviceforwriters // villain critic. final boss consultant. licensed chaos goblin

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

[henryspencer]

5 Tiny Writing Tips That Aren’t Talked About Enough (but work for me)

These are some lowkey underrated tips I’ve seen floating around writing communities — the kind that don’t get flashy attention but seriously changed how I write.

1. Put “he/she/they” at the start of the sentence less often.

Try switching up your sentence rhythm. Instead of

“She walked to the window,”

try

“The window creaked open under her touch.”

Keeps it fresh and stops the paragraph from sounding like a checklist.

2. Don’t describe everything — describe what matters.

Instead of listing every detail in a room, pick 2–3 objects that say something.

“A half-drunk mug of tea and a knife on the table”

sets a way stronger tone than

“There was a wooden table, two chairs, and a shelf.”

3. Use beats instead of dialogue tags sometimes.

Instead of:

"I'm fine," she said.

Try:

"I'm fine." She wiped her hands on her skirt.

It helps shows emotion, and movement.

4. Write your first draft like no one will ever read it.

No pressure. No perfection. Just vibes. The point of draft one is to exist. Let it be messy and weird — future you will thank you for at least something to edit.

5. When stuck, ask: “What’s the most fun thing that could happen next?”

Not logical. Not realistic. FUN. It doesn’t have to stay — but chasing excitement can blast through writer’s block and give you ideas you actually want to write.

What’s a tip that unexpectedly helped with your writing? Let me know!! 🍒