#also he might not worship talos but I like the gift it gives so he’s wearing it anyways

[bfunslvd]

Ranboo play Skyrim challenge

[curechocolattymilk]

TES V OC Thingie

[Got tagged by @jessaryss​ ! ]

Pause your game! Wherever your OC is in their game currently, tell me about their story so far.

✧✧✧ General

Current Level: 56

Name: Jeer-Tei Perdes

Name Meaning: Literally got it from a name generator lol. But lore wise it was a name gifted to them in honor of an Argonian who served beside Tei’s mother during the Great War

Pronouns: They/Them

Age: Early 30s where they are story wise???

Race(s): Argonian

Place of Origin: Hammerfell

Pick A Theme Song For Them: oof that's tough... From a Crowded Wound or maybe even Firstwake? If you really played around w personal interpretation/the lyrics that is haha

✧✧✧ Locations

Where Did You Begin Their Game?: Argonian Assemblage, Windhelm (Alternative Start)

Where Are They Currently In Your Game?: Whiterun

What Are They Doing There?: Just finished attending a party held in their honor (Post Blood of Kings)

Homes?: Breezehome, Proudspire, Lakeview & Autmnwatch

# of Locations Discovered?: 274

Dungeons Cleared: 104

Misc. Quests Completed: 87

Favorite Areas and/or Locations: Falkreath / Lakewview Manor. Both areas are where Tei heads off to in order to collect their thoughts/feel some sense of calm.

✧✧✧ Main Quest

Are They Dragonborn / Do They Know It At This Point?: Yes & yes

How Do They Feel About Being Dragonborn: It's...complicated, being thrust into the role of savior by gods of the Cult, which in turn are followed by the folk who see you lesser than them. Tei already has a dislike towards the Divines, this doesn't really help lol

Main Quests Completed: 21

Where Are They In The Main Story Line: Alduin's dead, currently trying to ignore the Civil War as long as they can before the Empire forces its hand into forcing them to join their ranks

Dragon Souls Absorbed: In total overall? 147. The amount currently stored in Tei? 45

Words of Power Learned: 64

Shouts Mastered: 21

Favorite Shout: Firebreath / Dragonrend

✧✧✧ Combat

Most Used Weapon(s): Daedric war axe OR Dragonbone battle axe. Tei technically has both on them at all times during adventuring, alongside a shield, so which they used depends on the situation/which they grab fastest.

Combat Style: Two/One-handed tank. Main tactic is to rush in, cause as much damage/chaos as possible to shake up the opponent, & clean up what the ranged attackers of the party (usually Rumarin, Inigo and/or Lucien) weren't able to deal with.

Armor Type / Level In It: HEAVY ARMOR BABYYYYY (Level 100 + 35 extra points via enchantments)

# of Training Sessions: 99 in-game, lore wise its a lot of self-teaching/keeping their skills learned from Hammerfell sharp. Some of these are magic but lore-wise this doesn't happen cus Tei is not a magic user, save for shouts. I just did those in-game for exp OR so I can help Lucien raise his magic skills :'D

Who Taught Them?: In-game?? Fuuuck so many npcs. Lore-wise? They learned this from their schooling in Hammerfell, going off the canon-lore that it's p much expected for everyone to have a grasp on combat & weaponry! Though they did learn a few things from Kaidan & Anum-La.

Favorite Enemy Type: Dragons! Despite the fact Tei does not have the best magic resistance, it's one hell of a challenge they love to meet.

Least Favorite Enemy Type: Automatons, because of a bad experience with them as a child. Also Undead, because they were raised not to disturb them & it just feels so wrong having to fight them/go into tombs.

People Killed: 945

Animals Killed: 749 (Hunterborn makes hunting fun lol)

Undead Killed: 766

Automatons Killed: 105

Daedra Killed: 136

✧✧✧ Magic

Favorite School(s): None, actually. Destruction is okay though....they guess

Most Used Spell(s): Firebreath or Dragon Aspect. Tei doesn't consider shouts spells though. It's totally different guys shut up they ain't no smelly mage gods

Spells Learned: 9 in-game, mainly due to the spells you're kinda forced to learn for some quests/the ones you automatically know

Items Enchanted: 19 (Tei technically doesn't enchant, and wont next playthrough for sure I wont give in this time >:[ )

College of Winterhold Quests Completed: 8

Where Are They At In The Questline?: Main quest is done bcus i dont like seeing unfinished quests in my journal lmao. Tei's involvement is completely different from canon though in my take. Moreso was hired as a guard for the expedition & was, unwillingly, dragged into the rest of the mess. Is not offered the Archmage position, that went straight to Tolfdir.

Opinions on Magical Guilds (Arcane University, Winterhold, Psijics, Synod, Radiant Dark, etc.): As they get older, they tolerate the guild & magic users more n more, BUT, Tei grew up in an environment that frowns upon the practice of magic, & it shows. They mainly mistrust necromancers/illusionists & still hold onto that belief that reliance on magic, especially for combat, is a weakness.

Bold words for someone with shit magic resistance.

✧✧✧ Crime

Current Gold: 10,640

How Did They Acquire Their Gold?: Odd jobs, selling a lot of the items they made/harvested from smithing & hunting (jewelers are their go-to hirers bcus Tei is great at getting things like ivory), Dwemer ruin diving (they refuse to loot the tombs), also yknow....being part of the Dark Brotherhood helps

Largest Bounty On Their Head: 11,240

For...?: Unfortunately they did not stand down when they were being falsely accused of murder in Markarth. First time Tei called down dragons (Sahrotaar, specifically, Tei managed to get command of Miraak's dragons post-Dragonborn) to absolutely smite some fools.

Current Bounty: None! They're good at not getting caught/threatening and/or bribing guards. :)

Locks Picked: 15 i think?

Jail Time: 1, Cidhna Mine

Jail Escapes: 1, teamed up w the Forsworn lol

Murders: 28

Assaults: 307....In their defense people keep getting in their way during dragon attacks

Items Stolen: 37, most of them from the nobles of Windhelm

Thieves Guild Quests Completed: N/A (wont be doing this storyline unless i cant find a mod that'll let me get the shouts locked behind it)

Dark Brotherhood Quests Completed: 20

Where Are They At In Those Questlines?: DB is completed main arc wise!

✧✧✧ Relationships

Relationship Status: Married to two lovely fellas

Current Companions: atm? none

Housecarls: Lydia & Rayya

Friends (outside of party): Zora Fair-Child, Inigo, Lucien, Anum-La, Morndas, Aela the Huntress, Nazir, Babette, Scouts-Many-Marshes, Isobel, Madesi

Children: Khash, Chases-Starlight, Ram-Ku. (going of where Tei is now - Otero & Mei come around later on in Tei's story!)

Romantic Interest(s): Kaidan & Rumarin.

Sexual Orientation:

GAY

✧✧✧ Religion

Pantheon: Yokudan, with a hint of Hircine worship in there

Patron Deity(ies): From the Yokudan pantheon: Tei mainly views HoonDing as their main patron, but also prays to/pays respect to Satakal.

They are also Hircine's champion.

Daedric Quests Completed: 3 (Hircine, Vile, Dagon - the last Tei didn't really help, moreso pissed off)

Aedric Quests Completed: 1 if you count the whole Alduin thing I guess?

How Devout Are They?: Tei is rather devout, esp to their Yokudan patrons, praying or making offerings daily. They aren't the type to really push it in your face though, but have no issues answering questions one might have.

How Do They Feel About Talos Worship?: Deep down they acknowledge & admit trying to ban worship is terrible, but....Tei also lets their bias/experience with Windhelm, the Stormcloaks & especially Ulfric kinda cloud over this. If the Nords want their old ways so damn much, why fight for a divine from the Imperial Cult? Why not go back to the actual old ways? No, this isn't about worship, not to the men leading this so-called rebellion, they just needed something other than their racist bullshit to fool the common man into throwing their lives away for the nobles sitting comfortable in their thrones.

Also during their whole thing of getting into their role of dragonborn, they get a bonus 'fuck this dude actually' towards Talos, Ysmir, whatever the fuck he calls himself. (tldr; it sucks but good luck hearing Tei say that fully)

✧✧✧ Politics

Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?: Neither, ask them again they will punch you for the love of Ruptga they get asked that every time they enter Whiterun.

Stormcloaks or Imperials?: Also neither, Tei hates em both n think they can all choke. Unfortunately they were forced to join the latter due to, yknow, calling dragons & causing massive damage in Imperial territories during isolated fits of rage and the group being more aggressive in wanting something in return for "letting it slide"....oops

Opinion on the Thalmor?: Oh absolutely despises them, they loudly complained having to work with them during the CW & would go out their way to disrupt their plans/piss them off. Sneaking was an option they did not take during the Embassy quest, if it helps paint the picture.

Opinion Of Ulfric Stormcloak?: Tei doens't say they hate people often...but they sure as hell hate Ulfric. Again, their experience in Windhelm added to this heavily, how both the Dunmer & Argonians were treated like shit, with no help whatsoever from the Jarl or guards when the local Nords targeted them. It's still up in the air if I keep this for Tei's story, but I have it where they knew Chases-Starlight's parents, who were killed. When Tei went up & demanded justice/an investigation, only to be brushed off because it "wasn't a priority," it completely destroyed what little empathy or hope they had left for Windhelm as a whole.

Opinion of The Empire?: Cowards too weak to continue fighting back against the Thalmor, in their opinion, & holds these views they grew up with even when being strong-armed into aiding them. If anything they're at least attempting to use their influence to hint towards a rebellion against the Thalmor, but the Empire could also full-on dissolve & they could give less of a shit.

Civil War Quests Completed: 0

✧✧✧ Personal

How Are They Doing? Need Some Juice? A Nap? A Hug?: The whole event of Blood of Kings has fucked with their head, to say the least. It's the starting point of Tei's eventual spiral. So uh...yeah they're not sure how they're doing everything they knew about reality was kinda challenged & they don't rlly have anyone to talk to about it so its cool, its fine, its all good.

A nap is probably needed, not sure about a hug theough they're super flinchy rn

Days Past In Game: 196

Hours of Sleep: 846

Food Items Consumed: 1833

How Many Playthroughs Have You Done With This Character: Tei actually is an older character from the 360 days so uh...maybe 5 at most? This playthrough & their S:EC one coming up when the mod releases being the main ones focusing on their story

Overall How's Your Level Of Fun: Alright I would say! I just been stepping away from Skyrim more often lately to avoid burning out from it

Must Have Mods To Play This Character (for story or other reasons): Ordinator, Wintersun Faiths, Immersive Armors, Sarcastic Player Dialogue, 3DNPC, Inigo, Lucien Flavius, Kaidan 2, Khash the Argonian, Alternative Start, Leviathan Animations, Beast Race Body Paints, Beast HHBB, Apocalypse Magic, Deadly Dragons, Growl: Werewolf Overhaul, Pronouns, uhhh....idk what else without actually listing my current modlist lmao

----

And that's it for Tei! Anyone who wants to do this go on ahead!

[boethiahsboytoy]

IN DEPTH TES OC QUESTIONS: VYRTHAAL. (((if you dont feel like going for all of them, then pick your favs cos i know thats a long list but im excited to hear what you will share for the boi)))

I’m gonna do ‘em all >:3c Also thank u omg I’m so excited that Anyone’s interested in him ;w; Side note, occasionally I’ll mention Marzog who’s an orc created by @elderscrelders that found Vyr when he was hidden away and raised him, as well as Sinarwyn (aka Sina) who’s my newest OC; a former knight-paladin of Auri-El that joined Marzog and Vyrthaal on their travels when the town she once lived in was destroyed by the Thalmor. 

Under a cut, RIP mobile users!

1) It’s a little unreasonable for everyone in a Middle Ages-esque fantasy to be perfectly literate, and writing with quills was considered legitimate labor! How well can your oc read and/or write? How detailed is their quest log/journal, if they keep one at all?

Vyrthaal’s parents made sure he could read and write, but unfortunately when he’s found by Marzog he can only read and write in ancient Falmer so.....doesn’t really help him much lmao. So he’s learning! He does keep a rather detailed journal, though he doesn’t write in it daily--I’d imagine he doesn’t really have time for that. But he writes in it as much as he can.

2) How educated is your oc? Did their parents teach them, did they have a tutor or were they apprenticed to a master, or did they attend a university? What university? What are they educated in? How long did their education take? (Learned skills like blacksmithing count here too!)

Vyr was nobility, so his parents wanted to make sure he was a highly educated boy. Since there’s not any lore I could find on snow elf education I’ve been kind of bullshitting everything about this BUT I headcanon that upper class mer like him would be trained by private tutors that are masters in their subject(s). When he’s later taken in by Marzog he of course is trained in blacksmithing once he’s settled in (and it helps him stop focusing on the trauma of seeing his home attacked and destroyed etc. etc.), as well as how to fight. When Sina joins them, she teaches him to hunt.

3) Does your oc have any kind of crafting skills that either aren’t in-game or don’t have as much importance in-game as they would in real life? (For example, can your oc sew or weave, etc? Are they skilled in any kind of art? Can they make jewelry or work glass? Are they musicians? etc)

Marzog taught him how to make clothes and do things like embroidery! He uses his new skills to try and recreate snow elf attire so there’s a whole orc stronghold that, when they’re not in their armor, wear elegant and pretty robes ;u; @elderscrelders​ says that Marzog would like to weave tapestries, and I think Vyrthaal would try to learn too. He wouldn’t be incredible at it, but he’d still like it! He’d also enjoy painting, and most definitely decorates the armor that the orcs in his stronghold wear uwu

4) What pantheon does your oc worship? If they worship the Cyrodiilic/Imperial pantheon, does that include Talos? If they secretly worship Talos, how do they justify hiding it?  

I haven’t given a lot of thought to this but UESP says that the snow elves have their own pantheon. Vyrthaal certainly would have worshipped them as a child, but after being found by Marzog and becoming a part of orc society, he’d feel a connection to Malacath as well. 

5) How religious is your oc? Do they come into conflict with others over their beliefs? If their patron deity told them to do something extremely undesirable or against their moral compass, would they do it? Would your oc sell someone’s soul for a corn chip?

Malacath is his Dad.

That being said, he wouldn’t follow an order from any god he worships if they told him to do something against his moral code, but he’d be scared about doing so lmao. 

6) Does your oc have a family of origin? How many members of their FoO are still living? Do they have a good relationship? How much contact does your oc have with their FoO? How in-the-loop is your oc’s FoO about your oc’s being Dragonborn/HoK/Nerevarine?

*laughs nervously* Uh. No. But while they were alive, Vyr’s parents were distant and not at all there for him emotionally so he didn’t have a great relationship with him. I don’t really see the point in developing them beyond that but I’d imagine they wouldn’t like the idea of him being a Dragonborn? That or use him to like...gain more power, or something. 

Marzog’s stronghold on the other hand loves him like he’s one of their own, and Marzog is an amazing mom. He can trust everyone in his new family to help him when he needs it and to be supportive. With Sina he pretty much Immediately develops a close familial bond with since they’re two of the last remaining snow elves alive and she understands a lot of his feelings in a way that no one else really can, as much as they’d try to.

7) What social class was your oc born into? Did they change classes at all? How?

Oh whoops I already mentioned this :’3 His parents were fairly high-ranking nobles. Marzog’s mother was the healer and the one that would communicate with Malacath for their stronghold. So Marzog herself is fairly important, but not like. A chief’s daughter. So as her son, that would make him kind of important? But he’s also the Designated Babey.

8) How politically active is your oc? Are they obviously influential, or is their influence more subtle?

He’s.....he’s 13. Even if he did try to be politically active, I don’t think anyone would actually listen to him. Jarl Balgruff might because he seems like the sort that would, but other than that...yeah, no. He also wouldn’t be too interested in politics as an adult aside from making people Stop attacking the Falmer, and giving the Reachmen their land back. He’d be on good terms with Madanach tho, if that counts!

9) What unplayable faction would/did your oc join, if any? Why?

Do the Falmer count? Because unlike Gelebor he’d want to connect with them and make an active effort to try to help them--and he does with Kili’s clan! And as I mentioned he’d help the Forsworn, so them too I think. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any more, I think those r the only things relevant to Vyr anyway??

10) How trustworthy is your oc? Would they ever change opposing factions?

Absolutely not, Vyr is a ride or die. The only exception would be if he would be pushed to doing something seriously fucked up. A Trustworthy Boy.

11) What is your oc’s main source of income, if they have one besides plundering tombs and adventuring? If they’re mercenaries, are they part of a company? 

He gets an allowance from Marzog uwu But she’d also let him keep any money n valuables they find adventuring.

12) Does your oc own their own business, and if so, what is it?

Nope, he wouldn’t really be interested in that-

13) Is your oc good with finances? Bartering? How long can they keep the money they make? 

He really wouldn’t be! He’d spend all his money on like 30 sweetrolls! He’s a kid and he needs adult supervision lmfao.

14) Does your oc have any particular rivalry or mutual dislike with any NPC?

I jokingly said “literally every Nord” but for a while, that’s how it is. He was frozen while the Nord colonizers were trying to wipe out his entire race and saw them destroying his hometown before his father tried sealing him and the rest of his family away in a secret hideaway area. He sees them as murderous brutes first, people second, and it takes him a long, long time to understand that that’s technically ancient history, and that the Nords of today aren’t the people who killed most of his race. But he will always hate the Companions though I don’t know if they’d even know he exists?? They seem like they just chill in their own lil world but to be fair, I’m not that interested in them so...I genuinely don’t know lol;;

Also he will personally bite out Ulfric Stormcloak’s throat, and no one will stop him.

15) How well-liked is your oc? What is their reputation, if they’re well-known? Are they simply liked/disliked, or are they respected but feared, or personally liked but not taken seriously, etc? Do major factions consider your oc an important player?

Everyone loves him, and it’s definitely not because he has two terrifying elf moms standing behind him! :)

...which sounds like a joke, but Marzog (big beefy orc who can snap your bones like twigs) and Sina (highly trained knight-paladin that looks ready to murder 24/7) really Do terrify everyone into at least being respectful towards him. 

He’d probably be well known throughout other orc strongholds, and even orcs outside of them would know about him. As soon as he learns...Anything about the Companions he would do Everything he could to wreck their shit. Needless to say he’d be hated by him. I think those are the only things I’ll go into in this ask, because this is already so long.

16) Does your oc have a horse/other mount? A pet? How did they get this animal? If they were given the animal, do they have the money to maintain it? How careful/careless are they with their animal? What do they do with their pets while adventuring, especially on dangerous quests?

When he meets Kili and his clan, Kili decides to travel with him about a year later when they’re both around 15. As a  parting gift, the clan leader gives him a chaurus reaper as a companion, and he absolutely adores her. Unfortunately it’s highly unsafe for her above ground as she’d pretty much always be attacked on sight, so she does spend most of her time underground with Kili’s clan. 

17) Does your oc take their time as they travel, or are they purposeful? How do they survive in the wilds, especially if they aren’t hunter-types? How dependent is your oc on civilized society?

I feel like he’d make good time travelling, but for a while Vyrthaal would hate it. He lived a very sheltered life, he’s not used to living outdoors, but Marzog (and later Sina) would help him out as best as they can. Sina would also teach him (and maybe Marzog?But she’d use that just as an excuse to be close to her) how to hunt.

18) What does your oc like to eat? How much food do they eat? Can your oc cook, and can they do it well?

He loves treats n sweet desserts, as well as the big, hearty, rich, and savory meals I imagine orcs would make! He also has a surprisingly large appetite for such a small person, but I headcanon that that’s just A Dragonborn Thing(tm) so it only sort of counts. (if he wasn’t a Dragonborn, he’d actually have a very small appetite). He can cook some basic things and roast some meat over a fire and such, but nothing super fancy.

19) If your oc is a vampire, do they go outside in the daytime? Does the daylight affect or hurt them in any way different from in-game? If they interact with society, how do they justify looking half-dead and hating sunlight? How good is your oc at blending in? Do they even like dealing with society?

He would never willingly become a vampire, and he and Sina would always wear disease immunity enchantments to avoid it (and keep potions of cure disease on hand just in case. In a modern AU, they’d also have Falion on speed dial).

20) If your oc is a werebeast, how much control do they have over their transformations? Have they ever lost control? What happened? If not, why do they have such strong control? Does Hircine ever call on them, and do they answer?

He’s also not a werebeast. I don’t think he’d be able to control it well just because he’s a kid, but I think Marzog wouldtry to help him with that, as would Sina. If Hircine were to call on him he’d answer even if he Wasn’t any sort of werebeast, being an ally of the Forsworn and all he’d probably be honored!!

21) What does your oc wear in the city/settlements? In the house? When travelling, but not adventuring or expecting combat? Do they vary their clothes depending on what hold/city they’re in? If they don’t, why not (e.g., if your oc wears the same outfit to tend their garden or lounge around the house as they did to meet Ulfric or Elisif, why?) Does your oc have a good or bad sense of fashion? How many clothes does your oc have?

In cities and towns like Whiterun, Riften, etc. he’d wear simple robes. In the stronghold he’d wear clothes that are more tight fitting and don’t have billowy bits; think plain long sleeve shirts, pants, and a vest n such. While he travels he’d always wear armor he’s forged until he’s gifted ancient Falmer armor, which he then wears. He doesn’t vary his wardrobe much as snow elves are very resistant to cold so you could see him in the dead of winter just. Wearing regular old clothes lmao. When visiting Kili and his clan, as well as other Falmer clans, he’d likely wear regular Falmer armor (minus a helmet lmao). He would dress up in finer clothes to visit any Jarls except Ulfric, he’d wear full armor.

22) How picky is your oc about their gear? Do they have different equipment for different adventures, or is it the same suit of armor for everything (not counting upgrades like from steel to ebony)?

Same suit of armor for everything (except anything I’ve mentioned above) !

23) How does your oc acquire their clothes, and from where/whom?

He makes them, for the most part. Marzog helped him forge his first set of armor though, as well as make the first few pieces of clothing. The “modern”?? Falmer and ancient Falmer sets of armor are ofc all gifted to him tho,

24) Can your oc swim, and how well? Have they ever swam in the ocean, or only lakes/rivers? Remember, it’s much harder to swim in the ocean than in a lake! If your oc is an Argonian, do they take special advantage of it somehow (e.g., do they go diving for fun/for profit, do they instinctively hide in the water, etc)? If your oc is a Khajiit who can swim, how do they get their fur dry?

He can Not swim :’) He’d actually be a little bit afraid of water. Not out of trauma or anything ut just because he’s never really around big bodies of water often so it’s just New And Scary for him.

25) How easy/difficult is it to rob your oc? Pickpocket? Bribe?

It would be impossible to rob or pickpocket from him bc of Marzog and Sina lmao (though significantly easier if he’s alone, but he gets really scared on his own so that’s rare). He also wouldn’t take bribes.

26) If your oc is part of one of the more morally questionable or outright evil factions, how do they justify it to themselves? Do they still consider themselves as morally good? How well known is their affiliation to these groups? Do they have separate personas (e.g. Dragonborn to some people, Listener to others)? Do their family/friends know? If they have separate personas, how do they keep their less than righteous activities secret?

Apparently some people consider the Forsworn to be morally questionable which, yeah I guess they Do do some Fuck Shit but. He’d be open about it, he fully agrees that the Reach is the home of the Forsworn and as such they own it, and he’s not afraid to make that known. He’d wear the armor of the Old Gods that Madanach gives him any time he goes to see any Forsworn or travels through the Rift.

27) How helpful is your oc, and why? Are they helpful or kind even during difficult situations? Are they pragmatic, or do they have a hero syndrome?

I wouldn’t say he has a hero syndrome, but he’s a sweet kid that wants to help as many people as he can! He’s not like this with everyone at first, he definitely struggles with “why should I help people that would want me dead” but as he comes to terms with this being a new era he’d slowly be a bit more...gentle. And the more he adjusts the more his sweeter, friendlier nature begins to shine through!

I think I mislabeled these a little while reformatting, bc the original post only has 26 asks???? Uh,,,Oops! Lmao but that’s all of them so it’s fine!

Thank you for sending this in I had a lot of fun answering these! I tried not to ramble too much because this is long as it is so. I guess if anyone wants me to expand on any answers they can send in an ask or smthn??

[smolpocketmonstercoffee]

HoA 09

H E A R T _ O F _ A R S O N

Ulfric has faced many years since the Great War but there is a face that has hung in silence in his mind since then. All those years later, finding that face again would draw new memories to be made in the wake of the war he waged against the claws of the Empire. And the matter of other claws that would sink into the very flesh of Skyrim itself brought its own problems, along with a mysterious stranger. The path of the future was not certain. But the fresh return of that face in his mind brought questions. Ones he felt needed to be answered.

START, PREVIOUS, NEXT

TW: Sexual Themes

               For a long time, Loriel stood there in stunned silence at Ulfric’s side and just stared at Isran, founder of the new Dawnguard.

               From what Ulfric knew, the Dawnguard had made a comeback about twenty years ago and punctuated their place in the world by taking on an incredibly motivated clan of vampires and winning. Vampires who were organizing attacks, causing panic in just the right spots. It was the vampire’s war to claim the human race and they had been put down because of Isran’s efforts.

               Yet…

               “You can call me by my name, Isran.”

               The Dawnguard snorted and he stepped to close the distance between the three of them, stopping a comfortable distance away. It was close enough though that Ulfric could see the grey that heavily flecked through the man’s beard.

               “Jarl of Windhelm, good evening,” he greeted with a very slight bow, standing just an inch shorter than Ulfric himself and Loriel almost towering over both of them.

               “Good evening,” Ulfric replied, slow and cautious.

               Loriel pursed his lips for a moment and sighed. “You seem to have changed considerably since we last spoke.”

               “Only in age. That, though, hasn’t seemed to touch you,” Isran replied, lips curling upwards minutely.

               Loriel’s lips in turn curled downward heavily.

               “Why are you here, Isran?”

               The Redguard tilted his head, those eyes lifting to Loriel’s before he asked, “An old man can’t visit an old lover now that he’s surfaced from hiding?”

               The words made Ulfric breathe in in surprise while Loriel’s ears and face steadily flushed a shade of angry scarlet, visibly going tense as Ulfric felt.

               What?

               What?

               “If you’re here to ask me to rejoin the Dawnguard just so you can prove to me just how expendable you think I am, the answer is no,” Loriel growled.

               The Dawnguard leader shook his head, those blue eyes almost glowing. “I’m not here to try to convince you of anything, Loriel. I just came to give you this. That’s all. Bat wanted you to have it,” he said and reached up to pat the box that was secured to his back.

               Ulfric felt his jaw tense.

               But Loriel though, his anger seemed to dissipate a little in surprise.

               “Bat?”

               Isran glanced away, his eyes along the bridge before he tilted his head. “Could we speak somewhere a little more private?” the man requested.

               The Jarl frankly wanted to say no but this conversation seemed to be entirely between Isran and Loriel. He glanced to the elf, not wanting to leave him alone with Isran. Not wanting to leave him alone with an old lover for fear that there was still embers that just needed to be stirred with a poker to come back to life again.

               Was Ulfric feeling a bit territorial?

               Absolutely.

               And the bard licked his lips quietly, expression concentrated before he glanced to Ulfric.

               “Could I borrow your main hall?” he asked.

               Praise Talos!

               He tried not to show his incredible relief at the request and only nodded.

               Loriel gave him a small, thankful smile.

               And Ulfric turned back to the gate, pushing it open ahead of them all, and lead the way back to the Palace of the Kings, Loriel a few short paces behind him and Isran even further back. Nothing was said between the three of them until Ulfric reached out and Loriel’s long arm beat him to the door.

               Again.

               Their eyes met with shared small smiles at what felt like an inside joke between just the two of them and the Altmer pushed it open, letting both Ulfric and Isran in before closing the door after.

               Isran gazed about the hall and nodded, approaching the end of the great table and eased the wooden box from his shoulders, finally placing it down on the table and Loriel came to stand beside him at the table.

               Ulfric only watched and observed, noting how slender Loriel was in comparison to the Redguard who was at least ten years his own senior. How young Loriel looked in comparison to them both.

               How old was Loriel?

               He knew that he had said he had come to Skyrim 34 years ago, had been on the run for quite some time before then, but how old was he? With the Mer races, one could never be certain.

               It would have to be a question for later though.

               Isran breathed in, his shoulders rising with the movement, “Bat left a few years ago. Decided to go back home and challenge his father for the title of chief. He seems to be doing well.”

               “Is he happy with that life? He always seemed…”

               “Adventurous? I think the journey that brought him to this might have started to cure him of that,” Isran said, a small amount of a laugh on the edge of his voice. “The scroll you brought back from the Cairn lead us straight to it. It helped us stop them. You helped us stop them, even though you cut and ran to live your simple bard’s life at the College like you always wanted.”

               “Isran, I almost died in the Soul Cairn. I don’t know about you but I personally think that dying is terrifying,” Loriel told him curtly.

               “You’re an Altmer. Your kind has always been a bit more protective of your long lives when not causing havoc.”

               “Compare me to the Aldmeri Dominion again and I will beat the teeth out of your head.”

               The threat made a relaxed smile cross Isran’s face.

               Open fondness.

               Perhaps Loriel made those kinds of threats often to Isran’s face in the past.

               “Just open the box, Elsinlock.”

               And Loriel’s face turned red with irritation.

               Or embarrassment.

               With the bard’s expression, it was hard to tell.

               He breathed in deeply and slowly let it out before he began to carefully undo the straps which kept the box closed and carefully lifted the fitted lid off. His movements slowed to a halt though as he rested his eyes on the contents.

               His jaw went slack, eyes growing wide in shock and awe, and he stood there frozen in stunned silence for a long time.

               Isran’s eyes glanced to Loriel’s expression and a small smile rested at his lips. “He said that the Bow of Auri-El best belonged in the hands of a devout worshiper.”

               The elf looked to him, expression still surprised but peaceful almost, lips parting to speak but he only drew in a breath.

               Then another.

               He closed his mouth.

               And then swallowed.

               And then he took one more breath.

               “He found Forgotten Vale.”

               The words were so quiet Ulfric almost missed them.

               And Isran nodded.

               “Serana thought you should have been there with them.”

               And Loriel took a surprised breath.

               And Isran gazed down to the contents of the box, changing the subject a little as he stated, “I thought the draw weight might be a bit much for you.”

               Loriel let out a soft breath, a small laugh maybe. “If it is, I’ll learn it,” he murmured, smiling at Isran in a way that made Ulfric frown, and looked down into the box before he reached in and drew out a bow that looked almost elven in design, uncharacteristically modest in comparison to the modern versions but undeniably ornate and lovely. There was also no sign of wear or use on the bow at all. No sign of scuffs from anyone ever dropping the bow or having it knocked from their hands or ever shot an arrow from it. It looked…

               Timeless.

               And unlike the modern versions as well, this bow stood out silvery against Loriel’s golden skin.

               As did the unique quiver full of arrows that he drew out as well.

               Loriel seemed absolutely entranced by the gift Isran had brought to him, and for a long time, there was only silence as those amber eyes took in every detail of the perhaps priceless artifact. And those pale sky blue eyes never left the elf’s face.

               He recognized the soft look Isran wore.

               He recognized the thought behind it.

               And that thought was that the creature he was looking at was undeniably beautiful.

               The Jarl felt a pang in his chest.

               He knew the definition behind the word jealous and the definition behind the word territorial and he wasn’t sure which one he was feeling now.

               Jealous was wanting something that wasn’t yours, but Loriel wasn’t Isran’s.

               And territorial was protecting something that already was yours, but Loriel wasn’t his.

               The difference between them though was that Isran had already had Loriel once.

               Ulfric still had the dragons and the war to deal with before he could allow himself the opportunity to seize what he wanted.

               Isran reached out and put a dark hand on Loriel’s forearm. “Send a courier to the Dawnguard if you ever need more of those sunhallowed arrows. I’ll send up Serana. Let you two catch up. Maybe go on an adventure to explore the Forgotten Vale yourself,” he suggested.

               Loriel tore his eyes away from the bow.

               “Thank you, Isran.”

               The Redguard looked away, almost not seeming to want to meet those amber eyes after letting his expression slip into fondness. “Don’t get all sentimental on me now, elf.”

               And the Altmer huffed, a slight smile on his lips as he muttered something crass under his breath.

               Those sky blue eyes met those amber ones, an amused smile on those dark lips. “Take care of yourself,” and he gave Loriel’s arm a light squeeze before he turned and walked out of the Palace of Kings, leaving the elf standing there, looking after him with that bow and quiver in his hands.

               He settled on which definition that feeling was.

               And he breathed out, long and slow and soothing.

               Su’um ahrk morah.

               Breathe and focus.

               And Ulfric stepped close to Loriel, lightly nudging his bow-hand with the edge of his knuckles, the action making those amber eyes focus on him instead of the retreat of Isran and their eyes met.

               “I’m assuming there is a story behind all that that I would enjoy hearing?” he suggested.

               And Loriel smiled. Relaxed compared to how he had been at the fort.

               “If that offer for a drink is still on the table, I’ll be happy to tell you it.”

               That drink would always be on the table if it meant having Loriel looking at him with those eyes.

               And as the evening lingered, Ulfric got to hear about Loriel’s grand adventure of joining the Dawnguard after returning to Skyrim after spending years in Solstheim. Eighteen years ago. He had spent two years in the Dawnguard before leaving after a near death experience while locating an Elder Scroll in a place called the Soul Cairn, a plane of existence in Oblivion where all souls that were once contained in soul gems went after being used, proving that the souls were never really destroyed. He, an Orc named Bat the Axe, and a woman named Serana, a Nord noblewoman Ulfric had never heard of and good friend to Loriel during those years, ventured into the Soul Cairn to find the woman’s mother who had in her possession the Elder Scroll that could reveal the location of a great weapon that could destroy the vampires that had been organizing attacks on the population of mortals, wanting to be able to feast without abandon and reign power over the living.

               Loriel hadn’t seen the point in dying for anything let alone anyone. Especially not because Isran wanted to complete his goal in destroying the vampires and didn’t seem to care about the number of Dawnguard members that were lost in the effort.

               “You and Isran though… You seem to have history.”

               Loriel sighed as he stretched out his legs, bare feet towards the fire, his head resting against the back of Ulfric’s headboard, his bottle of mead loose in his fingers and he made a face. “I guess it could be called that,” he admitted.

               Ulfric tilted his head, sitting on the floor not far from him.

               He couldn’t remember the last time he had sat on the floor by the fire, just talking with someone. Maybe the last time had been with his father, when he had been just a boy.

               “I originally met Isran while he was still a Vigilant of Stendaar, before he got fed up with their laxness on the whole threat of vampires and left. Actually, now that I think about it, he’s probably one of the reasons I survived long enough to get out of Skyrim before the war,” he said and took a long swig of mead, unaware of Ulfric’s eyes upon his throat as he swallowed. “I was traveling through the south of the Pale when I got attacked by a group of vampires Isran and his partner had been tracking. Got hurt pretty bad too, but the two of them showed up before I could either be killed or infected. It was his partner though, Celann, he’s the reason I didn’t get left for dead. He took the time to argue with Isran about helping me, about bringing me back to the Hall of Vigilance to recover. Keeper Carcette was pissed. Apparently Isran had been acting out more and more on his own. She assigned him to being responsible for my recovery. He looked at it like it was a punishment. Pretty sure he hated me for it. Pretty sure I hated him too. By the Gods he was an ass back then, but that hasn’t changed much. I was stuck there for a couple months before I heard whispers about the oncoming war and I took the first horse I could find to the docks of Windhelm to ship out while still recovering,” he explained.

               He drained the rest of his mead and neatly set the bottle on the floor, curling his toes absently.

               “When I came back, I heard about the vampire attacks that were starting to become more obnoxious, and the effort to stop them going on to the east of Riften. And low and behold, there was Isran in all his self-entitled righteousness, leading it all. Celann was there too. We had always gotten along so I decided to stick around, see if this threat was anything close to what Isran was all up in arms about. Turned out that it was. I met Serana about that time. She was the very daughter of that leader of vampires, and I had brought her back to her family like the honest idiot that I was. Her father offered me a chance to become one of them. To become a vampire. A vampire lord, an incredible subset to vampires as a race. Stronger, faster, better than normal vampires with the ability to transform themselves into another creature entirely. It was terrifying. I got out of there as fast as I could. The Dawnguard was under attack when I got back. Isran… I had been gone without contact for so long that he thought I had been killed.”

               And Loriel drew his feet up the steps of the elevated platform, draping his arms around his knees and resting his chin on them, making the tall Altmer look very small.

               “He had been worried. That took me by surprise. He didn’t worry about anyone. But there he was, worrying about me. I guess it all went from there. When I wasn’t running around Skyrim, stopping vampire attacks and doing as ordered, I found myself sharing his bed. I suppose my biggest problem with Isran as a lover was that he wasn’t kind, to anyone really. His biggest problem with me seemed to be that I cared too much. It made us butt heads pretty often. A lot of screaming matches happened. My last straw was when out of ten Dawnguard members only Serana, Bat, and I survived infiltrating the castle, just to find Serana’s mother. He just…”

               And Loriel closed his eyes in frustration.

               “He just didn’t care. He didn’t care that I came back terrified after the Soul Cairn. He just cared that we came back with the Elder Scroll. I cut my losses after that. I didn’t want to be with someone who only saw me as an expendable resource.”

               Expendable.

               Loriel was anything but expendable.

               Any mortal with eyes would know that.

               “And then you went to the Bard’s College.”

               “Yep. And lived a safe and incredibly boring life after I completed my year-long journeymanship for the College out in Rorikstead. And then you came along and turned everything on its head,” Loriel said and fixed him with a look that ended up transforming into a mirthful grin when Ulfric laughed.

               For a long time, the two of them sat there, enjoying the fire and the quiet and Ulfric opened another bottle of mead for the elf. He didn’t want their conversation to come to an end just yet and it wasn’t as though Loriel had someplace he needed to be quite yet. The cat that was waiting for Loriel back at his room in Candlehearth Hall could wait a few more hours, Ulfric thought.

               Ulfric took a swig from his bottle as he gazed to the fire, soaking in the warmth not far from the Mer.

               “So tell me about the bow Isran gave you,” Ulfric absently requested.

               The answer would hopefully explain to Ulfric a second question that he had without him needing to flat out ask.

               It was a request that Loriel was all too happy to fulfill.

               Loriel spoke with such enthusiasm about the bow, explaining that the bow’s powers were suggested to be drawn from Aetherius itself by channeling it through the sun. Using sunhallowed arrows with the bow made it a powerful weapon against vampires or undead in general. It was also rumored that it was the same bow used to send Lorkhan’s heart into the sea. It didn’t answer Ulfric’s question about who Auri-El was, leading for the Jarl to finally ask.

               “He is better known as Akatosh in your culture,” Loriel told him, tugging his amulet out from beneath the collar of his shirt.

               Oh.

               Ulfric lifted his eyes from the amulet, following the curve of Loriel’s throat and up to his eyes.

               He liked knowing that those eyes were on him.

               “You’ll have to forgive my curiosity on this next question, some think it’s rude to ask, but how old are you?”

               Loriel blinked and tilted his head thoughtfully. Ulfric took another long pull from his bottle.

               “94.”

               The Jarl inhaled his mead.

               Coughing, choking, and sputtering, Loriel gave him a few hard pats on the back, his expression startled from Ulfric’s seemingly random fit until Ulfric wheezed out, “How old?”, looking at the Altmer through watering eyes.

               Loriel blinked and then his brow furrowed.

               “You’re seriously surprised at my age?”

               Ulfric rubbed his throat, wincing, “It’s hard to tell with your kind.”

               And Loriel frowned gently and rubbed his forehead. “Well… It is suggested by lore that it was Phynaster who taught the Altmer how to extend their own natural life by taking shorter strides. Most of us can live into our second century, although rare individuals have survived to be 300,” he admitted.

               Ulfric found himself staring in surprise.

               300?

               That meant that one Mer could easily accomplish three times as much as a Man could in one lifetime.

               “Then might you live a long life,” Ulfric found himself saying.

               Loriel shook his head and looked back to the fire. “Frankly, I’d rather live a short one knowing that I’ve done something good with it.”

               And he took a sip from his bottle.

               He wondered.

               “And have you?”

               It made those glowing amber eyes look back to him and Loriel smiled, something small and almost sad. “Lived a good life? Not as good as I would have hoped,” he admitted, “Although I have to say that burning down the Thalmor Hall of Records has certainly been the highlight of the good I can do.”

               A smile reached Ulfric’s mouth.

               “And how long ago was that accomplished?”

               “If I recall correctly, 50 years.”

               “That’s a long time for the Thalmor to be looking for you.”

               “I’ve found that any mistakes I’ve made give them encouragement. I was captured while traveling through Valenwood six years after I got out of there, managed to escape, and had to give them the wild goose chase of a lifetime after I was spotted in Morrowind before dropping off the radar until-” and he gave an absent wave of hand at Ulfric.

               They didn’t need to really bring that part up.

               “So how did you escape from Valenwood?”

               And Loriel grinned sheepishly.

               “Let’s just say that the Bosmer are just about as fond of fire as spriggans are.”

               That made Ulfric laugh before he saw Loriel’s expression shift and then he yawned widely, the visual contagion making the Jarl yawn as well and he inwardly cursed.

               He was enjoying Loriel’s company and conversation.

               “I guess it’s about time for me to turn in for the night,” Loriel said and hid another yawn behind his hand.

               “I suppose so,” Ulfric agreed, making his way to his feet while Loriel went about pulling on his boots, not bothering to lace them properly before standing up as well.

               And Ulfric walked Loriel to the doors of the Palace, stopping the Altmer though with a hand on his shoulder when the thought struck him, “If I might make a request, bard, before you leave.”

               Loriel looked at him with curious eyes.

               “Come visit.”

               And those lips curved into a smile.

               “If that’s what my Jarl wishes, I will.”

               And Ulfric was satisfied.

               My jarl.

               That sounded very pleasing on that tongue.

               And Ulfric carried those two words on that voice into his dreams.

               And in that dream, he had the bard pinned down against the great table in the main hall, bottles of mead rattling with every sharp thrust he made into the elf’s lean body, one long leg over his shoulder as he kept a bruising hold against those golden hips, the other hand keeping his neck hyperextended, thumb and forefinger under his jaw, his palm feeling every throb of those veins in his throat, every swallow, every sound as Ulfric extracted it from those vocal cords.

               On the table above his head, the bow, the quiver, and the arrows rattled every time Ulfric made Loriel cry out.

               “Say it,” he heard his own voice request.

               That sultry smile was so intoxicating as his back arched up off the table with a pleased moan and Loriel obeyed.

               “Yours.”

               Ulfric woke on his stomach, the heat of the sun on his back, feeling well rested, and for the dream that he had woken from, incredibly satisfied. The last sensation he was aware of though was that his bed felt wet.

               Huh?

               The Jarl sat up and looked down at the spot on the bed, realizing that for the first time since he was a young man he had managed to orgasm in his sleep.

               Now that was impressive.

               And vaguely embarrassing.

               He breathed deeply and let it out slowly before he got up for the day. A bath was in order, followed by meditation, and then, breakfast.

               Yours.

               By the Divines did he want Loriel and he wanted all of him.

               It was approaching two months of longing for the elf, three of the most recent weeks desperately wanting to know what the bard’s lips tasted like and maybe a considerable amount more, and a day longer than a week of wanting to fuck Loriel so completely and utterly senseless.

               He had to reign himself in quite a bit over the next two days.

               Actually he had to reign himself in a lot over the last two months but since that dream, it was growing rather difficult to not keep his head on swivel every time he walked out of the Palace of the Kings hoping to spot the Altmer.

               And Galmar noticed it too.

               And his displeasure on the subject was vocalized.

               “What are you, in love with the elf?” Galmar grumbled once they were away from prying ears.

               The suggestion made Ulfric’s heart stir and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Fond. He is good company.”

               “Fond my axe, your eyes follow him everywhere. Just whet your appetite with the bastard and be done with it.”

               Ulfric was fairly certain Galmar had no idea what he just suggested. He knew that what Galmar meant was for Ulfric to simply have a one night stand with Loriel and think no more about it but that would only make him want the elf more.

               The Jarl sighed and told Galmar not to be so crass and went about putting his bear skin cloak on for a visit to the Temple of Talos that morning.

               He was about to open the door when it opened just ahead of Ulfric’s reach and he found himself face to face with Loriel.

               They both blinked in surprise at each other.

               It took a moment before Loriel flushed. “Is it a bad time to visit?”

               “Only if you mind accompanying me to the Temple of Talos?” Ulfric asked in reply.

               And the elf smiled.

               The Mer had his traveling cloak over his shoulders, which likely meant that he planned on traveling again very soon.

               “Off on another adventure?” Ulfric asked as Loriel held the door open for Ulfric to step out.

               “Yeah. There’s something I got tied up in that needs my attention,” he admitted.

               “Any idea when you will be back?”

               And Loriel shook his head. “That one I don’t know yet,” he admitted, “But I’m hoping it will be less than two weeks.”

               Two weeks was going to feel like a long time to Ulfric in his absence but he only gave a small nod despite his displeasure. “The city will certainly miss you in your absence.”

               Loriel smiled and opened the door to the Temple of Talos ahead of Ulfric and the Jarl heard a soft, heavy sigh behind him as the elf stepped inside after him.

               And Ulfric gazed up at the statue of the god-hero to mankind.

               The emperor Tiber Septim. Hjalti Early-Beard. Ysmir. General Talos Stormcrown.

               These were all names that the deity held, all of them representations of different points in his life, but to be know about Talos as a man was to know that the General Stormcrown had been someone who could unite the people together. Who could make peace among the warring.

               Taking a deep breath, Ulfric broke from Loriel’s side and approached the altar in silence. He drew his amulet from beneath his collar and clutched it in his hand before he knelt and bowed his head. And he prayed.

               Slow deep breaths.

               Su’um ahrk morah.

               Breathe and focus.

               All he was aware of beyond himself was the absent sounds of the temple around him as he beseeched Talos for strength until he felt that calmness that came with praying, that feeling of peacefulness that he always felt when he was ready to approach the rest of the day after worship. Ulfric’s eyes opened and he stood.

               Loriel was waiting for him by the entrance of the temple, patient and peaceful.

               “When you pray to him, what do you pray for?” he heard the elf ask quietly.

               He gazed over his shoulder back to the statue. To the altar.

               To his patron god.

               “I pray for strength,” he told him and under those intense amber eyes, he took a breath. “I pray for the strength to be a good man. For the strength to do what is right. For more than just myself but for my people as well. I pray for strength that should I face a challenge that scares me I might overcome it.”

               Those eyes softened.

               “You’re already the strongest person I know.”

               You’re already the strongest person I know.

               He wished he felt that way about himself.

               And his eyes dropped from the Altmer’s eyes, trailing down his face, over that long nose and slim lips, down his throat, and they stopped at the chain for Loriel’s amulet of Akatosh.

               “Do you pray to your Auri-El?”

               Loriel smiled softly.             “Every day.”

               There was no altar to Akatosh in Windhelm. No small shrine to Akatosh in Loriel’s room either.

               “When you pray to him, what do you pray for?” Ulfric asked.

               The Altmer drew in a soft, deep breath, and their eyes met again.

               “Patience,” he answered quietly and he smiled.

               Ulfric took a breath.

               And smiled back.

               The quiet between the two of them was calm as Ulfric escorted Loriel to the gate of Windhelm and watched him go.

               And as he left, the Jarl of Windhelm prayed for Talos to protect him.

[simplyoriginalcharacters]

K'uro Leliel (The Prisoner)

This is an Elder Scrolls OC adapted from my Skyrim playthrough character. The universe he exists in is a multiverse fic consisting of characters from different universes in some sort of task force.

Basic Appearance

K’uro is a brown-furred Khajiit, with black stripes and yellow eyes. He has black pupils and rather prominent fangs as a result of his vampirism. His standard outfit consists of a black leather cuirass over a puffy blood-red shirt, with black steel pauldrons, black cape, and black baggy pants fitting into his Vampire Boots. Basically he’s wearing the Vampire Royal Armor from Skyrim. In direct sunlight he wears a black leather hood that half-negates his natural weakness to sunlight. His default expression is a mixture of smug and seductive, that will either make you want to swoon or punch him square in the jaw. Generally, it’s the latter.

Cori here! Read the rest of the profile and my critique under the cut. 

Personality

K’uro Leliel is a hedonistic but otherwise lovingly passionate pansexual Khajiit Vampire Lord with a propensity for bad decisions preceding extreme capability. Behind his reckless and party-animal exterior lies a deceptively well-educated individual thanks to his scholarly childhood.  K’uro is rather charismatic and seductive, though these are mostly for fleeting flings and bribery. When he truly, genuinely loves an individua, he proves to be a passionate and genuine lover who heartily accepts the idea of a poly relationship. He has a tendency to get involved in people’s business, generally to coax the prospect of a quest and maybe a reward. This is sometimes (commonly) interpreted as an insult. K’uro is not a heavily religious man, despite having sold his soul to no less than 18 deities and demons, but otherwise believes in the idea of Talos worship. He acts before he thinks more often than not, but is quick at assessing a situation. Nordic artifacts tends to gravitate towards him, though he is much more fascinated by Akaviri and Vampiric artifacts. Despite his tendency to get into bad situations in the pursuit of fortune, he displays a considerable capability and confidence not otherwise seen elsewhere. He may be a guile hero, but he has an eye for an eye moral code that he follows to a tee.\

Powers

K’uro, as both a Vampire Lord and the Dovahkiin, is an extremely powerful individual. He has mastery over a wide variety of Shouts (most commonly Whirlwind Sprint, Slow Time, Unrelenting Force, and Drain Vitality), in addition to a variant of Vampire Blood Magic. Said variant utilizes a form of half-transformation, allowing K’uro to maintain his Khajiit form without fully becoming the monstrous form normally seen by a Vampire, though while in this state he does take on some of the form’s ghoulish features to a lesser degree. The form of Vampire Lord grants K’uro a powerful offensive blast of life-draining energy, the ability to raise moderately powerful corpses, short-range teleportation via turning into bats, increased strength, and the ability to turn his hands into monstrous claws. He can also channel blood not only from his mouth but also his claws, which is a little-known feature of vampiric Khajiits only undiscovered due to the rarity of said combination. Apart from the Thu’um and the powers granted unto him by his vampiric nature, K’uro is secretly one of the greatest masters of Alteration magic in Tamriel. While the status seems rather dull given that Alteration is not as flashy as Destruction or Illusion, K’uro’s creative uses of its techniques would rival the most flashiest of Destruction infernos. Whether it be effortless telekinesis, stopping time within an radius, constant levitation, or even the creation of steamroller-sized stones from thin air. He manages to hide his status as an Alteration Master due to how often he uses it as a mundane utility that no one seems to question, or otherwise passes off as standard Vampire Lord powers. In sunlight his powers are halved, he loses his natural healing factor, and is extremely susceptible to fire magic. He also can’t be healed by most means aside from drinking blood.

Backstory

K’uro Leliel, birthname J’akuro Levathahrel, was born in 4E 173 in the province of Elsweyr as the only child of a family of well-respected scholars. His parents were well respected members of the Mournhold Museum Memorial Archeologist Guild in the city of Blacklight, and as such frequently traveled back and forth between the Elsweyr and Morrowind. It was during one of these excursions to Blacklight that he met Vivian Mandragora, and the two formed a strong, almost filial bond of friendship.

As a child he displayed a knack for melee combat paired with an unstoppable drive below his lazy and hedonistic exterior. From his youth he noticed that many of the Nordic artifacts his parents often researched seemed to be calling out to something within him, though he much preferred the history of Skyrim’s vampires over Nordic legend. This fascination for vampires came to a head when, while poring over a tome detailing the legend of the Volkihar Vampire Clan, came face to face with a vampire thief sent by the Volkihar clan to retrieve said tome, as it detailed several theories regarding the Prophecy of the Sun. The thief was unnerved by both the lack of fear in the young J’akuro’s eyes and the kitten’s bizarre eagerness to be turned and to learn from the thief. The thief invited the young J’akuro to the Volkihar Clan, which was more of a ploy to escape the premises than an actual promises. Even though he saw the remains of a familiar vampire outside in the market the next morning, J’akuro took the invitation to heart, and pledged to find a way to live in Skyrim to make good on the offer.

His plan involved getting into the College of Winterhold, and lucky for him his family had a sizable collection of books on magical research. Thalmor law in Elsweyr forbade the practice of Conjuration without a license, and while his Illusion and Destruction mastery was nothing to sneer at, his real forte was in the art of Alteration. His prodigious skill in Alteration was enough to convince his parents to send him to the illustrious College at the age of 27. On arrival in Windhelm, J’akuro paid his carriage driver to take him to Solitude, planning to travel from there to Castle Volkihar. The carriage was accosted by a small-time bandit somewhere by Helgen, and in J’akuro’s pursuit of the horse thief he was became accidentally involved in the capture of Ulfric Stormcloak by the Imperial Legion. As he was not on the list for execution in Helgen, the cat created a new name, K’uro Leliel, derived from the Akaviri word for night and the ancient Imperial name for Nocturnal. Hadvar just called him “Prisoner.” Following Alduin’s attack on Helgen and K’uro’s quick escape, he discovered he was Dragonborn while doing work for the Jarl of Whiterun. He soon found himself caught up in an adventure that he figured would be higher priority than becoming a Vampire.

During his quest to defeat Alduin, he found himself reunited with his old friend Vivian while in Solitude. He learned about the struggling Dragonborn Gallery, a project managed by his family’s old friend Auryen Morellus, and how Vivian was having trouble finding artifacts to populate the empty museum. Feeling a bit of nostalgia from both meeting his friend and how the museum reminded him of home, K’uro made a deal with the Museum as Dragonborn to donate any artifacts he found during his quests, which turned out to be quite a lot. Following the defeat of Alduin, K’uro was hailed as a hero throughout Skyrim, though it was after leaving Sovngarde that he was reminded of his original purpose of even coming to Skyrim in the first place. By that time Vivian had left K’uro to recover a priceless artifact in Elsweyr, so he was able to covertly travel to Solitude and make good on the empty promise of that vampire thief from his childhood.

Receiving the Gift from Lord Harkon, K’uro proved himself while retrieving both Serana and the Bloodstone Chalice in quick succession. However, even after speaking with Serana, he had his doubts about the Vampire Lord himself. Traveling to the Soul Cairn and back and traversing the Forgotten Vale, K’uro found himself completing the very prophecy that inspired him to become a Vampire Lord. Following the retrieval of Auriel’s Bow, K’uro and Serana promptly used it to defeat Lord Harkon, resulting in K’uro becoming Lord of the Volkihar Clan.

Hello, thanks for your submission! Let’s see what K’uro’s all about.

First off, I want to say that K’uro’s appearance section is pretty vague. I’m not really getting a good idea of what your character looks like based off your description. You said this was a character for some kind of crossover story, which means you might get some readers who aren’t familiar with the Elder Scrolls. With that in mind my first suggestion is to pretend you’re trying to describe your character to someone who has no idea what The Elder Scrolls is. What, pray tell, is a Khajiit? How do they look different from other races in Tamriel? Keep this part simple, however–don’t spend two paragraphs trying to explain everything about Khajiit to your reader. 

(Also, you might be aware that there are many forms of Khajiit–don’t get bogged down trying to teach your readers the names of every single form. As long as people understand the general SHAPE of your character, in-universe terms are irrelevant.)

Once your readers understand what a Khajiit is, go into some more details about his actual features. Give me the shape of his eyes, ears, and nose, the styling of his hair, any kind of markings or features that would help to differentiate him from other Khajiit. Describe his height and body type to me–I know Skyrim doesn’t give you a lot of options for body customization, but there’s a lot of variety out there that could help to distinguish your character.

Personality-wise, I have a basic idea of what K’uro is like, but I’d like to see more detail here. What I’m getting at the moment is that K’uro is not much more than a typical RPG character–which is to say he’s nosy, he’s manipulative, and he’s aggressive. Based on the way most western RPGs are designed around fighting monsters and getting quests from strangers, I think it’s safe to say that most RPG avatars could be described the way you’ve described K’uro. It’s not a very exciting or unique combination of traits on its own. How are you going to make your RPG character different from every other person’s RPG character?  I’d also like to point out that I really have no idea what’s currently motivating K’uro in any way. The goals and motivations that you gave me in this profile all seem to be past tense–K’uro’s already gotten what he’s wanted. He’s achieved his dream of being a Vampire lord. He saved the world. What more is there for him to do? How are you planning on developing K’uro beyond what he was at the end of his original story–what new character arc is he going to go through?

Let’s touch on that backstory now. I’m just going to say plainly that I think you have way too much going on with your character at the moment. Not only is K’uro Dragonborn, which is basically the Tamriel equivalent of ‘The Chosen One’, but he is also a master of magic, the lord of vampires, AND he’s got the attention of “18 deities and demons”. This Khajiit has been sticking his fingers in a lot of pies. 

I get that Skyrim is a big game, and it has a lot of stuff for you to do with your character without imposing any kind of limitations. I’ve played enough of the game to have one character be in charge of basically every single guild, clique, and scout troop across the country. But we’re talking about a game that can be played for over 100 hours. There’s simply no good or practical way to cram everything you do in your game into a story for other people to read. For one thing, if all you’re doing is retelling the same story from the game, people who are familiar with the game are going to feel like they have nothing new to gain from reading your story. “Oh, this is the part where he defeats the dragon and learns that he’s Dragonborn. I’ve already seen this part myself five times.” For another thing, written stories and video games are drastically different mediums, and you will likely find that the plot holes that people didn’t care about in a video game will bother them greatly in a story–for example, they might question why any daedra or divine would trust K’uro to devote himself to them when he’s already ‘devoted’ himself to three of their rivals. Also, why would K’uro use the fact that he’s a vampire to hide his skill with magic? I feel like even in a scenario where magic is frowned upon, being a vampire would be considered a worse offense. Shouldn’t it be reversed, where K’uro is claiming that his vampiric abilities are just “really, really advanced magic!”?

All in all, I don’t know what direction you’re planning on taking K’uro in the future. It’s not very fun to read about a character who is done with their personal growth arc, so I hope that you’ve got something in mind for him. Without any hints as to what, however, this character feels incomplete. My recommendation for you is to cut back on how many things K’uro has “mastered” to make his backstory seem more coherent and less cluttered. Does he really have to be a master vampire AND a master magician AND the chosen one AND the champion of eighteen Princes of Oblivion? Give him some room for improvement so that he has something to do in this story you’re planning, which I’m assuming happens after the events of Skyrim. There’s no chance for conflict if your character is already ‘the best’ at everything.

Keep working on it! ~Cori