Breath of Kyne, a Homecoming

My 101st (and final) painting in my Let's Paint: Oblivion series! It seemed only appropriate to spend my last stream for the game painting the Imperial City. Some closing thoughts and a timelapse under the cut:

miraak wip

happy 20th birthday, blivio

Look upon the heart

i bring more despair, this time with gold kanets, playing with composition is fun

the frame has a code

Redacted

Translated text below the cut

The Poison Gardens yes that is voryn

this painting is sort of about the personal issues i headcanon voryn having and the whole thing symbolizes a cage, the question of whether its better to be free but with risk or stay safe but painfully constricted. The hands are supposed to reference the Dagoth family (or more specifically the matriarch, Voryns mother) and the hardship that comes from being born with expectations of getting a position of such importance as a high councilor, not being able to choose what you actually wanted to do with your life. I did also kind of want to contrast this with the kind of luxurious palace environment, despite voryns issues you should still keep in mind that this doesnt compare to the more extreme struggles of a peasant. I also just wanted to try and design a building interior that feels sort of House Dagoth.

the text on the pillar is translatable but i know its a hastle, so ill just say that its about not being able to escape fate, multiple implications when it comes to that

close ups:

Leisurely afternoon at Old Mournhold experimenting with colors and thinking about what the 1st era would look like again, i needed to push myself to draw more characters in a scene, i dont really like the clothing in this, but the composition should work depicts Ayem resting and getting treatment from her personal healer after a duel, reading recently arrived letters in the presence of her reliable advisor Vehk, rather grumpy that they cannot just play the lyre instead

close ups:

Bruce Nesmith claims that Morrowind would not stand the test of time.

I tried, and it stands up. For a while, I was lost in a strange and wonderful myth - exactly what I want when I play an Elder Scrolls game. Why I didn't continue is because I struggled with the older controls and I don't really have the time to 'learn' to play. What makes the game less accessible to modern players is the reasons I found gameplay challenging, the controls and UI - these have come a long way over time. But these stories that become the 'classics' of the medium deserve to be made accessible for modern players. Nostalgia is a powerful driver behind these projects, but it's not the only force behind them. I have never completed Morrowind by myself - but I would jump at the chance to play a remake.

There's loads of analysis out there about why Morrowind's story is a success and why people might want to preserve it in a more accessible form. But a good story is a good story - that's not going to change with the years.