tagged at various points over the last couple of months by @rikkes @lucien-lachance @dirty-bosmer and @wispstalk - thank you all and sorry for being so shit at responding </3
no pressure tagging @creaking-skull @stormbeyondreality @gilgamish @arnesia @zvona @dibellas-moth @amaranthoi @elavoria @crynwr-drwg @connortheconceded @blackfeathercourt and @falmerbrook. would love to see what everyone is working on!
not technically a WIP but i want to use this opportunity to release a sneak-peek of the finished chapter i will be posting later today. (‼️)
enjoy!
Cassathra felt better with the hilt of a sword in her hand, though it was an old, rusty thing, better fit for use as a club or a baton than a blade. At the very least it was familiar, solid and real in her grip, and wasn't going anywhere unless she willed it to; she would reap all the courage from it she could get.
She and her companions had armed themselves with what weapons they could find, strewn about the long-forgotten depths of Fellglow Keep. It was odd, uncanny almost, seeing J'zargo with a mace in his hands; it seemed somehow much cruder in its capacity for violence than the sharp, precise shock spells he tended to favour. His grip on the weapon's haft was stiff and uncertain, but in the absence of his magicka it would have to do.
They crept up the spiral staircase, their motley crew, every step scraping at their nerves. The smell of damp was overpowering. A patchy layer of moss blanketed the walls; icy beads of water dripped from the vaulted ceiling onto the crowns of their heads. The stone was slippery and uneven beneath their feet, years of use having hollowed out each step, but most oppressive of all was perhaps the silence. It leeched into Cassathra's lungs, solid and dense, a fear not only of being heard but of failing to hear someone approach. Were her companions feeling similarly? Was it completely unthinkable, what they were about to do?
The staircase spat them out into another long, ruined hallway, inky and dark but for the paltry smear of torchlight at one end.
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in honour of a new chapter being published this sunday (‼️), i thought i would go and update my old character playlists. unfortunately, upon trying to do so, i remembered that i basically only listen to techno these days, which meant i had no new music to add. 💔
HOWEVER. i realised that that's fucking stupid and i can do what i want. so here are my main elder scrolls OCs as techno tracks.
are these tracks i think represent them or tracks i think they would enjoy in the clurb? the answer is yes.
Jórunn - Night Genesis, Chlär
it's understated. no frills. subtle shifts and drops. but it's intense, serious. there's this sense of urgency, of uncertainty, of facing up to an unknown. there's also a feeling of loneliness, and of cold - if the skyrim soundtrack had been techno i think it would have sounded something like this.
2. Raydrin - Plan 0 - Maskirovka, Deception Plan
hypnotic techno. it's slower, steady, numbing. a little melancholy but mostly disassociative. low energy. come-down music.
3. Mathyas - The First Train (Bailey Ibbs remix), Groef
horror movie techno. techno that makes me feel like i'm being chased while i'm buying a tesco meal deal. it's urgent, unsettling, discordant. heavy and pounding. the different rhythms feel like they're constantly on the brink on falling out of sync. AND. it's a little sexy.
4. Cassathra - Romantika, Brutalismus 3000
bounce all the way! it's silly, fun, kind of bratty, a little commercial but that's OK, still a certified banger. it's gay club techno, effortlessly remixed by your favourite drag queen. techno you dance to with your friends. etc. maybe she discovered it through an instagram reel, so whattttt
2. When they cast magic, what’s their style? Are they flamboyant or reserved? Do they wave their hands around? Do they like making a show of it? Are they verbal?
cassathra, the Redoran runaway, is my only spellcaster character, so i'll answer this for her. i think her spellcasting style would reflect her training as a swordsman; it is perhaps more physical than strictly necessary, but her motions are always crisp, deliberate and precise. i think she subconsciously drops into a combat stance when casting, even for non-violent spells. and when she's casting in a fight, i think she'd circle her opponents, pivot, advance etc in ways that mirror swordplay.
9. Do they have any handicaps or disabilities?
Jórunn, my dragonborn, is my only character (for now...) with a significant handicap, being fully blind from birth. it's a congenital condition of some kind, an underdevelopment of the retina and/or optic nerves (not that anyone in TES would have the scientific literacy to explain it in such terms). she relies on mobility aids like a cane or a guide to get around -- and when absolutely necessary, Shouts like Aura Whisper and Become Ethereal to stay safe during combat, though Shouting is uncomfortable for Jórunn and she doesn't like to do it.
13. What are their hobbies?
raydrin, my redoran failson (and later Jórunn's guide) has been chronically hobbyless for a while thanks to his battles with skooma addiction. but he is a very literary soul at heart, and loves reading + writing when he has the headspace for it. he is also a very passionate chef, and enjoys getting to experiment with food wherever possible, whether that's in a proper kitchen or out in the field :)
tagged in various wip wednesdays / sharing sundays etc over the last month or so, so naturally i am going to respond to all of them on a random tuesday :) tagging back @ghoulsbeard @stormbeyondreality @lucien-lachance @wispstalk @dirty-bosmer @gilgamish @ervona @connortheconceded
a little snapshot from the chapter that is currently kicking my ass...
2 from each category for the long character ask game? :) for whoever strikes your fancy
thank you sarah! :)
What would your character wear if they were told they had to gussy up?
will do jórunn for this one as i had a lot of fun imagining her thalmor embassy outfit. my main inspiration was this dress made by historical fashion youtuber bernadette banner. she recreated this (i think?) 15th century dress on the right, using historical methods, and i thought the result was gorgeous.
for jórunn's dress i imagined the colour to be different, like an aubergine purple in place of the red. and for her hair i was picturing something like this. :)
What gift would your character give to someone they didn’t like but felt obligated to?
this goes for all my Dutheri characters, as the family would be expected to present gifts to visiting nobles and dignitaries. for velothi recipients, i can see the Dutheris bestowing either a worthless title or a 'tamed' kagouti upon recipients they didn't like. the kagouti would be expensive, difficult, and potentially dangerous to try and maintain, but to turn it down or renounce it would show weakness.
for non-velothi recipients, i think they would gift them with either a relatively cheap or commonplace commodity (assuming that the foreigner wouldn't know any better), or a velothi 'delicacy' that foreigners tend to find unpalatable :)
Would your character prefer baking, cooking or mixing drinks?
raydrin is my only character who would really engage with any of these activities, and it's cooking that he loves the most! he is experimental and creative, so cooking suits him more than something like baking, which is less easy to play around with.
Has your character had a meaningful encounter with an animal?
mathyas has a fear of spiders after one crawls on him during his first episode of sleep paralysis as a child, and this phobia stays with him into adulthood. the incident contains a lot of narrative significance and symbolism (to me, at least)
What is your character’s favorite kind of social event?
cassathra always hated the parties that her family would be expected to throw and attend as redoran nobles, but she comes to love parties after running away to skyrim. she loves dancing, drink, games, meeting new people etc -- so to enjoy these things outside the confines of familial expectation is a great joy for her
Are there particular sounds your character is fond of?
soppy, but jórunn really comes to love the sound of raydrin's voice, in particular when he is reading to her. his voice is soft, low, slightly raspy, and his narration is steady and level. on the road during the events of skyrim, their little reading sessions are some of the few times jórunn can truly relax <3
Does your character have a secret hobby?
raydrin is a secret poet/writer! he is terrible at committing to anything but always dabbled here and there. he starts taking it more seriously after solstheim :)
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rules: take this quiz and share 5 (or more! or less! the world is your oyster!) results from the top 50 that you feel really fit your oc(s). if you don’t recognize very many from the top 50, feel free to expand into the top 100.
tagging: @lucien-lachance @mondhound @wispstalk @bigcheezey @vedam @crynwr-drwg @connortheconceded @fitzonomy @fivekoboldsinacoat @possumteeths @dirty-bosmer @netch-rancher @mantleofsanguine and anyone else who fancies taking part (please @ me! <3)
JÓRUNN
Ygritte (Game of Thrones)
Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Kang Sae-byeok (Squid Game)
Elizabeth Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)
Marie Kreutz (The Bourne Identity)
RAYDRIN
Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad) :^)
Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain)
Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride)
Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Nino Quincampoix (Amelie)
MATHYAS
Dana Scully (The X-Files)
Mr Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)
Michael Corleone (The Godfather)
Eduardo Saverin (The Social Network)
Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
CASSATHRA
Rapunzel (Tangled)
Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Ada Shelby (Peaky Blinders)
Georgiana Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)
Mulan (Mulan)
BONUS ROUND: funny combinations that came up (iykyk)
Jórunn + Raydrin -> Jane + Jesse (Breaking Bad), Katniss + Peeta (The Hunger Games), Jo + Laurie (Little Women), Kat + Patrick (10 Things I Hate About You)
sending you “self”, “mentor” and “future” for everybody… :)c
Self: How is your OC's relationship with themself? Does your OC like who they are? Is there anything about themself that they would change?
Jórunn likes herself well enough. She doesn't think herself perfect by any means but her less 'likable' characteristics have served her well and I don't think she has any desire to change them. That is until her journey as Dragonborn gets underway, and then I think there are a few things about herself she'd change if she could; she probably wishes she were braver, more resilient, less irritable (she hates how quickly she loses her temper sometimes, especially with Raydrin), and she'd choose to be an ordinary human in a heartbeat :(
Raydrin thinks lowly of himself; he has a lot of regrets and often feels as if he is failing to meet the expectations placed on him by his House and family. He wishes he were stronger, that he could take hardship in his stride, that he had more fight in him. These are qualities he really admires in Jórunn.
Mathyas pre-fic had a healthy relationship with himself but his self-image is absolutely shattered over the course of his joining the Brotherhood lmao. He realises what he's capable of when placed in the right circumstances and is repulsed by his inability to adhere to his own moral code. He wishes he were more selfless and honourable.
Cassathra's relationship with herself is mixed in the way that is true of most nineteen-year-olds. There's plenty she likes about herself but there's this underlying insecurity behind everything she says and does. If she could change anything about herself, I think she'd wish that she were less reckless and impulsive and that she'd think more about her actions before taking them.
i'll try n be shorter for these next ones LOL
Mentor: Does your OC have a mentor? Have they ever reached out to anyone for guidance or teaching, or been taken under someone's wing? How does your OC get along with their mentor?
Arngeir is the most obvious contender for Jórunn's mentor. They eventually get along, but their early relationship is strained by Jórunn's utter reluctance to face up to her destiny as Dragonborn. She finds Arngeir dull and overbearing; Arngeir finds her impertinent and difficult to work with. By the end of her first stay at High Hrothgar, however, they have come to respect each other and even enjoy each other's company :)
For Raydrin, I guess Delphine and Esbern would best fit this role? They've only just met Esbern in the fic so I won't get into that just yet, but as much as Raydrin and Delphine frustrate each other, I do think, like with Jórunn and Arngeir, they come to grudgingly respect each other; especially post-Diplomatic Immunity, when they begin to see more eye-to-eye.
Mathyas doesn't really have a mentor at present, but there are a couple of mentors he had as a child that will feature in the (nearly completed!) backstory wip :3 one of note is Kena Ranis, his swordfighting tutor. I'll leave things there to avoid spoilers
Cassathra's mentor currently is Tolfdir. They get on SO well -- Tolfdir absolutely adores each of the students in his tutorial group, he thinks they're all such charming and delightful young people, and Cassathra both respects Tolfdir's knowledge and wisdom and appreciates his kindness and his sense of humour. They're one of my favourite dynamics in the fic tbh <3
Future: Is there anyone your OC is looking forward to meeting or to seeing again? Who? What might that meeting or reunion look like?
Jórunn doesn't have anyone who immediately springs to mind; she cut ties with everyone she knew in Cyrodiil and doesn't have long to make acquaintances in Skyrim before she finds herself on the road with Raydrin. But she cares a lot about Sanjir and probably looks forward to whenever they'll next cross each others' paths <3
Raydrin and Cassathra are DESPERATELY looking forward to seeing each other again, especially Cassathra who spent most of her life looking to her big brother for guidance and comfort. Their reunion will be big and dramatic and full of lots of crying on both ends :')
Mathyas can only hope that he will one day see his mother again 🤧 if they ever do reunite, their meeting will be quiet and understated to the casual observer, but very much full of love and relief. I'm superrr enjoying his and Fedrasa's relationship in my current wip :)
