On the nature of Pelinal (09/23/07):
Re: Pelinal, his closest mythical model would be Gilgamesh, with a dash of a T-800 thrown in, and a full-serving of brain-fracture slaughterhouse antinomial (Kill)3 functions stuck in his hand or head. We tend to forgive those heroes.
And thousands of years of Good Coming From Bad, and/or whitewash, ignorance, shame, his Song being read by the Knights merely as fancy rather than right record, etc, might explain the Order’s reluctance to villify or apologize for him. Plus, no one wants to gets smothered in their sleep by moths.
That said, I sure would like to read the story of Alkosh whooping Pelinal’s ass back to Cyrod when the Whitestrake’s pogroms strayed too far into the Dragon-Cat’s land.
Regarding CHIM being pronounced Kim, like a girl’s name (10/27/07)
They’re all girls’ names. Shor, CHIM, Aless, Perrif, Orlyan, Shonni-Et. Wait. Who?
On the sexual dimorphism between male and female bosmer (12/20/07)
Because Bosmer represent the idea that Women Are Always Beautiful and Men Are Always Short Ugly Trollish Creatures.
On Pelinal, again (04/01/08):
Pelinal was and is an insane collective swarmfoam war-fractal from the future, you betcha.
Why are the small female Betty Netches more powerful than the larger, male Bull netches? What’s the origin of their name? (04/02/08)
Think lionesses. And, yeah, they were named after “Skate Betties” — girls who would hang out near the half-pipes.
On the above, “But lions aren’t weaker than lionesses; they’re just much lazier.” (04/02/08)
“Sure. And bull netch are really, really lazy.”
On Ken Rolston writing Vivec in game (06/03/08)
Ken was responsible for the MQ in MW, so that’s part of it. The larger part is that Vivec’s voice is Legion, and it was only fitting that he had more than one author.
Editing the 36 Lessons of Vivec (06/03/08)
Kurt edited the Sermons extensively, as did Douglas Goodall. Quadratic.
Out of Atmora (07/10/08):
And for the last time (uh huh), Nedes != Atmorans. That’s just shoddy scholarship from a bygone regime.
On the Oblivion rumors of Argonians being called back to Black Marsh (09/07/08)
It refers to the Hist’s response to the Crisis, and is one of Kurt’s coolest ideas of the last year or so.
I added the “Giant Feathered Flu Tyrants” bit, which, like of course… but you’ll see. Daedra -2, Argonians +278. Fuck off, Dagon, don’t ever mess with the Trees.
The age of Nirn (10/01/08)
Nirn as we know it is only about 6000 years old, give or take. It’s made of myth, not continental drift and the march of penguins.
That said, the God Time (whose very name is contradictory) before it cannot accurately be measured by mortal perception.
On hyperbole in lore (10/22/08):
“It’s difficult to accuse someone of being wrong for asking the theoretical question “Is it possible, as is the case throughout this game, that some of the writings we find are exaggerated”?”
I prefer, “It is very possible, as is the case throughout this magical world, that some of the exaggerated claims made about some subjects pale in comparison to the Monkey Truth. ZOMGWTFGIANTFEATHEREDFLUTYRANTS.”
What is the Dreamsleeve (08/20/09)
Ken made up the word. I then took it and went all Al Gore and turned it into the internet.
Though, really, if you read through the Intercept stuff, I really predicted Mind Twitter.
On “Tam! RUGH!” (09/09/09):
It’s the True name of the world.
Imagine an ape (Marukh) struggling to say “Tamriel” and you get “Tam! RUGH!”
On the Dunmer going to Solstheim after the destruction of Morrowind (12/06/09):
The largesse of the Nords towards their ancient enemies is one of my favorite ideas coming out of Red Year.
Are all the guar dead after the Red Year? (12/25/09)
Hell naw, they’re just too damn pretty to die.
The Dwemer’s religion (01/13/10)
Reducing the Dwemeri belief system to technofetish or atheism is missing the point by a kalpa.
Hell, even calling them nihilists would be wrong.
That said, reducing them to endless wrongs is perfectly right, but they would have no doubt called that assertion wrong, too.
Clarifying the nature of CHIM (01/15/10):
2) M’Aiq, don’t forget the hypnogogic part spun along the nature of Tamriel with an admixture of the love of parenthood that would follow. Not the “power”– the cherishing.
3) To the close dreamers, don’t forget the Amaranth. There *is* one step beyond CHIM, but you’re right in that it is not godhood. It’s the flowering of a statehood where the images you give birth to in your dream– stolen (?) from first dreamer– wakes up. Wails knowing free will. And begins to dream in the same way. Children of liberty without end, and then the music lives forever as a pirate radio tuned against the rules of Heaven and the vulgarities of Hell.
Yeah, like that, but, crap, it just shattered and now I need my morning coffee because I have to work.
Still, no wonder some called Him the Doom Drum.
Is there something beyond CHIM? (01/16/10)
There is one step beyond CHIM, but you’re right in that it is not godhood. It’s the flowering of a statehood where the images you give birth to in your dream– stolen (?) from first dreamer– wakes up. Wails knowing free will. And begins to dream in the same way. Children of liberty without end, and then the music lives forever as a pirate radio tuned against the rules of Heaven and the vulgarities of Hell.
The Sunbirds of Alinor (02/14/10):
They’re not ships, they’re actual birds.
Well, okay, really big birds made out of the sun.
On Cyrus (06/27/10):
The weirdest thing– and this is no joke– I inexplicably pulled out the PGE Thursday night to read it. FOR NO REASON. I got all nostalgic and went, Hmm, the reason Cyrus is so fun is that he actually inhabits this world as the common man with an uncommon profession, i.e. adventuring. He doesn’t question the world’s weirdness, as that notion would never occur to him. It’s just his world and he works with it. And not in the Doctor Who fashion, where of course he works with it, no matter how crazy, because Doctor Who is a Chaotic Fun crazy junkie who actively seeks out such situations (and God bless him for it). Cyrus “just” lives in Tamriel and, while he can get confused, baffled, angry at, or one-upped by its magical nature, he’s not adventuring to test those boundaries or, hell, even find them. Where’s the money in that?
Yes, Cyrus’ level-headedness is a useful cypher, but I was there when he was created, and his character wasn’t consciously infused with that literary device in mind. (At least not towards the magical hijinx; he was definitely used that way for the political stuff.) So then I went, Hmm, all future stories told about Cyrus need to be careful not to use him solely for that utility, or risk him becoming a gimmick.
So, of course, the next thought was: “Screw that, what if Cyrus just fought everyone in Tamrielic history?” which completely ran contrary to all my analysis. Cuz it just works like that.
The Direnni Tower (07/11/10)
Start here:
“A recent archaelogical study [of Direnni Tower], using the latest techniques of divination and sorcery, has pushed the Tower’s construction date back to around ME2500, making it by far the oldest known structure in Tamriel. Although it has been much modified and added on to over the years, its core is a smooth cylinder of shining metal; the Tower is believed to extend at least as far beneath the surface as is now visible above, although its deepest bowels have never been systematically explored.”
Sounds like a scroll case. A big one, mind you, but maybe that’s because a spaceship, too.
How does the Ministry of Truth maintain its velocity all this time? (08/20/10)
Everyone here does know that the Ministry of Truth was Lord Vivec’s biggest turd ever, right? Hard to place real-world physics on that. And just plain wrong to even try.
Writing the Elder Scrolls (08/27/10)
You misinterpret the meaning of what Elder Scrolls are in the colloquial Tamrielic. When taken in this context, to “write an Elder Scroll” is “to make history”.
A deeper meaning is meant, too, but not very many laymen bother with that. Until a prophecy is fulfilled, the true contents of an Elder Scoll are malleable, hazy, uncertain. Only by the Hero’s action does it become True. The Hero is literally the scribe of the next Elder Scroll, the one in which the prophecy has been fulfilled into a fixed point, negating its precursor.
Also, Martin mantled Akatosh and dragon-[censored] Dagon silly, so his outlook on time in quite unlike our own. In fact, he said those words during the dragon-[censored] fight and you only remembered them later, a comforting memory that the Jills mended back into your timeline.
Yes.
How does one eat the world? (01/18/11)
When you consider a place like Tamriel, sometimes it’s best to take titles literally. Alduin is the World-Eater. It’s not going to be “the end of all *life* as we know it,” leaving a barren wasteland of Earthbone dirt… it’s going to be the whole of Nirn inside his mighty gullet.
“None shall survive” has been a calling card for awhile, but that was only a hint to the more extensive “Nothing will survive.”
Unless, of course, there’s a loophole. Say, something like the someone called the Dovakhiin happening to show up…”born under uncertain stars to uncertain parents.” (An aside for extra credit: what in the Aurbis makes the Prisoner such a powerful mythic figure?)
The Eight Limbs (and their Missing Ninth) have always, always made sure there was a loophole. Sometimes to their detriment, sure, but more often a hedged bet to ensure the survival of the current kalpa.
Then again:
Alduin’s shadow was cast like carpetflame on east, west, south, and north…[he was] epoch eater. For as far as any man’s eyes, only High Hrothgar remained above the churning coils of dragon stop.
And Alduin said, “Ho ha ho.”
It’s obviously happened before, so sabers sharp, and may your varliance shine bright.
On CHIM making Tamriel boring because it makes it “all a dream” (01/18/11)
Just wanna say because I never think I did, the whole “it was all just a dream” avenue is completely missing the point. Consider your lucid dreams, if you’ve been lucky enough to have ever had one. Then think again before you dismiss the the idea of Divine Hypnagogia. If you get it (or care to) then mull it over until it punches the back of your eyeballs.
No wonder it’s hard to retain CHIM. Such… violence.
Landfall and the Infernal City (01/25/11)
The Landfall != the associated events of The Infernal City.
Totally different thing. When Landfall happens, you guys will do a spit-take like Bail Organa did when the Death Star showed up above Alderaan.
On the disappearance of the Dwemer (02/01/11)
The Dwarven Disappearance, for all I know and hope, will never be explained fully. To do so would be antithetical to their very existence. And the very idea of them.
If it did, by the way, the Dwemer would just refuse to believe it anyhow. They sit forever on the Bartleby Chair.
How Tiber mantled Lorkhan (02/09/11)
Think of the mystical power of Reenactment.
What did Lorkhan do to solidify the plans for the Mundus? Oh, I dunno, he tricked, promised, betrayed, and made concessions to the various “rulers” of the etada, right? Sounds like the summary, only a few existence lenses down.
And, just like the varying accounts of how that Convention and its consequences have become murky with Time and myth, so too is Tiber’s ascension to the first true Emperor of all of Tamriel. Accident? No way.
As above, so below, and that’s how you do it. Especially when there’s a hole just ready to fill.
“Is there only one way to transcend the Aurbis?” (02/12/11)
To transcend it? No, there are other ways to surpass it.
But to make a better existence? No existence becomes better without love.
Amaranth (02/16/11)
We haven’t seen a fleshed-out alternative to CHIM to support something more preferable, but I promised a long while back to provide one. We’ll see.
I will say that, CHIM or not, there is no evidence that either Talos nor Vehk achieved Amaranth. If they did, Tamriel would be in their rearview mirror. The Amaranth deserves its own topic, really. Its core concept is the most divisive among the mystics, in my opinion.
A Yoku god (04/28/11)
N’awyadin-It – Yokudan God of Expression Alarm. Revered in word frequently among the funnier-masked castes.
Is Tall Papa Magnus? – nope (04/28/11)
Tall Papa as Magnus?
Syrsly?
Think raga. Then think of the various ways the Sun would affect the Weather/Eyeball/BodyClock/Agriculture/TheShineOfASingleDewdropBeforeAnImportantDuel.
Just how many gods would you have to govern acknowledge those?
