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Part of a series with my comments on Shades’ Skyrim backstory, for use in Spearthane. I may protect some of these posts if I detail specific quests.
Ruled by King Hrothgar, this city-state has come upon hard times.
I assume the name “Hrothgar” is traditional, honorary, or shorthand title for the area ruled. Not a real genealogical name reflecting an unbroken line of descent from whichever Aldmoran named the mountain.
The damaging droughts, floods, harsh winters, and devastating fires have left them short on supplies and living season by season.
By floods, I assume swollen rivers raging from ice melt on the mountains. We’re quite a bit above sea level for most of this kingdom.
The economic hit has caused a slow trickle of emigration, though a strange phenomenon has occurred with this situation concerning the so-called Witch-Queen of Whiterun. Though originally thought a menace [by the court of Whiterun and village elders], public disposition has swayed to favor Jsashe the Witch and effective control of the county lies with her.
Why, will surely be key to a quest. What is the source of her power? With whom does she deal? Why does the public favor her? Especially with the daedra gone, what boons does she grant, and what power does she wield?
If things go very well for her, she might be a candidate for the Imperial throne, but she starts with a relatively low(est?) and localized reputation.
Once called the Imperial City of Skyrim, the damaged grandeur of the city still shows a visage of its former self, though certain parts of the city have fallen into blight quicker than others.
I thought Windhelm had the palace? Or does the title refer to the population of Imperials?
The decline in population created a thinner demographic of non-natives, though a notable minority of Imperials is still present. The great walls still stand firm and within them the poorest sectors have been abandoned.
Providing meeting-places, housing, and storage of materials for the most wretched, illegal, furtive, and fugitive elements of society.
Former residents of the outer curtain have taken to squatting in the better appointed sectors and housing choices as they become available, though the overall population sits at sixty percent of the total a score of years ago.
Perhaps some conflict here between squatters and family branches coming to claim abandoned or sold property of richer cousins, and find safety within city walls.
The situation of Jsashe has caused a general polarization of the population. Those who exalt her generally live outside the most regulated areas where the Hrothgar still holds control; outlying villages, refugee camps, and the nomadic Nords who still observe tribal practices.
Is there a link between most traditional Nord practices and Jsashe’s witchcraft, or just the susceptibility of the superstitious mind?
Where is Jsashe based? Blackmoor/Darkmoor would make a certain amount of sense, since it’s physically most accessible to external influences, yet still in Whiterun. It’s overland from The Reach and Northshore, and upriver from Haafenheim.
Hrothgar has taken a strong stance against this inner threat, and has tended to look the other way when his infantry disposes of small bands of her followers. By his duty he still sends supplies and priests to the refugee camps to care for his displaced people, but he also uses this chance to gain information on the situation. Suspicion is overtaken by desperation often enough the people depend on whatever they can get, and but in the cities the suspicion of outsiders is hardly restrained.
Very good setup for disrespect and conflict.
Ancient rivalry with Dawnstar has been put aside in this long time of crisis, but it has hardly favored mercy or forgetfulness among the nobles. Given the history, they bite their tongues at the thought of a steady agreement between the city-states. They feel their restraint shown is defiant of their very natures. At this time though, necessity outweighs bloodlust.
From whence came this ancient rivalry? I imagine Dawnstar once the capital and first-smashed city of the Falmer. I’d expect this rivalry then to come from a more recent source. Sea-trade of Dawnstar v land-trade of Whiterun (especially since Pale Pass opened)? Military rivalries over influence on resources of the villages between them? Different types of population, mountain Nord v sea and refugee populations?
Resources have been contracted into the central holdings to facilitate the re-invigoration of the farming cycle, and since metal, stone, and wood are more easily scavenged than harvested, the logging operations and mines have largely stopped.
Good opportunity for Dawnstar to expand influence in villages between them, especially if it has more money from alliance with Solitude to pay for logging and mines.
The Oblivion crisis drove citizens back to Hrothgar and affected both sides of the dispute to the point that an unstable peace afflicts them. His heroic charge of gate within his city inspired a new respect for him. Jsashe has claimed through her magic and priestesses they were successful in forcefully resisting the invaders.
Actually, probably more likely the result of witches’ historical truck with daedra. She perhaps has a powerful patron, maybe Nocturnal through whose realm Dagon’s forces have travelled.
Destroyed sections of towns and scorched landscapes hardly speak well of either of their efforts, but both sides have recoiled to rebuild. Looting is common, leading to many travelers to find themselves surprised at the finery of furnishings within homes and businesses. The stones of destroyed buildings are continually taken for improvements to occupied structures.
A surge of nationalism has caused the Nords to rebuild their most important structures and shrines, especially those dedicated to Akatosh after hearing his part in the banishment of Dagon.
Akatosh in the form of Alduin the World Eater, Ǫldtǫnn to the Aldmorans.
Hrothgar is the King most dedicated to the retention of the Empire.
Between this and heroics, definite candidate for Imperial throne, or first against the wall when the revolution comes.
Part of a series with my comments on Shades’ Skyrim backstory, for use in Spearthane. I may protect some of these posts if I detail specific quests.
I imagine TES V: Skyrim with these profiles for the city-states, and the main quest weaving these eight stories together into one comprehensive unit and one ending from eight viewpoints.
I’m not so interested in the one-ending approach. (1) If I write a sequel, I am comfortable either picking one ending, or as many as are not flatly contradictory, so no dragon breaks here. (2) I honestly think it’s lame and a waste of time to bother writing a story that can only end one way. If you’re creative enough to branch the story, why render the branches meaningless by merging them all together at the end?
That would keep the story consistent, but after the main quest there would be two or three city-states that would be no longer operational to the same state as before: governments would be deposed, sections of towns and the countryside would be knocked away, and large populations eliminated through genocide.
I plan an ethnocide in the backstory already (see From Aldmora to Empire), so I’d rather not add a genocide of a current people. These things take a long time to happen, and even if the empire is over the people are still used to its conventions.
The start of the game would be within a month of the Oblivion Crisis. The end of the game will fluctuate depending on the player’s speed, but the generally accepted finish will be listed in TES VI as two and a half to three years later. I’d prefer TES VI to take place at about the same time as Skyrim, but on the opposite side of the empire for perspective.
I agree with the general time frame. I’d like there to be enough time elapsed that the dust has settled, the enemy confirmed dispatched or just gone, and people are starting about their ordinary lives again. I don’t want so much time that any significant personal or political fallout from the crisis has been resolved.
Generally the main quest begins when you are accepted into a knightly organization in the service of a King or Queen.
I’d rather this be the midpoint or intermediate goal of your service to a Hold, to set up a final few public missions. There are many things you can do, to ingratiate yourself with a court and build your reputation, that can really benefit from being a nobody whom they may plausibly deny they know. Also, when you betray them, they can just cut their losses.
From the descriptions of the eight you can fairly well guess the kinds of missions they would send you on, but the standard guilds need to be worked into the storyline somewhat as well. The guilds I hope would rely on random quests and make these special quests available during the course of the main quest as you progress through it, such as the Dark Brotherhood.
I really like the idea of being able to kill anyone in the game, and I have no problem breaking quests as a result of random DB/MT assignments. Since I want there to be many paths through the game, and many different endings, shutting out even entire quest lines because you killed the wrong people is fine with me.
Three of the leaders of the city-states would be assassinated before three quarters of the main quest are over, as well as a dozen nobles, a score of political figures and many inhibitors. Not all of these need to be brotherhood jobs, but the flexible means of death would allow you to hire them for the job, do it yourself, or send your underlings depending on the message you want to convey.
+1 for vast changes to the political landscape, +1 for flexibility, +1 for actually feeling like you’re in charge.
The Fighters guild should be swamped with work in this post-crisis environment (not picking flowers), the Mages have ample opportunity for research and experimentation under several of the city-states,
Their first-hand experience against daedra should provide them with new battle strategies and tactics, and materials to study. We’ll have to decide whether the new liminal barriers sent back the daedra in fixed, equipment form as well. I’m inclined to say yes, otherwise daedric stuff will be everywhere, and that’s way too cliche and uber for me without a very good reason.
and the Thieves of course have never been in a better position to steal goods and information. Witch covens will largely be covered by Jsashe and fringe groups, necromancy has several footholds already in Skyrim but I would include soulsnare areas in mountain valleys where the dead can roam freely as part of the Necromancer’s faction.
I’m so over the good v evil Necromancer v Mages’ Guild storyline. I’d much rather incorporate and discuss the problems that arise as a result of letting only White Arts back in a new Department of Necromancy (eg, re-incorporate the Mages’ Guild in Olenveld).
Imperial legions and navy units operate with diminishing effectiveness as the Empire shows signs of crumbling and desertion becomes more widespread.
Excellent point. I like how subtle indications of a loosening of authority and discipline grow to justify big upheavals, coups, and revolutions. Even better if you can justify a bloodless coup.
Followup
My deal with the one ending is that the outside will see it as one ending, but depending on which of the city-states you are aligned with at that moment you see the ending differently. For some of the people you align with, your reward is death. For others you’re made a top advisor to the ruler, the head of their knightly guild, or chief liaison. Others in between you have a chance to run for your life to escape Skyrim, or just switch your allegiance.
The branches aren’t meaningless, but they would be covered up by the person who takes control of the country. History is written by the winner, and those who disagree with the winner are rolled over. Thus, the one ending.
So, depending on which faction wins, they each have a different way they treat you? Some glorify you, some kill you, and several steps between? This seems right. On top of this, I assume, which faction wins, and whether a faction wins, is determined by your actions. I’d like to have more ways to end the game than having a faction win. For examples, see the first three italicized paragraphs on this page. By ending, I mean the end of the political changes in the game, not necessarily the game itself.
The genocide is reflective of the racial tensions. Events will trigger spouts of racism where people of certain races are persecuted and tortured in the streets. Roving bands of troops coming upon travels who aren’t like them could kill them quickly and just ride on with nobody knowing who did it.
Good examples of realistic medieval behavior, but not of genocide. Full-on genocide still seems like overkill to me, without powerful motivations.
I like to work on the basis of motivations. Why, in this particular settlement, do they take the opportunity of the lack of Imperial authority to prosecute or even persecute a particular race? How does that community take it, strike back, or flee? How do the surrounding communities, of both races, admire or condemn stoicism, support or arm retribution, or house or take advantage of refugees? I think this can work on a small scale, as specific communities conflict, since Eastmarch won’t support little utopias like Bleaker’s Way when we have Nord aggression against the Redoran.
When I said the main quest starts when you join a knightly organization, I wasn’t meaning that you could join one when you choose to. They have to invite you in, so to get that invitation you must find a way to prove yourself useful. Winning tournaments would be one way, playing your connections to get to talk to the king is another way. Becoming well liked by the minor nobles can get you noticed as well, being famous for your powerful magical talents, being ruthlessly efficient at gathering information or resources. Effectively you would have to be established in the world before they would even consider you. A term of military service is always a plus, and the military would have units available for all kinds of characters.
I see lots of little quests here, with some interesting and natural motivations. If the object of most of these quests is to warn, impoverish, suppress, or hurt another faction, so much the better, since you will largely be able to build up your rep with one faction only by ticking off another. I don’t think a completely zero-sum game is necessary, though.
For example, military service against the Redoran should help your rep with a couple Holds, which can be mitigated by espionage for the Redoran against the very Holds that employ you. So, say a strike force from Windhelm cuts a bloody swath east from Dunmeth Pass, but are stopped and all-but-slaughtered by an ambush. Your battle prowess determined how many Dunmer died (for which your rep increases with some Holds), and your treachery caused the Nords’ death (for which your rep increases with the Redoran). (Oh, and Mephala/Sithis likes you bunches for the treachery and all the deaths.)
The deal with the necromancers isn’t an us vs them situation with the mage’s guild. I’m thinking of the Daggerfall system where the temple is the (in the eyes of the people) good guys, the necromancers are the bad guys, and the mages guild is comprised of both. The only time the mages guild would be against the necromancers is if the necromancers (who will mostly be guild members anyway) cause trouble somewhere or if a religious magician feels like stirring the pot. The mages guild I see is out for control, and the agendas it holds are the works of the individual guild leaders.
I like this better than the one-dimensional “because Traven said so” agenda of the Mages’ Guild in Oblivion. Have you read The Exodus and Dark Arts on Retrial? I’d like to incorporate both in Spearthane, and re-admit the Mages’ Guild in Olenveld into the restored Department of Necromancy. I think this still permits much conflict with those necromancers too indebted to the dark arts to take advantage of the Mages’ Guild’s white-art amnesty. It should also more clearly define the PC’s character for siding with the truly selfish or enslaved servants of the Worm God Mannimarco.
