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Solstheim Randoms and Story Lore
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The question at the bottom, however, is not so complex. A people like the Skaal who has the chance to live in a harmonious relationship with the world we live in, does not need illumination. The illumination is necessary when a cultural crisis, due to a fracture in this report, previously working, demands its restoration through a cultural revolution in his own vision of the world and of life.
The religion of Skaal is clearly dualistic, and is divided between the worship of a unitary benevolent deity, from which everything comes and returns, ciclically, but with no beginning and no end, and of which this people feels as favorite sons and daughter. To counteract this deity is the antithesis, the Adversary, evil deity who aspires to break this harmonious relationship and privileged, bringing chaos from outside and trying to bribe members of the community to make their avatars. If such is done, we interpret these two deities as primitive versions of Anu and Padomay, it follows that Lorkhan being manifestation of Padomay, can present problems of acceptance of this deity for Skaal. Their culture is closed, highly conservative, determined to survive to risks and cultural influences potential contaminants through isolation and a rigid organization that has the sole purpose of making their cultural horizon, absolutely immutable. If as they claim to be, The Skall are the last remnant of the original culture of the north, it becomes clear that for them the people of the north appears to be degenerated from the malign influence of the Adversary.
Also interesting is the observation that Skaal oppose the werebeast. In my universe, the Skaal have this attitude because, Hircine is clearly a manifestation of the Adversary as obvious, that has corrupted some of their shamans, thus allowing them to acquire the ability to mutate into animals acquiring their strength and skill, for hunting, but especially for war. The virulent appearance introduced by Hircine, is that hunting, ceases to be a practice designed to only survival, but it becomes a real sport. This behavior is not as naively believed, merely it belongs to men, but it is already in the animals. The paradox is that human culture, to have established a difference between mere subsistence and sport, according to moral principles. Hircine as nature is amoral, and by its nature does not know the difference between the two purposes of hunting. The cats wandering around my house, kill a inordinate amount of lizards, but not to eat them, but for pure pleasure and training.
To conclude I would say that the problem is all of Grim. It's up to Grim and secondly to you find ways to combine Lorkhan with Skaal. For Skaal the possibility of a god who sacrifices himself to allow to mortals the transcendence, is a concept that makes no sense, because this people, defend at all costs its enchanted immanence where they happy dwells . Grim comes from a cultural horizon where this immanence is lost without remedy, and where the road is inevitably that of mysterious transcendence. There is a certain nostalgia, an attempt to recapture the enchanted world, but it is precisely the fact that he hope to regain it, that inevitably says its infinite distance.
The All-Maker is certainly the Dreamer, and Lorkhan is the archetypal dreamer, God died for leave to mortals a chance to take his place as the demiurge of the dream world. But Skaal are not interested in this path, because it opens up as a possibility only when a crisis breaks that relationship of harmony that they seem to live.
Beautiful set as always.. naturaly!
You through me for a loop because in some ways you actually supported Hircine (even if that was not your intention). You also used the example Hircine is going to use with Frea that I had this planned before your cat comment. I don't want to reveal anything I don't have to so I will merely say at some point the Skaal Shaman Frea will have a chance to talk with Hircine.
This is actually what I have in my plot line notes. Hircine asks her [Frea] if she has ever seen the winter saber cats play with their food. She says yes but that is natural for those beasts to do so. Hircine replies, it is also my nature to hunt thus. It is my domain as Lord of the Hunt. I do not have your human morals. Hunting is hunting, no more no less. That you differentiate between the two for yourself but not the cats is because of your morals. Do not judge me by the same.
Anyhow you gave me much to think about when it comes to the nature of Hircine and the Skaal. In my universe Hircine will always be more of a wise nature deity than a blood thirsty hunter (as I associate him with all animal traits and the ideas of nature, not just the killing instinct and aniamls have more to their lives then just killing) .. so he will never match up to yours but I appreciate your insight as it helps my own story.
Now in regard to Lorkhan and the All-maker - very good insight again. I actually never saw the All-maker as the Dreamer and yet that makes a lot more sense in many ways. I can also see what you are saying about the Skaal and Lorkhan which may be useful later when Grim considers a possible chance to join the Skaal (with Erik and Wolfgar of course) and what his thought process will be to reach his decision of yes or no. Grim has strong ties with Lorkhan since he was ultimately created by Lorkhan and has a part of him in him.
Can't say much more other than to warn you this story line is going to mangle the lore terribly as well as the concepts of divine entities so you may want to consider whether you read all of them ... it is also going to be a bit lighter in concept as that is how I enjoy writing. Still if you do I look forward to your thoughts. I only wish I could think as deeply as you do - your philosophical and political view points and ideas is one of the main reasons I enjoy your writing and comments so much.
On the other hand he is an enemy of Mora so that may get him some acceptance ... course his association with Hircine might negate that. Will have to see how it all works out.
Will be interesting to see what you plan. I enjoyed Solthseim when I played ther briefly with one of my many characters. Very interesting place. Glad you're having some fun PLAYING!
Thanks for stopping by!
Never saw Grim with such a face as in the last pic....it must have been a really sad comment
In that shot with the beast tattoo and Grim's irresistible smile i've zoomed in on the image to try and find anything close to showing how it would end.... before that this is continuing from when Grim was facing Mora right? i knew it, Mora does something more hateful doesn't he? i will continue to delude myself in my prediction and wait for the real ending
Beasts are no more violent then people - actually I suspect less so. People are violent often for all the wrong reasons. Beasts are violent to protect themselves, their pack, mate, or children, and to get food.
Anyhow Grim is educating the Skaal on the differences between a controlled werebeast and a rabid one. Slow going as Hircine hunted the Skaal people for sport in the last bloodmoon so they hate werebeasts and Hircine. They don't know that things have changed since then.
This post is not a continuation from the last story against Mora - just some random shots and two teasers - one coming very soon which is how his chest tattoo cameback. The other one is very subtle and won't show up for a long time at the end (which is many chapters away).
We will learn what happens to Grim after he escapes fro m Mora in the next chapter which I will be starting work on this weekend
Can't speak about the other part except to explain something about Grim. Grim isn't a werewolf but a Lycan pure blood. Since Fenrir is a wolf, albeit a demi-god one, Grim is part wolf. That is why his half-brother is a wolf, aka Wolfgar. They share the same father but Grim's mother is Alfrun, half dunmer/nord. Woflgar's mother was a brown wolf.
Consequently his beast blood is more than just blood - it is part of his very DNA (unlike a disease from Hircine - and I will note Hircine can share his own blood to make a "true" werewolf versus a cursed/blessed one). So pretty much impossible to take the beast out of Grim :-) but altering it in some way ... that could be possible.
I love doing expressions with Grim to help show his personality and it brings so much life to the images. Grim is also such a laid back person it is easier to do less serious shots with him at times.