Kastro's Writing Showcase

[Kastro]

Hey, I'm looking to contribute to Tamriel Rebuilt with as a writer with a few books. I've written a "Dunmer's Guide to Solstheim", which I'm using as a showcase. I hope it isn't too "Gamey", since it does use terms like "Divine Intervention", but since the game itself makes considerable reference to them, even Dagoth Ur's dialogue, it shouldn't be a problem.

A Dunmer's guide to Solstheim
by Fodril Uvulas

[A travel guide for Dunmer from Morrowind visiting Solstheim.]

Foreword

I do not know what first drew me to Solstheim - Perhaps the wanderlust we all feel in our youth, or a desire to get away from my regimented and droll existence working as a bookkeeper in Blacklight at the time.
However, since my first visit it has always held a special place in my heart. It is a cruel, inhospitable land, of surly locals, dangerous weather and hostile denizens, but behind all that is a stark, harsh beauty that few in this world will ever see.
This guide is my compiled knowledge from many visits to Solstheim throughout my life - I have learned the people, the places, the lay of the land, and the skills neccessary to survive. Now I wish to impart them to all those others who wish to share this rare experience with me.

Chapter One: Preparation

Solstheim is a dangerous place - A land of bone-chilling blizzards and snowstorms, harsh and hostile denizens and inhabitants and with few places of refuge.
If you are to go, I would highly advise taking some lessons in defending yourself - Be it slashing with a sword, swinging a mace or even casting a spell, even the most cautious of travellers will likely have to defend himself at some point on his excursions. If you are in an excess of gold, you may want to hire a guard or guide, though mercenaries are not always reliable, and you will be hard-pressed to find one who will follow you to Solstheim.

Most importantly, you should never leave those few refuges you can find without at least one of the following items -

A Divine Intervention Scroll - While you may have understandable religious qualms about using such a thing, there are no Temples on Solstheim, but there is an Imperial Cult Shrine, in Fort Frostmoth. It is useful in a pinch, when cornered by bears, berserkers or any of the other wonderful denizens of Solstheim.

A weapon - Be it a sword, a bow, a spear - It does not truly matter. You will not want to be out in the wilds without some way to defend yourself. Of course, if you have some skill with spells, you may not need one. Nevertheless, it is always good to have a material weapon as backup.

A well-maintaned set of armour - I would recommend wearing at least some fur armor during your outings in Solstheim. It serves to keep the cold out, and if you find yourself in combat, may save your life. I tended to wear the local garb - Patched-together pieces of fur and leather, made from the hides of Solstheim's bears and wolves, and it served me well enough. Most armour on Solstheim prioritises warmth over protection, and quite understandably too.

A set of potions - Restore health, restore fatigue, and if you are magically inclined, restore magicka, also. You should always keep a stock of potions on you - They may save your life. I would also advise a potion of Cure or Resist Common Disease, as many of the island's beasts, such as Wolves & Bears can carry plagues.

A pack of baisc provisions- When on Solstheim, you never know when a blizzard might appear, forcing you to take cover in a cave or under a rocky overhang - You may be trapped there for quite some time, and as such I would advise taking ample food, drink and equipment to start a small fire if need be. Death by frostbite is not a pleasant way to go, and warmth is always a priority in the snow-swept island.

When you are ready, there is the matter of transport to Solstheim - Few ports have boats willing to take you to the northern isle, but I have always used transportation from the small settlement of Khuul in the northern areas of Vvardenfell, though getting there may be an ordeal in of itself.
Wherever you set sail from, the journey will be long - Use this time to steel yourself for what awaits you.

Chapter Two: Dangers

Solstheim holds many dangers, least of all it's weather - While I'm sure I have imposed the threat of blizzards and snowstorms upon you enough by now, I have not gone over its wild animals and other threats yet.

Bears and Wolves are by far the most seen creatures on Solstheim, found all over the island, primarily in the Hirstaang Forest.
Wolves usually travel in packs of three or four, in my experience, and while they do not put up too much of a fight, it is easy to be overwhelmed - They may get the jump on you, too. Wolves are keen hunters, and you may be being hunted without knowing it, until too late. Their speed is also another thing not to be taken lightly - Even a skilled archer might find it difficult to hit such a quick-moving target, and their haste makes them hard to keep track of in a combat situation. While hardly not the biggest threat Wolves present, many of them are plagued, and carry diseases - As I went over in Chapter One, it is wise to keep a potion of Cure Common Disease handy. There are also the elusive 'Snow Wolves', clad in white fur, which the locals believe has magical properties. They are faster, stronger and smarter than their kin, and their fur is a natural camophlage, easily blending in with the snow - Thankfully, unlike the other wolves of Solstheim, they usually travel alone, without a pack. While they are a difficult foe if you find yourself in combat with one, they are very rare, and in all my days on Solstheim I have only seen two, and only done battle with one.
Bears are somewhat tougher than Wolves, and thankfully not as common, nor are they pack animals - Even one bear will put up quite a fight. Wolves are quick and devious, but cannot withstand much damage. Bears, on the other hand, are slow, strong and tough. Much like the Wolves, some of them may be conduits for disease, so keep adequate potions and medicine handy. There are rumours of Snow Bears, a parallel to Snow Wolves, though I profess to never have seen such a thing, they are presumed to share the same magical fur as their counterparts, and are likely tougher than regular bears.

Horkers are generally not a threat - They are lazy, fat creatures and will not rise to provocation easily, but if they are angered, do not underestimate their ability to fight. Their tusks leave quite a mark, and they will follow you even onto land. Their rough, slimy skin however is not much protection, and they will usually yield easily. They are seen along the coasts and the shores of Lake Fjalding.

Tusked Bristlebacks are another dangerous animal, usually found in the northern regions of Solstheim such as the Moesring Mountains, Isinfier Plains and Felsaad Coast. It is similar to a wild boar, but far more aggressive. They are fast creatures, and pack a punch, but with perseverance you can fight them off. I have seen them in small groups, but they do not seem to be pack animals, unlike the Wolves. They are frequently captured and used as mounts by the Rieklings - A Riekling lancer, astride a Tusked Bristleback is nothing to scoff at, despite their somewhat comical appearance.

Fryse Hags are crazed Nord Witches, who dot the island - They are primarily found in the Hirstaang Forest and Isinfier Plains, but sightings of them along the Felsaad Coast are not unheard of. They fight primarily with spells, but are clad in little more than fur garments. They are a dangerous foe, and I would advise avoiding them if at all possible. I have heard tales that they serve the Nordic Goddess Kyne, but their true motives or purpose remains unknown to me and most upon Solstheim.

Berserkers are possibly worse than the Fryse Hags, and certainly more insane. They wander the frozen wastes shirtless, mad with blood-lust. You may think their lack of clothing would make them easy to kill, but they shrug off many attacks in their battle rage, and will give you quite a fight. Similar to the Fryse Hags, you can find them in the Hirstaang Forest, Isinfier Plains and Felsaad Coast - I doubt they have a large presence in the northern parts of Solstheim, such as Moesring Mountains, since their choice of garments, or rather lack of them, would likely make them easily succumb to frostbite.

Rieklings are odd, and savage little creatures. They are about waist high, with blue skin, pointed ears and usually clad in some primitive fur armour. Nevertheless, they are not to be underestimated. They seem to have some semblance of a tribal society, and apparently serve the Frost Giant Karstaag, who inhabits Castle Karstaag in the far north.
A single Riekling is a simple fight, but they often travel in patrols and groups - If you spy a mounted Riekling, atop a Tusked Bristleback, you would do best to steer clear. They have been known to inhabit the ice caves that dot Solstheim, so you may want to be careful when finding a place to settle down for the night.

Draugr should not be a problem, but if you stumble into one of the old Nordic Burial Barrows seeking shelter, or perhaps with some more devious intentions, you will most likely find yourself in the company of the Draugr - Ancient Nordic Warriors, now resurrected and very, very angry.
They move hastily, pack a punch and can seemingly absorb blow after blow. Draugr are not to be trifled with, and I would advise avoiding the Burial Barrows as much as you can, for that exact reason. The origin of the Draugr is somewhat murky - According to the Skaal, they are an ancient tribe punished for their deeds in life with eternal, restless existence guarding the burial barrows, but for all I know they might be the work of some powerful necromancer.

Spriggans, the forest spirits, are without a doubt, one of the most dangerous creatures on Solstheim, possibly -the- most dangerous. I do not fully understand their origin, or if they have any semblance of society, but they seem to be intelligent to some degree. I do not know how to properly describe their appearance, aside from that they are Tree-People. Their hair is branches, and their skin is bark. They tend to fight with some kind of magicks, or with their sharp, painful bark-claws. In general, I would advise you run, rather than fight these creatures.

For a hunter looking for game, Solstheim also has numerous mythical beasts, though some of them I doubt truly exist. Notably, the Nords at Thirsk have an old tale of the Udyrfrykte, some kind of creature resembling a troll, that attacked the Mead Hall in it's infancy.
There are also the Grahl, one which I am almost sure is nothing more than a myth - A creature of rock and flesh, with large white tusks and a sort of 'Trunk' appendage on it's front.
The Karstaag, a great Frost Giant and master of Solstheim's Rieklings is debatably real. While no-one has seen him in many moons, the Skaal seem to believe he is real, and the strange spectacle of Castle Karstaag is certainly not constructed by the savage Reiklings.

Chapter Three: Refuges

There are few places on Solstheim one could call 'safe'. It is a sparsely inhabited place - The cruel, biting winds, freezing blizzards and surly locals hardly make for an ideal area for settling.There are however, a few settlements upon the island that you may find temporary sanctuary in before you head off on your next excursion.

Fort Frostmoth is probably the safest place in Solstheim - An Imperial Garrison, complete with an Imperial Cult Shrine, walls and a large concentration of legionnaires, all of which make it fairly secure against most of Solstheim's denizens - Bears and wolves usually stay away, and Rieklings are rarely seen this far south, though one must be careful for Fryse Hags and Berserkers, who hold no such self-preservation instinct.
The Fort is lead by Captain Carius, and has a reasonable array of merchants and traders with whom you can restock your equipment and rest after a long day's travelling.

Thirsk will be a welcome sight to you after a long trek - It is a long, cold and dangerous walk from Fort Frostmoth to the northern parts of the island. It is a 'Mead Hall' of the local Nords. The ones you will find here tend to be friendlier than the Skaal, who they broke away from many moons ago. The Mead Hall stands relatively identical to the way it was when it was first built, a hundred years ago, and with such limited space, many of it's inhabitants have set out to carve out livings for themselves in the caves and natural shelters that dot Solstheim. You may find many all over the island who trace their lineage back to Thirsk, or left in their youth.
While you may find it hard to stomach their strange drink, to refuse it would be to insult them, and while I doubt they would respond violently, you may find yourself unwelcome at Thirsk in future.

On the far northeastern part of the island lies Skaal Village, largest settlement on Solstheim and home to it's main inhabitants, the Skaal. Somewhat less accepting than their brothers in Thirsk, even I, after all my time on Solstheim do not think I have fully gained their trust and acceptance. Nevertheless, they are not violent unless provoked, and you will find shelter in Skaal Village for at least a short time.
They are strange, savage people, worshipping bears and wolves, among other heretical customs. While they are fairly unwelcoming to outsiders in general, they will for the most part refuse to discuss their beliefs with you, as such I know little of it.

Chapter Four: Notable Locations and Geography

Solstheim may be a harsh land, of inhospitable terrain and weather, and even more inhospitable locals and denizens, but past all that it is a beautiful place - Rich in history, and with many fantastic sights to see, unparalleled by anything else in Tamriel. It is easily divisible into four regions -
Hirstaang Forest, the relatively hospitable southern part of the island, a vast pine forest.
The Isinfier Plains, the central tundra region of the island.
Felsaad Coast, the eastern coast of Solstheim, and the most inhabited part, home to Thirsk and Skaal Village.
Moesring Mountains, the frozen, mountainous wasteland that is the northwest of Solstheim. Easily the most dangerous and inhospitable part of the island.

Lake Fjalding, pronounced 'Fyalding', is a vast lake in roughly the centre of the island - Notably, it is frozen, all year long. Feel free to walk upon it, but be wary - As I unfortunately discovered during one trip to Solstheim, the ice is not as sturdy as it looks.
Nearby lies Thirsk, a small settlement - You can find more information in Chapter Three.

The Altar of Thrond is a strange, ancient and now-ruined altar, presumably of Nordic construction and serving some kind of religious purpose. It lies near the centre of the island, and can serve as a good landmark if you need to right yourself.

Raven Rock is near the south of the island, in the Hirstaang Forest - It is roughly due west of Fort Frostmoth, in a small bay. The 'Raven Rock' itself is a collection of large rocks rich in ebony ore, named as such for having a 'Raven' colour. I have also heard talk that the East Empire Company plans to settle a colony there to extract the Ebony, though by the time of my last visit to Solstheim, no such construction had begun.

Nearly opposite Skaal Village, on the Northwestern shores lie two distinct sights - Mortrag Glacier, and Castle Karstaag. Be warned, however, this is the Moesring Mountains region, by far the most hostile part of the island - Frequently ravaged by blizzards, with confusing, steep and hard-to-navigate terrain, and worst of all a large concentration of Rieklings. I would advise taking warm clothes to keep out the cold, as well as a good amount of food, lest you become trapped by the blizzards. A set of weapons is also highly recommended - The Rieklings can usually be avoided with some degree of stealth, but they are not to be taken lightly if you find yourself in combat with one.
If you can brave this harsh terrain, you will find a harsh, but beautiful land. Castle Karstaag is like nothing else in Tamriel - A castle, made from not brick or stone, but from ice. Neither I nor anyone I have met has ever entered, but it is said that inside dwells the Ice Giant Karstaag, master of the Rieklings that plague the island.
Mortraag Glacier is on the very northwestern tip of Solstheim - A gigantic mass of ice, free of any kind of life - Flora, fauna. Nothing grows here, and nothing lives here. While requiring a long hike into the inhospitable Moesring Mountains to reach, it is well worth it - The sight of the glacier is unlike anything else in the world.

Final Word

Hopefully, this book has told you the geography of Solstheim, it's animals and people, places and what to expect - However it is wise to keep in mind reading a book does not make you a survivalist. To truly know Solstheim, it necessary to undertake an expedition of your own to the frozen wastes of Solstheim, one of the harshest places in all of Tamriel.

[DestinedToDie]

Okay, so I'm not a reviewer, but I'll give my own opinion anyway. You'll find I nit-pick things, but don't take it personally.

If you are in an excess of coin, you may want to hire a guard or guide, though mercenaries are not always reliable, and you will be hard-pressed to find one who will follow you to Solstheim.

I can't recall gold ever being referred to as coin in vanilla.

I would also advise a potion of Cure or Resist Common Disease, as many of the island's beasts, such as Wolves & Bears can carry plagues.

I'd prefer to use singular "plague" here. Just my own thing.

There are also the elusive 'Snow Wolves', clad in white fur, which the locals belived has magical properties.

believed*

Do they not believe that anymore, since it is in past tense?

If you spy a mounted Riekling, atop a Tusked Bristleback, you would to best to steer clear

do*

Spriggans, the forest spirits, are without a doubt, are one of the most dangerous creatures on Solstheim, possibly -the- most dangerous

One "are" too many.

[Kastro]

Good catches - I changed the 'coin' to 'gold', and fixed the spelling of 'believe' and changed it to present tense.
I kept the plural plagues, as it seems likely that these creatures carry a number of plagues and diseases.

[DestinedToDie]

Okay, I've read through the entire thing. I kind of like it. It's written very well, and even though I 've little interest in such a topic, you've managed to make it readable for me.

You're certainly better at it than I am. I look forward to seeing your books in TR.

[gro-Dhal]

Hey, thanks for offering this up Kastro (and DTD for helping them out).

First of all, and this is by far the most important thing- you write well. It's engaging, good vocabulary and only the odd trivial error (I don't believe droll means what you think it means ).

Now for the actual subject matter. We used to have a rule at TR that we would never promote someone for literature alone. I don't think we need to be too strict about that anymore, but reading this I can see the logic behind that policy.

- The subject matter is not particularly what we're looking for. Solstheim is cool and all, but we're making loads of new lands, new cities, new factions and creatures etc and we'd much rather any TR literature focuses on new things, or on connecting new things with Bethesda's original lore. Now you're new to the project so of course you don't know the ins and outs of what we're doing, which is fine. But we're not done creating Morrowind yet, so now is the perfect time to make up new stuff.

- I'm afraid it is a little 'gamey'. It's essentially a well-produced writeup of the sort of information you'd see in the manual (if computer games still had proper manuals...). Literature is a great opportunity to develop new ideas and try things out, so repeating things that players already know seems like a wasted opportunity.

My suggestion is to start from a blank slate, and invent something cool about Morrowind that nobody has ever thought of before. It doesn't have to be something epic, or weird for the sake of weirdness. Write about an idea you have, in whatever style you like. There's so much about the province that's still a blank, and there's loads of room to let your imagination run wild a bit.

As I said, your writing is good so I reckon you can manage this!

[Kastro]

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it - Is there anywhere I can read a write-up of what exactly Tamriel Rebuilt currently encompasses, and some details that have already been written up, to give me an idea of what to write about?

And yes, I think I did confuse 'droll' with 'dull'.

[gro-Dhal]

Well that's a tough question. There's no centralised canon of TR's ideas. If you've played Morrowind you'll know the basic scope of the province, and a lot of our core ideas are discussed in this section: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewforum.php?f=226

My best advice would be to play the game and to read about Morrowind and the Dunmer both here and at UESPWiki. Just find something that captures your imagination- it could be an offhand reference to something seemingly insignificant- and expand on it.

It's also not too late to contribute to the bestiary. It's a nice way to get creative in just one paragraph: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24114

[Kastro]

Following my last attempt, I've written something new that is hopefully closer to the areas Tamriel Rebuilt is, well, rebuilding.

Advantages of slavery
by Nells Llordo

[A pamphlet written by a Dres plantation owner, aiming to introduce the advantages of slavery to Imperial readers.]

Since the signing of the Armistice, and the subsequent Imperial occupation of Morrowind, slavery has come under fire, from these so-called "Abolitionists", claiming that this ancient, holy tradition is barbaric and cruel.
Especially the Imperial citizens of Morrowind, from Cyrodiil and provinces beyond, see this ancient institution as primitive and uncultured - Quite the opposite, as I will present in this defence.

Economic Advantages

One side of slavery these abolitionists never look at is the economic side - Outlawing slavery in Morrowind would simply cripple the economy. Slaves are the primary driving force behind Morrowind's many plantations and ranches, which produce the vast majority of the nation's food, from marshmerrow stalks to guar meat.
If you were to suddenly ban slavery in Morrowind, there would be mass starvation and poverty, since these plantations which for so long have sustained the people of Morrowind with fruit, vegetables and meat will simply be unable to produce.
Slave labour is the driving force behind Morrowind's economy - To remove it would harm everyone. The common people of Morrowind, the plantation & ranch owners, and even the Imperial occupiers back in Cyrodiil would suffer the ramifications.

Defence of Ethics

One of the most oft-championed beliefs of these abolitionists is that slavery is 'unethical'. Quite the opposite - Slavery is in fact a mercy upon the beast races of the Khajit and Argonians. Their minds are small, inferior and overall unworthy for modern life. Their mental capacities have not evolved from those primitive instincts of hunt, eat, sleep, mate - They would surely perish in a modern world. As such, slavery gives them a regimented and structured existence.
Without such an easy life, where what they must do is plainly laid out, for their beast minds to understand, they would surely fall into poverty, or worse, become criminals and detrimental to society as a whole.

In this short piece, I hope I have opened the minds of my Imperial readers, and perhaps made you see the plethora of advantages of slave-keeping, and how it is beneficial to the economy, and the overall social order of a nation.

[Tondollari]

Will anyone review Advantages of Slavery? Kastro is eager for a review.

[DestinedToDie]

Not sure anyone ever calls the farms ranches in vanilla Morrowind.

This sounds like a short book (I don't like long ones, tbh) I'd expect to find in the game.

Again, I can't recommend for promotion, as I'm not a reviewer, but nothing's stopping you from starting to write books in literature and writing section, so go ahead.

Writing skills also come in handy in making quests. I hope the tutorial I gave you in irc sparked some interest into that. Making one will definitely earn you a promotion.

[rot]

Well-written, very good choice of subject - probably deserves to be touched on in several texts. Some earlier tentatives from the lit section: [url=http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24017]Slavekeeping[/url], [url=http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24016]Treatise[/url], [url=http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=23972]Choosing slaves[/url]

For improvement:
- think of the author's archetype, character, affiliation to Houses, anything which can color their perspective. Depending on those you could for instance give such a text the underlying impression that, despite the effort at open-mindedness &/or self-censorship (sincere or probably not? for the purpose of their argumentation at any rate) the author cannot seriously consider the idea of abolishing slavery - by making the arguments awkward, &/or basing them on a fundamental misunderstanding of the reasons behind the abolitionist movement...
-Random idea on how you'd try to convince the reader: why the opposition to enslaving argonian/khajiit and not other beasts? Is it because they can talk? well this is a magical fantasy world, who's to say you can't talk to beasts (->potential for references or anecdotes... even ingame mythology perhaps; lorepoops could chime in on this?)
-Possible inspiration from this [url=http://www.constitution.org/cm/sol_15.htm]classical text by Montesquieu[/url]

On writing in general,
- think of what a book's purpose would be in the game - does it tell the player something they don't know? or does its existence, presence somewhere, availability or distribution, ownership by specific characters... denote something?
- what would make you want to stop and read your text, as a reader (beyond what you expect from the title)? information, laughs, engaging story, further immersion in the world? try the recently added books from the Lit section, and look out for elements you like -