ViKKotek

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See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna
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I decided to show the process of working on the art with Hevnoraak here, because I don’t know when I’ll be able to finish it. But I’m already proud of the sketch!

And while I was working on the art, it occurred to me how deeply the Dragon Cult has left its mark on nordic culture. Like… the nords make dragon-head-style skates for the roofs of their houses, and similar elements can be found on the bows of ships, braziers, torches, and other utensils. And while this isn’t particularly impressive or surprising in the context of the ESO, where the timeline isn’t that far removed, the remnants of dragon culture at the time of the Skyrim storyline are just… Wow. Four thousand years have passed, and the nords still decorate random household items with dragons for fun, even though many of them don’t even believe in the existence of dragons. Fucking cultural wonders.

This leads to the following thought. Or even two.

1. Why are the staffs of dragon priests and ordinary staffs of destruction (and not only that, I clearly remember other magic schools with the same models) identical? The obvious answer is: because Todd Howard’s team was too lazy to make unique staff models for the priests. But no!!! ISN’T IT BECAUSE ALL MAGIC SINCE ANCIENT TIMES HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH RULER-PRIESTS, WHO HAD COMPLETELY SUBDUED THE ABILITY TO TEACH MAGIC? Perhaps in 201 of 4E, no one remembers for sure why the staffs look the way they do (except that they are really damn beautiful), but…

2. …but at the turn of the Merethic Era (which, of course, the nords did not call that in ancient times!) and the First Era, only dragon priests had such staffs. First of all, the staff — similar to the real European sceptre and orb — was one of the three symbols of power (mask, staff, crown). Just as a king does not appear before his subjects without a crown, so a priest does not appear in public without a staff. Well, of course, neither the crown nor the staff are nailed to the ruler, but I think the analogy is clear! It is a kind of uniform that makes power visible and tangible. I think the materials from which the staff is made directly indicate the status and specialisation of the priest, and knowledgeable people can draw certain conclusions about the owner of such a staff based on this. Well, you know, bronze and ebonite so… different… Especially in terms of cost… Well. Thus, despite the fact that not all priests used staffs in direct combat, each of them was carefully placed in their coffin. Although, perhaps, they could be passed on to students if they showed some truly grand promise to their mentors.

Yeah, get it, symbolism and all that, but what about practical application? Let’s figure it out! It is unlikely that priestly staffs worked on the same principle as game mechanics. Come on, guys, these guys split tectonic plates with the power of the Voice 🙄 You didn’t think they really needed a fireball spawner that had to be endlessly recharged with soul gems, did you? I would rather consider their staffs as complex magical instruments, like regulators. What functions did I come up with for them? Well…

- Focusing magical energies (when working with high matters, it’s great to have a tool for subtle manipulations at hand).

- Stabilising and grounding excess power.

And maybe something else. In general, the idea is this: the staff serves not to amplify, but rather to modify, to give magic a specific form and direction. Virtuosos in open combat do not need it, but even masters resort to their magic wands for the most complex rituals.Thus, we can conclude that the dragon priest’s staff is both a multifunctional tool and an indispensable sign of rank. Its practical necessity is inversely proportional to the priest’s personal power and skill, but its symbolic and ritual significance only increases with status. Perhaps it was possible to write something on the staff in Dovahzul and thus upgrade it. It is 1001% certain that the magic of runes is also available to priests, otherwise why would dragons need writing at all? To teach Dovahkiin? Fuck Dovahkiin.

So, what do you think?

the elder scrolls dragon cult dragon priest tes my art art artists on tumblr fanart didgital art tes fanart tes 5 skyrim tes art hevnoraak tesblr hadcanon

stupid-salamander asked:

sorry i’m confused , you say you don’t work with pinesrydr anymore but you still use her designs ?

I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to say that I use her designs, as she creates unique outfits for each priest, including armour, clothing, and jewellery. I avoid drawing outfits that differ from those featured in the game. However, in any case, many details of the appearance and biography of dragon priests are the result of our collective intellectual labour, and we use them when we deem it necessary, without making any claims against each other in this regard. Thank you for your vigilance, but I assure you that I do not appropriate anything belonging to pinessydr without her consent. If we had a conflict over this, I would not publish my artwork here.

Pinessydr and I share a long history of friendship and creativity, which is now interrupted, but our love for Skyrim and dragon priests is still what connects us after all these years. As far as I know, she is not at all upset by my art, but if that is not the case, I believe she will let me know.