I'm considering creating a fanfic about the sword Umbra, and how it moves throughout history. Needless to say, I have a few questions.


1) What was Tamriel, or even Nirn, like when the witch created it? Could I just freely design to my liking (to an extent, of course) because I lack sufficient information?
2) Did it appear anywhere else than in Morrowind and Oblivion?
3) Were there any books written about it, or books that describe it?
4) How did it fall into the Orc's hands, and the Bosmer's hands?
5) Why did Clavicus Vile want it?

1) Yes you have decently free reign, a specific time period isn't given, just that its 'ancient'.
2) No
3) Its mentioned in http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/famed_artifacts.shtml, but that's it.
4) Artifacts like to travel around.
5) That I don't remember.

5) "It contains the soul of Umbra, a hero I have had dealings with in the past." - http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?act=Post&CODE=02&f=16&t=1008955&qpid=14596532

Probably collecting on a debt of some sort, knowing the types of deals Vile has.

Hmm... what could I take from this to put in a story? How exactly did Umbra's soul become apart of the sword? This is going to be a challenge

do yall want my maddening theory on who umbra is?
2.)well anyways umbra has appeared many places when it was taken by umbra the orc he fought in many battles presumably with the sword.
5.)another thing that doesn't make sinse is how would it have caused ruin in his realm or whatever that barbas warns you of?

Because it seems like the horrible weapon steals the soul of the user as well as who it's being used against. The only reason Umbra the Orc was able to withstand it, I can think of anyway, is because he was able to recognize what he was doing, then be slain in honourable combat.

A reason it could cause ruin to Vile's realm is because the weapon might capture Vile's own soul if he attempts to tamper with it.

Doubtful.

"It'll ruin him, I'm sure. I mean, not completely: He's still a Daedra Prince and all that." - http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?act=Post&CODE=02&f=16&t=1008955&qpid=14596532

It's be rather complete in ruination if it consumed his soul.

who's up to the theory of the soul trapped in umbra to be the soul of cyrus? we know cyrus was a hero that had dealing with clavicus vile and vile took a likeing to him and said they'd meet again. also barbas took a likeing to cyrus and possibly didn't want his soul taken by clavicus vile. also from vivic's sword meeting with cyrus we learn that cyrus's soul will find it hard to leave nirn. another theory from yours truely
redmer the mad nord/elf

Clavicus wanted it because he and the sword have great synergy together (granting power at a price).

The way I figured it was that first Barbas is an extension of Clavicus Vile, similar in a way to Haskill with Sheogorath and second Vile was trying to goad you into renege on your deal so that Umbra will then claim your soul and identity too. The whole, its going to hurt him! thing is malarky designed to make you sympathetic to a Daedra. If the sword could harm a Daedra Prince, imagine what it could do to a mortal, albeit a mortal touched with The Plot.

Interesting...I like it. It is DEFINATELY certain that Vile would do such a thing. For him, I can see both is a win win situation every time. He wins if you hand it over, so he can collect the soul debt, and wins if you keep it, so it adds the PC's soul when the PC is finished. Not to mention the souls to collected from those you kill.

What a cheeky git

Okay so could I do something along these lines?

For some reason a hero named Umbra finds Clavicus Vile and does several deeds for him, but before he can complete the last his soul is captured by a lich's magic staff, Soulrend. Another hero goes to kill the Lich under the commands of his (unnamed) nation. He succeeds and breaks the Lich's staff, releasing Umbra's soul into Mundus. The witch hears of the powerful heroes soul roaming the land, and goes to find it. She tracks down the second hero and asks for information. She uses her dark powers to get said info, then kills him. She locates the ghost of the first hero, and traps the spirit in a soul gem. Using dark magic, she then seals the soul into the second heroes sword, creating Umbra, the sword.

She is hunted down by the heroe's nation, and brutally murdered without a trial. But not before she hides the sword. It then winds it's way through history in a terribly violent path, untimely meeting Clavicus Vile in the end, who direly needs Umbra back to complete his final task.

I came up with this in mere minutes, so I could heavily rewrite it, and I assure you it will be quite polished before being finished. But is this lore-friendly enough?

*summons Clavicus Vile. Unless the hero is wandering beyond Nirn he isn't going to find a Daedric Prince. Other than that, it seems lore-friendly. However, could I recommend that the hero and the witch closely work together and in the final task/battle, the hero slays the beast and then collapses from his wounds. The witch promises to immortalize the hero, but because she is an unreliable... witch she crafts it in such a way as that the sword that houses the hero thirsts for souls to sustain it. And that immortalization means carrying the hero's name through to other so-called heroes.

I have one piece of information you may need.

Make the witch something more then mortal. She's creating an artifact of untold power, so...she sn't just a mortal, no mortal could make something so powerful. I personally believe Naera Werre to have been some...aspect of a Daedra lord. She was far too powerful to be man or mer.

Supposedly the fang of Haynek-whatever is just the fang of a lightning dragon set into the hilt of a dagger. And he was definately mortal seeing as how he died. Now, yes, dragons are supposed to be very magical, very powerful, very dangerous creatures; but don't go dismissing mortals offhand in their abilities. After all, they created an ascension machine that tripled as a mecha and a stabilizing point for creation. They're pretty handy.

For a weapon like Umbra though, it's a lot different.

In game statisics, Umbra has it's failing points, but in the Lore. Umbra steals soul energy, the strongest point of mortal magicka.

The Dragon...I have my own ideas about them and I won't clog this forum with them but I think the Dragon's were far more then mortal. I mean, god's can die. Well, correction, The Nine Divines can die, Daedra just go down the cosmic drain and ae recycled but still.

The Ascension machine was created by a directly...Immortal race, or was rather, made with tools from a Immortal race. The Dwenmer and the Chimer were a lot more powerful during those eras then their relatives are today.