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Spell Breaker
I've been doing some snooping around various sites trying to figure out the connection between Peryite, the Taskmaster, and the Dwemer relic Spell Breaker. I've been enthralled by the Elder Scrolls series since Morrowind's release and always found the Dwemer fascinating, however baffling and vexing at times. I've been searching for any kind of connection and find it very odd that a Daedric Prince, and one of the weakest at that, would favor a Dwemer relic over a creation of his own. When I first chanced upon the shield I was more elated in its pratical use, at the time finding ways to deal with magic users was more important than any kind of lore. However I do not recall it being given by Peryite, or him even having a shrine in Morrowind. I know he gave the shield during Daggerfall, Oblivion and Skyrim but not Morrowind or Arena, as it appeared in a Dwemer ruins. So I've been wondering, how is Peryite connected to this shield and how is it he was unrelated to it in Morrowind or Arena?
My first path is discerning how he is related to the artifact and not his absence in during the aforementioned periods.
At first I thought that perhaps Peryite would favor the Dwemer or more specifically the Rourken clan of Dwemer, the original makers of the shield. However this idea has two major flaws. One, the Dwemer's only connection to anything beyond the plane of Mundus is the Heart of Lorkhan and have a well-established disdain for daedra. The other being that the Dwemer tampered with the Heart and potentially could have damaged the natural order of things, something that would anger Peryite. So I find it hardly likely that Peryites connection lies in some sort of amicable relations with the Rourken clan, much less any other Dwemer.
Next I thought that the connection may lie in the nature of the Dwemer's disappearance. Of course nothing is known for certain other than their disappearance after using the Heart, one may be able to surmise that Peryite took possession of the artifact perhaps due to its ability to alter reality, limited in scope as it may be. Considering the shield was fabled to stave off magical attacks, Peryite may have seen this as a potential threat to the order of things and wanted to safe guard it. This theory does have the chronological benefit as the Dwemer disappeared 1E 700 and its first appearance outside of the battle of Rourken-Shalidor was when the Eternal Champion acquired it around the year 3E 399 (or perhaps 3E 389). My only difficulty with this notion is that it would only affect Nirn and Peryite is the Taskmaster of the lowest planes of Oblivion and not the mortal planes.
My last thought on how it may be related to Peryite is in the enchanting process itself and how the process may be related to Peryite. It's obvious that the shield is of Dwemer make however it may be possible that an entity assisted in its enchantment. As previously stated the shield has historical implications in the Battle of Rourken-Shalidor. Not much is known about the battle, however Shalidor was the Archmage who founded the College of Winterhold in the first era. It can be extrapolated that the Rourken clan and Shalidor had relations, whether they were amicable or otherwise. It’s unknown what type of relations they may have had or what led to the battle however the enchantment placed on Spell Breaker is reminiscent of Shalidor's Mirror, a powerful spell reflection spell. So it is possible that the shield itself was created both by the Rourken clan and Shalidor, perhaps in a vain attempt at peace. This extrapolation leads me to Peryite's involvement in the enchantment process. Shalidor's trafficking with daedra is not documented however he may have had dealings with Peryite and used his assistance in the enchanting of the shield. This would explain Peryite's connection and why the shield is of Dwemer make.
Of course that is just my theory.
Now for Peryites absence of its appearance in certain cases. In the case of the Nerevarine's ability to acquire it, it is well known that many artifacts 'have a mind of their own' and travel from person to person, era to era. Although I see this as a means for the continued existence of powerful items throughout the series it could be supported both by Daedric involvement and the souls used in the enchanting process. As I've mentioned the only credible creation to Spellbreaker came from Peryite's assistance, it could be said that Peryite controls its movements either directly or indirectly. Peryite, as many other entities, would have viewed the devastation of the Blight and Corpus as an unnatural abhorrence. Corpus itself is not an actual disease but rather a bit of divine power affecting an individual and altering their state of mind and physical attributes. Corpus, or Divine Disease, was influenced by the Heart of Lorkhan and Peryite may or may not have seen this unnatural balance as another thing to correct. Peryite may have simply allowed Spellbreaker to fall into the Nerevarines lap in hopes of aiding him/her in stopping the Blight and allowing the land to return to normal. Again this falls into the category of Peryites charge being daedric planes and not mortal ones.
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Nchuand-Zel
As I have mentioned earlier I love anything related to Dwemer and enjoy the new additions to their story thanks to Skyrim. However within Nchuand-Zel is a white tree and, just as it baffled those who studied it first, I too find myself fascinated by it. They presented two theories on how it came to be there and I wish to go into detail on them and perhaps cover a theory or two of my own.
- A gift from the surface. Now although the Dwemer are known to have created a peace treaty with Chimer after reconquering their homeland from the Nords, we do know that not all of the Dwemer sought peacefully relations (Rourken Clan and their founding of Volenfell later to be Hammerfell). Due to the geographic location of Nchuand-Zel within Skyrim it may have been either given by the Nords or the Reachmen in an attempt to establish amicable relations with this powerful culture. Concerning the Nords, it may have been an attempt to make up for the war and make sure that they did not entire another conflict with the Dwemer of Nchuand-Zel. Concerning the Men of the Reach, one could surmise that the offering came from the Reachmen in an attempt to foster good relations with a people who bested the Nords. Either explanation could work as one or the other would try and curry favor with them. However I don’t see ‘peace’ coming from either Nord or Reachmen as both cultures thrive upon war and conflict. Also the type of tree and its relation to those of Whiterun would imply it would come from the Nords if such a gift was given.
- A symbol of power. This could go multiple ways, was it a symbol of conquest against the Nords, was ownership of a tree considered a status symbol among the Dwemer, or was it taken for some other power driven purpose? I find any of these theories to be more likely than a peace offering. The Dwemer are said to be arrogant and greedy, so it may be concluded that they would show off their power in any manner even if it was by displaying a tree.
- Another possibility is some sort of alchemical or herbal properties associated with the trees of that region or this tree in particular. It may have also been related to the Sleeping Tree in some manner. Perhaps they used the sap for potions or food or it may have been the very sap itself, perhaps similar in a manner to the Sleeping Tree also found within the hold of Whiterun.
- Purely used as décor and holding no other meaning beyond that.
- Perhaps the tree was acquired by one of the Dwemer who lived there and had their own fascination with trees. A Dwemer Arboriculturist/Horticulturist?
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So that’s all I’ve got on this item, I’d like to hear some criticism.