Souls of Tamriel : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:11 am

Im interested in learning more about the nature of souls in Tamriel.

We all know that you can trap them within soulstones to create magical items, but what power do they hold if trapped or absorbed into another persons body/soul?

And altough you hear about alot of enchanted items in lore, not many of them seem to show any sign of having a soul within them, save for the quil in http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/feyfolken.shtml, which i recently re-read, resulting in my curiosity being perked and this thread being created.

If a Quill and in effect, communicate and controle its master, why dont other items?

As for the souls nature/power, how are Mannimarco and N'Gasta able to absorb souls? do they gain the powers of the absorbed person?

I always thought if you where to absorb a soul, they would be more like a parasite, but this theory isnt a strong one, considering the fact that if it was, Mannimarco would effectively become more of a Hive mind than a singular mind.

thanks in advance.

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 6:13 pm

I would think that if you absorbed a soul it would be more like a merging of the two into one being with the person who did the absorbing being more dominant but taking on traits of the other.

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 1:04 pm

If a Quill and in effect, communicate and controle its master, why dont other items?

It's explained in the book that they made enchantments with different machines back then, that allowed much more freedom four the soul to act.

As for the souls nature/power, how are Mannimarco and N'Gasta able to absorb souls? do they gain the powers of the absorbed person?

All I know is that N'Gasta didn't absorb any souls but shipped them off to Clavicus Vile in return for party favors. I assume Manimacro also barters them away.

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:16 pm

It's explained in the book that they made enchantments with different machines back then, that allowed much more freedom four the soul to act.

Ah i missed that part.. i may have skipped ahead after being distracted.. >.<

All I know is that N'Gasta didn't absorb any souls but shipped them off to Clavicus Vile in return for party favors. I assume Manimacro also barters them away.

I found the book refering to Manimarco, aparently he traps their essence to study them, thus increasing his power.

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:59 pm

I found the book refering to Manimarco, aparently he traps their essence to study them, thus increasing his power.

I can't find such a book but Traven suggests it in his dialogue as well. Though Manimacro just mentions that he the animated corpses of Valerion and the other archmages around.

I know what purpose this Soul Gem is meant to serve. It is meant to house my very own soul, to be absorbed by Mannimarco and increase his power. You were sent to acquire this gem so Mannimarco would not get his hands on it. With it, he would have marched on the University and come for me. There would have been little anyone could do to stop him. Now, however, I believe you have a chance to defeat him. When you are ready, I have a final task for you to undertake. It will, undoubtedly, be the most important service you perform for the guild. - Traven

I see Bolor was unsuccessful in delaying you. Very well; I shall reanimate him once we are done here. Perhaps we shall chat for a while, since you really have no other options? I must say, I expected Arch-Mage Traven, rather than his star pupil. I am disappointed to see that he could not face me himself. I have met so many of his predecessors over the years. I developed a particular fondness for Galerion, ill-preserved though he may be. But here you are instead. Skilled enough to make it this far, which speaks volumes about you. Perhaps you'll be as useful to me as Traven would. - Manimacro

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:53 pm

I can't find such a book but Traven suggests it in his dialogue as well. Though Manimacro just mentions that he the animated corpses of Valerion and the other archmages around.

I know what purpose this Soul Gem is meant to serve. It is meant to house my very own soul, to be absorbed by Mannimarco and increase his power. You were sent to acquire this gem so Mannimarco would not get his hands on it. With it, he would have marched on the University and come for me. There would have been little anyone could do to stop him. Now, however, I believe you have a chance to defeat him. When you are ready, I have a final task for you to undertake. It will, undoubtedly, be the most important service you perform for the guild. - Traven

I see Bolor was unsuccessful in delaying you. Very well; I shall reanimate him once we are done here. Perhaps we shall chat for a while, since you really have no other options? I must say, I expected Arch-Mage Traven, rather than his star pupil. I am disappointed to see that he could not face me himself. I have met so many of his predecessors over the years. I developed a particular fondness for Galerion, ill-preserved though he may be. But here you are instead. Skilled enough to make it this far, which speaks volumes about you. Perhaps you'll be as useful to me as Traven would. - Manimacro

Its more of a poem than a book, entitled The King of worms.

» Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:46 am

I would speculate that souls, being the drive for flesh, would serve as a form of sustinence in order to increase the years on one's life. Also, I suspect that, if they are supposedly the essence of a person's very being, the absorbed souls would give the knowledge and the traits of the person it came from. Possibly, the personality would be absorbed as well. However, I believe that, over time, this could warp the Necromancer's own mind, in turn, fracturing the mind, or at the very least, drive him/her insane.

This would lead me to believe that it could create a hive mind as you suggested Solidor. However, I am not very knowledgeable on the subject of necromancy and would like to point out that Proweler probably knows more than I do on the subject (actually, it's more than probably; it's fact

). So, my two cents would be to stick with him, as this is only pure speculation on my part.

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:58 pm

I would speculate that souls, being the drive for flesh, would serve as a form of sustinence in order to increase the years on one's life. Also, I suspect that, if they are supposedly the essence of a person's very being, the absorbed souls would give the knowledge and the traits of the person it came from. Possibly, the personality would be absorbed as well. However, I believe that, over time, this could warp the Necromancer's own mind, in turn, fracturing the mind, or at the very least, drive him/her insane.

This would lead me to believe that it could create a hive mind as you suggested Solidor. However, I am not very knowledgeable on the subject of necromancy and would like to point out that Proweler probably knows more than I do on the subject (actually, it's more than probably; it's fact

). So, my two cents would be to stick with him, as this is only pure speculation on my part.

Hmm i like you're views on the subject.

in you're first sentance "I would speculate that souls, being the drive for flesh, would serve as a form of sustinence in order to increase the years on one's life."
Could this possibly explain the Elves long life span perhaps? and uncanny ability with magicka? Hmm..

Also, if the Dwemmer effectively turned their souls into the skin of Numidium, would it not also be possible to do the same to an already living being rather than man made construct?

The desired effects and end result will obviously be different, but the possibility of a process of absorbing souls derived from that of the Dwemmer could be used?

» Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:58 pm

Its more of a poem than a book, entitled The King of worms.

Through Tamriel's deserts, forests, towns, mountains, and seas.
The dark grip stretching out, growing like some dread disease
By his dark Necromancers, collecting cursed artifacts of yore.

They brought to him these tools, mad wizards and witches,
And brought blood-tainted herbs and oils to his cave of sin,
Sweet Akaviri poison, dust from saints, sheafs of human skin,
Toadstools, roots, and much more cluttered his alchemical shelf,
Like a spider in his web, he svcked all their power into himself,
Mannimarco, Worm King, world's first of the undying liches.

The only passage that mentions any svckage of power but it's metaphorically. It's not the svckage of souls, just power because he's taking every ones toys.

» Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:22 am

Through Tamriel's deserts, forests, towns, mountains, and seas.
The dark grip stretching out, growing like some dread disease
By his dark Necromancers, collecting cursed artifacts of yore.

They brought to him these tools, mad wizards and witches,
And brought blood-tainted herbs and oils to his cave of sin,
Sweet Akaviri poison, dust from saints, sheafs of human skin,
Toadstools, roots, and much more cluttered his alchemical shelf,
Like a spider in his web, he svcked all their power into himself,
Mannimarco, Worm King, world's first of the undying liches.

The only passage that mentions any svckage of power but it's metaphorically. It's not the svckage of souls, just power because he's taking every ones toys.

How cliche-- If it were I suffering the egomania on that scale, I would be hell bent on CREATING artifacts of absurd power. (Especially now that I have godlike powers.[read, if I were GoW])