The Elder Scrolls Online is hosting a limerick contest, but alas, only US and EU citizens can enter. Why the hate for Canadians? I don’t know. I only discovered this after my coworker and I spent a good long time thinking up a half-decent limerick. In other news, limericks are really hard to write.
It was I who sent the dreams.
Blackness rent through with torture. Her home, that sweet little hamlet, engulfed in toxic black smoke as hungry fire licks angry burns onto the flesh of her family. Monstrous daedroths hunting the children, devouring them: the blood coursing from their snarling jaws as the skulls crack and their screams are silenced forever.
I am kind to those who obey My Word. They are the ones who will last longer in their mortal realm, at least until they have exhausted their usefulness. I will not tolerate anything less. As the Harvester of Souls, it is My duty to ensure mortals under My sway have done all they can to the world before leaving it for Coldharbour. Their souls are Mine forever.
She was the ultimate tool, My right hand and weapon to wreak havoc across Nirn. But she faltered, as humans are cursed to, and her soul was consumed by My fury. I punished My own daughter for her insolence—why would I not punish My fair, sweet tool?
She could have fled, had I not intervened. Rather than release her from her earthly torment in the sweet black peace of death, I manipulated the soul of an Imperial Legionnaire to find her and convict her of dozens of unsolved murders. She spent five years locked away in the cold, fetid walls of the Imperial Prison, and every night I sent her the dreams. My realm is not of nightmare—I would dare not take darling Vaermina’s duties from her. But the girl was Mine, one of My flock to do with as I pleased. For five years she watched her family and neighbours writhe in their own pools of blood and filth, unable to help as My minions devoured her soul, piece by piece.
She is Mine now, fully and truly. And if she betrays Me again, I may not be so gentle as I was before.
Whether you’re a writer of novels or short stories, or a visual artist, everyone finds inspiration somewhere. For me, it depends on what I’m writing at the time. Back in the day when I was writing Purity (and I suppose again soon, as I intend to actually finally finish one of these days) I’d listen to darker music, lots of industrial stuff, and watch vampire movies. There was also one particular story I found that was great for inspiring me to write from the main male character’s perspective – it was, oddly enough, an Inuyasha fanfiction, but the way the author wrote Sesshomaru was similar to how I wrote Fane, and it unfailingly, each time I read it, made me want to write so I should probably get to reading it again one of these days, eh?
But for the things I currently write, like OtArb et al and Changeling, which are both deeply entrenched in fantasy – both worlds, religions, histories, etc, were all created solely by me – it’s easier to find inspiration, since this is more my area of expertise. I’ve torrented the epic soundtracks/scores of the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, IV: Oblivion, and V: Skyrim, and Assassins Creed II, the Hunger Games, Tron: Legacy, and Fable. I’ve also got a few songs from the soundtrack of all six Star Wars movies, and I’m planning on getting some Lord of the Rings tracks. These are excellent, because I separated each song into a different folder, according to their tone. The game music is especially good for this, because obvious fighting songs that play during fights, go into the fighting folder in iTunes. Related to this is games – I play a lot of games, so their universes help me fine-tune mine, and give me ideas how to better describe settings, especially when I’m just frolicking about the countryside.
I also do a lot of these things simultaneously. Before I got my Asus gaming PC – my predator drone – I’d sit with Lappy, my old laptop, and have my writing open while I played xbox games. Now, since everything I do is just on the predator drone, I’ll have iTunes open, headphones on, then write a bit, switch over to Skyrim, play a bit, then return to my main desktop, etc. And sometimes I’ll even have a movie on in the background. I like to waste electricity, is what I’m getting at here.
It works well for me. I listened to the sad Assassins Creed music when I finally offed the baddie in OtA, and I had a good little cry. It suits the mood of writing much better when you have a whole setup.
Does anyone else do the same? What do you all do for inspiration? It’s different for everyone; some people need utter silence, but me, I can’t handle silence even at night.
I recently discovered just what I can do with torrents. Seeing how it’s stupidly easy,I downloaded several video game soundtracks, which are brilliant for setting the scene while I’m writing. Fable, and three Elder Scrolls: III Morrowind, IV Oblivion, and V Skyrim.
Jeremy Soule has been creating the soundtracks for the Elder Scrolls since the beginning of time. Or at least since Morrowind. And if you’ve every played any of these games, you know how the music effects the game and how you play. He’s a genius, and I want to be his best friend.
The main theme of the Elder Scrolls is the same song, but the tune and tempo and style of it changes with each game, to suit the game itself.
Nerevar Rising: Morrowind is a rugged landscape with suspicious inhabitants who detest outlanders, and is ruled by corrupt Great Houses and dominated by guilds of assassins.
Reign of the Septims: Oblivion takes the hero across Cyrodiil, the glorious and extravagant capital of the Empire, and into the fiery depths of Mehrunes Dagon’s Plane of Oblivion.
Dragonborn: Skyrim is mountainous and wild, and her people are just as wild and natural born warriors. (The chanting at the end gets me every time)
The themes of each suit them perfectly, as with their respective ambient soundtracks. I’m amazed at what Jeremy Soule is capable of. And each one gives me such goosebumps, you wouldn’t believe.
Having grown up with these games, I’m so pleased to have finally acquired the soundtracks. Each one is amazing in its own right. If you have a chance, listen to them or download them. It’s worth it.
Also, when searching for appropriate examples of each song on YouTube, I found this. Enjoy.
Steam is a benevolent deity. Why is this? Well, my brother informed me that they’re having a sale, which I had a vague inkling of due to LucasArts tweeting about it. So when Spencer ran upstairs to tell me, I immediately thought:
AMG WHAT IF THE SIMS 3 IS ON SALE.
So I checked.
And it is.
Half off everything.
I bought and am in the process of downloading the Sims 3, plus two expansions. I’ve waited so long for this. So long.
Oh shit, I just realized I forgot to download the pets expansion. Oh well. I’ll make do with whichever two I bought, because it’s been five minutes and I already don’t remember.
Anyhow. Steam also told me that I’ve played 75 hours of Skyrim. I should really be shot. I’m such a nerd. But at least I’m getting ideas, right? And I still have a social life, sorta. I’ve been writing a little more lately, which is just awesome! Yay!
Okay. Maybe going to go play Skyrim while the predator drone ruthlessly downloads the Sims. Time to frolic around and steal for the Thieves Guild, oh yes oh yes.
Also! I had a moment of Oblivion love, when in the Dark Brotherhood I was given the daily power to summon the ghost of Lucien Lachance, and then was subsequently given Shadowmere as a steed. Hearing Lucien greet Shadowmere, then having a jolly old time with the two of them, felt like home ♥
JP Marshman 