[Spoilers] Foul Murder Discussion

[LazarusGrimtower]

I'm currently working on the scripts for three Morrowind fan movies. I hope to generate them with a good AI tool a few years from now when that is more viable. They will tell the stories of Indoril Nerevar & the events at Red Mountain, The Tribunal's rise, feats of glory, guilt and downfall, and finally retell the events of Morrowind and the Nerevarine in a streamlined, cinematic fashion. All of this came about as something I feel is necessary and will never happen otherwise as stated (more or less) by Todd Howard; "they do not know where or how to to start."

Well hold my beer, Todd.

Right now I am breaking my back combing over research into the 1st Era, Morrowind at that time, and the lives of every character involved. I keep coming back to Foul Murder, the illustration by Michael Kirkbride. From it, I have two lingering, burning questions that are literally haunting me, because I want to understand every nuance and sentiment within it. I don't want to repost it here, but the people who have the theories or information I need, have seen it before and will recognize the two elements in question.

In the illustration, lying on the floor before Sotha Sil is a featureless figure similar to that of a naked Chimer, facedown and with no feet. I'm wondering if this is supposed to be a representation of a time lapse, as if Vivec stabbed him from there and then hoisted him up, or if he left his body there after?? Perhaps it is Dumac, fallen from his bout with Nerevar? Perhaps it is some shield champion who had to be silenced during the scuffle to end Nerevar? It is just driving me crazy to know what he wanted to say with that. What it means.

Also, in Sotha Sil's right hand, he holds a device or artifact of some kind, and Nerevar's face in his left hand. I am wondering what this is and why it is relevant. I assume it is some manner of device to remove the facial skin, but with ES, who the hell knows.


Any help here would be greatly appreciated. Even if it is just to chew the fat on potential meanings or theories. After I'd be glad to discuss my theories on why Nerevar was mutilated contrary to the accepted, fluffy version you will hear about essentially making it so he could be reborn, before knowing Azura planned this, anyway. And why I believe this is the direct cause of Nerevar returning as a Bonewalker, something I plan to make us of in the 2nd movie.


Thanks for your time.

[Azathoth333]

This is all I could find

Summary: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:GEN-misc-Foul_Murder.png

[...] Of the figure on the floor, Kirkbride stated "It's Dagoth Ur, forced into the dirt by the mass-altering abilities of the Tools."

See also: web.archive[dot]org/web/20200212232118/http://forums.bethsoft[dot]com/topic/1370866-foul-murder/

[...] the artist all-but-confirmed it to be wraithguard.

You can see the fingers of the glove in the picture. It looks more like the concept art for Wraithguard than the ingame model:
http://imperial-libr...content/page-35

You can see that Keening in this picture isn't a dagger, it looks more like a tuning fork (those little "arms" on Wraithguard when Sotha Sil wears it), which makes sense. The ingame model actually has little "arms" too, but at this point they're pitiful nubs, vestiges.
http://www.uesp.net/...Wraithguard.jpg

[LazarusGrimtower]

This is all I could find

Summary: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:GEN-misc-Foul_Murder.png

[...] Of the figure on the floor, Kirkbride stated "It's Dagoth Ur, forced into the dirt by the mass-altering abilities of the Tools."

See also: web.archive[dot]org/web/20200212232118/http://forums.bethsoft[dot]com/topic/1370866-foul-murder/

[...] the artist all-but-confirmed it to be wraithguard.

You can see the fingers of the glove in the picture. It looks more like the concept art for Wraithguard than the ingame model:
http://imperial-libr...content/page-35

You can see that Keening in this picture isn't a dagger, it looks more like a tuning fork (those little "arms" on Wraithguard when Sotha Sil wears it), which makes sense. The ingame model actually has little "arms" too, but at this point they're pitiful nubs, vestiges.
http://www.uesp.net/...Wraithguard.jpg

Thank you, so much! I had more than a few fleeting notions that it might be one of the tools, but I didn't want to presume such a detail. The facial skin in the other hand just made me linger around that notion a lot (I am fascinated by this creative choice, and kind of find Sotha a creep because of it).

It's great to finally know for sure who that figure on the ground is. Poor Voryn... Truly a tragic character. How no one between the Bethesda creative team, execs, and any studio they have spoken to over the years, couldn't see the goldmine here between them all, I do not know. I know for sure the Bethesda team shies well away from absolutes, and I get that. I just don't feel it hinders the ability to tell these stories. I have the first 2, up to the arrival of the Narevarine, set entirely in Vivec's memory, retold by him during the Inquisition, to the Dissident Priest(s). Through this I can build up to the event itself, going from the prologue where Sinnammu Mirpal established the creation myth as understood by the 1st Era Chimer, specifying that this is but one version of the myth handed down by her ancestors. That ends with a shot of Lorkhan's heart, and we transition to a shot of Vivec enthralled in a deep train of recall, when he starts his iconic speech.

"Who can clearly recall events of the distant past?"

Through this I get to explore it all as it happened in canon, through Vivec's memory. This lets me build right on up to the events in question, and explore Vivec properly, if I can even hope to do that justice.

The issue is Nerevar's death. It's hard to just commit to one version you believe is the objective truth based on all the work the creators did. It's harder to find a way to go over both versions. I originally planned it so that Vivec told his version and we see it, then the Dissident Priest confronted Vivec with Alandro Sul's version of events, and we see that play out, too. But the more I workshop that, the more chunky and flimsy it feels if I pretend to be the average viewer - even if that is legitimately how it should be done out of respect for the story, and both accounts. I'm also adamant about only showing Azura the once. It is too profound of an event in Mer history to go over twice, similar to the Dwemer's disappearance. It can only be shown the one time, with perfect execution.


Anyway. Rant Mode Terminated. Thank you again. This is great and let's me move on with much more of an idea of what MK had in mind with that illustration. Poor Voryn.

[LazarusGrimtower]

AS far as the Morrowind anime trilogy goes, I've arrived at the same conclusion I think any studio would have after a short look at TES as a whole. It cannot be worked with. None of what matters to the continuity has the unambiguity you would need to really a tell a proper story. It all works wonderfully for the games, because each player has their own right to agency. What myths and legends they choose to believe, or how they interpret them. There are probably millions of versions of what happened in Red Mountain based on every person who knows the story, and pieced it together however they managed to. That agency and those interpretations must be protected over and above anything else.


I also feel like it would be lost on the majority of people. Even to most TES players, Nerevar/Nerevarine is just another story. They really don't get it, and that is fine. TES would be in trouble if they ever did.