Sotha Sil's Last Words

Developer's text Real author : Unknown developer Publication date : 2002 Comment : These posts, made shortly before the release of Tribunal, were taken from the "Dwem, little dwemer of me..." thread on The Official Forums. It is unknown whether the person using the "Sotha Sil" alias was a developer or not, but we suspect it was. Sotha Sil : Friend Divayth, it is too long since we have spoken. And it is too often recently I have seen your words. You toy with the minds of these curious mortals. The Tools of Kagrenac in your possession? I think not. Were you to have them, I would fear for your life. They are not tools for mortals, Fyr, as you well know. And what of your own mortality? How does that stand? If you live longer than a god, are you any less sublime? There has always been something different in you, though, I think. I believe you find a certain joy in your own mortality, thin stretched though it may be. It is a good quality in you. Your curiosity is troublesome. You are a wizard, a scholar, a delver into pasts and futures. This I understand, as I have been all these things and more. Curiosity is an odd thing. It is a bright path surrounded by brambles. You are an interesting creature, my friend, and I would not wish you ill. I implore you take greater care with your words. The mortal mind is easily fractured by the divine. For now, I will watch you entertain yourself as you toy with so much talk of the How and the Where. These are the questions most easily answered, but they will be the least satisfying. Sotha Sil : Thieves? An interesting concept. Did we steal the essence of the Divine, or was it given to us freely, that we might lead our people into a new age? Few called us thieves when by words and by rite the Princes of Oblivion were bound to a truce. Fewer still when Mehrunes Dagon broke that truce and himself was broken on the soil of Mournhold. The events of Red Mountain happened so long ago. What has Lord Vivec told you about that day? Did he wrap it in riddles, give you an array of possible pasts all leading to the same inevitable future? That is his way. Do not curse him for this, as this is what he is. A puzzle. The opposition to his own viewpoint. Almalexia would tell the story best, I think. She of us all was the closest to Nerevar. Lover. Counsel. General. And she of us all wears the mantle of a god most proudly. She has walked among the people and learned their frailties. Learned them well. Men of god? Gods of men? Which should you fear most? You wonder where the Dwemer have gone? Perhaps better to wonder why one remains. Even gods dislike the absolute, for it stinks of something larger than themselves. Still I watch. Sotha Sil : I watch. I wonder. I build. I tear down. Am I a god? A surely as any are. Gods have forever to measure their words. Mortals only moments to hear them. Is the Lord Vivec a god? As surely as I am. Vivec is a poet. Trust not the words of a poet, as he is born to seduce. Yet for poetry to sieze the heart, it must ring with the chimes of truth. Is the Lady Almalexia a god? As surely as is Lord Vivec. Almalexia is a warrior. Beware the warrior, as her steel may not distinguish friend from foe. But in a true hand, a sharp blade may carve history. Again you ask, am I a god? I am Sotha Sil. I am the Mage. I am the Clockmaker. You ask where my Clockwork City is? Some say in the swamps of Black Marsh. Others claim it is deep in the ground beneath Ebonheart. I have even heard it told that my city is contained within a jar on the Lady Almalexia's mantle. These are all true, and false. My city is where I live, and I live in my city. Its location is unimportant, as I am its only citizen. The Dwemer were the Dwemer. The Chimer were the Chimer. Now the Dwemer are gone and the Chimer are changed. Azura's words weigh heavy, but we have discussed the words of gods already, have we not? I am Sotha Sil. I watch. I wonder. I build. I tear down. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : Just a note on Sotha Sil my friends.... That was not the entire City. No indeed. It was Master Sil's main hall within his hidden city of Clockwork madness. Just as, outside of the pearly gates in Mournhold, exists a crawling area of numerous homes, citizens, and vendors. Sotha Sil is quite expanse and houses many more inhabitants. I have seen them in person, and my, what a sight! In the case of the Nerevarine, I hear tale that when he was teleported in by Almalexia, the machina lift door behind him was caved in. For whatever reason (did Almalexia do it or did Sotha Sil?), this barred him from venturing further. Where the Nerevarine actually was, is Sotha Sil's workshop/lair. Think about it though.... if this were a city, who could possibly call this place home? More intelligent fabricant type inventions? I dare not tell, although I have seen it with mine own eyes. Perhaps one day, the location will be openly known, and visitors can venture forth into the Clockwork City entire. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : I have made sense of the vision. It WAS a vision indeead. During my travels to other planes, I meditate to pass the time. Travel between planes is quite disorienting and one who is not used to the action may succumb to a sensation of his body being ripped apart. Meditation eases the sensation. My journey back took longer than usual. The "vision", or what could also be considered a nightmare, strayed me from my original path. I was unable to abandon the vision as it held me physically and mentally. Once the vision had ceased, I found myself lying nude, in some brush just outside of Tel Vos. Weakened from this extraordinary incident, I was able to still find my way back to my stronghold, where I slept for days, to regain my strength. In speaking with the council on the matter, they too believe it to be a mere vision. Not one that holds any meaning, but perhaps merely a sign that I have been straining myself too hard on the matter of the Dwemer. This is very possible, although it seems a bit more to me. Rest is indeed what I lack, and I believe I shall take leave of such journeys for some time to regain my self being. Yagrum, on the other hand, seems to have regained much in the past. He still shows signs of corprus, but his memory seems to slowly be coming back from time to time. He spends quite a bit of time on his own now and wishes to remain alone. I am sure that glimpses of his past, coming freshly back to him, give him much to ponder over. I feel for my old friend. I only wish there was more I could do. A temper seems to rattle him every now and then and I have instructed my sister-wives to leave him be. In time, he will come to and understand what fate holds for him. And interesting thing.... Yagrum confronted me after my arrival from the council, and wished to know if I still had the Tools in my possession. Upon hearing that the Hortator had taken leave and carried the items off with him, Yagrum seemed quite upset. What is going in that mind of my old friend's. I shall keep a close eye on him, for I worry about his well being. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : Alas! "This is the truth of Sermon Zero, which is neither one." From these "so called" hidden messages, which I applaud you on, do you see truth? The first line, through strange misconception, leads one to believe that this message can be taken as false word also. Much of what I already know is quite alarming, and the truth is just around the corner from all unknowing citizens of the Empire. I do hope, for the sake of Tamriel, that we are prepared for any upcoming revelations or long tucked away truths. If the "ghost" is indeed walking among us, the times we are all witnessing, may be in for quite a shock. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : Upon arriving at my tower, I was informed by one of my wives that a wonderous discussion has taken place without my knowlege. Bear with me, for my long journey has left me weary. And so, the debate over the Tribunal, Kagrenac's tools, and the Dwemer has arisen once again! My dear up-and-coming scholars, the facts are there! Can you not see the truth? Allow me to prod a bit on your senses in order to bring some light into this topic. The Tribunal.... Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil are God heroes, are they not? Self made upon using Kagrenac's tools (which I will discuss in a bit) upon Lorkhan's Heart. Azura punished them, and their peoples (yes, including me!). The dark skin and fiery eyes is a visible and alarming reminder. Is this coincidence that the change happened upon the breaking of the oath? Azura is indeed the culprit. Had the "Tribunal" not undergone this deed, Azura would have taken no action. Did Azura take the lives of the Dwemer for attepting use of the Heart? A question that only the Goddess can answer, but I do not believe so. Nobody knows what plans Kagrenac had for the Heart. Perhaps Kagrenac's use of the Heart was the undoing of the Dwemer. Either by plan or by mistake. This is of little concern to the Tribunal. They got what they came for. To walk in the "Shadows of Gods". To send their general off to a Battle and recover their prize. Nerevar was, in my opinion, expendable, to them. Nerevar would know the truth behind the Dwemer and the Tribunal hunger for Power. This brings me to another matter.... did Nerevar indeed die of his wounds, or did the Tribunal fear his knowlege of the truth, and silence him, forever? Surely the Tribunal and Azura would know. Azura was quite fond of Nerevar, and it is possible that *IF* the Tribunal did exterminate Nerevar, Azura cursed the Tribunal and the chimer for this. The Dissident Priests seem to believe this aspect, as do I. Kagrenac's Tools.... Keening, Sunder, and Wraithguard. The very same tools that Kagrenac designed and constructed to harness the Power of the Heart. Can these tools also be used to destroy the Heart? Are they intended to send the Heart back to it's origin? Or are they simply used as tools to draw forth Power for individual consumption? Well, we know how the Tribunal used them. The mystery is, what were Kagrenac's plans for them? Sotha Sil was able to decipher their use for tapping into the Power. The Tribunal paid a visit to Red mountain with the Tools and did just that, thus, becoming "God-Men". The Dwemer.... First and foremost, one must ask themselves, were the dwemer a carefree or a careless race? Were they tolerable or were they tyrants? Did they create machines of offensive or defensive? What *IS* known is, they were great inventors of machine and construct. Magic was not favored by them, but it is rumored that there was some practice within their numbers. Did the Tribunal fear them? We know that in order for the Tribunal to gain their "God-Men" Power, they had to defeat the Dwemer to recover what they had in their possession. It is not very likely that the Tribunal feared the Dwemer, they simply feared what the dwemer could become. Afterall, an entire race that was as poswerful as the small Tribunal would be quite a power to be reconned with. Their disappearance is still a mystery that grows deeper and deeper with every step taken forward. We know that *ALL* Dwemer (with the exception of my good friend Yagrum) vanished when Kagrenac struck the Heart with his tools. Where they went is the true mystery. Many theories say they were transported to Oblivion. Quite a harsh place to *want* to go, if that was their plan. It is possible they went somewhere by accident. It is even possible they just ceased to exist at all. The idea that they are lost in time is quite new to me. I highly doubt that since the laws behind time would govern us to not even recall they even existed. Trully something supernatural, indeed. I *DO* know what happened, but in all reality, I do NOT know where they have gone or is they are in all truth, dead. Perhaps, with the meeting of our minds and studies, we can find more meaning and resolve to these matters at hand. I have dedicated much of my time and work to this subject and expect to find some sense in it. And beware the Tribunal. For years, they have known what we do not. They speak in odd Tongues and bite like snakes in tall wickwheat. Their secret is their true Power. For, the return of the Nerevarine Prophecy will bring them into the light and their true identities shall be known. Their words should be taken with a grain of skooma. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : Ah, B, my good friend, you overestimate my intentions. I am but a student. A student of the mysteries that engulf the land entire. It is not my way to tackle obstacles. It is my way to solve them. One may know how to climb a mountain, yet one may never climb it. I do not seek the Power of the Heart. I yearn to understand it. Just as the Dwemer may have. We do not know for sure that they wished to weild such power. Perhaps they simply wished to understand it's uses. Not necessarily use them. One can only speculate. I had the opportunity of gaining audience with Sotha Sil some time ago. Indeed, it was long ago. He has since then gone into complete seclusion. He had little to say but would listen with an ever alert sense. I tried to persuade him into working with me on some theories involving the fluxuation of power that the Dwemer seemed to have mastered in their steam driven machina. Although he appeared quite interested, he was pressed for another duty. One which he did not, and would not mention. I bid him farewell and took my leave. He was nil seen after that meeting. I do agree, that Sotha Sil shares an interest as I do, but we are very much different. As I wish to understand, he wishes to utilise. He is the farthest thing from Psijic. I believe Sotha Sil cared not for Psijic Ways. There is order in the Ways, and Sotha Sil tends to follow only HIS order. In the past, it would appear that the Tribunal have lost much communication with one another. With the reversing of Sotha Sil's Clockwork and his silence and seclusion, Vivec straining all power to hold aloft the mighty Blight, and Mournhold on the horizon of becoming a major Capital, the Man-Gods have their hands full. And with the Nerevarine Prophecy knocking on their doors, I would imagine there is nil cheer, but fear, in their hearts. What does the Prophecy have in store for them. Divayth Fyr the Psijic : Bump indeed! My studies and research has had me so preoccupied recently that I have been careless about these discussions. The Psijic Endeavor. Why, were I not a Psijic myself, I may have had the time to discuss this subject more promptly. Man becoming Godly? Perhaps a mere shadow of a God is more appropriate? And to "surpass" a God, well, now we are speaking of a grand gift. One really must be thoughtful of the "Gods" before one can even imagine gaining such a high power/command. Who and what are the Gods? Are they true beings of power? Are they merely Man with incredible ability? Are they figments of our frightened imaginations; something that comforts us in our time of loss and fright? IF, indeed, these "Gods" are beings that scripture and ink bring us to believe, then any Man could fathom the idea of being One. This brings up many other interesting revelations. The Dwemer apparently had the Gods on the virge of fear with their new and amazing power (thus, the term, "technology" could be used). Did the Dwemer seek out such Godly power and attempt to achieve a sort of Nirvana? Not much different than the Psijic Endeavor one would imagine, BUT, were the Dwemer Psijics, or of the sort? Did they get close enough to frighten even the Gods, and find a heavy punishment awaiting? The Heart of Lorkhan was, by Legend, cast into Vvardenfell, creating Red Mountain. The Dwemer were native to this region, and had they uncovered this Heart, it seems likely that they would have the ability to gain something from it. Why else would Lorkhan and Dagoth Ur storm the Mountain? Surely, Lorkhan would dearly love to retrieve his Heart, but Dagoth Ur was also intent on the unknown power of the Heart. The Dwemer were merely an obstacle, no? Expendable. Dagoth Ur had no love for the Dwemer. Surely, the Endeavor is an idea to all mortals, but is is possible? One is led to believe that, had the Dwemer or Dagoth Ur succeeded in controlling this Heart, would it perhaps be The Key to opening the door? The Heart of a "God" in possession of a mortal. The idea is very exciting yet horrifying. As a Psijic of the New Ways, the Dwemer appear to have been most successful in the Endeavor than any mortal. Their Endeavor is not the shared Endeavor of the Old Way. The New Way, so I speak with no REAL title, is the Way in which I have devoted my research to. I find this New Way to be most delightful a study. The Dwemer have taught me more about the "ideals" of the Endeavor than any Psijic could have in 1,000 years. So many questions, so little time. Finding answers appears to be the primary purpose of mortal existence.