Solaanil - The Altmer Hermit

[UPDATED FOR CORRECTIONS]

Basic Information

ESO @name:
@Justenbphelps
Character Name:
Solaanil, an Altmer hermit. ( Pronounced Sole - ah - Neel)
Race:
Altmer.
Age:
103.
Sex:
Male.
Marital Status:
Not Interested.
Sexual Orientation:
Not Interested in physical pleasures.
Affliction:
Grumpy as hell and very much likes to be alone.

Physical Description
Solaanil is considered tall, standing almost a head over his fellow Altmer. His skin is a light shade of Gold, and is meticulously washed and moisturized. His hair is pulled back into traditional Dominion braids. His eyes are covered in a white cloth to hide his blind white eyes. Solaanil is usually wearing soft robes in an Altmer or Ancient Elf style, to reflect his interest in their history. He has a large collection of Staves which he likes to alternate between. If you run into him running around Grahtwood (his favorite place) , be sure to NOT say hi. He doesnt want to meet you.

image no longer hosted — https://i.imgsafe.org/aff1ab9119.png[/img]

Flairs: Solaanil is ALWAYS clean and organized.

Personality

Likes:
-Reading
-Drinking
-Studying
-Meditating
-Solitude (not the city, it sucks)
-Quiet
-History

Dislikes:
-Idiots
-Drunken fools
-Loud People
-Young People
-Just any people really

Strengths:
-Speaks many languages
-Knowledge of Daedric Princes, Daedric Beings, and Daedric Lore
-Cooking
-Insulting others

Weaknesses:
-Grumpy
-Inability to relate to others
-Lack of compassion
-Lack of support for the war
-Anger


Why is your character in Dominion territory? How did they get here?
Solaanil was born just west of Vulkel Guard, close to the South Beacon of Auridon. He grew tired of the books in Auridon and decided to venture into Grahtwood and beyond to seek a larger collection he could keep for himself. He is thinking about venturing outside of Dominion territory soon, but also doesn't want to leave the tall trees in Grahtwood.


Background


Solaanil grew up as a scholar for the Thalmor Embassy, and after 75+ years of dedicated study and practice, was given the freedom to travel and study on their behalf. Closely following his arrival in Grahtwood, he joined the Mages Guild. He took this opportunity to travel and train in Magicka and Sorcery, to help protect himself. Growing up as a scholar, he lacks in natural physical talent, but is extremely gifted in his control of Magicka and the Arcane. He hopes to one day become a representative for the Altmer in the Dominion and all of Tamriel.

Hi there, I'm Talia, Roster Officer.

So, firstly, I would like to point out the small issue: You say that Solaanil arrived in Dominion territory from the Summerset Isles, though the Isles themselves are AD territory as well. You can simply get around this by saying that he was born on the Isles. Take your pick, the safest choice is one of the cities in Auridon, though you can do a little homework and pick another spot in the archipelago.

Now, for the big issue. The really big issue. Elder Scrolls. Where to even start. The titular Elder Scrolls are very rare and precious items protected at all costs. They are a huge mystery within ES lore, of which learning is like attempting to untangle that one knot of Christmas lights the Griswolds have. So, I'm going to break this up into a few parts here.

Firstly, this, at the very least, borders on power gaming due to the nature of the Scrolls. Without getting into what the Scrolls are, let me frame it this way. In the time of ESO, year 583 of the Second Era (2E 583 for short), all of the Elder Scrolls known to exist are stored in the Imperial Library, in a special vault, heavily protected. The only way to get near a Scroll is to be a Moth Priest, the order of monks who preside over the Scrolls and are the only ones who can read them. Solaanil would have had to be a Moth Priest residing in one of two locations in Cyrodiil, either the Imperial Library housed within the White Gold Tower, or at the Temple of the Ancestor Moths, though the priests who reside there are either left blinded and feeble from the Scrolls or are new members tasked with tending to said feeble priests.

Secondly, the Scrolls. What are they? Well, they're scrolls, yes. Some contain prophecies, others the ability to send dragons capable of devouring the world into a time portal. But we really don't know much about them. They remain elusive to everyone, even the people who study them the most. The following quote shows just how little even the experts know about them:
"Once, after rumors circulated that a Scroll had been stolen, an Imperial Librarian attempted to take a complete inventory of the Scrolls, but the effort proved fruitless as their numbers and placement seemed to fluctuate for no discernible reason."
So these things are incredibly powerful, despite taking the user's sight, and it's believed they have been left behind by the Divines. But here's the thing: It doesn't matter what they are, because they're SUPPOSED to be a complete mystery. They work as a form of Ex Machina, mostly, for when the story gets written into a corner. Their rules of use are arbitrary at best because they're supposed to be, and they were never intended to wander into the hands of an ordinary person.

Thirdly, finally, and most plainly, after all this educational exposition, this sort of thing simply borders on power gaming at its best and is well into it at worst. I understand that you might want Solaanil to be a hero, a wise, grizzled old mer who's read the Scrolls and has escaped Cyrodiil to tell his tale, but that's just too out there. The circumstances would be far fetched at best and unbelievable at worst. As it stands in the current sheet, it makes no sense for Solaanil to ever come in contact with an Elder Scroll, much less be able to read one. Yes, the single player games make ample use of them, but you must take in mind that those games are meant to make you feel like the hero of the story, that without you nothing would happen, and you are the only one hope for all of Tamriel. That is not the case in roleplaying. Our characters may be heroes in their own rights, but they are no Chosen Ones. The weights of the world do not rest on their shoulders. Our characters are just people.

TL;DR, Solaanil would have had to be a Moth Priest who either somehow survived the destruction of the Imperial City or left the Temple of the Ancestor Moths. BUT all of that becomes moot due to the nature of the Scrolls and our guild's stance of power gaming. At the end of the day, characters are just ordinary people, not an embodiment of a power complex like Skyrim's Dragonborn or Oblivion's Hero of Kvatch.

I can, however, offer possible solutions here and now, and we can hold a conversation at a later time, most easily through our Discord server, to help hone Solaanil into something more reasonable while still being someone you can enjoy roleplaying as. Here's what I can think of right now.

The Mages Guild. Simple. Solaanil could easily become a member of the Guild and climb to a reasonable rank within it (likely not as far as Magister) and it would give you an easy in with our Mages Guild faction hosted within Blue Skooma. This option would also give him easy access to books and tomes to study, even for more recreational reading purposes rather than with the intent to learn to climb rank. He could also be a skilled mage, though remember that nobody is perfect and even the experts make mistakes on simple things from time to time.

Blindness. Another easy one. Injuries occur all the time in the lands of Tamriel, as do disease and general aging. Restoration magic receives a HUGE buff when it comes to the game mechanics, but in truth it is not a cure all. Limiting factors for restoration magics can include the skill of the caster, the severity of the injury, or the progression of the disease. Magic and potions simply cannot cure everything, hence why even after all this time there are still scars, illnesses, and death. The rules are a bit arbitrary, yes, but that's a whole other topic.

In conclusion, it is unreasonable for Solaandil to have come in contact with an Elder Scroll, however he could just as easily be a skilled mage belonging to the Mage's Guild.

I love this! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this out.

My (very) limited knowledge is what caused the obvious errors. I will edit out the mistakes you have mentioned and would love if we could set up a date to Discord!

Thank you again! Still learning the Lore as i go.

Certainly. I enjoy digging into the mess that is Elder Scrolls lore, and as a roster officer it's part of my job to help you figure things out!

My only complaint this time around is a small discrepancy in his age. You say that he is 103 but has "100 years of dedicated study and practice" as a scholar. The easy solution is to bump up his age or reduce his experience, but that's something you can fix in an edit (the little pencil and paper icon underneath your revised sheet).

Everything looks good save for that little age blip, so I'm going to go ahead and give you approval today on 1/15/2017. Please take a look at our Guild Bank Rules and browse our Guild Factions, as speaking with an officer about them prior to promotion is required. You can speak to any officer either in game or via Discord. Also, please read our Rules of Conduct if you haven't already.

Thank you. I adjusted the time.

I really appreciate the help.