Huntsman of the Princes. Father of Manbeasts. The Hungry Cat. Hircine has many names, but all relate to his one known sphere; the hunt. The Daedric Prince is obsessed with the chase, the capture, the kill; whether the prey be mer, man, or beast.
Hircine is a favored subject of worship in Tamriel, although it is not out of line to question this popularity. None would go so far as to call him a deity of benevolence. In fact, Hircine has never seemed to actively want worship or reverence. He simply seeks out, tests, and rewards hunters he finds worthy.
Perhaps that's the appeal of such an idol. There's an odd purity to his savagery. Unlike many other Daedric Princes, his boons are generally found to be more or less fair. All his followers must do is prove themselves to him. Do so, and they are promised an afterlife of endless hunts within his Hunting Grounds.
The Hunting Grounds
Followers of Hircine are promised one thing; an afterlife within the Prince's realm of Oblivion, known as the Hunting Grounds. An endless forest where endless hunts are held. A land of savagery and violence, where an eternal cycle of death and rebirth take place.
Hunting lodges dot the landscape, home to the souls which haunt this realm. Powerful beasts lurk within the forests, allowing Hircine's followers to indulge in spectacular hunts. A true paradise for those who have dedicated their life to the Huntsman Prince.
The Great Hunt
Though a rare occurrence, Hircine does allow the living to enter his realm. This event is known as the Great Hunt, a deadly competition held for the Huntsman Prince's amusement. This contest of skill and cunning has only one goal in mind; capture the Hare and present it to Hircine. Only then will you earn his favor.
Many die during this bid for Hircine's boon. It's not uncommon for competitors to turn against one another, or to be killed by one of the many natural dangers the realm presents. And the Hare itself, of course, never goes down without a fight.
Lycanthropy
Hircine's title Father of Manbeasts is a well earned one. He's believed to be the creator of lycanthropy, the ability for mer and man to transform into beastial creatures. The most well known of these lycanthropes are werewolves.
Those infected with lycanthropy, whether by birth or infection, are cursed with an aggressive madness that compels them to bloodlust. Upon their death, they are sent to spend their afterlife within the Hunting Grounds. This is regardless of their allegiance to Hircine.
There's no known documentation of a soul escaping the Hunting Grounds, but there is one possibility. If a competitor of the Great Hunt would ask for a soul's freedom as their boon, Hircine will be compelled to free that individual's soul. And that is exactly what I must do if I ever wish for my father to be free of that savage realm.
In the March of Sacrifices dungeon we help Hanu, an Ashlander, who has entered Hircine's Hunting Grounds during a Great Hunt, a rare event which allows mortals to enter the Father of Manbeasts' realm. Her quest is to earn Hircine's Boon by killing the Indrik, Tarcyr, taking his heart and using that boon to free her father who was accidently transformed into a werewolf while protecting his daughter and whose soul now resides in the Hunting Grounds.
Unfortunately, Hanu is killed during this quest which sets up the final story choice nicely: A heart for a heart. In return for winning Hircine's Boon by slaying Tarcyr, Hircine will grant Hanu's wish - but only in exchange for her soul. Alternatively, we can save Hanu at the cost of her father's eternal confinement in Hircine's realm of Oblivion.
What I find most interesting, aside from the Great Hunt information and heart-wrenching choice we must make, is this sentence in the above book, "There's no known documentation of a soul escaping the Hunting Grounds, but there is one possibility. If a competitor of the Great Hunt would ask for a soul's freedom as their boon, Hircine will be compelled to free that individual's soul..."
Although this is precisely what occurs, Hanu's death complicates that transaction as we must choose between her soul or her father's. That made me wonder about lycanthropic souls and compare with the TES V: Skyrim quest Blood's Honour in which we are sent to collect the heads of the Glenmoril Witches in order to cure Kodlak and eventually save his own soul from The Hunting Grounds. Kodlak tells us:
The witches' magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won't give it willingly, but we can extract their foul powers by force. I want you to seek them out. Go to their coven in the wilderness. Strike them down as a true warrior of the wild. And bring me their heads. The seat of their abilities. From there, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity.
Whenever I have played this quest I have pretty much taken Kodlak's words at face-value and viewed it as a fetishistic form of magic whereby destroying the source of the curse (the witches' minds) undoes the curse itself. The March of Sacrifice story, though, has made me curious as to whether that point of view is correct. Are we undoing a curse, or simply winning Hircine's Boon by re-enacting a Great Hunt on Nirn?
A heart for a heart or a head for a head, does Hircine truly honour his bargains? I wonder if the Glenmoril Witches were informed of this catch that the curse would only perpetuate until they themselves became the hunted.
Huntsman of the Princes. Father of Manbeasts. The Hungry Cat. Hircine has many names, but all relate to his one known sphere; the hunt. The Daedric Prince is obsessed with the chase, the capture, the kill; whether the prey be mer, man, or beast.
Hircine is a favored subject of worship in Tamriel, although it is not out of line to question this popularity. None would go so far as to call him a deity of benevolence. In fact, Hircine has never seemed to actively want worship or reverence. He simply seeks out, tests, and rewards hunters he finds worthy.
Perhaps that's the appeal of such an idol. There's an odd purity to his savagery. Unlike many other Daedric Princes, his boons are generally found to be more or less fair. All his followers must do is prove themselves to him. Do so, and they are promised an afterlife of endless hunts within his Hunting Grounds.
The Hunting Grounds
Followers of Hircine are promised one thing; an afterlife within the Prince's realm of Oblivion, known as the Hunting Grounds. An endless forest where endless hunts are held. A land of savagery and violence, where an eternal cycle of death and rebirth take place.
Hunting lodges dot the landscape, home to the souls which haunt this realm. Powerful beasts lurk within the forests, allowing Hircine's followers to indulge in spectacular hunts. A true paradise for those who have dedicated their life to the Huntsman Prince.
The Great Hunt
Though a rare occurrence, Hircine does allow the living to enter his realm. This event is known as the Great Hunt, a deadly competition held for the Huntsman Prince's amusement. This contest of skill and cunning has only one goal in mind; capture the Hare and present it to Hircine. Only then will you earn his favor.
Many die during this bid for Hircine's boon. It's not uncommon for competitors to turn against one another, or to be killed by one of the many natural dangers the realm presents. And the Hare itself, of course, never goes down without a fight.
Lycanthropy
Hircine's title Father of Manbeasts is a well earned one. He's believed to be the creator of lycanthropy, the ability for mer and man to transform into beastial creatures. The most well known of these lycanthropes are werewolves.
Those infected with lycanthropy, whether by birth or infection, are cursed with an aggressive madness that compels them to bloodlust. Upon their death, they are sent to spend their afterlife within the Hunting Grounds. This is regardless of their allegiance to Hircine.
There's no known documentation of a soul escaping the Hunting Grounds, but there is one possibility. If a competitor of the Great Hunt would ask for a soul's freedom as their boon, Hircine will be compelled to free that individual's soul. And that is exactly what I must do if I ever wish for my father to be free of that savage realm.
In the March of Sacrifices dungeon we help Hanu, an Ashlander, who has entered Hircine's Hunting Grounds during a Great Hunt, a rare event which allows mortals to enter the Father of Manbeasts' realm. Her quest is to earn Hircine's Boon by killing the Indrik, Tarcyr, taking his heart and using that boon to free her father who was accidently transformed into a werewolf while protecting his daughter and whose soul now resides in the Hunting Grounds.
Unfortunately, Hanu is killed during this quest which sets up the final story choice nicely: A heart for a heart. In return for winning Hircine's Boon by slaying Tarcyr, Hircine will grant Hanu's wish - but only in exchange for her soul. Alternatively, we can save Hanu at the cost of her father's eternal confinement in Hircine's realm of Oblivion.
What I find most interesting, aside from the Great Hunt information and heart-wrenching choice we must make, is this sentence in the above book, "There's no known documentation of a soul escaping the Hunting Grounds, but there is one possibility. If a competitor of the Great Hunt would ask for a soul's freedom as their boon, Hircine will be compelled to free that individual's soul..."
Although this is precisely what occurs, Hanu's death complicates that transaction as we must choose between her soul or her father's. That made me wonder about lycanthropic souls and compare with the TES V: Skyrim quest Blood's Honour in which we are sent to collect the heads of the Glenmoril Witches in order to cure Kodlak and eventually save his own soul from The Hunting Grounds. Kodlak tells us:
The witches' magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won't give it willingly, but we can extract their foul powers by force. I want you to seek them out. Go to their coven in the wilderness. Strike them down as a true warrior of the wild. And bring me their heads. The seat of their abilities. From there, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity.
Whenever I have played this quest I have pretty much taken Kodlak's words at face-value and viewed it as a fetishistic form of magic whereby destroying the source of the curse (the witches' minds) undoes the curse itself. The March of Sacrifice story, though, has made me curious as to whether that point of view is correct. Are we undoing a curse, or simply winning Hircine's Boon by re-enacting a Great Hunt on Nirn?
A heart for a heart or a head for a head, does Hircine truly honour his bargains? I wonder if the Glenmoril Witches were informed of this catch that the curse would only perpetuate until they themselves became the hunted.
Significant Hircine lore? In YOUR post-Bloodmoon ES game?? It's more likely than you think.
Honestly, my favorite part is the examining of how Hircine worship does, in some fashion, make sense. When you worship Molag Bal or Mehrunes Dagon or whatever, it's almost invariably due to ignorance, power-lust, or both.
But Hircine has layers. Do you worship the hunter spirit, the interplay between challenge, respect and violence? The nature of Hircine's unusual sportsmanship and even a sense of caring for some mortals (even if they're usually werebeasts). Do you just want the fancy armor and spears? Some combination of these? Something else? So many ways for so many people to actually treat him as a deity rather than "evil boss who'll give me a nice trinket paycheck".
Also, Hircine is Hungry Cat. 'Nuff said.
Significant Hircine lore? In YOUR post-Bloodmoon ES game?? It's more likely than you think.
Honestly, my favorite part is the examining of how Hircine worship does, in some fashion, make sense. When you worship Molag Bal or Mehrunes Dagon or whatever, it's almost invariably due to ignorance, power-lust, or both.
But Hircine has layers. Do you worship the hunter spirit, the interplay between challenge, respect and violence? The nature of Hircine's unusual sportsmanship and even a sense of caring for some mortals (even if they're usually werebeasts). Do you just want the fancy armor and spears? Some combination of these? Something else? So many ways for so many people to actually treat him as a deity rather than "evil boss who'll give me a nice trinket paycheck".
Also, Hircine is Hungry Cat. 'Nuff said.
Great points, It is pretty significant and I admit there's a couple of things that have made me look at Hircine differently and explore different ways of interpreting forms of veneration for RP. Like, this sentence in the book quoted above... "In fact, Hircine has never seemed to actively want worship or reverence. He simply seeks out, tests, and rewards hunters he finds worthy." - The idea that he could just show up at random after a hunt and kill to reward or test someone is pretty cool.
So I think it's quite interesting if we take that passge and combine it with info from anoither new book, The Glory of the Hunt:
The glory of the hunt. I've always known it, always felt it. As my arrow pierced the heart of a creature, its lifeblood slowly draining from its chest. As my dagger punctured an enemy's skull, as I stared into their eyes as the life slowly faded from them. The beautiful symphony of my prey's dying screams, screeches, pleas.
I was always one of Hircine's children. No greater satisfaction could I gain than the thrill of the hunt, the feeling of triumph after a difficult kill. And the Huntsman Prince saw this, and smiled with bloody teeth.
As I laid dying, a sword sticking into my gut, I had no fear. I knew where my soul would go.
The Hunting Grounds. The forest of eternal hunts, of endless glory. Every day I join my sisters as we track our prey. Every night we lay under the majesty of Hircine's stars, recalling tales of our past victories. The wine is rich, the meat is fresh, and never do we fall ill. Our Lord has given us a paradise.
Soon the Huntsman Prince will gather outsiders for his Great Hunt. An exciting time for all of us hunters within His realm. We shall test these newcomers, see if they are truly worthy of Hircine's boon. And should they fall, what harm then? They shall simply remain within this paradise, this home we call the Hunting Grounds.
The first paragraph is quite cool, implying Wyress Strigidae enjoys the hunt and kill in all its forms... So it allows room for interpretation. An assassin character who has no interst in traditional hunting of beasts could still garner Hircine's attention and even actively worship that Prince and revere that hunt/chase/kill aspect of Hircine's sphere. Maybe that in itself is not very significant, I do personally like the amount of freedom which has opened up in terms of interpretation.
I suppose most significant of all is that we actually visit and get a feel for The Hunting Grounds, can take a lot of visual inspiration away from that because yeah, it's pretty stunning innit?
Edit: Hungry Cat! Very cool :) I haven't played the other Dungeon yet, Moon Hunter Keep, but when I watched the preview ESO Live show, I found it incredibly awesome that they made the big boss a Khajiit and introduced Vykosa and Khajiit into the Hircine mix. Unexpected and refreshing.
Great points, It is pretty significant and I admit there's a couple of things that have made me look at Hircine differently and explore different ways of interpreting forms of veneration for RP. Like, this sentence in the book quoted above... "In fact, Hircine has never seemed to actively want worship or reverence. He simply seeks out, tests, and rewards hunters he finds worthy." - The idea that he could just show up at random after a hunt and kill to reward or test someone is pretty cool.
So I think it's quite interesting if we take that passge and combine it with info from anoither new book, The Glory of the Hunt:
The glory of the hunt. I've always known it, always felt it. As my arrow pierced the heart of a creature, its lifeblood slowly draining from its chest. As my dagger punctured an enemy's skull, as I stared into their eyes as the life slowly faded from them. The beautiful symphony of my prey's dying screams, screeches, pleas.
I was always one of Hircine's children. No greater satisfaction could I gain than the thrill of the hunt, the feeling of triumph after a difficult kill. And the Huntsman Prince saw this, and smiled with bloody teeth.
As I laid dying, a sword sticking into my gut, I had no fear. I knew where my soul would go.
The Hunting Grounds. The forest of eternal hunts, of endless glory. Every day I join my sisters as we track our prey. Every night we lay under the majesty of Hircine's stars, recalling tales of our past victories. The wine is rich, the meat is fresh, and never do we fall ill. Our Lord has given us a paradise.
Soon the Huntsman Prince will gather outsiders for his Great Hunt. An exciting time for all of us hunters within His realm. We shall test these newcomers, see if they are truly worthy of Hircine's boon. And should they fall, what harm then? They shall simply remain within this paradise, this home we call the Hunting Grounds.
The first paragraph is quite cool, implying Wyress Strigidae enjoys the hunt and kill in all its forms... So it allows room for interpretation. An assassin character who has no interst in traditional hunting of beasts could still garner Hircine's attention and even actively worship that Prince and revere that hunt/chase/kill aspect of Hircine's sphere. Maybe that in itself is not very significant, I do personally like the amount of freedom which has opened up in terms of interpretation.
I suppose most significant of all is that we actually visit and get a feel for The Hunting Grounds, can take a lot of visual inspiration away from that because yeah, it's pretty stunning innit?
Edit: Hungry Cat! Very cool :) I haven't played the other Dungeon yet, Moon Hunter Keep, but when I watched the preview ESO Live show, I found it incredibly awesome that they made the big boss a Khajiit and introduced Vykosa and Khajiit into the Hircine mix. Unexpected and refreshing.
Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.
Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
Blindcurve said: This is very iinteresting, I love Hircine and werewolves.
Thanks Blindcurve, I find it interesting too. It's funny, Hircine is probably he Daedric Prince I have written most about over the years but I'm not exactly a fan of werewolves or hunting.
Patriarch said: Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.
I need to play Moon Hunter Keep for a proper overview but I'm inclined to agree at this stage. I really like Horns of the Reach and all the lore that brought to us about Nedic clans becoming Reachmen over the millenia, and of course minotaurs. But so far Wolfhunter's edging it - quality of writing, story, and what it gives overall to the setting just seems to have upped the ante. If Vykosa as Khajiit werewolf and one of the first ever lycanthropes is as cool as it sounds, and we learn a bit more about how that happened in Moonhunter, I think I'll be able to say I 100% agree. So far looks promising.
On a related note, the Silver Dawn as a faction is pretty interesting. I need to dig into that a bit... were they first introduced in the Orsinium dlc? I remember the quest in the Argent Mine delve as being really compelling and having way more dialogue than a regular delve quest. Was this faction also in the base game somewhere?
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
Well when you put it like that, being the latest plaything of a Daedra Seducer doesn't sound so bad! I like the depth Hircine has and how there are many ways to interpret him. That's what matters to me, I guess, having opportunities and options to think of these beings in new ways. Hircine seems to be a pack leader in that respect, and is even used interchangeably with Y'ffre in some parts of Valenwood. Various wyress covens see him differently, too, most respect his bestial side, but a few like the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd actually revere his less feal aspects - and that's a pretty cool idea when you think about it. I mean, these are "good" witches worshipping something often seen as negative and brutal. Life, survival, and death are as much Hircine's realm as they are Kyne's, making this Deaderic Prince a darker shadow of that goddess it would seem.
[blockquote][b][url=/profile/WilliamFitzpatrick]Blindcurve[/url] said:[/b] This is very iinteresting, I love Hircine and werewolves.[/blockquote]
Thanks Blindcurve, I find it interesting too. It's funny, Hircine is probably he Daedric Prince I have written most about over the years but I'm not exactly a fan of werewolves or hunting.
[blockquote][b][url=/profile/Patriarch]Patriarch[/url] said:[/b] Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.[/blockquote]
I need to play Moon Hunter Keep for a proper overview but I'm inclined to agree at this stage. I really like Horns of the Reach and all the lore that brought to us about Nedic clans becoming Reachmen over the millenia, and of course minotaurs. But so far Wolfhunter's edging it - quality of writing, story, and what it gives overall to the setting just seems to have upped the ante. If Vykosa as Khajiit werewolf and one of the first ever lycanthropes is as cool as it sounds, and we learn a bit more about how that happened in Moonhunter, I think I'll be able to say I 100% agree. So far looks promising.
On a related note, the Silver Dawn as a faction is pretty interesting. I need to dig into that a bit... were they first introduced in the Orsinium dlc? I remember the quest in the Argent Mine delve as being really compelling and having way more dialogue than a regular delve quest. Was this faction also in the base game somewhere?
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
[/blockquote]
Well when you put it like that, being the latest plaything of a Daedra Seducer doesn't sound so bad! I like the depth Hircine has and how there are many ways to interpret him. That's what matters to me, I guess, having opportunities and options to think of these beings in new ways. Hircine seems to be a pack leader in that respect, and is even used interchangeably with Y'ffre in some parts of Valenwood. Various wyress covens see him differently, too, most respect his bestial side, but a few like the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd actually revere his less feal aspects - and that's a pretty cool idea when you think about it. I mean, these are "good" witches worshipping something often seen as negative and brutal. Life, survival, and death are as much Hircine's realm as they are Kyne's, making this Deaderic Prince a darker shadow of that goddess it would seem.
Blindcurve said: This is very iinteresting, I love Hircine and werewolves.
Thanks Blindcurve, I find it interesting too. It's funny, Hircine is probably he Daedric Prince I have written most about over the years but I'm not exactly a fan of werewolves or hunting.
Patriarch said: Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.
I need to play Moon Hunter Keep for a proper overview but I'm inclined to agree at this stage. I really like Horns of the Reach and all the lore that brought to us about Nedic clans becoming Reachmen over the millenia, and of course minotaurs. But so far Wolfhunter's edging it - quality of writing, story, and what it gives overall to the setting just seems to have upped the ante. If Vykosa as Khajiit werewolf and one of the first ever lycanthropes is as cool as it sounds, and we learn a bit more about how that happened in Moonhunter, I think I'll be able to say I 100% agree. So far looks promising.
On a related note, the Silver Dawn as a faction is pretty interesting. I need to dig into that a bit... were they first introduced in the Orsinium dlc? I remember the quest in the Argent Mine delve as being really compelling and having way more dialogue than a regular delve quest. Was this faction also in the base game somewhere?
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
Well when you put it like that, being the latest plaything of a Daedra Seducer doesn't sound so bad! I like the depth Hircine has and how there are many ways to interpret him. That's what matters to me, I guess, having opportunities and options to think of these beings in new ways. Hircine seems to be a pack leader in that respect, and is even used interchangeably with Y'ffre in some parts of Valenwood. Various wyress covens see him differently, too, most respect his bestial side, but a few like the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd actually revere his less feal aspects - and that's a pretty cool idea when you think about it. I mean, these are "good" witches worshipping something often seen as negative and brutal. Life, survival, and death are as much Hircine's realm as they are Kyne's, making this Deaderic Prince a darker shadow of that goddess it would seem.
[blockquote][b][url=/profile/WilliamFitzpatrick]Blindcurve[/url] said:[/b] This is very iinteresting, I love Hircine and werewolves.[/blockquote]
Thanks Blindcurve, I find it interesting too. It's funny, Hircine is probably he Daedric Prince I have written most about over the years but I'm not exactly a fan of werewolves or hunting.
[blockquote][b][url=/profile/Patriarch]Patriarch[/url] said:[/b] Of all the dungeon DLCs in the game, Wolfhunter is by far my favorite. Imo, the storylines are the best, and it provides, as you mentioned, the amazing opportunity for lore exploration and expansion.[/blockquote]
I need to play Moon Hunter Keep for a proper overview but I'm inclined to agree at this stage. I really like Horns of the Reach and all the lore that brought to us about Nedic clans becoming Reachmen over the millenia, and of course minotaurs. But so far Wolfhunter's edging it - quality of writing, story, and what it gives overall to the setting just seems to have upped the ante. If Vykosa as Khajiit werewolf and one of the first ever lycanthropes is as cool as it sounds, and we learn a bit more about how that happened in Moonhunter, I think I'll be able to say I 100% agree. So far looks promising.
On a related note, the Silver Dawn as a faction is pretty interesting. I need to dig into that a bit... were they first introduced in the Orsinium dlc? I remember the quest in the Argent Mine delve as being really compelling and having way more dialogue than a regular delve quest. Was this faction also in the base game somewhere?
That's one of the reasons I like Hircine. Unlike most of the Daedric Princes, he isn't the Elder Scrolls verse equivalent of Satan. He is a taskmaster yes, and very concerned with the hunt, but he DOES have a sense of Sportsmanship, and he's actually pretty fair all things considered, and unlike most other Daedric Realms, his followers generally seem happy hunting for all eternity. Probably better than, say, being the latest fucktoy for a Daedric Seducer
[/blockquote]
Well when you put it like that, being the latest plaything of a Daedra Seducer doesn't sound so bad! I like the depth Hircine has and how there are many ways to interpret him. That's what matters to me, I guess, having opportunities and options to think of these beings in new ways. Hircine seems to be a pack leader in that respect, and is even used interchangeably with Y'ffre in some parts of Valenwood. Various wyress covens see him differently, too, most respect his bestial side, but a few like the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd actually revere his less feal aspects - and that's a pretty cool idea when you think about it. I mean, these are "good" witches worshipping something often seen as negative and brutal. Life, survival, and death are as much Hircine's realm as they are Kyne's, making this Deaderic Prince a darker shadow of that goddess it would seem.
[/blockquote] KyneXHircine is the true Elder Scrolls OTP
God, I wish my internet connection wasn't so inconsistent, otherwise I might have bought ESO Plus and continued on where I left off with Elmerlot. I think he's still in Auridon doing the Queen's work IIRC. :P
But yeah, this kinda cements my view that not all Daedra should be viewed in black and white. I think both co-exist in a similar way like Yin and Yang. Kyne and Hircine could be seen as two sides of the same coin. One is usually synonymous with nature's beauty while the other is with its savagery. Makes you wonder what other Aedra and Daedra have this kind of relationship. Right of the bat I could see Julianos/Hermy Mora, Arkay/Molly B, and Stendarr/Malacath just to name a few.
God, I wish my internet connection wasn't so inconsistent, otherwise I might have bought ESO Plus and continued on where I left off with Elmerlot. I think he's still in Auridon doing the Queen's work IIRC. :P
But yeah, this kinda cements my view that not all Daedra should be viewed in black and white. I think both co-exist in a similar way like Yin and Yang. Kyne and Hircine could be seen as two sides of the same coin. One is usually synonymous with nature's beauty while the other is with its savagery. Makes you wonder what other Aedra and Daedra have this kind of relationship. Right of the bat I could see Julianos/Hermy Mora, Arkay/Molly B, and Stendarr/Malacath just to name a few.
I like. Hircine is fun to imagine, as I picture him as this ultimate mix between nature’s savagery tempered the least bit by keen intelligence and, almost, refinement. He is a Daedric Prince after all. For a fictional character of great power, it’s an incredibly attractive combination. Especially in light of what you found that suggests he’s not all that concerned with worship. A “god” who’s secure enough not to need worship and supplication? Nice.
I like. Hircine is fun to imagine, as I picture him as this ultimate mix between nature’s savagery tempered the least bit by keen intelligence and, almost, refinement. He is a Daedric Prince after all. For a fictional character of great power, it’s an incredibly attractive combination. Especially in light of what you found that suggests he’s not all that concerned with worship. A “god” who’s secure enough not to need worship and supplication? Nice.
