*[Question] Bosmer

Paazhahdrimaak · July 2017

I posted this about two years ago when I first got the game.
But has anyone found in game lore that explains the bosmer horns?
I've looked but found nothing, I like to think they are just a certain clan of wood elf, that are closer to nature or something. Or just implanted themselves.
Any one know?

Thanks
-Paaz

Nestor · July 2017

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/races-tamriel-bosmer

Are you sure it's not their ears? I don't think I have seen any horns on Bosmer, other than the costumes that you can get though the crown store. I have not rolled one in this game so perhaps it is a thing you can add to them as a head dressing or accessory.

Paazhahdrimaak · July 2017

In the cosmetic options in eso, you can put horns on your wood elf...

Nestor · July 2017

Character Generation or the Collections of items you get from the Crown Store? If that latter, I would say that Lore is the least of their concerns in that regard.

I tend to not use the head accessories on my Alts in CharGen. I prefer to use the ones in the Collections as I can change them out. Although I did see one that says "No Accessories" wonder if that would mask one you selected in Chargen.

Anyhoo, I linked all the available Bosmer Lore from the Imperial Library, and if they don't have it, it does not exist.

So, we are left to our own explanation. So, for me, perhaps they are from a more feral area of Tamriel where the horns served some survival purpose long ago.

Paazhahdrimaak · July 2017

The option is in the character creation options.
Just was curious run around Valenwood you'll see them with horns

Nestor · July 2017

You know, thinking about it, I do remember seeing one of the NPCs that had some short horns. Can't remember where, probably in Grahtwood or Greenshade.

I did find this image, is it one of the chargen horns?

FlaviusVoyage · July 2017

Bosmers have three types of horns in the character creation.

BadArgonian · July 2017

FlaviusVoyage wrote: »

Bosmers have three types of horns in the character creation.

Yes, I discovered while going in a dungeon with a healer with horns. The entire group paid compliment to her horns, she was really pretty. I asked her how she got it, and she told me it was in the character creation.

Spidersick · July 2017

Paazhahdrimaak wrote: »

I posted this about two years ago when I first got the game.
But has anyone found in game lore that explains the bosmer horns?
I've looked but found nothing, I like to think they are just a certain clan of wood elf, that are closer to nature or something. Or just implanted themselves.
Any one know?

Thanks
-Paaz

"Or just implanted themselves." That is funny.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · July 2017

@Paazhahdrimaak I know it's around here somewhere...
*digs*
*digs*
*digs some more*
HA! I FOUND IT!

Morriel: Well, fine, well fine. You think just because I have two mouths I'm the one that does all the talking, ugh. Companions, I mean, honestly ... Well, you see, there was a ... there was an elf, a Bosmer, I talked to recently, and he had a bit a question - I-I had no idea why he didn't know this - but, you see, I'd like to ask about Bosmer antlers. You see, the last time this has been asked, as far as I understand, I had heard that Bosmer have- wear a lot of cosmetic - or prosthetic, I suppose - antlers on their brows, and a few have them, you know, magically grown from their skulls. My question is, I've seen about three stages of antler growth when - well, observing things - and it makes far more sense to me, at least, that they're related to the chaos times, or so, one of the gods, like Hircine or Y'ffre. I mean, yeah, they're [elves] with antlers on them, but where do these things come from?
Phrastus: Well, I've never been to Valenwood [Vay-len-wood], but I ... I'd caution you against assuming any single or simple answer involved with those reprobates the Wood Elves. Now, I daresay that most antlers worn by Bosmer are cosmetic and removable, but I myself have met a Treethane who had a magnificent 6-point rack growing right out of his cranium, and it was no prosthetic! Now, he told me that he'd had it magically grown upon assuming his title, as a symbol of his authority. The spells were sung -
Morriel: Hm!
Phrastus: Yes, sung, by a particular kind of aether-priest called a Namespinner, and she was able to perceive the Treethane's protonymic, and unweave it slightly and then chant a new suffix into it, thus actually changing the Treethane's physical form. Or so he told me, if you want to trust the word of a Bosmer.

So tl:dr, most of the antlers are prosthesis, but some of them are real, having been magically grown there.

notimetocare · July 2017

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

@Paazhahdrimaak I know it's around here somewhere...
*digs*
*digs*
*digs some more*
HA! I FOUND IT!

Morriel: Well, fine, well fine. You think just because I have two mouths I'm the one that does all the talking, ugh. Companions, I mean, honestly ... Well, you see, there was a ... there was an elf, a Bosmer, I talked to recently, and he had a bit a question - I-I had no idea why he didn't know this - but, you see, I'd like to ask about Bosmer antlers. You see, the last time this has been asked, as far as I understand, I had heard that Bosmer have- wear a lot of cosmetic - or prosthetic, I suppose - antlers on their brows, and a few have them, you know, magically grown from their skulls. My question is, I've seen about three stages of antler growth when - well, observing things - and it makes far more sense to me, at least, that they're related to the chaos times, or so, one of the gods, like Hircine or Y'ffre. I mean, yeah, they're [elves] with antlers on them, but where do these things come from?
Phrastus: Well, I've never been to Valenwood [Vay-len-wood], but I ... I'd caution you against assuming any single or simple answer involved with those reprobates the Wood Elves. Now, I daresay that most antlers worn by Bosmer are cosmetic and removable, but I myself have met a Treethane who had a magnificent 6-point rack growing right out of his cranium, and it was no prosthetic! Now, he told me that he'd had it magically grown upon assuming his title, as a symbol of his authority. The spells were sung -
Morriel: Hm!
Phrastus: Yes, sung, by a particular kind of aether-priest called a Namespinner, and she was able to perceive the Treethane's protonymic, and unweave it slightly and then chant a new suffix into it, thus actually changing the Treethane's physical form. Or so he told me, if you want to trust the word of a Bosmer.

So tl:dr, most of the antlers are prosthesis, but some of them are real, having been magically grown there.

Lorebooks in TES have to be taken with a grain of salt. They are all npc perspective and opinion. Even the 'facts' and 'truth'.

Reread the portion on the magically grown horns, its an opinion on what they viewed. It is highly unlikely any bosmer horns are not prosthetic. Understand what we can do to make prosthetics seamless and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

DocFrost72 · July 2017

I was under the impression it was a throwback to pre-Green Pact and pre-Yffre times. Bosmer used to shapeshift with little regard constantly (depending on the lore you read); it is what inspired the wild hunt and necessitated the Pact with Y’ffre.

As far as I knew, it was so that some bosmer still retain animal like qualities and even some parts from those more chaotic days.

So wear your antlers proudly, sap brother or sister.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · July 2017

notimetocare wrote: »

and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

...and if their flesh has been magically altered so they grow antlers, how does that make the horns not real? Not natural I can see an argument for, but changing the very nature of your being is not the same thing as gluing a bit of horn to your forehead.

Ghanima_Atreides · July 2017

DocFrost72 wrote: »

I was under the impression it was a throwback to pre-Green Pact and pre-Yffre times. Bosmer used to shapeshift with little regard constantly (depending on the lore you read); it is what inspired the wild hunt and necessitated the Pact with Y’ffre.

That was my thought as well, and in fact my beantlered Bosmer acquired hers after illegally shapeshifting following the capture and of her Nord boyfriend who violated the Green Pact.

TheNuminous1 · July 2017

My thoughts on it had to do with the way Y'ffre gave them their form. All mer outside aldmer have changed in some way to become the race they are.

When Y'ffre the singer, sung the shapes into the mer that migrated to the valen, She probably made it so that some of them would grow horns.

Maybe they have them from birth. Maybe they grow in in adolescence or puberty. Who knows. All I know if my bosmer follows the treaty of frond and leaf and she grew antlers. It was how Y'ffre sang her. Everything that is was will be was a story He told in the dawn.

DocFrost72 · July 2017

Ghanima_Atreides wrote: »

DocFrost72 wrote: »

I was under the impression it was a throwback to pre-Green Pact and pre-Yffre times. Bosmer used to shapeshift with little regard constantly (depending on the lore you read); it is what inspired the wild hunt and necessitated the Pact with Y’ffre.

That was my thought as well, and in fact my beantlered Bosmer acquired hers after illegally shapeshifting following the capture and of her Nord boyfriend who violated the Green Pact.

My bosmer tells people that all bosmer have antlers until their "first". You'd be amazed how many people believe her xD

notimetocare · July 2017

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

notimetocare wrote: »

and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

...and if their flesh has been magically altered so they grow antlers, how does that make the horns not real? Not natural I can see an argument for, but changing the very nature of your being is not the same thing as gluing a bit of horn to your forehead.

Antlers are not flesh. Antlers do not grow from flesh.

SydneyGrey · July 2017

This question is answered here:
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/86563/bosmer-lore-question

Dustfinger81 · July 2017

notimetocare wrote: »

Lorebooks in TES have to be taken with a grain of salt. They are all npc perspective and opinion. Even the 'facts' and 'truth'.

Reread the portion on the magically grown horns, its an opinion on what they viewed. It is highly unlikely any bosmer horns are not prosthetic. Understand what we can do to make prosthetics seamless and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

Most of ES lore comes from in world fallible sources. The thing that can counter it is other lore that may be from in world fallible sources. So all that is a given. What makes it so unlikely? Do you have a lore source or is it just opinion?

Korah_Eaglecry · July 2017

I believe its a call back to before they took their current form under their agreement with Y'ffre. I like to head-canon that its a physical sign that they have a much closer, magical connection with nature than their average bosmer brethren.

notimetocare · July 2017

Dustfinger81 wrote: »

notimetocare wrote: »

Lorebooks in TES have to be taken with a grain of salt. They are all npc perspective and opinion. Even the 'facts' and 'truth'.

Reread the portion on the magically grown horns, its an opinion on what they viewed. It is highly unlikely any bosmer horns are not prosthetic. Understand what we can do to make prosthetics seamless and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

Most of ES lore comes from in world fallible sources. The thing that can counter it is other lore that may be from in world fallible sources. So all that is a given. What makes it so unlikely? Do you have a lore source or is it just opinion?

The lore source that it comes from. Lore book perspective is best analyzed not everything as fact. It is known there is prosthetics.

Dustfinger81 · July 2017

notimetocare wrote: »

Dustfinger81 wrote: »

notimetocare wrote: »

Lorebooks in TES have to be taken with a grain of salt. They are all npc perspective and opinion. Even the 'facts' and 'truth'.

Reread the portion on the magically grown horns, its an opinion on what they viewed. It is highly unlikely any bosmer horns are not prosthetic. Understand what we can do to make prosthetics seamless and that magically altering flesh is one of the more simple things for mages to do

Most of ES lore comes from in world fallible sources. The thing that can counter it is other lore that may be from in world fallible sources. So all that is a given. What makes it so unlikely? Do you have a lore source or is it just opinion?

The lore source that it comes from. Lore book perspective is best analyzed not everything as fact. It is known there is prosthetics.

While we know in-game sources are fallible, knowing not every thing is fact gives no credence to one over the other. Also, if you follow the link, you see that it isn't from a book. It is from an interview where the interviewers and devs took on personas. So, in interview, it is said that some horns are magically grown. We have the same type of source that confirms prosthetics as confirms magically grown.