Summerset and Shalks

RealLifeRedguard · January 2017

I'm always desperate for any scrap of altmer lore ZOS throws our way, and I couldn't help but notice the quest in Grahtwood where you have to help the altmer carnival troupe. One of the altmer mentions being a "bug-wrangler" and laments that his shalk beetles are having trouble adapting to the climate outside of Summerset. So, is this meant to imply that shalks, and perhaps other giant insects live in the Summerset Isles? We didn't see any in Auridon, but I'd be interested to know more about the altmer relationship to insects and whether or not it's similar to the dunmer.

Again, this is mostly just desperate ramblings as I try my hardest to learn something cohesive about altmer other than their snobbery. Hopefully someone else noticed this little tidbit and finds it mildly interesting.

Ajaxandriel · January 2017

Yeah I remember this troupe but I interpreted this bug tamer as being an eccentric, just like an entertainer has to be !
I don't recall if it was implied as an altmeri cultural fact. For me it was the performance of an artist who just trains and works in Valenwood - where I suspect the bosmer for bug farming. Adaptation to his public ?

There are too other quest dealing with kwama in the AD at least :
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Root_of_the_Problem
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Caring_for_Kwama

Maybe altmer do breed insects, but retaking dunmeri species seems irrelevant, don't you think ? The bright Altmer in dull mines ? poor peasants who will take care of that... It may just be an "import" - exotic stuff from far east.

If I were a dev I would rather put high elves breeding giant dragonflies, butterflies, bees and ornamental caterpillars instead of this.
(I still like to imagine miror features between the dunmer and the altmer

)

RealLifeRedguard · January 2017

Ajaxandriel wrote: »

Yeah I remember this troupe but I interpreted this bug tamer as being an eccentric, just like an entertainer has to be !
I don't recall if it was implied as an altmeri cultural fact. For me it was the performance of an artist who just trains and works in Valenwood - where I suspect the bosmer for bug farming. Adaptation to his public ?

There are too other quest dealing with kwama in the AD at least :
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Root_of_the_Problem
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Caring_for_Kwama

Maybe altmer do breed insects, but retaking dunmeri species seems irrelevant, don't you think ? The bright Altmer in dull mines ? poor peasants who will take care of that... It may just be an "import" - exotic stuff from far east.

If I were a dev I would rather put high elves breeding giant dragonflies, butterflies, bees and ornamental caterpillars instead of this.
(I still like to imagine miror features between the dunmer and the altmer )

I definitely agree on the dragonflies and stuff, but like I said I'm desperate for any scrap of altmer culture I can find. It's also worth noting that the troupe was specializing in traditional altmer entertainment, and the bug handler said his shalks aren't doing well with the climate outside of Summerset. This seems to suggest a species of shalk is common on the Isles

WhiteCoatSyndrome · January 2017

He might have just raised those individual Shalk in the Summerset Isles. I'll admit it's been a while since I did that quest, but as it's basically a traveling circus it would make sense to have creatures that were exotic to the local.

Re: Kwama, I seem to recall importing those was an experiment because they wanted to use them for traditional mining - the dirt or whatever they eat occasionally contained gold and gems. *digs* Here is it, although it's written by Cirantille so bring your salt shaker.

I don't know if it can be considered canon and this is a little off topic, but the Imperial Library has a section of cut content from Summerset you might find interesting.

Ajaxandriel · January 2017

Thus there are shalks in Summerset to a certain extent, definitely... Either they are indigenous or not. ( http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Shalk_(Online) still indicates them as native from Morrowind, but different species of these giant beetles could exist throughout Tamriel). Interesting fact anyway !

Not really on the topic, but as you're interested in summerset environment... I made a game herbarium of Auridon there : http://triskelion.jdrforum.com/t95-herbier-la-flore-d-auridia#126 (or the same -non updated version- in the present forum : https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/fr/discussion/279844/guide-illustre-de-la-flore-auridienne-herbier-dajaxandriel) I'm not skilled enought to translate it yet, anyway all the names which are not of in-game alchemy plants are mere assumption based on real world botany.

RealLifeRedguard · January 2017

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

He might have just raised those individual Shalk in the Summerset Isles. I'll admit it's been a while since I did that quest, but as it's basically a traveling circus it would make sense to have creatures that were exotic to the local.

Re: Kwama, I seem to recall importing those was an experiment because they wanted to use them for traditional mining - the dirt or whatever they eat occasionally contained gold and gems. *digs* Here is it, although it's written by Cirantille so bring your salt shaker.

I don't know if it can be considered canon and this is a little off topic, but the Imperial Library has a section of cut content from Summerset you might find interesting.

The basic stuff is apparently canon, according to Schick in a podcast interview. I'm actually gonna do a post on that at some point