Introduction

Warning! This work of fiction includes spoilers for Rigmor and other mods. In the Old Journal, I never mentioned the mods or quests involved in a particular entry. For the New Journals, I will say the mod(s) and quest(s) used.

The Old Journal covers the original Rigmor of Bruma (RoB) and Rigmor of Cyrodiil (RoC) mods. They are worth reading if you are familiar with those mods. I regard the Old Journal as a chance to hone my style and skills. The same as the first RoB and RoC mods were learning experiences for Jim, the mod author.

The New Journals cover the RoB Reboot, RoC Reboot and the Rigmor of Tamriel mods.

The relationship between Wulf, my Dragonborn, and The Divines develops differently in the updated mods. His relationship with Rigmor and how that develops is also different. The proposed changes for the RoC Reboot and those already in the RoB Reboot make it impossible for me to change a few words and reuse old journal entries.

In short, the New Journal entries will differ by a small to large amount from those in the Old Journal.

Skyrim is one of the most popular games ever. After its release on the 11th November 2011 it broke many records for total purchases and downloads. It won many “Game of The Year” awards from the primary game sites and magazines. More than seven years after its release the mod community keeps adding to the game and has made its replay value second to none.

The game’s full title, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” tells you it is the 5th game in the Elder Scroll Series. With the addition of spin-off games, DLCs and an online world, The Elder Scrolls universe has become rich in lore and canon.

These journals are my interpretation of the lore with some personal choices made on which canon to believe. The events in the two best mods I have ever played for any game, “Rigmor Of Bruma” and “Rigmor Of Cyrodiil”, have influenced my choice of canon.

I will refer to The Dragonborn as a male as that is his gender in this journal.

Some aficionados believe they know the canon as well as the writers and developers. They will argue with mod developers from an imaginary level of superiority. They often make disparaging comments online even when discussing the most popular and critically acclaimed mods. If you are one of them, then do us both a favour and move on. The canon is loose enough, and on many occasions so contradictory that re-interpretation is not only valid, it is necessary. Take a look at how the definition of “Dragonborn” changed between Skyrim and earlier Elder Scroll games for an example of changing and contradictory canon.

Skyrim is of the game genre “action role-playing game” or more precisely a sub-genre known as “action-adventure”. The difficulty with such games is cohesively tying together each action you choose with appropriate responses from NPCs you encounter. That requires a lot of “if-then-else” logic. To make a game like Skyrim seem as open as it is and to give the player a sense of freedom of choice some “if-then-else” logic is applied but nowhere near the amount necessary to cover every situation. A classic example in Skyrim is freeing Thorald Gray-Mane from his Thalmor jailers at Northwatch Keep.  Eorland Gray-Mane never thanks you or treats you with any respect or shows any recognition that you rescued his son when you ask him about “The Companions”. He never mentions it even after you have joined them. The rudeness of Imperial Guards after the civil war is another example despite TDB (The Dragonborn) reaching the rank of legate.  Nobody on Nirn respects the fact TDB saves their very existence on several occasions.

The Rigmor mods are by far the best and most emotionally involving experiences I have had in over 50 years of being a gaming nut! They have opened up a whole new world of canon interpretation and therefore lore and therefore Fanlore (or Headcanon or Fanart or whatever your favourite term is).

The seeming lack of a common cause for the crises facing Nirn begs for answers. Why did TDB happen to join the College of Winterhold the day they found the Eye of Magnus? Why was TDB just in time to stop the Volkihar vampires from uncovering Serana in Dimhollow Cavern? Why did TDB travel to Solstheim in time to stop Miraak’s plans? Logic tells me there must be a reason. This journal is my interpretation of what occurred and why. It ties in with the Rigmor mods as Jim opened a proverbial can of worms by declaring The Dragonborn had no memory of his childhood. Jim hints at his parentage and how much under the direction of The Divines he is.

This journal entries are what TDB thought was happening as he not only saved Nirn on multiple occasions but pursued his identity and history. I have been careful only to express TDB’s thoughts as they would logically happen after each revelation. The Dragonborn only undertakes things relevant to his pursuit of identity, at the direction of The Divines, to aid mortals or to aid Rigmor. He does not undertake tasks for glory or riches.

The love TDB shares with Rigmor and their entwined fates are central to the story I tell.

Rigmor is The Dragonborn’s soul mate. All the answers to all his questions would still not complete his identity. He can only be whole with her beside him. Click on Rigmor in Skyrim at the top of the page to start sharing Wulf’s and Rigmor’s adventures.