chrismien

[chrismien]

Random Thoughts at 4:00am in the Morning

Studying for my pathology exam later at 7:00am, a random memory suddenly floods back.

When I was 6, my father was in Dubai and bought us a new PC, along with games like TESIII: Morrowind. As a 6-year-old, I was terrified of Azura's voice, and the outlandish landscape of that game further fueled my fear. The orgrim, Daedra, ash zombies, and corprus creatures sent me running away from the computer screen and into my bed.

I was only able to play it with my mother. She was great at reading the quests and helping me understand. When we first came to Balmora, it felt like we were really in a new city. It was majestic fantasy, to discover a foreign city in an alien landscape with my mother at my side. In a way, we explored Vvardenfell together. We slayed monsters and helped people. We never got far into that game back then but that's one of my fondest memories of her and my childhood.

#the elder scrolls #tesiii #morrowind #childhood #vvardenfell

[chrismien]

NASA's James Webb telescope spotted a huge "question mark" in deep space. This confirms that we live in a simulation, and that the question mark is actually the universe experiencing a rendering error due to an incorrect path for a texture.

#NASA #space #universe #simulation #galaxies #james webb telescope

[chrismien]

I tried to make Mystique from the X-Men in Sims 4.

#sims #sims 4 #gaming #screenshots #x-men #comics #mystique

[chrismien]

Let's talk about Elsweyr's architecture, specifically how geography influenced it.

In the Elder Scrolls Online base game, players can visit Kenarthi's Roost, which is the starting location for Aldmeri Dominion players. We could easily observe the stilted houses and buildings on the island of the Khajiits. This doesn't really reflect the nomadic culture that majority of the beastfolk have since these kinds of buildings are made to last and are built for prolonged stay in the area. How do I know this?

As a Filipino, I find this style of building especially familiar. Indonesians may also share the same sentiment. In the real world, these stilted buildings are known as "bahay kubo" in the Philippines. They are a staple of provincial life and are designed in a way that prevents floodwater and mud from entering the house. This is why they are built on stilts.

Another purpose of stilt houses is to decrease the occurrence of pests running into the houses. Tropical countries are known for the many insects and small mammals that inhabit them, and stilt houses can help to keep these pests out.

As you can see from the image above, it is quite different from the fantasy world. It is a Filipino stilted house from the Siquijor region. The roof is not exaggerated, and the windows are more open. However, the buildings from Kenarthi Roost are actually very based on real life.

Looking at the image, it is clear where the makers of the game got their inspiration. This is an Indonesian stilted house. The purpose of this kind of roofing is to let the water slide down in times of heavy rains. Observe the stilts on this house, and you can see that they have more support compared to the ones from the Philippines.

Basically, stilt houses are raised off the ground, which allows for better airflow and helps to keep the house cooler. Additionally, the stilts can be used to create a ventilated space underneath the house, which can help to lower humidity levels.

It can also help to regulate temperature and reduce humidity is the use of natural materials. Materials such as wood, bamboo, and thatch are good insulators, which helps to keep the house cool in the dry season and warm in the wet season. Additionally, these materials are porous, which allows for good airflow and helps to prevent moisture build-up.

In this pre-release image, we can see that the columns and stilts are made of stone, and the motifs of the buildings are reminiscent of the styles from Cambodia and its surrounding regions.

Adding to that, the region of Southeast Asia is characterized by heavy rains and storms. In the more tropical parts of Elsweyr, stilted houses are more common. However, as you go up north, the climate becomes less tropical and more temperate, and the houses become less stilted and more made of stone.

Below are some comparisons of Elsweyr to Southeast Asian locations (left is Elsweyr, right is the Southeast Asian location):

The similarities are quite evident.

While some references say that the Khajiit are based on the Romanian peoples of Europe, their architecture is very much based on Southeast Asian styles. It is also worth noting that traces of Persian, Romani, Indian, and other cultures can be found in Khajiit society.

Some YouTube content also states that the Khajiit can be compared to gypsies in the real world, as they are both considered "fringe people." Another note regarding the architecture is that it is also based on the domiciles of the sea gypsies in the Philippines, the Badjaos.

Southeast Asia is a very beautiful region with a great deal of cultural diversity. As someone from the Philippines, I can say from my own experience that foreigners can experience how Western and Eastern cultures merge here.

What other topics should I do next?

#Tamrielic Tales #Gaming #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls online #tes online #skyrim #lore #deep dive #elsweyr #khajiit #south east asia #philippines #indonesia

[chrismien]

Let's explore the negative association of milk in Tamriel's Nordic culture.

So, basically, from the dialogue and other sources, we know that drinking milk within Nord cultures is associated with a number of negative perceptions, such as:

Milk is for children.

Milk is associated with weakness.

Milk is not a manly beverage.

This is evidenced by the lines from numerous NPCs in Skyrim.

If you have a disposition of -1 or lower with an NPC, they may say to you: "What do you want, milk drinker?"

There is also the Taunting Adventurer NPC in Skyrim, who is a randomly encountered warrior in the wilderness or in an inn. He says: "What's a milk drinker like you doing out here? Go home to your mother."

But it is worth noting that some Nords such as Rigurt the Brash from ESO oppose the concept behind the insult saying: "Milk-drinker. Why did that become such a terrible Nord insult, I wonder. Milk is good for you! I love the stuff! Not as much as I love mead, but it's a close second. Maybe third."

With that, it is reasonable to assume that some Nords avoid drinking milk to prevent being perceived as a cry-baby or a weakling by other Nords, and potentially even by themselves.

As we know, even in real life, milk is important for bone growth. When we delve into medical aspects, calcium is an essential extracellular cation required for muscles to surpass the action potential threshold, enabling contractions and therefore movement.

Skyrim, the homeland of the Nords, also experiences limited sunlight in certain regions. UV radiation from the sun is essential for the activation of Vitamin D from cholecalciferol to calcitriol. This fat-soluble vitamin is crucial for maintaining bone strength and a healthy immune system.

Basically, calcium is important for nerve conduction, blood clotting, muscle contractions, immune functions, and healthy bones.

But how would a race centered around strength and possessing a strong warrior culture maintain their constitution?

Skyrim is abundant with cheese, which is directly made from milk and is also rich in calcium. Digesting cheese breaks it down into its components, facilitating the absorption of calcium into the body.

There is also a thriving fishing culture in Riften and Windhelm. Access to the Sea of Ghosts allows access to marine resources like fish and shellfish which could act as substitutes for calcium sources.

I understand that it's a fantasy world, but creating a believable fantasy world can indeed enhance the enjoyment of the experience. By grounding elements of the world in reality, it becomes more relatable and allows us to better connect with the characters and settings.

We can now conclude that Nords are able to maintain their warrior culture despite the cultural bias against milk, which is essential for numerous bodily functions.

#Tamrielic Tales #Gaming #the elder scrolls #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #tesv #skyrim #elder scrolls online #tes online #nords #lore #milk drinker #deep dive

[chrismien]

I officially joined the Railroad and despite them knowing my connections to the Institute and my role at the Battle of Bunker Hill, they still accepted me. This is most probably because they know that I'm a valuable asset if they really do want to free the synths.

Running missions for them with Piper and some of the Minutemen was easy. Dealing with taking Spectacle Island and making it into the Mercer Safehouse might be one of the greater challenges we faced.

Desdemona knows that I am the general of the Minutemen. Even Deacon is aware of it. He advises me to avoid bringing a hillbilly and redneck attitude into the Minutemen.

#Welcome to the Fallout #Gaming #fallout 4 #fo4 #fallout #screenshots #minutemen #piper #railroad #desdemona

[chrismien]

Talos in Greek mythology originated as the formidable creation of Hephaestus, a colossal brass automaton commissioned by Zeus and bestowed upon Minos to safeguard Europa and the shores of Crete from pirates and invaders. It is said that Talos circles the island three times a day.

In the Elder Scrolls universe, the name Talos takes on a different story. He was also called Emperor Tiber Septim, Ysmir, and Dragon of the North. Within the lore, Talos is said to have harnessed the might of the Numidium, an imposing construct crafted by dwarves and fueled by a giant soul gem called Mantella. This enabled him to found the Third Empire and conquer all of Tamriel.

It's interesting that the two Talos' almost parallel each other. One commanded an automaton while the other was an automaton.

Below is a diagram depicting the Numidium from the in-game book Divine Metaphysics.

#Tamrielic Tales #Gaming #the elder scrolls #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #tesv #skyrim #elder scrolls online #tes online #numidium #lore #greek mythology #talos #crete #europa

[chrismien]

For anyone who thought Secret Invasion was lackluster and mediocre, I highly recommend watching Agents of SHIELD instead.

Season 4 was what Secret Invasion tried to be but failed. Some may find season 1 to be a rocky start but it only goes uphill from there.

#Marvel Multiverse #agents of shield #agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. #secret invasion #nick fury #giah #chloe bennet #daisy johnson

[chrismien]

It's summer vacation and we're hoping that we survive the purge of Medical School to get into our second year of medical education.

What better way to emulate survival than to play Fallout 4 during the break. I know it's not Rust, Minecraft, The Forest, or any other 'real' survival game. I guess I'm just settling more on for the theme rather than the gameplay mechanics.

I made Piper into a Minuteman the second she wanted to be in my party.

I haven't been this far out too Fallout 4. I guess joining the Institute was a bad idea so I ended up joining the Railroad instead.

Any how, my days of chilling are numbered.

#Welcome to the Fallout #Gaming #fallout 4 #fo4 #fallout #screenshots #the institute #minutemen #piper

[chrismien]

I haven't played ESO since 2021 because I've been busy with academics but I really miss adventuring in Tamriel. It feels like home sometimes. Going back to Morrowind, which was the first province I set foot in when I was a kid, really brought back some awesome memories.

With Necrom out for some time now, I can't help but be jealous of people exploring Morrowind again. During my Skyrim playthroughs, Hermaeus Mora was the only Daedric Prince I allowed my characters to ally with.

#Tamrielic Tales #Gaming #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls online #tes online #elsweyr #alinor #summerset isles #arteum