#oc: varimar

[tis-the-marmot]

Found these old pixel sprites I made of Pasta-Al-Forno (my sibling's LDB), Varimar, Miraak and Aicantar. Aka our main Skyrim party (which is called "I quattro formaggi" btw. Four cheese. Yes, like the four cheese pizza. No, don't ask us why, we don't know either.)

#skyrim #last dragonborn #dovahkiin #oc: pasta-al-forno #oc: varimar #miraak #aicantar #dovahkiin oc #dragonborn oc #first dragonborn #argonian #breton #high elf #altmer #atmorian #skyrim art #tes #the elder scrolls #tes art #digital art

[tis-the-marmot]

@lillxart I thought it might be better to reply to your questions with a dedicated post because I can't fit all of this into a single comment 😭

And ooh boy her caretaker. Hm. Well for now let's just say that he exploited her predisposition to conjuration for a very personal reason and he did so in ways that would leave a mark on anyone as a child. Like, for example he manipulated Vari into thinking that she didn't deserve his love if she couldn't use her powers as he wanted, but she was just a little unexperienced and untrained kid so it's not like she didn't want to, she just didn't know how to 😭 At the same time he kept telling her that conjuration was this horrible, evil practice and no one would've accepted her because of it, leading her to hate and hide that part of herself until she started her life at the College. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

But luckily Varimar found a way to escape from his grasp and after that she was adopted by her current loving dads. They had to work hard to at least partially undo all the psychological & physical abuse she had to endure. After a little uhm.necromantic accident Vari's parents had a talk with her about going to the College of Winterhold once she would get old enough. At first she rejected that proposal, she just didn't want anything to do with conjuration or magic in general anymore. But they explained to her very sweetly that it was best if she learned how to control her powers in a safe environment surrounded by experienced mages, and although with a bit of uncertainty, she eventually agreed.

No doubt her past has left her scarred and it often has a heavy influence on her reactions, way of thinking and life choices, but she was also lucky enough to find love and learn some self-acceptance, especially thanks to the family and friends she met along the way :> So despite everything she's actually very chill and jolly, always trying to focus on the positive aspects and the little pleasures of life. She experienced the worst so she really doesn't wanna miss out or lose the best.

But you know how it is sometimes. Twice the joy, double the suffering :-)

And to reply to your other comment yea,  she was shocked to find out what happened to her friends. Despite having been familiar with the concept of death since a young age, losing a loved one is just as devastating for her as it'd be for anyone else :(

#ask box #oc: varimar #skyrim #tes

[tis-the-marmot]

Does Varimar favor magic then? Since she grew up around the college of Winterhold. Does she have any particular friendships with the students? Like a BFF?

Getting to talk about Varimar's personal life feels so great, these asks really make my day, thank you so much ♡♡

My reply will be long so it's all under the cut

First of all yes you got that right, Varimar's a skilled mage in some schools of magic such as conjuration and destruction, but utterly incapable in others like illusion :')

Since conjuration has a particularly low reputation she tends to hide her powers around people that might judge her, only summoning Daedra or reanimating corpses in cases of emergencies.

So while she's mainly a conjurer she generally sticks to destruction magic, more specifically shock spells.

As for her friendships with the other students I have a very clear backstory in mind.

I've always imagined that the three apprentices from the main questline - so Brelyna, Onmund and J'zargo - have applied to the College quite recently, but before them there were the missing apprentices from Phinis Gestor's unfinished sidequest: Yisra, Rundi, Borvir and Ilas-Tei. Not much is said about them in game so I thought, why not expand their roles and turn them into Varimar's former college besties?

They all used to spend a lot of time together practicing magic, doing funny little failed experiments or hanging out at the inn :3 Rundi and Borvir were her drinking buddies, Ilas-Tei was this little troublemaker who often tried to involve Vari in her shenanigans and Yisra was not only Varimar's close friend, but also her girlfriend for a period. Eventually they had to break up because Vari realised she's ace and, well, let's just say their physical intimacy levels were incompatible gshdnshshs. However even after their break-up they still stayed on good terms.

Even when the gang wasn't at the College they all used to keep in touch by writing letters to each other. When Varimar stopped receiving them she sensed that something was wrong and she later finds out that they all died for different causes, just like in the sidequest. :(

Varimar has also known Enthir since her early days at the College but their relationship has always been rather shaky and they used to bicker a lot. It's only after obtaining Gallus' journal during the Thieves Guild's questline that they're able to make up :3

As for Brelyna, Onmund and J'zargo, like I said before, Varimar meets them later in the story. She befriends Brelyna first, immediately followed by Onmund, meanwhile it takes just a little bit longer to get to know J'zargo. They're a bit younger than Vari and they remind her of her old squad, so she kind of takes them under her wing and helps them practice with magic :> When the time comes for Vari to go to Labyrinthian and retrieve the Staff of Magnus, Brelyna, Onmund and J'zargo decide to go with her and they all defeat Morokei together (in a very funny way if I may add but that's a whole different story)

Without going into detail that's generally it when it comes to the students, but Varimar has a strong bond with some of the teachers too, mainly Phinis and Tolfdir. When she was just a kid her horrible, horrible caretaker had led Vari to believe that simply having a good aptitude for conjuration would've made her an evil person dreaded and hated by everyone, and once she got accepted in the College, Phinis' help and his lessons were crucial to disprove this belief. Meanwhile Tolfdir was more like a silly little grandpa to her, he tried so hard to make her feel at home during her first days at the College, when Vari was still very nervous and scared 🥺

Obviously Varimar interacts with all the other members of the College as well, but their relationships are much more superficial or not fully fleshed out yet, so I don't have much to say about them atm :'D

#ask box #oc: varimar #skyrim oc #tes

[tis-the-marmot]

Sooooo Varri's Dwemer spider? 0w0

If you're talking about this little superstar, it doesn't actually belong to Varimar. It's Aicantar's dwemer spider, the one you can meet and control in Calcelmo's laboratory during the Thieves Guild questline. Vari finds the spider while looking for something to translate Gallus' Journal with, and she accidentally causes some havoc with it, alerting Aicantar and the guards in the lab. Things happen and long story short, after finding out that the alleged thief who's sneaking in is actually just Vari, Aicantar decides to helps her with the mission. :3

All goes well and she visits him some time later to thank him properly and explain why she had to break in. Aicantar notices that Vari's very nervous and stressed, so he reassures and tries to cheer her up by basically going "Hey it's no big deal all that matters is that now you're fine, your friends in Riften are fine etc. etc. By the way do you want to say hello to your little partner in crime?" He leads Vari back to the lab where the dwarven spider is excited to see her again, and the two of them play together for a bit before she has to leave :'>

The spidey seems to like her a lot, always trying to get her attention, cuddle or jump on her like a heavy, metallic dog who just doesn't realise it could crush her bones in a second HAHAHAHAHA

The funny thing is, the way the spider behaves depends on the person who's controlling it with the rod, and whenever said rod is in Aicantar's hands the little guy becomes super affectionate with Vari, but I'm sure it's just a coincidence,,,,hehe

#ask box #oc: varimar #skyrim #tes

[tis-the-marmot]

Why does Varimar hate Ancano?

Hii and thanks for the ask! 💓

There are two main reasons why Vari can't stand him:

1) She just has a certain disdain for the Thalmor in general, and

2) She's been an apprentice at the College of Winterhold since she was very young and it's grown to become her second home.

So obviously when she goes back to Winterhold one day, only to see a Thalmor agent in her safe place acting all shady, it sends her into full distress mode. It doesn't help that whenever they interact he flaunts his smug and arrogant personality, he tries to gain info about her/the College in the most suspicious ways possible and she always has a sassy reply ready for him 😭

Fun little fact: despite their frequent clashes, they actually manage to ease the tension between each other and kind of....get along(?) for a while, before Vari learns of his encounter with the Augur and has a confirmation of his true intentions. That's when their little attempt to a truce ends permanently, turning into real, full hatred.

#ask box #ancano #skyrim #oc: varimar

[tis-the-marmot]

So I'm sure Varri has a lot going on rn and romance is the least thing on her mind. BUT, what does Aincantar like so much about her? Other than her being adorable of course -p-

Romance is definitely something that gets more attention later in the story, after all the main threats such as Alduin, Miraak & Harkon are already dealt with.

But let's start from the start. Under the cut of course cause this is gonna be longer than expected 😭

So. What is it about Varimar that picks up Aicantar's interest? Good question. I'd love to ask him the same thing cause man.what kind of qualities did he see in that little loser sgjfdhkhfh

All jokes aside, I guess after an initial period of annoyance he finds out how similar they are in a few aspects (for example they're both conjurers, they're interested in dwemer-related stuff etc.) but I think what actually strengthens their relationship is their differences. Their personalities influence and balance each other out, Aicantar's usually the quiet and calm type so Vari brings out his bolder side and helps him come out of his shell. She on the other side is much more daring and adventurous, but when things get too overwhelming he's always there to reassure her and kinda be her safe place :3 Aicantar admires her powers, appreciates her (often questionable😬) sense of morality and humour, he's impressed by the way she often puts herself in danger to protect other people, but at the same time, ya know, he wishes Vari didn't have to risk her life everytime :(

The two of them feel so comfortable in each other's company that they start revealing their own insecurities and secrets to each other without fear of being judged. For example, Aicantar's one of the very few people who knows about Vari's troubled past with the caregiver or about her true origins as a native to the Reach, as well as her fear of failing to defeat Alduin. Just like Varimar's one of the few people who knows how held back and underappreciated he feels in Markarth, stuck in his position as Calcelmo's assistant when all he'd like to do is see more of Skyrim and travel around just like she does.

This shared vulnerability is what causes them to acknowledge their feelings for each other, cause at the end of the day it's all about how they can express their true selves in each other's presence, including all their little imperfections. :D And once Aicantar becomes a regular member of the squad later in the story, going on their little adventures together and becoming part of each other's daily routine brings them closer than ever :D

#ask box #oc: varimar #aicantar #skyrim #tes