Quest Lore discussion: "The Caller" (quest: "Hitting the Books")

  • Welcome to Skyrim Forums! Register now to participate using the 'Sign Up' button on the right. You may now register with your Facebook or Steam account!

Brynja

New Member
Bear with me, as this is a long, brainstorming post about Lore….

Does anyone know ANYTHING else about this person other than what the Wikis say? I tried to get more info from the game but I just didn't find it. There seems to be NO depth to this interesting quest, which bugs me....

The Caller is an Altmer sorcerer who is running "projects" (experiments) in Fellglow Keep with her "assistants" who range from elemental mages to necromancers of all races. She convinces Orthorn, another Altmer mage (and at the time a student at the College of Winterhold) to steal three books for her from the library: Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids, and Fragment: On Artaeum.

Types of experiments that are likely being run include: dissection, magic used on test subjects, enchanting and smithing with quicksilver, alchemy (poisons?), conjuration, and subjecting vampires to torture (or torturing them for intel).

The books she is using in some kind of ritual chamber are on the topics of Saarthal (the Eye of Magnus), a basic primer on the Ayleids and the human revolt, and the Psijic Order. The odd thing about these books is that they don't really have a link between them that I can see, except that they all deal with elves (Night of Tears: Snow Elves; The Last King: Ayleids; Fragment: Altmer. Obviously Saarthal and the Psijics are linked, which The Caller may or may not know, but what on earth would the Ayleids have to do with the other two?

Going back to the experiments, one of the more interesting aspects is the caged vampires who are all of mixed races (including one Altmer). The dissections are also being performed on various races, but none of them Altmer. All of them are vampires except for the Nord and the Khajiit (those who are, are Bosmer and what looks like Imperial). The race thing may not matter, in the end…. But what she may be trying to figure out is how vampires stay alive, or something about the undead, what are their strengths/weaknesses…. SOMEthing to do with vampires or the undead. She may also be trying to do something to vampires or to mortals, such as turn vampires mortal or mortal vampires, or something in between. As there are necromancers around, it is possible that the mages are trying to learn how to properly enthrall vampires, or perhaps even mortals.

Back to The Caller and who she may be. Things she can do are interesting: she can teleport, cast elemental magic, and conjure things. Teleportation is a power that the Psijic Order possess (she has a book that is basically a primer on the Psijics). If she can conjure things, she could herself be a necromancer, despite her not being labeled as such. “To Call” is after all synonymous with Summon and perhaps even Conjure.

So what on Magnus’s good Nirn is she up to?! I can’t really figure it out, but my theories range from the enthrallment of the undead or perhaps even the living. This brings me back to the book on the Ayleids, who in the book are mentioned to be master enslavers (this particular book does not mention that they also tortured humans for fun). The torture aspect isn’t unknown in Skyrim as those wracks are seen throughout the country, but one interesting thing about Fellglow Keep is that there are three “practice rows” that have a hung iron cage toward which novice mages are casting magic. Practice for magic, or for torture?

Anyway, that’s where my brainstorming meets a brick wall. Taking an even bigger leap, one could say she’s working for the Thalmor. Saarthal/Eye of Magnus (a great power that ancient elves wanted); enslaving humans and learning from history about rebellions and the power of the Nords (who aided Alessia); and the power of telepathy/teleportation of the Psijics. All of these things would be useful to the Thalmor for whenever they plan on actually full-on invading Skyrim (because you know they want to….) Despite the fact that The Caller employs mages of all races, she may be merely using them with the guise of actually wanting or needing their help. If The Caller were not Altmer I would not have this Thalmor theory, but she is.

I just wish the quest story delved deeper into meaning, but really I think all it was meant for was to teach the player about Saarthal, the Psijics, and how elves once enslaved humans and how humans rebelled. Could the quest really be that shallow?
 

Gigapact

Lollygagging Milk Drinker (according to guards)
Really all it will ever be is just speculation, unfortunately. From what I've found, if you cannot find the answer/background info on a character on any of the main websites for that kind of info, you are outta luck. For example, it kills me not knowing what really happened between Delvin and The Dark Brotherhood. I know they have history, but it never really reveals what went wrong. By listening to his comments here and there, something obviously happened. But all I can do is make up my own story as do a lot of people.

The caller? Honestly, I never really looked into her too much, but yes the quest can be that shallow. There are so many quests that I wish Skyrim went deeper into. But the game is already so huge.
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
I wonder if there's deeper lore in storage somewhere, like the cut scenes of a major film. Someone came up with a whole story and, in favor of size or speed, most of it got cut. Maybe a good question to email to Bethesda themselves. I've seen interviews with a guy titled "loremaster," so he probably has the best chance of knowing.

Edit* I sent a contact form email to Bethesda, to the attention of the Loremaster. Let's see if we get a reply.
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
Well, apparently, IF there's lore, it's a secret right up there with the Manhattan Project....





Helping you is our passion!

We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you within 120 hours.

We look forward to working with you again should you need us!


Subject
Bethsoft.com Contact Form | Game Questions, Comments, and Suggestions

Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (Kristoffer) 12/28/2013 09:41 PM
Good Loredas Adventurer!

I am sorry to say, that outside of TESO lore, and lore related to the previous games, I can not release any information that is not already publicly known. If there is anything else I could help you with, I will do my best to assist.

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

Warm Regards,
The Elder Scrolls Online Team
 

AS88

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Well, apparently, IF there's lore, it's a secret right up there with the Manhattan Project....





Helping you is our passion!

We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you within 120 hours.

We look forward to working with you again should you need us!


Subject
Bethsoft.com Contact Form | Game Questions, Comments, and Suggestions

Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (Kristoffer) 12/28/2013 09:41 PM
Good Loredas Adventurer!

I am sorry to say, that outside of TESO lore, and lore related to the previous games, I can not release any information that is not already publicly known. If there is anything else I could help you with, I will do my best to assist.

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

Warm Regards,
The Elder Scrolls Online Team

How come it went to the Online team? :confused: Maybe there nobody at all dedicated to Skyrim any more. Sadness.
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
Idk, maybe I sent it to the wrong place. I think I googled the Bethesda main page and clicked the Contact link. I couldn't find any e-mail addresses for the actual loremaster.
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
Well geez! haha. Thanks for trying! sigh. I would love to sit down with the original writers, etc...
So would I, but given their zeal at guarding their secrets, I'm not holding my breath. You might think they're splitting the atom (again) over there. :/
 

The Honorable Gidian Diva of Sass

Sahrot Vahlok Spaan. Bahnahgaar. Minion #88!
Staff member
I say she was seeking to amass power. The saarthal thing can make someone invincible, the psijics can freeze time at will and see the future, and the ayleighds once dominated the world. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Immortality from vampires, as well as their innate magic abilities. All the books on magic and the test subjects. Even wolves. Maybe she was planning on "Calling" some powerful being from the planes of Oblivion? Or a long dead spirit from rest? Idk. But whatever Daedra is her patron is probably the key to the mystery. I've been playing a lot of Dark Souls and looking into the lore, so I'm used to speculation. I'll see what I can come up with. Funnythat I always ignored stuff like this as shallow and empty quest markers.
 

The Honorable Gidian Diva of Sass

Sahrot Vahlok Spaan. Bahnahgaar. Minion #88!
Staff member
I'd sit down if I were you, because this speculation is enough to make you say "wow" out loud.

I found a connection, and if I'm right, the Caller could have eventually became the greatest threat Nirn has ever seen. She was researching the Ayleids, who basically wrote the book on slavery and subjugation and dominating the world, as well as several on magic. Magic from starlight, which is connected to Aesthetics and quite possibly one of the most powerful forms of magic. Not only that, but they worshiped the daedra...

Next, we have the Psijic order, the practical roots of the Mage's guild, as well as more magic. But not just any magic, magic that can manipulate laws of whatever, phsyics I think? They can control time, see into the future, and even transport mass from one place to another. That will make more sense after this next bomb shell...

The eyes of Magnus. It is obviously related to Magnus in some way. It is unknown if he created it or not (though he did create the staff) , but he did lay the groundwork for the creation of Nirn. An entire plane of existence. It also grants immense magical ability. How does all this link together, beyond the obvious? I think she was going to try and create her own plane of existence. Turn Nirn into her own personal Plane of Oblivion, or even amass enough power to replace one of the existing draedric lords. The study of vampires implies a connection with Molag Bal, so I think she was taking notes. Vampires are extremely powerful, even with their weaknesses, and she would need an army. An army she could create in the blink of an eye. And vampires can spread like a disease. She just needs them to be loyal to her, and not Bal, if she was indeed going to go that route.

There are many more speculations I came up with, but my hand hurts from typing this so fast...
 
Top