InsaneJournal

Miscellaneous Headcanons

• Yes, the Dovahkiin is considered the "ultimate dragon slayer" but that is not his entire purpose in life. If it was, he would have killed not only Alduin, but also Odahviing and Paarthurnax, and any other dragons he's crossed paths with, whether that be by chance or choice. It is rare he goes out of his way to hunt down a dragon with the intent to kill.
  • Additionally, Ysmir took the Greybeards' side. He realizes both sides (the Greybeards and the Blades) have their flaws but the Greybeards don't talk down to him or act condescending and bossy like Delphine does. He knows he wouldn't know the things he does if it weren't for Delphine's meddling with everyone, but he doesn't appreciate the lack of respect she has for him and what he is, and cannot get past her inability to see change, especially where Paarthurnax is concerned.

    It was his destiny to defeat Alduin; it was never his destiny to become a dragon-slaying puppet to a dying (or practically dead) faction. Power doesn't necessarily beget respect, but it does demand a certain exercise of caution.

• Describe a physical action that shows complete trust. For him, it’s a hand on the other person’s shoulder or arm. Ysmir is not one to touch people a lot unless it’s absolutely necessary. He mostly keeps his hands to himself, but if he grows close to you, he may occasionally rest his hand on your shoulder. It’s a simple gesture, but it says a lot about how he perceives you as a person. As for more affectionate gestures, those are saved specifically for his lover.
• Could your muse survive on an uninhabited island all by themselves? At first, absolutely. He is a survivalist. Finding food and shelter would not pose any difficulty to him, as he’s been an adventurer for a long time and has been honing his skills in the wild. He could devise traps for live food ( fish, woodland critters if available ), craft weapons for hunting larger animals, and make himself a garden of sorts if he can find fertile soil for fresh produce, all while also living off the land around him. However, he is a social being and eventually the loneliness of being the only person around would take a negative toll on him, mentally and emotionally. Solitary confinement is possibly one of the worst things that could happen to him.
• As the Dragonborn, Ysmir travels a lot and comes across all sorts of people and common folk needing help with things. Family heirlooms stolen, problems with riffraff, all flavors of "please retrieve my item from this place that's too dangerous for me". Of course, he can't take on all these retrievals. As Harbinger of the Companions, he passes along these jobs to his Shield-Siblings to be given to the other members, new and old. It's a lucrative affair for Jorrvaskr.
• Ysmir is, by no means, an angel, but even his shadier activities have some angle of good to them, however obtuse or acute. People are already less likely to cross you if they know you're the Dragonborn, but he finds his rank in the Companions and even the Thieves Guild gives him some edge when it comes to helping out those who are underprivileged and over-exploited. Sometimes when you want to do good, you have to fight a little dirty. A little intimidation goes a long way.
• From a young age, children are taught to hunt and fish by their parents. Ysmir (then Andrel) was just a toddler when his father Vanrik left home to fight in the Great War, but he returned when Andrel was seven years old. Vanrik is a blacksmith, and he forged a hunting knife for his son as soon as he returned. Ysmir almost lost it, but recovered it when he visited Darkwater Crossing after Helgen.