Tavernbrawls

your Prophetess looks cool!! can you tell us some cool things about Alysia?

Alysia was determined to avenge Sirius, especially since he was the only family that she had after her parents and little sister were murdered. She was disappointed when she discovered the Morning Dew had sunk with Captain Rocio aboard. She even considered searching for survivors of the shipwreck, but eventually decided that seeking revenge on people who were only following orders would be no better than what the captain herself had done. Despite all of that, she is very prone to violence if she or her companions are in danger.

Her favorite animals are Myrads. She was particularly fond of the Black Myrad, but quickly came to the realization that sparing its life would be too dangerous for the residents of Duneville.

She is so obsessed with adventuring that she usually cannot remember what Tealor requested she do unless she consults the notes in her journal. Her favorite location is Thalgard, but she just wishes she could have done something to spare the residents of the nearby settlement of Malaph.

Alysia's favorite companion (and eventual lover) is Jespar and she shares in much of his nihilistic ideology, but both of them eventually change each other for the better. She can also relate very well to Tharaêl because of their shared desire for revenge, but it was because she decided to stop seeking it that she was able to save his life.

She did not sacrifice herself to save everyone in Vyn, because she did not believe that people would actually be able to escape the manipulation of the High Ones.

Thank you so much for the ask!

me avoiding the main quest for as long as humanly possible:

Do you have any thoughts on hygiene habits of Tamriel?

OKAY SO, I am very passionate about the idea that people in Tamriel are NOT dirty. I'm nowhere near an expert on TES lore and stuff, so everything I'm listing are just personal headcanons for a few parts of Tamriel.

Of course bathing habits will vary within different areas, but I genuinely believe that good hygiene is practiced thoroughly and frequently, regardless of social status and class.

I don't know much on soap making, but most of Tamriel's soap would be made of lard (or other animal fats and oils) and lye, and scented with various plant extracts if you have the extra coin for it. Commoners and middle/lower class citizens would likely only bathe once a week unless working a dirty job, and those of more noble status would probably have the luxury to a bath every other day, or even daily.

Magical Alchemy is also a thing in TES, so I don't doubt the possibility of body washes, perfume, and antiperspirant solutions or potions. There's also clearly sewer systems and some sort of knowledge of plumbing, so I like to think the really rich assholes would possibly have running water in their homes. Especially in Markarth, where Dwarven technology and architecture is at their fingertips.

I refuse to believe people in Skyrim are yucky. Nords are modeled after Vikings, who were notorious for having excellent hygiene (for the times, anyway) and many Viking graves have things suck as tooth picks, hair combs, nail trimmers, etc. in them. People in more rural areas like Kynesgrove, Rorikstead, Shor's stone, etc. wouldn't have as much every-day access to luxuries like quality soap or clean water, (especially during the Civil war) so they might be generally a little bit “dirtier.”

Places like the Summerset aisles and Cyrodiil would be probably be much more hoity toity about bathing and taking care of the body, with things like lotions, moisturizers, creams, scented oils, and hair butters being common household items among people of all social statuses. I feel like Altmer would definitely take milk baths in attempts to further slow signs of ageing, and probably pour healing potions into bath water to rid themselves of any “flaws” like cuts, scrapes, bruises, and blemishes. 

Some parts of Tamriel may even use sugar waxing for body hair removal, or have specially crafted razor blades for shaving. Probably more common in Summerset, as I can’t see Nords giving a fuck about shaved legs when it’s -10 degrees and snowy, or Dunmer when they get coated in ash wherever they go anyways. 

Khajiit would be VERY meticulous with hygiene and cleanliness, considering they’re covered in fur. Tics, mites, and fleas could become a serious problem and easily transmit sickness. The hot climate of Elsweyr would also be a BREEDING GROUND for diseases, especially in the rain forests. Fur and manes would be brushed twice daily, in the morning upon rising and at night before laying down to sleep. Braids and twists would be common hairstyles for convenience, and claws would be regularly filed. They probably make scrubs and soaps out of Moon Sugar and cocoa butter. Sleek, shiny fur is highly sought after, with Elsweyr and neighboring countries being notorious for their excellent hair care products. 

As said above, those living in more tropical/warm climates like Hammerfell, Valenwood, Summerset, and Elsweyr would have easy access to things like coconut oil, cocoa butter and shea butter, which would all be used for moisturizing and hair care. Minus Valenwood mostly, because of the green pact.

Dunmer would likely come up with a lot of neat ways to use ash and charcoal for things like face masks, exfoliating scrubs, and even antioxidant/antibacterial ointments. Pumice stones for scrubbing and exfoliating the skin too! Soap made from sload oil and the fresh ashes of Red Mountain would likely be highly sought after in other provinces for it's rumored healing properties, and probably makes many Dunmer merchants stinkin' rich. Mud masks from Black Marsh are also credited for their rejuvenating and detoxifying benefits.

I don’t headcanon the Argonians as using many soaps frequently, as their scales can be very sensitive and dry out easily, which would cause painful rashes. They also spend a lot of time in water daily anyway, and likely wouldn’t need to use soap often unless they were going for a dive in a nasty swamp and needed to do some serious scrubbing. Their resistance to disease would likely ease any fears about getting sick from bacteria and dirt, and I’m 100% sure any human that isn’t careful while visiting Black Marsh would probably catch a deadly disease and die horrifically from what Argonians would call a common cold. I do see them using a wide variety of mud masks though, and likely have spas with fish that help pick off old, dry, and cracked scales. Sort of like those weird fucked up fish pedicures we have.