Dandre Aurilie - Eccentric Breton Alchemist

[DJGamer]

Technically a member of the Anvil Mage's Guild, he lives in Stirk so that he can practice his alchemical experiments with little interruption and also because it allows him a place to set up his own special "garden" spread across a number of rooms in his basement and aided by a customized miniature Dwemer Weather Machine, which unfortunately is in need of repair, requiring special parts.

He has sent a number of letters to the Anvil Mages Guild requesting these parts, however he has yet to receive any response and has come to believe that they simply can't be bothered with the task-especially considering how difficult it is to get a hold of such things in the first place. "If it were a part for the orrery they're trying to reconstruct at the Arcane University, I'm sure it would be a different matter," he tells the player.

In the quest he gives the player, he asks for the parts he needs and later for the player to collect various samples from Morrowind and possibly elsewhere around Tamriel to help expand his collection of plants.

As far as his personality is concerned, he might be considered a bit eccentric, but he is really just focused on his hobby of collecting plants from around Tamriel and studying their alchemical properties. As such, he prefers to live on his own to avoid interruptions-he dislikes having to rely on others but realizes it is necessary since there is no other way to secure the things he needs without leaving his home and temporarily abandoning his research. The Anvil Mages Guild puts up with him because his research often enough produces some useful results.

[Osidian]

I'm not sure about his basement garden, doesn't sound like something an NPC would have at home, even a mage. Maybe at a Mages Guild.

Also, IIRC the Dwemer mechanisms stop working when they're away from their origin. And, considering how the Empire treats the Dwemer artifacts as its property, I really doubt some alchemist could have such stuff at home (at least legally!)

Other than that, I like it, his eccentric and a bit reclusive nature. I Like this idea of him collecting and studying samples of various plants and asking for your help to fetch some hard for him to get plants from Morrowind. Maybe his quest can be one of the Anvil Mages Guild quests. He could also be a medium/high trainer in Alchemy, as he seems to be quite good.

[SamirA]

I think that this will work for Stirk, though not in the city proper as most of it is owned by Victus Pilious or the government. Dandre's eccentricity seems to be perfect for some random wizards home out on the isle somewhere. He can then have his nice little hidden basement (secret door...) and garden with little worry of being discovered. As far as the dwemer weather machine I think it needs to be researched a bit more. Are you sure they won't work if they are removed from their ruins Osidian? If they still have all their parts and can be powered in the same way (steam seems to be the power choice) then unless it is specifically stated somewhere in lore I don't see why we can't continue along with that idea as well. If not then we can simply run it off of Ayleid power like varla stones and instead of having the player return to Morrowind yet again they will have to explore Cyrodiil to finish the quest line...in fact the more I think about it I like this idea better.

We can avoid breaking lore and have it that Dandre, along with being a great alchemist, is a bit of a tinkerer and has discovered how to power little machines similar to Dwemer machines with the use of Varla stones. So after our Gold Coast release we can add in the next line of quests and the player can search some ayleid ruins for pieces to help finish his machine. This also gives us the opportunity to show off cool new stuff rather than seeing the same old Dwemer.

[Osidian]

I'm fairly certain that when the Dwemer stuff is moved too far away from their origin they just stop. I think that their power source is always near the ruins where they are. (And it must be a powerfull source too keep them running for millennia!) Of course, there was the Orrery in Oblivion, that I think used Dwermer parts, so... But I'll try to research a little about this.

Also, I like your idea to use Ayleid stuff instead.

[Osidian]

I could find any book or dialogue in Morrowind about the power down of the construct away from their ruins, but it's mentioned both in the Imperial Library and UESP:

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/definitive-guide-dwemer
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Dwemer
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Dwemer_Centurions

[SamirA]

Works for me, I prefer the Ayleid route anyway now that I thought it up. Can't believe I didn't think of it earlier.

[DJGamer]

I'm fairly certain that when the Dwemer stuff is moved too far away from their origin they just stop. I think that their power source is always near the ruins where they are. (And it must be a powerfull source too keep them running for millennia!) Of course, there was the Orrery in Oblivion, that I think used Dwermer parts, so... But I'll try to research a little about this.

Also, I like your idea to use Ayleid stuff instead.

What about the Dwemer Orrery at the Arcane University?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Orrery

Seemed to work just fine after securing a few new parts. True, it was a huge Mage's Guild-supported project but it's proof that a Dwemer device can be made to work far away from any ruin.

I like the idea of him having a custom Dwemer Weather Machine because for one it's established in lore that one exists so they obviously had that technology. Having it be Ayleid seems incredibly off to me-although it could still be Dwemer technology POWERED by Ayleid items-that could be kinda cool. He'd still need Dwemer parts to fix the Dwemer components of course-there could be (an) extra quest(s) to collect Varla stones to replenish the power supply as well.

Dwemer technology adapted to make use of an Ayleid power source. GENIUS!!

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/ ... c/582u.gif

Oh yeah, and in case I didn't make it clear-he lives in Stirk because he wants to be as far away from the Mage's Guild as he can without severing contact completely.

When we do Gold Coast there may be a quest or to where you're sent to ask him for something-maybe.

Edit: I read the articles but they seem to only be referring to Animunculi, or the "Dwemer Creatures", NOT they're actual technology-that said it still makes a little sense that they'd have to use an alternative power source.

[Osidian]

I'm fairly certain that when the Dwemer stuff is moved too far away from their origin they just stop. I think that their power source is always near the ruins where they are. (And it must be a powerfull source too keep them running for millennia!) Of course, there was the Orrery in Oblivion, that I think used Dwermer parts, so... But I'll try to research a little about this.

Also, I like your idea to use Ayleid stuff instead.

What about the Dwemer Orrery at the Arcane University?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Orrery

Seemed to work just fine after securing a few new parts. True, it was a huge Mage's Guild-supported project but it's proof that a Dwemer device can be made to work far away from any ruin.

I did mention the Orrery!

[DJGamer]

I did mention the Orrery!

Yeah I know I just didn't notice the first time I skimmed through your posts.

The quote box also reminds me I need to fix the theme up a bit-not sure if I'll get to it tonight, though-feeling a bit too lazy right now. :p

[Tarius]

There is a book in MW that describes how a ship was transporting a dwemer spider and that it stopped working once they got a certain distance out. The captain then ordered the ship to turn around and the spider came back to life, and then went out further again and again it died. I dont know if this would apply to all dwemer machines as there was a guy who built the airship and the machines were still working even after it crashed. I dont know if the actual distance is mentioned anywhere though.

[SamirA]

Technically, we could be close enough to Hammerfell for there to be dwemer stuff on Stirk, but I like the Ayleid theme better, they are new and exciting as far as TES III goes. We could put a dwemer ruin near Sutch as it is in Hammerfell and there are dwemer in Hammerfell, I think one dwemer ruin might be interesting in that we could make it a truly complex labyrinth showing off the work we can truly do with what bethesda has to offer. But, I'm just fine with not doing that either as when someone creates Hammerfell (and we have some reason to believe that someone is) then their dwemer ruins might not match up and I for one am all for making these province mods as compatible as possible.

[Osidian]

There is a book in MW that describes how a ship was transporting a dwemer spider and that it stopped working once they got a certain distance out. The captain then ordered the ship to turn around and the spider came back to life, and then went out further again and again it died. I dont know if this would apply to all dwemer machines as there was a guy who built the airship and the machines were still working even after it crashed. I dont know if the actual distance is mentioned anywhere though.

That's the source I was trying to find before. I did find it a couple of days after the discussion but never posted it here. This one: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Senilius%27_Report

Personally I think we should avoid dwemer ruins in Stirk or the Gold Coast because we would need new models since the "hammerfellian" dwemer ruins are not exactly like the Morrowind ones (at least in Redguard).
I would like to see some on our side of the Valus Mountains though... (a long way down the road to think too much about it, I know)

[SamirA]

Agreed on all points Osidian.

[Rattfink333]

I'd say flag him for a quest to make a specific potion for something on down the line.

And while i don't think it is possible. It'd be nice if he'd give you grief if you try to sell him cheap or bad potions.

[Rattfink333]

We still want a basement full of plants. basically from all over right? But no dwemer stuff..Just a lot of plants right?

[SamirA]

Correct.