If that's true, it (potentially) means the Dwemer were fine with sharing their living spaces with ghosts, which strikes me as odd.
Well, they are Dwemer. I don't know. Yagrum Bagarn himself says he's the only living Dwemer, so maybe those ghosts were added for an extra spook challenge in the Dwemer Ruins.
You ascribe to the theory they became part of the Brass God? I don't really know how I feel about that, what with the existence of Dwarven Spectres. Why would they leave ghosts behind if their souls collectively ascended?
I suppose those spectres belong to those who died before the ascension.
What is your favorite Elder Scrolls game? Morrowind. It's aged in terms of gameplay but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it.
What is your favorite Elder Scrolls race? Dunmer. I'd add Dwemer but they're more Optimus Prime than a race now.
What is your favorite Elder Scrolls character or NPC from the games? I liked Baladas Demnevanni and Divayth Fyr. Caius Cosades is also a pretty cool guy.
Who is your daddy, and what does he do? He's a 60 year old scriptwriter who's somehow more athletic than me.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Pistachio and Dondurma.
Appearance: Balen is a Dunmer of tall stature, almost as tall as an Altmer, and similarly wiry and long-limbed, though nonetheless he possesses the sinewy physique and rugged complexion of his kin. He is, like most other Dunmer, ashen skinned, and red eyed, both his sclera and pupil blood red. Aside from his lanky physique, another defining trait of Balen is that his eyes are incredibly large, a trait further accentuated by his receding hairline and large brow. Thanks to this and his weak chin and gaunt face, his upper head looks much larger than normal. He sports a rather large mustache that people have likened to a pair of scimitars hanging down from his upper lip.
Balen prefers simple and practical clothing. His common attire consists of a grayish-blue waterproof broadcloth robe, that’s probably one size too large (maybe two) over a quilted vest, with a pale burgundy shirt underneath, tucked well into his baggy grey pants, which are also tucked into his knee-high leather boots. In hotter climates, he ditches most of the clothing entirely and wears only the robe, breeches that end at the knee joint and leather moccasins. He covers his head with a wide brimmed hat.
Personality: Balen is a rather still person. He’s not dull or dense – he simply believes that he does not have much to share with most of the people around him, so he keeps quiet and does not try to be a sore thumb. He’s not oozing with calmness, but rather, he’s just contemplative. This does not mean that he tries to get along with everyone, however. As opposed to trying to be on good terms with everyone, Balen simply prefers keeping quiet and picking his words, and the people he speaks to. Balen is a man of simple pleasures and rarely complains, making him a useful companion, though he can be hard to get used to. He wonders the secrets of creation and reality, and enjoys speaking about such matters, preferring the company of mages despite not having much skill or interest on the practical applications of magic. It’s easy to confuse him for a man of peace. This is wrong – he’s simply a considerate and practical person. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, though he’d much rather prefer that they’d stay clean.
History: Balen has led a rather interesting life and picked up many professions throughout, and somehow managed to avoid life-threatening danger through most of it as well.
Born in Blacklight, in a foggy Middas of the First Seed, to an upper middle class family affiliated with House Hlaalu, Balen grew up through a rather uneventful childhood as the youngest child. For most of his childhood, he was educated by his grandparents and his father’s grandfather, who was an immensely elderly scholar that claimed to have been saved by the Nerevarine from Kagoutis in Vvardenfell hundreds of years ago. Perhaps thanks to this man’s countless stories, or perhaps thanks to natural disposition, Balen earned a penchant for reading, reading up on the past, of the times before the Red Year. It was during these times, while he was reading the Sermons of Vivec, when he first questioned his faith in Ancestor Worship and Daedra Worship.
Following his father’s death, Balen, the youngest child, was given the duty of taking care of his father’s remains, while his elder brothers tried to get the family profession running again. Seeing this as an opportunity, Balen decided to uphold his father’s last wish and take his remains to Necrom, and joined a trading caravan to go there. During this journey, Balen befriended a Bosmer bookseller, Godron, who told Balen that he’d be happy to accommodate him in Valenwood. After interring his father’s remains in Necrom and buying a bunch of trinkets claimed to be of Akaviri make, he took a ship from Necrom to Southpoint. Here, Balen’s fine writing skills, Godron’s profession, and the money they made selling the so-called Akaviri artifacts, opened an interesting business venture – Godron would buy rare books, Balen would write down the content of books they’d find, Godron would sell the original copy to the highest bidder and then stock his shop with copies of the real book. During this time, Balen practiced his skills of writing, and more importantly, got his hands on books he wouldn’t be able to hear of otherwise. Making spare copies of books he got interested in, Balen eventually built up his own collection. Eventually, he parted ways with Godron amicably, and got on a ship to Alinor, to learn the secrets of the Aldmer. However, he could not get along with the Thalmor officials, and did not stay on the isles for long.
Balen got on a ship to Stros M’Kai to learn more about the Sload and perhaps Yokuda, but the ship was attacked by pirates. It was during this time when Balen first took his first two lives, cutting down a pair of pirates trying to carry his chest out of his room. Following the attack, the ship’s captain decided to dock at Rihad instead, finding its original course too dangerous for the damaged ship to handle. Balen spent a good amount of time in Rihad, comprehending the rather large amount of knowledge he had gathered in form of books so far, and going over them. During this time, Balen began pearl hunting as a hobby, but soon turned it into profit. He earned his fondness for Skooma in Rihad as well, thanks to its relaxing properties.
Balen left Rihad in a hurry after participating in a ritual to summon Hermaeus Mora that went awry. He had participated in the ritual, mostly as a guest, in hopes of learning more about the content of the Elder Scrolls from the Daedric Prince itself. However, the ritual went awry, and Balen, savvy enough to run before the Prince was fully summoned, was able to survive. He’d later learn that the corpses (if they were dead, that is) were literally merged with the walls of the Shrine. Going south, Balen moved to Chorrol and settled there, spending his time with the Mages Guild members. He found most of them too attached to the arts of Magicka to actually care about the grander scheme of things, however. Balen sold books in Chorrol for five years and tried to live a simpler life, compared to his time as an eccentric in Rihad. Then one day, Godron showed up at his doorstep.
After a long talk about what he’d been doing with his life since Balen left, Godron made Balen an offer. Godron told Balen that he was no longer a book seller, but a trader of artifacts. Of course, the risks were much higher as Godron had to fund his own expeditions and often partake in them himself, but it was also much more profitable, and he was able to see first-hand sources, and stop having to rely on inaccurate accounts. Balen was convinced, and joined Godron on a trip to a Dwemer Ruin in the Velothi Mountains. Spending most of his time translating and drawing schematics of what they faced, Balen drew the ire of Godron’s hired blades, but soon proved his worth by toppling over a Steam Centurion by just disabling its gyroscope and pushing it down, instead of smashing it to pieces.
Unfortunately, the rest of the expedition was not as auspicious. About half of the crew, including Godron, was lost to a malfunctioning (or trapped) elevator. Heavily demoralized and grieving over the loss of his long time friend and business associate, Balen returned from the expedition alongside the survivors, bringing back what they could carry, alongside the captured Centurion, selling them all in Cheydinhal.
The endeavor had cost him a friend, but it had also opened a new world of possibilities to Balen. He did not like to admit it, but he was thrilled, to be able to enter and sense the world and things he had only read about in the past. He was able to enter the societies of those who had written the books that had inspired him. And he wanted more of it.
Spending the cash he had earned from his first experience for suitable equipment, Balen started looking for work, hoping to immerse himself in the unknown once more.
Skills: Balen prides himself on having a robust constitution. Truly, like a mule, Balen can walk for long distances without tiring at all, submerge himself underwater for long times, or repeat grueling labor tasks without flinching. He does not like facing situations head on, and would rather find an easier way to go around something. Thanks to his high endurance, Balen can go for days wearing armor, though he prefers lighter armors (compared to, say, plate armor) so his movement is not constrained. He is an average swordsman, with most of his encounters won through cautious action, straining the opponent, and thinking, rather than sheer skill with the blade. While not muscular, Balen certainly bears natural strength. However, Balen tries to keep his physical role to a minimum, and prefers to use his knowledge. He is inept at practical magic – Balen is certainly not the sort of fellow to fling fireballs while running. However, he can possibly, if you manage to convince him and provide him with time and ingredients, cast curses, or give mundane objects odd properties, such as making water emanate light. He refuses labels such as enchanting and alchemy, however, believing that they narrow concepts of much greater scale.
Equipment: Balen prefers to be mobile, and thus, carries all his belongings in a rucksack, and prefers to keep them in the bag unless necessary. For battle, he owns a steel dagger of Ashlander make, which is practically a shortsword, having a blade too wide and too long to be a dagger. On the grip of the shortsword, the Daedric letters Meht, Ayem, Roht, Neht and Ekem are inscribed, though Balen has not been able to comprehend what the letters mean and assumes that it’s some sort of tribal superstition. As for armor when combat is inevitable, he wears a simple mail hauberk, a plate gorget, and vambraces.
Birthsign: The Lord
Miscellaneous: Balen handles Skooma like it’s nothing. It’s hard to tell if he’s under the influence or not.
I do think it's worthwhile noting that there is always more to reputation than just whether or not you followed through on the job. To put it bluntly, even if people saw the orcs as brutally effective (which they are not guaranteed to do - duurrrr racism) they might still refuse to hire them because they find their history distasteful, or they even have a grudge against them. Thus, even if they do get hired their employers are likely to try and kill them off or throw them at the worst parts of the battle so they don't have to deal with them in the future. This is true of many mercenary companies, but doubly so for the Orcs, which is why it's so important they be able to be seen as trustworthy.
Over time, @Hank may be right that the only thing that matters is the reputation for following through, if the company successfully completes hundreds of contracts... but this would be the FIRST real battle contract that Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi was given - they have to survive through a long period of vendettas and public hatred to even GET to the point where their word is considered to be reliable.
My point is, despite the fact that they want to be seen as a mercenary company, the vast majority of people are just going to see them as orcs. While sticking literally to the plan might indeed build a fearsome reputation over time, it's also going to end up confirming what people think about them as being brutal and undisciplined, etc. This is because the missions that they will be given will almost always be missions that their employers think Orcs would be suited to, instead of viewing them as Nor Mat Kordh-Ishi Orcs. Thus, the Orcs might be influenced into supporting a particular faction, because that faction is actually willing to give them an opportunity to fight in the centre of a pitched battle, or another typical mercenary job, or use them as a key component of their forces, all of which is a better path to the glory and disciplined reputation that they desire.
Savvy?
I can't see how sticking to the plan would further develop a reputation for being brutal and undisciplined. I do agree that, being Orcs, they'd probably be given the short straw for some time - but over time, they'd prove their worth through sheer merit.
Splendid character concept. I assume you mean the Dwarven concept of metaphysics? One thing to note, though: skooma is a liquid substance distilled from moon sugar. You could probably smoke moon sugar, but not skooma.
Not just Dwarven, but yes, their metaphysics also come to play - he's just interested in how things really work.
As for the smoking, Morrowind had skooma pipes, that's what I'm basing the character's habit on. I personally like the concept of a guy carrying around a little hookah around and piping to relax and think.
I was thinking of making a cautious Dunmer scholar who has an interest in metaphysics but has to do odd jobs and rely on his sword arm for money, being rather magickally inept. He'd also be somewhat fond of smoking skooma.
I understand that, which is why they'd be stuck (for a while) with the heir that they were supposed to kill. The story starts off with them either having a reputation AS unreliable due to the lies of their employer (and the hatred of lots of people who might support the heir), or not following through and thus losing some potential face as well. Sort of puts them between a rock and a hard place.
EDIT:
Basically, I just want to see how Orcs handle moral dilemmas. Not JUST Orcs who are perfect stereotypes, even though we want some or a lot of the stereotype to remain in the culture of the company.
I agree with @MelonHead's analysis. Orcs, even the regimented and outcast Orcs of Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi, are not going to appreciate being used in a manner that taints their reputation. Perhaps the siege is laughably easy, and the Orcs find the heir/claimant inside relatively defenseless, leaving them in a situation where they (as Orcs) have to address the fact that they've basically been hired as executioners to do the dirty work of killing the heir in order to avoid him/her being a problem later.
Getting an Orc mercenary group to do it gives the employer/faction who hired Nar Mat Kordh-Ishi plausible deniability that "they never meant to have him/her killed... it was those brutish orcs that kill everything in sight, blame them". Thus, the Orcs are being framed as unreliable and brutal and likely being set up to be disposed of later if they follow through on what the employer asked of them.
Something like that sound appealing?
I can understand that, but if you ask me, it's actually good reputation for a Mercenary company to be able to delve in atrocity when asked. No employer wants goody-two-shoes mercenaries, they want people who do exactly as they say.
That's why I find the concept interesting, because from what I've read of the plot Orcs are inherently warlike and undisciplined, it would be an interesting contradiction for us to be fighting for undisciplined 'Orcish' reasons without even realising while maintaining the illusion of being changed 'men' so to speak in the Order, and in the end looking back and realising none of us had really changed at all.
I like that. The conflicts such a thing could cause in the Company itself could also be an interesting story arc.
Sick Ducker