MW May Modathon 2024 Week 1 - Plot Outline

A Missing Student of Mysticism - Plot Outline:

Drafting a plot outline using ChatGPT to generate ideas and distill my thoughts.


Initial Brief

Initial Brief - ChatGPT Prompt:

I would like you to draft a plot summary for a short story set in Vvardenfell in the Elder Scrolls universe. The themes of the story should be "mysticism and prophecy". A text that can be used as inspiration is the in-universe book 'Mysticism' by the in-universe author Tetronius Lor, which you can read here: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Mysticism_(book)

This short story will serve as the basis for a quest mod I am creating for the game, 'The Elder Scroll III: Morrowind'. My idea for the quest is that you explore the abandoned abode of a mage who is studying Mysticism magic. During their studies, they have mysteriously disappeared - perhaps being teleported to some obscure realm of Oblivion or other dimension, or otherwise being snapped out of existence, as a result of their magical meddling gone wrong. The quest would involve you finding and reading scattered notes or journal entries, written by the mage, throughout their abandoned abode. These notes would reveal what occurred.

The book I mentioned earlier ('Mysticism' by the in-universe author Tetronius Lor) describes that "For the beginning student of Mysticism, it is best simply to learn the patterns distinguishable in the maelstrom of centuries past. The more patterns are discovered, the clearer the remaining ones become. Until, of course, they change. For inevitably they have to. And then the journey begins anew". Perhaps they were searching for a particular 'pattern', something prophesized. "Mysticism seems to derive power from its conundrums and paradoxes"; perhaps they elucidated a paradox from the patterns of mysticism that removed them from existence.

Please summarize your ideas in bullet-points.

Expand on the central conflct:

Elaborate on what the "paradox" is:

Given the themes of "mysticism and prophecy", and drawing on the lore of the Elder Scrolls Universe (excluding games released after 'TES3: Morrowind', such as Skyrim and ESO), what do you think the paradox the mage stumbled upon might be?

Reduce scope of the quest and scale of the central conflict

Change tone from apocalyptic conflict to curiosity and intrigue:

I only have a week to create this quest. Can we reduce the scope of the quest? The idea of the manifestation of the paradox is intriguing, but I don't think the player should fight it and I am opposed to the idea of it being malicious and wanting to impose its will upon the world.

I would rather treat the story as an intriguing, curious accident with a peculiar end, rather than treat the story as something apocalyptic and world-ending. The 'protagonist' (the player character) is not so much a hero protagonist as they are an observer.

Add specificity to the plot setting and characters:

Infobox

Prompt 1:

  • Region: Sheogorad
    • Closest Settlement: Dagon Fel
  • Abode Type: Cave
    • Tileset: Mudcave
  • Mage Details:
    • Race: Khajiit
    • Gender: Male
    • Allegiance: Mages Guild
    • Age: Middle-aged
  • Quest-giver: Skink-in-Tree's Shade, Wolverine Hall Mage's Guild, Sadrith Mora

ChagtGPT prompt with specificity added

Let's add some specificity to the setting and characters.

The missing mage is a khajiit male, middle-aged. He is a member of the 'Mages Guild', but perhaps is more of a hermit whose ties to the guild have waned as the years have passed and they have become lost in their studies – they have not paid their 'guild dues' (membership payment) for some time, which could be the reason you are sent to find them.

The quest-giver could be 'Skink-in-Tree's-Shade', the guildmaster of the Wolverine Hall Mages Guild in Sadrith Mora. They themselves are proficient in Mysticism magic, so our missing khajiit mage could be a colleague of theirs.


Infobox

Prompt 2:

  • Region: Sheogorad
    • Closest Settlement: Dagon Fel
  • Abode Type: Cave
    • Tileset: Mudcave-Grotto
  • Mage Details:
    • Race: Argonian
    • Gender: Male
    • Allegiance: Mages Guild
    • Age: Middle-aged
  • Quest-giver: Skink-in-Tree's Shade, Wolverine Hall Mage's Guild, Sadrith Mora

Change mage to be an Argonian:

Change mage to Argonian, whose abode is a grotto:

Let's change the missing mage to an Argonian instead of a Khajiit. Their abode is a cave grotto in the region of Sheogorad. The closest settlement to them would be Dagon Fel, but this is far on the eastern side of Sheogorad, and their dwelling is to the west in the wilderness.




Elaborate further on the mystical paradox:

Incorporate ideas of CHIM and disappearance of the Dwemer:

Let's delve deeper into what this paradox is. I like your idea in an earlier response:
"This paradox challenges the fundamental laws governing fate and free will, suggesting that individuals can alter their destinies by foreseeing and actively changing the future.
As the mage delves deeper into this paradox, they inadvertently disrupt the fabric of time itself, creating ripples and anomalies that threaten the stability of reality."

Can we re-incorporate this? I want the tone to still remain one of curiosity and intrigue, rather than apocalyptic - the fate of the world does not hang in the balance due to the events that unfolded.

This idea is reminiscent of the idea of 'CHIM' in the Elder Scrolls lore, which "is the process of reaching some sort of epiphany about the nature of the universe and one's place in it, leading to a simultaneous comprehension of the full scope of existence as well as one's own individuality."

It is also reminiscent of the disappearance of the Dwemer.

Ultimately the story I want to tell is a footnote in history; a curious incident without wider-reaching ramifications upon the world. The consequence or 'reward' of completing the quest would be a small insight, albeit incomplete and contradictory, into the fabric of reality of the Elder Scrolls universe. It should leave more questions than answers.

ChatGPT Response 6 - Plot Outline Success:

Certainly, let's further develop the concept of the paradox within the context of the Elder Scrolls universe and incorporate elements reminiscent of CHIM and the disappearance of the Dwemer:

  • The missing Argonian mage, driven by his obsession with uncovering prophetic patterns within Mysticism, delves deep into the nature of fate, free will, and the fabric of reality.
  • Through his research, he becomes fixated on the idea that individuals can alter their destinies by foreseeing and actively changing the future, challenging the fundamental laws governing reality.
  • As he delves deeper into this paradox, he inadvertently disrupts the fabric of time itself, creating subtle ripples and anomalies that threaten the stability of reality in his immediate vicinity.
  • The manifestations of the paradox within his cave grotto are subtle and mysterious, hinting at the profound insights he has gleaned and the consequences of his meddling with the fabric of reality.
  • The climax of the quest occurs when the adventurer reaches the heart of the grotto, where they witness the culmination of the mage's experiments and the manifestation of the paradox itself.
  • Instead of engaging in combat, the adventurer experiences a moment of epiphany, gaining a fleeting understanding of the nature of reality and their place within it.
  • The resolution of the quest leaves the fate of the missing mage ambiguous, with hints suggesting that he may have achieved a state akin to CHIM or disappeared into the depths of the void.
  • The consequence or "reward" of completing the quest is a small insight into the enigmatic nature of the Elder Scrolls universe, leaving the adventurer with more questions than answers.

This approach maintains the tone of curiosity and intrigue while exploring the profound mysteries of the Elder Scrolls lore. The quest serves as a footnote in history, offering players a glimpse into the deeper mysteries of the universe.

Switch from ChatGPT 3.5 to 4.0 occurs here

The chat transcript was copied and pasted into a new conversation with the ChatGPT 4.0 model AI.