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
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.
- The protagonist, an adventurer, is drawn to the abandoned abode of a mage who specialized in Mysticism magic, located in the mystical land of Vvardenfell.
- The mage's disappearance is shrouded in mystery, with rumors circulating among locals about their experiments gone awry.
- Upon entering the mage's abode, the adventurer discovers scattered notes and journal entries detailing the mage's research into Mysticism magic.
- The notes reveal that the mage was obsessed with uncovering a specific pattern within the chaotic currents of Mysticism, believing it to hold prophetic significance.
- As the adventurer explores deeper into the abode, they encounter magical anomalies and manifestations of the mage's experiments, indicating the dangerous nature of their pursuits.
- Through the notes, the adventurer learns that the mage may have inadvertently stumbled upon a paradox within the patterns of Mysticism, leading to their disappearance.
- The climax of the story occurs when the adventurer confronts the manifestation of the paradox, a powerful entity born from the mage's experiments, which threatens to unravel reality itself.
- Using their wits and knowledge gained from the mage's notes, the adventurer must find a way to resolve the paradox and restore balance to the mystical energies before it's too late.
- The resolution of the story leaves the fate of the mage ambiguous, with hints suggesting they may have transcended existence or become one with the Mysticism they sought to understand.
Expand on the central conflct:
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?
Drawing on the themes of mysticism and prophecy within the Elder Scrolls universe, the paradox the mage stumbled upon could involve the manipulation of time and destiny. Here's a concept for the paradox:
- The mage, driven by their obsession with uncovering prophetic patterns within Mysticism, delves deep into the nature of time and fate.
- Through their research, they discover a paradoxical pattern that suggests the manipulation of one's own destiny.
- 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.
- The climax of the story occurs when the adventurer confronts the manifestation of this paradox, a twisted distortion of time and fate seeking to impose its will upon the world.
- To resolve the paradox, the adventurer must navigate through temporal distortions and make choices that reconcile the conflicting visions of fate, ultimately restoring balance to the mystical energies.
- The resolution leaves the fate of the mage uncertain, as they may have transcended mortal existence or become a part of the ever-shifting tapestry of prophecy and mysticism.
Reduce scope of the quest and scale of the central conflict
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.
Of course, let's refine the scope of the quest to fit within a week's timeframe and adjust the tone to focus more on intrigue and curiosity rather than apocalyptic conflict. Here's a revised concept:
- The adventurer, drawn to the abandoned abode of the mage, discovers scattered notes and journal entries detailing the mage's research into Mysticism magic.
- The notes reveal the mage's obsession with uncovering a specific pattern within the chaotic currents of Mysticism, believed to hold prophetic significance.
- As the adventurer explores deeper into the abode, they encounter magical anomalies and manifestations of the mage's experiments, indicating the mysterious nature of their pursuits.
- Through the notes, the adventurer learns that the mage may have stumbled upon a paradox within the patterns of Mysticism, leading to their disappearance.
- Rather than confronting a malicious manifestation of the paradox, the adventurer instead encounters subtle manifestations of its influence, such as distortions in perception and reality.
- The climax of the story occurs when the adventurer reaches the heart of the abode, where they witness the culmination of the mage's experiments and the manifestation of the paradox itself.
- Rather than engaging in combat, the adventurer acts as an observer, witnessing the effects of the paradox and gaining insight into its nature.
- The resolution of the story leaves the fate of the mage uncertain, with hints suggesting they may have transcended mortal existence or become one with the Mysticism they sought to understand.
- The quest concludes with the adventurer departing the abode, pondering the mysteries they have witnessed and the implications of the paradox they have encountered.
Add specificity to the plot setting and characters:
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
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.
Certainly, let's incorporate these specific details into the quest:
- The missing mage is a middle-aged Khajiit, known for his reclusive nature and obsession with Mysticism magic. Despite being a member of the Mages Guild, his ties to the organization have waned over the years as he delved deeper into his studies, failing to pay his guild dues.
- The quest-giver is Skink-in-Tree's-Shade, the guildmaster of the Wolverine Hall Mages Guild in Sadrith Mora. Skink is proficient in Mysticism magic and considers the missing Khajiit mage a colleague.
- Skink tasks the adventurer with locating the missing mage, expressing concern for his well-being and the potential ramifications of his disappearance.
- Upon entering the mage's abandoned abode, the adventurer discovers scattered notes and journal entries detailing the Khajiit mage's research into Mysticism magic.
- The notes reveal the mage's fixation on uncovering a specific pattern within Mysticism, which he believes holds prophetic significance.
- As the adventurer explores the abode, they encounter magical anomalies and manifestations of the mage's experiments, indicating the depth of his mystical pursuits.
- The climax of the quest occurs when the adventurer reaches the heart of the abode, where they witness the culmination of the mage's experiments and the manifestation of the paradox itself.
- Instead of engaging in combat, the adventurer observes the effects of the paradox, gaining insight into its nature and the fate of the missing mage.
- The quest concludes with the adventurer reporting back to Skink, sharing their findings and leaving the mysteries of the Khajiit mage's disappearance open to interpretation.
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:
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.
Absolutely, let's adjust the details accordingly:
- The missing mage is now an Argonian residing in a secluded cave grotto in the Sheogorad region of Vvardenfell. His reclusive nature and dedication to the study of Mysticism magic have led him to establish his abode far from civilization.
- The closest settlement to his dwelling is Dagon Fel, located on the eastern side of Sheogorad, while his cave grotto lies to the west in the wilderness, surrounded by rugged terrain and mystical landscapes.
- Skink-in-Tree's-Shade, the guildmaster of the Wolverine Hall Mages Guild in Sadrith Mora, remains the quest-giver, expressing concern for the missing Argonian mage and his enigmatic disappearance.
With these adjustments, the quest gains a more remote and mysterious atmosphere, fitting for the theme of mysticism and prophecy.
Elaborate further on the mystical paradox:
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.
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.
The chat transcript was copied and pasted into a new conversation with the ChatGPT 4.0 model AI.