Oblivion's TRUE DESTROYER of Kvatch? - The Sunken One Lore, Theories, Quest EXPLAINED

[@hody.8381]

I stumbled upon this farmhouse completely by random on my most recent run. I was very pleasantly surprised to uncover a quest that I've never heard of. Sometimes Oblivion really does still have that old charm it used to have when we were kids. I love it when something like this happens.

[@ABardsBallad]

It’s a really cool quest to happen across! It’s so obscure and to think it only activates when you decide to stumble into a random cabin is really interesting!

[@XAWZ]

I've been playing Oblivion on and off since its release. I just happened upon this quest today. I hadn't been previously aware of it. I was stunned when I turned around and saw a stormy leering at me in the darkness. I was only at fourteenth level and haven't started the main quest and it was the first I'd seen one to this point in my current playthrough. Quite a surprise.

[@ironscalp484]

R.I.P. Slythe He had a noble heart

[@TwilightRogue15]

I never came across this quest despite checking all over Oblivion for random fun places for years! I went into that house multiple times, but each time I just took his food and left, assuming he died visiting town. I feel bad now. X'D

[@ABardsBallad]

😂😂😂 that’s too good! I get it though, the quest is so obscure that piece of paper is pretty well hidden!

[@nyxi6689]

The notion of storm atronachs uniting, as they sought to wrestle their sovereignty from the clutches of Dagon's invading hordes, exudes a captivating air of heroism and rebellion. This epic struggle, often dubbed "The War In The Hells", beckons us to consider that perhaps Tamriel was not the sole battleground in that tumultuous era. Could it be that the Daedric prince himself, in his bid for supremacy, was forced to contend with adversaries on not one but two fronts, a pivotal twist of fate that ultimately sealed his downfall in both realms?

[@ABardsBallad]

I like it! I’m certain not every faction of Daedra wanted to be his minions in The Oblivion Crisis! Surely some must have rebelled!

[@TheMichaellathrop]

So one of the important parts of the cosmology is that the gods (the Aedra) and the Daedra including the Daedric princes are all in fact all the same sorts of beings. If worship of such beings grants them power maybe the sunken one is on Tamriel trying to get strong enough to lead the storm atronachs in retaking their city.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Since Mehrunes Dagon went so hard on taking over Mundus, which would bring the higher powers off balance, it is believable that other forces would unite against him in other planes. Just to keep the status qui.

[@carpentersamuel1391]

You have outdone Drewmora in a topic. Good job.

[@ABardsBallad]

Cheers! Thank you for the support! :)

[@alexanderb5726]

I like quests of mystery and uncovered dark secrets like these but as you said, it wasn't developed enough. As with many cases I would've liked a unique design for this "sunken one" rather than just an atronach. Something to actually unnerve the player. It had much potential but could've used much more flair. Lore wise though, it'd be very random that a being so powerful as Slythe claimed would've attacked Kvatch simultaneously as Mehrunes Dagon, and what kind of unknown being would've been capable of leveling all of Tamriel on a whim if angered, a feat not even the daedra lords could achieve without going to great lenghts and with use of fanatical followers. It does clash a bit with the world building as I see it.

[@ABardsBallad]

Yes! I truly wish it was fleshed out a bit more and that they gave it a unique design as opposed to the storm atronach! I agree I think at this point, given there really isn’t much information about The Sunken One and atronachs it more than likely is a coincidence with Slythe’s writing and the Oblivion Crisis!

[@mnk9073]

I mean, it's a Lovecraft easter egg first and foremost, just like the Hackdirt quest. But it would be cool if they put in a little bit more spice like they later did in the Fallout series.

[@ABardsBallad]

Yes! It’s likely related to the deep ones! A little more sustenance for the quest would’ve been amazing!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

We can be thankful for the Bethesda dev who is really into Lovecraft. All those sprinkles here and there.

[@TheNuclearGeek]

Is there any possible connection with "The Deep Ones"? The behavior in this quest seems eerily similar to me. I doubt there is any direct or obvious connection, but circumstantially it certainly feels that way.

[@ABardsBallad]

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t even think of the connection and I’ve made a video on both of these topics! That’s such a clever connection to make and honestly could have some merit!

[@tekno4blood]

I was thinking deep ones as well. Especially when he mentioned trembling in the ground, how the deep ones quest has the ground "breathing"

[@TheNuclearGeek]

@@ABardsBalladIt's often you can see things easier from 3000 feet than you can't from a foot away. When you're deep into it, it can actually be easier to miss. I honestly never remembered running into this quest before but so much you talked about really feels similar. I'm just not sure if there will be anything that can connect them though. It'd certainly be interesting to try and find it though. I have to brush up on the Sload again and see if they ever summon Atronachs or if there is anything from the book that can be linked. The offerings perhaps? Idk. There just seemed to be similarities for sure.

[@alexbara100]

Wow I've never come across this ever and i thought I finished the game completely. Even did all the dlcs and every quest

[@ABardsBallad]

It’s a really neat and very hidden little quest! Really cool of them to add it it in!

[@GregoryElliott1973]

Thank you for this interesting post. A lot of thought has been given to this. I enjoyed it. I was always disappointed there wasn't more to the Deep Ones as well.

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support! It would’ve been really cool to have more lore expanded upon for the Deep Ones! Maybe in TES 6 we’ll hopefully see some more references!

[@burge117]

You know, I never actually knew about this mission. Thank you ❤ Always love Oblivion videos. Subscribed.

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support! It’s a really cool quest that even I’ve missed most times! Oblivion is such a great game! :)

[@burge117]

@@ABardsBallad It is truly one of a kind! Keep up the great work man!

[@ImperialKnowledge]

Huh didnt know that either! Nice!

[@ABardsBallad]

It’s a really interesting quest that puts things into perspective! It’s really easy to miss and is so short too that it can definitely be overlooked!

[@ImperialKnowledge]

@@ABardsBallad Yeah definitely, but I have to say I almost forgot this quest existed. Very nice job

[@Matt-md5yt]

I heard of this one before glad to hear it again

[@ABardsBallad]

Thanks for the support! :)

[@UphillNoahh]

Hey man keep up the good work

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support! :)

[@alliesotherness9456]

Always got some lovecraft vibes from this quest

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

There are two ways to deal with an angry god: 1) appease that god, 2) find another, more powerful god to take care of it. (eather by out-scaling your angry god, or by protecting your people) How effective these methods are depends on how power is distributed among deities. If divine power is fixed among the gods you need a higher up to deal with the situation. But if divine power depends on worship another option opens up: 3) disbelief the god out of existence. If power comes from worship, then the most powerful gods have the most followers. And they don't have so many followers because they are powerful, they are powerful because they have so many followers. So if you convince the last believers to stop dealing with your disgruntled god, when you mange to have nobody believe, you can force the god into insignificance and it will vanish.

[@playboigeorgie5824]

I watched all your videos. Now I’m replying oblivion.

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support! :) It’s an amazing game even after all these years!

[@albertcapley6894]

This quest had a Conan vibe to it, you find some poor mad fool worshiping something he probably shouldn't have, who does trying to appease it, only to find out it was real all along, and it's no god, but some alien horror actually. But the buildup gave off genuinely creepy vibes almost as well as the Hackdirt quest or the necromancers cathedral which didn't have a quest at all as far as I'm aware.

[@ABardsBallad]

They did a really great job building the suspense for this quest! And the fact too that one can easily miss the second note or even never go into the farmhouse makes it that much better!

[@ironscalp484]

The necromancers cathedral(the one next to nibenay basin?) I believe a lore video i watched said it is attached to the money loaner quest, i think it was titled "the wild hunt"? Or something The dragol dude apparantly sold/gave the bodies to the necromancers after they have been slain in his games

[@albertcapley6894]

@@ironscalp484 yeah that's the one, I think the name is something like... "Cradlaw" I think I've seen the thing yr talking about though, cos that sounds really familiar, was it actually linked in with that quest or is it just basically a really really safe assumption that the two are connected?

[@ironscalp484]

@@albertcapley6894 i believe it's just a really safe assumption 😅 in all my time playing i've never come across a piece of in game lore connecting the 2 (stuff like letters or books that mention it) But the boats, coffins, corpses and the general locations of it all make it the most plausible explanation even if it is just a theory.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The interesting thing is that the "normal" gods are just as alien. The stars are pretty much holes in the sky through which the Aedra fled after creating the mortal plane.

[@adarus9941]

The Music at the end sounds lovely! What’s it called?

[@ABardsBallad]

I’ll have to go back and look! But I know it’s from CapCut (the editor)!

[@tekno4blood]

I was hoping in the listed cities he'd mention hackdirt. That woulda made it 10x creepier

[@ABardsBallad]

It would’ve been insane if he did that! Definitely would’ve made for an awesome connection!

[@pigeom32]

These are great videos, I was also wondering, is there any in lore reasons why the same creatures that come from the same place, like the atronachs, have different appearances in the different games?

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support! I appreciate it! As much as I’d like to chock it up to saying the developers and artists did it for convenience (atronachs in different forms) it is really interesting and canon that in TES Online they literally come in different forms and shapes across the game! I might have to do a deeper dive into it one day!

[@Trazyn_Archives]

No they were resistance against Dagon cause the Atronach didnt kill on sight the worshipppers immediately

[@cody2819]

You know if that giant walking tank that slowly crawks out if the great gate, why isn't the cuty gate destroyed? Seriously. It should be in broken shards if yhat thing attacked the city. Of course i suppose it'll make it where the player didn't have a door to keep them out until the gate is closed. But still, they could've worked around it.

[@masked231gaming8]

I got a Lovecraft feel from it

[@bluedemion7207]

nice

[@ABardsBallad]

Thank you for the support!

[@luizpedroguimaraes8949]

What music is this in the background?

[@ABardsBallad]

It’s copyright free music from CapCut!

[@amethystaaaaa407]

Gurl how did Slythe Seringi write a letter that says he's already dead

[@ABardsBallad]

😂 I was thinking the same when making this video! I guess Slythe might have more abilities than we think!

[@ironscalp484]

I think it's just a form of overdramatisation 🤣 like if he fell and broke his legs, along with the bleeding wound from the creature that attacked him, he took his last remaining moments to write in his journal and decided to embellish a bit 😅

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The letter talks about a "mortal wound", so Slythe probably knew the wound is fatal and there is no way out. So might as well write a letter about the Castle of Aaaarrrggghʰʰʰʰʰʰ

[@adrianaslund8605]

The Atronach might just be an expression of whatever realm the Sunken One comes from. A weak avatar.

[@indigopotatoe]

Only true lore masters know Kvatch was actually destroyed by Katia Managan.

[@ABardsBallad]

😂 I’ll have to look that one up to refresh my lore knowledge!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Sure it wasn't some skooma puma after buying Shady Sam's entire stock?

[@hysterical5408]

Clearly this non believer is trying to decry the power of He who Shakes the Ground! All Hail the Sunken One! The true architect of Kvatch's destruction!