The Skyrim Mysteries Iceberg (Part 3)

[@EpicNate]

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[@kingz7057]

He'll yay

[@Sectille]

nice video

[@insomniagobrrr5542]

You came back strong with this series

[@auru1325]

I love the editing, keep up the amazing work, I really like the spooky music in the background!

[@Kastumoem]

When I heard your sponsor was NordVPN I had to pause the video because I couldn't stop laughing at having NordVPN sponsoring a Skyrim video

[@ShirleyCurryTheOlderGamer]

Dear Nate... I'm still hoping there well be an Iceberg #4 ......

[@theraymira]

Us too Shirley, I'm sure when its ready it'll be quality.

[@Dx20xygen7]

I'm looking forward to seeing it also, certainly he has it planned.

[@luckygallagladi]

Nate has the best Skyrim and Fallout lore content by far. Anything from him is a gift :)

[@samuelbrown7466]

I’m hoping he corrects himself on the next video, olava sends you to the matriarch area as a side quest from your fortune

[@JelliRainbowz]

Aww, finding out my favorite Skyrim Grandma watches one of my favorite KZbinrs too just made my day :)

[@John.McMillan]

Something you failed to mention about Fallion is that he can cure Serana. A daughter of cold harbour. Fallion can 100% revert a DIRECT Daedric curse. From one of the most powerful Daedric gods. As if it's simple. That is by no means any kind of small feat, Fallion either had elder God's on his side or is himself immensely powerful to acheive such a feat.

[@pulsefel9210]

he better be when hes messing around with one of bal's playthings so readily.

[@brenolk4642]

The only thing stronger than Fallion, Daedric Gods and Elder Gods, is Serana’s resolve to not marry and remain friends with the Dragonborn, but that doesn’t change her as being best Skyrim Waifu

[@BoxStudioExecutive]

@@brenolk4642 Fixing this clear and obvious bug is what mods are for.

[@profpuffofficial2]

Probably went to vaermina for help as his daughter always has nightmares

[@marhawkman303]

yeah Fallion doesn't seem like a big deal... until you realize just how... absurdly powerful his magic actualyl is.

[@chrisrigney507]

36:21 "Daedric artifacts don't just spawn in randomly." Meridia: "Hold my mead."

[@BigDaddy0Kev]

**breaks the sound barrier**

[@xnotasweatx]

A NEW HA-

[@111iskuts]

Should've said "Hold my beacon". Missed a golden one.

[@ruairiodonohoe2533]

​@@xnotasweatxNOOOOOOOOO

[@BionicleFreek99]

@@111iskutsAAAAAA

[@someone4650]

I figured that Karliah's eyes were different because she's a Nightingale specifically. Since the dark elves were cursed by Azura, a dark elf that swears themselves to Nocturnal might have the curse changed so they look differently.

[@praffulallamraju2760]

Sarethi sisters over at Sarethi farm also do not have the red eyes, right?

[@SBGothik]

@@praffulallamraju2760 correct.

[@yami2957]

@@praffulallamraju2760 What's their story? Is there any lore reason why they don't have the regular red eyes?

[@praffulallamraju2760]

@@yami2957 I don't think there is any lore behind Sarethi sisters' eyes. I think I saw in one ofNate's mysteries video or somewhere else mentioning a fan theory which said that the change in eye color could be due to the curse being wearing off slowly but I haven't read much about that theory. I haven't been keeping up with the lore much lately, so I don't know if there is any other explanation to it

[@yami2957]

@@praffulallamraju2760 Yeah, I haven't been keeping up with the lore, either. It's just going to tempt me into reinstalling Skyrim when I only uninstalled it last month. So I'm one month Skyrim sober, no need to tempt my brain with it.

[@TheBasedTyrant]

One possibility about Balgruufs kids that hasn't been considered is that they are all adopted, this would provide the best possible explanation for why nobody talks about his wife, because he never had one, it is entirely possible that the children's parents were citizens of Whiterun who died when they were very young and Balgruuf, ever on the side of Whiterun took the orphans in as his own children and never told them about it. This would also explain the very specific line "I don't have the same mother as my brother and sister" that might very well be true, but it leaves open the possibility that Balgruuf also isn't his real father or any of their father. Adoption is also a common theme across Skyrim you can find so many people with adopted children, many of whom are single and looking to pass on their knowledge, (Falion for example) and also you yourself can adopt almost any child in the game either if they are or become an orphan.

[@billyboy-jx4xf]

this message is brought to you by the pro-balgruuf party...

[@ITNODove]

That's a good idea, actually. In that case, I wonder why Lucia would be the one exception left to be homeless on the streets of Whiterun. 😢

[@Xanthelei]

Adding to this idea, it's possible that the children were orphaned by someone wielding the Daedric weapon, and that's how it came to be safeguarded by Balgruuf's court, as well as how the author knew what effects the sword has. That feels like the kind of thing that would cause a hush campaign around the circumstances of Balgruuf having kids without having a wife without also requiring someone to wrest away a Daedric artifact without hurting the jarl. After all, if word got out that the adopted kids' parents were killed by a madman with a whispering sword, someone out there is going to figure out what that sword is and come for it.

[@tommyjoelocker]

Anybody else think balgruuf and his dark elf guard get it on from time to time..

[@OmegablueWolf]

@@tommyjoelocker Would not surprise me at all. they are old friends right ? could be more then friends. honestly the way i understand parentage any children are the species of the mother - you dont get half elves but a nord and a Dunmer could have a child.

[@Prowler142]

It is said that Vaermina, prince of dreams and nightmares, possesses the ability to cure vampirism. Falion traveled to Oblivion and somehow learned the ritual to heal a vampire. His adoptive daughter has frequent nightmares. Coincidence?

[@MiaJoBella]

Ooooooo

[@JokeCubed]

That in itself is weird. Molag Bal created Vampirism, but can't cure them. Vaermina is the only one with a cure.

[@miniturtle0275]

That's a really good theory, to me the way the girl described the dream sounded like it actually happened and she just thought it was a dream of him sneaking out and summoning monster for whatever reason

[@MiaJoBella]

@@miniturtle0275 I thought of it as a prophetic dream

[@ROLO31]

Probably 😂

[@MrProver]

A rather compelling theory about rune is that one of his parents were the gray fox. The phrase "erased from history" is mentioned by the gray fox in TES 4, making its utterance in the Rune letter interesting.

[@torreydunn7034]

Never thought of that!

[@AtomicFlounder42]

Then one of runes parents is for sure dead, cause in anniversary edition, with all it's contents considered canon, you can get the grey cowl from the current gray fox, cause he doesnt want to be him anymore

[@marhawkman303]

@@AtomicFlounder42 would explain why he's an orphan.. if the player of a previous game killed his parents. O-o'

[@thearmedgardener]

I feel like Nate had mentioned that before, but neglected here.

[@thefairybug40]

I think they both were. One was the Fox and died, then the other took up the Cowl before dying as well, and then the Cowl was taken up by the guy from the CC DLC.

[@Cyberlanky]

I like the theory that Emperor Titus Mede II orchestrated his own assassination in order for his successor to profit from his martyrdom, thus unifying and strengthening The Empire for the inevitable war with The Aldmeri Dominion. It also explains why he asks for Motierre to be taken care of: so there are no loose ends.

[@andresv.9365]

That would be an awesome plot twist!

[@QenaitheCustodianGuard]

Watch Camels video if you haven't already, it's great!

[@thefairybug40]

I honestly forgot that this wasn't canon.

[@lep-mq3ur]

“We had a deal…”

[@joshuakim5240]

It also explains why he tried to get Maro to stand down and not fight the Dark Brotherhood. His own death is the best course of action but he can't reveal it from risk of a slipup ruining everything, so Maro accidentally doomed his son and likely himself from being too diligent in his job to listen to his own emperor's (admittedly suspicious) order.

[@SpinglerSpongen]

"Seems more like a feature than a bug to me..." Todd Howard: I like this guy!

[@MegaZeta]

As afaik the Mysterium Xarxes / bucket thing pre-dates knowledge of the "bucket" glitch (and it's not the right bucket anyway), making it unlikely to be an Easter egg, my baseless speculation is that there was some aborted quest, or part of the existing quest, that gave the option to burn the Mysterium Xarxes and get another item from it, and the bucket is a placeholder or an obsolete reference in the code. If it were supposed to be a magical counterfeit, I doubt the writers would have picked a non-document item for it to transform into, and, in any case, there's nothing about anything in the museum that suggests it's a fraud, and the quest's outcome instead suggests everything in the museum is authentic.

[@CoolMaisa]

:D :D :D :D

[@Vienna3080]

I like to imagine the Thief is from Atmora, it might explain the unknown language and that Solitude is super close to it; it could also explain why there isn’t any hint of who his parents are

[@TeeWhy18]

When we needed him the most, he returned.

[@xtremegamer485]

True

[@Absurd_yttv]

Lol I swear

[@peachymozart]

this

[@hyena_playzyt6135]

Unlike the other guys, they bever returned, like my dad

[@itagamineko]

lets write that under every video of someone who didnt upload for atleast 1 month

[@pulsefel9210]

the man who can cure vamperism being pulled by an unknown force to the town being plagued by a vampire den that plans to turn them into a cattle ground is kinda on point.

[@nopressure6986]

What’s creepy is the fact that even after that vampire den is dealt with, his job there still isn’t finished. Which just begs the question, if the vampire cult wasn’t enough to draw him there, what was that much of a threat?

[@pulsefel9210]

@@nopressure6986 just cause hes not immediately needed doesnt mean hes just gonna pack up and leave. especially with the girl he takes care of.

[@joshuakim5240]

@@nopressure6986 He was drawn there due to the vampires, but he's also free to stay there for his own personal reasons (raising his new apprentice).

[@nopressure6986]

@@pulsefel9210 fair, but he also continues his rituals after that as well.

[@nordicwarriorgaming4953]

Crazy how Skyrim has been out for almost 11 years and still content like this is as popular as ever. God Bless.

[@zer0deaths862]

Even crazier we haven't got 6 yet....

[@nordicwarriorgaming4953]

@engineer gaming Absolutely, modern games are no longer entertainment, they are simply marxist propaganda. That's why I stick to retro games.

[@BoxOKittens]

@engineer gaming Ok, doomer

[@sudafedup]

@engineer gaming woke...?

[@FurryQueenYT]

@engineer gaming Ok, doomer

[@shinrailp1416]

I always thought that Rune had some connection to the Jar bugs mentioned in the first Video and with the explicit mentioning of his parents "erasing themselves from history" there is definitely a connection to the Grey Fox. Probably one big questline that was cut at some point. Maybe it was one that actually had all of the different factions involved considering he mentioned the College too. And i just noticed if Olava really uses Skooma to gain her second sight she seems to be part of a "new" running theme in Bethesda games as she is pretty much the exact same as Mama Murphy in FO4

[@flameesperthefolf9361]

Ehhhh that's not really new for Bethesda titles tho

[@gyrozeppeli4862]

@@flameesperthefolf9361 i like your flag

[@flameesperthefolf9361]

@@gyrozeppeli4862 thanks😊

[@gyrozeppeli4862]

@@flameesperthefolf9361 it's mine too!

[@Gensolink]

it's funny that brand shei is another kid rescued from a shipwreck and they both happened to live in Riften.

[@GenericPybro]

Bit Late to comment, however a thing I remembered from the part about Olava the Feeble, is that the bandit note mentions Ahkari which sounds Kahjit enough, and when you go to collect the elder scroll in black reach, you first go through a Dwemer dig sight, where, if you pace yourself, you can see two Kahjit sneaking about muttering to each other, you do eventually catch up to them and one has been killed by the other, I forget who is who, but one of the bodies is named Ahkari. If I remember correctly, Ahkari was actually the addict that killed the other, thinking he was stealing his skooma stash

[@Gensolink]

actually the kahjit seems to talk to himself and having lost his mind because of skooma withdrawal, that's an interesting bit of information tho

[@Cynthianwings]

Ahkari is a Khajiit trader. The two Khajiit in Alftand, one of the Dwemer ruins that leads to Blackreach, are J'darr and J'zhar, the former being the one experiencing Skooma withdrawls when you meet him

[@ACowIsHuge]

​@@CynthianwingsArent khakiit immune to moonsugar withdrawal? Skooma is moonsugar as far as i know

[@obtuse186]

If Olava is using Skooma to gain her 'powers' it would be VERY similar to Mama Murphy from FO4, even down to the very accurate yet obscured predictions. Something I've never thought about.

[@GrndAdmiralThrawn]

I liked those radiant objectives in FO4. If you give her too much chems, she dies.

[@obtuse186]

@@GrndAdmiralThrawn they're really useful because they give the player easier options they'd never have without them, like the Skinny Malone memory and the Courser reset code. I can never bare to give her the chems tho unless I'm playing an evil character

[@marhawkman303]

@@obtuse186 hmm same writer perhaps? :D

[@Frostytheflowman]

I thought the same thing! She even says the word Sanctuary

[@whiterosesalchemist]

And both games have nirnroot, its almost like theyre connected somehow lol

[@jamespliskins2785]

You know, when it comes to Balfruufs son, it’s entirely possible that he actually doesn’t have a different mother. I mean, the one who told him that is the prince of deceit. It would be completely in character for Mephala to tell him that in order to foster resentment towards his father and the rest of his family.

[@morrigankasa570]

Perhaps, but sometimes the truth can cause more chaos/damage then lies so it would also work to let him know the truth. Also he does look a little different then his siblings.

[@neversaydiegaming4868]

@@morrigankasa570 All the skyrim kids look related

[@morrigankasa570]

@@neversaydiegaming4868 Some have lighter hair then others.

[@gottabustanut6456]

Mephala is a liar

[@morrigankasa570]

@@gottabustanut6456 Yes, but not just that. She is also a corrupter and sometimes the best way to corrupt is by telling the truth to cause emotional and/or mental distress. So in cases where the Truth is more effective then Lies she would tell the truth.

[@crj9884]

0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Sponsored by NordVPN 2:07 - Where does Rune come from? (Tier 4) 6:01 - Who is Amaund Motierre working with? (Tier 4) 9:07 - Falion (Tier 4) 16:26 - What's up with Olava the Feeble? (Tier 4) 22:46 - Astrid's betrayal (Tier 4) 28:02 - Gorm's treachery(Tier 4) 30:27 - Transition from Tier 4 to Tier 5 31:01 - What is Jarl Balgruuf hiding from his family? (Tier 5) 38:37 - Mysteries behind Karliah's unique eye color (Tier 5) 44:07 - The Matriarch (Tier 5) 48:03 - The disappearance of Septimus Signus (Tier 5) 53:23 - Other assassins on The Katariah (Tier 5) 55:02 - Page of the Mysterium Xarxes in Silus Vesuius's Musuem of Mythic Dawn (Tier 5) 58:08 - Outro

[@toeleg]

Not all heroes wear capes and talk about Skyrim lore

[@infamousjohan996]

You're a damn legend!

[@vanessamae9458]

This should be a pinned comment.

[@TheVioletBunny]

Thanks you can save everyone the trouble from listening to the stupid ad I don’t care if it’s 2 seconds or 2 minutes I don’t want hear that shit.

[@stingslim6444]

U good but thnx for spoiler

[@chancechampion2937]

Fun fact Olava gives a different reading if you wait until after completing the quest to do the reading. She also comments on the Dawnguard questline if you've started it before going to her.

[@avoid653]

Oh boy, I was rewatching all your vids again and got to iceberg part 1 today, I couldn't have hoped for a better timing. Godspeed to you Nate

[@ryanstansbury4797]

Nate you bring me to Skyrim every time you post, thanks for the motivation friend.

[@SolAndNat]

FACTS

[@ewah25]

Same! Every time I quit, these videos bring me back

[@ryanstansbury4797]

@@ewah25 couldn’t agree more

[@holdenkerns8475]

So glad he’s still making content. I’ve literally watched and rewatched all his videos. Still so entertaining to all of us who love Skyrim and the nostalgia it makes us feel.

[@chandlerguy3231]

As he was talking about Balgruuf, I was like "Yeah, this man gives Ned Stark vibes" and then Nate IMMEDIATELY said "he's like a Skyrim Ned Stark" and I LOST IT

[@clumsykitten0076]

I love how it's almost 2023 and we are still discovering new things about skyrim. Has been my favorite game since 2011 and it never gets old.

[@lighterudite]

Don't worry if you need to extend these mystery episodes as they're so entertaining. I've found many others with no explanation ,mainly: -What was the Castle Volkihar before its vampire residents , why it has a shrine to Mara and to moon phases. -Why there are 2 dragons in the forgotten vale. -Why that priest guy (of the Solitude temple of the divines) references ,during the Olaf festival, that Sanguine (a daedra) would appreciate it (pretty sus).

[@beckyfinch4011]

so literally finished that quest today and I was standing by the priest and heard him say that. I never heard him say it before. I was taken aback too

[@Phaethon_Mercer]

The Sanguine comment confused the hell out of me at the festival, I thought it was a mod

[@arwahsapi]

Movarth has foot fetishes known by his ample collection of boots and shoes

[@XochiCh]

The Moon dial was installed AFTER the Volkihar clan moved in, as it was originally a Sun dial, and well, vampires happens to have slight difficulties appreciating Sun dials.

[@the11382]

Volkihar wasn't always inhabited by vampires. Dynasty Volkihar could have been worshipping Mara before going the vampiric route?

[@abdulwilliams9995]

I also feel like it's completely possible that Mephala simply lied to Nelkir to get into his head and manipulate him. Deceive him. It, at the very least, gets one of the world's most feared artifacts into the hands of the dragon born. Which it is interesting that the whispers don't start until the dragonborn makes themselves known within Blagruuf's hold. 🤔

[@marhawkman303]

yeah, that's an interesting take on it. so many things we don't know...

[@lylerivas4433]

These Skyrim videos are what keep me going, I usually play them in the background on my phone while I play Skyrim.

[@miniturtle0275]

Lol I listen to them while at work while thinking about playing skyrim when I get home

[@user-ln2go4xp6d]

that's what i'm doing as we speak

[@lylerivas4433]

@@user-ln2go4xp6d The men of culture have gathered here today

[@tjknight]

"Hermaeous can't just eliminate someone in the mortal realm" _Skaal village wants to know your location_

[@Ludovicus1769]

That was different

[@andrewmorrison7074]

My personal head cannon for both scenarios is it is tied to Hermaeous' magic in the books. Like septimus is close to/interacting with the infinium, whilst the skaal elder is interacting with one of his black book (I forget which one)

[@jstar3382]

That was with a black book, a direct portal to Apocrypha present, and was done as a (bullshit) trade

[@jeremygillia7494]

Can't believe you didn't mention the skeleton under the dragonreach bridge. I always thought that it belonged to the kids mom

[@MegaZeta]

I can believe it just fine. Skill gap

[@MystDupp]

You have no idea how happy I get whenever you post tbh. Been watching you for years

[@kellyfloyd169]

Thanks Nate for being so descriptive and having such detailed info on both Skyrim and fallout 4 I can't seem to get enough of either lately! Really love the content!

[@extremesubtlety]

Honestly, I'm more elated than anything to be having more of this series. Anything you make is so good to listen to and so engaging that I have zero complaints

[@UncensoredScion]

Isn't it odd though that Delvin is chasing after Vex, who is a tall, willowy blonde woman who is both confident and rude to people? That's a hint at his type, and that it was likely he left the Dark Brotherhood because he got his heart broken by the person he trusted most when she fell in love with the Werewolf.

[@ItsDragonsAllTheWayDown]

For the record, I liked the audio balancing. Its quiet, which is good because you're the main focus of the video, and the music is just there for ambiance.

[@kass463]

Give us ten parts, I will watch them all. I have been LOVING this series. With how many hours I have logged in this game, to still be learning new things is so cool.

[@AshAquamarine]

TBH I always assumed Rune and the "no trace of your parents" meant he was in some way linked to the Grey Fox because the Grey Fox mask causes you to be removed from history if I remember right

[@derekmensch3601]

@@jeffdroog Reply to the wrong person?

[@derekmensch3601]

@@jeffdroog oh the "TBH". But if we are to talk about that. You coulda hit space a few more times after your Commas friend

[@derekmensch3601]

@@jeffdroog Don't know why you put a comma and several spaces at the end of the sentence. But you should make sure your writing is perfect, before you judge someone else for using Shorthand.

[@derekmensch3601]

@@jeffdroog says the guy that can't even put spaces after commas

[@vexile1239]

@@derekmensch3601 don't argue with stupid, you'll be at it all day and get nowhere except annoyed

[@rhiaxtra]

My personal theory about Karliah's eyes is that since turning away from the tribunal (Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil), and returning to the ways of Mephala, Boethia, and Azura, the dunmer have begun evolving back to have chimeri traits. I think Avrusa and Aduri Sarethi also seem to have more chimer-like eyes

[@BloodFangLucario555]

I theorize that Rune is the child of seafarers from Akavir. If the rune on the stone matched the ancient nord language, even if it couldn’t be deciphered, it would at the very least be comparable to those glyphs. However, if the glyph on the stone was from a language and script completely unheard anywhere in Tamriel, it could likely be from Akavir. It would also explain why there is no trace of his parents, because any record of his parents would have been in Akavir and not anymore across Tamriel.

[@coballard5334]

I could of sworn I found a sunken ship with a letter that said his parents were escaping some kind of political assassination attempt and they had sent him and a maid to skyrim. There's a skeleton close to the chest underwater. Presumably the nursemaid...

[@LVega_]

But his race is an Imperial, not Akaviri

[@Brother_O4TS]

​@@LVega_ The thing is, a lot of Imperials were lost in Akavir during Emperor Uriel's (IDR which one) conquest of Akavir. They're never confirmed to be dead or alive, even Uriel himself has an undetermined fate

[@danb4900]

​@@coballard5334Are you thinking of Brand Sheis quest

[@groutguy]

I really noticed the music change and really really appreciate it. I have bad ptsd night terrors and falling asleep to your videos makes me feel safe, like I’m in Skyrim and you’re my tour guide lol so I sleep peacefully. Thanks for still making these man

[@MrCDGamester]

I was under the impression that Barenziah was actually either the daughter or a descendent of Nocturnal and that was why her eyes are different. I was partly under that impression because of the relationship Nocturnal and Karliah seem to have

[@marhawkman303]

Hunh... interesting idea... looking on the wiki it says Barenziah's parents were the lord and lady of Mournhold.... What's special about Mournhold? Almalexia lived there?!?!? Oh.. oh boy... She once got into a fight with Mehrunes Dagon!?!?!!? she was technically a mortal... technically... possibly an ancestor of Barenziah though. Hmm... I wonder Almalexia was a Chimer perhaps some of her descendants avoided the curse?

[@VicDScott]

I thought Karliah was from House Indoril? Or am I confusing the TES Sandbox with the lore?

[@nerevarindoril3435]

But we see Barenziah in Morrowind and she have red eye so i think its more a mistake in the lore.

[@marhawkman303]

@@nerevarindoril3435 oh, interesting... hmm.....

[@generatoralignmentdevalue]

@@marhawkman303 I would think, with Almalexia being one of the three intended targets of the curse, that Azura would have made sure her descendants in particular got changed. The more likely Almalexia is to see you, the more important it is that you be made to look like Azura.

[@Rhysdux]

Ahkari is the name of one of the Khajiiti traders on the Dawnstar-to-Riften run. And, as a fence, she sells Moon Sugar and Skooma, so that fits the bandit letter linking her to Olava.

[@andrewsad1]

This channel is a godsend when I'm stuck at home with a fever and I can't sleep

[@brendannelson1549]

39:23 Nate has such a way with words. I love this man.

[@jordanpendleton9686]

When talking about studying life extending techniques, Falion mentioned that becoming a vampire would endanger his ward, the little girl, which would defeat the point. So his purpose must have been to keep the girl safe, whatever his motivations, either by making her immortal or himself. Either way, she seems to have natural talent, dreaming about falions past perhaps. So maybe an apprentice situation, maybe a make a vessel of destruction kind of situation.

[@marhawkman303]

hmm yeah, that's an interesting angle for investigation too... WHY did Fallion adopt her?

[@rustyjones7908]

I hope we see some of these kids grown up in ES6. Warrior Couple Lars and Braith Battleborn, Master Conjurer Agni, etc.

[@kingt0295]

@@rustyjones7908 like the kids from fallout3 in Fallout 4 I hope they keep those little characters strung along the franchise

[@marocfarisoin4785]

One theory I saw offered, mostly based on the rock Rune had, is that it may be one of those enchanting stones from Elder Scrolls Online. I'm not sure if there's an explanation as to why enchanting has changed from needing those stones to just using magic and soul gems, but those stones could still exist. (I originally heard of this theory from Fudge Muppet I do believe)

[@MegaZeta]

As real-life time travel doesn't exist, probably not.

[@smokingone]

Looking back I really feel like Astrid was the ideal person to become the next Night Mother, the original Night Mother gained her status by betraying the Morag Tong so it seems fitting that someone as conniving as Astrid would aspire to that same goal.

[@kingt0295]

The dark brotherhood are fundamentally evil she’d be an ideal leader

[@hunterotte9555]

... I knew more about these layers than I probably should. It's been like a year since I played and awhile since I did deep diving into the lore. I either have a problem or Mora is living rent free in my head and using it as an extra library. Also, love that there's gonna be a part 4.

[@Psilocybrina]

I didnt know anything from 2 and 3 but I thought the dark brotherhood stuff and the septimus stuff was more known than this

[@randirollz5571]

Do you have any idea how funny this phrasing is? Mora living rent free in my head and using it as an extra library. God, I wanna use this phrase all the time now, I love that!!

[@Wandergirl108]

SO glad there's going to be a part 4! I was worried when I saw this video was only just over an hour, and even more so when you didn't finish tier 4 until halfway through the video, I was like, "There have to be more mysteries in tier 5 than can be explained in half an hour, surely?!" By the way, I saw on a previous video where you covered Balgruuf that the reason that one kid is labeled as his "brother" instead of his "son" in the game files is because a single character cannot have more than two designated children within the game's code, but Balgruuf has three, so they had to mark it as some other familial relation. So it's not an oversight, nor is it canon, it's a workaround for a limitation of the game's programming. Granted, I'm just repeating what someone else said, but it makes sense to me - I mean, even the Dragonborn can only adopt up to 2 children, which seems like a weird limitation to apply only to the player.

[@siighosts0145]

Congrats on the giveaway!

[@TheVioletBunny]

@@siighosts0145 it’s a bot

[@MikeVonwolkenstein]

I love this iceberg series, so the more the merrier. Can’t wait for the final along with the bonus entries 🔥

[@thesunlessway]

Oooooook! There are another couple of questions still unaswered: who was the body Aventus Aretino is using during the black sacrament? And how did he managed to bring it home without anyone noticing him?

[@malarkeysquad3845]

You're the only other person I've seen ask this question, and frankly I don't know the answer

[@rustyjones7908]

My theory is that he came across one of the butcher's victims and grabbed some parts when no one was looking. Like how Torsten Cruel-Sea thought a member of the Sumerset Shadows killed his daughter, but you're later told they just rob the dead (which technically is what the Dragonborn does but let's not quibble). I believe The Butcher killed Torstens daughter.

[@casualcrisis6349]

it's like it was his mother's, he either found the body in the house or went to where she was buried and took her from there. it makes sense.

[@gottabustanut6456]

It's his mother perhaps

[@thesunlessway]

@@casualcrisis6349 Creepy, but it's possible.

[@KingZoe2264]

When talking about Jarl Ravencrone and Gorm, I thinking she does know something’s going on. You can hear in their dialogue that she asks him if something’s troubling him. Gorm gets jumpy and defensive, questioning her. She replies that she is simply saying what she sees. So I think she knows something is afoot (at least vaguely)

[@chocjamie]

I've only been playing Skyrim for the past few months, and most of your videos I've watched are from 3-4 years ago - so it was a big and pleasant surprise to realise that this video is only a week old! I have loved how much there is to discover about this game. I have been too sick to sit and play it lately so I'm enjoying getting my Skyrim fix by watching lots and lots of your videos instead.

[@a.a677]

The reason why Hermaeus Mora was able to destroy Septimus was because he was in the presence of the Ogma Infinium therefore granting Hermaeus Mora the anchor to the mortal plane to be able to destroy Septimus.

[@auru1325]

Wow it almost feels like he has an upload schedule again! keep up all the great work! Edit: the editing is superb

[@bobdollaz3391]

My GOD! Your "Roll Tide" reference in regards to Balgruf and Nielker being brothers was too hilarious!!!😂

[@davidalvarez2686]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught that.

[@manyabrana]

My power just went out because of Tropical storm Nicole but I've got this series downloaded and its finally time to watch them. Thank you Nate!

[@kimosterhout3242]

A dark elf with purple eyes might be a nod to “The Legend of Drizzt”, a D&D book series in which the main protagonist was a dark elf with purple eyes. Like in the Elder Scrolls, the dark elves of D&D usually have red eyes, and Drizzt’s purple eyes were called out as being a strange characteristic unique to Drizzt.

[@dylanpelo]

The story Rune tells about losing his parents only having a stone with runes sounds more like an nod to SpaceBalls. Lone Star was abandoned at a monastery in the Ford Galaxy with only a necklace with an mysterious language. They are both rogues and *kinda* look similar. Now to find a character named after a dairy product to translate his stone!

[@TheOnyxSpy]

Maybe they live in a certain famous cave on the island of Vvardenfell

[@Somemetalguy-mm3su]

Nooooooooo, the last episode? It's been a great run Nate, I hope you have a great life! Love ya

[@EpicNate]

Not the last!

[@Somemetalguy-mm3su]

@@EpicNate ohhh ok

[@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts]

@@EpicNate I was also deeply concerned at that, you have given me hope!

[@markky3050]

He meant the last in the iceberg series of videos. Not the last video ever.

[@Somemetalguy-mm3su]

@@markky3050 ahhh ok

[@whimsicallychrissy]

Great video, and glad to hear there will be another. The track volumes were perfect and the new tracks were good IMO. Definitely better than looping a single track on long-form videos.

[@lukemcneill4069]

I really enjoyed how this series was sectioned, since I don’t have enough time to sit down and watch an entire hour long video. Keep up the great work Nate 👍🏻

[@VoxVocisCruora]

I just rewatched this after the Uriel Septim video, and when I listened about the Rune mystery, it made me wonder if there's a theory about Rune being a long lost heir to the Septim dynasty, coming back from Akavir. The strange runic language could be an Akaviri language, which would explain why no one on Tamriel can decipher it; we know so little about the continent, let alone what sorts of languages and scripts it's inhabitants might have. I'm not super deep into the lore, so I have no idea if the fact the shipwreck was near Solitude is a theory-breaker or not, but I could see an envoy of descendants managing to get back to Skyrim trying for Solitude, rather than Winterhold or Dawnstar; Solitude is a large city with a large dock. A bigger city would be able to help them better after what would have probably been a debilitating, dangerous journey. And if they were transporting an Heir to the Septim bloodline, Solitude would obviously be the safest place to bring that child; Solitude is after all where the Emperor himself comes to for the Dark Brotherhood questline, the place best suited to protect and host a figure of such importance. And it would fit with no one being able to find out where Rune came from. No one would've been expecting people to come back from Akavir after so long, and there wouldn't be any records of Rune's entire lineage, but especially his parents. It would also help explain the lack of origin of the ship itself, if that'd even be a thing people would try to track in this world. On the downside, it means that enough people were left on Akavir to survive and sustain a decently large population for multiple generations, large enough to sail a ship well enough to return to skyrim. And a population that somehow managed to not be whiped out by the native inhabitants of Akavir, which is a bit far-fetched, seeing as the entire reason why Uriel Septim never came back was because all the settlements had gotten sacked by the natives and all. Or maybe the remaining men and mer were captured and enslaved, and only recently was able to make a desperate escape attempt, back to their old homeland, knowledge of which was passed down from parent to child. Or maybe in that case, Rune's just a random kid that survived the crash, with no significant blood in his veins at all. *shrugs* I could also see it as being a little wink and a nudge to the original Skyrim plot concept, which had been an army returning to Skyrim from Akavir. This was scrapped, but sometimes developers like to put in those little sorts of easter eggs in.

[@adeleviuhko7186]

Nate, uh, you do know that I and i'm sure many others would happily watch a 3 hour essay from you, so don't sweat the length of the video!

[@someguy7629]

You might have mentioned it before. But all roof decorations in Whiterun are dragons, except for the Bannered Mare. It has horse roof decorations.

[@scorchingstarbhaskar7011]

The Bannered "Mare" ;)

[@mr.everthorn3808]

Happy to see that it's finally here been waiting for this iceberg video since the last one

[@TheGravityShifter]

It's possible Karlia's eyes are simply just a very unique genetic trait that could've spawned from all kinds of possible reasons. There is a Dunmer Guild Trader Vendor in Wayrest in ESO who has Grey-ish eyes and I believe it's an eye option for player characters who play Dunmer.

[@somethingbanter]

Yeah but it's weird that it exists in this game where it is not an option for customization. They had to go out of their way specifically to give her purple eyes.

[@scar8129]

Can't wait for mysteries iceberg part 4! Hoping for soon. I'd love an expected date or if someone has a guess feel free to shoot it out. Looking forward to it a ton. You're doing the Nine's work and doing a great job. Thanks from all of us.

[@theheeter9181]

I always assumed that Septimus' death was caused by the Dwemer cube itself. He uses the essence extractor on himself to finish the blood collection and unseal the lock, and after a moment he disappears. To me it seems fairly similar in style to when the College professor accidentally sends himself to whatever plain the Dwemer are in using the tonal magic, perhaps the Dwemer set some sort of last ditch effort trap on the cube to stop whoever found the Ogma Infinium from reading it, and this trap functioned in a similar manner. Or, it could have even been the purpose of it to send the reader of the book to the Dwemer once they had read to book, but Septimus was sent before he could read it.

[@BertLensch]

It would make sense for Failon to be in Morthal and warn of wandering the marshes at night, since there is a vampire warren north of the town that is destroyed by you in the sidequest "Laid to Rest." But it still begs questions around Failon's relationship to Thonnir and Alva, and what his backstory really is.

[@Raphael_Bizmann]

It gets me every time you say "murders them to death" as if another outcome can be produced with the act of murder.

[@Laster_N_Line]

Lot of these end in “only they will know” and that shows Skyrim’s amazingness of hiding lore

[@Cinnamowo]

58:00 It's cause Arthmoor likes to fix what is not broken, and then argue about that with everyone else

[@duck2059]

in an otherwise great video i am completely blindsided by whatever mod you have that yassified delvin mallory beyond recognition

[@chaphisyt]

I wish I could unwatch all three of these parts just so I can watch them again. Well done.

[@notenoughcalories]

The true High King, TheEpicNate315, has returned to Skyrim. PRAISE THEEE

[@matronmalice9867]

Thanks Nate! I needed a distraction from my mom being ill and this has helped immensely. So I raise a flagon of Honingbrew in your honor.

[@goawaynovideoshere6713]

just rewatched all 3 parts love them

[@Islamic-v7y]

Much love to Nate for them

[@wordbearer8202]

14:56 literally says he met dwemer and nobody mentions how important of a note this is. Either he and his ward are unfathomablly old, or the dwemer aren't quite as distant as assumed

[@wolffangz]

48:03 This could possibly be the same reason that the Dwarves disappeared? They perhaps reached a level of intelligence where they became self aware of the 'World beyond' and simply vanished.

[@borisvolski]

Or got sent to other plain of oblivion like specific someone from winterhold college

[@Some_Guy6]

@@borisvolski He died. He did not use wraithgaurd. And perhaps that Keening was fake also.

[@mateuszdabrowski7078]

I love it when Nate says "only Todd Howard knows and Todd Howard isn't talking" 😂

[@andreasherg]

I think Falion is just someone who tries to learn and understand more about the dark powers to be able to help people against these influences. Kinda a tortured hero.

[@EnemyAtom65]

48:14, correction; Septimus Sigmus' race is Elder (Imperial)

[@pesteanvstefan5491]

Amazing content . I just binged watch all 3 of them didnt felt the time pass by .

[@Sandthesand]

35:39 “ Jesus Christ man you fucking killed him!” He did not pull punches for that, eh?

[@citizensguard3433]

EBONY BLADE didn't fall into Jarl's hands. Otherwise, no one would want him to have access to it. Likely, he had a wife... took a lover... the lover was a friend of his wife. The lover asked for a way to get rid of the wife after secretly giving birth to Jarl's secret son, and her prayers were answered by a Daedra with the blade. She used it to cut down Jarl's wife. She was in turn cut down. Jarl had the blade locked away as he mourned the loss of the two women he loved most.

[@TayTeeAyWhy]

I believe that the Ebony Blade once belonged to Irileth. After all, the game manual did say that she was once part of the Morag Tong. Perhaps she was sent to kill Balgruuf but grew to be close friends with him. Maybe she abandoned that life and put the blade in the basement. Since the jarl and his court wizard know about the blade, maybe she told them about it.

[@TheXLAXLimpLungs]

I think he is supposed to be tied to the latest grey fox. Runes on the helmet, like father like son. With a helmet on, he won't remember himself, and perhaps that's why he scribed the rune on the stone, in hopes he would one day find his son with courage to remove the helm.

[@MrJsbigred]

Nate, buddy, my guy. I need more of this. I need more Skyrim and Fallout. I needs it. I needs all of it. Thank you.

[@duskycat2326]

For the ebony blade, i believe it belonged to Irileth. Since she was once a Morag Tong assassin, she probably had it in her possession when she took on the role of Housecarl. My guess is she probably got possessed by the blade and went to kill baalgruf and his wife jumped in the way. Afterwards they probably subdued her since she is a friend of Baalgrufs and the sword was taken away and locked in that room. She probably doesnt remember what happened and they don't tell her so she wont feel ashamed and guilty.

[@steel8231]

As far as Balgruf's "brother" it's not unheard of for rulers to adopt significantly younger siblings to keep inheritance lines tidy. The Whispering Blade might have done what evil artifacts tend to do and told a half truth, yes the kid has a different mom than his siblings, but he also has a different dad (maybe Balgruf's Dad was also one for pub crawls and some woman liked the idea of her kid having jarl blood).

[@tyrianqrow8690]

I so desperately crave an EpicNate play through of Skyrim 😅

[@JackyCola92]

I noticed and appreciated the change in the music, I think it was a great choice! Wouldn't mind the dragonborn theme for the first couple of minutes just for old times sake, I enjoy all your continuous "gags" like "murdering people to death" and "without further ado, let's do further" (or variations of that), so I think using the theme would really fit into that. However, you'd need a good transition so it feels natural to switch the tracks. I know that can be quite tricky, so I don't mind if you don't end up doing it. Thanks for genuinely reviewing your viewers feedback! :)

[@normalhuman9878]

Imagine if Olava predicted that you would be involved in a great battle to determine the fate of Skyrim and, depending on how far you have gotten in the main questline, your character could just reply "I know".

[@terrancopeland6978]

The bucket transformation thing also happens with the galdur amulet when they are all placed on the stands to fuse them, at least it happened for me.

[@brandonbest8489]

I always thought it was wierd she doesn't TAKE olavas token.. she just looks at it for the reading. You take the token with you after.. and I find it a nice little display gem and nice momento.

[@raven_glass]

The purple eyed dark elf is probably reference to Drizzt Durden from Forgotten Realms.

[@FTZPLTC]

Nelkir being Balgruf's brother could actually make sense. It could be that Balgruf's parents had children 30-40 years apart; and if they died soon after, it wouldn't be unusual for the younger son to be raised as if they are the child of the elder son. This sort of thing used to happen a lot in Europe, and I know at least one person who was effectively raised by his brothers and sisters because of the 20 year age gap between them.

[@umwha]

Balgruf is like 40 at least. If his mother was 15 when she had balgruf then she would be like 47 when she had the boy. Possible I suppose

[@puritychant128]

I wish these were podcasts on Spotify, I love listening to them throughout the day. TES lore is truly one of my all time favourites.

[@Bumble.V]

Literally said "YES!!!" out loud when you announced there was going to be a part 4. This has been my dopamine for the past months, I could listen to you talk about this for days on end.