The Thieves Guild's Weird Little Secret

[@EpicNate]

Happy Monday! This is the comment where I ask you to like & subscribe and direct you to links, that about 2% of you will click on. discord.gg/ZMyxAZR Instagram.com/epicnate315

[@_peter541]

Hi nate

[@youraveragejoe7145]

I dont use discord but I followed you on Instagram 😁

[@Darthborg]

Hopefully video is good, otherwise downvoting video.

[@ESSARGEE]

Nate you bring us much solice in these times. Thank you!!

[@jslaughter777]

I don’t ever use Discord but I’m definitely following you on IG 👌

[@lordodysseus]

Bane: No one cared who I was before I put on the mask. The Grey Fox: No one cared who I was after I put on the mask.

[@pj5403]

No one cared because they couldn't care

[@dirtyblonde1011]

Will Ferrell: everyone only cares about my mask...

[@viniciusvyller9458]

Was getting forgotten part of your plan?

[@skippykishi5632]

Literally busted out laughing LOL!!! This should win this comment section!

[@sneakysnek2185]

No, no knew who I was. The effect made the bearer completely anonymous and makes the gaurds target you.

[@Niinque]

I always laugh when we get the option to ask Rune where he got his "unusual name", because Rune is like the most ordinary name ever here in Denmark.

[@yeezus9397]

My dad's name is Rune he is from Norway

[@johnmcgregor7309]

your name is insanely danish, i could tell you were danish just by reading “Rasmussen”

[@evanbarrows6427]

Lol that's an interesting cultural difference

[@Starchild719]

Even as an American, compared to all the names in Skyrim...Rune is pretty tame lol

[@SatoshiKong]

Shout out to Rune Glifberg ✌️

[@quentin9676]

Hearing "hey how's it going, Nate here," combined with the Skyrim theme is nice after a entire day stuck at home.

[@kakyoin2850]

agreed!

[@Magnus..]

an*

[@ihavenonameideas419]

I think everyone can agree

[@colbyreeves4824]

Go play some Skyrim my guy

[@connornewman357]

I can definitely agree and im not the first to suggest this but wouldn't it be nice to find and NPC in ES6 that you could just walk past and hear hey hows it going and be able to interact with him as a kind of historian and say really random stuff like a M'aig the liar with more facts and less lies voiced by Nate

[@dandylionsdungeon968]

Nate: "It could be possible his mother died in childbirth" Gray fox: *absolutely breaking it down in the back*

[@larryromero1082]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DocFleg]

I laughed so hard at that.

[@InsanityPlea100]

*i got out of paying child support, eh! I got out of paying child support, eh!*

[@Soul_404.]

@Joël then why wouldn’t we just look at it?

[@SeductiveCoffee]

“Everyday I’m shuffling”

[@GaaraOfTheFunk606]

my theory: the stone is in an akaviri language, and Rune is a descendent of Uriel Septim V, making him the rightful heir to the emperor's throne post dark brotherhood

[@thegodofmischief8141]

💙

[@syedmohsinahmed5487]

Holy shit that would be awesome

[@coldasifneveraskedthemoon7401]

xD xD I like this xD

[@connergeisler4095]

A damn epic story right there

[@cheekibreeki904]

There are people in Tamriel who can read and translate Akaviri, so this theory is unlikely.

[@mrsmutz787]

In Oblivion, the Guild steals an Elder Scroll and removes Nocturnal’s curse from the cowl, so the Cowl doesn’t make people “not exist” anymore

[@nekmewxelagrowing6432]

Wasn't it only partially removed? So it still has the effect when worn but not when in inventory?...

[@seanblack1320]

@@nekmewxelagrowing6432 no. You just become the gray fox. The hero of kvatch is still known despite being having the cowl.

[@maggiedelossantos1437]

🤔No. NO! The scroll should be used on you, so you just forget about this theory.😤😡 🤪💩🤭👉👌

[@stebbenwolfe]

I feel like a lot of people don’t understand this about the grey cowl. The curse was broken during Oblivion which is why you can put it on in the game and people don’t forget who you are as soon as you take it off. The magic makes it so no one can make the connection that you’re the grey fox but they never forget who you are once you take it off again. That’s why we stole the elder scroll.

[@lucius5787]

Exactly what i was going to say

[@ako6760]

When you realize that about 3/4ths of Skyrim was cut and just wish they had a few more years to finish it

[@HybridSpektar]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind spending $20 for a quest pack that adds in more quests. I would gladly pay for more quests in Skyrim.

[@DovahkiinKhajiit]

EA Games looks at Skyrim. EA Games: *Intensifies*

[@HybridSpektar]

@INTERNET STRANGER You obviously don't understand game development

[@br5073]

@@HybridSpektar You wanna pay for shit that should’ve been in the game already.

[@kasrkinable]

@@br5073 lmao thats a pretty weird take about a game thats been going strong for almost a decade now XD

[@totallynotmozziesaccount8506]

When your Wife traps you in a love triangle so you trap her in a soul gem: *You just got Vectored*

[@faunxe1435]

Lol

[@kimjoeun2502]

Vectored not victored

[@vulpesinculta3478]

@@kimjoeun2502 no... HECTORED

[@hometownboy6537]

Thank you, I needed this in my life

[@silentxwxlf]

Bruh that actually made me laugh

[@Seraphim-h3q]

"I have never seen anyone with skills like yours" My amazing skill of getting into brutal combat and killing everyone before i steal an item? Neat.

[@Nr4747]

Hey, you're technically still stealing the loot.

[@void-master9077]

@@Nr4747 , and technically no one witnessed it, so to be fair Rune isn’t wrong.

[@wessmoore7894]

Just because you’re not a good burglar doesn’t mean you can’t be a good raider.

[@tiggerbane4325]

@Gareth Barr Yes it is, it's just not theft from the corpse it was on but theft from the inheritor.

[@Dancerlayla-z6g]

I killed everyone in ivarstead and forgot to steal their stuff

[@Scorpious187]

"The generous fisherman took him in and decided to name him after the rock." So... his name is actually Dwayne Johnson?

[@kolvarg-9550]

yes

[@josephzanes7334]

No not DJ - he was named The Rock

[@funguy123hs]

His name is Dwayne rune jhonson

[@cerebrumexcrement]

😂

[@ggoodroe6052]

Tell me why I had the exact same thought 😂

[@Kazuma11290]

I find it weird that nobody ever talks about children of Dragon Breaks. When time splits there are events that happen one way, and happen a different way, and when time repairs itself, they both become simultaneously true. But everybody keeps referring to these Dragon Breaks when discussing MAJOR events. But what about the little events? What if in one broken timeline a couple got together and had a child, and in the other timeline they never even met. When time is repaired, you may be left with a child born to parents who've never even met. Seriously, why does nobody ever talk about this? We should give these people a title. Something like, Dragon Orphans.

[@censoredeeznuts]

Possibly the purpose of these dragon orphans is to bring about the end of the dragon break that brought them into existence without parents? Maybe Akatosh would favor these rare few who shouldn't exist and treat them as his own..maybe this is how Dragonborns come to be? I saw another comment speculating that Rune is actually the physical representation for the player character in the world, and that at the end of the dragon break they would merge and in TES6 we'd hear about Rune the Dragonborn. Makes sense, Rune says himself that he's travelled everywhere looking for answers, the same places our character has gone... If what he has is really a runestone, that according to the loremaster comes from the Dawn Era, is it a coincidence that the Dawn Era occured before the invention of time?

[@tysej4]

@@censoredeeznuts Honestly if in TESVI They want to actually put a name to the past character I wouldn't mind it being Rune at all. In terms of History rune is a vague name so looking back it could refer to any gender, maybe even any race.. A nickname. For those in the know, at least we know Rune is well traveled, he's a nice agreeable fellow... For a thief. Wouldn't mind that at all. Probably not gonna happen but wouldn't mind it.

[@aidantruax9716]

I find this really interesting. But one name I would reccomend for the orphans born of the dragon breaks is... dragonborn?

[@PosthumanHeresy]

I feel like that's how TES Protagonists are born. Hence why they're all walking paradoxes.

[@hezar5166]

So that's where all the orphans came from 🤔

[@psychocuda]

"The cowl could have found its way to someone other than the player character..." yeah, I was a bit sloppy with my possessions in Oblivion. May have traded it in for a sword or some damned hammers to fix the sword...my bad.

[@Rct-ti6il]

I’m not sure it was meant that way. The daedric artifacts have been told to possess, in some degree, a will of their own. Take Umbra, a sword from one daedric prince. It’s lore says it alters the wielders mind and causes him to do unspeakable things and so on (I believe, at least.) So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the cowl quite literally chose to be found by someone new, and it vanished without a trace until the time either the artifact itself or the daedra, in this case Nocturnal, chose to remove it from ones possession and give it to another.

[@redeye4516]

To expound upon Umbra, it's also trying to gain independence. It used to be a part of Clavicus Vile. Vile even says "imagine if your leg detached itself from you and started calling itself Umbra". Daedric artifacts, and really all Daedric armor and weaponry, are considered Daedra in and of themselves. They tend to get recalled to Oblivion from time to time, where their associated Princes will then disperse them into the world again for their own personal reasons.

[@TranscendentLion]

@@Rct-ti6il Also, if Sheogorath is indeed the Hero of Kvatch, then it's likely that Daedric items in his possession had even more reason to leave and find new wielders.

[@mattasticmattattack8546]

Frfr

[@ainzooalgown2859]

@@Rct-ti6il you also forgot if umbra is destroyed. It takes over the weapon that whoever it chooses to posse. Doesn't matter what metal it's made of or what type.

[@ajflink]

"Rune will get a full dialogue tree." In-game: One option appears.

[@funkytown_fox]

Its a very small tree 😂

[@FlashpointGold]

@@funkytown_fox looks more like a log

[@bribbis]

FlashpointGold stump*

[@FerociousMit]

@@bribbis *root

[@daltonalspaugh9189]

@@FerociousMit seed*

[@majorbarnulf2608]

plot twist: he's from a different continent and it explains why the rock he carries around can't be translated

[@someone___1240]

That would work if he was a snake man or some other beast race from akavir, considering that’s the only inhabitable other continent at this point in the elder scrolls

[@radicalcentrist4990]

@@someone___1240 I heard somewhere that there were or still are some humans on Akavir, but they're going extinct, there's very few of them, because they have been hunted down by the snake-like race. Maybe Rune's family were refugees, who knows?

[@coldasifneveraskedthemoon7401]

yepp

[@DashingDaddyDaveDelivers]

I think Rune is from Akavir, but his family was originally from Tamriel...a long time ago. They attempted to return, but were subjected to rough seas. Rune was the only member to wash up. He is the LAST SEPTIM!

[@andrewprince4048]

@@someone___1240 I know I'm late but what if he is the son of survivors of the imperial legion that invaded Akivir, the rune may be a Akivir charm or something, and would also explain why he isn't a snake man

[@GG-pm8lc]

14:55 no it does not. In oblivion the curse is lifted when the Gray Fox uses the elder scroll that you stole on it, and actually tells you afterwards that the curse has been lifted. The cowl also just erases other people's memories of you, not your own memories. You know it does not do that because all of the quest line in oblivion climaxes in the gray fox using the elder scroll to get rid of the curse because he wants his wife to remember him, meaning that he remembers everything about his life. He also explains to his wife how he has been shouting at her to notice him but for her he was just a stranger.

[@Claviceptic]

I was just about to point this out. Thanks for beating me to it!

[@franekbartoszko8649]

Except... is it confirmed that the player has completed the thieves guild questline?

[@teathesilkwing7616]

@@franekbartoszko8649iirc in lore all the guild and faction quest lines are completed, just not necessarily by the main character.

[@mystica-2247]

the sneaky sneaky people have another secret **insert lighting magica** SHOCKER

[@wackyflappybob]

Lighting? Like candlelight and magelight? Or are you attempting to say lightning? Cuz theives guild members don't use magic lmfao.

[@ValensBellator]

I searched so dang long for the boat and a sign of Rune’s parents. That was so annoying to not be given at least a tiny piece of information somewhere on that coastline.

[@orlandoperez5660]

by any chance did you complete all those side missions fr the quest first

[@dreadfulsanity4686]

Long time lurker here. I just have to say that I absolutely love how it is 2020 and you still find new things in Skyrim to talk about. Keep up the good work.

[@BeefotronX]

I'm intrigued by the idea that Rune could be descended from Uriel V's colony in Akavir, or even a Septim heir himself. Supposing that Uriel V was able to make peace with the Tsaesci, by demonstrating his Voice before all the survivors of Ionith were wiped out, it fits the available facts well enough: Imperial race, arrived by sea, rune stone that is indecipherable by available scholars on Tamriel. And the idea of an orphan with nothing but a single cryptic token of his heritage is a classic trope for lost royalty (or nobility at least, see Brand-Shei). Supposing that Rune's stone is written in Akaviri, it's an amusing piece of irony that he ended up living so close to Esbern as long as he did, since Esbern might have been the only person in Tamriel who could read it.

[@bertrandronge9019]

Yeah seems more interesting theory because the grey fox theory doesn't make any sense with the ship wreckage. If it was just the child of the thief that became the grey fox why would he be on a ship and why would he have this stone that seems to have been given to him like some kind of amulet ?

[@schiltronmunitions3820]

I would ask the Loremaster the one question that has haunted me for years...."If your housecarl is a female elvish housekeeper...does that make her a mermaid?"

[@AmplifydMedia]

shouldn't it be maidmer? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

[@kaffielekobold8695]

This is an underrated comment. You sir (or ma'am) are very clever. XD

[@torreydunn2170]

clever!

[@WadeWalkerYT]

Damn that's clever. Wish I'd thought of that.

[@vuvuzela4570]

@@rehm402 can people not write ”lololol” because it simply doesn’t make sense

[@hugoboncar]

If the rune, Rune, had in his pocket was indeed a rune-stone, shouldn't he had found information on them ? They seem way too common for a private investigator or the College of Winterhold to not know.

[@mynorbut]

Like many things in eso by the time of Skyrim almost all knowledge and evidence has been lost This loss of information tends to happen around the turn of an era since those tend to be rather deveststing to most people Take eso for example, during that game you have essentially a world war and an inter dimensional invasion going on as well as countless minor disasters, it's not too hard to imagine how the knowledge of these stones has been lost, that doesn't even take into account the lack of knowledge people have while that form of entchantment was popular (and arguably better since one miss soul gem can perform multiple entchantments cutting down the genocides committed by nerdy mages who want a slightly bigger fire ball).

[@BelelEscabel]

@@mynorbut My theory is that Tiber Septim wasn't that good of an emperor and was in fact an overpowered tyrant that erased from history records all that he could in order to send the Empire back to "simpler times" (and pinkwash the massive genocide that was the Planemeld, in which Imperials had a huge part). During his reign so much knowledge from the previous eras was lost that Tamriel was sent back to the start of medieval times, making each territory aloof and separated from the rest despite the strong bonds that were formed during the end of the Second Era. The loss of knowledge about runes is just collateral damage of his tyranny, something that had to disappear to disempower the masses, along with so much other magical research, so that he could be praised as a living god even further. Coincidentally, this makes aldmeri rejection of Talos historically good and "on the right side of history".

[@aqua9218]

@@BelelEscabel You should post this on reddit! Awesome theory!

[@marhawkman303]

@@mynorbut Also... there is the idea that, since runestones are relics of a forgotten pre-historic age, the world ran out of them. No one in ESO knew how to make more of them, soo... eventually they became almost impossible to find. It'd still not explain why the College of Winterhold doesn't know what it is though. If they saw it and sensed any magical power in it they'd want it. But apparently it's... just a rock. One theory that popped into my head is related to one of the videos about Blackreach. That crisis with time portals flinging people forward and backward in time? Maybe... Rune was one of them? Maybe he's from the FUTURE, and the writing on the rock hasn't been invented yet? The College saw nothing but a strange trinket, because it's a mundane item and has no magical properties. Maybe it's literally just his family name or something? Heck maybe he has amnesia because the timeline shifted after he fell into the past and the future he came from no longer exists?

[@Bjorn308]

@Hydra - Exactly, ESO isn't a mainline entry in TES but a spin-off.

[@phantomhurricane666]

if you use bend will on a dragon, and don't ride it in time, the dragon will taunt you for being slow.

[@saturn3742]

well you’re lucky, whenever i use bend will on dragons they (somehow) always fly away lmao

[@BurgerTac]

"You're too slow!" - Sonic the Dragon

[@nekmewxelagrowing6432]

@@saturn3742 yah never really worked right for me either...

[@pikapika069]

Really? I never knew that, neat!

[@LiterallyAWesternHognose]

@@BurgerTac "I'll get you one day Sonic!"-Eggman the Dragonborn

[@joshblick]

If the cowl makes everyone else forget you then how could you run the thieves' guild???? "Hey, do this." "Who the hell are you?"

[@rosen_venus]

He explained the effects of the cowl pretty poorly. Before it was uncursed (which you do before taking it, I should mention) if you put it on it made people forget who YOU are, as a person - you instead take up the persona of the Grey Fox. Anything you do is attributed to the Grey Fox, and no one would remember who you are if you try to explain (Corvus mentions he literally stands next to his wife and shouts who he is but she doesn't even notice him). This is why the Grey Fox is seemingly immortal - there is no distinction between one Grey Fox or another. In the events of the thieves guild quest, you remove the curse aspect from the cowl, allowing Corvus to take up his old identity, and he leaves the artifact with you, which now only has the ability to make people forget who you are when you put it on. So if you put the Cowl on, people see the Grey Fox, and you can do whatever you want (say, murder someone) and as long as you take it off out of sight no one will know it was you.

[@blueboxbandit]

@@rosen_venus so if rune's mother was wearing the cowl when he was born then took it off, would she know it was her baby?

[@kheldarath]

Yeah I think essentially, it is meant to represent Superheroes. Noone is supposed to know who batman is, they remember only Batman. When he takes his cowl off, all his endevours become attributed to Bruce wayne again. It is pretty much just a shout out for superhero cowls, which is why corvus can go off and be himself again. Also the artefact is called grey Cowl of Nocturne, which literally translated is Grey Cowl of the Night. interesting note : Corvus was the heir to a wealthy family. Bruce Wayne is also the heir to a wealthy family. Grey Cowl = Batman. With rune though, I think the Grey Fox/cowl idea is only part of it. Some of what Nate suggested in the video is intriguing, but there are other things that can erase memories, reorganise history etc. The lore makes a big thing about "Dragon Breaks" whereby the Gods of Aetherium themselves, erase history if something too powerful arises and threatens the very fabric of reality - such as the Numidium. (i think thats right) there's a reason they have a God of Time. ("Where were you when the Dragon Broke?") I reckon Runes story, was obviously left open to interpretation, but what if it was something even more complex than the Grey Cowl of Nocturne? I'd love to see a DLC that revealed Rune was the last survivour of the Antagonist of Daggerfall or something.

[@LaSerpentDEden]

It's almost like James Bond. The name is a title meant to confuse your opponents. Same as Red Jenny in Dragon Age.

[@liammontgomery1825]

@@blueboxbandit Yes. Nate was a bit inaccurate; In practice, memories aren't really deleted; people in the court of Anvil know the countess had a husband who left her, the countess herself knew she had a husband who left her but she can't remember his name or face, and the count (the Gray Fox) remembers everything. In the Oblivion thieves' guild quest, the curse is 100% broken, so it can't erase anything from history anymore. Breaking the curse actually retroactively rewrote history to reflect that fact. So it can't have anything to do with Rune's situation unfortunately.

[@davidjamerson2777]

The Grey Cowl didn't erase your memories, it simply erased other people's memories of your identity, including their ability to be able to recall your name even as you state it to them.

[@MrDMIDOV]

In lore it is said to erase the wearer's memories too, but strangely some characters clearly retained their memories after wearing it.

[@sethharrell3053]

From what I heard you have trouble with multiple personalities. Or at least 2 personalities so not everyone lost there memory.

[@Azubrael]

@@sethharrell3053 their*

[@naomigreen9749]

I wonder if it took a long time and repeated use before your own memories were erased.

[@canehdiansteve3455]

@@naomigreen9749 I don't remember where, but I feel like somewhere in the lore there is some mention of exactly that. Can't say for sure though.

[@cromabu5090]

There’s a major problem with the greyfox theory, that being that in oblivion you LITERALLY REMOVE THE CURSE ON THE COWL ABOUT BEING FORGOTTEN!!!!!,

[@Lunara1990]

True, but there is also the fact that not everything that the hero of Kvatch does in considered canon going forward. Could you imagine the history books writing of the hero of kvatch, who was the leader of the thieves guild, mages guild, fighter's guild, speaker of the dark brotherhood, member of the blades, knight of the nine, knight of the thorn, knight of the white stallion, and ascended to godhood as Sheogorath.

[@abiwonkenabi7027]

@@Lunara1990 Typically it is assumed (and often proven true) that every questline was canonically completed by SOMEONE, especially the main quest and the guild quests. For example, Lucien Lechance's role in Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood is referenced during Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood. This is also why we have weirdness like the Dragon Break, where every Daggerfall ending is somehow simultaneously true. Assuming that the Oblivion Thieves Guild quest line was never completed is more foolish than assuming it was. Why would the devs just erase such a large event?

[@edwardcollins8102]

@@Lunara1990 Some of them are at best "what's the point?" Does anyone care you're a member of the Knights of the Thorn, even in Oblivion itself? Also, while they are 2 separate stories, there could also be a hint of historical revisionism like in Dragon Age (or real life for that matter).

[@derkylos]

@@Lunara1990 Why would the Hero of Kvatch announce that they were the listener of the Dark Brotherhood, tho? Also, when they became Sheogorath, everything else basically becomes moot. Plus, Sheogorath in Skyrim talks about being involved in the Oblivion Crisis. Sure, it's a lot for one person to do but most of the positions are kinda honorary, anyways.

[@MB-dk6hk]

I thought you only removed the curse on the Grey Fox himself. People still forget about you (replacing you with the Grey Fox in memory) when the cowl is worn.

[@Balila_balbal_loki]

The rune could also have been dwarven like the attunement sphere. "The Ancient tales of the dwemer" (book although i forgot which part) suggests carved stones used to open doors inside dwemer runes were some of them were carved in a way that is unique acting like a "key". Should his parents make the trip to skyrim that could mean they could have been researchers and that the rune was something they left with him hoping he will carry on their will finding out the secrets of dwemer runes.

[@otishima4645]

He got the stone checked if it was one they would know wouldn't they I mean like signus has one

[@birdiepitchfeather63]

The series “Ancient tales of the Dwemer” by Marobar Sul, is mostly actually are mostly repacked folktales, and the ones that are the oldest tales have been altered by him. I remember one of the books pointed that out. Not much is truly known of the dwemer culture, outside the few surviving texts that were translated by researchers like Calcemo. So those books by Marobar should be taken with a grain of salt. Some might be true, but a good deal is folklore

[@WWYD0]

@Crinkle111 the same could be said for the Runestones, if they were spread all throughout Tamriel it is hard to believe the College did not come into contact with the stones at some point between ESO content and Skyrim's storyline. Even is this is a completely new runestone, the college would be able to draw similarities to the runestones from ESO.

[@checkcheck1579]

those runes should be in abundance even if only artifacts. it means many things in ESO are not cannon.

[@SHADOWGUY425]

@@checkcheck1579 I used to think ESO isn't cannon but it is, its officially cannon and has been said as much openly.

[@noxer5589]

the "rune stone" Rune has could possibly just be his fathers name, but because he is the gray fox (and he was erased from history) his name in written form might have been reduced to unintelligible runes and his father might have just died or passed on the cowl on to another person during Rune's life

[@RayleighM2010]

Oblivion Players: No shit Sherlock

[@just_harry1638]

“Hey how’s it going it’s Nate here” is what I need to hear during lockdown

[@RTMaster1]

Youre still on lockdown?

[@gulkaramazov6724]

Nate is the Cure. Peryite be praised

[@ipapachubbs8609]

@@RTMaster1 Everyone still should be

[@Mikayla_Games24]

I forgot Rona was a thing. Lol.

[@joshc5309]

An explanation that might be more irritating than satisfactory: The Thieves Guild is filled with people with backstories that can't be confirmed anywhere. Sapphire grew up on a pig farm. Where are pigs in Skyrim? Every single member has no outside connection beyond Delvin Mallory. The Thieves Guild is firmly in the domain of Nocturnal, The Daedric Prince of Mystery and the Unknowable. It is no surprise at all that here you will find questions aplenty with no answers at all.

[@LadyCoyKoi]

"Nocturnal, The Daedric Prince of Mystery and the Unknowable." Actually the Daedric Prince of the unknown and mystery would be Hermaeus Mora.🤔🤷 I'm telling you these Daedric Princes cross over each others' domains and jobs.

[@joshc5309]

@@LadyCoyKoi Sort of. Hermaeus Mora is specifically knowledge, just about all knowledge. If anything, Nocturnal's domain is more about the nature of the hidden. But yeah, there's bound to be overlap when one's domain is "the knowledge of all things."

[@pip5188]

The thing is you can actually find Sapphire’s father on the island of Solstheim and give her a letter from him. You can’t do anything like that for Rune. Even though you end Rune’s dialogue with “i’ll keep an eye out if I find something”

[@quintynhendersom9387]

@@pip5188 her fathers story is sad because he just couldn’t be committed to a steady life. And when he found his daughter in the guild years later, he didn’t have the courage to tell her why he want there so again he ran and hid away

[@Masitu0031]

@@pip5188 so the theory is Rune is connected to, or at least knows, Addvar the fish merchant? Yeah, this is just wild guess as in "both Addvar and Rune's father are fishermen. they could be related to each other."

[@troubled_envy]

Rune and Sapphire were two characters that I lost sleep over trying to find things out about

[@animatorofanimation128]

Sapphire actually gets closure to her story, I believe, in Solthiem

[@joshuawoodson6620]

@@animatorofanimation128 isn't she Delvins niece?

[@hurb3222]

@@joshuawoodson6620 yea she is

[@bcnicholas123]

If you guys get a chance to play ESO’s Solitude expansion, talk to Bjorskir standing outside the gates to the Blue Palace. He mentions he’s running from family members trying to kill him for destroying a cursed family heirloom that could have “erased him from existence.” I’d bet it’s related to this

[@FuhkYouTubesMom]

Explain further to me.

[@southkerr6267]

No your way off lol 😆 😂 🤣

[@samueldowdall7117]

I don't think the ESO writers are dedicated/skilled enough to include that kind of easter egg.

[@FuhkYouTubesMom]

@@samueldowdall7117 yeah I agree

[@skorpion3993]

That wouldn’t work. Considering the cowl appears in Oblivion which takes place about 600 years after the events of ESO, it would mess up a lot of lore if Bjorskir had destroyed the cowl in ESO time. That’s probably something else unless the ESO developers were that dumb to throw something in that would mess up Oblivion’s thieves guild quest line in the process, but even then I don’t think they’d be that dumb and/or it would’ve been spotted and changed by now.

[@KaseyCryptid]

Me: A strange smooth stone with unknown runes on it? Where have I heard that before? Also Me at 5:30 AM: THE EYE OF MAGNUS!!! IT'S GOTTA BE RELATED TO THE EYE!!!

[@idkidc7513]

Fr tho, I wonder if Rune ever got a chance to contact the psijic order. They seem to be the biggest authority about magical artifacts so they might have an answer

[@KaseyCryptid]

@@idkidc7513 Doubt it, it's said that they all disappeared one day. The fact that they contact you during the College quest line is very weird. But then again it would have made more sense if they had properly finished making the questline.

[@filthycasual8187]

@@KaseyCryptid It's implied that the Psijics hid their island on purpose. They're a very reclusive order.

[@funkytown_fox]

[ place always sunny in Philadelphia conspiracy meme here ]

[@sythesz]

The language on the eye of Magnus is aedric. What if that’s the “scribbles” on runes Stone was? He says that the college of winter hold couldn’t identify it, and in their quest tolfdir was looking at it and he said “it’s nothing we’ve ever seen before”

[@XannisV]

Ok, I like some of those theories, but I still firmly believe that his history is tied to a "cut" quest. EXCEPT that, to be specific, my belief is that this quest was not "cut", but "undeveloped" (as Nate said, if it were cut, there would be *something* behind). In this case, the lack of evidence of its existence may be evidence itself. Maybe there was a quest planned on paper that Bethesda never found the time to actually start developing. I mean, the all the narrative elements are there, is almost obvious that *should* be some kind of quest there! But it never panned out, and so all that setting was arranged like that, leaving an unanswered mystery. That's my headcanon, at least.

[@marhawkman303]

yeah a lot of "cut" content that is unfinish has huge sections of story missing. And there's indications that some storylines just... never got finished. Maybe in this case the story didn't get written?

[@gh0stp3ppergaming23]

I agree with you. Not to mention, Nate's favorite theory (the one about the Gray Fox) doesn't work because at the end of the oblivion thieves guild questline you and the Gray fox fix the curse of the gray cowel. So now instead of erasing you from history because you could never take the cowel off, all it did was make people think you're gray fox until you take it off. So even if rune's dad put the cowel on he would not have been erased from history, he would only be the gray fox until he takes it off.

[@Novafan]

my bet is they had an idea but making lore for the stone would have added too much lore and people would want an expansion on that stones lore

[@erikho6936]

This isn't the first time they cut content, check out the College. Oh wait, half of the quest are gone

[@Rattus-Norvegicus]

Possibly it is related to the jars with runes engraved inside their lids?

[@user-N20]

The more I learn about The Elder Scrolls, the more I love the franchise, and the more I love the franchise the more I learn about it. It's a wholesome cycle.

[@tummytub1161]

I've really broken into tears over this mystery. I've spent hours trying to solve it in-game no luck what so ever. I love watching your videos I also love you bringing Lawrence in on the content. He's brilliant when it comes to lore. Thanks for the video.

[@shannonmoore9981]

I've always thought Rune's story was really similar to the misc. quest we can do for Brand-Shei. If memory serves, both of them were found in shipwrecks, and had 1 identifying object on them (Rune's stone and Brand-Shei's blanket with a symbol on it). I always thought maybe Bethesda accidentally wrote up two characters with too-similar stories (especially since they're both somehow attached to the Thieves' Guild) and decided to only attach a quest to one of them. Why in Oblivion they'd choose the guy we have to send to jail, I'll never know. As for the language on the stone, maybe Falmer? I remember it being implied that Calcelmo is the only person who can translate Falmer writing, and he's VERY protective of his research. Rune might not have even considered asking him, or asked and was turned away. Maybe he asked but it was before Calcelmo's research got to the point that he could've translated it. Idk

[@ForeverLaxx]

Unlikely considering how easy it was, relatively, to be pointed in Calcelmo's direction. That means the writing would be recognizable by someone even if they couldn't translate it. For reference, I know what Russian looks like but I can't read or speak it. If he, or his hired detective, got turned away by Calcelmo, they'd have no reason to say that they found nothing. It's pretty clear that they'd mention being directed to the "only known" person who can translate Falmer but had to stop investigating due to his unwillingness to assist. Also, the guy that sends you to Calcelmo, Enthir, is a fence with ties to the Thieve's Guild, of which Rune belongs to. While Enthir is associated with the Mage's College, Rune went there as well so there's at least two instances where Enthir would have been able to take notice of the rune and say it's Falmer in origin. Neither case happens, though, and Rune is left with no answers at all. It's pretty easy to surmise that isn't Falmer, in my opinion.

[@derkylos]

Doesn't the librarian at Winterhold translate the falmer books from Dawnguard, tho?

[@dillonthevillon3719]

Enthir from the college of winterhold, who we talk to multiple times in the thieves guild quest line, is able to at least recognize it and would have been able to tell tune that it was falmer so I don’t rlly believe it to be that

[@jaredlikesmusic]

I always thought the same!

[@ViniciusGuerra1995]

I think that Gray Fox theory makes sense somehow. But I'm not sure of what the truth really is. Honestly, I never gave too much to Rune's story. That's why I like Nate's channel, despite english is not my native language, but he always comes with a history, mistery or fact that I never gave it too much attention in the game. So, thank you Nate for these videos that you make us think about TES Lore.

[@ElectromagNick]

Yeah, Nate got the Cowl wrong. The thing about being erased, people forget you, that was a curse placed on the Cowl by Nocturn and it's broken by the end of the questline using an Elder Scroll, essentially creating a mini Dragon Break and retconning the curse out of existence. And it never erased you from history, it erased the perception of you. People remember things about you, that you existed, but they can't recognize you, and your essentially little more than a face in the crowd, quickly forgotten. Perfect for a thief. It was equal parts blessing and curse, and the entire second half of the questline is helping the Gray Fox undo it. Nate gets things like this wrong now and again, but he usually does a pretty job. He just misses things every now and again.

[@shii5795]

I don't think the Grey Cowl theory makes any sense. After all the affect of the cowl erasing a person from history was destroyed by an Elder Scroll, and Elder Scrolls are absolute.

[@louake]

Brasileiro também?

[@falconpv1]

Wasn't the "removed from history" things a curse placed on the cowl that you broke with an elder scroll in Ovlivion?

[@Zankaras]

Yes,that was kind of the plot of the later half of the thieves guild questline in Oblivion and the reason why your identity in game wasn't completely erased the first time you put on the cowl.

[@dawnmcauley6411]

Not only that, a minor dragonbreak occurred. It not only broke the curse, it caused the curse to have never existed. The operation of the Thieves' guild and it's previous bearer (Corvus) fundamentally changed historically. Reality itself was altered in that quest line.

[@KingEhrys98]

Curses can be recast, especially when daedra are concerned...

[@ElectromagNick]

@@dawnmcauley6411 You effectly retcon the curse out of history while still maintaining the Cowl's ability to essentially seperate the identity of the wearer from the Gray Fox and makimg any connection between the two essentially impossible, thus the Count could return to his old life and continuity is essentially preserved, in that bizarre "impossible contradictions reconciled and all options happen at once" way that characterizes Dragon Breaks. It's part of the reason I adore the Oblivion Thieves' Guild quest line

[@SS-zg5dv]

The curse was removed as part of the question, and then it functioned only when you wore it.

[@lycantabris]

Given that the Grey Cowl was supposedly "cured" of the curse part of the enchantment and no longer removes you from history whenever you don it at the end of the Oblivion quest, I'm gonna theorize that baby Rune was actually from ~the time of ESO and was sent forward in some kind of magic accident. It would explain him having a rune stone and no one being able to find any sign of his parents. The line "erased themselves from history" was to evoke the Grey Fox and throw veteran fans off.

[@AreThereGhostsOnMars]

I love how you go so in depth to different theories and stuff. It’s very entertaining and interesting.

[@alathepriest9637]

When I came across Rune, I thought it was just a spaceballs easter egg with the medallion that no wise man could read.

[@yardstickwhack]

@@Draklour no

[@christopherbrooks9502]

These lore videos might be my favorite

[@anthonyidank1469]

Christopher Brooks yo how u get a vault boy in ur name 😂

[@zephstuhh]

@@anthonyidank1469 he's a member of the channel

[@SecularFelinist]

I can only think of Spaceballs, and Lonestar's necklace. So clearly, Rune is a prince.

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

Pretty much my thoughts as well.

[@ultimaratioregum3522]

That's exactly what I thought at first. That this was a nod to Lonestar.

[@redeye4516]

Side note: we need another Spaceballs movie. Something poking fun at the Disney movies.

[@TheLastGarou]

@@redeye4516 Mel Brooks has already given it a name: 'Spaceballs II, The Search for More Money.'😆 Which pretty much sums up the Disney trilogy anyway. 😐

[@MikeSiegert]

Silly idea, but I always thought it was a reference to the movie Space Balls, where the main character also had a strange rune and could not translate it even after taking it to “every wise man in the galaxy” but then Yogurt translated it for him at the end and it basically said he was a prince of a royal lineage. I thought this fit perfectly with Rune’s story because both he and Lonestar end up becoming thieves/smugglers.

[@RREvilMonk]

Yes. I thought the same thing. Brought me a good chuckle!😅

[@privateer236]

Shick was a TSR creator for D&D back in the day. Quite happy to see his name again. I like the approach he takes to discussing lore.

[@realxsteal1156]

The effect of the cowl was a curse from the 1st grandmaster of the thieves guild stealing the cowl from nocturnal. Nocturnal than placed the curse on any wearer of the grey cowl. We the player helped the grey fox in Oblivion partily remove tht curse using the elder scroll we retrieve. Plz correct me if I'm wrong.

[@Lithaleon]

I was about to make the same point, but saw your comment. It was a pretty big thing for EpicNate to not know, especially because it's not hidden, the Oblivion Thieves Guild questline straight up fucking tells you lol

[@nekmewxelagrowing6432]

@@Lithaleon wasn't the curse only partially removed like it works when you have it equipped but not when in inventory so you are gone with it on but not holding it not sure but remember something about that...

[@23Raind]

You're right. Now the cowl just functions as the ultimate secret identity.

[@logangoerks236]

Before the Oblivion when some-one put on the mask people would only recognize them as the Grey Fox and only if he/she had the mask on. People would never remember you or anything you did with the mask off and what you did with it on was done by the Grey Fox. After Oblivion what you did with the mask on was done by the Grey Fox but what you did with it off was done by you. People would remember and what you did would be remembered after the curse was lifted.

[@TheSoulDivided]

If I recall, the curse was that the cowl could never be removed. Its effects were still active, but you could just switch back and forth between wearing it and not wearing it.

[@UngodlyShenanigans]

The way I see it, with how old Skyrim is and with Skyrim special edition now a thing why didn't they add all the cut content into the remaster? Like that boggles my mind. They had so much time

[@kimwong305]

@Fui Gebhardt1 fucking Todd 😒 he makes us bow to him but our savior never gives us what we pray for 😂❤️

[@tysej4]

@@kimwong305 A god cares not for his subject lest it is for his own benefit. Todd knows how much he needs to excert himself to get you to buy his games. The EXACT amount. Let's be real, we're all probably gonna buy TESVI even if the leadup isn't promising.

[@Jackster8484]

I believe that Bethesda did try to remaster skyrim but was rather a happy outcome from the development of fallout 4. In that they used skyrim to test new tech they were going to use in fallout 4. So they thought "hey we got this kinda new version of skyrim that is kinda better. lets realse it".

[@FuraFaolox]

@Fui Gebhardt1 Except they have started doing what fans want. They fixed Fallout 76. They're working on TES6

[@theodoreyoungman2111]

Theres every chance they might re-re-release it. Skyrim remastered definitive edition with blah blah hours of never before seen quests and cut content blah... play it on your apple watch today.

[@Someonelse.]

Check out the mission “Good Intentions”. When the orb found underground is transported to the College of Winterhold, Tolfdir describes the markings on it of an unknown language and radiating with Magicka.

[@kerryconrad6639]

I love the mod "Quest for the Grey Cowl", it is HUGE and totally worth doing.

[@kerryconrad6639]

It is really puzzle intensive, and it is easy to miss a lot of things. If you do mods, get one that is a bag of holding, you'll need it.

[@suzannea6540]

Just wanted to thank you for the slower viedos where you show some of the beautiful and various buildings and people you are talking about. This allows me to actually watch your viedos. I'm one of the few who get motion sickness watching people race through towns and dungeons, and are not able to watch those viedos. I can play skyrim at a slow pace, but can't race through it. Your viedos are well informed, keep up the good work.

[@_dmfd]

Lmao, Lawrence, The LoreMaster. " Loreance " he was born to do that job.

[@hectorlumbagoCringe]

👏 👏👏

[@mitchan3763]

I've never been able to buy into the "Grey Fox is Rune's predecessor" theory, mostly because the cowl's curse that caused the wearer to be "erased from history" was broken in the Thieves' Guild questline in Oblivion. It masked your identity when you wore it but unlike the Count, no one forgot who you were when you took it off.

[@xxReconAcrxx]

Thank you I was thinking no one remembered this fact and it was driving me crazy! why does this not have more likes!?

[@NikolaiXIII]

Noblewoman as grey fox gets pregnant. For whatever reason, presumably to hide the pregnancy from family or enemies who could use a child against her, keeps the cowl on until after childbirth, returns home without the cowl so nobody knows she had a child. One thing if the person who is the grey fox had a child. But if a child was carried and birthed by the grey fox persona? That carries some viability imo.

[@mitchan3763]

@@NikolaiXIII That's a valid perspective I hadn't considered.

[@NikolaiXIII]

@@mitchan3763 Just kinda hit me while skimming comments. Like with yours. It masks your identity while wearing so yeah what if they wore it the whole time. I also find it odd that a lot of people are assuming -both- parents are involved. Also that it has to be a male fox. So the grey fox (in my theory) used the cowl to have an affair or whatever, ended up pregnant, and could only think to use the cowl to hide it. It's what I would do if I met that set of criteria. Like cool I'm gonna run away from home to dodge that arranged marriage that I already put a wrench in by foolin around with that hottie at the bar. Almost a year later "hey guys I'm back please tell me he gave up".

[@darkherculeskabuterimon7203]

Possible theory: Rune is originally from another continent. So far in The Elder Scrolls, while maps of the entirety of Nern do exist, we've only heard of three continents, and only been on one. It is entirely possible that no one can identify who or where Rune is from, simply because he's a first generation immigrant from another continent of Nern. EDIT: I have to admit, I'm surprised that this comment has already gotten 23 replies and 125 likes, it's been only 24 hours and even my most popular fanfics haven't seen this much activity in their first 24 hours. An alternate theory is he could have ended up there as a result of the time shinnanigans from Online, possibly from the future? Hard to track someone's past if they're from the future.

[@kingrhaxos9068]

No other continents have Nords I think

[@kingrhaxos9068]

Correction: unless he looks different and thats just a game limitation

[@darkherculeskabuterimon7203]

@@kingrhaxos9068 He could be from the original home of the Humans (who were basically all Nords at the time)

[@diogenessilviocemartins9019]

@@kingrhaxos9068 Maybe he came from Atmora? But that doesn't seem to make sense, Atmora is frozen both physically and in time

[@saueqietrollageposting1477]

*Nirn

[@ruttokyrpa3472]

The red eagle sword has some very special runes on it, clearly visible due to their glow. The forsworn might have some connections to Mr.Rune

[@TrabberShir]

"I'll keep an eye out for anything" that end to his dialog tree tells me it is almost certainly cut content. The really annoying type of cut content where it didn't even get as far as planning what the content would be. There are a few approaches to developing quest content in RPGs, but I am pretty sure Bethesda uses some variant on: * for every entity, make a list of possible quest hooks for different types of quests * separately outline a bunch of quests, * then associate quests with hooks and use that context to polish the details. One side effect of this is that some of those hooks will get included without getting linked to an actual quest.

[@catman6089]

Being a pessimist, this sounds to me like some writer at Bethesda tried to make some deep, interesting character surrounded in mystery, but just failed in the execution, leaving us with a vague, forgettable character with nothing but dead ends. I'd say there's probably little to no actual lore behind Rune other than a half assed attempt at an interesting background character.

[@Viscount_Castlereagh]

Probably like lots of the questlines etc. that would have been great but were cut by Bethesda.

[@NotaCapn]

Or the developers, knowing that there would be an enthusiastic mod community doing a bum's rush after the game, created Rune and dangled lore for someone to snatch up and develop a story and quest. Probably hundreds of other suggestive content throughout the game.

[@Tsukushi240794]

Well, he ended up being my favourite character in the game, so in my books they ended up making an interesting character, just one without a quest behind him

[@David-qd3hw]

Got to admit? Rune’s story had me looking around the broken ship, trying to solve this mystery? I was looking for a smaller item, which I gave up on.

[@dagunna3]

Without further a do, let's do further -TheEpicNate315

[@james737er]

Thats one of my favorite quotes, it’s so wholesome..

[@davidperkins6752]

@@james737er totally needs to be on a t-shirt.

[@bltanti]

What Rune had could be a creation of the Ayleids. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Ayleids created many wonders around Cyrodiil, such as Welkynd, Varla, Doom, Cult, Birthsign, and possibly the Rune stones as well. These were powered by the enormous Ayleid ruins, with the Ayleid wells supplying magic to these powerful sites. It is possible, I say possible because I refuse to play ESO, that the rune stones are just smaller, weaker versions of the Doomstones. The Ayleids being a Pre-Dawn Era race with no full record of their written language, it could be a more archaic and obscure piece of runecraft, previously unrecorded. This would stump all but those who walked the planes of Oblivion, and as that tends to require intense meditation and years of preparation, and drives all but the most strong-willed of people insane, this is a very difficult proposition.

[@mingrui1862]

I love these in depth looks at Skyrim and it's lore, storyline. Always something new to discover! Please keep these videos coming!

[@chrisppx]

I’m loving this new type of video!

[@ZiSandman]

The dark elf guild member that appears later when building up the guild, later says you are good, but "no grey fox"

[@mjgross2]

I'd always assumed that Rune's story was an homage to Lone Starr from Spaceballs.

[@NerdWytch]

Better take it to Yogurt!

[@lilreb720666]

That's my thought as well. He just hasn't found Yogurt yet

[@mistahanansi2264]

That is most definitely part of it.

[@MetaCynical]

I was hoping I wasn't the only one who thought so. Bethesda do love their pop culture references and easter eggs XD

[@davidjamerson2777]

Plus, according to the quest line in Oblivion, you can be remembered after Corvus read from the Elder Scroll you filched for him. That's the only reason that Emer Dereloth was capable of even knowing the name Emer Dereloth. Once the cowl is donned, you basically don't exist. Even after you transfer it to a successor.

[@AnMComm]

Actually, the Gray Fox in Oblivion wasn't struggling to balance his identities. His whole quest line is about going to great lengths to break Nocturnal's curse and restore his identity. All of the other artifacts were for that heist for an Elder Scroll.

[@PixelPalettes]

I've always wanted to know more about Rune, oddly enough. Thanks for quenching my thirst for Rune content.

[@inequis6063]

Plot twist: The real little secret is that Rune's actually an Argonian wearing the skin of the person that found him as a child

[@headgames3115]

Reminds me of The Whisperer in the Dark...

[@desireerobbins7809]

Lol nice idea

[@BlondeTheftAuto]

Since there's no mention of runestones in skyrim, and its something that's primarily in eso (which takes place 1000 years prior to skyrim), is it possible that the shenanigans causing things blackreach to travel through time sporadically also caused rune and his parents to travel to skyrim during the time of the shipwreck and then caused his parents to jump again in time without him? It would explain why his parents never existed--they were 1000 in the past and thus in a time period a private investigator wouldn't be looking for, a time period where runestones are more common.

[@MrOberon22]

Thieves Guild will always be hands down my most favourite questline in Skyrim. Money problems become a thing of the past in that organization.

[@tposingukiki]

13:58 When you abandon your child by crashing your boat and leaving him to die in the cold, Skyrim coast so that you can vibe as a master thief in peace:

[@zixiaozhang3491]

'The generous fisherman took him in, and decided to name him after the rock.' I literally thought of the Rock.

[@joker0195]

I wonder if Rune’s rune has anything to do with the runes in with the bugs in jars.

[@SirButtz]

Rune is 326 fireflies in a man costume

[@1jdkeating]

*keanu reeves whoa*

[@ruttokyrpa3472]

The bugs in a jar runes have Been confirmed to be absolutely nothing

[@Salted_Fysh]

There are a few glaring and insurmountable flaws with your Runestone theory: It is hard to believe that no college and no academic was able to find or possesed any information on a resource that was heavily used in the past, especially given given how well documented other, more obscure parts of Tamriels history are. It is made even more unlikely by the fact that Runestones have distinct names that are derived from the shape of the runes themselves therefore clearly representing a script that is readable in some form. The third factor is that Runestones have specific shapes and colors. None of these features are mentioned by Rune. His dialogue suggests that he was indeed supposed to be part of a quest at some point and this is probably the end of the mystery. You have to remember, that there are two forms of cut content: Content that was cut during development and thus leaves behind a number of triggers and resources And content that was rejected and cut during storyboarding before it was ever more than an idea or developed any further and therefore never making it into the code. Therefore the writing necessary for Rune to be put into the game was likely left as is to populate the thieves guild but everything else was never implemented and would leave no trace to be found. *Added in edit upon further thinking* As for the Gray Fox theory, it doesn't work. The curse on the Cowl was broken by the end of the Storyline with the use of an Elder Scroll. This is an absolute action that essentially undoes the curse ever existing. Therefore it's simply not possible that the Cowl retains that power. This is further evidenced by the fact, that the Hero of Kvatch is still remembered and recognized when he didn't wear the Cowl and despite being the Gray Fox his memory lives on in history. Therefore, whatever magical effect the Cowl retains after being passed on to the Hero, it is not the same as the curse. I believe you are also misinterpreting the curse in the first place. It erases the perception of you from history and from peoples minds. It doesn't erase your existence. The Gray Fox encountered in Oblivion is a good example: while his personal identity is lost and disassociated from himself, his position, his marriage and his name are not. He is simply assumed to have gone missing and the memory of him has become hazy to those who knew him. But they do remember knowing him. They simply can't remember who he is. I refer back to the conclusion of my original post.

[@Scoots_McGee]

Hey, I already posted but I'd like agree and add to your first point If these experts didnt have any record of this strange language I find it strange that none of these experts, such as the Mages College, wouldnt offer to buy, or refuse to give it back so they could study it further. Seems out of character for any magically oriented organization or group

[@foxpekdemir1614]

oh thank gods. ever since i joined the thieves guild years ago i always wanted to learn rune’s story and this was very entertaining for me!

[@androsmegalos7631]

Admittingly, I stumbled onto this vid by chance. However, I've loved every vid made! Although I am nowhere near as informed as many who are on here, I wanted to suggest that maybe Rune's parent(s) were actually members of that mythic order that resides outside of time... They just choose to live apart and return millennia later on a whim. They are mages of old, which would lend merit to the ancient unknown rune. Perhaps a member fell for a Nord mortal, and they had Rune. The member stayed to live a normal life, but they had a catastrophic event which caused the shipwreck and could not teleport their child as it was not attuned to magics yet. Leaving a dead Nord under the ocean and a mystic member grieving on another plane, Rune was left with an uncertain past and struggling for answers in the present.

[@damienparoski2033]

Rune's parents were trying to use the rune stones to ascend to godhood and ended up zero summing, there by removing themselves from history and Rune's memory of his parents.

[@erikho6936]

Damn it's that easy?

[@erikho6936]

But that makes no sense, since Zero-summing was invented as a theory for what happened to the Dwemer. But it's wrong, since if the Dwemer zero sum. Then all Dwemer stuff would be wipe, thus changing the world immensely

[@damienparoski2033]

@@erikho6936 If I remember correctly zero-sum is what happens with a failed CHIM. The theory was applied to the Dwemer as a possible reason for their disappearance. We know this to not be the case since there are Dwemer ghosts in the Elder Scrolls lore.

[@TheLetterJ0]

And their plan would have worked if their child hadn't grabbed one of those "interesting looking rocks" when they weren't looking.

[@BaronSengir1008]

@@TheLetterJ0 "And my plan would have worked if it weren't for that meddling kid!"

[@gravytrainn]

Ok but you didn’t have to expose all our secrets like that lass

[@zackgrimes5387]

Did you make a brynjolf account just to say that 😂

[@gravytrainn]

Zack Grimes no lmao. I was M’aiq the liar but there was already another one of M’aiq so I metamorphosed into brynjolf

[@AlaskanWildChild]

Did you call Nate “lass?” 😂😂

[@salsa5948]

Brynjolf we’re not falling for your snake oil this time!

[@gravytrainn]

AlaskanWildChild because I call everyone lass

[@joshgilkinson8783]

I literally listened to his dialog last night on my newest play through and wanted to know more about this guy. Great vid man, thanks

[@BrethrenAndBetrayer]

Rune's backstory has a couple things in common with Garrett's from the Thief series. Probably just a reference, if it's not nothing. Mercer Frey has the same voice actor as Garrett. But so do half the people in Skyrim. Still, getting caught pickpocketing someone and them being impressed enough to invite the person to join their secret society is exactly how Garrett ended up with the Keepers. Heh, maybe the stone is covered in Keeper Glyphs XD

[@DashingDaddyDaveDelivers]

I think Rune is from Akavir, but his family was originally from Tamriel...a long time ago. They attempted to return, but were subjected to rough seas. Rune was the only member to wash up. He is the LAST SEPTIM!

[@FabianRaimund_old]

Wait wait wait... You just said: "Grey Fox is runes father and his mother died at birth = they erased themselves". Cretion Club quest literally says: "I am the grey fox, my sister was assassinated and left a son behind (Rune?)" What if this Nord noble's sister was assassinated long time ago and was indeed Runes mother, her husband being the father of Rune? What if Runes father and mother were assassinated becuz the father was they grey fox and after he went dead, the Nord noble took the grey fox mask not knowing what magic it really possessed? Lul

[@nev8080]

love the theory, but rune is listed as imperial, unless the nord and his sister were separate races, I doubt it. still fun to think about it though.

[@FabianRaimund_old]

@@nev8080 lists can be wrong and so could Rune's imperial ancestry XD But yeh, my theory is more like a conspiracy haha 😂

[@bellajonson6765]

Isnt the kid actually in game tho? Like the one mentioned to be adopted by nivenor and Bolli?

[@Madman-ms1qc]

I played I spy with a Color blind person once , well ...... I lost.

[@babyalexis3445]

How

[@TarfuLuke]

I believed I spy required you to spot objects in the close area, not sure how colour would effect that.

[@catman6089]

@@TarfuLuke a lot of people play I spy by mentioning the color. A color blind person saying "grey" could mean anything from grey, to pink, to green etc

[@MrMazzax]

Luke E that’s not how color blindness usually works. Usually it just causes red and green to both appear brown.

[@TarfuLuke]

@@catman6089 How evil do you have to be to use colour in a game of I spy, "Something beginning with B" "It was Blue Chair"

[@faunxe1435]

Last time I was this early Arena was still in development

[@DragonGunzDorian]

A possible time traveler? Be careful not to cause any dragon breaks, or else the jills will have a mess to clean up.

[@itsclemtime2357]

DORIAN Robinette..he didn’t heed your advice. Morrowind is now in Oblivion and Elswyr is now the capital of Tamriel. And now the nine divines have been replaced with Braith and Garfield. Garfield help us all!

[@blickybear]

i spent months of my life as a kid trying to find a quest from this guy after he told me his story cause i thought there was no way todd would do me like that

[@tombelllringer5961]

is it bad that seeing literally the first picture in this video makes me want to replay skyrim for the 1785th time?

[@maryd1495]

The thieves guild should hire you... they could pickpocket everyone while they’re listening to you speaking.

[@dustingideon5719]

Using Speech to help sneak and pickpocket? Sounds like there should be a mod for that. You could put on performances while an ally/you (if the your buddy is perfoming) "acquire" what is needed.

[@joseestevezhernandez558]

more like "distracting the victim" prety much what Brynjolf does the first time he meets you

[@villekuronen6242]

isnt that how thieves guild hires you? you steal while brynjolf puts on show

[@zaonth1414]

For all we know they're already doing that

[@furblokeEN]

The way Nate places emphasis on the word "cistern", Jesus christ it hurts

[@zaonth1414]

@@Glitchy456 I mean yeah I personally pronounce it cistern but I'd understand if other people pronounced it cistern

[@furblokeEN]

@@Glitchy456 it really doesn't. I know Americans who can say cistern correctly. Moreover, he pronounces names, locations and all sorts wrong even though its blatantly said by several characters in the game, unless that has something to do with being an American too?

[@amo5743]

Terry Jackson might come as a shocker, but yes, being from a different region/country etc to someone affects their pronunciations of words that you may deem there is only one way of “correctly” saying.

[@furblokeEN]

@@amo5743 Points for stating the obvious - where would we be without you. Must be said I have a very good idea

[@Jacob-gu3in]

New theory: Rune's dad was a SILVER fox.

[@stephentaylor6726]

Well his mom sure was...

[@megamortarmaster5724]

**talking about how rune’s parents erased their identities** 13:58 cuts to the gray fox dancing in the woods

[@hairyheartsmith8513]

This one got me. I spent a lot of time scouring the ocean floor trying to find something that would help shed light on Rune. It is sad to hear that there is no answer.A thanks to you and your team for looking into it.

[@rossnorris2351]

Rune is a wasted opportunity. His story had so much potential, I wish they had done so much more. Oh well, another ball dropped in the thieves guild.

[@davidhatcher7016]

@@Draklour oh

[@rosytea_]

@@Draklour Where does it say that Rune is just an easter egg?

[@timetraveller9095]

"The guild has, had a streak of bad luck recently."

[@sammyi2505]

Huh, just discovered you today and already new content! I'm feeling like going on a binge to get caught up 😁

[@yugitrump435]

Man, his series are definitely binge worthy

[@UnrealGamer6]

13:59 If I become the Grey Fox, will I gain the ability to dance that majestically? I'm down LOL

[@gavinliberty6392]

14:16 “His mother could had died at childbirth” *Dose an epic dance*

[@abnormallygoza]

EpicNate: I totally love all your videos!! I love ESU and you provide a wonderful narrative on ESU and I wouldn't have asked for anything more than what you provide!! All be it you're many years younger than myself; I would totally love to hear your theories on Elder scrolls arena and the like!! Keep being great young man for I am indeed many years your elder but you have clearly aimed a stake in the ESU. Love you brother and keep up the good work!!!

[@SFHFWill]

I like how the curse of the Grey cowl makes you forget your past and those who knew you forget you, then Nate goes on to explain the Grey Foxes of the past and their family ties and how they want to return to them.

[@Tootsiepop201]

I've always been FASCINATED with Rune. I wish he had a special quest regarding his name.

[@hann.1559]

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh lad?"

[@420Cheezit]

Last time I was this early the dwemer were still alive

[@lordakira4946]

Lmfao

[@yourmom-fi7gl]

This isn't even funny

[@jaredlikesmusic]

I always thought his stone could be written in falmer, because it's a plot point in the actual thieves guild quest and they confirm that no one in the college even knows it, that the only person who does is Calcelmo, and even he isn't 100% certain about some of it.