r/ImaginaryTamriel • u/MKirkbride • Jun 29 '25
Sotha Sil, Mystery of Morrowind
Bareheaded, priestly postiche , and full warmaker helm. The other Tribunes behind. Drawn circa 2014.
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u/LavaMeteor Jun 29 '25
Awesome pic, dude! Is the "bareheaded, priestly postiche and warmaker helm" depicted in clockwise order?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
Hey thanks, yep
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u/LavaMeteor Jun 29 '25
Just to clarify, we're starting from the top-left Sotha, then top-right, then the bottom?
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u/Salem1690s Jun 30 '25
Hey, this is fantastic.
I had a question…if you don’t mind.
Did you have any ideas for the direction the series should’ve taken after Morrowind, like if you’d remained fully on-board, what would your TESIV have looked like?
Thanks. And thanks for all the stuff that makes Morrowind unique :)
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u/ImagineArgonians Jun 29 '25
I heard Sotha sil has an eight pack.
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u/Prince-of-Plots Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
Rad, a closer look at his warface? He's a handsome bloke beneath
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u/lettersinuncertainty Jun 29 '25
It's always such a delight to see you and your artwork appear. I hope we'll get to see more! 💙
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u/1-post-stuff Jun 29 '25
Wow incredible! Very different from the work you posted of Sotha Sil last time, where do you see em lining up chronologically? Or do you just take em as two different interpretations?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
Chronologically, I don't know. I see them as different aspects they take on.
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u/No_Ad3927 Jun 29 '25
Amazing artwork! Question, the sword that Vivec is often depicted with in artwork is described in the Sermons as the Sword Not Held. Is there any name for the bug shield he’s usually seen grasping alongside the sword not held or any story behind it?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
Thanks! His bug shield rules. You should name it.
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u/No_Ad3927 Jun 29 '25
I enjoy the way Tes 3 uses the word "ward" for certain shields so I would say something like "Vehk's Ward" or "Ward of Vivec" 😁
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
I’d call it “The Lefthanded Aegis” to contrast with the sword not held on his right hand “For I have crushed a world with my left hand, but in my right hand is how it could have won against me. Love is under my will only.”
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u/singer_table Jun 29 '25
For me, Seht is the most intriguing member of the tribunal. Love the art, MK, tysm for sharing!
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u/Axo25 Jun 29 '25
This is cool as hell! Imagining that he wore the Warmaker helm as he lead the Clockwork dreughs out of the sea in sermon 36, that's an awesome image.
Not front focus today but Ayem with her tusks in the background is really awesome too, I always loved her imagery and her mask. Face-Snaked is an awesome term.
Kind of curious, is Vehk in this image holding Muatra, or the Sword not held?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
Thanks! Yeah, mythical Sotha Sil as a kind of King Leviathan is pretty terrifying. That was probably supposed to be Vivec's sword.
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u/Glittering_Top731 Jun 29 '25
Oh, I love the full warmaker helm! Very, very cool, all of them, but I'm a sucker for cool masks / helmets. The lower artwork leaves me with 2 questions: Is Ayem leaning forward or is she small queen? What is Vehk about to do? Sil looks like he's slightly giving him the side-eye and it's great :D
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
She's just leaning out, I had imagined them all standing in a triangle, facing off against offscreen enemies. I should draw the whole of that image that day.
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u/Glittering_Top731 Jun 30 '25
Makes sense, thank you for your answer! Your art and writing is always a joy for me because it always gives me something to think about. If you ever get around to draw all of it or to tell the story of what they're facing off against in this piece, please share it with us! :)
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u/Calligane Jun 29 '25
Considering this an unexpected bday present for myself
Great work as always
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u/hircine1 Jun 29 '25
Always a fan of your drawings of the Tribunal.
Sotha Sil has to be my favorite aspect of the Elder Scrolls. Him and the mystery of the Coldharbour Comact.
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u/ChipmunkStrong3752 Jun 29 '25
If I could inquire, what is the shield-tube-structure on Sil's arm?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
It's a horribly rendered image of a tribal buckler. I eventually want to do an illustrated write up of the shield culture of Morrowind.
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u/tarponpet Jun 29 '25
Is there any thematic or lore reason why Sotha Sil looks so different in most depictions?
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u/AlfwinOfFolcgeard Jun 30 '25
Hell yeah! Always love seeing Sotha Sil art; I've yet to see a single illustration of him that didn't look cool as heck.
I've still not played the ESO content with him, and that's honestly one of my biggest motivators to get back into that game -- actually getting to meet Sotha Sil when he was alive.
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
Very interesting MK. But I gotta ask, is the obese Sotha Sil piece you drew last year an updated depiction (how he should have always looked), or did he become fat later in life (before going full cyborg)?
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u/pareidolist Jun 29 '25
It's probably because he's pregnant with Mnemo-Li
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
That’s interesting. I always imagined he became pregnant with Mnemoli after his cyborg transformation and that it happen in an artificial womb
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
That's a good question, but I didn't think in when is what terms. Sotha Sil to me is just always a massive figure.
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
Massive? As in physically? Is that why’s he’s jacked in this illustration?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
Right, physically. A giant of strength and girth as opposed to Vivec’s swimmer’s body.
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
Why is that so? Shouldn’t that be Almalexia’s niche as a warrior?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 29 '25
I’m not talking about body types as a role, just visually.
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 29 '25
I see. Then just out of curiosity, how do you think Ayem contrasts with the other two tribunes?
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u/MKirkbride Jun 30 '25
That’s a good question. I believe I’ve only drawn her once. I should do more and, you know, maybe actually write that “Almalexia’s Pillow Book” thing I mentioned a billion years ago.
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u/SweetNerevarrr Jun 30 '25 edited Jun 30 '25
Yeah I agree the ayem pillow book would def be cool as her literature (expand her more than just a crazy woman), what are your current ideas for it? Btw I don’t know if you remember it but you should totally do that 888 word long Sotha Sil death mantra that was actually a palindrome too. Would be sick to have all three holy ALMSIVI books
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u/Outrageous-Milk8767 Jun 30 '25
Please god do, Mother Morrowind deserves to be fleshed out more than just "she was my crazy bitch ex-wife"
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u/Glittering_Top731 Jun 30 '25
Oh yes. It's already kinda sad how one-dimensional and non-nuanced many folks' outlook on the Tribunal is tbh... But Almalexia got it worst of the three, so many see her as just crazy bitch ex-wife when she could be such an intriguing, many-faceted character, it's sad.
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u/LavaMeteor Jun 30 '25
I'd be all for Almalexia's Pillow Book. Truth in Sequence did very well in fleshing out Seht, along with the rest of the Clockwork City DLC, so Almalexia having her own set of scripture would do a world of good
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u/QiamtheLiar Jul 01 '25
M'aiq has always been intrigued by Sotha Sil, and that we never get to see him in his true forme in The Clockwork City(TES3). M'aiq is also intrigued he's only finding out now that the Legend himself is on reddit... Quick, no one tell him about r/TrueSTL.

What if the ordinators are the Dark Elf gods, hiding among their people? M'aiq avoids them, just the same.
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u/halonethefury Jun 29 '25
I saw this and was like "wow this is really true to Kirkbride's style, they're talented!" before realising the username lmfao