Line #25 Fanfic/SleeperInTheCave


1	''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/243617/chapters/375500 Sleeper in the Cave]]'' is TheEpic novelization of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', written on and off by Kaz on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn.
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3	This particular story follows a ''very'' interesting protagonist as -- contrarily to everyone's expections -- she's ''not'' a fighter and stubbornly refuses to become one.
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5	Unfortunately for [[OCStandIn Adryn]], she's currently stuck on a land with oversized wildlife, natives who think giant fleas are good forms of transport, and Imperial spymasters so skooma-addled they think she's spy material. Nonetheless, she has every intention of surviving the rampant stupidity of everyone around her. However, she doesn't know that by setting foot on the island she's set into motion events that cannot be stopped...
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7	!Contains the following tropes
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9	* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: The original game had infamously hinted that Divayth Fyr treated his OppositeSexClone "daughters" as his wives. The author found that so creeptastic that the story completely excises this part, leaving Divayth firmly acting as the girls' father.
10	* AndIMustScream: MindControl spells are this to the target, as the caster can force them to do ''anything'', even kill their family and friends, without the possibility to resist.
11	* AscendedExtra: Basically everyone, as the author really enjoys fleshing the cast.
12	* AwfulWeddedLife: Nerevar's marriage with Almalexia quickly devolves into this as he cannot bear to make love with her (not through his own will, he's extremely asexual), and she interprets that as a rejection of her.
13	* AwesomenessIsAForce: When Adryn gets to glimpse the living god Vivec, a combination of his oppressive aura and her traumatic PastLifeMemories makes her faint. The clergy reassures her that she's not the first to be overwhelmed by religious ecstasy.
14	* BreakThemByTalking: A flashback shows Nerevar mercillessly calling Jurgen Windcaller on the Nords' hypocrisy and cruelty towards the Chimer people. This and the assorted ass-beating apparently convinced Jurgen that the Nord pantheon disapproved the war with the elves, leading him to create the Greybeards and completely abandoning fighting.
15	* CultureClash:
16	** Adryn is horror-struck to learn slavery still is practised in Morrowind, as she was raised in Skyrim.
17	** Ancestor worship is ''huge'' in the Dunmer culture, so much that being an orphan is basically treated as a FateWorseThanDeath. Adryn needs a little time to understand that, as ParentalAbandonment doesn't have a spiritual horror component in Skyrim.
18	* DarkAndTroubledPast:
19	** The reason why Adryn was exiled to Morrowind is strongly implied to be this. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that she grew up destitute in Windhelm -- and Skyrim is extremely xenophobe towards Dark Elves -- and joined the Thieves Guild, only for someone to envy her status as the leader and putting her under MindControl to make her ''kill her friends'', leading to her arrest.]]
20	** Ajira is born from a Khajiit bloodline abducted to be slaves in Morrowind, and her sister was taken as one, leaving her to raise her nephew on her own.
21	* DreamingOfTimesGoneBy: A sleeping Adryn tends to remember events from Nerevar's life, but unfortunately forgets everything when she wakes up. [[spoiler:It's implied that the Tribunal won't let her retain the knowledge.]]
22	* EveryoneHasStandards: For all her hostility and annoyance regarding Varvur Sarethi, Adryn is nothing but sympathetic to his plight of having murdered his best friend as he was placed under MindControl. [[spoiler:She lived the same tragedy, after all.]]
23	* {{Gayngst}}: A variation, what's troubling at least two characters is their asexuality.
24	** Almalexia berated Nerevar for refusing to have sex with her and showing nothing but disgust at the prospect of sharing her bed. He felt deeply ashamed for being a bad husband but couldn't bring himself to give her what she wanted, as he couldn't help feeling violated.
25	** As a Buoyant Armiger, Ervesa is expected to be kind of an EthicalSlut and her colleagues expressed frustration and bewilderment over her persistent refusal to take lovers. She ultimately feels so desperate and pressured that she claims Adryn is her girlfriend.
26	* GoingNative: In spite of having raised in Skyrim, Adryn swiftly adapts to Morrowind to the point she learns to talk Dunmeris and finds herself annoyed when someone doesn't reveal their House affiliation. Of course, Nerevar's memories bleeding into her mind probably help.
27	* HonorBeforeReason: House Redoran is accused from having this, and Varvur Sarethi certainly acts the part. However, it's mitigated when Adryn gets to meet Varvur's much world-savvy father.
28	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Adryn would be perfectly happy to stay holed up in the library and preparing alchemic concoctions. But people just won't stop giving her quests!
29	* InterspeciesFriendship: Adryn's foremost amiable relationship on Morrowind happens to be with the Khajiit Ajira.
30	* IWasJustPassingThrough: Zigzagged. Sometimes Adryn will invoke this, sometimes she accidentally finds herself involved in such ''bizarre'' situations that no one will believe her excuses about just being there.
31	* MadScientist: House Telvanni has a reputation for churning these as if there was no tomorrow. They tend to cause a ''lot'' of explosions and experiment on hapless bystanders without bothering with such pesky things as "informed consent".
32	* NonActionGuy: Adryn very emphatically isn't qualified for fighting, something she has to constantly remind of everyone as they persist on sending her on perilous quests.
33	* OnlyOneName: Adryn, courtesy of being an orphan. Several Dunmer look at her askew or pity her for that.
34	* {{Reincarnation}}: Adryn is the Nerevarine, Saint Nerevar reborn. [[spoiler:And she wasn't the ''first'' one.]]
35	* ReincarnationIdentifyingTrait: Ledd's syndrome is a learning disability which prevents the sufferer from ever being able to use Mysticism. Adryn has it, and her PastLifeMemories mention Nerevar also was afflicted.
36	* RunningGag: Young scions from House Redoran being abducted. Adryn seriously considers creating a ''teaching course'' to let them learn how to escape on their own.
37	* ShipTease: Adryn seems to be a little too fond of Ervesa the Buoyant Armiger.
38	* SitcomArchnemesis: Adryn doesn't hold Varvur Sarethi in high esteem, feeling he's hopelessly stupid. On Varvur's side, he's exasperated by her deeply entrenched pragmatism and mockery of honour.
39	* WeirdnessMagnet: Adryn just won't stop stumbling upon crazy happening, to her utter irritation.
40	* WorthyOpponent: Nerevar delivered such an apocalyptic beating to Jurgen Windcaller that not only the Nord called him a jarl and immediately retreated with all his forces, he completely renunced fighting and became an ActualPacifist.

Context Fanfic / SleeperInTheCave