u/PietroIlPescePietra

Not every Skyrim character has a surname, but if yours does, write its story.

Was it inherited from an old noble family? Earned through their deeds? Chosen to hide their past? Or does it have a completely different origin?

My character is Evelyn Dessele. The Dessele are an old Breton noble family from Evermore in High Rock. For Evelyn, her surname is more than just a family name, it is the last connection to the life she lost when the Empire arrested her parents.

(And if you don't have one yet, this might be a good opportunity to create one, or if you want to post your fulla story on my subreddit)

P.S. We now have user flairs! Feel free to pick the race that best represents you. I've also added post flairs to help organize stories, journals, discussions, and other content across the community. Thanks!

4E 202, 13th of First Seed — Lakeview Manor

For a few moments Evelyn remained silent. Serana said nothing, simply listening.

Evelyn began speaking again.

<After that night in the woods, I no longer knew where to go. I was only five years old, and all I had left was my dog. We barely slept because I kept thinking I could still hear the Imperials. When the sun rose, I got up and simply started walking. I had no destination; I followed the forest trails hoping to find someone… or at least a place where I could survive. For days we lived like that. We drank from streams, ate berries, and whatever small animals Bran managed to catch. Every sound among the trees made me hide, convinced that the soldiers were still looking for me.

One evening, exhausted and without any strength left, I fell asleep at the foot of a great oak. When I opened my eyes, I saw an elderly woman kneeling in front of me. She had long silver hair braided down her back, a blue cloak worn by time, and carried a backpack filled with herbs and alchemical ingredients.

Elderly Woman: Little one... what are you doing all alone in a place like this?

I couldn't even answer. I simply burst into tears. Bran slowly approached her, sniffed her hand, and stopped growling.

Elderly Woman: If your dog trusts me... then come with me. You need something to eat.

Her name was Lysanne Corvel. She was a Breton who lived alone in a small cabin at the edge of the forest. During the Great War, she had served as a battlefield mage for the Imperial Legion. She had fought against the Aldmeri Dominion, healing wounded soldiers and casting spells when there was no other choice left. After the signing of the White-Gold Concordat, she decided to leave the army... so she withdrew into that forest, far from politics and conflict, living through alchemy and magic.

She took me to her cabin, gave me warm bread, soup, and clean clothes. That evening I told her everything. I told her about House Dessele, my father, my mother, and the Imperials. She listened without interrupting me. Even she couldn't understand why the Empire she had served had done such a thing. (Immage 1)

Lysanne: I cannot give back what you've lost, Evelyn... but as long as I live, this home will be your home as well.

(Return to 3E 202 at Lakeview)

Serana: Evelyn... there's something I've always wondered. You're one of the few people I know who can use Conjuration masterfully. Where did you learn it?

Evelyn: It's a long story... and it begins many years before I arrived in Skyrim, it all happened one evening.

Evelyn began speaking again.

< The years passed quickly. Lysanne taught me to recognize every plant in the forest, prepare potions, treat wounds, and live off what nature provided. Once a week we would go to a small nearby village to sell herbs, salves, and potions to the merchants. In time she also began teaching me magic. I soon discovered I had a certain talent, and she said it was because I was a Breton. I learned Destruction spells to defend myself and Illusion spells to avoid a fight whenever possible. The only school she refused to teach me was Conjuration. She said that during the war she had seen too many young mages lose control of the creatures they summoned.

Lysanne: Conjuring a Daedra doesn't mean creating a creature. It means opening a doorway to another plane of existence. If you're not ready to control what you summon, the creature may turn against you.

Naturally, those words only made me even more curious.

Serana: I had a feeling that's where this was going.

Evelyn smiled faintly.

Evelyn: Yeah... I was pretty stubborn.

Those years passed almost without me noticing, and nothing particularly interesting happened. By the time I turned sixteen, I already knew many basic elemental spells and a couple of expert-level ones, while continuing to practice the other schools except Conjuration.(Immage 2)

But on the Mid Year, 4E 195, I began practicing it. I'll explain.

That morning Lysanne asked me to gather some Dragon Flowers, very rare plants that grew along rocky cliffs and that alchemists paid handsomely for. Before leaving, though, I stopped by the cellar. A few weeks earlier I had found an old dusty tome describing how to summon a Frost Atronach. Lysanne had forbidden me from even opening it. Naturally, I slipped it into my backpack.

I spent most of the morning searching for herbs. As I walked, I began reading the book. (Immage 3)

Every page described in detail the hand movements and the flow of magicka required to summon an Atronach. I almost succeeded in the summoning, but I was so focused on reading that I barely noticed I had wandered off the path and approached the entrance of a large cave carved into the mountainside. Bran brought me back to reality when he began barking insistently into the darkness. Instead of walking away... I decided to get closer.

Serana: Wait... you were alone, you found an unknown cave, and you decided to see what was inside?

Evelyn: Looking back on it now... it was one of the stupidest ideas of my life.

I cast a simple Magelight spell into the cave. For a moment I saw nothing. Then, in the glow of the light, two enormous yellow eyes appeared. I thought it was a wolf... until the figure stood upright... it was a werewolf.

The moment it saw me, it charged at me with incredible speed. I started running, throwing every Destruction spell I knew at it, but it barely seemed to notice. (Immage 4)

Only a few Illusion spells, making it believe skeevers were running across its path, managed to slow it down for a few seconds. Bran never left my side.

We reached the cabin just in time. Lysanne came out immediately and struck it with a powerful bolt of lightning, forcing it to retreat. I thought it was over, but a few moments later three more werewolves emerged from the forest.

Lysanne: Evelyn! Inside the house! Now!

She immediately engaged two of the creatures, but the third managed to get around her and lunged at me. Bran stepped in front of me without a second thought. The werewolf struck him with such force that it hurled him against a large log. I thought he was dead. (Immage 5)

I ran inside the cabin and slammed the door shut while the werewolf began clawing at it, trying to break it down. I was trembling with fear. Then I focused and tried to summon the Atronach. I managed it, and for a moment nothing happened. Then the floor became covered in ice, and a massive blue figure emerged from the summoning circle. With one blow the werewolf smashed the door open and came inside, but the Atronach overwhelmed it instantly. Lysanne immediately turned toward me. For a moment I thought she was going to scold me. Instead, she looked me straight in the eyes. (Immage 6)

Lysanne: Keep control! Don't let it rebel!

I took a deep breath and kept concentrating. The Atronach managed to defeat the last werewolf as well. After a few minutes the curse faded, and the creature returned to its human form. We tied him up securely before he could recover. My first concern, however, was Bran. After all, he was still alive. Lysanne spent the entire night treating him with herbal poultices and Healing magic. Fortunately, over the following days, he slowly began to recover. That evening, when everything had finally grown quiet again, Lysanne picked up the old Conjuration tome, closed it, and placed it in front of me.

Lysanne: Today that magic saved your life. Another day it may take it away. I won't stop you from studying Conjuration anymore, because you've already proven you possess the necessary talent. But promise me one thing: never summon a creature just because you can. Always ask yourself whether it's truly necessary.

Evelyn remained silent for a few seconds, watching the flames in the fireplace.

Serana: So she was the one who taught you all this.

Evelyn: Almost all of it. She taught me to respect magic. The rest... I learned the hard way.

Serana: Now I understand why you never summon a creature unless it's truly necessary.

Evelyn: That was Lysanne's first rule. She always said that a good mage doesn't prove their strength by summoning the most powerful Daedra, but by knowing when not to summon one. Now then, where were we...?

Okay, the story is over. Let me know in the comments what you think of both the text and the images—and thanks to everyone. And if you'd like, feel free to suggest a title for the story as a whole.

Hi there. I decided to rewrite Evelyn's story because the original version lacked detail and was outdated, though I kept the events the same. (The first story is in the subreddit.) I’ve broken it down into chapters covering her life before Skyrim, telling it as a story recounted to Serana, complete with dialogue. I’ve learned how to take specific screenshots, so the images of the events will be detailed. Let me know what you think!

Chapter I – My Childhood

4E 202, 13th of First Seed — Lakeview Manor

Rain fell gently against the windows of Lakeview Manor as the crackling fireplace filled the hall with a comforting warmth. The war was over, dragons had become a rare sight, and for once, the silence no longer felt threatening. Evelyn sat in a wooden chair, holding a mug of warm mead in her hands. Across from her, Serana stared into the flames with her usual thoughtful expression. (Immage 1)

For several minutes, neither of them spoke.

It was Evelyn who finally broke the silence.

Evelyn: "You know, Serana... I've realized I've never told you who I was before I came to Skyrim."

Serana: "You're right. I know you because of everything you've done... but I don't know the Evelyn who existed before all of that."

Evelyn lowered her gaze.

Serana: "And judging by the look on your face... I imagine those aren't easy memories to revisit."

Evelyn remained silent for a few moments before letting out a faint, melancholy smile.

Evelyn: "No... they aren't. There are nights when I can still smell the smoke... and hear my mother's voice."

Serana: "Then tell me. Not the legend... tell me your story."

From that moment on, Evelyn began to speak.

"I was born on the 17th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 176, in the cold northern lands of High Rock, within the domains of House Dessele, a noble Breton family known for its influence and its ancient ties to the other noble houses of the region... or at least, that's how I remember it. My father, Armand Dessele, was a holy knight. My mother, Celeste Dessele, was a merchant. Every week, traders from Wayrest, Daggerfall, and even Sentinel came to our estate to purchase her enchanted creations. I spent my days between the library, the forests, and my mother's workshops, always accompanied by my most loyal friend, a large black dog named Bran. He had been born only a few weeks before me, and from that moment on we were inseparable. He slept outside my bedroom door, followed me everywhere, and always seemed to understand my emotions before I did."

"Everything changed during 4E 181, when a letter bearing the seal of the Imperial Legion arrived at our estate. My father tried to remain calm, but it only took one look at my mother to realize something was terribly wrong. More messengers arrived in the following days, and the discussions in my father's study became more frequent. I was only five years old, but I still remember standing outside the door one evening, listening."

Armand: "They cannot accuse our family without any evidence."

Celeste: "Evidence only matters when someone truly wants the truth."

My father remained silent for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh.

Armand: "If they come for me... I will not surrender."

My mother lowered her eyes to her belly. She had been pregnant for only a few months.

Celeste: "I know."

"Even today, I still don't fully understand the meaning of those words. But on the 23rd of Last Seed, 4E 181, everything changed. That afternoon, the sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the valley. Looking through the windows, I saw dozens of Imperial soldiers surrounding our estate. Some servants began to run, while others tried to barricade the entrances. Our personal guard, Rayya, stood at the front, ready to defend us. Bran started growling before anyone had even knocked on the door. My mother immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cellar, while my father remained at the entrance of the house with his sword drawn. It was the last time I ever saw him." (Immage 2)

"The front door was smashed open with tremendous force, and the ceiling of the cellar trembled. Bran stood in front of me, baring his teeth, while my mother knelt beside me and said:"

Celeste: "Listen to me carefully, Evelyn. No matter what happens... you must leave."

Evelyn: "Mom... will you come with me?"

My mother slowly shook her head.

Celeste: "No. You have to promise me that you'll run."

I nodded, without truly understanding what was happening.

"Only moments later, the soldiers entered the cellar. My mother stood up and surrendered without resisting. They shackled her and dragged her away. I remained hidden behind a few old barrels. I heard one of the soldiers reading names from a list before another voice interrupted."

Soldier: "The girl is missing."

"My heart pounded so hard I was sure they could hear it. Back then, I could barely summon a weak flame in my hands. The soldiers searched every room of the house. That's when I remembered the secret passage Rayya had shown me during one of our games. I grabbed Bran and crawled into the narrow tunnel without making a sound. When I emerged, the village had already been completely occupied by the Imperials. Amid the chaos, I saw my mother for the last time. She was chained and surrounded by soldiers. For a single moment, our eyes met. Then I heard her voice inside my mind."

Celeste: "Run, Evelyn."

Celeste: "Don't stop."

Her telepathic magic was already fading.

Celeste: "Run!"

"I turned and fled toward the forest. Some soldiers spotted me almost immediately."

Soldier: "There! The girl!"

"Bran ran beside me without ever leaving my side. More than once, he turned back, barking furiously at our pursuers and slowing them down, giving me enough time to widen the distance between us. We kept running until the Imperials finally stopped." (Immage 3)

Soldier: "Let her go."

Another Soldier: "What if she survives?"

Soldier: "She's just a little girl. She'll die in the woods before winter."

"That night, sitting beneath an old pine tree with Bran curled up beside me, I realized that I had lost everything I had ever known."

I’ll write the next part later on, and I’d like to thank the readers and everyone who contributed to the subreddit.

Hi. To improve the story/gameplay of my main character, Evelyn a breton witch (Her story: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkyrimBackStory/comments /1qxrxx9/evelyn_dessele_breton_witch_first_character _story/), I decided to make this post to help me find some MODs. Only equipment, item or magic MODs. I already have the "Sturdy Saldals", "Equippable Tomes", "Triunvirate" and "Younger Breton" MODs installed. NO graphic MODs that improve the character's appearance, for MOD I use nexsusmod. I hope you can help me, thanks. I repost whit immages

If you want to post your backstory before Helgen in this subreddit, feel free to do so.🌌

This is my best character Evelyn... If you wanna read her story check my subreddit