Role-play: The Pragmatic Relic Hunter

Danae

• 9 min read
Role-play: The Pragmatic Relic Hunter

Foreword

This character is inspired by my mod, which initially focused on urns in Ancestral Tombs. It developed into a series of unique heirlooms in each tomb, guarded by its ancestor and two dozens quests to retrieve some of those heirlooms.

Character Sheet

Race: Imperial
Birthsign: The Shadow
Class: Relic Hunter
Class Description: Agile and stealthy explorers who scour ancient tombs, forgotten ruins, and long-lost shrines for valuable artifacts. With a keen eye for traps and hidden secrets, you excel at slipping past danger, disabling mechanisms, and unlocking the mysteries of the past. Combining light weaponry and subtle magic with nimble acrobatics, you’re quick to avoid danger—and even quicker to make a profit.
"The past is a treasure, and I am its keeper.""
Starting Scenario: Grave robbing (random tomb)

Personality & Worldview

You’re driven by pragmatism. You view political, religious, and cultural conflicts as opportunities to be navigated, rather than causes to champion. You respect knowledge and cunning above all and are willing to bend the rules, so long as it keeps you alive and your purse full.
You’re a humanist in the sense that you value what relics reveal about people: their hopes, fears, and ambitions. Every ruin is a puzzle, every artifact a chance to learn—and profit.
You avoid unnecessary violence—“dead people can’t pay for artifacts”—and you’re always wary of fire, keeping your most precious finds safe in fireproof containers.

Religious Beliefs

You primarily worship Zenithar, viewing relic hunting as an honest profession blessed by the god of commerce.
You view religion as a rich cultural tapestry, not a zero-sum game—faith is a tool for understanding the past, not a personal crusade.
You respect all faiths and cults—Imperial Cult, Tribunal Temple, Daedric shrines—seeing each as a doorway to forgotten knowledge and ancient power.
In practice, you’re diplomatic and polite with religious figures, knowing that respect opens doors to tombs and temples that others might never see.

Faction Affiliations

✅ Imperial Cult & Tribunal Temple – Diplomatic ties and relic access
✅ House Telvanni – They respect knowledge, just as you do
✅ Thieves Guild – Smuggling and fencing for profit
✅ Astrologian’s Guild – Scholars need ruins investigated
✅ Imperial Dwemer Society – Dwemer Museum eager to add to their display.
🟡 Suran Underworld – When official channels don't work, turn to the underground?
❌ The Blades – Too political
❌ Fighters Guild and Imperial Legion – Too regimented
❌ Twin Lamps – Too political, though you’ll free slaves if the opportunity arises
❌ Mages Guild – Could cause difficulties with House Telvanni, and your approach to magic is more practical than academic.

Interests & Habits

  • Dwemer ruins and ancient mechanisms
  • You collect small, worthless trinkets from each ruin. You carefully display them in your home, labelling where and when you acquired them
  • You prefer stealth and diplomacy over bloodshed—you’d rather slip past a guard than fight one

Journal Entry:

My name is Cassia Valerius, born and raised in the Imperial City. My parents ran a modest antiquities shop until it burned, and with it, everything I’d known. From the ashes, I learned that survival means being smarter, faster, and more cautious than your competition.
I came to Morrowind for one reason: opportunity. The tombs here are as rich as the gossip, full of relics, secrets, and the promise of profit. The locals are wary of foreigners, but that suits me just fine. A polite Imperial smile and a few well-placed coins will open any door, or at least the right one.
I’ve set my sights on the ruins of this land: Dwemer vaults, Daedric shrines, and the hidden chambers of the Tribunal’s temples. Each relic I find will be a puzzle solved, a piece of the past unlocked, and another step closer to independence.
If fortune favors me, and Zenithar knows I’m willing to work for it, I’ll build my name here in Vvardenfell as much as any Telvanni wizard or Hlaalu merchant. The first step is to learn the lay of the land, find those who know its secrets, and make allies where I must.
Let the rest chase glory or piety. I’m here for the artifacts. And I intend to leave no ruin unexplored.

Modlist - chargen and factions

Modlist - gameplay

  • Distraction - Throwing weapons, arrows, and the Sound spell now distract NPCs and allow you to sneak past them.
  • MM - Enhanced Detection - to spot the keys and magical objects
  • More Traps MWSE-Lua  - Dynamically/randomly locks/traps more (not yet interacted with) containers and doors
  • MM - Enhanced Telekinesis  - Using telekinesis will now propel objects towards you with new VFX instead of immediately picking the item up.
  • Stealth Improved - Rebuilds stealth mechanics from the ground up, and makes sneaking a viable playstyle.
  • Mantle of Ascension - A Climbing Mod - You can now climb onto obstacles, given they are within reach.
  • Just The Tooltip  - Keep track of your hoard, keep reminders, and insult NPCs behind their back with incredible, expertly designed tooltips. Ideal to add notes to your collection of relics.

Modlist - quests and dungeons

  • Tamrielic Lore  - Allows more artefacts to be given to the Museum in Mournhold.
  • Secrets of the Crystal City  - The lost "Crystal City" of Massama has been discovered by a desperate group of escaped slaves.
  • Uncharted artifacts  - Uncharted Artifacts gives you a fun way to find the unique items & artifacts in vanilla Morrowind that are NOT related to ANY quests.
  • Plunder the Dungeon - Plundering the Dungeon at Tel Fyr will be a real quest now, with a unique reward and some new dialogue that acknowledges your success.
  • OAAB Shipwrecks  - A complete overhaul of every vanilla shipwreck.
  • Halls of Colossus  - Journey through time and space as you uncover the secrets of the ancient Halls of Colossus. Guarded by the Emperor's elite, this enigmatic location is your portal to an epic tale of mystery and intrigue.
  • Secret of Vilmuhn  - (TR Mainland required) Embark on an expedition with the Imperial Archaeological Society to the island of Vilmuhn and uncover what dark forces are at play to stop them before things go too far.
  • The Patchwork Airship - Fleshing out a vanilla quest  - Fleshes out the vanilla quest "The Patchwork Airship" by replacing the airship with a more fitting model, and giving it an interior you can explore.
  • Lost Relics of the Temple - Holy relics of the Temple were lost to the minions of Dagoth Ur and have since been corrupted by his influence. Reclaim these artifacts, cleanse them of their curses, and restore them to their true power!

Modlist - Tombs

Modlist - Dwemer

  • Of Eggs and Dwarves - Gnisis Eggmine and Bethamez Overhaul - This mod rebuilds and expands the Gnisis Eggmine complex from scratch, which includes the Eggmine, the Lower Eggmine, the Underground Stream, and Bethamez. It also adds a quest.
  • Better Dwemer Interiors  + BDI - Nchuleft  - Overhauls Dwemer ruins so that they are more memorable, more fun to explore, and ultimately more rewarding without being unbalanced or overcluttered.
  • Louis Beauchamp's Airshipyard - Louis Beauchamp managed to put together the only functional airship in all of Morrowind, but where in Oblivion did he build the thing? This mod attempts to answer that question.
  • The Imperial Dwemer Society  - Join the Imperial Dwemer Society and help research the Dwemer. Use Dwemer machinery, create unique items, restore an old teleportation system, add new exhibits to the guild's museum...
  • Dwemer Sky Fortress  - Towering over the Grazelands to the south, Arkngchend-Nchumez is inhabited by adventurers and villains trying to uncover its secrets.
  • Dwemer Legacy Reforged - Arkngthunch-Sturdumz - Expansive overhaul for Dwemer Ruins of Arkngthunch-Sturdumz (exteriors with new interiors) inspired by ESO and my imagination ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
  • Dungeon Details by Glittergear - 20 Dwemer Ruin Arknghand + 201 Arknghand - BDI patch + 21 Dwemer Ruin Aleft

Modlist - Daedric

Note: The Telvanni Daedrologist article has a more exhaustive list of Daedra-related quests.
  • The Sanguine Rose  - The Sanguine Rose adds a fully featured Daedric Quest for Sanguine, the prince of hedonistic revelry, debauchery, and passionate indulgences of darker natures.
  • Daedric Shrine Overhaul FULL  - A complete/merged version of the Daedric Shrine Overhaul mods
  • Pimp My Shrine - The Daedric Legend of Vernaccus  - Dungeons, mind-bending puzzles, quests, Daedra, and the power to summon items from oblivion. New artifacts and a place to display your collection.
  • The wabbajack  - Adds a new artifact to the game, the Wabbajack! Including a small quest and a unique dungeon to acquire it from.

Modlist - Gear and items

Modlist - Homes

Note: This is a lengthy list; please select one. I want a home with a display area, so these homes tend to be large. I opted for either Imperial, Dwemer, or Telvanni style.
Museums and other
  • Pocket Display Museum - If you are like me and love to display all your treasures, but hate trying to arrange them neatly, then this mod is for you.
  • New Museum of Artifacts (for Artifact Collectors) - Adds a new location: Colligo's Mansion, a museum of artifacts in Mournhold.
  • Nerano Vaults - A little more than just a player's home. Includes scripted displays for artifacts.
  • Bitter Coast Houseboat - Adds a cozy houseboat in the Bitter Coast near Aleft with cloud storage and Ashfall compatibility.
  • Thurndal - An ancient Velothi tower on the coast of the West Gash, for a tranquil and secluded retreat fitting of the Nerevarine.
Imperial style
  • Varo Manor - Varo Manor adds a player's home in Caldera and a quest to obtain it. To begin the quest, inquire about the latest rumors in Caldera. The quest is designed for characters who are at least level 10.
  • Imperial Dragon Manor - A lavish, Imperial-style manor right in the heart of the scenic Ascadian Isles.
  • Tarhiel's Tower - Tarhiel's Tower is a player home for TES III: Morrowind. It's located just across the bay from Seyda Neen. Like Svellheim, it's a bit of a mixed bag architecturally.
  • River Rock Falls - Adds a beautiful estate in its interior cells. From Balmora, head north along the road. Before you get to the bridge, look left and down. There's a rowboat in the water.
  • Ascadia Manor - Adds a purchasable manor to the end of the cape, between Ebonheart and Vivec.
  • YAPHM (Yet Another Portable House Mod) - Adds a portable house to the game. No special steps are required to acquire; a spell to access the home is added by the mod.
Telvanni style
  • OAAB - Tel Raloran - A Telvanni mushroom house with MWSE functions.
  • Tel Chendzel - Adds a furnished, uncluttered Dwemer/Telvanni tower to the south of Sadrith Mora. Perfect for mages, scholars, or anyone who likes to squat in ancient ruins.
Dwemer style
Note: Art created by ChatGPT

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