Similar to how I made a masterpost on magicka being energy and cosmology, I've another masterpost for the power of the thu'um! Namely, that performing and withstanding the Voice requires strength.
The power to perform the Thu'um The first foundings of the thu'um can be found within the Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition (with a slightly different version later appearing in the in-game book Children of the Sky), which describes the Shouts of Nords. It covers many of the abilities of the thu'um (which would later be shown in Skyrim), but here I want to focus on one particular aspect; that the thu'um is brought about by channeling ones vital essence.
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The Tongues
The Nords have long practiced a spiritual form of magic known as "The Way of the Voice", based largely on their veneration of the Wind as the personification of Kynareth. Nords consider themselves to be the children of the sky, and the breath and the voice of a Nord is his vital essence. Through the use of the Voice, the vital power of a Nord can be articulated into a thu'um, or shout.
This is later repeated in Children of the Sky.
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The breath and the voice are the vital essence of a Nord.
This is something that Balgruuf the Greater later repeats during the main questline of Skyrim; that thur'ums rare performed by focusing onesr vitral essence.
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The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice - the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um, or Shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they can teach you how to use your gift.
The Skyrim Prima confirms this.
Continue to speak with Jalr Balgruuf about the Gerybeards. He informs you that these venerarble monks live in secluded isolation high on the slopes of the Throat of the World (the largest mountain in Skyrim). They have the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um, or Shout, and they give you the location of their monastery in High Hrothgar - atop a 7,000 step climb!
(Skyrim Prima, page 207)
When meditating on the meanings of certain words of power, Paarthunax explains that 'Fus' means 'Force' (and to imagine it pushing back all in its path), and 'Yol' means 'Fire' (which is described as power in its most primal form).
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Paarthunax: It is called 'Force' in your tongue. But as you push the world, so does the world push back. Think of the way force may be applied effortlessly. Imagine but a whisper pushing aside all in its path. That is 'Fus.' Let its meaning fill you. Su'um ahrk morah. You will push the world harder than it pushes back.
Paarthunax: In your tongue, the Word simply means 'Fire.' It is change given form. Power at its most primal. That is the true meaning of 'Yol.' Suleyk. Power. You have it, as do all dov. But power is inert without action and choice. Think of this as the fire builds in your su'um, in your breath. Su'um ahrk morah. What will you burn? What will you spare?
So, a thu'um is powered by the vital essence (life force) of the one giving the Shout. And the more powerful someone is and the more knowledge on the Words of Power they speak are, the more powerful their Shout is. It takes years to master a Shout properly (unless you are the Dragonborn, who can directly absorb this knowledge).
Dovahkiin: What does it mean to be "Dragonborn"?
Arngeir: Dragons have the inborn ability to learn and project their Voice. Dragons also are able to absorb the power of their slain brethren. A few mortals are born with similar abilities -- whether a gift or a curse has been a matter of debate down through the centuries. What you have already learned in a few days took even the most gifted of us years to achieve. Some believe that Dragonborn are sent into the world by the gods, at times of great need. We will speak more of that later, when you are ready.
Dovahkiin: Why are Shouts in the dragon language?
Arngeir: Dragons have always been able to Shout. Language is intrinsic to their very being. There is no difference in the dragon tongue between debating and fighting. Shouting comes as naturally to a dragon as breathing, or speaking. In mythic times, when mortalkind was in great need, the goddess Kynareth granted us the ability to speak as dragons do. For most people, long years of training are required to learn even the simplest Shout. But for you, the dragon speech is in your blood, and you learn it almost without effort.
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Ulfric Stormcloak: Any Nord can learn the Way of the Voice by studying with the Greybeards, given enough ambition and dedication.
Thusly, not all individuals can Shout with the same power, as for mortals it requires years of training to learn even the simplest Shout. This is the case with dragons too, as not all dragons are the same in strength.
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While all dragons are fearsome, some are more powerful than others. Brown and green-skinned dragons are generally weaker than their white or bronze-skinned cousins.
To further hammer home that Shouts require power, the Storm Call Shout is one of the more powerful Shouts, and there to make the player feel powerful.
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Todd Howard: And you'll see coming up here, gonna use the Shout Storm Call. This is one of the more powerful Shouts in the game. And it calls a storm with lightning that's gonna rain down on your enemies. So it's really a nice way to let the player feel...feel powerful in a unique way.
Unrelenting Force is refered to as a 'blast of energy.'
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Mark Lampert: When you say "Fuss...Ro Dah!" like that, that's when the big clap of thunder y'know, should fire off in the game and this blast of energy comes out of the player and knocks your opponent off their feet and if it times up all right then it feels perfect.
As you learn more of the Dragon Language, the more powerful you become.
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Todd Howard: Your character is Dragonborn, and this means you are born with the soul of a dragon. So you can speak their language and in the language of dragons they use their language to form these mystical shouts, these words of power. Breath fire and shout through the wind and run fast, or slow down time. So, through the course of the story, not only do you discover the mystery of the dragons returning but you learn their language and become, you know, really powerful.
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During the Dragon Crisis in 4E201, Odahviing was revived by Alduin, but the world had already changed. As the Last Dragonborn became stronger and stronger, some of the Dragons started to doubt whether they should keep answer to Alduin's cause. Meanhwile, the Last Dragonborn decided to capture a dragon at the Dragonsreach in Whiterun, in order to get whereabout of retreated Alduin, and Odahviing became his target. With the help of the Greybeards and the Blades, the Dragonborn challenged Odahviing with a Thu'um, which he replied at Whiterun. After a great fight, Odahviing was captured by the Dragonborn by the castle, which was built by the High King Olaf One-Eye, and once prisoned the Dragon Numinex, he surrenderred to the Dragonborn. The Dragon brought him to Skuldafn Temple, but still refuse to submit his complete loyalty to the Dragonborn. He wanted to see if the hero can earn his obedience by defeating Alduin. As Dragons would only obey to real power...
So the power of the Voice requires the strength of the Shouter. But does this mean that the person shouting can withstand such power? In the case of weaker Tongues, that's not always the case, but for stronger Tongues and dragons, it is so.
The power to withstand the thu'um The most obvious example is demonstratable in Skyrim's main storyline; when you first meet them, the other Greybeards will not speak, for their voices are too powerful; even a whisper could kill you at this point.
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Dovahkiin: Why don't the others talk?
Arngeir: Their Voices are too powerful for anyone not trained in the Way to withstand. Even a whisper could kill you.
This is confirmed by the Skyrim Prima; the other Greybeards have yet to master their voices enough to the point of safe conversation, and thus do not speak, as their voices are too powerful. However, they have been known to attempt conversation with those powerful enough to withstand their voices.
The other Greybeards - Masters Wulfgar, Einarth, and Borri - do not speak; their voices are too powerful. Only Master Argneir is skilled enough to master his voice to the point of conversation. However, they have been known to attempt conversation with those powerful enough to withstand their voices. They excel in the training of Shouts by gestures and demonstration.
(Skyrim Prima, page 409)
However, as the questline progresses, the Greybeards will formerly greet you, unleashing their full power onto you, which you survive.
Arngeir: You have completed your training, Dragonborn. We would Speak to you. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready.
Arngeir: Dovahkiin. You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you.
This is once again confirmed by the trusty Skyrim Prima, which refers to their Shout as a blast, and notes how impressive it is how you survived the Voice of the Greybears unscathed.
Remain in the center of the room. The Greybeards stand at each point of the diamond paving, and Arngeir greets you with a ferocious chant in dragon tongue. You withstand the blast, which pleases and impresses Arngeir. You've tasted the Voice of the Greybeards and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is now open to you!
(Skyrim Prima, page 211)
This is the most well known example, and the one I'd post the most, but it's not the only example; twice in the main questline, you are required to Shout at someone as a form of greeting. Firstly, when you first greet Arngeir, he asks for you to greet him with your Voice.
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Dovahkiin: I'm answering your summons.
Arngeir: We will see if you truly have the gift. Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice.
Dovahkiin: You call me Dragonborn. What does that mean?
Arngeir: First, let us see if you truly are Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice.
Arngeir will follow up by saying that the power of your Voice will not harm him or the other Greybeards, and to 'strike' him with the power of your Voice.
Arngeir: Strike us with the power of your Voice.
Arngeir: Do not be afraid. Your Shout will not harm us.
Arngeir: Shout at us, and let us taste of your Voice.
Once more, this is confirmed by the Skyrim Prima.
An old monk in a long robe steps forward; this is Arngeir, leader of the Greybeards. He knows who you are. Speak with him, and he asks for a taste of your voice. Oblige him.
Select the Unrelenting Force Shout from your Magic menu, and bellow at or near Arngeir, The other Greybeards, Borri, Einarth, and Wulfgar come to watch. Your fate is confirmed; speak with him again, and he welcomes you to the monastery
(Skyrim Prima, page 208)
The second individual you must Shout at is Paarthunax, whom requests you greet him with Fire Breath.
Paarthurnax: Do not be afraid. Faasnu. Let me feel the power of your Thu'um.
Paarthurnax: Come, Dovahkiin. Nin Yol. Strike me with the fire of your Thu'um.
Paarthurnax: Why do you delay? Are you Dovahkiin or not?
Paarthurnax: Now, show me what you can do. Greet me not as Argonian/elf/khajiit/mortal/orc , but as dovah!
When you Shout the greeting at him, he is pleased, saying the Dragonblood runs strong through you.
Paarthurnax: Aaah... yes! Sossedov los mul. The Dragonblood runs strong in you. It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind.
Again this is confirmed by the Skyrim Prima, which refers to your ceremonial greeting Shout against him as a 'firey blast.'
Paarthurnax now wishes you to greet him, not as a mortal but as a dovah ("dragon''). Select the Fire Breath Shout from your inventory' and yell it directly into the dragon, bathing him in your fiery blast. Paarthurnax doesn't become hostile; this is the ceremonial greeting he was expecting.
(Skyrim Prima, page 222)
The power of thu'um Now that we know that thu'um requires power and knowledge to perform and power to withstand, let's look generally at what thu'um is capable of when used against a target. As I've been over a great many times, the Greybeards shout shook Skyrim (if not all of Nirn).
Tweet I know, NERD TREK has become completely obsessed with Skyrim and it’s all my fault. I’m a HUGE Elder Scrolls fan and have been following Bethesda Softworks for many...
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“He does find out. There’s an event that happens with a dragon, where you find out you’re dragonborn. I think for anybody listening, it won’t matter, ’cause they know.”
“The greybeards, the guys who live up on the throat of the world, who are the masters of the voice, they find out about this fairly quickly, and they shout your name. They shout Dovahkiin to the wind, and it kind of rumbles through the world. The mountains shake when they call you. And you think ‘what was that,’ and someone says ‘that was the greybeards calling you. To walk the 7,000 steps up the throat of the world to meet them.’”
In Tiber Septim's time, the Greybeards speaking would cause avalanches, thus all the villages for miles around fled (this being in reference to the Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition of course).
Delve into the innovative new magic system at the core of Skyrim’s gameplay, and discover the wholly new language that fuels it.
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“In the lore, Tiber Septim was the first main emperor. He could shout. His way of the Voice was unmatched,” Howard explains. “He is the original guy who walks the seven thousand steps and talks to the Greybeards. And the idea is, at that time, that they were so powerful they had to have all the villages flee for miles. This little kid is walking up this snowy mountain, and all these people are packed up and they’re walking down and away. Because they know the kid is going up to talk to these guys, and when they talk there’s going to be avalanches.”
The Greybeards causing earthquakes is something that even anti-Tiber/Talos heresy agrees happens, but Wulfharth is blasted to ashes yet again.
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It is the rumbling of the Greybeards that wake him. Though the Empire has crumbled, there are rumors that a chosen one will come to restore it. This new Emperor will defeat the Elves and rule a united Tamriel. Naturally, Wulfharth thinks he is the figure of prophecy. He goes directly to High Hrothgar to hear the Greybeards speak. When they do, Ysmir is blasted to ash again. He is not the chosen one. It is a warrior youth from High Rock. As the Grey Wind goes to find this boy, he hears the Greybeards' warning: remember the color of betrayal, King Wulfharth.
The Greybeards are true masters of the Way of the Voice, but what of less powerful Tongues? As stated in the 1st Edition of Pocket Guide to the Empire and Children of the Sky, Tongues can act in place of siege weapons, being able to blow down city gates
When the Nords attack a city, they take no siege engines or cavalry; the Tongues form in a wedge in front of the gatehouse, and draw in breath. When the leader lets it out in a kiai, the doors are blown in, and the axemen rush into the city.
Thus, we see the effects of thu'um, whether it's enough to tear down city gates or enough to shake entire mountains, the Voice is a force which is shown to be able to effect both living creatures and inanimate objects. The most obvious example of this, of course, is Unrelenting Force, which can send enemies and objects flying.
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Your Voice is raw power, pushing aside anything - or anyone - who stands in your path.
People may argue that this is in the case of specific Shouts, with Unrelenting Force being an unleash of force, and Fire Breathe unleashing an inferno. It is here that I will remind you of what Arngeir says and the Skyrim Prima confirms; that the Greybeards are too powerful to speak
period without causing destruction.
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Dovahkiin: Why don't the others talk?
Arngeir: Their Voices are too powerful for anyone not trained in the Way to withstand. Even a whisper could kill you.
The other Greybeards - Masters Wulfgar, Einarth, and Borri - do not speak; their voices are too powerful. Only Master Argneir is skilled enough to master his voice to the point of conversation. However, they have been known to attempt conversation with those powerful enough to withstand their voices. They excel in the training of Shouts by gestures and demonstration.
This is something that applies to incredibly powerful Tongues in general.
The most powerful Nords cannot speak without causing destruction. They must go gagged, and communicate through a sign language and through scribing runes.
With this reminder in place, what if I told you that many Shouts will have a passive effect of pushing around people, creatures and objects (some even being able to send the target flying)?
Ice Form pushes back boulders and chaurus reaper corpses.
Using Kyne's Peace will create an earthquake (
this is also the case even if you're facing the other way).
Fire Breathe
Ice Breathe
Drain Vitality
Storm Call
Unrelenting Force
- Shouts (or thu'um) are performed by focusing ones vital essence (their life force) into a shout.
- Different shouters (be they mortals or dragons) vary in power.
- As one becomes more knowledgable on the Dragon Language, their power increases.
- Shouts can take the form of an unleash of force, power or energy.
- Withstanding a Shout requires one to be powerful, and Shouts are used as a ceremonial greeting by those who practice the Way of the Voice and Dragons.
- Shouts have an effect on both living creatures and inanimate objects.
- This is visible in the lore, in the main story of Skyrim with the Greybeards call to Dovahkiin, and with the side effects of various Shouts.
(This is a work in progress; I hope to add a few more examples of Shouts vs inanimate objects)
