Sotha Sil - Big Revisions

Over the last year, two major DLCs for ESO were released. With those, we got a bunch of new Sotha Sil information. I propose the following changes:


Space and Time Manipulation

It's quite clear that the purpose of the Clockwork City is to perfect Tamriel/Nirn; this is acknowledged in ref 1:

"Sotha Sil is interested in repairing, like Lawrence said, the et'Adas various mistakes, so taking Tamriel apart and putting it back together correctly in what's called the Tamriel Final. So he's very clearly interested in perfection, or at least fixing things he percieves as broken"

But the true extent to which he can re-shape Mundus is detailed in the following sources...

Ref 4 - when something changes in the Clockwork City, something else will change on Tamriel:

"The city functions as a simulacrum of the corporeal plane. Making a change to the Clockwork City may well change some aspect of Tamriel itself. This is all speculative, but I've studied under Sotha Sil. I have no doubt that this is within his power."

Ref 5 - also claims the same thing:

"Finally, you have probably heard that Sotha Sil can "forge the future" using the Clockwork City. Certainly, the contrivances that spring from this well of invention will one day beat the world into a shape most pleasing to the Father of Mysteries. Beyond that, I cannot say. It is also said that the Clockwork City can be used to "reshape the world." I won't reveal the meaning of that cryptic phrase, but I will confirm that those pistons pump true."

Ref 6 - also claims the same thing:

"But more to your point, it's not just a city. It's an incomprehensibly powerful world-shaping device."

Ref 7 implies Sotha Sil created the Clockwork City using Tonal Magic.


Reality Warping (in his own plane, this is just for a more solid indication that he does have this)

From ref 1, Leamon Tuttle implies that Sotha Sil can define the way magic works in his plane:

"Also, there's the very real possibility that Sotha Sil makes it so they have to taste it that way. The Clockwork City in many respects kinda is Sotha Sil, and there's no guarantee that any magic that an apostle or anyone else may be able to use could change the taste of the paste if he doesn't want them to."

Leamon Tuttle also states that everything in the Clockwork City happens under the will of Sotha Sil:

"Everything that happens in the Clockwork City is a direct manifestation of what he wills."

From ref 15, Leamon also states something similar which would imply nigh-omnipresence:

"Even though you don't see Sotha Sil very often, Sotha Sil is...present in just about everything that you do in the Clockwork City. The Clockwork City in many respects kind of is Sotha Sil. So you can expect to learn a lot about him and what makes him tick!"


Precognition or Nigh-Omniscience

From ref 3, it is stated:

"I suffer from a peculiar ailment. Shall I describe it?

I bear the cruel weight of certainty. Total, absolute, relentless certainty. People rarely comprehend the luxury of doubt... the freedom that comes with indecision. I envy you."


Metal Manipulation

From ref 1, Lawrence Schick states that Sotha Sil uses 'every kind of metal' and that he is a 'master of all materials':

"He uses every kind of metal, and some that are unknown to magic or science elsewhere. He is a master of all materials."

From ref 2, Sotha Sil pulls up various metals from the ground to fight an avatar of Mehrunes Dagon:

"Do you remember how the veins of tin, copper, and orichalc erupted from the depths to break our mother's Fall? Through His will alone, Mighty Seht wound the veins into god-bronze whips, and lashed the Prince pitilessly."


Intelligence

Quite frankly I'm not sure what to propose here. But, it's clear he is far above a normal human in terms of intelligence. He created the Clockwork City and all machinations therein, artificial intelligence (ref 8), can transfer the consciousness of individuals into machines albeit with mental instability (ref 9).


Portal Creation

In ref 10, Sil creates a portal.


Nanotechnology

Sotha Sil appears out of a "cloud of iron vapor" in ref 12 and uses his "minions" to form a chair. Surprisingly, you also see him disappear in a cloud of iron vapor in-game with ref 13. I think this is a pretty clear reference to nano-tech or something very similar.


Possible Telekinesis

Ref 11, with the plates floating around Sil.


Tier

It's unknown what people mean by the Clockwork City being able to "reshape the world". It is either referring to Nirn or Mundus itself. Note that it is a reconstruction of the entire Mundus, from ref 1. Reshaping Nirn would be a 5-A or 5-B feat, whereas reshaping Mundus would be at least a universal or low multiversal feat. Though it would be important to note that these effects are not necissarily immediate.

The Clockwork City itself may (and I say this because the developers have given contradictory information) exist:

- As an "infinite" space within a "seemingly finite space" (?) - ref 14

- As a parallel universe - ref 1.

- In a metaphorical location - ref 1.

- Outside of space and time - ref 15.

- In a minature globe - ESO loading screen, can't find it at the moment. You also seemingly get shrunk when entering the CWC. This would imply size manipulation.

So we could list potential tiers but like many things in TES, this is kind of vague and contradictory.


References:

1 - https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/40253090/ (word of god statements, expand spoiler tag)

2 - https://www.imperial-library.info/content/truth-sequence-volume-8 (in-game book)

3 - http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Sotha_Sil

4 - https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Lilatha

5 - https://www.imperial-library.info/content/clockwork-city

6 - http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:To_The_Clockwork_City

7 - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/185564612?t=14m40s

8 - https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Aios, https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Factotum

9 - http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Saints'_Mercy

10 - https://youtu.be/JobuW7_e3tc?t=2306

11 - https://youtu.be/JobuW7_e3tc?t=2323

12 - https://www.imperial-library.info/content/thirty-six-lessons-vivec-sermon-eight

13 - https://youtu.be/8SO9bXEavWo?t=875

14 - https://www.imperial-library.info/content/realms-clockwork-city-radius

15 - https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/39333733/ (more word of god, expand spoiler tag)

The wiki sources take in-game dialouge and are valid.

I've also considered making a post about Sotha Sil, but I didn't really know how to go about it because many of the sources are out-of-game word of god and at times contradictory. Just had no clue what to make of it all.

You can ask Sheoth and the people listed under The Elder Scrolls in the Knowledgeable Members List to comment here, if you want input.

TES badly needs a novel/comic of sorts. The closest thing was the cinematic trailers for ESO. This would answer all our questions and show us what ''really'' happens.

TES already has a couple of novels. As for comics, I'd probably disagree. That wouldn't really match the style TES is aiming for I feel.

What fits TES style then? As for the novels, they're not exactly what i'm talking about here. I'm looking for something that would tell the story in multiple povs from Arena to Skyrim and show us what actually happens that's limited in game.

TES uses the unreliable narration trope on purpose according to the devs. They do it to make the world seem more lifelike, just as it is with the real world there is no absolute historic source, different peoples and cultures have their own myths and histories.

And I'd personally like it to stay that way, for the most part, it would be nice to learn new things but I certainly don't want an immutable word of god version of events.

So I think the in-game records are fine as they are and I'd be interested in seeing more novels.

Yeah i know.

Nothing will really change. Everything the heroes/players do and achieve in the main quest will still be there, but it would just show what's depicted in the in-game books and be more accurate. Side stories and people's reactions to what happens each era would be cool too.