Vvardenfell, Shrine Of Boethiah

Day 10 (Time: Year 427 of the Third Age)

One of the great pleasures of exploring a place is discovering unexpected surprises. It's as true on the new periphery as it is anywhere else. Even if you know you're not the first person to find something, there's still a moment where it is your discovery. The more obscure, the better: bragging rights go to those who really comb through a place for those little discoveries.

Which is why I'm about 50 feet underwater, off the Bitter Coast.

This is the shrine to the Daedric Lord Boethiah. Daedra are basically demonic entities, but like the legions of the Underworld, some Daedra are more civilized than others. The Daedric Lords, in particular, embody a variety of philosophies, ranging from the demonic to angelic. All have agendas among mortals, and happily assign tasks to those who would aid them. In fact, in true Dispater-fashion, Daedra pay awfully well.

Boethiah, however, has a problem. Neither truly good nor evil ("contentious" is the best word for him), his worship in Vvardenfell has suffered because his shrine sank below sea level in an earthquake. Without a vessel to communicate through, he can't get the word out to worshipers that he needs a new statue built: classic Catch-22.

On my first visit to the region, I certainly combed the landscape, and was thrilled when I discovered a shrine submerged off the coast. Its obscurity, concealed as it was by Morrowind's splendid ocean view, guaranteed that finding it was "special," a reward for thorough diligence. It sprang right to the top of my list of "favorite discoveries," and remains so today. Now, having hitched a ride from my digs in Balmora down to the coast, I hiked from a small town to the chain of islands that lead out away from the mainland. Sure enough, Boethiah's shrine can still be found at the end of that chain, trapped in a watery prison.

Let this be a lesson to would-be world builders: design with explorers in mind. Too often, people get all worked up over two or three "easter eggs" hidden in an otherwise unexciting world. The real world has surprised under every rock and behind every facade. Film makers understand this: you make the best set you can for the budget you have (even if parts of the set never get filmed) because every detail counts. This is even truer in world-building. Unlike a film, you can't control where your audience is going to end up. So fill every corner with detail and give every location depth. The more there is to find, the longer people will spend in your world, making it their own.

With my pilgrimage to Boethiah's shrine complete, I plan on enjoying Balmora's hospitality only a short while longer before making my way north, to the stronghold of House Redoran: Ald'ruhn.