The Bizarre and Unsettling Story of "The Deep Ones" & Hackdirt - Oblivion Lore
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- In today's video, we go through and discuss the quest, A Shadow Over Hackdirt, again, in the elder scrolls 4 oblivion. We already covered this quest earlier on my channel, but this time around, we want to tell a better story as well as offer up some more unique and mainstream theories. We begin by overhearing that Dar-Ma, the daughter of an Argonian merchant in Chorrol named Seed-Neus, has gone missing. We find out that she was last seen on her way to the town of Hackdirt for a supply drop off. We go to the town and right off the bat, everything seems off. The settlers are hateful and annoyed with us, the town is half destroyed, and everyone seems to be hiding a secret. It's here we learn about the Brethren, the Deep Ones, as well as what really happened with Dar-Ma. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe!
#elderscrolls #lore #gaming #oblivion #quest
Favorite side quest. I remember it was the first town I found myself in after escaping the prison. It’s got such a unique atmosphere that no where else in Cyrodill has
It’s gotta be my favourite side quest too! Lots of fun and you’re right! A very encapsulating atmosphere!!
Dude you would have to pass a lot of towns for it to be your first town
hackdirt is on the opposite side of the imperial city how is that the first town you went to lmao
@@Keebrev I found it on the way to Weynon priory. Both are near chorrol
This quest always scared the hell out of me as a kid 😂 Still creeps me out a little today
I hear ya 😂 there’s something off putting about the whole thing that’s for sure!
@@ABardsBalladit's based off of an H.P. Lovecraft story as you mentioned, so it would be surprising if it wasn't unsettling.
The fact that they're all shredded somehow makes it freakier
Thank you for what you are doing, I have been suffering from insomnia for a couple of years already, and your videos are really helping me with sleep. You have a really soothing and smooth voice, and Oblivion is the favorite game of my childhood, so I'm glad that you are covering it. Thanks again!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos and they help you fall asleep! :) cheers!
UHHH FELT THAT!!❤
I know you mean only well by it and I agree with you, these are so relaxing- but at the same time "your vids put me to sleep!" is one heck of a compliment haha!
@atnasingetnamn2887 It may sound like a sort of backhanded compliment, but for someone who sometimes can't sleep for days , it's the best feeling to find a new source of relaxing videos bro.
@@kacpermatysiak9743 Yee, I getcha mate- just messing with you a bit :)
My friend that introduced me to the Elder Scrolls thought it was the Sload 10 years ago! I haven't heard anyone else say that until now.
I need to tell him, he'll be pretty happy.
That’s awesome! I’d say your friend made a pretty great call there!!
Another way to start the quest is by visiting Chorrol for the first time. Dar-ma would greet you by the gate stating that she loves meeting new people and name drop her mother's store. Talk to the mother immediately afterward and would mention her daughter. Wait a few days and come back to the store and the mother will ask you directly to go look for Dar-ma.
I don't think I've ever heard rumors about Dar-ma going missing 🤔
Very true! Another way to start it would also be just finding her in Hackdirt but there’s a lot more hurdles that way
That's literally always how I get the quest :D.
Its a pretty fantastic Elder Scrolls version of Shadow Over Innsmouth.
I love this quest. That first time still sticks with me, plus the homage to my favorite Lovecraft story is so wonderful.
It’s a really great one! Tons of fun to playthrough!
The emotions, inflections, and personality in the npc voices is so incredible compared to Skyrim it's hard to believe this came out first
sweet glad you covered this quest again my friend
Me too! Definitely deserved another cover, and this time with a little more story telling!
I still remember the first time I entered hack dirt, when I was just randomly strolling around the world. Still gives me goosebumps. I always thought that this side quest didn't get enough recognition, so THANK YOU for covering it!!🎉
This was always one of my favorite quests. Still gives me the heebie jeebies every time I start a new game.
It’s such a great one! Yeah there’s an overtone on this quest that you just can’t beat!
To add to my other comment... I went back on ESO and played some Chorrol quests in Cyrodiil. You get a quest to kill 10 of bandits who took over Hackdirt, The Black Dagger gang. Just 10. Not liberate the town, not rescue the villagers, just kill 10 of them and leave. You get the quest from a bandit leader who was the only survivor of the Black Daggers destroying her gang. There's only 1 villager in the town, an Argonian bard playing a lute... no dialogue, no interaction, get playing a lute.
I guess they didn't consider that people loved the Harkdirt quest in Oblivion, and that people would enjoy some backstory about the town and Old One. It's pretty disappointing considering how good ESO is about addressing the past and lore leading up to the stuff from the single player games.
Well, ESO is set more than 600 years before the events in TES IV Oblivion, so that could bve a decent excuse. Though they have done similar things (the Radiant Raiments clothier shop exists in Solitude, albeit in a different place and under -obviously- different management, over 800 years before the events in TES V Skyrim). Maybe they just missed this one...?
@Akkleptos I think it was just poop foresight on the part of the devs. I don't think they'll knew ESO would become so big. Putting Hackdirt and Chorrol in Cyrodiil diminishes any potential for a good backstory. It's difficult enough doing the simple town dailies while worried about getting ganked. You can forget about a lengthy story quest in there... but the Imperial City questline was good despite the pvp atmosphere. I wish they had waited and put Hackdirt outside pvp like they did with Blackwood and Skingrad. But whatever. It is what it is.
Dealings with the Sload and demanding sacrifices aren't his MO, but Hermaeus Mora is my pick for a Cthulhu analogue. Crazed followers, forbidden knowledge, an entire dimension inhabited by strange geometry and mindflayers? Unfathomable form comprised at least partially of cephalopodic anatomy???
This has always been one of my all-time favorite quests in Oblivion, but having recently done a Fighters Guild playthrough last summer, it's genuinely got such a great atmosphere. I got to Hackdirt in the dead of night, made even spookier because (through sheer dumb luck) the weather had turned stormy and noisy. Vlanhonder gives off that unpleasant first impression, which is even more unsettling when the lighting is so dim. Dar-Ma's inn room is obviously trashed, but there's a conspicuous lack of bloodstains. The village has normal houses standing next to burnt-out wrecks, but the chapel is relatively untouched, making everything feel like an even bigger mess. And I didn't even have Natch or anyone tailing me during my run!
I have never seen most of the quest. I always went to the town, got some creepy answers, found the horse, and from that point on I decided to take a look around, break into one of the hatches, and ended all of the hostile people (basically the whole town) , got dar-ma, and went back. I did find the Bible though
2:27
The music transition to Auriel's Ascension was so subtle I almost didn't notice but feels genuinely perfect.
Yay new bards video! Can't wait to watch this before work.
I hope you enjoy it! It’s my favourite quest so I had to give it a rerun with a better story and more lore!
I could tell it was going to happen but for whatever reason I JUMPED at 13:15 when that guy appeared 😂
Lol “…she was not the first prisoner and probably won’t be the last…” you see in my play through I made sure she was the last person they kidnapped 😏. And yes, first thing I noticed is that the story was very similar to the movie Dagon, but since this is an RPG I was sure to teach the Hackdirtians that the main character was the real horror they should be afraid of.
10/10 quest.
The Deep Ones demanded blood.
I paid with the blood of their worshippers.
One my all-time favorite side quests based on an HP Lovecraft story. Hope in the next ES games, they include another side quest similar to it or based on another Lovecraft story.
The cities in Oblivion are so much better than in Skyrim
i remember when i first played oblivion in 2017, i went in completely blind. i was already a skyrim nerd, and i was surprised at the storytelling
The Deep Ones are more likely to be unique entities rather than Sload. The Deep Ones were discovered after digging in the tunnels, not just in the tunnels and caves themselves. If they were Sload, it would beg the question of how they got down there. There are a great many unexplained things in Tamriel, and these could likely be a remnant of the Twelve Worlds, like the Ehlnofey and Hist.
In addition, N'Gasta! Kvata! Kvakis! is actually written in an altered form of Esperanto and has nothing to do with Elder Scrolls. It's just meant to be something illegible.
A bit on the nose, but the closest Daedric Prince in terms of appearance to Cthulu (or a Lovecraftian creature) is probably Hermaeus Mora. Hermaeus Mora also has plenty of associated eye related imagery. Being the God of Knowledge, you could argue that he is expanding the minds of the brethren, letting them "see more." This knowledge, may be too much, which drives them mad. Nothing concrete, just ideas.
Maybe the daedric prince invovled is Mehrunes Dagon. It would be a more straight forward connection to the Deep Ones in Lovecraft's story serving an entity that is also named Dagon. There's also Herma Mora, who is clearly Lovecraft inspired.
Another great video from a great channel.
I really appreciate it! :) I hope you enjoy this one! :)
I find it frustrating you can’t give back Dar-ma’s diary. During or after finishing the quest.
Not unless you pickpocket her!
That’s a very interesting thought actually!! I never thought to do it but it certainly would be nice to be able to return in!
1 of my favourite quests wrote a story inspired by this quest and A Shadow Over Innsmouth.
After the quest I erm took care of the village if you catch my drift😅
It’s an amazing quest! I think eradicating the town is a smart move 😂
I remember this quest from my first playthrough. I remember once I got that 2nd threat I was "like ooookay your all dead"
Thanks so much for covering this in so much detail. This is such a great quest ❤
I’m glad you enjoyed it! :)
Never knew there was a quest here, i was always so confused about this town and why it was burned down.
Yeah I can imagine! If you don’t hear about Dar-Ma you would never even know there’s caves beneath the city!
Great quest, bringing back so many memories 😊
Definitely one of my favourites! :)
Hackdirt was settled by grandfathers yet Hackdirt is an established town in ESO which is 800 years before Oblivion and 1,000 years before Skyrim.
I hate it when people say Bethesda has bad writers. Yes, their newer games have their wtf moments but where Bethesda has ALWAYS shined is side quests and factions
even broken clock is right two times a day
BETHESDA HAS TERRIBLE WRITERS
Geez...and I always thought of Chorrol as such a peaceful town! 😬
Don't go causing trouble in Hackdirt, you might get swarmed by a bunch of club-weilding degenerates! All jokes aside, this quest was actually based on something, whether a movie or a book.. it escapes me atm. Also a certain quest in fallout 3 is kinda similar to this one in some way, as in there being a sympathetic that's willing to help you save the person in distress.
shadow over Innsmouth by Lovecraft
I’ll have to check out that Fallout 3 Quest! Sounds like a lot of fun!
@@Matt-md5yt YES!
The movie version is called Dagon
He explains what it was based on at the end of the video.
Man i found this channel a couple days ago and i cant stop watching the lore and quest videos especially the marathon ones. Oblivion is my favorite ES game ever. I have to ask though, when u eventually end with the oblivion content will u do a similar faction and sidequest series for maybe morrowind or skyrim? Would love to transition to even more elder scrolls content
I really appreciate the support! :) 100%! I’m going to run a poll on which game people would like to see more!
I've been convinced that the "Deep Ones" are Sloads. They're by far the best fit
This is defiantly the most mysterious side quest in Oblivion. Sadly its very underwhelming and even undeveloped if you've never read Shadow over Innsmouth or any of Lovecraft's novels to fill in the gaps. I know about Sloads from my thousands of hours in Elder Scrolls Online and they are essentially giant magical water slugs that roam around the Summerset isles (the land of the high elves) and the surrounding islands. They are very intelligent, very selfish, very powerful, and can speak to people (usually to curse them or take advantage of) and are definitely considered a bad omen. Sloads knowing daedric wouldn't be surprising but a sload that would be interested in passing off their own knowledge to another being is very uncharacteristic in my opinion and sounds more like the workings of Hermaeus Mora, the daedric prince of knowlege and the sole embodiment of H.P. Lovecraft in every way possible. The biggest point of evidence is the "bible" in Hactdirt. Hermaeus Mora's plane of Oblivion is a literal never-ending library of forbidden knowledge and naturally most of the most cursed or forbidden books are written in daedric.
So, I think that the bible is the key to contacting a sload, but it was most likely written by Hermaeus Mora or at the least came from his library of forbidden knowledge. The actual physical sload itself is probably not even in cryodil at all considering that sloads like to chill in the ocean. Anyways, very entertaining video.
Such a good side quest, super creepy and we save a damsel in distress!
My new favorite channel. No diddy, your voice is calming. I listen to this while I prep food at work every shift.
Hackdirt is one of the game's better quests; it's one of my favorites, as well. Dar-Ma is a really likeable character, which made me want to save her even more on my first playthrough. Part of me thinks Clavicus Vile is the one behind the "Deep Ones", as tricking people into doing unsavory things is pretty much his entire thing.
Side note: This quest is directly inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft book, "A Shadow Over Innsmouth", in which the main protagonist explores a strange town, full of people worshipping strange sea-creatures known only as "The Deep Ones."
Edit: I just now reached the part where you mentioned, "A Shadow Over Innsmouth" xD
Well said! I agree with you and I’m glad to hear you think it’s Clavicus Vile as well!
27:19 only way to wrap this quest up the town must be cleansed xD
So i did this quest a completely different way than i ever had before yesterday. I'm on a brand new character and i went and visited them both at their businesse (they were both there).
I then immediately go to hackdirt, go into the caves without talking to anyone and she is already there lol. There's no way they kidnapped her that fast, they using some dark magic or something
Mehrunes Dagon could also be involved, his name is probably a Lovecraft reference and his themes are consistent with the Brethren and the Deep Ones. If so, the Brethren may quite literally be an esoteric order of Dagon.
You can fight a Sload in Daggerfall. And that book from N'Gasta is apparently taken from like...a Swedish insurance seminar.
Also, is sload just a mashup of slug and toad?
Mostly super-disgusting necromancers.
The way she calls the player "my hero" after the quest makes me wonder if there was some kind of light romance feature planned.
Skyrim and FO4 had it. Absolutely PG13 and Sunday school safe of course 😂
Yeah she definitely gets a little flirty with us 😂 that would’ve been an interesting angle to have a romance in this game!
@@ABardsBalladwith a dirty reptile
@@ABardsBalladindeed... perhaps she could be hired as a maid, if you get my drift.
Weird that the town was built some 30 years ago when Hackdirt also appears in ESO which is in 2nd era
The houses offer nothing unique to Hackdirt…except don’t they all have trapdoors that lead to the caverns? I’d say that’s pretty unique. Always loved this quest, creepy and mysterious.
They do! Since we covered those though I didn’t feel it necessary to include them in the context! It’s A very nice and eerie quest!
Great video, thank you so much.
Also, have you ever considered making merch? I'd love a sticker for my laptop.
That’d be a cool idea one day for sure! I haven’t thought about it but now I might 🤔
23:03 Prolly just oblivion jank. Ive fast traveled to chorrol and found blossom at the stables after completing the mission before.
Same.
Why did you kill Jiv?? He’s innocent bruh 😭😭😭
Putting him out his misery. Dudes been in a demon driven cult his whole life, shown to fear the world around him making him potentially dangerous and or resentful for us killing his people.
If it was todays world, he would have centers that could restore him and get him on his feet, unfortunately in the medieval times he would have probably either be shunned from the city and left to rot or executed for the crime his town committed.
Mashallah we have been blessed with a new video
I hope you enjoy it my friend! :)
@@ABardsBalladyour prose and delivery is always amazing.
One Daedric Prince who could not be in league with the Deep Ones would be Meridia, as she despises the undead and the Deep Ones would have to be adept at necromancy. Another might be Azura.
Great video
You can actually visit Hackdirt in Eso, in the pvp area, nothing special but interesting.
Me when doing this quest:
*IMMEDIATELY RUN-POWER CHARGE MY TWO HANDED MOTAFUKIN WARHAMMER AT NATCH THE MOMENT I SEE HIM*
And then I grab the key, and lay waste at everyone down there, didn't even knew about Dar-ma's diary.
Very similar to the sea slug questline in runescape lol. So many people inspired by lovecraft.
The Sload also make an appearance in The Elder Scrolls Online in the Summerset isles.
Interesting tidbit: in the Elder Scrolls, there exist TWO Daedra lords based on different aspects of Cthulu... Hermaeus Mora, God of Forbidden Knowledge(he's all tentacles) and Sheogorath, god of Madness...
But this quest is Based on Shadow over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft... Which mentions ANOTHER Eldritch Entity by the name of Dagon... and who is the main Antagonist of Oblivion? Mehrunes Dagon... A Daedra Lord Whose Artifact is A sacrificial Dagger... Coincidence?
Wish the quested worked right for xc. The cult meeting bugged out. Ended up having to kill everyone and rescue the argonian
Dar-Ma is precious
Apparently N'Gasta, in terms of writing, is based off the IRL language of Esperanto
if they made a pact with the daedra, I think the least likely to accept, would be Asura, and Sheogorath
Azura cuz she is one of the few Daedra that can legitimately be labeled as "good"
Sheogorath because he would find it boring, and honestly I think he is chaotic/neutral not any evil alignment.... dude just has some of the worst ADHD possible lol
also, I think Vaermina or Peryite could also be good candidates
Vaermina cuz lets be honest, Lovecraftian things, and those bulging eyes alone are nightmarish
Peryite cuz gigantism, well those eyes need an explanation and disease is as better than most lol
Camelworks has a video about this as well. His theory: Molag Bal. Camel, Fudgemuppet, and Drewmora are a couple of the deeper TES lore channels. EpicNate too.
@@Didymus20X6 I have seen some Fudgemuppet and Camel videos.... but miss when Oxhorn did the ES series, I guess dude got his fill of it huh? perhaps when the next ES game comes out he will do a new series lol
All these years, I've never seen the part of the quest inside the inn's room, I never stay in that town.
And that wanker Natch Pinder, ugh! I hate him so much! At the end of the quest I only leave Jiv alive.
😂 I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have stayed in the town either if not for the small details lol
Sea Sloads exists in ESO , Elder scrolls online that might be the deep ones
That book is a joke book too written in sload and written in Daedric. When you read a translation of the book. It's like an advertisement or something like that I dunno.
Yes! I looked it up, something about internet and copyright 😂
It's information about a newsletter from the Esperanto group "the little frogs."
Which reinterpretation of H.P. Lovecraft's story came first?
"TES: Oblivion" mission?
"Fallout" mission?
That’s a good question! Maybe Oblivion’s but I’m not 100% sure!
i did this quest a month ago and i swear to god i had 13! of the damn brethren jump me in my room when i was at the inn but i was maxed out on restoration so i was okay
The fact that the Bethesda devs are Lovecraft nerds will always amuse me
LUSTY ARGONIAN MAIDS????
An Easter egg is supposed to be hidden, like the cheese in Perfect Dark. Not just a pop culture reference
The lusty argonian shopkeepers daughter
why kill jiv :(
let him form a schismatic sect of deep ones worshippers that are good :(
there's definitely no way they'd be corrupted and become evil :(((
Unfortunately no survivors for the town! We were close to having a chance of heart about Jiv though
When i realize this quest took inspire from HP Lovecraft
I want more
I even comeback the town to took the book even it has no value, after finishing the quest🤣😂
❤
“Where, go?”
It's an excellent quest, but in the context of the Elder Scrolls the Deep Ones aren't really unsettling.
"She says some interesting dialog."
Me when i am complemented by a girl.
This quest is heavily based on the HP Lovecraft story, ‘Shadow Over Hackdirt’. You can see clips from the 2001 movie based on it ‘Dagon’, or even the whole thing, here on RUclips.
Goldbrand? In Oblivion?
Been waiting for this one🤌❤️
I hope you enjoyed it!!
The Hackdirt quest is obviously derivetive of "Shadow Over Innsmouth" but nevertheless it's one of the most unique, interesting, and genuinely unsettling quests in Oblivion.
The daedric realms of Oblivion weren't scary at all. Neither was the Dark Brotherhood questline. But Hackdirt was.
Half of me wishes they expounded upon the Deep Ones and the process of the Brethren transforming into them, but the other half knows that Todd Howard probably would have ruined it 😂
Please play gate of sonvguard
I’ll have to take a look into it!
@@ABardsBallad for me its Skyrim done right and i see that you play oblivion the way the creator intend you to play the collection.
Wey down 😂
Ein feste burg ist unser Gott?
Why u gotta narrate every little obvious detail lol. Like repeating what characters just told u
Love the content brother takes me back to simpler times
Haha! I’m really glad to hear it! Same here my friend! :)
my brother tells me this quest was based off a book ''the shadow over innsmouth" a Lovecraftian book which is why its unnerving i was at 27:00 when typing this :P