Morrowind's Caius Cosades - Addict or Genius? | Character Deep Dive

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 94

  • @Takarias
    @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +11

    What do you think? Is Caius hooked on sugar, or is it just a masterfully maintained act?

    • @canaan5337
      @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      It’s an act, the man is jacked, every drug addict I’ve known has no muscle. Even if they start out fat, they end thin and with no muscle.

    • @rockhound3.14
      @rockhound3.14 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I'm just an old man with a skooma problem 😎

  • @ObiwanNekody
    @ObiwanNekody 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +18

    IIRC Caius leaves all the moon sugar in his apartment when he gets recalled. No real addict would leave behind that much moon sugar when they left.

  • @TheMovieGuyTMG
    @TheMovieGuyTMG 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +32

    Caius staring at his wall high off skooma for 36 hours straight as the Nerevarine licks reclaim off the man's bedpost

    • @Giantcrabz
      @Giantcrabz 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      👀

    • @canaan5337
      @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      lol reclaim on the bedpost, dude must have a serious habit.

    • @rockhound3.14
      @rockhound3.14 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      That's hot 😂

  • @Spacecoke
    @Spacecoke 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    If he was an addict he wouldn't have so much of it. It would already be used. It's his collection of moonsugar he has bought over time but never used.

  • @Jimmyinvictus
    @Jimmyinvictus 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +30

    I was always of the opinion Caius used his habit as a means of creating networks in a manner which wouldn't draw attention; being an addict gives plausible cover for interacting with all kinds of people, including people who are both unnoticed and written off by 'normal' society.
    Caius might be an actual user, but I wouldn't put it past him to have cultivated a tolerance on purpose; despite his 'habit,' he's never incoherent, he has contacts and knowledge as far away as Vivec, and he always knows exactly where to point you. He's notable enough to be recalled all the way back to the Imperial City from Vvardenfell, which would indicate he's competent enough to be an asset-or a threat-to the highest echelons of Cyrodillic society.
    Great video, Takarias, and nary a mention of Caius' magnificent abs.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

      You must have missed the part near the start where I zoomed in on them!
      It was difficult to tangibly connect it as a piece of evidence, but Caius' line "No point in being a part of history if you're too ignorant to understand it" has always stuck with me. It could be the saying of a 'pothead philosopher,' bit I think it's more indicative of a sharp mind.

    • @Jimmyinvictus
      @Jimmyinvictus 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @Takarias oops, my bad! And I love that bit of dialogue-it only reinforces just how badly TES writing fell off after Oblivion (which still had a bug chunk of the Morrowind creative team working on it).

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

      @@Jimmyinvictus The writing is incredible in Morrowind. Nearly every NPC is part of a web of relationships that I got fully lost in while researching this video. Even the modern greats rarely match it.

    • @Jimmyinvictus
      @Jimmyinvictus 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @Takarias You know, that might be a good topic of a video: Morrowind's creative team was incredible: Douglas Goodall, Ken Rolston (already a veteran TTRPG designer by the time he joined the Morrowind team), and the polarizing Michael Kirkbride, Kurt Kuhlmann (who doesn't get nearly enough credit, in my opinion), etc. The bulk of that team stayed on for Oblivion (which also has incredibly charming npc's, even if they do look like potato people), and then Skyrim hit. Fallout 3 hit. The writing noticeably began to fall off.

    • @canaan5337
      @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Yeah, if you want to get connected to the criminal underworld making pals with the local drug dealers is a good first step.

  • @TheySchlendrian
    @TheySchlendrian 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +18

    Khajiit tells you!
    The sweet Sugar is healthy for you!
    Caius is the best example for this, yes?

  • @jegr3398
    @jegr3398 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    If you steal one of Ra'Virr's items and try to sell it back to him, he will take the item back but you don't get a bounty. That's another clue. Ra'Virr doesn't want the heat.
    Caius is also a very high level trainer in hand to hand combat, unarmored, and speechcraft. So that speaks to his capabilities.

    • @panamajack5972
      @panamajack5972 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Conner McGregor is also pretty high level in hand combat, unarmored, and speechcraft, but, he's definitely been snorting that moon sugar 🤣

  • @eddiekalista3222
    @eddiekalista3222 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +18

    It’s absolutely an act. I grew up in bad neighborhoods with crackheads. I can add some insight.
    1. No addict has THAT MUCH drugs in their house. Given the alleged level of his addiction, he’d always be almost out, not have tons of it laying around his house.
    2. Being essentially a crackhead means no one questions him doing weird stuff. Gone for days at a time? Creeping around town in the night? Having strangers come to his house unannounced? Having strange conversations about the government? That’s all just weird crackhead behavior. Which means no one questions when he’s actually doing his job. It’s literally the perfect cover.
    3. He’s always around people when he is “high”, but no one has ever seen him use the drug? If you’re a comfortable, functioning addict like he’s alleged to be, you don’t care of other people see you using it. Obviously it’s not an issue, since the town guards don’t bother him.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I did find it a bit unusual, but didn't want to conclusively say anything. It is *everywhere,* though.

    • @eddiekalista3222
      @eddiekalista3222 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      @@TakariasI can abide a couple on his person. Or a couple in a lock box. But there’s just so much of it. He damn near has the Scarface table. Either he’s trying to intentionally leave it out for people to find, or he buys so much that he doesn’t know how to get rid of it.
      Alternatively, I don’t know if it’s ever explained how much moon sugar is needed for a single use. For all we know, 5 pieces of sugar is a lightweight hit.

    • @canaan5337
      @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Yeah, people with a drug problem can’t keep a whole lot of drugs on hand because they got a problem if they have it, they gonna do it, till they don’t.

    • @M2Mil7er
      @M2Mil7er 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@canaan5337 high functioning addicts with more income / wealth than the average user do exist. These addicts are usually busy, so tend to buy in bulk to save time meeting up.

    • @billbill3251
      @billbill3251 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      moon sugar is not crack, maaan... and 1-he is rich. 2-he's an old veteran whith a passive position and job and 3-yes, everything in game shows he doesn't care about his image, for it is cover and enjoyment anyway.

  • @tm_gemini
    @tm_gemini 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +14

    "This can't be good for me, but I Iook great!" - Caius Cosades, 3E 427

    • @desertdude540
      @desertdude540 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      "I knew that stuff wasn't good for me."

  • @fargoretro
    @fargoretro 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    He's clearly microdosing Skooma to build up a tolerance to it. An absolute unit.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      I kind of love this idea. I wonder if the benefits would remain while you overcome the downsides

    • @crobulous9581
      @crobulous9581 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      Moon sugar on his Almalexi-o's every morning

    • @ApathyBM
      @ApathyBM 4 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Best way to overcome the movement speed

  • @aionarkhe5260
    @aionarkhe5260 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Both are true. The Skooma Break of The East.

  • @Ploulaf
    @Ploulaf 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    This guy is on a Morrowind addiction craze and nothing can stop him

  • @rockhound3.14
    @rockhound3.14 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    My favorite memory of Morrowind. I was 12 years old and was my first time playing. I was exploring the outer edge of Seyda Neen when a man fell from the sky. 😂❤. Not knowing any better I dug through his inventory and looted him taking from him a scroll of incarnian flight. 😂😂 I used it. 😅 Ended up being punched out of bounds way out at sea south of Seyda Neen 😂😂😂 . Here's the fun part. I had to swimm all the way back. I chose a Bretton race an as a result my skills with a spear were 5. 😢😅 A slaughter fish came out of nowhere and began chipping away my health. After because the wonky ass mechanics I never was able to kill the fish. No . I died right when I get t shore 😂😂😂😂😅. Made me fall in love with the game . When I realized the level of freedom you have . Blew my mind .

  • @CreativeUsernameHere-r1k
    @CreativeUsernameHere-r1k 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    Ngl, being a sugar tooth, would be a good cover. My neighbour had a lot of oddballs coming in and out, and lo and behold a few days ago two guys with badges show up and ask me more about him *heads uo he built a plate barrier not to even see into his yard*, and I know zilch about him, apart from having odd friends, then today I saw in the newspapers that they busted some "moonsugar" farmer in my street.

  • @mightyn8
    @mightyn8 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +12

    I also found it weird for Caius to be an addict, since I just think the Emperor would have recalled him or had him killed if that had been the case, and replaced him with someone else far more capable of the kinds of duties a spymaster needs a clear head for. I absolutely think the addiction is just a cover story. But either way, I think this is one of those mysteries left unsolved. Makes the game feel more intriguing.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      He did get recalled with his substance abuse as the given reason, though. It's hard to know how genuine of a reason that is, though. I think it's telling that the other Blades don't even mention it.

    • @subarashiiashi3894
      @subarashiiashi3894 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Clearly it's a cover story and the emperor must be in on it. Lest you forget, no recall can work in this place!

  • @JimUK
    @JimUK 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    This is what's so great about Morrowind, so much is left open to interpretation.

  • @ntolman
    @ntolman 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    Fat lot of good Caius did helping with the succession. The Mythic Dawn must have really caught the Empire. Cauis being away for so long was probably why.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      From forum lore posts made a few months before the release of Skyrim, we learn that during the events of Oblivion, Caius was in Kragenmoor, one of the largest cities on the Morrowind mainland.
      > I'm sorry I wasn't here to dance at your tucking-in, Sire, and I promised, but with one thing and another, I was keeping quite busy in the East, and since you'd no need of me back here, I wasn't handy when the day of reckoning came.

    • @canaan5337
      @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Pretty sure his abs alone could’ve stopped The Mythic Dawn.

    • @pisscvre69
      @pisscvre69 4 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      i love oblivion but even with the Kragenmoor explanation oblivion really was terrible at following up what morrowind layed down especially the forshadowing
      theres way to much info about the crisis before it happens hiding in the corners for the blades to be so caught off guard, when the emperor dies they should have known who was behind it and why but just have failed to protect him, they will have an immediate plan already years in the making as the leadership all knows it was inevitable, theyve worked with Uriel long enough to trust his foresight, so while they did their best to subvert fate they knew they had to plan for the worst
      this would also set up an easy out for the player, you deliver the amulet they have a plan should be all good right?
      well for you yea you can fuck off then, but if you come back and progress the quest like a good heist movie the plan inevitably goes wrong, first a little here and there forcing you to adapt then something big that raises the steaks makes you have to act without all the planning and all the more satisfying when you do finally win
      i love the oblivion we got but dam it could have been so much more lol

  • @xeviexcorex
    @xeviexcorex 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    caius is an addict in the way rust from true detective was an addict: like yeah he was actually, severely addicted & will carry the consequences of that with him for the rest of his life, but it was part of his cover & a sacrifice he chose to make & hopefully once he gets back to the imperial city the blades will help him detox & decompress & begin his walk down the road of recovery :) i mean if i can do it alone i think a magical secret agent can sober up too

  • @lullalalla8891
    @lullalalla8891 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    Loving your Elder Scrolls content!

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I aim to please!

  • @jesterssketchbook
    @jesterssketchbook 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    great premise for a video - loving ur stuff dude

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      I was surprised to not see any good deep dives when doing research! Happy to fill that particular void :)

  • @borislavmarkov4171
    @borislavmarkov4171 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    wonderful video as always

  • @marakuyovimalesh3793
    @marakuyovimalesh3793 4 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I really appreciate the effort you put into your videos. Not the typical shallow video game commentaries

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  4 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Thanks! I'm almost embarrassed to admit how many hours each of these takes to put out, but I'm proud of the end results :)

  • @illbrush3672
    @illbrush3672 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I love to see people still talking about Morrowind

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      There's so much to talk about! So many things that can still be learned from this 22 year old game

  • @jeffandorson4819
    @jeffandorson4819 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Great video, loved the balmora travel guide section

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I'm surprised I haven't gotten any comments that it's overly long! Balmora is just so perfect - I know it's like that to be a good base for the player, but that also makes it a perfect base of operations for a spymaster. And the rest of the world supports it being the way it is. Truly impressive world design

  • @ColonelRPG
    @ColonelRPG 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Takarias used Old!
    It's super effective!

  • @st.anselmsfire3547
    @st.anselmsfire3547 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    I don't think there is a definitive answer. This is Michael Kirkbride's writing, after all. He's infamous for loving not having a canon explanation for stuff, rather than having a canon explanation while leaving the actual text ambiguous.

    • @desertdude540
      @desertdude540 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I've never liked poetry, but I certainly respect Keats and his notion of "negative capability", which Kirkbride has in spades.

  • @HadoukenHero
    @HadoukenHero 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I love your videos and your little annecdotes lmfao. Only he stands there undercutting the guild for example lmfao. You make the video nice to listen to with your emphesis on diffrent words, makes me envision how you feel on the subject really well also very humorous :D

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I'm glad people seem to be enjoying my rambles :)

  • @VM-hl8ms
    @VM-hl8ms 5 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    a fair take.

  • @AtomicX160
    @AtomicX160 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I am glad i was recommended this! Always love new Morrowind content, especially when it's this well made. I'm subbing and can't wait to see what you do next!
    As for Caius, i was shocked when he said he was getting called back in part due to the sugar. I guess i had just assumed that the skooma addict thing was purely a cover, but i like the idea that both can be true now.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Thanks for the support! I'm glad people seem to be enjoying my stuff :)
      I personally lean towards the interpretation that Caius isn't an addict, though probably doesn't abstain entirely. I imagine it would be difficult to maintain his cover if he did

  • @mlmii1933
    @mlmii1933 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    I think he falls under the term "functional addict" ... I think he does have an issue and a problem but is a highly functioning person.

    • @M2Mil7er
      @M2Mil7er 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      exactly. More functional addicts have more income than the usual user, and tend to organise bulk purchases to save time and energy.

  • @SupahTrunks7
    @SupahTrunks7 4 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Honestly when I first played morrowind I automatically assumed it was a cover. Though I think the recall letter confused me on if he maybe was also addicted during the cover. But my first instinct upon seeing the guy was “ah yes pretending to be crazy is the best way to do suspicious things that makes sense”

  • @o11o1o1oj
    @o11o1o1oj 5 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    i love your deduction on who might be caius' dealer :'D
    my personal hot take: if caius is addicted to anything (and i'm certainly not saying he couldn't be!), it's probably stimulants. something to help him get through the 24/7 alertness and constant pretending, gruelling work hours, keeping the entire island of vvardenfell in check... i feel it's unlikely for it to be a hallucinogen like skooma. that's just too risky for someone in his position.
    basically if he's a high functioning addict i think like he's more the "snort some hackle-lo extract to pull your 11th consecutive allnighter" type rather than the "take a fat skooma rip to straight up ascend into aetherius" type

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  5 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I felt pretty clever coming to a conclusion about his dealer lol

  • @cybernomad5971
    @cybernomad5971 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    I think it likely it's a cover, but also a way of creating contacts.
    Speaking of I have a personal headcannon for the body you find north of Balmora just off the road to Caldera you find a body with a skooma pipe and a letter to tsyia (I think) which sets off a mini quest which while technically unrelated to caius it does bring up the question how the dude died in the first place.

  • @Dalthos2
    @Dalthos2 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Addict *and genius, he's both

  • @burritoroom
    @burritoroom 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I always imagined Caius as Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant.

  • @willrun4fun
    @willrun4fun 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I'm the odd one out who is playing Morrowind for the first time at the age of 49 after getting into gaming in my late 30s. Amazing game. I find my time reading a lot of the lore and all character lines I can. World is so much more complex than the later games. I wish there were a bit more reactivity in the main quest, but I know BGS was on the brink of bankruptcy and needed to get this out there.
    One thing I have not been able to decide is how to pronounce his last name. The way you say it is very common, but I first read it with a more Latin sounding "cos-a-dus".

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      It's been disappointing seeing the franchise's devolution since Morrowind. Until another studio takes up the flag of this style of game, we can only hope they improve for the next one.
      Deciphering pronunciation is a constant struggle lol

  • @ketzerapathetic1414
    @ketzerapathetic1414 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Very cool

  • @billbill3251
    @billbill3251 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

    very enjoyable video. i'm totally confident caius is a responsible drug passionate. And moon sugar is coke, and skooma is somehow crack made from it, my guess ;)

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  3 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Just a mild-mannered stimulant enthusiast~ :)

  • @versebuchanan512
    @versebuchanan512 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    But... por que no los dos?

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      A valid arument

    • @jesterssketchbook
      @jesterssketchbook 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      🎺mariachi music starts playing and we all lift you onto our shoulders lololol

  • @canaan5337
    @canaan5337 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

    You ever met a jacked drug addict? unless they’re addicted to steroids the answer is, no.

  • @flingonber
    @flingonber 5 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Why not both?

  • @shinprior960
    @shinprior960 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

    "Caius says he's fed up with heroes. The Empire keeps sending them out here to the provinces to 'civilize' things. The fools don't seem to realize that their 'destinies' are being created by historical processes. And they're too ignorant and impatient to understand it. So Caius sends you to me, hoping you'll be different. Poor Caius. So many disappointments. So maybe you'll read 'On Morrowind, the Imperial Province'? And learn something about current events. That's what I recommend." -Hasphat Antabolis, the Dwemer puzzle box guy.
    When you ask about Morrowind History he gives you his "extra" copy of the afore mentioned book, which he shares is written by Erramanwe of Sunhold. What a nerd, considering he's an imperial in the fighers guild.. hrmm.. makes me wonder... Just what is this guy's angle.

    • @shinprior960
      @shinprior960 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

      When asking again about Morrowind history he goes on to say:
      "Caius and I always argue over the role of the individual in history. Is the individual shaped and controlled by history? Or can an exceptional individual shape history? Are individuals carried in the stream? Or do they dam and divert the flow? I say Tiber Septim changed the world.. Caius says that Tiber Septim was a product of his time, and if he hadn't lived, some other person would have served his function. What about you? Are you going to change the world? Or just be carried by the flow?"
      These gentlemen seem to be quite the philosophers, and well acquainted with each other.

  • @exharkhun5605
    @exharkhun5605 5 วันที่ผ่านมา

    No way an addict has a 100 septims.

  • @yaldabraxas
    @yaldabraxas 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Thank you for actually pronouncing Cosades the right way. It was getting so tiresome to hear all the latin-inspired names to be anglicized.

    • @Takarias
      @Takarias  7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I can't win them all, but I think I get more right than not

  • @talonhatesnames7630
    @talonhatesnames7630 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    rice

  • @ethnicalbert
    @ethnicalbert 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    your thumbnail is confusing. "Addict or Genius?" with a picture of his head would be much better