I crouched near the base of it turned a bit and peeked behind it... Saw nothing.

i heard of people trying to use a "steam helm" what the hell is that?

Can sombody screenshot/confirm that?
Also maybe we should check the ceiling?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Dragonborn:Visage_of_Mzund

This reminds of the great hunt for the Snow Prince's crown after the release of Dawnguard.

You guys are real troopers and I heart you so very much.

Haha I was going to say that exact thing, but this is honestly nothing guys. Just chalk is up as another Skyrim mystery that we will never know, bethesda does this alot.

I get the feeling it's just like saphire's story. Unfinished due to time constraints.

Gantz?

Good Afternoon Dwemer Hunters!!

I am back bearing screenshots! I spent too long last night/this morning playing the game instead of going to work, but I have concluded there is nothing there. Maybe at some point the 'machine' will have a use but in it's current state, it is just there. Reading through this thread since yesterday it seems more and more of us have become intrigued with what this 'machine' may be. It's great to see the community working together like this.

I've looked through the theories that have been suggested and must say they are all good and most are possible! Also, I want to thank everyone for your ideas though sadly nothing has so far worked.

Screenshots to come next (uploading as I type this). They show the 'machine' from the 'otherside' as well as a few extras.

Ok so here are the screens. Obviously they are far from print screen capability, but it'll give you a general idea. And yes, I got through by using the wooden plate after crouching and pushing through - I apologise for posting in a list and not as clickable links - i've forgotten how to :

Inside the 'machine': http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn001.jpg.html?sort=3&o=20

Looking 'in' from inside the 'machine': http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn002.jpg.html?sort=3&o=19

Looking down from inside the 'machine', showing the top 1: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn003.jpg.html?sort=3&o=18

Looking out from inside the 'machine' 1: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn004.jpg.html?sort=3&o=17

The mini-map from inside the 'machine': http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn005.jpg.html?sort=3&o=16

Looking out from inside the 'machine' 2: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn006.jpg.html?sort=3&o=15

Looking down from inside the 'machine', showing the top 2: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn007.jpg.html?sort=3&o=14

So that is the 'machine' screen shots. I will post some extras in a sec as I said but will post them as an edit to break these two up.

EDIT:

Deathbrand Helmet: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn008.jpg.html?sort=3&o=13

Dragon Aspect over Miraak's Armour 1: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn009.jpg.html?sort=3&o=12

Dragon Aspect over Miraak's Armour 2: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn010.jpg.html?sort=3&o=11

Conjured Werebear: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn011.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10

Dremora Butler: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn012.jpg.html?sort=3&o=9

Dragon Riding Loading Screen: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn013.jpg.html?sort=3&o=8

Reikling Loading Screen: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn014.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7

Dusty The Silt Strider: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn015.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6

Neloth's House - Tel Mirthyin(?): http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn016.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

Staff Enchanter: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn017.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

Neloth: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn018.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3

Reikling Warrior 1: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn019.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

Reikling Warrior 2: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn020.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Dead Reikling Warrior: http://s1342.beta.photobucket.com/user/Scope_2012/media/Dragonborn021.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

I think it's just an Easter Egg or some sort of Sign. It has to hint towards the Dwemer though. I can't see any other alternative.
Maybe for future a Future TES game?
In Oblivion, they hinted towards Skyrim's Dragons by people talking about Dragons returning in Skyrim. This may be one of those kind of hints to expect something in the next TES game.

FWIW I just happened to notice a bug report at support.gamesas.com specific to Hrodulf's house:


"A torch in Hrodulf's house will leave you partially control locked if equipped and un-equipped, and possibly cause other strange behavior."

The only torch I can think of is the one in the basemant. I used it fine and it even re-spawned when I visited again. Might be a random bug?

Still haven't seen any aliens but it's possible

In what way? Her story I mean, not the being unfinished

Hmm, I did notice I have a Torch that isn't counted along with the other torches in my inventory, but I did equip and un-equip it once without any problems. I did get control locked about twice when mining though, but using Beast Mode saved me. Beast Mode seems to be quite useful for fixing certain glitches, like the one in the past where an arrow would get stuck on your character forever, but I think that bug was fixed.

On the topic of the "machine", I spent some time trying to find out what's the story behind it but couldn't find anything so I concluded it was just the guy hearing noises from some normal Dwemer steam machinery that happened to be under his house, and he was unable to comprehend it properly.

I spent a while thumbing through his journal. The way he describes the caller... makes it seem that he is hearing a machine - not necessarily the same 'machine' we can see but a machine. He seems to be sure someone/something is talking to him. He says how he can feel a machine reverberating under him and that he is being called. This might imply that there is someone/something there besides the machine. He also says he will know the truth if he stays. The truth about what?

Also, note the letter on the table where the bandits are/were (game status dependant). His lover says how his words aren't his own. Could this mean poor Hrodulf went mad and started hearing voices? Or Miraak's voice like the rest of the island? I find it most annoying that he didn't date his journal properly. Why did he date it but not date it?!

dev!! we need a dev!!

Well that's true, but since I haven't been able to find out what exactly is the "caller", and there seems to be nothing to it, I'm assuming that he simply never heard the sounds produced by those machinery before and thought that they were voices. I hope I'm wrong though. This is an interesting mystery that deserves more than the abrupt dead end that we got.

Could have been Miraak's voice but I think Miraak would be able to guide him towards a stone rather than cause him to go mad...unless he was somehow resistant to his voice's commands but yet he could still hear them.

We might get lucky - I won't hold my breath though.


The caller, according to the journal, is coming from below. Depending on if he was already in the cellar when he wrote that entry could help us to determine if he was referring to the cellar being below, or below as in under the ground. He says about how he put his ear to the dirt. Maybe he did only hear the machine - I mean there is part of a Dwemer piston down there that is doing... something.

As for the whole Miraak thing. IF he was hearing Miraak's voice, as you say why didn't he put him to work? And what was the truth he spoke of?

Where/when/who exactly? Sauce?
It's absolutely new info for me, You're not talking about Martin, eh?

As I said in the previous Thread; If the Theory that the Dwemer were teleported deep underground was True, then this could potentially be the first signs of the Dwemer returning.
Although, I highly doubt this.
But, Anything is Possible.

No, just random people. The silly chats they have to each other that make no sense. One of the random things they say mention about the Dragons returning in Skyrim.
I'll leave it to someone else to quote the exact words, but it's definately something that was said on Oblivion.

Anything is indeed possible. Though how much further underground they could go.... I think, if they are somewhere else and are able to return, it is another place, or plane of Oblivion. I do like the idea and your theory of the Dwemer returning, but i'm still not sure how, if at all, it links to this guys basemant. Which annoys me as it defeats the objective of this thread

Well, they don't know where they're going to pop up if they're like, 200,000m underground...
It was just that poor guys house was the "Pop-Up Point".

I'm not saying this is completely Correct and Legit, and that Theory isn't even mine, but I'm just throwing some Ideas out there.