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Behold the mechanical ingenuity of Lord Seht and his Apostle brought to life in cosplay by The Mad Tinkerer and Arania!
Seeing their incredible work first shared via their social channels, we were compelled to reach out to both The Mad Tinkerer and Arania to share more about themselves, their love of Sotha Sil, The Elder Scrolls Online, and their cosplay journey!
Hello, and thank you both for taking the time to chat with us! To get things started, could you tell us about your introduction to The Elder Scrolls Online?
The Mad Tinkerer: Hello! Thank you for having us. My journey goes back to the very beginning, with the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online. I started my journey all the way back in 2014 with the Imperial Edition of ESO!
Arania: As for myself, it was actually Seht who brought me into the world of ESO. I immediately fell in love with the game, and I was even gifted the High Isle Chapter for my birthday.
The Clockwork God himself
You both obviously have a deep love for Sotha Sil and the Clockwork City. What is it about this character that appeals to you?
The Mad Tinkerer: Is it that obvious? Haha. Well, I always was fond of the Dunmer in general as well as the steampunk genre. The Clockwork City DLC showed us Sotha Sil in a light we hadn’t seen him before. His point of view and the philosophical dialogues had a profound impact on me. His background story is very interesting, and, well, he is gorgeous.*
Arania: I completely agree. I, as well, am a big fan of the steampunk aesthetic, so when I first saw the Clockwork City, I fell in love. I was also very impressed by Sotha Sil as a character. His composed appearance, his passion and love to create things. I was also fascinated by his history, but what really hooked me was his dialogue. His words touched me.
Both the Seht and Clockwork Apostle costumes are incredible. Could you tell us about how you went about crafting them?
The Mad Tinkerer: The moment I finished the Clockwork City DLC, I was determined to cosplay Sotha Sil. There wasn’t a plan laid out long in advance. Rather it was all on impulse, but I was determined to finish it!
I decided to start by drawing the pattern of the belt piece and the shoulder plates. Then I replicated them using the primary material for the cosplay. The tricky part was finding the perfect gold tone to create that brass look.
Arania: After lending some assistance with the sewing, I was immediately inspired to create his apostle as well. I love the costume design and it was a great experience to work on all the pieces. First, I approached the armor itself, which was very intimidating for me. However, as soon as I got to work on it, I found myself blazing through the build.
A clockwork couple!
Was there a part of the creation process that was especially challenging?
The Mad Tinkerer: Oh absolutely! I’d definitively say it was his helmet. I never really crafted a helmet before, and I was very concerned that it wouldn’t come together. The greatest challenge was finding the right size and shape for the helmet. My first attempt at developing the adornment didn't go well. It was totally covered in dents, haha. But later, I reshaped the helmet and the final result looked so much better. Then I utilized the ornaments on the helmet to disguise any remaining flaws. In the end, despite some difficulties, I was extremely pleased with the final result.
Arania: For me, it was probably the staff. I had to add LEDs inside the globe and create multiple compartments for which to inconspicuously store batteries in. I needed a material that would allow light to pass through, so I decided to use a plexiglass material. I took the foam I used for making the ornaments and carved out an open space for the light to shine through.
Arania and her staff
You've also shared cosplay for your original Elder Scrolls character, Arcanist Redras Sethran. What is it about the new class that appealed to you?
The Mad Tinkerer: Redras Sethran goes a long time back with me. He’s my character in every game I play and the concept of harnessing forbidden knowledge and transforming it into arcane power was too cool to pass up!
Redras Sethran
It's no secret that the ESO community has a longstanding affair with Sotha Sil. How was their reaction to seeing your cosplay in person?
The Mad Tinkerer: Along with Vivec, he is probably the most popular of the Tribunal, especially with the female audience, haha! Since the first post wearing the Sotha Sil cosplay, I’ve received very nice feedback from the community.
Arania: I’ve also received plenty of compliments about the Clockwork Apostle after posting photos of it online. I’m happy to see how much support the ESO community has shared with me.
Do you have any advice for cosplayers looking to capture the Tinkerer or Elder Scrolls characters in general?
Arania: Just go for it. Don’t be afraid to fail. With each failure, we gain experience. Don’t pressure yourself with the development of a cosplay. Take your time and finish it as you see fit.
The Mad Tinkerer: Exactly, I agree with Arania. It is about the creation process more than the final result. Remember to have fun!
Where can the community find more of your work and get updates? What is next for you both?
Arania: You can find pictures of my work on lnstagram and Twitter (or X). I post a lot of work-in-progress photos, and you will be able to see progress photos of my next outfit: a female version of Vivec!
The Mad Tinkerer: Same here, I am mostly active on lnstagram, Twitter, and Tumblr as well. As for now, I am focusing on the development of the staff, Sunna'rah.
We’d like to thank The Mad Tinkerer and Arania for taking the time to chat with us today. If you’ve created or come across an ESO-themed cosplay that you want to share with the #ESOFam, send it our way via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
*Editor’s Note: Agreed!
