Rootworm Lore Drafts

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Here are some very rough early drafts of my thinking on the rootworms in what will eventually take the form of lore books. These are very factual and will need to be made a little more appealing and readable but they are nonetheless early drafts.

I thought that the best way to bring these into any of the quests would be to have them connected with the Khanaten Flu and the Khanaten Liberation Army. However, I didn't want to name this faction the Khanaten Liberation Army for reasons that will become clear later.

My main inspiration for writing this was the fact that many of the rootworms that you come across in BM will be dead. This therefore raises the question: Who is slaughtering all the rootworms?

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ROOT RITUAL AND BHURU (temporary name for Argonian voodoo) MAGIC –

edited by Lormyr SorrowHaven

- This text might be available for a price in any BM bookstore.

The rootworm is a sacred creature and is both celebrated and feared amongst the root peoples. Its meaning in legend is ambiguous and normally prefigures a large-scale shift in the lives of the people of the root in the same way that it can be the cause of major landmass disruption owing to its huge size.

The most convincing rumour surrounding them is that these massive creatures are controlled by the Hist and there is a great deal of evidence drawn from traveller’s accounts to suggest this. Indeed, the Argonians are happy to admit to this connection. However, it is said that the connection runs far deeper and that the fate of the rootworms is somehow intertwined with that of the Hist themselves.

This theory would appear to be backed up by Argonian mythology, in which the rootworms symbolise renewal and they will often reappear in iconic form after, rather than before, a major event in a legend. However, it has come to the author’s attention that, amongst some of the more suspicious and isolationist jungle tribes, the rootworms also feature in legends in which the present is reunited with a forgotten past. Although such lore is rarely, if at all, recorded in written form, rumours persist of oral tales passed down through generations that tell of an advanced mysticism. Of these, the ‘river-sunk child’ is the most common, in which a child, lost many years hence to its parents (often by drowning in one of the many floods), returns to wreak vengeance upon some enemy of the Marshes with a tremendous force and finality that carries the weight and conviction of the Hist themselves.

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BESTIAL BESTIARY (A Study of some of the fauna of the Black Marshes)

translated from the root-tongue by ‘Makes-Eyes-Brighter’

- This text is a more rare publication than the one above and might only become available upon completion of certain quests.

What is quintessential to the existence of this gargantuan creature is that it gnaws away at many of the Hist roots. This defining action has a number of highly complex consequences which are both positive and negative to both rootworm and Hist.

Though damaging the physical form of the Hist, the gnawing of their roots nonetheless modifies their spiritual composition and makes them stronger in the same way that the clipping of leaves on some plants revives their virility. It is unclear whether this action is actually directed by the Hist themselves or whether they simply tolerate it. In both senses however, the rootworms act as natural gardeners but, in myth, they are often cast as the guardians of the Hist.

Argonians believe that the soil of the Black Marshes swallow up that which dies. Thereby, through the decomposition of the body, the Hist acquire knowledge of all that has lived. And although that which is absorbed through these ‘offerings’ are historical and no longer have any bearing upon the present, they nonetheless give extra power to the Hist. Indeed, this is but one way in which their reputation for wisdom and timeless potency is founded.

Nonetheless, the Hist possess a voracious appetite for the fast-moving, living world of men which remains forever undiminished. They therefore court the attentions of the rootworms in the same way that the rootworms themselves crave the extraordinary taste of Hist sap and root. Some sources claim the relationship between the two to be stronger even than that of the Argonians themselves as, at least for the rootworms, it is more like a helpless addiction than any habit, ritual or bond.

Needless to say that it is the rootworms who are responsible for the rapid assimilation of knowledge from the world of men. What they devour of the land they pass on to the Hist. Yet what they devour of the Hist cannot be assimilated into the ground. This might help to explain the inevitably mortal consequences of rootworm and Hist interaction, since the matter that is absorbed by the rootworms is believed to be very hazardous to their overall health and will, over time and with gradual poisoning, kill them. The natural deaths of rootworms are always caused by this in the same way that a bee will sting in defence of its Queen, an act which will thenceforth lead to its demise.

It has become a case of common knowledge amongst some tribes that the body of a dead rootworm will contain many of the precious resources that a rootworm has absorbed…and yet this is problematised by the corruption of their bodies through their interaction with the Hist’s extra-dimensional corpus. In other words, the bodies of dead rootworms are both very rich and verdant in that which is seen (and used) as magical resources whilst also being very toxic and hazardous; something that is a natural consequence of their deathly state. Clearly, these resources serve to expand the lifespan of the body and this will explain why rootworms take so very, very long to fully decompose so long as the extra-dimensional matter of the Hist remains in its belly.

To this extent, mushrooms have been known to grow in the belly of these beasts and fauna often nestle in flesh that is kept warm by the heat of the land. Though extremely hazardous to most races, it is claimed that the Argonian Shamans know of ways by which one might dwell within the belly of these beasts more successfully without coming to harm. Such knowledge remains sacrosanct and is discovered only in the highest reaches of Argonian society.

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At the moment, I have considered two reasons why a particular group might want to hunt and slaughter the rootworms.

1. To arrest the spiritual development of the Hist and thereby give the other races the upper hand in the constant struggle for dominance between the Hist and the conventional Gods. In other words, to prevent the Hist from gathering the knowledge from the world of men by means of absorbing matter given to them by the rootworms.
   In which case, a group opposed to the Hist might be responsible. This might place the anti-Argonian group that live in the Tenmar Wall cave under suspicion or it may even involve the travelling Southlanders from beyond the Morrowind mountains to the north. And this is to name just two possibilities...
   
   
2. To provide a portal into a forgotten past that might lead the Hist races towards gaining another level of evolutionary excellence (such a thing, perhaps referred to as an 'apotheosis', might preface the arrival of the new Sarpa breed). There might be problems with this if the whole process takes place too soon though. If it does, then the resultant breed may seek greater independence, attacking the Hist races and spurning the Hist by refusing its sap. This might well have happened with one or more of the earlier Sarpa breeds.
   In which case, an unnamed tribe of Argonians (whom we later find out to be the Khanaten Liberation Army) might well be responsible. They might even seek to lead the PC towards believing the explanation given above. In this way, they can use a trusted adventurer to repel any groups that might exploit the situation described above whereby the Hist are absorbing far less knowledge and are therefore more vulnerable to attack.
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[Deeza]

Aha! Now I see your cunning plan to tempt me back into activity with fantastic new monkeylore....

Seriously, though, this stuff is awesome. I don't know if you've ever read Dune by Frank Herbert, but these things remind me very much of the giant sandworms from that book - they have a semi-mystical connection to the weird ecology of the place as well. There's so much room for speculation these ideas open up... I'm just throwing ideas about here, but maybe some of the mages could have a theory that the rootworms are actually part of the Hist in some way (like a different stage in their life cycle, or maybe even a different gender).

Love the name Bhuru, by the way. Sounds perfect for the Argonian magic. The Bestiary looks like it could be one of the lost books made by Brendan the Persistant (he was a really famous explorer who traveled a lot in Black Marsh, "went native" and then disappeared in mysterious circustances, maybe he found out too much?)

Just one minor thing, the rootworms in the lore are much smaller than the ones we've made, and everyone seems to know how to ride in them. Just to satisfy the lore freaks, you might want to work into your books that the smaller ones are the larval forms of the rootworm, and that people can only ride inside them, not steer them to where they want to go. Steering and giving commands to the massive adult forms would of course be a secret only known to Argonians!

Anyway, I must not let myself get distracted. I'm sure we'll discuss this a lot when I get back.

See ya!

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Yes, I can be a pretty devious bastard .

I loved 'Dune' when I read it as a kid and the idea played on my mind a little when I was working through the ideas but only in the corner of my eye, if you know what I mean. I like the idea of them being part of the Hist in some way but perhaps in some lower incarnation.

That's a useful point about Brendan the Persistent as well, although I sort of fell in love with the name 'Makes-Eyes-Brighter'....although I guess he could be the sort of shamanic mage that you describe.

And thanks for the point about larvae....perhaps we can make some very small water-dwelling creatures that match the description. As regards being able to command them, Koniption is presently working on a guide that can be paid (or otherwise influenced) to command the beasts (see this recent post: Rootworm Tunnels tileset ).

[Ibsen's Ghost]

I've drafted up a first attempt at the 'River-Sunk Child' myth that I mentioned above. It's a strange story put in the form of a poem and designed to be sung and maybe used as part of a shamanic ritual to call upon the rootworms to work to correct some major wrong that has happened in life.

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THE RIVER-SUNK CHILD

A Shamanic folk tale - unattributed (with a preface and footnotes by Fargoth Ciringil

- This text might appear as part of a book of Argonian poetry or in a compendium of Shamanic rituals and lore.

Preface -
This particular poem is alleged to be more than the type of simple folk tale that the root people are commonly fond of. Although many of the practices of Argonian shaman remain unwritten, (and even when they are, they appear in the rarest of squid inks in an obscure text upon pages fashioned from Hist-wood) some of the more accessible chants transfer themselves fairly well to the page.

On this occasion, we can observe a simple charm that nonetheless potentially carries some huge consequences.

As is noted by Lormyr Sorrowhaven in his book, 'Root Ritual and Bhuru Magic', the tale of the River-Sunk Child refers to some act of altering time and circumstance. It is unclear whether the 'child' is to be taken literally or whether it represents an unfulfilled act, especially one that is felt to be morally correct. However, it is assumed that the people, by means of the shaman, call upon the rootworms to act in response to this wrong.

What's it gurgle? What's it say?
Up from the riverbed where it lay?
Its opalescent eyes preserve
the bloated centipede; its many links
bear testament t'what each deserve
and the many lies from't swamp-sludge drinks
Unknowing, the axe of returning day
reflects past light to sweep the now away.

What's it gurgle? What's it say?
Up from the riverbed where it lay?
The skin paled o'er and mossy sheen
Unlived life passed o'er; defiled.
Hissy-wist and rootworm scream
catches the sun in foolish smile
shifting, moving, water and earth
bringing to light a fell rebirth.

What's it gurgle? What's it say?
Up from the riverbed where it lay?
Sunstone shifts to correct the time.
Centipede's burden lifted in blood.
Sentence passed along the line.
Time corrected; knot in wood.
Cross the swamps, a baby's cry.
Sweet white vengeance; imposters die.

What's it gurgle? What's it say?
Up from the riverbed where it lay?

Footnote -
It should be noted that the speaking of this poem is an act that lies not with the shaman him/herself but with the attendant masses. It is alleged to fuel the force of the shamanic chanting and the act of communing with the rootworm that the shaman is responsible for.

During the ritual, the shaman takes on the aspect of a rootworm and dances in a bold, fluid, slithering motion. The shaman is then said to slaughter a centipede as sacrifice and this, I assume, represents the guilty party that has acted against or killed the 'child'. As is usual in Argonian iconography, the centipede represents a family line with each segment representing a generation. Its 'bloated' status represents the level of culpability along this line and the responsibility for the consequences the 'death' has caused.

Interestingly, within such folk tales the sun is often cast in the role of 'foolish or deceitful enemy' as it is here and this is something that can, at times, be referred to in writings upon the legendary Shadowscale Order.

The symbol of the sunstone represents a barely noticeable dimensional shift (attributed to the powers of the Hist) that has caused the wrong to be righted and for the incarnation of a vengeful 'child' to be reborn, if only momentarily.
It is said that the Hist carry the scars upon the 'healing' of time in this way within their knots....and yet the poem ends on tragic note, mourning the loss of 'the correct order of things' even as the wrong is righted. This fits with typical Argonian attitudes.

[Koniption]

Hehehe, I'm digging the creative lore you're coming up with. It all sounds really neat, and you're tying it in real well with resources we currently have (centipede, rootworm models, etc).

Keep it up! (When you have time, of course)

Koniption

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Thanks!

We have to be resourceful, methinks. :yes:

[llamaranger]

All sounds really cool. From a quest point of view i prefer the idea that a non-Argonian group are trying to damage the root worms, possibly an militant radical group of Dunmer who have stronger than usual convictions that beast races are inferior and thus should be entirely destroyed, perhaps seeking mass genocide through magical means.

Regarding rootworms themselves you might want to bring some real world Nordic lore about the World Snake (i think thats what its called) that froms a ring round the universe and eats its own tail? This might help solidify the lore from a laymans perspective as it has parallels with more common "real world" folk tales.

All lookin' good

Edd

[Ibsen's Ghost]

I guess what could happen is for this Dunmer group to be something that the Liberation Army hadn't counted on. They would then have to beg for your help in dealing with the renewed threat and you could end up playing a kind of peacemaker between the warring factions.....just a thought...