Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

[title]Tsaesci Relgion[/title]

Tsaesci Relgion is greatly based on servitude. Not only do they have an array of Divine Beings, they must also bring sacrifices to them.

The basics of Tsaesci religion lie in their very abstract and sometimes confusing creation-myth.
Most Akaviri (Tang Mo, Ka Po, Tsaesci and others) believe in roughly the same structure.
Since it is not relevant to detail the other versions, I will talk solely about Tsaesci myths from this point on.


There is a clearly structured wheel of existence:

• The Fire: "Amenta"
This is the source of all existence. It is not a being or an entity, it can be described as the womb of all that “is”, the base of all “matter”. It shares endlessness with The Shadow.

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• The Ideas: “Maa’at” A very abstract group of things. The base of all “emotion”. It is believed that is is a well of souls. A place were all souls of all beings are born together, then they travel to the fire. Some are stronger than others, and thus they lose less of their power.

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• Gods <-> Might: Tsaesci believe that the first to pass the fire were a group of gods. They existed together in peace until a new one came: Might. A war erupted between Might and the Gods. Some wanted to coexist without any form of hierarchy, Might wanted that there was a structure… how could they impose their will on the lesser spirits they created if they did not know that some are created stronger or weaker? Would they want them to believe the false idea that all are equipotent? The Gods Imprisoned might in the centre of the plane of existence (Nirn), thus proving exactly what he meant. They took over power, and declared him weaker. Many other Gods saw this and joined him. The war stopped. The other Gods created the 5 elements and a prototype civilization. However, Might convinced this civilization to join him and thus the other Gods were forced to destroy them. Infinities later, they created lots of different races, each having a common soul, different than that of another race. Might looked at the race closest to him: The Naga. Due to being imprisoned, his influence could not reach the other races that well, and the Naga seemed to have ideas of dominating other races like Men, whom they lived close with. He convinced a small splinter group with those ideals to join him. They were outnumbered, but had a very structured social pyramid, unlike the regular Naga who had only three layers (Gods - Dragons - Naga). He created 2 new elements: Knowledge and Strength, the basics of the soul, but these were taken by the other Gods and given to their self-proclaimed ruler: the 7-headed dragon. Might eventually convinced all the essential Gods to join him. When this happened, a large group of Gods fled to different regions (the 9), some others chose to stay and resist. The Dark Naga killed all other Naga, enslaved and murdered the Dragons, and killed the 7-headed Dragon. Might then gave the “key” to the elements to his servants (the former clan leaders, turned into Gods themselves). However, in order to stay alive, they must receive sacrifices (as a curse, cast by the 7-headed dragon).
Then the first (?) cycle of existence reached an end. Might fell back into the Shadow, waiting to be reincarnated ever since…

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• The Hierarchs [7 servants of the elements: the 7 “Lords”]:
These are the Gods that accompany might. They were once normal Tsaesci, but were enlightened and turned into the most powerful beings (not counting Might himself) according to the Tsaesci.

They are divided into 2 dimensions:
- Strenght: the material, the impatient.
- Knowledge: the spiritual, the patient.

Strength
Ixc’sekhem: The Malevolent One “The Serpent”
Element: Strength
Aspects: Violence, The 1st month, the Sun
Look:A huge, feathered serpent with a double crown. Very fast moving (+wings).

Ahkenatloc: The Unspoken One “The Swordmaster”
Element: Steel
Aspects: Skill, The 6th month
Look: A warrior with blackened skin, blue cracks and waves of energy, clad in crimson cloth and ceremonious armor. Alsop though to be blind (he covers his eyes).

Aph’hutec: The Merciless One “The Abomination”
Element: Eearth
Aspects: Pain, The 3d month
Look: Living, rusty armor filled with sand, Flaming head, floating above body. Has an Aegis (a terrifying fresco) on his chest piece, said to petrify any mortal looking at it.
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Knowledge
Tlo’eth : The Voice aka. ”The Evil”
Element: Knowledge
Aspects: Judgment, The 7th month, the Moon
Look: A huge, “blind” serpent with a double crown. Very slow moving.

Desh’lkaan: The Relentless “The Temptress”
Element: Fire
Aspects: Love, The 4th month
Look: A beautiful, burning woman with snakes as hair and scantily clad in silk.

Kchaa’atuh: The Coward “The Warlock”
Element: Air
Aspects: Creation, The 2nd month
Look: A normal Tsaesci, with a mouth sewn shut 4 mechanical, steam-powered arms.

Sha’ixcha: The Trickster “The Fallen Princess”
Element: Water
Aspects: Death, The 5th month
Look: Not much is known about her appearance, as she is always clad in shadows and veils.


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• Semi-Immortal Spirits [The Tsaesci, certain ancient spirits]
Tsaesci: "Hew'N'ja"
Ancient Spirits:“Ennead”
Despite their name, they are still subject to decay over time, but have more energy and thus more likeliness of transforming or reincarnating into a being of higher existence.

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• Mortal Spirits [Man, Mer, Beast Folk and nature spirits]
Man: "Rhemet"
Mer: "Nefer"/"Nifir"
Beast Folk: "Meh'chec"
Nature Spirits: "keh'e"
These are mortal creatures with high intelligence, usually limited to one dimension and state of existence.

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• Beasts
"Ench"
Although many are not intelligent, there are some cases where they gather enough spiritual energies to approach the higher levels of existences, turning themselves into "Beast Folk".
Tsaesci believe this is how the Tang Mo evolved.

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• Undead
"Weh'hwet"
They are imprisoned in Space-Time and their own desires .
They can be trapped in the time of their death (a "timegatory" or "khreshw", meaning "coffin"). Certain ghosts are also bound to the object of their desire while living. Some are trapped in the state of eternal hunger.
This is part of the reason why most undead will attack any living creatures within range. The other reason for the more intelligent undead is the jealousy of things they once had but now can never have when they look upon the living.

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• The Shadow: “Sekeht-Hetepet”
This is where everything goes when it is waiting for a reincarnation. The Tsaesci believe there are numerous places where one can enter this shadow world, where all the dead temporarily live as shades. There are some interesting stories about this place, ranging from a priest going down and taking with him his fallen army to slay a mighty dragon, to a love story about a warrior travelling there to save his lover before she will reincarnate.

This looks good. You seemed to have put a lot of thought into this.

I like it all BUT
I have a feeling that this "The Shadow" does not fit right in and why you ask?

Because im guessing this is the copy of sithis in akavir (forgive me if im wrong)
And if so your need to have more debate about exactly who or what this is due to the fact that some people to the extent believe sithis to be mephala's "Wife or Son" but she casted him to the void and thats where he sleeps for an eternity (Harvesting souls of course),

But this is only one theory but if you do include him in akavir he will have to refer to some kind of japanese/chinese immortal reference?
Would he not?

http://www.nativetreesociety.org/myths/j...t_tree.htm

Ok i got a good old quest idea so lets say an island has a great dead tree on it (A hist tree, Don't care about it! its dead after all)
And this dead tree casts a giant shadow on a specific spot on akavir every year BUT this used to be the tsaesci's device to reach this shadowy underworld you spoke about shiver-tail and well the Ka Po have it now,

*Battle Plan* Choices-
If you have joined the tsaesci then your supposed to assault the island,

If you have joined the Ka Po'tun then your supposed to defend the island or infiltrate a tsaesci stronghold without being seen and take the plans or yet again take the instructions on how to use the portal,

If you have joined the Tang Mo then the Monkey King sends you out to aid the Ka Po'tun out of tosh raka's request (Even though the monkey king despises this),

If you have joined the Knifeblossom then you are simply supposed to find out what is happening and maybe aid in a short and quick attack against the tsaesci or Ka po'tun,

If you have joined the imperial legion then you have to do simply the same thing that the knifeblossom does,

If you have joined the kamal tribes (Maybe!) then just find out whats going on.

So thats a quest idea now can people please make more progress reports so we may get some more heat in these forums,
We need new recruits :alert: .


Shiver-Tail please excuse me if im wrong but i noticed your avatar is something i noticed on a WoW website (Specificly the cataclysm new expansion website) it seemed like a balrog avatar at first but just wondered why you got it.

1) The Shadow is Might. I'm sorry for not mentioning that...
He just symbolises all Darkness in the Universe, since he was there from the beginning. (NOTE: Basically, he was the first to come out of Amenta, that's why there was only shadow when the world was created...)
2)As a side not: The things you are reading here is not all that I got. For example, I got those enterances to Sekhet-Hetepet all designed and worked out...
Back to your idea: I like it! But I'd change the Tree by an Obelisk... (Egyptian influences, eh?). I really like the Monkey Emperor sending you and some others out... maybe Tosh Raka would give the Tang Mo support in border protection...
And I don' think the Kamal would want to have anything to do with the enterance to the world where the entity who destroys their lives each year resides...
3) It's an old Diablo III avatar... Gonna change it when I have the time...

Actually in japanese mythology or chinese like i showed in my before link that a tree would be better because it works for "All" not just the tsaesci,
Maybe lets get along and make it a Tree Obelisk? Sound interesting?
It could be a rare version of many.

When a very ancient hist of akaviri past decided it needed power to grow,
It wrapped itself around an obelisk of great power and sucked its living energys out of it but a local dragon who's nature was cruel of intent thought it could take the power for itself and so the dragon and the hist had a great battle splitting the obelisk into two obelisks and the two great powers wounded each other greatly and so were interwined with hate (The dragon's skeleton is seen curled as you could say it around the hist tree with its mouth in the hist's bark "Hump" and the hist tree rooted around its bone like skeleton and the tree's shape is in a defensive position),
After many centuries of various tribes making claim to this island and this idol,
The tsaesci finally found it (And one of there lost brethren) and made claim to it there they found a "Hidden Power" but was impossible to tap by any means so they decided to study it and that means going into the dimension itself (World/Realm whatever it is).

Also this works with the summoning a lost great army to fight with a dragon because before the hist died it cursed the dragon to live an eternity in this dimension (Good idea eh?).

:Edit: Hell! the kamal would want to send out there best warriors to defeat this thing that destroys there lives each year
(No more torment they must think,
Holiday on the tang mo isles for everyone! )
But seriousely they would really want to take this idol if its causing there destruction each year (Or there lands destruction).

Not good... it's awesome...
[TITLE]The Pinnacle[/TITLE]

From the Library of Ahket…

In the Ancient times, during the reign of the Old Kingom, only a few years after the death of the 7-headed Dragon, our people built a great monument: An Obelisk filled with the mummies of the fallen ones and their servants. From the Shadow of eternity then came the souls of our brethren, ablaze in blue flames. They spoke with golden words about the Sekhet-Hetepet and swore an oath to the Gods: If summoned, they would rise again to fight for the glory of Hew’N’Ja. The High Priests then conjured great energies, and turned the Obelisk into a summoning altar.
There it stood, in a far-away land, beyond the longest river, on the highest mountain, casting it’s sacred shadow on the nearby jungles.

The primitive Meh’chec called that forest Bulluxuchuluk, “Cursed Narrows”. Their myths described how the forest was ever growing. It was said to be controlled by a living tree that possessed vast powers.
When the Evil Keh’e in the tree learned of the Obelisks power, it wanted it for itself. The tree unrooted and climbed the mountain, there it pierced the stone pillar with its evil roots. It devoured the corpses of the servants, but when it tried to eat the corpses of the warriors, the corpses arose and attacked it. The Keh’e then used all its power, and broke the column in two. Then, finally overcome by the warriors, it died…

Ages later, during the time of the war between the Dragons and the Hew’N’Ja, a renegade Black Dragon called Khazet stumbled across the tree. The spirits in the Obilisk saw that the Dragon sensed their power, and that in the tree. The tree (animated by the spirits) battled the Dragon who lost and curled its body around the tree in hate.

Infinites later, during the reign of Potentate Itzca’bti, a Lector of the Northern Kingdoms, in Ushab (Current part of Tang Mo territory) the Obelisk and the tree were discovered once more. Near the tree, they found Tlo’Eth in disguise as an old hermit. He told the visitors of the obelisk’s history. One of the Sepat’Sha (compare to Medieval dukes), called Ammenemeti IV found a way to communicate with the spirits. Unfortunatly, the tree was no longer able to summon the warriors as they were already reincarnated, but together with Tlo’Eth they found a way to open a passageway, so that Sepat’sha en Cicen’Sha (Sun-kings) may be brought there. Later, they used this technique to create the mighty Cicen-Pyramids in the deserts of Khemi.

I think that is brilliant,
Now we have a strong quest for the tsaesci region :goodjob: .

Nice Work Shiver-tail!

:Edit: I noticed you said the monkey emperor in one of your previous posts if you do not mind me correcting you but i find this quite stupid,
The tang mo are not a empire but a joining of peoples
(More like a republic)
And im guessing right now they are supposed to have a monkey king (See Below =) ).



Jet li as the monkey king in The Lost Kingdom (Thats what im hoping what the monkey king would look like,
I might even have a try at re-making that face if i get facegen again)
And it would fit right at home in the whole mythology relations and thats always good.

Working on developing Rimmen atm, and came across this while searching for Akaviri relegion -it looks like it needs abit of a redesign, seeing as it doesn't take into account TES Cosmology (such as Aetherius, Oblivion, Mundus, the void, etc, -should atleast be mentioned/referenced with differnt names), creation of the 'worlds' (that all races descend from one of the twelve worlds, most of which were destroyed, the known ones being the Hist and the Ehlnofey) or the 'Monomyth' (which, while being on a seperate continent, still applies, as it's a racial memory from the dawn -an example of this would be the Yokudans, whose core beleifs still were based on the same fundamentals of the other relegions, though obscured by time and culture), or the Tsaesci Creation Myth (which makes it very clear that the basis of their relegion is not founded on servitude, but rather 'eating/absorbing', which makes sense given the other lore we have on the Tsaesci 'eating' the Men of Akavir, and their need for conquest (which would stem from their relegion). Also other things that should be considered, as the Yokudans Relegion (which undoubtably has been affected by the Tsaesci, given they think the world is a giant snake, and their fascination with snakes, and the proximity of Yokuda and Akavir (which should be relatively quite close, given Akaviri raiders have come from the west (making raids on/invading Wayrest), which would imply that Akavir isn't too far spaced from Yokuda (Edit: also, this is actually intended, as shown here in an incharacter interview with Ted Peterson), also the fact that 'Aka' means dragon in Tsaesci/Akaviri, the shortened name of Akatosh, and so on.

Will be doing some development for the Akaviri/Tsaesci Relegion anyway (for Rimmen), so what do you think about allowing a redesign of the version here to coincide too?

As Tsaesci are vampires maybe there could be rituals with blood e.t.c.

Quote:Originally posted by Catlemur
As Tsaesci are vampires maybe there could be rituals with blood e.t.c.

They aren't vampires, they are described as 'vampiric' as a characteristic, given they 'eat'/assimilate others/other races, and most likely have similar physical properties to vampires (such as fangs).