 Religions of Aldmeris (As promised, my thoughts) |
Hrafnkel
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Registration Date: 2006.08.01
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| Religions of Aldmeris (As promised, my thoughts) |
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These are, of course, amendable, but here's the first draft of my
thoughts for Aldmeris' many religions. I took heed of the ones that you
had already partially developed, btw. Suggestions for changes are
welcome. 
Written from the perspective of a scholar who found Aldmeris but
couldn't get back to share his discovery... in the final mod ya'll
could maybe even stick an ingame version of this journal (with any
changes we might make) next to a corpse? 
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Thelindil's Journal/A Treatise on Modern Aldmeri Religion
Entry 1:
Last night a storm blew our ship aground. I've made contact with some
of the natives to this strange land, and I believe it to be the fabled
land of Aldmeris... The other crewmen are dead, I presume, but I've
seen few signs of any of them. Ironic that when I finally found what
I've searched for all this time, I'll have no way back. However, I am
content to carry out my research here, and in the event that any should
happen upon my notes, be they from Tamriel, Yokuda, or any other
un-lost land, perhaps they might learn from them. When I awoke I found
from wandering around the cities of the Cresmer, as this particular
race is called, that they have a peculiar religion. I have also found
that Aldmeris is not even home to the Aldmer anymore, but to several
branches of mer not unlike the branching that Tamriel's Aldmeri
population saw. For these particular notes, I have chosen to focus my
studies on the religions of these groups as I explore the land.
Note: It is assumed in most cases that the mer of Aldmeris believe that
their own continent is the center of the world, for most of them have
little knowledge of worlds outside, and even less interest in
interacting with them. It is also assumed that most or all of the Aedra
are worshipped by these groups, but some moreso than others.
Entry 2: Cresmer Religion
The Cresmer seem to be the dominant cultural group on the continent.
They certainly think themselves to be, at any rate. Their beliefs are
incredibly similar to those of modern Altmer; they believe the Aedra to
be their ancestors and view Lorkhan as a being of terrible deeds who
cost them their immortality. However, they take religious fervor to an
almost unprecedented level, it would seem. Their view of Lorkhan is
practically that of the Tribunal Temple's view of worshipping Mehrunes
Dagon. Their temples are built similarly to those on Summerset that
date back to the Merethic Era, though those are few and largely ruined.
Their chief deity is, of course, Auriel, the Dragon God. The Monomyth
is clearly the basis of their faith, and they hold fast to the notion
that they are descendents of the Gods. They also hold a particular
reverence for Kynareth, who some among them call 'Cynath,' and Julianos
who they revere in all their studies of the world.
Entry 3: Vesmerkaz Religion
The Vesmerkaz appear to be usual allies of the Cresmer, and in fact the
only other race of Aldmeris the Cresmer have much respect for. Their
religion reflects the profit-oriented nature of their politics, and
they consider the greatest of the Ancestors (alongside Auriel, of
course) to be Zenith, known on Tamriel as Zenithar. They also revere
the craterous (and in some regions, volcanic) deadlands in which they
live, despite how hellish they might seem to many outsiders. It would
seem that they are inclined to the arts of geomancy, creating
structures from the earth itself. Their temples are the pinnacle of
this art, made of complex crystalline shapes that their wizard-priests
can only form from the earth where subterranean volcanic or meteoric
(as the foreign fire which brought them to Aldmeris according to their
myths still burns under some of their land) temperature and pressures
are just so. These grand, beautiful structures are reknowned throughout
Aldmeris and are dedicated to Auriel and Zenith, and also to Magnus
himself, who they worship fervently for his gift of magic (and
therefore geomancy).
Entry 4: Ulsmer Religion
I found myself next among the Ulsmer, who admire (but yet dislike) the
Cresmer, and the Cresmeri curiosity with me gained me audience with the
Ulsmer. The architecture of the Ulsmer is similar to that of Ayleids,
and they hold a nearly monotheistic faith centered on Magnus, who is
called Magnura or Magnun among them. In fact, they believe Magnus to be
the truest of the Ancestors, and even that Auriel is beneath him.
However, the most striking aspect of their religion is that they adhere
to incredibly strict ancestor worship (not as much of the Aedra, as of
their merish ancestors). This gives their faith a similarity to the
Psijic Order's 'Old Ways,' One should refer to the religion of the
Psijics to gain a better understanding of this people's faith, as their
xenophobia has prevented me from gaining a first-hand understanding of
their practices. For now I will simply assume that they bear
resemblence to the religion of the Grey-Cloaks.
Entry 5: Drethmer Religion
I moved from the Ulsmeri lands to the refugee covens of the Drethmer,
who tend to live among the Hosmer. However, I could not learn much of
Drethmeri religion, unfortunately. They are hated by the Cresmer and
hunted by them, and it is quite difficult to gain audience with their
priesthood. However, they can be assumed to be ancestor-worshippers,
given the tattoos they bear on their faces to remind them of their
ancestors' hardships.
Entry 6: Hosmer Religion
The Hosmer were the next race I came into contact with, as they are the
protectors of the Drethmer. It would seem they are similar in more than
name to Tamriel's bosmer, in that Y'ffre is an important aspect of
their faith. Their knowledge of mountain survival has given them a firm
belief in nature's laws, and they have the utmost respect for their
lands. However, unlike the Bosmer, they do not seem to see themselves
as the chosen people of Y'ffre (perhaps they are aware of the Bosmer?),
and they have great reverence for Kynareth (who they call K'nret) and
Arkay, as they admire both the Air and the cycle of existence. They
believe these three to be their chief ancestors.
Entry 7: Volsmer Religion
I left the fairly tranquil land of the Hosmer and found myself amongst
a wild, terrible group of mer called Volsmer. The Volsmer religion is
very simple, and thankfully this means I'll have to spend little time
amongst these dangerous people. They neither worship nor acknowledge
the Aedra in any form. However, it would seem that they view Peryite as
a sort of archetype, or perhaps deity (I have been unable to determine
which is more accurate) which they should follow, and this gives their
warrior-culture a very strict sense of order, in which the strongest
warrior is leader and they have very organized rituals regarding their
battles.
Entry 8: Senmer Religion
Next I came to the frigid, abysmal land in which a race called the
Senmer live. The senmer have a simple, monotheistic tribal religion in
which they worship a single, six-armed, three-hearted god named Senayu.
They hold that Senayu is their creator, and I cannot make sense of any
ritualistic aspect of their religion. The only estimation I can make is
that this deity is an aspect of the Aedra Stendarr, or Auriel.
Entry 9: Religion of the Left-Handed Elves
The Left-Handed Elves of Yokuda are hated by all the other races of
Aldmeris, as much for their faith as for their aggression. These mer
(who will be called Yokumer for the remainder of this journal) are
unlike all others in the sense that they worship the Missing God,
Lorkhan. They are known to have built the Orichalc Tower on their old
homeland of Yokuda, and it would appear that they did it not to mimick
the Ur-Tower of Ada-mantia, but to create a sort of counter-balance
with Red-Tower using Ada-Mantia as a fulcrum. This would make Orichalc
a massive monument to the Missing God, who they revere as the God of
the World who has given Aldmeris to them in return for their old
homeland's destruction.
Entry 10:
This is the conclusion of my notes on the religions of the people of
Aldmeris. I hope to continue my studies of this land, but I am unsure
whether I will be able to, as I appear to have contracted a sort of
disease from an unknown source, and this may well be my last entry. If
I live, I shall continue this journal with another topic of discussion,
or try and return to Tamriel that I might share my knowledge that the
Myth-Thought Homeland yet remains.
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Hrafnkel: 2006.08.07 04:21.
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2006.08.07 03:57 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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Very nice, but make changes based n the following statements.
1. All the mer are aware that they decend from the aldmer.
2. The hosmer take refugees, but try to stay out of conflicts.
3.The vesmerkaz, as I have stated before, are not the volcanoe people,
they are centered in the crater from a meteorite, a few of them live in
volcaninc regions, but as their ame says, they are the elves of the
foriegn fire, a meteor.
Very nice still.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.07 04:06 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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I'm with TOYB here, they would have little to no knowledge of these things.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 06:19 |
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Hrafnkel
Count
Registration Date: 2006.08.01
Posts: 861
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If they had no knowledge of the Ur-Tower it stands to reason that
they'd have never built Orichalc. Keep in mind that these elves are
likely similar to the Maormer, in that they'd have been aldmer on
Tamriel at some point before travelling to Yokuda.
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
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2006.08.08 20:21 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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If you can work out a definble history for that, then possibly.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 20:47 |
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TheImperialDragon
Councilor
Registration Date: 2006.06.21
Posts: 6,305
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Is there as many towers as there are races of elves?
__________________
"Where were you when the Dragon Broke?"
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2006.08.08 20:48 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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No there arn't.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 20:54 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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you left out orismer. And there is only one tower for dwemer/chimer,
however racialy paired it may be, it is a coincidence, each race does
not ned a tower, it is done by choice.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 21:01 |
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Hrafnkel
Count
Registration Date: 2006.08.01
Posts: 861
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I pointed out at the end of my post that Orsimer wasn't there, if you'd
care to read the whole thing. I wasn't saying that every race of mer
has a Tower, or that it isn't done by choice, I was simply pointing out
that most races of mer do have one.
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
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2006.08.08 21:03 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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Om not trying to bash any body, just pointing out what lore I can,
sorry I didn't read the end statement. Elsweyr is usinf orismer as a
tower, however I think its irrelevant here. I didn't say I didn't
believe they would know about the towers, I said plain and simple, make
sone history, if they used to be on Tamriel, when did they leave? Who
were they? Not an unreasonable request.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by DarkAsmodeous: 2006.08.08 21:06.
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2006.08.08 21:06 |
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Hrafnkel
Count
Registration Date: 2006.08.01
Posts: 861
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They were aldmer, just like every other mer on Tamriel started out as.
I'd presume they'd have left at a similar time to the other ones
branching off, so let me find the date for that.
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
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2006.08.08 21:08 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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I don't want just a date, I want the player to be able to find out some how, I want lore.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 21:16 |
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Hrafnkel
Count
Registration Date: 2006.08.01
Posts: 861
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I'm working on it. Give me a minute.
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
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2006.08.08 21:19 |
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DarkAsmodeous
King of the Kittens
Registration Date: 2006.05.25
Posts: 5,338
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Cool.
__________________
The soul's condition is learning to fly
Condition grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Toung-tied and twisted, just an Earth-bound misfit, I
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2006.08.08 21:29 |
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Hrafnkel
Count
Registration Date: 2006.08.01
Posts: 861
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Alright, how's this sound.
------------------------------------
A Possible History of the Yokumer:
In the middle Merethic era, history records that many, perhaps all of
the Aldmer left their lost homeland of Aldmeris. This is when the mer
first arrived in Tamriel, and they began their settling. As they
explored this land, they came upon the ancient Adamantine Tower of
Balfiera. Though at the time all of the Aldmer of Tamriel shared a
belief in their ancestry alligning with the Aedra, a time of cultural
fragmentation was on the horizon. During the early days of tension
between the newly seperated Orsimer and Chimer, one group of elves went
so far as to proclaim the most heretical view conceivable to the
Aldmer-- That Lorkhan, deceiver of the Ancestors, was the Great God of
Nirn, and that he had blessed his people with ownership of the land.
Those mer who believed themselves descendents of the Aedra took great
offense at this, as they later would in their conflicts with men, and
persecuted this fragmented group of mer. To escape this persecution,
they made their way into modern Hammerfell. This was before the Rourken
clan ever set foot in the harsh lands where Volendrung would fall, and
the mer-who-would-be-Yokumer lived here for a time, and became quite
capable of surviving in a harsh land. They continued their
Lorkhan-worship. At this point, a High Priest of the pre-Yokumer
proposed an idea. These people knew well of the Towers that existed,
Adamantine and Red Mountain, and they held that Red-Tower was the
greatest testament to Lorkhan's hold on the world, as his heart was
buried there. And so, their leader proposed his plan, as a showing of
Lorkhan's dominance over the Aedra. The pre-Yokumer set sail to the
west, until they reached the land of Yokuda.
The native Yokudans held little more appreciation for the Yokumer and
their religious beliefs than the Aldmer of Tamriel had, but this time,
the Yokumer were prepared for war. The climate and terrain of
Hammerfell had crafted them into a fierce warrior race, as the lands of
Yokuda had done to its own people. The wars between these two races
would continue for millenia until Yokuda's eventual, mysterious
destruction. But in spite of the constant conflict, the Yokumer began
their plan-- The construction of Orichalc, a great monument to Lorkhan.
They intended to craft a sort of magicka lever, using the Ur-Tower as a
fulcrum by which to channel Lorkhan's strength. This gave them an
intimate knowledge of the Earthbones, and a great deal of power.
It is known that the Yokumer were present in some form on Yokuda until
the continent's destruction, but it is not known whether they had any
role in that cataclysm. The Redguard stories tell nothing of what
might've become of these mer after the destruction of Yokuda, but most
of Hammerfell's native citizens hold a common, hopeful opinion (though
its validity is questionable, since ships still travel to the ruined
continent); "The bastards are at the bottom of the ocean with the rest
of the folks who stayed behind."
__________________
Your monkeys dance on the Tower and the stars change and you do not remember.
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2006.08.08 21:30 |
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