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| Noteable Bethesda books on Skyrim/Nords |
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Bethesda already has many books concering Skyrim and the Nords that I
feel should be transferred to Oblivion if it hasn't already been done.
Here are some of the books:
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Sovngarde, a Reexamination
by Bereditte Jastal
Speculation regarding Sovngarde, the Nordic Hall of Valor
Death. It is something we all face. Or do we?
Just ask the nearest Nord what he thinks of the end of life, and you'll
likely be treated to a horrific story of blood, bone and viscera, of
courageous deeds and heartbreaking sorrow. Carnage notwithstanding,
there may be even more to death than the average Nord warrior realizes.
New evidence suggests a life beyond the battlefield, where a valiant
Nord may live forever, downing mead and engaging in contests of
strength and skill. But in order to fully understand the possibility of
a Nord's eternal life after death, one must first reexamine the legends
surrounding that most wondrous of warrior's retreats -- Sovngarde.
According to the ancient writings and oral traditions of the Nords,
going back as far as the Late Merethic Era, there exists a place so
magnificent, so honored, that the entrance lies hidden from view.
Sovngarde, it is called, built by the god Shor to honor those Nords who
have proven their mettle in war. Within this “Hall of Valor” time as we
know it has no meaning. The concepts of life and death are left on the
doorstep, and those within exist in a sort of self-contained euphoria,
free of pain, suffering and the worst malady a Nord could suffer --
boredom.
But just how well hidden the entrance to Sovngarde is has been a matter
of much scholarly debate, and there are those who believe Shor's great
hall is just a myth, for there are no actual accounts from Nords who
have experienced the wonders of Sovngarde then returned to tell the
tale. Not that this has stopped anyone from looking. Some Nords spend a
lifetime searching for the mysterious hidden entrance to Sovngarde.
Most return home sad and broken, their hearts heavy with failure.
They'll never know the pleasure of a mead flagon that never empties, or
a wrestling tournament without end.
What, some may ask, does the entrance to Sovngarde have to do with
death? Everything, according to a series of ancient parchments recently
discovered in the attic of a deceased Nord's home in Cyrodiil. What at
first seemed to be a series of love letters was later found to be a
correspondence between one Felga Four-Fingers, a medium of some note,
and the ghost of a Nord warrior named Rolf the Large. According to the
parchments, Rolf had spent his entire life searching for the entrance
to Sovngarde, without success. He was returning home to his village of
Skyrim when he was waylaid by a band of giants. Rolf fought bravely,
but was quickly killed, and the giants proceeded to play catch with his
head. Amazingly, all of this was seen by Rolf in ghostly form as he
drifted away from the scene, soaring upwards into the heavens, where he
finally arrived…in the magnificent hall of Sovngarde!
Rolf could not believe his good fortune, and his foolishness for not
having realized the truth so many years before. For death was the
entrance to Sovngarde. So he was told by Shor himself, who greeted Rolf
the Large as a brother, and personally handed him a leg of roast mutton
and the hand of a comely wench. Sovngarde, Shor told him, can be
entered by any Nord who dies valiantly in honorable combat.
It is time for Nords to learn the truth. Eternal life can be theirs,
without the need to spend an entire mortal life in vain pursuit of
something completely unattainable. In the end, all valiant Nords can
enter Sovngarde. Dismemberment, decapitation or evisceration seems a
small price to pay for the chance to spend an eternity in Shor's
wondrous hall.
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Thirsk, a History
by Bereditte Jastal
Chronicles the Nord mead hall of Thirsk, focusing primarily its chieftans
On the eastern bank of Lake Fjalding stands Thirsk, a grand mead hall
that serves as the home and center of operations for a most valiant
clan of Nord warriors.
Approximately one hundred years ago, a small group of Skaal decided to
leave the main village, and free themselves of their brethren's strict
adherence to nature worship. They sought to live life as their
ancestors had in Skyrim -- free to kill what they wanted when they
wanted, free to worship in any manner they chose.
The group braved the harsh weather and traveled south toward Lake
Fjalding, where they found the perfect location for a new settlement.
There they decided to construct a grand mead hall that would serve as
their new home and hunting lodge. After several months of building, the
companions had completed the task, and named the mead hall Thirsk.
The settlers looked upon all they had accomplished, and were truly
proud of their accomplishment. But their happiness was short lived, and
the settlers soon learned that not everyone celebrated the construction
of Thirsk. As the mead hall was being erected, so too was the noise and
commotion of construction disturbing an ancient creature that lie
dormant under the ice. It was a tragic twist of irony, therefore, that
as the last beam of the great hall was nailed in place, the slumbering
beast did finally awaken. His ancient name was the Udyrfrykte, though
the settlers knew him only as death. The Udyrfrykte came to the newly
completed mead hall and wreaked vengeance upon those who had shattered
the peace of his long, cold sleep. He killed without warning, without
mercy, reducing the Thirsk Nords to half their number. It was the
valiant sorcerer Eldrid Ice-Light who finally drove the beast back to
his lair beneath the frozen lake, and used his magicka to seal the
entrance with a great wall of ice. The horror was over, but the price
was great. It took the settlers two months to fix the damage done by
the Udyrfrykte, and with so many strong hands now gone, it was slow and
tedious work.
Finally, Thirsk stood tall and proud once more. But even though the
settlers had worked together to construct the mead hall and drive away
the threat of the Udyrfrykte, tensions quickly grew over who would
serve as their leader. Most of the men considered Hrothmund the Red
their de facto chieftain, as he was the strongest and most capable of
the lot. But one warrior, Drengr Bronze-Helm, disagreed. He thought
himself most capable to rule over Thirsk, and loudly voiced his
opposition to Hrothmund. Knowing that conflict and discord would only
serve to destroy the new life they had worked so hard to create,
Hrothmund the Red exercised his only true option - he swung his great
axe and beheaded Drengr Bronze-Helm where he stood. The Nords
appreciated more than anything a warrior's prowess in battle, and
Drengr's slaying proved to them that Hrothmund was indeed most worthy
to be Thirsk's chieftain. So that the other Nords would never forget he
had proven his right to lead, Hrothmund placed Drengr's head on a
pedestal in the center of Thirsk's main hall, for all to see.
And so began Thirsk's most time-honored tradition. Any warrior,
regardless of race or sex, could claim leadership of the mead hall by
displaying the most impressive battle trophy on the great hall's
pedestal. So long as the spirit of Hrothmund the Red consented, that
warrior would be named chieftain.
Hrothmund's Bane:
For twenty-one years Hrothmund the Red ruled over Thirsk and its
residents as chieftain. With his soft voice and great axe -- which was
said to be the largest weapon of its kind ever wielded by a Nord --
Hrothmund brought peace and prosperity to Thirsk. But peace proved to
be Hrothmund's undoing, for the mighty Nord grew restless in the warmth
and safety of the mead hall. He longed for battle and adventure, to
feel the frost in his veins once more, and could ignore the call of
valor no longer. When word spread of a giant, bloodthirsty white wolf
terrorizing travelers in the Moesring Mountains, Hrothmund took up his
great axe and set out to defeat the beast alone. The men of the
mountains named him Ondjage, the Fell Wolf. The beast measured as large
as an ox, with fur as white as new-fallen snow, and it was said no man
or woman alive could bring Ondjage down. The words of the mountain folk
proved true, for while Hrothmund did hew one leg from the Fell Wolf,
Ondjage devoured the mighty Nord whole, leaving only his great axe as a
grim reminder of man's failure against beast. Filled with sorrow and
rage, the residents of Thirsk marched to the mountains in search of the
wolf, called by them Hrothmund's Bane. Only together did they manage to
slay Ondjage, and as family they feasted on his roasted flesh.
The following is a list of Thirsk's chieftains, since Hrothmund first ruled:
Hrothmund the Red. Nord male. Slew Drengr Bronze-Helm and presented his
head as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for twenty-one years. Slain
and devoured by Ondjage, the Fell Wolf.
Isgeror White-Wave. Nord female. Slew the necromancer Hildir Worm-Heart
and presented his heart as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for four
years.
Einarr. Nord male. Slew the frost giant Guolog and presented his foot as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for six years.
Gisl Round-Gut. Nord male. Slew Einarr and presented his sword as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for two months.
Einarr the Younger. Nord male. Slew Gisl Round-Gut and presented his
stomach as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for seven years.
Grjotgaror. Nord male. Slew the white witch Katla and presented her staff as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for two years.
Amelie Bontecou. Breton female. Slew Grjotgaror and presented his head as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for three years.
Thorormr Storm-Killer. Nord male. Slew the brothers Ani and Ali and
presented their enchanted hammers as battle trophies. Ruled over Thirsk
for sixteen years.
Aegilief. Nord Female. Slew Oddny the Unfaithful and presented her hand as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for eight years.
Caccino Aurelia. Imperial male. Slew the Imperial hero Claudius Anzione
and presented his sword as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for three
weeks. Fraud.
Eldjar Bear-Skinner. Nord male. Slew the Imperial fraud Caccino Aurelia
and presented his tongue as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for five
years.
Falki the Fat. Nord male. Slew a pack of six rabid wolves and presented
their claws as battle trophies. Ruled over Thirsk for three months.
Succumbed to madness and death as a result of rabies.
Svana the Knife. Nord female. Slew Gretta Wolf-Child and presented her
sword as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for four years.
Beinir White-Beard. Nord male. Slew three Orc raiders and presented
their eyes as battle trophies. Ruled over Thirsk for twenty-two years.
Skjoldr Wolf-Runner. Nord male. Slew the wizard Griss the Yellow and
presented his head as a battle trophy. Ruled over Thirsk for three
years thus far, and still chieftain as of the writing of this work.
Expansion:
The Thirsk mead hall is nearly the same today as it was over a hundred
years ago, a testament to the quality of its construction. But while
Thirsk itself did not grow, its inhabitants did, and before long the
grand mead hall could not house all who wished to dwell within. So,
over the years, many Nords have left Thirsk to establish their own
private dwellings out in the wilderness of Solstheim, relying on the
island's many caves and natural shelters. But those who left are always
welcome back at Thirsk, and many return frequently to enjoy the mead
hall's hospitalities. It is also important to note that although over a
hundred years have passed since the group first left the Skaal village,
the Skaal and Thirsk Nords have always remained civil to one another,
and even trade resources on occasion.
Relationship with the Empire:
Throughout the years, the Thirsk Nords and the Empire have entered into
a simple but effective relationship: they leave each other alone and
everyone is happy. Soon after arriving on Solstheim, the Imperials
realized that their authority on the island was limited to Fort
Frostmoth and vicinity. Solstheim was, is, and probably always will be
a savage and frozen wasteland more suited to ancient Nord custom than
conventional Imperial law. As long as the residents of Thirsk leave
Fort Frostmoth in peace, the Imperials at Fort Frostmoth will
reciprocate. In fact, the relationship between the two locations is
fairly civil, and the Thirsk Nords gained considerable favor with the
Empire when they delivered the Breton fugitive Alain Montrose to the
garrison at Forth Frostmoth, after he attempted to hide out in Thirsk.
Law and Order Within Thirsk:
Within the Mead Hall, the Chieftain serves as judge, jury and
executioner if necessary. The reality is that Thirsk has always been a
fairly peaceful place, with camaraderie and goodwill the norm.
Solstheim can be a harsh home, and the Nords of Thirsk have long
realized that fighting each other isn't nearly as productive as
battling the island's bears, wolves, draugrs, Rieklings, and whatever
other fell creatures may roam the land. Still, there is the occasional
disagreement - which more often than naught ends in bloodshed - and
every few years someone gets it into his head to challenge the
chieftain to a blood duel to try to gain possession of Thirsk.
Generally speaking, the Nords of Thirsk are one big, happy
barbarian-like family. And, like any family, they have their squabbles.
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Reflections on Cult Worship
by Cuseius Plecia
Comparisons between the Imperial Cult and the Temple
[from the correspondence of Cuseius Plecia, Imperial trader, writing
from the Vos Tradehouse in Vvardenfell District, Province of Morrowind]
"...I have noted that Heartlanders like myself, and assimilated
Imperial Citizens of other races, tend to impersonal and formal
relationships with their gods and spirits. For us, cults are first and
foremost social and economic organizations. We typically think of the
Eight Divines in the most abstract terms -- as powerful but indifferent
spirits to be propitiated, and do not think of their relationships as
personal. Notable exceptions include minor charismatic sub-cults of
Akatosh and Dibella. The Imperial Cult of Tiber Septim also has a
significant charismatic sub-cult.
With the exception of the Alessian Order, which Heartlanders regard as
a dark age, religious cults have played only minor parts in Heartlander
and Imperial history. The Septim emperors have made it a policy to
limit the influence of cult authorities in aristocratic, military, and
bureaucratic affairs. Cult worship is regarded as a private and
practical matter, and public pronouncements by religious figures are
not welcomed.
Nordic hero-cults provide a strong counter-current to the dominant
secularism of the Empire. The Imperial cult of Tiber Septim is just
such a hero-cult, and among the military, provincial colonists, and
recently assimilated foreigners, the cult is particularly strong and
personal.
The Tribunal Temple in Morrowind, and its predecessor, house ancestor
cults, are, by contrast with Imperial cults, extremely intimate and
personal. In ancestor cults, the worshipper has a direct relationship
with a blood family ancestor spirit, and the Temple cultist's
relationship with the Tribunal is a relationship with a living,
breathing god who walks the earth, speaks in person with priests and
cultists, and whose daily actions are prescribed models for the daily
actions of their followers.
The differences in religious temperament between Heartlanders and
Morrowind Dunmer accounts in large part for consistent political and
social misunderstanding between the two cultures. Heartlanders do not
consider cult affairs as serious matters, where the Dunmer consider
cult affairs, and in particular, ancestral spirit veneration, to be
very serious matters indeed.
Heartlanders are casual and tolerant in religious matters; Dunmer are
passionate and extremely intolerant. Heartlanders do not speak with
their gods, and do not think of their actions as under constant review
and judgement by their gods; the Dunmer feel that all they think and do
is under the ever-watchful eye of the Tribunal and family ancestor
spirits...."
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Nerevar at Red Mountain
by Tribunal Temple
A scholarly description of the events surrounding the Battle at Red Mountain and its aftermath
[The following is from the Apographa, the hidden writings of the
Tribunal Temple. It is a scholarly retelling of a tradition transmitted
through the Ashlanders concerning the battle at Red Mountain and
subsequent events. The Ashlanders associate this tale with the telling
of Alandro Sul, a shield-companion of Nerevar who came to live among
the Ashlanders after the death of Nerevar and during the ascension of
the Tribunal. There are many variant treatments of this story, but the
primary elements are consistent throughout the tradition. The murder of
Nerevar, the tragic fate of Dagoth Ur, and the profane source of the
Tribunal's divine power are denied by Temple doctrine as ignorant
Ashlander superstition, and not widely known among civilized Dunmer.]
Resdayn, present day Morrowind, was contested ground between two very
different types of mer: the Chimer, who worshipped Daedra, and the
Dwemer, who worshipped a profane and secret power. These two people
warred with each other constantly until their lands were invaded by a
young, vibrant, and violent alien culture, the Nords.
Two heroes, one from the Chimer and one from the Dwemer, Indoril
Nerevar and Dumac Dwarf-Orc, made peace between their people and
together ousted the alien invaders. Then these two heroes worked long
and hard to maintain that peace thereafter, though their counselors
thought it could not last or, worse, that it shouldn't. Nerevar's queen
and his generals-- Almalexia, Sotha Sil, Vivec-- told him to claim all
Resdayn for his own. But Nerevar would not listen, for he remembered
his friendship with Dumac. There would be only peace.
Until Dagoth-Ur arrived. House Dagoth had discovered the source of the
profane and secret power of the Dwemer: the legendary Heart of Lorkhan,
which Dumac's people had used to make themselves immortal and beyond
the measure of the gods. In fact, one of the their high priests,
Kagrenac, was building a New God so that the Dwemer could claim Resdayn
for their own.
The Tribunal urged Nerevar again to make war on the Dwarves. Nerevar
was troubled. He went to Dumac, his friend of old, and asked if what
Dagoth-Ur said was true. But Kagrenac and the high priests of the
Dwemer had kept their New God secret from their King, and Dumac said
the Dwemer were innocent of any wrongdoing. Nerevar was troubled again
and made pilgrimage to Holamayan, the sacred temple of Azura, who
confirmed that all that Dagoth-Ur said was indeed true and that the New
God of the Dwemer should be destroyed for the safety of not only
Resdayn, but for the whole world. When Nerevar went back and told his
Tribunal what the goddess had said, his queen and generals felt
themselves proved aright and again counseled him to war. There were
reasons that the Dwemer and Chimer had hated each other forever.
Finally, Nerevar, angered that his friend Dumac would lie to him, went
back to Vvardenfell. This time the Chimer King was arrayed in arms and
armor and had his hosts around him, and he spoke harshly to Dumac
Dwarf-Orc, King of Red Mountain. "You must give up your worship of the
Heart of Lorkhan or I shall forget our friendship and the deeds that
were accomplished in its name!" And Dumac, who still knew nothing of
Kagrenac's New God, but proud and protective as ever of his people,
said, "We shall not relinquish that which has been our way for years
beyond reckoning, just as the Chimer will not relinquish their ties to
the Lords and Ladies of Oblivion. And to come at my door in this way,
arrayed in arms and armor and with your hosts around you, tells me you
have already forgotten our friendship. Stand down, my sweet Nerevar, or
I swear by the fifteen-and-one golden tones I shall kill you and all
your people."
And so the Chimer and Dwemer went to war. The Dwemer were well-defended
by their fortress at Red Mountain, but the bravery and cleverness of
Nerevar's queen and generals drew most of Dumac's armies out into the
field and kept them there, so that Nerevar and Dagoth-Ur could make
their way into the Heart Chamber by secret means. There, Nerevar met
Dumac and the Dwarf King and they both fell from grievous wounds.
Dagoth-Ur slew Kagrenac and took the tools the Dwemer used to tap the
power of the Heart. He went to his dying lord Nerevar and asked him
what to do with these tools. And Nerevar summoned Azura again, and she
showed them how to use the tools to separate the power of the Heart
from the Dwemer people.
And on the fields, the Tribunal and their armies watched as the Dwemer
turned into dust all around them as their stolen immortality was taken
away.
Back in Red Mountain, Nerevar told Dagoth-Ur to protect the tools and
the Heart Chamber until he returned. Dagoth-Ur said, "But shouldn't we
destroy these tools at once, so that they might never be used for evil
again?" But Nerevar was confused by his wounds and his sorrow (for he
still loved Dumac and the Dwemer people) and so went to the fields
outside of Red Mountain to confer with his queen and his generals, who
had foreseen that this war would come and whose counsel he would not
ignore again. "I will ask the Tribunal what we shall do with them, for
they have had wisdom in the past that I had not. Stay here, loyal
Dagoth-Ur, until I return."
Then Nerevar told his queen and generals all that had transpired under
Red Mountain and how the Dwemer had used special tools to turn their
people into immortals and of the wondrous power of the Heart of
Lorkhan. The Tribunal decided that the Chimer should learn how to use
this power so that Nerevar might claim Resdayn and the world for their
people. Nerevar did not expect or want this, so he asked his queen and
generals to help him summon Azura yet again for her guidance. But the
Tribunal had become as greedy as Kagrenac upon hearing of the power of
the Heart and they coveted it. They made ritual as if to summon Azura
as Nerevar wanted but Almalexia used poisoned candles and Sotha Sil
used poisoned robes and Vivec used poisoned invocations. Nerevar was
murdered.
Then Azura came forth anyway and cursed the Tribunal for their foul
deeds. She told them that she would use her powers over dusk and dawn
to make sure Nerevar would come back and make things right again. But
the Tribunal laughed at her and said that soon they would be gods
themselves and that the Chimer people would forget their old ways of
worship. And Azura knew this would be true and that it would take a
long time before her power might bring Nerevar back. "What you have
done here today is foul beyond measure and you will grow to regret it,
for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh
only years to mortals weigh on gods forever." And so that they might
know forever their wicked deeds Azura changed the Chimer into Dunmer,
and their skin turned ashen and their eyes into fire. "Let this mark
remind you of your true selves who, like ghouls, fed on the nobility,
heroism, and trust of their king."
And then the Tribunal went into Red Mountain and met with Dagoth-Ur.
Dagoth-Ur saw what had been done, for his skin had changed as well, and
he tried to avenge the death of Nerevar but to no avail. He was driven
off and thought dead. The Tribunal found the tools he had been guarding
and, through study of Kagrenac's methods, turned themselves into gods.
Thousands of years after their apotheosis, the Tribunal are still the
gods of Morrowind and the old ways of worship are remembered only by a
few. And the murder of Nerevar is known to fewer. But his queen and
generals still fear his return, for the words of Azura linger long and
they see the mark of her curse on their people every day.
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The Battle of Red Mountain, and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal
by Vivec
The story of the Battle of Red Mountain and the Nerevarine Prophecies from Vivec's perspective
The following is a transcript of the words of Lord Vivec, addressed to
a Dissident Priest, Malur Omayn, who confronted Vivec with the
Ashlander traditions surrounding the Battle of Red Mountain and with
prophecies of the Nerevarine, and to unnamed magistrates of the
Inquisition who joined Vivec in interrogating the Dissident Priest.
Who can clearly recall the events of the distant past. But you have
asked me to tell you, in my own words, the events surrounding the
Battle of Red Mountain, the birth of the Tribunal, and the prophecies
of a Nerevar reborn. Here is what I can tell you.
When the Chimer first abandoned the herds and tents of their nomadic
ancestors, and built the first Great Houses, we loved the Daedra, and
worshipped them as gods. But our brethren, the Dwemer, scorned the
Daedra, and mocked our foolish rituals, and preferred instead their
gods of Reason and Logic. So the Chimer and Dwemer were always at
bitter war, until the Nords came and invaded Resdayn. Only then did the
Chimer and Dwemer put away their strife and join together to cast out
the invaders.
Once the Nords were driven out, General Nerevar of the Chimer and
General Dumac of the Dwemer, who had come to love and respect one
another, resolved to make peace between their peoples. In that time I
was but a junior counselor to Nerevar, and Nerevar's queen, Almalexia,
and his other favorite counselor, Sotha Sil, always doubted that such a
peace might long survive, given the bitter disputes between Chimer and
Dwemer, but by negotiation and compromise, Nerevar and Dumac somehow
managed to preserve a fragile peace.
But when Dagoth Ur, Lord of House Dagoth, and trusted as a friend by
both Nerevar and the Dwemer, brought us proof that High Engineer
Kagrenac of the Dwemer had discovered the Heart of Lorkhan, and that he
had learned how to tap its powers, and was building a new god, a
mockery of Chimer faith and a fearsome weapon, we all urged Nerevar to
make war on the Dwarves and to destroy this threat to Chimer beliefs
and security. Nerevar was troubled. He went to Dumac and asked if what
Dagoth Ur said was true. But Kagrenac took great offense, and asked
whom Nerevar thought he was, that he might presume to judge the affairs
of the Dwemer.
Nerevar was further troubled, and made pilgrimage to Holamayan, the
sacred temple of Azura, and Azura confirmed that all that Dagoth Ur
said was indeed true and that the creation of a New God of the Dwemer
should be prevented at all costs. When Nerevar came back and told us
what the goddess had said, we felt our judgements confirmed, and again
counseled him to war, chiding Nerevar for his naïve trust in
friendship, and reminding Nerevar of his duty to protect the faith and
security of the Chimer against the impiety and dangerous ambitious of
the Dwemer.
Then Nerevar went back to Vvardenfell one last time, hoping that
negotiations and compromise might once again preserve the peace. But
this time the friends Nerevar and Dumac quarreled bitterly, and as a
result, the Chimer and Dwemer went to war.
The Dwemer were well-defended by their fortress at Red Mountain, but
Nerevar's cunning drew most of Dumac's armies out into the field and
pinned them there, while Nerevar, Dagoth Ur, and a small group of
companions could make their way into the Heart Chamber by secret means.
There, Nerevar the Chimer King met Dumac the Dwarf King and they both
collapsed from grievous wounds and draining magics. With Dumac fallen,
and threatened by Dagoth Ur and others, Kagrenac turned his tools upon
the Heart, and Nerevar said he saw Kagrenac and all his Dwemer
companions at once disappear from the world. In that instant, Dwemer
everywhere disappeared without a trace. But Kagrenac's tools remained,
and Dagoth Ur seized them, and he carried them to Nerever, saying,
"That fool Kagrenac has destroyed his own people with these things. We
should destroy them, right away, lest they fall into the wrong hands."
But Nerevar was resolved to confer with his queen and his generals, who
had foreseen that this war would come and whose counsel he would not
ignore again. "I will ask the Tribunal what we shall do with them, for
they have had wisdom in the past that I had not. Stay here, loyal
Dagoth Ur, until I return." So Nerevar told Dagoth Ur to protect the
tools and the Heart Chamber until he returned.
Then Nerevar was carried to us where we waited on the slopes of Red
Mountain, and he told us all that had transpired under Red Mountain.
What Nerevar had said was that the Dwemer had used special tools to
turn their people into immortals and that the Heart of Lorkhan held
wondrous powers. [Only later did we hear from others present that
Dagoth Ur had thought the Dwemer destroyed, not made immortal. And no
one knows for sure what really happened there.]
After hearing Nerevar, we gave our counsel as he requested, proposing,
"We should preserve these tools in trust for the welfare of the Chimer
people. And who knows, perhaps the Dwemer are not gone forever, but
merely transported to some distant realm, from which they may some day
return to threaten our security once again. Therefore, we need to keep
these tools, to study them and their principles, so that we may be safe
in future generations."
And though Nerevar voiced his grave misgivings, he was willing to be
ruled by our counsel, under one condition: that we all together should
swear a solemn oath upon Azura that the tools would never be used in
the profane manner that the Dwemer had intended. We all readily agreed,
and swore solemn oaths at Nerevar's dictation.
So then we went with Nerevar back into Red Mountain and met with Dagoth
Ur. Dagoth Ur refused to deliver the tools to us, saying they were
dangerous, and we could not touch them. Dagoth Ur seemed to be
irrational, insisting that only he could be trusted with the tools, and
then we guessed that he had somehow been affected by his handling of
the tools, but now I feel sure that he had privately learned the powers
of the tools, and had in some confused way decided he must have them
for himself. Then Nerevar and our guard resorted to force to secure the
tools. Somehow Dagoth Ur and his retainers escaped, but we gained the
tools, and delivered them to Sotha Sil for study and safe-keeping.
For some years we kept the oaths we swore to Azura with Nerevar, but
during that time, in secret, Sotha Sil must have studied the tools and
divined their mysteries. And at last he came to us with a vision of a
new world of peace, with justice and honor for nobles, and health and
prosperity for the commoners, with the Tribunal as immortal patrons and
guides. And dedicating ourselves to this vision of a better world, we
made a pilgrimage to Red Mountain and transformed ourselves with the
power of Kagrenac's tools.
And no sooner than we had completed our rituals and begun to discover
our new-found powers, the Daedra Lord Azura appeared and cursed us for
our foresworn oaths. By her powers of prophecy, she assured us that her
champion, Nerevar, true to his oath, would return to punish us for our
perfidy, and to make sure such profane knowledge might never again be
used to mock and defy the will of the gods. But Sotha Sil said to her,
"The old gods are cruel and arbitrary, and distant from the hopes and
fears of mer. Your age is past. We are the new gods, born of the flesh,
and wise and caring of the needs of our people. Spare us your threats
and chiding, inconstant spirit. We are bold and fresh, and will not
fear you."
And then, in that moment, all Chimer were changed into Dunmer, and our
skins turned ashen and our eyes into fire. Of course, we only knew at
that time that this had happened to us, but Azura said, "This is not my
act, but your act. You have chosen your fate, and the fate of your
people, and all the Dunmer shall share your fate, from now to the end
of time. You think yourselves gods, but you are blind, and all is
darkness." And Azura left us alone, in darkness, and we were all
afraid, but we put on brave faces, and went forth from Red Mountain to
build the new world of our dreams.
And the new world we shaped was glorious and generous, and the worship
of the Dunmer fervent and grateful. The Dunmer were at first afraid of
their new faces, but Sotha Sil spoke to them, saying that it was not a
curse but a blessing, a sign of their changed natures, and sign of the
special favor they might enjoy as New Mer, no longer barbarians
trembling before ghosts and spirits, but civilized mer, speaking
directly to their immortal friends and patrons, the three faces of the
Tribunal. And we were all inspired by Sotha Sil's speech and vision,
and took heart. And over time, we crafted the customs and institutions
of a just and honorable society, and the land of Resdayn knew millennia
of peace, equity, and prosperity unknown to other savage races.
But beneath Red Mountain, Dagoth Ur had survived. And even as the light
of our bold new world shined ever more brightly, beneath Red Mountain,
the darkness gathered, a darkness that was close kin to the bright
light that Sotha Sil coaxed from the Heart of Lorkhan with the Tools of
Kagrenac. As the darkness grew, we fought it, and crafted walls to
confine it, but we never could destroy it, for the source of the
darkness was the same source as the source of our own divine
inspiration.
And in these latter days of Morrowind, reduced to a subjugated province
of the Western Empire, as the glory of the Temple fades, and the dark
tide rises from Red Mountain, we are reminded of Azura and her promised
champion's return. We have waited, blind, and in darkness, mere
shadows, drained of our ardent vision, in shame of our folly, in fear
of our judgement, and in hope of our deliverance. We do not know if the
outlander claiming to fulfill the prophecies of the Nerevarine is our
old companion Nerevar reborn, or a pawn of the Emperor, or a catspaw of
Azura, or some simple twist of fate. But we insist you adhere to Temple
doctrine, and conform to the strictures dividing the Hierographa from
the Apographa, and that you not speak that which must not be spoken
openly. Act as a dutiful priest should, in accordance with your vows of
obedience to the canons and archcanons, and all will be forgiven. Defy
me, and you will know what it is to stand against a god.
-- Vivec
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The Arcturian Heresy
by The Underking, Ysmir Kingmaker
A brief, undated, early historical document covering the Underking and Tiber Septim
With his god destroyed, Wulfharth finds it hard to keep his form. He
staggers out of Red Mountain to the battlefield beyond. The world has
shaken and all of Morrowind is made of fire. A strong gale picks up,
and blows his ashes back to Skyrim.
Wulfharth adopts and is adopted by the Nords then. Ysmir the Grey Wind,
the Storm of Kyne. But through Lorkhan he lost his national identity.
All he wants the Nords for is to kill the Tribunal. He raises a storm,
sends in his people, and is driven back by Tribunal forces. The Dunmer
are too strong now. Wulfharth goes underground to wait and strengthen
and reform his body anew. Oddly enough, it is Almalexia who disturbs
his rest, summoning the Underking to fight alongside the Tribunal
against Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, the Akaviri demon. Wulfharth disappears
after Ada'Soom is defeated, and does not return for three hundred years.
It is the rumbling of the Greybeards that wake him. Though the Empire
has crumbled, there are rumors that a chosen one will come to restore
it. This new Emperor will defeat the Elves and rule a united Tamriel.
Naturally, Wulfharth thinks he is the figure of prophecy. He goes
directly to High Hrothgar to hear the Greybeards speak. When they do,
Ysmir is blasted to ash again. He is not the chosen one. It is a
warrior youth from High Rock. As the Grey Wind goes to find this boy,
he hears the Greybeards' warning: remember the color of betrayal, King
Wulfharth.
The Western Reach was at war. Cuhlecain, the King of Falkreath in West
Cyrodiil, was in a bad situation. To make any bid at unifying the
Colovian Estates, he needed to secure his northern border, where the
Nords and Reachmen had been fighting for centuries. He allies with
Skyrim at the Battle of Old Hrol'dan. Leading his forces was Hjalti
Early-Beard. Hjalti was from the island kingdom of Alcaire, in High
Rock, and would become Tiber Septim, the First Emperor of Tamriel.
Hjalti was a shrewd tactician, and his small band of Colovian troops
and Nord berserkers broke the Reachman line, forcing them back beyond
the gates of Old Hrol'dan. A siege seemed impossible, as Hjalti could
expect no reinforcements from Falkreath. That night a storm came and
visited Hjalti's camp. It spoke with him in his tent. At dawn, Hjalti
went up to the gates, and the storm followed just above his head.
Arrows could not penetrate the winds around him. He shouted down the
walls of Old Hrol'dan, and his men poured in. After their victory, the
Nords called Hjalti Talos, or Stormcrown.
Cuhlecain, with his new invincible general, unifies West Cyrodiil in
under a year. No one can stand before Hjalti's storms. The Underking
knows that if Hjalti is to become Emperor of Tamriel, he must first
capture the Eastern Heartland. Hjalti uses them both. He needs
Cuhlecain in the Colovian Estates, where foreigners are mistrusted. It
is obvious why he needs Ysmir. They march on the East, the battlemages
surrender before their armies, and they take the Citadel. Before
Cuhlecain can be crowned, Hjalti secretly murders him and his loyalist
contingent. These assassinations are blamed on the enemies of
Cuhlecain, which, for political reasons, are still the Western Reach.
Zurin Arctus, the Grand Battlemage (not the Underking), then crowns
Hjalti as Tiber Septim, new Emperor of All Cyrodiil. After he captures
the Imperil Throne, Septim finds the initial administration of a fully
united Cyrodiil a time-consuming task. He sends the Underking to deal
with Imperial expansion into Skyrim and High Rock. Ysmir, mindful that
it might seem as if Tiber Septim is in two places at once, works behind
the scenes. This period of levelheaded statesmanship and diplomacy,
this sudden silence, heretofore unknown in the roaring tales of
Talosian conquest, are explained away later. (The assassination story
is embroidered -- now it is popularly Talos' own throat that was cut.)
The human kingdoms are conquered, even Hammerfell, whose capture was
figured to be an arduous task. The Underking wants a complete invasion,
a chance to battle their foreign wind spirits himself, but Tiber Septim
refutes him. He has already made a better plan, one that will seem to
legitimize his rule. Cyrodiil supports the losing side of a civil war
and are invited in. Finally, the Empire can turn its eyes onto the
Elves.
The Underking continues to press on Tiber Septim the need to conquer
Morrowind. The Emperor is not sure that it is a wise idea. He has heard
of the Tribunal's power. The Underking wants his vengeance, and reminds
Tiber Septim that he is fated to conquer the Elves, even the Tribunal.
Arctus advises against the move but Septim covets the Ebony in
Morrowind, as he sorely needs a source of capital to rebuild Cyrodiil
after 400 years of war. The Underking tells him that, with the Tribunal
dead, Septim might steal the Tribunal's power and use it against the
High Elves (certainly the oldest enemies of Lorkhan, predating even the
Tribunal). Summerset Isle is the farthest thing from Tiber Septim's
mind. Even then, he was planning to send Zurin Arctus to the King of
Alinor to make peace. The Ebony need wins out in the end. The Empire
invades Morrowind, and the Tribunal give up. When certain conditions of
the Armistice include not only a policy of noninterference with the
Tribunal, but also, in the Underking's eyes, a validation of their
religious beliefs, Ysmir is furious. He abandons the Empire completely.
This was the betrayal the Greybeards spoke of. Or so he thinks.
Without the Underking's power, all ideas of conquering Tamriel vanish.
Would've been nice, Septim thinks, but let's just worry about Cyrodiil
and the human nations. Already there is a rebellion in Hammerfell.
Pieces of Numidium trickle in, though. Tiber Septim, always fascinated
by the Dwarves, has Zurin Arctus research this grand artifact. In doing
so, Arctus stumbles upon some of the stories of the war at Red
Mountain. He discovers the reason the Numidium was made and some of
it's potential. Most importantly, he learns the Underking's place in
the War. But Zurin Arctus was working from incomplete plans. He thinks
it is the heart of Lorkhan's body that is needed to power the Numidium.
While Zurin Arctus is raving about his discovery, the prophecy finally
becomes clear to Tiber Septim. This Numidium is what he needs to
conquer the world. It is his destiny to have it. He contacts the
Underking and says he was right all along. They should kill the
Tribunal, and they need to get together and make a plan. While the
Underking was away he realized the true danger of Dagoth-Ur. Something
must to be done. But he needs an army, and his old one is available
again. The trap is set.
The Underking arrives and is ambushed by Imperial guards. As he takes
them on, Zurin Arctus uses a soulgem on him. With his last breath, the
Underking's Heart roars a hole through the Battlemage's chest. In the
end, everyone is dead, the Underking has reverted back to ash, and
Tiber Septim strolls in to take the soulgem. When the Elder Council
arrives, he tells them about the second attempt on his life, this time
by his trusted battle mage, Zurin Arctus, who was attempting a coup. He
has the dead guards celebrated as heroes, even the one who was blasted
to ash... He warns Cyrodiil about the dangers within, but says he has a
solution to the dangers without. The Mantella.
The Numidium, while not the god Tiber Septim and the Dwemer hoped for
(the Underking was not exactly Lorkhan, after all), it does the job.
After its work on Summerset Isle a new threat appears -- a rotting
undead wizard who controls the skies. He blows the Numidium apart. But
it pounds him into the ground with its last flailings, leaving only a
black splotch. The Mantella falls into the sea, seemingly forever.
Meanwhile, Tiber Septim crowns himself the First Emperor of Tamriel. He
lives until he is 108, the richest man in history. All aspects of his
early reign are rewritten. Still, there are conflicting reports of what
really happened, and this is why there is such confusion over such
questions as: Why does Alcaire claim to be the birthplace of Talos,
while other sources say he came from Atmora? Why does Tiber Septim seem
to be a different person after his first roaring conquests? Why does
Tiber Septim betray his battlemage? Is the Mantella the heart of the
battlemage or is it the heart of Tiber Septim?
Tiber Septim is succeeded by his grandson, Pelagius I. Pelagius is just
not of the same caliber. In truth, he's a little nervous with all these
provinces. Then an advisor shows up.
“I was friends with your grandfather,” the Underking says, “He sent me to help you run the Empire."
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I'm sure there are more but you get the point. Share any that you may know of that I haven't posted.
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by VinlandViking: 02.12.2008 23:04.
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