Lore Reporter # 13: Azura Through the Ages
By Brian S
We are all familiar with Azura, who is without a doubt one of the most familiar yet one of the most enigmatic of the Princes of the Void. The mysterious maiden of the dusk and of the dawn is she, who begrimed the faces of the Chimer long ago. Yet despite this the way she has chosen to display herself for the denizens of the Mundus scuttling beneath her has been in constant motion, and this report shall thusly focus on her many faces.
Much to the lugubriousness of this reporter, accurate ancient representations of Azura are not available. But thanks to the peculiar technomagickal enhancements of modern times, we have “photos” leading back to the late-third era. The latest of these is around the time of the strange events in High Rock, those of the Eternal Champion. This image is what he is said to have seen. I must warn you of the highly scandalous pixilated nipples, for the Tamrielic Decency Act denies all people to look at nipples which happen to be larger than a pinhead. But do also note as you are avoiding those debaucheries, that this Azura bears white hair, and has an overall elderly look. She wears a blue half-dress, a gold collar, and holds a rose.
Our next instance of her appearance is that which seems to also center around a great event in Tamrielic history, that of the fall of Dagoth Ur at the hands of the alleged Nerevarine. This Azuran depiction, which is seen atop her shrine, holds no longer a rose, but the moon and star which are her symbols. Her face seems to reflect that she is somewhat disgruntled or angry, which may not be a surprise to those who understand this Prince’s choleric nature. Also note that this time, Azura seems to comply with the Tamrielic Decency Act (and perhaps this is why she appears so frustrated), being topless, but for the good of the children, bearing no discernable nipples.
Around the same time, when said Nerevarine left The Citadel of Dagoth Ur, and when he/she was present in the city of Mournhold, he/she was visited by Azura. I have found documentation of the “Mournhold Visit.” Here she is dressed fully, and appears as a Dark Elf, gray skin and red eyes. She wears a long, sleeveless blue dress. This form leads this reporter to think the Tamrielic government pressured her even more to conform to decency standards.
And again, during the Oblivion Crisis, she was seen as a statue at her shrine, in the north of the Cyrodiil Province. Due to the invaluable skills of the Champion of Cyrodiil, we have documentation of this. Here she is much again like she was found at the Morrowind shrine. Her appearance is essentially the same, but here her facial expression is more serene and calm. Perhaps she and the Tamrielic Decency Committee came to an agreement. Perhaps still she is giving them the “cold shoulder,” as her back is turned to the Imperial City. I say this is up to you, good reader, to fully judge.
Lore Reporter #12: The God Chart
By Brian S
After the Convention, here the fate of Mundus was decided by the original spirits, or et'Ada, those gods we call the Aedra gave sacrificed themselves and died. But the mortals memories gave new life to these gods. Naturally, as all memories and tales are varied across various people, so are the gods. This chart lays out the basic archetypes and the representatives thereof in each Aedric pantheon. Some gods' spheres overlap, so there are some gray areas. Also note the Dunmer aren't included (for they worship no Aedra) as well as the Argonians (we have no knowledge of their worship. Varieties of Faith in the Empire was a quintessential tool in creating this. Here is a Link to the picture. Hopefully it's helpful in your studies.
Lore Reporter #11: The Serpent
By Brian S
Though it may seem mundane to most, and but an idiosyncrasy of the firmament to a few, the Serpent constellation is likely one of the biggest threats to the inhabitants of Nirn.
First, a review. The sky is full of stars, holes which let the magicka, creatia, essence of Aetherius into the mortal plane. Without them, Nirn would be a rather dead place. These stars are grouped into constellations, wherein they can fully channel their power, giving those born under them special abilities and crippling weaknesses.
Some of these constellations are so called “guardians,” led by so called “Dominion Planets.” These constellations are the Warrior, the Thief, and the Mage, typical mythological archetypes. Since planets are infinite, and also are entities, these constellations are especially powerful. But as guardians, one might wonder what they truly guard against.
There is the matter of the serpent. It is an oddball amongst the constellations, having a much less fixed route. But what is more peculiar is its composition. It is said to be compiled of “unstars.” So what then are these unstars? What is not a star? What is not spewing magic? Something that is mundane, normal, sucking magic then.
Thus, the guardians protect the stars from what is not them: the Serpent. What might happen if the stars weren’t there? The Serpent and Oblivion would overtake. Nirn would become a dark place.
Lore Reporter #10- Cosmological Overview
Br Brian S
The universe of the Elder Scrolls world is vast, esoteric, and sometimes can seem impossibly confusing. But the knowledge thereof is fascinating and can be rather rewarding once digested. Herein I shall try and simplify it as much as possible for the beginner or average reader.
Most importantly, the proper name for the universe, and everything encompassed therein, is the Aurbis. Though varying truths of how the Aurbis came to crystallize differ amongst the various inhabitants of Nirn, it can be generally posited that it was born of the “interplay” between the two original spirits, who take names innumerable for this report.
Within the Aurbis, there are three main “regions,” though that particular word does not suit their nature quite well. It may be best to call them realms, or even sub-universes, as they are not all inter-accessible. These regions are Aetherius, the realm of magic and perfection, Oblivion, the realm of emptiness and possibility, and the Mundus, the “Gray Maybe” which contains Nirn, Tamriel, and all those who live therein.
Aetherius, the realm of magic as aforementioned, is the source of all magic, flowing out from it in streams. These streams are the stars, as will be explained later. It is here that Magnus and his followers (“Magna-Ge”) fled to before creation was solidified. Existence here would be far different for a mortal, but it has been hypothesized, if it is at all possible, they would view a perfection of themselves.
Oblivion, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of Aetherius, almost literally. It is a realm of vast emptiness. It is here, however, that the Daedric lords dwell in their own realms. Realms created, mind you, to exist in the void. For nothing can exist in the plain void that is Oblivion. The daedric realms may be referred to as “Pocket Realms” and often are.
And the middle ground between these two is Mundus, the mortal plane. Though the terms “Mundus,” “Mortal Plane,” and “Nirn” are thrown around quite a bit, they are virtually interchangeable, albeit Nirn typically refers to the body mortals reside upon. Nirn was the plan and child of the Trickster deity, commonly known as Lorkhan. Within the Mortal Plane, there is Nirn, its moons, and the god planets representing the divines.
Thus, this brings me to planets. There are eight planets, each one representing one of the eight divines, and their giving of themselves. “Cosmology” by the Temple Zero Society states that the planets are actually infinite objects, but appear to be spheres because of the inability of mortals to comprehend an infinite mass, much less several of them existing in a seemingly finite space.
Moons are like planets, divinities, and smaller infinite masses within the Mundus. The moons of which the inhabitants of Nirn are most familiar to are named either Jone and Jode, or Masser and Secunda. These moons are supposedly rotting, the leftover “skin” of the trickster Lorkhan, as “Lunar Lorkhan” claims. Though ostensibly having no influence upon the Nirnites, the phases of the moons determine the bred a Khajiit takes when it is born, a force known only as the “ja-Kha’jay.”
The stars are really not stars at all. They are colossal tears in the fabric of reality, the dimensional divide between Mundus and Aetherius. It is through these holes that magic is allowed to pour through unto Nirn. As aforementioned, these were the escape routes of the “Magna-Ge,” the largest hole, the sun, belongs to the great Magnus himself.
Since the stars themselves are magic-spewing, interdimensional bridges, they are naturally very, very powerful. Thus, when grouped together, forming constellations, they become much more powerful. The constellations give those born under them specific powers and abilities. There are 13 constellations. Three of these are "Guardians," and possess a "Dominion Planet." These are aptly to guard against the Serpent, who is made of "unstars."
The space one sees looking up at night isn't really "space" at all. What you are actually gazing upon is Oblivion, in its envelopment of the Mortal Plane. During the day, it is Aetherius you are seeing. As we touched upon earlier, the space Mundus and the planets exist in isn't exactly a normal space either; numerous infinite bodies can exist inside it, as well as orbit! It is said Kynareth created the space for Mundus to exist in.
Lore Reporter #9- Hermaeus Mora
By Brian S
The Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora is known by many names and monikers: The Gardener of Men, The Woodland Man, and Herma Mora among them. One of the most misunderstood, mysterious, and elusive of princes, his name and speculations thereof are thrown about wildly like a paper in the wind. Let this be a compendium, a central hub of all Hermaeus knowledge.
In appearance the prince is most peculiar, the most bizarre of all the princes in their usual form. In most cases, Hermaeus appears as a massive crab-slug, great claws stemming from the top of his amorphous blob of a body. Pustules of some sort pepper the rest of him all the way down his sickening rolls of skin to his tentacles, which spread out like roots from the bottom of his body. But behind his extreme facade he presents himself with a sultry human voice, eager to draw in a mortal tool.
As all princes, Hermaeus possesses a sphere, a core of existence which drives the prince, their very essence, what they are all about and for. Unlike most other princes, Hermaeus’s is not as concrete or tangible, overlapping many abstract concepts. His is of the scrying of fate, the divination of the past and future and reading thereof. Because of his realm and the things contained therein, he is often dubbed as the ‘Prince of Forbidden Knowledge.’ While such is his dominion within Apocrypha, it is not his sphere, a common misconception.
As abovementioned, his realm is known of as Apocrypha. The meaning of that word is exactly what the realm is, a vast collection of illicit facts and tomes, an infinitely immense library where the farthest flung ideas of the Aurbis are contained, conterminous with the Prince. While to a Tamrielic scholar trapped within his mortal prison, Apocrypha may sound utterly grand, the area itself is relatively bleak. It is described of as dark, damp, devoid of life. The ancient, forbidden tomes are jet black in cover, bearing no title. They sit in endless bookshelves, spanning out in all directions. The only inhabitants in the vapid waste are ghosts, who search fruitlessly through the aisles.
With the exception of Malacath, and presumably Meridia, Hermaeus has had a peculiar entry into existence. He bears a special connection with the god of time and the god of knowledge (whom you may know as Akatosh and Julianos, respectively). The Imperial Census of Daedra Lords states outright that he was born of ideas that were not deemed suitable for use in the Mundus, and that his intertwinement with time, and thus the time god itself, is obvious and cosmic. This makes sense, time being a interest of his. So has the prince even stated, “past, present, and future are as one to me."
As with his connection to the god of knowledge, that bit is much more subtle than that with time, besides his penchant for collecting forbidden knowledge. The Altmeri pantheon bears one Xarxes, associated with knowledge and hermetic orders. You likely know, dear reader, of the Oghma Infinium (which if you don’t, no worry, this we’ll delve into later). Yet you may not know of its origins, which lie with Xarxes himself. So said Hermaeus Mora:
I give you this, the Oghma Infinium. Knowledge given by me to Xarxes is recorded within. Read it, and gain knowledge of yourself. Go now. Learn, and remember.
As all Daedra princes, Hermaeus holds a powerful artifact, a tool with which to entice mortals into committing his Mundic wills and serving him in any other possible way. Suitable, for him, this tool is the Oghma Infinium. This is a powerfully wise book, full of ancient, enticing wisdom. It has traded many hands throughout history. One of these was the Eternal Champion of Jagar Tharn’s time, who took it easily in the wastes of Skyrim without any succor the prince at all. The Hero of Daggerfall too has been said to wield it, as did the Champion of Cyrodiil, both having to have done less than charming taks for Hermaeus.
Another interesting tidbit, is that he is associated with the infamous assassin’s guild of Morrowind, the Morag Tong. Though how this is so is not specifically known (relations with the also devious Mephala being the norm of thinking). As Herma-Mora he has done so, and so is he known by the Nords of Skyrim. Many of their tales tell of escaping the fierce wit of old Herma-Mora, the demon of knowledge. They say he once tried to trick the men into becoming the very elves they fought and loathed!
Daedric Prince of Madness Sheogorath, has said the following about Hermaeus:
There once was a Prince named Hermaeus,
Whose voice was a thundering bray, thus
People harkened to his call
Til they discovered that all
He was, was just withershin chaos.
And Hermaeus Mora is a filthy stew
Rotten glyphs and moldering scrolls
Burbling layers of green, red, and blue,
One cup is enough to fill two bowls
There is also an interesting quote associated with one follower of Hermaeus Mora, and one which seems to echo best with him more than any other prince of the Void of Oblivion, and the realms therein. I leave you with this:
"The ultimate purpose of the Daedra Lords is to instruct and improve the generally deplorable character of mortals."
Lore Reporter #8- On Lorkhan
By Brian S
The Trickster deity plays many roles across many cultures, shifting motives and attitudes like tides in a storm. One thing remains constant throughout his dance of mythic ambivalence, and that is his connection with the Mundus and its inhabitants, who have called him by many names over time, enough to confuse a novice. Herein I shall collect, list, and explain the significance of these.
The Trickster deity is noted by not only his association with space versus the time of the Dragon, but his enactment of the Mundus (Mortal Plane) throughout all pantheons and belief systems. Where the controversy lies is his motive and manner of executing it. What can be surmised, is that the Trickster devised the plan for Mundus, and went to seek the help of the other Aurbic deities (for at this time, gods and demons and Aedra and Daedra cannot be adequately distinguished) to carry this out. Whether this was done by treachery, love, or faithfulness cannot be fully told, except in the confusing logic of Aurbic ambivalence, which allows all of these to be true by way of the mad godhead.
The most famous moniker of the Trickster is Lorkhan, for this is the name the elves give him. Nazz before me has noted the irony of calling Lorkhan by his merish name, and Akatosh, the time god, by his mannish. All elves, Altmer, Dunmer, and Bosmer alike call him Lorkhan, but this is not to say they all agree therein.
The Altmer see Lorkhan as a horrible trickster, who severed the connection of the magick of Aetherius from the world, enslaving them, the ancestors of the gods, in the prison of Mundus. Auriel paid a haughty revenge to Lorkhan upon finding out of his treachery, and to it we owe Vvardenfell and Red Mountain today, as their legend dictates. He is treated with utmost malice, and one should be careful to name Lorkhan an Aedra around an Altmer, for the thought of him as an ancestor would surely disgust many of them.
The Dunmer on the other hand, were born of dissonance with the Altmer, of the mass Chimeri exodus from Summerset. Thus is it not surprising their view of Lorkhan is drastically different from that of their ex-brethren. Predictably, to them Lorkhan is viewed with utmost reverence, a magnificent and glorious savior who, unlike the Altmer who see Mundus as an entrapment, created the Mortal Plane with the love of transcendence. They see the world as a stage to be overtaken and this it the gift of Lorkhan. He is represented by a Scarab, as the Dwemer do the same. Coincidentally, said Scarab has eight arms. Here is an excerpt from Vivec’s 36 Sermons regarding Lorkhan:
‘We pledge ourselves to you, the Frame-maker, the Scarab: a world for us to love you in, a cloak of dirt to cherish. Betrayed by your ancestors when you were not even looking. Hoary Magnus and his ventured opinions cannot sway the understated, a trick worthy of the always satisfied. A short season of towers, a rundown absolution, and what is this, what is this but fire under your eyelid?‘
By the Cyrodiils, The Trickster is called Shezzar, the Missing God, the Imperial too treat Shezzar with reverence, and as the father of all men. A relatively new construct, Shezzar was naturally born of his Nordic primogenitor, Shor. Shor too is seen as a savior and loving, and both he and Shezzar peacefully brought together the gods to build and create Mundus, by some accounts fighting and discriminating against the foreign gods of the Altmer.
The Khajiti creation stories are confusing, but keep in mind they use Fadomai to dictate Anu and Ahnurr to dictate Padomay. Thus, their myth conflicts with others, saying Lorkhan was the last born of Anu versus his other. Also interesting is that they claim Namira came into being following the birth of “Lorkhaj.” The creation of Lorkhaj was not favored by Ahnurr, who became outraged. Nonetheless, the Khajit too share the view of “Lorkhaj” as positive.
Sheor, The Bad Man, is the Breton moniker of the trickster. Sheor is seen as a major cause of strife, yet bears a name similar to the Nordic denomination. Thus is he obviously a construct of the Bretons mixed blood, elven and mannish. Beyond that, little is known.
Amongst the Reguards of Hammerfell and Yokuda, the name of the trickster is Sep. Sep is portrayed as a snake or a serpent, created by the Tall Papa Ruptga to deal with souls and spirits. He is pulled into madness, however, and thusly creates the Mundus. Subsequently, Tall Papa punishes the Snake, but he is said to “live on as a void in the stars, a 'non-space' that tries to upset mortal entry into the Far Shores” (the Far Shores being the Yokudan semblance of an afterlife.).
Entering the Fourth Era the Trickster may, and some say obviously shall, play a pivotal role in modern history, having enjoyed absence from contemporary myth since his disappearance. With the mysterious Love Letter from the Fifth Era, the habit of the Rebellious Enantiomorph to revolt, Lorkhan threatens to loom at our doorstep, and to understand and know him could be a weapon in and of itself.
Lore Reporter #7- The Dark Brotherhood
Perhaps through playing Oblivion, you have come upon one of its most interesting factions, the assassin's guild; The Dark Brotherhood. Perhaps though, you haven't discovered fully the origins of the guild, and how it comes to place. Although the guild seems nasty and ruthless, it is ran in a strict fashion. This is governed by the Night Mother; the voice of Sithis, who discovers clients for the Dark Brotherhood by the latter performing a ritual that is known as the Black Sacrament.
Then, when the information is known by the Night Mother, the Listener; or leading member of the faction obtains this information and then gives it to the four speakers, part of a society known as the Black Hand, which is the hierarchy of the faction. What is truly interesting is how all Dark Brotherhood members worship the idea of Sithis, which in their opinion is chaos, discord, disorder and the void itself. It's almost like this is more a zealot cult than anything else, that actually believes they serve a purpose; no matter how evil or despicable. In fact, killing a dark brother or sister is breaking the five tenets (a set of rules imposed by the brotherhood that you must follow as a member, all punishable by the wrath of sithis). The killing of a dark brother or sister will invoke the wrath of sithis; a ghostly figure that will attack the assassin in his/her sleep. This also means, three strikes and you are out, literally; as three times violating the tenets will force you as dismissed from the guild.
This violent cult exists predominantly in Cyrodiil, but has spread its influence into mainland Morrowind, as well as the provinces bordering the Imperial Province. Recent chaos within the dark brotherhood established a new listener, and butchered nearly every member in the brotherhood, but the guild has been somewhat restored...and Cyrodiilic citizens are still most certainly living in fear.
Sources Used: Imperial Library
Lore Reporter #6- Vivec
By Lettuceman44
Vivec, god of the dunmer is one of the three Tribunal. Vivec came to power after the death of the Nerevar and used the Tools of Kagrenac on the Heart of Lorkhan to gain divine power, therefore going against Nerevar's dieing wish. They did many divine acts, but it was also their undoing as they were battling the evil of the heart, they were also getting weaker. Vivec was the last to stand against Dagoth Ur and help keep the ghostfence running after Soltha Sil withdrew. Vivec lives in the Palace of Vivec, in Vivec City which is the largest city in Vvardenfell. His temple is mostly plain with one main room, and the puzzle canal and shrine of courtesy underneath. We have learned from Oblivion that Vivec has gone missing. There have been different ideas that have come up including being killed by the Nerevarine, being taken by the Daedra, or living in obsucurity.
There was also a role play called the Trials of Vivec, where Bethesda Devs and ex-Devs participated in. Vivec is put on trial, but he was able to trick the people and also banish Azura. Full article here.
There is much we don't know about Vivec, and only time will tell to what really happened.