Archivist's Note:
Alavani Arano, Clockwork Apostle and Archivox scholar of Tamrielic literary curiosities, encountered the following adaptation while reviewing the work of the Factotum designated the Clockwork Archivist, whose assignment to catalogue significant examples of Tamrielic dramatic literature resulted in an unexpected encounter with Crassius Curio's celebrated play, The Lusty Argonian Maid.

The machine had classified the scene as a domestic sanitation scenario involving an employer, an employee, and an improperly maintained weapon. It had further concluded that the dialogue contained an unusual quantity of redundant phrasing for what appeared to be a straightforward exchange concerning household duties.

I confess to some irritation that the Clockwork Archivist's considerable analytical faculties appear to have deserted it at precisely the point where a mortal audience might find the scene most entertaining. Its report proceeds with admirable mechanical precision, yet somehow arrives at conclusions that would astonish even the most decorous of readers. I have refrained from correcting its findings. There is, after all, a certain scholarly value in observing how a mind entirely untroubled by innuendo might attempt to catalogue the works of Crassius Curio.

ACT IV, SCENE III, CONTINUED

Lifts-Her-Tail: Negative, respected male individual. My present objective is limited to the removal of dust and other unwanted particulate matter from your private chambers.

Crantius Colto: Is the removal of dust your sole intended purpose, diminutive employee? From my chambers specifically?

Lifts-Her-Tail: I cannot determine the implied secondary meaning of your inquiry, master. My biological classification is Argonian, and my occupational designation is maid.

Crantius Colto: Affirmative, my small spherical confection. Your lower limbs exhibit considerable structural strength, and your posterior appendage possesses pleasing curvature.

Lifts-Her-Tail: Your unsolicited assessment of my anatomical characteristics is producing an elevated level of social discomfort, sir.

Crantius Colto: You may disregard this discomfort. Current environmental conditions indicate that you are in no immediate danger in my presence.

Lifts-Her-Tail: I must resume my assigned sanitation duties, sir. Failure to complete them may result in severe disciplinary consequences administered by the female proprietor of this residence.

Crantius Colto: Sanitation duties, you say? I have identified an implement requiring immediate attention. Please undertake the necessary procedures to improve its surface finish.

Lifts-Her-Tail: An objection: the implement in question exceeds my initial expectations regarding its dimensions. Completion of the requested maintenance procedure may require an entire nocturnal cycle.

Crantius Colto: Time availability is sufficient, my agreeable associate. Time availability is exceptionally sufficient.

END OF ACT IV, SCENE III

Something that's commonly discussed in the Elder Scrolls series is how the games downscale the size of the world spaces for gameplay purposes. A common example of this is both modern cities as well as Dwemer ruins, for example.

In lore Whiterun alone would probably be larger than all hold capitals in game combined, and blackreach should be the size of a small country in itself.

Now, I have wondered what the actual size of larger Nordic ruins would be. Some examples might be Labyrinthian, Saarthal, Forelhost, and Skuldafn.

Many nordic ruins are just tombs, so it stands to reason that they are a practical size, relatively speaking. But a few of them are former cities. Now I wonder what the lore accurate size of these cities would be, given the time they were constructed. If we want to draw real-life parallels, I would like to point out the Roman settlement of Carnuntum, near nowadays Vienna, Austria, and If I remember correctly, that settlement used to be much much larger and densly populated compared to how the area is populated today. By that measure, I would argue that ancient times isn't a direct link to population size or urbanization.

I imagine Saarthal or Labyrinthian ought to be vast megacities relative to their time period. Probably close to the larger cities in modern-day Skyrim. Smaller fortified settlements like Forelhost were probably the size cities like Markath, as they are depicted in game.

The only thing I can't wrap my head around is Skuldafn.

It's a Necropolis with an immense size, even in game, and it's built for dragons, with a portal to Sovngarde. I feel like it should be the pinnacle of development, architecture and craftsmanship for ancient nords. Something like the great pyramids are in our time.

What are your thoughts on this?

To start this off, I understand that dov can't be killed except by other dov or dovahkiin. If dov were consuming their brethren's souls right and left since the dawn age, how would a dovah be able to be resurrected if another dovah already came and absorbed their power? Given how many dragon burial mounds in game and expanding by 10-20x since Skyrim is a scaled down version of the actual size, there had to have been a hell of a lot of dov if there are so few left and there were dovahkiin throughout recorded history consuming their souls.

If the dovahkiin dies after consuming hundreds of dragon souls, is he functionally immortal like a dovah is, or would the souls be released back into the world to be rejoined with the bones of the dov since the dovahkiin is a man and therefore not immortal as a dovah is?

The thu'um used to be relatively common farther back in nordic history before jurgen did his thing and made it all about worship but before that nord armies would enlist tongues in their armies rather than siege weapons since they could just shout down enemies walls which leads me to the question of how did opposing armies deal with this? were nords smaller in number or were mages just much more commonplace in armies back then for the same reason

Let's say ther are those things that are not directly caused by daedric lords' meddling, but bad things could happen when something goes bad. Who do you blamed? Are they ultimately part of the daily struggles of aedra vs daedra (light vs dark)? Perhaps disfavour from gods due to unpious acts or that their instutes are defiled or tenets disobeyed? Would theologians claim that human shortcomings, environment, historical background or flaw in a system equally can be blamed (but then what causes these)?

What is evil and how it works in a metaphysical and magickal sense?

In ESO’s new high seas event we use the Xirkn-Zel mechanism to dive down to the Abecean sea floor, which is translated in the book on the ship as “city under dark water”.

We already know the root word “irkn” to generally refer to darkness from the words “irkng” (to darken) and “irkng” (to cloud), and “Zel” to mean city (assumingely referring to an under(ground) city, with distinction from the word “Fell” which also means city).

So would this new development be a new word entirely “Xirkn” to mean in some form “dark water”, or a new prefix “X-“ to alter a word to pertaining to water in some way?

I am not a linguist in any way so I may be missing the mark entirely

Edit: fixed spoiler for those who haven’t played through the new event

Enclosed, I have included the original paper, as well as the initial research note produced by one of our apprentice wizards, by the name of Sarvyn Drathis. The initial paper is nonsensical. It posits explanations for unseen phenomena, yet it seems to explain them in a unified manner.

The discovery of this so called treatise has been by pure chance. Two centuries prior, my apprentice uncovered the writing among other research notes and papers. It was the only such note which failed to attribute any author. He translated the portions he was able to and sent the paper and his notes through the proper channels to arrive at my personal desk.

The notes by apprentice Drathis have been included, errors and all, so that you might reduce this confounding puzzle into some answers. Of note, in Drathis commentary, is the lack of mention of the shifting runes located on the initial paper itself. Translation of the body of the text was simple enough, yet the runes located at the bottom of this single page have evaded even my understanding.

The runes appear slanted. The reading of which makes them seem to shift. New runes appear, before disappearing again, never to return. And no logical translation can be offered to explain their presence in the work. It is the singular reason for consideration of the ideas contained within.

I have applied the claims made within the paper to our understanding of the Dwemer. And the results have been shocking, to say the least. The implications of this theory are far reaching and potentially world ending. The enclosed package should appear ordinary, so as to not draw suspicion. My hope is that the scribes in Vivec city will be able to compile the necessary sources and return the contents of the delivery, post haste.

-Baladas Demnevanni 4E 5

Drathis' notes
https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/s/pGL4Wuufn6

Unknown Author's notes

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/s/heukWYBTp7

As you all know, Tamriel is full of oversized rodents. For reasons unknown, the skeevers of Skyrim take on a different form than their southern cousins. The presence of thick fur, is the first an-THE EYE OF MAGNUS HAS SEEN THE SEER. THE SHROUDED HAS BEEN UNSEALED. BAR DAU PROTECTS THE WHOLE OF THE AURBIS. ITS FUNCTION HAS BEEN LOST TO UNDERSTANDING. ONLY IN THE DISTANT MISTS OF ARTAEUM HAS THE TRUTH BEEN SEEN. 437,000 YEARS PAST THE WORLD EATERS DEPARTURE. THE AURBIC CRYSTAL SHATTERS. THE UNTIME FLOW IS ADA-MANTIA. THE BACKWARDS SEER'S LOVE-this is most strange, as the rats of Cyrodiil seem to swarm in the presence of enough of their kin. It has also been noted that this behavior is seldom seen beyond the Imperial City sewers. The results of my observations have been inconclusive, however, and I will need to endure another expedition into the stinking sewers.

Mallius Caro Synod researcher, 4E 87

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/s/urEmeHZwK7

(Note: This text, written in 4E 2, became very popular among the people of the Empire despite its deeply anti intellectual and unfair arguments and biases. The Mages Guild rereleases this text in 4E 5 with notes from a trusted member, Magician Andrean Silvanus, which will expose the faulty arguments of the author. While this text is foolish, it is of great historical importance as an example of the rhetoric that has led to the (no doubt soon to be a thing of the past) distrust towards mages and conjurors after the tragic events of the Oblivion Crisis.)

Curse the demons (Note: demons is a foolish and unprofessional term for Daedra, showing the lack of academic knowledge the author possesses) who ransacked our homes, killed our families, broke our Empire! Despise the hated cultists who trafficked with these beings, who were the authors of our suffering, who summoned them into our realm to wreak havoc! (Note: The Mythic Dawn is not thought to have summoned Daedra in the traditional sense, rather having opened portals to the Deadlands directly through rituals unknown to the Guild.) These things are the cries of every man, woman and child who lost family, friends, land in the Oblivion Crisis! These things are the truth our souls scream to us in our grief. Now, we yearn to crusade against the enemy, tear down their shrines, make their worshippers taste the pain we have tasted.

And yet there are those among us that disagree. They defend the monstrous Daedra (Note: Daedra are not typically classified as monsters) and their summoners, and continue to practice this devilish magic even in the very walls of the Imperial City!

They say that the Daedra are not evil, that they are forces of nature that cannot be blamed for their actions. (Note: Do you blame Kynareth when a ship sinks in a storm? Do you blame Akatosh when food expires and you are starving? Then do not blame Dagon for BEING Destruction, or Molag Bal for BEING Domination. You may find that you would miss these things more than you guess were they to disappear.) Worthless words! The Daedra have minds and free will, they may choose to kill or spare a man as any mortal does. Indeed, their immortality means they have much less to risk from mercy than us children of Stendarr! And yet, they choose to kill and burn, for no purpose but amusement! (Note: Logical fallacy) The Daedra despise us feeble ones, and take pleasure in our despair. Is that not evil? If it is not, what use in the morality granted to us by the Divines at all?

Even now, as you read this, listen closely. Can you hear them? In your local guild halls, worshippers (Note: Mages Guild members who interact with Daedra under safe and controlled conditions with the Daedra bound by Conjuration magic are not Daedra worshippers) of these foul creatures are making deals with them, using their weapons and magics, even summoning them to this plane!

They say they have them under their control. They say that it is safe. (Note: Despite what ridiculous accounts such as A Tragedy In Black may have you believe, incidents of daedric summoning going wrong are exceedingly rare, unless the summoner deliberately provokes their summon. We trust in the competence of our guild mages not to do something so reckless.)

But the ruins of Kvatch, the City, and our honoured clans tell otherwise.

The mages laugh, in their arrogance. Protected by their demonic masters, they think themselves safe from our justice.

But one day soon, their dark service will be exposed. And our crusade shall find a new enemy. (Note: Call to violence exposes the barbaric and bigoted mentality of the author.)

4E 201 Note written by Urag gro-Shub of the College of Winterhold: This text is one of the few remaining examples of the ill fated (and hilarious) attempts of the Mages Guild to save their reputation prior to the demise of the organisation in 4E 26. The Guild distributed this version of the text themselves, hoping to expose it as foolish. They did not. In fact, this only worsened matters for the Guild and made the text all the more popular among the common people. The Guild hastily recalled all copies of the noted version, demoted Andrean Silvanus to Evoker, and attempted to pretend the whole embarassing affair had never happened. Despite this, several other texts were noted in the same way in the coming years.

The Mages Guild truly did not realise the desperate position they were in after the magical disaster of the Oblivion Crisis until it was far too late. It is lamentable, as the Guild, for all its arrogance and unfair restrictions, was a great force for magickal learning across the Empire, and the institution had a long and respectable history prior to its inglorious and unceremonious closure.

The anonymous author of the original text is thought to be a Nord, who had lost several family members in the Oblivion Crisis and wanted vengeance. There are theories among academics that he was even a founding member of the Vigilants of Stendarr later in life. I attempted to confirm this with the Vigilants in their hall in Skyrim, but unlike Silvanus predicted, the distrust magic and magic users face has not disappeared, especially in Skyrim, and so I was sadly unable to confirm anything.

For all its farcical nature, this text’s history does demonstrate the long running and heated story of one of the most common debates among citizens, priests, mages and mortals of all stripes in Tamriel: Are the Daedra evil? Even on the morning I began to write this note, I heard two apprentices locked in argument on the subject.

As for my own thoughts on the matter? The Daedra are perhaps not evil. They may kill and burn for no reason but their own natures. They may also be evil. They may ransack and murder for their amusement.

There is but one certain thing. Daedra are very, very dangerous. And in a way, that is the essence of evil, is it not?

Sometimes there is something of an obscure little factoid put into one of the Elder Scrolls texts that isn't mentioned again. Often it was Michael Kirkbride being MK. Yet, sometimes it is still pretty cool to imagine. Such as this, IMO...

The breath and the voice are the vital essence of a Nord. When they defeat great enemies they take their tongues as trophies. These are woven into ropes and can hold speech like an enchantment.

Children of the Sky

Now, this source is actually one of my favorite of all Elder Scroll lore pieces. For all Skyrim itself didn't do much with the stuff there (another piece I really like is the last paragraph, with the elemental Nords carrying wind with them), still like to consider it. Also trying to eventually manage an ES story where it might be relevant, but not the point.

Just wanted to discuss this point. Now, taking grisly war trophies is common and often doesn't really need a reason. In a world with magic though, you can really attach some cool symbolism or powers to certain trophies.

So, what are some magical/supernatural/Thu'um related reasons you can come up with that might explain a supposed propensity of Nords/Tongues stealing enemy tongues?

Personally, I really like the dig into the idea of the connection of the Voice to Breath to Vital Essence. Basically, delving into what Thu'um usage requires and does to a soul when they aren't Dragonborn just stealing dragon souls. One has to be able to do more than speak a word of the dragon language. They need to infuse it with vital essence (their soul), which in turn requires taking that word-concept and truly internalize it till it affects your own soul. The breath is this connection point, alluding to the Nord creation myth that Kyne breathed life into them on the Throat of the World. This is a dialogue I've written of someone providing a lesson...

“The breath is at the center of one’s life. A proper Nord should know this. We inherited our breath from Kyne’s own, given to us by her at Snow-Throat when she formed us and reawakened by her from Stone-Perch with stolen dragon-words when we were lost and asleep after the War of the Gods. Thus, the breath is the most natural way for a Nord to access our vital essence. Our own divine inheritance. We have life because we breathe, and thus it is our vital essence. Tapping into their vital essence is a necessity for anyone hoping to be a true warrior. One can do it many ways, stumbling and fumbling with blind eyes till they feel it, but through the breath is the old way. The proper way for Nords.”
“The Atmorans once took the tongues of their greatest foes because of this connection. Many put weight on the heart, but a stab to the liver or a slice along the inner thigh will kill one as easily as to the heart. Skulls are for the macabre. The tongue, when combined with breath, is what allows one to speak. To steal one’s breath is to steal their ability to act, and happens naturally when you steal their life. To take the tongue though is to take from them their words, and the power of their words.”
...important ya know da connection between one’s Breath, Tongue, and Voice. Tis a chain, and it all begins with da breath,”

Thus, if one accepted this sort of innate connection (Vital Essence <> Breath > Tongue > Voice), stealing the tongue firstly stops one's ability to form words. Which would no doubt have special significance to Tongues. Wizards too. It also potentially opens up possibilities of hijacking the use of other words. With Tongues properly training their Vital Essence and Breath, I like idea of by blowing their Breath on the stolen Tongue they can effectively continue the chain and manifest the dead enemies Voice. Which when not a Tongue, still offers other valuable 'words'. Disguising one's voice, being able to 'replay' previously said words, maybe even repeat specific spell incantations.

It also raises the possibility though that one can go back on the Chain. After all, drawing air in is also part of a 'Breath' - Or there is an intrinsic connection between Tongue=Words=Spirit. Basically, for whichever you believe more viable, a stolen tongue would serve as a catalyst connected with the fallen enemy's soul. Which offers certain necromantic possibilities. Draugr are a thing, after all. I believe there is a lore piece of someone 'hiding among' draugr (Tongue draugr obviously another thing) and claiming they can speak, but I also just think a potential method of raising and binding draugr through stealing tongues would be interesting. Whether willingly offering your tongue to dragons out of loyalty, or stolen once killed. We do have a Shout like Soul Tear, which drains enemy life, soul trap them, and revivies them as zombies. I feel like an alternative using such a catalyst might work. Summoning defeated enemies through a such catalyst could be possible with another Shout, and be a powerful tool. There is also the chance that stealing the Tongue and using this connection might allow you to hinder any afterlife or whatnot.

Basically, upon my musing, here are some of the potential uses of stolen tongues or tongue ropes by ancient Nords/Tongues.

• A Tongue blowing their own supernatural Breath on the tongue would allow recreate aspects of the person's voice (lower or uppercase). Speak in their voice, 'interrogate' them posthumously by making the tongue repeat previous words, even potentially critical spell incantations in magics.
• Potentially involved in necromancy, the making of draugr. Or binding their spirits (plenty of ghosts seemingly bound to crypts in Skyrim).
• Also possibly as a catalyst to mess with the afterlife. Which might have been particularly useful against the dunmer, when they warred. Might have allowed interference the dunmer ancestor worship and summoning of ancestors.

Any of you have any alternate ideas? Want to debunk mine? Just want to wax on the philosophical underpinnings of the Thu'um from your headcanon? Open to plenty below. Thx for reading.

Might try to rewrite a proper in-universe apocrypha piece of someone discussing this if it seems of interest to some.

Kodlak Whitemane tells us that the magic of the Witches of Glenmoril is in their heads, and that it's the source of their power.

"That's what I've spent my twilight years trying to find out. And now I've found the answer. The witches' magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won't give it willingly, but we can extract their foul powers by force. I want you to seek them out. Go to their coven in the wilderness. Strike them down as a true warrior of the wild. And bring me their heads. The seat of their abilities. From there, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity."

So, I guess my main question is: "What the hell is he talking about?"

Is there precedent for this or is it just some nonsense that he said?

Never really though about it much until recently completing the questline.

Thanks.

I see Vivec's 21st Sermon gives a clear definition to Ehlnofey while calling them Biters.

'They are the lent bones of the Aedra, the Eight gift-limbs to SITHISIT, the wet earth of the new star our home. Outside them is the Aurbis, and not within. Like most things inexplicable, it is a circle. Circles are confused serpents, striking and striking and never given leave to bite. The Aedra would have you believe different, but they were givers before liars. Lies have turned them into biters. Their teeth are the proselytizers; to convert is to place oneself in the mouth of falsehood; even to propitiate is to be swallowed.'

It also talks about Godhead or Lorkhanic version of it perhaps:

Outside them is the Aurbis, and not within. Like most things inexplicable, it is a circle. Circles are confused serpents, striking and striking and never given leave to bite. 

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:36_Lessons_of_Vivec,_Sermon_21

This word also was used in 14th Sermon to different set of beings imitating Vivec's act of biting. He also refers to Ehlnofey here I guess while he refers to path of bones.

So Vivec, who had a grain of Ayem's mercy, set about to teach Molag Bal in the ways of belly-magic. They took their spears out and compared them. Vivec bit new words onto the King of Rape's so that it might give more than ruin to the uninitiated. This has since become a forbidden ritual, though people still practice it in secret.

Here is why: The Velothi and demons and monsters that were watching all took out their own spears. There was much biting and the earth became wet. And this was the last laugh of Molag Bal:

'Watch as the earth shall crack, heavy with so much power, that should have been forever unalike!'

Then that stretch of badlands that had been the site of the marriage fragmented and threw fire. And a race that is no more but that was terrible at the time to behold came forth. Born of the biters, that is all they did, and they ran amok across the lands of Veloth and even to the shores of Red Mountain.

But Vivec made of his spear a more terrible thing, from a secret he had bitten off from the King of Rape. And so he sent Molag Bal tumbling into the crack of the biters and swore forever that he would not deem the King beautiful ever again.

Vivec wept as he slew all those around him with his terrible new spear. He named it MUATRA, which is Milk Taker, and even the Chimeri mystics knew his fury. Anyone struck by Vivec at this time turned barren and withered into bone shapes. The path of bones became a sentence for the stars to read, and the heavens have never known children since. Vivec hunted down the biters one by one, and all their progeny, and he killed them all by means of the Nine Apertures, and the wise still hide theirs from Muatra.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:36_Lessons_of_Vivec,_Sermon_14

I see here it is more about engraving something onto reality, giving it shapes and sentences for stars (or perhaps a metaphor for the destiny) to act accordingly, but I may be wrong.

And there is Nu-Hatta of the Sphinxmoth Inquiry Tree, which confused me most.

Dagoth Ur: "Sharmat. Dream-sleeved inversion, where the Biters live, he brought them here, pawn of the Aggregate."

So I believe "dream-sleeved inversion" is a mental state of solipsism or Anti-CHIM, where Biters live.

But I think there is something where I did not quite understand. Why would Sharmat bring Biters down on Nirn or reality, or is it Red Mountain referred in here by Dagoth Ur and its habitants, Sixth House members, instead of Voryn Dagoth? Also which Biters are that? What is the difference between Ehlnofey, imitators and the Biters referred in Nu-Hatta?

poorly worded but i’m not really sure how else to summarize, plus this might be the wrong sub so sorry if that’s the case

i’m roleplaying a character in my newest Skyrim
playthrough. she’s an old Altmer woman, Priestess of Auriel/Akatosh. going for the Heavy Armor Caster playthrough here with a bit of one-handed, so using a ton of Restoration and just swords

whenever i think of a “paladin” sword, my mind instantly shoots to Meridia and her Dawnbreaker. the Daedra are bad and evil though, right? she shuns the undead and in my mind that makes her holy and morally good, good enough for a Paladin. but how would that work if the Paladin was an Altmer? especially one who’s solely devoted to Auriel/Akatosh. the Altmer abhor the Daedra but of course there’s always gonna be the few that differ from the mold. would this be an instance of “gotta be a bit bad to do a lot of good”?

sorry for the ramble, i’m not super versed on TES lore and am trying to get more into the roleplay side of things so i was hoping you guys would help! thanks <3

Looking for a deity whos main thing is undying loyalty, closest I've been able to find is Mara or Trinimac, if anyone has one in mind lmk

References to angels seem really odd to me since the concept just doesn’t really seem to fit in the elder scrolls so what on earth could this possibly be mentioning? I’m also kinda wondering about the term demon too but I get that that seems mostly to be a catch all for Daedra/bad spirits.

All revolutions are built on hope. That's all there's to it.

We know that Uriel Septim VII and all his legitimate sons were assassinated at the beginning of Oblivion, and that his illegitimate son Martin sacrificed himself at the end of the game. But could Uriel have had any siblings, cousins, grandchildren, or perhaps other illegitimate children who survived into the Fourth Era? If so, could their descendants theoretically take back control of the Empire?

Bonus question: Could Saint Alessia or Reman Cyrodiil have heirs alive today as well?

We know that the lands of the Reach have changed hands numerous times throughout history, at times falling under the rule of the Direnni Hegemony and at others becoming part of the domains of Nordic kings. Yet, at first glance, Skyrim appears to hold no obvious traces of Direnni heritage in this region.

The Direnni were powerful mages who laid the foundations of Breton society, its aristocratic houses, and its traditions. One might expect them to have left their mark not only on High Rock, but also on the lands of the Reachmen.

Recently, I came across Harmugstahl, the “tower” of an Altmer mage named Kornalus. He lives in seclusion, far from civilization, conducting some rather curious experiments on spiders. His laboratory lies north of Karthwasten, off the beaten path. But the most interesting detail is the mage’s surname. Judging by the name on his key, Kornalus’s surname is Frey.

There is only one other known character in Skyrim who bears this surname: Mercer Frey, one of the main antagonists of the Thieves Guild questline. Unlike Kornalus, he is a Breton. Gal’s Journal also reveals that Mercer comes from a wealthy Breton family.

At first glance, the two have nothing in common beyond their surname. One is a formidable adversary whose actions drive an entire questline, while the other is a reclusive warlock living in an obscure hideaway. It would be easy to dismiss this as a coincidence, but let us consider another possibility.

To begin with, let us recall how the influential Breton houses came into being. The Direnni elevated local elites who remained loyal to them and arranged marriages with them, binding these families together through a network of political obligations. Such relationships became one of the foundations of High Rock’s feudal system. Over time, some members of the Direnni themselves became Bretons, bearing the surname of the great Altmer clan and being regarded as full-fledged members of it.

The Direnni, however, were only one of several Altmer clans that made up the vast Hegemony. It is entirely plausible that they had their own vassal clans, which adopted their methods of governance, and that cadet branches of the family emerged over the centuries. Given the origins of the Reachmen and the history of the Reach, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Direnni employed similar mechanisms of power in this region as well.

This brings me to my hypothesis: the Freys may have been an ancient Altmer house connected to the Direnni, either a cadet branch of the clan itself or a vassal house that lived under its patronage.

But what about Mercer? There are several possibilities. He may have descended from a Breton branch of House Frey, one that traced its lineage back to Nedic nobility incorporated into the Direnni system through political marriages or the granting of a particular status. Alternatively, his ancestors may have been dependents who adopted the surname of their former masters. Neither theory, however, is supported by any known sources.

If this hypothesis is correct, Kornalus Frey may belong to an Altmer branch of the family that survived in the Reach. Perhaps he is the last known representative of this land’s ancient heritage.

The Last Direnni of the Reach.

I find this theory particularly compelling when viewed in the context of the Reach’s own history. The region has changed hands repeatedly, enduring wars, rebellions, and the rise and fall of ruling dynasties. Under such circumstances, traces of earlier eras could easily have survived in the most unexpected places - even in the surname of a solitary mage who made his home in an abandoned tower.

What do you think? Could the surname Frey genuinely point to a connection with Direnni heritage, or are we looking at nothing more than a coincidence of names?

Transcribed by Adept Quelanye

I put these words to paper in the vain hope that they will outlive me, even if by only a matter of weeks.

It began with Calcelmo's damned excavation, of course. Ten years of digging through rubble and cataloguing dwarven trinkets to stroke his own ego, and he finally found the far side of Nchuand-Zel. "Such a moment must be recorded," he declared, and as his nephew was no longer available to write his notes for him (gods rest his soul), he petitioned Jarl Igmund for my presence at the moment of the final breakthrough.

There was a man on the other side.

Not really a man, or at least, not any longer. The shape of a man, certainly, but... I confess, I still have no ability to describe what I witnessed in a way that will truly convey it. A man-shaped hollow in the air, radiating colors that weren't there, its presence needling into my mind like

It doesn't matter. The not-man vanished, and a great rumbling shook the cavern (which we had missed entirely, so fixated were we on the abomination); in the one decision the old fool ever made that I respected, he ordered a full retreat back through the ruins. Nchuand-zel collapsed behind us as we ascended, three of his workers crushed by rubble.

Three days later, Understone Keep began to collapse into the void.

Jarl Igmund ordered a total evacuation of the city. I would have demanded to stay had I not seen my own father Raerek fall beyond the horizon of that foul nothingness, only for it to begin encroaching upon the stone yet faster.

We'd scarce begun loading the citizens into the scant few carts at the stables before the screams within the walls redoubled in number, echoed by a ghastly chorus that I still hear even now, ringing out across the mountains. Things that bore the shapes of men began to mount the walls of the city - lesser abominations than the not-man, for I could look upon them without feeling as though I was staring at the point of a needle about to enter my eye, but no less discomforting to see in motion.

To my shame, I confess: panic overtook me, and I mounted the first horse I could reach, urging it north. Abandoning the people I was oathsworn to serve, out of fear for my own life.

I rode for Solitude as though every Prince of Oblivion pursued me, though now I fear that would be a kindness by comparison. Nobody else followed, then or in the days since. I fear I am the last survivor of the Reach.

Three days ago, scouts sent southward reported the sight of the shades overrunning Robber's Gorge, dragging them back to the south and west. The void was not yet visible then, still obscured by the mountains between here and the city I once called home.

Today, the river beneath Dragon's Bridge runs dry, its source devoured by that great nothing. The snowcaps glow a sickly green, reflecting the uncanny unlight from the void that now matches them in height. As I write, looking southwest from the Solitude gates, one more peak has been eroded enough that it collapses in, and vanishes with nary a sound to mark its absence.

I mean to send this text to the College of Winterhold. With luck, their Archmage will be able to forward it to the Psijic Order, if the tales of the Year of Dragons are to be believed. Perhaps fabled Artaeum, in its home outside of Nirn, will be spared from this abyss.

I pray for at least that small hope.

Alrich Last Steward of the Mournful Throne

A common interpretation of Nerevar getting his feet cut off is that it’s symbolic of a lack of a set destiny. While I wouldn’t be surprised if this was part of the intention, I think it might also be something of a reference to the fact that the reincarnated Nerevar can be any race, and two out of the ten available races have feet distinctive enough that they cant wear most shoes. In the same way that cutting off his genitals and face can be a metaphor for the Nerevars ability to be any sex, and the cutting off of the face is also likely a reference to their ability to be any race, cutting off their feet is a metaphor for their ability to reincarnate as a member of the beast races.

Not sure if anyone has thought of this yet, as I haven't been able to find anyone talking about it.

I have a humorous curiosity of how the gods of the Nords would react to a mer of all things interested in worshipping them. This then extends to the other races. I imagine men races are easier to imagine by Nords and their gods, mer as quite anachronistic, then the scroll and tomes are thrown out when it comes to a beast race praying to them.

Oblivionic Crystalization of Liminal Barriers: Telvanni Research Assistant Sarvyn Drathis.

Notes On Aetherius and Oblivion interplay mechanisms as outlined in the https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/s/gzIaww1cC8

3E 234

The need to explain Aetherius light propagation has been a solved issue for some time. The mystery is not in how it arrives. You yourself have stated it clearly. Meridia. Her position between Aetherius and Oblivion safeguards the spectra through her use of liminal bridges. Surely the transversal across Oblivion could not occur any other way. The question is how she is able to stabilize the passages for the long ages of kalpic time flow. Oblivionic energy doesn't crystalize because of Aurbic contact with Oblivionic turbulence, but it does in direct contact with Aetherial light. This causes eddy currents in Oblivionic energy, which erodes the passage ways, and prevents these barriers from maintaining cohesion for any period of time worth consideration. This is where crystalization would occur, within the crystal lattice model, and allow for longer maintenance of lightflow passageways. If this were true, any explorer in Meridia's realms ought to find portals through which this aetherial light flows. And accompanied by white soul gems of enormous size. Their resonance would guide the light by absorbing it and redirecting it.

These predictions have proved difficult to examine, as few have ever seen Meridia's realm. And fewer still have been able to demonstrate a link between such resonant crystals and light flow. Furthermore, the hyperagonal passage would need to be guided by a tower regulator system. This might be the mechanism which gives rise to time flow directionality. As the tower outputs energy from Aetherius, it disperses it across each of the informing towers, guiding the very nature of existence from its light to its soul energy and placements. This means that, to some extent, the position and movement of our soul case flows from the Anuic boundary directly through Meridia's realm. This counters any notion of a freed will, guiding each soul. To the Aetheric frame, it has already occurred. It is as if our very lives are a play, and we are unwitting actors. Meridia has no consideration for free will.

This deepens the quandary of Meridia's role. Her obsession with cleansing undead can directly be attributed to her connection to the Aetheric soul light she guides into Aurbic frames. If this were inverted resonance, it would result in unlife. It would regulate itself in a reverse direction. This could even cause pain to Meridia, if such a thing could occur. So, it would seem, her hatred is justified. These conjectures must remain as such. The lack of sources used in my singular source is maddening. Hopefully someone can make sense of this framework, and answer some of these mysteries.

It just seems like a wild thing to put in the world’s backstory “just because”. Like, here’s a 1,000+ year gap in the timeline where time itself didn’t work, and nobody knows what (if anything) happened during that period. Why would Bethesda’s writing team add that, you think? Do they intend to do something with it, either by having a game or other piece of media take place then, or by having a plotline in some later game dedicated to uncovering what happened during the period? Was it all just to retcon something or give them a fallback to explain weird time shit that comes up later?

It’s such a crazy thing to introduce as part of the lore but not really use for anything, at least not yet I guess.