Post by ThreeDawg on Dec 10, 2012 14:19:49 GMT -5
Secrets of the Foreign Lands.
Introduction:
In this book, titled the Secrets of the Foreign Lands, I will attempt to inform you of the history, culture, geography and climate of each of Nirn's landmasses excluding Tamriel (which has been attempted in a different book, titled Provinces of the Old Empire).
Solstheim:
Solstheim itself is a part of the Cyrodiilic Empire, specifically under the jurisdiction of the Nords of Skyrim. However the Nords passed the ownership of this island to the Great Houses of Morrowind to serve as refuge after the devastating disaster of the Red Year. In the past this island was once at the forefront of Atmoran expansion into Tamriel. Atmorans and their descendants, the Nords, have been present on this island since their arrival on Tamriel, and the island is even the location of the final climactic battle between Atmoran and Falmer, the native Mer of Skyrim. However the native Nords of Solstheim are unlike those native to Skyrim. The Skaal live a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the icy tundra of Solstheim, their hunters being of high importance in their social hierarchy, only second to their magic-using 'Shaman' caste who protect the village from harmful magic as well as keep their tribe's history alive and their collective spiritual well-being.
The culture of the 'Skaal', the native Nords of Solstheim, is an insight into what the Atmorans believed before they were influenced by the Mer of Tamriel. Skaal believe in the 'All Maker', a deity that is everything to the Skaal. Whereas the Divines of Tamriel and the gods of Mer, Khajiit and Redguard are part of a pantheon of Gods, the All Maker is the only God worshiped by the Skaal and he bares little resemblance to any of the Tamrielic Gods. The Skaal do realise that other divine beings exist however, as their ancient stories tell of Daedric Princes and their interferences with the Skaal.
Solstheim is a region characterised by its harsh wilderness. One port serves the island as the main, and only, town of non-Skaal inhabitants. The port of Raven Rock was originally an East Empire Company mining town that thrived on the Ebony mines of the island before they 'dried up'. Now Raven Rock is under the governance of House Redoran who have since discovered a fresh and vast vein of Ebony to mine, securing the towns future for many generations. The landscape used to be characterised by its mountains, dotted with the occasional Skaal or Riekling village, Imperial forts or towers and the occasional homesteader. Since the Red Year the landscape has changed, ash storms have covered the lower half of the island and the settlements and Imperial forts along the southern section were destroyed amidst the initial tsunami and firestorm of the Red Year. Raven Rock was rebuilt by the Refugees in typical Redoran style, integrating the ruins of the original Imperial town in the process. Fauna and Flora native to the Ashlands of Morrowind have also crossed the ocean to the island, as have the Telvanni wizards who have erected their own settlement on the south-eastern section of the Island.
The snows of Solstheim fall dark and grey in the southern section, mixed with the ash storms that expand slowly northwards every year. This has put the Skaal on edge, who no longer recognise their native home. Their prey is less plentiful and the nature spirits scream out in pain as they burn. The Ash itself seems set on destroying Solstheim, rising up in the form of Ash Spawn to harass the natives and the Dunmer of House Redoran. Solstheim is a spiritual land, and the intricate balance has tipped.
Roscrea:
Roscrea is an island of roughly similar size to Solstheim located in the Sea of Ghosts north of Skyrim, between the continents of Tamriel and Atmora. The Island is the host to the most northerly population of Man, Mer or Betmeri on Nirn. Roscrea was the first known location of Man outside of their native Atmora. Excavations of the island's few Atmoran ruins seem to indicate the Atmorans developed this island as a fishing and farming village in the times before it became so glaciated. When Atmora began to freeze over, Roscrea was overburdened with refugees, which can be seen from the rapid expansion of the villages into slum-like towns and the flooding of the docks and beaches with many ships of varying sizes. It was from Roscrea that the last true Atmorans inhabited before following their brothers and sisters to Skyrim.
Roscrea used to be a land of green tundra, before the freezing of Atmora and the Sea of Ghosts. Now it is like much of north-eastern Skyrim, void of all but the hardiest vegetation, mountainous and glacial. Roscrea is home to two ports, built atop the ruins of the old Atmoran ones. One faces north and is smaller than the southern one, due to the lack of trade with Tamriel, yet is host to the majority of the vessels that hunt the Whales of the Sea of Ghosts. However the north-facing port is the only location one can find a vessel capable of sailing through the ice fields towards Atmora. The southerly port is home to the majority of the islands population and also the Imperial Fort that was established to watch over the island. The population is primarily fisherman and miners of the only mine on Roscrea, the Taras Iron Mine.
Roscrea was abandoned by its Imperial garrison rather late in the Third Era, effectively giving it independence. This independence was short lived when the then-Jarl of Solitude annexed the former Imperial territory, turning it effectively into yet another arm of the Empire. Life under Solitude was harsher than under the Empire yet the native populace was granted more freedom. The lack of an Imperial garrison left the town vulnerable to attack from Pirates and the retinue of guards sent by Solitude was paltry at best. News has since stopped coming from Roscrea, ships no longer venture across the Sea of Ghosts to Solitude or even Dawnstar. Vessels sent to trade with Roscrea have failed to return and all the reports back from the island claim the Southern Port is filled with empty ships and void of life. To this date I have yet to hear a report from the Northern Port or the internal settlements.
Arteum:
Settled in the late Merethic Era by a group of exiled Aldmer Elders that clung to the old ways of Aldmeri worship, the island of Arteum is steeped in mythology and legend, apt given the denizens of the island and what they have accomplished numerous times. The monastic Psijic Order was founded and exists entirely upon this small island. They are a cult of extremely talented, and secretive, Mystics that delve deep into the secrets of Nirn and reality itself. Few in number they may be, but individual Psijics have known to be capable of feats of Thaumaturgy thought lost to the Arcane arts: scrying of future or past, mass teleportation, gateway creation and even the ability to slow, almost pause, time itself.
The isle of Artaeum disappeared early in the Fourth Era, not for the first time may I add. Simply put, when ships chartered to bring supplies to the island attempted to navigate towards it, it could no longer be found. It’s whereabouts still elude me to this day, although I am fully aware the Psijics are restlessly watching Tamriel for any threats from within, or without. Their ultimate goal is the shepherding of our world through ‘periods of change’, crisis and dangers. To this end they used to regularly counsel world leaders, although they have since grown quiet.
I have heard the Thalmor have branded them a rogue organisation, and enemies of the Aldmeri Dominion, it is no wonder then why they hide. Many in the same situation do.
The Island Chains of the Padomaic Ocean:
Between the continents of Akavir and Tamriel lie a number of island chains and solitary volcanic islands that are each a unique spectacle to behold. Their climates range from Tropical to desolate rocks. Of these Island Chains three have populations of any significance:
Yneslea:
Yneslea is the largest island in one of these Island Chains and the location of the Imperial Governing body of the Yneslean Islands. The Yneslean Islands is the westernmost island chain of major populace between Akavir and Tamriel. Thus it is mostly Tamrielic in culture and the only island chain east of Morrowind to remain under Imperial command after the failed invasion of Akavir. The Yneslean Islands consist of four uninhabited islands of volcanic origins, two with active volcanoes, that have an abundance of unique tropical life. Alongside these four uninhabited islands is the island of Yneslea, home to the Yneslean Imperial Rector's office. This Rector's office oversees the island's port city and the four major towns spread throughout the remainder of the island. The Yneslean port serves as a location for fine Akaviri products to be brought in and traded for extortionate amounts with Tamrielic trading companies. Two of the four towns on Yneslea are mining ventures, created around the islands rich Ebony deposits. The other two serve as central hubs for farming communities.
The jungles of Yneslea have been forced back by the Tamrielic settlers to the island, allowing for clearings to be made with which to farm crops or raise livestock. However over 80% of the island is still a remote wilderness filled with deadly beasts exclusive to the Yneslean Islands. The climate is humid year-round, a seemingly endless summer only broken by the harsh 'winter' where tropical rain storms hit the islands for often months at a time.
The main port of Yneslea in recent years has seen the inclusion of stone walls to its exterior and a heavily guarded set of defensive towers along isolated rocks in the bay leading to the docks. The Stormcrown Interregnum of the early Fourth Era saw Yneslea through a time of hardships where pirates sacked the defenceless island many times. The Mede dynasty understood the value of the Ebony mines on Yneslea and sought to defend their interests in the islands by investing in the defence of the port city. These defences proved necessary when pirates began their attack again under the banner of the Pirate King of the Padomaic, who leads these highly organised pirate bands against the Legion Garrison at Yneslea from his seat on the Black Throne of Black Harbour, Esroniet.
Esroniet:
The Esroniet Archipelago is the central of the three major island chains of the Padomaic Ocean. The islands of the Esroniet Archipelago were conquered during the Tamrielic invasion of Akavir and left abandoned after the failed campaign. Only one island in this chain has a major population and it is this island that bares the name of the chain, Esroniet.
Before the Imperial takeover Esroniet was an independent island nation in the Padomaic Ocean, created by Tamrielic immigrants to these lands mostly of Nord, Redguard and Dunmeri backgrounds. These seafaring peoples carved a castle, the Black Keep, from the black cliffs of Esroniet's south-facing side. Black Harbour as it was known consisted of the main castle, hewn from the rock of the Cliffside, and the piers which were crafted from the black stone excavated in the creation of the castle. The oldest buildings from this period were also crafted from this same black stone and many still stand today. When the Imperials arrived the island chain put up little fight against the might of the Legion and the local ruler Prince Bashomon stepped aside as Imperial stone-masons expanded the size of Black Harbour by using the grey stone and timber from Yneslea, products far easier to work with. The Imperials expanded the city to serve as the Imperial Navy's major base for their invasion of Akavir, building top-of-the-line shipwrights in the process. Now, long after the Imperials have left, Black Harbour stands as a mix of the original Black Keep with its piers and the grey-stoned Imperial Sector that expands further into the island and houses the majority of the population.
Esroniet itself is a dark place, the jungles are tall, deep and wild with very little light reaching the ground. Deadly beasts lurk its depths and tales of a Betmeri species native to Esroniet fill the bedtime stories of Black Harbour's children. Most of the food for the island is the result of fishing, clamming or the harvest of seaweed. A few farms and iron mines have sprung up outside the city walls but have had little success fighting back the jungle.
Within recent years Black Harbour has become the home port of many a pirate vessel. These pirates took the independence of Esroniet as an opportunity to plunder the neighbouring island chains for valuables, considering their lack of major military support. This made the pirates filthy rich on Akaviri goods, allowing their fleets to expand to enormous sizes and even start plundering eastern Tamriel and western Akavir. A pirate admiral rose to the ever-contested Black Throne of Black Harbour, carved from the very same stone as the Black Keep, to become Pirate King of the Padomaic. Under his rule the pirate fleets united, providing them with more manpower to throw at the landmasses of the Padomaic to get even more filthy rich. Their main target seems to be the Imperial province of Yneslea, which sees regular attacks from the pirates who seem to be waging a war of conquest against the Legion Garrison of the island.
Cathnoquey:
The Cathnoquen Islands are the easternmost island chain in the Padomaic Ocean. The Islands number approximately twenty, ranging from isolated rocks to the large islands of Cathnoquey, Arasla and Zenieb. Cathnoquey is the most populated of these three main islands and the seat of power for the independent nation that rules all the islands in the chain. Long before Imperial rule came to the island when the Tamrielic invasion of Akavir swept through them, Cathnoquey was the only inhabited island of the three. Cathnoquey was an island ruled by an Akaviri cult with a population consisting of many of Akavir's native races. This cult believed the island chain to be the remains of the Father Turtle, Bormah Se Veysunvith, a giant Sea Turtle that used to swim the seas around Akavir until the Dragons killed it. This cult built temples on the Island crafted from yellow stone and adorned with the shells of the Sea Turtles that congregated around the island chain.
When the Imperials arrived the cult had existed in relative isolation since approximately 2E 575, roughly 700 years before the Tamrielic invasion. The cultists approached the Imperials with open arms, aiding them in surviving on the island and building the island's main city and expanding their population onto the other islands. Even after the climax of the failed invasion and the Imperial Navy began its limp back to Tamriel, Cathnoquey would remain home to a sizeable Tamrielic population who had lost everything during the war and had no reason to return. The Cult came into decline during this period, being replaced by the Imperial divines amongst the majority of the Akaviri population. Yet to this day the Cult exists as a minority in the Akaviri population of Cathnoquey, quietly chanting their words of thanks to the Father Turtle.
The current ruler of Cathnoquey and its neighbouring islands is a Queen of Imperial descent. Her beauty is talked about most by Cathnoquen traders who almost revere her as one would a God. She is beloved by her people and has instituted many reforms that benefit the nation. She leads an army of both Akaviri and Tamrielic descent in the defence of her nation against Esronietic pirate incursions and Akaviri warlords intent on taking the prosperous islands for themselves. Her army is largely made up of a caste of warriors born into the military and trained from birth. While the option to leave this caste is presented to the children as they age, few choose it as being a member of the Cathnoquen military is considered a mighty honour on the islands.
Cathnoquey itself is a tropical island of light jungle and vast beaches. A single grand mountain rises in the centre of the island and sloped down towards the north. The last inhabited Monastery of the Father Turtle lies on this mountain's slopes, a trail known as the 'Turtle's Spine' links the Monastery with the capital city of the islands. Arasla, Zenieb and many of the other islands in the chain share a similar geography and gentle climate as Cathnoquey, albeit with a denser wilderness.
Akavir:
The continent of Akavir lies far to the east of Tamriel. In geographical terms its size is similar to our own Continent and the climate varies just as much. We know little of the land of Akavir. What we know is that it can be separated into four province-like nations named after the race that inhabits it. The Tsaesci, the Ka Po' Tun, the Kamal and the Tang Mo.
Tsaesci:
The Akaviri Province of Tsaesci is by far the largest of the four known provinces and the one most known to Tamrielic sources. The province is the westerly most and was the launching point of multiple invasions into Tamriel by the Tsaesci people and the Akaviri men whom the Tsaesci had absorbed into their culture. The province was also the landing point for the failed Tamrielic invasion of Akavir. From reports issued by the Imperial Legion during the invasion, Tsaesci province consists of fertile grassland and valleys bordered by steppes, vast mountainous regions and finally the Padomaic Ocean to the west.
The Tsaesci people are a half-man, half-serpent Betmeri race vaguely similar to the Medusas of Tamriel. Their culture is very alike that of the Imperial culture, mainly due to the great influence the Tsaesci Potentates had on Imperial culture during 2E. The Tsaesci and their Akaviri menservants used to be renowned dragon hunters, going so far as to cause the extinction of these magnificent beasts in their native Akavir and follow them across the seas to Tamriel during the Akaviri Invasion and found an order there that would become the Blades of today. Tsaesci armour and buildings are extravagant, like their buildings with highly detailed curved edifices with grandly decorated rooftops.
Ka Po' Tun:
The province of Ka Po' Tun is the second largest of the Akaviri provinces. The land is dominated by a vast, thick and steamy jungle bordered by savannahs and deserts. The Ka Po' Tun people call this place home, where they have fashioned an empire in the depths of the jungle that has spread right across the entire province.
The culture of the Ka Po' Tun is steeped in mystery as the only sources we have of their peoples comes from the Tsaesci who invaded Tamriel. The feline Betmeri Ka Po' Tun bare a resemblance to the Khajiit, albeit taller and stockier. Their skin colours are usually of a darker orange and they bare stripes similar to the Sabre-toothed Tigers of Tamriel. The aspects of their culture are unknown to me, the only information I can glean from the Tsaesci sources at my disposal is that they worshipped the Dragons the Tsaesci hunted and became a refuge for the beasts. Their Emperor apparently sought a way to become a Dragon and appears to have succeeded at least partially.
Kamal:
The Akaviri province of Kamal is a region at the northernmost point of Akavir. It is a desolate glacial desert that is void of all but the hardiest life which makes the northern coast of Skyrim look mild in comparison. The only source of this information is from Tsaesci sources as the Imperial scouts sent to Kamal during their invasion of Akavir failed to return.
The Tsaesci claim that the Kamal, the people who inhabit the region, 'thaw out' during the summer months to pillage the continent, with their main focus being drawn to their smallest rival the Tang Mo. Whether this means that the Kamal warriors literally thaw during the summer months or they follow the melt water out of freshly opened passes in the mountains surrounding Kamal is unknown. The culture of the Kamal people is unknown to me or even the Tsaesci sources I can find, with the only mention being that they are war-like and domineering. This can be linked to the Tamrielic sources from the Kamal's failed invasion of Tamriel where they assaulted Skyrim and Morrowind only to be destroyed. The Kamal in these sources appear to be tall white-skinned warriors who wear thick white furred clothing and armour created of a substance similar to Stahlrim, which is also the main component of their weaponry.
Tang Mo:
The province of Tang Mo is the smallest of all the four known Akaviri provinces. It is located the furthest to the East and is said to be a lush jungle, bordered by bamboo forests to the west and south with impenetrable mountains to their north border with Kamal. The jungle of Tang Mo is mountainous as well and it tapers gently towards the coast to the east, where 'hundreds' of similarly wooded islands lay across the stretch of beach.
The Tang Mo peoples are similar to the Imga of Tamriel, ape-like Betmeri. However the diversity of the races of the Tang Mo is astounding, with their peoples ranging from ape-like stocky people to monkey-like with fully prehensile tails. This amount of diversity in any other culture would have resulted in war, however the Tang Mo are a peaceful people who welcome all into their lands as long as they remain non-aggressive. This hasn't really been received well by the other Akaviri races who at one point or another have tried to subdue and enslave the Tang Mo only to fail due to either their underestimation of the Tang Mo or the Tang Mo's military prowess in their natural jungle region.
Pyandonea:
Pyandonea is a small continent located to the south-west of Tamriel. It is roughly one third the size of Tamriel and from what sources I can find it is roughly similar geographically across this entire expanse. The history of Pyandonea may well date right back to the first records of Nirn. When the Aldmer fled Aldmeris and arrived at Alinor, what used to be known as the Summerset Isles, they sent out three ships piloted by explorers. Each had one of the three Waystones in their possession: the north-east facing Waystone led Topal the Pilot to Tamriel, the ship carrying the north-west facing Waystone never returned and possibly became stranded on ancient Yokuda to become the Left-handed Elves of Redguard myth, the vessel following the south facing Waystone similarly disappeared and it is this vessel that may discovered Pyandonea. The legend of Topal the Pilot says the vessel never returned so it too may have become stranded on Pyandonea.
The Maormer are a race of Mer native to Pyandonea. They may be the descendants of the lost southern Aldmer voyage who adapted to this strange land. They have been known to be a hostile race, harassing the southern continent of Tamriel and especially their fellow Mer of Alinor. At one point their fleet amassed and attempted to invade Tamriel, only to be beaten back. It is from this attempted invasion that we get most of the information about the coasts of Pyandonea.
Of the vessels sent to chase the Maormer back to Pyandonea, very few returned. The crew of these vessels claim that as one ventures towards Pyandonea the sea becomes thick with mist, a phenomenon that seems to completely enshroud the continent. The waters stir with all manner of sea serpent, some large enough to threaten the hulls of sea-faring vessels. They claim the Maormer have a type of serpentine magic that allows them to control the serpents which they used to destroy the Tamrielic vessels in their entirety.
As for the rest of Pyandonea, Maormer that have come to Tamriel say that the entire continent is a beautiful paradise. The sandy beaches taper onto lush tropical jungles that encompass much of the continent, only broken by the occasional mountain or mangrove swamp. At the time of writing this book Maormer immigrants to Tamriel are appearing more commonly, they claim some fanciful stories but as I have yet to see refugee ships flooding the docks of Anvil I will ignore their tales for another time.
Thras:
The archipelago of Thras is located to the west of Hammerfell. True islands are few and far between, however the rest of the space is filled with living coral plateaus that form the city of Thras proper. The city extends much further underwater than it does above, due to the aquatic nature of the city's inhabitants, the Sload. Make no mistake of all the creatures of Nirn the Sload are the most vile I have come across. They seem to lack the emotions of every other race. But this is in stark contrast to their beautiful homeland. The islands are a bright green, with white sands and lightly wooded with palms. The coral plateaus and spires come in all the colours you could imagine, and some you couldn't.
The Sload once angered Tamriel by releasing a deadly plague upon its inhabitants, intent on following afterwards and using their necromantic powers to conquer the desecrated continent. However the plan backfired and a navy consisting of every nation of Tamriel capable of fielding sea-faring vessels attacked Thras in return. With powerful magic the All-Flags Navy sunk Thras beneath the waves and left the Sload for dead. However the Sload survived and rebuilt their aquatic home, eventually raising Thras from the waves once more.
Now, Thras has returned to Tamriel and the Sload seem content to stay within it. But how long will they remain peaceful? Surely they still maintain a threat against all non-Sload life forms as it seems in their nature for this to be the case.
Yokuda:
Yokuda once was a vast continent, roughly half the size of Tamriel. The history of Yokuda is the history of its people, the Redguard. The Redguard people were the native race of Man in Yokuda but they weren't the only race there. Mer had a presence in the form of the 'Left-Handed Elves' and it is said Orcs or at least a race with the appearance similar to Orcs inhabited it too. However there was little peace between the three groups and war resulted in the Redguard peoples coming to be the dominant faction. These people practiced magicks unknown to Tamriel, even to the Redguard of today. The magicks utilised sword-strokes in their casting. A rogue sect of these mages supposedly developed a spell that would destroy Yokuda and utilised it to such effect. Yokuda began to sink beneath the waves, barely staying afloat enough for the Redguard people to leave on what vessels they could find and travel to the East where they came across Tamriel.
Yokuda was recently, within the last decade or two, been spotted again. A large island chain has taken its place and the explorers who found it named it after the lost continent. The islands are largely unexplored and it's unknown if they ever sank beneath the waves. However the islands are host to a plethora of creatures of Yokudan descent which may hint that they never truly sunk beneath the waves. Few explorers have visited the islands and those that do remain on the beaches. A small town has developed on the coast of one of the smaller islands, although growth is being held back by the Redguards of Hammerfell refusing to aid in setting foot on what they claim 'sacred ground'.
Atmora:
The continent of Atmora is Nirn's northern most explored landmass. It is historically the home of most, if not all, of Nirn's races of Man. The native Atmorans had a crude civilization. They understood seamanship, hunting and the cultivation of crops but they had no recoverable written language. Thus it is hard to determine the history of Atmora before its final years, but what we know of them are thus:
Atmora was once much less harsh than it is now, it had farmable land that could be cultivated to give forth crops or grasses that could be grazed upon. However during the early 1st Era the continent began to alter and change, glaciers expanded rapidly southwards to cover the farmable land. Ice sheets began to form around the continent and block the fishing vessels from their bounty. It seemed to the Atmorans that their world was dying. The Atmorans began to fight over what resources were left, creating a civil war that none could escape from. But a group of Atmorans chose to try, they fled in vessels south. They stopped off at their island of Roscrea, only to find that it too was beginning to show signs of the slow freeze that had taken Atmora. Here they amassed as more Atmorans fled the civil war in Atmora until the dwindling resources of Roscrea could not sustain them. One Atmoran warlord led these refugees south again, hoping to discover fresh land. Here they discovered Skyrim and Solstheim, regions so like their native Atmora that they immediately began to settle.
What happened to Atmora afterwards is a mystery. The last vessel from Atmora came midway through the First Era. On it, the vessel was filled with dead refugees with very few crew left alive. The Atmorans that survived the ordeal claimed that any civilization left on Atmora had been destroyed, the land was completely frozen and ice had claimed it and Roscrea. Expeditions to Atmora within the time since have all claimed the same thing, the continent seems empty of the presence of Man. Only hardy fauna and flora can survive in the ice fields that have overtaken the first cities of Man.
Fanciful tales from these explorers tell of the ruins of Man. Frozen and desolate. But from these ruins rise the cold dead, ancient Atmoran blades in hand, to greet the newcomers. I have yet to see proof of this, how would these explorers survive such an encounter with the bones of ancient Atmorans? Surely it is just the cold that takes those who never return, not even the dead could survive in that land.