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Songs of the Stars Questions

Author: 
High Astrologer Caecilus Bursio

March 23, 2015

“Our order came into possession of a tome that speaks of a mighty king named Ysmir the Forefather who ascended to the heavens to become The Warrior constellation. Do your archives hold any knowledge of this previously unknown king of men and dragons, who oddly shares a name with the Ash King? Do the other Guardian constellations have a similar mythic origin that you could reveal?" – Archivist Jimeee of the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits

High Astrologer Caecilus Bursio says, “The association of figures of myth and legend with one constellation or another is a common theme across Tamriel: usually a hero or monarch is identified with the powerful aspects of whatever stars she or he was said to be born under. For example, St. Alessia, the First Empress, is traditionally associated with the constellation of The Thief, while her consort Morihaus took as his device the constellation of The Lord, and wore the Lord's Mail. So let us consider Ysmir, whose legend, as it happens, is known to me: did he ascend to the heavens to become The Warrior? That implies that the constellation was not there previously, which seems unlikely to me. Did he ascend to heaven by passing through his birthsign of The Warrior to achieve Aetherius beyond? Poetic, but possible, I suppose, at least for a figure of myth. Did Ysmir take The Warrior as his sigil because the Warrior represented his strengths, and was thus associated with that constellation even after his death (or passing, or assumption, or ascendance)? This seems to me the most likely explanation of all. However, others will certainly differ, and you may find their arguments more persuasive than mine."

 

“What are the 'unstars' or 'not-stars' which are said to make up the constellation of The Serpent? Also, as the position of stars relative to each other (or at least to the Sun) is not fixed: if stars are holes in the sky, how do they move around?" – Feynn

High Astrologer Caecilus Bursio says, “It is exactly this matter that has engaged some of our surviving Star-Gazers, a matter which they are studying under my direction. Though we have but an imperfect understanding of The Serpent, I believe the answer to your questions is implied in their statement: unlike the 'holes in the sky,' which are unmoving (at least in relation to each other), the so-called 'unstars' of The Serpent can move precisely because they are NOT stars. They resemble stars, however, in that they shine by night—but what is the nature of the light they are shining down upon us? It certainly isn't Varliance. What is it? Is it benevolent to mortals, or malevolent? These questions, I feel, are important, and much may depend on the answers."

 

"I have a question about the constellation of The Shadow: with the exception of Sep the Serpent, we always heard that the stars are linked to Aetherius. But The Shadow seems odd, with the stories about the Shadowscales, and now I found this book in our archives called 'The Dark Husband' who links The Shadow with Sithis. Is that true? Is The Shadow a herald of Sithis? Is it really linked to Aetherius?" – Iszara the Restless, Singer of the Scenarist Guild

High Astrologer Caecilus Bursio says, “Interesting, Iszara. I shall have to seek out the tome of which you speak. Certainly, in poetry and myth, The Shadow has been thematically linked by some with the unbeing and the void. However, some see The Shadow otherwise, as the mere obverse of Magnus' light, simply one of the many manifestations of the Anuic/Padomaic duality of the Mundus. In this regard, The Shadow would represent the void through which the stars shine—which once again associates it with the Abyss Beyond, albeit in a backhanded fashion. It is probably wisest to think about these aspects of reality as essences or qualities rather than personalities—though when we, as mere mortals, interact with them, our minds can only grasp them by perceiving them as personae."

 

Caecilius's Journal

Author: 
Caecilus Bursio

Strange movements in the sky. I thought I saw the Guardians appear for a moment. The Warrior, the Mage, the Thief. And then they flickered and vanished. I have a sickening feeling deep in my stomach, as if this is an omen of things to come.

Consulted the tomes of the Star-Scryer. Nothing but vague prophecies of the stars falling from the sky, portending doom. Nothing speaking to this specific sign.

We are afloat on a foreign sea, without a chart or astrolabe to guide us to safer shores. Our own Guardians have disappeared, abandoned us.

Woe to us, children of a bitter age.

When our children fall, who will catch them?

For they are all orphans,

Their mothers died in childbirth,

Their fathers died in war.

Like the beggar on the street,

They beg for food and receive scorpions.

A Star-Gazer's Ramblings

Author: 
Anonymous

The tomb of the ancient warrior! At last! At last! The true gods are not silent. The true gods sing to us, if only we have ears to hear it.

I had thought my study to be purely academic. Supercilious fool. The belief that knowledge follows knowledge in a dour procession like a corpse held aloft—it was killing me. I said, "Death is inevitable, and living is indistinguishable from dying." How wrong I was.

How is it I have looked at the stars so many times and seen only light? Oh ecstasy, it is too much for me to bear!

We do not master the truth. The truth masters us. In the end, in my final hour, I have learned to serve.

The end of knowledge is not knowing, but worship. Oh great Warrior, I lay my body at your feet.

 

The Warrior's Charge

Author: 
Anonymous

The Warrior's Charge
An old poem of the Redguards

 
The star sung far-flung tales
Wreathed in the silver of Yokuda fair,
Of a Warrior who, arrayed in hue sails
His charges through the serpent's snare

And the Lord of runes, so bored so soon,
Leaves the ship for an evening's dare,
Perchance to wake, the coiled snake,
To take its shirt of scales to wear

And the Lady East, who e'ery beast,
Asleep or a'prowl can rouse a scare,
Screams as her eye, alight in the sky
A worm no goodly sight can bear

And the mailed Steed, ajoins the deed
Not to be undone from his worthy share,
Rides the night, towards scale bright,
Leaving the seasoned Warrior's care

Then the serpent rose, and made stead to close,
The targets lay plain and there,
But the Warrior's blade the Snake unmade,
And the charges wander no more, they swear

 

The Lunar Lorkhan

Author: 
Fal Droon

I will not go into the varying accounts of what happened at Adamantine Tower, nor will I relate the War of Manifest Metaphors that rendered those stories unable to support most qualities of what is commonly known as "narrative." We all have our favorite Lorkhan story and our favorite Lorkhan motivation for the creation of Nirn and our favorite story of what happened to His Heart. But the Theory of the Lunar Lorkhan is of special note.

In short, the Moons were and are the two halves of Lorkhan's 'flesh-divinity'. Like the rest of the Gods, Lorkhan was a plane(t) that participated in the Great Construction... except where the Eight lent portions of their heavenly bodies to create the mortal plane(t), Lorkhan's was cracked asunder and his divine spark fell to Nirn as a shooting star "to impregnate it with the measure of its existence and a reasonable amount of selfishness."

Masser and Secunda therefore are the personifications of the dichotomy-- the "Cloven Duality," according to Artaeum-- that Lorkhan legends often rail against: ideas of the anima/animus, good/evil, being/nothingness, the poetry of the body, throat, and moan/silence-as-the- abortive, and so on -- set in the night sky as Lorkhan's constant reminder to his mortal issue of their duty.

Followers of this theory hold that all other "Heart Stories" are mythical degradations of the true origin of the moons (and it needn't be said that they observe the "hollow crescent theory" as well).

Khajiit Physiology - Phases and Forms

Author: 
Raptormeat, Revised by Lady Nerevar

The Khajiit are the mysterious cat-like race that inhabits the deserts of Elsweyr. The 1st Pocket Guide to the Empire reports that there are  ranging from what might look like a normal tiger to what could almost be called a tailed, clawed human. The ja-Kha'jay (Lunar Lattice), which is a mysterious force related to the phases of Nirn's twin moons, determinines which form a Khajiit will take.

 

Masser - New & Secunda - Waxing
Masser: New
Secunda: Waxing

Ohmes-raht: Similar in size and shape to humans, but with light fur and a tail.

 

This was the form found in Daggerfall. 

Masser - New & Secunda - Full
Masser: New
Secunda: Full

Ohmes: This form is similar in appearance to the Bosmer, sometimes shorter. Due to their man-like appearance, the Ohmes are the most common breed of Khajiit outside of Elsweyr. They are commonly employed as diplomats and adventurers. Ohmes tattoo their faces to resemble their more feline brethren. Ohmes do not have phalic barbs. They are commonly known as "man-faced" Khajiit.

 

This was the form found in Arena. 

Masser - New & Secunda - Waning
Masser: New
Secunda: Waning

Suthay-raht: Walk upright but are more cat-like than Ohmes-raht. Suthay-raht have a slight degree of phalic barbs. Sometimes called "ja'khajiit" by other races, though this is a misnomer. 

 

This form was found in Redguard and Morrowind. 

Masser - New & Secunda - New
Masser: New
Secunda: New

Suthay: Similar to Suthay-raht but smaller and weaker.

Masser - Waxing & Secunda - Waxing
Masser: Waxing
Secunda: Waxing

Cathay-raht: Similar to the Suthay-raht, but larger and stronger. Described as looking like upright jaguars. Cathay-raht have phalic barbs. 

 

Therris, from the Real Barenziah series, was a Cathay-raht. 

Masser - Waxing & Secunda - Full
Masser: Waxing
Secunda: Full

Cathay: Larger and stronger than a Suthay-raht, but smaller than a Cathay-raht.

Masser - Waxing & Secunda - Waning
Masser: Waxing
Secunda: Waning

Tojay-raht: Nothing is known about the Tojay-raht. There is speculation that it may be a bipedal form

Masser - Waxing & Secunda - New
Masser: Waxing
Secunda: New

Tojay: Nothing is known about the Tojay except that it is probably smaller than the Tojay-raht

Masser - Full & Secunda - Waxing
Masser: Full
Secunda: Waxing

Senche-raht: At the size of a large horse, the Senche-raht is twice as tall as a Senche and can weigh as much as fifty Altmer. Has straighter legs and shorter body (relative to size) than a Senche, the Senche's other characteristics apply to the Senche-raht as well. Ridden, especially in battle. Known as "Battlecats" to Imperials.

Masser - Full & Secunda - Full
Masser: Full
Secunda: Full

Senche: A smaller version of the Senche-raht, similar to the Pahmar-raht. Its forelimbs are thick and 1.5 times longer than their hindlimbs, giving them an ape-like appearence. The Senche's coat is tawny and stripped in red-brown. Stand as tall as an Altmer and weigh as much as twenty. They are sprinters, not long distance runners, and are often used as mounts for by other Khajiit. 

Masser - Full & Secunda - Waning
Masser: Full
Secunda: Waning

Pahmar-raht: Like a Pahmar, but larger, more powerful.

Masser - Full & Secunda - New
Masser: Full
Secunda: New

Pahmar: Similar to a tiger.

Masser - Waning & Secunda - Waxing
Masser:Waning
Secunda: Waxing

Alfiq-raht: Probably like the Alfiq but larger.

Masser - Waning & Secunda - New
Masser: Waning
Secunda: New

Alfiq: Similar in appearence to domesticated cats. Can understand human speech but cannot speak it.

Masser - Waning & Secunda - Waning
Masser: Waning
Secunda: Waning

Dagi-raht: Similar in all respects to the Dagi, while somewhat larger, however not overly so as they are able to dwell in higher tree branches, like the Dagi. It can be assumed that, like their smaller cousins, they are naturally skilled in the use of magic.

Masser - Waning & Secunda - New
Masser: Waning
Secunda: New

Dagi: A less-common form of Khajiit, Dagi live in the trees of the Tenmar forrest. Due to their smaller size and light weight, they are able to dwell in the higher branches which even the Bosmer cannot reach. The Dagi have a natural affinity for magic, and are known spellcasters, a characteristic often taken advantage of in Khajiiti battle-tactics; they appear to be just as skilled as any capable magic user.

 

Mane: The Mane is a unique form of Khajiit born when a 3rd moon appears in the sky. Only one Mane exists at any one time, and Khajiiti believe that the Mane is one soul incarnating into different bodies. Traditionally, all Khajiit would shave their hair and braid it into the Mane's mane, but the large population of modern Elsweyr has made this tradition impractical. Manes may still wear the braids of their tribe and his warrior guard. Due to the weight of all this hair, the Mane cannot move and must be carried on a palaquin by his Cathay-raht servants. 

 

Sources

Douglas Goodall's posts

Interview with Three Booksellers

Minutes of the Lusty Argonian Historical Society, Frostfall 3E 432

Mixed Unit Tactics

Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st edition

Birthsigns: The Aetherial Constellations

Author: 
Imperial Geographical Society
Every child on Nirn is given a birthright by the heavens. Known as star signs, they are fortunes and dooms created by the magical interplay that makes up each of the aetherial constellations. Commonly, these constellations number thirteen, though others have been observed during times of empyrean harmony or stress. The Apprentice Birthsign
  The Apprentice
   
The Atronack Birthsign The Lady Birthsign
The Atronach The Lady
   
The Lord Birthsign  The Lover Birthsign 
The Lord The Lover

General Information, History and Depictions of the Planets

Author: 
Sinder Velvin

Extremely little is known about the Planets. And it all comes from this unofficial document posted by former Developer Michael Kirkbride:

The Planets are the Gods and the planes of the Gods, which is the same thing. That they appear as spherical heavenly bodies is a visual phenomena caused by mortal mental stress. Since each plane(t) is an infinite mass of infinite size, as yet surrounded by the Void of Oblivion, the mortal eye registers them as bubbles within a space. Planets are magical and impossible. The eight planets correspond to the Eight Divines. They are all present on the Dwarven Orrery, along with the mortal planet, Nirn.


The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard.

Redguard's Orrery was breathtaking back in 1998. Even now, many years later, it is still beautiful.

Click on the image to view a video of the Redguard Orrery.

 

 

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Although there are not any Orreries in Oblivion itself, there is an official plugin that adds an Orrery to the game.

To not reduce the sales of the plugin, I have decided to provide a video of the Orrery with the ingame settings set to very low. Click on the image to view it.

 

 

 

General Information on the Moons and Morrowind Depiction

Author: 
Sinder Velvin

Not much is known about the Moons. Some of our information comes from this unofficial document posted by former Developer Michael Kirkbride:

Masser and Secunda ('Jone' and 'Jode' in the Ehlnofex), the moons of Nirn, are the attendant spirits of the mortal plane. They are like the mortal plane in that they are temporal and subject to the bounds of mortality; in fact of this, the moons are dead and died long ago. The moons used to be pure white and featureless, but today their 'skin' is decaying and withering away. Their planes are likewise dying. Mortals perceive this as the moons being spheres with patches of their 'surfaces' completely eaten away; as the moons spin, they seem to become slivers or ragged crescents. These are not caused by shadows, because you can see stars through the black patches of the lunar spheres.

And some comes from the Morrowind book The Lunar Lorkhan:

In short, the Moons were and are the two halves of Lorkhan's 'flesh-divinity'. Like the rest of the Gods, Lorkhan was a plane(t) that participated in the Great Construction... except where the Eight lent portions of their heavenly bodies to create the mortal plane(t), Lorkhan's was cracked asunder and his divine spark fell to Nirn as a shooting star "to impregnate it with the measure of its existence and a reasonable amount of selfishness."

Masser and Secunda therefore are the personifications of the dichotomy-- the "Cloven Duality," according to Artaeum-- that Lorkhan legends often rail against: ideas of the anima/animus, good/evil, being/nothingness, the poetry of the body, throat, and moan/silence-as-the-abortive, and so on -- set in the night sky as Lorkhan's constant reminder to his mortal issue of their duty.

Click on the image below to watch a video of the movement of the moons with time sped up, taken in Morrowind.