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King Narilmor

Author: 
Tjurhane Fyrre

From the unpublished biographies of the Ayleid Kings by the late Tjurhane Fyrre, courtesy of the University of Gwilym.

Garlas Malatar and its ruler, King Narilmor, had long been regarded within the Ayleid Empire as the beacons of the west, both figuratively and literally. Narilmor was a devout follower of Meridia who dedicated his life and his city to her veneration. At the height of his reign, he was regarded as a favorite of the Daedric Prince, second only to Umaril the Unfeathered. There is considerable evidence supporting this claim, but the proof positive was the great beacon that shone above Garlas Malatar fueled by the unquenchable light of Meridia. It was known as the Guiding Light, and while it may have paled in comparison to the magnitude of the White-Gold Tower, it was an unmistakable landmark visible from great distances. The account of one Ayleid captain claimed he could sail from Yokuda to Garlas Malatar by its light alone.

Under King Narilmor’s reign, Garlas Malatar prospered as a cosmopolitan port city and trade hub for the Ayleid Empire. Unlike many kingdoms of the era, the “Cavern of the High Wood” welcomed its neighbors within its formidable walls, so long as Meridian law was obeyed. To deviate from Narilmor’s code of conduct was a high crime and punished harshly, but the king was thought of as a fair ruler who maintained order without favoritism or exception. The most notorious example of Narilmor’s strict judgment was the execution of a neighboring ruler who did not show Meridia adequate deference during a diplomatic visit to the city. Despite his hardline approach, Narilmor was beloved by his subjects, who enjoyed wealth and abundance across all strata of their society, and respected by his peers for his honorable agreements and the equitable terms of his treaties. Both would sour on him in the final years of his rule.

After the fall of the White-Gold Tower, which marked the end of the Ayleid Empire, King Narilmor withdrew from the world outside his kingdom and Garlas Malatar closed its gates to all outsiders. While the remaining Ayleid kingdoms brokered alliances and waged wars in the vain hope that the Alessian rebellion could be held back, Narilmor only paid lip-service to his former allies and lent neither aid nor asylum in their hour of need. Many an Ayleid army perished cursing his name.

What happened within Garlas Malatar during those troubled times remains a mystery, as the site has remained sealed since the Alessians sacked the city. What little correspondence escaped the walls spoke of growing unrest, and the ruthless quashing of dissent. Some accounts of the siege that lead to the city’s downfall claim that Men never set foot inside Garlas Malatar before it collapsed into ruin. If true, it would mean that the city was buried by conflict from within, or a final act of sabotage. Whatever the truth may be, on that day the Guiding Light and the rule of King Narilmor were extinguished, never to be seen again.

The Slave Rebellion - Man's Triumph

Author: 
Chancellor Abnur Tharn

The ruination that came to the Ayleids was inevitable. It was not, as less astute scholars postulate, due to the will of the Aedra or some absurd mystical agent, but was a result of their degenerate Daedra worship and gross underestimation of their slaves. The human leaders who challenged the Ayleids, Saint Alessia in particular, recognized the cultural rot weakening their captors and took advantage of it to orchestrate one of the greatest triumphs of Men.

The debauched Elves were apparently quite creative when it came to devising new horrors to inflict on their slaves. What a shock that practices such as “flesh-sculpture” would drive the tormented men and women of Cyrodiil to rebellion. In their smug complacency, the Elves could not conceive of the possibility of an uprising—which was well for the slaves, who would have been summarily crushed by the Ayleids at the height of their power.

As evidenced by the ruins found throughout Tamriel, the Ayleids were an incredible force. The source of their prodigious might, however, was also the catalyst of their decline. Deals with Daedric Princes granted them the power they sought. They thought themselves in control—typical Elven arrogance—as poison crept into their society. The various Daedric cults began bickering and backstabbing, as is their wont, forming the cracks the rebellion would exploit.

Another critical factor in the dissolution of Ayleid rule was the indomitable will of the oppressed. We have all read accounts of heroic deeds executed by the likes of Alessia, Morihaus, and Pelinal Whitestrake. While it’s obvious to anyone with a modicum of intellect that these tales are a bit hyperbolic, it is quite clear that exceptional individuals made the establishment of the First Empire possible.

Alessia’s Slave Army was populated with many examples of the true potential of Man. It is a pity that more texts have not survived, for the few we retain give us little insight, and dishonest scholars often distort them for slanderous political purposes. My own ancestor, “Tharanus Ye Redde-Hand,” has been painted as either a slave-overseer or even implied to be Tharhan, the Mutilant of the Gradual Massacre, based on ridiculous interpretations of obscure and questionable footnotes. The jealousy of lesser men, while I do so savor it, can be such an annoyance at times.

In reality, based on the rare texts I have had the privilege of consulting in the vaults of White-Gold itself, including the recently-discovered Scroll of Precursor Saints, Tharanus was a critical supporter of Alessia’s cause, disrupting supply routes through forged logistical orders and even leading his own battalion into some of the war’s bloodiest conflicts. Sadly, the slanderous have sunk so low as to make preposterous accusations that I forged the scroll myself. Despicable.

Given the weakness of the Ayleids and the rather inspiring members of Alessia’s retinue, the outcome of the war was determined before the first slaver was beheaded. The Slave Rebellion both teaches a cautionary lesson about the idiocy of trifling with the Daedra and demonstrates the power of men, who have rightfully ruled the heart of Tamriel since. As they always shall.

Notes on the Mortuum Vivicus

Author: 
Anonymous

Since the Dark Master's plot was revealed to me, I have attempted to learn more of this weapon he holds so dear. According to historical records, the Mortuum Vivicus was a gift from our Lord and Master to the unworthy king of a long-forgotten city.

Those unworthy servants stood on the verge of greatness! To their great loss and eternal shame, the fools were unable to accomplish the simple tasks our Master set before them, and he withdrew the Vivicus from Tamriel. It was lost to the Faithful.

If the Master's plan comes to fruition—if enough souls can be gathered to his side—the servants of the Lord of Lies would be more powerful than any mere king or queen. Truly, Tamriel would burn in the Master's fire!

 

Ravenwatch Research: Veawend Ede

Author: 
Verandis

This may be the earliest of the Ayleid ruins that culminated in the Doomcrag.

Even the place's name—Sea Journey's End—resonates with the history I have pieced together. And the gift of magicka continues to inhabit this ancient structure.

—Verandis

Loriasel Tablet Notes

Author: 
Anonymous

Entry 1

Progress! The tablet was worth the journey to Loriasel. Like many of their relics, the Ayleids masked the tablet's secrets with illusory wards and destructive traps to make the slightest divination an exercise in mortal danger.

Less a concern for myself, of course. The true transcription reads as follows:

"Epevoy an anyadena av Irraie pado an sunnand.

Can an canomora racuvarima.

Arctane va ceye av Irraie.

Malatu ye nemalatuis shauta ry relle asva relleis."

Entry 2

My translation of the Loriasel tablet is woefully inelegant, but I believe it says the following:

"Speak the life-treaty of Irrai before the blessed-stone.

Call the Daedric herald who was cast down.

Accept the shadow of Irrai.

Truth and not-truth come as water within many-waters."

The word 'Irrai' appears twice in the script. I find no reference to this word in any of my books regarding the Ayleid language. It seems to be a name, but of what?

 

[Entry 3 is missing.]

Entry 4

Irrai is amicable enough, if cryptic. It was hours before she seemed to comprehend any language but old Ayleid and Daedric pidgin.

When she finally spoke, she did so with eloquence and a surprisingly cheerful curiosity. According to Irrai, she once served Culanwe. She claims the seal upon Laeloria was placed by Azura herself.

While I'm apprehensive about trusting any Daedra, Winged Twilights such as Irrai are known to be servants of Azura. Beyond this, the shrine outside Laeloria is proof enough of this location's importance to the Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk.

After years of searching, could I finally be within reach of reversing Culanwe's terrible fate?

 

Lanath's Journal

Author: 
Lanath
I owe everything to Endarre. He saved me from the dark manipulations of Abagarlas' king. Showed me the light of Meridia. To think I would let him attempt this mission without me at his side. I don't know the details, but I know where we're going. And anything that puts a shiv in Molag Bal's eye will make me rest easier.
- - - - - - - -
We barely escaped Abagarlas. The fighting was intense, and I still can't believe what happened. Since making our escape, vampire assassins and ghoulish huntsmen have dogged our every step.
- - - - - - - -
Curano says we're heading to Mzeneldt. I'm not sure how a Dwarven city figures into the plan, but I'm not here to think.
- - - - - - - -
Our goal is to safeguard that crystal they took from the weapon, and some book. We've been searching the mountains for weeks now, traveling far into the eastern peaks. Insane mer. I worry Endarre has lost his mind, but then again, there's a lot I don't understand about this trip. At least I'm still alive.

 

Magic From The Sky

Author: 
Zeroli Jarol

(Varennian Edition)

The ancient Ayleids believed that Nirn was composed of four basic elements—earth, water, air, and light—and of these four elements, they believed the most sublime form of light was starlight. The stars are our links to the plane of Aetherius, the source of all magical power, and therefore, light from the stars is the most potent and exalted of all magical powers.

From time to time, fragments of Aetherius fall from the heavens. The people know these fragments as "shooting stars," and from time to time, such Aetherial fragments are found on Nirn. The most common varieties are known as "meteoric iron"; this metal is prized by armorers and enchanters for its properties in the forging of enchanted weapons and armors. This meteoric iron is also the primary component in "Ayleid Wells," ancient enchanted artifacts found throughout Cyrodiil.

Another, rarer form of Aetherial fragment is called "meteroic glass." It is from such fragments that other rare Ayleid enchanted artifacts are crafted; namely, Welkynd Stones and Varla Stones.

Ayleid Wells are scattered across Cyrodiil's landscape. They remain a mystery, as they are not associated with any known Ayleid cities or settlements. It is presumed that in some manner, they harvest magical power from starlight. It is also suggested without evidence or support that they are located at the meeting points of ancient lines of magical power; however, modern arcane arts have discovered no perceptible evidence of such lines of power.

Those with magical talents can draw magicka from Ayleid Wells to restore their own reservoirs of magical power. No ritual or arcane knowledge is necessary, suggesting that these wells were designed to serve persons not skilled in the magical arts. Once drained, the wells replenish again only at magical midnight. Once recharged, they appear to radiate magical power back into the sky, which prompts some to theorize they are also objects with religious or magical ritual significance, perhaps a means of offering magic back to the heavens.

Welkynd Stones (in Aldmeris: "sky stone," "heaven stone," or literally, "sky child") are pieces of cut and enchanted meteoric glass which apparently act as storage devices for magical power. A magical talent can restore his reservoirs of magicka from such stones. Alas, the means of restoring power to these stones may have been lost with the Ayleids. Currently, these objects simply crumble to dust after they have been used.

Great Welkynd Stones are exceptionally large pieces of enchanted meteoric glass. Scholars believe that at the heart of each ancient Ayleid city, a Great Welkynd Stone was the source of the settlement's magical enchantments. It may be that these great stones were linked to the lesser stones, restoring and maintaining their power. In any case, research on these Great Welkynd Stones is impossible, since all the known Ayleid ruins have been looted of their great stones, and no examples of these great stones are known to survive.

Another rare enchanted item found in Ayleid ruins is called a Varla Stone (in Aldmeris: "star stone"). Varla Stones are remarkably powerful, enabling untrained users to restore magical energy to any number of enchanted items. Because of their great value and utility, these items are also extremely rare, but since they are small and easily concealed, diligent explorers may still occasionally come across them in any Ayleid ruin.
Ayleid Wells, Welkynd Stones, and Varla Stones—consider these marvels of magical enchantment. Are we then to conclude that the Ayleids were a superior race and culture? Did they so exceed us in art and craft that they mock the feeble powers of Second Era Wizards?

Never! The Ayleids were powerful, yes, and cunning, but they were neither good nor wise, and so they were struck down. Their works have passed from Nirn, save these rare and sparkling treasures. Their ancient cities are dark and empty, save for the grim revenants and restless spirits condemned forever to walk the halls, keeping their melancholy vigils over bones and dust.

Translated Ayleid Texts

Author: 
Anonymous

… made sure that with each breath, we breathed in <life, health, vitality?>. With each <seed, rock, stone?> we planted, we would prosper. No <death, sickness, disease?> can harm us. This is the power of the <light, sun, fire?> ….

… only the <remnant, vestige?> can contain the power of the <unknown Ayleid word>. It lives as we do. It reacts to <feelings, emotions, sentiments?>. It makes our <existence, survival, journey?> better ….

… the <crag, peak?> and the <remnant, vestige, fragment?> are one. Here, it will always be <guarded, protected, hidden?> ….

… we have established a second <community, outpost, cave?> in the hills to the east of the <crag, peak?>. In this hillside <community, outpost, cave?>, we have hidden our <tome, scroll, tablet?> of <history, glossary, theology?> for <safekeeping, shelter, reassurance?>

Naril Nagaia Journal

Author: 
Anonymous

At last, I believe I have found the entrance to Naril Nagaia. It has taken some time, but I have begun to translate several inscriptions I found in the ruins.

The Ayleid script is highly advanced. The forms are morphologically mature compared to earlier inscriptions I'd found, suggesting that this place is one of the more recent ruins, from close to the height of the Ayleid power.

After deciphering several of the inscriptions, I've begun to realize that the anomalies in the writing are not, as I'd first suspected, newer, but older. The explanation for my confusion is simple: this place was indeed constructed in a more recent period, but its inhabitants were primarily ancient: this was the site of powerful necromantic experiments—from the look of things, the subjects of these experiments were the most ancient Ayleid kings!

Having made this discovery, I thought at once to return to the surface and report my findings. Only, when I tried to return to the way I came, I found it blocked. I thought for certain I was trapped, when one of the ancient spirits of this place suddenly appeared to me. He said that he had been charged with protecting the secrets of this place. All I have to do to leave, he says, is leave my book behind, and allow the memories of what I've seen to be purged from my mind.

I am still considering his offer….

Closing The Octal Cage

Author: 
Anonymous

or, A Defense Against the Planemeld

Unnatural anchors blight the skies of Tamriel. Those learned in such matters know they herald the Planemeld, a Daedric plot of unfathomable darkness.

But in times when all hope seems lost, the Eight Divines provide. We can salvage our future by looking to the past. The Chancel of Divine Entreaty is our first bulwark against Molag Bal's devious plot!

The peculiar construction of this Ayleid ruin should be immediately apparent to a scholar of the Eight Divines. The symmetrical nature of its construction, the altar plate below the eight-tined arch, and the harmonic blending of tonal triptychs reveal the divine hand in its formation. Should one blow a large enough horn within the chancel's walls, its clarion call would be heard as far as Elden Root!

After extensive research, I believe this to be one piece of the long-rumored Octal Cage. There should be seven ruins identical to this scattered throughout Tamriel. Where, I do not know, but I shall locate them all. Then I will find the eight Hallowed Clarions mentioned in the apocryphal accounts of the Ayleid loss of Sancre Tor to Alessia.

A daunting task, but the Octal Cage was thought capable of sealing the Daedric Princes away from Nirn for good. Sounding a Hallowed Clarion in all eight ruins, all at the same time, may be enough to bring the Octal Cage to life.

I depart in the morning. If my task proves fruitless, so be it. We must all oppose the Harvester of Souls as best we can. Until then, any who calls the God of Schemes their enemy may avail themselves of my laboratory.
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