The HoonDing and Cyrus

Among the pantheons found on Tamriel the Yokudans have a very unique one. Not only is it by far the largest but they also have gods that are very different mixings of the common characteristics found in all religions. Ruptga, for example, is part Magnus, part Akatosh and even a dash of Trinimac. Their Lorkhan character, Sep, is even different from the rest. Ruptga simply squishes him with a big stick. No fight, just a squish. He is removed from his warlike aspects that he has in other pantheons in the form of Lorkhan/Shezzar/Shor. Now this is both not surprising (Redguards hate Lorkhan but hold combat in very high regard) and also not a problem as they have no shortage of war gods. Leki, Diagna, Onsi. Take your pick. Then there is also the war god to end all war gods. The HoonDing. So what exactly is up with this guy? Well to keep it short he is a bastardization of the Void Ghost and Trinimac. But let’s get there together.

Only two gods directly manifest themselves in mortals. Shezzar/Shor and the HoonDing. Akatosh blesses mortals in the form of Drgaonborns but does not directly manifest in them. But the HoonDing is not the Yokudan Shezzar, he is not the war aspects of Lorkhan combined with the Trickster character in Sep. Remember, the Yokudans hate Mundus and Lorkhan, he would never help them. But their natures are very close. They both manifest directly and usually at times of need. But there are some important distinctions. I say that the HoonDing is a combination of Trinimac and the Void Ghost partly for a very pedantic reason. That’s the names. It is the HoonDing and the Void Ghost, but never the Shezzar. A bit nitpicky but important. Now the other reason is the nature of their manifestations. The HoonDing comes and goes. Someone can be the HoonDing in the morning and then not at dinner. A Shezzarine is a Shezzarine from cradle to the grave. One does not become a Shezzarine, it is like their gender. This coming and going sounds much like a ghost possessing a body while being a Shezzarine is more like being born with a third nipple. Because of this the state of being the HoonDing is more intrusive. When one is born with a certain characteristic it is natural, it is a part of them. The HoonDing invades. Think of it as Shezzarine=Superman while HoonDing=Hulk, but the Hulk can decide when to come out. This can even lead to one not being themselves while in the state of being the HoonDing. Bruce Banner isn’t gonna answer when he goes all green and stompy.

So the manifestation aspect ties the HoonDing to the Void Ghost. Trinimac then is a correction. He is the warlike aspect who also has the Anuic alignment necessary to help the Redguards. The HoonDing is the Anuic counterpart to the Void Ghost. He is not just a mash-up though. He is the remains of Trinimac, the last bits of him left over from Boethiah’s act. When someone or something eats some food, they digest much of it but not all. Some traces of the original food are left in the fecal matter. That’s the HoonDing. Just as the Void Ghost is the spectre of Lorkhan, left over from his death, wandering Nirn to finish his original goal. So does the spirit of Trinimac. He hated Mundus, more than most. He violently hated it and seeing it burn would have made his day. But he was eaten before he could destroy it, or get out. His still has unfinished business. No wonder the Redguards and Orsier have fought so much then, huh? Or that each HoonDing has been able to perform the pankratosword, probably the most destructive act out there.

So that’s the mythical HoonDing, but let’s look at Mr. HoonDing, Cyrus. Cyrus is the HoonDing. In the same way that the CoC is Sheogorath or Talos is Lorkhan. He mantled it. So let’s review mantling. It’s described as “Walk like them until they must walk like you”. It is being so much like a figure that you become them. The CoC was so insane that they were able to say “Sheogorath is boring.” Talos, through Convention 2.0, was so much like Lorkhan that he became him. Let’s look at what Cyrus does. He refuses to be known as the HoonDing for various reasons but when he truly becomes the HoonDing, more so than any of the past versions, is in the Sword Meeting with Vivec (yes that one piece that gets quoted everytime I show up). He tells the HoonDing, the god of Make Way, to get out of his way. He also tells a lunar colony to move but that’s a whole different thing. Cyrus is the HoonDing as much as Talos is Lorkhan because of this. No wonder their fight was so cool.