Echkin of the Wrothgarian Mountains [Revised]

Written By Eis Vuur Warden, Wayward and Contract Scholar of the Ebonheart Pact Circa 2E 583

####Foreword In the first time in years, I have decided to travel northwest towards the province of High Rock due to a peculiar incident I was in while traveling through Eastmarch. Resting in a small cave in the mountainside, I awoke to the screeches of a swarm of giant bats. I was able to defend myself against these creatures, but now I am worried. Giant bats have seemed to be migrating into Skyrim recently and plaguing the common folk, which I find concerning. After leaving a note with my superior’s, I immediately began my journey to Daggerfall Covenant-controlled High Rock. I went under the guise of an Argonian condottiere, something I have done before. En route I decided to also record all available knowledge of the giant bat as well, for information for the Pact as well as a mental exercise:

The semi-intelligent monster known as the Giant Bat has plagued the province of High Rock since times immemorial. The first sightings of these creatures was reported by the Orcs, who encountered the blood-sucking fiends as they were driven out of ancient Hammerfell and into the Wrothgarian Mountains from the invading Ra Gada in the First Era.

Inclined to live in natural darkness or in places where shadows accumulate, the giant bat has been one of the many thorns stuck in High Rock’s side for centuries. Smarter, faster, and more vicious than a normal bat or any other creature, but far less intelligent than all the sentient races of Tamriel, almost everything is known about these monsters…except where they came from.

Most Bretons commonly believe that these creatures originated from normal bats that were affected by the aetherial-strands emitted from the wastes of Normar, where the giant bat is seen frequently in the wilds at night, caves, and the occasional tomb or two. However, these are rumors at best and have not been proven. ####Arrival When I arrived in Shornhelm, one of the cities in the Rivenspire (also known as Normar) region, I knew I had found my place for study. Local Breton butcheries sold giant bat meat in abundance here and hunters constantly talked about killing the creatures whenever I passed by them. I decided to see my old acquaintance for her aid in my research, Noulese Provilaise. The Court-Mage of House Arouet was a bit more hectic (older too) than usual, due to the alarming reports of bloodfiends being in the area (as someone who has been inflicted with Serratus Peryiphim for centuries, I despise bloodfiends). She directed me to the Ykaloni Druids for answers to my questions, and I immediately north. ####The Breton Perspective The Druids of the Ykalon are know for their love of nature, but when I asked them about their opinion on the species of giant bat of the Wrothgarian they gave me look that could break a stone twice over. I was able to speak with one of the Druids of the Déisiniach (which translates to ‘The Revolting’), who told me that the species of giant bat are servants of the god Hran of the Dale. When I asked for more information about this deity, I was gruffly given Part VII of Varieties of Faith in Heiröc and pointed to this particular paragraph:

Hran of the Dale (Night-Talker): A very obscure god of the Ykalon faith and worshipped by relatively few, Hran of the Dale is often thought to be one of the oldest (if not the oldest) spirit in the pantheon. His domain is talking and words, and bats are sacred to him. According to druidic records, he earned his place at Y’ffre’s side when he offered to teach the importance of speech to his children. In some other traditions, however, he is thought to have forced himself into the Ykalon belief system. In the one artistic representation of him that exists (a magical statue that can be found in the wilderness near Camlorn) he is depicted as a middle-aged Breton wearing a cloak made from bat fur and carrying a stave, with bats flying around his face.

When I asked the Druids why bats were sacred to Hran of the Dale, I was told that Hran of the Dale is merely the High Rock aspect of some ancient, unknown entity some believe that is not even native to Tamriel. His Hran of the Dale aspect led a small section of his original followers to the Wrothgarian valleys, but they were driven feral by the strange magicks of this province. Hran of the Dale was filled with sadness and disgust, abandoning his worshippers as they devolved into the giant bats of today. I was somewhat skeptical of this information; I had never heard of this ‘Hran’ deity before in my entire life. But I thanked the Druid that had offered to educate me on the matter, and logged this for further study.

My study into the giant bat migrations will have to wait a bit longer; I was now too far interested in finding the origin of these creatures instead. I was wondering where to travel next when I received word from Noulese; she had found someone else who had knowledge of the giant bat in the city of Sentinel. A trip to Hammerfell it is. ####The Yokudan Perspective The tropical but arid landscape of Hammerfell was dry on my scales, but moist for my brain. I entered the inn where my friend and her contact were waiting for me, and sat down at their table. I could’ve used a drink, but I was too excited for that. The contact was a Crown Redguard (one of those who adhered to the ancient Yokudan religion of their ancestors) Priestess of Tu’whacca, who had arrived here from Stros M’kai. She refused to give me her name, which frustrated me but was something I could also admire. Our dialogue is supplied below:

“Priestess, may you tell me what you know of the giant bats of High Rock?”

“Ah, that is a story that goes back to the arrival of my people on the shores of Tamriel. When our ancestors stormed through the western coasts of the Starry Heart, it is said that a few of our gods aided in the coming of the Na-Totambu, the Yokudan royalty. One of these beings was Hoodoc, an ancient deity that is but is not one of our own. Known as the Great Talking Spirit, he summoned leagues of bat-men that fought alongside the Yokudan warriors.”

This information further intrigued me, as the Yokudan god Hoodoc struck cords of semblance with Hran of the Dale for me. After inquiring about this comparison with the Priestess, she raised an eyebrow.

“Hoodoc has many different personalities and forms. One is Hrahn, the God of Talks Too Much. Another is Hr’andyl, the God of War Speeches. Hran of the Dale? Breton fools and their mistakes; they merely refer to Hoodoc under a different name. The Great Talking Spirit led his forces to combat the savage Orcs, chasing them far into the ravines of the Wrothgarian Mountains. But when Hoodoc called for them to return, they did not listen; the bloodlust had taken full control of their minds and they had forgotten their duty to their master. This became their downfall, for the Orc-King Malooc cursed the bat-men and transformed them into the ancestors of the giant bats of today. Hoodoc was so sadden by this that he fled back west to Yokuda, never to return. His forgotten bats, however, continue to annoy the Orcs of the mountains ever since.”

I asked for more information on this Hoodoc figure, but the Priestess sadly informed that was all she knew about him. After discussing a couple more pleasantries, the Redguard woman announced that she had more important matters to intend to and departed along with Noulese. I sat there in the inn, musing; Hoodoc, Hrahn, Hr’andyl, and Hran of the Dale were all aspects of the same deity but from different cultures and strangely tied to bats it seemed. I added these notes to my collection, and set off for the one destination where I absolutely knew I could find answers regarding the giant bats: the Isle of Balfiera. ####The Direnni Perspective Ah, the mer of Clan Direnni. In normal times, they were at least slightly arrogant in their dealings. Now with the Daggerfall Covenant banging on their doorstep, they were downright nasty and hostile. Luckily for me, I was friends with some of them and the young one-hundred year old woman that saw me in remembered that I had taught her some arithmetic when she was four.

It took me four weeks to travel to the infamous Adamantine Tower, due to weather complications. I was able to meet with one of the old mystics, Falfar Direnni, who embraced me when he saw me. That had been his daughter that let me in. We sat down and discussed a few things in our lives before I asked about the giant bats. Falfar laughed, and asked me why I wanted to know more about them. I replied I was already half-bat already and he laughed even louder. He requested that we be brought food, and as we dined he explained more about the giant bats:

“The Giant bats of Wrothgar, hmm? Well, first I need to educate you on their proper name Eis. They are called the Echkin, for reasons I will soon discuss with you. If you ask the Redguards, they were brought to Tamriel along with their ancestors. Ask those introverted Druids, and they will say that the same thing with only a few minor differentiations. Have you ever heard of the fabled island of Yneslea?”

I shook my head no, my mouth filled with cake. The old mage nodded, and continued on.

“Ah, but there lies the answer. It is a mysterious land, rumored to exist far east from the shores of Tamriel. According to popular legends, it is home to a rest of sentient creatures known as the Echmer–” My eyes narrowed when I heard that, for I never heard of such a race. “–that the Akaviri loathe. They are bat elves, and hate outsiders. When the Tsaesci became here and were defeated by Reman, they told him about them. He never found their island before he died.”

I asked if the Echkin and the Echmer were connected somehow – due to the phonetic similarities in each of their names – and the mage nodded again. His voice dropped low into a whisper.

“We Direnni keep a great number of secrets in our Tower. One of these is that according to the Tsaesci, the Echmer worship a powerful being known as HRAHNDEYL, one of their own that ascended into godhood. The Akaviri described him as the God of ‘Talk’, and he has traveled the face of Nirn many times in the past. The last known of these excursions was in the First Era, when HRAHNDEYL summoned a host of his people during the Ra Gada invasion to aid Malooc and his Orcs for reasons unknown. But they were no match for the Yokudans and were driven into the Wrothgarian Mountains. HRAHNDEYL was forced to return home without his people and the Echmer that were left behind became the Echkin that plague these parts, still trying to find their own way home.”

I will not lie; I was speechless at this information. Who knew that the giant bat, the Echkin, had such a controversial history similar to that of the Giants of Skyrim and the Dreugh. I thanked Falfar for all of his help, and began the long journey back home. I recorded my final thoughts below:

The giant bats must be the descendants of the Echmer that were left behind in High Rock millennia ago (for reason uncertain) and have become depraved and feral in the centuries since due to their isolation in the Wrothgarian Mountains, becoming the modern Echkin. This deduction also explains their superior intelligence in terms of other monsters, if they had once been sentient creatures themselves. ####In Conclusion Not a bad job well done, if I have to say so myself. I think I’ve outdone myself now. But the presence of Echkin in Skyrim still disturbs me. While in High Rock, the presence of the bloodfiends was a glaring problem. Is it possible the two are connected? I know firsthand that vampires and bats have a strange relationship. Maybe…no, that can’t be. I don’t even want to think about that.

But now I am interested in a new topic of study: How can this HRAHNDEYL figure have both Yokudan and Breton aspects, and why does he play different roles in each of the Echkin origin stories? Hmm…I’ll have to remember the island of Yneslea for future endeavors.