Smoking Traditions of Tamriel: The Niben

No people anywhere on Tamriel partake of such a wide variety of smokable pleasures as the people of the Nibenese spanse. Integrating cultural influences from the nearby Colovian west and Morrowind in the north, to traditions integrated long ago from lands both exotic and far away.

No means are so integrated among the Nibenese as that of the Kiseru pipe, a hold-over from the Halcyon days of the Akaviri Potentates. The Kiseru has its origins in distant Akavir, where the pipes were made by the same artisans who decorated elaborate sword-fittings as a means of peacetime income. The Kiseru is as much an implement of smoking as it is a symbol of status, the amount of embellishment being seen as indicator of the owner’s wealth. While rice-farmers can be seen smoking simple Kiseru as they work their paddies, the landed elite take great pleasure in comparing the length and decoration of their beautiful pipes. For this reason (and due to the pipes impressive length), the Kiseru is worn hanging from the belt, along with a small, wood or leather tobacco box, which itself is a decorative item as well.

The Kiseru consists of long shaft of Bamboo or River-cane, with a small metal bowl on one end and a mouthpiece on the other. Given that the length can get in the way of one’s working, the length of the pipe is seen almost as much as indicator of wealth as the embellishments! A farmer or craftsman cannot due with an exceptionally long pipe getting in the way of his working, ergo longer pipes are often seen in the possession of those required to perform less physical tasks in their day-to-day lives. Among the Nobility, it is not uncommon to see pipes of several feet or more, their shafts wrapped with cloth hangers embroidered with names of prodigious ancestors or patron deities. These long pipes sometimes reach such lengths that the efforts of a servant are required in loading and lighting, and can carry market values in the thousands of septims. Kiseru fittings are typically crafted of steel and embellished with brass, copper, silver, gold, and orichalc decorations. Among the very elite, ebony is rarely seen, as is Vvardenfell glass.

Kiseru are used for smoking a special type of very finely shredded called Kizami. The Kizami is pinched into a small bowl and smoked quickly. This tobacco is known for its harsh, hot burn and heavy nicotine punch that are not readily welcomed by outsiders.

Elsewhere in the Niben, paticularly around county Bravil, rough, cone-shaped cigars, locally called “Cheapees” are popular, particularly among the poorer classes. These are often hand-rolled by the user and bear none of the neat uniformity of their artisan-made, western Colovian counterparts. They are typically of very dark, strong tobacco and are held with some disdain even among the lower classes, likely due to their association with deepest poverty and pungent, off-putting odor. Frequently the filling of these Cheapees is drizzled with a few drops of skooma before rolling, if the user has that predilection.

Waterpipes, called Huqqa, are popular in the south, a trend brought in by Khajiiti traders. These range from cheap, disposable pipes to high-end, artisan-crafted treasures. The cheaper pipes are made of a simple turned wooden shaft fitted into a bottle made of coconut shell, with a cane tube for smoking, these pipes are sometimes (disparagingly) referred to as Goza, and are often used for smoking illicit substances, such as marijuana weed (frequently laced with moon-sugar). The more elaborate huqqa are frequently made of brass, copper, or silver, decorated with engravings or cloisonne, and are used to smoke tobacco that has been blended with a variety of spices, minced fruits, and then treacled in molasses, mixed in various ways producing substances known as Moassel or Jurak. Some Khajiiti moassel will use molasses refined from moon-sugar, and the prospective smoker should take great care to know what they are getting.

Briar pipes from High Rock are not uncommon, with an exceedingly long style popular among the clergy. These are used to smoke botique tobaccos, grown in the Niben and then shipped to High Rock and Morrowind for curing and preparation, then shipped back. This style of smoking is seen as relatively new and foreign, displacing the popularity of the Kiseru in some regions where newer settlers have gained foothold.