Conversations With Aither, An Echmer Exul

(Part 1 out of 4)

Greetings to my colleagues in Surveyor Hall – home to the esteemed Surveyors Guild – in Nibenay. Several weeks ago I was contacted by an old friend by the name of Eis Vuur Warden, a high-tier member in the Imperial Geographic Society. The almost always ill-tempered Argonian was planning to sail to the Imperial territory known as Yneslea to begin writing a large work entitled A Pocket Guide to the Empire and its Territories, First Edition. Knowing that I was interested in learning the customs of different cultures, he invited me to come join him (I’m so very sorry for not sending a note; it was a such a short notice!).

After spending four months on Yneslea I returned with many sketches, artifacts, and writings. Right now I am sitting in a bed inside an inn near the port town of Soulrest in Black Marsh, waiting for Eis to finish some business. I thought that before I returned that you would all like to read the answers I received to my questions while staying on Yneslea. I hope you enjoy my friends!

Warm Regards,

Eci Erif Nedraw

Upon walking aboard the Yneslea-bound ship Hestra’s Eye I wasn’t expecting to come face-to-face with my first Echmer individual, as Eis had stated none ever traveled to Tamriel. But here I was, shocked and surprised, when I walked directly into one by accident! Dressed in what I assumed was sailor’s attire due to the fact it was made out of a material I hadn’t seen before, he was tall and covered in light brown fur with sparkling green eyes. His ears were large and merish, and when he placed his arms to his sides I could see bat-like membranes underneath his arms. On his left forearm he wore a strange but beautifully designed armlet made out of what seemed like chitin.

He extended a hand and I accepted it, flushed red with embarrassment. The Echmer introduced himself as Aither, and that he was going to be their guide on Yneslea. I heard a snort from behind me, and turned to see Eis trying hard not to laugh. The lizard! He must’ve known this was going to happen all along. When I turned to apologize to Aither he had already vanished to some other part of the ship.

It wasn’t until the next day that I was able to speak to Aither again, where he accepted my apology during breakfast. He seemed distant and not entirely sociable, but was pleasant enough. I decided to ask him some questions about his homeland, and although he seemed irritated he answered them to the best of his ability and I learned a great deal of things.

>Something I have always wondered about your homeland was that while some people refer to it as Yneslea, others call it Yne, Slea, or some other name. Which moniker is correct?

#####Aither, Echmer, Exul, Sailor, Polymath, and Freelancer

“Ha, that’s something you foreigners always seem to get wrong. Yneslea is actually compromised of eight islands – it’s an archipelago. First you have Yne, which is the largest and most settled by the Empire. Second is its sister Slea, who is much more untamed. Hrahn’s Isles are three closely-knit islands that we don’t really care much about. Morubixaba is a small island that’s…strange, to say the least. Elysia is used as resort in a sense for those that are stressed. And Pasgaviati is a military outpost that maintains watch over the other islands, although it used to be abandoned. There’s also the Dweech…but that’s not an island.”

>The Dweech? What’s that?

#####Aither

“Underneath all of the islands in my homeland is a massive cavern system that my people refer to as the Dweech, or ‘Deep Echoes’ in our tongue. It has been our ancestral home in ancient times, being host to all of our subterranean Urbs, farms, observatories, and more. Our people were literally ‘born’ as a whole within its darkness. We Exul live on the surface of the islands, preferring life in the sun over life in the Dweech. But we still travel there frequently on personal matters. The Dweech shelters and links all. But there are still thousands of areas within it that we haven’t explored in full. It’s a beautiful yet mysterious place.”

>I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but everyone onboard Hestra’s Eye seems to refer to you as an ‘Exul’. And the way you just used the term implies that it has much significance. Could you tell me what it means?

#####Aither

“In Modern Echi, the tongue of my race, Exul means ‘drifter’. In Primeval Echi the word meant ‘sun-lover’ for our ancestors. Both definitions can be equally applicable depending on the individual, for instance I prefer the first one. Exul are Echmer who live on the surface of the islands, either in villages or on their own. Our culture is a bit more…primitive? I don’t know if that’s the right word for it, but that’s probably what you Tamrielics would call it. Exul life is simple yet hardy; we herd livestock, plant crops, and fish all day. Some of us – myself for example – develop a notion to leave the islands and travel abroad to the other Imperial territories or mainland Tamriel. But we would never establish communities in different places; we prefer to keep to ourselves and just wander.”

Are there any differences between Exul and Dweech Echmer architecture styles? What are the different types of building materials I can see once I arrive on Yneslea in the villages and…Urbs you say?

#####Aither

“Urb is Echi for city, and the only one you’ll probably get to enter once you arrive on Yneslea is Oexra’numsaz, which is where the Troika preside. All of the other Urbs are controlled by the Penta Wards and officially off limits for foreigners, unless you’re capable of proving your worth to that particular Ward’s High Hypothesian.

Echmer Urbs are built within the Dweech and made out of euphitrite, a special metal solely created by acoustineering. Buildings jut out of the ground, upwards into the rock, and sometimes downwards from the ceiling with intricate walkways and ladders that allow for my people to travel around in ease. Natural underground river rapids and waterfalls flow through the Urbs constantly, with green lamps lighting particularly dark areas. They are constructed in an elaborate three section style, with each section in the shape of a circle surrounding the next section until the last.

Metropolitan Style is the Outlying Section and is where the populace lives. The buildings here are smaller than those of the other sections and feature high-walled outer courtyards and halls. Domiciles – the respected manors of Echmeri sects – are built like aristocratic strongholds that command love and respect. Places of trade can be found here like forges and other civilian utilities. Academic Style is the Middle Section, which focuses on the education of youths, pursuits of research of many facets, and hosts all intuitional places such as libraries and orreries. The buildings here are sleek and towering, joined together but have enough space to pass through them freely by walkway or the Aerogrid. Doctrinal Style is the Inner Section and is dedicated to our ancestors. Grand multi-tiered blocks are arranged alongside streets of perfectly tiered gardens and rivers. High bridges lead across the canals to smaller shrines and tabernacles, and statues of our Ancestors adorn the streets. The main point of prestige here is the Shul, which is connected to all other buildings within the section.

The architecture of the Exul, which I grew up surrounded by, is simple yet complex. Huts are built out of local materials, with organic curves and camouflaged exteriors to match the landscape and shield us from predators. Fences wrap the settlements in a rectangular barrier and the settlement guards walk around the barrier’s perimeter at all times of the day. Similar in style to the Urbs, the places of living are arranged in a circle outside the buildings of learning, which is arranged as a circle around the Shul.

Our islands are also populated by the peaceful goblins known as the Hyu-Ket. Their architectural style is primitive and nomadic in essence. The Hyu-Ket prefer to live in natural caves or gorges across the islands. Once inside they create one central tent out of Yak skin, fur, and bones for the whole of the tribe, with individual tents inside for sleeping and other activities. An animal pen is also constructed outside of the tent for their herds.

A sight that is not that strange to most Tamrielics – especially those from Hammerfell, Morrowind, and Skyrim – is the architectural style of the Dwemer. Their ancient but still functioning strongholds can be found across the islands, made out of a fusion of Dwemeri metal and stone and built into rocky climes or steep cliffs. Both the surface and the Dweech is host to many of them.

If you’re fortunate enough you may see the architecture of the Protoechi, the ancestors of the Echmeri people. Protoechi Style consists of strange, swirly, almost-vortex like buildings and towers made from marble and other materials. They are mainly found in the Dweech, but a few structures can be found scattered across the surface as well and I’m quite fond of them.

The last style you’ll definitely encounter is Imperial Urban, which is prominent in Empire towns like Port White-Gold or Imperium. Imperial urban style looks a bit out of place on Yneslea, but is slowly becoming a common and growing sight in recent years. Houses, shops, and tradehouses are of timbered, half-timbered, or stone construction in the Western manner, with peaked roofs, right angles and flat planes, and plain, undecorated exteriors.

[Aither takes a moment to drink some rum after saying all of this, and cuts into the fish on his plate. After eating a few bites he turns to stare back at me, looking a bit embarrassed.]

I’m…I’m sorry for talking so much. I can carry on about my homeland a bit.”

>No, don’t apologize! That was a great wealth of information. But something that caught my attention were the terms ‘Troika’, ‘Penta Ward’, and ‘High Hypothesian’. Am I correct in saying these are related to Echmeri government?

#####Aither

“Good observations. Yes, you are correct. The Echmer are ruled over by the Council of Dull Chimes, which was established at the beginning of our recorded history and marked the emergence of modern Echmer civilization from the chaotic times of the Protoechi. The Council consists of eight elite persons who are in control of the eight major parts of Echmeri society. The Troika is the collective term for three of those individuals and are in charge of Industry, Agriculture, and Commerce. As I mentioned earlier, they can be found in and are in control of the Urb of Oexra’numsaz in the Ambient Littoral.

The other five seats of the Council are made up of the High Hypothesians, who control the Penta Wards. Penta Wards are, for lack of better wording, familial organizations that consists of likeminded sects that follow a set of guidelines as well as the Law. The Coalescent Efflux is in charge of Education and its Urb of Mkikeff’lorisaz can be found in the Hae’macrin Mountains. The Shattering Fusion is in charge of War and its Urb of Tije’geutsaz can be found in the Opal Coast. The Hidden Perception is in charge of Religion and its Urb of Gratiu’tiusaz can be found in Gtutur’s Arids. The Confined Abyss is in charge of Magicka and its Urb of Furq’mitysaz can be found in the Melodic Forest. And the Neglectful Acceptance is in charge of Medicine and its Urb of Raz’xensaz can be found in Urroal.”

>What are the regions like? Also, what are the sects and the ‘Law’ of which you just spoke?

#####Aither

“The Hae’macrin Mountains, Opal Coast, and Ambient Littoral can be found on Yne and Gtutur’s Arids, the Melodic Forest, and Urroal can be found on Slea. The Hae’macrin Mountains are bitter and cold, the only place where snow can be naturally found on Yneslea. The beautiful Opal Coast where I was born is like a fusion between a sandy beach and rolling, grassy plains. The Ambient Littoral is a coastal taiga with muddy soil, but is the seat of Imperial power on the islands and is a great spot for fishing. Gtutur’s Arids are a depressing sea of white sand, a desert that is blistering hot in both the day and the night. The Melodic Forest is a giant forest where the trees seem to grow out of one another. And Urroal is a rocky wasteland with perpetual rain and thunderstorms.

Sects are an Echmer’s entire family from the youngest infant to the oldest senior. There are over a thousand sects, separated from the others by the two-letters at the end of an individuals name. For example, I am Aither of Sect Er, which was founded by Hagreger the Calm. New sects can be founded if an individual personally leaves or is expelled; if it is the latter, you cannot be adopted into another sect. Sects can be absorbed into another sect, temporarily scattered, or permanently destroyed depending on a number of actions.

You want to know about the Law? I don’t think there’s anything like it for you Tamrielics. When the first Council of Dull Chimes was established one of their first priorities was to keep my race from descending back into chaos and war. Using the remnants of Dwemeri notes, they were able to use some form of primal tonal architecture to permanently bind our race to a set of rules that we now refer to as the Law, or the Creed. All Echmer are born knowing it in full and we can never forget it; it is possible to break parts of the Law, but woe on he or she that does so.”

>Dwemeri notes? Dwemer ruins dotting the countryside? That is all very, very interesting. What is your people’s connection with the infamous Dwarves?

#####Aither

“Well…they are our Begetters, the Dwemer. In times before our recorded history a large clan of them traveled from your continent and came to Yneslea. Back then, we weren’t like what we are today. We were indistinguishable from common animals. But the Dwemer brought their tones and for the first time my people grasped a bigger picture other than breeding, eating, and dying. We became smarter, bigger, and gained souls. We owe the Dwemer so much; our acoustineering, our philosophy, our automatons…they were all heavily influenced by their notes and teachings. I wish I could meet one…but they all disappeared, so I guess that’s just not going to happen.”

>We would all like to meet a Dwarf, my friend. Have you ever traveled to Hammerfell, Skyrim, or Morrowind to examine Dwarven artifacts there? Or any of your people for that fact?

#####Aither

“My people as a whole are very interested in the Dwemer mechanisms in Tamriel, and a few Exul and non-Exul have traveled here to study them on the behalf of the Septims; in fact, Uriel Septim V exclusively wanted my people to examine several Dwemeri devices after Yneslea was annexed. I’ve personally haven’t, but mostly because I haven’t had the time yet. The closest I got was Winterhold, but that was during Heart’s Day and all of the guides were unavailable for hiring.”

>Ah, I love Heart’s Day. Do the Echmer celebrate any Tamrielic holidays since their corporation into the Empire, or do you have your own unique festivals?

#####Aither

“If by ‘holiday’ you mean ‘great big party where one gets drunk and nearly eats themselves to death’, then probably not. My people aren’t fond of wasting time on extravagant events when one could be doing something far more productive. Sounds strict, I know, but it’s the truth. Our festivals are much more respectful in nature, and are meant to commemorate our ancestors and events. Because of that the Penta Wards, Exul, and individual sects can have their own unique festivals. For example, in Sect Er we have Hagreger’s Tides on the 24th of Mid Year in Tamrielic terms. On that day we acknowledge how Hagreger became the first Echmer to sail across the Bitter Sea. My entire family comes together to feast and read quotes by Hagreger before descending into our ossuary to pay our respects for many hours.

A festival that my entire race celebrates is the Day of Life on 21st of Last Seed. It’s the day the marks the foundation of the Council of Dull Chimes, where my people for the first time as a whole looked up at the nighttime sky and finally saw the stars. No work is to be done for the entire day and the whole of the Echmeri race travels to Oexra’numsaz to hear the always different ‘How Far We’ve Come’ speech by the Council. After it is finished, our race then comes aboveground to piquenique – eat and drink together to celebrate our people in and of ourselves.”

>You mentioned ossuaries. Are Echmer burial customs similar to those of other merish cultures?

#####Aither

“I beg your pardon, but one of the defining traits of my people is our uniqueness compared to all of the other races. In Echmeri society when one dies their body is first kept unexposed from the elements. Then, a master stonemason begins crafting a hollow statue in the exact likeness of the deceased family member. Once it is finished, the body is then cremated and the ash placed within the statue. The statue is then erected in a sect’s ossuary alongside every other ancestor in that sect’s history. At the base of the statue a plaque is inscribed with a quote from the deceased, as well as a large dish containing water that symbolizes the memory of the deceased. Then the entire of the sect sits in silent mourning for the rest of the day, wearing sables – grieving attire – for all to know that they lost someone to the Black that day.

[He fiddles with his fork, looking a bit saddened from the current discussion.]

All Echmer have a strong distaste for the aurbical prison and are grateful that once we pass into the Black we are free of it forever. But we have strong family ties, and it is always tragic to mourn the lost of a friend or relative.”

>Yes, it is always difficult when one has to mourn. If you don’t mind, I would like to move on from this saddening discussion. The armlet your wearing…it is very intricate and well-designed. It seems very important.

[Aither smiles, and touches the armlet fondly.]

#####Aither

“It is my nupi’ril – my wedding armlet. I have been married to my wife for two years now; she lives on Yne in the village. She too has an nupi’ril exactly identical to her own, which she wears on her right arm. A nupi’ril tells the complete tale of a husband’s and wives’ sects, their individual life experiences, and the first moment they knew they were in love. Both individuals pick the color and general design of the armlets; no nupi’ril is the same as another couple’s nupi’ril.

>That is delightful and very loving. What are the marital customs like amongst the Echmer?

#####Aither

“Well, before even considering marrying another spouse one must first court the person in question for a long time; getting to know your potential future spouse in full is very important. But at the same time, one wouldn’t want to reveal everything about themself to the courter. It’s almost like a game in a sense; both individuals trying to get the other to reveal things about themselves but at the same time holding back their own life experiences. Ha, my wife made me wait for years until she knew in her heart that I loved her. After courting is over, the two then host a dinner with both of their sects present to proclaim their love for another as well as ask for their families consent for the relationship. When consent is given – which can be a long, nervous process haha – the two can then become one.

These two years with my beloved have been some of the best in my life. Perhaps one day we’ll soon be able to make a nest a little ones eventually.”

>It seems that lunch is almost over. While speaking about children, and I hope the Divines bless you with one of your own soon, what is the educational system in your culture like?

#####Aither

“Thank you for the kind words. In Echmeri society when one becomes ten years of age they are sent to the Institution to learn their academics: grammar, architecture, cartography, arithmetic, literature, metaphysics, so on and so fourth. Pupils in the Institution is separated by year and inter-year symposia are not allowed. Symposiums are taught by either one or two teachers, three if the subject material ranges a broad topic. Pupils are expected to attend ten one-and-a-half-hour symposiums a day, but up to twenty can be applied for during your time in the Institution. One attends the Institution for eight years and graduates when they are eighteen, the age of adulthood in my people’s culture. The pupils themselves live and eat in their Urb’s Institution, but are allowed to schedule visits home three times a month using Tamrielic calendar terms.

Ha, I’m surprised I remember all of that to be honest. I was a bit rowdy during my time in the Institution, so I wasn’t paying absolute attention when I should’ve been. Part of the reason why I didn’t join a Ward when I graduated, besides from the fact none of them appealed to me. Education is taken very seriously amongst my people.”

>You are troublemaker? I wouldn’t have guessed! I think we have time for one last question. You mentioned that the Echmer have different terms for their calendar?

#####Aither

“Well, of course! My people have existed for millennia without true, formal contact with other sentient races; we developed our own unique calendar system. The Echmeri calendar is similar to the Tamrielic calendar in many ways, but is based on what my people call Wheels and Cycles. Months are referred to as Wheels and days are referred to as Cycles. On Yneslea, these calendars are elaborate constructs consisting of twelve Wheels symbolic of months in the year. Years are called Annums in Echi. During a particular a month, that Wheel will glow silver compared to the dull black of the others. When a day passes, the silver Wheel will revolve (hence the term ‘cycle’) and keep track of itself. Eras are called Aeons on Yneslea, and are usually determined by important events that occur on our island. Interestingly, our aeons coincide with the Tamrielic eras except for different events. For example, our Second Aeon was declared when the Kamal unleashed a terrifying blizzard on the Ynesleaic archipelago that we still refer to as The First Year of Cold Death.”

>Such information! I think I’ve learned much about your people to aid me once we make landfall on Yneslea. I deeply appreciate your help Aither. Goodbye for now.

#####Aither

“Always glad to help someone who really needs it, mam. Oh, and that’s another thing: don’t ever say goodbye to an Echmer. In my culture it signifies that you’ll never see the person you’re talking to again. If you never say goodbye or farewell, then you’re never truly gone; you’re just not here right now. But don’t walk away without saying something to end the discussion; you’ll be seen as being rude. Instead, tell your conversing companion to ‘always walk in the Black’. It’s a phrase of well-meaning and one that is used quite often in my homeland. In response one would say ‘and may you always walk the same fortune.’”

>Haha, thank you then Aither for the departing words of wisdom. Always walk in the Black, my friend.

#####Aither “Haha, you learn quick and well! And may you always walk the same fortune.”