On the Way of Honor and the Law of Moderation: A Look Into Tsaesci Physiology

On the Way of Honor and the Law of Moderation: A Look Into Tsaesci Physiology

By Maering Bear-Poker

A Brief Introduction:

Long has it been since a true Tsaesci was seen in Tameriel. Though their influence on the Empire has lasted throughout the ages since the waning years of the First Era, the Tsaesci themselves have vanished. Whether through murderous plots, reimigration to Akavir, or full assimilation into the Nibenean populace; these mysterious snake-men leave only traces of their presence here on Tamriel.

One of the more long-standing academic conversations about the Tsaesci is a lively one: What do the Tsaesci look like? Such a simple question and one that we would think there was a simple answer to. However, the passage of time has blurred our memories, and conflicting evidence muddies our perception even further. Are they the half-snake, half man creatures described by early scholars and popularized by famed author Carlovac Townway? Or are they simply foreign men, as sugguested by excavations in sites such as the Pale Pass?

Through years of perseverance, I have searched for anything pertaining to the Akaviri Trouble of 1E2703 and the subsequent reign of the Akaviri Potentates. What I have found is largely incomplete and scattered sources: ranging from archaic Imperial records in the Imperial Library, to collected translations of Akaviri documents kept by various noble families throughout Cyrodiil. Though the picture is not complete, I believe I have been able to assemble a work that potentially will shed light on the age-old question of what the Tsaesci look like.

Chapter 1: The Multiple Forms Taken by Tsaesci

The major reason for such confusion on Tsaesci appearance results from multiple, conflicting sources. Tsaesci have been described in all manner of ways from “golden vampire-snakes,” “slithering snake-men,” and even shown to look no different than the Men of Tamriel. What my research has allowed me to discover is that there is truth to all of these claims! The Tsaesci are not a homogenously shaped people; they take several forms. These forms are related to what the Tsaesci refer to as the “Way of Honor” and the “Law of Moderation.” Based on the adherence to these concepts, Tsaesci will take on varying levels of serpentine and human fetures. The names of these forms are loose translations at best, but seem to match well with their descriptions.

The Coiled Master

The most bestial form the Tsaesci take is known as the Coiled Master. These massive, golden-scaled snakes are the original and most revered form of the Tsaesci. In the early days of Akavir, Tsaesci belief states that these beautiful and terrifying creatures found the ship-wrecked survivors of Men who fled Tamriel after their god was defeated and torn asunder.

The voyage across the Seas had ravaged them, and taken from them their humanity; these were no longer true Men, but illiterate canibals. The Coiled Masters took pity on these creatures, giving them language and culture, but this was not enough. Direct intervention was needed to save these foolish beings, and thus were the Men of Akavir Eaten, and Symbiosis was achieved.

Most Tsaesci found the Law of Moderation and their forms were changed. Some Tsaesci chose a more noble path, a life of ascetism. This is the Way of Honor, and Tsaesci on this path remain the wise and revered Coiled Masters. The mechanics of their Eating is obscure and complex, but to try and understand it, one may perceive it as feeding solely upon the magickal energies of the Soul.

No harm is befallen to these Food-Forms, as the Tsaesci refer to mortals, and the energy gained by the Coiled Master is enough to sustain his immortality. Those humans that are fed upon by the Coiled Masters develop connections with the snake, and the Symbiosis gives them much power, both magickally and socially.

The Snake-Lord

The second form taken by Tsaesci is known as the Snake-Lord. This half-snake, half-man creature has a golden-scale covered humanoid torso that twists into a long, powerful tail. The most notable examples of these Snake-Lords are the Akaviri Potentates: Versidue-Shaie and his son Savirien-Chorak.

These snakes felt the Hunger in those early days of Akavir, the Hunger that all snakes feel. The Way of Honor would not satisfy them. Instead, the Law of Moderation was created so that the Hunger of Tsaesci would not drive them to gluttony. Feeding upon the blood of Men is became the Snake-Lords’ way of Eating. Leaving their Food-Forms alive and uninjured, these Tsaesci use their fangs to drain blood swiftly and efficiently. Feeding upon human blood is what gives the Snake-Lords their hybrid-form.

Where as the Coiled Master subtly guides Tsaesci from the shadows, Snake-Lords choose to openluy-rule and exert their ambition. They form the ruling class among the Tsaesci, and dictate laws and enforce them effectively and efficiently. Upper echelons of the Tsaesci military are also filled with many ambitious Snake-Lords, though the actual warrior class consists of men and the third form of Tsaesci, the Scale-Walkers.

The Scale-Walker

The third form the snake-men of Tsaesci take is fully humanoid in body-shape, with long, powerful arms and legs. Their features and skin are distinctly serpentine and covered in scales like the other snake-forms. The have short, flat noses and wide, dark eyes. They possess the fangs and forked tongues all Tsaesci share.

Their way of Eating is more severe than the Snake-Lords’, but still adheres to the Law of Moderation. Their Hunger is such that blood is not enough, and they must consume an entire human, swallowing them whole. While this practice may be absolutely horrifying to Tamriel (and indeed, the other nations of Akavir,) this method of Eating is viewed as necessary and humane. A Scale-Walker will only consume three humans throughout their long lives, and the Men of Tsaesci have come to view being chosen as a Food-Form a great honor. In addition to this, Scale-Walkers sate their hunger with the blood of goblins and animals; though the blood of Men is strictly forbidden to all but the Snake-Lords.

Vershu (later Renald, who transformed the Dragonguard to the Blades) and Mishaxi, Akaviri commander at Pale Pass are prime examples of Scale-Walkers, and showcase their quasi-equality in society with the Men of Tsaesci. The warrior, merchant, and artisan castes consist of both Scale-Walkers and humans, though Scale-Walkers tend to more densely populate the warrior caste.

The Honor-Starved and Men of Akavir

There is a fourth (and most dishonorable) form the Tsaesci can take: the Honor Starved. These are the shameful snakes who will not control their Hunger. These outcasts feed upon humans and goblins alike. Honor Starved are hated by other Tsaesci and feared by humans. It is an honor-worthy feat to hunt down and slay these pariahs.

It is not always easy to find these monsters, however. Their constant feeding can make them indistinguishable from humans, save for their tongues. A quiet man sitting alone in a corner of a tavern is always looked upon with suspicion when attacks on humans occur. Some tales even tell of Honor Starved who feed so much on animals that they begin to look like men with the heads of dogs and rats. Whether or not these stories are true, what is true is that these Honor Starved almost brought ruin to the Tsaesci race by nearly eating the men of Akavir into extinction.

Interbreeding with humans by Scale-Walkers and Honor Starved in this bottleneck event is what gives the men of Akavir their distinct appearance. This period of racial mingling led to the formation of an elite caste of humans bred using special methods to ensure their purity for the purposes of providing ideal Food-Forms for the Coiled Masters and Snake-Lords. These Higher Food-Forms and the Men of Akavir in general will be discussed in my next chapter: The Honored Prey.