Daedric Genera: On The Cervine Impidae

Zōion, Elementalist of Mustikos’arcere

The Echmeri have had many encounters and dealings with the group of ATEDA we refer to as the DRA, the ones that dwell in the Outer Realm widely known as Oblivion, for centuries. We don’t generally hold any positive or negative feelings for these beings in particular, but we do hold a manner of respect for these beings and many of our legends involves the more powerful individuals amongst their ranks (‘Grandsire MORRAH’ and ‘Lady REMINA’ are the first to come to mind). We call those individuals the Chaos Numen, but in Tamriel they use the term ‘Daedric Princes’. The Chaos Numen have many servants that they employ to do their bidding in both Oblivion and in the Mundus, and this tome shall focus on the one my people have a particular fondness for, the Lesser DRA classified in the order Cervine Impidae.

When translated from my native Echi the words Cervine Impidae means ‘small deerlike sanguinary hellions’, but the more informal title ‘deer imps’ is much more popular due to its shortness in length and straight forwardness. Nevertheless, these types of Daedra infamous for both their mischievous nature and savagery to mortals and fellow DRA alike. Humanoid in appearance but bestial in mindset, the order Cervine Impidae consists of the ‘species’ known as the Scamps, Hernes, and Morphoid Daedra, whose entire reason for existence is to only serve as the hounds of the Daedric Princes.

According to our own myths and theories the Cervine Impidae were created by CINEH (who the Tamrielics more commonly recognize as Hircine), who found it an injustice and great offense to himself that the deer of Nirn were always the hunted but never the hunters. Unable to truly alter the deer’s aggression or imbue it with qualities that would make it a more formidable animal, CINEH snatched both a deer and a mortal child from Nirn to create his own deerlike creature that would be both the predator and the prey. After combining and adjusting the skeletons of the unfortunate individuals the new bone-frame was then exposed to the raw chaotic creatia of CINEH’s realm the Hunting Grounds in order to give the new Daedra its body, brain, and brawn. Thus emerged the first Scamp into the Planes of Oblivion, who have been some of its most seen denizens in the Mundus ever since.

Something that I think is necessary to mention in limited detail before we discuss the members of Cervine Impidae is the DRA view on mortal reproduction. It is a commonly accepted fact on Yneslea that the Chaos Numen are not disturbed by sexual reproduction, the more intelligent Lesser DRA are not concerned by it but are somewhat confused of its needs, and that the less intelligent Lesser DRA find it disturbing, horrifying, and disgusting. This stems from the fact that Daedra are not born through copulation, but are instead reborn anew from the waters of Oblivion (a more poetic term for chaotic creatia) after being killed. This process is quite painful for DRA and can take an unknown amount of time to finish, therefore Daedra equate sexual activity with suffering. However, a theory that one of my forebears petitioned to both the Elemental Sodality and the Mages Guild of Tamriel is that despite not having actual ages and being truly immortal beings, DRA still mature in a way similar to the mortal races (from Infant to Child to Teenager to Adult). Through experimentations and interviews he performed with the DRA he learned that at least the smarter Lesser Daedra scoff at the notions of mortal love when asked if they experienced sexual desire, and they replied that they only gain sensual satisfaction from ‘inflicting pain on others’ and that this satisfaction makes them ‘stronger, bigger, and more terrifying to their enemies’. With my teacher’s reasoning this would mean that the DRA maturity rate depends on how many acts of sadism they inflict on both mortals and each other; he also speculates that the Chaos Numen, the Daedric Princes, are the only DRA to reach the mysterious ‘Elder’ level of maturity which allows them to share and maintain absolute power in the Planes of Oblivion, as well as explaining why they are considered the wisest and most ‘cunning’ Daedra. That said, I shall apply the above to the Cervine Impidae.

The Scamps (the Infants) are the most common types of Cervine Impidae and will probably be the only type you’ll ever encounter. They are very small, around the size of a two-year old child, and the lower halves of their bodies are covered with fur. Their feet have three claws instead of toes, but their upper halves resemble that of a mortal child except for being well-muscled. Their ears are almost laughably large (larger than even the ears of us Echmer) and their mouths are lined with razor sharp teeth. Despite being considered very simple in intellect the Scamps are in fact fairly intelligent, but often choose not to speak unless spoken to first. Their voices are slightly high-pitched and they tend to speak in the third-person during conversation; they also have a habit (which stays with them even as they mature) to refer to mortals as ‘manlings’, even when they’re speaking to elves or beastfolk. What separates them from their more evolved forms are the lack of antlers and hooves (as well as their tails not being forked), which denotes their childlike status amongst their kin and superiors. They are incapable of using magic (although it has been reported that those on the brink of maturing can use some highly basic spells) and will resort to melee when fighting (but they will not use weapons). Their sense of hearing and smell are exceptional, allowing them to track their prey with ease. When a Scamp starts to mature it is said that it begins to violently secrete a fluid that covers it head to toe, encasing it in a cocoon-like shell so that its body can be protected from outside forces as it begins to change.

The Herne (the Children) will then emerge from the cocoon and take its place higher up in the Order. At this state of maturity the Herne is now the size of a ten-year old and has grown antlers on its head, calling back to its origins as a deer of Nirn. Its clawed-feet have melted into hooves, allowing it to run faster than the simple Scamp during battle, and its tail has now grown longer and is forked as well. Its ears have also decreased in size, but its hearing is better than ever. While still unable of using magic the Herne compensates for this by wielding one-handed weaponry, which they can use to deadly effect. They are much more intelligent and more willing to talk than Scamps, and almost display a type of amusing yet still smug curiosity with ‘manlings’ when they conduct conversations with mortals. Like their younger brethren the Scamps the Herne go through almost the same metamorphosis after they cause enough pain to mature, except their cocoons catch on fire and begin to emit intense steam and levels of heat.

The Morphoid Daedra (the Teenagers) will erupt from the cocoon, and are terrible to behold. Their antlers are much more curved and regal-looking than those of the Herne, and while their lower halves are still covered in fur their skin almost looks semi-melted and is a painful orange in hue, as if they were dipped in boiling liquid. They are around the size of a seventeen-year old, with their ears being smaller than that of a Herne and their forked tail being much longer. A new physical trait is that they have horn-like growths protruding from their shoulders that they use in combat. Morphoid Daedra are highly intelligent and will converse frequently, but their dialogue is often deviant and perverse. They are also capable of using fire magic, which makes them much deadlier in combat (they often usually forgo the need to use weapons at this stage of development).

Although one has never been encountered on Yneslea before, it is often speculated that the final level of maturity for a Scamp is a Lesser DRA called a Cervintaur (the Adults). When a Morphoid Daedra goes under metamorphosis once again it is believed that its cocoon is made from liquid fire that is secreted from their skin, and they emerge with their skin charred and a blood-red. Cervintaurs are theorized to almost look like the centaurs of Tamriel (but rest be assured, they are not related), having the body and legs of a deer. Their shoulder-horns and antlers are larger and much more majestic, with the latter being on fire, and their forked tails are longer as well. Their upper halves resemble the upper half of a Morphoid Daedra, except more muscled and developed. Their intelligence is said to rival the intelligence of Dremora, and they utilize both a wide assortment of fire spells and two-handed weaponry in combat. The Cervintaur is the final form a Scamp can achieve, which may take centuries of warring to do so.

Although the DRA do not have actual genders many often choose to manifest as either males or females, and Cervine Impidae are no exception to this rule. ‘Female’ Scamps, Herne, and Morphoid Daedra certainly do exist, but the ‘males’ are much more common to interact with and judging by comments from the latter it has been suggested that Order Cervine Impidae is a matriarchate, with the women being in positions of power and the men performing the grunt work.

I shall end this volume by describing the allegiance of the Cervine Impidae and their Oblivion Plane. Although created by CINEH, the Scamp and its brethren can be found in the realms of MEHAGON (Mehrunes Dagon), MOBAL (Molag Bal), and some of the other Chaos Numen. This suggests that the Lesser DRA swear oaths to multiple Daedric Princes at the same time. They hail from Cervinus, a pocket dimension linked to the Hunting Grounds. It looks like an autumn forest set in a forever dusk, where Cervine Impidae can hunt and be hunted by each other endlessly into eternity.