Descendants of the Druadach: Abanagarahtan

The lesser known province of Abanagarahtan (The ‘Forbidden Death-Reach’ in Ayleidoon, which is spoken much there) is not really a province at all, but a territory situated in-between Skyrim and High Rock on the western side of the Druadach Mountains. Here the trees grow with rotting leaves and blood-red fruit, and are fiercely protected by the Vabriajorane – the Foaming Betrayed, a large tribe of Reachmen whose very souls are tied to the land itself. Civilized yet feral, intelligent yet sanguineous; the Vabriajorane are perhaps one of the more interesting suborders of Men that can be found throughout Tamriel.

Unlike most of the Reachmen clans scattered across the borders of High Rock, Hammerfell, and Skyrim – whose veins include all manners of strange blood mixtures – the Vabriajorane contain a greater deal of merish ancestry than most Bretons. To be more specific, their lifestyle is heavily influenced by the large amounts of Ayleid blood that runs through their vein, shown through their lightly golden skin and slightly pointed ears. But there is also a savagery contained within them, a savagery that can be felt by staring at their natural-born fangs, eternally hurt-looking purple eyes, and the lather that drips disgustedly from their mouths.

To understand the birth of Abanagarahtan and the Vabriajoranei themselves, one must peruse at depth the latters oral mythohistory, which begins with the most understood of the Daedra Lords of the Second Void – Peryite. The aboriginal^{1 humans of Tamriel, the Nedes, were the first known worshippers of the Taskmaster and he is considered to have been one of their major patron deities back during the Merethic & First Eras. Modern scholars believe he was the god of life, death, and – most importantly – time for them in regards to balance and history. He was a fickly deity who was both Creator and Destroyer, Dreaded and Revered. All of the Nedes in Cyrodiil (subgroups like the Keptu and the Kothringi also held him in high esteem, but were known to supplant his worship with other gods}2) made prayer to Peryite constantly.

> Book Excerpt, “Daedra Worship Across Tamriel: Peryite” > > Whereas some of the other Princes neonymics (the names they created/chose for mortals to refer to them as) are translatable (for example, ‘Molag Bal’ means ‘Fire Stone’ in Ehlnofex as well as the Mer dialects that evolved from it), it is still a mystery why the Taskmaster chose Peryite as his. It is similar in nature to the Ayleid word pyrite (‘harmony’) and the Nedic word pryit (‘to seep’). The word peryite (‘balance corrupting’) itself is a Nordic word, dating back to the First Era around the creation of the Alessian Empire and very similar to pyrite and pryit. Because of this some theorists suggest that ‘Peryite’ is an accidental amalgamation of those words created by Nordic travelers who spoke with both races during their early interactions with the Heartlands. Eventually the new word became the standard name for the Prince after men’s permanence in Cyrodiil was secured so that negotiations with the First Empire of the Nords would run smoothly. However, that is all speculation and Peryite himself seems to treat the name as if it is just as ancient as he is. Of course, like the rest of the Daedra Princes, the Taskmaster’s protonymic is unknown. […]

^1. ^‘Aboriginal ^humans’? ^What ^manner ^of ^imaginative ^balderdash ^is ^this? ^All ^scholars ^worth ^their ^merit ^know ^that ^the ^Nedes ^were ^just ^one ^of ^several ^human ^tribes ^that ^lived ^in ^Atmora ^and ^came ^to ^Tamriel ^after ^Ysgramor ^drove ^all ^the ^Snow ^Elves ^from ^Skyrim ^(Read: “The Five-Hundred Mighty Companions or Thereabouts of Ysgramor the Returned”). ^The ^idea ^that ^Nedes ^lived ^in ^Tamriel ^before ^the ^Atmorans ^came ^is ^contributed ^to ^ancient ^Aldmer ^attempts ^at ^breaking ^the ^close ^familial ^bonds ^the ^races ^of ^men ^had ^for ^one ^another, ^and ^it ^especially ^began ^to ^circulate ^during ^the ^hostilities ^between ^Emperor ^Tiber ^Septim ^and ^the ^second ^Aldmeri ^Dominion ^in ^the ^Second ^Era.

^2. ^Most ^surviving ^texts ^and ^artistic ^representations ^paint ^the ^Nedes ^as ^worshippers ^of ^strange ^star-spirits ^instead ^of ^traditional ^deities, ^but ^this ^practice ^is ^found ^mostly ^in ^the ^culture ^of ^the ^Nedes ^of ^the ^Deathlands ^(Pre-Yokudan Hammerfell.)

It was only until the Ayleidoon began to enslave the Cyro-Nedes that reverence for Peryite arose in the merish races. Exposure to the Nedic religion caused some of their Ayleid overlords to begin incorporating the Blighted Lord into their own pantheons of spirits, and the grand city of Ceylasel was built by Daedraphiles to honor him. It seemed that the Daedra Lord admired his new mer scions more than he admired his original followers, for when the Slave-Queen Alessia prayed for the Taskmaster’s help in overthrowing the Ayleid slavemasters he offered none. Eventually Alessia began to pray to the Aedra for assistance, who immediately took pity on her and her peoples’ plight. The divine spirits Morihaus and Pelinal were sent down from the heavens to fight alongside the girl, and Alessia went on to begin the infamous Alessian Slave Rebellion of 1E 242 after freeing herself.

The Aedraphiles amongst the Ayleid Lordships allied with Alessia and her newfound Nordic supporters in order to defeat their Daedra worshipping brethren in revenge for the Scouring of Wendelbek in 1E 198. Cities dedicated to the Daedra were razed to the ground, and some disappeared from the land entirely. When the dust settled and the bloodshed stopped the Nedes were victorious against their former masters, and had either killed or driven out all of the hostile Heartland Elves. And with the subsequent installation of the Eight Divines and public banning of Daedra Worship, Akatosh became the new dragon god of the Nedic people and Peryite was struck down. Despite this, many Taskmaster cults persisted throughout ancient Cyrodiil (some scholars even suggest that the statues of Akatosh that can be found throughout the Heartlands were based on early depictions of Peryite3) and eventually found themselves in the other provinces.

^3. ^Most ^Peryite ^shrines ^can ^be ^found ^in ^the ^Nibenay ^Basin, ^lending ^credence ^to ^this ^theory. ^None ^have ^ever ^been ^located ^in ^the ^Estates, ^but ^that ^may ^be ^more ^of ^a ^sign ^of ^Colovian ^stubbornness, ^Nordic ^lineage, ^and ^more ^than ^anything ^else, ^hatred ^for ^the ^Nibenese ^they ^so ^affiliated ^with ^the ^monotheistic ^Order.

One such cult was the Ayleid survivors of Ceylasel, who had begun to flee before the battle reached its apex. They set out from their location in what is now known as the Imperial Reserve and traveled along the Hammerfell-Skyrim border until they reached the Druadach Mountains largely in secret, where they encountered a large group of Altbal-Nedes and proceeded to utilize them as a labor force. Soon the high cliffs and ridges of the Western Druadach began to be dotted with small Ayleid ruins in a way reminiscent of Cyrodiil, and its remote and isolated location in the mountains aided greatly in its not being discovered by rival Reachmen tribes and later mer-persecutor groups like the Alessian Order. The modern Vabriajorane are descended from eugenic practices held between the Ceylasel Survivors and the Altbal-Nedes, but their more unique aesthetic appearance and cultural traditions cannot be explained by such matings (Read: Interview with Taril, Vabriajorane of Abanagarahtan).

Abanagarahtan was officially first discovered and conquered by Nord armies in 1E 358 when Emperor Ami-El lent Cyrodiilic troops to High King Gellir in a military campaign against Clan Direnni, and the warriors came across the vast black orchards of the Vabriajorane by accident while traversing the cliffs. Gellir attempted to erase much of the merish influence in the area, but eventually relinquished his hold on the Death-Reach after it was revealed that the blood fruit had disturbing affects on non-Vabriajorane consumers. However, the Nords nevertheless revealed the location of Abanagarahtan to outsiders in their drunken ballads and tales, and soon the Vabriajorane were forced to create an ever-present warrior caste to fight off potential invaders and would-be conquerors from High Rock, Skyrim, and Hammerfell for the centuries to come.

> On Dragon’s Venom > > The blood-red fruit of the indigenous Drake Trees of Abanagarahtan, called Dragon’s Venom by its cultivators, is both a curse and blessing for those that consume it except for the Vabriajorane (who seem to have grown used to its sickening effects through years of eating). At first the fruit makes the consumer have a sense of fulfillment after consuming, and has a taste reminiscent of pomegranate-flavored honey. However, continued consumption results in the fruit gaining the taste of copper, making one feel as if they’re biting into a ball of mortal ichor. The body begins to emaciate, the veins protrude blue from beneath the skin, and the eyes become violet. Most importantly, those afflicted with this strange disease begins to regularly foam at the mouth like a rabid beast and gives them a hunger for raw flesh. > > ^(The Vabriajoranei have never showed a notion for cannibalism, however.) > > Most Tamrielics who gain the disease die within two months of receiving it. What keeps the Vabriajoranei so alive and remarkably strong despite their weakness remains a mystery.

Ultimately however, the Vabriajoranei were – as was the rest of High Rock –soundly crushed by Emperor Tiber Septim during the Tiber Wars in retaliation of the assassination of Cuhlecain, despite not playing any part in the event. Abanagarahtan was quickly incorporated as a minor region of the Manmeri lands under the rule of Dunlain, which led to the attempted imperialization and exploitation of the Vabriajoranei by Imperial scholars and Breton kings respectively. The inhabitants of the Death-Reach greatly resisted major changes to their culture though, and remained largely tribalistic. It was only until the reign of Uriel V4 that Abanagarahtan was reorganized as its own independent province outside of High Rock under the terms of the Veto of Charter and Decree of New Lordships of 3E 307, and it has remained as such all the way into modern times.

^4. ^The ^“Fighting ^Diamond” ^as ^he ^is ^best ^remembered ^in ^Tamriel ^and ^many ^of ^the ^lands ^outside ^of ^it ^cared ^more ^for ^the ^expansion ^of ^the ^Septim ^Empire ^than ^the ^granting ^of ^power ^to ^smaller ^hegemonies ^and ^feudal ^societies. ^The ^acquisition ^of ^Abanagarahtan, ^like ^dozens ^of ^other ^territories, ^happened ^almost ^as ^soon ^as ^he ^ascended ^the ^throne; ^however, ^the ^Death-Reach ^and ^only ^a ^few ^other ^lands ^(some of which are no longer a part of the Empire) ^were ^smart ^enough ^to ^keep ^some ^native ^authority ^in ^power ^instead ^of ^having ^Cyrodiilic ^governors ^rule ^over ^them. ###Places of Note: ####Kynd Tor (Sky Hill) The ‘capital’ of Abanagarahtan, a large Ayleid ruin built into a mountain-ridge bearing the same name, is the seat of power for the Vabriajoranei King Rumiyel. Wearing armor crafted from the bodies of the giant green-scale lizards that burrow in the tunnels beneath Druadach and wearing the wings of slaughtered echkin (giant bats), Rumiyel looks almost like an avatar of Paerite rather than a Reachmen ruler. Kynd Tor is layered with ancient Ayleid magick runes and overgrown with Welkynd stones, which makes the surrounding area glow a vibrant and beautiful blue at night. Kynd Tor also serves as a last bastion for the Vabriajoranei in case of outside invasion, and is constantly patrolled by members of the Reachmen tribe. ####Av Tamtar (The Dawn Wood) Av Tamtar not only boasts the greatest concentration of Drake Trees in Abanagarahtan, but is also home to the mysterious Mappa Nirni, a large rune depicting large swaths of the world known to the Ceylasel Survivors during the First Era. Due to its swirling and self-altering nature several scholars believe it is an attempt at a solidified memory of Tamriel during the Dawn Times, but Ceylaselic text harbors no clues.

###Interview with Taril, Vabriajorane of Abanagarahtan [This interview was conducted by Eis Vuur Warden – Honorary Member of the Scenarist Guild and Senior Scholar of the Imperial Geographical Society – and Scale-Hunter Taril of the Vabriajorane Reachmen Tribe. All questions and answers are recorded below.]

Q: Your people have many caste systems which seem to be inspired by dragons – ‘Scale-Hunter’, ‘Fang-Carver’, and ‘Breath-Inscriber’ for example. Why is this, and can you describe each of those roles in society?

A: We are the loyal scions of Paerite, Ever-Present-Coiler-of-the-Reptilian-Wheel. He-Who-Both-Bites-and-Licks-The-World. Thus, we honor him through all parts of our culture. Breath-Inscribers record all matters of importance in the archaic tongue of our ancestors, the Golden Ones. Fang-Carvers forge our weapons and armor out of lizard bone, echkin skin, and sky metal. We Scale-Hunters kill the food needed for our continued survival.

Q: Paerite sounds a lot like Peryite, the Daedric Prince of Pestilence. Can they be one in the same?

A: You are a foreigner, and so I will not behead you and roast your eyes right now for my lizard’s consumption because of your ignorance. Peryite is an imposter, one of the seventeen archdaimons that serve the Great Blackness. Paerite, Eternal-Is-His-Name, leads the Nine Draconis that safeguard the world. Now that you know this, you will not be as foolhardy as to ask a similar question.

Q: Who are these ‘Nine Draconis’?

A: To list them all here in brief pains me, but I shall to better enlighten you to the nature of my people: Great Paerite, Poison-Serum, who balances the world in his maw and cures it of its impurities through disease. Merid-Nunda, She-Who-Came-Back, whose brightness burns away the darkness. Trinithar, Ebon-Knight, who teaches us how to initiate conflict and scorn our foes. Mara-El, Love-Life, who gives our hearts the right to care for all things. Hirkine, Wood-Father, who allows the animals that give us nourishment to roam our land. Haemora, Many-Limbs, who gave us scrolls to inscribe our secrets. Sangitus, Blood-Boiler, who states that knowing passion helps overcome misery. Dagazor, Leaping-Destroyer, who screams that to hope is to suffer. And Sheori, Wingless-Drake, the Sometimes-Demon who forfeit his flight in order to give us a home. Those are the Nine Draconis, outsider.

Q: I see. Your people continues to live in the ruins of the Ayleid– I mean the Golden Ones, who you highly respect. Why is that?

A: Because they were the ones that enacted the Everlasting Oath, which is why we are here.

Q: Hmm. And this ‘Everlasting Oath’ is linked to your physical features?

A: The Golden Ones were scared, because they ran away from an Awful Place. So they prayed to Paerite and pleaded with him to never allow the inhabitants of the Awful Place to ever find them and kill them. So he did this, and made Abanagarahtan so that it would always find peace despite hardships. But in return he made the Golden Ones weak and bound their spirits to the land, and told them that if they ever left Abanagarahtan they would die. And so they remained, and here we are.

Q: And if you could, would you take back this Oath?

A: That question puzzles me. Why give up the pain you know for a pain you don’t know? Outsider, you make my head hurt. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must begin the Hunt with