History of Altmeri Architecture, 1st Extract
#ThalMod, in-game book. I posted something like this a while ago and deleted it (if there is something against the rules in that, I'll delete it again), but it is quite different now. It's all conjecture, so you might not be into that.
If you are not into that, I'll give a shorter summary of conjectures made, at the end.
[You open the book to a chapter about the history of Alinor’s Crystal Tower.]
… And the apex of Merethic construction, Crystal-Like-Law, more than exhibits these traits – it embodies them, becoming the paradigm upon which the Aldmer in Sumurset cultivated the image of ‘Altmer’ during the Chimeri schism. It is this paradigm that now guides the Third Aldmeri Dominion’s most ambitious architectural project yet: the Reconstruction, or New Crystal Tower.
Regardless of the extent to which the blueprint for the Fourth Era Reconstruction is truly rooted in Ald-Altmeri history (see ‘Fourth Era Revision,’ page 11), this chapter covers the symbolic properties – be they intended or retrospectively surmised – of the First Crystal Tower that stood from the Merethic Era until the Oblivion Crises of 3E 431-433.
The name ‘Crystal-Like-Law’ dates back to the early Merethic, its meaning twofold: one of a Crystal that assumes the role of law, the other of a Law that assumes the form of a crystal. No source exists today that sheds any light on how precisely this name came to be. Thus, whether the name influenced the Tower, or the other way around, is a matter of dispute which ties into the ongoing argument between the ‘motivist’ and ‘extemporist’ schools (see page 12).
Regardless, the name clearly expresses the overlying role of Crystal-Like-Law: to make the Ald-Altmeri worldview physically manifest, and to reflect it – both visually, through light, with all philosophical implications thereof (see ‘Aldmeri Language in Architecture,’ page 342); and socially, by way of the Law.
To the casual observer, the most easily recognised aspect of Crystal-Like-Law is the contrast between the exterior and interior: the spiritual and multifaceted reflection of the Altmer from outside; versus the shadowed, sober lawmaking environment inside. As the Ald-Alta Naakefin famously expressed in her speech announcing the construction of the Second Crystal Tower: “From without, the Light; from within, the Law.” If duality is central concept addressed in this chapter, interior-exterior is the central example of duality in the Crystal Tower – though not the only example.
It is also crucial to acknowledge the part of the Sun, Magnus, in the phenomenology of Crystal-Like-Law. Therefore this chapter will further examine the Tower in reference to Magnus and his properties – particularly his role in both physical and ideological aspects of the ‘reflection,’ and the connection to magicka; as well as the reversal of the interior and exterior properties upon nightfall when Magnus disappears from view and the Tower is illuminated from inside.
The section on Magnus and Crystal-Like-Law is followed by an analysis of an alternative theory which has gained prominence in the Fourth Era. This theory focuses on the quasi-Daedra Meridia, rather than Magnus, in the symbolism of the First Crystal Tower (see ‘Figures of the Mid-Level Reliefs,’ page 191). As the literature on the former theory is much more abundant and thorough, not to mention more consistent throughout the Eras, this chapter provides a shorter, limited discussion of the latter.
It is, however, more than just a supplement to the overall analysis. Study of Meridia’s role in the design of Crystal Tower could be vital to a higher understanding of Alt-Aldmeri architecture, and culture as a whole – given recent findings on Meridia’s previous identity, Merid-Nunda, where her ties to Magnus are implicit (see page 192).
ON THE CRYSTAL
Crystals themselves are well-known to magickal study for their perfectly periodic structure. This in itself can be considered a symbol of Alt-Aldmeri societal values, though coincidental (see ‘The Purpose of Law,’ page 106). On a small scale, Crystal-Like-Law exhibits a crystalline structure through the use of the polyhedrons detailed in figures 3-B and 3-C. The larger form, however …
[The author continues to describe Crystal-Like-Law for at least a hundred pages.]
Summary:
~ The Crystal-Like-Law, now called the First Crystal Tower by the Third Aldmeri Dominion, was destroyed in the Oblivion Crisis. The Thalmor decided to make a reconstructed Second Crystal Tower.
~ Various elements of the First Crystal Tower, such as the name, the crystalline structure, the role of Magnus and Meridia, night/day cycles and the contrast of the inside and outside give the Tower symbolic significance that the Thalmor aim to replicate in the blueprint for its reconstruction.
~ Somebody decided to write a book about this stuff. That's about it.