A Brief Guide to Esroniet

The Island Nation of Esroniet A Brief Guide, by Claira Penfort, circa 4E 71

Introduction

The island of Esroniet is located to the southeast, between Tamriel and mysterious Akavir. It is roughly half the size of Vvardenfell, however, accounts from the few incursions into the heart of the island suggest that, through some unexplained phenomena, the island itself is much larger than it appears.

Brief History

The Kingdom of Esroniet was conquered in 3E 284 by Emperor Uriel Septim V. Two years prior, the port of Black Harbor was captured by Imperial Forces. The island was used to stage an assault on Akavir. In current times, the Empire has loosened its grip on the island but Black Harbor remains a fortification for troops and a port for trade.

Geography

There are four regions of the island, divided by climate and landmarks. To the northwest lies a mountain range and arid pine forests. To the northeast, there is a lush plain. Nearly the entire southern half of the island is a rocky desert, abound with bluffs, plateaus, and prickly dryland flora. The heartland of the island reaching the west coast and coastline of the mountainous “hook” of the northeast contains thick red and orange-forests.
The longest and widest river on the island is the Olso River. Near the mountains there is also a large lake, surprisingly unnamed by the inhabitants and thus named by the Empire as Lake Amnen, after the general who directed the capture of Black Harbor.

Climate

There are only two seasons in Esroniet: one in which the north is cold while the south is hot; and another which is simply the reverse. Very little of the plant life goes through cycles of blooming or rebirth. There is rarely any rain on Esroniet, usually only mists which descend as fog across the land. This provides sufficient moisture as much of the water actually comes from underground sources and springs. During the hot season, the southern desert will occasionally see dangerous glass storms, in which sand crystallized by dry lightning will form into dust storms.

Culture

This section is explored in greater detail in my other work, The Realm of Esroniet, but this guide deserves some explanation. The inhabitants are known as the Esral, a very short race of deep crimson-skinned Men. Rather than hair, they possess tufts of feathers in place of head and body hair. These feathers range widely in thickness, length, and color. The eyes of Esrals can be bright yellow, cream white, or yellowish green.

The capital city is Sheralel, built into the tall cliffs of the southern deserts. There is also of course the city of Black Harbor at the tip of the western hook, as well as the towns of Chora, Hnexomi, and Lachect. The architecture style is extremely geometric, walls and structures are looming, dense, and cubic. Faces of walls and structures are near seamless, composed of a unique form of reinforced concrete. Only special structures, like temples and the Capital Palace, have any unique, curvaceous design. The Esral tie architecture and city layout to their religion, in which symmetry, combined with shapes and directional facing, are important to the well-being of society.

The Esral follow a unique religion, in which there is a duality of opposing forces Ata (Stasis) and Taa (Change) which in turn balance existence. The underlying divine presence is a non-anthropomorphized element known as Xo, which is sometimes manifest through mortals (usually rulers). Finally, Lann is a life energy that is believed to be their equivalent of Magicka, which is believed to be attuned to architecture, as well as personal health. Certain spiritual practices are claimed to enhance ones Lann, and this energy is crucial to the hand-to-hand fighting style utilized by Esral battlemage-equivalents.

A final set of notes to travelers to be wary of in Esral society:

1: The people do not eat meat. They tolerate it among Tamrielic foreigners as long as it is done privately.

2: Whispering, mumbling, or otherwise quiet speech is considered an indication that someone is insidious. Always speak loudly and clearly.

3: Esroniet ale (especially the plum cider) is extremely potent. Nobody knows how or why Esral are so tolerant of it. (added note: Esral will always drink you under the table)

ACTUAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: this is a rough introduction to my own apocryphal lore I am writing about the island of Esroniet. I will post more stuff soon but I wanted to get the basic idea out there first. Also, here is a very basic/rough map for reference: http://imgur.com/fOIArBF and the Poisoned Groves are a secret I will go into later....