a moldy page

A page fallen from Teleological Tamriel 2nd Ed., stamped PROPERTY OF THE ACADEMY.

APPENDIX VII

Serpentforms

"There are only three Powers in the whole of Tamriel. Curling-Drakes, Wiggle-Asps, and Sleeping-Pythons. Each of these is a kind of serpent with its own preferred motions and manners, but they share some traits. They are always biting. They are always moving, even the sleepers. And they are always intertwined, or woven together into a tangle like an old patch of cloth. These ghost snakes coil all around us, through us, and between us. They move the breath in our body and pull the night sky over us."

"Exceptionally large tangles of snakes are called a King-Snake and these monstrosities are especially capable at Irrefutably Being. They take the form of distant empires and cities, famous heroes, or terrible monsters that terrorize the countryside eating chickens, cows, even unwary villagers."

"Woe be to him who should find where the serpents cease their biting, release their hold on each other, and curl onto themselves. Whole farms, valleys, cities could disappear."

And their Motions

"Drakes naturally curl about themselves on an axis, as if posing rampant, and bite the tail of the Drake before him. When angered, they may let go of their neighbor and move to strike. Asps exist on a plane parallel to the ground and at a right angle to Pythons. Both of these fellows are braided through the nearest Drake's undulations."

"If one of these snakes ceases to bite the tail of its neighbor, the chain-of-snakes is broken and the unexpected may happen. Perhaps a coinpurse disappears from your pocket, or a shameful memory is forgotten. It may be that you suddenly recall stealing in your youth, or the neighbor boy discovers a different bag of coins buried under a rock. Or any combination of these."

Could they be made to Uncoil?

"Perhaps with a lure, or a threat. A greater wizard than I must figure it, and it would be an evil magick."

But what of the Gods?

"These are the Gods. All else is mortal misunderstanding."

I am afraid of snakes. Is there no exit?

"There is a way. Snakes do not like the water. They are poor swimmers, and I think it is too shiny for their taste. It gathers and reflects sunlight and this hurts their eyes (which are accustomed to the night). I've taught coraclemaking at the Leyawiin school for some years now. These stiff, handy rivercraft can be made in an afternoon from sticks and mud, and bear a person along on the surface of the water safe from all kinds of snake. It helps us these coracles resemble very large birds nests. Large enough even for eagles, which are a snake's natural predator."