How Nords Invented Alchemy.

How Nords Invented Alchemy

Since the early days of Atmora, Nords have been aware that Kyne had imbued certain plants with magical properties. Some of these properties were easy to notice, for example the signature chiming of Nirnroot, others were not immediately apparent and their properties only became clear when dissolved in certain solvents. For many years this was only seen as an insignificant product of the Divines creation of Nirn. The Clever-Men of Jhunal noted all known properties of these plants but they had little idea what significance they had and what use if any these properties had. The secrets would be unlocked thanks to Skyrim's favourite drink.

Even during our time in Atmora the Children of the Sky had a great thirst for mead. 200 years before Ysgramor would sail South and found Saarthal, the most famous brewer in the North was Hakviild Green-Thumb. Hakviild's mead was prized all across Atmora due to the variety of fruits and spices he would use in his mead. Everyone from kings to Dragon Priests was desperate to taste his many varieties of melomel.. As word of his mead spread and his fame grew he became a victim of his own success. Many cheap imitators arose all naming themselves Hakviilds Meadery. Soon Hakviild was beset by hordes of angry customers complaining about the foul swill that bore his name. First he began to do as cattle farmers do and began to brand his products. Soon all the casks of Hakviild' s mead bore a stylised bee totem burnt into the wood. To solve this the imitators used Hakviild's empty casks and continued to sell their own mead as his and thus his once stellar reputation continued to be tarnished.

One faithful morning, while gathering leaves and roots to flavour his meads, Hakviild came across an odd chiming plant. Perhaps this was the key to solving his problem. He hoped he could use the leaves to make his mead chime just like the root. Hakviild gathered the leaves and took them to his brewery, if he could infuse the leaves with his mead perhaps he could give his mead a clear identifiable quality which others would struggle to replicate. After many more months of his reputation being damaged his new blend of chiming mead was ready. With great enthusiasm he emptied the brewing cask and strained his ear praying to hear the gentle bells which would allow him to rebrand himself and reclaim his title as the greatest brewer in all the Elder Wood. But alas the mead made no noise and had taken on an odd colour.

For many hours he sat and cursed the gods and stewed in his desperation. In frustration he grabbed the nearest tankard and gulped down it's contents. As he slammed the tankard down on the table his arm seemed as if it was faint. He wondered was the mead strong enough to affect his vision but slowly before his own eyes his hand slowly solidified back into focus. At his lowest moment Hakviild had made his greatest discovery. Some mixture of spices and roots had reacted with the Nirnroot to create a drink which made the drinker almost invisible. He spread the news of his discovery and soon all over Atmora plants of all varieties were being mixed in an attempt to unlock the powers locked within them. As the practice spread, it was discovered that it was not just plants which had been imbued with magical properties but many insects and even the flesh of some beasts, in dark corners it was whispered that even the flesh of Man had secret powers which could grant even more boons.

Hakviild s discovery not only opened up Atmorans to a whole new branch of knowledge but also reinvigorated his meadery, desperate to gain power from the new practice of alchemy many imitation brewers abandoned their meaderies and reopened the market to Hakviild s mead. The whole art of Alchemy and multitude of alchemical meads can all be traced back to Hakviild and is a testament to the ingenuity of the Children of Kyne. Never mind what those knife ears say, it was us that invented Alchemy and the treachourous Mer stole the knowledge from us.

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