Preface
Ian S. McClure
I am acutely aware that the scope of my studies is at best an enigma to the large majority of the people of Tamriel. Indeed, I am uncertain this collection of memories will ever see the light of publication. I know that I may sound quite mad, but I believe I have, in fact, discovered the true nature of reality in this, and other, planes. My name- at least, the one I use in my 'home' reality- is Ianius Melclure, an Imperial scholar of Shadow Magic. To the uninitiated in the field, which are many, I shall use using the marvelous explanation offered by the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits (UESP for short), to showcase the forces I use:
“Shadow Magic is an obscure but powerful form of magic. It was first harnessed by Azra Nightwielder, who was the first to discover that shadow was not simply an absence of light, but a reflection of possible worlds created by forces in conflict. Shadows can be produced by mundane forces such as light hitting a rock, or by more powerful forces such as nations at war. Shadow Magic involves the manipulation of shadows to affect the forces creating it. In this way, Shadow Magic rivals even the power of the Elder Scrolls themselves, having the power to potentially change the past, present, and future through the manipulation of shadow. Shadow magics by their nature will twist on their casters, and shadowmages are often distrusted because of this.”
An adequate explanation, hm? But, whereas most shadowmages utilize this school of magic for power, I do not. I am an explorer of realities. For I have discovered, via the shadows of our Tamriel, that it is, in fact, but one of thousands upon thousands of Tamriels, each different than the last. Of course, some have quite drastic changes, but usually the difference is in the small details. The young Redguard man selling apples at the market might easily be an old Argonian woman in another reality. The assassin of Uriel Septim VII might be the Champion of Cyrodiil himself- or herself- in an alternate world.
It boggles the mind, does it not. And yet, that is the nature of our world. A complex web of interconnecting Tamriels, where what is fact in one is unheard of in another. But, travel through these realms is no easy feat. 'Twas I who discovered a new method of doing so. With an arcane ritual- one that I shall not describe here- one can observe the world around them through the eyes of an alternate self. It may sound simple, but it is not. One must be prepared that nothing- even themselves- is set in stone. You might just as easily be a noble warrior as a bloodthirsty thief. And what's more, you are an observer, and nothing more. You cannot influence your actions in other worlds.
This collection of tales are all culled from various places and times. They detail the more interesting exploits of some of my alternate selves, be they heroic or dastardly. I believe it shall be an entertaining read, no matter what the reader thinks of my sanity or motives. But I find that, in every Tamriel, there is something new, something different, something exciting. These are my Memoirs of Mundus.
((Author's Note)): And here we are with an introduction to my collection of Elder Scrolls short stories! Basically, if you didn't grasp the concept, my alter-ego (who is named after me) hops from dimension to dimension, recording the stuff that happens in alternate realities. It's basically an in explanation as to how a single person can record stuff that happens in other eras and such, and how there can be multiple versions of such characters as the Dragonborn (which I will definitely use in other places, so stay tuned). The short stories won't really have an overarching thread, but they may connect with each other in minor ways. Anyways, thanks for reading, and look forward to more stories!
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