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Legendary Figures: Hoag Merkiller

  • Member
    January 25, 2015

    The Battle of Glenumbra Moors. The epic First Era clash between the Alessian Order of the Colovian West and the elven army of High Rock led by Clan Direnni. A conflict so violent that it crushed the Alessian Order once and for all and altered the political structure of High Rock forevermore and paving way for the rise of the Bretons. PGE 1Ed: High Rock.

    In this battle the legendary Tongue and King of Skyrim Hoag Merkiller was slain, but it may be a surprise to learn on which side he fought. Maybe the clue is in his name? You'd be forgiven for making this assumption.

    The Alessian Order was a very austere yet strangely charismatic religious movement which had been gaining momentum for centuries. Following a rigid code called the"Seventy Seven Inflexible Doctrines",the Order was staunchly anti elven in their approach to politics and religion, which were inseparable in their eyes. The Cleansing of the Fane/Last King of the Ayleids.

    Indeed, the Order were so against all things elven that a later offshoot, The Marukhati Selective, are thought to have caused a Dragon Break in their attempt to separate the Elven aspects from the god Akatosh. Vindication for the Dragon Break.

    Ironically, it is believed that many refugees bolstered the ranks of the Direnni Army as they fled the severe life in the west. Last King of the Ayleids

    Crucially, though, the Order's reformations had mixed support from the First Empire of The Nords. After Alessia's Reformations and the establishment of the Eight Divines, many Nords couldn't stomach the changes to their gods and the elven elements mixed into this new pantheon.

    By turns their ally and enemy, Nordic support for the Order eventually crumbled with the death of High King Borgas and the War of Succession, a decades long conflict which caused Skyrim to lose much of its territory. PGE 1Ed: Skyrim.

    Enter Hoag Merkiller. An interesting man, Hoag Merkiller could be proof that the Nordic Longevity of our Dragon Cult Re-examined discussion lasted well into the First Era. The PGE 1st Ed puts Hoag at the Conquest of Morrowind and the founding of the First Empire of the Nords which occurred around 1E 222 - 272. Considering he died at the Battle of Glenumbra Moors 1E 482, this makes him at least over 200 years old at the time of his death. Five Songs of King Wulfharth.

    Maybe there's more to The Five Songs and King Wulfharth, Merkiller's successor to the throne of Skyrim, than we believe. After all, if the events of that book are to be believed, it wasn't until around this time period that the Nords lifespan was lessened.Regardless, Merkiller certainly earned his name. Described in the 36 Lessons of Vivec. as:

    a great bearded king, had the powers of Marshalling and breathing the earth. On the battlefields, this demon would often be seen on the sidelines, eating the soil voraciously. When his men fell, Hoaga would fill their bodies back with it, whereupon they would rise again and fight, albeit slower. He had a Secret Name, Fenja, and destroyed seventeen Chimeri villages and two Dwemeri strongholds before being turned away.

    One doesn't get a name like that by being a tree-hugging, peaceful milkdrinker. However, Merkiller died at the Battle of Glenumbria Moors in a last stand against the Alessian Order, fighting alongside the Elves of the Direnni armyRislav the Righteous.

    So what point am I making here? It is easy to jump to conclusions about Nordic culture, their violence and worldview and forget that their cultural identity isn't always one of outright xenophobia. Although their long history of war against elves will forever taint their outlook, they are capable of acting for other purposes and even setting aside personal animosity to achieve a larger goal.

    Another clue as to Hoag's personality can be found in the book The Scourge of the Grey Quarterwhich has this to say:

    There is cause for optimism, though, as Jarl Ulfric is not nearly so tolerant of these substandard beings as his fathers were. Indeed, the soft hand of Hoag can be seen in the 

  • Member
    January 26, 2015
    I wanna make this guy in Skyrim now....be back with a build in the future
  • Member
    January 26, 2015

    That's great Chris, I look forward to it  What was it that inspired you, Sermon 9? Might pay to have a word with Paul England, I know he was looking into using that book when we discussed a project together a while back.

    I'm sorry there are no good pictures of Hoag. I might have a word with our art group and see if anyone feels like rectifying that.

  • Member
    January 26, 2015
    Yeah, plus, it's interesting. I know. Jormunn lead Skyrim to the aid of. Morrowind with the Kamal, but seeing a Nord fight ALONGSIDE Ekves, band possibly use Necromancy, this guy is one badass mofo.
  • Member
    January 26, 2015

    What about Merkiller's age, got an opinion on that Chris? Two sources put him at the Conquest of Morrowind and a few more put him at the Battle of Glenumbra Moors.

  • Member
    January 26, 2015
    Hmm, maybe Nords, if the books are true, once did live as long as elves. If Hoag had been in Socengarde, wait, maybe he was. Either that, or maybe he's tended his life through mystical means,
  • Member
    January 26, 2015

    Thank you for your time Chris, I appreciate your thoughts.

    What I find interesting is the use of the word "soil" in Sermon 9 during this sentence:

    On the battlefields, this demon would often be seen on the sidelines, eating the soil voraciously. When his men fell, Hoaga would fill their bodies back with it, whereupon they would rise again and fight...

    Now, considering who wrote the book and the others books by the same author, I don't think there is any coincidence he chose earth as a means of reanimation in this tale. What do you think? 

  • Member
    January 26, 2015
    Possibly not, considering the. Dunker I belief they return to the earth upon their passing,
  • Member
    January 26, 2015

    That's a good point, I hadn't thought about it from a Dunmer perspective but yeah, that works too.

  • Member
    January 27, 2015
    What weapons do you think might have used? Ancient Nord?