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Soul Study

Tags: #Conjuration  #BlueDremora  #Emrar Charime 
  • Member
    May 26, 2017

    Soul Study

    By Emrar Charime Oricano Laratheous

     

    This tome is a collection of rare information and unofficial research conducted into The Nature of Souls. I was given a lead by a professor in Hammerfell (a man who I cannot name for he wishes to be anonymous), a hint at an unsolved mystery and unfinished enquiry into the mysterious beings known as “The Ideal Masters” and other creatures that are fabled to walk the plane of oblivion known as “The Soul Cairn”. What I found would lead me all across Tamriel on a wild chase to uncover the truth of research conducted by a man centuries dead.    

     

    In other words, what you are about to read is a study contrived by people with far greater understanding of death -and undeath for that matter- than myself. I have simply collected and sorted the papers, journals and research experiments of Malovan Mercury - a conjuration master and rumored necromancer that died more than a century before the publication of this book. The information presented in this book may seem heretical to some, and all of it is strictly taboo, some (if not a great deal) is pure speculation. Malovan was a wise man, that I can state without lying, but the line between wisdom and lunacy is thin.

     

    Thus I present to you “Soul Study”, my latest work and greatest intellectual achievement to date; a collection of the information, sorted, deciphered and cataloged, written by the deceased master of Conjuration, Malovan Mercury.     

     

    Morrowind

    4E 18, 24 of Last Seed - Malovan Mercury

    Study log, day 1, arrival in Morrowind

     

    The night I arrived in Morrowind was misty and quiet. I had been forced to sail from Blackmarsh and East around the continent till I reached the port town of Dankull. It was a necessity for me to travel to this ashen country, for in my homeland of Cyrodill necromancy is frowned upon and despised. I cannot uncover the information I wish to find without crossing certain boundaries that would most likely get me killed in my homeland. Fortunately for me, the Dark Elves have no such laws against resurrectionists or necromancers. Here in Morrowind i will be free to research and experiment as i please.

     

    But first thing’s first, and there are already questions that i have not answered: why am I in Morrowind? And why do I need to study necromancy? However, in order to answer these questions I must first define who I (myself as a person) am:

    My name is Malovan Mercury, I am a master conjurer and connoisseur of Summonings and all matters related to the binding of souls to gems. My life has up until this point revolved around teaching the art of conjuration at various courts, as well as my “hobby”, which has been random research and experiments regarding the connection between Nirn and the plane of Oblivion where souls are whisked off to once their earthly connection (or living body) is lost.

     

    Quite frankly I find the school of conjuration indescribably fascinating, and already at a young age I was reading thick books in order to answer my questions: where do the creatures you conjurer come from? I always liked to think that some, such as golden saints or dremoras are pretty much summoned up from a realm of Oblivion in which they were in, but what about the other creatures - like the souls of the dead, how are they bound to a husk and reanimated? And the simplest way to define this indeterminate travel of mine to Morrowind, would be to call it my hunt for my Magnum Opus.

     

    Spiritus Anima (Animation of Spirits)

    This diagram is known as The First Pillar in the understanding of conjuration, it is known as Spiritus Anima (in Cyrodillic) and translates to “Animation of Spirits” in the high tongue, or “Spirit Binding”.

    The first thing to notice about the diagram are the seven base types of summonings: the earthen type (Occultum), the spirit type (Laputem), the daedra type (Terræ), the ghost type (Vilita), the shadow type (Interiora), the physical type (Invenies) and the blood type (Rectificando). Each type of summoning allows the conjurer to summon a different type of spirit. Each type of spirit has a set of qualities that defines it apart from the others. The one thing that all types of spirits have in common, is the fact that none of them “belong” to Nirn.

     

    Now, this diagram is important to the research of Malovan Mercury as much of his research is based upon the basic rules that The Spiritus Anima is also structured upon. I have gone though much pain to decipher Malovan’s notes with regards to which spirits (or summonings) fall under which category. Malovan’s index looked as such:

     

    • The earthen type (Occultum): Elemental Atronachs

    • The spirit type (Laputem): Bound weapons and armor

    • The daedra type (Terræ): Beings from other planes of oblivion, such as Seekers

    • The ghost type (Vilita): Shade spells, also known as Ghost Callings

    • The shadow type (Interiora): Necromantic spells

    • The physical type (Invenies): spirits of the Bloodmoon, such as familiar spells

    • The blood type (Rectificando): Summonings that require sacrifice of flesh and blood

     

    The diagram was originally created by Dunmer conjurer Tythera Malythrin, and is largely considered the foundation of all conjuration spells. Malovan Mercury was very fond of this diagram, and refers to it multiple times throughout his journal and research papers.

     

    Morrowind

    4E 18, 29 of Last Seed - Malovan Mercury

    Study log, day 5, research in Morrowind

     

    Five days have passed since I arrived in Morrowind, and in this time I have accomplished little else than hiring a caravan to take me to a small village in northern Morrowind where I have purchased a small house which shall serve as my home and laboratory.

     

    There is little to report as far as my research is concerned as of now. However, I have noticed that the dunmer people are extremely well informed as with regards to conjuration and I have heard several conversations about necromancy without any form of condescending misunderstandings with regards to the nature of such magic.

     

    I also talked with the caravan master, and he told me that if I wanted information I should seek out one of the master wizards that rule the great clan houses of Morrowind. This intrigued me, and at the moment I am on my way to speak to a master wizard from House Indoril, needless to say that I am very excited.        

     

    There were several pages missing from the next part of Malovan’s journal, but I managed to find a few notes that showed what Malovan learned from this mysterious Indoril wizard. Apparently he was told about a diagram much older than The Spiritus Anima, and it was said to be in High Rock. I’m not sure as to what the exact importance of this older diagram is, but I am sure that Malovan found it absolutely essential, for within two days of speaking to the indoril wizard he traveled to High Rock.   

     

    High Rock

    4E 18, 38 of Last Seed - Malovan Mercury

    Study log, day 14, The Wheel of Souls

     

    No sooner did I arrive in Morrowind and speak to the master wizard from house Indoril, than I left Morrowind headed for High Rock onboard a small ship sailing through the Ghost Sea.

     

    Apparently a much older diagram, the farther to the Spiritus Anima was uncovered in an old elvish ruin in High Rock. I simply must see this diagram, and help the Breton conjurers decipher it’s meaning; maybe it holds the key to the answers I seek.   

       

    What Malovan found in High Rock, was as he predicted a much older diagram. Although unexpected, the Breton researchers were happy for Moldovans sudden appearance, and over the course of two months they managed to decipher the diagram and make a copy as close to the original as possible.    

    They called it “The Wheel of Souls” and just like the Spiritus Anima it shows seven types of conjuration magics, but it also shows an eighth dimension of conjuration which was completely unheard of at the time. It was translated from ancient elvish to mean “Faceless Masters” and no one really knew what it meant.   

     

    Malovan Defined this eighth dimension of Conjuration as follows:

    This new dimension of conjuration can only be described as an ancient, inter-dimensional force; a form of harnessable energy that manipulates the powers beyond those of the natural world within another plane of Oblivion. Its influence upon the world is often bizarre, unforeseen, and random, just as the world affects it in bizarre, unforeseen, and random ways. It can be said with a degree of certainty that magic will always change elements of the mortal realms that it comes into contact with, but it’s difficult to anticipate what form this change will take. Magic bends and unbinds the physical laws of the mortal plane and can remake all things into things and processes that otherwise couldn’t exist.  

     

    From his notes I have been able to more closely define what exactly the meaning of this new dimension is. In the same ruins where the ancient stone slab with the original Wheel of Souls was found, there were also found a load of old scrolls describing the phenomenon. Apparently the new dimension refers to The Masters of The Plane of The Dead - or The Ideal Masters…   

     

    Were I to hypothesize about the origins of these beings – and being a learned Altmer of the magical sciences, I consider myself more than qualified to do so – I would theorize that the Ideal Masters are not an individual species, but a taxonomic classification more on par with a shapeless entity that serves as the ruler of The Soul Cairn, not unlike the Daedric Princes are lord over their individual realms. However, whereas each Daedric Prince single handedly dictate their realms, the Ideal Masters are -If the research of Malovan is to be believed- a multitude of coexisting entities.    

     

    But before I explain the nature of The IDeal Masters, I must first tell about The Soul Cairn itself.

     

    Malovan Mercury’s Notes

    Written by Malovan Mercury, sorted by Emrar Charime Oricano Laratheous

     

    Contemplations about The Soul Cairn

     

    In order to enter the Soul Cairn, a mortal usually must be dead. This can be achieved by partial soul trapping -which is the option I myself have experimented with-, or by becoming undead. The realm was once accessible from the voidgate of theBattlespire, but the link was severed after the citadel was destroyed. I do believe that the scrolls I uncovered in High Rock originate from some of those who originally founded the first portal to that Plane of Oblivion.  

     

    I did it! I managed a partial soul trapping which in turn rendered me partially undead. The tricky part was discovering the component alchemical ingredients that would allow me to open a sustainable portal to The Soul Cairn. I have spoken to the Ideal Masters, and although much of it was riddles, I admit to feeling a certain curiosity toward them. As a secondary precaution, I am combining my own blood into the formula which should prevent anyone from being able to duplicate it and following me into the Soul Cairn.

    The formula consists of:

    • Finely ground bone meal

    • Purified void salt

    • Soul gem shards

    Using the proper measurements, place the above in the silver-lined portal vessel and add blood as a reactive agent.

     

    The Soul Cairn's landscape is desolate, bleak, barren and grey, marked by blackened, dead ruins, bones, gravestones and "soul fissures". Nothing grows in the realm. The realm contains many structures associated with burial, such as the Coffin Chapel and the Boneyard. The Chapel of Love is a building which contains the Emerald Gates, a portal which can be used to teleport to any of the outer realms, provided the user knows the name of the realm. The Emerald Gates are powered by the Mana Font, which is controlled by three rods, the Rod of the Pilot, the Rod of the Pillar, and the Rod of the Passage, collectively known as the Fingers of Life Lightning strikes the ground constantly, and lightning attractors can harness this power to create Black Soul Gems.

     

     

    *Tomes of Knowledge Series - Book One*

    ---

    *Tomes of Knowledge Series - Book Two*

     

    To be continued…

     

    Note: This was my original post for the Grimoire event, only this doesn't exactly count as a bestiary. Anyways, I decided to post it anyways and may expand on this half-finished piece of work in the future.  







  • Member
    May 28, 2017

    Sorry, Blue, computer was acting up yesterday so I didn't get to read this.

    First things first, this is great. Creating lore and combining it with a character basically fuses two big parts of the Roleplay group together, and it works very well if I do say so myself. And while it's not technically canon, it's so well done it might as well be. Where do you think you're gonna go with this in the future if you don't mind saying? You've made me invested in the character and the lore, so not I need to know what happens next!

    But, and forgove me if I'm wrong, isn't Morrowind the only province that made necromancy illegal?

     

     

    Circa 3E 427, Morrowind was the only province in which necromancy was outlawed.

     

     

    - UESP: Necromancy

    I believe House Telvanni has a relaxed view on it, so it'd make sense that Malovan would travel to Morrowind to consult them, but to me Indoril seems a bit of a stretch, they're basically religious zealots after all, and although ancestor worhship is similar to necromancy there seems to be a distinct difference.

    It's a little detail, nothing to fuss over, but I just thought I'd bring it up.

    This is looking great, Blue, can't wait to see more!

  • Member
    May 28, 2017

    Zonnonn said:

    Sorry, Blue, computer was acting up yesterday so I didn't get to read this.

    First things first, this is great. Creating lore and combining it with a character basically fuses two big parts of the Roleplay group together, and it works very well if I do say so myself. And while it's not technically canon, it's so well done it might as well be. Where do you think you're gonna go with this in the future if you don't mind saying? You've made me invested in the character and the lore, so not I need to know what happens next!

    But, and forgove me if I'm wrong, isn't Morrowind the only province that made necromancy illegal? 

    Circa 3E 427, Morrowind was the only province in which necromancy was outlawed.

    - UESP: Necromancy

    I believe House Telvanni has a relaxed view on it, so it'd make sense that Malovan would travel to Morrowind to consult them, but to me Indoril seems a bit of a stretch, they're basically religious zealots after all, and although ancestor worhship is similar to necromancy there seems to be a distinct difference.

    It's a little detail, nothing to fuss over, but I just thought I'd bring it up.

    This is looking great, Blue, can't wait to see more!

    I can't quote sources but I believe that as long as you don't raise Dunmer, you're good in Morrowind. I would still go to the Telvanni just to be sure though, you never know when the Indoril decide you're Necromancer scum.

    Regardless, Necromancy was never really banned by the magic community in Cyrodiil until the events of Oblivion where using Necromancy and dark soul gems would get you kicked out of the mage's guild faster than you could say "Live my minions!!". After the Oblivion crisis I'm pretty sure it was either banned by the empire (along with anything else somewhat related to daedra)or the empire gave the Vigil of Stendar permission to kll off any necromancers which basically comes down to the same point.

  • Member
    May 28, 2017

    Teineeva said:

    I can't quote sources but I believe that as long as you don't raise Dunmer, you're good in Morrowind. I would still go to the Telvanni just to be sure though, you never know when the Indoril decide you're Necromancer scum.

    Regardless, Necromancy was never really banned by the magic community in Cyrodiil until the events of Oblivion where using Necromancy and dark soul gems would get you kicked out of the mage's guild faster than you could say "Live my minions!!". After the Oblivion crisis I'm pretty sure it was either banned by the empire (along with anything else somewhat related to daedra)or the empire gave the Vigil of Stendar permission to kill off any necromancers which basically comes down to the same point.

     

    Ah that makes sense, I felt like I was missing something somewhere with the whole legality thing, cheers Tein. I never knew the Vigilants were working that closely to the Empire, but I guess what ever side your on peopel still hate necromancers so it makes sense.

  • Member
    May 29, 2017

    Thanks guys, for the praise and the information. I admit I didn't actually research all that much into this but my general understanding is that the Dunmer generally have a more open minded relationship to both daedra and necromancy whereas it is frowned upon in Cyrodill. Besides, Morrowind does contain a lot more experts in conjuration than Cyrodill I would expect.

  • Member
    May 29, 2017

    BlueDremora said:

    Thanks guys, for the praise and the information. I admit I didn't actually research all that much into this but my general understanding is that the Dunmer generally have a more open minded relationship to both daedra and necromancy whereas it is frowned upon in Cyrodill. Besides, Morrowind does contain a lot more experts in conjuration than Cyrodill I would expect.

    Thinking about it a bit more it definitely makes sense, even though ancestor worship isn't technically necromancy in the traditional sense there must be some shared knowledge, rituals, incantations, potions etc, so while not specifically the same field contacting them would be invaluable for a soul researcher.

    Have you thought about ways of incorporating soul study into the game?

  • Member
    May 29, 2017

    I finally looked over this and I have to say this amazing. A lot of this sounds like some Crowley, LaVey type items which great since I am an admirer of their work and this would fit in. Plus, this fits in well with Necromancers and the teachings of Mannimarco in way, which is always great.