Loremaster's Archive: The Maelstrom Arena - Part One

Loremaster's Archive:  is part of the Loremaster's Archive series written by Lawrence Schick, the Loremaster of. This entry was published on 10/19/2015.

Content


It's a rare opportunity being able to talk to a Daedric Demiprince and get away unharmed. In our latest installment the Loremaster was able to forward your questions to Fa-Nuit-Hen himself and his aide, Tutor Riparius—but we received so many questions that we've had to break it into two Archives, and even then we won't be able to address every query! Find answers to questions about Oblivion pocket realms in general, the Maelstrom Arena in specific, and other topics concerning Daedric Demiprinces below.

At the conclusion of Part Two of this interview with a Demiprince, the Loremaster's Archive will take a hiatus. If you have lore specific questions, please continue to send them to community@elderscrollsonline.com and we might answer them on other channels. To continue to learn more about the lore of Tamriel and the areas you will be able to discover, make sure to follow for example our area guides or our Meet the Character series.

A MEMORY BOOK, PART 1
As Dictated to Tutor Riparius by Fa-Nuit-Hen

Ah, my Baron Who Moves Like Light Glittering Through Crystal. What can I recall about him before his memory slips away?

He was tall—but they're all tall to one who adopts the stature of a Bosmer. I had good reasons for doing that, and I can almost remember them … something about being nimble and making a smaller target.

But remembering Light-Through-Crystal—you see how it goes, Tutor, I'm so easily distracted. I need your cool words to flow through me, a rippling current, to bring me back to focus.

Focus! That's the word, exactly! Light-Through-Crystal was all about focus, it was his reason for being. In battle, he moved from point to point almost instantaneously, scintillating from front to flank to other flank, his attacks flashing out like malondo-rays. I remember him when we fought the Five Recalcitrants, how he glowed with varliance and ferocity! Shields shattered like glass, and the ground was littered with fangs and antlers.

And we were triumphant! I never want to lose that day, Tutor. Place it carefully in the Reservoir of Recollection, that I may relive it whenever I need to.

LORD FA-NUIT-HEN AND TUTOR RIPARIUS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS:
“Please accept this bottle of Glendis Red 143. Every sip of this rare wine conjures up the memories of a gladiator's last fight in the arena, a vivid image of the strikes and styles that were lost with his or her death. It's a meager offering for a demiprince such as yourself, I know, but it's still exceedingly rare here on Nirn -- after making just 9 bottles, Glendis of the Bloodworks was executed for grave robbing, suspected necromancy, and the brewing of corpses into wine without a license.

Now, as to the reason I'm writing. It is commonly believed among mortal scholars that the realms of the Daedric Princes are extensions of those Princes themselves. I've encountered instances of the same being true on a smaller scale -- the infamous Mages Guild report on the so-called "Bad Man" of Daggerfall, as well as in my own experimentation on lesser Daedra. However, in all the infinite expanses of Oblivion, this can't be the only way a realm can be maintained. Is your realm a part of yourself, or otherwise invested of your essences? Do you know of any other pocket realms that were created without involving a Daedroth's morphotype?

You have my utmost gratitude for your time. If I ever make it to your corner of Oblivion, please do save a glass of Glendis for me -- that was my last bottle, after all.

Sincerest regards,

The Spellwright"

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “To answer your questions, Spellwright, I shall go from the specific to the general! In common with the greater Princes, my realm of Maelstrom and myself are indistinguishable—my pocket reality is a projection of my mind, nature, and will. Indeed, reality as personal manifestation is the norm in all the highly-organized realms I have visited. Exceptional realms deviate from this norm in several ways. There are physical realms, such as Infernace, home of the flame atronachs, that exist as collective extensions of their numerous, less-powerful inhabitants. In my experience, such 'collective realms' tend to be rather mundane and uninteresting, lacking the distinctive qualities of the more personal Oblivion planes. There are regions of incomplete and half-finished demi-planes, the so-called 'inchoate realms,' that were for some reason abandoned by their projectors—dangerous places for even powerful Daedra to visit, as it's easy to become discorporated in a Roamver ambush, or by getting caught up in a realm-rip. Then there are what we call the 'sundered realms,' pocket realities that were shattered by interplanar war or Princely expungement. To answer your final question, I know of no organized Oblivion realms created or maintained by other than individual or collective will. But I haven't seen everything in Oblivion. Who could?"

“Since we're talking about Oblivion Pocket Realms, I would eagerly like to know what exactly is a Slipstream Realm instead. It is said to be a sort of pocket dimension located between Mundus and Oblivion, but what it really means? I also heard it is not inhabited by Daedra nor mortals, so who precisely owns it? And where is this so called “Weir Gate" used to get inside it?

Please, excuse me if I prefer to remain anonymous, but I want to prevent someone stopping me to searching for those places.

The Quidnunc Battlemage"

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “Ah! The 'Weir Gate' leads, or will lead, to the Slipstream Realm where you mortals have or will establish your Battlespire Academy. Regarding the 'Slipstream' designation: mortals, of course, can only perceive Oblivion and the astronomical regions of the Mundus in terms of their own frames of reference. They 'see' only what they can comprehend, and often that isn't much. Furthermore, what they do comprehend often seems to drive them insane, though the rate of mental deterioration varies with individuals. Twice upon a time, the Imperial Mananauts regularly ventured beyond Nirn, and in doing so learned that the mortal mind is best acclimated to other realities by gentle degrees. This is one of the reasons why Maelstrom seems to resemble aspects of your world—I wished it to be mortal-friendly, or at least friendly enough for mortals to experience my arenas without distorting their mentalities! Anyway, the Mananauts will learn that it's best to train for Oblivion in a transition zone, a place where differing truths can co-exist without conceptual abrasion. At certain points, transliminal forces balance in standing waves, and these regions are designated 'Slipstream Realms.' We haven't actually been to Battlespire yet, have we, my Tutor? Would you please remember forward for me to tell the Quidnunc about this 'Weir Gate'?"

Tutor Riparius says, “Of course, Lord Demiprince! The Weir Gate is a semi-permanent portal between Tamriel and the Battlespire that has been, is sometimes, or will be blocked or destroyed. Sooner or later, we'll know more than that."

“Fa-Nuit-Hen,

Although my fellow colleagues are not pleased with contacting a Daedric Demiprince, if that is what you are, we here at the Guild of Mages were recently wondering about the creation of pocket realms of Oblivion. How are these miniature realms formed in the first place? Would it in any way be possible for a skilled mage to be able to create one for themselves, or is it exclusively done by Daedric entities like yourself? Finally, should the former be true here, were there any historical cases of mortal races creating their own planes? I suspect that the Ayleids would have known how to accomplish such a thing. However, we have found no evidence to support this so far. I thank you for your time, and your personal insight would be more than helpful in our research on this.

Wizard Solinar of Firsthold, Mages Guild"

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “So far as I know, pocket realms can be created and maintained only by immortals such as the greater Daedra—though, of course, it's well known that mortals have the capacity to ascend to immortality. Such ascended mortals often become great pests as far as we Daedra are concerned, so I don't think I'll go into the means of such ascension. Who wants more pests? But I will give you an example: the Ideal Masters who rule the Soul Cairn pocket realm were once mortals like yourself. If you get a chance to visit that, frankly, rather unattractive little reality, perhaps the Ideal Masters will tell you how they worked it. I wouldn't count on it, though: they're notoriously short on empathy, and at the first excuse will confine you inside a tight little crystal 'for all eternity,' whatever that means."

“Great Prince Fa-Nuit-Hen,

A few years ago I managed to travel to the Soul Cairn. I saw many frightening new things, tasted new plants, listened to the saddening to stories of hopeless souls, and possibly even saw an undead dragon, but what piqued my interest the most was the existence of the area itself. The realm was considerably large, and when I met a large soul gem-like Ideal Master, they referred to themselves as "one of the Makers".

My question is how these mysterious beings created such a place, and why they did so. I would have asked one of them, but the last time I saw one was when I found a shard of an Ideal Master in a nobleman's chest.

Cyan Fargothil of Seyda Neen"

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “Wasn't I just talking about that place? I believe I was—but now, I have moved on! Riparius, old friend, I leave this one to you."

Tutor Riparius says, “But of course! Perhaps I can shed a bit more light on the subject. Long ago, as you reckon such things, the Ideal Masters were an early order of sorcerers who practiced necromancy, trafficking in souls, great, small, and fragmentary. They became very powerful, and eventually found their physical forms to be unacceptably weak and limiting. By means which I shall not articulate, they transcended those forms and became beings of soul-energy. They entered Oblivion as immortals, selected an area of chaotic creatia, and crafted it into a pocket realm ideal for their purposes as soul merchants. They dubbed this pocket the Soul Cairn and, pleased with themselves, adopted the name Ideal Masters as a title."

“Fa-Nuit-Hen, Multiplier of Motions Known, I offer the soul of this fallen warrior as sacrifice, and in return request only a drop of your knowledge. My questions for you today are threefold:

Firstly, I must ask of your nature. Which of the Princes sired you? We know of your involvement with Vivec, but is it true that you also taught new Motions to dissident Redguards who rejected the Ansei?"</i></b>

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “I interrupt, for I become impatient to return to my affairs, which are quite pressing! I, of course, am a scion of Boethiah. Why would such as I teach new motions to dissident Redguards? Not that I disdain those people, who fight well, for mortals—and even I learned a new motion or two when I observed the HoonDing making way!"

'''“For my second question, I'd like to inquire into the matter of your Aedric counterparts. Many obscure texts describe Morihaus-Breath-of-Kyne as a Demiprince, but this is hard to reconcile with what little we know of Daedric Demiprinces such as yourself."'''

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “Morihaus! It's long indeed since I thought of him. How we would drink and dice together! As far as I'm concerned, to call him a 'demiprince' is clearly a misnomer. He was a demigod—or so he was termed by the mortals of his time. If you go then, you'll see what I mean."

“Lastly, I hope that you could provide some information on the pocket realm of Infernace, home of the highly intelligent Flame Atronachs. Even the most inexperienced mortal conjurer knows of the existence of this realm and its endless supply of fiery guardians, but it has rarely been visited due to the extreme conditions within. Does it have a clan structure? We know that the Flame Atronachs can collectively swear allegiance to a Prince, but how do such alliances affect this plane politically?

– Legoless, Doyen of the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits"</i></b>

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “Infernace, as alluded to above, is one of the dullest realms I've ever visited. Magma, fumaroles, and more magma—even the Deadlands has more variety! But it must suit the Flame Atronachs, as it was crafted to their collective specifications. Regarding their clan structure and hierarchy, I was too bored to inquire. I admit it: to me, all Flame Atronachs look alike. Some may be bigger than others, but whether the larger ones rule the lesser ones, I couldn't say. …I believe I shall take just one more question for today."

“To Fa-Nuit-Hen, courtesy of The Loremaster;

I was intrigued to hear that the Maelstrom Arena is considered an Oblivion pocket realm; one of yours, I assume? I have always had an interested in pocket realms, being that there is so little documentation about them in existing scholarly works - some sources say there are over 37,000. The Monomyth states how the sixteen Daedric Princes "created the Daedric Realms, and all the ranks of Lesser Daedra, great and small", so I was wondering, how do the pocket realms fit into the Daedric hierarchy? Does every pocket realm belong originally to one of the sixteen Princes? If so, who do you owe allegiance to?

Now, on to the Arena - I have heard rumors that an entrance has appeared up in Wrothgar, but no specifics on its location. Are you able to elaborate? Is it up in the Black Mountain, near Orsinium, or perhaps in one of the other regions of Wrothgar? I very much look forward to seeing it myself someday.

Enodoc Dumnonii, Savant of the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits"</i></b>

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, “Over 37,000? There are more than that in the Ur-Mora Clarion region alone! But most are too strange for mortal comprehension—you're better off just thinking about those planes associated with the Princes, Demiprinces, and Daedra Lords, as those all partake of concepts that are at least somewhat familiar to you. Of them all, if you are as warlike as most Tamrielics, you're sure to find the Maelstrom Arena the most welcoming! If you're up for the challenge, you'll find the portal to my handsome little realm currently anchored in the foothills of the Wrothgarian Mountains, just northeast of where the Orcs are building their new capital city of … Orsinium, I think they call it. The gate to Maelstrom might take a little finding, but it's worth the search! Trust me, I'm a Daedra."