User blog:Aquila2002/Regarding the Walking Ways.

Short Introduction
Upon having several discussions on the topic with a few people, I came to the decision to try to write a short Blog explaining some Walking Ways in how Vivec sees them. There's even a short Poem about it in ESO (Just some Trivia). This is what we will be basing our discussion off of: "Six are the formulas to heaven by violence."

- Sermon 6

The Walking Ways we will be trying to assess are as follows. Keep in mind that we want to ideally categrise these following terms as the Six potential Walkig Ways, albeit we're just trying to fit as many Apotheotic states into the category. These Six should suffice to be enough proof of Violence being present in Ascension: We will start off with CHIM.
 * CHIM
 * Enantiomorphs
 * Mythopoeia
 * The Prolix Tower
 * Mantling
 * Generalised Apotheosis

Regarding CHIM
CHIM, of course being a topic that can easily be over-complicated, has a simple concept to it that we all know of, or should know of. This'll be the ideology of seeing the Mundus wheel sideways, as an "I", and achieving the Realisation of Individuality, and how it doesn't apply to the person. There of, the person achieves the Apotheosis of CHIM, achieving a term above the Divine. With this, we shall take in CHIM as being one of the "Six ways to reach Heaven by Violence". But...how so? How is CHIM violent in any way? Well, the violence, just like the stone of the Snow-Throat, can be Metaphorical. The violence in this is breaking the natural flow of Mortal Life, and placing yourself above that. This is a violation against nature, so to speak, and this is how CHIM can be seen as "Violent". Of course, the Walking Ways are many - potentially much more than what Vivec tells us. We have to keep in mind that even if CHIM is it's own Walking Way, it's own Apotheotic state, there may be many ways to walk said paths. A good example to use here would be Talos. Said to achieve an Apotheotic state similar to, or equal to CHIM, but not in the Generalised sense that we believe in. But we'll get to that later.

Regarding Enantiomorphs
Enantiomorphs, in the same way as CHIM, are a violation against nature in the Apotheotic level. But what would be the case with the Enantiomorph? In an Enantiomorph, a new identity could take shape after some specific terms are met. The combatants, each equal, are a state of duality. An "11", so to speak. If you were to switch a "1" with the other "1", would you be able to tell them apart? To achieve the new entity, or the state of a Ruling King, the two Combatants must fight, and there must be an Observer. The Observer is needed to tell apart the two Combatants, even if amidst the battle, they seem to be the same person. The victor is dictated by the Observer, and sometimes a new form, called the Catalyst, will form as a Metaphorical representation of the two Combatants. This type of strange Apotheosis is dictated strictly through Violence, and so Vivec was absolutely correct in this statement. This is even more the point, as Vivec himself was the Observer in the battle between Dagoth Ur and the Nerevarine. This makes the Enantiomorph the next Walking Way in wich walking it is violent.

Regarding Mythopoeia
Mythopoeia is a strange term used to describe an even stranger Apotheotic state. Mythopoeia is best described as a Walking Way that requires explicit belief. You must believe yourself a Diety, or a God. You must "know" you are a Diety, or a God. Similar to Mantling, but this time, you are "Mantling yourself into Godhood", in the wierdest way to put it. Talos can be used as the example here again, as it can be thought that after Tiber Septim's service, a huge chunck of the Cyrodiliic population, and generally Tamrielic population, started dictating him as achieving a place in the Divne spectrum, making him the Ninth Divine. But how would Mythopoeia be linked to a Violent Apotheosis? Well, we could view any Apotheosis as a violation against nature, but that wouldn't be the brightest case-scenario. Mythopoeia is, frankly, extremely Profane. This is well-versed in the Thalmor's beliefs, and in a sense, they're correct. Just another thing to think about. On a final note, Mythopoeia has some links to Mantling (as already discussed) and the Prolix Tower, which we'll be covering next.

Regarding The Prolix Tower
''"You in the Fourth Era have already witnessed many of the attempts at reaching the final subgradient of all AE, that state that exists beyond mortal death. The Numidium. The Endeavor. The Prolix Tower. CHIM. The Enantiomorph. The Scarab that Transforms into the New Man."

- Jubal-lun-Sul, Loveletter From the Fifth Era '' The Prolix Tower is one of the six ways to reach Heaven by violence, definitely, but how exactly? In that short list, make note that Six Apotheotic Terms were mentioned. These six may be the ones to reach Heaven by Violence, but we are trying to figure out how many Apotheotic states can fit into this category (and we are using our commonly discussed ones to debate this). The Prolix Tower, similar to Mythopoeia, is a very Profane ascension. As the individual, you are to "talk yourself into divinity". This is quite offensive to the Gods, as becoming their rank by simply talking yourself into divinity is...very rude, to put it lightly. How effective this actually is? We don't really know that well. Further discussion revealed that the Prolix Tower may only be a "half" ascension; the other half being Mythpoeia. This idea stemmed from the thought that The Prolix Tower will only get you so far in self-belief, where as Mythopoeia would, as a matter of debate, "Oomph" the ascension. This is quite a strange topic, but interesting to talk about.

Regarding Mantling
Mantling is the idea of believing you are somethig you're not. Most commonly a Diety or a Divine. Talos was also said to be the result in taking Lorkhan's place (IIRC) within the Pantheon, but this ideology isn't talked about that much, as of late. Similar to Mythopoeia, both Mantling and Mythopoeia require an explicit achievement of truth, that truth being that you are a God, or you are The God, in relation to Mantling. This is a direct violation of the Gods, as you are, in a literall sense, "becoming them". In the eyes of a Diety or God, this Apotheotic state could prove to be the absolute danger to their entity. So from now on, if it wasn't already noted, Mantling is the most Profane, most anti-God Apotheosis. This would most assuredly be a Walking Way of Violence. (And is so, as mentioned by Jubal).

Regarding General Apotheosis
This will be a very short sub-section, as it doesn't apply to a singular state, rather the term itself. the example i'll be using here is Arkay, and his Ascension into the Nine Divines. It is said that Arkay was once a shopkeeper, and his belief caught the glimpse of Mother-Mara and Father-Aka. I can't quite place a finger as to what this type of Apotheosis could be, but it's good proof that there may be more than Six Walking Ways...

...Unless the Scarab that became the New Man refers to Arkay. We may be getting closer to understanding the Walking Ways much, much better now.

Fin
For those that read through, I hope you enjoyed this little Blog directed at the Walking Ways. If you have any questions, or anything that may help us Understand the Walking Ways better, please let me know, Cheers!

Please Note: This wasn't a dictation of how the Six Walking Ways were a Violent Ascension, but the Walking Ways in general. This means all types of Apotheosis, and all the ways you can walk them...