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"So with a metagastrologic, the first taste of the dish will have a certain balance of flavors, but as it lingers on the tongue, they begin to change. Salty is confused for sweet, ah—ethereat for hot, and so forth. And it will keep happening, different each time."
―Annaïg, about something the Ayleids once used in their banquets.[src]

Annaïg Hoïnart, otherwise known as "Nn" by her Argonian friend Mere-Glim, or Thistle, is a character who appears in An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City and An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls. She is a pale Breton of 17 years of age. She lived in her father's villa on the hills of the Imperial quarter of Lilmoth, Black Marsh. She is the childhood friend of Mere-Glim. She is somewhat of a budding alchemist, having created potions which have made her fly, and her friend partially invisible. She is also one of the main characters in The Infernal City, going on the lengthy adventure to Umbriel with her friend by her side most of the way. Annaïg knew as much Jel, the language of the Argonians, as any Argonian. However, she couldn't pronounce properly many of the sounds. Mere-Glim and her formulated a creole or personal language with heavy inspiration from jel for use between the two.[1]

Physical appearance[]

Annaïg had green eyes and a nose that some might consider a bit large, but belonged perfectly on her face. Her hair was like dark twists of black silk.[2]

The Infernal City[]

Annaïg and Mere-Glim lived together, spending their days sharing adventures and enjoying their evenings by drinking all of her father's wine in Lilmoth. Annaïg always convinced Glim to take part in dangerous activities. Once, they nearly got arrested during one of their little adventures. Annaïg was a talented alchemist, she often tried her potions on Glim.

One day Annaïg persuaded Glim to investigate someone Annaïg suspected of being a werecrocodile. They investigated the werecrocodile's lair, only to get themselves caught in a Skooma den. The smugglers sighted them, so they had to run. They made it to the roof, but there was a fifty-foot fall. Annaïg provided Glim a flying potion. Glim didn't trust in her, the last time she gave him a potion crafted by her it made his skin translucent. He finally decided to give it a try. The potion worked fairly well, and they landed in the ground. They ran as fast as they could to Annaïg's home and celebrated their adventure with a bottle of wine.

They talked about visiting other places such as the Imperial City, but Glim didn't want to leave Lilmoth. Glim told her friend about a flying city that was approaching Lilmoth through the sea. Annaïg was excited about the flying city.[3]

They woke up wake up with a hangover. Annaïg inquired Glim about the flying city. Taig Hoïnart joined the conversation. He told them that everything had started when Urvwen, a crazy old Psijic priest, said he felt something out in the deep water. After the conversation, Annaïg sent Glim to discover what Urvwen had to say, while she improved her flying potion. Annaïg visited Hecua's store. She knew she was missing some ingredient, but she didn't know exactly which. She found a fat bottle, and her instinct told her that it was what she was looking for. Hecua told her that she had acquired it from a man who came back from an Oblivion Gate after the Oblivion Crisis.

Annaïg returned home in order to discover the virtues of the ingredient. She worked in her alchemical laboratory until she crafted a new flying potion. Just when she was about to try it, his father arrived home. Annaïg was worried about Glim, so she sent Coo to warn him. Taig was drunk, he had sold their house to buy her a passage in a ship that would take her to the Imperial City. The flying city would arrive today at Lilmoth, and Taig feared that the city would be destroyed. Taig ordered some men to take Annaïg to the ship. Annaïg refused to go, but she couldn't do anything.[4]

Annaïg was locked up in a cabin of the Tsonashap. Coo finally found Glim, and Annaïg could tell him what had happened. Glim swam until he reached the the boat where Annaïg was being transported. He secretly saved her, and he towed her up to the shore. They talked about the possibility of returning to Lilmoth, but if Taig and Urvwen were right, there was nothing to do. Annaïg thought that they could reach the flying city from a hill if they used her flying potion. They drank the potion and ended up in the flying city.[5]

Once in the city, they saw how the Hist controlled the Lukiul, the assimilated Argonians, not to run away from the destruction and just stand there. The An-Xileel had gone away, and they would be back when everything was over. The dead bodies came back to life as undead. Annaïg sent Coo to find Prince Attrebus and warn him about the incoming danger. They wandered through the city until they heard some people talking in a merish dialect. Annaïg, who had studied Ehlnofex, understood that they had seen them arrive to the city, and they were searching for them. They came across a man called Wemreddle. He realised that they were the intruders who were being searched. However, he told them that he wasn't going to blow the whistle. He hated his life in the flying city, and he hoped that they could help him escape.[6]

Wemreddle betrayed them, and he warned the chefs about them. The chefs saw an opportunity to progress as cooks by using the knowledge of the newcomers. They fought among them for Annaïg and Glim. Finally, a chef called Qijne won and demanded them to come with her.[7]

Qijne ordered them to learn about the ingredients they used in her kitchen. Annaïg lied her telling that Glim knew as much about cooking and ingredients as she knew, so that they remained together. Qijne ordered Slyr, one of her cooks, to instruct Annaïg and teach her how things worked around in the kitchen. Annaïg was granted a hob to aid her, she naimed it Luc after her cousin.[8]

Annaïg spent half her time cooking and the other half cataloging the ingredients they brought from Tamriel. One day, Qijne informed her that Slyr and her would be preparing a meal for Lord Ghol. Annaïg made her best to impress the lord, but she only bored him. Slyr feared that Qijne would kill them if they failed again. That night Coo found Attrebus and Annaïg could explain him what was happening in Black Marsh. Attrebus seemed to believe her.[9]

Annaïg tried to craft the flying potion with the ingredients she had available. Lord Ghol enjoyed the next meal Annaïg and Slyr prepared. Slyr guided Annaïg to her hideout where they ate and celebrated their success.[10]

Attrebus contacted her after many days of silence. He told her that he had had some setback, but he was in his way to Umbriel. Annaïg's talent spread through Umbriel. Toel invaded Qijne's kitchen in order to kidnap Annaïg. Qijne gathered her most trusted cooks and they entrenched in a safe room. Her attempts to protect the kitchen were futile, and Toel's men broke in the safe room. Seeing that everything was lost, Qijne tried to kill Annaïg. Slyr saved her before Qijne could stab her, thrusting a knife into her neck. Toel introduced himself, and he told Annaïg she would now work for him.[2]

Annaïg and Slyr were sent to a decontamination room. Dulg, one of Toel's workers informed Annaïg that she would be meeting Toel in his chambers. Her hair was tended, and she was given a dress. Toel asked her about her life in Tamriel. As every Umbrielian, he ignored many of the words and concepts Annaïg spoke about.[11]

Toel was haunted by Annaïg's talent. They met again to discuss her progress. Slyr didn't hide her envy, she felt that she was expendable. Toel informed her that Lord Irrel enjoyed her meal. He offered her to work directly for him, but she would have to get rid of Slyr. Annaïg refused to sacrifice her friend, disappointing Toel. Finally, Toel implied that they would procreate when Annaïg felt she was ready.[12]

Annaïg received a letter from Glim through one of the skraws. He told her that he had found her, and that they could contact through the skraws. Slyr asked Annaïg to taste a course she was preparing for Lord Irrel. Annaïg continued cooking when she realised that she had been poisoned. She managed to prepare a stabilizer before fainting. When someone noticed that she was unconscious, Toel expelled the venom from her body. Toel offered her to get rid of Slyr again, but Annaïg refused once more.[13]

Annaïg answered back Glim telling him that she had everything ready to escape from Umbriel. They agree to meet at midnight at the dock. Annaïg contacted Attrebus one more time to tell him that Glim and her would leave Umbriel that night. She had an encounter with Slyr, who thought that Annaïg wanted to kill her herself. Annaïg couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she asked her not to talk to her unless it was work related.[14]

Glim and Annaïg finally met again after a long time. Annaïg provided Glim a flying potion, and they left Umbriel. After they walked away from the flying island, Annaïg realised that their bodies became incorporeal. They had spent too much time in Umbriel, and now they were part of it. They returned to Umbriel thinking that they would have a chance to escape someday.[15][16]

Lord of Souls[]

Annaïg met Glim weekly thanks to the maps the skraws had drawn for him. Glim told her about the skraws and his secret revolt. He asked Annaïg to craft potions that could allow the skraws breath underwater without having to use the vapors, but Annaïg couldn't do it without being noticed.[17]

Toel invited Annaïg again to his chambers. He informed her that Lord Rhel had organised a tasting where their kitchen would compete with Phmer, Luuniel and Ashdre. Phmer, the founder of the ninth savor, was their main competition. He tasked Annaïg to discover the ninth savor for him. Annaïg believed that Toel wanted her to steal it from Phmer. She told Slyr that she would give her a second chance. She informed her about her intention to steal the ninth savor. Slyr replied that she would do what she could to help. Annaïg sent a letter to Glim asking him to gather detailed information concerning Phmer's kitchen.[18]

Glim told Annaïg about the trees in Umbriel. They produced the proforms the Umbrielians started as. Then the ingenium gave them a soul. Annaïg proposed poisoning them, that would in essence destroy Umbriel, but Glim refused to do so, since it would affect all the Umbrielians. Glim tried to convince Annaïg not to attempt stealing the ninth savor from Phmer, but Annaïg was decided to do it that night.

Dulg woke up Annaïg, apparently, Toel wanted to talk to her. Phmer and her underchefs, as well as Slyr, were in Toel's balcony. Phmer accused her of stealing the ninth savor. She used an insect-like creature that could detect the ninth savor, but the creature pointed at Slyr. Annaïg had discovered the ninth savor on her own. She borrowed her dress to Slyr, tainted with the ninth savor and a vial with the savor in the pockets.

When Slyr realized what was happening, she revealed that it had been her who had warned Phmer that Annaïg was going to steal the savor from her kitchen. Slyr couldn't convince anyone that she hadn't stolen the savor, so Toel allowed Phmer to take Slyr to her kitchen to be taken care of.

When everybody was gone, Annaïg explained to Toel how she had discovered the ninth savor. Toel tried to procreate with her, but she told him that she would do it at her own time.[19]

In her next meeting with Glim, Glim demanded Annaïg weapons of sabotage for the skraws. Annaïg asked him to sabotage the kitchens to attract some atention. The kitchens would blame each other, and Toel's kitchen could benefit the most from this situation. The skraws damaged the water filter, so Toel gathered some of his men and Annaïg and they headed to the sump.

They discovered a skraw with a nutrient injector. Toel started to interrogate him, but they were attacked by another skraw. He easily defeated Toel and his men. Yet, Toel used his remaining power to attack him. Just then, Annaïg realised it was Glim who was attacking them, so she killed Toel. Annaïg and Glim arranged to clean the place and hide Toel's body near Phmer's kitchen. Nobody knew what happened besides them.[20]

After Toel's death, Lord Irrel organized an emergency meeting to decide how to procede with the tasting. Annaïg dared to tell him that they had chances to win. If she failed she would probably die, but if succeded Lord Irrel would promote her to chef. Annaïg was put in charge of the kitchen, and she used the information the skraws provided her to prepare a meal that Lord Rhel enjoyed, but it made other lords suffer, to the delight of Lord Rhel. Lord Rhel informed her that she had won, and that she would have to prepare a meal for Lord Umbriel himself.[21]

Attrebus contacted Annaïg to tell her about his encounter with Vuhon. Annaïg leant that Lord Umbriel was a Dunmer. Annaïg could try to poison him, but Attrebus told her that it would be too dangerous.[22]

Annaïg prepared the meal for Vuhon using the ingredients they received from Morrowind. Lord Umbriel was surprised by the references to the cuisine of Morrowind, so he interviewed Annaïg. He congratulated her for her job. Before leaving, he asked her if she knew Mere-Glim, the Argonian that had started a rebellion with the skraws. Annaïg answered that he was her friend, and that she could talk to him. Yet, Lord Umbriel demanded her to kill him.[23]

Annaïg developed a poison to kill Glim and poured it in the sump. When Glim entered the sump, his muscles started to fail and died. His body was taken to her.

Annaïg tried to contact Attrebus through Coo, but he was asleep. However, he had left Coo open, and Annaïg saw that he was sleeping with Irinja. Attrebus had never implied that he had romantic feelings for her, but she felt jealous.[24]

Fhena tried to sneak into Annaïg's kitchen and murder her, but she was caught by her cooks. Annaïg explained her that the drug she put in the water made Glim's body grow a crystal, a matrix containing his soul, his thoughts, his memories. She recreated Glim as an Umbrielian. When the protoform grew, Glim would be reborn conserving his thoughts and feelings. If Annaïg hadn't killed Glim, someone else would have, and she wouldn't have been able to help him.[25]

The next time Annaïg talked to Attrebus she was noticeably angry with him. Attrebus realized that he had left Coo open, and he tried to apologize. Additionally, she asked Annaïg to endure a bit longer, Umbriel would soon approach the Imperial City.[26]

Glim was reborn as an Umbrielian. Fhena and Annaïg explained him what had happened. Glim didn't understand it at first, but when Annaïg explained it to him he enraged and left for the Fringe Gyre.[27] Annaïg poisoned the trees of Umbriel. Glim realised what Annaïg planned, so he returned to the kitchen to ask her to stop it. While they spoke, Attrebus contacted Annaïg to tell her that he had arrived at Umbriel. Sul and him had tried to use Umbra to defeat him, but it didn't work. Their only option was to poison the trees.[28]

Annaïg asked Glim to bring Sul and Attrebus to her, but he refused to do so unless she gave him the antidote. Annaïg ended up giving up, and she offered him the antidote. While Glim was away, Lord Umbriel discovered that the source of the venom was Annaïg. Lord Umbriel found Annaïg, who refused to give him the antidote. Lord Umbriel could take the recipe directly from her mind, but just as he tried to damage her Attrebus and Glim appeared. Annaïg told them that Vuhon's soul was in the Ingenium. Sul summoned a Winged Twilight, which slammed Vuhon. Fhena dragged Annaïg away from the confrontation.[29]

Annaïg and Fhena waited for Attrebus and Glim to destroy the Ingenium. When they returned, they had a sad farewell. Glim had to stay in Umbriel to guide it out of Mundus. Annaïg provided Attrebus a flying potion, and they left the flying city.[30]

After everything is over, Attrebus and Annaïg talk in a forest about their feelings. Attrebus confesses that he loves her, and that he only needs a bit of patience before he can offer her his love. Annaïg replies that she is not patient by nature, but she will be patient for him.[31]

Quotes[]

  • "Depends on who you ask or what books you read. Some say they are tiny holes in Mundus, the world, and the light we see is Aetherius beyond. Others believe they are fragments of Magnus, who made the world."
  • "I’m not going to kill you, Slyr. At least not today."
  • "Fine. I’m just wondering, if you’re so friendly with her, why you haven’t mentioned her before."
  • "What is our cause, Prince? I’m not sure what my cause is anymore."

Trivia[]

  • She is proposed to Attrebus Mede at the end of Lord of Souls, so it's very likely that she served as Empress of Tamriel during Attrebus Mede's reign.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, first three chapters
  2. 2.0 2.1 An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part two chapter eight
  3. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter one
  4. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter three
  5. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter four to five
  6. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter six
  7. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter seven
  8. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part one chapter eight
  9. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part two chapter one
  10. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part two chapter four
  11. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part three chapter two
  12. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part three chapter four
  13. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part three chapter eight
  14. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part three chapters nine
  15. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, part three chapter ten
  16. An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, epilogue
  17. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part one chapter two
  18. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part one chapter four
  19. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part one chapter seven
  20. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part one chapter nine
  21. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part two chapter one
  22. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part two chapter three
  23. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part two chapter four
  24. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part two chapter ten
  25. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter one
  26. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter three
  27. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter six
  28. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter seven
  29. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter eight
  30. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, part three chapter nine
  31. An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls, epilogue
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