Lore:Chancellor Abnur Tharn Answers Your Questions
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"Lord Tharn, your noble family's role in the Alessian slave rebellion is well known, but one figure that always intrigued me is the mysterious Arch-Prelate Fervidius Tharn himself. Details about the man are rare. Would the kind Chancellor be willing to shed some light on the matter?" - Archivist Jimeee of the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits
Chancellor Abnur Tharn says, "I am pleased by your question, good archivist, for it gives me an opportunity to set the record straight about a man who is often mischaracterized and misunderstood. My ancestor, Fervidius Tharn, began his calling with the Alessian Order as a humble oblate, but as his merits and character became apparent—good breeding always tells, does it not?—he was given greater and greater responsibility, in time becoming arch-prelate of the entire order. Though at that period the arch-prelate wielded power almost as great as that of the emperor, Fervidius still had powerful enemies, both inside and outside the order. The greatest of these threats was a fanatical schism of the Alessians called the Marukhati Selective. Arch-Prelate Fervidius learned that the zealots of the Selective were scheming to bring about some sort of mystical re-engineering of the Aurbis by finding and combining the eight parts of an artifact called the Staff of Towers. These segments had been deliberately separated and hidden early in the First Era due to the threat posed by the complete Staff. Fervidius sent agents of the Order out to find these segments—not, as some have said, to assist the Marukhati Selectives, but to sequester the segments where the Selectives could not get at them. Alas, in the end the arch-prelate, ever a trusting man, was betrayed by his closest allies, and his courageous stand against the Selectives cost him his very life."
"My question for you, Chancellor, is that during the Alessian Rebellion, why were the Barsaebic Ayleids of my native Black Marsh not targeted as a potential threat or source of allies for the two conflicting sides (and the same for the Saxhleel ourselves)? I would think their proximity would result in some action from them, but nothing seems to be recorded in The [sic] Imperial Library. But we know how much you care for authenticity and accuracy, eh Tharn?" – Eis Vuur Warden, Wayward and Contract Scholar
Chancellor Abnur Tharn says, "My dear Warden, you wound me, truly you do, with your implications. Those who put the boot into another should take care, lest they become boots themselves, if you take my meaning. But I digress. The Barsaebics, of course, were on the Aedric side in the Ayleid civil conflict known as the Narfinsel Schism, and were driven out of Cyrodiil by the Daedra-worshipers in the Scouring of Wendelbek. As this took place only a half-century before Alessia's Slave Revolt, the humiliation of exile still stung for the Barsaebics; when King Glinferen of Atatar sent an envoy to Gideon call for aid against the rebellious Nedes, the Barsaebic king (I'm afraid his name is lost to history) sent him back with a blunt refusal. Why didn't Alessia, who had other Ayleids among her allies, call on the Barsaebics to join her? We don't know that she didn't—all we know is that such an alliance never took place."
"Let's get the facts straight. Was Morihaus a bull, or a man, or a man-bull, or what? We need to know!" -Imperial Scholar Aidius Lutrus
Chancellor Abnur Tharn says, "As one Imperial scholar to another, Aidius, I am surprised to hear you use the word 'facts' about an individual known to us only through the medium of myth. In 'fact,' it matters not whether Morihaus was man, bull, or Eidar cheese—what matters is how his saga supports the national narrative of the Empire, and how belief in the might and righteousness of Morihaus informs the self-image of the average Cyrodiil. The creation story of the Empire has no purpose or meaning beyond its support of the Empire's continuation. If this is news to you, perhaps it is time to review the continuation of your Imperial stipend."
"I wish to know your opinion on Alessia. Why did Akatosh favor her cause—indeed, the cause of all Imperials, and grant her the Amulet of Kings?" - Alessandra of Cyrodiil
Chancellor Abnur Tharn says, "Ah, but of course you already know the answer, loyal Alessandra. Do you simply wish to hear the truth spoken again from the very lips of the High Chancellor? If so, I am happy to indulge you. Repeat, along with me, the words that cannot be gainsaid, the truth that cannot be questioned: 'Saint Alessia, through her purity and wisdom, earned the love of all good beings, mortal and immortal. At Sancre Tor she prayed to Akatosh for the liberation of her people, and the Time Dragon granted her Three Visions to guide her in this task. Though the road was long and filled with hardship, her faith sustained her. When at last all three visions had come to pass and her people were freed of Elven domination, her purpose was fulfilled and she was called to Apotheosis. Then was she inducted into sainthood by Akatosh himself, and granted the Amulet of Kings, for the sacred rulers of the Empire to wear for ever and beyond.' There, Alessandra. Blessed be the Divines."
"As a young woman, I was taught that our ancestors were called 'Nedes'. Some historical texts suggest the Nedes are the aboriginal humans of Tamriel. Others, such as the Dunmeri sagas, suggest they came from Atmora, and were cousins of the Nords. I know you have a deep interest in the genealogy of your own esteemed bloodline, milord, as well as a strong nationalistic pride in Nibenay and its accomplishments, so I'll assume you have an opinion on the matter of the identity of Nedes. Just who were our enigmatic ancestors, sire, and where did they come from?" – Laurina Berne, Master Enchanter, Battlemage Corps
Chancellor Abnur Tharn says, "Excellent questions, upon matters to which many of our finest scholars have devoted their entire lives. Before Khosey's 'Tamrilean Tractates,' which date to around 1E 200, the historical record is fragmentary to entirely nonexistent. This places us in the realm of conjecture, but from common elements in the oral traditions of the Cyro-Nedic tribes, certain probabilities can be adduced. The origin of the Nedes was undoubtedly the northern continent of Atmora, but the Nedic tribes did not all come to Tamriel at once; they came in waves, over a period of centuries, one tribal group at a time. These tribes were far from homogeneous: though all came from Atmora, some were as different from each other as Reachman and Redguard. The term 'Nedic Tribes' actually covers a wide panoply of different human cultures from different parts of Atmora, with a variety of traditions and practices. For the Nedes, Tamriel became a great mixing cauldron—some Atmoran practices were retained, but many were lost. In Nibenay alone do we find the kind of continuity that sheds light on original Nedic culture, for only here were the great, old traditions maintained in any fidelity. Thus, when you look at a Nibenese, you see the closest thing to a pure-bred Nede still remaining on this continent."
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