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Akavir Type Continent Continent Akavir

An Akavir-inspired Banner

Akavir, also known as Dragon Land, is a continental landmass east of Tamriel. The two continents have a history of animosity towards each other, with Akavir invading Tamriel several times in the past and Tamriel invading Akavir at least once.[1] Much of what is known about it in Tamriel is acknowledged to be incomplete or inaccurate.[2]

Inhabitants [ edit ]

No mer have ever lived there; the men that did live in Akavir were all "eaten" long ago by the Vampiric Serpent Folk of Tsaesci. There are four major nations on Akavir, each with its own race.[3]

Dragons [ edit ]

The Dragons (dov or dovah in their native language, drah-gkon and dov-rha to the ancient Nords, or Aka in Ehlnofex) are a rarely-seen race of large reptilian beasts. They are rumored to be from Akavir (which literally means "Dragon Land"), though there are ancient tales of dragons also coming from Atmora. They are large, scaled creatures, easily several times larger than a human or elf. They have long, slender extremities, with thin bat-like wings and ridges of spikes along their back. Dragons have three sharp talons and one vestigial digit known as a dewclaw on each of their legs, as evidenced by their alphabet.

Dragons are well-known for their affinity for magic which, among other things, grants them the abilities to speak and fly despite their lack of lips or aerodynamic frame. There are several varieties of dragon that come in a range of colors. Blessed with remarkable intelligence, they are nonetheless susceptible to feelings of pride and melancholy. They are distrustful creatures, even of each other. Despite this, they are also somewhat social, and can be driven mad by captivity and isolation. As the immortal children of Akatosh, they are specially attuned to the flow of time, and they feel an innate urge to dominate others that is near-impossible to overcome. In the mind of a dragon, being powerful and being right are the same, thus they make no distinction between speaking and fighting; battles between them are actually deadly verbal debates.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Kamal [ edit ]

The Kamal are a race of snow demons who live in Akavir. The word means "Snow Hell".

The snow demons spend the winter frozen solid, but, when summer comes, they thaw out and attack Tang Mo, always unsuccessfully.

In 2E 572, the Kamal invaded Tamriel under their king, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, reportedly searching for a person or object they called the "Ordained Receptacle". The Kamal fleet bypassed Morrowind entirely and landed near Windhelm in Eastern Skyrim, catching the Nords off-guard and sacking the city. Oddly, the Kamal army then headed south but ignored Riften, marching into the Stonefalls region of Morrowind. There, on a beach just to the west of Ebonheart that would later be named Vivec's Antlers, they were surrounded by a Dunmer army led by Almalexia and a Nord army led by Prince Jorunn. The Kamal fought ferociously, hoping to last long enough for their fleet to arrive and evacuate them, but, at the last moment, a phalanx of Argonians joined the fray. With the aid of a tidal wave summoned by Vivec, the Kamal were obliterated by the three unlikely allies.

This was not the last Tamriel would see of the Kamal, however. Sometime before 2E 812, remnants of the Kamal invasion force who had somehow survived the slaughter at Vivec's Antlers resurfaced in Cyrodiil, seizing the Ruby Throne from the successors of the warlord Attrebus. The Kamal were soon joined by the Akaviri of Rimmen, who had previously fled to Elsweyr to avoid Attrebus' persecution. The Kamal and Rimmen Akaviri attempted to rebuild the Empire, but the effort was doomed to failure.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Ka Po' Tun [ edit ]

The Ka Po' Tun are a race of (tiger-like) "cat-folk" who live in the continent of Akavir. It is unknown to what extent they are similar or related to the Khajiit. Although all of the races have fought each other at various times, the Ka Po' Tun consider the Tsaesci to be their greatest enemies. They have recently allied themselves with the Tang Mo.

The leader of the Ka Po' Tun is Tosh Raka. He is rumored to be a divine being who was the first of his race to succeed at becoming a dragon. Although some believe the story is metaphorical, Mysterious Akavir claims that the change was indeed physical and that Tosh Raka has all the characteristics of a dragon, with a tiger-like coloring. Under the rulership of Tosh Raka, the former Po Tun were renamed to Ka Po' Tun and became a rival to the supremacy of Tsaesci. After the ultimate defeat of the Tsaesci, they plan to invade Tamriel.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Tang Mo [ edit ]

The Tang Mo are generous and kind monkey-people. Tang Mo translates as "The Thousand Monkey Isles", which refers to the area where they live. There are various breeds of Tang Mo. They are very brave and simple, and many are also believed to be insane. They can raise armies when they must, for all of the other Akaviri nations have, at one time or another, tried to enslave them. So far the Tang Mo have always succeeded in defending their lands. Recently they have shrewdly allied themselves with their former enemies, the Ka Po' Tun.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Tsaesci [ edit ]

The Tsaesci (pronounced by some as "sayessie"), which means Snake Palace, are a race originating from the continent of Akavir, east of Tamriel. Their appearance has been described differently on many occasions, with some describing them as being entirely human in appearance, others attributing to the Tsaesci human upper bodies and serpentine lower bodies, and some claiming them to be entirely snake-like. Adding to these contradictory claims, it is also claimed that the so-called serpent-folk apparently "ate" the men that lived on Akavir, although this statement can be interpreted in many ways. Some even say that they may be shapeshifters..

Although immortality is attributed to them in literature, longevity was allegedly not a trait of the Tsaesci.

Oddly enough, two Akaviri "Blood Drinker" swords known as Dawn/Duskfang and Bloodthirst, emulate the rumored traits of their Tsaesci creators. The Tsaesci are said to fight without shields or armor, using only swords such as the Dai-katana in combat. The nature of the race is a tapestry of historical contradictions, so what little is known about them is uncertain.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Other [ edit ]

Early documented encounters between the Akaviri and the earliest inhabitants of Tamriel suggest that there may be Akaviri people with rat-like features, and others who are canine in appearance. This suggests Akaviri cultures that have yet to be discovered and perhaps extinct.[2]

History [ edit ]

Most Akaviri history is only known so far as it affects Tamriel, which means it is a story of conflict and violence, betrayal and intrigue. During time periods where they show no interest in Tamriel, they are thought to be fighting among themselves.[3]

The exchange began with reports of pirates with strange features.[2] Perhaps the earliest narrative concerning Akavir is The Story of Lyrisius, in which the eponymous General had his own army destroyed before going on to destroy the Akaviri army through other means.[4] Thus, even the oldest tales from Akavir are about war.

The most famous and important interaction between the two continents concerns the Reman Dynasty of Tamrielic emperors and their successors, the Akaviri Potentates. In 1E 2703,[5] Tsaesci forces of Akavir invaded Tamriel and were decisively defeated at Pale Pass by the army of Reman I.[2] As Reman's empire was also under threat from the elves, he agreed to allow the survivors of the disaster to remain in Tamriel and strengthen his army.[2] They eventually rose to positions of power and in 1E 2920, the last year of the First Era, Versidue-Shaie brought about the deaths of Reman III and his heir Prince Juilek, then took the throne as Potentate.[6][7] After his assassination by the Morag Tong in 2E 324, the empire passed to his son Savirien-Chorak, who was in turn assassinated along with his heirs in 2E 430.[8]

A second, short-lived Akaviri invasion of Tamriel occurred in 2E 572. An army of Kamal led by Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal landed in northeast Skyrim and besieged Windhelm before marching south towards Riften. Upon learning that Riften was defended by forces under the command of Jorunn the Skald-King and Wulfharth the Ash-King, Ada'Soom decided to bypass that city and attack Mournhold instead, unwittingly leading his army into a trap. A Dunmer army led by Almalexia halted the Kamal advance, and Jorunn's pursuing Nord army cut off their retreat. With the timely aid of a phalanx of Argonian troops, the combined Tamrielic force drove the Akaviri invaders into the sea to drown.[9] According to another source, the Akaviri army was destroyed not in a battle, but when Vivec intervened and flooded the land.[10] Regardless of how the Kamal were defeated, it is noted that some of their number survived and later resurfaced in Cyrodiil, where they seized control of the Imperial Throne from the successors of the warlord Attrebus.[11]

Centuries later, Tamriel would finally retaliate against Akavir. At the height of his power in 3E 288 and after twenty years of strategic preparation, Uriel Septim V launched an invasion of the continent and captured two cities, which he dubbed Septimia and Ionith.[1] The enterprise ultimately came to utter ruin at the Battle of Ionith in 3E 290.[1] Since then, the two continents have had little or no contact. The Nerevarine is thought to have gone on an expedition to Akavir, but has not been heard from since.[12]

Around the time of the Oblivion Crisis, an enigmatic individual known as Mohi-Titona was described as the supposed Queen of Akavir, although it is unknown whether or not she is a real figure.[13]

Influences on Tamriel [ edit ]

The martial ability of the Akaviri soldiers had a strong influence on the military hierarchies of Tamriel. The Imperial Legion benefited from the superior organization and tactical knowledge of the Akaviri, and the political and legal systems of the Empire were both improved as well.[2] The Akaviri Potentate's peculiar armorsmithing practices was said to have changed the Imperial legions forever.[14] It was an Akaviri, Dinieras-Ves, who first proposed what would become the Fighters Guild to his kinsman, the Potentate Versidue-Shaie.[15] The Empire in general benefited from the influence of Akavir.[2]

Akaviri surnames are rare and prized possessions among the Cyrodilic citizenry of today, and there are trace facial features of the Akaviri in many distinguished Cyrodilic families. Some colonies of "true Akaviri", such as Hakoshae, still exist in both the Empire and its border regions, but they are named so for their practices and customs, rather than for the purity of their blood.[16]

The Akaviri who served under Reman Cyrodiil were dubbed the Dragonguard, as the Dragonborn Emperor's new shock troops were renowned dragon-slayers.[17] This Dragonguard was the direct predecessor of the Blades, who adopted Akaviri style for their weaponry, armor and heraldry.[17][18][16] Their headquarters, Cloud Ruler Temple, is also built in the Akaviri style. The Red Dragons that have come to represent the Empire and the Imperial City were originally Akaviri war mounts.[16] A class of warriors known as Dragonknights emerged during the Interregnum of the Second Era, similarly based on the martial traditions of the dispersed Akaviri Dragonguard.[19] These warriors made use of unique magical abilities[20] said to be based on the powers of dragons.[21]

Notable Places [ edit ]

Gallery [ edit ]

An Akaviri spirit (Oblivion)

An undead Akaviri soldier (Oblivion)

Akaviri-inspired Blades armor (Skyrim)

Akaviri-inspired Fighter's Guild armor (ESO)

Ancient silver mask of Akaviri design (ESO)

The Draconian Madstone (Oblivion)

Sky Haven Temple (Skyrim)

Cloud Ruler Temple (Oblivion)

Hakoshae Tombs, an Akaviri burial tomb (ESO)

An Akaviri fort (Oblivion)

Akaviri script

Akaviri symbol for Dragonborn (Skyrim)

Akaviri arms and armor laid out in the Hakoshae Tombs (ESO)

Notes [ edit ]

Pre-release map from Legends

1. Mysterious Akavir by anonymous writer, the Tsaesci are told to have "tried to eat all the Akaviri Diary Translation of an Akaviri messenger states that during his journey to deliver orders to The meaning of term "eaten" as given from what is known of the land of Akavir is not clear. Although description of the "vampiric" Tsaesci might suggest literal meaning, it could be a metaphor for being subdued. Inby anonymous writer, the Tsaesci are told to have "tried to eat all the Dragons . They managed to enslave the Red Dragons, but the black ones had fled to (then) Po Tun". Also, theof an Akaviri messenger states that during his journey to deliver orders to Fort Pale Pass he met another Akaviri messenger, stating that his leg had been badly hurt by wolves. As the Tsaesci are described as beings with humanoid upper body and snake lower bodies, to being entirely snake-like, this statement would suggest that men indeed continued to live in Akavir, even if they were enslaved by the Tsaesci. The Akaviri-made Alduin's Wall shows members of the Dragonguard appearing to be human-looking.

A fan rendition of the continent of Akavir was originally depicted in pre-release images of the Summerset Orrery card in The Elder Scrolls: Legends. However, this artwork never made it into the final game.