Lore:Akavir

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Akavir
Type	Continent

An Akavir-inspired Banner

The continent of Akavir, also known as Dragon Land, is a 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. Much of what is known about it in Tamriel is acknowledged to be incomplete or inaccurate.

Inhabitants

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.

Kamal

The Kamal are a race of snow demons who live there. 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. On one occasion, the Kamal invaded Tamriel under their king, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal. The invasion had some success at first, including the sacking of Windhelm in Skyrim during 2E 572, but was eventually defeated by Almalexia and the Underking in a battle at Red Mountain.

Tsaesci

The Tsaesci, which means Snake Palace, are a race of vampiric serpents originating from the continent of Akavir, east of Tamriel. The serpent-folk apparently "ate" the men that lived on Akavir, although this phrase could mean that they assimilated with them as a culture. Their appearance has been described differently on many occasions, the only consistency being that they are "tall, beautiful (if frightening), [and] covered in golden scales." They have been described as having human upper bodies and serpentine lower bodies in some cases and being entirely snake-like in others. The Tsaesci are known to fight without shields or armor, using only swords in combat. The nature of the race is a tapestry of historical contradictions, so what little is known about them is uncertain. It is impossible to separate fact from possible embellishments by storytellers eager to make the Tsaesci more monstrous.

Tang Mo

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.

As with most of the other races of Akavir, little is known about the Tang Mo other than the dubious information provided in the book, Mysterious Akavir.

Ka Po' Tun

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. The Ka Po' Tun are one of four races who live in Akavir; the other races are the Kamal, Tang Mo, and Tsaesci. 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.

History

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 amongst themselves.

The exchange began with reports of pirates with strange features. 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. 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, the forces of Akavir invaded Tamriel and were decisively defeated at Pale Pass by the army of Reman I. Reman's empire was also under threat from the Elves, and he agreed to allow the survivors of the disaster to remain in Tamriel and strengthen his army. They eventually rose to positions of power and in 1E 2920, the last year of the first era, Potentate of the Empire, Versidue-Shaie brought about the death of Reman III and his heir Prince Juilek and took the throne for himself. 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.

Next came an invasion of Akavir from Tamriel. At the height of his power in 3E 288, 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. The enterprise ultimately came to utter ruin at the Battle of Ionith in 3E 290. 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.

Influences on Tamriel

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. It was an Akaviri, Dinieras-Ves, who first proposed what would become the Fighters Guild to his kinsman, the Potentate Versidue-Shaie. The Empire in general benefited from the influence of the sophisticated beastfolk.

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" still exist in both the Empire and its border regions, but they are named so only for their practices and customs than for the purity of their blood.

The Akaviri who served under Reman Cyrodiil were dubbed the Dragonguard, as the Dragonborn Emperor's new shock troops were also renowned dragon-slayers. This Dragonguard was the direct predecessor of the Blades, who adopted Akaviri style for their weaponry, armor and heraldry.

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.