Esroniet is an archipelago of four main islands between Tamriel and Akavir, near the Tsaesci coasts. It was first welcomed into the Red Empire during 3E 284 when Uriel Septim V overpowered the "Barbarian Chief of the Crimson Crescent", Prince Bashomon¹. Since then, Black Harbour has served as the seat of the Empire on Esroniet. From there, Emperor Septim regulated the spice trade with the Esri people and readied his navy for the Akaviri Invasion. Beyond Black Harbour, Fort Greatoak, Fort Moonwine, and Fort Selkie stand guard for whatever danger that might threaten the ports.
Black Harbour is an exotic blend of cultures, from Tsaesci woodwork to Colovi marble, from Esri dyes to even Keptu ships. It gets its names for black sand coasts that spread throughout the inner bay, which is darker than ebony itself. During the day, it is nearly impossible to walk upon lest you seek to melt your feet². Only the Émji - green, 84 pertans wide lizards with protruding red spikes, which are usually hunted by the natives - are seen able to walk across it without concern for heat damage. The port city is populated mainly by Imperial nobility and sailors. Most of the Esri population that seek the city life reside in the lower districts, except for the diplomates from the other islands of course. They do find work nevertheless often as spearmen, mercenaries, carpenters, or spice-gardeners³.
The Cresent tribes that followed Bashomon forced the hand of the Empire to deal with the conflict in undiplomatic manners⁴. The one tribe that remained rather passive in the whole affair, the Fuuiiljiiémm, continue to flourish in the northern jungles. Do be warned when visiting their lands, for they walk in the nude, painted in mud and red, only wearing the golden plumes of the Fiigrra Pygmy Dragons around their necks, which are found nested in shell-husked, planted across the jungle trees. All they care about is hedonistic rituals and acts of debauchery⁵. The Cresent Esri are nevertheless a good source of fétg; a sacred, red spice, both sharp and sweet, that is harvested from the local tree barks. The locals use it for their religious ceremonies and dyes as well as an aphrodisiac, which explains their euphoric behaviour. Should you seek their lands, travel must be made with the help of one of that harbour chaaff-riders. Payment is well worthed for these rabbit-headed horses are extremely aggressive and require a beast tamer.
The Esri are the native humans of this colourful archipelago. Their mythic history is untraceable due to their oral traditional ways, but many scholars of the IGS theorise them to stem from one of the early tribes of the Akaviri Men⁸. In any case, they bare no resemblance to those of mankind that descended from Atmora as seen on Tamriel. Their skin is that of crimson and their eyes range from yellow to white to green, where green is most common. They are rather short; shorter than the Wood Elves, though much stronger and bulkier. No one really knows what their natural hair colour is, as most tribes tend to shave them completely or weave them with colourful feathers or even spice-dye them⁹. What is most fascinating are their non-physical traits. The Esri are of ironclad endurance. They have high pain tolerance, especially women¹⁰. The natives show disease immunity both of local variations as well as those that plague Tamriel. While unknown if this is an ability innate to their nature, the Esri are gifted with the sense of always finding what they are looking for¹¹.SIDEBAR: The Heartland Exiles
The white-gold halls of nobility are not without drama, that much is clear to all. Many ancient families will do everything short of murder to save face. The more honourable task for redemption was often sending those victims of ill rumours to the spiced-east of Esroniet. There, they would aid the Empire in managing the spice trade.
Many were from the Heartlands and even Colovia, though it wasn't unheard of a Niben sailing their way over as well, from time to time. As time went on, new generations were born and the Imperial culture of Black Harbour began to shift and split. While core Tamrielic values were still enforced, matters of execution were often debated. Words were thrown, families were split, and soon, two factions formed: the Doyenal and the Aursangi. Political hostilities are everpresent - threats and provocations are the daily trade - but many fear an all-out civil war is bound is come.
The Doyenal⁶ (lit. "Greedy Barons" - it is to be noted that the Aursangi assigned this name to them for provocation, as well as vice versa) were of the older generations that were raised in Cyrod and later moved to the Crimson Crescent. The best way to describe them would be to call them traditionalists, closed-minded and chaste in their beliefs. The isolationist, sacrosanct House Lyndrosar, the former kingmakers of House Turrich, the hero-cultic law-making House Ottilex, the war-loving, crimson sword-wielding House Tavirick, and many more unite to rule Esroniet with an iron fist and the righteous acts of the Divines.
The Aursangi⁷ (lit. "Golden Bloods") on the other hand are of the newer generations that were born and raised upon the spiced isles. They tend to be traditionless, open-minded, cunning, and manipulative. Their blood may be gold but their tongue is silver. Through trade and fast-talking with the Esri, they seek to hold the power over Esroniet. The sigil of the Aursangi, too, is carried by many new-formed houses such as the prideful and matriarchal paragons of House Utea, the clever bankers of House Velies, the bureaucratic scribes of House Cenarus, and the eccentric enlighteners of House Thiedomeda.
Their culture, philosophy, and religion are quite complex and vary from clan to clan. They do however share the common trait of nurturing, sensuality, materialism, and hospitality. After the conflict with their barbarian-prince, they sought to trade their spice with open arms with the people of Tamriel¹². Most Esri warriors wield clubs, axes, and shields, usually of stone and bones but few clans are developed enough for coppersmithing¹³. They enjoy painting, weaving, and playing games, as well as planning the drums, for both sacred and secular occasions.
Their spiritual ways are difficult to map. For the most part, they appear to subscribe to an animistic school of thought. Each family has their patron spirit which is added to the clan's collection pantheon of spirits, which once more is added to the tribes' spiritual family. As such, most clans and tribes are named after their spirits. There appears to exist a line between "greater spirits" and "lesser spirits", where earth-spirits and spice-spirits are seen as the former. Ancestor worship also appears to be quite common and it is said that the dead goes to the Underworld while the spirits live in the Spirit World.
Nowadays, most Esri tribes live upon the main island, located east of the Crimson Cresent. There appears to be a cultural divide amongst them, between the northern Esri of Aaécéiichèlt and the southern tribes of Tétffchèlt.
The northern lands of Aaécéiichèlt are not as welcoming as the south, both in flora and fauna¹⁴. From the toxic, pink coasts of the east to the spiralling jagged stone pillars of the north that move and bridge together, from the southwest marble beaches to the gnarled bone-tree forests at the very heart. Beasts that call this place home including, but not limited to, are the four-winged horned demons called Èltaabjaalthoo that can swim in stone and the Èbjéchaaff, which appears to be a cousin of the Cresent Chaaff, except bipedal and somewhat ram-faced with quick-growing horns that, when made impact, explode into tiny shards that dig into one's skin, promising them a slow and painful death.
Four tribe territories have been recorded in this region. The Duuiilcuuii is a tribe ruled by mean, ugly witches that are known to be jealous of other tribes¹⁵. They have their settlements in the north, within deep stone caverns. These Esri show a sign of complex death worship - more than the other clans - and claim to be the keepers of the Cupoghaédnh or the "Gateway to the Underworld." It seems other clans do not dispute these claims as some tend to make pilgrimages and even bring their dead here¹⁶. The Duuiilcuuii farm llaaghrr in their underground gardens; a brown spice that smells delightful but tastes very bitter. The men of this tribe enjoy smoking it rather than consuming it, while the witches use them in rites to keep evil insect-spirits away.
In the southern swamp forests, one can find the Llaadnhè tribe. They are hard to miss, for they often cover themselves in bright yellow feathers as well as spice-paints. These Esri are bodily ritualists, believing that pain and suffering transform the body and purify the spirit. They gather and use the paépth root, a type of spice which is bright yellow and makes for a strong dye for the body and clothes. The Llaadnhè use its powder to mark their territory as a warding spell as well as for healing tonics. It is also used during their daily dancing ritual every morning, which might suggest magnarum worship¹⁷.
The Thuédptaa are a tribe of mountain dwellers that reside on the eastern grassy highlands. Their women are known to become berserkers that protect the tribe. Along with their duel-wielded blunt weapons and circular war-dances, they inhale a bright red spice powder called chè, which tastes like fire. This allows them to enter a state of frenzy and wield destructive earthquake magic. They are a deadly force upon the battlefield, and in the end, the land never retains the same shape¹⁸.
Upon the western pink shores are the tribal lands of the Giiuunjè Esri. Ancestral worship and hero worship are key cultural markers for this tribe, as observed by our agents posted upon a small island off their coast at Fort Greywolf. They revere the past and seek all possible rituals in reenacting mythic blessings upon the now, from sacred songs to ritualistic virginity to ancestral wisdom. Some report that they even preserve the skin of heroes past and in times of holy days, the ritualist wears the skin and becomes possessed by the soul of the hero¹⁹. They are the only folk who know how to harvest the pink crystals from the coasts known as allalléff and render them safe for usage. In powder form, they are salty and flavourful and used in many dishes in Black Harbour but the Giiuunjè use them for jewellery and for mummifying their worthy dead.
The southern lands of Tétffchèlt hold the most beautiful and exotic²⁶ sights here on Esroniet. To the north are the blue coral coasts that turn the water a strange yet soothing yellow. Whereas in the south, the moss beaches kiss the red waters that reflect their magical lights into the sky during sunset. In between lies a tropical rainforest which is home to creatures as colourful as the local Esri. The Asrraébhrriigrra²⁷ are jungle birds that are 25 pertans tall with yellow wings and long, bright, cyan head and tail feathers. Every morning, their melodic song echoes throughout the great green. The giant monkey-lions that roam the treetops are called Joothmaabjwuiiméii. They tend to be peaceful if not provoked, and are often seen roaming around with their families. Some Esri say that they speak with hand signals and a few have learnt this form of hand language to communicate with them.SIDEBAR: The Rat-Pirates
After the fall of Bashomon, one of the loyalist tribes swore revenge upon the Empire before fleeing toward the island of Orisant, which lies between the Crimson Cresent and Aaécéiichèlt. Legend has it that the chief of this tribe, angry at the spirits for allowing their prince to fall, summoned their totem of the rat, killed him and absorbed his power²⁰. Since then, the chieftain has been known as the "Rat-Man" or "Rat-God." He used his power to warp the minds of the Esri and gave birth to the Rat-Pirates, a group of terrorists whose mission is to remove the order, the Empire helped bring upon Esroniet²¹.
The Rat-Pirates are mainly made up of outlawed Esri but are known to have members from all walks of life, from Akavir to even Tamriel. They rob trade ships and steal the property of the Empire²². The captured crew members who do not submit to the influence of the Rat-Man are cannibalised alive by the pirates as a ritualistic sacrifice to their god-captain. Many pirates practice bodily alterations to take on a more octodonic appearance, such as the cutting of the ears, enlargement of teeth, nasal alterations, and various piercings. The pirates overall are blood-thirsty, honourless, and rebellious. They hold to the illusion of democracy and freedom while being bound to yet another barbarian master²³.
Their fleets include nine great ships, each with its own leaders as assigned by the Rat-Man²⁴. The Prutiner crew are known to slowly torture their victims, while the Soltark crew practice all taboos, both of Esri and Imperial society. The Posinater bring disease wherever they sail, while the Isepret crew bring winter. The Kravtans have no issue with using the undead as their crew members, while the Temonrot use demons. Regardless of the colour of their flag, should you see the rat's head, know that doom follows quickly after.
Orisant²⁵ is an inhabitable island that now acts as the base for the Rat-Pirates. It is filled with rotting bogs and deadly jungles filled with Ngicfémj Face-Spiders, giant Thiulpétholj Sound-Beetles, and Thönmho Bog-Cats. They have built a floating village on the western coast called Wateretk for their young, women, and old. Fort Goldmoth built on the opposite end of the island was meant to keep the pirate population at bay but it has sadly sunken into the swamps over the years. Hal Cirrha, an Imperial settlement upon a small island near Orisant still stands but the Doyenal must continue to send spearmen there to protect the citizens against the terrors brought upon them. Within the secluded jungle hills of Orisant still live the Esri tribe of Caaénswuui. They are often covered in ritualistic scarification and black paint. These Esri are known to wield powerful death magic and use it for revenge killing. They take the blood of their victims and mix it with unknown spices to brew blood-beer or èttlidrrnè.
Surrounding the red river of the southern lands is the Ibhrraaérrh tribe. They are a peaceful people and are known to be one of the richest tribes in the Esri community. They harvest the magical red hairs of the nearby sacred purple flowers called édrrnö. This spice can be used as a rich red dye, perfumery, medicine, and wine, but most importantly for the locals, it is burned during an incantation to open a gateway to the Spirit World and invite many helpful spirits into the world.
To the west are the tribal lands of the Uuamnébjaé. They have been instrumental to the Empire in establishing a cultural bridge between Tamriel and Esroniet²⁸. They are a matriarchal tribe, ruled by a council of voluptuous green-painted queens who are both wild yet domestic. The tribe rules the only Esri city, the Sacred Clay-City of Uuiiffuuiing²⁹. The Esri there wear only ornate gem necklaces and a few silks. They are generous and hospitable and make peace with the local flora and fauna. The tribe farms the tall golden plants called chétuu. Imperial alchemists, who were able to obtain and study the plant, say that, depending on with which reagents are mixed, one can brew literal emotions as consumable vapours. The Aursangi town of pleasures, Potrihonn³⁰, is located on a small island near their tribal lands. Both cities profit greatly through trade and tourism.
The Lérrfurrèff³¹ tribe is rather new. They established their lands upon the blue coasts after the Empire settled in the Crimson Crescent. They are of a younger generation, and thus naive. Nevertheless, they have been a key opportunity in influencing the future of the Esri people. Through the great knowledge and cultural exchange between the Empire and the Lérrfurrèff, we can only hope to have the Esri prosper as we do in Cyrod. From the nearby shrubs, these Esri collect the brown seeds and grind them up to make ötrrc. They use this to spice up their fish and fruits as well as ritualistic oils, but their rate of consumption must be regulated as addiction and psychoactive effects are known to occur. In extreme cases, the soul is known to leave the body and never return.
Of all the Esri tribes' folk, those of the Piuubjuuaabhrré are known to be the most beautiful. They wear long cloaks made of feathers and flowers, as a sign of their prosperity and fortune. Their lands might be small, but they stand between the two halves of Esroniet, making them ideal trading partners. They do not produce any spices themselves³² but are known to trade a little bit of all that Esroniet has to offer.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
The Serpent's Coast: When the IGS charted all of Esroniet, we discovered the eastern coasts of the main island covered with Tsaesci ruins, as seen on Rimmen. The locals call this coast "Tsaenia" and have many folk tales about how "the Qolumtsae" swam to their land and began to eat the Esri³³. It is covered in thick bamboo forests and grassy highlands. Now, most of their villages have been abandoned and all remain are their ancestral shrines. Through carving translations and local accounts, we have been able to deduct a few of their family names. It should be noted that most of these accounts appear to be riddled with metaphors.
The Vhirsai-Tei family was patriarchal "who ruled the eight winds and was the masters of air." The Siersaem family was known to be more calm and cunning, knowing the secret of "walking without [being seen/seeing]." Ancestral tablets and bells in the Tsharaiq³⁴ shrine suggest that they might have been married into the Kamali and with that "knew how to eat winter." One could suggest that the leaders of the Tsaesci wave were the Vhaelei-Zei family. They were said to breed war generals and famous dragon-slayers. In the northern lands of the Duuiilcuuii, rests the Zineshe family shrine. The locals would always speak of ill when mentioned, often calling them tricksters and liars "who only spoke with their skin and foul murder." On the northern coasts of the Keti island, we found the Chaishai³⁵ shrine, quite separated from the others. Legend has it that they knew the forbidden art of "drinking water from the land."
Pesummu: Often called the "Keti Island" or the "Dead Island" by the locals, Pesummu is a colony of the Keti-Keptu which originally hailed from Cathnoquey, another archipelago between Esroniet and Tamriel. The Keti-Keptu were renowned sailors who couldn't be bound to their homeland. They were always exploring, always seeking the new. They came upon an island, southeast of the Crimson Crescent and Tétffchèlt, which had long been abandoned by the Esri³⁶.
Pesummu was almost barren of life and knew of heat akin to the Black Harbour coasts. The northern coasts are of brittle orange clay-sands and the heartlands are of stone-veined deserts. High mesa acts as a wall between the desert and the small pockets of southern tropical forests; the only place where life is known to flourish. A small island off the eastern coast of Pesummu holds the Imperial farming village of Agra Ra³⁷. The citizens there manage to work with the shrublands for pastoral and horticultural needs that feed the people of Esroniet. They also act as an important base of operations for diplomates when dealing with the Keti people.
The Men-of-Keptu-quey are of Nedic descent that once inhabited the western lands of Tamriels³⁸, before escaping the Ayleidoon Occupation during the Mythic Era. Many of them sailed to Cathnoquey, in which they lived with the Chimeri-quey, and in time, some made their way to Esroniet. They are of average height and their skin ranges from olive to darker to even slight bronze hues. They have more angular faces than most humans and thinner eyes. Their hair usually ranges from blonde to hazel and their eyes are most commonly bright blue, occasionally light green, and rarely yellow. The Keti still uphold their Nedic traditions of celestial worship as well as a caste-based society, though they often equipt secular shamanism alongside. They are a capricious people, adaptive and ever-changing, secretive and empathic. They use quicksilver tridents, coral-sharded whips, and sea silk nets in combat. Storytelling and dreams are important to them, as well as working together to restore life to the land.
Many clans roam the Pesummu, rarely resting in permanent settlements. The matriarchal clan of Dofu-Amma however established the white coral city Ut-Viil³⁹ on the southern tropical coasts. The clan leaders are seen as the Mothers of Ocean, who represent rebirth and death. Though distant from the other clans, they too share the same goal of restoring Pesummu. The Dofu-Sara-Pata clan protects the western sacred river of Dofunukis. It is said to be the "[Door/Path] to [Dreams/Death/Memory]." This clan has made peace with the local nymph mothers and sea daughters and uses their secrets to carve new river spirits into Pesummu. Unlike most Keti, the Sapa-Dofu-Vir clan does not live on land, but rather, off the northern coasts. They modify their bodies to have webbed hands and feet and use rituals to breathe underwater. Within their drowned city of Addidofu, they trade with the She-She Dreugh for supplies. The Dofu-Vir-Falash live on the smaller island near Agra Ra. They maintain a shrine to the Celestials called Ana-Keptu and believe to be "one with the waters and the earth" often celebrating the Elvish nature they attainted through their intermingling with the Chimeri-quey.
The Pata-Sol and Fer-Sol hold the most dangerous clan lands. They wander through the heartland deserts of Pesummu, trying their best to retain their purity and resist the harmful spirits birthed by Luvnuluk-Ahk. Legend has it that Luvnuluk-Ahk was a giant serpent that used to live in Pesummu, in a past full of life. It was he who drained all the water of the land until there was no more. He drained his own water and ended his life. His rotting flesh and bones scar the lands that birthed the lifeless dessert as well as the harmful spirits that haunt the Keti⁴⁰.
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Badly written annotations are found scribbled in the margins with brown ink:
¹Lies. Bashomon no Esri king. Only west clan. Peaceful he.
²Silly Dédooh. We walk. Use Émji shoe-shoe.
³Work mean gift at end. Ésrroni no gift get at end. This call we: slavery.
⁴Lies. Chölnuupth clan-clan peaceful. Dédédooh kill first.
⁵See Dédooh all time visit and join and do same.
⁶Bad. Evil. Red. Dirty. No talk with them.
⁷Also bad. Different bad. Thiedomeda sometimes okay.
⁸We snake??? No. Dumb word-word. Dumb Dédooh. From Ésrroniét we.
⁹Ha ha ha.
¹⁰Easy story make easy for Dédooh us hard work-work give.
¹¹More story-story.
¹²Have we choice? No! We take bad make good. We survive.
¹³Before you need we that not. We no war-war had. We peaceful.
¹⁴To you.
¹⁵This fair.
¹⁶I remember you here, ló. Soon again. Thuiic aa éi.
¹⁷????
¹⁸Half word-word. Respect earth when they fight. Use only when need. Against Dédédooh and Iiunj.
¹⁹We no snake!!! We Ésrroni. Use skin-skin no we. Use robe-robe, spice-spice, feafeather, and song-song. Not skin-skin!
²⁰No murder. Marriage.
²¹Dédooh think big-big magic needed to hate them? Ha ha ha. Rat-God words use. Easier.
²²Free slave Ésrronini. Say that why not?
²³Big-Big word-word, Dédédooh. Rat-rat back push you. No us. Snake-snake too.
²⁴Story-story.
²⁵True for us too. Scary-scary thing-thing here. Warning.
²⁶"Exotic." Learn I this new word. To Dédooh means it: Something new and good-good. So good-good you take away it and ruin it till good-good no more.
²⁷Annoying. Tasty though.
²⁸Half word-word. They you hate too. They only no war want. No death. We understand.
²⁹Beautifulful City!! Sacred-Sacred City!! Happy-happy I spirit-spirit let Dédooh no destroy her.
³⁰They take take take. People, food, water, spice.
³¹Dumb-dumb Ésrroni. Shame and curse-curse to them. Drink wrong story-story from Dédooh. Forget true past.
³²Wrong I think. Sure they have... Maybe. Ask giidrraaégh later.
³³Iiunj annoy like Dédooh. Take take take. Gone now. Some east. Some west. Some down. Ready we, when return.
³⁴ló of them told me. Nice snake-snake. Strange magic but good magic.
³⁵Snake-men all water drink and kill Pesummu? New story to me. Maybe?
³⁶Half word-word. Land of curse-curse. Something all spirit-spirit here cursed. We know no what. Maybe Sénmaaégh know?
³⁷Dédooh no farm working. We are. They eat only.
³⁸Sénsénmaaégh as Dédédooh???? More wrong story-story...or? Believe that I no. Sénsénmaaégh walk blue. Dédédooh walk yellow.
³⁹There one time. No Uuiiffuuiing.
⁴⁰!!!!
