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Lore:Dark Anchors

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Dark Anchors fall in Cyrodiil
"The nightmare began with muffled trumpets. Then silence. The toll of a bell. Even the wind died down. Then it came. First the grinding, shrieking metal scraping and unraveling. Chains descended from the skies, giant claws drew Daedra to Nirn and sent more souls to Him. Molag Bal's Dark Anchors, forged in the Slave Pits of Coldharbour."
—Flaccus Terentius

Dark Anchors were metaphysical devices which were used to weaken the barrier between Nirn and Coldharbour, allowing the two realms to be merged. They were created in the Black Forge using an interstitial alloy known as Tyranite Calx, and further infused with soul gem fragments and trace other components.[1][2][3] The chains were comprised of ebony-alloy cold-iron.[4] Dark Anchors were created for use in the Planemeld, Molag Bal's attempted conquest of Nirn which occurred after the Soulburst.[5] Singular Dark Anchors are capable of pulling portions of Nirn into Coldharbour,[6] and serve as portals allowing Daedra to cross into Nirn,[7] each weakens the barrier between worlds further.[2]

Around each Dark Anchor the Chaotic Creatia of Coldharbour seep into Nirn and, responding to the will of Molag Bal, gradually transform the infested land to mirror Coldharbour itself.[8] Objects in the process of being pulled in by a Dark Anchor can form into a distorted space known as a Shattered Void.[9][10]

The PlanemeldEdit

The Great ShackleEdit

 
The Great Shackle

The Great Shackle is the ultimate Dark Anchor; a massive device capable of completing the Planemeld on its own accord. It functions by casting metaphysical chains across the planar chaos to grip onto Nirn and pull it into Coldharbour.[6] The Great Shackle is said to exist in multiple places at once, thus giving it the ability to bind disparate realms together.[11] The flames used to forge the Great Shackle were fueled by a substance called the Charcoal of Remorse. Once cast, the device was quenched in the Blood of a Thousand Innocents.[12]

In addition to its main function of completing the Planemeld itself, the Great Shackle could also generate a Planar Vortex, likened to an "Oblivion straw" where the planes churn and meld together. The Vortex would continue to pull in Nirn until that world and its "very essence" were absorbed into Coldharbour, even in the event of the Great Shackle's destruction.[6][13][14][15][16] The Planar Vortex and the Endless Stair from which it could be accessed and around which the Planemeld was centered, are said to have been designed for Molag Bal by the Mad Architect.[17]

Powering the PlanemeldEdit

 
The Dark Anchor above the White-Gold Tower
 
The Shattered Void, the distorted space which formed within the White-Gold Tower due to the influence of the Dark Anchor

It takes considerable power to form a connection to Nirn across the planar chaos of Oblivion. Due to the considerable power required, Soul Shriven are useless. Powerful mortals, especially magic-users, provide the most effective and clean source of energy.[2]

The Daedric overseers of the Black Forge considered Vanus Galerion, the "quintessential mortal mage" as an incredibly effective power source, and believed that with the "power raging inside him", they could've finished the forging of the Great Shackle and powered the Shackle itself, thus completing the Planemeld in mere hours instead of months.[13][18]

Due to lacking access to a power source like Galerion, most of the power for Dark Anchors came from elemental Atronachs. Flame and Frost Atronachs provided enough power, but volatile Storm Atronachs provided the most, and thus a great number were used to launch the Dark Anchors and the Great Shackle.[2][13]

Creatures used to power the Planemeld through the Great Shackle were entrapped within a prism. Magicka conduits were used to drain the life force of imprisoned organisms. This energy was volatile; reversing the flow of energy through the magicka conduits would break the control locks and overload the prism, and could affect the creature within as well, on one occasion transforming a Frost Atronach into a Flame Atronach.[13] This destroyed the source of power, ultimately depriving the Planemeld of precious fuel.[6][19]

The largest Dark Anchor opened above the skies of the Imperial City, intent on pulling the White-Gold Tower, a metaphysical focus so important it had the potential to pull all of Tamriel in with it once taken,[20] into Coldharbour.[21] Dolmen construction was interrupted in the Wrothgarian Mountains, as the Orcs of the newly-built Orsinium used the Black Worm Clan's ancient power stones to construct the city. The stones were stolen before the anchors even began to fall, forcing the cultists to start anew.[22]

Ending the PlanemeldEdit

 
Galerion stands before the Great Shackle
 
The Planar Vortex

As the Alliance War dragged on, Molag Bal's power over Tamriel continued to grow. Together with the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild under Vanus Galerion and the Vestige finally arranged for a meeting of the three alliance leaders on the island of Stirk to discuss a potential counter-invasion of Coldharbour. Before an agreement could be reached, Molag Bal sent Daedra to the island to kill the alliance leaders. Although the attackers were repelled, the leaders quickly consented to a guild-led invasion, having seen Bal's influence firsthand.[23]

Though initially scattered across Coldharbour by the realm's defenses, the invasion force was gradually reassembled within the Hollow City, a sanctuary of Meridia within Coldharbour which, encased by the power of the Light of Meridia and pushed into Molag Bal's realm long ago by its Prince, served as a piece of Meridia's realm within the domain of the God of Schemes, and so could not be touched.[24] The last Ayleid king, Laloriaran Dynar, who had been brought to Coldharbour alongside the Hollow City and been kept alive for centuries to be tortured by the Daedra, was also rescued from his prison in the Lightless Oubliette through the use of one of the Lights of Meridia, and went on to assume leadership of the force assembled in the Hollow City.[25][16]

During the invasion circumstances that threatened to accelerate the completion of the Planemeld emerged. Vanus Galerion, who had been teleported outside the Black Forge of Coldharbour alone by the realm's defenses,[24] attempted to disable it to help stop the Planemeld. He was soon captured by the Daedra, who intended to use him as a power source, believing that as the "quintessential mortal mage", the power raging inside Galerion would allow them to complete the forging of the Great Shackle and power it with Galerion's magic, thus allowing them to complete the Planemeld in mere hours instead of months. To prevent this outcome Galerion separated his being into its constituent essences of magicka, health and stamina, which the Daedra could not use to complete the Planemeld individually. Despite this, the overseers of the Black Forge imprisoned the separated essences and used them to power the Black Forge itself, using them to craft Dark Anchors and components of the Great Shackle, to power their Soul Shriven slaves so they'd keep working tirelessly, and to feed their vampiric servants. The Vestige freed him, restored and reunited his essence, and journeyed with him, when he personally destroyed the Great Shackle that was intended to bind Coldharbour and Nirn together by sending metaphysical chains across the planar chaos to latch onto the world. With this task accomplished, Galerion also joined the force assembled in the Hollow City.[13][26][27][18][28]

Though the Great Shackle had been destroyed, it had generated a Planar Vortex prior to its deactivation. Likened to an "Oblivion straw" that would pull Nirn and "its very essence" into Coldharbour by itself if not dispersed.[13][28][15][16]

The guild forces, the "Army of Meridia", crossed the Chasm of Coldharbour but were met by the vampires of the Orchard which were controlled by one of Molag Bal's Harvest Hearts. Vanus proposed enacting a ritual that would destroy the Heart and target the blood of all vampires connected to it, rendering them mindless and allowing the guilds to pass through. The vampire leader Virgar proposed using a method that would free the vampires from the Heart instead, allowing them to become allied to the guild forces.[28] It is unknown what the Vestige ultimately chose, but the vampires were severed from Molag Bal's control, allowing the guilds to enter the Reaver Citadel, which they captured to gain access to the Endless Stair, to which they were granted access by the restored Foolkillers Clan.[29][28][30][31]

 
Molag Bal battles Meridia in the Planar Vortex
 
The Vestige, imbued with the power of the Divines, fights Molag Bal

Thus a small group entered the Planar Vortex with Meridia. Their goal was to unleash the Light of Meridia at the focal point of the Vortex thus dispersing it. However, before the Light of Meridia could be unleashed the group needed to destroy the Dark Ancors that Molag Bal was using to bind the Vortex together as, otherwise, the resulting backlash would "destroy Nirn as surely as the Planemeled would". Meridia, whose power was greater in the in-between realm than it had been in Coldharbour, aided in this task by distracting Molag Bal and defending the group from him. After the destruction of the Anchors, the Light, magically prepared by Vanus Galerion and Gabrielle Benele, destroyed the vortex entirely, setting back all progress Bal had made on the Planemeld.[14][32][28]

Thinking themselves victorious, the invasion force returned to Tamriel. However, Molag Bal had simply retired to his palace at Heart's Grief, and planned to attempt a second Planemeld when he eventually recovered his strength.[33]

Though the immediate danger had been quelled the powr Molag Bal had gained over Nirn was still prodigious. In order to stop any future attempts at another Planemeld and restore protection to Nirn, the Five Companions journeyed to Heart's Grief and confronted Bal using the Amulet of Kings. Mantling the power of Akatosh via the Amulet, made possible through the sacrifice of one of the Companions and a ritual performed by Abnur Tharn, the Vestige faced the Prince in single combat and banished him to the Void, freeing the souls and restoring the land he had captured, and ensuring the erasure of what remained of Molag Bal's hold over Nirn.[34][35] The event gravely wounded Molag Bal, whose power would take some time to recover, and expended the energies of the Amulet of Kings for a generation or more.[36]

NotesEdit

  • Wailing Shackler Wolves are beasts created from the pieces and lingering auxiliary magic of Dark Anchors. They were initially designed as Senche but instead formed as wolves due to a mistaken rune.[37]
  • Anchorborn Welwa are beasts born in the blasted wastes of Coldharbour. It is said only the chains of Dark Anchors can hold them back once they've scented their quarry.[38]
  • Anchorborn Ponies are ponies that were fitted with Dark Anchor debris, transforming them into creatures that bear some visual resemblance to Mind-Shriven.[39]
  • The forges which are used to forge the Dark Anchors are also used to forge the Black Forge Iron Senche. These metallic Senche burst in a soul-shearing light when called. It is said that those who look upon them feel as if they'll never feel warm again, though some riders claim they feel nothing while mounted.[40]
  • Tyranite Calx, an alloy used in the construction of Dark Anchors, can be formed into metal bands which weaken the will of the wearer its attached to via a Soul Magic ritual.[1][41]

See AlsoEdit

BooksEdit

GalleryEdit

  • Inside the Black Forge, where the Dark Anchors were constructed

  • Dolmen concept art

  • Concept art of a Dark Anchor portal

  • Cloud Ruler Temple being pulled by a Dark Anchor

  • Tyranite Calx, one of the alloys used to construct Dark Anchors

  • A Wailing Shackler Wolf

  • A Black Forge Iron Senche

  • An Anchorborn Welwa

  • An Anchorborn Pony

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b Reynila's Journal — Reynila
  2. ^ a b c d Powering the Dark Anchors
  3. ^ Projection of Vanus Galerion's dialogue during Vanus Unleashed in ESO
  4. ^ The Black Forge Loading screen in ESO
  5. ^ Chronicles of the Five Companions 1 — Lyris Titanborn
  6. ^ a b c d Vanus Galerion's dialogue during Breaking the Shackle in ESO
  7. ^ Dark Anchors in ESO
  8. ^ Gabrielle Benele Answers Your Questions — Gabrielle Benele
  9. ^ Sister Terran Arminus' dialogue in ESO
  10. ^ Shattered Void in ESO
  11. ^ The Great Shackle loading screen in ESO
  12. ^ The Black Forge — Kyngald Nazkrixor
  13. ^ a b c d e f The Source of Power
  14. ^ a b Meridia's dialogue during The Final Assault in ESO
  15. ^ a b Cadwell's dialogue in ESO
  16. ^ a b c Laloriaran Dynar's dialogue during the The Army of Meridia in ESO
  17. ^ The Endless Stair loading screen text in ESO
  18. ^ a b Galerion's Health dialogue ESO
  19. ^ Events of Breaking the Shackle in ESO
  20. ^ White-Gold Tower loading screen in ESO
  21. ^ Appearance of the White-Gold Tower in ESO
  22. ^ Our Continued Labor
  23. ^ Events of The Weight of Three Crowns in ESO
  24. ^ a b The Groundskeeper's dialogue during The Hollow City in ESO
  25. ^ Laloriaran Dynar's dialogue during The Hollow City in ESO
  26. ^ Galerion's Magicka dialogue ESO
  27. ^ Galerion's Stamina dialogue ESO
  28. ^ a b c d e Vanus Galerion's dialogue in ESO
  29. ^ Lyranth's dialogue at the end of The Citadel Must Fall
  30. ^ Events of The Harvest Heart in ESO
  31. ^ Events of The Citadel Must Fall in ESO
  32. ^ Events of The Final Assault in ESO
  33. ^ The Prophet's dialogue during God of Schemes in ESO
  34. ^ God of Schemes quest in ESO
  35. ^ Abnur Tharn's dialogue during God of Schemes in ESO
  36. ^ Meridia's dialogue during God of Schemes in ESO
  37. ^ Wailing Shackler Wolf description in ESO
  38. ^ Anchorborn Welwa description in ESO
  39. ^ Anchorborn Pony description in ESO
  40. ^ Black Forge Iron Senche description in ESO
  41. ^ Sondivel's Journal — Sondivel Ulres
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