|
Name |
Ancestral Nord: Belts |
|
13 |
- Reginus Buca
- The author omits the fact that insignias had to be approved by the king himself and were withheld from those who were in Harald's poor graces. Though this occasionally resulted in exacerbating feuds, the social pressure brought many rivals in line.
|
---|
Type |
Motif Chapter (Ancestral Nord Style) |
---|
Difficulty |
Simple |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Basalt Table-Game Set |
|
250 |
- Verita Numida
- A traditional Dematah gaming set, eh? Incomplete, but still lovely. Basalt is a rather heavy and coarse stone for delicate work such as this, but the carver chose a deliberately abstract style for the pieces. Not uncommon in early Dunmer craftsmanship.
- Amalien
- The pieces look so oddly proportioned! I suppose these smaller tokens represent slave races? Argonians have complained about Dematah's troubling themes for centuries. I'd say this vindicates those claims! Is it just me, or is this board larger than usual?
- Reginus Buca
- Each side has an extra token because this set is a variation known as Traitor's Dematah. A very popular variant among Dunmer nobles in the middle of the First Era. You could replace an opponent's "slave" with one of your own—"turning a traitor," you see?
|
---|
Type |
Treasure |
---|
Difficulty |
Simple |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Ancestral Nord: Staves |
|
13 |
- Reginus Buca
- It's unclear how commonly Nords employed magic in war. Clever Men and Women likely assumed advisory roles to rulers far more often than they were seen on the battlefield, but this does present evidence that such things occurred.
|
---|
Type |
Motif Chapter (Ancestral Nord Style) |
---|
Difficulty |
Intermediate |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Great House Gold Chalice |
|
1,000 |
- Gabrielle Benele
- A sinister motif rendered in such a lovely medium! The chalice is exquisite, as you can see; Dunmeri work of the highest quality. But if you look closely at these figures depicted around the base, you can see the collars and chains. They're slaves.
- Verita Numida
- Figures of Dark Elves at ease repose around the upper rim, supported in their indolence by those whom they have enslaved. Rather cynical, in its way. Likely this great cup graced the table of a high-ranked noble from one of the Dunmeri Great Houses.
- Amalien
- House Dres, I believe. They have been at the forefront of the Dunmeri slave trade since the middle of the First Era; here is the House Dres linked-chain symbol. And these slave figures appear to be laboring in a saltrice field. 1E, 26th century.
|
---|
Type |
Treasure |
---|
Difficulty |
Intermediate |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Resdayni Signet Ring |
|
5,000 |
- Ugron gro-Thumog
- A rare find. The ring bears two emblems: one Dwemeri, one Chimeri. This, then, is a token of high office from the short-lived peace of Resdayn, in the days of the First Council. Lord Indoril Nerevar and the Dwarf-King Dumac ruled jointly and wisely ... for a time. Soon enough Dwemer and Chimer turned against each other in a bitter war, to no one's surprise. Ah, well. The size of this signet and the royal flourishes show that this ring belonged to a high councilor of the realm.
|
---|
Type |
Treasure |
---|
Difficulty |
Advanced |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
The Dutiful Guar |
|
N/A |
- Gabrielle Benele
- I've got to say, the realism of this guar statue is positively uncanny! Sculpting busts of famous saints is one thing, but sculpting a beast like this in such vivid detail is pretty remarkable for ancient Dark Elf statuary.
- Amalien
- There's a reason for that, Gabrielle. This isn't a sculpture at all. I'm surprised that you--a mage--haven't considered the possibility that this is a real guar magically transformed into metal. Probably the work of some Telvanni apprentice!
- Verita Numida
- There's a far more plausible--albeit less palatable--explanation for this. I've found several bronzed beetles in Dunmeri ancestral tombs. This beast likely suffered a similar fate. We can only hope it wasn't still breathing when they sealed it in metal.
|
---|
Type |
Furniture (view furnishing) |
---|
Difficulty |
Advanced |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Tri-Angled Truth Altar |
|
N/A |
- Amalien
- Wow! Given the iconography on this pyramid, I think we can safely assume this object predates the rise of the Tribunal! See how there's no reference to Almsivi? These marks venerate the old gods: Boethiah, Mephala, and Azura.
- Reginus Buca
- Exactly right, Amalien. Odd to find such a fine, polished object carved in the Chimeric tradition. Velothi asceticism and Boethian values drove them to work in unconventional materials, even during their Golden Age. This feels modern. Overly geometric.
- Verita Numida
- Nerevar and Dumac's warm relationship likely led to some cultural exchange. Dwemer society was too intransigent to absorb traditions from other cultures, but even the most pious Chimer probably wanted a break from stone and chitin-carving at some point.
|
---|
Type |
Furniture (view furnishing) |
---|
Difficulty |
Advanced |
---|
Lead |
|
---|
|
Name |
Malacath's Brutal Rune Core |
|
N/A |
- Verita Numida
- Another amazing find! This can only be the core of one of Malacath's Brutal Bands. Notice the intricate carving, the runework. The cult claimed the rings were forged in the Ashpit and presented to them by Malacath himself.
- Ugron gro-Thumog
- As with every legend, I am sure there is a kernel of truth to the story. I've seen forgeries over the years, but only a limited number of the true rings were known to exist. This is definitely one of them. An Orc can always tell.
- Amalien
- I concur. Moreover, I would go so far as to say this is the core to the head supplicant's band itself! See that symbol? With the slash and the angle? That's a portion of Malacath's true name! I've seen it before, trust me!
|
---|
Type |
Mythic Item Fragment (Malacath's Band of Brutality) |
---|
Difficulty |
Master |
---|
Lead |
|
---|