| Battlespire | |
|---|---|
| Type | Slipstream Realm |
| Appears in | Battlespire |
The Battlespire, also called the Spire and the Celestial Citadel, is the magical war academy and principial stronghold of the Imperial Battlemages, and a testing facility for candidates seeking to join the Imperial Guard. The strongest mages in the Empire reside and train in the Battlespire. It is described as the fortress of all fortresses that encompasses the entirety of a realm, with ramparts that tower over the edges of Oblivion. Beyond them, only the Void.
It is possible to access numerous realms of Oblivion from the Battlespire through the use of teleportals and voidgates. The facility is moored in place by five great Anchors, which assure its safety and stability in the surrounding flux.[1] Access to the edifice is granted via the Pillar of Light, a teleportation device linked to the Weir Gate.[2]
Some sources place the Battlespire in a Slipstream Realm deep in Aetherius[3], whereas the battlemages state that it intersects with several planes of Oblivion and others place it in Oblivion itself.[4] As the mortal mind can be driven to madness by Oblivion, the Battlespire is useful as it allows the mind to acclimate to the contradictory nature of the outer realms without the same levels of mental strain.[5]
HistoryEdit
Though the date of the construction of the Battlespire Academy remains obscure,[5] the Weir Gate was known to exist as of 2E 582.[6]
During the Interregnum, the Spire Council continued to train and dispatch battlemages in order to preserve what remained of the Empire.[7]
The institution was accepting recruits by the time of the Third Empire in 2E 864.[8]
During the Imperial Simulacrum, Sirran Angada tricked Paxti Bittor into betraying the Battlespire to the legions of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon.[9][4] A pair of trainees became trapped inside; one was captured by Mehrunes Dagon, but the other apprentice followed the trail through numerous Daedric gates to Dagon's citadel, where, by stating his protonymic, they cast the Daedric Prince into Oblivion. Having lost Dagon's support, Jagar Tharn's plot to supplant the true Emperor was doomed to fail.[4]
The Battlespire was partly destroyed during the invasion's aftermath. The invaders were known to wield Daedric Crescents, and succeeded in slaughtering most of those inside.[9] The Empire later reclaimed the ruined Battlespire, and gathered up all the Daedric Crescents to be destroyed, bar one.
OrganizationEdit
The Battlespire is administered and maintained by five powerful battlemages, with the five in 3E 398[10] being:
- Clarentavious Valisious, Venerable Artificer
- Samar Starlover, Armsmaster, Master of the Serpent Blade and a Dragoon (Elite Imperial Dragon mount guard)[UOL 1]
- Grad Helthen, Spellmaster and Grand Ipsissimus of the dissolving fires.
- Paxti Bittor, Exalted Summoner and Lion-Lord Invoker Pursuivant.
- Mactana Greenway, Gatekeeper
The Battlespire also has the Spire Council, which oversees
Recruits of the Battlespire are known as Potentials and are usually identified as such around the age of 12. These Potentials learn magic, magical and martial warfare, and contemporary studies. Every year there is a Potentials Battle Tourney, where single combat is known to be a part of it.
The Emperor also has a personal liaison to the Battlespire, with the title of this position being the Imperial Secretary. Lomegan Marie held this position circa 3E 398.[11]
Some of the known Battlemages and Potentials, (including the ones above known to have been at the Battlespire during its invasion), are:
- Arcem Terastang
- Kirel Aman, Praeceptor Superior
- Lucilla Caprenia
- Martus Tullius
- Tuscan Daphsir
- Tutawan Soal
Notable LocationsEdit
The Battlespire consists of many notable locations, with a lot of these relating to the daily function of the college, for example, the High Court Room. The Battlespire also contained a large room for dragons such as Dragonne Papré.
The Star Galley CribEdit
Aside from the Weir Gate itself, the only access to the colleges was via the Star Galley, a magic boat which could navigate the surrounding environs.[9][12] The vessel was constructed by Battlemage and Artificer Clarentavious Valisious,[13] and was kept in the Star Galley Crib near the Weir Gate, though access was normally restricted.[14]
This section of the facility is also notable for being the home of the gigantic Mock Turtle.
The High Halls and LibrariumEdit
The upper sections of the Battlespire consist of the war college itself. Here are found dormitories, mess halls, libraries, lecture halls, an infirmary. Other areas found here are the Great Hall, the Conjury Hall and the Summoning Hall.
Of particular importance was the voidgate. This device, powered by artifacts known as voidguides, allowed passage to Oblivion. The Soul Cairn was accessed in this manner during Mehrunes Dagon's invasion, but it is not known which other realms the voidgate was able to reach.[9]
Other RealmsEdit
Several realms of Oblivion were known to be accessible from the Battlespire or from each other. These include the Soul Cairn, Shade Perilous, the Chimera of Desolation, the Havoc Wellhead, and Dagon's Hunting Lodge in the Deadlands.
GalleryEdit
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Concept art of a Battlespire tower
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The Battlespire's destruction
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An open anchor
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The Battlespire as seen in the intro of Battlespire
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Voidgate
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A bedchamber in the Battlespire
NotesEdit
- According to The Doors of Oblivion, years after Dagon's invasion was defeated, the mage Morian Zenas and his apprentice attempted to use the remains of the Battlespire to enter Oblivion. They found that although the Weir Gate still stood and the shattered academy remained accessible from Mundus, the link to Oblivion had been broken. However, this is contradicted by the Crafting Motifs series, according to which the two lived in the Second Era. Copies of The Doors of Oblivion were also available at this time, but no mention of the Battlespire was seen within.
See AlsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Great Anchor warning plaque in Battlespire
- ^ Battlespire opening cinematic
- ^ Battlespire Athenaeum — Ronald Wartow — Ronald Wartow
- ^ a b c Elderscrolls.com Codex Archive
- ^ a b ESO Loremaster's Archive — Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius Answer Your Questions
- ^ Scute of the Mock Turtle item description
- ^ Online:Martus Tullius' dialogue in ESO
- ^ Jaganvir's dialogue in Redguard
- ^ a b c d Events of Battlespire
- ^ Elderscrolls.com Timeline
- ^ Jagar Tharn's Letter — Jagar Tharn
- ^ Scamp's dialogue in Battlespire
- ^ Letter to the Grand Marshall of the Imperial Legion — Clarentavious Valisious
- ^ Star Galley Crib Note
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.