Lore:Ancestor Moth

An Ancestor Moth

"For long the Cyro-Nordics had exported ancestor-silks to other regions, simple yet exotic shawls woven from the silks of an indigenous gypsy moth and inscribed with the requisite genealogy of its buyer. Under the Cult, however, ancestor and moth became synonymous: the singing and hymnal spirits of one's forebears are caught in a special silk-gathering ritual, the resource of which is used to create any manner of vestment or costume." — Imperial Geographic Society, "Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition/Cyrodiil"

The Ancestor Moth is a rare indigenous gypsy-moth of Cyrodiil, and Ancestor Glades across Tamriel. They are sacred to the Imperials of Cyrodiil, specifically, the Cyro-Nords of the Nibenay. An order of monks, known as the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, revere and honor the moths, believing they house fjyrons, the loving spirits of their ancestors, which keep them alive and grant wisdom and knowledge to those they come upon. According to the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, mortal souls are the Aedric essence at the core of every mortal's existence. They can be likened to the wings of a butterfly, scaled and full of vessels which become filled with the experiences of mortal existence. It is said that upon death a process of dissipation whereby some of these accumulated contents disperse. These essences, the Fjyrons or "will to peace", are believed to retain a connection to both the grand fabric of creation and to all aspects of the soul in all their destinations. Thus because, all aspects of a soul remain connected, tapping into the Fjyrons allows one who knows how to receive the erudition of the ancestors. Knowledge and guidance from beyond mortality, from the existence beyond the present and the past and the known world, where time is irrelevant, thus allowing one to glimpse the cosmic tapestry and its threads. The Ancestor Moths of the Order are said to imbibe the Fjyrons, becoming animated by the Fjyrons of the ancestor spirits, shepherding that wisdom and passing it through the generations. Thus their trilling forms a sort of primal augur which allows the Order to read and interpret the contents of the Elder Scrolls which contain knowledge said to exceed even the gods. They believe the song of the Ancestor moth enables their augurs to glean truths from the Elder Scrolls. This process is known as the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth. The moths maintain a connection to the ancient magic that allows the Moth Priest to decipher them. Moths emanate a soft harmonious trilling that when amplified taps into a form of primal augur. This allows the moths themselves to become a conduit for deciphering the scrolls. By having the moths close to the Moth Priest, they can utilize the conduit and share the moth's augury.

The Nibenese are known to use the ancestor silk of the gypsy-moth to craft exotic cloth, and export to others across the provinces. Fjyrons can be sung into the silk produced by the Ancestor Moths. When the silk is spun into cloth and embroidered with the genealogy of the appropriate ancestor, it creates garments of extraordinary power, in this manner the singing and hymnal vocals of the ancestors are collected into a special silk-gathering ceremony, which is the ancestor silk. In the Nibenay, this silk harvest is a sacred tradition that dates back to their early history. But to the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, they are one of the same. The cult harvest the silk and undergo a magical ritual to enchant the fabric. The higher order Monks of the cult are able to forgo the magical ritual needed to enchant the silk and instead merely wear the moths themselves. Some believe their silk shawls hold memories of the dead.

Biology

The Ancestor Moth is attracted to the Canticle Tree, specifically the crushed grain of the canticle bark. The cult would also recite mantras, to maintain a spiritual connection and skin contact with the Ancestor Moth. They endure such a process to keep a cosmic balance. If the monk is interrupted, the Ancestor Moth would burst in the air, and only come back when the monk continues their mantras. As mentioned before, the Ancestor Moth produces the ancestor silk, which is crimson-red and is prime material for making the strongest type of Light Armor. The Moth's wing are known to contain alchemic properties, such as fortify Conjuration, but also damaging stamina. The Moth chrysalis is green and is known to faintly smell like fresh grass, and clean water. They are considered very valuable, known to have been in circulation during the Interregnum in 2E 582.

Gallery

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  An Ancestor Moth Swarm (ESO)

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  An Ancestor Moth pupa (ESO)

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  Ancestor Silk (ESO)

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  The Canticle Tree (Skyrim)

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  An Ancestor Glade (Skyrim)

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  A Moth Priest (Skyrim)

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  Moth sigil on a Templar armor chestplate (Morrowind)