Oblivion Mod:Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul/Excerpts from On Tamriel's Societies, Vol I

Book Information Excerpts from On Tamriel's Societies, Vol I
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Excerpts from On Tamriel's Societies, Vol I

by Natalia Ramirus

Selected passages from the book, and a discussion thereof

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This small effort is a compilation of notes that I took while reading the extremely detailed "On Tamriel's Societies." The magnitude of this work is such that I found it very useful to summarize a few of its most important passages for those of my usual readers who do not have the time to delve into such a monumental book. Fortunately for you, I enjoy an extended period of well earned rest and retire in the sunny coast of White Guard, north of Alinor, the capital of Summerset Isle. I have found the time, in between my pleasant walks along the shore, naps under the gentle breeze of the Eltheric Ocean, and exciting nights in the local taverns, to dedicate some lines to you, my avid and loyal readers.

The libraries of Alinor are without peer. I found in them many interesting books with which to pass the torrid days, under the cover of palm trees. One of the most interesting of these explained in depth the nature and history of Tamriel's social groups, clans, kins, guilds, associations and institutions. As you can imagine, my fortunate reader, such a work spanned thousands of pages. Among these I found a few that are unique and most important to you, who, unlike me, must endure the grave perils of Tamriels untamed lands, where sophistication and taste have yet to find their way. Do not despair, I am here to help you.

Let me begin by commenting on some of these most thrilling and mysterious groups. I assure you, the information I am to give you is the most recent and important version of its kind. You can expect no less from me than the best.

A group that remained veiled to me for many years is that of the fabled Amazons. These reclusive women, who gather from many different provinces under one banner, worship Sanguine. This Daedric Lord, who revels in the darker aspects of our nature, associates with wild passion and debauchery. Exactly the sort of thing that appeals to me so much about this little enclave of the Summerset Isles! No, my readers, do not be alarmed, I assure you that there is nothing but boring mages and uptight aldmer all around me--nothing as exciting as the life that these Amazon women seem to enjoy.

Amazons connection to Sanguine is subject of speculation. There is no clear evidence of the Daedroth's influence in the formation of this group. However, what remains certain is that Amazons indulge in actions and emotions proper to the sphere of Sanguine. They are well known for their reclusion in wilderness, caverns and even abandoned ruins or fortresses--always forsaking the more civilized urban areas. Amazons almost exclusively use natural formations to seek cover and rest. It is not strange to find them near such places, for, as you shall see, they require regular access to other groups in order to perpetuate and survive. This means that even if you, dear reader, are a member of a powerful and influential city, Amazons may be lurking nearby, always under the cover of nature.

Another aspect of Amazon's connection to Sanguine is their ferocious appetite for captives and the subsequent sexual orgies given in the name of the Daedric Lord. No, dear reader, it is not a good idea to offer yourself as a volunteered captive. According to all accounts, Amazons will kill their captives shortly after their use has ended. Their ranks accept only women, and even young boys are sacrificed in rituals of blood and intoxication to honor their lord Sanguine. Unless you are very desperate for attention, or somehow entertain death-wishes, it is a terrible idea to approach Amazons in friendly terms. Even other females, provided that do not belong to the Amazon clans, will be looked upon suspiciously and almost invariably attacked on sight. Almost no account of survivors from Amazon encounters remain. Only a few notable figures of Tamriel have had the nerve and prowess to survive living under Amazon captivity.

The clans' structures in Amazon hierarchy follow a similar pattern. There is a leader, an Amazon of extraordinary strength, cunning and power, who commands the lesser ranks and performs the most sacred rituals in close connection with Sanguine himself. The worshipping of nature and the powers of the elements make those members with magical powers the next in line. These shamanistic women are terrible foes, with the ability to both fight in armed combat and cast powerful magicks. Below them, Amazons skilled in armed or ranged combat alone occupy the lowest ranks of their hierarchies. There is a notable exception. Certain Amazon hunters known for their armor and apparel, carefully designed with red roses, belong to a special group favored by Sanguine. These Amazons, known by several names--sometimes as Sanguine Roses, others as Sanguine Thorns or even as Blood Thorn Amazons--are among the most fearsome of those who lack magical powers. It is not known how this special subgroup came into such a position of power in the Amazon hierarchies, but I would speculate, adding to the information provided by the author, that Sanguine, after long following the deeds of his Amazon worshippers, decided to single out some of them in order to ensure their lineage and future prowess of the Amazon Clan. Below the Amazon leaders, those blessed with the armor of the Blood Thorn are the first to be given captives and thus ensure their permanence in the Amazon blood lines.

Another very interesting aspect of this group is that all its members are born of Amazons. Each child, upon birth, is inspected to ascertain their gender. Males are immediately taken away for sacrifice or abandoned in the wild as an offering to the creatures that they worship. The surviving female children are taken into extremely secretive and hidden havens, where they are reared to perform the same roles as their mothers. Their future is sealed in the hierarchy of the Amazon clans from the earliest of dates.

Despite the horrible nature of this actions, it is also possible to understand their justification. Males are provided as a gift to the re-enacting of the life circle, whereas females are kept in safety to ensure the future of the clan and to symbolize the giving force of nature, whose pregnant power brings everthing into existence. Of course, this also results in the need for male captives, as noted above. Amazons may easily justify this as part of their mystification of Sanguine's appetites for the dark passions and emotions that riddle every being's nature.

As you can see, my loyal readers, Amazons are one of the most interesting and peculiar groups of Tamriel. Often seen as a threat to be erradicated by those living in the safety of cities and villages, Amazons are rarely welcome and given honors by any other existing societies. Only those with deep connections to Sanguine, and to a lesser extent with Hircine or other cults of wilderness, appreciate the nature of Amazon's circles of life and death. A small part of me feels strongly for these women. They have braved all conventions of our civilized world and thrust themselves into the untamed regions of our wild natures--regions that are bound to haunt us as long as we remain human. As much as I abhor the threat brought about by the existence of Amazons, I would also be saddened at their disappearance from the lands of Tamriel. Every uniqueness, every feature that distinguishes us from each other is a boon to our hopes of a future where the richness of the world is not lost in shades of gray. Perhaps, my dear readers, the lure of their power and freedom is an exotic treasure for a mind like my own, distracted by the easy pleasures of life granted by the sea shore, the winds of the sea and the refreshing Golden Aldmeric punch. Suddenly, I have the urge to stop writing. Perhaps I shall rethink my amusement in the company of those young, and without a doubt boring and innocent, Aldmer that walk towards me this very moment. Dear readers, do not falter. I shall endure my penitence in these all-too-hospitable lands and deliver another exciting writing to your besieged homes as soon as I can muster the strength.

Yours,

Natalia Ramirus