Lore:Mysterium Xarxes

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Front cover of the Mysterium Xarxes
"Its name is the 'Mysterium Xarxes', Aldmeretada aggregate, forefather to the wife of all enigma. Each word is razor-fed and secret, thinner than cataclysms, tarnished like red-drink." — Mankar Camoran, Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, Book One

The Mysterium Xarxes was a tome written by Mehrunes Dagon, who scribed it in "the deserts of rust and wounds".[1] It was an artifact of great—and evil—power. The Xarxes was said to have a vile corrupting influence; reading from the book required magical protection from its powers, even merely handling it was said to be dangerous.[2] Because of the hazards it poses to its reader, this book was classified as a Tract Perilous.[3]

In 2E 582, the Xarxes was stolen from the retreat of Emperor Leovic by Eveli Sharp-Arrow.[4] Calia, one of the Four Ambitions of Mehrunes Dagon, would eventually use the book to learn how to use her power to drain Daedric energies, an ability which would aid in the defeat of high priest of the Waking Flame Ertus Vandacia, who had imbued himself with some of the power of Dagon's Egonymic in the process of performing the ritual to create the Ambitions.[5][6] After Vandacia was defeated and his attempt to merge Nirn and the Deadlands using the power of the Ambition Destron was foiled, the book was given to the Ambition Sombren, who intended to study it to learn more about the Four Ambitions.[7] [6] However, the power of the book took its toll. Influenced by the artifact, Sombren joined Dagon and stole the power of two of the other Ambitions, which he used to start a merging of the Deadlands and Nirn. The crisis was ended when fourth Ambition, Mairead, took the power of the other three Ambitions from Sombren and used the Egonymic to banish Mehrunes Dagon himself, ending the merging of worlds and saving Nirn. The power of the Ambitions was than stolen from Mairead by Lyranth the Foolkiller.[5][8][9][10]

The book was given by Dagon to Mankar Camoran. After studying the tome, Mankar wrote the Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes (also known as the Mythic Dawn Commentaries). Inspired by the prophecies and promises within the book, Mankar founded the Mythic Dawn, a Daedric cult devoted to Mehrunes Dagon. The Xarxes acted as the cult's holy book, and was stored in the Mythic Dawn's hidden shrine in the caverns beneath Lake Arrius in Cyrodiil. Using the power of the book, Mankar created Gaiar Alata, or "Paradise", an alternate realm where the souls of Mythic Dawn cultists went in death, to be resurrected as 'Ascended Immortals', who were revived continuously whenever slain.[11]

In 3E 433, following the Mythic Dawn's assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and all of his legitimate heirs, the Blades infiltrated the cult and stole the Mysterium Xarxes from their shrine to Mehrunes Dagon. It was taken to Cloud Ruler Temple, where Martin Septim, the illegitimate son of Uriel and the heir to the throne, translated the Xarxes and discovered a way to create a portal to Camoran's Paradise. The ritual required a Great Welkynd Stone, a Great Sigil Stone, a Daedric artifact, and an Aedric artifact. The Hero of Kvatch entered Gaiar Alata and defeated Camoran, retrieving the Amulet of Kings. The Mysterium Xarxes was destroyed in the process.[11]

Only a single, singed page survived the events of the Oblivion Crisis, and came into the possession of the Vesuius family, who were once members of the Mythic Dawn. In 4E 201, the page was put on display by Silus Vesuius in his "Mythic Dawn Museum" in the Skyrim city of Dawnstar.[12] High Priest Vonos of the reformed Mythic Dawn had traveled to Dawnstar many times, before the museum had even opened, to study the page.[13]

The first page can be translated to "as for the rest the weak shall cast down the might shall trem" . Though some letters on the second page are missing, it can be translated to "be winnowed the timid shall be bleed at my feet and pray for pardon".

Gallery[edit]

  • Page one, as seen in Oblivion

  • Page two, as seen in Oblivion

  • The Mysterium Xarxes (Oblivion Mobile)

  • The burned remains of the tome following the Oblivion Crisis

  • A rendition of Page two drawn by Martin Septim, as seen in Oblivion

  • Cultist holding the Mysterium Xarxes (Blackwood cinematic)

  • Two new pages of the Book depicting the sigils of the Four Ambitions (Blackwood cinematic)

  • The Mysterium Xarxes with the rune on the cover ablaze

  • The Mysterium Xarxes opened on a page depicting the sigils of the Four Ambitions (ESO: Blackwood)

  • Artwork featuring the Mysterium Xarxes (back left)

Notes[edit]

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mythic Dawn Commentaries 1 — Mankar Camoran
  2. ^ Martin Septim's dialogue in Oblivion
  3. ^ On Tracts Perilous — Cipher Sethali
  4. ^ Eveli Sharp-Arrow's dialogue during The Emperor's Secret in ESO
  5. ^ a b Calia's dialogue in ESO
  6. ^ a b Sombren's dialogue in ESO
  7. ^ Pyre of Ambition quest in ESO: Blackwood
  8. ^ Mairead's dialogue in ESO
  9. ^ Lyranth's dialogue in ESO
  10. ^ Ambition's End quest in ESO: The Deadlands
  11. ^ a b Events of Oblivion
  12. ^ Events of Skyrim
  13. ^ Vonos' Journal — Vonos
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