The Maormer of Pyandonea

　　Author: Anonymous

　　Entry 543,Atlas Notes, Imperial Geographical Society

　　It was oncebelieved that the Maormer of Pyandonea were originally exiles from theSummerset Isles, but while it is likely they came from similar Aldmeriancestors, they certainly did not come from Summerset. Translations oftapestries in the Crystal Tower tell the tale of afar older separation. The Maormer likely differentiated from the ancient Aldmernot in Summerset, but in their original homeland of Aldmeris.

　　Orgnum, theirleader and self-styled "King," according to the legend was aphenomenally wealthy Aldmeri nobleman, who used his fortune to finance arebellion against the powers of the land. He and his followers were banishedfor this to a place separated from Aldmeris by an impenetrable mist, Pyandonea,"The Mist-Veiled Isles." This exile proved so effective that thefollowers of Orgnum never again disturbed their former countrymen. The newAldmeri homeland of Summerset, however, was not so lucky.

　　For much ofSummerset's history, the Maormer have launched attacks against their cousins ofOld Ehlnofey. Every one of these battles has been led by Orgnum himself, who itseems is not only immortal but grows more youthful by the century. Nohistorian, to the knowledge of the staff of the Imperial Geographic Society,has counted the number of wars and strategems employed against Summerset, butsomehow each has proved, no matter how ingenious, an ultimate failure.

　　One attack inparticular is worthy of mention as it gives us our only glimpse into the actuallandscape of Pyandonea. In the year 2E 486, a small Maormeri fleet was sightedoff the coast of Alinor, and King Hidellithordered his navy to give chase. The navy followed the ships through unchartedwaters, into an ambush near Pyandonea itself. Most of the Altmeri navy wasdestroyed, but a single warship returned to Summerset to describe the land as a"sea jungle." Massive plateaus spilling over with vegetation formmazes around valleys of ocean. Waving tendrils of kelp trap all but theMaormer's own ships, and provide a well-camouflaged home for the sea serpentsthat are Orgnum's guards and occasional mounts. Mist storms spill over theland, further disorienting one's views. That even one ship survived the visitis a testament to the maritime genius of the Altmer.

　　Lore:Maormer

　　Maormer, also knownas Sea Elves or TropicalElves (or derogatorily as Fish Elves), are a race of Mer that reside on the island kingdom of Pyandonea, far south of the Summerset Isles.

　　History

　　It was once believed that the Maormer ofPyandonea were originally exiles from the Summerset Isle. However, translationsof tapestries in the Crystal Tower tell the tale of how the Maormer werelikely separated in their original homeland of Aldmeris.

　　According to the legend, the Maormer leader KingOrgnum was once a phenomenally wealthy Aldmer nobleman, who used his finances to launch a rebellion against thepowers of the land. He and his followers were banished for this to a placeseparated from Aldmeris by an impenetrable mist, Pyandonea, "The Veil ofMist". This boundary proved so effective that the followers of Orgnumnever again disturbed their former countrymen in Aldmeris.

　　The Maormer were relentless in their drive toconquer Summerset, and there is scarcely a year throughout the First or Second Eras when they did not ravage the coastlines of the Altmer.

　　Every attack launched by the Maormer againstSummerset has been led by Orgnum himself, and despite the number of wars andstrategies employed by the Maormer, each of these attacks has proved to be anultimate failure.

　　The Maormer were allies of the second Aldmeri Dominion, although the Dominion allowed the kings of Colovia to eliminate Maormer outposts that had been established along thewestern coast of the mainland.

　　The last documented appearance of the Maormerwas in 3E110 in the War of the Isle. The united alliance of the kings of Summerset and AntiochusSeptim, combining the Imperial fleet and theroyal navies of Summerset Isle, together with the magical powers of the PsijicOrder, succeeded in destroying the Pyandoneaninvading armada. It was said that the storm brewed by the Psijic of Artaeum so annihilated Orgnum's fleet that he was never again able to mustertogether enough of a force to dare another battle.

　　Appearance

　　The Maormer are known to possess blank, whiteeyes, and a strange, chameleon-like skin that is entirely colorless, as iftheir flesh were made of some white limpid jelly. Their chameleon-like skin isan involuntary process, similar to the forest-coupling skills of the Bosmer which allows them to walk into the shade of a single tree and vanish.

　　Culture

　　The Maormer leader, King Orgnum, is a deathlesswizard who it seems is not only immortal but grows more youthful by thecentury.He is said to be the Serpent God of the Satakal. The Maormer practice a powerful form of snake magic. With this, theyhave tamed the sea serpents of their island for use as steeds and warbeasts. Thesesea serpents serve as King Orgnum's guards and occasional mounts. The Maormer'sships are described as looking insectoid, with membranous sails and a ruggedchitin hull, flying a markedly alien flag.

　　The War of the Isle

　　3E 110

　　The province of Summerset was nearly lost under the leadership of Antiochus. King Orgnum of the island-kingdom of Pyandonea attacked Summerset Isle as a result of a political plot of Queen Potema of Solitude.

　　The united alliance of the kings ofSummerset and Antiochus only managed to defeat King Orgnum due to a freakstorm. Legend credits thePsijic Order of the Isle of Artaeum with the magic behind the storm andvictory, rather than the Imperial Navy.