For other uses, see Akavir.

Akavir, (meaning "Dragon Land" in the native Akaviri) is a continent lying some 4,200 miles to the east of Tamriel. It is the homeland of four seemingly unrelated races collectively referred to as the "Akaviri," which is composed of the Snow Demons of Kamal, the serpent-men of Tsaesci, the Monkey People of Tang Mo, and the Tiger Dragons of Ka'Po'Tun. Little else is known about the continent or the people of Akavir, as few Tamrielians have ever dared to cross the vast ocean that separated it from Tamriel. It was believed that humans lived in Akavir at one time but were eventually "eaten" by the Tsaesci, who have themselves launched several attacks upon Tamriel in past ages. The latest contact with Akavir was with the Nerevarine, who launched a trip to Akavir after defeating Dagoth Ur. Though Akavir may sound too bestial to take notice of at first glance, it was an important figure and influence on Tamriel's history. Akavir has influenced Tamriel for countless centuries, both in times of peace and war, as the two continents have always had a tumultuous relationship.

History

The history of Akavir mostly involves legends and tales of battles between armies of Akavir and Tamriel. A mythical story states that a great Nord Warrior once traveled to Akavir and, with the help of a dragon, slew an army of Tsaesci.

The first specific encounter and written history of the two occurred toward the end of the first era. Tamriel was invaded by the Tsaesci, but the invasion was halted by Reman I and his armies. The Akaviri forces were destroyed, and those who remained living were offered amnesty to fight for the empire. The Akaviri who took amnesty later played important roles in Tamriel's growing society.

Some time during the Third Era Empire, Uriel V took the throne of the Empire. He led a series of invasions leading up to an assault upon Akavir. The invasion on Akavir failed, and Uriel V died in the Battle at Ionith. Tsaesci was the main target of the invasion, and at first the invasion seemed to go well, with two cities falling without resistance to the Imperial Legions in the expeditionary force. However, several natural factors and possible magicka by the Tsaesci Empire led to the severe weakening of the force, allowing the Tsaesci to besiege the expeditionary force. Possible magicka attacks were weather control and inference with Battlemage magicka communication. Although many men were saved by the navy, at least one whole legion was lost (4 were taken), and many of the ocean-going ships that transported the invasion were damaged and/or destroyed. The book, "Report: Disaster at Ionith," contains the report of a full post-defeat investigation into the failure.

It seems that the failed invasion did weaken the Empire at the time, although they seem to have recovered quite quickly.

Culture

Demography

Tang Mo

Tang Mo is home to a race of monkey-folk (not to be confused with the monkey-folk known as the Imga) who are being oppressed on a constant basis by the three other major nations of Akavir. The other nations of Akavir have all tried to invade Tang Mo at one point in time, and the monkey-folk hold a special hatred of the snake people of Tsaesci. However, the monkey-folk have since allied with the tiger people of Ka Po Tun.

Kamal

Kamal is inhabited by demons that thaw out once a year and attack Tang Mo, but the brave monkey-folk always manage to drive them back. A demon warlord, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, once attempted to conquer Morrowind but was destroyed at Red Mountain by Almalexia and the Underking. It was during this invasion that Vivec is said to have flooded the island of Vvardenfell and taught the entire Dunmer race to breathe water. This is the only known encounter with an Akaviri nation besides the Tsaesci.

Ka'Po'Tun

Formerly Po Tun, Tiger Empire, Ka Po Tun is the homeland of the tiger people. After the serpent-men ate all the men of Akavir, they also attempted to eat all the dragons. The red dragons were eaten, but the black dragons fled to what was then known as Po Tun. A great war on Akavir followed, leaving all remaining dragons dead and both serpent and tiger peoples weak. The tiger people have since attempted to become dragons. According to Mysterious Akavir, their leader, Tosh Raka, has already accomplished this and is the largest dragon in the world. He is orange and black colored (although very unrelated to the distinctions of the Bengal species on Earth). In few cases reports have shown that not all of these dragons seem to hold the same species characteristics as their cousins who once ruled Tamriel (wyvrn: Tamriel, Lung: Home to Akavir [consists of two other types]). Most recent reports have stated that the Po Tun have formed an alliance with their simean-like neighbors the Tang mo. Their plans are for the annihilation or complete rule and enslavement of the Tsaesci. Thus, presumably scholars expect that this new alliance and victory may either cause these two powers to turn on each other, work towards commerce and better foreign relations, or worse, a whole new invasion against Tamriel.

Tsaesci

Tsaesci is the largest, and presumably the most powerful, of the kingdoms on Akavir. It was the first region on Akavir to attempt a Tamrielic invasion, with moderate success. According to popular legend, Tsaesci is the homeland of immortal vampiric serpent-men. The men that used to exist in Akavir were all eaten by this race. The Tsaesci also enslaved goblins that they used for labor and blood. Scholars continue to dispute the accuracy of these legends and the existence, or lack thereof, of humans on Akavir.

Perhaps the most well-known Tsaesci from this region was Potentate Versidue Shaie, who ruled the Cyrodiilic Empire after the death of King Reman III. His bloodline ruled for four hundred years, before being assassinated by the Morag Tong. It was actually a battle against Tsaesci invaders by united human forces that paved the way for the first empire.

Humans

It is unknown what happened to the humans of Akavir. According to Mysterious Akavir, they were "eaten" by the Tsaesci. However, there is very little explanation on the meaning of "eat" in that context, and there are conflicting accounts of the Akaviri; the depiction of the Tsaesci in multiple sources indicates that they are, in fact, humanoid, although other in-game books indicate that they are literally serpentine.

Sources

(Remove once referenced properly)

• Mysterious Akavir
• Report: Disaster at Ionith
• Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Akavir

References