» Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:55 am Whilst I do not claim to be a scholar of any repute whatsoever, I would like to think I have at least a vague familiarity with most of the metaphysics of Tamriel. However, this particular subject in Tamriel's history seems to be one with a particular slipperiness (at least for me), as the sources are few, unreliable where they exist, and ambiguous where they are reliable. The questions can mostly be separated into several sections: those relating to Marukh the Prophet and the genesis of the Alessian Order, next, those relating to the rise of the Order throughout the first era, then those relating to the Marukhati Selective and the Dragon Break, and also to the War of Righteousness and the history of the Order thereafter.
Firstly, those of Marukh. This seems to be the most difficult category of information to explore; presumably all the texts relating to the history of the Prophet were lost in the destruction of sanctuaries of the Order during the War of Righteousness. However, the strongest belief relating to the identity of Marukh appears to be the following: that he was undoubtedly an ape. Not in any metaphorical sense, relating to his stature, mode of speech or attitudes, but that he was for all intents and purposes indistinguishable from a big furry simian of distinct species from all mer and men. I don't request any text supporting this view, as I'm sure to come across one later in the more widely accepted apocrypha. What I am wondering is if any record exists of what the Prophet actually spoke and how his words were formed into the beliefs of the Alessian Order. In addition, some dates relating to Marukh's life (particularly the revelation he received) would be appreciated.
[I have come across a few sources already: http://www.imperial-library.info/content/serminuxia-marukhati-sermons stands out as a great piece of writing and also of invention of background, but the originality of the text (although I will accept that it may be much more well researched than I thought) means that it stands out as lore that one can either take or leave depending on how one wants to view the character. While there is definitely something fascinating about Marukh and his teachings as displayed in Serminuxia (divinely gifted, wise yet idiotic, charismatic yet given to physical violation of any and all living things in the universe, and above all obsessed with brutal masculinity) I would like to take the character in a somewhat different direction. In addition, the http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-and-its-environs-first-edition has a section detailing the Alessian Order in its http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-first-edition-cyrodiil, but this says little of Marukh himself and only mentions the well known anti-Elven attitudes he is said to have obtained from his encounter with the "Enlightened One" Alessia. A short but insightful quote which is claimed to have originated from him is found at the end of Anchivius, M.Z.F.'s http://www.imperial-library.info/content/legal-basics: "All are guilty until they have proven themselves innocent." Apparently this sentiment forms the groundwork of all that was considered Tamrielic law at the time of Legal Basics, and it certainly helps to understand the heavy-handed approach of governance in the First Era.]
The rise of the Alessian Order in the First Era is not well-documented but is not hard to guess at: we are told from the 1st Pocket Guide that it was an "inexplicably charismatic religion [that] found purchase in the lower classes." This likely means that strong political sentiment was stirred up by the Marukhati priests among those who were not influential enough to acquire connections to Ayleid remnants or Altmer, and then pressure was applied to the nobles of one area at a time until they were sufficiently manipulated to be considered "converts". We also know that the religion "filtered down from the north along the river trade ways", implying that the origins of (or most ardent adopters of) Alessian doctrine were concentrated around Lake Rumare, and that it took longer to reach Colovia. However, what is confusing is both the nature of Alessian doctrine, and the timing of their arrival and downfall.
The Pocket Guide (again a frustratingly detailed source, which is not lent any credibility by the fact that its third revision omits almost all of its information on the Marukhati) states that the Alessian Order was a "mutable-yet-monotheistic" religion, and this encouraged "baroque veneration of ancestor spirits and god-animals" (god-animals possibly distinct from animal gods?). It seems that this was a faith of two parts: one, an elaborate yet open mesh of saints, petty deities and superstition, tailored to the desires of the people and preservation of Alessia's original Eight Divines, and the other part being the mystical contemplation of a single deity above all the others. The latter form seems to be a sort that would be mainly practised by the Marukhati priests themselves, and is presumably the source of numerous cults and sects, such as the Holy Brothers of Marukh mentioned in http://www.imperial-library.info/content/cleansing-fane or the Selectives. The actual "god" of the Alessian Order is unfathomable by purpose, but all the same it would be nice to have some information on the core beliefs or nature of this deity, rather than relying on an intuitive view of what monotheism is. Is the Marukhati One simply a merging of the Eight Divines? Is it a "generalization" of one of them, the Dragon God perhaps, to encompass more ideals? Does it represent the Godhead, associated with CHIM, Amaranth and the true nature of Tamriel? The respect for Alessia and survival of the Eight Divines as the important religion of the Empire in later ages may suggest the first or second, but modern Marukhati beliefs often relate to metaphysics and more obscure concepts, which would suggest the third possibility. Do we have any sources that allow us an insight into the Alessian Order's true god?
As for the history of the order, there seems to be an inconsistency in the precise dates we are told and the Pocket Guide's estimate of the length of their rule, which is not surprising in itself, were it not for the fact that dates suggest that they ruled for considerably longer than the Guide supposes. According to the Pocket Guide: "Nearly a third of the First Era passed under their theocratic rule." This would mean that the upper bound for the length of their rule would be (accounting for the widely accepted length of the Dragon Break) (2920 - 1008)/3 = 637 years, rounding down. However, it seems rational to calculate from 1E361, the initial enforcement of the Alessian Doctrine (which is the latest we can consider the start of the Order; it may well have arisen at any time after 1E266) resulting from the now complete domination of the First Empire by the Marukhati, according to Herminia Cinna's http://www.imperial-library.info/content/last-king-ayleids. From this date until the War Of Righteousness, again accounting for the Dragon Break, we have (2321 - 361) - 1008 = 952 years as the length of Alessian Order religious rule. If we leave the Dragon Break out or shorten it, then the disparity becomes greater. It just seems a little strange to me that the First Pocket Guide, so willing to boast of the glories and successes of the Empire past and future, would so underestimate this.
Whether or not the Order had complete control over the people of central and eastern Cyrodiil during their long reign is not clear: according to some sources (Last King of the Ayleids seems to suggest so) the Empire and its militant faith never recovered from Glenumbria Moors, and thus the Selective were, more than eight centuries on, a shadow of its former fury, other sources would claim that this was just the means by which the Marukhati lost the west (Colovia and their territories in Hammerfell). This relates to the War of Righteousness: the First Pocket Guide, which in general inflates the power of the Alessian Order, seems to state that their priests were widespread until the Thrassian Plague caused the west to side with Summerset against Thras, resulting in the gulf between the Colovian Estates and Nibenay, leading to the War. However, as mentioned, Last King of the Ayleids claims that this was merely the straw that broke the camel's back of Cyrodiilic unity under the Order.
Next I have questions relating to arguably the most interesting point of Marukh and his legacy: the Marukhati Selective and their Dragon Break. The Whys and Whats of this are difficult, and the Hows almost impossible to answer straightforwardly at this stage. I guess my first question here is: were the Marukhati Selective in any way representative of the state of the Alessian priesthood in general at that time? That is, were they a "fanatical sect" as the out-of-character preface to the http://www.imperial-library.info/content/obscure-where-were-you-when-dragon-broke states, or were they a pioneering group of an already fanatical religion? I guess this relates to the previous paragraph, as their intentions can be interpreted depending on the state of religion in Colovia. If the Alessian Order was still reasonably strong in the west, then the Selective may have had only the loftiest ideals in mind when they Broke the Dragon. However, if the Colovian Estates were, as in the Pocket Guide, a bastion of the first form of Eight Divines worship, with the Ra'Gada and Altmer threatening any Nibenean influence, then the aim may have been simply to reinstate the monotheistic practises of the original Order and widen their frontiers. Which leads onto another question: were the Marukhati Selective still practising the monotheism-with-permissable-subdeities religion that originally won them popularity at the time when the Dragon Broke? If Marukh had truly formed the doctrines with the aim of eradicating Elven influence, then their strange One should still have prevailed to the Selective, as they are described as being just as anti-mer as Marukh was. Were the actions of the Selective perhaps an attempt to make a super-specific god whereas the early monotheism was an experiment in generalizing a god? I reckon that this is the area in which most sources are available, so anything besides the aforementioned would be useful. I should probably look for some in Vehk's Teaching.
It doesn't take long after the Dragon Break for the Order to entirely undo itself. Presumably the west is chiefly responsible for the destruction of the Order (although it is claimed that they fought among themselves, the Alessians probably were in conflict with the more prominent if less wealthy Colovians and their foreign-influenced and traditional religions). There is no reason for them to reunite until the Akaviri Invasion and the Reman Dynasty. Did Reman Cyrodiil or his heirs take any notice of the remnants of the Alessian Order? I guess that they may have valued the traditions and rituals of Alessia that they upholded, but neither their attitudes nor authority, and so promoted them as a lesser but important cult, as Septim did to some extent.
Somehow the cult survived into the third era, as we have records of a Marukhati named Xal in Port Telvannis who was http://www.imperial-library.info/content/interviews-skeleton-man on the subject of the Brass God. The Marukhati, or possibly just this specimen, are by this time keen scholars who seem to have a good knowledge of the metaphysics of their world. Curiously, Xal appears enthusiastic about the Anumidium, and could be considered a "Numidiumist", which makes a perverse sense in some ways (according to http://www.imperial-library.info/content/dragon-break by Fal Droon, the idea of the Marukhati Dragon Break arises from reverence for the Brass God in the early Third Era; conversely, the Marukhati are reverent for the Brass God?) but also seems strange, as Numidiumists are often associated with the Underking, the Heresy and general disapproval with the Septim line. The Marukhati, while based on an idea in the distant past, would likely be supportive of the Empire, as their most holy saint is the origin of the Amulet Of Kings. Have the values of the Alessian Order/Marukhati changed over time?
That was a very long-winded way to ask a few questions.
TL;DR:
- Other than Serminuxia, and the fragment in Legal Basics, do we have any direct quotes from the prophet Marukh, or any records of his life and times?
- Although the Selectives refers to a specific sect, is "Marukhati" generally understood to mean "associated with the Alessian Order"?
- Why was the early Alessian Order so popular? Where did they originate from?
- Is there much information on the single god ("One") worshipped by the Alessian Order? Is it just a merging of the Eight Divines, is it the Godhead of metaphysics, or is it something entirely different?
- The first Pocket Guide says that the Marukhati ruled for no more than a third of the First Era, but the dates suggest that it was as much as 50% longer than this. From where does the mistake arise?
- We know that the early Alessian Order was ruthlessly dedicated to hunting Ayleids, but what were their other beliefs, and how did they change over time?
- Was the Order going downhill from their defeat at Glenumbria Moors, or were they at their strongest shortly before the War of Righteousness?
- Were the Colovian Estates anti-Marukhati to the point of opposing Nibenean religion altogether?
- At the time of the Dragon Break, were the attitudes and knowledge of the Marukhati Selectives similar to the state of the Alessian Order as a whole?
- Was the Eight Divines religion flourishing at this time, or were the Selectives still monotheists?
- Was the War of Righteousness mainly between eastern and western religion, or between the Marukhati and themselves?
- Why did it take place in the Iliac Bay, rather than the Nibenay/Colovia border?
- Did Reman support the remnants of the Marukhati?
- How did the Alessian Order change after their almost-eradication in the War?
- Did Tiber Septim purposefully reinstate them as a minor cult? Did he require any changes of them?
- Did the Third Era Marukhati support the Emperor?
I'll remove the link to Serminuxia if it has been deemed inappropriate for this forum.
