A Pearl Betwixt Empires, vol. 1

A Pearl Betwixt Empires: An Overview of Cathnoquey

Volume I

It has been well over a century since the Imperial Geographical Society last conducted a survey of the island of Cathnoquey. Initial surveys took place during and shortly after Emperor Uriel Septim V added the archipelago to the Empire during preparations for his ill-fated invasion of Akavir. The chaos of this time obviously prioritized military matters, which meant scholars could ill afford to better understand the cultural customs of this fascinating land. What work they produced has provided us with tantalizing enigmas but not, alas, clear answers.

Though the Empire may one day bring all of Nirn (and beyond) under its beneficent rule, our current sovereign, Uriel Septim VII, has wisely chosen the modern era to be a period of consolidation rather than expansion. It is therefore the perfect time in which to better understand the myriad cultures which comprise the Empire, particularly those that are often overlooked by Western scholarship.

These volumes are adapted from the journals of Clavus Temperian, an IAS member who undertook a voyage to Cathnoquey in 3E 414 in order to learn more about this distant Territory.

The Flotilla Cities of the Chimeri-Quey

Most educated Heartlanders have heard Cathnoquey noted with interest as an example of Man and Mer living together in peace. (Patriotic readers will no doubt recognize that the Empire itself has achieved this feat, on a grander scale.) Cathnoquey indeed hosts co-existing cultures: the Chimeri-Quey and the Keptu-Quey, the latter of whom were oft referred to in older Imperial documents as "Men-of-Keptu". It may surprise readers to know, however, that the Chimeri-Quey, the elves of this distant archipelago, rarely set foot on land at all.

To foreign eyes, the renowned flotilla cities of the Chimeri-Quey may appear ramshackle, a chaotic assemblage of wood, tarp, barnacle, and iron. Most Chimeri-Quey live aboard "Greatships", colossal vessels which ply the open waters of the Padomaic with dozens of smaller boats lashed to their hulls. Aboard a Greatship, one might be forgiven for forgetting they are at sea. Chimeri-Quey settlements (and they are settlements) are just as replete with residences, services, and institutions as any Tamrielic town.

The flotilla-city which hosted Clavus Temperian, Nefsilal-Mi-Anasotparsek-Mafa (a name which translates roughly as "Shining Net Spread Across the Waves") is a marvel and model of Chimeri-Quey self-sufficiency. A typical flotilla city consists of several dozen vessels, including multiple Greatships -- core vessels of enormous size, larger by an order of magnitude than Imperial Navy galleons. These Greatships are of ancient construction. Indeed, much of their wood has rotted away, the hulls held together by a framework of shells and jagged barnacles that give these ships the appearance of mountains moving upon water. The crustaceans living within the chitinized hulls are said to have a mutualistic relationship with the crew, even aiding in the defense of the Greatships when under attack.

Greatships are connected by networks of planks and bridges. From a distance, they almost appear to be one gargantuan vessel. More remarkable still are the long nets of kelp and other vegetable materials that sprawl across the flotilla city. These slimy and glistening webs connect the core vessels to the smaller ships and act as mobile farms. Many Chimeri-Quey work on the kelp nets, plucking nutritious leaves with which form the staple of the Chimeri-Quey vegetable diet. Thicker strands act as walkways, allowing crew from one ship to cross over to any other. Reflecting the egalitarian tendencies seen in Cathnoquey as a whole, the Greatships are open to all. Provisions are stored in the immense holds and traded to other Chimeri-Quey in exchange for goods or labor. Imperial septims are uncommon, but accepted (aboard Nefsilal-Mafa, at least).

Water remains a difficult issue for the flotilla-cities. Smaller sea plants symbiotic to the kelp nets have been bred to absorb and desalinate water (much like the sadrith mushrooms favored by the Telvanni of Morrowind). The ships themselves, meanwhile, are designed to collect as much rainwater as possible, with even the sails cleverly designed to funnel liquid to waiting barrels. Chimeri-Quey engineering ensures that there is enough water to get by, but the ever-present threat of shortage means that strict population control measures are enforced aboard the flotilla cities.

As many as two dozen smaller ships make up the outer ring of Nefsilal-Mafa. These outer vessels are notable for their heterogeneity. Some are fishing ships with strong sails and immense hulls, whose captains will detach from the city in order to harvest the teeming waters of the Padomaic. Others are carefully insulated forge ships that specialize in light manufacturing. Swift tradeships, meanwhile, fly across the sea towards distant shores for unusual goods which cannot be produced on board. There are also small warships of good quality.

While the core vessels have allegedly stayed afloat for centuries or millennia, these outer vessels are essentially normal seagoing ships. The Chimeri-Quey have incorporated ships from a wide variety of cultures into their flotilla-cities, so one may see Nord longships, Akaviri junks, and others of yet more exotic origin. The Chimeri-Quey are quick to insist that these vessels are purchased by legal means; piracy is a great sin in Quey culture.

At the time of writing, Nefsilal-Mafa has fifteen outer vessels, though a sixteenth had recently been lost in a storm. (Its sinking with all hands was still being mourned by the city at the time of Temperian's visit.) But this number is ever-changing. Outer vessels often detach from a flotilla city for months at a time, and it is not unheard of for ships from one flotilla city to dock at the kelp nets of another and eventually become part of the new host. The precise calculations that isolated outer vessels use to find flotilla cities are a closely guarded secret of the Chimeri-Quey, though no doubt attributable to the population's preternatural navigational skill.

Distinct from the main bulk of each flotilla city is the Shore-Khan's ship. These intrepid craft always sail a few days ahead of their flotilla city, using messenger pigeons to relay news to the main body. This is considered a dangerous assignment and a burden of leadership.

St. Veloth at Sea: The Chimeri-Quey

The descendants of the ancient Chimer look much like the modern Altmer, though smaller of frame and rougher of demeanor. While the Altmer praise luxury, the Chimer embrace hardship and danger. A settled life is anathema to these doughty mariners, who can often be heard to pity those who spend their lives on land.

It is unfortunately difficult to get clear answers about the history of the Chimeri-quey. Responses are often evasive. A common refrain is "Who is to say, these days, so long after the departure?", accompanied with a slightly embarrassed smile. Regardless, St. Veloth is still venerated, his visage reproduced on hull and sail. The Chimeri-Quey seem to believe that the best way to honor St. Veloth's virtues is to maintain a perpetually nomadic existence. Many zealously faithful Chimeri-Quey consider the Altmer and Dunmer to have both fallen prey to sedentary lives of decadence and stagnation, a fate the elves of the high seas claim to avoid.

Shrines to the so-called Good Daedra can be found throughout Nefsilal-Mafa. Each Greatship has at least one, typically an icon of brass and semiprecious stones that honors Mephala, Boethiah, or Azura (the latter of which is most popular).

The fundamental unit of Chimeri-quey society is the crew, which consists of several interrelated families. Upon reaching adulthood, a Chimeri-Quey will receive a tattoo on the sole of the right foot, the design unique to their ship. This way, they will always walk the deck of their home, no matter where they go. Marriage always occurs between Chimeri-Quey of different ships. The husband moves to the wife's ship and becomes a part of her family. Though the father is the head of the family in domestic issues, the role of ship captain typically goes to a mother. She will determine who among the crew is sent to the Wave Council, and delegate responsibilities for the maintenance and running of the vessel.

Due to the scarcity of resources and the narrow margins of healthy population aboard the flotilla cities, Chimeri-Quey will often depart for other flotilla-cities or take work as crewmen on non-Chimeri-Quey ships. The latter choice is considered a hardship, and many sad ballads are sung about Chimeri-Quey who had no choice but to make their way among strange crews. Not all Chimeri-Quey find foreign service disagreeable, however; many serve proudly in the Imperial Navy, which prizes the rare skill of Chimeri-Quey sailors.

Decisions for a flotilla-city are made by the Wave Council, a collection of elected representatives who meet on one of the Greatships. Each outer vessel gets one representative, while a core vessel receives two. Meetings occur once a month. The most important responsibility of the Wave Council is to determine what materials the flotilla-city needs. For instance, should more food be required, the Council will determine that one of the outer vessels devoted to fishing will go out on an expedition. Officially, a two-thirds majority is required for any decision, but it is rare for the Wave Council to not maintain a running consensus. The Shore-Khan is a nominal leader elected by this Wave Council, who serve as the face of the flotilla city to the outside world. In all cases, the shore-khan is chosen from the crew of a Greatship, as outer vessels usually cannot spare the crew. Though great honors are given to the Shore-Khan, their job is a bleak and dangerous one. By custom, no Shore-Khan may hold the position for longer than ten years; former shore-khans enjoy great esteem among the Chimeri-Quey, and often speak loudest at the Wave Council.

The insular nature of the Chimeri-Quey challenges the Empire's ability to meaningfully integrate them into the institutions of Imperial society. This may be beginning to change, however. Traders from Tamriel are no longer rare in the Padomaic Ocean, and Chimeri-Quey merchantmen now dock at ports throughout the Empire. Indeed, Chimeri-Quey have often set out to explore the Empire themselves (though many have no doubt been mistaken for tattooed Altmer). Their steadfastness and nautical skill speak to the benefits of counting the Chimeri-Quet among the Empire's citizens, benefits which will surely continue to grow as the Empire's eastern reach expands yet further.