| Saint Alessia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Statue of Alessia holding the Amulet of Kings (ESO) |
|||
| Race | Nede | Gender | Female |
| Born | 1st Era Cyrodiil |
||
| Died | 1E 266 |
||
| Reign | 1E 243- 1E 266 |
||
| Previous Ruler | None | ||
| Next Ruler | Belharza | ||
| Resided in | Cyrodiil | ||
- "Though she is gone to me, she remains bathed in stars, first Empress, Lady of Heaven, Queen-ut-Cyrod."—Morihaus on Alessia
Alessia, also known as Queen Alessia, Saint Alessia,[1] the Lady of Heaven,[2] Queen-ut-Cyrod,[2] Queen of Mortals,[3] Slave Queen of Cyrodiil,[4][5] Mother of the Empire, Queen of Stars [6] and El-Estia,[7] led the First Era rebellion against the Ayleids, freeing the Nede of Cyrodiil from slavery and founding what became the Alessian Empire. As its first Empress, she established a new religion, a fusion of the Nordic and Aldmeri pantheons known as the Eight Divines. On her deathbed in 1E 266,[8] she was canonized by Akatosh,[3] and her soul placed in the central stone of the Amulet of Kings, thus forging Akatosh's Covenant with men to protect Tamriel from the forces of Oblivion.[9] Among worshippers of Pelinal Whitestrake, Alessia is the patron saint of humanity.[10]
Alessia is not her birth name, but rather a corruption of a title, Al-Esh ("High Highness"), that was given to her by her followers. Another title bestowed on her was Paravant ("The First"). From corruptions of these two titles come countless other names by which she is known to various peoples, including Perrif, Paraval, Pevesh, Perrethu, Paravania, and Aleshut.[2] The Alessian Order is so-called because she purportedly appeared to the prophet Marukh in a vision and bestowed her teachings upon him, for which she was known by the Order as the "Enlightened One".[11][12] The Ayleids derogatorily nicknamed her the cattle-queen during the Rebellion.[13]
BiographyEdit
Alessia was born to one of Cyrodiil's many human tribes and grew up in Sardavar Leed, known at the time as Sard.[2] As with all humans of Cyrodiil in the First Era, she lived as a slave under the Ayleids, the elvish race that ruled Cyrodiil. She prayed to Akatosh and the Aedra for liberation from the Daedra-worshipping Ayleids.[9]
Alessia's prayers were answered when she was granted Three Visions by Akatosh at Sancre Tor.[14] Another legends states she received a vision from Akatosh in one of the old Ayleid shrines beneath the White-Gold Tower, after which her followers tore it down and built the Dragonfire Cathedral.[15] Regardless, once she was free she began an open revolt against her slavemasters.[16] Working alongside the demigod, Morihaus, Alessia raised an army. In 1E 242, Alessia's third vision came true when Pelinal Whitestrake wandered into her encampment covered in Ayleid blood; her second champion had arrived.[17] With momentum growing stronger, human forces took control of Cyrodiil east of the Niben.
Forging alliances with Skyrim and rebel Ayleid lords,[18] Alessian forces encircled the capital of White-Gold Tower. With coalition forces hesitant to attack, Pelinal Whitestrake stormed the tower alone and slew the Sorcerer King Umaril the Unfeathered. Eventually Morihaus followed with the rest of the army and captured the citadel. Slowly but surely the Ayleids were pushed out of Cyrodiil; many became refugees, fleeing to Valenwood.[19]
With the capture of the White-Gold Tower in 1E 243,[20] Alessia declared herself the first Empress of the new Cyrodilic empire, and established Sancre Tor as her holy city. According to legend, Akatosh made a covenant with Alessia and gifted her the Amulet of Kings as a token of this pledge and proof of her claim.[3][16][21] His second gift was the Sublime Brazier, a powerful relic built in the Dragonfire Cathedral that was instrumental in upholding the covenant through the lighting of the Dragonfires.[15]
One of the first challenges facing the new empire was the establishment of a religion acceptable both to the people of Cyrodiil, accustomed to an Aldmeri-derived pantheon, and to her Nordic allies, who were opposed to any elven deities. As a compromise, she established the Eight Divines, which incorporated elements of both Aldmeri and Nordic religions.[5] This religion continues to be the dominant religion of Cyrodiil, although, with the addition of Talos, it is now more commonly known as the Nine Divines. At the end of the Great War, the Empire signed the White-Gold Concordat, which outlawed worship of Talos throughout the Empire, reverting worship back to Alessia's original pantheon.[22]
At some point, Alessia bore a son named Belharza the Man-Bull. Belharza was thought to be fathered by Morihaus and is considered by some to be the first Minotaur.[23]
Upon her death in 1E 266, it was said that Alessia was buried in the catacombs beneath Sancre Tor. This later developed into a tradition by Reman Cyrodiil and his successors, who were also buried under the city; however a competing tradition asserts that Alessia was instead buried on the site of the Temple of the One in the Imperial City.[16] On her death, Belharza succeeded her as the second Emperor of Cyrodiil.[24][25]
LegacyEdit
Following the rise of the Alessian Order, depictions of Saint Alessia were posthumously outlawed, leaving very few contemporary depictions of Alessia herself. Even the earliest known depictions of her personage were believed to have been created nearly a millennium after her reign had ended, and are presumed to have been commissioned as gifts for Empress Hestra by the newly admitted province of High Rock.[26]
GalleryEdit
-
Imperial statue of Alessia (Oblivion)
See AlsoEdit
- More information on Alessia can also be found in these books.
-
- The Legendary Sancre Tor by Matera Chapel — An attempt to chronicle the rise and fall of Sancre Tor
- Remanada — Fragmented, mythical recounting of the conception of Reman and the return of the Chim-el Adabal with the people of Tamriel
- The Song of Pelinal — The life of Pelinal Whitestrake, assembled from various old fragmentary texts
- The Sublime Brazier by Augusta Purusius, Associate Historian, Imperial Academy of Records and Histories — The legend of a mythical cauldron used to kindle the Dragonfires
- Trials of St. Alessia — Excerpt from a greater work detailing the creation of the Amulet of Kings
- Of the Dragonfires (Fragment) — A portion of Saint Alessia's conversation with the "Divine Voice"
ReferencesEdit
- ^ A Dance in Fire, Chapter 1 — Waughin Jarth
- ^ a b c d The Adabal-a — Morihaus
- ^ a b c Trials of St. Alessia
- ^ 2920, Sun's Height — Carlovac Townway
- ^ a b Shezarr and the Divines — Faustillus Junius
- ^ The Prophet's dialogue in KOTN
- ^ Remanada
- ^ Cleansing of the Fane
- ^ a b The Amulet of Kings — Wenengrus Monhona
- ^ Philius Dormeir's dialogue in ESO
- ^ The Illusion of Death
- ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition: Cyrodiil — Imperial Geographical Society, 2E 864
- ^ Umaril is Undone — Thadoril
- ^ Chancellor Abnur Tharn Answers Your Questions — Chancellor Abnur Tharn
- ^ a b Drake of Blades's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c The Legendary Sancre Tor — Matera Chapel
- ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 2
- ^ The Last King of the Ayleids — Herminia Cinna
- ^ Ayleid Survivals in Valenwood — Cuinur of Cloudrest, 4th Tier Scholar of Tamrielic Minutiae
- ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: All the Eras of Man, A Comprehensive History of our History — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
- ^ Chim-el Adabal: A Ballad
- ^ The Great War — Legate Justianus Quintius
- ^ Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius Answer Your Questions — Fa-Nuit-Hen andTutor Riparius
- ^ On Minotaurs — Nonus Caprenius, Temporarily Unaffiliated Scholar of Imperial Antiquities
- ^ Lady Clarisse Laurent Answers Your Questions — Lady Clarisse Laurent
- ^ St. Alessia, Paravant antiquity codex entry in ESO