The Luminaries of Magic (Luminaries for short) are mysterious immortal beings of pure magic, spirits likened to beams of sunlight from Magnus himself.[1][2] They've been described with the Old Bretic word Alien, meaning "stranger", due to how they see the world and magic differently from mortal-kind. No one, not even the Luminaries themselves, know what they actually are.[3] The Luminaries played an important role in the life of Archmage Ulfsild the Evergreen, collaborating with her to develop the system of Scribing, a "metamagical theoryset"[4] that was the precursor to the modern Spellcrafting system.[1][5][UOL 1]
The Luminaries chose the forms and names of various creatures from Nirn that suit their personalities.[1][6] The Netch chose its form for its buoyancy and its ability to direct the currents of magicka through the air via its tentacles,[7][8] while the peacekeeping Gryphon was drawn to a creature found in symbols predating mankind which symbolized justice.[9] The Dragon chose its form for its majesty,[2] while the Indrik claims there was simply no other form it could have been.[6] Their moniker, the "Luminaries of Magic", was coined by Ulfsild, who viewed them as "lights in the dark".[1]
The Indrik was the first of the Luminaries to come into existence, and is considered more powerful than the rest, whereas the Luminary Crow is the youngest "by far".[1][6] The Gryphon is older than the Luminary Netch, but younger than the Luminary Indrik.[9] Each Luminary has a realm which formed along with their birth, shaped and hewn into being by them in a manner similar to how they chose their forms.[1][2][6][7][9] The realms of all Luminaries have warded doors and keys which one has to use to enter them.[1]
As beings of pure magic, the Luminaries are said to understand magic in a way mortals never could. Their power, freely given, allows one to access arcane mysteries most could only dream of. Scribing is said to have been somehow destined to channel the power of the Luminaries from the start.[1][6]
Luminaries exhibit a mastery of magic that makes the average archmage look like a neophyte, and so are not fond of dealing with unsophisticated mages. They will only lend their power to those who complete their challenges.[1][3] The great magical power of each Luminary can impact magic across Tamriel, reverberating and causing new Ley Line activity, which makes the arcane components of Scribing manifest across the land.[6][10][11][12][13] The Scribing Altar fueled by their might could "shape the very heart of magic itself", changing and rewriting both the magic and the mortal as the practitioner scrawled their soul upon the page, with the Luminary as the intermediary.[1][6]
Despite their great power, even Luminaries are considered no match for a Daedric Prince and, though they can halt the passage of a soul to the afterlife, they can do so only temporarily.[1][7][14][15]
Origin and NatureEdit
There are many theories regarding the origins of the Luminaries. They often bear some relation to Aetherius, such as that the Luminaries were fallen tears of Aetherius manifested in physical form, new lifeforms that arose naturally from the meeting of life and aetherial energy, aetheric constructs born from the imprinting of the subconscious eidolons of mortals upon pure magicka, or they are either "children" of the Aedra or experimental beings made by them, sent as their proxies to herald their return and guide mortals, being to Aetherius what the Daedra are to Oblivion. Other theories include that the Luminaries are a natural mechanism of the cycle of magic by which it is emanated to the mortal world, akin to a lamp casting light or an aqueduct carrying water, they are Daedra in disguise, or they are ascended ancestor spirits, the souls of dead mortals that have taken on a new form.[1][3][5]
The Luminaries of Magic also have their own opinions on how they came to be, each with contradictory answers.
The Indrik believes the Luminaries to be eddies in the current of the river that is magic—not masters of it, but part of it—who are one with it as much as it is one with them,[6] and believes himself to have been created as a manifestation of pure thought, the invention of a mind that craved to make sense of the world through stories.[5]
The Gryphon believes himself to have been born as a result of the death of another, a great sage who stood against a terrible enemy and burned them from within using a mighty and beautiful spell that cost them their life. He thought that the casting of the fatal spell required a lengthy ritual and a vast amount of magicka accumulated during that process, so great that, when the spell was finished, a great reservoir still remained to coalesce into the Gryphon himself.
The Dragon believes herself to have been born from the ebb and flow of Aetherius and Nirn, from a confluence of magic beyond mortal influence, and refuses to consider her birth the result of events such as a magical accident or a summoning gone awry. Being asked questions on her birth angers her, and she is willing to argue at length over the topic.[2][5]
The Netch believes itself to have been born from a "deeply boring" accident of magic. Viewing its birth in this manner was what prompted it to always be "joyous and floaty", as it believes existence is what one makes of it. When asked of its birth, the Netch was known to rotate through many different tales, one of which involved a wizened scholar tracing arcane runes for a detailed summoning, though by the Netch's own admission, it was only joking when speaking such stories.[2][5][7]
Unlike the other Luminaries, the Crow was an intentional creation of Archmage Ulfsild the Evergreen, who, partly inspired by the Gryphon's beliefs regarding his own origins,[5] used part of her own soul in a ritual that combined her spirit and a copy of her mind from that moment in time, flashing them upon the great wellspring of arcane power she'd gathered in the Scholarium's Scribing Altar, to create a new Luminary of Magic, a ritual described as the ultimate act of Scribing. As the looming threat of the loss of Eyevea left little time to plan, the process was not fully refined, causing the Crow to have a chaotic arcane presence. The ritual to create the Crow took an enormous toll upon Ulfsild's spirit, siphoning a considerable amount of her soul and requiring years for her spirit to recover.[1][16][17]
HistoryEdit
First EraEdit
Meeting Ulfsild the EvergreenEdit
Though she did not know it at the time, Ulfsild had met the Indrik Luminary in her youth. He saved her when she was about to be trampled by a herd of mammoths, lifting her onto his back and depositing her to safety, then vanished. Ulfsild's clan laughed at her story, thinking she had a fanciful dream, but she kept the Indrik's feather in her hat as a keepsake.[18]
Circa 1E 2150,[3][19][nb 1] Ulfsild came into possession of the Fable of the Indrik. Ulfsild had the ability to see the currents of magicka with her own eyes, and noticed an essence around the book similar to that of the feather still in her hat. She followed the text's clues to discover the gateway to the Indrik's realm. She obtained the keys from various locations on the island of Auridon—near the mundus stone dedicated to the Lady south of Silsailen, in Ondil, and in Buraniim. Ultimately, she found the door on the island of the South Beacon lighthouse.[20] After breaking the wards and trespassing into the Indrik's domain, Ulfsild made a wager: if she could prevent the Indrik from reclaiming his feather, still in her hat, he would share his knowledge and power with her. If she could not, she would depart his domain and leave him in peace.[1] Ulfsild passed the trial, and formed a bond with the Indrik.[18] This bond eventually led to the connection of the realm with the Scholarium, located beneath the isle of Eyevea, the two places bound together by the Indrik himself.[6]
At some point after Ulfsild had already located the Wing of the Indrik, she'd also encounter the Gryphon.[18] Ulfsild was studying in the Scholarium,[1] reflecting on a childhood memory, when a fox stole her faerite gem. As she pursued it, it startled her by darting through a wall. She stumbled through, as well, suddenly sinking into a snow drift and then passing into the realm of the Gryphon. Saved by the Gryphon's protective instincts, Ulfsild came to understand that both the Fox and Gryphon were playful and nurturing creatures, akin to a mischievous child and its protective parent. She observed the Fox playing with her faerite, fell asleep, and awoke sheltered under the warm wings of the Gryphon.[21]
Later, after Ulfsild had already located the Wing of the Indrik and the Wing of the Gryphon, she'd also encounter the Netch.[3][18] While studying in the great library of the Scholarium beneath Eyevea,[1] Ulfsild felt something tugging at her skirt. Expecting the Fox, she turned around but found nothing. Nonetheless she suddenly felt lighter, as if whatever force had tugged her skirt simply wanted her to look up and was playing a game. The event repeated twice, but nothing showed itself. The next day Ulfsild found her books arranged in the shape of a giant squirrel. The tugging soon returned, but Ulfsild ignored it until her book was lifted from her hands, prompting a chase. The chase brought Ulfsild to an abandoned room, within which she felt an air of power, less serious than either the Gryphon or the Indrik. The space was like the room of a child or the studio of an artist, full of creativity and joy. Upon entering, Ulfsild suddenly found herself in a seaside domain bathed in sunlight. Within she found a large glowing netch, bobbing joyfully in the breeze. Knowing the Luminary meant her no harm, Ulfsild approached the creature, which welcomed her as a friend.[22]
Sometime after Ulfsild had already located the Wing of the Indrik, she'd also encounter the Dragon.[18] Ulfsild heard the Fable of Mizbi and the Dragon from a Moon-Singer while travelling with a band of nomads through Malabal Tor. She immediately knew there was more to the tale, and spent the night sleepless thinking on it. Wandering from the campsite, Ulfsild found a young Cathay Khajiit gazing up at the stars. Being asked why he was awake, the Khajiit responded with a question, wondering if "she" could see him, the one who raises her gaze twice a night from under the galloping hooves of the Steed constellation. Ulfsild surmised that the Khajiit was speaking of the Twilight Star, of Azura. The Khajiit then offered to trade a polished moonstone for the feather of the Luminary Indrik on Ulfsild's hat. Ulfsild refused, as she'd had the feather since she was a child and it was very dear to her, and she recounted the Fable of the Indrik instead. Behaving as if she'd won some sort of game they'd been playing, the Khajiit once more offered up the moonstone as a fair trade for the story he'd been told. When Ulfsild tried to hand the moonstone back, he refused to take it, claiming instead she could give it back in exchange for another story or riddle. Wishing to learn more of the fable of Mizbi, Ulfsild asked the Khajiit to tell it to her again, writing down notes in the process, as she knew the story was the key to finding the Dragon.[23] Ulfsild annotated the text and used its clues to discover the gateway to the Dragon's realm. She obtained the keys from various locations, from the temple of Jode's Light, from the Do'Krin Monastery, from Khaj'Rawlith, and from Ja'zennji Siir to the west of Dune. Ultimately, she found the door in a grove south of Willowgrove village, she broke the wards and entered the dragon's domain.[24] When Mizbi had encountered the Dragon, she asked her a question: what is the thing that in order to have, you must give it up?[25]
The answer was what the dragon wanted if she was to lend her power: an impossible riddle. Ulfsild could not give the dragon an impossible riddle, but she could give her a paradox: if she scribed a grimoire that could also scribe out every other possible grimoire, would it eventually also create itself ? The two argued over the question for hours and, eventually, the dragon conceded. Ulfsild passed the trial, and formed a bond with the Dragon, who lent her power, thus changing Ulfsild's magic forever.[25]
The Birth of ScribingEdit
Ulfsild and the Luminaries collaborated in the creation of Scribing. Before the doors to their wings were sealed, the Luminaries fed the altar their strength. With their strength fueling it, the altar could achieve incredible feats of magic.[1][6] The power of the Indrik himself infused entirely into every aspect of the texts used for the Scribing process.[6] The Gryphon, sure in himself and direct in his actions, was associated with the development of Focus Scripts, arcane scripts which defined what effect the Scribed magic would have. During this time, Ulfsild and the Gryphon also came up with an idea to create animated constructs based on Ulfsild's own designs, that would serve as guardians of the Scholarium, though their vision was not realized at the time.[9][26] The Netch worked with Ulfsild to create the Luminous Ink, the substrate of power into which the magic of the Scribing altar was vested, and which served as the binding agent that drew magicka and intent together upon the page. The Dragon, keen of mind and eager to listen, was associated with the development of Signature elements, Scripts that could adapt to the magical and fighting styles of the person holding the parchment, named for all the ways in which Scribing could interact with the goals and magics of other disciplines that Ulfsild had discovered. A concept originally thought up by the Dragon herself, Signature Scripts were ultimately not fully completed in Ulfsild's time.[26]
Loss of EyeveaEdit
At some point after 1E 2150,[3][18][19] the Scholarium was lost along with Eyevea, which it was located under, transported to the Shivering Isles due to a bargain Shalidor made with the Daedric Prince Sheogorath in exchange for the Folium Discognitum.[1][27]
Knowing that nothing she or the Luminaries could do would stop a Daedric Prince, Ulfsild first froze the Luminary Gryphon in a tempest of ice, the magic of which she tied to a ward she left behind. This prevented the enraged Luminary from confronting Sheogorath, against whom even he was no match, while also preventing the Prince from discovering the Scholarium and Luminaries, which would've been disastrous.[1][9][14][15][28][29]
Ulfsild quickly enacted a final plan. It would be the ultimate act of Scribing, meant to assure that Scribing itself would not become lost to the world: the ritual to create the Crow, a new Luminary of Magic.[1][16][17] With her birth, the Crow chose the shape of her physical form, and her personal realm, the Wing of the Crow, was shaped and hewn along with her, and became connected to the Scholarium via its own door.[1][6][30]
Before Sheogorath pulled Eyevea out of Nirn, Ulfsild recorded the secrets on Scribing within the Scholarium's library.[26] In the event that the Scholarium were to be rediscovered, she left whoever would don the role as her successor, and emphasized they seek out the Luminaries, who would continue guarding the place.[31]
With the doors closed, the altar became dormant. Without that beating heart, the mastery of Scribing was believed to stagnate. The Scholarium itself was warded against mages, Princes, and powers long ago, and remained undiscovered in the Shivering Isles. The Crow did not have much time to speak with Ulfsild, her other self, before the doors were sealed.[1]
Ulfsild left numerous messages for potential future inheritors of the lost art of Scribing, and creating Echoes—magical projections of herself with within the Scholarium and Sunnamere. These instructional illusions, scattered throughout the library, were meant to guide the inheritor through the process.[1] Among them were the Flickering Image, as well as Ulfsild's Echoes of Introduction, the Lens, Regret, the Dragon, Loyalty, Mystery, Charity, the Final Trial, and the Netch.[32]
Second EraEdit
Rediscovery of ScribingEdit
In 2E 582, around the time Eyevea was returned to Tamriel by Shalidor and the Mages Guild, the Scholarium was rediscovered by a group of knights from the Order of the Lamp. During their arrival, the once dormant altar became unstable,, necessitating the sealing of the doors to prevent a catastrophe. The disaster was prevented due to the intervention of the Vestige, who replaced the unstable focusing crystal and potentially prevented the catastrophic discovery of the Scholarium by Sheogorath, as well.[1][33] After the magic was calmed, the Scholarium's caretaker, the Crow, directed the Vestige to seek out the support of the other Luminaries, and return their strength to the altar to inherit Ulfsild's legacy and advance spellcraft itself.[1]
The Inheritor of the Scholarium was guided by Ulfsild's echoes and the True Sight Lens, which she'd created to allow others to see magicka and Ley Lines, as she could. Retracing her footsteps, the Inheritor discovered fables and keys, broke the wards, and entered the Wings of the Indrik, the Dragon, the Gryphon, and the Netch to reconnect the Scholarium with them. The Luminaries proffered a series of challenges for the Inheritor to prove themselves. Once completed, they agreed to lend their power.[1][2][6][7][9]
The Luminaries granted their Sigils to the Inheritor. Placed at the altar, the Sigils restored the connection, and their strength flowed into the altar once more.[2][28][34][35][36] The altar could once more translate the very essence of magic for mortal hands.[1][6] Reconnecting the great power of the Luminaries triggered new Ley Line activity, making new arcane components appear across the land.[6][10][11][12][13]
With the support of the other Luminaries secured, the Crow revealed the truth: she was the final Luminary, created by Ulfsild herself, and the last who could lend her power to the Scribing Altar. The chaotic magic that had originally led to the rediscovery of the Scholarium was a result of the Crow's own presence, as Ulfsild's ritual had never been fully refined due to the urgency of the situation.[1]
In the Wing of the Crow, the Vestige underwent the final trial to be declared the Inheritor. Within the Luminary Crow's replica of Labyrinthian, the Inheritor navigated the invisible path through the maze with the aid of the Fox, who had been tasked to help by Ulfsild herself.[14] Once the wards were broken and the Chimera Aut'arioth bested, the other Luminaries appeared and acknowledged the victorious Inheritor. The Crow guided the Inheritor to her own Sigil, which Ulfsild had taken with her when she departed, so it too could be added to the Scribing Altar, amplifying its power further.[2][30] Thus Scribing returned to Tamriel. Knowing the Inheritor had other matters to address, the Crow chose Order of the Lamp Votary Nahlia as the Scholarium's new caretaker.[1][33]
Vanus Galerion was particularly enthusiastic of the possibilities Scribing would open up, imagining altars being installed in every guild hall and perhaps that Scribing would one day be taught in the wilds.[3] The legacy of Ulfsild's lived on, with Scribing eventually evolving into modern spellcrafting.[UOL 1]
Known LuminariesEdit
Associated RealmsEdit
Wing of the Dragon
Wing of the Netch
Wing of the Indrik
Wing of the Gryphon
Wing of the Crow
NotesEdit
- ^The approximate date of 1E 2150 for when Ulfsild was active is derived from Loremaster's Archive - Scribing, which states the Mages Guild estimate that it was about a thousand years before the Guild was formed. The Mages Guild Charter says the Guild was founded in 2E 230. The First Era ended in 1E 2920. Adding 2920 to 230 and subtracting 1000 yields 2150. While Ulfsild's actual lifespan is unknown, in Our Story, Part III, she wrote, "[I]mmortality was anathema to me. I would not prolong my life any more than I would want to prolong summer to stave off winter. The beauty in seasons is always in their passing". Therefore, the Guild's approximation of when she was active presumably approximates the time of her dealings with the Luminaries, as well.
See AlsoEdit
- Fable of the Crow — A fable about Ulfsild and Shalidor's life
- Fable of the Dragon — The story of Mizbi and the Dragon in her head
- Fable of the Gryphon — The story of Gray the fox and Zariah
- Fable of the Indrik — A story of a hunter and an Indrik
- Fable of the Netch — Priest Lucilan searches for the mysterious source of blessings
- Loremaster's Archive - Scribing by Votary Nahila — Votary Nahila answers questions about the rediscovered art of Scribing
- Mizbi and the Magic Door Comments by Ulfsild — Mizbi the Bard stumps the Dragon with a riddle
- Nable of the Fetch by The Netch — The Netch's personal account about itself
- Our Story by Ulfsild — An account of the life of the Nord-Reachfolk Archmage and her husband
- Ulfsild's Log by Ulfsild — Ulfsild's time with the Luminaries
- Ulfsild's Notes: The Impossible Riddle by Ulfsild — Assistance from the past for an impossible riddle
- Ulfsild's Notes: The Origin of Luminaries by Ulfsild — Speculation on the origin of the Luminaries
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac The Crow's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Dragon's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f g Loremaster's Archive - Scribing — Votary Nahila
- ^ The Largesse of the Archmagister in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f Ulfsild's Notes: The Origin of Luminaries — Ulfsild
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o The Indrik's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e The Netch's dialogue in ESO
- ^ The Secret of the Netch — The Netch
- ^ a b c d e f The Gryphon's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b Sigil of the Dragon Analysis in ESO
- ^ a b Sigil of the Indrik Analysis in ESO
- ^ a b Sigil of the Gryphon Analysis in ESO
- ^ a b Sigil of the Netch Analysis in ESO
- ^ a b c The Fox's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b Ulfisild's Echo of Regret's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b Fable of the Crow
- ^ a b Ulfsild the Evergreen's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f Ulfsild's Log: The Indrik — Ulfsild
- ^ a b Mages Guild Charter
- ^ Fable of the Indrik (Annotated)
- ^ Ulfsild's Log: The Gryphon and the Fox — Ulfsild
- ^ Ulfsild's Log: The Netch — Ulfsild
- ^ Ulfsild's Log: The Dragon — Ulfsild
- ^ Fable of the Dragon (Annotated)
- ^ a b Ulfsild's Notes: The Impossible Riddle — Ulfsild
- ^ a b c How to Scribe — Ulfsild
- ^ Arch-Mage Shalidor's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b The Wing of the Gryphon quest in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ Ulfisild's Echo of Loyalty's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b The Wing of the Crow quest in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ Ulfsild's Log: Your Discovery, My Farewell — Ulfsild
- ^ Flickering Image, Ulfsild's Echo of Introduction, Ulfsild's Echo of the Lens, Ulfsild's Echo of Regret, Ulfsild's Echo of the Dragon, Ulfsild's Echo of Loyalty, Ulfsild's Echo of Mystery, Ulfsild's Echo of Charity, Ulfsild's Echo of the Final Trial, and Ulfsild's Echo of the Netch's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b The Second Era of Scribing quest in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ The Wing of the Dragon quest in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ The Wing of the Indrik quest in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ The Wing of the Netch quest in ESO: Gold Road
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.
