| Packmaster to Hircine Songamdir | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Packmaster to Hircine Songamdir |
|||
| Race | Nord | Gender | Male |
| Resided in | The Rift Reaper's March Bangkorai Hunting Grounds |
||
| Appears in | ESO | ||
Songamdir was the Packmaster to Hircine,[1][2] the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, serving as both his priest and a powerful werewolf with formidable magical abilities. He was an ancient hunter, dedicated to teaching and initiating new werewolves into Hircine's pack.[1]
HistoryEdit
- "Hircine gave me power beyond other werewolves when he chose me for his Packmaster. I can control my form, and I am as much a wolf as I am a man." —Songamdir[1]
The exact age of Songamdir is unknown, though by his own account, he was entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing Hircine's pack and wielding the powers that came with it. By 2E 582, he was incredibly old,[1] and his name was invoked in ancient scrolls as a great hunter.[3] By that time, Songamdir had already been performing his duties for a long period and could be found by those seeking to join Hircine’s pack at shrines dedicated to the Daedric Prince scattered throughout Tamriel.[1][4] He was often accompanied by the pack wolves.[5] Some of the known locations included the shrine northeast of Riften in the Rift Hold of Skyrim; the northeastern part of the Viridian Woods in Bangkorai, the region of High Rock; and in the Reaper's March region of Elsweyr, just north of the Khajiiti settlement of Pa'alat.[4][6]
According to one of his pack mates, it is believed that Hircine bestowed lycanthropy upon the first hunters as a gift, encouraging them to worship him. To honor these hunters, Hircine is said to have taken their cunning and fused it with the strength and form of beasts. It is rumored that these original hunters still live on in the Great Hunt, Hircine’s own realm, to this day. Whether these words refer to Songamdir himself, however, remains uncertain.[7]
During the Interregnum of the Second Era, Werehunter's Collars for large dogs or wolves could be found across Tamriel. Many of these collars bore the personal sigil of Songamdir.[2]
DutiesEdit
- "I show pups like you how to make the most of his gift. I'm like a flea-bitten, shirtless priest of Hircine!" —Songamdir[1]
One of his key roles was to train newly initiated werewolves, teaching them how to fully harness the power of lycanthropy as they prepared to join Hircine's pack.[1][7] It was said that those newly infected with Sanies Lupinus, who had yet to fully transform, could easily track Songamdir by his scent, with the pounding in their blood serving as a guide when they were near.[7] His powers, bestowed by Hircine, greatly exceeded those of other werewolves—he had complete control over his transformations and, as he stated, was as much wolf as man. He also possessed the ability to take on the form of a true wolf. Songamdir was also known for opening portals to Hircine's realm, the Hunting Grounds, to initiate new pack members chosen from those afflicted with Sanies Lupinus.[1][4] Remarkably, he was even able to provide initiations for individuals without souls, such as Vestiges though it required something extra to fully induct them into the brotherhood.[1][8] As the Packmaster, he presided over the ritual admission of some of the werewolves, said to be older than the stars. This initiation involved communing with Hircine, a ritual hunt in the Hunting Grounds, and a shared feast of the hunted prey.[1]
Hircine was known to hunt alongside his own pack within the boundaries of his realm, the Hunting Grounds. One such event took place during Crown Prince Attrebus Mede's visit to the Hunting Grounds in 4E 48, though there is no known evidence to suggest whether Songamdir was present on that occasion.[9]:244
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see the Elder Scrolls Online article.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Songamdir's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b Werehunter's Collar item description in ESO: Gold Road
- ^ Contents of the Ancient Scroll during Hircine's Gift in ESO
- ^ a b c Events of Hircine's Gift in ESO
- ^ Pack Wolf in ESO
- ^ Werewolf Ritual Site in Reaper's March, Werewolf Ritual Site in the Rift, and Werewolf Ritual Site in Bangkorai in ESO
- ^ a b c Thoreki's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Hircine's dialogue in ESO
- ^ The Infernal City — Greg Keyes