Written by Will
I bid you traveller to consider the tranquil beauty of Cyrodiil, of Falkreath, of Elinhir. Have you ever wondered what lay beyond them? Beyond even the golden spires of Alinor? Beyond the ash-frozen islands of Resdayn? Perhaps even beyond the borders of Tamriel? The seas hold wonders beyond even that of the Elves or Beasts of Tamriel. We have already spoken of the Quey-Trades of Cathnoquey, and the bubbling totemic frontier of Roscrea, so before moving to the Spice-fields of the Farthest East we must make shore in Yneslea. Yneslea, conquered like the others by the Fighting Diamond, is home to the Bat-Elves, the Echmer. The Echmer are an industrious people, living deep under the surface of Yneslea. For this specific installment we visit the Opal Coast of the isle of Yne. A beautiful and gleaming Salt Flat not unlike those of Resdayn, interspersed with mangrove trees as tall as a house, the Salt Forest of the Opal Coast is one of the Padomaic’s greatest travel destinations for a citizen of the Empire.
Swirling Rainbows Underfoot:
Breathing in the Opal Coast is almost bitter, in the refreshing manner of a well-brewed tea. The light reflecting off thin film of water forms a spectrum of light like the skies of the North by midday. Looking onto these waters from the Terraces of A’zastalon or Villa Lērumārus is like seeing the crystal of the Altmer, stretched across the horizon. Kept shielded from the harsher elements of Yneslea, such as the beast-raiders of the Broh-Kah, by its salt-made surface, there is comfort to be found in the sprawling white expanse, under the cooling shade of the Mangroves.
A Return To Imperial Akavir:
Built neither in the style of Cyrodiilic Cities, or the pouring stone of the Echmer, the Tonenaka we found ourselves in after nearly a days’ journey from the Echmeri City of A’zastalon was a bastion of the Akaviri-Imperial Architecture oft found in Rimmen of Anequina. Boasting a garden of the proportion of those of Cyrodiils’ nobles, terraced rooms for rent, and a tavern on-site, the Villa Lērumārus rivals the comforts of the Imperial Province in grace and sophistication. The staff, Echmeri and Imperial for the most part, is friendly, friendlier perhaps than even the Hyu-Ket of the isles. The Colovian Travel Commission, and this writer himself, both wholeheartedly and comfortably endorse this establishment for any Cyrodiilic Traveller with a passion for the Akaviri and coin to spare.
The Hospitality Of Beastfolk:
One often hears of the Echmeri of Yneslea, and while their culture is fascinating and their locals welcoming enough, I found more compelling the jovial and open Goblin-Ken of Yneslea. The Hyu-Ket are an insectoid race of goblin, affable and family-centric, while the Echmer, though welcoming, are capable of coldness. In the taverns of N’rehnao, once home to Eloisa, sister of Empress Morihatha, I encountered a small clan of Hyu-Ket, in a brief reunion. These Goblin-Folk, seeing our small group drinking alone, offered us their pipes, their drink, and even moreso their songs, we danced with the Beetle-Goblins until the early hours of morn, and time passed as quickly as it did in sleep. This is the experience that most travellers to Yneslea report, the kindness and hospitality of the Ket is unparalleled in the Padomaic, and perhaps in Tamriel itself.
The Glimmering Salt-Feathers:
The Salts of Yneslea would seem nearly barren if not for the great shining birds that dot the landscape, burrowing through the Salts in their sunken nests. The dragon-birds that live in this place tower over even the tallest of Men or Elves, and eat that which lives within the salt, whichever scuttering creatures might find themselves in their flooded homes are eaten. And the many iridescent shells of these little beasts gives the feathers of these birds a colour unlike any seen in these eastern seas. They shine at dawn like the sun itself, in their great flocks of many hundreds. The light of Aetherius may still exist on Nirn, in these shining shores.
The Forest At The End Of The World:
To walk amongst the Mangroves that sit, persistent and pushing ever upwards, one is reminded of the power and grace of mortality. To walk between and under these paradoxical trees that push through the deepest Salt of the Opal Coast towards Magnus. Seeming to stretch their roots deep into the bowels of the Mundus, perhaps even into the Dweech beneath the islands, these trees survive nonetheless. At times an Imperial Tour Lead will reach up and pluck a fruit from the branches above. These fruits have something of a peculiar taste, though not a displeasing one. Befitting these isles, this forest is entirely alien to Tamriel, but oddly beautiful.