Infobox
Book Information
Type Name Writer Melchior Dahrk ID az_bk_elvesoftheisles
By Charmagi Westayn
If you travel to the Thousand Isles region in the southwestern area of the Azurian Isles, you will undoubtedly encounter an Ouamer in some way or another. Ouamer are paler than the typical Chimer. Explanations for this difference vary. Some accounts place significance on diet, others blame the murky environment, or the bodily masking techniques Ouamer have been known to use for religious purposes. If you ask an elf of House Azura, they will tell you that the Ouamer are mongrels, with Maormeri blood in their veins. The Ouamer care little for explaining such things to outlanders. So the true reason for this alteration remains a mystery to all but the Ouamer, if even they remember.
Historically, the Ouamer are descended from the same bloodline as the House Azurans who came to the Azurian Isles. However, instead of aiding in the construction of the capitol, they chose to separate from the House and settle in the scattered isles in the southwestern region. They still revere the Daedric prince, Azura, but they honor her aspect as the Mother Soul and do not commune with her directly. Instead their wise women have dream visions which they believe are sent by Azura to guide the Ouamer.
To better comprehend the Ouamer, one must understand the land in which they reside. The Thousand Isles region is a tropical region covered in murky byways, swampy lagoons, and islets stretching out in all directions; similar to Black Marsh but far less perilous. The dense foliage shelters the residents from the frequent storms and the scorching heat of Magnus. Actual swamps in the isles are usually confined to the lagoons and very tight muckways flowing through the islands. The majority of the isles are surrounded by muddy green water resting on thick mire and rock. There are several villages in the region. Many are constructed in the ancient Stronghold design of the early tribal Velothi, but quite a few are simple shacks scattered around a patch of dry land.
The terrain which the Ouamer live in naturally separates them from one another. Despite this, the city of Bnay is recognized as the cultural center. Individual settlements choose Wisewoman, much in the same fashion as the Ashlanders. The Wisewoman is the spiritual and often managerial leader of a village. Few times indeed have the Ouameri Wisewomen gathered for an assembly in recorded history.
The Ouamer, however, are not the only residents of the Thousand Isles. The most commonly encountered are the Puddlemonkeys or Tigi as the Ouamer call them. These pesky creatures resemble goblin-kin in some ways, but their ratlike tail is cause for additional speculation. Just how intelligent these beasts are is unknown, but they are extremely hostile to intrusion. A brief historical explanation is necessary in order to explain the second race present in the isles: Around the turn of the First Era, House Dres commenced rampant slave raids on the Thousand Isles region and House Azura lent little aid to their tribal kin, being greatly outmatched by Great House Dres. When the Dres Slave Ships would enter the region, some Argonian slaves would occasionally escape; taking up residence in the isles. Finally, the Ouamer Wisewomen held council together to decide a course of action against their Dunmer oppressors. The exact details of the bloody encounter should be studied elsewhere [see Suram Llapoli’s A Day for Slaves]. But the outcome was that a great many Dres ships were set aflame, simultaneously freeing the numerous Argonian and Ouamer slaves within. The freed Argonians settled with their escaped brethren in the Thousand Isles region, favoring the damp conditions and having no way of returning to Black Marsh. Today the Ouamer and Argonians live in nearly complete peace; each respecting the other.
This short compilation of information seeks to explain a diverse and complex society of reclusive Chimer. To truly understand the Ouamer, one must travel to the Thousand Isles and see for themselves.