The Esri are native to Esroniet.
Culture
The poor and middle class bury their dead at sea; the nobility use sea caverns as tombs, often underwater.
The Esri are extremely polite. There is a strong emphasis on avoiding offence or direct insult. Visitors should be aware that what is said is not necessarily - is perhaps unlikely - to be a true reflection of the speaker’s opinion. Effusive flattery is often veiled insult.
On Esri ships, the captain commands the highest obedience. There will always be at least one illusion mage in the crew, to hide their passage before they’re ready to strike, or from passing enemies (other pirates, the Tsaesci or Imperial navies, etc.).
Religion
Obviously related to the worship of the Nine Divines, but quite distinct: the focus is on a dualistic pair, Kina and Zenir, who most obviously resemble Kynareth and Zenithar, but who also take on aspects of Arkay and Mara respectively.
Unlike the cults of the Nine on Tamriel, Kina and Zenir are worshipped together; they are considered inseparable, utterly reliant on each other for the cycle of life and death to function properly. Acolytes of one are paired with an acolyte of the other when they ‘graduate’, a bond considered closer than marriage: there are circumstances where a married couple may be split up, but it’s taboo to do so to a bonded pair of priests. When one half of a bonded pair dies, the other follows them into death soon after by ritual suicide.
On Purity
The central preoccupation of this religion, and the source of many of its great doctrinal debates. Kina is said to decide the fate of every child on the day they’re born. The goal of life is to make it to the day Kina has set for you, at which point you become one with Kina and Zenir in Aetherius, no longer to be shackled to the cycle of death and rebirth through the Dreamsleeve.
Death by accident is considered ordained, an act of nature or one of nature’s creatures. Death by violence is considered ordained by Zenir in his aspect of wrath and war. It’s not welcomed, exactly, but it’s considered an honorable death. Disease, on the other hand, is considered to be a sign of moral impurity, an outward sign of inward shame, a perversion from Kina’s ordained course.
There is great debate over whether the ill should be treated with compassion and healed, or whether they should be shunned and shamed for whatever sins has brought their illness upon them. Treatment erases the signs of the sin: is it absolution or endorsement of sinful behavior?
As a consequence of this, there is a great trade in preventative trinkets, while curatives are considered somewhat suspect and shameful; the desperate will still try them, naturally, but there is a stigma attached.
It also serves as rhetoric to uphold the social status quo: the rich have better living conditions and better access to preventative magic, and are much less likely to become ill, especially during outbreaks of epidemic disease. The poor, on the other hand, suffer most, and bear the burden of that shame.
In the Esri faith the person of the Prince(ss) is strongly linked to the concept of Esroniet itself. In particular, if the Prince(ss) falls ill, it is a bad omen for the entire country.
Note
The Esri sometimes go through extreme verbal contortions to avoid directly mentioning illness. Healers exist but face prejudice from some quarters (since some say they are accomplices to whatever moral crimes the afflicted must have committed), while others try to argue that healers are removing impurity from others and should therefore be respected.
On Royalty
The Prince is considered to be Zenir’s chosen embodiment of the island of Esroniet itself. If the Prince falls ill, it is considered to be a sign that the entire island has grown corrupt and impure.
The Esri religious tradition is primarily oral / ritualistic, with no central religious text as such. This leads to a doctrine that is mutable and able to be adapted to the current needs of the people but also vulnerable to agendas and ‘this is the way things have always been done’. The closest thing to a religious text they have is the body of writings by previous religious scholars on their interpretations of the will of Kina and Zenir, and the Books of Wealth and Sunlight and Wealth and War by Head Priestess Kemara dir-Kina, which are instructive texts aimed at the enlightenment of laymen and children.
Idioms and Dialogue Tics
‘Pure as pearl’ - Imperial commentary: “That kollops are bottom feeders and pearls the result of their defence against contaminants and parasites is a truth the Esri are not fond of having pointed out to them.”
Esri avoid referring to illness directly if possible.
‘Fierce as a tiger moth’ - in reference to the beautiful moths native to Esroniet, which are passive, friendly creatures, but deadly poisonous.
‘If Kina wills it’, ‘Kina willing’
‘By Zenir’s hands be done’
Names
B; K; M; N; R; S; Y; Z - 2 or 3 syllables
| Female | Male | Surnames | Imperial Names f | Imperial Names m | Imperial Surnames |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achara Akari Airi Aiva Amisha Arra Avoka Ayarsa Biri Bora Bri Bulan Enra Erari Eviri Irbi Isetri Ismaya Iva Ivuri Kari Kasa Kannika Kel Kemara Kiann Malai Mayusri Nari Narra Odiri Oneri Orna Ranna Rochara Sirikiet Tasranee Tasri Tiva Vari Zaraya Zeri Zora | Adika Anasri Arar Aren Areyo Asnee Atren Avano Bashomon Baskoro Basuki Bire Channa Herun Ibre Ilfri Irol Iradi Ivok Kasem Kadek Kersen Kiet Kuron Kuzon Lamon Nerat Niran Orn Rano Rikara Ryunir Savos Sorka Sozin Tamar Vinen Verin Yaro Zanvi Zikal Zirav | Clans and nobility add a ‘dir-[given name of clan head]’ suffix. E.g. if Zaraya is the leader of a clan and Asmet is her son or noble retainer, they will be Zaraya dir-Zaraya and Asmet dir-Zaraya Those without a clan heritage just use their given name, or a ‘Kasa the Schemer’ style similar to Nords. The Esri are polite to a fault though, so negative nicknames are often indicated by the opposite: Kuron the Honest is anything but honest. The Prince uses dir-Esroniet Uriel V was acknowledged as a ruling power, but never as the ruler of Esroniet. The Esri called him Uriel Septim dir-Tamriel, which the Imperials largely took to be a much higher honor than a mere “dir-Esroniet”. Heads of clans use their own name: Anasri dir-Anasri Imperial descendants tend to keep imperial-style first names. Those who have been adopted into a clan take the clan appellation; most drop the surname, Esri-style; a few retain the surname as a point of pride. One or two have kept both the surname and the appellation: Ex: when Corus Gavinius made his alliance with Princess Mayusri dir-Esroniet and was made a noble, he became Corus Gavinius dir-Corus, and his officers became [firstname] [lastname] dir-Corus. Priests and priestesses take the name of their god: e.g. Kadek dir-Kina and Ranna dir-Zenir. | Aheriana Favea Neveria Octoria Toriana | Arviro Corus Idero Ralianus | Attevus Gavinius |
Literature
A History of Esroniet v1: The Esri Before Uriel V
By Toriana Attevus, Professor of Social History at the University of Gwylim
The Esri have historically been open to trade, and happy to accept newcomers so long as those newcomers are willing to abide by Esri social strictures. There is a rich history of maritime trade with Lyithdonea, Cathnoquey, Tsaeci, Kamal, and Morrowind, and reports of Esri traders as far as Skyrim, High Rock, and Hammerfell.
- Relationship with Akavir
- Relationships with Tamriel and the other Padomaic islands
- Some of the more interesting highlights of the pre-occupation Esri nobility/royalty
A History of Esroniet v2: The Imperial Occupation
By Toriana Attevus, Professor of Social History at the University of Gwylim
The discerning reader should first consult Lord Portreid’s report on the Ionith Commission’s findings before continuing; he provides vital context on the history of the Expeditionary Force more broadly that it is out of this volume’s scope to relate.
The same sheltered and highly defensible harbour which made Esroniet such a tempting launching stage for the Expeditionary Force made it
Eventually, however, the Esri were forced to yield in the face of superior numbers, weapons, and magic, and Prince Bashomon dir-Esroniet surrendered Esroniet to the sovereignty of Emperor Uriel V. His next and final act as Prince was to order his forces and his people to cooperate fully with the Imperial force. Unable to bear the shame of watching the Legions take control of a land he once ruled, he ordered his royal guard to take his life. Not wanting any one of his loyal guardsmen to bear that responsibility and burden alone, he commanded a troop of his archers to strike him down together.
While largely pragmatic about changes in leadership generally, the Esri assign a religious importance to their royal family, and couldn’t quite reconcile themselves to the Emperor’s authority over Esroniet. That authority could not be denied; discontent among the local populace was ruthlessly suppressed. Of those noble families who survived the invasion, many met their ends at the hands of imperial executioners for plotting rebellion. Nevertheless, Uriel V was never called Uriel dir-Esroniet by the Esri, but instead Uriel dir-Tamriel. Imperial Chroniclers at the time, less familiar with Esri etiquette than this humble author, considered this to be a much higher honour and indeed took it as a compliment, recommending that the Emperor add it to his official titles.
The violent storms were taken as a sign of Kina’s wrath at the Emperor’s usurpation of royal power
A History of Esroniet v3: After the Expeditionary Force
By Toriana Attevus, Professor of Social History at the University of Gwylim
- Civil unrest, a succession of rebellions and an increasingly fearful and unpopular garrison
- Corus Gavinius and Mayusri dir-Esroniet’s rebellion
- The reclamation of Black Harbour and the restoration of the Royal Family
- The taming of the rebel clans - by force or negotiation
- The reformation of the black council
The Esri Way
A Study of the Noble Family
A cultural commentary on the Esri
The Esri tradition of adoption was to have a profound impact on the post-occupation political landscape of Esroniet.
The descendents of the remaining expeditionary legionnaires have largely integrated with the local populace. Many have kept imperial-style given names, but most have dropped their Imperial surnames in favour of the Esri tradition. Those who have found favour with one of the ruling clans have almost invariably dropped their surname in favour of the dir-ek, but some of those less fortunate maintain their names as a point of pride. A notable exception to this rule is the Tigermoth clan, descended from Corus Gavinius, who have kept their founder’s surname and also adopted the dir-ek.
The Good Death
A cultural commentary on the Esri
One might think that an island of pirates would be an anarchic, cultureless place: not so with Esroniet. The raids and attacks which make them so infamous among their victims make them heroes at home, as they bring back supplies and wealth and stories,
Nevertheless, a religious tradition that emphasises purity of body and soul but does not consider violence a polluting force renders Esroniet a dangerous place for the unwary; Esri conceptions of order do not accord with Imperial notions of the same.
The Book of Wealth and Sunlight
Esri religious text, written by Kemara dir-Kina
The Book of Storms and War
Esri religious text, written by Kemara dir-Kina
The Book of Bounties
A collection of bounty sheets and arrest warrants taken out on Esri pirate captains by authorities in neighboring islands. It is considered a point of pride to be worth a bounty, and there is substantial competition among the captaincy to garner the highest bounty. This competition is one of the driving forces of the atrocities which make the Black Harbour pirates so infamous throughout the Padomaic Ocean.
Scandal at Fort Tigermoth
A scandal-mongering piece that alleges that Prince Bashomon’s heir had an affair with Uriel V during her captivity at Fort Tigermoth during the Occupation, and that her child - and thus the current royal family - are hence descendants of the Septims.