Sermon 6 of 36 lessons of Vivec: Dissection

You have discovered the sixth Sermon of Vivec, which was hidden in the words that came next to the Hortator.

The craziest part of this sermon is that it actually is a spell tome. Or, this sermon is the one where the tome qualities can’t be dismissed.

There is an eon within itself that when unraveled becomes the first sentence of the world.

Macrocosm vs Microcosm similarities can be drawn here. But also this esoteric concept of reaching perfection by following the backwards path. Getting to the root. [Also the foundation of the spell.]

Mephala and Azura are the twin gates of tradition and Boethiah is the secret flame.

The Gates. Mephala and Azura. Boethiah. Passing through a gate typically represents a change in state. They’re twin gates of tradition. Whether entering out of the old Aldmeri traditions or into the new Chimeri ones. Probably both. As twins in this concept they probably take on the dual nature of fortune and misfortune. Twins universally take on dualistic qualities (ex: Shu/Tefnut,Gemini,Pollux/Castor,etc) of fortune/misfortune,luck,bad luck, and also of birth. In the elder scrolls universe creation started with Anu and Padomay. Boethiah is the secret flame. The vital and consuming essence which the chimeri will take.

3 anticipations will destroy the aldmeri from the velothi and reshape them into a new race: The Chimer.

The Sun shall be eaten by lions, which cannot be found yet in Veloth.

Another odd sort of off reference to alchemy(real life philosophy and belief). The green lion sometimes is seen eating the sun. Lions are typically intertwined with the sun symbology. Gold is associated with this also. Green lions are representative of the wild forces of nature. I’m not so sure this is where Kirkbride’s taking this. Doesn’t seem to fit. But, at its core sun eating lions are like the circle of the Ourobouros. This sort of transfer of power/regenerative renewal concept might hit closer to the meaning. Very ambiguous.

Six are the vests and garments worn by the suppositions of men.

What would a supposition of a man wearing six vests and garments mean? Not sure on a strictly magical function. I want to say Numerology is a hobby of Kirkbride though. Shoot, who doesn’t like numerology? Right now we’ll go generic. 6: basis of a hexagram. Hexagrams are keys for balance and harmony. 6 is related to the cube which is to say matter and the 3 dimensional realm. Pythagoris himself relates 6 to justice.Judeo/Christian 6 of course is used for 6 days of creation and interestingly when tripled (666) its synonymous with the mark of the beast. Buddha accounts 6 as important when teaching on the 6 realms of existence,6 perfections, blab la bla, haw haw haw. Native Americans hold 6 in their earth count for their ancestors.

Proceed only with the simplest terms, for all others are enemies and will confuse you.

Could be a proverbial message, an instruction for an incantation or both. The verse seems similar to a verse in the biblical book of Proverbs that goes something like: Don’t use too many words and keep it simple because where there are many words sin isn’t far.

Six are the formulas to heaven by violence, one that you have learned by studying these words.

Reach heaven by violence. There are at least six ways haha. Vivec’s words are so esoteric yet so simple in the same instance.

The Father is a machine and the mouth of a machine. His only mystery is an invitation to elaborate further.

The question is who is the father? Is it the netchiman? Lorkhan god of mortals? Sithis/Padomay the inexpressible void? Anu/Anuiel the beginning light of ineffable perfect stasis?

The Mother is active and clawed like a nix-hound, yet she is the holiest of those that reclaim their days.

Who is the mother? Is it the Netchiman’s wife? What is a nix-hound?

-Nix-Hound: A doglike insect(or insect like dog) predator native only to certain regions of morrowind. Dunmer eat its meat and may use its exoskeleton in crafting the light chitin armor.

The Son is myself, Vehk, and I am unto three, six, nine, and the rest that come after, glorious and sympathetic, without borders, utmost in the perfections of this world and the others, sword and symbol, pale like gold.

· 3= triangle, perfect harmony, union of unity and diversity, divine triumvirates, heaven/earth/humanity, soul, emotions/water.

· 9= tripling of the triple, multiplication of symbol of 3, yang(auspicious, connected with the 9 Places), moon, movement, rhythms, cycles, and change.

· Sword= conductor of divine will, power to link earth and sky/life and death, divine might, rightful vengeance, justice, kingship, bodies of water, objects that help to summon deities, cut through wrong thinking.

· Gold= divinity, incorruptible, doesn’t tarnish, purified by fire, majesty, the sun, all that is best, fruit of immortality, highest aspiration of the spirit, enlightenment, wealth.

There is a fourth kind of philosophy that uses nothing but disbelief.

Dwemer?

For by the sword I mean the sensible.

For by the word I mean the dead.

I am Vehk, your protector and the protector of Red Mountain until the end of days, which are numbered 3333.

Protector of Red Mountain? Why would he protect red mountain?

Red Mountain is the largest mountain in Tamriel. It’s a super volcano. In essence the island of Vvardenfell(Vvardenfell: Strong shield city or city of the strong shield in Dwemeris). The Dwemer capital was a metropolis centered in the crater of Red Mountain.

Below me is the savage, which we needed to remove ourselves from the Altmer.

At this time the Chimer have unified into great houses. The system that still remains for the modern Dunmer. But, when the Prophet Veloth led the group of aldmer that became the Chimer into Resdayn(Morrowind) things were probably rough at first. Resdayn is alien and relatively inhospitable. The very air is initially toxic and the species of flora and fauna had to evolve accordingly. Most of the native species in Morrowind have adapted and developed to such extremes that they are unable to survive anywhere else.

On top of this the land had been already settled by the advanced Dwarves and was visited and raided by other vicious peoples as well. To cope with this the first Chimer were helped especially by the Daedra Mephala:

“Mephala taught the Chimer to evade their enemies or kill them with secret murder. The Chimer were few in those days and threatened on all sides.”- The Anticipations

In doing this these progenitors became nomadic savages. Hiding and killing in the dark. This was the final sundering from the ties with their Aldmeri brethren. They became their own people and over time grew prolific and sophisticated again with Mephala’s help:

“Mephala taught the Chimer to build Houses. Later, Mephala created the Morag Tong.”-The Anticipations

Morag Tong the original assassin’s guild was founded on Mephala’s primal philosophy.

But the savages aren’t gone. Although most of the Chimer unified into houses some groups remained as nomadic clans to this modern day. Known as the Ashlanders these people haven’t changed much in the thousands of years since the first nomads appeared in ancient Resdayn. The modern clans: the Urshilaku, Ahemmusa, Zainab, and Erabenimsum are a reminder of what the forefathers of Veloth’s people once were.

Above me is a challenge, which bathes itself in fire and the essence of a god.

Here Vivec foreshadows his place as king and god of Morrowind. He first must win it.

Through me you are desired, unlike the prophets that have borne your name before.

He basically says I’m your god and I’m going to make you into a powerful nation.

Six are the walking ways, from enigma to enemy to teacher.

He’s hinting at his various contradictory roles in times to come.

Boethiah and Azura are the principles of the universal plot, which is begetting, which is creation, and Mephala makes of it an art form.

Their fates are lead by the Anticipations.

· Boethiah: anticipation of Almalexia, the illuminator. Showed the path. Prince of Plots.

· Azura: anticipation of Sotha Sil, mystery. Taught the mysteries necessary to become different from the aldmer.

· Mephala: Webspinner, anticipation to Vivec. “spun the web” of the former two and followed through with the plan for the Chimer, with a Daedric flourish.

For by the sword I mean the first night.

For by the word I mean the dead.

There will be a splendor in your name when it is said to be true.

This is directly to the Hortator. Foreshadowing his heroic future as the standup leader of the Chimer.plus further events.i.e. far future reconciliation.

Six are the guardians of Veloth, three before and they are born again, and they will test you until you have the proper tendencies of the hero.

-6 guardians= Boethiah, Azura, Mephala and Vivec, Almalexia, Sotha Sil

-3 before= Boethiah, Azura, and Mephala

-born again= Vivec, Almalexia, Sotha Sil

They will test the Hortator so he can become a great hero.

There is a world that is sleeping and you must guard against it.

First foreshadowing of the Sixth House. The Sleeping House. There are five modern great houses in Morrowind: Indoril, Redoran, Hlaalu, Dres, Telvanni. Historically there were others. Some count six, some seven. It depends on if House Dwemer is counted or not. During the allaiance between Chimer and Dwemer the Dwemer were sometimes referred to as “House Dwemer”. Whether this was a cultural thing for the Chimer to include their at the time “brethren” the Dwemer or not as a separate house isn’t certain. What is certain is that there was a Sixth house: House Dagoth.

House Dagoth was an arcane house similar to the Telvanni lead by close friend and mentor to Nerevar, Voryn Dagoth. For reasons unclear ahem Nerevar accused the Dwemer for profane arcane acts that were intolerable. There are many contradicting accounts on the battle at Red Mountain as to how the Dwemer disappeared(or were destroyed) and how house Dagoth found itself annihilated by the rest of the Chimer.

What is clear is that the Voryn Dagoth didn’t die and the Sixth house wasn’t completely destroyed. A long time after the battle Voryn Dagoth emerges from a long sleep as Dagoth Ur: The Sharmat, a mad God. With him come a breed of new demon. The Sleeping Sixth House. Setting himself up as ruler of Red Mountain he leads a legion of followers. At this time a new threat sweeps across Morrowind; red ash storms blow across the land. Where it goes people and creatures go mad, hear things, speak in other voices, and get sick with what will be known as the blight. Many will die and others will be transformed into “ash creatures”, monsters who carry out Lord Dagoth’s will.

Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil will use their powers to contain this threat. They seal off the Red Mountain area with a titanic supernatural barrier, “The Ghostfence”. Ghostfence is literally a fence powered by the energies of ghosts. The Velothi will offer up their spirits to the ghostfence. Helping to contain the destructive forces within. Alas, things always slip through.