The Elder Scrolls takes place primarily on the continent of Tamriel, which is split into numerous provinces and cultures. Fans have become very familiar with the land Tamriel throughout The Elder Scrolls titles, as well as the people, factions, and monsters that it holds. Playing through the games gives players information through the quests that they complete, having them play a role in monumental events, and through dozens of fully written books that players can find scattered throughout the world.
However, there is a lot of information about the world in The Elder Scrolls that players have to piece together from small bits spread out across multiple titles. This is made even harder, as the time gap between entries in the series sometimes holds very impactful events, such as the White-Gold Concordat that plays a massive role in Skyrim. While those events may set the stage for the political and socio-economical situations that establish the entire base a title is built on, it is understandable that players could entirely miss key information. Another example of this is the continent of Akavir, which has a tangible impact on the series despite many players not knowing very much about it.
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The History of Akavir
Akavir is a continent that lies to the east of Tamriel on the other side of the Padomaic Ocean. However, there are many gaps in what is known about the continent, as very few individuals have successfully traveled from Tamriel to Akavir. What is known of Akavir comes primarily from myths and legends as well as what the Akaviri have left behind in Tamriel throughout their multiple invasion attempts. This has left the continent of Akavir very mysterious to the people of Tamriel, even more mysterious than the interdimensional realm of Oblivion that makes frequent appearances in The Elder Scrolls.
The first recorded invasion attempt from Akavir was recorded in 1E 2703, but they were quickly defeated by the emperor Reman I after they discovered that he was a Dragonborn. Reman offered them amnesty to fight for the Empire, which ultimately led to the creation of the Blades. The second invasion attempt occurred in 2E 572 by the Akaviri king Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal. The invading force landed by the White River and quickly seized Windhelm before being defeated after the formation of the Ebonheart Pact.
The final invasion happened in 3E 268, and saw the emperor Uriel V invading Akavir only to be defeated and ultimately slain. It is rumored that the forces were defeated by the Akaviri using very powerful magic to control the weather and separate the battlemages of the Empire from magicka. How the Akaviri accomplished this is unknown, but many in Tamriel believe that it is through the Akaviri's connection to some Lovecraftian being in The Elder Scrolls universe.
The Cultures of Akavir
While the natives of Akavir are all commonly referred to as Akaviri, there are actually many races that are known to reside there in many different separate nations. The first is the nation of Tang Mo, which is ruled by a race of monkey-folk known as Imga. Then, there is the nation of Kamal, which is inhabited by demons who come alive once a year to try and invade the land of Tang Mo. There is also the Ka'Po'Tun nation, which is largely made up of tiger people. The people of Ka'Po'Tun are obsessed with trying to become dragons, with their leader Tosh Raka having already accomplished this to become the largest dragon in The Elder Scrolls.
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Then there is the largest nation in Akavir, Tsaesci. Legends say that the kingdom is the homeland of vampiric serpent-men who reportedly ate all of the humans that once resided on the continent countless years ago. The kingdom of Tsaesci also has enslaved goblins of Akavir who are used both for labor and in blood farms to help maintain its sprawling population. The earliest invasions of Tamriel by the Akaviri also led to reported sightings of beastfolk that had rat and canine-like features, but it is not clear if the race still exists or was just a rumor during the invasion. Of course, none of these races have been seen before in the series. Still, it would be very interesting to see how Akavir plays into the series' future, with one exciting opportunity seeing the races become playable in a future Elder Scrolls title.
The Role of Akavir in The Elder Scrolls
While the number of Akavir who stayed with the Empire after the continent's first invasion attempt was relatively small, it had a massive impact on the land of Tamriel, especially the Empire. The largest influence had on the Empire is felt in its military, the structure and martial training of which were directly translated from Akavir customs. The Akaviri named Dinieras-Ves also played a leading role in the foundation of the Fighters Guild that is present throughout The Elder Scrolls series, with the guild playing a large role across all of Tamriel. The Akaviri even led to the creation of the Imperial unit known as the Dragonguard, which eventually formed into the The Elder Scrolls' iconic Blades, a faction tasked with protecting the emperor at all costs.
The Akaviri's influence on the Blades can be seen not only in their armor and equipment, but also in their architecture. The base of the Blades, Cloud Ruler Temple, is built entirely in Akaviri style. It features curved roofs, engraved walls, and a unique layout. Other buildings built by the Akavari can be found in titles like Skyrim, such as the unique Sky Haven Temple that was abandoned after the Blades in the region were forced into hiding. Both locations also illustrate the Akaviri's strategic thinking, with both of them being built in strong positions atop mountains. The positioning makes them much stronger defensively while also providing some beautiful views of the surrounding environment in Skyrim and Oblivion alike. It will be very interesting to see what role the Akaviri play in The Elder Scrolls' future, as players will hopefully get to see more of the continents' interesting lore and races in action.
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