Lore:Wisp

Wisp

Wispmother and wisps

Wisps, also known as Witchlights,^[1] are enigmatic, floating entities often found in the vicinity of Wispmothers, although they can also exist independently.^[2] Current consensus on wisps is divided, with it being suggested they are scavengers that lure prey to the Wispmother and share in the psychoetherial energy released by her kills. Another theory states that they are merely emanations or conjurations of the Wispmother and not free-living creatures, which is supported by the fact that killing a Wispmother also kills the wisps surrounding her, leaving only glow dust behind.^[3]

Y'ffre is known to send wisps to herald the storms of Rain's Hand. To see one is to see the promise of new growth, new life, and a new chapter in nature's cycle.^[4]

Wispmothers[edit]

Wispmother

Wispmothers (sometimes wispfathers)^[5] are magical-energy beings thought to be either ghosts, wraiths or nature spirits,^[6]^[3]^[7] and they can be found in the wilds of Tamriel. Wispmothers are capable of speech and are known to refer to wisps as their children.^[8] Killing a wispmother causes all of its attendant wisps and shades to die. Legends in Black Marsh state that wispmothers cannot be truly destroyed, and that their essence must be sealed, or else they will rise again eventually.^[9] In Valenwood they are known as the Amronal,^[10]^[7] though they are much rarer than the wispmothers of Skyrim.^[3]

Wispmothers can use illusionary magic to alter their appearance to appear like mer.^[11] They are able to teleport and restore their health. Wispmothers can also summon multiple shades, which are weak clones of themselves. More powerful wispmothers are also capable of some form of necromancy, where they send out wisps to possess and reanimate nearby corpses.^[2]

Many legends and theories exist which seek to explain the true nature of wispmothers. Nords variously believe them to be ghosts of the ancient Snow Elves (as supported by their tapered ears) or natives of Hjaalmarch.^[3]^[7] Master Sadren Sarethi proposed that they are a forgotten type of lich from the First Era. Lydette Viliane of the Synod proposed that they are elemental personifications of snow or mist.^[3]

The spirits of some dead mortals can take on the form of Wispmothers.^[12] At least one wind spirit also manifested in a similar form.^[13]

Wisp wrappings and glow dust, both used in alchemy, can be gathered from vanquished wispmothers.^[14] Additionally they are capable of leaving behind physical remains, such as their heads.^[15]