User:Vordur Steel-Hammer/Fiction/On the Architecture of the Summerset Isles

On the Architecture of the Summerset Isles

by Vordur Steel-Hammer, Scholar of the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuits

A treatise about the architecture of the Summerset Isles and its historical implications

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The inaccessibility of the Summerset Isle has denied many non-Altmer scholars a chance to study and document the island's geography, architecture and culture. While I was able to visit its sister island, Auridon, several times in the past, Summerset Isle remained elusive until Queen Ayrenn issued a decree that opened the borders for immigrants. That was the opportunity we scholars were waiting for, so when a few good friends from the Wayrest Mages Guild traveled to the island to take care of some business, I didn't hesitate to join them.

One of the things that I immediately noticed when exploring the Summerset Isle is that its architecture, both ancient and modern, differs significantly from the one seen on Auridon and in High Elven colonies in mainland Tamriel like Haven or Velyn Harbor. Modern buildings of the Summerset Isle feature sharper angles than their Auridon counterparts, and often have tall towers that reach up to the sky (if you've ever seen Queen Alwinarwe's palace in Alinor, you know what I'm talking about). In comparison, Auridon buildings tend to be more humble in shape and feature more curves, which is easy to notice when looking at the arches. Ancient ruins on the Summerset Isle differ from the ones on Auridon, too. The latter bear such a striking resemblance to Ayleid ruins on the mainland that many people, even some scholars, often confuse them. As Phrastus of Elinhir remarked, the easiest way to distinguish them is to look at the magical stones inside: an Ayleid ruin will contain cyan Welkynd and Varla stones, while golden Malondo and Culanda stones can be found in Aldmeri ruins, at least those on Auridon. While visiting the infamous Vaults of Heinarwe near Alinor, I was not able to spot any golden stones inside, and reports say that they're hard to find in the ruins on the Summerset Isle. This is somewhat unexpected, as Malondo and Culanda stones are used on Summerset Isle not only by mages, but also by craftsmen, who process them into materials that they use to adorn their weapons and armor.

Now what can this difference in architecture tell us? As every schoolchild knows, it was Auridon which was first colonized by the Elves of Aldmeris, when the ship of High Kinlord Torinaan arrived at the site known as Nine-Prow Landing on the northern tip of the island. It was in this area where he founded the first city; literally, the Aldmer's first hold in the Summerset archipelago. Indeed, Firsthold is the oldest city in the High Elven territory, and its architectural style, just as the style of the nearby ruins of the holdings of the Rilis dynasty, suggests that the style of Auridon is actually older and reflects the original style of the people of Aldmeris. Now, this theory can be taken further: if Auridon was the first island to be colonized, then given the similarity between Auridon-Aldmeri and Ayleid ruins, it's reasonable to assume that the proto-Ayleids split from the Aldmer and left Auridon to the mainland before Summerset Isle was colonized. When it finally happened, Auridon began to serve as the Summerset Isle's bulwark, which allowed the Summerset Elves to remain in isolation, while those of Auridon still kept a considerable amount of contact with the outside world. This resulted in different evolution of the two cultures; isolation of the Elves of the Summerset Isle allowed them to develop their architecture without foreign influence, aiming to reach perfection, or "alaxon", as it's called in Altmeri. In contrast, the Auridon Elves were influenced by other cultures, so the development of their architecture was similar to the Ayleids on the mainland, before the latter were driven to extinction by the Alessian Empire. The network of mutual influences was so broad that even the Barsaebic ruins of Black Marsh are still noticeably similar to Auridon ruins (I should share that one with Magister Hunts-for-Wisdom). In the end, it shows how differently the same culture can evolve with and without foreign influences. Studying ruins of other elven races can provide more input on the matter in the future; who knows, maybe one day we'll even discover some lost Snow Elven ruins in the north.

With that in mind, what are the implications of Queen Ayrenn's decree for the future? Will the two worlds merge back into one? That depends, I'm sure, on the fate of the Aldmeri Dominion; for regrettably, the Three Banners War still rages on, and it is the victor who will shape the future of Tamriel.