 Burial of the Moths |
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| Added by | Tamriel Data | ||
| ID | T_Bk_FuneraryRitesMothPC | ||
| Up | Funerary Rites of Cyrodiil | ||
| Prev. | None | Next | Tombs of the West |
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Found in the following locations:
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Of all the methods of internment in Cyrodiil, it is moth-burial that speaks most to the imagination. The native moth species of the Nibenay, prime among them the Ancestor Moth, are long-lived and omnivorous - though their distinct preference goes to the flesh of the recently deceased, in which they also lay their eggs.
The larvae of this species grow within the bodies of the dead, and are nurtured by them, absorbing (according to the faith) some of the essence of the deceased - their souls, memories, or their "will to peace". The larvae dig their way out of the flesh, and spin their cocoons - miles of blood-red silk thread - out of this essence. This silk is then carefully harvested by the Nibenese silk-weavers, who weave it into ancestor cloth - embroidered with the genealogies and deeds of the ancestors, a nexus to their spiritual presence.
Most silkhouses maintain withering-crypts where the dead can repose for a while in the presence of the moths. Once the moths have completed their grim work, and most of the useful silk is harvested, the dead (still wreathed in webs of excess raw silk) can be brought to their final resting place, usually a grave, crypt, or catacomb. Not all have recourse to a silk-school, of course, and not all can afford their services: in many rural places, the dead are left in the open air or in places where the natural population of moths can avail themselves. The silk yield of this rite is then spun by a local weaver or by family members, making ancestor silk that is rougher, but no less significant. Some prefer not to harvest the silk at all, or send the untouched body to a crypt where the moths can consume them at their leisure.
Centuries of busy weaving has left plenty of ancestor silk lying around in the Niben, and while the trade and usage of old silk is not prohibited, it is in some ways contentious. It should be noted that common moth-silk, produced by lesser species of moth who feast on animal remains, is a different matter entirely: such silk does not carry the souls of man and can be used without stipulations. Indeed, the trade in common silk (sometimes mistakenly described as ancestor silk) is one of the most important industries in the Nibenay. Ancestor silk distinguishes itself from such common material by its durability, luster, and capacity for advanced enchantments.
"Old" silk, meaning that from long deceased and forgotten families, is often found in both tombs and on the market: trade in this material is accepted as a matter of fact, much like the busy trafficking of saintly relics in the central valleys. Acquiring silk from the recently deceased is much more controversial. In most cases this means theft, not just of an expensive artifact, but also of one's history and genealogical connections. The destruction of ancestor silk, a crime known as ancestralcide, is a particularly heinous deed, to which many authorities tend to take an "eye for an eye" demeanor.