Lorkhaj (also known as the Missing God, the Moon Beast, Moon Prince, Fadomai's Favored Son, the First Trickster, the White Lion, Dark Moon, Ghost Moon, Lost Runt) is the Khajiit interpretation of Lorkhan, the Creator-Trickster-Tester deity present in some form in every Tamrielic mythic tradition.[1] He is known as Lorkh to the Reachmen,[2], Sep in Hammerfell, Sheor in High Rock, Shor in Skyrim, and Shezarr in Cyrodiil.[1][3][4][5]
Lorkhaj is both a Sky and Dark Spirit, and is easily identifiable with the tales of Lorkhan. As a Sky Spirit, Lorkhaj is the Moon Prince and is honored as the first spirit to make his own path, which led to him uniting the spirits to create Nirni.[6] Lorkhaj as the Moon Beast is considered a dark spirit due to Namiira corrupting him, turning him into the first dro-m'Athra.[7] Though initially a dangerous being, it is said that Lorkhaj was ultimately redeemed by Azurah and became protector of the Lunar Lattice, with the Moon Beast prowling the Lattice to protect souls from the Void from than on, thus ending its alignment with Namiira. Thus the Hidden Moon is the true spirit of Lorkhaj, freed of darkness.[8][9]
Khajiit believe that the third moon, the Dark Moon, is the corpse of Lorkhaj,[10] now freed of darkness.[8][9]
MythologyEdit
The Khajiit believe that Fadomai was caught by Ahnurr who, angered at her trickery and disobedience, struck her. She, fearing for her life and children, fled with them to the Great Darkness and hid, giving birth to her final child, Lorkhaj. Having been born amidst the Great Darkness, the Khajiit believe that Lorkhaj's heart was filled with such, and thus was the Great Darkness made aware of itself, learning its name, which was Namiira.[3]
After Fadomai's death, Nirni approached Lorkhaj, whom she asked to create for her children a dwelling; he did so, and yet the Great Darkness in his heart influenced him to deceive his siblings so that they were trapped in the new place with Nirni. Some managed to escape death and become the stars, while many died to make Nirni's path stable, and those who remained punished Lorkhaj by tearing out his heart and hiding it deep within Nirni, so that he would be with her whom he had done the most harm.[3] Some ancient songs attribute Merid-Nunda as being the one that convinced the siblings to enact revenge.[11] Texts that predate the Riddle'Thar Epiphany speak of Lorkhaj surviving this encounter, allowing him to flee to Azurah with the hole in his chest, where she saw the darkness that came from Namiira still dwelling within his wound, keeping him alive and corrupting him by imitating his heart. Azurah cleansed Lorkhaj of the corruption and flung the Dark Heart into the Void, and Lorkhaj perished within Azurah's embrace.[7] From the Dark Heart came the twisted shade of Lorkhaj known as the Moon Beast, the first dro-m'Athra.[6][12] Thus Lorkhaj represents the duality of Khajiiti souls and their susceptibility to the Bent Dance,[6][12] which calls them to darkness through the "beating drum of the Dark Heart in [their] moments of deepest sorrow or most anguished regret."[13] The formation of Dro-m'Athra is said to be the result of the Void seeping into cracks which are created in the soul when one hears the beat of the Dark Heart, which Khajiit can naturally hear especially when feeling rage and anguish,[8][14] such cracks which can invite the Void are also said to form when one feels an emotion so strong it fills the spirit so completely as to make it crack.[15] These Khajiit that become dro-m'Athra would come to be known as the Children of Lorkhaj[16] and Namiira.[17] The Dark Heart of Lorkhaj also spawned the spirit Noctra at the steps of the Void Gate,[12] from the black blood it spewed,[7] evincing her claim to being part of the original void.[UOL 1]
After Lorkhaj's death, Azurah made a funeral pyre before the Varliance gate, and lit it with the Twin Lanterns of Jone and Jode.[6][7] Her tears fell upon the pyre and the ashes scattered across the Lattice.[7] As a result, it is said Azurah and Khenarthi can call upon the "true spirit" of Lorkhaj to appear.[6] Sometime after the creation of the Khajiiti people, Azurah, knowing that the false Lorkhaj, the Moon Beast, would one day covet her children, used the Twin Lanterns of Jone and Jode to summon the true spirit of Lorkhaj[6] to be a sky-guardian.[18] As the third moon, Lorkhaj shined his light upon the Khajiit, choosing the purest of heart to be part of the "Litter of the Hidden Moon", to learn the way of the Moonlight Blade.[18] And from then on, on nights of the Ghost Moon, Azurah opens the Void Gate, and the Moon Beast will challenge mortals until banished.[12] Furthermore, the spirit Boethra is said to wear the death-shroud of Lorkhaj these nights, and "wages war beyond the Lattice".[19] It is said that, at some point during primordial times, Lorkhaj and his allies slew Alkhan the Scaled Prince but that, as an immortal son of Akha, Alkhan will always return from the Many Paths in time.[19]
One pre-ri'Datta Khajiit account regarding the Middle-Dawn depicts the ongoing interplay of Anu and Padomay as two warring serpents surrounded by twelve flaming spinning wheels. One a serpent of flaming feathers and crystal scales with a head like a hunting bird, and another a crimson eyed serpent of blackest scales and a white mane followed by all the Void. The flame-feathered serpent is said to emanate rejection of all "Mannish impurity in all the known worlds". The dark serpent, though surrounded by chaos, is said to emanate gentleness and love for the spirits of the worlds. The interaction of Boethra with these two warring serpents is said to have ended the Dragon Break, an event known as the Division of Heaven. During this event Boethra is said to have touched the dark serpent's head, drawing upon its black Void-flame. It is said that in doing this Boethra's mind was scorched with things past and yet to come, but above all she thought of her love for Lorkhaj and the feeling of his claw upon her cheek and, though she knew he'd loved many before her, she felt his love all around her, knowing it to be as true as that he held for any spirit in the worlds.[20] The same series of myths claims that Molagh, Merid-Nunda and Merrunz once attacked the Lunar Lattice. During this attack Boethra dueled the Demon King Molagh before the Lattice itself. Molagh, seeking to draw Boethra away from the Lattice and her allies, drew up a severed god-head atop a Wand of Bone. It was the severed head of Lorkhaj, who had shown Boethra, Azurah and Mafala the "secrets of dark fire", and which Molagh now used to taunt her. In response Boethra drew upon a myriad blades and, though Molagh defended himself from the summoned swords by using the head of Lorkhaj as a shield, it was a feint and the blade Boethra held pierced through him. Gaining the upper hand, Boethra slammed the Demon King upon the Lunar Lattice with all her strength, causing the fire of the moons to scorch his body as the head of Lorkhaj fell into the darkness below.[21]
Modern Khajiiti beliefs on the third moon differ from ancient beliefs, with the birth of the Mane being the main purpose of its existence.[22] This belief could have existed since at least 1E 2902, with the earliest known mane.[23] Furthermore, the reasoning for the Dark Moon's existence is different. Modern Khajiit believe that after convention, Lorkhaj's body was hurled to the moons, and forced to follow Jone and Jode forever as punishment.[10][24] Regardless of beliefs, non Khajiit have difficulty seeing the Dead Moon due to their eyes.[24] Though initially a dangerous being, it is said that Lorkhaj was ultimately redeemed by Azurah and became protector of the Lunar Lattice, with the Moon Beast prowling the Lattice to protect souls from the Void from than on, thus ending its alignment with Namiira. Thus the Hidden Moon is the true spirit of Lorkhaj, freed of darkness.[8][9]
Ancient texts interpret Lorkhaj as both a Sky and Dark Spirit. As a Sky Spirit, Lorkhaj was the Moon Prince and was honored as the first spirit to make his own path, which led to him uniting the spirits to create Nirni.[6] Lorkhaj as the Moon Beast was considered a dark spirit due to Namiira corrupting him, turning him into the first dro-m'Athra.[7] Modern Khajiit revile Lorkhaj, instead believing him to be an enemy of Khajiit,[16] and a hateful trickster that trapped them in mortal form.[25] His deceptions lie even in plain view, and are common enough to be accepted as truths.[26] When a particularly large rift opens between the Dark Behind the World and Nirni, the breach is referred to as the Maw of Lorkhaj.[27][28] There have been cases of certain powerful Dro-m'Athra that use the title "Fang of Lorkhaj".[29]
Black pearls are said to bear the blessing of the Hidden Moon, of Lorkhaj, and can be used to imbue lunar artifacts with power. The power of the Hidden Moon can be invoked by acolytes of the Order of the Hidden Moon to aid them.[8][30]
Moon BeastsEdit
In some cases powerful unresolved emotions can cause the soul itself to crack and be wounded, allowing for a Void to be created within it. This Void-wound can prevent a spirit from moving into the afterlife beyond, even if they've been accepted, with the spirit holding itself back until its lingering affairs are resolved and the Void-wound is healed. In cases where a soul's strong unresolved emotions have caused a Void to form within it, that Void can be tapped into, serving as a source of great power. A soul's Void can even be used to create a rift across the planes, a shortcut allowing one to bypass planar boundaries to the afterlife. As emotions of love are said to create a real arcane connection between two souls, one who has such a bond with another soul can draw upon the loved one's soul for power should they know how, which includes tapping into the Void within that soul for their own use.[31][32][8] When either a soul is wounded by the Void or two souls wounded and darkened by it meet in a manner that mirrors the myth of Lorkhaj, revolving around a betrayal and a heart that is darkened by it, the recreation of the myth can give birth to a Moon Beast.[9] A beast of "pure darkness incarnate" formed within the Void itself, a reflection of the Void-Shade of Lorkhaj born of his Dark Heart. If formed, such a creature initially slumbers within the Void,[33][9] but can be called forth by the songs of the Rajaksa, a specific type of powerful Dro-m'Athra.[34] Should a Moon Beast somehow reach a place like Azurah's Crossing, possible through traversing the planar rift formed of a soul's Void, it is said to be capable of ending that afterlife itself, hunting and seizing any and all souls that attempt to cross over into the beyond and dragging them to the Void to be corrupted, thus ultimately making real a world of darkness, the dream of all Dro-m'Athra.[32][8][35][36] The growl of a Moon Beast as it stirs, woken by the song of the Rajaksa, can be heard by the Twilight Cantors.[37] Rajaksa can invoke aspects of a Moon Beast, smaller copies of the enormous creature, to aid them in combat.[38]
GalleryEdit
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The Den of Lorkhaj (ESO)
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Dro-m'Athra, the Children of Lorkhaj and Namiira
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Rakkhat, Fang of Lorkaj
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Jone and Jode under a dark eclipse to form the Dark Moons, as seen from Nirn
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Dark Moons seen behind the Moon Gate of Anequina
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Artistic depiction of Jone and Jode aligned, with the Dark Moon behind
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b The Monomyth
- ^ Great Spirits of the Reach: Volume 5 — Vashu gra-Morga, Chief Daedrotheologist at the University of Gwylim
- ^ a b c Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi — Clan Mother Ahnissi
- ^ Varieties of Faith... — Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
- ^ Five Songs of King Wulfharth
- ^ a b c d e f g The Sky Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ a b c d e f The Favored Daughter of Fadomai — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ a b c d e f g Zerith-var's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e Viti's Notes: Moon Beasts — High Cantor Viti
- ^ a b Moon Bishop Hunal Answers Your Questions — Moon Bishop Hunal
- ^ The Adversarial Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ a b c d The Dark Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ Epistle on the Spirits of Amun-dro Vol 1 — Thava-ko
- ^ High Cantor Viti's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Viti's Notes: Order of the Hidden Moon, Part II — High Cantor Viti
- ^ a b Shazah's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Adara'hai's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b The Tale of Three Moons
- ^ a b The Wandering Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ The Bladesongs of Boethra, Volume V — Modun-Ra, the Hidden Voice
- ^ The Bladesongs of Boethra — Modun-Ra, the Hidden Voice
- ^ Vastarie's dialogue in ESO: Elsweyr
- ^ Shazah's dialogue on Mane Jinninji-ri in ESO
- ^ a b The Moon Cats and their Dance — Clan Mother Ahnissi
- ^ The Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: Elsweyr — Flaccus Terentius, 2E 581
- ^ Secrets of the Riddle'Thar — Rid-Thar-ri'Datta, First Mane of the Epiphany
- ^ Vazshara's Journal — Vazshara
- ^ Maw of Lorkhaj loading screen in ESO
- ^ Rakkhat's appearance in ESO
- ^ Zerith-var's ability descriptions in ESO
- ^ Viti's Notes: Order of the Hidden Moon, Part I — High Cantor Viti
- ^ a b Cantor Krin'ze's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Cantor Izalgo's Journal — Cantor Izalgo
- ^ Eifa's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Ravith-morna's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Paths Out Of Darkness quest description in ESO
- ^ High Cantor Viti's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Aspect of the Moon Beast in ESO
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.