Did Elder Scrolls’ Vampiric Tsaesci Really Eat An Entire Continent

The enigmatic Tsaesci are among The Elder Scrolls’ most mysterious people. So little is known about them that theories range from them being vampiric man-serpent hybrids to merely another culture of ordinary humans. Players who make their way through the Elder Scrolls titles may never even realize that they have uncovered fragments of this long-lost civilization.

The Akaviri people and their relationship to the Tsaesci is one of the great unanswered questions within Elder Scrolls lore since the scattered pieces of information that can be gathered so often contradict one another. One might think these infuriating inconsistencies constitute as bad writing or incoherent storytelling on the Elder Scrolls’ part, but this is not the case. There are countless real-life cultures that have faded into mystery as they have been destroyed or left behind, and it is up to the keen anthropologists of today to discern between truth and apocryphal.

Though most of what is known about the Tsaesci and the Akaviri is based on speculation, the Elder Scrolls lore of this ancient civilization is interesting to delve into nonetheless. The continent of Akavir, far to the east of Tamriel, has so seldom been explored that its people and their history remain almost entirely unknown. It was only invaded once by those from the west, the armies of whom were utterly devastated by the Tsaesci defense. The Akaviri, on the other hand, have invaded Tamriel a number of times, leaving behind some crucial clues for future generations to find.

How Akavir, The Land of Dragons, Relate To The Tsaesci In Elder Scrolls

The word Tseasci means “Snake Palace”, and Akavir means “Dragon Land”. While this probably refers to Akavir’s initial abundance of actual dragons, it is also fitting to describe the Tsaesci themselves, since modern consensus seems to point toward them being serpentine in both body and nature. Although they are conceptualized as vampiric humanoid snakes, this does bring into question the artistic depictions of them being human in appearance, with no tails or fangs, and even the ability to reproduce with other humans. A popular explanation for this is that the Tsaesci are serpents, but they either hired or enslaved the native humans of Akavir to fight for them, hence the conflation of the term Tsaesci referring to two different races.

The Akaviri humans left their mark on Tamriel during and after a number of invasions, the most notable of these being the Fighters Guild. This academy for warriors was founded by the Tsaesci, who were famous for their strict military discipline and prowess. Some Tamrielic humans can even trace their lineage back to the Akavir when they were on the continent. The Cyrodiilic Empire in Elder Scrolls even had a Tsaesci called Versidue Shaie as an Emperor for three whole centuries at the end of the First Era. Even the famous symbol of the Septim Empire, the Red Dragon (and thus Skyrim’s dragon logo), comes from the ancient Akaviri symbol. In the millennia that followed, the Tsaesci would disappear completely from Tamriel as time marched on, leaving only legends of their existence.

Elder Scrolls Lore: What Happened to The Humans Of Akavir

The continent of Akavir is actually home to a number of other races, including the nation of Ka Po’Tun, full of a race who resemble Elder Scrolls‘ Khajiit and tigers. They have come to despise the Tsaesci and pose serious opposition to the snake-men. For unknown reasons, the Tsaesci suddenly turned on all the humans of Akavir and devoured every single one of them. Whether the humans were literally eaten by drinking all their blood or driven to extinction another way, they were soon gone from the entire continent. According to the text “Mysterious Akavir,” the Tsaesci then tried to eat “or enslave” the local dragons, and now Akavir is absent of both dragons and men. The cat-folk of Ka Po’Tun still revered the dragons, however, and their leader, Tosh Raka, actually found a way to turn into one, complete with black and orange stripes.

Ka Po’Tun, the “Tiger-Dragon’s Empire,” then began to fight back against the Tsaesci, according to The Elder Scrolls‘ lore and history. Their singular goal is the Tsaesci’s eradication, which probably explains why the snake-men have disappeared from records. They may be hiding from the tigers or perhaps already driven to extinction, just as they once did to men and dragons. Those on Tamriel should hope for the former, as the Tiger Dragons will come for the west once they have finished their genocidal conquest of Akavir.

Why (& How) The Tsaseci Are Said To Have Eaten An Entire Continent In Elder Scrolls

Whether referring to the Akaviri as humans under Tsaesci rule or the to the Tsaesci themselves, there are some distinct visual references to real-life Japanese culture, particularly in their armor. Elder Scrolls‘ Blades, considered to have originated long ago from the Akavir, have armor that is unlike any other in Tamriel, sporting a streamlined, layered look that mimics that of Samurai warriors. Depictions of the Tsaesci themselves, although scarce, feature their preference for katanas – long, slightly curved, two-handed swords that are synonymous with Japanese Samurai. They also show Tsaesci headgear that closely resembles the kabuto, a traditional Samurai helmet.

Sky Haven Temple, featured in Skyrim, serves as a base for the remaining Blades and is where the player can find Alduin’s Wall (built in the First Era). The architecture of Sky Haven Temple is clearly inspired by Japanese culture and was likely built by the Akaviri, featuring aesthetics from the Edo Period (17th to mid-19th centuries) of Japan’s history such as upturned eaves. Along with the ancient ruins themselves being completely unlike any other in Skyrim, Alduin’s Wall (named after the World-Eating dragon) famously depicts Akaviri warriors in their unique garb as a part of Tamriel’s rich history. Akavir’s humans no longer exist outside of murals and their Imperial descendants, but their legacy has still managed to endure for thousands of years.

So, although the Tsaesci did “eat” all the humans and probably lots of other species in Akavir, there are still plenty of other sentient inhabitants on the continent. After taking a moment to acknowledge how awesome it is that tiger-dragons fighting vampire-man-serpents is a thing in the Elder Scrolls universe, lore-enthusiasts can be glad that Akavir is not as lifeless as one might think. There is tantalizing hope among the player base that future Elder Scrolls titles will unveil this great mystery and tell the story of what really happened in the Land of Dragons.

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