Lore:Death/Redguard

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Redguard Afterlife

Hall of Heroes' portal to the Far Shores

Tu'whacca, before the creation of the world, was the god of Nobody Really Cares. When Tall Papa undertook the creation of the Walkabout, Tu'whacca found a purpose; he became the caretaker of the Far Shores, and continues to help Redguards find their way into the afterlife. His cult is sometimes associated with Arkay in the more cosmopolitan regions of Hammerfell, and he is often worshipped in that name by some Forebears. However, Crown and Forebear Redguards' beliefs about the afterlife have been and are the same since their arrivals from Yokuda. They all believe Tu'whacca is the god who escorts their souls to the afterlife of the Far Shores and, though a soul may have enemies who may try to keep it from reaching the Far Shores, Tu'whacca, as is sly and clever, will always outwit them. In conclusion, Tu'whacca performs the same functions for the Redguards that Arkay and Xarxes do for Tamrielic men and mer.

The actual portal to the Far Shores is located deep in the Hall of Heroes, the ancient resting place of the greatest Redguard warriors. Worthy souls must journey to the Chamber of Passage, guarded by the Keeper of the Hall, who refuses entry to the living and the unworthy.

The Far Shores

In Yokudan and Redguard religion, Sep, the Snake, their version of Lorkhan was born when Tall Papa created someone to help him regulate the spirit trade. Sep, though, was driven crazy by the hunger of Satakal, and he convinced some of the gods to help him make an easier alternative to the Walkabout, that is Nirn, and the spirits who followed Sep become trapped there, to live out their lives as mortals. Sep is punished by Tall Papa for his transgressions, but his hunger lives on as a void in the stars, a "non-space" that tries to upset mortal entry into the Far Shores. Unlike other humans, whose myths portray Mundus as a blessing, the Redguards believe that it was all part of a cruel trick by Ruptga's servant, Sep, whose hunger had driven him into a malevolent madness. As a result of his trickery, their ancestors were left stranded on a dying ball, too far away to "jump into" the Far Shores. Ruptga refused to help those who had been stranded by Sep, declaring that they had to either live on through children or else find a new way to reach the Far Shores and thereby "strive back to godhood".

Redguard Funerary Customs

A Redguard necropolis

Redguard desecrated burial grounds

Ancient Yokudan tombs in the lost city of Na Totambu

When the Ra Gada arrived in Hammerfell, they were determined to reproduce the culture of Yokuda as closely as possible, so they do with their funerary practices. Redguards inherited a tremendous respect for their deceased ancestors, so it is easy to find that their houses for the dead can be even larger and more elaborate than their homes for the living. They build extensive necropolis both near and far from populated places, for commoners, nobility, heroes, and kings alike. Although, sometimes, noble families or wealthy kings will build their own tombs in secluded places and protect them with traps, and magical and holy seals. Redguards have buried and mummified their dead since their arrival to Tamriel from Yokuda. Honorless criminals are left to rot in desecrated grounds, commonly out in the desert, far from towns. It is possible to retrieve the remains and consecrate them if they were later believed innocent.

A Redguard mummy

Throne Keepers are Tu'whacca priests who are intended with protecting the many necropolises which dot Hammerfell. Their main occupation is tending to the embalmed bodies which are entombed and to prevent the others to rise. In case their necropolis turned desecrated, they can call upon Tu'whacca's Breath, a sacred ritual which put the dead back to rest. They are capable too of cleansing necromantic taint on the Ansei Wards which keeps the dead of the Alik'r Desert from rising.

An Ash'abah camp

A Yokudan royal tomb

According to Redguard tradition, striking the dead, called Ra-Netu locally, carries with it a terrible curse and is considered an act of dishonor. Because of this, fighting back against necromancy proved difficult. Worship of Tu'whacca is very strong, the dead are almost always subject to his protections, identical to Arkay's Law. There are exceptions after large battles or in remote areas where death occurs far from meddlesome priests. To a devout Redguard, almost nothing is more repugnant than necromancy. Due to these beliefs, Redguard reanimated necromancers, such as liches, will be imprisoned under magical seals that kept them trapped, instead of being destroyed.

Furthermore, in the Alik'r, three Ansei heroes of ancient, Majah, Radan and Halelah sacrificed themselves to protect the region from the risen dead. As part of a covenant with Tu'whacca, they pledged their souls and each Ansei channeled their spirit into the blade they wielded in life. These swords became known as the Ansei Wards, and as long as the dead are consecrated in the name of Tu'whacca, they could not be raised by even the most powerful necromancy. The Wards were locked in a fortified subterranean storehouse below Sentinel, known as the Impervious Vault, and sealed with a magical barrier. The spirit of each Ansei remained tied to their Ward, meaning it would be with it at all times. These treasured relics have played an important role throughout the history of the Alik'r.

However, necromancers have achieved to practice their art in a variety of manners, so the Ash'abah were created as a separated tribal group of Redguards who are pariahs from the rest of society due to their delegated role: fighting the undead. They will fight back, at a cost: they are hated by other Redguards, and exiled to the desert. When the dead rise, the Ash'abah are called upon to help, but otherwise they are shunned.