The Saberkeel style has no official lore, however the color and shape of the metal is similar to the Frog-Metal of the Syrabanic Marine motif. The shield is also akin to ancient elven motifs, so it could be argued that a Maormer may wear Saberkeel.
Saberkeel compared to Auri-El's shield and Ancient Elf 2 Shield. First two images are from UESP.
The shapes of the armor is also similar to the Dreadsail motif, however the color is much closer to the Syrabanic Marine motif. More evidence that this could be made of Frog-Metal, making it a more heavily armored alternative to the Syrabanic Marine style. This could be appropriate for wealthy Maormer who pave their own way, as an addition to the Dreadsails for some rank currently unseen in-game, or as an entirely new section of the Pyandonean Aramada.
Saberkeel dyed in Syrabanic Marine colors (left) versus default colors (right). For suggested dyes check out the Dreadsails post.
The Dreadsails are a group of Maormer pirates commonly represented by the colors brown, blue, and green. The Dreadsails style is green with personalized shell accessories. This is the uniform of lesser Deadsails, whilst the members who report directly to Fleet-Queen Taleria wear the blue Syrabanic Marine style.
Scroll down for Syrabanic Marine!
Dreadsails
Motif Lore
The Dreadsails style is typically made using waterproofed ornaug leather and scaled steel [1], [2], [3]. Bows are made using cured driftwood and arrows may be inconsistent in their feathering but Dreadsail archers are expected to have various sea venoms on hand [2].
Personalization
Individual uniforms differ in what shells, if any are worn and where they are placed on the armor. This may denote rank and regiment within the Dreadsails. Archers have personal preference on feathers for their arrows, though one must make do with what birds they find. Archers also have different opinions on where to store their vials of sea venoms on their person as well as what shape/size of vial is ideal.
Dying
Closest dyes to the canon colors for the sake of mixing motifs.
Chest piece dyed for comparison.
Whilst Dreadsail armor is made of simple scaled steel, the Syrabanic Marine armor is made from a much rarer material: Frog-Metal. This metal is so lightweight that it adds buoyancy to its wearer [1]. The armor is styled after this property, with fins to give the wearer the appearance of a sea creature when they are submerged in the water [1]. Unlike Dreadsail armor, Syrabanic Marine has comfort in mind, not just function and fashion.
Dying
Closest dyes to the canon colors for the sake of mixing motifs.
Chest piece dyed for comparison.
Ooh boy, I have a lot, so I’m going to restrain myself and focus specifically on biology for now rather than writing the whole Pyandonean ethnographic monograph currently rattling around in my skull.
My general headcanon is that Maormer biological adaptation to Pyandonea was not wholly natural in the ordinary evolutionary sense. The original Aldmer exiles were altered with divine assistance after arriving there, not entirely unlike the Chimer becoming Dunmer. In this case, the facilitating divinity was Mother Sea (whom I personally interpret as an aspect of Hermaeus Mora, though that is its own digression and I am not opening that door right now).
Scales/Hair
Scales and hair are mutually exclusive structures because both are expressions of keratin. Maormer universally retain scalp, brow, armpit, and pubic hair, since those remain useful for social signaling and reducing friction. Beyond that, any area that might grow body or facial hair can express scales instead, and the distribution is genetic. The jaw/mouth area is the most obvious point of variation: most Maormer have scales there and do not grow facial hair, while beards are uncommon and becoming rarer with each generation, leading to facial hair being viewed as increasingly old fashioned. A notably (at least among Maormer) rare variation is jawline scale expression combined with retained upper lip hair growth, a trait confined to a few hereditary lines.
Scale appearance is also inherited. Cycloid scales with relatively uniform translucency are the most common. Iridescence varies between individuals and is also affected by external factors, especially grooming/upkeep. More rarely, individuals may show pigment variation or two-tone patterning comparable to what one might see in certain snakes or fish, such as pythons or koi. This is usually treated as striking rather than abnormal, though the exact social reading depends heavily on clan, class, and current fashion.
Scarring disrupts scale growth and can leave the area bare or texturally inconsistent. Controlled scarification is sometimes used to prepare scaled areas for tattooing, since pigment takes better to scarred skin.
Eyes
Their eyes are adapted for dark or obscured environments. Maormer see somewhat better than other mer in fog and deep water, but they don’t have full on night vision like Khajiit do.
The eyes are always mostly white, but there is genetic variation. Many Maormer have faintly distinguishable irises or pupils, though even the most visible examples tend toward a cloudy grey that is difficult to notice unless one is very close. In most cases, eye direction is functionally unreadable, which has social consequences.
Because the iris and pupil are not distinct enough for precise eye tracking, many familiar eye-based cues are not especially useful among Maormer. You cannot reliably tell where someone is looking from eye movement alone, and gestures like eye rolling, glancing upward in thought, or looking away in guilt do not communicate very much. As a result, Maormer tend to gesture more with their heads, with a bit more tilt and movement than typical. This is more of a subconscious social adaptation than a learned/intentional behaviour.
As Maormer grow older, their sclera generally become duller and greyer overall. It is not necessarily cataracts, rather an ordinary visible marker of age.
Ears
Maormer ears have at least two points: the ordinary elven ear tip and at least one additional fin-like protrusion. Individual ear shapes are highly distinctive, almost like fingerprints, though broader shape categories are inherited. Some families have longer, more sail-like ears; others have smaller, sharper fins; some have flexible ears capable of expressive movement.
The shape and structure assist with subtle pressure, sound, and movement perception, though they can also be socially expressive in ways some Maormer may or may not appreciate.
Salt Life ™️
Many Maormer have gill structures at the neck or flanks, but none have fully functional gills capable of sustained water breathing. A humanoid body would require an enormous respiratory surface area for that to work properly, something closer to the area of the entire back than a few slits at the throat. Maormer gills are auxiliary - at most, they can buy an extra minute or so of diving time under stress, but any sensible Maormer would rather plan to not end up in a situation where they need that minute.
Their ribcages are more flexible and cartilaginous than those of other mer. This allows the chest to expand farther for deeper breaths before diving while also permitting safer compression under pressure during dives. This nasty little thing, the Maormer Bone Jaw Harp, would be made from the sternum.
They can safely drink saltwater with a desalination system not entirely unlike what marine reptiles have. The tongue begins the process by absorbing and separating a portion of the salt before the rest of the digestive system and renal system finish the work. Salt glands excrete some excess salt through mucus and tears, while highly efficient kidneys handle the remainder.
However, this system is divinely jumpstarted and complicated, with many points of failure. Desalination organ dysfunction, salt gland disease, and kidney failure are all relatively common Maormer medical problems.
omg! i've never seen this post before today, but this what my url is named after (in my headcanon)!! i love that tes lore is so comprehensive that op and i independently came to a similar place on ancient rites relating to bioluminescent flora and fauna :)
my oc Eymei (Altmer) is a psijic--she follows the Old Ways, the religion the Psijic Order split off from thousands of years ago. Her ancestral home is Sunhold, an ancient coastal city which has always had a large population of psijic Elves (and which in the time of eso is occupied by maormer pirates).
so in my mind, psijic/Psijic magic shares many common roots w/maormer religion/magic (and even Sload magic)--it's ancient, it's from the same area of the world, it derives from the same natural forces, and it is heavily informed by proximity to the sea.
psijic Elves like Eymei once knew knew how to cultivate huge sea oysters to make pearls with a chip of varla stone at the center--these are highly sacred magical foci that take decades to cultivate and can only be done with ancestral expertise and powerful magic. the method for creating them has been lost to time, as many of the artisans who knew the process left Summerset with the Psjijic Order, and the tradition gradually died out. the pearls that remain, like the one Eymei has, are passed down in psijic families. among other things, they make the bearer immune to scrying. one of the sacred oyster farms was in what is now called shipwreck grotto (the eso player housing 'colossal aldmeri grotto').
ANYWAY, the ritual to harvest varla pearls could only occur during varlaisvea, (in my headcanon) a mostly-annual bloom of bioluminescent algae and plankton that happens in the warmer coastal areas of southwestern tamriel (a similar phenomenon can be observed in moonlit cove in southern pellitine). the ruins with the same name (the eso player housing 'varlaisvea ayleid ruins') was (in my headcanon) an ancient ayleid site that they built to have similar properties to the shipwreck grotto, for similar rituals that took place during varlaisvea (varlaisvea means "sea of stars" in ayleidoon--that part is canon-- and my theory is that 'barsabeic' ayleids are named in relation to varlaisvea. anyway.).
~fashion under the cut:
in fact, last year's @tes-gala theme was tamrielic religions, and for eymei i wanted to make something that celebrated her religion (you know, the one that i made up that no one knows about). i never finished my design, but the outfit i started designing for her was a tribute to varlaisvea :)
The sheer glittery fabric over dark-colored swirly-dyed fabric is of course meant to represent varlaisvea :)
Eymei's outfit also features a cutout for her varla pearl (as most of her clothes do), and belt/jewelry decorations made of mussel shells shaped like wisteria blossoms (wisteria are also sacred to her people--her earring in this image also represents a wisteria vine).
op, i hope it's ok that i have accepted your headcanons as part of mine :)
AAAAA this was a delightful read!! I love the pearl lore you’ve made 🥹. I’m also joyous to hear of an Altmer headcanon for the phenomenon! I consider Maormer and Altmer to be reflections of one another, especially after reading someone’s lore rant (not sure where it was, unfortunately. It might have been the video I posted on this blog about all the elf races?) referring to the philosophical concept of “The Shadow”. In that rant, Maormer were described as the shadow of the Altmer
Anyways, yes, I don’t mind headcanon adaptations!!! I feel it’s very much in the spirit of TES to share headcanons to further flesh out the world, which is partly why I made this blog! The other reason was to see if I’d write more if I was posting about it 😂😭
Two main takeaways from this (from my understanding, I don’t know if I 100% understood):
- The Maormer are the Shadow of the Altmer, a fundamental part of the Aldmer yet represent all that the Altmer want to suppress (namely the shunning of Padomaic gods despite the importance of Lorkhan, shown in Altmer worship of Auri-El and Maormer worship of Satakal)
- Sorcerer-King Orgnum could be an alternate version of Auri-El, one who embraced the concept of Auri-El as Padomaic and Anuic— Satakal. He could actually be Satakal
It bothers me off and on that we don’t know what Orgnum is despite him supposedly being very present in the lives of the Altmer. Timeline-wise, he’s an Aldmer but how does evolution work in TES? Is he still an Aldmer, is he a Maormer, is he a god?
Imagine you're a naval officer in the Summerset navy and in the dead of night you hear some sounds in the darkness. You go out with your mage light or lantern and you scream and start running to ring the bell because there's a war band of Maormer pirates and they are singing
They are war singing. It's loud and encompassing and it's drowning out your own calls and everything is on fire now and the water isn't even safe to jump into because there are fucking sea serpent in there and wouldn't that be fucked up for what.
Anyways, Total Warhammer 3 should've kept their Vampire Pirate theme song because it's fucking awesome
So for my ongoing fic Changing Tides (which features a Maormer lead) I’ll be having a chapter in Phyandonea so I’ve been headcanoning what the nation looks like and why
I really like the image of temples and other important structures in black marble and in an Ancient Grecian style, the black colour able to be seen easier during the fog (of which it is heavy) and it would shine under mage lights and fire at night (but also black marble looks sick as hell aesthetically and I like it 😛)
I’m also imagining the group of islands to be primarily jungle, with some areas of rocky coastline. There are two main seasons, one with high humidity and the other cooler, heavy rain
As I don’t possess the skill to draw my ideas yet, I’ve decided to edit pictures to show the vibe, here’s some basic concepts. I tried to make them more grainy to look like they could be in an older video game:
I've been obsessively combing through every bit of information I can find on the Maormer, also known as Sea Elves, since being introduced to them in ESO. Here are all my notes about them!
Appearance / Physiology
Maormer are similar to Altmer in build.
Their typical skin is compared to ocean spray or white jelly.
They have blank, white eyes.
Their ears have typical elven pointed tips, but with fin-like flares.
They often have elaborate tattoos.
Under certain unsubscribed conditions, they can change the appearance of their skin to gain scales.
They are capable of drinking salt water, thanks to their tongues being able to filter out the salt.
They are able to remain steady on their feet even in rough waters, and are naturally nimble.
Leviathans are a special kind of Maormeri, born from magical coupling with sea serpents. They are taller than Nords, have scales all over their bodies, are physically strong, and are capable of popping out and stretching their jaws to swallow large prey, like a large snake.
History
It was long believed that Maormeri were exiled from the Summerset Isles long ago, by Altmeri. In actuality, the Sea Elves were separated from their High Elf cousins in their original homeland of Aldmeris.
Allegedly, there was once an exceptionally wealthy nobleman (Orgnum) who financed a rebellion in Aldmeris, and when the rebellion failed, were banished to the island of Pyandonea.
Orgnum became the King of Pyandonea as a "deathless wizard" and allegedly the Serpent God, Satakal.
In 2E 570, Orgnum sent an ambassador Sealord to Sunport to suggest an alliance with the Altmer Corelanya Clan, against the throne in Summerset. Regent Karinwe politely declined, and said that no more than one Maormer ship at a time be docked at her port, or she would question King Orgnum's intentions.
Despite being allies of the Second Aldmeri Dominion, the Dominion allowed the Colovian kings to destroy Maormer outposts on the western coast.
Orgnum has launched countless attacks against the Summerset Isles. In 3E 1100, he was nearly successful in seizing control. (Also during this time, Orgnum met with Queen Potema to agree to an insurrection against the Emperor; a lie on Potema's part.) The Psijics of Artaeum ultimately annihilated the Maormer fleet in the War of the Isles, forcing them to retreat back to Pyandonea. They have yet to return.
Pyandonea
The Maormer primarily reside on Pyandonea: an archipelago kingdom south of the Summerset Isles.
Pyandonea translates to "The Mist-Veiled Isles". Appropriately named, because the island is surrounded by a disorienting mist.
The island is mostly covered in dense rain forest, marshes, and home to water spirits.
Tendrils of kelp in bays trap all but the Maormer's ships, and act as camouflage for sea serpents.
Life and Culture
The Maormer have a clan structure, under the ruler of King Orgnum.
King Orgnum uses magic rituals and sacrifices to continually renew his youth.
Some Maormer clans are opposed to necromancy, finding liches to be abhorrent. They believe that when a Sea Elf dies, their body belongs to Mother Sea, where they are guided into the beyond through song.
Sea Witches act as religious figures or magic leaders.
The Maormer have a special loathing for Altmer, and consider consorting with one to be tantamount to treason. This is nursed by King Orgnum, who has a grudge over his exile and envy of the Summerset Isles. Falling in love with a High Elf is the ultimate taboo.
They consider being stranded with someone at sea the sign of a fateful match.
Maormer tea is made with rose and seaweed.
Silverbloom, a plant native to Galen, is considered a delicacy.
They value seastones for ritual use as well as jewellery-making. Hues of blues and purples hold special value.
They sometimes call non-Sea Elves "groundwalkers" as an insult.
Seafaring
Maormer are so at home on the water, that they can survive at sea indefinitely, so long as their ship remains sea-worthy.
Their cutters are faster than any ship made by the Altmer.
Their fleets are most often made up of small vessels for quick hit-and-run engagements.
Most ships have at least one Sea Mage on board, capable of controlling the weather.
Maormer also breed/train reef vipers and sea serpents for engaging in naval warfare.
Combat & Magic
Maormer favour sabers, and consider anyone who can't use one to be an embarrassment to their kind.
Their mages practice "Snake Magic" - a skill capable of taming sea serpents for use as steeds and war beasts.
They know how to use "Storm Totems" to collect spirit energy from rune-marked sacrifices, capable of channelling it into summoning hurricanes or binding powerful storm atronachs. The Maormer wear loadstones on their wrists to bypass the lightning bonds themselves.
Their weapons are marvellously lightweight, which is a hallmark of their craftsmanship.
They prefer to wear armour made from porpoise hide or ornaug leather, in the form of vests and chest wraps.
They very rarely use steel to craft armour, as it weighs too heavy for good swimming speed.
They wash their clothes with dreugh wax to treat it for salty sea spray.
Their bows are made of yew native to Pyandonea, and often elaborately decorated with sea serpent motifs.
They also make use of a mysterious lightweight metal called orgnium, found in Pyandonea.
Daggers and swords are typically curved, with a barbed hook behind the point.
Maormer wear snake fang styled charms on ankle bracelets, necklaces, and earrings to honour their king.
In the First Era, Maormer invented locks capable of keeping slaves docile and compliant, using Snake Magic.
Miscellaneous
Juline Courcelles, owner of the tour company Savage Systres Tours on Galen, considers the Maormer living on Galen to be "exotic" and tries to entice them into working for her as performing tour guides.
Most black eltheric pearls come from Maormer pearl farms, by inserting snake scales into Pyandonean Snap-Mussels.
When Queen Potema invited King Orgnum to her bed, he used strange herbs that "made her feel as if she was floating on the surface of time, conscious only of the gestures of love after she had found herself making them. She felt herself like the cooling mist, quenching the fire of his lust over and over and over again." So, apparently the Maormer have magic sex drugs?
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SOURCES:
Maormer Fish Appearance (collectable skin description)
Maormer Salt Drinker (item description)
Steel Serpent Fangs (item description)
Coiled Serpent Lock (item description)
Black Eltheric Pearls (item description)
Silverbloom (item description)
Maormer Tea (recipe)
Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition - The Aldmeri Dominion
Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition - The Wild Region by the Imperial Geographical Society
Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition - Other Lands by the Imperial Geographical Society
Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition - The Blessed Isle: Alinor and the Summersets
The Scaled Elves by Marin Laroix
The Maormer of Pyandonea by Imperial Geographical Society
The Sea Elf Ambassador by Vanurtol, Scribe to the Regent's Court
The Wolf Queen, Book Four by Waughin Jarth
The Chosen People of Aldmeris by Sealord Malleroth Of Pyandonea
Not My Journal of an Ill-Omened Cavern
Sea Lore for Arcane Crafting by Rianara Aulamer
A Sailor's Guide to Sea Elves by Virillda of the Silver-Sails
Crafting Motif 64: Pyandonean Style by Telenger the Artificer
Crafting Motif 110: Dreadsails Style by Fleet Provisioner Sorticthel
Sorcerer-King Orgnum Tales of Tribute Deck
Stormwarden Undercroft loading screen
Serpent's Grotto loading screen
Ambient dialogue at Maormer Embassy on Khenarthi's Roost
Bah, weresharks are not real. You heard singing? They were singing to you? All that time at sea must have driven you mad!
Cast out by society yet revered, The Shiver is a group of weresharks that live in the sea and on the far islands of Pyandonea. They serve as one of the first defenses against ships that wander too close to the island, but The Shiver does not partake in raids on Tamriel as their loyalty is more to themselves than to Sorcerer-King Orgnum. They will, however, wander towards the Summerset Isles and Valenwood to search for ships that are far from shore. The Shiver will then attempt to entice the sailors to jump ship so that they can eat them. That said, their main sustenance is typically from fishing.
The mainland Maormer fear and avoid The Shiver due to their curse but also hold the group in high respect. Some mainland Maormer dress like the Shiver, who usually wear outfits made of shells and nets due to the lack of interaction with the mainland. Those who dress like The Shiver are looked down upon as many Maormer believe it to be disrespectful.
Since the only requirement is being a wereshark, any Maormer can join The Shiver-- the group is not aggressive towards fellow Maormer, but may pose a threat if caught in wereshark form. This change of alliance will be at the cost of friends and family for the most part, as friends and family would have to make a trip to the outer islands to meet them again, possibly risking their health if they run into a transformed wereshark. Maormer boats leaving and returning to Pyandonea will not be attacked, usually due to having sea serpents trailing the boats, but The Shiver also does not typically directly attack boats and Maormer know to not jump ship.
Some particularly well-behaved weresharks will attempt to stay within society at the cost of any relations with The Shiver, as The Shiver does not want their alliance with the mainland Maormer to be threatened by people thinking they are wildly dangerous. Very few Maormer have managed to be out as a wereshark and retain their footing in society. The individuals who have managed this have shown their necessity to the Armada. Fewer still have used their wereshark form in combat due to fear of friendly fire, though those who have been able to control themselves have shown that weresharks are a force to be reckoned with in the water and on shoreline assaults.
Like water on water, we combine as one, whole, a home for the future, a force to bear new storms.
The traditional attire of Maormer weddings consist of long, layered gowns that replicate the shore, waterfall, or some other active form of water, symbolizing their inseparable union. Fabric may be light or heavy according to taste and season. Women typically have details that accentuate their features while men have more of a "lumpy" silhouette.
Details and accessories may include:
- Serpents -- jewelry in particular is known to have the motif of two serpents intertwining, with a gem in the center. The serpents represent each spouse as individuals while the gem represents their combined effort towards furthering Sorcerer-King Orgnum's goals.
- Chainmail -- echoing the serpent theme, it is a stylistic choice but may also represent the individual's prowess.
- Shells -- primarily an aesthetic choice but it does add to the expense of the outfit.
- Enchanted fabric -- fabric may be enchanted to move like water, float, or appear glittery. This is highly expensive and shows wealth (if purchased) or magical prowess (if the individual enchanted it themselves).
As this is only the traditional clothing, there are individuals who choose other styles. Some may opt for pants with a flowing coat or a skirt and a top piece. The most non-traditional Orgnum-aligned Maormer dump the water theme entirely and learn harder into the serpent symbolism, reflecting their belief in individuality. Members of The Shiver often opt to abandon this cultural aspect entirely. Instead, they may create elaborate outfits of shells and nets or simply not have a ceremony.