on "maormer" and their origins in māori racial stereotypes
kia ora (hello/good health), i made a post about this a few years back, but i feel the need to update it. this isn't a dig at anyone with maormer ocs, just a post acknowledging racism in the elder scrolls regarding maormer.
basically, a concerning number of people don't know that maormer are based off of māori people, despite it being in the name. we understand that the races in the elder scrolls are heavily based off of real-world races and maormer is a very poignant example for this. like, in this post i point out a depiction of a sacred entity is traced into tes:o for an example of how blatant it is, so if the name isn't enough to convince you, keep reading.
māori are indigenous polynesians with a rich culture, known for our woodwork and carving, weaving, and tā moko (sacred tattooing), among other things. we have a deep respect for the ocean as voyagers.
we fought off pākehā (white colonisers) for quite awhile and thus got treated as uniquely vicious, warhungry, and violent. we did not stigmatise sex, so we were seen as overtly crude and predatory. during the musket wars/genocide, certain iwi (tribes) sided with pākehā and took other māori as slaves. while we had the concept of slavery pre-colonisation, it looked very different to modern day slavery and the slavery practiced by these iwi was taken directly from european influence, not traditional māori customs.
meanwhile, maormer are a race of vicious, tall/large slavers who pillage the mainland, the good people of tamriel. they have "intricate tattoos". they are said to have potentially been a cross between aldmer and the "bestial tribes of pyandonea", implying that there are not only other tribes in pyandonea that are racialised as primitive and inhuman, but that maormer had sex with these "bestial" beings, which is a bit. eugh. they also interbreed with sea giants to make even larger inhuman brutes. there are multiple depictions and theories in the in-game lore that imply maormer are less "human" than the other elf races.
they have "breeding pits" which is not elaborated on but feels pointed at māori displays of open sexuality. māori considered sex just... another thing to do. you would walk past two (or more) people having sex in public, say "oh, they're busy" and go on your way. "breeding pits" is not only dehumanising but weirdly pointed, like i said.
pyandonea and polynesia have the same number of letters. they both even start with a p, lol. pyandonea is described as a tropical jungle, off limits to anyone not indigenous to the continent as the land itself is shielded by a cloud of fog and the flora is known to sink ships. polynesia is a grouping that refers to multiple islands in the pacific, most of which are tropical (māori in particular had to adapt to a uniquely cold climate! we still had vast jungles, however). this reads to me as a continuation of the common trope that land (especially jungles) is something inherently hostile to outsiders (and thus must be tamed by the coloniser; both the land and its savage peoples).
they carve serpent totems that are quite easily proven as directly traced from a specific taniwha drawing from aotearoa:
taniwha represent many things and have many appearances but are generally depicted as serpents, to be clear.
there are a few good maormer but they're the outliers, most of the race is controlled by an evil godking who is analogous to a tohunga. a tohunga is a person skilled in something but is commonly translated to mean "priest" or even "wizard" as they hold sacred knowledge regarding "magic" for lack of a better word. maormer use serpent magic and tame sea serpents in a way analogous to many taniwha stories.
they have several gods including "mother sea" although it is unknown whether or not they're talking about an entity or the ocean itself. there were at least some maormer that followed hermaeus mora and/or molag bal. māori (and all polynesians) revered the ocean and treated it as a living entity. i think it's interesting that the only gods spoken of apart from mother sea are Bad and Evil.
they have weird propaganda pieces implying they're "the chosen people of aldmeris" (see: the book with the same name in tes:o) and that they have pure blood compared to "mongrel" races. māori had a very common theory applied to them, that we were aryan. (and thus related to white people, which means white people are also Technically indigenous to aotearoa, which means they can landgrab. bit of a leap in logic ay). we also are inherently a "mixed" race as we were so heavily colonised by pākehā that all of us now have some form of pākehā blood in us. there is no such thing as a pure blooded māori, not that it matters.
most of their attacks are described as "utter failures" which is fascinating as māori, the race they're based on, were quite proficient at driving off other people. it's like "this race of vicious polynesian stand-ins is Actually terrible at combat despite their constant attacks on the mainland! they can Never succeed!" it feels odd.
there's more that i'll potentially get into in another post, but i hope this was at least educating for some people. if anyone has questions, feel free to ask and i'll get to them!
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
“There are those that would say some of your dreams are impossible for you. I say that is a challenge to show them what you are capable of.” -Talin Warhaft, Eternal Champion
Please enjoy this art of Talin, my maormer Arena character!
My new(ish) OC, Lethiros - a Maormer diplomat working under King Orgnum. His main focus is establishing support and potential alliances for anti-Dominion groups.
