Lore:Akavir

thumb|right|An Akavir-inspired Banner
 , also known as Dragon Land, is a continental landmass east of Tamriel. The two continents have a history of animosity towards each other, with Akavir invading Tamriel several times in the past and Tamriel invading Akavir at least once.  Much of what is known about it in Tamriel is acknowledged to be incomplete or inaccurate.   

Inhabitants
No mer have ever lived there; the men that did live in Akavir were all "eaten"  long ago by the Vampiric Serpent Folk of Tsaesci. There are four major nations on Akavir, each with its own race. 

Dragons
 

Kamal
 

Ka Po' Tun
 

Tang Mo
 

Tsaesci
 

Other
Early documented encounters between the Akaviri and the earliest inhabitants of Tamriel suggest that there may be Akaviri people with rat-like features, and others who are canine in appearance. This suggests Akaviri cultures that have yet to be discovered and perhaps extinct. 

History
Most Akaviri history is only known so far as it affects Tamriel, which means it is a story of conflict and violence, betrayal and intrigue. During time periods where they show no interest in Tamriel, they are thought to be fighting among themselves. 

The exchange began with reports of pirates with strange features.  Perhaps the earliest narrative concerning Akavir is The Story of Lyrisius, in which the eponymous General had his own army destroyed before going on to destroy the Akaviri army through other means.  Thus, even the oldest tales from Akavir are about war.

The most famous and important interaction between the two continents concerns the   of Tamrielic emperors and their successors, the Akaviri Potentates. In  ,  Tsaesci forces of Akavir invaded Tamriel and were decisively defeated at Pale Pass by the army of Reman I.  As  's empire was also under threat from the elves, he agreed to allow the survivors of the disaster to remain in Tamriel and strengthen his army.  They eventually rose to positions of power and in  , the last year of the First Era, Versidue-Shaie brought about the deaths of Reman III and his heir Prince Juilek, then took the throne as Potentate.   After his assassination by the Morag Tong in  , the empire passed to his son Savirien-Chorak, who was in turn assassinated along with his heirs in  . 

A second, short-lived Akaviri invasion of Tamriel occurred in  . An army of Kamal led by   landed in northeast   and besieged   before marching south towards  . Upon learning that Riften was defended by forces under the command of Jorunn the Skald-King and Wulfharth the Ash-King, Ada'Soom decided to bypass that city and attack   instead, unwittingly leading his army into a trap. A Dunmer army led by   halted the Kamal advance, and Jorunn's pursuing Nord army cut off their retreat. With the timely aid of a phalanx of Argonian troops, the combined Tamrielic force drove the Akaviri invaders into the sea to drown.  According to another source, the Akaviri army was destroyed not in a battle, but when   intervened and flooded the land.  Regardless of how the Kamal were defeated, it is noted that some of their number survived and later resurfaced in  , where they seized control of the Imperial Throne from the successors of the warlord Attrebus. 

Centuries later, Tamriel would finally retaliate against Akavir. At the height of his power in   and after twenty years of strategic preparation, Uriel Septim V launched an invasion of the continent and captured two cities, which he dubbed Septimia and Ionith.  The enterprise ultimately came to utter ruin at the Battle of Ionith in  .  Since then, the two continents have had little or no contact. The Nerevarine is thought to have gone on an expedition to Akavir, but has not been heard from since. 

Around the time of the Oblivion Crisis, an enigmatic individual known as   was described as the supposed Queen of Akavir, although it is unknown whether or not she is a real figure. 

Influences on Tamriel
The martial ability of the Akaviri soldiers had a strong influence on the military hierarchies of Tamriel. The Imperial Legion benefited from the superior organization and tactical knowledge of the Akaviri, and the political and legal systems of the Empire were both improved as well.  The Akaviri Potentate's peculiar armorsmithing practices was said to have changed the Imperial legions forever.  It was an Akaviri, Dinieras-Ves, who first proposed what would become the Fighters Guild to his kinsman, the Potentate Versidue-Shaie.  The Empire in general benefited from the influence of Akavir. 

Akaviri surnames are rare and prized possessions among the Cyrodilic citizenry of today, and there are trace facial features of the Akaviri in many distinguished Cyrodilic families. Some colonies of "true Akaviri", such as  , still exist in both the Empire and its border regions, but they are named so for their practices and customs, rather than for the purity of their blood. 

The Akaviri who served under Reman Cyrodiil were dubbed the Dragonguard, as the Dragonborn Emperor's new shock troops were renowned dragon-slayers.  They were masters of fire magic and alchemy.  This Dragonguard was the direct predecessor of the  , who adopted Akaviri style for their weaponry, armor and heraldry.    Their headquarters,  , is also built in the Akaviri style. The Red Dragons that have come to represent the Empire and the Imperial City were originally Akaviri war mounts.  A class of warriors known as   emerged during the   of the  , similarly based on the martial traditions of the dispersed Akaviri Dragonguard.  These warriors made use of unique magical abilities  said to be based on the powers of dragons. 

Notable Places
; : A briefly-conquered territory in Tsaesci.
; : A Tsaesci city.
; : A snowy nation of Akavir.
; : A nation of Akavir.
; : A Tsaesci port town.
; : An island nation of Akavir.
; : A nation of Akavir.

Gallery
 

Notes
Pre-release map from Legends|thumb|right
 
A fan rendition of the continent of Akavir was originally depicted in pre-release images of the Summerset Orrery card in The Elder Scrolls: Legends. However, this artwork never made it into the final game.

References