Lore:Vamidium

Vamidium is the Dwemeris word for "mount".  It is used to refer to the many different types of   constructed by the   for use as steam-powered mechanical mounts. Many of these constructs were made to imitate nature, taking the form of animals commonly used as mounts by the other   of  . Like other animunculi, vamidiums appear to utilize   or   as a power source. 

The Dwemer did not rely entirely on mechanical vamidiums for use as mounts. For example, the existence of ancient Dwarven   armor points to the use of war horses by the Dwemer. 

Many vamidiums were collected by the   and stored in the vaults below the   in the  . When the forces of   overran the   during the   of  , many of these rare artifacts were smuggled out of the city and began to appear on the open market all over Tamriel. 

Dwarven vamidiums are not to be confused with  , partially organic mechanical constructs created by   which are also sometimes used as mounts. They should also not be confused with "Dwemervamidium", the name for steam-assisted semi-mechanized heavy Dwarven armor. 
 

Varieties of Vamidium
The Dwemer did not restrict themselves to a single design when constructing mounts for their use. This is evident in the sheer number of animal-based designs that exist, and the different combinations of materials that have been noted in recovered specimens.

Dwarven Bears are vamidiums which resemble  s. Guylaine Marilie, a noted Dwemer scholar, speculated that Dwarven Bears were reserved only for Dwemer of high rank or status due to their impressive size and intimidating appearance. 
Dwarven Camels are vamidiums built to resemble  s. They are most often found among the ruins of the desert-dwelling   clan of  . 
Dwarven Guars are vamidiums which resemble  s. They are most often found at Dwemer sites in  , as might be expected given the widespread use of guars as pack animals and mounts in that region. 
thumb|right|An Ebon Dwarven Senche
Dwarven Horses are automata constructed to look like their living counterparts.  Though usually made of so-called  , there have been rare examples of vamidiums with parts forged from one of the rarest materials on  , a super-hard whitish alloy known as  . 
Dwarven Senche are vamidiums which resemble the   of southern Tamriel. Scholars of the Dwemer have long wondered why they chose to make animunculi resembling senche-tigers, as Dwemer civilization was restricted mainly to northeast Tamriel, where the only large feline is the  .  An unusual kind of Dwarven senche with with key mechanical components forged from   and   alloys has been discovered. 
s are a common and highly versatile type of animunculi, found in almost every Dwemer ruin. Although often used for combat or repair purposes, large Dwarven Spider vamidiums were also created.  Several types of Dwarven Spider mounts have been repurposed by the nomadic   peddlers of Elsweyr for use transporting goods over long distances, often retrofitting them with magical lunar compasses to aid in navigation.  

: Dwarven Spiders composed of ebony alloys also exist.  However, those composed of an   alloy rather than the usual   are rarer, and highly prized by collectors.   The Infernium Dwarven Spider are a dark red variant that is capable of emitting searing flames, having seemingly been created by a single Dwemer artisan using the a facility known as the Infernium Forge.  Chroma-Blue Dwarven Spider is the rarest of all Dwarven Spider vamidiums, powered by a gem that emits a cold blue light which is said to reflect the frigid stolen soul of the Dwemer engineer trapped within it. 

Dwarven Wolves are vamidiums which resemble the large   often used as mounts. They are most often found in proximity to Dwemer ruins in northern and western  , where wolves are most common in the wild. The loping gait of these constructs is said to give the most comfortable ride of any mechanical mount.  Though usually made of so-called Dwarven Metal, there have been rare examples of silver-colored vamidiums with critical components made of vitrine, a sort of Dwemeri  . Of all the known vamidiums, vitrine Dwarven wolves are one of the rarest. 

Gallery
 

References