MafiaScum Whirling School

[MUSHSHAGANA]

To begin, at the top of Sermon 1 it is said that he was born in the ash among the Velothi, anon (later) Chimer, before the war with the northern men. Conversely I generally see his people referred to as the Chimer as far back as the prophecies of Veloth or the eating of Trinimac. The prophecies certainly still precede them being called the Velothi: does this imply they reached Vvardenfell before Trinimac was eaten? Or is he referring to what we might call the Chimer as the Velothi and the Dunmer as the Chimer?

My understanding of this is that the Velothi were called that historically (e.g. followers of Veloth), and the term Chimer was a foreign invention applied to them after the fact by historians. In other words, you could read it as "Velothi, what you know as Chimer". The distinction is useful to make because the archaic term Velothi had been repurposed later to refer to Ashlanders -- certainly the House system was entrenched by the time of Nerevar, and so it is likely the term Velothi had already begun to mean Ashlander by the time of mortal, pre-Heartwight Vivec's birth. Vivec is basically saying "Look how old I am!"

[MUSHSHAGANA]

Thanks. I take the Sermons VERY seriously and did a lot of reading and research when I originally did a serious deep dive on them. There's a lot of basically Vehkian braggadocio, and it's important to recognize when something makes less sense than it should because it's about a Deep Truth (e.g. Sharmat, Amaranth, the Walking Ways) and when it makes less sense than it should because it makes Vehk look sexy and powerful oh wow. (If it involves Muatra, age or omniscience, it's probably the latter.)

[MUSHSHAGANA]

What does it mean that "things unknown and known would fold themselves around [Ayem] until they were like stars or the messages of stars"? The things unknown and known folding themselves around her is straightforward given "her shadow was that of Boethiah, who was the Prince of Plots", but what does the bit about stars mean?

This is a case, on the other hand, of neither. This is culture-bound poetic license.

The Dunmeri association of the symbol of a star is with mystery, a mixing of things, etc. by way of association with Azura (see Azura's Star, Nerevar Moon-and-Star). Similarly, and for similar reasons, it has association with rulership, heavenly splendor, and wealth. Finally, it's part of the four associations mentioned in Sermon 11: Ayem's stars, Seht's sea, Vehk's middle air, and Lord Nerevar's earth. Those associations DO have occult resonance, both classically (e.g. out-of-universe) and by way of the Enantiomorph on two levels (the usual trio, plus specific reference to the fate of Lorkhan, see the Vile Murder art).

[MUSHSHAGANA]

The forbidden teachings of Trinimac are, near as I can tell, the Manichaean worldview of the Sundering (separation of Mundus and therefore the Ehlnofey from Aetherius) being a greatly sorrowful event that all the et'Ada should regret having taken place. UESP says that's what it is, and while I think it's lacking in evidence, I come to the same conclusion when I do the deep dive and think very hard about Trinimac's whole deal, and the Aldmeri religion (particularly the Thalmor). I'd repeat it here except I already typed it out once and the internet ate the post.