Lore:Razum-dar

Razum-dar
Razum-dar
Race	Khajiit (Cathay)	Gender	Male
Born		2nd Era Merryvale Farms, Anequina
Appears in		ESO, Legends, Castles

Razum-dar (known as Raz to his companions) was a Khajiit spy who was active during the Interregnum in the Second Era. Razum-dar, though well-known during this time, was the first member and the leader of the Eyes of the Queen—the secret intelligence network that served Queen Ayrenn of the First Aldmeri Dominion.

HistoryEdit

Razum-dar was born on a certain year on the 6th of Second Seed to Kideya, a farmer who owned the Sweetwater Farmstead in Merryvale. His father left before his younger brother Rakhzargo was born, when Razum-dar was just a cub. As such, he never knew much about him, but did remember that he played the lute very beautifully. Raz taught himself how to play the lute, but his mother never did like the sound of music as it reminded her of his father too much. He and Rakhzargo both had red hair unlike their mother, suggesting they inherited it from their father. Kideya said that Razum-dar was clever, but when it came to farm work it was hard to believe he was born and raised in Merryvale. Raz said his brother had been kept at his mother's side too long, resulting in him being too dependent on her. He would often come down to the storage cellar at the farmstead, as it was one of the few places he could hear himself think. He promised to each of J'dathal's daughters that he would marry them, lying to each of them since he had no intention of returning to the town.

Razum-dar's early adventures, before the founding of the First Aldmeri Dominion, are largely unknown but brought up by him at random in conversations, painting a picture of rather eventful escapades. The future Queen Ayrenn first met Razum-dar during her time adventuring the mainland, either in Wayrest or Whiterun. The story involved a drunken schoolmarm and a purple velvet dress. However, she recruited him as the first among her Eyes of the Queen, on a day where an incident involving "a certain High Elf noble seeking adventure, three bottles of whiskey, and a small fire" convinced a young Raz to leave home and go on an adventure. Never particularly fond of small-town life, Raz took the first opportunity he had to leave. Having to keep his future role as an Eye of the Queen secret, Raz chose not to tell his family that the young elf was the future Queen Ayrenn, and his mother assumed he left to chase after another pretty face. Razum-dar and the rest of the Eyes of the Queen were to be Ayrenn's underground agency working to secure her rise to power for many years beforehand her coronation. They were later legitimized with Ayrenn's rise to power and functioned as her personal guard and intelligence organization. Eventually, by 2E 582, Razum-dar had become the head of the Eyes of the Queen, and would be involved in many events.

Maormer PlotEdit

Razum-dar was sent to Khenarthi's Roost to assist in the political situation involving a long-standing treaty between the Khajiit of the island and the Maormer. The Maormer presence delayed the island's membership invitation until 2E 582, when a Dominion delegation was sent to the island headed by the Silvenar Edhelorn and the Green Lady Finoriell, the embodiment of the Bosmer people. However, the Dominion fleet was wrecked on the coast by a mysterious storm, and several crewmembers were abducted by the Sea Vipers, Maormer pirates. Viewing Khenarthi's Roost as Maormer territorial waters, Ambassador Ulondil was justifiably outraged at the Altmer proposition of the island joining the Dominion. The embassy refused to allow the delegates to view their treaty, forcing Razum-dar and his companions to steal it. The wording of this treaty unfairly favored the Maormer, and acts of piracy had continued. Once the bias was revealed to Mayor Harrani, the Khajiit began to consider the Dominion's offer. Seeing that all hope was lost, the Maormer assassinated the Silvenar and began a ritual to summon Storm-Slave, a powerful storm atronach, with the intention to destroy Mistral. The Dominion prevented this and drove the Maormer off, allowing the grateful Khajiit to join the alliance.

The Veiled QueenEdit

Vulkhel Guard was the first town Queen Ayrenn visited on her tour through Auridon after the formation of the First Aldmeri Dominion. Most of the citizens were excited about the event, their administrators and their servants were very busy, while the atmosphere turned festive. Due to this, security tasked to the First Auridon Marines was hardened. The Watch Captain of Vulkhel Guard, Astanya, was tasked with most of the new duties. However, she and most of the town watch were plotting with the Veiled Heritance to try to murder Queen Ayrenn during her public appearance. The Eyes of the Queen, lead by Razum-dar, finally foiled Heritance's plans and Astanya was slain in the Temple of Auri-El by the Vestige as she did not surrender. The Vestige became an Eye of the Queen thereafter, a title bestowed by Queen Ayrenn herself.

Reports of spies linked to the intelligence of Queen Ayrenn led the Raz and the Eyes of the Queen to the town of Mathiisen, where they discovered a plot. The town's Forgemaster and Canonreeve were supporters of the Veiled Heritance, while they were supervised by Sergeant-at-Arms Ondenil, a high-ranking member of the organization. They used the ancient tunnels beneath Mathiisen to smuggle weapons crafted in the town's forges to the soldiers of the supremacist movement. When confronted by the Eyes of the Queen, Canonreeve Malanie and Forgemaster Condalin did not surrender to the Crown and were killed.

Razum-dar about to confront Estre

Queen Ayrenn visited Estre in Skywatch to partake in a formal ceremony to elevate her within the Thalmor, seeking to appease her as Estre was bitter for having lost her chance at the throne of Alinor. However, Estre's identity as the Veiled Queen remained a closely guarded secret. The ceremony was interrupted by an Eye of the Queen investigating on behalf of Razum-dar, who disclosed Estre's true identity to Ayrenn. Estre was present when this information was delivered, and promptly escaped through a portal. After she escaped from Skywatch, Estre arrived and was accepted into Firsthold with open arms by Rilis XIII, who was completely unaware of her treachery. Without a moment's notice, Estre summoned oblivion gates to the Deadlands and daedra poured into the city. Estre sealed Firsthold Castle with a powerful barrier, powered by wards and guarded by Dremora. Ayrenn's battlereeve, Urcelmo led the counterattack from the Mages Guild and commanded a militia made from the Eyes of the Queen and the Eagle's Talons. Before confronting High Kinlady Estre, an Eye of the Queen destroyed oblivion gates around the castle and entered the final one in Firsthold Castle with their companions, Razum-dar, Battlereeve Urcelmo, and the mage Sinien. In the caldera of the Refuge of Dread, they had their final battle with the High Kinlady and saved Firsthold. High Kinlord Rilis XIII was saved and Queen Ayrenn finished her tour through Auridon in the aftermath of the battle.

The Staff of MagnusEdit

Vicereeve Pelidil assumed leadership of the Veiled Heritance and stole the Staff of Magnus from its vault in Marbruk. Razum-dar tracked Heritance activity in the sewers of Woodhearth. There, both Raz and the Vestige tricked a Veiled Heritance militant to try to murder Razum-dar, who was magically disguised as Queen Ayrenn, discovering this way that Heritance soldiers were hiding in the abandoned Imperial prison of Woodhearth, where they tried to assemble an army to conquer the city. Having their plans foiled by the Vestige's intervention, the Heritance retreated to Seaside Sanctuary with their Maormer allies. At their sanctuary, Razum-dar and the Vestige split up their tasks on freeing the hostages or taking out the Maormer chain of command.

Razum-dar also sent the Vestige to help a soldier acting as a diplomat recruit the Bramblebreach Clan into the Aldmeri Dominion, who did so by curbing the Lhurgash Clan of Wood Orcs, who at the time were constantly harassing them. Ayrenn forbid Razum-dar from entering Hectamine and confronting her resurrected brother, Prince Naemon, who took the Staff of Magnus there to use for corrupting the Heart of Valenwood. Razum-dar instead was ordered to stay at his queen's side. Regardlesss, the Dominion were successful without Razum-dar in infiltrating the Ayleid ruins within Hectamine and slaying Naemon, and the staff was returned to Queen Ayrenn.

Grand Circlet of Elven AuthorityEdit

The Empire of Cyrodiil attempted to expand into Reaper's March, sending an army of Colovians into the Northern Woods. A woman named General Lavinia was responsible for capturing the city of Arenthia, and following the city's occupation she detached a large group of invaders to occupy Senalana in search of the Grand Circlet of Elven Authority. The occupation was spotted by Aldmeri Dominion scouts, who were able to respond immediately. A small group led by Razum-dar entered the ruins to destroy the Circlet, but the Colovians collapsed the main entrance behind them and activated an Ayleid ward on the rear entrance by removing two Welkynd Stones. Aboveground, Senalana became a battleground as the Dominion soldiers scrambled to learn what was happening.

The Vestige then arrived as Senalana and recovered the two Welkynd Stones from the Colovian camp before entering the ruins in search of Razum-dar. Although the Dominion agents were trapped, Raz was able to communicate instructions on how to destroy the Circlet. Doing so would overload the Ayleid defenses, collapsing the entire complex and sealing Raz and his group within along with the Colovians. Alternatively, simply activating the defenses and taking the Circlet from the ruins would allow the Dominion agents to escape, while still killing the Colovians. The only way to destroy the artifact was through the use of a magical furnace within the ruins; faced with the burden of keeping the Circlet safe should it be removed from the ruins, Raz and his group were resigned to die instead. However, it's unknown which option was taken by the Vestige. Regardless, the incantations needed to use the Circlet were destroyed within the ruins by the Dominion agents, and the Colovians were driven off.

The Sweet Roll KillerEdit

Razum-dar and Naryu sharing a Sweetroll

Captain Jean Apinia, a former member of the Imperial Legion known for her war crimes in Bravil, hid out in the ruins with the valuables she and her soldiers stole. Seeking to make an example out of her, she was tracked down by Razum-dar to the Ayleid ruin of Garlas Agea, who then killed her with the help of the Vestige. Raz subsequently investigated reports of the Sweetroll Killer claiming victims in Kvatch. He had an interest in this matter as this murderer had taken the lives of several of Ayrenn's advisors, feeling it made him look incompetent. Razum-dar, along with the Vestige and Naryu Virian, tracked her down to a farm in the Gold Coast. The details surrounding the events are vague. Accounts conflict on the number of targets the killer was successful in assassinating, and some even claim that all survived. The fate of the Killer herself remains a mystery as well. Some say she was spared in exchange for sparing the survivors, others say she was killed to stop her from trying it again.

The Great NullificationEdit

Sometime after Bazrag gro-Fharun was crowned the king of Orsinium, the Eyes of the Queen received a tip indicating that the Soldiers of the Void were doing nefarious deeds in Rivenspire's Doomcrag, located in enemy Daggerfall Covenant territory. However, it was also thought that the information was a trap intended to lure the Eyes of the Queen into an area of their enemy's choosing. Razum-dar and an agent ventured into the Doomcrag and encountered the adoptive son of Mehrunes Dagon, Xivilai Moath, after defeating various daedra and corrupted creatures. The Daedra Lord was snooping around the Soldiers of the Void's abandoned encampment and was not happy to see Razum-dar and company and decided to attack on sight. Though Moath was defeated, the encounter left Razum-dar's fur standing on end, and his companion injured with a limp.

The Eyes of the Queen subsequently targeted Braig the Bloody, a Reachmen notorious for capturing soldiers from the Three Banners War and forcing them to undergo an altered Briarheart ritual, turning them into his unwilling soldiers and servants. Razum-dar was personally invested in this, as one of his friends had fallen victim to Braig's practices. Concurrently, the Eyes contracted the Dark Brotherhood to assassinate self-proclaimed Jarl of the Wilds, Fenreld Kjenarik, who according to the Eyes' intelligence network, was secretly ferrying supplies underground to the creatures launching attacks on Skyrim's cities. The Eyes planned to fabricate evidence, making it appear as though Braig was responsible for the death of Kjenarik instead of the Dark Brotherhood. The Eyes managed to convince some uninvolved Reachfolk to hand over a piece of Braig's old headdress, and Razum-dar, had an Eye plant the fake evidence near Kjenarik's corpse, linking Braig to the crime. The Brotherhood received their payment for the dark deeds that they had carried out. However, it was later uncovered that the Eyes of the Queen inadvertently paid the Brotherhood to murder an innocent man. Kjenarik was in fact not supplying Blackreach creatures, but Dusktown, a mining village located deep underground. The false evidence made it to Solitude, and as a result, the bounty on Braig's head was declared.

Deslandra at Nchuleftingth

A High Elf named Kelkemmemon posed as an emissary for the Eyes of the Queen, tricking a new spy within the organization to commit false flag operations in Morrowind by damaging the food supplies of the Daggerfall Covenant and the Ebonheart Pact troops that were fighting at Davon's Watch. Razum-dar caught wind of this plan, and had the agent undo the mistake as Kelkemmemon was working on behalf of the Soldiers of the Void, who hoped to destabilize the Pact so they could run their operations in Skyrim with less obstacles. One of the lead instigators of the conflict turned out to be Braig the Bloody. Although the Reachman managed to escape, a large cache of magical items were uncovered. The Soldiers of the Void were working under the Bosmer mage Delsandra, and they were looking for powerful items capable of augmenting magical items so she may utilize in completing her Void Centurion. The tinkered automaton would then provide the formiddable protection needed for her to complete the Great Nullification, which would forever sever the flow of magicka from Aetherius into Mundus, meaning magic would no longer exist. Stories of Deslandra's downfall vary, with one that claims she was slain in Morrowind after Razum-dar and his companions concluded that Nchuleftingth was most likely the group's headquarters in the province. Deslandra in this version of events was ultimately defeated, and the Void Centurion and Delsandra were buried beneath the rubbles of the ruins.

The Secret CabalEdit

Razum-dar with Softpurr

After overthrowing the rule of an Imgan Lich-Queen that Meirvale was ruled by, Razum-dar took a much-needed vacation at Khenarthi's Roost with his "sleek friend" Softpurr. With trouble brewing in Shimmerine, he was contacted by Cariel to investigate the issue, putting an end to the vacation. After a series of investigations, he arrived at Alinor's palace, and learned of a peculiar happenstance. It appeared that Raz's friend Telenger the Artificer was seduced by an advisor to Alinor's court by the name of Penewen. Telenger, who invented Hyperagonal Locational Determinator that could teleport anyone anywhere they desired, had collected Sotha Sil's research on Artaeum and shown it the advisor. From that, Raz believed Penewen had potentially malicious intent.

In truth, Penewen's identity was stolen via magical means by High Magistrate Rinwaray of the Divine Prosecution, who used Telenger's device to get to the Clockwork City. There, she sought Seht's Affect Inducer, a device invented by Sotha Sil which is capable of manipulating a person's emotions. She hoped to use it to compel Proxy Queen Alwinarwe to go against Ayrenn's decree for open borders and revert the Summerset Isles to isolationism. Razum-dar caught wind of her plot and followed her tracks through the Clockwork City, the Evergloam, and then Artaeum (accidentally).

On Artaeum, Razum-dar was discovered by Loremaster Celarus, who asked for aid on imminent danger posed by the Sload, Q'fura the Pendulous, who had infiltrated the Dreaming Cave below the island with the intention of unleashing hordes of Oblivion upon the world. Razum-dar was made temporarily invulnerable via Celarus's magic, while the Loremaster distracted the Sload and its minions. Razum-dar shoved an explosive device into opening gapes in Q'fura's abdomen, defeating them in "a stunning and rather glutinous explosion." With the creature defeated, Celarus teleported Razum-dar to Alinor, where he finally caught up to Rinwaray. He used Claw-Dance techniques to disarm and subdue her, allowing her to be arrested to her plot against Queen Ayrenn.

The Daedric TriadEdit

Razum-dar at Shimmerine

When Queen Ayrenn made an official decree that opened the main island to the people of mainland Tamriel, it was met with open opposition from many nobles, but most notably from Kinlady Avinisse. The kinlady wrote a book called "A Rejection of Open Borders" which provided her case against the decree and called it many things, from radical to unwarranted. At around this time, the kinlady appointed a new Aldarch of the Serene Harmony Monastery named Tilcalar, whose origins were completely unknown but came highly recommended by Kinlord Milunthel. The two made a deal in which the Aldarch would secure the interest of Shimmerene and the Summerset Isles by placing newcomers under a "cultural assessment" and sending them back home. In actuality, they were placed in prisons underneath the monastery and Tilcalar sacrificed them in the name of his patron, Clavicus Vile. Razum-dar traveled to Shimmerene to uncover newcomer disappearances and with the help of the Vestige and Valsirenn of the Psijic Order, uncovered his plot and his association with a cult called the Court of Bedlam. Razum-dar and the newcomer defeated Aldarch Tilcalar in the Coral Forest.

A large sinkhole mysteriously opened up near the town of Rellenthil. It was soon discovered that the Sea Sload K'Tora, in collaboration with the Court of Bedlam, had created the uncommon phenomena in the firm and unchanging foundations of Summerset Isle. After the threat of the sinkhole was averted thanks to the efforts of the Vestige and Valsirenn, Rellenthil's canonreeve's son—Nedoril—publicly acknowledged his implication in Daedra-worship, as well as conspiring with the Court of Bedlam and with the Sea Sloads. For this, he was executed by Razum-dar without a trial, fearing that the canonreeve might oppose the Crown to protect his son. Canonreeve Farmeldo affirmed his allegiance to Queen Ayrenn after the event.

Following the daedric invasion of the College of Sapiarchs, Head Sapiarch Larnatille instructed the Vestige to warn the Tower sentinels that guarded the Resolute Diamonds, Hannayel and Imedril, as the Court of Bedlam sought access to the Crystal Tower and needed the Resolute Diamonds for that purpose. They were considered the next targets and were supposed to remain at the Illumination Academy. Accompanied by Razum-dar, who received information from Psijic Order member Oriandra, the Vestige set out to warn them of the situation. Hannayel was warned in time, but Imedril chose to visit King's Haven Pass, leading to his kidnapping into Mephala's realm, the Spiral Skein, and his subsequent demise.

While Razum-dar was investigating the Court of Bedlam, he discovered that they were waging war on the cults belonging to the other Daedric Princes. Meanwhile, Dawnbreaker which was wielded by the Golden Knight of Meridia, was shattered during a confrontation with the Court. Seeking to repair the blade, Raz's connections were utilized to locate a Meridia cult that had been nearly wiped out at Eton Nir Grotto. Meridia manifested within a statue at the grotto and added to Dawnbreaker's power, enabling it to be used to locate her kidnapped Knight. Nocturnal then invaded Meridia's Colored Rooms, abruptly ending the Hero's correspondence with the Daedric Prince.

After Ritemaster Iachesis was slain and Nocturnal stole the Heart of Transparent Law, she betrayed her alliance with Clavicus Vile and Mephala. Razum-dar arrived and guarded the way to the Crystal Tower while the Vestige aided Valsirenn's attunement ritual to access the tower with the Sapriarchs. During the process the Nocturnal forces launched an attack at the scholars. Despite the hero's efforts, the two Sapiarchs responsible for the ritual were killed. Out of options, Razum-dar stayed behind to went to go warn Proxy Queen Alwinarwe to potentially evacuate Summerset, and ask Queen Ayrenn to contact the leaders of the other alliances and assemble a force to fight back. He was prepared to lead the Divine Prosecution in defense of Summerset as well. Meanwhile, Raz's encounter with the hound of Clavicus Vile, Barbas, led to the Psijic Order and company to follow the hound. They reluctantly decided to strike a bargain with Mephala and Clavicus Vile in order to stop Nocturnal from gaining control of the Crystal Tower. With their combined efforts, Nocturnal's ultimate goal was to rewrite reality and become an infinite being was prevented.

Razum-dar sits on the throne, playing with Proxy Queen Alwinarwe

In order to prevent such an event from happening again, the Psijic Order, the College of Sapiarchs, and the Court of Alinor gathered at the Royal Palace, to proclaim an alliance that would defend the Crystal Tower at all costs. Razum-dar brought many people together that the Vestige aided, allowing for the negotiations to go smoothly. Razum-dar was eventually asked to leave Summerset by the Proxy Queen, and he subsequently returned to his childhood home at Merryvale Farms in Elsweyr for a vacation. Noticing the stress on his mother occurring due to strange happenings, Razum-dar with with the help of the Vestige discovered and put to an end the Dirty-Drakes, a skooma-smuggling ring that had been stealing Moon Sugar from the farms and harassing the workers with the aid of a daedroth. The vacation was short lived, as he was called to make sure the coronation of Queen Khamira went smoothly at Rimmen.

A Chance for PeaceEdit

Queen Ayrenn and the other alliance leaders traveled to High Isle on the Systres Archipelago for peace talks involving the Three Banners War. Razum-dar decided to instead travel to Galen upon hearing rumors that the location to a vast fortune known as the Aquilarios Bequest was rediscovered after it had been lost to sea. A nefarious figure known as Captain Redblade sought to use this fortune to raise an armada threaten every port from Alinor to Balmora. In truth, Redblade was an Eye of the Queen named Roneiia that faked her own death and allied with a crime boss Yves Grandvache for his connections. The investigation led Razum-dar and company to Fauns' Thicket, where he set alchemical charges to collapse the cave the Aquilarios Bequest was hidden in. With Redbeard and her allies slain, and the treasure buried, it prevented Galen from becoming a new war front in the Three Banners War. With the threat defeated, Razum-dar was able to attend the peace talks happening on All Flags Islet.

Razum-dar subsequently attended the Zeal of Zenithar festival in Belkarth to enjoy himself. He spent most of it hiding from Naryu Virian, who last time they were together, he threw a sweetroll at to remind her of a good fight she had. Unfortunately, choosing to remind Naryu of the Sweet Roll Killer was not a good choice, and so Razum-dar wanted to not have a bad encounter with her.

GalleryEdit

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  Razum-dar (Legends)

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  Razum-dar (Smolder Scrolls Online)

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  Raz's Mother

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  Raz's Brother

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  Artwork featuring Razum-dar (bottom center)

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  Featured in a promotional render for ESO: Summerset

See AlsoEdit

• For game-specific information, see the ESO, Legends, and Castles articles.
• Smolder Scrolls Online — Razum-dar

BooksEdit

• Razum-dar's Journal by Razum-dar — Razum-dar's report on the Mirror Court of the Proxy Queen