Lore:Celdina

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Sister Celdina
ON-npc-Sister Celdina.jpg
Sister Celdina
Race Breton Gender Female
Born 2E 525
Died 2E 582
Deadlight
Resided in High Rock
Imperial City
Deadlands
Deadlight
Appears in ESO

Celdina was a high-ranking member of the Order of the Waking Flame during the sixth century of the Second Era. Originally, Celdina served as a sister at the Priory of the Golden Staff, which was dedicated to Magnus, the God of Magic; however, during Emperor Durcorach's invasion of High Rock in 2E 541, the Reachmen burned the priory and took her captive.[1][2] After Durcorach's defeat, the Reachmen released Celdina, and she joined the Order of the Waking Flame and devoted herself to the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon.[1][2] Circa 2E 556, Mehrunes Dagon commanded Celdina to become the consort of Durcorach's son, Emperor Moricar, and bear him a child, which resulted in the birth of their daughter, Mairead, one of the Four Ambitions.[3]

Circa 2E 582, Celdina began constructing the machines known as cataclysts in order to create an army of Incarnates for Mehrunes Dagon, which the Prince of Destruction intended to use to conquer Fargrave and Nirn.[4][5] After the death of the high priest of the Waking Flame, Ertus Vandacia, in 2E 582, Celdina succeeded him as the order's high priest.[6] As high priest, Celdina continued her work on the cataclysts, which resulted in the creation of several Incarnates; however, her work drew the attention of the Vestige, who killed her in the Waking Flame's base located in Deadlight.[7][8][9]

Biography[edit]

Early Life[edit]

Celdina was born in 2E 525.[1] When she was young, her parents abandoned her, and she was taken in by devotees of Magnus, the God of Magic, at the Priory of the Golden Staff, located near the region of Stormhaven.[1][2] Celdina found happiness at the priory, and its members cared for her and educated her.[1][2] Celdina eventually took her vows to become a sister.[2] During her education, members of the priory taught Cledina about Magnus' disappointment with the flaws introduced to his creation, Mundus.[1] An old monk even showed her forbidden texts, revealing that some of the Magna Ge once sought a tool to unmake Mundus so it could be remade in accordance with Magnus' plan.[1] The forbidden texts confused her, as she viewed the world as sweet and young, and she did not see how it would be merciful to undo it.[1]

When Celdina was sixteen in 2E 541, Emperor Durcorach and his horde of Reachmen invaded High Rock.[1][2] The Reachmen pillaged and burned the priory, slaughtered Celdina's brothers, and seized her sisters before killing them as well.[1][2] Celdina managed to survive, but the Reachmen took her captive.[1][2] For months, the Reachmen kept her as a drudge in their camp, during which time, Celdina learned what she believed to be the world's true flaw: suffering is all that awaits.[1][10] After Durcorach's defeat, Celdina's captors released her.[1] When she resurfaced, she renounced her vows and resigned from her order.[2]

Order of the Waking Flame[edit]

Celdina wanted vengeance for what had occurred and recalled the story of the Magna Ge and the tool that could unmake what she perceived as the flawed world: Mehrunes Dagon.[1] She sailed from Daggerfall to Leyawiin around 2E 544 and sought out the Dagonist cult known as the Order of the Waking Flame, which she eventually joined.[1][2] Celdina found truth in the Waking Flame's teachings, and she came to believe that only through Mehrunes Dagon would the work of Magnus and the hope of the Magna Ge be brought into being.[1][11]

Circa 2E 556, Mehrunes Dagon appeared to Celdina in a dream and commanded her to become the consort of Durcorach's son, Emperor Moricar, and bear a child for the Emperor.[3] In 2E 556 or 557, Celdina arrived at the White-Gold Tower in the Imperial City and presented herself to Moricar, who rewarded her with a minor court appointment.[2] Around 2E 560, Celdina became pregnant with Moricar's child, causing her to leave the Imperial Court.[3] Later, she gave birth to their daughter Mairead.[3]

Soon after Mairead's birth, Ertus Vandacia, the High Priest of the Order of the Waking Flame, empowered her with a portion of Mehrunes Dagon's egonymic, transforming her into one of the Daedric weapons known as the Four Ambitions.[12][13] The Prince of Destruction forbade anyone from knowing of Mairead's parentage; however, in 2E 563, Celdina informed Vandacia that the father of her daughter was Moricar.[3] By 2E 563, Celdina held the title of disastrix, and she was called to the Waking Flame's citadel in Deadlight to assume responsibility for the novices there.[3] In Deadlight, Celdina oversaw the training of select novices of the Waking Flame and authored various testimonies, which many of the recruits were required to read.[1][2][10] During her time in Deadlight, she attained the titles of doombringer and, subsequently, sister.[1][2]

Mairead grew up in isolation to develop her powers, but Celdina regularly visited her to remind her of her duty and responsibility.[14][15] Although Celdina regularly visited Mairead, she did not know that Celdina was her mother.[14][15] Around 2E 580, Celdina removed Mairead from isolation and brought her to Deadlight.[9] There, she informed Mairead that she was her mother, Moricar was her father, and she would finish her training.[9]

Celdina explaining the Last Hope Mural to Mairead

Celdina explained to Mairead that she would give Magnus the chance to remake his design and that everything depended on her.[9] She also explained to Mairead that Mehrunes Dagon had the power to shatter and remake Nirn, but the Lord of Fire and Flood required a spark to summon his cleansing fire from Oblivion, and she would be that catalyst.[9] However, Mairead did not want to be responsible for the destruction of the mortal realm, so Elegian, a former moth priest and powerful seer, created a mask for her to control her powers and secretly altered it to make everyone forget her, including herself and Celdina.[16] Afterward, Mairead took a portal to Fargrave, where she became known as the Anchorite.[16][17]

Construction of the Cataclysts and Creation of the Incarnates[edit]

Celdina with Valkynaz Nokvroz

Circa 2E 582, Celdina began constructing the machines known as cataclysts to transform Daedra into embodiments of disaster called Incarnates.[5][18][19] Mehrunes Dagon desired an army of Incarnates so that he could use them to conquer Nirn.[18][19] The Prince of Destruction sent Valkynaz Nokvroz and his subordinates to assist and oversee the project, although the valkynaz had nothing but contempt for Celdina and the Waking Flame.[5][20][21][22] Elegian designed the cataclysts under torture, and Celdina and the Waking Flame used his schematics to create them.[23][24]

In 2E 582, High Priest Vandacia was killed, so Celdina succeeded him as the high priest of the Waking Flame.[6] After becoming high priest, Celdina worked to make adjustments and improvements with each version of the cataclyst, eventually leading to the construction of the Fargrave cataclyst.[5][18] After learning that a Dremora known as Lyranth the Foolkiller had recovered a portal key, Celdina ordered Doombringer Rizareen to send Devastator Rullen and some cultists to retrieve the device and incapacitate Lyranth with a special enchanted blade that would render her unable to move.[25][26] However, Lyranth and the the Vestige killed Rizareen, Rullen, and the remaining cultists.[27] They then used the portal key to infiltrate the Waking Flame's base in Fargrave, which was the location of the Fargrave cataclyst.[28] At the Waking Flame's base, the Vestige, who was disguised as Rullen, gave the portal key to Celdina, and as a reward, she told them that they had the privilege of activating the Fargrave cataclyst, but Lyranth destroyed it, and the infiltrators then escaped.[28]

After the destruction of the Fargrave cataclyst, Celdina and the Waking Flame constructed the Riven Cataclyst, which was capable of creating viable Incarnates.[19][29] Early versions of the cataclyst used a single Daedra and transformed them into Incarnates, but the Riven Cataclyst worked by draining the essence of many Daedra to create Incarnates.[29] However, the process of creating Incarnates proved to be slow and difficult, which Celdina considered unacceptable, as Mehrunes Dagon desired an army of them, not a mere handful.[19] Therefore, she and the Waking Flame worked to make adjustments and improvements to the cataclyst design to increase the success rate of creating Incarnates while reducing their incubation period.[19] The large number of subjects that the Riven Cataclyst required to create Incarnates forced Celdina to use captured members of unaligned Dremora clans.[30][31]

Celdina performing the ritual to destroy Fargrave's Daedra

Once she had the ability to create Incarnates, Celdina became determined to conquer Fargrave so Mehrunes Dagon could use its portals to invade Nirn.[4][11][32][33] To accomplish this, Celdina had her cultists place votive runes around Fargrave to steal power from the city's mortals, which she intended to use in a ritual to destroy the city's Daedra.[11][32][33][34] After the votive runes collected enough power, Celdina began performing the ritual in the Waking Flame's base in the Shambles district of Fargrave, but the Vestige, Lyranth, and the Anchorite interrupted and destroyed the runes, stopping the ritual and causing Celdina to teleport away.[34]

Celdina standing in front of the Riven Cataclyst

Following the creation of the Cyclone Incarnate, Celdina took it to Burning Gyre Keep in the Deadlands to demonstrate its power to Nokvroz.[7][11] During the demonstration, the Vestige, Lyranth, and the Anchorite once again interrupted and destroyed the Cyclone Incarnate, causing Celdina and Nokvroz to leave through a portal.[7] The destruction of the Cyclone Incarnate did not deter Celdina, as she began working to create a legion of Incarnates.[11] Unbeknownst to Celdina, Nokvroz was actively working to construct his own cataclyst because he feared that mortals, rather than Dremora, would bring about Mehrunes Dagon's triumph.[21][24][35] Once Nokvroz felt confident that he could build the Perfected Cataclyst and create the Perfected Incarnate, he told Celdina in the Riven Cataclyst Chamber in Fort Grief that he was done with her demands and posturing, at which point he left.[8] By the time Nokvroz left, the Vestige, the Anchorite, and Rynkyus of the Bladebearer Clan were attacking Fort Grief, and when they entered the Riven Cataclyst Chamber, Celdina ordered the Storm Incarnate to destroy them.[8] In the ensuing fight, the Vestige, the Anchorite, and Rynkyus destroyed the Storm Incarnate and the Riven Cataclyst, causing the Fort Grief Citadel to begin collapsing and forcing Celdina to open a portal and leave.[8]

Retreat to Deadlight and Death[edit]

Celdina captures the Anchorite

Due to the setbacks and defeats, Celdina ordered the Waking Flame to retreat to their citadel in Deadlight to regroup and prepare the next wave of Incarnates.[36][37] Celdina ordered the severance of all of Deadlight's portals leading to their bases and other realms, except for one.[36] The remaining portal was secured by key and cipher and guarded with a potent ward against Daedric beings.[36][37] The Vestige managed to acquire a portal key and cipher, which they and the Anchorite then used to enter Deadlight.[9] In Deadlight's citadel, they found a shrine where the Anchorite broke the power of her mask, restoring the memories of her and Celdina.[9][38] Shortly after this, Nokvroz and a large group of Dremora successfully broke through the portal to Deadlight by overwhelming and shattering the ward.[9][32] They then initiated an assault on the Waking Flame cultists in Deadlight.[9] After this, the Anchorite confronted Celdina on Deadlight's summit, and Celdina told her that they could destroy Nirn and set everything right.[9] The Anchorite, however, refused to be her weapon, so Celdina used magic to bind her.[9] The Vestige then confronted Celdina and fought and killed her, but when they attempted to release the Anchorite, Nokvroz captured her so he could use her blood to fuel his Perfected Cataclyst.[9] Nokvroz later used the Anchorite's blood to turn himself into a Perfected Incarnate, but the Vestige killed him shortly afterward, finally ending the threat of the cataclysts and Incarnates.[39]

Gallery[edit]

  • Memory of Celdina

  • Projection of Celdina seen in the Brandfire Reformatory

  • Celdina and Nokvroz

  • Celdina addressing Waking Flame cultists

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Doombringer Celdina's Testament — Doombringer Celdina
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Meet the Character - Sister Celdina — Captain Rian Liore
  3. ^ a b c d e f Letter to the High Priest — Disastrix Celdina
  4. ^ a b Sister Celdina's dialogue in ESO
  5. ^ a b c d Disastrix Rhea's dialogue in ESO
  6. ^ a b Meet the Character—Sister Celdina — The Elder Scrolls Online official website
  7. ^ a b c Events of Destruction Incarnate in ESO: The Deadlands
  8. ^ a b c d Events of Born of Grief in ESO: The Deadlands
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Events of Deadlight in ESO: The Deadlands
  10. ^ a b Sister Celdina's lectures in ESO: The Deadlands
  11. ^ a b c d e Sister Celdina's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  12. ^ Xynaa's dialogue in ESO: Blackwood
  13. ^ Emperor Moricar's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  14. ^ a b Mairead's Diary, Entry 3 — Mairead
  15. ^ a b Mairead's Diary, Entry 346 — Mairead
  16. ^ a b Conversation between Mairead and Elegian during Deadlight in ESO: The Deadlands
  17. ^ Meet the Character - The Anchorite — Nathyn Farandas
  18. ^ a b c Acolyte Sorick's dialogue in ESO
  19. ^ a b c d e Improved Cataclyst Model — Devastator Nomio
  20. ^ Caitiff Lansh's dialogue in ESO
  21. ^ a b Rynkyus' dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  22. ^ On Valkynaz Nokvroz — Fortis Scaeva, House Hexos Chief of Operations
  23. ^ Elegian's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  24. ^ a b Disastrix Daelon's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  25. ^ Waking Flame Correspondence — Sister Celdina
  26. ^ Waking Flame Letter — Doombringer Rizareen
  27. ^ Events of An Apocalyptic Situation in ESO
  28. ^ a b Events of The Key and the Cataclyst in ESO
  29. ^ a b Dothaz's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  30. ^ Sister Celdina's Orders — Sister Celdina
  31. ^ Devastator Ursana's Letter — Sister Celdina
  32. ^ a b c Lyranth's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  33. ^ a b Initiate Tilgo's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  34. ^ a b Events of The Celestial Palanquin in ESO: The Deadlands
  35. ^ Vigilant Jessiaril's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  36. ^ a b c Summons to Deadlight — Sister Celdina
  37. ^ a b Thadriax's Instructions — Sister Celdina
  38. ^ The Anchorite's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  39. ^ Events of Against All Hope in ESO: The Deadlands
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