- "CHIM. Those who know it can reshape the land. Witness the home of the Red King Once Jungled." — Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, Book Three
CHIM (/kɪm/ kim) has been described as the secret syllable of royalty. Many writings have made vague references to it throughout history, but despite its importance, there's a lack of information. It is best understood as a state of being which allows for escape from all known laws and limitations. It is the process of reaching some sort of epiphany about the nature of the universe and one's place in it, leading to a simultaneous comprehension of the full scope of existence as well as one's own individuality. CHIM is capitalized because it is from the Ehlnofex language, the language of the Ehlnofey who are believed to have been the progenitors of the modern races. It is an ancient sigil connoting 'royalty', 'starlight', and 'high splendor'.
Mankar Camoran's Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, Book Three, begins with "CHIM" in the Daedric alphabet and deals extensively with the topic. It begins with "The Tower touches all the mantles of Heaven [...] and by its apex one can be as he will. More: be as he was and yet changed for all else on that path for those that walk after. This is [...] the secret of how mortals become makers [CHIM], and makers back to mortals." (Though "the secret of how mortals become makers, and makers back to mortals" is a phrase more indicative of the related concept of Amaranth.) So one who knows CHIM is said to reside atop (or within) the Tower (i.e., Mundus) and possesses incomprehensible power to alter reality. By knowing CHIM, one experiences an ineffable sense of the godhead, which is what allows for escape from all known restrictions.
The Walking Ways are six interrelated paths to achieving divinity, or "mantling", of which CHIM is the fifth. All paths seem to require some understanding of the Wheel, the structure of the Aurbis. According to Vivec, the first to understand the concept was Lorkhan, whose curiosity and desire for change drove him to the rim of the Wheel and beyond, where he looked back at the Aurbis sideways and thereby learned the name of God: I (as a wheel, observed from the side, is an "I"). Lorkhan then convinced the Aedra to join him in building Mundus, at the hub of the Wheel, in a venture to help others know CHIM and thereby escape all laws which constrained them. This attempt at CHIM failed, though why it failed has been the subject of intense disagreement and bloodshed from the dawn of creation to the present day. Some attribute the failure to a mistake, others to Lorkhan's malice; the circumstances are unknown, but Vivec seemed to suspect that the so-called failure only occurred so that others might know how not to fail. Vivec, who wrote extensively on CHIM, described it as reaching heaven by violence. He apparently learned of it from Molag Bal.
Other examples of those who have attempted to know CHIM and succeeded are few, and many of those are disputed. Followers of the Nine Divines and some others believed Tiber Septim knew CHIM and became Talos, the Ninth Divine. Shortly after conquering Tamriel, he is believed to have said, "Let me show you the power of Talos, Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now in royalty and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you." This is apparently a reference to an apparent climate change in Cyrodiil: before Septim conquered Summerset Isles and completed his conquest of Tamriel, Cyrodiil was described as mostly "endless jungle". But Third Era accounts of the province describe it as a land of temperate forests and plains, not jungles. This is believed by some to be evidence of the incredible power that can be wielded through a successful attempt to know CHIM, although other sources attribute Man's rulership of White-Gold Tower as the reason for the shift in climate.
Notes
- "Chim" appears in "Chim-el Adabal", another name for the Red Diamond, which is the centerpiece of the Amulet of Kings. In this context, it presumably connotes royalty, though it might also refer to the splendor of the Red Diamond or the Starlight it might have symbolised to the Ayleids as a soulgem.
- Judging by its introduction, the text Black Book: Waking Dreams apparently discusses CHIM and related concepts.
See Also
- The 36 Lessons of Vivec de Vivec — Palavras de sabedoria relacionadas a Vivec
- The Monomyth — Um livro teológico contendo mitos comuns da criação
- Mythic Dawn Commentaries de Mankar Camoran — Uma série de livros lida pelos iniciados ao culto da Aurora Mítica
- Spirit of Nirn, God of Mortals — Opniões do deus Lorkhan e a origem da criação
References
Nota: as seguintes referências não são encontradas no jogo. Elas são incluídas para providenciar um fundo mais sólido ao artigo, mas podem não refletir lore estabelecida.
External Links
- Vehk's Teachings, The Imperial Library - Excerpts from the works of Vivec and an interview where he helped explain some important concepts. Out-of-game work by former developer Michael Kirkbride.
| x32px | Este artigo relacionado a Lore é um rascunho. Você pode ajudar expandindo-o. |
