Lore:Waughin Jarth

Waughin Jarth
Race	Breton	Gender	Male
Born		3rd Era

Waughin Jarth was a well-known and celebrated author from the late Third Era that penned many books and stories, such as The Wolf Queen, A Dance in Fire, and Feyfolken. Ever since he was young, Waughin Jarth has had a passion for writing and has done it purely for fun. Despite the subjects of some of his books, he had no interest in writing about high and mighty figures and liked to explore the triumphs and tribulations of the common folk.

History

Waughin Jarth spent some of his youth in Valenwood and had always written for his or his friends' entertainment. He felt even if he did not find success as a writer, his passion for telling himself stories would have kept him going.

The inspiration for one of his stories came from an old tale passed down by his family through the generations. It was a story from his great-great uncle, who was a warder in a Torval asylum where nobles of any high standing were admitted. It was specifically his experience with the then Emperor of Tamriel, Pelagius Septim III. While Waughin Jarth did not outright believe the story, he was told in such a manner that it was meant to be taken seriously. Without any children of his own and in need of money, he published the story as The Asylum Ball.

Waughin Jarth liked to take inspiration from historical figures but was not as well-versed in history as his contemporary, Carlovac Townway. This was the case for one of his subjects, Potema; the Wolf-Queen of Solitude. According to word of mouth passed to the author, Florin Jaliil, Waughin Jarth used over a hundred contemporary narratives to write The Wolf Queen series. However, at the start of every volume in the series, there is a penned attribution. From volumes 1 to 4, the volume is attributed to the first-century sage, Montocai while volumes 5 to 8 are attributed to his student, second-century sage, Inzolicus. Despite his extensive research, Waughin Jarth designed his books to be entertainment, not historical accounts. In an interview, he explained his purpose in creating The Wolf Queen was to tell Potema's life and ambitions. When he was told stories from the War of the Isle, he believed some of it was exaggerated and left out questionable details.

Along with The Wolf Queen series, Waughin Jarth released three books by 3E 427. One of these books was the fictional series, Feyfolken, which focused on a mute scribe from Alinor named Thaurbad Hulzik, and his encounter the eponymous pen, Feyfolken. The story is told through the perspective of the Great Sage, who is more commonly referenced in Aegrothius Goth's work. Another book, which started its own mini-series within itself was A Dance in Fire, which is written in the perspective of an Imperial clerk named Decumus Scotti.

Decumus Scotti was a real person who lived sometime during the Imperial Simulacrum in Cyrodiil. In A Dance in Fire, Decumus Scotti travels through the province of Valenwood to meet his old friend, Liodes Jurus in Falinesti, and eventually meet the Silvenar. For obvious reasons, Waughin Jarth used a different name for the clerk and using his first-hand account of Valenwood from his childhood, he was able to provide accurate depictions of the places mentioned in the book.

By 3E 433, Waughin Jarth authored three more books. One of these books was a continuation of Decumus Scotti's adventures, but this time in Black Marsh. It was known as The Argonian Account and it sees the clerk travel to the southeast province to help rebuild roads between Cyrodiil and Gideon, all the while learning about the Argonians and their culture. Unlike with Valenwood, Waughin Jarth had never set foot in Black Marsh except for Gideon, which was the most Imperialized city at the time. Despite that, many Imperials who have made the trip through Black Marsh attested to the books' accurate descriptions.

Another book published at the time was The Exodus, a book that centered around the Mages Guild, Necromancers, and the island of Olenveld. It mentions the contemporary figure, the then Archmagister of the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil, Hannibal Traven, who took up the position in 3E 431 and banned necromancy not long after his promotion. According to Waughin Jarth shortly before the book's publication, despite his excitement to publish the book, he could not stop editing it.

One of his last known books was Purloined Shadows, a two-chapter story about a thief and her master as they attempt to steal Nocturnal's cloak. Beyond the aforementioned titles, Waughin Jarth planned to have several more books published but what became of them is unknown.

Gallery

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  An image associated with A Dance in Fire

Notes

• All of Waughin Jarth's books were written by the developer, Ted Peterson. While commentating on the truths of historical-fiction writing in Tamriel, he compared Waughin Jarth, Carlovac Townway, and other Tamrielic authors to real-life writers like Sharon Kay Penman who conduct meticulous research for their historical fiction writings. While it is all true, some of it was definitely written with dramatization.

See Also

• For a list of books written by Waughin Jarth, see the following list.

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.