Flash Fiction February 2025 Day Thirteen: A Display Of Diversity (Xiran)

A/N: This got longer than originally expected...happy lantern festival!

Flash Fiction February 2025 Day 13 Prompt: Diversity

One thing that most foreigners seem unaware of about Morrowind is the amount of diversity that exists within the country as to many it is simply an alien inhospitable land full of confusing rules and social customs. During the time I was stationed in Ebonheart, where I find myself once again for the lantern festival, I encountered a significant number of newcomers to the country, mostly Imperials from Cyrodiil who for one reason or another had decided to come east. Ebonheart is an Imperial administered city, one of the few towns, cities, and mining camps that exist aside from the Foreign Quarter Canton of Vivec City and a few Imperial forts built primarily on Vvardenfell with the treaty allowing Imperial settlement on the island. The small island of Solstheim also has an Imperial presence. The town of Raven Rock being the only significant settlement on the island apart from the village of the Skaal people, a secluded offshoot of Skyrim’s Nordic population who are the indigenous people of the island living in the northeastern section far away from the miners seeking their fortune. While I was in Ebonheart I realized how little many foreigners know of the country before arriving with few knowing even basic greetings or how to read common signage. It takes a lot of them years to get a solid grasp on the language fundamentals, with the numerous regional dialects not being introduced until in some cases a decade or more of living in the country. Vvardenfell has the major seats of power for a number of the Great Houses including House Telvanni on the southeast coast, House Redoran in the northwest close to the Ghostfence, and House Hlaalu who maintain control over the city of Balmora southwest of Ald'ruhn. House Indoril rules from the mainland based at the ancestral seat in Mournhold and I don’t care enough about House Dres to even remember where their seat of power is, they’re a rather unsavory bunch. Each region has their own unique dialect along with dialects spoken by the Ashlander tribes which may have cognates but are not mutually intelligible, many of the regional dialects are the same way aside from the fact all use the same writing language system- a character system traditionally written vertically but in recent decades has begun to be written horizontally with increasing frequency with an increase in Imperial influence. Wandering the streets of the stone city it is almost somewhat confusing at times seeing so many people who look like me dressed in traditional clothing to celebrate the festival in a city that would fit in perfectly if it were dropped somewhere in the countryside of Cyrodiil at random. Some outlanders join the festivities as well with a few dressing up in the attempt to fit in with the crowds. Looking around I see the diversity in the clothing quickly differentiating one regional group to another. A woman walks by with a costume intricately decorated in silver from head to toe, not all that different to my own, just likely heavier. A man standing next to her wears a blue skull cap and a robe embroidered with designs that looks as if it came from the deserts of Hammerfell long ago with beautifully colored thread. A troupe of lion dancers hidden beneath the colorful red and yellow lion pass by entertaining onlookers as they move in time carefully practiced to someone playing music. Two women, one an outlander and one not, watch the performance gleefully with both dressed in long flowing robe-like dresses with additional sashes and ribbons adding further decoration. The woman who is the outlander looks as if she is from one of the countries on the Iliac Bay, though I cannot clearly tell which she appears rather ambiguous. Unlike her companion she wears an additional piece of cloth tied like a headband covering part but not all of her hair and keeping stray strands of hair out of her face. Two men who appear to be from the north climb one of the staircases to get a better look at the fireworks, their blue full length robes with a painted tapestry of details accompanied by vests and hats make it obvious. A few Imperial soldiers have joined the festival's activities and included special accents on their uniforms while others stand around and enjoy the lanterns, solve riddles, marvel at the fireworks display and entertaining dances, and enjoy the food as it’s likely the best they’ll have in a no short amount of time. Stumbling upon a street vendor I purchase a trio of sweet sticky dumplings made of rice filled with sesame paste that I eat while wandering, enjoying the festival. In a city that can be so dark and boring it’s nice to see the diversity of its population all celebrating together as the city comes to life with light, even if only for one night.