Lore:Kaladas

Saint Kaladas the Architect
Statue of Saint Kaladas holding the Mace of the Crusader in front of the Great Chapel of Zenithar
Race	Man	Gender	Male
Born		1st Era
Died		1st Era Leyawiin
Resided in		Leyawiin

Saint Kaladas the Architect was a First Era master craftsman and Imperial saint who lived in Leyawiin several centuries after the Alessian Slave Rebellion. He constructed the Great Chapel of Zenithar in Leyawiin in tribute to the legend of a messenger who is said to have carried the Mace of the Crusader to Leyawiin following the death of Pelinal Whitestrake at the hands of the Ayleids. According to legend, Kaladas was driven to build the chapel by constant dreams of Pelinal. The Mace, which had been given to Pelinal by Zenithar, had not been seen for many centuries. However, when Saint Kaladas was laid to rest in the chapel undercroft, those who prayed to Zenithar at his tomb began to receive visions of the Mace.

Worship

The Great Chapel of Zenithar, built by Saint Kaladas (Oblivion)

Saint Kaladas is venerated at shrines and votives that often feature imagery of thorns and angles. They are ancient Nibenese symbols of grace and precision, used to display true dedication to one's craft. Some devotees choose to tattoo their bodies and faces with this imagery in a budding script in order to demonstrate their adoration of Kaladas.

Many pilgrims came to the Tomb of Saint Kaladas to receive the vision, but none could reach the Mace. Each vision was the same: the Mace would appear upon bowing to the shrine, separated by a great chasm. Many tried and failed to reach the Mace, and would instead fall into the chasm each time, awakening from the vision.

According to legend, Saint Kaladas used gnarled, iron nails to assemble the original pulpit in the Chapel of Zenithar. These nails were later removed from the chapel and became very valuable relics.

History

The Tomb of Saint Kaladas

During the Anequine Conquests of the 1E 400s, Leyawiin was annexed by the Khajiit wander-kings of Bruk'ra. Although not reflected in Imperial histories, scholars have theorized that construction of the Great Chapel of Zenithar had been completed by this time, and that the structure was converted to a Temple of Two-Moons Dance.

Circa 2E 582, hundreds of Zenithar worshippers would journey to Leyawiin each year to glimpse the architectural marvel of the Great Chapel of Zenithar. The Kaladas Inn was a local tavern that offered respite to many of these pilgrims.

In 3E 111, the Knights of the Nine were founded in search of the Crusader's Relics, and the Dunmer knight Sir Ralvas devoted himself to recovering the Mace of the Crusader. He prayed at the Tomb of Saint Kaladas many times, but died at some point prior to 3E 153 without ever reaching the Mace.

Circa 3E 433, the Hero of Kvatch refounded the Knights of the Nine and was guided to the tomb by the ghost of Sir Ralvas. It transpired that the only way to cross the chasm and recover the Mace was to wear the Boots of the Crusader, a sacred relic of Kynareth. In this way, the pilgrim would acknowledge the close ties between Zenithar and Kynareth, and the reliance that craftsmen have on the materials provided by the natural world. The Hero was given the Boots by Kynareth herself, and duly managed to recover the Mace by wearing them while praying at the tomb.

Gallery

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  The Great Chapel of Zenithar (ESO)

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  The vision of the Mace of the Crusader (Oblivion)

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  Statuette of Kaladas (ESO)

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  Saint Kaladas body markings (ESO)

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  Statue of Saint Kaladas