Lore:Anka-Ra

An undead Anka-Ra warrior

The Anka-Ra (roughly translated as "former warrior" or "old warrior") were one of the most fearsome warrior bands of the Ra Gada, or "warrior wave", ancestors of the Redguards who invaded western Tamriel from their homeland of Yokuda in 1E 808. They conquered the region of Craglorn and their leader Tarish-Zi proclaimed himself emperor.

Due to the oaths they made in life, the Anka-Ra can rise from their tombs as a unique form of stone undead. The secret knowledge needed to bind them for eternity was granted to Tarish-Zi by Hermaeus Mora.

History

First Era

An Anka-Ra burial site

The Anka-Ra arrived in southern Hammerfell (then known as the Deathlands) as part of the second warrior wave, under the command of Tarish-Zi. They cut a bloody swath across the province, marching towards the region of Craglorn.

The Anka-Ra subdued and conquered Craglorn, which was previously inhabited by Nedes. They attacked the Nedic kingdoms and beseiged Skyreach, the seat of the Nedic royal family. In his search for Nedic treature, Tarish-Zi searched for the lost Nedic ruins of Reinhold's Retreat, and subsequently ordered the complex to be buried when he did not find what he was looking for within its walls.

Having conquered the region, the invaders constructed the great Hel Ra Citadel to protect a nearby Yokudan city, the name of which was lost to time. Hel Ra was used as a training grounds to study the way of the Ansei, a martial philosophy on blade mastery, with the ultimate goal of realising a Shehai, a "spirit sword" formed from sheer force of will. Of note are a band of prominent Ansei known as "the Four". According to legend, their prowess with the Shehai was unmatched and they single-handedly captured Nedic fortifications, breached walls, and cut down entire armies.

The invasion of the Ra Gada corresponds with the disappearance of the Nedes from the historical record as a distinct culture; it is believed that Nedic civilization was already fading by the time of the Anka-Ra's conquest. Although Tarish-Zi ruled over his new kingdom justly for a time, he was a cruel man, and he soon began to turn his armies against his allies, styling himself as an emperor rather than a king.

In time, Tarish-Zi and his Anka-Ra warriors died and were buried in great tombs across the landscape of Craglorn.

Second Era

Titus Valerius confronts Emperor Tarish-Zi

In life, Tarish-Zi had a connection to the constellation of the Warrior due to his martial skill, and this connection was exploited circa 2E 582 when the constellations fell from the sky, landing in Craglorn as mortal beings known as the Celestials. The Celestial Warrior was corrupted by Malazar, the Celestial Serpent, who compelled him to summon Tarish-Zi forward in time. Under the Serpent's control, Tarish-Zi invoked the oath of eternal loyalty sworn to him by his Anka-Ra, and commanded them to rise from their tombs as undead stone warriors.

However, before he could be fully corrupted by the Serpent's influence, the Celestial Warrior summoned his champion, Titus Valerius, from across time. Titus served in the Anka-Ra army but was against Tarish-Zi and his brutal style of rulership. The Warrior's call pulled Titus across time, depositing him stark naked in the middle of a melee at the Dragonstar Arena. He was subsequently deemed to be insane and was arrested, but was freed by the Vestige.

The Celestial Thief managed to escape the Serpent's corruption by hiding in the town of Belkarth, where she posed as a Redguard named Hara. She joined the Star-Gazers and led the group in their efforts to combat the celestial threat posed by the Serpent and his armies. As part of this effort, Star-Gazer priests journeyed to the ancient Anka-Ra burial sites scattered throughout western Craglorn to consecrate the tombs and temporarily prevent any more undead Anka-Ra from rising.

With the aid of Titus Valerius, the Star-Gazers were able to learn of the threat posed by the Anka-Ra and identify the burial place of Tarish-Zi. Titus and the Vestige entered the Tombs of the Na-Totambu and found Tarish-Zi within his tomb. Together, they confronted the "false emperor" and killed him, putting an end to the Serpent's plans for an Anka-Ra army under his command.

Even with Tarish-Zi defeated, the Celestial Warrior remained under the Serpent's influence. He retreated to Hel Ra Citadel, which had been sealed for many centuries. Hearing rumors of scholars disappearing within the unsealed fortress, the Undaunted arrived in Craglorn to combat whatever threat had awakened inside. A group of Undaunted assaulted the citadel, fighting through hordes of undead Anka-Ra to reach the Warrior's chamber and defeat him. This defeat allowed the Celestial Thief to appear and cleanse the Warrior of the Serpent's corruption. With the aid of the Vestige, the Warrior subsequently returned Titus Valerius to his own time period once the Serpent's plans were foiled.

Although the threat of an Anka-Ra army was ended, they continued to plague the region. Boethiah seemingly pulled many Anka-Ra into her realm to fight as combatants in the Celestial Ring, one of several rounds within the Dragonstar Arena. Some Anka-Ra Sandcamels and Senche-Lions were tamed and used as mounts; these creatures appeared to be made from the sand of the Alik'r, which would mystically amalgamate into the shimmering form of a mount when summoned.

Gallery

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  Anka-Ra Sandcamel

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  Anka-Ra Senche-Lion

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  An Argonian polymorphed into an Anka-Ra warrior

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  Concept art

Notes

• Although the Anka-Ra were mostly Yokudans, Argonian and Khajiit Anka-Ra have been emulated via polymorph magic.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the ESO article.