by Cord-Spinner Nakish

Within many a stone nest hang long, knotted cords spun from ironweed fibers. The full length of the cord can represent many things. For instance, a cord hung over a mantle may represent the lives of the family which tends to it. Perhaps it begins with a polished stone representing their union, with further knots and stones representing special occasions, such as the birth of a child. This knot can also spin off into its own branching strand to further detail the life of the child it represents.

They can be a curious sight for outsiders. One part decoration, one part historical record. These cords are the physical representations of our histories, whether individual or communal, a custom I wish to share so that it may be preserved for centuries to come.

The cord itself can be spun from any plant fiber so long as it can bear the weight of its stone. Ironweed is the most common, but it is not unheard of to mix fibers and add portions of different cords should more length be needed.

Knots are the most common marker of events, but the most cherished are recorded with polished or carved stones.
We Stone-Nest honor stone, not only as a building material, but as a medium through which we can record our impact on the world. When carved, stone carries with it our touch, our intention, into a future we will never walk ourselves. Thus, the most important moments of our lives are recorded with polished stones.

Some examples include the use of obsidian to note a time of self-reflection. Malachite to record a battle or personal struggle. Amber for reconnecting with your past. Bismuth to mark the culmination of a transition. Or, a progression of materials in increasing quality, such as copper to silver to gold, to mark accomplishments in a trade or academic pursuit.

In some cases, pieces of our stone buildings may be used. For example, should someone decide to dedicate their burial stone to the repair of a hatchery, they may mark the occasion with a piece of the crumbling stone they wish to replace. In the same vein, when a family member passes, their relatives may take small bones from their body or pieces of their burial stone to mark the end of their lives. These will also mark the end of their personal cords which are then added to an ancestral cord if one is being maintained by the family.

All this to say that maintaining a cord is an act of personal reflection. When next you meet a Stone-Nest Argonian, take note of whether they wear a corded bracelet on their wrist. Many Stone-Nest carry a short portion of cord with them to represent the year, later adding it to their personal cord. In this way, cords are living things which grow alongside us.

There was a time long ago, before the arrival of the Mer, that our entire history was recorded in enormous cords which hung from temple ceilings like glittering stalactites. These records were lost to time and war, with the burning of temples marked by the sound of precious stones falling from charred cords. A tragedy beyond compare, certainly, but one that we can work toward rectifying.

You see, after the loss of these great records, many Stone-Nest have chosen to maintain their cords in the privacy of their dwellings, rarely connecting them with the cords of the community. Because of this, I fear there are entire histories hidden between unconnected cords. Stories that have gone unnoticed and are under threat of being lost entirely.

My solemn wish is that we can set aside this heavy grief and move towards a collective accounting of our histories. It is my hope that, with this primer, we can once again fill our temples with our histories and see with our own eyes the marvels of our lives.