The Hist of the Argonia (also known as Black Marsh) might seem like regular, old, giant trees to the average person passing by. This could not be further from the truth. The Hist are trees the Argonians revere as almost God-like beings. They are a very important part of Argonian culture and play a huge role in their everyday lives.
Though they're primarily in Black Marsh, the Hist trees have been part of a few major events in The Elder Scrolls series. What things should fans know about these mystical trees?
10 Can Give The Argonians Their Gender
The Hist are connected to the Argonians at the very beginning of their lives. Argonians start their lives off as eggs that are laid under a Hist tree known as hatching pools. When the eggs hatch, their bond with the Hist is formed and the hatchlings drink the sap.
They do this throughout their infancy and the Hist will give them their souls. This determines what gender they will be. However, there are some cases of Argonians being born outside of Black Marsh without assistance from the Hist.
9 Communicate With Argonians In Various Ways
The Hist are said to be able to communicate with visions. This allows the Hist to influence Argonians born in Black Marsh. If an Argonian were to move away from Black Marsh, their connection to the Hist weakens.
Argonians that are born outside of Black Marsh usually don't have any connection to the Hist. Another way that the Hist can communicate is through the wind, a method used by the Bright-Throat Tribe's tree. The tribe creates wind chimes to receive any messages.
8 Their Roots Are Deep Within Nirn
The Hist trees are known to be one of the most ancient species on Mundus, but very few know how far their roots go. It is said by Xukas that the roots of the Hist stretch deep into Nirn and other distant lands.
While the Hist trees on Tamriel are found in Black Marsh, it is possible that more could exist outside of the continent. The sap that drips from these roots is known as Deep Sap.
7 They Can Foresee Future Events
During the Third Era, the Hist called all Argonians across Tamriel to come back to Black Marsh. They foresaw the Oblivion Crisis and ordered the Argonians to defend their homeland. Thanks to this, the Argonians were able to protect Black Marsh and defeat the Daedra that tried to invade it.
Their defense was so solid that the Argonians started going into the Oblivion Gates and slaughtering Daedra. The Daedra lieutenants were forced to close all Oblivion Gates in Black Marsh in order to keep the Argonians from invading any further.
6 A Hist Tree Doomed Its Village By Making A Deal With Molag Bal
Players of The Elder Scrolls Online have the chance to come across an Argonian-majority village known as Haj Uxith. The Hist tree of this village saw that Argonian civilization was coming to an end. Molag Bal appeared to the village and promised the Hist tree and its people that he would help them in exchange for a little Hist Sap. The Hist tree accepted the offer and the village was taken to his realm. A crystal known as the Vampiric Shard was put into the Hist tree so it could be harvested for eternity. While this crystal kept the Hist from dying, the tree was severely weakened and poisoned.
This divided the village and caused civil unrest. The Scholars group believed the Hist tree should be allowed to die and end its suffering. The Warriors group believed that the Hist should continue to live. Players can decide which group to side with and determine the Hist tree's fate.
5 A Political Faction Takes Orders Only From The Hist
The political faction known as the An-Xileel are known for their Argonian supremacist views. They take their orders directly from the Hist. With their views and mission to make Black Marsh independent from the Empire, this has made some wonder if this is the Hist's true beliefs.
It is known that the Hist are connected to each other by their roots and share a hive mind. While the An-Xileel's influence is relatively small compared to the Empire, they were the leaders of the Argonians during the Oblivion Crisis. They also led the Argonians during the Accession War and took over most of southern Morrowind.
4 Heed Caution When Drinking The Sap
The sap from the Hist allows them to communicate with anyone who consumes it. Drinking the sap from a Hist tree is normal in Argonian lives. It can increase the drinker's combat prowess. However, Hist Sap is known to be dangerous if consumed in high quantities, even for Argonians. Consuming too much can cause a person to see hallucinations. Poor treatment of a Hist tree can also affect the sap as well.
In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Blackwood Company smuggled a Hist tree from Black Marsh and placed it in their headquarters in Leyawiin. Knowing that the sap can increase combat prowess, they had their workers drink the sap when they left for missions. Aside from increased strength and seeing hallucinations, the workers were sent into a bloodlust frenzy.
3 Amber Plasm Is Not Hist Sap
Despite its very similar appearance, Amber Plasm is not Hist Sap. Amber Plasm is a form of chaotic creatia from Oblivion and leaks into the world of Mundus through the Hist like blood from a wound. Drinking or bathing in it can cause serious blisters that can result in death and cause hallucinations. The hallucinations are so strong that they can cause Argonians to go mad. Amber Plasm is also used to summons phantoms of the dead known as Amber Projections.
In The Elder Scrolls Online, a mad Hist tree known as Tsono-Xuhil was corrupted by the Amber Plasm. In turn, Tsono-Xuhil became obsessed with returning Black Marsh to the Argonians and, consequently, corrupted the Xil-Xaht tribe. The leader of the tribe, Na-Kesh, performed alchemical experiments with the Amber Plasm and was able to strengthen herself and other members of her tribe. This was put to a stop by the Undaunted at the request of a Su-Zahleel warrior who needed help saving their tribe's captured elders. The elders were able to put Tsono-Xuhil in a deep slumber and hoped to be able to save it.
2 The Sleeping Tree Might Be A Unique Hist Tree
Fans of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim might be familiar with the Sleeping Tree Camp, an area where giants and their mammoths set up camp. The camp is named after a pond with a glowing, leafless tree found in the area. A spigot can be found embedded in the tree, and if activated, the player will get the Sleeping Tree Sap. Ysolda, a merchant in Whiterun, will tell the player that the sap from the tree sells for good coin and is a narcotic.
When asked about the tree, Ysolda tells the player that no one knows where the tree came from. She says that one rumor is that a spore fell from a floating island in the sky. This "floating island in the sky" is an Easter egg to the floating city of Umbriel. The island appeared in The Elder Scrolls novels, The Infernal City and Lord of Souls. Umbriel had Hist trees that are "cousins" to the Hist found in Black Marsh. It is unconfirmed if the Sleeping Tree is from Umbriel, but the rumor does strongly hint at this.
1 A Rogue Hist Tree Caused The Umbriel Crisis
During the events of The Infernal City and Lord of Souls, a rogue Hist tree in Lilmoth corrupted the political faction, the An-Xileel. The Hist tree and the An-Xileel summoned the island of Umbriel and ordered for the deaths of all non-Argonians and any Argonians that were assimilated to the culture outside of Black Marsh. This was the beginning of the event known as The Umbriel Crisis.
The floating island of Umbriel was used to massacre Lilmoth, Gideon, and Stormhold. Umbriel also absorbed the souls of the dead to power the island and reanimated the dead bodies to create an undead army. The island continued to float throughout Tamriel and sieged Cheydinhal and marched into Morrowind. It was almost successful in sieging the Imperial City but was banished back to the Realm of the Hist.