Lore:Vamidium

Vamidium is the Dwemeris word for "mount".^[1] It is used to refer to the many different types of animunculi constructed by the Dwemer for use as steam-powered mechanical mounts. Many of these constructs were made to imitate nature, taking the form of animals commonly used as mounts by the other races of Tamriel. Like other animunculi, vamidiums appear to utilize soul gems or dynamo cores as a power source.

The Dwemer did not rely entirely on mechanical vamidiums for use as mounts. For example, the existence of ancient Dwarven horse armor points to the use of war horses by the Dwemer.^[2]

Many vamidiums were collected by the Mages Guild and stored in the vaults below the Arcane University in the Second Era. When the forces of Molag Bal overran the Imperial City during the Planemeld of 2E 582, many of these rare artifacts were smuggled out of the city and began to appear on the open market all over Tamriel.^[3]

Dwarven vamidiums are not to be confused with fabricants, partially organic mechanical constructs created by Sotha Sil which are also sometimes used as mounts. They should also not be confused with "Dwemervamidium", the name for steam-assisted semi-mechanized heavy Dwarven armor.^[4]

Varieties of Vamidium[edit]

The Dwemer did not restrict themselves to a single design when constructing mounts for their use. This is evident in the sheer number of animal-based designs that exist, and the different combinations of materials that have been noted in recovered specimens.

Dwarven Bears are vamidiums which resemble bears. Guylaine Marilie, a noted Dwemer scholar, speculated that Dwarven Bears were reserved only for Dwemer of high rank or status due to their impressive size and intimidating appearance.^[5]
Dwarven Camels are vamidiums built to resemble camels. They are most often found among the ruins of the desert-dwelling Rourken clan of Hammerfell.^[6]
Dwarven Guars are vamidiums which resemble guars. They are most often found at Dwemer sites in Morrowind, as might be expected given the widespread use of guars as pack animals and mounts in that region.^[7]

An Ebon Dwarven Senche

Dwarven Horses are automata constructed to look like their living counterparts.^[1] Though usually made of so-called Dwarven Metal, there have been rare examples of vamidiums with parts forged from one of the rarest materials on Nirn, a super-hard whitish alloy known as Dwarven Adamant.^[8]
Dwarven Senche are vamidiums which resemble the senche-tigers of southern Tamriel. Scholars of the Dwemer have long wondered why they chose to make animunculi resembling senche-tigers, as Dwemer civilization was restricted mainly to northeast Tamriel, where the only large feline is the sabre cat.^[9] An unusual kind of Dwarven senche with key mechanical components forged from ebony and ebony-steel alloys has been discovered.^[10]
Dwarven Spiders are a common and highly versatile type of animunculi, found in almost every Dwemer ruin. Although often used for combat or repair purposes, large Dwarven Spider vamidiums were also created.^[11] Several types of Dwarven Spider mounts have been repurposed by the nomadic Baandari peddlers of Elsweyr for use transporting goods over long distances, often retrofitting them with magical lunar compasses to aid in navigation.^[12]^[13]

Dwarven Spiders composed of ebony alloys also exist.^[14] However, those composed of an Ebon Steel alloy rather than the usual Dwarven Metal are rarer, and highly prized by collectors. ^[15] The Infernium Dwarven Spider are a dark red variant that is capable of emitting searing flames, having seemingly been created by a single Dwemer artisan using the facility known as the Infernium Forge.^[16] Chroma-Blue Dwarven Spider is the rarest of all Dwarven Spider vamidiums, powered by a gem that emits a cold blue light which is said to reflect the frigid stolen soul of the Dwemer engineer trapped within it.^[17]

Dwarven Wolves are vamidiums which resemble the large wolves often used as mounts. They are most often found in proximity to Dwemer ruins in northern and western Skyrim, where wolves are most common in the wild. The loping gait of these constructs is said to give the most comfortable ride of any mechanical mount.^[18] Though usually made of so-called Dwarven Metal, there have been rare examples of silver-colored vamidiums with critical components made of vitrine, a sort of Dwemeri glass. Of all the known vamidiums, vitrine Dwarven wolves are one of the rarest.^[19]