Battle of Cylarne
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The Battle of Cylarne was the climax of a centuries old conflict between the Golden Saints and the Dark Seducers of the Shivering Isles regarding the ancient, holy site of Cylarne. This final battle was instigated mainly by the Hero of Kvatch, who was sent as an emissary by Sheogorath to re-light the holy Flame of Agnon, which would be used to re-light the Great Torch of New Sheoth. While the history and some of the build up to the battle is well known, the actual events of the battle, including who won, are unclear. It is known that the Hero was key to whichever side proved victorious.
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[edit] Prelude
At some point between the time of the last Greymarch and the one that took place during the beginning of the Fourth Era, the Aureal and Mazken, alternatively Golden Saints and Dark Seducers, began fighting for control of the ancient city of Cylarne. The exact reason for this fued, including the significance of the site to the two Daedra factions, is unknown. It is possible, and probable, that the conflict goes back millenia. It is generally accepted that the two altars present in Cylarne, the Altar of Rapture and the Altar of Despair, serve some purpose in the religious practices of the two Daedra.
[edit] The Battle
During the time of the final Greymarch, Sheogorath send his new champion, the Hero of Kvatch, to Cylarne with the task of re-lighting the Flame of Agnon, which would subsequently be used for the Great Torch, a symbol of hope to the citizens of the Shivering Isles. Upon arriving, the Hero found the two factions stuck in a stalemate with one another. The Saints held the fortress exterior and the Altar of Rapture, while the Seducers held the interior and Despair. The Seducers, led by the Grakedrig Ulfri, were deeply entrenched within Cylarne, which had prompted the Saints to send for reinforcements from their base at Brellach. Those reinforcements came in the form of Aurmazl Kaneh and her contingent of Golden Saints. The Aureal were preparing to launch yet another attack on Cylarne in an effort to defeat the Mazken.
With the arrival of the Hero, both sides immediately vied for the favor of Sheogorath's personal emissary. Kaneh wanted the Hero to assist the Saints in taking the Altar of Despair and Cylarne, while Ulfri wanted the Hero to help rout the Saints once and for all when they attacked. At this point, facts become ambigous. It is unknown which side the Hero decided to assist, or what strategies were used to turn the battle in favor of the winner. What is known is that the Saints did charge into Cylarne, attacking the Dark Seducers. Battle broke out in the halls of the holy fortress, and eventually spilled into the chamber housing the Altar of Despair, where one side or the other was victorious. The winning faction was given complete control of Cylarne, and their leader sacrificed herself to light the Altar of Despair while another candidate lit the Altar of Rapture. The Flame of Agnon came alive again.
[edit] Aftermath
The Hero stepped into the Flame of Agnon, and was instantly lit with the holy fire. Leaving Cylarne, the Hero was forced to contend with the Forces of Order, which had activated an Order Obelisk just outside the entrance of Cylarne, yet another sign of the impending war. The Hero took the Flame back to New Sheoth, and within the Sacellum of Arden-Sul lit the Great Torch for either Mania or Dementia.
[edit] Tactics
[edit] Golden Saints
The main tactic that Aurmazl Kaneh had in mind was the same as before, a straight charge into the fortress, relying on numbers and swordstrength to succeed. Even with the boosted garrison, this tactic had proved disadvantageous time and again, which prompted Mirel, and Aureal scout and lieutenant to Kaneh, to seek a different plan of attack. Mirel and his scouts discovered that the Underdeep, a kind of "back door" to Cylarne, was relatively undefended, and could provide an easy way for the Golden Saints to attack the Dark Seducers from behind. Kaneh dismissed this initially, believing it to be a trick as well as looking down on Mirel for being a male, but scouting done by the Hero later confirmed Mirel's report to be true. If the Hero sided with the Aureals, it's possible that he misled the Mazken into believing they were going to be attacked from the Underdeep, moving their forces away from the main entrance and allowing Kaneh's troops to attack as planned.
[edit] Dark Seducers
The Dark Seducers were solely focused on defending their foothold in the fortress against the repeated attacks of the Golden Saints. Grakedrig Ulfri deployed her troops in the main passage, confident that the Saints would attack from that way, as always. When the Hero arrived, however, assuming he sided with the Mazken, Ulfri was given a new option. Taking advantage of the Aureal scout Mirel's report, the Hero may have tricked the Saints into attacking through the Underdeep, only to lead them into an ambush set by Ulfri redeploying her Seducers there and activating the trap systems within the Underdeep, thus assuring a Mazken victory.
[edit] Behind the Scenes
- The Battle is seen in the quest "The Cold Flame of Agnon", where the player is given the choice of aiding either the Golden Saints or Dark Seducers.
- The quest is one of the most free-range in the game, allowing the player to manipulate both sides as they see fit.
- Choosing the Aureal or Mazken at Cylarne will not affect the course of the Main Quest in any way, but choosing to light the Flame for either Mania or Dementia will result in the player receiving an item specific to the faction chosen.
- The Flame of Agnon creates a unique flaming effect on the player's character while the player is carrying it. This can later be used after the Main Quest is over and the player can switch the Flame back and forth from Mania and Dementia.
