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"Know, O Prince, that in the time of the Ra Gada, the Forebears did come to Hammerfell from doomed Yokuda. First they landed at Hegathe, which they freed of the affliction of the beast-peoples. Then spread they bothwise along the coasts, seeking out goodly harbors and well-watered oases."
The Unveiled Azadiyeh[src]

The Forebears are a faction in Hammerfell. They are the descendants of the Ra Gada, from which the name Redguard was adapted, who first landed on the coast of Hammerfell to pave way for the Na-Totambus or Crowns after the sinking of Yokuda.[2] They were in a civil war with the Crowns over dominance in Hammerfell until they united to drive back and defeat the Aldmeri Dominion in the Fourth Era. The Forebears are seen as more adaptable and progressive than the Crowns, who are more traditional.[3][4][5] Weddings between the two factions are tense due to cultural issues, in part due to either family being ignorant of which allegiance the couple will have.[6]

They appear in The Elder Scrolls Online,[7] where they have temporarily ceased hostilities with The Crowns due to the threat from Molag Bal.[7]

Religion[]

The Forebears have a different religion than the Crowns do. Their pantheon is largely attributed to the good relations the Forebears had with the Second Empire,[8] other say that the Forebears adopted the Cyrodiilic gods because of the Second Empire ruling over Hammerfell.[9] Whatever the case, their pantheon is listed below.

  • Akatosh, the Dragon god of time.
  • Tava, the Bird god, Yokudan spirit of air.
  • Julianos, God of Wisdom and Logic.
  • Dibella, Goddess of Beauty.
  • Tu'whacca, Tricky God, Yokudan god of souls.
  • Zeht, God of Farms, Yokudan god of farmers.
  • Morwha, Teat God, Yokudan god of fertility.
  • Stendarr, God of Mercy.
  • Leki, Saint of the Spirit Sword, daughter of the Yokudan god known as Tall Papa.
  • HoonDing, The Make Way God, Yokudan god of "making way" for the Redguards.
  • Malooc, Horde King, an evil god who sent his goblins against the Ra Gada.
  • Sep, The Snake, Yokudan version of Lorkhan.

History[]

First Era[]

Originally formed from the Ra Gada in the First Era, the Forebears are one of the two militaristic and political powers of Hammerfell.[1] The Forebears first landed in the city of Hegathe, which they had conqeured from the native Betmer who lived there. Shortly after, the Forebear Sword-Singers started to expand along the coastline, and claimed the city of Sentinel, which was then occupied by men and elf.[10] Sword-Singing was originally a part of Forebear culture,[11] but started to fade away in later years.[12]

Second Era[]

During the Alliance War, king Fahara'jad of the Forebears ruled over Hammerfell. Crown loyalists saw him as a usurper, and said he was guilty of working with the Ash'abah, an order dedicated to slaying the undead if they were to appear in Hammerfell. Due to the Redguards seeing the dead as honored, this somewhat tainted the king's reputation.[13] The decision of King Fahara'jad to join the Covenant, while fiercely supported by the Forebears,[5] was heavily opposed by the Crowns.[4]

Within Bergama, the Forebear Magistrate Sulma had made a deal with the Withered Hand in an attempt to save Bergama from a Withered Hand invasion. In order to defend the city, she had to sacrifice numerous civilians of the city.[14] While the Magistrate disproved of the deal, she performed it out of necessity. Attempting to somewhat limit the damage of the deal, the Magistrate solely used vagrants and criminals for the deal.[15]

During the Tiber Wars, after the death of King Thassad II, Hammerfell was plunged into Civil War.[16] The Forebears were succesful at first, claiming the city of Sentinel in a massacre,[17] which resulted in Prince A'Tor of the Crowns sailing to the mainland from Stros M'kai in order to reclaim it, resulting in one of the bloodiest massacres of Tamrielic history.[2] After this defeat, the Crowns started winning the Civil War as they pushed the Forebears back across the deserts of Hammerfell.[16] To avoid getting beaten by the Crowns, Baron Volag, leader of the Forebears at the time, signed a pact with Tiber Septim. In return for the aid of Septim's Imperial Legions, the Third Empire would be granted some border territory of Hammerfell.[17] Septim sent his Legions to fight the Crowns, crushing their armies, and eventually slaying the Prince during the Battle of Hunding Bay.[16] However, just before the war ended, Baron Volag had dissappeared, which resulted in the Empire creating its own, new, terms for the treaty, which resulted in all of Hammerfell falling to the Empire.[17] However, after a rebellion on Stros M'kai, and the death of Amiel Richton, Tiber Septim discussed the terms of the Treaty of Stros M'kai with Iszara, who led the Crown resistance, and Baron Volag, who had come out of hiding.[18]

Third Era[]

During the invasion of the Camoran Usurper, the Forebears asked the Crowns for aid, but were denied.[19] According to the Redguards Rihad and Taneth would have been able to easily stop the Usurper, but they were proven wrong. Only two weeks later word got out that the cities of Rihad and Taneth had been obliterated by the Usurper, who seemed unstoppable.[20] Until the defeat of the usurper, the lands of the Forebears were ravaged by his armies.[21]

As a result of the lack of aid for the Forebears during the events of the Camoran Usurper, the Forebears did not answer the Crown's call for aid during the War of Bend'r-Mahk, resulting in Elinhir and half of Dragonstar getting conqeured by the Nords.[19]

Fourth Era[]

In the early days of the Fourth Era, Hammerfell had seceded from the Empire, though it was later reclaimed by Titus Mede I.[22] Since 4E 168, the Crowns and Forebears had been at Civil War again, until the Great War took place three years later.[23] Shortly after the war broke out, Forebear and Crown alike lost many cities, as almost every city along the southern coastline was conqeured by the forces of the Third Aldmeri Dominion.[23] In 4E 172, only the city of Hegathe still held out. In 4E 173 a rare event occured, where a Forebear army from Sentinel broke the Aldmeri siege on Hegathe, which was a Crown city. Due to this act of kindness, the Crowns and Forebears stood united.[23] At the same time, the city of Skaven was conqeured by other Aldmeri forces. When the Empire signed the White-Gold Concordat, Hammerfell saw it as a betrayal and refused to sign the treaty, resulting in the province being renounced and the Empire getting hatred from the Redguards.[23] The Great War in Hammerfell lasted for five more years than in the Empire, as it lasted until 4E 180. It ended with the signing of the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai.[23] The Redguards claim that the Dominion could have truly been defeated had they stood united with Hammerfell.

Holdings[]

The terrain traditionally held by the Forebears are in the southern parts of the province, where the Ra Gada originally landed.[19] The following are the cities which are associated with the Forebears.

Noteworthy members[]

Appearances[]

References[]

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