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Elder Scrolls

Not to be confused with Gideon Emery.
"Gideon, the black city of the followers of Seth, lies near the southern tip of the Imperial Run. A cold air that has nothing to do with the time of year seems to chill your bones as you enter..."
―Description in Arena[src]

Gideon is one of the eight major cities in the province of Black Marsh, situated in the southwest point of the province, near the Dorsza Pass leading into Cyrodiil. Gideon is a traditional Imperial settlement, somewhat sunken into the marshes of Black Marsh. Similar to Stormhold, Gideon shares nodes to both the Argonians and the Imperials.

By game[]

Description[]

Geography[]

[?]

Traditions[]

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  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the New Life Festival on the 1st of Morning Star. It is a day of celebration where the drinks are free and people party in the streets all day. It truly is, a day of merriment.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the South Wind's Prayer on the 15th of Morning Star. It is a day to pray to the Gods for a bountiful harvest, and it is for citizens who cannot afford to heal from the local temple to get healed from an ailment.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate Heart's Day on the 16th of Sun's Dawn. It is in honor of a legend passed down from generation to generation about a couple named Polydor and Eloisa. Every Inn in Tamriel become free for visitors arriving into town.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the First Planting on the 7th of First Seed. It is the day that begins the harvest, where neighbors reconcile their difference, bad habits are dropped, and the clerics heal people for free.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the Second Planting on the 7th of Second Seed. The holiday is ideally the same holiday as First Planting, to improve one’s soul, and to improve relationships with others.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the Mid Year Celebration on the 16th of Mid Year. A day to distract everyone from the increased taxes. It is a day celebrating the halfway mark in the year, where many warriors feel blessed and venture to dungeons they normally cannot defeat.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate Sun's Rest on the 20th of Sun's Height. It is a day when the workers of Tamriel take a day to relax, businesses across town are closed in observance of this day. Some people have to have to leave the province to actually buy something.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate Harvest's End on the 27th of Last Seed. It is the final day of the harvest, and it is where the people eat the crops they have grown since the First Planting. Travelers are given the option to join a farmer’s family for a feast.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate Tales and Tallows on the 3rd of Hearthfire. It is the day of superstition where the elderly do not speak for an entire day, in fear of evil spirits entering their body. The Mages of Tamriel favor this day since it is a day to study the oldest forms of magic.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the Witches' Festival on the 13th of Frostfall. A day when Lord Hollowjack of Detritus spreads his influence across Tamriel. Monsters and Ghouls swarm across Tamriel, terrorizing the innocent. Many people do not dare to leave their home, in fear of being nabbed by these creatures.[1][2]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the Warriors Festival on the 20th of Sun's Dusk. It is a day where many warriors gather to practice their fighting prowess. Travelers buy weapons in stores since their price's drop by half. Young children foolishly buy weapons, only to stab themselves by mistake.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the North Wind's Prayer on the 15th of Evening Star. It serves as a thanksgiving to the Gods for the year's harvest. It is a day when the local temples heal and bless anyone for a lower price.[1]
  • The Argonians of Gideon celebrate the Old Life Festival on the 31st of Evening Star. It is a day of rest, where many leave the events of the passing year behind and to reflect their past. They rest for the New Life Festival.[1]

History[]

First Era[]

Like its faraway cousin, the city of Stormhold, Gideon was originally built by the Barsaebic Ayleids, a fraction of the Heartland Elves that revere the Aedra which had caused their exile from the main group. The original Ayleid settlement's name is currently unknown, but it was abandoned through time, as the Barsaebics were very disconnected from the Cyrodilic Ayleids, as they were not affected by the Alessian Slave Rebellion. Barsaebic Gideon was really disconnected from Cyrodiil, that when King Glinferen of Atatar attempted to seek aid, the King of Old Gideon rejected him. Modern-day Argonia/Gideon would be built in the years following their demise, sometime during the First Era. From then on, Gideon's history would be tied to the Empires of Cyrodiil, especially the Second Empire. When Elissia Mallicius inadvertently initiated the Great Burn of 1E 2828, Gideon was greatly affected, being at the edge of the fire's proximity. In the aftermath, Lucinia Falco took over the Blackwater War after Regulus Sardecus, and used the city-state of Gideon as her base of operations. Her campaign proved to be successful as she conquered both the land and the seas. Black Marsh had been claimed by the Empire.[3][4][5][UL 1]

During the Four Score War in 1E 2920, the Imperial city-state of Gideon had already been a well-established settlement, with some of the architecture and streets sunken into the marsh, albeit not entirely. Castle Giovesse, despite being the seat of power for Gideon was used as a prison for many figures but most notably, for Empress Tavia, the former-lover of Reman Cyrodiil III, who was sentenced there in 1E 2899 for accusations of treason. Reman III was a very paranoid person, believing something small such as someone accidentally stepping on his foot as an act of defiance and treason, going so far as to analyze the person's apology. Tavia was imprisoned in Castle Giovesse, only left with her Orchid Nixad and her entrusted knight, the Kothringi warrior, Zuuk. It was by Tavia's request that Zuuk would call for the assassination of Reman Cyrodiil III at the hands of Miramor, a veteran of the Battle of Bodrum. However, Miramor would accidentally kill the Crown Prince and Tavia's child, Juilek Cyrodiil at Dorsza Pass. Tavia was utterly devastated by the news, and so she disappeared from Gideon, never to be seen again.[3][6][7][8]

Third Era[]

Main article: Gideon (Arena)

During the Imperial Simulacrum from 3E 389 to 3E 399, Emperor Uriel Septim VII was imprisoned along with Talin Warhaft in the Deadlands by Jagar Tharn. Tharn planned for months to capture the throne, and he was able to achieve so in ten years. Tharn had a powerful weapon called the Staff of Chaos, and he split it into nine pieces and scattered them across Tamriel, the staff was the only thing keeping Uriel Septim and Warhaft in Oblivion. A warrior escaped his clutches and traveled all corners of Tamriel to retrieve the missing pieces. The hero was known as the Eternal Champion, and he assembled the staff and defeated Jagar Tharn at the Imperial Palace. The Eternal Champion had at one point visited the city of Gideon in their quest to recover the pieces. The city of Gideon was under the rule of Queen Demia.[9]

Minor Events[]

  • 2E 582 – The trade route between Gideon and the Imperial city of Leyawiin had re-opened after some trading agreements. This route would go into former Kothringi homelands, which were prominent in the vicinity of Gideon. These lands were most likely used again when the Dorsza Pass opened between them.[10]
  • 2E 582Councilor Vandacia failed to meet his fellow Elder Council during the Planemeld's claim over the Imperial City. He was staying in the city of Gideon, believing he was in the right position to help manage an Iron crisis in the Nibenay Basin.[11]
  • 4E ? – The city-state of Gideon was one of the many casualties during the Umbriel Crisis, though it was not directly attacked by the floating city, rather it was attacked by the zombie horde that followed it towards the north. Stormhold, in the north, suffered the same fate.[12]

Trivia[]

  • In an earlier stage of development, Arena was going to be a tournament-based game, where each city had their own gladiatorial team. Gideon's team was known as the Shadowblades.[UL 2]
  • Gideon's name comes from the Biblical military leader, judge & prophet, Gideon. Who, in modern times, is symbolic of military victories by using a small army against a much larger threat, similar to the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.
  • In lore released before The Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire, as well as, early data mining of ESO, Gideon was meant to appear in the region of Murkmire, but during the three-year development of the region, since its reveal, Murkmire was changed to the Lilmoth area, west of the Oliis Bay.

Appearances[]

References[]

Notice: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of The Elder Scrolls lore and are included for completeness.
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