Nordic Empire

"King Vrage the Gifted began the expansion that led to the First Empire of the Nords. Within a span of fifty years, Skyrim ruled all of northern Tamriel, including most of present-day High Rock, a deep stretch of the Nibenay Valley, and the whole of Morrowind."

―Imperial Geographic Society

The great Palace of the Kings, in Windhelm, which served as the First Empire of the Nord's seat of power.

The Nordic Empire, formally the First Empire of the Nords, sometimes referred to as the First Empire of Men, or the First Empire of humankind, and sharing the Alessian Empire's simplified moniker of the First Empire, was the first known human Empire within Tamriel. The formal date of its establishment is unknown, if any, however, informally it started in the year 1E 240, with the beginning of High King Vrage's Skyrim Conquests. However, some sources seem to imply that the Empire may have actually been formed, by Vrage, slightly before his conquests. In 1E 369, the Empire would fall into civil war known as the War of Succession, following the death of High King Borgas. The War of Succession would rage on for fifty years, and would bring about the complete collapse of the Empire in 1E 416, with the loss of all of Skyrim's satellite territories.

History

Skyrim Conquests

The inception of the Nords, Skyrim Conquests, began with the first Nordic discoveries of the proto-Breton 'Manmeri' beyond the western border of the Reach. According to Khosey's Tamrilean Tractates, the first discovery of Bretons was done so by a group of Nord hunters, who, at first, attacked the Bretons believing them some new, undiscovered, strand of Aldmer, recorded as being "scarcely recognizable as humans." The hunting parties' slaughter only stopped when the oldest of the Manmeri began pleading for his life in some form of broken Nordic dialect. News of this discovery began to spread all across Skyrim, eventually to the capital city, Windhelm. There, it was concluded that the Manmeri must have been remnants of human slaves taken from Saarthal during its fall and sacking, and that ten generations of forced intermingling with Elves had left them with their deformed, elven, appearance. With this resolve, High King Vrage the Gifted saw no other choice than to invade the neighboring lands of High Rock and liberate the Nord's long separated kinsmen from the tyranny of Elven rulership, thus beginning the Skyrim Conquests in 1E 240, which, in the span of fifty years would carve out an Empire spanning almost the entirety of northern Tamriel. Instead of using conventional siege tactics, the Nords would instead use Tongues to breach the defenses of enemy territories.

High Rock

Vrage's initial onslaught drove quickly through High Rock, first conquering the rolling hills and valleys of the Western Reach, then moving up towards the banks of the Bjoulsae River. Incursions beyond the Bjoulsae were, however, short lasted and were almost always halted due to Elven magical ability and those Bretons who sided themselves with the Elves. Incidentally, the Nords did manage to dominate High Rock's coastal regions through establishing fortified raiding villages on the shorelines, most notably the northern half of the Iliac Bay. The most recognizable of these such settlements being Daggerfall, established around 1E 246, which would eventually grow to become one of High Rock's most prominent cities.

Morrowind

Early on during the conquests, given Vrage's fruitful expansions into High Rock, the enthusiastic Nords of northern Skyrim began to leave their snowy valleys and mountain settlements to mount an incredible invasion into the eastern territory of present-day Morrowind. The conquest of Morrowind is often considered to be one of the most epic clashes of the First Era, in which the Nords took on both the military might of the Chimer and the technological advances of the Dwemer. Nord sea raiders frequently harassed and dominated the scattered Chimer tribes. The long rivalry between the Dwemer and the Chimer played a significant role in the fall of the territory. Another notable factor that influenced the Chimer's poor resistance was the lack of unity between tribes. Many tribes of Chimer aided the invading forces, with the intent of defeating their opposing tribes. One of the unusual tactics employed by the Nords was the use of Thu'um to conjure up storms, which almost always routed their fearful enemies. While the whole of mainland Morrowind fell, the deep-seated Dwemer Kingdom of Vvardenfell proved a formidable foe for the armies of the First Empire, and was never successfully conquered.

Nibenay

Inspired by the success of the northern conquests of High Rock and Morrowind, Nordic earls of Skyrim's southern highlands began scouting out the lands beyond the Jerall Mountains to find their own opportunities. Unfortunately for the earls, northern Cyrodiil and the Jeralls proved a small prize for the Nords and was deemed unnecessary of conquest. However, in 1E 242, favorable circumstances arose for justifiable Nordic incursion into Cyrodiil with the Alessian Slave Rebellion raging on, which was also partially inspired by news of Nordic victories against the Elves in the north. This began with Alessia convincing Breton and Nordic war bands to help her cause with promises of rich lands and trade concessions, and evolved into full military aid from the Nordic Empire, with the creation of a loose alliance between the two factions. The Nords would admit large expanses of the Nibenay Valley into their Empire, and Nordic mercenaries who were promised land in the region would contribute to the eventual creation of the prosperous Nibenean culture.

Dwemer City-States of Skyrim

The High King Gellir, who is conventionally believed to have succeeded Vrage, was responsible for conquering the multiple independent Dwemer city-states of Skyrim within a span of three years. The Nords under Gellir's reign were surprised by the expedience of the campaign, as the Dwemer had successfully resisted Nordic invasion for nearly a century. The abrupt collapse of the Dwemer city-states is normally attributed to Gellir's tactical prowess and the blessings of Shor, however more recent discoveries suggest other components of the Nords' success. Around this time the Dwemer city-states were decimated by internal disputes and infighting over the rare material known as Aetherium, discovered shorty after High King Harald's reign (circa 1E 221). This disharmony between the Dwemer city-states, referred to as the Aetherium Wars, was brought about when an alliance designed to extract Aetherium collapsed due to the members states' own greed, embodied by their attempts to claim the Aetherium Forge. Over the subsequent decades, the war diminished the unity and power of the Dwemer city-states, allowing for Gellir's subsequent conquest. The only Dwemer freehold within traditional Nordic lands known to have remained completely independent from occupation was the city of Nchardak, in Solstheim, which the inhabitants submerged underwater until their would be invaders left.

Borgas' Reign

The hidden burial place of High King Borgas, Korvanjund.

The next known ruler of the Empire, the successor to Gellir, was the High King Borgas, who was one of the Prophet Marukh's chief supporters. His reign saw increased flirtation with the Alessian Empire, to the south. In 1E 358, during what is assumed to be Borgas' reign, the Nordic Empire began losing large amount of territory in Greater Bretony to the growing power of the Direnni Hegemony, being pushed back all the way to the Western Reach. The Alessian Emperor, Ami-El, sent armies to aid in the Nord's struggle, but the forces weren't enough.

Borgas brought Marukh's great cultural and religious movement, the Alessian Reform, to Skyrim. He did so by enforcing the strict Alessian's doctrines which now governed the Alessian Empire, and by outlawing the traditional Nordic Pantheon. Borgas is known to have orchestrated many campaigns to spread the influence of the Alessian Order. After the Camoran Dynasty backed out of an important trade agreement with the Alessian Empire, High King Borgas traveled to Cyrodiil to urge a joint war against the Bosmer of Valenwood, in 1E 369. However, the Bosmer initiated a Wild Hunt with the intention of assassinating Borgas for the inequities of his Alessian faith, in which they were successful. Legend holds that his body was secretly returned to Skyrim, and buried in a tomb in which particular location was lost to the ages, along with the Skyrim's ancient and symbolic Jagged Crown.

The War of Succession

The Jagged Crown, the Nord's greatest symbol of righteous rulership. It's loss could have played a role in the Moot's failure to elect a worthy ruler.

As Borgas died with no known heirs, a Moot was formed to determine who would be his successor. While Jarl Hanse of Winterhold was believed by many to be the most capable ruler, the Moot failed to elect a legitimate successor, plunging Skyrim into a fifty year period of widespread conflict and infighting referred to as the War of Succession. With all of Skyrim's Jarls fighting to claim rulership, there was little trust to go around. Windhelm, the heart of the Empire, was sacked, showing just how far Nordic unity had collapsed. While even though this war raged on, the Skyrim Conquests were said to be still, at least slightly, active until they ended in the year 1E 415.

Fall of the Empire

With the armies of Skyrim fighting amongst themselves, the Empire was no longer able to effectively defend its outer territories, giving enemies of the Empire a great opportunity. The Western Reach quickly fell into the hands of the Direnni Hegemony, with the Elves of High Rock slaughtering the region's Nordic population. By the year 1E 401, the Direnni Elves had completely removed Nordic influence from High Rock, and then continued pushing further into Skyrim's traditional borders. In the rainforests of Nibenay, the Cyro-Nordic Nibenese people, became culturally and economically self-reliant and separated themselves from the Nords of Skyrim. In the East, the Chimer general Indoril Nerevar, once a humble caravan guard, united the bickering Chimer tribes of Resdayn, who had now consolidated into the Great Houses, and formed an alliance with the Dwemer King, Dumac, with the shared goal of pushing the Nords out of their land. In 1E 416, the Dwemer and Chimer struck the Nords during their period of weakness, and drove them out with great slaughter. Even the scattered Dwemer City-States of Skyrim began to break free of the Empire's hold. Some myths point to the alliance between the legendary King of Daggerfall, Edward, and his old friend and companion, the Dunmer King Moraelyn, defeating the Nords with the help of the Horn of Summoning. Other Nordic tales attribute the rise and fall of the Empire to the prolonged presence and sudden departure of the God of Luck, Sai. Whatever the reason, with the Nords no longer holding any territories beyond the borders of Skyrim, the Empire was no more.

End of the War of Succession

The War of Succession would finally come to an end with the rise in power of Jarl Olaf One-Eye of Whiterun, who would successfully annex Winterhold, Falkreath, and Solitude into his domain. At some point, Olaf was responsible for reconquering the Reach from the Reachmen. However, Olaf is mostly remembered for having subdued and captured the great dragon, Numinex, in which would remain in his newly built keep, Dragonsreach, as a symbol of his power. In 1E 420, the Pact of Chieftains was signed, officially ending the War of Succession, and it was agreed that Olaf One-Eye was the true rightful heir to the Kingdom of Skyrim. While, Skyrim had now recovered from the costly War of Succession, it would never regain the power it held during the existence of the First Empire of the Nords.

Legacy

While the First Empire of the Nords was not long-lasted, in its relatively short existence it upset the balance of power between Elves and Men so much that it is often credited with beginning the age of mannish dominance over Tamriel. Its expansions and military might would be of insurmountable assistance and inspiration to the Nedic rebellions to the south, and would help bring about the creation of the First Cyrodilic Empire. The Nordic Empire had a resounding effect on the growing Cyrodilic cultures. Nordic expansion into the Nibenay Valley contributed to the flourishing of an independent Nibenese identity and culture, while in Colovia, the culture and religion can be seen to deeply reflect that of its Nordic counterpart. The mixture of Imperial and Nordic cultures during the beginning of the Cyrodilic Empire is often pointed out as a factor contributing to the development of the Eight Divines religion. Some northern Cyrodilic cities, such as Bruma, remain almost entirely Nordic.

The Nords of the First Empire are also credited with being excellent architects. Masters of wood and timber, the Nords of the First Empire had built many large structures, capable of surviving for thousands of years. This grand form of architecture can be seen reflected in areas heavily influenced by Nordic culture, such as Solstheim and Bruma. The Nords used a method of lifting massive igneous rocks which were fitted together with no need for mortar. The results of this method of construction were often colossal, nearly impenetrable fortifications, which required very little time to build. Perhaps the most famous display of Nordic architectural achievement of the First Empire is the Old Fort, a massive royal bastion built to defend Skyrim's southern frontier. Its stature is so awe-inspiring that some claim that it appears to have been constructed by the mythical Ehlnofey, rather than mere men. In later years, Nordic techniques were often used and expanded upon by Cyrodilic architects.

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.