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Elder Scrolls

Not to be confused with Skyreach.
"Skywatch, northern city of Summurset, welcomes you to its gates. Enter in peace and feel our warmth, challenge our lands and feel your blood run cold..."
―Description in Arena[src]

Skywatch is one of the eight major cities located in the province of the Summerset Isles, situated in the central cliffs of Auridon. Skywatch is a bustling port-city that was served as the site of the Sack of Skywatch, a notorious conflict between the High Elves and the Sload of Thras.

By game[]

Description[]

Geography[]

Skywatch was built atop of a large plateau overlooking the Abecean Sea, the area in between the island of Auridon and the province of Valenwood. The surrounding area consists of smaller islands, some of which are occupied by other High Elves. Notable islands include Buraniim Isle and Errinorne Isle, each housing Ancient Elven ruins. In an alcove underneath Skywatch, the Hightide Keep has been used as an ancient defense for Skywatch from outside invasions. The beaches of Skywatch are expansive, reaching all across the Skywatch plateau and areas north of the city-state. The city-state of Skywatch ascends from the west and continues upward towards the eastern cliffs. Skywatch City is very open-aired, filled with bountiful gardens and local attractions from the Mages Guild to the Fighters Guild.

Skywatch is a magnificent city with various sights that the local business flaunt throughout the eras. The outside of the Skywatch walls is several caravans and merchants, that temporary house shops. The only business established here is the Sky's Edge Tavern, an open-aired tavern. The Mercantile Road takes a significant portion of West Skywatch, the northern end of the road held the Skywatch Coinhouse and the Sleepy Eaglet, which is another tavern. The southern end of the road has the Watcher's Forge, where many of the craftsmen and alchemists do business and sell their wares. The Bridge leading to Upper Skywatch has been used by the peasants and some crafters of the street. Upper Skywatch is vast and is filled with gardens. The nobility comes here to socialize and bask in the abundant flora. Towards the Skywatch Manor, there is an entrance to an Ancient Elven ruin that is guarded by the Skywatch Mages Guild. South Skywatch is the local dockyards and is the home of the ruffians and riff-raff of Skywatch. The Skywatch Manor is the seat of power in the city, and it is located on the eastern edge of the city-state.

Traditions[]

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  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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. With the immigration of Wood Elves, the people of Skywatch created the Mud Ball Merriment, which has the basis of throwing mud balls.[1][2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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 of the year, where many warriors feel blessed and venture to dungeons they normally cannot defeat.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch celebrate the Witches' Festival on the 13th of Frostfall. A day where the creepy ghouls and creatures of the night gather to terrorize the denizens of Tamriel. Many have not dared to wander the streets at night, in fear of being nabbed by a creature.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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 by weapons in stores since their price's drop by half. Young children foolishly buy weapons, only to stab themselves by mistake.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
  • The High Elves of Skywatch 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.[2]
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  • The High Elves of the Summerset Isles celebrate the Day of Divine Reverence, which honors the Goddess, Mara. Every year, people gather the Rose-of-Archon and celebrate for roughly fifty-six days with a ceremony dedicated to Mara. The Sapiarchs organize the event like the ceremony.[3]

  • The High Elves of Skywatch celebrate the Festival of Defiance, an annual celebration that commemorates the freedom and victory the Elves have had over the Sload during the Sack of Skywatch. The Elves had won the battle when the All Flags Navy had intervened and defeated the slug-folk.[4]

History[]

First Era[]

The Sack of Skywatch & the Sload of Thras[]

In 1E 1301, the city-state of Skywatch was invaded by the Sload of the Thras in an event known as the Sack of Skywatch. The battle has gone down in infamy for being one of the bloodiest and terrorizing conflicts in Tamrielic history. The Sload had taken Errinorne Isle, just off the coast of Skywatch as a staging ground for the siege. The High Elves of Skywatch were unable to withstand the Sload onslaught, but they had a trump card hidden in their midst. On the Skywatch Plateau, the ruins of Hightide Keep were used by the Aldmer of the region as a wall of defense against foreign invaders. For quite some time, the fortress was abandoned, but it was activated when Skywatch was besieged. The Keep gave the High Elves an advantage in the conflict, breaking the offense that the Sload had given to the city. The battle had come to an end when a Sload Warcaster had swallowed various amounts of dangerous alchemic reagants and dove onto Hightide Keep, causing an explosion that destroyed the Keep, plunging it into the beachfront below.[5][6]

Syrabane, the Apprentice God & the All Flags Navy[]

Several years later in 1E 2260, Bendu Olo, the Colovian King of Anvil had amassed a large army consisting of the Kingdoms of Tamriel The Grand Navy had participants coming as far as High Rock and Valenwood. The Thrassian Plague had ravaged the province and killed many people in its wake. The Plague had originated from the Sload, who had harassed the denizens of Tamriel for generations. Bendu Olo's All Flags Navy had sailed towards the Abecean Sea, destroying the Sload in their path. The Sload who had invaded Skywatch had control over the Island of Errinorne ever since the Sack of Skywatch, making it one of the few times the Sload had control in Tamriel in recent years. Syrabane, a Mage of Summerset had aided the Navy in their invasion over Sload, purging them from Errinorne and the entire province. Syrabane would become a part of the Altmeri Pantheon, for his bravery against the Sload and for being involved in the destruction of Thras. Errinorne Isle was abandoned by the Altmer of Skywatch, letting it waste away. The Errinorne Academy is the only remnant of Altmeri architecture on the island.[7][8][9]

Second Era[]

Main article: Skywatch (Online)

The Veiled Queen; Estre of Skywatch[]

During the Interregnum in 2E 582, the city-state of Skywatch was ruled by High Kinlady Estre of House Errinorne, who was the spouse of Prince Naemon, the original heir to the throne of Alinor, prior to Ayrenn's return to the Summerset Isles. Ayrenn assumed the throne of Alinor and established the First Aldmeri Dominion, an alliance with the Wood Elves of Valenwood and the Khajiit of Elsweyr. Because of the Blessed Isles' infamous xenophobia, many nobles of the province were heavily against this, and this included Kinlady Estre. From within the Auridon underground, Estre founded the Veiled Heritance, a radical Altmer group with the sole purpose of thwarting the Aldmeri Dominion. Estre took the ruined Errinorne Academy and re-purposed it to become the Heritance headquarters. For quite some time, Estre worked in secret against Ayrenn, having a hand in the assassination attempt in Vulkhel Guard.[10]

Plot against the Dominion; the Veil over Auridon[]

News of the Heritance had spread across the Dominion, and Queen Ayrenn sought an audience with Estre. With news of this, the city of Skywatch hosted a veneration festival for Kinlady Estre, who was the Canonreeve of Skywatch originally. An Agent of the Dominion, known as the Vestige, was tasked by Queen Ayrenn and Razum-dar, a member of the Eyes of the Queen, to infiltrate the Veiled Heritance that were supposedly in Skywatch. Through sleuthing, the Vestige had rendezvous with an Agent of the Heritance, who was residing in the Barbed Hook Tavern. From there, the Agent took the Vestige to Errinorne Isle, where they would undergo challenges to enter the Veiled Keep. Deep within the ruins, the Vestige had learned about Estre's involvement with the Heritance and escaped the island to tell Ayrenn. When she was told about Estre's betrayal, the Kinlady disappeared from Skywatch and invaded Auridon, beginning with the township of Dawnbreak.[11][12][13]

Third Era[]

Main article: Skywatch (Arena)

Skywatch during the Imperial Simulacrum[]

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 the span of 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 Skywatch in their quest to recover the pieces. The city of Skywatch was under the rule of King Kalalian.[14]

Lady Gialene & her plot against Queen Morgiah[]

Sometime after 3E 405, Princess Morgiah of Wayrest had married Reman Karoodil, the King of Firsthold, naming her the Queen of Firsthold. This had received large amounts of controversy throughout the Summerset Isles and Auridon, especially to Lady Gialene, the daughter of the King of Skywatch. Gialene was meant to marry Karoodil to establish peace between the rival kingdoms, but with Morgiah's intervention, her plan was altered. Behind the Court of Firsthold, Gialene had planned a revolution against Morgiah's reign, in the attempt to kill her and take the position of the throne. Gialene had sought the help from the Trebbite Monks under the leadership of Friar Lylim. With these forces, Gialene had secretly ordered the Monks to invade Firsthold.[15]

Karoodil had left Auridon to deal with pirates in the nearby island of Calluis Lar, so he was not present. Morgiah had planned the defense, telling the Court and Gialene, who was secretly planning the offense. Morgiah told the Court that she planned to use fire magic to attack and so, Gialene rendezvoused the intel to Lylim, who used Mysticism magic to guard his troops. However, Morgiah had utilized the Altmeri Archers of the Castle to take down the offense, it was as if Morgiah knew that Gialene was responsible for the attack and lied to her, knowing that she will tell Friar. In the end, Karoodil returned and Gialene was sent back to Skywatch. In the aftermath, Morgiah continued her reign as the Queen of Firsthold, much to the dismay of the denizens of Auridon.[15]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In an earlier stage of development, Arena was going to be a tournament-based game, where each city had their own gladiatorial team. Skywatch's team was known as the Assassins.[UL 1]

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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