High Rock : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:23 am

I read through 'The Great War' and it seems strange that it says nothing about High Rock's role in anything. I think it implies that they're part of the Empire but what's went on their gets no attention and I haven't seen anything else mentioning what's happened there in the past 200 years at all. Has anybody heard any news from the Breton homeland, or did they just forget to mention them?

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:31 pm

I think that they more or less formed the "far back-end" of the Empire. Given their location, they'd be comparatively well-defended; the land is pretty mountainous, with a lot of steep cliffs for shoreline, so an amphibious invasion would've been far harder than it'd be for Hammerfell. That, and the fact that the Bretons have a bit of elven heritage (or at least the resulting magical talent) might've influenced some of the Aldermi Dominion's decisions regarding them. Overall, I think they got ignored because they weren't directly involved in an invasion, unlike every other province in the land:

Spoiler

Hammerfell - Invaded by the Altmer, removed from the Empire, defeats invasion themselves.
Skyrim - Not really invaded, but the main staging point for counter-attacks from the Empire. Also drawn into civil war.
Morrowind - Decimated, invaded by the Argonians.
Cyrodiil - Decimated, invaded by the Altmer.
Valenwood - Usurped in a coup by the Altmer, turned into a vassal state of Alinor.
Elseweyr - Tricked into becoming a vassal state of the Altmer. (Stealing moons isn't as easy as the Altmer made it look; generally illusion tends to be involved, and this was likely not an exception)
~~Summerset Isle~~ Alinor - Source of the invasion of most the rest of Tamriel.
~~Black Marsh~~ Argonia - Source of invasion of Morrowind.

Technically, Orsinium might be considered a province from the angle that it has its own native race, and it likewise escapes attention. (though really it's more of one of High Rock's 9 kingdoms)

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:02 pm

The Great War book mentions that it was apparently prosperous and well off at the beginning of the war. http://imperial-library.info/content/skyrim-ciceros-journal-volume-2 indicate that after (late 180s) it's dark brotherhood sanctuaries are closed, indicating at least some level of social/political/economic discord. They also mentions that Wayrest is raided by corsairs in 188.

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:50 pm

Kinda odd Elysana hasn't made a greater powerplay yet.

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:02 pm

That, and the fact that the Bretons have a bit of elven heritage (or at least the resulting magical talent) might've influenced some of the Aldermi Dominion's decisions regarding them.

Not at all. If anything, being mongrels would make the Altmer hold more disdain for them than normal men.

Oh, and Tidus; Elsyana should be long dead by now. I'm not sure that it was ever clear what the political specifics of the region were like post-Warp anyways.

» Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:07 pm

Not at all. If anything, being mongrels would make the Altmer hold more disdain for them than normal men.

This. Hell, the Thalmor targeted altmer of mixed heritage during Titus Mede I's reign.