Lore:Panther River

Panther River
Type	Body of Water
Continent	Tamriel
Province	Cyrodiil Black Marsh
Region	Nibenay
Appears in	Oblivion, ESO

The Panther River

Mouth of the Panther ca. 3E 433

The Panther River is a long and serpentine river located throughout the dense woodland of the southern Nibenay, in the province of Cyrodiil. Its tributaries run from Blackwood, Nibenay Basin, and Nibenay Valley, flowing past the provincial border of the province of Black Marsh. It empties into the Lower Niben, in a river delta called the Mouth of the Panther, and any sailor could tell you that it acquired its name from the sharp jagged rocks that resemble teeth. Sailors stay clear of the river mouth, especially when it is foggy.

Geography

Docks on the Panther River

Bloodrun Cave

The Panther River is located on the edge of the Niben Forest, which is largely rainforest and temperate forest, but has sparsely spread-out red autumn trees. The Mouth of the Panther is located across the water from Fort Irony, which is located on the southern end of the Niben Bay. A little bit east of the mouth is a bridge that connects both parts of the Yellow Road. From there, the river goes directly north until it makes a drastic curve down south, next to the ruins of Morahame. Going further down it eventually turns east, where it diverges into two paths. The ruins of Welke sit right on the fork, and the southeast path continues past Shattered Scales Cave and the Rellesel Retreat until it empties into Lake Blackwood.

The north path continues and switches east to another fork in the road. The north river goes toward more locations, such as Fort Gold-Throat, Wendelbek, and even the Dread Cellar. The east river passes several caves such as Bloodrun and Kindred Caves until it reaches yet another split. Fort Redwater sits right here and it is the last Imperial fort of the river. Eventually, the Panther River turns south and continues down into Black Marsh, past the provincial border. The river runs through the easternmost region of Blackwood and drains into a basin next to the town, Hutan-Tzel. At some point, it runs past the small village, Rockguard and continues down until its final fork, right next to the town of Greenspring and the city-state, Helstrom.

The frogs that live on the Panther River supposedly make a unique chirping noise, which makes them ideal for an Argonian musical instrument called the Vossa-satl. There are several rare fishes in the Panther River, such as the Ivory Darter and the Onkobra Muskie, but the most valued species is the Pantherfish.

History

Wendelbek

Pantherfang Chapel

In the early First Era in 1E 198, the settlement of Wendelbek was the site of a conflict in the Narfinsel Schism. King Glinferen of Atatar led a combined force of Daedra-worshipping Ayleids against the traditionalist Barsaebics and drove them east toward Black Marsh, where they lived in exile from the Ayleid Empire. A holy order known as the Quenching Grail built the Pantherfang Chapel on the easternmost end of the Panther River from across Bloodrun Cave in the First Era. It served as a bastion of faith in the Divines and functioned as a cathedral, a fortress, and a testament to Aedric strength.

Sometime in 2E 576, Velan Sophus of the Elder Council was tasked with the construction of Oblivion doomvaults and commissioned one built next to the Mouth of the Panther called Doomvault Vulpinaz. The mage that was assigned its construction was later murdered so that the vault's existence was kept a secret. The vault was later discovered during the Colovian Revolt and ransacked.

Sometime around 2E 582, a group of adventurers discovered it again when they were led astray by a Dremora under the guise of a mortal. In that same time, two members of the Battlespire academy traveled to the Dread Cellar to investigate strange magical activity from within and uncovered a plot conducted by the Order of the Waking Flame. Members of the Undaunted traveled from across the river to the Dread Cellar and assisted the battlemages.

The Forlorn Watchman

In 3E 421, the Emma May led by Captain Laughton was a ship that sailed north through the Niben River toward the Imperial City, despite the warnings of the crew. On the 14th of Last Seed, they were hit by a storm and so the Captain instructed the navigator to land on the inlet, the Mouth of the Panther. At the moment, the crewmate, Gable launched a mutiny and assaulted the captain and his only loyal crewmate, Grantham Blakeley. With his victory and new role as Captain, he tossed Laughton and Blakeley down to the gallows of the ship while they make their way to the inlet. Unfortunately for them, they were killed when the ship capsized and was torn to shreds on the mouth.

By 3E 433, the people of nearby Bravil would tell stories of the Forlorn Watchman, a ghost that looks out into the Niben Bay every night. The rumor that was perpetrated was that he died in a horrible shipwreck. No one knows where he came from, nor why he looks sad. The legend had prompted an adventurer to investigate the ghost. The adventurer tracked the ghost to the coast at 8 P.M. and followed him to the ruins of Fort Irony, where they would look out into the bay. The ghost introduced themselves as Grantham Blakeley and pointed the adventurer to the Mouth of the Panther, where they found the Wreck of the Emma May. In the wreckage, the adventurer defeated the gloom wraith of Gable the Traitor and avenged the Blakeley's death. The watchman thanked the adventurer with a treasure map to a hidden alcove deeper in the river.

At around the same time, the Oblivion Crisis occurred throughout the provinces and some of their Oblivion Gates opened in the wilderness of Cyrodiil. One of these gates opened next to the Yellow Road, near the bridge over the Panther River.

Gallery

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  3rd Era Treasure Map of the Panther River

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  The Panther River Valley

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  Doomvault Vulpinaz

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  The Dread Cellar

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  Fort Gold-Throat

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Oblivion article.

Books

• Log of the Emma May — Journal of a mutinous crew member aboard the Emma May