Lore:Raven Rock

Raven Rock
Type	Settlement
Continent	Tamriel
Province	Morrowind
Region	Solstheim
Subregions	Hirstaang Forest Solstheim Ashlands
Appears in	Bloodmoon, Dragonborn

Raven Rock circa 4E 201

Raven Rock is a city located on the southern coast of Solstheim, in the Hirstaang Forest. It was founded in 3E 427 as a colony of the East Empire Company.

Geography

Raven Rock is a settlement located in the remains of the Hirstaang Forest, in a region now called the Southern Ash Lands. It's situated strategically in a small cove on the southern end of Solstheim. In Raven Rock's glory days, a pair of large docks jutted out into the cove, which provided access to the cargo ships the East Empire Company needed to send ebony out of and bring supplies into the colony. Now, only a single rickety dock remains. The eastern end of the city is dominated by the Bulwark, a massive stone fortification used to defend the town. A long, tall cliff protects the town's northern side, sheltering it from Solstheim's harsh conditions. Ever since Red Mountain's eruption, the once-lush pine forest has been transformed into ash waste. The Bulwark now serves as a different kind of barrier—protecting Raven Rock's inhabitants from ash storms.

History

Raven Rock circa 3E 427

Third Era

The colony was founded in 3E 427, when it was just a patch of open snow, and soon became a fully-functional ebony mining colony. The town acquired its name from the black coloring created by the ebony deposits around it.

Although the colonists encountered early resistance from spriggans, draugr and even the local Nords, funding from the East Empire Trading Company saw the settlement grow at a rapid pace. In addition to ebony, the miners stumbled upon a sample of ancient stalhrim, creating further trade once the Company learned how to exploit the material. Although initially managed remotely by Factor Carnius Magius from Fort Frostmoth, the community came to look towards the on-site Deputy Falco Galenus for leadership, which eventually led to a violent internal power struggle. However, the settlement survived, and large stone walls were erected to aid the local militia in defending Raven Rock as construction continued.

When the Oblivion Crisis arose in 3E 433, most of the soldiers were recalled to Cyrodiil, as there were no known occurrences of Oblivion Gates opening on Solstheim. As the resources of the Empire were directed towards combating the invaders, rumors surfaced that Solstheim had been conquered by the Nords of Skyrim. Some residents of the Imperial City at the time claimed to have lived in the colony since its inception but had to move to Cyrodiil after the money ran out.

Fourth Era

In 4E 1, in the aftermath of the Crisis and the destruction of Ald'ruhn, Brara Morvayn, a Redoran Councilor, made a deal with the East Empire Company to allow the Dunmer to settle there. They proved to be a valuable, hard-working addition to the colony, and built a strong relationship with the East Empire Company. Following the Red Year, Brara designed The Bulwark, a massive fortified wall designed to protect the town from Red Mountain's ash storms, and it was constructed with funding from the Company. As the storms had devastated Fort Frostmoth, the local Imperial Legion garrison, Redoran Guards were brought in to bolster security, and have been the primary peacekeeping force ever since.

A Dunmer temple in Raven Rock

Solstheim was proffered to the Dunmer in 4E 16, and Raven Rock became a House Redoran sovereignty, resulting in the exodus of the Imperial residents back to Cyrodiil. This also marked the end of any significant East Empire Company presence on Solstheim, as their ventures there had proven consistently unprofitable. Raven Rock flourished under Brara and House Redoran's rule until her death in 4E 65, when her son, Lleril Morvayn, took over control of Raven Rock as its new Councilor. In 4E 95, members of House Hlaalu attempted to assassinate Councilor Morvayn as part of a coup attempt. However, the coup was stopped by the Redoran Guard and its ringleader executed. In 4E 130, Morvayn used his personal wealth to restore The Bulwark, which had showed signs of imminent collapse. In 4E 150, a small group of Argonians attempted to wreak havoc on Solstheim, but were driven off. By about 4E 170 the mine started showing signs of drying up and by 4E 181, Raven Rock Mine was exhausted and had to be shut down. The colony went into a state of decline, as the economy moved towards hunting and fishing, though the constant influx of ash made it impossible to base a sustainable industry on local fishing. In addition, the Bulwark deteriorated, seeping ash through large cracks. Even the Redoran Guard were being lost faster than new recruits could be acquired. Raven Rock was regarded as insignificant among House Redoran's possessions, with little strategic or economic importance.

In 4E 201, a decade-long plot was uncovered where a descendant of the earlier Hlaalu coup leader was hiring Morag Tong assassins for another attempt on Councilor Morvayn's life. The plot was again dismantled and the leader slain. In the same year, Raven Rock Mine was reopened after an investigation into sealed sections of the mine revealed an old draugr crypt connected to Bloodskal Barrow, as well as large amounts of ebony deposits. The populace also briefly fell under the nocturnal influence of Miraak, and helped corrupt the nearby Earth Stone.

Notes

• During the Interregnum, Raven Rock Baked Ash Yams was the name of a ragout dish. Its relation to the colony is unknown, as Raven Rock was not founded until 3E 427, and no ash yams grew on Solstheim prior to the Red Year of 4E 5.

Gallery

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  Concept art (Bloodmoon)

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  Raven Rock Mine (Bloodmoon)

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Bloodmoon and Skyrim^DB articles.