Lore:War of the Isle

The Summerset Isles

The War of the Isle was a conflict in the early-mid Third Era in which King Orgnum of the island-kingdom, Pyandonea attacked the Summerset Isles in their closest attempt to claim the province. The war took place in 3E 110, twelve years into Emperor Antiochus Septim's reign and later involved both the Third Empire and the Psijic Order of Artaeum.

History

While the Maormer of Pyandonea have made attempts to invade the Summerset Isles since time immemorial, the exact circumstances that led to this event are unknown. Although, the historical fiction, The Wolf Queen written by Waughin Jarth provides an account of events before the war broke out. In 3E 110, three months before the war and after the Pyandoneans' declaration of war, Queen Potema arranged an evening dinner meeting with King Orgnum in the Blue Palace, while in the morning, she met with the Psijic Order and the Ritemaster, Iachesis.

The story perpetuates the idea that Potema and Orgnum initially arranged a deal that, in the outcome the Pyandoneans conquered Tamriel; she would become Empress over her older half-brother, Antiochus. And through her manipulation, convinced the Psijics to take Antiochus' deal and promised an insurrection against her brother. The war took place three months later and a united alliance between the Kings of the Summerset Isles and the Third Empire stood against the Maormer of Pyandonea. Despite this unified power, the Imperial Navy and the royal Summerset navies were unable to withstand Orgnum's fleet. Their victory was at hand when a sudden freak storm appeared off the coast of Artaeum and annihilated the armada. Legends accredit the storm to the Psijic Order and it has since been agreed upon as such.

Legacy

The war was considered Antiochus' greatest victory and as of 3E 432, it was the Maormer's last documented appearance in Tamriel. The storm was said to be so violent that Orgnum could never muster enough strength to retaliate. However, no word from Pyandonea could confirm this. Pyandonea was no longer considered a world power. After the war, Orgnum lost his magical coffer, which provided only him with limitless wealth. People speculated that without the coffer to finance his army, he could not build another great fleet. The coffer washed up in the Summerset Isles and has become an elusive artifact ever since.

One of the war's most well-known veterans was Amiel Lannus, whom after his heroic deeds in the war, founded the Knights of the Nine, a knightly order that was dedicated to recovering the Crusader's Relics. To write The Wolf Queen, Waughin Jarth interviewed veterans for personal accounts of the war but because he believed some of what he was told was exaggerated, he omitted dubious details for the historical-fiction. Potema's insurrection hinted in The Wolf Queen later became a reality with the War of the Red Diamond, which came not long after Emperor Antiochus' death.

Gallery

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  A Second Era depiction of King Orgnum

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  Ritemaster Iachesis of the Psijic Order

Notes

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  Iachesis' appearance in the Wolf Queen is contradictory to both ESO, where he dies during the Summerset questline and a book that preceded the Wolf Queen called Fragment: On Artaeum, which establishes that after Artaeum's reappearance, Iachesis was nowhere to be found. The person to succeed him was Valsirenn.

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.