Anticlere

Whiterun – Ruled by King Hrothgar, this city-state has come upon hard times.  The damaging droughts, floods, harsh winters, and devastating fires have left them short on supplies and living season by season.  The economic hit has caused a slow trickle of emigration, though a strange phenomenon has occurred with this situation concerning the so-called Witch-Queen of Whiterun.  Though originally thought a menace, public disposition has swayed to favor Jsashe the Witch and effective control of the county lies with her. 

Once called the Imperial City of Skyrim, the damaged grandeur of the city still shows a visage of its former self, though certain parts of the city have fallen into blight quicker than others.  The decline in population created a thinner demographic of non-natives, though a notable minority of Imperials is still present.  The great walls still stand firm and within them the poorest sectors have been abandoned.  Former residents of the outer curtain have taken to squatting in the better appointed sectors and housing choices as they become available, though the overall population sits at sixty percent of the total a score of years ago.

The situation of Jsashe has caused a general polarization of the population.  Those who exalt her generally live outside the most regulated areas where the Hrothgar still holds control; outlying villages, refugee camps, and the nomadic Nords who still observe tribal practices.  Hrothgar has taken a strong stance against this inner threat, and has tended to look the other way when his infantry disposes of small bands of her followers.  By his duty he still sends supplies and priests to the refugee camps to care for his displaced people, but he also uses this chance to gain information on the situation.  Suspicion is overtaken by desperation often enough the people depend on whatever they can get, and but in the cities the suspicion of outsiders is hardly restrained.

Ancient rivalry with Dawnstar has been put aside in this long time of crisis, but it has hardly favored mercy or forgetfulness among the nobles.  Given the history, they bite their tongues at the thought of a steady agreement between the city-states.  They feel their restraint shown is defiant of their very natures.  At this time though, necessity outweighs bloodlust.  Resources have been contracted into the central holdings to facilitate the re-invigoration of the farming cycle, and since metal, stone, and wood are more easily scavenged than harvested, the logging operations and mines have largely stopped.

The Oblivion crisis drove citizens back to Hrothgar and affected both sides of the dispute to the point that an unstable peace afflicts them.  His heroic charge of gate within his city inspired a new respect for him. Jsashe has claimed through her magic and priestesses they were successful in forcefully resisting the invaders.  Destroyed sections of towns and scorched landscapes hardly speak well of either of their efforts, but both sides have recoiled to rebuild.  Looting is common, leading to many travelers to find themselves surprised at the finery of furnishings within homes and businesses.  The stones of destroyed buildings are continually taken for improvements to occupied structures.  A surge of nationalism has caused the Nords to rebuild their most important structures and shrines, especially those dedicated to Akatosh after hearing his part in the banishment of Dagon.  Hrothgar is the King most dedicated to the retention of the Empire.

Riften – The High Keep, the granite on the edge of the divide.  The mighty king Bjis is ambitious and opportunistic, and seated in a highly defensible position with a strong following.  Though storms torment them at length, this has worked to their favor more often than not in the long history of the site.  Year round sieges are impossible, and the rough terrain prevents effective siege weaponry passage during the summer months.  It is even rumored that the Greybeards create these storms in the assistance of Bjis.  Indeed, though mages have a strong gathering in Riften, they have not become integrated into the military units and are certainly under-utilized.

Having a highly mobile force under his command, he has been able to keep a tight grip on his outlying holdings and supplies.  Keeping a tradition of light cavalry has given the population a sense of security, that they can quickly cover intrusions and be assisted sooner rather than later.  Bjis having been blessed with keen foresight into matters of logistics prepares his towns with an abundance of stores during the fall.  They are easily able to absorb refugees, and currently they are taking them in more and more.  Morrowind was in political and social disarray following the Nerevarine incident, and handled the Oblivion crisis poorly.  Dark Elves are pouring out of their homeland and diversifying the forces around them.

It has created a special class in Riften, those dependent on the state and willing to work hard to survive.  Their population has swelled the cities, and the open armed attitude of the nobles has prevented racial issues from arising, most notably in the lack of formation of a ghetto for the Dark Elves.  Bjis has taken a strong stance in favor of the empire and shouts as a beacon of hope for those in need, attracting refugees from all places.  The nobles know but dare not show that beneath the pageantry and pomp of hope there lays a darker desire set to steal the soil from beneath the soles of the souls in the surrounding scenic setting, and a fire of new blood to fuel the engine of expansion. 

The Oblivion crisis affected Riften the least of the city-states, as the mobile forces were able to quickly arrive at reported gates and negate their effectiveness.  This leaves the King with a battle-hardened force which work together smoothly under the command of a nobleman.  Their veteran status allows them great boasts and inspiring tales at the taverns, and a growing trend of women seeking out these men specifically in the evenings to produce sons for them.  This in turn gives a greater desire for others to swear fealty to their lord to become men and women at arms, and still the populations of the cities grow!

The King publicly worships all the divines, privately none.  The city therefore has grand temples and monuments to the gods, grand sacrifices, and groves dotting the countryside like stars in the night.  At the moment the citizens are content to worship their own gods in their own way, but the elders fear this will only hold as long as the distraction holds out.  The inset of winter coops up the populace in the higher cities and cuts off the troops in the lower regions, and in the gap of time hardly enough messages can be passed by hawk to quell a situation should it arise.  This gift of diversity which allows them to extend their grasp could soon enough catch them in a hole.  Until that happens, the King will likely feel secure in his own abilities and plot during the cold nights in the keep.

Falkreath – War is fortunately common enough in this city-state to keep King Bjeld away from making direct decisions.  He enjoys hunting and the “Science of War” per say, but the usual methods of running the kingdom escape him.  There is a regent in place sitting at the castle who takes care of the daily operations, but he has held his position by not showing ambition and adequately maintaining the status quo.  Showing strong ability (the regent Jofnhild supposes) would get himself shoved into a tight little farming town without the pleasures of his position.  Keeping things running smoothly and supplies wagon shipped out to the front holds everyone where they like best.

When King Bjeld is approaching Falkreath the monolithic Columns of the Sky are set alight in his honor, and a day of peace is declared to accommodate the returning heroes.  The citizens like Bjeld well enough.  They hardly see him make a bad decision and he cuts a good figure as a leader of men.  Always wearing a uniform of whatever styling he fancies at the current time and keeping his aides nearby with his trophies of conquest makes him seem impressive at first sight.  Once the Emperor gave him a stripe for his courageous assistance in defeating band of giants who had been playing catch with farmers across the mountain tops, and he hasn’t let it far from him since.  Honors and flattery surely please him more than they would most others, but the volume over the years has drained his resistance to it and it has been far too long since someone was frank with him.

No queen waits for him, but that sort of thing hasn’t bothered him yet.  The impertinence of youth keeps his mind off the future, and the nobles suppose he’ll acquire a queen sometime or another during the deals they make to shift in and out of conflict.  Jofnhild has a family of fifteen (including his younger brother’s family) living at the castle.  At the moment however, the kingdom is set to pass to the Duke of Newgrad Watch after the incapacitation of the king.  It was won as part of a drinking contest that involved a pitcher, no pants, and two wenches for every time a round of a song was sung.

The Oblivion Crisis brought an upheaval to the complacent lives of the populace here; they had been continuing on for so long that the quick readjustment shook them roughly.  Jofnhild was scared and so out of his element that he closed himself in his room during the attack on the city.  The captain of the city guard had to command the battle, and he unfortunately misjudged the enemy at several points.  Bjeld was conquering a Redguard town he’d never heard of at the time, and ordered a full retreat to stations for his battalions.  Along the way they helped where possible and eventually arrived at Falkreath to find the Great Market and the Elven Quarter destroyed.  Those sections are currently quarantined while the mangled and shredded bodies are being disposed of. 

The countryside surprisingly is having a sigh of relief after grieving for their losses.  Surely the king will walk into a greater sense of responsibility, and at least slow down the incessant conflicts for hardly any gain.  Then again the word has spread that Whiterun is in troubled times and the elders shake their heads fully expecting Bjeld is going to mount up and mobilize the troops.  If he comes across something he can’t handle, he will be quickly out of there leaving the fate of his people in an uncertain jeopardy that will mark the land in struggle.

Winterhold – This warm coastal city-state is host to the most ethnically diverse populace of Skyrim.  Despite the foreboding name the winter there is fairly mild in comparison to the other regions, and it allows people less apt to adapt to the climate an easier transition.  It is an easy and obvious choice destination for those who had their homes destroyed in the crisis, and it has been rather convenient to sail to.  It is ruled by King Erarne, patron of the arts and student of ancient knowledge. 

The city-state welcomed these immigrants eagerly in the past before the crisis, the influx of design and cultural styling brought about a renaissance of power and influence during which time scholars, artists, architects, and magicians from across Tamriel were attracted to further their study.  The profit in this arrangement didn’t escape the elders either, they capitalized on the growth and expanded the city to accommodate and allow more and more.  Even part of the sea was taken into the city as the lower ward expanded out onto piles in the water making canals for streets.  These canals ever widen out toward sea allowing larger ships to safely dock within the city as well, and large imposing watchtowers were built out in the water.

Citizens and non-citizens never quite meshed together in Winterhold, preferring to live in barrios with their own kind of people.  The air of competition also drove these feelings of separation and that each must outshine the next.  Those outside of their element in the city-state often experience some form of discrimination at least to a small degree, whether it is paying higher prices for basic goods, refusal of service, or even being threatened.  Blockbusting occurs infrequently when more room is needed for a particular group.

The Oblivion Crisis made this all the worse, as if Dagon chose specifically where to put down the gates within the city choosing who to root out or destroy.  King Erarne had been at peace with the other Keeps for decades and didn’t have forces in place well enough to cover the countryside and his city while the daedra poured in.  Initial waves of attackers caused the most trouble from the surprise of it, and the King soon had the situation under control across the board.  In many places the damage was more than physical, especially the way the attacks seemed to happen.  They were almost always in the middle of a barrio, as if they were meant to drive the people to the mercy of their scared neighbors.  This lack of unity is now causing a series of problems in the aftermath with the self-interest of each group being overstressed. 

Each group to some degree blames the King for the situation, saying he could have responded to their problem faster or that he helped one group more than another out of personal preference and his own racism.  His orders to quarter citizens in the surviving buildings of whichever districts must be punishment to the previous occupants they cry, for why should the misfortune of others affect them so harshly?  Parts of the city built on the water had the piles beneath them destroyed during the attack, and now there are blocks partially or fully underwater with dead bodies floating to the surface now and then on the flotsam.  King Erarne just wishes to bring peace again to his once bright and happy city so he may pursue his interests in investigating the mysteries of the ancients and answer what so many have wondered for so long.

Solitude – Of power and wealth this land knows no bounds.  It is as if the happiness of their King Thian brings gold to the masses and none makes him as happy as his beautiful queen Macalla of Dawnstar.  With their ancient rival Winterhold at peace before the crisis, Solitude has been unfettered to push for land in the west and explore the surroundings as they see fit.  All the while they increase their ties to the city-state of Dawnstar.  If the current empire cannot hold, this city is quite likely the stronghold that will push for a breaking away and the beginning of an empire of the Nords.

The city had been an island for so long the people were unsure what to make of their new ruler.  Before Thian the ruler had been the Mad Queen Hania who acted on perverted whims of torture and trepidation, a woman to be feared as you smile with love in an attempt to avert her malevolent nature.  Even at odd times she would ride through the countryside and small villages would disappear into silence in the minds of her subjects.  All things were tried in treatment of her condition, but with such unknown medicines it is likely to have just worsened her condition.  In an afternoon where she stood naked upon a high stone above the sea cursing the invisible monsters below, a cloud of blackbirds descended upon her and she vanished in a scream from the soul of the land.  She is still missing today, so her son rules and progresses.

Solitude itself is a dark city, stained by the smoky fires of so many years in the inspiring heights and dramatic drops into dark gorges below.  The very rifts and pushes it was built upon seem to shove themselves from the dark heart of their father below.  Graves are not present, the dead are ceremoniously pushed into these crevasses from the highest points so all may see and honor them as they pass into the depths.  This Oblivion Crisis has caused a somber state in the minds of the populace and countryside, as the highest towers are waited upon for weeks so they might send their lost loves off to Sovngarde in the traditional means.  The city-state fared decently against the invaders, but still the vigil fires burn night and day for their losses.

Even now the emphasis on exploration intensifies because the rich and wise King Thian sees this as an opportunity to capitalize on new resources and extend his reach in the seas and land to the west.  New information is always welcome, and he has standing rewards for tactical maps of specific locations of nearly anywhere, but of course pays more for more current, exact, or relevant maps than ones of territories he has no interest in.  Shipping and sea expeditions have a strong base in Solitude, having an extensive shipyard present at the end of the river which they use to float logs down for construction purposes. 

An Empire they have certainly been a part of, but King Thian is the first to ask if it is still so.  What can the Imperials do now for the Nords in their state?  What truck shall this proud people have with the weak relics of a past age?  He calls for the unity of the Nordic people and those who would join them in pushing their advantage over the surrounding areas and exploiting whatever weakness they can find in others.  With his queen and her city supporting his cause, he sees no reason that soon everything should work just as he plans.

Dawnstar – Perhaps this alone made the alliance of King Thian and Queen Macalla under the advisory suggestion of King Ulrarne agreeable, but Dawnstar is also a cold dark place as the wind whips it sore against the rocks while it overlooks the fertile valley below and the shipping on the river.  King Ulrarne remembers well the conflicts with Whiterun and clings to his disgust in his old age that his daughter the Queen Macalla hasn’t used her new husband to assist in crushing their ancient rival.  He loves his daughter though and enjoys talking with her husband, and long before committed to himself that he would not force his old hatred upon them, for perhaps it truly is him that is wrong.

The Queen has busied herself with the intricacies of state, learning in leaps and bounds how to deal with diplomatic situations studying the rulings of past judges and kings on weighty matters.  She has been leaning heavily on the judgment of past wise men, moving away into her own theories slowly as she gains confidence.  Her hand is elbow deep into all the major issues concerning the city-state, and she is praised for her active and knowledgeable role in these matters.  There is a rumor being spread around the other Keeps that she is diverting all the major decisions to her husband and following his lead in most other matters, and though it is not true it can’t be helped.  As a couple they do decide together about a great many things and proceed from there.

If anything though, her husband doesn’t recognize her growing talents and at times falls into a habit of joking with his advisors in sexist manners he hope she will never hear of.  She has been riding up the river to the site of a dam they are constructing to help prevent the seasonal flooding so she can oversee the construction.  It has created a boom at the town called Dunpar Wall that will be above the engineered water line of the dam and prospectors from across Skyrim are moving there to get a piece of the sure to be successful resort town.  The Queen participates in this as well, christening new buildings when she comes through.  Small towns and farmsteads in the valley have started to be relocated in advance of the completion of the dam.

Horrors were experienced during the Oblivion Crisis around the countryside as unfortunately the gates seemed to open largely in the small isolated valleys where sleepy little villages were hidden away and quick responses were impossible.  This created a phenomenon of sorts in the city-state of Dawnstar, where villages were either decimated by the attacks or left alone entirely.  The combined attack on the city of Dawnstar wasn’t even something of great concern, the Queen and her troops were in the correct position to fight and direct the battle within the city to minimize losses.

Her people have isolationist attitudes quite often because their terrain already divides them this way, but the difference between one town and the next are negligible enough that should the drums of war beat they would take up arms in a moment’s notice to fight.  Winter especially keeps them apart, and it isn’t always an advantage.  Once a dangerous minded wizard was able to become the de facto ruler of a township in one of these pocket valleys, and a few years later when a trade caravan came through they found a large contingent of elemental atronachs constructed in the Mage’s guild being used as workhorses.  The members of the town who resisted the wizard were done away with long before, and atronachs were soon after integrated into society as second tier citizens.

Snowhawk – King Torbens of Snowhawk is a hard man, made so by his harsh land and fortunes gained at too high a price.  He wears his face calmly during discussion, he plans and schemes without remorse, and his hand never falters when he bluffs.  The King is of noble birth yet even the date of his birth is in dispute!  Citizens would celebrate a guess in his honor, but the frivolity of the thought outwardly offends him.  There is rationing in place to ensure the survival of each town of importance, smaller settlements only come to his attention when there is a dispute or an obstacle they can’t overcome. 

For being such a public figure that the people see often and depend upon, everyone sees a different face when looking upon him depending on the hand he deals.  King Torbens will burn your house in the morning for forestalling, and rebuild it in the afternoon for purgery in his favor.  Minus children of course, but it is still an overall gain for the city-state.  Those who do not belong to him do not often get the kind treatment shown to the forestalling merchant, secrecy and hiding places are the general methods for elusion.  Then again, the king burns houses down.  Justice is a broadsword, not a scalpel.  Citizens see kindness however in his wives and concubines, and his children are young and naïve enough to have no disputes of their own. 

Snowhawk participates in these disputes with Falkreath against Hammerfell because Torbens knows Bjeld is a useful fool.  Torbens commits troops in useful situations to gain the trust of other noble’s generals, then exploits them for information, embarrassment, or whichever gain he needs.  The wiser elders wonder but could never prove who was holding the strings on the latest blackmail scandal or who left a drowned family hanging from the city gate in Nordic townships.  This reputation certainly strikes clearly when his troops engage his enemies under the banner of Snowhawk.  Though it has been know to make the enemy fight more desperately, the redoubled efforts of desperate men have never slowed down this schemer.  Before the action begins he will know their moves, his army will know its stand, and a backup will be in place.

How can a man account for the gods?  How can he foresee the tide of fate while he toils with the affairs of men and mer?  It is unknown as well, but he has done it.  When the gates opened in important positions King Torbens already had his Greatsword and Pike troops at hand to hold off the enemy.  Several towns of small importance were desolated, but everything of meaning to the King was adequately covered.  It is suspected the king consults a seer when he rides into his royal holdings where the trees are grimly black and the snow will not fall.  None wondered before, few wonder now, but they all know it is in their best interests to thank their own god and leave their fortune to the will of the king.  When winter comes again and the land stands as a harsh master, their view of Torbens softens again and they partake of their rations.  Better to serve a strong king.

It is hardly a secret that the King was not an Imperial puppet, but knowing his situational flexibility it is unclear where he will throw his support.  His dealings are primarily in the west of Skyrim the eastern Kings hardly know him personally and speak through their diplomats to his interest.  An elder if he drinks too much might unwisely let slip what the King’s interests are, and the true extent of all he works to accomplish.  Unfortunately the elders have become very wise indeed in Snowhawk.

Windhelm – King Asgan has a short line of experience and a long history to overcome should he choose to.  The Nords war from time to time with Morrowind and things always normalized to some degree, but the late king Ludvig never took a tolerance to the Dark Elves.  Travelers haven’t been welcomed from there, and during open hostility the streets used to have defeated elves in stocks or hanging by their necks from the walls for people to scorn or abuse.  The citizens got used to it, but these were the ways of the previous king and his supporters.  His young son Asgan was often kept in his father’s shadow during campaigns or major negotiations, expected to be quiet and observe the way to fight with a fist of iron and show diplomacy with a fist of lead. 

Battlemages of the King were always nearby the Prince as his bodyguard, and he took a great interest in their mix of magic and battle tactics.  Ludvig kept them around as extra insurance that the tricks of the elves might not affect his men, but never invested in magery to the extent that it would be useful on the battlefield.  Ludvig’s end came on a clear day facing his arch-enemy the Duke of Blacklight.  Their clash has been sung in taverns since that day, but the bias in the situation always clouds what actually happened.  What is confirmed though is both died of their injuries within a day of being carried off the field and the armies retreated.  The elders pressed for a peace deal, and ended up giving a strip of territory over to Morrowind in the arrangement.  This has been a mark against Nord honor and pressure is building for Asgan to raise his troops and get it back.

Citizens in the city-state of Windhelm didn’t expect him to take decisive action though, Asgan has always been viewed as the weaker son (while his brother was alive) and ill equipped to handle the responsibility of the throne.  He consorts with the elders on nearly every decision and sways in the wind, doing nothing for people’s confidence in him.  The nobles talk quietly about what to do, and though they hold a general plan if Morrowind should make a move they feel it undermines their king who needs to establish his legitimacy as ruler. 

Windhelm being in a state of truce at the time of the Oblivion Crisis meant most of the troops available in the kingdom were in their stations and ready to respond without the King’s command, which worked very well in his favor.  Everything is a little worse for wear, but hearing the horrors that occurred in Winterhold they sigh with relief and continue with their lives.  Trade flows smoothly enough in the mean time, and corruption benefits the public works and nobles because of this.  Things from across the empire seem to find themselves here, and fetching high prices.  The bones of Dark Elven saints, Eggs of Argonians, memory stones used by Yokudans, bright elven armor from Summurset, all sorts of oddities.  These exotic shipments make it a major trade destination, and the lack of severity in the city allows this.

It was decided for the King that a marriage for alliance is what was needed, so efforts have been made to present him as a king with strength and potential.  The sailing tradition in the city grows, and the citizens are presented at times with bloody battles in the bay for their enjoyment.  Countryside townships are more worried though about the lack of attention they receive, no reassurances from the King are coming that they will be cared for if a neighbor feels like expanding.  For now, everyone waits.