Eastmarch

"One of the "Old Holds," Eastmarch was among the first regions of Skyrim settled by the Nords when they arrived from Atmora. Its capital, Windhelm, is the oldest continuously inhabited human settlement in Tamriel, and was founded by Ysgramor himself."

- Eastmarch Loading Screens

Eastmarch or the Eastmarch Hold is the volcanic tundra of the Old Holds, within the province of Skyrim. Eastmarch is largely a rural area, with sulfur pools that stretch the inner wastes. Eastmarch and its capital, Windhelm was formerly the seat of power for the First Empire of the Nords, beginning with Ysgramor and continuing through the Ysgramor Dynasty.

By game

 * Eastmarch (Skyrim)
 * Eastmarch (Online)

Frostwater Tundra
If there is one thing Eastmarch is known for, it is the volcanic sulfur pools of Aalto, which spans the entirety of central Eastmarch, in the region of the Frostwater Tundra. The Tundra consists of the forested highlands to the west, as well as the sulfur pools. The stronghold of Fort Amol is the largest settlement in the area, and it serves as the regional fort of Windhelm. The Darkwater River runs throughout the region, near Amol and the Darkwater Crossing. It continues into the White River that goes north. The ancient monastery of Mistwatch is the home of the Ternion Monks, who are one of the few worshippers of the Ancient Nordic Pantheon that still exists in Skyrim. Many come to the Sulfur Pools to have a relaxing hot bath.

Giant's Run
The region of Giant's Run is situated on the edge of Skyrim's winter front, before the boreal forests that inhabit the central province. The city-state of Windhelm is located in the region, along the Yorgrim River that flows towards the Sea of Ghosts. Many settlements including Lower Yorgrim live along the Yorgrim, feeding off the fish that swim down the river. To the south is the sacred forest of Kynesgrove, which is named after Kyne, the Shield-Maiden of Shor. Putting any damage on Kynesgrove is considered a grave offense in Eastmarch. To the east connecting the city-state of Blacklight is Dunmeth Pass, a prominent road that connects each province's influential cities.

Icewind Peaks
The region of Icewind Peaks is largely uninhabitable, with the biggest settlement being the village of Cragwallow, which contains mainly a mead hall. The ruins of Mzulft was one of the biggest cities in the Dwarven Empire in Skyrim, being one of the main producers of Aetherium before their battle against King Gellir and his onslaught. The ruined temple of Skuldafn sits high among the Velothi Mountains, containing a portal to Sovngarde, the Nordic afterlife. Deep in the mountains is the ruined castle of Direfrost Keep, which is the home of the famous witch hunter group that massacred the witches and hags of Eastmarch, the Direfrost Clan.

The Five Hundred Companions & the Night of Separation
"Ysgramor commanded the sea-ghosts to surrender his kin, and a great gale darkened the sky. The seas thrashed and churned, and a wrathful storm appeared. Ysgramor took up the oars and rowed into the storm alone. Upon the Sea, Ysgramor wrestled the sea-ghosts, and the storm carried him along the jagged coast. Two fortnights passed without relief, until finally the storm broke. Come the next dawn, Yngol's long-boat was found in the icy surf, but the vengeful sea-ghosts had already taken Yngol and his clansmen."

- Anonymous

After the Night of Tears, the Atmorans had fled back to Atmora, to build up an army to purge the Snow Elves for their treachery. The two children of Ysgramor, Yngol and Ylgar had established the Five Hundred Companions, commissioning the ships, the Harakk and the Darumzu to be built for their voyage back to Mereth. On the Day of Final Passage, Ysgramor gathered the Five Hundred Companions and sailed across the Sea of Ghosts but things would take a turn for the worst. The Storm of Separation had led to the fleet to split off of each other, which resulted in the demise of Yngol. Both Ysgramor and Ylgar arrived back to Mereth, only to find that Yngol had died out in the sea and the Wreck of the Harakk arrived on shore. The Five Hundred Companions had last their first group, the Harakk and Ylgar honored their names with the Companions. Ysgramor had slain dozens of beasts and burned them in honor of Yngol and his fallen comrades. Yngol Barrow was crafted in the traditional Atmoran style, with rites dedicated to his son. The Five Hundred Companions had landed onto Hsaarik Head in Winterhold, eventually spreading towards the Old Holds and into modern-day Eastmarch where Yngol Barrow is situated.

The City of Kings & the Reign of Ysgramor
"His eyes turned to the south, where a river met the sea, and decreed that there would he, and the crew of the Ylgermet create a great city, in monument to the glories of mankind, that from his palace he might always look upon the hill of his dear son's resting place, and feel that his line would know peace in this new home that was never known in Atmora."

- Anonymous

Ysgramor, grief-stricken by his son's death, had set his eyes on a plot of land along the Yorgrim River, where Ysgramor declared that a city would be built there, a city built by Ysgramor and the crew of the Ylgermet to honor the achievements and glories of mankind. Ysgramor wanted to construct a palace that had a view of Yngol Barrow; this would become the Palace of the Kings. Many elven slaves were put to work on the City of Kings, with many of them dying in the process. As time went on, the great stone bridge across the Yorgrim was built. The city was built so that it was seen from across the land, and so those coming towards the settlement must show respect to the claimants of the region. Deep beneath the City of Kings, there was an ancient tomb dedicated to Ysgramor, when he would be called to Sovngarde on that fateful day. Though instead, he opted to be buried in a secluded tomb that looks towards the frozen plains of Atmora, his original home. The city that Ysgramor created from the ground up was Windhelm, which became the capital of the Nordic Empire. As time went on, Ysgramor had passed away and ventured forward to Sovngarde, leaving the throne to his son, Ylgar, eventually going down as the Ysgramor Dynasty, ruling out of Windhelm.

The Direfrost Clan; Witch Hunters of the March
"The Direfrosts must never falter in their task to halt and destroy the worshipers of Daedra wherever they may be found. So long as a Direfrost lives, witches, and all who would commune with Daedra, will have an enemy. Witch-hunting is not the profession of the Direfrosts—it is our sacred calling. And I charge any Direfrost who reads this to continue the battle. It's a battle that cannot be won, but we must ensure the witches never win it, either."

- Thorvild Direfrost

From the city-state of Windhelm, the various clans of Eastmarch had spread, claiming land and influencing the growth of the Empire. From the Cruel-Sea Clan, that confronts the brutal waves of the Ghost Sea, to the Stormcloak Clan, who honor and uphold the ancient traditions of Skyrim and the Nords. But none more well-known and fearsome than the Direfrost Clan. The Direfrost Clan are welcoming and gentle people but have little to no tolerance to the practices of Witchcraft, which is prevalent in the forests of the Old Holds. The earliest known Direfrost was Hroldin Direfrost, who reigned over Northern Eastmarch and controlled the villages surrounding his domain. The Direfrost are talented witch-hunters that have fought even the vilest witches in the land. As time went on, the Direfrost retreated to the Southern Velothi where they established Direfrost Keep. Deep in the castle, the Direfrost Family protects the Direfrost Flame, a flame that connects the Direfrost of the living, to the Direfrost in Sovngarde. It can only be lit with the Torch of Heirs. But eventually, the Direfrost had spread across Skyrim, and the flame went out. From then on, Direfrost Keep was abandoned, waiting for the next Direfrost to light the flame and reclaim their birthright from the witches of Eastmarch.

The Rise of King Harald & the Province of Skyrim
"It may be that the exploits of the near-mythical Ysgramor conflate the reigns of several early Nord Kings, as the Elves were not finally driven from the present boundaries of Skyrim until the reign of King Harald, the thirteenth of Ysgramor's line, at the dawn of recorded history. King Harald is also remembered for being the first King to relinquish all holdings in Atmora; the Nords of Skyrim were now a separate people, whose faces were turned firmly toward their destiny, the conquest of the vast new land of Tamriel."

- Imperial Geographic Society

As time went on, the Ysgramor Dynasty ruled the First Empire of the Nords, from Ysgramor to Ylgar, and a sudden takeover of the Dragon Cult. The High Kings would focus on Skyrim, as Atmora was slowly slipping away from their grips. The Atmorans, and the Nedes would spread all throughout Skyrim, even land beyond the mountains. But things would change with the reign of King Harald, the thirteenth heir of the Ysgramor line. By 1E 113, Harald Hand-Free had relinquished all holdings on Atmora, thus making separating the Nords of Skyrim from their lost homeland, paving the way for their destiny. Harald had established the Province of Skyrim, continuing the Ysgramor line with his eldest son, Hjalmer in 1E 221, who would later die a year later, passing it to his younger brother, Vrage the Gifted. Vrage would further expand the Empire, in a joint event known as the Skyrim Conquests. Vrage's Empire expanded beyond the traditional borders, taking control of High Rock, the Nibenay, and mainland Morrowind. Cities such as Daggerfall and Ebonheart were under the control of the Nords. This would last for roughly two-hundred years, as the Ysgramor Dynasty ruled over Skyrim.

The Kragen Clan's Expansion & the Story of Aetherium
"To the dwarves, of course, such problems were merely a challenge. In the years following King Harald's reign, the Dwemer discovered a considerable source of Aetherium in their deepest delvings. An alliance of four cities, led by Arkngthamz, the great research center in the southern Reach, was formed to oversee its extraction, processing, and study, and a new 'Aetherium Forge' constructed to smelt it under precisely controlled conditions."

- Taron Dreth

The Schism of Skyrim; Queen Freydis of East Skyrim
"Jarl Svartr of Solitude claimed that Logrolf's daughter, Freydis, was illegitimate, and therefore a Moot was required to choose a successor. Though Freydis, wearing the Crown of Verity, was named High Queen in Windhelm, a partial Moot in Solitude chose Svartr as High King. Thereafter the West Kingdom was ruled by Svartr and his successors, while the East Kingdom was ruled by the heirs to Freydis, who renamed the Crown of Verity in her honor."

- Taleon Mythmaker

Regions

 * Frostwater Tundra
 * Giant's Run
 * Icewind Peaks

Settlements

 * Windhelm (Capital)
 * Palace of the Kings
 * Candlehearth Hall
 * Temple of Talos
 * Hall of Trials
 * Hall of the Dead
 * Fort Amol
 * Jarl's Manor
 * Fort Amol Prison
 * Brandy-Mug Farm
 * Cradlecrush
 * Darkwater Crossing
 * Dragon Grove
 * Hlaalu Farm
 * Hollyfrost Farm
 * Jorunn's Stand
 * Kynesgrove (Settlement)
 * Laintar Dale
 * Lower Yorgrim
 * Mixwater Mill
 * Narzulbur
 * Pargran Village
 * Thulvald's Logging Camp
 * Voljar's Meadery
 * Wittestadr

Ruins

 * Abandoned Prison
 * Ansilvund
 * Bonestrewn Crest
 * Direfrost Keep
 * Gallows Rock
 * Hammerhome
 * Hillgrund's Tomb
 * Icehammer's Vault
 * Kagrenzel
 * Morvunskar
 * Mzulft
 * Ragnthar
 * Refugees' Rest
 * Skuldafn
 * Stormcrag Crypt
 * The Bastard's Tomb

Caves

 * Cragslane Cavern
 * Cragwallow Cave
 * Crimson Kada's Crafting Cavern
 * Cronvangr Cave
 * Darkwater Pass
 * Eldergleam Sanctuary
 * Gloombound Mine
 * Goldenrock Mine
 * Lost Knife Hideout
 * Old Sord's Cave
 * Snapleg Cave
 * Stony Creek Cave
 * The Chill Hollow
 * The Frigid Grotto
 * Uttering Hills Cave

Landmarks

 * Aalto
 * Darkwater River
 * Dunmeth Pass
 * Giant's Heart
 * Hermit's Hideout
 * Kynesgrove (Forest)
 * Mara's Eye Pond
 * Sea of Ghosts
 * Thane Jeggi's Drinking Hole
 * The Atronach Stone
 * Velothi Mountains
 * White River
 * Witchmist Grove
 * Yorgrim River
 * Ysgramor's Teeth

Appearances




Marca Oriental Истмарк Eastmarch