Wayrest

"Wayrest is one of the most glorious cities of western Tamriel: sparkling in her contemporary beauty, lustrous by her past. She is prized above all cities in High Rock -- no other city has contributed, and continues to contribute so much to the culture of the Bretons."

- Sathyr Longleat

Wayrest or the Jewel of the Bay is one of the eight major kingdoms in the province of High Rock and is the capital of the Menevia region and the Stormhaven region of High Rock. Wayrest is the metropolitian capital of the Iliac Bay and started as a humble fishing village on the Bjoulsae Estuary.

Geography
The city of Wayrest is the capital of the Kingdom of Wayrest, which is among the many political nations that inhabit the Iliac Bay. The Kingdom rest along the Iliac Bay, just before the Bjoulsae River Estuary. The Kingdom is in between the Fiefdom of Menevia, the Fiefdom of Gavaudon, the Orsinium Area, and the Wrothgarian Mountains. There are several other settlements located in the region such as Grimdale Moor and Wilderidge. As time went on, the Kingdom of Wayrest stretched beyond its borders to the Fiefdom of Anticlere to half of the Gavaudon region. The regional deity is the Divine, Akatosh whose religious temple called the Akatosh Chantry is prominent in Wayrest as well as the Order of the Hour. The local knightly order of Wayrest is the Knights of the Rose, those who have served the leaders of Wayrest for generations. Out of the many Vampire clans to inhabit the Iliac Bay, the Montalion Vampire Clan lives in Wayrest.

The city of Wayrest itself is a marvelous city that takes a significant portion of the Stormhaven coast. It is well-protected with massive walls surrounding the entire city, the Wayrest Sewers are vast and have entrances throughout the Inner City River. Wayrest is divided into several districts. The Residential District of Wayrest takes up the northeastern portion is where many of the nobility resides. Several manors in the area include Gardner House and Woodborne Hall. The Merchant District is where many folks have set up stands, selling their wares from as far as Daggerfall and Woodhearth. The Temple of the Divines is west of the market and is surrounded by a cemetery. The Wayrest Treasury is just east of the market and is crossable via a bridge from the market. Castle Wayrest is south of the market and it overlooks the area. Further down is the Mages Guild Hall and the Chironasium, a large hall of enchanting. The Wayrest Docks have various warehouses and has ships coming places such as Sentinel and Lainlyn.

Traditions

 * The Bretons of Wayrest celebrate the New Life Festival by incorporating another holiday called Saturalia, which is held on the 25th of Evening Star. It was once about a long forgotten god of debauchery, but now it has become a holiday of gift exchange and merriment.

Cuisine

 * Saturalia Bitter Mulled Wine – This is an alcoholic beverage served during the celebration of Saturalia, which is held during the waning days of Evening Star. Mulled Wine is made from Red Wine and a combination of several spices such as Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

First Era
The foundation of Wayrest remains to be an enigma to this day since it started as a humble fishing village where the Bjoulsae River meets the Iliac Bay. Sometime around 1E 800, the denizens of Wayrest were constantly harassed by the Orsimer of the nearby Orsinium, Orcish Raiders consisted of members of Clan Bagrakh. The Bjoulsae Raids was orchestrated by Clan Igrun and was considered the catalyst of the eventual Siege of Orsinium. In 1E 948, King Joile of Daggerfall sent an important letter to Gaiden Shinji, leader of the Order of Diagna about the recent raids as well as Orsinium's recent growth. Several years in 1E 980, King Joile and Gaiden Shinji advanced into Wrothgar for the Siege of Orsinium. After the battle, Wayrest began to flourish and become a Kingdom among the Iliac Bay. Many traveling from Bangkorai and Wrothgar had to travel through the Eastern Bjoulsae and Wayrest making the village a welcome rest, hence the name. Wayrest and the kingdoms of Daggerfall and Sentinel established the Masconian Trade Way, a trading system across the Iliac that established strong relations across the sea.

In 1E 1100, the Kingdom of Wayrest was fully-established under the leadership of the Gardner Dynasty, with their first ruler being Farangel Gardner. The Gardners was a wealthy family well established before the Siege of Orsinium. Gardner Castle was built on the High Rock side of the Bjoulsae, and small businesses were created within the walls. Farangel Gardner was officially proclaimed the King of Wayrest when the settlement began to accept ambassadors from the Camoran Dynasty. The Kingdom of Wayrest was created among the Iliac Bay in 1E 1100. Members of the Gardner Family was involved in the Siege of Orsinium and were a part of the Court of Daggerfall under Joile.

Second Era
For quite some time, the Kingdoms of High Rock were peaceful among one another, ever since the Battle of Granden Tor. The city of Wayrest was still under the leadership of the Gardner Dynasty, long after Farangel and his ancestors, such as Aphren Gardner. King Gardner of Wayrest had ruled Wayrest along with other merchant families such as the House Cumberland and the House Horley. Around this time in 2E 541, Durcorach the Black Drake of the Western Reach invaded the Kingdoms of High Rock in the attempt to control the province. The Black Drake's Invasion had assaulted the Bangkorai region and the city of Evermore. Moving southwards, they invaded the city of Hallin's Stand and continued into the Bjoulsae and Stormhaven. The denizens of Alcaire, Menevia, and Gavaudon had fled to the city of Wayrest to escape the constant raids along the Wrothgarian Mountains. Eventually, the Black Drake had arrived on the outskirts of Wayrest and commenced the Siege of Wayrest.

The Siege of Wayrest lasted for fifty-seven days which is approximately two months. The Reachmen lacked any substantial weaponry that was able to besiege the city. They had no siege weapons to breach the outer walls on the Menevia front, and they had no warships to create blockade onto Wayrest. The attack was merely a diversion so that the Black Drake can take the cities of Glenumbra, more specifically, the city of Daggerfall. King Gardner tasked Emeric of House Cumberland, to lead a Wayrester Armada to the city of Daggerfall, to aid the denizens of Daggerfall and to defeat the Black Drake. King Bergamot of Daggerfall led a defensive force consisting of Daggerfall's finest and the Knights of the Dragon. Emeric advanced into the Daenia forest with an army of Heavy Dragoons. The Battle of Daggerfall was fought on two fronts and was eventually resolved when Emeric killed Durcorach with his steel sword. High Rock was quickly overwhelmed by an army of barbarians from the east and needed to come together, to fight against a future threat that may harm the denizens of Bretony. The Kingdoms of Wayrest, Daggerfall, Evermore, Camlorn, and Shornhelm banded together to form the first iteration of the Daggerfall Covenant.

The Daggerfall Covenant had potential to be so much more, something that goes beyond Greater Bretony or even the Iliac Bay as a whole. This was Emeric's goal when he became the King of Wayrest in 2E 563 after his bravery against Durcorach the Black Drake and the death of the Gardner Dynasty from the Knahaten Flu in 2E 560. Emeric was thinking about a queen, someone to rule alongside him in Wayrest. Initially, Emeric was given the choice of Princess Rayelle, the Princess of Shornhelm and daughter of King Ranser Branquette. Ranser Branquette was notorious among the Kings of High Rock when he fought for the title of King of Rivenspire from his young brother, Phylgeon Montclair. Ranser was ruthless and is very stubborn, capable of very atrocious things. Emeric was about to marry Rayelle had he not travel to the city of Sentinel and met Princess Maraya, daughter of King Fahara'jad. Emeric married Maraya in the spring of 2E 566, and it established the Greater Daggerfall Covenant with the Province of Hammerfell. Ranser was furious that his daughter was denied by a Redguard, he withdrew his ambassador from Wayrest and did not attend the wedding. A storm was brewing in Rivenspire and war was in the air. The year of 2E 566 was the beginning of King Ranser's Civil War.

King Ranser assembled the three great houses of Rivenspire to attack the city of Wayrest and subsequently the Daggerfall Covenant. The Houses of Dorell, Montclair, and Tamrith joined together to fight alongside Ranser and Shornhelm against the Daggerfall Covenant. Baron Phylgeon Montclair tried to become the neutral envoy in the civil war, Emeric's response was unknown while Ranser's angry refusal was well known across the Rivenspire Countryside. The Montclair Knights would join Ranser in his assault on Wayrest. Ranser's army moved into the Alcaire fiefdom and entered the Menevia fiefdom to arrive into the Wayrest Outskirts and began the Siege of Wayrest. The Shornhelm Guard was swarming the Wayrest gates while the local militia was holding them back. Emeric and his Cumberland Guard fought the Oldgate Lancers from the fortress of Oldgate, he used a powerful blade called the Orichalc Scalpel. Emeric and his enchanted broadsword were able to push back the Oldgate Lancers, his troops were behind the wall preparing for Ranser's attack, who came with siege weapons.

Ranser was defeated at the Battle of Markwasten Moor when he was killed by General Dathieu after the constant conflict. Emeric had sent an ambassador named Zephrine Frey to King Kurog gro-Bagrakh, leader of the Orcs. Frey had traveled with Kurog for several months and was present with him when he attempted to move to Falkreath Hold and to establish the new iteration of Yashnag's Chiefdom. Frey told Kurog about Ranser's War and that he needed help to defeat them. Kurog and his militia of Orcs would defeat Ranser's army at Markwasten Moor. After the conflict, Emeric embraced Kurog's Wrothgar and made them a part of the Daggerfall Covenant. The Covenant had become an incredibly powerful force that rivals the likes of the Reman Empire from the first era and the alliances it would soon fight in a war of three banners.

During the Interregnum in 2E 582, the city of Wayrest was the capital of the Daggerfall Covenant and leading the helm was High King Emeric of Cumberland and his wife, Queen Maraya of Sentinel. The Stormhaven region has seen a sudden insurgency of Daedra occurrences, from as far as the Alcairian fields to the Gavaudanian riverbank. The Supernal Dreamers are a group of worshippers to Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares. Various different figures present in Stormhaven were possessed by Omens of terror ranging from the Omen of Blood in Menevia to the Omen of Betrayal in Gavaudon. Vaermina uses a powerful entity called the Night Terror to ensnare Emeric into a never-ending nightmare, causing him to undertake severe decision that may result in the end of the Daggerfall Covenant. The Vestige, an agent of Emeric and the Covenant, traveled into Emeric's dream and defeated the Night Terror. The battle opened a gateway to Quagmire, the Daedric Plane of Oblivion to Vaermina. It was there that the Vestige met Vaermina, deep within the clouds of Quagmire, Vaermina withdrew from Stormhaven and Emeric was saved from her influence. Emeric continued to rule the Daggerfall Covenant and Wayrest.

Third Era
During the War for Betony, Wayrest stayed neutral. However, a noble from this city state intervened in the war and assassinated King Lysandus of Daggerfall. This conspiracy was finally uncovered by an agent of Emperor Uriel Septim VII. The agent put King Lysandus' spirit to rest and recovered the great Numidium. Wayrest was one of the wielders of the Numidium during a strange time warping event, which is later called the Warp in the West.

Some years after the event, King Eadwyre died. Prince Helseth and Lady Elysana fought over the throne of Wayrest. Lady Elysana won and Helseth and his mother, Lady Barenziah, were banished from Wayrest. They were sent back to Morrowind. Barenziah's second child, Lady Morgiah, had left Wayrest long before the fight began. She married King Reman of Firsthold. Their marriage was brokered by Mannimarco.

These days, the Kingdom of Wayrest is prospering, due to the intelligent and cunning mind of Queen Elysana. She managed to form an alliance with King Gortwog of the Orcish Kingdom of Orsinium. Wayrest is one of the major political forces in the bay. Their alliance with the Orcs also brings more benefits to the Kingdom. Wayrest now spreads across most of the eastern coast of the Bay, stretching from the land formerly called Anticlere to half of Gauvadon.

Pelagius Septim III died in the Temple of Kynareth located in Wayrest.

Fourth Era
In 4E 188 Wayrest was captured by corsairs, who proceeded to raid and destroy the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary located there. This was largely to blame on the King Barynia of Wayrest, who kept the city gates open so that the Corsairs could kill anyone who had conspired against him.

Trivia

 * When Arena was going to be a Tournament based game, where each city had their own gladiatorial team. Wayrest's team was to be known as the Highlanders.
 * The local demonym for someone from Wayrest as well as the Kingdom is a Wayrester.

By Game

 * Wayrest (Arena)
 * Wayrest (Daggerfall)
 * Wayrest (City)
 * Wayrest (Online)
 * Wayrest (Legends)

Appearances




Quietud Вэйрест (Lore)