Reachmen

The Reachmen, sometimes incorrectly labelled as Forsworn, are ethnic Bretons native to the Western Reach and later the Reach. They are often considered barbarians and savages by the other races of Tamriel and are well known as the "Witchmen of High Rock".

Biology
Due to the converging location of the Reach on the borders of Skyrim, Hammerfell, and High Rock the Reachmen share ancestry with a many of the other races in Tamriel. Their origins can be traced back to the Skyrim Conquests when Nords first began breeding with the Elves and proto-Bretons in the Western Reach. After the War of Succession the Elves of High Rock massacred the Nord population living in the Western Reach. Because of this Reachmen owe most of their ancestry to Bretons and Elves. Though in later years the Reachmen may have started to mate with other human foreigners and the notorious Orsimer.

History
After the War of Succession and the end of the First Empire of the Nords, is the period when the Reachmen most likely began immigrating into the Reach of Skyrim. This is because during this time the western portion of Skyrim had been conquered by the Direnni Hegemony, which controlled the area in which the Reachmen were native to.

The Red Eagle
In the 11th century of the First Era, The Reach became an independent hold from Skyrim owned by the Reachmen. The Reach at this time was made up of 10 warring kingdoms, one of them being the Sundered Hills from which a man by the name of Faolan, better known as Red Eagle, was from. The Red Eagle was prophesied to be the one to bring peace to the 10 warring kingdoms and create one united Kingdom of the Reach. In 1E 1030 the Reach was invaded by the Empress Hestra of the Alessian Empire. One by one each kingdom fell to the Alessians, though the Red Eagle kept a fierce defense of his land, he was eventually vanquished during the Siege of Red Eagle's Stronghold. This is the first recorded act of war against the Reachmen and the beginning of the Reachmen's mistrust of foreigners.

The Interregnum
Many years later, during the Interregnum of the Second Era, the Reach once again became independent. During this time many border wars were fought between the Reachmen and the holds that surrounded the Reach. In the year 2E 541 the Reachmen, led by Durcorach the Black Drake, invaded High Rock and conquered the lands of Bankorgai, Evermore, Hallin's Stand, and Camlorn. King Emeric was able to hold Wayrest through the invasion and turned the tide of the war after defeating the Reachmen at Daggerfall. The Reachmen Invasion of High Rock helped to unify the province and was highly responsible for the creation of the Daggerfall Covenant. During the Alliance War of 2E 583 the Reachmen were known to have aided Molag Bal's plot to fuse Nirn with Coldharbour. The Reach was eventually reconquered by Hjalti Early-Beard in 2E 852 during the closing years of the Interregnum, and the Reachmen were forced to live under the rule of the new Septim Empire.

The Markarth Incident
Since the Interregnum, the Reach remained part of Skyrim until the Great War when a group of rebellious Reachmen known as the Forsworn captured the capital city Markarth while all of the armies of Skyrim were out fighting the war. For two years the Reachmen ruled the Reach until Jarl Hrolfdir of Markarth and his son Igmund organized a militia led by Ulfric Stormcloak that reclaimed the Reach from the Forsworn in an event known as the Markarth Incident. According to some sources the Reachmen may have been severely mistreated during this time but this may just be hyperbolization in order to slander Ulfric Stormcloak.

The Markarth Incident was not the end of the Forsworn, the Reachmen continue to fight the Nords of the Reach hoping to remove them and all other "foreigners" from the Reach. The majority of the ones in the city joined the Forsworn after they were imprisoned wrongly and their family were killed by Silver-Blood mercenaries.

Religion and culture
The Reachmen are often described as being barbaric Daedra worshipping savages, that revere Hagravens. The exact gods that the Reachmen worship is not really known but they seem to worship their own pantheon known as the Old Gods. The Forsworn's glorification of Hagravens hints that the Reachmen worship Daedra, but various shrines to the Divines found in Forsworn camps seem to contradict this. On another note, the Reachmen made a pact with Molag Bal during the Interregnum, indicating they do, or at least used to, worship Molag Bal. It is highly likely that the Reachmen worship both Aedra and Daedra.

The Reachmen seem to have a very tribal like culture, wearing animal pelts and living in tents made of fur. They are also known to practice taboo magics such as human sacrifice and the creation of Briarhearts, this is the reason they are known as the "Witchmen of High Rock". It is believed that a lot of their taboo magics were discovered through trade between the Reachmen of the Western Reach and the Orsimer tribes of the Wrothgarian Mountains.

Refrences
