Stonefalls

"The ashfall from the volcanoes of the Velothi Mountains and from great Ash Mountain itself is Stonefalls' bane and benefit, fertilizing the soil where the land isn't too arid to grow crops. It was here that the recent invading army from Akavir met its bloody end."

- Stonefalls Loading Screen

Stonefalls is the volcanic wasteland located on the Morrowind mainland and across the southern coast of the Inner Sea. Stonefalls has seen it's fair share of war over the years making it a realm of the past.

Daen Seeth
Stonefalls has lava spewing from all corners of the realm. This along with the twin volcanoes makes Stonefalls a truly formidable Ashland to not tread lightly on. The Daen Seeth region of Stonefalls has many notable locations including the magnificent port city of Davon's Watch and Ash Mountain, one of the twin volcanoes of Stonefalls. The town of Senie is located on the base of Ash Mountain, the massive crypt known as Othrenis is located west of Senie, and Fort Arand is located further west. The Daen Seeth coast is only viewable from Davon's Watch since Ash Mountain towers over the land. West of Davon's Watch is a war-torn area known as the Starved Plains. It was a site of an ancient battle at the time of the Chimer. Eastern Daen Seeth connects to the Argonian reserve known as Bal Foyen.

Zabamat
The Zabamat region of Stonefalls is much more close to the sea than the majority of Daen Seeth. Zabamat's capital is the city of Ebonheart which rivals even the Dunmeri capital city of Mournhold. Out of all the regions in Stonefalls, Zabamat has seen a lot of battles throughout the years. Vivec's Antlers is a field of land-coral that was the site of a battle during the Second Akaviri Invasion led by Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal. The Sulfur Pools is a set of large pools filled with Sulfur that is used to preserve food and wine. Fort Virak in the northwest leads to the Rift in southeastern Skyrim. There are many settlements located in Zabamat's fertile land including Heimlyn Keep (a House Telvanni fort town), Lukiul Uxith (an assimilated Argonian village), and Hrogar's Hold (a large farmstead owned by Nords).

Varanis
The Varanis region is more inland than the other regions in Stonefalls. Varanis' capital is the city of Kragenmoor which is House Hlaalu territory. The Tormented Spire is one of the twin volcanoes of Stonefalls, and it's located east of Kragenmoor. The second largest settlement in Varanis is the Iliath Temple which is by the worshippers of the Tribunal Temple. A large cavern known as the Fungal Grotto is home to an old daedric temple dedicated to Mephala, the Daedric Prince of murder, sex, and sin.

Fauna
The Kagouti is a large bipedal predator that can be found by themselves in the wilds of Stonefalls. Kagoutis are a distant relative of the Alit and the Guar as they have a similar build to them but with plated scales and a large forehead that makes them battle-heartened creatures. A single Kagouti can demolish a caravan in the matter of a single ram and make a significant dent in a stone wall. Kagoutis are utilized as mounts in the region, and it is no surprise.

The Alit is another bipedal predator but they are found in small packs of two in Stonefalls. Alits resemble Kagoutis but without the armor and with dark-green scales that make themselves blend in with the environment. They also have a more grimacing face that makes them unwanted; this cannot be said about their hide. Their hide is precious to the local Ashlanders as well as Merchant Lords in Dune. They have large claws that can dig through almost anything and beady yellow eyes that make them very menacing.

The Netch is a very versatile creature for the Dunmeri people and are plentiful throughout Morrowind and Vvardenfell. A Netch's Leather can produce the finest leather and the most durable Bonemold Armor while the Netch Jelly is used for poison and can paralyze someone for a couple of seconds. Netch is large creatures with long tentacles that float around the Inner Sea or other bodies of water and come in three variants. The Bull Netch is the alpha male, the Betty Netch is the female, and the Netch Calf is the young baby. Netches have a defense mechanism where they release a very foul odor.

Nix-Hounds are small arthropod predator that can be found in groups of five or six, making them the equivalent to Wolves in other parts of Tamriel. A Nix-Hound has a large sword-like snout and a lot of bright eyes that make them all the more creepier. A Hound has a sharp body covered in small points and curved talons. It has plated armor that protects them from dangerous foes. Apparently, their meat is very sour and requires a lot of mushrooms to drown out the flavor.

Goblins are a barbaric folk that lives practically everywhere, from High Rock to Elsweyr. Goblins live in tribes, and the tribes in Stonefalls stay away from other tribes and keep to their territory. The Shadowsilk Tribe of Goblins live all throughout western Stonefalls in places such as Varanis and Zabamat. They pillage local farms and have become a menace to the Dunmeri people. To anyone, the Shadowsilk are the only Goblin Tribe in Stonefalls. However, another tribe lurks in the Fungal Grotto. The Murkwater Tribe are secluded in the caverns and always fight the Dreugh inside.

Stonefalls has many different types of fish including Scum Carp, Rainbow Zander, Akaviri Wrasse, and the Ash Shad.

Flora
Despite Stonefalls being a barren wasteland of soot and crags, Stonefalls is a very vibrantly colored region filled with flora ranging from giant alien mushroom trees that tower the very cities dotting the landscape to trees coming in all colors of the rainbow and many unusual plants and trees. The large mushrooms have orange pods that grow along the stem. The trees usually come in different varieties and combinations of red including basic red, pink, purple, and dark red. The traditional plants found in Morrowind including Scathecraw, Spiky Grass, and Stinkhorn can be found in Morrowind. It can be used in alchemy. In northern Ebonheart, the Argonians grew a Hist tree in the middle of their district. The coast tends to be less colorful since both Vvardenfell and Ash Mountain is closer to the coast.

Government
Morrowind is under the control of the Great Houses which hold specific parts of Morrowind; Stonefalls is no exception. None of their capitals also exist here, but that does not mean they have do not any significant settlement in them. House Indoril occupies eastern Stonefalls and the Daen Seeth region of the Ashland. Davon's Watch has a powerful monopoly on the trade in the Inner Sea and all the proceeds go to House Indoril. Surrounding settlements such as Senie and Dhalmora belong to Indoril as well as Fort Zeren.

House Hlaalu has a majority of Stonefalls with Zabamat and Varanis in their grip since it is very close to the Hlaalu Capital of Narsis. Because of this, western Stonefalls has foreign influence from the Imperials of Cyrodiil since Hlaalu joined forces with them after Tiber Septim's conquest. The cities of Ebonheart and Kragenmoor get traction from places such as Riften in the Rift of Skyrim, Serkamora in the Deshaan Plains of Morrowind, and many settlements located across the Inner Sea. When Hlaalu lost influence in the fourth era, their control over these areas had diminished, but it is unknown who now takes control.

Religion
Before 3E 427, the main religion focused in all of Morrowind was the Tribunal. The Tribunal was a group of Ancient Chimer that earned godhood sometime during the War of the First Council after betraying their trusted ally, Indoril Nerevar. Azura created the Nerevarine Prophecy which predicted the Tribunal's downfall. After Almalexia went insane and Vivec disappeared, the Tribunal's influence ceased, and the traditional Dunmer religion was reinforced. This was known as the House of Reclamations and the House of Troubles which worships the Daedric Princes, mainly Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala as the Reclamations. Since House Hlaalu made a deal with the Septim Empire, they had brought in many aspects of their culture; including the Nine Divines. The Divines are the commonly worshiped group of deities that are worshiped in places such as Skyrim, Valenwood, and Hammerfell. When House Hlaalu lost its Great House title, it can be assumed that worship for the Divines may have ended.

The Origins of the Brothers of Strife
During an unknown battle in the Nede-Chimer War, the Chimeri army was brought into a corner by the Nedic army. In a desperate move to win the battle, the two Chimeri sorcerers, Nilae and Turoni accumulated the hearts of many Nedes and the essences of fire daedra. General Balreth and Legate Sadal, two Chimeri brothers, chose to sacrifice themselves to destroy the Nede army. The two became the Brothers of Strife and obliterated the Nedic Army. A mage known as Mavos Siloreth sealed the Brothers away into the twin mountains of Stonefalls to prevent further destruction. An area south of Ebonheart is called the Brothers of Strife, in honor of the two brothers who sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

Foundation of the Iliath Temple
In 1E 670, the Iliath Temple was originally a shrine to Azura that was repurposed into a place a worship for the Tribunal. The area has a large cavern filled with ebony that is sought out by many. The temple has had reoccurring problems with the nearby Kagesh Tribe which eventually led to them attacking the temple in the second era.

Argonian Intergration into Dunmeri Society
In the beginning of the second era, the Argonians moved towards Morrowind in numbers after the Imperial conquest over Black Marsh from 1E 2811 and onward. The Imperials turned Black Marsh into a prison state of violence and unhinged criminals. 600 years later and the Argonians became a part of Dunmeri society. Many settlements were founded by the Argonians including Dhalmora, Lukiul Uxith, and Silent Mire.

The End of the Akaviri Invasion
In 2E 572, the Second Akaviri Invasion had already sacked Winterhold in Skyrim and moved past the city of Riften. The leader of the Akaviri army, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, had already been back pushed by Jorunn the Skald-King and the supposed Wulfharth near Riften and now had to deal with Almalexia of the Tribunal and Tanval Indoril of House Indoril. The battle had begun at the land-coral region of Vivec's Antlers. Both the Nords and the Dunmer had a hard time pressing through the Akaviri force. The Kamali naval ships were appearing upon the horizon in the Inner Sea, and the Nordic-Dunmer forces were unable to breach their defenses until the Argonians from the Deshaan Plains came and broke through the forces.

Formation of the Ebonheart Pact
At the end of the Battle of Stonefalls, the Nords of Eastern Skyrim, the Dunmer of Morrowind, and the Argonians of Black Marsh come together in Ebonheart and formed an unlikely alliance known as the Ebonheart Pact. The Alliance base was the city of Mournhold, and the Alliance occupied the northwestern region of Cyrodiil.

The Siege of Davon's Watch
In 2E 582, in the nearby Argonian reserve, Bal Foyen, the Daggerfall Covenant had attacked both the Bal Foyen Dockyards and Fort Zeren. The Covenant's next target was the city of Davon's Watch which is located west of Foyen. Luckily, the signal fires in Dhalmora were lit and the Watch was on high alert. The Ebonheart Pact commander stationed in the Watch was Holgunn One-Eye, and he led the defense against the Covenant. Tanval Indoril was also leading the defense and came up with a very different solution of bringing the skull of Nam Indoril to revive one of the Brothers of Strife, Balreth. Nam needed convincing to summon the demon and time to do so. He tasks the Vestige and his son, Garyn Indoril to delay the daggers on the shore westward by burning their siege weapons. In the House Indoril Crypt, Tanval was able to bring Balreth to life, and he destroyed the Covenant armada in the Inner Sea. With the Covenant destroyed, the task is to now capture Balreth and seal him away before he can wreck the rest of Stonefalls.

Sealing Balreth atop the Ashen Spire
During the time of the Chimer, a mage known Mavos Siloreth was the one who imprisoned the demon Balreth inside Ash Mountain and is the only one who knows how to do it. The Vestige traveled to Othrenis and communed with the ghost of Mavos. Siloreth used two Flame Atronachs to bind Balreth to the volcano. With this knowledge, the Vestige traveled to the base of Ash Mountain at the Pact Camp to meet with Holgunn and Walks-in-Ash of Senie. The three trekked the fiery mountain and fought droves of daedra on the climb to the summit. After summoning and defeating the Atronachs, Blaze and Ragebinder, the three and Garyn Indoril fought Balreth at the mountain's core and sealed the Brother of Strife.

The Second Battle of Vivec's Antlers
The Covenant Armada at Davon's Watch wasn't done. The remnants of the force moved westward towards the city of Ebonheart and the land-coral maze of Vivec's Antlers. Covenant General, Alexandra Conele received Intel from Rhavil Urano about Balreth and Sadal, the Brothers of Strife. Conele planned on invading the Antlers to retrieve the Coral Heart, an artifact connected to the land-coral, to control Sadal. After Restoring Order in Ebonheart, the Vestige traveled to Vivec's Antlers to aid in the Second Battle of Vivec's Antlers. The two alliances had to deal with the local Dreugh in the area. The Vestige arrived on the scene and aided the Pact in the battle. The traveler saved many soldiers from the Dreugh and rescued Lieutenant Galyn at the Dagger's Point Invasion Camp. Conele ventured inside the Coral Heart Chamber and was followed by the Vestige and Sings-With-Reed. Reed decides to become one with the Coral Heart. Conele appears in front of the Vestige and battles them for the heart. In the end, Conele is defeated and Holgunn takes the Coral Heart.

Retaking Fort Virak
While the Second Battle of Vivec's Antlers was taking place, the Covenant led by General Serien advanced across the Zabamat region and captured the valued Fort Virak Stronghold, located on the Morrowind - Skyrim border to the Rift. The Virak walls were impregnable, and Covenant necromancers used dead soldiers to fight the Pact at the southern wall. The Pact besieged endlessly on the wall to little success. The Vestige traveled across Zabamat to reach the battlefield. With the help of Holgunn One-Eye and Walks-in-Ash, the Pact moved through the Virak catacombs to eventually reach the courtyard in Fort Virak. Serien locked himself inside Virak Keep while the Pact opened the north and south gates of Virak. After securing the yard, the Vestige, Holgunn, Tanval Indoril, and Garyn Indoril confronted Serien. During the fight, Serien murdered Garyn and possessed Tanval. Tanval is enraged over the death of Garyn. He takes the Coral Heart and flees to the Tormented Spire to release Sadal to destroy everything that led to his son's death.

House Feud in Kragenmoor
To reach the Tormented Spire, one must gain access via the Grandmaster stationed in Kragenmoor. Otherwise, the wards will block the cave entrance. Tanval and his Vanguard Duelists kidnapped Sen Dres, the son of House Dres Grandmaster, Omin Dres and used him as a hostage to meet their demands. Tanval was granted access to the spire and left a fraction of his vanguard to occupy the city of Kragenmoor. The Vestige arrived on the scene and agreed on helping to find Sen. After investigating, the traveler discovered that he is located in the House Dres Crypts to the west of town. After fighting through a series of Vanguard troopers, the Vestige rescued Sen and gained the Pact access to the Tormented Spire.

Sealing Sadal atop the Tormented Spire
The Vestige, Holgunn One-Eye, Walks-in-Ash, and an army from the Ebonheart Pact took down the wards set in place by Kragenmoor and scaled the Tormented Spire. Tanval began to regret his past decisions and decides to help reseal Sadal into the spire. The Pact and Tanval's Vanguard fought through waves of daedra while the four warriors brought the key figures needed to seal Sadal. Inside the depths of the spire, Sadal commands the daedra. The four fought the Bone Colossus and Tanval sacrificed himself to hold Sadal. The demon was sealed away and the Stonefalls region was saved.

Stonefalls and it's cities during the Simulacrum
During the Imperial Simulacrum, a settlement also known as Stonefalls existed and was located in the general area of Vivec's Antlers. On the road, it was connected to Ebonheart, Kragenmoor, Karththor Dale, Riverbridge. It was also on the coastline to the Inner Sea and west of the River Thir. At one point, the Eternal Champion had visited the town in their quest for a piece of the Staff of Chaos. The Champion had also visited the cities of Ebonheart, Kragenmoor, Darnim Watch (Davon's Watch in a later iteration), Heimlyn Keep, and Omaynis.

The city of Ebonheart and it's king, King Casik, was at war with the town of Firewatch and it's queen, Queen Vaynth. This war hasn't been brought up since. The outcome is also unknown.

After finding a piece of the Staff of Chaos in the Murkwood forest of Black Marsh, the Eternal Champion must now find the final piece in Morrowind. The traveler was directed to the city of Ebonheart and King Casik. Casik gives the Champion a proposition where if the champion gets the Hammer of Gharen from Black Gate, then he'll tell them the location of the piece. After retrieving the Hammer, Casik pointed the way to Red Mountain where the champion found the last piece. All is left is the jewel of the staff which is located in the Imperial Palace guarded by Jagar Tharn.

Effects of the Fall of Tribunal
In 3E 427, the Nerevarine Prophecy had been fulfilled at the city of Mournhold when Almalexia went insane and slew Sotha Sil at his Clockwork City causing the Nerevarine into slaying her. Almalexia would not accept the loss of her divinity, and because of it, she tried to ruin the Nerevarine by blaming them for Sil's death. Vivec however, accepted his fading godhood and went into hiding in somewhere in Nirn. With Vivec and the Tribunal destroyed, their influence was completely gone, and places such as Davon's Watch were affected for being Indoril affiliated.

The Effects of the Red Year
During the Red Year, the Ministry of Truth atop of Vivec City crashed onto the city and demolished it causing a rupture throughout Tamriel, even as far as the Summerset Isles. Stonefalls as very likely to be affected by the fall. The cities of Davon's Watch and Ebonheart were possibly hit by a tsunami and suffered a great deal of damage. If a city like Tear suffered from earthquakes and damaged walls, then Kragenmoor suffered much greater but not as much as the two coastal cities. Many settlements were like destroyed by the earthquakes or through the tsunami from the Inner Sea.

The Fall of House Hlaalu
As of 4E 201, House Hlaalu was no longer considered a Great House and was eventually replaced by House Sadras for multiple reasons. One reason was sometime during the Great War when the Mede Empire was obliterated by the Third Aldmeri Dominion and many Empire affiliated locations were greatly affected, this included Hlaalu territory since they welcomed the Imperial Culture. Hlaalu was hurt both politically and economically. Many used House Hlaalu as a scapegoat to blame the then recent blunders the Dunmeri people had to suffer. Eventually, Hlaalu stepped down as Great House and was replaced by House Sadras. It is unknown whether Sadras gained control of places such as Ebonheart, Kragenmoor, Narsis, or Virak or not.

Regions

 * Daen Seeth
 * Zabamat
 * Varanis

Settlements

 * Davon's Watch
 * Davon's Watch Market District
 * Artisans' Row
 * Indoril Manor
 * House Indoril Crypt
 * Davon's Watch Outlaws Refuge
 * Ebonheart
 * Ebonheart Tribunal Temple
 * Ebonheart Town Hall
 * Kragenmoor
 * Slave Quarters
 * Davenas Farm
 * House Dres Crypts
 * Senie
 * Fort Arand
 * Lukiul Uxith
 * Heimlyn Keep
 * Fort Virak
 * Iliath Temple
 * Sathram Plantation
 * Darnim Watch
 * Eagle Moor
 * Verarchen Hall
 * Omaynis

Ruins

 * Inner Sea Armature
 * Mephala's Nest
 * Sheogorath's Tongue
 * Othrenis
 * Magmaflow Overlook
 * Armature's Upheaval
 * Brothers of Strife
 * House Dres Crypts
 * House Indoril Crypt

Caves

 * Strifeswarm Kwama Mine
 * Ash Mountain
 * Tormented Spire
 * Crow's Wood
 * Emberflint Mine
 * Fungal Grotto
 * Hightide Hollow
 * Softloam Cavern

Landmarks

 * Starved Plains
 * Vivec's Antlers
 * Sulfur Pools
 * Stonefang Isle
 * Greymist Falls

Trivia

 * Many locations in Stonefalls originally come from Arena. Locations were renamed during the development of (See the Morrowind Concept Map above in Gallery). These places include:
 * Stonefalls
 * Ebonheart
 * Kragenmoor
 * Davon's Watch (Originally Darnim Watch/Darvonis Watch)
 * Heimlyn Keep
 * Varanis (Originally Verarchen Hall/Veranis Hall)
 * Othrenis (Originally Eagle Moor)
 * Stonefalls is the only region in all of Tamriel that is named after a settlement in Arena. The only thing to come similarly is Whiterun Hold, Falkreath Hold, and the Winterhold.

By game

 * Stonefalls (Arena)
 * Stonefalls (Online)

Appearances


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