Bruma (Oblivion)

Bruma is the northern-most city in the province of Cyrodiil, located in the Jerall Mountains along the border with Skyrim. Bruma's northerly latitude, combined with its high altitude, leads to a much different climate than other populated areas of the province. The city is perpetually covered in snow, with clear, sunny days being the exception, rather than the norm. The city, and its people, have adapted to the climate with a much simpler, hardier way of life.

Because of Bruma's nearness to Skyrim, it is populated extensively by Nords, both immigrants from Skyrim itself, and Cyrodiilic citizens longing for a place more like their ancient home. The non-Nordic peoples of Bruma tend to adapt the culture of their northern neighbors, though most of the Cyrodiilic Nords strive to be somewhat more civilized. The city's culture is similar to that of Solstheim, an island near Morrowind that is part of Skyrim, but heavily populated by Imperials. Given the Nordic penchant for battle, and their legends linking Tiber Septim to the Nordic elder Greybeards, it is not surprising the Bruma's patron saint is Talos, the divine nature of Tiber Septim.

Unlike most other cities, there is very little diversity among the architecture of Bruma; there is no prominent aristocratic or commercial region to speak of. Almost all of the buildings, from the guild halls down to the single-person residences, are sturdy wooden buildings, built on top of a thick granite base. The only notable difference between the high-end houses and the lower-end ones are the presence of a second story, and in some cases, a basement. Though the buildings are constructed similar to the log cabins of the Skryim frontier, they are extremely well-built, and generally sport eloborate doors and external support beams, decorated all over with Nordic carvings. There is very little decoractive about Bruma apart from the buildings themselves; in particular, the climte is far too harsh to support parks, trees, ponds, or other natural features found in other cities.

The city is built directly into the side of one of the Jerall Mountain peaks, with the main gate at the eastern end, and Castle Bruma at the highest, westernmost point. The northern half of the city is built onto four man-made steppes leading up to the castle walls, and is where the guild halls and shops are located. The southern portion consists of a single road, containing the bulk of the residences, which follows a naturally sloping semicircle from west to east. The city's most prominent feature, the Great Chapel of Talos, lies at the heart of this semicircle, and is the first sight a visitor will see upon entering Bruma's main gate.

For most details about this City, see Bruma's volume in Alessia Ottus's guidebook series, Guide to Bruma.

Shops,Inns,and Guilds
Bruma has the standard Fighter's Guild hall and Mage's Guild hall, both located on the second tier, where guild members can find rest and training. However, they are very small guild halls, with only a handful of members in each guild, and only apprentice-level trainers. However the Bruma Mages Guild is a good starting point for mage-type characters since the guild members sell spells in every school, with a wide variety of effects, of particular note is the Summon Dremora Lord which cannot be purchase anywhere else.

Bruma is home to two taverns, both of which offer food, drink, and lodging:

Jerall View Inn, Proprietor: Hafid Hollowleg – Higher priced inn, caters mostly to visitors. Olav's Tap and Tack, Proprietor: Olav – Less expensive lodging; favorite hang-out of many locals. Bruma's commercial options are somewhat limited, though one can take advantage of the Nord's world-renowned skill of forging weapons and armor. The following shops are available:

Hammer and Axe, Proprietor: Fjotreid – Sells and repairs weapons and armor. Nord Winds, Proprietor: Olfand and Skjorta – Sells and repairs weapons and armor and clothing. Novaroma, Proprietor: Suurootan – General goods. Wildeye Stables, Proprietor: Petrine – Paint Horses outside eastern gate.

Points of Interest
Bruma is, in general, a very utilitarian city. There is not much in the way of sightseeing or tourism, so there is very little of interest to those without specific business in the city.

The city does boast an impressive chapel, the Great Chapel of Talos, as its central feature.

The most interesting features of Bruma actually appear outside the city, to the north. The Emperor's private guard force, the Blades, have occupied a large Akaviri fortress north of Bruma, called Cloud Ruler Temple. In addition, somewhere nearby, in the Jerall Mountains is the infamous Pale Pass, where Emperor Reman I finally defeated the Akaviri invaders near the end of the First Era.