Skingrad (Oblivion)

Skingrad is a large city located southwest of Imperial City on the Gold Road. It isn't a particularly colorful city, due to the gray color palette of its architecture. The city is divided into two sections: North and South. It is separated by a huge trench running through the city.

Before Kvatch was destroyed, Skingrad seemed to have been the third largest city in Cyrodiil. Now it seems to be the second largest city. In addition to its size, most of the people of Skingrad seem to be very wealthy, many with large houses. However, on the chapel side, many people appear to have run down homes. The city castle rests on a hill above the rest of the city. Most of the city can be viewed from the bridge. Skingrad seems to have an unusual concentration of Vampires in the vicinity. This could possibly explain the Garlic Clusters (which seem to be present in every building). Ironically, the Count is a vampire himself. Unusually, every building (excluding Castle Skingrad) has reinforced doors.

Points of Interest

 * All Things Alchemical – Sells alchemical tools, potions, and ingredients
 * Castle Skingrad – Located southeast on a hill overlooking the city
 * Colovian Traders – General goods store
 * Grateful Pass Stables – Outside the western gate
 * Hammer and Tongs – Sells and repairs armor and weapons
 * Rosethorn Hall
 * Skingrad Fighters Guild
 * Skingrad Mages Guild
 * Summitmist Manor
 * The Great Chapel of Julianos
 * Two Sisters Lodge – Lodging
 * West Weald Inn – Lodging
 * Nerastarel's House – A haunted house

People's Homes

 * Ambroise Canne's House
 * Bernadette Peneles' House
 * Glarthir's House
 * Lazare Milvan's House
 * Melus Petilius' House
 * Nerastarel's House
 * Reman Broder's House
 * Rosethorn Hall
 * Salmo the Baker's House
 * Shameer's House
 * Skingrad Town Guard House
 * Summitmist Manor
 * Surilie Brothers' House
 * Tamika's House
 * Toutius Sextius' House
 * Undena Orethi's House
 * Uuras the Shepherd's House

Quests
Quests which start in Skingrad.
 * Paranoia
 * Seeking Your Roots
 * Skingrad Recommendation

Description
Skingrad County is famous for its wines, tomatoes, and cheeses. Skingrad is one of the cleanest, safest, and most prosperous towns in Cyrodiil. Located in the heart of the West Weald highlands, Skingrad is the gem of Old Colovia, and a model of the Colovian virtues of independence, hard work, and tough-mindedness. Skingrad is a model of a well run, orderly county. Crime, gambling, and public drunkenness are almost unknown, and its wines and cheeses command high prices all over Tamriel. The city has a vampire problem and has galic clusters to ward off the vampires.

Count and Countess
Janus Hassildor, the General and Count of Skingrad, resides in the Castle of Skingrad, but unlike the other Counts and Countesses, he is a vampire, which would explain why citizens "do not see him during the day or in the morning." He and his wife were accidently infected with the disease. The Hero, then a vampire, found a cure for vampirism and as a reward for discovering it the Count gave them a bottle of the cure.

Janus Hassildor, Count Skingrad, has ruled Skingrad for many years, and is known by reputation to be a powerful wizard. He is a very private man, and neglects his chapel devotions to the Nine Divines. He is widely honored and respected by his people, and Skingrad is a model of a well run, orderly county.

Layout
Skingrad has three districts: the Castle, Hightown, and Chapel. A low road runs east-west under the wall and bridges of the upper town. The Guilds and West Weald Inn are in the west of Hightown, while many shops and upper class residences are arranged along a street in the north. The southern half of the town includes the chapel at its east end, with Skingrad's other lodgings, Two Sisters Lodge, on a street in the center, with other residences, modest and mean, scattered through the rest of the district. Gates and bridges cross the low road to connect Hightown and Chapel in several places. Castle Skingrad is completely separate from the town, standing on a high prominence to the southeast. A road from the town's east gate leads from town to castle.

Lodging and Dining
There are two inns in Skingrad. One, The Two Sisters' Lodge, is owned by two Orcs. The inn is clean and well-ordered, and is troubled by neither riot or public drunkenness. The other inn is run by a pleasant Imperial woman. Neither of these proprietors are to be seen in the Great Chapel of Julianos. To purchase a batch of Skingrad's famous sweet rolls go to the Chapel District to Salmo the Baker's House. Outside of the town there are two vineyards, Tamika's and the Surilie Brothers, where they make the best wines in all of Tamriel.

Guilds
The Mages Guild here is no different than it is in other places, but the Fighters' Guild makes a specialty of goblin hunting, which is a great service to the travelers in the West Weald. The Fighters' Guild members give you locations on goblin dungeons as well as tips for killing them.

Behind the Scenes
The word "Grad" in Slavic languages means "City"; for example the Russian World War II city of Stalingrad translates to Stalincity. The same can be applied to Skingrad meaning it translates to Skincity, suggesting that Skingrad was inspired by other Slavic medieval cities, like Hunyad Castle. This is particularity evident as Skingrad has an Eastern European feel about it.