- "And so it came to pass, that on the first month before the harvest, nary a decent crop could be found in the drought-ridden fields of Farmantle Glens. Twenty-seven families, their bellies sunken and empty, turned to their lordship who had been so fair to them in hard times before. The man ruled not with an iron gauntlet, but with the soft touch of silken kindness: my lord, Garridan Stalrous, Knight-Errant of Farmantle Glens."
- ―Jaren Aethelweald[src]
Garridan Stalrous[1] was a lord and knight of Cyrodiil. He was said to have been a fair and kind ruler.[2]
History[]
Garridan Stalrous was the ruler of the settlement known as Farmantle Glens, a community consisting largely of farmers. He lived in a stone keep, alongside the rest of his people, in the northern Jerall Mountains.[2] When a great drought hit the community the twenty-seven families who lived there were starving. Garridan's own grain supply was also in low supply, only being able to sustain himself for a few months before the crisis would also affect him.[2] Searching for a solution to the problem Garridan hired the best sages he could find, and with the gold that remained he bought as much grain from the surrounding communities to sustain his own people.[2]
A month had passed, and winter came closer to Garridan's lands. Garridan's patience was coming close to a breaking point, and the lord had considered selling his keep and belongings if it meant the survival of his people.[2] Then a sage appeared at Garridan's keep with a possible solution. The sage informed the ruler of an artifact known as the Everflow Ewer. This ewer would pour water endlessly, and was said by some to have been created by the divines, while others claimed it was a sorcerer who created it.[2] Regardless of its origins, Garridan knew this artifact would save his people from starvation. He, alongside his squire and the sage, made their way to the location of the ewer,[2] Frostfire Cave.[3]
After days of travel, the three had come to the cave known as Garridan used Refined Frost Salts to go through a special door, coming to the Frostfire Glade. The sage had spoken truly, in the middle of an enclove, surrounded by rocks, the ewer stood, with water filled to the top. Garridan, who was eager to return with the ewer and end the hunger at Farmantle Glens, took the ewer. After Garridan had taken the ewer, the ground began to shake, the trees appeared to be bending away from the altar, and the sky, which was blue at first, turned gray.[2] Then, suddenly, one of the standing stones near the altar exploded, and a Frost Atronach appeared.[2] Garridan, being a knight, told his squire to run while he himself drew his sword. Still holding the ewer, Garridan tried to damage the creature, but only barely damaged it. Garridan kept swinging at the creature, hoping to damage it, but his attacks were futile. Then, in one hit, the atronach punched the lord, resulting in Garridan falling down and dropping his blade. Being unarmed, Garridan looked at the atronach, which was raising its arm to kill the lord. In a reflex, Garridan kneeled and held the ewer in his hands in a defensive position, resulting in the atronach hitting the ewer.[2]
With the ewer destroyed, water began to flow everywhere, and froze instantly due to the cold, resulting in Garridan being entombed with his enemy in the ice. Garridan, being locked in place, started to cry. He knew he had failed to protect his people, and that they would starve. His tears were frozen as they fell, and would later be searched for by several people, including S'drassa.[4][1]
Moments after Garridan had been frozen, his squire noticed that the air near the altar had become very cold, and he decided to make his way back to the lands of his lord. When he arrived at Farmantle Glens, the families were waiting for him. While he was ready to announce the news of the death of his lord, the farmers were overjoyed, as a week before his arrival, a blueish rain began to fell, resulting in their crops growing like there had never been a drought. The squire knew that a week ago Garridan was frozen in ice, and his tears also had a blueish tint to them. As such, he linked the events together, and thanked Mara.[2]
Tears of the Savior[]
During the final days of the Third Era, S'drassa of the Leyawiin Mages Guild was searching for precious gems, and had come across Garridan's Tears. He tasks the Hero of Kvatch with finding 6 tears in return for a reward of .