The Markarth Incident was a battle that took place after the Great War and before the Civil War in Skyrim. Events in the city of Markarth sparked the latter and later became known as the Markarth Incident.
Background
In 4E 174, Markarth and the Reach was subjected to what is known today as the Forsworn Uprising. When the Third Aldmeri Dominion invaded the Imperial City during the Great War, the Imperial Legion all but turned a blind eye to the other provinces.[1] The native Reachman people of the Reach took this opportunity to seize control of the city.[2] This was only possible as the Imperial Legionnaires stationed in Markarth were recalled to fight, leaving the city very vulnerable.[1]
The Jarl of the Reach, Hrolfdir, could not quell the uprising and was driven out of the city.[1] The rebellion was successful, and the Reachmen ruled over the Reach as an independent kingdom from Skyrim from 4E 174 - 4E 176. During this time, the Kingdom was relatively peaceful, and the Reachmen ruled their lands more or less fairly and were making overtures to be recognized by the Empire as a legitimate kingdom.[2] Others claimed that it was a chaotic uprising and that Markarth's nobles grew desperate when the Reachmen refused their offers of peace.[1]
Retaliation
In 4E 175, the Great War ended with the Empire signing the White-Gold Concordat.[3] During this time, Hrolfdir and his son Igmund sought help from Ulfric Stormcloak in ousting the Reachmen invaders. In return for his aid, they promised Ulfric free worship of Talos - an act that was recently outlawed at the end of the war. Ulfric agreed and marched his militia to the gates of Markarth and retook the city using the power of his Thu'um.[4]
It is stated every official who worked for the Reachmen was killed, even after they had surrendered, native women were tortured to give up names of Reachmen fighters who had fled the city and anyone who lived in the city, Reachmen and Nord alike, were executed if they had not fought with Ulfric and his men when they breached the gates. Ulfric supposedly even ordered the deaths of shopkeepers, farmers, the elderly, and any child old enough to lift a sword that had failed in the call to fight with him,[5] with some in the court of Markarth stating the acts of Ulfric during the Incident made it clear he was no friend to the city.[6] Other attribute such acts to the Jarl,[7] though Jarl Hrolfdir's order to execute Madanach was overruled by the Silver-Blood family,[8] leaving it questionable how much authority the Jarl held in his own Hold.
Aftermath
In Markarth, Jarl Hrolfdir kept his promise to Ulfric for a time and allowed free worship of Talos. When the Imperial Legion arrived to restore the rule of law, Ulfric refused them entry into the city until they also agreed that free worship of Talos would be allowed. With chaos running through the streets of Markarth and the reports of deaths rising every day, the Empire had no choice but to grant Ulfric and his men their worship, thus jeopardizing the peace agreement with the Aldmeri Dominion.[2]
When the Thalmor found out about the Empire agreeing to Ulfric's demand, the Empire was left with a choice to either arrest Ulfric and his men or risk entering into another war. As such, the Empire agreed to their demand and arrested Ulfric and his men with the aid of HRolfdir.[1][9]
Trivia
- The cruel retributions spoken about in the Bear of Markarth are credited to the "Jarl" by Braig in Cidhna Mine (According to Cedran, Hrolfdir would be the Jarl of Markarth when the Nords took back the city which would be the logical time the cruel retributions would likely have occurred stated in The Bear of Markarth).
- All the citizens of Markarth who mention the battle that ended Forsworn control of Markarth believe the Forsworn control of the city ended 20 years ago, 5 years later than the Bear of Markarth states.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dialogue with Igmund
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bear of Markarth
- ↑ The Great War
- ↑ Dialogue with Thongvor Silver-Blood
- ↑ The Bear of Markarth
- ↑ Dialogue with Raerek
- ↑ Dialogue with Braig
- ↑ Thonar's Journal
- ↑ Dialogue with Cedran