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Sancre Tor

Sancre Tor in the Third Era.

Sancre Tor, also known as Golden Hill,[1] is a large fort in the Jerall Mountains, north of Chorrol in the province of Cyrodiil. It has held a degree of strategic and theological importance throughout the history of the various Empires of Tamriel, first under the Alessian Empire and then as the resting place of the Reman Dynasty of emperors.

By the Third Era, the site had been sealed by the Blades, and is a ruin.

By game[]

History[]

Alessian Empire[]

Sancre Tor was allegedly where the Slave-Queen Alessia received the divine inspiration for her rebellion.[2] At this time it was ruled by an Ayleid king known as Haromir of Copper and Tea, slain in single combat by Pelinal Whitestrake during the uprising.[3] Following the establishment of the Alessian Empire, Sancre Tor became the focus of the new administration, thanks to both its theological significance to the Alessian Order and the wealth of its mines. According to one legend, it is also the place where Alessia was buried.[2]

Following the collapse of the Alessian Order in the War of Righteousness, Sancre Tor was no longer the center of the Empire but remained a prominent fortress and religious center.

Reman Empire[]

The Reman empire's founding myth states that King Hrol had a vision of Alessia at Sancre Tor, and there made love to the spirit of Alessia or the hillock itself, dying of his labors next to a mound of mud. From this mound was born Reman Cyrodiil, with the Chim el-Adabal embedded in his forehead.[1] This account states that this is where Sancre Tor got its name, but this is unlikely given the earlier prominence of the city during the Alessian period.

Reman Cyrodiil is credited in one account with restoring Sancre Tor to prominence to a large degree, by declaring it his tomb and the tomb of his heirs. Reman likely did this as part of an attempt to link his family line back to that of Alessia. Part of this included expanding the fortress' underground passages extensively, including an elaborate tomb complex. This is where the last of the Reman emperors, Reman III, was buried, allegedly with the Amulet of Kings.[2] However, events during the Interregnum may cast doubt on this.

Interregnum[]

During the Interregnum, Sancre Tor fell into disuse. During the events of the Planemeld, the Five Companions retrieve the Amulet of Kings from Sancre Tor, for a ritual intended to make Varen Aquilarios dragonborn. Following the Soulburst in 2E 578, Sai Sahan hid the Amulet in Sancre Tor.[4] It was later retrieved by the Vestige,[5] and then stolen by Abnur Tharn following Molag Bal's defeat and returned to Cyrodiil.[6] Whether Tharn returned the Amulet to Sancre Tor is unknown, but it was somehow returned there between Bal's defeat and Tiber Septim's conquest.

Thanks to its location near the border of Cyrodill, Skyrim, and High Rock, Sancre Tor was frequently under Nordic and Breton occupation during the Interregnum. In 2E 852, a combined Nord and Breton force occupied Sancre Tor, allegedly in open defiance of King Cuhlecain and General Talos. Talos had secured safe entry into the fortress, bypassing its magical defenses thanks to the help of a turncoat, and took Sancre Tor from inside, after the majority of the defending forces left the fortress in a sortie to attack a decoy force.[7] Despite this attack by stealth, it appears that much of Sancre Tor's fortress was damaged or destroyed during Talos' attack.[2]

Septim Empire[]

Reign of Tiber Septim[]

Tiber Septim would later attribute the success of his raid to his destiny to recover the Amulet of Kings.[7] However, he made no obvious effort to restore Sancre Tor to prominence, and the fortress was allowed to fall into ruin. One source claims that this was due to the fortress' poor strategic position.[2] However, he did build an extension to the Reman Emperors' tombs in the catacombs for himself, implying that he did not abandon it as soon as this book claims.

An inscription on the doors of Sancre Tor states that the tomb was sealed by the Grandmaster of the Blades in 3E 35, 3 years before Tiber's death.[8] This was done because of a curse placed on the tomb by the Underking. As part of this, several Blades agents were sealed within the tomb, and Tiber gifted them his armor.

Reign of Uriel Septim VII[]

The Champion of Cyrodiil entered the tomb to retrieve Tiber Septim's armor.[9] In so doing, they freed the spirits of several cursed Blades agents, who proceeded to break the Underking's curse on the tomb.

See also[]

Appearances[]

References[]

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