Lore:Factions C

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Camonna Tong

The Camonna Tong is the local crime syndicate of Vvardenfell. The group is fiercely opposed to any foreign presence whatsoever on Vvardenfell, and all its schemes are designed to get rid of outlanders. Outlanders are tolerated as slaves only. Though they have proven a strong distaste towards foreigners, they have, on at least two occasions, been unable to pass up the business potential working with foreigners can hold. They have also been involved in the Skooma Trade in at least one instance.

The Camonna Tong, through Orvas Dren, controls Hlaalu councilors in Suran and Vivec. Although House Hlaalu is, on the outside, the most Imperial minded of the Great Houses, major decisions cannot be made unless the xenophobic Camonna Tong explicitly agrees, or unless their connection to the House is broken somehow. The Camonna Tong at one time made secret deals with House Dagoth (Orvas Dren had considerable sympathy towards House Dagoth's ideologies).

Camoran Dynasty

The Camoran Dynasty was an aristocratic dynasty from Valenwood. It was known for producing significant (if infamous) heirs such as Camoran Usurper and Mankar Camoran. King Eplear, an early ruler of Valenwood, was the founder of the Camoran Dynasty. The Camoran Dynasty is one of the earliest known dynasties in mainland Tamriel.

During the rise of the Usurper, Haymon Camoran, Camoran Kaltos conquered most of Valenwood. However, Haymon continued and took his armies into the Colovian West of Cyrodiil, declaring war on the people there against the wishes of Kaltos; Haymon promptly betrayed Kaltos and became the Camoran Usurper. Haymon took his conquest all the way to High Rock and Hammerfell, where he constantly defeated the Cephorus II's soldiers. At last the Principality of Dwynnen led the other city-states of High Rock and joined forces with a vengeful Camoran Kaltos and defeated the Camoran Usurper at the Battle of Firewaves; Haymon Hart-King was killed in the battle.

Census and Excise

The Census and Excise is an establishment operated by the Empire in an attempt to manage census counting for tax/excise purposes. Imperial taxes are based on head counts of citizens; Census and Excise is responsible for both head counts and tax assessment and collection. Census and Excise officers also administer many Imperial licenses, e.g. importation, mercenary company incorporation.

They are typically found in ports across Tamriel, such as Seyda Neen in Vvardenfell.

Citadel of Ebonarm

The Citadel of Ebonarm is the religious order devoted to worshipping Ebonarm, the God of War. They are allied with the Fighters Guild and they are enemies of the Temple of Stendarr. They lead a Templar Knightly Order called the Battlelords. Fighters Guild guildhalls in the Alik'r region of Hammerfell are used as places of worship by the Citadel, and are considered holy ground.

College of Whispers

The College of Whispers is one of the organizations formed after the dissolution of the Mages Guild at the start of the Fourth Era, the other being the Synod. The two groups are rivals, and constantly strive to earn the favor of the Elder Council. The College played a part in defending the Imperial City from Umbriel circa 4E 40. The organization participates in research, and are known to summon daedra.

Both the College of Whispers and the Synod have attempted to create alliances with the College of Winterhold, but despite pressures the independent organisation has remained neutral.

College of Winterhold

The College of Winterhold is a school for Magic in the city of Winterhold. The campus is large and fortress-like in appearance. The buildings are separated by a central courtyard and various walkways. It functions much like the Mages Guild in other parts of Tamriel, except in its being a singular and completely independent establishment. The College itself is located across a large stone bridge, parts of which have crumbled to the sea below. The College has documents dating back as far as the late Second Era, though the College itself is even older. Ever since the Great Collapse, it has been sitting precariously on a surviving, inverted pyramid of rock that juts out of the sea.

In the late Third Era, the College became home to the Ysmir Collective, a library rescued from destruction in the east. It became the cornerstone of academic life at the College, and scholars from all over Tamriel descended on Winterhold to study its contents.

The College has struggled to maintain its prominence in Skyrim in the Fourth Era for a number of different reasons. The local Nords, who remained skeptical of magic despite the prestige the College brought to their city, became even more distrustful after it came out conspicuously unscathed during the Great Collapse. The College maintains that it was spared thanks to ancient magical protections not afforded to the surrounding city. However, the many troubles of the Fourth Era resulted in a significant loss of their history.

Companions

The Companions are a group of warriors who take on private and public contracts for the people of Skyrim, and who purportedly carry on the tradition of the Five Hundred Companions of Ysgramor. It fulfills the same role the Fighters Guild does in other parts of Tamriel. They are based in the city of Whiterun, within the mead hall Jorrvaskr. The most elite members are included in the Circle of Jorrvaskr, and the chief councilor and arbitrator is known as the Harbinger, after Ysgramor, the "harbinger of us all" and the only real recognized leader of the Companions. Each new Harbinger is chosen by the last.

To learn more of the Companions and their history, see the lore article.

Crimson Scars

The Crimson Scars were a group of vampiric assassins who split off from the Dark Brotherhood during the year 3E 421.

They were founded by Dark Brotherhood member Greywyn Blenwyth, who, after receiving a "vision" from Sithis, conceived an elaborate coup whereby he would infect the ranks of Dark Brotherhood with Porphyric Hemophilia, eventually creating enough vampires to overthrow the Black Hand. Unfortunately for Blenwyth, one of the Brotherhood members he turned, a Dunmer named Silarian, betrayed the Scars to the Black Hand. The Hand then ordered the second "Purification" in the history of the Dark Brotherhood, which destroyed the Crimson Scars, leaving Greywyn and Rowley Eardwulf as the only survivors.

Crowns

The Crowns are what is left of the old ruling class of Yokuda. They can be found mostly in northern Hammerfell and are mostly known for still honoring the ancient Redguard ways.

Crusaders

The Crusaders are the Knights of Stendarr, God of Mercy. They protect the temples of Stendarr and act as his compassionate blade when the situation demands. Their faction self-description is:

We, the Knights of Stendarr the Merciful call ourselves the Crusaders, for it is our sacred duty to protect the Temple and fights its battles. While we firmly espouse the Temple's philosophy of compassion and charity, we recognize that if the Temple is weak, it cannot realistically survive. Only those of great combat ability and proven devotion to the Temple and the God Stendarr are eligible for possible membership in the Crusaders.

Cult of Emperor Zero

The Cult of Emperor Zero was started by Tiber Septim. The cult worships Emperor Cuhlecain, the Emperor Zero. Cuhlecain is responsible for appointing Tiber Septim (then Talos) as his general and the retaking of the Imperial City, both of which were crucial in the restoring of the Cyrodilic Empire.

Cult of the Ancestor Moth

Before the Cult of the Ancestor Moth (also called the Order of the Ancestor Moth), the Cyro-Nords had long exported ancestor-silks, simple but exotic shawls woven with the silks of the gyspy moth and inscribed with the genealogy of the buyer. For the cult, the ancestor and moth became synonymous. The singing and hymnal spirits of one's forebears are caught in the special silk-gathering ritual. The swishing of the silk material during movement reproduces the wonderful ancestral chorus contained in the silk. It became a sacred custom among the Nibenese, which persists to this day. The higher order Monks of the cult are able to forgo the magical ritual needed to enchant the silk and instead merely wear the moths themselves. They are able to attract the ancestor-moths through the application of ground bark from the moth's favorite tree, and through chanting inaudible mantras which they must constantly maintain to keep the moths in contact with them.

The members of the cult are, by tradition, the only people allowed to read the Elder Scrolls, a privilege which eventually strikes them blind. They care for the Imperial Library (also called with Elder Library) within the White Gold Tower in the Imperial City. They are known to be reclusive and have hidden, or at least out of the way, sanctuaries scattered throughout Tamriel.

In 4E 175, the Elder Scrolls mysteriously disappeared from the Imperial Library and were scattered across Tamriel by forces unknown. Members of the Cult set out to search for them and return them to the White Gold Tower. Three were thought to have been found in 4E 201.

Cursed Legion

The Cursed Legion of High Rock was a legendary traveling militia of Orc warriors that existed before the founding of Orsinium. They served as champions of the Orcs, enforcing whatever borders they could for the proliferation of their people. The only known person who purportedly rode with the Cursed Legion is an Orc named Tunner. According to Orsinium and the Orcs, "Old Tunner" was an elderly servant to a Wayrest nobleman in 3E 399, but he had once been a trainer to other Orc warriors (presumably during his service in the Cursed Legion).

Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order

The Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order, simply called "Our Order" by its members, is a powerful Cyrodilic tribe of vampires. Much like the Imperials, the order has ousted all competing clans from the Imperial Province and become the single dominant bloodline within its borders. Members of the order are experts of concealment and political manipulation, so much so that the clan's true name is unknown, having been lost to history. What they lack in numbers, the vampires make up for in influence and the manipulation of society. The clan consider themselves to be a civil fraternity and see all other vampiric tribes as inferior, although they remain wary of the more enlightened clans such as the Glenmoril Wyrd or the Whet-Fang sodality. The order has a strict conduct to ensure discretion among its members. The order honors its Dual Patrons: Molag Bal the Kin-father, who all vampires owe their existence to; and Clavicus Vile, who they owe for their successes and social stature, and who helps them control their blood craving.

The clan is made up of members who are influential in society and have procurement in politics. It is implied they are an ancient clan whose creation preceded their control of Cyrodiil from the rival bloodlines. As in the case of Janus Hassildor, they do not tolerate scattered nomadic vampires who are either alone or have nests and factions of their own as they could challenge their authority if crossing into the province.