Lore:Places V
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[edit] Valenwood
Valenwood is a densely forested, sub-tropical province of the Cyrodilic empire that makes up the southwest coastal plain of Tamriel. Valenwood borders Elsweyr to the east and Cyrodiil to the north, and is just across the sea from Summerset Isle. Its landscape consists of rolling hills and light blue rivers, predominantly covered in rainforest and woodland. For complete information, please read the complete Valenwood Tamriel article.
[edit] Valus Mountains
The Valus Mountains are a mountain range in eastern Cyrodiil on the Morrowind border. The city of Cheydinhal is located here.
[edit] Vanlor
Vanlor is a small island far to the west of Hammerfell's coast in the Abecean Sea. Vanlor is part of the island group of Thras, also called the Coral Kingdoms.
[edit] Velothi Mountains
The Velothi Mountains are the mountain range separating Morrowind from Skyrim. They are named after the Chimer prophet Veloth who led the Chimer to leave their ancestral homes and resettle in Morrowind. Prior to the arrival of the Chimer, the Velothi Mountains had been inhabited by the Dwemer who created underground cities beneath the mountain range.
[edit] Vivec
Vivec is the largest city in Vvardenfell, a metropolis in a lagoon, much like Venice, Italy, complete with Gondoliers in their festive uniforms offering transport. Bridges and walkways create a maze that can be intimidating for new arrivals. Water is the dominant element, ever-present in the architecture, even inside. The entire city of Vivec is considered a holy place, as it is home to the Living God Vivec himself. The city is policed by special guards drawn from the militant order of the Temple, the Ordinators. It is comprised of nine districts, each made up of a large multi-tiered floating building, known as a canton, and the size of a town in and of itself.
A canton is generally built from four tiers. Lowest, only accessible from drainage grates or trapdoors, is the Underworks, or the canton's sewer. The Underworks is located entirely underwater, and are a nest for criminals, rats, and undesirables, as Ordinators never venture into them. Above the Underworks, at the level of the main walkways and canals, are the Canalworks, where tombs, homeless paupers, storage rooms, and a few small shops can be found. The Canalworks of a canton is generally only accessible from the Waistworks, or via trapdoor from the Underworks. Above the Canalworks are the Waistworks, filled with shops, clubs, temples, and residences. The top of a canton contains a large domed plaza, with standalone buildings rather than just doors in corridor walls. Canton plazas are filled with manor-houses and fine shops, and can mostly only be accessed from the exterior. All of the space within a canton must be leased from the Temple, and the only Guards allowed to police the area are Ordinators.
The first of these cantons from the Vivec landing on Vvardenfell's mainland is the Foreign Quarter, the entrance to Vivec. Originally, this was as far as outlanders were allowed into Vivec, although this law was repealed long ago. The Foreign Quarter houses the Mages, Fighters Guilds, a cornerclub containing the Thieves Guild, a small Imperial Cult shrine, a tomb, and many shops. It is also the largest canton in the whole of Vivec, having two Waistworks levels, known as the Lower and Upper Waistworks.
Three of the next four cantons are under the control of the three Great Houses that have land on Vvardenfell: Hlaalu, Redoran, and Telvanni. Each of these cantons represents the wealth of each Great House, and, as one might expect, house shops, services, and lodging for House members. The cantons also each have a small individual temple, and a large treasury, which contain numerous rare items, gems, and a significant stash of gold, all under heavy guard.
The fourth of this group of cantons is the Arena, where public entertainments such as comic plays or mock battles are held, along with any duels to honorably settle conflicts of interest or advancement. All fights here are special events; there are no routinely arranged fights or tournaments in the Arena. The Arena's plaza is taken over by the vast Arena Pit itself, and below the plaza are facilities for training, equipping, and lodging arena fighters, as well as a good sized storage complex.
The next two cantons are residential ones named in honor of two of the saints of the Tribunal Temple, Saint Delyn and Saint Olms. The St. Delyn Canton and St. Olms Canton provide low-cost housing to the commoners and paupers of the city, and also have nicer homes for the more affluent in their Plaza areas. Both cantons have several shops in the Waistworks, and small temples.
Behind these two cantons is the Temple Canton, unique in its construction. The Temple canton is flat atop its canalworks, which are devoted to the Halls of Wisdom and of Justice. The Hall of Wisdom contains a large library of religious books, and many low- and mid-ranking members of the Temple bureaucracy work there. The Hall of Justice houses all of the Ordinators in the city, as well as the various offices related to Ordinator activity throughout the district. Atop these halls is the cathedral of High Fane, home of the Archcanon of the Temple, Tholer Saryoni as well as many other high-ranking Temple members. Above it hovers the Ministry of Truth, a hollowed-out moon housing prison cells for dissidents of the Temple. According to lore, Vivec himself stopped the moon from falling onto the city and it will remain hovering as long as people believe in the Tribunal.
Behind the Temple canton is the Palace of Vivec, the residence of the Living God Vivec. The Palace itself is a small if grand-looking one-room affair, but it is mounted on its own canton, which is built from five levels of sewers hiding a shrine somewhere in their midst, known as the Puzzle Canal. The door to the Palace is kept locked at all times, as access is by special invitation only, and no one but the Archcanon are normally allowed to speak to Vivec himself.
[edit] Vos
Vos is an ancient Velothi farming village on the eastern coast of Vvardenfell. There are few services here. There is a Dunmer chapel which is too small to serve as a focus for Almsivi intervention, but the resident cleric, Yakin Bael is a fine healer, and worth a visit by anyone interested in the medical arts. While you are there, it may also be worth a visit to Maela Kaushad, an Ashlander wise woman who married a local farmer.
The town of Vos is up the hill from the harbour, where there are ships to Tel Aruhn, Sadrith Mora and nearby Tel Mora. The large and friendly Varo Tradehouse, is located near the wharves, and is a good alternative to Tel Mora for men seeking accomodation. Apart from passing through on the way to Master Aryon's tower at Tel Vos, there is really little cause to visit Vos.
[edit] Vvardenfell
The island of Vvardenfell is one of six Imperial administrative districts of the Morrowind province. Vvardenfell is an island subcontinent located inside the bay-like Inner Sea and is almost completely surrounded by land except for its northern coast, which meets the Sea of Ghosts. Dominated by the great volcano that formed the island (some sources suggest that the Inner Sea itself is a gigantic crater), Red Mountain, the district is characterized by arid wastes, rocky highlands and coastal wetlands filled with alien flora and fauna unique to Vvardenfell.
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Previously a Temple preserve under Imperial protection, Vvardenfell Territory was reorganized in 3E 414 as an Imperial Provincial District. Vvardenfell had been maintained as a preserve administrated by the Temple since the Treaty of the Armistice in 2E 896, and except for a few Great House settlements sanctioned by the Temple, Vvardenfell was previously uninhabited and undeveloped. But when the centuries-old Temple ban on trade and settlement of Vvardenfell was revoked by King Llethan of Morrowind, a flood of Imperial colonists and Great House Dunmer came to Vvardenfell, expanding old settlements and building new ones.
The new District was divided into Redoran, Hlaalu, Telvanni, and Temple Districts, each separately administered by local House Councils or Temple Priesthoods, and all under the advice and consent of Vedam Dren and the District Council in Ebonheart.
[edit] Political
Since the reorganization, Vvardenfell is ruled by the Grand Council in Ebonheart, which consists of representatives from the main powers present on Vvardenfell: The three Great Houses Hlaalu, Redoran and Telvanni, the Tribunal Temple, the Imperial Commission and the Imperial Magistrate. Duke Vedam Dren of House Hlaalu is the head of the council, representative of the Emperor and leader of the Vvardenfell district.
Local law became a mixture of House Law and Imperial Law in House Districts, jointly enforced by House guards and Legion guards, with Temple law and Imperial law enforced in the Temple district by Ordinators. The Temple was still recognized as the majority religion, but worship of the Nine Divines was protected by the legions and encouraged by Imperial cult missions.
[edit] Commerce
Imports and exports are tightly-controlled by the East Empire Company, which deals largely with Imperial-friendly House Hlaalu. The company mines raw ebony and glass on the island. It holds exclusive charters on these items and most other native commodities, such as local spirits and agricultural products. Outside these official channels, the Empire forbids the trading of moon sugar, skooma, and Dwemer artifacts. As such, Smuggling is big business. Slavery is legal in Morrowind, and House Dres competes with smugglers to supply the market with forced labor.
[edit] Geography
Created by the last giant eruption of Red Mountain, Vvardenfell has several regions: Ascadian Isles, Ashlands, Azura's Coast, Bitter Coast, Grazelands, Molag Amur, Red Mountain, Sheogorad, West Gash and Zafirbel Bay. The central and southeastern regions are are mountainous wastes regularly scoured by Ash storms.
The biggest towns are Balmora, Vivec, Ald'ruhn and Sadrith Mora. Also on the island, various remains of distant times are found in form of Daedric Shrines, ancient Velothi Towers, Dwemer Ruins, and post-Velothi Dunmer Strongholds.
[edit] People
Native to Vvardenfell since the First Era are the dark-skinned, red-eyed Dunmer (known as the Chimer ages ago), which make about half of the population. The other half are divided roughly equally among the other eight races of Tamriel. Inhabitants of Vvardenfell include members of three of the three Great Houses, nomadic Ashlanders and members of the Tribunal Temple, to which all wilderness belongs. Outlanders are not particularly welcome, especially in the Telvanni-controlled area. The Imperial Legion and Imperial guilds are well established though and accept foreigners openly. House Hlaalu is also rather welcoming to them, having two Councilors being foreign-born.
Dunmer inhabitants of Vvardenfell have a keenly-developed sense of identity, as they live in a sacred place that is the cradle of their heritage. The common people regard themselves as servants of the Living Gods and the heirs of the Velothi movement. Saint Veloth is honored despite the antiquity of his movement, and is credited with bringing the Chimer and by extension, the Dunmer to their proper place in the world. Daedra worship has long-since fallen out of favor with most of the population, but it still holds a valued place in culture and tradition, as the Tribunal are regarded as complementing and amicably replacing the worship of the Lord of Misrule.
Central to the psyche of the Vvardenfell Dunmer is Red Mountain, whose geography and silhouette dominates the region. Constant storms dictate the course of everyday life and give the different environments their distinctive characters. The volcano also keeps the island in a constant state of flux, as evidenced by old maps showing the entire island made up of Ashlands, lava rivers running to the sea, and accounts of ash falling on the streets of Vivec.
[edit] Transportation
Inhabitants of Vvardenfell either walk, use large bugs called Silt Striders, or use boats to transport people and cargo. Guild Guides provided by the Mages Guild can also provide transportation.
[edit] Religion
Traditionally Ancestor and Daedra Worshipers, the people here have now two main religions, the Imperial Cult of the Nine Divines and the Tribunal Temple, who worship the Almsivi. Additionally, the Ashlanders have their Nerevarine Cult, ancestor and Daedra worship. Cults devoted to the House of Troubles have drawn a cosmopolitan following in the wilderness regions.
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