| Book Information Walking the World, Volume II: Orsinium |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prev. | Volume I: Winterhold | Next | None |
Welcome, friend. In our second volume, we cover Orsinium. Spatior has always been intrigued by the city that has been sacked and rebuilt numerous times over the eras. What's so unique about Orsinium is that while it bears the same name every time its rebuilt, its almost always been in a completely new location. In the course of our tour, you'll see how the unbreakable spirit of the Orcish peoples has eternally fueled the idea of Orsinium, and how past tragedies have shaped and solidified its future.
As ever, we begin our journey outside the city walls, this time in the harsh wastes of northern Craglorn in Hammerfell. As we walk along the banks of the Belkarth River we ask ourselves: how did the most recent incarnation Orsinuim end up in the mountains between Skyrim and Hammerfell? Well, dear reader, we begin with a small history lesson.
History
The persecution of the Orcish peoples itself isn't new. Throughout history they have endured the pogroms of High King Heimverlund and Hjornskar's in the Merethic Era. Divad's numerous Exalted Crusades. King Joile's infamous Siege of Orsinium. The War of the Western Reach. The Sack of Nova Orsinium and so forth. One thing is clear - the kingdoms of men have always refused to allow Orsinium to exist.
The most recent incarnation of Orsinium came about after the fall of Nova Orsinium in 4E 02. Following the Oblivion Crisis, both Breton and Redguard armies once more led an unprovoked attack on the city. King Gortwog's descendants fell in the battle and the city was subsequently razed. Many Orc refugees were escorted to Skyrim by the Imperial Legion, but others fled to the inhospitable region of northern Craglorn and found refuge within the ruins of an abandoned stronghold, deep in the Valley of Scars.
This stronghold had once belonged to an Orcish chieftain named Braadoth during the Second Era. Braadoth and his clan of "Iron Orcs" had settled the region and re-purposed a nearby ancient Nordic tomb into their headquarters. While Braadoth was a formidable ruler in his time, he was killed alongside most of his clan and his stronghold was abandoned thereafter.
When some nine hundred refugees from Nova Orsinium arrived centuries later, they took shelter in the numerous abandoned nirncrux mines that dotted the valley. Over the next thirty years it grew rapidly - from a small hamlet into the formidable Orsinium we behold today.
The Obdurate Gates
As we approach the gates to Orsinium take pause to marvel at the sheer craftmanship of these enormous structures. A combination of solid iron and ruby ash inscribed with crimson motifs tower above us. Millennia of being attacked had certainly taught the Orcs a valuable lesson, and their response was the Obdurate Gates - an impregnable bulwark that is said to be infused with the mythical power of nirncrux.
As mentioned previously, the earliest Orcish settlers took refuge in the many nirncrux mines on their arrival. It was within these mines a certain Clan Urdnot re-discovered the lost art of nirncrux smithing, said to have been lost since the Second Era. Clan Urdnot used this knowledge to forge vastly superior arms and armor for the other clans, which in turn uplifted the Urdnot chieftain as the de-facto ruler. Wrex gro-Urdnot's first order as king was to construct Obdurate Gates and city walls before all else. Using their knowledge of nirncrux smithing, the gates were infused with the primordial essence of nirncrux, granting them unsurpassed strength.
The Obdurate Gates are indeed impressive - on my visit I was lucky enough to witness festival-of-sorts, where the Orcs put the strength of their gates to the test. Krudu Voshu Agra (lit. Trial of [the] Worthy Shield) started off as a military exercise, but grew into a jovial day of celebration as it drew more and more spectators. Once a year the king organizes a faux-attack on his own city by bombarding the Obdurate Gates with all manner of catapults, ballistae, trebuchets and battering rams for three days and three nights. To this day the gates are yet to have been breached.
Everember District
As we make our way past the gates and into the city, we are met by the Everember District. Named after the Everember Forge - an enormous open-air smithy that dominates the town square - it is without question the heart of Orsinium's thriving economy. Countless blacksmiths, woodworkers and leatherworkers toil endlessly crafting all manner of goods for sale and export. Orcish metalcraft and weapon forging is famed across Tamriel and armories often order entire caravans of arms and armor from the Everember smiths. They even have an prestigious blacksmithing academy-of-sorts. The Red Anvil School of Blacksmithing is renown, and many foreign students travel specially to Orsinium to study under the Orcish masters. Even the venerable Haknir Gray-Mane of Whiterun claims to have studied here briefly in his youth!
Of note is the mighty Belkarth River which cuts through the district. After powering the Everember watermill it exits the city and heads south towards the Belkarth Basin. The most distant source of the river is a glacial stream located high on a snowcapped peak in the Druadach Mountains, but we will come back to the source of the river and its importance later.
I strongly advise non-Orcs to consider wearing a face covering when visiting this district. The scent of burning ash is potent, and the hot air and clouds of smoke can be most uncomfortable.
Temple of Grievance
One of the most striking features of Orsinium is its verticality. While the Everember District is found at the lowest plain, it quickly ascends into the mountains. When King Urdnot designed the city, he took inspiration from the very first incarnation of Orsinium in the First Era. He sought to recreate Old Orsinium, which itself was built into the very face of the Dragontail Mountains.
As we head up a vast staircase (known locally as the Pariah's Path) we reach the residential and market districts. Its here the inspiration of Old Orsinium shines. Carved deep into the stone are numerous dwellings, halls, chambers and clan-houses which line the bustling upper mountain district - not unlike the vast subterranean Dwarven cities of old. Be sure to visit the city's largest tavern while you're here. The Quenching Bucket is the favorite haunt of many Everember laborers and serves a fantastically unique beverage known as Mauloch's Iron Ale that I highly recommend. Take care if you decide to travel alone. While the city guard upholds the "Code of Malacath", thieves and scoundrels are known to target foreign visitors who wander into the less reputable areas of the district.
Back outside if we continue up Pariah's Path we reach a small plateau where we find the grand Temple of Grievance. In ancient times it was the site of a large Nordic tomb (as mentioned previously), until King Urdnot ordered the monumental task of demolishing the entire structure. After many years it was leveled, and from the debris they built a vast temple that stands before us today.
Of note is the temple's architectural style which is directly inspired by the Tilted Square school that was ubiquitous in King Kurog's Orsinium during the Second Era. While many other structures throughout Orsinium follow a similar style (with an exaggerated, arguably brutalist, slant), the Temple of Grievance is without question its purest representation. Unlike Kurog's Orsinium, however, this temple is not dedicated Trinimac. The Chantry of Trinimac was one of King Kurog's defining reforms and persisted into the Third Era when King Gortwog founded Nova Orsinium. After Nova Orsinium's fall, King Urdnot decreed a return to the old ways and reinstated Malacath as their patron deity. Moreso, the Order of the Wrathful Flame were revived, and its priesthood holds a strong presence through the city. If you're lucky you might catch an oblate distributing a Ledger of Significant Grudges, used by the locals to keep record of all of the injustices and insults their clan has suffered.
Sanctuary of Requital
The next part of the tour takes us to the secretive Sanctuary of Requital, located high in the mountains. Know, dear reader, that gaining access to this highly restricted area was no easy task and required special permission from the esteemed Orsinium Civic Renewal and Vengeance Committee. After a winding trek up mountains it is here we behold Orsinium's true power and King Urdnot's genius - a small priory inhabited by an order of warrior-priests. You may ask what power these monks could possibly hold? The answer has been ever-present throughout our journey - the mighty Belkarth River.
As mentioned previously, the most distant source of the Belkarth River is a glacial stream located high above Orsinium. When King Urdnot founded the city, it was no coincidence that the source of the river was within reach. There was no doubt in his mind that the kingdoms of men would one day attack his city, despite their ongoing petition to become a recognized province under Imperial law. Instead he sought an everlasting deterrent against such action, and his answer was the Sanctuary of Requital. I was forbidden by the guardsmen to get a closer look, but what I could make out was a dozen monks praying at a series of connected temples or shrines completely surrounding the main source of the Belkarth River.
From what I understand, the monks of the sanctuary have but one duty - enshrined into law. Should the gates of Orsinium ever fall to an invading army, they are oathbound to irrevocably disrupt the source waters of the Belkarth River. How they would achieve this is unknown, be it with magicks or some form of physical destruction. Rest assured neither Redguard or Bretons are curious enough to find out, for disrupting the course of the Belkarth River would be disastrous for Hammerfell and destabilize the entire region. Numerous towns and villages built alongside the river - even city of Belkarth itself - would perish. Agriculture that feeds much of southern Hammerfell would cease to exist, which would no doubt lead to famine and possibly a civil war with the north. It's not just the Redguards who would suffer. Some believe that Karth River, which runs north though Skyrim, is also sourced from this site. Any disruptions could either divert the flow of Karth or possibly cause massive flooding across the Reach.
This threat of mutual devastation is well known to our nation's leaders, and it appears to have worked. Orsinium has stood strong for almost a century and may have finally found a deterrent that will ensure its survival for centuries to come.
In closing, I strongly recommend visiting this city. Orsinium is unlike any other city you will visit - human or elven. Walking though the lively markets or along the riverbanks seems both alien and familiar. There is much more to experience in Orsinium. The city's arena is supposedly a true spectacle and is packed full every Fredas. Partake in re-enactments of the War of the Western Reach or become the envy of your friends and buy an exotic one-of-a-kind welwa mount from Grelka's renowned stables on the east side.
That's all for Walking the World Volume II. Spatior does not know his next destination yet, but you can be sure that where he does go he will leave you a record of the best things to see.
- Spatior Munius, World Traveler
- Orsinium, 4E 99