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Aalto

The Aalto (or Alto), also known as the Eastmarch Geysers is a geological formation that makes up the central area of Eastmarch, in the province of Skyrim. The volcanic tundra interior of Eastmarch is a no-man's-land of bubbling sulfur pools, giant camps, crests, slopes, and mines. The entire Hold is dominated by sulfur pools where very little grows, as the volcanic terrain limits farming and development, and seems sunken in compared to the higher elevations of the Rift and the towering Throat of the World.

Abagarlas

Abagarlas (later Lost Abagarlas) was an Ayleid city located on the shores of Lake Rumare, on the northeast coast of City Isle. A center of worship to the Daedric Prince of Domination Molag Bal, Abagarlas infamously came into conflict with the nearby Meridia-worshipping city of Delodiil.

Abah's Landing

Abah's Landing, the Jewel of Khefrem, is a harbor city on the eastern coast of Hew's Bane in southern Hammerfell. It is a major port on the Abecean Sea.

During the period of Yokudan invasions of Tamriel in the First Era known as the Tavan Wave, Prince Hubalajad became the first to attempt to settle Hew's Bane (then known as Khefrem's Boot), seeing strategic value in its naturally protected harbor. There, he established a small settlement. Originally little more than a soldier's camp, it would eventually grow into the walled city of Abah's Landing.

By the mid-Second Era, royal power in Abah's Landing had been entirely supplanted by a group of criminal cartels known collectively as the "Merchant Lords". The hinterlands of Hew's Bane were populated primarily by smuggler crews and Maormer pirates, with whom the Lords actively did business. The city-state of Abah's Landing thus developed a deep rivalry with the kingdom of Taneth to the north, whose traders usually bore the brunt of this thievery they harbored.

A local criminal gang known as the Thieves Guild was founded in Abah's Landing in the Second Era, and ultimately grew to become a Tamriel-wide organization.

Abamath

Abamath (translated as "Forbidden Home" in Ayleidoon) is an Ayleid ruin found on the Xylo River in the region of Malabal Tor, in the province of Valenwood. It was initially an ancient town of Wood Orcs that worshipped Mauloch, the God of Curses. The cave system underneath it contains a spring of magical war paint called the Blood of Mauloch, which was believed to give them strength. Unfortunately for them, the Ayleid refugees of Cyrodiil captured the town and built their city over it, until that eventually fell into disrepair.

Abanabi Cave

The Abanabi Caves runs beneath Zafirbel Bay in the Azura's Coast region of Morrowind. A surface entrance to one section of the cave can be found southeast of the Telvanni city of Sadrith Mora and northeast of Tel Fyr. Another section of the cave could be accessed directly from Tel Fyr. Along with Abaelun Mine and Dun-Ahhe it is one of the few places in Vvardenfell where diamonds occur.

Abecean Sea

The Abecean Sea (or the Abecean for short) is a body of water to the west of Tamriel that sits between Cyrodiil, Hammerfell, Valenwood, and Summerset Isle. The sea is encompassed by the Eltheric Ocean.

Abibon-Gora

Abibon-Gora (also known as Albion-Gora) is a region that rests on the western coast of Hammerfell, in the Iliac Bay region. It is a humid subtropical region filled with beaches and grasslands. It shared borders with Kairou to the north and the Alik'r Desert to the east when it was a barony in the 3rd Era. It is unknown how far south it goes, but the entire region from Abibon-Gora down to the peninsula of Hegathe is a lush plant-filled rainforest. Redguards predominate the region, with Julianos as the favorite deity. The capital city is the city of Abibon-gora, and the locality is protected by the Knights of the Wheel.

After Redguards moved into the area, the local Sload found that their methods of criminal justice provided a good source of material for experiments in necromancy. Despite efforts from the Redguards to rid themselves of the Sload, reports of them surviving as far north as Abibon-Gora lasted into the Third Era.

The people of the region celebrate a holiday called Drigh R'Zimb on the 1st of Mid Year, a festival held in honor of the sun. No other Redguards worship the sun on this day, so scholars have suggested that the holiday might be a direct translation of older Redguard festivals from before their migration to Tamriel from Yokuda. They are also well known for their martial arts. Some swings and stances were developed in Albion-Gora, and many counter-attacks, feints, and blocks were imported from Yokuda.

After the Warp in the West, Abibon-Gora became a part of the Kingdom of Sentinel.

Adamantine Tower

The Adamantine Tower, also known as the Direnni Tower, Ada-mantia, Adamant Tower, Ur-Tower, and Tower Zero, is a tall, circular, and ancient tower at the highest point of the Isle of Balfiera in the Iliac Bay. The Tower was used as a fortress, prison, and palace by the Direnni Hegemony, but its true purpose has remained a mystery. The latest magical divination of its age places its construction around ME 2500, making it the oldest known structure in Tamriel. The tower has been modified several times over the years, but the cylindrical core of metal has not been touched and is rumored to extend as far into the ground as it does protrude above it, and its depths have never been thoroughly explored.

Aelfendor

Aelfendor is a location mentioned in Song of Hrormir originally governed by the Sovereigncy of three Dark Kings.

Aetherius

Aetherius (known also as the Immortal Plane, the Aether, and Heaven) is a plane of the Aurbis thought to be the origin of all magic and arcane arts. The stars and the sun are thought to be holes into Aetherius left by spirits (notably Magnus) who long ago became dissatisfied with Mundus. It is a common belief that the soul of a dead person, assuming they are not Nirn-bound for some reason, goes to Aetherius, to continue on as a spirit,, where it is said many souls of mortals become spirits of another sort. Materials known as Aetherial Fragments often become dislodged and fall to Nirn; these are commonly observed by the people of Tamriel as 'shooting stars'.

Aetherius, much like Oblivion, consists of a multitude of realms which serve different purposes and is described as a bright sea containing many worlds, though they are all "of everlasting imperfection". For Nords, their chosen place in Aetherius is Sovngarde, the Hall of Valor. The Redguards have a different place in Aetherius, called the Far Shores, as do the Khajiit, a realm known as the Sands Behind the Stars. These locations are not necessarily exclusive to those particular races, but may depend on an individual's beliefs, choices during their lifetime and the manner of their death, including the possibility of servitude to the Daedra in Oblivion.. For instance, in 2E 582 King Emeric of Wayrest was (temporarily) killed in the Chamber of Passage in the Hall of Heroes; his soul was drawn through a nearby passage to the Far Shores, despite his being a Breton.

Ahemmusa Camp

The Ahemmusa Camp is the home of the Ahemmusa Tribe, one of the four distinct tribes of Ashlanders in Vvardenfell. The Ahemmusa Camp is commonly found in the northeast coast of Vvardenfell, in the region of the Grazelands, but because of territorial expansion between House Redoran and House Telvanni, they migrated to the Bitter Coast in 2E 582. They returned to that area, living there as far as 3E 427, until the Ahemmusa Tribe were forced to relocate to the ruins of Ald Daedroth, where they most likely have stayed ever since.

Ain-Kolur

Ain-Kolur was a battlefield where the Battle of Ain-Kolur took place. During this battle one of the most renowned River Horse Bretons Mindothrax, who was a master of defensive combat perished against a rival tribe led by Chief Iymbez, who brought in reinforcements from the islands to the south. A camp of Mindothrax's tribe was positioned in a high-walled garden of an old burial ground, adorned by springtide blossoms.

Akavir

An Akavir-inspired Banner

Akavir, also known as Dragon Land, is a continental landmass east of Tamriel, and home to the Akaviri races. The two continents have a history of animosity towards each other, with Akavir invading Tamriel several times in the past and Tamriel invading Akavir at least once. Much of what is known about it in Tamriel is acknowledged to be incomplete or inaccurate.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Akgun

Akgun is a potentially fictional location mentioned in The Ransom of Zarek.

Akos Kasaz

Akos Kasaz is the largest island in the Yokudan archipelago, between the Azurian Sea and the Sea of Pearls, far to the west of Hammerfell. Due to its size, the island spans multiple environments, some gentle and some brutal. The capital of the Yokudans, Old Totambu, was located on Akos Kasaz. In the late Second Era, other settlements included Tagon in the west, Taleskan in the north, and Yul in the south.

As the home of the Na-Totambu, the old ruling class (which would later become the Crowns), the Red Dervish of Rihad was famously quoted for the phrase "A daughter of the House of Akos Kasaz shall not marry an infidel of another house." What this means is that a daughter of the Crowns shall not marry another Redguard that drifted away from the Yokudan customs, like the Forebears. Northern Akos Kasaz was a fertile steppe, home to large herding clans, some of whom worshipped the Herd Mother, rather than the typical Yokudan gods. This group, known as the Horsemen, left Yokuda in the sixth century of the First Era, eventually founding a colony in the Vale of Silverhoof in High Rock.

Alabaster

Alabaster (alternatively known as Al'basti in Ta'agra) is one of the eight major cities in the province of Elsweyr, found on the southeastern coast of the province on the Topal Bay.

The town is known for the great white walls that surround the city, hence the name. Alabaster was one of the original sixteen kingdoms of Elsweyr, known for their bards, playwrights, poets, and spices. It is said to host a sizeable population of Alfiq. A small unnamed town is located outside the city walls, to the west.

Alavelis

Alavelis is a village on the southernmost end of the Padomaic Crest and is located in the province of Morrowind, in the jurisdiction of the Great House Dres. Alavelis is a sleepy town known mainly for its glass mine to the east of it, though it eventually ran dry. The settlement is overseen by a group of village elders. When the Third Empire took over and constructed maps of the province, they gave the village an Imperalized name: Amber Forest.

Alcaire

Alcaire is a region on the south-central coast of High Rock, on the north shore of Iliac Bay. Alcaire borders Koegria to the west, the Wrothgarian Mountains to the north, and Menevia to the east. The largest city in the region is the city of Alcaire. The regional deity is Kynareth. The dominant vampire bloodline in Alcaire is the Lyrezi.

Before 3E 405, an eponymous polity ruled the area but following the Warp in the West, the region became a part of the kingdom of Wayrest.

The climate of Alcaire is described as pleasantly mild and dry, with farmers and fishing villages depending upon the favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

Alcaire (city)

Alcaire is a city located in central High Rock and it is the capital of the eponymous fiefdom in the north-central Iliac Bay. By the mid-Second Era, it was known as Alcaire Castle, a castle-town built on the highest point in the region, near the road to Rivenspire. At the time, it was also the home of the Knights of the Flame, who swore fealty to the monarchy. Fables at the time told that a future ruler would be born from within its ramparts.

Aldmeris

Aldmeris, also known as the Isle of Aldmeris, the Island of Start, Lost Aldmeris, Old Aldmeris, and Old Ehlnofey, is the mythical lost continent from which the Mer are said to have originated. The term Aldmeris also refers to the language spoken by the Aldmer.

Virtually nothing is known of the elven homeland. Its location, its environment, its politics, its religion, and even its existence are the stuff of conjecture. By some accounts, Aldmeris may have been located somewhere in the South Eltheric Ocean. According to Altmeri epic poetry, when the Ancients sailed to the Summerset Isles and landed at the northern tip of Auridon, they lost the means to navigate back to Aldmeris, but had reason to believe their homeland lay in one of three different directions: south, northwest, or northeast.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Ald Daedroth

Ald Daedroth (meaning "Old Daedroth" in Dark Elvish) is a ruined structure located on an island north of Vvardenfell and west of Sheogorad Island, in the Azura's Coast region.

The ruins were once an ancient site of Daedric worship, containing statues dedicated to Azura, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath. Like many of the Daedric ruins of Vvardenfell, they were sealed off by the Ordinators of the Tribunal Temple to prevent worship of the Daedra Lords. The Temple occasionally made pilgrimages to Sheogorath's shrine. In hard times, the nomadic Ahemmusa Ashlanders of the northern Grazelands would take shelter in the ruins.

History

As the threat from Dagoth Ur began to grow in the late Third Era, the Ordinators were no longer able to guard the isolated Daedric ruins. Led by Hlireni Indavel, worshippers of Sheogorath flocked to Ald Daedroth. In 3E 427, a contingent of Ordinators were sent to the ruins to clear out the worshippers and their Daedric servants. The insane worshippers viewed this assault as a dance and resisted violently. Amid this chaos, the Nerevarine arrived at the ruins, having been sent by the wise woman of the Ahemmusa to make the ruins safe for her tribe. It is unknown how the worshippers and Ordinators were subdued, but Ald Daedroth was secured for the tribe. That same year, the Temple made a pilgrimage to Sheogorath's shrine and left the Gambolpuddy as an offering to the Mad God. Several artifacts of Sanguine were also liberated from the ruins by the Morag Tong.

Ald Marak

Ald Marak (also called Ald Malak) is a strategic fortress found on the shores of Lake Coronati, alongside its sister city, Ald Iuval. It is found in the province of Morrowind. Ald Marak is known to contain high sturdy walls, and deep waters from the Coronati, making it impossible on foot en masse.

Ald Redaynia

Ald Redaynia is an isolated Velothi tower found on the northern islands of Vvardenfell, known as Sheogorad. It is within the province of Morrowind. Despite having little significance on the surface, Ald Redaynia is a historical settlement, dating back as far as the Merethic Era, and once containing a small remote fishing village as far as 3E 427.

Ald Sotha

Ald Sotha (meaning "Old Sotha" in Dark Elvish) was an ancient, ruined settlement located northeast of Vivec City, in the Ascadian Isles region of Vvardenfell.

Ald Velothi

Ald Velothi was a small harbor north of Gnisis. Around 2E 582, the site featured a public pier and a modest Redoran-style private estate called Ald Velothi Harbor House.

By 3E 427, House Redoran had taken possession of the harbor and converted it into a military outpost. There were few services, apart from some poor traders and a smith, and no means of fast transport to reach it. The settlement's principal structure was a Redoran watch-tower, and there was an outcast Ashlander camp directly south of the post, atop a hill. The large daedric shrine of Ashalmawia was directly east and visible from the village.

Ald'ruhn

Ald'ruhn (Dark Elvish for "Old Home" and also spelled Ald-ruhn) was one of the four cities on the district of Vvardenfell. In modern history, Ald'ruhn served as the district seat of power for the Great House Redoran, but before it was occupied by the House Dunmer, it was neutral meeting ground for the four tribes of the Vvardenfell Ashlanders. The settlement was built around the carcass of Skar, an ancient Emperor Crab that was slain by the united tribes and a long-forgotten hero of legend.

Alftand

Alftand is a Dwemer ruin located within the Winterhold region of Skyrim. Alftand is unique among Dwemer ruins in that it is the only one built partially atop an active glacier. In addition to its unique location, the Dwemer of Alftand had their own unique style of iconography. The Great Lift at Alftand, which leads into Blackreach, can be found in the Pale, overlooking the main road and Lake Yorgrim. According to Septimus Signus, Alftand is "The point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping."

Alik'r

The Alik'r (best known as the Alik'r Desert) is a large region that takes a significant portion of the northwestern part of the province of Hammerfell. It is a vast sea of sand and dunes, stretching across the inner province and surrounded by the mountains in eastern Hammerfell, and the grassland along the coastline. Borders between Hammerfell's nations in the Alik'r Desert are hazy; travelers in the vast desert can never tell where they start or end.

Alinor

Alinor is one of the eight major cities in the province of the Summerset Isles, found on the river highlands of the Oleander Coast. Alinor is the ancient capital of the Summerset Isles and the seat of High Elven civilization. It is widely recognized by its sky-piercing towers and intricately woven ramparts that are designed to catch the light of the sun to break it into a variety of colors. For thousands of years, it has been the home of the High Kingship of Summerset, who sits at the highest point of the city and surveys across their grand domain. The city is the namesake of the province's modern-day name, chosen by the Thalmor as they assumed power over the country.

Alten Corimont

Alten Corimont is a small port town located in eastern Shadowfen, deep in the province of Black Marsh. It lies on the bank of a waterway, which provides access to the sea.

Circa 1E 2260, Argonian freebooters from Alten Corimont were among those who heeded the call to arms of Baron-Admiral Bendu Olo of Anvil and joined the All Flags Navy. The sailing ship Golden Era was one such vessel. The Argonians sailed with the fleet to far-off Thras to seek vengeance against the Sload, never to return. Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Alten Corimont—and indeed most of Tamriel—much of the fleet was pulled into the depths of Coldharbour by the collapse of the Coral Tower. The captain of the Golden Era made a pact with Molag Bal, receiving the Crown of Bones and ruling over the skeletal sailors for eternity.

In 2E 582, Alten Corimont was little more than a glorified tavern. Aside from the docks, its only structure was a beached ship that functioned as a social hub for the settlement's population of pirates and smugglers. Despite this, both the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild maintained a presence. The town was run by an Argonian pirate called Captain One-Eye. Due to its nefarious activities, the town remained neutral in the ongoing Alliance War. It was for this reason that the Aldmeri Dominion chose Alten Corimont to help resupply their invasion of the region. A crew of Renrijra Maor were put in charge of this operation, but the group's suspicious activities were soon noticed by One-Eye, who had their leader killed. The Khajiiti pirates promptly switched their allegiance, and helped One-Eye obtain the Dominion's treasure, killing a part of their invasion force in the process. The settlement's relationship with the Ebonheart Pact remained bitter, although Pact ships were allowed to make use of the port.

Later that year, after subduing various challengers who questioned her right to rule, Captain One-Eye decided to assemble a fleet and sail to Thras in search of those ancestors who had departed Alten Corimont with the All Flags Navy. Instead, she fell victim to the same whirlpool that the Coral Tower had created (probably the Maelstrom of Bal in the Abecean Sea). Although the rest of her crew fell victim to the horrors of Coldharbour, One-Eye survived and managed to uncover the story of the Lost Fleet and recover the Crown of Bones with the help of the Vestige. It is unknown if One-Eye claimed the Crown for herself or returned to Alten Corimont.

By the time of the Imperial Simulacrum, Alten Corimont had grown to become a small town. It was ruled by Lord Tibius, and it had a rivalry with Rockpoint. It was neighbored by several settlements, including Chasecreek in the northeast, Riverwalk in the east, Rockpoint in the southeast, and Tenmar Wall in the west.

Alten Meerhleel

Alten Meerhleel (also called Alten Meirhall) is a port settlement built on the lowlands of Murkmire, in the province of Black Marsh. The port was built as a way for the Argonian tribes to connect with the other races and as a way to appease them, the original harbormaster built a Teeba-Enoo court north of the docks.

Lake Amaya (Deshaan)

Lake Amaya is a large lake in the center of the Deshaan region of Morrowind. It surrounds the city of Mournhold. Local Ashlander tribes use the waters of the lake for primitive irrigation, allowing the fertile black soil of the Lake Amaya basin to sustain both plants and animals.

Lake Amaya (Vvardenfell)

Lake Amaya is a large body of water found in the temperate lowlands of Vvardenfell, in the province of Morrowind. Situated on the northern crown of the Ascadian Isles, it is found deep in the countryside from roaring cities like Vivec and villages like Pelagiad and Suran. Throughout the shores are small private estates and farmhouses, often owned by nobles of House Hlaalu. The northern shores contain the Fields of Kummu, the idyllic site of the Shrine of Humility, one of the Shrines of the Seven Graces which pilgrims of the Tribunal Temple often visited.

Amenos

Amenos is the second-largest island in the Systres Archipelago, an island region in the western part of the Abecean Sea. The island is characterized by a dense, hostile jungle and a hazardous coastline riddled with jagged rocks, unrelenting storms, and dangerous currents. Historically, Amenos has been governed by the Bretons of House Mornard and it has hosted a prison facility since the early years of the Common Era.

Amiglith

A settlement in the Summerset Isles. A sculpture that represents the Transformation of Trinimac can be found there.

Ancestor Glade

Ancestor Glades are secluded places scattered across Tamriel. Canticle Trees, which attract Ancestor Moths, are known to grow in Ancestor Glades. Due to the presence of Ancestor Moths and the Canticle Tree sap's magical properties, the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth is typically performed by the Moth Priests of the Cult of the Ancestor Moth at these locations.

One of the known Ancestor Glades was found in the region of Pine Forest, high in the Jerall Mountains within the Falkreath Hold. It was located southeast of Falkreath's capital, and was the only Ancestor Glade in the entire province of Skyrim.

Ancient Libraries of Tholgamis

The ancient libraries of Tholgamis are an obscure location, which once held secret to locating where Kynareth's crypt physically manifested at that time during the Imperial Simulacrum.

Anequina

Anequina (Ta'agra: Ne Quin-al), also known as Anaquina or Northern Elsweyr, is a historical region and former Khajiiti kingdom in southern Tamriel. It is one of the two traditional regions of Elsweyr, along with its southern neighbor, Pellitine. Anequina traces its history back to Anequina Sharp-Tongue, who served as the queen of the Ne Quin-al Prides in the time of the sixteen kingdoms. It emerged as one of the largest kingdoms in the province following the Anequine Conquests. It merged with the rival kingdom of Pellitine in 2E 309 to form the Elsweyr Confederacy, uniting the region for the first time. Anequina occupies the northern half of Elsweyr, a region of harsh badlands and arid plains. </noinclude>

Anga

Anga (meaning Iron or Cold in Ayleidoon) is an Ayleid ruin located in the Anga Valley, a region of Cyrodiil's Great Forest found north of the Imperial City, just off the Silver Road to Bruma.

Little is known of Anga's history. Circa 2E 582 an Ayleid researcher named Brelynd Verano attempted to access Anga's interior, but the ruins had been sealed.

At some point, a cult of Namira worshippers known as the Forgotten sealed themselves within the ruins to live out their lives in squalor and darkness. Circa 3E 433, priests of Arkay invaded the ruins bearing torches to "cleanse" the darkness within and save the souls of the Forgotten. Having spent so many years living in total darkness, the light burned the Forgotten, leaving them helpless. In response, Namira tasked the Hero of Kvatch with entering Anga and casting a spell on the priests, extinguishing their torches and allowing the Forgotten to kill them. In addition to the living occupants, a secret chamber within the ruins was also haunted by the undead at this time.

Anticlere

Anticlere (formerly known as Reich Gradkeep) is a historical country in southwestern High Rock, right on the Iliac Bay region. Beyond the three original kingdoms in the region, Anticlere is one of the primary powers in the Iliac Bay. The region, as well as southern High Rock is known for its rolling, verdant hills. The Goddess of Love and Fertility, Mara is considered the goddess-protector of Anticlere and by the late Third Era, the Knights of the Flame served as the region's knightly order and protector of the royal family.

Anticlere (city)

Anticlere (formerly known as Reich Gradkeep) is the capital of the eponymous region in the Iliac Bay region of southern High Rock. The town received its modern name from Lord Auberon Flyte, who renamed it in honor of his family, the ancestral house of Anticlere.

Antiphyllos

Antiphyllos is a region in northern Hammerfell and is part of the greater Iliac Bay area. The region's monarchy was once connected to the Phyllocid Dynasty, the Crowns family that ruled the province during its time under the Second Empire. Some of their last known descendants were Grandee Zizzeen of Antiphyllos and his relative, High King Fahara'jad of Sentinel. The local Redguards of the region have the utmost respect for Divad Hunding, one of the great sword-singers of Redguard history. They observe the holiday, Divad Etep't on the 12th of Sun's Height, which is a day of mourning dedicated to the warrior. The Anthotis clan of vampires and the Dust Witches are active in the region.

Anudnabia

Anudnabia is a daedric ruin located on the largest off-coast island east of Vvardenfell, in the province of Morrowind. The ruins are located on the same island as the city of Sadrith Mora, which is directly west of it. Back in its heyday, it was occupied by the duo, Dorach Gusal, the enchanter and Hilbongard Rolamus of Skyrim, the great weaponsmith. With the magical forge deep in the ruins, they created the legendary warhammer, Skull Crusher.

Anvil

Anvil is a prosperous Colovian harbor city on the Gold Coast by the Abecean Sea at the very southwest end of Cyrodiil. It is the seat of County Anvil and it is located at the end of the Gold Road, west of Skingrad and Kvatch.

Geography

Anvil Lighthouse

Anvil circa 2E 582

Anvil consists of five districts: Castle Anvil, Chapelgate, Westgate, Guildgate and Harborside. The Redguards have had a notable influence on local architecture, which is of a similar style to that of nearby Hammerfell. The city's graveyard is located across the street from the Chapel of Dibella. North of the graveyard lies Benirus Manor, one of Anvil's many stately manors. The city also houses chapters of the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild, the latter of which specializes in Restoration.

Apocrypha

Apocrypha is a realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Fate. The geography of the realm varies, with some areas being open with fields containing odd flora, other areas are an endless library consisting of untitled books with black covers, where all forbidden knowledge can be found, and the crackling towers of learning mingle with archways of despair and confusion. The realm is haunted by the ghosts of mortals forever searching for knowledge. Stacks of books form mazes and spiraling pillars that can reach as high as the illuminating green sky. Intricate ruins and monstrous carvings can be found among the stacks. The plane is covered in a sea of ink and roiling tentacles, while Hermaeus Mora is omnipresent over all, taking glee in tormenting mortals from his realm. Some areas of the realm are consumed by darkness which can kill any who enter it. Discarded pages and floating tomes fill the fetid air, as if pulled by invisible string. Storms of notorious strength purportedly rage over Apocrypha.

Apart from magical teleportation, Apocrypha is most easily entered by mortals through the reading of Black Books, tomes of forbidden knowledge displaced from time and scattered across Tamriel. An apparition of the reader's body remains in Mundus, tethering their life force. Most mortals who gain access to the secrets within Apocrypha are driven insane by unending revelations. Such was the fate of the mage Morian Zenas, who famously disappeared in Apocrypha during his voyages through Oblivion. However, those who successfully journey through Apocrypha are known to discover powerful knowledge. The laws of the mortal world hold no power in this realm.

Applewatch

Applewatch is a small settlement located in the Jerall Mountains west of Bruma. It was the ancestral home of the Draconis family, and is the namesake of the Applewatch Wood region.

Aphren's Hold

Aphren's Hold (formerly known as Wind Keep, and later Windkeep Castle) is a ruined stronghold that dates back sometime in the First Era. As the name implies, it is named after the Merchant-King of Wayrest, Aphren Gardner, whose reign was infamous for his desire to expand his dominion by conquering his neighbors. The fort formerly known as Wind Keep became his headquarters, thus taking on his name, but it was ransacked and is now rife with spirits. A nearby town retains the original name, and the underground complex of Storm Talon Temple has at times been actively run by the Blades from beneath the ruins.

Arcane University

The Arcane University (also called the Imperial University) is a walled complex located on City Isle in Cyrodiil. It is a district of the Imperial City, and is connected by bridge to the Arboretum District. It was founded in the Second Era and replaced the Crystal Tower of Summerset Isle as the center of magical learning in Tamriel.

Originally an old Ayleid district adjacent to the Imperial City, the complex was rebuilt as the headquarters of the Mages Guild after the guild's founding in the early Second Era. The Arcane University served as the seat of the Council of Mages and was Tamriel's foremost magical research center, home to many powerful guild mages, scholars, and apprentices.

The university grounds are guarded by Imperial Battlemages, a legion of magic-wielders once trained in the Battlespire. In the center of the district is the Arch-Mage's Tower. The tower contained the Council Chamber, the Arch-Mage's living quarters, and a ground floor open to the public. The chambers were linked by magical teleportation pads. Accessible from the tower was the Imperial Orrery, a reconstructed Dwarven machine used to chart the heavens. The university grounds were divided by a wall; one half of the grounds were reserved for members of the Mages Guild. The university contained a Chironasium for enchanting, a Lustratorium for alchemy, a Praxographical Center for spell making, and quarters and practice rooms for permanent residents. The Mystic Archives had a large collection of books and notes. The grounds also contained an alchemical garden, an outdoors lecture area, and an Imperial watchtower for the Battlemages.

Archon

Archon is one of the eight major cities in the province of Black Marsh, situated on the eastern coast on the Padomaic Ocean.

Archon's Grove

Archon's Grove is a forested clearing found in the southern mountains of Summerset Isle, in the province of the Summerset Isles. The area is known for its sacred flower of Mara, the Rose-of-Archon, which epitomizes the true essence of beauty itself. It has since been harvested by the College of Sapiarchs for the fifty-eighth Day of Divine Reverence to the Goddess of Love. The beeswax from the forest is praised as some of the finest wax across the continent. The town of Archen Grangrove existed in the area in the Third Era.

Arcwind Point

Arcwind Point is a ruined Nordic structure located at the southern edge of Skyrim, in an isolated valley in the Jerall Mountains.

The location actually consists of several separate ruins. The most notable element is the double arch in the center of the valley. To the north is a ruined structure and a tower. To the southeast, a barrow, another ruin, and a few more arches can be found.

A Word Wall dedicated to body of Svolo, who possessed strength to kill a Dragon but not stamina to kill many, stands just near the main arch.

Ardent Hope

Ardent Hope is a large fortress that imposes over the Burn; a scorched wasteland in the Deadlands of Oblivion. Some have considered Ardent Hope the strongest out of Mehrunes Dagon's seven-hundred and seventy-seven citadels. Ardent Hope is both the seat of power for Valkynaz Nokvroz, who commands the Ruinblood Clan of Dremora as well as the home of the Ravener, a Dremnaken that consumes knowledge with blood magic and stores it in the Tower of Conviction. There is a sub-section of the fort called the Path of Cinders, which leads to the volcano; Xarxes Crucible.

Arenthia

Arenthia is one of the eight major cities in the province of Valenwood, serving as the province's largest settlement in the borderlands of Reaper's March. Arenthia is the resulting amalgamation of various cultures that reside in, and have spread their influence throughout, the march. It is an important trade city that is nestled on the fork of both the Crescent River and the Strid River. It was named after the first King of the Wood Elves.

Arkngthamz

Arkngthamz is a Dwarven ruin located high in the hills of the Reach, in the province of Skyrim. In its prime, it was occupied by the Dwemer of Clan Kragen and it led an alliance of four pocket city-states that spanned all over ancient Skyrim. The purpose of the alliance was to harness a rare, blue crystal called Aetherium and Arkngthamz's role was to study its properties. For the longest time, the ruins were well-preserved until an earthquake sundered the ruins down the middle, creating a deep, boreal chasm to the innermost chamber.

Arnesia

Arnesia is a location or region in the eastern parts of Black Marsh, near Archon and Thorn. Elven civilizations of Black Marsh, such as the Barsaebic Ayleids and the Cantemiric Velothi, were known to settle and inhabit territories around the Arnesia, as well as Archon and Thorn, before their extinction. There is a round island off the east coast of this area, which has a dark green/gray terrain when viewed from overhead, different from anything seen in the rest of the province.

Arpenia

Arpenia (translated as "[the] Nobility" in Ayleidoon) is an Ayleid ruin found in the rainforests of Blackwood, in the province of Cyrodiil, along the Yellow Road to Leyawiin. It is noted for the illuminating white crystals that light its subterranean halls.

Lake Arrius

Lake Arrius is a lake north of Cheydinhal. It can be found right where the Nibenay Basin region meets the Jerall Mountains. A small community of worshippers lives around a shrine to Azura northwest of the lake.

In the Second Era, it was the site of Arrius Keep, a fort in the center of the Ebonheart Pact's claimed territory. In 3E 433, the Hero of Kvatch famously infiltrated a Mythic Dawn lair near the lake and took the Mysterium Xarxes as part of the effort to end the Oblivion Crisis.

Artaeum

The Isle of Artaeum is the third largest island of the Summerset archipelago, located off the southwest coast of Summerset Isle, south of the Moridunon village of Potansa and west of the mainland village of Runcibae. Artaeum is the home of the Psijic Order, the oldest monastic group on Tamriel. It has a tendency to vanish from Nirn, being placed in a pocket realm for centuries at a time.

The Isle of Artaeum has idyllic orchards and clear pastures, still and silent lagoons, misty woodlands, and the unique Psijic architecture that seems to be as natural as its surroundings. The Ceporah Tower is a relic from a civilization that predates the High Elves by several hundred years. It is the location of the Dreaming Cavern, which Sotha Sil once used as some sort of portal into the realms of Oblivion, but which has since been sealed off by the Psijics. The Isle of Artaeum was once removed from the world in a similar fashion to Umbriel, but reappeared about 500 years later. The Isle of Artaeum once again disappeared around 100 years before the civil war in Skyrim, and has not been seen since.

The Isle of Artaeum was home to Mannimarco, the leader of Necromancy in Tamriel.

Arum-Khal's Realm

Arum-Khal's Realm was a dark plane of existence created by the dro-m'Athra lich Arum-Khal where only dark spirits could thrive. It resembled floating islands with glowing corals and ruined Khajiiti architecture hanging in a void of eternal twilight, reminiscent to that of the Dark Behind the World. It was destroyed circa 2E 582.

Ascadian Isles

The Ascadian Isles were fertile, lush agricultural lowlands mainly under House Hlaalu control in Vvardenfell's southwestern area. The climate was temperate and comfortable, with moderate rainfall. The region encompassed land as far south as Ebonheart, west to the Foyada Mamaea, north to the central Ashlands just past the Fields of Kummu shrine, and east to the large Daedric shrine of Ald Sotha. The land was rich in nutrients and therefore littered with small farms and plantations. The islands themselves, while scattered, were close enough for easy transportation, the only main obstacle being Lake Amaya. Notable vegetation included large mushroom-like plants not unlike trees, corkbulb, marshmerrow and muckspunge.

Major cities in the Ascadian Isles included the Imperial stronghold of Ebonheart, the Temple city of Vivec, the market town of Suran, and Pelagiad. The architecture was a mix of Hlaalu, Velothi, and Imperial. Additionally, many of the councilors of Great House Hlaalu maintained plantations in the Isles to exploit the region's good growing soil, and to breed netch for their leather.

Ash Mountain

Ash Mountain is a volcano in southeastern Stonefalls, in the Daen Seeth region, west of the town of Senie and east of Ebonheart. The mountain is surrounded by the Daedric ruins of the Great Temple of Boethiah, constructed by the Chimer prior to the ascension of the Tribunal. It also houses a small ruined shrine to Molag Bal. Large numbers of scamps and clannfear can be found in the ruins, along with shalk near the lava flows.

The volcano served as a prison for Balreth, one of the Brothers of Strife. In 2E 582, Tanval Indoril, the grandmaster of House Indoril, summoned Balreth and ordered him to destroy the Daggerfall Covenant army attacking the city of Davon's Watch. Balreth routed the invading army before they entered the city, but he was deemed too dangerous to remain unbound. With the help of the Vestige and the spirit of Mavos Siloreth, a Chimer who had originally bound Balreth in the First Era, Balreth was defeated beneath the Ash Mountain and his spirit was bound again.

Ashalmawia

Ashalmawia is a ruined daedric temple found on the seaside hills of Vvardenfell, in the province of Morrowind. Situated on the bleak wealds of the West Gash, it is an old temple dedicated to the Daedric Prince of Domination, Molag Bal, one of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles. The Sunken Vaults of the temple have been used by the Prince's countless worshippers, including the Order of the Black Worm to bring about his wrath and influence.

Ashlands

The Ashlands region was the largest contiguous geographical region on Vvardenfell—a dry, inhospitable wasteland characterized by clusters of stone obelisks; minimal, highly-adapted vegetation; and bubbling ash mires. It encompassed land from the Urshilaku Camp on the northern shore of the Sea of Ghosts, west to the Redoran Council seat Ald'ruhn, then south to where the slopes of Red Mountain leveled off into the lava fields of Molag Amur. The southern border ran on an approximate line from Foyada Mamaea, near Balmora, to the southern border of the Grazelands.

The mountainous region to the southeast of Molag Amur was sometimes considered part of the Ashlands because of the similarity of its ecology, but was generally flatter, with open lava flows. Also, the slopes of Red Mountain itself were a separate region, bound by the Ghostfence. Frequent ash storms limited visibility and spread the Blight, affecting almost every creature found in the region.

Only the western part of the Ashlands was under permanent control of House Redoran. The shrine in Maar Gan was an important Temple pilgrimage site, and the village's houses volunteered militia for the fight against the forces of Dagoth Ur. The nomadic Ashlander tribe of the Urshilaku hunted for game, foraged, and their herds found sparse grazing around ragged tent villages in the far northwest, but there were small Ashlander camps throughout the area outside the Ghostfence. The rest of the region was embattled with infractions of rogue Telvanni, bandits, and even vampires trying to gain a foothold. The interior of the Ashlands was thus largely devoid of permanent, occupied settlements, with the citadel of Ghostgate being the major exception. This was due to the lack of water and vegetation in the area, as it rarely ever rained. Scattered throughout the land were various caves, eggmines, Daedric and Dwemer ruins, and wizards' towers.

Ashmelech

Ashmelech is the isolated home of the Aundae vampire clan, located in the Sheogorad region of Vvardenfell. It is located on a small island just southwest of the large landmass containing the village of Dagon Fel.

Ashpit

Ashpit is a realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by Malacath, the Daedric Prince of Outcasts. It is unknown if the realm existed before Trinimac was transformed into Malacath. Orcish spellwrights call for boons from the Ashpit and rarely any other realms. The Ashpit is hard to access, as the pathways to his domain take on a characteristic level of concealment to protect the disenfranchised and cast out.

Asil Yelir

Asil Yelir is an island in the Eltheric Ocean, south of the Sea of Pearls, that is possibly considered a part of the Yokudan archipelago. The two large islands Nalonga and Ravan neighbor it to the northwest and southeast, respectively. It shares the word "Yelir" with the similarly sized Siuol Yelir to its southwest.

Assalkushalit

Assalkushalit (also known as Kushalit Sanctuary) is a Daedric ruin located on the northern side of the Red Mountain, inside the Ghostfence, southeast of Maar Gan. The ruin's interior contains a shrine dedicated to Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness.

Aswala Stables

The Aswala Stables is a town near the coast of the Alik'r Desert, in the province of Hammerfell near the port-town of Tava's Blessing. It is known for its expert horse-breeders, specifically regarding the Yokudan Chargers, an iconic breed of horse that comes from the main island of Akos Kasaz, on the lost continent of Yokuda. It is also the home of the Aswala family of horse-breeders, known members of the Crowns. Much like the larger cities such as Sentinel and Hallin's Stand, the town of Aswala Stables is overseen by a Grandee.

Atatar

Atatar (translated as "Fatherwood" in Ayleidoon) is an Ayleid ruin found in the rainforests of Blackwood, in the province of Cyrodiil. It is located within the Niben Forest region, in the glens situated off the Yellow Road to Leyawiin. It was once home to the Atataric clan of Ayleids. Its subsections of Haelia Dagon, Haelia Anga, and Loria translate to "Terrible Destruction", "Terrible Iron/Cold", and "Darkness" respectively.

Atmora

Atmora, or Altmora in Aldmeris, (meaning "Elder Wood"), and referred to as "the land of truth" by Atmorans, is a continent north of Tamriel, where tradition has it the first humans came from in ancient days. It is the ancestral land for all humans, including the Nedic peoples, the ancestors of the Cyrodilians, Bretons, and Nords.

Attribution's Share

Attribution's Share is the plane of Oblivion created and ruled over by Boethiah, the Daedric Prince of Deceit. The Realm of Boethia is described as a country of labyrinthine policy and betrayals, with maze gardens and twisted towers. It was formerly known as Snake Mount.

Aurbis

The Aurbis is the name given to the chaos, or totality, from which the cosmos was formed by Anu and Padomay. For all intents and purposes, it is the universe, encompassing the Void and all Planes of Existence including Mundus, Aetherius, and the planes of Oblivion.

Many sources describe the structure of the Aurbis as a wheel: Mundus is the hub, the empty spaces within it are the planes of Oblivion, the rim encompasses the realms of Aetherius, and the emptiness beyond it is the Void. The eight spokes connecting the rim to the hub represent the Eight Divines that played a major part in Creation. The Eight Divines are also depicted as planets, orbiting Nirn and its moons at the center of the Aurbis. The sun, Magnus, was created when the god Magnus fled Mundus to Aetherius, and the stars were formed by the Magna Ge who followed. The Eye of Magnus was, among other ideas, theorized by the College of Winterhold to contain the entirety of the Aurbis. Though this theory was considered dubious at best, close observations on the Eye yielded no evidence to the contrary.

Auridon

Auridon is the second largest island in the Summerset Isles, located off the far eastern coast of Summerset, and north of Artaeum, between the main island and the continent of Tamriel. The main cities on the island are Firsthold to the north, Skywatch to the east, and Vulkhel Guard to the south.

Auridon Strait

The Auridon Strait is the body of water that separates the strait's namesake, Auridon and the main island of the archipelago, Summerset Isle. Two of the province's cities, Shimmerene and Vulkhel Guard are located on the strait, as well as the town of Greenwater Cove, a large port with an ancient defensive device. It is a long, winding strait that also functions as a major route in-between the two islands. Since Shimmerene is where many mainlanders enter the main island, most people travel through the strait. The body of water is neighbored by the Abecean Sea to the north and the Eltheric Ocean proper to the south.

Avanchnzel

Avanchnzel (roughly meaning Eternal City in Dwemeris) is a Dwarven ruin located on the slopes of the Jerall Mountains in The Rift, south of the Treva River and west of Riften. Once a great hall of dwarven construction, Avanchnzel was as much a library as it was a city, built to hold the vast memories of the Dwemer. It was run almost exclusively by strange mechanical spiders.

A lexicon is kept stored deep within, remaining heavily guarded for millennia after the disappearance of the Dwemer. The knowledge contained in the Lexicon is said to hold the accumulated memories of centuries of Dwemer, and was responsible for creating everything within the ruins. Many of the animunculi residing within remained asleep, waiting for an unknown purpose…

Ayasofya

Ayasofya is a region on the western coast of Hammerfell, in the Iliac Bay. It was a county bordered by Tigonus to the north, the Alik'r Desert to the southeast, Antiphyllos to the south, and Sentinel to the west in the 3rd Era.

Its main city is the city of Ayasofya. On the 2nd of Last Seed, the residents of the area celebrate a holiday known as Maiden Katrica in honor of a warrior who saved them during a previous war.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Azra's Crossing

Azra's Crossing is a village that was built in close proximity to a large magically-made crater, located in the region known as the Western Reach that is bordered by the provinces of Hammerfell, High Rock, and Skyrim. While isolated, the settlement has a water source in the form of a waterfall that flows into the crater. Azra’s Crossing also lies southwest of Earthtear Caverns.

Azura's Coast

The Azura's Coast (or Telvanni Coast) region consisted mainly of the numerous islands to the south and east of Vvardenfell. It included all of the southern islands east of the Daedric ruin of Ald Sotha, extended north to include the islands up the eastern coast and Zafirbel Bay, and three small peninsulas on the southeastern corner of Vvardenfell where a Shrine of Azura could be found.

The area was fairly desolate, and most of the territory was claimed by House Telvanni. It included the towns and towers of Tel Mora, Tel Aruhn, Sadrith Mora, Tel Fyr, and Tel Branora. It was also home to numerous wizards, sorcerers, necromancers, and Ashlander Mabrigashes. Many of these were based in old Velothi remnants or caves, rather than wizard towers. By no means were all magic-workers in the area Telvanni, but the dominance of the Telvanni did mean that there was little objection to their activities.

As the area was dominated by the Telvanni, it was one of the least subject to the power of either the Empire or the Tribunal, though both had enclaves in the House capital, Sadrith Mora. Since Telvanni lords were usually over a thousand years old and very powerful, they tended to see the "gods" of the Tribunal as peers rather than supreme beings.

Despite the rocky terrain, a variety of plants thrive on the region's regular rainfall. However, there were Ashlander camps scattered throughout the region. The area was full of ancestral tombs, and there were several significant Daedric Shrines on the islands. Many bandits preyed on unwary travelers.