Lore:Orcrest

is one of the eight-major cities in the province of  ,  situated on the barren canyons of  . Orcrest is known as the center of commerce in Northern Elsweyr, built atop of a plateau that overlooks the harsh desert of  , with ancient walls and great bridges across the canyon.  Orcrest was one of the original sixteen kingdoms of Elsweyr, known for their rogues and thieves.  

 

Layout & Geography
The city-state of Orcrest is found in the center of northern Elsweyr, a part of the greater region of  , which is known for its harsh badlands, and its arid plains.   There is an exclamation in Elsweyr, "Dust of Orcrest".  Orcrest is situated on a large plateau that overlooks the lower basin of  . The upper level that surrounds the city is where the main road is found, as well as, very few dangers, whereas the lower level is filled with all sorts of deadly creatures, such as the   and  s, but also dead Khajiit that have fallen into the Scar. Orcrest is a heavily walled-off, yet a restricted city divided into two districts. The western-half of Orcrest is known as the market district or the lower city. From the city gates, the market place is sprawled across the square, with tons of stalls formed into circles. It is no surprise that Orcrest has such an expansive bazaar considering its status as a center of commerce in Anequina. East of these markets is the narrow streets and alleyways of the town that eventually lead into the upper city. The southern street-alley is known as Red Senche Alley. In this halfway point, the city is built around a somewhat tall mountain. The lower-half surrounds it. and some buildings also jut out of it, towering over the alleys. The sewer system, which is built in the city plateau, is connected throughout the lower city and meet in the middle, underneath the mountain. The upper city is much more liberating than its lower-half, filled with open-aired parks and whirling short walls. The largest building, which may be the town hall is found directly on the eastern wall, where it overlooks the entire city.  Orcrest is neighbored by several settlements, including   to the northeast, and   to the southwest. 

History
Orcrest stood as one of the sixteen kingdoms of ancient Elsweyr that were active throughout the   and the late  . Feudal hunt-lords and a cruel hunter-aristocracy ruled the sixteen kingdoms in the Merethic Era. In the waning years of the era, the hunt-lords of   and   were in conflict with each other, to the point where they drafted thousands of their peasants into their conflict. This action caused one of the worst famines in Elsweyr's history, and after three years of this war, the peasants rebelled against their hunt-lords, inspiring other peasant uprisings in the neighboring kingdoms, including Orcrest.  Like the other kingdoms, the Kingdom of Orcrest was devastated by the arrival of the   in  . What remained of Orcrest was absorbed into the Kingdom of  .  

When King   of Anequina married Queen   of   in  , Keirgo's Orcrest Honor Guard atop of their  s, were present in the ceremony. 

At a point before Ranser's War, a then-mercenary Kurog gro-Bagrakh stayed at a seedy tavern in Orcrest and met Zephrine Frey, a Covenant spy. In  , the   began to spread across southern Tamriel, and heavily afflict Elsweyr. It had begun in   and eventually spread into  , where it contaminated the entire province. Orcrest was one of the many cities in Elsweyr to be affected by the Knahaten Flu,  it was, in fact, the city in Northern Elsweyr that was dealt the hardest deal. But this was not the last of their problems. Throughout the middle sixth century of the  , the northern lands of Elsweyr were invaded by the  . Using the outbreak of the flu to their advantage, the   invaded Anequina and annexed the cities of Orcrest and  . The Khajiit warrior, General   led a squadron in the campaign to retake both cities, but perished in the attack.  But the plague continued to rage across Northern Elsweyr, and so various people attempted to quell the flu. The master alchemist of  ,   and his entourage were sent to control the disease in Orcrest in  , but failed in the attempt.  

Orcrest's situation did not change in the next couple of decades, by around  , Orcrest was in a state of chaotic ruin and with no sight of any outside help. The market district was ransacked and burned to ashes. The upper city was devoid of life and depressing. The very few people that lived in Orcrest had descended into utter madness, deranged by the disease that they managed to live with, or the paranoia of being surrounded by the sickened. Some people had even resorted to cannibalism to stay alive in the city or destroy any resemblance of life that approaches them. At this time, a couple of   cultist had delved into Orcrest to seek proof that the Daedric Prince had wiped out the city with the Knahaten Flu. They managed to escape the city with their lives. 

During the   in the late  , the city-state of Orcrest was an active settlement, being ruled by King Amtaba. It had a rivalry with  . 

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Notes
Arena was originally conceived as a fighting game featuring a tournament that took the player to each of Tamriel's cities to challenge different gladiatorial teams. According to a file from that stage of development left behind in the final game, Orcrest's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Silent Ones". 

References