Lore:Crowns

The   are what is left of the old ruling class of Yokuda, the Na-Totambu. They can be found mostly in northern and inland Hammerfell and are known for still honoring the ancient Redguard ways.    Generally speaking, the Crowns dominate the northern region of Hammerfell and continue to adhere to their Yokudan background.   

One of the major differences between the Crowns compared to their rivals the Forebears, is that they worship the traditional Yokudan gods and take a conservative approach to matters of tradition and religion.  Which is one of the biggest factors in why they don't get along with the Forebears. The Crowns believe that the Forebears engage in "outrageous non-traditional practices", and their willingness to engage with Tamrielic cultures outside their own and share in these Tamrielic affectations is an affront to their traditional values and culture.   

The Crowns and Forebears represented the two halves of a highly stratified Hammerfell and fought a bitter civil war during the  . Today they are at peace, though divisions remain. Recently a third faction, the Lhotunics, has emerged, representing a middle ground. 

History
First Era
When the Ra Gada crossed the   to eventually reach Tamriel, they landed on the harborage that became Hegathe. The landing site was in the possession of   and they were quickly displaced by the Yokudans. From their newly-founded settlement, the Ra Gada swept across the coastlines to expand their reach.  As the remaining refugees had left   to populate the province, the Yokudan government, the   became fully-integrated, using Hegathe as its capital. 

When the province of Hammerfell was annexed into the  , two political parties were formed to contribute to  's administration over the land. The Crowns were created from what was left of the Na-Totambu, who retained their high-ranking status in the Empire, using Hegathe as their capital. From there, they are represented by the  , who maintained their relationship with the Empire throughout its lifetime. The Forebears was the other political party founded in Hammerfell, from the warrior-lords that descended from the Ra Gada and governed tribal districts in the south. For the longest time, these groups were sworn enemies that exceeded far longer than the Empire itself.  It took the ascension of High King  , and his union with the Crowns daughter,   and the Forebears daughter,  , to break the divide between them. 

Second Era
In the mid- , the Crowns supported Grandee Zizzeen's claim to the title of High King of Hammerfell, but lost out to   of the Forebears.   

Circa   when the Crowns monarchy left their ancestral throne of Old Hegathe, and took over the Forebears kingdom of Sentinel, it caused a schism between both factions. Baron Volag was chosen by the Forebears to strike an accord with the Crowns King,   for a short time truce.   But when Thassad II passed away from natural causes in 2E 862, Volag and his Forebears launched a wide-scale rebellion against the Crowns that has since been remembered as the  . After the first massacre, the Crowns of Sentinel led by Prince   were force to flee the kingdom to the west, on the island-kingdom of Stros M'kai.  From there, Prince A'tor rallied his Crown supporters and launched a bloody attempt to recapture Hammerfell and were able to claim victory after victory against the Forebears.  

However the Forebears managed to reach out for assistance from the Third Empire, the tide of the war quickly shifted back against the Crowns until they were cornered in Stros M'Kai,  and would be taken by surprise by  's  forces, and defeated at the  .     Some people believed that Volag was used by the Empire, for his ambitions for the throne.  

As the conflict proved out of favor for the Crowns, Baron Volag and his Forebears disappeared from the public eye, but it is unclear whether it happened after he claimed Sentinel,  or if it happened after the   in  .  In any case, Sentinel was without a figurehead, and much like other human realms, a  n Officer,  in the form of   assumed the title of Provisional Governor for the Kingdom of Sentinel and the Forebears principalities. 

It's unknown what Baron Volag did while in hiding, but rumors insisted that he waited for a sign of weakness in the Empire.  And that sign came with Cyrus and the Restless League's uprising in Stros M'Kai, which saw the death of its provisional governor,  . News of the event had spread like wildfire and Baron Volag used the opportunity to re-claim Sentinel from the Provisional Government. Now instated as the Forebears leader of Sentinel, Volag met with Tiber Septim, and the new leader of Stros M'Kai, the Crown, Iszara to work out a treaty for the people of Hammerfell.  The First Treaty of Stros M'Kai was signed by the three parties and it consolidated the province's relationship with the Third Empire and led to the eventual integration of Hammerfell as a province to the rapidly expanding Empire. It has since been understood by the Redguards that they are part of the Empire, and not their subjects.  

Third Era
During the   in the late- , the Crowns of northeast Hammerfell and much of the   was invaded by the  s of  , in the  , and saw no assistance from the Forebears to the south.    was taken over by the Nordic counts, and there was little resistance against them.  But even so, eastern Hammerfell continued their fight in the hopes of reclaiming the north. At roughly the same time, the High Prophet of Elinhir,   called the True Crowns of the north to openly rebel against King   and his kingdom, Sentinel. Since his declaration of war, the Crowns managed to establish forays throughout   and  's borders and eventually won  's independence. But as Lhotun's armies surrounded Totambu from all four sides, it is currently unknown how the conflict concluded. 
 

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