Lore:Crypt of Hearts

The   is a multi-level mausoleum located in northern Tamriel made up of dank, winding passageways filled with strange creatures. The city of Shornhelm is sometimes referred to as "the Keeper of the Crypt",  and both are located in the Rivenspire region in High Rock.  
 
 
History
Second Era
At some point during the early   two Altmer, Nerien'eth and his wife Alanwe, built a school known as 'Agea Relle' for the purpose of teaching adventuring skills along with magic. Curiously, the school was found to have been built on top of a system of caverns which contained the seven Star Teeth, artifacts held in high regard by the Ayleids.   Soon after the school's completion, Nerien'eth came into possession of the Ebony Blade. He initially brought it to the Agea Relle for study, but the blade would soon drive him mad with whispering of betrayal from those he loved, leading him to slaughter all those within the school.  Afterwards, Dutheil, the Mad Architect, was contracted to rebuild the ruins left by Neiren'eth's rampage and convert it into a crypt of torment and suffering from which none of the lost souls could escape.  The unfortunate tale of the former Agea Relle, now renamed the Crypt of Hearts in reverence to the loved ones Nerien'eth imprisoned, would spread across Rivenspire and throughout Tamriel.   

In  , a group of Undaunted entered the Crypt of Hearts and aided the spirit of Alanwe in ending the influence of both her husband and Mephala on the souls within. After defeating the Daedric tormentors and slaying Nerien'eth, who had since then become a Lich, Alanwe would cleanse the crypt of any remaining corruption by sacrificing her own soul, banishing the Ebony Blade and cursing it to never remain with a single owner for an extended period of time. This act would free the crypt of any lingering Daedric influence and the souls of the students were freed from their prison and finally allowed to pass on into the afterlife.  
Third Era
In  , due to the ongoing War of the Bend'r-mahk, a Shadow of Conflict was created deep within the crypt. This Shadow of Conflict, or "Umbra' Keth", could be controlled by a powerful Shadowmage.  , one such Shadowmage, sought to control the monstrosity for his own ends, as did Jagar Tharn, who was posing as the Emperor Uriel Septim VII. An unknown hero, under the guidance of Azra Nightwielder and Skelos Undriel, recovered the seven   in an effort to destroy the Umbra' Keth. The hero descended into the crypt on the Skyrim side of the border, near the city of Dragonstar. All but one of the crypt caretakers had fled, as the Umbra' Keth's presence had caused the dead to rise. The hero battled the final incarnation of Pergan Asuul in the crypt, and placed the Star Teeth on their pedestals in the Vault of the Heavens. The hero then lured the Umbra' Keth from the third level of the crypt and into range of the power of the Star Teeth, which weakened the shadow creature and allowed the hero to destroy it, preventing it from falling into the hands of Tharn, or anyone else who would misuse it. 

The crypt was also used as a hiding place for one of the shattered pieces of the Staff of Chaos throughout the Imperial Simulacrum. The Eternal Champion, on a quest to dethrone Jagar Tharn, sought out the crypt. The   in Camlorn, with the aid of a map that the champion recovered, were able to find an entrance to the crypt. The entrance was at the end of the northern bay in High Rock, near the city of Shornhelm. The champion recovered the piece of the staff on the fourth level of the crypt. 

Fourth Era
By the Fourth Era, the Crypt of Hearts had become the home of a Breton knightly order, the Order of the Crypt.  Though initially serving merely as crypt keepers and protectors within the kingdom of Shornhelm's borders, events led them to become legendary crusaders. One of the order's knights had fallen in love with a wyress of the Beldama coven and willingly gave up his heart to her and was converted into a briarheart. The coven took the union as a betrayal, and killed the lovers. As punishment, the husband's heart was defiled afterward by the coven so that he could not reunite with his lover in the afterlife.  As a result of the full story being clouded, the wife was branded a trickster who aided the coven in defiling the knight's heart. The knights started crusading into the Reach to avenge their knight, and the Order extended its influence far beyond Shornhelm as they gave chase to the Coven, pushing them all the way into Skyrim.   They extended their wrath to the rest of the Reachmen as well, and to them, became known as the War Mages of Shornhelm. Since then, the Order has taken a vow to "guard not just the crypt in Shornhelm, but the hearts of all men." 

Notes
The Shadowkey map has the Crypt of Hearts located in Skyrim. This is explained by the Nords reclaiming their old territories in eastern High Rock during the War of the Bend'r-mahk.
The Elder Scrolls Online originally planned to have the Crypt of Hearts resulting from an evil that destroyed the site of a farming enclave known as the Heartland.

Gallery
 

See Also
For game-specific information, see the Arena, Shadowkey (I, II, III), and ESO articles.

References