Lore:Kvatch

Kvatch is a Colovian city in the hinterland of the Gold Coast of Cyrodiil, located between Anvil and Skingrad. It is built atop a large bluff, raising the city above the surrounding forests. Its coat of arms is a black Wolf on a grey background. The city is home to an arena, the imposing Kvatch Castle, and the Great Chapel of Akatosh. County Kvatch extends far to the northwest, up to the Brena River at the border of Hammerfell.  
 

History
In the early days of Cyrodiil, in the wake of the Alessian Doctrines, there were three lords that formed a regency council over the Kingdom of Kvatch circa  , one of them being Lord Nunex Faleria.  During the fifth century of the First Era, the kingdoms of Kvatch and Skingrad were rivals. Their skirmishing ended in  , during which time Kvatch was under rule of King  . The king's daughter   was wed to Prince Rislav Larich of Skingrad, presumably to make peace between the two kingdoms. Towards the end of the fifth century, the Kings of the Colovian West joined with Kvatch and Skingrad to resist the Alessian army and its Reform. This open rebellion helped prompt Clan Direnni's excursions into Cyrodiil and ultimately the collapse of the Alessian Empire. 

The Order of the Hour was revived in Kvatch by the warrior-priest Cavor Merula in   , and were instrumental for ending the Order of the Black Worm's presence in the city in  . Following two years of red wheat blight that devastated harvests in  , Gruff Bojour led an angry mob of citizens to the steps of the Cathedral, where half of them were slaughtered by the Order's warrior-priests.  A few years later in  , the Order defended Kvatch against an army of marauders led by the Orc Baz Swordbreaker. In  , Count Varen Aquilarios led the Second Legion against Emperor Leovic, leaving his nephew   in charge. Carolus, with just a single cohort of the Second Legion, successfully defended Kvatch against attacks from Count Ephrem Benirus of Anvil, leaving the port city weakened and ripe for Fortunata ap Dugal to capture. Primate Artorius Ponticus also began working against Carolus.   

When Fortunata captured Anvil in   and declared herself Provincial Governor of an independent Gold Coast, Carolus refused her request for Kvatch to join her and continued to swear fealty to Varen. After the Soulburst and Kvatch's increased isolation, Fortunata stepped up a campaign of disrupting trade and travel that culminated in Fortunata attempting an annexation of Kvatch with the Anvil Guard. This was a feint however, and Kvatch's cohort was ambushed and destroyed after engaging Fortunata's forces in what has become known as the 'Gottshaw Massacre'.  After the assassination of Fortunata and Artorius Ponticus by the Dark Brotherhood in  , Carolus emerged as the dominant power in the region. 

At this time, an abandoned Dark Brotherhood sanctuary was located outside the city walls to the south. Built into the Foundations of Kvatch itself, this ancient complex had to be abandoned by the Dark Brotherhood after a subterranean collapse caused it to connect up to a massive natural cavern. 

Kvatch was a major settlement when it was sacked by the Camoran Usurper in  .  At the center of the city stood a statue of Antus Pinder, a hero who led the defense of the city against an unspecified superior force. Despite being defeated gravely, the statue was erected to remember his courage and spirit. 

By the late Third Era, the ruling family of Kvatch was the Goldwine lineage. A conflict over inheritance caused the death of both sons of Count Ormellius Goldwine in  , causing a short period of unrest in Kvatch.  In   the Dunmer saint, Jiub, moved to Kvatch to begin work on his autobiography.  Not long after the assassination of Uriel Septim VII that same year, the city was razed to the ground by Daedra as the opening move of the Oblivion Crisis, leaving Kvatch with no count. Many of its citizens were also killed, and those who survived either fled into the countryside or congregated at a refugee camp at the foot of the bluff. Among the survivors was Martin Septim, who escaped the city after the Hero of Kvatch closed the last remaining gate to the Deadlands. With all the Oblivion Gates sealed, the Kvatch city guard were able to enter the ruins and retake Kvatch Castle with the aid of the Hero and the Imperial Legion. Kvatch provided what little men it could afford to aid in the defense of Bruma later that year. 

At the opening of the Fourth Era, following its liberation from the Daedra, the city was uninhabited and only the chapel and castle remained standing.  The city had been rebuilt by the time the Great War broke out in  . 

Gallery
 

See Also
For game-specific information, see the Oblivion and ESO articles.

References