Lore:Karthwasten

Karthwasten (also called Karthwasten Hall)  is a long-standing settlement located in the Reach near the banks of the Karth River, from which it gets its name.

Control of the settlement has changed hands between Nords and Reachmen multiple times, usually due to violent conflict.  The town was built around the ancient Sanuarach mine, which the Nords prized greatly for its silver. The Reachmen of the Karth, by contrast, traditionally held that mining was an affront to nature, and so would often ignore or even destroy the mine during their tenure.  

Eventually, the fighting between the two factions would die down. By the Fourth Era, Karthwasten was known as a mining town with a mixed population. Despite being owned by a Reachman at this time, the town not only mined the Sanuarach, but the newer Fenn's Gulch Mine near the settlement as well.  

 
 

History
The area surrounding the Karth River was historically the site of continuous conflict between Reachmen and the Nords of Western Skyrim, with the territory around Karthwasten in particular changing hands multiple times through the Eras. 

Second Era
By the mid-500s of the  , the aforementioned conflict had reached a stalemate. Although the Nords had successfully seized control of the territory north of Karthwasten, Karthwasten itself remained in Reachman hands, under the leadership of the  .   In 2E 577, Jarl Svargrim declared that the seized land would now be known as a new hold, Karthald, so that it, and its newly-built capital  , could serve as a bulwark against further Reachman incursions from Karthwasten. 

In  , the Icereach Coven began performing Harrowstorm rituals throughout Western Skryim; stealing the souls of its residents to resurrect the  . Notably, both of these Karth settlements were chosen as targets by the Coven. Karthwatch was utterly destroyed in their attack.  However, Karthwasten survived, largely thanks to the defensive wards the Crow-Eye Clan maintained.  

Third Era
By the  , in the late  , the town had come under imperial control and was now known as Karthwasten Hall. Ruled by Duke Alarke, they maintained a rivalry with nearby  .  It was neighbored by several settlements, including   in the northeast, and   in the southeast. 

Fourth Era
Sometime during the   the town of Karthwasten was the site of a massacre allegedly committed by the  , who disputed their responsibility for the bloodshed. The   would later demand compensation for the massacre from the Stormcloaks as a condition for a temporary truce during negotiations at  . 

By this time, Karthwasten was one of the last pieces of land in Skyrim that was owned by a Reachman, in this case,  . His family had owned Karthwasten for generations. Ainethach was disliked by both the Nords and the local Reachmen, who saw him as a race-traitor. During his stewardship, Karthwasten was targeted by the   family of  . Whether or not the mining town was ultimately claimed by the family is unknown, but it remained active regardless. 

At around the same time, the Sibyl of Markarth had passed away, and a new one was needed for the   in the city. The priesthood had discovered the young girl,   in Karthwasten, but a group of Reachmen known as the   had taken her to  . From there, the young girl was freed by   sent by the Temple of Dibella, and taken back to Markarth, where she would serve as the Dibellan Sybil of Markarth. 

Gallery
 

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

References