Lore:Falkreath

Falkreath (also called Falcrenth  or Falcreath)  is one of the nine major cities in the province of Skyrim,   serving as the capital of Falkreath Hold and the boreal forest. The city is widely-known as the ''"heroes' graveyard,"'' many great battles took place here for centuries, and countless warriors were buried here, leaving behind graves and monuments to them.  Because of the nature of the city, the merchants of Falkreath are known to reflect the melancholic themes of death in their business.  
 

Layout and Geography
Falkreath lies in the southern forests of Skyrim, on a strategic crossroad in the middle of its respective hold and the provincial border towards  's wilder country, the  .  It is built in the forest basin between the   and the highlands that contain the  , where a small lake forms at the base, suited for a mill in this lumber-town. It is a city that is heavily reliant to the lumber industry, due to the abundance of resources around them.  In the  , Falkreath was much larger in scope. The jarl's longhouse once overlooked the town from the hills in the south, while the original Hall of the Dead was kept underneath the mountains. Nowadays, the current hall was a single home for the priest, as they tended to the expansive graveyard in the city's northern section. The jarl's longhouse is stationed in the dead center of the city, on the main road that runs through Falkreath. The land outside of the city is largely unpopulated, but beyond the western gate, the   sanctuary was found just off the road. The  s of Falkreath are known to master the ability to tame  s, who are considered much more feral and wild than the  .  Falkreath is neighbored by several settlements, including   to the northeast,   to the far north, and Hammerfell to the west towards  .  

Notable Locales


History
Falkreath's earliest history and the Skyrim Schism
thumb|left|Deathlord Bjarfrud Skjoralmor
Falkreath was founded by the ancient warrior,  , who drove out the beastly inhabitants and cut down the great forest to build the modern-day settlement.  But despite his   heritage, the town's name originates from the elven languages, though its translation is currently unknown.  The name, however, bears a strong resemblance with a tribe of  s known as the  .  Regardless, the warrior's lineage became part of the hold's legacy. But what really cemented the city's longevity was how it represents the province's grand history. Many battles occurred here for countless centuries, and many graves and monuments were built to commemorate the fallen. Because of this, a village grew around it, and it evolved into a hold capital.  Falkreath has been an established government since the   and its destruction paved the way for  's ascension to the High Kingship in  .  A statue once stood commemorating the spot where Kjoric the White fell in battle defending Falkreath from the First Empire, local legend has it that his son, Hoag Merkiller, fell in exactly the same spot when he retook Falkreath years later , however, he was known to have actually fell in the Battle of Glenumbra Moors.

Falkreath has a distinct history with the western-realm of  , often moving between the estates of   and the holds of Skyrim.
The earliest account of this was during an interregnum between the   and  s when the Colovian nations had split apart from each other and their leaders became thief-barons and petty-kings. That was until the arrival of   and the formation of his Empire, although Falkreath's part during this time is unknown. 

Many years later, the province of Skyrim was part of the Second Empire, as far as the  , under the leadership of High King  . But with his death in  , a schism formed between the east and west of the province. The Western Kingdom of Skyrim (which included Falkreath) followed High King  , who ruled from his domain,  .  

The Skjoralmor Clan 
thumb|right|Hakkvild's High Hall
The Skjoralmor Clan has ruled over the Jarldom of Falkreath as far as the mid- , under the reign of the western kingdom. When the Imperial Province of   was sacked in 2E 431, it displaced many  , who in turn fled to Skyrim and formed a large chiefdom under  . The chiefdom was considered the height of Orcish power in Skyrim and it was stationed in western Falkreath, often harassing the hold capital. High King Svartr was unable to stop the threat it imposed, which ultimately led to the death of the Jarl of Falkreath. His son Hakkvild took his place and challenged Yashnag in a ritual of combat. In the end, Hakkvild had slain the Orcish chief and garnered the title "Yashnag-Slayer". His victory led to the dissolution of the chiefdom and their return to the   in  . 

During Kurog gro-Bagrakh's consolidation of power, he planned to reestablish the Orcish kingdom in Falkreath and create an Orcish city to rival Wayrest. During this period, Kurog's forces were accumulating in the Druadach Mountains, ready to take Falkreath, however, the Nords held them back. Kurog gave this plan up after becoming allies with King Emeric. 

Icereach Coven and the Siege of Falkreath Hold

thumb|left|Eerika Skjoralmor
Circa  , after the Varen's Rebellion Reachfolk were driven out of Cyrodil by Imperial forces. Icreach Coven, as former advisors and teachers of the overthrown Emperor Leovic were among them.  They were led by a powerful witch known as Mother   and during their escape from the Cyrodil they wound up in the area west of Falkreath. They had taken refuge among the graves west of the town and raised numerous dead Nords from the graveyard to defend themselves from Imperial forces. Ultimately Imperials ceased to continue their pursuit once they suffered great losses and left the matters surrounding the Reachfolk incrusion to the local Nords.  Nords eventualy managed to cast the faction of Reach Witches out back to their ancient base in the island of Icereach.  

In the years prior to the   in  , Falkreath was ruled by Jarl  , who did not act justly in the days leading to the sacking of Falkreath.  The  , an alliance of   and  s, orchestrated an assault on the city, under the command of  . The Jarl took to hiding in his longhouse, while his daughter and thane,  , led the remnants of the resistance.  She held the town for some time until the intervention of the  , who delved through the battlefield and aided the Thane in their efforts to save the city. The group was able to defeat Domihaus at the Jarl's Keep and witness the coronation of Jarl Eerika. 

Falkreath in the Third Empire
In the latter years of the Interregnum, Falkreath was once again part of the  , under the command of the  , a merchant clan that maintained ties with the holds of Skyrim.  The Colovian Estates were once again split into petty-kings and warlords, while the divided kingdoms of Skyrim had dissolved. King   of Falkreath sought to unify the estates but in order to move forward, he needed to secure his northern border, towards  . His prized general,  , led his forces at the Battle of  , but as the siege proved that breaking the walls was impossible, the next morning he used his   to obliterate it and win the battle. With this newfound power, King Cuhlecain unified the west and conquered the east, preparing to proclaim himself Emperor. But he was later assassinated and Hjalti, now known as  , was named the Emperor. What followed was the  . 

During the   in the late- , the city-state of Falkreath was an active settlement. It was ruled by King Bjeld, and it had a rivalry with  . 

Many years later,   served as the Jarl of Falkreath in the years that preceded the  . He was encouraged by many people to step down as the Jarl when he supported the rebellious  , as opposed to the  .  The position of leader of Falkreath was then given to his nephew,  , who was known to be arrogant yet loyal to the Empire, although it was his steward   that fulfilled the role as leader much more than him.  Legate   commanded the   throughout Falkreath Hold, and the stronghold of   was a vital position for Falkreath's allegiance in the civil war.

Gallery
 

Notes
The Nords of Falkreath practice an old Nordic custom with their dead called grave curd, in which a fresh piece of   is placed on top of a loved one's coffin, and every year on the anniversary, a fifth of the cheese is consumed by the family. 
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, Falkreath's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Dark Shadows". 

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



References