Lore:Lost Valley Redoubt

Lost Valley Redoubt is a nordic ruin built into the eponymous river valley of the Reach, in the province of Skyrim. The Lost Valley is a sacred site for the ancestral Reachfolk, specifically the Ghostsong Clan and those that also venerate Namira, the Spirit Queen. In the depths of the ruins lies a series of ancient Reach caverns called the Dark Descent, which according to legend, is an abyss that bridges the lands of the living and the dead.  The '''Bard's Leap''' is the summit of the mountain and water source for the Karth River. It is a steep drop to the river down below and it is somewhat of a local tradition to jump off of it.  
 

History
The Lost Valley was once inhabited by the ancient   tribes of the Reach, who only lived in the dark chasms of the  . A tribeswoman was compelled by Namira to delve deeper into the cave, where they learned about dark and powerful secrets, such as the Prophecy of the  . The two had made a bargain to keep these secrets and pass them down as legend for generations. That tribeswoman went on to become the first matriarch of the Ghostsong Clan and they have passed on these stories ever since.  The Ancestral Reachfolk of the Lost Valley performed all sorts of dark and deadly practices to appease their spirits, involving blood and even sacrifices.  Deeper in the barrow is a chamber that was specifically used for sacrifices to the Spirit Queen. However, the Ghostsong had slowly moved away from these traditions throughout the years and at some point in the  , the barrow was sealed away by the then clan matriarch.  At the pinnacle of the Lost Valley is a shrine to  , who taught the Reachmen why they should fight and survive, and to never let themselves die quietly. 

A few years later in  , the next matron,   gathered her clan to the sacrificial chambers of the barrow in a misguided attempt to fulfill the Dark Heart Prophecy. In a deal with Lady  , the   took over the outer barrow and sealed the inside away so that sacrifice can commence without interruption.  However, they were followed by the former Ghostsong witch,   and her associate, the  , who managed to scale the valley and infiltrated the barrow. Nathari and the remaining Ghostsong were well underneath in the Dark Descent, preparing the last part of the ritual. At that point, the Dark Heart had siphoned enough of their  s to re-awaken it, but before Nathari finished the rest of the tribe, she was confronted by Arana and the harrier. In a great clash, Nathari harnessed the power of the heart's   and turned into a wretched  . But even then, her plans failed when she was defeated. Arana was able to escort the rest of the Ghostsong out of the ruins and recruited them to her rebel-faction, the  . 

At some point, the   bard,   scaled the Lost Valley and reached the Bard's Leap Summit. At the edge of the fall, he recited the entire   before he jumped off the cliff. Suffice to say that he did not survive and no one had participated in the Bard's Leap since, at least until  .  In that same year, the   faction of rebel-Reachmen took control of the Lost Valley Redoubt. 

Gallery
 

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

References