Lore:Hel Ra Citadel

Hel Ra Citadel (or the Citadel of Hel Ra)  is a   fortress found in the Dragontail Mountains of southwest Craglorn, south of Dragonstar in the province of Hammerfell. Originally a Nedic fort captured by Yokudans, Hel Ra was one of the easternmost of the Ra Gada domains,  and one of the few to survive into modernity.  It grips the sheer side of a tall mountain,  and once oversaw a nearby Yokudan city.  Sealed by ancient methods for thousands of years, Hel Ra Citadel long remained a revered remnant of "old Yokuda" in Hammerfell.  It was re-opened and briefly occupied by the Celestial Warrior and the re-awakened   during the Interregnum, until they were vanquished by the Undaunted.  
 

History
The site of Hel Ra Citadel was originally a Nedic fort.  When the warriors of the Ra Gada arrived in Hammerfell after  , some of the fiercest cohorts marched far inland in search of domains to claim. One of these groups was The Four, a group of Yokudan Ansei who had special favor from the Warrior Stars and captured the fort.  The Yokudans modified what remained of the Nedic fort into the Hall of the Warrior,  an innermost chamber they then filled with coveted statues.  Hel Ra remained one of the easternmost of the Ra Gada domains, serving to protect the Yokudan city found downhill from the Citadel and as a training ground Ansei warriors. According to legend, Ansei wishing to earn the elite title of First Rank were required to give up their most treasured weapons and war materiel before undertaking the grueling initiation ritual. If they succeeded, they would no longer need conventional weapons. 

In the First Era, the doors to the Citadel were shut following the Yokudan retreat, either by sorcery or craftsmanship.  None could open it, including the Empire, leaving it deserted and untouched for millennia. Controlled by the Celestial Serpent, the Celestial Warrior took up residence in the Citadel in  , opening up the doors for the first time in history. Naryu Virian was among those who entered the Citadel, and led the Anka Ra on a brief chase before fleeing.  Many scholars journeyed inside, such as Elenaire who suspected Mirimdin's Ninth Blade or the Shehai of a First-Rank Ansei were found inside, and were never heard from again.  A group of   newcomers attempted to conquer the Citadel, having the Anka-Ra sound their warhorn and making it as far as the Hall of the Warrior, but were unsuccessful.  

Under permission of Kailstig the Axe, another group of Undaunted went in and fought off the Anka-Ra, defeating the Air Monarch Ra Kotu (meaning ''Warrior's Edge''),  Yokeda Razul, and Rok'dun the Flame before fighting the Celestial Warrior. The Warrior unleashed their shehai, blasting open the walls of the Nedic chamber, but was ultimately defeated by the Undaunted and freed from the Serpent's control, joining the Celestial Thief in their quest to vanquish him. 

Gallery
 

Notes
thumb|right|Heldorn Mount (Arena)
The town of Heldorn Mount shares some similarities with the citadel, namely their location in the mountains and including the letters "Hel" in the name, but town's location according to the latest maps would place it somewhere in south-eastern Bangkorai.

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