Raven Rock Raven Rock is a settlement in the Hirstaang Forest of Solstheim founded and built by the East Empire Trading Company during the Third Era . It quickly became a mining colony . Description . Geography . East Empire Mining Colony . Raven Rock ' s initial appearance is different then it looks in the fourth era . Raven Rock ' s eastern wing is walled off to the rest of Solstheim . Raven Rock has one long stretch of road from the gate to the local trader . All of the houses are centered on this long road including the mine and inn . Raven Rock ' s has one port since most of the ships coming to Solstheim go to Fort Frostmoth to the east . Raven Rock ' s architecture resembles the Imperial design seen in Seyda Neen or Dagon Fel in Vvardenfell . Redoran Stronghold . Over the years , Raven Rock was given to House Redoran of Morrowind . This drastically changed Raven Rock ' s design . Raven Rock got rid of the traditional Imperial housing and went with the Redoran design of a large shellback . The only thing resembling the Imperial architecture are a couple of abandoned houses and Morvayn Manor . Raven Rock ' s street became more curved and the docks were more close to the city . Now there is a town square that is surrounded by the mine , inn , farm , and the smithy . Because of the ash , the Bulwark which is a fortified wall is buried in ash . From the wall to the Earth Stone , the streets and it ' s houses become less damaged . History . Third Era . After a massive Ebony vein was found along the southwestern coast of the Hirstaang Forest , the mining colony known as Raven Rock was founded in 3E 427 . As construction on the town commenced , the Raven Rock mine began to be dug out and ebony shipments went straight for Windhelm and Cyrodiil . Raven Rock was originally a patch of open snow up until the East Empire Trading Company stepped in and began production on the settlement . Three workers named Falco Galenus , Gamin Girith , and Sabinus Oranius were escorted by the Nerevarine to start work on Raven Rock . Imperial Nobleman Carnius Magius need to convince investors to fund the Raven Rock project by giving them Ebony Ore . With the ore , Raven Rock began construction and the town started to gain popularity . Eventually in 3E 432 , the town was populated by at least 30 people all of whom relied on the Ebony Mines . Overtime , Raven Rock was largely inhabited by Imperial s and Nord s . Because of its obscure location , Raven Rock wasn ' t affected by Mehrunes Dagon ' s invasion on Tamriel known as the Oblivion Crisis . Back in Cyrodiil , Oblivion Gate s opened up across the Imperial Province and the Imperial Legion need more man power to protect the capital and the land , many soldiers stationed in Raven Rock moved back to Cyrodiil while some stayed to protect Raven Rock from local Bandits . regardless , Raven Rock stood firm for the final year of the third era . On mainland Morrowind however , things were only getting worse . After the destruction of Ald ' ruhn , members of House Redoran had to relocate to a new home to reestablish themselves . Mistress Brara Morvayn made a negotiation with the East Empire Trading Company to have Dunmer refugees come and stay in Raven Rock . Brara ' s group of Dark Elves became a part of Raven Rock ' s way of life . The Dark Elves proved to the Imperials that their a hard - working and reliable people when it comes to mining since they have tons of experience in Kwama Mines . This solidified the relationship between Brara and the Trading Co . Fourth Era . In 4E 5 , Red Mountain erupts and destroys a large majority of Vvardenfell . Red Mountain manages to affect settlements as far as Tear and Fort Frostmoth . Like all of Vvardenfell , Solstheim was covered in a thick shroud of ash . The explosion from Red Mountain toppled the stone structures and annihilated wooden structures . Luckily , the mine was preserved from the blast . However , Raven Rock depended on nearby Fort Frostmoth for protection against bandits and the fort was buried underneath piles and piles of ash . Surviving Imperial Soldiers made a makeshift garrison that paled in comparison with Frostmoth . Brara was able to have Elite Redoran Guards replace the Imperial Guards , they ' ve protected Raven Rock ever since . Life hasn ' t been getting better after Red Mountain ' s blast , relentless ash storms have plagued the Hirstaag Forest and Isinfier Plains and turned the southern Solstheim coast into a wasteland like the ashlands of Vvardenfell . Storms had left large dunes of ash that made living in Raven Rock hell to the people . In order to protect the town , Brara asked the Trading Co . to build a large wall to protect the eastern side of the city . In almost a year , the Bulwark was built and it helped tremendously . In 4E 16 , Skyrim gave Solstheim back to the Dark Elves of Morrowind and because of this , the East Empire Trading Co . was forced to give Raven Rock to House Redoran . Many Dunmer refugees that lived in Skyrim left to stay in Raven Rock . Now that Raven Rock was under Redoran control , Brara Morvayn was rightfully named Councilor of Raven Rock . Many of the Imperial citizens left Raven Rock to return to Cyrodiil . Brara continued to welcome incoming Dunmer . Dunmer coming into Raven Rock either stayed in the town to work on the mines or traveled the wastes as a nomad . The next few decades was considered the Golden Age of Raven Rock ' s History . The mines were producing large amounts of mine and shipped them across the Sea of Ghosts and the Dunmer folk lived happily and peacefully . Brara Morvayn passed away in 4E 65 due to old age , she was buried in the Morvayn Ancestral Tomb . Her son , Lleril Morvayn took her place and has proven to be just as capable of a leader . In 4E 95 , Assassin tried to murder Lleril but with the help of the Redoran Guard , the assassination attempt was a failure . It was eventually revealed by Captain Modyn Veleth that the assassin was Vilur Ulen of House Hlaalu . Ever since House Hlaalu ' s removal of the Grand Council , Hlaalu and Redoran had a falling out between each other . Hlaalu believed Redoran was involved in Hlaalu ' s status as a Great House and held a grudge every since . Their efforts weren ' t over because the Redoran Guard eventually found that Vilur had been organizing a coup d ' état against Lleril ' s grasp on Raven Rock . Vilur and his associates were executed . Even after Vilur Ulen ' s efforts to ruin Raven Rock , the Dunmer began to respect Lleril Morvayn more especially when in 4E 130 , the Bulwark began to fall apart until Lleril payed from his own pocket to rebuilt the Bulwark . In 4E 150 , during the Argonian invasion on Morrowind , a group of Argonians traveled to the isle of Solstheim to destroy the Dunmeri civilization there . Councilor Morvayn led the forces protecting Raven Rock from the Argonians . The main source of income in Raven Rock , the Ebony mine , had finally run dry in 4E 170 . Morvayn used what was left of his money to feed the people . In 4E 201 , Councilor Morvayn still rules Raven Rock and has to constantly deal with threats coming from the Southern Wastes . After having a confrontation with the Cultist of Miraak , the Last Dragonborn ventured to Raven Rock to seek further info on this Miraak character . The people of Raven Rock along with the rest of Solstheim had been acting very strangely , west of town is a monument known as the Earth Stone . Raven Rock citizens were amassing a shrine dedicated to Miraak . From there , the Dragonborn met Master Neloth of Tel Mithryn who told the traveler all about Miraak and pointed them to his temple by the Tree Stone . After learning the Bend Will shout from Hermaeus Mora , the Dragonborn traveled to the All - Maker Stones excluding the Tree Stone and freed the citizens of Raven Rock from the Earth Stones curse . After the eruption of Red Mountain , a new types of creatures known as the Ash Spawn have been endangering the people of Raven Rock for sometime . Captain Veleth and a squad of Redoran Guard had to deal with the Ash threat at the Old Attius Farm east of town . The Dragonborn arrived at the scene and finished off the remaining Ash Spawn . Veleth thanks the Dragonborn and tasks them to infiltrate the abandoned Fort Frostmoth to kill the resurrected General Falx Carius . With Falx Carius dead , Raven Rock is safe once again . The Raven Rock Mine is basically abandoned save for one old man who believed there was something more to the mines closing than a dry vein . Crescius Caerellius is the great grandson of Gratian Caerellius who was alive during Raven Rock ' s inception . Gratian was an explorer for the Trading Co . who died in the Raven Rock mines . Crescius tasked the Dragonborn into venturing deep into the mine and finding what exactly Gratian found in the depths of the mine . The traveler found the corpse of Gratian and the Bloodskal Blade . With the blade , the Dragonborn entered Bloodskal Barrow to find Zahkriisos and his mask . With this new discovery , the Raven Rock Mine was open again and Ebony began to flow out of the mine as usually . This gave Raven Rock the comeback it needed . After defeating General Falx Carius at Fort Frostmoth and restoring the Raven Rock Mine , the Dragonborn was approached by Captain Veleth who directs them to Second Councilor Adril Arano . Adril Arano worries that another assassination attempt is being made on Councilor Morvayn . Arano will ask the traveler to stake out the Ulen Ancestral Tomb where Vilur Ulen is buried . Will waiting at the tomb , Tilisu Severin visits the tomb to pay respects to Vilur . The Dragonborn questions Tilisu and reports back to Arano who gives him the Key to Severin Manor . At the manor , the Dragonborn learns that Vendil Severin is planning to assassinate Lleril Morvayn in honor of House Hlaalu and they are stationed at Ashfallow Citadel . The Dragonborn then leaves for the ruined citadel and kills Vendil Severin . Raven Rock is safe again and is bound to prosper for the next few years . Raven Rock Mine . The Raven Rock Mine is the town ' s main cause for its economic prosperity , as the tunnels hold large quantities of ebony ore , of which is highly valuable , with regular shipments out to Cyrodiil . In 4E 181 , however , the mines ' ebony supply dried up and was thus closed by the East Empire Company . In reality , however , a group of diggers broke into an old Nordic tomb , after which the Company sent Gratian Caerellius and his man ' s man Millius to investigate . Gratian and Millius , unfortunately , were killed by the Draugr inhabiting the ruins , leading to the East Empire Company covering it up by spreading false information that the mines were dried up . In 4E 201 , twenty years later , the Last Dragonborn investigated Gratian ' s death , on behalf of his great - great - grandson , venturing into the mines , where it was discovered later that the ebony supply had never truly disappeared . Lleril Morvayn and Crescius Caerellius soon had the mines reopened , restoring some measure of Raven Rock ' s lost affluence , with ebony shipments going out regularly to House Redoran in Morrowind .