Mournhold Mournhold , Almalexia , or the City of Light and Magic is one of the eight major cities in the province of Morrowind and is the capital of Deshaan and the province of Morrowind itself . Mournhold is also the capital of the Great House Indoril , a political house that are very orthodox and conservative , have a strong connection to the religious aspect of culture in Morrowind . Description . Geography . Mournhold is located within the center of the Deshaan Plains , on the shores of Lake Amaya , in the middle of the Lagomere region and it depends heavily on the trade between House Hlaalu and House Dres and the river basin around the city . Mournhold is nestled in between two mountains that lead into the Redolent Loam and the Vale of the Ghost Snake . Mournhold is a fortress city , with defense all around the city - state . It is divided into five districts , each serving a different purpose than each other . With the rise of Tiber Septim , Almalexia commenced the construction of an outer city which was named Almalexia in her honor , following the same naming scheme as Vivec City and the Clockwork City . The inner city would be named Mournhold , retaining the name it had held for many years . The farmland south of Mournhold is occupied by the Great House Dres , which uses it to grow their Saltrice . The Tribunal Temple is one of the many temples dedicated to the Tribunal , and it takes a large portion of Mournhold . Mournhold is one of the largest cities in the continent of Tamriel , comparable to the likes of the Imperial City and the city of Alinor . Mournhold in itself is divided into five districts , each serving a different purpose . The Plaza Brindisi Dorom is the southernmost district and is the center of social commerce in the city . In the middle of the area is a statue of Almalexia and Mehrunes Dagon , depicting their fight after the Sack of Mournhold . Rivers spewing from Lake Amaya run through the Plaza and give the gardens a vibrant look of colors . The eastern district is called the Great Bazaar , housing various stalls and caravans from as far as Port Telvannis and the Nibenay . There is a theatre located in the western portion of the Bazaar . The district of the west is called Godsreach and is the home of the nobility and the west entrance of Mournhold , leading into the Obsidian Gorge . Because Mournhold is the capital of House Indoril , many Indoril nobles live in Godsreach . The central area is the Mournhold Banking District , which was converted into the Palace of Mournhold , where the Dukes of Mournhold live . The northern district is the Temple Courtyard , surrounding the Tribunal Temple of Mournhold , which is where Almalexia of the Tribunal resides . History . First Era . The Staff of Chaos & Modern - Day Mournhold . Many years ago , the city - state of Mournhold was one nation , combined with the city - state of Ebonheart , under the leadership of Queen Lian , a descendant of the great Moraelyn , Witch - King of Ebonheart . When Lian passed away , her two sons were left joint thrones , and so the city of Ebonheart split into the modern - day Ebonheart and modern - day Mournhold . To ensure its safety , Moraelyn had left the Staff of Chaos underneath the city of Mournhold , supposedly the birthplace of Ephen , a God of Morrowind . The Staff remained within the confines of Mournhold for many years . The Sack of Mournhold ; Enter the Second Age . In 1E 2920 , the city of Mournhold was under the rule of Brindisi Dorom , the Duke - Prince of Mournhold and was an ally of the Tribunal . Dorom had an affair with a Dunmer i witch named Turala , who hailed from the Barony of Phrygias and the Skeffington Coven . When it was confirmed that Turala was pregnant , she was cast out of Mournhold and Brindisi ' s domain . That child was named Bosriel , who was born in the Kavas Rim Pass , in between Cyrodiil and Morrowind . Sometime later , Brindisi Dorom had paid the Morag Tong to assassinate both Juliek Cyrodiil and Reman Cyrodiil III , both of which had conquered the province of Morrowind in the aftermath of the Four Score War . Months later , the Skeffington Coven was raided , killing many witches in the group as well as the infant Bosriel . Turala believed that the assassins were sent by Brindisi Dorom , killing the bastard child he had with Turala . Because of his grudge against the Tribunal , Cassyr Whitley of Dwynnen lied to Turala , saying that it was Brindisi Dorom that sent these assassins . Believing this lie , Turala called upon Mehrunes Dagon and ordered him to destroy the city of Mournhold , like how Molag Bal destroyed the township of Gil - Var - Delle . Brindisi Dorom and many other innocents were killed in the Sack of Mournhold . Enraged by this , Almalexia battled Mehrunes Dagon , casting him into the Void for destroying her city . It was from then on , Almalexia remained in Mournhold , watching over the city as it rebuilds . As time went on Juliek would be assassinated in the Dorsza Pass in Black Marsh and Reman III would be murdered by Corda of the Morag Tong in his throne room , marking the beginning of the second era . Second Era . A Blight upon the Land ; The Llodos Plague . During the Interregnum in 2E 582 , the Llodos Plague had swept the entire region of Deshaan , killing off the denizens one by one . The Maulborn was the group responsible for the disease , attempting to diminish the power that the Tribunal had over their province . After the events in Narsis , many citizens from Deshaan traveled to Mournhold , to seek refuge and to avoid the plague . Almalexia of the Tribunal requested the presence of the Vestige , a warrior of the Ebonheart Pact , to help her people in these dire times . The Vestige and Naryu Virian , an agent of the Morag Tong investigated the city in search of a presence of the Maulborn . Through manipulation , the duo uncovered a Maulborn agent entering the House Dres farmstead and into the Mournhold Underground . The Plot against Mournhold ; The Maulborn Cult . The Mournhold Underground houses the ruffians and lowlives of the city - state , as well as the entirety of the Deshaan Plains ; it was perfect for the Maulborn to conceived something dangerous . To avoid detection from the Ordinator s of Mournhold , the Maulborn utilized barriers created by the Morag Tong to remain hidden . It was in the central tunnel , Commander Kalara had mustered an army of Maulborn warriors to invade the surface . The Vestige and Naryu Virian were cornered by the warriors until Almalexia herself appeared before the two heroes , obliterating the Maulborn threat inside Mournhold . Some of the Maulborn had escaped , infiltrating the Mournhold Temple , attempting to steal the Judgment of Saint Veloth . Mission for Veloth ' s Judgement ; Fall of Magistrix Vox . The Maulborn retrieval group was led by a Dunmeri sorcerer named Sathram , who had taken the hammer from inside the Tribunal Inner Sanctum . The Maulborn had captured the temple , unleashing daedra to help them in their endeavor . The Vestige entered the temple , defeating the daedra and Maulborn throughout the temple . Because the Inner Sanctum was sealed , the Vestige must be granted the blessing from each aspect of the Tribunal , completing tasks that cater to the Tribunal ' s specialty . After gaining entrance into the Inner Sanctum , the Vestige defeated Sathram , but the hammer was long gone , in possession of Magistrix Vox , leader of the Maulborn . The Tribunal won the battle , but the war was still active . Vox would ravage the Siltreen countryside . Vox would eventually be defeated the Vestige at Eidolon ' s Hollow . The Talosian Conquest & Almalexia City . During the waning years of the Interregnum , Tiber Septim had usurped the throne of Imperial City , becoming the Emperor of Cyrodiil . Septim desired to conquer the provinces of Tamriel , one by one until they bowed down under a single banner . The Third Empire had garnered control over Hammerfell after the Battle of Hunding Bay and the signing of the First Treaty of Stros M ' Kai . Talos had set out to conquer Morrowind by order of the Underking , besieging settlements ranging from the city - state of Blacklight to the township of Kragenmoor . To protect her beautiful city , Almalexia of the Tribunal commissioned the construction of an outer city , surrounding the already established Mournhold . This more significant city was called Almalexia , following the naming scheme of the other Tribunal domains , Vivec City and Sotha Sil . However , this extension was unnecessary because Tiber Septim and Vivec had created the Treaty of the Armistice , which incorporated Morrowind into the Septim Empire . This treaty also made the sub - continent of Vvardenfell prohibited to the outsiders of Morrowind . Enter Barenziah , the Queen of Morrowind . Tiber Septim invaded the province of Morrowind after the Great Houses decided not bend to his whim . When Septim invaded the city of Mournhold , the King and Queen had taken their daughter , Barenziah into hiding and was taken by Symmachus , a Dunmeri General in the Septim Empire to the township of Darkmoor , located in central Skyrim . There Barenziah was taken care off by Count Sven Advensen of Darkmoor . Barenziah eventually escaped Darkmoor to the city of Whiterun with the stable boy , Straw . Both had a relationship together and eventually moved to the city of Riften , where Symmachus discovered Barenziah and dealt with Straw behind Barenziah ' s back . Symmachus took her back to the Imperial City where she would await the day she would become the Queen of Mournhold . Third Era . The Nightingale ' s Legacy & Jagar Tharn . At the age of eighteen , Barenziah assumed the throne of Mournhold , with Symmachus as her advisor . As time went on , Barenziah and Symmachus fell in love , leading to two marrying years later . In 3E 376 , Barenziah had her first child named Helseth Hlaalu , and eight years later , she had her second child , Morgiah , who was named after Symmachus ' mother . Around the same time as the Staff of Chaos was stolen within the vaults of Mournhold by an illustrious stranger known as the Nightingale , this news was suppressed and was forgotten sometime later . The Nightingale supposedly had an affair with Barenziah , having a child named Dralsi Indoril who was abandoned by her mother , to hide the truth of the Nightingale ' s identity . The man who she claimed was the Nightingale , was Jagar Tharn , who did obtain the Staff of Chaos , by hiring the Nightingale to retrieve it . Dralsi traveled the world seeking her father and finally founding him in Shor ' s Stone , where he passed the mantle of Nightingale to her , she eventually passed that mantle to her daughter , Karliah , who was active in the fourth era . Mournhold during the Imperial Simulacrum . During the Imperial Simulacrum from 3E 389 to 3E 399 , Emperor Uriel Septim VII was imprisoned along with Talin Warhaft in the Deadlands by Jagar Tharn . Tharn planned for months to capture the throne , and he was able to achieve so in ten years . Tharn had a powerful weapon called the Staff of Chaos , and he split it into nine pieces and scattered them across Tamriel , the staff was the only thing keeping Uriel Septim and Warhaft in Oblivion . A warrior escaped his clutches and traveled all corners of Tamriel to retrieve the missing pieces . The hero was known as the Eternal Champion , and he assembled the staff and defeated Jagar Tharn at the Imperial Palace . The Eternal Champion had at one point visited the city in their quest to recover the pieces . The city of Mournhold was under the rule of King Zirik . The Arnesian War & King Eadwyre of Wayrest . Relations between Mournhold and the Empire were slowly deteriorating , causing civil unrest throughout the Kingdom of Mournhold in an event known as the Arnesian War . Seeking a reason for this , Barenziah traveled to the Imperial City to seek an audience with Uriel Septim VII to learn what had happened in the Heartland of the Empire . Symmachus remained in Mournhold to deal with the revolution stirring up inside the city . However , Symmachus had unfortunately fallen in battle during the slave ' s revolt , bring dread to the Court of Mournhold . Learning that his friend had passed , King Eadwyre of Wayrest traveled to the city to comfort his friend ' s mourning wife . Eadwyre had visions of Ria Silmane appearing in his dreams and revealing the truth about Jagar Tharn . Barenziah had left a key that helped the Eternal Champion escape the Imperial Dungeons , both Eadwyre and Barenziah fled to Wayrest to escape Tharn ' s wrath , waiting for the time when the Eternal Champion would defeat the Imperial Battlemage . Eadwyre and Barenziah grew fond of each other and married together , remaining in Wayrest with Helseth and Morgiah . Her family member , Athyn Llethan assumed the throne in her absences . The Nerevarine Prophecy & Helseth Hlaalu . In 3E 427 , portions of the Nerevarine Prophecy had been fulfilled by slaying the vile Dagoth Ur atop of Red Mountain . Thus preventing the spread of the Blight onto the sub - continent of Vvardenfell and the rest of Tamriel . Around the same time , High King Athyn Llethan had passed , ending his reign as the King of Mournhold . Without any direct heirs , his great - nephew , Helseth Hlaalu assumed the throne . Many people believed that it was Helseth that poisoned Llethan , seeing how Helseth is infamous for pursuing his goals , one way or the other . To quote a Nordic Diplomat , " " The new king is manipulative , ruthless , and calculating . He is exactly what Morrowind needs . " " In his youth as a Prince of Wayrest , he would blackmail , bribe , and assassinate nobles to grow his step - father ' s Kingdom further . Supposedly , because of the Nerevarine ' s infinite power , Helseth had sent the Dark Brotherhood to kill them , ultimately leading to end of the Mournhold Chapter of the Brotherhood by the hand of the Nerevarine . When the warrior tried to dispute this , the whole situation was swept under the rug . The Nerevarine ' s Exploits in Mournhold & the Fabricants . As time went on , the Nerevarine ventured throughout the bustling metropolis of Mournhold , dealing with the issues that threaten the denizens of Indoril capital , among other requests straight from Almalexia herself . There have been tales of the Nerevarine ' s exploits , ranging from seeking a Goblin Army from deep within the catacombs of Mournhold to retrieving a Mazed Band . Which originated from Barilzar , the former apprentice of the great Sotha Sil . Almalexia grew pleased with her new champion but soon concluded , coming to realize the true identity of the Nerevarine . The Nerevarine Prophecy was instated in the aftermath of the War of the First Council , sealing the fate of the Tribunal . Not wanting to lose what she had accumulated since then , Almalexia plotted against the Nerevarine from within the shadows and slowly went mad as a result . Traversing into the Clockwork City , Almalexia killed her longtime friend , Sotha Sil and unleashed his Fabricant s onto the city of Mournhold , where she quickly returned to her temple . Mission to Bamz - Amschend ; Sotha Sil the Tinkerer . Almalexia sent the Nerevarine on a mission to the ruins of Bamz - Amschend , the Dwarven Ruins housing the Clockwork City , within a celestial sphere . It was there ; the Nerevarine discovered that the Dwarven Animunculi of Bamz - Amschend were fighting the Fabricants of the Clockwork City . With this news , the Nerevarine reported back to the Ordinators and Helseth Hlaalu , where they would investigate the attack on Plaza Brindisi Dorom . Knowing that this warrior was indeed the Nerevarine , Almalexia told the story of Hopesfire and Trueflame , and that the champion should reforge the weapon , Trueflame , the blade that once belonged to her lover , Indoril Nerevar . With the newly reforged Trueflame , Almalexia teleported the Nerevarine to the Clockwork City where they would confront the Fabricants and eventually Sotha Sil , the one who supposedly unleashed the Fabricants onto Mournhold . The Nerevarine discovered the deceased corpse of Sotha Sil perched on a pole as his body decomposes , he was dead long before the champion had found him . Fulfilling the Nerevarine Prophecy ; Tale of Almalexia the Mad . Before the Nerevarine could return to Tamriel , they were encountered by Almalexia , who wielded the blade , Hopesfire . Knowing that her fate was coming to an end , Almalexia intentionally attacked her city . Almalexia unleashed the Fabricants so that she could protect them from the conflict , re - instating the love and support that she had manifested throughout the eras . Out of the three Tribunal , Almalexia did not hold remorse for her actions as much as Vivec , and Sotha Sil , living the life of a god had taken a toll on her , filling the hole where her love for Nerevar was original . Almalexia and the Nerevarine fought with the twin blades , Trueflame and Hopesfire . But as the prophecy foretold , the champion had killed Almalexia , ending the Mad God and her scheme against the Nerevarine . With Barilzar ' s Mazed Band , the warrior returned to Mournhold , continuing their endless journey across Tamriel and beyond . Fourth Era . The Red Year & the Fall of the Tribunal ' s Morrowind . As time went on , the Tribunal ' s influence had disappeared in the province of Morrowind . Rumors arose throughout the province that Almalexia had gone mad and killed Sotha Sil in his domain , where the Nerevarine would eventually kill her . All that remained of the Tribunal was Vivec , who resided in his city of Vivec until he disappeared , out of the public eye . The Nerevarine Prophecy indicates that Vivec would have died at the hands of the Nerevarine , but it is unknown whether this was the case . Vivec ' s magic held the Baar Dau atop of his city and now that he is gone , the magic that held the meteor faded , and it continued to fall until it was restored by a machine known as the Ingenium , being operated by Vuhon . Eventually , in 4E 5 , the Ingenium had failed , and the meteor had finally destroyed Vivec City , leaving it as the Scathing Bay . This year would be known as the Red Year , since Red Mountain erupted as an after effect by the destruction of Vivec City . Mournhold was not affected by this event , but it caused an uproar in Mournhold and the Almalexia City . It was at this time , faith in the Tribunal began to dwindle . A House Redoran councilor in Mournhold created a relief effort to rebuild all the settlements destroyed in the sub - continent of Vvardenfell , which includes Balmora and Suran . To this day , Vvardenfell is continuing to be rebuilt . Terror from the Marsh ; Enter the An - Xileel . In the aftermath of the Red Year , Morrowind was in repair and a vulnerable position . The past five or six years have been rough for all of the provinces in Tamriel , more specifically for Morrowind . The Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433 besieged several locations , most notably the city - state of Ald ' ruhn . The Oblivion Crisis in Black Marsh was barely an issue with the newly formed government , the An - Xileel . The An - Xileel were able to push back the Daedric forces into Oblivion , establishing their rule over Black Marsh . With their combined power , the Argonians invaded Morrowind . In 4E 6 , Mournhold was sacked by the Argonians , leaving the city in ruins . Because of this , the capital of Morrowind was changed from Mournhold to Blacklight , the capital of House Redoran . The Accession War had left Morrowind in shambles , resulting in the destruction of Tear and many Dark Elves being relocated to Skyrim and eventually , Solstheim , which was given to Morrowind by the High King of Skyrim in 4E 16 . After the Accession War ; Modern - Day Mournhold . By 4E 201 , the city - state of Mournhold had been fully repaired . Many of the people that had fled northwards had returned to the city . When the Dissident Priests of Holamayan established the New Temple , any remnants of Almalexia were removed from the Mournhold Temple . In its place , the Temple built a new sanctuary for the Real Tribunal , which consisted of Azura , Boethiah , and Mephala . House Indoril lost a majority of their power with the loss of the Tribunal but remained a Great House after the fact . Plaza Brindisi Dorom had changed significantly when the architects of House Redoran built a new building for priests and pilgrims coming to Mournhold , to pay respects to the New Temple . Even though Mournhold is thriving once again , Blacklight has remained the capital of the province , especially since House Redoran has become the primary house of Morrowind .