| Castle Leyawiin | |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | Cyrodiil |
| Region | Blackwood |
| Settlement | Leyawiin |
| Appears in | Oblivion, ESO |
Castle Leyawiin (also called Leyawiin Castle) is a large Imperial stone castle built on an island in the Lower Niben, straddling the deep channels of the river and guarding the entrance to Topal Bay.[1][2][3] It is named for the surrounding walled city of Leyawiin and is considered to be one of the most notable castles in Tamriel.[4]
The castle structure is located within the inner keep on the eastern side of the city and possesses staunch circular towers, a soaring main hall, an enclosed courtyard, side corridors, dungeons, guard barracks, private quarters, and secret passages.[2][3][4] The castle also contains poorly organized collections of books and written documents dating back to the early years of the Alessian Empire.[5]
HistoryEdit
The exact date of the castle's construction is unknown, although a settlement has existed at Leyawiin since the early First Era.[6]
Following the collapse of the Second Empire, a number of councilors from the Elder Council fled the Imperial City and came to Leyawiin to seek refuge from the chaos that engulfed the Heartlands of Cyrodiil. These bureaucrats formed the Chamber of Legates, an administrative body which gradually took over the running of County Leyawiin with the approval of Countess Nevenia Caro. The Chamber of Legates based themselves out of Castle Leyawiin at this time.[7][8]
Circa 2E 582, the Chamber of Legates were betrayed from within by Councilor Vandacia, an agent of Mehrunes Dagon who arranged for the systematic assassination of his fellow councilors by Order of the Waking Flame cultists. The surviving councilors took refuge within the walls of Castle Leyawiin until the threat had passed.[9] This plot to kill the councilors related to Dagon's plans to harvest the power of the Four Ambitions and merge Nirn with his realm of the Deadlands. Dagon's plans were ultimately thwarted by the Vestige, with the aid of allies from across Oblivion. This otherworldly band of allies were hosted within the east hall of Castle Leyawiin for a celebration after Dagon's defeat at Sundercliff; assembled guests included individuals from across Tamriel, as well as Daedra from the Deadlands and from Fargrave.[10]
Circa 3E 432, Lady Alessia Valga of Chorrol became Countess Leyawiin upon her marriage to Count Marius Caro.[11] Upon her arrival in Leyawiin, Countess Alessia Caro set about implementing a policy of racial suppression against the city's historical Argonian and Khajiit minority populations in an attempt to establish a bland Imperial-dominated culture.[12] The Countess went so far as to take Argonian prisoners from the castle's cells to personally oversee their torture within a secret chamber connected to her private quarters.[13] This hidden chamber was used by the Thieves Guild circa 3E 433 to steal back a ring from the Countess after a freelance thief attempted to sell it back to her and was apprehended.[14] The Countess was humiliated that same year by Sanguine, who tasked the Hero of Kvatch with interrupting a society dinner being held in the castle dining room. The Hero cast a spell on the Countess and her guests which rendered them naked, resulting in a widely-reported scandal.[15][16]
GalleryEdit
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Castle Leyawiin circa 3E 433
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The throne room
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The secret torture chamber
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see the Oblivion and Elder Scrolls Online
articles.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Guide to Leyawiin — Alessia Ottus
- ^ a b Leyawiin Castle in ESO
- ^ a b Castle Leyawiin in Oblivion
- ^ a b A Travel Guide to Tamriel Castles — Astinia Isauricus
- ^ Notes of Lovirithel the Sage — Lovirithel the Sage
- ^ Carodus Oholin's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ Traveler's Guide to Leyawiin — Astinia Isauricus; published 1 Frost Fall, 2E 569
- ^ An Interview with Countess Caro — Mercuro Catraso
- ^ An Unexpected Adversary quest in ESO
- ^ Hope Springs Eternal quest in ESO
- ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Seat of Sundered Kings: Cyrodiil — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
- ^ On-Staya Sundew's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ Hlidara Mothril's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ Ahdarji's Heirloom quest in Oblivion
- ^ Pranks Spoils Society Gathering!
- ^ Sanguine quest in Oblivion