| Book Information YsgramorDynasty2 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Up | The Seventeen and One Monarchs of the Ysgramor Dynasty | ||
| Prev. | Ysgramor the Returned | Next | Totem-King Heimverlund |
by High Chronicler Valerius of Winterhold
A history of Skyrim's early High Kings
- Ylgar was Ysgramor's youngest child and a renown warrior in his own right. Born in the village of Forelgrin, Ylgar spent much of his youth hunting with his father and brother in the surrounding Atmoran Frostwood. At around twelve years old he undertook his proving by climbing to the summit of Mount Hviturfjall and slaying an ice wraith, as was the tradition among his clan. His unwavering spirit and battle prowess drove him to serve alongside his father and brother in the military for several years, both in Atmora and later in Skyrim.
- Seeking revenge after the sacking of Saarthal, Ylgar returned to Atmora and recruited hundreds of formidable warriors from Jylkurfyk and Drekihrim and set sail upon his ship, the Darumzu. He crossed the Sea of Ghosts alongside his father and older brother Yngol, but in a tragic turn of events Yngol was killed in the infamous Storm of Separation. As the last surviving offspring of the Harbinger, the mantle of leadership was to now pass on to Ylgar after Ysgramor's death.
War in the East
- Conquest and expansion (later codified as "Ysgramor's Decree") was the Harbinger's final proclamation to his people. Ylgar excelled in this regard and continued to stabilize the kingdom's holdings while expanding deeper into Skyrim. Were it not for his commanding presence and leadership, many scholars believe the Five Hundred Companions would have fallen apart after Ysgramor's death.
- Ylgar launched campaigns into the east against what the Annals call the "golden heathens", more commonly known as the Chimer. Ancient texts uncovered in Morrowind reveal that the Chimer initially extended the hand of diplomacy, but were immediately rejected. The fact that these elves were unrelated to those who sacked Saarthal made no difference to Ylgar. His army invaded their lands, sacked numerous villages and temples, and annexed much of the eastern coast along the Inner Sea, including the region known today as Stonefalls. As a last resort, the Chimer performed a dark ritual by sacrificing the lives of two of their leaders in order to summon two colossal Daedra. The demons succeeded in crushing the entire Jylkurfyk torc-brigade, forcing Ylgar to withdraw from Morrowind, vowing to return one day and put them all to the sword.
Arrival of the Priesthood
- Atmoran emissaries arrived in Windhelm around ME 95 with a decree from the Dragon priesthood back in Atmora. They saw that a stable kingdom had been established on the mainland, and they were coming. Ysgramor had warned Ylgar of this day, but it had come much earlier than expected.
- Ysgramor once served the priesthood on Atmora, and was a devout worshiper of what we today call the Ancient Nordic Pantheon. Nevertheless, he was against ceding his clan's new found power, well aware that defying the priesthood would be blasphemy. Before he died, Ysgramor set in motion a plan to ensure that his clan alone would continue to rule Skyrim. However it was too early to enact and Ylgar had no choice but to negotiate with the priesthood. A decision that infuriated Ylgar.
- When several priests of the ruling council arrived in Skyrim the following year, tensions were eased by Ylgar's royal sorcerer, Ahzidal. Ahzidal served as Ysgramor's personal "clever man", and over the years had become one of Ylgar's closest advisers. Ahzidal negotiated with the ruling council to share power and submit the authority of certain lands and people over to the council. With the populace fully supporting High King Ylgar, and the priesthood's overlords still roosting in Atmora, the council had little choice but to accept these terms.
The Old Holds
- After Olaf Honnith's army eradicated the numerous elven insurgents in the Battle of Autumn Field, Ylglar ordered the construction of Riften in ME 90 and divided his kingdom into four Holds. These holdings (now knows as the Old Holds) were named Eastmarch, Winterhold, the Pale and the Rift. The Pale was granted to the priesthood, while the rest remained under High King Ylgar, but governed by jarldoms. In the following years he oversaw the mass immigration from Atmora and ordered the expansion of Dawnstar and Winterhold to accommodate. In addition, numerous mountain villages and hamlets, such as Wittestadr and Ivarstead, were founded across the north. The priesthood began to established numerous temples across the Pale and for the next several years Ylgar and the priesthood co-existed in relative peace.
- Ylgar's rule came to an end upon his death in ME 81. Despite his prowess as a warrior, Ylgar died in his twilight years. He was buried in the husk of the Darumzu, the ship that brought him to Skyrim. Although Ylgar never married and had no direct heirs, Ysgramor had already decreed that Ylgar's nephew Heimverlund would become High King.