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by High Chronicler Valerius of Winterhold
A history of Skyrim's early High Kings
- Jarl Einarth from the House of Fjora was the favorite nephew of King Hjornskar, and much like his uncle, Einarth was resolute in expanding the borders of the kingdom. While Hjornskar focused on expanding west, Einarth was embroiled in a war with the Chimer of the east. Numerous poetic eddas depict Einarth as the most savage and bloodthirsty of Nordic kings. So much so that he was said to consume the hearts of his slain enemies on the battlefield. Such savagery led to some scholars to theorize that he was possibly a lycanthrope of some description. While mythical accounts are known to exaggerate, history as shown that Einarth was indeed a formidable warrior-king who expanded much of the kingdom.
The Battle of the Cinder Valley
- From his base in Riften, he commanded a large army that frequently clashed with the Chimer along the Cinder Valley: a narrow mountain pass that cut through the Velothi Mountains and into Morrowind (or Veloth as it was known then). The period of High Velothi Culture had long passed and the Chimer at the time has devolved into warring tribes. One of the largest tribes was ruled by a fearsome warlord named Virak, who laid claim to the Cinder Valley. For eight years, Jarl Einarth had little success in pushing his forces through the pass. Virak had heavily fortified the valley with numerous barricades, trenches and magical barriers. According to legend, countless Daedra were said to roam the pass, and as night fell the dead warriors that littered the valley would reanimate and stand guard.
- When Einarth became High King, his immediately ordered his numerous armies to descend upon Riften for a great push into the Cinder Valley. In 1E 61, a vast army gathered at the foothills of the Velothi Mountains and forced their way into the valley. After much bloodshed, the king's Voice masters destroyed the fortifications and Einarth led his forces to the summit of Mount Trolhetta, were Warlord Virak made his last stand. Virak was said to have summoned countless Daedra to aid him, but ultimately he was slain by Einarth himself. After the battle, Einarth's battle-journals reveal that he stood at the summit of Trolhetta and gazed south to the Heartlands of Cyrodiil:
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- "...As I beheld a glimmering white spire piercing thro' the jungles o'er the southern peaks, I held my axe to the neck of an ash-heathen and he spake hastily... The wretched elf told of yet more of his accursed kin who thronged the south!? By Shor, before I complete my count of days, their doom I will see to."
- Einarth never had the opportunity to wage war with the Ayleids. In his lust for conquest, he had already made numerous commitments to reclaim other lands. Of these campaigns, the most grave was his attempt to take the Reach.
Fall of Atmora
- Einarth was the last monarch to receive settlers from Atmora, after two battered ships laden with corpses begged to make port in Windhelm in 1E 68. They were identified as the Snow-Whale clan - or what was left of them. Years prior, they were the only Atmoran clan to stubbornly refused King Valdimar's offer to migrate to Skyrim, when he sought to bolster its population.
- Their arrival implied they no longer had a choice to stay, and those who survived the journey were reduced to insanity as they screamed that the "freezing hath taken Hvergvalinn." What was truly meant by this is debated by scholars to this day, but what is known is that according to Atmoran myth Hvergvalinn was a revered and ancient frost-oak that grew in the Hviturfjall Valley. Legend states Shor himself planted the tree during the Dawn Era when the Atmorans first appeared on the continent, and from a seed grew the first frost-oak - "Hvergvalinn the Father".
- The ancient Eldergleam is said to be a one of its cuttings that took root in Skyrim in the Middle Merethic Era (although some historians claim otherwise). Other tales speak of Shor crafting his legendary spear from one of its enormous branches to fight against foreign gods, or Kyne building her nest at the very peak so she may watch over her worshippers.
The Brass City
- Before the Dragon War, the Reach was considered to the furthest borders of the kingdom and was notoriously difficult to tame due to its harsh terrain. Despite this, several settlements were founded and prospered. In 1E 74, Einarth's scouts reported of a vast gleaming city that supposedly appeared out of nowhere.
- Einarth led a brigade west to the abandoned city of Ragnvald, deep in the Druadach Mountains. Upon arrival, chroniclers report that they discovered enormous domed towers of brass and stone piercing through the mountains. As if the city was emerging from the earth itself. Of course we know today that these structures belonged to the Dwarves, but to the early Atmorans their origins were a complete mystery.
- Towers and structures such as these were dotted across the kingdom since the time before Ysgramor, but were found to be utterly impregnable. Numerous attempts (many by Ysgramor himself) at forcing entry had proved futile, and because there appeared to be no signs of life within they were eventually ignored - considered ancient ruins of a long dead civilization.
- After the interrogation of his Chimer prisoners from the battle at Trolhetta, Einarth learned that a people hitherto unknown dwelled deep beneath his kingdom. His battle-lust unabated, Einarth marched his brigade to the enormous brass gates of Nchuand-Zel (known today as Markarth) to wage war. The Annals contain the eye-witness account of what occurred next:
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- "...and just as our lord did approach the gate, four colossal brass idols were brought to life by some form of vile elven magic. They swiftly descended upon us, hissing and roaring. Though he fought valiantly and felled two of the possessed golems, the king was slain. I desired nothing more than die in battle with my liege, but was ordered to hie back to Windhelm and deliver the news to the Skerd-Queen."
- News of Einarth's death was met with great sorrow across the land. His body was never recovered from the Reach, but a large ceremony in Windhelm was held in his honor regardless. King Einarth's successor was his younger brother, Thane Hrogar of Riften, who would later famously become known as Hrogar Brass-Bane.