Post by redsrock on Jul 10, 2008 20:34:01 GMT
A Guide to the Regions of Cyrodiil
Hello, my name is Verick, the Tamrielic Traveler and an old Imperial man trying to spend his last days to the fullest. In an attempt to aid in the traveler's march throughout Cyrodiil I have written down my own experiences in guide-form, so that perhaps anyone who feels lost can refer to this piece of writing and hopefully seek the help in which they are searching for.
Cyrodiil is directly bordered by six provinces; this includes Hammerfell in the northwest, Skyrim to the north, Morrowind to the east-northeastern regions, Black Marsh to the southeast, Elsweyr to the south, and finally Valenwood in the southwestern region.
Our great province can be divided into ten different and distinct regions: Blackwood, the Colovian Highlands, the Gold Coast, the Great Forest, the Heartlands, the Jerall Mountains, the Nibenay Basin, the Nibenay Valley, the Valus Mountains, and the West Weald.
The following is part-one (Blackwood) of a ten-part series, which I will go over each region in as much detail as I possibly can. I do hope you find this guide filled with knowledge and information that will help you in your journeys.
Part 1: Blackwood
*Geographical Information*
The region of Blackwood is located in the very most southern parts of Cyrodiil. It begins where The Lower Nine River empties into the Topal Bay in the south, and it then extends northwards towards Bravil. In the western part of the region, Blackwood stops just before reaching the Nibenay Bay, and in the eastern part it stops after crossing onto the northern side of the Panther River.
Blackwood is mainly comprised of a rather swampy terrain and is not too attractive in terms of the region's scenery, especially when compared to the other regions of Cyrodiil. And because a great majority of the region is so 'messy' in a way, it hinders travel on foot quite a bit with the wetness of the swamps and the various small lakes located in the east and northeastern parts.
Another aspect of Blackwood that makes it so difficult to travel through, off of the main roads I mean, is that the region is very hilly. So hilly that unfortunately my old bones began to give out on me, and because of that I had to walk around the hills rather than climb up them. This made the trip through Blackwood several days longer than I had originally planned.
A lengthy river runs through Blackwood from the south, called "The Niben River", and is split up into three different sections. To the south is the "Lower Nibenay" and to the north is the "Upper Nibenay". In the middle of the two rivers is a large oval shaped lake called the "Nibenay Bay".
The majority of travel through Blackwood is done so on two main roads, both split by the Nibenay River. The Green Road runs from Bravil all the way down to Leyawiin on the western side of the river. The Yellow road starts out at the eastern edges of Leyawiin, runs up the eastern sides of the river, and then connects to another road that extends along the eastern outskirts of the Imperial City.
*Settlements and other Towns/Villages*
Leyawiin: The city of Leyawiin lies in the southern part of Blackwood, bordered by Elsweyr just to the west and Black Marsh to the east. Because of this there are many dirty and unruly Khajits and Argonians that inhabit the city, and this could be one of the main reasons why Leyawiin has grown in terms of land size over the years.
But I have my doubt about that, frankly because the Countess is rumored to despise the Argonians and the Khajits, along with the Dunmer as well, so I really can't see why she would want to give them even more room to fill up with their awful smells and inappropriate actions. But, as I said, it is only a rumor. However, if it is true the Countess does a good job of hiding her emotions in public. In fact, that brings me to my next topic, the Countess and her husband.
The rulers of Leyawiin are the Imperials Count Marius Caro and his wife, Countess Alessia Caro. During my visit to Leyawiin it seemed as if Alessia did most of the talking and doing, while Marius simply sat aside and watched. This lead me to believe that Alessia herself has a firm grip over the ways things are ran in Leyawiin, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
But one thing Marius does, along with Alessia, is that they both firmly believe in a Nibenese culture, one with law-abiding and church-going folk. Obviously there is a bit of difficult in that because of the Argonians and Khajits, with their beliefs in other gods and religions. But nonetheless the endless vigorous passion from the Count and Countess is much admired by all.
The chapel of Leyawiin worships the teachings of Zenithar, god of Work and Commerce, and often referred to as the "Trader god". It is said by his priests and followers that Zenithar believes hard-work and honesty is the only true and fair way to gain peace and prosperity.
Along with what I have just explained, Leyawiin also hosts a fine selection of different shops of various products. Other than the Imperial City one could not find a better place to buy their goods, whatever they may be. Just be prepared to walk among the dirty and smelly.
Blankenmarch: A remote village situated to the northeast of Leyawiin. Three houses and a small plotted farm make up this tiny location, along with two male Bretons and a male Orc. Various vegetables and wheat are grown in the farm, including potatoes, wheat, blackberries, carrots and arrowroot, to at least name a few.
One should also note that Blankenmarch is not one of more friendliest places in Cyrodiil, and in fact I found the owner of the farm to be rather hostile, and also taking part in illegal activities. Upon entering his house to see if anyone was home, I found him drinking a bottle of Skooma, which I am sure you know is an illegal substance. The Breton man yelled at me angrily and I ran out of the village as fast as I could. Needless to say, I did not have time to speak or meet with the other Breton nor the Orc, who had both been plowing the field at the time of my arrival.
Border Watch: A quaint little settlement roughly halfway in-between Bravil and Leyawiin, on the western side of the Nibenay River. What's awfully strange about this place is that is made entirely up of Khajit! Eight to be exact. All of the houses are very similar in design to houses in Leyawiin, which to me signifies that the Khajit had once lived in the city, and then migrated to establish their own personal village in the wilderness. Though another theory could be that they migrated from their homeland of Elsweyr, since the border is only a couple miles to the west.
The Shaman of the village, Ri'Bassa, told me of an old superstitious belief called the "K'Sharra Prophecy". Apparently the prophecy foresees the end of the world, or at least if three distinct events are to happen. Something about rats, sheep and flaming dogs falling from the sky. A bit of nonsense if you ask me.
Another weird aspect of Border Watch is its collection of rare and expensive cheeses, and an enormous collection it is! Inside the Border Watch Inn the owner of the inn, S'thasa, will gladly take you on a brief tour of the cheeses, just as long as you don't touch any of them of course. You can however try samples of the cheaper cheeses, and my personal favorite was the cheddar cheese-wheel.
Greyland: An old abandoned house located roughly thirty yards southeast of Leyawiin. Not much to say about this, other than the many empty bottles of Skooma I found lying about throughout the house. There was also several blood stains on the floor in one of the bedrooms. It appeared as if a fight had happened before I arrived, but there was no telling how old the stains were.
Water's Edge:: Another small and secluded village, this one to the north of Leyawiin and a few miles to the right of Border Watch, right on the edge of the river. Upon my arrival the five Bretons, consisting in total of three women and two males, welcomed me to their home once they learned I was a traveler, gaining information to write this very guide you are reading. They even let me stay the night after we all talked during a marvelous dinner of vegetables and other foods.
White Stallion Lodge: Like Greyland, this house is abandoned as well, but when I had tried to enter I found that it was locked and none of my lock-picks did the trick. I was very unhappy about that, but to be honest I don't think there was anything of interest waiting inside. And because of old age and I didn't dare try to break in through one of the side windows. My bones aren't as flexible as they used to be.
The Drunken Dragon Inn: A tiny inn located northeast of Leyawiin, and just to the right of the northern part of the Yellow Road. It is owned and populated by a mere one person. That one Imperial man had introduced himself as Andreas Draconis. He was a weird little man and had smelled strongly of beer, though I never sensed him a threat whatsoever.
He was a nice man as well, but a bit paranoid if you ask me. Apparently two of his four siblings had been murdered, and the perpetrator had yet to have been found. Such a sad situation, fortunately one I have never had to endure with me being an only child. I had offered the man twenty septims because I felt sorry for him, but his pride would not let him accept the gift.
*Landmarks and other Interesting Spots*
Deepscorn Hollow: A truly dreadful place if I've ever seen one. This had been the first stop during my expedition, and it had almost been the last as well, simply because what I found inside scared the the soul out of me, in a figuratively way thankfully, though it most certainly could have been reality if I had not escaped when I had. The entrance to the hollow had been somewhat buried within the ground, and I was lucky to even find it at all.
I didn't go very far into the place, as it was very dark and it was hard to walk around in the first place without bumping into a wall or something to that nature. There had been a light coming in from a room to the back and I followed it. After several minutes I eventually came to a room with an open box in the corner with the lid opened, or at least I thought it was a normal box. But when I came to it I realized it was a coffin, for a vampire! I bolted out of there as fast as I could, never looking back. I HIGHLY advise anyone not looking for trouble to stay clear of the southern shores of Topal Bay, particularly on the eastern side of the river.
Doom Stones and Rune Stones
There are approximately four Doom Stones scattered throughout Blackwood. There are two types of Doom Stones; Heaven Stones and Birthsign Stones. Each stone is marked by red-glowing runes, and if activated, grant one magical abilities that can aid them in whatever struggles one may have while marching across Cyrodiil. But there is a distinction of the two, and I shall do my best to explain them.
However, please realize that I am not an expert on Doom Stones, or any stones and shrines for that matter. If one would be looking for a more detailed description of magical stones and shrines, I would suggest that they refer to an already published guide, because I fear my descriptions may be a bit bland for some.
A Birthsign stone refers to the stars and their constellations, while the Heaven stone relate to other celestial bodies. Use these wisely because both stones can only activated once every twenty-four hours.
1. Ritual Stone: Located in the northern parts, east of the river and just a few miles to the left of the Yellow Road.
2. Magnus Stone: Northeast of the Drunken Dragon Inn and southwest of the Panther River, though the stone is closer to the inn than it is to the river.
3. Shezarr Stone: Only a mere few miles west of the White Stallion Lodge, if even that.
4. Serpent Stone: Directly north of Deepscorn Hollow, in fact no more than three minutes at a constant walking pace. However, since it is very close to the Deepscorn Hollow I suggest that you seek out another Stone if possible.
* It should also be noted that Doom Stones can only be activated during the night, more specifically from 6pm to 6am.
For anyone who is not familiar with Rune Stones, they are similar to Doom Stones, expect what differs between the two is that Rune Stones grant one conjured weapons or armor, specifically of the rare and mysterious Daedric material. The effects only last temporarily and there are different types of Rune Stones, each with multiples locations spread across Cyrodiil.
Reman Rune Stones grant one either a cuirass and a claymore, or a cuirass and an axe. Sidri-Ashak Rune Stones grant a bow and a helm. Hestra Rune Stones grant either a gauntlets and a dagger or gauntlets and a mace.
Something odd that I found about Rune Stones is that you cannot use them on the say day as you did the previous week. Now, I know that may sound a bit confusing, so let me give you an example and hopefully the confusion will be cured. If you activate a Rune Stone on a Sundas, you cannot use that same exact stone a week later on the same day. Simply wait until midnight and everything will be normal again. Of course, I would believe that the chances of one coming across the same stone seven days later is slim, especially if you are a constant traveler as I am.
There are only two Rune Stones located in Blackwood, and both of them are of the Reman variety. The first is located in the northern parts, southeast of the very tip of the Upper Nine River, and only a mile or so to the left of the Yellow Road. The other can be found quite easily. After exiting Leyawiin from the east, turn directly north and walk for about ten miles, and you shouldn't miss it.
Wayshrines
Wayshrines are magical structures that can heal and also cure diseases. It's also been said that wayshrines have the same effect on horses, but this I do not know for sure.There are three wayshrines in the Blackwood region, two on the eastern side of the river, and the other on the western side. Seek out these shrines if you are ever in need of healing. Just look for a pearl white circle of columns.
1. Stendarr: This shrine can be found on the western side of the river, roughly twenty yards to the left of the Green Road. It is in the northern part of Blackwood and only a few miles from the Elsweyr border on the left.
2. Dibella: Located directly south of The Drunken Dragon Inn, roughly five or so miles in fact. You shouldn't have any troubles locating the shrine.
3. Mara: Seemingly exactly halfway between Blankenmarch and the Wayshrine of Dibella. But because it is somewhat in the middle of nowhere compared to the other shrines, look carefully.
Daedric Shrines
Of the fifteen Daedric Shrines spread throughout Cyrodiil, two of them can be found in Blackwood, and both are relatively easy to find. One thing I should say is that I did not activate the shrines, and rather I only discovered their locations and talked with a few of the followers. This is not a guide on how to active the shrines, it is strictly a guide to their locations, and nothing more.
Sheogorath's Shrine: Can be found only a few miles northwest of Stendarr's wayshrine, and roughly ten miles north of Border Watch. At the shrine I ran into an odd Dunmer wearing a bright white robe and a fur helmet. Immediately upon arrival the Mer began speaking nonsense. The place was crawling with various people with different oddities. One even offered me an insect to eat! I didn't find the followers there to be the least bit hostile. It just appeared to me that they were all insane.
Nocturnal's Shrine: Southeast of the Ritual Stone, and roughly ten yards to the right of the Yellow Road. When I had visited this place no one was present, so unfortunately there really isn't anything else to say about this particular shrine.
*Plant Life*
A vast majority of plant life in Blackwood is comprised mainly of mushrooms, with many different variations. However, this is also a fine collection of lilies and Somnalius plants as well. And anyone looking for a plethora of Nirnroot should look to the banks of the Niben, and also to the lakes in the east.
*Animal and Creature Life*
Because of the swampy terrain of Blackwood, one will not find the normal animals of, say, the Colovian Highlands or the Great Forest. Oh no, in Blackwood one is more likely find many, many rats and mudcrabs. I when I say many that is definitely an understatement. Because mudcrabs live in wet areas, and Blackwood has many swamps and lakes, be prepared to come across these little creatures quite often. And while they are not so much of a danger because of their small size, they still carry many different diseases, so be careful during your travels.
One would also see the occasional deer, wolf, and wild boar in Blackwood, and even few bears to the northwestern and northeastern parts. But the chances of that are simply outweighed by the constant presence of rats and mudcrabs, as well as other creatures that inhabit wet places.
*Closing Comments*
Due to my old age I am not able to scour the caves and ruins like I used to, nor am I able fight the goblins and other beasts that inhabit these places. Therefore I must sadly say that during this series of guides I will not be able to comment on neither the locations nor the descriptions of any caves, forts, ruins, burrows, or whatever other places that fancy the brave adventurer.
All in all, Blackwood is a dirty and wet place with too many swamps and hills for my liking. And as I've already mentioned before, the scenery isn't as gorgeous, or even close to, as the other regions of Cyrodiil. I wouldn't particularly suggest this region to anyone unless they like to get wet. Because along with the swamps it also rains a lot in Blackwood as well.
The settlements were all friendly for the most part, except for the Skooma dealer in Blankenmarch. And if it weren't for the many Khajit and Argonians inhabiting the city, Leyawiin wouldn't be all that bad of a place to live. Either way, Part One of this series is complete, and I hope the reader has found this guide helpful in many ways.
Now, on to the Nibenay Valley!
*Verick, the Tamrielic Traveler
NOTE: I don't have Oblivion for PC, and that's the only reason I haven't included pics in this guide. If there's anyone that does have access to OB online, and would be willing to help me, I would REALLY appreciate it.
I'd like to submit this to the Forum Scholars Guild at TIL, but pics would give me a better chance of getting this guide accepted.