Eyes of Ra Gada: Hammerfell's secret intelligence agency
Hi there. I like Hammerfell, so I'm gonna start a fan-lore series regarding what has happened in the Redguard's homeland since the Oblivion Crisis, since we haven't got a lot of information about them. I will touch upon things like politics and how they've changed, traditions, internal strife and class struggle, maybe infrastructure and of course, military. To start, I will cover the Redguard answer to the Thalmor Justiciars and Penitus Oculatus: The Eyes of Ra Gada.
The Eyes of Ra Gada, commonly called the Eyes, were created with one purpose in mind: To root out secret agents and sleeper cells of the Aldmeri Dominion. Following the infamous Night of Green Fire in 4E 42, the Isocracy1 concluded that the Empire's Penitus Oculatus were not concerned enough of Hammerfell's well-being to further increase counter-espionage operations in the province. As such, the Six Parties2 voted to create their own intelligence agency known as the Eyes of Ra Gada, named after the old name for the Redguards.
Initially, the agency had few in their ranks, was spread thin across Hammerfell, and seemingly couldn't do their job better than the Oculatus, but made up for it with ingenuity. In 4E 51, Thalmor agents infiltrated Hammerfell again, this time seeking to sabotage their extensive mining operations^3 in Dragonstar. However, the Eyes had anticipated the mines would be their priority objective as iron and ebony ore was invaluable to the Empire. As such, they had disguised Eyes agents as miners, working in the mines as usual until the Thalmor attacked. When the Thalmor did attack, the secret agents revealed themselves and quickly incapacitated the surprised Altmer.
The success of their counter-operation increased funding for the Eyes, who received more recruits, equipment and intelligence across Hammerfell. However, as Penitus Oculatus operations did not cease in Hammerfell, a rivalry grew between the two. While Imperial law did not forbid the creation of provincial military and security orders, it did forbid them from interfering with Cyrodiilic operations. The Eyes were quick to judge the Oculatus as glory-hounds, as they - for some reason - decided to increase operations in Hammerfell following the Eyes' victory.
Very few people know of the existence of the Eyes. Agents all have normal jobs at various establishments that they use as a cover when investigating. The Eyes' leadership all meet disguised as civilians at random locations, and are even trained to memorize everything they plan so they don't have to write anything down that can be stolen or copied. The Penitus Oculatus, being allied at the time of their creation, know of their existence, but know little of their operations. The Thalmor are aware there is a secret espionage organization active in Hammerfell, but are unable to track them. Any Eyes agents captured in the field are to injest a special potion that will erase any memory of the organization, to prevent information being revealed through torture.
Noteworthy operations between 4E 51-4E 171:
4E 88: Apprehension and imprisonment of a notorious pirate gang in Stros M'kai, the Sea Drakes.
4E 97: Securing a stockpile of illegal skooma and other drugs smuggled into Hammerfell by merchant vessels.
4E 104: Destruction of the final Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Hammerfell, forcing the organization to flee the province.
4E 125: Exposing the evil headmaster of the University of Rihad^4, who had been kidnapping students and selling them to slave bandits.
4E 159: Uncovering a conspiracy by the East Empire Company that had made use of pirates to intercept convoys from rival companies.
In 4E 171, the Great War erupted. The Aldmeri Dominion launched attacks into Hammerfell, landing on the beaches on the southern coasts and capturing several islands, including Stros M'kai. The Eyes of Ra Gada immediately initiated a counter-Dominion strategy they had been planning for decades. Eyes agents infiltrated the Thalmor government on Alinor, where they began sabotage operations. Several cells connected with the Beautiful, a terrorist organization that had been active in Summerset since the Third Era and driven into hiding by the Thalmor.
However, not everything went as smoothly as planned, since the Thalmor had anticipated the Eyes infiltration and used their tactics against them: The Beautiful did not exist anymore, and was a ploy by the Thalmor to root out Eyes agents, which they succeeded in to an astonishing degree. Eyes agents were executed on the spot.
The Eyes sought increasingly desperate measuers. The Eyes allied with the Penitus Oculatus and supported resistance and militia movements inside occupied Dominion territory. The peninsula of Hew's Bane was used as staging ground for Dominion operations in Hammerfell, and was ripe with insurgent activity, leading to the Eyes to utilize it. In 4E 173, the Eyes of Ra Gada launched an operation against the Dominion regional stronghold on Hew's Bane. Supported by anti-Dominion insurgents, the stronghold was surrounded and besieged. Unfortunately, the Altmer did not heed, and managed to persist. From this point on, there was little the Eyes could do.
When the Empire signed the White-Gold Concordat, Hammerfell was not pleased with the conditions. They continued to fight on their own for five more years. Part of the reason the Dominion did not manage to expand into Redguard territory was thanks to the Eyes using scorched earth tactics. A move questioned by many, the Eyes forced the civilians and soldiers to retreat into the Alik'r Desert, and bring as many supplies as they could carry. The Eyes destroyed the remaining stockpiles, leaving the coastal cities empty shells.
Meanwhile, the Eyes contacted the massive pirate fleets of the Iliac Bay, and paid them to intercept Dominion supply convoys. The Dominion forces in Hammerfell were slowly starved to death, as the convoys passing through Cyrodiil were too far away, and couldn't even reach them after Redguard militia repurposed the University of Rihad into a fortress, blocking a major trade route.
In 4E 180, because not enough supplies made it through, the Aldmeri Dominion accepted peace with Hammerfell and signed the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai. Hammerfell became an independent, yet diminished, nation.
Other information:
Common weapons include daggers, scimitars, throwing knives, poison bombs and crossbows, all concealed under their leather-padded Alik'r garbs.
The Eyes' symbol is similar to the symbol of the Redguards, except an eye replaces the shield.
Eyes agents are encouraged to use whatever means necessary to win a fight. This includes dirty moves such as throwing sand, using nearby objects as weapons, or even create a larger brawl to disappear into.
Since their independence, the Eyes have protected Hammerfell from Imperial agents from the Penitus Oculatus as well, as they seek to reincorporate Hammerfell into the Empire.
Thanks for reading, and please tell me your thoughts. My next story will be about the government of Hammerfell before and after the Empire arrived.
Footnotes:
Isocracy; the ruling parliament after the monarchy was abolished. Will be covered in the next story.
Six Parties; the Crowns, Forebears, Bronze-Hands, Aijiran, Ja'haraan, and Lhotunics. Will be covered in the next story.
One of the main pillars of Redguard economy. Will be covered in the trade story.
The biggest school in Hammerfell with a notorious reputation. Will be covered in the society and culture story.