The Towns and Cities of Central Morrowind

By Valos Blan, historian of the Tal'Deic Muthcano Tong - 2E 604

Morrowind, home of the Dunmeri, has been colonized since the late Dawn Era, originally by the Dwemer. They themselves called it Dwemereth, after their own race. But the Dwemer's presence was most prominent on Vvardenfell island itself, and when the Velothi Chimer came to southern Dwemereth they faced little resistence, They were able to found many town and cities, many of which still remain. The shrines that the early Chimer built to the Good Daedra dot the landscape of Morrowind still today. In this volume I shall discourse the towns and cities of Central Morrowind, which consists of the provinces of Stonefalls, Deshaan and Bal Foyen.

Bal Foyen

Bal Foyen was shortly inhabited by a Chimeri tribe in the mid-Merethic Era, and they founded the town of Dhalmora in the center of the province. The tribe is thought to have disappeared from the area sometime in the early First Era, and Bal Foyen was not recolonized until the beginning of the Second Era, when a large group of Argonians from Murkmire resettled the old town of Dhalmora. In 2E 571 Fort Zeren was built on orders from Davon's Watch, to stand as a defensive position in case of a Kamali attack on Bal Foyen. Luckily, this never happened. In 2E 582 Bal Foyen was affected by the Daggerfall Covenant army assaulting northern Morrowind, but they were quickly driven back from Bal Foyen by the Ebonheat Pact army.

Stonefalls

Stonefalls' largest city is the Indoril-controlled Davon's Watch, which has stood there since around 1E 830. It is named after the Dunmeri warlord Darnim Davon. He is to have defeated three-hundred Dreugh warriors during the Battle of the Daen Seeth Beaches. There was supposedly already a small port town on the location of the current Davon's Watch already then, but it only grew prominent after the Battle of the Daen Seeth Beaches. It has continued to grow ever since, mainly due to its extensive trade with the Temple-Controlled Vivec City on Vvardenfell island.

The second largest city of Stonefalls is Ebonheart. Ebonheart is believed to have been founded in the mid-Merethic Era by a smaller Chimer clan. It soon became part of the same Clan holding as Mournhold. With time it became one of the largest cities in Morrowind, and after the destruction of Mournhold by the hands of Mehrunes Dagon in 1E 2920 it was by many considered to be the de facto capital of Morrowind. But when Mournhold was rebuilt Ebonheart lost the title to the rebuilt city. It has declined in power and influence ever since then, and now competes with Davon's Watch for the title of capital of Stonefalls. It was also in Ebonheart that the Ehonheart Pact was signed in 2E 572 after the armistice between Morrowind, Skyrim, the Argonian tribes who followed Keshu the Black Fin and the Kamali invaders.

The small Dres-controlled town of Kragenmoor also lies in Stonefalls. Kragenmoor has existed as a town of notable size since the mid-First Era. It is the centre for slave-trade in Stonefalls, and it mainly trades with Khajiiti slaves, although trade with Argonians often occurs.

Senie is a small town in Daen Seeth, at the foot of Ash Mountain. It has only existed since the early Second Era, and has a large Argonian population. Iliath is an even smaller town, but it is known for its great temple. It is by some said to have been founded as early as the late Dawn Era. Both the Ashlanders and the Temple hold the site sacred, and conflicts between them are not uncommon.

Deshaan

The largest city in Deshaan is without any doubt Mournhold. It is by most considered to be the capital of Morrowind, although the Temple has not recognized it as such. It was founded in the early Merethic Era by the great R'Aathrim Chimer clan, who later took control of Ebonheart aswell. It was destroyed in 1E 2920, by the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. Although Dagon was banished by the combined power of the Three, the city was already beyond saving. It was rebuilt, however. And the great Tribunal Temple was built as its heart, and it is now the heart of the Tribunal faith itself. The Tribunal Temple is the home of lady Almalexia, the Mother of Morrowind, and Tribunal priests pilgrim to it to gaze upon the lady Almalexia with their own eyes.

Narsis is the second largest cty of Deshaan. Some claim that is was built on the first year of the Merethic Era, under the name Narsis-Where-All-Fervently-Praise-the-Prophet-Veloth. But the credibility of those tales are debateable. It was, as so many other Deshaan towns and cites, hit hard by the Llodos Plague that ravaged the land between 2E 581 and 582.

Serkamora or "The Serk", is a town in the Redolent Loam region of Deshaan. It was founded by the Unsyn-Serkaa tribe of Chimer in the early First Era, and it is home to many of the more "urban" Ashlanders of Deshaan. During the outbreak of the Llodos Plague in Deshaan the old ruins of Serkamora were made into a quarantine for the afflicted. This unfortunately caused the Llodos Plague to spread quickly amongst the town's inhabitants. Serkamora was often called the "Quarantine Serk" at the time, as almost no one who lived there wasn't afflicted with the Llodos Plague.

Other prominent locations in Deshaan include Selfora, the fortress of Tal'Deic, the monastery of Muth Gnaar, and the Argonian town of Silent Mire. And the magic school of Shad Astula, located in the Lagomere region, should not go unmentoned.

Deshaan is otherwise home to many Ashlander tribes. Most prominently the Mabrigash tribe, who worship the mysterious diety known as the "Ghost Snake". Many scholars have speculated that there may be links between the so-called Ghost Snake and Mephala, and the Mabrigash have not denied this. Several daedric cults also call Deshaan their home, but these do their best to remain secret.