History of the Nedes of Hammerfell

By Nehfa al-Ska'vyn, scholar of the No'Raqqi Sisterhood of Ra-Yoku'Iquizzi

One of the most mysterious races to have inhabited Tamriel must be the Nedes. Despite the discoveries of ruins and writings left behind by them all over northern Tamriel we still know very little about the Nedes' culture and origins. While it was long a common belief that the Nedes were simply a type of Atmorans who early on settled Tamriel and in time became what we today call Nords, Bretons and Imperials that line of thought has been challenged by many modern scholars, including myself. Some recently uncovered Nedic ruins have been dated back to many years before year 1000 of the Merethic Era, when the first Atmoran settlers are belived to have landed on Tamrielic shores. The ruins were not discovered anywhere near the Sea of Ghosts either, as one would expect if the "out of Atmora" theory is correct. These ruins were found in northeastern Hammerfell, where Craglorn borders Falkreath in Skyrim. This would entirely contradict the theory that the first Nedes came from Atmora and settled in modern day Eastern Skyrim. I therefore support the theory that the Nedes originated in Tamriel, possibly along with the Atmorans, and that some them chose to head north to Atmora while others stayed on Tamriel. This is a theory that was first proposed Lothgar the Silkbeard, who based his claims on ancient Atmoran creation myths (which were written down in an old tome, supposedly brought to Tamriel by one of Ysgramor's scribes, that disappeared after Lothgar's drath in the late First Era). According to that theory, the Men who chose to stay in Tamriel then spread out across northern Tamriel, a large portion settling in northern Hammerfell. Of course, this theory only explains one part of the great mystery that is the Nedes, but it begins to explain their origins.

I will not be describing the cultures of the Nedes that went east into Morrowind or settled in Skyrim and High Rock. I will instead focus on those who settled in Hammerfell, primarily Craglorn. It is in Carglorn that the majority of intact remnants of Nedic civilization have been found, and Sali'ma at-Muhay has in several of his recent works provided evidence for that the iconinc "mage towers" that dot the region's landscape are indeed of Nedic origin. The early Nedes likely settled the eastern parts of Craglorn first, only to then expand their realm westward. The priests of HoonDing's Watch in the Alik'r Desert claim that those ruins were built by the original Yokudan warrior wave to mark the location of their first victory over the Nedes. Although if the Nedes ever truly made it that far west is a hotly debated topic. It is however certanly known that by the begining of the First Era the Nedes of Hammerfell had created a great civilization, and a large realm that was ruled from the city of Skyreach in upper Craglorn. The Nedes of Craglorn worshipped the Stars above all else, and the so-called "Cult of the Stars" (the Nedes were never very creative with names) was very powerful, at least during the early years of Nedic rule over Craglorn. The Warrior, the Mage and the Thief were the constellations that the Nedes of Craglorn worshipped to the greatest extent. Those constellations are also the "Celestials" said to have appeared in Craglorn, but those rumours of course hardly more than just that. There was also another prominent diety in the Nedic star-faith, the Serpent. The Serpent was not worshipped by the Nedes, but was instead seen as the enemy of the other constellations and an evil force that has to be opposed. In many ways, he was very similar to Lorkhan in Elven faith and Satakal in Yokudan. The Nedes are the ones who are believed to have raised the Mundus stones which appear in a notably great number in Craglorn. Nedic writings from the time shortly before the third Warrior Wave swept through Craglorn do however suggest that many Nedes had begun worshipping the Aedra and the Daedra instead of the old constellations by that time.

Whent the Yokudan Third Warrior Wave reached Craglorn the Nedic kingdom, then ruled by king Durac of Skyreach, had been severely weakened. Many Nedes had left Craglorn and began calling themselves Nords and Bretons, some of them had even joined the Yokudan invaders. Emperor Tarish-Zi and his army of Ra Gada faced little resistance when they swept through the region, and king Durac and his people had rather mysteriously disappeared (or died, Yokudan texts can sometimes be a pain to translate) when Tarish-Zi's army reached Skyreach. Only the city of Shada's Tear, being led by the Nedic general Zal'ik, held out against the Yokudans, and the Third Warrior Wave is believed to never have actually taken it. But even if a few Nedic clans survived the Yokudan conquest the thought of a Nedic civilization in Hammerfell was lost to time, and Tarish-Zi ordered the destruction of many important Nedic monuments and books. It is largely becase of that decree that we know so very little about the civilization of the Hammerfell Nedes. Still, I hope that I have been able to expand your knowledge of the Nedic civilization, its rise and its fall in this book. It might actually turn out to be very important knowledge, if it is true that the constellations now walk Nirn and that the long-since dead of Craglorn have risen from their tombs.