Mord's Ribs

Mordomllalor, often shortened to Mord, was a colossal Sea-Drake that prowled the waters around Valenwood in the middle Third Era. The origins of the monster are unknown, though many believe Mord was brought over from Pyandonea to Tamriel by the Maormer during the War of the Isle and was cast adrift by the devastating storm conjured by the Psijic Order that scattered the Maormer fleet. Though a folk tale commonly heard in and around the port city of Woodhearth attributes the creation of Mord to an ancient Wild Hunt ritual performed at sea. In the tale, a Bosmeri pirate crew was cornered in the Blue Divide by foreign ships, the origin and number of these ships almost always different. Surrounded, the Bosmer sailors performed the Wild Hunt ritual and their ship exploded in a hideous mass of tentacles, scales and fins, which of course destroyed the nearby foreign ships as well. Though, others tales claim Mord to be a the spawn of Haymon Hart-King and a Nereid concubine, so these folk tales are best taken with a grain of salt.

Mord would prowl the Blue Divide and the waters around Valenwood for some years until the War of the Blue Divide in 3E 397, which began due to the Altmeri nobility’s involvement in the tribal conflicts of the Bosmer. The Altmeri destroyed many of Valenwood’s ports and surrounded Woodhearth from land and sea in a protracted siege. The Bosmer attempted to break the naval blockade by chumming the waters near Woodhearth, which attracted Mord. After a fierce battle, the Altmer managed to slay Mord, boiling it alive in the Fallen Leaves strait. After the war, the Altmer annexed the Fallen Leaves island chain and gained autonomy for the Altmeri colony of Haven. The Bosmer dragged Mord’s massive skeleton to Woodhearth and incorporated it into the rebuilding process, turning its rib cage into an inner harbour, today known as Mord's Ribs. The open maw of Mord's giant skull, knwon as the Marrow Gates, serves as an entrance to the port and a warning to potential assailants. Mord continues to defend Woodhearth, even in death.