So you want to visit Hammerfell

So you want to visit Hammerfell.

Of all the races of Men, there is only one that can hope to match the martial prowess of Nords, Bretons are little half-Elves and most Imperials would prefer to trade with Elves rather than kill them. But the Redguards know how to fight, rumour has it that they even killed a whole race of Elves once. Always eager to hear stories about Elves dying, I begun my journey to Hammerfell.

How to get there

Conveniently Hammerfell is located just South-west of Skyrim. So it is not too difficult to walk or if you're a milk-drinker you could sail . If walking, make sure you stop off in the NORDIC city of Dragonstar. The city is currently divided in half, one in Skyrim and the other in Hammerfell, however the city is wholly Nordic and don't let anyone say different. If you instead choose to sail, there is no shortage of ports as the Redguards are keen sailors and almost as proficient on the water as us Nords. You could sail to Sentinel, the region's capital, Abah' s Landing, a large city in the Hew's Bane region or the Island of Stros M'kai. Ships frequently travel from Solitude to these ports and make sure you pack light clothes as Hammerfell is ludicrously warm. If you do travel by ship make sure to keep an eye out for the Sload, as they are known to inhabit the waters of western Tamriel.

The Locals

Redguards are strange folk, much like us their ancestors travelled to Tamriel from elsewhere. They travelled to Tamriel from the land of Yokuda, which was apparently destroyed by a giant sword or something like that. Before they used their giant sword to destroy the land, the Redguards managed to kill a group of Elves called the Left-Handed Elves, now that I think about it, I've never seen a left handed Elf so they must have done a good job. Upon arriving on Tamriel, they also fought the Nedes ( little humans who worshipped the stars) and some race of giant goblins. A good long history of fighting, much like ourselves, has honed the Redguards into a race of strong warriors. They don't drink as much as us but they know how to swing a sword and they hate Elves and in Kyne's name that's good enough for me. Granted they do some things different customs to us, for example they have curved swords, Curved Swords. Sounds crazy I know, but the Redguards seem to use them well enough. I was so impressed with these Redguards swords I even had one made for myself.

Picture the races of man as one great family, If Imperials are our whiny little brothers and Bretons are our weird cousins, then Redguards are those cousins of ours who don't see often enough but who have more in common than our lack of shared blood would tell.

What To Do

They're are a number of interesting places to visit in Hammerfell, the most obvious place to visit is Sentinel. It is a large city so has plenty of taverns and is by the coast so it's perfect for fishing. The fact that it's a busy port, means you are sure to encounter some other Nords here as well. Southern parts of Hammerfell are quite close to Elvish lands, so this may be a good spot for Elf hunting. Apparently some Redguards have even allied with these Elves, I have been told that this is just Dominion propaganda but I'll keep my eye on them anyway. The city of Abah' s Landing is in southern Hammerfell and is believed to be the home of the original Thieves Guild, so if you visit, keep a tight grip on your Septims.

Many of the animals of Hammerfell are unlike anything found in Skyrim. They're are strange large lizards that burrow into the sand and attack prey from below, the scales of these creatures can be made into armour so if want some nice new armour grab your axe and get hunting. They also have some big birds that run around the place, seeing as they can't fly they're easy to catch and make quite a decent meal. The Redguards have some fruit wines but unfortunately no mead, as we speak I'm busy organising new trade routes which will bring the finest Black Briar Mead to Hammerfell. Not only will this bring a new source of money into Riften it will also provide our southern allies with an example of what a true drink is.

I couldn't find any Redguard temples but from what I understand some of their gods are the same as Imperials but they also have their own pantheon. They believe in a giant snake that eats the world and thus another world cycle begins. At first I thought this snake was Alduin however I was disappointed to find out that just like the Imperials, the Redguards are very confused about all divine matters. Perhaps the Redguards do drink more than I thought, as they believe this snake may be related to Lorkhan , Our Glorious God-King Shor, such mistakes can only be explained as a result of memory loss caused by standing under the scorching Hammerfell sun for too long. If you are a devout Nord then perhaps visit here to spread the word of the Nordic Gods and tell them that Shor is a fox and not a damn snake. Common past times in Hammerfell include duelling each other, watching lizard races and some tradition of running around lighting flaming beacons. If you need something else to do then look for some undead to kill, the Redguards are scared of killing undead for some reason so if you want to lend a hand, then find some zombies for axing.

Although the Redguards seem like nice people and are good fighters, they are incredibly boring almost as bad as the Dunmer. You'd have a more interesting conversation with an Ice Wraith, maybe there are some fun Redguards but I sure as Oblivion couldn't find them.

In summary, Hammerfell is worth the visit if only to observe the culture of Redguards and their martial prowess, however make sure you bring some Nordic friends of yours as otherwise you'll find the trip relatively boring. Show up, grab one of those fancy curved swords , have a few drinks, find something interesting to kill (elf or animal), speak to some Redguards about duelling and then leave. Spare yourself from the boredom of a Redguard ranting on about some book about circles.

Eorlund Quick-Arrow

Riften