Lore behind Craglorn trials

Lariana

I'm curious to know what we know lorewise about the three trial locations that are located in Craglorn: Aetherian Archive, Hel Ra Citadel, and Sanctum Ophidia.

Usually it's almost impossible for me to wait and listen to all of the NPC dialogues, since we use TS for trials and our group just rushes through them as quickly as possible. So I'm looking for other sources of information. Could anyone help me out?

Woeler

I once wrote a bit about the Hel Ra Citadel. Never published it. So enjoy.

When the warriors of Old Yokuda first set foot on the lands of Tamriel they swept through the barren lands of Hammerfell with a force barely describable with words. Their swords unbreakable, skill unmatchable and numbers uncountable.

They reached the barren lands of Craglorn, crushing old nedic and native settlements and civilizations without mercy. Cities burned and civilizations perished as the Yokudans swept through the lands of Hammerfell for the years to come.
In their conquest they rebuilt cities and settlements to their own liking, building a new civilizations previously unknown to Tamriel.

As for today most of the land the Yokudans claimed in the old days is now home to the Redguard. However, some old Yokudan forts remain sealed to any who may wish to enter, one of these forts can be found on the southern border of Cragorn, known to modern Tamriel as the Citadel of Hel Ra.

Many Imperial scholars believe that the fort was meant to protect a nearby Yokudan settlement, others speculate a more mysterious means to this ancient construction and believe it was used to train Yokudan warriors known as the Sword Saints. Some believe that the Citadel was built upon a nedic fort the Yokudans destroyed as a means of showing their power and making clear they are a force to be reckoned with

As far as Imperial knowledge goes nobody has been able to enter the Citadel of Hel Ra since its doors sealed. However, what might be widely accepted may not always be true. There were times in which the Imperial civilization was in ruins and in which recordings of history vary widely according to who one might ask.

So the story goes that during the three banners war in the second era the constellations of the Warrior and the Mage fell from the sky, never to rise again. It were the star gazers of Belkarth who believed that "he who has no season", or more commonly known as the Serpent had cast down the two celestial guardians in order to carry out a vile plot against all of tamriel.
As it always is during wartimes, unsung heroes rise time and time again, even in the barren lands of Craglorn. While the Empire claims nobody has even set foot in the Citadel of Hel Ra, the remaining Redguard in Craglorn will tell you a different story.

It is said that while the two celestial guardians were cast from the sky a group of unknown heroes dared brave the dangers of the Citadel. Warnings by locals and even the most experienced adventurers were of no concern to them, and so these heroes started their journey through the pass leading to the gates of the citadel.

Many had attempted to enter before them, but none of them returned. And so the locals believed it was just another group of fools losing their lives. That was until an immense explosion was heard from within the pass, echoing through every corner of craglorn. Barely hours later the heroes emerged from the pass, claiming to have breached the Citadel and to have slain all that was inside.

They claimed to have slain a mortal aspect of the celestial warrior that was possessed by the Serpent. They were laughed at by the locals. Breeching the gates might have just been possible, but slaying a celestial, no, that was something even the locals of craglorn could not believe.

That night, as the stories spread and were laughed at the Warrior Celestial reappeared in the sky. It was only then the locals realized that those heroes who braved the dangers of the citadel had been telling the truth.

As stated before, this story is not accepted by Imperial scholars because to them it is just tales and folklore. The actual reason for not accepting this story might lay in the fact that the empire has sent multiple expedions to the Citadel, none of them ever returned.

Besides this one story there have been no other stories or rumours of successful expeditions into the citadel. Its gates have been sealed shut ever since.

As Imperial Magistrate Albus once said when asked if the Citadels gates would ever open "Never".

Lariana

This is very informative, thank you!

Is this based just on NPC dialogue, or did you find any books/letters about these events too?

Woeler

Lariana wrote: »

This is very informative, thank you!

Is this based just on NPC dialogue, or did you find any books/letters about these events too?

Based on npc and books from earlier games about this dungeon.