The overarching Reachmen Invasion storyline

ArchMikem · March 2020

It starts in the Base Game.

Pact zones, the Reachmen attack the Rift with the "aid" of the Worm Cult. Covenant zones, the Reachmen attack Bangkorai. Then Wrothgar, the Reachmen are invading Orsimer lands. DLC Dungeons, the Reachmen use an old Blood Forge in cooperation with Minotaurs to raise an army and take Falkreath Hold, and now in Harrowstorm they, under another "Patron" are getting set on attacking Haafingar Hold.

Throughout the game the Reachmen have been on a path of aggressive expansion, always getting halted by the efforts of the Vestige of course, but other efforts keep starting, and get bolder. Will this culminate with Greymoor? Eventually the Q4 Adventure Zone hinted to be Markarth and The Reach? Or are they just pawns once again of another badder foe. (obviously the latter) Still, it's interesting how far reaching this has been.

prof-dracko · March 2020

I'd love to see more quest option like from Dragonhold that are only available when you've completed certain others. It'd be a neat way to tie up a lot of loose ends from old zones without the potential messing of continuity by allowing fresh players to access them and end up confused.

Number_51 · March 2020

Not sure if it's expansion we're seeing now, or that we're just left cleaning up another of Varen's messes. It's only been 5 years since Varen ousted the Longhouse Emporer Leovic, a Reachman himself. One would suppose those of The Reach would have been given free reign to take territory, political power, and otherwise insert themselves into the normal affairs of the rest of the provinces and their cultures. In other words, they're just now being beaten back after the expansion that did happen between Durcorach's invasion of High Rock (and subsequent taking of the Ruby Throne) in 2E 541 and the end of Varen's Rebellion in 2E 576.

I just started the Orsinium DLC (for the fourth or fifth time) last night and was reminded that, in Wrothgar, the Orcs have "dispatched all but one of their warlords", and that Urfon Ice-Heart is just the last that remains. My impression is that the Reachmen we encounter in the game are just remnants of what was built up in the 35 years under The Longhouse Emperors. Having said that, as we draw closer to their power center in The Reach, we should see more of them.

ETA: I'm not disagreeing with you, I just look at encounters you've mentioned as last-ditch efforts to hold on to what they used to have, rather than attempts to gain more.

Sjestenka · March 2020

I pray to Black Goddess ZOS would make some peaceful tribe for a change. Like a quest hub. Peaceful to a point, anyway. Sacrifices at the Ever-Oozing Altar, how fun would that be!

For reference, such tribes were mentioned in Clans of the Reach book:

If one has the opportunity—or misfortune—to deal with the wild clansmen of the Reach, you should know who you're dealing with. There are a number of clans who trade calmly and peaceably with the cities of the North. Then, there are those who view travelers as threats. Or as targets.

Nomadic_Atmoran · March 2020

Number_51 wrote: »

Not sure if it's expansion we're seeing now, or that we're just left cleaning up another of Varen's messes. It's only been 5 years since Varen ousted the Longhouse Emporer Leovic, a Reachman himself. One would suppose those of The Reach would have been given free reign to take territory, political power, and otherwise insert themselves into the normal affairs of the rest of the provinces and their cultures. In other words, they're just now being beaten back after the expansion that did happen between Durcorach's invasion of High Rock (and subsequent taking of the Ruby Throne) in 2E 541 and the end of Varen's Rebellion in 2E 576.

I just started the Orsinium DLC (for the fourth or fifth time) last night and was reminded that, in Wrothgar, the Orcs have "dispatched all but one of their warlords", and that Urfon Ice-Heart is just the last that remains. My impression is that the Reachmen we encounter in the game are just remnants of what was built up in the 35 years under The Longhouse Emperors. Having said that, as we draw closer to their power center in The Reach, we should see more of them.

ETA: I'm not disagreeing with you, I just look at encounters you've mentioned as last-ditch efforts to hold on to what they used to have, rather than attempts to gain more.

For the Longhouse Emperors to have come into power they would have had to cut a path to the Imperial City. I imagine they wouldn't have just let that territory fall back into the hands of the people they took it from once they obtained the crown. So it's possible there are remnants of that warband out there that Varen wasn't able to clear out and maybe they have moved on to new areas to conquer. Kind of reminds me of the Great Heathen Army in a way.

The thing is though we know for a fact that the Reachmen in Glenumbra, Stormhaven and The Rift are recent arrivals. Everyone is reacting to them as if their presence and their actions are recent and not something they have been dealing with all along (considering how warhawkish both Emeric and Jorunn are I can't see them letting these barbarians hangout in their territory). There is commentary from Nords in The Rift exclaiming shock at how far east the Reachmen are from their territory. Shock that would have worn off by the time of the game if they were well into a 35 year occupancy from the Reachmen. And just about every quest that leads into these zones has a "We hear there is trouble brewing in X, Could you please go find out what is going on and lend a hand?" remarks to the Vestige. If this was something that has been going on for close to half a century. It be odd that no one knows whats going on in these areas or that both sides seem to be racing against time to out maneuver each other instead of a long standing stalemate.

I think most of the base-game Reachmen are not meant to be necessarily remnants of the Longhouse Emperors army. As they are directly allied with Molag Bal and doing his bidding. I think this was more of a "Sauron's Human Allies" sort of deal where ZOS needed people that supported the planemeld because otherwise the Vestige would be fighting nothing but Dremora. But now that we are well passed the planemeld and ZOS needs bad guys (and we just happen to be moving closer and closer to their stronghold of Markarth.) we are seeing more and more of them.