headed down his
“shortcut.” The path The Revolting Life Cycle of the Land Dreugh
The Province of Stormhaven is comprised of three main regions: Alcaire, Menevia, and
Gavaudon. Alcaire lies to the west, where farmers and fishing villages depend upon
the favorable weather and bountiful harvests to eke out an existence. Some locals give
thanks to Zenithar, but our geographers credit the clement conditions of the Iliac Bay.
These western hamlets all swear fealty to the legendary Knights of the Flame of
Alcaire Castle, and fables speak of a future ruler born within the castle’s ramparts.
Menevia is the central region of Stormhaven and is dominated by the
sprawling merchant port of Wayrest. This is the seat of the Cumberland merchant
clan, whose mining of orichalcum has recently resulted in both great wealth and
regional envy. After the largest lode in recorded history was discovered in mines close
to Wayrest, the production of orichalcum ore increased to over two tons per month,
Emeric Cumberland was thrust into prominence, and he was catapulted to the throne
of Wayrest in 2E 563. The second Wayrest dynasty had begun!
To the east is the fiefdom of Gavaudon, which offers rich alluvial soil along
the flood plains around the mouth of the Bjoulsae River. This attracts a hardy class
of frontier farmers who can withstand the more inclement climate. Reports of
attackers from intemperate Orc raiders descending from the Wrothgarian Mountains
and the occasional disappearances of livestock and laborers (mostly blamed on
vampires) have recently subsided, now that the signing of the Daggerfall Covenant
has been concluded.
(No mention of Ranser’s war against Emeric, or the latter’s sacking of Shornhelm.)
The Bretons of the
Daggerfall Covenant
I don't remember much of the voyage from the Imperial City to
Wayrest, as I was learning for the first time that ocean travel
makes me woefully seasick. It was a relief when the ship finally
entered the waters of the Iliac Bay and we left the great ocean
rollers behind. The captain sent me ashore in the ship’s longboat.
Disembarking, I heaved my belongings onto the jetty and
beckoned over an untidy child. With a shiny coin as inducement,
the urchin eagerly furnished me with directions into Wayrest. I
soon turned from
cobbles to mud, and the
structures became more
High Rock (Abridged) - Field Notes
by
Fronto Maecilius
precarious and shoddy. Gaunt
faces stared out from the shadowy
Contrary to local myths about the origins of this base species, the
slums.
dreugh migrate from the Abecean Sea into the lakes and inlets that
I pressed on to the west,
feed into the Iliac Bay. In addition to their mass of clawlike limbs,
cursing that youngster's lies. As the city
pincers, and scuttling feet protruding from a human-torso-sized
walls faded into the sea mist, I stumbled into the dreugh’s
skeletal frame, the dreugh wear armored hides and secrete shell wax
spawning grounds. “Away from the billies!” a man caked
that are prized in some quarters. They are aquatic scavengers,
in mud yelled from his nearby shack. I scrambled back to
spending much of their time in deep ocean water. Local fishermen
safety. “Not too close! Avoid the broodmothers and you’ll
tell of altercations with this species (such as when the dreugh cut
be safe!”
fishermen’s nets to steal fish), but dreugh are mostly mild-
I curbed my temper and sketched these crablike
mannered, except during karvinasim, their period of transformation.
creatures. Retracing my steps, I found the lying rascal and
During karvinasim, dreugh walk upon the land, favoring
taught him a sharp lesson about misleading travelers.
shoreline marshes and rivers close to the open water. Hatchlings are
I spent some time studying and painting in
closely guarded, and broodmothers are extremely territorial, reacting
the Stormhaven countryside -- a charming realm of rolling
to invaders with both speed and hostility. This lends credence to
hills, lush flood plains, rocky outcrops, and copses of
the notion that karvinasim heightens the dreugh’s martial
ancient woodland. The place would be idyllic were it not
instincts. Indeed, after witnessing the evisceration of our lead
for the perpetual unsettled gloom, occasional crackles of
geographer Pulcherius Pomptinus, our raiding party thought twice
thunder, and bolts of Kynareth’s rage that arc across the
before capturing and culling further specimens.
skies.
After a year of land walking, the dreugh return to the
After my unplanned exploration of the slums, I
water. As they submerge, they undergo a final transformation
gathered my resolve for my meeting with High King
Emeric. Collecting my various credentials, I made my known as “meff,” where they devour their land skin and air organs
-- the body parts they no longer need -- and then vomit the congealed
way through the throngs of Wayrest to the palace.
My audience with the king -- and request for remains as small fibrous balls that are approximately a foot in
exploration throughout his province -- was upon me. diameter. These disgusting and foul-smelling spheres are known as
“Emeric the first, Earl of Cumberland, King of Wayrest, “grom” and are found in clusters around lakes. So far, our
and by the Grace of the Divines, High King of the apothecaries have discovered no virtues in grom, aside from inducing
Daggerfall Covenant. Please step forward and kneel.” A hefty- queasiness in some of the more weak-stomached members of the
looking bannerman beckoned me forward. Emeric glanced at my
letters of introduction and writ of transit and peered down at
contingent.
my prostrate form through eyes edged with crow’s feet. He was
still a young man, but the wars of his land had left their marks.
“So… Flaccus Terentius, is it? You’re of the
Chancellor Tharn’s envoys, are you? Although I find the man… As I wandered in wonder through the great city of
distasteful, he is a powerful force for Cyrodiil. For the moment, Wayrest, it is obvious the grip of King Emeric has over his
at least.” He gestured to a Redguard in the regalia of the Lion mostly faithful subjects. My Lion Guard chaperones were polite
Guard. “See that no harm comes to this guest. Terentius, you but looked down their pointed noses at me. I drew their standard
can claim your stipend from the Wayrest Bank. Now, to other armor and favored weapons as they goaded me with questions
matters…” such as “Are you really a traveling writer, or just the least
subtle spy we've ever seen?” I smiled at their taunts, but
I was ushered out like a common house servant. beneath my deferential exterior, I was seething.
Kings!