Great Valley

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A concept for the Great Valley region by be-a-stranger.

Great Valley (previously known as Uld Vraech and possibly pending a rename) is a region in the Velothis District, Morrowind. Controlled both by the Redoran and the Uld Vraech nords, it is a broad mountain valley bordered by snowy peaks, with the Brygg river running down the middle. Copious geysers and heated streams fill the valley, making the area improbably hospitable, considering its climate.

Although prior exterior claims exist, the region is to be developed entirely anew, according to a new heightmap and concept.

The Great Valley on the 2022-12-08 gridmap.
The Uld Vraech currently found in TR_RestExteriors.

Old Implementation

The old Uld Vraech in TR_Restexterior was made largely from 2011 to 2014 and was never really completed.

It is the snowiest part of Morrowind and is not recommended for the faint of heart. Snow blows constantly and dangerous creatures prowl the icy fields. Isolated Nord and Redoran villages nevertheless spar over its valleys.

Plan

The region is to be entirely remade as the old version suffered from overuse of statics, land errors, and lack of differentiation from the Velothi Mountains region. Possibly exceptions may be some of the nicer parts of the exteriors (e.g., Mandul, some of the Nord barrows).

Replacing the earlier mountain plateau will be the Great Valley (or another rename), known from the 1996 Morrowind concept map. Nestled between the Velothi Mountains to the west and another ridge separating it from the eastern Julan-Shar, this is a grandiose mountain valley with the river Brygg flowing north to a small delta. The main feature of the region are its many geysers and hot streams that melt the snow allow for hardy grazing and agriculture. Without those, the area would likely be a sparsely inhabited tundra.

The old name Uld Vraech will refer to the historical Nord petty kingdom, whose descendants still form the majority of the region's populace. Aside from them, the valley will also have substantial Redoran settlement, forming the majority of the Snows March.

Gnomey's 2016 concept for the Uld Vraech region. Now superseded.

History

During the Return from Atmora, Vrage, the captain of the easternmost fleet, lands at the tip of the Velothis. In the early 1st Era, the High Kings of Skyrim conquer Northeast Morrowind in a few generations between 1e 140s and 1e 260s. Uld Vrage is established as a petty frontier jarldom at this time, together with Thundholmar, Solstheim, and Huldarkorst. The First Empire conquers all Morrowind in the late 200s and early 300s, but the Nords are unable to settle widely outside the established frontier kingdoms and are steadily pushed back, retreating over the Velothis due to the Nerevar-Dumac alliance (First Council) in 1e 416. The Nord population of Huldarkorst and Thundholmar is expelled (only reavers and castaways remain in Thundholmar), but those in Uld Vrage have established themselves well over the intervening 200 years, so the Dunmer end up just ruling over them.

The First Empire's priorities in the following centuries are shifted to the south and west, given Cyrodiil's defection in 1e 420 and the conquest of the Reach by the Direnni in 477, which is only (partially) regained in 498. The Nords turn their focus back on the Dunmer in 668 and those in Uld Vrage join their side in the Battle of Red Mountain – to no avail, as the Nords get routed and pushed back across the Velothis. Despite some skirmishes, the border solidifies under long centuries of Tribunate rule, especially given Hestra's conquest of Skyrim.

After the Middle Dawn, the Reman Empire wages an 80-year-long war against the Tribunate from 2840 to 2920. Part of the peace terms include the annexation of the Ald Umbeil and the Great Valley, restoring of the region to human rule for the first time in centuries (TO BE DECIDED). For the first 430 years of the Second Era, the Great Valley is administered as part of Skyrim's Eastmarch, despite the Nords of Uld Vrage having developed a distinct identity by millennia of separation. This arrangement lasts even after the collapse of the Potentate, as Eastmarch reverts to a petty kingdom, given the lack of a High King in Skyrim. Uld Vraech is only lost to Eastmarch due to the one-two punch of the Knahaten Flu and Ada-Soom Dir-Kamal's sack of Windhelm in 572, after which Great House Redoran reconquers the region, holding it for the next 250 years.

The Redoran lose control of Uld Vraech to a large-scale rebellion sometime after 2e 882. The Tribunal, having lost the Tools of Kagrenac, do not intervene on their behalf. Uld Vraech declares itself for Skyrim either as part of the High Kingdom or through Eastmarch (the the latter's glee). Although Tiber Septim's armies fight minor inconclusive skirmishes all along the Morrowind border, including in Uld Vraech, the conquest of Skyrim goes poorly, souring Tiber's mood towards the Nords and Eastmarch. Hence, he disregards the Uld Vraech Nords' appeals for recognition and formally abjures any Nordic right to the Great Valley and all lands east of the Velothis in his capacity as High King of Skyrim in order to seal the Armistice. The Uld Vraech Nords are swiftly pacified by the Redoran, who rule them for the next 400 years, despite brief periods of rebellion.

During the chaos of the Simulacrum, the Nail-Knock clan of White Hold successfully conquers the Felsing Isles from the minor Nordic fisherfolk clans who lived there. The Redoran, never a naval power, had left the isles essentially ungarrisoned. Rather than driving out the Nail-Knocks, the Redoran use the new threat to strong-arm Jarl Mojorn of Dunkreath into various concessions, including an end to raids on Redoran settlements. The stronghold village at Mandul is constructed shortly thereafter to solidify Redoran strength in the Valley. A few years before game start, Jarl Sillte of Valenhal (the daughter of the Nail-Knock warlord who conquered the Felsing Isles) arranges a protection racket scheme with the North Navy, whose overstretched forces can no longer protect Sea of Ghosts shipping. The Nail-Knocks exploit this arrangement to strangle trade to Dunkreath and the Valley. Just before game start, the Nail-Knocks found a new crude stronghold called Gramund on the mouth of the Brygg River, denounce Jarl Mojorn as a weakling, and declare themselves to be the legitimate heirs to the legacy of King Vrage. Great House Redoran, distracted by Bolvyn Venim's decampment to Vvardenfell, does not stop them, but threatens reprisals against Nord rebels.

Redoran quest content begins with Nord raids resuming against Redoran targets, and the Jarl of Dunkreath pleading innocence. The player is sent to punish the raiders suspected of carrying out the attack, who have been granted asylum at Ystralond. Depending on player choices as events unfold, two outcomes are possible:

  • The player focuses Redoran strength on crushing the Nail-Knocks, killing the Nords at Gramund and burning their ships at Valenhal. The player negotiates a formal renewal of the truce with the Jarl of Dunkreath after stopping an assassination attempt and ending the threat to trade. The Nail-Knocks release their conquered island clans and submit to the Jarl of Dunkreath. The player reconstructs Ald Umbeil on the west bank of the river to reaffirm Redoran strength.
  • The player exploits the presence of the Nail-Knocks to rid Redoran of enemies, allowing the Jarl of Dunkreath to be assassinated by a Nail-Knock sympathizer. The Nord thanes of the Valley quarrel among themselves for primacy, with the Nail-Knock Jarl unsurprisingly emerging victorious. The player burns down Gurstad and marches a band of elite Redoran into Dunkreath, forcing the Nords' surrender. The pliable (and old) Thane of Hjolfrstad is installed as the new Jarl of Dunkreath, and the Nail-Knocks are extinguished (either killed by the player or fleeing back west). The player reconstructs Ald Umbeil on the west bank of the river to reaffirm Redoran strength.

Settlements

Gnomey's old implementation of Mandul in TR_RestExteriors.

Given the depth of the overhaul to the Great Valley, nearly all settlements will have to be built from scratch, although perhaps reusing parts from older ones.

  • Cormaris – the capital of the Redoran Snows March and what serves as a faction hub there. Previously known as Kragen Huul in TR planning. The current name is transplanted from the old Imperial Cormaris in the Julan-Shar inlet, seen in TR_RestExterior, which has now been scrapped (originally Cormar View from TES I: Arena).
  • Mandul – a recently constructed Redoran stronghold village in the lower valley. The original Mandul was made by Gnomey in 2013.
  • Dunkreath – a Nord village and the seat of the Jarl of Dunkreath who rules over the Nord settlements in the Great Valley. A potential questing center for the region.
  • Selethis – the current version in TR_RestExteriors (Soluthis, i.e., Reich Parkeep from TES I: Arena) is to be remade as a Tribunal Temple settlement nestled in a canyon at the start of the Great Valley. It will serve as a crossroads between the various Redoran marches. Making Selethis a Temple settlement has several benefits:
    • one, it fixes the lack of temple presence in Velothis despite the Redoran being the biggest Temple supporters after the Indoril.
    • two, the Velothi set is more favourable to the design that Selethis has, that being carved into a cave (that will be remade into a canyon).
    • three, it fixes a lingering issue of how to divide the Redoran cities between the marches. For a while Selethis was set to lead the Snows March despite being on the edge between the Ashes March and Redoran heartland. Instead, Cormaris will now take that role without Selethis interfering.
  • Gurstad – a Nord holdfast in the upper valley.
  • Holstag – the southernmost Nord settlement in Morrowind, barring a few isolated clansteads.
  • Kolenhal – a Nord holdfast in western Great Valley.
  • Hjolfrstad – a Nord village on the lower Brygg river.
  • Gramund – a recent crude stronghold built by the Nail-Rock Reavers on the Brygg river delta.
  • Ald Umbeil – a ruined Redoran stronghold on the west bank of the Brygg river. Possibly to be reconstructed for the player during TR's Redoran questline.
  • Vrage's Landing – the site where Vrage, the captain of the Eastern Fleet, first landed during the Return from Atmora. The second alternative site of a player stronghold.

Additional Links

(2016) Gnomey's Velothis conceptualization thread.