Lore:Northpoint
| Northpoint | |
|---|---|
| Type | Settlement |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | High Rock |
| Region | Rivenspire (Boralis) |
| Appears in | Arena, ESO |
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Northpoint (also spelled as North Point) is one of the eight major kingdoms in the province of High Rock, located on the northeast point of Rivenspire. Northpoint is an important trading center along the northwest trading route on the Eltheric Ocean, as well as the seat of power for House Dorell, one of the three major houses of Rivenspire. Their power extends across northern Rivenspire, including farmland around the city and beyond the sea.
Layout and Geography[edit]
Northpoint is located at a very strategic point in Rivenspire. It hosts the only port in the entire region, where the Eltheric Ocean meets the Great Bay and it is also the last major settlement on Rivenspire's main road, which circles around the southern face of the mountains. Northpoint also sits at the top of Dore Elard, a mountain that overlooks the coast and provides a grand vista of the ocean and the beaches that surround it. There is a smuggler's tunnel underneath the mountain that leads straight to the lighthouse. The landscape around the city consists of grassy plains with privately-owned farmsteads and large rocky outcrops between the river in southern Boralis and the coast. These farms were leased by House Dorell and it became their second business endeavor next to sea trading. The main road runs through these farmlands and around Northpoint's southwest wall to the coastline, where the city's port, Northsalt Village is located. Beyond that is a straight path to the last place on the road, Westwind Lighthouse. Northpoint is neighbored by several settlements, one of them being Normar Heights to the southwest.
Northpoint is a walled-off city but the bluff where Lanthorn is located is separated from the wall and completely unprotected. At the town's center is a large fountain and the seat of power, Dorell Manor. From there, Northpoint's three main thoroughfares disperse toward Lanthorn, the western gate, and the southern gate. South of Dorell Manor is the city's graveyard and along the southern walls are large towers. Some of the city's biggest buildings are located in the center, such as the inn and the smithy, and further out are manorhouses and average houses. The marketplace is located on the northeast corner of the city, along the northeast wall.
Notable Locales[edit]
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History[edit]
Early History[edit]
Northpoint was founded in the 9th century of the First Era by the Breton entrepreneur, Yric Flowdys during his routine trip on the summer route between Daggerfall and Solitude. Yric made note of harborage on Rivenspire's coast, one that did not make for an ideal port but its deep waters proved accommodating for large vessels. It also could serve its purpose as a waystation between the two coastal cities, for ships to restock, repair, or wait out storms. And so, Yric constructed his harbor at Northpoint, the best anchorage, and even named it after it. Not long after, he oversaw the construction of a small walled keep and warehouse southeast of the port, on the peak of Dore Elard. Eventually, the town saw a lot of traffic and Yric took on the mountain's name as his own. The newly christened House Dorell developed their maritime endeavors and leased land beyond the town to farmers, establishing a new source of income.
Over time, the port that was built at Northpoint was renamed Northsalt Village, while the town on the hill became known as Northpoint. When the province of High Rock was brought into the Alessian Empire in 1E 1029, House Dorell were granted a barony by Empress Hestra and throughout the First Era, brought great prosperity to the entire province. The fortunes of both the House and Northpoint have constantly shifted with the flow of the northwest trade ever since. The fruits of their labor had eventually earned them the kingship of Rivenspire in the twenty-fourth century of the First Era, and ever since then, House Dorell had been regarded as the elite among the kingdom's nobility.
Northpoint in the Interregnum[edit]
By the mid-sixth century of the Second Era, House Dorell was led by Baron Alard Dorell and when King Ranser of Shornhelm declared civil war against High King Emeric, House Dorell answered the call to arms and joined Rivenspire's armies against the south. After the death of the King and his lineage, however, the leaders of Rivenspire's three great houses assembled together to form a triumvirate called the Council of the North, which ruled the kingdom for the time being. Baron Dorell assumed the position along with Baron Esmark Tamrith and Baron Wylon Montclair. While Alard lived in the family estate in Shornhelm, his son, Ellic Dorell governed Northpoint and its environs from the family manor in town.
In 2E 582, there was a plot conducted by House Montclair to take over Rivenspire, and the Baron's daughter, Lady Lleraya Montclair had set her sights on Northpoint. She arrived in the city and immediately got an audience with Ellic Dorell, with the promise of help. She advised him to gather the city's people and as they gathered en masse, she used magic from the Lightless Remnant to turn them into bloodfiends. Some people managed to escape with the Dorell Blademaster, Qariar to the Sloshing Tankard inn, but most of the city's citizens were turned into feral vampires and Lady Montclair sealed Northpoint from the outside. In Dorell Manor, Lady Montclair used the remnant for a simple illusion spell, a veil that charmed the nobles into her favor.
Outside of the city, Baron Alard Dorell and the armies of Shornhelm amassed to retake the city. He sent several agents across the field to find a way into the city and discovered a smuggler's tunnel underneath the lighthouse, on the north shore. An Agent of House Dorell, Skordo the Knife devised a plan for the members of the invasion force to stealthily enter the city and find a safe house to further plan their attack. They eventually took over the manor of Baron Chirane and rendezvoused with Blademaster Qariar. Baron Alard sent an Agent of the Daggerfall Covenant to confront Lady Lleraya Montclair and find Ellic Dorell. With help from Verandis Ravenwatch, the Agent broke the veil and defeated the vampire mistress. For allowing Lady Montclair to take over the city and causing the death of many people, Baron Alard punished his son and relieved him of his status. After securing Northpoint, the forces of Shornhelm gathered at the base of the Shrouded Pass for a final attack against Baron Wylon Montclair.
Northpoint in the Third Empire[edit]
By the late-Interregnum, the kingdoms of High Rock were in a weak and fractured state, which made them easily conquered by Tiber Septim. Historically, Northpoint was a city ruled by the Barons of House Dorell, a major faction that swore fealty to the Kingdom of Rivenspire seated in Shornhelm. By the late Third Era, however, Northpoint was recognized as a fully-fledged kingdom in its own right, separate from its equal, Shornhelm.
During the Imperial Simulacrum in the late Third Era, the city-state of Northpoint was an active settlement. It was ruled by Queen Elona and had a rivalry with Evermore and Shornhelm. When the Warp in the West took place in 3E 417, on the 10th of Frostfall, the kingdoms of Northpoint and Evermore took advantage of the chaos and claimed smaller nations around them. Their expansion was strategically maneuvered to avoid confrontation with the kingdoms of the Iliac Bay (Daggerfall and Wayrest) or even Skyrim's forces in the post-War of the Bend'r-mahk. Despite that, however, border skirmishes had become a common occurrence between neighbors, specifically Northpoint, Evermore, and even Camlorn. By the waning years of the Third Era, Northpoint was one of the five kingdoms left in High Rock, quietly watching its neighbors distrustfully.
Known Rulers[edit]
- The First Era
- Baron Bouchard Dorell (ca. 1E 2260)
- The Second Era
- Baron Alard Dorell (2E ? – 2E 566)
- Lord Ellic Dorell (2E 566 – 2E 582)
- The Third Era
Culture[edit]
- For Breton culture as a whole, see the: Culture section on the Breton page.
Traditionally, Northpoint has been the seat of power for Rivenspire's general northern region, Boralis as well as its patron house, Dorell. Before it was a modern-day kingdom, however, it was a barony first established in 1E 1029, one that answered to the historical Kingdom of Rivenspire. Typically in Breton tradition, the Kings and Queens of High Rock, including monarchs from Shornhelm are buried in Cath Bedraud, a grand cemetery in northernmost Glenumbra. But for the Barons of House Dorell, they were buried in the Sanguine Barrows, a sprawling graveyard in Westmark Moor. Over time, Northpoint has elevated to the status of kingdom and even expanded its border in the wake of the Miracle of Peace.
According to local legends, there is an immortal and legendary leviathan called Ithguleoir that is said to haunt the Eltheric Ocean, from Northpoint to the Glenumbra Banks. There is a children's chant from Northpoint that is in reference to the ruins nearby, which goes as follows. "Do not dally, do not linger, in the tomb they call Orc's Fingers". The story goes that a long time ago, there was an Orcish warrior that came to the region for spoils and battle but died to a lich in the ruins.
When Yric Flowdys founded his new port, he specially minted several gold coins to commemorate the city's complete construction. The true value of these coins as collector's items is speculated. What has been purported throughout the years is that there were only a hundred of these coins, and most of them are lost in private collections. However, according to Reginus Buca's research, those numbers were fabricated by archaeologists to inflate their value and that Flowdys had circulated the coins in Northpoint's trade to spread the word. Not only that but in its heyday, some coins were counterfeited and their tell was their lightweight, compared to the common gold coin. By the Fourth Era, Northpoint was a major port in the East Empire Company's northwest lines. The ships that docked or passed through Northpoint came from other neighboring cities, such as Farrun, Hegathe, Sentinel, Solitude, and Wayrest.
Gallery[edit]
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North Point (Arena)
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Northpoint Lieutenant (Legends)
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Northpoint Captain (Legends)
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Northpoint Herald (Legends)
Notes[edit]
- Arena was originally conceived as a fighting game featuring a tournament that took the player to each of Tamriel's cities to challenge different gladiatorial teams. According to a file from that stage of development left behind in the final game, North Point's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Slayers".
See Also[edit]
Books[edit]
- Northpoint: An Assessment by Chancellor Regina Troivois — A treatise on House Dorell of Rivenspire
References[edit]
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.
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