| Riften | |
|---|---|
| Type | Settlement |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | Skyrim |
| Hold | The Rift (Smokefrost Peaks) |
| Appears in | Arena,Skyrim,Legends,ESO |
Riften(sometimes calledRifton)[1][2]is one of the nine major cities in the province ofSkyrim,[3][4]and is the hold capital ofthe Rift.Built on the shores ofLake Honrich,nestled within the Fall Forest,[5]Riften lies close to Skyrim's borders withCyrodiilandMorrowind,[6]and enjoys robust trade with the latter via the nearby pass through theVelothi Mountains.[7][8]Riften is also the home of theThieves Guildin Skyrim,[9]and has become infamous as a town where the aspiring rogue or thief can rise among the criminal underworld.[10]
Layout & GeographyEdit
Riften lies on the eastern shore ofLake Honrich,in a region of the Rift known as theSmokefrost Peaks,and is surrounded by the expansive Fall Forest. Lake Honrich is one of the largest lakes in northern Tamriel, and is connected to the smallerLake Geirin the northwest by the windingTreva River.In the center of Lake Honrich lies theIsle of Gold.Riften, as with the rest of the Rift, enjoys a relatively temperate climate compared to the otherOld Holdsthanks to the mountains ofYsgramor's Teeth,which separates the Rift fromEastmarchand theSea of Ghosts,blocking the cold weather that comes from the north. One of theStanding Stones,the Shadow Stone, can be found overlooking the city from the southern gate. Much of the land surrounding Riften is farmland, such as the Merryfair Farm, the Snow-Shod Farm, and the Thornwell Farm, among others.Fort Greenwallserves an important bulwark against incursions from the north. Riften was also neighbored by several settlements, includingGreenwallto the west,Vernim Woodto the north, and Morrowind to the east, towardsSilgrad Tower.[3][11]
Riften's architecture and layout reflect the local environment and its role as a center of trade. In theFourth Era,buildings are made of wood from the forest, and the heart of the city is its market square and dockyards, which together are known as the Plankside district. Plankside is separated from the rest of the city, Dryside, by a large canal with water-level entrances to lower quarters and a complex sewer system.[12]:597[12]:601These sewers, affectionately called The Ratway, are used as a refuge for the impoverished and outlaws, and also hold the headquarters of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, who can trace their origins in Riften back to theSecond Era.There is aTemple of Maraon the city's east side, a chapter of theBenevolence of Mara.
Several noble families inhabited Riften, most notoriously theBlack-Briarfamily, canny political manipulators who owned the Black-Briar Meadery. Another clan was theSnow-Shodfamily, who were staunch supporters of theStormcloaksin theSkyrim Civil War.Mistveil Keepis the seat of the Jarl of Riften and contains the barracks of the city guard.
HistoryEdit
Second EraEdit
At some point in the Second Era, Riften was raided by Dark Elves of an unknown creed, in which they hit several farms across the area. Not long after, a local Nord,Unnvald Ironhandhad gathered warriors from all across Skyrim and began his series of campaigns across Morrowind's coast come springtide. He sailed off with an army of warriors once or twice a year, and wreak havoc across the province. One such example was when he sacked the port-town ofDavon's Watch.His exploits were documented and celebrated for several years. Statues depicting Unnvald were erected in Riften and Windhelm.[13]Riften was once known for its famous Riften Cavalry that used to patrol roads throughout the Rift, though their fame has faded by the time of theThree Banners War.[14]
In his youth,Prince JorunnofWindhelmstudied atSkald's Retreaton the Isle of Gold in Lake Honrich. When theSecond Akaviri Invasionoccurred in2E 572,Jorunn and his closest comrades, the Pack of Bards, were in Riften when they received the news. They fought their way north to Windhelm, but were too late to stop the sacking of the city by theSnow DemonsofKamaland the slaying of Jorunn's mother and sister, QueenMabjaarn Flame-Hairand PrincessNurnhilde.Jorunn barely escaped the sacking alive. After journeying to theGreybeardsfor aid and rallying the Nords of Eastern Skyrim, he claimed the title of Skald-King and amassed an army to defend Riften from the approachingAkaviri.Upon finding Riften heavily fortified,Ada'Soom Dir-Kamaldecided to divert his army away from the city and towards Morrowind. The Kamal were later defeated at a decisive battle inStonefallsand an alliance known as theEbonheart Pactwas formed, with Jorunn leading the helm as the newly-crowned High King of Eastern Skyrim. Riften joined the Ebonheart Pact with the rest of Eastern Skyrim,[15][16][17]but in doing so, they took down Unnvald's statues and essentially erased any information regarding his legacy. He was forced to retire and accept the Thanedom ofFullhelm Fort.[13]
During theInterregnumin2E 582,the city of Riften was a small yet bustling mercantile hub. Riften suffered considerable damage in a conflict against theOrder of the Black Wormthat ravaged the Rift, and involved the Ebonheart Pact as well as the spirits of theFive Hundred Companions.Thallik Wormfathersummoned the spirit of the giant chieftainSinmurthe Terrible,[18]who then rampaged through Riften's northern wall and left nearby farmsteads in ruins on his way toTrolhetta.[19][20]The city guard, under the command of CaptainViveka,tended to the damage, with anAgentof the Pact aiding the effort.[21]Meanwhile, the Worm Cult unleashed zombies in the back alleys of Riften at the direction of the AnchoriteGarmar,who possessed a shard ofWuuthradthat was needed to end Sinmur's threat.[22]Once the situation in Riften was resolved, the Pact's army marched to Trolhetta while the Agent gathered more pieces of Wuuthrad across the Smokefrost Peaks.[23]
Around this time, theThieves Guildbegan showing an interest in Riften, and an agent was sent to scout it and compile a report on its layout, merchants, and guard patrols.[10]The city had a small sewer system used only as a "rat pathway" which the Guild believed would be expanded as Riften grew, and it was hoped that the tunnels could someday be utilized in their activities.[10]This proved prescient, and by theFourth Era,the enlarged sewers would become a den of criminal activity known as The Ratway.[24]A cistern beneath the city had also been converted into an outlaws refuge, and was occupied by a gang of local Nords called the Skull-Brethren.[25]
Third EraEdit
In the earlyThird Era,the youngBarenziahtraveled to Riften and became acquainted with the Thieves Guild. On one fateful day, Barenziah and her guild associates attempted to rob the Imperial Commandment's building in the city. It was here thatSymmachusre-encountered Barenziah and brought her back toMorrowind.[26][27]During theImperial Simulacrumin the late Third Era, the city of Riften was ruled by King Bjis, and had a rivalry withWindhelm.[28]
Fourth EraEdit
Riften continued to prosper well into theFourth Era,when both its size and affluence reached their zenith. However, the city fell into a period of decline beginning in4E 98,when theJarlwas assassinated.Hosgunn Crossed-Daggerswas installed as the next Jarl of Riften, and although many believed Hosgunn was responsible for the previous Jarl's murder, he used the city guard to brutally quash any dissent and solidify his rule. Over the course of his long reign, the new Jarl imposed strict curfews, harsh punishments, and unreasonably high taxes on the people, spending most of the accrued gold on the construction of a massive and lavish wooden castle for himself. As Riften sank into squalor and its people succumbed to disease and famine, the city finally reached its breaking point and a popular revolt broke out in4E 129.Hosgunn's castle, by then derisively known as "Hosgunn's Folly", was set alight, creating a conflagration that quickly consumed the entire city. Although Jarl Hosgunn's tyranny was brought to an end that night, many citizens perished, and Riften was left in ruins. The city was rebuilt over the next five years into a smaller, gloomy, fortress-like town of wooden structures and rough stonework, which it remained as of4E 201.[7]
During theSkyrim Civil Warin4E 201,Riften and the Rift were affiliated with theStormcloaks,the rebel group that sought to split Skyrim from theThird Empireand crownUlfric Stormcloakas High King of Skyrim.Laila Law-Giverwas the Jarl of Riften at the time, and despite aligning with Ulfric, she was not fully convinced by the Stormcloak cause or Ulfric's leadership.[29]The Snow-Shod clan avidly supported the Stormcloaks, while the Black-Briars were friendly to the Empire.
Meanwhile, the Thieves Guild was experiencing a long streak of misfortune that had resulted in the loss of much of its influence in Skyrim.[9]There were many theories about their sudden downfall, but the troubles began after GuildmasterGallus Desideniuswas killed in4E 176by one of his allies,Mercer Frey.During Gallus' time as the guildmaster, he maintained relationships with the influential families of Skyrim and kept the Thieves Guild's business safe across the province.[9]With his death, the Thieves Guild had fallen into obscurity, but continued their alliance with the matriarch of the Black-Briar family,Maven Black-Briar.Anew recruiteventually helped the Thieves Guild regain its lost glory, expose the murder of Gallus, and reassert itself throughout Skyrim.[30]
Known RulersEdit
In the mid-Second Era, Riften employed a town council.[31]
- See this section in the following article:The Rift
GalleryEdit
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Riften (Legends)
NotesEdit
- Arenawas 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, Riften's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Furies".[UOL 1]
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see theArena,Skyrim,andElder Scrolls Onlinearticles.
BooksEdit
- Of Crossed DaggersbyDwennon Wyndell— The story of Riften's fall from grace
- People of Riften, The Skald-King Comes!— An invitation to a celebration
- Rivers of Profit in RiftenbyEyes-With-Intent— A Thieves Guild report on potential business opportunities in city of Riften
ReferencesEdit
- ^Biography of Queen Barenziah—Stern Gamboge,Imperial Scribe
- ^Guard DialogueinSkyrim
- ^abMap of Skyrim –The Elder Scrolls: Arena
- ^Map of Skyrim –The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- ^Nords of Skyrim—Hrothmund Wolf-Heart
- ^Map of Skyrim — Pocket Guide to the Empire (3rd Edition)
- ^abOf Crossed Daggers—Dwennon Wyndell
- ^Scourge of the Gray Quarter—Frilgeth Horse-Breaker
- ^abcFall from Glory—Nithilis Lidari
- ^abcRivers of Profit in Riften—Eyes-With-Intent
- ^Map of Morrowind –The Elder Scrolls: Arena
- ^abThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Prima Official Game Guide— David Hodgson
- ^abHallfrida's dialogue inESO
- ^Riften Cavalry Saddleitem description inESO
- ^Jorunn the Skald-King—Helgreir Lute-Voice,Bard of Windhelm
- ^The Second Akaviri Invasion—Yngmaer Raven-Quill,Historian Royal of theBards' College,Solitude
- ^Against the Snakes—Denskar
- ^Shattered Hopesquest inESO
- ^A Giant in Smokefrost Peaksquest inESO
- ^Visible damage in Riften's northern walls and farmland inESO
- ^In His Wakequest inESO
- ^Pulled Underquest inESO
- ^To the Kingquest inESO
- ^The Ratwaylocation inSkyrim
- ^Riften Outlaws RefugeESO loading screen
- ^The Real Barenziah, v 2— Anonymous
- ^Biography of Barenziah, v 2—Stern Gamboge,Imperial Scribe
- ^Riftenlocation and rumors inArena
- ^Laila Law-Giver's dialogue inSkyrim
- ^Under New Managementquest inSkyrim
- ^Warning—Docks Unsafe— The Riften Town Council
Note:The following references are considered to beunofficial sources.They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.