| Welke | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ayleid Ruin |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | Cyrodiil |
| Region | Blackwood (Blackwood Bog) |
| Appears in | Oblivion, ESO |
Welke is an Ayleid ruin located along the southern banks of the Panther River, in the northern part of Blackwood of Cyrodiil. Its subsections of Ceyede and Edesel translate to "Shadow-End" and "End-Halls" respectively in Ayleidoon.
HistoryEdit
First EraEdit
During the Alessian Slave Rebellion, Welke became home to one of the Ten Ancestors, Ayleid statues originally held in the White-Gold Tower which were dispersed to cities across Cyrodiil for safekeeping.[1] Welke subsequently fell into ruin after the Ayleids' downfall.
Second EraEdit
Circa 2E 582, the interior of the ruins were sealed, while the exterior was home to a tribe of Ogres.[2] Using portal magic, the Order of the Waking Flame established a secret base within the ruined halls of Welke, using magical amulets to traverse between different sections of the underground complex.[3] On the orders of High Priest Ertus Vandacia, the Waking Flame began to systematically assassinate former members of the Elder Council in pursuit of information on the location of the Four Ambitions. The cult deflected the blame for these killings for a time by framing the Dark Brotherhood, although the authorities in Leyawiin hired Eveli Sharp-Arrow and the Vestige as mercenaries to investigate.[4][5]
Vandacia eventually discovered that a cache of documents from the time of the Longhouse Emperors could be found within the nearby Dark Brotherhood sanctuary within Bloodrun Cave. In order the preserve the secret of the Ambitions, the cult waited until Eveli and the Vestige arrived at the sanctuary before opening portals for an invasion force to enter, enabling the cultists to recover the cache of documents while also eliminating their main adversaries.[6] Although the Waking Flame managed to obtain the documents[7] and kill a number of Dark Brothers and Sisters, the assassin Elam Drals assisted the mercenaries by locating and stepping through one of the cult's portals, which led directly to their base in Welke. Drals proceeded to avenge his fellow assassins by killing the many cultists found within the ruins. By accompanying him, Eveli and the Vestige learned of Vandacia's betrayal and of the cult's planned attack on Castle Leyawiin. The mercenaries subsequently departed Welke to warn the remaining councillors in Leyawiin.[3]
Third EraEdit
In 3E 433, the Hero of Kvatch entered the ruins and retrieved the ancient Ayleid statue, which was found in the deepest and smallest chamber of Welke Edesel along with a Varla stone. The entire compound was overrun by undead at the time. The statue was later sold to Umbacano.[8]
NotesEdit
- The settlement's original Ayleid name has been lost to time. The name "Welke" only came into use some time after the fall of White-Gold.[1]
- The Orrery of Elden Root contains the Pillar of Welke, which can be used in conjunction with the Heart of Anumaril to activate the Orrery.[9] It is unknown if the pillar is named after the ruins or simply shares the same Ayleidoon name.
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see the Oblivion and Elder Scrolls Online
articles.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b Umbacano's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ Welke in ESO
- ^ a b An Unexpected Adversary quest in ESO
- ^ Preserve the Secret — High Priest Vandacia
- ^ A Deadly Secret quest in ESO
- ^ High Priest's Orders — Councilor Vandacia
- ^ Disastrix Zansora's Journal — Disastrix Zansora
- ^ The Collector quest in Oblivion
- ^ The Orrery of Elden Root quest ESO