Lore:Sancre Tor

Sancre Tor
Type	Ruin
Continent	Tamriel
Province	Cyrodiil
Region	Jerall Mountains
Appears in	Oblivion, ESO

Sancre Tor circa 3E 433

Sancre Tor (or the Golden Hill) was a fortified city in Colovia, located in the Jerall Mountains north of the city of Chorrol. It is said to be the mythical birthplace and final resting place of Reman Cyrodiil and his successors. It is notable for the Fort Runestones placed throughout the complex during the First Era.

The founding stories of Sancre Tor are conflicting and shrouded in myth. It is written that Alessia received the divine inspiration for her slave rebellion at the site of Sancre Tor, and afterwards founded her holy city there. However, this conflicts with the story of Alessia's youth, where she was raised as a slave in the Ayleid city of Sard. Another origin myth claims that King Hrol gave his life by copulating with the spirit of Saint Alessia on the site of Sancre Tor, seemingly impregnating the earth. The small mound of mud left behind by their union soon grew into a small mountain (the "Golden Hill", also known as Hrol's Hillock), attracting a community of believers to settle there. After nine months, the shepherdess Sed-Yenna heard a cry from the top of the mountain, and climbed it to find the newborn Reman Cyrodiil, wearing the Chim-el Adabal on his forehead.

Regardless of its origins, the city fell into ruin following the fall of the Reman Dynasty. Many heroes and noblemen were buried in the crypts, including the Remans and their Dragonguard protectors. After its abandonment, Sancre Tor became a dark place, haunted by vast numbers of undead. Some time after the Soulburst of 2E 579, Sai Sahan and Kasura hid the Amulet of Kings in the ruins of Sancre Tor before being captured by Molag Bal. In 2E 582, the reformed Five Companions entered the ruins in an attempt to retrieve it. Mannimarco swiftly followed, raising more undead from their graves in an attempt to stop them. However, he was defeated in battle by the Soulless One after revealing his plans to usurp Bal's godhead. He was then pulled into Coldharbour for his treachery, allowing the Companions to escape with the Amulet.

By the late Second Era, Sancre Tor had once again become inhabited. In 2E 852, the city was captured by invading forces from High Rock and Skyrim. General Talos, who would later become Tiber Septim, recaptured the city that winter. However, the city was in a strategically inconvenient position, and was abandoned to again fall into ruins. Septim would later be fatally wounded at a battle of Sancre Tor, where he died and ascended to become one of the Nine Divines. The Blades built a shrine in the catacombs of Sancre Tor, on the spot where he had received the blessing of Akatosh. It then served as a place of pilgrimage for the Blades for many years.

The old fortress of Sancre Tor was later corrupted by the Underking, prompting it to be sealed shut by the Grandmaster of the Blades in the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Tiber Septim. The four mightest blades of the time, Alain, Valdemar, Rielus, and Casnar, never returned from the ruins and were cursed to undeath. In the years after Tiber Septim's reign it was gradually forgotten, decaying into a haunted ruin. The Champion of Cyrodiil visited the ruins in 3E 433 to recover the armor of Tiber Septim, unsealing the ruins with the approval of the Blades. After freeing the four ancient Blades from undeath, their spirits aided the Champion in entering the Reman crypt and recovering the armor. The Champion was also aided by a mysterious guardian known as Baynham.

Tomb of the Reman Emperors

Within the main chamber of the catacombs are five tombs beloning to Reman I, II and III, along with two other unknown rulers. The epitaphs on the gravestones are:

Reman: "Here lies Reman of Cyrodiil. He defeated the Akaviri Horde and brought peace to Tamriel. 2762."

Reman II: "Here lies Reman II of Cyrodiil, crowned Emperor of Tamriel in the year 2812. He fell in battle against the Dark Elves, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, after a reign of thirty-nine years and eight months wanting a day."

Reman III: "Here lies Reman III, last Emperor of the Cyrodiils, the scourge of the Dark Elves, who was cruelly slain by treachery, in the year 2920. He reigned forty-three years."