Clan Sunshorn is a Nordic clan long-enthralled by the trappings of vampirism, a hungering force looming in the shadows of the Reach and holds of Skyrim. Our 18+ role-playing guild features collaborative storytelling; dark and grisly themes; and explorations of the cultural merger between what is "Nordic" and what is "vampiric" in the Elder Scrolls universe. We strive to offer moderate-to-heavy role-play with storylines often arcing over multiple weeks, while encouraging sporadic, organic scenes between players. Our guild is currently accepting new members and always welcoming new collaborations.

• OVERVIEW

View a summary of our guild and the style of role-play we embody. Details regarding our expectations, common structure, clan Hierarchy, Culture, and custom Bloodline are expanded upon within.

• HISTORY

The Elder Scrolls lore is vast and its story ever-growing. See narratives of prominent characters weaved into the timeline, detailing the clan's beginnings to its present.

• HOLDINGS

Tamriel's scope is expansive. Explore our role-play locales and their essential descriptions, represented by in-game housing instances and other open world areas.

• PANTHEON

Vampires are often at odds with deities in the Elder Scrolls world, and religious tension is common. Browse our version of a bastardized Nordic pantheon, one rooted in twisting narratives and Daedric influence.

• CONTACT

To learn more about our role-playing guild based in ESO, or if you are interested in joining the fun, please reach out to an officer. Find our contact information here.

Overview

In the western region of Skyrim, a devious clan of vampires has prowled the primal Reachlands for centuries: Clan Solskera ("Sun-Shorn"). Founded by a Nordic lord in pre-history, the Solskera bloodline once prospered on the wars and bloodshed of the First Nord Empire from their foothold in the Druadach Mountains. Thereafter they became strong and stalwart, a name well-known among the northern bloodlines. But in the aftermath of the empire’s downfall, the Sunshorn grew more passive, playing spectator to history as they receded back to their mountain barrow and subterranean stronghold in the Reach.With the advent of Skyrim’s separation into two distinct kingdoms — and the later provocation of the Three Banners’ War alongside the Planemeld — this dormant clan began to stir once more. By strange issue from their lord, these vampires have begun to rebuild their base of power, spreading their unique strain of Sanguinaire Vampiris to the unlucky and unwary as their numbers swell. Yet they are not alone in emerging to find an ancient land now ripe for subdual; many rivals rise to meet them in force, promising a new age of blood and conquest in the frigid North.

• OOC Info

• Culture

• Hierarchy

• Bloodline

Out-of-Character Information

Clan Sunshorn forms a group of role-players dedicated to darker Elder Scrolls themes centered around vampirism and Nordic culture — specifically how the two interplay to create a unique, thriving story for our members. As we strive toward a goal of moderate-to-heavy activity, you can expect spontaneous role-play within the guild to occur frequently throughout the week. Our officers are also dedicated to running at minimum one guild-wide and plot-driven storyline event every other week; meanwhile, more casual guild meetings will be hosted in the off weeks between smaller events or new chapters of progressing storylines. Because we endorse player driven, in-game role-play, guild members are not only welcome but encouraged to strike up interesting scenes that invite others in the clan to participate each week.Due to mature content, this guild remains strictly 18+
You need not proceed further unless you fit this criteria.The underlying premise of this group is one of dark-natured conquest, dominion, and the harsh realities of a violent, bloody lifestyle as portrayed in the Elder Scrolls universe. We strictly mandate a mature age limit regarding all themes “vampire”; for further clarification, please review the relationship of vampires to Molag Bal, whose spheres of influence tend to speak for themselves.Clan Sunshorn operates with a firm emphasis on adherence to Elder Scrolls lore, with personal interpretations and often fanon being used to bridge any small gaps in canon content wherever found. If your style of role-play is more free formed and less lore-adhering, then this guild may not be a good fit for you. Our goal is not to dampen creativity, but foster it within the bounds of pre-established story and content to offer our members more coherency and immersion.First and foremost, Clan Sunshorn is considered a vampire guild; however, we are not limited to vampire characters alone. Those with dark desires and aesthetics can potentially find a home here as well on a case-by-case basis. Clan Sunshorn is also a Nord-centric guild, but is not only limited to characters who are Nords. All are welcome to apply, but strongly consider the following if you choose to do so with a beastfolk or mer character:Due to representations of both a modern and Ancient Nordic value system, non-human characters in the clan may be subject to in-character racial biases. Such characters will have to work harder to convince us that they deserve a seat in a Nordic hall, or the chance to earn glory alongside the human hierarchy that dominates the clan. If you are applying with any elf, Argonian, or Khajiit, please recognize that your character may face distrust, racism, and hostility within role-play until they have had an opportunity to prove themselves through character development. This stigma is reflective of character mindsets and NOT those of guild members themselves — we are more than happy to welcome you OOC, but our characters less so IC in these circumstances.As with all role-playing guilds, we stress the importance of recognizing the distinction between an in-character (IC) environment and out-of-character (OOC) environment. As such, OOC discrimination of any kind will NOT be tolerated, nor will we tolerate the creation or propagation of drama. If you have questions about these concepts, please do not hesitate to ask.

Hierarchy

Lord - The Sunshorn have only one Lord, and although he has carried many titles across the centuries, his position has never faltered at the head of the clan birthed from his blood. Balgeir is the progenitor of Clan Sunshorn, a Child of Coldharbour and temperamental vampire lord with grander aspirations for domination than perhaps even he knows how to achieve.Lady - Reigning at Balgeir’s side, Neasa Wudvane styles herself the Lady or Queen of the Sunshorn’s holds. She was born of the Reachfolk to a fabled witch of no small reputation, later ascending to become a Daughter of Coldharbour after Balgeir himself presented her in sacrifice to Molag Bal. Often appearing as a foil to her husband, Neasa is cold, calculating, and as staunch a commander of the clan’s political spheres as the hersir is of its military. Some whisper that the Lady is intimately connected to the designs and worship of Peygja, the Bitter Drake.Hersir - More than a Nordic thane, a Hersir defines a commander, conqueror, and advisor bundled into one celebrated vampire. The Hersir serves as Balgeir’s general who will speak with his voice in the lord’s absence and lead his armies into battle. Further, the Hersir will also maintain their own holdfast and lands within the greater purview of the clan. This rank is currently held by a hulking vampire raider: Fjorli Fire-Blessed, the Siege Singer.Thane - An honorary title prevalent in modern Skyrim. Serving at the behest of the hersir, Thanes have their own authority and the responsibility of specialized duties they are expected to perform for the clan with the weight of this title. If an established vampire were to perform their duty well enough or demonstrate superb loyalty, they may be granted the title of Thane. Thanes are expected to uphold certain obligations of leadership, specifically handed down from the lord, lady, or hersir. Any previous title or day-to-day responsibilities already belonging to a vampire may be retained alongside one’s new duties upon becoming a Thane.Bloodsworn - These vampires — of Solskera blood or otherwise — have proven loyal service to the clan for quite some time and have taken part in at least one of Molag Bal’s summoning day rituals. Once Bloodsworn, these vampires now gain both the greater trust of their leaders and also access to secrets of the Sunshorn previously barred to them when they were merely kinsworn. Often, Bloodsworn vampires will also be tasked with leading small groups into battle and assigned more perilous missions to uphold the clan’s honor. Upon a kinsworn warrior's ascension to Bloodsworn, the vampire is awarded with a torc or finger ring of cold iron upon their first summoning day, visibly marking their status and allowing them to earn more of these unique rings.Kinsworn - When a new Solskera vampire is made — or when an existing vampire forswears their old allegiance to pledge an axe to Lord Balgeir — they hereafter become known as a Kinsworn vampire of Clan Sunshorn. Whether fledgling or decades-old, the title is ubiquitous among the clan's average shield-siblings. Only enduring strength denotes power in the eyes of the Sunshorn; as such, all Kinsworn have an equal chance to prove themselves to the clan's leaders, and in doing so, also prove themselves to Molag Bal. Once one becomes a Kinsworn vampire, they are capable of seeking roles or occupations to establish themselves in the clan, and are expected to come to the defence of hearth, home, and shield-siblings in times of strife and glory.Mortal - These are the mortals who have pledged themselves to Clan Sunshorn's cause — willingly or otherwise. "Mortal" as a term denotes humans, beastfolk, and mer who act as servants, thralls, allies, trading partners, mercenaries, and others who affiliate with the clan without being vampires themselves. The term also applies to supplicants who may eagerly seek the Solskera blood themselves. Lycanthropes may also fall under this broad category if — on rare occasion — a werecreature is used by or aligned to the benefit of the clan.As a fact of reality, the Mortals involved with Clan Sunshorn do not enjoy the same freedoms and privileges as the vampires with whom they are aligned or in whose service they find themselves. As a rule of clan law, a single Mortal may be claimed by a single vampire as a personal thrall; once designated a personal thrall, only the vampire to whom the Mortal belongs may press them into service or drink from their person — violating this rule is subject to the death of the perpetrator.Unblooded - Those deemed “Unblooded” await the clan's judgement. This term can be applied to mortals or vampires who exist in stasis: They are those individuals who have yet to prove themselves worthy of embarking on a path set before them by the lord, lady, hersir, or a thane. Once that path is given, an Unblooded figure must endure their trial alone; if prosperous, this person will emerge to swear an axe to Lord Balgeir and become a kinsworn vampire — in name only if not also in blood. Only success or death will be met at the end of each Unblooded individual’s path. Bravery and strength prevail, while weakness shatters.

Culture

Clan Sunshorn's internal culture has been cultivated over millennia, and is in many ways both similar to and divergent from Nordic culture past and present. Unsurprisingly, the clan's vampiric pantheon comprises a traditional array of Nordic gods dominated by the prince of domination, Molag Bal; however, religious practice in the clan is also permeated with smaller cults, which are at times both loyal and fractious. The Sunshorn are a proud and fiercely xenophobic clan, yet simultaneously welcome outsiders eagerly — so long as those outsiders have a valuable use. Even elves, the traditionally-hated enemies of Nords, can be found among the clan’s number.Clearly, most aspects of Clan Sunshorn’s culture are seeming attempts to reconcile vampirism with the traditions of the Nords, though there are also entirely unique habits that have been born from this union. The Sunshorn have exclusive cuisine, revered calendar dates, and even their own preferred dialect of the Ancient Nordic language, which exists mostly among the clan’s upper echelons. Many of these luxuries are shared not only among vampires, but inherited through trickle down proximity by their mortal servants and thralls. Although mostly confined to a mountain barrow, underground stronghold, and darker regions throughout Skyrim, these vampires have still managed to create a rich tapestry of stories, songs, and epics told only by their clan.Retainers of the Sunshorn bloodline are driven by a deep desire to recreate a new Nordic kingdom, an empire dominated by vampires like themselves and ruled over by Balgeir, their charismatic and powerful lord. In this way the clan strives to overcome the sun’s oppression not by extinguishing it, but by cultivating the mortal provinces that flourish beneath its light into a new realm — this is the ultimate, and ultimately unreachable, ideal. By the strength of blood and steel aligned with the cunning of shadowed halls and throne rooms, Clan Sunshorn eagerly watches its dominion spread.

Awarding of Rings and Torcs

The dispensation of treasure enforces the bond between Clan Sunshorn's vampire retainers and their leadership. According to cultural tradition, battle leaders will divvy out the loot from skirmish, raid, and conquest. Those who perform well shall receive the greatest honors, reflected in the amount of treasure they are awarded by their given commander. To perform poorly in battle is marked by the lack of wealth one walks away with.A common practice in the mead hall is the distribution of rings of different value and style, also linked to status and prowess. As pictured below, the various rings hold increasing significance from left to right: With golden torcs and finger rings comprising the lowest reward, and cold iron torcs and finger rings holding the highest value. To be awarded any ring by Lord Balgeir, Lady Neasa, the hersir, or a thane of the clan is considered a high honor. Most kinsworn and bloodsworn vampires display their rings openly, wearing their amassed jewelry along their arms and fingers as a flaunt of prestige and honor.The hersir and a given thane may distribute golden torcs and rings to signify a base tier of reward for any deed they deem worthy. Copper torcs — cast in a vine-like pattern — are given only by Lady Neasa, and mark a vampire of the Queen’s unique bloodline, someone who has earned her specific favor, or a thrall under her protection. Lord Balgeir alone may distribute all manner of torcs and finger rings. He himself bestows the first piece of cold iron jewelry to those ascending kinsworn vampires upon Molag Bal’s summoning day, solidifying their newfound status as bloodsworn in a ring-giving commemoration ceremony.

Artwork by GrumpyVivec. For information about the artist, see Contact section.

Common Procedure of Law

Through the eyes of Molag Bal, only the strong exist in this world, while the weak are subjugated beneath their power. This is the view inherited by Lord Balgeir, although his own cultural norms long ago blended with this brutal philosophy to create a surprisingly thorough legal system practiced by Clan Sunshorn. Despite the oppressive tendencies of the clan's vampires, as well as their isolationist and often racist ideologies, the Sunshorn procedure of law is remarkably fair and inclusive.Any member of the clan — be they vampire or mortal thrall — may bring a legal suit before the lord, lady, and their hersir; however, suits will only be tried if the individual has a minimum of two witnesses to yield testimony. So the Ancient Nordic proverb claims: One witness is as good as no witnesses, while two witnesses are as good as ten. When a suit is tried it is tried publicly, and any member of the clan may be present if they so wish.Once this procedure has been followed, the lord, lady, and hersir will call to court the vampire or mortal of the clan trying the suit, their witnesses, and any counter parties officially named in the suit itself. Outcomes of suits are decided by the majority rule of votes between the lord, lady, and hersir. Once a suit has been either resolved or dismissed, it will not be tried again. The outcome of a suit is expected to be upheld by the entirety of the clan, and a refusal to accept the legal outcome of a given suit is punishable by extreme measures.In the case of a mortal wishing to bring about a legal suit, the mortal in question must obey these stipulations and the given outcome of a suit as well.

Bloodline

The original name of the clan is Solskera, and this is the term referenced when specifically referring to vampirism and Balgeir's bloodline. "Solskera" is the Ancient Nordic moniker denoting Balgeir's people. It translates in modern Cyrodiilic to "Sunshorn" — more literally, "cut away from the sun." This epithet was bestowed upon the mortal clan of Atmoran settlers when they built their great stone dwelling inside a mountain peak, effectively cutting the clan away from sunlight long before its last descendant, Balgeir, would become a vampire progenitor.Vampires of the Solskera bloodline are set apart by unique traits that differentiate them from their northern cousins who also derive from similar strains of the overarching Sanguinaire Vampiris — among whom are the storied Volkihar. These are the two most prominent traits of Balgeir's blood:First, Solskera vampires innately possess a lower metabolism, surviving longer on the blood that they consume without having to replenish themselves as frequently as others. Because their bodies consume stored energy more slowly, they are also able to withstand harsher injury and recover from more grievous wounds than expected. This uncommon fortitude means that it is rare for a Solskera vampire to devolve into a bloodfiend by forgoing feeding, though their physical appearance will still degrade with time.Second, this hardiness extends to survival in direct sunlight. Although the sun will not kill them, exposure to direct sunlight is painfully irritating and massively draining of a Solskera vampire's power, leaving them as weak as mortals during the day. Additionally, the skin of these vampires will wither in direct sunlight and their eyes will gleam like crimson fire when reflecting the sun's rays. Unless concealed with a powerful and continuous illusion while exposed to daylight, they will be revealed beyond a shadow of a doubt as a vampire.More generally and like a majority of vampires, practiced Solskera may utilize the power of mist to rejuvenate for a brief time, transfigure their shape into a small colony of bats for flight, and apply basic blood magic to drain the life force from their prey. While the basic forms of these abilities are instinctual, a given Solskera vampire may study, hone, and eventually perfect them.Note: Through practice and dedicated training within the clan, these abilities — and more — can be developed further and heightened via role-play opportunities. Please contact an officer for more information or to schedule a training session.

A generic Sunshorn vampire's appearance under direct sunlight.

History

The history of Clan Sunshorn begins in the Merethic Era of Tamriel and stretches across millennia. It is maintained by Harald Lawspeaker across multiple tomes bearing illuminated manuscripts in the library of the Solskera Keep. The exploits and significant events of both the clan itself and the prominent vampires who belong to it are recorded within. Contained in chained grimoires, these carefully-preserved vellum pages hold beautiful illustrations and Ancient Nordic text, though Harald has also created far less-artistic, modern Cyrodiilic translations for ease of access.Any bloodsworn vampire of Clan Sunshorn is encouraged to seek Harald and request that their own historic deeds be added to the annals of the clan's storied past, unless they wish to fade from song and memory altogether.

• Merethic Era
• First Era
• Second Era

Merethic Era

ME 1000 - Some time after this date Ysgramor sails from Atmora, and the Dragon War also begins once men and the Dragon Cult have established dominance in what would become modern-day Skyrim. So too begins the war between the proto-Nords and the Snow Elves.ME 580 - Hygelac of the Solskera is born the fourth son and youngest child to King Algar and his wife Rangela, a high priestess of Kyne. King Algar was a feudal monarch whose territory would become a small section of the northern Reachlands and western Skyrim many, many centuries later. This territory included both a stretch of the River Karth as well as a piece of the Druadach Mountain range in which Algar’s forefathers — who were among those colonizers that sailed back to Tamriel with Ysgramor — built a great hall carved into a mountain peak.ME 565 - Hygelac is presumed killed alongside his father, brothers, and all of the shield-siblings of their clan during a night raid through the Druadach Mountains. The intent had been to reclaim the Solskera seat (now Solskera Barrow) from a band of rogue Orcs, who had conquered the mountain fortress decades prior and routed Hygelac’s grandsire, Bjorand Bright-Heart. The Orcs, however, outnumber the Nordic warband and win the slaughter. As he lay wounded and dying in the snow surrounded by the dead faces of family and clan, young Hygelac is abducted by Molag Bal. Thereafter he is forcibly made a Child of Coldharbour by the Daedric Prince. With this rebirth came a renaming, and "Balgeir" emerged in place of "Hygelac."ME 559 - After several years spent decimating the Orcish tribe which had ended his family line and rendered his clan extinct, Balgeir slays the last of the Orcs and reclaims the ancestral Solskera hall carved into the mountain peak. There in its barrow depths he lays the remains of his family and clan to rest, and ensures no intruders are ever able to penetrate the Solskera's high halls again. Balgeir then seeks a short-lived return to normalcy. The vampire lord masquerades poorly as a nobleman in the court of King Æschere, the mortal ruler who swept over the Solskera lands following the clan’s decimation. Balgeir finds an ally in the feudal monarch’s recalcitrant young queen, making an accomplice of her in his ultimate goal to slay the would-be usurper. He will remain in Æschere's court for several years, growing unexpectedly close to the queen while rumors of romance swirl around them.ME 555 - Four years later Balgeir’s vengeance is realized as he slaughters Æschere publicly while the king holds court, killing six thanes and eighteen shield-warriors in process. In doing so the vampire lord's human guise is frivolously cast aside. Despite their former alliance — and their mysterious liasons — what remains of the queen’s forces hound the vampire as he flees her hall, seemingly reluctant to slay her as well.ME 516 - During a particularly violent winter, Balgeir falls prey to an internal, hysterical conflict with the identity of the young man he had once been. In an effort to free himself of the past, the vampire lord unbridles his rage on a small hamlet in the frozen planes that would one day become the Pale Hold. After razing the village to slake his thirst, he does find resolution — but not of any kind expected. A young girl survived his onslaught by a whim of fate; fair-haired and pale, she had seen only of eight winters. So greatly did this girl remind Balgeir of the sister Hygelac had once lost almot five decades past, that he makes her his first progeny. She is Ilse Snow-Born, the first vampire created of the Solskera bloodline.ME 493 - No longer alone, Balgeir’s transition into a weapon of Molag Bal begins to see smooth fruition. With Ilse at his side — a pseudo-sibling with an unquenchable thirst of her own — the burgeoning lord becomes an instrument of conquest, having relinquished any remnants of his former life with the new beginning the start of this clan provided. At the time, Ilse did little to temper his instincts, often encouraging violence as she reveled in her own promising power. Soon Balgeir began to realize an obligation to spread their bloodline further, and sought across Skyrim for a warrior of repute to add to their number. He finds a worthy candidate in Valgar Valorhound, a cunning berserker of twenty-seven winters who hailed from lands that would one day encompass Eastmarch Hold. After Balgeir and Ilse witness an impressive display upon a stacked battlefield they themselves had rigged, the pair approach a victorious Valgar and offer him a final, single duel with Balgeir. Initially rebuking the challenge in the face of fighting someone half as high and seemingly a decade younger than himself, Valgar accepts only after Ilse twists his mind with promises of power and glory. Despite a swift loss leaving the accomplished warrior harrowed and awestruck, Ilse's promise is quickly delivered: Balgeir makes Valgar Valorhound his second progeny, and the second vampire created of the Solskera bloodline.ME 50 - By this time Clan Solskera has been firmly re-established in what would become the future Reachlands. Balgeir has created two known vampires — Ilse and Valgar — from whom the rest of his line has ever since descended. Both this first generation and their own progeny reign alongside their lord-and-maker in a bloody regime from the same niche of the north where Balgeir's mortal clan had once lived and prospered. At some point, the impetuous and violent "boy king" gains the epithet “Bloodletter”; a moniker one of the neighboring mortal monarchs had bestowed upon him as Balgeir soaked his region's borders in blood.ME 10 - As the Merethic Era draws to a close, the clan has stabilized its own internal culture after the growth of the bloodline. The Solskera have slowly adapted the now-Ancient Nordic pantheon to a different view of reverence. With their perspectives tainted by vampirism, the clan of Nords retain respect and reverence for their gods of old — but now reserve most worship for the pinnacle of their pantheon: Molag Bal, the Fayre-Stuhn.

• Back

First Era

1E 143 - Upon the ascension of Harald, first High King of the Nords, Skyrim sees unification and its feudal system is slowly curtailed. Noting the growing strength of the Nords, the Solskera seize the opportunity to maintain a military presence. Masking as mortals, Balgeir declares his soldiers should aid in the ever-growing conquests which a unified Skyrim slowly began to make. "Solskera" soon becomes a term used only by the vampires when referring to themselves, while "Sunshorn" serves as the mortal-facing guise of the clan. An age of blood is unleashed as Nordic expansion — and the Sunshorn alike — begin to thrive.1E 188 - Sunshorn scouts discover a subterranean pocket of Blackreach deep, deep below the mountain housing Solskera Barrow. Balgeir sends expeditions into the caverns to see what profit may come from its exploration. After deliberating the defensibility of Blackreach, a new order is given to begin conscripting builders and enthralling a new host of laborers — all of whom are taken below the earth and set to work on the creation of a subterranean fortress.1E 266 - The Colo-Nordic Colovian Estates are founded, marking the apex of the Nordic Empire’s power as it found itself in control of essentially all of northern Tamriel. The newly-founded Cyrodiilic empire is now debatably a client state — though this would quickly change as the Alessian empire grew from beneath the shadow of the Nords. Clan Sunshorn rarely strays this far south save for joining the ranks of military campaigns or embarking on brutal, violent raids in the name of the First Nordic Empire.1E 266-358 - The First Nordic Empire persists throughout this period but begins to slowly decline. Balgeir, Ilse, and Valgar fix their gaze on maintaining an eastern presence in what would become modern Dunmeri lands. In direct competition with mortals and other vampires alike, Clan Solskera continues raiding to claim thralls and blood slaves in the east, leaving carnage in tow.1E 358 - As the Nordic Empire begins to lose control of its holdings, the Alessian Empire begins to eclipse the Heartland and power shifts southward. More and more of Skyrim's Cyrodiilic territory is ceded to the Nibenese aristocracy. Simultaneously, the Direnni Hegemony takes western lands from Skyrim. Rather than assault the High Elves directly, Clan Sunshorn maintains the secrecy of their mountain stronghold while retaining a small military presence among the warriors of the Nordic Empire.1E 359 - In response to the Direnni Hegemony’s advancement into Skyrim, Balgeir aligns himself with another Child of Coldharbour for the first time in the clan's history, having previously avoided his myriad cousins across Tamriel. The Breton vampire lord Leodegar Valtieri and his twin sister, Fleurine, find the alliance with Balgeir and his progeny mutually beneficial. Together, the two vampire clans play upon the violent unrest and forays between the Direnni Hegemony and the First Nordic Empire, ultimately abusing these conflicts as sources of entertainment and food.1E 361 - High King Borgas, last of Ysgramor’s line and a chief supporter of the prophet Marukh, outlaws the Nordic pantheon and enforces the Alessian Reforms throughout the Nordic Empire. Recognizing in annoyance the unpredictability of Skyrim’s mortal monarchs, Balgeir, Ilse, and Valgar insert a vampire in or near a position of power within the royal court as an intelligencer.1E 401 - While Skyrim loses its last holdings in High Rock, the Solskera bloodline maintains a small, watchful presence in the form of its alliance with the bloodline of Leodegar and Fleurine Valtieri. Balgeir and Leodegar often frequent the company of one another, either roosting for a decade in High Rock or Skyrim before alternating to the other’s territory. Blood ultimately flows in their wake.1E 402 - After more than two centuries of steadfast work, the building of the Sunshorn Stronghold is complete. Balgeir moves his official seat of power to the subterranean fortress immediately, leaving the upkeep and leadership of his ancestral seat, Solskera Barrow, in the trustworthy hands of Valgar Valorhound.1E 416 - The Chimer revolt against Nordic rule and reclaim Morrowind in a “great slaughter.” Nordic forces, consisting of famous Tongues such as Jurgen Windcaller and Hoag Merkiller, are defeated by the First Council. After this loss, Jurgen — now called “the Calm” — founds the pacifist School of the Voice.1E 420 - As Skyrim loses its last holdings in the Nibenay, the First Nordic Empire’s southern kingdoms fall fully under the influence of the Alessian Empire. In the shadows, the Order Vampyrum has planted roots in the Heartland that would grow, tangle, and prove entirely difficult to expunge. Balgeir, however, would one day dream to try.1E 460 - A boy named Fjorli is born in Dunkreath Hold on the edge of Nordic territory in what is now Redorani lands. His father is a local chieftain, and his mother is the chieftain’s hearth-wife. Fjorli will spend the coming years being raised by the thane’s household, and at the age of eighteen will join his first war party. Eventually, he will also become a prominent figure of Clan Solskera’s history.1E 477 - The Direnni Hegemony wrests away further control of western Skyrim, including the entirety of the Reach, from High King Kjoric the White. Under increasing pressure to resist foreign influence and restore Skyrim’s independence, Kjoric embarks upon a campaign of ill-advised aggression against the much more powerful Alessian Empire. Fjorli, under the command of his father Emrik Wild-Blood, leads raiding parties into the Alessian-aligned hold of Riften.1E 478 - Kjoric the White is killed at the battle of Sungard by Emperor Goreius. His son, Hoag Merkiller, takes the throne. It is around this time that Fjorli is given the moniker "Fire-Blessed" after sustaining major burns during a raid into Redoranis.1E 482 - Fjorli Fire-Blessed, now a respected warrior in his own right, fights at his father’s side at the battle of Glenumbra Moors under the command of Hoag Merkiller against the forces of the Alessians, rubbing elbows with the fighting mer of the Direnni hegemony. This is the only time in his life that Fjorli will fight a battle alongside elves. During the battle, Hoag Merkiller is killed by the forces of Emperor Goreius and will be succeeded by the legendary King Wulfharth. Wulfharth, later named "Tongue of Shor," reverses the Alessian reforms in a “fiery reinstatement of the Nordic pantheon” across Skyrim.1E 485-498 - While his father Emrik returns to govern his lands in Dunkreath Hold, Fjorli Fire-Blessed remains in the armies of High King Wulfharth. He partakes in many campaigns, including the Reconquest of the Reach. It is during this reconquest that the seed of Fjorli’s vampirism is first planted, after he takes a vampire of the Solskera clan for a lover and shieldbearer.1E 499 - At the urging of Valgar Valorhound, Balgeir stirs from a campaign of war as the Sunshorn continue to somewhat quietly aid in Nordic defense and the maintenance of what little land Skyrim retained. Tales of Fjorli had reached Valgar’s ears, and now he leads his lord to observe Fjorli in battle and ultimately collect the fledgling Solskera vampire as a kinsworn of the clan. Together they witness an example of the vampire’s ferocity and vicious talent as his regime raids a Chimeri garrison. This prompts Valgar to seek out similar soldiers on whom he may bestow the gift of Solskera blood, in an obvious attempt to replicate such a weapon of vampirism. The Valorhound also personally oversaw Fjorli’s training.1E 500 - Fjorli Fire-Blessed returns to Dunkreath Hold after the death of his father and is named chief of his father’s clan. He begins leading his own warbands along the coasts of northern Resdayn in the name of Clan Sunshorn. In this way he is able to maintain his reputation as a fierce warrior for the next few decades, but his expeditions also seem to change him as the years pass.1E 517 - Fire-Blessed no more, Fjorli is given the new moniker “Blood-Brazen” when, during the battle of Gargen Huul, he wrestles a Chimeri Crab-Chief to the ground and drinks the blood from his severed throat in full view of his men. From this point on, Fjorli becomes renowned for his savagery in battle, and the blood drinking becomes a grisly habit that earns him a great deal of fear from Chimer and Nords alike. His raids — and the mortal clan that he leads — take on a dark character.1E 534 - Despite his prowess as a burgeoning vampire, Fjorli appears to have been killed in battle at the hands of a heroic armiger, and his body is interred on an island off the coast of Uld Vraech. Despite the mortal wound, however, he is merely slumbering — only to awaken a century later with strength regained and ire raised.1E 668 - Fjorli is woken by the passing of the armies of Shor and of Wulfharth, in their desperate and blasphemous quest to retrieve the heart of Shor from Red Mountain. Fjorli fights in the battle of Red Mountain and, after Wulfharth’s humiliating defeat, returns in disgrace to his tomb where he will remain for centuries. Despite the atrocious defeat, Fjorli left this historic battle with a new epithet carved onto his long and grisly history: “Fell-Tongue.”1E 2464 - Balgeir summons Valgar Valorhound to his court following an incident near Windhelm which resulted in the death of five vampires and a local vampire panic so near the mortal capital. Well aware of his maker’s bellicose temperament, Valgar flees instead. He seeks refuge first at the court of Volkihar and remains there for some months before going into hiding, entering a magically-induced coma lasting over two centuries. In his absence, Balgeir declares Valgar a traitor for his insolence and for disobeying his direct command. However, a few whispered that something greater had occurred than met the eye, to have given Balgeir cause to reject one of his own progeny. Those whispers were swiftly silenced.1E 2683 - Awake once more, Valgar Valorhound travels the realm to build his own power-base. While in the Rift, he hears rumours of members of the harrowed Dragon Cult stirring from their crypts at Ashfall Barrow in the Jerall Mountains. Intrigued, the Valorhound visits the ancient temple and is set upon not by ghosts, but men: Conjurers and pyromancers who had taken refuge in the ruins, using fear of the draconic order of old to keep people away. After a refusal of submission, the alleged cultists are destroyed save for a scarce few members who are taken prisoner. Over the following weeks, the captive survivors are drained of their blood while Valgar interrogates their leader, Feykir. In the end, Feykir refuses to yield under torture, and in an act of cruel irony and ambition, Valgar steals him away from the flames of pyromancy forevermore by turning him into a vampire. This marks the foundation of Valgar’s own bastard clan, which will continue to grow in the centuries to come.1E 2804 - Disgruntled with forced conscription, a mortal rebellion breaks out in Winterhold. Emboldened, Valgar attempts to prey upon the hold’s weakened state by stealing away townsfolk from their homes at night, subsuming the local vampires, and capturing the settlement of Yngvilstead among others. Despite early successes, Reman II’s successful negotiation of putting an end to the rebellion allows the local populace to come together in force. Meeting the Butcher of Yngvilstead near Frostflow, the denizens of Winterhold — aided by the forces of Reman — manage to defeat Valgar. The scattered forces are quickly hunted down and slain, and Valgar’s own vampires begin to turn on him. Though the Valorhound himself is never found, his belongings are later discovered bloodied alongside what is believed to be the frozen remains of his followers in the snow-clad barrens south of Winterhold city.

Second Era

Holdings

Below are the various holdfasts which the Solskera bloodline occupies. Most serve military functions or as hearth and home for the vampires of the clan. However, a few locales are public territories owned and maintained by "Clan Sunshorn," the human-presenting, Nordic guise the Solskera employ to interact with the contemporary mortals of Skyrim.Most of the following venues are represented in-game through player housing. To access them, please use the orange links displayed in the in-game "Message of the Day" guild interface.Should your character currently own a property, business, outpost, hideout, etc. that you wish to lend to guild use, please contact us — we will be happy to list it here along with your own description of the holding.

Sunshorn Stronghold

Deep beneath the earth — miles and miles directly below Solskera Barrow and the peak itself — a great cavern yaws under the roots of the mountain that Clan Sunshorn has made its own. In a primordial pocket of Blackreach awash with luminescent flora and fauna alien to the surface world, there stands a towering, near-impenetrable fortress carved into rock and stone. This is the Sunshorn Stronghold, a daunting castle built by Balgeir’s forces early in the First Era when the clan discovered the vast, open caverns located beneath their mountain dwelling.This Sunshorn keep is the seat of Lord Balgeir and his queen, the ominous and imposing grim heart of the clan itself. Only once they have proven themselves may vampires and mortals gain access to its hallowed halls. Here mortals serve while kinsworn and bloodsworn vampires live, linger, and hone their skills, as well as sleep in safety within the depths of the great fortress they call their home. At the core of the castle rests a great mead hall where Balgeir holds court — the center of social and cultural civilization within the clan.Vampires are free to roam not only the halls and courtyards of the castle, but also the vast, foreign terrain beyond its gates to whatever ends they desire. Within the walls, kinsworn and bloodsworn may even claim their own personal chamber. Only the highest floor of the fortress is often restricted to clan leadership, housing a war room for stratagem; outside, an alchemical laboratory belonging to the queen; and a bridge thereby leading to Lord Balgeir and Lady Neasa's private tower.Our pocket of Blackreach can be reached by two main access points:First, there are two individual great lifts that ascend two vertical tunnels connecting this pocket of Blackreach to Solskera Barrow on the mountain high above. The twin lifts are made of thick wood banded in bronze, attached to pully systems of great iron chains — strong enough to raise and lower immense weights of cargo from the top of the mountain to the fortress at its root. All Solskera vampires utilize these vertical tunnels to descend from the upper barrow to the lower keep; although, most elect to fly rather than take the tedious ride.Second, there is a great tunnel in northwestern Arkthzand Caverns from which a river flows, eventually cascading into a waterfall. One need only follow the upper river — at the top of the waterfall — to its source. The passage narrows before eventually widening again as it opens into the Sunshorn Caverns.Please refer to the lift diagram and Arkthzand maps below for a visual path.

Access in-game via the Bastion Sanguinaris of @Lothorian

Solskera Barrow

Carved into the apex of a climbing peak, Solskera Barrow is an Ancient Nordic ruin nestled in the Druadach Mountains which overlooks the Reachlands. The barrow was built by feudal colonizers from the early waves of Nordic settlement, and of them by a clan called Solskera (or Sunshorn). The ruin’s stone architecture reflects the painstaking style of the age, with impressively tall and broad doorways; high and intricate arches; and cold, harsher features which mimic the endurance of the Ancient Nordic people. Similar sites have been excavated all across Skyrim, and one epitomal example of this architectural style stands perfectly preserved as the Palace of Kings in Windhelm.Solskera Barrow is accessible only by a wide, hidden tunnel carved upward through the mountain itself, ever-guarded, ever-watched. The only alternative way to reach the summit is by flight or a very daring climb, scaling the treacherous and icy cliff sides.The barrow is most often used for the training of younger vampires in the clan, offering a space in the Reachlands to cultivate new fledglings. The ruin has a capacious great mead hall at its center surrounded by various alcoves designed to hone skills and provide basic upkeep for the vampires stationed there. The barrow also boasts slave pens for a stock of food, a cavernous sleeping chamber, and the inhospitable mountain yard overlooked by an icy waterfall — which provides ample space for combat training and trials of endurance. On the level directly below rest the tombs of the Ancient Nordic forebears who first built the great ruins.Only a single area of Solskera Barrow remains closed to any but the clan's bloodsworn: The Hall of Conquest, where tribute collected by the clan is stored — treasures gathered from centuries of raids.

Access in-game via the Pariah's Pinnacle of @Lothorian

Hunter's Hostel

A dark and dense pine forest covers a fair portion of Clan Sunshorn’s dominion. The thick wood stretches for miles across the rolling terrain of Western Skyrim and the Reach, cutting off westward at the base of the Druadach Mountains and eastward before the River Karth. Beneath its canopy the ruins of an Ancient Nordic tower sit weathering the elements, predating most trees in the forest themselves. Though the site was once a sentry tower at the edge of a thriving hold, its cellar now serves as a hunting outpost maintained by the vampire clan.Since the pine forest itself is teaming with fish, fowl, fox, deer, boar, rabbits, and other wildlife, the woodland often attracts Reachfolk hunters — the true game that the vampires relish. The hostel is often used as a site to organize competitive blood hunts and sport, with some retainers even carting in captives to release into the forest at their pleasure to simulate fox hunts.Meanwhile, some prefer to hunt literal fox. To each their own.

Access in-game via the Hunter's Glade of @Lothorian

Fjorli's Fleet

Due to the ongoing wars, piracy has become a profitable endeavor alongside small-scale raiding; thus, as Fjorli Siege-Singer's first act as hersir, he turned Balgeir's head to the profit of a modest naval presence. With hastily granted approval, the vampire raider took to the seas once more to capture his own trio of ships.The mightiest of these is his flagship, the Black Paravant. Soon after the start of the Three Banners War, the hersir captured a Breton war galleon abound in the Great Bay to serve as his personal lair. This hulking vessel is manned by two-and-thirty of Fjorli's long-dead draugr shipmates, and acts as a mobile command center to launch the shorecraft he personally deploys in small-scale raids along the coasts of Bretony, Wrothgar, Vvardenfell, and Redoranis on behalf of Clan Solskera.Apart from the Black Paravant, Fjorli's lieutenants captain two much smaller Nordic longships: the Bleakwind and the Dunkreath. As they outpace the great galleon, the longships are often used to scout the seas or engage in naval piracy with merchant ships. All three vessels, combined, comprise the entirety of the Sunshorn’s raiding fleet — and all three subject to Fjorli's command.

Access the Black Paravant in-game via The Fair Winds of @Lothorian
The Bleakwind and the Dunkreath are not currently represented in-game.

Enki's Bend

Access in-game via the Forgemaster's Falls of @Lothorian

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Skjorhefn

Access the tavern at Skjorhefn in-game via the Old Mistveil Manor of @Lothorian
Access Skjorhefn's longhall and barrow in-game via the Hakkvild's High Hall of @Lothorian

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Pantheon

The religion practiced by the Sunshorn is many-faceted, often including ritual practices involving all echelons of its membership in favor of various icons in the pantheon. In general, vampires see themselves as godless people unloved by most spirits, and as such they tend to stray from spirituality more often than not. With that said, the Sunshorn — like many other vampire sects — have their own cult (or cults) with its own views concerning the nature of the greater and lesser spirits, often surprisingly elaborate and complex.

Molag Bal

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The "Fayre-Stuhn," Son of Subjugation

The Sunshorn know the world to be comprised, to varying degrees, of both the weak and the powerful. In their belief the weak are defined merely as those who have been enslaved to the will of the powerful, or as those who are at the mercy of the powerful. To be powerful, one must simply not be weak. This view is one both endorsed and embodied by the daedric prince Molag Bal, who relishes in the domination and violation of others. For all intents and purposes, Molag Bal is the arbiter of this simplistic law that the Sunshorn have created for themselves. He is also, by that same principle, a sort of “arbiter” over who may proceed into Sovngarde after death.Because of his reputation for taking slaves, the Sunshorn have likened and slowly synchronized Bal with the Nordic missing god, Stuhn, whose sphere has always been hostage-taking. In Nordic mythology, when Shor and Tsun were killed by the heathen elven gods, Stuhn was taken by the elves as a captive and horrifically brutalized. The Sunshorn reason that this brutalization culminated in the creation of Molag Bal, who was either a transformation of Stuhn or the reborn spirit that rose from his corpse. For this reason, Molag Bal is sometimes also known as “Fayre-Stuhn” in acknowledgement of this synergy. This connection also incentivizes the taking of slaves over the killing of captives, even if those slaves are to be killed at a later date for sport, nourishment or ritual. Taking “hostages” is a divine act which, in a strange way, furthers the aims of the Fayre-Stuhn.Molag Bal is also worshipped as the god of the oceans, for it is said even among mortals that he embodies the cruelty of the open sea. Sacrifices to him are made before and after every voyage, and in most Sunshorn ceremonies his victims are ritually drowned. The ashes of the truly dead are sometimes returned to the ocean in the hopes that they will find his domain. His synergy with Stuhn comes into play here: he is often depicted as a great, sharp-toothed whale of immense size.

Shor

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The King of the Nords, Keeper of the Old Dictates

There is little to be said regarding the Nordic view of Shor; to them, he was the king of the world who was fated to fight a losing battle against the elven gods, before being bent, broken and sacrificed at the foot of their king. As the once-chief, now-missing god of the Nordic pantheon, the Sunshorn have as great a respect for him as any other Nord. It is he who devised the mechanisms that would keep the world alive for as long as it has been, and it is he who will at the end of days rise from his grave to do it again. Shor is represented in the pantheon by the fox totem.By the old dictates of Shor-in-Death, the unbroken souls of great Nordic warriors shall always be allowed to pass onto Sovngarde without trouble from the Sunshorn or their hostage-thralls. Any trespass upon these dictates earns one the mark of a coward, and is punishable by any number of horrific means. But to tamper with the souls of all other races is indifferent in the clan's eyes.

Tsun

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The Enforcer of the Old Dictates

There is even less to be said of the god Tsun than there is to be said of Shor. He is usually invoked only as a spirit of revenge when the Old Dictates are violated, or when other small extractions of justice are being enacted. The Red Geissir Cult is a small vampiric subcult dedicated to Tsun in his capacity as berserker-god, with its own complex rituals and beliefs that sometimes entirely contradict the worship of Molag Bal (they believe that Tsun was the first vampire, for example.) It enjoys some worship among the Sunshorn, particularly its most brutish and bloodthirsty warriors. Tsun is represented in the pantheon by the bear totem.

Kyne, Mara, & Dibella

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The Mortal Goddesses

Kyne, Mara and Dibella are the three most important gods of the Nordic pantheon and though the Sunshorn scarcely touch them, they still respect them. These goddesses have ill love for the undead themselves, however. Kyne in particular is said to have first decreed the separation between vampires and mortals, and this is among the few laws set down by her which the Sunshorn have been forced to violate.Sunshorn vampires will not enter temples dedicated to these three gods without first being invited, and are vulnerable to the retribution of its priestesses. Holy sites and temples to the three hearth gods are most often left well alone, though this is not always the case. Among the Sunshorn’s mortal hostage-thralls and servants, the worship of these gods is tolerated and sometimes encouraged. In particular, the Blood Flower Cult is a Dibellite cult which exists mainly among the Sunshorn’s slaves and hostage-thralls with the full support of the Sunshorn’s hostage-wardens.

Alduin

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The World Eater

Alduin is the most powerful of the gods completely and without question, feared by all for his inclination to consume the world in its entirety. To keep the devourer-god placated and asleep, the Sunshorn — like many nords — will gather at shrines of the old Dragon Cult to make great offerings. The Dragon Cult itself has very few followers within the Sunshorn, but those that do worship Alduin do so in utter secrecy, if only to keep the other vampires comfortable. Akatosh is widely considered to be the Cyrodiilic conception of Alduin, and so any mention of him is met with hostility by most Sunshorn (e.g., “Do you wish to wake the dragon!?”).

Peygja

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The Bitter Drake

In the ancient traditions of the Dragon Cult, Peygja was an adversarial spirit who conspired to poison Alduin by spreading sickness on Nirn. Mentions of this spirit declined sharply with the fall of the Dragon Cult but, within the ranks of the Sunshorn, the Bitter Drake Cult enjoys open worship. Cultists of the Bitter Drake seem to share the belief that Peygja was the first to concoct vampirism, in his plot to steal Nirn from Alduin, and that spreading sickness — including vampirism — is a holy act meant to keep the World Devourer from waking.

Jhunal

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The Deep Thinker

Jhunal is the god of mindfrost, which is to say that his sphere is monasticism and contemplation, things which Nords are generally not given to. The average Nord will be keen to tell you that Jhunal is the god of clever-men and fools with frozen brains, but vampires — being of the frost themselves — have an affinity for him. Some Nordic vampires even worship him as their patron, although these cases are few and far between. The Sunshorn respect Jhunal’s place in the pantheon, mostly because they fear what would happen if they didn't.

Orkey

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The Old Knocker

Orkey is the universally hated god, and vampires hate him even more. He is the patron of vampire slayers and the bringer of death, who first condemned Nords to live short lives. Most Sunshorn vampires live in fear of him, and fight against his followers with a ferocity reserved only for their worst enemies. It is said that Lord Balgeir’s own disdain for the Orcs, the Children of Orkey, is the greatest of all the clan’s violent prejudices.

Stendarr

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The Protector of the Weak

Stendarr’s presence in the pantheon as an adversary goes largely unexplained, though some Sunshorn theorize that he was the by-product of Stuhn’s transformation into Molag Bal as a rival aspect. Many mortal Nords actually believe that Stuhn became Stendarr after leaving the Nordic pantheon to wander the lands to the south. Whatever the case, Stendarr is among those most fiercely opposed to the clan’s agenda and his followers are stamped out wherever possible.

Xarxes

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The God-Amongst-the-Slaves

Xarxes is a foreign god, and not one revered by the Nords. The Sunshorn, to put it simply, do not worship him and consider him to be an enemy. However, they acknowledge plainly that a secret and subservient cult of Xarxes-worshippers exists among their hostage-thralls and servants which is more or less synchronistic with their own pantheon and practices. None of the beliefs or traditions held by this cult are recorded here, but so long as they are practiced quietly the Sunshorn allow them to persist. The Xarxes Cult is most popular among the clan’s elven, Breton and Reachman slaves.

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