Lake Andaram Planning

Where is Lake Andaram? Here is Lake Andaram:

Lake Andaram is the center of a conflict between the encroaching House Hlaalu and the houses Dres (more) and Indoril (less).

 

As a lake that the Thirr flows past, Lake Andaram is a major shipping route of House Dres and seat of Dres Horak, one of the two Dres embassy settlements (this one is for dealing with the other Dunmer).

It is also a border between House territories. House Hlaalu, more interested in the economic gains than political borders, are trying to get a foothold on the western banks of Lake Andaram to contest Indoril Hegemony and end up blundering into a fight with House Dres, who don’t appreciate the competition.

Usually, Hlaalu and Dres are reliable, mostly compatible trading partners and the Hlaalu are savvy enough to not step on the Dres’ toes.

The establishment of Nav Andaram (the mainland Hlaalu player stronghold) is as such a serious diplomatic stumble, with the player caught in the middle.

Hlaalu Stronghold planning

The issue of the Hlaalu stronghold was discussed on the old forum, but no conclusion had ever been reached.

With faction integration a goal, there is as of yet no decided-on solution on how to deal with Rethan Manor and Nav Andaram.

Suggestions were:

1. Move the Hlaalu Vv stronghold questline forward in ranks, and have the player hand it off to Ms. Rethan
2. Make the player choose (open question: how would this work with the Nav Andaram questline with a player strongholding on Vv?)
3. Just plain let the Hlaalu player have two strongholds - the Hlaalu are afflux in wealth and influence, they can spare it.

Overarching plotlines

The major plotlines are:

• Dagoth Ur (includes the loss of power of the Temple, the Almalexia-Helseth conflict, the Redoran suicide pact, the Blades preparing the way to lead an Imperial invasion force to Vvardenfell)
• The Thirr River conflict (includes the Hlaalu conspiracy, the Indoril suffocating on etiquette)

The minor plotlines are:

• High King Thian’s faint attack utilising the Nail-Knock Reavers

   

• The Dres fallout of the Sload and Hist deals
• Imperial corruption (used liberally)

Andaram Questline planning

The Andaram questline plays a major part in the Thirr River conflict, which is intricably linked to the House Hlaalu questline. It will also feature in some Dres and one or two Redoran quests.

We are going to resolve this in a later meeting.

Redoran loss of territory to Hlaalu

One idea: the Redoran actually lost their land a while after the Armistice, when they were starting to feel the limits of the Armistice, and their newfound lack of purpose as they no longer had a border to protect.

They tried to pick a fight with House Hlaalu, as it was their last (apparent) viable opponent left, but naturally did so within the limits of the Tribunal's House War system which they had shackled themselves to. As it turned out, Hlaalu was far more capable of using (and abusing) that system than they were, and Redoran lost really badly. So badly the Waters March effectively dissolved and the Empire was able to establish legion forts in the remaining Redoran territory. (Which is tied to the idea that Redoran lands could use more Imperial forts).

Hlaalu probably capitalized on and expanded internal conflicts within House Redoran with a mixture of subterfuge and assassinations; divide and conquer. Venim’s suicide mission against Dagoth Ur (which is much more recent than the aforementioned events) was partly intended to avoid such a debacle by unifying House Redoran behind a common cause again. As shown in-game, this has only worked out to an extent.