The Adventurer's Companion To Black Marsh: Soulrest

Written By: Eis Vuur Warden, Circa 3E 430

An Overview of Soulrest: It’s Geography, History, Famous Inhabitants, and Outline

Foreword
Near the mouth of the Topal Sea, where one can say the life’s water of Tamriel drains outward into the Eltheric Ocean and flows into the many seas of Nirn, lies the seaport of Soulrest of the province of Black Marsh.

There is an old Khajiiti saying in the southeastern parts of Elsweyr that goes along the lines of this: ''‘If one’s nostrils smell something unpleasant, only look to the east and sniff. It is probably the marshlands.’'' Many believe that the slightly rude catch of phrase originated in Senchal, which makes some sense. As expert levitation users have informed me, Senchal and Soulrest lie directly across from each other from the water. If one wanted to, they could ride a boat between the two points. Count in the winds, and Khajiit roaming the coast would certainly smell the fumes of Soulrest.

But why does Soulrest smell? That question, my dear readers, is one of many this guide will answer for you.

Geography
Firstly, let us discuss the type of environment that Soulrest sits in. Unlike the northern and central parts of Black Marsh, Soulrest has colonies of coral within and outside the city, due to its closeness to the Topal Sea. One will discover that the ground is also not as muddy as say, the grounds of Blackrose or Lilmoth, because of the sea water. Ferns, reeds, and other plants can be found in abundance in the area, but there are hardly any flowers and even fewer trees. The Hist (aside from the city-tree) also do not like the soil of the region, and because of this, Argonian inhabitants must travel into the inner marsh for communions. A gentle, humid breeze always permeates the air.

History
Like all Saxhleel cities, Soulrest was not originally ‘founded’ by anyone. At first it was just the common grounds of the Hkuj Clan of the Sarpa tribe, who settled in the area due to the plentiful presence of fish. However, the Hkuj were immediately thrown into conflict and eventually driven out by the Nagas, who claimed the area as their own. It is unknown exactly when this happened, as clan wars are generally unimportant to my kind, but it was before the coming of the Second Empire.

Coincidentally, it was the arrival of the Second Empire that resulted in the fishing area being called ‘Soulrest’ for the first time. During one of Reman Cyrodiil’s excursions into the Marsh, a troop of soldiers investigated the coast, where they were alarmed by the area’s large amount of Naga’s (which had grown over the years). With the future emperor’s blessing, the troops attacked the area, but were forced to retreat and call for reinforcements due to the Nagas sheer strength. This is where the Hkuj saw an opportunity in an excellent display of clan animosity. After contacting the troops, the Sarpa agreed to surrender and help the Imperials as long as they gained control over the area. The troops agreed, and the Nagas were slaughtered. However, the Hkuj quickly attacked the Imperials while they were still weak and nearly wiped out all the troops. Eventually, the Sarpas resistance was overwhelmed by Reman’s army and Black Marsh became a province. Because of the amount of blood spilled in the area, the Empire named the small village ‘Soulrest’ to honor the dead, and it became known as ‘The City for the Dead’ to the Cyrods that lived there.

As time passed on, Soulrest grew from a simple village to one of the most powerful Imperialized cities within Black Marsh. Because of Cyrodiil’s laws, all tribes of Argonians were allowed to live in the city together and inter-clan fighting in the streets was fairly common. However, after the Second Empire collapsed after the Emperor and the subsequent Potentates were assassinated, this fighting turned into all out warfare. Soon the city literally feel apart from all the battles and the area was claimed by the Sarpa once was again, and they would face many raids from the Nagas.

The name Soulrest was not used again until Tiber Septim turned his sights on Black Marsh during the Tiber Wars. Like Reman before him, Septim realized that he would have to take control of the borders and coasts of the marsh in order to actually put it under his sway. Fleets of ships were sent to capture tribal sites along the coast, and one of these sites was the ruins of old Soulrest. In a rare moment of clan peace, the Sarpa and the Nagas united in order to defeat the Imperials, but were defeated and the area was renamed Soulrest yet again.

But alas, I did say I would answer the question on the unpleasant smell of Soulrest early on in this book didn’t I? In the beginning of the Third Empire, many mages from across Tamriel began to view the Marsh as the perfect place to practice the Dark Craft – necromancy, due to its native abundance of fetid corpses. To hide from their interests from the Imperial Guard, many chose to settle in the most southern places. Soon, Soulrest became infamous for its high count of necromancers and its unnatural stank of carcasses. The ‘City for the Dead’ had become ‘The City of the Dead’.

Notable Inhabitants
There are not that many ‘famous’ citizens of Soulrest to acknowledge, but there are two that do deserve some mention. The first – and most vile – was the Sload necromancer known as K’Matra that dwelled within the city for sometime. A ‘outcast’ from Thras, as he called himself, the Sload gained the attention of not only the King of Black Marsh and the Elder Council, but also the Summerset Isles for his grisly experimentations on live and dead experiments. Due to disappearances from around the city, many believe that K’Matra had been kidnapping them for his tests. Eventually, the King of Black Marsh apprehended the necromancer and gave him to the Altmer at their behest. This decision caused much strife within the Elder Council, but no retaliation came to fore.

The second person I believe that deserves mention is the current Archcanon of the city, Tari-Hkuj. An old Argonian mage skilled in the craft of Illusion, he is considered to be the wisest ruler the city has had for years and is a close friend and advisor to the King. He is, however, being criticized by our brethren due to his recent union with Bahlana, a member of the Naga tribe without the approval of her tribe’s leader. If tribe and clan law persists, the two could be forcibly separated unless the Hist or the King intervenes in the situation.

City Outline
Soulrest is divided into only three areas: The Inner Cistern, the Outer Cistern, and the Harbor. However at the time of this guide’s publication, the districts are under new construction.

Inner Cistern
The Inner Cistern is mainly used for trade and commerce, and is a giant wheel consisting of multiple market stalls. The city-tree also resides in the middle of the Inner Cistern, forever guarded from outside forces. The border between this Cistern and the Outer is moat that citizens can be rowed through on.

Outer Cistern
The Outer Cistern is the living district, where the houses and community areas can be found. Housing itself is a mixture of Imperial and Saxhleel architecture, and our species can be found living in either design. Landstriders have constructed ‘temples’ dedicated to their deities as well.

Harbor
Soulrest’s most important feature is perhaps its harbor, where it trades with the provinces of Elsweyr, Summerset Isles, and Cyrodiil profoundly. Many ships from multiple nations can be found here, and it is also the main port the Imperials use to contact the territories of Esroniet and Yneslea.

Conclusion
And so ends this guide to the city of Soulrest. I hope that many the adventurer and tourist find this pocket companion useful. May you run like the river.