The Practical Defense of Morrowind Volume I [ADDED]

[Xui'al]

The Practical Defense of Morrowind Volume I: Island Strongholds
by Apelle Laecinnius

The purpose of this report is to inform Imperial authority on the fortifications constructed within the Province of Morrowind, should there be any issues with the local populace, or invaders from Akavir or another foreign continent of Nirn. It will discuss particular fortifications, as well as fortifiable locations and possible vulnerabilities. Skyrim and the Black Marsh will not be mentioned herein, as separate observers have been sent to those Provinces to draft similar assessments. In this first volume, the fortifications of Vvardenfell, Solstheim, the Telvanni Isles and a number of other minor islands will be discussed. In the second volume, the mainland will be discussed. Great House fortifications will be mentioned, as they would prove a pivotal part of the Empire's defensive forces in the event of an invasion. While internal threats are certainly possible, such as rebellion in one or more of the Great Houses, or sabotage attempted by the Twin Lamps, they will not be discussed as such a rebellious group cannot, of itself, pose a significantly large threat to Morrowind and Imperial order therein.

The wintry island of Solstheim is poorly defended and boasts only a single Imperial stronghold in the south, Fort Frostmoth. Relations between the Skaal, a native Nordic tribe, and the Empire are virtually nonexistent, and it is unlikely that they would offer aid, arms, or skill to the Empire in the event of an invasion. Castle Karstaag in the north is in an excellent strategic position to hold solid control of the isle's northwestern reaches, but is populated by another native group known as the Rieklings. There are a number of reasonably sized rivers on the island, but the frozen lake Fjalding would do much to hinder water-based troop movements. Given the difficulties inherent in the defense of the island, and its failure to provide any resource worth maintaining, it is my recommendation that, in the event of an invasion, Fort Frostmoth should simply be abandoned, and the forces there allocated to more defensible locales such as Blacklight or northern cities on Vvardenfell.

To the southeast of Solstheim, lies the Sheogorad Region, a grouping of many small islands, many rocks and shallow water. Due to the abundance of rocks protruding from the water and along coastlines, there are very few safe paths that allow travel through the area. There is but one harbor in the region, to be found at the only town in the area, Dagon Fel. Dagon Fel is all but unique in Morrowind, as it has no reigning affiliation. There is a minor Imperial presence, but it is often seen among the fighting men as a place for those who fail to perform. The town itself is poorly defended by an insufficient garrison of soldiers, and offers too little in the way of resources for any Great House to take interest in it. There are only two ways that the town could serve a purpose in a war, provided that the initial assaults come from the north: The destruction or capture of Dagon Fel would alert Morrowind proper to the presence of invaders and allow adequate time to mobilize the defense of the rest of the Province. The second purpose would be to use the local low life groups, exiles, criminals, and the rumored necromancer to defend the town, with a smaller force of Imperial troops in order to minimize casualties among our soldiers while still giving the enemy a fight. The criminals and such would be offered amnesty for their various crimes in return for military service, and, should they be lost in the defense of the town, our armies are none the poorer. Ideally, the town is held and warnings are sent to the rest of the Province, or, non-ideally the town falls, there is still advance warning and Morrowind has fewer criminals to cause unrest. In the event that Dagon Fel is taken, it would provide a staging area for an attack on Vvardenfell, Solstheim, or the northern tip of the mainland. The many mines, Dwemer and Daedric ruins, and old Velothi towers in the area could give an invading army a multitude of hiding places, but ultimately trying to hold Dagon Fel might prove just as costly.

Provided that the various Great House interests of Vvardenfell worked in harmony and under proper Imperial leadership, the great island would prove almost impregnable to any invading armies. The north is very poorly fortified, but is rife with natural features that would prevent large ships from moving close enough for safe deployment of foreign troops. In addition, the inhospitable Ashlands and Red Mountain regions are all but impassable for a large scale attack force; even locals familiar with such terrain find the areas dangerous. This is the most fortunate part of Vvardenfell’s geography: that the center of the island is basically impassable for any amount of soldiers, forcing most of the attacks to come predictably along coastlines, making them easier to defend against.

The east and west coastlines are strong, particularly in the Zafirbel Bay area in the east, and the Bitter Coast region in the west. An invasion of the northwest in the West Gash region would probably prove simplest, although there is little to gain in this more or less uninhabited region. In the central and southern parts of the western coast, an invasion would likely prove be difficult, due to the abundance of defensible land based structures in vital locations along the coast. The ancient and currently unused Dunmer fortresses of Hlormaren, Andasreth, and Berandas all lie along the coast, and all close enough to reinforce each other. The cities of Gnaar Mok and Hla Oad are fairly insignificant in the event of an invasion, both having only token defenses and very minor docks. Provided the invaders were able to break through in this area, the heavily fortified cities of Caldera, Balmora and Ald'ruhn hold a solid line further inland, and these are further reinforced by the Imperial strongholds of Fort Moonmoth and Fort Buckmoth. Also within this area, there are the proposed sites for two Great House fortresses: one in the Odai Plateau and another in Bal Isra.

To the south lies Seyda Neen, a minor Imperial-controlled port, and Pelagiad, another Imperial Legion fort. The true south of Vvardenfell is built up and quite well fortified, and is strictly monitored due to the quarantine. The Ebonheart citadels on either side of the sea provide a vital choke point, should a ship-based attacking force attempt to reach anything beyond there without sailing in from the other side. The ancient city of Vivec is a veritable deathtrap to any who would choose to try and take it; by Dunmer reckoning, Vivec is a holy city, and the elite detachment of Ordinators there would defend the city ferociously. In addition to steadfast defenders, the city is also in an easily fortifiable position, and houses a living god.

The east coast may not appear to be as well defended, but it is just as much so, if not more than Vivec itself. The Telvanni structures that seems so common to the area are easily defensible. A fair portion of them are also located on islands in the Zafirbel bay region, making them more difficult to assail, and forces attackers into weak postures as they must disembark on the low ground. Due to the strange magicks that are in the possession of the Telvanni, any attackers are likely to face immediate, violent, and crushing resistance. The notable Imperial fortress in the area is Wolverine Hall, and given its extreme proximity to a Telvanni tower, Tel Naga, it is likely this joint position would be able to hold for some time in the event of a siege. Assuming that war was visited upon House Telvanni on any front, in any way, it is likely that the Telvanni xenophobia would drive them all the harder to defend their homes.

A substantial weakness to all of Morrowind is the Firemoth Archipelago, located in between the west coast of Vvardenfell and the mainland of Morrowind. The former Imperial fortress of Fort Firemoth is located there, but is not in the hands of the Empire, instead being under the control of the lich Grurn. The lich’s undead forces have occupied the fort for some time, but have been largely ignored because there has been no further aggressive activity in the area, and combat with undead has a significant demoralizing effect on our soldiers. This could be a massive weakness should an invader know of it -- the waters are deep enough that ships could be sail into it from the north largely unmolested, and land in the archipelago. If an enemy were to have a staging area in this location, it could be devastating as attacks could be launched to any number of points, either on the mainland of Morrowind, or the isle of Vvardenfell. It is in the best interest of the entire province that Firemoth be retaken immediately, as it could easily be exploited by an invading enemy. Furthermore, it is recommended that it be retaken by a small, professional force, to covertly enter the area and purge the undead from the fortress due to the lich's ability to raise the dead and bind them into servitude. In the event that a large force landed, every casualty would simply mean another soldier for the enemy.

The fortifications of the Telvanni Isles are sufficient. Although they would be struck very hard in the event of an invasion along the eastern coastline, the strength of the isles would certainly give the entire Province the opportunity to rally its defenses. While invaders could easily land in Port Telvannis due to its natural harbor, the resistance that they would face in the city from above, and the various magickal defenses the Telvanni have in place would likely cripple the attacking force. Port Telvannis is even further well defended by the fact that Gah Sadrith lies across the harbor, and a force directly attacking the city of proper from the harbor could be flanked.