The Forsworn in The Elder Scrolls: Who Are They?

The Forsworn are Reachmen—a Breton subculture native to Skyrim’s Reach—who fight to reclaim their homeland. They’re not evil in the traditional sense; they’re a displaced indigenous people fighting against what they view as Nordic occupation.

While you’ll battle them throughout the Reach and cannot permanently side with them, understanding the Markarth Incident and their forced exile from the city shows why they’re so hostile.

The Forsworn represent one of Skyrim’s most morally gray conflicts, where freedom fighters and terrorists become difficult to distinguish.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:

• Who the Forsworn are and why they fight
• The Markarth Incident that created them
• Red Eagle’s role in their mythology
• Their religious beliefs and spiritual practices
• The terrifying Briarheart transformation ritual
• The forgotten Reachman dynasty that ruled Cyrodiil

Who Are the Forsworn?

The Native People of the Reach

The Forsworn are native Reachmen—ethnic Bretons who’ve inhabited the Reach for thousands of years.

They claim descent from the earliest human inhabitants of Tamriel. They were there long before the Nords or the Empire.

You’ll find them throughout the Reach, Skyrim’s westernmost hold. They control most unmarked locations—caves, forts, and Nordic ruins transformed into fortified redoubts.

The geography itself favors them: steep cliffs, hidden valleys, and countless cave systems provide perfect terrain for guerrilla warfare.

These aren’t recent arrivals or foreign invaders. The Reachmen have occupied the Karth River valley since the Dawn Era. Their claim to the land isn’t metaphorical—it’s historical fact.

Rebels, Not Bandits

The Imperial Legion dismisses the Forsworn as bandits. This classification is politically convenient but factually wrong.

Bandits steal for profit. The Forsworn fight for independence.

When Forsworn attack caravans, they often leave valuables behind. They’re not interested in gold—they want to drive out occupiers.

Their raids target Nords specifically, while fellow Bretons typically receive warnings or safe passage.

The Empire’s refusal to acknowledge them as a legitimate resistance movement serves a purpose. Calling them “bandits” or “madmen” delegitimizes their grievances and justifies harsh military responses.

It’s easier to hunt criminals than negotiate with freedom fighters.

Distinguishing Forsworn from Reachmen

Not all Reachmen are Forsworn. This distinction matters.

Many Reachmen live peacefully in Markarth and Karthwasten. They’ve integrated into Nord society, honor the Eight Divines, and reject the “old ways.” Some, like Ainethach, own property and conduct legitimate business.

Others sympathize with the Forsworn cause but won’t join them. As Bothela says: “Too many friends, too many kin, all lost trying to rebuild a past that was over long ago.”

The Forsworn are the militant faction—those who refused to surrender after the Markarth Incident and retreated to the wilderness.

They represent perhaps 10-20% of the Reach’s Breton population, though exact numbers remain unknown.

The History of the Forsworn

The Forsworn Kingdom (4E 174)

During the Great War (4E 171-175), the Empire fought the Aldmeri Dominion across Cyrodiil and Hammerfell.

Imperial garrisons throughout Skyrim were conscripted, leaving the Reach undefended.

The native Reachmen seized this opportunity. In 4E 174, they rose up and captured Markarth, establishing what they called the Forsworn Kingdom.

For two years, they ruled their ancestral lands.

Historical accounts of this two-year period disagree.

Imperial scholar Arrianus Arius claims the Reachmen ruled fairly and only executed the cruelest Nord landowners. He suggests they were trying to gain recognition as a real kingdom.

Nordic sources paint a darker picture. They report Hagravens walking Markarth’s streets and brutal treatment during the occupation.

The truth likely falls somewhere between. The Reachmen weren’t angels, but neither were they the savages Nordic propaganda claims.

The Markarth Incident (4E 176)

In 4E 176, Jarl Hrolfdir made a desperate bargain.

He promised Ulfric Stormcloak’s militia free Talos worship in return for retaking the Reach.

This promise violated the White-Gold Concordat’s ban on Talos worship. Hrolfdir gambled the Thalmor wouldn’t discover it.

Ulfric’s militia stormed Markarth. Using the Thu’um, he literally shouted the Reachmen from the city walls. The battle was brief but brutal.

What followed was worse.

The victorious Nords showed no mercy.

According to multiple sources:

• Anyone who’d worked for the Forsworn government was executed
• Women were tortured to reveal hideouts
• Shopkeepers, farmers, and elderly were killed if they hadn’t fought alongside Ulfric
• Children old enough to hold swords faced execution for not joining the militia

King Madanach was captured but not executed. Thonar Silver-Blood convinced the Jarl to imprison him instead, planning to use Madanach’s influence for personal gain.

The survivors fled to the hills. The Forsworn were born.

The Aftermath: Guerilla Warfare

The Thalmor eventually discovered the Talos worship Hrolfdir had promised. They demanded arrests.

The Empire, desperate to avoid renewed war, forced Hrolfdir to arrest Ulfric and his men.

This betrayal became a major cause of the Stormcloak Rebellion decades later. But for the Forsworn, it changed nothing.

The Nords still occupied Markarth. The fight continued.

Since 4E 176, the Forsworn have waged unrelenting guerrilla war. They control roughly two-thirds of marked locations in the Reach.

Karthspire, Druadach Redoubt, Red Eagle Redoubt, Lost Valley Redoubt—these fortified camps house warriors who launch repeated raids.

Travel through the Reach remains dangerous. Caravans require armed escorts.

Miners at Left Hand Mine fear they’ll suffer Kolskeggr Mine’s fate (overrun by Forsworn in 4E 201). The Imperial garrison can barely keep trade routes open.

Jarl Igmund places regular bounties on Forsworn leaders. It’s not enough. For every leader killed, three more rise to replace them.

The Cidhna Mine Conspiracy

Cidhna Mine holds Markarth’s darkest secret: King Madanach is alive, imprisoned but not powerless.

Thonar Silver-Blood struck a deal with the captured king. Madanach would remain in Cidhna Mine but continue leading the Forsworn through intermediaries.

In return, Silver-Blood would use the Forsworn to eliminate business rivals and political enemies.

This arrangement worked for over twenty years. Madanach commanded agents within Markarth—servants like Nana Ildene and Donnel, “citizens” like Nepos the Nose.

When Silver-Blood wanted someone dead, Madanach’s agents struck.

The arrangement fell apart when Madanach grew tired of being Silver-Blood’s tool. If you help him escape during “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine,” he establishes a base at Druadach Redoubt and begins unifying the scattered Forsworn clans.

“It’ll take years,” he admits, “but we’ll reclaim our land. Until then, no place in the Reach is safe from us.”

The Legend of Red Eagle

A Prophecy of Unity

Red Eagle—called Faolan in the Reach tongue—was born around 1E 1030 in the Sundered Hills.

His birth came with omens: a blazing comet, seven times seven silver swans circling overhead, and a red hawk’s cry.

At this time, ten kings ruled the Reach. They fought each other regularly, weakening all.

The oracles prophesied Faolan would unite them under one banner.

He was destined to become the first true King of the Reach.

As a boy, Faolan showed exceptional prowess. The legends (likely exaggerated) claim he killed a bear at age three and hunted a hundred elk across the mountains at age five.

More credibly, he proved himself a natural leader and skilled warrior.

The Invasion of Empress Hestra

Then came Empress Hestra of Cyrodiil. Her legions marched into the Reach around 1E 1030, conquering through force and diplomacy.

One by one, the ten kings fell—some in battle, others accepting Imperial vassalage.

When Hestra’s envoys reached the Sundered Hills, Faolan refused surrender.

His elders, fearing annihilation, betrayed him. They accepted the Imperial yoke and exiled their young champion.

Faolan fled to the wilderness with loyal followers. For years, he waged guerrilla war against the occupation.

His tactics were effective—strike at night, disappear into caves, target supply lines. The Empire lost thousands trying to capture him.

But it wasn’t enough. For every Imperial soldier Faolan killed, more marched north from Cyrodiil.

Red Eagle’s Pact and Rebellion

Faolan made a terrible choice.

A Hagraven approached him offering power for a price.

She would remove his heart and replace it with a Briar Heart seed. This ritual would grant superhuman strength and magical resistance, transforming him into a spirit of vengeance.

The cost: his humanity, his will, his very heart.

Faolan accepted. He became the first Briarheart.

The transformation worked. Red Eagle’s rebels grew in strength and numbers.

His eyes turned black and cold—”opals reflecting a mind not entirely his own.” He fought like a demon, unstoppable in battle.

For two years, Red Eagle drove the foreigners from the Reach. His flaming sword cut down a thousand enemies. Victory seemed within reach.

A Promise of Resurrection

Then Hestra’s generals laid siege to Red Eagle’s stronghold. For a fortnight, they assaulted his position.

Finally, Faolan emerged alone to face them.

He killed thousands. The enemy routed. But when night fell, so did he.

His warriors found him dying, his eyes clear again for the first time since the transformation.

In his final moments, humanity returned.

Red Eagle was carried to a hidden tomb deep within the rock. Before death took him, he made a promise: “Fight on. When at last the Reach is free, return my sword. Then I shall rise and lead you again.”

His followers sealed him in Rebel’s Cairn with his blade, Red Eagle’s Fury.

The legend says when the Reach gains true independence, their greatest hero will rise to lead them once more.

The Forsworn haven’t forgotten this promise. They seek Red Eagle’s sword, attempting rituals to resurrect him.

In their eyes, his rebellion never ended—it merely paused.

Forsworn Culture and Society

A Fractured, Clan-Based Society

The Forsworn don’t operate as a unified army.

They’re a collection of independent clans, each governing itself.

Known clans include the Boneshaper, Crow-Wife, Dreadhorn, Ghostsong, Winterborn, and dozens more. Each operates autonomously, sometimes cooperating, sometimes feuding.

Even their Hagravens disagree, dragging clans into conflicts.

This fragmentation weakens them strategically. Some clans hold defensible positions like Fort Sungard but refuse to coordinate assaults with neighboring groups.

Others train warriors to peak readiness but won’t attack without their matriarch’s approval.

Without central leadership, the Forsworn can’t mount coordinated offensives. They control the wilderness but can’t capture cities.

They raid effectively but can’t hold territory against organized Legion responses.

Madanach represents their best hope for unity. If he successfully organizes the clans under one banner, the Forsworn become exponentially more dangerous.

Reverence for Hagravens

Hagravens hold positions of spiritual authority among the Forsworn.

These creatures—part woman, part raven—serve as matriarchs and mystics.

You’ll find Hagravens at most major Forsworn camps: Blind Cliff Cave, Bleakwind Bluff, Lost Valley Redoubt, Deepwood Vale.

They nest in defended positions while warriors patrol the approaches.

The Forsworn bring offerings to their Hagravens: soul gems, trinkets, and trophies from raids. In return, Hagravens provide:

• Spiritual guidance and interpretation of omens
• Powerful magic to aid warriors
• The Briarheart transformation ritual
• Leadership during the matriarch’s absence

Outsiders see Hagravens as monsters. The Forsworn treat them as wise elders who sacrificed their humanity to gain knowledge and power—a trade they respect.

The exact nature of Hagravens remains mysterious. Some scholars link them to Namira, others to Nocturnal.

Regardless, their relationship with the Reachmen extends back to Red Eagle’s time, making it at least 3,000 years old.

The Briarheart Ritual: A Spirit of Vengeance

Briarhearts represent the ultimate Forsworn warrior.

The ritual is brutal. A willing volunteer undergoes purification rites, sometimes including scarification or meditation in cages.

When ready, a Hagraven performs the transformation:

1. The warrior’s chest is opened
2. Their heart is removed
3. A Briar Heart seed replaces it
4. The cavity is stitched closed with leather straps

The seed—grown from corpses planted in specially prepared soil—beats like a living heart.

It grants superhuman strength, magical resistance, and combat prowess far beyond normal warriors.

The cost is agonizing pain that never stops. Briarhearts live in agony, their humanity stripped away, transformed into weapons of vengeance.

They’re technically alive (not undead), but they’ve surrendered everything that makes life worth living.

The Forsworn consider this the highest honor. To become a Briarheart means following Red Eagle’s example—sacrificing your heart so your people might be free.

If you pickpocket a Briarheart’s Briar Heart from their chest, they die instantly. It’s the only thing keeping them alive.

Acceptance of Lycanthropy and Were-Creatures

The Forsworn don’t fear lycanthropy.

They welcome werewolves and werebeasts as blessed by Hircine.

This makes sense given their religious views (covered next section). Hircine is their chief deity, so his “gifts” carry no stigma.

A werewolf isn’t cursed—they’re empowered, able to serve their clan more effectively.

Forsworn clans count werewolves, werebears, and possibly even other were-creatures among their warriors. These shapeshifters serve as elite shock troops, protectors, and scouts.

Most societies view lycanthropy as a curse to be cured. The Forsworn see it as a tactical advantage and spiritual blessing.

The Old Ways: Religion and Mythology

The “Great Spirits” vs. Gods

The Forsworn don’t believe in the Imperial concept of “gods.”

They pay homage to spirits—entities inhabiting and embodying natural forces.

This perspective dissolves the Aedra/Daedra distinction. That’s Elven terminology anyway, meaning “our ancestors” and “not our ancestors.”

To the Reachmen, all powerful beings are spirits. Some are greater (the Daedric Princes), some are lesser (sacred animals, river spirits), but there’s no theological hierarchy based on ancestry.

They don’t call their beliefs “faith.” They call them “lessons.”

The spirits teach through the natural world. A hunter who ignores Hircine’s lessons starves. A warrior who disrespects Malacath’s lessons dies in battle.

This practical, animistic worldview predates Nord and Imperial influence. It may represent the oldest surviving human religion on Tamriel.

The “old ways” specifically refer to these pre-Nordic spiritual practices. The “new ways” (never explicitly defined but clearly implied) mean Imperial religion, the Eight Divines, and Nordic cultural assimilation.

Hircine: The Chief Deity

Hircine dominates Forsworn spirituality.

Called “Father of Manbeasts,” “Old Elk-Eye,” or “Spirit of the Hunt,” he embodies survival through predation.

Hircine teaches that life is lived breath by breath. Every creature is predator, prey, or both.

This creates ongoing wariness but also keeps his followers sharp, focused, and physically capable.

The Forsworn’s hunting prowess, tracking skills, and guerrilla tactics all reflect Hircine’s influence. They dress in furs, bones, and antlers—materials sacred to the Hunt-Lord.

Hircine appears in five aspects:

• Alrabeg the Hunter: The familiar elk-skulled form with the Spear of Bitter Mercy
• Storihbeg the Man-Beast: Wolf-skull aspect, king of werewolves
• Gulibeg the Fox: Trickster aspect with the Wand of Bone
• Uricanbeg the Great Stag: Fertility aspect whose hooves drum warriors to battle
• Croibeg the Bear: Aspect of strength who grants “bear-heart” courage

This multi-faceted understanding of Hircine shows theological sophistication beyond simple “savage Daedra worshippers.”

Namira: The Spirit Queen of Life and Death

Namira rules the “world of spirit” while Hircine governs the “world of flesh.”

She embodies decay, darkness, endings—and also rebirth.

Mainstream Tamriel views Namira with revulsion. The Forsworn honor her as essential to existence.

Death feeds life. Rot nourishes new growth. Decay makes room for renewal.

Reach clans perform dances honoring Namira, painting themselves in blood and darkness, celebrating the cycle of death and rebirth.

Outsiders who witness these ceremonies are shocked—then moved by their strange beauty.

Scholar Gemma Pamus attended a Namira dance among the Bold-Claw Clan. She wrote: “It may sound strange to those not of the Reach, but I’m sure if you saw it yourself, you would agree—this place and its people are not without loveliness.”

The Forsworn don’t see Namira as evil. She’s the natural order: all things must end so new things can begin.

Lorkh: The Mortal Spirit

The Forsworn know Lorkhan as Lorkh, “the Mortal Spirit” or “the Sower of Flesh.”

According to Reach mythology, Lorkh convinced Namira to grant him space in the void. There, he created Mundus—not a paradise, but a harsh realm that teaches through suffering.

The Forsworn praise this cruelty. Hardship builds wisdom and strength.

Lorkh’s world tests spirits, forcing them to grow or perish. Those who endure become mighty.

Lorkh supposedly still walks among mortals occasionally, appearing in times of need. The Briarheart ritual may reflect his sacrifice—he gave his heart to create the world, so warriors give their hearts to save their people.

The Forsworn, however, never pray to Lorkh. His part in creation ended. Hircine inherited his domain—the material world and its harsh lessons.

Daedra as “Cruel Teachers”

The Forsworn don’t see Daedra as demons.

They’re powerful spirits whose spheres intersect mortal life, offering lessons through interaction.

Different clans focus on different Princes, treating them as harsh teachers:

• Hircine: The chief spirit, honored by nearly all clans
• Namira: The spirit of life and death, often revered by spiritual leaders
• Peryite: Seen as a force for natural culling and renewal
• Malacath: Respected by some clans for his strength
• Molag Bal: The dark patron of the Cinderheart Clan
• Mehrunes Dagon: Honored for his connection to revolution and destruction

This diversity reflects the clan-based structure. Each clan chooses spirits relevant to their location, lifestyle, and needs.

The key difference from mainstream Daedra devotion: no expectation of benevolence.

The Princes are cruel, demanding, dangerous—but their lessons make the Forsworn strong. Hardship builds character. Suffering teaches endurance.

Forsworn Ranks and Military Structure

Fighters, Archers, and Shamans

Forsworn forces follow typical classifications, though their hierarchy is flatter than organized armies.

Melee Fighters dual-wield Forsworn axes and swords. They favor aggressive, relentless attacks over defensive tactics.

Ranks include:

• Forsworn (basic warriors)
• Forsworn Forager
• Forsworn Looter
• Forsworn Pillager
• Forsworn Ravager (elite fighters)

Archers use Forsworn bows with surprising power for their light weight. They carry leveled daggers as backup weapons and maintain firing positions on cliffs and ruins.

Shamans are exclusively female spellcasters. They use Destruction magic (favoring frost spells), conjure Flame and Frost Atronachs, and support warriors with wards and healing.

Higher-level Shamans rival College-trained mages in power.

All Forsworn wear distinctive armor: bone, fur, feathers, and antlers. It’s statistically identical to leather armor but uniquely intimidating.

Their weapons, despite primitive appearance, match Dwarven equipment in damage output.

The Forsworn Briarhearts

Briarhearts serve as field commanders and champions.

They appear wherever Forsworn have established permanent camps.

There are two Briarheart variants:

Warrior Briarhearts dual-wield enchanted weapons and possess perks like Dual Savagery and Savage Strike. At high levels, they can kill unprepared players in seconds.

Shaman Briarhearts cast powerful Destruction spells, summon Storm Atronachs, and use Greater Ward. They combine magical prowess with Briarheart durability.

Both types scale to your level, appearing as early as level 7 but becoming truly dangerous at level 38+.

Their enhanced stats and perks make them among Skyrim’s toughest regular enemies.

If you hear “Rise from death, blood of our blood” during a dungeon crawl, a Briarheart just respawned nearby.

Leave the area and return later—they respawn at your current level, so grinding the same Briarheart repeatedly is pointless.

Hagraven Matriarchs

Most Hagraven matriarchs are generic, but several named individuals command major positions:

Drascua rules Dead Crone Rock and guards a piece of Mehrunes’ Razor. She’s a Keeper of the Razor and targets players during “Pieces of the Past.”

Melka and Petra control Blind Cliff Cave, though they’re feuding when you arrive. Melka offers alliance during “The Affairs of Hagravens” if you help her reclaim the tower from Petra.

Matriarchs typically nest in the most defensible section of a redoubt. Warriors guard approaches while the Hagraven performs rituals, creates Briarhearts, and provides magical support.

Their death often breaks a clan’s cohesion. Without their matriarch’s guidance, some groups disband or get absorbed by neighboring clans.

A Forgotten Dynasty: The Reachman Emperors

The Rise of Durcorach the Black Drake

Most people don’t know Reachmen once ruled Cyrodiil.

During the Interregnum (Second Era), a Reach chieftain conquered the Empire.

Durcorach of the Black Drake clan rose to power around 2E 524. A powerful sorcerer and skilled warrior, he allied with the Tagh Droiloch—a coven of male witchmen who commanded Daedra.

With their support, Durcorach unified the fractious Reach clans. Within two years, he commanded 10,000 warriors.

Then he unleashed them on Tamriel.

The invasion succeeded beyond expectation.

Cyrodiil, weakened by the Three Banners War, couldn’t mount effective resistance. By 2E 533, Durcorach sat on the Ruby Throne as Emperor.

Imperial propaganda portrayed him as a heroic “savage” who delivered Cyrodiil from decadence. The reality was more complex—a brutal warlord who happened to conquer at the right moment.

The Longhouse Emperors: Moricar and Leovic

Durcorach married into a prominent Nibenese family to legitimize his rule.

He tried embracing Imperial culture, hiring tutors for his son Moricar, but could never fully shed his Reach mannerisms.

In 2E 541, Emeric of Cumberland killed Durcorach at Daggerfall. Moricar immediately claimed the throne at age 23.

Moricar proved more capable than his father. Raised with both Reach and Imperial education, he ruled for 22 years—the longest of the three Longhouse Emperors.

He negotiated peace with the Daggerfall Covenant and attempted to subjugate Western Skyrim (failed catastrophically at Solitude).

Moricar died from wounds in 2E 564. His son Leovic ascended—fully Imperial in education and manner, barely knowing Reach culture.

The Fall of the Dynasty

Leovic’s downfall came from misguided fascination with his heritage.

Having grown up in the Imperial City, he romanticized the Reach culture he’d never experienced.

He installed Daedric shrines in the throne room, demanded traditional Reach recipes, and surrounded himself with fetishes.

Then in 2E 576, he legalized Daedra devotion throughout the Empire.

This ignited Varen Aquilarius’s rebellion. The following year, Varen stormed the Imperial Palace and killed Leovic, ending the Longhouse Dynasty after just 44 years.

The Legacy: Ard Caddach, the Despot of Markarth

After the dynasty’s fall, surviving Reachmen fled back to the Reach.

One of Leovic’s cousins, Caddach of the Black Drake clan, controlled Markarth as Imperial governor.

When news of Leovic’s death arrived, Caddach claimed independence. He took the old Reach title “Ard” (roughly “High Lord”) and purged potential rivals from his own clan.

Over 15 years, Ard Caddach transformed Markarth into a functional city-state.

He kept Imperial administrative systems while promoting Reach culture, balancing pragmatism with tradition.

Caddach even negotiated fragile peace with both Eastern and Western Skyrim—something few Reach leaders accomplished. His reign showed what unified Reachmen could achieve.

How long this lasted is unclear, but by the Fourth Era, Markarth had returned to Nordic control.

The cycle of conquest and displacement continued, eventually producing the Forsworn of 4E 201.

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The Forsworn aren’t simple villains. They’re the latest chapter in a 4,000-year story of resistance, survival, and refusal to disappear.

Understanding their history doesn’t excuse their brutality—but it explains why they fight with such fury.

The Reach has changed hands countless times, but its native people remain, still clinging to the old ways, still dreaming of freedom.