Enough with this Kvatch thing-if ever there was ever a proof that Daedra meant business! This southern Cyrodiil city was once in a lovely state with glory given to Akatosh, supremacy to Castle Kvatch, and sheer beauty lent to the city-now just a scorched heap of ruins courtesy of Oblivion.
If perchance you never played The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or chose to get all therapeutic and block out the trauma, know this Kvatch was one among the first major casualties to fall under the Chief Plot of the game. The Daedric invasion really did not knock and wait to be let in-it smashed open the gates, finally setting the whole place on fire, survivor groups spread thin, and scrambling here and there-and now a recent tweet by the official Elder Scrolls has sent fans tumbling back into their memories of the destruction.
Picture this: a gloomy aura going out of the tweet with the ruined city in view while flames lick up whatever remains of the architecture. The caption punches with: “Kvatch, settled along the Gold Road in southern Cyrodiil was once an impressive sight! Home of the Chapel of Akatosh and Castle Kvatch, the city now lies in fiery ruin as the forces of Oblivion gain a foothold in Cyrodiil.” Oof.
In the reply section, fans were divided between mellow nostalgia and new anguish. Some started reminiscing about their initial run-through of the game, battling waves of Daedra to save a few survivors. Others joked that Kvatch’s ending was more of a tutorial level for Elder Scrolls – understanding how to jump equals understanding that Tamriel is *not* a safe place.
And really, the fall of Kvatch was just a start; the Oblivion Crisis continued beyond that; gates kept popping up while cities kept burning, forcing the Hero of Kvatch (that’d be you) to rush around putting out fires-locally and literally. But somehow, something about Kvatch sticks to the players, be it for the sheer amount of devastation or because there was no way to save the whole lot.
Makes one wonder-was there a reason to bring up Kvatch right now? With The Elder Scrolls VI still halfway made and probably going to take years, is Bethesda throwing a bone to its starving fans with some nostalgia? Or is there a tighter scope to this? Some theorists are convinced that the events of Oblivion might bleed into the next game mainly because Daedra never really stay away for long.
Regardless, this cruel reminder, courtesy of a tweet, reminds us just how unforgiving the world of Elder Scrolls can be. Shining with a city to admire one moment, and a sea of flaming ruins the next, trying to stave off the demon invasion. Honestly? The nuking makes us love the series: the series never holds back, and Kvatch was one of those moments when it went all out.
So, here’s to Kvatch-may its ruins serve as a warning to all would-be adventurers poised to make their mark on this world. Watch the skies, traveler, because it might go into a lull again-the next Oblivion gate could swing wide open anytime. And perhaps, a thin splash of Kvatch, or at least a little memorial of her, may grace TES6.
