The Redguards

Culture

The Redguards of Hammerfell are a people defined by endurance, discipline, and independence. Their ancestors came from Yokuda, a continent destroyed in the First Era, and they carry that legacy of exile with pride. Their culture is martial to its core, prizing skill at arms, personal honor, and loyalty to kin. To be Redguard is to endure: to stand unbroken against desert, sea, or empire.

Central to Redguard life is the Way of the Sword, a philosophy blending martial practice with spiritual discipline. Sword-singers of old embodied this tradition, but even after their decline, every Redguard is raised with respect for blade and shield. Training begins in childhood, with boys and girls drilled in weaponry as part of daily life. Martial skill is not just necessity but identity: festivals include duels, and stories celebrate warriors who defend honor through mastery.

Religion is rooted in the Yokudan pantheon, with deities such as Ruptga, Tu’whacca, and Zeht shaping moral order. Ruptga, the Tall Papa, is honored as guardian of laws; Tu’whacca as shepherd of souls; Zeht as god of agriculture and sea. Ancestor worship is also strong, with families keeping shrines and invoking the wisdom of forebears. Unlike the Divines or Daedra, Redguard faith emphasizes duty, family, and survival rather than abstract metaphysics.

Daily life reflects Hammerfell’s harsh landscapes. In the Alik’r Desert, nomadic tribes herd camels and goats, surviving on trade and raiding. Coastal cities thrive on commerce, shipping, and piracy, their harbors filled with sails. Cuisine emphasizes hardy staples: flatbreads, goat, fish, and spiced stews. Architecture is practical yet beautiful, with domed roofs, courtyards, and sandstone walls that keep out heat. Clothing favors light linens, turbans, and veils, protecting from desert winds.

Redguards are wary of outsiders, particularly Elves, whom they distrust for perceived arrogance and treachery. Yet they are pragmatic traders and sailors, dealing with Imperials, Nords, and Khajiit alike. Their code values honor but tempers it with survival: treachery is despised, but cunning is respected when necessity demands. Above all, Redguards see themselves as a free people who bow to no foreign ruler, proud heirs of Yokuda’s legacy.

History

The Redguards are descended from the Ra Gada, the warrior wave of Yokuda. In 1E 808, after the sinking of their homeland, the Ra Gada landed on Tamriel’s west coast, carving Hammerfell from Orc and Breton lands. They brought with them sword mastery, seafaring skill, and Yokudan traditions, forging a new identity as conquerors and exiles. The name “Redguard” itself comes from Ra Gada, a title corrupted by Tamrielic tongues.

In the First Era, Redguards clashed with Bretons and Orsimer. Orsinium rose in the Wrothgarian Mountains, threatening Redguard borders until destroyed in 1E 1050. Breton kingdoms along the Iliac Bay also resisted but gradually accepted Redguard dominance. Hammerfell’s cities grew as trade hubs, balancing desert nomads with coastal merchants.

The Second Era saw Redguards play major roles in continental politics. In 2E 582, Hammerfell joined the Daggerfall Covenant under King Fahara’jad of Sentinel, allying with Bretons and Orcs against the other alliances. Redguards provided naval power and martial prowess, reinforcing their reputation as Tamriel’s greatest warriors. Despite the Covenant’s collapse, Hammerfell remained unified under its noble houses and tribes, preserving strength through independence.

In the Third Era, Hammerfell became part of the Septim Empire. Though nominally subjects, Redguards maintained autonomy through negotiation and resistance. Their martial culture supplied legions with fearsome warriors, and their fleets extended Imperial influence across the Abecean Sea. Yet resentment simmered, and Hammerfell often pushed back against Imperial overreach. The Warp in the West (3E 417) reshaped Iliac politics, but Hammerfell endured largely intact, its kingdoms of Sentinel and Stros M’Kai thriving.

The Fourth Era brought crisis and triumph. After the Great War with the Aldmeri Dominion (4E 171–175), Hammerfell refused to accept the White-Gold Concordat, which ceded parts of their land to the Elves. The Empire abandoned Hammerfell to secure peace, but the Redguards fought on alone. The Second Treaty of Stros M’Kai expelled the Dominion, proving Hammerfell’s resilience and independence. By 4E 201, Hammerfell stood proudly outside the Empire, free and sovereign, its people hardened but unbroken.

Other Information

Physiology:
Redguards are dark-skinned, with wiry builds adapted for endurance. They are naturally athletic, agile, and resistant to poison and disease. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown, often worn in braids or shaved for practicality. Their lifespans match other humans, but discipline and martial lifestyle often grant them strength well into old age.

Architecture and Settlements:
Hammerfell’s architecture reflects desert and coast. Inland towns use sandstone and adobe, with domes and flat roofs that endure heat. Courtyards and fountains provide relief from sun. Coastal cities like Sentinel and Stros M’Kai thrive with harbors, towers, and bustling markets. Fortresses guard mountain passes, reflecting Redguard emphasis on defense. Settlements blend beauty and utility, often decorated with mosaics, calligraphy, and banners.

Warfare:
Redguards are Tamriel’s consummate warriors. Every child trains in arms, and every adult is expected to fight. They favor curved swords, scimitars, and shields, blending speed with precision. Their martial philosophy once culminated in the sword-singers, legendary warriors who could summon spirit blades, the Shehai. Though the sword-singers vanished after Yokuda’s fall, their legacy endures in martial culture. Redguards despise magic in battle, preferring steel and skill, though some still study mystical sword traditions. Their fleets dominate the Abecean, ensuring naval supremacy.

Magic and Attitudes:
Redguards are famously distrustful of magic, associating it with Elven treachery and corruption. Though capable of sorcery, most avoid it, preferring steel. Shamans preserve religious rituals, and alchemy is practiced for healing, but battlefield spellcraft is rare. Their innate resistance to magicka reflects both physiology and philosophy. To Redguards, strength and honor lie in the sword, not sorcery.

Naming Conventions:
Redguard names retain Yokudan flavor: Cyrus, Iszara, A’tor, Zeira, Nazir. Surnames are less common, though noble houses such as Volenfell or Septim-linked dynasties preserve family names. Titles such as Prince, King, or Forebear mark political allegiance. Many names carry religious weight, invoking gods or virtues.

Relations with Other Races:
Redguards respect strength and despise weakness. They distrust Elves, particularly Altmer and Orsimer, for historic enmities. Bretons are rivals and uneasy allies, Nords are admired for valor, Imperials are tolerated but mistrusted for betrayal in the Great War. Khajiit and Argonians are often dismissed as outsiders but respected as warriors when proven. Above all, Redguards prize independence: they ally only when survival demands it.

Art and Expression:
Redguard art emphasizes calligraphy, mosaic, and song. Music favors drums, strings, and chanting, often tied to religious rituals. Storytelling preserves Yokudan epics, recounting the deeds of sword-singers, kings, and ancestors. Dance and martial practice often blend, turning training into art. While other cultures prize permanence, Redguards prize memory and performance, carrying heritage in story and song.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
Redguards believe souls travel to the Far Shores, a paradise overseen by Tu’whacca. To reach it, one must live honorably, defending kin and keeping vows. Cowards and traitors wander lost, denied reunion. Philosophy emphasizes endurance: life is struggle, but those who endure with honor reach eternal rest. Unlike Altmer transcendence or Nord glory, Redguards seek survival and legacy, reflecting their exile from Yokuda.

Legacy of the Redguards

The Redguards are Tamriel’s warriors of exile: heirs of a lost continent, hardened by desert and sea, unbroken by empire or elf. Their culture blends martial mastery, religious devotion, and fierce independence, producing people who value honor but never submission. By 4E 201, Hammerfell stood sovereign, proof that Redguards endure where others falter. Their legacy is not empire but survival through discipline, a living memory of Yokuda carried in every sword stroke.