The Elder Scroll 4: Oblivion’sLeyawiin is a quaint town tucked between the swampy lands of the Blackwood region. It’s a melting pot of cultures, having citizens of different races and backgrounds. However, this isn’t something the current leadership takes kindly to.
Delving deeper into Leyawiin and how it treats its people paints an ugly picture of discrimination and intolerance. It also showcases just how far some rulers would go for their prejudice. And thoughOblivionis over 15 years old now, Leyawiin’s underlying message is still very much relevant.
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The State of Leyawiin in the Third Era
The town of Leyawiin is found to the south ofthe map ofOblivion. It’s a thin strip of land sandwiched between Elsweyr and the Black Marsh, with the Niben River cutting across it. The general area is known as the Trans-Niben and is frequently involved in border disputes between Cyrodiil and the neighboring provinces. In the Third Era, however, the dispute was concluded in favor of the Imperial Province.
Many Khajiiti didn’t agree with this decision, and some went on to try and reclaim the land by force. This led to an uprising in the Renrijra Krin, a Khajiiti criminal organization from the Second Era.The Empire ofThe Elder Scrollsworld assigned troops to try and control the situation. Though many among the ranks believed that the Renrijra Krin was simply putting up a front as an excuse to further their skooma trade.
Discrimination Against the Beastfolk
Following the decision to give the Trans-Niben to Cyrodiil, Count Marius Caro became the ruler of Leyawiin. Sometime later, he married Alessia Caro, daughter of the Countess of Chorrol inOblivion. While the town already had itsbiases against the Khajiit, things only got worse after the Caros rose to power. Marius doesn’t have dialogue lines that are blatantly discriminatory, but Alessia is open about her hatred of beastfolk, specifically Argonians.
Should theOblivionplayer’s characterbe an Argonian, approaching the Countess for the first time will yield unique dialogue. She introduces herself then declares, “I think Leyawiin would be better off if we removed all the dirty Argonians such as yourself.” Additionally, when asked about her stance on Leyawiin, she will say that the borders of the Trans-Niben region must be secured against “bandits and rabble-rousers,” likely referring to the province’s Khajiit and Argonian neighbors.
That said, there are a few dissenters to be found within the walls of Leyawiin. Most notable are Castle Leyawiin’s chief steward and mage, who happen to be Argonian and Khajiiti, respectively. The steward, On-Staya Sundew, acknowledges thatOblivion’s Leyawiin is a melting pot of cultures, but she fears that the Countess may want to do away with this to make wayfor an Imperial-dominated culture. Meanwhile, Tsavi, the castle mage, expresses that she’s happy working under the Count, but not the Countess. She explains that Alessia is “uncomfortable” with any cultures and traditions outside of the Nibenean ones.
On-Staya and Tsavi also mention their dislike of the Countess’ advisor — an Altmer named Hlidara Mothril. When asked about Leyawiin, Hlidara will say that it’s in a state of transition, moving “towards the mainstream of Imperial culture.” Though she’s also aware of the Countess’ more extreme practices, which the player can find out about inOblivion’s Thieves Guild questline.
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The Caros’ Sadistic Pastime
InthisElder Scrollsquest“Ahdarji’s Heirloom,” the player is tasked with retrieving a ring for Ahdarji, who is a retired member of the Thieves Guild. Amusei, a thief unaffiliated with the guild, reportedly stole it, so the player must question him. They’ll find him in the dungeons of Castle Leyawiin, but according to the jailor on duty, no one is allowed to see the “dirty lizards” on the Countess’ orders. Bribing him quickly grants the player access and giving Amusei a lockpick will get him to reveal the truth about the ring.
Apparently, the ring never belonged to Ahdarji but to the Countess. Amusei had stolen it from the thief and tried to sell it back to its rightful owner. However, the Countess simply took the ring for herself and threw Amusei into the dungeons, likelybecause he was an Argonian. Thus, the player has to find a way to get the ring back — not an easy task, given that the Countess wears it all day, except when she goes to bed.
Asking the beggars of the town for help will direct the player to the castle advisor, Hlidara. The beggar will also warn the player that there are “other secrets” hidden within the castle walls. Supposedly, there’s a hidden torture chamber where the Count brings in Argoniansfrom the Black Marshfor intense interrogation.
Talking to Hlidara confirms the existence of the torture chamber but with one salient difference. Though note that the player has to have a high enough disposition for her to divulge that information. If Hlidara likes the player enough, she’ll say that the Countess has a concealed passage in the castle basement that leads to the torture chamber and then straight to the royal couple’s private quarters. This hints that both the Count and Countess engage in the act of torture. Hlidara even mentions that she hears the screams of the torture victims from her bedroom.
Knowing this, the player can then sneak into the Countess’ bedroom, passing through the torture chamber, to take the ring. The torture chamber is a sizable room with a bloodied table in the center as well as a variety of torture tools, like small knivesand even a warhammer. It’s a chilling reminder of how far the Count and Countess are willing to go for their plan of “Imperialization.” However, a much more twisted possibility is that they do it simply for their own enjoyment. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
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