Forsworn

The Forsworn, also known as "Reachmen", are a large underground cult, led by Hagravens, occupying ancient structures and underground caverns throughout the Reach in northeastern Skyrim. They are the modern-day remainder of an ancient culture that existed in Skyrim before that of the Nords. They are absolutely hostile to all other groups and factions, contain only humans in their ranks, and are dedicated solely to the reacquisition of Skyrim as their homeland, to the exclusion of all other cultures and peoples.

The Forsworn, also known as Reachmen, are descended from settlers from High Rock, explaining their great similarity to Bretons, especially the preternatural power of their female shamans. Exploiting their resemblance to Bretons, there are very often able to infiltrate modern society as agents and provocateurs.

Their culture appears to be matriarchal in form, in keeping with many European pre-Christian paganic cultures, hence their leadership by the Hagravens and female shamans. The males serve as warriors, some in elite ranks.

Their weaponry is rather primitive but effective, with a stone-age appearance. Arrows are noticeably different than those made by more modern cultures; shorter, less deadly.

The Forsworn only interact with other cultures through violence and aggression, as their aim is to drive everyone but their own people from Skyrim, therefore they do not engage in trade nor any venue of cultural interpollination whatsoever.

For a brief, two-year period while the Empire was in turmoil, recovering from the assault of the Thalmor, the people later known as the Forsworn quietly took control of the Reach and presided over a peaceful civilization that showed much promise. There was even mounting favor of applying to the Empire as a component culture. However, Ulfric Stormcloak elected to begin building his Skyrim-wide powerbase by smashing this foundling society, ruthlessly annihilating resistors to the last man, woman and child, along with any supporters amongst other inhabitant groups.

Hagravens can apparently transform male warriors, upon their consent, into supernatural warriors known as 'Briarhearts'. The process leaves these individuals with altered hearts that in fact look like reddish briars; the process is also sometimes known to fail, leaving candidates dead on the hagraven's operating table.