Stros M'Kai is an ancient port city of Hammerfell, and an historic cultural centre of the people known as Redguards. It is located entirely on an island at the edge of Hammerfell, and is the namesake of the popular Stros M'Kai Rum. Nearby is the highly advanced Dwemer ruin containing a functional ancient orrery, similar to the one hosted at the former Mage's Guild headquarters in the Imperial City.
Stros M'Kai was the last holdout against Tamrielic Imperial authority during the struggles for Hammerfell independence, in its last days led by the semi-mythological Redguard pirate hero Cyrus.
The city has so much historic significance and so much mystique for adventurers and the underclass alike that it often figures in the lyrics of old drinking songs, overheard in taverns and cavern hide-outs.