| Forelhost | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ruin |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | Skyrim |
| Hold | The Rift |
| Appears in | Skyrim, ESO |
Forelhost is an ancient Nordic ruin located in the Rift in Skyrim. It is located high atop a mountain and suffers from a dangerously cold climate.
During the time of the Dragon Cult, Forelhost served as a great monastery. It was home to two notable dragon priests and their respective masks: Rahgot and Vosis. Following the Dragon War, Forelhost became the last known holdout of the cult. It was discovered by the forces of High King Harald in 1E 139, who besieged the monastery for several months under the command of Skorm Snow-Strider. Despite the cold, the besiegers eventually succeeded in breaking through the defenses in 1E 140, using the Voice to bring down the main gate. Once inside however, they discovered that the cultists had committed ritual suicide, going so far as to poison the well water. Their sacrifice created a magical barrier, sealing the upper courtyard for decades afterwards and preventing Skorm's advance. The cultists had believed they would be returned to life when the dragons returned to Tamriel, as had been foreseen by a cultist named Thorallod. The monastery subsequently fell into ruin, haunted by draugr and the ghosts of the cultists.
In 2E 582, when the Worm Cult was scouring the Rift for shards of Wuuthrad, a group of cultists led an attack on Forelhost when their leader, Nordahl, attempted to recover the mask of Vosis. The cultists were defeated by the undead and driven off, and Vosis claimed their axe shard for himself. He was then slain by a soldier from the Ebonheart Pact, which was also seeking shards.
In 4E 201, an Altmer named Valmir was sent to Skyrim by an anonymous benefactor to retrieve Rahgot's mask from within the ruins of Forelhost. He was ordered to trick Imperial Legionnaires and Stormcloak Soldiers into recovering the mask to aid the war effort during the ongoing Stormcloak Rebellion, and then to bring the mask to Labyrinthian, likely in an effort to retrieve Konahrik. Valmir recruited the Last Dragonborn, who successfully retrieved the mask, but discovered Valmir's ploy and killed him.