SkyrimTAG:Strongholds

Strongholds are found across Skyrim's 9 Holds.

The province of Skyrim is divided into 9 regions, called Holds. Each one offers an array of sites for adventurers to explore. Each also has a Stronghold, the largest settlement in the region. Each Hold has its own laws and is governed by its own Jarl, so they are not all the same, and don't remain the same during the game. Each Stronghold has a different Market and sometimes different prices for Ore, Plant, and Soul Gem Components. As the game progresses, some Strongholds may suffer the ravages of war, be attacked by Roaming Monsters, or close their doors.

Strongholds

• Dawnstar: A Stronghold on the Northern coast, the market sells items from the Might or Sorcery decks. Ore Components cost 3 Septims. Plant and Soul Gem Components cost 6 Septims.

• Falkreath: One of the Southern Strongholds, the market sells items from the Shadow deck. Plant Components cost 4 Septims, while Ore and Soul Gem Components cost 6 Septims.

• Markarth: In the Southwest, Markarth's market sells items from the Might deck. Ore Components cost 4 Septims, and Plant Components and Soul Gem Components cost 5 Septims.

• Morthal: In the snowy swamps of Hjaalmarch, the market here sells items from the Shadow deck. Plant Components cost 4 Septims. Ore Components cost 5 Septims. Soul Gem Components cannot be purchased here.

• Riften: Home of the Thieves Guild, Riften's market sells items from the Shadow and Sorcery decks. Ore, Plant, and Soul Gem Components all cost 5 Septims. When selling items, gain 1 additional Septim.

• Solitude: Capital of the province, Solitude has the widest selection available at the market, selling from the Might, Shadow, and Sorcery decks. Ore, Plant, and Soul Gem Components cost 5 Septims. When selling items, gain 1 additional Septim.

• Winterhold: The most magically inclined Stronghold, the market sells from the Sorcery deck. Ore Components cost 7 Septims, but Plant and Soul Gem Components cost 4 Septims.

• Whiterun: Found in the center of Skyrim, the market here sells from the Might and Shadow decks. The increased foot traffic means that Ore, Plant, and Soul Gem Components cost 4 Septims.

• Windhelm: Home to the Stormcloak Rebellion, Windhelm's market sells from the Might and Shadow decks. Ore, Plant, and Soul Gem Components cost 5 Septims. When selling items, gain 1 additional Septim.

Unrest

When Strongholds are under threat they may become Degraded, represented by Threat tokens. When a Stronghold has 1 Threat token, it is in a state of Unrest. You cannot access the Market during this time. When a Stronghold has 2 Threat tokens, it becomes Closed. The Jarl has closed the doors to the town, and visitors have to pay a 5 Septim fee to enter. You can land on a Stronghold space without having to pay the 5 Septim fee, but you cannot interact with anything in the Stronghold. When a Stronghold is Degraded a third time, it begins Rioting. The conflict in the city spreads across the province, wreaking havoc across the lands. Each turn, after drawing an Event card, a new Threat token is added to another Stronghold or to any card that can accept it, as long as the Stronghold is Rioting. You need to keep an eye on Strongholds to make sure they don't start Rioting, otherwise you could find yourself in a very tough situation very quickly.

You can restore a Stronghold by moving to it on the board and paying 5 Septims to remove 1 Threat token. This does not count as an action, but you can only restore one level per turn. You still have to pay the 5 Septims to enter the Stronghold in order to pay the additional 5 Septims to restore it.

Visiting the Market

While you are in a Stronghold, you can visit the Market to buy and sell items, acquire Components, and Upgrade or Enchant your items. Visiting the Market doesn't constitute as an action, and can be done in addition to completing a Quest or Exploring the Area. You can sell items, buy components, and upgrade and enchant items as many times per turn as you want, provided you have the resources to do so. You can only buy items, craft, or buy a horse once per turn.

When visiting the market, you can:

• Sell Items: Items are sold for the price shown on the card. Cards that don't have a price cannot be sold. Any number of items can be sold during a turn. Sold items are shuffled back into their corresponding decks. Spells can be sold like any other item, providing they have a price on them. Components cannot be sold.

• Buy Items: To buy items, first choose between the Might, Shadow, and Sorcery decks. For the cost of 1 Septim you may draw a card, or two cards if you have the Speech skill. You can browse the Market further by paying an additional Septim. There is no limit to how many cards you can draw in a turn, but they must all be from the same deck. Once you have drawn all the cards you wish, you can buy as many of them as you want for the price listed on each card.

• Buy Components: You can also buy Ore Components, Plant Components, or Soul Gem Components at the Market. Each Component costs 5 Septims unless the Stronghold specifies a different price.

• Craft: All cards in the Equipment Deck can be crafted at the Market. The price for doing this is always 2 Ore Components, 2 Plant Components, or 2 Soul Gem Components, depending on the item.

• Upgrade and Enchant: Some item cards can be upgraded or enchanted. For the price of 1 Ore Component or 1 Soul Gem Component listed on the item's card, you can draw a card from the Upgrades/Enchantments deck. If you don't like the card you drew, you can pay an additional Ore or Soul Gem Component to draw another card. Once you're satisfied with the cards you have drawn, you can select one card to attach to the item and shuffle the rest back into the Upgrades/Enchantments deck.

• Buy a Horse: You can buy a Horse token in any stronghold for 10 Septims. The Horse token allows you to move 1 additional space each turn. You can only have 1 Horse at any time.

Gallery

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  Dawnstar

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  Falkreath

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  Markarth

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  Morthal

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  Riften

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  Solitude

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  Whiterun

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  Windhelm

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  Winterhold