Tamriel Rebuilt:Raathim Ancestral Tomb

Tomb: Raathim Ancestral Tomb
Added by	Tamriel Rebuilt
Occupants
Undead
Console Location Code(s)
"Raathim Ancestral Tomb"; "Raathim Ancestral Tomb, Burial of the Empress"; "Raathim Ancestral Tomb, Hall of Kings Past"; "Raathim Ancestral Tomb, Lichgate"; "Khalaan, Propylon Chamber"
Region
Aanthirin

Raathim Ancestral Tomb

Raathim Ancestral Tomb is the atypical tomb of the royal Raathims.

It is buried beneath the Imperial metropolis of Old Ebonheart, and appears to have once been part of the Dark Elven city of Khalaan, which existed on the same site before the events of the Armistice.

Accessing the Tomb

While the lower areas of the tomb are difficult to access unless you are undergoing the quest, An Empress' Ransom, it is possible to easily enter the Lichgate area. You can do this by entering the sewers beneath the Grand Chapel of Talos, finding an alcove with two sconces but just one (unlit) torch, and placing the second torch (on the floor by the alcove) into the empty sconce.

Access to the tomb's lower sections (ie, the Hall of Kings Past and Burial of the Empress sections) is limited to those who bear Raathim blood, as attested to by Raathim descendant, Wry-Eye Moranie, and unless you have the artifact she can give you, approaching the entrance to this area will result in powerful and damaging magic being cast upon you by the guardian statue that watches the approach. It is possible to survive this magic and continue forwards, but beware that powerful enemies will be spawned within as a result.

A Royal Lineage

The Raathim clan was an influential one, and according to some sources once held the High Kingship of Morrowind.

"The rivalry between Ebonheart and Mournhold reached back almost to the dawn of Morrowind's history. Once the two nations had been one, all the lucrative mines held in fief by the Ra'athims, whose nobility retained the High Kingship of Morrowind." - The Real Barenziah v V

As notably however, the clan's lineage also produced the Empress Katariah, who is buried within this tomb. The retrieval of her death mask from its deepest section forms the main objective of the Thieves Guild quest, An Empress' Ransom.

Contents of the Tomb

The remains of Empress Katariah

Lichgate

The winding tunnel downwards features both Imperial and Old Mournhold style-architecture, in addition to the remains of an ancient Dunmer stronghold. The ghosts of deceived thieves haunt this area.

An Ancient Key lies next to a Greater Soul Gem in this area, which opens the gate at the very top of the area, leading into the sewers.

Khalaan, Propylon Chamber

The stronghold's propylon chamber is only partially intact, and can be accessed from the similarly buried stronghold of Romayon, provided that you have the index (stored within the burial complex at Ishanuran Camp).

This portion of the tomb features during Proper Documentation, as you will need to teleport into this area as part of the quest.

Hall of Kings Past

A cavernous chamber with water seeping in at the bottom, this hall will be watched over by Raathim Honor Guard if you have entered the area outside of the An Empress' Ransom quest. Several named urns are scattered across the area. The main one to watch for is the Urn of Moraelyn at the southern end, which will summon a lich named Shade of Moraelyn when activated. He bears the enchanted short blade, Dragon's Blade, and appears to be the restless remains of the king, Moraelyn, attested to in both the Real Barenziah and King Edward series. Scattered notes (1, 2 and 3) can be found lying in front of the urn.

The Key to the Empress' Burial unlocks the door to the Burial of the Empress section, and can be found on the bottom (partially flooded) floor, on a rock in an alcove on the western wall.

Burial of the Empress

The Empress Katariah is buried here, and the Death Mask of Empress Katariah can be taken from her corpse. The urns surrounding her are also filled with gems and gold. The arrow that killed the empress (the Fateful Arrow) is still held within her ribs, while the rings upon her fingers also hold considerable value.

If An Empress' Ransom is not active, then four skeletal members of the Raathim Honor Guard will be present when you enter this room. Each bears an Ebony Halberd. Otherwise the room will be empty on entering.

Katariah's sarcophagus can be activated to reveal the following message:

KATARIAH DOMINATRIX MUNDI

3e 152--200

Here in sleep aetherial lies Katariah Septim of House Raathim. Duchess of Ebonheart and Vvardenfell, Queen of the Nine Jewels, and Empress of All Tamriel.

Notes

• Teleportation is disabled within both the Hall of Kings Past and Burial of the Empress area, likely in part to prevent various scripts from breaking.

Related Quests

Orlukh Clan

• Proper Documentation: Uncover the anonymous seller who damned the Orlukh.

Thieves Guild

• An Empress' Ransom: Exchange a royal artifact for the freedom of the Thieves Guild leaders.