The Reach

The Reach is one of the nine Holds of Skyrim. The capital city of the hold is Markarth, and the Jarl is the Empire-aligned Jarl Igmund. Its symbol is a ram's head. The Reach covers much of the western border of Skyrim, with High Rock and Hammerfell to the west. Surrounding holds include Whiterun to the east, Haafingar past the mountains to the north and Falkreath to the south-east. These are the Highlands of Skyrim, a rugged environment covered by juniper trees and lacking in flat clearings. It is known to be littered with many mines of various ores.

The Reach is also infamous for being the land of the Forsworn, a rebellious tribe trying to retake The Reach from the Nords. They are the most common sentient enemies in the hold and inhabit a majority of the locations within The Reach. They are Bretons biologically, but culturally they are exluded by other Bretons. They themselves also segregate themselves from their more civilized brothers. The Reachmen have always been more war-like and barbaric than the rest of the Bretons, and have more elven blood in them than their civilized brothers. With the threat of the Forsworn in Markarth and its surrounding settlements, The Reach is considered by many Nords to be the most dangerous hold in Skyrim, fit for only true adventurers and hardened Mercenaries.