In year 864 of the Second Era of the Empire of Tamriel, the nation of Hammerfell and its fierce, warlike people the Redguards were in the process of being brought into the Imperial fold, partly by conquest and partly by politics.
Out of the historical events surrounding this circumstance, one of the most powerful figures of Redguard lore arose: the infamous, yet noble privateer known as Cyrus. This pirate captain singlehandedly resisted Imperial efforts to absorb Hammerfell entirely on its own terms and assured that his people would hold a measure of autonomy in the Empire.
Cyrus initally entered into this conflict while coming to the aid of his kidnapped sister, Iszara.