Location Hierarchy

This page is created to share my findings on the hierarchy of locations in the game. This came about during my discovery of isChild - Location not returning true if Tamriel is called on it, when it is in fact not the "true" parent of a location, but instead the "last" in most cases. This can be misleading to anyone wanting to get the ACTUAL parent of a location. In short, that function can lie to you. Detailed explanation on this will be provided. After extensive testing I have outlined all the important locations that have a "hierarchy" of locations. At the present time this doesn't cover DLC locations.

City Locations

These are locations in the game that represent the cities, including the hold capitals. They all have the 2 parents. 1 of them being the hold location and the other being Tamriel. Here is a list of all the city locations I have identified, and for convenience for anyone who doesn't want to spend time typing out all these locations, I have provided the syntax, all you need to do is hit "Auto-fill All" in the Creation Kit and all of them will fill:

Location property DawnstarLocation auto
Location property MarkarthLocation auto
Location property RiftenLocation auto
Location property FalkreathLocation auto
Location property RiverwoodLocation auto
Location property SolitudeLocation auto
Location property RoriksteadLocation auto
Location property MorthalLocation auto
Location property IvarsteadLocation auto
Location property HelgenLocation auto
Location property WinterholdLocation auto
Location property WindhelmLocation auto
Location property WhiterunLocation auto

Hold Locations

There are 9 holds in Skyrim, and they have no hierarchy. Tamriel is their true parent location.

Location property WhiterunHoldLocation auto
Location property ReachHoldLocation auto
Location property RiftHoldLocation auto
Location property FalkreathHoldLocation auto
Location property PaleHoldLocation auto
Location property WinterholdHoldLocation auto
Location property HaafingarHoldLocation auto
Location property EastmarchHoldLocation auto
Location property HjaalmarchHoldLocation auto

Locations without hierarchy

There is just one location that doesn't have a hierarchy but has Tamriel as its parent.

Location property ShrineofAzuraLocation auto

Locations in a different Worldspace

These are locations have Tamriel as a parent location but are in a worldspace other than the Tamriel worldspace.

Location property BrinewaterGrottoLocation auto
Location property IronbindBarrowLocation auto

Those locations are a special case. Their wilderness exterior cells unlike the wildnerness cells of Tamriel, all have locations. This is true for all locations in their own worldspace.

Locations in a different Worldspace and with Hierarchy

These locations have a hold location and Tamriel in their heirarchy but are in a different worldspace other than Tamriel.

Location property ShadowgreenCavernLocation auto
Location property RedEagleRedoubtLocation auto
Location property MossMotherCavernLocation auto
Location property SouthfringeSanctumLocation auto
Location property DarkwaterCavernLocation auto
Location property AlftandLocation auto
Location property BloatedMansGrottoLocation auto
Location property BlindCliffCaveLocation auto
Location property BlackreachLocation auto
Location property DeepwoodRedoubtLocation auto
Location property EastEmpireWarehouseLocation auto
Location property EldergleamSanctuaryLocation auto
Location property FallowstoneCaveLocation auto
Location property FrostmereCryptLocation auto
Location property LabyrinthianLocation auto

No Parent Locations

These are locations in the game that don't have a parent at all(will return none with isChild - Location)

Location property SovngardeLocation auto
Location property NightingaleHallLocation auto
Location property DragonPriestSanctuaryLocation auto
Location property AzurasStarInteriorLocation auto

Nested Locations

While working with locations in the Creation Kit, I have noticed a pattern with locations. City Interiors have three "parents". This is usually a location representing the city, and then the location representing the hold, and finally, Tamriel. This isn't always true in the case of The Winking Sheever which has SolitudeWellsLocation instead of SolitudeLocation like the other interiors. And example of what I mean is this:

• Riverwood Trader > RiverwoodLocation > WhiterunHoldLocation > TamrielLocation

For Dungeon interiors, they mostly contain two "parents". Example:

• Embershard Mine > FalkreathHoldLocation > TamrielLocation

There are a few locations that do not have a parent, and the vast majority of wildernesses do not have locations. Finally all cells within a worldspace that is not Tamriel so far, may have a 'nested location' as well. Take the worldspace for Bloated Man's Grotto for example:

• BloatedMansGrottoLocation > FalkreathHoldLocation > TamrielLocation

--Terra Nova2 (talk) 2016-02-16T10:04:53 (EST)