Cyrodiil

From TESWiki, The Elder Scrolls wiki.

Cyrodiil is a fictional province in The Elder Scrolls series of games, homeland of the Imperials, and the primary setting for the game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Contents 1 General 2 History 2.1 The First Era 2.2 The Second Era 2.3 The Third Era 3 Current Events 4 Politics 5 Geography 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 See also 9 References 10 Notes

[edit] General

• Quests
• People
• Items

[edit] History

[edit] The First Era

The early Aldmeri settlers to Tamriel established strongholds on the islands of Summerset and along the coasts, but did not venture far inland. Only oral histories and the fragmented ballad of Topal the Pilot offer glimpses of the ancient beast races that inhabited the land, but they are shadowy, mist drawn portraits of a time before reckoning. It is not until the coming of the Ayleid that Cyrodilic histroy truly begins.

The Ayleids were ancient Aldmer, cousins of all of the Elven races that exisit to this day. Over time, they became a distinct people, crafting a civilization whose ruins still puzzle and fascinate modern archeologists and adventurers. The ancient Nedic people, spreading south from Skyrim, became the slave labor for their ambitions, centered around White Gold Tower.

The slave rebellion of Alessia in the 242nd year of the First Era is a seminal event in the history of Cyrodiil, and all of Tamriel. While humans and elves had been battling in Skyrim for some time, and the Slave Queen's revolt could not be called the first victory of men over mer, it represents a turning point in the continental power structure. The heart of Tamriel was going to belong to these former slaves, present day Imperials, forever more.

With the aid of the Nords of Skyrim, the Imperials consolidated their power, forming a loose alliance between the two sometimes disparate regions, the rich Nibenay Valley and the rough, remote Colovian Highlands. While the Alessian Empire continued to push westward towards the Direnni lands in High Rock, the greatest change was a cultural and religious one. The prophet Marukh's teachings both brought identity to Cyrodiil, codifying the pantheon most civilized Tamriellians worship to this day, and brought conflict due to the more severe strictures he espoused.

[edit] The Second Era

The next great transformation of the land came from distinctly external forces. The foiled Akaviri invasion of 2703 brought a new dynasty, and a new spirit of cooperation among independent nations, dedicated to fighting the common threat. Under the Emperor Reman I, Cyrodiil became truly cosmopolitan, incorporating aspects of High Rock, Colovia, Nibenay, and the sophisticated if strange culture of the defeated Akaviri into a common whole. The Reman Empire, also called the Second Empire, began again the process of expansion, founding a single strong nation, if not actually succeeding in conquering the entire continent.

The assassination of Reman III and his son and heir Juilek at the end of the Four Score War with Morrowind marked the end of an era, if not the end of the Second Empire. Under the Akaviri Potentates, the system of governing continued to evolve throughout the Second Era, progresses that abruptly ended with the assassination of the last potentate in the year 2E 430.

The rest of the Second Era was a time of great darkness and chaos throughout Tamriel, nowhere moreso than in Cyrodiil. Without a central government, Nibenay and Colovia split apart, farms fell fallow, villages were left in ruin, and the former Imperial highways became no man's land, the realm of bandit kings. The Imperial City itself became the prize for an endless series of would be emperors, fought over for centuries until its glory was only a faded shadow of the great days when it ruled Tamriel.

[edit] The Third Era

The rise of Tiber Septim has been amply documented in the history, and in a hundred books besides. In Cyrodiil, his influence could not be overemphasized. He gave the land back its traditional power and more, and became the symbol of it. He founded the dynasty that reigns to this very day. Cyrdoiil, of course, helped Tiber Septim as much as he helped it. It gave legitimacy and a sense of history to his legend, which grew even ahead of his conquests.

The Imperial City and Cyrodiil rose again in splendor, occasionally tarnished by the weakness of some of Septim's descendants, the War of the Red Diamond, and the Imperial Simulacrum, but never again did it lose its luster.

[edit] Current Events

The Imperial Province has continued to be the stable heart of the Empire, offering a good model to its satellites of government that settles disputes by diplomacy, not by force of arms. The recent marriage of Lady Alessia, daughter of the Countess of Chorrol, to Count Marius Caro of Leyawiin typifies this, a perfect blend of love and sound political judgement.

Nevertheless, there have been a few frightning moments in Cyrodiil in recent years. A suspected outbreak of the Knahaten Plague, a threat for the first time in hundreds of years, sparked panic along the southern border with Black Marsh. It was revealed to be a hoax, perhaps created by Argonians fighting back against Imperial incursions led by the Blackwood Company, and the fear was dissipated. Family strife in Kvatch claimed the lives of both sons of Count Haderus Goldwine, vying for the inheritance. While peace has been restored, the Count, is still in mourning and has not designated a new heir.

In the Imperial Court, there is thankfully no such tragedy. While the Emperor chose not to remarry following the Empress' death more than fifty years ago, she left to him three healthy boys who have spent their adult lives learning the arts of politics from their masterful liege and father. Crown Prince Geldall has already taken many of Uriel's responsibilities, and has impressed one and all with his acumen. As the heart of the Empire is solid, all of Tamriel is strong.

[edit] Politics

Each city has its own Count/Countess that rules over the city (the county seat),and the surrounding county, which has the same name as the city. Anvil County is a small area to the west of Imperial City, ruled over by Countess Umbranox. Bravil County seems to be the land on the west side of the Lower Niben, and is ruled by Count Regulus Terentius. Bruma County, ruled by Countess Narina Carvain, is to the west of Bruma, and borders Cheydinal County, which is the land to the north of Cheydinal, it is ruled by Count Andel Indarys. Chorrol is County seat of Chorrol county, which is the area north of Chorrol, it is ruled by Countess Arianna Valga. County Kvatch is the land to the Northwest of Kvatch, it was ruled by Count Ormellius Goldwine, who died in the Daedric Assault on Kvatch, with his death the job of assigning a new Count rests with the Elder Council. Count Marius Caro and Countess Alessia Caro control the land from the Panther River down to the Topal Bay. Skingrad's Count Janus Hassildor controls the land in between the Gold Road and the Green Road. The Imperial City doesn't seem to have a Count, it is possible it is either ruled by the Emperor, by the Imperial Legion, or some other force, such as the Elder Council. Imperial City has no accompanying county, but the Imperial Reserve is located to the west and the Nibenay Basin to the east.

[edit] Geography

Cyrodiil is mostly an expanse of forest and mountains. Its heart, the Nibenay Valley, is a vast plain, enclosed by equatorial rain forests. Many rivers flow through this area, and as one ventures further down the rivers, the land slowly becomes more sub-tropical, eventually giving way to the swamps of the Black Marsh. The elevation rises gradually to the west and sharply to the north. The western part of the region is relatively dry, and the Velothi Mountains (Valus Mountains, as the Imperials call them) to the west have some roads, but mostly travel in Cyrodiil is dominated by rivers. Cyrodiil seems to be the most diverse province in terms of geography, climate and race.

The Nibenay Valley is the most prominent area of the land, a great grassland with a lake in its heart. Several small islands dot the surface of this lake, and between them stand great bridges. It is on these islands that Cyrodiil Imperial City stands. The rest of Cyrodiil also contains the cities of Anvil, Bravil, Bruma, Chorrol, Cheydinhal, Kvatch, Leyawiin and Skingrad.

Prior to Oblivion, and specifically in the Pocket Guide to The Empire,^[1] Cyrodiil was described as a vast jungle. Arena's maps of the region with a boreal green, fading into brown in the west and a richer pine green in the southeast, towards Black Marsh.^[2] Oblivion, however, found Cyrodiil to be completely lacking in any form of tropical climate. Former game developer Michael Kirkbride wrote a minor text rationalizing the change within the game, wherein Emperor Tiber Septim uses Talos Stormcrown to bring a temperate climate to the region. The Imperial Library refers to the text as a "retcon".^[3]

"'You have suffered for me to win this throne, and I see how you hate jungle. Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you.'"^[4]

– From the Many-Headed Talos

[edit] Demographics

Most of Cyrodiil's population is Imperial, but the Nibenay Valley is largely multicultural, and is often the site of conflicts between rival Khajiit and Argonian. The northern city of Bruma is largely occupied by Nords. Elves are dispersed throughout Cyrodiil and the Count of Cheydinhal is a Dark Elf.

[edit] Culture

Imperial culture is a pragmatic melting pot of the various contrasting cultures of the Imperial provinces, unified by the strong hereditary Emperor and bureaucracy, the rule of law, a professional army, and tolerance of disparate polytheistic cult worships. Education and wealth is broadly distributed through all social classes where Imperial culture has flourished. Many citizens are literate and protected under Imperial Law.

Persons of all races and creeds can advance in wealth and status in commerce, the bureaucracy, and the military. However, moral and politcal corruption at the highest levels of Imperial society, and the economic strain of maintaining military occupations in widely seperated hostile provinces like Morrowind, signals the impending decline of the Empire.

[edit] See also

• Tamriel
• The Elder Scrolls: Arena
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

[edit] References

• Pocket Guide to the Empire - Pamphlet that shipped with the Redguard game.

[edit] Notes