Lore: Rise of the Bosmer

Long ago, in the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­third age of Tamriel, something stirred in Valenwood. It had been years since the Oblivion crisis gripped Tamriel. But since that was dealt with, things were very quiet. It would still be some years before the Altmer and men fought for supremacy in Skyrim. But for now, we shall focus on the tales that arose from Valenwood.

Valenwood was never a stable country. The Aldmer consisting of Bosmers and Altmers ruled Valenwood. After suffering a number of pointless wars and change in rule, the Thalmor took over Valenwood after the Oblivion Crisis. It was in the later third age that, Niyuren of Alvenor along with three hundred elves took over the mighty Thalmor embassy in Arenthia, north of Valenwood. Thus began the Great Bosmer Resistance of 3E 124. The Resistance did not fight like their predecessors. They were no longer a group of warriors who hid in the shadows and vanquished enemies. The Altmer could not be killed just with arrows. True, they used their natural prowess to kill with a swift arrow. But with an army as small as theirs, they soon turned to alchemy and enchanting. Besides, they mastered the greatswords. The Elven greatswords made by the Bosmer smiths were said to have been lighter and faster than the Nordic ones. Legend has it that Kufric, the elf from Haven, was so swift that he killed sixteen Altmer just by sprinting and slashing their hands off one by one. They hid and shot sharp arrows to weaken the guard and then they charged and lay siege on one fort to another. The Bosmer Resistance lasted for about two decades during which they recovered most of Valenwood and ruled with order.

There survived one Altmer. His name was Norionil. According to many tales, it is told that Norionil hid in the forests in Arenthia and in secret practiced his magic. He was an accomplished illusionist and a conjuror. Villagers often mistook his thunderstorm spells as strange sounds from the sky. In 3E 234, Norionil left his refuge and killed seven important elves of the Bosmer Resistance. But he is remembered for the Night of the Fall. He crept into Elden Root, the capital of the Resistance. He went past all the guards. Once inside, he set every Bosmer on the other. He hid quietly and watched as they all killed each other. As soon as Niyuren and the mighty Kufric came out he attacked them and killed them. Within hours, the Bosmer Resistance had been vanquished by a single man. But there was a hero that night. Talasan of Greenheart had been tracking Norionil for weeks. Just before the attack on Elden Root, Talasan lost him. He arrived late to see the whole town burning. So he hid. And he waited. Soon enough, Norionil emerged from the city. Talasan followed him for twelve miles. It was then that Norionil let his guard down. Talasan fired a heavily poisoned arrow at the Altmer and charged at him. It is said to have been a fight that was never forgotten. It was witnessed by an Orc named Olpac who wrote about the epic fight. Talasan emerged the victor and Norionil was killed. But the Altmer had given his kind the victory they needed.

Valenwood was soon in turmoil again. Talasan fled to Cyrodiil to escape the Thalmor onslaught. His wife, Celegil bore him a child soon. They named him Anoriath. For Talasan’s family, Cyrodiil was never their place for rest. After the death of Talasan, Anoriath journeyed to Valenwood. He settled in Woodhearth. Like his father, he was an accomplished stalker and an archer. After a few years, Anoriath left the war plagued Valenwood and journeyed back to Cyrodiil. He was captured by the Thalmor when he was camping for the night. He stayed in captivity for thirty years while war waged in Skyrim. Anoriath was released, but weakened by his imprisonment he was killed by robbers. Anoriath had married in Woodhearth to an elf named Carwen. Carwen along with his son Galmir and daughter Alawen were hidden safely in Skingrad, south of Cyrodiil.

Come the fourth age as the White and Gold Concordant was signed as a treaty of surrender by High King Torygg and the Aldmeri Dominion. The Empire surrendered to the Dominion after years of the Great War. Galmir and Alawen along with fifty other Bosmer travelled from Cyrodiil to Solitude in Skyrim with the Imperials disguised as them. Tragedy fell on the way. When they had crossed the mighty mountains of Skyrim, Alawen fell ill. The travelers discovered her disguise and mistook her for an Altmer. They had her killed. The rest of the Bosmer along with Galmir dispersed quietly or they would have faced the same end. But Galmir had lost his mind. He swore revenge. The Bosmer community soon came to be called Galmir’s Guild. They became a group of guerilla plunderers. They killed travelers and the Empire’s soldiers at will and looted them. The Guild were not brave. They did not have a purpose unlike the Great Bosmer Resistance. Soon they were tracked down and the Thalmor vanquished them. Few survived.

Then arose the tales of Galmir’s son, Jorian; a fair Bosmer, touted to be as brave as his ancestor Talasan, a visionary as Niyuren and deadly as Kufric. But he was noted to be different. He was not conceived by a woman. His birth was a mystery. Till date, his birth has no records. The other Bosmer soon thought he was a bad omen and they banished him from their hold. Jorian journeyed throughout Skyrim but destiny had its way. Like his ancestor, Anoriath, he was captured unawares by the Legion’s soldiers outside Helgen. Legend holds that in the fourth age of Tamriel, a wanderer would be captured, an old nemesis shall return, legends will come true and a hero will rise.