Lore:Elsweyr

This page is currently being redesigned for the Lore Places Project (LPP). The page may need work to meet the standards outlined on the project page.

Elsweyr
Type	Province
Continent	Tamriel
Appears in	Arena

Nation: Elsweyr Confederacy
Capital: Torval
Native Populace: Khajiit
Founded: Common Era 309
Head-of-State: Mane
Official Language: Ta'agra
Currency: Septim

Illustration of a typical Khajiit male.

Elsweyr is a province that lies on the southern coast of Tamriel. It is bordered by Valenwood to the west and by Cyrodiil to the north and east.

Elsweyr is home to the feline Khajiit. The Khajiiti government is a confederacy held together by the Mane, which are the rarest of the various Khajiit breeds. An important part of Khajiiti culture is the Moon Sugar that is harvested in Elsweyr. Moon Sugar is said to be created by mana falling from the Ja'Kha-jay into the Bay of Topal on the southeastern coast. The waters are then drawn into the sugar plantations of the jungles of Tenmar, which cover much of the southern area of the province.

History

Elsweyr is home to an ancient civilization that, it is commonly held, predated the coming of mer and men. Though this would be hard to verify, it is known that there were hundreds of cities in the province. Some cities have been buried by the sands of the northwest desert; some have been overgrown by the southern jungles; others have been destroyed by men, mer and Khajiit. It has also been said that the Khajiit roamed Tamriel before other creatures. Described in A Pocket Guide to the Empire: "Topal the Pilot in his peregrinations around Tamriel encountered the Khajiit not in Elsweyr, but far up the Niben River, close to the Imperial City, where they preyed on other native creatures." Also, "...certain parts of Valenwood were to be avoided for fear of the great jungle cat men." It is thought that Khajiit had already developed while other races were only beginning to discover the basic feats of modern life. Historically, Elsweyr was split into a number of smaller states (speculation suggests as many as sixteen states) until the time of the Thrassian Plague that devastated the whole of Tamriel.

Only the kingdoms of Anequina and Pellitine are known to have survived this catastrophe intact, and they decided at that time to forge an Alliance of Peace, thereby creating a unified confederacy. During the formation of this new nation it is possible that an old Khajiiti proverb was recalled, which ran along the lines of "perfect society is always elsewhere", thus resulting in the union's name. Another possibility is a reference to Llesw'er, a paradise promised to the Khajiit by the Riddle'Thar. Regardless of the name's specific origin, it appears to inspire a sense of optimism that is not likely to be backed by reality. Recently, Elsweyr has been involved in much chaos, it seems only some Manes and the Cyrodilic and Septim Empires brought peace, but only for brief periods of time. Best described in A Pocket Guide to the Empire, "It may be fair to say Elsweyr is in crisis. And it may further be accurate to say that such chaos is home." In 4E 115, a coup backed by the Thalmor dissolved the Elsweyr Confederacy. In its place, the kingdoms of Anequina and Pelletine were recreated and became client states of the second Aldmeri Dominion.

Geography

The northern part of Elsweyr contains arid badlands; the southern part is a lush sub-tropical environment with many forests. Only a few cities have been established, and most of the settlements are small villages.

Politics

During the Five Year War, Elsweyr expanded west into Valenwood. Near the end of the Imperial Simulacrum, an attempt to return the land occurred but the Khajiit settlers did not comply, and no further action was taken. However, they lost land to the east near the Imperial city of Leyawiin, after an agreement between the Count and the current Mane. Also, the city of Senchal, once a slum town, has been turned into a beautiful coastal resort, proving the economy is rising.

In the early years of the Fourth Era, Elsweyr followed the lead of Black Marsh and seceded from the Empire. After the coup of 4E 115, the Elsweyr Confederacy was disbanded and the two ancient kingdoms Pelletine and Anequina were reestablished as client states of the Thalmor.

Notable Places

Alabaster

A city found inland from the Niben River on the Elsweyr side of the border.

Corinthe

A city in central Elsweyr.

Dune

A city in northwestern Elsweyr, near the Valenwood border.

The Halls of Colossus

The secret complex that housed Numidium during its reconstruction and activation.

Orcrest

A city in northern Elsweyr, south of Riverhold.

Rimmen

A city in northeastern Elsweyr, near the border to Cyrodiil.

Riverhold

A city in northern Elsweyr, near the Cyrodiil border.

Senchal

A slum turned into a coastal resort, it lies on the northern shores of the southeastern "tail" of Elsweyr.

Torval

A city in southwestern Elsweyr, near the Valenwood border.

Other Information

Cuisine

The cuisine of Elsweyr is invariably sweet. Meals such as candies, cakes, puddings, sugarmeats and honey stews makes the staples of the Khajiit diet. Non-Khajiiti are often advised against eating these dishes as most of them contain moon sugar, a dangerous substance to which the Khajiit have both a natural predisposition and a resistance developed from a lifelong consumption of the substance. On such occasions, merely touching the food with lips is considered a polite form of declining. In Skyrim circa 4E 201, there was a meal called the Elsweyr Fondue, containing ale, moon sugar and Eidar cheese, which is a prime example of the cuisine.

See Also

• Featured in:
  • TES1: Arena