The Bosmer, or Wood Elves, make their home in a land called Valenwood. Every region of Tamriel possesses its own unique topography that sets its inhabitants apart from the other races. Valenwood is described as a lush, sub-tropical environment where nature itself is highly respected.
Fans of the series could visit Valenwood in The Elder Scrolls: Arena, but it was The Elder Scrolls Online that finally allowed the mysterious region to be explored in some depth. Still, with lore as massive as The Elder Scrolls, it's easy to miss certain details along the way. These are some of the more interesting tidbits about Valenwood's history and culture that players may have overlooked.
7 A Diverse Wildlife
Tamriel is a big continent and not every province is home to the same wildlife. Valenwood actually contains a fairly large and oftentimes odd assortment of fauna. Some are familiar, relatively benign creatures while others are positively nightmare-inducing.
Examples of the more harmless variety of animals include monkeys and antelopes. The more dangerous types include spriggans, giant wasps, crocodiles, and even tigers. Perhaps the most ghastly of the bunch are the hoarvors, gigantic blood-sucking ticks that can be found deep within Valenwood's forests.
6 Cities Of Migratory Trees
Cities in Valenwood are unlike anything else seen in Cyrodiil or Skyrim. Instead of being made from brick-and-mortar, the Wood Elves construct their homes amidst the branches and trunks of massive oak trees. Amazingly, the trees themselves are said to be migratory, never fixed to one place forever.
Falinesti is the capital of Valenwood and serves as the seat of government for the Bosmer. It's considered one of the grandest cities in Valenwood, purportedly being one mile high. Interestingly, at the end of the Third Era, Falinesti halted its migratory march and rooted itself to the ground for the first time in its history.
5 Composed Of Four Regions
Valenwood is further subdivided into four territories, each one possessing its own unique features. They include Grahtwood, Greenshade, Malabal Tor, and the western edge of Reaper's March. A small collection of islands off the coast also belong to the Wood Elves.
Grahtwood lies to the southeast and contains some of Valenwood's densest jungles. To the southwest is Greenshade, where the cities of Woodhearth, Greenheart, and Marbruk can be found. The ancient Ayleid city of Hectahame is also located here. Malabal Tor is to the northwest and is home to the city of Falinesti. Lastly, Reaper's March contains the city of Arenthia, a settlement possessing a diverse population.
4 Once The Home Of Mythical Creatures
Valenwood still contains a large variety of fauna. However, the "Pocket Guide to the Empire" describes a very different ecosystem during Valenwood's ancient history. Before the elves settled the region, there existed quite a fantastic collection of wildlife straight out of real-world myth.
The book mentions some of the species and civilizations that dominated Valenwood before the onset of the First Era. These legendary denizens included hippogriffs, fairies, hydra, minotaurs, satyrs, giants, centaurs, basilisks, and even intelligent apes. Some of these beasts, like minotaurs and giants, still exist.
3 Wood Orcs Dwell There
Fans of The Elder Scrolls series undoubtedly know about Wood Elves. But what about Wood Orcs? The Orc homeland is known as Orsinium, a city that has been built and rebuilt many times throughout its history. Nevertheless, much like the other races, communities of Orcs have migrated to different regions, including Valenwood.
The Orsimer who dwell in Valenwood are appropriately referred to as Wood Orcs. They're similar to their cousins found elsewhere in Tamriel, but possess a few regional differences that set them apart from the rest of their kind. For example, Wood Orcs value dexterity and swiftness, as opposed to pure brute strength, incorporating some of the martial values of their Bosmer neighbors. They dwell primarily in the Malabal Tor region of Valenwood.
2 Once Contained Ayleid Refugees
The Ayleids were a race of elves who once dominated the lands of Cyrodiil. Their harsh rule came to an end when the slave rebellion of Saint Alessia proved successful. Most of the remaining Ayleids fled to Valenwood to escape the brutal vengeance of their former subjects.
A great many of these refugees settled in the Greenshade region of Valenwood. There, the Ayleids established the city of Hectahame, where the very heart and soul of Valenwood is said to be found. The Ayleids eventually died out, leaving behind their ruined city, a place now regarded by the Wood Elves as haunted.
1 A Secret Purge Is Being Conducted
The player learns a lot about the Great War in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The rise of the Third Aldmeri Dominion upset the status quo established by the Empire. Valenwood, which was once an Imperial province, was annexed by the Dominion after a coup overthrew the Empire-backed government.
Details concerning Valenwood's current status can be gleaned through conversations with Delphine and Malborn, a Wood Elven refugee. The player learns that hushed-up purges are being conducted by the Dominion against the remaining elements of Imperial sympathizers. Malborn's family were victims of these clandestine killings, an event that convinces him to become a secret informant for the Blades.