Lore:Torval

is one of the eight-major cities in the province of   , found in the southern forests of the region of  . Torval is known as the home of the  , the spiritual and temporal ruler of Elsweyr and the  i. The Mane and their tribe live in exotic palaces, which are surrounded by symmetrical sugarcane gardens where the Mane would meditate.  Torval was one of the original sixteen kingdoms of Elsweyr,  known even then as the home of the Sacred Mane.  

  

Layout & Geography
Torval is found in the southern-half of Elsweyr known as Pellitine, but it is specifically in the western edge of the region of  .  Pellitine is known for jungles, rainforests, and river basins.  Torval is also found on the western end of the  , a long stretch of road that spans across the southern coast of Elsweyr, and bridges one side of the  , to the provincial border where Torval is located. This general area of Elsweyr is also really damp, and because of this, metal armor is largely unpopular. Instead, Pellitinean Khajiit use boiled leather in their armor.  

The   that live in Torval are known fishermen, often exploiting the sea and whatever it can provide. In ancient times, they would trade with the former kingdom of  .  Like other areas in Elsweyr, Torval contains a  , with this one in particular being known for its excellent training, and producing some of the greatest fighters in all of Tamriel.  In the area lies the Torval Royal Ochre, a rare and valuable pigment that comes from the aforementioned clay.  As mentioned before, the Mane and his tribe live in palaces surrounded by  cane gardens. These palaces are crafted from oak that comes from  , which is only a few hundred miles away from Torval. The Mane's Warrior Guard patrols the sacred grounds, preventing anyone from entering and disturbing the Mane.  Torval is neighbored by several settlements, including   to the far southeast,   to the northeast, and Valenwood to the west, towards   and  .  

History
thumb|right|Torval during the Imperial Simulacrum
Torval's founding is unknown. In the Khajiit's early history, there were sixteen sovereign states that inhabited what is currently known as Elsweyr. One of these kingdoms was Torval, who gained significant power among the other nations when the moons were at quadrature (when the twin moons (  and  ) are in either the first quarter or third quarter). Torval was known for being the home of the Sacred Mane.  During this time, Torval often traded their fish and other items from the sea with the northern kingdom of  , who offered their warriors in return.  

In the  , feudal hunt-lords and an unforgiving hunting-aristocracy governed these sixteen states, ones that plagued the less fortunate peasant communities across ancient Elsweyr. But above these hunt-lords were the many priesthoods of the  . Moon Sages and Torval Clerics held significant cultural influence, using their power to attack hunt-lords and even overthrow them. But this reached a climax when the hunt-lord   set fire to the temple in  , and the other hunt-lords blamed the incident on them.  

Like the other kingdoms of old Elsweyr, the Kingdom of Torval dissolved with the arrival of the   in  . The Khajiit of Torval were absorbed into the Kingdom of  .  

In  , the   spread across the province of Elsweyr, beginning from the city-state of  , eventually spreading across the province.  At the time, the Mane was  . The Lord of Torval, as well as the Speaker of the Mane, was  . Gharesh-ri was essentially the political leader of Elsweyr.  Elsweyr would have succumbed to the disease, if not for the intervention of the First Aldmeri Dominion. In  , Lord Gharesh-ri signed the  , joining Elsweyr into the Aldmeri Dominion.  Elsweyr was slowly overcoming the Knahaten Flu. During this time, Lady   of Torval was considered the southwestern Elsweyr representative of the  . 

In  , King   of   made a hefty donation to Emperor   to quell a Khajiiti rebellion in Torval, in exchange for the hand of one of his daughters in marriage. This daughter proved to be  , who was a very controversial figure in the history of the  .  Supposedly,   was interred in a prison asylum in Torval. 

During the   in the late  , the city-state of Torval was an active settlement, being ruled by King Mojtabe. It had a rivalry with  . 

In  , in the middle of the Imperial Simulacrum, the   began with the Slaughter of Torval. The Khajiit claim that the   invaded the city-state of Torval without provocation, while the Wood Elves claim that the attack was started as retaliation for the Khajiit assaulting wood caravans on their way into Valenwood. The Wood Elves killed thousands of people until they were driven out by a nearby jungle tribe.  The conflict continued until  .

By  , the drug-smuggling business spearheaded by  , the Gold Cat, operated in the city-state of Torval, among other influential cities in the province of Elsweyr, mainly through the coastal port-town of  . 

Gallery
 

Notes
The name "Torval" is an alternate version for the name of  , the  i explorer that fully-charted the sea-lanes of Tamriel. He was active in the late  , when he first documented the cat-demons, which are speculated to be the Ancient Khajiit. 
Arena was originally conceived as a fighting game featuring a tournament that took the player to each of Tamriel's cities to challenge different gladiatorial teams. According to a file from that stage of development left behind in the final game, Torval's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Firedrakes". 

References