Lore:Falinesti

is the strange, walking city of the   king. It used to be found in one of four locations within  , depending on the season. In the spring, it traveled to northeastern  , in the summer, it moved north to western  , in autumn, it traveled to a spot in the  , near the border with  , and in the winter, it moved south to  . Most maps show the city at the location of its summer site. Since the late  , the walking tree is rooted and does not migrate anymore.  
 

History
The city occupies the boughs and bole of a great walking Elden Tree, possibly the original Elden Tree from which all other graht-oaks are derived. The magic involved in the creation of the tree and the city were from before the dawn of recorded history.  

King  , a Bosmer warlord from the  , united the tribes of Valenwood under his rule, an event traditionally regarded as the beginning of   of the  , from his walking throne of Falinesti, located in the highest of the branches, along with many Bosmer dwellings. Then, from the very beginning of the First Era Falinesti became the capital of Valenwood and second holiest city, second only to  . 

In  , the Walking City, along with the rest of Valenwood was conquered by the  , after centuries of unrelenting warfare along the border with   and a plague from  .  Although the province became occupied by the  , they continued to experience resistance from some natives for several years. 

During the Second Empire rule of Valenwood, each of the treethanes of Falinesti,  ,  ,  ,  , and   were given a minor kingdom, rising from local to regional powers. This way, Valenwood was divided into six independent kingdoms ruled by local Bosmer nobility, but under the Second Empire banner and protection. This reorganization of Valenwood distributed Falinesti political and trading importance among other Valenwood cities. 

During the early years of the  , but before the city disappeared, the Battle of Falinesti took place between Bosmer and  i forces as part of the numerous border skirmishes between Valenwood and Elsweyr in that time. Beaten at the battle of Sphynxmoth, the Khajiiti commander Eagle Eye ordered his troops into an orderly retreat to the Vale of Falinesti. The Bosmer set a trap and fell upon them from every side. The battle was short and vicious. All Khajiiti were butchered and some were even roasted alive, before the Bosmer troops ate them. 

Around two centuries before the   (or some point after 2E 382), the city of Falinesti completely disappeared.  Each of the four traditional sites of the city were settled by a group known as the  , whose purposes were to find an explanation for the city's disappearance, attempt to bring about the city's return, and to safeguard the sites in preparation for the city's return. The Falinesti Faithful were divided on what had become of the city, with some proposing it was still in  , but hidden, and others that it had been taken into  .   The   explored each one of the rooting places of Falinesti during  . In the Falinesti Winter Site, assisted the excavations lead by General   to find the   in the Ayleid ruins which laid down under the place. In the Falinesti Spring Site, the   Lhurgash Clan kidnapped a group of Falinesti Faithful, and the Vestige decided to help the Bosmer. In the Falinesti Summer Site, an Altmer mage was researching about Oblivion portals and its relationship with the banishment of the city, but the inquiries ended inconclusive. Finally, the Vestige found a  -worshiper cult in the Falinesti Autumn Site named the "Arbordawn Cult". An ancient Daedric temple dedicated to the Webspinner was found behind the site and investigated by the Vestige and  , ending with a mysterious intervention of Mephala herself.  Whether she, other  s, Rajhin or other forces were involved in the disappearance of Falinesti or not, it remained unknown.   Regarding the Imga banishment from Valenwood and its relationship with that of the city, Summerset author   wrote on the subject, opining that the Imga have gone "to visit Falinesti" until the   and the   end. 

Falinesti returned to Valenwood sometime before the formation of the   (before 2E 830). Once returned, the Walking City resumed its migratory pattern between its four seasonal rooting places. During the absence of Falinesti, the Camoran kings ruled from Elden Root, making it the capital of Valenwood.   Soon after the returning of Falinesti, the Camoran kings moved to it again, returning to the Walking City the title of capital of Valenwood. Elden Root continued to be a major settlement and main city of Grahtwood, but lacked the Camoran Royal Court. 

In  , the city was annexed by the Second Aldmeri Dominion after the intervention of Summerset in a Camoran civil war. For the second and last time in history, Elden Root became the capital of Valenwood. The   wanted the Camoran kings to be settled in a permanent city and Falinesti lost its royal status again.  However, the catastrophic use of the Numidium by Tiber Septim resulted in the conquest of both the entirely of Valenwood and the Summerset Isles in  , ending the Second Aldmeri Dominion control of the settlement, which was incorporated to the Third Empire. 

Since the beginning of the Third Era, Falinesti became part of the Province of Valenwood, and the Imperials set the Walking City as the capital of the new province. The city remained in Imperial hands except for the Camoran Usurper Rebellion between   and  .   During the   in the late Third Era, the city-state of Falinesti was an active settlement. It was ruled by King Elisgorn, and it had a rivalry with  .  Falinesti was neighbored by several settlements, including   to the south,   to the southwest, and   to the east.  By  , Falinesti abruptly ceased migrating and rooted itself for the first time in recorded history, causing consternation among the Bosmer, who believed it was a omen coming from  .  The Oblivion Crisis that ended the Third Era and weakened the Empire provided the opportunity for the Thalmor to seize the Summerset Isles. In  , a Thalmor-backed coup overthrew Valenwood's government, routing Imperial forces and their Bosmer supporters. Alinor and Valenwood then proclaimed a union, and a new Aldmeri Dominion was formed. The city fell into Aldmeri hands for the third time in history.  The "Falinesti Incident" was a major cover damaging operation carried out by the   in Dominion territory, in the years prior to the  . 

Culture
right|thumb|A throne shaped from a branch of Falinesti by tree shapers
The Rooting Ceremony was the most important event in the city. It consisted of the rooting and unrooting of the Elden Tree of Falinesti from one of the four seasonal sites. Its duration was variable and it could last from a few days to more than a week. The pilgrims gathered both in the site and over the tree to experience the Ceremony. As far as Falinesti ended rooted by the late Third Era, the Rooting Ceremony was not celebrated anymore.  

Branches of the legendary moving tree of Falinesti and carving idols representing the city are sold as amulets and were specially valuable by the mid-Second Era, when the city vanished.  

There are magical twigs which supposedly function as a compass and always point to the Walking City, helping the pilgrims to follow the trail of Falinesti in its seasonal migrations. While its disappearance during the Second Era, they began spinning in all directions uncertainly. 

Bosmer,  s, and   are its main inhabitants, with few humans having the nerve to remain in the city for long.  In Falinesti, colonies of Imga apes gather  , an arboreal rodent, from the ends of the slenderest branches of the  s. The "ape men" are naturally dexterous, and are renowned for their agility.   They climb beneath the Kollopi rodents then jump up to "pick" them from their perches. These Kollopi are then used to make a simple peasant dish of the same name. 

The Havel Slump district observes a day of revelry every Morndas. Furthermore, the Western Cross is perilous at night due to the presence of hoarvor, which feed on the bodies of the drunks left over from the night before. 

Falinesti Peepers are a species of frog found in Sacred Leap Grotto named after the holy city. If someone eats a Falinesti peeper alive, it can give them a vision quest. 

Notes
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, Falinesti's gladiatorial team would have been called "the Wyverns". 

References