Elden Root

Elden Root or Eldenroot is one of the eight major cities of the province of Valenwood, and it is the capital of the region of Grahtwood. Elden Root is the largest city in Valenwood, being built around the Elden Tree, a large graht-oak tree that is said to have seeded all of Valenwood.
==By game==
*Eldenroot (Arena)
*Elden Root (Online)
==Description==
===Geography===
Elden Root is situated in the central basin of Grahtwood, which is the southeastern quadrant of the province of Valenwood. East of Elden Root is a large lake with branches of the Elden Tree looming over the western bank. A waterway flowing down from the Green Hall region leaks into the basin and areas around the Elden Tree, spewing into the ruins of Elden Hollow and the outside marshes on the southwest end of the tree. On the road in Elden Root North is the local Temple, which is situated on a small lake overlooking the greater basin outside of Elden Root. Elden Root South houses various merchants and even the Altmer Embassy, which is walled-off in the typical High Elven style of architecture. The road along the Elden Tree has the local stables and the Outside Inn, where commoners and passersby go to relax.
The city-state of Elden Root takes place mainly within the Elden Tree, a sizeable graht-oak tree in the center of the region. There are two known floors of the Elden Tree. The Ground Level connects to the road surrounding Elden Root, and it is where many merchants settle in Elden Root. The center of the rooms houses a Wayshrine, where people and local tour guides would gather to talk. East of that is the Rededication Shrine, with shrines dedicated to Auri-El, Mara, and Stendarr respectively. Northwest of it is an Ancient Bosmer Shrine where the local Spinner would tell stories to the local populous. South of the Wayshrine is various merchants about weapons and army. A kitchen can be found west of the Spinner's Shrine. The Upper Level is the home of the Great Trunk Artisans Court, a vast marketplace with various artisans and crafters operating out of it. In the center of the court is a healthy, blooming tree. North and West of the Court are the Treasury of the Tree, which has two vaults on each side of the floor. Above the Court is the local Fighters Guild and Mages Guild with the path to the Throne Room in between them.
===Traditions===
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*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the New Life Festival on the 1st of Morning Star. It is a day of celebration where the drinks are free and people party in the streets all day. It truly is, a day of merriment.Holidays in Arena
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the South Wind's Prayer on the 15th of Morning Star. It is a day to pray to the Gods for a bountiful harvest, and it is for citizens who cannot afford to heal from the local temple to get healed from an ailment.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate Heart's Day on the 16th of Sun's Dawn. It is in honor of a legend passed down from generation to generation about a couple named Polydor and Eloisa. Every Inn in Tamriel become free for visitors arriving into town.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the First Planting on the 7th of First Seed. It is the day that begins the harvest, where neighbors reconcile their difference, bad habits are dropped, and the clerics heal people for free.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate Jester's Day on the 28th of Rain's Hand. The holiday’s purpose is unknown, likely to celebrate the Daedric Prince of Madness and Whimsicality, Sheogorath. It is a day to play pranks on each other and to have overall fun.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Second Planting on the 7th of Second Seed. The holiday is ideally the same holiday as First Planting, to improve one’s soul, and to improve relationships with others.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Mid Year Celebration on the 16th of Mid Year. A day to distract everyone from the increased taxes. It is a day celebrating the halfway mark in the year, where many warriors feel blessed and venture to dungeons they normally cannot defeat.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Merchant's Festival on the 10th of Sun's Height. It is a day that benefits the consumer in the market. Traders and Gypsies drop the prices on their stock. The only place that does not celebrate it is the Mages Guild. This is the same day as the Summoning of Boethiah.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate Sun's Rest on the 20th of Sun's Height. It is a day when the workers of Tamriel take a day to relax, businesses across town are closed in observance of this day. Some people have to have to leave the province to actually buy something.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate Harvest's End on the 27th of Last Seed. It is the final day of the harvest, and it is where the people eat the crops they have grown since the First Planting. Travelers are given the option to join a farmer’s family for a feast.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate Tales and Tallows on the 3rd of Hearthfire. It is the day of superstition where the elderly do not speak for an entire day, in fear of evil spirits entering their body. The Mages of Tamriel favor this day since it is a day to study the oldest forms of magic.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Witches' Festival on the 13th of Frostfall. A day where the creepy ghouls and creatures of the night gather to terrorize the denizens of Tamriel. Many have not dared to wander the streets at night, in fear of being nabbed by a creature.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Warriors Festival on the 20th of Sun's Dusk. It is a day where many warriors gather to practice their fighting prowess. Travelers by weapons in stores since their price's drop by half. Young children foolishly buy weapons, only to stab themselves by mistake.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the North Wind's Prayer on the 15th of Evening Star. It serves as a thanksgiving to the Gods for the year's harvest. It is a day when the local temples heal and bless anyone for a lower price.
*The Wood Elves of Elden Root celebrate the Old Life Festival on the 31st of Evening Star. It is a day of rest, where many leave the events of the passing year behind and to reflect their past. They rest for the New Life Festival.
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*The Wood Elves of the Green Pact travel to the Den of the Eldest in the early springtime, where they throw a festival that lasts all day and night. The Eldest was an Ancient Strangler that created the first Silvenar and Green Lady. It lives deep in Verrant Morass.The Eldest: A Pilgrim's Tale
==History==
===First Era===
====Green-Sap & Early Elden Root====
The earliest records of Elden Root have existed in the first era, and it revolves around the stories of the Towers. The Towers are either natural or artificial structures that stabilize the barrier protecting Nirn from the threats of Oblivion. Green-Sap is one of the towers, and it was grown from the Perchance Acorn, which was the origin of the Graht-oak tree, of which there are many in Valenwood. Elden Root is one of these trees, along with Falinesti and Silvenar, among other settlements. Graht-oak trees are meant to move throughout Valenwood with their own seasonal sites, but Elden Root was bound in Grahtwood. As time went on, the Ayleids had immigrated to the province of Valenwood in the aftermath of the Alessian Slave Rebellion, living with the Wood Elves of Valenwood. The Ayleid refugees had built a massive city around the Elden Tree, establishing the city-state of Elden Root.Aurbic Enigma 4: The Elden TreeAyleid Cities of ValenwoodNu-Mantia Intercept, Letter 5
====King Anumaril & the Maormer Invasion====
One of these refugees was King Anumaril of Abagarlas, a worshipper of Molag Bal. Anumaril had met with King Camoran, who showed him the Perchance Acorn deep inside the Elden Root. With Segment One, a piece of the White-Gold Tower, Anumaril created the Definite Acorn, and Elden Root was no longer able to move. His purpose was to turn Green-Sap into the new White-Gold Tower, but his plan failed, though it didn't fail either. It is a story that is still going on today. But regardless, the city-state of Elden Root had grown to exponential heights until it was sacked by the Maormer of the Western Seas, along with other cities like Woodhearth and Haven. The Elden Tree was besieged, forming the ancient ruins of Elden Hollow.
====Modern-Day Valenwood & the Second Empire====
As time went on, the Ayleids had integrated themselves into Bosmeri society, eventually leading to the extinction of the Ayleids. Eldenroot had become a trading post amidst the reign of the Camoran Dynasty. Meanwhile, in the north, the province of Valenwood waged war with the Imperials of the Colovian West, who would then ally with the Second Empire. This combined force and the arrival of the Thrassian Plague, lead to the Camoran's defeat in 1E 2714. In order to prevent an uprising in Valenwood, the Empire had given each Treethane throughout Valenwood an independent state within their Empire. Elden Root was one of these settlements along with other townships with Treethanes. The Camoran Dynasty lost substantial influence in Valenwood when the Reman Empire had given the Treethanes influence. The Wood Elves remained obedient, albeit not entirely loyal to the Empire.Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Valenwood
===Second Era===
====The Rise of King Aeradan & the Aldmeri Dominion====
In 2E 580, the city-state of Elden Root was under the reign of King Camoran Aeradan, who had inherited the throne as a part of the Camoran Dynasty. It was at this time; the Colovians had invaded the northern end of the province, leaving Aeradan in a dire situation. Looking for help, King Aeradan signed the Elden Accord between Queen Ayrenn and Lord Gharesh-ri, thus joining the First Aldmeri Dominion and bringing peace into Valenwood. This forced the Colovians out of the province. Aeradan's decision to join the Dominion has left controversy throughout Valenwood. The city-state of Marbruk had left many Wood Elves in the west disgruntled towards the Dominion. At this time, General Endare and the Jade Dragoons had advanced onto the township of Cormount, committing one of the most heinous acts in Dominion history, the Massacre of Cormount. This brought about the second generation of the Blacksap Movement from Cormount, which sought to bring down Aeradan's reign in Elden Root. It was, however, brought down by the hands of the Dominion. Elden Root was named the capital of the Aldmeri Dominion due to the city's proximity to the warfront in Cyrodiil, for the Alliance War.The Massacre at CormountMarbruk Builder's LogThe (Improved) Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: ValenwoodElder Scrolls Online Lore Answers
====Plot against the Queen & the Khajiiti Embassy====
During the Interregnum in 2E 582, Queen Ayrenn of the Dominion traveled to the city-state of Elden Root with the intent to enter the Orrery, where it would reveal whether she was a capable leader in the eyes of the Dominion. King Camoran Aeradan prepared for the arrival of Elden Root, where they established an Altmer Embassy for the High Elves of the Dominion. Ayrenn ordered for the construction of the Khajiiti Embassy, but the project was delayed, prompting unrest in the city-state. An Elite Agent of the Dominion had approached the Elden Root Throne Room and spoke with both the King and Prince Naemon, Ayrenn's younger brother. Naemon tasked an Elite Agent with investigating the situation and Ambassador Tarinwe, who was at the Altmeri Embassy. The Agent revealed that the Khajiiti Embassy was never planned, it was only an empty promise to make Ayrenn look bad in front of the people. The Agent, with the help of Azareth of the Vinedusk Rangers, were able to expose Tarinwe as an Agent of the Veiled Heritance, and so her trial had begun in Elden Root. But with that out of the way, the Dominion needed to prepare for the official ratification ceremony at the Orrery.Events in "The Honor of the Queen"
====The Orrery of Elden Root & the Tragedy of Naemon====
With the situation in Elden Root finished, Queen Ayrenn sends the Agent to retrieve three items that could operate the Orrery. To the Long Coast, the Agent had to bring Daraneth, the conservator of the Orrery from Southpoint. To Green Hall, the Agent was tasked to find the Heart of Anumaril, from the ruins of Reliquary of Stars. And from Tarlain Heights, the Agent was tasked to find Rajhin's Mantle from the ruins of the Falinesti Winter Site. As time went on, the Elite Agent had gathered the three items, and Daraneth was able to operate the Orrery, and the nobility of the Dominion gathered to witness such an event. One of the people who was denied entrance into the Orrery Chamber was Vicereeve Pelidil, who would later leave for Marbruk. As the Daraneth prepared the Orrery, the Elite Agent had placed the Heart in its respective position. The Agent had donned Rajhin's Mantle so that they would not be bound when the process had begun. As the ritual began, Prince Naemon had hastily entered the Orrery to learn whether he was Emperor material. But when he came out, he turned into a vile Ogrim and attacked the bounded ritual attendees including Ayrenn. With Rajhin's Mantle, the Elite Agent was freed from the magical bounds and defeated Prince Naemon. Saddened by her brother's death, Ayrenn entered the Orrery where she was shown a future, where the Imperial City was under the banner of the Aldmeri Dominion. Ayrenn had fully-established herself as the Queen of the Aldmeri Dominion. Queen Ayrenn sends the Elite Agent to Marbruk, to find the Staff of Magnus.Events in "Fit to Rule"Events in "The Orrery of Elden Root"
====Camoran Anaxemes & the Second Aldmeri Dominion====
During the waning years of the Interregnum in 2E 830, Camoran Anaxemes and other heirs to the Camoran Throne had fought for it for quite some time. Sometime later, the Summerset Isles had invaded Valenwood and established a provisional government which would become the Second Aldmeri Dominion, which would then be lead by the Isles' claimant to the throne, which is Anaxemes. The Thalmor of the Second Dominion was able to hold the borders along the Strid River and eventually incorporated the Elsweyr Confederacy to the east. The city-state of Alinor served as the capital of the Aldmeri Dominion, while the city-state of Elden Root was made into the capital of Valenwood, taking the position from Falinesti. Since the city-state of Falinesti is changing locations after every season, for convenience sake, Elden Root was made the capital. Elden Root was at one point the seat of power for the Camoran Dynasty, as seen in 2E 582, but it was changed back to Falinesti when the city had returned from wherever it had disappeared to.Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Aldmeri Dominion
===Third Era===
====The Staff of Chaos & the Elden Grove====
During the Imperial Simulacrum from 3E 389 to 3E 399, Emperor Uriel Septim VII was imprisoned along with Talin Warhaft in the Deadlands by Jagar Tharn. Tharn planned for months to capture the throne, and he was able to achieve so in ten years. Tharn had a powerful weapon called the Staff of Chaos, and he split it into nine pieces and scattered them across Tamriel, the staff was the only thing keeping Uriel Septim and Warhaft in Oblivion. A warrior escaped his clutches and traveled all corners of Tamriel to retrieve the missing pieces. The hero was known as the Eternal Champion, and he assembled the staff and defeated Jagar Tharn at the Imperial Palace. The Eternal Champion had at one point visited the city of Eldenroot in their quest to recover the pieces. The city of Eldenroot was under the rule of Queen Ulandra.Events of 
The Eternal Champion reached the city of Eldenroot on their quest to find the third piece of the Staff. Through the visions of Ria Silmane and rumors from the people, the Champion had traveled to the southern forest, to the city of Eldenroot in the province of Valenwood. There the traveler ventured to the local Castle where they met Queen Ulandra, the wood elven queen of the Kingdom. Ulandra gives the Eternal Champion a proposition where if they defeated Selene the sorceress from her home at Selene's Web, then she would reveal the location of the piece. After defeating the Selene at her stronghold, Ulandra showed the way to the Elden Grove, a mystical labyrinth located in the western end of Valenwood. It was there that the Eternal Champion had obtained the third piece of the staff. The Champion had moved on to find the fourth piece of the staff somewhere in Tamriel.Events in "Selene's Web"Events in "Elden Grove"
==Gallery==
Elden Root in Grahtwood.jpg|Elden Root circa 2E 582.
Eldenroot (Arena).png|Eldenroot circa 3E 399.
Elden Root concept art.jpg|Elden Root concept art in .
==Trivia==
*In an earlier stage of development, Arena was going to be a tournament-based game, where each city had their own gladiatorial team. Elden Root's team was known as the Cavaliers.Go Blades!
==Appearances==
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==References==
es:Raíz de Elden
fr:Faneracine
nl:Elden Root
pl:Elden Root
Category:Cities in Valenwood
Category:Lore: Cities
Category:Lore: Valenwood Locations