» Wed Nov 14, 2012 1:45 pm Cyrodiil, like the mighty Dragon whose profile heralds her people wherever they may go, represents to many the qualities of endurance, invincibility, and everlasting legitimacy. There is no denying that the history of the Imperial Province has been a tumultuous and controversial one, and to chart its course down the river of time is, at best, a trying endeavor, made difficult by frequent regime changes and nothing less than multiple counts of divine intervention. But despite her hardships, the heart of the Mede Empire remains strong, a beacon of culture and civilization the likes of which are still unmatched anywhere in Tamriel.
Politics
Were one to search for evidence of the Mede dynasty’s Colovian heritage, he would need look no further than the transformation of Cyrodiil’s political landscape in the 4th era. In stark contrast to the unity of Cyrodiil under Uriel Septim VII, the Medes have encouraged relative autonomy for the counties, creating a system nigh-indistinguishable from the jarldoms of their northern neighbors. Each county is placed in charge of raising their own revenue and militia and tending to their own infrastructure, as well as their own sets of laws and administration of justice. As long as they do not directly violate Imperial law, the counts and countesses of Cyrodiil may effectively rule their regions however they wish.
Furthermore, in order to preserve order within the region while the Emperor’s eye is set on keeping the other provinces in check, Titus Mede I had the wisdom to create the duchies of Colovia and Nibenay as political units. Should the counties come into dispute, they may take their concerns to their respective duke, who will dispense justice in the name of the Emperor.
The counties of Cyrodiil are as follows:
Imperial Duchy of Nibenay: Administrated by Duke Cassius Sintav in the name of Emperor Titus Mede II
The Nibenay region makes up the heart and soul of the Imperial Province. This land of lush forests, river-fed valleys, impenetrable swamps and peaceful willow thickets composes the geographic majority of the province, and the majesty of this region is matched only by her people. Whether seen pushing a gondola through the willows of Cheydinhal, playing the lyre in the streets of the Imperial City, or simply tending to their herds of sheep, cattle, and river newts, the Nibenese bring a poise and sophistication to anything and everything they set out to do.
County Bravil: Ruled by Count Caius Curio
Were a visitor from the 3rd era to chance upon Bravil in the present, he would scarcely recognize the city. Concern over a potential Thalmor assault prompted the construction of the first new legion fort within Cyrodiil’s border since the 2nd era, Fort Drakemoth. This massive stone-and-mortar construct dominates the Bravil skyline, and the influx of soldiers and their families has revitalized Bravil’s economy, doing away with the slums that were once synonymous with its name. Even the water of the Niben Bay is finally returning to its natural blue.
County Bruma: Ruled by Countess Heddvild Storm-Born
The sons of Skyrim remain among the Empire’s most stalwart allies in these turbulent times, even while some elements within that land choose insurrection and discord over peace and unity, and the Nords of Bruma are united with their northern brothers in this. Nords and Cyrodiils hailing from her northernmost county rank among the Imperial Legion’s fiercest and deadliest troops, proving false the truism that the best legionaires are necessarily born of Colovia. Following the capture of the city by Nordic warlords, there has been some concern that Bruma may follow Falkreath into Skyrim, but for now, the Jeralls rightfully remain a part of the Heartland.
County Cheydinhal: Ruled by Count Farwil Indarys
In the aftermath of the Red Year, many Dunmer who did not wish to brave the wilds of Solstheim or their historical enemies in Skyrim chose instead to flock to a more welcoming climate and population. There has been some tension as of late between the priests of Arkay and the Tribunal Temple priests who have set themselves up in the city, but overall the native Dunmer have integrated well with their Imperial cousins, including many former members of King Llethan’s court who have set themselves up as advisors to the young Count.
County Leyawiin: Ruled by Countess Pelena Caro
With Elsweyr now part of the Aldmeri Dominion, Leyawiin has nearly doubled in size since the time of the Septims, and has grown into one of the most important ports in the province (much to the chagrin of Count Umbrenox). The docks bristle with the brightly colored sails of Khajiiti merchant vessels, and skooma and moon sugar flow as freely in its taverns as ale and wine. The accompanying urban sprawl has come to be a blight on the landscape of Cyrodiil, and the pollution (and stench) of the city’s slums are said to be noticeable even from the summit of High Hrothgar.
Imperium County: Ruled by Emperor Titus Mede II, administrated by Prince Raxle Mede
Like Shezarr before her, Cyrodiil had her heart torn out when the Imperial City was sacked and captured during the Great War. Yet, from that darkest hour, a new day has risen on the cultural and spiritual center of Dawn’s Beauty. Most notable has been the return of moth-silk to the Imperial markets, creating high demand among middle-class and wealthy families whose family tapestries have grown old and threadbare (and ironically, moth-eaten) over the years. Some scholars express concern that this reflects a neglect of their duties with the Elder Scrolls, but the enigmatic monks refuse to comment on this.
Imperial Duchy of Colovia: Administrated by Duke Appele Atius in the name of Emperor Titus Mede II
If Nibenay is the heart of Cyrodiil, Colovia is her strong arm. In stark contrast to the valleys and forests to the east, Colovia’s landscape is dominated by rocky highlands and wind-swept plains, dotted with the fortresses of would-be conquerors and warlords. The people of Colovia are stern and serious, valuing honor, duty, and devotion to the Nine above all else, and they are better suited to lives as warriors or farmers than poets or artists. That said, one should not be fooled by their austere living or simple pleasures; Colovia has produced some of the finest generals and shrewdest rulers in Cyrodiil's history.
County Anvil: Ruled by Count Falcedon Umbrenox
Since the early years of the 4th era, the counts of Anvil have been struggling to maintain the wealth and influence of their city. Aside from their decreased importance as a port with the advent of Leyawiin, they have had to contend with a major competitor in the form of the city of Sutch, which began as a refugee camp for Redguards seeking to escape hostilities with the Aldmeri Dominion, but was bolstered by an influx of settlers from the ruins of Kvatch who found it easier to start fresh than try to rebuild. It may not be long before Sutch is declared a county seat in its own right, with its lands coming predominantly out of Anvil.
County Chorrol: Ruled by Count Trebonius Valga
During the Great War, Chorrol was insulated by steep mountains to the south, as well as the men of Hammerfell and Skyrim to its west and north. It has grown to become one of the largest and most influential counties in the region, in part due to its status as the home of the Vigil of Stendarr. Pilgrims flock to Chorrol from all corners of Tamriel to pray at the altar of Stendarr and join the Vigil, that they might hunt down Daedra-worshippers and other undesirables throughout the land.
County Skingrad: Ruled by Count Janus Hassildor
The enigmatic Count Hassildor remains at the helm of Skingrad, finally forcing the open secret of the count’s probable vampirism into the open. To the possible dismay of the Vigil of Stendarr, the people have overwhelmingly supported their Count, arguing that he has always treated them fairly, and as long as the city is prosperous, what matter is the Count’s personal life? In truth, Skingrad does remain Cyrodiil’s wealthiest county, thanks to its rich vineyards and farmland, unique in the typically barren lands of Colovia.
(Author's note: Though the city of Kvatch has long since been rebuilt following its destruction at the hands of the Mythic Dawn cult, its lands and titles have been divided up between Counties Anvil, Skingrad, and Chorrol, and the city itself now lies within the jurisdiction of county Skingrad.)
Culture
The Great War and its resolution, the White-Gold Concordat, have been a time of great heartache for many in the Empire. But if there may be a benefit to the tumult and discord, it must be the effect that the influx of Altmeri cultural and political influence has had on this region. The Colovian fashions and customs that had come in vogue during the late 3rd Era have been replaced by a Nibenese renaissance throughout the province, reaching as far west as County Chorrol. It has become commonplace throughout much of the province to see men and women bedecked in bright moth-silks, armor of polished bronze, and elaborate body-paints and tattoos, riding astride similarly-ornamented horses and river drakes.
The arts have seen a similar revival, with poetry and music in the Elven style becoming popular throughout the province. The ruins of Cloud Ruler Temple, open at long last to the public, have also ushered in a vogue of Akaviri-inspired weaponry and architecture among the upper classes. A common critique among scholars of Uriel Septim VII’s reign was that the Cyrodiils in that time had become complacent and their culture had stagnated, resulting in a homogeneous soup of Colovian, Nibenese, and Breton influences and marked by an absence of new ideas. This cultural renaissance can in many ways be seen as a direct response to those days, with people looking to their history for guidance in the wake of the Great War.
Some reformations in the religious customs of Cyrodiil in the 4th era should be noted here as well.
The Nine Divines remain, as always, the principal deities of the Imperial Province. In recent years, though, the deity Shezzar has seen a resurgence in popularity as the patron of human endeavors. The Divine Crusader and his battle against the Ayleid sorcerer-king Umaril the Unfeathered at the end of the Third Era has played no small role in this matter, and priests of Shezzar point to this hero, the reincarnation of the Shezzarine Pelinal Whitestrake, as evidence that the so-called “Missing Sibling” of the Divines has begun to take a more active role in the affairs of Tamriel once more. More pragmatic individuals point to the recent ban on Talos worship, and the void that it left in the hearts of the people for a new hero-god. The truth, as with all things, is probably somewhere in the center.
Meanwhile, the destruction of the Temple of the One has proven to be the final nail in the coffin of that ailing cult, yet a thousand others have sprung up in its place, and to find any two citizens of the province with precisely the same beliefs would be a fool’s errand. The streets of the Temple District in the Imperial City are lined with statues, murals, and shrines depicting animal spirits, venerated ancestor-heroes, and lesser gods and demigods. Notably absent, of course, is any sign of the Daedric Princes, in keeping with Potentate Ocato’s ban on Daedra worship in the province following the Oblivion Crisis.
The shrine of Akatosh, meanwhile, has drawn pilgrims from all across the empire. Akatosh’s victory over the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, and Martin Septim’s sacrifice in order to facilitate it, have ignited the faith of many who had begun to doubt the benevolence, and omnipotence, of the Divines.
