Lore of the Cities

[RedBag]

I am overhauling all the cities in Cyrodiil, and i was wondering where to find lore about the cities. The Imperial City Pack is well on it's way to be completed, and Chorrol Pack is open too. I was looking around for some lore documantation about those cities, but only found what there already know. I want to see how were those cities (and other cities) described in elder Elder Scrolls, or books that say things about their history, about things that are not obvious to anybody who pay them a visit in Oblivion. Buildings that should be there in Oblivion but are absent? History? Families?

[grond]

Have you checked the Library?

The Imperial Library

Else, Red will come and help. Good luck! A lore-friendly mod is a great mod.

[WhoGuru]

Have you checked the Library?

The Imperial Library

Else, Red will come and help. Good luck! A lore-friendly mod is a great mod.

Grond is right! A visit to the Imperial Library and some hard digging is likely your best bet. Here's a good place to start if you've never read them in game:

Cyrodiil City Guides

They do give more detailed descriptions of the cities and the people that live in them and where. Truthfully I've never seen any other more detailed information about the cities or what should have been included in them but was left out on release. Either way, the guides are a good place to start.

[Cliffworms]

Not a lot is known about specific buildings that were left out, but many essential buildings should have been in cities.

Buildings/Places like :

- A place for public executions/public announcements

- Carpenters, coopers, drapers, embroiderers, glovers, hosiers, furriers, potters, shoemakers, smiths, tailors and weavers, bakers, butchers, fishmongers, grocers, poulterers and vintners. (All buildings necessary for the city to meet its needs in food and cluttering)

[HeyYou]

Not a lot is known about specific buildings that were left out, but many essential buildings should have been in cities.

Buildings/Places like :

- A place for public executions/public announcements

- Carpenters, coopers, drapers, embroiderers, glovers, hosiers, furriers, potters, shoemakers, smiths, tailors and weavers, bakers, butchers, fishmongers, grocers, poulterers and vintners. (All buildings necessary for the city to meet its needs in food and cluttering)

Not every city would require every building, some of the more esoteric, or, what would be considered "luxury goods", don't necessarily have to be produced locally. That said, there are a lot buildings that should be there, but aren't.....

As far as "Lore Correct"..... I would point out here that even Beth isn't too much of a stickler for their own lore..... Everything I read led me to believe that Cyrodiil was a tropical rain forest...... yet, when I wander thru, it looks more like something I would see in upstate Washington, or Oregon. In fact, I think there was a guy posting pics from that area, on the BGS forums, that looked like they could have been taken on any hill outside Imperial City. That was kinda cool.....

In all reality, I don't think there is any hard and fast lore about the area, beyond what we see in Oblivion, that one could call "set in stone"...... All the rest seems to be quite malleable.

[Cliffworms]

Not every city would require every building, some of the more esoteric, or, what would be considered "luxury goods", don't necessarily have to be produced locally. That said, there are a lot buildings that should be there, but aren't.....

As far as "Lore Correct"..... I would point out here that even Beth isn't too much of a stickler for their own lore..... Everything I read led me to believe that Cyrodiil was a tropical rain forest...... yet, when I wander thru, it looks more like something I would see in upstate Washington, or Oregon. In fact, I think there was a guy posting pics from that area, on the BGS forums, that looked like they could have been taken on any hill outside Imperial City. That was kinda cool.....

In all reality, I don't think there is any hard and fast lore about the area, beyond what we see in Oblivion, that one could call "set in stone"...... All the rest seems to be quite malleable.

Oh yes, forgot to say that. Most of the buildings I've listed should not be the basics of every city. Many products are imported from other cities, afterall.

But some basic food buildings should be there, such as the butchers, bakers, fishmongers (In Anvil, Leyawiin, Bravil and the IC Waterfront), grocers.

As of right now, the meat in Cyrodiil is not produced. The only product locally produced are fruits and vegetables.

You are right, HeyYou for Bethesda and their own lore. Cyrodiil lost a lot of lore in the transition between Morrowind and Oblivion.

For jungles, Bethesda cut that out for a more attractive, colourful forest.

In Redguard's Pocket Guide of the Empire :

It is the largest region of the continent, and most is endless jungle. Its center, the grassland of the Nibenay Valley, is enclosed by an equatorial rain forest and broken up by rivers. As one travels south along these rivers, the more subtropical it becomes, until finally the land gives way to the swamps of Argonia and the placid waters of the Topal Bay. The elevation rises gradually to the west and sharply to the north. Between its western coast and its central valley there are all manner of deciduous forest and mangroves, becoming sparser towards the ocean. The western coast is a wet-dry area, and from Rihad border to Anvil to the northernmost Valenwood villages forest fires are common in summer. There are a few major roads to the west, river paths to the north, and even a canopy tunnel to the Velothi Mountains, but most of Cyrodiil is a river-based society surrounded by jungle.

But then, Bethesda decided to invoke the holy god Talos to get rid of the forests...

The Many-Headed Talos

[WhoGuru]

But then, Bethesda decided to invoke the holy god Talos to get rid of the forests...

The Many-Headed Talos

One of my favorite examples of Weasel Lore! Never mind the Levitation Act. This one is better and so often overlooked!

[HeyYou]

but most of Cyrodiil is a river-based society surrounded by jungle.

This would have been very cool.

One of my favorite examples of Weasel Lore! Never mind the Levitation Act. This one is better and so often overlooked!

Weasel Lore? Now I cannot say I have ever seen a more appropriate term for it. And yes, I had some serious issues with the Levitation Act too...... I really wonder what the rationale here was..... is the game engine so inefficient that they had to pull these compromises? Oh well. Maybe for TESV we will get our open cities, levitation, crossbows, throwing weapons, and spears back.

Yep, and I might win the lottery shortly after being struck by lightning twice too.

[Cliffworms]

Weasel Lore? Now I cannot say I have ever seen a more appropriate term for it. And yes, I had some serious issues with the Levitation Act too...... I really wonder what the rationale here was..... is the game engine so inefficient that they had to pull these compromises? Oh well. Maybe for TESV we will get our open cities, levitation, crossbows, throwing weapons, and spears back.

Yep, and I might win the lottery shortly after being struck by lightning twice too.

Beth decided to isolate their cities in a separate world space to reduce the FPS hit. Now, with mods like Open cities, it is, I believe, clear that PCs can't get a FPS hit with open cities...which brings us to consoles which, I believe, would have not been able to run the game smoothly if cities were opened.

Then, since cities have their own worldspace, levitation cas cut out. Otherwise, you would have been able to levitate over the poor renditions of the cities in the Tamriel worldspace, and you would have been able to leave a city by levitating over the wall.

Thus, they created the Levitation Act...and the "Jumping spell" act, "Swift Swim" act, "Passwall" act, "Banish Daedra" act, "Lock door" act, and every other spells that have been cut out from the older Elder Scrolls games "act".

[RedBag]

Lore friendlyness is indeed important. Unfortunately i did search around the Imperial Library, but found nothing. And i also checked the city guides. They provide some information about the town, but mostly stuff everyone can figure out by just visiting the cities.

@Cliffworms, i'm quite proud to say that IC Pack has some of the professions. It also has a small forum, and a gallow.