On The Species of Tamriel, Volume XVII: The Dead Elves of the North

''Welcome back to the seventeenth volume of 'On the Species of Tamriel'. This volume deals with the Elves once native to the lands of Skyrim, now twisted into the hideous Falmer. While not very well documented, these Mer have been the subject of obsession for many scholars, throughout Tamriel.''

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The Snow Elves (originally called Falmer (Snow people), which now refers to their twisted offspring) were a race of Elves native to the frozen lands of Skyrim. While there is not an awful lot known about their history or culture, they are known to have been the mortal enemies of the Nords, who immigrated to a province already inhabited by the Elves.

There is not an awful lot known about the exact biology of the Snow Elves, aside from a couple of legendary sources, and one adventurer bringing back a report of what he believed to be a unspoiled Falmer. According to the mythical reports, they were covered in a thin sheet of ice, giving them a slightly reflective, blue glow. The more recent report, however, gives a slightly different appearance. According to this report, while sticking to the almost Altmer build, the Snow Elves have a skin as white as snow, with white hair, and white eyes. In the sun light, the skin almost seems to reflect light.

There is little known of the abilities of the Snow Elves. However, it could be assumed that the Elves, just like their cousins, were very skilled in the use of magicka.

Like with their appearance, there is little known of the society of the Snow Elves.

They most likely lived in big city states, like their Elven cousins, even though nothing of this remains. This is truly strange, as contemporary sources state that they lived on the surface of skyrim. Whatever remains of the Snow Elves' once great civilisation is know either destroyed by the Nords, or covered in the snow of Skyrim.

There is a little more known about the religion of the Snow Elves. It either overlaps or is completely the same as the Altmer religion, since it recognises the same gods as the Altmer, in the same role, for as far as we know. Of big importance to the Snow Elves was Auri-El. They have build at least one big chantry to the time god, and the Snow Elves had him linked to the light.

What is left of the Snow Elves can hardly be called much. Aside from one or two unchanged ones in hiding, most Snow Elves are now, after eras of hiding underground, twisted beings, known as the Falmer. These creatures are the stuff of horror stories told by the Nords, who say they sneak out at night, and steal cattle (and, according to Nord mothers, also children). These ferocious monsters roam the empty ruins of the Dwemer, spanning out under almost the entire soil of Skyrim, centring around Blackreach, a big underground cavern, in the middle of the Frozen Province. These creatures descend from the Snow Elves who fled after the Atmoran retaliations after the Night of Tears, seeking shelter with the Dwemer, who escaped the Atmoran onslaught. The Dwemer, reluctantly accepting the Snow Elves, used them as slave labourers, feeding them toxic fungi only found underground. Over the course of centuries, these fungi horrendously reshaped the Snow Elves into the Falmer, making them lose their eyesight (eventually even their eyes entirely), making their backs bowed, and their intellect dwindling, while becoming a central part of their diet. What remained were the horrible monsters seen nowadays.

How the Snow Elves came to Skyrim, or why, is unknown. However, they did have contact with the other Mer kingdoms, more often good than not. The first sources of the Snow Elves (except for their own writing, of course, which as of yet has been untranslated, except for a few scribbles) were from the Atmorans who resettled Tamriel. While initially peaceful, the Snow Elves soon attacked the first city of the Atmorans, Saarthal. What caused this aggression is lost in time, however, some theories have been raised. They attacked either because they saw the growing Atmoran colony as a threat, or they were afraid the Atmorans uncovered the Eye of Magnus, an incredibly powerful artefact, burried beneath the snow of Skyrim. Whatever might be the truth, the attacks saw almost the entire Atmoran population wiped out, except for Ysgramor and his sons. They returned to Atmora, created an army of five hundred men (known as the Companions), and set sail once again for Tamriel. Once there, the retaliations started, sawing the destruction of almost everything Snow Elven. All their cities were destroyed, along with most Snow Elven lives. The remaining Elfs, now homeless, fled. Some retreated in the mountains and empty spaces of Skyrim, while most went to the Dwemer to seek refuge. It is rumoured that another group went to Solstheim and became the Rieklings. While this theory is popular under the local Skaal people, there has, as of yet, not been any proof to sustain this theory.

While the Snow Elves who fled on their have mostly stayed the same, the Snow Elves who fled to the Dwemer did not, as detailed above.

These Falmer (as they are now known) have build simple camps in the Dwemer ruins that dot Skyrim. While their camps are primitive, fitting for their nature, they have been known to have trained the local Chaurus and Frostbite Spider to do their bidding.

These Falmer, being only mentioned in local Nord stories, have reappeared in recent years, venturing ever further from their camps deep in the ruins, sometimes even making it to the surface of Skyrim.

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''The Snow Elves were once a mighty race of Elves, now nothing more than the monsters that roam the halls of the derelict Dwemer ruins. This is quite fitting for Tamrielic history, for one race almost always needs to make place for a next.''