The Ayleids

Culture

The Ayleids, or Wild Elves, were the ancient Elven masters of Cyrodiil, rulers of the Ayleid Empire during the Merethic and early First Era. Their culture was a synthesis of Aldmeri tradition, Daedric worship, and arcane mastery, refined and corrupted in equal measure. Unlike their Altmer cousins of Summerset, who preserved Aldmeri order, the Ayleids embraced both beauty and cruelty, reveling in art and tyranny alike.

At their height, Ayleid society was dazzling. Their cities, built of white stone and Welkynd crystals, gleamed with magical light, their towers piercing sky and forest canopy. Architecture fused elegance with arcane function: lightwells, starlit halls, and subterranean chambers infused with magicka. Their art was luminous, their music ethereal, their craftsmanship unmatched. But beneath this beauty lay domination, for their empire rested on slavery of men.

Religion was diverse, and divisive. Some Ayleids revered the Aedra, maintaining ties to Aldmeri pantheon; others worshiped the Daedra, seeing them as more immediate and powerful patrons. Daedraphile Ayleids embraced cruelty, practicing torture, blood sacrifice, and sorcerous experimentation. This division split Ayleid lords into “light” and “dark” factions, though both exploited their human subjects.

The Ayleids prized arcane mastery above all. Welkynd and Varla stones powered their enchantments, illuminating their cities and fueling rituals. Scholars studied the stars and the earth alike, shaping nature through sorcery. Their dominance was as much magical as military: light and flame bent to their will, turning cities into fortresses of radiance and terror.

Though feared as cruel overlords, Ayleids valued refinement. Poetry, dance, and song were integral to courtly life, and their nobility reveled in spectacle. Festivals blended beauty with horror: crystal-lit banquets paired with sacrifices to Daedric patrons. To outsiders, contradictions seemed irreconcilable, but to Ayleids, they were unity: beauty and savagery, light and shadow, all part of dominion.

History

The Ayleids were among the first Aldmeri offshoots to settle Tamriel, establishing themselves in Cyrodiil during the Merethic Era. Their cities rose across the Heartlands, from the White-Gold Tower at the Niben’s center to hidden sanctuaries deep in jungle and hill. By the late Merethic, they had enslaved the native Nedes, using humans as labor, soldiers, and sacrifices. Thus the Ayleid Empire was born.

In the early First Era, the Ayleids reached their zenith. White-Gold Tower was the jewel of their civilization, symbol of dominion and arcane power. Yet divisions festered. Some Ayleid kings allied with Aedra-worshiping factions, treating slaves with relative restraint; others embraced Daedra, indulging in unspeakable cruelties. This fractured empire proved vulnerable.

In 1E 243, the Slave-Queen Alessia, aided by the Nords and a few sympathetic Ayleid lords, led the Alessian Rebellion. The fall of White-Gold Tower in 1E 243 shattered the Ayleid Empire. Many Ayleid kings were slain, their cities sacked, their people scattered. The Ayleid dominion of Cyrodiil ended, replaced by the Alessian Empire.

Survivors fled. Some retreated to remote jungles and mountains, hiding in ruins. Others assimilated into Bosmer and Altmer kin, losing distinct identity. Pockets of Ayleids persisted in secret sanctuaries through the late First Era, clinging to their heritage in decline. By the Second Era, most were gone, remembered only in whispers and ruins. By the Third Era, they were considered extinct, their culture preserved only in relics and legends.

The Ayleid Diaspora left deep marks. Their ruins dotted Cyrodiil, their magic infused with Welkynd stones still functioning millennia later. Human cultures inherited aspects of Ayleid worship, architecture, and governance. Even the White-Gold Tower, heart of Imperial rule, remained an Ayleid creation, proof that their legacy endured within the Empire that replaced them.

Other Information

Physiology:
Ayleids were kin to Altmer, sharing tall, slender forms, golden skin, and refined features. Some accounts describe subtle differences: darker hues from jungle life, or luminous eyes adapted to Welkynd-lit halls. Their lifespans matched other Elves, often spanning centuries. Unlike Bosmer or Dunmer, their appearance was not marked by transformation or curse, but by choice of culture and patronage.

Architecture and Settlements:
Ayleid architecture was among the most advanced in Tamriel’s history. Their Ayleid ruins, scattered across Cyrodiil, feature white stone, soaring arches, and crystalline light sources. Welkynd and Varla stones illuminated halls without flame, while magicka-powered traps and guardians protected tombs. Cities were both beautiful and intimidating, designed to awe slaves and glorify masters. White-Gold Tower, enduring as the Imperial Palace, epitomizes this legacy.

Warfare:
Ayleid armies relied on slave soldiers supported by Elven officers and sorcery. Bound spirits, summoned Daedra, and magical constructs supplemented infantry. Their mastery of destruction magic made them feared, raining fire and lightning upon enemies. Yet reliance on slaves and division among kings weakened their cohesion, ensuring collapse when rebellion spread.

Magic and Attitudes:
The Ayleids were obsessive in arcane pursuits. Welkynd stones stored magicka; Varla stones restored it. Starlight and moonlight were harnessed for rituals, blending cosmic and terrestrial power. Daedra-worshiping Ayleids embraced darker arts, including necromancy and soul-trapping. Even Aedra-aligned factions relied heavily on enchantment, seeing magic as right of Elves. Their arrogance in sorcery both sustained empire and invited ruin.

Naming Conventions:
Ayleid names are melodic, often resembling Altmeri but infused with local flavor: names like Ceynaril, Anumaril, Larenthiar. Suffixes such as “-ril” or “-aril” were common among nobility. Many names survive only in ruins, etched in Welkynd light or remembered in Imperial chronicles.

Relations with Other Races:
Ayleids saw humans as property, beasts of burden, and sacrifices. Their enslavement of Nedes defined their empire and sowed its destruction. Relations with Elven kin were strained: Altmer considered them decadent, Bosmer distant, and Dunmer future enemies. Orcs were despised as outcasts. The Alessian Rebellion ensured that humans would forever remember them as cruel masters.

Art and Expression:
Ayleid art emphasized light and radiance. Jewelry inlaid with crystals, frescoes glowing with magicka, and music blending choral voices with enchanted tones filled their cities. Yet their beauty often masked horror: temples doubled as sites of sacrifice, and art was propaganda reinforcing domination. To Ayleids, beauty and terror were inseparable, both tools of control.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
Ayleid beliefs diverged. Aedra-worshipers sought Aetherius, honoring ancestors and et’Ada. Daedra-worshipers pledged souls to patrons like Molag Bal, Meridia, or Mehrunes Dagon. Many saw no contradiction, blending both pantheons. Philosophy prized dominion: Elves as masters, men as subjects. Their fall proved philosophy fragile, undone by arrogance and cruelty.

Legacy of the Ayleids

The Ayleids are gone, but their shadow lingers. Their ruins dot Cyrodiil, their artifacts still humming with magicka, their White-Gold Tower still seat of empire. They are remembered as tyrants who enslaved men, but also as architects of beauty unmatched. Their legacy is paradox: a people who forged wonders and horrors alike, whose empire died but whose works endure. In every Imperial law, every chapel built on Ayleid stone, their ghost remains.