Known officially as
County Leyawiin, this region spans the lower
Niben River, extending through the south-eastern corner of
Cyrodiil and into western
Black Marsh. It is a dizzying labyrinth of rivers which snake their way through dense rainforest and deadly mangrove swamps. It is the ancestral home of the once-nomadic
Nibenese river peoples, whose millennium-long enslavement by the
Ayleids transformed them into the basis of the aristocratic Nibenese
Imperials.
On the Cyrodiil-Black Marsh border lies Blackwood, a swampy forest region of dense fog, steep cliffs, and uncharted waterways. Due to the unpredictable topology, only expert hunters and woodsmen would dare make their home within. The city of Leyawiin is in a drawn-out political conflict with the Legion for flooding the region with under trained border patrol agents. These Imperial Limitanei are cutting down the forest to make room for new fortifications and causing more than one wrongful death to Blackwood's citizens who make their money trapping near the border
Leyawiin
The capital city of the county is
Leyawiin. In its current form, this city was founded in the middle
First Era to guard the mouth of the River Niben, protecting the
Imperial City from pirates and enemy navies. It was constructed on the western shore of the river, but would go on to extend through the central island, and into the eastern half as well. It quickly proved too effective as a buffer, as it replaced the capital as the central hub of trade in the
Empire. Merchants would much rather unload their wares there instead of taking their ships up the still-deadly river into
Lake Rumare. To remedy this,
Empress Hestra banned all foreign merchants from selling their wares at any port along the Niben, forcing all seaworthy ships to do business at the capital.
These stipulations, although impossible to enforce altogether, curtailed business in the docs enough to send the once-prosperous city into economic decline. The city just barely survived with its impressive shipyards, fishing vessels, and logging business. However, as the centuries passed, overfishing and overlogging raised concerns of over the county's future. When the land was made a part of the new
Reman Empire towards the late First Era, an age of exploration and colonial fervor swept Cyrodiil, providing a lucrative opportunity for the fading city.
Leyawiin reinvented itself as the exploratory capital of the world. Expeditions by land and sea were chartered within the city walls. The
Imperial Cult raised its presence in the region. The emperor poured money into its shipyards. Colony ships were built, and merchants doubled as privateers, plundering Tamriel and the lands beyond of wealth. Hestra's law said nothing about Imperial merchants selling foreign goods, after all. Over the following two eras, this legacy of adventure would rise and fall with its economy. What should be the wealthiest city in the world alternates with each generation between rapid growth, and devastating poverty.
Niben Fellrunner
A flighty flightless bird with territories throughout southwestern Tamriel. Fellrunners can outrun most predators they encounter. They are known for their dry, beef-like meat, usable mostly as jerky, their feathers, ideal for quills, and the alchemical properties of their beaks. The Nibenese variety is considerably more dangerous than their cousins farther west. These birds have powerful jaws, razor-sharp talons, and symbiotic bacteria in their saliva, which produces paralyzing toxins in their victims. Their most dangerous trait, however, is their uncanny intelligence.
Although they still flee if approached by a potential threat, niben fellrunners will sometimes send the fastest member of their pack out into the open to bait solitary predators into chasing them. They lead this predator into an ambush, paralyzing and eating them with brutal efficiency. It is unknown why this species takes such an unnecessary risk. Some believe it is payback for the terror fellrunners live with constantly. Others believe it comes down to the satisfaction of the challenge. Scholars have speculated that the unidentified
Bird-Men who were said to have sold the islands of Rumare to
Topal the Pilot during the first elven explorations of Tamriel were actually fellrunners, whom the elves mistook as sapient beings based on this behavior.
Hippalectryon
Once thought to be a creature of Nibenese myth, the Hippalectryon is believed to be a close cousin of the gryphon species. These rare creatures have recently been recorded deep in the wilderness of Blackwood. Nibenese fables speak of warriors riding them into battle, however these creatures have every appearance of avoiding man and mer at all costs. They seem to have a natural affinity for
Illusion magic, becoming invisible at the sight of a person, and avoiding fights by inducing hallucinations and euphoria in any would-be adversary.
Pyrausta
Believed to be a smaller cousin of the infamous
dragonlings, the pyrausta are native creatures of eastern Cyrodiil, with territories breaching into southern Morrowind and Black Marsh. These solitary lizard-insects cloak themselves in fire when threatened. Although believed to be sub-sapient, these little creatures have been known to stare transfixed at anyone who speaks the dragonling language around them. This has allowed researchers to safely capture and study them over the eras. While their wings have some modest alchemical uses, the collection of pyrausta is more profitable as subjects for taxidermy.
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