On Falmer Social Structure

Preface: I, Derak Winstad have spent my life studying and seeking to understand the Dwemer and there civilization. However, while trying to understand their society I found a shockingly incomplete scholarly review of the Falmer and so I sought to study them.

Among the Dwemer ruins of Skyrim, one can find incredible wealth and knowledge, but among these ruins one can also find one of the most interesting examples of social evolution in all of Tamriel. Known as the Falmer or Blind Elf’s, the seemingly savage inhabitants of Dwemer Strongholds are a bane to the hapless explorer.

However, while most people view the Falmer as little more than animals, I have found in my studies that the Falmer posses a complex and structured social system. My research has largely been post-mortem or from afar due to the hostile nature of the Falmer, but from what I’ve managed to gleam from this research is enough to come to a solid conclusion.

The most immediate evidence of the Falmer’s social complexity is their settlements, found among the Strongholds. Upon approaching these settlements one will notice that the Falmer construct small hut-like structures, composed of Chaurus Chitin and bones, often they taper upward with a opening at the top. While the structures appear crude and simple, the implications of their construction is important. The wide-scale use of Chaurus Chitin as a building material is direct evidence of domestication and social rigidity. The presence of Chaurus pens and egg clutches in proximity to certain huts, walled off from the municipal area, suggests that the Falmer posses a concept of ownership and property. The ownership of property also implies a legal system or code of some sort present in Falmer society.

We must ask ourselves, is this Falmer concept of ownership inherited from their Snow Elf ancestors? Or perhaps picked up from their time spent as slaves among the Dwemer? I believe the most interesting possibility is that this legal code is an entirely independent creation of the Falmer. It would be a dream to investigate this, but due to the Falmers reluctance or inability to communicate such a study seems unlikely.

As we look deeper at the Falmer, another trend emerges, that of a complex and rigid social hierarchy. While it would seem that a sightless people would not value aesthetics, this proves untrue. Among examination of deceased Falmer in the ruins of Alftand, I have noticed something peculiar. The healthier the Falmer appear, the more complex their clothing and armor is, for instance, a Falmer slain at the edge of the settlement is nearly emaciated, with no armor to speak of. In contrast, a much stronger Falmer slain in the heart of the settlement is wearing a complex set of armor, crafted from Chaurus Chitin, the most interesting part being that this Falmer was carrying a sword of much higher quality then any other in the settlement. This would suggest that there is in fact social stratification within Falmer society.

Finally, the most striking sign of Falmer complexity is their handling of outsiders. When conducting the survey of Alftand, I was mortified to find that an earlier expedition had been captured and killed by the Falmer. After routing the Falmer defenders into the tunnels, my escort and I came across the remains of the previous expedition. What we found was quite disturbing but also quite interesting, the victims possessions had been sorted and distributed among the settlement. The victims themselves showed clear signs of torture, quite horrible indeed. However, while terrible it also means that the Falmer do take part in “leisure” activities, because there was no practical reason to torture these hapless scholars, the Falmer did it because they found it enjoyable.

In conclusion, while the Falmer are hostile and quite frankly an affront to the divines, they are not animals. In fact I believe that they not only possess a degree of social structure but a high degree of intelligence and community. Even with this knowledge I would still suggest that a concerted effort be taken to eradicate the Falmer, they are not animals, but their society is fundamentally twisted and hostile to all other peoples.