The Legacy of Lord Faleria

By Nhafsi at-Rihad, scholar of the No'Raqqi Sisterhood of Ra-Yoku'Iquizzi.

Early in the First Era, the countship of Kvatch was governed by three lords. These were all the heads of powerful Colovian families. These lords were to govern the region in accordance to the Seventy-Seven Inflexible Doctrines of the Alessian Order, aswell the will of the Emperor and Elder Council in the Imperial City. Most of these lords' names have been forgotten, but one name is still remembered by most inhabitants of the Gold Coast and Colovian Highlands alike, Faleria. Lord Faleria was born in 1E 349 to the patriarch of the old Faleria family, Vorelius Faleria. While nothing is known of the to-be lord Faleria's (whose first name has been long forgotten) upbringing it is known that he around 1E 370 fell in love with the Ayleid noble Alyndrawe of Nenalata. This was of course unacceptable in the then theocracy of Cyrodiil, with it's power de facto completely in the hands of the Alessian Order. Faleria tried hiding the fact, but his father soon found out and broke all contact he had with him. Vorelius Faleria did however never report this to anyone outside of his own family, but if it was due to love for his son or fear of damaging the family's reputation is unclear. During his time exiled from the Faleria family's holdings he is to have secretly married Alyndrawe in the Ayleid city of Beldaburo.

The young Faleria remained in hiding for almost ten years, but when his father died in 381 he returned to take his place as the head of the Faleria family. As he was Vorelius' only son, no one questioned Faleria's right to take his place. As the head of the family, Faleria tried to cover up his marriage to Alyndrawe, to some success. He was also very reclusive during this time, and forbade his servants of family from referring to him by his full name. He also soon became part of the triumvirate of Kvatch, as he was the patriarch of the second most powerful family in the region at that time. While he never opposed the Alessian Doctrines openly, he did everything he could to find loopholes in them to be able to use his veto against law proposals he did not like, mostly concerning the rights of the Elves of Cyrodiil.

While Faleria was quite succesful as a politician, his relationship with Alyndrawe was soon found out and the Alessian Order called for her execution. Faleria and his wife therefore fled to a now unknown location. There he is to have convinced the Minotaurs, who were also hunted by the Alessians, to help him build an underground city inspired by the Ayleid cities of Cyrodiil. He called this location "Fort Faleria", and although many sources mention its existence, its location is a complete mystery. He made an alliance with the Minotaur overlord Limenauruus and they both swore to protect eachother's homes from the Alessian Order.

For several years Faleria and Alyndrawe lived in peace in their "fort", and Alyndrawe gave birth to two children by the names of Lucina and Neransi. The family traded with the Minotaurs of the Gold Coast for food and supplies. Both Alyndrawe and Faleria were skilled necromancers, and they are to have bound the souls of the Minotaurs who died building the city to a great Soul Gem kept deep within the city to extend their own lives. When giving birth to the couple's third child, Ianus, Alyndrawe died. This led to Faleria going half mad, and becoming obsessed wit his necromantic research. By his decree he children were not allowed to leave the halls of the city, but his youngest son, Ianus, was able to in this early thirties escape Fort Faleria. He fell in love with an Imperial merchant's daughter, and they had one child. However, when the merchant daughter's family found out that the man she was with was an elf, and the son of Faleria, they immediately reported this to the guards.

An army of Alessians and Imperial soldiers stood at the gate of Fort Faleria in a few days. Faleria, who knew that this day would eventually come, conducted a dark ritual to protect his city and the grave of his wife. He summoned his children and grandchild to his fort. It is unknown exactly what he did, but after a few hours a veil of darkness covered the city, and dark shadows appeared and and slew all Alessians and soldiers at the gates. Those who were not killed fled.

When some Alessians then returned after a few days the gate of the city had been magically sealed. But three gravestones, carrying the names Ianus Faleria, Lucina Faleria, Neranis Faleria and Maxivian Faleria, had appeared. And the Alessians later claimed to have heard whispers when they approached them, before having been chased away by "an army" of Minotaurs. This led to Fort Faleria gaining a reputation of being haunted, and left alone. The location has therefore been forgotten, as no one has dared to venture there for thousands of years. The name lives on however, and rumours of "Faleria's ghost" and his possesed Minotaur army are still told in inns in and around the Gold Coast.