Rediscovering Oblivion: The Story of the Ayleids

Sure thing, here’s a reimagined version of your article:

—

You know those crumbling, old ruins scattered around Cyrodiil? Yeah, those are Ayleid ruins. Everywhere, right? It’s like they left them just to mess with us. So, ages ago, these Ayleid Elves ruled the place. Sounds like a story, but yep, they were the big shots. Think of them as the mystical landlords before humans or, well, any beast you can imagine took over. Not gonna lie, I’m curious how that all went down.

So, every now and then, in “Oblivion Remastered” — ever notice that game never explains these ruins properly? — you bump into these Ayleid spots. It’s as if these folks left silent stories behind, letting gamers kind of wonder, “Who were these guys, really?” Just some old stones? Nah, there’s more buried there. Like, a lot more than just rock.

Alright, rewind a bit. Picture this: mythical Aldmeris – yep, where the elves hailed from. Boom! It’s gone. They spread out, made new homes – you know, Altmer, Chimer, Dwemer – all finding their spots. But the Ayleids, they chose Cyrodiil. Heart of it all, really. Must’ve been an elf party there, right? And oh, they were everywhere! City-states, White-Gold Tower, magicka wells. Bought an island from bird-people (didn’t know those existed, but okay) for teaching them to read. Wild.

Stars? That was their thing. Stargazers, those Ayleids. Used stars like a resource. Welkynd Stones — no clue how they worked, but powered cities underground. They were masters of this star juju. Empire? Certainly. They expanded quicker than you could say “Welkynd.” These were no ordinary magic folks.

Now, Meridia. Ever heard of her? Probably, if you’ve been dabbling in Daedric stuff. For the Ayleids, she was like a beacon. Many believed she shone blessings down on them. Built stuff in her name. But Meridia had peers — sort of — and she wasn’t alone in getting their attention. Other Daedra got some worship too. Necromancy? Totally a thing. Creepy but true.

Wait, something dark now. Humans showed up, and these Ayleid Elves? They enslaved them. Some weren’t total monsters, but many found… creative ways to be cruel. Heard of the gut gardens or those wailing wheels? Yeah, sounds grim. Bird-people probably went extinct due to this.

Things boiled over. Enter Alessia, a slave praying her heart out. Gods took notice, sent help. Cue demigod Morihaus and hero Pelinal Whitestrake – quite the duo. Cue rebellion, overthrow. But not all Ayleids were toast, some teamed up with humans, hoping for peace. Alessian Order had other ideas, though. The empire tightened the leash, and elves found themselves with two choices: leave or, well, cease to exist.

So, Ayleids lost their mojo. Banished, nomadic lives, fading away. By the time the Second Era rolls around, they vanished, mostly. Except for exceptions, like King Dynar, chilling in Coldharbour. And whispers? Umaril the Unfeathered supposedly hangs about. Old legends never die alone.

So, next time you see those ruins, give them a nod. They’ve seen it all — rise, fall, and the whisper of lost worlds.

—

How’s that for a ride through chaos, right?