The Bosmer are known to be shorter and lither than other Mer. Different from most other races, Bosmer women tend to grow taller than the men. Their features are heavily influenced by the environment their society originated from, with complexions ranging from fair to swarthy. Their eyes tend to be deep brown or dark, with some Wood Elves having black orbs for eyes. Their hair is usually some tone of brown, lighter or darker. Many of the wilder Bosmer living in Valenwood tend to keep it short or tied, so it doesn't get in the way. Upon reaching a certain age, it isn't uncommon for Bosmer men to grow beards.

 

Depending on where the Bosmer lives or is born, their fashion varies. If they're born or live outside of Valenwood, most Bosmer would adapt to the local customs and style. Those born in Valenwood usually prefer to wear clothing made from animals, like leather or bones, as well as different accessories crafted with feathers or insect shells. Some Bosmer glue horns from different animals into their foreheads, though there are cases of those that have been born naturally with them and are considered blessed by Y'ffre. Likewise, some Bosmer in Valenwood have been known to file their teeth to help with their cannibalistic rites.

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Culture

The most defining point of the Bosmeri culture is the Green Pact. The Pact has very clear rules that have to be respected at all times: Do not harm the forests of Valenwood. Do not eat anything made from plant life. Only eat meat. When enemies are conquered, their meat must be eaten and never left ot rot. Never kill wastefully. Never take on the shape of beasts. These tenets are fiercely defended and practiced by most Bosmer in Valenwood, though much rarer in those Bosmer that live outside of their home province or were born in other provinces as their ritualistic cannibalism is seen as barbarism outside of their religion.

 

In exchange for following these rules, the Bosmer believe that their patron deity Y'ffre allows them to live in the vast forests of Valenwood, under his protection. In dire times of war when the forests and Bosmer are threatened, they can call a Wild Hunt.

 

The Wild Hunt is a ritual that turns the Bosmer involved in it irreversibly into rabid, eldritch beasts that rend and cannibalise anything in their path. Only two Wild Hunts have ever been documented in Tamrielic history, as for the Bosmer this is the most extreme measure due to their belief that once they lose the original humanoid shape that Y'ffre blessed them with, they will return to the Ooze, a state of formless chaos previous to Y'ffre's intervention to shape the world.

 

Their religious caste enforces the tenets of the Green Pact with zealous efficacy. The Spinners fulfill the roles of both priests and historians. It is their belief that Y'ffre sings through them as they tell their stories. Despite this, Bosmer have a very different outlook to life, preferring to "live in the present" instead of being anchored in the past or preparing for the future.

 

The Spinners work alongside with the Greenspeakers or Pod-Singers to build living space for their people while respecting the tenets of the Pact. The Greenspeakers are said to sing for days on end, asking the Green to shape itself to create houses, buildings and entire settlements by directly shaping the trees around them. The Spinners also choose who will become the next Green Lady and Silvenar once the previous ones die.

 

Apart from the king sitting in the throne within Elden Root, the Bosmer have two extremely important political and religious figures that embody their bodies and spirits: the Green Lady and the Silvenar. Both are part of the same union that make Valenwood whole. The Silvenar is often viewed by outsiders as the political representative for foreign affairs, though in truth he is said to represent the Bosmer people legally, physically and emotionally. He is extremely empathic and always ready to listen to the pleas and concerns of his people.

 

His other half is the Green Lady. She's known as the Protector of the Bosmer people. She's the embodiment of their ferocity, strength and independence. While the Silvenar is considered the spirit and mind of the Bosmer people, the Green Lady is the body and strength that protects them.​

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Cultural Equivalence & Influences

Bosmeri culture is mostly inspired by a mash-up of Native American societies, as well as taking some aspects of ancient European Celtic tribes.