Bosmer (Skyrim)

Bosmer (or Wood Elves) are the elven clan of Valenwood that prefer a simple existence, in harmony with the land and the animals. They make the best archers in all of Tamriel and are known for their ability to command creatures.

Fourth Era history
After the War of the Blue Divide in the Third Era, in which the High Elves defeated the Bosmer in Valenwood, the Altmer and Bosmer are the core of the newly-formed Aldmeri Dominion, and its Thalmor forces. The Dominion very nearly destroyed the Empire, if not for the Battle of the Red Ring, which forced the Elven Armies to withdraw from Cyrodiil. Following its victory in the Great War, the Second Aldmeri Dominion experienced increased prestige and power that the Mer had not possessed since the First Aldmeri Dominion, which had been defeated by Tiber Septim in the final years of the Second Era. Confident of its ability to defeat the Mede Empire, the Dominion further expanded its influence into the other provinces of Tamriel, including the homeland of the Nords: Skyrim. It also reestablished diplomatic relations with the Mede Empire, even though they were still engaged in a cold war.

In Skyrim, the follower Faendal leaves the Dragonborn's service if he/she attacks any Imperial or Thalmor. We can assume that Faendal was or is a sympathizer of the Thalmor and clearly a supporter of the Empire in the Skyrim Civil War. However Malborn, from the quest Diplomatic Immunity, hates the Thalmor according to Delphine. According to Delphine, Malborn's family was killed by the Thalmor in Valenwood. Therefore Malborn's family were possibly Imperial allies/ sympathisers. Although the wiping out of Malborn's family is referred to by Delphine as a 'purge', suggesting that the Thalmor have been actively pursuing their goal to purify the elven races. With these facts we can conclude that the Bosmer of Valenwood are split on their opinion of the Civil war in Skyrim and the Great War.

Skill bonuses

 * +10 Archery
 * +5 Alchemy
 * +5 Light Armor
 * +5 Lockpicking
 * +5 Pickpocket
 * +5 Sneak

Starting spells

 * Flames (Destruction)
 * Healing (Restoration)

Special abilities

 * Command Animal: Make an animal an ally for 60 seconds.
 * Resist Disease and Poison: Your Bosmer blood gives you 50% resistance to poison and disease.

Popular usage and unique gameplay
Bosmer are often played as stealthy archers, choosing Light armor and favoring the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild quest lines due to their innate skills and abilities. Their resistances to both poison and disease makes them the most viable candidate for any player not wishing to become a werewolf or vampire. These resistances, along with their special Command Animal power, make Bosmer an excellent choice for a scout or treasure hunter type character.

Trivia

 * "Bos" is Dutch for Forest.
 * Unlike in Oblivion, male Bosmer are now that same height as males of other races.
 * Septimus Signus asks the Dragonborn to gather Bosmer blood, among other elf blood, but since there are not many set locations for them, and they are rarely spawned as Bandits, they are probably the hardest to find and harvest.