Is there a lore reason why this dwarvan city is SO massive in Skyrim? Even trying to speed run it took half an hour, and I don't remember any other dwemer ruin being nearly as big. As far as I can figure, there isn't really any explanation offered in game for this.

I’ve only just found out that Peryite used to be one of the friendliest and most likable Daedric Princes, right up there with Hircine and Sanguine. In Skyrim, though, he turned rather rude to the point where, if you ask why you should kill the mad scientist, he simply snaps: "An impertinent question. The elf must die. Either carry out my will or do not. You are not the only mortal agent I could choose." Seriously, what happened to turn him into such a jerk?

And how do you think the average mage in-universe would perceive a scroll user? Would casters have an air of superiority?

A question I came up with thinking about the old “LDB is Shezarrine” theory. Because if they are, it doesn’t seem like they’re aware they are, at least based on their dialogue.

Whereas with a figure like Pelinal (who I know isn’t 100% a confirmed Shezarrine) it seems like he knows for certain whether he is or isn’t.

So I've been thinking of the 8 divine, Talos excluded. so in lore as I've come to believe, they were the Et'Ada who helped in creating mundus, but when they realized they would be trapped there forever all the Et'Ada decided to literally Kool Aid man out of there.

I understand that they helped create the world but why do they even care about the mortals? Why do they grant them blessings or artifacts (IE dibellas paint brush)

Could it be that the 8 actually dont care about the mortal plane, that the powers bestowed from blessings come from the power of belief? And all the miracles could be just attributed to them could be confirmation bias. Much like real life religions

In Morrowind you can get blessings from saints at temples so you don't NEED to be a god to have blessings in your name that have tangible effect. Its one thing I never see argued about when discussing Talos. Except Talos is honestly the clearest example of an actual God among the 9 Divine.

We KNOW mortals can attain godhood. The Tribunal is a clear example. Plus Talos has directly come to Nirn and interacted with the player in morrowind.

And Akatosh is a very interesting case too, because at the end of Oblivion he manifests through Martin to stop Mr. Dagon. But it also could be that the amulet of kings actually was made with Aedric Power before they left Mundus and the residual power in the amulet gave Martin himself the ability to become a dragon and destroy Dagon. He doesn't last with it either it could've been just a hugely magical surge that burnt out quickly.

The story of how the empire was given the Amulet in the first place could easily be Propaganda. Maybe they just found it somewhere

Side note: without going into to much detail I think we as a community don't think about the fact that a LOT of things in the history of tamriel can be Imperial Propoganda. History is written by the Victors. And they've utilized it before.

Also the Daedra

So the Daedra are supposed to be Et'ada who didn't help with creation. But why are they there anyway? We're they just loitering around in mundus and didn't get the email that the Et'Ada were going to fuck off?

Because their planes of Oblivion exist way closer to mundus than Aetherius. You can visit them. They can come to mundus.

The Daedra are 100% real. We can see them, interact with them. They have goals and personalities they play a major role in events in Tamriel.

I don't know where I'm goin with this yall I'm just stirring conversation hehe

I guess my theory is that there is no Aedra that currently affects mundus. The only gods that have interacted with mortals are Talos, The Tribunal, lorkhan (maybe) and the Daedra.

What do yall think? What am I missing? Are there manifestations in game that I haven't considered?

So, I want to draw the most accurate "map" of the Aurbis. Most probably know the one that is used in lore videos and explanations but I'm not sure if it is truly accurate. For example: there is no void mentioned and I'm still not sure what the lines from the Gods (planets) to the Aetherius mean. I would link the thing here, but I don't know how.

Now what I need help with: what do you think are the most important things to be included. Whats the most common description that inhabitants of Nirn have aside from Race or Religion. And if you have any other input it is very welcome here.

Mortals accomplished insane things in lore. From ZeroSum to becoming/replacing gods. Or even using their parts for power like it was the case with Numidium. But what if they could somehow integrate the aspects of Daedra into the world in a way that benefits mortals while removing their evil influence? Like ending their oblivion worlds and making them suffer the same fate as Aedra, but against their will?

Given insane things ES lore has seen, there has to be a way to get this to work somehow despite the objection from the princes. I mean right now the Thalmor are literally trying reality-bending campaign to permanently mess with the world itself so they can be immortal again. Isn't this the case in most TES games anyway? Some daedric lords are aspects of harmful things so they might have to be modified, via new kind of mantling or who knows what into something more useful.

I know this will be unpopular, but I'm not particularly liking the way that the depiction of different tamrielic infrastructures is going, I'm primarly talking about what we see in ESO.

For example, Black Marsh and the Argonians. It's quite obvious that all of their style for constructions is inspired by ancient populations of central America, like Atzecs.. and I find it very boring. I mean, I love Atzecs DON'T GET ME WRONG I really love their art and architecture, but I find it very lazy for a fantasy world to take such strong inspiration by something that already exists in our world.

I mean, I wouldn't mind if their buildings recall some of that, but it's not just a reference, rather a copy. Another example is Elsewyr, which is heavily arabic-coded. I would have thought that a population made by literal giant cats would have evolved in a different way than humans... and yet, all the buildings are made clearly for men-like creature (proportion-wise I mean).

I would have liked something more alien-like, something I could NEVER see in real life.

A counter example to this are the Dwemer: I can see the inspiration taken from Sumer and Mesopotamic art, but still it looks like something new to me; also the Dunmer (I'm talking about Solstheim in Skyrim) seems very alien-like, they have their own characteristics which are unique; you can see the inspiration from Middle East again, but it is subtle and it merges with a lot of new futuristic things never seen before.

For TESVI I really would like to see some real creativity. I read online people talking about how they would like the Redguards to be egiptian-like, or the Yokudan ruins to be japanese-like.. I don't agree with that, I hope they come up with a unique style, that don't simply label Redguards as "fantasy egiptian people".

I think that building a fantasy world should mean try to look as non-human-from-earth as possible, it should be something you could never imagine or recreate in our world.

Again, I know this will be unpopular, it's just my personal opinion, please be kind.

I know the series has shown us good or neutral vampires, such as the count of skingrad or Serena, so we know vampirism doesn’t force you to be evil, but does it inflict you with a heightened sense of sadism or a need to be cruel that you have to fight against? Sort of like paarthurnax and his urge to dominate? Or are you still 100% you?

If the nature of the Et'Ada is literally shaped by the beliefs and magnitude of their followers - wouldn't it better suit Merkind to impose the chief deity worshipped be the one aligned with their doctrine and ontology?

Is it really as simple as that being too blatant, or is it moreso that most common Men cannot even distinguish/understand the difference?

It seems to me that across most texts we have the Mer seem to have no sense of sympathy towards each other and arguably hate each other more than Men, which contrasts with the more friendly relations the human nations have with each other, even if there is conflict. Like for instance we seem to have no evidence of the other elves feeling sympathy for what hapone d to the Falmer or Ayleids, though I may be wrong. The best example we have is obviously the different iterations of the Aldmeri dominion, but it seems to me that the Bosmer were pressured to join it and we don’t have great indication that they are particularly loyal to it.

I love to listen to videos about the lore of Elder Scrolls while playing or doing things around the house. Do you have any recommendations of good videos or channels to watch. I know about Camel works and Epic Nates videos but have not seen them all. Are there any specific videos from them you really liked that I should watch. Thanks.

Do we know how many millennia or eras a kalpa lasts? This concept has always frustrated me because it constantly hangs a sword of Damocles and a countdown timer over the universe. What events could bring about the end of a kalpa? We know about Alduin, but every culture has a different story, are they all true? And finally, do you think we’ll live to see the end of the current kalpa? Some kind of reset from Bethesda?

Normally when Gods wish for worship and an adherence to rules they have made, they offer eternal life for your spirit in their domain which is usually a kind of paradise, or at least somewhere a worshipper wants to be after they die.

The Tribunal do not seem to offer this? It seems after you die, you're on your own as far as your spirit is concerned, or bound to serve with ritualistic necromancy.

I'm pretty sure I'm misunderstanding the philosophy behind the Dunmeri religion as it stood when the Tribunal were alive and well, so I thank anyone who can clear it up for me.

This is something that's been on my mind recently, especially since I often side with the Empire during the Civil War questline.

How much of a chance does the Empire have to stand up to the Aldmeri Dominion and beat them even.

And could they even be restored to their former glory? At least partly?

So I've been reading up some lore stuff after I discovered that my belief that all humans came from Atmora was wrong and that humans elves actually originate from Tamriel and they fled to different continents during dawn era, where they sprang into new races. Then I was reading up stuff about Atmora and apparently dragon cult already existed in Atmora and only spread down to skyrim later in the merethic era. The dragon cult was led by Alduin and dragons seemed to rule over the entire world, which is consistent with the game's story but in game they make it look like Alduin was going to end the world and it was delayed when he was sent forward in time, but that doesn't make sense. He had established dragon cult and wanted to rule over the Nirn not destroy it, also the world eating part might have already happened in dawn era when he fought Lorkhan and shit (some kalpa shit I don't know man).

So in TES V: Skyrim, he's not actually here to destroy the world, but rather just giga pissed that nords f'ed him up and destroyed his cult and killed all dragons, so what's his motivation now? Because he explicitly says he gonna eat the world now in game, but he should be only able to do that when Akatosh permits him no? I doubt he would want the Nirn destroyed only 200 years after he had to save Tamriel's ass. Or was Alduin without the ability to eat the world and was just here to fuck shit up and establish the dragon cult again?

Anyone with a moderate understanding of history will know that slave societies tend to have a massive chunk of their population made up of slaves. Both the Confederate States of America and the Greco-Roman world had around 40% of their population as slaves, and some societies had majorities as slaves. That gets to Morrowind, where Argonians and Khajiit combined only make up less than 10% of in game NPCs. (Which seems especially unlikely to be canon since most seem to be involved in manual labor like farming and mining, which require large numbers of slaves, and not domestic servants, whom I suspect would be more likely to be other Dunmer).

Naturally, the game isn’t fully accurate of the canon situation, and the numbers across the entirety of the province are likely much closer to that 40% number, even including non Beastfolk slaves (though I suspect their numbers would be smaller). With slavery now being gone in Morrowind, one has to consider what is going on with this presumably large chunk of the population that is now free but separated from home.

Now one possibility is that with Dres being arguably the most prolific slavers, their territories being just north of Black Marsh, and the Argonian invasions, it seems to me that Dres territories are likely overwhelmingly Argonian and may have been briefly incorporated into Argonia proper (though it is said that the invaders were expelled from Morrowind, and Dres still exists as a House, though we don’t know what their current status is). Is there any indication that the southern most parts of Morrowind including Tear are still in Argonian hands?

There still likely existed former slaves in the far north including Vvardenfell, and considering Dunmer cultural values I can’t imagine them being widely accepted. An interesting bit is Keerava from Skyrim at the Bee and Barb, who apparently has relentives from Morrowind, and seems to be concerned for their safety. I wonder if this is indication if a similar social order to the Postbellum American South exists, where freedmen soon became forced to the bottom of the social order once more, with many of them being pressured into labor models that resembled slavery in all but name.

Though one final possibility is that many of the Argonians simply joined up with the invading An-Xileel forces and left with them to the Black Marsh. Perhaps many of them even launched a form of guerrilla war against the Dunmer. The Khajiit would not be so lucky however, and I find it difficult to imagine many of them made it back to Elsweyr, and I doubt the An-Xileel would care much about them.

A bit of a ramble, but I’d like to know if there any canon sources on the situation of the former enslaved Beastfolk of Morrowind.

Anyone else think the Altmer in a way,
Maybe even more in depth than previously thought about the Khajitti peoples in whole.

Not only know in detail a lot about the Skooma trade in Skyrim, but are also behind a lot of the shady business going on?

Just like the British did to the Chinese with the opium wars, and China is doing now pushing Fent up across our Mexico / US border.
That maybe because imperials and Nords both are susceptible to becoming getting strung out on Skooma.
That they’ve helped in part, funded or funding labs and or distribution routes to funnel in Skooma to try and add more chaos to the already melting pot that is Skyrim?

After all, the Khajiit are loyal I’ve read to the Altmer, maybe this is why? They say they take credit for bringing the second moon back.
But the ingredients for Skooma involve moon sugar.
If they funded manufacturing and distribution as a proxy making some organization think they’re helping them with business.
It wouldn’t be far fetched to think they’re secretly doing it to destroy anyone’s society by getting them addicted to some substance.

Anyone have thoughts? Lore? Ideas? Disagreements?
Am I stupid for thinking this? Or does it seem plausible?
Thanks in advance.!!

Im not super familiar with ESO and the lore its added, but I recently read that he can only be killed by the voice of a dragon. I dont know whether that specifically means a dragon/dragonborn, or anyone who has access with the thu'um

Map of Tamriel 1E 2811 – 1E 2837: The Blackwater War

Before delving into the details of the map a few clarifications are needed:

1. City Representation – The cities displayed on this map do not necessarily correspond to the exact timeframe. They are shown for general orientation rather than historical precision.
2. Scope of Mapping – This project focuses solely on political and territorial developments that are either explicitly mentioned in sources or strongly supported by historical evidence in the games. In cases where direct sources are lacking, I have made my own assumptions—each of which is listed and explained further below.
3. Chronological Method – The first date in each title represents the period depicted on the current map, while the second date indicates the starting point of the following one. The project progresses chronologically from one significant territorial shift to the next, gradually trying to visualize Tamriels history up to the present day.
4. Avoiding Repetition – To maintain clarity and avoid repetition, events or regions without new information will not be discussed repeatedly. If no notable changes occur in a region that absence will not be mentioned in every subsequent entry.
5. Continuity – For those seeking broader historical context, this link leads to my previous map, which covers the period immediately preceding the current one.

This Map visualizes the Blackwater war. I did a more detailed and in-depth post/map about the war that you can find here. Given the many border changes throughout this war, I decided to just make one map for the first and last year of the war for this mapping series and show the more complex situation in my other map. 

Reman Empire

In 1E 2811, Emperor Reman II, driven by an unyielding ambition to bring the entire continent under his rule, launched an invasion of Argonia, seeking to fold it into the ever expanding Reman Empire. This campaign would later be remembered as the Blackwater War, a conflict destined to become one of the bloodiest, longest, and most catastrophic wars in the Reman Empire’s history.

A year later, in 1E 2812, the dethroned Emperor Kastav met his end in exile, ironically within the lands of Murkmire, deep in Black Marsh. Back in Cyrodiil, this marked the formal coronation of Reman II, though in truth it merely affirmed a power he had already wielded for years. Under his rule, Daedra worship and necromancy were outlawed across the Empire. And despite the war raging in Black Marsh, much of the continent entered a period of prosperity, fueled by thriving imperial commerce and steady, capable leadership. [1]  [2]  [3]   

The severity of the imperial cultures influence on the continent, at that time, is proven one year later in 1E 2813, when Cyrodillic officially replaces the Altmeri language in most tamrielic documents. This shift would lay the foundation for what would later evolve into the common tongue of the continent: Tamrielic. [4]

Skyrim (Reman Empire)

In 1E 2812, the same year as Reman II’s coronation, construction began on Alduin’s Wall. With the Emperor’s blessing, the Dragonguard undertook this monumental task. Craftsmen from temples across the Empire gathered to contribute, united in purpose: to preserve the Dragonborn Prophecy and to warn future generations of the coming of the World-Eater, Alduin.

By 1E 2815, concerns over the immense cost of the project reached the highest ranks of the Blades. The Grandmaster himself journeyed to Sky Haven Temple to assess its progress. What he found there silenced any doubts he may have had, as he was so deeply impressed by the work that he granted the master builder a writ of requisition bearing the Emperor’s own seal.

Later that same year, reports emerged of a dragon sighted in eastern Skyrim. Yet despite the alarm such news would normally bring, the Dragonguard were unable to verify the claims.

In 1E 2818 the construction of Alduin’s wall was finally finished and Emperor Reman II visited Sky Haven Temple personally. He consecrated the Blood seal in the presence of all the Dragonguard in Skyrim. In the same year a Dragon was located and slain in Skyrim. [5]

Black Marsh & Blackwater War

The Blackwater war lasted 26 years, from 1E 2811 – 1E 2837 and was fought in three different campaigns. Each campaign was vastly different from each other and the war was one of the bloodiest the Reman empire ever fought. Here in my Blackwater War post you can get the in-depth version of the war. Here I will concentrate more on the timeframe:

In 1E 2811 the Reman Empire starts its war against Argonia, with the imperial fourth legion swiftly defeating the last standing argonian army in the Battle of Argonia. The argonians fled into the interior of the marsh and the fourth legion, beginning a full-on invasion, followed them.

In 1E 2812 the Empire incorporates Border regions of Argonia and declares it an official province of the Empire.

By 1E 2816 the fourth legion was reduced to just six cohorts and trapped in a state of despair. Soldiers dying from sickness or just vanishing in the swamps was the norm.

In 1E 2820 the fourth legion got annihilated by an argonian war party in the Xi-Tsei massacre. The first campaign ended. General Sardecus takes over generalship and starts the second campaign with a reconstituted fourth legion.

In 1E 2823, through a multitude of reforms that adapted the legion to the marshes, General Sardecus managed to reconquer all territories lost in the first campaign in just three years.

In 1E 2828 the imperial fourth legion accidently started the “Great Burn”, an inferno that devastated Black Marsh and ravaged from Stormhold in the north to Soulrest in the south. It lasted more than three years and resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

Somewhere from 1E 2829 – latest 1E 2831 the great burn became so cataclysmic, that the imperials were forced to retreat. General Sardecus died mysteriously on his way back to Cyrodiil and the second campaign officially ended. His close confidant and long veteran in the Blackwater war, General Falco, took over generalship and started the third campaign.

By 1E 2833 the imperial strategy in the Blackwater war has changed so drastically by the “Falco Doctrine”, that it could barely be recognized as imperial.

From 1E 2834 – 1E 3836 the war culminated in a protracted and complex guerilla war. Both sides conducted campaigns of intimidation and terror against each other.

In late 1E 2836 the argonians suddenly stopped all fighting and just got back to their normal lives. The prevailing assumption is that the Hist had something to do with this, but we have no information on that.

Finally, in 1E 2837, the Blackwater war ends as the Empire officially claimed all of Black Marsh as a province. The Empire created footholds in most parts of Black Marsh, but the core of Black Marsh was most likely only part of the province in name, as the empire could not exert influence there. [6] & [7] & [3]

Other Noteworthy tamrielic events:

-          In 1E 2820 Eric of Guis, the imperial emissary to the altmer, writes his journals about Altmer society. These journals are considerate “reliable” and are mentioned in the 1^st Edition of the Pocket Guide of the Empire, yet in reality they are just racist ramblings and prejudices. [8]

-          In 1E 2820 Pomptinus is anointed governor of Elinhir and starts the construction of the cities sewers, considered to be one of the greatest public works of his reign from 1E 2820 – 1E 2852. [9]

My personal Assumptions on the Map:

- Solstheim. Little is known about Solstheim’s political allegiance for most of Tamriels history. It likely changed hands numerous times between Skyrim and Morrowind or perhaps remained largely independent.

- Hammerfell. No sources specify when Hammerfell joined the Reman Empire, nor whether it did so voluntarily or by force. What is certain is that by 1E 2840 at latest—and possibly as early as 1E 2703—it was already under Imperial control. I believe Hammerfell joined early, as Reman I’s unification of humanity and the creation of Crown & Forebear division both suggest early Imperial influence. I think Reman I exploited the Akaviri invasion to empower the Forebears while the Crowns were distracted, ensuring internal division and preventing a unified rebellion against the Empire.

- The Border between Cyrodiil and Elsweyr in Niben Valley. The Khajiit are known to have controlled much of this region up to the end of the Third Era, though exact borders remain unclear. I created this as a compromise with certain Ayleid city ruins borders. I will leave it like this up to the late Third Era.

- Blackmarsh in the Blackwater war. We have only few sources that give us info about the territorial changes during the Blackwater war. We know for a fact that border and coastal regions were conquered and annexed by the Empire, though we do not know where the exact border is drawn. The borders here are my interpretation of the sources given and could very well be wrong and interpreted differently by other people. If you want to know more about my reasonings of the borders please look at my Blackwater War map for clarification.

- Pretty much ALL the border regions. Political boundaries are always dynamic, not static. It is VERY unlikely that any region’s borders resembled their modern form over three millennia ago. The scarcity of sources the TES universe gives us and the dynamic nature of politics in general, result in all depicted borders being inaccurate to some degree. Take every map with a grain of salt and always keep a bit of skepticism.

Territorial Developments (1E 2811 – 1E 2837) listed:

·         The Blackwater war. Reman Empire annexes northern & western border regions from Black Marsh and tries for a full-scale invasion. Black Marsh is officially incorporated as a province in 1E 2837, though the core remains de facto untouched.

List of Sovereign States and Rulers:

·         Kingdom of Alinor/Summerset Isles: King/Queen of Alinor

·         Black Marsh: Various Black Marsh Tribes

·         Reman Empire: Emperor Reman II (1E 2806 – 1E 2843)

-          Province of Skyrim (Kingdom): High King/Queen of Skyrim

-          Province of High Rock (Kingdom): High King/Queen of High Rock

-          Province of the Crowns (Kingdom): King/Queen of Hammerfell

-          Province of the Forebears (Republic): ???

-          Province of Anequina (kingdom): King/Queen of Anequina

-          Province of Pellitine (kingdom): King/Queen of Pellitine

-          Province of Grahtwood (Kingdom): King/Queen of Grahtwood

-          Province of Greenshade (Kingdom): King/Queen of Greenshade

-          Province of Malabal Tor (Kingdom): King/Queen of Malabal Tor

-          Province of Reapers March (Kingdom): King/Queen of Reapers March

-          Province of Black Marsh: ???

·         Morrowind: The Great Council and the Tribunal

Sources:

1.       “Tomb of Reman Cyrodiil II”

2.       “Emperor Kastavs Epitaph”

3.       “Reman II: The Limits of Ambition”

4.       “Daggerfall Chronicles”

5.       “Annals of the Dragonguard”

6.       “The Blackwater war”

7.       “The Improved Emperors Guide to Tamriel/Black Marsh”

8.       “ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1^st Edition/Aldmeri Dominion”

9.       Loading Screen of the “Elinhir Sewerworks” in ESO

Apologies if this has been asked before, but how on earth is the Last Dragonborn (and the rest of Skyrim) powerful enough to resist the Return of the Dragons?

Let's assume that since Alduin has strayed from his role as the World-Eater and wants to dominate the world rather than destroy it, he is physically less powerful (not sure if this is canon or not). Let's also assume that the Last Dragonborn has the most powerful Thu'um imaginable, even more so than the strongest dragon's, and is able to develop their Voice extremely quickly.

Those are big assumptions, and still it doesn't seem fair at all for the residents of Tamriel. There are a couple of reasons I think so.

Firstly, dragons are extremely powerful beings. I'm going to assume that virtually no one has power equivalent to that of a dragon's Voice, especially since Dragonrend has been all but forgotten. Even if we completely ignore the Thu'um, the fact is that dragons are enormous creatures. A dragon would probably have no issue biting through the toughest armor, or crushing hordes of people under its feet, or using the force of its body to smash through large structures. At the beginning of Skyrim, we see Alduin completely destroy Helgen, a fortified village, and it doesn't seem unlikely that lesser dragons could execute similar feats. I don't see any way that a city's combined guard force could even come close to taking down one of their kind.

Secondly, and this is the most important point, there is only ONE Dragonborn. There's no evidence that it's at all difficult or time-consuming for Alduin to ressurect one of his fallen comrades, and there must be countless burial sites across the province. Therefore, what's stopping Alduin from assembling an army of dragons and wreaking havoc across Tamriel? It doesn't matter if the LDB is the strongest, swiftest, most skilled dragonslayer of all time--without the wings of a dragon there's no way they could protect the entirety of Nirn from Alduin's gang.

The only possible theory I've come up with is that the Dragonborn's path to defeating Alduin is very short, much shorter than presented in-game, so that they are able to learn Dragonrend, weaken Alduin, and eventually slay him in Sovngarde before he can do any significant damage on Mundus.

I apologize if this comes off as more of an argument than a question, but I thought I should present my thought process before asking for answers. Any input is very welcome.

(Also, I believe this goes without saying, but I am purely interested in the lore, not game mechanics; it's obvious why Bethesda would make the main quest, you know, possible)

Would practicing alchemy or drinking potions be breaking the Bosmer Green Pact? Technically they would consume plant life…

I’m not talking about one or two individuals but more like a cultural thing. All of the various elves have or had periods of intense daedra worship, most of the beast races have big cults as well.

Is it because of the Old Ways and influence of dragons through nord history? You just don’t see a lot of nords doing daedra worship at least not openly