Races of The Elder Scrolls

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The races in The Elder Scrolls series of computer games are grouped into several basic categories: Mer (elves), Humans, Beastolk, and others. They are listed below.


Contents

[edit] Mer

Mer is the collective name for all elves in The Elder Scrolls universe.[1][2][3]

[edit] Aldmer

Aldmer, meaning First or Elder Folk, are a mythological race that was the first to appear on Nirn. The Oblivion game book Before the Ages of Man is the most comprehensive source of their history. It traces their origins first to the mythic continent of Aldmeris, noting the alternate rendering of Old Elhofney for the place.[4] Certain maps are cautious enough to exclude the mythic continent from their mappings of the ES universe,[5] while others place it to the south of Tamriel.[6] Nu-Hatta of Michael Kirkbride's Nu-Mantia Intercept accords little credence to the Elves' tale., writing that that time that was once thought of as the sundering of Aldmeris was, in reality, a mere schism between Elven communities. "Outside of the Dawn, and even then only in the dreamtime of its landscape, there was never a terrestrial homeland of the Elves. 'Old Ehlnofey' is a magical ideal of mixed memories of the Dawn. Do not believe the written histories. All mortal life started on the starry heart of Dawn's beauty, Tamriel." Whatever one makes of the writing, it at least encourages caution in the credulent reading of any one source.[7] Their first settlements are located in southwestern Tamriel, presumably Valenwood or the Summerset Isles, from which they moved on to settle the whole of Tamriel, moving as far from their home as Vvardenfell, to build Ald Redaynia, Bal Fell, Tel Aruhn, and Tel Mora.[4] Following this, they disappear from record, presumably subsumed into Altmer or Bosmer races. The Tamriel Timeline reads the "Elves of the Summerset Isles" in the Pocket Guide's history of Cyrodiil to mean "Aldmer",[8] although it is not certain how much this represents a judgement on the part of Xanathar or a mere slip of the pen.[9] The term "Aldmer" is sometimes used to describe the entire Elven race, as in the "Aldmeri Dominion", or in common Elven usage, as evinced by the entry for "Aldmer" in the Elder Scrolls Treasury. To quote: "Aldmeri -- the Imperial usage is 'Elves'", indicating either a common misunderstanding of Elven meaning in the usage of "Aldmer" or the use of the term by Aldmer for themselves.[10] Aldmer culture survives on in their language and religion. Again quoting the Treasury: "Aldmeris is the original Elvish language, still spoken as a first language among isolated Elven communities, and spoken and written by all educated Elves, and the language of the Elven arts".[10] Such important in-game terminology as "Daedra", "Mer", "Tamriel", and the prefixes "Bet-", "Dun-", "Alt-" each derive from the Aldmeri tongue.[11] The Morrowind game book Varieties of Faith in the Empire finds 7 of the 62 gods of Tamriel to be of positively "Aldmeri" origin.[12][13]

[edit] Altmer

Main article: Altmer

The Altmer, also called High Elves, live in Summerset Isles.[14] They are taller than the other races and have a golden skin color. They tend to be proud and consider themselves the most civilized race.[15]

[edit] Ayleid

The Ayleids, also known as the Wild Elves or Heartland High Elves, were the first race to establish an empire in Tamriel. They lived in a tribal society, with each "tribe" being different from the next. They were the first inhabitants of the Imperial City and apparently spoke a variation of Old Cyrodiilic. Because they lived so long ago and their language is largely undecipherable, little else is known about them. Throughout Cyrodiil many Ayleid ruins can be found. These ruins are filled with dangerous traps, monsters, bandits, and undead. Many would-be treasure hunters have died trying to plunder these lost ruins of the Ayleids.

At one point the Ayleids controlled the entirety of the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil, and enslaved the Cyrodiilic and Nordic populations (which at that point were both part of the same prototypical race of men). During this time, the Ayleids made great strides in the arcane arts. The downfall of the Ayleid civilization was a combination of cultural hubris and formenting revolution amongst their slaves. With the blessing of the Aedra, a slave named Alessia led a revolt that resulted in the inexorable destruction of the Ayleid civilization. The surviving Ayleids frequently showed up as civil servants to the nobility in the Alessian empire, or fled to Valenwood and interbred with the Bosmer. The last known King of the Ayleids was the ruler of the city of Nenalata who controlled eastern Cyrodiil.[8]

White Gold Tower, the central spire of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, was made by the Ayleids. It now serves as the imperial palace for the Tamrielic Empire.

[edit] Bosmer

Main article: Bosmer

The Bosmer, also called Wood Elves or Boiche, inhabit the province of Valenwood.[14] They are remarkable thieves and archers, due to the fact that they spend their time living in trees. They are also religiously carnivorous and cannibalistic, but do not destroy trees or plant life. (They do use the products if somebody else has made them.)[16][17]

[edit] Chimer

Chimer (changed folk) are an extinct race. They fled from the Aldmeri (elven) home of Summerset after their religious conversion, and settled in the land of the Dwemer, later known as Morrowind. But after the Battle of Red Mountain, during which the Dwemer vanished in unexplained circumstances, they were transformed into Dunmer by the Daedric Prince Azura as punishment either for when the Tribunal broke their oath to Nerevar and Azura by making themselves gods or for their possible murder of Nerevar.

The Chimeri Exodus was led by the prophet Veloth, who later became a prominent saint in the Tribunal Temple, in the Merethic Era and was done so the Chimer could practice Daedra worship. The Dunmer attribute the inspiration for this exodus to the Daedric Prince Boethiah. They say he ate a prominent figure of the Aldmeri religion, Trinimac, and used his voice to show the Chimer the lies of the Aedra, who the Aldmer worshiped. He spoke of various ways in which they should live and demonstrated how to complete the Exodus. Other Daedric Princes, such as Mephala and Azura, initiated other changes and taught other lessons to the early Chimer, as well.

[edit] Dunmer

Main article: Dunmer

Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, hail from Morrowind.[18] They are the Elder Scrolls variation of dark elves, a popular fictional race in role-playing games and fantasy literature. Gameplay-wise, they are well-balanced (tending towards a battlemage or spellsword class) and are the recommended choice of race for new players, along with Imperials. The Dunmer are the descendants of the Chimer, who were punished by the Daedric prince Azura for the betrayal of the Tribunal. Azura's punishment was to turn the color of all the Chimer race's skin to ash-gray and their eyes to fire-red.

[edit] Dwemer

Main article: Dwemer

Dwemer meaning "Deep Elves" are an extinct race that lived primarily in the region of Vvardenfell. They were a reclusive, independent race, dedicated to the principles of science, alchemy, and engineering.

[edit] Falmer

It is thought that the Falmer(Snow Elves) were the original elven inhabitants of Skyrim, the northernmost province of the continent of Tamriel, and were defeated and displaced by the Nords. The Pocket Guide to the Empire in the chapter on Skyrim mentions the Snow Elves as a local superstition, with Nord villagers blaming them for a number of random misfortunes and scant physical evidence of their existence.[19] In Bloodmoon the player may choose to pursue a quest to find out more about the Falmer.[20]

There are two mutually exclusive hypotheses about the fate of the Falmer. The Skaal claim that the Rieklings are descended from the Falmer. On the other hand, an Altmer scholar in Raven Rock claims that the Rieklings are merely snow goblins, and that the Snow Elves have blended with the other elven races through interbreeding. The in game book Fall of the Snow Prince seems to support the latter hypothesis. It chronicles the defeat of the Snow Prince, an elven leader, at the Battle of Moesring.[21][22]

[edit] Maormer

Maormer reside on the island of Pyandonea south of the continent of Tamriel. They have pale, almost chameleon like skin and yellow eyes. They originally lived in Summerset Isles, but they were exiled by the High Elves. Their leader is an immortal wizard named Orgnum Thras. The Maormer practice a snake-like magic which they use to tame sea-serpents.[23]


[edit] Orsimer

Main article: Orsimer

Although beast-like in appearance the Orsimer (Pariahed Elves or simply Orcs), are descended from a group of Altmer (or even Aldmer) that worshipped a god named Trinimac.[24] Trinimac is the strongest of Altmeri ancestor spirits, and is described in-game as having led his Orsimer people to war against the dissident Chimer, who coveted the machines and industry of the heathen Dwemer. The Daedric Prince Boethiah, however, decides to eat Trinimac, ending his war plans, corrupting his essence and remaking him as the Daedric Prince Malacath. Incidentally, his people lost their Elven features, and became the beastly Orcs.[13][25][24] Orsimer were the former inhabitants of the province of Hammerfell,[9] but lost their land to the armies of Redguards.[26][9][27][28][29] The Orcish capital city is located near High Rock, and is called Orsinium.[23][30] According to in-game Morrowind descriptions, the Orcs are "sophisticated barbarian beast peoples", "noted for their unshakeable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships". "In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions. Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire. Most Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, but there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes."[31]

[edit] Rieklings

Rieklings are encountered in the Bloodmoon expansion pack of the third Elder Scrolls game Morrowind.[32]

They are believed by the Skaal people to the north of Solstheim where Bloodmoon takes place to be the descendants of the Falmer, which are also known as snow elves.[21] However, an Altmer scholar found at the Raven Rock colony, claims that they are simply ice goblins, and have little to do with the Falmer. The player has the option to find out more for the Altmer scholar by looking around Solstheim for clues as to who the Falmer really were, and traces of their existence.[20]

[edit] Human

Human in The Elder Scrolls is a generic term and does not nessessarily indicate a shared ancestry among those races it is applied to. The Imperials and Nords are of Nedic ancestry and the Nedes in turn trace their lineage back to the continent of Aldmeris, the Bretons are of mixed Nedic and Elvish heritage, and the Redguards originated on the continent of Yokuda.

[edit] Breton

Main article: Breton

The Bretons are half-elves, with more human than elvish blood, and populate the province of High Rock, where the second game of the series, Daggerfall, takes place. They are capable mages with high magicka resistance but other than that they have few distinctive features. They are considered an intelligent human race in Tamriel, known for a proficiency in abstract thinking, a possible reason for their adeptness in the magical arts.[33]

Bretons originated in the First Era. A series of raids on Nedic holdings by the Aldmer, resulted in the destruction of all human settlements in Skyrim. Many Nedes were enslaved some of whom were used as pleasure slaves and gave birth to mixed offspring. These offspring were termed Manmer by Nords. While the Aldmer maintained control of Tamriel, the Manmer lived as lower-class citizens, supporting their meric brethren. After the Aldmer lost their foothold, the remaining Manmer interbred with the controlling human races. The Bretons of modern-day Tamriel have a much-diluted meric ancestry, seen in their higher magical affinity.

[edit] Imperial

Main article: Imperial

Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil,[8] the Imperials are well-educated and well-spoken. Though less physically imposing than the other races, the Imperials are shrewd diplomats and traders. These traits, along with their remarkable skill and training as light infantry, have enabled them to subdue all the other provinces of Tamriel and unite them under the banner of their prosperous empire.[34]

[edit] Nede

The now extinct Nedes originally lived on the frozen continent of Atmora, where they banded into small clans who fought in a great civil war. A small group of Nedes then migrated and settled in northern Tamriel.

The Nedic hero Ysgramor, leader of a great colonizing fleet to Tamriel, developed a runic transcription of Nordic speech based on Aldmeri principles, and was the first recorded human historian. Ysgramor's fleet landed at Hsaarik Head at the extreme northern tip of Skyrim's Broken Cape. They built the legendary city of Saarthal and lived with the Aldmer in relative peace until the Aldmeri began to notice the comparatively fast growth of the Nedic people's population.

The Elves drove the Men away during the Night of Tears, but Ysgramor soon returned with his Five Hundred Companions. These Five Hundred Companions settled and those who stayed in Skyrim became the Nords, with those going west breeding with the Aldmer and becoming the Bretons and those going south becoming the Imperials.

The remaining Nedes raided Elvish settlements along the coast from Skyrim and Atmora until 1E68. The last two ships from Atmora pulled into a harbor with more than half their crews dead. Atmora had become a frozen wasteland, and all who still lived there had died.

[edit] Nord

Main article: Nord

The Nords inhabit the northern province of Skyrim.[19] They are strong and able warriors who are also highly resistant to frost. They are generally blonde, fair skinned, and blue eyed. Their origins can be traced all the way to the continent of Atmora.[35]

[edit] Akaviri Men

Little is known about them other then that they were natives of Akavir and are no longer around. Their downfall was somehow brought on by the snake-men.

[edit] Redguard

Main article: Redguard

The Redguards are a human appearing race hailing from the province of Hammerfell in western Tamriel. They are noted for their great strength, agility, and physical hardiness, and are very adept at surviving in hot, dry conditions. They possess dark skin, ranging from light brown to nearly black in hue, often with a distinct reddish tint. [36]

[edit] Akaviri

Akaviri refers broadly to races from the continent of Akavir which means "Dragon Land". Often it is used to refer to the Tsaeci in particular as they have had the most influence on Tamriel. They have Asian influences. The Ka Po' Tun are most likely based after the Chinese culture given their strong affiliations with Dragons and that they are implied to be "decendants of the dragon". The Tsaesci is obviously based on the Japanese culture given that they were the ones that brought many Japanese themed weapons such as the katana and wakizashi into Tamriel and that members of the race have Japanese names. The Tang Mo could be based on the Mauryan Empire of India who successfully drove out every invader to their lands. Since nothing much has been revealed about the Kamal,we do not know which part of Asia these two are based on.

[edit] Ka Po' Tun

The Ka Po'Tun are a race of tiger people that live on Akavir. Their name means "Tiger-Dragon's Empire". When the Tsaesci supposedly tried to eat all the dragons in their Empire, the dragons fled to Po' Tun, as the empire of tiger people was called then. A great war raged across the land, leaving all the black dragons and all but a few red dragons dead. The remaining red dragons retreated to Tamriel, where they were supposedly given refuge in Cyrodiil. Ever since, the tiger people that remained have tried to somehow become dragons. Tosh Raka is the first one to succeed. Apparently he is the largest Dragon on Nirn, with orange and black coloring, and has built Ka Po' Tun into the largest empire of Akavir. He desires the destruction of Tamriel, after which he intends to invade the Tsaesci, and perhaps even the other nations of Akavir. The Ka Po'Tun may have had influenced the Khajiiti in more then one moment. The first born-son of an Emperor is known as a Half-Breed, this is a title and rank.

[edit] Kamal

Kamal, meaning "Snow Hell", is one of four nations of Akavir. It is home to armies of snow demons. Every summer these demons thaw out and attempt to invade the neighboring nation of Tang Mo, home to many breeds of monkey-people, but every year they are repelled.

[edit] Tsaesci

The Tsaesci, which means Snake Palace, are a race of vampiric serpents. The serpent-folk apparently ate the men that had lived on Akavir, although this could mean that they assimilated with them as a culture. Their appearance has been described differently on many occasions, the only consistency being that they are "tall, beautiful (if frightening), [and] covered in golden scales." They have been described as having human upper bodies and snake lower bodies, to being entirely snake-like. This may however be inaccurate, and made up by storytellers to make the Tsaesci more monster-like. They are actually closely related to men, and are loosely classified as humans. This could either be due to shared origins or interbreeding with Akaviri humans.

The Tsaesci once invaded Tamriel in 1E 2703, but were driven back by the forces of Emperor Reman I. Surviving Tsaesci in Cyrodiil served as mercenaries and personal guards of nobles. They left many influences on the Imperials, including the Dai-katana and Dragonscale armor, as well as the uniform of the Blades and the Red Dragon symbol of the Empire. Several Tsaesci even served as Potentate, acting in place of the Emperor when the Reman dynasty ended. The first Potentate, Versidue-Shaie, ushered the Tamrielic Empire into the Second Era, an era of chaos and upheaval. He, and his heir, ruled Tamriel for four hundred years, until the Akaviri Potentate was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood in 2E 430.

[edit] Tang Mo

Tang Mo, meaning "Thousand Monkey Isles", is one of four nations of Akavir, a continent far east of Tamriel. Tang Mo is home to many breeds of monkey-folk who are described as kind, brave, simple, and often crazy. At some point or another every other Akaviri nation has made an attempt at enslaving the people of Tang Mo, and every summer the snow demons of the neighboring nation of Kamal thaw out and attempt to invade Tang Mo, but the brave monkey-people have always successfully repelled their enemies. The monkey-people have strong hatred toward the snow demons of Kamal and the serpent-folk of Tsaesci, but after a history of strife have come to ally with the tiger-folk of Ka Po' Tun.

[edit] Dragons

Killed off by the Tsaesci, they were said to be very intelligent and capable of communication with nedic visitors to Akavir. The dragons of Vvardenfell were supposedly wiped out by the cliff racers that were brought south from Akivir during their invasion of Tamriel and found a natural home in the wastes of the island.[37]

[edit] Beast races

[edit] Argonian

Main article: Argonian

The Argonians are a reptilian race that is native to Black Marsh.[23] They can breathe underwater and are highly resistant to disease.[38][39]

[edit] Hist

The Hist were originally the trees of Argonia, though the term has mistakenly been used for the Argonians.[23][39] During the great war between the Ehlnofey, the Hist were bystanders, but most of their realm was destroyed as the war passed over it. A small corner of it survived to become the Black Marsh province in Tamriel, but most of their realm was sunk beneath the sea.[3] According to the Monomyth, the Hist acknowledge Sithis in his role as the originial creator.[40] The Hist have been tossed around quite frequently on The Elder Scrolls Official Forums, all due to one dangerously mislaid sentence. In the PGE, Argonians are said to never have left their homeland "except for a relatively intelligent strain called the hist. [sic]"[23] This statement, implying that the Argonians are a type of Hist, left quite a bit of fallout, but was resolved by a clear statement by Mark Nelson that the whole thing resulted from ignorance on the part of the editors of the Guide. Hist are, in fact, great sentient trees worshipping the eternal, immutable, god of chaos, Sithis. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find many canonical statements about the Hist in game lore. The Annotated Anuad gives us the some information, telling us that the Hist are one of two races to survive the "twelve worlds of Creation," along with the Ehlnofey, and that the Hist had a great homeland sunk beneath the sea by the wars of the Ehlnofey. It is never certain how much credence one should give to a creation myth. Any statements regarding the Hist's survival of the twelve worlds of a Creation should be treated with due suspicion.[3]

Argonians are known to have deep connections with the Hist, calling themselves "people of the root,"[41] and licking the leaking sap of their trunks in religious rites. The Argonian Travelling-New-Woman leaves an intriguing story regarding her Naming Ceremony and its involvement with the Hist.

"My parents told me not to lick the Hist tree until my Naming Day, so I did. My parents caught me and a boy from my nest in a soft-leaf patch right before the naming ceremony. I feared I'd get more of a licking from my parents than I gave the tree... So I ran as fast as I could through the swamp and into the rest of the kids waiting for their naming ceremony. Everyone had a good laugh and the name stuck."[39]

—Travelling-New-Woman, Morrowind Dialogue

The Argonian Compendium states this to be one of the most famous pieces of Morrowind era Argonian lore, and begins furiously interpreting the passage, declaring in favour of the rite as a sexual initiation into adulthood, the usage of nests, and various other minor things.[39] Marobar Sul's Ancient Tales of the Dwemer also contains a story relating the importance of the Hist, taken from the Argonian slaves of southern Morrowind.

The tale concerns a settlement of Argonians wiped out by "Dwemeri"[A] imperialism. Dwemer come to an isolated Argonian settlement, and begin to fell the local trees without much ado. The Argonians remain unfazed. "[We] allowed them to use the plants as they needed them, provided they never touched the Hist, which are sacred to us and to the land...For many years, we lived peaceably. No one wanted for anything." The Dwemer showed signs of dissatisfaction with their arrangement, as it became clear that the sap of the Hist could be made into resilient armour called resin. The Dwemer sent out a woodsman named Juhnin to fell the Hist for profit. "Of course, we Argonians cried out against it. It was our home, and the Hist, once gone, would never return. The merchants reconsidered, but Juhnin took it on his own to break our spirit. He proved one terrible, bloody day that his prodigious skill with the axe could be used against people as well as trees. Any Argonian who stood in his way was hewn asunder, children as well. The Dwemer people of Lorikh closed their doors and their ears to the cries of murder...It is difficult to explain...But the deaths of our living ones was not nearly as horrible to us as the death of our trees. You must understand that to my people, the Hist are where we come from and where we are going. To destroy our bodies is nothing; to destroy our trees is to annihilate us utterly. When Juhnin then turned his axe on the Hist, he killed the land. The water disappeared, the animals died, and all the other life that the trees nourished crumbled and dried to dust." The story proper begins some time later as the Dwemer daughter of Juhnin speaks to an old Argonian woman working in the now destroyed region, and begins to relate the tale. The child learns that the all the Argonians are soon to die from the Hist's absence, and begins to tear up. The Argonian woman gives the child a small seed, saying 'We Argonians have an expression...That the best soil for a seed is found in your heart." The child leaves to plant it in front of her house. The following day, Juhnin comes across a giant Hist tree at his doorstep, and draws his axe to fell it. Successive blows make no change to the tree, and the tree regenerates to match the wood chopped off. Some time passes, and a local notices Juhnin's emaciated body lying on the ground, axe in hands, with no tree in sight. "Shortly thereafter, small desert flowers began pushing through the dry dirt in the town. Trees and plants newly sown began to live tolerably well, if not luxuriantly. The Hist did not return, but Kamdida and the people of Lorikh noticed that at a certain time around twilight, long, wide shadows of great, bygone trees would fill the streets and hills."[42]

Many cursory remarks give the impression that the relationship between the Argonians and the Hist as nearing the level of symbiosis. From the keyboard of Mark Nelson: "I will tell you that there's more to the Hist than has been told, and they and the Argonians have a much deeper relationship than previously thought...Black Marsh is, sadly, far too unexplored, leaving the enigmatic Argonians shrouded in a bit too much mystery for my liking." Gary Noonan provides a description of the Argonians as being similar to the Khajiit, and varying from a nearly human to a completely lizardlike race much like the Khajiit vary from a nearly human to an entirely catlike race, depending on how many times "they decide to lick the tree". In further posts by Mark Nelson he commented that he was not willing to speak of the relationship between the Hist. "As for the relationship, I'm not talking yet." "There has been talk about how the Hist (and Hist sap) are related to Argonian sexuality. This hasn't changed...it's still related. And, it's not a taboo topic; I just don't think it's the most interesting one out there." The issue has not since been delved into with any more depth or clarity.[39]

In Oblivion, if the player chooses to embark on the Fighters' Guild faction quest, they will eventually come to a mission in which they must discover the source of the evil Blackwood Company's power. The player discovers that the Blackwood Company is using the sap of a Hist tree. They succeeded in smuggling a whole Hist tree from Black Marsh in order to have a constant supply of the illegal sap.[43]

[edit] Imga

The Great Apes, or Imga reside in the Imperial province of Valenwood and idealize the local High Elves, with some going so far as to shave themselves and powder their skin so as to better emulate their appearance.[14]

To date, no Imga have appeared in an Elder Scrolls game, and the only reference to the Imga appears in the 'Pocket Guide to the Empire' which describes the provinces of the Cyrodilic Empire as of the year 864 of the Second Era. It is unknown whether the Imga have since gone extinct or have simply been overlooked.

[edit] Khajiit

Main article: Khajiit

The Khajiit are feline race hailing from the province of Elsweyr.[44] Khajiit vary considerably in appearance ranging from almost Elven Ohmes-raht to larger species such as the Senche (large tigers used as mounts) and the Cathay-Raht (warrior "jaguar men").[44][45][46] Khajiit are generally excellent thieves and good fighters,[45] and fierce individualists with no sense of private property.[47]

[edit] Sload

Main article: Sload

The Sload are a race of sluglike beastmen that live in the Coral Kingdoms of Thras, southwest of Tamriel. They have generally followed an isolationist policy, with only limited contact and trade with Tamriel, therefore their history is not well known. The most important event known is when they released the Thrassian Plague upon Tamriel in 1E2200, killing more than half of the population. In response, Tamriel assembled the All Flags Navy that ravaged Thras, killing all the Sload it could find and finally sinking it with unknown magics. The Sload, however, survived, and Thras has since risen again.[23]

[edit] Divine

See: Aedra, Daedra, Dremora

[edit] References

A. ^  A running joke within the series is that Marobar Sul's Ancient Tales of the Dwemer are almost entirely not about the Dwemer. Each book in the series is provided with an appendix denying Dwemeri heritage to the tale it comes paired with. The appendix for this particular tale runs as follows: "'The Seed' is one of Marobar Sul's tales whose origins are well known. This tale originated from the Argonian slaves of southern Morrowind. "Marobar Sul" merely replaced the Dunmer with Dwemer and claimed he found it in a Dwemer ruin. Furthermore, he later claimed that the Argonian version of the tale was merely a retelling of his 'original!'"[42] An essay by the Morrowind character Hasphat Antabolis, who, incidentally, provides the player with a Dwemer related quest in Morrowind,[48][49] is included in Oblivion, attempting to construct a possible reason for the public's great love for them. Antabolis concludes that "Marobar Sul's Dwemer are so much more comfortable, so much friendlier, so much more familiar, than the real Dwemer, whose truly mysterious nature we are only beginning to understand." Antabolis is forgiving of Sul's faults. "I have some sympathy for that preference. As the following essays will show, the Dwemer were, to our modern eyes, a remarkably unlikeable people in many ways."[50]
  1. ^ Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire: Index. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  2. ^ Raptormeat. The Elder Scrolls Translation Dictionary: K-O: Mer. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  3. ^ a b c The Anuad Paraphrased. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  4. ^ a b Aicantar of Shimerene. Timeline Series - Vol 1: Before the Ages of Man. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  5. ^ ArthmodeusD. Nirn Map. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  6. ^ Xanathar. Updated Map of Tamriel. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  7. ^ Nu-Hatta. Nu-Mantia Intercept: Letter #5. Retrieved on September 8, 2006. A close reading of the text is available from B. Facts and Opinions from the Nu-Hatta Intercept. Retrieved on September 8, 2006.
  8. ^ a b c Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire: Cyrodiil. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  9. ^ a b c Xanathar. Tamriel Timeline - First Era. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  10. ^ a b Zeph. The Elder Scrolls Treasury III: TES3 Encyclopaedia - A. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  11. ^ Raptormeat. The Elder Scrolls Translation Dictionary. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  12. ^ Reading Auri-El, Jode, Jone, Sheogorath, Syrabane, Trinimac, and Xarxes as such.
  13. ^ a b Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College. Varieties of Faith in the Empire. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  14. ^ a b c Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire: Aldmeri Dominion. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  15. ^ Elder Scrolls Codex: High Elf. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  16. ^ Elder Scrolls Codex: Wood Elf. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  17. ^ On the Preparation of the Corpse. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  18. ^ Elder Scrolls Codex: Dark Elf. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  19. ^ a b Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire:Skyrim. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  20. ^ a b UESPWiki: Bloodmoon - Miscellaneous Quests: In Search of the Falmer. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  21. ^ a b Lokheim, chronicler to the chieftain Ingjaldr White-Eye. Fall of the Snow Prince. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  22. ^ Nazz. Rieklings = Falmer?. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  23. ^ a b c d e f Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire: The Wild Regions. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.
  24. ^ a b The True Nature of Orcs. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  25. ^ The Anticipations. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  26. ^ Tyston Bane. The Pig Children. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  27. ^ Odiva Gallwood. History of Daggerfall. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  28. ^ Imperial Geographical Society. Pocket Guide to The Empire: Hammerfell. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
  29. ^ A Compilation of Redguard history. Retrieved on September 5, 2006.
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Races of The Elder Scrolls
Mer (elves): Altmer | Bosmer | Dunmer | Dwemer | Orsimer
Human: Breton | Imperial | Nord | Redguard
Beast: Argonian | Khajiit | Sload
Divine: Aedra | Daedra | Dremora
In other languages