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The Elder Scrolls Community Thread: Your Pocket Guide to the Empire

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Dragonborn OT | Elder Scrolls Online OT | Skyrim Modding Thread | Lore Thread

Since we're in a lull between Elder Scrolls releases, some people thought a community thread might be in order. This is a place for people wishing to discuss anything Elder Scrolls related. This includes:

- the mainline games:
  • The Elder Scrolls: Arena
  • The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Tribunal and Bloodmoon
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Shivering Isles
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Dawnguard and Dragonborn
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- the side games
- the novels

Whether you just started Morrowind and want to tell everyone about the Scrolls of Icarian Flight you discovered, you're replaying Skyrim for the nineteenth time and you still get excited when a Legendary Dragon shows up or you've had a midnight revelation about how TES VI can be the best game ever: this is the place. And those who get a bit lost in the world post-Oblivion, this is for you:

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It has been exactly 200 years since the previous edition of this Pocket Guide was released. Since then, many things have changed: an Empire has fallen and been reborn, borders have been redrawn and wars have been fought. So far, the Fourth Era has been a time of great turmoil. However, we at the Imperial Geographical Society are convinced many conflicts can be avoided with some simple common sense and knowledge. After all, one who knows what the Green Pact is won't be so eager to accept an invitation to a Bosmeri banquet! That is why, on the 200th anniversary of our previousguide, we bring you this new, updated version. This is not a simple update, but a complete rewrite, to paint an accurate picture of Tamriel as it is today. We hope this guide keeps you informed, and more importantly, safe.

On Tamriel

Tamriel. It is a name we all know and all take for granted. Yet our continent has had many names over the course of history: the Arena; Starry Heart; Dawn’s Beauty. It has seen great unity and great strife. During the last years of the third era, in the time leading up to the Oblivion crisis, the land was relatively peaceful. To be true, even then there was unrest between the provinces, but the Elder Council handled their grievances while the Legion kept their more violent client states in line. After the collapse of the Third Empire, however, unrest between the provinces increased. Black Marsh annexed part of Morrowind, while the rest became an uninhabitable wasteland when Red Mountain erupted. The Thalmor seized control of the Summerset Isle and Valenwood and resurrected the Aldmeri Dominion. The Great War, fought between the Dominion and the new Empire of the Mede Dynasty, bathed the land in blood and fear. Not even the Imperial City, jewel of the Empire, was safe from the Aldmeri onslaught. Even now, after the White-Gold Concordat, peace is fragile.

Today, five nations remain on Tamriel. These are:

- The Empire
- The Aldmeri Dominion
- Argonia (or Black Marsh)
- Morrowind
- Hammerfell

The Empire's influence may have declined, but its multiculturalism has endured. Many races inhabit Tamriel. While each has their own home province, small populations of each can be found throughout the entire continent. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

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On the Empire

Tamriel may be a land divided, but it finds a way to unite itself time and time again. When Alessia received the Amulet of Kings, she envisioned an Empire that would last forever. While the provinces have tried their best to break this unity, so far, it is still standing. There have, however, been some dark pages in its long history. Tales Aare still told of the Interregnum, when three factions vied for control of the Imperial City. Many still remember the songs sung of Molag Bal’s Dark Anchors, tightening his grip on our world with every pull on their winch. And who can forget the Imperial Simulacrum? All know the name Jagar Tharn, the trusted Imperial Battlemage, who imprisoned Uriel Septim VII in Oblivion and used a wicked glamor to take his place.

Next in the list is the Oblivion Crisis, which began when agents of the Mythic Dawn assassinated Uriel Septim VII and his heirs. In so doing, they extinguished the Dragonfires, weakened the veil between Mundus and Oblivion, and paved the way for an invasion by the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. Only the intervention of a Hero and the last of the Septims could avert the tide of blood that would surely have followed.
Many believed the end of the Third Era would usher in a golden age, but that was far removed from the truth. The Stormcrown Interregnum, Umbriel, the Great War. The Empire is not as strong as it once was, but by the grace of the Gods and our Emperor, Titus Mede II, it has persevered.

The Empire consists of three separate nations: Cyrodiil, Skyrim and High Rock. The status of Skyrim, however, is contested due to the presence of the Stormcloak Rebellion in the eastern holds. More on that in the relevant section of this guide.

On Cyrodiil

The heartland of the Empire. Cyrodiil, once a lush rainforest, has seen many changes over the years. It was the place where humans first rebelled against their Ayleid oppressors. It is the place where Reman Cyrodiil took his crown. It is the place where Talos became Tiber Septim and transformed the land. In more recent years, however, it is the place where both the Oblivion crisis, the Umbriel incident and the Great War came to a head.

But Cyrodiil is much more than that. It’s rolling hills and verdant forests. It’s fields of wheat and grain that reach as far as the eye can see. It’s ancient ruins, shining brightly in the sunlight. It is Colovia. It is Nibenay. It is the Imperial City, jewel of the Empire, where all cultures meet.

Our current Emperor, Titus Mede II, has reigned through some of the hardest times any Emperor has ever seen. It is thanks to his perseverance and leadership that we, as an Empire, remain standing. The memories of war, however, have not yet been extinguished in the minds of the people. The Imperial City is still being rebuilt after being occupied by the Aldmeri forces for a year. The Battle of the Red Ring, though it happened over thirty years ago, has left the city weakened and largely defenseless. Warriors, now old and bitter, have passed on their memories to their sons and daughters, ensuring this regretful conflict will not soon be forgotten.

Cyrodiil is the main base of operations for many of the larger guilds and collectives spread across the continent. It is home to the two largest magical organizations in Tamriel: the Synod and the College of Whispers. The Fighter’s Guild still maintains a strong presence as well. Lastly, it is the home of the Imperial Legion. Once, when the province was sheltered on all sides by allied states, the Legion stationed only a handful of troops in the capital, focusing its attention on quelling disturbances in the more remote corners of Tamriel. Recent years, however, have proven that even Cyrodiil is not safe. Today, it bolsters more Legionnaires than any province, and that number keeps growing every day. Cyrodiil has not forgotten the Great War, and will not for a long time yet.

On Skyrim

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Skyrim has an abundance of two things: freezing cold and ancient history. Long ago, the rugged land was inhabited by ancient elves. When humans first arrived in Tamriel from the northern continent of Atmora, they arived on Skyrim's frozen shores. There, they came into contact with the Snow Elves. Despite their differences, the races were initially at peace with one another. As time went on, however, the elves began to feel threatened by the ever increasing human population. In an event that later came to be known as the Night of Tears, the elves attacked, nearly wiping out all humans in the process. Only King Ysgramor and his sons escaped with their lives. They returned to Skyrim with a new Atmoran fleet and drove the elves away in a bloody war of conquest. And so, Skyrim became the first human kingdom on the continent.

Today, Skyrim is the home of the descendants of those first humans to set foot on the continent: the Nords. It is a cold land, but far from the frozen wasteland it’s sometimes made out to be: from the grassy tundra of Whiterun to the rocky badlands of the Reach, Skyrim is a province with a diverse geography. The province is divided into nine Holds, each ruled by a Jarl. Above the Jarls stands the High King, a Jarl elected to the highest seat of office by his peers. However, the land has been leaderless since Ulfric Stormcloak - the Jarl of Windhelm - assassinated the High King using his gift of The Voice. The Stormcloak Rebellion seeks to rid Skyrim of the Empire and, by killing Skyrim's ruler, has sparked a civil war.

The Stormcloaks and Imperials are not the only factions in Skyrim. Skyrim’s mages have organized into the College of Winterhold. The Companions offer swords and axes for hire. The Thieves Guild, operating from the city of Riften, is always looking for new ways to make the poor richer and the rich poorer. The Dark Brotherhood, shrouded in shadows, seems to have survived the purges of the early Fourth Era and retreated to the frozen shores of the north. Lastly, atop the Throat of the World, the highest mountain in Tamriel, reside the enigmatic Greybeards, masters of the Voice.

On High Rock

The birthplace of political Intrigue, High Rock is both one of the most civilized areas in all of Tamriel, and one of the most dangerous. The Breton people, due to their Elven heritage, have an affinity with magic that allowed them to construct some of the most wonderful structures in the world. And yet High Rock is now known for its Breton craftsmanship, in fact, the most famous building is undoubtedly the adamantine Direnni Tower on the isle of Balfiera. From this ancient structure, the Gods once oversaw the creation of Nirn. According to legend, it may well be the site where Lorkhan’s heart was sundered from his body, before being cast into the earth.

The Bretons are also renowned for their cooking. All over Tamriel, noble lords and ladies await the newest fashions in Breton cuisine. Even the Aldmeri Dominion is known to employ several human cooks.

On the Aldmeri Dominion

On the subject of the Dominion, many things can be said. There are those who are far better suited for such matters. As such, this Guide will only give a brief rundown of the Dominion and its actions prior to, during, and after the Great War. Consult your local bookseller if you wish to learn more.

The Aldmeri Dominion, much like the Empire, has seen various iterations throughout history. The seeds for the current Dominion were sown during the end of the Third Era. Slightly before the onset of the Oblivion Crisis, the Thalmor, a xenophobic political party, arose in Summerset Isle. A fringe party at first, the Thalmor seized control of the nation after the collapse of the Crystal Tower and the end of the Crisis. Thalmor agents proclaimed themselves as the saviors of Nirn, claiming it was them, and not Martin Septim, who delivered our world from evil. A claim they maintain to this day.

Soon after, the persecution of any and all citizens not of Altmer blood began. Many people were evicted, deported, and executed. The Thalmor believe that any beings not descended of the Altmer are lower forms of life. Having consolidated power over Summerset, now named Alinor, the Thalmor set its sights on nearby Valenwood. The Bosmer stood no chance. Those who subjugated were spared, the others were driven away or slaughtered. Even today, many Bosmer living in other parts of Tamriel are escapees from their home province. The Thalmor, now lord and master over two provinces, officially declared the birth of a new Aldmeri Dominion.

At the end of the first century of the Fourth Era, Masser and Secunda disappeared for two years. During this period of two years, now called the Void Nights, the Khajiit of Elsweyr grew restless and afraid. When the moons finally returned, the Thalmor claimed it was their doing. In gratitude, the Khajiit joined up with the Dominion. Once again, many Khajiit were displaced: those found outside the Dominion often still refer to their homeland by its original name. To the Dominion, the province came to be known as the twin states Pelletine and Anequina.

On the 30th of Frostfall of the year 4E 171, only three years into the reign of Emperor Titus Mede II, an Aldmeri ambassador arrived in the Imperial city. He carried with him a gift and an ultimatum: the Empire must disband the Blades, outlaw the worship of Talos, cede large portions of Hammerfell, and pay tribute to the Dominion. The Emperor, well aware of the weakened state of his Empire, still decided to refuse this ultimatum. Upon this, the ambassador revealed his gift: a cart, filled with the head of every Blades agent stationed in Valenwood and Alinor. The ambassador upended the cart, and when those heads touched the ground, the Great War began.

The history of the Great War is too long to describe in great detail here. The Empire suffered terrible losses as the Dominion conquered city after city. Ultimately, the Dominion ended up surrounding the Imperial City. The Emperor decided to abandon the city rather than make a final stand. He and his army broke through the enemy lines, headed north, and met up with Imperial reinforcements. The Aldmer quickly conquered the City, however, and many an atrocity was committed by the vengeful elves.

The Emperor, however, did not intend to leave his city for long. As he let the Thalmor believe he was about to surrender, he prepared his armies for one final push: a desperate attack to drive the enemy from the Empire, or die trying. The struggle that followed has become one of legend. The Battle of the Red Ring, as it is called, saw Titus II divide his forces to make a three-pronged strike. The Aldmeri army was completely destroyed. Shortly after, the Dominion and the Empire signed the White-Gold Concordat, ending the war. Critics might argue that the terms the Emperor agreed to were no better than the ultimatum offered by the Thalmor at the start of the war, but five years of bloodshed can make any man wary. The Imperial army was battered and beaten: a continuation of hostilities would have led to our utter eradication.

Today, the Dominion and the Empire hold an uneasy peace. Thalmor agents are given free rein to find and arrest worshippers of the false god Talos, while the Empire rebuilds its strength. It is this noble scholar’s opinion that a second storm might soon be upon us, and that we must all be ready to defend our lands, and our lives.

On Morrowind

The homeland of the Dunmer was nearly destroyed during the start of the Fourth Era. A catastrophic eruption of Dagoth Ur, the Red Mountain, obliterated the island of Vvardenfell and covered the entire mainland with choking ash. The sky remained fire-red for over a year, leading to the nomenclature ‘the Red Year’. An army of Argonians, seeking revenge for the years of enslavement the Dark Elves visited upon their kind, marched into the Dunmer province and conquered nearly half of it before the natives could push them back. The Argonians retreated, but Morrowind ceded a large portion of land to neighboring Black Marsh.

The former capital of Almalexia was left in ruins, and the disappearance of the Tribunal (and their eventual exposure as false gods) led to a wave of anti-Tribunal sentiments throughout the land. Many Dunmer went back to the ancestor worship their forebears once practiced, while others embraced the Daedric Reclamations: Mephala, Azura and Boethiah. The Redoran city of Blacklight became Morrowind’s new capital, a place from where its dark-skinned, solemn people, can rebuild their nation in peace.

On Solstheim

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The cold island of Solstheim lies to the north of Morrowind and the northeast of Skyrim. It is more cold and rugged than even Skyrim: a fact the local Nords of the Skaal-tribe take great pride in. The island's southern reaches are more temperate than the harsh north, but not a lot. There is less snow, indeed, but the land still suffers from the after effects of the Red Year.

For a long time, Solstheim was a backwater in history. Nothing of great interest happened there until the late Third Era. During that time, the Empire established Fort Frostmoth on the island's southern shore, and the colony Raven Rock was erected. In 3E 427 the infamous Bloodmoon Prophecy took place on the island. Werewolves and hunters did battle in Hircine's name, as the Daedric Prince turned the moons as red as the blood of the fallen. Rumors that the Nerevarine was a part of this prophecy were rife, but have never been substantiated.

The island rose to prominence once again during the early years of the Fourth Era. When the Red Year struck Morrowind, many of the Dunmer fled their ancestral homeland. Solstheim, due to its proximity to Vvardenfell, quickly became a refuge for the Dark Elves, even though the land had historically always been claimed by the Nords of Skyrim.

Tensions were rife, but unfounded. Shortly after the Red Year, Skyrim extended its hand to the Dunmer and offered them the island, "untithed to any thane or hold, and self-governed, with free worship, with no compensation to Skyrim or the Empire except as writ in the Armistice of old wheresoever those might still apply, and henceforth let no Man or Mer say that the Sons and Daughters of Kyne are without mercy or honor".
Inspirational words, often cited as a prime example of Nord nobility. Politics may have been at the basis of this treaty moreso than mercy, but that does not diminish the gesture. The Nords and Dunmer, once bitter enemies, were suddenly united.

On Argonia

Also known as Black Marsh, not much is known about the ancestral homeland of the Argonians. The Saxhleel, as they call themselves, share an innate bond with the native race of intelligent trees called the Hist, and when Black Marsh is threatened, the Hist will do anything to defend it. During the Oblivion Crisis, the trees recalled a great deal of expatriated Argonians to Argonia. The Daedra were not used to fighting in marshes and forest, and the Argonians quickly managed to destroy any Oblivion Gate that opened. After the collapse of the Empire, most non-Argonians evacuated the area. Only few remain.

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eyeless

Member
nice. maybe you could ask a mod to put this in gaming for a month to get some eyeballs then it gets moved to community, at least i thought that was what happened. otherwise it probably won't have a chance i think.

i love elder scrolls, i think its style of game is maybe the one with the most potential. if i hadn't played them when i was older as opposed to when i was a kid it might be my favorite series, instead it was ocarina of time/majora's mask and nothing will probably dethrone them. i just love the format, gotta be the series i am most obsessed with, despite the fact that there is like 50 things i could complain about. i get more out of five minutes of exploration of a new environment than i do out of most entire games. or just fucking arranging breezehome, good god, filling a bookcase, what a rush.

i've been messing around with the alpha of skywind, so that has me thinking about es a lot lately.

here's a pic of me chillin on a silt strider

i play a bosmer thief backstabby archer

also after 240 hours i actually just found southfringe sanctum and angi's camp while messing with skyrim a bit, which was impressive, i just assumed there was nothing at that part of the map. also, anticipating skyrim and mods is mostly what actually got me to build a pc, so thanks elder scrolls.
 
nice. maybe you could ask a mod to put this in gaming for a month to get some eyeballs then it gets moved to community, at least i thought that was what happened. otherwise it probably won't have a chance i think.

Sure, go ahead and ask them, I'm a bit too busy myself right now. :lol

And yeah, Skywind looks extremely interesting. I should get into it, can't wait to explore Vvardenfell in that detail.

I've been thinking about TES VI a lot lately, and about the silence we're currently getting from Bethesda. I know we're probably getting Fallout 4 first, but can you imagine them secretly toiling away at a next-gen engine for a couple of years? It'd be glorious.

I just want a world that's reactive to what happens next game. No more static bullshit, if I do something, let the people react.

Oh, and let there be more than 50 people.
 

JNA

Banned
One of my favorite franchises. :D

Although considering Bethesda has there hands full with Fallout 4, we probably won't see an Elder Scrolls VI in about 3 or 4 years. ;(

Also I vote for either Black Marsh or Elsweyr as the next location for a new Elder Scrolls game. Leaning towards Elsweyr because Khajiit...I like cats. :3
 

eyeless

Member
only reason i said you should ask is cause you're the thread creator, don't know how likely a mod is to move a thread if someone else asks, but i'll try.

i definitely prefer es to fallout but i do love fallout, hopefully they at least have some decent shooting this time. i think it's pretty likely they're just working on fallout and it's set in boston, as the rumours suggest. and at least since they alternate that means what they learned last game can be used for the next one. the faces/animation in skyrim weren't excellent but at least they weren't fallout 3 level.

skywind is cool, i just hung around seyda neen some cause i don't want to see a bunch of the world before it's done and burn out on it considering they are so far from done. for instance in a recent trailer of seyda neen it already looks different from this alpha from january so you can see how early things are.

elsweyr might be cool but i wonder if the desert would end up being not as interesting as other choices. valenwood would be cool i'd love the deep forests and half-hidden cities. really though they all appeal to me in some way so i won't be disappointed whatever it is probably.

a reactive world is definitely one of my hopes. like how they said you could sabotage a saw mill and mess up the economy, shitty that never ended up in the game. unless it was something simple like the wood he sold then cost more or something cause who cares nobody's buying wood from that dude, i guess that's something i wouldn't have noticed. another thing i missed was the animals going hunting in packs and then like if they got their prey then they would chill with that and not attack, pretty sure that's what todd howard said, and i never saw any of that. i would like to see some wolves chilling eating prey and being protective of it.

one of the things i don't get obviously cause i'm not a game developer is like why don't you just hire somebody who is good at animations or melee combat, most games have better animation than es so why not just hire one of those people. get somebody from arkane to help with the melee. why is it so difficult. if you want to keep your current animator then keep them but hire another. luckily i am an archer/backstabber so the poor combat complaints have never applied to me. but yeah, something i've always wondered though.
 

JNA

Banned
elsweyr might be cool but i wonder if the desert would end up being not as interesting as other choices.

That's only because we don't have many games that take part mostly in the desert. At the moment, the only ones I can think of on the top of my head are Journey and most of Uncharted 3.

Journey already showed how beautiful a desert can be. Bethesda IMO has one of the best draw distance artists around. I bet they can make the Desert look amazing too.

Plus Khajiit! We need to see a whole land full of those wonderful creatures. :3
 
The way the Khajiit in Skyrim were referring to Elsweyr made it sound fantastic. Ruins buried in the sand, for instance, can you imagine wandering through the desert and finding a random ruin. They should get some of that sand tech used in Spec Ops: The Line, that was awesome.

Plus, imagine all the breeds of Khajiit running around.
 

eyeless

Member
you know whatever land they do i hope they give some variety of environments, even if it's a bit of a retcon of existing lore. this map of hammerfell is a good example
this is a good example of how i'd prefer one of the desert provinces. looking at this map now also makes me think about how cool it would be to be able to get in a boat and sail around to islands. maybe not a big boat like assassin's creed but a small wind waker style one that's faster to maneuver.

i like the beast races fine but i'd probably still prefer a province where they aren't 70% of the people or whatever, still though i don't care that much and am psyched whatever they choose

seeing different types of khajiit would be cool though
 

Bacon

Member
Cool thread idea, I'll be following this one! I've always been interested in the Elder Scrolls lore but have never really dove into it too deeply besides reading some of the books in the game, i usually get tired of that after a while though. I've always liked how well fleshed out the world feels though, with all the different races and distinct areas (provinces?) that Tamriel has.

I think the world is the most impressive thing about the series, the stories contained within haven't been especially gripping for me in a lot of cases.
 

bengraven

Member
Subscribed.

Started with Morrowind. After years of only JRPGs, I wanted something that screamed Western RPG to try out - brown, tons of magic, skill points, open world, darker theme an I picked up the box for $30 off a shelf because that's exactly what I was looking for.

Had to quit for a couple weeks because I died too soon, but then one day I reloaded and realized something - there are no fences. No walls. I can literally walk to another town. And there were monsters in the woods. And every little thing on the table can be picked up.

I was, for the first time, completely immersed in another world.

---

I know that the majority of Elder Scrolls (or Fallout) threads end up becoming anti-Bethesda shit threads, can we get a bit of control on this one since it's Community? I'm not saying censorship or anything, but if I have to read three pages of "games are pure shit" to get one good post about Barenziah, I don't fore see this going well. ha
 

Woorloog

Banned
Nice thread.

I know that the majority of Elder Scrolls (or Fallout) threads end up becoming anti-Bethesda shit threads, can we get a bit of control on this one since it's Community? I'm not saying censorship or anything, but if I have to read three pages of "games are pure shit" to get one good post about Barenziah, I don't fore see this going well. ha

If there's such shit here, just report it to mods.
Bethesda game OTs usually are just fine, it is the other threads that have this problem.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
Moving to Gaming side for two weeks to give the thread some exposure, per request. Will move back to Gaming Community after.

Nice thread, Blue.
 
Just picked up Skyrim on PS3 again, unfortunately. Had some stuttering start weird early on a new game so I uninstalled everything, cleared some hard drive space, deleted saves, etc., and it seems to be running really well so far. Started a Khajiit named Cool Cat, has a sweet mullet.
 

The Llama

Member
I'm still kind of upset Skyrim is set in, er, Skyrim. I remember thinking it was the last part of Tamriel I wanted a game set in because frankly its a bit boring (just mountains and snow), and while I haven't played a ton of Skyrim, the parts I have played basically confirmed my opinion. In contrast, even Morrowind (which some people complain has boring environments) is much, much more interesting.

Kind of a random rant heh, but yeah.
 

Loxley

Member
I sort of want Fallout 4 to be released just so I can look forward to ES6 that much more. Skyrim really is a game that keeps on giving, and I'll probably be playing it right up until the next Elder Scrolls.
 

The Llama

Member
Probably the best place to ask this: in Morrowind, what would you recommend as the best House/Guild/Legion/etc. quest lines to do?

All of them is the only true answer.

Kind of depends on your character. For houses, Redoran is good for fighters/warriors, Telvanni for mages (looking at it objectively, they're probably the most interesting house, tbh), and Hlaalu for everything else. You can do all of the guilds, so just pick whatevers interesting. There's some cool interactions between them that I won't spoil here.
 

Woorloog

Banned
All of them is the only true answer.

Kind of depends on your character. For houses, Redoran is good for fighters/warriors, Telvanni for mages (looking at it objectively, they're probably the most interesting house, tbh), and Hlaalu for everything else. You can do all of the guilds, so just pick whatevers interesting. There's some cool interactions between them that I won't spoil here.

While those are the ideal things stats-wise, they may not fit your character's theme.
The House Redoran is Tribunal Temple ally, a traditionalist in a way. Respects the might of the Empire but not a good suit for Empire-aligned characters otherwise, me thinks. They're honorable though.
The House Hlaalu is about business, and business with the Empire is good. They're allies... but they also are not the most honorable sort.
The House Telvanni is ruthless, unscrupulous. Kind of a good fit for a thief and assassins actually. Magic-focus aside.
 

Slermy

Member
One of my favorite franchises. :D

Although considering Bethesda has there hands full with Fallout 4, we probably won't see an Elder Scrolls VI in about 3 or 4 years. ;(

Also I vote for either Black Marsh or Elsweyr as the next location for a new Elder Scrolls game. Leaning towards Elsweyr because Khajiit...I like cats. :3

Yes, I'd LOVE a Black Marsh centric title. Argonians for life!

Really, any of the beast races should get more love.
 

strafer

member
Skyrim helped my depression. Grateful for that.

Also I accidentally killed my wife defending my house.

:/

May she rest in peace.
 
I've always been curious to try out Daggerfall. I'm not a fan of the later games but I love Morrowind and I wonder if Daggerfall is more like that one. Or maybe I'll just start another Morrowind character for the millionth time.
 

Woorloog

Banned
Yes, I'd LOVE a Black Marsh centric title. Argonians for life!

Really, any of the beast races should get more love.

Me, i'd love hybrid southern provinces game. You know, rainforests and deserts both. Would have both beast races and more elves, and with luck, non-traditional ones like the Dunmer were (the Bosmer are cannibals after all, not your standard Tolkien elves).
 

Onikaan

Member
Where are we going next? :)

thoughts?

A lot of people latched onto the idea of Skyrim right after Oblivion, and I agreed.

But now I really have no idea where they will take us. With the upgrade in tech, one could hope for several provinces.
 

120v

Member
I've always been curious to try out Daggerfall. I'm not a fan of the later games but I love Morrowind and I wonder if Daggerfall is more like that one. Or maybe I'll just start another Morrowind character for the millionth time.

problem i have with getting into Arena and Daggerfall is the interface... it's just too damn obtuse for me and i can never get past the first dungeon... you may have more luck though
 

Karak

Member
Thanks for putting this up man. One of my favorite series of all times since Daggerfall I have been a fan.
 

hemtae

Member
I've always been curious to try out Daggerfall. I'm not a fan of the later games but I love Morrowind and I wonder if Daggerfall is more like that one. Or maybe I'll just start another Morrowind character for the millionth time.

Isn't it free now? I didn't really like it all that much but some of the older Elder Scrolls people swear by it.
 

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
How many people still play ESO? Despite all the shit that got thrown at that game from everyone, exploring places like High Rock was really fun in beta, just from a lore perspective.

Skywind will be glorious. It will also be what fills the gap between Skyrim and ESVI.
 

Philippo

Member
I'm okay with any region they choose for TESVI since each one has potential, but unless Bethesda completely overhaul their game design philosophy (i found Skyrim goddamn awful) my hype for their next game will be 0 :/
 

Mesoian

Member
Skyrim helped my depression. Grateful for that.

Also I accidentally killed my wife defending my house.

:/

May she rest in peace.

Happens to everyone.

I'm okay with any region they choose for TESVI since each one has potential, but unless Bethesda completely overhaul their game design philosophy (i found Skyrim goddamn awful) my hype for their next game will be 0 :/

If anything, I hope Bethesda looks squarely at Dragon's Dogma and Transistor. Those games have so much to offer from a design stand point as far as combat and magic are concerned.
 

eyeless

Member
I'm okay with any region they choose for TESVI since each one has potential, but unless Bethesda completely overhaul their game design philosophy (i found Skyrim goddamn awful) my hype for their next game will be 0 :/
well have i got the thread for you
 

Ludovico

Member
and subbed.

I feel bad that I've yet to finish the main story of any of these games, but I love wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere/tunes. Maybe someday.
 
Moving to Gaming side for two weeks to give the thread some exposure, per request. Will move back to Gaming Community after.

Nice thread, Blue.

Nice, thanks.

I've always been curious to try out Daggerfall. I'm not a fan of the later games but I love Morrowind and I wonder if Daggerfall is more like that one. Or maybe I'll just start another Morrowind character for the millionth time.

I tried Daggerfall, but it doesn't really hold up by today's standards imo. If I recall correctly, Morrowind was one of the first projects Todd Howard worked on, and they focused more on a small, detailed world rather than the gargantuan, randomly generated maps you could find in Daggerfall. Morrowind was basically a shift in their entire way of designing, from the old DOS/early windows days to full 3D.

Gameplaywise, it's also really dated. I wouldn't really recommend it if you're looking for more Morrowind, there's only Morrowind.

Where are we going next? :)

thoughts?

A lot of people latched onto the idea of Skyrim right after Oblivion, and I agreed.

But now I really have no idea where they will take us. With the upgrade in tech, one could hope for several provinces.

If they get the tech to do it justice: Valenwood. I want lush, deep, dangerous forests, walking tree-cities, a Wild Hunt, I want it all. If they can't, they should stay away.

Elsweyr or Hammerfell could be fun, too, with all the sand. In Hammerfell's case, add some pirates and a ship, because why the fuck not.
 

120v

Member
i've talked about it in the lore thread, but my bet has been ESVI will be Alinor, a.k.a. Summerset Isles. simply because the Thalmor played such a major role in the last game, and it seems to be where the narrative was leading to. if that's the case I believe something will have happened to the Thalmor in the interim between Skyrim and ESVI, so they won't be up your ass the whole game.

but that's just my .02 cents ... it really could be anything. as for personal preference I really don't care. I'd like it to be multiple regions but I doubt that's feasible. I guess if I have a preference I'd want it to be something very otherworldly and mystical, as the last two games were fairly standard fantasy settings. but if it were something like High Rock or whatever that's fine. I just want more ES dammit, hook it into my veins
 
Would love to see either Black Marsh, Elsweyr, or Summerset Isles for the next game. Valenwood wouldn't be bad either. Seems like any game centered on the more "fantasy" faces would be more difficult now though given Skyrim's immense, wild success, which is probably due in no small part to coming while Game of Thrones was in the cultural conscience.

I don't know if I have faith for them to do Elsweyr justice, though. The lore is pretty deep and complex for the Khajiit, and there's like 15+ species.

Good OT, Blue!
 

bengraven

Member
I'm not really sure where I want them to go from here. None of the world seems as exciting as what we've got - especially going by the concept art from the MMO that shows the new places.

Blackmarsh is my #1 dream to go, but honestly I'm sick of jungle and swamp areas, plus they'd be handicapping themselves being so close to Morrowind again. Bonus side: modders would have half the world done already (the east half).

But the hist trees and the secret "fast travel" areas that only Argonians know, the assassins, the huge potential slavery storyline and the potential for weird would make Black Marsh my choice.

Part of me says I'd love to see High Rock, but I worry that would be just another medieval fantasy game.


Edit: hm, I bet they could do some awesome shit with the desert areas. Bring back the Morrowind dust storms (get inside!), have traveling caravans with silk, giant thorny evil looking sand blasted to glass, maybe even a few places with mesas. Yeah, I'm down.
 

RP912

Banned
I just got into the elder scroll series thanks to the anthology. This thread will come in handy to get a good feel of the universe.
 

Venture

Member
Where are we going next? :)

thoughts?

A lot of people latched onto the idea of Skyrim right after Oblivion, and I agreed.

But now I really have no idea where they will take us. With the upgrade in tech, one could hope for several provinces.
It's not so much a matter of tech but the time and effort it would take to fill several provinces with unique and interesting content. Although a game taking place in both Valenwood and the Summerset Isles might work.

Personally I'd love for Hammerfell to be the next game. This image explains why better than I could.
 
Fuck that, I'm gonna collapse and die.

And then reanimate and claim the OT. Because that's how Zombie Ninja rolls.

But back to the subject of settings for TES VI, we still haven't seen the mainland of Morrowind. The way the Dunmer were describing it during Dragonborn made me really excited to visit that, I want to see Blacklight and the Rootspire.

I don't think they'll go there, but I wouldn't mind if they did, honestly.
 

eyeless

Member
i just want to say one thing i wish could be in the next game is number one, i want a cat as a pet because cats are the best. and number two, that you can assign your pet, like dog or cat, to like be bound to your house at which point they walk around and lie down and stuff and act like a pet would. i'm a stealth character so i don't want followers and i also don't want a dog fighting with me because it'll just die immediately and my emotions can't handle that, so i'd like to have one but just have it chill at my house. you can have a dog as a follower and then tell it to stay in your house in one spot but that isn't the same. i love the whole having a house inside another world part of the game and this is one of my hopes. i know you're reading this todd howard so please do me a solid.
 

The Llama

Member
This will seem extremely weird, but I'm kind of in love with the Morrowind strategy guide. Yep, this thing.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0929843320/?tag=neogaf0e-20

It's seriously just an amazing read. The author is hilarious and actually knows a ton about the game. I love reading through it, just learning random bits of lore and about random quests I've never seen before. Highly recommend it to everyone. I have the Oblivion guide too and its not nearly as good, FWIW.
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
My prediction for the Setting of TES VI - Summerset Isles/Valenwood.

The beauty of the elven buildings alone would make it worthwhile.
 

JNA

Banned
My prediction for the Setting of TES VI - Summerset Isles/Valenwood.

The beauty of the elven buildings alone would make it worthwhile.

Not only that, but with the ongoing war between the Thalmor and the Imperial Army, I could definitely see this being the next location for a new Elder Scrolls game. It makes a lot of sense when I think about it.

Although...I still wish for more beast oriented lands like Black Marsh or Elsweyr. They need more love. :(
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
Not only that, but with the ongoing war between the Thalmor and the Imperial Army, I could definitely see this being the next location for a new Elder Scrolls game. It makes a lot of sense when I think about it.

Although...I still wish for more beast oriented lands like Black Marsh or Elsweyr. They need more love. :(

DLC perhaps.... Quests into the Swampland/Catlands of Elsweyr....
 

Arulan

Member
My prediction for the Setting of TES VI - Summerset Isles/Valenwood.

The beauty of the elven buildings alone would make it worthwhile.

For the last two Elder Scrolls titles Bethesda has chosen the safest option each time. They chose the most familiar and easier to appeal to a mass-audience location. This is incredibly sad because part of the reason why Morrowind is so great is due to how unfamiliar and alien the setting is. It's likely that given their new-found mainstream popularity this trend will continue.
 
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