The state of Tamriel

[FullmetalHeart20]

I was wondering what exactly is going on as far as lore is concerned. I know Morrowind was basically nuked by Red Mountian, the Empire lost pretty much all even lands and Elswyer and Hammerfell told everyone to fluff off. I don't think Orsinium sounds like much, but events of the 4th era indicate they could be a major player. Not sure about High Rock. Can anyone add to this?

 

[butcherpete2277]

-only vvardenfell was devastated by the eruption, the rest of Morrowind should be, for the most part, ok (besides the whole Argonia invasion, but I was talking about the damage from Red Mountain)
-Not only that, but Skyrim is the first game (really first time in history) the Empire didn't have a Septim ruler, the bloodline was lost at the end of Oblivion, the empire was severely weakened by the dissary and is one of the many reasons they lost the Great War
-More of a stalemate really
-don't know anything about High Rock/ Orsinium doesn't exist anymore, not for a LONG time

Relating to point 1, Argonia invaded Morrowind in it's weakened state and are now using dunmer as slaves (If you played Morrowind you would understand the irony)

 

[FullmetalHeart20]

-only vvardenfell was devastated by the eruption, the rest of Morrowind should be, for the most part, ok (besides the whole Argonia invasion, but I was talking about the damage from Red Mountain)
-Not only that, but Skyrim is the first game (really first time in history) the Empire didn't have a Septim ruler, the bloodline was lost at the end of Oblivion, the empire was severely weakened by the dissary and is one of the many reasons they lost the Great War
-More of a stalemate really
-don't know anything about High Rock/ Orsinium doesn't exist anymore, not for a LONG time

Relating to point 1, Argonia invaded Morrowind in it's weakened state and are now using dunmer as slaves (If you played Morrowind you would understand the irony)

The Argonians and Septims. I KNEW I was forgetting something. That's really too bad about Orsinium. I heard it was trying to rebuild.

 

[butcherpete2277]

Sorry, I gave you false information on Orsinium, it does exist, but it's just one city (Think Vatican City) nestled between Skyrim and Hammerfell.

Here's some more information on it.
Lore:Orsinium - UESPWiki

 

[FullmetalHeart20]

Sorry, I gave you false information on Orsinium, it does exist, but it's just one city (Think Vatican City) nestled between Skyrim and Hammerfell.

Here's some more information on it.
Lore:Orsinium - UESPWiki

Thanks! I think that still leaves High Rock. What are those aristocrats up to?

 

[butcherpete2277]

I looked around all over the web but couldn't find anything more recent than the warp in the west... I guess not much is going on up there.

 

[Dagmar]

...even lands and Elswyer and Hammerfell told everyone to fu** off...

The Elsweyr Confederacy no longer exists. It was dissolved by a coup in 4E 115 which reestablished the Khajiit Kingdoms of Anequina and Pelletine as provinces of the Aldmeri Dominion. Hammerfell was renounced as a province of the Empire for its failure to comply with the terms of the White-Gold Concordat but it is an independent nation state.

 

[ThriceHeart]

Has there been any news into regarding to the continent of Akavir? I am sort of been wondering about what they would be thinking about all of this. Alduin, Dragonborn prophecies, Great Wars and many other Continent-wide events that have been happening.

 

[MjolnirV]

Thanks! I think that still leaves High Rock. What are those aristocrats up to?

High Rock is probably having too much trouble trying to either: A) serve the Dominion or B) trying to oppose the Dominion

 

[Captain Nagisus]

I don't think a lot has happened in Akavir that I know of.

Tamriel is currently split into the Empire, the Aldmeri Dominion, Hammerfell and Argonia. In 4E 5, just after the eruption of Red Mountain, the Argonians (who had seceded from the Empire after confidence in their ability to hold back the Daedra until Martin sacrificed himself) stormed into Morrowind and messed everything up (that's why Brand-Shei (or Brandyl) was sent away). The Thalmor (who came to rule the Summerset Isle shortly after the Oblivion Crisis, when they took sole responsibility for stopping the flow of daedra) took over Valenwood (not sure how, someone else can tell you that) and Elsweyr (by restoring the moons with some previously undiscovered Dawn magic (or so they say. I think it was all a lie and the moons came back naturally but there's no proof for that) which caused the Khajiit to basically worship the Dominion). Hammerfell seceded from the Empire because of a failure, as was stated by Dagmar, to comply to the White-Gold Concordat's demands for large parts of Hammerfell to be given to the Dominion. And meanwhile, the Empire has kind of had to sit back and deal with all this secession - since the Mede dynasty began things have been going downhill, as they've gone from rulers of all of Tamriel to 3 provinces (and, if the Stormcloaks win the civil war, 2 provinces that don't share a border, which spells trouble and will probably cause High Rock to declare independence) in the north of the continent. So basically, to sum up the political state of Tamriel:
Argonia's growing, the Thalmor are growing, Hammerfell is happy, Skyrim is unhappy, the Empire is screwed.

 

[The_Madgod]

High Rock is the only remaining province of the empire still under complete control (no rebellions or anything), I believe. Unless you chose Imperials in Skyrim. Of course, if you chose Stormcloaks then you are cutting off a very large piece of land connecting Cyrodill and High Rock. If you do that then High Rock could very well decide that the Empire isn't helping them much and just up and leave, probably causing the Empire to dissolve into city states again or something. As for Akavir, the last news regarding the place was when the Nerevarine left on an expedition there during the events of Oblivion. They probably know nothing of what's going on here. Of course, they might know what was going on two hundred years ago, if your character from Morrowind felt like telling the people all about the events of Tamriel. Also, as the Guide to the Empire states, the last surviving immigrate from Atmora was Tiber Septim, so I doubt they really care. Probably all dead, anyway. Yokuda, or at least the islands surrounding Yokuda, are still very much populated, though by Redguard or Left-Handed Elf is unknown. Anyway, the only matters involving Tamriel that they care about are possible trade ships from Hammerfell and High Rock. Any matters involving Pyandonea would be kept secret by the Dominion, as the maormer are both former members and neighbors. So, (what was) Elsewyr, Valenwood and the Isles are part of the Dominion. They are attacking Hammerfell, which is its own country. Cyrodill, Skyrim and High Rock are all that remains of the Empire, and Skyrim is in turmoil. Morrowind has been conquered by Argonia. Orsinium is a small city that has been attacked repeatedly and may or may not still be a part of some larger country. As far as we know, none of the other continents care, except possibly Pyandonea, which the Dominion may be trying to reclaim.

 

[The_Madgod]

I don't think a lot has happened in Akavir that I know of.

Tamriel is currently split into the Empire, the Aldmeri Dominion, Hammerfell and Argonia. In 4E 5, just after the eruption of Red Mountain, the Argonians (who had seceded from the Empire after confidence in their ability to hold back the Daedra until Martin sacrificed himself) stormed into Morrowind and messed everything up (that's why Brand-Shei (or Brandyl) was sent away). The Thalmor (who came to rule the Summerset Isle shortly after the Oblivion Crisis, when they took sole responsibility for stopping the flow of daedra) took over Valenwood (not sure how, someone else can tell you that) and Elsweyr (by restoring the moons with some previously undiscovered Dawn magic (or so they say. I think it was all a lie and the moons came back naturally but there's no proof for that) which caused the Khajiit to basically worship the Dominion). Hammerfell seceded from the Empire because of a failure, as was stated by Dagmar, to comply to the White-Gold Concordat's demands for large parts of Hammerfell to be given to the Dominion. And meanwhile, the Empire has kind of had to sit back and deal with all this secession - since the Mede dynasty began things have been going downhill, as they've gone from rulers of all of Tamriel to 3 provinces (and, if the Stormcloaks win the civil war, 2 provinces that don't share a border, which spells trouble and will probably cause High Rock to declare independence) in the north of the continent. So basically, to sum up the political state of Tamriel:
Argonia's growing, the Thalmor are growing, Hammerfell is happy, Skyrim is unhappy, the Empire is screwed.

Ah, yes, pretty much. You mentioned some things I didn't and vice versa. And in answer to the Valenwood issue, they were invaded, enslaved. There was possibly another motive, aside from regrowing their power, to invade Valenwood, Elsewyr, Hammerfell, Cyrodill and Skyrim that would be rather important to lore... If you want to know this, look up Weynon Stones, Snow Tower, Snow Throat, Throat of the World, Thalmor. It's too complicated for me to explain.

 

[Captain Nagisus]

Ah, yes, pretty much. You mentioned some things I didn't and vice versa. And in answer to the Valenwood issue, they were invaded, enslaved. There was possibly another motive, aside from regrowing their power, to invade Valenwood, Elsewyr, Hammerfell, Cyrodill and Skyrim that would be rather important to lore... If you want to know this, look up Weynon Stones, Snow Tower, Snow Throat, Throat of the World, Thalmor. It's too complicated for me to explain.

Oh yeah, I heard about that whole bugs conspiracy thing. I don't believe that's true, I just think that the Thalmor are Nazi-Germany-and-the-USSR-at-the-time-of-Joseph-Stalin-combined who want to take over Tamriel because they believe that mer are superior to men and betmeri, and that Lorkhan, the patron god of the races of man, is a trickster and a devil. I still, however, enjoy the prospect of Tamriel run by Thalmor - because then the only place that the elves won't be able to reach will be in the center of Black Marsh, and all you other races will come running to us.

On the subject of other continents like Pyandonea, do any of you have any idea what the deal is with Aldmeris? I know nobody's been there since the Aldmer left and reached Tamriel in the Mythic era, but seriously what's the deal with it? I've heard loads of crazy theories, like for example, it's disappeared and will only reappear when Dunmer, Bosmer, Altmer and Orsimer (and in some cases even Bretons), along with all the other less well-known elves, unite, and even in one case it will only appear when men and betmeri are vanquished.

 

[The_Madgod]

Really, I have no idea. Some theories say it means Cyrodill, home of the Ayleid. Some say the Isles. And don't worry, I'm an argonian enthusiast as well. Black Marsh will be safe. Oh, and I wasn't referring to the bug in a jar conspiracy; that has never been proven, could've just been an Easter egg. I was talking about the Thalmor and the towers, which comes from a paper written by one of the lore masters working on TES. The towers are definitely mystical artifacts involved in anchoring Nirn to reality; the only one known to be a tower, however, is Adamantia. The others are just speculation, since it is known that the elves created all but one of them to help reach godliness.

 

[Failed Reaper]

So after reading all these, I feel "in my own opinion", that Tamriel is going to have a completely different look in Elder Scrolls 6...by which the provinces are laid out...

 

[The_Madgod]

The map HAS changed. Morrowind and Argonia are now their own country, the Argonian territory, Hammerfell is independent, Elsewyr split into two different countries and then joined the Aldmeri Dominion, which encompasses Elsewyr, Valenwood and the Summerset Isles, Orsinium has, most likely, become it's own country, splitting of from High Rock and the Empire, and High Rock has split into a multitude of kingdoms technically belonging to the empire, but considering themselves sovereign. And, most likely, Cyrodill will soon split into multiple small kingdoms as well. That's what happened shortly after the death of Martin Septim during the Oblivion Crisis.

 

[Dagmar]

Orsinium has, most likely, become it's own country, splitting of from High Rock and the Empire, and High Rock has split into a multitude of kingdoms technically belonging to the empire, but considering themselves sovereign.

Orsinium is a city state and it's no longer in High Rock. It was rebuilt outside of High Rock. High Rock has not split into a multitude of kingdoms. Other than the destruction of Orsinium that's in the text of one of the load pages for Skyrim there's no lore content to indicate that it's any different than it was 20 years after the Warp in the West, so as far as we know it's still comprised of the 5 kingdoms of Camlorn, Daggerfall, Evermore, Northpoint and Wayrest, all of whom pledge fealty to the Empire.

 

[Uther Pundragon]

A pretty decent map of how things look going into 4E 201.

 

[Dagmar]

A pretty decent map of how things look going into 4E 201.

And a map of how it looks afterwards....

 

[Crunchbite]

I don’t think hammerfell is its own nation, unless the aldmeri allowed them to stay independent, during the Great War, at least Taneth fell to the Thalmor, if the redguard hunting that lady in white run in the game are considered canon, they say she betrayed the city to the elves, and that resistance is alive and well in hammer fell