Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-5443967-20131118115203/@comment-174.114.168.142-20160718194742

As someone above me pointed out, the Moon-And-Star of Nerevar strongly resembles Islamic iconography. I'm not very familiar with Islam and I don't want to make any sweeping generalizations, but Morrowind's story reminded me a lot of Dune by Frank Herbert. I'll summarize Dune, but I haven't read it for so long, please forgive any mistakes.

In Dune, there is a desert planet called Arrakis housing an incredibly important resource to the galactic economy called 'Spice' and a race of humans call Fremen, who are considered religious savages by the galactic empire. This planet is owned by House Harkonnen, but they give it to House Atreides as a trap. Paul Atreides, a survivor, flees into the desert and meets up with the Fremen. Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach, basically a male psychic superbeing, produced by millennia of female psychics trying to produce a male psychic. Now the Fremen have a prophet-hero known as Muad'Dib, and Paul exploits this prophecy and assumes the role of Muad'Dib to take down the Harkonnen and their supporters in the imperial throne.

Dune is heavily inspired by Islam and noting the similarities between Morrowind and Dune, I think Morrowind may share some similarities with the religion as well.

Both the Nerevarine and Paul are cast into a desert land...

...where they meet up with a group of native savages...

...they both learn the ways of the people...

...and they both assume the role of their prophet, but just Paul Atreides was just taking advantage of the Muad'Dib prophecy, you as the player may or may not be the REAL incarnate, but Caius Cosades has you taking advantage of the prophecy anyways...

...and both were prophesized to cast out outsiders supported by an all-powerful empire from their native land.

I'll admit, the story of Dune and Morrowind might be an archetype, but the similarities are there and I can't help but think that there may be some influences.