Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-62.255.98.169-20130504143516/@comment-24197489-20140228162417

Zastenoy wrote:

82.141.205.1 wrote: The Falmer didn't just have their forms changed, they had their souls changed from black souls to white souls. Nobody knows how the Dwemer managed to inflict that on them so in theory nobody can reverse it. They cannot become Snow Elves again because an essential part of their souls is gone, changed, never to return, bar possible divine intervention.

They might be humanoid in shape, but their souls are no longer those of sentient creatures (I might be wrong, but I thought that was the distinction between a white and a black soul) so all of the discussions about "the Falmer could organise themselves, learn to speak, develop strategy" etc. are moot because their white souls prevent them from achieving this level of sophistication. It's as likely as Trolls (another humanoid, white-souled creature) spontaneously developing a language, social structure and organised military hierarchy.

Possibly I'm over-estimating the effect of the soul colour, but I thought it was important enough to contribute. The other white-soul creatures do not use weapons, armor, staves, chests, traps, huts, gates, breeding and herding techniques, alchemy and enchanting. Not all of them at once, at least. So being sentient does not mean having a black soul. The difference probably lies somewhere else. Religious beliefs, maybe? We can see no evidence of any religion followed by the Falmer. they build some sort of shrines with chaurus chitin in their lairs