Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-31082174-20170329222809/@comment-24144336-20190322152301

A mortal is eligible for entry into Sovngarde only if they are linked by ancestry to the Wandering Ehlnofey who fought at Shor's side during the end of the Dawn Era. It's these Ehlnofey and their descendants to whom Shor accorded the Nordic afterlife. The "first generation" of those descendants were the Atmorans: the mortal offspring of Wandering Elhnofey who showed an heroic courage when they made a last stand against the Aldmeri Pantheon in defense of Shor without hope of victory.

Ages later, a "second generation" of descendants emerged as the Nords: a distinct group that resulted from Atmorans gradually interbreeding with the Nedes of Skyrim--the same Nedic people the Atmorans liberated from the dominion of the Snow Elves during The Return. As Nords are able to gain entry to Sovngarde just as their Atmoran forebears, a likely explanation is that the Nordic afterlife remains available across time & interbreeding to those who trace their bloodline from father's side directly to Shor's Elhnofey warriors.

Should the Nords, in turn, give rise to another group through gradual interbreeding, as the Atmorans did before them, the individuals belonging to that "third generation" of descandants would have access to Sovngarde just as the Atmorans and Nords had in their ages. And so on, across oceans of time. But two criteria always will have to be met: 1) the paternal ancestries of these mortal men & women must trace back to Shor's chosen Ehlnofey like an unbroken road and 2) they must have died in ways which speak of great courage or fearless defiance--echoing the heroism of their distant Ehlnofey ancestors.

If both of these indeed are met, then Shor will see them in their deaths, and will know & recognize them; and these souls of Men too earn the right to join in the "blessed feasting" until The Last War. That is the nature of Sovngarde.