Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-2165692-20140531154239/@comment-1255618-20190403031714

Nelthro wrote:

I have multiple questions here:

First: What is the difference between Atmorans and Nedes?

Second: Did their interbreeding create the others?

Third: Why did the Nords and Imperials differ in evolution?

Fourth: Where do redguards come from?

(Please tell me which of these 4 questions you are answering) As the many theories already proposed indicate, there isn't any concensus about the origins of the mannish races. Which is fun for us fans because we get to theorize and piece together the available evidence! (1) Nedes are the first man inhabitants of Tamriel, whereas Atmorans are from the continent of Atmora some of whom migrated to Tamriel. (2) Yup. (3) The Imperials have more Nedic blood, whereas the Nords are mostly Atmoran. (4) Redguards are descendants of the Yokudans from the continent of Yokuda.

In my view:

Atmorans + ??? => Nedes

Yokudans + Nedes => Redguards

Atmorans + Nedes => Nords

Aldmer + Nedes - Altmer => Bretons

Aldmer + Nedes + Nords => Reachmen

Nedes => Men of Black Marsh (Kothringi, Orma, Yespest, and Horwalli tribes)

Nedes + Nords => Colovians (Imperial race)

Colovians + Nords => Cyro-Nords

Cyro-Nords + Nedes => Nibenese (Imperial race)

Nibenese + Nedes => Cyro-Nedes

Colovians + Nibenese = Cydoriilics (Imperial race)

Unlike the mer, who started out united as the Old Ehlnofey and only periodically had break-away groups leave and became distinct (yet consolidated) races over time, men as descendants of the "wandering Ehlnofey" quickly divided and scattered all over the world, becoming many races on many continents, but eventually started coming back together and hybridizing on Tamriel, first in the form of the Nedes, and then even more later in the form of the Imperial race, so it's difficult to draw clear divisions between the mannish races unlike their merish counterparts.

In my opinion, these are the most distinct groups of each mannish race that we know still exist:

>The Nordic race, descendants of the Atmorans

>The Redguard race, descendants of the Yokudans

>The Cyro-Nedic subrace of Imperials, descendants of the southern and eastern Nedes

>The Breton race and Reachmannish race, descendants of the northern and western Nedes

The Bretons are descendants of the Aldmer (like most elves are) in addition to the Nedes, but unlike the Altmer the Bretons' Aldmeri blood became more diluted over time, such that nowadays their ancestry is much more mannish than elvish. The Altmer are the race most similar to the Bretons' Aldmeri ancestors, so the Bretons and Altmer are somewhat related. The difference between the Bretons and the Reachmen is that the Reachmen are even less elvish.

There are quite possibly more divergent races of men too; for example, we don't know much about the origins of the Ket Keptu of Hammerfell, which could be their own extant branch, although it's also possible that they are related to the northern and western Nedes like Bretons and Reachmen. The now seemingly extinct men of Black Marsh were southern and eastern Nedic tribes, and some might still be alive; who knows?

I hope this is a sufficiently comprehensive explanation!