Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-4092092-20130801070333/@comment-3573184-20130829095217

MHInfinite wrote: No established lore uses 200 as a figure (Zenimax's Q&A answer doesn't count, given their other various lore contradictions), or even that Elves have an average lifespan. It kinda does count since TESO is an official TES product, it just means retcons occurred.

Stating that Altmer have the same average lifespan as other Mer races contradicts that they are more likely to live to 1000 years. If Altmer are more likely to live longer, then that means their average lifespan is higher than the other Mer races. There is a difference between being able to, and being likely to. Altmer are able to live for over 1,000 years, that does not mean they are likely to given war, disease, and other forms of violence.

My point being that the Mer races are much more magically gifted than other races, it's something that IS natural to them. Almost all Mer capable of magic are extending their lives, however most just aren't as powerful as Fyr and Iachesis. Remember how almost every Thalmor Altmer is capable of casting spells. That would be like saying that a race of people, who are all good at genetics, using genetic augmentation to make themselves live longer = natural lifespan/lifespan increases. It doesn't.

And actually, most Thalmor soldiers in Skyrim dont cast spells. Out of the average 3-4 person Thalmor party/hitsquad, only one of them can actually cast spells.

There is even a conversation between Thalmor soldiers, when you are sneaking around the Embassy as part of the MQ, where they joke about how they hope the dragons will eat the Thalmor mages first, showing that there is a very clear division between "normals" and "mages", even among the naturally gifetd Altmer.

Altmeri mages seem rather restricted to the upper echelons of The Aldmeri government/families. Whereas most normal Altmer are like most normal humans, unable to cast spells, beyond some racial powers.