Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-13417807-20130726023954/@comment-13446185-20130817042736

Pink Slim wrote: Dovahsebrom wrote: I feel like they aren't as ancient as Mer. I'm pretty sure the Mer built the first cities within Tamriel, before them was tribes of beast folk. Beast Folk are believed to have existed on Tamriel before all the Mer(except possibly the Dwemer). Basically the gist of what I said, and the Dwemer were definately not the first. If there was any mer in Tamriel before the Aldmer it could be the Orsimer.

Excerpt from Father of the Niben

The rolling verdant hills of southern High Rock are unmistakable in this verse, recognizable to anyone who has been there. The question, of course, is what is to be made of this apparent reference to orcs occupying the region? Tradition has it that the orcs were not born until after the Aldmer had settled the mainland, that they sprung up as a distinct race following the famous battle between Trinimac and Boethiah at the time of Resdayn.

It is possible that the tradition is wrong. Perhaps the orcs were an aboriginal tribe predating the Aldmeri colonization. Perhaps these were a cursed folk -- "Orsimer" in the Aldmeris, the same word for "Orc" - of a different kind, whose name was to be given the orcs in a different era. It is regrettable that the fragment ends here, for more clues to the truth are undoubtedly lost.