Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-62.255.98.169-20130504143516/@comment-9887604-20130722150558

Off topic a little but yes there is gunpowder in Elder Scrolls. The navies actually use cannons, and Stros Mkai had gun batteries on the shore. The reason you do not see it more is because magic pervades the world so its usefulness is fairly limited.

Back on topic, I do not think a simple return to the surface would fix all their physical and spiritual ailments. As a literary device I think it would be far more interesting to see the Falmer evolve in their own way, not revert to their boring elven ancestors. We already have the Altmer why do we need another similar race. Also it is important to remember that this is a universe that is constantly being guided by supernatural beings with the ability to change, well pretty much anything.