Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-96.252.245.207-20130116060134/@comment-94.210.130.128-20141218205709

Here, I wrote this two years ago, give me your opinions:

Even though the Elder Scrolls VI is still far beyond horizon, and we probably won't hear anything about it until 2016. Or 2015 if we're lucky. I can't help but wonder.



There are the standard questions. The likes like, which province will it be set in; and will there be less or more skills than there were in Skyrim. While these questions are of course very interesting, there are other, less asked questions, that would also be subject to speculation.



This is what this thread is for. Throw your wildest imaginations, greatest dreams and weirdest fantasies (well, maybe you should hold back a bit on that last one) out there!





Let me get started with the most obvious question: Which province?.





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So, let's start at the beginning. Arena took place in every province and concerned the story of the usurper Jagar Tharn and the quest of the Eternal Champion. The second game, Daggerfall, took place in the lands around the Iliac Bay, Hammerfell, Highrock and the semi-sub-province Wrothgaria; it concerned the Warp in the West, although I don't know much about the actual plot. Then we had Morrowind, which took place in Vvardenfell, Solstheim and Mournhold. It told the story of the Nerevarine, who destroyed Dagoth Ur at Red Mountain, and featured some rather interesting developments regarding the Tribunal. For the lore dummy's out there, the Tribunal are basically three mortals who ascended to a lesser form of godhood. Or so the dunmer temple would have you believe. Oblivion took place in the Imperial Province, also known as Cyrodil, and told the tale of the Champion of Cyrodil and the Oblivion Crisis, as well as the story of Jyggalag; Sheogorath; and the Greymarch, and the reinstallation of the knights of the nine and the defeat of Umaril the Unfeathered at the hands of the Holy Crusader. The most recent game, Skyrim, features a story most of you probably know. The Dovahkiin's quest to master the voice and defeat Alduin the World-Eater. As well as Miraak's attempt at returning to Tamriel from the Daedric realm of Hermaeus Mora, and the (possible) fullfilling of the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy by the Volkihar vampire clan.



So, that was probably a whole lot to take in. Basically; I'm pretty certain that Morrowind, Cyrodil and Skyrim won't be featured again before Elder Scrolls 12 or 13 or something. I'm now going to speculate about the remaining provinces in turn.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> Black Marsh

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Black Marsh is certainly an interesting province. It also had some juicy developments in the most recent title, in the form of the Argonian Invasion. Another interesting thing was revealed during Oblivion, the fact that when the gates opened in Argonia, it weren't the Daedra that were pooring out, but it was the Argonians that were pooring in.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">On the other hand, Skyrim really left us with an open end regarding the situation with the Aldmeri Dominion, and I think it likely (I guess I'm about 60% sure) that the next game will have at least something to do with what will probably be known as the Second Great War.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">BUT, I have the idea, although I'm not entirely certain, that Bethesda might prefer to handle this in another one. Either by setting the next game in a province that is largely untouched by the war, like Black Marsh. Or by having another timeskip, and having the sixth game take place after the second great war.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I'm giving this province a: 15% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> Elsweyr

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Now, this is where things get interesting. As some of you might know, Elsweyr was for the most part sided with the Aldmeri dominion during the great war. This was because the dissappearance of the moons, which took place between the Oblivion Crisis and the outbreak of the Great War. The Thalmor were supposedly the ones to have brought them back, or so they claimed.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Elsweyr is part of the dominion, yet not all Khajiit agree with this. It has almost the opposite climate of Skyrim, if not THE opposite. Which makes it nice and fresh and new to explore. I'm not a huge lore expert on Elsweyr. But I do have a theory.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">WHAT IF, Bethesda turned things around, and took the next ES game back in time. To before the Great War. What if, it took place in Elsweyr, during the dissappearance of the moons, and the main quest would be about the player, who would quest around Elsweyr in order to bring the moons back, and then the Thalmor would walk away with the price in the end. It is a bit of a different theme than the you are the ultimate hero vibes you got in earlier titles (Nerevar; Hero of Kvatch, Dovahkiin, Champion of Cyrodil, Holy Crusader, GOD OF MADNESS), and because of this I think it would be quite refreshing and new. And it is sort of a surprise move which a lot of people won't expect.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">On top of that, Elsweyr is also one of the most fan-loved provinces in the lore. There are literally billions of Khajiit fans out there just waiting for a game set in Elsweyr. I do not count myself amongst them myself, but still.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I give this province a: 25% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> Valenwood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Valenwood is one of the more mysterious provinces in the series. While in previous titles you could hear al sorts of wacky rumors about provinces like Black Marsh (oblivion crisis; argonian invasion), Elsweyr(dissappearance of the moons) and Hammerfell (march of thirst, beating back the Aldmeri Dominion, etc.), I never heard much about Valenwood.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">This, combined with the fact that the things that we do know, are mostly very alien and weird and are also things we haven't really seen before in an ES title (cannibals, moving tree cities, centaurs) make me feel like this might be a very interesting province to explore. Although there aren't too many facts.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I give this province a: 20% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> Summerset Isles

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Although the Summerset Isles seem like a very interesting choice at first glance, they get less and less likely the further you look into them. Yes, it is the booming heart of the Aldmeri Dominion, and I'm sure that after the events of Skyrim, lots of people would love to put the Thalmor to the the sword once and for all. But the thing is, people expect this. Which is exactly why I don't think it's gonna happen. Bethesda wouldn't be so predictable, or would they.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Another option for Summerset would be, is to set it after the war, or before it. After the war, it would (possibly) be a broken land. Shattered by their defeat in the second Great War. Defeat you say? What if they win you say? Well, to put it bluntly, if they win, I don't think it will be set in Summerset at all.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">If it were to take place before the Great War, it would probably have something to do with the Blades attempting to prevent the Great War, and dying horribly, and having their heads delivered in a cart to the Imperial City. Nah, not very likely at all really.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I give this province a: 5% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> Hammerfell

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Hammerfell? You might say. But we already had Hammerfell!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Well, yes and no. We saw small bits of it, or really, basically only the cities and some horrible randomly generated dungeons. And only on the northern coast of it. We never got to really explore the West Reach and the Dak'Fron desert.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">And then the lore, it's so interesting. Hammerfell, for those of you who don't know (dumdum;p), was seperated from the Empire after it had accepted the White Gold Concordat and the Great War was basically over; because it didn't agree to the terms of the concordat and the Redguards still felt like fighting. After that, well, they won, basically. The Thalmor failed in conquering Hammerfell and the war ended with a whole lot of dead Altmer in the desert, and the Treaty of Stros m'Kai.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">The Thalmor still have a presence in southern Hammerfell though. And with the next war coming on, the tide might really be turned by wether or not Hammerfell will help out the Empire in the end. This might make for some really interesting plots concerning political manipulation. They might even throw in a Daedric prince or two, or maybe some potentially world-ending threat (which, to be honest, we know they will).

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I give this province a: 20% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> High Rock

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Last, but not least, High Rock.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">High Rock has had some interesting lore in earlier titles, primarily the Warp in the West. Incidentally I also know next to nothing about this province, so I'll keep it short.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">High Rock is still part of the empire, which imo increases the likelyhood of it being picked. I don't know why. It has interesting landscape, and is, like Valenwood, a province which we just don't know a whole lot about. I still think it's a pretty likely choice though.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Overall, I give this province a: 15% likelyhood

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">---

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'OpenSans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">Oh boy, my hands are experiencing severe cramping. Anyway, I may have made some mistakes in the lore. I have a social life too you know ^^, but let me know what you guys think, throw your opinions at me, preferably in the face, and we can start this discussion.