#ancient falmer

[aldruiel-scribbles]

No one talks about how atmorans brought the Dragon Cult when they came to Skyrim, and maybe the snow elves didn't want a dragon or dragon priest to have the Eye of Magnus and that's why they also attacked (I know there're more reasons to it).

It is said that initially Snow Elves welcomed them, and even traded with Atmorans. Until relationships got really tense, culminating with the Night of Tears. Perhaps tensions were high because dragons were expanding their territory and demanding that everyone worshipped them.

We know Atmorans were having a civil war back in their homeland. A religious civil war. Yes, again. Precisely because of dragons. People were tired of been forced into servitud, and wanted to keep worshipping their other gods in peace (Moth, fox, hawk, whale, dragon etc. Latter in time they molded the gods with their animals representation), instead of just dragons. Like a prelude to the dragon wars. But somehow these cultists won and Atmora froze (not just cold, but it is said that also frozen in time).

In my opinion Snow Elves, did not want any of that Dragon Cult bullshit and fought against it. Yet with dragons and the Thu'um on the atmoran side, their magic wasn't enough to defeat them.

We know so little, and it's the rhetoric of the winners. After all the only information we have of that conflict is of Nordic sources.

[botcomplex]

Werebear art!! Werebear art!! While I've actually been playing more Dragon's Dogma than I have any TES game (Skyrim most notably) I bought a resold Elder Scrolls themed adopt a few weeks ago and decided "y'know what? this character would look cool if they were a mfin werebear" And bing bam boom here's the bear! This was really fun to draw lol If you were also wondering what the adopt was, here's what her design looks like:

This ancient Falmer (Snow Elf) gal was originally designed by gelynele (https://www.deviantart.com/gelynele) on Deviantart, and I bought the resold design off of someone going by lunarlion! I love the Ancient Falmer lore and thought she was really cool lol

[mansikka-draws]

Hehehe mede a new ldb oc, Elsinore (they/he)

I can't decide if they shoud be more blueish or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, they were experimented on by dwemer researcers of the elder scrolls to make a living lexicon, but due to complications was put in a coma to heal. They were foud in the dwemer ruin by a group of explorers a year before the beginning of the game. They wear a mask most of the time, but I haven't decided on what it looks like yet.

[gaymergirlie]

The LDB I mainly play with Tally is Helena, full name Helena Adelaise Mede. She’s the granddaughter of Titus Mede II and is also related to the Carvain dynasty of Bruma. However people began to grow more and more disillusioned with the Empire, particularly after the Great War, and Helena decided to renounce her title and seek something else for herself. She initially headed for Bruma, however ended up deciding not to stay and instead traveled to Skyrim.

Idk I wanted to play around with the concept of someone belonging to the Emporer’s bloodline being named Dragonborn. I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential there.

What kind of backstories do players have for their Dragonborn?

Currently working on a future script and would like some input if anyone is willing to share their stories.

[luki-m3]

My drawing of Althadan Vyrthur, made with mechanical pencil and pen.

I've given him robes, as I thought an Arch Curate of Auri-El might wear, instead of the default ancient Falmer armour. I truly wish the story of Dawnguard had another option instead of just killing one of the last two Snow Elves known living! Vyrthur's story always fascinated me, and I surely would have loved redemption for the poor mer 💔

[hjornthewizard]

Something I often think about is what Falmeri cities would've looked like.

If you examine the Merric Races, many of them utilize their natural surroundings as buildings in unique ways. Dunmer are seen living in giant Mushrooms, Bosmer live in trees, and i have my own theories about Maormer and Ayleid settlements.

If you extrapolate from these examples, it seems likely that at least a portion of Falmeri structures would be similarly adaptive of surrounding enviromental material. Thusly, I propose that many Ancient Falmeri building were made of Ice and Snow.

Imagine towers of Ice, gleaming in the winter sun, expertly carved with artwork, patterns and magick to preserve and enhance the material. Ice Temples whose walls reflect rainbows into their interior, showcasing the beauty of Magnus' /Auri-El's light. A cast of Ice-Minders, or Carvers, who learned ancient techniques to magically create and carve ice into homes, walls, towers, and art. This is my headcannon for why Falmeri ruins are so rare. Yes, the Atmorans destoryed many of their structures, but some were made of Magical Ice and Snow, whose enchantments must've required maintenance. Once the Falmer were gone, the magic slowly faded, and their beautiful cities of Ice wouldve melted. I'd imagine its more than possible that a glacier or icey tundra in skyrim was once an Ancient Merric City.

[xxoopsiedaisiexx]

*crashes into the elder scrolls scene*

ive been lurking for ages but im finally actively working on my main elder scrolls oc Lierre -

he’s an ancient Falmer priest with too much mystery to handle

[thana-topsy]

Sarel was only a few months old when he was abducted from the Alftand caverns as part of a college-sanctioned research project to study the intelligence, development, and magical ability of the Falmer. His abductor and head of the project, Aiden, was a disgraced mage from the College of Sapiarchs on a mission to prove his worth as a formidable scholar. Aiden operated under the assumption that the Falmer were a "devolved" race and did not possess the ability to communicate or develop past most basic functions. This assumption all came crashing down around him when Sarel developed at the same speed as any elf child -- curious, inquisitive, emotionally expressive, and communicative.

As Sarel grew and developed, Aiden stopped thinking of him as an experiment and began to see him as his son. Being the only child at the College of Winterhold, as well as fully blind, presented many stumbling blocks for Sarel's upbringing, resulting in him having a very sheltered experience. Aiden was also hesitant to reveal to him the full history of the Falmer, and also kept the nature of his adoption hidden from him. Sarel grew up without knowing he was an "experiment".

On his 11th birthday, a stranger showed up at the College of Winterhold asking after him. The stranger was a man named Harukar -- a Redguard vampire hunter with the Dawnguard -- and he'd recently met Gelebor in his quest for Auriel's Bow. Knowing that there was a modern Falmer being raised at the college piqued his curiosity and gave him hope that the Falmer were not an irredeemable, lost race of elves. He wanted to pass this news onto Gelebor, but inadvertently ended up triggering a chain of events that resulted in Sarel being sent away from the college to "be with his own kind".

A distraught Aiden agrees to travel with Harukar to deliver Sarel to Gelebor. [Their story is the plot of "Halfway to the Sky", so I won't be spoiling how it ends here!]

When Sarel turns 16 he returns to the College of Winterhold to complete his "formal" training as a mage. His story after that is tentative and ever-shifting, but he goes on to be a formidable scholar in the field of ancient Dwemer research as well as modern Falmer anthropology, acting as a translator and ambassador. Eventually, much later in his life, he assumes the role of Arch-Mage at the College of Winterhold, promoting cultural exchange and study between the College and the Alftand settlements.

[rustyram035]

❄Little Falmer baby named Galibal;3❄

He is a son of Kedrion (my ancient falmer oc and bosmer Zarwyn)

So, Kedrion is a scientist and therefore caught fire with the idea of raising a wild falmer. It's more of a scientific interest than a father's love, but I think he'll get into it.

[tamrielic-frog]

So… first personal art of one of my oc’s! A bust/portrait of my Altmer wizard, his wit sharp and his tongue sharper.

Meet Cormarco. He was originally born under the name Cormac; which was given to him by his adoptive Breton family. However, due to many circumstances that would be far too long to list here; he ended up changing his name early on in life and moved to Summerset; eventually to other provinces and finally; Skyrim as of present. Plenty of tidbits about him below the cut! <3

— He was born sometime around 4E 130 (give or take) which puts him at around 70-72 years of age. Of course, being Altmer means having a very long lifespan compared to men; so he’s still well in his prime.

— He fought during the Great War as a wizard for the aldmeri dominion. During his time as an asset; he would have gladly shared his experiences. Nowadays, he prefers to not to even think about it. But why, you ask? Well, after seeing first-hand what had happened to the women and children… he refuses to talk about it. It keeps him up at night.

— He’s a skilled and well-renowned mage who excels in alteration, destruction, and illusion. He doesn’t care for conjuration very much due to the fact that he’s not very fond of daedra or necromancy. It squicks him out. He currently resides in a remote (but well-maintained) tower southwest of the pale, near labyrinthian.

— He’s pretty quiet most of the time, keeps to himself and prefers his own company over others. He can come off as a little haughty or snobbish at first; a trait not all that uncommon in Altmer. He’d rather be focused on his studies and personal work than spending time on unproductive past times, like chatting. But this doesn’t necessarily make him insensitive. In fact, he can be quite considerate and tender if you catch him at the right time. Trust me, he’s got a soft heart under all that sass. Just gotta get to know him.

— He often gets the occasional aspiring mage or guest (most of them unannounced and uninvited..) from all over Skyrim who want to see his work. He focuses primarily on the arcane arts, but dedicates much of his time to lost history of the ancient world. He’s particularly interested in ancient Falmer culture, and the lost sciences of the Dwemer (of course, who isn’t?!) His tower sports a large personal collection of curios and arcane artifacts, all of which he accumulated himself. He is very protective of it.

— Speaking of magic.. he has nothing against the college of Winterhold. If anything; he does respect their initiative to bring arcane knowledge to those seeking it in Skyrim. It is lacking in the province, after all. His problem is that the place seems to be.. on the cusp of falling apart. Literally and figuratively. It’s much too disorganized for his liking, and there’s little to no discipline (despite what they say.) He believes it would benefit from better management and direction.

More to come later! Thank you for your time, much love! :-)

[isamajor]

Whumptober 2024 : day 11 to 15

No. 11: SEEING DOUBLE (loneliness)

Nebarra staggered through the scorching sands of Hammerfell, the sun beating down on his armor he has wrapped in cloth in the hope of protecting himself from the heat. He was alone, hiding from the Thalmor’s gaze, a deserter in the desert. The air shimmered with heat.

In the distance, he saw her. Twice. There were two Camias, standing amidst the sand. Nebarra's heart leaped, but as he stumbled closer, everything vanished. Nothing but a mirage.

Nebarra’s chest tightened, his throat dry. Camia was gone. Dead. And all that remained was the ache of her absence and the heat of the desert. (105)

•

No. 12: STARVATION (underground caverns / cannibalism)

The group had ventured into deep, labyrinthine caverns, their torches casting a dim light on the endless stone. Days of wandering had depleted their food supplies. Despair and hunger set in as they eyed the glowing mushrooms on the walls, admittedly an alchemy ingredient, but dangerous in large quantities.

Auri glanced at the corpses of the Falmer they had just defeated. "Falmer are still meat, though it tastes like slimy chicken.", she suggested. Her kind had no problem with eating flesh.

But the others backed away. Cannibalism, even that of the Falmer, was too taboo for them, unlike the Bosmer. (100)

•

No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY (multiple whumpees)

The Dragonborn’s companions lay scattered around the ancient tomb, each nursing wounds from the battle. Lucien had a deep gash along his arm, hastily bandaged. Auri's legs were swollen and bruised. Inigo wheezed, ribs cracked evident in his labored breaths. Taliesin had his hands burned with Magicka, Gore was holding his head in pain, Kaidan’s face was bloodied from a draugr’s strike.

The Dragonborn knelt, voice heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry you’re all hurt... again. I dragged you into this."

Kaidan grunted. "Only death could part me from you. Don’t apologize. We’ll fight until the end, together." (105)

•

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD (blackmail)

Taliesin had run, heart pounding. It was all true in that letter : the details, the secrets... When he fled into the night, he didn’t expect to be caught. But they found him. They beat him until he could no longer fight back, leaving him bloodied and barely breathing on the moor. They stripped him, replacing his robes with a hunter’s outfit, masking the crime.

At dawn, his companions, worried about his sudden disappearance, went looking for him. They finally found it on the moor. Xelzaz knelt by his side, pressing trembling fingers to Taliesin’s neck. "He’s alive," he whispered in relief. (105)

•

No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA (painful hug / I did good, right?)

Taliesin stood trembling before his father, the man’s cold eyes filled with disappointment. “Too soft.”, his father spat. “You’ll never be a Thalmor like this.” Young Taliesin swallowed the knot in his throat, forcing his emotions down. He understood, even then, he needed to become what they expected. He has to put a mask. He stiffened his back, raised his chin, and mimicked what he’d seen in other officers.

“Did I do well, Father?” he asked once, voice hollow.

For the first time, his father smiled and pulled him into a tight embrace. Pride glinted in his eyes. But Taliesin felt only a bitter emptiness. (104)

[aldruiel-scribbles]

Since 70% of my LDBs tend to be a Snow Elf I was imagining the nords reaction to finding out that their dragonborn of legend is a snelf.

While we know that this concept (being Dragonborn) exists all throughout Tamriel, it has never had more presence or importance in a culture of a country like Skyrim. Perhaps another could be Cyrodiil, but even despite the dynasties/empires initiated by St.Alessia or Tiber Septim, imperials don't integrate Dragons into their cultures like the nords do. With their Dragon overloads of old, the dragon cult, dragon priests, true first dragonborn (it was believed it was Alessia until Miraak in TesSkyrim), then the dragon wars, dragon hunting, dragon mounts, even dovahzul (which the Atmorans seemed to be fluent given by the number of walls), their previous use of the Thu'um, Greybeards with The Way of the Voice, and last but not least the prophecy of the end times with Alduin's return.

It's a normal day like any other and then it happens, Alduin has returned. Dragons are attacking, and rumors spread about the dragonborn since the Greybeards summoning them. I mean everyone heard them and felt the earth shake at the power of their voice.

So here at this point, Nords start wishing for a second Talos to come by walking and save them, imagining this mega Chad Atmoran of legend vibing like Ysgramor, only to find out their savior is a motherfucking ELF. Can you imagine their faces? And one that looks like a pale as fuck Altmer. The majority of adults are veterans from the great war, their worship of Talos is forbidden, Thalmor are taking people, there's a civil war, and dragons are back. I can't think of the amount of profanities some Nords must've yelled. Specifically Stormcloaks. Both hilarious and concerning. And that's before they find out that the LDB is a Snow Elf, their ancient foes. Actual natives of Skyrim, while Atmorans had to do great feats of mental gymnastics to convince themselves that this was their land and they came back to claim it (which of course had nothing to do with the fact that they were fleeing from Atmora with its civil war and also it was freezing), basically gaslighting themselves into thinking it was their home and all elves were colonizers. So they still think that snelfs are invaders, and enemies.

I imagine their conflictive feelings towards their gods, and this milk drinker elf the gods chose to save the world. While also being in awe at the fact that they are witnessing an actual dragonborn killing dragons. It must've been so bizarre for them.

This kind of nuance was missing in the game, because we know, Bethesda knows, and everybody knows, that the Nords would've reacted (A LOT) to the race of the dragonborn, a being so integral for their culture. Especially if they were elves, even bosmer who are the least hated elves. They would've think it was a Thalmor plot or something like that at first.

With a few comments from people, and extra charisma needed to do things (that a human wouldn't have the need for) could've changed the story.

(P.S: And for Khajiits and Argonians is a whole topic altogether)

[aethuviel]

A comprehensive study of the Ancient Snow Elves

By Eltirions

(Picture added by myself)

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/1foensm/a_comprehensive_study_of_the_ancient_snow_elves/

Greetings! Almost two years ago I wrote a theory in this post pondering on the connections between the dragons you fight in the Forgotten Vale and the Snow Elves who lived there. Since then I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about and researching the Snow Elves, crafting theories to fit their existence into the wider history of Tamriel. The end result is this: a collection of all the relevant knowledge I could find about these mysterious Mer and my thoughts and hypotheses about them.

So, first off I’ll quickly summarise the basic facts we know about the Snow Elves:

Their civilisation existed in and around Skyrim from somewhen in the Merethic Era to the early First Era.

They fought with the Atmorans and early Nords, eventually being defeated and almost completely exterminated by them, with the survivors either seeking shelter with the Dwemer (and turning into the modern-day Falmer) or hiding away in secret places like the Chantry of Auri-El.

The Atmorans/Nords destroyed all traces of their civilisation, to the point that we only have two confirmed sites of Snow Elf habitation remaining.

By the time of 4E 201, we only know of two Snow Elves who are still alive: Knight-Paladin Gelebor and his brother Arch-Curate Vyrthur.

What does this tell us? Not a lot. But, thankfully, we have some more information, most of which comes from conversation with the aforementioned Knight-Paladin Gelebor during Dawnguard’s main questline, where we also visit the Chantry of Auri-El and kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur. 

Gelebor is a treasure trove of information on the Snow Elves. He tells us that the Chantry he guards was built in the early First Era, that it was the greatest centre of religion for his people and that Auri-El was their chief god, while Trinimac, Syrabane, Phynaster and Jephre had smaller chantries. He calls the Snow Elf civilisation an empire, but also mentions that they only ruled a portion of Skyrim. He mentions uneasy alliances with the Dwemer and tells us that there were Snow Elves who resisted the Dwemer’s deal, but they all ended up dead, disappeared or ultimately gave in. When you meet him again after killing his brother and fighting your way through the Forgotten Vale, he mentions that he still holds out hope for hidden enclaves of his kind and that he believes the Falmer may one day become something like they once were.

This is all valuable information, and the Dawnguard DLC offers us much more. It gives us a look at Snow Elf architecture, religion and armour within the Forgotten Vale, and there are also four books added by the DLC that are records written by Snow Elves of the early First Era, which have to be decoded from their alphabet and language (more on that later). These books give us the term Ice Elves as another name for the Snow Elves, mention ‘Old Ones’ and ‘Young Ones’, it gives us an example of a method they used to reckon time, and gave us a description of what the pilgrimage through the Chantry of Auri-El was like.

Finally, let’s look at Arch-Curate Vyrthur. He was the leader of the Chantry of Auri-El, and he claims to have been able to commune with his god. This ultimately didn’t avail him from vampirism however, hence why he created the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy to defeat Auri-El. This is important: the Sun is typically ascribed to Magnus and has little to nothing to do with Auri-El (or indeed, any of Akatosh’s other aspects, as far as I know) but Snow Elf religion seems to create a connection between Auri-El and the Sun. This makes it unique amidst Tamrielic religions.

All of this information allows us to create a more complete view of the Snow Elves. Their religion has clear overlaps with Altmeri belief, but also strange differences. Their culture is also clearly divergent from the Aldmer to the point that they created their own language and alphabet, and their architecture is unique, though similar to Ayleid and older Altmer/Aldmer architecture. 

But we still don’t know many important things. Allow me to present answers, or theories, to a few of them.

When did the Snow Elf culture begin?

The Aldmer began colonising Tamriel in the middle Merethic Era. While hard dates don’t exist, I think we can estimate that the creation of Snow Elf culture happened around that time, corresponding roughly with the rise of the Ayleids in Cyrodiil. We can’t say anything conclusive without more evidence.

Where did the Snow Elves live?

Gelebor says they ruled a portion of Skyrim. Aside from the Forgotten Vale, with its entrance located in the northern Reach and the Vale itself found in the mountains between northwestern Skyrim and western High Rock, we know of one other pre-Dwemer Snow Elf settlement site: in ESO, we can visit Snow Elf ruins located under Fort Greenwall in the Rift. Skorm Snow-Strider’s Journal, found in Forelhost in Skyrim and dating to 1E 139, also mentions King Harald fighting Snow Elves around Lake Honnith (an older name for Lake Honrich, the lake Riften lies on) and the eastern Rift. Finally, though they aren’t settlement sites, we know that the Snow Elves’ last true battle was fought on Solstheim in the Moesring Mountains, indicating that they had some settlement there (although no Falmer are found anywhere on Solstheim during Skyrim or Bloodmoon); and that according to the book Songs of the Return, Vol 7, the entirety of the Whiterun plain was uninhabited by the Snow Elves due to fear of the Skyforge, which predates Elven settlement in Skyrim. It also mentions that when the Companions went south from Saarthal, they found many Elves who they all slew, indicating settlement through Winterhold and Eastmarch. 

Put on a map, this forms a very strangely-shaped realm, though perhaps not if we consider that the Snow Elves seem to prefer colder climates. I would theorise that they inhabited the northern part of the country, including the northern parts of the Reach (and perhaps westwards into High Rock as well), Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, the Pale, Winterhold (minus Saarthal, naturally), down to Eastmarch and the Rift, and of course the island of Solstheim, though it was apparently shared with the Nords (perhaps the ancestors of the Skaal). This would leave Whiterun empty and the rest of the Reach and Falkreath open to others, perhaps Nedes and Orcs. An interesting note is that neither Falkreath nor Whiterun contain any Dwemer ruins either.

Who ruled the Snow Elves?

It’s hard to say. The Snow Prince, famous for being so good at killing Nords they gave him an honourable burial, is the best example of a race-wide leader we have, and Gelebor explicitly calls their civilisation an empire. The Snow Prince himself was widely recognised as the last hope for his race by the time of the Battle of the Moesring, so perhaps he was the descendant of a line of rulers. We can’t say much else. We do know, from antiquities found in ESO, that he had a throne.

Speaking of ESO, I already mentioned the ruins under Fort Greenwall, but ESO has several other pieces of content related to the Snow Elves. During the quest The Rise of Sage Svari we see a flashback where several Snow Elf warriors attack the sons of Ysgramor; these are ghosts, however, and are identical to High Elves, using High Elf gear and models. We can also find two other antiquities (a system of archaeology added by the Greymoor Chapter DLC), namely the Font of Auri-El, a shrine-like house furnishing that is described as distinct from the architecture of other Mer; and the Snow Treaders, a pair of enchanted and masterfully crafted boots. The Antiquarian Circle’s notes on the parts needed to create the latter item confirm that Auri-El occupied a special place in Snow Elf religion, that the Snow Elves had some collaboration with the Dwemer and were skilled craftsmen themselves, that they bred a type of tree called a snow-cedar and used its wood as a crafting material, and that they also used animal products such as snowy sabre cat fur in their clothes. It’s not much, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Let’s get back to some theorising, hm? I already mentioned that the Snow Elves’ pantheon featured Auri-El as chief of the pantheon, though with an unique focus on the Sun; their other gods we know of for certain are Trinimac (who likely served as the patron of the Paladins Gelebor is a part of), Syrabane, Phynaster and Jephre. This is interesting for a couple of reasons. Auri-El and Trinimac are staples of virtually all Elven pantheons, but Syrabane and Phynaster are continually referred to as Altmer, who were raised to godhood after their lives. In Syrabane’s case especially, he shows up around 1E 2200, far beyond the early First Era when the chantries were supposedly built. Phynaster is a traveller god and not officially considered a member of the Altmeri pantheon. Other members of the Altmeri pantheon such as Magnus, Mara, Stendarr, Xarxes and Anu(iel) go unmentioned. Ignoring this strangeness (perhaps Syrabane is much older than we know; he is known as an extremely skilled mage, after all), we see that the Snow Elf pantheon is unique. 

We can see from the wayshrines of the Forgotten Vale that the Snow Elves were skilled mages which would explain Syrabane’s presence (but makes Magnus’ absence all the more strange). Phynaster is a wayfarer god who also taught Altmer to lengthen their lives; this connects well with Gelebor, who is one of the oldest living individuals in the setting that is not a vampire or a lich. Perhaps the first Snow Elves were devotees of Phynaster and further developed his techniques for long lifespans. Finally, there is Jephre, better known as Y’ffre elsewhere in Tamriel. He is the god of nature, and Snow Elf reverence for him is presumably based in the beauty of Skyrim’s nature. 

If we look at the Chantry of Auri-El, we see that those who wished to enter the Chantry to seek enlightenment had to go on a pilgrimage, carrying an ewer of water which they would gradually fill as they passed by several wayshrines on their way to the Chantry itself. This process is described as arduous, and many were known to fail, which was considered disgraceful, while those who succeeded were rewarded with some form of enlightenment. The Chantry is one of the most impressive religious buildings seen across all the games, and Gelebor claims it was the greatest of the ones the Snow Elves built. And it was built in the First Era, after Ysgramor had returned and begun his extermination war on the Snow Elves. Snow Elf society must have been truly dedicated to religion to complete such a structure in a time of war and strife. And yet, while it is a grand structure, I wouldn’t call it ostentatious. The Chantry is beautiful, sure, but it isn’t richly decorated (except for the gold everywhere) and everything seems more built for function than for aesthetics.

All of this evidence leads me to believe that the beginning of the Snow Elves as a group distinct from other Mer lies in their spirituality: they came to Skyrim in order to distance themselves from the affairs of other Mer. They gave primacy to several gods of the Altmeri pantheon, namely Phynaster (who, as a god of travellers, wayfarers and pilgrims, would have appealed to them), Jephre, Syrabane (who I still can’t explain properly), Trinimac and Auri-El, who they gave Magnus’ connection with the Sun as well. They focused very much on enlightenment, perhaps to ascend in a similar manner as the Altmer seek to. This focus on spirituality would also explain why, despite being described as a great civilisation, the Snow Elves were so thoroughly defeated by the Atmorans/Nords.

Phew. Now that I’ve touched on all of that, I want to muse on a few things before the end. One of these is the original topic of my post about the Forgotten Vale: what is the connection between the Dragons and the Snow Elves? Mind you that the entirety of Alduin’s rule over Skyrim, including the Dragon War, happens between the Night of Tears and the fall of the Forgotten Vale. The connections between dragons and Akatosh is obvious, but it doesn’t seem to feature at all in Snow Elf (or indeed any Mer) religion - with one possible exception of a dragon's head being depicted on the chest piece of the Ancient Falmer armour, but I think that's a stretch. As I mentioned in my Forgotten Vale post, there’s a strong possibility that the Snow Elves of the Chantry had a good relationship with the dragons slumbering in the lake there (especially after the Dragon War, when both were being hunted by the Nords) and that their presence explains how the Forgotten Vale remained safe. While I touched on it in the post, I now think that Vyrthur (who, it stands to reason, could communicate properly with the dragons thanks to his connection to Auri-El) purposefully kept the dragons (who were sleeping at the time) from waking up, which might also explain why the lake is frozen over; we see in the Chantry that Vyrthur is a skilled frost mage. The dragons only awaken when the player comes by because they sense a fellow dragon soul. But I digress.

Another thing to consider is the Night of Tears. It’s commonly speculated that the true reason for the Snow Elf assault on Saarthal was that they knew the Atmorans had found the Eye of Magnus and feared its power; this gains new meaning when we realise that Magnus himself receives no mention in Snow Elf religion, whilst they are undoubtedly a people of great magical skill. When we consider that the Snow Elves considered the Sun to be Auri-El’s gateway to Nirn, and that they possessed both his Bow and Shield, one has to wonder what would have happened had they obtained the Eye and used the Bow on it. 

A final curiosity is the Great Statue of Irkngthand, which you might remember from the second-to-last Thieves Guild quest in Skyrim. It’s a magnificent statue built in secret by the Snow Elves after being enslaved by the Dwemer, so it seems that even while enslaved and (partially) blinded they were capable of creating great works. Most interesting.

I think that, for now, I’ve covered everything I could find on the Snow Elves. I’ve not worked in theories about the Ice Tribes of TES Travels: Dawnstar’s connection to the Snow Elves or mentions of Arena’s Laintar Dale settlement being built on top of a Snow Elf settlement, due to the dubious canonicity of either source. I’ve also passed on mentioning the Falmer as we know and love them, perhaps I’ll reserve that for a future post (just who or what is Xrib, hm?). 

If I’ve missed anything of relevance, please do let me know: I’ll happily talk about it or add it to the post. And I do apologise if this document is a bit of a mess; I’ve done my best to make it somehow cohesive, but it was all written in one burst of inspiration and my mind wanders a lot when writing. All that said, please let me know what you think, and maybe in two years I’ll have another post talking about the mysterious Snow Elves.

[buonsai]

I wish I could have an entire novel dedicated to the history of Blackreach. What a fun concept man. An entire developed population beneath Skyrim. I love that kind of shit. Such deeply veiled mystery over this highly advanced society. All of these sophisticated machines left behind, but almost no information about their masters. I want it ALL.

I mean, honestly, the entire underground system under Skyrim in general. (Dwemer/Falmer lore will always come first in my heart, but even Ancient Nord stuff too). I could comfortably spend MONTHS reading about it. Entire sub-terrestrial kingdoms larger than aboveground cities, yet their inhabitants, politics, history as a whole is almost entirely lost. You need to spend hours searching just for CLUES about who they were and what they'd done or been through. Think about shit like the Aetherium Forge! The Statue of Irkngthand! There's an entire world under another world! And worlds deeper even below that! I wish I could ingest TES lore like a pill.

(Also, what the fuck is Vulthuryol's deal? How did he get down there? Why is he down there? What's his deal?)

[dynamite124]

How would taliesin feel about a falmer dragonborn? (Like an ancient falmer, not the betrayed). Would he have questions for him? Or he would just treat them like any other mer?

There's actually been a rivalry between the Snow Elves and Altmer before they became Falmer many eons ago.

So with a Snow Elf Dragonborn, he'll have a bit of a teasing view with them. Nothing malicious, he won't kick a mer down while they're one of the last exiting Snow Elves around. But will still trying to keep that rivalry between races burning.

[trainwiz]

It's been a long time coming and a lot of waiting on my but the second half of Legendary Dungeons Part 2 (called Nordic Secrets) is now out for Skyrim.

Adding even more dungeons from Elder Scrolls Online into Skyrim, Direfrost Keep and Castle Thorn:

DIREFROST KEEP

A strange alliance of rogue atronachs has invaded the ancestral home of Clan Direfrost, seeking ancient powers. But the dead and buried of these once-mighty witchhunters aren't about to take that lying down. Face a group of strange draugr and wights as they attempt to take back their home from the Anarchic Atronachs and their mysterious backer…

Delve into the deepest crypts of Direfrost, and you might find that the Direfrosts might not have been the first to settle these mountains. If you smother a powerful flame, be prepared to brave ancient Falmer dangers in the FORNLORN SANCTUM.

Though the keep has long sank into the ice, an entryway can still be found within Tolvald's Cave.

CASTLE THORN

Long ago, the powerful vampire Lady Thorn was struck down by a group of unknown adventurers. Since then, her vast estates have sat empty. Her last living descendant claims that before her death, she struck a cursed bargain to return and wreak havoc. But nobody has seen him in months. Something sinister is lurking in this house, and it might just not be a vampire…

If you choose to explore this sprawling gothic fortress, you might just find yourself in a realm awfully familiar. But make no mistake, the SEA OF SPIRES is anything but friendly.

The entrance to Castle Thorn can be found within Darkfall Cave.