Elder Scrolls: The Biggest Lore Mysteries TES 6 Could Finally Answer

The Elder Scrolls spans five mainline games and several spinoff games, each with a significant mystery to unravel, but Elder Scrolls 6 has the opportunity to solve some big in-game lore questions. Bethesda has long received praise for its Elder Scrolls series, which explores the fictional world of Tamriel throughout the eras. Elder Scrolls protagonists often occupy hero roles and halt world-ending disasters, placing players in the center of the pivotal historical moments. Though Elder Scrolls 6 provides an opportunity for Bethesda to enlighten players on the franchise’s many mysteries, there are a few more pressing questions that Bethesda should address in some way first.

Elder Scrolls 6’s release date is likely years away, and Bethesda has released little information about the final product’s progress, setting, characters, and experience. Despite the slightly awkward topic of when the next open-world fantasy game will release, there’s a chance Elder Scrolls 6 could solve some of the franchise’s biggest mysteries. Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim have all introduced some in-game secrets that cannot be answered with the available lore. Elder Scrolls Online continues expanding on past eras and territories, but even the extensive MMO cannot answer every question.

With many games filled with hundreds of hours of conflict, The Elder Scrolls has continuously introduced new artifacts, characters, and settings to further in-game lore. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many mysteries and questions left unsolved and unanswered, with the community scrambling for solutions. The Elder Scrolls Online MMO has assisted TES fans in furthering the history of Tamriel, but the long wait for Elder Scrolls 6 presents a frustrating puzzle. If Elder Scrolls 6 continues the habit of adding more unanswered questions to the franchise instead of resolving lingering plots and questions, Bethesda could be making a big mistake with their most extensive game series.

Elder Scrolls Mysteries: What Happened To The Dwemer?

The Dwemer are The Elder Scrolls’ biggest mystery, with the disappearance of an entire race likely lingering at the forefront of many players’ minds. Once reigning supreme in technological marvels, the Dwemer are a dwarven species who also claimed kinship with other elven species. Massive underground cities filled with automatons and mechanized defenses lay beneath Skyrim’s land, but players often only find Falmer. During the Battle of the Red Mountain, Elder Scrolls’ Dwemer dwarves and their empire attempted to manipulate an artifact called the Heart of Lorkhan to achieve immortality. Unfortunately, the spell backfired, and the entire species vanished (save for a single warrior in another realm at the time). It’s still unknown what happened to the Dwemer, nor where they currently reside.

Elder Scrolls Mysteries: How Many Oblivion Planes Are There? What’s In Them?

Though Oblivion has maintained a regular presence in The Elder Scrolls mainline games, Bethesda has failed to include the answers to every mystery about its many realms. Aside from the realities controlled by the many Daedric Princes, there are hidden pocket worlds about which little is known. For example, in Skyrim, the Frost Atronach spell references a distant, largely unknown realm of ice. Given the power of many summoned beings and the mysteries surrounding The Elder Scrolls’ schools of magic, Elder Scrolls 6 could dedicate several questlines to uncovering the truth behind Oblivion and its inhabitants.

Elder Scrolls Mysteries: Is Tamriel The Only Continent? What Is Akavir?

The Elder Scrolls franchise has rarely ventured outside of Tamriel, restricting players to its history and nations for every game. While this provides Bethesda with an opportunity to connect and build off previous stories, it limits players’ exploration of Elder Scrolls’ world. Despite the franchise’s restrictions, another continent is confirmed to exist somewhere in TES called Akavir. A humanoid race called Akaviri inhabited the area before being devoured by a race of vampiric serpent beings. The lack of information surrounding these enigmatic people and the rest of The Elder Scrolls‘ world paints a startlingly incomplete picture of the franchise’s place in the greater world. Do other countries experience the same strife as Tamriel? Is any character aware of other beings or nations on different continents? More importantly, is Tamriel the last haven for sentient beings?

Elder Scrolls Mysteries: What Is Valenwood Hiding? And What’s With Its Disappearing Village?

Valenwood, the home of the Bosmer (Wood Elves), holds some of Elder Scrolls’ greatest greatest mysteries. An extraordinary feature of this territory is a village that disappears for a century at a time. Members of this village are chosen to become a Caretaker for the Fading Tree and serve a sentence of one hundred years before the village returns and choose another Caretaker. Much secrecy surrounds this village and calls into question the truth of Valenwood. What dangers lurk within the forest realm, and are other entities capable of such power? Though the Bosmer homeland looks nothing like the brief glimpse players have gotten of Elder Scrolls 6, allowing players to explore multiple nations and escape the desert terrain could provide the perfect introduction to Valenwood and its mysteries.

Elder Scrolls Mysteries: Where Did The Daedra Come From? Who Was The First Prince?

The Daedric Princes of Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, and beyond have long held an essential role in The Elder Scrolls games. As beings of great power, they often influence organizations such as the Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and even Skyrim’s Companions guild in Whiterun. Additionally, several Elder Scrolls DLCs have focused on influential Daedric Princes, but where did the species come from, and who was the first to claim the title of Daedra Prince? Several cultures believe the Daedra sprung from the blood of Padomay, a primordial being of chaos and change, but several characters (such as Meridia) refute this claim. In addition, several Daedric Princes reveal their ability to create lower-leveled Daedra in The Elder Scrolls, but the origins of the species are still unconfirmed.

Whether Elder Scrolls 6 can or will answer these mysteries is a matter for debate, but Bethesda is likely to answer only those questions it deems will best benefit Elder Scrolls 6 itself and future games. There are still mysteries within Daggerfall and Morrowind being discussed on The Elder Scrolls subreddit, with different lore communities intent on uncovering answers on YouTube and online forums. It’s unlikely Elder Scrolls 6can afford to answer every mystery introduced by past games, but hopefully, the game can bring some new information – and maybe even some new lore wrinkles – to patiently waiting fans.

About The Author

Natalie Lindner
(506 Articles Published)

Natalie Lindner is a Game Features Writer for Screen Rant, creating content on the past, present, and future of games in the industry. Prior to this, she worked out of a writing consultancy in Rhode Island from 2018 to 2021, where she helped college students improve their writing abilities. Natalie has contributed her video game writing to several smaller websites and projects since 2018 and is eager to continue that journey with Screen Rant.

Working out of New Hampshire, Natalie spends the time she isn’t writing about games outside; hiking or biking. On those rainy days, she can be found striving for action on the latest FPS or perusing the latest comic books.

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