Guest Speaker: On the origins of species: by bg2408

[bg2408]

I was asked to elaborate what I've written in a thread that has since then disappeared, to give a short explanation about how today's races evolved. Alright, I'm going to explain. Three words of warning:

1. I'm not going to delve into the time before the dawn. On the one hand it's of no consequence, on the other hand that's where the real metaphysical questions lie.

2. TES-lore is full of contradictions. What I present here is the most up to date knowledge. This does contradict some in game sources, while validates others. Usually metaphysical texts like the "Nu-Mantia Intercept" should be valued higher than propaganda ("1st edition pocket guide").

3. Fan speculations are not taken into account. Really, I've just read an article on an Oblivion wiki about Daedra that just got about everything wrong, including some of the very basics. So fan speculations.

The Et'Ada

"Et'Ada" refers to all original spirits existing before the creation of the world. Some of them took part in the creation of the world and became the Aedra, some of them fled creation and became the Magna-ge, some refused to take part and became the Daedra.

The Ehlnofey

The first inhabitants of the newly created world "Nirn" were the Ehlnofey and the Hist. I'm going to talk about the Hist later, so let's just focus on the Ehlnofey. At the beginning of the Dawn the Ehlnofey couldn't keep their form, they switched between man, animal and plant. They were stabilized by the self-sacrifice of some aedric Et'Ada, called the Earthbones. (That's why Aedra got their name "Our Ancestors".)

Now the Ehlnofey split into several lines:

1. Some Ehlnofey accepted the world, and began to assimilate into it. They're the Wandering Ehlnofey, ancestors of men.

2. Other Ehlnofey rejected the world, tried to regain the divinity that they had before the dawn (Aldmeris - a false illusion that never existed). They're the Old Ehlnofey, ancestors of mer.

Now something happened: All mortal life started on Tamriel, but the Wandering Ehlnofey went on and travelled to other continents. They became the Nords and Redguards in time. Some of them stayed in Tamriel, the nedic people.

The Old Ehlnofey tried to keep their divinity, which they percieved as fading. They began to build towers to spread creation into the world. Through building of towers resembling the first one, Adamandatide Tower, that used to play a role in creation. However they had different ideas how this was to do, and so they split. Altmer, Ayleid, Falmer, Dwemer and the "forest folk" were those original elvish races. At first they appeared very similar, because they weren't so much genetically different races, but different cultures. They just went into different parts of the world, and had a different culture.

One part of the Old Ehlnofey however were not fully stabilized, the "forest folk". They were split - some of them were bound to the moons (and through this stabilized in constant change) by Azura, they became the Khajiit. The others had their instability surpressed by an Earthbone called Jephre, the Bosmer. Unlike other mer they're also not entirely stable (wild hunt).

A group of Altmer changed their believes, from Aedra to Daedra worship. They, the Chimer, left Sumurset and went to Resdayn (Morrowind).

Another group of Altmer tried to stop then, followers of the aedric being Trinimac. Unfortunately for them Trinimac was tricked and eaten by Boethia, converted to and excreted as Malacath, and his followers changed with him, into the Orsimer / Orcs.

Now the Chimer arrived in Resdayn. They had some trouble with the Dwemer, who annihilated themselves while trying to build a god using Lorkhan's heart. Instead three of them used the heart to make themselves living gods. This caused the entire race to change in appearance, becoming the Dunmer (if this was the curse of Azura, or a side effect by using the heart of Lorkhan, is still open to debate).

The Ayleid got themselves overthrown. Part of them assimilated into other elvish communities, others went to live in the wilderness, becoming the Wild Elves of today. The Falmer went extinct thanks to the Nords.

Then there are the Maormer. It's not really known when they split from the other races, (some sources indicate before, others after the split of the Chimer), be it as it may they have settled in the southern continent of Pyandonea.

Alright, these were the elvish races: Altmer, Ayleid, Falmer (extinct), Dwemer (extinct), Chimer (extinct), Dunmer, Bosmer, Khajiit and Maormer.

Now to the humans: The Wandering Ehlnofey that wandered into the north (to the continent of Atmora) became the Nords, and after Atmora became uninhabitable they came back. Those wandered into west settled on the continent of Yokudan, but nuked it, and came back. They're named after their first wave of warriors, the "Ra Gada" - Redguard.

Some of the nedic people interbred with their Altmer masters, after many generations the result were today's Bretons. The other nedic people were splintered into numerous tribes, which forged themselves into a race after they had overthrown the Ayleids.

There were men elsewhere, but they left recorded history.

There's not much known about the Akaviri, but scholars currently agree that they're also of Ehlnofey origin, likely Wandering Ehlofey.

The Hist

The Hist are a race of sentient trees. They share a deep connection to the Argonians, which used to be small animals who - for some still speculated reason - mutated into the race they're today. Probably Hist ingestion.

Speculation ahead: Animals used to be also Ehlnofey, which just got stabilized as such and not as Old or Wandering Ehlnofey, so there is also a connection between the Ehlnofey and Argonians.

[PacificMorrowind]

Thanks! that was a very interesting read. however unless I miss your intended meaning the "inhabitable" in the following should be "uninhabitatable"... lovely non-logical language that english is.

Now to the humans: The Wandering Ehlnofey that wandered into the north (to the continent of Atmora) became the Nords, and after Atmora became inhabitable they came back. Those wandered into west settled on the continent of Yokudan, but nuked it, and came back. They're named after their first wave of warriors, the "Ra Gada" - Redguard.

I always wondered what the hist were.

Pacific Morrowind

[WhoGuru]

Speculation ahead: Animals used to be also Ehlnofey, which just got stabilized as such and not as Old or Wandering Ehlnofey, so there is also a connection between the Ehlnofey and Argonians.

Very nicely done bg! This has always been my favored belief for the origins of Argonians. That in the distant past they were Ehlnofey who became mutated by Hist ingestion.

[WhoGuru]

I've actually done considerable research on the Akaviri for RST. Once the mod is released I'll be happy to share that with you for this. I'd say it's about 50/50 Actual canon and Lore bending to fill in the gaping blanks. LOL

[Relic]

Lovely report you've done there. Great job!

Especially the bit about the hist!