#cyrodiilic empire

[spooky-donut-ghost-house]

Made a faction for Skyrim based on the witch hunters from The Witcher and real witch hunters from the 1600s

So they are called The Witch Hunters of Skyrim aka The Witch Hunters (tho unlike Vigilants of Stendarr witch hunters that only hunt witches these witch hunters believe all magic users are witches) and they are made up of mostly Nords but there are other non Nordic humans in The Witch Hunters except for Bretons

The Witch Hunters were formed not too long after The Great Collapse of Winterhold they are a bunch of anti magic religious fanatics who worship Talos not only do they hunt mages but they also hunt any non human races as they believe them to be an abomination to Talos they also hunt Bretons due to them being half elf

They are obviously Stormcloak aligned and primarily operate in Stormcloak territory however they have been found in Imperial territory however they stay out of the cities

In Stormcloak territory they have free reign to detain any citizen they deem to be a magic user and publicly execute them in ways similar to the witch hunting methods of the 1600s

They however will not detain a jarl's court wizard without permission of said jarl but they do have schemes on attacking The College of Winterhold

Jarl Korir has given them full permission to take on The College however they have yet to do that as they know the gate will not open to them

The reason they have yet to detain Nelacar is because they think he is a Thalmor spy due to him being a high elf so they don't wanna take him out of the picture until Ulfric becomes High King so they don't tip off the Thalmor about him going missing they do not however know about Ancano

They also don't believe that Vaermina is the source of Dawnstar's nightmares and instead choose to believe that Erandur is using magic to plague Dawnstar with nightmares

Many NPCs in the base game are apart of The Witch Hunters such as Heimskr and some of the citizens (minus Benor as my HC of Benor is like how he is in Denizens of Morthal) of Morthal that don't trust the jarl or Falion and they believe Idgrod and her son to be practising dark arts but they know they can't attack them because they are in Imperial territory

They also forbid the use of any magical or enchanted items believing them to be evil

And they also believe any claims of Tiber Septim being a Breton is lies made up by The Aldmeri Dominion

[reyneluvirith]

Languages of the Mede Empire, 4E197

The languages of the Mede Empire (Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and High Rock) as described in my language-focused apocrypha, Languages of Tamriel, which fleshes out the linguistic situation of Tamriel in the Fourth Era.

>> Direct link to the map <<

Thought it would be cool to see all three of my Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and High Rock language maps combined into one!! Probably won't be able to do any more than these three combined, since I'm already running out of distinctive colors for these languages, but I might make some larger Tamriel-wide ones with language families as a whole.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

"Bruma Quartermaster"

Art for The Elder Scrolls: Legends

Art by Diego Peres

[noxcorvid]

think I’m almost done deciding when serana gets bank chuted w her elder scroll, sometime between 1E 2331 and 1E 2703, the end and beginning times of the alessian and reman empires, bc the main hangup in figuring out when that happens is her line of “cyrodiil’s the seat of an empire?” when you wake her up. I decided against it happening during the interregnum in the 2E, bc while Cyrodiil doesn’t have a solid cohesive empire at that time, it still was kkkkkkkind of an empire? it was nominally an empire (the empire of Cyrodiil) so I decided against it, and then that segways right into Tiber septim septiming all over the place into the 3rd era, so 1E it is. Considered before the Alessian Empire, but that began 1E 243 and for the sake of keeping the story relatively cohesive (for perspective, the Dwemer getting thanos snapped and chimer->dunmer happened around 1E 700, and the yokudans began sailing en masse for Tamriel in 1E 792), and I initially didn’t want serana to be so violently out of the loop... I was gonna save that level of dissonance for a potential miraak doesn’t die in apocrypha arc but the ideas been growing on me. Like a fungus. ALSO, re: language: I don’t care what the official lore (or at least uesp) says there’s no way all of tamriel was using high elvish for legal documents continent-wide, serana would speak primarily old Nordic either way, but at least with the Alessian empire having already happened it makes sense if she at least spoke a little bit of old cyrodilic ……… but also very early 1E serana so. Hm.

[morihaus]

i love when im reading some real loosie goosie tes fanfic and the writer will casually mention some SWEEPING element of their headcanons or worldbuilding that they are 100% uninterested in exploring in any meaningful way. like "blablabla cyrodiil is a nice place to visit now the the empire is gone--" HUH? WHAT? WHAT do you MEAN "GONE" what happened??? what's going on for the people there?? and we just don't have time to address that bc this is primarily oc x canon and we can't stop to talk about geopolitics

[cyrodiilproblems]

Are there any problems with the idea of an emperor that isn’t Dragonborn?

well there's the idea that any changes to the status quo means the end of the empire/tradition/life as we know it/the high chancellor's tether. there's the fact that we simply do not know what happens now that the last septim is an oversized brick, without future so-called dragonborn emperors to do all the ritual stuff

but the main problem we've identified is that they might have to change all the legion branding. you know, with the dragon on it. can you imagine the confusion. the cost to taxpayers. the letters to the editor. looking forward to a second, primarily paperwork-related crisis

[endawn]

canon pax - emperor pax falco - dark brotherhood pax - totally not sheog..orath

[crysdrawsthings]

Another microfic of mine - this time around about my Hero of Kvatch and three conversations she had with Martin Septim, everyone's beloved Emperor-for-an-hour.

Tiny, angsty and Vestige get's namedropped as HoK's fabled ancestor with ridiculous antics.

[ulfthicc-stormcloak]

Aight lets go shank up an Imperial government official.

[trickstarbrave]

the elder scrolls series ultimately is pro imperialism and colonialism as another post on here said but its also kinda weird how in morrowind the guys of the empire like. totally suck but there is this implicit belief that the empire is still good and full of good guys and you have to side with them morally when you are quite literally coerced into it

the other games dismiss this or downplay it or outright erase it. but morrowind was like. rly weird in that sense. where i cant tell if the person who wrote those things in was aware of how pro-imperialist the game is and was trying to subtly critique it or if they were just clueless and thought it made the empire more badass

for starters you're a prisoner released and pardoned only because the emperor wants to use you as a political pawn to destabilize a country. when you are set free in a hostile country you follow what is familiar to you and what is asked of you, ending up in the service of caius who then implicates you in serious crimes while tasking you with getting information. if you go against your orders the blades have proof you committed a felony going into dwemer ruins. or they could publicly expose you for grave robbing with the explicate purpose of helping someone commit necromancy, a serious crime and social taboo in morrowind that would make every dunmer demand your execution. before he then sends you on increasingly dangerous missions to gather intelligence that could seriously land you dead or imprisoned in the ministry of truth for the rest of your life. and they wont care if you die, they'll just find someone else who doesn't know their parents and was born the same month as you.

it doesn't paint them as particularly noble. it shows that they do not care about you, just furthering their own ends. even caius, the guy giving you orders for a good chunk of the msq, has to leave to deal with the succession crisis and he says he cant stay because he has family back home in cyrodiil they can and will threaten.

and yet, you cant oppose them. in fact it shows powerful people who do oppose the empire's rule as terrible, unjust, and literally crazy. if you have more than a passive annoyance towards the empire you are not a freedom fighter but a deranged cultist.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Cyrodiil

Art for Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition

Art by Hugh Riley

[what-even-is-thiss]

So I’m about to go on another elder scrolls tangent but I just realized that Serana was sealed away before the dwarves disappeared.

I was doing the dawnguard like you do and decided to do a dwarven ruin like you do and Serana said “Is this a dwarven city? How did they let it get so run down?”

And I was like. What? So I looked up when the dwarves disappeared and it was in about year 700 of the first era.

And Serana doesn’t know that Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire. The concept is foreign to her. And the first empire was established in the 200s of the first era.

So. This girl doesn’t know that the dwarves are gone. Someone has to tell her.

[uesp]

"We Tharns have held positions of power throughout Cyrodiil since the days of the Potentate. We are prized for our loyalty to the Empire..."

--Abnur Tharn, discussing his family. The image depicts Jagar Tharn, the Arch-Traitor of the Empire, after taking the Ruby Throne.

[nientedenada]

Five Skyrim Lore Facts You May Not Know!

And unlike some of the clickbait videos on Youtube, these ones are absolutely true. Let me address some of the most common lore confusions I regularly see. As a Listicle, because why not? (It's easier than writing out long lore posts.)

The Blades never served the Mede Empire. Martin was the last Emperor they served. They then devoted themselves to looking for a new Dragonborn and working against the Thalmor. Titus Mede I created a new organization called the Penitus Oculatus, which handled all intelligence and security for the Mede Dynasty. The Penitus Oculatus has been the official Imperial organization for more than 175 years, while the Blades have been an independent force. It makes the Mede decision to outlaw the Blades a lot easier to understand if you know they weren't their employees at all. The Blades were loose cannons they couldn't control.

Ysgramor didn't destroy the snow elves. The stories about Ysgramor say he and his 500 Companions showed up in Skyrim, killed or sent the snow elves into exile, took all of Skyrim, and then wandered over to pick fights with the neighbours. In reality, the Falmer weren't completely driven from Skyrim till the reign of King Harald, thirteen generations after Ysgramor. In the interim, there was a whole Dragon cult and war, culminating with Alduin being flung through the time wound. It's a long period. The real Ysgramor definitely clashed with his snow-elf neighbours but he's accumulated the stories of hundreds of years around his mythic name.

The Companions haven't been a Nord-only organization for a very long time. You might think that a bunch of warriors venerating the legacy of Ysgramor and his Companion would be Nord only, and that was probably true way back in the First Era. But by the end of the First Era, the Companions had boasted both a Redguard and Elf (Altmer or Bosmer) Harbinger. Cirroc and Henantier are some of the most famous Harbingers in the history of the Companions. We're in the Fourth Era now, so if you're playing a non-Nord, you're following in a long tradition by joining the companions. (As is Athis.)

The Imperial Legion didn't win back most of Cyrodiil in the Great War. People often ask why Titus Mede II agreed to the harsh peace of the White-Gold Concordat after his army had destroyed the Dominion army in Cyrodiil and taken back the Imperial City. But that's not what really happened. The Legion destroyed "the main army". Other Aldmeri armies are mentioned in Cyrodiil. After Red Ring, the Dominion still occupied Anvil, Skingrad, Bravil, and Leyawiin. "The Great War" doesn't say that any of these cities were liberated. Put those territories together and you'll realize the Empire never got back its coastline or the Niben river. Titus Mede made his deal while the Dominion still occupied half of Cyrodiil. Maybe he could have won if he'd pushed on, but his decision is a lot easier to understand with this context.

The Bretons Don't Worship Talos. This is one of my favourite lore bits to explain. Talos is not a god in TES II, Daggerfall, though he is a historical figure, Tiber Septim. He's only introduced as a god in Morrowind. So, a lot of people assume that he's been retconned into the Breton religion, like he was into the Nord/Imperial religions. This is not true. In both Morrowind and Skyrim, the book Varieties of Faith in the Empire does not list Talos/Ysmir as part of the Breton pantheon. They worship the Eight (and sometimes Y'ffre, Magnus, and Phynaster), as they always have. Tiber Septim is an important historical figure whom some Bretons regard as one of their own, but he isn't an official god. I love this tidbit because it makes the White-Gold Concordat absolutely brilliant. One remaining province, Skyrim, gets all upset while High Rock wouldn't care. Cyrodiil is presumably somewhere in the middle. It's a perfect way to drive a wedge among the provinces. (Hammerfell's left the Empire, but for the record, they don't worship Talos either.)

[volumina-vetustiora]

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. You don't have to do anything anymore.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - But what's this? An awareness creeps up on you. A jumping, juddering sensation forces your head up and your eyes open.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - You are moving. On a cart of some kind.

INTERFACING [Trivial: Success] - Your hands are bound. This is a *problem*. With your magic digits out of action, you're helpless!

RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - There is a blond man with a braid in his hair sitting across from you. He tries to get your attention: “Hey you! You're finally awake.”

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - He has piercing blue eyes. Oceanic.

RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - “You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush. Same as us, and that thief over there.”

LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - He gestures towards the meek looking man next to him.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - Imperial. Of the Empire. What Empire? *The* Empire. The great Empire of Men, centred at the Imperial City, in the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. These guys used to rule the world.

AUTHORITY [Challenging: Failure] - Clearly they still do.

LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - “Damn you Stormcloaks! Skyrim was fine until you came along!”

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - His sudden anger is a thin disguise for terrible, terrible fear.

LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - “Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn’t been looking for you, I could’ve stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell.” He turns to you. “You there. You and me—we shouldn't be here. It’s these Stormcloaks the Empire wants.”

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Failure] - Stormcloaks?

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - Cool name.

RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - “We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief.”

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Brothers and sisters? Like he wouldn't trample over the lot of you for a chance to get out of here.

IMPERIAL SOLDIER - The cart driver speaks up: “Shut up back there!”

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Easy: Success] - Silence.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - You watch the snowflakes dance in the air.

SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - This land is cold. Bitterly cold.

[elbiotipo]

Notes on a South Asian Tropical Cyrodiil (and more!)

So, many TES fans know that before Oblivion, Cyrodiil was supposed to be tropical. The most striking phrase to describe it, "most is endelss jungle", says it all. The quick and snarky explanation is that Todd Howard watched LOTR, was "inspired" by it, and that's why everything in Oblivion looks sort of like a Rennaisance Fair. In any case, I think it was a huge missed opportunity, especially in a world where most popular fantasy is European inspired, to have replaced what could have been very cool tropical enviroments with what is frankly a lame "Talos used his magic" lore retcon. You can read the 1st edition of the Pocket Guide to the Empire to see what we missed.

But it's not only Cyrodiil which we missed this way… Tamriel just makes more sense as a tropical continent. While the size and the exact location of the continent is discussed by nerdier nerds than me, I think it does make sense like this, and not only that, we have a very interesting world parallel to compare it to: India. From a tropical rainy south to the cold mountains of Skyrim, Tamriel is surprisingly similar to the Indian subcontinent, and many of its geographical quirks can be explained if, instead of assuming a temperate Cyrodiil, we go all out with that concept. This is going to be a long post, you have been warned.

So with that in mind, I'll try to make a not-so brief tour (with some evocative pictures along the way) of a rebuilt tropical Tamriel, following the rains of the moonson:

The position of Tamriel, in this case, would be roughly where the Indian subcontinent is located in real life, that is again, tropical, stretching the Tropic of Cancer (is there a name for the tropics of Nirn? Interesting to think about) Here, we see our numbers pan out well: Tamriel is mentioned to be between 4000 and 3000km across east to west and 2000 and 3000km south to north. VERY, VERY roughly, there is 4000km between Pakistan and Myanmar, and 3000km from Sri Lanka to the northern tip of Tibet. Plot that on a map, and you already can see some coincidences. Now, this is a rather average continent, not Pangea sized like some imagine Tamriel to be. This does help explain why, for example, the interior of Cyrodiil is rainy and good for agriculture instead of a desert. But it also means that it's very likely that Tamriel is ruled by monsoons. Monsoons are complex, but they basically form when there are plenty of warm places for water to evaporate (the South Indian ocean), and mountains that block cool winds from the opposite direction (the Himalayas). We have a very similar situation here, with a mountainous Skyrim on the north of a tropical Cyrodiil facing an equatorial southern ocean. So, what happens are monsoons, perhaps not as strong as IRL India, but carrying rains very deep into the continent. This would feed the rivers and the rich agricultural areas of Cyrodiil, and would have some other consequences.

So let's imagine our trip South to North. In the South, in Black Marsh, Blackwood and Lleyawiin, and Pellentine (southern Elsweyr) we would find, much like in the original lore, humid tropical climates, jungle, wetlands, and my favorite, mangrooves. I would expect mangrooves to stretch in this whole area, across rivers. In fact, one of the reasons why Black Marsh could be so hard to explore and control by the Empires at Cyrodiil would be the presence of thick mangrooves all over its coast. This is the region of Cyrodiil that would most resemble "endless jungle".

(Rice fields in India, what I imagine most of this Tropical Cyrodiil would look like)

However, as any lore person knows, Anequina, northern Elsweyr, is arid desert. Does this mean a contradiction? Far from it, we have a similar example in IRL India: the Deccan Plateau, which has a semi-arid to arid climate. This can be easily explained by higher elevations up to a small mountain chain separating it from Cyrodiil to the north, and the fact that little rain would reach behind this "Anequina Plateau" would make the region of Kvatch and Anvil more dry much like in canon, in this case, more scrublike. This highland desert would not be as harsh as Elsweyr is usually concieved, maybe, but its driest regions might justify places such as Dune. (On that matter, it always bothered me to read about the "cities" of southern Elsweyr and there being only two or three there. If I had to redesign it, I would move some from the north to the south).

(the Deccan Plateau in India, it gets greener or drier according to the monsoon)

Keeping on our tour of Tamriel, the Topal Bay and the very rainy Black Marsh funnels the rainy monsoon from the south towards central Cyrodiil. Here we find the endless jungle of the Nibenay Valley. But unlike the rainforests of Elsweyr and Black Marsh, these dense forests and rich river plains are mediated by the monsoon winds, with dry seasons alternating with copious rain. This has huge effects on agriculture and culture in general, as agriculture is defined by the rythms of the rain. Keeping with our South Asian theme and the 1st edition of the Guide to the Empire, Cyrodiil would have huge extensions of rice paddies, as well as terrace farming and much hardier crops in the highlands, instead of the… well, almost absent agriculture we saw in Oblivion. The food, clothing, architecture and overall culture of Cyrodiil would be very different with this. The original Pocket Guide said some of its main exports besides rice and fruit are moon sugar and silk. Moon sugar in Cyrodiil, can you believe it?

Another thing I imagine Cyrodiil would be famous for would be fish and seafood, well, river food. Rice plantations can host fishes and crustaceans to get some extra protein, and well, what about mudcrabs? Hell, as preparing muddy soil is vital for rice cultivation, no wonder mudcrabs are considered a nuisance. Imagining critters in gameplay in such an enviroment also makes my mind roam. Tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, and this is not even getting into the more mythical creatures you could find, instead of endless wolves… Rice cultivation is also more labor intensive than other crops, and it also has a deep impact on the terrain, "terraforming" so to say, huge expanses into paddies and terrace farms. This level of cultivation also requires an established infraestructure of irrigation. While this does not necessarily means a centralized goverment, as farmers can build it and maintain it by themselves, the rise of an empire, i.e., the Empire, will also increase the complexity of these systems, adding canals, dams, reservoirs and more ambitious projects, like we see in India and China. I am sure some people more knowledgeable about those cultures can comment more.

While this Cyrodiil is a tropical/subtropical region covered in "endless jungle", some parts might indeed resemble the rolling hills and grasslands you see in Oblivion. Deforesting jungle for pasture is something very common around the world (some have joked this mass deforestation was later in canon explained as a gift from Talos lol) and you can see the results, like in tropical Australia and my closer Mata Atlantica, do superficially resemble temperate pastures in say, Europe. Until you notice the palm trees, of course. But yes, I can see the Nords being a mostly herding people (more on that below) bringing their sheep and cows to the tropical lowlands and, well, deforesting to make space for them.

(ranches in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, notice the palm trees)

Imperial City just so happens to be built in an island in the middle of several river crossings, in what seems to be a swampland. The first thing that came to mind when I read that was Tenochtitlán. The districts of Imperial City would have been built over the centuries on artificial islands on a shallow lake, using plentiful mud and organic matter to make fertile chinampas. I believe this would make for a striking sight. Instead of just a city in the middle of a empty island, you would see the White-Gold tower and the rest of Imperial City rising from Lake Rumare, surrounded by rich farmland and its districts joined by walkways. (much like the old descriptions, actually, could you believe I wrote that without reading them?)

(Reconstruction of Tenochtitlán... and I just noticed, it's surrounded by (volcanic) mountains too, much like Imperial City)

Much like the Pantanal is one of the sources to the Paraguay River (which merges with the Paraná and then the Río de la Plata) IRL, here, the swamps of central Cyrodiil would be the source of the Niben. This does raise an interesting question, where is the source of the Niben? Is it Lake Rumare? No, I believe it would be several smaller rivers all the way from Bruma and even Skyrim. These small, violent mountain rivers eventually flow into the Rumare wetlands and only THEN in the placid great Niben. You DON'T want to be caught in one of the mountain valleys in rainy season. This does raise the question; won't the developments upriver, like Imperial City itself and the surrounding farmland, affect the course of the river downwards? There's plenty of water from the rain, but a more developed Cyrodiil might indeed have to grapple with this, supposing, for example, they manage to dam the river.

Looking west, we got the Colovian region, said to be composed of drier highlands and cliffs in the early Pocket Guide. Probably cut from the rain because of the Anequina Plateau, this is indeed more arid or "mediterranean", though I actually see it as more Australian. Maybe some of the drier parts near Hammerfell, resembling Argentine Cuyo and the northwest, would be a distant cry from the wetlands, having thorny dry forests and dry valleys, where yes, you could plant wine. The wetter cloud forests (much like the Yungas in South America, the place where the rain reaches last) could maybe be the home of the last pre-Imperial cultures of Cyrodiil. Fascinating places.

(Jujuy, Argentina. Just *near* are the Yungas cloud forests, where the last rains from the Atlantic meet the Andes, making for some AMAZING places)

Given that I mentioned enviroments near to/on the Andes IRL, let's talk about potatoes. Potatoes are unique crops, because they are the only ones who offer such calories and also be planted in cold enviroments like Europe. Or Skyrim. The discovery and spread of potatoes would cause demographic shifts on people living in cold areas. And they also originated in a unique enivorment IRL: the Andes, actually with possible hybridization from the Magallenic foresWHAT I MEAN, is that potatoes are very important and have been domesticated in very specific conditions. The Wroghtgarian Mountains would seem like a perfect equivalent of the Andes at the first glance, but they would be very different. The Andes, located between the Pacific Ocean and the greater Amazonian region, are very, very unique enviroments. These mountains, however, are in between inner seas. Something like the Atlas or the Alps? In any case, if there is some people who would appreciate hardy tubers that can grow in mountainous places, they are for sure the Orcs, or perhaps the Reachmen. Maybe an hybridization even between them?

This returns me back to Bruma and Skyrim. Some people (who make those excellent Oblivion mods) imagine Bruma with a Tibetan flavor. Personally, I imagine it more like Pakistan or Afghanistan, with lots of mesas and plateaus and valleys. It would look dry and rocky with some very fertile valleys by snowmelt, but it would look like a snowy wonderland on winter, indeed, Pakistan and Afghanistan are very snowy. Eventually, of course, ending up in the great barrier of the Jerall mountains and finally, Skyrim.

(the Alps? Skyrim? No, this is Kashmir on winter!)

In this scenario, Skyrim would be a quite dry place… or would it? There is no need for the Jeralls to be a straight line of peaks like the Himalayas. They could be a more "broken" series of mountains, like the southern Andes, but in any case, the rain from the south would clash into the higher mountains. Indeed, that is what actually happens in the Himalayas, the foothills of the Himalayas are some of the rainest places IN THE WORLD. These small valleys are something very unique and not very well known part of the world IRL. I can imagine the Skyrim equivalent would be as unique too, hard to navigate and live in. The forests of the Rift and Falkreath would be mazes of windy forests valleys, each with their own unique secrets under a perpetual fog and drizzle. This is a very interesting enviroment to imagine, where again, some of the older cultures of Tamriel could still live.

(forests of Bhutan, note how the humid valleys stretch into the distance before the cold Himalayas begin)

However, what does Skyrim look like once you cross the border with Ralof? I imagine some sort of more fertile Tibet, not as high as the Tibetan plateau, allowing for forest and alpine tundra. This is mostly because, while Skyrim is high up, I don't imagine as a plateau, but rather a series of broken mountains like the North American Rockies, which makes sense when you account for all the volcanic activity (there is another super-volcano down in Skyrim but nobody notices). I imagine that Skyrim would be a primarily herding pastoral land before the introduction of hardier crops such as potatoes, and even then. Nord culture would be very interesting reimagined like this; hillforts guarding herds of sheep and cows. It would also create a clash between the very, very agrarian south and the nomadic herding north, with High Rock and Hammerfell a gradient between the two.

I decide I will stop here, I haven't even touched Valenwood (though its subtropical forest seems rather coherent to me), High Rock (the most boring part of Tamriel IMO), Hammerfell, Summerset Islands (if you don't have tropical elves in your setting, you're a coward), or whatever the hell is going on Morrowind. But I hope you enjoyed this worldbuilding exercise and how to make sense of Tamriel's crazy geography. Next time, I'll try to play with tectonics and see if we can make it even more interesting.

But here we enter a problem; if we are operating on a level where Cyrodiil is roughly at the same latitude of India, wouldn't that make Skyrim too far from the poles to allow its tundra like climate, even with elevation? No doubt. Tibet is only as cold as it is because it's the roof of the world and far from any ocean. The northernmost tip Skyrim, like Tibet, would be at the latitude of Turkey, Korea or California, which can get quite cold, but not to the level of what we see on Winterhold or Dawnstar (Solitude sounds familiar, though). What's more, having an ocean up north would only moderate the temperature. Cool currents often don't bring cold per-se, just decrease rainfall. This would end with a very temperate and pleasant Skyrim instead of tundra. Which is on its own, interesting to explore.

Could Nirn be going through an ice age, like it's implied with the dissapearance of Atmora? Possibly, but it would imply revising everything I said before, as ice ages decrease rainfall and mess up with weather patterns all over the world. A colder Nirn would explain a lot, though.

If you liked what you read and would like more worldbuilding, consider tipping me on Ko-Fi and send me stuff to talk about, or just send an ask! I'm the kind of guy who reads encyclopedias and RPG manuals for fun, so I have plenty to talk about about everything from fantasy to science fiction to speculative evolution and alternate history!