Lore talk:Altmer
Contents
- 1 Lifespan
- 2 origin of Mer names
- 3 Bethesda's vision problems
- 4 Real life basis
- 5 Altmer dictionary
- 6 Salache
- 7 Edit Warring
- 8 Altmer 'Purity' and Physiology
- 9 Eye Colour
- 10 Lede description - I don't understand the change
- 11 The lifespan of the Elves is longer than 200–300 years, even without magic
Lifespan[edit]
Does anyone know the average lifespan of the mer? — Unsigned comment by Example (talk) at 21:12 on 28 April 2010 (GMT)
- I can't find anything definite but this article on TIL implies lifespans of at least hundreds of years. That article has the quote "Over the past thousand years, only seventeen new initiates were brought into the [Psijic] order. In the past two years, however, another thirty have joined." If only seventeen joined in a thousand years, there wouldn't be much to join if they didn't live a long time. --RpehTalk 03:24, 3 October 2007 (EDT)
- Divayth Fyr claims to have lived for thousands of years, though he is described by others as one of the oldest mortals in Tamriel. --TheRealLurlock Talk 09:35, 3 October 2007 (EDT)
- The Real Barenziah, v 2 mentions that "the gods granted elves thousand-year lifespans." Twentyfists 21:46, 23 January 2008 (EST)
- Divayth Fyr claims to have lived for thousands of years, though he is described by others as one of the oldest mortals in Tamriel. --TheRealLurlock Talk 09:35, 3 October 2007 (EDT)
- In my reading's Altmer can live up to 300 years. Lillia 08:15, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
origin of Mer names[edit]
Can someone add to the article that 'alt' is German for old, and in the Bosmer article that 'bos' is Dutch for forrest
Dun(from Dunmer) is Dutch for thin, but i dont think that has anything to do with the Dark Elves — Unsigned comment by 81.206.147.51 (talk)
- If you had a reference to an interview or other source where a developer stated that these languages were the sources of the various prefixes, then the information would be relevant and it should be added to the article. But otherwise, it seems like unsupported speculation. In particular, the fact that "alt" is a German word meaning "old" seems to me to be coincidence rather than intentional. Given that the common name for Altmer is "High Elf" it would seem far more likely that the derivation is Latin, since "altus" in Latin means "high." --NepheleTalk 01:44, 22 January 2008 (EST)
- Hooray for Latin! Twentyfists 21:40, 23 January 2008 (EST)
- Additionally, "bos" is similar to "bois", which is the French word for "wood". Since French is derived from Latin, I'd say that's probably where that comes from. The Dutch word is a possible cognate or borrowed word, but I'd say the Latin has more credence. (Much of the ancient language in these games seems to have Latin influences.) --TheRealLurlock Talk 23:35, 23 January 2008 (EST)
- The latin word is "boscus." It means woods in Latin. The only one left is Dunmer I think. 98.221.87.206 15:01, 30 August 2011 (UTC)
- Dunmer are the "Dark Elves". In old English Dun means dark/gloomy not sure which base language it comes from though as English is, basically, the illegitimate child of both Old German and Latin. 87.113.23.237 14:24, 04 April 2013 (GMT)
- The latin word is "boscus." It means woods in Latin. The only one left is Dunmer I think. 98.221.87.206 15:01, 30 August 2011 (UTC)
- Additionally, "bos" is similar to "bois", which is the French word for "wood". Since French is derived from Latin, I'd say that's probably where that comes from. The Dutch word is a possible cognate or borrowed word, but I'd say the Latin has more credence. (Much of the ancient language in these games seems to have Latin influences.) --TheRealLurlock Talk 23:35, 23 January 2008 (EST)
- Hooray for Latin! Twentyfists 21:40, 23 January 2008 (EST)
Bethesda's vision problems[edit]
Bethesda did label that picture as male? On the codex or somewhere?Temple-Zero 16:05, 5 September 2008 (EDT)
- why is that so hard to believe? he's just wearing a robe, and has his hair up.--GUM!!! 11:56, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
Real life basis[edit]
I was thinking about the Altmeri caste system earlier, and it got me thinking as to how similar they are to the aryan peoples. By this of course I mean Indo-Iranians. Indo-Iranians bought their language and culture to the Middle East (like the Altmer to Tamriel), and in particular their caste system to India. This caste system is actually fairly similar to the Altmeri one. The Aryans had a profound effect on history, with the various Persian empires, for example the Sassanids, being descended from them. Sound familiar?
Additionally, the Aldmer, which we can assume to be similar to the Altmer due to lore sources, spread throughout Tamriel and divided into races. This can be seen in the Indo-Iranians clearly, as they have dispersed into numerous ethnic groups. This could be extended to early Indo-Europeans, and shows the extent of the genetic influence.
Another point to make is that propagandist Imperial sources accused the Altmer of eugenics, killing infants for racial impurity. This echoes the common misuse of the term Aryan that was used by the Nazis. Any thoughts? Corvus 10:24, 29 June 2010 (UTC)
- As GK has already indicated, this is irrelevant speculation. If you want to continue, please do so on a forum - not here. rpeh •T•C•E• 12:18, 30 June 2010 (UTC)
- It's similar to the Bretons being based on the French etc, if there is evidence then it is trivia that people may be interested to know Corvus 14:48, 30 June 2010 (UTC)
- The equation of Nord/Norse; Imperial/Roman; Breton/French is well-established with dozens of similarities to back up the statement. This is pure speculation based on selective sampling of coincidences. rpeh •T•C•E• 15:46, 30 June 2010 (UTC)
- Not really that selective, there are always going to be similarities and differences. Take the Bretons- French name British accent. I don't see the opposition to this really, there seems to be a link. When I have more time I intend to delve into Altmeri lore a bit more Corvus 15:51, 30 June 2010 (UTC)
- The equation of Nord/Norse; Imperial/Roman; Breton/French is well-established with dozens of similarities to back up the statement. This is pure speculation based on selective sampling of coincidences. rpeh •T•C•E• 15:46, 30 June 2010 (UTC)
- Two great nations sir. The Imperials and the Altmer. Like the Romans and the Greeks. The Imperials are the Romans - power, armies, strength. The Altmer are the Greeks - ideas, civilisation, intellect. Between them they shall rule the world - David Hare — Unsigned comment by 125.237.209.205 (talk) at 01:46 on 12 September 2010
Altmer dictionary[edit]
Wasn't there an Altmer dictionary on this site? I've just made a search for "dictionary" and this seem to be the closest to it I found but it seem it was in vain. DynV 23:55, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
- You might be thinking of the Ayleid Language page. Also, make sure you have Lore checked when you search for things like this.--Ghurhak gro-Demril or TAOYes? 00:02, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- The words Lore:Ayleid Language doesn't seen to be exactly Altmer but there's influence in it, so thanks! Could I have stumbled on this page (Lore:Altmer) without having checked Lore in the search? DynV 00:07, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- Indeed, the Ayleids are a different race from the Altmer. I seem to recall that we once had a Dictionary space (either a namespace or a sub-space of the Lore namespace). But I don't think there was one for the Altmer.--Kalis AgeaYes? Contrib E-mail 00:10, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- I am positive an Altmer dictionary was once online, before TESIV was released, I'm not sure it was on this site although I suspect it. DynV 00:14, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- It may have been The Imperial Library. They specialize in TES Lore and have a dictionary. Although I wasn't here during those days, a friend of mine (actually, my brother's friend) perused/read this site as early as Dec '04. I asked him about it, and he could only tell me that he somewhat (though only very vaguely) recalled such a dictionary being on the UESPWiki at some point during the 6 years that followed. In any event, if there was one there no longer is.--Kalis AgeaYes? Contrib E-mail 00:24, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- I am positive an Altmer dictionary was once online, before TESIV was released, I'm not sure it was on this site although I suspect it. DynV 00:14, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- Indeed, the Ayleids are a different race from the Altmer. I seem to recall that we once had a Dictionary space (either a namespace or a sub-space of the Lore namespace). But I don't think there was one for the Altmer.--Kalis AgeaYes? Contrib E-mail 00:10, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
- The words Lore:Ayleid Language doesn't seen to be exactly Altmer but there's influence in it, so thanks! Could I have stumbled on this page (Lore:Altmer) without having checked Lore in the search? DynV 00:07, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
(←) This page is the closest we have to an Altmer dictionary (to the best of my understanding, they still speak Aldmeris), even though it covers multiple languages. I can't find any history to suggest we ever had a more complete/complex page dedicated solely to the language in question, but I could easily be wrong. Dlarsh(T,C) 00:44, 25 June 2011 (UTC)
Salache[edit]
So, the belief that Salache was an Ayleid term seems to have been based on the Daggerfall version of The Wild Elves. It turns out that the book was retconned. Salache, Boiche, and Moriche were replaced with Altmer, Bosmer, and Dunmer, but the wiki never acknowledged it. So, we continued to transclude the wrong version of the text into the other game namespaces for over a decade. There's really no basis that I can see for concluding it was an Ayleid term.
However, "Salache" apparently crops up in the ESO game data; see here. I can't find any other reference to these apparently generic npcs, so I don't know if they were even implemented. But if they are, the additional use of the word "Salache" would be relevant to the note on the page. Insignificant RevisionsThreats•Evidence 00:33, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
- These names are definitely derived from some elven language. Aurbic Enigma 4: The Elden Tree mentions the name "Boiche" as if it was the name of ancient Bosmer, or an ancient name for the Bosmer. The Book of the Great Tree mentions Salache as the Elves who came to Elden Root led by Meridia - and that would obviously refer to the Ayleids. Finally, the existence of the Ayleid word "Vahtache" in The Song of Pelinal, v 4, referring to the ruin of Vahtacen, suggests that -che is a suffix that exists in Ayleidoon. So even if these names don't come directly from Ayleidoon, they may come from Aldmeris or some other language closely related to Ayleidoon. --Vordur Steel-Hammer (TINV1K) 03:40, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
Edit Warring[edit]
I've outlined my own reasons behind reverting anon's edits here and hoped to avoid an edit war. Per this however, I guess I'll be the one to start the discussion here. Does anyone object to the current revision? —Legoless (talk) 03:51, 24 February 2016 (UTC)
- Looks good to me. I do have a question though: Isn't there a better source than "events of Skyrim" for their eye-colour? --MetaCthulhu (talk) 04:24, 24 February 2016 (UTC)
Altmer 'Purity' and Physiology[edit]
So, we know the Altmer are the closest race to the Aldmer in terms of both appearance and ancestry, and that they take pride in their heritage and see themselves as the superior race. We also know that the Thalmor and, I assume as well, the Veiled Heritance are both nationalist groups obsessed with Altmeri supremacy and seem to dislike 'impurity'. Any idea on what they would consider signs of purity aside from a spotless family tree of only Altmeri family members and ancestors?
In addition, would there be any physical traits that would be seen as 'impure' signs in an Altmer?
Finally, is there any lore-based explanation regarding the hair colors of Altmer in the various games - how Altmer in Arena and Daggerfall posssessed dark and light colors, Morrowind depicted them with only light colors, Oblivion and mainly light-haired but also dark-haired Altmer, Skyrim had only one example of dark hair in an Altmer (a preset for females) while all NPCs as far as I've noticed have blonde, white, or gray hair (blonde and white are especially prevalent in Thalmor members due to their parallels with the real-world Nazis), a majority of Altmer NPCs having lighter colors while some (including Heritance members and those who are high-ranking/high-status Dominion members) have dark hair colors such as black and dark-brown while players lack such hair colors? Even Legends depicts dark and light haired Altmer (although I'm aware this might not be the best example to refer to) - with dark-haired Altmer cards being Lillandril Hexmage, Summerset Shieldmage, and Royal Sage according to the High Elf card page on this site. There might even be more, if anyone knows. It seems that the Altmer can have a variety of hair colors whether they are pure-blooded or not (e.g. Eambar in Dune has dark brown hair and is part of the Dominion, more than likely pure-blooded - Cannonreeve Valano has black hair and is a Heritance member who are Anti-Bosmer and Anti-Khajiit - Isiraamo in Craglorn's Mages Guild has dark-brown hair - and the lore book 2920, Sun's Dawn even refers to an Altmer on Artaeum as a "dark-haired Altmer lass" and is present in Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, -and- ESO) , yet there seems to be a sort of inconsistency in how their hair colors are shown. I guess darker hair colors are rare though entirely possible - but could there another reason behind this trend in Altmer as of late? — Unsigned comment by BlackWormDisciple (talk) at 00:10 on 7 June 2016 (UTC)
- Altmer purity depends on how similar they look to the Aldmer. The closer they are to their ancestors, the better. It's seemingly as much a mathematical pursuit as a eugenic one. The hair thing was discussed at length on the forum thread, and there's really nothing else to say on it lorewise. Altmer have lots of different hair colours and there's nothing to suggest it has anything to do with racial purity, regardless of whether or not those shades are available in character creation. —Legoless (talk) 01:33, 7 June 2016 (UTC)
- Hmm... Right. I remember making that thread. I was just wondering if there was something else that could be added about that was all. My apologies. Edit: Sorry again, didn't realize I wasn't logged in when I made this second post. — Unsigned comment by BlackWormDisciple (talk) at 04:54 on 7 June 2016 (UTC)
Eye Colour[edit]
Is there really a need to have "They usually have golden, green, or amber eyes"?
I don't believe it's even true, as it is only apparent in Skyrim. Morrowind, Oblivion, ESO, and Legends all present Altmer with variety of other colours.
Lede description - I don't understand the change[edit]
I don’t want to get into an edit war, and I deeply respect the opinions of the veteran users and moderators (Tarponpet) of this encyclopedia, probably the best and most complete one that exists for TES. However, I don' understand this:
A official description of the Altmer describes them as: "They are one of the longest-lived and most intelligent races in Tamriel".[1]
However, the lead was changed to: “They are among the longest-living races of Tamriel and are regarded as being one of the most intelligent.”
Honestly, I see this as essentially the same, just phrased in a more unnecessarily elaborate (or wordy) way. —JaierRT (talk) 15:49, 6 May 2025 (UTC)
- It stems from the policies that we are not expected to copy original sources word for word when writing original articles. Those articles are also expected to be written as if they were (very well researched) text that could be technically found in-universe. Additionally sources are hardly ever absolute and they shouldn't always be fully subscribed to as absolute truths.Tyrvarion (talk) 15:52, 6 May 2025 (UTC)
- Because of the biases inherently present in such a statement. You could surely find many pieces of dialogue from people who'd also would object to such a statement. Saying one race is for a FACT more intelligent than others fails to take into account averages. Which is usually what phrases like that actualy mean. For instance we've had multiple different races claimed to be the best warriors.-Tarponpet (talk) 16:02, 6 May 2025 (UTC)
The lifespan of the Elves is longer than 200–300 years, even without magic[edit]
Both the lore and observable in-universe practice suggest that Elves possess a natural potential lifespan of up to 1,000 years, even without the use of magic. However, not many reach that age, as war, disease, and other external factors often claim their lives long before they can fulfill that potential:
1st: The Real Barenziah (1996) [1]
This book first appeared in Daggerfall and has been included in every main title since, without changes to the relevant passage. It states:
“…in contemplating the thousand-year lifespan the gods had granted the Elves. True, few ever lived that long, for disease and violence took their toll. But they could. And one or two of them did.”
This suggests that Elves possess the potential to live up to a thousand years, although few ever achieve it due to external factors such as illness or conflict.
The idea that Elves live between 200 years (old) and 300 years (very, very old), with anything beyond that requiring the use of powerful magic, originates from this particular source:
3rd: Answers to the Elder Scrolls Online Story (2015) [2]
“Elves live two or three times longer than humans and beast races (Orcs, Khajiit, Argonians). An elf at 200 years is old; an elf at 300 is very, very old. Anyone beyond that age has prolonged their lifespan through powerful magic.”
This establishes that the average elf lifespan is said to be between 200 and 300 years, with anyone exceeding that threshold presumably using magic.
However, this statement has notable limitations. Lawrence Schick, Loremaster of Elder Scrolls Online at the time, clarified that this kind of information should not be taken as definitive unless attributed to an in-universe source:
“Unless attributed to a Tamrielic source—for example, ‘According to Beredalmo...’—marketing text should not be considered a reliable representation of lore.”
In-Universe Evidence from Actual Mer:
We have records of the exact or approximate ages of 25 mer, and the data points trend toward the lifespans suggested by The Real Barenziah, up to 1,000 years, rather than the 200–300 year range claimed by ESO.
Examples of Longevity (Elves who died): Symmachus • Age at death: 375 • Cause: Unnatural
Tjurhane Fyrre • Age at death: 357 • Cause: Unknown
Laloriaran Dinar • Age at death: 319 • Cause: Unknown
Rangidil Ketil • Age at death: 288 • Cause: Unknown
These figures directly contradict the ESO estimate. For example, Symmachus, a non-mage, lived 75 years past the “very, very old” range before being assassinated. Tjurhane Fyrre also lived far beyond 300 years, even if the cause is unknown.
Currently Living Mer (or with Estimated Ages):
Brara Morvayn • Age: 100+ • Status: Natural death • Notes: Adult in Morrowind (3E 327), died around 4E 65
Hidelith • Age: 110+ • Status: Natural death • Notes: King in 2E 486, reigned for 94 years
Sinderion • Age: 116+ • Status: Unnatural death • Notes: Died in Skyrim (4E 58), already old in Oblivion
Rythe Verano • Age: 150+ • Status: Unnatural death • Notes: Lived during Potentate killings; estimated 150–260 years
Lleril Morvayn • Age: 160+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Ruling Raven Rock for 137 years
Brand-Shei • Age: 194 • Status: Alive • Notes: Born in 4E 5, healthy in Skyrim
Ambarys Rendar • Age: 200+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Remembers the Red Year
Senise Thindo • Age: 200+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Called "a mere child of 200" by Neloth
Avrusa Serethi • Age: 230+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Ran a shop in Vivec; adult by 4E 5
Rythe Lythandas • Age: 230+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Appears in both Oblivion and Skyrim
Rilis XII • Age: 370+ • Status: Unnatural death • Notes: Ruled from 2E 230 to 2E 582
Barenziah • Age: 430+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Born at the end of the 2nd Era, lived through the 3rd
Neloth • Age: 500+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Appears in Morrowind and Skyrim; considers 200-year-olds "children"
Lilatha • Age: 600+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Student in 2920; would be 600+ in ESO
Vorien Direnni • Age: 610+ • Status: Alive • Notes: Author of De Rerum Dirennis, no known magical powers
Therana • Age: 750+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Appears in Morrowind and ESO; mage
Gothren • Age: 750+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Appears in Morrowind and ESO; mage
Dratha • Age: 750+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Appears in Morrowind and ESO; mage
Celarus • Age: 750+ • Status: Unknown • Notes: Psijic; alive during Septim era
Iachesis • Age: ~3500 • Status: Unnatural • Notes: Alive from 1E 20 to 2E 586; mage
Gelebor • Age: ~4000 • Status: Alive • Notes: Sentinel of the Chantry since the Merethic Era
Longevity Analysis:
The most significant takeaway is that the majority of mer who are still alive and healthy easily surpass 200 years. In fact, five non-mage elves have lived over 300 years, directly challenging the ESO range. These five represent 20% of the studied sample.
A particularly compelling example is Vorien Direnni, who lived at least 611 years with no magical powers attributed to him, more than double the maximum suggested by ESO.
Additional Evidence:
Other mer, while lacking precise age data, still support the argument for long elven lifespans:
Aduri Sarethi • Sister of Avrusa (230+); both were adults during TES III: Morrowind. They have future plans and show no signs of nearing death.
Fasendil • A member of the Legion during the Green Fire Night (4E 42); still active, implying over 160 years of service.
Dravynea the Stoneweaver • Remembers the Red Year; worked as a mining mage in Morrowind.
Ravyn Imyan • Part of the Morag Tong before the Red Year.
Aranea Ienith • Arrived in Skyrim before the Red Year, guided by Azura's vision.
Sondas Drenim • Says he’s been mining ore for over a century, never lived in Morrowind.
Adril Arano • Same age as Lleril Morvayn; moved to Raven Rock with him.
Teldryn Sero • Says he knew St. Jiub, who died during the Oblivion Crisis.
Conclusion:
While Elder Scrolls Online materials suggest that Elves live between 200 and 300 years, with longer lifespans attributed to magic, this estimate is not consistent with broader in-universe evidence or earlier lore sources. The statement itself originates from a non-diegetic source (marketing material), and even ESO’s own Loremaster advised caution in treating it as canonical.
In contrast, The Real Barenziah, a long-standing in-universe text, clearly states that Elves were granted a potential lifespan of up to 1,000 years by the gods. While only a few ever reach that age due to war, illness, or violence, the natural possibility remains.
Moreover, practical observation of Elven characters across the series supports the idea of a much longer natural lifespan. Numerous examples, both historical and contemporary, show Elves living well beyond 300 years, many of them without any indication of magical enhancement. Notably, some non-mage individuals have lived 400–600 years or more.
In light of the textual lore, character records, and developer commentary, it is far more accurate to conclude that Elves possess a natural, though rarely realized, lifespan of up to 1,000 years, and that claims of a 200–300 year limit are oversimplified and not representative of the broader Elder Scrolls universe.
Sorry for the long message. —Namornen (talk) 22:26, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
- This is a topic with a lot of contradictory sources. We cannot simply ignore one source in favor of the other. It is better to mention the contradictory information than removing sources completely. -Tarponpet (talk) 23:16, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
- I know, however, this is a different case: Lawrence Schick, Loremaster of Elder Scrolls Online at the time, clarified that this kind of information should not be taken as definitive unless attributed to an in-universe source:
- “Unless attributed to a Tamrielic source—for example, ‘According to Beredalmo...’—marketing text should not be considered a reliable representation of lore.”
- We have official lore in the form of Interview with a Dark Elf that some Dunmer families only live to around 130 years before they die of natural causes, and that it varies from family to family, with some consistently living into their late 100s or 200s. This lines up with other lore - the 1,000 year number is not a constant for all elvish races, it is dependant on family longevity. Mindtrait0r (talk) 23:26, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
- I’m familiar with that source. But it’s actually the opposite, the claim that elves live around 100–200 years is the inconsistency in the lore. At best, it refers to a personal or familiar situation, not to the Mer race as a whole.
- We have official lore in the form of Interview with a Dark Elf that some Dunmer families only live to around 130 years before they die of natural causes, and that it varies from family to family, with some consistently living into their late 100s or 200s. This lines up with other lore - the 1,000 year number is not a constant for all elvish races, it is dependant on family longevity. Mindtrait0r (talk) 23:26, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
Let me explain it more briefly. We have three references on the subject, two in-universe and one off-universe (marketing):
(In-Universe) The Real Barenziah (1996) — This book first appeared in Daggerfall and has been included in every main title since, without changes to the relevant passage. It clearly states that the Elves were granted a natural potential lifespan of up to 1,000 years.
(In-Universe) Interview with a Dark Elf — This source mentions a Dunmer knowing Mer who are still "mentally sharp" in their late hundreds, and hearing of folk 200 and older. The speaker also notes their own family usually lives to 120–130. However, this is clearly a personal account, not a universal statement about Dunmer or Mer in general. There are numerous documented examples of healthy elves living well beyond these ages without the use of magic.
(Off-Universe) Answers to the Elder Scrolls Online Story (2015) — This states that elves are old at 200 and very, very old at 300. However, this claim is not only inconsistent with in-universe evidence, it is also non-canonical by the game's own standards. Lawrence Schick, Loremaster of The Elder Scrolls Online at the time, clarified that such material should not be treated as definitive lore unless attributed to an in-universe source:
“Unless attributed to a Tamrielic source—for example, ‘According to Beredalmo...’—marketing text should not be considered a reliable representation of lore.” - Namornen (talk) 23:44, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
- Sure, no one is claiming there aren't elves who lived longer than 300 years naturally, but the fact that we know of elves who were dead or at retiring age at under 300 years is proof that the 1,000 year figure is also not applicable to every elf. The current wording the wiki uses takes all these sources into account. There is no reason to take the Barenziah source as fact when, in reality, it is contradicted several times, such as the aformentioned Interview with a Dark Elf, or Elynea Mothren, who is around 200 years old and considered too old to make a journey halfway across Solstheim and calls herself an old woman. Mindtrait0r (talk) 23:58, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
- But that’s how it is with everything in life. In the real world, humans live up to around 82 years—that’s our expected average potential—and that’s how it’s categorized, even though in some countries the life expectancy is much lower. The potential lifespan of Elves is 1,000 years, but that doesn’t mean others won’t die much earlier, even of natural causes. - Namornen (talk) 00:09, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
- We're generally agreeing that the Barenziah source is correct. We just believe the other sources mentioning lower averages should also be mentioned. We already count even more dubious dev comments as "UOL" meanwhile that one was atleast an offical QnA. And again UESP generally includes contradictory accounts as long as all the factors as considered.-Tarponpet (talk) 00:26, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
- Current phrasing is great, thanks for bringing this up. I've made the same argument regarding the "100-200-300" source not being canon before but it didn't pick up steam. Glad this time it did. --Ithelia, the Daedric Prince of Paths and She Who Saw and Wept (talk) 04:09, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
(←) Coming to this discussion after it is finished, "Altmer possess a natural lifespan ranging from several centuries up to a thousand years, though few ever reach this upper limit due to external factors." is good phrasing.--Talyyn (talk) 01:01, 23 May 2025 (UTC)
- I agree with that phrasing. The Rim of the Sky (talk) 05:25, 23 May 2025 (UTC)