Lore:Merethic Era

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Note: The Merethic Era, also known as the Merethic Age,[1] Mythic Age,[2] Mythic Era,[3][4][5] Mythic Times,[6] and the Era of Myths[7] is a period with few known, exact dates, and some of the events below may be misplaced in the general narrative. The era is dated backwards from Year Zero of the First Era (the traditional Nordic Merethic dating), which is marked by the founding of the Camoran Dynasty.[8] The Dwemer had a method of Merethic dating, abbreviated P.D., but how it relates to the Nordic method is unknown.[9][10]

Early Merethic Era[edit]

ME 2500Direnni Tower constructed
The days of the beastfolk
  • Aboriginal beastpeoples (ancestors of the Khajiit, Argonian, Orcs and other beastfolk) live in preliterate communities throughout Tamriel.[8] Each have their own accounts of this time period.[12] Scholars later surmise that, at this time, the Khajiit have the predominant culture in southern Tamriel.[13]
Early Kothringi culture
  • Later findings date the first Kothringi metalwork and cultural exchange with the Argonians of Shadowfen in this time,[14][15] making them the first known human culture of Tamriel.
The arrival of the elves on the Summerset Isles
  • The Aldmer leave doomed and now-lost Aldmeris (also known as 'Old Ehlnofey') and settle on the isle Auridon. According to legend, the Aldmer folk hero High Lord Torinaan 'the Foresailor' arrives at the location now known as Nine-Prow Landing and founds the city of Firsthold south of it.[16][17]
The earliest known depictions of Clavicus Vile
  • Crude, hand-carved idols and ancient cave paintings depict Clavicus Vile, his mask, and Barbas.[18]

Middle Merethic Era[edit]

The search for Aldmeris
The Aldmeri Colonies on Tamriel
  • First colonies are distributed primarily on the Summerset Isles and widely along the entire coast of Tamriel.[21] Later, inland settlements are founded primarily in fertile lowlands in southwest and central Tamriel.[8] According to Vingalmo's 'Treatise on the Altmer Antecedent' the early Aldmer and Dwemer are significantly more sophisticated than other cultures, displaying power beyond what could be expected of the time.[22]
  • The Aldmeri settlers of Cyrodiil would later become the first Ayleids[21][23] and remain subservient to the King of Alinor until at least 1E 1, when the White-Gold Tower is established as an independent city-state.[8]
  • The literate and technologically advanced Aldmeri cultures drive the relatively primitive beastfolk into the jungles, marshes, mountains, and wastelands.
The Crystal Tower
Rise of the Ayleids
The White-Gold Tower

Late Middle Merethic Era[edit]

The Dwemer expand
  • The Dwemer, a free-thinking, reclusive Elven clan devoted to the secrets of science, engineering, and alchemy, establish underground cities and communities in the mountain range separating modern Skyrim and modern-day Morrowind (later known as the Velothi Mountains).[8]
The Transformation of Trinimac
High Velothi Culture
  • High Velothi Culture thrives in Resdayn. The Chimer become dynamic, ambitious, long-lived Elven clans devoted to fundamentalist ancestor worship. Despising the secular culture and profane practices of the Dwemer, the Chimer also covet their lands and resources, and for centuries provoke them with minor raids and territorial disputes.[8]

Late Merethic Era[edit]

Fall of High Velothi Culture
  • Velothi high culture disappears on Vvardenfell. The earliest known Dwemer Freehold colonies are constructed. The Velothi degenerate into tribal cultures, which, in time, evolve into the modern Great Houses of Morrowind, or persist as the Ashlander tribes. The only surviving traces of this tribal culture are scattered Velothi towers and Ashlander nomads on Vvardenfell Island.[8]
Altmeri abandonment
  • The original First Era High Elven wizard towers along the coasts of Tamriel are abandoned around this time.[8]
ME 1000 - 800 — Traces of the earliest human settlements on Tamriel
  • Archaeologists later trace the earliest known human settlements in High Rock, Hammerfell and Cyrodiil to around this time.[29] For centuries, raiders cross the Sea of Ghosts to invade and settle in Tamriel.[30] Men are soon predominant along the northern coasts.[3][5]
Earliest known interbreeding between High Rock's Nedes and Aldmer
  • Some speculate that interbreeding between the Nedes and Aldmer had been happening for centuries by the time the Merethic Era ended.[31] Khosey's 'Tamrilean Tractates', written in the third century of the First Era, is more restrictive on the timeline. According to it, a Nordic hunting party discovered the early Bretons who have been a product of interbreeding over ten generations between Nede and Aldmer.[32][nb 2]
  • Whether Man or Mer came to High Rock first is debated in scholarly circles: some believe that Nedic civilization and their Druid King were already established in the province when the Aldmer arrived,[33] while others claim that the Nedes arrived in High Rock afterwards, and encountered the elves gradually with a variety of reactions and outcomes.[29][34][UOL 1]
Manmer, the earliest Bretons
  • Asterie Bedel is perhaps the earliest recorded Breton, who was recorded to have created the artifact Chrysamere in the late Merethic Era.[35]
  • The earliest Bretons were known as the Manmer and were more elven in appearance than their modern counterparts.[32][36]
  • "Druid" as a distinct identity was fully realized shortly after the first Bretons came about. Druidic spellcraft is said to be the first truly Breton creation.[37][38]
Fundamental changes in Iron Orc civilization occur
  • After continued aggression from the Nedes of Craglorn, the once peaceful and shamanistic society of the Iron Orcs changes into one of barbarism. Choosing Warriors, Miners and Smiths over their former peaceful jobs they now defended their homes and places of worship through almost bestial ways of warfare.[39]
The Return
  • The proto-Nords in the final migrations from Atmora settle in northern Tamriel. Nordic hero Ysgramor, leader of a great colonizing fleet to Tamriel, develops a runic transcription of Nordic speech based on elvish principles, and is the first human historian. Ysgramor's fleet lands at Hsaarik Head at the extreme northern tip of Skyrim's Broken Cape and builds Saarthal nearby.[8] The elves drive the Men away during the Night of Tears, but Ysgramor soon returns with his Five Hundred Companions and establishes human dominance in modern-day Skyrim.[8][22][nb 1]
The wandering hero
  • An immortal hero, warrior, sorceror, and king variously known as Pelinal Whitestrake, Harrald Hairy Breeks, Ysmir, Hans the Fox, etc., wanders Tamriel, gathering armies, conquering lands, ruling, then abandoning his kingdoms to wander again.[8]
The Doom Stones of Skyrim
  • Scholars later assume the Doom Stones of Skyrim are placed throughout the land during this time.[40]
Kaalgrontiid and his dragons conquer Elsweyr
Dreams of Sovngarde
  • Earliest known writings and stories emerge among the proto-Nords of a hidden, timeless place of eternal life known as Sovngarde, a magnificent Hall of Valor built by Shor to honor the departed who prove their mettle in battle.[44]
The Dragon War
  • At this time, the dragons under Alduin had claimed dominion over all Mundus, and presided over man in Atmora and then Tamriel.[45] The Nords worship them as gods and build many temples dedicated to them.[46] Dragon Priests, servants of their dragon overlords, become increasingly tyrannical, eventually causing men to rebel. Thousands of men die until a few dragons join their fight, when the tide turns in their favor. Alduin is banished and the Dragon Priests are overthrown. The remaining dragons are scattered,[47] their population decimated.[48]
The Narfinsel Schism
  • A centuries long civil war between the more conservative Aedra-worshiping Ayleid clans and the more decadent, vigorous clans that had adopted Daedra-worship begins. It will reach its climax in 1E 198 at the Scouring of Wendelbek.[49]
ME 1

Miscellaneous Events[edit]

The Towers
  • The other Towers are built, including Orichalc, Green-Sap, and Snow Throat (also called the Snow Tower[50]).[UOL 2]
Magic from the sky
  • Travelers gather celestial minerals which are used to build many things, including the great Orrery at Firsthold.[51][52]
Wars of Yokuda
  • The Na-Totambu, the royalty of the Yokudans (ancient Redguards), fight to a standstill among themselves to decide who will lead the charge against the Lefthanded Elves. Leki intervenes and a victor emerges. Diagna, an avatar of the HoonDing, brings orichalc weapons to the Yokudans, which prove instrumental in defeating the elves.[53]
The Bosmer hunt down the Oddoak
  • Tasked by Y'ffre, the Bosmer hunt the shape-shifting beasts known as the Oddoaks.[54]
Aldmer try to reach Aetherius via Sunbirds
  • An Aldmeri Order tries to pierce the veil between Mundus and Aetherius to reach the latter. It is unknown if they succeeded.[55]

Notes[edit]

  • ^  In TES V: Skyrim, Kodlak Whitemane says the Companions are "nearly 5000 years old", which would indicate that the Return occurred sometime in the last five centuries of the Merethic Era. Similarly, the memorial plaque for High King Harald in Windhelm proclaims him as 13th in the line of Ysgramor, which if referring to generations, would indicate Ysgramor being alive around the second century before the end of the Merethic era.
  • ^  The 'Tamrilean Tractates' state that these Manmeri have been found around the time of High King Vrages coronation, which the 'Daggerfall Chronicles' date to 1E 222. The Tractates then state that one of Vrages first actions as king was to start liberating their kinsmen in High Rock and that the Manmeri the hunting party has found was the product of ten generations of elven intermingling. Ten Generations would be around 250-300 years, placing the first known intermingling into the very late Merethic Era.

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ University lectures in Oblivion
  2. ^ Mankar Camoran's dialogue in Oblivion
  3. ^ a b The Annotated Anuad
  4. ^ a b The Monomyth
  5. ^ a b Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: All the Eras of Man, A Comprehensive History of our HistoryImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  6. ^ Generic dialogue in Oblivion
  7. ^ Malana's dialogue in ESO
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Before the Ages of ManAicantar of Shimerene
  9. ^ Chronicles of Nchuleft — An Anonymous Altmer
  10. ^ Antecedents of Dwemer Law
  11. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition: High RockImperial Geographical Society, 2E 864
  12. ^ Artisa Arelas' dialogue in Morrowind.
  13. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: Sugar and Blood: the Cats of the SouthImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  14. ^ Silver Wish Medallion antiquity codex entries by Verita Numida and Gabrielle Benele in ESO
  15. ^ Nest of Shadows antiquity codex entry by Ugron gro-Thumogin ESO
  16. ^ The Lay of Firsthold
  17. ^ Auridon Explored, Chapter XIIFenlil the Wayfarer
  18. ^ The Vile Truth of BarbasPelagius Habor, Council Daedrologist-in-Residence, Imperial City
  19. ^ a b c Father Of The NibenFlorin Jaliil
  20. ^ OnceBeredalmo the Signifier
  21. ^ a b Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Seat of Sundered Kings: CyrodiilImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  22. ^ a b Night of TearsDranor Seleth
  23. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Blessed Isle: Alinor and the SummersetsImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  24. ^ The Song of Pelinal
  25. ^ The Last King of the AyleidsHerminia Cinna
  26. ^ The Changed Ones
  27. ^ The Anticipations — Anonymous
  28. ^ The True Nature of Orcs
  29. ^ a b Frontier, ConquestUniversity of Gwylim Press, 3E 344
  30. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: Other LandsImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  31. ^ Loremaster's Archive - Tamriel's DungeonsDhulef
  32. ^ a b Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition: High RockImperial Geographical Society, 2E 864
  33. ^ Modern Day Bretons: Man or Mer? — Vastyr Historian Filibert Beauchamp
  34. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Sons and Daughter of the Direnni West: High RockImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  35. ^ Loremaster's Archive - Infinite ArchiveMaster Malkhest
  36. ^ The Bretons: Mongrels or Paragons?Phrastus of Elinhir
  37. ^ Legacy of the BretonsStefan Mornard
  38. ^ Wyrd and Druid — Archdruid Barnabe's Discourse with Mainlanders, 2E 553
  39. ^ Orcs of Tamriel, Volume 3Grassius Vilco
  40. ^ Drevis Neloren's dialogue in Skyrim.
  41. ^ Loremaster's Archive - Dragons in the Second EraCamilla Calsivius
  42. ^ Kaalgrontiid's dialogue in ESO: Elsweyr
  43. ^ Khunzar-ri and the Demons
  44. ^ Sovngarde, a ReexaminationBereditte Jastal
  45. ^ The Etched Tablets of High Hrothgar.
  46. ^ Farengar Secret-Fire's dialogue in Skyrim.
  47. ^ The Dragon WarTorhal Bjorik
  48. ^ There Be DragonsTorhal Bjorik
  49. ^ Ayleid Survivals in ValenwoodCuinur of Cloudrest, 4th Tier Scholar of Tamrielic Minutiae
  50. ^ The Book of the Dragonborn — Prior Emelene Madrine
  51. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: Arena Supermundus: The Tapestry of HeavenImperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  52. ^ Magic from the SkyIrlav Jarol
  53. ^ Varieties of Faith...Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
  54. ^ Hollowbone Wind Chimes antiquity codex entry by Ugron gro-Thumog in ESO
  55. ^ Prismatic Sunbird Feather antiquity codex entries by Amalien and Gabrielle Benele in ESO

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.