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* OurOrcsAreDifferent: Leans toward the Blizzard Orc archetype since they are still a subrace of Mer. Due to their Mer heritage despite their brutish appearance and tribal customs, in term of brute strength the Nords are still physically stronger than Orcs (Though Orcs are more durable and can enter a berserker rage, doubling their strength). However, the Orcs make up for it with being an incredibly skilled weapon/armor crafter (they gain bonuses for Smithing and Enchanting skills).
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* OurOrcsAreDifferent: OurOrcsAreDifferent:
** Leans toward the Blizzard Orc archetype since they are still a subrace of Mer. Due to their Mer heritage despite their brutish appearance and tribal customs, in term of brute strength the Nords are still physically stronger than Orcs (Though Orcs are more durable and can enter a berserker rage, doubling their strength). However, the Orcs make up for it with being an incredibly skilled weapon/armor crafter (they gain bonuses for Smithing and Enchanting skills).
** Leans toward the Blizzard Orc archetype since they are still a subrace of Mer. Due to their Mer heritage despite their brutish appearance and tribal customs, in term of brute strength the Nords are still physically stronger than Orcs (Though Orcs are more durable and can enter a berserker rage, doubling their strength). However, the Orcs make up for it with being an incredibly skilled weapon/armor crafter (they gain bonuses for Smithing and Enchanting skills).
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** IronButtMonkey: They do take all their trials in stride, though, as Malacath teaches "strength through adversity".
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** IronButtMonkey: They do take all their trials in stride, though, as Malacath teaches "strength through adversity". Indeed, part of their beliefs in their WarriorHeaven of the Ashen Forge involves an Orc who dies passing through a ritual in which the grudges, losses, betrayals, and broken promises they have suffered are melted out of them and reforged into the next generation of Orcs.
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** Interestingly, of all of the races in Tamriel, the Orcs bear the strongest similarities to the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Dwarfs of Warhammer]], being incredibly skilled smiths and warriors with advanced technology who tend to prefer to live in mountainous terrain, and who hold grudges to be sacred. Their afterlife is even known as the Ashen Forge.
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* RevengeBeforeReason: Strangely inverted; Orsimer hold grudges to be sacred, and their version of WarriorHeaven supposedly involves the dead Orc passing through a "ritual of tempering" in which every grudge that they bore in life is burned out of them, melted down, and reforged into the next generation of Orcs so they can continue those grudges, with particularly potent grudges being kept and sent down to other Orc smiths to be forged into new weapons and armor. Indeed, it is believed that the collecting of grudges, betrayals, and broken promises is what ''helps'' an Orc to properly reach the Ashpit and the Ashen Forge so they can begin their immortal lives, which is appropriate for a people who follow the Daedric Prince of the spurned and the outcast.
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* NotSoDifferent: The backstory of Orcs is somewhat similar to the Dunmer. Being changed from their golden skinned Aldmeri/Chimeri forms due to the actions of a Daedric Prince and being seen as [[DarkIsEvil automatically malevolent]] because they look threatening. Interestingly, most Orcs don't seem to resent their forms or Boethiah.
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* ArbitrarySkepticism: The Dwemer refused to believe ''anything'', focusing entirely on "their twin gods of Reason and Logic." It is implied that this is in fact the source of many of their most advanced technologies; by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to accept the laws of physics and be constrained by the rules of magic and Aedric law]], the Dwemer were able to devise [[RealityWarper technologies that used tonal architecture to manipulate the world directly, in a manner akin to the Thu'um, CHIM, or the will of the Aedra themselves.]] This extreme form of skepticism and refutation of everything is implied to have extended to Numidium, which became the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the concept of "is not."
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* ArbitrarySkepticism: The Dwemer refused to believe ''anything'', focusing entirely on "their twin gods of Reason and Logic." It is implied that this is in fact the source of many of their most advanced technologies; by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to accept the laws of physics and be constrained by the rules of magic and Aedric law]], the Dwemer were able to devise [[RealityWarper technologies that used tonal architecture to manipulate the world directly, in a manner akin to the Thu'um, CHIM, or the will of the Aedra themselves.Thu'um.]] This extreme form of skepticism and refutation of everything is implied to have extended to Numidium, which became the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the concept of "is not."
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* ArbitrarySkepticism: The Dwemer refused to believe ''anything'', focusing entirely on "their twin gods of Reason and Logic." It is implied that this is in fact the source of many of their most advanced technologies; by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to accept the laws of physics and be constrained by the rules of magic and Aedric law]], the Dwemer were able to devise [[RealityWarper technologies that used tonal architecture to manipulate the world directly, in a manner akin to the Thu'um, CHIM, or the will of the Aedra themselves.]] This extreme form of skepticism and refutation of everything is implied to have extended to Numidium, which became the AnthropomorphicEmbodiment of the concept of "is not."
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* ArbitrarySkepticism: The Dwemer refused to believe ''anything'', focusing entirely on "their twin gods of Reason and Logic." It is implied that this is in fact the source of many of their most advanced technologies; by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to accept the laws of physics and be constrained by the rules of magic and Aedric law]], the Dwemer were able to devise [[RealityWarper technologies that used tonal architecture to manipulate the world directly, in a manner akin to the Thu'um, CHIM, or the will of the Aedra themselves.]] This extreme form of skepticism and refutation of everything is implied to have extended to Numidium, which became the AnthropomorphicEmbodiment AnthropomorphicPersonification of the concept of "is not."
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* ArbitrarySkepticism: The Dwemer refused to believe ''anything'', focusing entirely on "their twin gods of Reason and Logic." It is implied that this is in fact the source of many of their most advanced technologies; by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to accept the laws of physics and be constrained by the rules of magic and Aedric law]], the Dwemer were able to devise [[RealityWarper technologies that used tonal architecture to manipulate the world directly, in a manner akin to the Thu'um, CHIM, or the will of the Aedra themselves.]] This extreme form of skepticism and refutation of everything is implied to have extended to Numidium, which became the AnthropomorphicEmbodiment of the concept of "is not."
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* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:One surviving Dwemer is encountered during the main quest of ''Morrowind''. He was in an undescribed "outer realm" outside of time when the calamity that that wiped out his people occurred and returned to find them gone. He caught the Corprus disease soon after and ended up in the Corprusarium. His body is badly bloated from the disease and it's clear his mind is not what it once was either.]]
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* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:One LastOfHisKind:
** One survivingDwemer Dwemer, Yagrum Bagarn, is encountered during the main quest of ''Morrowind''. He was in an undescribed "outer realm" outside of time when the calamity that that wiped out his people occurred and returned to find them gone. He caught the Corprus disease soon after and ended up in the Corprusarium. His body is badly bloated from the disease and it's clear his mind is not what it once was either.]]
** The wizard Falion indicates there may be other Dwemer out there, either ascended by their ritual or otherwise outside of normal space-time like Yagrum Bagarn and thus not being affected by the loss of their species.
** One surviving
** The wizard Falion indicates there may be other Dwemer out there, either ascended by their ritual or otherwise outside of normal space-time like Yagrum Bagarn and thus not being affected by the loss of their species.
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* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane." this is supported by a comment from the wizard Falion, who says that he's met them while traveling the planes beyond Nirn.
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* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane." this This is supported by a comment from the wizard Falion, who says that he's met them while traveling the planes beyond Nirn.
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* CessationOfExistence: Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of existence. On the other hand, the wizard Falion claims to have encountered them while traversing the realms beyond Nirn.
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* CessationOfExistence: CessationOfExistence:
** Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane ofexistence. existence.
** On the other hand, the wizard Falion claims to have encountered them while traversing the realms beyond Nirn. It is possible these were other Dwemer in the same situation as Yagrum Bagarn, who was in an undescribed "outer realm" at the time of the disappearance and was unaffected. Other Dwemer in that situation may simply have chosen not to return to Nirn.
** Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of
** On the other hand, the wizard Falion claims to have encountered them while traversing the realms beyond Nirn. It is possible these were other Dwemer in the same situation as Yagrum Bagarn, who was in an undescribed "outer realm" at the time of the disappearance and was unaffected. Other Dwemer in that situation may simply have chosen not to return to Nirn.
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* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane."
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* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane."" this is supported by a comment from the wizard Falion, who says that he's met them while traveling the planes beyond Nirn.
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* CessationOfExistence: Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of existence.
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* CessationOfExistence: Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of existence. On the other hand, the wizard Falion claims to have encountered them while traversing the realms beyond Nirn.
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** There's also an implication that, for the people in-universe, Dwemer inscrutability just came from the sheer technological gap and accompanying culture gap - while Men were barely climbing out of the stone age and racial slavery and other Mer were puttering around with a combination of very early Iron Age technology and some magic, the Dwemer were effectively a ''late Information Age society'', with massive industrialization and automation, an incredibly deep understanding of Nirn's physics, and creature comforts and luxuries comparable to or exceeding what we have today in the real world. Needless to say, the culture gap and daily thoughts, hopes and worries between the average Dwemer citizen and the average Nord clansman or Velothi-Chimer tribesman would've been chasm-like.
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** There's also an implication that, for the people in-universe, Dwemer inscrutability just came from the sheer technological gap and accompanying culture gap - while Men were barely climbing out of the stone age and racial slavery and other Mer were puttering around with a combination of very early Iron Age technology and some magic, the Dwemer were effectively a ''late Information Age society'', with massive industrialization and automation, an incredibly deep understanding of Nirn's physics, and creature comforts and luxuries comparable to or exceeding what we have today in the real world.world, and their "calling" ability may well have been a fantasy equivalent of the internet. Needless to say, the culture gap and daily thoughts, hopes and worries between the average Dwemer citizen and the average Nord clansman or Velothi-Chimer tribesman would've been chasm-like.
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* LongLived: The races of Mer are implied to have longer natural lifespans than the races of Men, who have lifespans along the lines of real life humans. Exactly how much longer is unclear, however, and [[HandWaved largely inconsistent]]. Even without counting the [[WizardsLiveLonger magically enhanced lifespans]] of certain specific Mer, there are examples living naturally for centuries. Barenziah is approaching 500 in her appearance in ''Tribunal'', and though noticeably aged, she is appears no worse for the wear than a 60 or so year old human. In the backstory, Nerevar is in his 200s by the time of The Battle of Red Mountain and still acting as a FrontlineGeneral. Several Altmer and Dunmer characters in ''Skyrim'' mention having been present for events like the Red Year (200 years prior to ''Skyrim'') or mention having served in the military for 150 years, but none look any older than middle-aged.
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* LongLived: The races of Mer are implied to have longer natural lifespans than the races of Men, who have lifespans along the lines of real life humans. Exactly how much longer is unclear, however, and [[HandWaved largely inconsistent]]. Even without counting the [[WizardsLiveLonger magically enhanced lifespans]] of certain specific Mer, there are examples living naturally for centuries. Barenziah is approaching 500 in her appearance in ''Tribunal'', and though noticeably aged, she is appears no worse for the wear than a 60 or so year old human. In the backstory, [[BadassGrandpa Nerevar is in his 200s 300s]] by the time of The Battle of Red Mountain and still acting as a FrontlineGeneral. Several Altmer and Dunmer characters in ''Skyrim'' mention having been present for events like the Red Year (200 years prior to ''Skyrim'') or mention having served in the military for 150 years, but none look any older than middle-aged.
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* ForestRanger: Between the Green Pact and their propensity toward marksmanship, this is basically the cultural hat of the Bosmer,
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* CantArgueWithElves: Subverted, as many of the races of Mer (especially the Altmer) believe that they are unquestionably superior to both other Mer and the races of Men, but as shown time and time again, they are just as flawed.
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* GenocideBackfire: While there are conflicting accounts of the events leading up to the Falmer attack on Saarthal, it was the event that marked the beginning of the end of Falmer civilization when the Atmorans struck back.
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* BadassBeard: They were known to have lengthy and sometimes elaborate beards, and were known to bend the natural laws of the world to create advanced technology, robot armies, and even HumongousMecha, vouching for their badassery.
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* BadassBeard: They were known to have lengthy and sometimes elaborate beards, beards (often shown styled in a fashion that would typically be identified as "Mesopotamian", and were known to bend the natural laws of the world to create advanced technology, robot armies, and even HumongousMecha, vouching for their badassery.
** There's also an implication that, for the people in-universe, Dwemer inscrutability just came from the sheer technological gap and accompanying culture gap - while Men were barely climbing out of the stone age and racial slavery and other Mer were puttering around with a combination of very early Iron Age technology and some magic, the Dwemer were effectively a ''late Information Age society'', with massive industrialization and automation, an incredibly deep understanding of Nirn's physics, and creature comforts and luxuries comparable to or exceeding what we have today in the real world. Needless to say, the culture gap and daily thoughts, hopes and worries between the average Dwemer citizen and the average Nord clansman or Velothi-Chimer tribesman would've been chasm-like.
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* CultureChopSuey: While the most distinctive aspect of their culture is their heavy use of {{Steampunk}} and {{Magitek}}, the Dwemer themselves dressed and wore their beards in a manner akin to Mesopotamian cultures, such as the Babylonians. In ''Skyrim'', their armor and weaponry tend to have a very Bronze Age Mediterranean influence.
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* CultureChopSuey: While the most distinctive aspect of their culture is their heavy use of {{Steampunk}} and {{Magitek}}, the Dwemer themselves dressed and wore their beards in a manner akin to Mesopotamian cultures, such as the Babylonians. In ''Skyrim'', ''Skyrim'' and ''Online'', their armor and weaponry tend to have a very Bronze Age Mediterranean influence.
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* DugTooDeep: They discovered the still-beating heart of the dead god Lorkhan digging deep beneath Red Mountain. Whatever it is they tried to do with the heart, it would cause their entire race to disappear from all known planes of existence.
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* DugTooDeep: They discovered the still-beating heart of the dead god Lorkhan digging deep beneath Red Mountain. Whatever it is they (or, specifically, Tonal Architect Kagrenac) tried to do with the heart, it would cause their entire race to disappear from all known planes of existence.
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* GreatOffscreenWar: They were heavily involved with the War of the First Council and the Battle of Red Mountain thousands of years ago, leading up to their disappearance. The impacts of these events are felt in the plots for ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim''.
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* GreatOffscreenWar: They were heavily involved with the War of the First Council and the Battle of Red Mountain thousands of years ago, leading up to their disappearance. The impacts of these events are felt in the plots for ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim''.''Skyrim'', and plays some role in ''Online'', particularly its own Morrowind-focused chapter.
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* LostSuperweapon: The Numidium, a 1000ft tall HumongousMecha designed by the Dwemer to be powered by the heart of a dead god, and possibly to become a ''new god''. It fell into the hands of the Dunmer following the disappearance of the Dwemer, who considered anything of Dwemeri construction to be blasphemous, and thus never used it. Later, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade, the Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec offered it to Septim in exchange for granting Morrowind special privileges as a VoluntaryVassal to the Empire. Septim would order his mages to find a way to power and control it. Once they did, he used to crush the Aldmeri Dominion and capture their capital city in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than an hour]]'' of fighting.
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* LostSuperweapon: The Numidium, a 1000ft tall thousand-foot-tall HumongousMecha designed by the Dwemer to be powered by the heart of a dead god, and possibly to become a ''new god''. It fell into the hands of the Dunmer following the disappearance of the Dwemer, who considered anything of Dwemeri construction to be blasphemous, and thus never used it. Later, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade, the Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec offered it to Septim in exchange for granting Morrowind special privileges as a VoluntaryVassal to the Empire. Septim would order his mages to find a way to power and control it. Once they did, he used to crush the Aldmeri Dominion and capture their capital city in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than an hour]]'' of fighting.
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* NonindicativeName: They weren't any smaller than other races. The term "dwarf" was given to them by the giants of the Velothi Mountains and stuck as an archeological misnomer after it was picked up by the Nords and other races of Men.
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* NonindicativeName: They weren't any smaller than other races. The term "dwarf" was given to them by the giants of the Velothi Mountains and stuck as an archeological misnomer after it was picked up by the Nords and other races of Men. (The meta-answer is that it's a holdover from ''Arena'', where they ''were'' just straight-up Tolkien dwarves, before Noonan and Kirkbride decided to take them in a more interesting direction.)
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* OurDwarvesAreDifferent: Played with. To note:
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* OurDwarvesAreDifferent: OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Played with. To note:
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** Also, it has to be noted that a bit of the weirdness about them comes from the fact that they ''did'' begin meta-life as straight-laced Tolkien-style dwarves in ''Arena''; their old delves were much more "dwarfy" and didn't have any of the technological bits attached. It was only really in ''Redguard'' and ''Morrowind'' that they were fleshed out to a heavy degree and became the unique, reality-defying scientists that we know today.
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* WarriorHeaven: They have one known as the Ashen Forge. It is part of the [[EldritchLocation Daedric realm]] of Malacath, known as the [[DeathWorld Ashpit]]. It is also said that the Ashpit stretches endlessly across the planes, extending even behind the stars to [[SpiritWorld Aetherius]], granting access to every worthy Orc who crosses from this life into the next. Entering it brings immortality, abundant food and drink, and of course, many great battles. It is said that every Orc is a chief, every chief has a thousand wives, and every wife has a thousand slaves to cater to their every need.
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The defeat at the hands of the Dunmer didn't happen until essentially moments before their disappearance, and it was well noted that they were hardcore athiests before that, so Sore Loser doesn't really apply.
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* BlueAndOrangeMorality: According to contemporary sources, the Dwemer's personality and culture were utterly ''alien'' by human and even other mer understanding. A major part of their outlook was the idea of refuting everything as real, whether it be something they sensed, something that was actually there, or even the Divines themselves. To quote former dev/writer Michael Kirkbride:
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* BlueAndOrangeMorality: BlueAndOrangeMorality:
** According to contemporary sources, the Dwemer's personality and culture were utterly ''alien'' by human and even other mer understanding. A major part of their outlook was the idea of refuting everything as real, whether it be something they sensed, something that was actually there, or even the Divines themselves. To quote former dev/writer Michael Kirkbride:
** According to contemporary sources, the Dwemer's personality and culture were utterly ''alien'' by human and even other mer understanding. A major part of their outlook was the idea of refuting everything as real, whether it be something they sensed, something that was actually there, or even the Divines themselves. To quote former dev/writer Michael Kirkbride:
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** In truth it seems to have less to do with genuine inscrutability and more to do with nearly all information records on the Dwemer disappearing, or being destroyed, around the same time, [[SelectiveOblivousness a refusal to accept anything they don't like no matter how true it is]] and [[CulturalPosturing their monumental arrogance and contempt for "lesser races."]]
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** In truth it seems to It also may have less to do with genuine inscrutability and more to do with nearly all information records on the Dwemer disappearing, or being destroyed, around the same time, [[SelectiveOblivousness [[SelectiveObliviousness a refusal to accept anything they don't like no matter how true it is]] and [[CulturalPosturing their monumental arrogance and contempt for "lesser races."]]
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* SoreLoser: It's implied that part of their negative attitude towards gods and religion is due to losing a war against the devout Dunmer race. Given their world views on the Aedra, Daedra and the other races of Nirn this wouldn't be surprising.
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** In truth it seems to have less to do with genuine inscrutability and more to do with nearly all information records on the Dwemer disappearing, or being destroyed, around the same time, [[SelectiveOblivousness a refusal to accept anything they don't like no matter how true it is]] and [[CulturalPosturing their monumental arrogance and contempt for "lesser races."]]
* PrideBeforeAFall: According to the story "Azura and the Box", an elderly Dwemer scientist managed to make the Daedric Prince Azura look bad and that is why they disappeared. Though there are several versions, the one found in Skyrim states that he worked with a priest, summoned Azura and tested her abilities to learn their scope; he asked if Azura knew what was in the box (a rose). When Azura answered the Dwemer, he opened the box showing it empty, and Azura left, very indignant. After he left the assembly the rose fell from where he hid it in his sleeve and he died that night.
* SelectiveObliviousness: The Dwemer were well-known for this, rejecting and trying to find a way around anything they didn't agree with, even down to the fundamental laws of the cosmos in the setting.
* SoreLoser: It's implied that part of their negative attitude towards gods and religion is due to losing a war against the devout Dunmer race. Given their world views on the Aedra, Daedra and the other races of Nirn this wouldn't be surprising.
* SoreLoser: It's implied that part of their negative attitude towards gods and religion is due to losing a war against the devout Dunmer race. Given their world views on the Aedra, Daedra and the other races of Nirn this wouldn't be surprising.
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* SuperiorSpecies: They certainly considered themselves as such, with every other race (Men, Mer, or otherwise) being beneath them. A big part of their [[{{Naytheist}} Naytheism]] came from their belief that even the supposed "gods" were not truly superior to them. Arguably Justified, as their advancements (technological, metaphysical, and more) were (and still are) far, ''far'' beyond what any other race in Tamriel is capable of.
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* SuperiorSpecies: They certainly considered themselves as such, with every other race (Men, Mer, or otherwise) being beneath them. A big part of their [[{{Naytheist}} Naytheism]] came from their belief that even the supposed "gods" were not truly superior to them. Arguably Justified, Justified compared to the other races of Tamriel, as their advancements (technological, metaphysical, and more) were (and still are) far, ''far'' beyond what any other race in Tamriel Tamriel, maybe even Nirn, is capable of.
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typo...
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** Perhaps [[GampeplayAndStoryIntegration due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red Year]], this is downplayed in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still function in combat roles, but they've lost much of their iron.
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** Perhaps [[GampeplayAndStoryIntegration [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red Year]], this is downplayed in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still function in combat roles, but they've lost much of their iron.
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Indentation adjustment, expanding, clarifying
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* JackOfAllStats: Of the Mer races, and in competition with the Imperials for the most balanced overall. They are equally proficient in various Combat, Magic, and Stealth classes. They are highly adaptable and make for good cross-class builds as well, especially offensively oriented ones. With efficient leveling, they can reach MasterOfAll territory.
** Perhaps due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red Year, this is averted in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still be okay fighters, but they've lost much of their iron.
** Perhaps due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red Year, this is averted in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still be okay fighters, but they've lost much of their iron.
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* JackOfAllStats: JackOfAllStats:
** Of the Mer races, and in competition with the Imperials for the most balanced overall. They are equally proficient in various Combat, Magic, and Stealth classes. They are highly adaptable and make for good cross-class builds as well, especially offensively oriented ones. With efficient leveling, they can reach MasterOfAll territory.
** Perhaps [[GampeplayAndStoryIntegration due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the RedYear, Year]], this is averted downplayed in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still be okay fighters, function in combat roles, but they've lost much of their iron.
** Of the Mer races, and in competition with the Imperials for the most balanced overall. They are equally proficient in various Combat, Magic, and Stealth classes. They are highly adaptable and make for good cross-class builds as well, especially offensively oriented ones. With efficient leveling, they can reach MasterOfAll territory.
** Perhaps [[GampeplayAndStoryIntegration due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red
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** Perhaps due to the drastic changes in their lifestyles and situation after the Red Year, this is averted in ''Skyrim''; Dunmer in that game are now more focused on being stealthy magic users. They can still be okay fighters, but they've lost much of their iron.
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* DuelToTheDeath: If an Orc senses that his chieftain is becoming weak, he is expected to [[ChallengingTheChief challenge the chief]] in ritual combat to the death for his position. This ensures that the tribe will be led by the strongest Orc.
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* DuelToTheDeath: If an Orc senses that his chieftain is becoming weak, he is expected to [[ChallengingTheChief challenge the chief]] in ritual combat to the death for his position. This ensures that the tribe will be led by the strongest Orc. A proper Orc chieftain, meanwhile, expects to be challenged at some point and to die in battle against his successor.
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* DeathSeeker: Similar to the Nords, Orc culture sees glory in dying in battle. Unlike Nord culture though, dying in battle isn't just seen as a nice thing to have happen, but something an Orc is actively encouraged to seek out. Once an Orc elder feels that he is starting to weaken with age, they will often seek out someone (either within the tribe or outside of it) worthy enough to kill them in combat. Most Orc chieftains hope to die by the hands of a stronger successor, rather than old age (see KlingonPromotion below).
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* DeathSeeker: Similar to the Nords, Orc culture sees glory in dying in battle. Unlike Nord culture though, dying in battle isn't just seen as a nice thing to have happen, but something an Orc is actively encouraged to seek out. Once an Orc elder feels that he is starting to weaken with age, they will often seek out someone (either within the tribe or outside of it) worthy enough to kill them in combat. Most Orc chieftains hope to die by the hands of a stronger successor, rather than old age (see KlingonPromotion below).age.
* DuelToTheDeath: If an Orc senses that his chieftain is becoming weak, he is expected to [[ChallengingTheChief challenge the chief]] in ritual combat to the death for his position. This ensures that the tribe will be led by the strongest Orc.
* DuelToTheDeath: If an Orc senses that his chieftain is becoming weak, he is expected to [[ChallengingTheChief challenge the chief]] in ritual combat to the death for his position. This ensures that the tribe will be led by the strongest Orc.
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* TooImportantToWalk: The members of the Spinners, a Bosmer spiritual order dedicated to Y'ffre, only travel when carried from place to place by others, never moving under their own power.
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* CraftedFromAnimals: Traditional Bosmer weaponry and clothing tends to be made at least in part from animals due to the Green Pact preventing them from harvesting plants within Valenwood.
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This page lists the various races on Mer, or elves, found on Nirn. For an index of all races, see [[Characters/TheElderScrollsRaces here]].
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[[folder: The Races of Mer (Elves)]]
The Elven races (or Mer in their language) of Nirn.
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'''Note:''' ''Elder Scrolls'' lore is generally not clear-cut. Reasons for this range from [[UnreliableNarrator biased]] in-universe sources intentionally only giving you only one side of a story, to sources [[CriticalResearchFailure lacking critical information]] or working from [[BlatantLies false information]], to the implication that AllMythsAreTrue, despite the contradictions, or that at least all myths are MetaphoricallyTrue. [[WordOfGod Out-of-game developer supplemental texts]] (frequently referred to as "Obscure Texts" by the lore community) are more trustworthy, but are frequently left [[LooseCanon unofficial]] and sometimes later contradicted. Because of this, it is entirely possible for two contradictory statements in the below examples to ''both'' be true. (And due to frequent events in-universe that [[TimeCrash alter the timeline]], both may ''literally'' be true in-universe.)
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[[folder: The Races of Mer (Elves)]]
The Elven races (or Mer in their language) of Nirn.
!! General Tropes applying to the races of Mer
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Altmer (and presumably the ancient Aldmer) are gold skinned, Bosmer are reddish-brown skinned, Dunmer are ash-gray skinned, Orsimer are green skinned, Falmer used to be snow-white skinned, the Dwemer were pasty off-white skinned, and Maormer are chameleon skinned.
* {{Atlantis}}: They have their own version called Aldmeris. It is said to be the continent the {{Precursors}} of the modern Mer races, the Aldmer, came from. It is said that Aldmeris came under an unknown threat in the Merethic Era and the Aldmer were forced to flee. It is said to be "lost," and whether it still exists (or ever existed at all, as other theories claim that Aldmeris was simply Tamriel before the races of Men arrived) is unknown.
* BlingOfWar: Most races of Mer have an iconic armor type which fits. The Altmer have the popular Elven armor, which is gold in color. The Dunmer have the high quality Glass armor, which is emerald green in color. "Dwarven" armor originally worn by the Dwemer is bronze/gold in color. The ancient Falmer wore platinum colored armor. Orcs are masters at crafting with Orichalcum, which, while a dull gray in color, they craft into intimidating looking heavy armor. The Bosmer avert it by specializing in light armor or no armor at all.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Each race of Mer has traits, beliefs, and practices which come across as very alien to a human observer. Ranges from being played completely straight with some races of Mer who are utterly alien (Dwemer, some Altmer beliefs) to downplayed with others (Dunmer, Bosmer) but is extant throughout. Specific examples for each race can be found in their entries below.
* ClassicalTongue: Aldmeris, the language of the Aldmer, is the Tamriellic equivalent.
* DemiHuman: While primarily humanoid in size and shape, each race of Mer shares at least a few features outside the range of normal humans including unusual skin tones, classic pointed ears, and elongated skulls of varying degrees.
* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Implied to be the case from a few examples in the lore. Mer children seem to age similarly to human children until they reach adulthood, at which point their aging slows down considerably.
* ImmortalProcreationClause: While longer lived than the the races of Men, Mer pairings are less likely to produce offspring. It is also implied that there may even be a cap in the total amount of children a Mer woman can have, with few ever having more than three.
* LongLived: The races of Mer are implied to have longer natural lifespans than the races of Men, who have lifespans along the lines of real life humans. Exactly how much longer is unclear, however, and [[HandWaved largely inconsistent]]. Even without counting the [[WizardsLiveLonger magically enhanced lifespans]] of certain specific Mer, there are examples living naturally for centuries. Barenziah is approaching 500 in her appearance in ''Tribunal'', and though noticeably aged, she is appears no worse for the wear than a 60 or so year old human. In the backstory, Nerevar is in his 200s by the time of The Battle of Red Mountain and still acting as a FrontlineGeneral. Several Altmer and Dunmer characters in ''Skyrim'' mention having been present for events like the Red Year (200 years prior to ''Skyrim'') or mention having served in the military for 150 years, but none look any older than middle-aged.
* OrderVersusChaos: According to Altmeri religious beliefs, the races of Mer are descended from the order-leaning Aedra. These beliefs state that mankind was specifically created by Lorkhan (who was 'begat' by Sithis to disrupt the order ("stasis") of pre-creation) from the weakest souls to be the "chaos" to the "order" of the elves.
* OurElvesAreBetter: They sure seem to think so, ''especially'' the Altmer. Overall, the races of Mer consider ''all'' Mer to certainly be "better" than the races of Men.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Starting with having the endonym of Mer. Gets more specific as you get into the individual races, detailed in their entries below.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: The primary reason the races of Mer split apart was because of religion.
* PointyEars: Each race of Mer has the classic standard "Elf" variant.
* {{Precursors}}: The Aldmer, the "First Elves" who came to Tamriel from Aldmeris, are the common ancestor of all the races of Mer in Tamriel. The Altmer are their closet living relative.
* ScrewYouElves: Virtually all races of Mer get this treatment at least some of the time from the races of Men, to the point where much of Tamriel's history can be summed up as "elves and men fighting," or sometimes "elves fighting other elves."
* SuperiorSpecies: Each race of Mer certainly ''believes'' this about themselves, toward both the other races of Mer and ''especially'' the races of Men. The truth is obviously less clear.
* TheTower: During the earliest days following creation, the ancient Aldmer discovered a means to construct their own metaphysical Towers at the "joint-points" of reality. By building their own Tower, each group could create their own narrative, distinct but equal to those around it.
!! Altmer
->''"As he entered every aspect of Anuiel, Lorkhan would plant an idea that was almost wholly based on limitation. He outlined a plan to create a soul for the Aurbis, a place where the aspects of aspects might even be allowed to self-reflect. He gained many followers;'' ''even Auriel, when told he would become the king of the new world, agreed to help Lorkhan. So they created the Mundus, where their own aspects might live, and became the et'Ada.''
->''But this was a trick. As Lorkhan knew, this world contained more limitations than not and was therefore hardly a thing of Anu at all.''
->''Mundus was the House of Sithis. As their aspects began to die off, many of the et'Ada vanished completely. Some escaped, like Magnus, and that is why there are no limitations to magic. Others, like Y'ffre, transformed themselves into the Ehlnofey, the Earthbones, so that the whole world might not die.'' ''Some had to marry and make children just to last. Each generation was weaker than the last,'' ''and soon there were Aldmer.''
->''Darkness caved in. Lorkhan made armies out of the weakest souls and named them Men, and they brought Sithis into every quarter."''
-->-- '''''The Monomyth'''''
The tall, golden-skinned High Elves of the Summerset Isles. They are the primary descendants of the Aldmer, the first race of Mer, and determining when Aldmer history ended and where Altmer history began is nigh impossible. Though non-Altmer scholars are loathe to admit, the truth is that Tamriel owes much of its art, science, philosophy, language and religion to the Altmer, who are also the most magically-gifted of all races. However, they are often viewed as haughty and snobbish, looking down on the other races of Mer as "degenerates" and believing the races of Men to be even worse.
For centuries, they led a mighty empire known as the Aldmeri Dominion. In the late 2nd Era, their empire was crushed by Tiber Septim and the Numidium, forcing them to join an Empire of Men by conquest for the first time in history. During the reign of the Septim Empire, they quietly bode their time and rebuilt their shattered nation. When the Septim Dynasty ended as a result of the Oblivion Crisis, the Dominion rose once again, this time led by the religious extremist (and even more fantastically racist) Thalmor.
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* AnimalMotifs: Eagles, based off of Auri-El, the golden eagle god off whom Akatosh was based in the Imperial pantheon.
* ArchEnemy: Several, to the point that their enemies probably look like a RoguesGallery to the Altmer. They warred with the Sload of Thras at various points in their history, and (as the leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion) have been the main opposition to each of the Cyrodiilic Empires. They also have a long rivalry dating back to their time as the Aldmer in Aldmeris with the Maormer of Pyandonia.
* BlatantLies: The Thalmor took credit for ending the Oblivion Crisis within their homeland, garnering them enough political support to take over the Altmeri government and reestablish the ancient Aldmeri Dominion. Later, they took credit for restoring the moons to the sky which gained them great favor with the Khajiit, getting them to join the Dominion peacefully as vassals.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like most of the races of Mer, some of their beliefs are utterly alien to the human mind.
** A major part of their religious belief system (which traces back to the Aldmer and has passed through to some of the other races of Mer) is that the creation of the mortal world was a cruel trick which forced their divine ancestors to experience mortal suffering and death, and seeking to ''[[OmnicidalManiac undo creation]]'' is a noble cause. The religious extremest Thalmor really play up this belief and are actively attempting to carry it out.
** Killing undesirable progeny is also perfectly acceptable, as they believe it releases that being's soul to potentially be reincarnated in a better form. This isn't an act of cruelty or evil to them, they see it as a ''mercy''.
* BreakTheHaughty: The Altmer were delivered a massive blow to their collective ego when Tiber Septim used [[RealityWarper The]] [[HumongousMecha Numidium]] to destroy their armies and sack their capital city of Alinor in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than one hour]]'' of fighting. This was the first time in their thousands of years of history that the Altmer had been conquered by an outside force.[[note]] Reman Cyrodiil got the Altmer to join his 2nd Empire, but through a treaty with incredibly favorable terms to the Altmer rather than by conquest.[[/note]] Severely weakened, many of the most extremist Altmer groups (including the Thalmor) were content to wait out Septim's 3rd Empire and then rose again once it fell completely apart.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: With the extinction of the Dwemer, the Altmer as the most advanced and magically-gifted race in Tamriel, with Tamriel owing much of its art, science, philosophy, language, and religion to the Altmer. Their buildings are frequently made of [[ShiningCity glass or crystal]] (said to refract light into a rainbow "insect wing" like appearance), with [[{{Arcology}} tall towers]], vine-like buildings, and swirling walls. Gold tends to be the primary color in the items they craft, including weapons and armor.
* CulturalPosturing: They take the cake as the haughtiest culture in Tamriel. They are indeed responsible for much of Tamriel's art, science, philosophy, language and religion, and ([[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch while there are exceptions]]) they have no issue letting the other races know just how superior they believe they are. They are the direct descendants of the Aldmer and consider the other races of Mer as a result of "degeneration" over the ages. (And don't even bother trying to bring up the races of Men...) Their religious beliefs state that they are the true descendants of the Aedra, and the 4th Era ascension of [[ANaziByAnyOtherName the Thalmor]] into positions of Altmeri leadership has only exacerbated their posturing.
* CurbStompBattle: They were handed one by Tiber Septim's legions with the aid of [[RealityWarper The]] [[HumongousMecha Numidium]]. Their army was crushed and their capital city was sacked in less than an hour, bringing the Altmer under the rule of men by conquest for the first time in history. This only exacerbated their hatred of humanity and, when the opportunity arose following the Oblivion Crisis, they struck back hard under the leadership of the Thalmor.
* TheExile: For most of Altmeri history, those who dissented with traditional Altmer beliefs simply ''left'' to resettle elsewhere and practice their unorthodox beliefs. The Dwemer, Chimer, and Ayleids are several prominent examples of this. This has left them, as a culture, rather unaccustomed to dealing with dissidents in their homeland. With most of Tamriel claimed and populated, the number of dissidents in the Summerset Isles swelled in the 3rd and 4th Eras, leading to a rise in extremism and domestic terrorism.
* FantasticCasteSystem: The Altmer have an extremely rigid caste system, as noted in the Third Pocket Guide:
--> ''"A hierarchy of classes began to form, which is still largely enforced in Summerset to this day. At the top are the Wise, teachers and priests, followed by the Artists, Princes, Warriors, Landowners, Merchants, and Workers."''
* FantasticNamingConvention: Their names are heavily inspired by [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]'s "Quenya" ConLang, tending to be very vowel heavy with lots of "-il," "-ar," and the like suffixes. Reading a [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Altmer_Names list of Altmer names]] will sound very similar to reading ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''.
* FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence: According to Altmer religious beliefs, the creation of Mundus was seen as an act of malevolence as it forced them to experience mortal suffering, loss, and death while removing them from a place of pre-creation divinity. While most are content to toil in this mortal "prison" with "more limitations than not," some extremists, like the Thalmor, actively seek to ''undo creation'' to return to that state of pre-creation divinity. However, they believe that not just the existence of mankind, but the existence of the ''possibility'' of mankind keeps them trapped in Mundus. (According to their beliefs, mankind were made up from the "weakest souls" by Lorkhan to spread Sithis (chaos) "into every corner," ensuring that there could never be the "stasis" of pre-creation again.) Essentially, the Altmer are oppressed not just by the existence of mankind, but the ''possibility'' of mankind's existence.
* HumanityIsInfectious: Meta. During ''Morrowind'' development, it was suggested that Altmer be written as completely incomprehensible to humans. There are theories that the Thalmor are, or want to be, and consider the fact that the Altmer are not as evidence of this trope.
* KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect: While primarily known for their sorcery and magical prowess, they do employ armed-and-armored soldiers as well. However, these soldiers are openly disrespected by the mages, who are typically upper-class. In their FantasticCasteSystem, "warriors" come in around the middle, just above merchants and common workers. In ''Skyrim'', one can overhear [[EnemyChatter a conversation between two Thalmor guards]] where one of them says that "he hopes that a dragon eats all of their wizards," showing that this dislike goes in the opposite direction as well.
* LightIsNotGood: Altmer crafted items, including weapons and armor, tend to feature lots of shiny gold while their homeland is full of [[ShiningCity Shining Cities]] with heavy use of crystal and glass. That said, they are historically one of the greatest antagonists of the races of Men and under more extremist leadership, such as the Thalmor, they tend to be outright villainous.
* MagicKnight: While primarily known for their sorcery and magical prowess, they do employ armed-and-armored soldiers as well. Each and every one of these soldiers uses magic as a supplement in combat.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Many Non-Thalmor Altmer are disgusted by the Thalmor, especially the Psijic Order and Imperial Archmage (later Potentate) Ocato. Unsurprisingly, the Thalmor do not consider them [[NoTrueScotsman true Altmer]].
* NotSoDifferent: The Nords and the Altmer have some shocking similarities despite their rivalries, especially by the time of ''Skyrim''. Both races follow the mainstream Nine Divines but there is a huge minority of their original religion as well, both of them have a very haughty attitude towards any professions they frown upon (soldiers, especially those that don't practice magic in the Altmer's case) as well as any other races (Men for the Altmer although they have looked down on their Bosmer, Dunmer, and Orc cousins from time to time) to the point of showing overt racism, and finally, both believe that they are the rightful heirs to Tamriel.
* OddFriendship: Downplayed with the Khajiit. For all their "I'm better than you" attitude towards just about every other race on Tamriel, the Altmer have historically had a more benevolent relationship with the Khajiit. Both the ancient Aldmeri Dominion and the modern version have preferred to get the Khajiit to join as vassals by aiding them to develop trust rather than through conquest. Of course, there are self-serving aspects for the Altmer with this arrangement, and in the modern version of the Dominion at least, they either exaggerated or blatantly lied about certain accomplishments in order to appeal to the Khajiit. Additionally, how much of the friendship is benevolence on the part of the Altmer and how much is the Altmer wanting to avoid the wrath of a race widely considered the CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass of Tamriel is up for reasonable debate.
* OurElvesAreBetter: Something the Thalmor repeatedly emphasise, and there is some truth to it. The Altmer laid the foundation down for all of the races who followed them, they are the only people in Tamriel who come anywhere close to rivalling the ancient Dwemer in terms of advancement, and they do still take the lead in most cultural and scientific pursuits. They don't have to be dicks about it, though.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: The primary reasons the other Elvish races split from the Altmer were over worship, with the Altmer worshipping the Aedra. Their religious pantheon would be used as part of the basis for Nine Divines pantheon, though with some names and roles changed. (Most notably, and most disturbingly to the Altmer, the golden-eagle god Auri-El was changed into the draconic Akatosh in the Imperial pantheon.) They are also known to worship other divine beings who do not neatly fit into the categories of Aedra or Daedra, such as Trinimac, [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Syrabane, Phynaster]], and Magnus.
* ProudScholarRace: They best fit the "mystical" side of the trope, being the most naturally magically gifted race with nearly all of Tamriel's science, philosophy, and religion being based off of theirs. Altmer scholars are frequently among the greatest experts in their fields and benefit greatly from [[LongLived longer lifespans]] which allow more time to study.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: While the Altmer are already long-lived, there are said to be "Mage Lords" in the Summerset Isles in excess of 4000 years old. They've almost certainly enhanced their lives with magic.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: "The Beautiful", a terrorist organization comprised of young Altmer, which uses public assassinations and general mayhem as a means to promote modernity and [[BlackAndGrayMorality oppose]] the ''other'' branch of Altmer extremism represented by the Thalmor.
* ShiningCity: Most of their cities within the Summerset Isles qualify, but their capital, Alinor, takes it UpToEleven. Impossibly tall vine-line buildings with swirling architecture [[{{Arcology}} rise high into the sky]], where their glass/crystalline structures refract light to create rainbows in a manner reminiscent of "insect wings."
* SlaveRace: They are known to train and use goblins as slave labor and cannon fodder in battle.
* TheSocialDarwinist: They have this as an active belief, particularly when under more extremist leadership like the Thalmor. They believe that they descend from the gods, and that the diversity of all other Elven races is the result of "degeneration". They actively try to breed themselves back into their ideal, including killing undesirable progeny. And don't even try to bring up the races of men around them...
* SquishyWizard: They are the most physically frail race on average, but also have the highest natural talents for magic.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Non-Thalmor Altmer to the Thalmor, who are essentially an extreme walking Altmer stereotype.
* StrongerWithAge: Inverted, in terms of their religious philosophy. They believe that the other "lesser" races of Mer are the result of "degeneration" over the ages, with each generation being weaker than the last as they are one more removed from their Aedric/Ehlnofey ancestors. The Altmer actively try to breed themselves back into their ideal, which includes killing undesirable progeny. (In their minds, they are releasing the soul so it has a chance to be reincarnated in a better form.) And don't even get them ''started'' on [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence the races of Men]]...
* TookALevelInJerkass: Many Altmer were always haughty, but the Thalmor take this to outright racism. Many non-Thalmor Altmer are disgusted by the Thalmor.
* TheTower: The Altmer would construct the Crystal Tower ("Crystal-Like-Law") in the Summerset Isles in direct emulation of the Aedric Adamantine Tower. Little is known of the "Stone" of the Crystal Tower, but it is said that it [[WasOnceAMan was once a person]]. During the Oblivion Crisis, the forces of the Daedra managed to destroy the Crystal Tower. At least, in Mundus (the mortal plane). Per the Altmer, the Crystal Tower continues to exist in planes other than Mundus.
* WitchSpecies: The most magically inclined of all the races of Mer, and arguably over most magical of ''any'' race (although the Bretons might disagree). Two of the most famous mages in history, Vanus Galerion and Mannimarco, were Altmer.
* WizardsLiveLonger: They are most magically inclined race of Mer and are also the most naturally LongLived out of the already long-lived Mer races.
* VillainousRescue: From their perspective, this was the case in the 3rd Era's War of the Isle. Maormer forces were overrunning the Summerset Isles, forcing the Altmer to request aid from the hated Empire.
* YouAreNumberSix: ''The Pocket Guide to The Empire'' (a work of [[UnreliableNarrator debatable accuracy]]) suggests that Altmer in Summerset don't bother to give themselves names. When they greet, they address one another with a long combination of numbers that ''sounds'' like a name if you aren't fluent in their language.
!!Ayleids
->''"In the caverns of lore, ugly and obscure, shines the gold of truth."''
-->-- '''''Ayleid Transcriptions and Their Translations'''''
The Wild Elves of Cyrodiil (also known as the "Heartland High Elves"), who were close relatives of the Altmer. The broke away from the Aedra-worshiping leadership of the Summerset Isles to found their own kingdom in which they could worship other entities, primarily the Daedra. This led their mighty nation down dark paths, which included the enslavement and vile torture of the Nedes, precursors to most of the later races of Men. When these slaves rose up in the Alessian Revolt in the 1st Era, the Ayleid kingdom was devastated. A few Ayleid lords who sided with the revolting slaves were permitted to keep their lands, but about a century later, even they were decimated when a rabidly anti-Elven religious doctrine took over the Alessian Empire. What few Ayleids remained mixed into the other races of Mer, while their cultural identity, relics, and writings were destroyed wherever they could be found. The Ayleids are now considered extinct as a unique race, although unconfirmed sightings in the remote wilderness areas of Tamriel continued to occur into the 3rd Era.
Like the Altmer, they had tall but lean frames with elongated skulls and angular facial features. They had a grayish skin tone darker than that of the Altmer, but still much lighter than that of the Dunmer.
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* AbusivePrecursors: They kept humans as slaves, and some of their more horrific mistreatment of their slaves included forcing them all to work naked, force-feeding them hallucinogenic drugs and watching their reactions, creating sculptures out of their bones and gardens out of their entrails, and setting human children on fire and setting hungry animals on them. The humans eventually rose up against their masters, overthrew them, ruled over Cyrodiil (with a few Ayleid lords that had joined the human rebellion being left in place) and then a while later picked up crazy religion and ruthlessly hunted down all vestiges of the Ayleid civilisation, exterminating the ones who didn't flee Cyrodiil.
* AnimalMotifs: Birds. Many of their writings (and writings about them) are heavy with bird metaphors. They were said to have adorned themselves with feathers. Their armor was designed with feather patterns and their helmets with "beaks." A great example is the [[http://images.uesp.net//thumb/2/2c/ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg/600px-ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg armor of Laloriaran Dynar]] in ''Online''.
* AthensAndSparta: There are lorebooks in ''Online'' which talk about the Alyied city states of Delodiil and Abagarlas. Delodiil was progressive and populated by artists and scholors, and its people worshipped [[BigGood Meridia]]. Abagarlas was a military state whose people worshipped [[BigBad Molag Bal]]. Abgarlas's King was so jealous of Delodiil that he planned on sacking it and sacrificing every one of its citizens to Molag Bal, but by the time he and his army arrived, Delodiil had vanished, and Abgarlas had been sacked. [[spoiler: The Coldharbour arc reveals that Delodiil was absorbed into Coldharbour, Molag Bal's realm, and becomes the main trade hub during the Coldharbour quests. Abgarlas is explorable as a dungeon]]
* ConLang: They have their own, known as "[[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Ayleidoon Ayleidoon]]."
* TheEmpire: They are credited with forming the first empire in Tamriel, dominating all of Cyrodiil ("Cyrod" as they called it) and founded what would later become the Imperial City.
* FolkHero: The Last King of the Ayleids, Laloriaran Dynar, who died at the Battle of Glenumbra Moors alongside the Direnni of High Rock is considered one by many modern Mer who long for the time when Tamriel was dominated by the races of Mer.
* GhostMemory: Like their Welkynd and Varla stones, the Ayleids possessed crystals which could release memories directly to the user. Overuse of these crystals was said to cause a "problem of capacity" for mortal minds.
* HumanSacrifice: They were known to practice it, sacrificing their human slaves to appease their various deities.
* IgnoredExpert: The "moth-eyed" (Moth Priests), who study the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scrolls]], warned them that their hubris would "bear bitter fruit." The Ayleids ignored this, and their hubris would indeed lead to their downfall.
* KickTheDog: Their actions toward their Nedic slaves included but were not limited to: forcing all slaves to be naked, creating sculptures out of their bones, creating gardens out of their entrails, setting their children on fire and then siccing wild animals on them (which they refer to as "Tiger Sport"), and skinning runaways alive then making their skin into blankets for their children and babies.
* LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair: In their hubris, they believed that they would last forever. They tortured their human slaves in unimaginably cruel ways, leading to those slaves rising up and destroying the entire Ayleid culture. Those who weren't killed were forced to intermingle with the other races of Mer, effectively leading to their extinction as a unique race.
* LostTechnology:
** The Ayleids created many useful magical items during the golden years of their Empire, none of which have been replicated by the time of the games, forcing players to search Ayleid ruins in order to get their hands on them. Their magic items included Welkynd Stones and Wells which restore lost magicka, as well as Varla stones which can restore enchantments to weapons. The catch? The stones disappear after being used, and the wells need time to recharge. So powerful were these items, particularly those of the Varla stones (or "varliance"), that Umaril the Unfeathered "wrought" weapons from which were able to make Pelinal Whitestrake bleed.
** According to some theories, the Ayleids themselves didn't "create" these items, but preserved them from the "Dawn Era magicks of the Ehlnofey", meaning they were a form of lost technology even to the Ayleids.
* {{Magitek}}: Much of their technology fits, with their technologically advanced (relative the extant races of Tamriel) cities powered by Magicka-recharging Welkynd stones and Enchantment-recharging Varla stones.
* MalevolentArchitecture: Their ruins (formerly Ayleid cities) are notorious for their death traps, many of which are implausible and seem more dangerous to the denizens of the city than any invaders. One theory states that the Ayelids didn't always have such traps in their cities, and started constructing them as defensive measures during the Alessian Revolt, potentially justifying it. They make full use of {{Pressure Plate}}s and SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch:
** There were a number of Ayleids who refused to worship the Daedra, instead continuing to worship the Aedra. These two groups eventually went to war, but the Aedra-worshiping Ayleids were defeated and the survivors forced to flee Cyrodiil. The most famous of these groups were the Barsaebic Ayleids, who settled in Black Marsh.
** Likewise, many Ayleids were disgusted by the atrocities committed against the Nedic slaves. A number of these Ayleids sided with the slaves during the revolt, and were allowed to keep their lands as vassals of the new Cyrodiilic Empire as a result.
* NumerologicalMotif: They were said to be "obsessed" with the number 8, considering it divine.
* OddNameOut: The only elven race, whose elven name does not end with "mer".
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They're {{Jerkass}}es who enslaved and tormented humans.
* OurGodsAreDifferent:
** Their split with the Altmer was to get around the Aedra-worshiping Altmer's laws against Daedra worship. Many Ayleids actually worshipped both the Aedra and Daedra because both granted them powerful magic. This ended up contributing to their downfall since, unlike the Chimer, the Ayleids worship included some of the traditionally "evil" Daedric Princes. This led to some of the darker practices elsewhere on this list, which led to a loss of divine favor with the Aedra who supported the slave uprising against the Ayleids.
** While most (in)famous for their Daedra worship, the Ayleids also worshiped other beings who seem to have been forgotten in the eons since. One such example, from the ''Adabal-a'', is a "Insect God" whose name has been lost to whom an Ayleid king sacrificed all of his human slaves.
* RacialRemnant: Possibly. It is rumored that Ayleids still live in the untamed wilds across Tamriel, but the odd unconfirmed sighting is the only evidence for it. By the Fourth Era, centuries have gone by without a reliable sighting.
* ScrewYouElves: A combination of major political infighting, loss of divine favor, a slave revolt, and predations of their northern neighbors in collusion with the revolting slaves spelled the end of the Ayleids.
* StarPower: They believed that starlight was the most "sublime" form of magic, and venerated anything which fell from the heavens, particularly [[MagicMeteor meteorite iron]], which they would craft into their "Ayleid Wells" which channeled and restored magicka.
* TokenHeroicOrc: Rebel Ayleid lords were amongst Alessia's most important supporters and were allowed to keep their lands as vassals of her empire. Or, at least until the monkey prophet Marukh took over and made the First Empire become rabidly anti-elven.
* ThunderboltIron: Their Ayleid Wells, which (though an unknown means) channel magicka from the stars and can restore it to mages, were said to be crafted from [[MagicMeteor meteorite iron]].
* TheTower: Constructed the White-Gold Tower on an island in the heart of Cyrodiili, using the "Chim-el-Adabal" (said to have been created from the crystallized blood of Lorkhan, collected as it traveled across Tamriel to its resting place in Morrowind) as their "Stone." Following the Alessian Revolt, the tower would be taken by the Nedes.
* {{Unperson}}: The Alessian Order, under the leadership of the monkey prophet Maruhk, attempted to completely erase all trace of the Ayleids from history. While they obviously weren't completely successful, they did enough damage that the Ayleids are left shrouded in the mists of history while their magics and technologies are lost.
* UtilityMagic: They are credited with developing the Alteration school of magic, which includes a number of "utility" spells including levitation, water walking, night eye, light spells, and offensive paralysis.
* WarRefugees: Many Ayleid clans fled the Alessian Revolt in Cyrodiil, but few found safe havens. Only two groups are known to have survived. The first were those who fled to the Direnni Altmer in High Rock, where they were welcomed and formed the "last" kingdom of the Ayleids ruled by Laloriaran Dynar, which survived for a few more centuries. The second were those clans who fled into Valenwood, where they were welcomed by the Bosmer. The Valenwood Ayleids would end up being fully absorbed by Bosmeri culture, leading to their extinction as a unique race.
* WrittenByTheWinners: They are the "losers" in this case to Alessia and the Imperial's "winners." While there is plenty of evidence that the Ayleids committed atrocities against their human slaves, there has almost certainly been some exaggeration of the centuries since. Even though several rebel Ayleid lords supported Alessia and were permitted to keep their lands and culture after the war, even they would be demonized once the monkey prophet Maruhk came to power. In addition to the persecution of any elves within the empire, he also [[BookBurning destroyed any records]] and cultural artifacts of the Ayleids that could be found. Eventually, only the (almost certainly heavily biased) Imperial records of the Alessian Revolt remained.
!! Bosmer
->''"Once, there was nothing but formlessness. The land held no shape, the trees did not harden into timber and bark, and the Elves'' ''themselves shifted from form to form. This formlessness was called the Ooze.''
->''But Y'ffre took the Ooze and ordered it. First, she told of the Green, the forest and all the plant life in it. She gave the Green the''
->''power to shape itself as it willed, for it was her first tale.''
->''The Elves were Y'ffre's second tale. As Y'ffre spun the story, the Elves took the form they have today. Y'ffre gave them the power''
->''to tell stories, but warned them against trying to shape themselves or the Green. Shifting and the destruction of the forest were''
->''forbidden."''
-->-- '''''The Ooze: A Fable'''''
The Wood Elves of Valenwood, also known as the "Boiche" or "Tree-Sap People". Their ancestors rejected the formal traditions of Aldmeri culture, splitting off to live simple lives more in tune with nature. They struck an agreement with Y'ffre, the Forest God of Valenwood and the first et'Ada to transform into the Ehlnofey, known as the Green Pact; in exchange for Y'ffre's patronage, they have sworn never to harm any plantlife in Valenwood (though they can import timber from other regions of Tamriel when necessary), and must live on an almost exclusively carnivorous diet. They are the shortest race in Tamriel and possess darker reddish/brown skin than their Altmeri cousins. They are nimble and quick as a race, making for excellent scouts, thieves, and hunters. The Bosmer are considered the finest archers in all Tamriel, with it even being said that they were inventors of the bow.
They have been assimilated or subjugated by every incarnation of the Aldmeri Dominion, in which they are treated as second-class citizens (at best) to the Altmer. They are led by the "Silvenar," who is a literal representation of the Bosmer people. (Changing in both body and mind to match the current state of the Bosmeri people.)
----
* AlienLunch: Various forms of insect make up a portion of their diet due to the restrictions of the Green Pact. Additionally, they are known to ''smoke'' certain insects in their bone pipes, as smoking plant matter within Valenwood would violate the Pact.
* ArchEnemy: They have a long and violent history with the Khajiit, with whom they share a border.
* ArcherArchetype: The Bosmer are hailed as the best archers in Tamriel. By the age of 14, all Bosmer children are expected to be proficient enough with a bow to join hunting parties. Their very best archers are known as "Jaqspurs," able to snatch an arrow, draw their bow, and fire in one continuous motion. Both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Septim Empire have employed the Bosmer as specialist archer troops.
* TheBeastmaster: Can calm hostile animals using their Beast Tongue ability.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like many of the races of Mer, they have some cultural practices and beliefs which are quite alien.
** Preservation and protection of Valenwood comes above all else. The Green Pact dictates that they must ''consume'' the flesh of fallen invaders as it is not allowed to rot within Valenwood.
** The "Mourning Wars" are a Bosmeri tradition which has been practiced since their pre-history. When a member of one tribe is slain by a another tribe, he or she is replaced by a hostage-taking raid on the offending tribe. The hostage is tortured "to test their worthiness," and if they pass, they are welcomed into the new tribe. When the slain tribe member is someone very important, several hostages may be taken to make up for the victim. Traditionally, the hostage(s) is given the possessions, rank, and rights of the slain, but this is said to be rarely practiced in modern times.
** The Rite of Theft is a Bosmer tradition which states that if a person steals from another, then returns the item, the item's rightful owner must pay the thief commiserate with the item's worth. This tradition is understandably frowned upon by non-Bosmer, and has even been used ''against'' the Bosmer by outsiders.
* EnslavedElves: While it may not be full blown slavery, the Bosmer are treated as second-class citizens to the Altmer under the Aldmeri Dominion. Things became even worse when the Thalmor rose to power, as they even treat other Altmer as beneath them if those Altmer do not subscribe to the beliefs of the Thalmor.
* FantasticNamingConvention: Their names are heavily inspired by [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]'s "Sindarin" ConLang. They use a lot of "th" sounds, plus plenty of "d's, f's and g's" surrounded by soft vowels. The end result are a lot of names like Glarthir, Fargoth, and Enthir.
* GargleBlaster: Since the Green Pact limits their ability to produce alcohol from fruit or grain, they've invented alternatives. Jagga is fermented pig's milk, similar to real life Mongolian Airag (replacing horses with pigs). There is also Rotmeth, created from fermented meat rubbed with the organs of Thunderbugs, which takes years to brew. It is an essential drink to have at all Bosmer weddings.
* HalfHumanHybrid: The Monomyth suggests that early in their history the Aldmer who became the Bosmer "soiled Time's line" by "taking Mannish wives", making them a more-Elven version of the Breton's {{Uneven Hybrid}}ization. It is worth noting that out of all the races of Mer, the Bosmer are the ones who look closest to humans and have the most human-like skin tones.
* HornedHumanoid: ''Online'' and ''Legends'' depicts some Bosmer as having deer-like antlers.
* ImAHumanitarian: Bosmer are required by the Green Pact to consume fallen enemies, so that their bodies are not allowed to rot within Valenwood. Bosmer warriors are known to starve themselves for days before battle so that they can eat the remains of whatever enemies they kill (though, as with many other Green Pact rules, this is relaxed for Bosmer outside of Valenwood). Additionally, this practice is said to have faded during the 2nd and 3rd Eras, and is now rarely practiced outside of a few remote villages.
* LoopholeAbuse: Bosmer use a range of options for getting around the restrictions of the Green Pact. For example, the Green Pact says that one cannot harm ''living'' plants, and cannot eat food ''made from'' plants. However, some Bosmer eat raw fruit that has fallen from trees and they are able to eat mushrooms, which do not count as plants. It's also acceptable to eat insects, honey, and dairy products. Additionally, while ''they'' may not harm the plant-life of Valenwood, certain outsiders are allowed to, and the Bosmer have been known to purchase lumber from outsiders who cut the trees. They are also known to import wood from other regions into Valenwood when necessary.
* TheLostWoods: Their sacred homeland of Valenwood. Massive dense forests stretch as far as the eye can see and most Bosmeri settlements are connected only by narrow footpaths. Some of the trees there are even migratory, traveling to different regions of Valenwood depending on the season.
* NobleSavage: They're seen as an extremely barbaric form of Mer, particularly in comparison to their Altmer cousins/neighbors. However, they are seen as generally good and well-meaning people.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Bosmer are cannibals who live in cities composed of ''walking trees'' and, within Valenwood, are not allowed to consume plant matter.
* ReallyGetsAround: Out of all the races of Mer, the Bosmer are known as the most amorous. As a result, they're also the most numerous race of Mer on Tamriel.
* RockBeatsLaser: Due to the Green Pact, forges are extremely uncommon in Valenwood. As a result, metal weapons and armor have never gained popularity amongst the Bosmer. Their weaponry tends to be made of natural ingredients, such as bone for clubs and obsidian blades. They are known to make composite horn bows which are said to be some of the best in Tamriel. For armor, they either forgo it completely or use light natural materials such as leather and hide.
* ScaryTeeth: Some Bosmer have been known to sharpen their teeth into points.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: All Bosmer possess the innate ability to transform into nightmarish beasts as [[GodzillaThreshold a final desperate act of defense]] against invaders, known as "the Wild Hunt." However, there is no known way to reverse this transformation, leaving them permanently stuck as these monsters.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Until ''Skyrim'', Bosmer women were a full head taller than Bosmer men. ''Skyrim'' reduced the discrepancy significantly (women are still taller, but only slightly,) Downplaying the trope.
* TheTower: They ''grew'' a Tower rather than construct one, known as the Green-Sap, grown from the Perchance Acorn (their Stone). According to the Bosmer, [[MultipleChoicePast every story of the Green-Sap is true]], with none "truer" than any other. The Green-Sap had the ability to "walk" throughout their forest homeland of Valenwood. However, the mage Anumaril used a "fangled" magic staff created in emulation of each Tower to turn the Perchance Acorn into a Definite Acorn, giving the Green-Sap a "true ending" and freezing it in place, never to "walk" again. So, while the ending to the story of Green-Sap is determined, that ending still remains a mystery. The Green-Sap still stands in Valenwood's Elden Grove.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Bosmer [[http://www.daryam.com/michael/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Bosmer.jpg were originally designed]] so that all of the women would be beautiful while all the men would be {{gonk}}. While the women were still quite attractive, the men were made less ugly in ''Oblivion'' and this has been almost completely forgotten by the time of ''Skyrim''.
* UnevenHybrid: It is said that the Bosmer came to be when the Aldmer who settled in Valenwood began taking "Mannish wives." In the exact opposite of the Bretons, the Bosmer are still almost entirely Mer.
* WarRefugees: Over the millennia, they've been welcoming to all those who seek refuge within Valenwood so long as they agree to follow certain aspects of the Green Pact and do not harm the forest itself. In particular, they were known to take in huge numbers of Ayleids fleeing Cyrodiil during the Alessian Revolt who would eventually be fully absorbed by Bosmeri culture.
* TheWildHunt: In Tamriel, the phrase 'Wild Hunt' refers to a ritual in which a number of Bosmer transform themselves into nightmarish beasts, and then rampage through Valenwood destroying their enemies. Because there is no known way to reverse the transformation, the ritual is considered a taboo subject by Bosmer and is [[GodzillaThreshold sanctioned for use only in dire circumstances]].
!! Dunmer
->''"Resdaynia was no more. It had been redeemed of all the iniquities of the foolish. The ALMSIVI drew nets from the Beginning Place''
->''and captured the ash of Red Mountain, which they knew was the Blight of the Dwemer and that would serve only to infect the whole of the middle world, and ate it. ALTADOON DUNMERI!''"
-->-- '''''The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec'''''
The Dark Elves of Morrowind. They were originally the Chimer, close relatives of the Altmer with pale gold skin, but were led by the prophet Veloth to become the Velothi people and worship their ancestors and Daedra rather than the Divines. They were later unified under Nerevar to create the nation of Resdaynia and become known as the Resdayn people.
Early in the First Era, their alliance with the Dwemer (originally formed to defeat the invading Nords) fell apart when the Chimer learned that the Dwemer had found the Heart of Lorkhan (the dead creator god) and were planning to tap into it. Seeing this as blasphemy toward their gods (the Daedra), the Chimer attacked the Dwemer stronghold at Red Mountain. [[TheRashomon Exactly what happened next is recounted differently by all those involved]], but the Dwemer vanished, three of Nerevar's closest allies (as well as a former ally turned enemy) became demi-gods, Nerevar died, and the Chimer became ash-skinned with glowing red eyes, and Azura told them that it was their fault (or Vivec's fault). Thusly, they became the Dunmer people.
Most rallied around the new demi-gods, the Tribunal (Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil). Several tribes clung to the old ways in the ashy barrens of Vvardenfell and became known as the Ashlanders. For 4000 years, this was the way of life for the Dunmer. When Tiber Septim came to conquer Morrowind, Vivec allowed Morrowind to become a VoluntaryVassal and traded to the Emperor the (Dwemer-crafted, Dunmer-seized) Numidium in exchange for special privileges (such as continuing to allow slavery). After the Oblivion Crisis, the Ministry of Truth crashed down and Red Mountain erupted. The Argonians then came to conquer what was left of South Morrowind. Now, the Dunmer people are scattered, with many of them settling in Solstheim and Skyrim.
The Dunmer possess both strong physiques and keen intellects, which make them highly adaptable and equally skilled as warriors or sorcerers, but Dunmer tend to be grim, aloof and disdainful of other races.
----
* AntiMagic: They have an innate resistance to fire and fire-based magic.
* BadassNormal: As the Chimer. Despite lacking the magical might of the Altmer, the technological skill of the Dwemer, and pure brute force of the Nords, they managed to hold their own in conflicts against each thanks to their JackOfAllStats balance. They stopped qualifying after the Battle of Red Mountain, when they became the Dunmer and gained three [[PhysicalGod Physical Gods]] who helped to defend Morrowind from outside threats for nearly 4000 years.
* BanOnMagic: They have a strong cultural dislike for necromancy, and considered it punishable by death under the Tribunal Temple. This is rooted in their religious beliefs which include significant ancestor worship.
* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: Their traditional dwellings range from hollowed-out giant crab shells to magically grown mushroom towers. The ancient Daedric ruins built by the ancient Chimer are also designed in [[AlienGeometries some truly impossible ways]]. One of their holy sites was the Ministry of Truth, a hollowed out moon which they turned into TheAlcatraz for heretics and blasphemers.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like many of the other races of Mer, many aspects of Dunmer culture can appear barbaric or plain alien to an outside observer. While downplayed compared to the utterly alien Dwemer and some of the more extreme Altmer beliefs, the Dunmer have no qualms about, for instance, siccing legal assassins on their opponents and have allowed the theocratic elements of their unique religion to permeate through the everyday life of their people. They consider it a sacred act to raise the bodies and spirits of their ancestors for protection (an act they consider blasphemous necromancy otherwise). Additionally, they contributed the [[PoweredByAForsakenChild bones and souls]] of their deceased to power the Ghostfence (which contained the Blight around Red Mountain) once the Tribunal were no longer powerful enough to power it on their own.
* BreakTheHaughty: For thousands of years, they were a highly xenophobic, arrogant, slave-holding race. Following the events of ''Morrowind'', their culture went into a sharp decline and was dealt a devastating blow between ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', when the Ministry of Truth crashed down causing Red Mountain to errupt which destroyed most of Vvardenfell and rendered much of Morrowind uninhabitable due to choking ash. Then, one of their former slave races (the Argonians) invaded and captured much of what was left of habitable Morrowind. The Dunmer have paid for their hubris and then some, now scattered with many of them settling on the frozen, barren island of Solstheim and in Skyrim, where they are treated as second-class citizens (at best) by the native Nords. Luckily, they seem to have learned a little well-deserved humility in the process. As one Dunmer puts it to a Dunmer Dragonborn in ''Skyrim'': "We're all Ashlanders now."
* ChurchMilitant: At the height of Tribunal worship, the Tribunal Temple was a powerful military force. Special mention to the Buoyant Armigers, elite special forces hand-picked by Vivec himself, often decked out in high quality glass armor, who primarily operated [[{{Mordor}} inside the Ghostfence]].
* ChurchPolice: The Ordinators are this for the Tribunal Temple. They serve as inquisitors, guards for Temple holdings and holy sites, and hunt down unholy threats like Daedra worshippers, vampires, necromancers, [[DisproportionateRetribution and people who wear their holy armor]]. Because of this, they also make for a ''shining'' example of [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]]. There are also the Buoyant Armigers, elite special forces hand-picked by [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec himself, often decked out in high quality [[FantasyMetals Glass]] armor, who primarily operate inside the [[{{Mordor}} Ghostfence]]. There's also the High Ordinators, who are under the rule of Almalexia, another Tribunal deity, and then the elites of those, known as the Hands of Almalexia: Six warriors with equipment enchanted by the goddess herself. Each of whom are said to be some of the most powerful warriors in Tamriel.
* TheClan: The Great Houses. Originally family based, they are now a combination of blood relatives and adopted members. They've expanded over time to allow outsiders to join freely, though few ever rise to the highest ranks. Those with ties to the original families are considered the equivalent of Dunmer nobility, and are fast-tracked for leadership positions.
* ColonyDrop: Sheogorath attempted this by hurling the rogue moon Baar Dau at Vivec City. Vivec, the Tribunal deity, froze it in place above the city. It would later be hollowed out for use by the Tribunal Temple as the Ministry of Truth. Vivec tells his followers that it is held in place by his people's love for him, and that should they stop loving him, it would fall. [[spoiler:As a result of the Nerevarine's actions, Vivec disappears following the events of the game. The stop-gap measure implemented by the Temple to keep it in orbit is destroyed, so the moon resumes its fall as though it had never stopped. Vivec (the city) is destroyed, Red Mountain erupts, the mainland of Morrowind is devastated by tsunamis, and, even some 200 years later, the crater/bay that lies where Vivec used to be still has its waters boiling]].
* CorruptChurch: What the Tribunal Temple had become around the time of ''Morrowind''. Curiously, in the early days when the Tribunal gods consistently lived and worked among their people, it was much better. [[spoiler:Since they retreated into their own seclusion thanks to no longer being able to replenish their divine power with the Heart of Lorkhan and instead having to conserve their power (by the time of the player's arrival, Vivec has been maintaining the entire Ghostfence on his own for centuries) to protect Tamriel from Dagoth Ur.]] It was only after mortals took over the running of things that everything started to go to hell. Now, most of its members are stuck-up, elitist jerkasses, especially the high ranking officials, and the Ordinators have become condescending fanatical bigots who consider even ''speaking'' of the Nerevarine or ''wearing their armor'' to be capitol offenses. It seems to have gotten better by the time of ''Skyrim'' — the dissidents who said 'aren't you guys taking things too far?' to the aforementioned excesses were validated by the events of ''Morrowind'', and then ended up coming up on top the chaos of Vivec's disappearance and the Red Year, forming the much less corrupt "New Temple."
* CulturalPosturing: They were one of the haughtiest cultures in all of Tamriel. They were an extremely xenophobic race who hated outlanders within their homeland of Morrowind, but had no issue with raiding other provinces (particularly Black Marsh and Elsweyr) for slaves. The corrupt Tribunal Temple did nothing but reinforce the cultural superiority of the Dunmer while hypocrisy was rampant. [[spoiler:The events of ''Morrowind'', ''Tribunal'', the Oblivion Crisis, the Red Year, and finally the Argonian invasion seem to have humbled them by the time of ''Skyrim'', however.]]
* CultureChopSuey: Where to start...
** Biblical Israelites/Hebrews/Jews: Led to Morrowind via mass exodus by the prophet Veloth, who shares aspects of Abraham and Moses. Practice a comparitively unusual religion for the setting (Tribunal/Ancestor worship vs. the worship of the Divines,) similar to the Israelite's monotheism vs. the polytheism popular in the region at the time. Struggling against a powerful foreign empire occupying their homeland (Cyrodiilic Empire, Roman Empire.) Had a long rivalry with the Dwemer, who have some appropriately Babylonian influences.
** Ancient Mesopotamia: Particularly the ancient Chimer. The names of many people and places sound like they're straight out of ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh''.
** Mongolia: The Ashlanders combine this with Mesopotamia mentioned above. Nomadic and "barbaric" (at least from the point of view of the Great House Dunmer.)
** Japan/China: Building aesthetics, especially House Hlaalu and Indoril styles.
* CultureClash: Strikingly in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''. They are a very alien people and culture, which does not make progressing as an outlander easy.
* DarkIsNotEvil: They may have a (not undeserved) cultural reputation for being dour and suspicious, and their dark skin and red eyes are indicative of a curse, but the Dunmer are no more inclined to outright ''villainy'' than any of Tamriel's other races.
* DevilButNoGod: The Dunmer have an interesting take on this. In general, they acknowledge that the Daedric Princes that they do revere - Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala - are actually ruthless, vicious and brutal entities; even Azura, the most benevolent of those Princes, still cursed the whole species for the actions of the Tribunal. At the same time, the Dunmer view ''everyone else'', Aedra and Daedra alike, as either [[TricksterGod lying tricksters]], [[GodIsInept ineffectually weak]], or [[GodOfEvil uselessly malicious]]. (By comparison, Boethiah and Mephala are [[TrainingFromHell usefully]] malicious, as they [[HadToBeSharp taught the Dunmer how to survive in a harsh environment through their maliciousness]].) It's not really surprising that the only gods they truly revered as benevolent were [[DeityOfHumanOrigin ALMSIVI]].
* EndOfAnAge: The Tribunal exerted great influence over the affairs of the Dunmer for some 4000 years. That all comes to an end following the events of ''Morrowind'', ''Tribunal'', the Oblivion Crisis, the Red Year, and the Argonian invasion. It leaves the Dunmer way of life shattered with their people cast from their ancestral homeland and searching for their place in the world, both literally and figuratively.
* EvilSorcerer: House Telvanni. You don't have to be ''evil'' to join, but they tend to thrive within the house as it is a [[TheMagocracy Magocracy]] where MightMakesRight and KlingonPromotion are official policies.
* FantasticHonorifics: A slight variation on the gender-neutral "ser" version: The Dunmer use "sera", "muthsera" and "serjo", in increasing order of politeness. They also use (far less prominently) the honorifics of "Sedura" (which appears to be associated with wealth) and "Kena" (which appears to be associated with scholars or wizards). They can stack, too — one play refers to a character as "Sedura Kena Telvanni Hordalf Xyr" (Hordalf Xyr being the character's name, and Telvanni being his House) by another character pretending to be his servant.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They typically have a first name and a last name with a characteristic "Dunmerish" sound (for example, Falanu Hlaalu, Nels Llendo, Hlireni Indavel). The Dunmer nobility also uses the name of their Houses as prefix to their names (for example, Redoran Hlaren Ramoran). The Telvanni Masters use one name only (Mistress Dratha, Master Neloth). The Ashlanders (and many ancient Chimeri names) draw heavily from ancient Mesopotamia, leading to them sounding like they're straight out of ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh''.
* FantasticRacism: Are famously xenophopic, especially against the beast races. By ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', they've had the tables turned on them, but have at least learned a little humility from the experience.
* FantasticSlurs: They are known to use three: s'wit, fetcher, and n'wah. The first two are used similarly to "shit/idiot" and the "f" word while also being an offensive term for a slave, respectively. The last is a highly offensive word for "outlander" with similar negative connotations as the Japanese "gaijin" and/or the real life "N" word.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: Lord Indoril Nerevar is treated as this by the Dunmer people as the great unificator of Morrowind. The Tribunal rule in his name ([[TheRashomon even though they very likely may be responsible for his death]]) and he is revered as a saint in the Tribunal Temple.
* FungusHumongous: Tree-sized mushrooms are a common sight in Morrowind. Telvanni settlements consist almost exclusively of mushroom houses, and many homes (there and elsewhere) have potted mushrooms as decoration.
* GodEmperor: While they don't legally count themselves as the emperors, the Dunmer worship the Tribunal, a trio of living, flesh and blood gods. They exert great influence, and each has a royal title, but they aren't officially the government - there's a separate King of Morrowind, who reports to the Emperor. Additionally, the Great Houses retain much of their autonomy as a result of favorable terms in the armistice signed between Morrowind and the Empire.
* GreatOffscreenWar: Much of what made the Dunmer what they are can be traced back to the War of the First Council detailed on the trope page.
* GutturalGrowler: Male Dunmer in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' all speak in a very low and gravelly voice. In contrast to the guards in ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', Dunmer guards in ''Morrowind'' actually sound quite intimidating.
* {{Hypocrite}}: They used to be. They were xenophobic and didn't like outlanders settling to Morrowind, but they had no problem invading other nations in order to kidnap ''their'' inhabitants as slaves. Additionally, the Tribunal Temple outlawed necromancy and made it punishable by death despite it being legal (with certain limitations) elsewhere in the empire. However, the Temple faithful would summon the spirits of their ancestors or reanimate their corpses to serve as guards for their tombs and other holy sites. This was considered a holy act in reverence of their ancestors, with any other forms of necromancy being a sacrilege.
* JackOfAllStats: Of the Mer races, and in competition with the Imperials for the most balanced overall. They are equally proficient in various Combat, Magic, and Stealth classes. They are highly adaptable and make for good cross-class builds as well, especially offensively oriented ones. With efficient leveling, they can reach MasterOfAll territory.
* LivingGasbag: Netch are a giant, leathery, jellyfish-looking creature native to Morrowind that the Dunmer farm for their hides.
* TheMigration:
** Originally, as the Chimer, they were led to Morrowind in a mass migration from the Summerset Isles by the prophet Veloth.
** Following the events of the Red Year, the Dunmer people were forced to flee Morrowind. Many poured into Solstheim, which by the 4th Era wasn't much more than a frozen rock and site of a failed Imperial mining colony. Others fled to mainland Skyrim, settling in the poorer areas of eastern Skyrim where they are treated as little better than second class citizens to the Nords.
* MurderInc: The Morag Tong is a guild of assassins officially sanctioned by the Dunmer government. To put it lightly, the Dunmer Great Houses don't get along very well, and since open warring between the Great Houses would weaken the Dunmer overall, the Morag Tong was sanctioned as the solution. Whenever someone with a enough wealth to hire the Morag Tong wants someone dead, an "Honorable Writ of Execution" will be created for that person and a Tong assassin will be dispatched to kill them.
* NobleSavage: Played straight by the more peaceful Ashlander tribes. Averted by the Erabenimsum tribe under it's "war" leadership and the various "rogue" Ashlanders.
* OopNorth: In ''Skyrim'' they tend towards Northern English accents, presumably due to the connotations of cynicism and general working-class-ness, although there are a few Cockney voice actors in there for the same reason. Taken to a surreal extreme with Raven Rock's Lancastrian guard captain.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They have dark skin and red eyes. They also differ from most depictions from "dark elves," particularly [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons the Drow]], primarily by being NOT AlwaysChaoticEvil. They do share some elements such as FantasticRacism, a propensity for slavery, their Great Houses as the form of government, and their appearance being the (probable) result of a divine curse, so they do have a few parallels with drow. However, they do not live under ground, aren't particularly matriarchal, and, as mentioned, aren't always evil.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: Part of their split with the Altmer was because they preferred ancestor and Daedra worship. Later, they come to worship the Tribunal. Following the disappearance of the Tribunal and the events of the Red Year, the "New Temple" reformed and returned to their traditional ancestor worship and veneration of the "three good Daedra:" Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala. They also revere the Tribunal as saints rather than gods.
* PardonMyKlingon: They have a fondness of calling those they dislike S'wits, Fetchers or N'wahs. N'wah appears to be a highly racist way of saying "foreigner", but the others are unexplained. For all intents and purposes, those three words correlate in that they are, respectively, the S-word, F-word, and N-word of Dunmeri culture.
* PhysicalGod: They worshiped the Tribunal, three mortals (Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil) who ascended to godhood by tapping into the Heart of Lorkhan.
* ProudMerchantRace: House Hlaalu. It is the most "imperialized" house, with strong ties to the Empire, and thus all of the trade opportunities that provides. CorruptCorporateExecutive-type leaders thrive in the house and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Chronic Backstabbing]] is common.
* ProudWarriorRace: House Redoran. They aren't called the "Warrior House" for nothing. They are the Dunmer's first line of defense and even the Imperial Legions recognize the Redorans as a BadassArmy. In the backstory, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade Morrowind, House Redoran was preparing to defend Morrowind ''on their own'' while the other Great Houses chose to remain neutral or to accommodate the empire before the armistice was signed.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: They play with it, just like with DarkIsNotEvil above. They do have bright red eyes, and they are generally seen as dour and cynical as a race, but they aren't prone to outright evil or villainy any more than members of any other race. However, they are supposedly indicative of a curse placed upon them by Azura.
* ReligiousBruiser: House Indoril and the Ordinators particularly so, all of them very religious and capable of kicking your ass.
* TheRemnant: Dunmer-ruled Morrowind is reduced to this following the Red Year and the subsequent Argonian invasion.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The core of their conflict thousands of years ago with the Dwemer boils down to this. The Dwemer are certainly aware of the existence of the Daedra the Chimer worship, but are steadfast in their belief that the Daedra are not gods; so much so that Vivec facetiously commented that the Dwemer instead worshiped "their Gods of Reason and Logic."
* RuthlessForeignGangsters: Inverted by the native Camonna Tong, which is essentially the Dunmer mafia. They are extremely brutal as they run Morrowind's illegal drug, slave, and smuggling industries.
* ScaryImpracticalArmor: Quite a few of the native Dunmer styles of armor fit such as Chitin, Glass, Bonemold, Dreugh, and Indoril. Each possess [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes]] and [[ShouldersOfDoom oversized shoulders]].
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Bonemold is an iconic armor type of the Dunmer people. Exactly what type of bones it is molded from is never made clear. Additionally, Chitin is a type of light armor crafted from the shells of Morrowind's giant insects and favored by the Ashlanders, though "civilized" Dunmer will use it as well.
* SlaveLiberation: This is the goal of the Twin Lamps, an organization (led by the daughter of the Duke of Vvardenfell) dedicated to freeing slaves and returning them to their homelands. Some time after the events of ''Morrowind'', it happens on a national scale which upsets quite a few traditionalist Dunmer. Any remaining illegal slaves are finally freed when the Argonians invade.
* TheTheocracy: House Indoril and the Tribunal Temple held significant influence over the affairs of the Dunmer, even after the Empire took over. Downplayed after the Red Year, though the "New Temple" is still prominent in the lives of the surviving Dunmer.
* TheTower: The Chimer would claim Red Mountain in Morrowind where Lorkhan's heart fell (known as Red Tower). After the Dwemer discovered the Heart beneath the mountain and disappeared mysteriously while attempting to use its power, three Chimer would successfully use it to become the {{Physical God}}s known as the Tribunal. Unbeknownst to them, [[FaceHeelTurn their former ally]], Voryn Dagoth, also used the Heart before he was slain and coalesced in the millennia the Tribunal ruled. He returned and cut them off from the Heart, preventing them from recharging their divinity. Following the events of ''Morrowind'', the Dwemer enchantments on the Heart would be severed, killing Dagoth and stripping the Tribunal of their divinity permanently. This also stripped Red Tower of its "Stone," depriving it forever of its [[RealityWarper reality altering powers]]. (Later events would see Red Mountain violently erupt, erasing it almost entirely from the world.)
* ValuesDissonance: An In-Universe case. Most Tamriellic cultures, especially those heavily influenced by the [[SaintlyChurch religion of the Nine Divines]], view the Daedric Princes with suspicion at best and consider them outright evil entities at worst (though acknowledge that some are more benevolent toward mortals than others). The Dunmer religion casts Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala as "good" Daedra and Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath, as "bad" Daedra. To note:
** Traditionally across Tamriel, Boethiah and Mephala are considered evil entities, but the Dunmer revere them because the belief that Mephala's deceptions and Boethiah's MightMakesRight philosophy both serve to make the Dunmer stronger. While everyone else views Mephala as a force of destructive and secret plots, the Dunmer view her plotting as a way to make them more clever and wary. Boethiah's constant tests of strength and ruthlessness make the other peoples of Tamriel view him as a brutish, treacherous killer, the Dunmer see him as [[YouAreBetterthanYouThinkYouAre pushing them to become ever stronger and better as a people.]]
** Malacath is viewed as an "evil" entity by the Dunmer, while the rest of Tamriel views him as more neutral force. Malacath, being an enemy of Boethiah, is naturally cast as an enemy of the Dunmer, not to mention the fact that Malacath's sphere involves the outcast, spurned, and downtrodden, so it's entirely understandable why a culture that spurns outsiders and outcasts and practices large-scale slavery wouldn't be positively inclined toward him.
** Interestingly, the Dunmer are probably the only elves who don't share the other elves' distaste for Lorkhan, instead viewing him as the god who exposed the lies and deceptions of the Aedra.
* VoluntaryVassal: How Morrowind came to join the Septim Empire. Vivec, having recently lost two of the tools Kagrenac to Dagoth Ur and thus, the ability for the Tribunal to recharge their divinity, negotiated this status with Tiber Septim when Septim's forces threatened to invade. Vivec also offered the Numidium in trade, allowing Morrowind to keep many of its pre-Imperial privileges (including slavery, which was illegal elsewhere in the Empire).
!! Dwemer
->''"A Dwemer of eight can create a golem, but an eight of Dwemer can become one."''
-->-- '''''Nchmarthurnidamz'''''
The Deep Elves (also known as "Dwarves") of all of North Tamriel, whose civilization ("Dwemereth") once spanned from Hammerfell across Skyrim to Morrowind, where the epicenter of their culture was built in and around Red Mountain. Unlike the other races of Mer, there is no known record of their disassociation with the Aldmer, which is believed to have happened in very early Tamriellic history. They were an industrious, highly intelligent, and extremely technologically advanced people, but were also known to be cruel, arrogant, and dogmatic. Contemporary accounts describe them as "unfathomable" and "unknowable", with truly alien belief systems unlike anyone else in Tamriel. While they mostly wanted to be left alone, they came into conflict with every other race that encountered them, usually over religious differences (the Dwemer were known to be extreme atheists, refuting that any known "divine" beings were truly "gods" worth worshiping).
The entire race mysteriously vanished during the 1st Era, around the time of the Battle of Red Mountain. Only the ruins of their civilization remain, though these are still protected by deadly traps and mechanical guardians, making them very dangerous places to visit.
----
* AbusivePrecursors: They came into conflict with just about every other race they encountered and left behind ruins filled with deathtraps and highly advanced (but often dangerous) technology. These facts alone would make them closer to NeglectfulPrecursors, but the Skyrim Dwemer's treatment of the Falmer puts them squarely in the "abusive" category. With their former empire decimated by the invading Nords, the Dwemer offered to take in their displaced Snow Elf cousins. The Dwemer then enslaved and mutated them, twisting them into the bestial modern Falmer.
* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Their more massive ruins qualify. Most have various steam/enchantment powered machinery still running and mecha-mooks still on patrol despite the Dwemer having vanished thousands of years ago.
* AGodAmI: Of a sort. They were {{Naytheist}}s who did not believe that the known divine entities were truly "gods." In fact, it was "unfashionable" amongst the Dwemer to view their own "golden spirits" as anything less than the those of the "divine."
* AIIsACrapshoot: Exactly what powers and controls their various "[[MechaMooks animunculi]]" remains a mystery, but they must be programmed with some sort of rudimentary A.I. It is said that some of these machines are capable of interpreting the actions of people around them and responding accordingly. Various attempts to control the mechas have been made in the millennia since the Dwemer vanished, often ending with the machines going berserk.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane."
* BadassBeard: They were known to have lengthy and sometimes elaborate beards, and were known to bend the natural laws of the world to create advanced technology, robot armies, and even HumongousMecha, vouching for their badassery.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: According to contemporary sources, the Dwemer's personality and culture were utterly ''alien'' by human and even other mer understanding. A major part of their outlook was the idea of refuting everything as real, whether it be something they sensed, something that was actually there, or even the Divines themselves. To quote former dev/writer Michael Kirkbride:
-->''"That's why the Dwemer are the weirdest race in Tamriel and, frankly, also the scariest. They look(ed) like us, they sometimes act(ed) like us, but when you really put them under the magnifying glass you see nothing but vessels that house an intelligence and value system that is by all accounts Beyond Human Comprehension. (...) There isn't even a word to describe the Dwarven view on divinity. They were atheists on a world where gods exist."''
* CessationOfExistence: Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of existence.
* ConLang: [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Dwemer_Alphabet Dwemeris]].
* CultureChopSuey: While the most distinctive aspect of their culture is their heavy use of {{Steampunk}} and {{Magitek}}, the Dwemer themselves dressed and wore their beards in a manner akin to Mesopotamian cultures, such as the Babylonians. In ''Skyrim'', their armor and weaponry tend to have a very Bronze Age Mediterranean influence.
* TheDreaded: They were so alien and so advanced that they were said to be feared by the Nords, the Chimer, and even the gods themselves.
* DugTooDeep: They discovered the still-beating heart of the dead god Lorkhan digging deep beneath Red Mountain. Whatever it is they tried to do with the heart, it would cause their entire race to disappear from all known planes of existence.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Almost all of their cities were dug deep into the ground, and some get extremely elaborate.
* ElvesVersusDwarves: Even though the Dwemer were a sub-race of elves, they didn't much care for the other elven races. They were frequently at war with the Chimer, the ancestors of the Dunmer, over religious differences (though they did form an EnemyMine alliance with them when both races were threatened by the Nords), and were distrustful of the Falmer even after the latter swore fealty to them (see KickTheDog below).
* EnemyMine: Formed one with their longtime rival Chimer when both races were threatened by the invading Nords. The coalition was successful as the Nord army was decimated at Red Mountain.
* EternalEngine: Much of their machinery is still up and running even some 4000+ years after their disappearance. It helps that they were known to [[RealityWarper bend the laws of nature]] to [[RagnarokProofing Ragnark-proof]] their creations, Justifying the trope.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They seem to have used to build names by mashing hard-sounding consonants together, although it's unclear whether that was actually the case or just a transliteration issue (since Dwemer language and alphabet varied wildly from Tamriel's lingua franca of the day, Aldmeris). Names known from modern sources contain vowels, such as Yagrum Bagarn (although he could've taken up the name for convenient interaction with his hosts at Tel Fyr), Kagrenac, or Dahrk Mezalf. Names mentioned in books - not necessarily (Bluthanch, Nchunak, Nblthd).
* FlatEarthAtheist:
** Specifically, the "refusal to accept their divinity" part. The conflict with the Chimer was over religion and magic versus science and reason, with the Chimer choosing the former and the Dwemer choosing the latter. They were said to summon Daedra in order to put their divinity to the test.
** It's implied that their refusal to accept anything as real is a core element of how their technology functions. They devised technology that [[RealityWarper ignored the laws of reality or outright manipulated the tonal architecture of the Earth-Bones]] simply through [[{{Determinator}} sheer refusal to accept physical and magical limitations.]]
* ForScience: The Dwemer were a very science-focused race. They summoned Daedra just to [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu test their divinity]], were capable of creating complex mechanisms, and even created scientific devices to safely read Elder Scrolls. They were also ruthless, amoral and arrogant, often hostile to any other race they encountered and not at all above using living beings for experimentation and slave labor.
* GeniusBruiser: The most technologically advanced race known to have ever walked Tamriel. It's said that even the dullest of their kind was still a genius compared to a clever man, and that even a Dwemer child was capable of building a mechanical golem. The only military force in history that really challenged them was a [[ProudWarriorRace Nord army]] led by masters of the [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]], and even then, the Dwemer crushed them after [[EnemyMine joining forces]] with the Chimer.
* GodzillaThreshold: According to [[TheRashomon one telling]] of their final days, Kagrenac only enacted his plan on the Heart of Lorkhan when the Chimer successfully infiltrated the Red Mountain stronghold.
* GreatOffscreenWar: They were heavily involved with the War of the First Council and the Battle of Red Mountain thousands of years ago, leading up to their disappearance. The impacts of these events are felt in the plots for ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim''.
* HumongousMecha: They seemed to enjoy creating them. The Numidium is the most famous example, and the parts of unfinished giant mechas can be found in various ruins. On the smaller end of the scale but still qualifying are their Steam Centurions, which tower over normal-sized people and pack quite the punch.
* KickTheDog: When Falmer refugees begged the Skyrim-Dwemer to save their race from genocide, the Dwemer forced them to blind themselves, made them into servants (eventually slaves), and probably caused them to mutate into the beasts they are today.
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:One surviving Dwemer is encountered during the main quest of ''Morrowind''. He was in an undescribed "outer realm" outside of time when the calamity that that wiped out his people occurred and returned to find them gone. He caught the Corprus disease soon after and ended up in the Corprusarium. His body is badly bloated from the disease and it's clear his mind is not what it once was either.]]
* LightIsNotGood: Their architecture, machinery, weapons, and armor typically include a lot of gold and bronze colors. It doesn't change that they were generally incomprehensible and cruel to other races.
* LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair: Haughty, egotistic and very cruel at times, they made mechanical devices, metaphysical theorem and buildings using technologies and materials centuries more advanced than anything seen since. They went so far as to try and make themselves Gods, and managed to vanish completely, the whole race, every one of them. Now all that is left are their machines and ruins picked clean by centuries of looters.
* LoopholeAbuse: In this case, loopholes in the laws of physics, nature, reality itself... they even devised a means to read an Elder Scroll without all of the nasty side effects (blindness, madness, etc.) Notably, the core of the Dwemer's magical technology involved machines and tools designed to manipulate "tonal architecture" or the sounds and vibrations created by the "Earth Bones," which were the parts of the Aedra that were used to create and define the laws of the world. In effect, they completely bypassed "normal" magic (which involves using the magicka that flows into the world from the sun and the stars) and instead [[RealityWarper hijacked the fundamental laws of the world and used them for their own ends]].
* LostSuperweapon: The Numidium, a 1000ft tall HumongousMecha designed by the Dwemer to be powered by the heart of a dead god, and possibly to become a ''new god''. It fell into the hands of the Dunmer following the disappearance of the Dwemer, who considered anything of Dwemeri construction to be blasphemous, and thus never used it. Later, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade, the Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec offered it to Septim in exchange for granting Morrowind special privileges as a VoluntaryVassal to the Empire. Septim would order his mages to find a way to power and control it. Once they did, he used to crush the Aldmeri Dominion and capture their capital city in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than an hour]]'' of fighting.
* LostTechnology: Almost everything they created is now this. No other group has come even close to the technological accomplishments of the Dwemer in the thousands of years since they vanished.
* MadScientist: Many of their craftsmen and enchanters could quality. Most notable was Kagrenac, the Chief Tonal Architect who devised a method and created the tools needed to tap into the divine power of the Heart of Lorkhan.
* MagicMusic: Of a sort. Their [[RealityWarper reality warping]] was done by altering the "tonal architecture" of the Earth Bones.
* {{Magitek}}: Along with SteamPunk and ClockPunk, many of their creations were made with judicious use of magical enchantments. They were said to be the most skilled enchanters in all of Tamriel during their time.
* MechaMooks: Created all manner of them, known as "Animunculi", including [[SpiderMech spider centurion]] workers, sphere centurion soldiers (who [[RollingAttack roll around as metal balls]] before unfolding into blade and/or crossbow armed humanoid robots), and massive [[HumongousMecha Steam Centurion]] golems. As these creations were made with the same RagnarokProofing as their other creations and are designed to repair themselves, many are still up and running in their ruins thousands of years after their disappearance.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch:
** The Rourken clan of Dwemer was so opposed to an alliance with the Chimer that they chose to self-exile themselves to Hammerfell. Their chieftain is said to have thrown the [[LegendaryWeapon Volendrung]] hammer across Tamriel and led his clan to "wherever the hammer fell", giving the region its name.
** In the final days of their known existence, it's said that many Dwemer didn't agree with the general idea to unmake themselves and then reforge themselves into immortal godlike beings. Not because it was blasphemous or anything like that, just because they thought it would end poorly for every Dwemer on Nirn. Which it probably did.
* NayTheist: There is no denying the existence of god-like beings in the Aedra and Daedra, but the Dwemer held them in no special regard. They were said to especially despise the Daedra, mocking and scorning the "foolish" rituals of their followers (primarily the Chimer). They would even summon Daedra specifically to test their divinity.
* NeverFoundTheBody: The Dwemer vanished millennia ago. No one knows what happened to them.
* NoisyRobots: Their various animunculi are all quite noisy, with steam powered gears and clanking metal sounds as they move.
* NonindicativeName: They weren't any smaller than other races. The term "dwarf" was given to them by the giants of the Velothi Mountains and stuck as an archeological misnomer after it was picked up by the Nords and other races of Men.
* NotSoDifferent: According to former writer/developer Gary Noonan, the Dwemer were originally one of the clans of the Chimer. This has seemingly been [[RetCon RetConned]] and has not appeared in any in-game source since.
* OlderIsBetter: Despite its age, their weapons and armor are still better than the majority of modern equivalents. Justified given the RagnarokProofing and [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] that went into the items' creation.
* OurDwarvesAreDifferent: Played with. To note:
** Playing the trope straight, the Dwemer did build technologically advanced cities, typically deep into the ground, complete with gold/bronze architecture.. They warred with just about every other race they came into contact with, ''particularly'' other races of Mer, in classic ElvesVersusDwarves fashion. They were known to have glorious beards and were master craftsmen, with their equipment still being among the best and most sought after in Tamriel even thousands of years after their mysterious disappearance, in some way related to them digging too deep, a classic fantasy Dwarf problem.
** On the "aversion" side, the Dwemer were as sub-race of Mer (Elves), with their name meaning the "Deep Elves" or "Deep Ones," referring to their philosophical depth. They were of average size compared to the other races of Tamriel and the term "dwarf" is an archeological misnomer. They were the first "normal sized" race to encounter the Giants of the Velothi Mountains, who referred to them as "dwarves" in size comparison to themselves. Later, the Nords (and through them, the other races of Men) picked up the term and it stuck. They weren't known to have any stereotypical "Dwarvish" accents, with the only [[LastOfHisKind Dwemer spoken to in the series to date]] having a nasally, ''nerdy'' voice of all things. While the Dwemer did create all manner of extremely advanced technology, much of it was magically derived in one form or another, with it being said that they were also master enchanters.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: They did not consider any known divine beings to truly be "gods." This obviously put them into frequent conflict with the other, more religious races around them.
* PoorCommunicationKills: According to [[TheRashomon some tellings]] of their final days, Dumac, the Dwemer king, did not know what Kagrenac was planning to do with the Heart of Lorkhan, and had he known, would have stopped Kagrenac.
* ProudScholarRace: They blend the "mystical" and "scientific" aspects, though to them, the two are [[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic one in the same]]. Even though they've been gone for thousands of years, none of the extant races have even come close to the scholarly achievements of the Dwemer.
* RagnarokProofing: Dwemer artifacts are still up and running thousands of years later. They were known to [[RealityWarper alter the "Earth Bones"]], essentially the laws of physics and nature, in order to ensure that their creations would last. Additionally, their MechaMooks are designed to repair their constructs (and each other).
* RiddleForTheAges:
** No one has definitively figured out what happened to the Dwemer. Their fate is one of the largest running mysteries in the entire series, alongside the various mysteries of the Elder Scrolls themselves.
** In-Universe, the mystery deepened by the time of ''Skyrim'' since much of what was known about the Dwemer was again lost in the 200 years following the Oblivion Crisis and the eruption of Red Mountain (which wiped away a great number of Dwemeri ruins in Vvardenfell, the epicenter of Dwemer culture prior to their disappearance). Even one of the greatest experts on the Dwemer, Calcelmo, knows less about the Dwemer than some amateur archeologists in Vvardenfell during the time of ''Morrowind''.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The core of their conflict thousands of years ago with the Chimer boils down to this. The Dwemer are certainly aware of the existence of the Daedra the Chimer worship, but are steadfast in their belief that the Daedra are not gods; so much so that Vivec facetiously commented that the Dwemer instead worshiped "their Gods of Reason and Logic."
* SchizoTech: One of [[UnreliableNarrator Marobar Sul]]'s "Ancient Tales of the Dwemer" claims that the Dwemer invented their famous [[MechaMook automatons]], and perfected them as weapons of war, before they had the idea to dress their flesh-and-blood soldiers in platemail armor. (The Publisher's Note says that this was possibly a misunderstanding by the Chimer, who wouldn't have been used to seeing full platemail armor as it was rare among the races of Mer, and may have mistaken armored Dwemer soldiers for machines all the long.)
* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: They are the fantasy equivalent. The [[LostTechnology tools and technologies]] they left behind are still used by the more clever denizens of Tamriel to accomplish feats that conventional technologies and magics cannot match. Some examples include creating the tools necessary to tap into the divine powers of the heart of a dead god, machinery capable of safely reading an [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scroll]] without the nasty side effects, a [[RealityWarper reality-warping]] HumongousMecha in working order, and a fully-functional WeatherControlMachine.
* SuperiorSpecies: They certainly considered themselves as such, with every other race (Men, Mer, or otherwise) being beneath them. A big part of their [[{{Naytheist}} Naytheism]] came from their belief that even the supposed "gods" were not truly superior to them. Arguably Justified, as their advancements (technological, metaphysical, and more) were (and still are) far, ''far'' beyond what any other race in Tamriel is capable of.
* TechnicolorBlade: Their weapons all have a goldish/bronze appearance.
* {{Telepathy}}: The Dwemer were said to have an ability known as "The Calling" which allowed them a "silent and magickal" means of communicating with one another, even over vast distances.
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Or rather, mer. One theory about the vanishing of the Dwemer states that they started trying to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence elevate themselves to a higher plane]], [[AGodAmI up to becoming gods]]. It backfired, causing the entire Dwemer race to just vanish, across Tamriel, all in one day. They were also evidently capable of creating technological devices capable of reading Elder Scrolls, which are practically a form of TomeOfEldritchLore.
* TimeAbyss: Likely not the individual Dwemer themselves (though with [[RealityWarper their abilities]], it isn't out of the realm of possibility), but for the Dwemer as a whole. It is said that, during the [[TheTimeOfMyths Dawn Era]] (an era before linear time existed while the mortal plane was still settling post-creation), they studied the "death of the Earth Bones" to find ways to manipulate them.
* TheTower: The Dwemer attempted to use the Heart of Lorkhan to construct their own Tower, as well as to become a new god - Anumidium (or "Walk-Brass"). They intended to use it to transcend mortality, but something went awry, causing the entire Dwemer race to disappear from all known planes of existence in a single instant. The Dunmeri Tribunal would then claim the machine, now know as Numidium, and would later trade it to the Emperor Tiber Septim in exchange for special privileges when Morrowind joined Septim's Empire as a VoluntaryVassal. Septim would then use it to complete his conquest of all of Tamriel. However, as a result of the events of ''Daggerfall'', the Numidium would be destroyed along with its makeshift Stone, the Mantella (an immensely powerful soul gem said to contain the soul of a Shezarrine).
* {{Transhuman}}: Another possible theory is that, rather than [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascending]] successfully, the Dwemer instead attempted to manipulate the "Earthbones", the fallen remnants of the Aedra, to break themselves down into the base elements and then reforge themselves. Naturally [[GoneHorriblyWrong they got the reforging step of the process wrong]].
* UndergroundCity: Famous for building these. Their ruins in modern Tamriel were all formerly these.
* VolcanoLair: The heart of their ancient civilization was set up in and around the Red Mountain volcano. Many of their other cites famously tapped into lava underground for geothermal power.
* WeatherControlMachine: They built one (known as the Karstangz-Beharn) in their city of Bamz-Amschend, now buried beneath modern-day Mournhold. As shown in ''Tribunal'', it's still fully functional given a proper power source.
* WrittenByTheWinners: Following their disappearance, the only groups in positions to know much about the Dwemer were the Dunmer (having been turned from the Chimer) and the Nords, both of whom warred with the Dwemer and wouldn't have had any reason to say anything good about them. In the years that followed, the Dwemer would be demonized by the Dunmer and popularized by ahistorical tales like [[UnreliableNarrator Marobar Sul's]] ''Ancient Tales of the Dwemer'' series. Not helping matters is that their language was quickly lost after their disappearance, making it impossible for anyone to read the Dwemer's own records. (A means of translation was discovered around the time of ''Morrowind'', but was apparently lost again by the time of ''Skyrim'' 200 years later.)
!! Falmer
->''Torn from their home of ice and frost,\\
Thrown into the pitch black dread of night.\\
Living in fear as their minds become lost,\\
As their eyes begin dimming the light.\\
Chained and enslaved,\\
What once was light turned to blackness.\\
Alone and betrayed,\\
Sinking deeper into madness.''
-->--'''The Betrayed'''
The Snow Elves, whose Merethic Era empire spanned throughout Skyrim and Solstheim, and who once had a civilization rivaling that of the Altmer. Unlike the other races of Mer elsewhere in Tamriel, they lived peacefully along side the races of Men for at least several centuries. However, an event known as the "Night of Tears" saw them slaughter and burn the Atmoran/Nord city of Saarthal. In revenge, Ysgramor recruited an army of 500 Atmorans and invaded Skyrim, nearly driving the Falmer to extinction. The survivors were taken in by their Dwemeri cousins, who enslaved and mutated them into blind, debased, and feral creatures little better than Goblins who dwell underground.
Physically, the pre-mutation Falmer resembled the Altmer, being tall with lean frames, angular facial features, and elongated skulls. However, they had pale white skin and hair. Following the mutation, the Falmer appear as hunched-over grayish-skinned humanoids without noses (instead having long nostril slits) and skin having grown over their blind eyes.
----
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Exactly ''one'' Falmer has been seen in the entire series who isn't a barbaric scrounger. [[spoiler:And that's only because he wasn't affected by the corruption that afflicts the rest of the race. He says there were more like him before, but his brother, a Vampire, destroyed their order.]] They are also showing signs of moving away from this. According to [[spoiler:the last surviving non-mutated Snow Elf]], they are slowly (over hundreds of years) regaining their sentience and may be able to communicate in several hundred more years.
* ArtificialScript: They have [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Falmer_Alphabet their own]]. Like Daedric, it is a simply cypher for the Latin alphabet.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Those ancient Falmer who survived the journey and trials of the Chantry of Auri-El could "become one with" Auri-El, their chief deity. After succeeding, they "ascended, bathed in light, a look of relief and contentment on their face."
* BeneathTheEarth: They are now almost exclusively a subterranean race, having taken over many Dwemer ruins in Skyrim as well as many natural caves.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: They are known to farm Chaurus, a large insectoid species protected by hard chitin and who can spew corrosive acid. They use the Chaurus chitin to craft their weapons and armor, and use Chaurus eggs as a food source and in their potion-making.
* BodyHorror: They've been twisted from [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:SR-npc-Knight-Paladin_Gelebor.jpg this]] to ''[[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:SR-creature-Falmer.jpg this]]'', now possessing claws, fangs, nostril slits instead of noses, and have skin grown over their blind eyes.
* BornUnlucky: According to one story, the ancient Falmer were visited by Sai, the God of Luck in the Iliac Bay, but they treated him poorly. He never returned to them, depriving them of his ability to bring supernatural good luck.
* ConLang: They have their own "forgotten" one, Falmeris. Finding a translator for it is a side quest plot point in ''Skyrim''.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: To the Nords, with a bit of LaserGuidedKarma. Their ancestors once nearly drove the Falmer to extinction, and in their desperation, the surviving Falmer fled to their Dwemer cousins, who twisted and mutated them into goblin-esque monsters. The Falmer of the 4th era are now growing more bold, venturing above ground to kidnap surface dwellers while their numbers swell beneath ground. They also seem to be regaining some of their lost sentience, forging better weapons and armor from farmed Chaurus chitin and practicing crude alchemy to create poisons from the plentiful mushrooms that grow in their underground lairs. The author of one in-game book in ''Skyrim'' even believes that the Falmer may be preparing to wage war on their surface dwelling ancestral enemies, which would be bad news for the already war-torn Skyrim.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: At one point, they had a society on par with the Altmer.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Despite being shown to create armor and clothing, very few Falmer are seen wearing anything on their feet. Possibly justified, as it is speculated that, due to their blindness, the Falmer use other means of detecting threats. This may include feeling vibrations in the ground with their feet.
* EnslavedElves: To the Dwemer after nearly being driven to extinction. Taking it to another level, the Dwemer forced the Falmer to blind themselves and twisted them into barely-sapient creatures along the lines of Goblins.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: While they've taken over many Dwemer ruins, they've also been shown to be capable of constructing elaborate networks of suspended bridges and platforms.
* EyelessFace: Though they still technically have eyes, the Falmer now have a layer of skin covering their eyes after centuries of living underground. This has gameplay connotations as well: They are completely incapable of light-based detection against sneakers, but have keen sound-based detection. You could walk right in front of them if silent enough.
* FinalSolution: How Ysgramor chose to deal with them. He very nearly succeeded in wiping all of them out, save for those who fled to the Dwemer and [[spoiler:a small population who hid at a single remote chantry]].
* FreudianExcuse: Being betrayed by the Dwemer and abused for years has instilled the Falmer with a [[AbsoluteXenophobe xenophobic hatred of all civilized races]]. However, in ''Dawnguard'' [[spoiler:Knight-Paladin Gelebor, one of the few pure Snow Elves, explains that the Falmer chose to blind themselves to avoid extinction and submitted to the Dwemer by their own volition, and that how they devolved into the Falmer of today didn't happen because of that but for other reasons.]]
* FuturePrimitive: The Falmer have degenerated from graceful Snow Elves with a culture rivaling the Altmer into a race of blind, subterranean Morlock-like beasts with a primitive, xenophobic tribal culture. The Dwemer, who took the surviving Falmer in after their annihilation by the Nords, forced the Falmer to blind themselves with poisonous mushrooms in exchange. The Dwemer used them as servants and slaves, and may have performed experiments on them that caused them to further mutate into their present form.
* HeavilyArmoredMook: Some modern Falmer outfit themselves in full suits of Chaurus-chitin armor.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: They are quite skilled with their bows despite being completely ''blind''.
* InsistentTerminology: In ''Dawnguard'', [[spoiler:Knight-Paladin Gelebor prefers to be called a Snow-Elf, since the name Falmer has become stigmatised due to the actions of their debased kin, who he refers to as "The Betrayed".]]
* ItCanThink: Though they give the impression of mindless monsters, they clearly have ''some'' semblance of intelligence. They corral and breed chaurus, craft weapons and armor, brew crude poisons from fungi, and in ''Dawnguard'' they've built impressive networks of bridges and ledges throughout the Forgotten Vale to host their settlements on. According to some scholars [[spoiler:and Knight-Paladin Gelebor]], they're beginning to venture above ground, and demonstrate cunning and deductive reasoning in their battle tactics.
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler: One unmutated Snow Elf yet lives in the 4th Era, Knight-Paladin Gelebor. He survived along with a small population of other unmutated Snow Elves at a remote chantry. However, his brother, who became a vampire, wiped out every other surviving Snow Elf, leaving only him]].
* NothingIsScarier: Their lairs tend to be very dimly lit and claustrophobic, leading to this.
* TheMorlocks: Formerly a graceful and advanced race of Mer, they were nearly exterminated and most of the survivors were forced to be blinded and corrupted by the Dwemer in exchange for their shelter. They now live as creatures little better than goblins beneath the earth, attacking any surface dwellers on sight. They also are known to torture their captives, and feed them to their pet Chaurus, judging by the number of human remains in Chaurus pens. If Alftand is anything to go by, they also skin surface dwellers and make leather from them. About the only Morlock trait they don't have confirmed is [[ImAHumanitarian eating the surface dwellers]]...but sometimes, when you kill one, you find 'Human Flesh' in its inventory... and human remains in their refuse heaps...
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: [[spoiler:In ''Dawnguard'', there is ''one'' still uncorrupted Falmer. He pities the Falmer (referring to them as "the Betrayed") and uses the above InsistentTerminology to distinguish himself from them.]]
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Formerly had a civilization to rival the Altmer, with snow-white skin and hair, and they preferred to leave in Tamriel's coldest climates. They've been corrupted to the point that they are not even ''sentient'' anymore. In a lot of ways, they're closer to [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Tolkien's original orcs]].
* OurGodsAreDifferent: While their pantheon overlaps significantly with the Altmer, the ancient Falmer had a desire to "become one with" Auri-El, their chief deity, in a way the Altmer do not demonstrate.
* OrganicTechnology: Almost everything they create is made from Chaurus chitin, the hard shells of the giant insectoid Chaurus creatures they farm.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Knight-Paladin Gelebor, [[spoiler:the last surviving uncorrupted Snow Elf]], has been alive since the fall of the Falmer civilization some 4000+ years prior. Though the races of Mer are known to be naturally LongLived, this is extreme. (Gelebor heavily implies that he believes [[DivineIntervention Auriel (Akatosh) himself]] is keeping him alive.)
* SadisticChoice: Either die at the hands of Nords and face extinction, or blind yourselves and become subservient to the Dwemer.
* SlaveRace: Became one to the Dwemer after Ysgramor and his companions slaughtered the majority of their population.
* SpikesOfVillainy: Their weapons, armor, chests, and huts are all very spiky. Justified in that they are made with Chaurus chitin, which is spiky to begin with.
* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:The Chantry of Auri-El was isolated enough that its presence remained unknown to the Nords, so the Snow Elves living there were able to survive without the Dwemer's "aid".]]
* TheTower: "Snow Throat" (aka the Throat of the World), the Tower of Skyrim, is believed to have played a part in originally attracting the Falmer to the region. After their near extinction, it would fall into the hands of the Atmorans/Nords.
* WasOnceAMan: Whatever happened to the Falmer, it caused them to possess white souls. In other words ''souls of animals''. That's right, the Falmer are no longer even sentient.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Whatever the Dwemer did to them, it changed their very souls from (sapient) black souls to white "creature" souls.
* WitchSpecies: Like the Altmer, the pre-mutation Falmer had exceptional natural aptitudes for magic.
* WorthyOpponent: Despite nearly driving the Falmer to extinction, Ysgramor and the Atmorans/Nords respected their leader, the Snow Prince, so they gave him a proper burial and guarded his tomb from grave robbers.
* WrittenByTheWinners: They are losers to Ysgramor and the Nords. As part of destroying all traces of the Falmer culture in Skyrim that he could find, he also destroyed any evidence of anything that happened other than what ''his'' official histories record. For instance, he claims that the Falmer attack on Saarthal was unprovoked. However, surviving records of the Elves claim that the attack was in response to repeated "provocations and blasphemies" committed by the early Nords.
!! Lefthanded Elves
-> "''We speak no more of the Left-Handed Elves (may curses follow them into the Eight Abysses), for to recall their abominations but darkens our days...''"
-->-- '''''The Unveiled Azadiyeh'''''
The elven inhabitants of Yokuda, also known as the Sinistral Mer, who fought a devastating war against the Yokudans that rendered them extinct. It is suggested that they may have some sort of connection to the Maormer.
----
* ArchEnemy: To the Yokudans, who rendered them extinct.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Their hat was that at least the majority, if not all, of their species was left-handed.
* MeaningfulName: As the Sinistral Mer. "Sinistra" is Latin for "left."
* TheSouthpaw: Their entire race was said to be left-handed.
* TheTower: Believed to be connected to the Orichalc Tower of Yokuda. After being driven to extinction at the hands of the ancient Yokudans, the Tower is believed to have plunged into the sea with the rest of Yokuda.
* {{Unperson}}: The Redguards do not speak about them for talking about them tends to "darken their days."
!! Maormer
->"''Suffice to say that the arch-mage known as "King" Orgnum has long led the outcasts of the shrouded isle. He uses foul spells, rituals and sacrifices to continually renew his youth and vigor. Other rumors you have heard are true, as well. The rituals of Orgnum allow the Maormer to control sea serpents. Some have mastered the art of riding the beasts among the waves, while larger and less docile beasts swim in support of their largest fleets."''
-->-- '''''Fang of the Sea Vipers'''''
The Sea Elves of Pyandonea, a jungle continent to the south of Tamriel. They have battled with the Altmer for centuries, control sea serpents, and are said to be led by the "undying wizard king," Orgnum.
* AnimalMotif: Serpents, particularly vipers.
* ArchEnemy: To the Altmer, and one of their oldest. Throughout the 1st and 2nd Eras, Maormer forces personally led by Orgnum were said to "ravage" the coastlines of the Summerset Isles.
* TheBeastmaster: They practice a powerful form of "snake magic," which allows them to command and ride sea beasts.
* ChameleonCamouflage: They are said to possess this ability. It is so powerful that they can disappear by walking into the shade of a single tree.
* CunningLinguist: When Orgnum met with Queen Potema to forge their alliance in the 3rd Era, he was said to have a translator who was fluent in all the languages of Tamriel, Pyandonea, Atmora, and Akavir.
* CurbStompBattle: After thousands of years of raiding the coasts of southern Tamriel, especially the Summerset Isles, they allied with the "Wolf Queen" Potema in her bid to usurp the throne of the Septim Empire. The Maormer brought a massive fleet, but it was swallowed whole when the [[OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Psijic Order]] created a [[WeatherManipulation magical storm]]. The Maormer were so devastated that it is said they will never again be able to serious threaten Tamriel.
* {{Immortality}}: Their leader Orgnum is known as an "undying wizard king", though the exact kind he has is unknown. The Altmer claim that he is not immortal at all, but [[FountainOfYouth uses all sorts of foul magics to remain youthful]].
* OurElvesAreDifferent: According to lore they have blank eyes and chameleon-like skin, can tame sea serpents, and are lead by an undying wizard.
* TheUnseen: They have not yet appeared in a main series game. (They do make an appearance in ''Online''.)
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Altmeri legend holds that they were banished from and forbidden to return to Aldmeris after they attempted a rebellion. There is said to be a literal veil of mist that they cannot penetrate surrounding their former home.
!! Orsimer
->"''We know not how Trinimac had been defeated, but it is said that after his defeat Boethiah had consumed him and tortured his spirit in'' ''her belly. When Boethiah grew bored of Trinimac's torture, she released him from his prison and later exiled him to a plane of choking ash. This torture and dishonor left Trinimac twisted and enraged. Trinimac faded and was reborn as Mauloch, the God of Curses.'' ''With'' ''his mind bent on revenge, his most devout followers changed to match him and became the Orsimer, cursed to wander in exile, a people without a place.''
-->-- '''''The Fall of Trinimac'''''
The Pariah Elves of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail mountains on the border of High Rock and Hammerfell, commonly known as Orcs. They possess strong, muscular builds and green skin. They are known for their ferocity and courage in battle, as well as their skill as armorers and smiths (especially with the rare metal Orichalcum), making them some of the finest heavy infantry on all of Nirn.
The first Orcs were created when the Daedric Prince Boethiah devoured and later excreted the Aldmeri spirit Trinimac. Trinimac's remains became the Daedric Prince Malacath, while his Aldmeri followers were transformed into the Orcs. Malacath is the central figure and patron deity in Orcish religion. Most outsiders see Orcs as savages; that their lives are short and filled with violence and misery. Several times, they've attempted to form their own city/state, Orsinium, literally "Orc Town". However, Orsinium has been razed and rebuilt several times - having been razed once again in the 4th Era - leaving many Orcs to eke out a living in destitute, dilapidated "strongholds" on the edges of society.
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Malacath encourages tribal behavior within Orc communities, ensuring that the best warriors within a tribe are acting as chieftains. As shown by his quest in ''Skyrim'', Malacath isn't above taking a more hands on approach when a weak Orc chieftain goes unchallenged by his tribe. [[spoiler:(He sends Giants to attack their stronghold. Either the weak chief mans up and defeats them, another warrior steps up to overthrow the weak chief, or the tribe gets wiped out.)]]
* {{Beastess}}: While technically a sub-race of Mer, Orc females fit.
* TheBlacksmith: From a young age they are taught to mine and smith, and are masters of the craft. Their heavy armors are some of the most sought after in Tamriel.
* TheBerserker: Orcs are natural berserkers, with an innate ability to trigger an UnstoppableRage that significantly increases their abilities in melee combat.
* BloodKnight: Due to their strong warrior culture, Orcs generally live for battle. To them, if something isn't worth fighting for, it isn't worthy anything at all.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downplayed. Like most races of Mer, they have practices and beliefs which, while not completely alien to normal human morality, are certainly within a different system of values. For example, when an Orc is becoming old and weak, he is encouraged to seek out a worthy foe to end his life. Likewise, if one sees that his chieftain is no longer fit to lead, it is considered his ''responsibility'' to challenge and defeat the chieftain in combat for his position, ensuring that the strongest Orc in a tribe serves as the leader.
* ButtMonkey: The Orcs have long suffered this as a race. Their bestial appearance and "barbaric" culture (as it is perceived by the other races of Tamriel) make them frequent victims of FantasticRacism. Several times the Orcs have tried to unite and create their own city-state known as Orsinium, but each time, their neighboring nations (the Bretons of High Rock and Redguards of Hammerfell) have forced them to abandon it. By the 4th Era, the Orcs were forced at swordpoint by the Bretons to officially renounce the kingdom of Orsinium and assimilate into High Rock as slaves in all but name. Only a few Orc tribes still live independently in destitute, scattered "strongholds", scorned by all.
** IronButtMonkey: They do take all their trials in stride, though, as Malacath teaches "strength through adversity".
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Originally]], the Orcs were simple "hurr durr smash hoomies" Tolkein-style Orcs with nothing particularly noteworthy about them (they weren't even playable in ''Arena'' or ''Daggerfall''). Beginning with ''Morrowind'', however, their characterization has shifted massively. Rather than just being dumb, they'd been severely marginalized for ages - even their god reflected this. The Imperial Legion of Uriel VII's time, among other things, however, helped them to begin to properly integrate into the Empire better - thus making them playable.
* CultureChopSuey: They have a culture reminiscent of the Mongols, with a social structure reminiscent of Slavic tribes (small non-nomadic strongholds that are run by a single large family with the patriarch at the head). As of the 4th Era, they seem to have become fantasy counterpart Native Americans. A once tribal people, who had their land stolen from them under threats of violence, and now live on compounds remarkably similar to reservations.
* DeathSeeker: Similar to the Nords, Orc culture sees glory in dying in battle. Unlike Nord culture though, dying in battle isn't just seen as a nice thing to have happen, but something an Orc is actively encouraged to seek out. Once an Orc elder feels that he is starting to weaken with age, they will often seek out someone (either within the tribe or outside of it) worthy enough to kill them in combat. Most Orc chieftains hope to die by the hands of a stronger successor, rather than old age (see KlingonPromotion below).
* FaceDesignShield: Along with RageHelm, this is the case for Orcish armor in ''Morrowind''.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They have traditionally Orcish sounding first names and surnames, and the surname gets the prefix "gro-" for male orcs, "gra-" for females. E.g. Yadba gro-Khash, Borba gra-Uzgash.
* FantasticRacism: While they've been canonically established as a subrace of Mer, non-Orcs would rather believe they're one of the beastman races due to their perceived savagery. Strangely, this attitude has worked out in the Orc's favor; the rise of the Thalmor has led to an increase in general anti-Mer prejudice throughout Tamriel, but Orcs are generally exempt from it and no worse off than they would be otherwise.
* FightingForAHomeland: Unlike other playable races, they don't have a lasting homeland. Orsinium was destroyed ''twice'' by Bretons and Redguards.
* IAmXSonOfY: Traditional Orc names follow this structure, with the prefixes "gro" and "gra" meaning "son of" and "daughter of", respectively; when referring to a parent, a male orc will use his father's name as his last name, and a female will use her mother's. However it's not uncommon for them to use their place of birth as a last name in place of a parent's.
* KlingonPromotion: A Orc becomes chieftain by killing the current chieftain in ritual combat. This isn't primarily due to [[AmbitionIsEvil evil ambition]], though. Orcs are encouraged to kill their chieftain if he is too old or too weak to continue to lead, thus ensuring that whoever leads is stronger than the leader he replaces and strong enough to lead the tribe.
* MartyrdomCulture: Many Orcs actively look for ways to die in battle. They feel that it pleases their patron deity, Malacath, for them to die in battle.
* OddFriendship: Oddly enough with the Nords, as of the 4th Era. While the Nords typically despise all races of Mer (Elves), they've bonded somewhat with the Orcs over their mutual respect for strong leaders, affinity for smithing, and love of fighting. Following the sack of Orsinium, the (short-lived) Orc home province between High Rock and Hammerfell, Orcs have set up numerous strongholds dotting Skyrim where they are allowed to live in relative peace by the Nords.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: Leans toward the Blizzard Orc archetype since they are still a subrace of Mer. Due to their Mer heritage despite their brutish appearance and tribal customs, in term of brute strength the Nords are still physically stronger than Orcs (Though Orcs are more durable and can enter a berserker rage, doubling their strength). However, the Orcs make up for it with being an incredibly skilled weapon/armor crafter (they gain bonuses for Smithing and Enchanting skills).
* PigMan: The Orcs are derogatorily referred to as "Pig Children" by the other races. Aside from their bestial features and tusks, they have no relation to actual pigs.
* PromotedToPlayable: In ''Morrowind''. Before that, they were generic enemies in ''Arena'' and, while they got some characterization that pushed them toward "[[OurOrcsAreDifferent Blizzard Orcs]]" in ''Daggerfall'', they were not yet playable.
* ProudWarriorRace: Something that makes them NotSoDifferent from Nords and Redguards. Falling in combat to a superior opponent to end one's life is not only encouraged, but ''expected''.
* StoneWall: Not as physically strong as the Nords or as skilled with large weapons, but the Orcs are without doubt the best users of heavy armor in the setting and get the highest bonuses to their heavy armor skill. Thus, they are able to endure a level of punishment that would have killed anyone else dozens of times over. The Septim Empire specifically recruited Orcs to serve as elite heavy infantry in their Legions, and their success in this role helped them to become more accepted throughout the empire.
* UnstoppableRage: They have an innate ability to trigger a berserker rage, increasing their skill in melee combat.
[[/folder]]
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[[folder: The Races of Mer (Elves)]]
The Elven races (or Mer in their language) of Nirn.
!! General Tropes applying to the races of Mer
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Altmer (and presumably the ancient Aldmer) are gold skinned, Bosmer are reddish-brown skinned, Dunmer are ash-gray skinned, Orsimer are green skinned, Falmer used to be snow-white skinned, the Dwemer were pasty off-white skinned, and Maormer are chameleon skinned.
* {{Atlantis}}: They have their own version called Aldmeris. It is said to be the continent the {{Precursors}} of the modern Mer races, the Aldmer, came from. It is said that Aldmeris came under an unknown threat in the Merethic Era and the Aldmer were forced to flee. It is said to be "lost," and whether it still exists (or ever existed at all, as other theories claim that Aldmeris was simply Tamriel before the races of Men arrived) is unknown.
* BlingOfWar: Most races of Mer have an iconic armor type which fits. The Altmer have the popular Elven armor, which is gold in color. The Dunmer have the high quality Glass armor, which is emerald green in color. "Dwarven" armor originally worn by the Dwemer is bronze/gold in color. The ancient Falmer wore platinum colored armor. Orcs are masters at crafting with Orichalcum, which, while a dull gray in color, they craft into intimidating looking heavy armor. The Bosmer avert it by specializing in light armor or no armor at all.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Each race of Mer has traits, beliefs, and practices which come across as very alien to a human observer. Ranges from being played completely straight with some races of Mer who are utterly alien (Dwemer, some Altmer beliefs) to downplayed with others (Dunmer, Bosmer) but is extant throughout. Specific examples for each race can be found in their entries below.
* ClassicalTongue: Aldmeris, the language of the Aldmer, is the Tamriellic equivalent.
* DemiHuman: While primarily humanoid in size and shape, each race of Mer shares at least a few features outside the range of normal humans including unusual skin tones, classic pointed ears, and elongated skulls of varying degrees.
* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Implied to be the case from a few examples in the lore. Mer children seem to age similarly to human children until they reach adulthood, at which point their aging slows down considerably.
* ImmortalProcreationClause: While longer lived than the the races of Men, Mer pairings are less likely to produce offspring. It is also implied that there may even be a cap in the total amount of children a Mer woman can have, with few ever having more than three.
* LongLived: The races of Mer are implied to have longer natural lifespans than the races of Men, who have lifespans along the lines of real life humans. Exactly how much longer is unclear, however, and [[HandWaved largely inconsistent]]. Even without counting the [[WizardsLiveLonger magically enhanced lifespans]] of certain specific Mer, there are examples living naturally for centuries. Barenziah is approaching 500 in her appearance in ''Tribunal'', and though noticeably aged, she is appears no worse for the wear than a 60 or so year old human. In the backstory, Nerevar is in his 200s by the time of The Battle of Red Mountain and still acting as a FrontlineGeneral. Several Altmer and Dunmer characters in ''Skyrim'' mention having been present for events like the Red Year (200 years prior to ''Skyrim'') or mention having served in the military for 150 years, but none look any older than middle-aged.
* OrderVersusChaos: According to Altmeri religious beliefs, the races of Mer are descended from the order-leaning Aedra. These beliefs state that mankind was specifically created by Lorkhan (who was 'begat' by Sithis to disrupt the order ("stasis") of pre-creation) from the weakest souls to be the "chaos" to the "order" of the elves.
* OurElvesAreBetter: They sure seem to think so, ''especially'' the Altmer. Overall, the races of Mer consider ''all'' Mer to certainly be "better" than the races of Men.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Starting with having the endonym of Mer. Gets more specific as you get into the individual races, detailed in their entries below.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: The primary reason the races of Mer split apart was because of religion.
* PointyEars: Each race of Mer has the classic standard "Elf" variant.
* {{Precursors}}: The Aldmer, the "First Elves" who came to Tamriel from Aldmeris, are the common ancestor of all the races of Mer in Tamriel. The Altmer are their closet living relative.
* ScrewYouElves: Virtually all races of Mer get this treatment at least some of the time from the races of Men, to the point where much of Tamriel's history can be summed up as "elves and men fighting," or sometimes "elves fighting other elves."
* SuperiorSpecies: Each race of Mer certainly ''believes'' this about themselves, toward both the other races of Mer and ''especially'' the races of Men. The truth is obviously less clear.
* TheTower: During the earliest days following creation, the ancient Aldmer discovered a means to construct their own metaphysical Towers at the "joint-points" of reality. By building their own Tower, each group could create their own narrative, distinct but equal to those around it.
!! Altmer
->''"As he entered every aspect of Anuiel, Lorkhan would plant an idea that was almost wholly based on limitation. He outlined a plan to create a soul for the Aurbis, a place where the aspects of aspects might even be allowed to self-reflect. He gained many followers;'' ''even Auriel, when told he would become the king of the new world, agreed to help Lorkhan. So they created the Mundus, where their own aspects might live, and became the et'Ada.''
->''But this was a trick. As Lorkhan knew, this world contained more limitations than not and was therefore hardly a thing of Anu at all.''
->''Mundus was the House of Sithis. As their aspects began to die off, many of the et'Ada vanished completely. Some escaped, like Magnus, and that is why there are no limitations to magic. Others, like Y'ffre, transformed themselves into the Ehlnofey, the Earthbones, so that the whole world might not die.'' ''Some had to marry and make children just to last. Each generation was weaker than the last,'' ''and soon there were Aldmer.''
->''Darkness caved in. Lorkhan made armies out of the weakest souls and named them Men, and they brought Sithis into every quarter."''
-->-- '''''The Monomyth'''''
The tall, golden-skinned High Elves of the Summerset Isles. They are the primary descendants of the Aldmer, the first race of Mer, and determining when Aldmer history ended and where Altmer history began is nigh impossible. Though non-Altmer scholars are loathe to admit, the truth is that Tamriel owes much of its art, science, philosophy, language and religion to the Altmer, who are also the most magically-gifted of all races. However, they are often viewed as haughty and snobbish, looking down on the other races of Mer as "degenerates" and believing the races of Men to be even worse.
For centuries, they led a mighty empire known as the Aldmeri Dominion. In the late 2nd Era, their empire was crushed by Tiber Septim and the Numidium, forcing them to join an Empire of Men by conquest for the first time in history. During the reign of the Septim Empire, they quietly bode their time and rebuilt their shattered nation. When the Septim Dynasty ended as a result of the Oblivion Crisis, the Dominion rose once again, this time led by the religious extremist (and even more fantastically racist) Thalmor.
----
* AnimalMotifs: Eagles, based off of Auri-El, the golden eagle god off whom Akatosh was based in the Imperial pantheon.
* ArchEnemy: Several, to the point that their enemies probably look like a RoguesGallery to the Altmer. They warred with the Sload of Thras at various points in their history, and (as the leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion) have been the main opposition to each of the Cyrodiilic Empires. They also have a long rivalry dating back to their time as the Aldmer in Aldmeris with the Maormer of Pyandonia.
* BlatantLies: The Thalmor took credit for ending the Oblivion Crisis within their homeland, garnering them enough political support to take over the Altmeri government and reestablish the ancient Aldmeri Dominion. Later, they took credit for restoring the moons to the sky which gained them great favor with the Khajiit, getting them to join the Dominion peacefully as vassals.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like most of the races of Mer, some of their beliefs are utterly alien to the human mind.
** A major part of their religious belief system (which traces back to the Aldmer and has passed through to some of the other races of Mer) is that the creation of the mortal world was a cruel trick which forced their divine ancestors to experience mortal suffering and death, and seeking to ''[[OmnicidalManiac undo creation]]'' is a noble cause. The religious extremest Thalmor really play up this belief and are actively attempting to carry it out.
** Killing undesirable progeny is also perfectly acceptable, as they believe it releases that being's soul to potentially be reincarnated in a better form. This isn't an act of cruelty or evil to them, they see it as a ''mercy''.
* BreakTheHaughty: The Altmer were delivered a massive blow to their collective ego when Tiber Septim used [[RealityWarper The]] [[HumongousMecha Numidium]] to destroy their armies and sack their capital city of Alinor in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than one hour]]'' of fighting. This was the first time in their thousands of years of history that the Altmer had been conquered by an outside force.[[note]] Reman Cyrodiil got the Altmer to join his 2nd Empire, but through a treaty with incredibly favorable terms to the Altmer rather than by conquest.[[/note]] Severely weakened, many of the most extremist Altmer groups (including the Thalmor) were content to wait out Septim's 3rd Empire and then rose again once it fell completely apart.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: With the extinction of the Dwemer, the Altmer as the most advanced and magically-gifted race in Tamriel, with Tamriel owing much of its art, science, philosophy, language, and religion to the Altmer. Their buildings are frequently made of [[ShiningCity glass or crystal]] (said to refract light into a rainbow "insect wing" like appearance), with [[{{Arcology}} tall towers]], vine-like buildings, and swirling walls. Gold tends to be the primary color in the items they craft, including weapons and armor.
* CulturalPosturing: They take the cake as the haughtiest culture in Tamriel. They are indeed responsible for much of Tamriel's art, science, philosophy, language and religion, and ([[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch while there are exceptions]]) they have no issue letting the other races know just how superior they believe they are. They are the direct descendants of the Aldmer and consider the other races of Mer as a result of "degeneration" over the ages. (And don't even bother trying to bring up the races of Men...) Their religious beliefs state that they are the true descendants of the Aedra, and the 4th Era ascension of [[ANaziByAnyOtherName the Thalmor]] into positions of Altmeri leadership has only exacerbated their posturing.
* CurbStompBattle: They were handed one by Tiber Septim's legions with the aid of [[RealityWarper The]] [[HumongousMecha Numidium]]. Their army was crushed and their capital city was sacked in less than an hour, bringing the Altmer under the rule of men by conquest for the first time in history. This only exacerbated their hatred of humanity and, when the opportunity arose following the Oblivion Crisis, they struck back hard under the leadership of the Thalmor.
* TheExile: For most of Altmeri history, those who dissented with traditional Altmer beliefs simply ''left'' to resettle elsewhere and practice their unorthodox beliefs. The Dwemer, Chimer, and Ayleids are several prominent examples of this. This has left them, as a culture, rather unaccustomed to dealing with dissidents in their homeland. With most of Tamriel claimed and populated, the number of dissidents in the Summerset Isles swelled in the 3rd and 4th Eras, leading to a rise in extremism and domestic terrorism.
* FantasticCasteSystem: The Altmer have an extremely rigid caste system, as noted in the Third Pocket Guide:
--> ''"A hierarchy of classes began to form, which is still largely enforced in Summerset to this day. At the top are the Wise, teachers and priests, followed by the Artists, Princes, Warriors, Landowners, Merchants, and Workers."''
* FantasticNamingConvention: Their names are heavily inspired by [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]'s "Quenya" ConLang, tending to be very vowel heavy with lots of "-il," "-ar," and the like suffixes. Reading a [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Altmer_Names list of Altmer names]] will sound very similar to reading ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''.
* FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence: According to Altmer religious beliefs, the creation of Mundus was seen as an act of malevolence as it forced them to experience mortal suffering, loss, and death while removing them from a place of pre-creation divinity. While most are content to toil in this mortal "prison" with "more limitations than not," some extremists, like the Thalmor, actively seek to ''undo creation'' to return to that state of pre-creation divinity. However, they believe that not just the existence of mankind, but the existence of the ''possibility'' of mankind keeps them trapped in Mundus. (According to their beliefs, mankind were made up from the "weakest souls" by Lorkhan to spread Sithis (chaos) "into every corner," ensuring that there could never be the "stasis" of pre-creation again.) Essentially, the Altmer are oppressed not just by the existence of mankind, but the ''possibility'' of mankind's existence.
* HumanityIsInfectious: Meta. During ''Morrowind'' development, it was suggested that Altmer be written as completely incomprehensible to humans. There are theories that the Thalmor are, or want to be, and consider the fact that the Altmer are not as evidence of this trope.
* KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect: While primarily known for their sorcery and magical prowess, they do employ armed-and-armored soldiers as well. However, these soldiers are openly disrespected by the mages, who are typically upper-class. In their FantasticCasteSystem, "warriors" come in around the middle, just above merchants and common workers. In ''Skyrim'', one can overhear [[EnemyChatter a conversation between two Thalmor guards]] where one of them says that "he hopes that a dragon eats all of their wizards," showing that this dislike goes in the opposite direction as well.
* LightIsNotGood: Altmer crafted items, including weapons and armor, tend to feature lots of shiny gold while their homeland is full of [[ShiningCity Shining Cities]] with heavy use of crystal and glass. That said, they are historically one of the greatest antagonists of the races of Men and under more extremist leadership, such as the Thalmor, they tend to be outright villainous.
* MagicKnight: While primarily known for their sorcery and magical prowess, they do employ armed-and-armored soldiers as well. Each and every one of these soldiers uses magic as a supplement in combat.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Many Non-Thalmor Altmer are disgusted by the Thalmor, especially the Psijic Order and Imperial Archmage (later Potentate) Ocato. Unsurprisingly, the Thalmor do not consider them [[NoTrueScotsman true Altmer]].
* NotSoDifferent: The Nords and the Altmer have some shocking similarities despite their rivalries, especially by the time of ''Skyrim''. Both races follow the mainstream Nine Divines but there is a huge minority of their original religion as well, both of them have a very haughty attitude towards any professions they frown upon (soldiers, especially those that don't practice magic in the Altmer's case) as well as any other races (Men for the Altmer although they have looked down on their Bosmer, Dunmer, and Orc cousins from time to time) to the point of showing overt racism, and finally, both believe that they are the rightful heirs to Tamriel.
* OddFriendship: Downplayed with the Khajiit. For all their "I'm better than you" attitude towards just about every other race on Tamriel, the Altmer have historically had a more benevolent relationship with the Khajiit. Both the ancient Aldmeri Dominion and the modern version have preferred to get the Khajiit to join as vassals by aiding them to develop trust rather than through conquest. Of course, there are self-serving aspects for the Altmer with this arrangement, and in the modern version of the Dominion at least, they either exaggerated or blatantly lied about certain accomplishments in order to appeal to the Khajiit. Additionally, how much of the friendship is benevolence on the part of the Altmer and how much is the Altmer wanting to avoid the wrath of a race widely considered the CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass of Tamriel is up for reasonable debate.
* OurElvesAreBetter: Something the Thalmor repeatedly emphasise, and there is some truth to it. The Altmer laid the foundation down for all of the races who followed them, they are the only people in Tamriel who come anywhere close to rivalling the ancient Dwemer in terms of advancement, and they do still take the lead in most cultural and scientific pursuits. They don't have to be dicks about it, though.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: The primary reasons the other Elvish races split from the Altmer were over worship, with the Altmer worshipping the Aedra. Their religious pantheon would be used as part of the basis for Nine Divines pantheon, though with some names and roles changed. (Most notably, and most disturbingly to the Altmer, the golden-eagle god Auri-El was changed into the draconic Akatosh in the Imperial pantheon.) They are also known to worship other divine beings who do not neatly fit into the categories of Aedra or Daedra, such as Trinimac, [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Syrabane, Phynaster]], and Magnus.
* ProudScholarRace: They best fit the "mystical" side of the trope, being the most naturally magically gifted race with nearly all of Tamriel's science, philosophy, and religion being based off of theirs. Altmer scholars are frequently among the greatest experts in their fields and benefit greatly from [[LongLived longer lifespans]] which allow more time to study.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: While the Altmer are already long-lived, there are said to be "Mage Lords" in the Summerset Isles in excess of 4000 years old. They've almost certainly enhanced their lives with magic.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: "The Beautiful", a terrorist organization comprised of young Altmer, which uses public assassinations and general mayhem as a means to promote modernity and [[BlackAndGrayMorality oppose]] the ''other'' branch of Altmer extremism represented by the Thalmor.
* ShiningCity: Most of their cities within the Summerset Isles qualify, but their capital, Alinor, takes it UpToEleven. Impossibly tall vine-line buildings with swirling architecture [[{{Arcology}} rise high into the sky]], where their glass/crystalline structures refract light to create rainbows in a manner reminiscent of "insect wings."
* SlaveRace: They are known to train and use goblins as slave labor and cannon fodder in battle.
* TheSocialDarwinist: They have this as an active belief, particularly when under more extremist leadership like the Thalmor. They believe that they descend from the gods, and that the diversity of all other Elven races is the result of "degeneration". They actively try to breed themselves back into their ideal, including killing undesirable progeny. And don't even try to bring up the races of men around them...
* SquishyWizard: They are the most physically frail race on average, but also have the highest natural talents for magic.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Non-Thalmor Altmer to the Thalmor, who are essentially an extreme walking Altmer stereotype.
* StrongerWithAge: Inverted, in terms of their religious philosophy. They believe that the other "lesser" races of Mer are the result of "degeneration" over the ages, with each generation being weaker than the last as they are one more removed from their Aedric/Ehlnofey ancestors. The Altmer actively try to breed themselves back into their ideal, which includes killing undesirable progeny. (In their minds, they are releasing the soul so it has a chance to be reincarnated in a better form.) And don't even get them ''started'' on [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence the races of Men]]...
* TookALevelInJerkass: Many Altmer were always haughty, but the Thalmor take this to outright racism. Many non-Thalmor Altmer are disgusted by the Thalmor.
* TheTower: The Altmer would construct the Crystal Tower ("Crystal-Like-Law") in the Summerset Isles in direct emulation of the Aedric Adamantine Tower. Little is known of the "Stone" of the Crystal Tower, but it is said that it [[WasOnceAMan was once a person]]. During the Oblivion Crisis, the forces of the Daedra managed to destroy the Crystal Tower. At least, in Mundus (the mortal plane). Per the Altmer, the Crystal Tower continues to exist in planes other than Mundus.
* WitchSpecies: The most magically inclined of all the races of Mer, and arguably over most magical of ''any'' race (although the Bretons might disagree). Two of the most famous mages in history, Vanus Galerion and Mannimarco, were Altmer.
* WizardsLiveLonger: They are most magically inclined race of Mer and are also the most naturally LongLived out of the already long-lived Mer races.
* VillainousRescue: From their perspective, this was the case in the 3rd Era's War of the Isle. Maormer forces were overrunning the Summerset Isles, forcing the Altmer to request aid from the hated Empire.
* YouAreNumberSix: ''The Pocket Guide to The Empire'' (a work of [[UnreliableNarrator debatable accuracy]]) suggests that Altmer in Summerset don't bother to give themselves names. When they greet, they address one another with a long combination of numbers that ''sounds'' like a name if you aren't fluent in their language.
!!Ayleids
->''"In the caverns of lore, ugly and obscure, shines the gold of truth."''
-->-- '''''Ayleid Transcriptions and Their Translations'''''
The Wild Elves of Cyrodiil (also known as the "Heartland High Elves"), who were close relatives of the Altmer. The broke away from the Aedra-worshiping leadership of the Summerset Isles to found their own kingdom in which they could worship other entities, primarily the Daedra. This led their mighty nation down dark paths, which included the enslavement and vile torture of the Nedes, precursors to most of the later races of Men. When these slaves rose up in the Alessian Revolt in the 1st Era, the Ayleid kingdom was devastated. A few Ayleid lords who sided with the revolting slaves were permitted to keep their lands, but about a century later, even they were decimated when a rabidly anti-Elven religious doctrine took over the Alessian Empire. What few Ayleids remained mixed into the other races of Mer, while their cultural identity, relics, and writings were destroyed wherever they could be found. The Ayleids are now considered extinct as a unique race, although unconfirmed sightings in the remote wilderness areas of Tamriel continued to occur into the 3rd Era.
Like the Altmer, they had tall but lean frames with elongated skulls and angular facial features. They had a grayish skin tone darker than that of the Altmer, but still much lighter than that of the Dunmer.
----
* AbusivePrecursors: They kept humans as slaves, and some of their more horrific mistreatment of their slaves included forcing them all to work naked, force-feeding them hallucinogenic drugs and watching their reactions, creating sculptures out of their bones and gardens out of their entrails, and setting human children on fire and setting hungry animals on them. The humans eventually rose up against their masters, overthrew them, ruled over Cyrodiil (with a few Ayleid lords that had joined the human rebellion being left in place) and then a while later picked up crazy religion and ruthlessly hunted down all vestiges of the Ayleid civilisation, exterminating the ones who didn't flee Cyrodiil.
* AnimalMotifs: Birds. Many of their writings (and writings about them) are heavy with bird metaphors. They were said to have adorned themselves with feathers. Their armor was designed with feather patterns and their helmets with "beaks." A great example is the [[http://images.uesp.net//thumb/2/2c/ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg/600px-ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg armor of Laloriaran Dynar]] in ''Online''.
* AthensAndSparta: There are lorebooks in ''Online'' which talk about the Alyied city states of Delodiil and Abagarlas. Delodiil was progressive and populated by artists and scholors, and its people worshipped [[BigGood Meridia]]. Abagarlas was a military state whose people worshipped [[BigBad Molag Bal]]. Abgarlas's King was so jealous of Delodiil that he planned on sacking it and sacrificing every one of its citizens to Molag Bal, but by the time he and his army arrived, Delodiil had vanished, and Abgarlas had been sacked. [[spoiler: The Coldharbour arc reveals that Delodiil was absorbed into Coldharbour, Molag Bal's realm, and becomes the main trade hub during the Coldharbour quests. Abgarlas is explorable as a dungeon]]
* ConLang: They have their own, known as "[[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Ayleidoon Ayleidoon]]."
* TheEmpire: They are credited with forming the first empire in Tamriel, dominating all of Cyrodiil ("Cyrod" as they called it) and founded what would later become the Imperial City.
* FolkHero: The Last King of the Ayleids, Laloriaran Dynar, who died at the Battle of Glenumbra Moors alongside the Direnni of High Rock is considered one by many modern Mer who long for the time when Tamriel was dominated by the races of Mer.
* GhostMemory: Like their Welkynd and Varla stones, the Ayleids possessed crystals which could release memories directly to the user. Overuse of these crystals was said to cause a "problem of capacity" for mortal minds.
* HumanSacrifice: They were known to practice it, sacrificing their human slaves to appease their various deities.
* IgnoredExpert: The "moth-eyed" (Moth Priests), who study the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scrolls]], warned them that their hubris would "bear bitter fruit." The Ayleids ignored this, and their hubris would indeed lead to their downfall.
* KickTheDog: Their actions toward their Nedic slaves included but were not limited to: forcing all slaves to be naked, creating sculptures out of their bones, creating gardens out of their entrails, setting their children on fire and then siccing wild animals on them (which they refer to as "Tiger Sport"), and skinning runaways alive then making their skin into blankets for their children and babies.
* LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair: In their hubris, they believed that they would last forever. They tortured their human slaves in unimaginably cruel ways, leading to those slaves rising up and destroying the entire Ayleid culture. Those who weren't killed were forced to intermingle with the other races of Mer, effectively leading to their extinction as a unique race.
* LostTechnology:
** The Ayleids created many useful magical items during the golden years of their Empire, none of which have been replicated by the time of the games, forcing players to search Ayleid ruins in order to get their hands on them. Their magic items included Welkynd Stones and Wells which restore lost magicka, as well as Varla stones which can restore enchantments to weapons. The catch? The stones disappear after being used, and the wells need time to recharge. So powerful were these items, particularly those of the Varla stones (or "varliance"), that Umaril the Unfeathered "wrought" weapons from which were able to make Pelinal Whitestrake bleed.
** According to some theories, the Ayleids themselves didn't "create" these items, but preserved them from the "Dawn Era magicks of the Ehlnofey", meaning they were a form of lost technology even to the Ayleids.
* {{Magitek}}: Much of their technology fits, with their technologically advanced (relative the extant races of Tamriel) cities powered by Magicka-recharging Welkynd stones and Enchantment-recharging Varla stones.
* MalevolentArchitecture: Their ruins (formerly Ayleid cities) are notorious for their death traps, many of which are implausible and seem more dangerous to the denizens of the city than any invaders. One theory states that the Ayelids didn't always have such traps in their cities, and started constructing them as defensive measures during the Alessian Revolt, potentially justifying it. They make full use of {{Pressure Plate}}s and SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch:
** There were a number of Ayleids who refused to worship the Daedra, instead continuing to worship the Aedra. These two groups eventually went to war, but the Aedra-worshiping Ayleids were defeated and the survivors forced to flee Cyrodiil. The most famous of these groups were the Barsaebic Ayleids, who settled in Black Marsh.
** Likewise, many Ayleids were disgusted by the atrocities committed against the Nedic slaves. A number of these Ayleids sided with the slaves during the revolt, and were allowed to keep their lands as vassals of the new Cyrodiilic Empire as a result.
* NumerologicalMotif: They were said to be "obsessed" with the number 8, considering it divine.
* OddNameOut: The only elven race, whose elven name does not end with "mer".
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They're {{Jerkass}}es who enslaved and tormented humans.
* OurGodsAreDifferent:
** Their split with the Altmer was to get around the Aedra-worshiping Altmer's laws against Daedra worship. Many Ayleids actually worshipped both the Aedra and Daedra because both granted them powerful magic. This ended up contributing to their downfall since, unlike the Chimer, the Ayleids worship included some of the traditionally "evil" Daedric Princes. This led to some of the darker practices elsewhere on this list, which led to a loss of divine favor with the Aedra who supported the slave uprising against the Ayleids.
** While most (in)famous for their Daedra worship, the Ayleids also worshiped other beings who seem to have been forgotten in the eons since. One such example, from the ''Adabal-a'', is a "Insect God" whose name has been lost to whom an Ayleid king sacrificed all of his human slaves.
* RacialRemnant: Possibly. It is rumored that Ayleids still live in the untamed wilds across Tamriel, but the odd unconfirmed sighting is the only evidence for it. By the Fourth Era, centuries have gone by without a reliable sighting.
* ScrewYouElves: A combination of major political infighting, loss of divine favor, a slave revolt, and predations of their northern neighbors in collusion with the revolting slaves spelled the end of the Ayleids.
* StarPower: They believed that starlight was the most "sublime" form of magic, and venerated anything which fell from the heavens, particularly [[MagicMeteor meteorite iron]], which they would craft into their "Ayleid Wells" which channeled and restored magicka.
* TokenHeroicOrc: Rebel Ayleid lords were amongst Alessia's most important supporters and were allowed to keep their lands as vassals of her empire. Or, at least until the monkey prophet Marukh took over and made the First Empire become rabidly anti-elven.
* ThunderboltIron: Their Ayleid Wells, which (though an unknown means) channel magicka from the stars and can restore it to mages, were said to be crafted from [[MagicMeteor meteorite iron]].
* TheTower: Constructed the White-Gold Tower on an island in the heart of Cyrodiili, using the "Chim-el-Adabal" (said to have been created from the crystallized blood of Lorkhan, collected as it traveled across Tamriel to its resting place in Morrowind) as their "Stone." Following the Alessian Revolt, the tower would be taken by the Nedes.
* {{Unperson}}: The Alessian Order, under the leadership of the monkey prophet Maruhk, attempted to completely erase all trace of the Ayleids from history. While they obviously weren't completely successful, they did enough damage that the Ayleids are left shrouded in the mists of history while their magics and technologies are lost.
* UtilityMagic: They are credited with developing the Alteration school of magic, which includes a number of "utility" spells including levitation, water walking, night eye, light spells, and offensive paralysis.
* WarRefugees: Many Ayleid clans fled the Alessian Revolt in Cyrodiil, but few found safe havens. Only two groups are known to have survived. The first were those who fled to the Direnni Altmer in High Rock, where they were welcomed and formed the "last" kingdom of the Ayleids ruled by Laloriaran Dynar, which survived for a few more centuries. The second were those clans who fled into Valenwood, where they were welcomed by the Bosmer. The Valenwood Ayleids would end up being fully absorbed by Bosmeri culture, leading to their extinction as a unique race.
* WrittenByTheWinners: They are the "losers" in this case to Alessia and the Imperial's "winners." While there is plenty of evidence that the Ayleids committed atrocities against their human slaves, there has almost certainly been some exaggeration of the centuries since. Even though several rebel Ayleid lords supported Alessia and were permitted to keep their lands and culture after the war, even they would be demonized once the monkey prophet Maruhk came to power. In addition to the persecution of any elves within the empire, he also [[BookBurning destroyed any records]] and cultural artifacts of the Ayleids that could be found. Eventually, only the (almost certainly heavily biased) Imperial records of the Alessian Revolt remained.
!! Bosmer
->''"Once, there was nothing but formlessness. The land held no shape, the trees did not harden into timber and bark, and the Elves'' ''themselves shifted from form to form. This formlessness was called the Ooze.''
->''But Y'ffre took the Ooze and ordered it. First, she told of the Green, the forest and all the plant life in it. She gave the Green the''
->''power to shape itself as it willed, for it was her first tale.''
->''The Elves were Y'ffre's second tale. As Y'ffre spun the story, the Elves took the form they have today. Y'ffre gave them the power''
->''to tell stories, but warned them against trying to shape themselves or the Green. Shifting and the destruction of the forest were''
->''forbidden."''
-->-- '''''The Ooze: A Fable'''''
The Wood Elves of Valenwood, also known as the "Boiche" or "Tree-Sap People". Their ancestors rejected the formal traditions of Aldmeri culture, splitting off to live simple lives more in tune with nature. They struck an agreement with Y'ffre, the Forest God of Valenwood and the first et'Ada to transform into the Ehlnofey, known as the Green Pact; in exchange for Y'ffre's patronage, they have sworn never to harm any plantlife in Valenwood (though they can import timber from other regions of Tamriel when necessary), and must live on an almost exclusively carnivorous diet. They are the shortest race in Tamriel and possess darker reddish/brown skin than their Altmeri cousins. They are nimble and quick as a race, making for excellent scouts, thieves, and hunters. The Bosmer are considered the finest archers in all Tamriel, with it even being said that they were inventors of the bow.
They have been assimilated or subjugated by every incarnation of the Aldmeri Dominion, in which they are treated as second-class citizens (at best) to the Altmer. They are led by the "Silvenar," who is a literal representation of the Bosmer people. (Changing in both body and mind to match the current state of the Bosmeri people.)
----
* AlienLunch: Various forms of insect make up a portion of their diet due to the restrictions of the Green Pact. Additionally, they are known to ''smoke'' certain insects in their bone pipes, as smoking plant matter within Valenwood would violate the Pact.
* ArchEnemy: They have a long and violent history with the Khajiit, with whom they share a border.
* ArcherArchetype: The Bosmer are hailed as the best archers in Tamriel. By the age of 14, all Bosmer children are expected to be proficient enough with a bow to join hunting parties. Their very best archers are known as "Jaqspurs," able to snatch an arrow, draw their bow, and fire in one continuous motion. Both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Septim Empire have employed the Bosmer as specialist archer troops.
* TheBeastmaster: Can calm hostile animals using their Beast Tongue ability.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like many of the races of Mer, they have some cultural practices and beliefs which are quite alien.
** Preservation and protection of Valenwood comes above all else. The Green Pact dictates that they must ''consume'' the flesh of fallen invaders as it is not allowed to rot within Valenwood.
** The "Mourning Wars" are a Bosmeri tradition which has been practiced since their pre-history. When a member of one tribe is slain by a another tribe, he or she is replaced by a hostage-taking raid on the offending tribe. The hostage is tortured "to test their worthiness," and if they pass, they are welcomed into the new tribe. When the slain tribe member is someone very important, several hostages may be taken to make up for the victim. Traditionally, the hostage(s) is given the possessions, rank, and rights of the slain, but this is said to be rarely practiced in modern times.
** The Rite of Theft is a Bosmer tradition which states that if a person steals from another, then returns the item, the item's rightful owner must pay the thief commiserate with the item's worth. This tradition is understandably frowned upon by non-Bosmer, and has even been used ''against'' the Bosmer by outsiders.
* EnslavedElves: While it may not be full blown slavery, the Bosmer are treated as second-class citizens to the Altmer under the Aldmeri Dominion. Things became even worse when the Thalmor rose to power, as they even treat other Altmer as beneath them if those Altmer do not subscribe to the beliefs of the Thalmor.
* FantasticNamingConvention: Their names are heavily inspired by [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]'s "Sindarin" ConLang. They use a lot of "th" sounds, plus plenty of "d's, f's and g's" surrounded by soft vowels. The end result are a lot of names like Glarthir, Fargoth, and Enthir.
* GargleBlaster: Since the Green Pact limits their ability to produce alcohol from fruit or grain, they've invented alternatives. Jagga is fermented pig's milk, similar to real life Mongolian Airag (replacing horses with pigs). There is also Rotmeth, created from fermented meat rubbed with the organs of Thunderbugs, which takes years to brew. It is an essential drink to have at all Bosmer weddings.
* HalfHumanHybrid: The Monomyth suggests that early in their history the Aldmer who became the Bosmer "soiled Time's line" by "taking Mannish wives", making them a more-Elven version of the Breton's {{Uneven Hybrid}}ization. It is worth noting that out of all the races of Mer, the Bosmer are the ones who look closest to humans and have the most human-like skin tones.
* HornedHumanoid: ''Online'' and ''Legends'' depicts some Bosmer as having deer-like antlers.
* ImAHumanitarian: Bosmer are required by the Green Pact to consume fallen enemies, so that their bodies are not allowed to rot within Valenwood. Bosmer warriors are known to starve themselves for days before battle so that they can eat the remains of whatever enemies they kill (though, as with many other Green Pact rules, this is relaxed for Bosmer outside of Valenwood). Additionally, this practice is said to have faded during the 2nd and 3rd Eras, and is now rarely practiced outside of a few remote villages.
* LoopholeAbuse: Bosmer use a range of options for getting around the restrictions of the Green Pact. For example, the Green Pact says that one cannot harm ''living'' plants, and cannot eat food ''made from'' plants. However, some Bosmer eat raw fruit that has fallen from trees and they are able to eat mushrooms, which do not count as plants. It's also acceptable to eat insects, honey, and dairy products. Additionally, while ''they'' may not harm the plant-life of Valenwood, certain outsiders are allowed to, and the Bosmer have been known to purchase lumber from outsiders who cut the trees. They are also known to import wood from other regions into Valenwood when necessary.
* TheLostWoods: Their sacred homeland of Valenwood. Massive dense forests stretch as far as the eye can see and most Bosmeri settlements are connected only by narrow footpaths. Some of the trees there are even migratory, traveling to different regions of Valenwood depending on the season.
* NobleSavage: They're seen as an extremely barbaric form of Mer, particularly in comparison to their Altmer cousins/neighbors. However, they are seen as generally good and well-meaning people.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Bosmer are cannibals who live in cities composed of ''walking trees'' and, within Valenwood, are not allowed to consume plant matter.
* ReallyGetsAround: Out of all the races of Mer, the Bosmer are known as the most amorous. As a result, they're also the most numerous race of Mer on Tamriel.
* RockBeatsLaser: Due to the Green Pact, forges are extremely uncommon in Valenwood. As a result, metal weapons and armor have never gained popularity amongst the Bosmer. Their weaponry tends to be made of natural ingredients, such as bone for clubs and obsidian blades. They are known to make composite horn bows which are said to be some of the best in Tamriel. For armor, they either forgo it completely or use light natural materials such as leather and hide.
* ScaryTeeth: Some Bosmer have been known to sharpen their teeth into points.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: All Bosmer possess the innate ability to transform into nightmarish beasts as [[GodzillaThreshold a final desperate act of defense]] against invaders, known as "the Wild Hunt." However, there is no known way to reverse this transformation, leaving them permanently stuck as these monsters.
* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Until ''Skyrim'', Bosmer women were a full head taller than Bosmer men. ''Skyrim'' reduced the discrepancy significantly (women are still taller, but only slightly,) Downplaying the trope.
* TheTower: They ''grew'' a Tower rather than construct one, known as the Green-Sap, grown from the Perchance Acorn (their Stone). According to the Bosmer, [[MultipleChoicePast every story of the Green-Sap is true]], with none "truer" than any other. The Green-Sap had the ability to "walk" throughout their forest homeland of Valenwood. However, the mage Anumaril used a "fangled" magic staff created in emulation of each Tower to turn the Perchance Acorn into a Definite Acorn, giving the Green-Sap a "true ending" and freezing it in place, never to "walk" again. So, while the ending to the story of Green-Sap is determined, that ending still remains a mystery. The Green-Sap still stands in Valenwood's Elden Grove.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Bosmer [[http://www.daryam.com/michael/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Bosmer.jpg were originally designed]] so that all of the women would be beautiful while all the men would be {{gonk}}. While the women were still quite attractive, the men were made less ugly in ''Oblivion'' and this has been almost completely forgotten by the time of ''Skyrim''.
* UnevenHybrid: It is said that the Bosmer came to be when the Aldmer who settled in Valenwood began taking "Mannish wives." In the exact opposite of the Bretons, the Bosmer are still almost entirely Mer.
* WarRefugees: Over the millennia, they've been welcoming to all those who seek refuge within Valenwood so long as they agree to follow certain aspects of the Green Pact and do not harm the forest itself. In particular, they were known to take in huge numbers of Ayleids fleeing Cyrodiil during the Alessian Revolt who would eventually be fully absorbed by Bosmeri culture.
* TheWildHunt: In Tamriel, the phrase 'Wild Hunt' refers to a ritual in which a number of Bosmer transform themselves into nightmarish beasts, and then rampage through Valenwood destroying their enemies. Because there is no known way to reverse the transformation, the ritual is considered a taboo subject by Bosmer and is [[GodzillaThreshold sanctioned for use only in dire circumstances]].
!! Dunmer
->''"Resdaynia was no more. It had been redeemed of all the iniquities of the foolish. The ALMSIVI drew nets from the Beginning Place''
->''and captured the ash of Red Mountain, which they knew was the Blight of the Dwemer and that would serve only to infect the whole of the middle world, and ate it. ALTADOON DUNMERI!''"
-->-- '''''The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec'''''
The Dark Elves of Morrowind. They were originally the Chimer, close relatives of the Altmer with pale gold skin, but were led by the prophet Veloth to become the Velothi people and worship their ancestors and Daedra rather than the Divines. They were later unified under Nerevar to create the nation of Resdaynia and become known as the Resdayn people.
Early in the First Era, their alliance with the Dwemer (originally formed to defeat the invading Nords) fell apart when the Chimer learned that the Dwemer had found the Heart of Lorkhan (the dead creator god) and were planning to tap into it. Seeing this as blasphemy toward their gods (the Daedra), the Chimer attacked the Dwemer stronghold at Red Mountain. [[TheRashomon Exactly what happened next is recounted differently by all those involved]], but the Dwemer vanished, three of Nerevar's closest allies (as well as a former ally turned enemy) became demi-gods, Nerevar died, and the Chimer became ash-skinned with glowing red eyes, and Azura told them that it was their fault (or Vivec's fault). Thusly, they became the Dunmer people.
Most rallied around the new demi-gods, the Tribunal (Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil). Several tribes clung to the old ways in the ashy barrens of Vvardenfell and became known as the Ashlanders. For 4000 years, this was the way of life for the Dunmer. When Tiber Septim came to conquer Morrowind, Vivec allowed Morrowind to become a VoluntaryVassal and traded to the Emperor the (Dwemer-crafted, Dunmer-seized) Numidium in exchange for special privileges (such as continuing to allow slavery). After the Oblivion Crisis, the Ministry of Truth crashed down and Red Mountain erupted. The Argonians then came to conquer what was left of South Morrowind. Now, the Dunmer people are scattered, with many of them settling in Solstheim and Skyrim.
The Dunmer possess both strong physiques and keen intellects, which make them highly adaptable and equally skilled as warriors or sorcerers, but Dunmer tend to be grim, aloof and disdainful of other races.
----
* AntiMagic: They have an innate resistance to fire and fire-based magic.
* BadassNormal: As the Chimer. Despite lacking the magical might of the Altmer, the technological skill of the Dwemer, and pure brute force of the Nords, they managed to hold their own in conflicts against each thanks to their JackOfAllStats balance. They stopped qualifying after the Battle of Red Mountain, when they became the Dunmer and gained three [[PhysicalGod Physical Gods]] who helped to defend Morrowind from outside threats for nearly 4000 years.
* BanOnMagic: They have a strong cultural dislike for necromancy, and considered it punishable by death under the Tribunal Temple. This is rooted in their religious beliefs which include significant ancestor worship.
* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: Their traditional dwellings range from hollowed-out giant crab shells to magically grown mushroom towers. The ancient Daedric ruins built by the ancient Chimer are also designed in [[AlienGeometries some truly impossible ways]]. One of their holy sites was the Ministry of Truth, a hollowed out moon which they turned into TheAlcatraz for heretics and blasphemers.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like many of the other races of Mer, many aspects of Dunmer culture can appear barbaric or plain alien to an outside observer. While downplayed compared to the utterly alien Dwemer and some of the more extreme Altmer beliefs, the Dunmer have no qualms about, for instance, siccing legal assassins on their opponents and have allowed the theocratic elements of their unique religion to permeate through the everyday life of their people. They consider it a sacred act to raise the bodies and spirits of their ancestors for protection (an act they consider blasphemous necromancy otherwise). Additionally, they contributed the [[PoweredByAForsakenChild bones and souls]] of their deceased to power the Ghostfence (which contained the Blight around Red Mountain) once the Tribunal were no longer powerful enough to power it on their own.
* BreakTheHaughty: For thousands of years, they were a highly xenophobic, arrogant, slave-holding race. Following the events of ''Morrowind'', their culture went into a sharp decline and was dealt a devastating blow between ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', when the Ministry of Truth crashed down causing Red Mountain to errupt which destroyed most of Vvardenfell and rendered much of Morrowind uninhabitable due to choking ash. Then, one of their former slave races (the Argonians) invaded and captured much of what was left of habitable Morrowind. The Dunmer have paid for their hubris and then some, now scattered with many of them settling on the frozen, barren island of Solstheim and in Skyrim, where they are treated as second-class citizens (at best) by the native Nords. Luckily, they seem to have learned a little well-deserved humility in the process. As one Dunmer puts it to a Dunmer Dragonborn in ''Skyrim'': "We're all Ashlanders now."
* ChurchMilitant: At the height of Tribunal worship, the Tribunal Temple was a powerful military force. Special mention to the Buoyant Armigers, elite special forces hand-picked by Vivec himself, often decked out in high quality glass armor, who primarily operated [[{{Mordor}} inside the Ghostfence]].
* ChurchPolice: The Ordinators are this for the Tribunal Temple. They serve as inquisitors, guards for Temple holdings and holy sites, and hunt down unholy threats like Daedra worshippers, vampires, necromancers, [[DisproportionateRetribution and people who wear their holy armor]]. Because of this, they also make for a ''shining'' example of [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]]. There are also the Buoyant Armigers, elite special forces hand-picked by [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec himself, often decked out in high quality [[FantasyMetals Glass]] armor, who primarily operate inside the [[{{Mordor}} Ghostfence]]. There's also the High Ordinators, who are under the rule of Almalexia, another Tribunal deity, and then the elites of those, known as the Hands of Almalexia: Six warriors with equipment enchanted by the goddess herself. Each of whom are said to be some of the most powerful warriors in Tamriel.
* TheClan: The Great Houses. Originally family based, they are now a combination of blood relatives and adopted members. They've expanded over time to allow outsiders to join freely, though few ever rise to the highest ranks. Those with ties to the original families are considered the equivalent of Dunmer nobility, and are fast-tracked for leadership positions.
* ColonyDrop: Sheogorath attempted this by hurling the rogue moon Baar Dau at Vivec City. Vivec, the Tribunal deity, froze it in place above the city. It would later be hollowed out for use by the Tribunal Temple as the Ministry of Truth. Vivec tells his followers that it is held in place by his people's love for him, and that should they stop loving him, it would fall. [[spoiler:As a result of the Nerevarine's actions, Vivec disappears following the events of the game. The stop-gap measure implemented by the Temple to keep it in orbit is destroyed, so the moon resumes its fall as though it had never stopped. Vivec (the city) is destroyed, Red Mountain erupts, the mainland of Morrowind is devastated by tsunamis, and, even some 200 years later, the crater/bay that lies where Vivec used to be still has its waters boiling]].
* CorruptChurch: What the Tribunal Temple had become around the time of ''Morrowind''. Curiously, in the early days when the Tribunal gods consistently lived and worked among their people, it was much better. [[spoiler:Since they retreated into their own seclusion thanks to no longer being able to replenish their divine power with the Heart of Lorkhan and instead having to conserve their power (by the time of the player's arrival, Vivec has been maintaining the entire Ghostfence on his own for centuries) to protect Tamriel from Dagoth Ur.]] It was only after mortals took over the running of things that everything started to go to hell. Now, most of its members are stuck-up, elitist jerkasses, especially the high ranking officials, and the Ordinators have become condescending fanatical bigots who consider even ''speaking'' of the Nerevarine or ''wearing their armor'' to be capitol offenses. It seems to have gotten better by the time of ''Skyrim'' — the dissidents who said 'aren't you guys taking things too far?' to the aforementioned excesses were validated by the events of ''Morrowind'', and then ended up coming up on top the chaos of Vivec's disappearance and the Red Year, forming the much less corrupt "New Temple."
* CulturalPosturing: They were one of the haughtiest cultures in all of Tamriel. They were an extremely xenophobic race who hated outlanders within their homeland of Morrowind, but had no issue with raiding other provinces (particularly Black Marsh and Elsweyr) for slaves. The corrupt Tribunal Temple did nothing but reinforce the cultural superiority of the Dunmer while hypocrisy was rampant. [[spoiler:The events of ''Morrowind'', ''Tribunal'', the Oblivion Crisis, the Red Year, and finally the Argonian invasion seem to have humbled them by the time of ''Skyrim'', however.]]
* CultureChopSuey: Where to start...
** Biblical Israelites/Hebrews/Jews: Led to Morrowind via mass exodus by the prophet Veloth, who shares aspects of Abraham and Moses. Practice a comparitively unusual religion for the setting (Tribunal/Ancestor worship vs. the worship of the Divines,) similar to the Israelite's monotheism vs. the polytheism popular in the region at the time. Struggling against a powerful foreign empire occupying their homeland (Cyrodiilic Empire, Roman Empire.) Had a long rivalry with the Dwemer, who have some appropriately Babylonian influences.
** Ancient Mesopotamia: Particularly the ancient Chimer. The names of many people and places sound like they're straight out of ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh''.
** Mongolia: The Ashlanders combine this with Mesopotamia mentioned above. Nomadic and "barbaric" (at least from the point of view of the Great House Dunmer.)
** Japan/China: Building aesthetics, especially House Hlaalu and Indoril styles.
* CultureClash: Strikingly in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''. They are a very alien people and culture, which does not make progressing as an outlander easy.
* DarkIsNotEvil: They may have a (not undeserved) cultural reputation for being dour and suspicious, and their dark skin and red eyes are indicative of a curse, but the Dunmer are no more inclined to outright ''villainy'' than any of Tamriel's other races.
* DevilButNoGod: The Dunmer have an interesting take on this. In general, they acknowledge that the Daedric Princes that they do revere - Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala - are actually ruthless, vicious and brutal entities; even Azura, the most benevolent of those Princes, still cursed the whole species for the actions of the Tribunal. At the same time, the Dunmer view ''everyone else'', Aedra and Daedra alike, as either [[TricksterGod lying tricksters]], [[GodIsInept ineffectually weak]], or [[GodOfEvil uselessly malicious]]. (By comparison, Boethiah and Mephala are [[TrainingFromHell usefully]] malicious, as they [[HadToBeSharp taught the Dunmer how to survive in a harsh environment through their maliciousness]].) It's not really surprising that the only gods they truly revered as benevolent were [[DeityOfHumanOrigin ALMSIVI]].
* EndOfAnAge: The Tribunal exerted great influence over the affairs of the Dunmer for some 4000 years. That all comes to an end following the events of ''Morrowind'', ''Tribunal'', the Oblivion Crisis, the Red Year, and the Argonian invasion. It leaves the Dunmer way of life shattered with their people cast from their ancestral homeland and searching for their place in the world, both literally and figuratively.
* EvilSorcerer: House Telvanni. You don't have to be ''evil'' to join, but they tend to thrive within the house as it is a [[TheMagocracy Magocracy]] where MightMakesRight and KlingonPromotion are official policies.
* FantasticHonorifics: A slight variation on the gender-neutral "ser" version: The Dunmer use "sera", "muthsera" and "serjo", in increasing order of politeness. They also use (far less prominently) the honorifics of "Sedura" (which appears to be associated with wealth) and "Kena" (which appears to be associated with scholars or wizards). They can stack, too — one play refers to a character as "Sedura Kena Telvanni Hordalf Xyr" (Hordalf Xyr being the character's name, and Telvanni being his House) by another character pretending to be his servant.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They typically have a first name and a last name with a characteristic "Dunmerish" sound (for example, Falanu Hlaalu, Nels Llendo, Hlireni Indavel). The Dunmer nobility also uses the name of their Houses as prefix to their names (for example, Redoran Hlaren Ramoran). The Telvanni Masters use one name only (Mistress Dratha, Master Neloth). The Ashlanders (and many ancient Chimeri names) draw heavily from ancient Mesopotamia, leading to them sounding like they're straight out of ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh''.
* FantasticRacism: Are famously xenophopic, especially against the beast races. By ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', they've had the tables turned on them, but have at least learned a little humility from the experience.
* FantasticSlurs: They are known to use three: s'wit, fetcher, and n'wah. The first two are used similarly to "shit/idiot" and the "f" word while also being an offensive term for a slave, respectively. The last is a highly offensive word for "outlander" with similar negative connotations as the Japanese "gaijin" and/or the real life "N" word.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: Lord Indoril Nerevar is treated as this by the Dunmer people as the great unificator of Morrowind. The Tribunal rule in his name ([[TheRashomon even though they very likely may be responsible for his death]]) and he is revered as a saint in the Tribunal Temple.
* FungusHumongous: Tree-sized mushrooms are a common sight in Morrowind. Telvanni settlements consist almost exclusively of mushroom houses, and many homes (there and elsewhere) have potted mushrooms as decoration.
* GodEmperor: While they don't legally count themselves as the emperors, the Dunmer worship the Tribunal, a trio of living, flesh and blood gods. They exert great influence, and each has a royal title, but they aren't officially the government - there's a separate King of Morrowind, who reports to the Emperor. Additionally, the Great Houses retain much of their autonomy as a result of favorable terms in the armistice signed between Morrowind and the Empire.
* GreatOffscreenWar: Much of what made the Dunmer what they are can be traced back to the War of the First Council detailed on the trope page.
* GutturalGrowler: Male Dunmer in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' all speak in a very low and gravelly voice. In contrast to the guards in ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', Dunmer guards in ''Morrowind'' actually sound quite intimidating.
* {{Hypocrite}}: They used to be. They were xenophobic and didn't like outlanders settling to Morrowind, but they had no problem invading other nations in order to kidnap ''their'' inhabitants as slaves. Additionally, the Tribunal Temple outlawed necromancy and made it punishable by death despite it being legal (with certain limitations) elsewhere in the empire. However, the Temple faithful would summon the spirits of their ancestors or reanimate their corpses to serve as guards for their tombs and other holy sites. This was considered a holy act in reverence of their ancestors, with any other forms of necromancy being a sacrilege.
* JackOfAllStats: Of the Mer races, and in competition with the Imperials for the most balanced overall. They are equally proficient in various Combat, Magic, and Stealth classes. They are highly adaptable and make for good cross-class builds as well, especially offensively oriented ones. With efficient leveling, they can reach MasterOfAll territory.
* LivingGasbag: Netch are a giant, leathery, jellyfish-looking creature native to Morrowind that the Dunmer farm for their hides.
* TheMigration:
** Originally, as the Chimer, they were led to Morrowind in a mass migration from the Summerset Isles by the prophet Veloth.
** Following the events of the Red Year, the Dunmer people were forced to flee Morrowind. Many poured into Solstheim, which by the 4th Era wasn't much more than a frozen rock and site of a failed Imperial mining colony. Others fled to mainland Skyrim, settling in the poorer areas of eastern Skyrim where they are treated as little better than second class citizens to the Nords.
* MurderInc: The Morag Tong is a guild of assassins officially sanctioned by the Dunmer government. To put it lightly, the Dunmer Great Houses don't get along very well, and since open warring between the Great Houses would weaken the Dunmer overall, the Morag Tong was sanctioned as the solution. Whenever someone with a enough wealth to hire the Morag Tong wants someone dead, an "Honorable Writ of Execution" will be created for that person and a Tong assassin will be dispatched to kill them.
* NobleSavage: Played straight by the more peaceful Ashlander tribes. Averted by the Erabenimsum tribe under it's "war" leadership and the various "rogue" Ashlanders.
* OopNorth: In ''Skyrim'' they tend towards Northern English accents, presumably due to the connotations of cynicism and general working-class-ness, although there are a few Cockney voice actors in there for the same reason. Taken to a surreal extreme with Raven Rock's Lancastrian guard captain.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They have dark skin and red eyes. They also differ from most depictions from "dark elves," particularly [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons the Drow]], primarily by being NOT AlwaysChaoticEvil. They do share some elements such as FantasticRacism, a propensity for slavery, their Great Houses as the form of government, and their appearance being the (probable) result of a divine curse, so they do have a few parallels with drow. However, they do not live under ground, aren't particularly matriarchal, and, as mentioned, aren't always evil.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: Part of their split with the Altmer was because they preferred ancestor and Daedra worship. Later, they come to worship the Tribunal. Following the disappearance of the Tribunal and the events of the Red Year, the "New Temple" reformed and returned to their traditional ancestor worship and veneration of the "three good Daedra:" Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala. They also revere the Tribunal as saints rather than gods.
* PardonMyKlingon: They have a fondness of calling those they dislike S'wits, Fetchers or N'wahs. N'wah appears to be a highly racist way of saying "foreigner", but the others are unexplained. For all intents and purposes, those three words correlate in that they are, respectively, the S-word, F-word, and N-word of Dunmeri culture.
* PhysicalGod: They worshiped the Tribunal, three mortals (Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil) who ascended to godhood by tapping into the Heart of Lorkhan.
* ProudMerchantRace: House Hlaalu. It is the most "imperialized" house, with strong ties to the Empire, and thus all of the trade opportunities that provides. CorruptCorporateExecutive-type leaders thrive in the house and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Chronic Backstabbing]] is common.
* ProudWarriorRace: House Redoran. They aren't called the "Warrior House" for nothing. They are the Dunmer's first line of defense and even the Imperial Legions recognize the Redorans as a BadassArmy. In the backstory, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade Morrowind, House Redoran was preparing to defend Morrowind ''on their own'' while the other Great Houses chose to remain neutral or to accommodate the empire before the armistice was signed.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: They play with it, just like with DarkIsNotEvil above. They do have bright red eyes, and they are generally seen as dour and cynical as a race, but they aren't prone to outright evil or villainy any more than members of any other race. However, they are supposedly indicative of a curse placed upon them by Azura.
* ReligiousBruiser: House Indoril and the Ordinators particularly so, all of them very religious and capable of kicking your ass.
* TheRemnant: Dunmer-ruled Morrowind is reduced to this following the Red Year and the subsequent Argonian invasion.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The core of their conflict thousands of years ago with the Dwemer boils down to this. The Dwemer are certainly aware of the existence of the Daedra the Chimer worship, but are steadfast in their belief that the Daedra are not gods; so much so that Vivec facetiously commented that the Dwemer instead worshiped "their Gods of Reason and Logic."
* RuthlessForeignGangsters: Inverted by the native Camonna Tong, which is essentially the Dunmer mafia. They are extremely brutal as they run Morrowind's illegal drug, slave, and smuggling industries.
* ScaryImpracticalArmor: Quite a few of the native Dunmer styles of armor fit such as Chitin, Glass, Bonemold, Dreugh, and Indoril. Each possess [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes]] and [[ShouldersOfDoom oversized shoulders]].
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Bonemold is an iconic armor type of the Dunmer people. Exactly what type of bones it is molded from is never made clear. Additionally, Chitin is a type of light armor crafted from the shells of Morrowind's giant insects and favored by the Ashlanders, though "civilized" Dunmer will use it as well.
* SlaveLiberation: This is the goal of the Twin Lamps, an organization (led by the daughter of the Duke of Vvardenfell) dedicated to freeing slaves and returning them to their homelands. Some time after the events of ''Morrowind'', it happens on a national scale which upsets quite a few traditionalist Dunmer. Any remaining illegal slaves are finally freed when the Argonians invade.
* TheTheocracy: House Indoril and the Tribunal Temple held significant influence over the affairs of the Dunmer, even after the Empire took over. Downplayed after the Red Year, though the "New Temple" is still prominent in the lives of the surviving Dunmer.
* TheTower: The Chimer would claim Red Mountain in Morrowind where Lorkhan's heart fell (known as Red Tower). After the Dwemer discovered the Heart beneath the mountain and disappeared mysteriously while attempting to use its power, three Chimer would successfully use it to become the {{Physical God}}s known as the Tribunal. Unbeknownst to them, [[FaceHeelTurn their former ally]], Voryn Dagoth, also used the Heart before he was slain and coalesced in the millennia the Tribunal ruled. He returned and cut them off from the Heart, preventing them from recharging their divinity. Following the events of ''Morrowind'', the Dwemer enchantments on the Heart would be severed, killing Dagoth and stripping the Tribunal of their divinity permanently. This also stripped Red Tower of its "Stone," depriving it forever of its [[RealityWarper reality altering powers]]. (Later events would see Red Mountain violently erupt, erasing it almost entirely from the world.)
* ValuesDissonance: An In-Universe case. Most Tamriellic cultures, especially those heavily influenced by the [[SaintlyChurch religion of the Nine Divines]], view the Daedric Princes with suspicion at best and consider them outright evil entities at worst (though acknowledge that some are more benevolent toward mortals than others). The Dunmer religion casts Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala as "good" Daedra and Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath, as "bad" Daedra. To note:
** Traditionally across Tamriel, Boethiah and Mephala are considered evil entities, but the Dunmer revere them because the belief that Mephala's deceptions and Boethiah's MightMakesRight philosophy both serve to make the Dunmer stronger. While everyone else views Mephala as a force of destructive and secret plots, the Dunmer view her plotting as a way to make them more clever and wary. Boethiah's constant tests of strength and ruthlessness make the other peoples of Tamriel view him as a brutish, treacherous killer, the Dunmer see him as [[YouAreBetterthanYouThinkYouAre pushing them to become ever stronger and better as a people.]]
** Malacath is viewed as an "evil" entity by the Dunmer, while the rest of Tamriel views him as more neutral force. Malacath, being an enemy of Boethiah, is naturally cast as an enemy of the Dunmer, not to mention the fact that Malacath's sphere involves the outcast, spurned, and downtrodden, so it's entirely understandable why a culture that spurns outsiders and outcasts and practices large-scale slavery wouldn't be positively inclined toward him.
** Interestingly, the Dunmer are probably the only elves who don't share the other elves' distaste for Lorkhan, instead viewing him as the god who exposed the lies and deceptions of the Aedra.
* VoluntaryVassal: How Morrowind came to join the Septim Empire. Vivec, having recently lost two of the tools Kagrenac to Dagoth Ur and thus, the ability for the Tribunal to recharge their divinity, negotiated this status with Tiber Septim when Septim's forces threatened to invade. Vivec also offered the Numidium in trade, allowing Morrowind to keep many of its pre-Imperial privileges (including slavery, which was illegal elsewhere in the Empire).
!! Dwemer
->''"A Dwemer of eight can create a golem, but an eight of Dwemer can become one."''
-->-- '''''Nchmarthurnidamz'''''
The Deep Elves (also known as "Dwarves") of all of North Tamriel, whose civilization ("Dwemereth") once spanned from Hammerfell across Skyrim to Morrowind, where the epicenter of their culture was built in and around Red Mountain. Unlike the other races of Mer, there is no known record of their disassociation with the Aldmer, which is believed to have happened in very early Tamriellic history. They were an industrious, highly intelligent, and extremely technologically advanced people, but were also known to be cruel, arrogant, and dogmatic. Contemporary accounts describe them as "unfathomable" and "unknowable", with truly alien belief systems unlike anyone else in Tamriel. While they mostly wanted to be left alone, they came into conflict with every other race that encountered them, usually over religious differences (the Dwemer were known to be extreme atheists, refuting that any known "divine" beings were truly "gods" worth worshiping).
The entire race mysteriously vanished during the 1st Era, around the time of the Battle of Red Mountain. Only the ruins of their civilization remain, though these are still protected by deadly traps and mechanical guardians, making them very dangerous places to visit.
----
* AbusivePrecursors: They came into conflict with just about every other race they encountered and left behind ruins filled with deathtraps and highly advanced (but often dangerous) technology. These facts alone would make them closer to NeglectfulPrecursors, but the Skyrim Dwemer's treatment of the Falmer puts them squarely in the "abusive" category. With their former empire decimated by the invading Nords, the Dwemer offered to take in their displaced Snow Elf cousins. The Dwemer then enslaved and mutated them, twisting them into the bestial modern Falmer.
* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Their more massive ruins qualify. Most have various steam/enchantment powered machinery still running and mecha-mooks still on patrol despite the Dwemer having vanished thousands of years ago.
* AGodAmI: Of a sort. They were {{Naytheist}}s who did not believe that the known divine entities were truly "gods." In fact, it was "unfashionable" amongst the Dwemer to view their own "golden spirits" as anything less than the those of the "divine."
* AIIsACrapshoot: Exactly what powers and controls their various "[[MechaMooks animunculi]]" remains a mystery, but they must be programmed with some sort of rudimentary A.I. It is said that some of these machines are capable of interpreting the actions of people around them and responding accordingly. Various attempts to control the mechas have been made in the millennia since the Dwemer vanished, often ending with the machines going berserk.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: This is apparently what the Dwemer race was ''trying'' to do in one form or another when they disappeared. One theory for their disappearance is that their efforts to do this actually ''worked'', and that they are now on said "higher plane."
* BadassBeard: They were known to have lengthy and sometimes elaborate beards, and were known to bend the natural laws of the world to create advanced technology, robot armies, and even HumongousMecha, vouching for their badassery.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: According to contemporary sources, the Dwemer's personality and culture were utterly ''alien'' by human and even other mer understanding. A major part of their outlook was the idea of refuting everything as real, whether it be something they sensed, something that was actually there, or even the Divines themselves. To quote former dev/writer Michael Kirkbride:
-->''"That's why the Dwemer are the weirdest race in Tamriel and, frankly, also the scariest. They look(ed) like us, they sometimes act(ed) like us, but when you really put them under the magnifying glass you see nothing but vessels that house an intelligence and value system that is by all accounts Beyond Human Comprehension. (...) There isn't even a word to describe the Dwarven view on divinity. They were atheists on a world where gods exist."''
* CessationOfExistence: Whatever happened to them, Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec states that he cannot sense them on any known plane of existence.
* ConLang: [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Dwemer_Alphabet Dwemeris]].
* CultureChopSuey: While the most distinctive aspect of their culture is their heavy use of {{Steampunk}} and {{Magitek}}, the Dwemer themselves dressed and wore their beards in a manner akin to Mesopotamian cultures, such as the Babylonians. In ''Skyrim'', their armor and weaponry tend to have a very Bronze Age Mediterranean influence.
* TheDreaded: They were so alien and so advanced that they were said to be feared by the Nords, the Chimer, and even the gods themselves.
* DugTooDeep: They discovered the still-beating heart of the dead god Lorkhan digging deep beneath Red Mountain. Whatever it is they tried to do with the heart, it would cause their entire race to disappear from all known planes of existence.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Almost all of their cities were dug deep into the ground, and some get extremely elaborate.
* ElvesVersusDwarves: Even though the Dwemer were a sub-race of elves, they didn't much care for the other elven races. They were frequently at war with the Chimer, the ancestors of the Dunmer, over religious differences (though they did form an EnemyMine alliance with them when both races were threatened by the Nords), and were distrustful of the Falmer even after the latter swore fealty to them (see KickTheDog below).
* EnemyMine: Formed one with their longtime rival Chimer when both races were threatened by the invading Nords. The coalition was successful as the Nord army was decimated at Red Mountain.
* EternalEngine: Much of their machinery is still up and running even some 4000+ years after their disappearance. It helps that they were known to [[RealityWarper bend the laws of nature]] to [[RagnarokProofing Ragnark-proof]] their creations, Justifying the trope.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They seem to have used to build names by mashing hard-sounding consonants together, although it's unclear whether that was actually the case or just a transliteration issue (since Dwemer language and alphabet varied wildly from Tamriel's lingua franca of the day, Aldmeris). Names known from modern sources contain vowels, such as Yagrum Bagarn (although he could've taken up the name for convenient interaction with his hosts at Tel Fyr), Kagrenac, or Dahrk Mezalf. Names mentioned in books - not necessarily (Bluthanch, Nchunak, Nblthd).
* FlatEarthAtheist:
** Specifically, the "refusal to accept their divinity" part. The conflict with the Chimer was over religion and magic versus science and reason, with the Chimer choosing the former and the Dwemer choosing the latter. They were said to summon Daedra in order to put their divinity to the test.
** It's implied that their refusal to accept anything as real is a core element of how their technology functions. They devised technology that [[RealityWarper ignored the laws of reality or outright manipulated the tonal architecture of the Earth-Bones]] simply through [[{{Determinator}} sheer refusal to accept physical and magical limitations.]]
* ForScience: The Dwemer were a very science-focused race. They summoned Daedra just to [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu test their divinity]], were capable of creating complex mechanisms, and even created scientific devices to safely read Elder Scrolls. They were also ruthless, amoral and arrogant, often hostile to any other race they encountered and not at all above using living beings for experimentation and slave labor.
* GeniusBruiser: The most technologically advanced race known to have ever walked Tamriel. It's said that even the dullest of their kind was still a genius compared to a clever man, and that even a Dwemer child was capable of building a mechanical golem. The only military force in history that really challenged them was a [[ProudWarriorRace Nord army]] led by masters of the [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]], and even then, the Dwemer crushed them after [[EnemyMine joining forces]] with the Chimer.
* GodzillaThreshold: According to [[TheRashomon one telling]] of their final days, Kagrenac only enacted his plan on the Heart of Lorkhan when the Chimer successfully infiltrated the Red Mountain stronghold.
* GreatOffscreenWar: They were heavily involved with the War of the First Council and the Battle of Red Mountain thousands of years ago, leading up to their disappearance. The impacts of these events are felt in the plots for ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim''.
* HumongousMecha: They seemed to enjoy creating them. The Numidium is the most famous example, and the parts of unfinished giant mechas can be found in various ruins. On the smaller end of the scale but still qualifying are their Steam Centurions, which tower over normal-sized people and pack quite the punch.
* KickTheDog: When Falmer refugees begged the Skyrim-Dwemer to save their race from genocide, the Dwemer forced them to blind themselves, made them into servants (eventually slaves), and probably caused them to mutate into the beasts they are today.
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:One surviving Dwemer is encountered during the main quest of ''Morrowind''. He was in an undescribed "outer realm" outside of time when the calamity that that wiped out his people occurred and returned to find them gone. He caught the Corprus disease soon after and ended up in the Corprusarium. His body is badly bloated from the disease and it's clear his mind is not what it once was either.]]
* LightIsNotGood: Their architecture, machinery, weapons, and armor typically include a lot of gold and bronze colors. It doesn't change that they were generally incomprehensible and cruel to other races.
* LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair: Haughty, egotistic and very cruel at times, they made mechanical devices, metaphysical theorem and buildings using technologies and materials centuries more advanced than anything seen since. They went so far as to try and make themselves Gods, and managed to vanish completely, the whole race, every one of them. Now all that is left are their machines and ruins picked clean by centuries of looters.
* LoopholeAbuse: In this case, loopholes in the laws of physics, nature, reality itself... they even devised a means to read an Elder Scroll without all of the nasty side effects (blindness, madness, etc.) Notably, the core of the Dwemer's magical technology involved machines and tools designed to manipulate "tonal architecture" or the sounds and vibrations created by the "Earth Bones," which were the parts of the Aedra that were used to create and define the laws of the world. In effect, they completely bypassed "normal" magic (which involves using the magicka that flows into the world from the sun and the stars) and instead [[RealityWarper hijacked the fundamental laws of the world and used them for their own ends]].
* LostSuperweapon: The Numidium, a 1000ft tall HumongousMecha designed by the Dwemer to be powered by the heart of a dead god, and possibly to become a ''new god''. It fell into the hands of the Dunmer following the disappearance of the Dwemer, who considered anything of Dwemeri construction to be blasphemous, and thus never used it. Later, when Tiber Septim was threatening to invade, the Dunmeri PhysicalGod Vivec offered it to Septim in exchange for granting Morrowind special privileges as a VoluntaryVassal to the Empire. Septim would order his mages to find a way to power and control it. Once they did, he used to crush the Aldmeri Dominion and capture their capital city in ''[[CurbStompBattle less than an hour]]'' of fighting.
* LostTechnology: Almost everything they created is now this. No other group has come even close to the technological accomplishments of the Dwemer in the thousands of years since they vanished.
* MadScientist: Many of their craftsmen and enchanters could quality. Most notable was Kagrenac, the Chief Tonal Architect who devised a method and created the tools needed to tap into the divine power of the Heart of Lorkhan.
* MagicMusic: Of a sort. Their [[RealityWarper reality warping]] was done by altering the "tonal architecture" of the Earth Bones.
* {{Magitek}}: Along with SteamPunk and ClockPunk, many of their creations were made with judicious use of magical enchantments. They were said to be the most skilled enchanters in all of Tamriel during their time.
* MechaMooks: Created all manner of them, known as "Animunculi", including [[SpiderMech spider centurion]] workers, sphere centurion soldiers (who [[RollingAttack roll around as metal balls]] before unfolding into blade and/or crossbow armed humanoid robots), and massive [[HumongousMecha Steam Centurion]] golems. As these creations were made with the same RagnarokProofing as their other creations and are designed to repair themselves, many are still up and running in their ruins thousands of years after their disappearance.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch:
** The Rourken clan of Dwemer was so opposed to an alliance with the Chimer that they chose to self-exile themselves to Hammerfell. Their chieftain is said to have thrown the [[LegendaryWeapon Volendrung]] hammer across Tamriel and led his clan to "wherever the hammer fell", giving the region its name.
** In the final days of their known existence, it's said that many Dwemer didn't agree with the general idea to unmake themselves and then reforge themselves into immortal godlike beings. Not because it was blasphemous or anything like that, just because they thought it would end poorly for every Dwemer on Nirn. Which it probably did.
* NayTheist: There is no denying the existence of god-like beings in the Aedra and Daedra, but the Dwemer held them in no special regard. They were said to especially despise the Daedra, mocking and scorning the "foolish" rituals of their followers (primarily the Chimer). They would even summon Daedra specifically to test their divinity.
* NeverFoundTheBody: The Dwemer vanished millennia ago. No one knows what happened to them.
* NoisyRobots: Their various animunculi are all quite noisy, with steam powered gears and clanking metal sounds as they move.
* NonindicativeName: They weren't any smaller than other races. The term "dwarf" was given to them by the giants of the Velothi Mountains and stuck as an archeological misnomer after it was picked up by the Nords and other races of Men.
* NotSoDifferent: According to former writer/developer Gary Noonan, the Dwemer were originally one of the clans of the Chimer. This has seemingly been [[RetCon RetConned]] and has not appeared in any in-game source since.
* OlderIsBetter: Despite its age, their weapons and armor are still better than the majority of modern equivalents. Justified given the RagnarokProofing and [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] that went into the items' creation.
* OurDwarvesAreDifferent: Played with. To note:
** Playing the trope straight, the Dwemer did build technologically advanced cities, typically deep into the ground, complete with gold/bronze architecture.. They warred with just about every other race they came into contact with, ''particularly'' other races of Mer, in classic ElvesVersusDwarves fashion. They were known to have glorious beards and were master craftsmen, with their equipment still being among the best and most sought after in Tamriel even thousands of years after their mysterious disappearance, in some way related to them digging too deep, a classic fantasy Dwarf problem.
** On the "aversion" side, the Dwemer were as sub-race of Mer (Elves), with their name meaning the "Deep Elves" or "Deep Ones," referring to their philosophical depth. They were of average size compared to the other races of Tamriel and the term "dwarf" is an archeological misnomer. They were the first "normal sized" race to encounter the Giants of the Velothi Mountains, who referred to them as "dwarves" in size comparison to themselves. Later, the Nords (and through them, the other races of Men) picked up the term and it stuck. They weren't known to have any stereotypical "Dwarvish" accents, with the only [[LastOfHisKind Dwemer spoken to in the series to date]] having a nasally, ''nerdy'' voice of all things. While the Dwemer did create all manner of extremely advanced technology, much of it was magically derived in one form or another, with it being said that they were also master enchanters.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: They did not consider any known divine beings to truly be "gods." This obviously put them into frequent conflict with the other, more religious races around them.
* PoorCommunicationKills: According to [[TheRashomon some tellings]] of their final days, Dumac, the Dwemer king, did not know what Kagrenac was planning to do with the Heart of Lorkhan, and had he known, would have stopped Kagrenac.
* ProudScholarRace: They blend the "mystical" and "scientific" aspects, though to them, the two are [[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic one in the same]]. Even though they've been gone for thousands of years, none of the extant races have even come close to the scholarly achievements of the Dwemer.
* RagnarokProofing: Dwemer artifacts are still up and running thousands of years later. They were known to [[RealityWarper alter the "Earth Bones"]], essentially the laws of physics and nature, in order to ensure that their creations would last. Additionally, their MechaMooks are designed to repair their constructs (and each other).
* RiddleForTheAges:
** No one has definitively figured out what happened to the Dwemer. Their fate is one of the largest running mysteries in the entire series, alongside the various mysteries of the Elder Scrolls themselves.
** In-Universe, the mystery deepened by the time of ''Skyrim'' since much of what was known about the Dwemer was again lost in the 200 years following the Oblivion Crisis and the eruption of Red Mountain (which wiped away a great number of Dwemeri ruins in Vvardenfell, the epicenter of Dwemer culture prior to their disappearance). Even one of the greatest experts on the Dwemer, Calcelmo, knows less about the Dwemer than some amateur archeologists in Vvardenfell during the time of ''Morrowind''.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The core of their conflict thousands of years ago with the Chimer boils down to this. The Dwemer are certainly aware of the existence of the Daedra the Chimer worship, but are steadfast in their belief that the Daedra are not gods; so much so that Vivec facetiously commented that the Dwemer instead worshiped "their Gods of Reason and Logic."
* SchizoTech: One of [[UnreliableNarrator Marobar Sul]]'s "Ancient Tales of the Dwemer" claims that the Dwemer invented their famous [[MechaMook automatons]], and perfected them as weapons of war, before they had the idea to dress their flesh-and-blood soldiers in platemail armor. (The Publisher's Note says that this was possibly a misunderstanding by the Chimer, who wouldn't have been used to seeing full platemail armor as it was rare among the races of Mer, and may have mistaken armored Dwemer soldiers for machines all the long.)
* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: They are the fantasy equivalent. The [[LostTechnology tools and technologies]] they left behind are still used by the more clever denizens of Tamriel to accomplish feats that conventional technologies and magics cannot match. Some examples include creating the tools necessary to tap into the divine powers of the heart of a dead god, machinery capable of safely reading an [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scroll]] without the nasty side effects, a [[RealityWarper reality-warping]] HumongousMecha in working order, and a fully-functional WeatherControlMachine.
* SuperiorSpecies: They certainly considered themselves as such, with every other race (Men, Mer, or otherwise) being beneath them. A big part of their [[{{Naytheist}} Naytheism]] came from their belief that even the supposed "gods" were not truly superior to them. Arguably Justified, as their advancements (technological, metaphysical, and more) were (and still are) far, ''far'' beyond what any other race in Tamriel is capable of.
* TechnicolorBlade: Their weapons all have a goldish/bronze appearance.
* {{Telepathy}}: The Dwemer were said to have an ability known as "The Calling" which allowed them a "silent and magickal" means of communicating with one another, even over vast distances.
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Or rather, mer. One theory about the vanishing of the Dwemer states that they started trying to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence elevate themselves to a higher plane]], [[AGodAmI up to becoming gods]]. It backfired, causing the entire Dwemer race to just vanish, across Tamriel, all in one day. They were also evidently capable of creating technological devices capable of reading Elder Scrolls, which are practically a form of TomeOfEldritchLore.
* TimeAbyss: Likely not the individual Dwemer themselves (though with [[RealityWarper their abilities]], it isn't out of the realm of possibility), but for the Dwemer as a whole. It is said that, during the [[TheTimeOfMyths Dawn Era]] (an era before linear time existed while the mortal plane was still settling post-creation), they studied the "death of the Earth Bones" to find ways to manipulate them.
* TheTower: The Dwemer attempted to use the Heart of Lorkhan to construct their own Tower, as well as to become a new god - Anumidium (or "Walk-Brass"). They intended to use it to transcend mortality, but something went awry, causing the entire Dwemer race to disappear from all known planes of existence in a single instant. The Dunmeri Tribunal would then claim the machine, now know as Numidium, and would later trade it to the Emperor Tiber Septim in exchange for special privileges when Morrowind joined Septim's Empire as a VoluntaryVassal. Septim would then use it to complete his conquest of all of Tamriel. However, as a result of the events of ''Daggerfall'', the Numidium would be destroyed along with its makeshift Stone, the Mantella (an immensely powerful soul gem said to contain the soul of a Shezarrine).
* {{Transhuman}}: Another possible theory is that, rather than [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascending]] successfully, the Dwemer instead attempted to manipulate the "Earthbones", the fallen remnants of the Aedra, to break themselves down into the base elements and then reforge themselves. Naturally [[GoneHorriblyWrong they got the reforging step of the process wrong]].
* UndergroundCity: Famous for building these. Their ruins in modern Tamriel were all formerly these.
* VolcanoLair: The heart of their ancient civilization was set up in and around the Red Mountain volcano. Many of their other cites famously tapped into lava underground for geothermal power.
* WeatherControlMachine: They built one (known as the Karstangz-Beharn) in their city of Bamz-Amschend, now buried beneath modern-day Mournhold. As shown in ''Tribunal'', it's still fully functional given a proper power source.
* WrittenByTheWinners: Following their disappearance, the only groups in positions to know much about the Dwemer were the Dunmer (having been turned from the Chimer) and the Nords, both of whom warred with the Dwemer and wouldn't have had any reason to say anything good about them. In the years that followed, the Dwemer would be demonized by the Dunmer and popularized by ahistorical tales like [[UnreliableNarrator Marobar Sul's]] ''Ancient Tales of the Dwemer'' series. Not helping matters is that their language was quickly lost after their disappearance, making it impossible for anyone to read the Dwemer's own records. (A means of translation was discovered around the time of ''Morrowind'', but was apparently lost again by the time of ''Skyrim'' 200 years later.)
!! Falmer
->''Torn from their home of ice and frost,\\
Thrown into the pitch black dread of night.\\
Living in fear as their minds become lost,\\
As their eyes begin dimming the light.\\
Chained and enslaved,\\
What once was light turned to blackness.\\
Alone and betrayed,\\
Sinking deeper into madness.''
-->--'''The Betrayed'''
The Snow Elves, whose Merethic Era empire spanned throughout Skyrim and Solstheim, and who once had a civilization rivaling that of the Altmer. Unlike the other races of Mer elsewhere in Tamriel, they lived peacefully along side the races of Men for at least several centuries. However, an event known as the "Night of Tears" saw them slaughter and burn the Atmoran/Nord city of Saarthal. In revenge, Ysgramor recruited an army of 500 Atmorans and invaded Skyrim, nearly driving the Falmer to extinction. The survivors were taken in by their Dwemeri cousins, who enslaved and mutated them into blind, debased, and feral creatures little better than Goblins who dwell underground.
Physically, the pre-mutation Falmer resembled the Altmer, being tall with lean frames, angular facial features, and elongated skulls. However, they had pale white skin and hair. Following the mutation, the Falmer appear as hunched-over grayish-skinned humanoids without noses (instead having long nostril slits) and skin having grown over their blind eyes.
----
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Exactly ''one'' Falmer has been seen in the entire series who isn't a barbaric scrounger. [[spoiler:And that's only because he wasn't affected by the corruption that afflicts the rest of the race. He says there were more like him before, but his brother, a Vampire, destroyed their order.]] They are also showing signs of moving away from this. According to [[spoiler:the last surviving non-mutated Snow Elf]], they are slowly (over hundreds of years) regaining their sentience and may be able to communicate in several hundred more years.
* ArtificialScript: They have [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Falmer_Alphabet their own]]. Like Daedric, it is a simply cypher for the Latin alphabet.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Those ancient Falmer who survived the journey and trials of the Chantry of Auri-El could "become one with" Auri-El, their chief deity. After succeeding, they "ascended, bathed in light, a look of relief and contentment on their face."
* BeneathTheEarth: They are now almost exclusively a subterranean race, having taken over many Dwemer ruins in Skyrim as well as many natural caves.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: They are known to farm Chaurus, a large insectoid species protected by hard chitin and who can spew corrosive acid. They use the Chaurus chitin to craft their weapons and armor, and use Chaurus eggs as a food source and in their potion-making.
* BodyHorror: They've been twisted from [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:SR-npc-Knight-Paladin_Gelebor.jpg this]] to ''[[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:SR-creature-Falmer.jpg this]]'', now possessing claws, fangs, nostril slits instead of noses, and have skin grown over their blind eyes.
* BornUnlucky: According to one story, the ancient Falmer were visited by Sai, the God of Luck in the Iliac Bay, but they treated him poorly. He never returned to them, depriving them of his ability to bring supernatural good luck.
* ConLang: They have their own "forgotten" one, Falmeris. Finding a translator for it is a side quest plot point in ''Skyrim''.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: To the Nords, with a bit of LaserGuidedKarma. Their ancestors once nearly drove the Falmer to extinction, and in their desperation, the surviving Falmer fled to their Dwemer cousins, who twisted and mutated them into goblin-esque monsters. The Falmer of the 4th era are now growing more bold, venturing above ground to kidnap surface dwellers while their numbers swell beneath ground. They also seem to be regaining some of their lost sentience, forging better weapons and armor from farmed Chaurus chitin and practicing crude alchemy to create poisons from the plentiful mushrooms that grow in their underground lairs. The author of one in-game book in ''Skyrim'' even believes that the Falmer may be preparing to wage war on their surface dwelling ancestral enemies, which would be bad news for the already war-torn Skyrim.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: At one point, they had a society on par with the Altmer.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Despite being shown to create armor and clothing, very few Falmer are seen wearing anything on their feet. Possibly justified, as it is speculated that, due to their blindness, the Falmer use other means of detecting threats. This may include feeling vibrations in the ground with their feet.
* EnslavedElves: To the Dwemer after nearly being driven to extinction. Taking it to another level, the Dwemer forced the Falmer to blind themselves and twisted them into barely-sapient creatures along the lines of Goblins.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: While they've taken over many Dwemer ruins, they've also been shown to be capable of constructing elaborate networks of suspended bridges and platforms.
* EyelessFace: Though they still technically have eyes, the Falmer now have a layer of skin covering their eyes after centuries of living underground. This has gameplay connotations as well: They are completely incapable of light-based detection against sneakers, but have keen sound-based detection. You could walk right in front of them if silent enough.
* FinalSolution: How Ysgramor chose to deal with them. He very nearly succeeded in wiping all of them out, save for those who fled to the Dwemer and [[spoiler:a small population who hid at a single remote chantry]].
* FreudianExcuse: Being betrayed by the Dwemer and abused for years has instilled the Falmer with a [[AbsoluteXenophobe xenophobic hatred of all civilized races]]. However, in ''Dawnguard'' [[spoiler:Knight-Paladin Gelebor, one of the few pure Snow Elves, explains that the Falmer chose to blind themselves to avoid extinction and submitted to the Dwemer by their own volition, and that how they devolved into the Falmer of today didn't happen because of that but for other reasons.]]
* FuturePrimitive: The Falmer have degenerated from graceful Snow Elves with a culture rivaling the Altmer into a race of blind, subterranean Morlock-like beasts with a primitive, xenophobic tribal culture. The Dwemer, who took the surviving Falmer in after their annihilation by the Nords, forced the Falmer to blind themselves with poisonous mushrooms in exchange. The Dwemer used them as servants and slaves, and may have performed experiments on them that caused them to further mutate into their present form.
* HeavilyArmoredMook: Some modern Falmer outfit themselves in full suits of Chaurus-chitin armor.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: They are quite skilled with their bows despite being completely ''blind''.
* InsistentTerminology: In ''Dawnguard'', [[spoiler:Knight-Paladin Gelebor prefers to be called a Snow-Elf, since the name Falmer has become stigmatised due to the actions of their debased kin, who he refers to as "The Betrayed".]]
* ItCanThink: Though they give the impression of mindless monsters, they clearly have ''some'' semblance of intelligence. They corral and breed chaurus, craft weapons and armor, brew crude poisons from fungi, and in ''Dawnguard'' they've built impressive networks of bridges and ledges throughout the Forgotten Vale to host their settlements on. According to some scholars [[spoiler:and Knight-Paladin Gelebor]], they're beginning to venture above ground, and demonstrate cunning and deductive reasoning in their battle tactics.
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler: One unmutated Snow Elf yet lives in the 4th Era, Knight-Paladin Gelebor. He survived along with a small population of other unmutated Snow Elves at a remote chantry. However, his brother, who became a vampire, wiped out every other surviving Snow Elf, leaving only him]].
* NothingIsScarier: Their lairs tend to be very dimly lit and claustrophobic, leading to this.
* TheMorlocks: Formerly a graceful and advanced race of Mer, they were nearly exterminated and most of the survivors were forced to be blinded and corrupted by the Dwemer in exchange for their shelter. They now live as creatures little better than goblins beneath the earth, attacking any surface dwellers on sight. They also are known to torture their captives, and feed them to their pet Chaurus, judging by the number of human remains in Chaurus pens. If Alftand is anything to go by, they also skin surface dwellers and make leather from them. About the only Morlock trait they don't have confirmed is [[ImAHumanitarian eating the surface dwellers]]...but sometimes, when you kill one, you find 'Human Flesh' in its inventory... and human remains in their refuse heaps...
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: [[spoiler:In ''Dawnguard'', there is ''one'' still uncorrupted Falmer. He pities the Falmer (referring to them as "the Betrayed") and uses the above InsistentTerminology to distinguish himself from them.]]
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Formerly had a civilization to rival the Altmer, with snow-white skin and hair, and they preferred to leave in Tamriel's coldest climates. They've been corrupted to the point that they are not even ''sentient'' anymore. In a lot of ways, they're closer to [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Tolkien's original orcs]].
* OurGodsAreDifferent: While their pantheon overlaps significantly with the Altmer, the ancient Falmer had a desire to "become one with" Auri-El, their chief deity, in a way the Altmer do not demonstrate.
* OrganicTechnology: Almost everything they create is made from Chaurus chitin, the hard shells of the giant insectoid Chaurus creatures they farm.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Knight-Paladin Gelebor, [[spoiler:the last surviving uncorrupted Snow Elf]], has been alive since the fall of the Falmer civilization some 4000+ years prior. Though the races of Mer are known to be naturally LongLived, this is extreme. (Gelebor heavily implies that he believes [[DivineIntervention Auriel (Akatosh) himself]] is keeping him alive.)
* SadisticChoice: Either die at the hands of Nords and face extinction, or blind yourselves and become subservient to the Dwemer.
* SlaveRace: Became one to the Dwemer after Ysgramor and his companions slaughtered the majority of their population.
* SpikesOfVillainy: Their weapons, armor, chests, and huts are all very spiky. Justified in that they are made with Chaurus chitin, which is spiky to begin with.
* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:The Chantry of Auri-El was isolated enough that its presence remained unknown to the Nords, so the Snow Elves living there were able to survive without the Dwemer's "aid".]]
* TheTower: "Snow Throat" (aka the Throat of the World), the Tower of Skyrim, is believed to have played a part in originally attracting the Falmer to the region. After their near extinction, it would fall into the hands of the Atmorans/Nords.
* WasOnceAMan: Whatever happened to the Falmer, it caused them to possess white souls. In other words ''souls of animals''. That's right, the Falmer are no longer even sentient.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Whatever the Dwemer did to them, it changed their very souls from (sapient) black souls to white "creature" souls.
* WitchSpecies: Like the Altmer, the pre-mutation Falmer had exceptional natural aptitudes for magic.
* WorthyOpponent: Despite nearly driving the Falmer to extinction, Ysgramor and the Atmorans/Nords respected their leader, the Snow Prince, so they gave him a proper burial and guarded his tomb from grave robbers.
* WrittenByTheWinners: They are losers to Ysgramor and the Nords. As part of destroying all traces of the Falmer culture in Skyrim that he could find, he also destroyed any evidence of anything that happened other than what ''his'' official histories record. For instance, he claims that the Falmer attack on Saarthal was unprovoked. However, surviving records of the Elves claim that the attack was in response to repeated "provocations and blasphemies" committed by the early Nords.
!! Lefthanded Elves
-> "''We speak no more of the Left-Handed Elves (may curses follow them into the Eight Abysses), for to recall their abominations but darkens our days...''"
-->-- '''''The Unveiled Azadiyeh'''''
The elven inhabitants of Yokuda, also known as the Sinistral Mer, who fought a devastating war against the Yokudans that rendered them extinct. It is suggested that they may have some sort of connection to the Maormer.
----
* ArchEnemy: To the Yokudans, who rendered them extinct.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: Their hat was that at least the majority, if not all, of their species was left-handed.
* MeaningfulName: As the Sinistral Mer. "Sinistra" is Latin for "left."
* TheSouthpaw: Their entire race was said to be left-handed.
* TheTower: Believed to be connected to the Orichalc Tower of Yokuda. After being driven to extinction at the hands of the ancient Yokudans, the Tower is believed to have plunged into the sea with the rest of Yokuda.
* {{Unperson}}: The Redguards do not speak about them for talking about them tends to "darken their days."
!! Maormer
->"''Suffice to say that the arch-mage known as "King" Orgnum has long led the outcasts of the shrouded isle. He uses foul spells, rituals and sacrifices to continually renew his youth and vigor. Other rumors you have heard are true, as well. The rituals of Orgnum allow the Maormer to control sea serpents. Some have mastered the art of riding the beasts among the waves, while larger and less docile beasts swim in support of their largest fleets."''
-->-- '''''Fang of the Sea Vipers'''''
The Sea Elves of Pyandonea, a jungle continent to the south of Tamriel. They have battled with the Altmer for centuries, control sea serpents, and are said to be led by the "undying wizard king," Orgnum.
* AnimalMotif: Serpents, particularly vipers.
* ArchEnemy: To the Altmer, and one of their oldest. Throughout the 1st and 2nd Eras, Maormer forces personally led by Orgnum were said to "ravage" the coastlines of the Summerset Isles.
* TheBeastmaster: They practice a powerful form of "snake magic," which allows them to command and ride sea beasts.
* ChameleonCamouflage: They are said to possess this ability. It is so powerful that they can disappear by walking into the shade of a single tree.
* CunningLinguist: When Orgnum met with Queen Potema to forge their alliance in the 3rd Era, he was said to have a translator who was fluent in all the languages of Tamriel, Pyandonea, Atmora, and Akavir.
* CurbStompBattle: After thousands of years of raiding the coasts of southern Tamriel, especially the Summerset Isles, they allied with the "Wolf Queen" Potema in her bid to usurp the throne of the Septim Empire. The Maormer brought a massive fleet, but it was swallowed whole when the [[OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Psijic Order]] created a [[WeatherManipulation magical storm]]. The Maormer were so devastated that it is said they will never again be able to serious threaten Tamriel.
* {{Immortality}}: Their leader Orgnum is known as an "undying wizard king", though the exact kind he has is unknown. The Altmer claim that he is not immortal at all, but [[FountainOfYouth uses all sorts of foul magics to remain youthful]].
* OurElvesAreDifferent: According to lore they have blank eyes and chameleon-like skin, can tame sea serpents, and are lead by an undying wizard.
* TheUnseen: They have not yet appeared in a main series game. (They do make an appearance in ''Online''.)
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Altmeri legend holds that they were banished from and forbidden to return to Aldmeris after they attempted a rebellion. There is said to be a literal veil of mist that they cannot penetrate surrounding their former home.
!! Orsimer
->"''We know not how Trinimac had been defeated, but it is said that after his defeat Boethiah had consumed him and tortured his spirit in'' ''her belly. When Boethiah grew bored of Trinimac's torture, she released him from his prison and later exiled him to a plane of choking ash. This torture and dishonor left Trinimac twisted and enraged. Trinimac faded and was reborn as Mauloch, the God of Curses.'' ''With'' ''his mind bent on revenge, his most devout followers changed to match him and became the Orsimer, cursed to wander in exile, a people without a place.''
-->-- '''''The Fall of Trinimac'''''
The Pariah Elves of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail mountains on the border of High Rock and Hammerfell, commonly known as Orcs. They possess strong, muscular builds and green skin. They are known for their ferocity and courage in battle, as well as their skill as armorers and smiths (especially with the rare metal Orichalcum), making them some of the finest heavy infantry on all of Nirn.
The first Orcs were created when the Daedric Prince Boethiah devoured and later excreted the Aldmeri spirit Trinimac. Trinimac's remains became the Daedric Prince Malacath, while his Aldmeri followers were transformed into the Orcs. Malacath is the central figure and patron deity in Orcish religion. Most outsiders see Orcs as savages; that their lives are short and filled with violence and misery. Several times, they've attempted to form their own city/state, Orsinium, literally "Orc Town". However, Orsinium has been razed and rebuilt several times - having been razed once again in the 4th Era - leaving many Orcs to eke out a living in destitute, dilapidated "strongholds" on the edges of society.
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Malacath encourages tribal behavior within Orc communities, ensuring that the best warriors within a tribe are acting as chieftains. As shown by his quest in ''Skyrim'', Malacath isn't above taking a more hands on approach when a weak Orc chieftain goes unchallenged by his tribe. [[spoiler:(He sends Giants to attack their stronghold. Either the weak chief mans up and defeats them, another warrior steps up to overthrow the weak chief, or the tribe gets wiped out.)]]
* {{Beastess}}: While technically a sub-race of Mer, Orc females fit.
* TheBlacksmith: From a young age they are taught to mine and smith, and are masters of the craft. Their heavy armors are some of the most sought after in Tamriel.
* TheBerserker: Orcs are natural berserkers, with an innate ability to trigger an UnstoppableRage that significantly increases their abilities in melee combat.
* BloodKnight: Due to their strong warrior culture, Orcs generally live for battle. To them, if something isn't worth fighting for, it isn't worthy anything at all.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downplayed. Like most races of Mer, they have practices and beliefs which, while not completely alien to normal human morality, are certainly within a different system of values. For example, when an Orc is becoming old and weak, he is encouraged to seek out a worthy foe to end his life. Likewise, if one sees that his chieftain is no longer fit to lead, it is considered his ''responsibility'' to challenge and defeat the chieftain in combat for his position, ensuring that the strongest Orc in a tribe serves as the leader.
* ButtMonkey: The Orcs have long suffered this as a race. Their bestial appearance and "barbaric" culture (as it is perceived by the other races of Tamriel) make them frequent victims of FantasticRacism. Several times the Orcs have tried to unite and create their own city-state known as Orsinium, but each time, their neighboring nations (the Bretons of High Rock and Redguards of Hammerfell) have forced them to abandon it. By the 4th Era, the Orcs were forced at swordpoint by the Bretons to officially renounce the kingdom of Orsinium and assimilate into High Rock as slaves in all but name. Only a few Orc tribes still live independently in destitute, scattered "strongholds", scorned by all.
** IronButtMonkey: They do take all their trials in stride, though, as Malacath teaches "strength through adversity".
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Originally]], the Orcs were simple "hurr durr smash hoomies" Tolkein-style Orcs with nothing particularly noteworthy about them (they weren't even playable in ''Arena'' or ''Daggerfall''). Beginning with ''Morrowind'', however, their characterization has shifted massively. Rather than just being dumb, they'd been severely marginalized for ages - even their god reflected this. The Imperial Legion of Uriel VII's time, among other things, however, helped them to begin to properly integrate into the Empire better - thus making them playable.
* CultureChopSuey: They have a culture reminiscent of the Mongols, with a social structure reminiscent of Slavic tribes (small non-nomadic strongholds that are run by a single large family with the patriarch at the head). As of the 4th Era, they seem to have become fantasy counterpart Native Americans. A once tribal people, who had their land stolen from them under threats of violence, and now live on compounds remarkably similar to reservations.
* DeathSeeker: Similar to the Nords, Orc culture sees glory in dying in battle. Unlike Nord culture though, dying in battle isn't just seen as a nice thing to have happen, but something an Orc is actively encouraged to seek out. Once an Orc elder feels that he is starting to weaken with age, they will often seek out someone (either within the tribe or outside of it) worthy enough to kill them in combat. Most Orc chieftains hope to die by the hands of a stronger successor, rather than old age (see KlingonPromotion below).
* FaceDesignShield: Along with RageHelm, this is the case for Orcish armor in ''Morrowind''.
* FantasticNamingConvention: They have traditionally Orcish sounding first names and surnames, and the surname gets the prefix "gro-" for male orcs, "gra-" for females. E.g. Yadba gro-Khash, Borba gra-Uzgash.
* FantasticRacism: While they've been canonically established as a subrace of Mer, non-Orcs would rather believe they're one of the beastman races due to their perceived savagery. Strangely, this attitude has worked out in the Orc's favor; the rise of the Thalmor has led to an increase in general anti-Mer prejudice throughout Tamriel, but Orcs are generally exempt from it and no worse off than they would be otherwise.
* FightingForAHomeland: Unlike other playable races, they don't have a lasting homeland. Orsinium was destroyed ''twice'' by Bretons and Redguards.
* IAmXSonOfY: Traditional Orc names follow this structure, with the prefixes "gro" and "gra" meaning "son of" and "daughter of", respectively; when referring to a parent, a male orc will use his father's name as his last name, and a female will use her mother's. However it's not uncommon for them to use their place of birth as a last name in place of a parent's.
* KlingonPromotion: A Orc becomes chieftain by killing the current chieftain in ritual combat. This isn't primarily due to [[AmbitionIsEvil evil ambition]], though. Orcs are encouraged to kill their chieftain if he is too old or too weak to continue to lead, thus ensuring that whoever leads is stronger than the leader he replaces and strong enough to lead the tribe.
* MartyrdomCulture: Many Orcs actively look for ways to die in battle. They feel that it pleases their patron deity, Malacath, for them to die in battle.
* OddFriendship: Oddly enough with the Nords, as of the 4th Era. While the Nords typically despise all races of Mer (Elves), they've bonded somewhat with the Orcs over their mutual respect for strong leaders, affinity for smithing, and love of fighting. Following the sack of Orsinium, the (short-lived) Orc home province between High Rock and Hammerfell, Orcs have set up numerous strongholds dotting Skyrim where they are allowed to live in relative peace by the Nords.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: Leans toward the Blizzard Orc archetype since they are still a subrace of Mer. Due to their Mer heritage despite their brutish appearance and tribal customs, in term of brute strength the Nords are still physically stronger than Orcs (Though Orcs are more durable and can enter a berserker rage, doubling their strength). However, the Orcs make up for it with being an incredibly skilled weapon/armor crafter (they gain bonuses for Smithing and Enchanting skills).
* PigMan: The Orcs are derogatorily referred to as "Pig Children" by the other races. Aside from their bestial features and tusks, they have no relation to actual pigs.
* PromotedToPlayable: In ''Morrowind''. Before that, they were generic enemies in ''Arena'' and, while they got some characterization that pushed them toward "[[OurOrcsAreDifferent Blizzard Orcs]]" in ''Daggerfall'', they were not yet playable.
* ProudWarriorRace: Something that makes them NotSoDifferent from Nords and Redguards. Falling in combat to a superior opponent to end one's life is not only encouraged, but ''expected''.
* StoneWall: Not as physically strong as the Nords or as skilled with large weapons, but the Orcs are without doubt the best users of heavy armor in the setting and get the highest bonuses to their heavy armor skill. Thus, they are able to endure a level of punishment that would have killed anyone else dozens of times over. The Septim Empire specifically recruited Orcs to serve as elite heavy infantry in their Legions, and their success in this role helped them to become more accepted throughout the empire.
* UnstoppableRage: They have an innate ability to trigger a berserker rage, increasing their skill in melee combat.
[[/folder]]
