History TearJerker / TheElderScrolls

** In ''Skyrim'', we learn that the Dwemer had managed to build a device that could read an Elder Scroll without the associated blindness. In other words, using science and technology, married to magic, they could see the future! And then their civilization vanished.

----

* The fate of the Dwemer race. Yes, they were not the nicest guys in history and they did some dick things (like what they did with the [[spoiler: Snow Elves]] for just one example among... quite a few). But even as creepy as the Dwemer ruins can be, there is a kind of wonder surrounding them. After all, these guys made steam engines, complex astronomical devices and ''effing robots.'' They had a scientific genius that the rest of the ''Elder Scrolls'' world could only guess at. But then they tried to [[spoiler: make their own God]], and... well, it all just went downhill from there. As unlikely as it may have been, and as ultimately destructive as it could have been... One can only wonder just how much better life might be for the denizens of Tamriel if the Dwarves could have used their technology to truly better themselves AND the world around them. Now all that is left of the greatest minds in Tamriel are rotting cities, rusting machines and [[spoiler: one final member of their race, searching for his kin and ending his life diseased and mad]].
** To be fair, the Dwemer cities aren't rotting or rusting at all. They managed to metaphysically alter the metal they used to build everything with so that their devices still run near-flawlessly after thousands of years. Which is why so many of said devices are trying to kill you.
** It gets worse when the explanation was given by one of ''Morrowind'''s writers that they actually succeeded. The Dwemer [[spoiler:are the golden skin of Numidium but they left the mythical equivalent of the car keys (the Mantella) outside]].
** Adding to this: In ''Skyrim'', we learn that the Dwemer had managed to build a device that [[spoiler: could read an Elder Scroll without the associated blindness.]] In other words, using science and technology, married to magic, they could [[spoiler:see the future!]] And then their civilization vanished.

* The fate of the Dwemer race. Yes, they were not the nicest guys in history and they did some dick things (like what they did with the [[spoiler: Snow Elves]] for just one example among... quite a few). But even as creepy as the Dwemer ruins can be, there is a kind of wonder surrounding them. After all, these guys made steam engines, complex astronomical devices and ''effing robots.'' They had a scientific genius that the rest of the Elder Scrolls world could only guess at. But then they tried to [[spoiler: make their own God]], and... well, it all just went downhill from there. As unlikely as it may have been, and as ultimately destructive as it could have been... One can only wonder just how much better life might be for the denizens of Tamriel if the Dwarves could have used their technology to truly better themselves AND the world around them. Now all that is left of the greatest minds in Tamriel are rotting cities, rusting machines and [[spoiler: one final member of their race, searching for his kin and ending his life diseased and mad]].

** It gets worse when the explanation was given by one of Morrowind's writers that they actually succeeded. The dwemer [[spoiler:are the golden skin of Numidium but they left the mythical equivalent of the car keys (the Mantella) outside]].
** Adding to this: In Skyrim, we learn that the Dwemer had managed to build a device that [[spoiler: could read an Elder Scroll without the associated blindness.]] In other words, using science and technology, married to magic, they could [[spoiler:see the future!]] And then their civilization vanished.