Bethesda wanted Greg Keyes to write the two novels for the events after Oblivion. My question is are these two novels really meant to set up the events of Skyrim? Or are they just an addition to lore that Bethesda wanted (nothing to do with the game)?

So who's to say that if assassins hadn't killed Uriel VII that he wouldn't have gone on to die from his illness anyway? A bunch of gossipy Dunmer are hardly reliable sources of information.

It's merely something to consider in the greater scheme of things. Many seem convinced that The Infernal City is meant to come before Skyrim, and perhaps even link it to Oblivion. While this may appear likely, there is no proof or evidence of such an act. What we do know is that Skyrim is a direct sequel to Oblivion, and the events in Oblivion are molding Skyrim. Whether The Infernal City has a role in this is really pure speculation. The final book may decide whether it does or doesn't. Or maybe even Skyrim could reference the book (assuming Skyrim takes place after).

When it came out, I am positive I read a news article with a quote from someone at Bethesda saying it would "help bridge the gap between Oblivion and the next game" or something like that.

EDIT: Apparently it was in the original official release description, which was quickly removed. >_> The same release statement said the next game was set 200 years later.

I understand that you think that the things that happened in Oblivion had a huge effect on Skyrim, as it did. It has a huge effect on everywhere. Yes will they acknowledge what happened in TESIV, but no its not going to be a year later. They used the Infernal City books to bridge the gap inbetween Oblivion and skyrim. They wouldn't produce two books with an immense amount of lore to just say "Hey lets just forget all this happened." The effects of Morrowind were in Oblivion but it was not a direct sequel. It wont have the same story characters or problem. Which all is what it takes to be a direct sequel. Look at movies, you don't see any direct sequels that don't have the same characters or plot(for the most part). Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Even Shrek, Lion King ect does. So to say it is a direct sequel i think would be wrong.


EDIT: i was ninja'd about the book.
i knew i wasn't the only one who knew about it bridging.

Why would Bethesda release a TES book if it's not canon? Kind of defeats the whole purpose. Plus, The Infernal City is set only 40 years after the events of Oblivion, so it's 100% sure (there's big time gaps between TES games usually) it's taken into consideration.



No TES game is a direct sequel in terms of the time that it takes place and the characters. Oblivion would be the second to really affect another game, since the Empire gets destabilized by the death of the last Septim. But Skyrim will still by no means be a direct sequel - as Oblivion wasn't one to Morrowind - it has always been about starting with an all new and nobody dude. The opening and closing of the Oblivion gates only affects Skyrim in the way that it killed all Septims. The allusion to the Oblivion gates in the trailer is merely a way to place the game in time, that it is after those events, and that the Empire is quite shaken. Though I'm still not sure why Akhulakan (from Morrowind) is on that carving...



Impossible for Skyrim. Fallout 4 isn't a TES game so it's irrelevant, since they made only one game there's no real way of making Bethesda Fallout games. As for TES, playing the Champion of Cyrodiil would mean start with a powerful character with already a whole backstory. You don't start as a hero in TES games, you become one, that's part of the fun. Plus, we already played as the Champion of Cyrodiil for hundreds of hours, do you need to play as him AGAIN, after 5 years? Please, no one wants that, like no one wanted to play as the Nerevarine in Oblivion, we want something new, something fresh. And Bethesda has told this more than one (last time I know in an interview right before the release of Shivering Isles) that the focus for each TES game is to make it entirely different than the predecessor, and you don't make an entirely different game by making it a direct sequel and using the same character. It's like making a small TES game, it just can't.




Rumours. You know what that is? Having rumours of Uriel dying of illness does not make the possibility of him being assassinated not true. Plus, Oblivion was first rumoured to take place in the Summerset Isles, these in-game rumours weren't meant as foreshadowing, only adding depth to the universe. There were rumours about trouble at the Summerset Isles in Oblivion, did this meant TES V would take place there? No. Only added depth to the universe.

I'm almost 100% positive that the books address events between Oblivion and Skyrim. First of all, it's a popular thing in video games, a good way to hype people, build more lore and tell how the Empire has been in the meantime. Second, you write a timeline like the TES one by going into the future, you don't write a bit of future and then write a bit of past that may change that future. Dragons invading Tamriel? You bet you'd know that somehow in the Infernal city or the sequel.



What's the point of releasing a book spoiling the events of an upcoming game? It's only logic that those events will lead up to the political background of Skyrim, not necessarily particularly important events tied to the story.

If Bethesda hired a writer to expand their big TES universe, you'd bet they'd give enough information about it so he can write a decent piece of work that doesn't screw up with anything. If the events in the books are bridgin events, he most likely knows about Skyrim. I'm very positive the events of Oblivion were not that important, the key element is no heir to the throne and the Empire getting in turmoil because of those events. Like the destruction of the heart of Lorkhan made it possible for the Oblivion crisis, Oblivion wasn't a direct sequel of Morrowind for that. Skyrim will feature an entirely different story almost completely disconnected to Oblivion only that the aftershock of the crisis made the dragon invasion possible. We won't return to Oblivion or anything to deal with daedra lords who can't mess up with Nirn anymore.

Since the Champion now might have a very high position, somewhere far away, I'd doubt we'll play at any time close to Oblivion or as him/her. Also, the Dragons returning would have been mentioned in the Infernal City, I would say. ^_^

My Theory: Chanceller Ocato send the Champion of Cyrodil to Skyrim because the region was become to instable with the Imperor Death, plus a older Nord myth is talking about a "Dragonborn" descendant that can rule the empire. After months with no news of the Champion or the worse, no news about the arrival in (post here the Skyrim main city). Chanceller Ocato will try other approach sending a Prisioner. You will meet agents to aid you (Blades in desguise?) and need to learn about the true of this myth. :teehee:

PS: Sorry my poor English.

Just because you could be the Champion of Cyrodill again wouldn't also mean you would start out all powerful with everything you had in the previous game. A perfect example of this is Mass Effect 2. At the very beginning of the game, Shepherd's Normandy gets attacked by the unknown collectors and he dies in the tragic event. Cerberus finds his body and they bring him back to life, and you start all the way back at level one. Again, I pointed out it's unlikely we will be the Champion of Cyrodill again, and it's probably true that The Infernal City was created specifically to bridge Oblivion and Skyrim. But one has to admit that Skyrim is more closely linked to Oblivion than Morrowind was to Oblivion. The events in Oblivion directly affected what will occur in Cyrodill, so it is a direct sequel in that regard. Obviously we will be starting out as a lowly prisoner as we always do, but it was just something to consider. With the Infernal City, there is already a new heir to the throne it seems, and I'm not sure exactly how that would fit in unless the current king/prince are considered unfit/corrupt. Maybe they just die off in this two-novel series. Perhaps they are irrelevant.

I do remember the initial announcement saying that the books will bridge Oblivion and the next game. I vaguely remember the 200 years thing too, though I personally hope one or more of the characters from the book end up sending the protagonist on the main quest in Skyrim.

I believe if they wanted to, Infernal city could be included into Skyrim as the Infernal city is drifting toward Morrowind, and as many have stated Morrowind would be closer for an attack from the Akavir Ka Po 'Tun as suggested in other posts. Also Infernal city is more like 70 yrs later isnt it more like 2 and 1/2 generations after ?

If I remember it right this 'source' is a misinterpreted translation of a rumor with no grounds.

Well considering the 'source' confirmed Skyrim was being made before it was officially announced, and the teaser trailer does mention Oblivion, it obviously is a "direct sequel."

If Skyrim does take place 200 years after Oblivion, then than means it's 160 years after The Infernal City. Would the books even really be relevant to Skyrim? I personally would think Oblivion would be more relevant, mainly just because many probably don't even know that the novel exists.

I think it is under record that the main series (I, II, III, IV, etc) keep going forward. Spinoffs, though, can jump around (Battlespire (~TES:I) then Redguard (2nd era))

or the book is the game LOLOLO no, that would be weird..

I think that whatever the case, things will become a lot clearer when we all receive our Game Informer magazines next month

Hopefully. Although if I remember correctly, the reveal for Oblivion in Game Informer was talking more about how it was next gen, and less about the actual lore and story of the game. I personally wouldn't be surprised if we don't learn anything about the story of Skyrim until E3, or maybe not until launch.

Please, make caius cosades be in the game. He is so cool.

Destroying the "red tower" made the Oblivion gates opening possible. Killing the emperor (and the chaos that ensued) made the dragon invasion possible. It's the same thing. What I'm saying, is that Oblivion doesn't acknowledges the Nerevarine's role in making the Oblivion gates open (the destruction of two "towers" (red and white, the lorkhan heart (red mountain) and the emperor (white gold tower)), and it's unlikely Skyrim will acknowledge this either, the teaser only put the game in time. It would be a stretch to say it's a direct sequel. Takes place quite some time later, the events don't directly tie together (it's not because the Oblivion crisis made it possible that it's directly tied, again Skyrim's events will mostly be an indirect consequence of the crisis, rather than the logical continuation, they're not directly tied at all. Remember, Oblivion really ended, there was nothing more to it to tell), the characters are not the same, it takes place somewhere else entirely. The tag would be just wrong.

It's not because you don't start as powerful that it can be possible. Again, that would give you a pre-determined background. The champion of Cyrodiil is a damn champion, how do you expect to show up in Skyrim as a hailed hero to start from the bottom of the ladder again, and start doing petty work again? Being a fighter's guild head and then starting again as recruit? The champion of Cyrodiil's background is just too big for that to be possible, adding to this that you should be a to be hero, not one already, it kills the whole purpose. Mass Effect is in no way related to TES.

:rolleyes:

Kurt Kuhlmann has confirm in the January 2011 issue of Game Informer that the Events of Shivering Isle is Cannon,but the impact of it has yet to be shown. It's on page 99 of the issue.

Now I can't claim to know a bunch about TES, I have maybe 20 hours on TES4 at the most and have not started shivering Isles. But having the Champion of Cyrodil show up as a NPC in Skyrim is not impossible at all if I read the lore on UES correctly(Any lore Experts feel free to correct me if I am wrong). A Daedric Prince seems to be able to change their forms at will so them now having a different look or even being a different race could be explained as this being the form they wish to take. Concerning their personalities, We don't really know what affect becoming the Daedric Prince of Madness might have had on our character's personality along with their personality changing during the time we last saw them and the time that Skyrim takes place. 40-200 years is plenty of time for people to change.

I'm quite aware Mass Effect is a different developer, but merely was showing that the proper context could justify the player being the Champion of Cyrodill again. Whatever accolades he had in Oblivion would be irrelevant, as Skyrim is a different province with separate issues. One thing you have to consider is that everyone's Champion of Cyrodill is different. The only thing they all have in common is they helped Martin close shut the gates of Oblivion. Either way, I'm really playing devil's advocate more so than suggesting we will play a character we were in Oblivion. I am just not the type to rule out a possibility due to past games and the fact that Bethesda could easily justify their actions in doing it. Again I already suggested this that more than likely this will take place after The Infernal City novels.

You make a valid point. Considering the Champion of Cyrodill does take over the mantel of the Madgod Sheogorath, we do not know the exact consequences of such a title. One would rationally deduce that, aside from gaining some godly powers in the Shivering Isles, the main character stays more or less the same. However, we really don't know what could happen. This realm may allow the Champion of Cyrodill to live forever, it could drive him/her mad, it could even allow him/her to play a role in Skyrim, even if it's likely doubtful. Personally, casting the Champion of Cyrodill into a different realm was probably Bethesda's easiest way of dealing with a significant character without them impacting future events.

TES does not make direct sequels to games. Why would it say no body wanted to believe they even existed if we already know about the oblivion gates and such? Skyrim will not be about oblivion gates or the champion of cyrodiil. It will be about the dragon born who is for sure not the Champion of Cyrodiil. They only talk about oblivion gates to say what has happened not saying that's what were dealing with. It says "From the time after the gates to oblivion opened, the sons of Skyrim spilled there own blood" (civil war). So no, this is not a direct sequel. Yes Oblivion is number 4 and Skyrim is number 5, but that's as far as it goes. Also, we don't know how far into the future the books go. We only have read the first one not the second. And the source (rockpapershotgun) said it's rumored to be a direct sequel? What else have they predicted right? Besides it was the next game was The Elder Scrolls? Because if so listen to 90% of us on here because we did too.

Realistically Skyrim is a "direct sequel." It may not be a "true sequel," in the sense that you play the same protagonists, or the events of the previous game are left undone. However, it is a direct sequel in the sense that it is a chronological sequel and is impacted by the events of Oblivion. With each TES, there is some form of connection and chronological jump. They aren't completely separate and disjointed. There is a strategy to what Bethesda does, and each new game builds upon the last (whether through easter eggs in the game, or various other forms of references).