Please correct me where I am wrong and let me know if my logic starts running in circles or if I am missing vital information, but here is my opinion on what is going on in the current of Tamriel.

The third era is ending and everyone knows it. The governments of The Empire are falling apart, and have been doing so ever since the Nerevarine destroyed the Heart of Lorkhan. The tribunal's power is gone, the Nerevarine has vanished, there is no Emporer, and the only thing keeping the Empire and all of its governments together is the people's belief in that government. This has been demonstrated in Morrowind through the disbelief among the citizens when told of Almalexia and Sotha Sil's demise. In Oblivion, the people are worried and that belief in government is beginning to crumble, and several forces are looking at Tamriel like a lolipop in the hand of a baby (Mainly the daedra and potentially Akivir).

There have already been (possibly) two attacks on Tamriel by the Daedra. There's obviously Mehrunes Dagon, but I believe that Hircine may have started to make a move in the Bloodmoon storyline. However, I feel that it was him having fun, but if he saw an opportunity, he would have jumped on it. One other daedra who I think has an eye on the land of Lorkhan is Azura. After all, what did she have to gain in the destruction of Dagoth Ur? What does she owe the Dunmer people? Aedra or not, I got a feeling in my most recent playthrough of Morrowind that she's very subtly stacking her ducks. She, in a sense, debased an entire religion, obliterated any opposition through the sixth house uniting Tamriel under an iron, ashy fist, and her followers have increased in number. Whenever she did appear to you, it was kind of like staring at Almalexia for the first time, thinking that there might be something else to her. After all, she does work in mysterious ways...

I think Tamriel's future lies with the Daedra and their followers. The eavesdropped rumors in Oblivion point at it all over the place. Daedra worship increasing in the Summerset Isles and House Dres is starting to gain power in Morrowind. That's where I think we're heading, however, the story could go in many directions, Akivir could invade, the dwemer could return(that would be a hoot), a third numidium comes out of nowhere and causes some ruckus. But I'm not Todd Howard. So I don't know....

Martin kind of barred any future Daedric incursions by means of some seal doohickey he made when he died...or something like that.

Actually, its been recognized since Arena. Both Arena and Daggerfall have mentioned "in the waning years of the third era." Of course, that could just be a part of the uber-narrative being told from a point of view sometime in the future.

Not to mention how Mehrunes Dagon had a hand in Jagar Tharn's simulacrum, and how he was going to invade Tamriel via the Battlespire.

The Bloodmoon Hunt was definitely a game to him. As for whether 'he would have jumped on it,' that's ambiguous.

And that is precisely why Azura is particularly dangerous. If you want a slightly better understanding of her, then understand that she is the Daedric Prince of the Dusk & Dawn, of Beginnings and Ends. This being the end of the Third Era, she is particularly relevant. Secondly, the Tribunal were arrogant when they first ascended and flew in front of her face, saying that the people that worshipped her will no longer and now will worship a new god(s). For their arrogance, and to signify that things had changed, she cursed the Chimer into the Dunmer and THEN swore vengeance.

To be brief, in-game history has shown that when it looks like the Daedra have won over the hearts and minds of Tamriel's citizens, Tamriel's citizens surprise you. Don't discount the amount of influence actually seeing Akatosh in action will have on the general citizenry.

Essentially, you've pretty much got your evaluation right, just your scope was focused only on ES III and IV. Which is understandable given the fact that they are the most popular.

Finally, the "Jaws of Oblivion" may be closed shut, but there are other ways onto the Mundus than the most direct way.

Maybe it's a lie, but some websites say there's coming a ES novel this fall, where events are described after the storyline of TESIV:
'Even if we aren't getting new DLC to look forward too, Bethesda has decided to give us something else: books - you know, the things we read before we had video games. The author will be Greg Keyes, author of the Age of Unreason series and a few Star Wars books. The first book, expected this fall, will be entitled The Infernal City and will feature the story of Annaig, a 17-year-old girl, and Prince Attrebus, the Emperor’s young son. The full press release can be found here. Matt "Gstaff" Grandstaff has hinted that this is not the product alluded to by Pete Hines in the Gamasutra interview.' -UESP.net
Is this a joke or is this just fan-fiction, in which a new emperor is crowned? or can this be taken seriously?
Another question: where do you think TESV will take place? somewhere in Tamriel, Oblivion, maybe in Akavir or somwhere else?

Mala-Ada,

http://bethblog.com/index.php/2009/04/27/novels-for-the-elder-scrolls-announced/ Whether it can be taken seriously from a lore perspective remains to be seen.

No location has been announced for the Elder Scrolls V, but all reasonable clues point to Skyrim.

I would think the books coming out would be lore correct, though it does raise an eybrow or two when they say it is about the emperor's young son.

I'm hoping that the novels lead up to the next game, that would be a refreshing new way to introduce us into the next game in the series.

The OP should try Greg Keyes' series "The Kingdom of Thorn and Bone"; I'm halfway through it, and his TES books will be good if it's any indication. As someone else noted, the first one ("The Briar King") starts with a cameo: a grown Virginia Dare (from our world's lost Roanoke colony) acting like Alessia. His characters are fairly complex, and his descriptions of magic are powerful.

I'm pretty sure we'll see a return of the Nerevarine in the future. The sermons foretell him going to Akavir and Yokuda, and then returning to Tamriel, and he's likely following these sermons if he's the Nerevarine. As for what that means, its likely the coming of a http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/aldudagga.shtml#1. The King of the Earth hopeful contests http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/lessons.shtml#24, conquering the earth bones in one last Dragon Break. Then, he uses the Daedra's protonymic from his Provisional House, while they're on the Mundus, to make himself the godhead and without equal, finally taking the Mundus to before the First Dawn, http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/monomyth.shtml#Altmeri.

Its always possible I'm wrong, as I'm still learning the details, and there are more themes at work than just one, overarching plot by Vivec to kill the souls of Anu and Padomay. I lean to such a future hero being Trinimac, champion of static change, or another Amulet of Kings incarnate, half desiring to destroy the world, but whose other half uses that insanity to destroy for the world's preservation.

Please provide a source for your Akavir/Yokuda prophecy.

Sermon 17, where Vivec and the Nerevarine go traveling.

the rest of the post is iffy in my mind. Vehk gives the Nerevarine mythical domination in the Sermons, but based on all other sources it seems like he got tired of waiting and did what he was telling us to do himself.

sorry about that, just read the next post...

I linked to the wrong sermon with the 'the Wheel' link, sorry. It was supposed to be 17, and Lady Nerevar, that may be true because Vivec did call himself king of the world in the sermons, and he did achieved at CHIM during the trial. Of course its iffy though, we only know that he maybe left for Akavir, maybe to learn something of Time from the http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/mysterious_akavir.shtml?

He had CHIM way before the Trial. An idea has be postulated that states http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/vehk_teaching.shtml#2.

Careful there, don't mistake Nerevar for the Nerevarine (=Nerevar Reborn, if he/she chooses so).

Too true, again he/she may not have even gone to Akavir. It was just a rumor during one of the most chaotic times Nirn has witnessed.

[size=1][quote name='946000']He had CHIM way before the Trial. An idea has be postulated that states [src="http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/vehk_teaching.shtml#2"]he may have informed Tiber Septim of what CHIM was[/url].[/quote]

You don't necessarily have to have CHIM to know what it is. Witness the teachings of Molag Bal,

[/size]

Vehk the mortal achieved it again at the trial though, right?

LostGate- So he took what he had seen from the Provisional House and remembered it after his fall from heaven.

CHIM doesn't "turn off;" you can't lose it then regain it. I'd imagine that if you could, you'd zero sum, which basically means he'd literally disappear. V'vehk just brought up the fact he has it.

Also, forget about Vehk the mortal. Vehk in mortal form doesn't exist anymore.

edit:


...I didn't say you did...

Quite a confusing statement.

That's the essence of it, isn't? The sigil always distorts itself and the tower is always on the verge of collapse. If it is hinted that Talos changed Cyrodiil by knowing Chim, wouldn't it have to have been momentary, and probably unintentional?

...I didn't say you did...

Quite a confusing statement.

Ah, I thought you were using this idea - "he may have informed Tiber Septim of what CHIM was" - as a means to back up your statement about Vivec having CHIM before his Trial.