Which pantheon is considered "the real one"? Which gods do exist, and which are dead, and which have never existed?

What is CHIM? How does it relate to god hood? How exactly did Talos and people like the Tribunal become gods?

So Lorkhan is the whole reason Mundus exists? And because he convinced the Aedra to build Mundus, Trinimac ripped out his heart, which Dagoth Ur later tried to use in TES III Morrowind? Lorkhan is also Shor? And Tsun died protecting Lorkhan from Trinimac? Why is Tsun in Sovngarde then? And where is Shor now?

Every pantheon is "real." All gods exist. Lorkhan is dead. Sithis does not exist because he is the antithesis of existence, but he is still relevant.

I would recommend doing a search for CHIM, as it has been discussed in-depth many times here. In the most simplest of terms, CHIM is enlightenment and transcendence. Talos became a god through mantling Lorkhan by uniting Tamriel, much like Lorkhan united the gods to make Mundus. The Tribunal became gods by using Kagrenac's Tools on the Heart of Lorkhan, which is a major part of the main plot in Morrowind.

Tsun is in Sovngarde for the same reason anyone is in Sovngarde, he died with honor and valor. Shor is also in Sovngarde, but the Dragonborn cannot see him there because the Dragonborn is alive upon entering Sovngarde. As I recall, some patrons in Sovngarde mention that Shor is there while the Dragonborn visits.

None of them. They are all, for the most part, each races cutural twist on what happened during creation, and difference aspects of these beings are praised. I suggest reading the http://www.imperial-library.info/content/monomyth.


All of them did at one point and time. As for the ones who actually died during creation, there are no obvious names for these unknown spirits. I'm sure the Redguards have names for them though.

Talos is a bit finicky, but the Tribunal obtained their power through the Heart of Lorkhan. It eventually began to wane when Dagoth Ur had cut them off from the heart chamber after so long.

More or less. Lorkhan is the Merrish (Elven) variation of Shor, as they see the act of creation as an act of trickery, and as such, he is reviled. Why is Tsun and Shor in Sovngarde? Well, no better realm for them to be in than the realm of the dead, no?

Oh, thanks for the answers.

And I just figured since Tsun and Shor were gods I didn't figure they'd go to Sovngarde, just that they'd cease to exist in every dimension of time and space.

Wow.... thats quite a few questions for one thread. I'll do my best.

Much like the real world, all religions in Tamriel consider their gods to be "real." More to the point, in The Elder Scrolls, belief shapes reality. So all pantheons are real and all creation myths are true, even the ones that contradict each other.

CHIM is a complicated phenomenon. Basically, its the ability to do two things simultaneously. First, you recognize that the entire universe is one entity (you and everything is a dream of the Godhead). Second, you maintain your individuality. Most people who get to the first step "zero-sum." They cease to exist because they are unable to maintain their sense of self after recognizing the truth of the oneness of all things. If you CAN manage to maintain your sense of self, you become a Master or a Ruling King (those who have CHIM).

The Tribunal originally became gods by using the tools of Kagrenac. They stole the divinity from Lorkhan, an original god. The god Vivec was the only one to maintain his divinity after the destruction of the Heart because he achieved CHIM.

Talos achieved CHIM and was also part of a powerful enantiomorph. To put it simply, his essence was merged with his Battlemage Zurin Arctus and the legendary Undead King Wulfharth (who was also a shard of the god Shor).

The creation myths are numerous and many contradict each other. There are a few (Annuad) that do not even include Lorkhan. One developer at TIL said that the gods didn't exist prior to Creation but were Created by the belief of Mortals. Keeping in mind that belief makes things true, this means that mortals created the gods but were also created by them in turn.

Oh and Shor is a shard/representation of Lorkhan. Lorkhan was one of the original "magical beings" prior to Creation. Shor is the Nordic representation of the Lunar God (Lorkhan) that was created and shaped by Nordic belief.