So we know the Dwemer used their collective souls to form the Numidium's golden skin (effectively creating a massive soulgem) with the intent of reaching back before time to the initial brush of Padomay and Anu. And we know (if you believe the love letter) that the Numidium still somehow holds the world under seige until the Fifth Era. So it seems to me that the mystery of the Dwemer isn't "where did they go?" but "where did the Numidium go?"

I got into TES during Morrowind, and I'm a little unclear on the events of Arena and Daggerfall. I know what the Numidium did/didn't do, but I don't know what it's fate was after it's time-shifting, empire-building phase. Did it vanish into time? Is it still locked up somewhere? Am I totally missing some vital piece of information that really explains what happened to the Dwemer?

It got swallowed up by the Warp says http://www.imperial-library.info/obbooks/warp_west.shtml.

Although that book was written by out-of-the-loop Blades gumshoes. Doesn't Arctus or Mannimarco destroy it every time?

The Underking destroys it every time to get the Mantella, yes; except for the single time when it was the King of Worms who did so to ascend to Aetherius.

I suppose the pieces now lie scattered all around the Iliac Bay.

So if the physical Numidium was destroyed, does the spirit of the Numidium(Dwemer) live on? Did the Dwemer achieve group apotheosis and do they live on as the Numidium outside of time in the same way, say, Vivec does?

We don't know for certain what happened to them.

Just beacuse we only know of 7 timelines doesn't mean there weren't more. I'm sure there was a t least one where Numidium is never stopped.

The timelines involving Alinor and Numidium seem to be infinitesimal.

I hate that theory.



Yeah, in one timeline Arctus never died, but he's dead during Morrowind and Oblivion anyway.