(This was originally meant to be a response in another thread, but it became so long and off topic, that I decided to make a new thread)

There is something about this quote by MK that intrigues me. Never mind the fact about the Altmer sitting in their cocoons battling a giant robot for thousands of years...

What I'm interested in is the length of the battle. All the way to the Fifth era.

There are a few things I wish to point out first, if these histories/obscure texts are to be taken seriously.

It is believed Vivec gave Tiber Septim the Numidium:

http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/on_morrowind.shtml

Something BAD is supposed to happen, soon, between the Fourth and Fifth Era's:

http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/5th_era_loveletter.shtml

It is my belief that the Loveletter is describing the events needed to bring about the ending of the "endless battle" into what is referred to as "Landfall".

Others may point out that it is simply the "love for Vivec" that will stop Landfall, but let us break down some of the parts of the Loveletter and anolyze them.



Note the bolded text. These two words jumped out at me as I re-read the Loveletter for the umpteenth time. I immediately thought of the House of Troubles:

http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/house_of_troubles.shtml

The book describes the Four Corners of the House of Troubles, "Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath". With the coming of the Oblivion Crisis, which I can safely say was indeed a catastrophe, Mehrunes Dagon has fulfilled a part of the Landfall Prophecy.

While the Daedra hold no hand in creation, I believe that the passing of the Grey March and the release of Jyggyjag is not without consequence on Nirn. True that Tamriel is protected from the Daedric Princes by the sacrifice of Emperor Martin Septim, the rest of Nirn is open game and Landfall is a catastrophe that will encompass all of Nirn, not just Tamriel. Thus I believe that Sheogorath has fulfilled the second part of the Landfall Prophecy by the release of Jyggylag, whom I believe to be the "Fifth Corner".

The future is open when it comes to Malacath and Molag Bal. Only time will tell what they will do to bring about Landfall.

But still begs the question, "What is Landfall?". Some say that it is the creation of Lord Vivec and that only love for him will contain it. I say that it is the Five Corners of the House of Troubles and that Landfall, without proper initiative, is inevitable.

Perhaps some future hero will stop the rest of the Landfall Prophecy? Perhaps not.

Or perhaps the Fifth Corner is Sithis, whom is the sum of all limitations:



But then what could "he that is nothing" possibly do to cause Landfall? That is a question I have yet to answer with a proper theory.

From http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/sotha_sil.shtml:



Vivec hinted in his sermons that the way to stop Landfall, which he created, was to love him. But as Sotha Sil suggests, trust not the words of poets. Only Vivec knows the truth here and I think he is holding out on the rest of us.

Or perhaps the CoC is the Fifth Corner? Driven mad from his new position of power at the Seat of Madness? In His hallucinations of Madness, He is The New Man upon the throne. He has become a God. He has become Amaranth.



Perhaps he is the Fifth Corner. Perhaps this thread is nothing but random speculation? Then again, perhaps Landfall is a myth created by Vivec and Jubal-lun-Sul, of House Sul is nothing but another incarnation of Vehk the Immortal: Vivec, come to spread his poetry of lies. To decieve the peoples of the Fourth Era so that He can stay upon his throne as a God, driven mad as like Almalexia by the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. Perhaps Vivec himself is the Fifth Corner.

Now... the "endless battle" is suppossedly rumored to last until around the Fifth Era. I say the coming of Numidium is Landfall and that its powers of time perversion will bring about a great catastrophe that will finally break the Dragon.



Perhaps, perhaps not...

The barriers protect Mundus/Nirn not Tamriel.





CoC = Sheogorath. How can he be two corners at once?

While you have me with the barrier statement:


"Sheogorath" now is nothing but a position. The Prince himself is released into Jyggylag, Sheogorath the Daedra is no more. The CoC can call himself what he wants.

There are four corners in the house of troubles. But there are five corners to the world.

From the Sermons: "The egg was delighted and did somersaults inside her, bowing to the five corners of the world." and "It molted soon after skill-draping the shaman and stretched his bones to the five corners.." Both from the sERMONS.

Although it's really only useful for cracking the cipher, in case there's any doubt they're two different things:
#4 The Corners of House of Troubles. 242
#5 The Corners of the World. 100

Why does it have five corners as opposed to the cardinal four? Just a guess, but possibly because it's shaped like a star for "they are the lent bones of the Aedra, the Eight gift-limbs to SITHISIT, the wet earth of the new star our home" although "The Digitals say we come from another star, but so many have forgotten."

Or perhaps "Five Corners" means that catastrophes will originate in all the corners of Nirn, the continents around Tamriel.

There are six other continents of which Yokuda is no more. Which leaves five around Tamriel.

http://www.imperial-library.info/pge3/other_lands.shtml

Yokuda exists, but not as a continent. Likewise, Thras isn't a continent and Pyandonea probably isn't either. Corners refer to directions, more than likely, rather than concrete places. I don't really expect a convergence of invaders and by "the catastrophes, which will come from all five corners", expect that it's meant to convey that this doom is going to be ubiquitous.

Could it not also refer to the theory that all people sooner or later will travel to (and whatever that brings) Tamriell?
I don't remember that one so well, actually, so I'll just shut up now.

You're probably thinking Mysterious Akavir, which opens with a discussion of why Tamriel is the best holiday destination ever, and so good you'll even want to live there:

...Had they not been eaten, these Men would have eventually migrated to Tamriel. The Nords left Atmora for Tamriel. Before them, the Elves had abandoned Aldmeris for Tamriel. The Redguards destroyed Yokuda so they could make their journey. All Men and Mer know Tamriel is the nexus of creation, where the Last War will happen, where the Gods unmade Lorkhan and left their Adamantine Tower of secrets. Who knows what the Akaviri think of Tamriel, but ask yourself: why have they tried to invade it three times or more?

That's sounds so much more like a case of "Damn we're so much better than you! And ALL others too!" than a truth.
Too bad.

It reminds me of the old saying that "All roads lead to Rome." Maybe this is true, in Tamriel's case.

Five corners? North, East, South, West, and? Up?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. LOL.

That feels a lot like Tamrielic jingoism, thinking they are the center of creation. 2 seperate that dislike each other immensely invaded Tamriel seperately. The Tsaeci were extremely powerful, so the next step was to get themselves a colony, giving them an advantage over the Tiger-Folk. And since Tamriel has attempted to invade Akavir too, so let's make the opposite arguement (Tamriel has tried to invade Akavir, so this must the center of NIRN as they want to be here.) But the author ignores all this. It's basically they try to invade us because we're all important, we try to invade them because we're all important. The logic doesn't work. The theory may be true, but the logic doesn't work.

Other problems is the fact that Aldmeris may not really be a continent. The Redgaurd PURPOSEFULLY destroyed Yokuda just so the could come to Tamriel (if they wanted to go so bad, why couldn't they just leave). That paragraph is really not much more that Tamrielocentrism.

We've got all the Towers. Prove us wrong.

Why all the scary eschatologies? The can't world end! I haven't even finished KoN yet!

I think you might be on to something here, though I'm not sure what.

The world does have five corners, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't go deeper than that. Speaking poetically, I'd guess that "Late is the lover that comes to this by any other walking way than the fifth, which is the number of the limit of this world" translates to "Dead (late) is the worshipper of vivec (lover) who comes to (the age of gold? a state of pure being?) by any other path than the fifth." Where "the fifth" is a mystery. Perhaps the fifth walking way is just another way of saying "Vivec's love", in which case the whole line is just another way of saying that vivec's love is the only path by which to avoid the Landfall or achieve a state of pure existence. Or does it mean that, if Vivec is to be seen as evil and that we are in love with evil that somehow being evil is the "fifth walking way".

Lots to chew on, this letter.

I am reminded of "God Emporer of Dune", where Leto II rules for millenia as a cruel despot in order so save the universe from itself...

Do we know this? I thought the Left-Handed Elves had a tower in Yokuda. I may be wrong.

And the Towers are quickly being destroyed. So far Walking Brass, Red Mountain and White-Gold are gone. And it's seems Crystal-Is-Law is going to be gone soon as well, if the PGE 3 is to be believed, which it is.

White-Gold Tower is still there. The Imperial Palace is White-Gold Tower. That which was destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon was the Temple of the One and Martin, the satue of Akatosh, became a new tower.

But the Stone was destoryed. I don't think the statue of Akatosh became the new tower, but something different. Something new and representative of men instead or mer.

Aren't there 5 known towers? Walking Brass, Red Mountain, White-Gold, Crystal is Law and (forgive my complete failure to remember the actual name) the half summit mountain in Skyrim? It might make sense that the world has 5 corners if Nirn is created around 5 Towers. The disaster might come when all 5 have been destroyed, or it might be a 5 part disaster since at the destruction of each tower, there's been a rather cataclysmic event.

I have no support for this claim but I would like the Landfall to be the return of Lorkhan. They both have an L so I can dream.

You forgot Green-sap, presumably in Valenwood and Zero-Tower (Adamantium). There are four left. But three is less than a hundred years, and another one threatened is not a good sign for the mer.

this is literally the second time I've looked over the Loveletter, but something caught my eye...wtf does "we came from another star" mean...does this mean that Nirn has somehow split again somehow, or have I not read deeply enough?

There is also Adamantia, aka Direnni, tower in High Rock. Green-Sap, which we think is Falenesti in Valenwood. And it is possible that Orichalc still stands in Yokuda. It's also possible there are/were more we don't know about yet

I thought Orichalc was destroyed when the Pankratosword was used. Maybe I'm mistaken. I'll have to check.

Judging by Yokuds's destruction, I'd imagine that it was destroyed.