Just how well was the Dominion doing at fighting Tiber Septim? Sure, he couldn't get to them due to their powerful navy, but did Valenwood fall before the siege of Alinor, or did Valenwood surrender with the rest of the Dominion? Or were they kicking Tiber's ass?

Anywho, I think some people overestimate the abilities of the Altmer. I'm sure you average Dominion soldier know jack [censored] about the mythic, anymore than anyone else, really. They might have a vague understanding of what the Mer who do know stuff are talking about, but I doubt they know more than that. People forget that the Maormer and Sload ravaged them constantly, the former only being defeated "permanently" when the Psijics conjured up a storm (though this was mentioned earlier). In fact, they once had to call in aid from Cyrodiil since the Maormer were kicking their ass. One time they attempted a counter attack... so much for Old Mary's fleet.

Their desire to swallow their pride and pay off Reman also shows that they were worried he could get onto the Isles, at least. I doubt they thought he could win, though.

Also, the Psijics are not at the call of the Summerset Isle. They are not the Altmer's "better" version of the Mages' Guild. They aren't like the Nibeanean battlemages. If they piss the Psijics off, they aren't getting aid. The Psijics used to act as advisers for the Cyrodiilic Empires, which a "real" High Elf would never, ever do. Unless he was acting as a spy, or attemping to undermine the Empire.

(Though later Septims didn't trust them. So maybe they were lying.)


I'm not saying they're push overs, either. They are a dangerous nation, and they are the most advanced society on Tamriel for a reason. But they're not invincible.

(Sorry for editting this so much).

Invincible, no. But without a Dragonborn in Cyrodiil, there's really nobody to effectively check them.

See this is what I don't get. Wont the Altmer still be bound to Mundus in the next Kalpa? How do they know the world eater will free the fallen spirits of this world?

Any break is better than none at all? :shrug:

This is a very good point. Either Alduin, in his Nordic aspect, is an implacable, cyclical force of nature, and the Thalmor hope to utilise his coming to call down their own god or make the end of the kalpa more permanent; or Alduin really does try to destroy everything for good, and some kind of mythical intervention- presumably aimed at preventing the destruction- keeps interfering with his plan, leading to the cycle of kalpas.

The Altmer themselves probably svck. All of their strength went into the Orismer when they split off, so they'll have to rely on bosmer (a subjugated minority) and goblins (slaves) to do the job. Bosmer and trained goblins (think Tribunal) are pretty tough, but will likely have morale problems.


You're absolutely right to point that out. Just as Earth history has shown that you shouldn't invade Russia, Nirnian history says that you shouldn't piss off a Shezzarine. That's why the Altmer are taking a different path this time around (they made a truce with mankind!) If they create the conditions needed for Shezzar-mantling, they are completely screwed.

And the Psijiics are a wildcard. For all we know, they could be gathering a storm to wipe out the Thalamor, or they could have fallen to the Thalamor's radical beliefs when their numbers swelled in the dusk of the 3rd Era of man. All we can say is this: Artaeum tends not to allow enemy ships to land on Summerset.


1st possibility: The Thalamor don't know about / don't believe in Kalpas. Cyclical time is never mentioned in Altmeri myths, AFAIK.
2nd possibility: The Thalamor believe that this time is different, and the cycle can be broken forever. This is the most popular theory
3rd possibility: Based on the letters between Chimere and TMK, its possible that at the end of this Kalpa, the spirits that got locked in Mundus this time around will be freed, and a different set of spirits will get trapped in the Mundus. Auriel and his followers will be free next Kalpa, while Peyrite and his followers will be trapped next time.

I can just imagine Julianos-shrine-quests. Leave an offering of a complete set of 'Brief History of The Empire' and get tasked with teaching a tribe of goblins how to read.

I think you snipped the wrong part of my post, but I do like your idea. I'd really like to see some goblins get treated like people, and I'm a svcker for the "teach an underprivileged kid to read" story.

Interesting. 2 and 3 sound likely and touches on something I said earlier. What happens to the beings already trapped in creation? Are they released or do they die and go back to the dreamsleeve or what?

We don't know. History only goes back to the beginning of this universe. I'd guess that they'd end up living like the Magna-Ge. Of course, that's a non-answer, because we have no idea what life is like for Magna-Ge

The Yokudans seem to have all the answers recently:

"As the old world died, Satakal began, and when things realized this pattern so did they realize what their part in it was. They began to take names, like Ruptga or Tuwhacca, and they strode about looking for their kin."--The Monomyth

For a comparison see what the Altmer call the "Aspects of the Aurbis."

Read "The Great War" in Skyrim.

To say, the altmer are indeed extremely powerful, and if not for Titus Mede II pulling a few Tactical Genius moments...well...Cyrodiil and all of Hammerfell would have been under the Dominion's Rule.

Also, there were two years when the moons completely disappeared (which also marked the point when the Khajiit went to the Dominion, willingly). Also, Summerset Ilse is now called Alinor. It's dark times.

Apparently they fared worse against the Daedra though, as the hordes of Mehrunes Dagon toppled crystal-like-law.

Must... find... book... after... finding... Staff... of... Magnus

check in windhelm, around either the battle-born residence or the jarl's quarters.

Looks like the Thalmor and the Psijics are not in a very cozy relationship, in fact a Thalmor agent loathes them. Also to note, the Psijic's island disappeared 100ish years before Skyrim, so it can be concluded that the Psijics do NOT support the Thalmor, with Thalmor agents blatantly stating they're "rogue," and they went back to hiding in isolation again, unless something big needs to be dealt with.