I'm not very up on the lore who exactly are the Thalmor?

Very bad Altmer that want to take over/dominate all the other races. I don't know a ton of their backstory, but they're part of the Dominion that made the Empire give up Talos. And they love torturing and interrogating prisoners.

They tend to favor elf or glass armor as warriors or Thalmor robes as mages.

They are the spawn of evil. That's all you need to know.

In alll seriousness they are the ruling body of the Aldmeri Dominion, who fought a Great War against the Empire. After the signing of the White Gold Concordnant (or whatever) they now just represent the Aldmeri Dominion across Tamriel and enforce their rules that they created in the treaty, like the ban on Talos worship

(EDIT) The poster above me is right, they do still wish to control the Empire, and they kind of do, and have a fondness of... "interogating"

It's covered that they're the High Elves ruling Summerset Isle.

What's not covered in this thread is that they want to unmake reality, cause it so that humanity never existed in the first place, in order so that they can become gods.

I just wish they were a bit nicer to me, being a high elf and all. I'd be more into helping them out, and more sympathetic to their cause. I also wish I could find unenchanted versions of their damn robes, those things are boss, but 12% destro reduction doesn't cut it late game.

They're the Skyrim equivalent to Nazis.

Racial superiority complex - check.
Religious intolerance - check.
Unbridled ambition - check.
Nack for genocide - check.
Black Trench coats - check.
Fancy boots - check.

More than just the Altmer of Summerset; the Bosmer of Valenwood are part of that dominion, as well. Not the dunmer, strangely enough. Makes one wonder if the Hist led invasion might have had a little help from outside agitators, doesn't it?

*WARNING* Possible spoilers below.











Shortly after the Oblivion Crisis, Summerset Isle seceded from the Empire, taking Valenwood with it and renaming itself the Aldmeri Dominion. Back in the Second Era, the Thalmor was the party who was in control of Valenwood and governed the province until Tiber Septim came along and dissolved the Thalmor. At the time of Skyrim, the Thalmor are the ruling governing body for the Dominion, and their goal is conquest. Elsweyr was first to be occupied.

Then came the Great War. The Thalmor attacked Cyrodiil and sacked the Imperial City, but were soon after forced to withdraw after Emperor Titus II retaliated. Afterwards, his armies massively weakened from the battle, Titus II signed the White Gold Concordat, which disbanded the Blades, outlawed the worship of Talos, and gave a large portion of Hammerfell to the Thalmor in exchange for a ceasefire. Hammerfell refused the terms of the treaty, so Titus denounced them as an Imperial province, and the Thalmor attacked them.

After five years, that war ended in a stalemate, and the Thalmor withdrew after the Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai was signed. Hammerfell has never forgiven the Empire since.

We are now at the latest battle for Thalmor control of Tamriel: the Stormcloak Rebellion. It began when Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm, assassinated High King Torygg using the Voice for acquiescing to the Empire's demand for Talos worship to be outlawed. He was captured soon after and brought to Helgen to be executed....

This is where Skyrim begins.

Does Godwin apply in a thread that's not an argument?

When the subject matter commits genocide? no, I don't think so.