Ok, there's one relatively minor topic I've been arguing with fellow lore fans over. The origins of the Nedics, their relation to Nords and Bretons, and the socio-cultural (if any) relevance to 4th era inhabitants of High Rock and Skyrim.

I've heard a lot of people claim the Nedics are basically Nords, because supposedly all Atmorans are Nords. This theory appears in the first edition pocket guide, and quite frankly - it sounds like cultural propaganda to reinforce the idea that Nords are the purest ancestors of the true humans of Atmora, and everyone else safe the Redguards is descended or related to them. Quite frankly, this attitude really belittles the Nedics as nothing more than a "lost tribe of Nords" or slaves of the snow elves after the fall of Saarthal, and this cultural belittling of these proto-men in turn makes the Bretons less... individualistic. Everyone says the Bretons are just nords with some "tainted" elven blood, and by grouping them with their nordic "cousins", it feels like they are losing a lot of their identity.

In contrast, there are sources like http://www.imperial-library.info/content/frontier-conquest-and-accommodationwhich turn the sides and make the Nords an ethnic group of the larger race of nedes (the most beliggerent group, mind you). This theory has gained quite a lot of popularity it seems, and makes the nedes more unique - they now appear to be a conglomerate term for the race of humans coming from Atmora, the proto-men who inhabited Tamriel before the Nords migrated, and seems to serve the same purpose as the term "Aldmer", which encompasses the proto-elves. I like this theory quite a lot actually, and it seems more... realistic and even "scientific" in my opinion. It separated the Breton and Nordic ancestors, and thus makes them distinct people with very different and separate (at least more than the previous theory) origins, so everybody's got their own thing going on in their own province, rather than "We are all nords".

And finally, we've got the rather obscure, but interesting theory that the Nedics were in fact an ethnic group native to Tamriel, a complete human race of its own, who lived in several provinces. The nedes are mentioned, alongside other supposedly native groups, in http://www.imperial-library.info/content/adabal, which was written by Morihaus. And we know that Morihaus was basically a demi-god so... I quite trust him as a source xD. Of course, this is the hardest theory to prove, but it is very interesting and could really lend the nedes their own identity, away from Atmora, the Nords and proto-humans. I think it is slightly supported by events in ESO, where the player actually meets several nedes, who are pretty much treated like a separate race.... Just saying.

And let's not forget some people still speculate if, officially, the Bretons are regarded as Aldmeri-Atmoran or Aldmeri-Nedic. http://www.imperial-library.info/content/bretons-mongrels-or-paragons, pretty much the only book that actually focuses on Breton origins in details, defines them as Ald(t)meri-Nedic (Direnni-Nedic). So I'm taking the nedes as bretonic ancestors for granted.

So, what do you guys think?? Personally, I support the "nedic as proto humans" and the "nedics as natives" theories, which I think gives the Bretons more... individualism, and separated them further from the other human races. I know all humans are related, in the end, but..... it's nice to differentiate in order to make races unique. http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/group/lore/forum/topics/human-origins-nords-vs-nedes explains in detail the three main theories about nedic origins, and the implications of these theories for the heritage of Bretons and Nords in cultural terms.

I'd love to hear your opinions!

Edit: Also, don't forget Alessia was a nedic, so the topic is quite important xD

I cringe whenever someone writes that Nedes are descended from Nords.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/kurt-kuhlmann-posts

Yup, I cringe as well my friend Good one! I forgot to include this dev post!

Edit: How do you actually pronounces "nede"? I pronounce it as, literally, "nede", while others say "nidi" or "nedi", like you would pronounce the word "need".

To me, the ancient Nedes are a hell of a lot more interesting as a people who are completely distinct from the Atmorans/Nords.

Agreed, and ESO does a good job in trying to make them more unique, including the worship of constellations, especially the Warrior, Mage and Thief.

Nedes being the true natives to Tamriel is a lot more interesting for me to believe in than "they are Atmoran too".

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride. (scroll down to "Out of Atmora (07/10/08)")

I'm partial to the belief that neither men nor mer are indigenous to Tamriel. I think they are the two main sets of game pieces brought to the Arena of Tamriel from outside. I think it gives the concept of Tamrielic history being a grand cosmic game more poignancy and makes the actions of 'divine movers' a little more substantial.

I like the idea of all non-Yokudan humans being immigrants from Atmora. Coming to Tamriel in separate waves spanning several centuries. I think the longer they were on Tamriel the more their anatomy adapted to the climate. Losing height, bronzing skin etc. I don't think this means (or justifies the belief) that Nords are more pure than the Nedes, I think it just means they were the last group to arrive at the party.

I think Nedes and Nords both being of Atmoran descent makes the Redguards feel more special and acts as a nice frame to the uniquely Anuic nature of Redguard theology compared with other humans.

Plus, I think the Bretons, Imperials and Nords are all a lot more similar, down to a fundamental level, than any of them would like to believe (and I think they have cross-pollinated more than they (or game mechanics) let on) and their all being Atmoran might go towards explaining that.

I go with "need".

Well, I regard the term "atmoran" to hold the same weight as what we would call "european" in real life. People living on the same continent, with some groups having common ancestry, but that's as far as I would go. I don't think the nedes suddenly became short and slightly darker. I just think that, if we support the idea of migration from Atmora, the nedes were just an ethnic group with its own distinct appearance and culture compared to their nordic cousins. Similarly, slavic and nordic people might have similarities, in that there are many blonde slavs, and both peoples are caucasian, but that's as far as I would go really, when discussing this perspective. But yes, the Bretons, Nords and Imperials definitely have a lot in common, although you could say that Redguards and Nords are more similar than Nords and Bretons for example (attitude towards magic, social order, attitude towards "being human" etc). But yes, on a fundamental level, metaphysical level all the humans are descended from the wandering elhnofey. But still, it is important to note ancestry and to understand how history can shape the sense of identity of a race - "Are we nords with elven blood, or are we just human?". The answer to questions like this can lead to the nords saying "well you guys owe us a lot, and we are practically the same race"