[Carlos Vazquez]

Surely a couple accompanied the Nerevarine to Akavir. Really, though I'd expect there would be lots of folks with stories about how they came to be elsewhere at the time of the tragedy. And others would have stories about folks who traveled to Vvardenfell at the wrong time.

There's an opportunity here for Bethesda, as well as Keyes. You could write a novel's worth of material on who survived and by what chance; it would make the "Warp in the West" look like a piker. We've already heard that many Dunmer survivors fled to Solstheim; think of all the stories possible. Probably many sailed from Khuul.

[Meghan Terry]

Just got the book.

It's...confusing. It's clear you would have had to play at least Oblivion to understand what the hell's going on. I'm having trouble keeping up with the characters and they mention stuff like "I wish I was in the empire" and "In what used to be Morrowind". Had I not been reading this, I would have had absolutely no idea what happened to Morrowind and the Empire. Where's the year? As far as I know, its set almost immediatly after the Oblivion crisis give or take a decade or two.

Still going to read it and hope to make sense as to what's going on.

But let me get this straight:

1) This is set in Lilmoth, a city in the far southeastern corner of the Argonian homeland of Blackmarsh.

2) Morrowind has been Krakatoa'd by a volcanic eruption of apocolyptic poportions in Vvardenfell.

3) There's a really, really, really bad floating city slowly making its way to Lilmoth.

4) It's set 40 years after Oblivion.

5) Somehow, Blackmarsh is no longer part of the Empire. Can someone explain to me why? Is there anything else not part of the empire anymore?

Anything else to help me make sense of this?

[*Chloe*]

Just got the book.

It's...confusing. It's clear you would have had to play at least Oblivion to understand what the hell's going on. I'm having trouble keeping up with the characters and they mention stuff like "I wish I was in the empire" and "In what used to be Morrowind". Had I not been reading this, I would have had absolutely no idea what happened to Morrowind and the Empire. Where's the year? As far as I know, its set almost immediatly after the Oblivion crisis give or take a decade or two.

Still going to read it and hope to make sense as to what's going on.

But let me get this straight:

1) This is set in Lilmoth, a city in the far southeastern corner of the Argonian homeland of Blackmarsh.

2) Morrowind has been Krakatoa'd by a volcanic eruption of apocolyptic poportions in Vvardenfell.

3) There's a really, really, really bad floating city slowly making its way to Lilmoth.

4) It's set 40 years after Oblivion.

5) Somehow, Blackmarsh is no longer part of the Empire. Can someone explain to me why? Is there anything else not part of the empire anymore?

Anything else to help me make sense of this?

I'm not sure how far you're in the book, but pretty much all those questions are answered in it, so maybe you should try enjoy reading it and find out all of those things the way author reveals them. Oblivion left us with ambiguity about the future, so I think it's normal that various references to various events that are dropped by characters were supposed to give you the feeling that things are not the way they were.

[Sandeep Khatkar]

5) Somehow, Blackmarsh is no longer part of the Empire. Can someone explain to me why? Is there anything else not part of the empire anymore?
Anything else to help me make sense of this?

Good question. The An'Xileel, which is the dominant faction in Black Marsh, took all credit for eradicating the forces of Oblivion from Argonia. Shortly after, it was decided that Black Marsh could do just as well, if not better, without being under control of the Empire. So the An'Xileel broke away from the Empire, and later conquered Morrowind.

Summerset Isle also broke away from the Empire and conquered Valenwood. Elsweyr seems to be an independent patchwork of nomadic tribes, and nothing was ever said about High Rock, Hammerfell or Skyrim.

Please correct any of this if I was wrong about anything (it's been a long time since I've read the book).

My biggest problem with the book is that it seemed like Keyes was not very concerned with tying up loose ends around Tamriel after the Oblivion Crisis. Things like Black Marsh and Summerset Isle were mentioned in passing, and I think it would have helped to explore those in more detail.

[Emily Shackleton]

I wonder if the unique wildlife and plants of Vvardenfell are completely gone. I hope we eventually hear (maybe in a TES V in-game book) whether the extinctions on Vvardenfell were total.

I choose to believe that during the Oblivion Crisis, Hircine opened a portal and snuck in while everyone was busy fighting the Daedra, and collected a breeding population of all the animals for his hunting grounds.

There's no evidence for this but hey...it's plausible right?

[Chris Johnston]

Good question. The An'Xileel, which is the dominant faction in Black Marsh, took all credit for eradicating the forces of Oblivion from Argonia. Shortly after, it was decided that Black Marsh could do just as well, if not better, without being under control of the Empire. So the An'Xileel broke away from the Empire, and later conquered Morrowind.

Summerset Isle also broke away from the Empire and conquered Valenwood. Elsweyr seems to be an independent patchwork of nomadic tribes, and nothing was ever said about High Rock, Hammerfell or Skyrim.

Skyrim is apparently more independent than before and considered a dangerous posting for the agents of the Penitus Oculatus (the Blades' successor). If I remember right, the agent Colin or someone he's talking with mentions Skyrim in this way.

The An'Xileel reminded me of the Khmer Rouge in their murderous quest for nationalistic purity; in "The Infernal City", they go so far as to work with elements of the Hist trees (whether they're rogue trees or the majority of the Hist isn't pinned down) to bring in the city of Umbriel to deliberately kill all non-Argonians as well as everyone deemed to be still part of the Empire. I don't remember if the An'Xileel survive the soul harvesting that accompanied Umbriel.

[brandon frier]

Just got the book.

It's...confusing. It's clear you would have had to play at least Oblivion to understand what the hell's going on. I'm having trouble keeping up with the characters and they mention stuff like "I wish I was in the empire" and "In what used to be Morrowind". Had I not been reading this, I would have had absolutely no idea what happened to Morrowind and the Empire. Where's the year? As far as I know, its set almost immediatly after the Oblivion crisis give or take a decade or two.

Still going to read it and hope to make sense as to what's going on.

But let me get this straight:

1) This is set in Lilmoth, a city in the far southeastern corner of the Argonian homeland of Blackmarsh.

2) Morrowind has been Krakatoa'd by a volcanic eruption of apocolyptic poportions in Vvardenfell.

3) There's a really, really, really bad floating city slowly making its way to Lilmoth.

4) It's set 40 years after Oblivion.

5) Somehow, Blackmarsh is no longer part of the Empire. Can someone explain to me why? Is there anything else not part of the empire anymore?

Anything else to help me make sense of this?

Please take my word for it: the best way to read this book is with a laptop next to you with access to the elderscrolls lore resources online (Imperial library, tes wiki) and a map of Tamriel open. Read up on the lore and consult those resources when you happen upon a placename or person's name that isn't familiar.

This really helped me enjoy the book.

[Tiff Clark]

All right. I'll do that when I re-read the book.

EDIT: Okay, I'm using MS Paint to map out everything that's happened. (ie eruption of Red Mountain, the provinces seperating.) Anyone know about the "three empires" and what they consist of?

[Ria dell]

Repost from the Storyboard:

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3318/morrowind4e.jpg

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/6225/morrowind4eterrain.jpg

Based on info in the book as well as Morrowind topography.

Nicely done. I've suspected it for a while, but it's good to see that there is indeed a high probability of the Port Telvannis area having avoided most or all of the disasters that occurred during or prior to The Infernal City.

[Sophh]

Nicely done. I've suspected it for a while, but it's nice to see that there is indeed a high probability of the Port Telvannis area having avoided most or all of the disasters that occurred during or prior to The Infernal City.

Except that I wonder if there were tsunamis, either when the moon fell or when Red Mountain cooked off. I imagine there was massive loss of life along the coasts if there were tsunamis. I hope there will be a sequel to "The Infernal City" and that we learn more of the scope of the destruction; a big question for me is how much of mainland Morrowind survived.

[Benji]

I don't know a whole lot about tsunamis and the like*, but would seismic activity and whatnot from the impact and the eruption really cause any tsunamis - or similar natural disasters - in the Sea of Ghosts? I mean, it would almost definitely stir up some trouble in the Inner Sea, but I can't see that having a major impact on the Telvanni Isles. *shrugs*

The Telvanni Isles aren't part of the mainland, but I agree; I would like to know how much of mainland Morrowind survived.


*Which is to say; I know next to nothing about them.

[Javaun Thompson]

All right. I'll do that when I re-read the book.

EDIT: Okay, I'm using MS Paint to map out everything that's happened. (ie eruption of Red Mountain, the provinces seperating.) Anyone know about the "three empires" and what they consist of?

Well, from West to East, you have the Thalmor, who have Summerset Isle and Valenwood at least. Then you have the Cyrodiilic Empire (usually just called 'The Empire") and in the East is the An-Xileel, who have Black Marsh and Morrowind. Not sure where Hammerfell, High Rock, Orsinium and Skyrim stand on it.

[Frank Firefly]

There was a reference to tsunamis in Summurset isle. While it doesn't specifically say it was because of the eruption/collision, I'd say its safe to assume that it is. It probably caused significant damage in the inner sea region, the Telvanni isles, and Soltheim, but its since we don't know Tamriel's size we can't really gouge its impact elsewhere.

[ruCkii]

There was a reference to tsunamis in Summurset isle. While it doesn't specifically say it was because of the eruption/collision, I'd say its safe to assume that it is. It probably caused significant damage in the inner sea region, the Telvanni isles, and Soltheim, but its since we don't know Tamriel's size we can't really gouge its impact elsewhere.

I wonder how Solstheim became a refuge for the Dunmer survivors, given how different its climate is from their homeland. I would have expected them to flee to Hammerfell instead, among other provinces. But maybe there are still memories of past conflicts with the Redguards.

[Floor Punch]

I wonder how Solstheim became a refuge for the Dunmer survivors, given how different its climate is from their homeland. I would have expected them to flee to Hammerfell instead, among other provinces. But maybe there are still memories of past conflicts with the Redguards.

I assume the majority is diasporic, like pre-Orsinium Orcs. The thing on Solstheim is probably the "settled," who consider themselves the "true" Dunmer culture, and there'll probably be some sort of conflict between the settled and diasporic Dunmer later on.

[Wayne Cole]

Hammerfell is halfway across the world, while Soltheim and Skyrim are right next door. We also don't know the geological effects of the eruption - everything could have gotten quite a bit warmer.

Two more maps:

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6016/tamriel4e01.jpg. Stripy areas are disputed or under loose control. White areas are those about which we have no information.

The same, but with http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7119/tamriel4e02.jpg identified in the Infernal City. Unknown areas have been cropped.

Both are based on the Oblivion map, Arthmodeus' map of Tamriel, and the info in the novel. Both Photoshop CS5, in case anyone is wondering.

[Carlitos Avila]

Hammerfell is halfway across the world, while Soltheim and Skyrim are right next door. We also don't know the geological effects of the eruption - everything could have gotten quite a bit warmer.

Two more maps:

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6016/tamriel4e01.jpg. Stripy areas are disputed or under loose control. White areas are those about which we have no information.

The same, but with http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7119/tamriel4e02.jpg identified in the Infernal City. Unknown areas have been cropped.

Both are based on the Oblivion map, Arthmodeus' map of Tamriel, and the info in the novel. Both Photoshop CS5, in case anyone is wondering.

Interesting. Thanks for the maps too.

[Claire Jackson]

The 4E40 political map kind of reminds me of http://yueying.net/dw/_imgs/maps/threekingdoms.png

Of course, Skyrim won't stay quiet forever, so I doubt such similarities will remain.

[Pixie]

I just got the Infernal City novel for my birthday today, and so far i like it

But i would never recommend it to anyone who has never played an Elder Scrolls game.

[Stefanny Cardona]

Hammerfell is halfway across the world, while Soltheim and Skyrim are right next door. We also don't know the geological effects of the eruption - everything could have gotten quite a bit warmer.

Two more maps:

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6016/tamriel4e01.jpg. Stripy areas are disputed or under loose control. White areas are those about which we have no information.

The same, but with http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7119/tamriel4e02.jpg identified in the Infernal City. Unknown areas have been cropped.

Both are based on the Oblivion map, Arthmodeus' map of Tamriel, and the info in the novel. Both Photoshop CS5, in case anyone is wondering.

Awesome! Good work. I've tried to make a map similar to that, but without fancy photo editing programs on my computer, it ended up being too hard.

@Xeth-Ban I agree. The Cyrodiil Empire always reminded me of China in terms of its history. An Empire under one Dynasty rises up, controls everything, stagnates, collapses, and another Dynasty forms an Empire.

[Lily Evans]

"Domains under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide."

[IsAiah AkA figgy]

The An'Xileel reminded me of the Khmer Rouge in their murderous quest for nationalistic purity; in "The Infernal City", they go so far as to work with elements of the Hist trees (whether they're rogue trees or the majority of the Hist isn't pinned down) to bring in the city of Umbriel to deliberately kill all non-Argonians as well as everyone deemed to be still part of the Empire. I don't remember if the An'Xileel survive the soul harvesting that accompanied Umbriel

Yes I agree they really do give off the same vibe as the Khmer Rouge. They do surivive as when Umbriel comes they take those they view as "pure" Argonains into the jungle and leave the rest of the city to perish. Very reminisent of the Khmer Rouge. I hope they still hold power when the next game starts always good to have some crazy new lore.

I also hope we get the Aldmeri Dominion conquering all Tamriel instead of a new empire just for something different.

[Danel]

If the Aldmeri Dominion takes over, expect a brutal regime that will be unfriendly to anyone, save for the altmer and most likely bosmer.

[patricia kris]

If the Aldmeri Dominion takes over, expect a brutal regime that will be unfriendly to anyone, save for the altmer and most likely bosmer.

The Aldmeri Dominion will never conquer Tamerial simply because Man has the numeric advantage over Mer. Sure in terms of the level of magic the Mer will dominate Man, but if you have mages enchant armor with reflect spells the Mer's spell power will be more of a curse then a blessing. Cyrodil may fall, but if it did Skyrim, Hammerfall, and High Rock will surely come to Cyrodil's rescue if just to have a buffer between the nations.

[Daniel Holgate]

I dunno from the way he was wording everything it looks to me as tho they got this project nearly finished, they just doing some polishing of it now, and the gonna hit us with a release date for after the holidays, so they dont have to compete with the other companies holiday releases, (great sales Idea actually), bethesda has always waited till the last minute comparatively, (to other company's) to release info on their games, and it works for them, but making us wait longer then another yr ?............... just dont see it ,its been 5 yrs for christ sake and by all the hints we can divine they been working on it for over 3 yrs for sure, (speculative).