So if the Imperial City is all built around Ayleid ruins, and there are no Dwemer ruins anywhere in Cyrodiil, where did the Orrery come from? I assume it's explained somewhere, but where?

That's a good question. The Pocket Guide to the Empire tells us: "This mythic image has been depicted on the walls of several ruins in Hammerfell: a mass exodus of golden-clad dwarves, trudging through the Cyrodilic forests, Volendrung a falling star in the nightsky before them, urging them on." Perhaps they lingered long enough in Cyrodiil to build an Orrery there. Another explanation might be that the Orrery was built somewhere else, such as Hammerfell or Vvardenfell, and transported to Cyrodiil at a later date.

On an unrelated note, it's interesting that this passage refers to forests, not jungle.

In the DLC quest, the replacement parts came from Morrowind, so presumably the entire Orrery did so too, in pieces that were re-assembled in the IC.

I also remember reading of another one somewhere else. Does anyone remember where that was?

Edit: found the quote "The orrery here is the only one in Cyrodiil. There's one more in Hammerfell... the old one at Stros M'Kai." - Bothiel

This is what I've always assumed. The Mage's Guild ummm... Acquired this from Vvardenfell during their lengthy research into the Dwemer.


But this is interesting;
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Things can be repurposed. I'd imagine what used to be the Arena District was where the Ayleids either held slaves or held slave markets.

It makes more sense that they went through Skyrim's forests, where they had their conflict with Shalidor.

And being "urged on," they wouldn't stop to build an orrery.

The Empire owns all Dwemer artifacts in Morrowind. This is mentioned several times in dialog.

Unless they lost track of Volendrung temporarily. Maybe it got really cloudy and needed a way to see it?

Nah. I doubt it. I bet the Orrery is just a reconstruction of one based on designs from Hammerfell and using Dwemer machine parts from either there or the Morrowind. The Empire owns all Dwemer artifacts in the Morrowind and possibly in the land of the Redguards as well.

Maybe!

Still, I wouldn't mind seeing the Rourken exodus expanded upon somehow. It could make for quite the Nordic epic for Skyrim.

MK, get crackin'!

Too predictable. Too precedented. When MK posts something it's gonna be from way out in left field.

Well, an orrery wouldn't help see it.

O' ye of little faith, surely you cannot be so shortsighted.

Unassailable reason stands beside the Black Wind. For in losing sight of their western star - and being Dwemer of the Newest-Old-Ways - their Parabolic Mythematicians were compelled to construct nothing less than a full orrery for the means of rediscovering it (lest they be forced to wait the hour till the midnight cloud of Secundus cleared).

Whether this speaks more to their logic or their industry I cannot say, but who needs to see a star when you can predict where it will land.

See? This guy gets it!

Ah, the Wazir of My-Left-Handed-Rebuttal. As Mariner in Newt-Scale of Her Rivermen, I will enlighten you to the way of Path-finding by Refusing a Path, which isn't a path at all. Rourken engineered the star Volendrung, to spin upon the third axis of an absent-minded god's doubt. For, only by the light of little faith and near-sighted whimsy, could the star of westerly exodus be found. Orreries do not chart this star, because orreries cannot chart this star.

True, but only by way of retroactive amendment (which is the realm of the now-fallen-demon). Orries no longer chart this star, because this star has landed. The starry dome was left behind as any other piece of equipment which had served its purpose, in the manner of the puzzle box and the Brass Walker, as a key to be solved.

Is it ever said why the Empire imported all those Dwemer artifacts, or what they did with them?

Dwemeri artifacts are what allowed the Septim Empire to exist in the first place -- Numidium in particular -- so it makes sense that the Empire would immediately claim ownership over all such artifacts, just in case they happen to be ridiculously powerful. I imagine that while the Empire was still mostly functional, they catalogued and then passed down any new artifacts to the Imperial Battlemages, who could ascertain whether or not they had any enchantments or abilities that would make them particularly potent and therefore useful to the Emperor.

And in the case of Numidium itself: during the events of Daggerfall they sought to reassemble it and therefore re-wield the power that forged the Empire in the first place.

Probably a hold-over from the not-so-distant past (from Oblivion's standpoint) when the Blades were collecting Numidium pieces and probably looking for an alternate way to power the device should the Mantella ever die.

I guess that makes sense. Too bad we didn't see their stockpile in Oblivion. Or maybe they destroyed it after deeming it worthless.

Probably in a Library... or Rimmen somewhere.

Nerevar and Dumac were present at the coronation of one of the emperors of the Alessian Empire. It's possible that it was given as a gift or gesture of peace to the Alessians.

That's interesting (re: Nerevar being present at one of the Alessian coronations) -- guess I missed that particular reference. I'd forgotten that the timeline of Nerevar's life intersected with that of the First Empire to a significant degree.

Makes sense.

Tamriel's a funny place. According to at least one source, Pelinal was present at Alessia's deathbed. Of course according to MK, he was on one of the boats from Atmora as well.