Because it wasn't just a one-time-use thing. The Numidium was meant to be used by others as well, a mold for divinity - skin is what fits on the mold, shaping the mass into the image of god...

Dead beforehand.

I think they're based on Americans, because we're godless, and we really love technology, historical revisionism, and music.

I think the confusion is simply coz Beth had to come up with something that would not look like they were leaning too much on traditional D&D Dwarves (same as for Orcs). So in the TES Lore, all these are 'mer' which I think is another means of saying 'elf-related' or with a common ancestor to elves (i'm not big on TES Lore, contrary to most). Maybe for some reason they can't just say "the Dwemer were a race of shorties, who had in their stats greater Constitution Endurace and reduced Charisma Personality, they also had a +2 Poison resist , a +1 attack rolls against Orcs and were awesome craftsmen, etc..."

they messed with a god's power, and it touched them all over time. when the Chimer assaulted Red Mountain and used the tools in the Heart it destroyed the link between the Heart and all the Dwemer, redirecting it to Vivec, Sotha Sil, Almalexia, and Dagoth Ur. Why didnt they die when the Nerevarine destroyed the Heart? Who knows, but the likely answer is in how they used the power. Dwemer had some pretty serious enhancements going, as hinted at in the Metaphysical books, and it destroyed them instead of just robbing them of power.

Really this is all conjecture based on lore.. its very likely we won't see anything at all on the Dwemer.. maybe a few ruins in the East, but don't hold your breath.

yep don't mess with a gods power if you don't want to be touched all over

The Skin theory is the one that I'm going with.

Instead of just disappearing, they literally undid their creation and existence, and the matter that they were/was/will be was turned into part of Numidium, probably as some kind of way of divine "DUNFCKWITME-ism". It's the one that makes the most sense to me, considering the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. Maybe part of the Is/Was/Will Be that the Dwemer were was infused into the heart, as well - so that tapping into the heart was literally adding the lifespan of a no longer present peoples to yourself.

I like it because it kinda fits with reality - matter can't be destroyed, only changed. Instead of just vanishing their divine creation's energy was made into something else.

My Brief Guide to the Dwemer

1-Who were they?
2-Where did they go, and why?
3-Relation to Skyrim


[1 - Who were they?]
The Dwemer were the Elder Scrolls version of dwarves. Their name consists of two words: Dwe and mer. Dwe = Deep, Mer = Elf. Therefore the Dwener were deep elves/dwarves. They were an advanced society that created vast machines and weapons. Their Kingdoms ranged from Hammerfell, to Morrowind. They were at war with the Chimer (earlier version of Dark Elves). But Lord Nerevar of the Chimer made peace with Dumac the Dwarfking. However, Nerevar's most loyal friend and ally (Dagoth Ur) told him that the Dwarves were making weapons against the Chimer. Dumac was insulted at this and another war broke out.

[2 - Where did they go, and why?]
At Red Mountain, Nerevar and Dagoth Ur battled with Dumac and the Dwarven scientist, Kagrenac. They were indeed making weapons. Nerevar was wounded and Dumac killed. Robbed of his leader, Kagrenac used his mythical tools on the legendary Heart of Lorkhan (Lorkhan was a Daedric Prince). The Dwemer then turned to ash. Kagrenac either destroyed all of his own race, or sent them from Tamriel, onto a new world. Kagrenac's Tools were left behind and Dagoth Ur wanted them destroyed. Nerevar wanted to ask his advisers (Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil) what should be done. Dagoth Ur stayed guarding the tools and heart. The advisers told Nerevar that the tools must be kept in the case that the Dwemer return to attack the Chimer. So Nerevar returned with his advisers, but Dagoth Ur would not give up the tools. He was both corrupted by the heart and believed that the tools should be destroyed. He was defeated and retreated deep into the mountains. Nerevar, dieing from his battle with Dumac and Dagoth Ur, told his advisers never to use the tools. They all swore an oath and Nerevar died. The advisers realised that the people would be lost without leaders and they believed they could make a new world. They took the tools and used them on the heart, giving themselves divinity and becoming the Almsivi, gods of Morrowind. Azura then cursed them and all Chimer and they became the Dunmer. Dagoth Ur also gained divinity though. And he took two of Kagrenac's Tools for his own, hiding them away until the time was right...
That's probably too much info but you get the idea.

[3 - Relation to Skyrim]
As mentioned above, the Dwemer Kingdom streached across northern Tamriel. This includes; Hammerfell, High Rock, Morrowind and Skyrim. Skyrim was part of the Dwemer Kingdom and thus Dwemer Ruins should make a return.

Woah! I got all of that from my memory, I am officially a Lore-Freak!

Maybe they'll play a role in Skyrim.

In fantasy, Dwarves and Dragons go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly because of some guy named Tolkien. Dwarves are kind of viking-ish. Dwarves are part of Viking mythology.

The "Dwarves" started out as your typical bearded, short, mountain-dwelling folks in Arena. Everything from Redguard on completely went against that. Only the name remains. They are normal height, inspired by the fertile crescent civilizations, posses computer technology, possess steam technology, can alter the state of the world by manipulating music, can communicate telepathically, think they are gods, built a god, became a god. They do have beards, but they got that from the giants, too. Outside of surface similarities, they are nothing like typical "dwarves."


Except that they were building a god, not weapons. You also ignore the fact that we don't (can't) really know what happened at Red Mountain - the ALMSIVI might have killed Nerevar, he might have succumbed to his wounds, he might have committed suicide by letting the ALMSIVI slay him ("Vivec said, 'I brought you here because I knew the mightiest of my issue would succumb to Muatra without argument, if only I gave him consolation first.'" - 34th Sermon).

Outside that single reference to colonies all over Tamriel in Morrowind dialog, we don't know that the Dwemer had colonies anywhere other than Morrowind (their home province and the highest concentration of their ruins) and Hammerfell (the exiled Rourken clan at Stros M'kai, Volenfell, and Fang Lair). We know that the Rourken traveled through Skyrim, and Fang Lair and the Velothi mountains (full of Dwemer ruins) might be part of Skyrim now that provincial boundaries have shifted.

As for their disappearance, word of god is that they became the "golden skin" of the Numidium. I doubt that we will get any better answers in Skyrim, since they have their own elves to worry about.

There are a couple of very profound and informed comments in Morrowind about their disappearance, made by one of the more reclusive Telvanni in a House quest (if you could get his disposition reasonably high). Whether it's true or not, their sudden physical removal from (or destruction in) the mortal plane at that time is undisputed. The remark describes their attempt at achieving godhood by "retreating behind tone and the active principle", or words to that effect. In short, they vanished, but even they may not have known "to where". The lone survivior was not present in the mortal plane when this occurred, and only the unique disease which bloated and disfigured him has allowed his survival from that time until the events in TES III. As the Nerevarine, you know why he survived. Between the effects of the disease, time, and not having been there, he doesn't know all that much about it either.

Not to mention, all elves can grow beards in TES.

The wiki says that they ruled in Hammerfell (mostly in Stros M'Kay and other islands) and areas of Morrowind and High Rock. It makes sense for them to have gone through Skyrim.
Plus, the environment suits them (mountains, etc.)

Seriously? Everyone knows what happened to the Dwemer! Read the in-game books and listen to the people! Seriously...

Well, the becoming the skin part can be argued, but WoG said they became the skin, and that hasn't made it to any in-game book.

The general idea could be pulled together from only official sources. Details however, such as skin as a specific, need the extra encouragement.

Yeah, but the element of doubt can still appear with reason.

Well then, we'll just have to crush reason with Iron!

All that is required for the Dwemer to return is a Yagrum Bagarn multiplier. I wonder if that chest in the Oblivion Arch Mage's room would do the trick...

YB is more cancer than dwemer at this point. I don't think creating a race of mostly mindless, a corprus ridden beings is a good idea.

I love how everyone gets their panties in a bunch whenever someone calls the Dwemer "Dwarves", even though they are repeatedly referred to as such in every game since Arena.

Dwemer, Deep Elves, Dwarves... it's all the same thing. Get over it.

I agree with most of this just as far as the dwarves I say just leave it alone, but I would like some more on The Snow elves the book in Bloodmoon called " The Snow Prince" (I think) was pretty awsome I'd like to know more about their war with the Nords and also more about this Snow Prince guy.

I'd like to see more of Dwarven ruins and artifacts...but I agree that unless they have something quite brilliant planned it is better to let them exist as they have thus far, which is to say as little more than a memory.

I keep my panties in a perpetual bunch to enlighten the masses.

What is Word of God?

AAAAH CRAP!!!! [censored] all. i didnt realize that piles of ash were left behind. i just remembered the part about them disappearing. piles of ash means that they no longer have corporal forms so that prevents any believable return of the dwemer. now my day is just ruined.