What Was the Purpose of Dwemer Ruins? : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Mon May 07, 2012 8:52 pm

No worries. My point was this: Apart from the lumber mill, there has been no adjustments to the pre-existing city since the Dwemer disappeared. The Nords, and the other groups of people that have used the city seems to have just decided to roll with the fact that there are around 20 (in game) accommodations to use. That does not make the city a believable representation of an actual living town. I'd have liked it much more if the areas around the city wall had a few huts in Nord style built around them, or if there were obvious modifications made to the layout, like new rooms or balconies added in a differing architectural style. Then again, that precise complaint can be made about the Imperial City in Oblivion as well.

I always thought that the Imperial City had strict zoning laws about how new buildings had to look like the old.

» Mon May 07, 2012 6:34 pm

Was anyone else taken aback with the revelation of the Falmer being enslaved by the Dwemer. Not that I though the Dwemer were all sparkles and sunshine, but were they so obsessed with logic and efficiency, that they took advantage of the plight of refugees and manipulated them into enslavement? It seems a bit out of character for them. Are there any pre-Skyrim sources that allude to the Dwemer keeping slaves? Again I wouldn't be surprised if it was common based on the fact that slavery was common practice throughout Morrowind.

I don't think that after the Falmer lost Skyrim to the Nords the Dwemer starting cackling manically. Maybe they thought that having the Falmer around to do some work for them was pretty interesting instead of lifeless robots. I think that the Falmer and the Dwemer got along for a while due to the existence of the Snow elf statue in Irkingthad - it looked some sort of temple to me. But that's the problem - the Snow Elves were used to magicka and their temples to (whoever they worshipped). The Dwemer preferred technology and logic. They realized that while they have a personality, the Falmer are less effective at working than robots, due to the fact that have bodies of flesh and they have to eat and sleep - looking at dwemer ruins, I don't see much in terms of normal food and healthcare. They probably mutated the Falmer as they thought it was more humane to slaughtering them after they had already been not long before.

» Mon May 07, 2012 5:44 pm

I thought the Dwenmer ruins on Vvardenfell were more forts left over from the war than actual habitats for Dwenmer.

» Mon May 07, 2012 3:09 pm

Maybe the actual cities (living quarters and such) on Vvardenfell are buried deeper than what we can access in Morrowind.

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:58 am

Has anyone noticed the dwemer don't have tombs.

» Mon May 07, 2012 4:43 pm

Has anyone noticed the dwemer don't have tombs.

Maybe they burnt their dead.
Maybe their bodies dissappeared with them.

A lot of possibilities.

» Mon May 07, 2012 7:09 pm

After reading a book about how even the almighty altmer were fooled, I have to agree with you. I still wonder why they didn't seek dominance over Tamriel against the Imperials. Perhaps they believe they already control the world.

Simple

A: they where too smart to want such mundane matters
B: the same reason we don't try to take over the world from mosquitoes or rodents

Personaly I disagree with the idea of the dwemer as all powerful, They where smart yes but if they where truly above all the others why did they have to wage war against them? Why not just smite them like we would do to a modern day cave man. They where very powerful and more technologically advanced. but apparently not so much that they would be in no danger trying to take over Tamriel.

the truly puzzling thing for me is that despite having such power and being in wars they did not use it. The only logical explanation is for the same reason we do not use atom bombs anymore. The cost is not worth it. Maybe in the end they disappeared because they decided to risk it.

Tamreil seems to have a technological stasis. I think its because the greatest minds have something else to focus their minds on (Magic) The dwarves where the exception to that and apparently the universe did not like it

» Mon May 07, 2012 2:46 pm

^The dwarves did focus their minds on magicka.

Spoiler

The heart of Lokhran, the magical cubes found in ruins in Skyrim, and they even kept an elder scroll hidden for so many years.

They just kept vital properties much deeper underground.
The books describing their treachery against the gods were written by the chimer, dunmer, or those loyal to the tribunal. If you ask me, the tribunal is corrupt and the dunmer cannot be trusted. I'm not sure if all of Tamriel thought of the dwemer as blasphemers during their existence. Surly the bretons of high rock appreciated their trade.