Hey everyone, having never played a Elder Scrolls game before, I'm wondering where to start. Seeing as the universe is as detailed as it is, it is quite easy to feel lost here. Where would you recommended I start to get more knowledge of lore?

Reading the Pinned Threads, How to become a Lore Buff, and the Frequently Asked Questions

EDIT, Reading the in Game Books while playing Morrowind is how I became interested in and began learning the Lore. I did not have reliable internet access until 2009.

It's difficult to say. As you point out, there is just so much there that it can be a little off-putting to attempt to make the dive into learning more about the lore. Plus, because the lore is so vast and esoteric, I imagine very few people know everything there is to know about everything. I get the impression that a lot of people (like myself) specialise in parts of the lore that particularly interests them and maybe don't know as much about other areas.

I'd say the best thing to do is use http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page and start just searching and reading about anything in particular that grabs you. Any specific race or god that you are curious about? Just search for them on there and there is lots of information to tap into.

Otherwise, if you are trying to get a general picture of the Elder Scrolls universe, I would say it is best to start with 'surface-level' stuff and then start to dig deeper once you feel you understand the world at face value. I would start with a basic idea of the different races of Tamriel and the names of their provinces, then perhaps look at the Nine Divines (as many of the gods in that pantheon are revered in cultural-specific pantheons as well), then perhaps learn the history of the Third Empire founded by Talos (as most games take place in the time of the Third Empire), then learn about current events and wartime tensions in the Fourth Era in which TESV:Skyrim takes place.

You could try the Pocket Guides to the Empire; there's a http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-and-its-environs-first-edition and a http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-and-its-environs-third-edition. They're written from an in-universe perspective, so they're full of bias and not entirely accurate, but they give you a good foundation of the different races and provinces.

I'd also suggest just reading the in-game books. Not only are they good resources for lore information, they're just good fiction in general.

I started by reading books in Morrowind, I would spend hours reading books in the library in Vivec city. Also I specialized in a specific culture, in my case Dunmeri culture. Since you started with Skyrim I suggest visiting the Arcaneum at the College of Winterhold, and learning about Nord culture especially their past.

Also BOX MAAAN suggested reading the first and third editions of the Pocket Guide to the Empire is a good start. But be warned it is filled with Imperial propaganda.

Keeping up with the http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/category/loremasters-archive series is a good practice.

My advice is to focus on what you're interested in. Don't feel like you need to know everything at once - just delve into what you find interesting, and it will lead you elsewhere.

Start off by reading some general texts about the universe (I'd second Box Maaan's the http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-and-its-environs-first-edition http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-and-its-environs-third-editionto the Empire here, or a http://www.imperial-library.info/content/daggerfall-brief-history-empire for a historical perspective). Then pick some of the areas that you find interesting and head to the http://www.imperial-library.info/ and do a search for those topics. The Library has every in-game book, and just read and get lost. As you read about one thing, other stuff will sound interesting. Read about that, and follow the trail of breadcrumbs that your curiosity creates.

Start with what interests you most. If it's the history, look into that. If it's the indigenous life, research that. For me, I love the cosmology - the whole Mundus, Oblivion, etc. That's where I begun IIRC.

I got into TES with Morrowind but my interest didn't pique until Oblivion. I didn't even realize until then about the different planes of existence.