Bethesda Softworks andThe Elder Scrollsfranchise changed the game when it comes to fantasy RPGs. After all,The Elder Scrollsshowed players that their characters could play an extremely crucial role in the lives of the many people they meet. And thanks to the lore throughout the series, any newcomer toThe Elder Scrollscan find themselves immediately immersed in the various cultures and conflicts of Tamriel’s regions.
RELATED:The Lore Behind the Elder Scrolls Explained
Unfortunately, eagle-eyed lore fans may also find inconsistencies in the series' lore that can affect their overall appreciation ofThe Elder Scrolls. Granted, retcons and corrections are expected with lore for the franchise spanning four massive games and an ongoing MMO,The Elder Scrolls Online. However, specific inconsistencies in the lore may turn out to break immersion.
10The Settling Of House Redoran
Players who take their time touring Valenwood inESOwill likely end up in Elden Root and meet Hlethena Vando,the Dark Elfgatherer of House Hlaalu. She has simple lines of dialogue when spoken to, mostly about her origins from Morrowind. However, players might want to try eavesdropping on her comments on the large tree.
Most notable of these comments was her comparison of the tree with Emperor Crab Skar. Just as people live in Elden Root, she said that the Redorans in Ald’ruhn also live in a massive crab shell. Eagle-eyed lore fans might notice that this statement is wrong, as House Redoran has yet to settle in Ald’ruhn duringESO’s timeframe.
9The Ambiguity Of Red Bramman
Despite being set in a medieval fantasy world, Tamriel has its fair share of pirates. Courtesy ofOblivionand theLegendscard game, it appears someone called Red Bramman gained infamy in the seas. Unfortunately for him, his many exploitsattracted the attention of the Imperial Navyand his capture led to his eventual execution.
InLegends, the Red Bramman card depicts the pirate as an Argonian in red skin. This representation contradicts his original description in previous sources, which declared him as human. In thePocket Guide to the Empiresourcebook, Bramman served as one of the Argonians’ first interactions with humans.
8The Underwhelming Volkihar Vampires
When players got to read the “Immortal Blood” book inOblivion,Skyrim, andESO, they would soon realize that this elaborateda lot of things regarding Vampires. Aside from imparting knowledge on how to fight these supernatural creatures, the book did share knowledge on other kinds of Vampires. In particular, it depicted Volkihar Vampires with other abilities. These include freezing breaths, passing through ice, and even living under frozen lakes.
However, as players would see through Lord Harkon and his court in Volkihar Keep, none of them possessed these abilities. Granted, being a book, “Immortal Blood” may have some hint of fiction. Moreover, Vampires in Tamriel do have inconsistent stories. Regardless, the lack of these special abilities does dull someone’s impressions of the Volkihar.
7The Time Period Of Pelagiad
Players who took their time to tourMorrowind’s Vvardenfell will likely visit Pelagiad, a small town in the Ascadian Isles. According to in-game dialogue, the Imperial Legion built Fort Pelagiad on 3E 414 and tasked House Hlaalu to guard its nearby roads to Balmora, Vivec, and Seyda Neen. Soon, farms and shops built around the area transformed the Fort into a settlement known today.
RELATED:The Elder Scrolls: Weirdest Things About Werewolves, Ranked
However, players who finishedthe Mages Guildquestline inESOwill get to see the “Military Orders and Reports” collection, which contained “Letter to Rana.” In here, General Vayne Redoran of Vivec Garrison will relieve Captain Rana of her duties commanding “Pelagiad Garrison.” This is inconsistent with the timeline, asESOis set in the Second Era, meaning Pelagiad hasn’t been established yet. Lawrence Schick, the formerESOlead writer, also confirmed this error.
6The Changing Landscape Of Cyrodiil
Back in the days ofArenaandDaggerfall, Cyrodiil of the late Second Era was described as an endless jungle. By the timeOblivion wasreleased, players saw Cyrodiil as land with rather calm forests and plains. Mankar Camoran ofthe Mythic Dawnattributed this to Tiber Septim, who may have used the mystical CHIM to transform Cyrodiil’s climate. In the lore, CHIM is akin to a “state of being” that can alter reality.
Interestingly enough,ESOstill depicts Cyrodiil in the same way as it appears inOblivion. This difference is substantial, givenESOoccurs around 300 years before Tiber Septim’s birth.
5The Moral Crisis Of The Crusader’s Relics
Backin the “Knights of the Nine” contentofOblivion, the Crusader’s Relics served as the pristine armor worn by the Divine Crusader, Pelinal Whitestrake, in his battle to banish Umaril the Unfeathered. Players ofSkyrimwill see the return of the Crusader’s Relics in the “Divine Crusader” content set, alongside a new quest.
In it, players are tasked to retrieve the original Crusader’s Relics alongside a weaker Reforged variant. Moreover, players have to fight two bandits wearing both sets in order to retrieve them. This appearance serves as a huge contradiction to the nature of the Relics, as “Knights of the Nine” specified that only someone of upstanding morals can wear the Crusader’s Relics.
4The Case Of Keening And Wraithguard
Players will fondly remember Keening and Wraithguard fromMorrowind, as these items appear essential to the main quest. These served as two of three tools createdby the Dwemerto properly harness the destructive energies of the Heart of Lorkhan. At its core, players need to wear Wraithguard to safely wield Keening, as wielding the latter without it damages players randomly every second.
RELATED:The Elder Scrolls: Surprising Things To Know About Vampires
However, such enchantments disappear entirely inSkyrim. When the Dragonborn wields Keening without Wraithguard, Gane was even dumbfounded that the former didn’t die instantly. Some might see this as downplaying a powerful weapon back inMorrowind. Meanwhile, others might say the span of time betweenMorrowindandSkyrimmay have weakened Keening’s enchantments.
3The Original Khajiit Looked Close To Humans
Of all Tamriel’s races that went through design changes, it’s the Khajiit that had the lore modified to suit their evolution (and answer this inconsistency). For instance,Arenadepicts and describes the Khajiit with the appearance of the common man, albeit with a preference for face paint to denote their legendary ties with felines. InDaggerfall, these remain the same but with more prevalent fur and tail.
It’s inMorrowindthat players both see the more modern depiction of the Khajiit. More importantly,lore in subsequent gamesexplained that Khajiit actually have 17 variations or furstocks. Apparently, the Khajiit inArenaare the man-like Ohmes, whileDaggerfall’s is the furried and tailed Ohmes-raht. Other games likeESOgave players options to choose other Khajiit furtstocks.
2The Forgotten Hero Story Should Not Have Happened
Fans ofOblivionwho went straight into theLegendscard game in 2017 might scratch their heads with “The Forgotten Hero” story. This tale, which acts as the game’s tutorial story, takes place in the Great War after the Oblivion Crisis. In it, the Thalmor of the Third Aldmeri Dominion waged war with the Third Empire. While the eponymous Forgotten Hero led the Empire to victory, the Oblivion Crisis made sure the crux of the Thalmor invasion shouldn’t have happened.
At its core, Lord Naarfin, a Daedra worshipper, led an invasion of Daedrainto the Imperial Cityto fulfill a prophecy called The Culling. However, Naarfin shouldn’t have been able to summon them. After all, the ending ofOblivionensured that the Liminal Barriers, or the barriers that separate worlds, won’t allow large-scale summonings of Daedra.
1The Soulburst, Oblivion Crisis May Not Have Occurred
As fans may remember, Akatosh and the Cyrodillic Empire had a covenant through Saint Alessia. Each Dragonborn Emperor had to use the Amulet to light the Dragonfires in their coronation, as these served as barriers between Oblivion and Nirn, or the planet. It’s the darkening of these Dragonfires that left Nirnopen to Oblivionand the threat of the Daedra. This happened through the Soulburst (courtesy of Mannimarco, servant of Molag Bal) and later again in the Oblivion Crisis (through Mankar Camoran, servant of Mehrunes Dagon).
However, Dragonfires aren’t the only ones supposedly protecting Nirn from instability. Since the Dawn Era, Nirn became home of the Towers, which is a set of eight towers that ensured stability in Mundus, or the universe. Granted, the Towers may not have been built to protect Nirn from extradimensional threats. However, the Towers not being able to protect Nirn from threats outside Mundus seemed contradictory to its goal of keeping Mundus stable.
MORE:The Elder Scrolls: Dark Brotherhood & Other Best Guilds Across The Games
