Death Battle Predictions: Dark Souls VS Skyrim

 

“Human beings do not like being pushed about by gods. They may seem to, on the surface, but somewhere on the inside, underneath it all, they sense it, and they resent it.” 

-Neil Gaiman

The Chosen Undead, the Undead Champion from Dark Souls.

The Last Dragonborn, the Vanquisher of Dragons from Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.

They say that a hero will save us, I’m not gonna stand here and wait! I’ll hold on to the wings of the eagles, watch as we all fly away! (Wait, that's Nickelback, NEVERMIND!)

Dark Fantasy RPGs. One of the most epic genres in all of gaming. The idea is that games shouldn’t just be about going from one point to another. It’s about the excitement, the fun, the adventure. They give you your own unique role in the story, your own paths, your own journey. It’s the type of game that makes you feel like you’re a part of the whole story. What better way to bring such an epic genre of gaming into DEATH BATTLE! than with two of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time, straight from the early 2010s?

Dark Souls’ immortal tender of the Flame, Chosen Undead, and Skyrim’s draconic slayer and Thu’um master, the Last Dragonborn, go hand-to-hand in this fantastical battle of the century! Will the undead hero of Dark Souls slay this powerful dragon, or will the Dovahkiin bring the undead to their final resting place? That’s what we’re here to decide!

Before We Start…

Since both characters have such an extensive list of weapons and armor, a brief description of each weapon type will be given in each section, and a link will be placed to wiki pages listing them all, to avoid cluttering up this blog. Any important, unique, or standout equipment will get their own section and explanation as needed.

For Dark Souls, we will be using the Games, Guides, and Comics. For Elder Scrolls, we will be using the Games (including Elder Scrolls Online), Novels, and Guides. Statements by Word of God is permissible for both so long as it does not contradict the material (see before the verdicts for a breakdown regarding TES).

Additionally, we are experimenting with including a dedicated section for scaling, separated from the character’s direct feats. Depending on how it goes, this may be a permanent addition.

Huge thanks to notes available from ShivaShakti, UltimaReality, Chaostheory, and STTGL.

Background

The Chosen Undead

“Thou who art Undead, art chosen...”

Once a former human, they have been cursed by the Darksign rendering them unable to die, forced to bear immortality for all of eternity until they become nothing but a hollow. After becoming an undead, they were prisoned in the Northern Undead Asylum. Thankfully, they were rescued by a key dropped into their cell, courtesy of Oscar of Artoria. Once the Undead finally escaped, they came across Oscar fatally wounded, who informed them about the prophecy, stating that an undead shall partake in a pilgrimage to ring the Bells of Awakening. That Undead would be given a title, "The Chosen Undead".

In his final breath, Oscar gave the Chosen an Estus Flask and died with hope in his heart, trusting the Chosen Undead to take his place. After defeating the Asylum Demon, the Chosen Undead escaped the asylum and was flown to Lordran by a giant crow.

Upon arrival, the crow dropped the Chosen in Firelink Shrine. This place would serve as a base for the undead hero and act as a hub connected to other locations. Once someone was rescued or their storyline ended, they usually would reside here. After hearing the location of the Bells of Awakening from the Crestfallen Warrior, the Chosen Undead set out on their journey. After slaying Bell Gargoyles and managing to ring the bell. The Chosen Undead would then make their way deep into the infested swamps of Blighttown, where they would then defeat the Chaos Witch Quelaag and finally ring the other bell. After passing the trail to ring the two bells, the gate to Sen's fortress opened, an old proving ground built by the gods.

After the trial, Kingseeker Frampt, a primordial serpent, had another task for the Undead before they would be deemed worthy. They would have to go to the city of Anor Londo and retrieve the Lordvessel from Gwynevere (woof), Lord Gwyn's daughter. For them to complete this quest, they needed to go through Sen's fortress, traverse through the many dangerous traps, and defeat the Iron Golem. Once it was defeated, they were able to enter the forsaken city where they would face Dragonslayer Ornstein of the Four Knights of Gwyn, and Executioner Smough. The Chosen Undead triumphed over them and gained access to the chamber of Gwynevere, where they were greeted by the Princess and awarded the Lordvessel. Once Frampt saw that they had completed their quest, he declared that the prophecy was set in motion and that they were indeed the incarnation of the Chosen Undead.

After that, the Chosen Undead had two paths before them. They would either put the Lordvessel on the Firelink Altar and continue with Frampt's design, where they were destined to succeed against Lord Gwyn and continue the curse of the undead, or they would place the Lordvessel for another ancient serpent named Darkstalker Kaathe, an agent of the Darkwraiths. A path that would eradicate the old gods and bring about a new Age of Dark.

However before the Chosen Undead could access Gwyn, The Lord of Cinder, they had to satiate the Lordvessel. So they needed some beings that had powerful enough souls to do so, such as: Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, Seath the Scaleless and the Four Kings of New Londo.

After FINALLY offering all the necessary souls and likely becoming in need of therapy afterwards, the doors to the Kiln of the First Flame were opened to the Chosen Undead. Gwyn, now reduced to a Lord of Cinder, drew his final breath in his last battle with the Chosen Undead. It is there where the Chosen would make their final choice of either linking the Flame or walking away from it.

If the Chosen Undead decided to link with the First Flame, they'd offer themselves to kindle the fire. Sacrificing all the souls within themselves as they are consumed by the flames, and extending the Age of Fire as life is breathed into the First Flame once more.

However, if the Chosen Undead decides to leave the arena after killing Lord Gwyn, they are greeted by multiple primordial serpents, who bow down to their new Dark Lord. Fully rejecting the Age of Fire, the Chosen Undead would instead usher in the Age of Dark and become a monarch of all mankind.

(Just pretend Dark Souls 2 and 3 didn’t happen)

The Last Dragonborn

“In their tongue, he is Dovahkiin: Dragonborn!”

Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Ran right into that Imperial ambush. The Prisoner awakens on an imperial carriage, carrying a stormcloak soldier, a horse thief, and the treacherous Ulfric Stormcloak who shouted the high king Torygg apart. As they are all drawn into Helgen, the Prisoner realizes they are soon to meet their execution. 

Despite being absent from the execution list, they are forced to kneel down against the chopping block, but as they are about to meet their end, a gargantuan winged creature with dark skin perches upon the tower above them and begins shouting the sky into fire and chaos. The dragons have returned.

With their opportunity for escape now presenting itself, the Prisoner flees the city and travels to Whiterun to warn of the dragon attack, before fighting against a dragon in combat themselves. In slaying the winged beast, a power erupts from its corpse and engulfs the Prisoner in a strange light. The Prisoner is Dovahkiin, Dragonborn! A Dragonborn is a dragon soul incarnated in a mortal body, wielding the power to absorb a dragon’s soul to claim their knowledge and power. 

Upon learning this fact about themself, the Greybeards who aim to teach them the ways of the voice, and the Blades who wish to use them to combat the dragon menace pursue them. The Dovahkiin learns that the black dragon who had attacked Helgen was the World Eater Alduin, who had returned to devour the Kalpa and end the world. And only they had the power to thwart him. 

In search of a weapon to use against Alduin, the Dovahkiin travels to the throat of the world and displaces themself into a memory of the ancient past to learn the shout Dragonrend, a thu’um which could impose the concept of mortality upon a dragon. The ancient tongues once attempted to slay the World Eater with this shout, but failed, and were forced to banish him from time until his return during the Dovahkiin’s time. 

After an encounter with Alduin on Nirn, they defeat him and he flees to Sovngarde to devour more souls and replenish his power. The Dovahkiin pursues him into Aetherius and encounters the heroes of old who once tried and failed to defeat Alduin ages ago. With them at their command, the Dovahkiin begins their final battle against the dragon and at last destroys them. Alduin’s soul leaves his body, perhaps returning to Akatosh who he was once sundered from. 

With the Dovahkiin’s duty fulfilled, they would again be called by new quests elsewhere. They would fight against a pureblooded vampire who sought to shroud the world in eternal darkness, and the very first dragonborn who sought to escape their prison in Apocrypha and conquer Nirn. 

(The original cut)

Experience & Skill

The Chosen Undead

The Chosen Undead’s list of accomplishments are nearly as long as the list of requirements needed to link The Flame. They have matched blades with legendary knights such as the Silver and Black knights. These warriors participated in multiple campaigns against the ancient dragons. The Chosen Undead reached their peak of skill while fighting Gwyn, the king of gods of Anor Londo, defeating him in single combat.

They were able to defeat Artorias, one of the most skilled knights in existence. Artorias, being the strongest of Gwyn’s knights, slew dragons with little effort. Chosen Undead was able to defeat him in a duel before then going on to defeat the one who destroyed the great knight’s mind in the form of Manus.

In addition, the strategy the Chosen Undead utilizes is one of patience and learning. They generally recognize the motions and tactics of their enemy, and work through trial and error to determine the best way to duck and weave through all manners of attacks. Ultimately through their repeated deaths, their strategy truly was to get good.

They can be many different classes, all of which have some implied degree of training. The Warrior is a weapons expert, the Sorcerer studied at Vinheim Dragon School, and the Cleric studied for their Pilgrimage. All classes have their own set of skills, and the Chosen Undead uses these with deadly precision.

The Last Dragonborn

Ever since the escape from Helgen, the Dovahkiin has amassed a vast amount of fighting experience with all manner of foes. Whether it would be those poor and frankly stupid bandits, world leaders obsessed with the casualties of war, or many sorts of undead, like draugr, vampires, literal spirits, dragon priests, but of course, who could forget dragons themselves? 

These same dragons that have been alive for millenia, slaughtering mortals and bringing about destruction. Fire-breathing dragons, undead dragons, and even Alduin, the devourer of the world and the master of the dov himself. They even fought and defeated Miraak, the very first recorded Dragonborn in Skyrim’s history.

But of course, they couldn’t defeat the literal World Eater by just wildly swinging their fists. The Dovahkiin is a master with a blade and is proficient with a large variety of spells. They are also a guru with elixirs and poisons, and the one and only master of stealth archery. From daggers to maces to warhammers that can reduce a house to ground zero, if it’s in the Dragonborn’s hands, it’s unstoppable. Humiliating entire battalions, picking the most impossible lock, trekking the highest mountain as if it were a mere pebble, there’s nothing the Dragonborn can’t do. 

(Except land Serana. Loser.)

The Dovahkiin also ends up surpassing all of the nordic heroes of old, including the likes of Ysmir Wulfharth and the nords who were able to engage Vivec and Nerevar in combat, the former of which having been taught by Fa-Nuit-Hen and his barons who know every martial technique in recorded history and the future.

Equipment

The Chosen Undead

Daggers

Daggers are short-reach precise weapons that can stagger opponents by landing several quick, low damage blows to them. There are several types the Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Daggers

Dark Silver Tracer

A poison laced sword utilized by Ciaran, one of Gwyn’s Four Knights. When applied, it will consistently damage the victim for three minutes.

Ghost Blade

A weapon wielded by the ghosts of the flooded and sealed city of New Londo. This weapon can strike at intangible ghosts without the need for other items.

Priscilla’s Dagger

A Dagger cut from the tail of a God/Dragon Crossbreed, Priscilla, making one morally in the wrong for acquiring it. Priscilla was sealed away for the power of the Lifehunt, a life draining power that the Gods themselves feared. Within a few hits, a Bleed effect drains half the target’s health at a set amount.

Straight Swords

Straight Swords are longer and slower than daggers, with increased range and damage compared to their shorter counterparts. Here is a list of the types the Chosen Undead can wield.

Unique Straight Swords

Astora’s Straight Sword

A divinely blessed blade used by the Superior officers in the military of Astora. Thankfully not Solaire’s, and it deals both physical and magical damage, dealing more damage on undead and being able to keep skeletons and the like down for good.

Barbed Straight Sword

The sword of choice for the Humanity pilfering Darkwraith Kirk, Knight of Thorns. True to its name, this weapon is barbed and causes lacerations that deal high damage.

Drake Sword

A sword from the tail of Drake, cut off with several dozen arrows from under a bridge. Boosts magical and fire defenses when used, and capable of sending shockwave projectiles along the ground. 

Greatswords

Greatswords are far more powerful than Straight Swords, with a wide-sweeping radius and longer reach.  But being bigger, they’re even slower than before and are much heavier.  Here is a list of the Greatswords the Chosen Undead can wield.

Unique Greatswords

Abyss Greatsword

One of a few versions of the sword used by the Knight Artorias, but this one has been fully tainted by the Abyss, and its strength is boosted based on the quantity of Humanity stored by the Chosen Undead.

Black Knight Greatsword

A hefty weapon used by the Black Knights, this Greatsword deals more damage to Demons.

Cursed Greatsword of Artorias

This sword, corrupted by the covenant Artorias made with the creatures of the Abyss, is capable of harming intangible spirits without the use of additional items. 

Moonlight Greatsword

A magical blade carved from the tail of Seath the Scaleless. It is imbued with his magic, which is capable of releasing waves of arcane energy, and unmaking one’s consciousness.

Stone Greatsword

A moss covered stone slab imbued with the magic of the Stone Knights of Darkroot Garden. Carries a magical capability that casts the Tranquil Walk of Peace spell (See Below), but is not able to be blocked by Silencing. 

Obsidian Greatsword

Sundered from the body of the black dragon Kalameet, this powerful sword can cast a 360 degree torrent of black flame, dealing Physical and Magical damage and heavily staggering even the most high poise of Dark Souls foes.

Ultra Greatswords

Ultra Greatswords are even more powerful than the previous, being extremely powerful, wide and long-reaching, and can stun enemies with a single hit.  But as you can imagine, they’re also even heavier than the standard Greatsword, and can leave the Chosen wide open if they whiff a strike.  Here is a list of the Ultra Greatswords they can wield.

Unique Ultra Greatswords

Dragon Greatsword

Taken from the tail of the Stone Dragon of Ash Lake (Which he doesn’t really mind, apparently), this massive weapon is capable of firing shockwaves that travel along surfaces, and even up walls.

Curved Swords

Curved swords are fluid weapons that the Chosen Undead can use to slash and thrust at opponents at a rapid pace without sacrificing too much of their stamina. Here is a list of the curved swords the Chosen Undead can wield.

Unique Curved Swords

Jagged Ghost Blade

Another weapon the Chosen Undead has for being able to carve up specters and ghosts, while also inflicting Bleed.

Shotel

A curved hook of a sword, created by Earl Arstor of Carim. The shape allows the wielder to bypass shields and strike at their foes. 

Quelaag’s Furysword

Crafted from the soul of Quelaag, Daughter of the Witch of Izalith, and most common cause of the use of binoculars. This sword not only utilizes physical and fire damage, but scales upwards in power based on the Humanity held by the Chosen Undead.

Katanas

Katanas are very long-ranged swords useful for inflicting bleed upon enemies and doing heavy damage to the foes you can encounter in the world of Dark Souls. Here are the Katanas the Chosen Undead has wielded.

Curved Greatswords

Curved Greatswords are larger variants of the curved swords. They provide greater damage at a good attack speed and help in dealing with large groups of enemies at the cost of being heavier and easier to parry. Here is a list of all of the Curved Greatswords that the Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Curved Greatswords

Gravelord Sword

A blade used by servants of Gravelord Nito, the first of the dead. A miasma of death exudes from the sword, building up Toxin, which is a more potent poison that lasts even longer, at ten minutes.

Server

A strangely shaped heavy weapon imbued with an occult energy. On each blow, it slightly heals the wounds of the user.

Piercing Swords

Piercing Swords are long, thin and pointy blades focused mainly on thrusting and countering the enemies. They help against heavily armored foes and they have a fast and unique set of moves which helps the undead in performing rapid and consecutive attacks. Here is the list of every piercing sword that the Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Piercing Swords

Velka's Rapier

A thrusting sword utilized by the Pardoner who serves the Goddess of Sin, Velka. It is an Occult weapon, dealing more damage to holy enemies, while also being used with a dodgy, rapid fighting style.

Axes

Axes are hard hitting weapons that inflict a large amount of damage at a medium range but at the cost of speed. They are good for fighting enemies in a large open area and can cause a stun effect when the attack lands. Here is the list of Axes that The Chosen Undead can wield.

Unique Axes

Butcher Knife

The massive cleaver used by Maneater Mildred. For reasons unknown to most, this weapon will heal the user on strikes, and can be utilized in a brutal, barbaric style different from most other weapons of this type.

Gargoyle Tail Axe

A bending, flailing axe from the tail of a Belfrey Gargoyle. Heavy hitting, it also doubles resistances to Bleeding, Poison, and Toxin.

Golem Axe

An axe created from the soul of the Iron Golem, Guardian of Sen’s Fortress, taken from what was left when Iron Tarkus was through with it. Its swings carry a powerful and sharp force of wind that surges through the air.

Great Axes

Great Axes are the far more powerful variants of the normal Axes. They deal monstrous amounts of damage, and a bigger stun effect but are much slower in speed and have a shorter range than Axes. Here is a list of Great Axes that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Great Axes

Black Knight Greataxe 

A powerful axe used by the Black Knights of Lordran, and like other weapons of their kind, they deal additional damage against Demons.

Dragon King Greataxe

Cut from the tail of the horrifying Gaping Dragon, this beast of a weapon is capable of casting an effect similar to the Wrath of the Gods Miracle (See Below).

Stone Greataxe

An axe used by the Stone Knights of the Forest Sanctuary, it can be put into the ground and pulled out to make a small eruption of earthen force around the wielder. 

Hammers

Hammers are weapons which allow the Chosen Undead to deal swift and powerful strikes, which are helpful against armored foes but come at the cost of slow speed.

Here are the hammers that The Chosen Undead can use.

Great Hammers

Great hammers are some of the largest weapons in the Chosen Undead's arsenal. They deal a very high amount of damage and their strikes can stagger the foe. Here are all of the Great hammers which can be used by the chosen undead.

Unique Great Hammers

Dragon’s Tooth

As the name implies, this is the tooth of an Everlasting Dragon, iconically used by Havel the Rock; the scariest thing to find at the bottom of your stairs. While not having any specific offensive capabilities beyond smashing things, it gives a buff to magic and fire resistances.

Grant

A maul used by agents of the Way of White, and it is both divinely blessed to do more damage to dark foes, it also gives off a somehow stronger version of Wrath of the Gods, dealing more damage, and striking a further range.

Large Club

A big wooden stick, but covered in poison. Direct from Blighttown, the resident Poison Swamp inherent to any given Soulsborne game. 

Smough's Hammer

An absurdly top-heavy hammer used by Executioner Smough, this weapon deals incredible damage, while also healing the Chosen Undead with each hit. It heals the most per hit of any of their weapons.

Fist and Claws

Fists and Claws are the weapons best suited for close range brawls. Despite having a shorter range than all the other weapons, they compensate for it by their extreme speed and combos. Here are the various fist and claw weapons that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Fist and Claws

Dark Hand

A powerful and terrifying weapon granted by Darkstalker Kaathe, it can create a translucent magical barrier, but its true power lies not in defense or offensive power, but the capability to steal the humanity of its targets upon physical contact. It is said to sap the humanity of even a replete saint in the blink of an eye.

Dragon Bone Fist

A bone weapon made from the soul of the Iron Golem, as it apparently had its construct form made around the bones of a dragon as a core, making it somehow the Mechagodzilla of Dark Souls. It is excellent for combos, and has a powerful uppercut that launches enemies airborne, while also granting additional resistance to Magic and Fire.

Spears

Spears are among the more tactical weapons in the Chosen Undead’s arsenal. Excellent at a mid-range, they work wonderfully with the spacing-oriented style employed by the often relocating fighter. Here are the various spears that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Spears 

Channeler’s Trident

A trident of the servants of Seath the Scaleless, its magics are capable of bolstering the power and durability of allies through truly, the most respectable means. A funny stick dance. While it is unclear and unlikely that allies will play a role in this fight, we couldn’t not mention the funny stick dance.

Dragonslayer Spear

The counterpart to Smough’s hammer, the spear of Dragonslayer Ornstein utilizes lightning damage to be extra effective against dragons. It can even be thrust from a distance to fire lightning bolts.

Moonlight Butterfly Horn

A purely magical weapon created from the Moonlight Butterfly’s horn. While otherwise not terribly impressive, it is an excellent fallback for casters in melee.

Halberds

The stronger and slower counterpart to spears, Halberds serve as another mid-range option for sweeping attacks over precise stabs. They are overall well rounded weapons, and encompass scythe-type weapons as well. Here are the various Halberds that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Halberds

Gargoyle’s Halberd

A halberd used by the Belfrey Gargoyles. Using it bolsters the Bleeding, Poison and Toxin resistance.

Lifehunt Scythe

A weapon crafted from the soul of Crossbreed Priscilla, sealed away in the Painted World of Ariamis for fear of her Lifehunt capabilities as the Antithesis of Life. It quickly utilizes the most potent Bleed in the game, from a gameplay stance, while also subjecting a lesser degree of such to its wielder. 

Whips

While often more well served to torture, the whips the Chosen Undead uses are prone to leaving heavy lacerations and bleeding enemies to death, provided they not be well armored. On the plus side, the quick and unpredictable movements make them hard to protect against. Here are the various Whips that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Whips

Guardian Tail

A flexile tail of a Sanctuary Guardian, it is capable of poisoning enemies from a medium distance using its barbs. 

Bows

One of the most Classic Weapons in fantasy, the Bow is a trusty tool for delivering death from a distance. A variety of Arrows can be used to inflict status effects or alter the damage when fired. Here are the various Bows that The Chosen Undead can use. 

Unique Bows

Darkmoon Bow

A bow that makes all of its arrows fired have aspects of arcane damage. Created from the soul of Dark Sun Gwyndolin.

Bows may fire arrows of the following types:

-Standard Arrows.

-Large Arrows, with more power, but lower range.

-Feather Arrows, with a higher firing speed and range.

-Fire Arrows, which are arrows, but on fire.

-Poison Arrows, tipped in poison to kill over time.

-Moonlight Arrows, which deal purely magical damage.

-Wooden Arrows, low cost, low damage. For a Chosen Undead on a budget.

Greatbows

Greatbows are practically handheld Ballista in use, firing huge distances and dealing colossal damage. Enemies are tossed like ragdolls or killed outright by these massive arrows. That said, a slow fire speed, and high stamina cost means these weapons work best in ambushes, to knock enemies off high heights. Here are the two Greatbows that The Chosen Undead can use.

The Chosen Undead only has two types of Greatbow Arrows, Dragonslayer Arrows, and Gough’s Great Arrows, the latter being superior in damage and firing force.

Crossbows

A technological marvel in an age where Blighttown is held together by poison, wood, and a prayer, Crossbows deal potent damage, and can be more easily fired at short range over a bow, but need to be reloaded, which can leave one vulnerable. Here are the Crossbows that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Crossbows

Avelyn

An artisanal creation of engineering in the form of a crossbow. When it fires, it is a trio of bolts, making for a rapid fire weapon that can rack up damage quickly.

Crossbows can fire the following bolts:

-Standard Bolts.

-Heavy Bolts, more damage, less range.

-Sniper bolts, for an increase in range.
-Wood Bolts, for lowest costs.

-Lightning Bolts, for a shocking surge on hits.

Catalysts

Catalysts are the main tool to cast the Sorceries of Dark Souls, and while they can technically be used in melee, their main function is amplifying the intelligence of the user to perform feats of magical power, outlined in the Magic section below. Here are the Catalysts that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Catalysts

Oolacile Catalyst

Made from enchanted whitebark branches, this catalyst is lesser in magical power, but can oddly be used to whack people and poison them.

Tin Crystallization Crystal

Used by Big Hat Logan, this Catalyst is absurdly powerful, but burns faster through the sorcery uses. The level of power is based on the intellect of the caster, even more so than with other catalysts. 

Pyromancy Flame

By equipping a Pyromancy Flame, the Chosen Undead can create flames with the power of pyromancy for a variety of different attacks. Pyromancy is tied to the soul, and tapping into the power of Quelana of Izalith, one of Pyromancy’s first practitioners, allows the Chosen Undead to unleash an ascended level of power over other pyromancers.

Talismans

In a world of Gods, the power of prayer is a powerful force indeed. Manifested with Faith, Miracles can be performed with the curios, fashioned around several different nations of the world. Here are the Talismans that The Chosen Undead can use.

Unique Talismans

Darkmoon Talisman

A Medium for calling upon faith in the Dark Sun Gwyndolin. It’s the Chosen Undead’s most potent Faith option for casting spells.

Velka’s Talisman

A talisman dedicated to Velka, the Goddess of Sin. In what can only be considered a bit of a dig at those following the other Gods, this Talisman utilizes Intelligence instead of Faith to cast Miracles.

Shields

Used for blocking incoming blows, shields are the bread and butter of Dark Souls gameplay, and the Chosen Undead packs a large assortment of Shields, ranging between three size categories. Here are the Shields that The Chosen Undead can use.

Notable Small Shields

Target Shield

A small, round shield used for blocking and parrying incoming attacks. Parry wise this is the best shield due it being metal and has an overall longer parrying window with which to deflect attacks, but otherwise doesn’t hold up as well with blocked attacks.

Effigy Shield

A shield created by a cult, this small shield is a light option while still providing excellent defense against lightning, and the divine. 

Crystal Ring Shield

Using the soul of Seath’s Moonlight Butterfly, this shield has stellar magical resistance, while also being able to cast a special attack that sends a magical frisbee to slice the enemy.

Notable Medium Shields

Heater Shield

A boring but practical option, this standard shield is quite light for its size, and fully blocks attacks that the Chosen Undead can take. It has decent Fire Resistance as well.

Tower Kite Shield

An efficient shield, capable of enduring plenty of punishment and blocking physical attacks, with less strain on the stamina of its user. 

Black Knight Shield

A shield used by the black knights, who fought demons and their fire magics. As such, the shield has been charred black, but is capable of all but totally shutting out fire damage.

Pierce Shield

Utilized by the Knights of Catarina, including one among the many best boys Siegmeyer. This shield has a big spike that can be offensively used to stab while defending. 

Spiked Shield

Similar to the Pierce Shield, this one has offensive capabilities, able to be used to open up lacerations and bleed enemies that attack, or get hit by its own strikes. Used by Kirk, the Darkwraith Knight of Thorns.

Crest Shield

An extremely well rounded shield, excelling in magic resistance but carrying no particular drawbacks in doing so, and not sacrificing the ability to fully block damage.

Grass Crest Shield

An average shield in practice, but enchantments in the steel allow the user to regain stamina at an increased rate.

Spider Shield

Made by mountain bandits, this shield, of all things, grants a potent boost to one’s poison resistance, but is otherwise just passable. 

Bloodshield

A decent shield that gives a 50% bonus to resistance to Bleed, Poison, and Curses.

Sanctus

A divinely blessed shield that gradually restores the health of its wielder. It’s not a particularly fast gain, but a brief respite can heal some injuries.

Notable Greatshields

Bonewheel Shield

A heavy wheel covered in spikes that previously housed a very, VERY angry skeleton. It’s honestly only okay for defense, but can do a fair bit of damage when spun. It, and the hellspawn skellies, is another reference to Berserk. 

Stone Greatshield

Carved stone used by the Guardians of Darkroot Garden, these shields are exceptionally sturdy, if encumbering and heavy. Its magic resistance is also exceptional.

Black Iron Greatshield

Wielded by Black Iron Tarkus, this monumentally heavy beast laughs off physical blows and fire alike, while requiring very little stamina to rebuke their attacks.

Havel’s Greatshield

Arguably the best shield in the game, this shield was carved right from a slab of stone, and Havel imbued it with magics to make it especially durable. It blocks Physical attacks fully, and Magical attacks almost as much, with Fire and Lightning still blocked exceedingly well. It can also activate a casting of a Stoneskin spell that makes enemies stagger when they hit you, while greatly reducing damage.

Greatshield of Artorias

Using the soul of the Great Grey Wolf Sif, this shield has the highest stability of any other shields in the game, and negates any status effects from getting through on blocked hits.

Armors

Antiquated Set

Showing that the Chosen Undead is progressive, he can show up to battle in a beautiful frilly dress. At least, probably more beautiful before all the abyss demons. This dress is abysmal defensively, and makes the wearer more vulnerable to magic damage, but as a boon, the power of Sorceries, Pyromancies, and Miracles is increased by 20%.

Artorias’ Set

The armor of one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, Artorias the Abysswalker. It has above average stats across the board, for relatively average weight, making it a stellar pick for a well rounded Chosen Undead.

Big Hat’s Set

A hat so big it basically encompasses the head. Worn by Big Hat Logan, one of the brightest minds to come out of Dragon School, with baggy and layered clothes that provide good resistance to Bleeding, poison, and magical damage.

Black Iron Set

A set of armor worn by Black Iron Tarkus. It has the highest Fire Resistance the Chosen Undead can access, along with monstrously high other physical defenses, and bleed resistance. Excellent for fighting Iron Golems and breaking windows, less good for falling.

Catarina Set

With a more curved design, the so-called Onion Knight set is extremely tanky, but on the heavier side. Even it’s Magical and Fire resistances don’t suffer for it, aside from the silly appearance. 

Chester’s Set

Boasting excellent poison and bleed resistance, along with decent physical, magical and elemental defenses, the main drawback of this armor is the total lack of poise, making one effortless to stagger. It is also notably from a Bloodborne Hunter, several years before Bloodborne was announced.

Dark Set

Armor used by the Darkwraiths who claim the humanity of victims, this Armor is extremely protective for its weight, only lacking in Curse Resistance, and excelling in just about everything else. The perfect armor for Skinman, Villain in Disguise. 

Elite Knight Set

One of the most well rounded armor pieces the Chosen Undead has, and arguably the most iconic set in the franchise. Great stats for its comparatively light weight, and used by Oscar of Astora, a man who was once fated to be a fierce rival to the Chosen Undead, until most of his character was sent to the cutting room floor.

Favor Set

The armor of one of the most punchable characters in the game, Lautrec the Embraced. His armor depicts the arms of the Goddess Fina, wrapped around the wearer in tender embrace. A good and sturdy set that boasts a good resistance to Curses.

Giant Armor Set

Massive Brass armor that is extremely heavy and impedes stamina recovery, but the sheer resistance this armor provides is second to none, from a physical standpoint. It still provides good resistance to magic, but only to an average degree. 

Gold-Hemmed Black Set

The outfit worn by a Witch of Izalith, the founders of Pyromancy magic. This outfit has exceptional resistance to Bleeding, Poison, and Fire, but low physical resistance. Quite helpful for the massive demon that wants to kill you for taking this set off his sister’s body.

Great Lord Armor

The armor of the Lord of Cinder, Gwyn. Although his outfit was once a resplendent piece of much magical enchantment, these garments have since lost their magic potency, and what is left is a woefully average suit of armor, but with exceptional Curse Resistance.

Gwyndolin Moonlight Set

The clothing worn by Dark Sun Gwyndolin, protector of Anor Londo. The headpiece of this set gives a 10% boost to magical power, but the dress overall provides little in the way of defense.

Havel’s Set

The classic chonky armor, drastically reducing damage from physical and magical means. Carved from stone, it’s the armor with the highest Poise in the game, reducing stagger from taking hits. 

Iron Golem Set

The armor around the Dragon Bone core of Sen’s Fortress’ Iron Golem, this armor is very tanky and prevents as much bleed buildup, but is extremely heavy, and inefficient with stamina.

Iron Set

Armor used by the greatest friend in Dark Souls, Solaire of Astora. Despite the lovingly painted-on Sun on his chest, the armor is only fairly above average, proving that the real power comes from Jolly Cooperation. 

Lord’s Blade Set

Used by Lord’s Blade Ciaran, the leader of Anor Londo’s Assassin corps and one of the Four Knights, this armor is among the best for its very low weight, making it extremely popular for Dexterity oriented builds. It boes an excellent resistance to Bleed, Curse, and especially poison. 

Ornstein’s Set

Another of the Four Knights, ornstein is renowned for his lightning attacks, and this set boasts solid defense against Lightning, with fairly good physical stats as well.

Painting Guardian Set

Taken from the guards of the Painted World of Ariamis, these Guardian robes have the singular highest poison resistance in the game, and excellent magic resistance, but quite poor physical defense. 

Paladin Set

Armor used by the first Undead Paladin made by the Way of White, this armor is exceptionally defensive for an average weight, while having among the highest Curse Resistance in the game.

Thorns Set

Sometimes, one does not wish to swing a weapon at someone. Instead, they just want to roll at them like a crazy blender-person. For such people, the Thorns set, used by Kirk of Thorns. When the wearer comes into contact with someone, they take damage from the many pointy objects on the armor. With this though, the defenses of the armor are somewhat more mediocre.

Shadow Set

Among the lightest of armor sets the Chosen Undead can access, it is light on defenses, but excellent against Bleed and Poison, for when the environment itself may want one dead. It is strangely, a full on ninja outfit.

Smough’s Set

Among the heavier armors in the game, and to compensate for that and how silly they look, the armor provides astronomical defenses across the board, even providing defense against more Niche effects like Curses.

Steel Set

Somewhat heavy armor that provides the highest physical damage reduction of any medium armor, essentially the best bang for your buck in terms of armor weight staying down, while the defense remains up. 

Xanthous Set

Truly one of the most bizarre outfits in the game, it provides decent protection against blades and the like, but it’s strength lies in the potent magical defense, surely because no caster can focus when seeing this big bulbous head coming towards them.

Sunlight Maggot

A demonic Parasite from Lost Izalith. When worn on the head, it lets out a blinding light, acting as a light source. 

Mask of the Father

This Mask is the first of three used by the Necromancer Pinwheel, who stole magical power from the Gravelord Nito. This mask gives a boost to the Equip load one can carry before being over encumbered. It is also part of one of the most iconic builds in Dark Souls History.

Mask of the Mother

The second of three masks used by Pinwheel, the Mask of the Mother increases Maximum Health by 10%, making it arguably the best of the three.

Mask of the Child

The last of the three Masks used by Pinwheel, this one raises Stamina recovery speed. 

Rings

Tiny Being’s Ring

A red jeweled ring that increases max HP by 5%.

Chloranthy Ring

A floral patterned ring that boosts Stamina recovery by 20 points per second. (For context, the base is 45 per second)

Havel’s Ring

A ring made in tribute to Havel the Rock for his troops, which boosts the weight one can fight while carrying, by 50%.

Ring of Steel Protection

The ring worn by Knight King Rendal, whose steely courage led to him standing down a massive Drake and carving it to pieces. It increases one’s physical defense by 50 points, a fairly large margin.

Spell Stoneplate Ring

One of a set of Stoneplate Rings, a stoneplate symbolizing a true knight. The blue crystal represents the soul, and increases magic defense by 50 points.

Flame Stoneplate Ring

Another of a set of Stoneplate Rings, a stoneplate symbolizing a true knight. The red crystal represents fire, and increases fire defense by 50 points.

Thunder Stoneplate Ring

Third of a set of Stoneplate Rings, a stoneplate symbolizing a true knight. The yellow crystal represents lightning, and increases fire defense by 50 points.

Speckled Stoneplate Ring

Final of a set of Stoneplate Rings, a stoneplate symbolizing a true knight. The multicoloured crystal increases magic, fire, and lightning defense by 25 points apiece.

Bloodbite Ring

A very potent counter to Bleeding weaponry and effects, granting a 4x multiplier to one’s Bleed resistance. Feared for its creation at the hands of Arstor of Carim, the Dark Souls Vlad the Impaler, as with the two rings below.

Poisonbite Ring

A very potent counter to poison weaponry and effects, granting a 4x multiplier to one’s Poison resistance.

Cursebite Ring

A very potent counter to Curse spells and effects, granting a 4x multiplier to one’s Curse resistance.

Red Tearstone Ring

A stone that senses when its wearer is near death, boosting damage by 50% when health is below 20%, including that of magic.

Blue Tearstone Ring

A stone that senses when its wearer is near death, boosting all damage resistances by 50% when health is below 20%.

Ring of Sacrifice

A ring for a ritual to Velka, Goddess of Sin. When the wearer dies, their souls and humanity are not lost, but the ring itself breaks.

Rare Ring of Sacrifice

A ring for a ritual to Velka, Goddess of Sin. When the wearer dies, their souls and humanity are not lost, but the ring itself breaks. This specialized ring also frees the wearer from any curses upon death.

Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring

This ring given to those who graduate from Vinheim Dragon School boosts the power of Sorcery and Pyromancy spells by 20%.

Lingering Dragoncrest Ring

Another Vinheim Dragon School reward for the big nerds, and it increases the length of time spells apply for, by 50%, should they have a length of time past an instant effect.

Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring

A ring utilized by one particularly sneaky nerd at Vinheim Dragon School. Silences the sounds of the wearer, allowing them to move silently .

Dusk Crown Ring

A royal jewel of Oolacile, granting a massive boost in the number of spell castings one is able to perform, but at the cost of halving the max HP of the user.

White Seance Ring

A divine ring given to the Apostle of Allfather Lloyd, uncle to Gwyn. This ring allows the wearer to attune to an additional spell for use.

Darkmoon Seance Ring

A ring that ALSO grants an additional spell attunement slot, but this time with the ring being blessed by Dark Sun Gwyndolin. It is a covenant item, showing faith in the Dark Sun. 

Ring of the Sun’s Firstborn

A ring that was once worn by Gwyn’s Firstborn son, who we would later learn to be the Nameless King. He was stripped of his deific status for some offense, but the ring remains magically powerful, giving the wearer a 20% boost in power to offensive miracles.

Leo Ring

A ring bestowed to one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, Ornstein. It boosts the power of piercing damage on counter attacks, when an enemy is struck during their own attacks. This includes rapiers, spears, and even arrows.

Wolf Ring

A ring bestowed to one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, Artorias. It represents Artorias’ unbendable will, and gives a boost to Poise by 40 points.

Hawk Ring

A ring bestowed to one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, Gough. It extends the range of all Bows by 50%, as well as extending the zoom in effect with bows and binoculars. Which is Ironic because Gough is now blind.

Hornet Ring

A ring bestowed to one of Gwyn’s Four Knights, Ciaran. It capitalizes upon enemy openings by boosting the damage from Ripostes and Backstabs by 30%. 

East Wood Grain Ring

A ring crafted in the eastern lands that halves the speed at which equipment deteriorates under strain of use.

Dark Wood Grain Ring

Turns the Chosen Undead into an acrobatic Ninja, making the ever-classic dodge roll into a cartwheel flip that moves a further distance, and makes the I-frames go from 12 frames to 14, and the recovery frames until other actions goes from 12 to 8.

Rusted Iron Ring

A ring worn by the Guilty as a shackle, it allows the wearer to move unencumbered through rough terrain such as swamps, knee deep water, and tar.

Covenant of Artorias

A ring used by the Knight Artorias. Allows the bearer to withstand the effects of the Abyss, enabling its traversal.

Orange Charred Ring

Created by the Witches of Izalith for their brother to control his lava-inflamed sores, he pulled what we call a real dumbass move and dropped the ring. As it was meant to ease his pain, it allows the Chosen Undead to run on the surface of Lava with Minimal damage, and can kick with burning effect. Oddly, this doesn’t reduce fire damage.

Ring of Fog

A gift from a very sassy cat, that makes the user translucent, and harder to see. Great for sneaking around.

Ring of Favor and Protection

A ring symbolizing the protection of the Goddess Fina, it grants HP, Stamina, and Equip Load boosts by 20% each, but if you aren’t simping for the goddess like Lautrec, and shop around for other rings, it’ll break when removed.

Ring of the Evil Eye

A ring containing the secrets of the Evil Eye, a dark beast that threatened the country of Astora. It absorbs the life of those that it slays to heal the user. 

Consumables

Estus Flask

An emerald flask comprised of the soul of a Fire Keeper. This flask contains fire collected from a bonfire they rest at, and can be consumed to heal themselves. Through upgrades, the Chosen Undead will get a massive and sudden heal from its consumption, and they may carry a maximum of 20. 

Humanity

Nebulous sprites that defy most description, to which lore is somewhat vague. These sprites can be crushed for a potent heal, and gaining 1 humanity. Not this item, but the counter of how much humanity the Chosen Undead has.

Divine Blessing

Water blessed by the Goddess Gwynevere, consumption fully restores health, and ends any status effects. 

Prism Stone

A glowing stone that comes in a wide variety of colours. It does little more than mark locations, but can be dropped off a ledge to determine fall distance.

Repair Powder

A glowing powder that allows one to repair any damage to their weapons, albeit this could reasonably be used on any equipment. 

Transient Curse

The dismembered hands of someone who was afflicted with a curse. Taking a small portion of that Curse allows the user to interact with Intangible enemies like Ghosts. This effect lasts five minutes.

Homeward Bone

A bone fragment that allows the user to teleport to the last place of respite they had rested at. 

Green Blossom

A green weed, described as bitter and biting, boosts stamina recovery speed by nearly double.

Bloodred Moss Clump

A clump of moss that, when used, stops Bleed buildup. How it does this is unclear, whether it’s consumed or rubbed on the wounds.

Purple moss Clump

A purple Moss that serves as a potent cure for poison, and eliminates any buildup that is carried at present.

Blooming Purple Moss Clump

Even more potent purple moss that not only cures poison and end’s its buildup, but does the same for the more dangerous, and more annoying Toxic status.

Purging Stone

A stone that contains a prior person, made to bear one’s curses for them. Upon use, any curse is imbued into the stone, consuming it. Emblematic of the setting, where when one cannot solve a problem themselves, they cast it onto another and forget about it.

Charcoal Pine Resin

A resin that can be rubbed onto weapons to make them carry fire damage for a minute. Whether or not this is what’s in those firebombs remains to be seen.

Rotten Pine Resin

Pine Resin that is poisonous, making your weapons, by technicality, venomous. It is rubbed onto the weapons, making them so, for a minute.

Gold Pine Resin

Pine Resin that seems to carry the power of Lightning. Rubbing it over one’s weapon will imbue it with electric power for a minute.

Egg Vermifuge

A Bitter, Sour Chestnut that can be consumed to remove parasitic invaders from the body. In particular, in this case, used to remove eggs from spawning from your upper body and skull. 

Elizabeth’s Mushroom

A mushroom chunked off of Elizabeth, a sentient Mushroom, of whom have a WICKED right hook. Consuming it will give potent healing over time, for about 30 seconds.

Misc. Items

Orange Guidance Soapstone

A stone that allows one to write messages for others, and they are transmitted not only where they are written physically in front of the user, but to countless worlds and times, appearing in that spot. It is meant for writing helpful warnings or tips to others, but is mostly used to trick people into jumping off cliffs.

Black Separation Crystal

A crystal that allows the Chosen Undead to return to their home plane, or sending allies back to their own worlds.

Firebomb

A small urn filled with black powder that explodes and deals fire damage. Essentially little grenades for one to always have an option for fire damage.

Black Firebomb

A normal Firebomb, but supercharged. Presumably just has more black powder to have a bigger blast, and deal more damage.

Dung Pie

Yup. It’s poop. It can be thrown at enemies, and not just for mere annoyance. It is somehow horrid enough to not be poisonous, but outright toxic, the severely more dangerous poison. 

Throwing Knife

A good quick option to pull out to surprise an enemy, these throwing knives deal fairly low damage, and have less range compared to arrows, but they can be valuable when an enemy thinks they’re safe.

Poison Throwing Knife

Same as before, now lathered in poison. Somehow being stabbed by this knife is still a less potent poison than having poop thrown at you. 

Alluring Skull

The alluring Skull controls the minds of some enemies, mostly undead, to see it as the most important focus, and run over to it. This can allow for more efficient AoEs, or just move enemies to preferred locations for sneaking by.

Lloyd’s Talisman

A talisman able to be thrown at an enemy to cast an effect in an AoE for about 30 seconds. Those affected by this item have their ability to use healing items restricted.

Skull Lantern

The skull of a necromancer, used to light up the Tomb of the Giants. It can whack people for light fire damage, but is mostly for utility. It reveals secret path markers in the walls, and hidden illusory walls. But seriously, why is it using a skull for this? 

Binoculars

A set of ordinary binoculars, used to scope out enemy locations, aim Crossbows more keely, for some reason, and other information gathering. But mostly by people looking at Quelaag. 

Dragon Torso Stone

A stone imbued with the power of the Dragons. It allows the user to transform into the ugliest, scragliest dragon form ever. In this form, the user may emit a force that knocks enemies away, along with giving a 35% increase in power. They can also breathe fire.

Silver Pendant

A pendant that can put up a temporary barrier against Dark Magics. This barrier is similar to a parry window, but instead of merely blocking spells, it returns them to their caster.

Hello Carving

A rock that when dropped, says the word “Hello”. These are very important, and at least one needs to show up in the fight or I riot.

I’m Sorry Carving

A rock that when dropped, says the words “I’m Sorry”.

Very Good Carving

A rock that when dropped, says the words “Very Good”.

Help Me Carving

A rock that when dropped, says the words “Help Me”.

Thank You Carving

A rock that when dropped, says the words “Thank You”.

The Last Dragonborn

Daggers

Daggers are an extremely lightweight, one-handed weapon type. They allow for dual wielding and the ability to use a shield alongside them. Here is an extensive list of them.

Much like any other form of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted in various ways.

Unique Daggers

Blade of Woe

A dagger belonging to Astrid, the leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Its enchantment absorbs 10 Points of Health.

Keening

A unique dagger created by the Dwemer engineer Kagrenac, originally as a tonal device used to grant the heart of Lorkhan a corporeal form. It is said that wielding Keening without also wearing wraithguard has the capability of killing the wielder. This nifty thing has a chance to absorb 10 Points of Health, Magicka, and Stamina with each strike. (If only it would work in most versions)

Mehrunes’ Razor

A Daedric artifact known by many names, such as Kingslayer or Dagger of the Final Wounds. When wielded by a champion anointed by Dagon himself, the blade can instantly slay its target. It belongs to and is empowered by Mehrunes Dagon, one of the 17 Daedric Princes. It is said that those who are instant-killed by the effects of this blade will have their souls claimed by Dagon himself and sent to his plane of Oblivion. The blade’s cutting ability is so powerful that it can slice one’s Protonymic, the “true name” and the “definition of the self” which grants a being their role and place within nature. (See Cosmology: Nirn) With the Razor, Mankar Camoran sliced his own protonymic in order to alter his race to that of an Altmer Dragonborn. He also altered his daughter’s history, making her a follower of his cult, and having her paradoxically giving birth to herself and her own brother, who is somehow not her son, with her father as the father. (500 septims my foot, Silus)

Valdr’s Lucky Dagger

A dagger gifted to the Dragonborn by the Nord hunter Valdr, as thanks for helping him slaughter some spriggans. Each hit from this dagger has a 25% chance to land a critical hit.

One-Handed Swords

One-handed swords are a medium weight, one-handed weapon type. They allow for dual wielding and the ability to use them alongside a shield. Unlike daggers, the swings are slower, but they do more damage in return. Here is an extensive list of one-handed swords in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique One-Handed Swords

Bloodscythe

(No relation to Nemesis)

Bloodscythe is one of two scimitars owned by the legendary pirate Haknir Deathbrand. When wielded with its brother, Soulrender, it absorbs health and has a chance to weaken an enemy’s armor.

Soulrender

(We swear this is a different sword)

The other of two scimitars wielded by Haknir Deathbrand. When wielded with its brother, Bloodscythe, it absorbs magicka and has a chance to lower an enemy’s magical defenses.

Bolar’s Oathblade

An ancient Akaviri katana left behind by the late Thalmor heretic Acilius Bolar. This katana deals damage to stamina and causes lower level enemies to flee for 30 seconds.

Chillrend

A unique blue glass sword that belonged to the late Thieves’ Guild leader Mercer Frey. This icy son of a bitch deals a good amount of frost damage and has a chance to paralyze an enemy for 2 seconds, and this can stack, leaving an even longer paralysis effect.

Dawnbreaker

(“A nEw HaNd ToUcHeS tHe BeAcOn” flashbacks intensify)

A Daedric artifact gifted by Meridia, the Daedric Prince of light and eardrum destroying. This blade deals burning damage, and after killing undead enemies, it has a chance to create a fiery explosion, which will either destroy or make other undead flee. This powerful weapon was used in the past when Nocturnal was invading the Crystal Tower with her influence and assimilating it into her being with the intention of becoming omnipresent and infinite across the Aurbis. By wielding Dawnbreaker, The Vestige expelled Nocturnal and purged her corruption from the Heart of Transparent Law.

Dragonbane

A unique Akaviri sword found in the ancient Blades hideout known as Cloud Ruler Temple. This blade deals decent shock damage to enemies, as well as a large amount of damage to dragons, as the name implies.

Ghostblade

A ghostly sword gifted after defeating Lu’ah Al-Skaven in the Nordic ruin known as Ansilvund. This sword ignores armor to deal extra damage.

Harkon’s Sword

A unique katana taken from the remains of Harkon, the lord of the vampire clan Volkihar. This sword, when wielded by a vampire, absorbs health, magicka, and stamina at once.

Miraak’s Sword

An incredibly hideous blade wielded by Miraak, the first Dragonborn. This prop for a H-anime absorbs stamina from enemies. It also has the ability to shift into a tentacle, covering more distance.

Nightingale Blade

A blade that belonged to the late member of the Nightingales, Gallus, gifted to the Dragonborn by Gallus’ lover Karliah. This blade absorbs both health and stamina from the enemy.

Red Eagle’s Bane

An ancient Nord sword that belonged to the Reachman known as Red Eagle. This blade sets lower level undead on fire and causes them to flee for 30 seconds.

Silver Sword

Swords that are wielded by the werewolf hunters, and enemies of the Companions, known as the Silver Hand. These swords are especially effective against undead.

The Pale Blade

An ancient Nord sword taken from the dead body of the bandit leader Ra’jirr after succumbing to the Wispmother known as The Pale Lady. This blade deals significant frost damage and causes lower level enemies to flee from combat for 30 seconds.

Windshear

(We swear this is ALSO a different sword)

A scimitar found on the edge of the emperor’s ship known as the Katariah. This blade has a chance to knock down enemies, basically doing a mini Fus Ro Dah. But what it doesn’t tell you is that it also staggers enemies with every hit, leaving them unable to attack. (Why was this given the greenlight?)

Sword of The Crusader

The sword wielded by Pelinal Whitestrake. It can inflict fire damage on what it strikes and damage an enemy’s magicka pool.

War Axes

War axes are one-handed axes that have a slower swing speed than swords, but deal more damage than them. They allow for dual-wielding as well. Here is an extensive list of war axes in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique War Axes

Dawnguard Rune Axe

A unique version of the Dawnguard War Axes fueled by the destruction of the unholy. This weapon deals sun damage to undead, and the more undead that are slain by this axe, the stronger the sun damage gets.

Hoarfrost

An enchanted ancient Nordic pickaxe that can be taken from the Dark Elf known as Ralis Sedarys. This pickaxe deals frost damage and has a chance to freeze enemies for a few seconds.

Notched Pickaxe

A unique pickaxe found at the very top of the highest peak in Skyrim known as the Throat of the World. This pickaxe deals some shock damage and raises the user’s smithing abilities. It also doubles as a reference to Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of Minecraft.

Maces

The strongest, but slowest one-handed weapons in the game. Also allowed for dual-wielding like every other one-handed weapon. Here is an extensive list of maces in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Maces

Mace of Molag Bal

(We have no idea what Molag’s done with this thing and we don’t want to know.)

This horrific monstrosity is a mace for, well, Molag Bal. The Daedric Prince of domination, enslavement, and something else that will get us taken down, kidnapped a poor blacksmith, enslaved him, and forced him to forge this weapon. Neat. This mace deals huge stamina damage and places a Soul Trap effect on the enemy, taking their soul once killed.

Mace of The Crusader

The mace wielded by Pelinal Whitestrake. It can burn what falls under its weight, and force undead to flee.

Greatswords

Greatswords are two-handed weapons, and the fastest swinging ones at that. Unlike the one-handed weapons, these do not allow dual-wielding. Here is an extensive list of greatswords in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Greatswords

Bloodskal Blade

The Bloodskal Blade is a unique greatsword that can be found in the Nordic ruin known as Bloodskal Barrow. This blade can fire a blast of energy when using a power attack. This blast of energy can travel up to 15 feet.

Ebony Blade

This is an artifact granted to our hero by Mephala, the Daedric Prince of lies, secrets, murder, sex, and also Time’s waifu. You know who you are. Anyway, this blade can absorb the life essence from victims, and the effect gets stronger the more betrayals occur with this blade. In another game, it also has the ability to negate an enemy’s magic use.

Battleaxes

Battleaxes are the two-handed axe weapons in Skyrim. They swing slower than greatswords, but deal more damage. Here is an extensive list of battleaxes in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Battleaxes

Steel Battleaxe of Fiery Souls

A unique steel battleaxe found in the Nordic ruin known as Ironbind Barrow. Unlike other steel battleaxes, this one has the unique fiery soul trap enchantment, dealing fire damage and leaving a soul trap effect, taking the victim’s soul once killed.

The Rueful Axe

This is an artifact made by Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of bargains. In the past, Clavicus presented this axe to a warlock named Sebastian Lort to help him deal with his daughter’s lycanthropy. Vile described the power of the rueful axe as a powerful “cosmic weapon”, with which even he could have “quite a bit of fun” with. It can cut down Barbas in a single strike. This was given to our “hero” after he kills Clavicus Vile’s dog, Barbas. This axe deals stamina damage, but it also has the slowest swing speed in the game, even slower than warhammers. Honestly, the dog murderers who were given this axe deserve it. 

Wuuthrad

This is a unique battle axe gifted by the Companions to open the tomb of the legendary Nordic hero Ysgramor, though you can just take it right back afterwards. This axe deals extra damage to elves. I bet Pelinal Whitestrake wishes he had this.

Warhammers

Warhammers are the deadliest weapons in the game, but also the slowest. Here is an extensive list of warhammers in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Warhammers

Champion’s Cudgel

The Champion’s Cudgel is a warhammer found on General Falx Carius’ body in Fort Frostmoth. This beast has the Chaos Damage effect, which means that it has a 50% chance to deal fire, frost, and shock damage, sometimes even mixing them together.

Dawnguard Runehammer

This is a unique version of the Dawnguard Warhammer. Imbued with sun magic, this hammer can place floor runes that hold sun magic, and when stepped on, it will create an explosion of sun magic that deals heavy sun damage.

The Longhammer

This is a unique orcish warhammer wielded by the late Breton bandit Rahd in the cave known as Liar’s Retreat. Unlike other orcish warhammers, this one has reduced weight, and thus can be swung faster than the other warhammers. This weapon is also a reference to a character named Rahd Longhammer from the Penny Arcade/PvP/Wil Wheaton D&D game at PAX 2010.

Volendrung

This behemoth is an artifact gifted to our hero by Malacath, the Daedric Prince of vengeance and ostracization. This hammer not only has a faster swing speed than regular warhammers, but it also absorbs a massive amount of stamina from enemies, and can even paralyze enemies in other games. Also, this hammer gave the region of Hammerfell its name, when this hammer was thrown into the sky and landed in the region.

Bows

Bows and arrows are efficient ranged weapons in Skyrim. Here is an extensive list of bows in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Bows

Auriel’s Bow

This is an artifact found in Auriel’s temple in the Forgotten Vale. This bow was said to have been carried by Auriel in the battle against Lorkhan during the Ehlnofey Wars in the Dawn Era. This bow deals sun damage, and undead enemies take triple damage. This bow can be used with Sunhallowed and Bloodcursed Elven arrows to be shot at the sun to either fire down beams of sunlight or block out the sun entirely.

Dwarven Black Bow of Fate

This is a unique Dwarven bow found in the Dwarven ruin of Kagrumez after completing the rigorous trials within. This weapon has a 50% to absorb either health, magicka, or stamina, and sometimes two or all three.

Glass Bow of the Stag Prince

This is a unique glass bow that can be pickpocketed from the elusive merchant Falas Selvayn at the Ramshackle Trading Post. This bow has a unique enchantment, that being the Blessing of the Stag Prince. This blessing starts out with giving the user a small amount of health and stamina, but with every 20 animals killed, this blessing will increase in potency, until 80 animals have been killed with this bow.

Nightingale Bow

This is a bow given to the Dragonborn by the Nightingale known as Karliah, after killing the former Thieves Guild leader Mercer Frey. This weapon deals a significant amount of frost damage and half as much shock damage.

Arrows

A bow would not be a bow without arrows. Here is an extensive list of arrows in Skyrim.

Unique Arrows

Sunhallowed Elven Arrow

These are unique Elven arrows blessed by Knight-Paladin Gelebor at Auriel’s temple in the Forgotten Vale. These arrows, when shot at the sun by Auriel’s Bow, will cause the sun to fire down beams of light at any target, enemy or not.

Bloodcursed Elven Arrow

These are unique Elven arrows tipped with the blood of Serana (the best girl). These arrows, when shot at the sun, will create a massive fog covering the sun, shrouding Skyrim in darkness.

Crossbows

Introduced to Skyrim by the Dawnguard, these bows are stronger than standard bows, though they fire much slower and are louder, which isn’t very effective for sneaky archers, AKA literally every Skyrim player. Here is a not-so-extensive list of the crossbows in Skyrim.

Dwarven Crossbow

This is a crossbow designed with Dwarven materials. While there is no special effect, it is much stronger than a standard crossbow.

Enhanced Crossbow

This is an enhanced version of a standard crossbow. This crossbow has a 50% chance to ignore armor.

Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow

This is an enhanced version of a Dwarven crossbow. Not only is it stronger than a standard Dwarven crossbow, it also has a 50% chance to ignore armor.

Bolts

Bolts are used as ammo for the crossbows. Here is a list of the bolts in Skyrim.

Unique Bolts

Exploding Steel Bolts

These are enhanced versions of the regular steel bolts, except they are imbued with explosive magic. These bolts come in three types of magic: fire, ice, and shock.

Exploding Dwarven Bolts

These are explosive versions of Dwarven bolts. These bolts also come in fire, ice, and shock.

Staves

Staves are weapons for those who aren’t good with magic by hand and need some help. Here is an extensive list of staves in Skyrim.

Unique Staves

Aetherial Staff

An ancient Dwarven artifact made from Aetherium, a material sought out by the Dwemer millenia ago. This staff has the ability to summon either a Dwarven Spider or a Dwarven Sphere to fight for the Dragonborn.

Miraak’s Staff

This is a unique staff obtained from the remains of Miraak, the first Dragonborn. This staff fires a mass of tentacles on the ground that deal significant damage. Like I said, h-anime material.

Staff of Icy Spear

This is a unique staff that can be found in Auriel’s temple in the Forgotten Vale. This is the only staff in the game that can fire an Icy Spear spell, dealing a massive amount of frost damage.

Staff of Jyrik Gauldurson

This is a staff found in the Nordic ruin known as Saarthal. This staff is the only one of its kind to deal health damage and twice as much magicka damage.

Staff of Magnus

The Staff of Magnus is an incredibly powerful weapon. This staff was created by Magnus, the god of magic, to act as a metaphysical battery. This staff is capable of holding back the power of the Eye of Magnus, an artifact that, if left in the wrong hands, could have disastrous effects. This staff absorbs magicka, and if the enemy is out of magicka, it will absorb health instead.

Halldir’s Staff

This is a staff found in the Nordic ruin known as Halldir’s Cairn. This is the only staff in the game with both a Calm spell and a soul trap spell, relieving enemies of their will to fight as well as their souls should they die.

Sanguine Rose

This is a unique staff given to the Dragonborn by Sanguine, the Daedric Prince of debauchery. This rose can be used to summon a Dremora warrior. In lore, this staff has a limit to its usage. Each time it is used, it will wilt until it loses its power. Then a new Sanguine Rose will grow in Oblivion and will be plucked by Sanguine to be given to another person. Who knew the god of debauchery was such a gifted gardener?

Skull of Corruption

This is a staff given to the Dragonborn by Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of nightmares, memories, and terror. This staff has the ability to create a clone of the enemy target that fights for the user, and the staff also steals the dreams of sleeping people to use against enemies for significant damage.

Wabbajack

A Daedric artifact that once belonged to Sheogorath, it was given to the Dragonborn, as a token of his– ah he just gave him the damn thing. It can do, well, literally anything. Only flaw is that the results are completely random. Creating magic explosions, disintegrating enemies, turning them into crabs, chickens, rabbits, Dremora, cheese, sweet rolls, and a pile of gold. This can also give the target positive effects like healing or invisibility. Further proof of Sheogorath being the best Daedric Prince.

Shields

Shields are defensive items in Skyrim. Here is an extensive list of shields in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Shields

Aetherial Shield

Another of the legendary Dwarven artifacts made from Aetherium. This shield has the ability to turn any enemies ethereal when hit with a bash from this shield, causing the enemy to become intangible and flee from combat, preventing them from harming or being harmed.

Auriel’s Shield

The shield wielded by the Dragon God of Time in his war against the missing god Lorkhan. The shield functions by absorbing the damage of enemy attacks and then sending it back in a burst of energy.

Dawnguard Rune Shield

The last of three Runes for the Dawnguard. This shield not only does additional bashing damage to vampires, but it also creates an aura of sun magic when held up, causing sun damage to anyone who gets too close. However, this aura drains the stamina of the user.

Shield of Solitude

A shield awarded to the Dragonborn by the Court of Solitude for defeating the spirit of Queen Potema, also called the Wolf Queen. This shield gives the user a 30% resistance to magical attacks, as well as a significant boost to blocking skill.

Shield of Ysgramor

This is the shield wielded by the legendary Atmoran warrior Ysgramor. This shield grants a boost to health, as well as a 20% resistance to magic attacks.

Spellbreaker

The Spellbreaker is an ancient shield created by Peryite, the Daedric Prince of pestilence. This shield creates an aura that renders its wielder invulnerable to magic, as it has the ability to reflect spells and silence enemy casters. 

Targe of the Blooded

A very gruesome-looking spiked shield that can be taken from the Redguard explorer known as Umana in the Dwarven ruin of Alftand. This shield has the ability to cause bleeding damage, which lowers health overtime, and this effect can be stacked with continuous bash attacks, dealing even more bleeding damage.

Other Weapons

Fork

A two-pronged dinner fork. Great for exacting vengeance on Nazeem. It can be enchanted in various ways.

Knife

A knife. It can also be enchanted in various ways.

Light Armor

As you can see from the name, light armor is a lighter brand of armor, used for less carry weight, quick steps, and efficient sneaking. Here is an extensive list of light armor in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Light Armor Sets

Ancient Shrouded Armor

An ancient set of armor made for only the best Dark Brotherhood assassins, in this case, it’s the Dragonborn. This set gives bonus durability when together.

Here is what each piece does.

• Ancient Shrouded Armor: Gives complete immunity to poison

• Ancient Shrouded Boots: Muffles the user’s footsteps to make them completely silent

• Ancient Shrouded Cowl: Bows do significantly more damage

• Ancient Shrouded Gloves: Sneak attacks are twice as deadly

Dawnguard Armor

Armor made specifically for members of the Dawnguard. A full set of this armor grants a 25% resistance to life-draining spells.

Deathbrand Armor

A powerful set of armor once worn by the legendary pirate known as Haknir Deathbrand. A full set grants an immense boost to durability, surpassing even Daedric armor.

Here are each of the enchantments:

• Deathbrand Armor: Increases stamina for each Deathbrand item worn

• Deathbrand Boots: Increases carrying capacity for each Deathbrand item worn

• Deathbrand Gauntlets: Deals more damage for each Deathbrand item worn while dual-wielding

• Deathbrand Helm: Grants waterbreathing

Guild Master’s Armor

A set of armor obtained by becoming the new master of the Thieves Guild.

Here are each of the enchantments:

• Guild Master’s Armor: Carrying capacity is greatly increased

• Guild Master’s Boots: Chance of pickpocketing success is significantly greater

• Guild Master’s Gloves: Lockpicking is made easier

• Guild Master’s Hood: Prices from merchants are made cheaper

Miraak’s Set

A unique set worn by the first Dragonborn known as Miraak. Miraak means “Allegiance-Guide” in Dovahzul. Ironic.

• Miraak (mask): This mask is technically counted as both light and heavy armor. It just depends on which skill you’re better at. This mask grants a massive increase to magicka when worn.

• Miraak’s Robes: Absorbs some magic from spells and dragon breath and has a chance to create a tentacle explosion.

• Miraak’s Gloves: Adds more magic absorption to the robes.

• Miraak’s Boots: Adds more magic absorption to the robes.

Nightingale Armor

A powerful set of armor given to the Nightingales, the avid followers of Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of night and darkness.

Here are each of their enchantments:

• Nightingale Armor: Gives a significant increase to stamina and frost resistance

• Nightingale Boots: Muffles the user’s footsteps to make them completely silent.

• Nightingale Gloves: Lockpicking is made easier and one-handed weapons deal more damage

• Nightingale Hood: Illusion spells cost less magicka to cast

Unique Light Armor Headgear

Krosis

One of the eight legendary masks worn by the powerful Dragon Priests, the few worshippers of the dragons back in the First Era. This is a bronze mask granted to a Dragon Priest known as Krosis found in Shearpoint. Krosis means “sorrow” in Dovahzul, the dragon language. This mask grants increases to lockpicking, archery, and alchemy.

Morokei

A quicksilver mask worn by the ancient Dragon Priest of the Labyrinthian, Morokei. Morokei in Dovahzul means “Glorious”. This mask massively increases magicka regeneration.

Volsung

A corundum mask worn by the Dragon Priest of Volskygge, Volsung. Volsung in Dovahzul means “Horror”. This mask grants increases to bargaining, carrying capacity, and grants waterbreathing.

Unique Light Armor Chestpieces

Savior’s Hide

A Daedric artifact created by Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. There are two stories behind this. The most prominent one being about a hunter who escaped Hircine’s plane of Oblivion and granted him his own hide. This hide grants a resistance to magic attacks and resistance to poison.

Vampire Royal Armor

A unique set of robes worn by the highest ranking vampires in Castle Volkihar, those being Serana (best girl), Valerica, and Harkon. These robes grant a massive increase to magicka regeneration.

Unique Light Armor Handwear

Gloves of the Pugilist

A unique pair of fur gauntlets that can be taken from the corpse of a petty thief known as Gian the Fist. These gloves deal additional unarmed attack damage.

Tumblerbane Gloves

A unique pair of Shrouded Gloves found in the new Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Dawnstar. These gloves make lockpicking easier.

Unique Light Armor Footwear

Movarth’s Boots

A unique pair of hide boots found in the lair of the master vampire known as Movarth. These boots make sneaking easier.

Predator’s Grace

A unique pair of hide boots found atop the waterfall in the Nordic ruin known as Hag’s End. These boots muffle the wearer’s footsteps to make them completely silent, and gives the wearer a measly 1% increase to stamina regeneration.

Unique Light Armor Jewelry

Amulet of Articulation

Normally, jewelry is considered clothing and gives no armor. However, there are a couple of exceptions, and this is one of them. This amulet is given to the Dragonborn after becoming the new master of the Thieves Guild. This amulet makes persuasion checks almost always succeed and makes their speechcraft much better.

Diadem of the Savant

This is the other exception to the jewelry rule. This circlet is found in Shalidor’s Maze in the Nordic ruin known as the Labyrinthian, or on a stump next to a shack in The Rift. Don’t ask, we don’t know either. This circlet makes all spells cost slightly less magicka to cast.

Heavy Armor

Heavy armor is a more weighted armor that, while it is heavier and makes it harder to move in, provides even more durability for the Dragonborn. Here is an extensive list of heavy armor in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Heavy Armor Sets

Ahzidal’s Set

A unique set of ancient Nord armor once worn by the legendary Dragon Priest Ahzidal. This set can be found in the Nordic ruin known as Kolbjorn Barrow. Wearing the full set gives you enhanced enchanting.

Here are each of the effects that this armor gives.

• Ahzidal’s Armor of Retribution: Enemies who strike with a melee attack have a small chance of being paralyzed

• Ahzidal’s Boots of Waterwalking: As the name suggests, these give the ability to walk on water

• Ahzidal’s Gauntlets of Warding: While wards are a quarter less effective, they absorb 50% of magic from magical attacks

• Ahzidal’s Helm of Vision: While Conjuration spells and Rune spells cost more magicka to cast, runes can be cast from further away

Armor of the Crusader

This was the armor of the legendary warrior Pelinal Whitestrake, who conquered Tamriel and fought against the Ayleids during the first era. It is a powerful set of armor created in the “future time” by the eight divines. Wearing this armor and weaponry is to mantle him directly and attain his power, for it made the Champion of Cyrodiil so powerful he could fight Umaril The Unfeathered and endure his strikes, which would typically destroy lesser warriors in a single blow. (Note: Creation Club content is officially licensed by Bethesda and does not deactivate achievements. It is considered DLC.)

• Helm of the Crusader: Fortify Restoration, Fortify Personality / Barter, Fortify Illusion 

• Cuirass of the Crusader: Fortify Health, Fortify Restoration, Resist Normal Weapons, Holy Aura

• Gauntlets of the Crusader: Fortify Restoration, Resist Disease

• Greaves of the Crusader: Fortify Restoration, Fortify Destruction

• Shield of the Crusader: Reflect Spell

Unique Heavy Armor Headgear

Ahzidal

A mask worn by the Dragon Priest Ahzidal in Kolbjorn Barrow. Ahzidal in Dovahzul means “Bitter-Destroyer”. This mask grants a 50% resistance to enemy fire spells and a 25% boost to the wearer’s fire spells.

Dukaan

A mask worn by the Dragon Priest Dukaan in White Ridge Barrow. Dukaan in Dovahzul means “Dishonor”. What he did to earn that name, no one knows. This mask grants a 50% resistance to enemy ice spells and a 25% boost to the wearer’s ice spells.

Hevnoraak

An iron mask worn by the Dragon Priest Hevnoraak in Valthume. Hevnoraak in Dovahzul means “Brutal”. This mask grants complete immunity to diseases and poisons.

Konahrik

A unique golden mask that may or may not have been worn by a Dragon Priest. Konahrik in Dovahzul means “Warlord”. It is a mystery as to who this mask belonged to, or if it belonged to anyone. All we know is that it is found in the Labyrinthian after collecting every single Dragon Priest mask. But anyway, this mask has a chance to greatly heal the wearer should they reach very low health, and an even lower chance to summon a spectral Dragon Priest to fight for them.

Masque of Clavicus Vile

This is a Daedric Artifact given to the Dragonborn by Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of bargains. It is said that a horrifically ugly woman prayed to Clavicus for a way to attract men. Clavicus gave this to the woman, and once she put it on, everyone liked her, which led to the woman getting a happy marriage, but one day, the Masque disappeared, causing the man who married her to be appalled, thus leaving her. This masque grants the Dragonborn better speechcraft and cheaper prices from merchants, as well as a slight boost to magicka regeneration. 

Nahkriin

An ebony mask worn by the Dragon Priest Nahkriin in Skuldafn. Nahkriin in Dovahzul means “Vengeance”. This mask grants more magicka and decreases the cost of magicka needed for Destruction and Restoration spells.

Otar

A malachite mask worn by the corrupted Nordic chieftain and Dragon Priest Otar the Mad in Ragnvald. Oddly, this is the only Dragon Priest mask without a name in Dovahzul. This mask grants a 30% resistance to fire, ice, and shock spells.

Rahgot

(No, it is not pronounced as “rag it”, shame on you)

An orichalcum mask worn by the Dragon Priest Rahgot in Forelhost. Rahgot in Dovahzul means “Anger”. This mask grants a massive boost to stamina.

Visage of Mzund

A unique Dwarven helmet found in the Dwarven ruin of Fahlbtharz. This helmet grants an immense boost to stamina as well as a large steamy breath attack known as the Breath of Nchuak.

Vokun

A steel mask worn by the Dragon Priest Vokun in High Gate Ruins. Vokun in Dovahzul means “Shadow”. This mask makes Conjuration, Alteration, and Illusion spells cost 20% less magicka to cast.

Zahkriisos

A mask worn by the Dragon Priest in Bloodskal Barrow. Zahkriisos in Dovahzul means “Blood-Sword”. This mask grants a 50% resistance to enemy shock spells and a 25% boost to the wearer’s shock spells.

Unique Heavy Armor Chestpieces

Ebony Mail

A unique piece of ebony armor made by Boethiah, the Daedric Prince of deceit and treachery. This was the first piece of ebony armor created when ebony was first made when the blood of Lorkhan’s heart poured out. This armor grants resistances to magical attacks, magical protection against melee attacks, and makes the wearer almost invisible when sneaking and creates a passive aura that slowly kills close enemies via poison.

Clothing

As you can imagine, there are several articles of clothing, some granting magical effects. Here is an extensive list of enchanted clothing in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, clothing can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Clothing Sets

Cicero’s Clothes

The clothes that the Dark Brotherhood jester we all love or hate wears.

Here are the effects of these clothes.

• Cicero’s Clothes: Grants better prices from merchants and increases one-handed attack damage

• Cicero’s Boots: Wearer’s footsteps are muffled, allowing them to move silently

• Cicero’s Gloves: Sneak attack damage is doubled

• Cicero’s Hat: Increases sneaking skill significantly (May or may not possess blue cats)

Shrouded Outfit

An outfit worn by some members of the Dark Brotherhood.

Here are the effects.

• Shrouded Hand Wraps: Sneak attack damage is doubled

• Shrouded Hood: Increases sneaking skill significantly

• Shrouded Robes: Destruction spells cost less to cast

• Shrouded Shoes: Wearer’s footsteps are muffled, allowing them to move silently

Unique Robes

Archmage’s Robes

A unique set of robes given to the Dragonborn after becoming the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. These robes lower the magicka cost of all spells by 15%, grant additional magicka, and grant a massive boost to magicka regeneration.

Jewelry

Just because you vigorously slay dragons doesn’t mean you can’t look fashionable doing it. Here is an extensive list of jewelry in Skyrim.

Much like any other piece of equipment in Elder Scrolls, they can be enchanted to various effects.

Unique Circlets

Aetherial Crown

The last of the unique Aetherial artifacts. This circlet allows for the use of two Standing Stones at once. For example, let’s say you activated the Mage Stone and received its effects, then you put on the Aetherial Crown and activated the Lover Stone. Normally, you can only use one Standing Stone ability at a time, but the Aetherial Crown would carry over the last Standing Stone ability you received.

Here is a list of the Standing Stones you can use throughout Skyrim.

Mage’s Circlet

A moonstone circlet awarded to the Dragonborn from the previous Arch-Mage of Winterhold Savos Aren. This circlet grants a large boost to magicka.

Unique Rings

Ahzidal’s Ring of Arcana

One of two rings owned by the Dragon Priest Ahzidal. This ring grants two unique Destruction spells known as Ignite and Freeze. These spells deal overtime fire or ice damage, and this can be stacked, dealing even more damage per second.

Ahzidal’s Ring of Necromancy

The second ring worn by Ahzidal. This ring grants the ability for any undead reanimated by the Dragonborn to explode when hit, dealing immense frost damage.

Ring of Hircine

A Daedric artifact created by Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the hunt. This ring is given to those he finds worthy of the form of a werewolf. Those that he does find worthy are granted the ability to turn into werewolves at will, being able to control their transformations.

Ring of Bloodlust

An enchanted ring sold to the Dragonborn by the lycanthrope Majni at Frostmoon Crag. This ring, while transformed into a werewolf, makes the wearer’s attacks stronger, but also decreases their durability.

Ring of Instinct

An enchanted ring sold to the Dragonborn by the lycanthrope Majni at Frostmoon Crag. This ring slows down time for 20 seconds when turned into a werewolf.

Ring of the Hunt

An enchanted ring sold to the Dragonborn by the lycanthrope Majni at Frostmoon Crag. This ring grants the ability to regenerate health while in werewolf form.

Ring of the Moon

An enchanted ring sold to the Dragonborn by the lycanthrope Majni at Frostmoon Crag. This ring increases the duration of Howls while in werewolf form.

Ring of Namira

A Daedric artifact created by Namira, the Daedric Prince of decay and repulsive creatures. This ring is given to those who do the Mistress’ bidding. This ring can deflect a good bit of melee and attack damage back at an enemy, and give a boost to stamina and the ability to consume corpses to give an increase to health regeneration. Apparently we needed a whole artifact for cannibalism.

Ring of the Beast

One of the two Rings of Blood Magic made for Vampire Lords should the Dragonborn decide to become one. This ring grants a huge boost to health and unarmed attacks.

Ring of the Erudite

The other of the two Rings of Blood Magic made for Vampire Lords should the Dragonborn decide to become one. This ring grants a huge boost to magicka and magicka regeneration.

Unique Amulets

Amulets of the Nine Divines

Amulets blessed by each of the Nine Divines, no matter how much the Thalmor tell you otherwise.

Here is a list of the amulets and their effects.

Amulet of Bats

One of two Amulets of Night Power designed for Vampire Lords. While wearing this amulet in Vampire Lord form, the bats surrounding you will drain life from enemies.

Amulet of Gargoyles

One of two Amulets of Night Power designed for Vampire Lords. While wearing this amulet in Vampire Lord form, your Summon Gargoyle spell will summon an additional gargoyle.

Kyne’s Token

An amulet given to the Dragonborn by the hunter Froki after slaying animal spirits. This amulet grants a 10% resistance to animal attacks as well as a slight increase to bow damage.

Necromancer Amulet

A unique amulet once worn by Mannimarco, the King of Worms. This amulet grants additional magicka and lowers the cost of Conjuration spells, but it lowers health and stamina regeneration by 75%. (If only it wasn’t part of the buggiest quest in the game)

The Gauldur Amulet

An ancient amulet that is formed once all three fragments have been obtained from each of the Gaulderson brothers. This amulet grants a significant boost to health, magicka, and stamina.

Consumables

(Sheogorath will be proud)

Consumables are items that the Dragonborn will ingest either to heal or to give themself a boost in stats.

Food

The first type of consumable is food. The Dragonborn can eat food to restore health or to boost stats. Here is a list of food that can be found in Skyrim.

Potions

Potions are elixirs that the Dragonborn can ingest to restore health, magicka and stamina, or to boost their stats in combat. Here is an extensive list of potions that can be found in Skyrim.

Potions can also be created with an alchemy table. See here for info on alchemy.

Poisons

Poisons are brewed concoctions made for being applied onto weapons for a better effect. Here is an extensive list of poisons found in Skyrim.

Like potions, poisons can also be made on an alchemy table. See here for info on alchemy.

Soul Gems

Soul gems are vessels for whenever the Dragonborn soul traps a poor victim. The Dragonborn can use this filled soul gem to refill the charge on enchanted weapons. Here is a list of soul gems found in Skyrim.

Azura’s Star/Black Star

A Daedric artifact made by Azura, the Daedric Prince of dawn and dusk. This artifact acts as a soul gem with an unlimited amount of uses. Its size within is infinite in scale, which means it can carry any size soul it wants.

The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls are not just the namesake of the franchise but a rather unique macguffin in and of themselves. They are timeless artifacts with no point of origin and no known quantity of which exist. Each one tells of an event, whether historic, present, or future. If the event has not yet come to pass, the Elder Scroll will display all possible futures, pasts, truths, and falsehoods. Once the event has happened, by the act of a “Hero”, the Elder Scroll’s text will solidify, and become unchangeable by any known magic in existence. It is stated that the scrolls can also look into higher and non-linear directions of time, as stated by Septimus Signus.

The only events an Elder Scroll would be incapable of reading are those that occur within untime and unplace, or dragonbreaks such as the middle dawn. During the Merethic era, the Elder Scroll was used to banish Alduin from time. Of course it should be noted the reason the Elder Scroll was able to be used in this way against Alduin is specifically because of dragons’ relationship with time as children of Akatosh the Time God. 

They also have a tendency to permanently blind whoever looks into them, and the Dragonborn is not fully an exception as they can lose their eyesight for a bit of time before regaining it.

The Dragonborn owns 3 Scrolls, 1 obtained in the base game (pre-ordaining the showdown between Alduin and the Last Dragonborn) and 2 in Dawnguard.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “A macguffin that just tells you about one specific event in time at the cost of your eyesight? What a letdown.” But consider, in a world of chaos where a thousand contradictory truths all exist at once, the Elder Scrolls function as the only glue in the world that makes some particular events objective facts. So in the context of this world, it’s pretty obvious the sheer importance they hold…

…They don’t really add anything to the fight though lol.

Abilities

The Chosen Undead

The Darksign

The Darksign, the sign of the Accursed Undead, allows them to revive at the location of their most recent respite. The Darksign is said by the gods to be changing humanity into the undead hollows they become, but this is ultimately untrue. Hollows are the original form of humanity before Gwyn’s age of fire, when he gave humankind proverbial shackles to look as they do when un-cursed. The Darksign appears when the First Flame weakens, and with it, the shackles are loosened, causing humanity to become immortal once again. 

When the darksign appears on someone, they are unable to permanently die, and will continue down the path of hardship and death, until they are fully cast free of the fire, hollows in their most pure form. Hollowing can be caused by a number of factors, from being killed to losing souls, to even just losing the will to live, or feeling as if you’ve achieved your goal and so have no more motivation.

While Hollows are aggressive and berserk, they are not necessarily less intelligent, as characters like the Hollow Mages are still capable of casting advanced Sorceries when hollow, despite the drastic intelligence required to do so. They simply lose their force of personality, and self. As Yuria of Londor puts it, “a Hollow need not be mad”, and the Hollows of Londor are themselves described as deceitful and able to fool others. This is probably most clear with Lapp/Patches in Dark Souls 3, who, despite being a Hollow, is perfectly sane and understandable, albeit an amnesiac. Souls can be used to stave off the loss of sanity caused by the Undead Curse, and so are ravenously desired by Hollows, with some Hollows draining the souls of others in order to restore their human appearance. It’s also worth noting that Gwyn’s state at the end of Dark Souls 1, after burning himself to sustain the First Flame, is directly compared to a hollow.

The revival of an Undead is nearly instantaneous, taking a few seconds at most, and not requiring any specific thing like a Bonfire to come back. Examples of this include dying in the Undead Asylum in the first game before the bonfire respawning you in your cell, and returning to Firelink Shrine if you have no bonfire set after the tutorial, even if the Bonfire Maiden has been killed by Lautrec. Bonfires are fuelled by humanity, acting as focal points for the power of Fire, and the Undead Curse warps miracles such as Homeward to redirect to Bonfires, possibly explaining why Undead resurrect there. This function of resurrecting at bonfires has been exploited on occasion, such as Seath the Scaleless using it to trap you in a prison cell after killing you by placing a bonfire in the cell. After obtaining the Lordvessel, the Chosen Undead can warp from bonfire to bonfire freely, even to alternate dimensions like the Painted World of Ariamis, or through time such as traveling to the past of Oolacile.

An additional use for the Darksign is, oddly enough, killing one’s self. Be it a situation that isn’t beneficial, or able to be escaped from, or you just don’t want to run all the way back over to the last place you rested, you can utilize the Darksign to just end it, and come back elsewhere.

Humanity

Humanity are all descendants of the Furtive Pygmy, the one who found the Lord Soul of Dark. The Dark Soul seems to have very unique properties that are not fully clear exactly what it controls. The Dark Soul was able to be infinitely divided from person to person, allowing humans to in a way all share the same soul. A Humanity is a fragment of the Dark Soul that nearly every human has but can be easily lost if killed while undead. In essence it’s the purest form of a human soul you can have, and acts as the antithesis to other souls. Humanity can be spent at bonfires to restore a hollowed appearance to a human one and boost one’s stats. Additionally, those with many fragments of humanity, if targeted with soul stealing or sealing abilities, will have their humanity affected before anything else.

Status Effects

There are several negative Status Effects the Chosen Undead can inflict on an opponent. They will be detailed here:

• Poison: Poison is exactly what it sounds like. The Chosen Undead can inflict poison upon their foe, causing their health to drain.

• Toxic: Toxic acts extremely similar to poison however it drains health at a significantly faster rate

• Bleed: By attacking with a bleed weapon, the Chosen Undead can inflict blood loss on an opponent, dealing anywhere from 10% up to 50% of the total health of the target, depending on the weapon used. Bleed can be inflicted regardless of the target's durability and scales to total hp and could work as an effective Durability Negation tool

Magic

Although the Chosen has the option to swing their sword like a barbarian to their heart’s content, they may be inclined to pick up a book or two and learn magic. With the right Attunement and Intelligence, the Chosen can equip a Catalyst and cast a wide variety of sorceries, both offensively and defensively. These include firing off magical volleys from afar, enhancing a current weapon with magic, healing status effects like poison and curses, and even niche uses like making the user temporarily invisible.

Magic is implied to possibly be from the stars:

Astrologists believe that magical powers can be obtained at moments of special heavenly alignment.

Even the collective wisdom of the Melfian Magic Academy cannot pull magic out of the sky, but the ideas of the astrologists led to the creation of new and very useful magic devices.

Some magic like Light spells can warp reality, such as the twisted wall of light:

Lost sorcery from Oolacile, land of ancient golden sorceries. Distorts light in order to deflect magic.

A closely-guarded light manipulation spell that contorts the very fabric of fundamental laws, negating magic by denying its claim to physicality.

Sorcery

Sorcery originated with Seath the Scaleless’ studies. Sorceries are cast by catalysts, which are tied with the caster’s logic. Sorceries appear to also be tied with the power of souls, as originally shown by the Witch of Izalith. Many sorceries inflict magic damage, making them effective against iron armor, tough scales, and other physically resilient materials.

Sorcery Spells

Soul Arrow: Elementary sorcery. Fire a soul arrow. Soul arrows inflict magic damage, making them effective against iron armor, tough scales, and other physically resilient materials.

Great Soul Arrow: Sorcery which improves upon Soul Arrow. Fire strong soul arrow. At the Vinheim Dragon School, the acquisition of this spell marks an apprentice's coronation as a sorcerer.

Heavy Soul Arrow: Soul sorcery emphasizing power. Fire heavy soul arrow. A more powerful, but also slower sorcery. Difficult to use due to a long cool down and a limitation on the number of castings.

Great Heavy Soul Arrow: Sorcery which improves upon Heavy Soul Arrow. Fire strong heavy soul arrow. As difficult to use as Heavy Soul Arrow, but powerful enough to make it well worth it. Adored by certain sorcerers.

Homing Soulmass: Sorcery developed by Big Hat Logan. Fire homing soulmass. Life originates in the soul; no wonder the soulmass draws toward it. This sorcery is a window into seeker Logan's methods.

Homing Crystal Soulmass: Sorcery boosted by the knowledge Logan acquired at the Regal Archives. Fire homing crystal soulmass. The mysteries of souls, crystals, and the sorceries are deeply intertwined.

Soul Spear: Sorcery developed by Big Hat Logan. Fire piercing soul spear. A symbol of Logan's strength, the soul spear is referenced repeatedly in the legends, and is said to be on par with Lord Gwyn's lightning.

Crystal Soul Spear: Sorcery boosted by the knowledge Logan acquired at the Regal Archives. Fire piercing crystal soul spear. These pale magic spears, sharpened through crystallization. are on par with the armaments of the ancient lords.

White Dragon Breath: Sorcery developed by Logan during his infatuation with Seath the Scaleless. Emit crystal breath of Seath the Scaleless. Although it no longer causes curses, what madness caused old Big Hat to appropriate this frightful power of the ancient dragons?

Magic Weapon: Sorcery for casters who wield swords. Magic augmentation: right weapon. The power of the magic swordsmen of Vinheim is predicated upon this and Magic Shield. Many warriors learn sorcery just for this.

Great Magic Weapon: Sorcery which improves upon Magic Weapon. High magic augmentation: right weapon. At Vinheim Dragon School, only magic swordsmen on special orders are allowed to learn this spell which grants powerful augmentation to various weapons.

Crystal Magic Weapon: Sorcery boosted by the knowledge Logan acquired at the Regal Archives. High magic + crystallization: right weapon. Logan's trials were successful, and the crystal medium facilitated a stronger bond between weapon and soul.

Magic Shield: Sorcery for casters who wield swords. Magic augmentation: left shield. Shields augmented by magic are resistant to magic attacks and have higher stability. This spell makes it possible to challenge powerful foes with a small shield.

Strong Magic Shield: Sorcery which improves upon Magic Shield. High magic augmentation: left shield. At Vinheim Dragon School, only magic swordsmen on special orders are allowed to learn this spell which grants temporary strength to greatshields.

Aural Decoy: Sorcery used by playful sorcerers. Lure enemies away by creating a sound originating in the distance. This spell is not the first choice for serious sorcerers, but it has a surprising amount of applications, some of them extremely effective.

Hush: Sorcery developed by a certain surreptitious sorcerer at Vinheim Dragon School. Masks all noises of the caster. Effectively, Vinheim is controlled by the Dragon School, and it is no wonder that the town has its share of dark secrets.

Fall Control: Sorcery developed by a certain surreptitious sorcerer at Vinheim Dragon School. Reduce damage and noise from fall. This sorcery, along with Hush, explains the extravagant cost of hiring Vinheim spooks.

Hidden Weapon: Ancient sorcery of the lost land of Oolacile. Turn the right weapon invisible. Not a simple augmentation, making it dependent on the skill of its caster. An example of the capacity of Oolacile sorceries to control light.

Hidden Body: Ancient sorcery of the lost land of Oolacile. Turns the body nearly invisible. Although perfect invisibility is unachievable due to the risk of dissipation, the caster need only stand still for a moment to blend into environments with astounding camouflage.

Repair: Ancient sorcery of the lost land of Oolacile. Repair equipped weapons and armor. This sorcery was part of everyday life in Oolacile. Its effects resemble Repair Powder, which must have found its way into the culture of this lost land.

Cast Light: Ancient sorcery of the lost land of Oolacile. Cast a bright light upon surroundings. This light-producing sorcery is elementary but nonetheless demonstrates the achievements in mysticism of Oolacile. Such magic has not been developed even in Vinheim.

Chameleon: Ancient sorcery of the lost land of Oolacile. Transform into something inconspicuous. A separate stealth spell from Hidden Body. A skilled stealth sorcerer must be aware of his or her surroundings and of which objects are prime candidates for imitation.

Remedy: Sorcery of the red-robed Yulva, one of the Sealers of New Londo. Reduce bleeding and poison build-up, and undo various poisonous effects. One of the New Londo's unique healing sorceries. Perhaps she abandoned her Sealer duty to take her healing arts back to Blighttown.

Resist Curse: Sorcery of the red-robed remedician. Ingward, guardian of the seal in New Londo. Sacrifice humanity to undo curse. Abhorrent curses eat away at the core of one's very existence, and cleansing oneself of curses is no easy task indeed.

Dark Orb: Abyss sorcery discovered by an Oolacile sorcerer on the brink of madness. Fire giant Dark Orb. In contrast to standard soul sorceries, Abyss sorceries are weighty and inflict physical damage. Perhaps human souls, because of their humanity, produce sorceries with a more tangible presence.

Dark Bead: Abyss sorcery discovered by an Oolacile sorcerer on the brink of madness. Fire successive Dark Orbs. In contrast to standard soul sorceries, Abyss sorceries are weighty and inflict physical damage. Perhaps a human soul is closer to matter in its humanity.

Dark Fog: Abyss sorcery discovered by an Oolacile sorcerer on the brink of madness. Create a cloud of Dark Fog. Although Dark Fog is, in theory, relatively close to humanity, it also happens to be a terrible poison for humans. Perhaps it reflects man's cruelty against his own.

Pursuers: Sorcery of Manus, Father of the Abyss. Grant a fleeting will to the Dark of humanity, and volley the result. The will feels envy, or perhaps love, and despite the inevitably trite and tragic ending, the will sees no alternative, and is driven madly toward its target.

Pyromancy

The Chosen Undead can equip a Pyromancy Flame to cast spells known as pyromancies. These spells, unlike sorceries and miracles, require no stat investment except for the attunement necessary to memorize them. Despite the name and the fact most spells in this class manipulate fire to cause damage, some pyromancies can also have varied effects such as granting enhanced defenses in exchange for limited mobility, or casting deadly poison in the air.

Pyromancy Spells

Fireball: Standard pyromancy of the Great Swamp. Hurl a fireball with a very small blast radius. The fire damage caused by fireballs makes them effective against corporeal beasts and Undead, who by nature fear flame.

Fire Orb: Pyromancy which improves upon Fireball. Hurl fire orb. The flaming fire orb explodes 

upon impact, causing fire splash damage in a spectacle which seems to symbolize the strength of the fire-manipulating pyromancers.

Great Fireball: Ultimate fireball pyromancy. Hurl giant fireball. Salaman the Master Pyromancer, also called Great Fireball after this spell, believed pyromancy was rooted in an adoration of fire. Those who acquire this spell usually agree.

Great Chaos Fireball: Art of the Flame of Chaos, which engulfed the Witch of Izalith and her daughters. Hurl giant chaos fireball. The Flames of Chaos can melt stone, producing a short-lived lava glob.

Firestorm: Primal pyromancy taught by Quelana of Izalith. Erect fire pillars in the vicinity. The storm of flame is indiscriminate, and incinerates all nearby life.

Fire Tempest: Primal pyromancy of Quelana of Izalith. Erect giant fire pillars in the vicinity. The tempestuous raging flames resemble those summoned by the Daughters of Chaos when they challenged the ancient dragons and scorched the very earth.

Chaos Storm: Art of the Flame of Chaos, which engulfed the Witch of Izalith and her daughters. Erect localized chaos fire pillars and leave localized pools of lava in their wake.

Combustion: Elementary pyromancy. Create powerful flame in hand. One of the most basic pyromancies. For this very reason, the flame thus created is fierce.

Great Combustion: Pyromancy which improves upon Combustion. Create a powerful, giant flame in hand. Great Combustion creates a powerful flame, but many sorcerers mock the simplicity of this spell.

Fire Surge: Pyromancy foreign of the Great Swamp. Creates a surge of flame from palm to hand.

Fire Whip: Primal pyromancy taught by Quelana of Izalith. Sweep foes with a fire whip. The root pyromancy of Combustion, but much more difficult to wield.

Chaos Fire Whip: Art of the Flame of Chaos, which engulfed the Witch of Izalith and her daughters. Sweep foes with chaos fire whip. This spell was wielded by the eldest of The Daughters of Chaos.

Poison Mist: Unique pyromancy crafted by Eingyi, considered a heretic even at the Great Swamp. Create poison mist.

Toxic Mist: Unique pyromancy crafted by Eingyi, considered a heretic even at the Great Swamp. Create intense poison mist.

Acid Surge: Pyromancy foreign to the Great Swamp. Emit acid which corrodes weapons and armor.

Flash Sweat: Pyromancy of Carmina, who harnessed the power of flame to actualize the inner-self. Intense sweating reduces flame damage.

Iron Flesh: Pyromancy of Carmina, who harnessed the power of flame to actualize the inner-self. Iron flesh boosts defense and resilience. Use of this pyromancy requires caution, as the caster becomes exceedingly heavy and unable to move freely.

Power Within: Pyromancy of Carmina, who harnessed the power of flame to actualize the inner-self. Short strength/endurance boost, but lose HP. Excessive power eats away the life-force of its caster, and like all dangerous spells, Power Within was kept secret for eons.

Undead Rapport: Advanced pyromancy of Quelana of Izalith. Charm Undead and gain temporary allies. The living are lured by flame, and this relationship is part and parcel to the art of pyromancy. 

Black Flame: A pyromancy discovered from the Dark of the Abyss by a pyromancer who wandered Oolacile. Conjure a great black flame in one's palm. Black flames are weighty, and inflict physical damage, enough to smack away the mightiest of the shields.

Miracles

No magic system is complete without the support spell class, and that's the role that miracles play in Dark Souls for the most part. By equipping a talisman and having enough faith, the Chosen Undead has access to a variety of spells that include not only several healing options, but also some offensive spells that mostly deal lightning damage.

From what is understood from the different passages related to the miracle spells in Dark Souls these spells work off of faith rather than knowledge. Faith in this regard being belief in a way for Miracles work from knowing stories of gods, past acts of valor, or even just knowing time periods and saying a verse/prayer in relation to the story to have belief in to bring the effects of that story into the present moment.

Miracle Spells

Heal: Elementary miracle cast by clerics. Restores HP. To cast a miracle, the caster learns a tale of the Gods, and says a prayer to be blessed by its revelations. Heal is the shortest of such miraculous tales.

Great Heal Excerpt: Great miracle cast by advanced clerics. Restores high HP. Great Heal Excerpt borrows from only several verses of Great Heal. As a result, it can only be cast a stark few times.

Great Heal: Great miracle cast by advanced clerics. Restores high HP. Great Heal is a long tale, only learned by a select few. No caster will be disappointed by the bountiful life it yields.

Soothing Sunlight: Special miracle granted to the maidens of Gwynevere, Princess of the Sun. Restores high HP for self and vicinity. The miracles of Gwynevere, the princess cherished by all, grant their blessing to a great many warriors.

Replenishment: Common miracle amongst cleric knights. Gradual HP restoration. Beware of the cleric knight blessed by Replenishment, for he shall not fall easily.

Bountiful Sunlight: Special miracle granted to the maidens of Gwynevere, Princess of the Sun. Gradual HP restoration for self and vicinity. The miracles of Gwynevere, the princess cherished by all, grant their blessing to a great many warriors.

Force: Common miracle among cleric knights. Creates shockwaves. This quickly-acting miracle inflicts no damage, but propels foes back and defends against arrows. Cleric knights use this miracle when charging into enemy mobs.

Wrath of the Gods: Primal form of Force. Create powerful shockwaves. Wrath of the Gods was an epic tale that tattered into the modern Force. This primal form of Force emits a shockwave that also emits damage.

Emit Force: Outland miracle, foreign to the Way of White. Emits a shockwave. Considered an alternate branching of Force. Emits an expanding shockwave orb.

Magic Barrier: Miracle of Bishop Havel the Rock. Cover body in defensive magic coating. This coating greatly boosts magic defense, assisting warriors who must face the magic which Bishop Havel countered so proficiently.

Great Magic Barrier: Miracle of Bishop Havel the Rock. Cover body in powerful def. magic coating. Havel the Rock, an old battlefield compatriot of Lord Gwyn, was the sworn enemy of Seath the Scaleless. He despised magic, and made certain to devise means of counteraction.

Homeward: Great miracle cast by advanced clerics. Returns the user to the last bonfire rested at. Would normally link to one's homeland, only the curse of the Undead has distorted its power, redirecting casters to a bonfire. Or perhaps for Undead, this serves as home?

Seek Guidance: Miracle of Clerics on an Undead mission. Display more guidance from other worlds. Guidance facilitates communication between Undead, but their value varies greatly. A balance of faith and wisdom is required.

Karmic Justice: Miracle of the black-haired witch Velka. Temporary autocounter vs. heavy damage. For each sin there is a punishment, and it is the task of Goddess Velka to define the sin, and mete out the punishment.

Vow of Silence: Secret rite of black-haired witch Velka. Prevents casting of magic within the affected area. Velka, the Goddess of Sin, is a rogue deity, but she is versed in arts both new and old, and is considered to have a great range of influence even as gods are concerned.

Tranquil Walk of Peace: Outland miracle, foreign to the Way of White Slows all walking within the affected area. This miracle is normally used to flee, as it slows walking but does not affect attacks, but nevertheless defines peace perfectly.

Lightning Spear: Miracle passed down to those bound by the Warrior of Sunlight covenant. Hurl Lightning spear. Lightning spears inflict rare lightning damage, and are very effective against magic, fire, and most of all, dragons.

Great Lightning Spear: Miracle passed down by those bound to the Warrior of Sunlight covenant. Hurl giant lightning spear. The weapon of the God of War, who inherited the sunlight of Lord Gwyn, but had respect only for arms, and nothing else.

Sunlight Spear: Miracle born from the fading soul of Gwyn. Hurl sunlight spear. In the war that marked the dawn of the Age of Fire, Gwyn wielded these rays of sunlight, which remain fierce even as they fade.

Sunlight Blade: Miracle wielded by Lord Gwyn's firstborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Sun. The power of sunlight, manifested as lightning, is very effective against dragons.

Darkmoon Blade: Miracle granted to those bound by covenant to Gwyndolin, Lord Gwyn's lastborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Darkmoon. The power of the rays of the Darkmoon are manifested in vengeance, and the deeper the animus, the more devastating the attack.

Gravelord Sword Dance: Miracle known only by the servants of the first dead, Gravelord Nito. Giant Gravelord swords jut out in the vicinity.

Gravelord Greatsword Dance: Miracle known only by the servants of the first dead, Gravelord Nito. Giant Gravelord swords jut out in the vicinity. Many have died, and many eyes were claimed to realize the Greatsword Dance, a Gravelord ritual known only by his closest servants.

Summons

Due to the First Flame dying out, time in Lordran has become distorted and non-linear, allowing warriors from other worlds to cross over and meet each other. Through the use of a White Sign  Soapstone, these warriors can be summoned and lend themselves as aid to the Chosen Undead in key boss battles. 

This feature is primarily used for the game’s online multiplayer function, allowing different players to co-operate in combat, but summon signs can also be used to summon certain NPCs for difficult fights as phantoms. This feature being standard is debatable, as the Chosen Undead cannot control where the summon sign for an NPC is, and the character in-question has to choose to help the Chosen Undead themselves, making it perhaps more akin to outside help, but it’s still worth noting.

Solaire of Astora

The fan-favorite Warrior of Sunlight, known for his friendly attitude and his message of jolly cooperation on his quest to find his own sun. Solaire is perhaps the first friend you make in the game, and the one who introduces you to the summoning mechanic, while also being a capable warrior. Solaire can be summoned as an ally for the battles against the Bell Gargoyles, the Gaping Dragon, Ornstein and Smough, and the Centipede Demon, using his Sunlight Straight Sword and Lightning Spear miracle to deal damage while healing himself with Great Heal.

Infamously, Solaire will be infested by a Sunlight Maggot on his quest to find his sun, forcing the player to kill him. If the Chosen Undead manages to save him through a specific process, he can be summoned for the final battle in the game against Gwyn. The director and main creative behind the series, Hidetaka Miyazaki, confirmed in an interview that if Solaire is summoned for the battle against Gwyn, he will go on to link the flame in his own world, in a way finding his sun.

Lautrec of Carim

An off-putting knight devoted to the goddess Fina, Lautrec can be rescued by the player from his imprisonment in the Undead Parish, after which he can be summoned against the Bell Gargoyles and the Gaping Dragon. He wields twin Shotels and a parrying dagger to great effect, and also carries a Red Tearstone Ring, boosting his strength when near-death. Later in the game, he will turn on the player, forcing the Chosen Undead to kill him.

Black Iron Tarkus

A powerful warrior who died before the events of the game trying to reach Anor Londo, his phantom can be summoned in the boss battle against the Iron Golem. He uses his greatsword and high levels of health to cleave right through the boss, and is even capable of defeating the Iron Golem on his own if you let him.

Maneater Mildred

As you might guess from the name, Maneater Mildred is a cannibalistic warrior who eviscerates enemies with her Butcher’s Knife. While initially appearing as a hostile red phantom, after being defeated by the Chosen Undead she can be summoned as an ally against Chaos Witch Quelaag.

Witch Beatrice

Beatrice is a rogue witch who doesn’t hail from the Vinheim Dragon School like most, and died on her journey through the Abyss. Her phantom can be summoned against the Moonlight Butterfly in Darkroot Garden and the Four Kings in the Abyss, where she will cast the spells Homing Soulmass and Great Heavy Soul Arrow with her catalyst.

Paladin Leeroy

The first undead produced by the Way of White, Leeroy set out to Lordran on the first undead mission of the Way of White. While he later appears as a hostile invading red phantom, he can first be summoned as an ally against Pinwheel, where he uses his massive iron hammer Grant to smash through the boss, and is also able to heal with Great Heal or create powerful shockwaves with Wrath of the Gods. It’s Pinwheel though, so you shouldn’t need to summon him unless you’re Jerma.

Great Grey Wolf Sif

Sif was the loyal ally and pet of the legendary Knight Artorias, who journeyed alongside its master into the Abyss. While Artorias was ultimately corrupted and fell, he managed to create a barrier around Sif to protect it from the Abyss’s corruption. Over the years, Sif grew to massive size as it protected its master’s grave, emulating his movements with a sword in its mouth. While the Chosen Undead is unfortunately forced to kill Sif on their journey, in the final battle against Manus, a younger version of Sif can be summoned as an ally, where it will use the sword in its mouth to deal some fitting vengeance.

Resistances

The Chosen Undead should have resistance to Mind Manipulation, as they are completely immune to the effects of the pyromancy called “Rapport” which manipulates the minds of its targets and forces them to attack their allies. The Chosen Undead can also fight Seath and survive magic capable of unmaking the consciousness of its targets. Can constantly switch between Human and Hollow with no ill effects, and is noted as having an abnormally high resistance to Hollowfication which allows them to maintain their sanity and free will even as a full Hollow. Nearly every other person who has gone Hollow is depicted as having parts of their memories erased after each death until they are driven mad and lose their free will.

They also have limited resistance to transmutation, as there are ways in game to increase your “curse resistance”. Curse is a status effect that transforms the target to stone and would be transmutation, however it is worth noting that it is impossible to reach 100% immunity to curse. There is a spell called “Chameleon” which transforms the Chosen Undead into an object, however they are fully capable of moving around and transforming back while an object. Traditional transmutation also does not bypass their respawn mechanic and is not a viable win condition against the Chosen Undead.

Human Undead like the Chosen Undead are capable of surviving and resurrecting even after having their soul ripped out.

The Chosen Undead can traverse the Poison Bogs of the Blighttown Swamp and Lost Izalith Pit without getting poisoned.

The Chosen Undead is able to walk through active fire with minimal damage and can traverse the active lava fields of Lost Izalith with little issue.

The Bloodshield grants 50% increased resistances to Magic, Fire, Lightning, Poison, and Curse.

The Last Dragonborn

Magic

As established in the cosmology section, Magic is a fundamental force which descends from Aetherius to bind the world together and give it shape. To utilize magickal power to impose your will upon reality itself. 

It is easy to confuse Illusion and Alteration. Both schools of magic attempt to create what is not there. The difference is in the rules of nature. Illusion is not bound by them, while Alteration is. This may seem to indicate that Alteration is the weaker of the two, but this is not true. Alteration creates a reality that is recognized by everyone. Illusion's reality is only in the mind of the caster and the target.

To master Alteration, first accept that reality is a falsehood. There is no such thing. Our reality is a perception of greater forces impressed upon us for their amusement. Some say that these forces are the gods, others that they are something beyond the gods. For the wizard, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the appeal couched in a manner that cannot be denied. It must be insistent without being insulting.

To cast Alteration spells is to convince a greater power that it will be easier to change reality as requested than to leave it alone. Do not assume that these forces are sentient. Our best guess is that they are like wind and water. Persistent but not thoughtful. Just like directing the wind or water, diversions are easier than outright resistance. Express the spell as a subtle change and it is more likely to be successful.

This is corroborated in a recent loremaster’s archive, where a mage describes himself as a “willworker” who uses magic to change reality with the sheer strength of his personality.

An excellent question from Artun, descendant of Itamen! Casting a spell is the act of channeling magicka from within your personal reserves, through your mind and will, into the world. I quite like the appellation “willworker,” actually. It’s a direct way to describe my profession. My brother is a person who farms, therefore he introduces himself as a farmer. I am a person who works via my will. Therefore, a willworker.

The act of changing reality itself with the strength of your personality is exhausting. Every novice mage quickly discovers this upon attempting even the most basic of incantations. The personal reserve of magicka novice mages possess is quite small, and it takes some time for this reserve to recover. As a weathered old hand at this hand-waving nonsense, my reserve is exceptional. But not infinite!

Interestingly, this mage also notes that things such as gestures and incantations truthfully aren’t necessary for a mage to use magic. They are only done as subjective mechanisms for the caster to help visualize what exactly they are doing. 

And so, just like even the most junior of mages, I make use of techniques to ground my mind and thinking. To connect with the magic quickly and efficiently. In particular I find that “magic words” are an excellent way to get the magicka flowing. I greatly enjoy coming up with new ones, and find that simple and repeated magics benefit greatly from this technique.

As for why arcanists in particular are prone to hand-waving and logograms, I suspect that has to do with the origin of our power. Apocrypha, if you’ve never been, is a place where undercurrents of power flow quite freely. Arcanist magic is no more or less “powerful” from a subjective point of view, but as magicka flows through my mind, it does so with a vim and vigor I’m not sure other spellcasters regularly experience.

The Dovahkiin gains access to a variety of spells through their journey. 

• Armor Spells such as Dragonhide, which increases the caster’s damage resistance.

• Detect Life which can reveal lifeforms within its radius. Detect Dead is an undead counterpart to this.

• Paralyze Spells which temporarily paralyzes the target.

• Conjuration Spells which can summon magical creatures, as well as weapons.

• Reanimate Spells which can raise a corpse to fight for the Dovahkiin. 

• Fire Spells, varying in intensity up to the level of creating massive blazing vortexes.

• Shock Spells that inflict damage on magicka and health, which can be used to produce storms that disintegrate targets at higher levels.

• Frost Spells which depletes health and stamina, and can create blizzards.

• Whirlwind Cloak a spell that can toss enemies back when they come within melee range.

• Invisibility Spells that make the caster imperceptible.

• Fear Spells which force enemies to flee the battle.

• Calm Spells that force the target to cease fighting.

• Healing Spells which can restore both health and stamina

• Ward Spells that erect magical barriers to defend against physical and magical attacks

• Sun Spells that can inflict sunfire damage with added efficiency against undead

• Turn Undead Spells force undead to flee 

They also gain access to special magics as a vampire.

• Vampiric Drain, a spell that can siphon an opponent’s life force from a distance

• Vampire’s Seduction, a very potent mind control ability as it can forcefully dominate the will of a moth priest. A moth priest is one who has trained to read the Elder Scrolls, an act which can culminate in madness and blindness as the scrolls overload the mind with visions of all possible pasts and futures, with the further implication that this is done by the power of the Divines directly. 

• Embrace of Shadows, a spell which can be used to turn oneself invisible

For a more extensive list of spells the Dovahkiin has access to, see this page.

Prisoner Physiology

The Prisoner is described as being a powerful mythic figure, and a loophole in time. We shall begin elaborating on the implications of the prisoner and their status within the world of the Elder Scrolls.

How does one eat the world? (2011-01-18)

When you consider a place like Tamriel, sometimes it's best to take titles literally. Alduin is the World-Eater. It's not going to be "the end of all *life* as we know it," leaving a barren wasteland of Earthbone dirt... it's going to be the whole of Nirn inside his mighty gullet.

"None shall survive" has been a calling card for awhile, but that was only a hint to the more extensive "Nothing will survive."

Unless, of course, there's a loophole. Say, something like the someone called the Dovakhiin happening to show up..."born under uncertain stars to uncertain parents." (An aside for extra credit: what in the Aurbis makes the Prisoner such a powerful mythic figure?)

Sotha Sil elaborates on the nature of the Prisoner, even referring to the Vestige by that title. He describes the Prisoner as one who can perceive the chains of causality and time that bind everyone in the Godhead’s dream, while also being able to know the door which permits their escape. Due to their nature, a Prisoner has the ability to free the world. 

Sotha Sil also states that the prisoner wields “great power, making reality of metaphor”. This is a common saying used to describe the nature of Tonal Magic, others being “myth made manifest” or “metaphor made manifest”. As elaborated on in the section on Thu’um, Tones are a fundamental component that pervades across all reality, and Tonal Magic is the manipulation of these tones. He is saying that the Prisoner is itself a concept that can alter the Aurbis’ fundamental tones, likely through their actions. 

"I have preparations to make outside my Clockwork realm. You must stay vigilant. Take heed of any Daedric incursions and stand ready to fight.

The Prisoner wields great power, making reality of metaphor. We will need you before the end."

Why do you keep calling me the Prisoner?

"A fool's hope, perhaps. I should explain.

Look around you. All of this exists because it must exist. I stand here, in this place, in this moment, not because I wish to, but because I have to. A result of action and consequence."

So wouldn't that make you the prisoner?

"Clever... but incorrect.

The Prisoner must apprehend two critical insights. First, they must face the reality of their imprisonment. They must see the determinative walls - the chains of causality that bind them to their course."

You haven't done that?

"I have. But I fall short of the second insight.

The Prisoner must see the door to their cell. They must gaze through the bars and perceive that which exists beyond causality. Beyond time. Only then can they escape."

You don't see the door?

"I see only unsteady walls.

If the people of Tamriel must exist inside this cell. I will make sure that the walls are stable, the gaps are sealed, and all who remain stay safe within it."

I have no other questions.

"I've met few heroes like you. Very few. I take this matter of the Triad upon myself, but in truth, you may be the one that saves us. The Prisoner who frees the world. We shall see. Farewell."

The Vestige is referred to in their quest as a “wound in time” that shouldn’t exist, and a being outside all possipoints. 

"It is good to see you again. And I do see you, in my own way. You are a wound in time, a tear in reality that shouldn't exist and cannot long endure."

"Beginning entity analysis. Error. Entity exists outside known possipoints. Transitioning to general reception array. Hello."

The Nerevarine’s prisoner status speaks of them also being born to uncertain stars, uncertain parents, coming as either male or female and wearing inconstant likeness. This becomes most prominent in Landfall, when they are said to be “quantum-vibrating” too quickly to discern their race.

Though stark-born to sire uncertain,

His aspect marks his certain fate.

Wicked stalk him, righteous curse him.

Prophets speak, but all deny.

On a certain day to uncertain parents

Incarnate moon and star reborn.

'The ruling king is to stand against me and then before me. He is to learn from my punishment. I will mark him to know. He is to come as male or female. I am the form he must acquire.

PIC 1: Through the breach, the gigantic form of Akulakhan looks down at all of us, unreadable hope in its eyes. Its third eye is open, with the barely discernable head of the Nerevarine serving as its pilot, the gender and race either indistinct or, if you prefer to render it this way: simply just "quantum-vibrating" too fast to tell. 

The Prisoner being unbound by the chains of time and predetermination is corroborated by the many statements in existence describing the nature of Heroes, and how they record their own paths in the Elder Scrolls. The Hero is necessary for the “moment” to occur, for they are the ones who ultimately cause it and fix it in time. 

Each event is preceded by Prophecy. But without the hero, there is no Event.

Moth Sister Arminus, it has been said that the Elder Scrolls can pierce the veil of Time, that they contain the prophecies of every major event on Nirn. To my knowledge, there must also be a hero to meet each of those events. I wonder, then, as someone who has studied the Scrolls, do you know if the hero—or their soul—is bound to the Elder Scrolls? Is this hero as constant as the events and prophecies foretold by the Scrolls?

Many speak of 'heroes' as if they were born great and the key roles of history were fated to be enacted by them. But is that so? A careful study of the Scrolls leads me to believe that no mortal is 'born great,' but that a person becomes a Hero by making choices and taking actions other mortals refuse. The Scrolls do not select such people, but they do record and reflect their actions, and note the difference made thereby.

‘When you wake up, I will still listen. I'm sorry I left, but hey, I'm still right up here. And my mnemoli? They show up every now and then, and collect all the songs you've made since the last time around. The last real moment.’ The Mnemoli? They're the keepers of the Elder Scrolls. They cannot be fixed until seen. And they cannot be seen until a moment. And you, your Hero, makes that moment.”

A deeper meaning is meant, too, but not very many laymen bother with that. Until a prophecy is fulfilled, the true contents of an Elder Scroll are malleable, hazy, uncertain. Only by the Hero's action does it become True. The Hero is literally the scribe of the next Elder Scroll, the one in which the prophecy has been fulfilled into a fixed point, negating its precursor.

The Prisoner is a being not bound by cause or consequence. Their placement outside linear time and causality grants them a paradoxical status where they are every race, every class, and doing every action simultaneously. Their actions add to the very tones that compose the Aurbis, and they are responsible for writing the elder scrolls and fixing the event in time. 

The Dragonborn, like all other mainline Elder Scrolls Protagonists, is a Prisoner. For a deeper, more theoretical breakdown refer to this.

Shezarrine

Like Tiber Septim and Pelinal Whitestrake, The Dovahkiin is a Shezarrine. There are various story moments and dialogues which allude to this truth, such as them being referred to as “Hjalti”, Tiber Septim’s original Breton name. 

"Hjalti? Is that you? I've been waiting."

"I fought by your side. To take back the Reach from the savages."

"Do you remember me now, Hjalti?"

They are also given the title of “Ysmir”, a name which has been used to refer to both Wulfharth (Who is one third of the Spetim Enantiomorph), and Pelinal (Who has also been called a Shezzarine). 

Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok. (You have) become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Remember these words.

The Dovahkiin is capable of sitting on Shor’s throne, and as they enter the hall of valor, Ysgramor states that Shor has commanded them to sheathe their blades and stay in place. However, the ancient tongues await The Dovahkiin’s own command to join them in the battle against Alduin, directly implying that the Dovahkiin is an avatar of Shor, due to their shared authority.

"By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not the vale's dark mist. But three await your word to loose their fury upon the perilous foe. Gormlaith the fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the valiant, heavy-handed warrior; Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim."

In the dragon break of the middle dawn, the laws of the Aedra were removed as Mundus was thrust into untime and unplace. However, Mannimarco states there were multiple beings who were able to maintain themselves in the chaos, among them being Ysmir, Pelinal Whitestrake and Arnand The Fox, with Mannimarco even going further to identify Arnand with Arctus, another Shezarrine and a third of the Septim enantiomorph. 

The Shezarrine is able to remain stable and without any issue as the concepts of time, space, math, logic, life, death, etc. are removed from Mundus. 

“The Three Thieves of Morrowind could tell you where they were. So could the High King of Alinor, who was the one who broke it in the first place. There are others on this earth that could, too: Ysmir, Pelinal, Arnand the Fox or should I say Arctus? The Last Dwarf would talk, if they would let him. As for myself, I was here and there and here again, like the rest of the mortals during the Dragon Break. How do you think I learned my mystery? The Maruhkati Selectives showed us all the glories of the Dawn so that we might learn, simply: as above, so below.”

Thu’um

To begin elaborating on Thu’um, we must first establish its origin, and ultimately the nature of function. It is said that Kyne gifted the Nords the ability to shout, and this was not an ability that originated from her, but in fact a subset of another ability. 

Also, contrary to popular belief, the Thu’um may have been granted to the Nords by Kyne, but it did not originate with her. Rather, the Thu’um is a special subset of a greater power, and one of the weaker ones at that.

This “greater power” being referred to is in fact Tonal Magic, an ability which the Dwemer utilized by the name of Tonal Architecture. All reality within the Godhead’s dream is composed of Tones which emerged from the Godhead’s primal wail at the beginning of the dream, and existence can be analogized to a song, which the Tonal Architects manipulated with their instruments. In doing so they could shape reality through the use of archetypes, myths, and metaphors. 

What's with all the musical connotations behind Elder Scrolls? You said that tonal architecture is similar to synaesthesia, but there's obviously something greater at play here.

 Tamriel. Starry Heart. That whole fucking thing is a song. It was made either out of 12 planets, or from two brothers that split in the womb. Either way, it's the primal wail and those that grew up on it - they can't help but hear it, and add to it, or try to control it, or run from it. The reason there IS music on Tamriel at ALL is because it exists. It was and is and it will not stop.

There are repeats in it; plays on a tune. Variations. And most likely Magnus? (He's the one that made the fucker, and now that's why he looks back on it, every single day, that's his promise.

"When you wake up, I will still listen. I'm sorry I left, but hey, I'm still right up here. And my mnemoli? They show up every now and then, and collect all the songs you've made since the last time around. The last real moment."

The Mnemoli? They're the keepers of the Elder Scrolls. They cannot be fixed until seen. And they cannot be seen until a moment. And you, your hero, makes that moment.

As in "mythopoeic enchantments" which is what Kagrenac was supposedly doing with the tools. Would appear to mean, "shaping reality by means of altering archetypes and myth."

Lawrence: There have been various statements in lore about where it is located, but really that's more about ways to get to it, rather than where it can be found. So where it is really? It's in a more metaphorical location than physical, really, because it's a metaphor made manifest. It’s both a reality and a replication of reality at the same time. There, that's clear isn't it?

Notably, the descriptor “Myth / Metaphor made manifest” is spoken of by a Dragon in reference to the Mask of Alkosh. Notably the draconic words he speaks translates to “Legend, Bring, Touch”. 

Nahfahlaar: "Zoor drun qalos. Myth made manifest. A trick of the mask and nothing more."

The power intrinsic to words and the tones they produce is also stated elsewhere to be intrinsically magical, and likely some faint and forgotten power that existed during the “pre-dawn” time. The Thu’um would naturally be an extension of this supposed “pre-dawn” power as it operates under the same principles of words of power. 

Are languages in Tamriel more than a convenient means of communication? Throughout my studies, particularly in my ongoing research of the mysterious runestones, a theme of language explicitly interconnected with magic has surfaced with frequency that cannot be ignored. Is the very act of casting ideas into words an invocation? I present here evidence that may just support this admittedly radical position, which I hope the Sapiarchs of the Crystal Tower will be enticed to expound upon or refute.

Let us begin with the runestones of Enchanting. Each is marked with a symbol consisting of syllables arranged together. Alone, a rune is inert, but magical potential is unleashed when combined with others in the appropriate syntax. The full form, the complete expression, conveys magic. One does not even need to fully understand the language to unlock the power it contains—not enough words exist or are known to truly speak it, but by studying glyphs and combining runestones, it is possible to grasp enough of the raw concepts to utilize it. The language itself is undeniably connected in a fundamental way to magical energies, though its origin remains a mystery.

As an aside for prospective students of Enchanting, do not become discouraged when you encounter a rune you are unable to decipher. Only through repetition of words and phrases you have learned and the extraction of runes from glyphs will you obtain the knowledge you need to master more difficult runes. Be patient and work with other students to create and deconstruct glyphs to gain more insight into their interplay and true meaning.

Language, specifically the written word, is also of critical importance to the Altmer. Not only does it preserve our history, but it captures and defines our auspicious lineage and ensures that every Mer knows his or her place in the hierarchy. It is no accident that Altmeri society is the most orderly and structured in Tamriel—it is the will of Xarxes himself. The scholar-priests of the divine scribe, secretive though they are, are said to preserve an ancient tongue long forgotten to any but their order. In Helaameril's "Conversations with the Etymon-Binders," an anonymous scribe hints at tomes capable of producing tastes, smells, dancing images, and texts that can be read by any gazing upon them—even the unlettered. Another form of word-magic, if Helaameril is to be believed.

Consider even what may seem mundane: the speech of a great general upon the morn of battle that rouses his troops to perform incredible deeds, the songs of a master bard that inspire emotion, the calming tone of a mother to her child. Are there traces of magic in everyday exertions of will through speech or writing? It seems possible that some remnant of ancient pre-Dawn power lingers on here, though it has grown faint. There is even more evidence to support this throughout the history of Tamriel—far too much to detail here—and I look forward to debating this theory among my peers.

A character speculates on the nature of the thu’um and connects to other forms of magic that utilize songs and music, directly referencing the dwemer’s practice of tonal architecture. The Dwemer were known for incorporating musical instruments into the use of the ability. 

Dhavin speculates that the thu'um may not be entirely natural. He lists several well-known accounts linking magic with music or song, and he suggests that when one learns the thu'um, one is actually learning a specialized kind of magic. Svontilda seems upset at this notion, and insists that the thu'um is entirely non-magical. However, when pressed, she cannot think of any reason why magic could not explain it. Dhavin asks if anyone born under the Atronach has learned the thu'um (which might suggest a non-magical nature), but Svontilda does not know the answer (she was born under the Thief, and her father, who taught her the thu'um was born under the Tower).

Singing? Not in any fashion that a High Elf would take pleasure in, I wager. Dwarves prized cold logic over beauty, and I can't think of anything less logical than singing. They likely let their instruments do the talking. — Ugron gro-Thumog

A metallurgist once told me that metals in an alloy are like tones in harmony. An apt metaphor, yes? I doubt the Dwarves recognized any distinction between song and sound, to be honest. Tonal magic and ancient song both lead to wisdom of a sort. — Verita Numida

The Thu’um is not also merely a collection of incantations either. For the Greybeards take a vow of silence, as the mere act of speaking can endanger the world. 

"Soon the Greybeards made known that they were restless. Already the storms had begun from their murmurs. The Greybeards were going to Speak. The surrounding villages were abandoned as the people fled the coming blast.

"The villagers warned Talos to turn back, for he was marching to the mountain where the Greybeards dwelt.

"Inside he went, and on seeing him they removed their gags. When they spoke his name the World shook.

Why don't the others talk?

"Their Voices are too powerful for anyone not trained in the Way to withstand. Even a whisper could kill you."

All this seems to imply the Thu’um is a metaphysical power which directly alters the tones that compose reality itself to produce its varied effects. 

The Dovahkiin has access to the following Thu’um. 

• Unrelenting Force: A shout of raw power that can disintegrate foes with its sheer force.

• Aura Whisper: A whisper that can detect nearby presences and lifeforms.

• Become Ethereal: The Dovahkiin reaches out into the void, changing their form to one that cannot be harmed.

• Bend Will: A powerful shout that can dominate the will of any living thing, even the indomitable dragons, a feat not even Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of domination, was able to achieve. Notably, it also functions on the dragons who were within Apocrypha for centuries alongside Miraak, who were also undaunted by the realm’s negative effects on the mind.

• Battle Fury: The Dovahkiin strengthens the weapons of their allies with their voice.

• Call Dragon: By shouting the name of a dragon, the Dovahkiin can command them to appear. The shout Summon Durnehviir is an extension of this effect.

• Call of Valor: Heroic spirits from Sovngarde appear to fight alongside the Dovahkiin.

• Clear Skies: The Dovahkiin commands the clouds to move away and clear the weather.

• Cyclone: A shout that generates a cyclone that tosses enemies away.

• Disarm: The Dovahkiin commands the opponent’s weapon to leap out from their hands.

• Dragon Aspect: The Dovahkiin can assume the form of a dragon, massively amplifying their combative statistics. It can also summon an ancient Dragonborn spirit once the user reaches half health.

• Dragonrend: A shout that imposes the concept of mortality on the timeless dragons, using the words “mortal”, “finite”, and “temporary”, which are anathema to a dragon’s nature. With this shout they were able to finally render Alduin vulnerable and slay him.

• Drain Vitality: The Dovahkiin evicts an opponent’s health, magicka, and stamina.

• Elemental Fury: A shout that increases the speed of weapon strikes, provided that the weapons are unenchanted.

• Fire Breath: The Dovahkiin shouts a blast of fire.

• Frost Breath: The frost counterpart to Fire Breath.

• Ice Form: A shout that can completely encase an opponent in ice.

• Kyne’s Peace: The Dovahkiin soothes hostile wild beasts, and removes their will to fight.

• Marked for Death: A shout that vastly weakens an opponent’s defenses.

• Slow Time: The Dovahkiin shouts at time and commands it to stand nearly still.

• Soul Tear: A shout that damages a foe, and soul traps them before reanimating their corpse to do their bidding.

• Storm Call: The Dovahkiin shouts at the skies and creates a massive storm. The lightning is powerful it can burn down entire villages. The storm call shout interestingly functions in Sovngarde and Apocrypha, which are realms of Aetherius and Oblivion respectively.

• Throw Voice: A diversion that functions by transferring the sound of the Dovahkiin’s voice to another location.

• Whirlwind Sprint: The Dovahkiin’s Thu’um pushes them forward in a swift movement.

Lesser and Greater Powers

The Dovahkiin gains access to a variety of powers, from their racial abilities and through the course of their quest. 

Racial powers:

• Adrenaline Rush: Stamina regenerates 10x faster for 60 seconds.

• Ancestor’s Wrath: Enemies who come within melee range suffer fire damage. 

• Battle Cry: Targets flee temporarily.

• Berserker Rage: Inflict double damage and receive half damage.

• Command Animal: Gain a temporary animal ally.

• Dragonskin: Absorb 50% of magicka from hostile spells.

• Highborn: Regenerate Magicka faster

• Histskin: Invoke the power of the Hist and regenerate health 10 times faster

General Greater Powers:

• Mora’s Agony: Summons a field of writhing tentacles that lasts 30 seconds and poisons foes who enter it.

• Mora’s Bane: Fully restores your Health, Magicka and Stamina.

• Mora’s Boon: Targets are frozen between Oblivion and Tamriel for 30 seconds, and immune to all damage.

• Nightingale Strife: Instantly absorb 100 points of Health from the target.

• Nightingale Subterfuge: People and creatures in the spell's area of effect will attack anyone nearby for 30 seconds.

• Secret of Arcana: Spells cost no magicka for 30 seconds.

• Secret of Protection: You take half damage for 30 seconds.

• Secret of Strength: Power attacks cost no stamina for 30 seconds.

• Shadowcloak of Nocturnal: For 120 seconds you automatically become invisible while sneaking.

• Summon Karstaag: Summons Karstaag to fight for you for 120 seconds. You may only use this ability 3 times, and only while outdoors.

• Summon Spectral Assassin: Summons the ghost of the legendary assassin Lucien Lachance to fight by your side, until he's defeated.

Standing Stone Greater Powers:

• The Ritual Stone: Temporarily reanimates corpses in the immediate area.

• The Serpent Stone: Target is paralyzed for 5 seconds and takes 25 points of damage over 5 seconds.

• The Shadow Stone: Invisibility for 60 seconds. Activating an object or attacking will break the spell.

• The Tower Stone: Unlock any expert or lower lock once per day.

Lesser Powers:

• Bound Quiver: Creates a magic quiver for 120 seconds.

• Bardic Knowledge: Summons a spectral drum that plays for 300 seconds, improving Stamina Regen for you and nearby allies.

• Secret Servant: Summons a Dremora butler for 15 seconds to carry your excess items.

• Black Market: Summons a Dremora merchant for 15 seconds.

Perks

For each skill that exists in Skyrim, including magical and mundane, the Dovahkiin may gain perks that enhance their abilities. Among the more notable perks are:

One-Handed

• Armsman: A series of perks that doubles damage with all one handed weapons

• Bladesman: A series of perks that increases critical damage with swords

• Bonebreaker: Allows maces to ignore armor rating

• Dual Flurry: Increases the speed of dual wielded weapons

• Dual Savagery: Increases the damage of dual wielded power attacks

• Fighting Stance: One-handed power attacks require less stamina

• Critical Charge: Unlocks a charging attack that inflicts double critical damage

• Savage Strike: Standing power attacks inflict increased damage and can decapitate enemies

• Paralyzing Strike: Backwards power attacks can paralyze the enemy

• Hack and Slash: War axes inflict bleeding

Two-Handed

• Barbarian: Doubles the damage of all two-handed weapons

• Champion’s Stance: Two-handed power attacks require less stamina

• Devastating Blow: Standing power attacks inflict increased damage and can decapitate enemies

• Great Critical Charge: Can do a two-handed power attack while sprinting that does double critical damage.

• Sweep: Sideways power attacks with two-handed weapons hit all targets in front of you.

• Warmaster: Backwards power attacks can paralyze the target

• Deep Wounds: Two-handed sword attacks inflict increased critical damage

• Limbsplitter: Attacks with battle axes inflict increased bleeding

• Skullcrusher: Attacks with warhammers can ignore armor rating

Block

• Shieldwall: Blocking has increased effectiveness

• Deflect Arrows: Arrows that strike the shield inflict no damage

• Elemental protection: Increased defenses against fire, frost, and shock attacks

• Block Runner: Able to move faster with shield or weapon raised

• Power Bash: Able to do a power bash

• Deadly Bash: Bashing does five times more damage. 

• Disarming Bash: Shield bashes can disarm the opponent

• Shield Charge: Sprinting with a shield can knock down targets

• Quick Reflexes: Time slows if the shield is raised against an attack

Archery

• Overdraw: Bows inflict double damage

• Critical Shot: Increased critical damage with bows

• Hunter's Discipline: Recover twice as many arrows from dead bodies.

• Ranger: Able to move faster with a drawn bow.

• Eagle Eye: Allows the user’s vision to zoom in on a target

• Power Shot: Arrows can stagger opponents

• Quick Shot: Draw bows with increased speed

• Steady Hand: Zooming with a bow slows time

• Bullseye: Chance to paralyze targets with arrows

Heavy Armor

• Juggernaut: Doubles the defense of heavy armor

• Fists of Steel: Unarmed strikes inflict increased damage while wearing gauntlets

• Cushioned: Decrease fall damage if wearing all heavy armor

• Well Fitted: Increased armor rating if wearing all heavy armor

• Tower of Strength: Reduced stagger if wearing all heavy armor

• Matching Set: Increased defense if all armor pieces are matching

• Reflect Blows: Grants a chance to reflect a melee attack if wearing all heavy armor

Smithing

• Steel Smithing: Can create Steel armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Dwarven Smithing: Can create Dwarven armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Orcish Smithing: Can create Orcish armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Ebony Smithing: Can create Ebony armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Daedric Smithing: Can create Daedric armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Dragon Armor: Can create Dragon armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Elven Smithing: Can create Elven armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Glass Smithing: Can create Glass armor and weapons at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Advanced Armors: Can create Scaled and Plate armor at forges, and improve them twice as much.

• Arcane Blacksmith: You can improve magical weapons and armor.

Alteration

• Master Alteration: Cast alteration spells for half magicka

• Magic Resistance: Block a percentage of a spell’s effects

• Alteration Dual Casting: Dual casting an Alteration spell overcharges the effects into an even more powerful version.

• Atronach: Absorb a percentage of any spell that strikes you

• Stability: Alteration spells have increased duration

• Mage Armor: Protection spells are three times as strong if not wearing armor

Conjuration

• Master Conjuration: Cast conjuration spells for half magicka

• Conjuration Dual Casting: Dual casting a Conjuration spell overcharges the spell, allowing it to last longer.

• Mystic Binding: Bound weapons do more damage

• Soul Stealer: Bound weapons can cast soul trap on targets

• Oblivion Binding: Bound weapons will banish summoned creatures and turn raised ones

• Necromancy: Greater duration for reanimated undead

• Dark Souls (Hmmm…): Reanimated undead have increased health

• Summoner: Can summon atronachs or raise undead three times as far away.

• Atromancy: Double duration for conjured Atronachs.

• Elemental Potency: Conjured Atronachs are more powerful

• Twin Souls: You can have two atronachs or reanimated bodies

Destruction

• Master Destruction: Destruction spells cost half magicka

• Rune Master: Can place runes five times farther away

• Augmented Flames: Fire spells do increased damage

• Intense Flames: Fire damage causes targets to flee if their health is low

• Augmented Frost: Frost spells inflict increased damage

• Deep Freeze: Frost spells paralyze the target of their health is low

• Augmented Shock: Shock spells inflict increased damage

• Disintegrate: Shock spells disintegrate the target if their health is low

• Destruction Dual Casting: Dual casting a Destruction spell overcharges the effects into an even more powerful version.

• Impact: Most destruction spells will stagger an opponent when dual cast.

Enchanting

• Enchanter: Enchantments are twice as strong

• Fire/Frost/Shock Enchanter: Fire, Frost, and Shock Enchantments on weapons and armor are stronger

• Insightful Enchanter: Skill enchantments on armor are stronger

• Corpus Enchanter: Health, Stamina, and Magicka enchantments are stronger

• Extra Effect: Can place two enchantments on the same item

• Soul Squeezer: Soul gems provide extra magicka for recharging

• Soul Siphon: Death blows to creatures but not people trap a small portion of the target’s soul, recharging the weapon

Illusion

• Quiet Casting: All spells of any school as well as shouts are silent to others

• Kindred / Animage: All illusion spells function on higher level people and animals

• Master Illusion: Can cast illusion spells for half magicka

• Hypnotic Gaze / Aspect of Terror / Rage: Calm, Fear, and Frenzy spells function on higher level opponents, cumulative with Kindred Mage and Animage

• Master of The Mind: Illusion spells can affect daedra, undead, and automatons

• Illusion Dual Casting: Dual casting an Illusion spell overcharges the effects into an even more powerful version.

Restoration

• Master Restoration: Cast restoration spells for half magicka

• Recovery: Magicka regenerates faster

• Avoid Death: Once a day, automatically heal when your health is low

• Regeneration: Healing spells have increased effectiveness

• Necromage: All spells are more effective against undead

• Respite: Healing spells restore stamina as well

• Restoration Dual Casting: Dual casting a Restoration spell overcharges the effects into an even more powerful version. (220% spell effect for 280% magicka cost)

• Ward Absorb: Wards recharge your magicka when hit with spells.

Alchemy

• Alchemist: Potions and poisons are twice as strong

• Physician: Potions that restore health, magicka, or stamina have increased potency

• Benefactor: Potions with beneficial effects have increased potency

• Experimenter: Eating ingredients reveals all its effects

• Poisoner: Poisons are more effective

• Concentrated Poison: Poisons applied to weapons lasts twice as long

• Green Thumb: Two ingredients are gathered from plants

• Snakeblood: Gain resistance to all poisons

• Purity: All negative effects are removed from potions and all positive effects are removed from poisons

Light Armor

• Agile Defender: Double the effectiveness of all light armor

• Custom Fit: Increased armor if wearing all light armor

• Matching Set: Increased armor if wearing matching light armor

• Unhindered: Light armor weighs nothing and does not slow movement

• Wind Walker: Stamina regenerates faster in light armor

• Deft Movement: Chance to evade any damage from a melee attack

Lockpicking

• Novice/Apprentice/Adept/Expert/Master Locks: Locks are much easier to pick

• Quick Hands: Able to pick locks without being noticed

• Wax Key: Automatically grants a copy of the picked lock’s key if it has one

• Treasure Hunter: Increased probability of finding treasure

• Locksmith: Lock pick begins closer to opening position

• Unbreakable: Lock picks never break

• Golden Touch: Find more gold in chests

Pickpocket

• Light Fingers: Doubles the effectiveness of pickpocketing. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.

• Night Thief: Increased chance of pickpocketing if target is asleep

• Cutpurse: Pickpocketing gold is easier

• Keymaster: Pickpocketing keys is almost always successful

• Misdirection/Perfect Touch: Can pickpocket equipped items

• Extra Pockets: Increased carrying capacity

• Poisoned: Silently harm enemies by placing poison in their pockets

Sneak

• Stealth: Harder to detect when sneaking

• Backstab: Sneak attacks with one handed weapons inflict six times more damage

• Deadly Aim: Sneak attacks with bows inflict three times more damage

• Assassin’s Blade: Sneak attacks with daggers inflict fifteen times more damage

• Muffled Movement: Wearing armor makes half as much noise when moving

• Light Foot: Can walk over pressure plates without activating them

• Silent Roll: Can silently roll while sneaking

• Silence: Walking and running does not make enemies detect you

• Shadow Warrior: Crouching in a fight forces the enemy to stop fighting and search for you

Speech

• Haggling: Buying and selling prices are better

• Allure: Better prices with the opposite sex

• Merchant: Can sell any type of item to a merchant

• Investor: Can invest gold with a shopkeeper to increase their available gold permanently

• Fence: Can barter stolen goods with any shopkeeper invested in

• Master Trader: Every merchant in the world gains 1000 gold for bartering

• Bribery: Can bribe guards to ignore crimes

• Persuasion: Persuasion attempts are easier

• Intimidation: Intimidation attempts are twice as likely to be successful

Summons

The Dovahkiin has access to various summonable creatures.

Conjuration

• Daedric Entities: The Dovahkiin’s conjuration spells allow them to call forth entities from the depths of Oblivion. Every Daedric being possesses a “nymic” which functions as a “definition of itself” and integral parts of their identity that determines their functions and attributes. This nymic can be used to control Daedra and banish them back to Oblivion. 

• Atronachs: The Dovahkiin can summon Atronachs of Fire, Frost, and Storm. Each of them have domains of their respective phenomenon, as shown with the Storm Atronach’s ability to cause hurricanes and storms to destroy enemy fleets.

• Dremora: Unlike the Atronachs, the Dremora are wholly sentient, and capable of complex thought. They are commonly warriors, and they are also capable of casting spells of their own. Many Dremora often have some form of reflected spell cast on them. 

• Dark Seducers and Golden Saints: Servants of Sheogorath who can be called forth by the Dovahkiin. They thrive on conflict and warfare, and they are strongly militaristic.

• Seeker: The Dovahkiin can summon the servants of Hermaeus Mora to aid them in battle. They distract their targets with an illusion as they drain them of their strength.

• Daedric Horse: The Dovahkiin can summon a Daedric Horse to use as a mount.

• Necromancy: The Dovahkiin can reanimate corpses and call forth spirits from the dead to serve them in battle. 

• Skeletons: The Dovahkiin can summon skeleton minions, marksmen, champions, warlocks, and the Bone Colossus which causes other skeletons to heal.

• Ayeleid Lich: The Dovahkiin can summon an undying lich that persists in death, and has access to powerful magics. 

• Spirits: Has access to Undying Ghosts, Cursed Spectres, Haunting Spirits, and Tomb Guardians

• Zombies: The Dovahkiin can summon Foul Zombies, Putrid Zombies, and Malignant Zombies at will.

• Ancient Deathpriest: Summons a powerful Deathpriest that wields magic and can control undead of its own.

• Arniel’s Shade: Capable of summoning the spirit of Arniel Gane, a breton who was once a mage of the college of winterhold, before vanishing after using Kagrenac’s Tools.

• Misc Summons:

• Soul Cairn: The Dovahkiin can call forth beings from the Soul Cairn, such as the Mistman, the Boneman, the Wrathman, and an undead horse named Arvak which can be used as a mount.

• Pride of Hirstaang: The Dovahkiin can summon a bear.

• Ash Guardian: The Dovahkiin can summon a tempest made of ash.

• Flaming Familiar: Summons a flaming wolf that charges in and explodes.

Thu’um

• Odahviing: By shouting his name, the Dovahkiin can summon Odahviing to aid them in battle. 

• Durnehviir: Durnehviir is an undead dragon who’s soul was claimed by the Ideal Masters in the Soul Cairn. The Dovahkiin can summon them into Mundus, where he will do battle at their side. Should he perish, he will simply regenerate in the Soul Cairn and the Dovahkiin can summon him once more.

• Call of Valor: With this shout, the Dovahkiin can summon the ancient tongues who fought against Alduin in the Merethic Era, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Felldir The Old, and Hakon One-Eye.

• Animal Allegiance: The Dovahkiin can call for a wild beast to aid them in battle.

Powers

• Karstaag: Karstaag was a frost giant who existed during the time of the Nerevarine and was slain by them during the Bloodmoon and Hircine’s hunt. The Dovahkiin can summon them into battle after taming their spirit.

• Lucien Lachance: Lucien Lachance was a legendary assassin and a speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. He can now be summoned into battle to aid the Dovahkiin.

Werewolf Summons

• Pack Members: In the Werewolf state the Dovahkiin can howl and call forth Pack Members who appear in spectral forms. These can appear as normal wolves, ice wolves, or other werewolves.

Vampire Summons

• Gargoyles: Gargoyles are an exclusive summon to vampires. They can absorb health and are immune to poison and paralysis.

Resistances

The Dovahkiin can potentially gain 100% resistance to magic, which can make them impervious to magical damage and effects from spells and enchanted weapons, such as silence, paralysis, calm, fear, blind, attribute status effects, skill status effects, weakening effects, mind control, petrification, etc. Magic Resistance as well as element resistances such as fire, frost, and shock, can make them resistant to elemental damage as well. They can gain these bonuses from enchantments, potions, and racial abilities.

They can also use Spell Absorption in combination with resist magic, which absorbs all spells that target the Dovahkiin and refills their magicka.

(See these lists of spells for what they can resist or absorb)

As a Shezarrine, the Dovahkiin can resist and sustain themself as the concepts of space, time, logic, life and death, etc. are removed from the wheel (See Shezarrine abilities)

The Dovahkiin can also fight Alduin, whose mere presence causes Dragon Breaks to occur, which forces the world around him to return to the Dawn Era of untime and unplace.

Even as Alduin threatens to devour the Dovahkiin’s soul in Sovngarde, the Dovahkiin is capable of withstanding and defending themself.

The Dovahkiin can overcome Miraak’s use of Bend Will, and likely may be too powerful for Miraak to forcefully evict his soul as he does to the dragons in their final battle, considering he intended to use the Dovahkiin’s soul to escape Apocrypha. Miraak himself is immune to the Bend Will shout, and when he perishes, the Dovahkiin absorbs his soul to assimilate his power and knowledge.

The Dovahkiin and Miraak can both survive in Apocrypha for extended periods of time, which is stated to destroy the minds of mortals, rendering them insane, contorting their bodies and flesh until they become unrecognizable. They can also read the Oghma Infinium, which is stated to cause brain hemorrhaging in lesser mortals. 

Due to the Dovahkiin’s status as a prisoner, they are a quantum unbound by the chains of time and causality (See Prisoner Physiology abilities)

When the Dovahkiin learns a shout, they become the shout and take its very meaning and purpose into themselves. Mastery of a shout can thus give one a certain resistance to its effects (See Thu’um abilities)

Capable of wielding Keening without the protection of Wraithguard, and surviving despite it typically destroying anyone who touches it.

Forms

The Chosen Undead

Dragon Form

Upon reaching a high enough rank within the Path of the Dragon Covenant, the Chosen Undead gains the Dragon Torso Stone, which allows them to assume a draconic form. Upon its use, the Chosen Undead will emit a roar and transform into a dragon, increasing their attack and allowing them to breathe fire with the Dragon Head Stone. This transformation will last until the next time the Chosen Undead dies. While the Chosen Undead does become a dragon, they lack the stone scales that grant the Everlasting Dragons their immortality.

The Last Dragonborn

Vampire Lord

A transformation given to the Dovahkiin after receiving the blood of a pureblooded vampire, who was produced by Molag Bal directly. With their vampiric abilities, the Dovahkiin becomes immune to the effects of age. Their senses are amplified to a point they can see in the dark, and detect nearby creatures including even machines such as dwarven automatons. They can drain the lifeforce of their enemies at a distance. They have the ability to hypnotize others, induce fear with a touch, become invisible, shapeshift into bats and mist, strangle targets to death through telekinesis. They become immune to paralysis, disease, and poisons, alongside an increased resistance to cold. Their claws within the vampire lord form produce poison that can infect their enemies. 

Werewolf

By receiving the blessing of Hircine, the Dovahkiin can transform into a werewolf. Alongside the amplified strength and agility that is given by the form, their senses are amplified, they can summon wolf spirits as well as other werewolves to aid them in battle. Their howl can force others to flee in terror, and they are immune to diseases.

Feats

The Chosen Undead

Overall

• First person to relight the First Flame after Gwyn….

• ….or, became the first Dark Lord

• With help from Oscar of Astora, escaped from the Undead Asylum

• Collected all the Lord Souls and brought them to the Lordvessel

• Defeated the Bed of Chaos, Gravelord Nito, The Four Kings, Seath, Artorias, Manus, Ornstein, Smough, Gwyn

• Killed Manus and stopped the spread of the Abyss

• Exposed Gwyndolin’s deception

• Rescued the Fire Keeper Anastacia of Astora

• Reached Anor Londo

• Became best buds with Solaire and Siegmeyer

Power

• Rekindles and sustains the First Flame with their own energy (See Before the Verdicts for elaboration)

• Can match and defeat beings using Lord Souls

• Carries around and wields heavy weapons with no issue

• Can wield Gough's Bow, which belonged to a giant, easily

• The Chaos Fireball spell can make explosions (4 tons of TNT)

• The Chaos Storm spell creates large plumes of flame (11.3 tons of TNT)

• Can casually break crates

• Can swing around Smough’s massive hammer without too much strain

• Can parry blows from Gwyn

• Strong enough to cut off dragon tails

• Can kill Taurus Demons, who can survive in the magma produced by the Ceaseless Discharge (22.9 tons of TNT)

Speed

• Capable of dodging Sen's Fortress Bolt traps (Mach 2.3)

• Can dodge and react to greatbow arrows

• Has access to lightning magic and can dodge these spells

• Can dodge “light needles” from the Moonlight Butterfly

• Can jog quickly in game

• Can dodge different magic spells, like pyromancies

Durability

• Capable of surviving multiple hits from the strongest characters in the verse like Gwyn, Nito, the Four Kings, and an extended beatdown from Manus

• Can survive walking through lava with minimal damage while using the Orange Charred Ring

• Can survive for a short period while having their entire body on fire as a result of linking the First Flame

• Can survive long falls from up to 20 units high

• Survived being rammed by a Boar

• Survived the Abyss, essentially a plane of reality that destroys/corrupts everything it touches

• Survived attacks from the Ceaseless Discharge and getting set on fire by the Demon Firesage and Quelaag

• Regularly takes hits from creatures that can smash stone with ease

• Can survive getting cut by a scythe that is composed of life hunting magic

The Last Dragonborn

Overall

• Has slain countless Dragons and other evil creatures throughout Skyrim

• Took in the contents of the Oghma Infinium, which is said to cause information overload in the brain and cause hemorrhaging.

• Capable of becoming the archmage of the college of winterhold, grandmaster of the dark brotherhood, leader of the thieves guild, harbinger of the companions, lord of the vampires, and the strongest warrior on the Dawnguard. 

• Defeated Alduin, Miraak, Mercer Frey, Harkon, Tsun, Dragon Priests, Karstagg, The Ebony Warrior

• Became the Thane of all the Jarls of the province of Skyrim

• Became the champion of the Daedric princes

• Became a Master in Smithing, Alchemy and Enchanting

• Mastered the way of the voice and learned dozens of different shouts

• Ended the Skyrim Civil War and saved the current Kalpa from being eaten

Power

• Can carry and swing around greatswords, warhammers, and axes with ease

• Has no issue with lifting large logs

• As a Vampire Lord, can lift giants with telekinesis 

• Can break a skeleton into pieces with a single swing and can break a dragon's skull by bludgeoning it

• Defeated Alduin in single combat at the throat of the world after his power had waxed for the duration of the events of Skyrim. They once more defeated him in Sovngarde, and killed him permanently.

• Killed Lord Harkon, the most powerful vampire in all of Skyrim.

• Harkon can survive being hit with at least a few arrows from Auriel’s Bow

• After reading the black books, the Dovahkiin defeated Miraak in single combat, even as he was absorbing dragon souls through the duration of the battle to increase his power. They absorb his soul, gaining all his knowledge and power, as well as attaining status as the second most powerful dragonborn of all time, likely only exceeded by Tiber Septim. 

• Superior to the full might of the Greybeards, who can shake the world by merely speaking, and took a pledge of silence for even a whisper could kill someone untrained in the voice.

• Can create massive storms that extend over the entire horizon from the throat of the world, potentially reaching all of skyrim (1.8 - 97.4 petatons of TNT)

• Description: A Shout to the skies, a cry to the clouds, that awakens the destructive force of Skyrim's lightning.

• In the past this same shout burned down an entire village

Speed

• Capable of firing arrows into the sun of Aetherius, which is an infinite distance away. (249.5c - Infinite) (See Before the Verdicts)

• They and other mages can fire lightning based spells, which is comparable to real lightning. Warriors can react to lightning and block or deflect it, and mages are capable of physically “riding the lightning” as they move. 

• Has access to spells which are stated to be sunlight

• Can potentially outrun Alduin’s meteor storm. Objects such as shooting stars, comets, and meteors are stated to come from Aetherius. (See Before the Verdicts)

• Can also react to and dodge these in Sovngarde, which is in the Aetherius

• Can react to and keep pace with Odahviing, who can cross Skyrim in seconds

• Can dodge arrows in game

• Can keep pace with Lesser Vampires, who move faster than a normal eye can track

Durability

• Survives the Greybeards shouting at them at point blank range, which can shake all of Tamriel (1.9 teratons of TNT, see Before the Verdicts)

• Can survive attacks from Alduin and Miraak at full power

• As Ancano is absorbing power from the Eye of Magnus he states he has the ability to unmake the world at his fingertips. He can continue absorbing power from the eye within the battle, and the Dovahkiin can survive attacks from him in this state.

• Can take a hit from a Giant who are strong enough to launch people into the sky

• Can endure a Dragon's Fire or Ice Breath

• Still an adventurer even after being hit with arrows to the knee

• Has been stabbed, slashed, bludgeoned, burned, shocked, frozen, poisoned, and more in battle

Scaling

The Chosen Undead

• First Flame: The Chosen Undead is capable of fueling and sustaining the First Flame for an extended period of time, using their soul.

• For all of these, see before the verdicts

• The First Flame brought Disparity into the world and sustains the Sun’s existence and all heat in the universe (possibly including all stars)

• The First Flame brought time into existence and keeps it from breaking down

• This potentially extends into other worlds/timelines

• Gwyn: The Chosen Undead defeated a hollow-like version of Gwyn, and the Soul Spear sorcery is said to be on par with Gwyn’s lightning 

• Even in his hollowed out state, Gwyn survived for over a thousand years kindling the First Flame

• Gywn’s lightning defeated several Everlasting Dragons

• Andolus, a dragon, was able to sustain the First Flame

• Bed of Chaos: The Chosen Undead slays the Bed of Chaos

• The Witch of Izalith, who became the Bed of Chaos, burned down the Stone Archtrees the Dragons called home. Notably, all of Lordran is supported by one archtree over Ash lake. (6.7 - 48.1 megatons of TNT) (High end: 9.7 - 70 gigatons of TNT)

• Stronger than the Ceaseless Discharge, who creates a large pool of lava that instantly cools down upon its death (59.1 kilotons of TNT)

• Lord Souls: Defeated Gravelord Nito, the Bed of Chaos, Seath, and the Four Kings and gained their Lord Souls

• The Lord Souls allowed Gywn and the others to beat the Everlasting Dragons

• A single Dragon like Kalameet is strong enough that all of Anor Londo feared to provoke it.

• Dark Soul: Chosen Undead has 3 Lord Souls. The Dark Soul is comparable to a Lord Soul in power.

• Provides the energy to make a Painted World (See Before the Verdict)

• Manus: The Chosen Undead defeated Manus in a 1v1 duel at the heart of the Abyss when Manus was at his strongest. 

• Manus was creating the Abyss, a separate plane of existence, which would destroy the entirety of Oolacile.

• Artorias: The Chosen Undead defeated Artorias after he had been corrupted by the Abyss.

• Artorias could cleave a dragon’s head off with a single strike.

• Artorias could repeatedly clash with Black Knight Arkon, even cutting his shield clean in two.

• Four Knights of Gwyn: The Chosen Undead defeated Ornstein and can kill all the other knights in combat

• Gough shot down Kalameet (Mach 1.2)

• Smough: Not only does the Chosen Undead kill Smough, but they also can beat a powered up version of him.

• Wields a massive hammer that could weigh up to 53 tons and brings it down to make craters in less than a second (0.1 - 0.4 tons of TNT)

• Can break columns

• Asylum Demon: One of the Chosen Undead’s first kills

• Can swing it's large stone hammer in 2 seconds (0.02 - 0.089 tons of TNT and Mach 0.45 - 0.9)

• Its counterpart the Stray Demon can create an explosion (0.07 tons of TNT)

• Gaping Dragon: Killed by the Chosen Undead

• Breaks a stone pillar (1.2 tons of TNT)

• Nameless King: Chosen Undead is on par with pre endgame Ashen One, who killed the Nameless King

• Creates a large storm that dissipates after his death (it is possible the bell created the storm, but the Chosen Undead would still scale as the bell uses the power of the dragons) (2.2 gigatons of TNT)

• Ashen One/DS3: The Chosen Undead is capable of kindling the First Flame, just as the Ashen One can. This requires a certain level of power both possess. 

• The Ashen One can evade beams of light, which are the same kind of light from Divine Pillar (3.15% SoL) 

• Potentially notably higher results could be obtained using the movement speed of the Frayed Blade in comparison to the Angel's beams, though we couldn’t find any footage of this specific interaction

• Defeated the Curse Rotted Greatwood, which destroyed a stone floor (0.32-50 tons)

• Can fight on par with Gael, who can move his sword strikes in tandem with cloud to ground lightning (Mach 31.3)

• Gael made a storm after drawing on the Dark Soul’s power

• Defeated the Soul Cinder, who is an amalgamation of every soul that has ever kindled the First Flame 

• It is debatable if the Chosen Undead scales to this but it should be noted they drew out a larger reaction from the First Flame when kindling it than the Ashen One. The Flame by Dark Souls 3 is weakened and nearly gone

• Soul of Cinder throws Sunlight Spears at clouds above (Mach 2.5 - 18.2)

• Makes a storm cloud in an unused move

The Last Dragonborn

• Alduin: The Dovahkiin kills him and later scales to Miraak, who is far more powerful.

• Burned the Jills unbounded by time away with his fire breath. The Jills are a race of “female” dragons known colloquially as “minute menders”. They repair damage caused within mundic time by dragon breaks. These jills have also fought against the Hists, and endured 16th dimensional attacks

• Is the firstborn of Akatosh, one of his major aspects that was split away, and the most powerful of all the dragons as the leader of their civilization.

• Was so powerful that the ancient tongues were unable to slay him, and they were forced to banish him from time with the use of an Elder Scroll.

• Ate years off the Nordic population’s lifespans and reduced them all to the age of 6.

• His mere presence at the end of the Kalpa causes Dragonbreaks to occur, a temporal phenomenon in which linear time ceases to be and regresses back to the timelessness of the dawn era, a state which is “devoid of math”, “time”, and all of the other laws which the Divines created.

• Everything that Alduin devours is destroyed and annihilated from existence.

• As Alduin devours souls, he ascends in power and his size increases until he eventually reaches a state where he can devour Nirn whole and swallow the kalpic time law of Akatosh, returning Mundus to Dawn Era where the cycle begins anew. Notably, time is not merely a line as mortals experience it, but contains higher depths and infinitely many angles of progressively non-linear time. 

• During the events of Skyrim and the civil war, Alduin’s power was waxing for the whole duration as he devoured souls fed to him in consequence of the war’s casualties. 

• Alduin can fly through the currents of time

• During the events of the Aldudagga, it was Alduin who doomed Dagon to the void and made him into a Daedric Prince. Dagon lives in fear of Alduin, only acting when he is sleeping. Every fight Dagon has with Alduin ends with the prince’s defeat.

• Alduin is capable of doing battle with Shor, who terrified Dagon enough to force him to flee to Oblivion.

• The act of stirring in his sleep can potentially destroy the world.

• Miraak: After acquiring power from Hermaeus Mora, the Dragonborn managed to defeat Miraak. After defeating Miraak, he also absorbed his soul, assimilating his power as well as the knowledge he accumulated through the span of his life.

• Split Solstheim from Skyrim’s mainland by shouting (24.057 megatons of TNT)

• Was so powerful that he stomped the Dovahkiin in their first encounter, while stating he could himself have defeated Alduin. The Dovahkiin needed Hermaeus Mora’s black books to become strong enough to match him

• Remained within Apocrypha for centuries and with his increased knowledge and power he had gained through the years, he was able to reach out from Oblivion to Nirn with his voice. Controlled Solstheim’s population with his use of Bend Will, and forced them to build temples in his name with minimal rest, for the whole duration of the Dragonborn expansion.

• Miraak had developed his voice to the point that he could forcefully evict souls.

• The Hero of Kvatch: Like The Vestige, The Hero of Kvatch is capable of fighting and defeating Mannimarco. Miraak is also likely more powerful than Mankar Camoran, due to him remaining within Apocrypha for centuries as he accumulated knowledge and power. The Dovahkiin can also mantle Pelinal, much like the Champion of Cyrodil.

• Fought and defeated Mankar Camoran, a powerful mage and servant of Mehrunes Dagon who was powerful enough to create and sustain Gaiar Alata, a subplane of Oblivion. To have created his subplane, Mankar Camoran would have needed to manipulate the chaotic creatia that is within the void (See cosmology: Oblivion)

• Mantled Pelinal Whitestrake, a being of such power that he could cleave months of time out of existence due to his sheer rage and conquered the whole of Tamriel by himself. 

• Defeated Mannimarco and foiled his attempt to steal the Arch Mage’s soul.

• The Nerevarine: The Nerevarine is capable of fighting Hircine as he is manifested in Mundus, and the Dovahkiin can similarly slay Barbas with the Rueful Axe even at low levels. The Dovahkiin can also wield keening without the protection of wraithguard, an act which would cause the Nerevarine to perish instantly. Alduin is capable of fighting Shor at the beginning of time, the nordic Lorkhan who’s heart gave Dagoth Ur and the ALMSIVI their power. The Ghost of Shor also slew Nerevar, the original incarnation of the Nerevarine, and Ysmir can also fight against Nerevar.

• Capable of killing the gods of the ALMSIVI and Dagoth Ur

• More powerful than Dyvayth Fyr, who can defeat Daedra with difficulty, and has held back Nocturnal from devouring the clockwork city and Sotha Sil in the past. He is also stated to have “near divine levels of power”, which caused Nocturnal to notice his presence immediately, and she attempted to trap him in response. Merely the act of surviving within Nocturnal’s tempest is something most mortals would not be able to do.

• Can do battle with Vivec in single combat, who was trained by the barons of move like this.

• In their fight against Hircine, the prince had shifted the moon’s colour and position, and upon his aspect’s death the moon’s original state was restored. The moon is also infinite in mass and size, as the other celestial bodies are. 

• Indoril Nerevar, the Nerevarine’s original incarnation, flew to the Moon and destroyed large portions of it. He then attempted to subdue Aetherius but was blasted back to Nirn by Magnus. 

• The Vestige: The Dragons of the Elsweyr expansion are presented as such a major threat to the Vestige that they are forced to use magical items such as the Dragonhorns or the Mask of Alkosh to fight against them. The Dovahkiin is capable of fighting against the Dragons of their time without any such caveats, and can slay Alduin, the strongest of the Dragons. The Vestige fights against Barbas, who also appears in Skyrim and can be killed by the Dovahkiin wielding the Rueful Axe in a single blow. There are also direct statements from developers that the Vetstige is weaker than the Dragonborn. (9:03 for the first link)

• Fought against the corrupted Earthbones and Angrof the Gravesinger, who had been the one to corrupt the Earthbones with the intention of assimilating their power. The Earthbones are the frame upon which the laws of nature are woven, allowing for the concept of time to exist within Nirn.

• Defeated Mannimarco, who is stronger than Vanus Galerion, a mage who was so powerful that his severed essence could be used to power the Great Shackle, a contraption of Molag Bal’s which would have stolen Nirn in its entirety all at once, ending the planemeld within hours when it originally would have required months. Nirn is notably not a mere planet, as its oceans are described as containing things beyond three-dimensional perception, for they are connected to memory, fate, and time. This is also spoken of by series lore writer Michael Kirkbride, who describes Nirn containing alternate dimensions within itself, and notes its continents occupying literal separate points in time. Shadowkey also confirms the existence of many alternate worlds within shadows.

• Defeated Kaalgrontiid, a dragon who had absorbed large amounts of energy from the core of Jode with the aim of attaining apotheosis and becoming Akatosh’s equal. Notably, due to interference with Kaalgrontiid’s ascension, the amount of energy within him had the potential to accidentally destroy Tamriel if he made even a slight mistake.

• Fought Barbas, an avatar and other half of the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile. Barbas is himself so powerful that typically cosmic weapons such as the Rueful Axe are required to kill him.

• Capable of tossing spears into the sun of Aetherius and calling down meteors from the constellations, which are an infinite distance away from Nirn, residing in spaces that transcend the time laws of Akatosh such as duration and eventuality. Notably they are capable of deflecting and outrunning these same meteors. They also have access to the Nova spell, which can bring down sunlight directly from Aetherius. (84.3 million c - Infinite)

• Fought and defeated the lich Arum Khal, who had the power to create a large realm with constellations in its skies. Notably, created realms within the Elder Scrolls are considered personal realities that are identical to their creators as extensions of their being. 

• Fought against the celestial mage, the celestial warrior, and the celestial serpent, who each embody their respective constellations. The mage was described as a “miniature sun” that engulfs others in light so potent they cease to be, and her mere presence warped the landscapes she walked within. The Warrior stated himself to have a Shehai more powerful than the first rank ansei that sunk Yokuda, and the pankratosword of the Ansei is stated to kill the laws of nature (the Earthbones). The celestial serpent was going to destroy mundus and return everything to the dawn era. The full power of the celestials was stated to be too much for Mundus to endure. (Sinking of Yokuda: 17.8 petatons of TNT)

• The Vestige can do battle in the Maelstrom Arena against Fa-Nuit-Hen’s “Barons of Move Like This”, who are the exteriorizations of his collected martial techniques. Their known motions can be traced from the vector dance of the Ehlnofey, to the sword moves of the Ansei, as they have recorded moves from the past, present, and future. 

• The 17 Daedric Princes: Alduin can overpower Mehrunes Dagon, to such a degree that the prince fears him. Alduin can also fight the ghost of Shor, a God which is powerful enough to force Dagon to flee back to Oblivion. As discussed earlier, the Dragonborn also scales to the Hero of Kvatch, who fought and defeated Jyggalag.

• The Princes possess ultimate power over their infinitely complex domains, which are considered direct extensions of their being. These realms transcend Mundus and Nirn, which are considered “pitifully limited” and beneath the ontological scope of the Daedra. These realms are in one instance stated to contain infinite dimensions, and may even transcend dimensions entirely (See Cosmology).

• The Aedra and the Daedra are each the exteriorization of their respective domains, described as “ideologies given skin” and “manifest metaphors”.

• Molag Bal is the prince of domination, and the master of all forms of domination including magical and mundane means. He directly invades minds and forces visions upon his victims. Molag Bal should scale beyond various exhibitions of mental magic such as mind traps, which are used to imprison a victim within their own mind and control them, and it is also noted that High Elves who boast a natural affinity and resistance to magic can be affected by these.

• Notably, K’Tora’s mind magic was capable of affecting Ritemaster Iachesis, the master of the Psijic Order and a powerful mage. 

• Miscellaneous Thu’um and Magic feats: The Dovahkiin is referred to as the “second most powerful Dragonborn” when they read the three black books, and they become even more powerful after absorbing Miraak’s soul. As the Archmage of Winterhold, they should also be a powerful mage, and they are stronger than ancient mage Felldir the Old, who used the elder scroll to banish Alduin from time.

• The Passwall spell can vaporize 3 walls (20.78 - 61.56 tons of TNT)

• Wulfharth (referred to as Ysmir) can fight against Vivec and Nerevar, and uproot villages from the ground with his voice.

• Barfo, the Maid of Planes, could use her voice to shape outcomes.

• The Dragons can stop time, generate storms, and flood the land with their thu’um

• The ancient Nords’ proficiency in the voice gave them mastery of the weather

• Olaf one eye split the sky in his battle with the dragon Numinex.

• After Alduin devoured the lifespans of the nordic population and reduced them to the age of six, Wulfharth shouted them back to their proper age.

• Every time Tiber Septim shouts, things go “awkward and violent”, causing the colors of the world to shift. He then shouts the events that occurred out of time, and removes it from memory.

• Ysgramor can push the continent of Atmora closer to Tamriel with his voice.

• Mages can incinerate entire armies single handedly.

• A breton mage was able to collapse a pocket plane of Oblivion 

• A battle mage was capable of casting vampiric clouds and draining energy from enemy armies to fuel his own energies.

• A powerful Altmer mage is capable of petrifying an entire village and shifting them back

• An Altmer mage can disintegrate a large portion of an enemy army and collapse a massive wall by summoning a storm.

• Ahzidal, a dragon priest, had gained magic from the dawn era from the Ayleids.

• The realm contained within the Celestial Mage’s stuff was large enough to contain stars, and it was going to explode until a member of the Mage’s Guild stabilized its core.

• Psijic mages exert tremendous aurbic forces, and their existence presents an arcane risk.

• After unlocking his potential with the skeleton key, Mercer Frey was capable of causing earthquakes and threatened to collapse a Dwemer cave settlement

• Generic Dragons can make storms with Storm Call (963 kilotons of TNT)

Weaknesses

The Chosen Undead

Fuck this screen…

As varied and powerful of a toolkit that the Chosen Undead has, only so much of it can be used at once. He is often made to regear and change up his strategy between fights, or outside the fight. Some of his gear is also consumable, and does not come back between revives. 

In a more major sense, the Darksign provides the Chosen Undead with a remarkably potent ability to constantly return to life, but ultimately from the start of the fight, it is downhill. Not only will repeated dying lead to Hollowing if they are oppressive enough defeats, with subsequent deaths allowing some hollows to be subdued, but loss of souls and humanity can lead to the Chosen Undead weakening in power. Some Hollows are also shown to be near totally immobile, likely as a result of their condition. Additionally, while Hollowing does lead to a heightened aggression, loss of self, and less tactful strategy, it also makes one look like beef Jerky that has been bloated in water, then left out in the sun to re-jerk-ify.

The Last Dragonborn

A much simpler time for memes…

As powerful as the Dragonborn is, and as plentiful as their resources are, the Dragonborn is not infallible. The enchantments on most of their weapons have a limited charge, which require soul gems to recharge, and they need to soul trap enemies to fill up these soul gems to use on the weapons, and once used, the soul gems will disappear. Granted, the Dragonborn can use Azura’s Star as an unbreakable soul gem, but they would still need to continuously fill up the Star. Also, if they so choose to be a vampire, they will be weakened by the light of the sun, disabling their health, magicka, and stamina regen, and they would also have a weakness to fire, but their weakness to the sun can be circumvented with Auriel’s Bow and Bloodcursed arrows.

Before the Verdicts

Elder Scrolls

Kirkbride and Canon

Before we dig deep into any scaling explanations or cosmology, TES’ canon must be discussed. One important discussion that must also be had is about Michael Kirkbirde. Kirkbride is a writer who has written many of TES's more “out there” texts. Maybe people have questioned if his writings after leaving Bethesda in 2007 are canon. 

Kirkbride’s involvement

Michael Kirkbride is a writer who worked for Bethesda Studios, and who was primarily involved in the writing of The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, and, more notably, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. He not only wrote much of the main storyline of both games, but plenty of the in-game texts found in the later. After that he would leave Bethesda, though he had involvement with Oblivion and Skyrim. Later on several of his online posts would be used as lore and books with Elder Scrolls Online. Here are some examples:

The Coloured Rooms (first mentioned in Imperial Census of Daedra Lords, appeared onscreen in base-game Online), painted cows (first mentioned in the Seven Fights of the Aldudagga, first appeared in Skyrim), Khajiit Lunar Colonies (First Mentioned in C0DA, first appeared in Online, and later in Elsweyr Online), snow whales (first referenced in the Aldudagga).

Michael Kirkbride was a heavy influence on Skyrim, and the entire game is dripping with concepts and ideas taken directly from his writings. Kurt Kuhlmann, one of the game's Lead Designers, stated the following:

“We all try not to take it to heart that only MK can save Skyrim from the trash heap - but I can say that even without directly writing any books, I'd say there's more of his influence on Skyrim than Oblivion. Probably a lot more - if you look at the chapter from the PGE on Skyrim, (pretty sure that was one of his - I can't remember any more who wrote which one, it's Bilbo and Strider all over again), and that chapter is the foundation for the whole setting. And if you look really hard, you might even find a painted cow. (No comment on flying whales.)”

~ Kurt Kuhlmann

Kirkbride’s Involvement in Online is immense, to say the least (view link for list).

Here are some developer/writer statements on Kirkbrides involvement with the series:

Morrowind - An oral history:

Ken Rolston

(lead designer)

[The look of the game] came from Michael Kirkbride, and I would say that it's not just the visual aesthetic; all of the narrative aesthetic of Morrowind also comes from Michael. I might've been the narrative lead, but Michael was the luminary — the man with spectacularly exotic and bad judgment that excited us so much. He also wrote things like his sermons of Vivec. There's a website, The Metaphysics of Morrowind, that talks about how his gods are the most intriguing gods in any fantasy universe. And the tragic stories of the three heroic demigods of the Dunmer trying to save the world but being corrupted: Did they really murder Nerevar? All those ideas.

And he is a rare talent in that he's a very good illustrator, not just in terms of making it readable, but making it mythically vibrant. He did the original map of Morrowind, which was the foundation of the different terrains and geographical experiences. He was absolutely essential. And also crazy as a rat in a drainpipe, which is necessary. Somebody had to be really, really, really crazy, and it's better that your lead designer isn't.

Matt Carofano

(lead artist)

Michael is an awesome guy. He had crazy ideas; they were really different. He basically had been working for like a year, maybe, on Morrowind concept sketches when I started. And I think it was kind of just him, Todd, and then Ken Rolston coming up with design ideas. And so he had a good stack of images, and we had them plastered up in this room. So the whole room was covered, wall-to-wall, with all of Kirkbride's sketches. We called it the war room. And it was very inspirational, because they were all pen-and-ink sketches — really rough, really loose. But it gave a vibe of everything, from: "What were dark elves like? What did they look like? What do their clothes look like?" All the way to the landscape, which had these giant mushroom trees. There was a little bit of everything. And it became sort of the style guide for the game and the culture of the dark elves.

Mark Bullock

(environment artist)

When I first walked through the doors [at ZeniMax], and walked into the war room and saw Kirkbride's simple line sketches — I think they were usually just done with a pen — it was raw, it captured energy, and I was like: "What am I looking at? This feels like a real place." But it's not your usual revamped European fantasy; I'm getting a heavy dose of Star Wars meets something primitive meets Joseph Campbell. And that's why I immediately fell in love and knew I wanted to be part of the project.

Interview with Douglas Goodall:

Sinder Velvin: How do you feel about Michael Kirkbride and his 36 Lessons of Vivec?

Douglas Goodall: No one writes like Kirkbride. I admire him. He's a genius. A little crazy, maybe, but still a genius.

The 36 Sermons are impressive. I don't think the fans have come anywhere near figuring them out. For that matter, I'm not entirely sure I've figured them out. I think he gets a little too weird at times, but without Kirkbride's work, the Elder Scrolls would be indistinguishable from dozens of fantasy games and trilogies. Ted Peterson's stories bring the world of Tamriel to life, and Michael Kirkbride's work makes it unique.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirkbride isn't the only one to write “weird” lore for TES. Battlespire is an example of a game that goes off the walls with its plot. Immediate written examples are the canonical Sermon Zero and The Trial of VIvec.

Interview with Douglas Goodall:

Sinder Velvin: Talking about the Lessons of Vivec, why did you write Sermon Zero? Should it be interpreted as being official lore?

Douglas Goodall: I wrote it as a kind of "me, too!" after reading the 36 Sermons. It was a tribute and a refutation. I don't have any say anymore about whether it is official lore. I probably didn't leave extensive enough notes for them to make it official…

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/analysis-sermon-zero

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/trial-vivec

Note: This role-play is done in the Official TES Forum. Some devs and ex-devs participate in the play, and to the fans this event in the play is considered semi-official. But still one must remember that so far there is no official word from Bethsoft regarding this play. Some more information about the Bethsoft Developers: Michael Kirkbride played Vehk, Azura, and Ainoryl; Ted Peterson played the Daedric Prince Sheogorath, Celarus and Gosleigh; Ken Rolston played The Emperor Uriel Septim VII; Kurt Kuhlmann played Hasphat Antabolis; and GT Noonan played Divayth Fyr.

Further Source Sheet

Most of Kirkbride’s statements are from before 2007, and therefore from when he was a writer. His work on cosmology is mentioned in books like the Lunar Lorkhan. The nature of the Planets is also mentioned in canon novels like Lord of Souls:

"The gods are good," she told him. "They came from an infinite place, but for us they limited themselves and became this world. They are everything we see and touch, everything we feel.

 Most tales in the games are not exaggerated, rather the other way around:

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/posts-kirkbride-2007-2010

“

Question: "It's difficult to accuse someone of being wrong for asking the theoretical question "Is it possible, as is the case throughout this game, that some of the writings we find are exaggerated"?"

Michael Kirkbride: I prefer, "It is very possible, as is the case throughout this magical world, that some of the exaggerated claims made about some subjects pale in comparison to the Monkey Truth. ZOMGWTFGIANTFEATHEREDFLUTYRANTS."

The Imperial Library, a fan-made website that gathers Elder Scrolls in-game text among other writings, is considered by Bethesda and Greg Keyes as a reliable collection of lore:

http://www.imperial-library.info/interviews-greg-keyes

“

TIL: Could you briefly explain the planning process? We assume there were a lot of preconceived ideas. Did you receive a detailed outline of events that had to be written into the book? How much freedom did you have when it came to your own ideas for the novel?

GK: Things were pretty wide open, in terms of the story I could tell. I was given a preliminary outline of history after Oblivion, but I was also told that some of it was negotiable. I wrote a number of different short proposals, which were reviewed by my editor and the guys at Bethesda. Once the basic idea was settled on, I wrote a longer, more detailed outline, which then went through a few changes. All through this process I had access to Bruce Nesmith and Kurt Kuhlman at Bethesda, so I could bounce ideas off of them, ask whether I could or couldn't do something. Of course, it had to be a TES story, so I was constrained by lore -- although not, interestingly, by game mechanics. I was told specifically that no one wanted to "hear the dice rolling" so to speak. We are to imagine the world of TES to be a real place, of which the games are merely representations. My book represents that world in another way. Geographical distances, for instance, are contracted in the game -- in my books they aren't, so it takes days or weeks rather than hours to run from one city to another.

TIL: What was the hardest part about writing a novel based on the rather extensive Elder Scrolls history? Conversely, were there things that made your task easy?

GK: Well, it's not unlike writing a historical novel; the amount of lore is daunting because I don't want to get it wrong or reinvent the wheel. On the other hand, when I had a question about something, I could search the Imperial Library for the answer or ask Kurt or Bruce, who usually replied within the day. Finally, there is the game itself; I could walk around virtual Cheydinhal and then imagine everything about it bigger, fuller, more detailed. And of course, a few decades later.

This brings us to discussing contradictions.

Contradictions

To talk about different interpretations, we'll first have to talk about Mythopoeic Forces, which is how different conflicting interpretations can exist in TES. All things are subgradient of the Godhead, which means the Aedra are subgradient, and mortal races are subgradient of the Aedra. This means everyone is still part of the consciousness of the Aedra, meaning enough belief in something can change reality (or convince reality to change itself). This is why there are different aspects of the Aedra. Daedra are immune to the effects of Mythopoeic Forces in Oblivion, but within the Mundus you'll hear they have to spread their influence to gain more power. This can change the world, not only in the present, but also retroactively in the past.

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/eso-live-episode-15-lore-time-lawrence-schick

https://youtu.be/7D0_q6cfhsE?t=4222

Jason: That makes sense. You did an interview recently where you were in character. Is that kind of a fun thing to do, to be in the character and to you know…?

Lawrence: Well it is. The reason I did that is because, like I said, all the lore in the game is delivered from the standpoint of people in Tamriel. In that way, Elder Scrolls is different from most fantasy campaign worlds, right? I mean, the typical paradigm, you know - George RR Martin with Westeros, Tolkien with Middle Earth, the familiar D&D worlds of The Forgotten Realms or the world of Greyhawk - those all have histories and backgrounds that are all laid out and they've all got some lore-daddy who decided everything and everything is 'this is how it is', so everything works within the envelope of things that are already decided.

Elder Scrolls - Tamriel - does not follow that paradigm. In Elder Scrolls, all lore is delivered not from on high by revelation, but from people who live their lives in the game, in the world of the game, and based on their beliefs. So that does two things for us: It means the lore always carries not just information about what the person is talking about, but also information about the person and their culture. Because the way the lore is delivered tells you how they believe things actually work in the world.

What this means, of course, is that people have different viewpoints - these viewpoints sometimes contradict each other, and so sometimes we have players saying "alright, this person believes that, and that person believes this other thing, but which one's the real thing?" Well... it's not a world like ours. In a world like ours, where you can sort of trust in science and say "well yes, people have different beliefs but I know there is an objective reality." This is a world of myth. This is a world where reality is actually changeable, where the Divines can change not only what happens going forward, but what has happened in the past. So, you know, the idea there is an objective reality behind all these different people's opinions is not necessarily the case in the world of Tamriel. So listen to what all these different people have to say, make up your own mind, make up your own beliefs about what happened and you're as liable - since you're playing in their world and you're playing a character in their world - what you think happened is as legitimate as what that NPC thinks.

Now there are actual truths regarding the nature of everything:

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/interviews-3-writers

Sinder Velvin:

This makes me wonder - If there are so many radically different accounts of certain historical events, how can any researcher possibly tell which accounts are true and which are not? Furthermore, does this not mean that there is no unanimously accepted history of Tamriel? In this case, how do you explain the unity of the Empire given the great cultural differences between the peoples living in Tamriel?

Carlovac Townway:

With all due respect, I think you're overstating things a bit, Sinder. Are there events, personalities, and histories that are in contention? Certainly. Does that mean that there are no facts that are generally accepted amongst the people of the Empire? Not at all. As a historian, it is my job to look at commonly held beliefs -- And there are many of them in Tamriel -- And question them, look for evidence to support and disprove them. I must see them in their political context, both historical and contemporary. Sometimes I must be satisfied with the most likely scenarios, guessing what happened and why based on what happened before and afterwards. And I have to admit to myself that some of my guesses are going to be wrong, and be big enough to admit it when other evidence comes to light. All that said, I don't see history in Tamriel as a completely formless mass with no tentpoles or points of reference. It may be impossible for a historian to be conclusive, but that does not mean that history as a whole is a lie. The truths are there, if you look.

Dragonbreaks are events that allow for multiple events to be true at the same time, like with all the endings of Daggerfall being canon at the same time.

Kirkbride’s own work is not inconsistent from the rest of TES, as detailed here.

Temple Zero

Temple Zero was a term coined to describe creative differences between developers being hashed out in a fun, in-universe way that evolved into an in-universe term for a bunch of “conspiracy theorists”. Rather conspiracy theorists is what some people believe Temple Zero to be, but this simply is not the case.

The Temple appeared as a secretive collective of subversive scholars, or conspiracists according to some, dedicated to spreading the suppressed truth – the Monkey Truth – about Tamriel. They want to believe in weird & mythical events and appreciate the beautiful madness of, say, the Two-Tiber-Theory or Dragon Breaks.

It emerged from the most innovative times of RG/MW lore development (around 1999) and stands for a certain approach on creating Tamriel. MK used it as a handle then, for some of his essential texts such as the "Cosmology" or "The Monomyth" were first published under the alias of the Temple on The Essential Site.

Other works

In regards to Novel and Guide canonicity:

Novels 

Pete Hines: Yes, we consider the Elder Scrolls novels canon to TES lore

Lawrence Schick: Offline sources of TES lore include the deluxe art/lore book included in ESO's physical Imperial Edition, the (likewise deluxe) "Hero's Guide to the Elder Scrolls Online," as well as a couple of ES novels by author Greg Keyes. Online, there are several fine sources of Elder Scrolls lore: there's the Imperial Library, which has the text to (I think) every Elder Scrolls lorebook, the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP), and other fan-operated web sites devoted to the series. Right here on Reddit you'll find the TESLore subreddit, where the lorehounds go deep (deep, DEEP) into lore speculation and ramification. That ought to get you started!

Elder Scrolls Online

The Elder Scrolls Online

"We are working closely with the Bethesda Softworks team to ensure all #ESO lore is historically accurate and canon-appropriate."

"The events in #ESO are canon, but the game is a new MMOG (not ES6). Bethsoft will continue to make great single-player ES games!"

"#ESO is canon. We work closely with Bethesda to ensure ESO honors existing Elder Scrolls lore. More here:"

"Yes, #ESO is canon. We work closely with Bethesda to ensure that all lore in ESO is historically accurate & canon-appropriate."

http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/2012/10/18/reading-the-future-of-the-past-in-the-elder-scrolls

Reading the Future of the Past in The Elder Scrolls:

Loremaster Lawrence Schick spends his time creating and breathing life into the deep history and lore at the heart of The Elder Scrolls Online. In our first of many behind-the-scenes developer articles, Lawrence shares with us some of his experiences as our Loremaster, including what it’s like to write new history within the Second Era and why we chose that time period for ESO’s setting. He also explains his approach to weaving ESO’s story into Tamriel’s existing saga, and discusses the careful collaborative effort we’ve shared with Bethesda Softworks Team to ensure lore consistency in ESO.

I’m a writer on ESO, as well as the Lead Loremaster, which means I’m responsible for making sure The Elder Scrolls Online lives up to its name. As I’m sure you’re aware, the world of the Elder Scrolls has a rich history that’s been developed by a lot of talented designers at Bethesda Game Studios over the last twenty years. ESO has to honor and adhere to that legacy, while at the same time expanding upon it.

ESO is not a sequel to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, or any of the other single-player games in the series – in fact, it’s set almost a thousand years before the events of Skyrim. Why did we do that?

First of all, it’s so we’re not treading on Bethesda Game Studios’ heels. BGS needs the leeway to continue their amazing series of single-player games without getting boxed in by or tangled up with ESO’s storylines. By setting our game in the series’ distant past, we avoid placing constraints on future BGS titles.

So how do we do all this and make sure we get it right? First and foremost, of course, by having the full cooperation of the original loremasters at Bethesda Game Studios. Todd Howard and his team have been great, generous with their time and always forthcoming in their answers to the many questions I fling at them. And I’ve had access to their internal design documents, which has given me insights into how they view Tamriel beyond the material in the published games.

Second, and also very important: we treat the history of Tamriel as if it were just as solid and real as Earth history. I’ve worked on my share of fantasy games, certainly, but I’ve done even more in historical settings, so I simply applied my years of experience doing historical research to understanding the history and cultures of Tamriel. Having a strong feel for real history enables me to help our team fill in the gaps in Tamriel’s history with characters and events that ring true to both worlds.

Here at ZeniMax Online I work closely with the content teams on characters, story, and dialogue to ensure consistency with the Elder Scrolls world and tone, and to help flesh out new lore that fits comfortably with the old. I consult on a daily basis with the Concept group in the Art department about the environments, cultures, and creatures of Tamriel, and with the Audio team about regional accents, dialects, and pronunciation for all the spoken dialogue in the game.

And then there’s the Elder Scrolls Lore Library – but I believe we’ll leave that for another time!

Guides

The Skyrim Prima was approved of by Bethesda:

Complete, accurate, and Bethesda approved content covering all game add-ons.

The guide was written by Bethesda Employees and writers/developers of Skyrim:

Alan Nanes, a quest designer and writer

Andrew Langlois, a level designer

Brian Chapin, a quest designer and writer

Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer

Daryl Brigner, a level designer

Emil Pagliarulo, lead designer and writer

Jeff Browne, a level designer

Jeff Gardiner, the senior producer

Joel Burgess, a level designer

Jon Paul Duvall, a quest designer and writer

Justin Schram, a level designer

Kurt Kuhlmann, co-lead designer (and friend of Michael Kirkbride)

Matt Daniels, additional quest designer & writer

Nate Ellis, additional quest designer & writer

Philip Nelson, a producer

Ryan Jenkins, a level designer

Shane Liesegang, a quest designer and writer

Steve Cornett, a level designer

William Shen, a quest designer and writer

The acknowledgements page mentions how the help of the Bethesda team was invaluable:

Achknowledgements - David S. J. Hodgeson

To Bethesda. Firstly, this guilde wouldn't have been anywhere nearly as thorough if it wasn't for the generousity of knowledge and help I received from all at Bethesa. Thanks to Jeff Gardiner, Bruce Nesmith, Jeff Browne, Pete Hines, Erin Losi, and all those that helped me. In particular, the fastidious and meticulous prowess of Steve Cornett in helping wrangle statistics, quests, and making mid bogglingly comprehensive documentation deserves [and has] my eternal gratitude.

https://primagames.com/news/skyrim-official-strategy-guide-blog-2-sanity-sappi

Special Thanks to Steve Cornett: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the tireless and dedicated help everyone at Bethesda committed to throughout this project. This guide would be floundering in a sea of confusion without their help. In particular, Level Designer Steve Cornett, who almost single-handedly wrangled the entire list of quests, worked ceaselessly on dramatically improving the Training, Inventory, and Bestiary sections, and was available and offered amazing amounts of insight and help throughout this entire process. You have my eternal gratitude.

The guide even references Kirkbride’s lore bits for Skyrim

Kirkbride: Dead Gods don’t need temples. They have the biggest one of all, Sovngarde.

Prima Guide: Dead gods don't need temples; They have the biggest one of all, a vast hall of drinking and revelry known as Sovnguarde.

Bethesda’s Main Website said this (at the time) when the expanded edition of the Guide came out:

Should I buy this book if I already have a previous edition?

Of course! You want the finest resource to obtain the stats, quests, lore, and maps for the isle of Solstheim, don’t you? I’ve taken 4,025 screenshots, and the reason I know this is I hand-counted them when the guide was completed. Plus, it’s nice to have a weighty tome to refer to, and a free poster of Alduin’s Wall (if you buy the limited edition hardback version), and a physical reference you can count on when that EMP bomb goes off or your internet goes down.

C0DA

willxpm

What’s your opinion of C0DA?

Lawrence Schick

We erect the spine of cordial welcome! Re: C0DA: it’s thought-provoking and a hell of a lot of fun, but we don’t really touch much on that sort of meta-lore. We’re mostly concerned with trying to convey the day-to-day reality of life in Tamriel in the Second Era

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:36_Lessons_of_Vivec,_Sermon_37 (Sermon written by Kirkbrdie for ESO)

A website URL is hidden in this line from Sotha Sil: "Go here: world without wheel, charting zero deaths, and echoes singing," This pointed towards the now defunct URL "c0da.es", which hosted the C0DA script by Kirkbride.

Sermon 37 from ESO directly confirms its canonicity. This entire text acts as a prelude to C0DA:

"Go here: world without wheel, charting zero deaths, and echoes singing," Seht said, until all of it was done, and in the center was anything whatever.

It's also noted in other lore that this sermon was "stolen" from Vivec out of time, before he even wrote it, which further supports it is meant to describe future events from C0DA:

"How the great thief stole the "37th Lesson" from Vivec—before he could write it."

Gameplay Limitations Statements

Greg Keyes: Of course, it had to be a TES story, so I was constrained by lore -- although not, interestingly, by game mechanics. I was told specifically that no one wanted to "hear the dice rolling" so to speak. We are to imagine the world of TES to be a real place, of which the games are merely representations. My book represents that world in another way

http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1207390-skyrim-fan-interview/

Question 18: So, the dragons are big and powerful. Did you include some destructible environment so they could leave marks and scars everywhere they attack? Can they demolish buildings, break trees, start avalanches, burn houses, things like this that emphasize their power?

Todd: They do leave marks and scars everywhere, but as far as destroying buildings and such, it’s rare. It does happen, but not a lot. Systematically destroying our spaces is something we have not found a good way to handle yet, because it’s so dynamic. We’re dealing with places where we have NPCs living, and providing quests and other game services. It's something we avoid in every game unless we can specifically wipe it off the map, like Megaton.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/q-a-ken-rolston-s-development-secrets-of-i-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-i-

Wawro: Hm, I wonder, you gave us the hot tip before we started that it would be wise to sort of expand the boundaries of a new Oblivion playthrough by opening up everything, looking at the game and opening up the Oblivion gates as well. Is there an area you would suggest that well shows off what you’re talking about here? Maybe it shows your hand directly or the hand of a designer you admire?

Rolston: Uh, no, because the possibility of a lead designer knowing the content of any Elder Scrolls game is diminishingly small. Morrowind is the only one I can really talk about, but I don’t think I’d actually played more than 60% of the built content when we released the game. I had certainly played it in prototype or white box or things like that, but you just cannot play the whole content, it’s just too big to put the iterations into it. So the reason I suggested wandering to different places, just be a tourist.

Francis: I’ll springboard off of Alex’s observation to ask, Ken, you mentioned earlier when you were writing that bible for Morrowind, you were starting to write about all the places where all these intersections would happen, right? And all these elements, “This character is of this faction or is of this mindset, so they would be in conflict with this thing.” Once a game like this starts getting big or even just medium sized. Even a medium-sized RPG would have trouble with this.

ESO Guild Summit 2014 - Writing and Lore

It's not just earth with some magic guys casting spells, right. The nature of reality is fundamentally different in the world of Nirn, because it's based all the natural laws come from the sacrifices that the Aedra made when they made the world. So Akatosh, when he put himself into the world, he made time happen, right, and so forth and so on with all the different gods. So you've got this really seriously interesting mythological background about the nature of reality and how it was created, and how it can be changed, because it's not set forever. It can be further changed by those who can channel magicka and force their will upon it. Right, that's what magic is. 

Changing reality locally...sometimes locally usually temporarily but you're changing reality, and creatures and characters and beings of mythological levels can change reality in big ways! And that's what happens when you get a Dragonbreak, or a planemeld, or an Oblivion Crisis, or Alduin coming back from the depths of time. You've got reality changing in big ways. At the same time, you've got all of these people who unlike in sorta your standard medieval setting, they look at things in a very logical and scientific and organised fashion. You've got all these sages, you've got the mages guild researchers, you've got the scholars, and they're all breaking stuff down, and it gives a way...gives us a way...to convey lore in a way that is comfortable for 21st Century Western Players.

What about other official statements

There are some officiali statements that can be brought up to dispute using Kirkkbride’s work, so let's bring them up here:

Pete Hines:

"Remember that only things that have been published in Elder Scrolls games should be considered official lore." (2006)

Peter Hines later gave a different answer:

Does Bethesda consider Obscure Texts and developer comments as "actual lore" or "canon"? 

It depends. (2011)

Ted Peterson has this to say:

Ted Peterson:

"I'm merely challenging your assumption that Pete's words can only mean that Oblivion's lore is fact and unambiguous. The only thing Pete said is that the postings in this forum should not be taken as official lore. The stuff in Arena, Daggerfall, Battlespire, Redguard, Morrowind, Tribunal, Bloodmoon, and Oblivion are official lore ... and not unambiguous."

"I have never said [the Trial of Vivec is canon]. It might turn out to be, but I actually subscribe to the spirit of the much maligned phrase of Pete's that it's not canon unless it's in the games. The trial and the RP that sprung from it, which continues on in the "From The Ashes" thread, have definitely influenced some lore that subsequently appeared in Oblivion and in the PGE."

"I would like to propose that instead of there being a black-and-white distinction between canon and non-canon, loreists refer to Primary and Secondary Sources. A Secondary Source, such as a comment from MK or a reference in the Trial or RP, may be 100% accurate and become a Primary Source when it is later published in a game; it may remain a useful reference, such as a scholar's commentary on Shakespeare, which is informed and likely true, though not actually part of a play or sonnet; or, it may be disproved on later Primary Source evidence."

Ted Peterson states Michael Kirkbride's lore is a useful reference and can become a primary source there, which is corroborated by ESO including so much of his content

Speaking of ESO: 

Matt Firor:

"So I don't have to tell you guys this, but the lore – maybe some of your readers will know this – but the lore in Elder Scrolls is never definitive, it's always told through the eyes of people that live in the world, which gives developers – not just us, but everyone that works on Elder Scrolls – certain leeway to kind of find what that person meant when they were telling the story."

One of the most common questions I get about The Elder Scrolls Online is whether its lore is considered canon in [the] broader Elder Scrolls [universe]. [Is it?]

"Yes, it absolutely is. We have one full-time loremaster that does nothing but work with Bethesda Game Studios to make sure that there's a consistent timeline, characters are consistent, naming is consistent. The timeline is [a] super important force to any lore. This is why we picked the time that we did for Elder Scrolls Online all those years ago when we started the project, was we wanted to pick a time where there wasn't a whole lot known about it, so we could at least tell our own stories with our own characters, and we do that. But yeah, when you start to bring in things like the Psijic Order and the history of the Altmer, yes, we're very much tied into the main lore. [...] [We work with Bethesda Game Studios] every day, yeah."

Some will point toward Todd Howard’s comments on canon:

Todd Howard:

It's kind of what I said in the panel. "What's the order of priority?" If you saw it on the screen that's number one, that's the most truth. If you read it in the game, that's second truth. If you read it in an official thing outside the game, in the manual, that's the third. If you read it from a fan on the Internet that's way down there, that's like not on the list, right! But that's the main three. On the screen, something you see happen, regardless of what game it is or when it came out, that for us is the primary. A book in the game is second, and then a book that's official outside the game is third. 

However Todd aknowldeges other works as canon, just at a lower level:

What are some of your opinions on fan theories out there?

"I think that they're all good. Like I said there, people want to know truth, but even my perspective is one version of truth of what happened in the history of Elder Scrolls and so forth. I would tamper their desire to have all mysteries revealed, because mysteries are good for a fantasy world to have. [...] It's kind of what I said in the panel. "What's the order of priority?" If you saw it on the screen that's number one, that's the most truth. If you read it in the game, that's second truth. If you read it in an official thing outside the game, in the manual, that's the third. If you read it from a fan on the Internet that's way down there, that's like not on the list, right! But that's the main three. On the screen, something you see happen, regardless of what game it is or when it came out, that for us is the primary. A book in the game is second, and then a book that's official outside the game is third."

Kirkbride's works have already essentially become canonical, given how much other writers incorporate his works into ESO. For example, "The Chaotic Creatia" that's integral to the plot of ESO is something Kirkbride made. He also isn't as "uninvolved" as people believe as he was still contributing to Skyrim directly. MK was apparently commissioned to write lore for ESO as well, Including the 37th sermon. It's really difficult to claim it is a mere "easter egg" when the entire sermon gives an elaboration on events preceding C0DA, and the other lore which states the sermon was "stolen from Vivec before he could write it" in the same game. Overall MK’s works should be considered canon.

We will end off this section with a question given to former Loremaster Leamon Tuttle:

What are your thoughts on the more obscure aspects of lore, like Michael Kirkbride's writings and forum roleplays?

"Are you kidding? I love obscure lore! I'm a big fan of the 36 Lessons, and I love reading reddit apocrypha, etc. TES is an amazing franchise, and it's always exciting to see enthusiastic fans participating in its continued growth."

For further details on how canon works in the universe, refer to the Oblivion section of the cosmology.

Cosmology 

Well folks, it’s about that time. Extremely convoluted cosmology time. Bring out your aspirin and Bibles. You’re gonna need them.

Nirn

To begin speaking about Nirn and its properties, we must first elaborate on Y’ffre, and what the Earth Bones are. At the end of the Dawn Era, when linear time was established across Mundus, Y’ffre sacrificed himself to become the Earthbones and establish the laws of nature.

“Y'ffre (God of the Forest): Most important deity of the Bosmeri pantheon. While Auri-El Time Dragon might be the king of the gods, the Bosmer revere Y'ffre as the spirit of 'the now'. According to the Wood Elves, after the creation of the mortal plane everything was in chaos. The first mortals were turning into plants and animals and back again. Then Y'ffre transformed himself into the first of the Ehlnofey, or 'Earth Bones'. After these laws of nature were established, mortals had a semblance of safety in the new world, because they could finally understand it. Y'ffre is sometimes called the Storyteller, for the lessons he taught the first Bosmer. Some Bosmer still possess the knowledge of the chaos times, which they can use to great effect (the Wild Hunt).”

Y’ffre’s laws dictate the function and placement on Nirn of every being by granting them a “name”. This is how he transformed Nirn from a non-linear chaotic sphere to something ordered and linear.

In Elden time, Elven time, Jephre did come

A-naming of creatures where'er he did run

As all was chaotic, and names were unknown

His gift was a name for each beast, plant, and stone

Then all knew their places except Men and Mer

Who plundered and ravaged wherever they were

"I name you the Earth-Bones," Jephre decreed,

"Lords of the forest, rock, root, and seed.

This heritage nurture, henceforth be its guards

And designate worthies to act as its wards."

Thereafter did Wyrd Women watch o'er the Green,

From tundra to forest, from peak to ravine,

Reminding all creatures, be it tiger or worm

Of their name and their nature, their function and form.

Would-be corrupters who'd canker the Green

Shall face wyress warding wherever they're seen.

So tread woods with caution, respect Jephre's way

Lest Wyrd women watching abduct you away.

This act of “naming” every being and object is also spoken of elsewhere, as Nymics. Nymics act as one’s “true name”, which can be manipulated to change the form and nature of the being it belongs to. One important thing of note also is that Nymics aren’t used exclusively to refer to Daedra. Mankar Camoran, formerly a Bosmer made himself into an Altmer Dragonborn by cutting his protonymic. It is said the Bosmer spinners are also capable of manipulating Nymics as well, further binding the concept of Nymics to Y’ffre.

"Simply put, a nymic is a Daedra's true name. Some of us have many, others only one. If another knows these secret names, they can wield great power and influence over the Daedra they belong to.

Mortals use them in their incantations to compel us."

A clan is not simply a declaration of a Dremora's allegiance. It is a pact that forever stamps its mark on the Daedra, altering its nymic—its true name—and thus its definition of itself. The topic of Daedric nymics deserves an essay of its own, of course. But for the purposes of this discussion, it is enough to note that a Dremora cannot separate its clan from its sense of self. Even in death (such as it is for Daedra), the clan-pact shapes the form in which the Dremora returns from Oblivion.

Red-drink, razor-fed, I had glimpsed the path unto the garden, and knew that to inform others of its harbor I had to first drown myself in search's sea. Know ye that I have found my fleet, and that you are the flagship of my hope. Greetings, novitiate, Mankar Camoran was once you, asleep, unwise, protonymic, but Am No More. Now I sit and wait to feast with thee on all the worlds of this cosmos. Nu-mantia! Liberty!

Phrastus: Yes, sung, by a particular kind of aether-priest called a Namespinner, and she was able to perceive the Treethane's protonymic, and unweave it slightly and then chant a new suffix into it, thus actually changing the Treethane's physical form. Or so he told me, if you want to trust the word of a Bosmer.

Another telling of this fable describes how all life and objects emerged from a formless chaotic state called “The Ooze.” And by bringing things from the Ooze into defined shapes, he is “telling his story”.

This is a story the Wood Elves of Valenwood tell their children from a very young age.

Once, there was nothing but formlessness. The land held no shape, the trees did not harden into timber and bark, and the Elves themselves shifted from form to form. This formlessness was called the Ooze.

But Y'ffre took the Ooze and ordered it. First, she told of the Green, the forest and all the plant life in it. She gave the Green the power to shape itself as it willed, for it was her first tale.

The Elves were Y'ffre's second tale. As Y'ffre spun the story, the Elves took the form they have today. Y'ffre gave them the power to tell stories, but warned them against trying to shape themselves or the Green. Shifting and the destruction of the forest were forbidden.

The "laying" of the Earthbones is elsewhere described as synonymous with the creation of "before-and-after," and they themselves are also referred to as "story-lines," which alongside the text above introduces Y'ffre's heavy association with the act of Storytelling, which one may have already inferred by noticing how the shaping of the world from the Ooze is likened to them "telling the tale" of something, and thus giving it form and function. The Spinners, Y'ffre's priesthood, likewise are stated to behave as if their lives are stories, and their songs and narrations (Echoes of the "songs" that Y'ffre themself sing) seamlessly tell of both present and future.

"Heavy-bearded Y'ffre, speak through me. Tell us of the time before time. Let the story grow in me. Let my heart echo to the pounding of your feet along the story-lines, the bones of the world. I will walk Your steps, and know Your story."

The Spinner's eyes flickered closed. His fingertips slid along the belt, picking out the shape and orientation of the shells. He raised a foot, and with deliberation stamped it on the ground.

"Speak through me, Y'ffre. Tell us of the drum-play of Mara, who beat out a pulse against the darkness that gnawed Old Ehlnofey. Mara, whose eyes glitter like hot coals, known of mer and knowing mer, mother of a thousand-thousand children. She who looks at Arkay's form and does not blush, but breathes deep the scent of Him."

The Spinner took thumping, methodical steps across the hilltop, eyes closed, hands tracing the patterns of shells wrapped around his chest. His voice shamed the night-calls of nearby insects to silence.

The others watching were reverently silent, eyes closed, swaying in time with the Spinner's steps. His feet slowed, pounding deep footprints in the earth. He no longer spoke; he sighed. He whispered.

"'We are who we are,' the taller tribe says, in a voice made of leaf-shivers. 'We taste the earth and feel your steps over us. We were the land of green singing before the bones were set. Before the before-and-after.'"

The Bosmer Spinners are, essentially, priests of Y'ffre, but unlike other priests, who seem most concerned with leading their people in worship, Spinners are more like bards or historians for the Bosmer. They live their lives as if they're narrating a story, and speak in much the same way.

But these aren't just gaffers and gammers speaking of the good old days. Spinners weave tales about future events. They divine and prophesy the same way other people remember the past, and the older the Spinner, the more powerful his or her prescience seems to be.

When I arrived in Silvenar, the youngest of the city's three Spinners, Einrel, greeted me at the bridge. There, in the shadow of the Guardian, the young Spinner related to me the tale of my travels right up to the gates and then continued as if the next few days had already happened!

A Bosmer story spinner named Girnalin elaborates further on how exactly Y’ffre established the laws of Nirn. Here she states that the skies, the seas, and everything within Nirn is one part of Y’ffre’s “Song Tapestry”. Y’ffre interpreted the time law of Akatosh, and established it within the skies and the seas. 

"I speak, and through me sings Y'ffre. My tales are echoes and echoes of songs He once sang, of threads woven by his throat into tapestries ingrained in the minds of we faithful. The calls of birds, twinkles of stars, and lap of the sea live within me."

"Strange wanderer, wandering wayfarer, roaming vagabond of adventure, hail. I invite you, sit a spell and join me. Perhaps I shall spin a tale for you, perhaps not. It all depends upon your temperament, doesn't it? To listen or to not."

What stories do you tell, then?

"I do not spin in terms of "whats" but rather in "whens." The Now of the songs that fill me consider the seas and skies, and that sea and sky beyond those of Mundus—Aetherius. So I may speak of any of these concerns—for now."

Tell me a story about the seas.

"Y'ffre taught the birds to sing and the waves to lap against the beach. Through Y'ffre's song, he also gained sight-perception of all that occurs within the sight of birds and the reflection of waters, and he echoes their songs and crashing waves."

Is there anything he doesn't hear or see?

"Of course. He sees and hears nothing, for Y'ffre is now the Earth-Bones, the frame upon which Nature is laid and woven. His sight-perception and song-echo instead are loomed through his bones and woven into tapestries of song for we mortals to study."

How does this relate to the sea?

"The Sea is all-enclosing, the water that encircles all of Mundus. The birds call out that which occurs over land to the sea, which reflects and echoes that song. Through study of the Sea's mystery it is possible to interpret Y'ffre's song-tapestry."

How would I do that?

"You already do, as do all mortals. Your frame of perception of the world is your own Bones, akin to the Earth-Bones. It is as possible to see into your own future and world as it is to immerse the Self in hysteria with no fear."

What does that mean?

"To sing a law, and then Speak into the heart of that law, convincing it of a subtle error and how it must change its own Self. That is how Nature's course—its own Sea—is shaped and reshaped over time. Such changes can affect the whole of Mundus."

What stories can you tell me about the skies?

"The sky mirrors the sea, and the sea also reflects its mirror. Day, night, and the places between are the realm of the sky, as Y'ffre interpreted the time-law Anui-el established within Nirn.

Thus, the sky bridges time and nature, and measures both."

What does that mean?

"Within each half of the sphere of reflection lies half of the potentialities of Nirn's way in any given moment. Each instant is a sea-state or a sky-state. Each individual sees one or its other as weal or woe, and each moment can be turned on its side."

The Earthbones are also said to govern the time and decay of Nirn directly.

"The Dwemer language is unknown, perhaps unknowable. Some Dwemer books, especially records dating from after the founding of Resdayn, were written in Aldmeris, making them accessible to modern scholars. However, even in Aldmeris, many Dwemer terms remain uncertain. As the books and other artifacts in Dwemer ruins rarely show signs of wear or age, I believe that the Dwemer knew of a preservative effect, perhaps a device still active which denies or controls the Earth Bones governing time and decay.

Y’ffre is the linear history and time of Nirn as mortals experience it. However he is not the full expanse of time as Akatosh established it, for the Earthbones are encompassed by and subject to his time tapestry. 

"Y'ffre the Singer is the most important god we worship. We know many people—especially other elves—place Auri-El higher, for Auri-El's province is that of time, in itself uninterruptible and majestic.

But Y'ffre is the Now, the living moment."

"The living moment is encapsulated within the song of every living creature, metered out by the pulse of its heart. Your heart is your life's drum, the beat to which you always move and think. The Now is your life in any moment as you see it."

"So really, time as a concept is more relevant to the whole of Mundus, of course. Nobody is arguing that.

But people, by and large, think of themselves first. The Now resides above the Mundus in the consciousness of most. Thus its importance!"

A sentient blue skull of the Psijic Order who can perceive the world to a heightened degree describes the ocean containing things beyond three-dimensions. 

"A breach near the sea! I do love the ocean. It's a shame you can only see in three dimensions. All the quasi-tones and inverse number-forms .... Actually, I take it back—your meat-brain would explode if you saw this."

A servant of Hermaeus Mora states that the waters of Nirn contain all the memories of its inhabitants. Her connection to Mora in particular is important here, as he himself has a strong connection to Nirn’s waters.

What dangerous secret is that?

"No point hiding it now … when a mortal dies, where do you think their memories go?

Don't bother guessing. I'll tell you—they go into the water. They become water. All the memories of Tamriel's history are stored in its waters."

How do memories turn into water?

"The details and implications of this secret are mind-spinning and would require a lifetime of study and contemplation. The relevant fact here is that the nereid is stealing her disciples' memories to create this Water Stone."

So that's why they can't remember anything?

"Exactly. And it seems they never will. Their memories are lost to them forever. The Lord of Knowledge abhors this transgression. The nereid must not be allowed to continue in this endeavor, nor can she be permitted to create a Water Stone."

What's so bad about the Water Stone?

"The secrets to creating a Water Stone are forbidden. The natural progression is for the landscape in this area to evolve into a desert. The nereid's not fighting for nature. She's fighting for self-preservation, and at her disciples' expense."

Of Hermaeus Mora’s domains are the tides of fate and forbidden knowledge. The waters of Nirn are often stated to be his domain, to such a degree some believe he may have a library deep beneath its oceans. His connection to fate and time is so prominent that some believe the implications connect him to Akatosh, the prime temporal spirit.

Hermorah. The Watcher. Spirit of the Tides. Hermorah records all the events he perceives and stores them away in a great library under the sea. A patient spirit, he helped Azurah maintain the Moons and their Motions after the world was made and Khenarthi could no longer bear to do so. He is the Keeper of the Knowledge of Others, and he shares all he learns with Azurah, who walks the halls of his library often. You should not call on this spirit unless you wish to be tested along the Path. It is best to leave Hermorah to his duty.

Hermaeus Mora, “the Gardener of Men”, claims that he is one of the oldest Princes, born of thrown-away ideas used during the creation of mortality in the Mundus. Imperial Mananauts have verified that his influence on fate and time is real and unfeigned, implications of which tie this Prince directly with Akatosh, chief of the Nine Divines. Since Akatosh is the prime temporal spirit whose appearance led to the formation of the world, perhaps Hermaeus Mora speaks the truth. Nevertheless, it is the will of His Majesty Uriel VII that only on the official holiday of 5th First Seed should any propitiation to this Daedric Prince be delivered. “All else is mutation.”

Hermaeus Mora, whose sphere is scrying of the tides of Fate, of the past and future as read in the stars and heavens, and in whose dominion are the treasures of knowledge and memory.

So there I were, in a backwater port when the war against the Usurper broke out. I were out on hire with a rickety tub and her worthless rot of a cap'n when The Imperial Navy stole ev'ry private ship in port to go an' fight their war. We was comin' back in to dock when we heard about it. Now, only a fool doesn’t bite when he smells blood in the water and that cap'n o' ours was gonna hand his rudder over to the Navy. The rest of us, well, we didn’t so much like that.

We cut his throat and tossed his worthless carcass to the depths for Herm'us Mora to feast on. The rest of us put keel to this mudhole and broke for the nearest cove to lay low for a while.

Michael Kirkbride himself has elaborated further on the temporal nature of Nirn’s waters, describing it as a “Line”. To the west is Yokuda in the literal past. In the center is Tamriel, the literal present. In the east is Akavir, the literal future. 

*Kirkbride meant to say Yokuda in this quote. Hammerfell is the new homeland of the old Yokudan Redguards, which he likely confused.

And Aldmeris wasn't a place, it was an idea.

And Atmora wasn't a place, it was an idea.

And Yokuda exists in the literal past.

And Akavir exists in the literal future.

Tamriel is the present. It is literally the center of time.

Akavir is the East and it is in the future.

Hammerfell* is to the West and is in the past.

Traveling from west to east means more than taking time to sail, it means sailing across time.

Atmora to the North is frozen in time. As such, it didn't really exist at all.

Aldmeris to the South is outside of time. As such, it didn't really exist at all.

It's linear. It follows a line.

The Line, if you get me.

In his story Lord Vivec’s Sword Meeting with Cyrus The Restless, Cyrus sails to Yokuda and “crosses the line”. 

The captain set their course south-southwest, slanting across the spring trades into the Sea of Pearls to the puzzlement of the crew. Some of the older among them muttered darkly of the guardians of the western approaches, but nothing was sighted during the long weeks of smooth sailing. At twilight on the 12th day out of Jabbur, Coyle, long-learned in the navigations, took sighting of the non-constellation of Sep and abruptly Cyrus changed course to the north. The old hands explained to the new that they had crossed the Line that day and it was now safe to bear up for Old Yokuda. The winds, which had been fair, now turned into the north and gusted with growing ferocity, often threatening to lay the Carrick on her beam if not for the skill of her crew. After weary days of this, they finally made landfall on the 17th day.

Kirkbride confirms the intention was indeed that Cyrus had sailed across time in this scene.

It's only a recent reveal, but Yokuda exists both literally and metaphorically in the past, as in, the past of Tamriel's present. As in, when Cyrus sailed to Yokuda, those dudes actually sailed into the past.

This “Line” of linear mortal time is also mentioned by an author and devotee of Sotha Sil in which he describes the nature of time and his truths regarding it. He calls this linear time “the motion of lines”, which progresses linearly from past, to present, and then future, just as Kirkbride did earlier.

The Divine Metronome calls the first motion "The Motion of Lines." Line-motion is the motion of simple minds - the motion of weak wills and scholars' vanity. "Forward!" it cries! Forward to the fruits of cheap ambition. Forward to the promise of everlasting kingdoms. Forward to the mirage that the sages call "progress." These misguided pioneers venture out into their wild tomorrows, and the tomorrows after that, certain of their worth - their virtue. But what profits a man or mer to gaze deep into a single future?

Nirn also doesn’t contain only a single dimension, but contains many parallel existences and adjacent places. One adjacent place among these is Lyg, an adjacent plane that is entered by walking “sideways” in a particular way, disrupting the non-cardinal points, which implies some form of higher-dimensional movement is required to traverse to and from Lyg. 

Vivec then watched as the slaves erupted into babble and breaking magic. They rattled their cages and sung out half-hymns that formed into forbidden and arcane knowledge. Litany fiends appeared and drank from the excess. Grabbers from the Adjacent Place came into the world sideways, the slave talking having disrupted the normal non-cardinal points.

Lyg: it's one of the Adjacent Places. It's still there. I wouldn't call it a different kalpa so much as a parallel version of Tamriel.

Michael Kirkbride: " "Try not to imagine a Lyg." That's all I'm going to say. It's Tamriel in a parallel dimension. I never said it wasn't on Nirn. SNAP."

In the Elder Scrolls Adventures: Shadowkey, there is a shadow mage by the name of Azra Nightwielder, who discovered that shadows contained many parallel existences to Nirn, and intended to merge with every instance of himself within these parallel worlds. 

First Scroll of Shadow

... chosen to explore this relation of world to shadow, Azra was the first to realize that shadows were not a mere absence of light but a reflection of possible worlds created by forces in conflict. A light strikes a rock, and the shadow is a record of their clash, past, present and future.

Other conflicting forces produced less obvious shadows, fire and water, wind and rock, or nations at war.

With skill and patience, the shadows of all could be read, and patterns teased out, emphasized or eradicated.

Manipulating a shadow could, through contagion, manipulate the object or force which cast it.

Second Scroll of Shadow

... Azra attempted what had never been done before, manipulating his own shadow to such an extent that he instantiated and melded all possible Azras at the same time, crossing over from this singular existence to all the existences in shadow.

Ignorant Redguard soldiers, fearing the power of Azra should he succeed, trapped and confronted Azra.

The battle did not go well for the wizard.

The hole blasted when he lost control of his magics can still be seen at the village that bears his name, Azra's Crossing.

The science of shadow lost a great man that day, although others, such as Pergan Asuul, strive to take his place.

During the first era, a group of Ayleid Mages were attempting to wipe out the Argonians, and the Hists placed their souls within a relic containing a sub-realm called the Remnant of Argon. In an attempt to locate the relic, the Ayleids created the Golden Path, a large realm with a starry sky. A similar realm to the Golden Path can be found in the Red Petal Bastion, known as Goraseli Moraburo.

The Clockwork City is also another parallel universe within Nirn’s center, that is stated to be endless in size and scale, with greater complexity beyond mortal perception. 

"Somebody was asking if... where was the question? If the Clockwork City is some sort of parallel universe, and if it's endless."

Lawrence: Kind of. Both those questions are "kind of". Yeah, it's in fact a deliberately parallel universe in that it deliberately parallels Tamriel above. You don't see nearly all of it from what you can see in the game. It has layers and only Sotha Sil knows the full extent of those layers, and what the function of some of the other areas are. Samantha, can you just kind of lean back and look up at the sky for a moment? Look up there. Look at those whirling rings spinning around the world of the Clockwork City. That is the outside of the Clockwork City - or maybe not. That's just what you can see from the Brass Fortress, and you can see that Sotha Sil has taken the concept of wheels within wheels, and worlds within worlds, and made it physically manifest right over your head, so that you're constantly contemplating the fact that the world is a built thing, and therefore it can be reverse engineered, re-engineered, and improved. Look, there's the proof right above your head! So yeah, it's profound as hell. God damn, this stuff is deep.

"LUNAR LANDSCAPE. They’ve left the tunnel and walked out onto the surface, 

dunes of red, sugary sand leading as far as the eye can see. JUBAL and HIR stare 

into the sky. It is a vision of apocalypse. A smaller, silver moon sits to the upper left, 

orbiting a shattered planet. The planet Nirn. “Earth. ” Cracked open like an asteroid 

field still held into spherical shape by forces unknown. The right side of the planet 

moves from rock and fire to ghostly cosmic clockworks. The planet has a “skeleton” 

inside it, an interlocking system of gears and pistons and wheels, half-here, half-not, 

overlaid with a nebula of mathematical equations that we can’t understand. "

Note: It might be possible the Clockwork City is not physically connected to Nirn

Jeremy Sera: So this is the zone, and...it's our next new addition to the world map, as Clockwork City is not part of the world.

Also, Clockwork City is, as we said, pretty much all metal, so you'd notice that these are kinda like foil-leaf trees and things along those lines..

Gina Bruno: Somebody asked if you can look up at the sky.

Jeremy Sera: Oh yes that's a great idea! You can see the repesentation of the orb that we went into, so that's the thing that we clicked on and then got minaturised. As Leamon says it both is and isn't because this is a Daedric Realm.

Jessica Folsom: And that's why it looks so different from the rest of Tamriel too.

Leamon Tuttle: Yeah...it's a completely different...interdimensional space, it's not even Daedric in nature. It's its own deal.

Mundus

Mundus is considered the sphere of “mundane” reality, where reality has solidified static laws and ordered planes. After the birth of Akatosh, the original spirits began to assume names and identities for themselves. Among these beings was the lunar Lorkhan, who approached the other gods and convinced them to collaborate on a project which would create a soul for the Aurbis. 

The Dragon God and the Missing God

The Dragon God is always related to Time, and is universally revered as the "First God." He is often called Akatosh, "whose perch from Eternity allowed the day." He is the central God of the Cyrodiilic Empire.

The Missing God is always related to the Mortal Plane, and is a key figure in the Human/Aldmeri schism. The 'missing' refers to either his palpable absence from the pantheon (another mental distress that is interpreted a variety of ways), or the removal of his 'divine spark' by the other immortals. He is often called Lorkhan, and his epitaphs are many, equally damnable and devout.

Note that Tamriel and the Mortal Plane do not exist yet. The Gray Maybe is still the playground of the Original Spirits. Some are more bound to Anu's light, others to the unknowable void. Their constant flux and interplay increase their number, and their personalities take long to congeal. When Akatosh forms, Time begins, and it becomes easier for some spirits to realize themselves as beings with a past and a future. The strongest of the recognizable spirits crystallize: Mephala, Arkay, Y'ffre, Magnus, Rupgta, etc., etc. Others remain as concepts, ideas, or emotions. One of the strongest of these, a barely formed urge that the others call Lorkhan, details a plan to create Mundus, the Mortal Plane.

Lorkhan

This Creator-Trickster-Tester deity is in every Tamrielic mythic tradition. His most popular name is the Aldmeri "Lorkhan," or Doom Drum. He convinced or contrived the Original Spirits to bring about the creation of the Mortal Plane, upsetting the status quo much like his father Padomay had introduced instability into the universe in the Beginning Place. After the world is materialized, Lorkhan is separated from his divine center, sometimes involuntarily, and wanders the creation of the et'Ada. Interpretations of these events differ widely by culture.

Humans, with the exception of the Redguards, see this act as a divine mercy, an enlightenment whereby lesser creatures can reach immortality. Aldmer, with the exception of the Dark Elves, see this act as a cruel deception, a trick that sundered their connection to the spirit plane.

Within Mundus, death and limitation are experienced for the first time. 

As he entered every aspect of Anuiel, Lorkhan would plant an idea that was almost wholly based on limitation. He outlined a plan to create a soul for the Aurbis, a place where the aspects of aspects might even be allowed to self-reflect. He gained many followers; even Auriel, when told he would become the king of the new world, agreed to help Lorkhan. So they created the Mundus, where their own aspects might live, and became the et'Ada.

But this was a trick. As Lorkhan knew, this world contained more limitations than not and was therefore hardly a thing of Anu at all. Mundus was the House of Sithis. As their aspects began to die off, many of the et'Ada vanished completely.

As Mundus formed, the Aedra became its very laws, and merged with the fabric of Mundus itself, in a process referred to as “telling the story  of their own deaths”. As Mundus is created, they lose much of their original power and status.

Finally, the magical beings of Mythic Aurbis told the ultimate story -- that of their own death. For some this was an artistic transfiguration into the concrete, non-magical substance of the world. For others, this was a war in which all were slain, their bodies becoming the substance of the world. For yet others, this was a romantic marriage and parenthood, with the parent spirits naturally having to die and give way to the succeeding mortal races.

The agent of this communal decision was Lorkhan, whom most early myths vilify as a trickster or deceiver. More sympathetic versions of this story point out Lorkhan as being the reason the mortal plane exists at all.

The magical beings created the races of the mortal Aurbis in their own image, either consciously as artists and craftsmen, or as the fecund rotting matter out of which the mortals sprung forth, or in a variety of other analogical senses.

The magical beings, then, having died, became the et'Ada. The et'Ada are the things perceived and revered by the mortals as gods, spirits, or geniuses of Aurbis. Through their deaths, these magical beings separated themselves in nature from the other magical beings of the Unnatural realms.

It is stated that the gods came from an infinite place and limited themselves to become the world and everything perceived by the senses, referring to the adamantine convention and the establishment of Mundus’ laws.

"The gods are good," she told him. "They came from an infinite place, but for us they limited themselves and became this world. They are everything we see and touch, everything we feel.

The Aurbis, which can be likened to the wheel, gains its spokes in the form of the Aedra. Chief among the laws of Mundus is the time-law of Akatosh, which establishes change in its static form. 

The Scripture of the Wheel, First:

'The Spokes are the eight components of chaos, as yet solidified by the law of time: static change, if you will, something the lizard gods refer to as the Striking. That is the reptile wheel, coiled potential, ever-preamble to the never-action.'

Second:

'They are the lent bones of the Aedra, the Eight gift-limbs to SITHISIT, the wet earth of the new star our home. Outside them is the Aurbis, and not within. Like most things inexplicable, it is a circle. Circles are confused serpents, striking and striking and never given leave to bite. The Aedra would have you believe different, but they were givers before liars. Lies have turned them into biters. Their teeth are the proselytizers; to convert is to place oneself in the mouth of falsehood; even to propitiate is to be swallowed. '

All of these elements therefore work in tandem to ensure that Mundus remains stable, the finite existence of Nirn as a whole being wholly dependent on their proper functioning. Should they be taken away, or otherwise cease to function in some form, then this heralds a return to the natural state of the world, the Dawn Era. In the Dawn, linearity and exactness do not exist and chronology is thus a meaningless concept impossible to establish, this being the chief reason for why so many distinct mythologies and interpretations of the Gods exist, as well as so many different (And often contradictory) accounts of Mundus' origins: They are different ways in which the time before is remembered, and the impossible nature of this period validates all of these accounts.

The text below, furthermore, also mentions that Jills, creatures known as "the minute-menders," had no way to express themselves in the Dawn Era, due to the fact that, with no ordering established, everything was true simultaneously, and they (And every other mundex spirit) as such had every power simultaneously, and therefore their role was rendered meaningless.

The Dawn Era is that period before the beginning of mortal time, when the feats of the gods take place. The Dawn Era ends with the exodus of the gods and magic from the World at the founding of the Adamantine Tower.

The term 'Merethic' comes from the Nordic, literally, "Era of the Elves." The Merethic Era is the prehistoric time after the exodus of the gods and magic from the World at the founding of the Adamantine Tower and before the arrival of Ysgramor the Nord in Tamriel.

The following are the most notable events of the Dawn Era, presented roughly in sequence as it must be understood by creatures of time such as ourselves.

The Cosmos formed from the Aurbis [chaos, or totality] by Anu and Padomay. Akatosh (Auriel) formed and Time began. The Gods (et'Ada) formed. Lorkhan convinced -- or tricked -- the Gods into creating the mortal plane, Nirn. The mortal plane was at this point highly magical and dangerous. As the Gods walked, the physical make-up of the mortal plane and even the timeless continuity of existence itself became unstable.

Aldmeris split during the Dawn, but as in all things then, these fractures enjoyed quasi-temporal amendments. Sometimes the Island of Start was with us, othertimes not or not of a whole, close as it was to spirit actual.

The Jills did not have their full powers; rather, I should say, all the mundex spirits had every power at every time amendment at every ordering, which is to say none of them could ever fully express; our world was young and so were its architect gods.

The next is known to all of us in different ways, and the impossibility of the Dawn lends all of these memories credence. I speak of the Ur-Tower, Adamantine, anon Direnni, and of its creation and purpose.

The Text “Where were you when the Dragon Broke?” speaks of a severe dragon break that occured known as the “Middle Dawn”, where for an extended period time had returned to the non-linearity of the dawn era. Every text describing this event contradicts eachother, for in untime, there is no linearity or sequence. Everything can happen simultaneously.

The tower split into eight pieces and Time broke. The non-linearity of the Dawn Era had returned.

Every culture on Tamriel remembers the Dragon Break in some fashion; to most it is a spiritual anguish that they cannot account for. Several texts survive this timeless period, all (unsurprisingly) conflicting with each other regarding events, people, and regions: wars are mentioned in some that never happen in another, the sun changes color depending on the witness, and the gods either walk among the mortals or they don't. Even the 'one thousand and eight years,' a number (some say arbitrarily) chosen by the Elder Council, is an unreliable measure.

But when the stability of Mundus is absent, the events that occur are not only simultaneously all true, but also false. It is impossible to arrange the events of the Dawn Era into a “narrative”, and this timeless period renders all narratives of the Gods into absurdities. 

I will not go into the varying accounts of what happened at Adamantine Tower, nor will I relate the War of Manifest Metaphors that rendered those stories unable to support most qualities of what is commonly known as "narrative." We all have our favorite Lorkhan story and our favorite Lorkhan motivation for the creation of Nirn and our favorite story of what happened to His Heart. But the Theory of the Lunar Lorkhan is of special note.

Others (it is always Others) contend that the Moons are literally the rotting corpses of Lorkhan himself, spinning in eternal dual ellipses above but ever beyond that creation for which he gave his Heart. But the War of Manifest Metaphors has rendered this (and all narratives) absurd.

....the accounts of the origins of Men differ from culture to culture. Note how the somewhat dubious scholarship of the 3rd Edition Pocket Guide to the Empire asserted that Nedics were the progenitors to the Nords, having come to Tamriel from the cold and bitter wastes of the Atmoran continent sometime during the Merethic (Mythic) Era, flying in the face of previous studies. The most famous of these, of course, is Gwylim Press’ own “Frontier, Conquest, and Accomodation,” which portrays the Nedics as a Mannish race indigenous to Tamriel, extant and flourishing long before the arrival of Ysgramor’s ancestors. In any case, the truth of prehistoric Man is most likely lost in the god-time impossibilities of the Dawn, where no absolute answers will ever come on any subject at all.

On the detachment of the sheathe describes the process which culminated in the beginning of the Middle Dawn, twisting the enveloping sheathe of Mundus into the Middle Dawn of Untime and Unplace. The concept of Space was established by Kynareth during the adamantine convention, thus it would seem that the places of untime are devoid of the concept of space as well.

Though all given Concavities, or sheathes within the integument of the Aurbis, are necessarily contained by the Aurbis, Right Reaching dictates that a defined sheath may be detached from the integument by invocation of Mnemoli. Upon intercourse with the star-orphan, the Beseeching Alesstic performs eversion of the organ of thought, an employment of the Hurling Disk that recapitulates the truth that a circle turned sidewise is a Tower. BY the same-truth, twisting the enveloping sheath into the middle dawn (to the number of seventeen) brings it to untime and unplace.

Eventualism, of course, predicts reabsorption upon depletion of the Wheeling Force, but the absence of duration may render even eventuality moot.

The “untime” refers to the timeless state of the Dawn Era, and although Kirkbride refers to it as “God-Time”, he acknowledges that this very word is contradictory and oxymoronic. 

Nirn as we know it is only about 6000 years old, give or take. It's made of myth, not continental drift and the march of penguins.

That said, the God Time (whose very name is contradictory) before it cannot accurately be measured by mortal perception.

It is also said that the timelessness of the Dawn Era, and the Gods prior to their descent into Mundus were devoid of things such as math or logic, and this is also a natural consequence, as Julianos is also another Aedra who presides over the concept of math and logic after the adamantine convention. In the text Shor, Son of Shor, which describes (as much as it can) the conflict of the Dawn Era, the nord equivalent to Julianos appears, and his presence is acknowledged as useless, for his domains aren’t applicable to untime and unplace. 

“Accounts of the Middle Dawn are the province of the Empire of Men, and proof of the deceit that call themselves the Aedra. Eight stars fell on Tamriel, one for each iniquity that Lorkhan made clear to the world. Veloth read these signs, and he told Boethiah, who confirmed them, and he told Mephala, who made wards against them, and he told Azura, who sent ALMSIVI to steer the True Folk clear of harm. Even the Four Corners of the House of Troubles rose to protect the periphery of your madness. We watched our borders and saw them shift like snakes, and saw you run around in it like the spirits of old, devoid of math, without your if-thens, succumbing to the Ever Now like slaves of the slim folly, stasis. Do not ask us where we were when the Dragon Broke, for, of all the world, only we truly know, and we might just show you how to break it again.”

"Tsun took her by the hair, for he was angered by her words and heavy with lust. He was a berserker despite his high station, and love followed battle to his kind. "You weren't made for that kind of thinking," Stuhn said, dragging Dibella towards a whaleskin tent, "Jhunal was. And no one should be speaking to him now." Tsun eyed the Clever Man who had heard him. "Logic is dangerous in these days, in this place. To live in Skyrim is to change your mind ten times a day lest it freeze to death. And we can have none of that now."

The ordered and static laws of Mundus are established at the adamantine tower, which exists physically on Nirn. Although it is spoken of occurring in the past, due to its occurrence in the untime and unplace of the dawn, it is happening eternally. 

That said, one persistent story that is accepted by many cultures is that as the world congealed into reality, the Gods made a great tower to discuss how best to proceed with the making of Mundus. The physical, temporal, spiritual, and magical elements of Nirn were set at this Convention, and the tower itself remained behind even as some of the Gods disappeared into Aetherius. Today it is the Adamantine Tower on the little island of Balfiera between High Rock and Hammerfell in the Iliac Bay. That such a humanoid structure remains the sole footprint of the Aedra speaks perhaps of the essentially mortal nature of our world.

When Magic (Magnus), architect of the plans for the mortal world, decided to terminate the project, the Gods convened at the Adamantine Tower [Direnni Tower, the oldest known structure in Tamriel] and decided what to do. Most left when Magic did. Others sacrificed themselves into other forms so that they might Stay (the Ehlnofey). Lorkhan was condemned by the Gods to exile in the mortal realms, and his heart was torn out and cast from the Tower. Where it landed, a Volcano formed. With Magic (in the Mythic Sense) gone, the Cosmos stabilized. Elven history, finally linear, began (ME2500).

The Towers that sustain the laws of convention exist omnipresent and adjacent to all time and space across Mundus.

The Imperial Throne Room at the base of White-Gold Tower is one of the most important metaphysical foci in all the Mundus, so much so that it can almost be said to exist adjacent to all time and space in Aedric Creation.

"The tower straddles every reality. Its true purpose remains lost to time, but I theorize it was created as a watchtower of sorts. A doorway to everywhere. It stands to reason, then, that the tower is the key to omnipresence."

What are the Towers?

They are magical and physical echoes of the Ur-Tower, Ada-mantia. Ada-mantia was the first spike of unassailable reality in the Dawn, otherwise called the Zero Stone. The powers at Ada-mantia were able to determine through this Stone the spread of creation and their parts in it.

The Stones are magical and physical echoes of the Zero Stone, by which a Tower might focus its energy to mold creation. Oftentimes, the Stones borrowed surplus creation from Oblivion, grafting it to the terrestrial domain of its anointed Tower.

Auriel-that-is-Akatosh returned to Mundex Arena from his dominion planet, signaling all Aedra to convene at a static meeting that would last outside of aurbic time. His sleek and silver vessel became a spike into the changing earth and the glimmerwinds of its impact warned any spirit that entered aura with it would become recorded-- that by consent of presence their actions here would last of a period unassailable, and would be so whatever might come later to these spirits, even if they rejoined the aether or succumbed willingly or by treachery to a sithite erasure. Thus could the Aedra and their cohorts truly covene in realness.

Our forebears saw the erection of Ada-mantia, Ur-Tower, and the Zero Stone. Let the Elders acknowledge this truth: every Tower bears its Stone. The impossipoint of the Convention was the first, though another bears the true title of First Stone.

The spike of Ada-Mantia, and its Zero Stone, dictated the structure of reality in its Aurbic vicinity, defining for the Earth Bones their story or nature within the unfolding of the Dragon’s (timebound) Tale. The Aldmeri or Merethic Elves were singular of purpose only so long as it took them to realize that other Towers, with their own Stones, could tell different stories, each following rules inscribed by Variorum Architects. And so the Mer self-refracted, each to their own creation, the Chimer following Red-Heart, the Bosmer burgeoning Green-Sap, the Altmer erecting Crystal-Like-Law, et alia.

The Aedra now exist in forms that can be “percieved” as the planets. However these are no mere planets, but in actuality higher and infinite planes of existence that only appear spherical and finite due to the limitations of mortal comprehension.

The planets are the gods and the planes of the gods, which is the same thing. That they appear as spherical heavenly bodies is a visual phenomena caused by mortal mental stress. Since each plane(t) is an infinite mass of infinite size, as yet surrounded by the Void of Oblivion, the mortal eye registers them as bubbles within a space. Planets are magical and impossible. The eight planets correspond to the Eight Divines. They are all present on the Dwarven Orrery, along with the mortal planet, Nirn.

Nirn (Ehnofex for 'Arena') is a finite ball of matter and magic made from all of the god planets at the beginning of time, when Lorkhan tricked/convinced/forced the gods to create the mortal plane. Nirn is the mortal plane and the mortal planet, which is the same thing. Its creation upset the cosmic balance; now all souls (especially the Aedra-Daedra/Gods-Demons) have a vested interest in Nirn (especially its starry heart, Tamriel).

When Lorkhan was punished and executed for his deception, he was sundered into two halves which now orbit Nirn. From the moon, a divine spark fell onto Nirn, giving it measure of its own existence. This “divine spark” is referring to Lorkhan’s heart, which is also identified with the heart of the world itself.

In short, the Moons were and are the two halves of Lorkhan's 'flesh-divinity'. Like the rest of the Gods, Lorkhan was a plane(t) that participated in the Great Construction... except where the Eight lent portions of their heavenly bodies to create the mortal plane(t), Lorkhan's was cracked asunder and his divine spark fell to Nirn as a shooting star "to impregnate it with the measure of its existence and a reasonable amount of selfishness."

"Auriel could not save Altmora, the Elder Wood, and it was lost to Men. They were chased south and east to Old Ehlnofey, and Lorkhan was close behind. He shattered that land into many. Finally Trinimac, Auriel's greatest knight, knocked Lorkhan down in front of his army and reached in with more than hands to take his Heart. He was undone. The Men dragged Lorkhan's body away and swore blood vengeance on the heirs of Auriel for all time.

"But when Trinimac and Auriel tried to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan it laughed at them. It said, "This Heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other." So Auriel fastened the thing to an arrow and let it fly long into the sea, where no aspect of the new world may ever find it."

The powers also created Red Tower and the First Stone. This allowed the Mundus to exist without the full presence of the divine. In this way, the powers of Ada-mantia granted the Mundus a special kind of divinity, which is called NIRN, the consequence of variable fate.

Mundus has also been referred to as a Multiverse, with Nirn being unmoored from its fabric as it was being pulled into Coldharbour during the planemeld. 

Unbeknownst to all but a few, Nirn has come unmoored from the fabric of the multiverse, as the mortal realm is drawn ever closer to Coldharbour, the twisted Oblivion realm of the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement, Molag Bal. The Planemeld, a process in which the two worlds slowly become one, is threatening the existence of all races on Tamriel.

Something to be acknowledged is also that while Nirn may be linear, Mundus is not. It contains more than one dimension of time. Septimus Signus describes the utility of the Elder Scrolls not simply being able to look left or right in the linear line of time, but also up, seeing something outside the linear scale. They can also dive in as well, implying multiple different time axises. 

You look to your left, you see one way. You look to your right, you see another. But neither is any harder than the opposite. But the Elder Scrolls... they look left and right in the stream of time. The future and past are as one: Sometimes they even look up. What do they see then? What if they dive in? Then the madness begins.

This also verifiably cannot be looking into anything outside of Mundus, for the places of untime outside convention are not able to read by the scrolls. 

No one understands what happened when the Selectives danced on that tower. It would be easy to dismiss the whole matter as nonsense were it not for the Amulet of Kings. Even the Elder Scrolls do not mention it -- let me correct myself, the Elder Scrolls cannot mention it. When the Moth priests attune the Scrolls to the timeless time their glyphs always disappear. The Amulet of Kings, however, with its oversoul of emperors, can speak of it at length. According to Hestra, Cyrodiil became an Empire across the stars. According to Shor-El, Cyrodiil became an egg. Most say something in a language they can only speak sideways. The Council has collected texts and accounts from all of its provinces, and they only offer stories that never coincide, save on one point: all the folk of Tamriel during the Middle Dawn, in whatever 'when' they were caught in, tracked the fall of the eight stars. And that is how they counted their days.

To expand on the lessons from Truth In Sequence, which contains the teachings of Sotha Sil, there is stated to be infinite variations and angles of non-linear time beyond the mortal line motion, asserting that there are in fact infinite dimensions of time. 

The Divine Metronome calls the first motion "The Motion of Lines." Line-motion is the motion of simple minds - the motion of weak wills and scholars' vanity. "Forward!" it cries! Forward to the fruits of cheap ambition. Forward to the promise of everlasting kingdoms. Forward to the mirage that the sages call "progress." These misguided pioneers venture out into their wild tomorrows, and the tomorrows after that, certain of their worth - their virtue. But what profits a man or mer to gaze deep into a single future? The aims of mortals are narrow, far too narrow! To move forward is to ignore infinite angles in favor of one. It is the act of a beast or a child. The Clockwork God spurns vanity in the guise of courage. These explorers' travels only lead them farther from Tamriel Final. Anuvanna'si.

The moment Mundus enters convention and the dawn era “ends” (note that “end” or “begin” is used figuratively), is the beginning of what is known as the Kalpa. Like the Hindu concept of the same name, the Kalpa is a period within history used to illustrate the cyclical nature of time and the world. The Kalpa begins on the first day of the Merethic Era, and “ends” at the dawn era. 

Assume "The Dawn Era was the End of the Previous Kalpa. The new Kalpa begins with the first day of the Merethic Era."

Then put on your lore-hats and start looking hard at the ramifications of that.

Oblivion

The void of Oblivion surrounds Mundus and encompasses it alongside its infinitely large planets. The Daedra inhabit this place, for they refused to participate in Mundus’ creation.

Space is the interpretation of Oblivion, which is black and empty and surrounds the mortal plane. Space is infinite, but it acts just like a planet, in that Oblivion is 'surrounded' by Aetherius. You can see Aetherius by the stars.

The spokes of the Wheel are the eight gifts of the Aedra, sons and daughters of Aetherius. The voids between each spoke number sixteen, and their masters are the sons and daughters of Oblivion.

The entities native to Oblivion consider Mundus to be “pitifully limited”, and inferior to Mundus.

Now we are talking about personal choice anyway: again, pardon us for being so bold, but stories of the Aldmeri creation mythos say that the Lord Sheogorath was 'born' when Lorkhan's divine spark was removed and the free Mundus, the mortal world, first came into existence. Might this relate to the curse that Jyggalag's jealous unbrothers placed on him?

Dyus: The Aldmer really think that? How amusing.

Haskill: Ah, the elves. That most self-centered of mortal races. It is inconceivable that anything could occur that has nothing at all to do with them. Do you really think that Oblivion exists solely as a shadow of Mundus? That everything that happens here is connected in some way with your pitifully limited world? I can tell you, speaking only for myself, of course, that sometimes entire minutes pass without me thinking of mortal affairs.

Oblivion is outside Mundus and thus resides in the untime of the dawn era, in which everything is metaphor and ideology given skin.

That caused the Wanderers and Old Ehlnofey to split? What was the cause of their war? - Hollymarkie

That was the Dawn. Wars then were ideologies given skin.

Mehrunes Dagon's association with Nirn is more metaphorical than existential. Metaphors possessed great power when things "began." They still do in Oblivion. But in your spongey realm, they are simply tools for understanding. Revolution and destruction are straightforward concepts that correspond with mortals' limited understanding of the Aurbis. Dagon allows you to put a face on these terrifying elements of life on Nirn. Unlike the unknowable Princes like Nocturnal and Hermaeus Mora, you can make Dagon's desires small and easily comprehended—you can incorporate him into the shared myth of mortal significance. Why does Dagon believe Nirn belongs to him? A better question would be why do the people of Nirn believe Dagon belongs to them? Unsurprisingly, the answer is mortals' simple natures.

Within The Elder Scrolls Online, the concept of the Creatia is introduced, which was originally described as “raw mythic energy” by Michael Kirkbride prior to its insertion here. It is spoken as such a fundamental energy that harvesting it is referred to as the act of “concept-farming”. Oblivion is a place of pure chaotic potential and abstractions, unlimited by law and convention.

Allerleirauh: I was mixing my metaphors, which is a dangerous thing to do in mythopoeic enchanting.

The second bit refers to what Vivec and the Trib. did with the tools. They walloped the heart with it, creating a repeat of the mythic event of Lorkhan's heart being ripped out. Then they used Keening to turn the agony into a tone they could bathe in. Thus, Keening, wailing or suffering. The wraithguard was used to shield the user from the untransmuted... whateveryoucall raw mythic energy. You're the word dude, make something up.

First bit refers to the Numidium, which is what Kagrenac was trying to do before the Tribunal interrupted him. We know Kagrenac made the tools to create a mantella, a Crux of Transcendence. (For those who don't read the Tarot, the Hanged Man in Tarot symbolizes the Crux of Transcendence, suffering to gain transcendence: Jesus on the cross, Odin hanging from the tree to gain wisdom, etc.)

So, we know what the tools are like, and what the Tribunal did with them, and we know what the mantella is like, and more or less how Tiber Septim made it - he killed his best friend, reenacting the murder of Lorkhan by Akatosh, and shoved his best friend's soul (or his own, or both, since they were tied) into a fancy rock, and then he plugged it into the Numidium, or Divine Skin.

MK: Astounding. How long did this hide in plain sight? Props. As for making up a word for raw mythic energy, didn't I already do that? "Creatia"?

Gypsy Moth dustmemore insert - it should be noted here that it is always foolish to think of whole races sharing like minds. "Ayleid" is as much a metaphysical designation as it is a cultural one. Just like the earliest Chimer who orphaned themselves from the Velothi Exodites, but remain Chimer today, large numbers of Ayleids showed more interest in the immediate earthly needs of agriculture rather than the magical needs of concept-farming. This distinction becomes important later, when "Ayleid" begins to designate other, and ofttimes foreign, agencies.

It has long been understood that a Daedra, who lacks the Anuic animus known as the "soul," is not killed when its body is destroyed. A Daedra slain upon Mundus is merely "banished" back to its plane of origin, where its morphotype, or "vestige," gradually forms a new body, so that eventually the Daedra lives again. (This happens as well when a Daedra is slain in its native Oblivion.)

Furthermore, we have long known from the Daedra themselves that their bodies are formed from the very stuff of chaos, the "creatia" of Oblivion, a shapeless but energetic material that accretes around a vestige until it conforms to the morphotype's inherent pattern.

Oblivion is also stated to be a place of nonexistence. 

The Carrickers hit the deck when the SMIS Longbow exploded, a small warp of the Lords of Misrule clamoring for the creatia they might claim for their own. Daedric servitorslips blinked into view around the Alinor Sunbird’s last moment. A small Oblivion war happened in the space that was not.

Fa-Nuit-Hen, a demi-prince, asserts that Oblivion and its rulers aren’t bound by the time law of Akatosh, and are without things such as cause, duration, and eventuality. When a Daedra interacts with the mortal plane, they simply assume its limitations for the sake of mortals being capable of comprehending them.

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, "Again I interrupt! The mighty Fa-Nuit-Hen, a servant of Hermaeus Mora? By no means! I am a scion of Boethiah, a sovereign demiprince, and I serve no will but my own! As for time, cause, and consequence, let's just say that the laws of the Dragon God do not apply to Oblivion. Oh, it's useful to adopt the trappings of duration when dealing with mortals, so you'll find Maelstrom quite familiar in that regard. We know how lost you feel away from the hand of Akatosh! Maelstrom is far easier to comprehend than Apocrypha—and much more generous in that we award victorious competitors with fabulous prizes!"

Vivec gives elaborations on the nature of time and the places outside of it. When he dies, he is displaced into the timeless world of the Gods where he experiences a slumbering state. Regardless of how “long” he may “wait” in the timeless world, the moment he wakes he sees that no time had progressed since his death and return. Everything in the timeless world occurs simultaneously. 

I have no idea what happened to the Dwemer. I have no sense of them in the timeless divine world outside of mortal time. And, in fact, if I did believe they existed, I would be in no hurry to make contact with them. They may, with some justice, hold the Dunmer race responsible for their fate. My intuition is that they are gone forever -- and that is perfectly fine with me."

It is a bit like being at once awake and asleep. Awake, I am here with you, thinking and talking. Asleep, I am very, very busy. Perhaps for other gods, the completely immortal ones, it is only like that being asleep. Out of time. Me, I exist at once inside of time and outside of it.

It's nice never being dead, too. When I die in the world of time, then I'm completely asleep. I'm very much aware that all I have to do is choose to wake. And I'm alive again. Many times I have very deliberately tried to wait patiently, a very long, long time before choosing to wake up. And no matter how long it feels like I wait, it always appears, when I wake up, that no time has passed at all. That is the god place. The place out of time, where everything is always happening, all at once.

Khajiit lore gives similar descriptions of untime, stating that once you step outside of it things can simultaneously occur, being both true and false. 

Can you imagine, you who are bound to the tapestry and linear time, knowing that Ja'darri both succeeded and failed at the same time? Just as the one called Abnur Tharn succeeded and failed at the same time? And in the same moment, outside of linear time? Perhaps you cannot. Perhaps that asks too much.

More champions heeded the call after Ja'darri, in linear time. More came. Clan Mothers came and went as well. Until, as time passed, in the common parlance, one named Ra'khajin arrived. He both succeeded and failed to become a champion, just as Ja'darri before him. How, you ask, is this possible? He succeeded until he left Pridehome in linear time, yes? But outside linear time? He succeeded and failed all at once. Or forever, if you prefer.

When a Dremora describes the act of himself being summoned from Oblivion on Nirn, he states that he feels himself being “pulled across infinities”, as he is hurled into the void. 

I was lurking behind a Dark Anchor chain link, preparing to terrify an approaching Soul Shriven by suddenly knocking her down and sneering, "No match at all," when I suddenly felt a strange tingling all over, from my horns down to my toes. I grew dizzy as the plane spun around me, nearly fell into a pool of blue plasm, and then suddenly felt myself hurled into an endless black void.

I wasn't alarmed at first, because who hasn't been hurled into an endless black void? It wasn't until I began to materialize at my destination and got a taste of the air that I had my first misgivings. "I smell … weakness," I said to myself—and I couldn't have been more right.

It was then that I first heard the voice of my Conjurer as he said, "Ah, this one looks fairly robust," and the full horror of my situation broke upon me. For I had been summoned to do the bidding … of a mortal.

I turned, aghast, to see who had dared summon me across the infinities to Nirn, and found myself faced with a tall Elf of Summerset. Oh, I recognized the type: I'd abused more than a few Altmeri Soul Shriven in my time, and with gusto, for they evince a haughty arrogance entirely inappropriate in mere mortals. This one gave me a brief, appraising look, and then turned away, saying, "Follow and fight. There are Worm Cultists that need slaying."

Within the novel the Infernal City, as the protagonist is being throttled through Oblivion, they find themselves within an “infinite palace of glass”. 

“Stay together!” Sul shouted. He took a step, and again the unimaginable sensation, and now they were in utter darkness-but not silence, for all around them where chittering sounds and the staccato scurrying of hundreds of feet.

They were in an infinite palace of colored glass.

They were on an icy plane with a burning sky.

They were standing by a dark red river, and the smell of blood was nearly suffocating.

Apocrypha contains the Infinite Panopticon, an endless extradimensional labyrinth.

The Infinite Panopticon appears as an endless labyrinth of rooms and passages inside a limitless pocket dimension. The entrance, according to legend, never manifests in the same location twice, making it almost impossible to find. Nothing within this extradimensional space conforms to reality as we know it, and the interior changes and alters seemingly at random.

Why would Hermaeus Mora, the Great Eye, create such a place? For one reason and one reason alone: to protect his most precious secrets.

I worked as a cataloger within the Panopticon for a long time. Of course, time has almost no meaning inside the place, so how long I served I cannot accurately say. Spending too much time within can cause even the strongest mortal mind to shatter, but as far as I can tell, my faculties are still in fine order. I worked alongside the Hushed, who wandered the halls as guardians of sorts. There were other guardians on hand as well, including Lurkers, Seekers, Watchers, and other Daedric beings that defy descriptions. My job was not to tend to the Black Books or tomes stored within, or even to the endless number of glyphics stacked high.

No, I was charged with maintaining the many Eyes of Mora that were lined up like books on a shelf. What, you may ask, is an Eye of Mora. Just as it sounds. These are floating eyes taken from the orbs without end that make up the glory of Hermaeus Mora. Each eye is larger than a Nord, containing a memory witnessed personally by Hermaeus Mora and set aside as a recollection of import. To review one of the contained memories, you must actually enter the eye. However, entry is not given freely and often requires a key, a pass phrase, or some other means to gain access.

My job was to tend to the eyes, keep them safe, and catalog the contents for ease of identification. But I only had access to the most benign memories. The greatest and most terrible secrets were locked inside the eyes that even I had no business tending to. Perhaps that's why my sanity is still intact—unlike others employed in the Infinite Panopticon.

The very nature of Oblivion is chaos and variation. Its planes are infinite in both number and complexity, existing in a paradoxical state that exceeds the “narrow” and limited ontological framework of mortals. 

Your problem, mortal, is exemplified by your words, 'share a common origin in the planes of Oblivion.' There is nothing 'common' about, between, or across the planes of Oblivion—they are the very definition of change and variation, manifesting all possibilities, and validating all understanding and misunderstanding. You seek similarities where there are only differences, a classification of chaos.

Immature? Need I remind you that even the most craven Varlet has witnessed the whole of mortal existence? The lowest Banekin has a more developed sense of the Aurbis's scale and nature than your most eminent scholars. Please consider the possibility that your narrow ontological framework—and thus your petty "moral" imperatives—are not as sturdy as you think. Nevertheless, though the magic wanes, I am still compelled to provide an answer. We Dremora do relish a challenge.

I cannot speak for all Daedra, nor do I wish to. There are as many answers to this question as there are beings in Oblivion. I, however, admit some small measure of amusement through play. Despite its long catalogue of shortcomings, Mundus enjoys a degree of malleability that does not exist in the planes of Oblivion. Realms such as the Deadlands, Coldharbour, and Evergloam are fundamentally shaped and curated by the will of their respective Princes. The smaller realms—infinite in both number and complexity—often flex against the will to impose order over them, twist into hyperogonal paradoxes that resist even the most sophisticated ur-logic, or simply wink in and out of existence too quickly for us to find purchase upon their shores.

Mundus, however, submits to the predictable influence of the et'Ada's remains, but retains the stubborn caprice of the Liar. That makes it … doughy. Flatten a mortal's vain little castle, and it remains flattened. But never for long. Soon, some other mortal with narrow aspirations builds another castle all on their own. I respect the lost et'Ada's foolish attempt at creation. It's tragic that they will never fully understand what a delightful playground they created for those of us who remain undiminished.

The Daedra structure their domains by harnessing the chaotic potential of Oblivion through imposing their will on the creatia to transmute it from its abstract and formless state to something solid and active. In this solidified state. When the creatia undergoes this process, it becomes a particle referred to as “daedrons”, which can then be used to mold Oblivion to the will of the Princes. 

Tutor Riparius says, "Y ou [sic] mortals—so good at acquiring knowledge, and so quick to learn the wrong lessons from it! Allow me to misinterpret: particles of chaotic creatia, when flowing in reaction to the exertion of will, become daedrons that, though injurious to the mortal form, can nonetheless perform work. Underutilized daedrons usually return to quiescence—but if imbued with sufficient purpose, they may escape and coalesce to form potentia vortices. These are dangerous if allowed to self-optimize into realm-rips, so it's best to damp them out early. Trying to keep ahead of it all keeps Peryite mighty busy, but nobody's really sorry for him—after all, he earned it."

The Princes can also adjust the ontological properties of their realms and arrange them into forms which are comprehensible to three-dimensional beings, and also grant them temporal properties which would naturally be nonexistent in Oblivion and the places of untime. 

Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, "Ah! The 'Weir Gate' leads, or will lead, to the Slipstream Realm where you mortals have or will establish your Battlespire Academy. Regarding the 'Slipstream' designation: mortals, of course, can only perceive Oblivion and the astronomical regions of the Mundus in terms of their own frames of reference. They 'see' only what they can comprehend, and often that isn't much. Furthermore, what they do comprehend often seems to drive them insane, though the rate of mental deterioration varies with individuals. Twice upon a time, the Imperial Mananauts regularly ventured beyond Nirn, and in doing so learned that the mortal mind is best acclimated to other realities by gentle degrees. This is one of the reasons why Maelstrom seems to resemble aspects of your world—I wished it to be mortal-friendly, or at least friendly enough for mortals to experience my arenas without distorting their mentalities! Anyway, the Mananauts will learn that it's best to train for Oblivion in a transition zone, a place where differing truths can co-exist without conceptual abrasion. At certain points, transliminal forces balance in standing waves, and these regions are designated 'Slipstream Realms.'

A Dunmer mage describes Oblivion as containing infinite dimensions, although it is likely that this is still yet another “pitifully limited” perception of the void which is exceeded by its true timeless and spaceless nature.

Know that there are places beyond Tamriel where the cunning and the wary can go to learn forgotten spells. I speak of the planes of Oblivion. The sea of limitless dimensions contains an endless series of islands. Some are controlled by the mighty Daedric Princes; others are loosely connected to one minor Daedra Lord or another. On these islands, creatures dwell who possess secrets out of time. Some are there of their own volition, but others are banished there for crimes either heinous or imagined.

Oblivion, as all the other places of untime and unplace we have elaborated on before, would be devoid of the concepts of space, time, math, logic, life, death, and all the other domains of the spokes on the wheel. 

Pocket Realms

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Lord_Fa-Nuit-Hen_and_Tutor_Riparius_Answer_Your_Questions

"Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen says, "To answer your questions, Spellwright, I shall go from the specific to the general! In common with the greater Princes, my realm of Maelstrom and myself are indistinguishable—my pocket reality is a projection of my mind, nature, and will. Indeed, reality as personal manifestation is the norm in all the highly-organized realms I have visited."

Creation Feats for planes/Pocket Dimensions are generally sustained as extensions of the creator. Mankar Camoran created one as an example:

Gaiar Alata is a pocket plane of Oblivion, one Camoran made after merging with the Mysterium Xarxes (a text given to him by Mehrunes Dagon). Mankar holds complete control over the fabric of Gaiar Alata, and can shape it as he wishes. The realm is large enough to contain a sun and instantly collapses when he is killed.

I've learned that the Mysterium Xarxes is both the gate and the key to Camoran's Paradise. In some sense, the book IS Camoran's Paradise. Mankar Camoran bound himself to the Xarxes when he created his Paradise, using dark rituals which I will not speak of further.

I believe that Mankar Camoran acts as the "anchor" for Paradise, just as a sigil stone anchors an Oblivion Gate in place. Kill Mankar Camoran, and you will unmake his Paradise.

When Camoron dies, Gaiar Alata ceases to exist. This makes sense since it was the “heart of Camoron’s power”.

In regards to the Sun in the realm, it should be real. As Fa-Nuit-Hen stated, the realms each reflect their maker's personal will. Gaiar Alata is intended to be a paradise for Camoran and his followers. "The dawn" symbolizes revolution and a new beginning. Which is what they mean to do when Dagon comes and destroys the world. The rising sun is also Dagon's symbol generally.

 It would also be strange for the realm to lack a sun, considering Camoran himself is a mage. The holes in Aetherius are necessary for magic. There are also plants that grow within that realm uniquely, which likely implies that the sunlight isn't fake.

Realms of Oblivion are constantly shown having celestial bodies in them, like the shown cosmis in the Shivering Isles

A bit of description of pocket realms:

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Lord_Fa-Nuit-Hen_and_Tutor_Riparius_Answer_Your_Questions_2

"Certainly, Lord Demiprince! The catch-all term 'pocket realm' may apply to any minor plane of Oblivion, whether linked to the major plane of a Daedric Prince or not, that is, whether incorporated, semi-autonomous, or autonomous. The Princes themselves are, almost by definition, quite distinct and different from each other, each with his or her own ideas of hierarchy and allegiance. So their methods of managing their realms, sub-realms, and pocket realms vary wildly. A major Oblivion plane is an expression of its Prince's very nature, so to say that each 'craves absolute control' of his or her sphere is inexact, as a desire for 'absolute control' is not central to every Prince's nature. To use the example you chose yourself, Sanguine's Myriad Realms of Revelry is a congeries of pocket and sub-realms, within which Sanguine grants his guests considerable latitude for personal customization, as each mini-realm can be refashioned to meet the needs and desires of its visitants. It is in Sanguine's nature to indulge the natures of others, particularly their darker desires—so to Sanguine, 'absolute control' is anathema."

Aetherius

After discovering the truth of Lorkhan’s deception, Magnus abandoned Mundus and fled into Aetherius, piercing through the void of Oblivion and creating a large hole which the light of Aetherius could shine through. This tear in the void was the Sun, and the countless Magna-Ge that followed him made the stars.

 The stars are the bridges to Aetherius, the magic plane. They are perceived as holes on the inside surface of space. Because they are on the inside of a sphere, all stars are equidistant from Nirn. Larger stars, therefore, are not closer to the mortal plane, they are just larger tears in Oblivion. The largest tear in Oblivion is Magnus, the sun.

Constellations are collections of stars. Since each star is a bridge to magic, constellations are very powerful phenomena, and are revered. There are generally accepted to be thirteen constellations. Nine of these are made up completely of stars. Three others are called guardian constellations, as they are each governed by a Dominion Planet. The Dominion Planets are Akatosh (eye of the Warrior), Julianos (eye of the Sage), and Arkay (eye of the Thief). The last constellation is made up of unstars, and is called the Snake.

Magnus is the sun, the largest hole in Oblivion, and the gateway to magic. Magnus was present at the creation of the mortal plane, and, in fact, was its architect (Lorkhan was its advocate and inspiration). Prehistoric (before ME2500, startyear) Nirn was a magical place, and highly unstable to the first mortals. Magnus then left, some say in disgust, and Oblivion filled in the void with the Void. His escape was not easy, and tatters of Magnus remain in the firmament as stars.

The constellations are revered for their high magickal power, which influences the beings born under particular signs. Mortals born under a certain constellation are granted skills or abilities attributed to that sign. 

The Stars of Tamriel are divided into thirteen constellations. Three of them are the major constellations, known as the Guardians. These are the Warrior, the Mage, and the Thief. Each of the Guardians protects its three Charges from the thirteenth constellation, the Serpent.

When the sun rises near one of the constellations, it is that constellation's season. Each constellation has a Season of approximately one month. The Serpent has no season, for it moves about in the heavens, usually threatening one of the other constellations.

The Mage is a Guardian Constellation whose Season is Rain's Hand when magicka was first used by men. His Charges are the Apprentice, the Golem, and the Ritual. Those born under the Mage have more magicka and talent for all kinds of spellcasting, but are often arrogant and absent-minded.

In the mythology of Yokuda, stars are the force which guide every mortal through their life.

"The sign of the Serpent? Part of Yokudan religion?"

"The star-sign of his birth. Yokudans believe the stars guide your destiny, from birth to death and beyond."

In the Yokudan creation myth, a composite god of Anuiel and Sithis by the name of Satakal periodically devours itself, perpetuating a cycle of the death and rebirth of worlds. Ruptga, the Yokudan Akatosh, learns to survive the passing of the cycle by hiding in a place called “the walkabout”, and creates the stars so that the other spirits can find their way to the walkabout. The walkabout was then named “The Far Shores”, which is a Yokudan name for Aetherius. 

As Satakal ate itself over and over, the strongest spirits learned to bypass the cycle by moving at strange angles. They called this process the Walkabout, a way of striding between the worldskins. Ruptga was so big that he was able to place the stars in the sky so that weaker spirits might find their way easier. This practice became so easy for the spirits that it became a place, called the Far Shores, a time of waiting until the next skin.

Lorkhan’s Yokudan counterpart appears as a serpent named Sep. Sep convinces the spirits to collaborate with him in the creation of the “skinball”, which Ruptga refuses to participate in. After the spirits become bound to the skinball, Ruptga tells them they must now find their own way back to the walkabout. The implication here is that the stars are once more guiding the course of the world, for the Far Shore is the Yokudan afterlife which all the Redguards return to upon their deaths. The Far Shore is also referred to as “the real world of Satakal” implying it resides in a more fundamental state to Oblivion and Mundus which it encompasses.

Pretty soon the spirits on the skin-ball started to die, because they were very far from the real world of Satakal. And they found that it was too far to jump into the Far Shores now. The spirits that were left pleaded with Tall Papa to take them back. But grim Ruptga would not, and he told the spirits that they must learn new ways to follow the stars to the Far Shores now.

Magic is necessary to bind the aurbic world egg together and stabilize it so that it does not collapse. It is “creation’s source”.

That all the Interplay is one flea of assertion on a wolf of naught, and that every experience (that is, everything) born from that primal wail would cascade unto the echo-need of hologram, each slice the same except for scale, and all the magic that would need to spring forth just to hold it together at living, divine cross-purpose, support struts made from the need to exist

The Stones are magical and physical echoes of the Zero Stone, by which a Tower might focus its energy to mold creation. Oftentimes, the Stones borrowed surplus creation from Oblivion, grafting it to the terrestrial domain of its anointed Tower.

It was and is difficult to bypass Oblivion to go directly to creation's source, the Aetherius. It has been done, but not without great expenditure, mundane and otherwise. However, access to Oblivion, the Void that surrounds Mundex Arena, which we might touch every night, was child's play in comparison.

The fundamental nature of Aetherius is once again asserted in the text “Reality and Other Falsehoods”. The text expounds the truth that reality as experienced by mortals is a false perception, and that magic can be used to impress their will upon it to alter the world around them. 

To master Alteration, first accept that reality is a falsehood. There is no such thing. Our reality is a perception of greater forces impressed upon us for their amusement. Some say that these forces are the gods, others that they are something beyond the gods. For the wizard, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the appeal couched in a manner that cannot be denied. It must be insistent without being insulting.

To cast Alteration spells is to convince a greater power that it will be easier to change reality as requested than to leave it alone. Do not assume that these forces are sentient. Our best guess is that they are like wind and water. Persistent but not thoughtful. Just like directing the wind or water, diversions are easier than outright resistance. Express the spell as a subtle change and it is more likely to be successful.

Magic and the essence of Aetherius being necessary to the construction of the worlds beneath is also supported by the fact that Magnus is said to be the architect of Mundus, and that Magic is ultimately what remains of him beneath Aetherius.

Magnus (Magus): The god of sorcery, Magnus withdrew from the creation of the world at the last second, though it cost him dearly. What is left of him on the world is felt and controlled by mortals as magic. One story says that, while the idea was thought up by Lorkhan, it was Magnus who created the schematics and diagrams needed to construct the mortal plane. He is sometimes represented by an astrolabe, a telescope, or, more commonly, a staff. Cyrodilic legends say he can inhabit the bodies of powerful magicians and lend them his power. Associated with Zurin Arctus, the Underking.

The Celestials are the avatars of the constellations that populate the firmament. They wielded power higher than any mage could comprehend, and their full power could destroy Mundus in its entirety.

Vestige: I need to know the situation. Tell me what's going on here.

Hara: Then I'll start from the beginning. A short while ago, the three guardian signs—the Warrior, the Mage, and the Thief—vanished from the night sky.

Vestige: What happened?

Hara: I wish I knew. I've studied the stars my whole life. I've heard them speak—but now they're silent. It's eerie. All I know is when the guardians disappeared, three powerful beings started attacking Craglorn. They call themselves the Celestials."

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apex Stone?

"The Apex Stones are what allow the Celestials to manifest in this plane. By corrupting our Apex Stone, the Serpent sought to submit our consciousness to his will and corrupt us. This is what happened to the Lost One."

Can't we just destroy the Apex Stone?

"If you did, our full power would be released. Mundus could not withstand such force. Our Apex Stone rests in a hidden place beneath the city of Elinhir. Use the Seeker's Sight to locate it and the Lost One. We will join you when the time is right."

"The Apex Stone rests below, in the sewers of Elinhir.

The Seeker's Sight will aid you once you get inside and help you find your way."

Those who wander Tamriel in search of answers need only look to the night sky. Guardians, omens, and sacred signs drift overhead ceaselessly, offering wisdom to any who seek it. For some, however, wisdom is not enough. Avatars of the constellations—Celestials—wield power that even the greatest sorcerers can scarcely comprehend. Now, their gifts are just within reach.

The time has come to gaze skyward and seize the blessings of the stars!

The Celestial Serpent intended to destroy Mundus and return everything to the dawn era.

Celestial Serpent, hear my prayer!

Oh, Serpent, who descends from the sky, listen to my unworthy voice and raise me up.

Oh, Serpent, who sheds the Worldskin to return us to a simpler, better time, hear my humble words and make a place for me in your nest.

Oh, Serpent, who undulates with power and glory, accept my offering and grant me your venomous blessing.

Celestial Serpent, hear my prayer!       

The Serpent: "Mortals. More of you."

The Serpent: "Your townships embalm the world like a foul crust."

The Serpent: "When the land was young, it fed on you. Those primordial days will return. And I will end your civilization."

The Serpent: "You stifle growth, natural progress. I will see Nirn freed."

The Serpent: "Nirn will begin anew when I escape this prison, escape Craglorn."

Celestials as the humanoid manifestation of the constellations is just "one way of perceiving the constellation":

Vestige: Are you really the Thief constellation?

The Celestial Thief: In a way. Just as you might look at a picture of the star signs and say "That's the Thief" or "That's the Warrior." Just so, I'm the Thief, or one way of seeing the Thief.

The Mage, The Warrior and the Thief appear in Skyrim, behind the constellation perk trees, showing just how astrologically vast they are:

Nature of Stars

While stars in TES are generally holes in reality, it honestly is a bit more complicated.

Planets in Mundus (the only known exception being Nirn) are not balls of matter, but entire planes of infinite size and mass that are viewed as being spherical as they're infinite but surrounded by another greater infinity due to the trauma on the mortal mind. 

Stars are rips in the fabric of space created at the Dawn of Time by Magnus and the Magne Ge, who left/fled the Mundus to avoid being trapped to mortality, or in disgust. Stars therefore, are gates to Aetherius, and the light seen from the stars and the Sun is magic streaming into the Mundus.

What is space?

Space is the interpretation of Oblivion, which is black and empty and surrounds the mortal plane. Space is infinite, but it acts just like a planet, in that Oblivion is 'surrounded' by Aetherius. You can see Aetherius by the stars.

What are stars?

The stars are the bridges to Aetherius, the magic plane. They are perceived as holes on the inside surface of space. Because they are on the inside of a sphere, all stars are equidistant from Nirn. Larger stars, therefore, are not closer to the mortal plane, they are just larger tears in Oblivion. The largest tear in Oblivion is Magnus, the sun.

What are shooting stars, then?

A misnomer. Shooting stars are bits of matter and magic, either from Oblivion or Aetherius, that sometimes move through the cosmos. The largest shooting stars are really planets with independent orbits, like Baan Dar the Rogue Plane.

What are constellations?

Constellations are collections of stars. Since each star is a bridge to magic, constellations are very powerful phenomena, and are revered. There are generally accepted to be thirteen constellations. Nine of these are made up completely of stars. Three others are called guardian constellations, as they are each governed by a Dominion Planet. The Dominion Planets are Akatosh (eye of the Warrior), Julianos (eye of the Sage), and Arkay (eye of the Thief). The last constellation is made up of unstars, and is called the Snake

Vestige: I want to hear a story about Aetherius.

Girnalin: Aetherius is the sea of light, the Immortal Plane, the origin of magic. Y'ffre sings not of Aetherius, but to it, weaving a song so beautiful that stars were compelled to dance and sway.

They still wink and blink in memory of that song.

Vestige: How do stars relate to Aetherius?

Girnalin: They are Aetherius. Rather, the sun and stars are holes pierced in the wall of night by Magnus—and other spirits—seeking to escape Nirn. These holes permit Aetherius' light to enter our world. From theirs to ours does Magicka trickle.

Vestige: How do they twinkle and move across the sky, then?

Girnalin: Well, consider this. As Oblivion is a realm composed of realms, so, too, is Aetherius a bright sea with many realms within. Each of these stars is a window into these realms, and as these realms move, so too do they move. Or close, like doors."

Stars are holes in reality but they are also holes through which energy and light pour through. Plants on Nirn grow by drawing their energy from sunlight.

Nirnroot Missive:

Although the oddly tenacious root grows almost anywhere a significant body of water is present, this root is extremely rare, and I believe soon to become extinct. I myself have yet to come across one of the gnarled shoots, as they're rarely in sight of the roads that cross Cyrodiil. According to the records of the noted Imperial Herbalist Chivius Regelliam, the Nirnroot once flourished and could be found all over the country, but he suspected a cataclysmic event severely stunted their growth. Although many scholars reject the proposal that the Sun's Death event of 1E 668 catastrophically affected plant life, Chivius feels that the Nirnroot's lineage was damaged by the lack of sun for a full year. Whereas other plant species tend to "find a way," the Nirnroot's mysterious magical nature made it especially susceptible to this climate shift. While this may or may not be the case, it's certainly true that the recorded sightings of Nirnroot are declining as the years pass.

The most perplexing facet of Chivius's studies is that his notes describe the root as having a yellowish glow. Contrary to this fact, the Nirnroot of today has a soft bluish or blue-white glow. Unfortunately, since not many studies of the Nirnroot were performed from Chivius's day until now, it's unknown when or why this occurred. What I'm proposing today is that the Nirnroot, even though merely a plant, sensed impending extinction and therefore changed its own nature to survive. One of the more obvious facets of today's Nirnroot that supports this theory is the fact that it can now survive underground without any sunlight at all. While it's true that generally only mosses and fungi grow in these environments, I have two signed depositions by persons claiming that they sighted the Nirnroot in deep caves. Not once in Chivius's copious notes is a subterranean Nirnroot mentioned. But how could this be? How could a surface dwelling plant suddenly begin appearing in new locations radically different from its normal habitat?

Sunlight also causes water condensation, which leads to rain.

The Water Cycle of Clockwork City:

If there is any topic of any worth, it is perhaps the environment of which the rest of Nirn is forced to live within. Factoring out the ever-changing influences of man and mer, we are left with constants that the et'Ada Gears have created. Sunlight causes green leaves to grow. Winds affect weather and temperature. And water, that which all life is dependent upon, flows through an endless cycle.

There is limited knowledge of the water cycle which all things depend upon. Water is heated by the sun and turns to vapor. The vapor floats up within the sky, creating clouds. The clouds grow heavy and release their burdens, letting the water once more return to earth. And so it goes, a never ending-wheel.

Magnus does the same thing as Sol, in that they both emit energy perpetually. Stars in TES still act as irl stars despite being reality holes.

Stars exist over astrological distances with nebulas floating around in “Space”.

Lastly, time flows differently among the stars, and Valla (a fragment of the Mage) recalls that Vestige has faced down gods and walked across the planes, despite the fact these things might or might not have even happened yet.

Valla: Ah, you're here at last. Do not be confused. We foresaw your arrival, the one who has walked across the planes and faced down gods. Or do we speak of things still to come? Time is much more fluid among the stars

Here are some comments about the Naure of the Stars from Noah Berry, an environmental artist for TES. He talks about making the worlds of Morrowind and Oblivion, including the skies. 

To further complete the far away feel, Tamriel's two moons, Masser and Secunda, were mapped with their own unique, colorful, and alien textures. The resulting effect will hopefully allow the player to look up and feel that they are indeed very far away from Earth, on the strange and wonderful isle of Vvardenfell, in the province of Morrowind.

In more ancient times, it was common for people to turn to the heavens in times of spiritual need. The thinking being, that there above lies the answers otherwise unobtainable here on the ground. I believe it’s fair to say the general populace of Tamriel collectively thinks along similar pathways – for good reason. It is well known there that special powers are derived from the synergistic energies related to celestial gatherings and patterns. Even the mysterious, ancestral denizens of Tamriel, the Dwarves, were all too aware of the impact of the night sky on their daily lives and went to great lengths to study and understand their place in it all.

As for the stars themselves, Oblivion is the first game in which all 13 major constellations are visible to the player in the night sky. These stars are not only distant, but there are stars and galaxies.

Lastly, as the sun drifts gently downward in the westward sky, and the evening kaleidoscope of pastels fades and diffuses into the deepest of blues, distant stars and galaxies begin to scintillate into view. Here, for the first time, all of the 13 major Elder Scrolls constellations are visible to the player. In order to realistically display the star arrangements properly, a new, fully 3D spherical night sky dome was created. Through the in-game passage of time, the player should be able to track the stars above, as they lazily spiral about the ocular curve of the night sky.

With our world complete, and Cyrodiil fully realized, the player is free to roam this vast and varied landscape to their hearts content. As with our world, Cyrodiil is in constant motion. The trees and grasses sway with the ever-changing wind. Clouds drift hazily overhead and storms amass and fade into the quiet of the morning. Even the very curtain of stars, celestial objects that are worlds away, are never at rest. Even they are always churning and spiraling, deep within the cosmos, forever burning bright until they sigh their last solar wind, giving eventual rise to a new star.

This last part  is seemingly contradictory because stars are holes to Aetherius. However, this is something we have an explanation for. Girnalin tells us that not only are the stars constantly moving, but new holes to Aetherius open and close.

Vestige: I want to hear a story about Aetherius.

Girnalin: Aetherius is the sea of light, the Immortal Plane, the origin of magic. Y'ffre sings not of Aetherius, but to it, weaving a song so beautiful that stars were compelled to dance and sway.

They still wink and blink in memory of that song.

Vestige: How do stars relate to Aetherius?

Girnalin: They are Aetherius. Rather, the sun and stars are holes pierced in the wall of night by Magnus—and other spirits—seeking to escape Nirn.

These holes permit Aetherius' light to enter our world. From theirs to ours does Magicka trickle.

Vestige: How do they twinkle and move across the sky, then?

Girnalin: Well, consider this. As Oblivion is a realm composed of realms, so, too, is Aetherius a bright sea with many realms within.

Each of these stars is a window into these realms, and as these realms move, so too do they move. Or close, like doors.

Vestige: What realms do you mean?

Girnalin: Now, that is an enormous question that I cannot answer. Many souls of mortals become spirits of another sort in that place—and that is all I can say with any certainty. As difficult as it is to travel to Oblivion, it is far more to go to Aetherius

Astronomy and Astrology | The Imperial Library (imperial-library.info)

Read here for a more in depth breakdown of the planets, stars, and constellations.

The Wheel

The structure of the Aurbis is like a wheel. The rim, the spokes, the voids dividing the spokes, and the hub. The rim is aetherius, the voids are oblivion, and the spokes are the aedra. 

The Scripture of the Wheel, First:

'The Spokes are the eight components of chaos, as yet solidified by the law of time: static change, if you will, something the lizard gods refer to as the Striking. That is the reptile wheel, coiled potential, ever-preamble to the never-action.'

Second:

'They are the lent bones of the Aedra, the Eight gift-limbs to SITHISIT, the wet earth of the new star our home. Outside them is the Aurbis, and not within. Like most things inexplicable, it is a circle. Circles are confused serpents, striking and striking and never given leave to bite. The Aedra would have you believe different, but they were givers before liars. Lies have turned them into biters. Their teeth are the proselytizers; to convert is to place oneself in the mouth of falsehood; even to propitiate is to be swallowed. '

Third:

'The enlightened are those uneaten by the world.'

Fourth:

'The spaces between the gift-limbs number sixteen, the signal shapes of the Demon Princedoms. It is the key and the lock, series and manticore.'

The Wheel is the structure of this universe, and it is easiest to see it that way: rim, spokes, hub, and all the spaces within and without. I shall take each in turn.

The wheel is often analogized to a circle, and confused serpents striking but never biting. These are used as metaphors for infinity encircling around another infinity, with the serpents having a similar meaning to the ouroboros of mythology. 

The planets are the gods and the planes of the gods, which is the same thing. That they appear as spherical heavenly bodies is a visual phenomena caused by mortal mental stress. Since each plane(t) is an infinite mass of infinite size, as yet surrounded by the Void of Oblivion, the mortal eye registers them as bubbles within a space. Planets are magical and impossible. The eight planets correspond to the Eight Divines. They are all present on the Dwarven Orrery, along with the mortal planet, Nirn.

What created the Wheel?

Anu and Padhome, stasis and change, both vast realms sitting in the void, they created it. Not vast, infinite, as the void was infinite. Imagine an infinity enclosed by another; you come away with a bubble. Now watch as the two bubbles touch. Their intersection is a perfect circle of pattern and possibility that we shall call the Aurbis. The Aurbis is the foundation of the Wheel.

The wheel is not a single wheel, but a collection of many wheels enclosing one another. Vivec refers to Mundus as the “circle within the circle” to assert this point. The Thalmor also refer to Mundus as “The wheel of convention”, indicating Mundus’ own status as a wheel within a wheel.

What are the spokes of the Wheel?

For ages the etada grew and shaped and destroyed each other and destroyed each other’s creations. Some were like Lorkhan and discovered the void outside of the Aurbis, though if some saw the Tower I do not know, but I know that, if they did, none held it in such high esteem. In any case, some of those that did see the void created its like inside the Aurbis, but each of these smaller voids sought each other out. Void shall follow void; the etada called it Oblivion. What was left of the Aurbis was solid change, otherwise known as magic. The etada called this Aetherius.

Now Lorkhan had by at this point seen everything there was to see, and could accept none of it. Here were the etada with their magic and their voids and everything in between and he yearned for the return to flux but at the same time he could not bear to lose his identity. He did not know what he wanted, but he knew how to build it. Through trickery (“We have made the Aurbis unstable with the voids”) and wisdom (“We are of two minds and so should make a perfect gem of compromise”) and force (“Do what I say, rude spirit”), he bound some of the strongest etada to create the World.

The spokes of the Wheel are the eight gifts of the Aedra, sons and daughters of Aetherius. The voids between each spoke number sixteen, and their masters are the sons and daughters of Oblivion. The center of the Wheel was another circle, the hub, which held everything together. The etada called this Mundus.

What is the hub of the Wheel?

We are the hub, the Mundus that goes by many names. We are the heart of all creation. What does this mean? Why should we care? Lorkhan created it so that we could find what he did. In fact, and here is the secret: the hub is the reflection of its creators, the circle within the circle, only the border to ours is so much easier to see.

To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum's iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison.

To achieve this goal, we must:

1) Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane.

2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated.

3) With Talos and the Sons of Talos removed, the Dragon will become ours to unbind. The world of mortals will be over. The Dragon will uncoil his hold on the stagnancy of linear time and move as Free Serpent again, moving through the Aether without measure or burden, spilling time along the innumerable roads we once travelled. And with that we will regain the mantle of the imperishable spirit.

Kirkbride states that there are infinitely many wheels within wheels extending to the eye of Anui-El.

A single Wheel? More like a Telescope that stretches all the way back to the Eye of the Anui-El, with Padomaics innumerable along its infinite walls.

Aetherius is not acknowledged as the highest layer of the Aurbis, but there are in fact realms that go beyond it, as stated by the psijic mage Lilatha. 

"Someday, perhaps. The Psijic Order's isle of Artaeum is no longer here. It may return in time, but for now you'd probably have an easier time reaching Aetherius or realms beyond. The order values solitude, much like Sotha Sil."

Lawrence Schick describes the clockwork city as containing a “manifest metaphor” (See: Thu’um and Tonal Magic), where the nature of the Aurbis is displayed physically

Lawrence: So the Clockwork City is the Clockwork God Sotha Sil’s experimental miniature recapitulation of the entire Mundus in one apparently small container, and it's built in order to both imitate and recapitulate the world above, and it's somewhere beneath Tamriel. The way you get to it in the game is through an entrance that is near Mournhold in Morrowind. But where is it actually? It's as deep as it's possible to be and still be in Tamriel, so it's actually the same distance from everywhere, and it is both tiny and at the same time an entire world unto itself. So once you get into it, it feels vast, and in fact it is vast, and at the same time it's tiny. So you know both of these things are true, and they're not contradictory. Inside you will find that Sotha Sil has built mechanical replicas of various aspects of the world above, which are being used in experiments by his Clockwork Apostles to test out his various theories on how the world, which was created originally, of course, by the Daedra [sic] when they sacrificed themselves to become the Earthbones. When they created the world, it was in the opinion of Sotha Sil a flawed creation, and he is looking for ways whereby it can be perfected.

Gina: Does the city ever move?

Lawrence: The city doesn't need to move. It's exactly where it needs to be at all times.

Gina: It's exactly in the middle of everything

Lawrence: There have been various statements in lore about where it is located, but really that's more about ways to get to it, rather than where it can be found. So where it is really? It's in a more metaphorical location than physical, really, because it's a metaphor made manifest. It’s both a reality and a replication of reality at the same time. There, that's clear isn't it?

He reiterates a question as to whether the clockwork city is “endless” by pointing to its manifestation of “wheels within wheels and worlds within worlds”, formed by layers only Sotha Sil knows the full extent of.

Somebody was asking if... where was the question? If the Clockwork City is some sort of parallel universe, and if it's endless.

Kind of. Both those questions are "kind of". Yeah, it's in fact a deliberately parallel universe in that it deliberately parallels Tamriel above. You don't see nearly all of it from what you can see in the game. It has layers and only Sotha Sil knows the full extent of those layers, and what the function of some of the other areas are. Samantha, can you just kind of lean back and look up at the sky for a moment? Look up there. Look at those whirling rings spinning around the world of the Clockwork City. That is the outside of the Clockwork City - or maybe not. That's just what you can see from the Brass Fortress, and you can see that Sotha Sil has taken the concept of wheels within wheels, and worlds within worlds, and made it physically manifest right over your head, so that you're constantly contemplating the fact that the world is a built thing, and therefore it can be reverse engineered, re-engineered, and improved. Look, there's the proof right above your head! So yeah, it's profound as hell. God damn, this stuff is deep.

It is stated that there are up to forty “creational gradients” separating the divine from mortals.

"It was unfashionable among the Dwemer to view their spirits as synthetic constructs three, four, or forty creational gradients below the divine. During the Dawn Era they researched the death of the Earth Bones, what we call now the laws of nature, dissecting the process of the sacred willing itself into the profane. I believe their mechanists and tonal architects discovered systematic regression techniques to perform the reverse -- that is, to create the sacred from the deaths of the profane.

Each of the worlds within worlds are distinct from that which is above and below it, to such a degree that a Dremora scoffs at the idea of Mundus being one of Oblivion’s realms. 

"Since we have last corresponded, the lack of understanding that mortals exhibit regarding the realms of Oblivion and their inhabitants has piqued my interest. In particular, I am quite intrigued with the idea behind Mehrunes Dagon's belief that Nirn belongs to him. Would you kindly expand upon where this notion of Dagon's came from?"

This idea derives from the false assertion that Mundus is not distinct from Oblivion. That it is one of its constitutive realms—a realm that conveniently belongs to Dagon. Tell me, have you heard Dagon himself make this claim? Or is this simply what one of his followers told you? Here is some immortal advice: pay less attention to idiotic cultists.

The roots of the Aurbis are the primordial forces of stasis and change, Anu and Padomay respectively. Everything emerges as a consequence of their interplay. 

All Tamrielic religions begin the same. Man or mer, things begin with the dualism of Anu and His Other. These twin forces go by many names: Anu-Padomay, Anuiel-Sithis, Ak-El, Satak-Akel, Is-Is Not. Anuiel is the Everlasting Ineffable Light, Sithis is the Corrupting Inexpressible Action. In the middle is the Gray Maybe ('Nirn' in the Ehlnofex).

In most cultures, Anuiel is honored for his part of the interplay that creates the world, but Sithis is held in highest esteem because he's the one that causes the reaction. Sithis is thus the Original Creator, an entity who intrinsically causes change without design. Even the hist acknowledge this being.

Anuiel is also perceived of as Order, opposed to the Sithis-Chaos. Perhaps it is easier for mortals to envision change than perfect stasis, for often Anuiel is relegated to the mythic background of Sithis' fancies. In Yokudan folk-tales, which are among the most vivid in the world, Satak is only referred to a handful of times, as "the Hum"; he is a force so prevalent as to be not really there at all.

In any case, from these two beings spring the et'Ada, or Original Spirits. To humans these et'Ada are the Gods and Demons; to the Aldmer, the Aedra/Daedra, or the 'Ancestors'. All of the Tamrielic pantheons fill their rosters from these et'Ada, though divine membership often differs from culture to culture. Like Anu and Padomay, though, every one of these pantheons contains the archetypes of the Dragon God and the Missing God.

Mythic Aurbis exists, and has existed from time without measure, as a fanciful Unnatural Realm.

'Aurbis' is used to connote the imperceptible Penumbra, the Gray Center between the IS/IS NOT of Anu and Padomay. It contains the multitude realms of Aetherius and Oblivion, as well as other, less structured forms.

What created the Wheel?

Anu and Padhome, stasis and change, both vast realms sitting in the void, they created it. Not vast, infinite, as the void was infinite. Imagine an infinity enclosed by another; you come away with a bubble. Now watch as the two bubbles touch. Their intersection is a perfect circle of pattern and possibility that we shall call the Aurbis. The Aurbis is the foundation of the Wheel.

One interpretation of this dynamic is given by the Altmeri Monomyth, which posits the following:

Anu encompassed, and encompasses, all things. So that he might know himself he created Anuiel, his soul and the soul of all things. Anuiel, as all souls, was given to self-reflection, and for this he needed to differentiate between his forms, attributes, and intellects. Thus was born Sithis, who was the sum of all the limitations Anuiel would utilize to ponder himself. Anuiel, who was the soul of all things, therefore became many things, and this interplay was and is the Aurbis.

So, essentially: At first there was only Anu, who encompasses all things. Wishing to know himself, Anu gave birth to Anui-El (This is the being whose "eye" all the Wheels ultimately return to, for the matter), his own soul and therefore the soul of all things. Anui-El wished to reflect upon himself, and his many different attributes and intellects, but as they found themselves in an undifferentiated state within his essence, he required limitations in order to consider them as separate things, and the sum of all these limitations was Sithis. The end result of this self-reflection, then, was the Et'Ada, the aforementioned "forms, attributes and intellects" of Anui-El.

To elaborate on this process, it is important that you remember how one of the names given to the Anu-Padomay dichotomy is "IS and IS-NOT," which is to say existence and nonexistence, and Sithis' association with the void and nothingness is already well-known and well-attested even in the more superficial parts of the lore, and so it follows that its antithesis, Anui-El, is pure existence, Being-Itself.

Therefore a useful analogy that'd assist in visualizing the process by which the Et'Ada are born, according to the above, is as follows: Picture a large, perfectly smooth pane of glass, and now imagine this glass being cracked into several shards. Anui-El, the indistinct totality of pure affirmation (The concept of divine simplicity helps here), is the glass, the shards are the Et'Ada, birthed out of this totality as aspects of it, and Sithis, then, is the cracks between each shard.

After all, to establish distinctions between any two things, we are required to observe the ways in which they are not alike, the parts of them that have nothing in common, which in mathematical terms may be analogized to how the intersection of two or more disjoint sets is the empty set. Sithis thus is the essence of all such differences, "nothingness" not only in the sense of a void outside reality but also as a differentiating force that permits us to create borders between ideas and things, through negation, which in turn births limitation. Without Sithis, everything would be subsumed into the pure Being of Anui-El.

This idea of Sithis as the force that allows concepts and categories to be distinguished from one another is to be found in other texts as well, and possibly contextualizes a fairly strange statement by Kirkbride that asserts Sithis is "pure and utter misanthropy." The 36 Lessons, for example, describe a being known as "SITHISIT" as "the start of all true Houses," and as something that "sunders the whole for the sake of a shingle." The former descriptor being a bit abstract but fairly sensible when one considers that Houses in Dunmeri culture are clans that divide society into disparate groups of individuals.

Ultimately, the interaction between these forces causes the Aurbis, as read above. The Aurbis, however, is chaotic and structureless, and spirits find themselves unable to congeal and form stable personalities, as they ebb and flow and crystalize in and out of existence. This ends, however, with the birth of Akatosh, who permeates through existence as the force of time, and allows the Original Spirits to more easily erupt into existence. Note, of course, that this is not really physical, dimensional time, but rather "time" in an ideal sense. As we have already gone over, time in the conventional sense only came to be much later with the establishment of Akatosh's laws over the Mundus, and as such what is being described is in actuality the creation of Untime.

The magical beings of Mythic Aurbis live for a long time and have complex narrative lives, creating the patterns of myth.

These are spirits made from bits of the immortal polarity. The first of these was Akatosh the Time Dragon, whose formation made it easier for other spirits to structure themselves. Gods and demons form and reform and procreate.

At first the Aurbis was turbulent and confusing, as Anuiel's ruminations went on without design. Aspects of the Aurbis then asked for a schedule to follow or procedures whereby they might enjoy themselves a little longer outside of perfect knowledge. So that he might know himself this way, too, Anu created Auriel, the soul of his soul. Auriel bled through the Aurbis as a new force, called time. With time, various aspects of the Aurbis began to understand their natures and limitations. They took names, like Magnus or Mara or Xen. One of these, Lorkhan, was more of a limit than a nature, so he could never last long anywhere.

Anu’s firstborn, for he mostly desired order, was time, anon Akatosh. Padhome’s firstborn went wandering from the start, changing as he went, and wanted no name but was branded with Lorkhan. As time allowed more and more patterns to individualize, Lorkhan watched the Aurbis shape itself and grew equally delighted and tired with each new shaping. As the gods and demons of the Aurbis erupted, the get of Padhome tried to leave it all behind for he wanted all of it and none of it all at once. It was then that he came to the border of the Aurbis.

The Aurbis is an infinite series of wheels within wheels that first began in the gray center, and made its descent after the birth of distinction and identification. Among these are the et’ada, and chief among them are Akatosh and Lorkhan. After descending into Aetherius, they collaborate to build a soul for the Aurbis, which became Mundus. As they do so, the Aedra lose their power and realize the trap of the Lunar God.

Lorkhan’s heart is ripped out and his body is sundered as his essence becomes the divine spark of Nirn. The Aedra all convene at ada-mantia, and hold the convention eternally to establish the laws of Mundus.

The Daedra turned away from Mundus and remained within the void, refusing to participate in creation. 

Magnus flees back to Aetherius, creating the holes in the firmament which allows magic to gleam through the realms. 

Cosmology Summary

A brief summary to cover Nirn and Mundus in a more condensed manner.

Nirn

Nirn, is in simple terms , a Finite Ball of Matter and Magic that works together to make a planet 

What is Nirn?

Nirn (Ehnofex [sic] [Do not change this to Ehlnofex. This misspelled word is how it officially appears.] for 'Arena') is a finite ball of matter and magic made from all of the god planets at the beginning of time, when Lorkhan tricked/convinced/forced the gods to create the mortal plane. Nirn is the mortal plane and the mortal planet, which is the same thing. Its creation upset the cosmic balance; now all souls (especially the Aedra-Daedra/Gods-Demons) have a vested interest in Nirn (especially its starry heart, Tamriel).

-- Michael Kirkbride , 1999 

Think of Nirn like an onion, with many layers to it. Several of these layers have starry skies.

What are the Planets and the Moons

The Planets and The Moons, are in simpler Words, Avatars of The Gods, The Avatars which are in a state of comatose , they are infinite in size and mass but Mortal restrictions only allow them to be perceived as Planets when in actuality they are planes , The Moon part also gives us an explicit mention of Larger Infinities .

What are planets?

The planets are the gods and the planes of the gods, which is the same thing. That they appear as spherical heavenly bodies is a visual phenomena caused by mortal mental stress. Since each plane(t) is an infinite mass of infinite size, as yet surrounded by the Void of Oblivion, the mortal eye registers them as bubbles within a space. Planets are magical and impossible. The eight planets correspond to the Eight Divines. They are all present on the Dwarven Orrery, along with the mortal planet, Nirn.

What are moons?

Small planets, insofar as one infinite mass of infinite size can be smaller than another. Planets do have orbits, or at least lunar orbits are perceived to happen by mortals. Moons are regarded by various cultures as attendant spirits of their god planet, or minor gods, or foreign gods. The moons of Nirn are Masser and Secunda. Moons are not represented in the Dwarven Orrery.

-- Michael Kirkbride 

What is Space and the Stars

In simple words , the Stars are Holes in the Sky made by Magnus and The Magne Ge During their Retreat from Mundus after Being betrayed from Lorkhan 

What is the sun?

Magnus is the sun, the largest hole in Oblivion, and the gateway to magic. Magnus was present at the creation of the mortal plane, and, in fact, was its architect (Lorkhan was its advocate and inspiration). Prehistoric (before ME2500, startyear) Nirn was a magical place, and highly unstable to the first mortals. Magnus then left, some say in disgust, and Oblivion filled in the void with the Void. His escape was not easy, and tatters of Magnus remain in the firmament as stars.

What are stars?

The stars are the bridges to Aetherius, the magic plane. They are perceived as holes on the inside surface of space. Because they are on the inside of a sphere, all stars are equidistant from Nirn. Larger stars, therefore, are not closer to the mortal plane, they are just larger tears in Oblivion. The largest tear in Oblivion is Magnus, the sun

-- Michael Kirkbride , 1999 

What is space?

Space is the interpretation of Oblivion, which is black and empty and surrounds the mortal plane. Space is infinite, but it acts just like a planet, in that Oblivion is 'surrounded' by Aetherius. You can see Aetherius by the stars

-- Michael Kirkbride 1999

What is the sky?

The sky is another visual phenomenon caused by mortal mental stress, the night sky in particular. The sky is as impossible as planets; in essence, when you look into the sky, 'you look outside the material plane'. At night, Nirn is surrounded by Oblivion. The day sky is the multicolored elemental cloak of Magnus the sun. It changes colors as elemental influences rise and fall. Thus, when one looks at the day sky, they see into the raiments of Aetherius, and stare at magic.

-- Michael Kirkbride , 1999 

What are the Unstars and Constellations?

The constellations are beings that are made up of the stars , with one of them being made up of the Unstars.

What are constellations?

Constellations are collections of stars. Since each star is a bridge to magic, constellations are very powerful phenomena, and are revered. There are generally accepted to be thirteen constellations. Nine of these are made up completely of stars. Three others are called guardian constellations, as they are each governed by a Dominion Planet. The Dominion Planets are Akatosh (eye of the Warrior), Julianos (eye of the Sage), and Arkay (eye of the Thief). The last constellation is made up of unstars, and is called the Snake

-- Michael Kirkbride 1999 

The Stars of Tamriel are divided into thirteen constellations. Three of them are the major constellations, known as the Guardians. These are the Warrior, the Mage, and the Thief. Each of the Guardians protects its three Charges from the thirteenth constellation, the Serpent.

When the sun rises near one of the constellations, it is that constellation's season. Each constellation has a Season of approximately one month. The Serpent has no season, for it moves about in the heavens, usually threatening one of the other constellations

-- The Firmament

The Unstars refer to a form of a void , The Serpant is a void 

While the rest of the new world was allowed to strive back to godhood, Sep could only slink around in a dead skin, or swim about in the sky, a hungry void that jealously tried to eat the stars. 

- The Monomyth

Mundus

Mundus is an essence, the lower Multiverse, where the “planets” and Nirn are located.

Unbeknownst to all but a few, Nirn has come unmoored from the fabric of the multiverse, as the mortal realm is drawn ever closer to Coldharbour, the twisted Oblivion realm of the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement, Molag Bal

Mundus is stated to be a multiverse a few time in ESO:

"They're a group of Dark Elf mages that were cast out of Morrowind for some offense or another against the Tribunal. They came to Fargrave and used their expertise at portal magic to supply House Hlaalu with trade goods from across the multiverse."

Unbeknownst to all but a few, Nirn has come unmoored from the fabric of the multiverse, as the mortal realm is drawn ever closer to Coldharbour, the twisted Oblivion realm of the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement, Molag Bal.

Munuds is a multiplex that is both contained and surrounded by Oblivion.:

The Mundus is multiplex, and both contains and is surrounded by the unnumbered planes of Oblivion. This is paradox, but it is true nonetheless.

Alduin

Perhaps the most controversial bit of TES scaling, Skyrim proposes the notion that Alduin is fated to end the world. More specifically he brings an end to the current Kalpa and causes the world to be born anew. The purpose of this section is to go over the context and mechanics regarding the end of the Kalpa caused by Alduin.

World-Eater

To start off, Skyrim (the game) has several quotes about Alduin ending the world:

Dragonborn: the blades just want to defeat Alduin don't you?

Arngeir: What I want is irrelevant. This Shout was used once before, was it not? And here we are again, Have you considered that Alduin was not meant to be defeated? Those who overthrew him in ancient times only postponed the day of reckoning, they did not stop it. If the world is meant to end, so be it. Let it end and be reborn.

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Dragonborn: I like this world. I don't want to see it end. 

Paarthurnax: Pruzah. As good a reason as any. There are many who feel as you do, although not all. Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg for the next kalpa? Lein vokiin? Would you stop the new world from being born?

Dragonborn: The next world will have to take care of itself. 

Paarthurnax: Paaz. A fair answer. Ro fus...maybe you only balance the forces at work to quicken the end of this world. Even we who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end. Wuldsetiid los tahrodiis. Those who try to hasten the end, may delay it. Those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer.

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Dragonborn: What do you mean, "it's hopeless"?

Esbern: Haven't you figured it out yet? What more needs to happen before you all wake up and see what's going on? Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife! Alduin will devour all things and the world will end.  Nothing can stop him! I tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. Fools. It's all come true...all I could do was watch our doom approach.         

Dragonborn: You're talking about the literal end of the world?

Esbern: Oh, yes. It's all been foretold. The end has begun. Alduin has returned. Only a Dragonborn can stop him. But no Dragonborn has been known for centuries. It seems that the gods have grown tired of us. They've left us to our fate, as the plaything of Alduin the World-Eater.

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As shown above, Esbern and Paarthurnax confirm Alduin will literally end the world and bring about the next one. Many times throughout Skyrim Alduin is referred to as the “World-Eater”. Michael Kirkbride has gone on record to clarify what this role entails:

How does one eat the world? (01/18/11)

When you consider a place like Tamriel, sometimes it's best to take titles literally. Alduin is the World-Eater. It's not going to be "the end of all *life* as we know it," leaving a barren wasteland of Earthbone dirt... it's going to be the whole of Nirn inside his mighty gullet.

"None shall survive" has been a calling card for a while, but that was only a hint to the more extensive "Nothing will survive."

Unless, of course, there's a loophole. Say, something like the someone called the Dovahkiin happening to show up..."born under uncertain stars to uncertain parents." (An aside for extra credit: what in the Aurbis makes the Prisoner such a powerful mythic figure?)

The Eight Limbs (and their Missing Ninth) have always, always made sure there was a loophole. Sometimes to their detriment, sure, but more often a hedged bet to ensure the survival of the current kalpa.

Then again:

Alduin's shadow was cast like carpetflame on east, west, south, and north...[he was] epoch eater. For as far as any man's eyes, only High Hrothgar remained above the churning coils of dragon stop.

And Alduin said, "Ho ha ho."

It's obviously happened before, so sabers sharp, and may your varliance shine bright.

Here Michael Kirkbride confirms that Alduin literally eats Nirn as part of his mission of ending the current Kalpa. This is reaffirmed by Texts in Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online, and even by Todd Howard himself.

The Art of Skyrim: Alduin’s Wall:

Alduin's Wall is a physical representation of the main story of Skyrim. It depicts Alduin in the past destroying the world, a group of heroes banding together to banish him, and the prophesized Dovahkiin who will stand against him.

TES Online: Lore:Varieties of Faith: The Nords: 

Alduin (World Eater): Alduin is the Nordic variation of Akatosh, and only superficially resembles his counterpart in the Nine Divines. For example, Alduin's sobriquet , the world eater', comes from myths that depict him as the horrible, ravaging firestorm that destroyed the last world to begin this one. Nords therefore see the god of time as both creator and harbinger of the apocalypse. Alduin destroyed the last world to enable the creation of this one, and he will destroy this one to enable the next.

The Making of Skyrim - Part 1 [4:49]

Kurt Kuhlmann: The Nords have this god in their pantheon, Alduin.

Todd Howard: Alduin, who is this...I don't want to say evil, but dark, god, in the Elder Scrolls lore. He is a dragon.

Kurt Kuhlmann: In the ancient times he sorta ruled over the humans in this part of the world.

Todd Howard: And the prophecy goes that "he will return and eat the world" ...well that's what happens in Skyrim!

Skyrim: The Song of the Dragonborn:

And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,

That when brothers wage war come unfurled!

Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound,

With a hunger to swallow the world!

Further works and statements by Kirkbride establish Alduin as the one who consumes each Kapla/Epoch:

On the different time-dragons:

Don't forget that gods can be shaped by the mythopoeic forces of the mantlers-- so Tosh Raka could be an Akaviri avatar of Akatosh with a grudge against his mirror-brother in Cyrodiil.

Just like Akatosh-as-we-usually-know-him could time-scheme against his mirror-brother of the Nords, Alduin, to keep the present kalpa-- perhaps his favorite-- from being eaten.

Notice all the coulds.

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga

These were the days of Hoag the Greater, born in a boot...[Long after] the two bells [of the All-Maker's Goat] rang out their clamoring, calling the end of days again in Saarthal and the world, and Alduin's shadow was cast like carpetflame on east, west, south, and north...[he was] epoch eater. For as far as any man's eyes, only High Hrothgaar remained above the churning coils of dragon stop.

All of this is 100 percent confirmation Alduin eats Nirn and the entire Kalpa. This quote from Skyrim attests to this:

Paarthurnax: "Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg of the next kalpa?"

Mechanics of Consumption

The story "The Eating-Birth of Dagon" depicts Alduin consuming Nirn bit by bit, and increasing in size from doing so. Eventually Alduin becomes large enough to devour Nirn in one fell swoop. In the Aldudagga, Alduin is described as this colossal beast that can devour nations whole, whose shadows are draped over all four cardinal directions, with nostrils so big that whole farms can fit inside it. This is Alduin in his World Eater state. The Aldudagga also says that Alduin "always eats the Nords first", implying that his devouring starts at a smaller scale and eventually he eats the entire world.

Elder Scrolls Online adds that the way the “World-Eater” role works is that Alduin consumes a large quantity of souls, which then increases his size to consume the world:

Lore:The Wandering Spirits:

Alkhan. The Scaled Prince. Firstborn of Akha, who bred with a demon of fire and shadow. He can devour the souls of those he kills to grow to an immense size. The songs tell us Alkhan was slain by Lorkhaj and his companions, but as an immortal Son of Akha he will return from the Many Paths in time. He is the enemy of Alkosh, Khenarthi, and Lorkhaj, and ever hungers for his crown.

Note: Alkhan is the Khajiit name for Alduin.

This follows up on pre-established lore from Skyrim. In the game Alduin is said to devour the souls of the dead, even doing so at the end of the game to gain more power:

Dragonborn: What do you mean, "it's hopeless"?

Esbern: Haven't you figured it out yet? What more needs to happen before you  all wake up and see what's going on? Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife! Alduin will devour all things and the world will end.

       

Dragonborn: You're talking about...the literal end of the world?

Esbern: Oh, yes! The prophecies made clear the signs that will precede the end times. One by one, I have seen them fulfilled. Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! Alduin has returned, just like the prophecy said! The Dragon from the dawn of time, who devours the souls of the dead! No one can escape his hunger, here or in the afterlife! Alduin will devour all things and the world will end. Nothing can stop him! I tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. Fools. It's all come true...all I could do was watch our doom approach…

Alduin: Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor. My belly is full of the souls of your

        fellow mortals, Dovahkiin. Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde!

Paarthurnax: Lost funt. You are too late, Alduin! 

Alduin: Suleyki mulaag, Paarthurnax. My power has waxed, while yours has waned.

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Arngeir: The old tales say that he is able to travel into Sovngarde to devour the souls of the dead. But they don't say how he does this.

Esbern: He must have returned to Sovngarde to feed on the souls of the dead. If you don't find him soon, he'll return, stronger than ever!

Esbern: Don't you understand the danger? Don't you understand what the return of the dragons means? Alduin has returned! The World-Eater! Even now, he devours the souls of your fallen comrades! He grows more powerful with every soldier slain in your pointless war! Can you not put aside your hatred for even one moment in the face of this mortal danger?

Stormcloak in Sovngarde: Alduin, his hunger insatiable, hunts the lost souls snared within this shadowed valley.

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By the time you face Alduin at the end of the game, Alduin has consumed enough souls to reach his peak in power:

Alduin: Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor. My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin. Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde!

Paarthurnax: Lost funt. You are too late, Alduin! 

Alduin: Suleyki mulaag, Paarthurnax. My power has waxed, while yours has waned.

Ulfric in Sovngarde: Skyrim was betrayed, the blood of her sons spilled in doomed struggle against fate. And so in death, too late, I learn the truth - fed by war, so waxed the power of Alduin, World-Eater -- wisdom now useless. By gods' jest in this grim mist together snared, Stormcloak and Imperial, we wander hopeless, waiting for succor.

Now a popular argument is to say that Alduin abandoned his role as World-Eater and therefore is not at that level of power when the Dragonborn fights him. In the past, Alduin tried to rule over the world instead of consuming the Kalpa as he had always done:

Paarthurnax: Happy? No, I am not happy. Zeymahi lost ont du'ol Barmahu (my brother was once the son of my father). Alduin was once the crown of our father Akatosh's creation. You did what was necessary. Alduin had flown far from the path of right action in his pahlok- the arrogance of his power. But I cannot celebrate his fall. Zu'u tiiraaz ahst ok mah (I am dreadful at his fall). He was my brother once. This world will never be the same.

Dragonborn: I have no regrets. Alduin had to be destroyed.

Paarthurnax: Of course. Alduin nahlaan daanii (caused his (own) doom). I would have not helped you if I thought otherwise.

Dragonborn: I was just fulfilling my destiny as Dragonborn.

Paarthunax: Indeed, you saw more clearly than I - certainly more clearly than Alduin.

Dragonborn: Alduin brought this on himself.

Paarthurnax: Indeed. Alduin wahlaan daanii (caused his (own) doom). His doom was written when he claimed for himself the lordship that properly belongs to Bormahu - our father Akatosh.

Paarthunax and the Greybeards say Alduin is still not only capable of eating the World, but going to do so:

Arngeir: Have you considered that Alduin was not meant to be defeated? Those who overthrew him in ancient times only postponed the day of reckoning, they did not stop it. If the world is meant to end, so be it. Let it end and be reborn.

Paarthurnax: Paaz. A fair answer. Ro fus… maybe you only balance the forces that work to quicken the end of this world. Even we who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end… Wuldsetiid los tahrodiis. Those who try to hasten the end, may delay it. Those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer.

Paarthurnax: Pruzah. As good a reason as any. There are many who feel as you do, although not all. Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg of the next kalpa? Lein vokiin? Would you stop the next world from being born?

Paarthunax: And so, perhaps, your destiny will be fulfilled. Who can say? Dez motmahus. Even to the dov, who ride the currents of Time, destiny is elusive. Alduin believes that he will prevail, with good reason. Rok mul. And he is no fool. Ni mey, rinik gut nol. Far from it. He began as the wisest and most far-seeing of us all.

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Lawrence Schick compared Alduin's return in scope to a planesmeld, Oblivion Invasion or Dragon Break, as beings of mythological levels can change reality in big ways.

Lawrence Schick (Loremaster and lead content designer for The Elder Scrolls Online): It's not just Earth with some magic guys casting spells, right. The nature of reality is fundamentally different in the world of Nirn, because it's based on all the natural laws that come from the sacrifices that the Aedra made when they made the world. So Akatosh, when he put himself into the world, he made time happen, right, and so forth and so on with all the different gods. So you've got this really seriously interesting mythological background about the nature of reality and how it was created, and how it can be changed, because it's not set forever. It can be further changed by those who can channel magicka and force their will upon it. Right, that's what magic is. Changing reality locally...sometimes locally, usually temporarily but you're changing reality, and creatures and characters and beings of mythological levels can change reality in big ways! And that's what happens when you get a Dragonbreak, or a planemeld, or an Oblivion Crisis, or Alduin coming back from the depths of time. You've got reality changing in big ways. At the same time, you've got all of these people who unlike in sorta your standard medieval setting, they look at things in a very logical and scientific and organized fashion. You've got all these sages, you've got the mages guild researchers, you've got the scholars, and they're all breaking stuff down, and it gives a way…

Some say that Alduin does this through his nature of being World-Eater rather than raw power. To this point, Lawrence states that these changes are done by "those who can channel magicka and force their will upon it." So the power to change reality is done by channeling magical energy to enforce your will upon reality, and the stronger you are, the more you can do this. 

Kalpic Cycle

Given Alduin devours the entire Kalpa, it is very possible he devours all of Mundus as well.

Divayth Fyr suggest that Mundus also goes through the same kaplic Cycle Nirn goes through:

Divayth: "Ah, the transmundane entity who jocularly styles himself 'Mister Flippers' deigns to grace us with a question. And a good one—as any question I cannot definitively answer is, by definition, a good question. Boethiah and Mephala are certainly among the Princes whose existence antedates the creation of the (current) Mundus, and given their natures it is beyond conjecture that they couldn't resist meddling with said creation in some way, shape, or form. But could they 'trick' Lorkhan, whose very essence was chicanery? Consider: Ebony is a substance whose acquisition and use tempts mortals into acts of achievement that transcend their usual limitations. Did Lorkhan 'intend' this? Alas, the concept is self-referential, and therefore nugatory."

Furthermore Michael Kirkbride has said the following:

Assume "The Dawn Era was the End of the Previous Kalpa. The new Kalpa begins with the first day of the Merethic Era."

Then put on your lore-hats and start looking hard at the ramifications of that.

Once Alduin devours the Kalpa, existence is returned to the Dawn Era, where the Convention between the Et'Ada at the Tower of Ada-Mantia occurs and reality is stabilized "once again," but in a slightly different form this time around. Linear time exists throughout Mundus, brought about by Akatosh:

Lawrence Schick: The nature of reality is fundamentally different in the world of Nirn, because it's based on all the natural laws that come from the sacrifices that the Aedra made when they made the world. So Akatosh, when he put himself into the world, he made time happen, right, and so forth and so on with all the different gods.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evidence of the Kalpa including Mundus ,all from the Skyrim Monomyth:

The Dragon God and the Missing God

The Dragon God is always related to Time, and is universally revered as the "First God." He is often called Akatosh, "whose perch from Eternity allowed the day." He is the central God of the Cyrodilic Empire.

The Missing God is always related to the Mortal Plane, and is a key figure in the Human/Aldmeri schism. The 'missing' refers to either his palpable absence from the pantheon (another mental distress that is interpreted a variety of ways), or the removal of his 'divine spark' by the other immortals. He is often called Lorkhan, and his epitaphs are many, equally damnable and devout.

Note that Tamriel and the Mortal Plane do not exist yet. The Gray Maybe is still the playground of the Original Spirits. Some are more bound to Anu's light, others to the unknowable void. Their constant flux and interplay increase their number, and their personalities take long to congeal. When Akatosh forms, Time begins, and it becomes easier for some spirits to realize themselves as beings with a past and a future. The strongest of the recognizable spirits crystallize: Mephala, Arkay, Y'ffre, Magnus, Rupgta, etc., etc. Others remain as concepts, ideas, or emotions. One of the strongest of these, a barely formed urge that the others call Lorkhan, details a plan to create Mundus, the Mortal Plane.

Humans, with the exception of the Redguards, see this act as a divine mercy, an enlightenment whereby lesser creatures can reach immortality. Aldmer, with the exception of the Dark Elves, see this act as a cruel deception, a trick that sundered their connection to the spirit plane.

Lorkhan

This Creator-Trickster-Tester deity is in every Tamrielic mythic tradition. His most popular name is the Aldmeri "Lorkhan," or Doom Drum. He convinced or contrived the Original Spirits to bring about the creation of the Mortal Plane, upsetting the status quo much like his father Padomay had introduced instability into the universe in the Beginning Place. After the world is materialized, Lorkhan is separated from his divine center, sometimes involuntarily, and wanders the creation of the et'Ada.

The Myth of the Aurbis

…..

Finally, the magical beings of Mythic Aurbis told the ultimate story -- that of their own death. For some this was an artistic transfiguration into the concrete, non-magical substance of the world. For others, this was a war in which all were slain, their bodies becoming the substance of the world. For yet others, this was a romantic marriage and parenthood, with the parent spirits naturally having to die and give way to the succeeding mortal races.

The agent of this communal decision was Lorkhan, whom most early myths vilify as a trickster or deceiver. More sympathetic versions of this story point out Lorkhan as being the reason the mortal plane exists at all.

The magical beings created the races of the mortal Aurbis in their own image, either consciously as artists and craftsmen, or as the fecund rotting matter out of which the mortals sprung forth, or in a variety of other analogical senses.

The magical beings, then, having died, became the et'Ada. The et'Ada are the things perceived and revered by the mortals as gods, spirits, or geniuses of Aurbis. Through their deaths, these magical beings separated themselves in nature from the other magical beings of the Unnatural realms.

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We begin to see the first inkling of emergence, which by its nature requires the merging of two-fold powers. Inevitably, this leads to another gradient, but this time by forceful process: the Trap of the Lunar God. The Aedra are Named at this time, having lent their hands to what was to be the arena of the eternally impossible: Mundus, or Exactness.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Scripture of the Wheel, First:

'The Spokes are the eight components of chaos, as yet solidified by the law of time: static change, if you will, something the lizard gods refer to as the Striking. That is the reptile wheel, coiled potential, ever-preamble to the never-action.'

Second:

'They are the lent bones of the Aedra, the Eight gift-limbs to SITHISIT, the wet earth of the new star our home. Outside them is the Aurbis, and not within. Like most things inexplicable, it is a circle. Circles are confused serpents, striking and striking and never given leave to bite. The Aedra would have you believe different, but they were givers before liars. Lies have turned them into biters. Their teeth are the proselytizers; to convert is to place oneself in the mouth of falsehood; even to propitiate is to be swallowed.'

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Thus, it logically follows that Alduin in fact devours the entire Mundus, as he is eating the entire Kalpa. The actual Aedra are unaffected by this process:

"Though all given Concavities, or sheaths within the integument of the Aurbis, are necessarily contained by the Aurbis, Right Reaching dictates that a defined sheath may be detached from the integument by invocation of Mnemoli. Upon intercourse with the star-orphan, the Beseeching Alesstic performs eversion of the organ of thought, an employment of the Hurling Disk that recapitulates the truth that a circle turned sidewise is a Tower. By same-truth, twisting the enveloping sheath into the middle dawn (to the number of seventeen) brings it to untime and unplace.

Eventualism, of course, predicts reabsorption upon depletion of the Wheeling Force, but the absence of duration may render even eventuality moot."

Alduin devouring the Kalpa would effectively be the same thing described here. He returns Mundus to the Dawn Era before time and space were established. Consuming Mundus would entail consuming the infinite sized “planets” within it, and at the very least breaking the spokes off the wheel in the process. Alduin then ushers in the Next cycle, and thus the next Convention of the Aedra.

Divines and the Nords:

Eventually, the animal-totem gods transformed into the eight gods we worship today. We call them by their true names: Alduin, Kyne, Mara, Dibella, Stuhn, Jhunal, Orkey, and Shor. We understand that our gods are as cyclical as the world itself, so we also remember the Dead Gods (Shor and Tsun) who fought and died to bring about the current world, the Hearth Gods (Kyne, Mara, Dibella, Stuhn, and Jhunal) who watch over the present cycle, and the Twilight God (Alduin) who ushers in the next cycle. Add to these our so-called Testing Gods, who we do not worship but instead guard against to protect the hearth. These include Orkey, Mauloch, and Herma-Mora.

Kirkbride talks about his World-Eating being very literal in nature ("The whole of Nirn in his mighty gullet" and all that), and how the "reset" isn't really a time reset. It is more so just him returning things to a more chaotic, unstructured state, added to the fact that all of the spokes of the Wheel are necessary for it to not dissolve back into chaos. As an example, the Middle Dawn was described as "untime," which implies an absence of the domain of Akatosh, but also as "unplace," which in turn would be Kynareth's domain, and as "devoid of math," which would in turn be Julianos' domain.

Now it is possible the overall collapse of Mundus is a chain reaction:

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/infernal-city-lore-notes

"Well, some thing that the White-Gold Tower - and some other towers around Tamriel - help, well hold the world up, or something like that. Others believe that before the Dragon broke, the tower helped protect us from invasion from Oblivion"

"It holds up the world?"

"I'm not saying it right," he replied, realizing he couldn't actually remember the details of that tutorial. "They help keep Mundus - the World - from dissolving back into Oblivion. Or something like that. Anyway, everyone seems to agree it has power, but no one knows exactly what kind."

The destruction of the Towers leads to the end of Mundus and everything being returned to the Dawn Era. Molag Bal tries this in ESO. The argument thus follows that Alduin eating just Nirn would cause this collapse. This is a reasonable interpretation, though it has a caveat.

The Adamantine Tower isn't just a tower, the Aedra are holding their convention forever within it. So, to devour the Adamantine tower, you would still be removing the laws from Mundus, because that convention is being held eternally. The towers themselves still require an absurd amount of power to actually effect. The White Gold Tower was only collapsed by Akatosh and Dagon fighting within it and the Thalmor have been trying to find ways of collapsing the towers for a long time. Camoran summoned Dagon specifically because he believed only with his power could the towers all be collapsed:

"Deny not that these days shall come again, my novitiates! For as Mehrunes threw down Lyg and cracked his face, declaring each of the nineteen and nine and nine oceans Free, so shall he crack the serpent crown of the Cyrodiils and make federation!

All will change in these days as it was changed in those, for with by the magic word Nu-Mantia a great rebellion rose up and pulled down the towers of CHIM-EL GHARJYG, and the templars of the Upstart were slaughtered, and blood fell like dew from the upper wards down to the lowest pits, where the slaves with maniacal faces took chains and teeth to their jailers and all hope was brush-fire."

Dagon's express purpose was to destroy the towers, Cameron felt only he could do this.

Notably he also refers to the "templars of the upstart". He's referring to Talos in the same way the Thalmor would. The Thalmor’s purpose and plan is as follows:

"To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum's iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison.

To achieve this goal, we must:

1) Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane.

2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated.

3) With Talos and the Sons of Talos removed, the Dragon will become ours to unbind. The world of mortals will be over. The Dragon will uncoil his hold on the stagnancy of linear time and move as Free Serpent again, moving through the Aether without measure or burden, spilling time along the innumerable roads we once travelled. And with that we will regain the mantle of the imperishable spirit." 

Destroying the towers is not a simple feat that can be accomplished so easily. The attempt by Camoran required him to summon Dagon into Mundus completely.  Ancano tried to use the eye of Magnus to do so, which is a creation of the source of magic itself and one of the original et'ada. It being a matter of "chain reaction" is unlikely. Alduin would still need to have the power to end the convention. Especially with the Ada-mantia convention occuring eternally outside of time. 

Several of the other towers have been deactivated so could you argue the durability argument would still count in regards to Alduin?

A very fair question. Towers have been affected before by affecting the land they are on or affecting their “stones”. The Orichalc Tower was possibly deactivated when Yokuda was sunk, though this is never outright confirmed. The sinking of Yokuda is strange because that was done through a cosmic event.

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/lord-vivecs-sword-meeting-cyrus-restless

When we fight, our swords can kill the laws of nature itself. Yokuda is as you see it because our hira-dirg swords can cut the atomos, the uncuttable, and we did.

Bellguard down, over, hold. The Bone Shaver. Strike at 80 grams, any degree but this one. The Ephemeral Feint. Breathe in and then forget the breath; you cannot replace it until he is down, to fight as if dead: second principle of pneumansu. The Vectoring Cygnet. Arm out, knee down, coal on the teeth to hide your smile. The Pankratosword, but this is forbidden. Arc the bones that otherwise cannot bend. The Threat of Mirrors. Using the Math Athlete, you could occur several places during a single duel, illustrious and sure. Paint fake eyes all over your face and then hide your real ones among them; the opponent can no longer read where you look. The Premeditated Modesty. The Fingers-Knife serves as five, protecting your cardinal points and your central theory; five thrusts, spaced microseconds apart, like tapping the desk bored, waiting for morning bread.

The cutting of the atomos "kills the laws of nature" and arcs the bones (which could be referring to the spokes of the Wheel or the earthbones).

Another Tower thought to be deactivated is the Red Tower. Teh Red Tower is avolcano created by the Heart of Lorkhan. Even after the Heart loses its physical form in reality, the volcano is still active. In the Infernal City it erupts and destroys Vvardenfell.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/26/decrypting-the-elder-scrolls.aspx

Kurt Kuhlmann :

“When the Heart of Lorkhan was released from the mortal plane, the power of the Tribunal was broken forever, which indirectly led to the fall of the Ministry of Truth and the devastation of Vvardenfell (as described in the novel The Infernal City).” 

The prophecy of the Dragonborn also mentions the "trembling of the red tower" further implying it's still there:

"When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world

When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped

When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles

When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding

The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn."

Notice how it contrasts this against the White Gold Tower falling. The implication is that the Red Tower still exists in some shape or form.

Another issue is we have seen people cause the spokes to become detached without touching the towers as well. That's what the Middle Dawn was:

Essentially the Marukhati selectives weren't willing to concede to their dragon god (Akatosh) being identical with Auriel, the elven dragon god. They performed a ritual in which Mundus was detached from the sheath of the Aurbis, and twisted into untime and unplace.

"Upon intercourse with the star-orphan, the Beseeching Alesstic performs eversion of the organ of thought, an employment of the Hurling Disk that recapitulates the truth that a circle turned sidewise is a Tower. By same-truth, twisting the enveloping sheath into the middle dawn (to the number of seventeen) brings it to untime and unplace.

Eventualism, of course, predicts reabsorption upon depletion of the Wheeling Force, but the absence of duration may render even eventuality moot."

This is presumably what caused Akatosh to become fragmented, with Alduin becoming the "first born of Akatosh".

The return to untime can be attained through means that don't require tower destruction, as to argue against a chain reaction occurring from Alduin eating Nirn.

Still this option will be discussed in Verdicts, as not all Members agree with overall Mundus consumption being done via AP.

Dragonrend

Dragonrend is a mortal made shout meant to bring the concept of “mortality” upon Alduin and other dragons. The descriptions regarding this shout are as follows:

Dragonborn: You don't know it?

Paarthurnax: Your kind - joorre - mortals - created it as a weapon against the dov… the dragons. Our hadrimme, our minds cannot even… comprehend its concepts."

---

Dragonborn: What does the Dragonrend Shout actually do?

Paarthurnax: I cannot tell you in detail. I never heard it used. Kogaan. It was the first Thu'um created solely by mortals. It was said to force a dragon to experience the concept of Mortality. A truly vonmindoraan… incomprehensible idea to the immortal dov."

Dragonborn and Arngeir

What's so bad about Dragonrend?

It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's Dragon Cult. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dragons, and they poured all their anger and hatred into this Shout. When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense, you become the Shout. In order to learn and use this Shout, you will be taking this evil into yourself."

The Dragonborn gains this shout by viewing the past with an Elder Scroll, and uses it to combat Alduin. During the fight, Paarthurnax states this:

Before using the shout on Alduin.

Paarthurnax: "Use Dragonrend! It is the only chance to defeat him!"

After using the shout on Alduin.

Paarthurnax: "Now, Dovahkiin! Now he is vulnerable!

This has created the false misconception that the shout weakens Alduin's durability and that therefore the Dragonborn does not scale to him. His invulnerability isn't durability, it is just his immortal nature as a major aspect of Akatosh. Dragonrend merely makes it possible to actually Kill Alduin, bypassing his immortality in essence. The notion it physically depowers him has numerous issues. The Ancient Tongues used the shout on him in the vision, and Alduin still proceeds to bite one of them in half. They are unable to inflict any real damage on him. There is nothing that ever implies it weakens a dragon statistically. When you use it on normal dragons, there isn't a damage increase. The Ancient Tongues (three heroes) had to use the Elder Scroll to BFR Alduin through time since they could not kill him:

Paarthurnax: Yes and no. Viik nuz ni kron (Defeated But Not Conquered). Alduin was not truly defeated, either. If he was, you would not be here today, seeking to… defeat him. The Nords of those days used the Dragonrend Shout to cripple Alduin. But this was not enough. Ok mulaag unslaad (His Strength Unending/Ceaseless/Eternal). It was the Kel – the Elder Scroll. They used it to... cast him adrift on the currents of Time.

Hakon: No, damn you! It's no use! Use the Scroll, Felldir! Now!

Skyrim makes it very clear that the End of Game Dragonborn is on par with Alduin in power. Odahviing comes to them because he feels that the Dragonborn actually has the power to challenge Alduin.

Odahviing: Rinik vazah (Very true). An apt phrase. Alduin bovul (Alduin fled (from you)). One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest. Among ourselves, of course. Mu ni meyye (We (are) not fools). None were yet ready to openly defy him.

Upon defeating him, Alduin even acknowledges their strength before he flees.

Alduin: Meyz mul, Dovahkiin (You've become strong, Dragonborn). You have become strong. But I am Al-du-in (Destroyer-Devourer-Master), Firstborn of Akatosh! Mulaagi zok lot! (My strength is the greatest!) I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you... mortal!

Paarthunax also acknowledges the Dovahkiin's first battle against Alduin as a legitimate victory, which not even the Ancient Tongues would be capable of.

The Skyrim Game Guide has several statements supporting the Dragonborn is on Alduin’s tier.

• In the first fight, the Dragonbron deals a great blow to Alduin, leaving him weakened and forcing to retreat

• Alduin is eating souls in Sovngarde to regain the power he lost fighting the Dragonborn

• Alduin fears the Dragonborn after the first fight

• The Dragonborn and the Ancient Tongues overpowered Alduin’s shouts

• The Dragonborn is the one who kills Alduin, Shor and Paarthurnax are impressed

In the game, before the fight actually begins, the Tongues tell you that Alduin placed a mist across Sovngarde because he is afraid and is actively hiding from The Dragonborn. He didn't show that degree of fear or caution against the tongues either. He mocked them when they first used Dragonrend. This speaks volumes regarding the Dragonborn’s power.

Note 1: The Game Guide confirms Alduin clapped Paarthurnax in the first fight. The Dragonborn was the one who did all the work. Likewise, the Ancient Tongues in the final fight do not do much damage to Alduin, it mostly comes from the Dragonborn.

Note 2: The Skyrim Game Guide was edited by Bethesda developers (including Bruce Nesmith and Pete Hines) and is licensed to Bethesda. One of the three writers of the Skyrim Prima is one of the developers of Skyrim.

Conclusion

Alduin is confirmed to devour the entire Kalpa (Nirn and possibly all of Mundus), and was at full power in Skyrim. The Dragonborn fully scales to him.

Bonus: Alduin’s True Nature

Alkhan, the Khajiit's equivalent of Alduin, is established as being not the firstborn of Alkosh (Their version of Akatosh), but of another deity called "Akha," who precedes Alkosh and is in fact considered to be first of all gods.

Akha. The First Cat, whom we know as the Pathfinder and the One Unmourned. In the earliest days, when Ahnurr and Fadomai were still in love, he explored the heavens and his trails became the Many Paths. He was Ahnurr's Favored Son, and his father told him to find love like Ahnurr found with Fadomai. Akha mated with the Winged Serpent of the East, the Dune Queen of the West, and the Mother Mammoth of the North. He then went to the South and never returned. Instead, Alkosh appeared speaking warnings of the things Akha had made along the Many Paths. Since then, Alkosh and his faithful watch over the many children of Akha, for they are both terrible and kind.

Alkosh. The Dragon King. The Highmane. He was granted rule over the myriad kingdoms of Akha along the Many Paths. In time, the children of Akha overthrew him and scattered his body on the West Wind. It is said that when Khenarthi learned this, she flew across the Many Paths and put Alkosh back together. In doing so, she saw all the things Akha had wrought, including those that should not be. Now, Alkosh and Khenarthi safeguard the Many Paths from the wayward children of Akha. Pray to Alkosh not for his strength or his mighty roar, but for his sense of duty and purpose.

Alkhan. The Scaled Prince. Firstborn of Akha, who bred with a demon of fire and shadow. He can devour the souls of those he kills to grow to an immense size. The songs tell us Alkhan was slain by Lorkhaj and his companions, but as an immortal Son of Akha he will return from the Many Paths in time. He is the enemy of Alkosh, Khenarthi, and Lorkhaj, and ever hungers for his crown.

Akha, in turn, has several overlaps with the entity known as "Aka," which in some texts is heavily implied to be the original form of the Dragon God that fragmented itself to create the most basic and primordial concept of time that spilled all over the Aurbis:

The Aedroth Aka, who goes by so many names as to perhaps already suggest what I'm about to commit to memospore, is completely insane. His mind broke when his "perch from Eternity allowed the day" and we of all the Aurbis live on through its fragments, ensnared in the temporal writings and erasures of the acausal whim that he begat by saying "I AM". In the aetheric thunder of self-applause that followed (nay, rippled until convention, that is, amnesia), is it any wonder that the Time God would hate the same-twin on the other end of the aurbrilical cord, the Space God? That any Creation would become so utterly dangerous because of that singular fear of a singular word's addition: "I AM NOT"?

in-universe, Alduin is in fact attested to have predated Akatosh as a mythological/religious figure, with the entire Imperial religion being acknowledged as a fabrication that came about after Alessia syncretized the religion of the Nords with that of the Altmer:

In 1E242, the Cyrodilic humans, under the leadership of Alessia and her demigod lover, Morihaus-Breath-of-Kyne, revolt. When Skyrim lends its armies to the Slave-Queen of the South, the revolution succeeds. The Ayleid Hegemonies are quickly overthrown. Shortly thereafter, White Gold Tower is captured by Alessia’s forces, and she promptly declares herself the first Empress of Cyrodiil. Part of the package meant that she had to become the High Priestess of Akatosh, as well.

Akatosh was an Aldmeri god, and Alessia’s subjects were as-yet unwilling to renounce their worship of the Elven pantheon. She found herself in a very sensitive political situation. She needed to keep the Nords as her allies, but they were (at that time) fiercely opposed to any adoration of Elven deities. On the other hand, she could not force her subjects to revert back to the Nordic pantheon, for fear of another revolution. Therefore, concessions were made and Empress Alessia instituted a new religion: the Eight Divines, an elegant, well-researched synthesis of both pantheons, Nordic and Aldmeri.

Michael Kirkbride has talked about aspects of the Dragon God that are particularly ancient and important, such as the Aka-Tusk (As in, a tusk of Aka). The Aldudagga states this is the being from which Alduin was created:

Kirkbride: All of the akaspirits, like all of the etada, are quantum figures that shed their skin as each aspect of them becomes more and more self-aware.

The Aka-Tusk is a particularly old and needed version of the Time Dragon from the days of the Ehlnofey.

Fight Four, "The Tenpenny Winter...Again”: And the third, who looked akin to a Karstaag-man, [gigantic], and adorned in storm cloud and endless, endless yellowtooth… [he] was Alduin the World-Eater, and he only said, "Ho ha ho."

“You will eat nothing here, aspect Ald,” said the Aka-Tusk, sensing trouble. “Do not forget that it was Heaven itself that shed you from me.”

“Who cares,” the World-Eater said, “You speak of the Prolix Laws, which do not bind me if you strain our kinship. You awoke me. That bell-sound has consequence. And the Dagon here, well, he’s going to tell me right now where he’s hidden all the additions to the World he has hoarded in the long aeons of salmon-leap which he calls his own survival.”

Alduin has been described as residing in-between the Kalpas and has been stated to be Akatosh’ Mirror Brother by Kirkbride:

[And it came to pass that] a strange thing happened: Alduin the World-Eater, who sleeps between the [kalpas], had a disturbing dream, and he roused slightly, but not enough to bring ruin, and, heavy-lidded, he went back to the [age-wait]. But he yawned just slightly beforeso, which he had never done. And thus was born the Dirt Patch Which Does Not Gather Snow.

Kirkbride: On the different time-dragons:

Don't forget that gods can be shaped by the mythopoeic forces of the mantlers-- so Tosh Raka could be an Akaviri avatar of Akatosh with a grudge against his mirror-brother in Cyrodiil.

Just like Akatosh-as-we-usually-know-him could time-scheme against his mirror-brother of the Nords, Alduin, to keep the present kalpa-- perhaps his favorite-- from being eaten.

Shaking the World

The Greybeards seemingly shake Tamriel when calling the Dragonborn to them. Several sources confirm the Shaking at least affects Tamriel:

Pocket Guide to the Empire:

From the Odes:

"He was born in Atmora as Talos, 'Stormcrown' in the language of the ancient Ehlnofey, and it was from that shore he sailed. He spent his youth in Skyrim among the Nords. There he learned much from the Tongues and their chieftains and their ways of war. At twenty he led the invasion of Old Hroldan, taking it back from the Witchmen of High Rock and their kinsmen.

"Soon the Greybeards made known that they were restless. Already the storms had begun from their murmurs. The Greybeards were going to Speak. The surrounding villages were abandoned as the people fled the coming blast.

"The villagers warned Talos to turn back, for he was marching to the mountain where the Greybeards dwelt.

"Inside he went, and on seeing him they removed their gags. When they spoke his name the World shook.

"The Tongues of Skyrim told the son of Atmora that he had come to rule Tamriel and that he must travel south to do so.

"And it is true that Talos did come to Cyrodiil shortly after the Battle of Old Hroldan.

"And it is true that a great storm preceded his arrival."

Interview with Todd Howard:

Todd Howard: The greybeards, the guys who live up on the throat of the world, who are the masters of the voice, they find out about this fairly quickly, and they shout your name. They shout Dovahkiin to the wind, and it kind of rumbles through the world. The mountains shake when they call you. And you think ‘what was that,’ and someone says ‘that was the greybeards calling you. To walk the 7,000 steps up the throat of the world to meet them.'”

Skyrim’s Dragon Shouts (Game Informer):

In the lore, Tiber Septim was the first main emperor. He could shout. His way of the Voice was unmatched,” Howard explains. “He is the original guy who walks the seven thousand steps and talks to the Greybeards. And the idea is, at that time, that they were so powerful they had to have all the villages flee for miles. This little kid is walking up this snowy mountain, and all these people are packed up and they’re walking down and away. Because they know the kid is going up to talk to these guys, and when they talk there’s going to be avalanches.”

This shout is felt all the way up at the College of Winterhold:

Dovahkiin: What about the Dragonborn?

Urag gro-Shub: What about... wait. Are you? Were you the one the Greybeards were calling?

Even casual speaking by them shakes High Hrothgrar.

According to the Arena Guide, Tamriel is described as being 3000km to 4000km East to West and 2000km to 3000km North to South. There’s many different sizes you can use via different distances, but we decided to go for the only statement that gives a direct size for Tamriel because it’s the least headache inducing. Tamriel is officially said to be 12 million square kilometers. For the calc of the feat, refer to the feat section.

As for the Dragonborn scaling, they directly take the fullpower of the Greybeards and tank it:

Arngeir: You have completed your training, Dragonborn. We would Speak to you. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready.

Arngeir: Dovahkiin. You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you.

The Skyrim Prima directly refers to the Greybeards shout as being a blast, and states the Dragonborn withstood it.

It is also noted this the same process the Greybeards did with Tiber Septim:

Arngeir: We spoke the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance. The same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became the Emperor Tiber Septim.

The Greybeards name the Dragonborn Ysmir, the Dragon of the North (the nordic aspect of Talos) because of this:

Arngeir: Ah. I sometimes forget you are not versed in the dragon tongue as we are. This is a rough translation: "Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon." "By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old." "You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."

Hircine and the Blood Moon

Hircine’s aspect seems to both start and sustain the Bloodmoon in Morrowind:

"The first tells of Fire From the Eye of Glass. This we have seen on Lake Fjalding, though I had hoped it was the mere magic of the draugr lord. Next, the prophecy tells us of the Tide of Woe. Even now, our shores are lined with the corpses of the horkers, dead for a reason we cannot fathom. Finally, the prophecy tells us of the Blood Moon, when the young moon itself runs red with the blood of the Hunter's prey. Look to the skies, Blodskaal. The third sign is upon us. Now we wait for the Hunter's Game."

"According to legend, it varies from era to era. Our Grandfathers' Grandfathers tell of a time when the Hunter and his Hounds preyed upon entire tribes of men. Taken to the Hunting Grounds, the men were hunted by the Hounds. The ones that died were the lucky--the survivors faced the Hunter himself. In another era, the Hunter took only a single man as his Prey. It is said if the Prey can last through the Bloodmoon, the Hunter returns to his demon realm for another era. We have only to await the Hunter's plan."

The death of his aspect undoes the Bloodmoon and Secunda returns to normal. 

Auriel’s Bow

The Dragonborn acquires an enchanted bow called Auriels’s Bow in the Dawnguard DLC for Skyrim. The bow is used to shoot special arrows at the Sun to either bring down sunlight blasts or to cover it in darkness. As mentioned prior, the “Sun” is moreso a hole in reality that exists an infinite distance away from Nirn. The argument then is that the Bow can fire arrows at infinite speed at enemies (and that characters like the Dragonborn can scale to this). The Skyrim Legendary Version Guide confirms several times that the arrows launched by this Bow do in fact reach the Sun. In regards to actual scaling, there is contention amongst members of the blog, so it will be saved for verdicts below.

On the speed of crossing space

Objects such as meteors, originate from the magical plane of Aetherius. Aetherius resides beyond the infinitely large void of Oblivion, and can be perceived through the holes which exist as the stars and constellations. 

Space is the interpretation of Oblivion, which is black and empty and surrounds the mortal plane. Space is infinite, but it acts just like a planet, in that Oblivion is 'surrounded' by Aetherius. You can see Aetherius by the stars.

The stars are the bridges to Aetherius, the magic plane. They are perceived as holes on the inside surface of space. Because they are on the inside of a sphere, all stars are equidistant from Nirn. Larger stars, therefore, are not closer to the mortal plane, they are just larger tears in Oblivion. The largest tear in Oblivion is Magnus, the sun.

A misnomer. Shooting stars are bits of matter and magic, either from Oblivion or Aetherius, that sometimes move through the cosmos. The largest shooting stars are really planets with independent orbits, like Baan Dar the Rogue Plane.

Oblivion, which is the void of space, has been referred to as being infinitely large at multiple instances in other lore.

I was lurking behind a Dark Anchor chain link, preparing to terrify an approaching Soul Shriven by suddenly knocking her down and sneering, "No match at all," when I suddenly felt a strange tingling all over, from my horns down to my toes. I grew dizzy as the plane spun around me, nearly fell into a pool of blue plasm, and then suddenly felt myself hurled into an endless black void.

I wasn't alarmed at first, because who hasn't been hurled into an endless black void? It wasn't until I began to materialize at my destination and got a taste of the air that I had my first misgivings. "I smell … weakness," I said to myself—and I couldn't have been more right.

It was then that I first heard the voice of my Conjurer as he said, "Ah, this one looks fairly robust," and the full horror of my situation broke upon me. For I had been summoned to do the bidding … of a mortal.

I turned, aghast, to see who had dared summon me across the infinities to Nirn, and found myself faced with a tall Elf of Summerset. Oh, I recognized the type: I'd abused more than a few Altmeri Soul Shriven in my time, and with gusto, for they evince a haughty arrogance entirely inappropriate in mere mortals. This one gave me a brief, appraising look, and then turned away, saying, "Follow and fight. There are Worm Cultists that need slaying."

“Stay together!” Sul shouted. He took a step, and again the unimaginable sensation, and now they were in utter darkness-but not silence, for all around them were chittering sounds and the staccato scurrying of hundreds of feet.

They were in an infinite palace of colored glass.

They were on an icy plane with a burning sky.

They were standing by a dark red river, and the smell of blood was nearly suffocating.

“We certainly pay homage to the Apochrypha you saw in [The Elder Scrolls V: Syrim’s] Dragonborn DLC,” Lambert explains. “But you know, like we always do, we try to put our own spin on it. And one of the beauties of any Oblivion realm, any Daedric realm, is they can morph and shift and change based on the whims of that Prince. The other aspect of that too is they can be infinite in size and shape. And so, we love paying homage to what you’ve seen in the past, but then really going out and exploring and detailing out completely different things.

Apocrypha contains the Infinite Panopticon, an endless extradimensional labyrinth.

The Infinite Panopticon appears as an endless labyrinth of rooms and passages inside a limitless pocket dimension. The entrance, according to legend, never manifests in the same location twice, making it almost impossible to find. Nothing within this extradimensional space conforms to reality as we know it, and the interior changes and alters seemingly at random.

Why would Hermaeus Mora, the Great Eye, create such a place? For one reason and one reason alone: to protect his most precious secrets.

I worked as a cataloger within the Panopticon for a long time. Of course, time has almost no meaning inside the place, so how long I served I cannot accurately say. Spending too much time within can cause even the strongest mortal mind to shatter, but as far as I can tell, my faculties are still in fine order. I worked alongside the Hushed, who wandered the halls as guardians of sorts. There were other guardians on hand as well, including Lurkers, Seekers, Watchers, and other Daedric beings that defy descriptions. My job was not to tend to the Black Books or tomes stored within, or even to the endless number of glyphics stacked high.

No, I was charged with maintaining the many Eyes of Mora that were lined up like books on a shelf. What, you may ask, is an Eye of Mora. Just as it sounds. These are floating eyes taken from the orbs without end that make up the glory of Hermaeus Mora. Each eye is larger than a Nord, containing a memory witnessed personally by Hermaeus Mora and set aside as a recollection of import. To review one of the contained memories, you must actually enter the eye. However, entry is not given freely and often requires a key, a pass phrase, or some other means to gain access.

My job was to tend to the eyes, keep them safe, and catalog the contents for ease of identification. But I only had access to the most benign memories. The greatest and most terrible secrets were locked inside the eyes that even I had no business tending to. Perhaps that's why my sanity is still intact—unlike others employed in the Infinite Panopticon.

Aetherius is also described as an infinite realm itself.

"The gods are good," she told him. "They came from an infinite place, but for us they limited themselves and became this world. They are everything we see and touch, everything we feel.

Realms that cross the void of space are thus crossing an infinite distance. See Cosmology for more information.

For the actual spells that cross this distance, we have 3 from Elder Scrolls Online:

Nova

Call down a fragment of the sun.

Meteor

Call a comet down from the constellations to blast an enemy

Spear Shard

Send your spear into the heavens to bring down a shower of divine wrath

Dark Souls

Cosmology

Unlike the above, Dark Souls keeps things somewhat simple. There is a planet and a universe it is within. Locations like Heide's Tower of Flame show the cosmos is full of stars. Stars can also be seen from the Prison Tower Bonfire (here as well). The Sun was made and is sustained by the First Flame. 

Backstory:

Long ago, before the First Flame, the world was a decrepit grey. Dragons roamed everywhere, undying, as the world had no disparity or duality. Then, deep underground a flame awakened, bringing disparity to the world. From this flame, four souls were found: Gravelord Nito's Lord Soul, The Witch of Izalith's Lord Soul, Lord Gwyn's Lord Soul, and the Furtive Pygmy's Dark Soul. With the strength of Lords, Gwyn, Nito, and Izalith challenged the dragons for the right to exist above ground. In doing so, they tipped the natural order of the world

Line 2:

They remained and hardship set in. They found a spark (Lord Souls in the first flame) which turned into a Sun, driving away the cold/ice. Terrible trouble came (conflict with dragons). The Sun (Gwyn and his allies/army) ended this conflict.

The "Spark" turning into the Sun that drives away the cold/ice would be referring to the First Flame here contextually, with the cold/ice being the Darkness before its manifestation. The Sun serves the same purpose and functionality in the Dark Souls universe as it does ours, giving light to the Earth. There is also conflation between Sunlight and Lightning in Dark Souls:

Sunlight Blade Description:

Miracle wielded by Lord Gwyn's firstborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Sun.

The power of sunlight, manifested as lightning, is very effective against dragons.

When the eldest son was stripped of his deific status, he left this on his father's coffin, perhaps as a final farewell.

Sunlight Spear Description:

Miracle born from the fading soul of Gwyn.

Hurl sunlight spear.

In the war that marked the dawn of the Age of Fire. Gwyn wielded these rays of sunlight, which remain fierce even as they fade.

Basically a nod to how both the Sun and Lightning are related to Plasma.

Dark Souls also has Armillary spheres, which depict the Earth and the Sun.

In Dark Souls 3, the First Flame gets snuffed and the Sun, already demonstrated throughout the game to be waning, goes out entirely. The stars in the sky are also shown to be gone at the end of the Age of Fire, as shown by the skies of the Ringed City. This makes sense, given the connection light has with time. The Dark Souls Compendium confirms the Flame brought into existence all sources of heat and light, which should include all stars.

The First Flame is also noted to be responsible for Time, which is Light.

The Repair Spell:

Lost sorcery from Oolacile, land of ancient golden sorceries.

Repairs equipped weapons and armor. Includes weapons with exhausted durability.

While the effects of this spell are rather subtle, its foundations are a well-guarded secret. Light is time, and the reversal of its effects is a forbidden art.

Solaire of Astora:

This pleases me greatly! Well then, take this.

We are amidst strange beings, in a strange land.

The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out.

The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure.

There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact.

But, use this,

to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between the worlds,

and engage in jolly cooperation!

Of course, we are not the only ones engaged in this.

But I am a warrior of the sun! Spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant aura.

If you miss it, you must be blind!

Hah hah hah!

Solaire basically says in this dialogue that time has become convoluted, and is shifting apart. He himself is from another "world" (timeline in this case), and he gives you the soapstone, which allows you to contact and summon people from other timelines. This connects back to the "Light is Time" statement. The Fire is fading, and it's causing time to destabilize, and break apart.

As you traverse through the Dark Souls 3 it's possible to find a location called "Untended Graves". This location is essentially an exact replica of the Cemetery of Ash, but with a black sky. You can find Gundyr waiting for you again, but this time he is much different. He is not called "Ludex Gundyr" but "Champion Gundyr". The Untended Graves as an example of what happens when a timeline has a branching path where the First Flame fails to get relit as is the case with the trials of Champion Gundyr:

Champion Gundyr's Soul Description:

Soul of champion Gundyr. One of the twisted souls, steeped in strength.

Use to acquire many souls, or transpose to extract its true strength.

Once, a champion came late to the festivities, and was greeted by a shrine without fire, and a bell that would not toll.

Ludleth of Courland Dialogue:

Upon finding the Eyes

Ahh. Found her, did we? And the black eyes that shimmer within, I see? Tis as if it were but yesterday. We did all we could to spare her from them. Much has happened since. Mayhap I should apprise thee... Of what the thin light of these eyes might reveal to the eyeless Firekeeper. Scenes of betrayal, things never intended for her ken, visions of... this age's end...

Selecting "Talk" after finding the Eyes

The eyes show a world destitute of fire, a barren plane of endless darkness. A place born of betrayal. So I will'd myself Lord, to link the fire, to paint a new vision. What is thine intent?

Firekeeper Dialogue:

Selecting "Wish for a world without flame"

Ashen one, forgive me if this soundeth strange. The eyes show a world without fire, a vast stretch of darkness. But 'tis different to what is seen when stripped of vision. In the far distance, I sense the presence of tiny flames. Like precious embers, left to us by past Lords, linkers of the fire. Could this be what draws me to this strangely enticing darkness?"

In his first boss fight his second phase involves him transforming into a black monstrosity, however in his second fight he remains consistent throughout and never changes form. After the player kills him, they can find a dead Firekeeper within the shrine, and may also find that there is not a flame in sight. What's also peculiar about this location is that you can find the Shrine Handmaid just in here just as you could find her in the Cemetery of Ash. However, if you talk to her in the Untended Graves, before speaking to her in the Cemetery of Ash, it prompts a unique dialogue in which she recognizes you.

What this all means is, the Untended Graves are set in the past. It is the Cemetery of Ash but in a previous point of time. The lore matches up with no flame being there and the world being dark, as Gundyr was late to link the flame. The difference in names also imply that Champion Gundyr was him in his prime. Then there's the fact the Handmaid recognizes you if you talked to her in the Untended Graves before speaking to her in the Cemetery of Ash. The fact that the Ashen One can stumble upon this place despite being in the future, is more proof that time is convoluted as per Solaire's words, as well as the fact that "Light is Time."

Continuing, the entire premise of the Ringed City being that, when the Fire fades, the world begins literally folding in on itself, resulting in all places and times coagulating into the Dreg Heap.

In the Dark Souls 3 Ringed City DLC, the first NPC you meet is an old lady who's called the Stone-Humped Hag. She tells us this:

At the close of the Age of Fire, all lands meet at the end of the earth.

Great kingdoms and anaemic townships will be one and the same.

The great tide of human enterprise, all for naught.

That's why I'm so taken by this grand sight.

This must be what it's like to be a god.

This is very clearly seen by the Dreg Heap itself, which is just a mess of buildings and lands from places of Dark Souls past. If you're observant enough, you can actually discern some of the buildings in the mess to be notable locations from earlier parts of the game, such as the Grand Archives and the High Wall of Lothric. Now keep in mind that the hag says that this happens at the close of the Age of Fire, which means that here, the First Flame may not be out yet completely, but it sure is waning. So from this we can gather that the First Flame going out collapses space together.

The First Flame going out seemingly puts out all the stars, as everything goes dark. It's consistently confirmed that a place with no light ends up being all screwed up and distorted temporally & spatially. This submits the fact Light itself is Time within Dark Souls.

There is also evidence for other worlds/timelines existing. There is Solaire’s dialogue:

The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. 

The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure. 

There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact. 

But, use this, to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between the worlds, and engage in jolly co-operation!

Here is the Eye of Death’s description:

Lure phantoms from other worlds.

(Only Covenanter can use the item while Hollows cannot)

The dreadful Eyes of Death spread disaster across neighboring worlds. Phantoms lured to the host world may end up as victims, allowing the Eyes of Death to multiply, and leading to further proliferation of bane.

Further evidence can be found for this in the descriptions for online play items. Notable examples of connected worlds:

Invaders: invaders such as Paladin Leeroy and Kirk, Knight of Thorns, once killed, will cause a corpse to appear in your world. This is because, by killing their phantom, you take/deprive them of their humanity, causing them to hollow and die.

Summons: summons such as Paladin Leeroy and Witch Beatrice can be summoned from the distant past. This is an example of time distortion. In the case of Beatrice this interaction leads to her corpse mysteriously appearing in your world (could be related to her original intended storyline).

Invading: using the Black Eye Orb, the player can invade NPCs such as Lautrec of Carim (and Shiva of the East). This is an example of previously connected worlds separating (and reconnecting).

Messages: throughout Lordran there are various developer messages that can be viewed using the Seek Guidance miracle. These messages have an icon of Oscar of Astora on them.

The Dark Souls 2 Game Guide Suggest Ornstein in that game is from another timeline:

It appears that we still haven't seen the last of Lord Gwyn's mighty knights - Dragonslayer Ornstein appears before us once more. But this time, he's alone, and something seems… odd. Instead of the lightning powers that he once possessed, he attacks with the power of Darkness. Is this truly the same proud knight we faced in Lordran so long ago? If so, the flow of time is distorted, indeed. If not, then where else could this Old Dragonslayer have come from?"

— Dark Souls II Collector's Edition Guide

The Repair Weapon spell operates using light to reverse the time of an object, the world collapses on basically every level (Dreg Heap as an example), including temporal. When the First Flame begins to die out, this causes the world to fracture into several different spacetimes occupied by several different versions of each game's player character.

Overall, Dark Souls has a universe with Stars, the Sun and Earth. The First Flame brought time into existence, and sustains it. Multiple timelines also exist. Each world has an altered form of history played out in some manner (as not every choice you make in your world carries over into the world of others playing), but all these worlds can connect to one another.

Fun fact, did you know Demon’s Souls might be a parallel world to Dark Souls?

Souls as Energy

Leveling up in Dark Souls requires players to stock up on souls and speak to the Fire Keeper (Emerald Herald in the case of Dark Souls 2 and just the Bonfire in the case of Dark Souls) so that she may turn those souls into power for the player.

Taken from the Fire Keeper's own words while you're on the level up screen:

Let these souls, withdrawn from their vessels,

Manifestations of disparity

Elucidated by fire,

Burrow deep within me,

Retreating to a darkness beyond the reach of flame,

Let them assume a new master,

Inhabiting ash, casting themselves upon new forms.

Reviewing these specific lines:

Let these souls, withdrawn from their vessels

Let them assume a new master,

Inhabiting ash, casting themselves upon new forms

She is talking about the souls inhabiting a new master, namely the Ashen One. In doing so, the Ashen One gets stronger. Pretty straightforward.

In Dark Souls 2, when you meet the Emerald Herald and talk to her for the second time she says this:

Bearer of the curse, seek misery.

For misery will lead you to greater, stronger souls.

You will never meet the King with a soul so frail and pallid.

Here, the Emerald Herald is directly asking the Bearer of the Curse to find and obtain "stronger souls". This tells us that souls have value to them, and not all souls are equal. This is most evident in the many soul items we obtain throughout the three games. A fading soul would give one 50 souls, while a boss soul like Darkeater Midir's gives 20,000 souls.

Here are more quotes from the Emerald Herald stating how there are values to souls.

Seek those whose names are unutterable, the four endowed with immense souls.

Their souls will serve as beacons.

Once you have found them, return here to me.

So that hope will not fade away.

Bearer of the curse…

Seek souls. Larger, more powerful souls.

Seek the King, that is the only way.

Lest this land swallow you whole… As it has so many others.

Your soul is still frail and pallid…

If you proceed regardless, your fate will be more terrible than mere life or death.

But I will not stop you, if that is your heart's desire.

The Lord Vessel and the descriptions from the Lord Souls proves souls vary in power.

Lord Vessel:

Lordvessel bestowed upon the chosen Undead who is destined to succeed Lord Gwyn. The chosen Undead is granted the art of warping between bonfires.

To open the final door, place this vessel on the Firelink Altar, and fill it with powerful souls.

Gwyn:

Soul of Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight

and Cinder, who linked the First Flame.

Lord Gwyn bequeathed most of his power to the

Gods, and burned as cinder for the First

Flame, but even so, Lord Gwyn's soul

is a powerful thing indeed.

Graavelord Nito:

Soul of Gravelord Nito, first of the dead. This Lord Soul was discovered at the dawn of the Age of Fire.

Gravelord Nito administers the death of all manner of beings. The power of his soul is so great that it satiates the Lordvessel, despite the fact that much of its energy has already been offered to death.

Bed of Souls

Soul of the Bed of Chaos and the mother of all demons. This Lord Soul was found at the dawn of the Age of Fire.

The Witch of Izalith attempted to duplicate the First Flame from a soul, but instead created a distorted being of chaos and fire. Its power formed a bed of life which would become the source of all demons, and is more than enough to satiate the Lordvessel.

Soul of Ornstein:

Soul of Ornstein, Dragonslayer Knight who guards the cathedral in the forsaken city of Anor Londo.

Special beings have special souls. Lord Gwyn granted this soul to his four most trusted knights.

Use to acquire a large amount of souls, or to create a unique weapon.

First Flame Scaling

"But in time the First Fire occurred, and Disparity was brought about together with the fire. Heat and cold, life and death, and, of course, light and dark."

— Dark Souls Narrator - original Japanese text.

Linking the fire is essentially using your soul as fuel to keep the First Flame going so the Age of Fire doesn't end.

Soul of Cinder

Since Lord Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder, many exalted lords have linked the First Flame, and it is their very souls that have manifested themselves as defenders of the flame.

Lords of Cinder are capable of maintaining the existence of the First Flame with their souls, which keeps the sun in existence. In the ending of Dark Souls 1, the Chosen Undead kindles the First Flame, which is restored from its dwindling state and explodes outward. As mentioned in the prior section, the Ashen One had to become strong enough to relight the First Flame, using their own soul as fuel. It's key to note that the soul of the user is fuel for it because everything runs on souls in this series. A comparable example is The Orb of Entremis:

The Orb works off the user’s soul to forge realities. In more direct fashion, potent enough souls can sustain the First Flame until it must be rekindled later on. Gwyn is a solid example of kindling the First Flame scaling to overall power. He feeds his soul’s energy to the sun by linking the flame. Even after a thousand years, his soul is still noted to be powerful.

Kingseeker Frampt: "Heavens! You have done it! You have retrieved the Lordvessel! After a thousand years! It is you, it is really you! Hraaaoogggh! ... Forgive me. I really should calm down. Now, let us take that vessel on a journey. I assume you are ready. Now, be still!"

Gwyn:

Soul of Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight and Cinder, who linked the First Flame. Lord Gwyn bequeathed most of his power to the Gods, and burned as cinder for the First Flame, but even so, Lord Gwyn's soul is a powerful thing indeed.

There are a few different ways to calc this feat, for the Chosen Undead.

The first is to merely calculate the luminosity of the Sun. The Dark Souls Sun serves to function in a manner that grants life to things upon the Earth, the energy it emits every second should be fair game as that is essentially what fuels our Sun's continued ignition in the first place anyway. 

You could also calc it via taking into account that Gwyn sustained it for over thousands of years.

The second option is to go with the fact the Sun was made and is physically sustained by the first flame, so basically use the GBE of the Sun.

There are two final options:

The skies in the Ringed City seem to lack stars and the ending in DS3 in which the First Flame is put out causes darkness to manifest everywhere, as light ceases to exist. Given we know stars exist in the universe, and none are visible from Earth, it seems the First Flame may have been sustaining all stars in the universe.. If this is the case, the luminosity/GBE of all stars of the universe would be used for this calculation.

The second option here is that the First Flame sustains the timeline(s). As explained in the cosmology section, Light is Time, and the fading of the First Flame affects both space and time. 

Light (Time) has ties to the very fabric of the fundamental laws of the world and beyond:

Lost sorcery from Oolacile, land of ancient golden sorceries. Distorts light in order to deflect magic.

A closely-guarded light manipulation spell that contorts the very fabric of fundamental laws, negating magic by denying its claim to physicality.

Considering the Age of Dark brought in by the end of the flame ends light and time (which compresses the world), the argument here is that sustaining the flame equates to putting out enough energy to sustain the timeline. In Dark Souls, "light is time" with the First Flame creating the concept of light and thus time, and the fading of the First Flame resulting in the complete extinguishing of light with darkness covering the world. Ludleth described this scenario as a "barren plane of endless darkness." This is supported by the fading of the First Flame messing with the flow of time. 

Solaire described how "the flow of time itself is convoluted...the very fabric wavers," and how it has drawn his world close to the player's own world. This is repeated in Dark Souls II, and in Dark Souls III, Sauldren describes how there are schisms in time. The First Flame affects not only time, but space as well, with the lands of all Lords being drawn together at Lothric and the Dreg Heap at the world's end being the amalgamation of mangled remnants from every age and every land. Essentially, the First Flame is the power source responsible for light and time across all of existence. Its fading results in the end of everything across all of time, and its rekindling is what maintains the fabric of existence).

Here are all the potential values for the First Flame using the options above

Painted Worlds and The Dark Soul

Painted Worlds are alternate worlds accessible via paintings. Only 2 are known to exist, the worlds of Ariamis and Ariandel. Ariandel is the one this section will cover, as it's the most relevant for scaling. Ariandel’s World is burned away and the Dark Soul is seeked to paint a new world. The Dark Soul is one of the Lord Souls produced by the First Flame, which was fragmented into humanity. It is discovered that the Dark Soul carries the power necessary to create a painted world, and the painter of the next incarnation uses this "pigment" to paint a cold dark world on a canvas to escape the current painted world.

The Painter: 

"...Ashen One, thy gift of flame has taken root. And Uncle Gael will soon bring the pigment. Pigment coloured like the dark soul of man. I wonder if Uncle Gael has found it? The pigment coloured like the dark soul of man."

"My thanks, Ashen One. With this will I paint a world. Please tell me thy name. I would name this painting after thee."

"My thanks. I will paint a world of that name. Twill be a cold, dark, and very gentle place. And one day, it will make someone a goodly home."

Blood of the Dark Soul

Blood of the dark soul that seeped from the hole within Slave Knight Gael.

Used as pigment by his lady in Ariandel to depict a painted world.

When Gael came upon the pygmy lords, he discovered that their blood had long ago dried, and so consumed the dark soul.

The painted world represents a kind of other side of the coin. The main world is a world whereby the abyss slowly encroaches upon the flame; the world turning to cinders by the age of fire being unnaturally extended. It is an age born of flame. An age that when extended slowly turns the world to ash.

The painted world is a world whereby the flame encroaches on the "rot". It is a world born from "paint"(most likely paint made from the blood of souls; think "blood of the dark soul"); something that is wet but slowly dries over time, this drying representing the encroaching flame. The painted world is a reflection of the Dark Souls world. Realities being forged is not new, as this is what the Orb of Entremis does. Painted Worlds are referred to as dimensions in the Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium. Ariandel in particular seems to have a source of light in the sky, as depicted in the Dark Souls Design Book.

The Dark Soul provides the power to make this world and is comparable in power to the other Lord Souls. The Chosen Undead scales to the other Lord Souls by the end of Dark Souls 1. More so onto this point is the fact that the Chosen Undead possesses at the end of Dark Souls 1 three different complete or nearly complete Lord Souls in the form of The Lord Souls of Light(Gwyn), Death(Nito), and Fire(Witch of Izalith).

Extrapolations of Certain Concepts. 

[1]Different Timelines Powered by One Flame: As discussed previously, time in Dark Souls is made up of light and vice versa. As either The First Flame fades or purely by the nature of the lands of Lordran being the home to Flame and to the Gods of Dark souls - before they left the world - time becomes fragmented like light hitting a glass prism allowing different timelines and worlds to collide. As we can view in the item description for the White Soapstone which is used to do multiplayer. However in Dark Souls 2 (which takes place halfway through an Age of Fire and in a completely different land) they are also able to summon warriors from different worlds and places in time. All this is pretense to the question of if these different timelines and worlds colliding are fueled by The Same Flame or if all of these timelines. All these timelines could be connected depending on how you view it.

Solaire as far as his dialogue implies is from another world seeking out his own sun. His mission though clearly is reaching the Kiln where Gwyn is. It could be that in his world he is “their” Chosen Undead like the other heroes you can summon in front of key bosses. But, Solaire and all these others all seem through their journeys fail to complete it without direct intervention from the Chosen Undead. All of them in their worlds seem to fail to link the flame. But, in Dark Souls 3 you can see warriors from these different lands armor show up from different worlds as time becomes convoluted again. So either one of the two are true:

A) Despite it appearing that every other Chosen Undead you meet from other worlds go hollow and fail their quest, just linking 1 flame makes sure that all Flames stay lit.

Or

B) Because there are several timelines there would be several lands like Astora and there was *some* version of Solaire who did his job.

If the former is true, the fact that the Chosen Scales to the flame by being able to fuel it back to at least some semblance of its original power level, would mean that the Flame powers not only its own universe, but potentially several other timelines.

[2]Absorbing Souls Grants you unique powers of the original: Souls are power in Dark Souls, containing the “sum total” of their bearer’s power, and taking another soul into yourself grants you strength through absorbing it into yourself. That much is evident in both lore and gameplay, however there is another aspect that should be addressed here as well. As seen in boss fights against Ornstein and Smough when you fell Ornstein first in battle, Smough takes his soul and his power into himself and then is able to use Lightning magic which in that moment was unable to do prior. It is also evident that he takes Ornstein’s soul and absorbs it because after the fight is done you only gather the soul of whoever you fell last, not both. 

This soul absorption is shown in other boss fights like The Abyss Watchers in DS#3. For the second phase of the battle one Abyss watcher takes in all the souls/energy of all the other watchers to get a massive power boost in the fight and gains the power of pyrokinesis. Either all the Abyss Watchers share one soul that is divided - which has happened - that had pyrokinesis as a whole, or there was only 1 pyromancer in the pile of corpses that had that ability. The power gain is not clear for the Abyss watchers but proof that soul absorption grants strength - even mid fight - is more evident, and allows the one doing the absorption to display feats they were previously unable to.

In the Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium, it is also referenced that the possession of powerful souls does grant the holder different supernatural abilities seen Here in the third paragraph.

So the Chosen Undead having absorbed souls of powerful magic users like Seath, powerful pyromancers like The Witches of Izalith, Necromancers like Nito, and light magic users like Gwyn, so on so forth, would imply that whatever abilities they could do he could also call forth.

[3]Light Manipulation = Time Manipulation: We’ve mentioned the connections between the two in the past but let me try to go ahead and bring a few concepts together. Gwyn being the Lord of Light has light manipulation and manifestation going off of the different spell descriptions that are directly related to him such as the Sunlight Spear, but beyond that it is shown that he and or his children can also cast time manipulation magic on a grand scale evident with his daughter Filianore holding a relic in the form of a shell. This shell contains a spell cast by Gwyn in the past when he first hid the Ringed City from the rest of the world. This spell has done 1 of 2 things going off of how it is presented in Dark Souls 3.

1. It halts time around the Ringed city to keep it well hidden from the rest of the world as Gwyn wanted to Seal away the Pygmy lords that resided there.

or

2. It was placed as a last line of defense to destroy the ringed city by throwing it into the far future to the end of the world.

Either way the spell sealed inside of it is flashed in a massive wave of light. Since Light is time this does make sense. Now if the Lord of Light with his Light Soul was able to do this massive time manipulation through the use of his magic and soul someone else with his soul in theory of how soul power transfer works as described above, the magic and feats what Gwyn was capable of the Chosen Undead would also be capable of. To summarize, since Gwyn was able to cast massively powerful time spells through his control of Light, and The Chosen Undead having most likely inherited many of his abilities from the absorption of his lord soul, that would be an ability he would be in possession of also.

Bonus Fanart

By Shadow

Verdicts

Team Dark Souls

Stats

Dark Souls stats have been a contentious thing in the community for years but if there's one thing that most communities generally agree upon is that all scaling eventually returns to the First Flame. The ultimate McGuffin of the first game remains the best source of scaling for all the playable characters across the trilogy. 

The general contention with the first flame is whether or not kindling it can count as an actual feat of power. The Dark Souls compendium helps support the notion that kindling is related to a certain required level of power, which in turn is supported by multiple statements that stronger souls have more power. Gwyn was capable of empowering the flame for over a thousand years, and the Chosen Undead eventually reaches the necessary level of power to do so as well.

Something to note is that you literally can’t link the flame if you’re not strong enough. Yhorm tried, but his soul wasn’t powerful enough so the flame just consumed him and his entire kingdom. The Unkindled, such as the Ashen One, are beings who tried to link the flame in the past but failed, and the Abyss Watchers had to pool their souls together and link the fire as an organization as well. It should also be noted Gywn’s actual name is not the lord of cinder, but moreso the lord of “fuel”. This helps support the idea that power is needed to sustain the flame.

The First Flame sustains the Sun, as shown in Dark Souls 3. When it fades, so does the Sun. The Dark Souls Compendium also confirms the First Flame brought all heat into existence, alongside with all light. We know stars exist in Dark Souls, and light is also defined as being Time itself. In Dark Souls 3, we are shown that all sources of light fade away without the flame (which includes all stars). Time also comes undone when it starts to fade, and other worlds/timelines start spilling into each other. Space also compresses as shown with the Dreg Heap. There is some confusion on whether or not the other worlds mentioned across the trilogy are simply other eras in the same timeline. Solaire's dialogue about the other worlds in Japanese specifically uses “世界”, “sekai”, which means “world”. The white sign soapstone specifically uses “他世界”, which means "other worlds". Miyazaki also uses "sekai" when talking about Solaire linking the fire in his own world. It's clear in the original Japanese that Solaire comes from another world, and not another era.

We do not know the exact number of timelines connected to the First Flame, but the Dark Souls Compendium treated the First Flame as singular. It may very well be possible that the Flame sustains time and heat across a multiverse. At the lower ends regarding the Sun and Stars, and given Gwyn sustained the flame for over a thousand years, Chosen Undead would be outputting Multi Solar levels of energy to keep the Flame going. On the higher but still proveable end, light is time and the First Flame sustains time as a universal construct, across the universe and other timelines. The Chosen Undead would be Universal to Low Multi as a result.

The Chosen Undead’ speed is far more simple to cover. They scale to the Ashen One, who can dodge the divine pillar spells from Angels. These are legitimate beams of light with no contradictions. At minimum this gets 3% the speed of light, though it could get far higher if the player has the Frayed Blade equipped. A calc would likely be some degree into relativistic, maybe lightspeed.

As for the Dragonborn, we have no issue with them scaling to Alduin consuming Nirn. There is really no evidence Alduin is weakened in Skyrim outside of fan theory. What is unproven though is the timeframe. A story written by Kirkbride in 2005 outright shows Alduin eats Nirn piece by piece, eventually growing large enough whatever remains. In this story it was noted only a few mountains were left before the final bite. Another issue is assuming Nirn holds within itself full-on universes. Realms like the Clockwork City are stated by developers to not be part of Nirn or any realm, rather separate. Likewise the Shadow Worlds are not confirmed to be part of Nirn as well. Nirn has strange temporal properties, but this does not mean the planet is a multiversal structure.

While it's implied that ending the Kalpa resets Mundus, this does not inherently mean Alduin eats the literal Multiverse. Kirkbride has specified that what Alduin eats is Nirn itself:

How does one eat the world? (01/18/11)

When you consider a place like Tamriel, sometimes it's best to take titles literally. Alduin is the World-Eater. It's not going to be "the end of all *life* as we know it," leaving a barren wasteland of Earthbone dirt... it's going to be the whole of Nirn inside his mighty gullet.

"None shall survive" has been a calling card for a while, but that was only a hint to the more extensive "Nothing will survive."

Molag Bal in Elder Scrolls shows it’s possible to affect all of Mundus by removing Nirn from it. Likewise the plot of Oblivion is that Mundus will fall asunder to Mehrunes Dagon via the destruction of the Towers, that act as Linchpins for the Multiverse. All Alduin has to do to reset is consume Nirn itself, the rest will occur as a chain reaction. It's been argued that you have to destroy the Towers across all of space and time to trigger this, but Alduin is a temporal dragon. Even lesser dragons can affect time, so it's not really an assumption Alduin consuming Nirn would trigger the Mundus Reset automatically.

Likewise it should be noted that the Vestige in online generally needs outside help or amps to fight on par with Daedric Princes, such as with the Amulet of Kings when fighting Molag Bal. Even the Celestials that the Vestige fights are nerfed by the Apex Stone, and incapable of ending Mundus at that time. A more provable feat the Dragonborn can scale to is Mankar Camoran creating and sustaining a pocket dimension with a sun (detailed in the q/a). The Dragonborn scales to the Hero of Kvatch who killed Mankar, so the feat checks out. Dark Souls has its own equivalent to this in the form of Painted Worlds, which can be made via the energy of the Dark Soul. Painted Worlds are shown to have lighting that comes from a sun in official artwork, and the Chosen Undead ends up with the three Lord Souls (the Dark Soul is relative to 1 of these). So even here the Chosen Undead potentially has higher scaling.

As for the Dragonborn’s speed, they might scale to the MFTL/Infinite Speed arguments the Vestige scales to. Cross-scaling speed between these is a bit odd, but it makes sense with Alduin’s lore. Auriel’s Bow though is a bit more questionable. It is an enchanted bow and it is shown that other arrows are comparable to its own “firing speed”. Are all arrows in Skyrim infinite speed? Unlikely. Without the cosmology based speed arguments, the Chosen Undead should be faster, since the next best scaling the Dragonborn has is lightning timing. 

Both have higher ends that can be viewed as “multiversal” but at lower ends, they are close. Luminosity of the Sun is either on par with the Greybeards and Storm Call, or vastly above it taking into account the thousand years Gwyn kindled the First Flame. At mid ends, the CU is 3x stronger than the Dragonborn (Mankar scaling vs Lord Soul Scaling). While eating Nirn is impressive, there is simply not enough objective proof to say it's a multiversal or higher feat. The first flame sustaining the stars and the time of the universe is far more direct. At best the higher ends could be viewed as comparable if one assumes Nirn has some universes in it. This would be countered by the fact the First Flame’s influence extends to other timelines.

One final thing to add is that the Chosen undead might scale to the Soul of Cinder. They drew out a larger reaction from the First Flame when kindling it than the Ashen One, and the flame is weaker in DS3 overall. The Soul of Cinder is an amalgamation of every person who has ever linked the flame:

The Soul of Cinder is the manifestation of all Lords of Cinder that have pledged to defend the First Flame by linking it.

It should be noted “Soul of Cinder” is not exactly the accurate name. It should be called Avatar of Lords/Incarnation of Lords (Kings). The Avatar has all the powers of all the prior Lords, including Gwyn:

Since Lord Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder, many exalted lords have linked the First Flame, and it is their very souls that have manifested themselves as defender of the flame. „

~ Soul of the Lords Description

In theory this means the Soul of Cinder has all the remaining energy of the countless Lords who have sustained the flame. This would bring the Chosen Undead’s AP ratings much higher. The scaling itself is quite debatable, but it is worth mentioning. It is also worth mentioning that this is not scaling Chosen Undead to themselves. Soul of Cinder might also include the Chosen Undead within themselves, but it would be a weakened version of the Undead. As with Gwyn, this version of the CU would be far from their prime. Most of their power would have been expended sustaining the First Flame over the years, so the scaling would just be applying to the remnants. Prime Chosen Undead (the version we are using) can still hypothetically scale to the Soul of Cinder.

In the end, while the Dragonborn might be vastly faster than the Chosen Undead, the CU has enough power to keep up, if not outright beat the Dovahkiin.

Arsenal & Abilities

Rather than simply listing the most powerful spells in terms of most damage or visually powerful, the weapons and abilities listed below are weapons that would best assist the Chosen Undead in his battle with The Dovahkiin. Either by bypassing defenses or effecting the Dragonborn in ways they are not as resistant to.

Key Weapons
Moonlight Greatsword: The Moonlight Greatsword is a blade composed of the magical essence of the creator of sorceries Seath the Scaleless.This sword is quoted as “imbued with his magic, which shall be unleashed as a wave of moonlight.” Moonlight from different references through the souls series seems to be a term for pure magic. Seath’s magics are shown throughout the series to be able to cause many different inflictions onto those it attacks. Such in the comics where it is shown his magic is able to destroy consciousness shown here. This weapon being composed of pure magic also bypasses all physical armors and resistances.

Life Hunt Scythe: The Lifehunt Scythe is created through the use of Crossbreed Pricilla’s soul to create a scythe. This Scythe is able to inflict the lifehunt ability, something even the Gods fear. The only other type of weapon or ability the gods fear are weapons of the Occult. Occult worshipers imbue powers that they once attempted to steal from Gravelord Nito - the god of death. Death being the antithesis of life is something that Pricilla herself is called. So Lifehunt is most likely the purest form of Anti-life magic.

Dark Hand: The Dark Hand is a weapon that is able to tear the soul - humanity - out of its victims. A power most likely derived from The Abyss. The Abyss is a plane of reality that seems to be nothing but a pure void that consumes everything, even souls. Humanity is a fragment of the Dark Soul as discussed before in the blog. So in summary this weapon allows one to rip out the soul of its victims.

Key Sorceries
Dark Fog: Summons fog that looks to resemble the same form of magic that the Abyss is crafted from. It is said in theory to be very close to humanity - a type of soul - it is a very potent poison to humans. From wording it seems the Abyss or at least this dark fog birthed from it is made from humanity’s sins and poisons people with the dark reflection of itself. It most likely not only harms one's physical body but also corrupts their soul. Such as what happened with the hero Artorias.

Soul Spear: A magical energy spear one launches at their opponent. The Spear being on par with the same level of power of Gwyn’s lighting though doing pure magic damage rather than elemental. Seems to curve towards opponents so has some minor tracking ability.
 

Homing Crystal Soulmass: Small orbs of magic appear over the caster’s shoulder that can be launched later without need to speak or make hand gestures. These spears of magic home in on souls rather than the physical body, tracking them that way rather than physical position. This would most likely render invisibility and stealth mute for it’s not seeking your physical position, but rather your soul.

Key Pyromancies
Chaos Storm: The Chaos Storm is the firestorm that erupted as the failed attempt by the Witch of Izalith and her daughters to create a new Flame to replace the dying one. We know the Witches of Izalith were all very proficient in pyromancy and magic to be able to craft firestorms that destroyed entire country size land masses. This new Flame still engulfed them, meaning it most likely bypasses normal types of fire resistances. Chaos fire magic also has the unique properties to create massive pools of lava, meaning its flame at minimum is burning at least 1,200 degrees Celsius.

Key Miracles
Vow of Silence:  An anti-magic Incantation that stops all magic within a radius of the Chosen Undead. Affects both verbal and non-verbal spells to prevent the magic the Dragonborn may possess as well as their shouts.

Tranquil Walk of Peace: A spell that was used in the outlands primarily used to flee by forcing all those within radius to walk at the same pace. Miracles work by knowing a story and then saying a prayer about the moment, this could either mean it makes everyone walk at the same pace or perhaps forces all to move at the same place. Regardless this would level the playing field most likely for any speed gap that may occur.

Great Magic Barrier: The most powerful anti-magic granting buff in the game that was devised by Havel the Rock who despised both magic and dragons. This spell grants extra resistances to Seath the dragon’s magic and is most likely highly effective against other draconic magics. 

Powers Granted by Soul Absorption

As explained in Extrapolations of Certain Concepts section [2], taking one's soul onto oneself or even simply having possession of it grants the user unique abilities of the souls one possesses. This is actually consistent with Dark Souls 3. DS3 has you transpose souls into their techniques and weapons, so it definitely can be extracted from the soul. As such the souls (the only Lord Soul they keep is Gywn) they gain are:

• Soul of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder(Light)

• Soul of Manus(Powers of The Abyss)

• Soul of Gwyndolin(Magic potential)

• Soul of Priscilla(Antithesis of Life)

• Soul of Artorias(His Skill)

The most powerful souls out of those above are Gywn and Manus. Gwyn grants access to magic as the Sunlight Spear. After that would be the Soul of Manus, who was powerful enough to create his own plane of existence and travel through time to a degree. Light manipulation alone would be able to grant the chosen undead time manipulation as explained in Concept Section [3]. 

Now that we have gone over all the relevant abilities and items, we will go over how each interacts with the dragonborn. Starting off with the Dark Hand, the dragonborn's own resistance to having their soul removed is questionable. Miraak having the ability to automatically remove draconic souls does not inherently mean you can do this to the dragonborn or even other humans. It's also argued Alduin attempted to remove the soul of the dragonborn but this is really never shown in the game.

The chosen undead also has the moonlight greatsword that has the ability to ignore durability and should have the properties of Seath's magic, which can destroy the consciousness of its target and infect it with Curse. Curse has Auto kill properties and permanently reduces the health amount of the target. They also have the lifehunt scythe which is death manipulation. The Dark Hand directly removes Humanity (equivalent to a soul) from any target it's used to hit. It can also remove multiple souls at once. The soul spear and homing crystal soulmass can home in on dragonborn even if they're invisible and the soul spear ignores elemental resistance. 

The chaos storm offers a massive amount of range and can ignore a degree of fire resistance.

The vow of silence restricts both the dragonborn and chosen undead from using any spells for 15 seconds. At first this may seem counterintuitive to the Chosen Undead, but the benefits outweigh the cons. Being able to shut down any magic of the dragonborn including their shouts is worth sacrificing magic for 15 seconds. After the effects of the vow come to an end, the chosen undead can simply activate another one to keep the dragonborn from using any abilities.

The Chosen Undead likely also has access to the soul abilities of Gwyn and Manus. Manus has time travel and the corruption ability of the abyss. This lines up with the Dark Fog spell. All of these abilities and weapons come together to create a deadly arsenal the Dragonborn only has limited resistance against. The Elder Scrolls can't actually send the Dragonborn themself through time to counter Manus’ temporal abilities. Time Travel is also something the Chosen Undead can use with Bonfires, as shown in the Artorias DLC.

It is unlikely the Dragonborn fully resists both Life Hunt and the Curse properties of Seath’s magic. The closest thing the Dragonborn has to resisting Death Hax is not being killed by Keening. This however is not resistance to Curses. Curses would likely hamper or outright kill the Dragonborn. While the Dragonborn has potions to cure themselves of Dark Fog, it likely has properties of the abyss and therefore also corrupts the target. At minimum this would be possible with Manus’ soul. The Chaos Storm allows the CU to use range to either fight off the summons the Dragonborn has, or to match the range of their shouts. 

Speaking of Summons, the Chosen has the Black Separation Crystal:

This black crystal, long a symbol of farewell, is granted to banished Undead. The crystal sends phantoms back to their homes, or sends you back to yours.

Beware of fickle use of the item if you intend to nurture relations.

The crystal can nullify most summons by preventing them from manifesting. Furthermore the CU has companions of their own they bring out with the White Sign Soapstone. They also have several anti dragon spells and weapons to fight off the Dragons the Dragonborn can summon.

The Dragonborn’s own spells aren't likely to change the match. While Disarm can remove the items the CU needs to use sorceries and possibly miracles, they can still use Pyromancies. Dark Hand and Pyromancy Flame being items is just game mechanics. Pyro Flame is just a manifestation of your inner fire. The Chosen Undead can also just retrieve the items Disarm removes. Disarm also can be dodged. If the Dragonborn is too close to the shout when fighting Draugur, they can sheathe their weapon(s) as the shout is being cast so that they will not be knocked out of their hands. The CU can do the same, since the shout is telegraphed.

As for Soul Tear, the Chosen Undead’s Immortality is simply too broken. The Chosen Undead has 1.7 billion souls integrated into themselves, 99 humanity integrated into themselves, 297 humanity in inventory. The CU can hold millions of souls at once, and even losing their own souls will not end the curse. The only way for the DB to win would be to break or remove the CU’s will so they become hollow. The Chosen Undead has shown immense mental resistance which scales to negating Seath’s ability to destroy the consciousness, so it's unlikely Bend Will can affect them.

The Skyrim game guide also confirms Dragonrend only works on dragons. Dragonrend also would not work on the curse, as they are vastly different in mechanics. Dragonrend works by imposing mortality upon beings who cannot comprehend Mortality because it’s the antithesis to their very being. Undead can understand and exist within mortality fine. Likewise the Dawnbreaker would not work on the Chosen Undead. Undead in both games are vastly different. The Dawnbreaker removing Nocturnal’s influence in Online is via removing her corruption on the Tower, which is not the same as the Darksign.

Should they be killed, the Chosen Undead will return without end to wear down the Dragonborn. At any time the CU can warp to Bonfires to restack on Estus to heal, via Homeward Bones or simply warping there (they can do this via the benefits of the Lordvessel). Bonfires can also allow the Chosen Undead to cross dimensions, like painted worlds, which can be used to counter BFR. The Black Separation Crystal can also counter BFR:

This black crystal, long a symbol of farewell, is granted to banished Undead. The crystal sends phantoms back to their homes, or sends you back to yours.

It returns you to your own world in multiplayer. Basically allows you to warp back from separate universes and dimensions.

The prisoner aspect of the Dragonborn leans a bit on assumption. Skyrim has notably depicted the Dragonborn as a Nord (at least in Promotion).

They are free from being controlled by premade plans of the universe and preset natures.

They are free to do whatever they want and are capable of attempting that rather than following premade rules by the god. This doesn't  mean they can quantumly do every action at once. The prisoner thing is more saying they exist outside of pre-determined stuff and roles set up by gods. Not so much "oh whatever moment they want to make happen, happens." More of a thing for resisting destiny/pre-determination stuff over being able to in their own way make things to be destined for themselves.

Overall the Chosen undead has immortality the Dragonborn cannot overcome, has corruption and durability negation options, and items to keep summons in check. They can also cause the bleed effect, which will severely harm the Dragonborn, on top of being able to cause Curse. Tranquil Walk of Peace has a decently large AOE to slow down the Dragonborn, and the Vow of Silence can be used when needed to shut down their magic. The Dark Hand can remove their soul, and the CU can match the Dragonborn’s range with the Chaos Storm. The Great Magic Barrier can help resist the Dragonborn’s magic, and the Chosen Undead resists their mental effects. The Chosen undead has the right gear for the job.

Tertiary Factors

In regards to skill there isn't a whole lot to say. Several of the chosen undead classes imply they have at least some level of training beforehand. They go on to fight the best the world has to offer, like the Knights of Gwyn. These knights participated in wars against both dragons and the demons. The Chosen Undead was skilled enough to defeat both Ornstein and Smough, with the former being amongst the four greatest knights the kingdom has to offer. 

They also defeated Artorias, though it should be noted he was not at his peak due to the corruption of the Abyss. Still they should have inherited his skill after absorbing their soul. Artorias was single-handedly the most skilled knight in all the eras before Dark Souls 2. He could single handedly end entire conflicts as shown in the comics. Chosen Undead being as skilled as him isn't that far-fetched considering they did what he could not do, beat Manus.

In comparison it's unlikely the Dragonborn had much of any formal training before their botched execution at Helgen. While they do go on to be trained under the Greybeards, most of this training has to do with shouts and not so much physical combat. Still they grow in skill quite a bit and by the end of Skyrim is noted to be one of the greatest Nordic warriors in history. 

It is possible to say anything Dragonborn is technically more skilled considering the larger variety of opponents they fight. Still, the actual gap is negligible. One could argue the Dragonborn scales to Vivec, but they never directly fight.

Conclusion

"In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords... When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know…”

Advantages:

• Relative, if not outright higher AP and Durability

• Can win with one kill

• Broken Immortality

• Has options to negate the Dragonborn’s summons

• Anti Dragonic weapons and spells

• Comparable AOE with Chaos Storm

• Has spells that shuts down the Dragonborn’s magic and shouts

• Dark Hand can remove the Dragonborn’s soul

• Can slow down the Dragonborn 

• Resists Bend Will

• Disarm can be dodged and countered

• Has weapons that negate durability and leave lasting damage with Bleed and Curse

• Has time travel and teleportation/dimensional travel options to counter BFR

• Unbreakable will 

• Has defenses to lower damage done by magic

• Superior dancing skills

• Got gud

Disadvantages:

• Slower

• Less magic variety

• Less Summons

• Disarm works on ⅔’s of their equipment if it connects

• Blighttown

• Early 2010s meme culture…

This is an extremely difficult fight for the Chosen Undead, but not an impossible one. They are comparable if not outright stronger than the Dragonborn. The First Flame and its connection to other timelines is at least more probable than Alduin eating all of Nirn directly. Even their mid-ends have Chosen Undead as being 3x stronger. It is also hard to prove all Nirn has multiple universes inside of it. Many of the ones argued to be so are stated by developers to be separate from Nirn. The Dragonborn is undeniably faster than the Chosen Undead though.

With abilities, the Chosen Undead has the right equipment to win. The Darkhand is the perfect oneshot option against the Dragonborn, as is Curse. The Chosen Undead has several options to negate Summons and counter BFR. They also resist the Bend Will Shout. Most importantly, their broken immortality means the Dragonborn has no direct way to actually kill them. The CU is free to respawn and try the fight again as much as they please, as they will not turn into a hollow without losing their will. Vow and Tranquil lock the Dragonborn’s speed and magic, which allows the Chosen Undead to hammer in on them. Combined with their defense against magic, and the fact they can still use Dark Hand with the vow active, they have the perfect set of tools to take the dub.

Both the Dragonborn and Chosen Undead are incredibly skilled. The Dragonborn might be a bit moreso, but not to a degree that it gives them an easier win. While it is a very difficult fight, this is in essence what a Dark Souls protagonist does. They get the shit kicked out of them until they learn all the patterns, and manners of combat of their opponent. The Dragonborn is immensely powerful, but simply lacks the means to permanently end the Chosen Undead. Sooner or later the CU will land a decisive blow, and unlike the Dragonborn, they only have to do so once. One kill is all the Chosen would need to make them the DragonUnborn. The winner is the Chosen Undead.

Team Skyrim

Stats

In terms of statistics, it's quite literally impossible to discuss how powerful the Dragonborn is without taking into account lore. As shown repeatedly in the Q&A, Bethesda and its staff have repeatedly acknowledged that gameplay is more of a limitation than anything else. They simply lack the technology and the time to emulate one to one the game with what exists of canonical lore. There is one exception in the form of the Online MMO. Elder Scrolls Online has found several ways to convey a more cosmic feel with several of its quests pertaining to Daedric Princes and having to fight literal constellations in the form of celestials. 

While it is totally understandable to question the implementation of outside of game sources written by the likes of Michael Kirkbride and other writers, there's a consistency amongst Word of God that at the very minimum these apply to some level of Canon. Many of Kirkbride's writings have found their way into Main game canon via the form of being introduced in Online or in the canonical novels. In complete honesty you can remove every out of game text referenced in this blog and you still would end up with a cosmic level of power for Elder Scrolls via Online.

Now with that out of the way, the stats between the Chosen Undead and the Last Dragonborn are a clear-as-day difference. 

In terms of speed, the best the Chosen Undead has to offer is both them and other comparable characters being able to move in tandem with light structures/attacks to get sub-relativistic to low FTL speeds. Meanwhile, Dovahkiin has several feats that are quite literally infinitely greater. Auriel’s Bow can shoot arrows into Magnus, which is an infinite distance away. The Dragonborn can move in tandem with, block, and even completely outpace these arrows under certain conditions, like slowing time or using the Whirlwind Sprint shout. 

This is not the last of these kinds of feats from the series however, as meteor spells are commonplace throughout the Elder Scrolls franchise and can be dodged/moved in tandem with. Just given how Elder Scrolls cosmology works (please see the explanation in the Q&A if you haven’t already, because it’s a doozy), space travel requires being able to move across infinite distances. For the Last Dragonborn specifically, although meteor summoning was not a learnable spell in Skyrim, Alduin does cast them down upon Nirn at multiple points, and the Dragonborn can move in tandem with them as well. The Vestige can also cast Spear Shard, which casts the user’s spear “into the heavens”, which in Elder Scrolls terms, generally means Aetherius.

And then, we come to AP and Durability.

The Chosen Undead’s most blatant end of fueling the First Flame gets to roughly 91 petatons, while the Dragonborn’s best direct feat, the Storm Call, gets to 97 petatons. A very minimal difference, but the Dragonborn has the edge. However, when we get to their high end scaling, that’s when the difference becomes a lot less minimal. For the Chosen Undead, fueling the First Flame has multiple statements as to what it sustains. From sustaining the sun, to every star in the universe, to the flow of time in the universe as a whole. So at best, fueling the First Flame equates to a universal+ feat. This may seem comparable to the Last Dragonborn’s top feats/scaling, but yet again due to the technicalities of their cosmology, the Dovah’s feats are actually infinitely greater. 

Alduin consuming the Kalpa and by process Mundus is, in the shortest explanation possible, basically him physically eating a multiplex dimension that is both surrounded by, yet surrounds multiple infinite dimensions. If that’s too difficult and esoteric to comprehend, there’s also the Dragonborn blatantly scaling above Daedric Princes such as Jyggalag (by scaling to the Hero of Kvatch who beat him), Mehrunes Dagon (who has been killed by Alduin a near infinite amount of times), and Molag Bal (who not only was defeated in combat by the Vestige, but in spite of being the Prince of Domination, could not exert any control over dragons, while the Dovahkiin could through stronger tonal magic). All of the Daedric Princes both have complete control over and quite literally are infinite plane(t)s of existence within Oblivion, such as Apocrypha for Hermaeus Mora, Moonshadow for Azura, and the Hunting Grounds for Hircine. 

Let's get straight to the point with the world eater, the Dragonborn scales to him, plain and simple. Dragonrend does not magically lower the durability of the dragon it is used on. All it does is insert mortality upon beings that do not understand therefore making them killable. It basically bypasses Alduin's immortality. What further supports this is the fact that attacks from Alduin (before Dragonrend is used) do not one shot the Dragonborn and they can keep fighting after being hit by them. 

Skyrim has several characters state and confirm Alduin is at the peak of his power during the fight on the Throat the world. Alduin outright confirms that's when he mentioned that his power has waxed, which makes sense since during the events of the entire game he has been eating souls.

Alduin not being as large as it's depicted in text from other stories does not mean he was not at his full power. The game engine cannot depict Alduin as the size of a planet. It should also be noted that the lore about him becoming larger from consuming souls was added in years later during the events of Online, so it would just be a retroactive retcon. Likewise numerous sources including the official game guide confirm that Alduin is not weakened in modern day and still retains his world eater status. Whether it be the game itself or Michael Kirkbride or Todd Howard, it is repeatedly confirmed to us that the events of the game are leading up to Alduin consuming the Kalpa and Nirn. 

Kirkbride and canonical short stories confirm that the act of eating the Kalpa (all of linear time) is a physical action of consumption. Nirn quite literally goes into his stomach. Nirn itself is not a normal planet and houses within itself several pocket dimensions which depict celestial bodies. It also has higher dimensional oceans, which makes sense given the odd temporal nature of the planet. Think of Nirn as a cosmic onion with multiple layers. It really isn't out of place considering there are nine infinite sized planets within Mundus

.

There's also a lot about that consumption of the Kalpa results in all of Mundus being devoured, which itself has repeatedly been called a multiverse. There is some dispute whether or not the consumption is a chain reaction via destroying the towers that exist on Nirn that hold Mundus together metaphysically. The issue with this is that Online confirms the towers exist across all of space and time in all realities, even outside of Nirn. In order to truly destroy the Towers (and thus triggering cosmic armageddon), one would need to destroy them simultaneously. Molag Bal considered this and part of his quest line is the removal of Nirn from Mundus itself. Still, Alduin simply eating the planet is unlikely to destroy the towers across all of existence. It's far far more believable that he simply consumes the multiverse when consuming all of time. Considering the Dragonborn beats Alduin at his best, and later when he is restoring himself in Sovngarde, they scale to this level of power.

There is an argument on Dark Souls’ end for the First Flame to be some near infinite degree of multiversal, due to the existence of alternate timelines and because the First Flame is what keeps timelines from converging. The simple argument to refute this is that there are multiple First Flames; one for each timeline. This would largely explain how in co-op sessions you can travel into other players’ worlds and help them towards their goal of kindling the First Flame, but return to your own world without having made any progress in this regard. Miyazaki himself has mentioned how if you manage to save Solaire, you can summon him for the final boss fight and from there “he will link the fire in his own world”. It's also possible “worlds” are merely different eras in the same timeline.

But even if you apply the countless timelines to one First Flame, the two would either be equal, or the Dragonborn still has an incomprehensible advantage that the Chosen Undead has no way to counter, and that doesn’t even mention the infinite edge in speed. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the Chosen Undead goes Hollow.

Arsenal & Abilities

In regard to the Dovahkiin’s abilities, their innate resistances, magic resistances, and magic absorption can generally trivialize any offensive ability the Chosen Undead has, such as Vow of Silence, which the Dovahkiin can directly counter with their own magic negation and it holds the greater advantage of not negating their own magic. Magic resistance can resist the effects of the Silence spell, which prevents a mage from casting anything for the duration. The Lifehunt Scythe’s death manipulation also wouldn’t be functional on the Dovahkiin, as they can wield Keening without Wraithguard and survive. The Dovahkiin’s offensive hax are generally more absurd as well. Their magic operates on a level that can alter reality itself, and the Thu’um operates by manipulating the fundamental tones that compose the cosmology from the very beginning of the Godhead. With their magic and Thu’um options, they can utterly overwhelm their opponent in various ways, such as draining their attributes (health and stamina), paralyzing them, disintegrating them by shouting, summoning storms to control the field and attack them from all points, commanding their weapon to leave their grasp etc. 

There is also the matter of their summons, such as the Dremoras, the Golden Saints, and the Dark Seducers, which the Chosen Undead would not be able to circumvent, as they are immune to banishing without the use of a nymic. They can also call forth two dragons, one of which can be resurrected indefinitely, who can fly above the field and breathe fire and ice down at the Chosen Undead, an issue which they canonically could not overcome without outside aid as seen with Kalameet. The Dovahkiin also has various necromancy summons such as powerful spellcasting Liches, and their summons (such as the Lich and Durnehviir) can also produce summons of their own to further expand the advantage of numbers. They can also shout for the aid of the ancient tongues which fought Alduin at the throat of the world.

The Dovahkiin can do other things to put the Chosen Undead at a great disadvantage, such as slow time to even further increase the absurd speed disparity, as well as increasing their own speed through various abilities including thu’um, and vampiric reflexes. They can then amplify the strength of their other physical statistics with various thu’um and spells as well. They can also use abilities to increase the power of their own summons. 

There is also the matter of the Dovahkiin’s equipment, which include powerful artifacts such as the Staff of Magnus and Spellbreaker. Artifacts such as Spellbreaker and the Ebony Blade can circumvent magic through negation and reflection, the Staff of Magnus can siphon magicka and health, and there is the Dawnbreaker, a blade so powerful it could fight against Nocturnal and purge her corruption from the crystal tower. The Dawnbreaker in particular may be capable of removing the undead curse and the Darksign, as it has been described as an abnormality caused by the Age of Fire, contradicting the natural order. When Nocturnal was invading the crystal tower, she aimed to become one with the Aurbis itself, and with the Dawnbreaker’s ability to purge her and negate this action, it is evident that it would be capable of removing metaphysical disturbances and corruptions such as the undead curse.

The Dovahkiin also has other means of approaching the battle, with their stealth abilities and invisibility, something which the Chosen Undead canonically has issue fighting against as seen when they were only able to know which direction to swing at Priscilla by looking to the footprints she left in the snow.

Bend Will is a potent mind control Thu’um that exceeds even the power of Molag Bal, who could not accomplish the domination of a dragon. An impressive feat, as Molag Bal is himself the very essence of domination, in all mundane and magical means, with all mental magic falling under his domain, including things such as vampire’s seduction dominating moth priests who can read the Elder Scrolls without descending into madness, K’Tora mind trapping Ritemaster Lachesis, one of the most powerful mages and leaders of the Psijic Order in history.

The dragons themselves can remain within Apocrypha for centuries while maintaining their sanity and mental stability, yet are effortlessly controlled by Bend Will. It is naturally far more potent than anything the Chosen Undead would be capable of resisting, and it would indefinitely remove them from the fight, as we see victims of Bend Will remain in an entranced state only acting upon commands of their masters. In the Dark Souls universe, hollowing is an affliction that occurs when someone loses their will or purpose, causing them to descend into insanity, and even complete catatonia where they become motionless. Even if you say that the Shout wouldn’t have the Chosen Undead go Hollow or the effects wouldn’t last, the Dragonborn could simply kill the affected Chosen Undead before it does wear off. Plus, the Chosen Undead’s whole thing with immortality is their will, and how would they be able to will themselves back if their will is no longer theirs to command? The Dovahkiin also has access to the shout Dismay, which forces the target to flee in terror, and Kyne’s peace which can remove the will to fight or flee.

There is also the possibility of Dragonrend being able to counter the Chosen Undead’s immortality. Dragonrend is a Shout that forcibly imposes the concept of mortality onto a being, mostly dragons, who find this concept incomprehensible. Now there is the argument that Dragonrend is only reserved for dragons, but keep this in mind: The description says “Your voice lashes out at a dragon’s very soul”. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it only affects dragons. It just says that it affects dragons. 

So if it has the capacity to affect dragons, then it also has the ability to affect beings of similar physiology, that being that they are exempt from mortality as a concept. Possibly the reason why it doesn’t work on other beings is due to the fact that they’re already mortal in the first place. Now sure, it doesn’t work on undead like Draugr and vampires, but for one thing, Draugr are reanimated creatures, so by technicality, they have no mortality, nor immortality, they’re just reanimated husks. As for vampires, they're only really immortal through longevity, which is different from the dragons’ immortality.

Dragons are immortal due to their existence as beings exempt from the concept of mortality. Humans in Dark Souls are suggested to be naturally immortal, and had mortality imposed on them through the Age of Fire and Gwyn’s influence. The Darksign manifests only when the Age of Fire begins to fade and the darkness begins returning, which arguably shows that immortality in Dark Souls can already be interfered with by forcing the concept of mortality on it, which Dragonrend is more than potent enough to do given the scale of Skyrim’s dragons. 

The entire plot of Dark Souls is that relinking the First Flame will suppress the Undead Curse and make undead mortal again until the flame begins to fade once more, proving the Darksign isn’t beyond those effects. Dragons are also capable of resurrecting so long as their mind and soul are within their bodies. Chosen Undead’s immortality is through their will to keep fighting, which allows them to resurrect almost endlessly, not that far off from a dragon’s ability to resurrect. Therefore, it is quite possible for Dragonrend to counter the Chosen Undead’s immortality.

With such an overwhelming collection of abilities and equipment, the Chosen Undead would have essentially no opportunity to enter and attack, and even if they did come within melee range of the Dovahkiin, the Dovahkiin exceeds the might of the nordic heroes who could fight against Vivec, who himself was trained by Fa-Nuit-Hen’s barons and knew every technique from the past, the present, and the future. The Vestige also notably fights the barons, who the Dovahkiin is also above. 

Of course, there is also the Dovahkiin’s status as a Prisoner. Due to the prisoner’s quantum nature they are simultaneously every race, every gender, and performing every possible action, thus they would be unleashing their full arsenal against the Chosen Undead at all times.

Even in a worst-case scenario, where none of the Dovahkiin’s abilities can counter the Chosen Undead’s resurrection, the Dovahkiin is so much more powerful and so much faster than the Undead, with so many more options, that there’s not really much the Chosen Undead can do. Resurrection could only let the Chosen Undead win if they have any feasible win condition in the first place, and the Dovahkiin has more than enough stamina and longevity to just keep killing the Chosen Undead over and over, until they eventually give up or lose their will, and so become a full-on Hollow. 

We see in Dark Souls 3 that some Hollows are so extreme in their condition that they become essentially immobile corpses, technically alive but unable, or unwilling, to do anything, and Hollows can clearly be subdued with enough force, as seen with Sieglinde putting down Siegmeyer in the first game, which the Dovahkiin is plenty capable of. The Chosen Undead might have superhuman will, allowing them to keep on going even while in a kind of Hollow state, but there’s no reason to think it can persist against an opponent so much more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced, who they simply don’t have the options to beat.

Simply put, Chosen Undead is facing a foe who resists and counters most, if not all of their abilities, while having multiple abilities that they have no counters to, and the only thing that allows them to keep up is the Darksign’s constant reviving, and even that can be overcome with the right stuff. 

Tertiary Factors

When it comes to miscellaneous factors, the Dragonborn has the Chosen Undead beat rather easily as well.

With skill, the Dovahkiin far exceeds the likes of other Nordic heroes who have faced Vivec, who was trained by Fa-Nuit-Hen’s barons. These barons know every technique there is to learn in combat, across the past, present, and the future. The Dovahkiin also scales above the Vestige, who fought these particular beings. The Chosen Undead is a mighty warrior, but they are nowhere near the beings who taught the god of martial arts everything they know. Besides that, the Dragonborn has also amassed many more skills than the Chosen Undead, such as alchemy, sneaking, basically anything stealth-related. They are also more refined with their skills than the Chosen Undead, what with the many perks gained throughout the journey.

In experience, the Dovahkiin has fought a larger variety of foes throughout their journey. Soldiers, mages, thieves, undead, spirits, werewolves, vampires, dragons, elemental creatures, demons, a god of the end-times, and even other Dragonborns. Their hit-list is well above what the Chosen Undead has faced.

Intelligence isn’t even a question. No, Chosen Undead is nowhere near an idiot, but the Dovahkiin has far more showings of an insanely stable mind, such as being able to read the contents of the Oghma Infinium and reading the Black Books and walking through Apocrypha without any semblance of insanity. Any normal being would crumble encountering any of this, but the Dragonborn can look through these accursed books as if they were a Sunday newspaper.

Furthermore, the Dragonborn’s transformations far exceed the Chosen Undead’s dragon transformation. While the Chosen Undead’s dragon form gives them the ability to breathe fire, the Dovahkiin’s Vampire Lord and Werewolf forms have several more useful abilities, on them, such as summoning monsters, self-healing, telekinesis, life-draining, there’s no competition. Sure, the Chosen Undead’s fire breath may play into the Vampire Lord’s weakness to fire, but the Werewolf has no such weakness.

Regarding the Chosen Undead’s status as an “undead” and whether it would be comparable to undead in the Elder Scrolls for the sake of ability interactions, they are too distinct to be compared. In Dark Souls, undead are still capable of sentience and acting of their own accord, and ultimately they are still considered human as well. They are only “undead” insofar as the Darksign continues to resurrect them. Within the Elder Scrolls, undead beings are reanimated corpses with no will of their own, for they are at the command of the necromancer who raised them. Thus Bend Will would still function on the Chosen Undead, but even if you wished to equalize them regardless, this would mean Dawnbreaker would definitely be capable of purging the Chosen Undead’s “undead” status. 

Conclusion

"Will you be a hero whose name is remembered in song throughout the ages? Or will your name be a curse to future generations? Or will you merely fade from history, unremembered? Let the Way of the Voice be your guide, and the path of wisdom will be clear to you. Breathe and focus, Dragonborn. Your future lies before you."

Advantages:

• Infinitely better AP/Durability

• Infinitely better speed

• Multiple applicable instant kill methods

• Potentially 100% magicka resistance could literally just nullify most of Chosen Undead’s magic, save for elemental attacks and paralysis

• Several stealth abilities plus the ability to grind time to a near halt will make it hard for the Chosen Undead to ever land a hit

• Will constantly be empowering their Soul Gems with the Chosen Undead’s utterly massive soul each time they’re killed

• Bend Will could make the Chosen Undead instantly Hollow, which may work as a form of permanent incapacitation

• Layered hax via Thu’um could possibly override any resistance the Chosen Undead has to concept manipulation/willpower manipulation

• The Dawnbreaker can purge metaphysical corruption and influences, potentially removing the undead curse

• Dragonrend could be considered similar enough in effect to the First Flame forcing mortality as a concept onto humanity, thus potentially allowing it to remove the Darksign

• Can actually heal while attacking lol

• Playable on literally every device

• The first western game to get a perfect score on Famitsu

• Over 200 Game of the Year awards

• FUS RO DAH!

Disadvantages:

• No resistance to Bleed

• Putting down the Chosen Undead permanently could require some strategic thinking

• Early 2010s meme culture…

• It just works!

Overall, there are plenty of factors surrounding this fight. It all comes down to what you apply to their scaling and how you think their abilities counter each other. But in our opinion, the Dragonborn has several things going for them in this fight.

The stats, while wildly debatable, should land in the Dragonborn’s favor. There is a mountain of evidence suggesting that the Dragonborn is far above your average universe or multiverse- destroying power. Not to mention the several pieces of evidence that gives the Dragonborn an infinite speed advantage, far exceeding anything within Dark Souls.

While the Chosen Undead has their resistances and counters, the Dragonborn has far more up their sleeve. With the Dragonborn’s multiple instant kill methods, tremendously better stealth, battlefield control, and several ways to circumvent the revives (Bend Will taking the Chosen Undead’s will away, Dawnbreaker removing the curse of the Darksign, and Dragonrend possibly imposing the concept of mortality onto the Chosen Undead), the Chosen Undead is far outclassed in abilities. The Dragonborn also has the greater refined skills and perks. The perks offer much more to the Dragonborn on their own than Chosen Undead, who mostly needs separate weapons and armor to compare.

All in all, the Chosen Undead is one tough combatant to put down, but the Dragonborn will see it through with their infinitely better stats, deadlier variety of abilities, and unrelenting force. With the Chosen Undead soul-ly relying on immortality, their chances are pretty dark. We can assure you that the Dovahkiin won’t let this drag-on, as they were born to win!

Final Tally

The Chosen Undead (9) - Tsubori, Lorekeep, Polaris, LandonTalksALot, Pachylord, Aqua, Pasbros, Tyrannii, Rex

The Last Dragonborn (11) - RadioactiveCaffeine, Bowser_The_Second, 𝓐𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓪, KetherOfQadmon, KF, greymerlion2, Kaiser, Soma, Phantom Falcon, 08, Weniss

Dragon’s Dogma (2) - Cyber, Mal (WE KNEEL)

Hey at least yall did not have to suffer through 16th dimensional math!