The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Share an Important Trait With Morrowind

Lore is an important component of The Elder Scrolls, with rich world-building and history. While Skyrim is debatably the most popular of The Elder Scrolls games, many players still consider The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind to be foundational in its lore. While Morrowind‘s sequels, Oblivion and Skyrim, went on to add their own lore to the series, they were not as formative. With such a massive time gap since Skyrim’s release, The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to have the same depth and detail of lore that Morrowind provided.

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How The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Finally Give a Major God Their Due

The Elder Scrolls 6 has the chance to feature a god that has only been mentioned in the games but whose divine influence has shaped Tamriel.

Dunmer Lore and History

Morrowind established much of the Dunmer culture and history, including:

Morrowind‘s intricate worldbuilding included other details, including silt striders, the Morag Tong, and Vvardenfell’s setting. In terms of greater lore in The Elder Scrolls, Morrowind introduced the Heart of Lorkhan, a major artifact of great importance to the Dunmer and the Nords, which also shares a connection with the disappearance of the Dwemer.

New Religion in Morrowind

Morrowind also established Azura as a major figure among the Daedric Princes, gaining a far larger role than she’d had in previous games and creating a pattern of bringing a different Daedric Prince to the fore in each The Elder Scrolls game, such as Mehrunes Dagon in Oblivion, and Hermaeus Mora in Skyrim‘s Dragonborn expansion. As religion plays such a large role in Morrowind thanks to the presence of the Tribunal as living gods, Morrowind played a large role in establishing daedra worship and the worship of the Tribunal, or ALMSIVI, which remained popular until the Oblivion Crisis and Vivec’s disappearance.

Morrowind’s Setting

One of the reasons Morrowind was able to establish so much lore was because of its unique setting. While Cyrodiil and Skyrim have obvious references to European settings, the source of Morrowind’s towering mushrooms, egg mines, ashlands, and silt striders are less obvious.

Hammerfell as a Setting

If The Elder Scrolls 6 does take place in Hammerfell, there’s a chance for it to have the same role in establishing new lore as Morrowind. Hammerfell is a massive nation with a diverse landscape, and its religion is just as unique as Morrowind’s Tribunal. Although there is some information about the history of the Redguards, their religion, and the landscapes in Hammerfell, it’s not nearly as detailed as the other provinces. Though Hammerfell is available as a playable region in The Elder Scrolls: Online, it takes place in the Second Era, where nearly a thousand years have passed until the events of Skyrim.

Potential for Worldbuilding

Much can happen over a thousand years. Hammerfell seceded from the Empire after the signing of the White-Gold Concordat and became an independent nation. The Elder Scrolls 6 will have the job of depicting how it has changed and adapted to independence in that time, as well as how Hammerfell’s culture has changed over the thousand years since players last saw it in The Elder Scrolls: Online.

Adapting to Hammerfell

Whether The Elder Scrolls 6 introduces new gods as Morrowind did with the Tribunal, new factions such as Morrowind‘s Morag Tong to rival the Dark Brotherhood, or landscapes that require the people to adapt to the world to survive in harsh climates, Hammerfell offers a wealth of lore possibilities. This is an opportunity for Bethesda to reimagine Hammerfell as a setting and make it just as unique as Morrowind—if it is indeed set there.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is one of the most influential open-world games of all time. Bethesda’s action RPG may not hold up visually today, though the game is still easy to get lost in, thanks to the freedom of choice that players have in where they go and what they do as they explore the game’s world.

Released

May 1, 2002

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

ESRB

T For Teen due to Blood, Violence

Engine

Gamebryo

How Long To Beat

45 Hours

X|S Enhanced

No

File Size Xbox Series

1 GB (November 2023)