The cannon ending of Skyrim's civil war?

[Epic Gamer Frey]

No one wins. Everyone loses, except for the one sitting in the shadow ready to strike. The canon ending for the civil war? Rise of the elves.

Fall of man.

 

Stormcloak victory would be cool, but I know it wont happen. Only way to save man is for the peace treaty to be canon.

[Coopervane]

The canon ending for the civil war? Rise of the elves.

 

That's an interesting one.. not because i disagree, which i don't, but because i'm not sure how that would work.

 

Skyrim basically goes out of it's way to set up the Dominion as this great looming threat poised to strike from just beyond the horizon, to the point that the game does a better job portraying the Thalmor as the real villains of the game than it does Alduin, and yet we never really get to fight them. The whole thing reeks of forshadowing, why go to all this trouble setting up the Thalmor as this great threat if you're not going to do anything with it? Unless of course, it's all a great big "to be continued?" setting up the next game.

 

 

So far so good, except, another thing we know about the TES series is that they usually set the next game in a region of Tamriel that has not yet been covered, and the most likely targets for a Dominion invasion plot already have been..

 

 

Huh.. so where exactly is this going then?

[BoozeJunky]

Just my poorly formed opinion, but I'm fairly confident that the Empire will win. They might loose in the short term, but they will eventually retake Skyrim, and may bring some of the other wayward provinces back into the fold by the next game. If the Thalmor are going to be a permanent fixture in the Elder Scrolls universe (they're still around in the late 5th Era to fight Anumidium), then there has to be some counter-force to keep them in check. If they take over Tamriel, they'll either enslave mankind or unmake the world and return to the divine source. The rest of Tamriel has to be unified into some form of Empire in order to hold them back, and I don't see Bethesda having the seat of the empire be anywhere else other than Cyrodiil or maybe Skyrim if shit gets real bad.

 

I'd also say the next game will probably take place in High Rock or Hammerfell, since they're close to one of the few functioning towers, and given their close proximity to Skyrim will probably have some good opportunities to see the after-effects of the civil war for follow-up narrative.

 

Though I'm probably way off base with that. For all I know the next game could take place in the Summerset Isles were you start off as a prisoner of the Thalmor and are released by a rebellion group and are put to task sabotaging some world-ending/controlling plot of theirs. Or hell, maybe you become a Thalmor agent and play more of a villainous role where you stop the world from ending in some other horrible way than what the Thalmor are aiming for. But I'd still probably put my money on High Rock, simply because it's not too alien. As awesome as Morrowind was, the Elder Scrolls is a pretty powerful franchise now - and I doubt Bethesda would want to turn off potential customers by setting it somewhere that's TOO alien. 

[Coopervane]

Both Hammerfell and Highrock had thier own games though (Daggerfall and Redguard), and the Summerset Isles were covered in an Oblivion DLC (Shivering isles).

 

I guess they could do a Valenwood resistance-movement plot, but actually pulling that off in a TES-style RPG would be quite difficult.

[bradleyh]

 

The canon ending for the civil war? Rise of the elves.

 

That's an interesting one.. not because i disagree, which i don't, but because i'm not sure how that would work.

 

Skyrim basically goes out of it's way to set up the Dominion as this great looming threat poised to strike from just beyond the horizon, to the point that the game does a better job portraying the Thalmor as the real villains of the game than it does Alduin, and yet we never really get to fight them. The whole thing reeks of forshadowing, why go to all this trouble setting up the Thalmor as this great threat if you're not going to do anything with it? Unless of course, it's all a great big "to be continued?" setting up the next game.

 

 

So far so good, except, another thing we know about the TES series is that they usually set the next game in a region of Tamriel that has not yet been covered, and the most likely targets for a Dominion invasion plot already have been..

 

 

Huh.. so where exactly is this going then?

 

South, to Elsweyr, Valenwood, or even Alinor. Argonia is a small possibility. Hammerfell could be an option, and does explain the complete lack of expansion by Bethesda into Hammerfell or Orsinium with a last DLC for Skyrim. They did skip a very large portion of available Worldmap.

I am hoping I personally will be able to tolerate the next Elder Scrolls Game when the Events in Skyrim are mentioned.

EDIT Tosh Raka, and a certain Tiger Pattern "Khajiit" with a Fish and Caliper Obsession.

[BoozeJunky]

Both Hammerfell and Highrock had thier own games though (Daggerfall and Redguard), and the Summerset Isles were covered in an Oblivion DLC (Shivering isles).

 

I guess they could do a Valenwood resistance-movement plot, but actually pulling that off in a TES-style RPG would be quite difficult.

 

I think that's just a trend though, not a rule, and in any case - it's been so long since those games were released that they could revisit them and basically create an entirely new culture not yet seen by players. It would be an even greater expansion than the kind seen in the jump from Morrowind in Arena to Morrowind in ESIII.

 

Maybe if one of the other provinces turns out to be extremely popular in ESO, Bethesda might take notice and factor that into their decision, but overall I think they'll go for the easy sell - and that means it'll probably be somewhere dominated by humans and will resemble a culture not too far off from what we're already familiar with. Since Cyrodiil and Skyrim are already fairly well fleshed out on a more modern engine, that leaves Hammerfell and High Rock (and again, there's still a functioning tower between those two).

[itt1968]

Hard to pick a side without a headache. Ulfric is a blunt racist, so is his politics and many of the "true Nords", the Thalmor are a dangerous tyrannical organisation. My guts tell me to fight them, and in order to do so, I have to side with the stormcloaks.

 

"Skyrim belongs to the Nords" is like "Deutschland den Deutschen" ("Germany for the germans" - a propaganda statement uttered mostly by Neonazis). The similarity is very obvious. Of course this is only a slogan, but it makes the way of thinking very obvious.

 

But this is just my opinion. However, I can't help having tons of fun killing Thalmor on sight or playing a foul game on them. And I stress "Thalmor" - not Altmer

Agreed... that was what my point of saying "Thalmor" and not using the words elf or Altmer.... and just to clear up on my other statement...I meant the Thalmor and there lap dogs,,, Imperials.... I mean hey.... if an Army invades your Country and try's to force there Laws on you, you might come up with a rather nifty  battle cry yourself... and then you say I cant Worship Talos... HA! them there are fighting words to any true Nord. I've seen the Thalmor walking away from a Shrine of Talos, unarmed priest were laying dead when I arrived. That's not war, that's murder... that's also when I became a Thalmor/Imperial hater.         

[XJ347]

 

Hammerfell's Resistance

4E 175 - 4E 180[72]

Hammerfell refused to accept the terms of the White-Gold Concordat and, having been renounced as an Imperial province by Titus II, continues to fight against the Aldmeri Dominion alone. After five years, the war ends in a stalemate with the signing of the Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai. The Aldmeri Dominion withdraws from Hammerfell entirely. Hammerfell remains bitter with the Empire for abandoning it.

 

Source http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Great_War#The_Great_War

 

Total propaganda... You notice there are no talks of major battles? Because the Altmer were pulling back since the war was over for them. Hammerfell was just saving face by making themselves look badass in the eyes of the Empire. Ohhh I drove out the Thalmor who .. /cough who already left 4 years before.

 

I guess they could do a Valenwood resistance-movement plot, but actually pulling that off in a TES-style RPG would be quite difficult.

Resistance movement? You act like the Bosmer aren't willing participants in the Aldamari Dominion, like they are being invaded... Hell the capitol is IN Valenwood, not the Summerset Isles! There are a few bad seeds in every county wanting to over throw the government, last I checked they are called terrorists...

[Coopervane]

Resistance movement? You act like the Bosmer aren't willing participants in the Aldamari Dominion, like they are being invaded... Hell the capitol is IN Valenwood, not the Summerset Isles! There are a few bad seeds in every county wanting to over throw the government, last I checked they are called terrorists...

 

Skyrim set up a precedence for it, the whole spiel you get from Delphine about Malborns motivations, the Altmer Imperial captain outside of Ivarstead who joined the Legion to oppose the Dominion, and a few more. So a resistance plot would not be out of the question, Skyrim made it quite clear that there is infact an internal resistance to the Dominion.

 

What does make a plotline like this hard to imagine is less the plot of it, and more the mechanics of it, as in, how to do it without it sucking? If they intend to continue using this same game engine, then i'm not really sure how that could be pulled off..

[Epic Gamer Frey]

Total propaganda... You notice there are no talks of major battles? Because the Altmer were pulling back since the war was over for them. Hammerfell was just saving face by making themselves look badass in the eyes of the Empire. Ohhh I drove out the Thalmor who .. /cough who already left 4 years before.

 

Thalmor roleplayer?

[Forgotten1337]

The funny thing about TES lore is that if you read enough of it you begin to notice quite a few contradictions here and there.  That my friends is because history is written by the winners (usually).  Of course, depending on the book you read, the author can color events here and there with their personal opinions/ values.  As far as a canon ending, I believe there will never be a clear chain of events, mostly because truth is subjective.  Your "truth" may not necessarily be my "truth".  And quite frankly, that's the way it should be.  As for TES 6, I would like to see a main story that has major ties to the creation of Mundus that would have you dealing with both Aedra and Daedra alike. Perhaps with an ascension to God status sub-plot; kinda like that Talos guy...

[Uncle_Sheo]

 

The canon ending for the civil war? Rise of the elves.

 

That's an interesting one.. not because i disagree, which i don't, but because i'm not sure how that would work.

 

 

I'll explain how that'll work. Skyrim will keep opposing the Empire and the Empire will keep trying to re-annex that province. It will be a cycle of conflict till the Empire becomes a bigger enemy to the Nords than even the Thalmor are, and vice versa. Both factions will also be spent and the on the verge of collapse. They would willingly, if not happily, accept elven assistance to end the conflict, because the elves will not seem like the immediate threat anymore. 

 

Let's sum up... 3 factions. One instigating the other two to fight till all their strength is spent. Intervention of the only faction still remaining strong required to end conflict. Who profits? Who wins?

 

 

 

Resistance movement? You act like the Bosmer aren't willing participants in the Aldamari Dominion, like they are being invaded... Hell the capitol is IN Valenwood, not the Summerset Isles! There are a few bad seeds in every county wanting to over throw the government, last I checked they are called terrorists...

 

Valenwood was in fact invaded, and not peacefully joined with the Dominion. I think you are confusing military submission as solidarity of elvenkind. Valenwood most certainly did not wish to start a war in the wake of the Oblivion Crisis, and neither did most of Summerset. The war was opportunistic at best, with no higher purpose than territorial gain. Not that there is anything wrong with it, of course. I would even classify it as a very good move, from a militaristic point of view. Let us not harbor any fantasy, however, that elves from around Tamriel suddenly decided, without any tipping point whatsoever, that they needed to unite against mankind in the wake of the sacrifice of a human emperor to save them all. There is, I hope, no debate on this point no matter what Thalmor propaganda is about the end of the Oblivion Crisis.

There is an in-game book of a political exile from the isles, and the account from the bosmer who helps you into the Thalmor embassy to back this up.

 

Also, people working in any country to overthrow the government are called the rival political party... not terrorists.

Since when did dissention become the same as sedition? 

In TES context, I suspect you would classify the actions of the Nerevarine as terrorism? How about all the effort to bring down Jagar Tharn? He was, after all, sitting on the emperor's throne and ruling as one.

[Allannaa]

I've got to comment on a couple points made above. 

 

Ulfric did indeed use the Voice in his duel with the boy king.  But that was to prove a point.  The kid had not used every single resource at his command to present -- and provide -- a strong leadership position.  Yes, the child had once looked up to Ulfric as his mentor, but obviously he didn't follow his mentor's teachings, or he would have studied the Voice himself.  Ulfric simply proved that in order to rule Skyrim, the leader had to be willing to use every advantage, and had to be, when necessary, ruthless.  Ulfric didn't murder the kid.  He met him in fair combat, and he used everything he had to win that duel.

 

Elisif is an example of the softness and rot at the heart of the Empire, let alone the Empire in Skyrim.  Rikke, the Imperial Legate who is Tulias's right hand, is far more true to the societal and cultural values of Skyrim.  She may be sarcastic at times, and irritating as well as irritable, but she doesn't whine and fuss and expect others to haul her ass out of whatever sling it's in -- but Elisif does.  Aside from that, Elisif acts as if she's High Queen of Skyrim, when in fact, the Moot hasn't even convened to confirm her position as Jarl of Solitude -- let alone anything else!

 

If you choose to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, you could still assume that one of their assassins manages to dispatch the Emperor.  The Emperor seems to welcome his own death -- he even says something about kings and assassins when you confront him, if you choose to run the DB line.  He knows he's done all he can, and he knows the Empire dug itself into a hole long before he rose to power.  He's out of ideas.  He's hoping that with his death, someone who can lead the Empire, who can bring it back to the glory it should have, will rise to replace him.  But he's lost the strength and vision he needs to lead -- otherwise, he'd've killed himself instead of waiting to let you do it.

 

The ultimate leader for Skyrim and the Empire as well, would, of course, be Maven Blackbitchbriar.  Why?  Because she's one heck of a ruthless business woman, and in the end, everything would come down to efficiency and practicality.  Sure, it'd be totalitarian, in a way, but at least the weaklings would be weeded out by attrition if nothing else.  And you can bet your last septim, Maven would only "bow" to the Thalmor as long as they played things her way.  One wrong move, and those cut-throat merchant instincts would pop out, and that'd be the end of those snotty high elves.

 

I have to agree with whoever it was who said they played as a Dunmer on the Stormcloak side.  The very first conversation you EVER HEAR from a dunmer is an embarrassment to that once-proud race.  "We haven't joined cuz it's not our fight, leave us alone you big meanies!"  Bullsnot.  Pick a side.  You're living in Skyrim because your own land was destroyed, and we know that.  But you ARE living here -- act like you give a damn.  Doesn't matter if you support the Empire or support the Stormcloaks -- but get off the fence, you wusses!

 

Either way, no matter how you look at it, the real problem is the Altmer.  They don't give a shit about the rest of the world.  They believe they're the master race and the rest of us exist on sufferance at best, to be their slaves.  I mean, come ON, these are the people who convinced the Khajiit that they brought the moons back after an eclipse!  And yet Khajiit -- not the ones we see, but the house-cat-sized ones that apparently never leave Elsweyr -- are supposed to be several orders of magnitude smarter than the rest of us.  But they fell for that crap, and you can bet your last grain of moon sugar the Altmer are laughing their asses off about it.

 

The high elves presume to claim that a man (Talos) can't ascend to godhood, but the gods say otherwise. (I went into that above so I won't again).  But let me just say, I'd LOVE to have seen the look on Elenwyn's face when Martin became a dragon to stop the Oblivion crisis.  Men (mer in general, not just male human types) can't do this or that?  Well, the gods say otherwise, folks.  Who are you to argue with the gods?  Oh, right, you're Altmer, and you want everything your way.

 

And, while it's true Ulfric is indeed a master of rhetoric (another one of those tools a person needs to be a successful, effective leader), that doesn't mean he doesn't truly believe what he says.  His speech about why he fights is one of the most potent speeches in a game setting ever (topped only by the conversation between the Chief and Cortana, and then the Chief and Lasky, at the end of Halo 4, and on a par with the scene in MassEffect where Garrus comments that, while it was hard for the humans to leave earth when the Reapers came, they were about to ask a Turian general to leave his planet to help fight the war.)

 

Two things illustrate Ulfric's heart REALLY well, to me.  The first is:

 

Ulfric: "Is any man ever ready to give the order that will mean the deaths of many?"
Galmar: "No. But neither is every man able to give that order when he must. But you are that man, Ulfric. You've been that man before, and you'll be him again. And these men and women - they call themselves Stormcloaks because they believe in you...

 

Why do they believe in Ulfric?  Because he's given them something to believe in.  He's given them a visible representation of strength, power, and fairness -- albeit rather harsh fairness.  Yes, Ulfric is racist.  But so is everyone else in Skyrim.  Dunmer, Altmer, Bosmer, Vampire, Orsimer, Nord, Redguard, Imperial, Breton, Falmer (oh gawd, just look at Geleborn if you don't believe me on that one), Argonian, Khajiit, and obviously the creepy long-gone Dwemer.  EVERYONE is a racial supremist.  But while the Empire will say "yeah whatever, put this on and go stab this", the Stormcloaks will actually comment on the fact that a non-Nord has guts enough to fight and perhaps even die for the land they've chosen to call home.

 

The second part of that same speech (at least I think it's the same speech, I've forgotten though) is actually tear-inducing, at least for me.

Ulfric: "Many I fear still need convincing."
Galmar: "Then let them die with their false kings."
Ulfric: "We've been soldiers a long time. We know the price of freedom. The people are still weighing things in their hearts."

 

This is so very true.  Those who have not had to act as the guardians of freedom may not realise exactly what it takes to keep a country free, or to gain its freedom.  But the two of them go on from there, and Ulfric closes with:

Ulfric: "I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breaths. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight for my people impoverished to pay the debts of an Empire too weak to rule them, yet brands them criminals for wanting to rule themselves! I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing. I fight... because I must."

 

Wow.  Yes.  Exactly.  That was why I fought, and I don't mean why I fought in a video game.

 

Now, keep in mind, all this is the early-morning, coffee-slurping ramblings of an old lady who served in her country's military during the time of Desert Storm and Desert Shield.  Your mileage may vary.

 

 

[Allannaa]

And as a total side note, I'm not sure there will be a TES6.  Bethesda's in love with the damned online version of TES, which makes me incredibly sad.

[Coopervane]

I'll explain how that'll work. Skyrim will keep opposing the Empire and the Empire will keep trying to re-annex that province. It will be a cycle of conflict till the Empire becomes a bigger enemy to the Nords than even the Thalmor are, and vice versa. Both factions will also be spent and the on the verge of collapse. They would willingly, if not happily, accept elven assistance to end the conflict, because the elves will not seem like the immediate threat anymore. 

 

Let's sum up... 3 factions. One instigating the other two to fight till all their strength is spent. Intervention of the only faction still remaining strong required to end conflict. Who profits? Who wins?

 

No no, that part i get.

 

The part i struggle with is: If Bethesda were to make the next game revolve around a "Dominion aggression" plot, then where would they place the game?

 

 

So far they have followed a formula of doing a new province with every new TES game, this started with Daggerfall and has been the case up till and including Skyrim, and there are still provinces they haven't done yet, so it seems likely they will continue the pattern and do one of those next.

 

The problem is that those provinces are either members of the Third Dominion, or it's Black-Marsh, the one province that the Dominion has never really showed any interest in, and i can't really see the point of doing this plot there. All the provinces that would be the most logical for a plot centering around Dominion aggression have already been done.

 

That's what has me perplexed. Skyrim seems to have done so much to forshadow a future plot, only, that plot woulden't really work with the provinces they haven't done yet, and which i'd assume they would do next to keep with their release pattern.

 

 

Now of course, Bethesda could choose to break the pattern and say "yeah we've done it before, but sod it, we're doing Hammerfell next!", and then a Dominion plot would work. But it seems an odd choice to me. I'd rather like seeing new places..

[Uncle_Sheo]

How about Summerset itself? If there is a resistance plot, where better to hatch it other than at the heart of your enemy? Where better will you find your key targets all within reach? 

 

As a location, Summerset would be perfect. there would not be necessity of mountains for map boundaries. Perfectly believable coastlines can do the job. A fast travel option can be available between islands, and on ships. Maybe some of the small islands can be visited after gaining information from a map or something, like we get map markers added in Skyrim based on guard conversation etc.

 

Landscape-wise, it'll be exotic. In Morrowind we got the grotesque Dunmer architecture, in Oblivion, the decaying stone walls of an ancient empire, in Skyrim the thatched barn of Nords. Glass and crystal and alabaster towers of the Altmer will be a welcome change, don't you think? It will certainly be a step in the right direction as far as making a fantasy setting for a fantasy game goes. 

 

Marshlands of Argonia and the deserts of Elswyr or Hammerfell might present a level of monotony the previous games did not suffer from. Skyrim offered more open spaces than the ones before, but it was always breathtakingly beautiful. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a marshland or a desert doesn't afford the same opportunity.

 

Oh... and Valenwood might also be a a location available along with Summerset. I don't see why the game cannot span two adjoining provinces, since a plot can very well be designed to include both. If, for example, the story requires you to flee from the Isles after a botched assassination, where better to disappear than the shadows of Valenwood?

[Guest Vendayn]

And as a total side note, I'm not sure there will be a TES6.  Bethesda's in love with the damned online version of TES, which makes me incredibly sad.

 

Bethesda didn't want an MMO, nor did they "really" support it. The head guy at Bethesda said a big fat NO. But, Zenimax went ahead and made an MMO anyway without Bethesda's consent (as far as I know). So, Bethesda has no development or resources into the MMO, they didn't even make it. It was Zenimax and another company and they threw up Bethesda's name on it. But, Bethesda has always said NO to MMO.

 

Zenimax also has lawyers suing people all over the place on top of that. Making Bethesda look bad, and probably not very happy.

 

Which is strange, since I thought Zenimax was an offshoot of Bethesda. I thought Bethesda created Zenimax? But its like Zenimax went rogue and rebelled.

 

In any case, there will be a TES6 after Fallout 4. If you aren't a FO fan (play both foo! ), you'll have MANY years of Skyrim left.

Personally, I think I like that. Gives time for mods to develop and more epic, bigger mods. My Skyrim looks vastly better than TES6 would anyway with mods.

 

As for where TES6 takes place...I bet it is going to be Hammerfell. Second choice is a toss up between Summerset and Elsweyr.

 

[Epic Gamer Frey]

If TES 6 is rise of the Elves, then TES 7 will be the empire strikes back.

[XJ347]

 

Total propaganda... You notice there are no talks of major battles? Because the Altmer were pulling back since the war was over for them. Hammerfell was just saving face by making themselves look badass in the eyes of the Empire. Ohhh I drove out the Thalmor who .. /cough who already left 4 years before.

Thalmor roleplayer?

 

 

 

I would phrase it as an Aldamari Dominion roleplayer. The Thalmor political party is a blunt instrument, when something more subtle would do better.

 

 

Everyone has shades of grey in EVERY faction. The fact that Thalmor is shown in Skyrim as only black, well that makes me want to defend it. You KNOW it isn't only black, and are only being told one side of the story. So I enjoy trying to show others that there are other perspectives...

 

 

 

[Guest Vendayn]

I think Bethesda should have let you be a Thalmor. Luckily there are mods that let you join them, but guess Bethesda doesn't want you playing the "bad" guy. However, I have a suspicion they might make Thalmor as actually more grey than black or white (like XJ347 said).

[Epic Gamer Frey]

 

Everyone has shades of grey in EVERY faction. The fact that Thalmor is shown in Skyrim as only black, well that makes me want to defend it. You KNOW it isn't only black, and are only being told one side of the story. So I enjoy trying to show others that there are other perspectives...

I understand that but....

The Thalmor are shown as only black because they ARE evil. They are the greatest threat since Dagon.

The Dominion aren't evil, but the Thalmor ARE.

 

And that image.... Gods that was creepy.

I had to see the Gods gift to mankind.

 

 

 

 

Btw, I may support the Stormcloaks and hate the empire, but I know that Bethesda won't be stupid enough to have 1 side win. It'll cause shit on the bethsoft forums, it'll make people quit the series and it'll make many people's RPs pointless.

The Peace treaty is the only option.

[Guest Vendayn]

 

 

Everyone has shades of grey in EVERY faction. The fact that Thalmor is shown in Skyrim as only black, well that makes me want to defend it. You KNOW it isn't only black, and are only being told one side of the story. So I enjoy trying to show others that there are other perspectives...

I understand that but....

The Thalmor are shown as only black because they ARE evil. They are the greatest threat since Dagon.

The Dominion aren't evil, but the Thalmor ARE.

 

And that image.... Gods that was creepy.

I had to see the Gods gift to mankind.

 

 

 

 

Btw, I may support the Stormcloaks and hate the empire, but I know that Bethesda won't be stupid enough to have 1 side win. It'll cause shit on the bethsoft forums, it'll make people quit the series and it'll make many people's RPs pointless.

The Peace treaty is the only option.

 

 

Yeah, pretty much peace treaty is the best and only option for Bethesda.

[Skyrimfloo]

If I remember correctly all the lore, both sides are a lost cause. At the beginning of the game, the "Empire" is just High Rock, Cyrodill and Skyrim, and we know how things are in that one. Hammerfell already rebelled against the treaty with the Thalmor, Morrowind blew up, the Black Marsh had left the empire and invaded Morrowind even before the eruption, and the other two provinces are already with the Thalmor, so things are kinda complex there.

 

I would assume the meta-game notion that either "main" ending will have little consequences on the overall backstory of the new game (if set after Skyrim), so that player preferences aren't too contradicted. My guesses are more or less the following:

 

If the Stormcloaks win, I'd consider very likely that they'd ally with Hammerfell against the Thalmor, since they basically had done the same thing already. The'd have High Rock surrounded and isolated from Cyrodill, so they'd probably take it and fortify themselves before trying to invade Cyrodiil. The main conflict seems to me that would most likely happen there, probably on a three-way fight between the argonian-occupied lands, the nort-western provinces and the Aldmeri dominion while leaving Cyrodiil completely fucked.

 

if the Empire wins, then they'd have High Rock already taken, so they'd probably invade Hammerfell and in the meantime Cyrodiil would fall to the Thalmor, leaving a pretty similar situation to the previous option: Skyrim, Hammerfell & High Rock together, the Black Marsh and Morrowind on their own, an the Aldmeri Dominion, Cyrodiil being the main battleground probably devastated by the war. In both cases, I'd suppose that the Aldmeri Dominion would eventually invade the Black Marsh, since that would "balance" the sides in the game and Argonians must still be pretty fucked from their invaded lands blowing up.

 

On top of that, insert some worldwide supernatural cataclism, Sheogorath got bored and decided to "sweet-roll-ify" the world, dwemer animunculi unicorns attack Tamriel, whatever. And you've got TES6.

[Jexsam]

Both Hammerfell and Highrock had thier own games though (Daggerfall and Redguard), and the Summerset Isles were covered in an Oblivion DLC (Shivering isles).

 

I guess they could do a Valenwood resistance-movement plot, but actually pulling that off in a TES-style RPG would be quite difficult.

Shivering Isles had nothing to do with the Summerset Isles, though. Besides, the whole "won't revisit old places" theory kind of had a small but noteworthy hole shot in it when we went back to Solstheim. Sure half of it was radically altered, but still. At the very least that could mean revisiting Vvardenfell isn't impossible should they ever decide to do a game revolving around the entirety of the province of Morrowind.

 

Rumors are pointing towards Black Marsh. None are substantiated, of course, and we've already had one verified fake, but it's the only one that's gained any traction to start with.

 

EDIT Tosh Raka, and a certain Tiger Pattern "Khajiit" with a Fish and Caliper Obsession.

Hm... A Ka Po invasion of Tamriel led by the Dragon-Tiger himself? Now that I could get behind. Sadly I doubt we'll ever see a major exploration of anything Akaviri. Black Marsh would be a good setting for that too, now that I think about it...

 

On top of that, insert some worldwide supernatural cataclism,

You think they might play another Dragon Break? The resurgence of dragons and the fuckery at the Time Wound certainly seem to provide an opening for another Miracle of [blank]. They could reconcile pretty much all the alternate endings that way, too.

[XJ347]

 

I understand that but....

The Thalmor are shown as only black because they ARE evil. They are the greatest threat since Dagon.

The Dominion aren't evil, but the Thalmor ARE.

 

And that image.... Gods that was creepy.

I had to see the Gods gift to mankind.

 

 

 

Yeah... says the Stormcloak.

 

Who am I to believe?

1. A group of young racist rednecks.  
2. Thousand year old wise men and women who work in cooperation with their allies.

Hmmmm /cough Didn't Bretons live in the Reach? Wonder what happened to them? Ohh that's right, Ulfric convinced the Empire to kick them out... Segregation in Windhelm... Stormcloaks openly saying "Skyrim is for the Nords"...

 

If it looks like a fire, smells like a fire, tastes like a fire... it's a fire! Stormcloaks are racists!

 

Not my fault that people misunderstand the Aldamari Dominion and the Thalmor. When you live for a few hundred years, you gain wisdom and knowledge. They aren't smarter because they are Altmer, they are smarter because they are older. Other races just see the fact they are smarter and are jealous and have an inferiority complexes. Doesn't take long for lies and misinformation to spread because of that jealousy, especially from the Empire.

 

Well I guess we will just have to agree to disagree at some point! We are just in different camps.