The Lore of the Lore...who and how did this all come about?

krachall

I casually played Morrowind, didn't care much for Oblivion, but absolutely LOVED Skyrim. I'm playing ESO now and just starting to really pay attention to the lore. To which I also started listening to the incredible Elder Lore podcast.

My mind is blown. Not by the lore itself, but by the incredible depth, volume, and complexity. It's so deep and complex, in fact, that it's got me wondering how it all came about. Was this rich history written in its entirety before the first game was made? Did it evolve as the games evolved?

I can't imagine having the forethought to sat down and write thousands of years of history, religion, and culture before launching the first video game.

How did this all come about?

The only other fantasy world I know anything about is the Forgotten Realms and I understand that came about as part of a D&D Campaign. But Elder Scrolls is SO much deeper and seems so much more purposefully written.

Sixty5

20+ years of being added to will do that to lore. Especially when you have multiple people working on it at once.

VaranisArano

By and large, it evolved, with all the messiness that entails.

If you look at Arena, it was originally an gladiatorial fighting game set in a fantasy world created by some of the developers. Obviously, it became so much more. http://web.archive.org/web/20070317200044/http://www.elderscrolls.com/tenth_anniv/tenth_anniv-arena.htm

You still have lore fans who are irritated because TES Oblivion retconned Cyrodiil into a standard european fantasy land where an earlier Pocket Edition stated that Cryodiil was a jungle.

Ollowaiin2

Where were you, when the Dragon broke?

TheNuminous1

well first there was the void. then like anu or padomay and it got lonlt. then there as like adrea and daedra. then they got bored then there was like this idea. and a bunch of guys made it. some were like naw some were all for it. then you had nirn and like there were elves and man. then they fought eachother alot.

Damien_Uvirith

The lore was brought into this world using the ritual of large joints and peyote buttons.

Rouven

Nerds and Geeks with funny hats and t-shirts that conjured all that up with their quirkiness over time
(Disclaimer: This is 100% meant as a compliment.)

I'll see if I can link you that ESO live episode where they talk a little about that.

Edit: Twitch doesn't work for me right now, but should be this one:

https://go.twitch.tv/videos/147355877

ESO Live: May 26 @ 3:00pm EDT

Robo_Hobo

A lot has evolved and had been added to over time, but you would be surprised just how much was concepted so early on. If you want, try reading the first edition of the Pocket Guide to the Empire, it was released with the release of Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, which came out in between TES2 Daggerfall and TES3 Morrowind, so back in 1998.

For a quick example, check the section on the Nords and you'll find that the whole concept of the thu'um and specific shouts were all already thought out, same with Alduin and a lot of other Nord culture, over 13 years before Skyrim actually came out.

emilyhyoyeon

VaranisArano wrote: »

You still have lore fans who are irritated because TES Oblivion retconned Cyrodiil into a standard european fantasy land where an earlier Pocket Edition stated that Cryodiil was a jungle.

I thought the Cyrodiil jungle thing was way earlier in the timeline than when the events of TES4 took place. well if it were supposed to be a jungle I'm kinda glad it was changed. I like Cyrodiil's diverse landscape that's coherent with the other areas around it

VaranisArano

emilyhyoyeon wrote: »

VaranisArano wrote: »

You still have lore fans who are irritated because TES Oblivion retconned Cyrodiil into a standard european fantasy land where an earlier Pocket Edition stated that Cryodiil was a jungle.

I thought the Cyrodiil jungle thing was way earlier in the timeline than when the events of TES4 took place. well if it were supposed to be a jungle I'm kinda glad it was changed. I like Cyrodiil's diverse landscape that's coherent with the other areas around it

Cyrodiil was a jungle in the lore, then Oblivion came out and Cyrodiil was a standard fantasy European land. Hence the retcon that Tiber Septim changed it at the start of the third era and all.