Ehlnofey and the pure Meri.

TheWaysOfYore

Hello everyone,

I would like to propose a discussion on Mer races and question the alleged authenticity, purity, nearness of the Altmer to the original Mer and their ancestors, the Ehlnofey.
I will provide some references from in-game books to prove my theory.

Starting from the fact that after the creation of the mortal plane some of the et'Ada, following the exemple of Jephre, sacrified themselves to stabilize the chaos, becoming the Ehlnofey.1-2-3-8-9

Then after the return of Padomay, who hated the creation shattered the twelve worlds, and a fragment of the Ehlnofey world landed on Nirn, probably in the Southwest regions of Tamriel.4-5-7
These Ehlnofey, now living in southwest tamriel, started to marry and make children and, after various generation there were Mer.1

Recorded history says how these Mer, lately known as Aldmer, started to change both in form and substance, it is said thath because of this changes some of the Mer living in the summerset preferred to stick with what they called "The Old Ways" leaving summerset and setteling on Artaeum, forming the "Psijic Order" with the purpose of keeping the old ways of the Aldmer. Not only the Psijic left Summerset because of this changes, others left looking for new lands or in search of their native Land, as Topal the Pilot did.
The ones who remained slowly became the Altmer.6-7

That being said, we have, et'Ada becoming Elhnofey, the most known of them Jephre, who was able to establish the laws of nature and teach the elder folks how to manipulate these laws. The elven were the favourites of Jephre's offspring and it is said he "walked among them", probably meaning in a spiritual way, through The Green, that was the first thing to be stabilized by Jephre when he started to remedy the chaos of the mortal plane.9-12

This way to manipulate the laws of nature recall the ways of the Psijic to move, hide and change Artaeum and it is a known power of what Bosmeri call the Wilderking/Wilderqueen. In the second era it is known how the Wilderking was a male Bosmer and his successor a female Altmer. This manipulative power it seems to prescinds from racial predisposition for Magika and it also considered different from other "will" oriented forms of magic.13-12

Jephre still the most venerate god by the Bosmer and his Spinners, priest and priestess, are gifted with a Magic that allow them to see and modify the true nature of things of Nirn and other worlds.10-11

Interesting is that the same Alinor, is described as "made from glass or insect wings". This might prove how the architecture of the Aldmer was more similar to the Bosmer architecture.14-15

Where does this intricate reasoning lead?
It leads to the fact that probably, among all the races of Mer, the ones that are closer to the original Mer and Ehlnofey customs, are the actual Bosmer, who may not have a natural gift for Magika, but are the most attuned with the nature environment and are considered the closest of the Earth Bones kins to Jephre, the first of them, the one who stabilized the chaos applying the nature laws.13

There is of course more to say, and arguments to elaborate, but i think i've been already enough exhaustive to start a discussion.
Every contribution is welcome.

Hope you enjoyed it, and forgive me for my lame english

References: 1 The Monomyth, 2 Before the Ages of Man, 3 Varieties of Faith in the Empire, 4 The Annotated Anuad, 5 Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition All the Eras of Man, A Comprehensive History of our History, 6 Father of the Niben, 7 Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition The Blessed Isle: Alinor and the Summersets, 8 Of Jephre Musings on the nature of the god Jephre, 9 The Ooze: A Fable, 10 The Spinners of Y'ffre, 12 Wyresses: The Name-Daughters, 13 Aurbic Enigma 4: The Elden Tree, 14 Arboreal Architecture, 15 Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition/Aldmeri Dominion.

WhiteCoatSyndrome

AldmeriSon wrote: »

This way to manipulate the laws on nature recall the ways of the Psijic to move, hide and change Artaeum and it is a known power of what Bosmeri call the Wilderking/Wilderqueen. In the second era it is known how the Wilderking was a male Bosmer and his successor a female Altmer.

A couple of minor points.

Generally Akatosh is considered to be the first of the Et'Ada, and Y'ffre/Jephre formed after him.

Re: Wilderqueen, a successor was an Altmer female. There have been more than one; one of the NPCs you talk to after the Wilderqueen quest gives you the option to tell them the Wilderking is a Wilderqueen now and they tell you that's happened before.

Also minor point: Jephre is also venerated by the Altmer and Bretons (and Snow Elves).

TheWaysOfYore

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Generally Akatosh is considered to be the first of the Et'Ada, and Y'ffre/Jephre formed after him.

Also minor point: Jephre is also venerated by the Altmer and Bretons (and Snow Elves).

Hi WhiteCoat,

I didn't say Jephre was the first of the et'Ada, but that was the first of the et'Ada who became an Ehlnofey. (Ref.3)

Also, i do know Jephre is venerated in other pantheon, sometimes with the name Y'ffre.

And about the Wilderqueen, it was just a single example taken to explain how the role of Wilderqueen/Wilderking does not belong only to a single Mer race.

Greetings!