The Lore behind Cadwell's Silver/Gold

JMadFour

Just want to make sure I understand this and ask a question or two.

So once I am done with the main quest, Meridia sends me back in time, so I can see what would happen if I were a member of a different alliance, and see the world through the eyes of my enemies. I literally fall out of the sky(according to Razum-dar) in Dominion territory. The events of Cadwell's Silver/Gold take place concurrently to my main story, and/or in an alternate timeline.

Meridia's crystal disguises me so that I fit in with the other Alliances.
that's the basic gist of it, yes?

So is there any indication at all as to what, specifically, the other Alliances see me as? Like, I see myself as I really am (argonian) but Dominion people see me as an Elf, for example?

is this detail officially hinted at in any fashion, or is it just a matter of headcanon?

Gidorick

Yea, you have the gist... and you can think whatever "headcanon" you'd like because there is NEVER any situations in ESO where your race alters how NPCs react to you... unfortunately.

Shunravi

Gidorick wrote: »

Yea, you have the gist... and you can think whatever "headcanon" you'd like because there is NEVER any situations in ESO where your race alters how NPCs react to you... unfortunately.

Well im not sure, as i have only done the quest as Khajiit characters, but in the new Khajiit Tale quest i seem to talk to the khajiit as a khajiit and he says im the first hes seen. Or maybe i heard it wrong...

MornaBaine

Sadly, what you have outlined above is pretty much the entire "rationale" behind the much hated travesty of Cadwell's Silver & Gold. To my mind, this remains the absolutely worst implementation of retread content I've ever seen. I'd have forgiven them if they actually made it cross-faction play but nooooo... SIGH.

Zorrashi

MornaBaine wrote: »

Sadly, what you have outlined above is pretty much the entire "rationale" behind the much hated travesty of Cadwell's Silver & Gold. To my mind, this remains the absolutely worst implementation of retread content I've ever seen. I'd have forgiven them if they actually made it cross-faction play but nooooo... SIGH.

Well, to be fair, you have to remember that the only reason we have Cadwell's Almanac at all was because the players demanded it--and for good reason too. Back in beta, the only endgame at the time was essentially just PvP.
With no time to make new content to satisfy that need at so critical a time, they managed create a story loophole in order to satiate the post lvl 50 PvE crowd.

traigusb14_ESO2

Shunravi wrote: »

Gidorick wrote: »

Yea, you have the gist... and you can think whatever "headcanon" you'd like because there is NEVER any situations in ESO where your race alters how NPCs react to you... unfortunately.

Well im not sure, as i have only done the quest as Khajiit characters, but in the new Khajiit Tale quest i seem to talk to the khajiit as a khajiit and he says im the first hes seen. Or maybe i heard it wrong...

Yes. There are some quests in every alliance where people will note your race, not a huge percentage, but also not to any depth. An Argonian in EP will still be lectured by Argponians about Argonian stuff. Same with Wood elves in Green Pact land etc.

Some people will notice what you are (kajiit etc.), as you said, and work it in in a minor way (independent of Silver/Gold).

The only NPC's that really acknowledge Silver and Gold seriously are the Daedric princes (who are outside of time anyway). Sheogorath especially has different text, if you meet him in your silver/gold (he shows up more in some alliances than others outside the mage guild quests). Verimnina (sp?) also just made a casual reference to my EP V3 in DC Stormhaven about how she wasn't as easy to beat ans good 'ol Molag.

Sometimes I think random Town NPCs talk about my feats in my Home alliance, but I never pay much attention. "Oh you're the guy that punched that other guy!" stuff... but I think it is Alliance specific.

elias.stormneb18_ESO

Dragonbreaks. All ze dragonbreaks.
#C0DAMAKESITCANON

Pheefs

the NPC still give you the proper answers for your race, you just aren't recognized as the Hero of Tamriel...
which you are of course destined to be again & again, which we all know cause the world doesn't end by getting sucked into Coldharbor, and we get to play Morrowind & Oblivion & Skyrim in the gamey future.


& of course Uncle Sheo doesn't fall for the disguise!

Theodorus

Well, I'm running around EP with a title over my head that reads "Dominion Hero" and nobody seems to care.

Don't worry too much about canon, this is just a shabby way to stretch out the process of leveling without creating new content.

I would much rather have seen them open up all three factions to more of a sandboxy style of play, where the delves, group dungeons et al were still available but we could just roam around and see the sights within the same timeline as the main quest arc.

Stranglehands

That's probably what'll happen when they get rid of veteran ranks

PBpsy

Cadwell's Silver and Gold never actually happen. Meridia hits you in the head with daedra magick you dream what would have happened . ZEN is achieved . The end.... There is no need for any disguise or nonsense. Whenever a guy from the other alliance story decides that he knows you after Cadwell's,. you decide that he is high or just glitching.

nimander99

Pay attention to all the quest dialogue, there's ton's of lore! I'm sure you will enjoy it if you enjoyed the first faction!

MornaBaine

Zorrashi wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Sadly, what you have outlined above is pretty much the entire "rationale" behind the much hated travesty of Cadwell's Silver & Gold. To my mind, this remains the absolutely worst implementation of retread content I've ever seen. I'd have forgiven them if they actually made it cross-faction play but nooooo... SIGH.

Well, to be fair, you have to remember that the only reason we have Cadwell's Almanac at all was because the players demanded it--and for good reason too. Back in beta, the only endgame at the time was essentially just PvP.
With no time to make new content to satisfy that need at so critical a time, they managed create a story loophole in order to satiate the post lvl 50 PvE crowd.

The only reason we have Cadwell's Silver and Gold is that they were too short sighted to realize they had no end game to offer and were actually surprised when people complained about this. They seemed to really think that MOST players would create and level characters in every faction. LOL And I hate what they did so much that I can't even be bothered to level more than ONE of my characters past VR1. I am absolutely giddy with relief to see Wrothgar and hope I can use it as an alternative to Cadwell's. We need more zones like it!

Theodorus

"I am absolutely giddy with relief to see Wrothgar and hope I can use it as an alternative to Cadwell's."

I was hoping to use Wrothgar as an alternative to PvP, which I hate more than Cadwell's. If I ever finish Cadwell's, that is.

But, yeah, either way it's more of what I want to see post-main-story-arc.

AshTal

Yes
It makes no sense, we should not have been forced through it and in my view it ruins the progression. But we end up being magically sent back in time and playing another alliance. Strange thing is if we can be sent back in time why doesn't Molag Bal go back in time and decide to spare the hero at the start, result in him not entering cold harbour and so not defeating Molag Bal?

Personally I hate Cadwell Silver and Gold. It would have taken so little time and effort to send us into the enemy domains as a spy/agent/mercenary changed a few quests, added a few NPCs and kept the story flowing. Not this travesty which is a magical time travelling play through as your enemy quest.

UltimaJoe777

Cadwell's Silver/Gold is possible because Meridia gave Cadwell the ability to let you experience the other factions. Ultimately, they are "what if" scenarios but also grant you access to more of Tamriel on a single character. The latter is the most useful part in my opinion and is why I have yet to actually bother starting Cadwell's Gold lol (the quests I mean)

JMadFour

After playing a little bit through Auridon and seeing a couple of instances of how I am referred,(for example a guy I was just about to go kill wrote a note to his bosses, referring to me as a Maddeningly Altruistic Argonian) I am on board with the Alternate Timeline theory, or perhaps that it is entirely a construct of Meridia.

Seems like when you touch the crystal, you get dropped (literally, out of the sky) into an alternate timeline or simulation where you don't exist in your home faction.

the only confusing thing is that people randomly refer to things you did in your main storyline faction. this is what makes me believe somewhat that the entire scenario is a construct/simulation created by Meridia. because if Cadwell's Silver/Gold were a simulation created by Meridia, she could leave those details in, as a sort of subtle reminder to you that this is "not real".

or ZOS was just lazy and decided not to change the NPC random dialogue regardless of faction. i'd like to believe the former.