ZOS told them.

They've heard legends of what it can do from when it was operational and their expectations of what it will do come from those - whether how much truth is from those legends though, they can't be sure, but they're apparently willing to take the risk.

Despite it not being operational for a long time, people with certain skillsets were able to figure out what would need to be done for it to be operational, theoretically. A large part in why it hasn't been operational is because of the things needed for it to work - namely the heart of Anumaril, its inventor, which had been lost for a long time and only theorized to be where you find it in the quests only recently.

In fact it is just the opposite: "To win the agreement of the Bosmer, she has to undergo this treatment, even though it is dangerous, to be accepted as the ruler, she is supposed to be."
The story of AD is about the forging of the alliance and Ayrenn getting accepted by her subjects.

cynicalbutterfly wrote: »

I find the whole thing pretty funny. 'Let's put this machine that we have no idea how it works or what it's supposed to do back together after centuries of inactivity and then let's put the most important person to the alliance in it so we can find out what happens.' Sounds like a solid plan....

There's a lot of story telling in ESO where as a player I'm kinda like "well ok, but just so you know I'm taking a lot on faith here."

We do not know what it was intended to do by the Ayleids, even how they called it... but in fact if it really worked as is now supposed to it will be a VERY usefull device even today.
Why?
Because it shows if a politician really has some desired and needed qualities. Even today you vote for a politician and do not know if he is lying or telling what he really thinks. If he is really honest. This device should answer this crucial question for you. I think it is really usefull.

ChunkyCat wrote: »

How is John McLane not dead by the middle of the movie?!

More importantly, why didn't he ever call his wife back! All those years wasted over something small lol

Korah_Eaglecry wrote: »

Enokariel wrote: »

We do not know what it was intended to do by the Ayleids, even how they called it... but in fact if it really worked as is now supposed to it will be a VERY usefull device even today.
Why?
Because it shows if a politician really has some desired and needed qualities. Even today you vote for a politician and do not know if he is lying or telling what he really thinks. If he is really honest. This device should answer this crucial question for you. I think it is really usefull.

Its useless. The AD citizens are not living in a democratic society. They have monarchs and religious leaders running the show, not politicians. It doesnt matter if their moral compass is broken or not because they are in charge. And its not as if the other leaders within the Alliance are going to jump ship if Aryenn wasnt pure of heart. The Altmer presence in both Valenwood and Elsweyr is beneficial and provides those two races a larger voice in the overall conflict for the Ruby Throne. The Mane and King Camoran would be absolute morons to reject her and her offer when they share a border with the war torn province of Cyrodiil and they have Imperial Legions running amok on their northern borders.

The Orrery is nothing more than a mcguffin added in to wrap up a poorly thought out storyline where Veiled Heritance holdouts somehow survived the failed coup in Auridon and was still active in Grahtwood after losing the bulk of their support and leadership.

The bosmer have not always been united under a king in fact wee though out valenwood that some bosmer are not part of the dominion its possible that the people may not trust the dominion and if their king tried to force it they may rebel againt his leadership (remmember at that time the green lady and the silvenar are dead) so they only have his word to go on and yes the device is kind of pointless i do think she should have proven herself a different way but without their spirital leaders the bosmer have only the word of a king to go on.

kaisernick wrote: »

Korah_Eaglecry wrote: »

Enokariel wrote: »

We do not know what it was intended to do by the Ayleids, even how they called it... but in fact if it really worked as is now supposed to it will be a VERY usefull device even today.
Why?
Because it shows if a politician really has some desired and needed qualities. Even today you vote for a politician and do not know if he is lying or telling what he really thinks. If he is really honest. This device should answer this crucial question for you. I think it is really usefull.

Its useless. The AD citizens are not living in a democratic society. They have monarchs and religious leaders running the show, not politicians. It doesnt matter if their moral compass is broken or not because they are in charge. And its not as if the other leaders within the Alliance are going to jump ship if Aryenn wasnt pure of heart. The Altmer presence in both Valenwood and Elsweyr is beneficial and provides those two races a larger voice in the overall conflict for the Ruby Throne. The Mane and King Camoran would be absolute morons to reject her and her offer when they share a border with the war torn province of Cyrodiil and they have Imperial Legions running amok on their northern borders.

The Orrery is nothing more than a mcguffin added in to wrap up a poorly thought out storyline where Veiled Heritance holdouts somehow survived the failed coup in Auridon and was still active in Grahtwood after losing the bulk of their support and leadership.

The bosmer have not always been united under a king in fact wee though out valenwood that some bosmer are not part of the dominion its possible that the people may not trust the dominion and if their king tried to force it they may rebel againt his leadership (remmember at that time the green lady and the silvenar are dead) so they only have his word to go on and yes the device is kind of pointless i do think she should have proven herself a different way but without their spirital leaders the bosmer have only the word of a king to go on.

There is only one instance in Valenwood during ESO that we see a pushback against the current leadership in Grahtwood on the part of the Bosmer themselves, and its the same clan that was pushing for rebellion prior to the game. They are swiftly and, might I say, quite easily mopped up by the Vestige before they can even get their movement going again. When the Vestige shows up, they're already cordoned off because of a standoff with Aldmeri Dominion troops. So even if the Vestige hadnt become involved, its unlikely the rebellion would have gone farther than there.

Most of the Dominions issues in Valenwood revolve around remnants of the Veiled Heritance and a psychotic ex-boyfriend going full on stalker- murderer on the new Green Lady.

The leadership of the Bosmer, including the future Silvenar, and the leadership of the Khajiit are pro-Dominion. What we end up facing off against in that region, aside from the actual threat that is the Veiled Heritance, is minor movements that are more like road bumps to the solidification of the Dominion than anything else. Remember, the Dominion at that point is maybe 1-2 years old, and there is still an internal debate over where certain powers and authority lie. That does not mean the Dominion is suddenly going to come falling apart.