what are all the races religions?

[Valkasha]

I would think the Centaurs worship Kyne, not Kynareth, since they seem to like tradition.

[Lachdonin]

Well, what bare-bones information we have about the Centaur dates to a time before Kyne was invented... But yeah, the more martial, tradition driven Kyne seems to fit more with their limited portrayal.

[Lachdonin]

Ok, I'm going to do Altmer next, since ESO added a LOT of great Bosmer stuff I haven't had the time to fully pick through...

 

The Altmer, by and large, revere the same 'gods' as the Cyrodiliic pantheon, with one major twist. The Altmer view the Aedra as their direct ancestors (that's literally what Aedra means, 'Our Ancestor') rather than the creator gods of Men.

 

Originally, the Aldmer engaged in ancestor worship, worshipping all their Et'ada ancestors equally. However, they gradually focused more and more on a specific 8, a change which contributed to the succession of both Artaeum and the Chimer exodus. Formongst among these 8 Aedra was Auri'el, one face of the Dragon of time, though the Altmer don't seem to view him as a Dragon, but instead as a Mer, and their ancient king. The imagery of the Divines aongst the Altmer is, understandably, Meri-centric, though because of the very real fact that the MER ARE descended from the gods, while Men were shaped by them, means the depictions on Sukkerset may be a little more honest...

 

We k.ow very little about the actual religious practices of the Altmer, mostly because even during the height of the Septim Empire, access to Sukkerset was limited. It's safe to assume that they conduct themselves in their usual haughty perfection...

 

Perfection it's self is almost a religion on Summerset. Pronunciation and etiquette are paramount, and it seems that even slight violations are dealt with harshly. At least towards the end of the 3rd Era they engaged in regular infanticide, killing any infants who so much as showed a bleish.

[Lachdonin]

Alright... If I am not mistaken, we only have the Bosmer left...

 

By and large, the Bosmer acknowledge the same gods as the Altmer, but they diverge dramatically in terms of importance and practice.

 

Paramount to the Bosmer is Y'ffre (also known as J'Frey, Jaufre, Jaufry etc). This is the Green Man, first of the Earthbones, who taught others how to become one with Nirn and to safeguard its reality through natural law.

 

According to Bosmer tradition, they were once Aldmer who, through deed or fluke, lost their ability to maintain a shape. Before creation, the Ehlnofey could wear any form they wanted, though this was lost when they became trapped in Mundus. Somehow, the Aldmer regained this power, but could not control it.

 

As they risked becomming shapeless and uncontrolled, Y'ffre appeared and gave them a solution. He would give them stable shapes, but in return they must conform to the 'Green Pact'. Most agreed, with the dissenters becommijg the Ouze and being locked away. Some others, it seems, were taken by Azura to become the Khajiit, and there has been a long history of conflict between Elsweyr and Valenwood.

 

The Green Pact is the cardinal law of the Bosmer, and both the religion and culture of Valenwood. Among its tennants are that the Bosmer are forbidden from harming, using or ingesting the plant life of Valenwood, leading to an exclusively carnivorous diet. It also governs warfare, demanding that a victor must eat the vanquished within 3 days (his family can help).

 

The Green Pact does not require individual observances, though it seems to be enforced as a whole in Valenwood. A Bosmer eating plants is sacrilegious, and punishable by death, but they don't care about it beyond their borders. Enforcement for non-Bosmer is also non existent, though they do seem to encourage other races to follow some tenants, like no logging... Should the Bosmer as a whole (majority?) Ever abandon the Pact, they will return to their shapelessness and be lost forever.

 

On feature of the Green Pact is the Wild Hunt. In times of dire need, or great violation of their customs, the Bosmer may take other forms as they once could. They become a rampaging horde of half-beast monsters that slaughters everything in its path until it's purpose is fulfilled. No Bosmer who partakes in the Wild Hunt cam return to his elven form though, and it is said in Valenwood that every monster in Tamriel is the product of a Wild Hunt.

 

One feature introduced in ESO to the Bosmer is the nature of harmony that they represent. They are a hybrid of both the erratic Wanderers, and the predictable Ehlnofey, relying heavily on the cyclical nature of their forest home, the seasons and even life to form their identity. The migrational path of the great Falenseti is an example of this, always in motion but at the same time predictable and harmonious.

 

 

 

 

Anyway... That's basically it. Discussions cam get a lot more in-depth on /r/TESlore but that's the intro primer to all the major races religions.

 

If some interest is shown, I could ramble on about some more structural concepts of the universe, as wel as where myth and fact meet...

[notmyhome]

I think it'd be great to have some thread to where we could point new people who want to dig into TES lore without having to crawl hundreds of pages on the Imperial Library or reddit.

 

Kudos for that writeup!

[Lachdonin]

One thing I thought I'd bring up, because it deals a bit with Meri religions... Aldmeris. It is the ancient homeland of all Elves, a contenant which was so urbanized that no vegitation remained and it's people entirely subsisted from magic. Tradition says that some desaster befell Aldmeris and that the Aldmer fled, settling Sumkerset and then spreading across Tamriel.

 

Now, under the input of Nu Hutta, a scholar of the Elder Council, we discovered that Aldmeris never really existed. Most scholars seem to agree, and the intellectual view of Aldmeris is that it represents the former unity of Elvers, when they were all ONE race. The first to split were the Dwemer, then the Chimer, then the Orsimer, the ancestors of the Bosmer, the Ayleid and the Maormer and the Echmer... The 'Disaster' then was the fracturing of the Elven identity.

 

But, there has been some discussion lately... Aldmeris exists, even though it does not. The arguement is based in the metaphysics of TES, but Aldmeris essentially exists as an ever-changing echo of perfection. Because perfection is something different for every person, let alone each Elven race, Aldmeris is constantly in flux, melting and evaporating all at once as the division of the Elven people prevents its existence. In many ways this makes it sort of a promised land which can only be reached through the collective harmony of the Elven races.

 

As opposed to the rank imperfection of Atmora...

[Wouter445]

by reading i notice they really f*#@ed up in skyrim.

thought talos was the nord god, and also first ascended men of man.

with why it's was forbidden by Altmer. (empire)

 

also what i never can have put my fingers on is azura it's basically a very fair and nice Daedra. but also a enemy to men?.

for instance vigilants of Stendarr consider all Daedra evil.

a other Hermaeus Mora get's painted rater will untrustworthy and evil in skyrim. which is really not the case within the lore settings.

 

so many plot holes in this skyrim game, then stars in the known galaxy.

[Lachdonin]

I'm not sure if I'm reading your post correctly (is English not yourbfirdt language?) But Skyrim didn't really get anything wrong. Talos is a man-centric God, not only worshiped by the Nords (his cult was centered in Cyrodiil) but he's also considerably more. The Thalmor hatred of him also goes deepp for other reasons, but the Altmer generally don't like him because of the Seige of Alinor, and the fact that he became a god.

 

As for the Daedra... They're a whole different story. The Vigilants of Stendar hate ALL Daedra because of the Oblivion Crisis (despite it only being Mehrunes Dagon who was involved) and in a way they have a valid reason to. All the Daedric Princes have good and bad sides.

 

Azura is motherly and compationate to her faithful, but possessive and vengeful if slighted.

 

Boethia pushes his/her followers to strive to be more than they are, but is prone to trying to kill them randomly to see if the can overcome impossible challenges.

 

Vaermina is the source of nightmares and the things that go bump in the night, but is also the keeper of memories.

 

Molag Bal is the father of rape and God of oppression... But is also the means of liberation and control.

 

None of the Daedra are explicitly evil or good... And the ambitious depiction in Skyrim and other games isn't so much a plot hole as a measure of depth. There are actually few plot holes in Skyrim... Fewer than there were in Oblivion.

[Wouter445]

I'm not sure if I'm reading your post correctly (is English not yourbfirdt language?) But Skyrim didn't really get anything wrong. Talos is a man-centric God, not only worshiped by the Nords (his cult was centered in Cyrodiil) but he's also considerably more. The Thalmor hatred of him also goes deepp for other reasons, but the Altmer generally don't like him because of the Seige of Alinor, and the fact that he became a god.

 

As for the Daedra... They're a whole different story. The Vigilants of Stendar hate ALL Daedra because of the Oblivion Crisis (despite it only being Mehrunes Dagon who was involved) and in a way they have a valid reason to. All the Daedric Princes have good and bad sides.

 

Azura is motherly and compationate to her faithful, but possessive and vengeful if slighted.

 

Boethia pushes his/her followers to strive to be more than they are, but is prone to trying to kill them randomly to see if the can overcome impossible challenges.

 

Vaermina is the source of nightmares and the things that go bump in the night, but is also the keeper of memories.

 

Molag Bal is the father of rape and God of oppression... But is also the means of liberation and control.

 

None of the Daedra are explicitly evil or good... And the ambitious depiction in Skyrim and other games isn't so much a plot hole as a measure of depth. There are actually few plot holes in Skyrim... Fewer than there were in Oblivion.

 

no English is not my native language.

I never hear of Talos in oblivion or previous Elder scrolls. (keep in mind it's been at least 8 years or more that i played oblivion)

also time lines are very difficult to figure in Elder scrolls what really do not help much to the general game play

[Lachdonin]

Well, the first mention of Talos as a deity was in Morrowind, in which the Cult of Talos seemed to be a fringe group associated with the Legion. You also get to straight up need the Avatar of Talos, in the guise of Wulf, in the Ghostgate as you prepare to head to Dagoth Ur.

 

In Oblivion, there were, I believe (I never really liked Oblivion, so I didn't play it much) shrines to Talos, but most of his status comes during the Knights of the Nine DLC, in which you very notably receive his blessing.