Why Were the Dwarves So Different?

[Fkemman11]

 

 

 

I have been playing this game a long time- like most of us- and I still don't know squat about the Dwarves. They are supposed to be related to the Elves aren't they? It was nice for Beth to put them in Sky so everything usually lore-breaking can just be attributed to the Dwarves. :tongue: Flying mechanical airship- built by the dwarves. Guns and gunpowder- invented by the Dwarves. Honestly, I cant count how many people credit the Dwarves when looking for a way for ideas to fit into the lore of the land. According to lore their race was far advanced in comparison to the rest of Tamriel. They were building massive underground complexes and machinery while those on the surface were barely scratching a living off the land. But then they started screwing around with Elder Scroll until *poof*- they just up and vanished. For a race that recorded every detail of their existence there is a serious shortage of books that survived to the modern era apparently. And the way they utilized soul gems in their machinery and automatons could have revolutionized the surface of the world had those secrets not been lost.

 

Anyway, just wanted to write a little about something in the game that always both fascinated and puzzled me. Anyone want to comment on their lore-savviness?

First thing first.

 

All elves have names ending in -mer. Example: Dunmer.

 

The 'dwarves' are not "like elves". They are elves. They are the Dwemer.

 

Yeah. I just felt like acting stupid. I know the Dwemer were Elves. But thanks for pointing that out. Did you have a comment on anything else?

 

 

Yeah, I sure do.

 

When you choose to take it upon yourself to act stupid, expect to be treated as if you're stupid. I'll think of you that way until I see proof of something else, and your tough guy routine doesn't do it.

 

If you do not have a comment on the TOPIC, then DO NOT POST AT ALL!!!!!

[Kombinator1991]

They were loosing a war against the Chinmer, but instead of accepting the defeat they used the Heart of Lokhan trying to elavate the whole race into godhood. The last living Dwenmer who survived, because he was in Oblivion at a time believed, that there are 2 possibilities. Either it went catastrophically wrong, and destroyed the whole race, or it worked, but they lost their bodies in the process. Arniel of the College of Winterhold tries to mimic the process, and he disappears as well, but the player gains a spell that can summon him in a sort of spirit form, but he can no longer talk. The only ones who where there when the Dwenmer used the heart were also disappeared so we cannot know for sure what happened.

 

As for the original question: They used the Heart of Lokhan to gain power beyond other race's comprehension, and they were Atheists. Without the religion's holding back, and an artifact or more like a part of the first god which were part of the very creation itself they become far more powerful, than any other race. The reason they didn't conquered Tamriel is, because they didn't liked the surface, and waged war among themselves for wealth, and the Atherium. The last member of the Dwenmer race can be found in Morrowind.

[TheSpaceShuttleChallenger]

For a race that recorded every detail of their existence there is a serious shortage of books that survived to the modern era apparently.

 

That's probably because the Dwemer recorded information in lexicons, not books. Probably very few lexicons have survived (there is only one found in game) and they can only be read using receptacles which are hidden deep within Falmer-infested dungeons.

There's also the fact that, after the Dwemer disappeared, their homeland was inhabited by... Dunmer, the descendants of the Dwemer's ancient enemy, and Nords, the anti-intellectual meatheads. Meanwhile the Dwemer cities themselves are inhabited by Falmer, who I'm sure hate the Dwemer more than anything. I'd say that's a pretty good historical basis for most Dwemer knowledge to have been destroyed either intentionally or through neglect/mishandling.

[Fkemman11]

In the absence of any sizable amount of information about the Dwemer and their magic in particular, I wonder how one could go about unraveling the mysteries behind some of it? What school of magic makes an automaton come to life? Conjuration or maybe Alteration (Mysticism should still be a school IMO)? Why haven't more mages and scholars studied the ways of this lost race in more depth? One invention of the Dwarves was of particular importance- the Oculory inside the Tower of Mzark. "According to Septimus Signus the Dwemer had devised a method to read and transcribe the information stored within an elder scroll, without risking the blindness induced by their repeated viewing."-Wiki. Now imagine the kind of knowledge a scholar could discover with this ingenious device!! Although repeated viewing of an Elder Scroll will still cause madness. But even one or two glimpses of one would be worth the risk. And how did they build this anyway? How did they produce the massive quantities of Dwarven metal to build this and other things? Like I said, this is fascinating stuff!!! I mean I know a thing or two about engineering and to find entire cities built mostly of this metal is astounding!

[tarskar]

 

For a race that recorded every detail of their existence there is a serious shortage of books that survived to the modern era apparently.

 

That's probably because the Dwemer recorded information in lexicons, not books. Probably very few lexicons have survived (there is only one found in game) and they can only be read using receptacles which are hidden deep within Falmer-infested dungeons.

There's also the fact that, after the Dwemer disappeared, their homeland was inhabited by... Dunmer, the descendants of the Dwemer's ancient enemy, and Nords, the anti-intellectual meatheads. Meanwhile the Dwemer cities themselves are inhabited by Falmer, who I'm sure hate the Dwemer more than anything. I'd say that's a pretty good historical basis for most Dwemer knowledge to have been destroyed either intentionally or through neglect/mishandling.

 

 

That, and they shared knowledge via some sort of spirit link most likely facilitated by Lorkan's heart. Proof of which came to light when they all vanished at the same time.

Several wiki's elude to that link also granting them the ability to communicate telepathically meaning the Lexicon were more or less an insurance policy and books being obsolete to their purposes.

 

Yagrum Bagarn, if you listen to what he says and perhaps equally important what he doesn't say hints to the fact the link (the Calling as he puts it) they all shared was similar to a standalone network. He notes that there was a divide in the direction certain factions of the Dwemer ruling class wanted to take their species. This hints that the pool of knowledge they all shared wasn't split equally among all of the populace, my guess being that it would (or perhaps should) also impart a more or less homogeneous direction they wanted their civilization to go if that was the case.

That raises some interesting possibilities. The dwemer were never really confirmed dead so much as missing. If they were just pulled to some alternate plain of Mundus there's a somewhat plausible chance their link may still be intact and by extension all of their pooled knowledge.

 

If Lorkan's heart was responsible (even in part) for their abilities there's a chance some of that may have been passed to the red mountain when Lorkan's heart was destroyed within it. That would explain the ashspawn, the Dwemer were master of breathing life into inanimate objects. It could be that the ashspawn are rudimentary automatons created when the Dwemer race vanished..... Or even that they are infact Dwemer themselves, forced by the divines by a cruel twist of irony to become lifeless automatons themselves as punishment for creating machines and spurning the gods. And if that's the case it again raises the possibility someone crafty enough may find a way to tap into the Calling.

[Rethrain]

From what I remember, translating actual Dwemeri is pretty difficult. Almost impossible. Which is why their knowledge didn't catch on. Also, you need the right preliminary tools and technology to even apply them.

 

@LeddBate

And yeah, Akulakhan or Second Numidium was used to house the Heart, probably powered it. Both of them go hand in hand. Tools separate, unless you wanted to tap it.

 

 

 

and Nords, the anti-intellectual meatheads.

 

 

Hey!

 

Anyways, I think Falion in Morthal says something about meeting the Dwemer. Don't remember what it actually was.

[Moksha8088]

This lack of information about the Dwemer and other bits of knowledge from Tamriel's past suggests the importance of preserving the heads of the remaining Bethesda design team, so those future members of the College of Winterhold and the Mages Guild (but not those College of Whispers guys) can consult with them regarding ancient lore!!!

[Moksha8088]

This lack of information about the Dwemer and other bits of knowledge from Tamriel's past suggests the importance of preserving the heads of the remaining Bethesda design team, so those future members of the College of Winterhold and the Mages Guild (but not those College of Whispers guys) can consult with them regarding ancient lore!!!

Would you prefer this preservation of Bethesda design team heads to be in Futurama type jars, or in the floating brain orbs of Big Mountain, Nevada, or possibly the crab-like encasements favored by the Microsoft senior staff following the great war in 2077 and which are still active at MSVault 477 in Redmond, Washington?

[Fkemman11]

 

This lack of information about the Dwemer and other bits of knowledge from Tamriel's past suggests the importance of preserving the heads of the remaining Bethesda design team, so those future members of the College of Winterhold and the Mages Guild (but not those College of Whispers guys) can consult with them regarding ancient lore!!!

Would you prefer this preservation of Bethesda design team heads to be in Futurama type jars, or in the floating brain orbs of Big Mountain, Nevada, or possibly the crab-like encasements favored by the Microsoft senior staff following the great war in 2077 and which are still active at MSVault 477 in Redmond, Washington?

 

No need. We will just draw logical conclusions based on what information is available. Although if Beth and MS would like to preserve heads for reference in floating brain orbs like Big Mountain, then that is entirely their business. So long as they do not abuse these brains- I see no problem. :tongue:

[Riprock]

 

Fkemman11 check your PMs