When was Serana locked away?

[Kness666]

Serana also remembers solitude, which means that it existed as well, even the windmill.

[Madcat221]

I asked about this to Matt Grandstaff in a PM at the old BGSF once. After he asked around the office to the devs, he returned stating that Serana was locked away during the late Second Era, during the Interregnum.

 

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-others

 

And from the PM itself:

 

Me:

 

I have a question on clarification on Elder Scrolls canon... It's not quite as inane as "Fawkes Is Male" or a few others (I hope...), but there really is a question on this one due to vagueness.

When in the timeline was Serana stashed away? "The Empire... from Cyrodiil" and a few other comments in dialog with her seems like it means way back before even the First Empire in the early First Era, but other things she says as well as some other evidence (Castle Volkihar being a bit too refined in architecture for that period, a few books that couldn't possibly have been in Valerica's lab if she also went to the Soul Cairn in the early 1st era, Serana being unfazed by seeing a Dark Elf) seem to suggest late second era before the Third Empire.

 

In short, we are unsure if she was put away before even Alessia figuratively kicked the Ayleids in the balls way back in the early First Era, or right before Tiber Septim started his grand campaign in the late Second Era (after whatever was left of the Empire in ESO is gone), or even between the fall of the Alessian Empire and the rise of the second, Reman Empire.

Sorry if it sounds kinda inane, but I don't think there's any definitive answer. So I decided to get the Word of God on the matter.

 

 

 

GStaff:

 

 

 

I can ask and see if there's an official answer.

 

 

 

 

Talked to some folks. The intention was that Serana went to sleep in the late second era, between the Reman and Septim empires. Her initial dialogue is just her surprise that there’s an Empire in Cyrodiil, as there hadn't been when she went to sleep.

 

Me:

 

 

Alright. I had a feeling it was that, as pre-Alessia seemed just waaaaaay too long ago.

 

Jeesh... nearly four years ago.

 

And Fawkes is male. :P I can prove it: Look at the seam pattern on the tattered remnants of his vault suit. That was a man's vault suit, not a woman's.

[SmedleyDButler]

Haha, a random thread necro actually yields a definitive answer. Interesting!

[Rethrain]

That was thorough.

[BrettM]

Well, it sure took a while, but the question finally bore fruit.

 

And yet ... late second era doesn't seem to match up well with Durnehvir's story. I find it a little hard to believe that the dragons were vying with each other for territory at a time after most of them were dead, having been exterminated by the Akaviri under Reman in the late first era and early second era. I would expect that most of the survivors, such as Mirmulnir, were well hidden by the late second era.

 

There were still plenty of dragons roaming around during the early and middle parts of the first era. Paarthurnax tells us this was the case, before the Akaviri came, and King Olaf had no problem going out and finding a dragon to capture. This is the logical time they would be establishing their own territories after being freed of Alduin's control by the Dragon War.

 

But then we'd have to believe that Durnehvir made a deal with the Ideal Masters in the first era that required him to guard a vampire who would not show up in the Soul Cairn for another millenium or so.

 

Seems like there are inconsistencies in the overall story whether you pick first era or second era.

[SmedleyDButler]

Guarding Valerica could just have been one more task they request as part of larger demands. Or they might've known she'd come - they're the ideal masters, so who knows what knowledge they have access to?

[Amoryenar]

It is a rule of thumb, I admit: always avoid the dreaded deus ex machina. The reason it's dreaded is not just because it usually accompanies a poorly thought-out plot, but also because it's a cliche that goes back many thousands of years, and cliches (again as a general rule) are best avoided.

 

Speaking of Dragonrend and the Elder Scroll, I'm wondering why the PC can't just send Alduin forward in time again the same way Felldir the Old (and clever) does. I say, hey. Out of sight, out of mind. Not my problem. Would have been a nice option.

 

Because you're meant to be the last of the Dragonborn. It's stated by Arngeir and by Miraak in the Dragonborn DLC. Even as the Dragonborn, you are not immortal and you would not be reborn, no other Dragonborn would be brought into the world. Alduin would re-emerge and consume the world in its entirety. The people that sent Alduin forward only did so because they lacked a Dragonborn to kill Alduin for good. You not only kill Alduin in Sovengaarde, you destroy his soul for good.