Summary
While development was announced several years ago, it’s still unknown whatThe Elder Scrolls 6will look like when it is finally revealed. It can be estimated that it could take after Bethesda’s most recent effort inStarfield, leading some to believe that the next entry inTESwill have the opportunity to experiment with the established formula of the franchise. Whether it ends up taking place in High Rock, Hammerfell, or any other province of Tamriel, including one new playable race in the form of Snow Elves inThe Elder Scrolls 6has the potential to build on one ofSkyrim’s most interesting examples of worldbuilding.
Hinted at sinceArenaand first named inRedguard,The Elder Scrolls' Dwemerhave managed to evolve into one of the series' most enigmatic and influential races despite their status as an extinct people. Their relevance has led to speculation that they could one day return to Tamriel and shift its culture once again, but there’s another related race which could much more plausibly manage this scenario. Most players ofSkyrimare likely to have encountered the ghoulish Falmer during their dungeon crawls, but understanding the lore behind these unfortunate creatures reveals that their uncorrupted Snow Elf ancestors may still live on.
The Truth of the Falmer’s Conflicts with Skyrim’s Nords and the Dwemer Sets Up a Fascinating Culture
Snow Elf and Proto-Nord War Led to the Deformed Falmer
Falmer were the Elves of Skyrimat the time of the Merethic Era, and lived peacefully with the Atmorran Human settlers who later arrived. The Atmorrans came to have the Eye of Magnus which motivated the Falmer to slaughter them over it, but Ysgramor alongside his sons survived and returned with an army that pushed the Falmer underground where they became servants of the Dwemer. They are alleged to have been forced to ingest toxic fungus by their Dwarven masters, slowly turning into the creatures that players encounter as enemies.
Surviving Groups of Snow Elves Are Implied to Exist
Not all the Falmer fell victim to this fate, however, as directly seen through the presence ofKnight-Paladin Gelebor inSkyrim’s Dawnguard expansion. This NPC is healthy and active after being alive for thousands of years, presumably having witnessed the fall of his people. Non-servant sects of Snow Elves could have fled anywhere across Tamriel or even to other continents beyond, and it’s uncertain just how long-lived these rare Mer truly are.
The Potential for Falmer to Exist Alongside Other Mer in The Elder Scrolls 6
Playable Snow Elves Expand Options Within Safe Bounds
With the fate of the Falmer as a whole ultimately unknown, it’s not impossible for them to resurface as a more sophisticated population that regains some of their past reputation. In a world whereTES' Dark Elves used to be Chimerand Orcs used to be Aldmer until the meddling of the Aedra and Daedra changed them for millennia to come, it doesn’t seem ridiculous to theorize that an event could occur which elevates the Falmer from their dire circumstances. Their documented association with magic and the recent history of their struggles offer interesting gameplay inspiration for racial traits, but the existing dynamic ofSkyrim’s corrupted Falmer also raises concerns that would need to be addressed carefully.
The Possibility of a Dichotomy Between Snow Elves and Falmer
Even if some Snow Elves managed to survive with any kind of stability, the new state of the monstrous Falmer and the reputation they’ve gained cannot be ignored. Players are unlikely to be able to step into the shoes of one of these creatures as a new beast race given their severely antisocial tendencies, but their ingenuity and impressive chitin-based craftmanship could factor into a new age of Snow Elf prosperity. Whether they become blessed with more sentience or merely influence other Snow Elves to take on some of their technology, the potential impact of the “Betrayed” Falmer on the race’s return to Tamriel is just one element of what could make them such a compellingplayable race inThe Elder Scrolls 6.
