History TheElderScrolls / TropesTToU

* TechPoints: Throughout much of the series, you gain skill points toward increasing your skills by successfully using them. (For example, if you sneak around a lot, your Sneak skill will increase. Cast Destruction class spells and your Destruction skill will increase. Hit things with a sword and your Blade/Long Blade/One-Handed skill will increase. Etc.) After 10 increases of your major/minor skills (set during character creation at the beginning of the game), you will gain a CharacterLevel. This allows you to increase a few of your Attributes (Strength, Intelligence, etc.), with multipliers based on the Attributes which govern the skills you leveled up. (For example, if you increased your Heavy Armor skill 5 times, you'll have a 5x multiplier for the Endurance attribute which governs it.) Unfortunately, if you aren't careful to max out your multipliers and level inefficiently, you may end up experiencing EmptyLevels. ''Skyrim'' overhauls the system pretty significantly. Leveling up by increasing skills remains the same, however, Attributes are removed. Instead, when you level up, you choose to give a 10 point increase to your Health, Magicka, or Fatigue. Further, ''Skyrim'' borrows the idea of "Perks" from its Bethesda sister series, ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}''. For every level, you may choose one Perk in any of the skill trees which will further increase your proficiency in that skill. The higher your skill score in that skill tree, the more perks you have access to select.

* TechPoints: Throughout much of the series, you gain skill points toward increasing your skills by successfully using them. (For example, if you sneak around a lot, your Sneak skill will increase. Cast Destruction class spells and your Destruction skill will increase. Hit things with a sword and your Blade/Long Blade/One-Handed skill will increase. Etc.) After 10 increases of your major/minor skills (set during character creation at the beginning of the game), you will gain a CharacterLevel. This allows you to increase a few of your Attributes (Strength, Intelligence, etc.), with multipliers based on the Attributes which govern the skills you leveled up. (For example, if you increased your Heavy Armor skill 5 times, you'll have a 5x multiplier for the Endurance attribute which governs it.) Unfortunately, if you aren't careful to max out your multipliers and level inefficiently, you may end up experiencing EmptyLevels. ''Skyrim'' overhauls the system pretty significantly. Leveling up by increasing skills remains the same, however, Attributes are removed. Instead, when you level up, you choose to give a 10 point increase to your Health, Magicka, or Fatigue. Further, ''Skyrim'' borrows the idea of "Perks" from its Bethesda sister series, ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''. For every level, you may choose one Perk in any of the skill trees which will further increase your proficiency in that skill. The higher your skill score in that skill tree, the more perks you have access to select.

** The [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec has this as one of his "mythic roles." A cunning WarriorPoet, Vivec has been known to bedevil the universe's other divine beings, especially if they mess with his people (though he is known to [[UnreliableNarrator exaggerate his role]] in some of these events and tells a number of [[MetaphoricallyTrue Metaphorical Truths]] to make him seem [[DeityOfHumanOrigin more divine than he really is]]). He also implies (steeped in heavy metaphor) that his "godhood" essentially comes from [[BreakingTheFourthWall realizing that he's in a video game]] and using that knowledge to "edit" the situation around him. When he disappeared in the 4th Era, so did his power keeping the Ministry of Truth (originally the "rogue moon" Baar Dau) floating over Vivec City. Even with people sacrificing souls to Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of [[DealWithTheDevil Bargains]] and [[LiteralGenie Wishes]] to keep it afloat, it fell with the same momentum it had before Vivec stopped it and annihilated the island. In its wake Vivec City turning into the Scathing Bay, Red Mountian erupted, Vvardenfell became covered in choking ash, and the survivors were forced to evacuate. And then [[TheDogBitesBack the Argonians invaded]]...

*** This also includes the lesser et'Ada, such as the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] and the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]], who are [[DragonsAreDivine divine]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent lesser Aedra]]. There is no definitive answer regarding the origin of dragons other than that they [[MonsterProgenitor come from Akatosh]]. A Dremora, a member of a lesser Daedra species, upon being questioned simply answered that dragons "just were, and are," with no definitive beginning. The very concepts of mortality, being finite, and being temporary are so alien to dragons that these words, [[LanguageOfMagic spoken in draconic]], were used against them in a mortal-created [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um shout]] which temporarily ''[[BrownNote cripples]]'' dragons.

* TurnTheOtherCheek: Jurgen Windcaller was the most powerful Tongue (masters of the [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]] who served in the [[HornyVikings Nord]] army) of the 1st Era. Following their [[ShockingDefeatLegacy ignominious defeat]] at Red Mountain, Windcaller fell into HeroicBSOD despair and meditated for seven years, determining that the defeat was due to the displeasure of the Divines for misusing the Thu'um. He would inspire the "Way of the Voice", preaching pacifism, non-intervention in worldly affairs, and the use of the Thu'um [[HeelFaithTurn only to honor the gods]]. When he proclaimed the Way of the Voice, seventeen other Tongues tried to [[MakeMeWannaShout shout him down]]. He "swallowed" their words for three days until he fell, exhausted. This caused them to acknowledge his superiority and wisdom in the Voice.

** The Bosmer, aka Wood Elves. Female Bosmer are as tall as Imperials, while the males are [[OneHeadTaller nearly a full head-height shorter]]. Downplayed as of ''Skyrim'', where there's no notable height disparity between male and female wood elves (females are still taller, but not by nearly as much).

** This is often the case between Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of Nightmares, and her mortal champions. Never mind that mortals merely being ''brought into'' her realm of Quagmire counts as a form of MindRape...and she is implied to see this as ''a show of affection''.

** This is often the case between Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of [[YourWorstNightmare Nightmares]], and her mortal champions. Nevermind that mortals merely being ''brought into'' her realm of Quagmire counts as a form of MindRape...and she is implied to see this as ''a show of affection''.

* UnreliableCanon: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]]. In-universe, Bethesda refuses to invalidate your choices about [[FeaturelessProtagonist who your character is]] and [[WideOpenSandbox what he/she does]]. Therefore, there is no definitive version of the Nerevarine/Champion/Dragonborn, etc. and very few canonized events (the main quest line usually being an exception.) Additionally, lore is generally not clear-cut. Reasons for this range from [[UnreliableNarrator biased]] in-universe sources intentionally only giving you only one side of a story, to in-universe sources [[CriticalResearchFailure lacking critical information]] or working from [[BlatantLies false information]], to the implication that AllMythsAreTrue, despite the contradictions, or that at least all myths are MetaphoricallyTrue. Out-of-game developer supplemental texts (frequently referred to as "Obscure Texts" by the lore community) are more trustworthy, but are frequently left [[LooseCanon unofficial]] and sometimes later contradicted. Because of this, it is entirely possible for two contradictory statements in the lore to ''both'' be true. (And due to frequent events in-universe that [[TimeCrash alter the timeline]], both may become ''literally'' be true in-universe.)

*** The expositor in question is drawing from [[CriticalResearchFailure incomplete]] sources. There are some 5000+ years of history in Nirn that have passed before the main series even takes place. Before that, there was the Dawn Era, very much a TimeOfMyths before linear time even applied. Historical details have been lost, along with entire cultures and races, in that time. In many cases, something you find or do in-game turns up new and contradictory information than what is recorded in the "official" histories.

'''Note:''' ''Elder Scrolls'' lore is generally not clear-cut. Reasons for this range from [[UnreliableNarrator biased]] in-universe sources intentionally only giving you only one side of a story, to sources [[CriticalResearchFailure lacking critical information]] or working from [[BlatantLies false information]], to the implication that AllMythsAreTrue, despite the contradictions, or that at least all myths are MetaphoricallyTrue. [[WordOfGod Out-of-game developer supplemental texts]] (frequently referred to as "Obscure Texts" by the lore community) are more trustworthy, but are frequently left [[LooseCanon unofficial]] and sometimes later contradicted. Because of this, it is entirely possible for two contradictory statements in the below examples to ''both'' be true. (And due to frequent events in-universe that [[TimeCrash alter the timeline]], both may ''literally'' be true in-universe.)

*** If you ask the Librarian of the Mage's College in ''Skyrim'' who wrote the Elder Scrolls, he responds "[[MindScrew It would take a month just to explain why that question doesn't even]] ''[[UpToEleven make sense.]]''" Parthunaax says that they exist outside of time, and also that "they do not exist. And yet, they have always existed."

*** The Altmer, while they've always been [[CulturalPosturing haughty and snobbish]], have taken an extreme level in Jerkass under the leadership of the extremist [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Thalmor]]. The Thalmor play the Altmer's (not entirely unjustified) racial stereotypes UpToEleven. Their FantasticRacism has hit all time high levels, ''especially'' toward [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence the races of Men]], and they've [[StopBeingStereotypical essentially been left unchecked]] as most [[NoTrueScotsman Altmer who oppose the Thalmor]] have been exiled, arrested, or outright murdered. They also forcefully annexed the province of Valenwood (homeland of the Bosmer) and used BlatantLies to appeal to the [[CatFolk Khajiit]], gaining Elsweyr as a client state.

** The Imperial Cult, which preaches the religion of the [[SaintlyChurch Nine Divines]] in regions where it is not the dominant religion, are typically non-violent. Their only combative skills are the [[BarefistedMonk hand-to-hand]] and [[CarryABigStick blunt]] [[SimpleStaff weapon]] skills. This draws from the real life Catholic clergy during the Middle Ages, who could fight in battles but were not allowed to use bladed weapons as they were forbidden to draw blood.