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A LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY FROM ESO'S LOREMASTER

Tags: #ESO  #Lore 
  • Member
    February 6, 2019

    The way the lore is written is in my opinion more realistic. Sure we have an idea or believe we know what happened throughout history but some cases we cannot be sure either because of contradicting records or a lack of them, this is true both in TES and the real world.

  • February 6, 2019

    Yeah that 's OK to a certain degree but a huge part of ES lore is like that and always changes (also due to their development capabilities) and this fact has led to the whole lore community being split into lore groups/cults each with their own head canon and noone knowing what is what, it might seem realistic but if you want to follow the ES story it is just frustrating since you don't know what is what most of the time and what you might know or has been officially refered somewhere could change at any moment. To me it's just that the creators want to leave open doors for escape tickets and also try to include as much of whatever each player will think in their head canon as legit. But since this is a piece of fiction from a reader's and even writer's point of view this type of writing is very bad because you will always have loop holes and contradicting elements no matter what and this will only grow bigger as you go. That 's why we had Dragon Breaks, Talos, The many headed Talos and all that because after you go that route there is no turning back you will have to always put bandaids into things.

    ES lore is great, very interesting and engaging but I never liked the way they go about its writing and development and have pretty much given up on it. :P

  • February 7, 2019

    I like the letter writen by Mr. Loremaster Lawerence Schick, but not the news... :/ .

    Anyway for my point of view every small fragment of lore one finds in gameplay such as in-game books or in-game content, be "good" or "bad", "canon" or "not canon", "have sense" or "not have sense", every fiction character created and even those fictional in-game authors, are part of an everything, that is what I like more about Elder Scrolls, is like you have different "gaps" of that everything what is Elder Scrolls universe, some of those "gaps" link eachother, others collide, others even are totally the oposite or just non-sense.

    I think about lore Elder Scrolls is pure "conspiracy", for example in real life history, about wars... to masses always is told by the winning part, the force who predominated on that location where was conflict, in other terms the massive force. About TES to tell an example, Talos for some Nords really ascended to Godhood, If you ask that to a common folk Nord who strongly believe that will say you yes, also If you ask the same to another Nord, one with same level of conviction but this one smarter probably would tell you yes too, but that doesnt mean is right or not, for example that smarter Nord will tell: yes Talos ascended to Godhood in the hearts of all Nords, ascended through the mind of conquerers, the will for keep traditional Nord culture, ascended on those people of pure Nord blood, acended on those people do not want Nords be dominated by be greedy-treacherous Imperials or those fussy Elves called Thalmores... so about that example of that Nord, it is canon?, maybe, maybe not, the important is and the fact about there are people (Nords) who claim Talos as very important for the prevail of Nord culture (also there are other Nords who dont care and other Nord probably would think on Talos as a concept or as a way to dominate)... There is no point of arguing or trying to figure it out If is a fact or not Talos ascended to Godhood, the fact is there is the concept of Talos...

    By other side same example, lets think about Thalmores, If one ask about Talos to a common devote Thalmor probably would say even he is evil, If one ask to an smart Thalmor probably would first say: Talos worshipping is forbidden by White and Gold Concordate (WGC), and would say nothing more, but If one delve more and ask that Thalmor more, probably would say: is just the excuse to maintain Nords in control, we already done it with Imperials, signing the WGC by consequence we imposed dominance by anticipe to Nords... probably would say something like that.

    In my opinion there is no point on "taking bands" in terms of canon, for example one as a fan-writer of TES is an "over-seer", as writer one have the oportunity to see above and beyond, see the whole context and panorama, Elder Scrolls canon gives one a base, a core to sustain the story, or a part of the story, etc. If when one writes the fan-story and starts taking "bands" respect canon, the thing one is creating is such as "in-game books" but not a whole story, due will be influenced by one self subjectiveness. Instead of taking bands respect canon or try figuring it out (with lack of information) about canons as "facts", I consider the main thing about Elder Scrolls is everything is a concept, everything is full of meanings (and hidding meanings beyond), I think If one wants to create a fan-story then one must select what canon concept will one use and what for, how that will worth for the story.

    Actually Elder Scrolls concept tells it by its self, from UESP: "Elder Scrolls are scrolls of unknown origin and number which simultaneously archive both past and future events", "The number of the Scrolls is unknown not because of their immense quantity, but because the number itself is unknowable, as the Scrolls "do not exist in countable form", "They are fragments of creation from outside time itself, and their use in divining prophecies is but a small part of their power. They simultaneously do not exist, yet always have existed". In other words Elder Scrolls are creation itself on all its meanings. such as this nice quote: "From a philosophical viewpoint, the origin and purpose of the Elder Scrolls is rather obscure and indescribably abstract. As one author puts it, "Imagine living beneath the waves with a strong-sighted blessing of most excellent fabric. Holding the fabric over your gills, you would begin to breathe-drink its warp and weft. Though the plantmatter fibers imbue your soul, the wretched plankton would pollute the cloth until it stank to heavens of prophecy. This is one manner in which the Scrolls first came to pass, but are we the sea, or the breather, or the fabric? Or are we the breath itself? Can we flow through the Scrolls as knowledge flows through, being the water, or are we the stuck morass of sea-filth that gathers on the edge?""

    Also the fact (canon, yes xp) of a person "gifted with prescient powers" who read an elder scroll makes with time blind, while more discover - "ultimately, the reader, having engaged in frequent acts of prophecy, is left bereft of their vision, forever after removed of their right to read the Scrolls" - in my opinion that is full of concepts, for example respect writing a TES fan-story If one is based on canons one is creating a story based on "elder scrolls", but If one wants to know more about those canons and describe some of them what are not very certain ("due the lack of such elder scroll knowledge or information") but describe them as rightfully, then methaporically is ending blind...


    I started writing and suddenly got inspired...


  • February 7, 2019

    I love the sentiment being put forward here, it's absolutely what's kept me interested in TES for all these years and why I still try and keep up with ESO's Lore and Story. Thanks for sharing this Lex, might have missed it if you hadn't. 

  • Member
    February 7, 2019
    Dammit. Lawrence Schick was the dude. It goes without saying that we all wish him the best of luck and can't thank him enough for massive impact he's had on the setting, for he truly has kept the spirit of TES alive and championed the unreliable narrator like a boss. But... Dammit, his will be massive boots to fill and I feel a bit like I did when listening to the Prophet's speech for the first time: "Oh unhappy Tamriel! Where is your Divine Crusader, in these latter days of petty strife and lesser men? And Talos said to the Arctus, "Let us join as one to fortify this throne, this land, these people, each one glorious under heaven!" Would you not do the same, children of Cyrodiil? No, you would not! This is plain! You looked away when the fires flickered, and now act lost that they are gone! Only death remains for Tamriel! Death and oblivion!" I doubt that's the case and am sure that ESO remains in the safest of hands, but still... Lawrence was the dude.