The Altmer

Culture

The Altmer, or High Elves, are the proud inheritors of the Aldmer legacy, native to Summerset (renamed Alinor in the Fourth Era). They view themselves as the purest and most refined of all races, guardians of Elven tradition and descendants of the divines. Altmer culture revolves around hierarchy, ancestry, and preservation of perfection. Nobility trace lineages directly to the Aldmer, while commoners are expected to serve with dignity and obedience.

Perfection is their guiding principle. Altmer strive to refine not only art and craft but their very souls, seeking to emulate the et’Ada. This pursuit of continuity fuels their conservatism: change is dangerous, innovation suspect, and tradition sacred. Outsiders often see arrogance, but within Altmer culture it is stewardship — the belief that their duty is to preserve what others would corrupt or forget.

Religion centers on Auri-El, Magnus, Trinimac, and ancestor worship. The Altmer revere the Aedra as models of divinity and reject the Daedra as chaotic and corrupting. Rituals emphasize cycles, purity, and remembrance of Aldmeris, their mythical homeland. Faith and hierarchy intertwine, with priests reinforcing noble authority. Festivals celebrate seasonal changes, celestial alignments, and victories of Elvenkind, all framed as proof of Altmeri superiority.

Magic saturates daily life. The Altmer’s natural affinity for magicka ensures sorcery is not feared but celebrated. Enchantment, illusion, and alteration are woven into crafts, architecture, and even household tasks. To be skilled in magic is both practical and prestigious, a marker of worth. Altmeri scholars, philosophers, and mages dominate Tamriel’s history of arcane learning, influencing guilds, colleges, and Imperial institutions.

Altmer society is insular, suspicious of outsiders. Foreigners are often restricted to ports or carefully monitored, and intermarriage is discouraged to preserve “purity.” Yet pragmatic exceptions exist: artisans, diplomats, or mages may find patronage under noble houses. To the Altmer, allowing outsiders into their society is not acceptance but controlled utility.

Daily life reflects refinement: villas of pale stone, meals of seafood, fruit, and fine wine, clothing of silks and embroidered robes. Music is intricate, emphasizing choirs and strings. Art favors symmetry, light, and celestial motifs. Altmeri culture prizes continuity: styles do not radically change but evolve subtly across centuries, reinforcing the belief that perfection already exists and only requires preservation.

History

The Altmer trace their history to the Aldmer, the first Elves who settled Tamriel after leaving Aldmeris. Summerset became their homeland, and from it they spread across Tamriel. Those who left transformed into Bosmer, Dunmer, Orsimer, and Ayleids, but the Altmer claim to have preserved Aldmer traditions most faithfully. This sense of continuity is central to their identity: while others fell to curses or compromise, they remained “true.”

In the First Era, Summerset stood apart from human wars, intervening only against the Sload of Thras. Their fleets crushed Thras during the Thrassian Plague, asserting naval dominance over the Abecean Sea. Otherwise, they preserved isolation, maintaining their hierarchy and arcane traditions while humans rose to power.

The Second Era brought change with the rise of the Aldmeri Dominion in 2E 582. Altmer allied with Bosmer and Khajiit, seeking to restore Elven supremacy and reclaim the White-Gold Tower. Though the Dominion failed, it set a precedent: when threatened, Altmer turned from isolation to assertive leadership. Meanwhile, the Psijic Order of Artaeum preserved mystical traditions, counseling rulers while withdrawing from worldly affairs. Their disappearance at the end of the Second Era symbolized the Altmer’s inward turn, even as Summerset endured the chaos of the Interregnum.

In the Third Era, Summerset resisted Tiber Septim but ultimately fell to the Numidium, becoming part of the Empire. Under Septim rule, Altmer contributed scholars, battlemages, and administrators, yet never accepted human dominance. The Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433 struck the Isles hard, with Daedric forces invading and the Crystal Tower eventually destroyed. These losses devastated Altmer confidence and convinced many that Imperial weakness endangered Elves.

The Fourth Era saw the rise of the Thalmor. Claiming to have restored order after the Oblivion Crisis, they seized control of Summerset in 4E 22, renaming it Alinor and reestablishing the Aldmeri Dominion. The Thalmor blended Altmer tradition with ruthless ideology, enforcing conformity and projecting supremacy across Tamriel. They outlawed Talos worship, declared Elves the rightful rulers of Tamriel, and waged war on the Mede Dynasty. By 4E 201, Summerset was the Dominion’s heart, its culture weaponized into nationalism and imperial ambition.

Other Information

Physiology:
Altmer are the tallest of the races of man and mer, often standing over six feet. They are slender and graceful, with golden skin, angular features, and almond-shaped eyes. Their lifespans can extend several centuries, reinforcing their culture’s emphasis on patience and continuity. They are naturally attuned to magicka, giving them advantages in spellcraft but also vulnerability to arrogance and overreliance on sorcery.

Architecture and Settlements:
Altmer architecture emphasizes height, symmetry, and elegance. Cities like Alinor boast spires of pale stone, glowing towers, and harbors of graceful arches. Temples and villas blend seamlessly with landscapes, reflecting ideals of harmony and refinement. The lost Crystal Tower, once repository of knowledge and magical power, symbolized Altmer continuity until its destruction, a cultural wound still felt.

Warfare:
Altmer rely less on brute force than on discipline, strategy, and magic. Battlemages, archers, and enchanted arms dominate their forces. Naval supremacy ensures control of seas, while Dominion armies integrate Bosmeri archers and Khajiiti warriors under Altmer command. War is seen as regrettable but sometimes necessary to enforce order. Under the Thalmor, warfare became ideological, a tool to assert Elven superiority.

Magic and Attitudes:
Magic is both craft and philosophy. Every Altmer is expected to know basic spells; mastery is revered. Necromancy is frowned upon but not as taboo as in Dunmer lands. Psijic traditions emphasize restraint, while Thalmor ideology demands power. The Altmer see magic not as tool but as proof of their divine heritage, distinguishing them from humans.

Naming Conventions:
Altmeri names often blend elegance and formality, such as Aicantar, Calianwe, Ondolemar, and Lilandril. Family names are rare outside nobility, where lineage is central to identity. Titles and honorifics matter greatly, with scholars and nobles introducing themselves with lengthy ceremonial phrases.

Relations with Other Races:
Altmer see themselves as stewards of Elvenkind and natural rulers of Tamriel. They distrust humans, viewing them as short-lived and corrupt, yet acknowledge their numbers and power. They consider Bosmer and Khajiit useful allies, though beneath them. They despise Orcs as corrupted descendants of Trinimac. Relations with Dunmer are cool, marked by theological divergence. To the Altmer, cooperation with other races is always pragmatic, never equal.

Art and Expression:
Altmer art favors light, balance, and celestial imagery. Music is layered and complex, designed for choirs and strings. Poetry celebrates ancestors, perfection, and continuity, rarely indulging in humor or frivolity. Every art form reflects discipline and refinement, reinforcing ideals of order.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
Altmer philosophy emphasizes return to divinity. They see mortality as a flaw, a wound inflicted when Lorkhan tricked the et’Ada into creation. Their faith in Auri-El emphasizes escape from the mortal plane, a journey of perfection through discipline and ancestry. Unlike Nords, who embrace afterlife as reward, Altmer aspire to transcendence, escaping Nirn entirely. This worldview fuels their conservatism: to change is to risk further corruption of the divine order.

Legacy of the Altmer

The Altmer are preservers of tradition, heirs of Aldmeris, and architects of refinement. They built their culture on continuity, believing themselves stewards of perfection. Yet this devotion to purity breeds arrogance and rigidity. In the Fourth Era, under the Thalmor, their culture turned outward, seeking not only to preserve but to dominate, reshaping Tamriel under Elven supremacy. By 4E 201, Summerset stood as the heart of the Dominion, both admired and hated. Their legacy is continuity transformed into power — proof that tradition, when wielded as weapon, can shape empires.