Tamriel is the central continent of the Age of Myth and the main meeting ground of Men, Mer, Beastfolk, dragons, and other ancient peoples. During the Late Merethic Era, it is not divided into the familiar provinces and nations of later history. Instead, it is a patchwork of kingdoms, city-states, clans, tribal territories, sacred lands, migration zones, and wilderness.
The Ayleids dominate the Heartland, the Falmer remain powerful in the north, the Altmer rule Summerset, the Bosmer inhabit Valenwood, the Khajiit occupy the south, the Saxhleel live throughout Black Marsh, and the Chimer and Dwemer share Resdayn. Human populations live throughout the continent, while increasing Atmoran migration is beginning to change the north.
Summerset is the center of Altmeri civilization and Crystal Tower. Valenwood remains divided among Bosmeri clans and local rulers before the Camoran Dynasty. The southern Khajiiti lands contain deserts, grasslands, jungles, trade routes, and regional kingdoms rather than a unified Elsweyr.
Black Marsh is dominated by the Hist and Saxhleel communities, with the deep interior largely beyond foreign control. The Heartland contains wealthy Ayleid city-states centered around White-Gold and large human populations living as subjects, tributaries, slaves, or independent neighbors.
High Rock contains Direnni territories, Nedic communities, emerging mixed populations, Orsimer strongholds, and Goblin lands. Western Tamriel has not yet become Hammerfell and remains home to Nedic peoples, Orcs, Goblins, Dwemer settlements, and smaller powers.
The north, later called Skyrim, is still primarily Falmer territory, though Giants, Goblins, Orsimer, Nedes, dragons, and growing Atmoran settlements share the region. Resdayn in the east is divided between Chimer clans and Dwemer city-states beneath the influence of Red Mountain.
Tamriel's mountains, forests, rivers, deserts, and marshes make travel difficult. Major civilizations maintain roads and trade routes, but many regions are connected only by trails, waterways, mountain passes, or coastal shipping.
Political claims rarely mean complete control. Large areas marked as belonging to a kingdom may contain independent tribes, hidden settlements, ancient ruins, monsters, spirits, or rival communities.
Tamriel is already covered in ruins during the Merethic Era. Some belong to forgotten settlements or early Aldmeri colonies, while others may predate the civilizations currently studying them.
Tamriel is a continent of overlapping civilizations rather than fixed provinces.
White-Gold is still Ayleid. The Falmer still rule much of the north. The Dwemer are alive. The Chimer have not become Dunmer, and the later Nordic, Imperial, Breton, Redguard, and unified Khajiiti political orders have not yet formed.