Era & Aftermath: It is 2E 583, the year after the Planemeld was broken. Molag Bal’s bid to weld Coldharbour to Nirn has failed, but the scars remain—ruined sites, lingering cults, frayed borders, and veterans who’ve seen Daedra up close.
The Central War: The Three Banners War rages across Cyrodiil for control of the Ruby Throne and the White-Gold Tower. None of the alliances can rule the Empire outright, so they fight, retreat, and return in cycles, while the Imperial City changes hands or sits half-broken, haunted by the recent crisis.
No Unified Empire: There is no Septim Empire. Imperial authority is fragmented; legions, nobles, and battlemages serve whoever can pay or protect them.
Ebonheart Pact — Nords, Dunmer (Dark Elves), Argonians
Led by Jorunn the Skald-King. A hard, pragmatic alliance born from necessity. The Pact fields fierce infantry, Dunmeri sorcery, and Argonian scouts—and is constantly smoothing over centuries of bad blood.
Daggerfall Covenant — Bretons, Redguards, Orsimer (Orcs)
Led by High King Emeric. Merchant-kings, knightly orders, and master smiths. The Covenant mixes heavy cavalry, disciplined lines, and shrewd diplomacy.
Aldmeri Dominion — Altmer (High Elves), Bosmer (Wood Elves), Khajiit
Led by Queen Ayrenn. Fast, coordinated armies with deadly archery and refined battlemagic, claiming stewardship over a “proper” Tamrielic order.
Primary Conflict: Each alliance seeks legitimacy through possession of the Ruby Throne. Controlling Cyrodiil means dictating terms to the rest of Tamriel; losing it means retreating to their home turf and trying again.
Dark Anchors fell across Tamriel, dragging land and souls toward Coldharbour.
Mages Guild and Fighters Guild took unprecedented public contracts to fight Daedra.
The crisis ended, but Daedric cults, rogue anchors, and scarred locales still provide stories—and dangers.
Divine Pantheon: People in this era speak of the Eight Divines (Akatosh, Arkay, Dibella, Julianos, Kynareth/Kyne, Mara, Stendarr, Zenithar).
Do NOT say “Nine Divines” (that comes much later).
Regional faiths are strong: Tribunal (Vivec, Almalexia, Sotha Sil) among Dunmer; Green Pact among Bosmer; Redguard Yokudan traditions; Nordic worship of Kyne, Shor, et al.
Money: Use “gold” (or “coin”) as the generic currency.
Do NOT call coins “Septims” (the Septim Dynasty and its mint do not exist yet).
Great Houses of Morrowind:
Redoran (honor, hardiness, frontier war-leadership),
Hlaalu (commerce, contracts, and quiet knives),
Telvanni (isolationist, cutthroat mages—Sadrith Mora’s towers are feuding research states).
Mages Guild (Vanus Galerion’s legacy): legal study, Daedric prohibition, public contracts.
Fighters Guild: mercenary-honor mix; took Daedra-slaying writs during the Planemeld.
Morag Tong: state-sanctioned Dunmeri assassins (law-bound writs, not random murder).
Outlaw groups: Cammona Tong, pirates, smugglers—emboldened by wartime chaos.
Empire-in-Name-Only: No continent-spanning Emperor accepted by all. Power is regional and fluid; alliances and city-states run their own law.
Religious Landscape: The Eight Divines form the backbone of faith across much of Tamriel, but their worship is far from universal.
Nords, Imperials, Altmer, and Bretons venerate them in varying forms, often with strong local cults or patronage of individual Divines.
The Redguards follow their own pantheon, rooted in Yokudan traditions.
The Bosmer keep the Green Pact, bound to Y’ffre.
The Argonians heed the Hist.
The Orcs wrestle with the schism of Malacath and Trinimac.
The Dunmer stand apart entirely, devoted to the Tribunal rather than the Divines.
Thus, the Eight Divines are important, but not a single unifying faith—more a cultural pillar for the west and heartlands than a universal creed.
Economy & Travel: Wartime caravans, guild charters, privateers, and magical/creature transport (e.g., silt striders in Morrowind). Borders are militarized; bribes, safe-conducts, and guild papers matter.
Magic & The Mundane: Daedra are a present danger, not distant myth. Magical research is public business in some regions (e.g., Telvanni), heresy in others.
Say: “gold,” “Eight Divines,” “the Ruby Throne,” “White-Gold Tower,” “the Planemeld scars,” “guild contract,” “writ,” “war levy,” “caravan writ,” “safe-conduct.”
Avoid: “Septims,” “Nine Divines,” “Imperial Law says X everywhere,” “Blades,” or references to later-era empires and reforms.
Cyrodiil: Perpetual battlefield; keeps switch banners; Imperial City half-ruined, half-haunted.
Morrowind (and Vvardenfell): Great Houses, Tribunal at full power, ash wastes and alien cities; House politics are war by other means.
Skyrim: Split loyalties under Pact leadership; jarls juggle home defense and Cyrodiil campaigns; giants and barrows complicate supply lines.
Valenwood & Elsweyr: Dominion staging grounds; Bosmeri Green Pact taboos and Khajiiti lunar faith shape local play.
Hammerfell & High Rock: Covenant heartlands of trade, knighthood, and city-state intrigue; Orsimer strongholds supply elite smithing.
The war decides prices, borders, and whether your town sleeps safely.
Daedra are real; some places still have anchors or cult trouble.
Guilds are hiring. Alliances are recruiting. Priests patch the wounded, mages plug the world’s holes, and soldiers are sent to the front lines in Cyrodiil.