The world of The Elder Scrolls games, Tamriel, has a long and rich history, and Elder Scrolls 6 has the opportunity to show players some of the time periods that they've only read about in the lore. There are a lot of significant events in the series that are still unexplained, many of which would make fine storylines for the next Elder Scrolls game. It's not a certainty that the series will go back to the past for Elder Scrolls 6 - and really, it's rather unlikely - but if it does, there are plenty of events and time periods to choose from.
The history of Tamriel is divided into four numbered eras out of 6 total. There's no set amount of time that an era lasts before the next one begins: A new era starts after a significant shift in the geopolitics of the continent, such as the toppling of a dynasty or the unifying of many different societies into one. Elder Scrolls world politics are largely ignored, but TES 6 could change that. As of Skyrim, the series has moved into the Fourth Era, which started when the Oblivion Crisis ended. There are also two eras that are considered prehistoric due to their lack of any reliable records. A great deal has occurred over this massive span of time, and the games themselves only cover an infinitesimal slice by comparison.
Throughout Tamriel's history, empires have risen and fallen, kings have been born and died, and gods and monsters have walked the earth. There's a lot of rich and fascinating history in the series, but only a comparatively small portion has been shown in past games, so there's plenty to choose from if Bethesda decides to show players some of the more prominent events that have happened throughout the Four Eras. The Void Nights changed the political landscape of Elsweyr, and it's just one of the phenomena that have changed the continent of Tamriel. Elder Scrolls 6 could answer many lore mysteries in the series.
Elder Scrolls 6 Could Take Place At The End Of The Void Nights
The land of Elsweyr is home to the Khajiit, a race of feline-like humanoids. For two years in the Fourth Era, 98-100, the two moons Masser and Secunda disappeared from the sky. Since religion and birth patterns both rely on these moons, their disappearance rocked the country. Although not much is known about what occurred during those two years, it is known that the Thalmor took credit for the moons' reappearance, and divided Elsweyr into two kingdoms. Elder Scrolls 6 could very well show players, if not the whole story, then at least something of the end of it. Restoring the moons to the skies of Elsweyr would likely make a fine story for the game, even if it is spoiled by the Thalmor taking advantage of their hard work.
Players Could Drive The Aldmeri Dominion Out Of Hammerfell
Hammerfell is one of the stronger candidates for Elder Scrolls 6's setting, due in part to a subtle detail in the Starfield trailer with its potential TES easter egg. The Great War that ended with the White-Gold Concordat, a major point of contention in Skyrim, was also a big part of Hammerfell. In the Fourth Era, year 180, the Redguards successfully drove the Aldmeri Dominion out of the country and signed the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai, retaking their lands. If Hammerfell is indeed the setting of the next Elder Scrolls, as many fans believe it to be, this could be a fascinating time period for the series to explore. There's also the great contention between the two factions in the country, the Crowns and the Forebears, which could call back to Skyrim's civil war.
Elder Scrolls 6 Could Cover Black Marsh After The Oblivion Crisis
The country of Black Marsh, home to the Argonians, is a strange one. Little is known of its history, and what is known isn't pleasant. Some consider Argonians to be Skyrim's best character choice, but they have had a brutal and grim history. Most recently, following the Oblivion Crisis, the An-Xileel, a mysterious political faction, invaded Morrowind in retaliation for the Argonians' enslavement by the Dunmer people in the early Eras. They were driven back, but the fact remains that the Accession War is a large part of both Argonia's and Morrowind's history post-Oblivion Crisis. Whether Bethesda chooses to have the player be exploring a Black Marsh preparing to invade Morrowind, or a Morrowind defending itself from the Argonians, this time period would be a fascinating and exciting setting for Elder Scrolls 6.
Elder Scrolls 6 Could Finally Reveal The Wild Elves
During the First Era, Cyrodiil was home to a race known as the Ayleids, also known as the Wild Elves. They disappeared from history in the late third century of that time, and the events leading up to it would make a great storyline for Elder Scrolls 6. Why Elder Scrolls' Ayleid Elves disappeared is a mystery, one that TES6 could solve. Although there's too much to reasonably be covered by one game, there are several stretches of time that could act as start and end points while still covering at least some of the Ayleid's history and downfall. The Nedic uprising that led to the end of their reign would make a great setting, and being a Nede captive or sympathizer in that time period would be a fine way for Bethesda to continue the trend of having every player character start out as a prisoner.
Players Could See Talos Ascend To Godhood In Elder Scrolls 6
Talos, the god-king of mankind, was once known as Tiber Septim. He founded the Septim dynasty, ushered in the Third Era, and conquered all of Tamriel before becoming one of the Nine Divines. As with the Ayleids, there's simply too much to cover in one game, but their conquering of the Summerset Isles may be a good start. TES 6 could solve the main character problem ongoing in the series by making the player an ordinary soldier in Tiber Septim's army instead of some grand hero. By the time he reached the Summerset Isles, Tiber Septim had lost his ability to use the Thu'um, but still was able to unite all of Tamriel under one banner and truly conquer all. Since it's one of the major turning points in Tamriel's history, and the spark of many conflicts in the Third Era and beyond, it would be fascinating to see history unfolding before players' eyes in Elder Scrolls 6.
Dragon Breaks Could Be Chaotic, But Fun
Throughout Tamriel's history, there are events known as Dragon Breaks. These phenomena are described as a period of "un-time" where several parallel timelines intersect and create a non-linear path similar to what supposedly took place in the Dawn Era. Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls' games timeline are at times foggy, and these events certainly don't help, since they've sometimes literally rewritten the history books. There have been several over the course of the Four Eras, and any one of them could make an exciting story for players in Elder Scrolls 6. Although they would undoubtedly provide more chaos than usual for the series, they could also be a great storyline if done right, and do something different from the games that came before them. Messing with time and timelines always requires a deft hand to work well, but Bethesda could very well make the Dragon Breaks work for the next Elder Scrolls game, even if they're not the core focus of the story.
