Skip to main content

1st-4th Era Timeline (Before the Beginning)

1st Era

  • 1E 60s+: Archmage Shalidor builds Shalidor’s Maze
  • 1E 140s: Alessian Slave Rebellion
    • Pelinal Whitestrake, considered by many to be a Shezzarine, takes up arms against the Ayleids, ultimately clashing with Umaril the Unfeathered.
  • Yokudan Continents Sinks Into the Ocean
    • Yokudan people relocate to Tamriel.
  • 1E ~700, likely 668: The Battle of Red Mountain
    • According to Arniel Gane, the Dwemer use the dagger Keening on the Heart of Lorkhan to activate Numidium; this act creates the Brass Tower, and establishes the Dwemer’s collective consciousness as God. They disappear into the Void, where their “song” begins to devour Namira.
    • Namira, in turn, seeks ways to escape her demise by manifesting in Mundus; her presence leaks into reality through Time Wounds.
    • Many versions of the Battle of Red Mountain include the presence of Shor reborn as Ysmir Wulfarth, the Dragonborn High King, also known as Ysmir, Dragon of the North
  • The Red Moment: Activation of Numidium/The Heart causes a Dragon Break; linear time shatters for a span of existence.
  • 1E 1200-2208: The Middle Dawn
    • The longest and most profound Dragon Break in history occurs
  • 1E 2703: First Akaviri Invasion of Tamriel
    • Reman I repels the invasion, and begins the Reman Empire.
  • 1E 2920: Reman III and Heirs are Assassinated, ending their Dynasty and the 1st Era.

2nd Era

  • 2E 854: Reign of Tiber Septim Begins

    • Some believe that one of more of the following individuals were Shezzarine (overlap in names and status related to some controversy over the identity and origin of Tiber Septim, and the matter of Enantiomorph, one of the methods of Apotheosis):

      • Talos, aka Tiber Septim

      • Hjati Early Beard, aka Tiber Septim

      • Zurin Artcus, Imperial Battlemage, aka the Underking

      • Ysmir Wulfarth, aka the Ash King, aka the Underking

  • 2E 896: Numidium

    • Tiber Septim activates Numidium as part of his conquest of Tamriel, specifically Elsweyr and the Summerset isles; this heralds beginning of the 3rd Empire and the 3rd Era

      • Disagreements over its use culminates in its destruction (and some say a Dragon Break)

3rd Era

  • 3E 38: Death of Tiber Septim

    • According to legend, Tiber Septim achieves apotheosis and becomes the god Talos.

      • This may have involved the process of “Enantiomorph” with Zurin Arctus (and/or Ysmir Wulfarth) into an oversoul.

  • 3E 417: Warp in the West

    • Second Activation of Numidium; another (supposedly brief) Dragon Break Occurs

      • Note: This event is best documented by the Blades

  • 3E 427: The Nerevarine Defeats Dagoth Ur and Ends the Blight in Morrowind

    • These are the events of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

    • Some accounts say that the Nerevarine encountered a man called Wulf, who was later revealed to be a physical embodiment of Talos.

  • 3E 433: The Oblivion Crisis

    • Emperor Uriel Septim VII is assassinated by the Mythic Dawn and the Amulet of Kings stolen by Mankar Camoran, allowing Mehrunes Dagon to invade Tamriel; he is defeated by Emperor Martin Septim and the Hero of Kvatch, marking the end of the 3rd Era.

      • These are the events of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

      • The use of Tiber Septim’s blood in a ritual requiring the blood of a divine seems to confirm his Apotheosis.

      • The Amulet of Kings, Stone of the White-Gold Tower, is destroyed.

4th Era

  • 4E 5: Eruption of Red Mountain

  • 4E 15-22: Stormcrown Interregnum

    • In the absence of a Septim Emperor, the Empire falls into chaos for a time before the Mede Dynasty assumes control.

  • 4E 98-100: The Void Nights

    • The moons Masser and Secunda fucking disappear out of the sky for two whole years. This has huge impacts on the Khajiit, as the moons are relevant to their religious beliefs, and directly affect their birth cycles (this is why some Khajiit look like housecats). When the moons appear again, the Thalmor claim responsibility for ending the Void Nights, contributing to Elsweyr’s willingness to cooperate with the Aldmeri Dominion.

  • 4E 171-175: Great War (Empire vs. Aldmeri Dominion)

    • Ends with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat

  • 4E 201: Death of High King Torygg at the Hands of Ulfric Stormcloak

  • 4E 201: Alduin Returns

    • The Dragonborn rises to face the threat of returning dragons, and ultimately defeats the World Eater. These are the events of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

    • Arniel Gane’s experimentations with Dwemer technology cast him adrift in time and space. He eventually regains a partial anchor in reality after the events in Dzurchrandzel.

    • Ancano’s Severed Head is added to the available resources in the College of Winterhold’s Arcanaeum.

  • 4E Between 201 and 210: Frosnyr the Lucky captures a Thalmor spy in Ivarstead.

•Before Their Meeting

~Many Paths~

-Cyrus Do Hega: The Blades Agent modifies his own mind, with the aid of Loremaster Esbern, to secure critical information about a Blades Vault. This occurs either:

-After he is captured and subject to conditioning at Honeyveil; in this hypothesis, Cyrus would have learned the critical information after he’d already been compromised, and knowing that he had been, chose to lock away the information to prevent it from being accessed if he encountered the Thalmor again.

-Before he is captured and subject to conditioning at Honeyveil: in this hypothesis, Cyrus’s precautions prevent the Thalmor from learning about the Vault, but he is still programmed with behavioral overrides.

-In either hypothesis, these mind modifications result in him forgetting about his identity as Cyrus, and becoming Nevetrius.

*There is some evidence to say all of this occurred more than twenty or so years ago, based on Delvin’s assertion that Esbern was sought out by a “troublesome” individual at that point, and left the Ratway thereafter.

-Cursed (Daedric Encounter): At some point, roughly a decade ago, Sabin Duskhollow is cursed with Lycanthropy and banished from Valenwood. In search of a cure, she eventually makes her way to Skyrim.

-The Brotherhood (4E 201): Nihlus and Cicero Arrive in Skyrim with the Night Mother. A year later, in early Hearthfire of 4E 202, the Falkreath Sanctuary is raided by the Penitus Occulatus. Though some of the assassins escape, this more or less marks the end of the Dark Brotherhood.

-Cicero somehow takes the Night Mother to the Dawnstar Sanctuary. He remains there alone, believing Nihlus to be dead, slowly losing his mind.

-Wulfbron Thur: Canaar leaves the Grey Beards and takes on the name Wulfbron Thur. He finds his way to the Time Wound in Labyrinthian, and goes on to found the city of Bromjunaar.

-Meditations: Steinn becomes disillusioned with the Stormcloak cause after losing someone he loves to the conflict. He goes into the wilderness, and in his meditations, teaches himself how to use the Voice.

-Betrayal: The Aleshi Conspiracy is revealed within the Arcane University; Ylgar and Ogzaz flee to Skyrim, but are separated on the road. At some point, their classmate Lhukeika becomes part of the Dragonfires resistance movement.

-Arrests: Over the course of several months, Nevetrius, Nihlus, Sabin, Steinn, and Ylgar are each arrested and placed in the Falkreath jail for one crime or another.

Back to top