Dawn Era
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The Dawn Era is the period of pre-history that includes the creation of the universe, prior to the advent of mortals on Tamriel. The events that occured during this era are known only through myth and religious teachings, and interpretations vary from culture to culture. Most scholars, however, agree to a single common series of events that led up to the start of recorded history.
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[edit] Creation
The creation of the universe begins with the Chaos of the pre-universe. From this promordial nothingness, the twin forces of order and chaos, in the form of Anu and Padomay (also known as Sithis. From this, other beings begin to form from the Void. First among these is Akatosh, who brings the concept of time into existence. With the genesis of time, other et'Ada are able to form their own identities, distinct from each other, and hundreds of such divine beings are formed.
[edit] Lorkhan's Plan
Anu and Padomay's constant struggle has created a number of planes for the et'Ada to inhabit, but not all of them are content. One, called Lorkhan, approaches the others with a plan to create their own plane. He proposes the creation of the mortal plane, Nirn, and its population with beings of the et'Ada's creation.
Lorkhan manages to convince a number of his peers to aid him in his plan. These divines are collectively referred to as the Aedra, while the rest of the et'Ada are Daedra. (These terms have no meaning during the Dawn Era, as they are explicitly relative to the mer and their ancestral beliefs.) These Aedra begin to form the mortal plane, but soon realize that they have been tricked. Although Anu and Padomay are infinite, the et'Ada are not. They realize that they are giving up parts of themselves to form this new world, something Lorkhan (according to mer tradition) was fully aware of.
[edit] Departure of the Gods
Many of the gods depart the mortal plane before it is complete. Chief among these is Magnus, the architect of Lorkhan's plan, who flees Nirn to return to Aetherius. His departure opens a hole in the barrier between planes, allowing magic to flood into Nirn. Not all of the gods choose to leave, however. Some, the Eight Divines, bind themselves to the new plane, but return to their own planes in the end. These become the gods of many of the new inhabitants of the world, and are seen from Nirn as planets in the night sky.
One group of these beings fully surrender their divinty, and form the Ehlnofey. This now mortal race begins to procreate in the physical sense, and eventually diverges into the mortal races of the Mythic Era. The remaining divines, before leaving Nirn to the mortals, create the Adamantium Tower, and convene there to decide Lorkhan's fate.
At the end of the Dawn Age, Lorkhan is permanently bound to his creation, when his heart is ripped from his body and cast down to Tamriel. There it would form Vvardenfel, the Red Mountain volcano, and remain dormant for thousands of years. The remaining gods then leave Nirn, allowing time to stabilize, and flow linearly. This marks the start of recorded elven history, and the beginning of the Mythic Era.
[edit] Further Reading (Books)
- Sithis (book)
- A Children's Anuad
- The Lunar Lorkhan
- The Monomyth (not available in Oblivion, see here
[edit] See Also
| History of the Elder Srolls Universe |
| Dawn Era · Mythic Era · First Era · Second Era · Third Era · Fourth Era |
