The timeline of the events that happen in the Elder Scrolls. Whether things happen in front of the player in-game or off-screen, Bethesda packs a lot of lore into what happens before, during and after each subsequent game in the series. This is shown by the fact that two hundred years have passed between Oblivion and Skyrim.
A lot can happen during a two hundred year period, regardless of if it is in the real world or in the world of gaming. This is especially true for the Elder Scrolls and a lot sure does happen during that period. Here are 10 important things that happened between the fourth and fifth Elder Scrolls games.
10 The Thalmor Rise To Power
The Thalmor, high elves with powerful magical skills, establish the Third Aldmeri Dominion not too long after the Oblivion Crisis, the events of Oblivion’s main story, ends. They first plant seeds by claiming they were responsible for ending it, something that is clearly false but cannot be proven.
This spread of fake news allows them to have goodwill as the begin to push into the mainland of Tamriel in order to take advantage of the Empire’s post-crisis struggles.
9 High Chancellor Ocato Is Assassinated
A character seen in Oblivion, Ocato filled in as the interim ruler of the Empire after the Septim dynasty ended with Martin’s sacrifice. In 4E 10 however, his reign came to an abrupt end.
Ocato is assassinated despite being described as an incredibly skilled battlemage. His death, which is believed to have been the act of the Thalmor, throws the third Empire into even further disarray.
8 Nations Start Seceding From The Empire
Seeing that the Empire is falling apart amidst the lack of a true emperor, several nations start to secede away from the Empire which makes it weaker.
Among these is the homeland of the Argonians, Black Marsh, who was successful in not only holding back the invading daedra during the crisis, but even managed to push into Oblivion itself. Seeing that they could do better without them, they separate from the Empire.
7 Titus Mede Becomes Emperor
Seeing that the Empire was beginning to fall apart, a warlord by the name of Tidus Mede sees an opportunity before him. Mede invades the Imperial City and becomes Emperor himself.
As emperor, he made the Empire stronger by bringing back some of the nations that seceded back into the fold and held it together during the Umbriel Crisis. He also established a new dynasty of emperors with his descendant, Titus Mede II, is the Empire’s current emperor during Skyrim’s events.
6 Morrowind Is Devasted By Two Catastrophes
Morrowind, the land of the dark elves, suffers two great catastrophes. The first is the dreaded Red Year in 4E 05 which sees the province’s Red Mountain erupt, covering most of Morrowind and destroying the city of Vvardenfell with many losing their lives.
The second is a devastating war with the Argonians, the latter of which began pushing into Morrowind in retaliation for centuries of enslavement. Though the dwemer eventually push them out of Morrowind, the damage had still been done. The effects of both of these disasters are still being felt today.
5 The Great Collapse In Winterhold
Disaster also struck the city of Winterhold in Skyrim in 4E 122. During that year, most of the city falls and is swallowed into the Sea of Ghosts in what is now known as The Great Collapse.
Only what the Dragonborn sees in Skyrim and the College of Winterhold are what remain of the city. It is still unknown what caused this disaster but the survivors believe to this day that the College is somehow at fault.
4 The Great War
After the Empire turns down demands from a Thalmor ambassador, which included disbanding the blades, surrendering parts of Hammerfell and banning open worship of the divine Talos, the two powers wage the Great War in 4E 171.
It was a bloody four year war that is devastating for both sides. It also sees the Imperial City get sacked by the Dominion and later reclaimed by the Empire.
3 The White-Gold Concordat Is Signed
Seeing the devastation of the war, both sides eventually come together to sign the agreement that ends the war with the Empire giving into the demands that started the war in the first place.
The remaining members of the Blades are forced into hiding while Hammerfell wages a separate war with the Thalmor refusing to surrender their lands to them. The banning of Talos worship is condemned by many, including a young Nord by the name of Ulfric Stormcloak
2 The Markarth Incident
A short time after the war ended, Ulfric Stormcloak answers the call for aid from the jarl of the Reach to retake the city of Markarth from the Forsworn, who captured it during the war.
Stormcloak retakes the city under the pretense that he would be able to worship Talos again. Instead, he is arrested for it which is the last straw for him. The seeds were now planted for his next big move.
1 Ulfric Stormcloak Assassinates High King Torygg
Fed up with being betrayed by both the Empire and country he fought for, Ulfric Stormcloak marches into Solitude and assassinates Skyrim’s High King, Torygg and gives himself the title.
He escapes the city which triggers the Skyrim Civil War between the Empire and the Stormcloaks, the assassin’s supporters. A war that is still being waged at the time of Skyrim’s opening.
