The Avikiri Potentates are a human faction. In the early second era, a sucessful taesci invasion of Cyrodiil managed to actually take control of the empire. There was a taesci emperor on the throne for hundreds of years.

Exactly, that why I think there's one human one, one elven one and one akaviri one.
What else could it be?

Dragon: Cyrodiilic Empire, under the rule of the Akaviri Potentates. The dragon has been a symbol of the Empire since its first founding.
Eagle: Alinor and the Aldmeri Dominion. The Altmer have always used eagle imagery in their culture.
Lion: Hell if I know. Probably Hammerfell?

A few weeks ago, there were rumours about a TESO announcement in May. The source also mentioned that the game would have three factions, each represented by a dragon, a lion and a kind of bird, and that it would take place in the 2nd era.
Because the source seems to be reliable on all other counts, I'm very sure those represent the three factions.

The lion doesn't make any sense, though. As far as I know, nothing in TES was ever associated with a lion. The bird could be a hawk, representing Kyne. The dragon, although strongly hinting at the empire, could be anything as well. Auriel is important to the Aldmeri, and it could also represent the Ka Po Tun of Akavir. Hell if I know. Why three factions?

I like the Three Faction idea, so far MMOs are mostly the old "Horde or Alliance", throwing in a third could make things less normal, a little more interesting.

It cant be the Empire as we are in the interregnum before Emperor Zero, Cuhlecain.

It also cannot be Aldmeris as Tamriel is Aldmeris.

Likely one is the first Dominion, the other Akaviri and the third could be a mannish faction.

Because three heads are better than two.

I want it as a Pendant

Lion-Beast races, Bird-Mer and Dragon- men?

What it actually is:

Aldmeri Dominion (Altmer, Bosmer, Khajiit)
Daggerfall Covenant (Bretons, Orsimer, Redguards)
Ebonheart Pact (Dunmer, Nords, Argonians)

Imperials are presumably not playable.

Don't ask for a source because I can't actually link you to it, but... just wow.

If its set in 2E 250 the dragon represents the empire under the potentates. If its 2E 500 it represents Ada'soom dir'Kamal's invasion force. The second seems more likely if Cyrodiil is being fought over as a prize. In either case, Hammerfell couldn't be a member of an Empire or Thalmor power bloc, so probably belongs to the lion group. It's unclear who they would ally with, if anyone. Elsweyr didn't exist as a political entity until the 300s so would only even be an option in the 500s.

Interesting

Source?

...

Yeah that makes zero sense if it's true. The Nords, Argonians and Dunmer would never work together and at that point in history the Dunmer didn't exactly need help. The Bretons and Redguards would def not work well together either and the Khajiit sure as hell wouldn't willingly work with the Aldmeri Dominion and even the Bosmer would be iffy. However the Aldmeri Dominion would be the most accurate of those factions and did exist. So Aldmeri Dominion=Valenwood and Summerset Isle at least.

I'm not sure if I can stomach the above. Dunmer and nords at that time period would only ally against a larger threat such as dir'Kamal. Argonia is pretty much terra incognita and cooking up a helping of Khnaten flu. Redguards allying with orcs is absurd - likewise bosmer and khajiit.

Can you actually PM it?

The lack of Imperials is odd, although the inclusion of that sort of info does give this a certain feeling of validity.

doesn't this take place like a 1000 years before ESV or something? I recall hearing that somewhere.

I'm with Albino Dunmer, how is it a Pact between half of those races when the Khajiit and Bosmer hated each other, Altmer hated everyone and Redguards Slew Orcs with extreme prejudice...and Dunma with Argonians? holy crap

What ever Molag Bal did must have been Crazy, Camoran the Usurper anyone?

I dont know.
The second Dominion consists of just those races.

There is a lot we dont know about the second era. It is possible Black Marsh and Skyrim have formed an alliance with the living gods of Morrowind so they can better ward off chaos in this interregnum.

The Daggerfall Covenant seems a plausible setup those sly arch-politicians of the Illiac Bay would conjure up for just the same thing, there is strength in numbers.

More pressing is the fact that the Aldmeri Dominion wasn't founded until 2E 830 and this takes place in 2E 500, supposedly. Also, Dunmer, Nords, and Argonians on the same side? No. Just... no. That doesn't work. That doesn't happen. A bunch of xenophobes with a trio of gods to back them up does not join up with people they literally consider to be on the same level as animals.

Well...Molag Bal....once you go Bal...

You throw down "Dark Anchors" onto the landscape to try and physically pull it into Coldharbour. What a lore cluster[censored].

I could see Elsweyr being with the Dominion only if something similar to the 4th Era was happening and as far as we know it isn't. No assassinated Mane, no disappearing moons no two groups fighting each other in some type of internal conflict.


I really cannot conceive of any Alliance between the Dunmer, Argonians and Nords. That would have to take the cake as the least likely alliance ever with the possible exception of the Dunmer, Altmer, Nords and Argonians all working together. The Dunmer were gleeful slave owners of Argonians at that point in history. Nords and Dunmer have always been hostile to each other given their history and the Dunmer superiority and the Nordic hatred of Mer. I call BS or that this Elder Scrolls MMO is a complete piece of [censored] in terms of Lore and politics. There is zero respect for the Lore under ANY conditions that could be even remotely possible of those factions are working together. It just makes no sense.

What is the exact time frame of the MMO though? I am guessing the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Second_Era?

The Dunmer should be their own faction. Their power at this point in history was nearly unmatched. They ended the Reman Empire by holding off his armies for 80 years and then having him assassinated. The Akaviri Potentates then came to power.