So all of a sudden there is this huge struggle for power engulfing the entire continent of Tamriel, and it was never even a footnote in TES lore before? Ok.

Ans since players can be crowned emperor, now there will be a thousand emperors in this time period who were never mentioned either?

For me TES:O is not cannon and never will be.

No offense, but I don't think you're as lore savvy as you think you are.

The Interregnum. Read up on it.

Dragon Break. Poor Akarieloshrakakhan never gets a rest.

As for there being no records of the war... most of the second era was pretty much a "dark era" similar to our IRL Dark ages, where almost nothing was written/recorded. The Interregnum was a time of great strife. Most of it, a complete mystery.

Going by UESP, ESO takes place around 2E 578. The Interregnum begins around 2E 430.

So yeah, makes sense.

okay, this got moved here. Deep breaths, people.

1. The Interregnum is not really the total blank slate ZO is interpreting it as, but there were almost certainly dozens of pretender kings sitting on white-gold's throne. You don't think Cuhlecain styled himself as emperor before that tricky nightblade let his men into Sancre Tor?

2. Ayrenn is a genuinely terrible idea for a character. ( not because she's an Altmer who isn't terrible person, but because she's a young ruler even by human standards. She could potentially have advisers a hundred times her age.)

3. Neither of these things matter because canon is a useless term in a world where people can breathe retroactive climate change.

Oh really? Tell me exactly where in the lore does it say that in the second era, three multi-nation alliances formed and fought over control of Tamriel. Then tell me where it says that for one week, Rolph Teh Uber was emperor, followed by elEEt6969.

Don't you dare insult the T'Ubberes family. Rolph was a good man in spite of the Colovian fool of a father Danielle took into the household, and to this day the imp on the family crest wears the Ruby crown in honor of his three day reign.

You're right. I feel ashamed of myself. Long live Rolph the Uber!

I'm sure somewhere buried in the lore it mentions the short lived rulerships of xxS0LiDSnakexx and CommanderShepard.

But let's not forget about the rulerships of the Once and Future Emperor, the Elk himself.

It was answered - a resounding non-answer of anything resembling a defense. In other words, TESO is not cannon.

The day will come when the horns sound for the arrival of the Red King in Velvet from the East, when his tongue Speaks open the doors of Nibennium, and when those who praised his name in secret rush to meet him on Green Emperor Way; but for now, we'd best speak in low tones.

No. No it isn't.

So every emperor to be in TESO is on that list either by some act of sorcery or time travel? Fascinating argument you have there.

But by that logic, none of the games are canon because every person who has ever played Skyrim is a Dragonborn who saved the world. Because, you know, the Dragonborn was male/female/human/Altmer/skinny/fat....

Also, your argument that some of the events which occur in TESO are now int he stated lore were only inserted afterward. The exact point of my OP.

well, duh

Those details are not stated anywhere in the lore, and are wholly insignificant compared to a massive continental war for power.

No, not really insignificant. And you have to remember that it's more the events that are canon then the individuals, in the case of "players". This has been the case for Elder Scrolls as long as most can remember.

And so what if a major event was inserted into an earlier time period in the lore and made canon? What is the big issue with this? Writers do this all the time. We never heard about Captain Archer or the Temporal Cold War in the original Star Trek series, so should that not be canon now?

I am a huge Trek fan, and I loved Enterprise unlike a lot of people, but even I had a big problem with that same thing. Something so significant to history would have been mentioned. As is the case with TESO. Are you telling me that such a time of strife and chaos would not have been found in any in game books? I just can't accept that.

Even more than that will be the issue of the player emperors. That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard. So we'll have what, 300, 400 emperors in a very short time frame with no mention at all?

Seems legit.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Interregnum

Do you know what the "dark ages" are? We had one IRL as well.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-third-edition-seat-sundered-kings-cyrodiilhttp://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-first-edition-cyrodiil.

Alright, you've convinced me. Nothing anyone else here said did anything except reinforce my (former) opinion, but you providing actual info from established lore which was not inserted as an afterthought to TESO has made me see that there is a well established precedent for TESO. Well done.