Just thought I'd clarify some lore stuff for the people asking about the dwemer's dissapearance and vampire backstory.
The dissapearance of the dwemer has basically been solved. They tried to create a god out of mortal materials, and in turn make themselves gods. This breaks the basic laws of the TES universe because you can't "turn the profane into the divine". Makes you wonder if Talos was ever REALLY human eh? As a result, they either anti-created themselves or were exterminated by Azura, as even the daedra feared them. Michael Kirkbride also hinted that he and the people at Bethesda will likely never show us the dwemer because they should stay a mystery.
Someone also mentioned how it would be difficult to give vampires a backstory because they're barely mentioned outside of background lore. A valid point but keep in mind that the same is often true for the subjects of TES' expansions. Sheogorath was barely in oblivion less than vampires were, yet they made an entire questline that expanded his lore. I have no doubt that however vampires are involved in this game, they'll be written in well.
Ya see, I think that's a HUGE error on the part of Bethesda.
The lore says that no one really knows what happened to the Dwemer - that everyone ASSUMES they disappeared suddenly because they allegedly tried to transcend the mortal plane.
However, there is an alternate and much more plausible explanation.
If I remember right, the Dwemer were getting run out of every place they settled. I think they were driven from Elsywehr (or however you spell it) and retreated to Morrowind, and then fanned out into Skyrim.
Clearly they were in trouble from the start. You can see that at least in Skyrim they build SOME stuff on the surface, and Markarth especially looks like a normal surface city (or as normal as Dwemer could make one.) However, there must have been friction with the snow elves, because they seemed to both retreat to higher ground and also DIG DEEP in that higher ground.
Once the Nords arrived and started stomping the snow elves AND the dragon, they must have felt the surface was even less inviting. Blackreach must have been the result.
But:
In Morrowind, their control of the Heart of Lorkhan was not enough to protect themselves from both the Dunmer and Nords. Which leads to an inevitable question:
Since the Dwemer haven't been found on any non-earthly/ethereal plane (because the Aedra, Daedra or their minions would have reported it), THEY MUST STILL BE SOMEWHERE IN TAMRIEL - but WHERE?
To me, Blackreach is a singularly important clue.
It's pretty clear that THEY WENT DEEPER.
They must have been preparing for their retreat for some time. When the Heart of Lorkhan was triggered during the final, climactic battle in Morrowind, I would be the whole race was magically teleported to VERY DEEP areas that had been already prepared. Sure, some ash piles were left behind - either of dwemer who were 'uninvited', or perhaps by error (the process might not have been perfect), or possibly the ashes represent material other than Dwemer flesh that was not compatible with the teleportation process.
From the lore I've read, the few ash piles that were discovered cannot possibly account for all the dwemer.
What about the falmer?
They're used to living underground. Clearly they've found ways to feed themselves. So why are they moving their way towards the surface, now even hunting and raiding?
Looks to me like they are trying to GET AWAY from something. As if they were.................escaped slaves.............which would also explain their rejection of dwemer armor and weaponry in favor of items of their own manufacture.
And, finally, look at the automatons in the ruins.
If the dwemer all suddenly died, perhaps one could understand that their maintenance robots would continue to function without someone there to turn them off.
But how can anyone explain the OVERWHELMING preponderance of security/military robots?
I'd say it's pretty clear. They are there to observe and man the OBSERVATION POSTS, or 'pickets' if you will. They are the forward observers who are watching the surface dwellers in their sporadic penetrations of dwemer facilities close to the surface, so the dwemer who are much deeper have advance warning of any possible invasion.
The conclusion is inescapable.
THe Dwemer still exist, and are very, very deep.
BETHESDA:
Hire me. I'll write the story for you. Hell, I'll recruit and manage the dev team. It will be an expansion of Legendary - nay, EPIC - proportions. It will make the Saga of the Volsungs look trite by comparison.
» Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:25 pm 
