Just because the Empire have the numbers doesn't mean that their army is stronger.

Thalmor have Valenwood, Elswyr and their homeland Summerset isle

Valenwood: powerfull archers
Elswyr: Powerful Khajiit warriors and prowlers

Hammerfull and Stros M'kai, Blackmarsh, Vvardenfell and Morrowind Orsinium and Skyrim Have receeded from the Empire (Orsinium was destroyed again and Skyrim is in the midst of civil war and Vvardenfell was destroyed)

Hammerfell and Stros M'kai: Powerful and talented Redguard warriors and A'likr warriors
Orsinium: Orc Berserkers and warriors
Skyrim: Nord warriors
Morrowind: Dunmer warriors and mages
Blackmarsh: Argonian mercenaries and soldiers

The Empire have Cyrodiil and Highrock

Highrock: Breton mages and soldiers
Cyrodiil: Imperial legion, Synod, Fighter Guild, Knights of the Nine (assuming they weren't destroyed or disbanded)

I really want to believe one of the expansions will take place in High Rock. I want to see a remade Daggerfall. And how the Breton/Thalmor thing works out.

It is not yet confirmed wheter Skyrim will b a part of the Empire or not, and will likely be the deciding factor wheter the Empire survives or not.

Edit: IIRC some orcs mention that it is common that they join the Imperial Legion.

And I believe that when war breaks out between the Empire and Thalmor Hamemrfell will not sit idly by. They will likely retake the land they have lost and fight against the Dominion. If Skyrim seceds from the Empire they will also likely lauch campains towards the Dominion based on the Stormcloak ending.
That means Cyrodiil, High Rock, Orc legionaries, Hammerfel and Skyrim will be united in common purpose.

Only two species survived the chaos in the beginning; one was the Hist, the other was the ancestor of Man and Mer.
The Hist eventually spawned Argonians, while the ManMer Ancestors deviated into two (perhaps three due to Redguards being of different human ancestry) groups of Man and Mer.
The Men took residence in Atmora (and possibly others splintered off and settled Yokuda) while the Mer stayed on Tamriel. The Ayleids, being Daedra worshippers, probably were the first recorded race in Tamriel (as at the time, Tamriel was still connected to Mehrunes Dagon's Plane, though barely because of Lorkhan's trickery, because Akatosh had not made his covenant with St. Alessia). Eventually the Men of Atmora came to Tamriel and by then Dwemer and Falmer had splintered off from the original Mer. Men fought with the Falmer, conquered them, then moved South into Cyrodiil where their descendants (the Nedes/Imperial ancestors) became enslaved by the Ayleids. By St. Alessia's time, Altmer and Bosmer splintered from the Ayleids (or were there before then from the Mer Ancestors, not so sure). After Alessia overthrew the Ayleids, the survivors defected into Valenwood and Summurset Isle, where they bred with the Native Bosmer and Altmer.

That is the reason the Altmer believe themselves to be so superior (They are directly connected and the most blood-related to the Ayleids, who were the first Mer descendants of the ManMer Ancestors) and why they allied themselves with the Bosmer.

During the time of the Ayleids, I believe the first Nordic people interbred with the Mer to produce Bretons, which were second-class citizens to full-blooded Mer. Orsimer were Elves (though not sure which kind) that were made into Orcs due to Boethiah posing as Trinimac (or in some tales devouring him, who then became Malacath as his faithful were cursed into their form or Orsimer).

I think Boethiah (Though Azura may have done it as she taught the Chimer how to me different from the Altmer) also created the Dunmer from the Chimer, who were a group of Daedra-worshipping Mer that refused to worship the Divines, who's religion came to dominate Tamriel. Vivec is the only representation of what the Chimer may have looked like as he is Dunmer/Chimer mix (He is also the "Anticipation of Mephala").

Anyway, away from my rambling, Altmer believe all living things are subservient to them, Manmer included and would sacrifice them all in order to regain divinity.

Are you sure Morrowind left? I know it got preaty much destroyed but it seems it's rebuilding and still part of the Empire.
As for Skyrim, We don't know what happens to it yet but I think the Empire wins.I agree with everything else though.

True not all of Morrowind was destroyed but when the Argonians invaded it was weakened severely so I wouldn't ask them for help since they're still recovering after loosing most of their armies.

I see. Well when the Empire regains it's power let's hope it's get better. I believe the Dark Elves an the High Elves are not on the best terms and they would be a great asset for the Empire.

You are correct that the Altmer have absorbed Valenwood and Elswehr into Summurset Isle (figuratively) in to the now-Aldmeri Dominion.
However, Hammerfell seceded from the Empire, then repelled a Thalmor invasion. Argonia/Black Marsh is hardly loyal to the Empire anymore as they invaded one of the Empire's provinces (Morrowind), which was destroyed by the eruption of Red Mountain. Skyrim is suffering from a civil war that may or may not end in the Empire's favor. Either way, Skyrim is weakened from the massive losses on both sides. Cyrodiil was practically burned to the ground by the Dominion and Orsinium was destroyed (as you said) yet again. This leaves only High Rock (presumably) untouched. The empire doesn't even have numbers nor a better army now that their best archers betrayed them (Valenwood), their footsoldiers seceded (Hammerfell), their supply of Ebony ore is completely untouchable (allegedly)(Morrowind), and their Argonian allies left them too. Not to mention their Orc berserkers and Nordic Vanguard or the dissolution of the Tamrielic Mages Guild. Also, the Knights of the Nine would not even consider helping the Empire for obvious reasons and were probably wiped out.

The fact that all of Tamriel is sundered means that there will probably be invasions from Akivir, meaning the Empire is sandwiched from both sides of, to put it bluntly, Hell/Oblivion. Speaking of which, with the Dragonfires doused, daedra are free to invade Tamriel at any time.

It is not a good time to be in Tamriel right now. Well, unelss you are an Altmer

Hopefully so, but by the time the Empire regains strengh the Thalmor wont be far behind and any hope of requesting from Hammerfell and Stros M'kai it would be too late since the Thalmor would have rolled over them and I highly doubt that Morrowind will fully recover because when red mountain erupted it covered most of morrowind with ash killing thousands and making the land near inhabitable.

A united Tamriel alone will not be able to overcome the Thalmor... Reman Cyrodiil couldn't do it. The best he managed was to get them to pay tribute.

How did Tiber Septim do it? He got a giant stompy robot.

What does Tamriel have today?

...Dragons.


I really don't think Alduin was the only reason a Dragonborn was put upon the Mundus one last time...

Damn.

I see what you mean but I don't agree with you on Hammerfell. If they were to conquer it, it would have more problems. The redguards are some of the best warriors on Tamerial and take pride in tha. Also their hate for the Thalmor is high. Resistance groups will come out and attack. It happened before with a guy named Cyrus. He won too and defeated the Imperial Navy(This was during Tiber Septim's life too) which was very powerful at the time.

Edit: Damn it's late. Why I'm still replying lol. Well atleast you guys are intelligent and this debate is quite interesting.

Genius! And since Dragons can't be killed completely they can attack volley after volley after volley.

That would be awsome.

I agree with what you said, I never said that the Redguard wouldn't resist, what I mean was that the Thalmor will destroy their cities or occupy them and anyone that does resist will be hunted down and killed and any one that doesn't resist will be enslaved or executed.

As for the Thalmor's stance on the Bretons and other man/mer hybrids... They'd probably consider them even more subordinate to races of men. That elves would have interbred with such beasts to produce... mongrels... would be an affront to their high and haughty senses.

If you're not a eugenically produced thoroughbred high elf, you deserve to be under the Thalmor's boot. That's their stance.

Nord beast! Your life and lands are now forefei*NECKSTABFINISHER*Gaaaaauuughhh!

But isn't that how the Thalmor view all the other races, mer or man? But since they have this whole pro mer thing going on wouldn't they try and absorb the manmer into the Thalmor for the time being, their magical prowess is not something you turn down without good reason, and the thalmor don't have a good reason.

I think that Thlamer are coal.

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That's about how it went. And some other god tried to do the same and failed, which created the Bosmer and that is why they are constantly at each others thoaths. "Words of clan-mother Ahnissi" IIRC was the name of the book that tells the Khajiiti version of the Monomyth.

You know what would wreck the High Elves? Bretons on Dragons. No contest.

It's a thing that older forumers do to introduce you to the forums, I thought it was fitting because you joined a few minutes ago.

Oooo thanks

yes and no the problem is that Bretons are part man as such are still connected to lorkhan to unmake mundas they must be rid of all men unlike the beast races which are not part of lorkhan

also i agree with the stance that they would dispise bretons more then men for being half breds
they look down on everyone yes! BUT they hate men

as long as men breave they are stuck here in their limited form remember to them Mundas is a prison and its men keeping them there
then you have a group of elves who did the deed with their jailers so to speak

i believe they would view it as betrayal breton anncestors iterally slept with their enemy