The Dream That Refuses to End: Unraveling the Mysteries of The Elder Scrolls Series
For over three decades, The Elder Scrolls has transported players to the continent of Tamriel—a world of sweeping political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and gods who walk among mortals. Yet beneath the surface of this meticulously crafted fantasy universe lies a labyrinth of unanswered questions, cryptic symbols, and hidden connections that have fueled fan speculation across five mainline games and countless expansions. From the disappearance of an entire race to the true nature of reality itself, here are the most compelling fan theories and conspiracies about The Elder Scrolls series.
Note: This is only fan theories, not necessary the official truth about real canon story. For the newbie, get a lot of experience with the games before reading this page.
I. The Towers Theory: The Thalmor’s Plan to Unmake the World
Perhaps the most influential and widely discussed theory in The Elder Scrolls community concerns the true motives of the Thalmor, the elven supremacist faction that serves as the primary antagonist of Skyrim.
The Nature of Towers
The theory begins with the concept of Towers—mysterious structures scattered across Tamriel that, according to esoteric lore, literally hold up reality. These include the Adamantine Tower on the Isle of Balfiera (said to be the oldest), the White-Gold Tower in Cyrodiil, the Red Tower (Red Mountain) in Vvardenfell, Snow Throat (the Throat of the World) in Skyrim, and others. Each Tower is associated with a “Stone”—a foundational element that binds it to Nirn and maintains its stabilizing function.
The idea that Towers might be holding up creation itself seems to stem from a single quote in Greg Keyes’ novel “The Infernal City”: “Well, some think that the White-Gold Tower—and some other Towers around Tamriel—help, well, hold the world up, or something like that. […] Anyway, everyone seems to agree it has power, but no one knows exactly what kind”.
The Thalmor’s Secret Goal
Building on this foundation, theorists propose that the Thalmor are systematically working to deactivate the Towers. Why? Because elven mythology holds that elves (the “Old Ehlnofey”) and humans (the “Wandering Ehlnofey”) were originally immortal spirits who became trapped in mortal bodies when Mundus was created. The Thalmor, according to this theory, view mortality as a prison and seek to return to their original spirit form.
By deactivating the Towers, they would destabilize Mundus until it collapses entirely, allowing elves to escape the “trap” of mortal existence—even if that means annihilating all of creation in the process. This interpretation recasts the Thalmor’s ban on Talos worship not as mere religious persecution but as a calculated move to weaken one of the Towers (since Talos, as a god of men, may be spiritually connected to them).
The Evidence
The theory draws on multiple in-game sources. Several Towers are already known to have been deactivated or destroyed: the Crystal Tower in the Summerset Isles fell during the Oblivion Crisis; Red Mountain erupted catastrophically; the Brass Tower (Numidium) vanished from time itself. The Thalmor’s actions in Skyrim—their war against the Empire, their persecution of Talos worshippers, their mysterious research—all fit into a larger pattern.
Some theorists have even connected this to the insect jars found throughout Skyrim, which bear runes corresponding to specific cities that may form a pentagram pointing toward a world-ending ritual. As one fan put it, “The Thalmor are trying to erase mankind from existence, and the things that are stopping them are the eight towers”.
II. The Insect Jars of Skyrim: A Primer for the Apocalypse
Throughout the frozen expanse of Skyrim, players can discover small glass jars containing insects—torchbugs, butterflies, and other creepy-crawlies preserved like museum specimens. For most players, these are merely decorative clutter. For dedicated myth-hunters, they are something far more sinister.
The Runes Revealed
In late 2011, shortly after Skyrim’s release, people noticed that the lids of these insect jars are emblazoned with dragon runes. When translated, these runes correspond to specific locations within Skyrim: the cities of Morthal, Whiterun, Winterhold, Dawnstar, and Windhelm.
Theorists mapped these cities and discovered they formed a pentagon. Further investigation revealed that three dragon sanctuaries—Mzinchaleft and others—along with the Tower Stone formed a smaller pentagon within it, creating what one fan described as a “transmutation circle”. At the center of this geometric arrangement lies a shrine to Talos surrounded by a circle of stones.
The Weynon Stones Connection
Another theorist expanded on this by connecting the jars to the Weynon Stones and the broader Towers mythology. According to this interpretation, the Thalmor seek to destroy Snow Throat (the Throat of the World) by deactivating its binding stones—the Weynon Stones—thereby toppling the last active Tower and wiping mankind from existence. The insect jars, in this reading, serve as a map and instruction manual for this cosmic assassination.
III. The Godhead and CHIM: The Dreamer Who Dreams the World
Perhaps the most mind-bending theory about The Elder Scrolls concerns the nature of reality itself—the idea that the entire universe exists within the dream of a sleeping divine being known as the Godhead.
The Dreamer’s Slumber
According to texts both in-game and out (including Michael Kirkbride’s apocryphal writings), the world of The Elder Scrolls is the dream of a primordial entity called the Godhead. Every being, every star, every god is a figment of this dream—including the player character. When the Godhead wakes, the dream will end, and all of existence will cease to be.
This concept is referenced obliquely in Black Books like “Waking Dreams,” which describes the Godhead as “uncaring”. Some fans have speculated that Alduin, the World-Eater, may actually be an aspect of the Godhead—or at least intimately connected to it. In the out-of-game text “The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga,” Alduin’s dreams are shown to alter reality, and Mehrunes Dagon manipulates those dreams to reshape the world. If Alduin can dream reality into being, is he not himself a dreamer within the larger Dream?
CHIM: The Royal Path
If the Godhead’s dream is reality, then CHIM represents the ultimate realization: understanding that you are part of a dream while maintaining your individual identity. Derived from the Ehlnofex word for “royalty,” CHIM is the state of achieving self-awareness within the Dream without dissolving into it.
The metaphor often used is that of a wheel seen from the side—the spokes become a single line, the circle becomes an “I.” To achieve CHIM is to see the wheel from its side, to understand that you are both part of the whole and a distinct individual. Those who fail to maintain this balance fall into Zero-Sum, ceasing to exist as they are absorbed back into the Dream.
Those Who Achieved It
The most famous figure associated with CHIM is Vivec, the god-king of Morrowind, whose sermons (especially Sermon 36) hint at the path to enlightenment. Tiber Septim, who would become the god Talos, is also believed to have achieved CHIM, using its power to reshape Cyrodiil from jungle to temperate heartland.
The theory suggests that CHIM is the ultimate cheat code—a way to rewrite reality by asserting the self against the Dream. If Lorkhan designed Mundus as a proving ground for mortals to achieve this transcendence, then his “betrayal” of the other gods takes on new meaning: he wasn’t trapping them; he was freeing them to achieve something greater.
IV. The Mythic Dawn’s Heresy: Lorkhan as Daedric Prince
Mankar Camoran, the charismatic leader of the Mythic Dawn cult in Oblivion, presents a radically heretical interpretation of Tamriel’s creation myth—one that has spawned extensive fan speculation about the true nature of the Missing God.
Dawn’s Beauty
According to Mankar’s teachings in the Mysterium Xarxes, Tamriel itself is not a mortal realm but a Daedric plane called Dawn’s Beauty, formerly ruled by Lorkhan. In this interpretation, Lorkhan was not an Aedra who sacrificed himself for creation—he was a Daedric Prince, the Prince of Change, who envisioned Mundus as a place where mortals could achieve transcendence.
The other Aedra, threatened by Lorkhan’s vision, betrayed him. They ripped out his heart and cast it across Nirn, then rewrote history to paint themselves as benevolent creators and Lorkhan as a deceitful trickster. By stripping mortals of their divine sparks—the connection to Lorkhan’s original gift—they condemned them to “true death,” an existence without the possibility of apotheosis.
The Implications
If Mankar’s heresy contains truth, then the entire cosmology of The Elder Scrolls is inverted. The Aedra are not protectors but oppressors; the Daedra, for all their chaos, may offer a path back to the freedom Lorkhan intended. Mehrunes Dagon’s destruction of Mundus, in this light, becomes an act of mercy—freeing mortals from the prison the Aedra constructed.
This theory resonates with the broader themes of CHIM and transcendence. Lorkhan, the Missing God, may not be missing at all—he may be waiting for mortals to achieve what he always intended, to become dreamers themselves and birth a new Amaranth.
V. The Alien Conspiracy: Tamriel’s Visitors from Beyond
A more playful but surprisingly persistent theory suggests that The Elder Scrolls contains hidden references to real-world alien conspiracy theories—embedded in the lore by developers with a fondness for UFOlogy.
The Arcturian Connection
The in-game book “The Arcturian Heresy” takes on new significance when viewed through this lens. “Arcturians” are, in real-world conspiracy theory, a race of extraterrestrials said to communicate with humanity through telepathy. The choice of name for a heretical text about Tiber Septim’s apotheosis seems deliberate—a wink to players familiar with UFO lore.
The Nordic Parallel
The Nords of Skyrim are tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed humans—a perfect match for the “Nordic aliens” of conspiracy theory, who are said to be benevolent extraterrestrials working with governments. While Nords are clearly inspired by real-world Vikings, the parallels to alien mythology add an intriguing layer.
The Argonian Anomaly
Argonians, the lizard-like people of Black Marsh, resemble another staple of alien conspiracy: the reptilian humanoids said to live among us and secretly control world events. The Tsaesci of Akavir, vampiric snake-people who may have invaded Tamriel in ages past, could represent yet another layer of this reptilian mythology.
What’s missing? The classic “Greys” have no obvious counterpart—yet. Perhaps they await discovery in a future game, or perhaps they’ve been hiding in plain sight all along.
VI. The Eye of Magnus: Robot from the Future
The Eye of Magnus, the mysterious artifact at the center of Skyrim’s College of Winterhold questline, has generated extensive speculation about its true nature.
The Kirkbride Connection
Out-of-game texts by Michael Kirkbride have somewhat implied that the Eye was actually a robot from the future—and also Queen Ayrenn, the founder of the Aldmeri Dominion. This time-traveling, identity-shifting artifact would explain its immense power and its connection to Magnus, the god of magic who abandoned Mundus at its creation.
The ESO Rebuttal
Elder Scrolls Online very firmly stated that this interpretation is not canon. Yet the developers’ decision to explicitly reject it suggests that the theory had gained enough traction to warrant official response. The Eye remains one of Skyrim’s great unresolved mysteries—a device of unimaginable power whose origins and purpose are never fully explained.
The Magna-Ge Connection
New lore emerging from ESO has introduced additional information about the Magna-Ge—the spirits who followed Magnus out of Mundus. The Eye may be connected to these elusive beings, perhaps serving as a bridge between the mortal world and the realm of magic beyond.
VII. The Dwemer Disappearance: What Really Happened
The disappearance of the Dwemer (Dwarves) is the most famous mystery in The Elder Scrolls—an entire race vanishing in an instant, leaving only their machines and cities behind. Fan theories abound.
The Numidium Hypothesis
The most widely accepted theory holds that the Dwemer became fused with Numidium, their colossal brass god, during an attempt to achieve divine transcendence. When Kagrenac struck the Heart of Lorkhan with his tools, the Dwemer didn’t just die—they became the skin of Numidium, their souls providing the animating force for their ultimate creation.
Critics of this theory point out that the Dwemer dissolved into ash, not brass. If they became Numidium’s skin, why don’t we see Dwemer-shaped imprints on the giant robot? Perhaps it was their souls that merged with the construct, not their bodies—leaving their physical forms to crumble into dust.
The Oblivion Plane Theory
Another theory suggests the Dwemer were shunted into a plane of Oblivion, either as a side effect of Kagrenac’s tampering or as deliberate punishment from the Daedra. They might still exist there, trapped in some alien realm, waiting to be discovered.
The Time-Shift Theory
A third possibility is that the Dwemer were cast out of time entirely—like Alduin, who was flung forward from the Merethic Era to appear in Skyrim. The Brass Tower (Numidium) itself “vanished” after the Warp in the West, suggesting that time manipulation is within the Dwemer’s capabilities. Perhaps the Dwemer are not gone; they’re simply… elsewhere, awaiting the moment when history catches up with them.
The Kirkbride Approach
Notably, Michael Kirkbride’s approach to canon suggests that all these theories may be simultaneously true and false. As one commentator noted, his explanations were likely intended not as gospel but as possibilities—each raising as many questions as it answers. The Dwemer’s fate may be deliberately unknowable, a mystery that gives the universe depth precisely because it can never be solved.
VIII. The Rorikstead Conspiracy: A Village Built on Secrets
The humble village of Rorikstead in Skyrim hides one of the game’s most intriguing local mysteries—a place that doesn’t quite add up.
The Agricultural Anomaly
Rorikstead is situated in a region of Skyrim that should be incapable of supporting agriculture. The surrounding land is barren, the climate harsh, yet the village somehow produces abundant crops. This agricultural miracle has no obvious explanation.
The Children’s Names
Two children in Rorikstead bear names that appear in a list of Daedra: Erikur and Sissel. This coincidence has led some theorists to suspect that the village practices a form of Daedric worship—perhaps involving pacts that ensure the land’s fertility in exchange for… something.
The Unspoken Rituals
What happens in Rorikstead when outsiders aren’t watching? The village’s prosperity in the face of environmental impossibility suggests that something supernatural is at work. Whether this involves Daedric bargains, ancient pacts, or something even stranger, the game never reveals—leaving Rorikstead as one of Skyrim’s enduring enigmas.
IX. The Deep Ones of Oblivion: Waters Unknown
References in Oblivion hint at mysterious beings called the “Deep Ones”—creatures inhabiting the waters of Tamriel that have never been fully explained.
The Lovecraftian Echo
The name itself is a clear nod to H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” which features fish-like humanoids worshiping ancient deities. In the Elder Scrolls context, the Deep Ones may refer to aquatic races like the Sload (giant slug-people) or the Maormer (sea-dwelling elves), or they may indicate something entirely unknown.
The Unseen Threat
The Deep Ones are mentioned but never encountered—a tease that has haunted players for years. Perhaps they await discovery in a future game set in the Padomaic Ocean. Perhaps they’re merely atmospheric flavor, a reference to Lovecraft that adds depth to the world without requiring explanation. Whatever their nature, they represent another thread in the tapestry of Elder Scrolls mysteries that may never be fully unraveled.
X. The Missing Gods: Jyggalag, the Underking, and the Heart of Lorkhan
Beyond the major theories, the Elder Scrolls universe is filled with beings whose current whereabouts remain unknown.
Jyggalag’s Fate
At the end of the Shivering Isles expansion, the player defeats Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, breaking his curse and freeing him from his cyclical transformation into Sheogorath. But where did he go? Dialogue in Skyrim hints that the “Graymarch”—Jyggalag’s realm—may be stirring again, suggesting that despite the ending of Shivering Isles, Jyggy wasn’t actually freed. The Prince of Order may still exist, waiting for his moment to return.
The Underking’s End
Zurin Arctus, the Underking, met his end in Daggerfall—or did he? Official sources state that he died when the Mantella was recovered and Numidium was destroyed. Yet rumors persist that his essence lingers, perhaps bound to the Brass Tower or awaiting resurrection.
The Heart’s Whereabouts
The Heart of Lorkhan, after the events of Morrowind, was either destroyed or simply freed, depending on which source you consult. The games have been inconsistent on this point, leaving open the possibility that Lorkhan’s divine essence still beats somewhere, waiting to be discovered by those bold enough to seek it.
XI. The Cabal Conspiracy: Who Really Controls Tamriel?
An in-game book in Elder Scrolls Online titled “Who Is REALLY In Charge?” presents a delightful conspiracy theory that may or may not be true within the game’s universe.
The Secret Cabal
According to this open letter, a secret cabal of elite mages working in hidden catacombs beneath every major city in Tamriel invented the Planemeld—the central crisis of ESO—as part of their devious plan to control all of Tamriel. Molag Bal, the supposed mastermind? A myth. A clever fiction. The Dark Anchors are actually mind-control devices constructed by the Cabal.
The Alliance Leaders
All three Alliance leaders know of and support this cabal—in fact, they are all practicing members. The letter warns citizens not to approach the Anchors, which will cause them to hallucinate monsters and demons and likely force them to kill themselves by falling on their own swords.
The Truth Within the Fiction
Is this book merely a paranoid screed, or does it contain elements of truth? In the Elder Scrolls universe, where reality itself is subjective and the line between truth and delusion is porous, such questions rarely have simple answers. The Cabal may exist—or it may be a warning against the very tendency to see conspiracies everywhere.
Conclusion: The Mystery That Gives Depth
What makes The Elder Scrolls’ mysteries so compelling is not that they can be solved, but that they exist at all. In a medium where most games explain everything, Bethesda chose to leave questions unanswered, symbols unexplained, and phenomena unresolved. The insect jars may have been “just to mess with people,” as former developers have admitted about similar Easter eggs in other games. The Dwemer’s fate may be deliberately unknowable. The Thalmor’s true motives may never be revealed.
Yet the theories persist—because they enrich the world. The Towers theory transforms Skyrim’s civil war from a simple political conflict into a cosmic struggle for the survival of reality. CHIM turns every player character into a potential god, a dreamer within the Dream. The insect jars, whatever their origin, have created a community of players united in speculation.
As one commentator noted, learning Elder Scrolls lore is “like reading history books, which can never give you all the answers”. The gaps are the point. The mysteries are the meaning. In a universe built on dreams and dragon breaks and reality-shifting apotheoses, certainty would be a lie. The only truth is the questions—and the players who keep asking them, decade after decade, game after game.
Whether the Thalmor plan to unmake the world, whether Lorkhan was a hero or a trickster, whether the Dwemer still exist somewhere outside time—these questions may never have definitive answers. But the asking itself is a form of worship, a way of honoring the depth and complexity of a world that feels real precisely because it refuses to explain everything.
In the end, the greatest mystery of The Elder Scrolls may be this: that a series of video games could inspire such passion, such dedication, such relentless pursuit of truth. The Dreamer dreams, and within that dream, we dream of answers—even when none are forthcoming.
