The Unseen Dwemer from the Elder Scrolls Explained

Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls became famous for its unique and provocative takes on traditional fantasy tropes. Along with Elves and Orcs, the series provides a take on the cave-dwelling Dwarves of traditional fantasy series, known here as Dwemer, within the games. Instead of the typical drunk miners that gamers expect, the writers explore what such a race would realistically act like.

Even if the Dwarves of Tamriel vanished without a trace thousands of years ago, they left many remnants and traces of their presence. Here is a breakdown of the enigmatic Dwemer's story from The Elder Scrolls series.

The Culture of the Dwemer

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In most other fantasy series, Dwarves are depicted as mining-obsessed, battle-loving drunkards, and the first character that comes to mind would likely be the lovable oaf Gimli from Tolkien's Legendarium. Those expecting such stereotypes will be in for a surprise. According to the lore, the Dwemer of this series is calculating, scientific, and devoid of kindness.

Even though Daedra and Aedra routinely meddle in Tamriel's affairs, the Dwemer rejected them. Specifically, they considered none of the divine beings worthy of worship. One way they crossed the divine beings of Tamriel was through their attempted creation of the Numidium, a giant mecha and "artificial god."

Like traditional Dwarves, they lived in underground cities and massive caves like Skyrim's Blackreach. Their architecture is similarly obtuse, combining stereotypically "Dwarven" aesthetics with Babylonian decorations, art-deco flares, and steampunk devices.

Furthermore, they even abused the Snow Elves, their cousins. Upon being driven away by the Nords, the Dwemer sheltered them only to enslave them and feed them mushrooms that made them blind. After the Dwemer vanished, the Snow Elves, now the feral "Falmer," overtook many of their ruins.

Their Advanced Technology

While The Elder Scrolls is a fantasy franchise first and foremost, the Dwemer provides several sci-fi elements. Players can find many examples of the magically-powered steampunk devices they created over the centuries, many of which still run throughout the ruins they've created. Examples include the numerous automata that patrol their cities, such as the sphere drones and the monstrous Centurions. In Skyrim, the player discovers that the Dwemer even built a device capable of safely reading an Elder Scroll.

However, their most impressive creation was the "Numidium," a humungous mecha. This titan was powered by the "Heart of Lorkhan," the last remnant of the being who tricked the other gods into creating the material world. Zurin Arctus of Daggerfall and Dagoth Ur of Morrowind sought the titan's power.

Their Mysterious Disappearance

Of course, the most infamous aspect of the Dwemer in the series is their unexplained vanishing thousands of years before the mainline series. Long ago, the Chimer migrated to Morrowind and existed peacefully with the Dwemer. However, a war broke out due to religious differences between the Chimer's ruling tribunal and the latter's attempts to control the Heart of Lorkhan using the tools of Sunder, Keening, and Wraithguard.

After the death of Dumac Dwarfking in battle, the mage Kagrenac used the three tools on the Heart in a desperate bid for its power. As a result, every single Dwemer on Tamriel suddenly vanished. At the time of writing, their fate remains unknown. According to series director Todd Howard, the full explanation of the Dwemer's fate will never be revealed to preserve the series' overarching mysteries.

Their Role Through Elder Scrolls

Their most prominent role to date was during Morrowind, set in the province at the heart of their disappearance. The Nerevarine explores several of their ruins while uncovering their lore. By the end, they discover that the usurper Dagoth Ur is trying to use the three tools to revive the Heart of Lorkhan and take over Tamriel. Additionally, the only Dwemer to ever appear was Yagrum Bagarn from the game, a cyborg in another realm when his race vanished.

Furthermore, the Dragonborn explored several of their ruins throughout Skyrim, such as the Tower of Mzark's Elder Scroll and their stronghold on Solstheim, which hides a Black Book. While they were never the center of any DLC thus far, many of their ruins appeared in Elder Scrolls Online.

A Lost History

To summarize, the disappeared Dwarves of Tamriel stands as one of the biggest mysteries of the series. From their lost cities to technological marvels, they are one of the most intriguing lore elements of the saga. In an era where many fantasy tropes have become state, Bethesda pulled through by exploring how a stoic race of engineers might act in a larger fantasy setting. With the sixth game on the horizon, there is a not-so-small chance fans could receive further hints about their ultimate fate.

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The article as originally written by Edward Fargis