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Thread: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

  1. #1
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    Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    Just a little something I've been pondering on for quite some time. What do the Aldmer look like? From what I've learned, the Altmer have selectively bred to resemble them. But, when we look at it, we have five elven races (ignoring magically changed races): Altmer, Bosmer, Dwemer, Falmer and Maomer. I think the appearance of the Falmer and Maomer, we can put down to evolution? Falmer are a light blue tone to blend in. Maomer have evolved to live aquatically. That means we have three races; Altmer, Bosmer and Dwemer. We know that Bosmer and Dwemer resemble more a typical elf. They have a light skin tone, similar to a human. And, from what I can tell, they're all unrelated (or at least, distant).

  2. #2
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    We don't know the color of the Falmer (their relationship to the Reiklings has not been proven, and even if the Reiklings are Falmer descendants their skin color could have changed alongside everything else) or the Dwemer (only specimen is suffering from corpus). The Bosmer are said to have intermingled with mannish stalk. We do however know that Altmer-looking elves (Altmer, Direnni, Chimer, Ayleid) are common and found all over the place. As such, I would say that the Altmer are pretty close to the original look of the Aldmer, though some features were probably exaggerated.

  3. #3
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    I'd have to say they probably look like high elves, maybe slightly more "perfected". I don't really know what I mean by that, but I would assume that since the altmer are trying to look like them, they must look slightly different. Maybe the aldmer were taller, tanner, and more athletic looking. This is what I'm thinking the timeline of the Mer would be. Left out the Falmer and Maormer. Not enough info. Anyhow, there is the Aldmer. Dwemer and Bosmer go to live in their separate cultures. Still practically the same physically.

  4. #4
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    Ayleids would be more accurately described as cousins, or siblings of the altmer, rather than ancestors. They’re not called Heartland High Elves for nothing. And remember, the altmer hail from the summerset is less while the Ayleids were centered in Cyrodiil. One did not produce the other, they coexisted. There is absolutely no reason to assume that the bosmer and the Dwemer are one and the same. (Keep in mind Dwemer ghosts are hunched over, not standing perfectly erect like in-game bosmer) Notably, there is no evidence to suggest that the Dwemer had women who were naturally and predominantly taller than men, which is a defining trait of Bosmer physiology. We cannot conclude they are the same race.

  5. #5
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    The Direnni definitely aren't Altmer, since they've been up there in Highrock since the convention. This all ties into the notion of "race" in Tamriel. Since all men and mer can interbreed, they are technically one biological race with many breeds. What you consider a breed/race depends as much on culture as it does on biology. The 1st era Ayleids, who are biologically Altmer, are consider their own race, as are the Chimer. If I had to draw a real-world parallel I would compare it to the various 'ethnicities' of Europeans, many of whom look identical and yet are classed as separate due to culture.

  6. #6
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    Except they are and they don't. Culturally, the Chimer was as far away from the Altmer as you could get, that’s the whole reason they left for Morrowing. The Ayleids, while closer to their island brethren, also developed their own culture. We know that there are several Ehlnofex dialects, and it doesn't take a linguist to see how different Ayleid is from Dunmer is from high Ehlnofex. Their appearance remained identical at first and later branched, with the Chimer becoming Dunmer, the Ayleids becoming wild, and the Altmer selectively breeding towards their goal. Their ancestors don't matter, since every elf can be traced to the same.

  7. #7
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    Re: Aldmeri Appearance in the elder scrolls

    No, they're nowhere near that different. They have the same language, exact same appurtenance, same ancestors and the same culture, other than the few views that separated them. They would be more like the different cities of England. They think they're completely different, and try to act so, but we're all the exact same, really. Personally I'm interested in the Falmer. They're more mysterious than the Dwemer, as far as general information. Their distinction from other merish races, yet lack of apparent history or culture or survivors.

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