Summary
While it’s not officially confirmed which province of TamrielThe Elder Scrolls 6will be set within, speculation fueled by promotional material so far has made Hammerfell and High Rock seem like the most likely candidates for the next location. Either one has its own cultural merit, but they would both benefit from a deeper look into their lore after years of not being represented in mainline titles. Whether Bethesda decides to utilize one or both regions, however,featuring Hammerfell inTES6while ignoring a key part of its lore from the Dwemer could feel half-baked.
After not being properly featured in a mainlineTEStitle sinceDaggerfall, Hammerfell would receive more insight into its culture than ever before if it stands as the focus inThe Elder Scrolls 6. This is a tough route to navigate as a studio though, as one of the foundational influences on the lore of the province, the lost civilization of the Dwemer, is an area of the franchise which its director has expressed disinterest in elaborating on much more in the future.
The Dwarves of The Elder Scrolls Are Likely to Remain a Mystery Indefinitely
Many players are likely familiar with the dungeon ruins which detail their technological prowess and lore, but it doesn’t seem likely that the Dwemer, or dwarves of Tamriel, will continue to have this representation in the next game. While speaking onElder Scrolls Onlinein a 2021Game Informerinterview, game director Rich Lambert spoke on studio head Todd Howard’s perspective on ever including more Dwemer lore in the future:
“…at one point where we were exploring Dwemer stuff. Everyone wants to know about that, and we wanted to know about it too, and we were digging into that, and Todd kindly reminded us that this was something we will never do, we will never come out and spoil the mystery and the secrets of the Dwemer.”
ESOdirectly features Hammerfellalong with impressive areas based around the Dwemer in expansions like Clockwork City and Greymoor, but it could also be said that the MMO title doesn’t surpassSkyrimin terms of what was shown of the race’s lost culture beyond just their inventions. There’s been new information revealed about their relationship to the respective locations their work exists within, but the Dwemer themselves have always had what seems to be intentionally vague lore.
The Elder Scrolls 6’s Potential Hammerfell Setting Arguably Needs to Expand on the Dwemer
Hammerfell’s Original Inhabitants Would Have an Undeniable Impact
The Dwemer are considered to have been another kind of Aldmer and not necessarily a distinct race of dwarves, as they migrated from Aldmeris to Hammerfell like the various elves did to different provinces. They made their home in what was known as Volenfall, a name that now only survives among ruin environments inESO’s MMO structure. With the upcoming game likely to bring the level of detail of Tamriel to new heights as it brings the series into a new generation,depicting Dwemer ruins inTES6that are more substantial than typical dungeons would inevitably shine more light on the lore of the societies who lived there, as would relics of their time found in the desert.
The name Hammerfell itself derives from the fact that a Dwemer clan leader threw his hammer, the iconic relic called Volendrung, across Tamriel - it landed where Hammerfell now stands, and the name says as much.
If Bethesda really doesn’t want to show more about Dwemer on a specific level, these kinds of areas could end up falling flat as opposed to finally providing fans with a look into a part ofTESthat has only been hinted at. There’s a case to be made for always maintaining an aura of ambiguity around this long-dead civilization which may have never been meant for deep exploration, but their ancient ties to Hammerfell make the Dwemer one of the key elements of the region’s history which would need to benefit from the potentially increasedscale ofThe Elder Scrolls 6’s world.
