I feel nothing but pity for the falmer. Being genocided, driven underground, enslaved, blinded, tested on by the dwemer.. They asked for help from the other civilizations of Tamriel, who all denied them. I would be angry at the surface world too.
Unfortunately, they brought it on themselves. The Atmorans approached them as friends and named Skyrim ''Mereth'' in their honour. The Snow Elves attacked Saarthal out of xenophobic fear that the Atmorans may outbreed them and slowly erase Falmeri culture. The Atmorans responded to betrayal with total annihilation.
To this day I still hate them, and the charus, especially charus reapers. They used to kill me in three hit, and I would be paralyzed after the first one
First time I saw them was in the dawnguard dlc so I saw the snow elf guradian before the falmers and I wished that there were more of his kind, it's just a shame that they killed or corrupted them all.
The story of the snow elves is the saddest one of the missing/fallen mer. I mean Dwemer and Ayleïds were cruel and while they had genius minds the world is better without them but the Snow elves while slaughtering Saarthal idk they seemed to have done it because of fear of the Atmorans rather than hate alone and I don't want to defend the viel act of slaughtering an entire city but it was also unjustified of the Atmorans to put every single elf to the sword. Quite a tragic story of a once beautiful and respected race to become so vile that even their souls became corrupted
aysseralwan I agree the act of the Night Of Tears in Saarthal was by a few Snow Elves that doesn’t justify a genocide of a whole race. Also keep in mind the only Survivors were Ysgramor and his sons I don’t know if he is telling the truth or not(him being in Soverngard doesn’t really prove anything other than he was a great warrior). Even when we meet Gelebor he is willing to forgive the Dragonborn for the killing of his brother to save the world, that alone shows me that the Snow Elves the majority were not down with genocide or people man or mer. Maybe they were too kind hearted and that was their undoing. I don’t know that’s my opinion anyways.
Keep in mind that we *do not know* the full story of the Night of Tears, only the Nordic account. We have no reason to believe the history laid down by Ysgramor (the Mer hating victor) is 100% accurate. Also, the Alessian Rebellion received at least as much, if not more support from Ayleid sympathizers as it did from the madman Pelinal and his Nord allies.
There's a part of me that feels that the Falmer didn't really start the Night of Tears. I keep feeling that the Atmorans found the Eye of Magnus, the Snow Elves got worried but at least tried some semblance of diplomacy (after all, the Falmer are held as being the only race of mer that didn't instantly devolve into hostilities with the races of man); I don't buy any of the "propaganda" the that the races of man, especially the Nords, spout on about. I think the Atmorans found the Eye, they wanted to use it (because the races of man are notoriously short-sighted and crave power, especially when they're arrogant enough to believe they can control it), and when the Snow Elves couldn't get the Eye by diplomacy, they were forced into a fight. And if this were just a few Snow Elves who attacked Saarthal… I can't help but think the reason Saarthal was so ruined was because Ysgramor and the Atmorans tried to unleash the power of the Eye of Magnus in retaliation; unable to control the Eye, it destroyed Saarthal. And given how Nords are portrayed in Skyrim, let alone in other ES sources, I can't help but believe that Ysgramor was unwilling to admit his role in bringing about the Night of Tears and instead blamed "those evil Falmer". Ultimately, that's just my personal headcanon, but it makes a darn sight more sense (at least to me) than the questionable Nord-centric propaganda we have shoved down our throats. More ironic is the fact that the Nords, perhaps more than any other race of man, are as xenophobic and filled with a superiority complex as the Altmer who willingly serve and believe in the cause of the Thalmor.
@@williams100292 Nords are one of the most aggressively xenophobic races on Nirn, so it's not hard to believe that the Night of Tears was provoked or even a retaliation by the Falmer against aggression.
The Snow Elves are definitely one of the coolest (pun only slightly intended) races in the series. It's a shame we never got to see more of them beyond lonely Gelebor in the Dawnguard DLC. I guess our only hope of seeing any sizable amount of them now is to wait for any potential Elder Scrolls Online DLC that might involve them.
Gelebor's full dialogue states he might not be the only one left and others could still be out there, they would be few and isolated but it's still a possibility. That said, there are also theories about Dwemer's motivation for taking the Snow Elves under their protection and that they didn't intent to outright enslave them but tried to help them somehow in their own way but it failed drastically. This is supported by the fact that they didn't need slaves to begin with, as they alone among other races had the technology to possess obedient mechanical servants that provided them with security, manpower and military might. It is often viewed as if they forced the Snow Elves to eat the toxic fungi but they knew the terms of the agreement and accepted it anyway. Whatever the Dwemer had planned for them was likely required willing subjects and the supposed torture rooms may actually be operating rooms for their experiments that gone wrong.
I dunno, it seems odd to me that they'd take the choice unless it was the only way to live, and even then they had some Snow Elves who refused, as mentioned in-game
Read Calcemo's Stone. While some things may have been lost in translation, the tone of the writing seems... Benevolent. It seems like the Dwemer genuinely thought they were doing a good thing for the Falmer somehow. The final passage of the stone: "Know only our mercy and the radiance of our affection, which unbinds your bones to the earth before, and sets your final path to the music of your new eternity." I theorize that since the Dwemer were anti-theists who rejected the gods, they performed some sort of unique tonal manipulation on the very essence of the Falmer to "unbind their bones" and give them a "new eternity." They may have fundamentally changed the Falmer in a way that altered their souls/severed their connection from the Aedra, which, from the Dwemer's perspective, was a good thing/act of mercy. I'm sure the Falmer who were devout worshippers of Auri-El would disagree. But it would be in the nature of the Dwemer to assume that their knowledge and wisdom justifies their actions, and the other races are simply ignorant and thus their opinions can be ignored.
Amazing video, thanks so much for covering the Snow Elves! I play one. Dawnguard is my favourite DLC because of how much it deepened our insight into the history and culture of the Snow Elves. When I first met Gelebor, I couldn't just go on with the story, I stood there in the cave for so long... Just couldn't believe they (Bethesda) showed us an actual, real, living Snow Elf. And when I realised he'd sent me on a deeply cultural quest, I saved & closed the game to go find a Snow Elf mod. Mind you, I was playing a Bosmer, just because I like Elves a lot but haven't really taken great *personal* interest in any of the Elvish races in TES; but Dunmer and Bosmer culture were just so weird and alien, I liked those kinda Elves. But something was still lacking. I found that something with the Snow Elves. I've been playing as a Snow Elf ever since. I've spent dozens of hours searching the Forgotten Vale for interesting structures and lines of text, often transporting architectural structures back to my homestead. It's a beautiful blend of Snow Elven, Nordic and a bit of I guess general medieval-ish outer and inner decor now. I've made up a whole backstory to it all. You have no idea how excited I got when, later, I found the quest to uncover the secret below Saarthal. And the huge statue you find during the Thieves Guild! And the Moesring Pass! Hah! I don't want to know how much time I've spent on reading up, looking through concept sketches, walking through the Vale/Dwemer Ruins/Blackreach/Solstheim since... Made playlists on Spotify and I-don't-know-how-many fanarts and personal/general backstories. This gets me carried away so easily, lol. All I wanted to say is "Hey I play a Snow Elf! Thanks for the video!", I guess. :D
There's probably a lot I'd have to add, but I don't have it on my mind right now. What I think is interesting is one theory about the Falmer's souls. People, including me, are speculating it might have to do with the Dwemer having had need to power their several kinds of automatons. Soul engineering. This could also be related to the change from Elf to monster. Would be super characteristic for them, just saying. Use them as slaves in life and as slaves in death.
It took me SEVEN character playthroughs over the course of three months before I finally participated in the civil war quest, and I hated it so much. I’m learning as fast as I can, but from what I van tell, I’m on the side of snow elves and dragons and I hate nords. LOL I don’t think that’s what my takeaway was supposed to be, but that was one sexy snow elf.
An important detail I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is that Skyrim is boxed in by mountains, which is obvious but in the case of the snow elves is a vital detail to what happened to them. There weren’t many other places to retreat to in time other than down.
“It's also quite possible that there are some other isolated conclaves of snow elves nestled elsewhere on Nirn.” Notice he said “Nirn” and not “Tamriel.” It’s possible they went to Atmora. Maybe that’s why the weather changed there. Also, I think the context of the college of winterholds quests imply that it was the Dwemer who learned about the Eye of Magnus and sacked Saarthal. In the Songs of Return, they call them elves, not specifically snow elves, and the Dwemer were looking for strong magical artifacts, like the heart of lorkhan. The atmorans also call the elven cities “lofty,” which I think further points to Alftand. You can also find a mammoth in the ice that’s been speared with a Dwemer spear and arrows nearby.
I do love the art. It's pretty damn good. I just don't understand the Falmer's weakness to frost magic when their former stage of evolution was resistant to it. You even find them in snowy caves and the Forgotten Valley, which is pretty much a frozen paradise.
The Snow Elves have interested me since my Bloodmoon dlc days back in Morrowind. Learning about the Snow Prince and finding his spear were a good start. Was so excited when I discovered a surviving member in the Dawnguard dlc. Makes me wonder if there are other hidden enclaves of Snow Elves in Skyrim. Maybe even in parts of High Rock Or Cyrodiil? Perhaps in certain Ayleid Ruins with there once being settlements of Heartland Elves along the borders of Skyrim eras ago. If I’m remembering correctly.
I hope the Snow Elves return someday. Either from hidden enclaves or reformed/cured Falmer. However, the Nords would never let them return home... for they are jerks.
Well they might still be around, there are tomes that state many of them left Skyrim and went to neighboring lands. But exactly where is still a mystery.
@@carna-9501 Well they seem to be popular with fans so hopefully but idk how many now because when dawnguard came out everyone wanted to play as them, everyone was so into them and now that died down a lot but still fingers cross.
If I could really make me my choices in Skyrim, I would become a powerful mage researcher, and figure out how to save the falmer and heal them back to their former selves, perhaps with the help of the ancient elves that hide in Tamriel that people think went extinct
The face sculptor in riften and a lot of calm spells is the way I see the betrayed returning to their uncorrupted form physically but their souls are damaged maybe through some very thorough therapy
Ever since I discovered what happened to the Falmer/Snow Elves I have been thinking: it's extremely unlikely the will be cured, but could they evolve into a more elven-like form again if given long enough time and better poison-free living conditions, food and water?
Jasmid Nurmi in the Conan the Cimmerian books, the Atlanteans devolved into ape like savages when Atlantis sank before revolving into the Cimmerians. Maybe the Falmer will experience something similar, never reaching what they were, but gradually returning to a more sapient form.
I still want to know how those two snow elves survived for thousands of years. Elves live a long time but I thought their upper limit was a thousand not multiple times that.
Definitely don't have a role-playing character for the Snow Elves. Maybe I should fix that haha. Can you do a video about The Left-handed Elves in Yokuda or the Sea Elves in Pyandonea? That would be awesome!
I think the night of tears was a horrible misunderstanding. The snow elves did invade saarthal but they weren't actually going out of thier way to kill non combatants like ysgramor said but most the atmorans died due to jyrik activating the eye. When Ancano activated the eye he caused a huge explosion that injured mirabell and killed the arch mage as well as unleashing the anomalies. Maybe Jyrik is the one responsible for the deaths at Saarthal when he activated the eye because he's also invulnerable like Ancano is when the eye is active and he caused an explosion that killed everyone and Ysgramor thought it was the snow elves who did it.
Huh, that thing with the Skaal surprised me. You'd think a culture who's all about 'one with nature' would be more opposed to genocide. Unless that all-father or great father or whatever they call it isn't as benevolent as he seems.
The Skaal of Solstheim are more peaceful, only fighting in self defense, notice how they dont attack elves on sight or have any ill will toward them, they're just wary of outsiders because they dont know their intentions, they're like the dunmer that way
Falmer remind me of the Tusken Raiders who were in Star wars universe like the Falmer in TES once a big civilization before their downfall, when they became mindless evil beasts
The only thing I may have contention about is that I thought I read or heard somewhere that the betrayed knowingly ingested the fungus with full knowledge of the effects it would ravage them with. Awesome videos by the way! Please keep them coming!
Omg plot twist : What if the Snow elves did not attack the atmorans ? What if Ysgramor was just like an explorer and after he discoverd Skyrim and the snow elves, he travelled back to atmora and gathered all his forces to conquer skyrim ? Like the third reich did, they attacked their enemy because "the enemy attacked first" ? Well the atmorans where looking for a new home country so
gelabor states the nords attacked in response to the attack of saarthal, we dont know why the attack happened but Ysgramor,his sons and Ahzidal werent lying about it occuring
@@victormanyeruke9997 There are two possibilities. The first reason is a pre-emptive strike against the Nords (Intercontinental visits to Tamriel has always end in war after all). Or because they are trying to take the Eye of Magnus inside Saarthal
Part way through I went from mournful to snickers as my mind suddenly shifted when the alphabet was mentioned. I just imagined my dragon born and breynla (I hope I spelled that right) going back to ask Gelabor (again, spelling) about the whole alphabet thing. They then whip out a book from the college that was very mysterious and he is like "this is a grocery list" -the end And that's why I'm dying right now.
The melancholic Forgotten Vale theme in the game really fits with the tragic tale of the Snow Elves. When we meet the ghosts that guard the wayshrines it's clear they were a highly intelligent and elegant race. One of the saddest lore drops I've ever experienced in a game.
Stormcloaks liked your videos & imperial trash hated it ! All 10 of them ! I loved it ! You did a awesome job, don't worry about those troublesome mean trolls ! You see, you have so many who liked it 😊 It's Educational & a great way of stories told / linked with history ma'am ! Respectfully Thank you ! Sincerely Paul~
Does anyone know why she stopped making content on here? These videos were just so great that I’m kinda surprised that there hasn’t been any new videos here. 🦦
I do wonder if any of the Snow Elves escaped into other provinces instead of being enslaved by the Dwemer or hiding in the Chantry. It would be interesting if some of them made it to Valenwood.
I understand that gelebor felt that he couldn't abandon his duty to chantry and other things but I wonder what would happen if he walked out of that cave and went to the nearest town or city like solitude. He could possibly gain support for a search for any remnants of his race.
I wish there was a quest where we could introduce Urag to Gelebor, especially since Urag is one of the only people in all of Tamriel that can speak and read the Snow Elf language.
I think that Bethesda should make it so that some Snow Elves escaped Skyrim and built an underground city somewhere in the snowy mountains. Not many venture far into the mountains, so this would make an excellent hiding place for the Snow Elves. They would learn the region and then be able to disappear quickly, leaving the one that spotted them wandering blindly in the snowy wasteland. I know that this doesn't make much sense since the Snow Elves didn't like living underground, but never the less, it would still be pretty cool if Bethesda did that!
Very , very nice m’lady i never quite grow bored of hearing anything related to TES , and with your soothing voice it is quite divine as if Mara herself was voicing it
b4 skyrim dawnguard dlc i didn't kno any lore about them i remember being so hyped during end snow elf parts they rlly stuck in my memory after that 4 some rsn
Yes, another excellent video, my lady :) A question for you, if you don't mind. Have you considered voice acting for Skyrim mods? I'd love to have you voice one of my characters :)
A scholar at the mage college of Wintehold teaching history. Just so the mages learn something else then magic. Or the same function at the bards college.
David Wineholt thank you so much for your kind support! Unfortunately I don’t have too much other social media like twitter, tumblr etc., however I do have a Discord channel that I link in the descriptions of my videos! :D I also have a deviantart linked on the front page of my UA-cam channel that links to my art page as well.
My question is, if "Falmer" means "The Betrayed", then what is the literal translation for Snow Elves or Ice Elves? This would give them a COMPLETELY different name.
Falmer are a subtle example on how use of The Thu’um can lead to very awful things that can stretch throughout time. The way of the voice is very important!
The creators should give more details of snow elves civilizations, is very strange that we see a lot of ayleds ruins for all tamriel, and we see any ruins on skyrim
In The Elder Scrolls all elves are pretty much horrible. The wood elves are the least horrible and they’re cannibals that live in a nightmare forest hellscape
And to think the Falmer race only suffered this endless torture because of one event, the Night of Tears... Had they not slaughtered the Atmorans of Sarthal and burned the city to the ground, Ysgramor, his companions and their followers wouldn't have returned with a vengeance and driven them into the ground with the Dwemer... "The actions of few cost many greatly..." - Me, just now.
Pro-tip: @ladyofscrolls Chaurus, and Chitin are not pronounced with the distinctive "tch" sound. Rather they are pronounced with a hard "k" sound. (ie. Keyetin, and Kaurus)
I know how the Falmers can be saved first the others races they must captured all the Falmers who are in Skyrim in Dwemer ruins, Caves and especially in Blackreach who are many there and bring them in Skyrim sun they must force the Falmers to eat like Normal elves dress them as Normal, I don't know how the will change maybe they will have big hands and Legs as you see the change to much from their normal forms the only thing I hate from them are their teeth who make them scary anyway they have to save them but you must know if they always be blind they can change everything but there is hope for them even more hope even they find out their King can be alive, Snow Prince is the leader of Skyrim and Soltheim I also thing that gelebor may know him because he was his paladin guard, gelebor isn't from the Forgotten Valley that's why he know many things he was go to Blackreach with the others but he refuse he say before i arrive there it means that he isn't from Forgotten Valley, I wonder if he know about Saarthal he never say anything about that place I want to hear what he thing if was in Saarthal wouldn't be alive to speak about that because the Falmers who attack Saarthal die by the Nord's when they return again to that place
Damn lav-skins. Thanks to them, currently to this day the only one I can chat with is gelebor! And I’m older than him! But he’s the only one in Skyrim whoever comes close to my age! I was born in the merethic era! (For those who don’t know, The dwemer had a lavender tint to their skin)
@@fumarc4501 they locked the Eye of Magnus under the ruins of Saarthal and disowned the person who tried to activate it. The Nords can be accused of a lot of things, but grabbing for power through objects beyond their scale is not one of them
If i am being honest i don't blame the nords for what they did, the elves (snow) attacked unprovoked and leveled a human city over a magical construct. The dwarves are the main reason why the falmer are basically naked mole rats that can use a bow.
I’m going to guess the dunmer might have also inhabited eastern parts of Skyrim could considered the bottom east but of Skyrim their land although I don’t know this for a fact this is my guess
1.9k likes before I like. Says 2k after I like let's go! Exactly 2,000th like!
4 роки тому
The elves of Tamriel are slowly but surely going going extinct. Alyeids: Extinct Dwemer: Extinct Chimer: Cursed to become Dunmer, struck by meteorite, blanketed in volcanic ash, waiting for next argonian strike to finish them off but if not probably solid for a few more eras. Falmer: Extinct. Remnants devolved into lesser creatures. Not too dissimilar from skinny frost trolls. Sinistral elves: Extinct. Prob doesn't found tho cos not even from the same kalpa. Orsimer: Cursed to look like big pigs, run out of just about every place they settle because they're so insatiably violent, literally less intelligent and civilised than sentient daedra, probs gonna wind up as pit beasts and war dogs. Bosmer: you're next ;) probably gonna be forcibly bred by Altmer until they become goblins or obliterated in the next major conflict. Altmer: subject to ethnic cleanses and selective breeding. Barely fertile as it is. Likely inbred. Probs won't survive next major conflict. Maomer: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ island bound, possibly inihilated already by Altmer since all they wanna do is pirate Alinor.
I feel nothing but pity for the falmer. Being genocided, driven underground, enslaved, blinded, tested on by the dwemer..
They asked for help from the other civilizations of Tamriel, who all denied them.
I would be angry at the surface world too.
I feel pity for them too.
*_That's why I put every Falmer I see out of its misery!_*
The Lone Dovahkiin the cave dwellers yes I do too but the ones that attacked saarthal however
@@DoubleBoost23 You Nord will pay for your crimes.
Hey,I had to do it to 'em.
They clearly didn't want a peaceful chat over some mead.
Unfortunately, they brought it on themselves. The Atmorans approached them as friends and named Skyrim ''Mereth'' in their honour. The Snow Elves attacked Saarthal out of xenophobic fear that the Atmorans may outbreed them and slowly erase Falmeri culture. The Atmorans responded to betrayal with total annihilation.
Who was pretty terrified when the first encountered The Falmer?
i first encountered them during a companions mission. I was only level 5 and was used to the oblivion style for factions, got f--ked as a result
To this day I still hate them, and the charus, especially charus reapers. They used to kill me in three hit, and I would be paralyzed after the first one
Thought they were pale goblins when I saw my first.
After being desensitized by lotr and other such fantasies, killing them just felt natural.
First time I saw them was in the dawnguard dlc so I saw the snow elf guradian before the falmers and I wished that there were more of his kind, it's just a shame that they killed or corrupted them all.
The story of the snow elves is the saddest one of the missing/fallen mer. I mean Dwemer and Ayleïds were cruel and while they had genius minds the world is better without them but the Snow elves while slaughtering Saarthal idk they seemed to have done it because of fear of the Atmorans rather than hate alone and I don't want to defend the viel act of slaughtering an entire city but it was also unjustified of the Atmorans to put every single elf to the sword.
Quite a tragic story of a once beautiful and respected race to become so vile that even their souls became corrupted
aysseralwan I agree the act of the Night Of Tears in Saarthal was by a few Snow Elves that doesn’t justify a genocide of a whole race. Also keep in mind the only Survivors were Ysgramor and his sons I don’t know if he is telling the truth or not(him being in Soverngard doesn’t really prove anything other than he was a great warrior). Even when we meet Gelebor he is willing to forgive the Dragonborn for the killing of his brother to save the world, that alone shows me that the Snow Elves the majority were not down with genocide or people man or mer. Maybe they were too kind hearted and that was their undoing. I don’t know that’s my opinion anyways.
Keep in mind that we *do not know* the full story of the Night of Tears, only the Nordic account. We have no reason to believe the history laid down by Ysgramor (the Mer hating victor) is 100% accurate.
Also, the Alessian Rebellion received at least as much, if not more support from Ayleid sympathizers as it did from the madman Pelinal and his Nord allies.
There's a part of me that feels that the Falmer didn't really start the Night of Tears. I keep feeling that the Atmorans found the Eye of Magnus, the Snow Elves got worried but at least tried some semblance of diplomacy (after all, the Falmer are held as being the only race of mer that didn't instantly devolve into hostilities with the races of man); I don't buy any of the "propaganda" the that the races of man, especially the Nords, spout on about.
I think the Atmorans found the Eye, they wanted to use it (because the races of man are notoriously short-sighted and crave power, especially when they're arrogant enough to believe they can control it), and when the Snow Elves couldn't get the Eye by diplomacy, they were forced into a fight. And if this were just a few Snow Elves who attacked Saarthal… I can't help but think the reason Saarthal was so ruined was because Ysgramor and the Atmorans tried to unleash the power of the Eye of Magnus in retaliation; unable to control the Eye, it destroyed Saarthal. And given how Nords are portrayed in Skyrim, let alone in other ES sources, I can't help but believe that Ysgramor was unwilling to admit his role in bringing about the Night of Tears and instead blamed "those evil Falmer".
Ultimately, that's just my personal headcanon, but it makes a darn sight more sense (at least to me) than the questionable Nord-centric propaganda we have shoved down our throats. More ironic is the fact that the Nords, perhaps more than any other race of man, are as xenophobic and filled with a superiority complex as the Altmer who willingly serve and believe in the cause of the Thalmor.
Sounds like a bunch of milk drinkers in here. Nobody attacks humanity with impunity.
@@williams100292 Nords are one of the most aggressively xenophobic races on Nirn, so it's not hard to believe that the Night of Tears was provoked or even a retaliation by the Falmer against aggression.
The Snow Elves are definitely one of the coolest (pun only slightly intended) races in the series. It's a shame we never got to see more of them beyond lonely Gelebor in the Dawnguard DLC. I guess our only hope of seeing any sizable amount of them now is to wait for any potential Elder Scrolls Online DLC that might involve them.
A good number of them could be hidden in an island somewhere, or living in an unknown dwemer ruin, or in an oblivion plane...
@@Balinux They might went into hiding around neighbors High Rock Most likely. But we won't know but hopefully in ES6.
Love the use of Shadow of the Colossus music here. I used to always play Oblivion with the SoTC soundtrack in the background :)
Yeah i was gonna say the same, love the soc music
a man of culture I see
Gelebor's full dialogue states he might not be the only one left and others could still be out there, they would be few and isolated but it's still a possibility. That said, there are also theories about Dwemer's motivation for taking the Snow Elves under their protection and that they didn't intent to outright enslave them but tried to help them somehow in their own way but it failed drastically. This is supported by the fact that they didn't need slaves to begin with, as they alone among other races had the technology to possess obedient mechanical servants that provided them with security, manpower and military might. It is often viewed as if they forced the Snow Elves to eat the toxic fungi but they knew the terms of the agreement and accepted it anyway. Whatever the Dwemer had planned for them was likely required willing subjects and the supposed torture rooms may actually be operating rooms for their experiments that gone wrong.
There is also theory, that Dwemers blinded Snow Elves because they didn't want to know secret of their magic and technology.
@@robso1998
Nah, cause the Dwemer learning everything wasn't overnight.
They just wanted living slaves, sad but true
I dunno, it seems odd to me that they'd take the choice unless it was the only way to live, and even then they had some Snow Elves who refused, as mentioned in-game
Read Calcemo's Stone.
While some things may have been lost in translation, the tone of the writing seems... Benevolent. It seems like the Dwemer genuinely thought they were doing a good thing for the Falmer somehow.
The final passage of the stone:
"Know only our mercy and the radiance of our affection, which unbinds your bones to the earth before, and sets your final path to the music of your new eternity."
I theorize that since the Dwemer were anti-theists who rejected the gods, they performed some sort of unique tonal manipulation on the very essence of the Falmer to "unbind their bones" and give them a "new eternity." They may have fundamentally changed the Falmer in a way that altered their souls/severed their connection from the Aedra, which, from the Dwemer's perspective, was a good thing/act of mercy. I'm sure the Falmer who were devout worshippers of Auri-El would disagree.
But it would be in the nature of the Dwemer to assume that their knowledge and wisdom justifies their actions, and the other races are simply ignorant and thus their opinions can be ignored.
The quality of these videos deserve way way more than 1k subs. I think we’ll all see a massive leap in sub count within the next six months
you predicted it
I recall encountering no more exhaustive research on the Elder Scrolls and none so articulate, eloquent or pleasing to my old man's ears.
Amazing video, thanks so much for covering the Snow Elves! I play one.
Dawnguard is my favourite DLC because of how much it deepened our insight into the history and culture of the Snow Elves. When I first met Gelebor, I couldn't just go on with the story, I stood there in the cave for so long... Just couldn't believe they (Bethesda) showed us an actual, real, living Snow Elf. And when I realised he'd sent me on a deeply cultural quest, I saved & closed the game to go find a Snow Elf mod.
Mind you, I was playing a Bosmer, just because I like Elves a lot but haven't really taken great *personal* interest in any of the Elvish races in TES; but Dunmer and Bosmer culture were just so weird and alien, I liked those kinda Elves. But something was still lacking. I found that something with the Snow Elves.
I've been playing as a Snow Elf ever since. I've spent dozens of hours searching the Forgotten Vale for interesting structures and lines of text, often transporting architectural structures back to my homestead. It's a beautiful blend of Snow Elven, Nordic and a bit of I guess general medieval-ish outer and inner decor now.
I've made up a whole backstory to it all. You have no idea how excited I got when, later, I found the quest to uncover the secret below Saarthal. And the huge statue you find during the Thieves Guild! And the Moesring Pass! Hah!
I don't want to know how much time I've spent on reading up, looking through concept sketches, walking through the Vale/Dwemer Ruins/Blackreach/Solstheim since... Made playlists on Spotify and I-don't-know-how-many fanarts and personal/general backstories.
This gets me carried away so easily, lol. All I wanted to say is "Hey I play a Snow Elf! Thanks for the video!", I guess. :D
There's probably a lot I'd have to add, but I don't have it on my mind right now. What I think is interesting is one theory about the Falmer's souls.
People, including me, are speculating it might have to do with the Dwemer having had need to power their several kinds of automatons. Soul engineering. This could also be related to the change from Elf to monster. Would be super characteristic for them, just saying. Use them as slaves in life and as slaves in death.
The snow elves are definitely one of my favourite things about TES, I'm playing one right now.
I particularly enjoy the story about the Snow Prince.
It took me SEVEN character playthroughs over the course of three months before I finally participated in the civil war quest, and I hated it so much. I’m learning as fast as I can, but from what I van tell, I’m on the side of snow elves and dragons and I hate nords. LOL I don’t think that’s what my takeaway was supposed to be, but that was one sexy snow elf.
You're coverage really shows the moral ambiguity that TES is famous for compared to other Lore channels I've seen. Very, very well done.
An important detail I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is that Skyrim is boxed in by mountains, which is obvious but in the case of the snow elves is a vital detail to what happened to them. There weren’t many other places to retreat to in time other than down.
Theirs is a truly tragic tale. This is why I feel pity for them.
“It's also quite possible that there are some other isolated conclaves of snow elves nestled elsewhere on Nirn.”
Notice he said “Nirn” and not “Tamriel.” It’s possible they went to Atmora. Maybe that’s why the weather changed there. Also, I think the context of the college of winterholds quests imply that it was the Dwemer who learned about the Eye of Magnus and sacked Saarthal. In the Songs of Return, they call them elves, not specifically snow elves, and the Dwemer were looking for strong magical artifacts, like the heart of lorkhan. The atmorans also call the elven cities “lofty,” which I think further points to Alftand. You can also find a mammoth in the ice that’s been speared with a Dwemer spear and arrows nearby.
I do love the art. It's pretty damn good. I just don't understand the Falmer's weakness to frost magic when their former stage of evolution was resistant to it. You even find them in snowy caves and the Forgotten Valley, which is pretty much a frozen paradise.
The Snow Elves have interested me since my Bloodmoon dlc days back in Morrowind. Learning about the Snow Prince and finding his spear were a good start. Was so excited when I discovered a surviving member in the Dawnguard dlc. Makes me wonder if there are other hidden enclaves of Snow Elves in Skyrim. Maybe even in parts of High Rock Or Cyrodiil? Perhaps in certain Ayleid Ruins with there once being settlements of Heartland Elves along the borders of Skyrim eras ago. If I’m remembering correctly.
I hope the Snow Elves return someday. Either from hidden enclaves or reformed/cured Falmer. However, the Nords would never let them return home... for they are jerks.
Well they might still be around, there are tomes that state many of them left Skyrim and went to neighboring lands. But exactly where is still a mystery.
Maybe Bethesda will listen and make a game with that as a quest line.
They'd be a cool race to play as. The passive racial skills would be an archery level buff and an even stronger frost resistance than Nords. :P
@@rickywyness5230 not even archery, a magic resistance and skill buff maybe. Archery would work but take away from the Bosmer
@@carna-9501 Well they seem to be popular with fans so hopefully but idk how many now because when dawnguard came out everyone wanted to play as them, everyone was so into them and now that died down a lot but still fingers cross.
Nice video!
"Praising the esteem and dignity of the dwemer" Dear god, how wrong they were.
If I could really make me my choices in Skyrim, I would become a powerful mage researcher, and figure out how to save the falmer and heal them back to their former selves, perhaps with the help of the ancient elves that hide in Tamriel that people think went extinct
The face sculptor in riften and a lot of calm spells is the way I see the betrayed returning to their uncorrupted form physically but their souls are damaged maybe through some very thorough therapy
Just make a deal with clavicus vile, its got a chance to go wrong (in a seemingly infinite amount of ways) but itll be quick and easy
Ever since I discovered what happened to the Falmer/Snow Elves I have been thinking: it's extremely unlikely the will be cured, but could they evolve into a more elven-like form again if given long enough time and better poison-free living conditions, food and water?
Jasmid Nurmi in the Conan the Cimmerian books, the Atlanteans devolved into ape like savages when Atlantis sank before revolving into the Cimmerians. Maybe the Falmer will experience something similar, never reaching what they were, but gradually returning to a more sapient form.
@@stingerjohnny9951 That's what I was getting at. It would be a great story. What kind of story is Conan the Cimmerian?
Jasmid Nurmi it’s the book series Conan the Barbarian was based on. It was a sword and sorcery series with a vast amount of world building
@@stingerjohnny9951 I haven't watched Conan the Barbarian, but apparently I should.
I still want to know how those two snow elves survived for thousands of years. Elves live a long time but I thought their upper limit was a thousand not multiple times that.
bcfb21 Vampires are immortal and people think that knight paladin Gelebor was blessed by Auriel
One became a vampire and the other was blessed by their goddess.
well snow elfes live around 4.000 years
@@fumarc4501 God*
Definitely don't have a role-playing character for the Snow Elves. Maybe I should fix that haha. Can you do a video about The Left-handed Elves in Yokuda or the Sea Elves in Pyandonea? That would be awesome!
You can.
Have them be a successfully cured Falmer as mentioned by Gelebor. I think that actually sounds like a rather interesting idea.
@@CoffeeSuccubus Yes that does sound interesting. I may have to use that idea lol thank you.
Seconded
I think the night of tears was a horrible misunderstanding. The snow elves did invade saarthal but they weren't actually going out of thier way to kill non combatants like ysgramor said but most the atmorans died due to jyrik activating the eye. When Ancano activated the eye he caused a huge explosion that injured mirabell and killed the arch mage as well as unleashing the anomalies. Maybe Jyrik is the one responsible for the deaths at Saarthal when he activated the eye because he's also invulnerable like Ancano is when the eye is active and he caused an explosion that killed everyone and Ysgramor thought it was the snow elves who did it.
Really thorough video about my favorite elves! 🧝🏻♀️ The music and art are so pleasant and your voice is nice to listen to ☺️
Huh, that thing with the Skaal surprised me. You'd think a culture who's all about 'one with nature' would be more opposed to genocide. Unless that all-father or great father or whatever they call it isn't as benevolent as he seems.
Elves deserve it.
@@artymovich1183 this
The Skaal of Solstheim are more peaceful, only fighting in self defense, notice how they dont attack elves on sight or have any ill will toward them, they're just wary of outsiders because they dont know their intentions, they're like the dunmer that way
@@the_dropbear4392No. Genocide is not deserved.
Just found your channel and have now single handley binged all the videos! Keep up the dope videos!
You continue to do a great job. Your hard work does not go unnoticed
Imagine how lonely Gelebor must feel to believe he's the last snow elf
Maybe not. It is possible that other snow elf groups went their own ways away from the nords and away from the dwemer
How awesome would it have been if in skyrim there was Falmer enemies that used especially big chaurus hunters as battle mounts! 😍
I once heard that this was supposed to be included but was cut from the game
Tearless Empath yes it was but due to the mobility issues in small caves it was scraped off
Very awesome, dude!!! VERY VERY FUCKING AWESOME!!!
Terrifying
Falmer remind me of the Tusken Raiders who were in Star wars universe like the Falmer in TES once a big civilization before their downfall, when they became mindless evil beasts
2 years late, but if you've watched Boba Fett, you'd see that they're not exactly mindless, just territorial depending on the tribe
My favorite race!
Thank you for making this and doing Elder Scrolls content!
Very nice video thank you for making this and taking your time to do this
The only thing I may have contention about is that I thought I read or heard somewhere that the betrayed knowingly ingested the fungus with full knowledge of the effects it would ravage them with. Awesome videos by the way! Please keep them coming!
Would be poetic if more than the paladin survived. Their culture not lost to history but surviving elsewhere. Would be nice to see
Snow Elves are hiding in Elsweyr confirmed
@@frostag4821 no
@@frostag4821 well if they're hiding, it surely is.................elsewhere
@@raelaash4759 somewhere close to skyrim
The lands between Skyrim and Highrock would be a good place for a few hidden Enclaves.
We honestly need a prequel that isn’t an MMO.
Omg plot twist :
What if the Snow elves did not attack the atmorans ? What if Ysgramor was just like an explorer and after he discoverd Skyrim and the snow elves, he travelled back to atmora and gathered all his forces to conquer skyrim ? Like the third reich did, they attacked their enemy because "the enemy attacked first" ? Well the atmorans where looking for a new home country so
gelabor states the nords attacked in response to the attack of saarthal, we dont know why the attack happened but Ysgramor,his sons and Ahzidal werent lying about it occuring
@@victormanyeruke9997 There are two possibilities. The first reason is a pre-emptive strike against the Nords (Intercontinental visits to Tamriel has always end in war after all). Or because they are trying to take the Eye of Magnus inside Saarthal
I applaud your choice of soundtrack, the nostalgia it aroused in me, was enormous.
Part way through I went from mournful to snickers as my mind suddenly shifted when the alphabet was mentioned.
I just imagined my dragon born and breynla (I hope I spelled that right) going back to ask Gelabor (again, spelling) about the whole alphabet thing.
They then whip out a book from the college that was very mysterious and he is like "this is a grocery list"
-the end
And that's why I'm dying right now.
I'm binging your channel and you cant stop me
The melancholic Forgotten Vale theme in the game really fits with the tragic tale of the Snow Elves. When we meet the ghosts that guard the wayshrines it's clear they were a highly intelligent and elegant race. One of the saddest lore drops I've ever experienced in a game.
Thank you for the vídeo. A great contribution to the study of the Elven history!
Okay, the Shadow of the Colossus music gets you a like from me right off the bat.
Stormcloaks liked your videos & imperial trash hated it ! All 10 of them ! I loved it ! You did a awesome job, don't worry about those troublesome mean trolls ! You see, you have so many who liked it 😊
It's Educational & a great way of stories told / linked with history ma'am !
Respectfully Thank you !
Sincerely Paul~
Falmer: a tale of genocide and testing
By far my favorite race of Elves..
Does anyone know why she stopped making content on here? These videos were just so great that I’m kinda surprised that there hasn’t been any new videos here. 🦦
Ahhhh beautiful song in the intro!! Shadow of The Colossus 😭
I do wonder if any of the Snow Elves escaped into other provinces instead of being enslaved by the Dwemer or hiding in the Chantry. It would be interesting if some of them made it to Valenwood.
This is so good!! Keep it up 😁😁😁
Why did it have to be bloody Chaurus...
The Chaurus the probably the most creepy enemy in Skyrim and they trigger my anxiety.
Chaurus... *chuckles* always the Maker damned Chaurus...
Awesome, great job.
I understand that gelebor felt that he couldn't abandon his duty to chantry and other things but I wonder what would happen if he walked out of that cave and went to the nearest town or city like solitude. He could possibly gain support for a search for any remnants of his race.
I wish there was a quest where we could introduce Urag to Gelebor, especially since Urag is one of the only people in all of Tamriel that can speak and read the Snow Elf language.
these videos help me sleep. Thank you for making these!
I think that Bethesda should make it so that some Snow Elves escaped Skyrim and built an underground city somewhere in the snowy mountains. Not many venture far into the mountains, so this would make an excellent hiding place for the Snow Elves. They would learn the region and then be able to disappear quickly, leaving the one that spotted them wandering blindly in the snowy wasteland. I know that this doesn't make much sense since the Snow Elves didn't like living underground, but never the less, it would still be pretty cool if Bethesda did that!
When the snow Prince fell, it ALL change SMH. Broke my heart 💔😢💯
Very , very nice m’lady i never quite grow bored of hearing anything related to TES , and with your soothing voice it is quite divine as if Mara herself was voicing it
lmao "m'lady". literally a fucking neckbeard
b4 skyrim dawnguard dlc i didn't kno any lore about them i remember being so hyped during end snow elf parts they rlly stuck in my memory after that 4 some rsn
Yes, another excellent video, my lady :)
A question for you, if you don't mind.
Have you considered voice acting for Skyrim mods?
I'd love to have you voice one of my characters :)
A scholar at the mage college of Wintehold teaching history. Just so the mages learn something else then magic. Or the same function at the bards college.
@@michaelpettersson4919 I was thinking someone who reads books out loud. Can be history, yes :)
Would love it if someone did like an animated video following a snowelfs escape from the Falmer ☺️☺️☺️
Please come back and give us more beautiful videos!❤
Love your channel. You are awesome. Do you have any other social media channels ro share your work on?
David Wineholt thank you so much for your kind support! Unfortunately I don’t have too much other social media like twitter, tumblr etc., however I do have a Discord channel that I link in the descriptions of my videos! :D I also have a deviantart linked on the front page of my UA-cam channel that links to my art page as well.
My question is, if "Falmer" means "The Betrayed", then what is the literal translation for Snow Elves or Ice Elves? This would give them a COMPLETELY different name.
My favorite armor in skyrim is the ancient falmer armor
This channel is so underrated
Falmer are a subtle example on how use of The Thu’um can lead to very awful things that can stretch throughout time. The way of the voice is very important!
The Thu’um was never used during all that
Biggest jump scare I had came from a falmer that snuck up on me and I turned around right as he swung at me
I want to play as Snowelf
Who doesn't want to, I 100 percent would like to hopefully in a future game.
If you're on PC there's a mod that allows you to play as a snow elf. There's also a mod that adds a few adoptable snow elf children.
Your content is amazing have you considered a Dwemer lore video ?
When Knight-Paladin Gelebor said he preferred the term, "Snow Elf", it sounded like he saw the term "Falmer" as a derogatory term.
This video is sooo well done good job 👍
You are very good at these keep it up!!!
The creators should give more details of snow elves civilizations, is very strange that we see a lot of ayleds ruins for all tamriel, and we see any ruins on skyrim
Thank you for your great video!
Well damn, now I know why Dwemer locations are filled with Falmer.
In The Elder Scrolls all elves are pretty much horrible. The wood elves are the least horrible and they’re cannibals that live in a nightmare forest hellscape
The orcs aren't that bad either.
Maormer aren’t so bad, and they hate other elves too.
Awesome Video, I relay like your Voice but:
I suggest using a better pop filter so you can avoid those "P" noises
I really love your videos! ❤
Snow Elves, Knight Paladin Gelebor believes they can return.
I like your narrating voice,
very Luna Lovegood.
And to think the Falmer race only suffered this endless torture because of one event, the Night of Tears... Had they not slaughtered the Atmorans of Sarthal and burned the city to the ground, Ysgramor, his companions and their followers wouldn't have returned with a vengeance and driven them into the ground with the Dwemer...
"The actions of few cost many greatly..." - Me, just now.
Why there's no Snow Elves ruins throughout Skyrim but Dwelmer ruins are everywhere?
Probably because the nords destroyed them all.
Pro-tip: @ladyofscrolls
Chaurus, and Chitin are not pronounced with the distinctive "tch" sound. Rather they are pronounced with a hard "k" sound.
(ie. Keyetin, and Kaurus)
I know how the Falmers can be saved first the others races they must captured all the Falmers who are in Skyrim in Dwemer ruins, Caves and especially in Blackreach who are many there and bring them in Skyrim sun they must force the Falmers to eat like Normal elves dress them as Normal, I don't know how the will change maybe they will have big hands and Legs as you see the change to much from their normal forms the only thing I hate from them are their teeth who make them scary anyway they have to save them but you must know if they always be blind they can change everything but there is hope for them even more hope even they find out their King can be alive, Snow Prince is the leader of Skyrim and Soltheim I also thing that gelebor may know him because he was his paladin guard, gelebor isn't from the Forgotten Valley that's why he know many things he was go to Blackreach with the others but he refuse he say before i arrive there it means that he isn't from Forgotten Valley, I wonder if he know about Saarthal he never say anything about that place I want to hear what he thing if was in Saarthal wouldn't be alive to speak about that because the Falmers who attack Saarthal die by the Nord's when they return again to that place
Pllllleeeeeaaaaseeee do a lore video on Necromancers :D:D
Damn lav-skins. Thanks to them, currently to this day the only one I can chat with is gelebor! And I’m older than him! But he’s the only one in Skyrim whoever comes close to my age! I was born in the merethic era! (For those who don’t know, The dwemer had a lavender tint to their skin)
Moral of the story is don't start a fight you cant finish. And if you slaughter a city, prepare for disproportionate retribution.
Also never trust a Dwarf.
Humans take things too personally. They cannot be trusted with power, for even without it they slaughter any and all without mercy.
@@fumarc4501 they locked the Eye of Magnus under the ruins of Saarthal and disowned the person who tried to activate it. The Nords can be accused of a lot of things, but grabbing for power through objects beyond their scale is not one of them
If i am being honest i don't blame the nords for what they did, the elves (snow) attacked unprovoked and leveled a human city over a magical construct. The dwarves are the main reason why the falmer are basically naked mole rats that can use a bow.
It's Dwemer, Dwarves do not exist on Tamriel.
but that doesn´t excuse complete genocide of one race.
lovin the sotc music
Why is the lore so much cooler than the games
I’m going to guess the dunmer might have also inhabited eastern parts of Skyrim could considered the bottom east but of Skyrim their land although I don’t know this for a fact this is my guess
LYDIA GET ME MY BOOK OF THE SNOW ELVS(lydia throws book at me) hehe..LYDIA TIME FOR THE BATTLE AXE!!!
Myth has it that a small Atmoran girl killed the Snow Prince by yeeting a sword at him.
Is there any lore about the snow elves returning (be it lore or future games)
Hopefully we'll get something in ES6.
Legolas: "Goblins!"
Nords : you get what you fucking deserve
Why are daedra more reliable for protection than the Adra gods
You know, I honestly don't know
Very good and I can listen to your voice all day
I wish the snow elf had been a race you could have been during Skyrim play through instead of having to use a mod to play as a snow elf
There's also a mod that adds a couple of adoptable snow elf children in the game that's pretty neat.
1.9k likes before I like. Says 2k after I like let's go! Exactly 2,000th like!
The elves of Tamriel are slowly but surely going going extinct.
Alyeids: Extinct
Dwemer: Extinct
Chimer: Cursed to become Dunmer, struck by meteorite, blanketed in volcanic ash, waiting for next argonian strike to finish them off but if not probably solid for a few more eras.
Falmer: Extinct. Remnants devolved into lesser creatures. Not too dissimilar from skinny frost trolls.
Sinistral elves: Extinct. Prob doesn't found tho cos not even from the same kalpa.
Orsimer: Cursed to look like big pigs, run out of just about every place they settle because they're so insatiably violent, literally less intelligent and civilised than sentient daedra, probs gonna wind up as pit beasts and war dogs.
Bosmer: you're next ;) probably gonna be forcibly bred by Altmer until they become goblins or obliterated in the next major conflict.
Altmer: subject to ethnic cleanses and selective breeding. Barely fertile as it is. Likely inbred. Probs won't survive next major conflict.
Maomer: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ island bound, possibly inihilated already by Altmer since all they wanna do is pirate Alinor.
noooooo..poor elves...