Lore | Elder Scrolls Online Wiki

Lore in Elder Scroll Online (ESO) refers to the complex world and setting of the game. Some of the game's lore was revealed by the developers in pre-release announcements, but most of it can be found via in-game content such as the completion of Quests, NPC dialogues, and reading the many Books of the game.

Each DLC and Chapter adds new threads for players to discover, contributing to a rich world-building that is consistent with the main theme of the Elder Scrolls series.

Lore & History

The Elder Scrolls Online is a MMO spin-off of the Elder Scrolls franchise. It takes place in the year 2E 582, making it the earliest-set game in the series.

It is a time of strife and unrest. Armies of revenants and dark spirits manifest in every corner of Tamriel. Winters grow colder and crops fail. Mystics are plagued by nightmares and portents of doom.

Four years ago, in 2E 578, an arcane explosion of energy in the Imperial City set off mystical aftershocks that swept across Nirn. Mages died or went mad. Supernatural abominations from the plane of Oblivion, the Daedra, appeared in greater numbers than ever before. The constellation of the Serpent grew so large that it dominated the night sky.

So began the grand scheme of Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement. His Dark Anchors, vortexes of evil magic, weaken the barrier between worlds, threatening to merge Nirn and Oblivion into a single, nightmarish hellscape.

In the midst of this chaos, three alliances vie for control of the Imperial City and the White-Gold Tower. High Rock, Sentinel, and Orsinium stand as one, united under the rule of the High King in Wayrest. Valenwood and Elsweyr have forged an alliance of their own with Summerset, while Black Marsh, Morrowind, and Skyrim have formed a third, uneasy pact.

The Daggerfall Covenant. The Aldmeri Dominion. The Ebonheart Pact.

Three armies will take up arms against the Empire, and against each other, to wrest control of the Imperial City and White-Gold Tower from the dark forces of Oblivion itself.

Where do your loyalties lie?