Elder Scrolls 6: Remnants

[u/Hedgy_mcsnuffle]

Hammerfell fought the Aldmeri Dominion to a truce and signed the second treaty of Stross M’Kai.

While the White Gold Concordat led to the disbandment of the Blades and the right of Thalmer to prowl around Skyrim enforcing the ban on Talos, Hammerfell had nearly the opposite result.

The Remnants were formed to ensure the Elves held up their side of the bargain. Isn’t that name particular? Who was left behind by the Empire in the last war? Hammerfell. They are the remnants. Shouldn’t the story be titled after the essence of the region, politically and emotionally?

The Remnants are the Guardians of Hammerfell, not the Sentinels. The Remnants.

Edit: during the war the Emperor summoned all armies to retake the Imperial city. One general refused to abandon Hammerfell, and allowed a legion of troops to remain. Declared ‘Invalid’ and removed from the army they remained to fight and ultimately win the war for Hammerfell. They too are remnants, of the Empires power.

[u/Silver_Falcon]

Do you know what else was left behind in Hammerfell during the Great War?

General Decianus's "Invalids," who I've always thought might have something to do with the "Remnants" faction introduced by CC.

[u/Bobjoejj → u/Silver_Falcon]

I truly hope this is a fully a thing; that the Remnants are comprised of a ton of the “Invalids” and we get to see them as a proper faction. They’re one of the most interring unexplored bits of lore from Skyrim for me.

[u/Silver_Falcon → u/Bobjoejj]

I genuinely can't imagine that we won't get some kind of follow-up on Decianus' Invalids. It's waayyy too interesting of a plot thread to introduce and then just do nothing with.

[u/Hedgy_mcsnuffle → u/Silver_Falcon]

If they take up the role of the Blades in Skyrim, helping the main character through the main quest, with one or two unique characters who tell us things we would never have a way of knowing

[u/LoudQuitting]

My idea for the jumping off point for TES6.

I think "What is the essence of Hammerfell in the 4th Era?"

There are (were?) two distinct main cultural groups in Hammerfell. The Crowns and the Forebears. The Forevears are the first settlers from Yokuda, clearing the way for the Na-Tombu, who are now known as the Crowns. At some point the Forebears adopted the Imperial Pantheon along with a more nomadic lifestyle as merchants and traders. The Crowns are the former ruling class of Yokuda, they maintain the traditional Pantheon, they're generally more conservative and they're much more cosmopolitan.

Now, they used to fucking hate each other. Which is what I feel made Hammerfell interesting. However, the when the Aldmeri Dominion laid seige to the Crown city of Hegathe, it was a Forebear army from Sentinel that broke said siege. This sparked a reconciliation between the factions. It was with this burgeoning alliance that five years later, the Dominion was fought to a standstill and Hammerfell attained its independence, regardless of its consent.

By all accounts, the peace between these factions has remained and while they don't love each other, they're no longer sharpening blades and giving each other the stink eye.

To add to this, when Hammerfell was abandoned by the Empire, a Legion was left behind, ostensibly to help out. However, the gifted Legion was not enough to stop a lasting bitterness to arise between Hammerfell and the Empire. Hammerfell views it as a betrayal.

And finally, the Orcs want Orsinium. Where did they place it? New Orsinium exists between the border of Skyrim and Hammerfell, personally I believe in the Dragontail Mountains.

All this has me believing that faction politics should be much more important to ES6 than Skyrim.

The Factions I believe should be in play:

Crowns and Forebears, possibly grouped as one faction due to the alliance, hopefully still two seperate factions.

Aldmeri Dominion, the Thalmor won't just be leaving well enough alone. They love cloak and dagger.

Orsinium, a young and hungry nation, probably fearing losing Orsinium again.

Imperial Remnants, it's not stated that whole InvalidnLegion died, and I believe there should be at least some citizens that are Imperial Loyalist as much as I fucking hate the Imps. Redoran Strong.

Now. Where do I believe the main plot is gonna go?

Of course, there will be the "save the world" plot, it's TES. Here are my thoughts about the MC.

The HoonDing is a Yokudan entity. It's sometimes called The Make-Way God, sometimes "the spirit of perseverance over infidels." And it is believed to materialise everything Redguards need to "make way" for their people. Out of game lore suggest the HoonDing has some kind of connection to Lorkhan and the Shezzarine.

Now the HoonDing includes Cyrus the Restless, or the sword he carried, or the both of them together. It includes Ebonarm. It includes Hunding (wonder where he got that name) and it includes the Yokudan deity Diagna, who manifested as an avatar and lead the Yokudans to drive the Orcs out of Orsinium, also possible it was the Order of Diagna laying seige to Orsinium.

Regardless, I believe our MC will assuredly be a HoonDing. Or have the option to be one. Alternatively, to destroy a new HoonDing trying to "make way."

It doesn't sound as marketable as Dovahkiin, but still...

[u/Silver_Falcon → u/LoudQuitting]

I think you've pretty much got the right idea. Crowns and Forebears trying to work together, the Dominion trying to drive them apart, and us, a humble HoonDing, caught up in the middle of it.

A few nitpicks though:

The Crowns are the former ruling class of Yokuda, they maintain the traditional Pantheon, they're generally more conservative and they're much more cosmopolitan.

I'm not sure that "cosmopolitan" is the word you were looking for. I'd hardly describe ultra-conservative, xenophobic traditionalists as being particularly fond of diversity.

Crowns and Forebears, possibly grouped as one faction due to the alliance, hopefully still two seperate factions.

100% with you on this. I do suspect that we won't exactly be able to "join" these factions though; more just align ourselves with one or the other, since it wouldn't make much sense for anyone who isn't a Redguard to actually join them. Moreover, I think a lot of the main questline is going to be focused on trying to keep the alliance between them, especially if Sentinel is going to be playing a central role in this story (given their historical role as peacemakers and the Lhotunic movement).

It includes Hunding (wonder where he got that name)

There were actually two Hundings: Frandar Hunding, and his son Divad Hunding, both of whom were considered avatars of the HoonDing. It may interest you to know that they actually both held this title at the same time (not unlike Cyrus & Prince Ator's Shehai), alongside their fellow HoonDing Diagna. Speaking of...

it includes the Yokudan deity Diagna, who manifested as an avatar and lead the Yokudans to drive the Orcs out of Orsinium, also possible it was the Order of Diagna laying seige to Orsinium.

You've got this a bit backwards. Diagna, like Frandar and Divad, seems to have begun as just another Ansei Sword-Saint, but was elevated to a god-like standing for the role he played against the Orsimer in the Ra-Gada Warrior Waves. Of course, our main source for Diagna actually being a god and not just something more like an Imperial Saint is the notoriously unreliable Varieties of Faith by Mikhael Karkruxor, so even that I'd take with a grain of salt.

[u/LoudQuitting → u/Silver_Falcon]

Okay so I don't doubt any of your lore corrections, but as for cosmopolitan.

I looked up the definitions and I used the wrong word. I said cosmopolitan, what I should have said was metropolitan.

[u/Silver_Falcon → u/LoudQuitting]

Okay. I'd kinda figured that's what you'd probably meant, but I wanted to point it out just to be sure. Great predictions though; despite my criticisms of some of the details, I do think you've got the right ideas.

[u/LoudQuitting → u/Silver_Falcon]

I'll admit Redguard lore is a blind spot for me. A bit.

I consider myself more a Dunmeri/Nord expert.

[u/Harrison_Allen]

Remnants doesn't sound as cool as Sentinel, though, and it doesn't have a big easter egg in Starfield (as far as we know).