Thirtieth TES AnniversaryEdit
2024 was the 30th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls. On March 25th, we celebrated this milestone for the series, although it is a bit more complicated than that. March 25th is the official anniversary for the release of Arena, but there isn't truly an official release date. Game release dates were not as set in stone in the past as they are now, and our research suggests that the game may have actually been out in February, with at least one person back then claiming that a patch for the game had already been distributed.
Gold RoadEdit
Elder Scrolls Online concludes the story of Ithelia.
The UESP has begun the documentation process of the incredibly large amount of new content that Gold Road brought to The Elder Scrolls. ESO has an almost staggering amount of content, and working through it all to get it into a readable format is always a challenge. But we've made gigantic strides. One statistic that has been brought up regularly is the decreasing number of ESO NPC pages needing images, which at time of writing is currently 1,553 pages. This may sound like a lot, but we have 25,747 NPC pages for ESO. 94% of all NPC pages having images (and often notable content beyond it) is pretty astounding!
ESO Tenth AnniversaryEdit
Can be a lot of the official ESO Tavern images and/or the group meetup photo.
This year was also the tenth anniversary of the release of Elder Scrolls Online. One celebration for this milestone was the ESO Tavern at Wasserburg Heldrungen castle in Thuringia, Germany. A lot of us from UESP got a chance to meetup while there!
Scribe ESO Log ToolsEdit
This image could work. Or something like this. Any screenshot of the scribing altar is a fine alternate.
New tools to simulate scribe skills.
We've continued our support for ESO builds, with our latest addition being coverage of the new scribing skills. These skills have a degree of customization previously unseen, and if you see anything off with our models, please let us know!
TES: Castles ReleasedEdit
This year saw the release of The Elder Scrolls: Castles, a game that aims at a slightly different market than traditional TES. It does bring us the first definitive models of the babies and youth of each race in a single game, a trait that was heavily featured in its marketing.
We've done a lot to cover this game, being some of the first people to notice that it existed when it's surprise beta showed up on the Google Play store without any official announcement. We have some really difficult bits already getting decent coverage on the wiki, like the Rulings. There's still more to do, but we have a decent leg up on this game so far.
TES: Legends Shutdown AnnouncedEdit
TES: Legends shutdown announced
2024 brought us perhaps the most worrisome news for a group like our own. 'The Elder Scrolls: Legends announced it would be taken offline, and it would become the first truly unplayable Elder Scrolls game in the series history.
New Patrollers!Edit
Either full sized creation of this image or a similar one with a red exclamation point.
The UESP, nearing its thirtieth anniversary, has had a lot of hands steering the ship over its voyage. Although there are many notable editors, old and new, contributing to UESP's development, it is fantastic that we can say that five people have stepped up to join the ranks of UESP's Patrollers! Wolfborn, UnknownG, Mikeprichard, Tarponpet, and Erorah have taken on the duties of patrolling the UESP Wiki, and we wish them many, many red exclamation points in their futures!
New TIL launch!Edit
Screenshot of new TIL front page
The Imperial Library has gone through a face lift, check it out!
Tales of Tamriel Joins ESO's Stream TeamEdit
Tales of Tamriel has joined ESO's Stream Team! Tales of Tamriel is UESP's podcast for all things TES, and received recognition from Zenimax earlier this year by being welcomed to the stream team.
New TES CookbookEdit
A new physical Elder Scrolls book has been released. The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook Vol. 2 is a followup to the first volume, but with a much heavier focus on lore. We aren't culinary experts, but we were still surprised to find such a heavy amount of lore flavor in a cookbook. This book also offers us one of the few glimpses into life across Tamriel in the Fourth Era, with some very surprising little details included. It really makes us hungry for the continuation of the Fourth Era storyline with TESVI.
The Elder Scrolls has a growing number of various companion books, but only two actual novels. We'd really love to see that change...
Bethesda UnionizationEdit
This image could go with this.
In July of this year very surprising news came out of Bethesda. One BGS USA announced a "wall to wall" union of every one of Bethesda's sites, following the previous successful unionization of QA workers for Zenimax. This follows years of brutal job cuts from studios across the gaming industry as a whole.
Betrayal of the 2nd EraEdit
Another new TES game is coming out this year, but on the tabletop instead of video. Betrayal of the Second Era covers a conflict between the Worm Cult and the player characters in ESO's neck of the timeline. It collected over seven million dollars in pledges over its two years of development, and we're set to finally get it any day now. As in it may start arriving sometime this month. We'll be covering the game more from there.
Wiki SpotlightEdit
The UESP is a constantly growing entity, with over 100,000 content pages alone now! This retrospective can't go over everything that has been added to the UESP this year, but here's a look at some of what has been going on.
Gold RoadEdit
Hundreds of pages for Scions of Ithelia, Gold Road, New Battlegrounds & Companions-related topics were created.
ItheliaEdit
Ithelia is the Daedric Prince of Paths and Mistress of the Untraveled Road. She had been sealed away by the combined efforts of Hermaeus Mora and several other Princes, due to her perceived threat on the fabric of reality, and all memory of her was wiped from the Aurbis.
Dozens of pages for new ESO stylesEdit
Online:Dovah's Du'ul StyleEdit
The Dovah's Du'ul Style is an outfit style inspired by the Nordic dragon warriors. It cannot be crafted, and is only available as part of the Outfit System. Pieces are in Heavy Armor only.
Some further documentation of Cut Content Cut_Content
Lots of major work for ESO pages, including work for the mounts and all furniture. Some future plans include working on the books.
Mystical QuasigriffEdit
This beast has been touched by the deep magic, connecting to the power between the worlds. It carried a draught of creatia back with it to Nirn, glimmering with potential in every feather and bone.
Verified_Creator_ProgramEdit
Setting up the Verified Creations page. Figuring out a proper way to document this material took a lot of consideration.
Douglas Goodall's TextsEdit
Douglas Goodall, one of the designers behind Morrowind, has recently begun working on mods and some additional writings based off of The Elder Scrolls. We've covered a lot of it here.
Edit
Our templates are the oft unsung heroes of the site, forming the framework that makes up all of our pages. We've had many new ones made over the last year, including new navboxes (boxes with a bunch of related links) like Lore Orc Culture.
New Oblivion & Aurbis lore pagesEdit
Tamriel may be where we spend most of our time, but there's more to the Aurbis. We've had a lot of effort put in this direction recently.
Infinite ArchiveEdit
The Infinite Archive is a border realm of Apocrypha, an adjunct plane or subrealm which lies within the greater fabric of Apocrypha, created by the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora. It is an endless library consisting primarily of historical accounts, written records of events that were or could yet be. Contemplating the scope of the Archive's function was known to leave mortals, even its caretaker Master Malkhest, in a daze.
Beginning PlaceEdit
The Beginning Place is a location of cosmic and religious importance within Aetherius. It is the site at which the Aurbis was formed from the interplay of Anu's stasis and Padomay's instability. Later, it was where the et'Ada crystalized into existence. Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, came into being first. Following his example, the most powerful spirits formed, including Mephala, Arkay, Y'ffre, Magnus, and Ruptga.
MirrormoorEdit
Mirrormoor was the realm of the Daedric Prince Ithelia, Mistress of the Untraveled Road.
Mirromoor is a large desert wasteland filled with gargantuan skeletons and surrounded by an auroral sky. While Ithelia is active, it is filled by shattered mirrors and crystalline structures and the sky is fractured by cracks. Those elements were not present in Fargrave before Ithelia's return.
Infinite PanopticonEdit
The Infinite Panopticon is a pocket realm inside Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha. It is described as an endless library of rooms and passages inside a limitless pocket dimension situated outside the time and space of Apocrypha itself, and is said to be one of the most secure repositories of knowledge within Apocrypha. The Panopticon is said to hold infinite secrets, including some of Mora's most closely guarded ones, as the information and secrets inside are considered too precious to be known by anyone but Hermaeus Mora himself.
Layers of RealityEdit
The Layers of Reality are the different sections or layers making up the planes of existence of Aurbis. Overlapping spatially and near indistinct from one another visually, different layers of reality within a given realm can be accessed via the use of magic which shifts people and objects between them. Things shifted to a different reality layer generally can't be perceived or be interacted with by those in a different layer who lack the required magic themselves, thus such magic has been used by groups wishing to avoid detection, strike safely at their foes from a different layer, or conceal objects they do not wish found.
Many PathsEdit
The Many Paths (also called the Many Paths of Fate or Many Paths of Time or alternate realities) are the web comprised of the alternate realities and outcomes that arise from the possibilities of Aurbis. Possibilities scatter across the Aurbis, each defined by distinct choices and outcomes that lead to different realities. This web is called the Many Paths, which have been likened to both a spiderweb that formed within a diamond, interweaving lines within a grander fixed shape, and a halo of possibilities and alternate fates that surround reality. It is said that within the Many Paths all things are possible, things which might not be real in one reality might be real within the Paths, it is even possible to encounter realities where concepts such as magic or Daedra might not exist, or realities that are a dark reflection of the world, empty and timeless and filled with darkness, the world one sees when looking into a mirror. Each reality along the Many Paths contains its own version of each entity, be they mortal or Daedra, even deities such as the Daedric Princes have their own alternate versions within the realities. These alternate versions are said to be "reflections" of one another, different in some ways, like images in a cracked mirror, but originating from the same seed.
CometsEdit
Comets are celestial bodies characterized by their small size, composition of ice and dust, and the distinctive trails known as a comet's tail. They move through the heavens, and are often linked to significant events and frequently hold symbolic importance across various cultures and religions. They also are present in some magical practices.
EquinoxEdit
The Equinox is an astronomical phenomenon where day and night are nearly equal in length.
UnstarsEdit
Unstars, also known as not-stars, are celestial objects that resemble stars. Unlike stars, unstars move across the sky and do not emit varliance, though they still emit light. The nature of this light and its effect on mortals remains uncertain.
New Race pagesEdit
LuminaryEdit
The Luminaries of Magic (Luminaries for short) are mysterious beings of pure magic that are described with the Old Bretic word Alien meaning "stranger". This is due to the fact that they see the world differently from mortal-kind, and no one, not even the Luminaries themselves, know what they actually are. They have however chosen the forms and names of various creatures from Nirn that suit their personalities. The Netch chose its form for its buoyancy and its ability to control magicka, while the Gryphon wishing to serve as a peacekeeper took on the shape of a creature that is often found in symbols predating mankind. The Dragon chose its form for its majesty, while the Indrik claims there was simply no other form it could have been. The name for them, "Luminaries of Magic", was given to them by Ulfsild the Evergreen.
DragonlingEdit
Dragonlings (also called Fairy Dragons) are small, intelligent reptilian creatures that are draconic in appearance and native to the Iliac Bay region and Wrothgarian Mountains. Those who speak their language, Dragonish, say that beneath a veneer of maddening riddles and non sequiturs are minds of great wisdom. They are known to be aggressive to those that cannot speak their language. They can breathe fire and pose a fair challenge in combat, it is claimed they are even capable of spellcasting. As such, the Dragonling is considered a worthy opponent for any adventurer. The Knightly Orders of the Iliac Bay region occasionally send their members to slay Dragonlings.
GremlinEdit
Gremlins (also derogatorily called Orc-rats or Squeakers) are small, harmless creatures related to goblins, whom they can often be found living alongside. Gremlins have a distinct appearance with large feet, and tiny arms incapable of using any man-sized tools. While seen as unpleasant by most, they usually aren't met with violence like most goblin-ken. Instead, they are typically shooed away or otherwise dismissed, though some show them kindness. They are known to occasionally beg for food.
AdaEdit
The Ada (meaning spirit) are a type of deity. Most known Ada were demi-deities, derived of pairings of mortals and the Et'Ada, the original spirits. It is said that the Ada are able to change things through love, with an example of this ability coming in the form of the Ada Morihaus creating a new race in the Minotaur from his union with Alessia. Ada are said to be ambitious beings that can never know death.
City-OrcsEdit
City-Orcs (also spelled as city Orcs) are Orcs that have been assimilated into other cultures. Orcs who do not live in strongholds are derisively called "city Orcs" by those that do, and are considered soft outsiders just like non-Orcs.
Expanded pages for HeroesEdit
Exploring the roles of heroes in the lore has been a notable gap in our coverage for a while. Although they have appeared on numerous articles in lorespace, such as Lore:Hero, many didn't have their own page. In the last year we've made standalone pages for Nerevarine, Hero of Kvatch, and Last Dragonborn.
Lore:Last DragonbornEdit
The Last Dragonborn, also simply known as the Dragonborn or Dovahkiin, and referred to as Ysmir, Dragon of the North, Stormcrown, or Qahnaarin, is the hero foretold in the ancient Prophecy of the Dragonborn inscribed on Alduin's Wall. In 4E 201, the Dragonborn arrived in Skyrim and, with the assistance of the last of the Blades and the Greybeards, fulfilled their destiny by ending the renewed dragon threat and slaying Alduin the World-Eater.
Documentation of rare merchandiseEdit
Merchandise:Arena Deluxe Edition MousepadEdit
The Arena Deluxe Edition Mousepad is a map of Tamriel printed on a mousepad, included in the Deluxe Edition. It is the first piece of merchandise ever produced for The Elder Scrolls franchise.
Merchandise:Daggerfall Letter OpenerEdit
The Daggerfall Letter Opener is an exclusive metal letter opener with fashioned into the logo of Daggerfall. These limited promotional items were manufactured by Virgin Interactive Entertainment and were granted to certain employees in the 1990s. Only three are confirmed to exist, one of which is on display at Bethesda's offices.
Merchandise:Morrowind Elder Scroll KeychainEdit
Morrowind Elder Scroll Keychain is a rectangular metal keychain. It features the The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind logo and is in the shape of an Elder Scroll. It was distributed was part of a tin version of Morrowind given to the press in the UK and Europe during a promo in 2002.
Misc new lore pagesEdit
Lore:Guardian's EyeEdit
The Guardian's Eye is an ancient artifact of immense power, found within the lost Dwemer city of Volenfell. It is of great mystery, and its true nature is unknown. A number of halls within the city are mysteriously named in connection to the "Guardian" including the Guardian's Helm, the Guardian's Skull, and the Guardian's Orbit. The exact meaning of the names is unclear, though it is suggested that the transition between "helm" and "skull" denotes vulnerability. The Eye is of great repute and worth a small fortune, and as such researchers such as the Mages Guild and Tamriel's leading archeologists are willing to do anything to get it.
Lore:GolkarrEdit
Golkarr was the Igrun ruler of Orsinium during the great siege in 1E 950. After bolstering his army with fleeing refugees from Hammerfell, he attempted to broaden Orcish holdings. He sought to capture the Bjoulsae River and force the kingdom of Wayrest to provide compensation for its services. Naturally, this did not settle well with their neighboring kingdoms, especially the Kingdom of Daggerfall. King Joile of Daggerfall allied with Gaiden Shinji of the Order of the Diagna and mounted a joint attack on Golkarr's kingdom. Eventually, after a 30 year siege, the allied forces breached Orsinium's Smelter Gate and overran the city in 1E 980.
Lore:IndaenirEdit
Indaenir was a Bosmer who served as the Silvenar the mid-Second Era. As the Silvenar he was "The Voice of the People", the embodiment of the will of the Bosmer. He also represented the spiritual side of the Bosmer, while his counterpart and wife Gwaering represented the physicality of the Bosmer as the Green Lady.
Yashnag_gro-YazguEdit
Yashnag gro-Yazgu was an Orcish chieftain best known for establishing a chiefdom in Falkreath during the early-Second Era. Despite resistance from the High King, he was successful in claiming territory for the Orcs in Skyrim and ruled for over thirty years. He was eventually killed in battle by Jarl Hakkvild, whose father had previously been killed by Yashnag, and the Nords who viewed Yashnag's Kingdom as a nuisance celebrated the chief's demise. To the Orcs however, Yashnag is venerated for his might in establishing an Orc kingdom in Skyrim in spite of the ignorant Nords.
NirnrootEdit
Nirnroot is a very rare plant that grows near water. The most notable traits of Nirnroot includes the low hum it produces, its glow, and magical properties. Notably, it does not require sunlight to grow, so can be found in locations above or below underground.
Lore:OgreEdit
Ogres are a race of large humanoid goblin-ken, that are found throughout Tamriel. Best known for their great strength and foul smell, they are commonly perceived as dim-witted brutes. Ogres have steely blue or greenish skin, pronounced teeth, and tapered ears.
Featured ArticlesEdit
Check out the new Featured Articles and nominations too for new & improved pages. These articles help push the standards for the UESP further. Ogre
Lore:ChrysamereEdit
Chrysamere (also called the Chrysamere Blade, or the Chrysamere) is an ancient adamantium claymore artifact with offensive capabilities only surpassed by its defenses. It has magical properties which, unlike most weapons, are defensive in nature: it heals the wielder, grants them resistance to fire, and reflects hostile spells. It is unaligned, and is not a Daedric artifact. Chrysamere was forged in the late Merethic Era by the Breton swordsmith Asterie Bedel, who delighted in using the techniques of both man and mer in her creations.
Skyrim:Druadach RedoubtEdit
Druadach Redoubt is a small Forsworn camp and cave south of Mor Khazgur. It contains only one zone, Druadach Redoubt Cave.
If you sided with the Forsworn in the quest No One Escapes Cidhna Mine, Madanach can be found here and the Forsworn occupying the camp will not attack you, although the Forsworn in the exterior zone may still come to blows with your horse, dog, or other pet.
Lore:Ayleid EmpireEdit
The Ayleid Empire (or imperatum saliache) was the original dominant power in Cyrod. It was composed of multiple city-states, ruled by the Ayleid sorcerer-kings. The empire's roots began in the Middle Merethic Era, when established Ayleid settlements flourished in the Heartlands. Though they were ostensibly a tribute-land to the High King of Alinor, the distance between Cyrodiil and Summerset's communication lines led to the Ayleids' isolation and eventual detachment. Their fall is attributed to their arrogant pride of their achievements and smug self-assurance that their empire would last forever, which doomed them to fail and fade into obscurity.
Online:Molag BalEdit
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince of Domination and the Enslavement of Mortals. He is the main antagonist, and is attempting to pull Nirn into his realm of Oblivion, Coldharbour, in an event known as the Planemeld. Molag Bal has stolen the soul of the player, forbidding them to die. To reclaim your soul, you must save Tamriel from the Prince's clutches.
Merchandise:Mehrunes Dagon Body PillowEdit
The Mehrunes Dagon Body Pillow is a long pillow with Mehrunes Dagon's burning visage printed upon the pillow case.
It was initially announced as an April Fool's Joke in 2021, and was later given away to Twitter contest winners in June 2021 to celebrate the launch of ESO Blackwood. There were up to twenty-five (25) custom-made The Elder Scrolls Online Mehrunes Dagon body pillowcases (with pillow included), each to be won separately.
Skyrim:SeranaEdit
Serana is a Nord vampire found inside a sarcophagus in Dimhollow Cavern. She is the long lost daughter of Lord Harkon and Valerica, and is in possession of an Elder Scroll. Upon introduction, she will know if you are a vampire or not, and she will ask you to take her to her home.
Lore:TrollEdit
Trolls (known as Trohls in ancient text) are large, ape-like, bestial humanoids endowed with three eyes.[3] Known as formidable monsters throughout Tamriel, they have a powerful regeneration ability that makes them almost unkillable, but they also have a crippling weakness to fire.[3][4] Trolls are found all over the continent, mostly in caves and forested areas. They are typically reclusive creatures, their lairs usually far from commonly traversed paths.[1] They are also truly ancient creatures, having roamed Nirn since the Dawn Era. Despite this, the origin of trolls is completely unknown, and much about their reproductive biology is not well understood.
Lore:War of BetonyEdit
The War of Betony (sometimes the Siege of Betony) was a military conflict between the Kingdoms of Daggerfall and Sentinel, spurred on from the wars embroiling Tamriel during the Imperial Simulacrum period, in this case, the Wars of the Iliac Bays. The war was sparked when Lord Mogref of Betony, an island strategically located in the entrance to the Iliac Bay, asked King Lysandus of Daggerfall for protection against pirates and other brigands. King Camaron of Sentinel and his advisors, citing an old contract that suggested Betony was a holding of their kingdom, declared war. Hostilities ended after Lysandus' son, Gothryd, who became king after his father was killed in battle at Cryngaine Field, won the battle. Camaron would also die before the conclusion of the battle. Sentinel surrendered and Betony passed under the control of Daggerfall. As part of the peace settlement, King Gothryd married the daughter of the late King Camaron, Princess Aubk-i.