The Light and the Dark Content . " Yes , children , it is no accident that this land of Tamriel has been called ' The Arena ' . " The old man altered his position on the large rock that bore his weight , and straightened his long gray robe . Rheumy eyes lost their focus as they gazed out over the sun - warmed valley in the mountains of High Rock . For a moment he saw a vision of ancient horrors instead of the fresh greenery of spring . A chill washed over his aged bones . " Is this a suitable topic for the young and innocent ? " he asked himself . The young must be taught , but must they learn of such things now , when they should be playing in the sunlight ? This is a tale for the dreary winter , with the wind howling outside a walled town and the doors and windows closed and bolted against the blast and cold and - - other things . He glanced with affection at his two grandchildren : the little towheaded boy with a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes even on those rare occasions when sitting quietly , and his older sister . A serene lass , the old man thought . Her hair like a dark flame and her slightly pointed ears were the only obvious signs of elven blood . So like her grandmother , the old man thought . The past is past , and I ' shira had brought him so much peace and happiness after a lifetime of battle . He forced his thoughts back to the present . " Sorry , children . I was remembering things . Old people do that , you know . " " Are you going to tell us the story of Jagar Tharn and the Emperor and the Eternal Champion ? " His grandson asked . " That ' s my favorite ! " " Not exactly , son . They were a part of it , in a way . As are I ' ric and Moraelyn and Edward and Reymon and many others . Even the gods play a part . This is a far older story , and even the priests won ' t tell it my way . They have their own interpretations , and their fears as well . I ' m too old and have seen too much to have any fear left , except that our people will forget . And forgetting is dangerous . So I , and a few others , carry this tale and try to spread it among the younger generations . You aren ' t really old enough to understand it all , but I can feel that my end is not far off . I must ask you to remember anyway . In a few years , perhaps , if I still live , we can discuss it again . If not , well , you must seek out others who know , and compare notes . " " You talk as if you are going to die , Granther , " his granddaughter spoke up . " That can ' t happen . You will live forever ! " Chuckling , " I ' m afraid not , dear . But I have a little while left , enough for the story " . The children settled back against the bole of a large oak , knowing that the old man could not be hurried . Leaning forward , he began : " Long , long ago , before there were any people at all ; even before the gods , Tamriel was chosen as a battleground by two - - things . It is difficult to find words that fit them well . I call them the Light and the Dark . Others use different names . Good and Evil , Bird and Serpent , Order and Chaos . None of these names really apply . It suffices that they are opposites , and totally antithetical . Neither is really good or evil , as we know the words . They are immortal since they do not really live , but they do exist . Even the gods and their daedric enemies are pale reflections of the eternal conflict between them . It ' s as though their struggle creates energies that distort their surroundings , and those energies are so powerful that life can appear , like an eddy in a stream . " " Do demons and trolls come from the Dark , Grandpa ? " " Not exactly , son . The undead evils we know , and the demons that live on Oblivion tend to align with the Dark . Their natures are more akin to it . Humans and the other peoples of Tamriel , even the misunderstood Dark Elves , are more aligned with the Light . Our evils are not always of the Dark , but some are , and these are the truly dangerous ones . Jagar Tharn was almost wholly aligned with the Dark , and that is really why he was so monstrous . It was not because he was a black mage , as some would have it . " " Did his magic come from the Dark , Granther ? " The girl ' s interest was piqued by mention of magic . Her heritage is beginning to show itself , thought the old man . " No , magic power comes directly from the energies swirling about both entities . These energies are impersonal and all mixed up . Black magic is more a matter of intent than effect . The Mages ' Guild holds that a Fireball , say , directed against a creature intent on causing harm , is not black magic ; but the same spell directed at one seeking peace is . In this , they are right . Destruction of a fire daedra strengthens the Light and weakens the Dark just a little . In the same manner , destruction of a unicorn strengthens the Dark . " " What about the gods ? Do they come from the Light ? " The boy ' s eyes were animated , but tinged with apprehension . He adored stories of the gods and goddesses of Tamriel ' s pantheon , and the heroes who served them . The old man chuckled . " The gods have an unusual origin , if some of the oldest tales are true . The oldest inhabitants of this world - - no one seems to be sure what race they were - - had a system of myths that they believed in for a thousand years . The people of et ' Ada believed for so long and so well , that their beliefs may , just may , have drawn upon the energies surrounding Tamriel to bring the gods themselves into being . If that is so , the conflict between the Light and the Dark provided the energy , and the et ' Adans the structure , that created the gods of Tamriel . No one really knows since it was so long ago and so little survives from that time . It no longer matters ; the gods have their own existence now , and mostly align with the Light , except for a few who are , shall we say , a little ambiguous . " " Why do we have to remember , Granther ? What is the danger you spoke of ? If the Light and Dark are so big and powerful , can we influence them ? Should we try ? What should we fight for ? " " I see that your critical faculties are developing , Solara . That is good . The answer is simple , but quite large enough for mere mortals like us . The Light and Dark are evenly matched , and perhaps will never resolve their conflict . Mortals and the beings of the Aetherius sometimes can perceive traces of them . Therein lies the danger ; to most of us the Light is more congenial , even inspiring , and moves us to behavior that we would call good . To creatures like us , the Dark is - - horrible . Those who have visions of it are often driven mad , and the ones who are not would be better dead . The Dark is to us a monstrous emptiness , an emptiness that sucks the soul toward it - - to be twisted , maimed , and ultimately destroyed . What we can see of it seems utterly evil . Perhaps somewhere else this would not be so , but in our world , it is . " The old man paused to gather his thoughts , gazing once more at the fresh new life of spring . " What we must do is never to forget that the Dark is always there , beckoning to the weak - souled among us . Should it gain ascendancy over Tamriel , through agents perverted by its awful attraction , terrible things could happen . All that we hold beautiful or desirable , even love itself , would be swept away . Peace and hope would be no more . For Tamriel , that would be the worst possible disaster . What I saw during Jagar ' s reign nearly killed me , almost destroyed my mind . When he was destroyed , I thought the worst was over , but it was not . The forces of the Dark are on the march again , and new heroes must rise to join the Eternal Champion in the fight against them . " The old man and the two children sat in silence for several minutes . Finally , the children assisted their grandfather to his feet , and they walked slowly away . Toward home , and hearth , and lunch .