Aldmeris

*For the language also called Aldmeris, see Aldmeri Language.*
**Aldmeris**, also known as **Old Ehlnofey,** is a possible continent on Nirn. Very little is known of the alleged Elven homeland, and it is sometimes considered to be merely a myth. Its location, environment, politics, religion, and even its current existence are matters of conjecture. Translations from the tapestries and texts in the Crystal Tower of the Isle of Summerset have yielded only the barest sketches of a beautiful, but very strange, land. Depictions of Aldmeris are devoid of any representations of life aside from the Aldmer themselves. It appears always as an endless city, built upon itself over and over again, until nothing from nature remains. The highest towers are reserved for interring the dead, a tradition continued on by the Crystal Tower itself. It is believed that the Aldmer may have evacuated Aldmeris to escape destruction and sailed to Tamriel.

## History

Few records exist of events relating to Aldmeris. One account tells of the Aldmer Foresailor High Lord Torinaan, who left the shores of his home Aldmeris in order to escape an unspecified crisis described as "doom oblivious" and landed in Auridon, swearing an oath to lay claim to the new-found area and never depart from it. Another fleet of Aldmer settled on the continent south of Tamriel, known as Pyandonea, though this land was said to have been *"low, marshy, and insect-infested"* as compared to Summerset. The Aldmer who settled Summerset became known as the Altmer, and those that settled Pyandonea became the Maormer. It is unknown if any people remained on Aldmeris after the Aldmeri colonization of foreign lands.

What has happened in Aldmeris since the elves who settled in Tamriel left is perhaps the oldest of all mysteries. For countless centuries, adventurers have sought Lost Aldmeris, only to return disappointed, if they return at all. Some say that Aldmeris was sunk into the sea by the angry gods of the Aldmer. Others claim that the elven homeland has left Mundus and will only return when the races of Mer are united as one. Legends say that there are still elves inhabiting the area, not wishing to leave.

## Out of game explanation

An alternate theory is presented by a work of Michael Kirkbride, in which the Moth Priests state that Aldmeris never existed as an actual homeland, but was a collection of "memories" left over from the Mythic Age. The priests go on to say that all mortal life actually began on Tamriel.

## See also

* Aldmer
* Aldmeri Language
* Merethic Era

## References

1. ↑ *Before the Ages of Man*
2. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Eras*
3. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Summerset Isles*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *The Lay of Firsthold*
5. ↑ *Loading Screens (Online)*
6. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Other Lands*

**Notice**: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of *The Elder Scrolls* lore and are included for completeness.
1. ↑ *Nu-Mantia Intercept, Letter 5*

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