Forums » Elder Scrolls

TES's Cosmology is Really Clever

    • 77 posts
    May 19, 2014 4:24 AM EDT

    Having the many realms of Mundus organized as planets is a really smart way to explain them. It melds the flat earth, old world European belief system and the modern, scientific world view that western culture has developed. It remains consistent with gravity, present in most game universes, while keeping the magical elements. Each god has a planet, the closer ones are attributed to Aedra and the farther ones Daedra. They all orbit Nirn, the human planet. It makes sense that the Daedra and Aedra all want to influence Nirn, as it's the most interesting planet out there. Compare the Deadlands to real life Mercury, they're both big fiery, same-y, and basic. Earth and Nirn have life and complexity, more interesting to any consciousness, god or otherwise.

    Then it all gets high fantasy. The solar system of Mundus exists within Aetherius, the realm of the Aedric gods and the source of all magic. It explains the scarcity of magic, like the second law of thermodynamics and energy in the real universe. It also explains why the sun is so powerful, magic, and continues the theme of the universe orbiting Nirn (the earth).

    I just thought this was all a very cool way to do a fantasy universe. Super-snazzy.

    • 77 posts
    May 19, 2014 4:40 AM EDT

    Oh yeah, it's by Okiir on Deviantart (http://okiir.deviantart.com/) Still working on that whole credit thing. =P

    • 856 posts
    May 19, 2014 8:25 AM EDT

    I love this pic, and the explanation is very interesting.

    I do want to point out that people of earth knew that the world was not flat but rather *spherical for thousands of years. In fact Eratosthenes closely approximated the circumference of the earth over 2200 years ago using geometric proportions. He also accurately measured the tilt of the earth, spot on, 23.5 degrees.

    *mostly

    • 77 posts
    May 19, 2014 5:56 PM EDT

    It depends what people of the earth you're talking about.

    • 856 posts
    May 19, 2014 7:54 PM EDT

    True... but many people knew of the Greek mathematicians' work including the Europeans that you mentioned ('flat earth, old world European belief system'). Plus many other ancient civilizations had an understanding of geometry - which is all that is required to realize the earth is round. Columbus, by the way, used another mathematician's calculations, who came after Eratosthenes, but that estimation was several thousand miles too small... this is why Columbus thought he was near India instead of a new continent.