Skyrim Used to Be Populated by an Ancient Race from a Continent That’s Now a Frozen Wasteland

The region of Skyrim in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has a deep and complex history, particularly surrounding its people and their beliefs – for example, the origins of the Nord race. Learning about this history, including the ancient race that existed before the Nords in the Elder Scrolls universe, requires effort, as the game doesn’t directly guide players towards discovering it.

Many fans are familiar with places like Akavir from The Elder Scrolls, but that’s only a small part of the franchise’s rich history. For instance, the Atmorans – a strong, ancient race from the far north who came before the Nords – aren’t often discussed in the games, despite being the ancestors of Nords, Imperials, and Bretons. While you can’t actually visit the continent of Atmora in any Elder Scrolls game, you can still find bits and pieces of information about it.

Who Were the Atmorans in The Elder Scrolls?

The Atmorans were a people organized into tribes and clans, valuing honor, strength, and loyalty above all else. They worshipped nine animal gods, who later evolved into deities known in the Elder Scrolls universe. It’s believed their Hawk god became Kyne, the goddess of mortals, and their Dragon god was likely Alduin, the powerful dragon from Skyrim. Over hundreds of years, Atmorans gradually migrated to Tamriel in waves, bringing with them the foundations of Nord culture. Their first established city in Tamriel was Saarthal, founded by the legendary warrior Ysgramor, who led a group of settlers fleeing conflict in Atmora.

So, Saarthal was doing pretty well for a while, but then the Snow Elves – the Falmer – just attacked. It was a total disaster, known as the Night of Tears. That’s when Ysgramor, one of the original Nords, went all the way back to Atmora, gathered up five hundred of his best warriors – the Five Hundred Companions – and came back to Skyrim for revenge. They hit the Falmer hard, forcing them to retreat underground. Eventually, the Dwemer enslaved them down there, and that’s how the Falmer ended up all mutated and messed up. While all that was happening, the High Elves – the Altmer – started spreading out and taking over more and more land in Skyrim and all over Tamriel.

Atmoran history is fascinating, but the continent of Atmora itself remains largely unknown. Despite internal conflicts, Atmora was gripped by an endless winter caused by a mysterious event called the Frost Fall. Explorers in the Third Era found that the land is still brutally cold—even colder than Skyrim—and no one knows what caused the Frost Fall or why it happened.

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The ancient Atmoran civilization is believed to be gone by the time of the current Elder Scrolls games, and what happened to them remains a fascinating unsolved puzzle. Bethesda might explore this topic in a future game, although many feel Skyrim, with its location, would have been the perfect setting to reveal more about Atmora.

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2026-04-13 13:04