Highlights
- The Psijic Order, an ancient monastic organization in Tamriel, should be the focus of The Elder Scrolls 6, bringing their unique values and mysticism to the game's lore.
- The Psijic Order, similar to Skyrim's Greybeards, emphasizes preserving old traditions and practicing magic that respects ancestors and ancient beings.
- Despite their reclusive nature, the Psijics have influenced politics across Tamriel, offering advisory roles to rulers and working towards positive change, but they feature some notorious members like Mannimarco.
The protagonists of The Elder Scrolls games are often aided (or manipulated) by various groups throughout Tamriel during their quest to save the world. In Skyrim, the Dragonborn is assisted by the dragon-worshiping Greybeards and dragon-hunting Blades. The Nerevarine in Morrowind has to take orders from the most influential houses in the province during the main quest. These organizations each have unique values, views, and missions, which add color to their respective games’ lore. If there’s one group that should get some much-needed spotlight for the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6 game, it’s the Psijic Order.
News about The Elder Scrolls 6 has been scarce. The most significant official story about it so far is that it recently left the pre-production stage. There's also the official announcement teaser that Bethesda published back on June 11, 2018. The 36-second video only showed footage of some mountains and trees along a coast, with the official logo appearing at the end. It’s been five years since that announcement and fans have been busy speculating about its lore, the province it might focus on, and the influential factions that could impact the story. Some think that the Psijic Order, which has existed since the First Era, should have the spotlight this time.
Why The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Showcase the Psijic Order
The Psijic Order is one of the oldest groups in Tamriel, with roots reaching as far as the First Era. The members of this monastic organization are devoted to the “Elder Way” of practicing mysticism. They reside in the Artaeum, which is part of the Summerset Isles, which is why most of its members are High Elves. However, they also recruit members from other races, so long as the initiate displays significant magical talent.
The Psijic Order is similar to another influential group in Tamriel: Skyrim's Greybeards. Both are monastic organizations that pride themselves in preserving old traditions. For the Psijics, it’s practicing magic that respects and empowers the ancestors of the living, as well as the ancient Aedras. The Greybeards, on the other hand, place importance on learning Dragon Shouts as a means of attaining enlightenment rather than a tool to win battles. Both groups are also extremely reclusive, with outsiders having little to no knowledge about the organization’s workings and motives. The Greybeards have been effective mentors to the Dragonborn, helping them learn important shouts and negotiate a peace treaty among the warring factions in Skyrim. The Psijics could fulfill the same mentorship role for the hero in Elder Scrolls 6.
Why the Psijics are an Important Part of Elder Scrolls Lore
The Psijics, despite being known for being cloistered, are said to be highly influential to politics across Tamriel. They’ve served as advisors to rulers in the continent, like the various mages one would find at the right hand of the Jarls in Skyrim. However, Psijic members do not engage directly in political matters and only offer faithful counsel to whoever needs it. As such, members of this organization are discouraged from pledging allegiance to a political leader. It’s through these advisory roles that the Psijic Order fulfills its objective to steer the world towards good and meaningful change.
The Psijic Order is not without its fair share of intrigue and bad apples. While it did produce the Great Mage Vanus Galerion, it also trained Mannimarco, one of the most reviled necromancers in Tamriel. Mannimarco once led his Worm Cult of necromancers and undead in a bloody but unsuccessful attempt to help the Daedric Prince Molag Bal to merge Nirn with his realm. The organization has also had missteps in advising previous political figures like Uriel V, which led to growing distrust from rulers of the Septim Dynasty. The organization and its headquarters fell into obscurity in recent times. As such, a resurgence rooted in redemption is long overdue for The Psijic Order, and The Elder Scrolls 6 is the perfect stage for this.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.