The release of Starfield's first trailer gave fans a look at what they could expect from the game's world, graphics, and visual design. The trailer showcased Starfield's space ships, some environments, and gave fans a glimpse at its NASA-inspired world. However, a quick easter egg also seems to have clued fans in on the setting of The Elder Scrolls 6. It was just a passing glance at a decal on the side of the console in a spaceship, but it pretty closely resembled the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell in The Elder Scrolls 6's world of Tamriel.
However, fans also realized that, while the sticker in Starfield could point towards the setting of The Elder Scrolls 6, it did look a bit different from the High Rock and Hammerfell that fans are familiar with. Firstly, both of the provinces look a bit squished as well as both of them pointing downwards more than maps have shown them to before. Another big change is that the gulf on the northern side of High Rock seems to be filled in, while Hammerfell also has seen a large southern chunk made into an island. While these changes could mean that the sticker is referencing something else, there are a few different events in The Elder Scrolls 6 that could have caused a massive cataclysm.
How a New Deity Could Have Impacted The Elder Scrolls 6's Setting
Godhood in The Elder Scrolls is shrouded in mystery, with every race in the game worshipping varied versions of pantheons, and mortal beings like Tiber Septim being able to ascend to godhood. In The Elder Scrolls mortals can become gods through a number of processes like mantling and CHIM. These processes are very difficult to achieve, but a few different characters throughout the series' lore have achieved it,while many others have attempted but failed. However, doing so gives mortals the abilities of gods, especially if they achieve CHIM, which sees them breaking free from the influences of the mortal realm and transcending the powers of The Elder Scrolls' more standard deities.
This could very well offer an explanation of what happened to The Elder Scrolls 6's setting, while also giving players a look at what the game's story may be related to. It could be that a malicious mortal transcended to godhood or CHIM and used their newfound power to change or attack Hammerfell and High Rock. This could also set up The Elder Scrolls 6's story to follow the player as they either work to rebuild the provinces or try to ascend to godhood or CHIM themselves to stop the evil new deity from doing any further damage to Tamriel. Not only would this make The Elder Scrolls 6's gods much stranger and more interesting, but it also has precedence in Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion, as it saw players mantling to become Sheogorath at the end of it.
How the Daedra Could Have Impacted The Elder Scrolls 6's Setting
There are many different types of Daedra in The Elder Scrolls, with the Daedric Princes that rule over them being some of the most interesting and powerful creatures in the entire series. While the conclusion of Oblivion saw the Daedra supposedly not being able to invade the mortal realm anymore, they still made plenty of appearances in Skyrim. This means that The Elder Scrolls 6 could see the Daedra taking center stage again, with a Daedric Prince having found some motivation to change the physical shapes of High Rock and Hammerfell.
There are two likely motivations for a Daedric Prince to do this. The first is very similar to the plot of Oblivion, with a Daedric Prince seeking to either expand their realm to command over Tamriel or to simply wreak havoc on the mortals that live there. Another motivation for a Daedric Prince to mess with the lands or people of Tamriel is simply because they were bored and wanted some entertainment. The Daedra in The Elder Scrolls are a very complicated race that are more flawed than some players may expect. The Daedric Princes have messed with mortal affairs simply for entertainment in The Elder Scrolls before, and it would be very interesting to see how The Elder Scrolls 6 would handle a narrative that was kicked off by the whims of a much more powerful being that just wanted to mess with mortals.
How the Dwemer Could Have Impacted The Elder Scrolls 6's Setting
The Dwemer are The Elder Scrolls series' equivalent to dwarves, but mysteriously went missing many years before the games began. There are many theories about what happened to The Elder Scrolls' Dwemer, including that the entire race ascended to godhood or disappeared after a failed attempt to do so. However, the majority of the exposure that players have to the Dwemer comes in the form of exploring the ruins of their underground civilization in games like Skyrim. From what players have seen of what the Dwemer left behind, the race was clearly very technologically advanced, with automatons and automated defense systems being left behind.
It could be that The Elder Scrolls 6 finally explains the mystery behind the race, with them either coming back through some strange event or somebody attempting the same experiment that led to the race's disappearance. Such a massive event could definitely lead to a geographical change like what could be hinted at for The Elder Scrolls 6, and the possibility of using the race to explain it seems more than likely. An interview back in May revealed that The Elder Scrolls' director Todd Howard did not want the Dwemer explored in The Elder Scrolls Online, which could have been because he was planning to do so in The Elder Scrolls 6 instead. There are plenty of other possible explanations for this potential change to High Rock and Hammerfell in The Elder Scrolls 6, so hopefully, fans will get some more news on the game and its setting soon.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.