The world of the Elder Scrolls franchise is Tamriel, a vast land of adventure that stretches across different dimensions, even touching different eras in time. One of the most prominent races in the story of Tamriel is the elves, and these aren't like the ones from the conventional fantasy genre. Forget what you know about elves from Dungeons & Dragons or The Lord of the Rings. The elves of Tamriel are known as the Mer, and they can be found in every corner of the world, and sometimes even beyond it. However, not all of them are playable races in any of the various games.
The Mer of Tamriel have a long history that includes several different branches of the same family tree. Some races of Mer are extinct or otherwise gone from the known world, while others have been changed by magic or time so dramatically that they barely resemble their ancient ancestors. There are eleven distinct races in total, and it's easy to get some of them mixed up while it's hard to believe that some are Mer at all.
10 Aldmer
Now extinct, the Aldmer race now only exists in fairy tales and legends. They didn't fade away or die out. The Aldmer race simply dissolved into a variety of other races, and all the Mer in Tamriel trace their ancestry back to them. The Aldmer, in turn, trace their ancestry back to the Aedra themselves. The term "Aldmeri" is often used in contemporary Tamriel to refer to any and all races of Mer, which can make it confusing to learn that this also refers to a distinct race at the root of the family tree.
9 Altmer
The Summerset Isles are supernatural in their beauty, the capital city a mix of tall, leafy trees and high marble spires. Also known as the High Elves, the Altmer are the most direct descendants of the Aldmer and were the first race to farm, build and cultivate in the land of Tamriel. Their legends include some of the most ancient lore including the origin of the Aedra and Deadra. The culture values intelligence among all other attributes and has a deeper connection to the arcane than others.
8 Bosmer
Valenwood is a unique region in Tamriel. It's covered in thick, heavy forest that remains virtually untouched by the ravages of civilization, and the Bosmer keep it that way. Their deeply held religious vow, known as the Green Pact, deeply connects them to the guardianship of the first to the extent that they are forbidden from harvesting any plant or tree from the forest for any reason. This is partly why they are known for their hunting skills and affinity for ranged weapons, especially bows. Their food, clothing, weapons, and homes are exclusively taken from their kills, and that isn't limited to animals, a feature that alienates them from not only their fellow Elves but all other races in Tamriel.
7 Dunmer
Morrowind is dominated by an island crowned by an ever-active volcano, and it shows in the Dunmer race. Their red eyes and grey skin make them the most distinctive race of Elves on Tamriel. They are also skilled in arcane magic, like their brethren, but have a special affinity for the Destruction school and a talent for wielding blades.
The Dunmer are isolated from their fellow elves by some of their more unenlightened cultural habits, like keeping slaves and maintaining a system of ruthless clans that are often feuding for political conflict. The story of how the Dunmer came to be who they are is connected to two other races of Mer in Tamriel.
6 Chimer
The story of the Chimer is a lesson on what happens when Daedric Princes toy with the aces of Tamriel. A group of Aldmer that preferred to worship the Dareda as opposed to the Aedra followed the Prophet Veloth to the land of Morrowind, and conflict followed them.
The Dwemer, who were already living in the region, preferred technology to religion and mocked the Daedric religion of the immigrants as backward. This conflict eventually led to a war that ended with the Dwemer disappearing off the face of Tamriel and the Chimer becoming the Dunmer. The last known Chimer was one of the Tribunal, Almalexia, who was killed at the end of Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.
5 Orsimer
The Orcs of Tamriel can also trace their ancestry to the conflict that erupted when the Chimer broke away from the Aldmer. Trinimac, a benevolent deity and the leader of the Aldmer, tried to stop the Chimer exodus to Morrowind. The Deadric Prince Boethiah, who had his own plans for the Chimer, consumed him and became the Deadric Prince Malacath. The Mer that continued to follow the changed diety became the Cursed Folk, the Orcs. Their capital city is Orsinium and their society and culture are still based on the worship of Malacath.
4 Dwemer
There aren't any Dwemer left in Tamriel, but they didn't go extinct like the Aldmer before them. Instead, they simply disappeared. The prevailing theory states that they built a machine powerful enough to port their whole race to another dimension. Their machines still hum in the deep mountainsides, a likely place for many an intrepid adventurer who's after puzzles and plunder, but nary an elf is to be found here. What happened to the Dwemer remains a mystery, but what we do know is connected to their own talents regarding technology and magic, and it also has something to do with another race of Mer, the Chimer.
3 Snow Elves and the Falmer
Thought to be extinct previously, there are a few Snow Elves holding out in their old northern haunts. The race is also known as Ice Elves, and their story is a tragic one. After trying to eradicate the Nords from their lands, the humans turned the tide and threatened the entire Snow Elf race with extinction. They turned to the Dwemer, who agreed to help them, but they had to consume toxic plants to live underground and their new diet rendered them blind.
Now almost defenseless, and mere shadows of their former selves, the Snow Elves were enslaved by the Dwemer and became known as the Falmer. This is why you often find them in Dwemer ruins. The only surviving Snow Elves were those that refused to turn to the Dwemer for help and instead took their chances on the surface.
2 Ayleid
These are the ancient Mer that built the White Gold Tower, and their magically-inclined blood still courses through the veins of the Bretons, a human race that lives in High Rock. They ruled over most of Cyrodil in the ancient Merethic Era and are also referred to as Heartland Elves. Their architecture is similar to that of the Altmer and ruins of their once vast empire can be found in every corner of Tamriel.
The Ayleids have an interesting obsession with light sources. They reject fire as weak and unstable and embrace and harness starlight, a pure form of illumination that comes from the sources of all life and magic, Aetherius. History says that the Ayleids sailed to Tamriel from the Summerset Isles to avoid the Deardric worship that had begun there, but modern Ayleid religion incudes both Aedric and Daedric reverence.
1 Maormer
The Maomer recall a bygone time when the Mer were a people who valued exploration and travel more than anything else. They are also known in Tamriel as tropical Elves or Sea Elves. They also emigrated from the Summerset Isles at about the same time as the Ayleids but headed south instead of north, colonizing the hidden continent of Pyandonea.
They have a distinct appearance from their fellow Mer, with pale, almost translucent skin and milky eyes. In ancient history, they tried to take over the Summerset Isles until they were permanently separated from their homeland by the Viel of Mist.