It is no secret at this point that the province of Hammerfell is largely thought to be the potential setting of the massively anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6. Being a relatively unexplored but expansive province, it is clear as to why many long-term fans are so deeply excited at the prospect of Hammerfell finally getting the attention that it deserves.
If The Elder Scrolls 6 is to be primarily set in Hammerfell, then it will of course have to showcase the vibrant culture and geopolitical state of the province. To effectively and accurately appreciate this portrayal, an informed understanding of the deeply rich history of Hammerfell is of extreme importance.
The Elder Scrolls 6 - Hammerfell In the First Era
Hammerfell in the First Era was wildly different to what it would later become, originally being a largely uninhabited and inhospitable expanse of land. In the beginning, the province was loosely inhabited by ancient Elven groups along small patches of Hammerfell's coast.
A true colonization of the province would not come until the year 420, when a historic race known as the Dwemer began densely populating the land. The Dwemer are one of the most fascinating races within The Elder Scrolls, largely due to the sheer level of mystery that surrounds them. A technologically advanced Dwarven race, some of the Dwemer occupied Hammerfell before their unexplained and still-debated disappearance in the year 700.
The lost cities of the Dwemer still remained in Hammerfell, with many fans proposing that Dwemer constructs could replace the role of dragons within The Elder Scrolls 6. For more than a century, Hammerfell remained ominously uncivilized until the mass arrival of the Ra Gada, or Redguard, in the year 808. The Red Guard originally hailed from the continent of Yokuda, only landing on the shores of Hammerfell after the sinking of their homeland. A fierce and powerful race of warriors, the Redguard quickly took control of the province while attempting to maintain the culture and traditions of Yokuda.
The Elder Scrolls 6 - Hammerfell In the Second Era
Holistically thriving across all of Hammerfell unlike any other previous inhabitants, the Redguard quickly established themselves among the diverse races of Tamriel. Two distinct groups had formed within the Redguard, known as the Crowns and the Forebears.
The Forebears are proud of their Yokudan heritage and the culture it possesses, but are typified by their comparatively higher level of acceptance to the rules and ways of Cyrodiil, a province considered to be the most powerful in all of Tamriel. Adversely, the Crowns are staunchly set in their adherence to Yokudan culture, lambasting the Forebears for worshipping Tamrielic Gods and their attempts to assimilate the two cultures.
Hammerfell was inexorably plunged into civil war, due to the juxtaposing ideologies of these two key groups, in the year 862 of the Second Era. With the Forebears being on the brink of defeat, they agreed to a pact with Tiber Septim, leader of Cyrodiil's Septim Empire, to ensure their victory at the cost of Hammerfell's allegiance and fealty to Imperial rule. Predictably, this occupation was met with severe resistance, with the Empire eventually removing their military presence from Hammerfell and becoming more accepting of Yokudan culture toward the end of the Second Era.
The Elder Scrolls 6 - Hammerfell In the Third Era
The level of barbarity and betrayal that was showcased in the civil war would linger significantly throughout Hammerfell's history in the Third Era. With tensions between the Forebears and Crowns reaching an understandable high, neither would come to the aid of the other throughout a spate of assaults on Redguard land.
This internal unease within the province allowed for neighboring forces to seriously impose themselves upon Hammerfell, leading to the concession of important land to other provinces. For example, the Nords famously captured the city of Dragonstar in the year 396 of the Third Era, with the strategic city remaining half under Nordic rule well into the Fourth Era.
With a kind of widespread land-grab now occurring within Hammerfell, the kingdoms of Sentinel and Daggerfall began warring with each other over ownership of Hammerfell's Betony Island. Many other kingdoms and factions would lay siege to Hammerfell following this, with the resultant chaos mysteriously rectifying itself in a phenomenon known as the Miracle of Peace, in which the involved factions are thought to have destroyed each other. As a result, a plethora of city-states were effectively wiped out, leading the Crowns and Forebears to once again control large swathes of Hammerfell territory. This power vacuum additionally led to the establishment of a more moderate faction in Hammerfell known as the Lhotunic, who were predictably despised by Crowns and Forebears alike.
The Elder Scrolls 6 - Hammerfell In the Fourth Era
Large portions of Tamriel in the Fourth Era were dominated by the events of the Great War, with Hammerfell being one of the main stages of battle. The Great War was waged by Elven supremacists known as the Thalmor, who operated under the wider moniker of the Aldmeri Dominion, against the Tamrielic Empire.
With Hammerfell still being a part of the Empire, it faced heavy initial attacks that saw Imperial forces retreat right through the province, starting in the year 171. Redguard factions then came under attack, and a reconciliation between the Forebears and Crowns finally occurred, as they began aiding each other in the face of a cataclysmic threat. As the combined but exhausted Tamrielic forces of the Empire eventually overwhelmed the Thalmor, negotiations for peace began.
Known as the White-Gold Concordat, the terms of peace between the two parties saw the Empire attempt to cede huge portions of southern Hammerfell to the invaders, much to the warranted objection of the Redguard. Due to this betrayal, Hammerfell famously left the Empire and was forced to continue war against the Thalmor, leading to a ravaging of the southern territories mentioned in the Concordat. As a testament to the Redguard's strength, the Aldmeri Dominion were completely pushed out of Hammerfell, leaving the Forebears and Crowns bound by shared victory and a renewed sense of alliance. Considering how varied and eventful the history of Hammerfell is, it would be no wonder if Bethesda decided to make the province the main setting of The Elder Scrolls 6.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.