Summary
Religion plays a large role inThe Elder Scrollsacross all the different cultures thanks to the active role the Daedric Princes and Divines play in the lives of mortals. One of the most important gods is worshiped across Tamriel, and is responsible for creating the mortal realm. The two moons, Secunda and Masser, are believed to be his body, while his heart rested within Red Mountain, a volcano in Vvardenfell, Morrowind. He goes by many names, like Sheor, Shezarr, and Sep, but he’s most commonly known as Shor by the Nords, or Lorkhan by the Elves. Lorkhan could play a massive role inThe Elder Scrolls 6, and provide conflict far beyond that of Skyrim’s Talos.
The Truth Behind The Creation of The Elder Scrolls
Who is Lorkhan?
It’s believed thatLorkhan was created by Sithisto destroy the universe in vengeance against the Divines. In most mythologies, he tricks the Divines into creating the mortal realm and Tamriel, and taking away the immortality of the elves. In retaliation, the Divines tore apart his body; his Heart landed in Morrowind, and his body became Tamriel’s two moons. Because he’s responsible for the mortality of the elves, the mer regard him as a trickster god and an enemy of their people, while humans view him as the source of their existence, and so revere him.
Lorkhan Made Manifest
Despite his status as a Missing god, Lorkhan’s influence is felt across Tamriel. Lorkhan is the only god apart from Akatosh who is worshiped by all the cultures of Tamriel. In times of great turmoil, Lorkhan has been known to physically manifest in Tamriel to become a champion of Men in a form known as the Shezarrine, a name taken from the Cyrodiilic word for Lorkhan, “Shezarr”. The most documented instance of this isPelinal Whitestrake, who was the sworn champion of the slave-queen Alessia who overthrew the Ayleid elves. It’s also highly likely that Ysmir Wulfharth was a Shezarrine as he shared many qualities with Shor.
Lorkhan’s Possible Appearance in The Elder Scrolls 6
That Lorkhan appears in Tamriel even after dying is not so strange. As a god, though he lost his body, his spirit is still alive and has a strong connection to the plane he created.Khajiit mythsstate, “We curse you, noisy Lorkhaj, to walk Nirni for many phases,” astatement that speaks to Lorkhan appearing in mortal form over the eras.
Lorkhan’s Absence from The Elder Scrolls
Despite Lorkhan’s importance in creating Mundus, his death, and his influence on all the cultures of Tamriel, he’s never featured prominently inThe Elder Scrolls. His presence inThe Elder Scrollshas been reduced to an artifact in the form of the Heart of Lorkhan, as lore in a few obscure texts in in-game books, or as a part ofSkyrim’s overall culture in the form of Shor.Pelinal Whitestrake appears inOblivionin the Knights of the Nineexpansion pack, but his role as the Shezarrine is never mentioned outside a book about him.
Lorkhan’s Role in TES6
The Elder Scrolls 6having a prominent Shezarrine presence, whether as the player character or as the main villain of the game, would be a great way to bring this incredibly important deity to the forefront. Because Lorkhan has never really been explored before,The Elder Scrolls 6would have a lot of space in exploring the character, as well as the different cultures' relationship to Lorkhan, far more so than theTalos conflict inSkyrim.
