Dawn Era

The Dawn Era was a period during which time followed an incomprehensible nonlinear path and the very laws of nature remained unset, making a timeline an artificial fabrication. A conflict was simultaneously a mere ideological difference of opinion and a manifest war. As noted in The Lunar Lorkhan, this "War of Manifest Metaphors" renders the era mostly incapable of supporting a narrative. Since fixed dates during this time are unknowable, there is no specific nomenclature for years within the Dawn Era. Further, some events, such as the Velothi dissident movement, are attributed to the Dawn Era by some sources and to the Merethic Era by others. In later eras, in various places and over varying periods of time, people have experienced a refrain of the chaos of the Dawn, which is known as a dragon break.

The beginning

Though the details vary with each culture and religion, all legends of the beginning of existence which have been passed down speak of two entities who appeared in the void and soon found themselves in conflict. Yokudan legend says Satak, the Snake who came Before, eventually merged with Akel, its "Hungry Stomach", to create Satakal, the Yokudan God of Everything. Satakal is related to the concepts of Anu and Padomay, elven personifications of the primordial forces of stasis and change respectively. Other dichotomies include Ak-El, Anuiel-Sithis, and Ahnurr-Fadomai. Even the All-Maker worshipped by the Skaal faced a twin force, the Adversary. Regardless of the nomenclature, all seem to represent the dichotomy between existence and nothingness, order and chaos, light and dark.

Creation of the Aurbis

The et'Ada, the Original Spirits, crystallize in the Beginning Place, springing forth from the two primordial forces. The interplay of the light and the dark becomes creation, the Aurbis. When the "first god" Akatosh forms, time begins, and it becomes easier for some spirits to achieve structure and become aware of themselves as beings with a past and a future. Their constant flux and interplay create more spirits. The strongest of the recognizable spirits crystallize: Mephala, Arkay, Iphre, Magnus, Ruptga, etc. Others remain as concepts, ideas, or emotions, their personalities slowly congealing.

The Anuad, a simplified creation myth, speaks of a third primordial force, a female principle known as Nir, which first gave birth to the cosmos before expiring. The Khajiiti creation myth similarly associates the beginning of creation with maternal death.

Creation of Mundus

Lorkhan's plan

A Padomaic being, a barely-formed urge known as Lorkhan (among many other names), enters every aspect of Anuiel and outlines his vision for the creation of a mortal realm, Mundus, the center of the Aurbis. Its stated purpose is to be the soul of the Aurbis, a place where aspects of aspects could self-reflect and thereby reach immortality, equaling or even surpassing those who made them.

By some accounts, Kynareth is the first to agree to Lorkhan's plan, and provides space for its creation in the void. To the Khajiit, Khenarthi is instead the one who requests the birth of Lorkhaj, and it is Lorkhaj who "makes a place for children" to be born.

In the Redguard tradition, Ruptga creates Sep, the Second Serpent, from leftover scraps of Satakal's skins in order to help him save lesser spirits. Driven insane by hunger and fed up with helping, Sep tricks many spirits into pursuing a shortcut to the Far Shores.

Construction

Many et'Ada join together to achieve Lorkhan's vision by contributing their own power. Magnus serves as the new world's architect. When told he will be the king of this realm, even Auri-El joins the project. A collection of prominent Padomaic spirits reject the idea and decide to create worlds within themselves, using only their own divinities, over which they could have total control; they are now known as daedric princes.

The mortal plane's initial twelve or more worlds are eventually shattered and then combined into one: Nirn. The only survivors are the Ehlnofey (the ancestors of mer and man) and the Hist.

Regrets

Most of the creators of Mundus die or are crippled by their sacrifices. The mortal plane is highly magical and dangerous. The physical make-up of the mortal plane and even the timeless continuity of existence itself is unstable. The new land is a chaotic place where time follows no clear path and decay is constant. Hatred and resentment of Lorkhan grows.

In the Khajiiti tradition, Lorkhaj tricks his siblings into entering the place for children he had ostensibly made for the children of Nirni, and traps them there.

In the Redguard tradition, Sep has spirits assemble and inhabit a ball of Satakal's dead past skins, but the spirits there begin to die, as the ball is too far away from the real world of Satakal and the Far Shores are too far away to reach anymore.

Flight of the Magna-Ge

Magnus and those who would follow him, the Magna-Ge (including the majority of the et'Ada), abandon Mundus. They flee, ripping holes in the fabric of the universe in their departure to Aetherius. The new sun and stars allow an influx of magic.

Convention

When Magnus departs, and as the world congeals into reality, the et'Ada make a great tower to discuss how best to proceed with Mundus. This is the Ur-Tower, the first unassailable spike of reality in the Dawn and one of the axes of creation itself. At this Convention, the physical, temporal, spiritual, and magical elements of Nirn are set.

Shattering of Lorkhan

Lorkhan is either condemned to exile in the mortal realms, or killed in battle. His heart, impervious to destruction, is cast from the tower or fastened to an arrow and shot into the sea, forming a volcano where it lands, and Lorkhan is left to wander the creation of the et'Ada. As the Redguards say, he "slinks around in a dead skin".

Evolution of mortals

The development of mortals now follows slow, comprehensible paths. The progeny of the Ehlnofey slowly diversify and spread across the world. Some Ehlnofey become the mer (elves), who are initially the Aldmer, and later divided into Altmer, Bosmer, Chimer, Dwemer, etc. Other Ehlnofey follow a similar trajectory, dividing into the various cultures of men (Nedes, Nords, Yokudans, etc.) and beastfolk (Khajiit, Lilmothiit, Tsaesci, etc.).

The Tower remains behind even as some of the gods disappear back into Aetherius. The Ehlnofey sacrifice themselves into other forms so that they can stay in and salvage Mundus. The substance of the world forms from their transfigurations, and parent spirits give way to the succeeding mortal races. Some, like Auri-El, ascend in full observance of their followers so that they might learn the steps to escape Mundus. Magic ebbs along with this divine exodus, and the Aurbis stabilizes. Linear history begins, commencing the Merethic Era.