The Exodus to Tamriel was an event that occured in the early Merethic Era immediately after the Sundering of Aldmeris, a mysterious cataclysm that destroyed the city-continent of Aldmeris. It was during the Exodus that thousands of Aldmer from the lost continent fled to the distant shores of Tamriel, eventually landing in the Summerset Archipelago. Several Aldmer rose to great prominence among the chaos, taking charge of those that would follow them. Among these legendary figures was Torinaan Rilis, who would go on to conquer the island of Auridon and reign as its king.
History[]
Of the millions of Aldmer that once inhabited old Aldmeris, only several thousand survived the Sundering, and fled by sea across the Eltheric Ocean. In the chaos of the Sundering, several Mer took charge of the situation and led what people they could across the ocean. It is generally understood that not all those who "took charge" did so with benevolent intentions, as there are some fragmented accounts of high lords charging money for the privilege of joining the others on their ships.
A figure known by many modern-day Altmer was High Lord Torinaan Rilis, who gathered as many Mer as he could before departing Aldmeris' crumbling and burning shores. Little is known of Torinaan's life on Aldmeris, though even commoners of the archipelago can recall the tales of his actions during and after the Sundering. Many died on the voyage across the ocean, and many more were of the belief that the world was ending and that they would all eventually starve, as Aldmeris was the only known landmass at the time. Torinaan's fleet of nine ships eventually reached modern-day Auridon, and landed at its northernmost point in what is now known as Nine-Prow Landing. It is believed that Torinaan did not land at the southern tip of the island (closer to Aldmeris) due to wanting to gauge the full scale of the landmass before disembarking. Upon his arrival Torinaan began marching south, and allowed those that were too weary to remain behind and begin settling the land. From these early settlements the city of Firsthold would emerge. Torinaan continued to march his host southward across the length of the island, slaying terrible and wild beasts that laid in his path, and over a month later arriving at its southern extreme. It was there that Torinaan proclaimed himself the king of the island, naming it Auridon.
Many other ancient families claim their lineage from the city-continent of Aldmeris, and claim to have ancestors that led others, like Torinaan, to the shores of the archipelago. It is unknown if such claims have any truth to them, as the only well-known and well-documented voyage was that of Torinaan, however it is known that many other Aldmer claimed kingly titles and ruled small kingdoms in their own right, such as the Liarens of Shimmerene, or the Caidans of Sunhold.
Quotes[]
A lesser-known prophecy foretold that the lost children of Aldmeris would "make of their branches a new home on distant shores".
—Amalien