Summary
One of the most entertaining lore dives a fan ofThe Elder Scrollscan delve into is Nirn’s rich history. Thanks to thousands of years of (often contradictory) accounts, Tamriel and the unexplored continents beyond its shores feel like a plausible, fleshed-out world. But why only read about history when you can meet the people who saw it first-hand in their own flesh and blood?
Besides the gods, there are characters in the series who have seemingly lived longer than the trees, rocks, and even the stars. Given their extreme longevity, these people would have some incredible tales to tell (if they could be bothered to tell them). But who in Dawn’s Beauty has the most years under their belts (assuming they still have a waist left to wear one), and what kind of perspective would they have with so much experience?
Lord Harkon
Blood Patriarch Of An Ancient House
Thanks to his ancient vampire blood, Lord Harkon has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of years pass by. Harkon is indeed ancient, but placing his age and the age of his family is a little tricky. His daughter, Serana, is surprised to hear about a Cyrodiilic empire and seems to be familiar with the Dwemer, as she comments that it is strange that the Dwemer cities look so decrepit. When Serena is awakened, she asks about the identity of the current high king. Harold was made the first high king of Skyrim in 1E 143 and died in 221, around a century before Queen Alessia.
This means that Serana must have been put away sometime after the tradition of the high king was established and before the creation of the first Cyrodiilic empire, making Harkon and the clan at least 4,000 years old. It is also possible that Sarena was unaware of Queen Alessia’s heroic, empire-building exploits in the south. In Lord Harkon’s words, he has the experience of “a dozen lifetimes.” Taken literally, this would only give him an undead life of around a thousand years. As ever with history inThe Elder Scrolls, this one is largely up for interpretation.
Yagrum Bagarn
From The Safety Of Oblivion To Survival Through Corpus
It is well documented that the Dwemer, also known to the small folk as “the dwarves,” vanished under mysterious circumstances in the First Era during the Battle of Red Mountain, but one member of the science-loving Deep Elves survived by hiding out in a pocket dimension in Oblivion. This Dwemer’s name is Yagrum Bagarn, and he is actually encountered during the course ofMorrowind’s main quest.
While sheer luck probably got him throughthe erasure of the Dwemer peoplein 1E 700, unfortunately, he later contracted Corpus disease, causing him to bloat and presumably costing him his legs, hence the mechanical spider limbs. While Corpus robbed him of mobility, it likely kept him alive across the years. How old Yagrum was when his people disappeared is unknown, but given that it happened 2,544 years before the time ofMorrowind’s main quest, he has a couple of millennia under his spider-construct harness. It is currently unknown as to whether he survived the Red Year.
Miraak
The Dragonborn Who Predates Recorded History
It is difficult to say how old Miraak truly is, given that he has been in the Apocrypha since the First Era. The realm of Hermaeus Mora is part of Oblivion, where the chronological laws of time are often bent, broken, or ignored at the whims of the sovereign Prince ruling their allotted sphere. On the other hand, if time were to pass as normally as it does in Mundus, Miraak could have used the forbidden knowledge contained within the libraries of Apocrypha to lengthen his life, or perhaps his master simply chose to keep him fresh.
Before Miraak was imprisoned by Hermaeus Mora, he served as a dragon priest while dragons were stillterrorizing the mortal races of Tamriel. He chose to betray the dragon overlords after uncovering forbidden knowledge that could have aided him in taking the dragons' power for himself. Another dragon priest, Vahlok, uncovered his plot and almost ended Miraak’s life before his Daedric patron spirited his champion away to safety, where he was trapped until 4E 201.
Divayth Fyr
The Ancient Planeswalker & Master Alchemist
This character takes on the appearance of a Dunmer, but he was born a Chimer,the golden forerunners of the Dark Elvesof modernity. By the time ofMorrowind, Divayth Fyr claims to be 4,000 years old. He was known to study necromancy in his youth and spent his days contemplating ways to cure Corpus disease, a byproduct of which is immortality.
Of course, Divayth is also a powerful mage capable of traversing the realms of Oblivion at will, so life extension does not seem to be a difficult task in contrast. Although the living gods of Morrowind’s Tribunal are ancient from the perspective of a mortal’s lifetime, Divayth Fyr would have been in his hundreds before they were born.
Knight Paladin Gelebor / Arch Curate Vyrthur
The Long-Standing Guardian Of A Sacred Site
The tale of the last surviving Snow Elf is a tragic one, especially considering hisdedicated and faithful disposition. Knight Paladin Gelebor swore a duty to protect the Chantry of Auri-El in the Forgotten Vale sometime in the early days of the First Era, making him thousands of years old by 201 of the Fourth Era inSkyrim’s time, where he still attends to his duty.
Gelebor has a brother, Vyrthur, but the Arch-Curate had, since making his own vows, become a vampire. Gelebor and his brother have seen little of the surface, having been restricted to their posts. However, they are aware of the fate of the Falmer, who descended into bloodthirsty blind monsters thanks to the deception of the Dwemer back in the First Era.
Orgnum
The Immortal Sea Elf King Who Becomes Younger With The Passing Of Time
This extremely compelling character has sadly never personally appeared in anyElder Scrollsgame, only his artifacts and word of his deeds. Orgnum is considered a god by his people, who call him many names, among them “the Immortal Monarch.” One of his most famous interactions with Tamriel was his naval invasion of the Summerset Isles early in the Third Era, in an attack that failed right at the moment of Orgnum’s victory due to the arrival of a “freak” storm.
Orgnum was born an Aldmer (of the first Mer people) sometime in the Merithic Era (which complicates his age dating, as the Aldmer wereknown to have faded awayduring the middle of the era). After being exiled from the rest of his kind, he was thought to have become more like a Maormer, the Mer of Pyandonea. In addition to his immortality, he is known for growing younger the more time passes.
Paarthurnax
Called “The Old One” By Other Dragons
The true age of a dragon is quite difficult to determine. Since their reign over humanity, most dragons were slain, and therefore, they missed out on the events of the world until resurrected by Alduin following his return. As beings of Akatosh, they may have been born outside of time, eternal, or immune to the effects of linear time in some incomprehensible way. A safe bet for findingthe oldest of the Dovahis not the first dragon but the one that guarded the rift he was thrown into: Paarthurnax.
Having made his home on the Throat of the World, Paarthurnax has had a view of all of Tamriel with a lifespan potentially as old as creation. Given his thoughts surrounding evil, peace, and free will when approached by the Last Dragonborn, Paarthurnax garnered wisdom equal to his age. Since Paarthurnax appeared around the Merethic era or even the Dawn Era, when the rules of time were in flux, it is nearly impossible to assess his actual age.
