The basis of the "myth" of the Cyrodilic Empire and its actual material reality has always been that of an enslaved people liberating themselves from thier oppressors. The foundational figure of the first Empire, St. Alessia, represents both the mythic liberation of men (as opposed to elves) as well as the material liberation of the needic peoples from the alyieds. Beyond this, the modern iterations of the Empire is not uncritically praised by the game (far from it), and as far as fantasy is concerned, it has pretty good politics and philosophy, subverting many of the traditional reactionary fantasy tropes on race and the importance of "myth". Yes I am a huge fucking nerd.
Also, the idea of "race" as we understand it in the elder scrolls universe is not just making race theory into a real thing. The "races" of men are all known to be, in universe, as the same race, who share a material and mythical origin as the wandering elnafae and who's existence is defined by its opposition to mer, both materially and mythicly. Mer are defined by thier belief that mortality, existence as we know it, is a mistake to be overcome by returning to thier past divinity. Thus, with the exception of the chimer, who are shown to be reactionary, in different ways, mer are.... Who am I talking to.... Nobody fucking cares.... God I'm so lonely....
You have to remember that all the continents were once one and that the men we see diverging on atmora, yakuda, and akavir, all began as wandering elnafae before thw breaking of the world.
The basis of the "myth" of the Cyrodilic Empire and its actual material reality has always been that of an enslaved people liberating themselves from thier oppressors. The foundational figure of the first Empire, St. Alessia, represents both the mythic liberation of men (as opposed to elves) as well as the material liberation of the needic peoples from the alyieds. Beyond this, the modern iterations of the Empire is not uncritically praised by the game (far from it), and as far as fantasy is concerned, it has pretty good politics and philosophy, subverting many of the traditional reactionary fantasy tropes on race and the importance of "myth". Yes I am a huge fucking nerd.
Also, the idea of "race" as we understand it in the elder scrolls universe is not just making race theory into a real thing. The "races" of men are all known to be, in universe, as the same race, who share a material and mythical origin as the wandering elnafae and who's existence is defined by its opposition to mer, both materially and mythicly. Mer are defined by thier belief that mortality, existence as we know it, is a mistake to be overcome by returning to thier past divinity. Thus, with the exception of the chimer, who are shown to be reactionary, in different ways, mer are.... Who am I talking to.... Nobody fucking cares.... God I'm so lonely....
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To be fair the Redguards aren't from Atmora, they came from Yokuda. So they don't quite share the same history as the Cyrods, Nords, and Bretons.
Hell, they're possibly even from a previous incarnation of reality.
You have to remember that all the continents were once one and that the men we see diverging on atmora, yakuda, and akavir, all began as wandering elnafae before thw breaking of the world.
I care buddy