Wikia

Dwemer Ruins are the near-perfectly preserved remains of the cities of the Dwemer, or Dwarven mer, scattered across Morrowind, Hammerfell, High Rock, and Skyrim. These Dwemer ruins once served as important places of knowledge to the Tonal Architects that built and maintained them, as well as the Dwemer people who once lived in them. After the disappearance of the Dwemer, their structures remained. Falmer reclaimed some of the ruins, and the Automata of Dwemer construction still patrol the halls of these ruins, making them dangerous to navigate. These ruins are of particular interest to scholars of various colleges, universities and private institutions throughout Tamriel and contain items useful for building weapons, armor, and miscellaneous items of high value; some Dwemer ruins may also contain unique artifacts. Inside Dwemer ruins there great amounts useful loot like weapons, clothing, armor, etc. The most potent enemies are probably the Dwarven Centurions — massive automata that have a range of weapons including steam/fire breath, crossbow launchers, one battleaxe, one warhammer, and they also kick.

Before the disappearanceEdit

Before the Dwemer disappeared, Dwemer cities were filled with people, working, living and studying as an empire. Dwemer cities were commonly referred to as strongholds, as well as Freehold colonies and/or city-states. Dwemer cities varied in size, from the smaller cities like Kagrumez and Kagrenzel to the larger cities such as Mzulft, Alftand, Arkngthamz, Bthardamz and Irkngthand to a massive stronghold known as FalZhardum Din, or Blackreach. In Dwemer cities, their people were dedicated to study and research, both in the scientific and arcane studies.

Architectural designEdit

Dwemer ruins were built with stone, an unknown, unique metal, similar to the appearance of copper or bronze, as well as containing intricate carvings. As the Dwemer had mastered over stonework and metalwork, Dwemer ruins were a sight to behold; they were massive and monumental in nature, but were extremely dangerous to journey through. Dwemer ruins consist of many halls, corridors, dungeons, and some have throne rooms. They are filled with hazards such as fire traps, spike traps and poisoned arrows that are deadly to adventurers. Many hydraulic systems still function in the ruins of the Dwemer cites.

TechnologyEdit

In several Dwemer ruins, most notably Mzulft and the Tower of Mzark, stand Oculory, large constructions which rely on starlight and focusing crystals to create maps or store objects of immense power such as Elder Scrolls.

InhabitantsEdit

These ruins contain Dwemer Automatons such as Dwarven Centurions, Dwarven Spiders, and Dwarven Spheres that search for their fallen creators, the Dwarves. Also to be found are bandits (although notably they don't seem to get very far into the ruins, and thus the automatons make up the bulk of enemies the player must fight in these ruins). The angered spirits of fallen Dwemer, known as Dwarven Spectres, can be found deep in many ruins throughout Morrowind and Vvardenfell. In Skyrim, a new foe, the Falmer, formerly another species of mer called the Snow-Elves, can be found in Dwemer Ruins. Having been driven off the surface, these creatures were "saved" by the Dwemer. The Dwemer later poisoned them to make them blind and kept them as a slave workforce. Most of the time these creatures will have prisoners who are normally bandits who have gone looking for treasure.