For awhile now I've been suspecting that TES: Online takes place within a Dragonbreak but I never really had enough evidence to back it until now.
Direct Evidence[]
"It's good to see you again. And I do see you, in my own way. You are a wound in time, a tear in reality that shouldn't exist and cannot long endure."
This quote pretty much sums it up. The prophet says that you are a wound in time, which in a way describes a dragonbreak (In which you "break" the dragon), not to mention the fact that the small dragonbreak created when Alduin was banished was known by a similar name (Time-Wound).
How did this happen?[]
Well those of us who have played the Beta probably know that the reason why Molag Bal was able to attack Mundus to begin with was because of a ritual that was attempted to make Varen Aquilarios a Dragonborn.
Basically Mannimarco tricked Varen and told him that he could use the Chim-El Adabal to rekindle the dragonfires and appease Akatosh into giving him the Dragonblood. But while Varen was channeling his message to Akatosh, Mannimarco interrupted the ritual and tainted the Dragonfires with his dark-magic breaking the barriers between Oblivion and Mundus.
"The Elder Scrolls named this event the Soulburst. It gave Molag Bal the opportunity to disconnect the souls of Nirn from their hosts."
This almost sounds like the Wheel of Convention was shattered temporarily.
"Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane."
-What appears to be an Altmeri commentary on Talos: MK's Posts
So pretty much Mannimarco and Molag Bals actions have temporarily destroyed what keeps the Time-God linear causing what would undoubtfully be a Dragonbreak.
Why don't I see this in-game?[]
Who's to say you don't?
Many Timelines[]
When Dragon Breaks happen many timelines are made many of the same people are made, many of the protaganist is made (and this my friends, is an MMORPG, many-many protaganists).
Contradictions[]
Also when Dragon Breaks happen contradictions are made. For example:
"Wulfharth goes underground to wait and strengthen and reform his body anew. Oddly enough, it is Almalexia who disturbs his rest, summoning the Underking to fight alongside the Tribunal against Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, the Akaviri demon."
Wounded and devastated, Jorunn barely escaped the sack of Windhelm alive. Feeling for the first time the responsibility of his royal birth, he decided to appeal to the Greybeards for aid, and so made his way, stealthily but quickly, to High Hrothgar. For reasons that have not been divulged, the Greybeards summoned a hero from Sovngarde, Wulfharth the Ash-King, to fight at Jorunn's side.
These books have contradictions on the awakening of Wulfharth during the Kamal invasion of Tamriel.
You could say one of these books lies but think about this;
Jorunn the Skald-King was written in a time where the action could actually be confirmed by others as the invasion takes place only 10 years prior to the events of ESO.
But The Arcturian Heresy were accounts written by Ysmir Wulfharth himself.
...So which one is right? Both if ESO takes place in a Dragonbreak.
Lack of Info[]
Another occurence during Dragonbreaks is a lack, or inconsistency, of info on what actually happened during the event.
And the Interregnum itself is a fairly unknown time-period. But let's look at ESO here.
Did you know that before ESO was announced there was only two recorded Aldmeri Dominions? The one in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the one in the Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Aldmeri Dominion. The Second AD was formed during the Interregnum just like the one in ESO. So what exactly caused the fall of the first Aldmeri Dominion?
And the Daggerfall Covenant and Ebonheart Pact are not recorded at all despite the fact that throughout the entire Interregnum almost the entirety of Tamriel was split apart into tiny kingdoms (My point being that if these three alliances formed it would definitely be something that was marked in the history books if it took place during a time when the empire was completely shattered).
There is also the abolition of Argonian-slavery in Morrowind to look at. Doesn't it seem strange that this event seems like it never actually happened, that slavery quickly became legal again after the unspecified downfall of the Ebonheart Pact. I mean seriously, imagine being an Argonian slave who was just let free but only a few years later enslaved again, this would be quite a notable event right? One that Argonians would absolutely hate the Dunmer for making for centuries.
Then there is the "Emperor" Varen to look at. It is established lore that after the death of Reman III, there was no emperors, the Akaviri Potenates took control and when they died there was nobody until Tiber Septim. So how was this man ever an emperor? and if he was, why was it not recorded.
And let's not even get into the massive Oblivion Crisis taking place that seems to be forgotten by the time of the actual Oblivion Crisis.
...Sure you can say that this is Zenimax sh*ting the bed but I like to think otherwise.
So what do you think; does ESO take place in a Dragon Break or does it not?