It’s been so long since the one and only teaser for The Elder Scrolls VI. Officially, we don’t even have a name for it yet, but speculation based on interactions between the developers have led to the conclusion that it’s almost definitely The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel. For those who don’t play Elder Scrolls Online, this name will likely not mean anything, but it’s a major location in Hammerfell.
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Hammerfell was always the accepted location of TES VI. Sentinel is the capital city of the Hammerfell kingdom of the same name. It’s an exciting place in a place rich with history and culture, and is so different from Oblivion and Skyrim. For those who haven’t played ESO, here is some of what we know about what is likely to be TESVI’s location.
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What is Sentinel?
A Hammerfell Kingdom
The Elder Scrolls games are generally named after the place they’re set in, so you’ll know that Sentinel is a place even if you’ve never heard of it before. Sentinel is indeed a place — it is the capital of a kingdom that lies within Hammerfell, though TESVI’s title could also refer to the kingdom itself. It’s located within a desert biome, and is one of the ancient strongholds of the Redguards.
The Yokuba people originally established Sentinel, and they have a very interesting culture, history, and perspective on the established religions of Tamriel that is evident in their ruins and left a massive influence on Redguard culture.
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Hammerfell as a Setting
A Massive Former Imperial Province
Hammerfell is the homeland of the Redguards, and borders Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and High Rock. It has a massive coastline, and has several notable islands. One of its most defining features is the Alik’r Desert, but to simplify Hammerfell into its desert biome would be doing it a disservice. It’s one of the biggest of the provinces, and has a diverse landscape that includes jungle and mountains as well as its desert.
The Redguards of Hammerfell are notably descended from the Yokuda, a people who come from an island off the coast of Hammerfell, and excel in the martial arts. They have a rich culture and a long history, with the promise of ruins to explore and a lot of lore to uncover, especially as they’re even harsher towards magic than the Nords and have some interesting views on the dead.
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The Yokuda
The Ancestors of the Redguards
The Redguards are descended from the Yokudan people, who traveled to Tamriel from another continent called Yokuda, much like the Nords from Atmora. The Yokuda brought their culture with them, and their influence is seen in the Redguard’s culture, buildings, art, and their religion. Yokudan ruins dot the land, and they’ll likely play a similar role to Nordic ruins in Skyrim.
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Some of the most prominent Yokudan ruins that will likely appear in TESVI include the Hall of Heroes, an ancient crypt sacred to the Redguards and may house a portal to the Redguard afterlife called the Far Shores. Another part of Yokuda culture that has carried over to the Redguards is their religion, where the Eight Divines take on very different forms.
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Ayleid Ruins
An Iconic Type of Ruin
Ayleid ruins dot Cyrodiil’s landscape, but Skyrim was notably devoid of them as the Ayleids didn’t have much of a presence in the region. However, they’re likely to make a return in Hammerfell, as ESO includes a few Ayleid ruins in the region.
The Ayleid elves were some of the first inhabitants of Tamriel, and were notorious for enslaving the Nedes, the humans at the time. St Alessia led a slave rebellion that overthrew the Ayleids, and they were soon driven to extinction by Pelinal Whitestrake. All that is left of them are their ruins, which can be identified thanks to their unique architectural styles, white stone, and Welkynd Stones.
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The Return of the Dwemer (Ruins)
The Heart of the Dwemer Empire
Another long-extinct race are the Dwemer, another race of elves who lived exclusively underground. Dwemer ruins are found in most provinces of Tamriel, but Hammerfell is unusual for its high concentration of Dwemer ruins as it was the heart of their civilization. Sentinel and other major Hammerfell cities like Stros M’kai are built on Dwemer ruins, much like Markarth in Skyrim, and many more have been abandoned in the desert.
This is particularly interesting because it may mean getting more lore about the Dwemer, their society, magic, and their disappearance. We have guesses at why and how the Dwemer disappeared, but it’s still conjecture and some confirmation would be great once and for all. An interesting Dwemer ruin is Volenfell, a settlement that has close ties to the Dwemer and Daedric artifact Volendrung.
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The Aldmeri Dominion Threat
Worse Relations Than Skyrim
The Thalmor are one of the primary antagonists of Skyrim, even though the province isn’t in active conflict with them. Hammerfell is another story. Some of the tension is evident in Skyrim’s side quests, particularly In My Time of Need, but it does little to communicate the extent of the bad blood between Hammerfell, the Thalmor, and the Empire.
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When the Emperor signed the White-Gold Concordat, the Thalmor demanded that the Empire hand over Hammerfell as a vassal state of the Aldmeri Dominion. Hammerfell was betrayed by the Empire’s agreement to this, and left the Empire to continue the war with the Dominion on their own. They’ve had a number of treaties by this point but, depending on when Sentinel is set, could still very much be a problem that needs to be solved.
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The Two Princes
Brothers Who Changed Redguard Society
Much like in Morrowind, Sentinel has two very distinct groups that reside in the cities or the desert respectively. The first group from the cities are much like the Great Houses of Morrowind, and are the descendents of the people who followed a prince who retained his title. The other group are called the Ash’aba, live in the desert, and are the descendents of the prince’s brother who was exiled.
The story of Prince Hakmir and Prince Sameer is ultimately tragic, and had such a massive influence on the social and political landscape of Sentinel that it’s very likely to at least be mentioned in TESVI. It may not be a rehash of Morrowind’s Great Houses, but the two different cultures and ways of living will probably be featured.
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Frandar Hunding
A Redguard Hero
Redguards disdain magic, but they’re one of the most proficient groups of fighters in Tamriel, with an altogether different fighting style and culture from the Nords. A lot of that fighting culture comes straight from one of their greatest heroes, Frandar Hunding, who is buried in the Hall of Heroes and left behind writings on becoming a warrior.
Frandar Hunding is likely to play a similar role to Wulfharth in Skyrim, likely a prominent figure in legends and invoked by Redguard Blade-Singers. He may even appear in-game as a spirit, though it’s more likely that we’ll see his tomb and perhaps come across a weapon that belonged to him.
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Systems
Released
2026
ESRB
m
Publisher(s)
Bethesda Softworks