The events of The Elder Scrolls has a significant impact on Tamriel's history, possibly excepting games that take place in other realms, such as The Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire or the Shivering Isles expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Though The Elder Scrolls: Arena was the first game in the series to be released in 1994, in Tamriel's timeline it's the third to take place, not happening until the middle of the third era. Related: The Elder Scrolls Has the Weirdest Creation Myth Then, in the Second Era, The Elder Scrolls games make their first appearance. The First Era then saw the races expand to what The Elder Scrolls players know today, as well as the establishment of empires and the start of conflict, most notably the Dragon War. Next is the Merethic Era, when linear history began and ancestors of men and elves (mer) migrated to Tamriel and began to establish the first civilizations. It begins with the Dawn Era, where The Elder Scrolls' creation myth happens and the entire mortal plane is created. Tamriel's history begins long before any of The Elder Scrolls games, and its centuries are defined as eras.

There are two orders in which one can play The Elder Scrolls games: in the order they were released, or in order they take place chronologically in Tamriel's timeline. Though the universe is vast, spanning continents, planets, and realms mortal and immortal, most of the games take place on Tamriel, the central continent of the planet Nirn. The Elder Scrolls is a franchise spanning countless titles and expansions, with a rich in-game history that spans literal eras, every game adding something to its history.

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