The universe of The Elder Scrolls takes place in is called Aurbis, a vast space stretching in all directions. Within this space lies the Aetherius, a plane of spirits and magicka, and is
also the home of the Aedra. It is also a place where spirits of the dead go (for example, dead Nord warriors can go to the realm of Sovngarde here). The void of Oblivion resides in Aetherius, and is the home of the Daedra where they have many planes (resembling planets) of Daedra (also called Realms of Oblivion) of which about 20 are known. As mentioned before, these are special places, and not areas where you normally play the games in.
Solar System
The game takes place on regular planets (also called Mundus), mainly on planet Nirn (of which the popular in-game Nirnroot plant is named from). Nirn has two moons, Masser and Secunda. There are at least 8 other planets named after famous gods like Arkey, Mara, Akatosh, Dibella, Julianos, Kynareth, Stendarr, and Zenithar. The main star (what we normally call the Sun) is actually called Magnus, and it and the other stars are holes in the Oblivion letting the light of Aetherius reach us and allowing us to use magicka.
Continents of Nirn
There are many continents on planet Nirn, of which the main one is called Tamriel, where the first game, "The Elder Scrolls: Arena" (1994), took place. Subsequent Elder Scrolls releases took place in smaller areas inside the provinces of Tamriel.
Tamriel
High Rock
Main home of Bretons and Orcs
Capital: Daggerfall
Location of "The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall" (1996)
Hammerfell
Main home of Redguards
Capital: Sentinel
Location of "The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall" (1996)
Morrowind
Main home of Dark Elves
Capital: Mournhold
Location of "The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind" (2002)
Black Marsh
Main home of lizard-like people (Argonian), fox-like people (Lilmothiit), and early primitive human natives (Kothringi)
Aliases: Argonia
Capital: Helstrom (probable)
Location of "The Elder Scrolls Travels: Stormhold" (2003)
Cyrodiil
Main home of Imperials
Aliases: Imperial Province
Capital: Imperial City
Location of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (2006)
Skyrim
Main home of Nords
Aliases: Mereth
Capital: Solitude
Location of "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" (2011)
Elsweyr
Main home of cat-like people (Khajiit)
Capital: Torval
Valenwood
Main home of Wood Elves and Great Apes (Imga)
Capital: Falinesti
Summerset Isles (Sumurset Isles)
Main home of High Elves
Capital: Alinor
Atmora (north of Tamriel)
Main home of Nedes
Akavir (east of Tamriel)
Inhabited by snow demons (Kamal), snake-like people (Tsaesci), monkeys (Tang Mo), cat-like people (Ka Po'Tun), dragons, and goblins
Aliases: Dragon Land
Cathnoquey, Esroniet, and Roscrea, and Yneslea are lands that lie between Akavir and Tamriel
Yokuda (west of Tamriel)
Early home of Redguards
Main home of Left Handed Elves
Entire continent sank into the sea
Thras (west of Tamriel)
Main home of slug-like people (Sload)
Pyandonea (southwest of Tamriel, below Summerset Isles)
Main home of Sea Elves
Secret Location of Pyandonea
The location and size of Pyandonea can be found by examining two games from Bethesda. The game manual from the 1998 game, "The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard" included a section called "A Pocket Guide to the Empire and its Environs" (1st edition) which describes different places in the game. On page 44, it has an entry for Pyandonea: "Far to the south of the Summerset Isles is the island kingdom of Pyandonea". Now, if you look at a certain globe sprite inside the 1996 game "The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall", it depicts a low resolution image of a strip of island landmass south of Summerset Isles, which makes it the Pyandonea island kingdom. Note that in the globe, you can also see outlines of yet another continent even further southwest of that island. Therefore, besides Pyandonea, there is even more land further southwest. Note that the 3rd edition update of "A Pocket Guide to the Empire and its Environs" in the 2006 game, "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Collectors Edition", no longer directly mentions the location of Pyandonea.
Races
There are many races in Elder Scrolls, but those highlighted in bold are the ones that are playable.
Aliases: Deep Elves, Dwemer (because of elven bloodline)
Modeled after Chinese
Probably in Oblivion
Left-handed Elves
Mainly from Yokuda
Probably evolved into living under the sea, or extinct
Gods
The Elder Scrolls universe contains many deities. Many of them share the same origin, or are the same god, but under a different name. Here are the most popular ones according to in-game book "Varieties of Faith in the Empire" by Brother Mikhael Karkuxor.
Common Name
Cyrodiil
Skyrim
Altmer
Bosmer
Dunmer
Yokuda
Bretony
Elsweyr
Dragon God of Time
Akatosh
Alduin (World Eater)
Auri-El (King of the Aldmer)
Auri-El (King of the Aldmer)
Almalexia (Mother Morrowind)
Satakal (The Worldskin)
Akatosh (World Eater)
Alkosh (Dragon King of Cats)
Goddess of Beauty
Dibella
Dibella
Dibella
God of Cycle of Life and Death
Arkay
Orkey (Old Knocker)
Arkay
Tu'whacca (Tricky God, God of Nobody Really Cares)
Arkay
God of Work and Commerce Trader God
Zenithar
Tsun (God of Trials against Adversity)
Z'en (God of Toil)
Zeht (God of Farms, God of Agriculture)
Zenithar
Goddess of Love
Mara
Mara
Mara
Mara
Morwha (Teat God, Fertility Goddess)
Mara
Mara
God of Mercy
Stendarr
Stuhn (God of Ransom)
Stendarr
Stendarr
Stendarr
S'rendarr
Goddess of Air
Kynareth
Kyne (Kiss At the End, Goddess of Storm)
Tava (Bird God, Spirit of the Air)
Kynareth
Khenarthi
God of Wisdom and Logic
Julianos
Jhunal (Rune God, God of Hermetic Orders)
Julianos
Talos, the Dragonborn
Tiber Septim
Ysmir (Dragon of the North)
Common Name
Cyrodiil
Skyrim
Altmer
Bosmer
Dunmer
Yokuda
Bretony
Elsweyr
God of Man
Shezarr
Shor (God of Underworld)
Lorkhan (The Missing God)
Lorkhan (The Missing God)
Lorkhan (The Missing God)
Sep (The Snake)
Sheor (Bad Man)
Lorkhaj (Moon Beast)
First Breath of Man
Morihaus
God of Curses
Maloch
Trinimac
Malacath
Malooc (Horde King)
Worldly God
Reman (The Cyrodiil)
The Woodland Man Demon of Knowledge
Herma-Mora
Herma-Mora
God of Sorcery
Magnus, Magus
Magnus, Magus
Warlock's God Apprentices' God
Syrbane
God of the Forest Spirit of 'the now' Storyteller
Y'ffre
Y'ffre
Y'ffre
God of Ancestry and Secret Knowledge
Xarxes
Xarxes
Hero-God of Summerset Isles
Phynaster
Phynaster
The Bandit God Trickster spirit of thieves and beggars
Baan Dar
Baan Dar
Little Moon God Secunda
Jone (Stendarr's Sorrow)
Big Moon God Masser
Jode (Mara's Tear)
Warrior-poet god of the Dunmer
Vivec (Master of Morrowind)
God of the Dunmer
Sotha Sil (Mystery of Morrowind)
Prince of Plots
Boethiah (Anticipation of Almalexia)
Spider God Androgyne Webspinner
Mephala (Anticipation of Vivec)
Goddess of Dusk and Dawn
Azura (Anticipation of Sotha Sil)
Azurah
Godkiller
Nerevar
God of Schemes
Molag Bal (King of Rape)
The Mad God
Sheogorath ('Sithis-shaped hole' of the world)
Sheggorath
God of Destruction
Mehrunes Dagon
Tall Papa
Ruptga
Orichalc God of the Sideways Blade
Diagna
The Make Way God Spirit of 'perseverance over infidels'
HoonDing
Saint of the Spirit Sword Goddess of Aberrant Swordsmandship
Leki
Boneshaver
Onsi
Sugar God
Riddle'Thar (Two-Moons Dance)
Lunar Lattice
ja'Kha'jay
Thief god
Rajhin (Footpad)
History
There is a long history (divided by eras) in the Elder Scroll games.
Dawn Era
Merethic (Mythic) Era
First Era
Third Century
1E 246: Daggerfall City is founded
Twenty-Ninth Century
1E 2837: Black Marsh province of Tamriel is created.
Second Era (1E 2921)
Fourth Century
2E 309: Elsweyr province of Tamriel is founded.
Ninth Century
2E 828: Tiber Septim born (approximate)
2E 896: Tiber Septim conquers Tamriel
Third Era (2E 897)
First Century
3E 38: Emperor Tiber Septim dies
Second Century
Third Century
Fourth Century
Fifth Century
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Fourth Era
First Century
Second Century
Third Century
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim Secrets
Secrets in the Bethesda game Skyrim is continued in Skyrim Secrets