The New Temple of Morrowind, which reformed out of the old Tribunal Temple (occasionally also called the New Temple in reference to pre-Tribunal religion), is the state religion for House Dunmer. Given the "return" to Daedric worship and the vindication of the Ashlanders for their more traditional ways, the New Temple is sometimes thought of as pre-Tribunal religion taking centre-stage once more. On the contrary, the New Temple is a blend of pre-Tribunal, modern Ashlander, and Tribunal religion into a single whole.

We meet only a handful of practitioners, and their perspectives might give us brief insight into the nature of the Reclaimed Temple. Aphia Velothi, a former priest that was expelled from her local temple for theological disagreements about the Tribunal, and the two attendants of the temple and catacombs of Raven Rock in TES5. Elder Othreloth is the leader, while his apprentice, Attendant Galdrus Hlervu, is xenophobic, greedy, theologically illiterate, and seems to be preparing to oust Othreloth.

Othreloth’s theology and personal history are the most developed of the three, so will be my focus. He shows the nuances of the Reclaimed Temple, and how its structure and doctrines represent newly invented tradition. As an Ashlander, he also demonstrates how the identity "Ashlander" is variable. The Ashlanders, once outcast, are now heralded by the Temple:

The rise of the New Temple almost completely vindicated the previously persecuted Ashlanders, who had continued to worship the three daedra throughout the Tribunal's rule. The Ashlanders are now lauded as the keepers of the old ways and having "true vision." It is now quite common for many of the Dunmer people to make the arduous pilgrimages into the ash wastes to seek the counsel of the Wise Women. — The Reclamations

But what exactly is an Ashlander?

Throughout TES3, Ashlanders are identified by their cultural traditions: unique interpretations of Velothi religion, semi-nomadic tribalism, particular importance placed on honour, clan structures, etc.. But the word itself describes people of a place, inhabitants of the Ashlands. As Yakum Hairshashishi, an Ashlander, puts it, the Ashlanders are "People of the Wastes".

The Ashlands are a region of northwestern Vvardenfell, home to the most infamous of the Ashlanders: the Urshilaku, keepers of the Nerevarine Cult. It has also been used to refer to other wastelands, such as the Molag Amur region, where the Erabenimsun live. The other tribes live in different regions, their lands are broadly isolated wastes, even in the more fertile parts where they are pushed out by settlers.

Under the civilized peace of the Grand Council, and with the strong central authority of the Temple, the economic and military power of the settled Dunmer quickly outstripped that of the nomadic Dunmer. The nomadic Dunmer were marginalized into the poorest, most hostile land, in particular, into the Vvardenfell wastes. — Notes from Huleeya

The nomadic, tribal Dunmer are pushed to the wastes, thus they are the Ashlanders by geography. This aligns with Athis's comment to a Dunmeri Dragonborn:

We are all Ashlanders now, brother/sister.

Morrowind is devastated and much of it laid waste to. They all live in the new Ashlands.

So when Othreloth claims Ashlander heritage:

Galdrus: You were one of the Ashlanders, Elder?

Othreloth: I was. I wandered the wastes of Vvardenfell, carrying the message of the Reclamations from tribe to tribe.

In what way was he an Ashlander?

His statement is weird. Ashlanders typically live within their own clans, devoted to their unique ancestral cult going all the way back to the Daedra, who are merely seen as powerful and distant ancestors (thus their oddness and danger):

All Ashlanders in a tribe, young and small, are born into the Ancestor cult of their clan. — Zainsubani's Notes

The Ashlanders have a primitive cult that worships the Daedra and tribal ancestors; this is the faith of our ancient forefathers, and not evil, but their worship is ignorant and unenlightened.

The oldest and greatest ancestor spirits are the Daedra. They are powerful, but dangerous, and hard to understand. — generic dialogue in TES3 on "other cults" and "ancestors"

By contrast, it is House religion that specifically classifies Daedra under a separate category for worship.

Othreloth was effectively a proselytiser on behalf of the New Temple. This doesn't mesh well with Ashlander religion: firstly, Temple authority is rarely recognised; secondly, each Ashlander's ancestor cult is a matter of birth, not conversion. The only Ashlander tradition that could be seen as a joinable cult – not one to be born into – was the Nerevarine Cult, which wasn't very successful beyond the Urshilaku:

The cult is of small consequence in Ashlander worship, and only among the Urshilaku do its followers have any influence. — Zainsubani's Notes

Why did Othreloth preach to Ashlanders about the Daedra they already worship? I suspect that Othreloth's identity and history are more nuanced than they at first seem.

He preached about the "Reclamations" to the tribes. The Reclamations are a concept of House Dunmer, that the Good Daedra have reclaimed their mantles from the Tribunal. To the tribal Ashlanders, this was never an issue, as the Tribunal was never recognised for their divinity. I suspect, then, that Othreloth preached to the tribes to inform them of the collapse of the Tribunal Temple and the reinstatement of the Good Daedra and ancestor worship. This would fit with the vindication of the Ashlanders after the Red Year.

Some of Othreloth's terminology indicates a Temple education. He calls Azura, Boethia and Mephala the "True Tribunal", adopting a phrase from Almsivi worship and anachronistically reframing it for the Good Daedra. This suggests that he's following some sort of modern Temple dogma. I thus find it hard to believe that Othreloth was a tribal nomad that gave up his life to preach Temple doctrine.

Even Othreloth's name is typical of House Dunmer, not the Tribes, whose names tend to sound more (stereotypically) Mesopotamian.

Then again, his hatred for Almsivi is brutal. He admits that they are saints and heroes, but proceeds to call them "aberrations" and "false prophets", and sounds delighted that they have been "destroyed". This is more aggressive and personal, and risks conflicting with the compromises of the Dissident Priests:

While challenging the divinity of the Tribunal, the Dissidents do not challenge the sainthood or heroism of the Tribunal. In fact, the Dissident Priests advocate restoring many of the elements of Fundamentalist Ancestor Worship as practiced by the Ashlanders and by Saint Veloth. — Progress of Truth

This tension also led to him barring Aphia Velothi from the temple, for she is sympathetic to Almsivi veneration.

On a less personal note, though, is the matter of the temple worship itself. The bodies of the deceased are cremated, per Othreloth’s description:

The Dunmer race doesn't bury their dead, or leave them to rot inside a stone sarcophagus. When a Dunmer passes, his body is given to fire, so he might return to the ash from whence he came.

As is typical of many Dunmeri tombs. But this is a House tradition. The Urshilaku Burial Caverns have mummified dead within, and each sub-cave is named uniquely: Astral, Laterus, Kefka etc. This corresponds to ancient Chimeri practices. ESO provides us with house furnishings made from mummified remains (some in the same poses as those of the Urshilaku) and Veloth Ancestral Tomb shows us the ancient ways:

This place is ancient. These must be Veloth's earliest ancestors. […] Look at this! Preserved bodies, not cremated ashed! A technique that pre-dates the earliest Dark Elves. — Narsis Dren

The Ashlanders preserve Chimeri practices. Even in ESO’s Ald’ruhn, where the Tribes meet, we can find simple burial plots for ancient ancestors.

In the Reclaimed temple of Othreloth, above the ash tombs, we find a room shared by three shrines. These contain simple artistic representations of each of the Three Good Daedra, and feature typical offerings. One can pray at such a shrine and receive a blessing.

That is so, so odd for Daedric worship, which is typically characterised by extreme effort. The statues are grand, the altars are remote, the sacrifices are large, and the devotions are singular! Even among the Dunmer that worshipped Boethiah and Azura and built their shrines in Skyrim, there’s no joint honour or passive reverence. Daedric Princes might be recognised by mortals as part of a pantheon, but their veneration is always a one-to-one endeavour, and any devotions must be worthwhile.

The temple’s layout feels inspired by the typical display in Tribunal temples, which often multiple motifs for the Tribunal and/or saints. Furthermore, this is extremely reminiscent of Aedric worship, which involves communal services where divinities are prayed to together.

Othreloth's heritage is a mystery. There is an argument for any position, from him being a tribal Dunmer that joined the Temple after the Red Year and taking a House name, to him being a House Dunmer that was only an Ashlander because he underwent pilgrimage: an Ashlander for walking the wastes as missionary, like Tamriel's very own Rachel Dolezal.

Other more moderate ideas would suggest that his parents were Ashlander and House, resulting in a mixed upbringing and naming convention. Where he lived and which parent was which is anyone's guess.

I think my favourite idea is that he was one of the Velothi. Though the term can refer to Chimer/Dunmer as a whole, "Velothi" also refers to those of tribal heritage that leave the wastes to live among House Dunmer, like Yakum Hairshashishi. Othreloth's pride at being an Ashlander, his contempt for the Tribunal, and his clear adoration of the Daedra all point to this, I believe.

The “Reclaimed” Temple is anything but. It has clearly incorporated fundamental elements of local ancestor worship, pilgrimage and Daedric veneration from contemporary Ashlander and ancient Chimeri traditions. However, it also has an Aedric-style system of divine reverence, a caste of divinity from House theology, terminology lifted straight from the Tribunal itself, funerary practices taken almost act for act from pre-Ghostfence House Dunmeri tombs, and clear signs of infighting and debate over points of theology, retaining some of the Old Temple’s dogmatism. All of this is true, while being mediated through three members of the clergy that have wildly different approaches, showing a clear reshuffling of what it means to be an Ashlander, and a Temple member. Dunmer have long lives, and the Old Temple fell roughly 196 years before TES5, in living memory for some; I think many of these tensions remain unresolved, and will need further answers if the Temple is to survive as a whole. It certainly isn’t the Tribunal Temple, but nor is it any tribal or Chimeri tradition. It truly is a New Temple, Reclaimed from the power-holders of the past.

I'm unsure if this is explicitly stated anywhere, but isn't the natural implication of there being multiple types of lycanthrope (wolves only being the most abundant and playable) that Hircine's Hunting Grounds must be biodiverse? We know Hircine to be a relatively fair god, and I have doubts he'd enjoy unequal playing ground. How can a werecrocodile be expected to match a werewolf in a forest, for example?

I know the forest is (I believe?) the only part of the Hunting Grounds we've seen, but is it reasonable to assume it's much larger than that? I understand not all weretypes are necessarily canon (as in, not actually seen in game) but they are in lore texts.

Another thing, going into this idea of fairness - are human worshippers/followers of Hircine. I know we can't assume EVERYTHING in the Hunting Ground is equal, but it does seem pretty unsporting to force humans and lycanthropes to fight lol so how do we think that works? But this is more of a secondary inquiry to my main one. I know predators and prey are one in the same to Hircine, so I figure it's possible human hunters are just expected to be quick-witted.

I'm somewhat fascinated with TES lycanthropy right now if that explains the questioning LOL

The Footsteps of Shezarr gives some physical descriptions of the Shezarrine:

Time and again in Nedic folklore, a "stranger" arrives to help ancient Men. This stranger comes as a teacher, an advisor, and a maker of alliances between tribes who otherwise would have fought alone. He is not a warrior-ruler like Shor, but instead a figure who inspires others to fight for themselves. A Duraki legend mentions "Shezarr, who stole stoneworking from the Dwemer and taught Zinfara to call nirncrux from the mountain-roots." A Perena tale claims that the Cult of Stars learned soul magic from a "white-bearded stranger." Likewise, "Shezarr of the Snowy Beard" is said to give the secrets of Ayleid battle-magic to the Nedes of Cyrod, showing them how to turn their enemies' arts against them. And, most fascinating of all, a stone tablet said to have been found in the ruins of Sedor depicts a bearded figure as "the Shezzarine, Shor-Who-Lives, Teacher of Men."

Before the Ages of Man gives a list of Lorkhanic figures:

Also during the Late Merethic Era the legendary immortal hero, warrior, sorcerer, and king variously known as Pelinal Whitestrake, Harrald Hairy Breeks, Ysmir, Hans the Fox, etc., wandered Tamriel, gathering armies, conquering lands, ruling, then abandoning his kingdoms to wander again.

The Song of Pelinal offers a lot of weird information about Pelinal, some of it supporting the link between Lorkhan and Akatosh, but we will just stick with the Lorkhan half of the equation for simplicity/brevity. Interestingly, Pelinal is really not a teacher-figure as the Shezzarine is described, but a bloody warrior like Shor, but still called a Shezarrine nonetheless.

Pelinal was much too grim for that; even in youth he wore white hair, and trouble followed him.

and he was Pelinal the Third, though whether this was because some said he was a god guiser, who had incarnated twice before already, or that, simpler, he was the third vision

And after the first Pogrom, which consolidated the northern holdings for the men-of-'kreath, he stood with white hair gone brown with elfblood at the Bridge of Heldon, where Perrif's falconers had sent for the Nords, and they, looking at him, said that Shor had returned, but he spat at their feet for profaning that name.

And it is said that he emerged into the world like a Padomaic, that is, borne by Sithis and all the forces of change therein. Still others, like Fifd of New Teed, say that beneath the Pelinal's star-armor was a chest that gaped open to show no heart, only a red rage shaped diamond-fashion, singing like a mindless dragon, and that this was proof that he was a myth-echo, and that where he trod were shapes of the first urging.

Note: the "Men of Kreath" are described by Morihaus in The Adabal-a as one of the first Nedic tribes of Men enslaved by the Elves, imported from the North, so likely Nords from Falkreath or possibly Kilkreath.

It is a solid truth that Morihaus was the son of Kyne, but whether or not Pelinal was indeed the Shezarrine is best left unsaid (for once Plontinu, who favored the short sword, said it, and that night he was smothered by moths).

Vivic describes Ysmir Wulfharth in his Sermons:

YSMIR, the Dragon of the North, who always appears as a great bearded king, had powers innumerable and echoing. He was grim and dark and the most silent of the invading chieftains, though when he spoke villages were uplifted and thrown into the sea.

The Five Songs of Wulfharth also connect Wulfharth with Shor, specifically giving him the ability to summon Shor's ghost back into the world. We also get another description of Ysmir as "hoary bearded", which is an archaic word for white.

And the Ash King, Wulfharth, hoary Ysmir, went and made peace with the Orcs in spite of his Nordic blood, and they brought many warriors but no wizards at all.

Ysgramor is also described as hoary bearded a few times, but works about him are always written in an archaic style to emphasize how ancient his legend is. More interesting is the figure of the Hoarfather, a figure described on various word walls in Skyrim. The Hoarfather matches the teacher-philosopher Shezarrine more.

Finally, we get to the description of Tiber Septim/Hjalti Early-Beard in The Real Barenziah.

Barenziah was dumbfounded. Tiber Septim was nothing like the grim, grey, giant warrior she'd pictured. He was of average height, fully half a head shorter than tall Sym­machus, although he was well-knit of figure and lithe of movement. He had a winning smile, bright -- indeed piercing -- blue eyes, and a full head of stark white hair above a lined and weathered face. He might have been any age from forty to sixty.

Mickael Kirkbride has supposedly claimed that there is actually a lore reason why Men grow beards better than Mer,

17th of Frostfall, 3E 427

My refinement of the Recall spell has produced a confounding result: rather than sending to the point I had established earlier in the week in Alcaire, it seems to have made me nearly ten times my original height and sent me to heavens knows where in.... Morrowind?! No one has seen me yet, for I haven taken refuge in the forest, but I will need to find a solution before some foolish adventurer mistakes me for one of those plodding Mammoth herders up north!

22nd of Frostfall, 3E 427

I spotted a column of Telvanni mercenaries moving north not even a mile from the hovel I built in the forest. By Molag's Balls, my humble cottage must appear as a fortress to anyone who discovers it! To make matters worse my voice now carries for miles, so I've have to take to whispering even when alone. How did I get the spell so wrong??

23rd of Frostfall, 3E 427

It has become increasingly difficult to hide my presence. The elder of the Telvanni settlement closest to my cottage - an odd little man with a red Colovian-style headcover and a bushy little beard - often visits my portion of the forest to gather ingredients for his alchemical experiments. Perhaps if I could reach out to him somehow without startling him? Maybe he can help me get back to normal size and back home to Daggerfall?

25th of Frostfall, 3E 427

I was able to coax the little Telvanni back to my cottage with promises of Sasparilla Sujamma. Over a thimble of the vile drink he let slip that once upon a time the Sload figured out that Dunmer blood could be used as an alchemical reagent! He told me that the Necromancers of Thras were able to use Dunmeri essence for everything from transmutation to transmogrification! I might have been a little too enthusiastic to learn about this as the little wizard seemed very apprehensive after telling me.

26th of Frostfall, 3E 427

I knew it! I knew that little wizard was getting suspicious! I caught ten of the little bastards trying to get into my cottage last night with an Alfiq-Raht in tow! The cat seemed very grateful to be free of its mushroom-dwelling captives; hasn't left my side since the evening and makes the most wonderful little purr each time I squish one of those n'wahs into reagent. Furry little guy seems to like me, curling up on my grimoire and walking across my alchemy table like he can't get close enough.

29th of Frostfall, 3E 427

HOW?? They're only three apples high and they still mange to elude capture! I HAVE to get home and I will step on every mushroom house in my way until I have the ingredients I need! My Khajiit friend - who I've taken to calling Azrael after my dear uncle - seems to be the only one I can count on anymore. Those little blue devils will be the death of me, I swear.

-G

Something I realized as of writing is that while Auriel and Akatosh are the same. Everything seem to point to Au-riel/Akatosh preferring to be a Dragon instead of an Eagle.

Even the Dovah race doesn't seem to have a speck of Feathers on them. All this points out to Me is that the human interpretation is either favored or even the correct view of Akatosh when it comes to appearance.

Is there anything that says otherwise and any appearance or mention of Akatosh taking Eagle form as Auriel?

At the end of TES IV, Martin's battle with Dagon resulted in permanently(?) safeguarding Nirn from Oblivion, but later in the 4th era, the Dragonborn frequently contacts and interacts with the Daedric Princes. Hermaeus can even manifest on Nirn in order to talk to you.

Am I just interpreting what happened wrong, or did they retcon because they couldnt have a TES game without the Daedra?

I. The central theory
The conventional account of Orsimer origins states that the Aldmeri warrior-god Trinimac was defeated and consumed by the Daedric Prince Boethiah. Following his humiliation, Trinimac was transformed into Malacath, while his followers became the Orsimer.
But what if this account is fundamentally false?
What if Trinimac survived his confrontation with Boethiah, and Malacath was never Trinimac at all?
The theory proposes that Malacath is a false divine identity created or assumed by Boethiah to deceive Trinimac’s followers, while the real Trinimac escaped to Yokuda and became the HoonDing, the Yokudan God of Make Way.
Centuries later, following the destruction of Yokuda, Trinimac accompanied the migrating Yokudans to Tamriel. Through the Ra Gada and manifestations of the HoonDing, he directed a campaign against the Orsimer, whom he regarded as traitors for abandoning him and worshipping his greatest enemy.
Under this interpretation, the Redguard conquest of Hammerfell and the eventual destruction of the First Orsinium were not simply territorial conflicts.
They were the continuation of an ancient divine feud.
II. Boethiah’s deception and the creation of Malacath
To understand this theory, we must first examine the supposed transformation of Trinimac.
Trinimac was one of the most powerful figures in Aldmeri mythology. According to The Monomyth, specifically its Aldmeri creation narrative, he was Auri-El’s greatest knight and the divine champion responsible for defeating Lorkhan and tearing out his Heart.
He subsequently became an important defender of Aldmeri religious orthodoxy.
When the prophet Veloth began preaching a new religious movement inspired by Boethiah, Trinimac and his priesthood opposed it. The Velothi movement challenged established Aldmeri beliefs and promoted a radically different understanding of divinity and mortal existence.
According to The Changed Ones and The Fall of Trinimac, Boethiah eventually confronted Trinimac, consumed him, and addressed his followers in his own voice.
Boethiah used Trinimac’s identity to attack his teachings and convince the dissident Aldmer to reject their old beliefs.
Vivec’s Eighth Sermon also describes Boethiah as having worn the skin of Trinimac.
These details are significant.
Boethiah did not merely defeat Trinimac. Boethiah impersonated him.
The accepted account claims that after this confrontation, Trinimac was corrupted and emerged as Malacath.
But this conclusion relies on accepting the theological interpretation of the event.
Boethiah is the Prince of Plots, associated with conspiracy, deception, assassination, and the overthrow of established authority.
What better way to destroy a rival god than to convince his worshippers that he had been transformed into something monstrous?
In this theory, Boethiah did not turn Trinimac into Malacath.
Instead, Boethiah constructed the identity of Malacath from the humiliation of Trinimac, presenting an invented or appropriated divine figure as the remains of the defeated warrior-god.
Malacath would therefore be a mask or manifestation of Boethiah, possibly possessing considerable independence, rather than the actual transformed spirit of Trinimac.
This would accomplish two objectives simultaneously.
First, it would humiliate Trinimac by convincing the world that one of the mightiest Aedric champions had been reduced to a despised Daedric outcast.
Second, it would redirect the devotion of Trinimac’s surviving followers toward a false god.
The Orsimer would believe they were remaining loyal to Trinimac by worshipping Malacath, when in fact they were worshipping a divine identity established by his greatest enemy.
The deception would be complete.
Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4].
III. Evidence that Trinimac and Malacath are separate beings
Although the transformation of Trinimac into Malacath is widely accepted, it is not a universally held belief within the Elder Scrolls universe.
The most important evidence comes from Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Orsinium.
This text describes the religious reforms established by King Gortwog gro-Nagorm, the ruler of Orsinium.
Gortwog rejected the conventional belief that Malacath was the transformed Trinimac.
Instead, the official position of his shaman-priests was that Trinimac continued to exist and Malacath was a separate demonic entity whose purpose was to keep the Orsimer permanently ostracized.
This is extraordinarily important for the theory.
It establishes that the belief in Trinimac’s survival is not something invented entirely outside the lore. It is an actual theological position held by a significant Orcish political and religious movement.
Furthermore, Varieties of Faith: The Orcs describes another interpretation in which Trinimac successfully deceived Boethiah into believing that he had been corrupted.
According to this version, Trinimac actually gained some of Boethiah’s strength during their confrontation.
This introduces the possibility that the traditional story reverses the outcome of their battle.
Perhaps Boethiah defeated Trinimac physically but failed to destroy his spirit.
Perhaps Trinimac escaped after Boethiah believed the transformation was complete.
Or perhaps the apparent transformation into Malacath was itself a deception.
The key implication remains the same:
Trinimac could have survived independently of Malacath.
If this is true, the next question becomes obvious.
Where did Trinimac go?
Sources: [5], [6].
IV. Trinimac’s escape to Yokuda and his rebirth as the HoonDing
The theory proposes that after his defeat, Trinimac fled westward to Yokuda.
This continent possessed a religious tradition distinct from that of the Aldmer, with its own pantheon, creation mythology, and divine interpretations.
Yokuda would have offered Trinimac an opportunity to escape the religious influence of Boethiah and rebuild his power among an entirely different people.
Most importantly, the Yokudan pantheon contains a deity whose sphere is strikingly compatible with Trinimac’s identity.
The HoonDing.
According to Varieties of Faith in the Empire, the HoonDing is the Yokudan God of Make Way, a divine spirit associated with perseverance and overcoming those who stand against the Redguard people.
Unlike many other gods, the HoonDing is especially associated with moments of extraordinary conflict.
He manifests when the Redguards require a path to victory or survival, sometimes assuming a physical form or acting through a particular champion.
This makes him a remarkably suitable identity for Trinimac.
Trinimac had originally been the divine champion of Auri-El, a warrior whose purpose was to defend his people against their enemies.
The HoonDing performs a similar function for the Yokudans.
Both are associated with martial supremacy, the defeat of powerful enemies, and the protection of a chosen people.
The principal difference is the identity of the people they serve.
Under this theory, the HoonDing is not a separate spirit who coincidentally resembles Trinimac. He is Trinimac operating under a new divine identity.
This would not require Trinimac to abandon his original nature.
It would represent a change in religious allegiance and cultural interpretation.
There is also a philosophical connection between the two pantheons.
In the Aldmeri creation account, Trinimac defeats Lorkhan, the deity blamed for trapping the original spirits within the mortal world.
In the Yokudan creation account, found in The Monomyth, the Lorkhan-like figure Sep tricks other spirits into participating in the creation of the mortal world and is subsequently punished by Ruptga, or Tall Papa.
Although the two traditions differ significantly, both contain a hostile interpretation of the trickster responsible for creation.
This is important because it provides a plausible theological reason for Trinimac to find acceptance among the Yokudans, despite his original association with the elves.
The Redguards are a human people, but their traditional understanding of Sep is not identical to the more sympathetic portrayals of Lorkhan found in some other human cultures.
Trinimac would not necessarily have needed to abandon all his previous beliefs to become their champion.
He would instead have joined a culture whose mythological traditions already contained ideas compatible with his own history.
However, there is no known text explicitly describing Trinimac travelling to Yokuda or identifying him as the HoonDing. This identification is the central speculative leap of the theory.
Sources: [2], [7].
V. Diagna: The missing connection between the HoonDing and the Orcs
Perhaps the strongest connection between the HoonDing and Trinimac comes from another Yokudan deity: Diagna.
Diagna is the Orichalc God of the Sideways Blade, an important martial spirit associated with ancient Yokudan military victories.
According to Varieties of Faith in the Empire, Diagna originated as an avatar of the HoonDing that subsequently achieved an independent and permanent divine existence.
He helped the Yokudans defeat the Lefthanded Elves by providing them with orichalc weapons.
More importantly, after the Yokudans reached Tamriel, Diagna became directly involved in warfare against the Orsimer.
The same text identifies him as leading a group of followers against the Orcs of Orsinium.
Consider the implications under this theory.
If the HoonDing is Trinimac, and Diagna is an avatar of the HoonDing, then Diagna is an extension of Trinimac’s divine power.
That means the god who originally ruled over the ancestors of the Orsimer returned to Tamriel through an avatar specifically associated with attacking the Orcs.
This transforms the Siege of Orsinium into something considerably more significant than a war between neighbouring kingdoms.
It becomes a campaign in which Trinimac, acting through Diagna and his followers, destroys the political and religious centre of a people who once worshipped him.
The Order of Diagna was an actual participant in the historical conflict against Orsinium, alongside the Redguards of Sentinel and the Bretons of Daggerfall.
The connection between Diagna and the war against the Orcs is therefore explicitly established in the lore.
The interpretation that this was Trinimac taking revenge through an avatar is speculative, but the underlying relationship is real:
HoonDing → Diagna → War against Orsinium.
The theory adds one further identification:
Trinimac → HoonDing → Diagna → War against Orsinium.
This is arguably the most compelling piece of circumstantial evidence supporting the theory.
Sources: [7], [8], [9].
VI. The destruction of Yokuda and the Ra Gada crusade
The next major event occurs during the First Era.
Yokuda suffered a catastrophic destruction, with much of the continent disappearing beneath the sea.
The exact circumstances remain contested within the setting, with traditions and historical accounts differing on the causes.
The survivors migrated eastward toward Tamriel.
Among them were the Ra Gada, the warrior waves whose name would eventually become the word Redguard.
According to Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Hammerfell, the Ra Gada invaded the lands that would become Hammerfell, defeating or displacing many of the existing inhabitants, including beastfolk and Nedic populations.
The Third Edition confirms that the Ra Gada arrived in 1E 808 and rapidly conquered the region.
For this theory, the destruction of Yokuda created the circumstances that allowed Trinimac to return to Tamriel at the head of a new martial civilization.
The god who had fled the humiliation of his defeat now possessed something he had lacked since the fall of his original followers.
An army.
The theory does not require Trinimac to have personally destroyed Yokuda. Indeed, there is no reliable evidence for that claim.
Instead, the catastrophe provided an opportunity.
Through the HoonDing, Trinimac could guide a displaced people into a new homeland while simultaneously pursuing his own ancient objectives.
He could present the destruction of his former followers as a necessary part of making way for the Redguards.
From the Yokudan perspective, the wars would be a struggle for territory, survival, and the establishment of a new homeland.
From Trinimac’s perspective, the wars would be an opportunity for vengeance.
These two motivations would reinforce one another.
The Redguards needed land.
Trinimac needed an army.
And the Orsimer occupied the lands that the Redguards intended to conquer.
Sources: [7], [10], [11].
VII. The persecution of the Orsimer as divine revenge
This interpretation changes the apparent meaning of the Ra Gada invasion.
The Redguards did not merely defeat the Orcs in a series of unrelated military conflicts.
They pursued them across Hammerfell and contributed to a situation in which Orcish refugees gathered in the Wrothgarian Mountains.
Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Wild Regions specifically identifies Orcish refugees from the Ra Gada invasion as joining the growing power of Orsinium.
Orsinium subsequently became the principal centre of Orcish political power in the region.
Its existence eventually provoked the neighbouring kingdoms of Sentinel and Daggerfall.
The war that followed culminated in the destruction of the First Orsinium after a siege traditionally dated from 1E 950 to 1E 980.
These events can be interpreted as a continuing pattern.
First, the Ra Gada drive Orcish populations out of Hammerfell.
Then, the surviving Orcs gather around Orsinium.
Finally, a coalition including the Order of Diagna destroys Orsinium itself.
Under the proposed theory, this pattern reflects the continuation of Trinimac’s original war against the worshippers of Malacath.
The essential motivation is betrayal.
Trinimac had once been the divine champion of the ancestors of the Orsimer.
After his defeat by Boethiah, those followers accepted Malacath as their patron.
If Malacath was actually a manifestation of Boethiah, then the Orsimer had unknowingly transferred their allegiance to the very being responsible for their original god’s humiliation.
To Trinimac, this might represent an unforgivable religious betrayal.
His original worshippers had not simply abandoned him.
They had embraced his conqueror.
Worse still, they continued to insist that Malacath was Trinimac, thereby preserving the story of his disgrace and corruption.
In this interpretation, Trinimac’s rage is not merely directed at Malacath.
It is directed at the existence of the Orsimer as a religious community.
Every Orc who worships Malacath becomes living evidence of Boethiah’s victory.
Every stronghold dedicated to Malacath becomes an insult to Trinimac’s original identity.
And Orsinium, a nation built around the survival and unity of the Orsimer, becomes the ultimate symbol of that betrayal.
This is the darkest aspect of the theory.
The Orsimer would largely be innocent victims of Boethiah’s deception, yet Trinimac would blame them for believing the lie.
His campaign would therefore reveal how profoundly his defeat had changed him.
The original divine champion, supposedly devoted to defending his people, would have become so consumed by revenge that he sought the destruction of those same people.
Sources: [8], [9], [10], [11].
VIII. The HoonDing against Malooc
Another important clue appears in Varieties of Faith in the Empire.
The text describes Malooc, the Horde King, as an enemy deity of the Ra Gada.
Malooc is said to have commanded goblin armies against the Redguards during the First Era.
He was eventually forced eastward after the army of the HoonDing overcame his forces.
This produces a striking narrative parallel.
The HoonDing, supposedly Trinimac, leads an army against a hostile divine power associated with a goblin horde.
Meanwhile, the Orcs worship Malacath, an entity whose identity is closely associated with Mauloch.
Malooc and Mauloch are similar names, but the text lists them separately, so their identification as the same god is not established.
Nevertheless, the possibility is relevant to this theory.
If Malooc represents another cultural identity of Malacath, then the conflict becomes a more direct confrontation between Trinimac and the deity who replaced him.
The HoonDing’s victory over Malooc’s armies would be one of the earliest manifestations of that struggle during the Redguard conquest.
Even if Malooc is not Malacath, the account still establishes that the HoonDing personally intervened in the Ra Gada’s wars against hostile supernatural forces.
The theory therefore does not require the HoonDing to have been physically present as a conventional military commander throughout the entire invasion.
He could have manifested through avatars, chosen warriors, or sacred weapons, intervening whenever the campaign required divine assistance.
This is consistent with the HoonDing’s established nature as a god who manifests at critical moments to make way for his people.
Source: [7].
IX. Why Trinimac would hate the Orsimer but not the Redguards
One apparent contradiction is that Trinimac was originally an Aldmeri deity, while the Redguards are human.
Why would the defender of the Aldmer abandon his own people to champion a human civilization?
The theory offers a psychological rather than racial explanation.
Trinimac’s loyalty was originally directed toward the divine order represented by Auri-El and the Aldmeri pantheon.
His humiliation at the hands of Boethiah shattered his former identity.
His worshippers were transformed, his teachings were discredited, and his name became associated with a Daedric outcast.
Rather than returning to his former position, he sought an entirely new people to champion.
The Yokudans possessed a sophisticated martial tradition and a religious culture that placed considerable importance on divine assistance in battle.
Their understanding of Sep also provided some common ground with Trinimac’s opposition to Lorkhan.
They therefore offered him something the Orsimer no longer could: a people who would honour him as a triumphant divine warrior rather than a defeated and corrupted god.
His campaign against the Orcs would not necessarily reflect a generalized hatred of elves.
Instead, it would reflect his obsessive hatred of the descendants of his own former followers.
They were the living reminder of his failure.
The Redguards, conversely, represented his opportunity to reclaim his original identity as an unconquerable champion.
The contrast is central to the theory.
To the Orsimer, Trinimac was the god who became Malacath. To the Redguards, he was the god who made way.
One people remembered his defeat.
The other remembered his victories.
X. The destruction of Orsinium as the culmination of the crusade
The fall of the First Orsinium is the symbolic climax of the theory.
The historical account is relatively straightforward.
Orsinium’s growing power, territorial ambitions, and conflicts with neighbouring settlements brought it into confrontation with Daggerfall and Sentinel.
Their combined forces, including the Order of Diagna, besieged the city for approximately thirty years.
The eventual victory resulted in the destruction of Orsinium and the scattering of its inhabitants.
The Great Siege of Orsinium presents the conflict through a heroic martial narrative, describing Gaiden Shinji and the destruction of the Orcish capital.
But under this interpretation, the conflict was also a struggle between two competing divine identities.
On one side stood the Orsimer, who believed Malacath was the transformed Trinimac.
On the other stood the followers of Diagna, an avatar of the HoonDing.
If the theory’s identifications are correct, the conflict would therefore represent:
The original Trinimac, acting through his new Yokudan identity, destroying the nation of the people who worshipped his false successor.
Orsinium’s destruction would be more than a military victory.
It would represent the attempted eradication of the greatest monument to Boethiah’s deception.
However, it would not be a final victory.
The Orsimer survived.
Their religious traditions survived.
And Malacath remained one of the most important gods in their culture.
If Trinimac’s ultimate ambition was to eliminate the worship of Malacath, the fall of Orsinium accomplished only part of his objective.
This would explain why the struggle never truly ended.
Sources: [8], [9], [11].
XI. Gortwog and the possibility of an ancient truth rediscovered
One final detail gives the theory an interesting ending.
Centuries after the destruction of the First Orsinium, King Gortwog attempted to restore the worship of Trinimac.
He rejected Malacath as an impostor and argued that the original deity was still alive.
Under this theory, Gortwog had rediscovered one of the great forgotten truths of Orcish history.
Trinimac was indeed alive.
Malacath was indeed a false successor.
But Gortwog did not realize that the surviving Trinimac had become the divine patron responsible for some of the worst historical catastrophes suffered by the Orcs.
The god he wanted to restore had already led their enemies against them.
This would make Gortwog’s religious reforms profoundly ironic.
The king was attempting to reunite the Orsimer with the divine ancestor who had come to regard them as traitors.
It also raises a further question.
If Trinimac survived, and if some Orsimer eventually rejected Malacath in favour of their original god, would he accept their return?
Or had his hatred become so absolute that no reconciliation was possible?
The answer would determine whether Trinimac remained a divine champion who could be redeemed or had transformed, not into Malacath, but into something equally terrible.
Sources: [5], [6].
XII. Problems and limitations of the theory
There are several important objections.
First, no primary source explicitly identifies Trinimac with the HoonDing. Their shared martial characteristics and associated conflicts provide circumstantial connections, not confirmation.
Second, no known account establishes that Trinimac travelled to Yokuda. His escape and adoption of a new divine identity are conjectural.
Third, the HoonDing has an established identity within Yokudan mythology. The theory must explain why this deity should be regarded as Trinimac rather than a wholly independent spirit.
Fourth, Malacath has appeared and acted independently in Elder Scrolls stories. For example, the novel Lord of Souls presents him as an active divine being. The theory must therefore treat Malacath as a genuine manifestation or autonomous aspect of Boethiah, not merely an imaginary god.
Fifth, Malooc and Malacath are not conclusively established as identical. The similarity between their names and associations is suggestive but insufficient to prove a connection.
Sixth, the destruction of Orsinium had documented political and military causes. The existence of a possible divine motive does not erase the territorial disputes, alliances, and immediate circumstances that produced the war.
Finally, the Orsimer themselves preserve religious traditions in which Trinimac survived Boethiah. These traditions complicate the premise that all Orcs uniformly rejected their original deity.
The theory therefore works best as a reinterpretation of established events rather than an attempt to replace every existing historical explanation.
It does not claim that the Redguards knew they were fighting on Trinimac’s behalf.
It claims that their patron deity may have possessed motives of his own.
XIII. Conclusion: The warrior who betrayed his own people
The traditional narrative tells us that Trinimac was defeated by Boethiah and became Malacath.
The False Malacath Theory proposes a considerably darker alternative.
Trinimac survived.
Boethiah stole his identity, established Malacath as his supposed successor, and deceived his followers into worshipping a false god.
Humiliated and abandoned, Trinimac escaped to Yokuda, where he adopted a new identity as the HoonDing.
He became the divine champion of the Yokudans, helping them overcome their enemies and establish a formidable martial civilization.
When Yokuda was destroyed, Trinimac accompanied the survivors to Tamriel.
There, through the Ra Gada, the HoonDing, and his avatar Diagna, he pursued a campaign against the Orsimer.
The conquest of Hammerfell displaced Orcish populations.
The survivors gathered in Orsinium.
And Orsinium was eventually destroyed by a coalition that included followers of the HoonDing’s own avatar.
Throughout this campaign, the Redguards believed they were securing a homeland for their people.
But their divine champion may have been pursuing a far older purpose.
The destruction of those who had once worshipped him.
In the end, Boethiah’s victory would have been far greater than merely humiliating Trinimac.
Boethiah would have turned Trinimac against his own people.
The Orsimer, who had remained loyal to what they believed was their transformed god, would become the victims of their original god’s vengeance.
And Trinimac, the mighty champion of Auri-El, would ultimately become the very thing he despised: a divine power so consumed by betrayal that he could no longer distinguish his enemies from his followers.
Malacath was never Trinimac. Trinimac was the HoonDing. And the Redguard conquest of Hammerfell was the final consequence of Boethiah’s greatest deception.

Primary lore sources and references
The following are official in-game texts reproduced by community archives. Their accounts are the evidence used to construct the theory, not official confirmation of its conclusions.
[1] The Changed Ones — The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Describes Boethiah consuming Trinimac, adopting his voice, and discrediting his teachings. Establishes that impersonation was part of the original event.
[2] The Monomyth — Morrowind. Contains the Aldmeri account of Trinimac defeating Lorkhan and the Yokudan account of Sep’s punishment. Supports the proposed philosophical connection between Trinimac and Yokudan religion.
[3] The Fall of Trinimac — The Elder Scrolls Online. Gives another account of Trinimac’s defeat, torture, exile, and alleged rebirth as Mauloch. Represents the traditional interpretation that this theory disputes.
[4] The 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon Eight — Morrowind. Refers to Boethiah wearing Trinimac’s skin. Relevant to the theory of divine impersonation.
[5] Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Orsinium — The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Explicitly documents Gortwog’s belief that Trinimac survives and Malacath is a separate demonic entity.
[6] Varieties of Faith: The Orcs — The Elder Scrolls Online. Describes the Orcish cult of Trinimac and the belief that he deceived Boethiah and survived their confrontation.
[7] Varieties of Faith in the Empire — Morrowind. The most important single source for the theory. Describes the HoonDing, Diagna’s status as an avatar, Diagna’s involvement against Orsinium, and the HoonDing’s victory over Malooc’s armies.
[8] Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Wild Regions — The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard. Establishes that Orcs displaced by the Ra Gada joined Orsinium, and that the Order of Diagna participated in its destruction.
[9] The Great Siege of Orsinium — The Elder Scrolls Online. Describes the Redguard and Breton siege, the role of Gaiden Shinji, and the defeat of Orsinium.
[10] Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Hammerfell — Redguard. Describes the destruction of Yokuda, the migration of its survivors, and the violence of the Ra Gada conquest.
[11] Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Hammerfell — Oblivion. Describes the Ra Gada’s military conquest of the region, including their defeat of Orcish inhabitants.
Additional source: Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Eras — Records the Ra Gada’s arrival in 1E 808 and their later participation in the destruction of Orsinium, supporting the historical sequence used in the theory.
Additional source: The True Nature of Orcs — Describes the conventional identification of Malacath with Trinimac and the transformation of his followers. Provides important context for precisely what this theory rejects.
Additional source: The Elder Scrolls novel Lord of Souls — Relevant as counterevidence because Malacath acts as a distinct, conscious divine personality. This requires a more complex explanation than simply calling him a false name.

Hey everyone, once there was this giant treatise on Dwemeris, now in face of new clarifications regarding the 1st person pronoun on the UESP discussion page for Ayleidoon, I decided to chime in and look deeper into the language of Cyromer and eldar; and compare the two.

In the article, I basically went through the known examples of Ayleidoon, analysed it, speculated on it, compared with Quenya, and also used the most known fan-conlang for Ayleidoon -- Hrafnir's Cyrodis language for comparison. It mostly is a bird's eye view on how the language works and is there anything we can add to it.

Enjoy your read.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fsrmvsrBwc5NxaKle1P4XQUr_D5qDq5R/view?usp=sharing

New excerpt up on the site now, Case KESTREL. A window into the Interregnum and into the lives of Breachers who come back from Morrowind broken. Featuring some familiar faces.

What is this?

The 25th Crossing is an epistolary hypertext novel by Michael Kirkbride, writer and artist for TES3: Morrowind. It is set at the start of the 4th era and consists of a narrative spine telling story of the 25th Crossing into "the lands formerly known as Morrowind," as well as embedded supplementary materials which give us insights into the prior Crossings and the state of Tamriel.

As far as I understand, temples aren’t built in Shor’s name because he is dead. Does the same apply to Ysmir?.

I am making a mod for Karthwasten to transform it into a major town in the Reach. One wonder I keep running into though is what would be a good god or series of gods for the nord and reachmen populations to worship at a temple together?

Would the wives of Shor like Mara, Dibella and Kyne be good choices?

I know Reachmen love Hircine but Nords dont look kindly on him. So im not sure which to pick.

As stated in the title, why doesn't illusion magic in TES actually focus on illusory effects rather than primarily just being mind control? From a play wise stand-point I can see fear and frenzy being caused by illusory effects only the target can see, but calm makes no sense to me that way.

Anyone want to tl;dr what’s going on in these? I’m no stranger to incomprehensible texts, but I admit I’m lost.

It’s fairly widespread that vampires are not friendly beings, or are fully unhinged, seemingly apart from Serana and Valerica. Besides those two, the most “normal” vampire I can think of is the ruler of Skingrad. Vicente is mostly chill but it can’t be ignored he’s part of the Dark Brotherhood.

I assume the legend about shooting an arrow with the Heart across the continent is commonly known, so people know that the Heart is beneath the Red Mountain. But do they know that it vanished after Nerevarine bonked it with the instruments of Kagrenak?

I've read an in-game book called "Magna-Ge Pantheon," and that got me wondering: Which Magna-Ge detailed/shown in Spectraverse are canon to the Elder Scrolls lore, and which ones are original creations exclusive to the mod?

Magna-Ge I remember in that mod include Ilmaasi, Astetu, Agnil-Bright, Nil-Bright, Pigmius, Merid (who became Meridia), Clan Box, Clan Box 2, Caker King, Threadwright, Mnemoli, Bare Bone, Mnender-Foil, Scarab-Framer, Thermalele, and someone nicknamed the Burping Ambassador.

Here's the in-game book, by the way: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Magne-Ge_Pantheon

I like reading into various characters backstories and motivations. I recently restarted Skyrim after the new update, and I'm going through the normal beginner stuff like running to Whiterun. I passed by Olfina Gray-Mane on my way to Jorrvaskr, and noticed for the first time that she had a similar name to Olfrid Battle-Born. Given the clans past friendship, I wondered if she had been named in honor of him.

If you ask Vignar Gray-Mane about the Companions he will say this:

"They used to be something. Nowadays they just squabble amongst themselves. Take my advice and keep away. You look too smart to get caught up with this bunch."

Brill will tell you that Vignar is just an old man that likes to complain. But it seems like he's actively warning you away from the Companions due to the current internal debate over lycanthropy. Kodlak is desperate about finding the cure, so he can escape Hircine and go to Sovngarde, while the devoutly religious Vignar apparently doesn't need the cure (suggesting that he didn't partake in the beast blood ritual).

When asked about the Battle-Borns, Vignar has a few lines that show he still respects the Battle-Borns and laments their lost friendship.

"We Gray-Manes have been feuding with the Battle-Borns for years. There's no more bitter enemy than an old friend."

"Aye, they're an old clan like ours, but they cast their lot with the Empire when the uprising began. Olfrid Battle-Born made his money from farming, an' got himself some new friends among the Empire's nobles. Now he's in the Emperor's pocket like the rest of 'em, with no regard for honor an' tradition."

"Aye, we used to be fast friends, though it was long ago. We were two of the city's oldest an' most-respected clans, an' we could trace our histories all the way back to Ysgramor's companions. But then Olfrid got rich an' decided he an his kin were too good for us simple, backwards Nord folk. When the troubles began, he took the Empire's side. We haven't spoken much since then."

Notice how Vignar's lines are much more respectful than Olfrid's explanation of the feud. Olfrid is much more dismissive of the Gray-Manes. He also claims that Vignar is jealous of his wealth. However, the Gray-Manes only criticize their wealth in terms of being corrupt and snobbish, which they are on both accounts (Olfrid is a Thieves Guild contact).

"Uncivilized, pelt-wearing axe-draggers. It's a wonder they don't still live in a cave like those ancestors they keep boasting about. It's true the Vignar Gray-Mane and his lot are one of Whiterun's oldest and, depending on who you ask, most respected clans. I don't dispute that. But it's one thing to take pride in your lineage, and another to cling blindly to the past. What they call honor and tradition, I call ignorance."

"Money, you laggard! What else? It always comes down to coin. The Gray-Manes have deep roots in Whiterun, but so do we. Difference is, we're rich, and Vignar hates it. Oh, and they hate it, too. All their big talk of pride and honor, and what have they got to show for it? Beggar's rags and stale bread. We've got the same pride, the same honor, and we've got wealth. No wonder they envy us."

If you ask Olfrid about Thorald's disappearance, he is mostly dismissive.

"What's there to say? You go against the Empire, you wind up dead. Thorald got what was coming to him. Best not to ask too many questions about it. People might get the wrong idea about you."

Meanwhile, his son actually has this to say:

"Between the two of us, his family is better off thinking he's dead. Thorald and I have a history, all right? We used to be friends. So I looked into it when he disappeared. I found out the Thalmor have him. And they don't let anyone go. So I've kept my mouth shut. Like I said, his family is better off believing he's gone, because he's never coming back"

Both of them harass Thorald's poor mother and taunt her about her son never coming back, but only one of them has any justification for it.

Additionally, none of the Battle-Born children appear to be named after the Gray-Manes.

I think this would suggest that Vignar and Eorlund valued the friendship with the Battle-Borns much more than Olfrid did.

Aside from the east empire company, what are some examples of state sanctioned corruption in the empire?

Need some help with a bit of character building and headcanon.

I have an OC who studies primarily alteration magic. He’s been in Bruma and has been spending a lot of time in Ayleid ruins and studying Ayleid wells. He recognizes meteoric iron’s ability to harvest magicka and decides to study it further via transmutation.

Say there was some side effect of his body interacting with this metal/starlight or this went ~wrong~. What physical changes could manifest?

In the Five Songs of King Wulfharth we hear that Shor-as-Wulfharth made peace with the Orcs, and presumably Orkey-Mauloch-Malacath who he fought earlier, in preparation with for the Battle at Red Mountain. This is notable to me, as the Orcs represent Trinimalacath, the Witness at Convention. With Red Mountain involving a Dragon Break and at least one enaction of the Enantiomorph, this is intriguing. Spitballing ideas, does it suggest the Nordic army was playing the roll of Witness in some way? What theories are there on its significance?

Despite the addition of radiant AI in Oblivion and Skyrim people work 7 days a week. Is this lore or just a convenience for the player?

The Paarthurnax dilemma is the most universally despised choice in the game, everyone agrees that sparing him is the correct choice, but is it really?

Delphine's choice is viewed as angry and motivated by revenge, but I actually think killing him is the best choice even if you remove all aspect of him needing to pay for past crimes.

Paarthurnax is a time bomb

Paarthurnax says it himself that he is tempted every day to return to his primal instincts. He's not a bad person, but it's his nature to dominate. There's no way to know for sure that he will stay peaceful forever.

The dragons need to be dealt with

The biggest argument Paarthurnax defenders make is that you need to keep him alive so he can teach the dragons to become peaceful. But this is not the only way to solve the dragon crisis. The Dragonborn and the Blades could hunt them down to extinction, just like what happened before Alduin revived them all, and when the Dragonborn takes their souls they will be gone for good. Not only is Paarthurnax teaching them peace not the only option, but it's also the least efficient. The dragons stay hostile after the main quest, they're still making Skyrim unsafe to live in. I doubt they would listen to Paarthurnax anyway, but even if they did, it would take many years. Why should Skyrim's citizens suffer for so many extra years just for a chance at peace?

The Dragonborn will not be around for ever

The Dragonborn is explicitly named the last Dragonborn, once he's gone that's it, there will be no one to permanently kill a dragon. What if the Dragonborn listens to Paarthurnax and spares the dragons, only for Paarthurnax to enslave humanity after the Dragonborn is gone? There will be no one to stop him. Theoretically you don't need to be Dragonborn to kill a dragon, but will there be anyone else strong enough to stop that crisis?

I like Paarthurnax and I've never killed him in any of my playthroughs, but logically it is the best choice to put him down.