SajuukKhar said:
Thank you for clarifying the Dwemer disappearance, then. Having never played Morrowind, I couldn't have known. Sorry if I seem ignorant of the story, however, may I alter my theory?
The Numidium must not have required the entire Dwemer race - considering that they were a studious bunch, and would surely have wanted to see the effects of this machine. Was it necessary to sacrifice themselves, when they had the Snow Elves as slaves as a befitting replacement? That Skeleton Man interview was also posted in 2006, and Skyrim seems to strongly hint at their possible return with in-game dialogue and books - so perhaps a writer found a loop hole since then, or maybe a discontinuity. I also remember reading a post someone said in which all different takes on historical events involving the Aedra, Deadra and the such-like can all happen simultaneously, making several different events possible. Throughout Skyrim the actual answer to their disappearance remains largely in dispute still, so perhaps there is another answer.
Anyway, my theory can still work if some of the Dwemer remained while the others were sacrificed. Perhaps they wished to escape that fate, or oversee their construction?
I guess the idea of fighting a steampunk war within an Arabian-style desert just seems too cool for me to completely dismiss.
EDIT:
Sansha said:
Spoiler alert, thanks for that.
Since this is a thread about game lore beyond Skyrim, I figured it would be obvious that spoilers would be there. Sorry, though.