The Elder Scrolls Online: Factions
In The Elder Scrolls Online, players are split up into three different factions.
Each faction is made up of three unique races, whom together command a specific territory of Tamriel. This is best explained with a political map.
The middle province of Tamriel, Cyrodiil, is contested; it is under the control of an NPC faction (the Imperials) that is not available to human players. This is the location PvP (player vs. player) will take place.
Aldmeri Dominion
The Aldmeri Dominion is an empire founded by the Altmer matriarch Queen Ayrenn in 2E 582. The faction controls the Elsweyr, Summerset Isles, and Valenwood provinces, and is made up of the Altmer (High Elves), Bosmer (Wood Elves), and Khajiit races.
Once the High Elves of Sommerset heard that the Imperial City had fallen to the forces of Molag Bal, they reached out to their Bosmer and Khajiit neighbors, advocating that their combined forces were needed to prevent the other races of Tamriel from bringing disaster to the world.
The motivations behind Queen Ayrenn are both political and personal. Once an adventurer, Queen Ayrenn suffered at the hands of Abnur Tharn in the Imperial City. This mishap helped shape her belief that the time has come for the elves to become the rulers of Tamriel by eliminating the "warmongering" humans.
The motivations behind Queen Ayrenn are both political and personal. Once an adventurer, Queen Ayrenn suffered at the hands of Abnur Tharn in the Imperial City. This mishap helped shape her belief that the time has come for the elves to become the rulers of Tamriel by eliminating the "warmongering" humans.
Daggerfall Covenant
The Daggerfall Covenant is a democratic alliance that was brought together by High King Emeric. The faction controls High Rock and Hammerfell, home to the Bretons, Redguards, and Orcs.
The primary motivation of the Daggerfall Covenant is to secure their lands and in turn establish profitable areas of commerce. High King Emeric believes that Tamriel is peaceful only when the Empire is strong. As the Empire is a primarily human endeavor, the Daggerfall Covenant is determined to prevent the elves from causing further damage while they retake the Ruby Throne and the Empire.
Ebonheart Pact
Northeast Tamriel is dominated by the Ebonheart Pact, led in name by Jorunn the Skald-King. However, three leaders - one from each race - jointly dictate the Pact's military decisions in a collection of leaders known as The Great Moot. The participating races include the Argonians, Dunmer, and Nords.
The Ebonheart Pact represents a very unlikely alliance. The Nords and Dark Elves have a long and desolate history of war, and the Argonians were slaves to the Dark Elves for thousands of years. However, the invasion of the Akaviri slave-masters began the creation a bond that soon became necessary. Together, these races have entered into a temporary and shaky pact to defend their vast homelands. This uneasy alliance struggles to maintain possession of the provinces of Morrowind (and Vvardenfell), Skyrim, and Blackmarsh.
The Ebonheart Pact is motivated by their desire to defend the Nirn - the mortal plane - from the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement of mortals, Molag Bal. Almalexia (a leader of the Ebonheart Pact) learned of the great threat Molag Bal represented to the Nirn by mystics, who informed him of a collaboration between the Empire, Molag Bal, and Mannimacro. To combat this grave threat, the Ebonheart Pact marches to war in Cyrodiil.
The Ebonheart Pact is motivated by their desire to defend the Nirn - the mortal plane - from the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement of mortals, Molag Bal. Almalexia (a leader of the Ebonheart Pact) learned of the great threat Molag Bal represented to the Nirn by mystics, who informed him of a collaboration between the Empire, Molag Bal, and Mannimacro. To combat this grave threat, the Ebonheart Pact marches to war in Cyrodiil.