Convention 2.0
This a pet theory of mine which tries to fix the leap between Towers holding up Mundus (Nu-Mantia intercept) and Talos holding up Mundus (Altmeri commentary on Talos).
Talos ascended as 3 when Hjalti Early-Beard, Zurin Arctus and Wulfharth of Atmora ascended when they mantled the Rebel-King-Observer Enantiomorph. To mantle something you must “walk like them until they must walk like you”. and they did this by re-enacting Convention. Zurin Arctus as Magnus (Observer/Traitor) betrayed Wulfharth as Lorkhan (King), allowing Hjalti Early-Beard as Auri-El (Rebel) to become King. This act of Convention was immortalised as the Zero Stone which became the Stone of Ada-Mantia. The creation of Ada-Mantia as well as the Creation of Red Tower (whose stone is the Heart of Lorkhan) allowed Mundus to survive without the need of the Gods.
What are the Towers?
They are magical and physical echoes of the Ur-Tower, Ada-mantia. Ada-mantia was the first spike of unassailable reality in the Dawn, otherwise called the Zero Stone. The powers at Ada-mantia were able to determine through this Stone the spread of creation and their parts in it. The powers also created Red Tower and the First Stone. This allowed the Mundus to exist without the full presence of the divine.
—NuMantia Intercept
The Aldmer who witnessed the creation of Ada-Mantia by Auri-El also subsequently saw Auri-El’s ascension at Ada-Mantia in an attempt to teach his followers how to do the same.
He [Auri-El] then ascended to heaven in full observance of his followers so that they might learn the steps needed to escape the mortal plane.
—Varieties of Faith
The Aldmer subsequently attempted to do so. Different cults and groups took different attempts to do so. The Dwemer created Anumidium, the Altmer built Crystal-Like-Law, the Ayleids founded White Gold Tower and so on and so on. However as the power (and knowledge) of the Elves and Men dwindle (circa 3rd Era) we see a drop in their link to the Divine. No more Towers, no more Sunbirds and Mananauts…
The lowpoint of this trend is the Thalmor. The Altmer no longer have the knowledge of ascension that Auri-El taught them and so see no need in the Towers. The Towers are no longer gates to Aetherius from their material prison but Iron bars in their prison cell. The Thalmor therefore want to smash the bars of their prison cells. Orichalc and Red Tower have already fallen by the Oblivion Crisis and the Crisis itself takes down 3 more (Crystal-Like-Law, Green-Sap and White-Gold), conveniently unrepaired by the Thalmor. The 3 remaining ones; Snow-Throat, Adamantia and Khajiit (If they are a Tower) become their next targets. The Thalmor kill the Mane (the supposed Stone of the Khajiit) and they flood Skyrim with Justiciars looking to take down Snow-Throat. According to the the Book of the Dragonborn Snow Tower is down before Skyrim starts meaning that either a) Snow-Throat is still up or b) Something else is holding up Mundus. If (a) is correct then we must still think of the other potential Stones; Eye of Magnus (tried to be used by a Thalmor agent), Alduin (killed at the end of the MQ) and Paarthy (disappears after the events of MQ).
Therefore I believe (B) is the case. What holds up Mundus then? Talos.
To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum’s iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison.
To achieve this goal, we must:
- Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane.
As I previously stated Talos mantled Convention, making him Convention 2.0. Convention itself is the Stone of Ada-Mantia, so Convention 2.0 is also a Stone; the Stone of Talos. Hence, "Talos fortifies the Wheel of Convention" by doubling it and also acts like a Tower thus satisfying both Nu-Hatta and the Thalmor.