Races of The Elder Scrolls

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The Elder Scrolls series of role-playing video games are populated with a number of fantasy races, ten of which are playable. Generally, these races fall into one of three distinct archetypes, namely, humans, elvenkind, and beastfolk. Within the lore of the Elder Scrolls universe, men and elves alike were descended from an ancestral race known as the "Ehlnofey", and are capable of interbreeding.

Playable races[edit]


Human races[edit]


The Bretons are a human race with a small amount of Elven ancestry, but are not generally considered half-elves. They populate the province of High Rock, where the second game of the series, Daggerfall, takes place. Bretons are pure spell weavers, and they are advanced in all the arcane arts. While they tend to lack in their physical skill, Bretons are able to make up for it in their ability to resist and cast spells that overwhelm most who they encounter. They are generally known as being quite passionate, eccentric, poetic, flamboyant, intelligent, willful, along with being extraordinary cooks. They feel an instinctive bond with mercurial forces of magic and the supernatural world, thus explains their strong tie with their magical abilities and the arcane arts. They are most likely to be either a battle mage, necromage, or witch hunter.


The Imperials are natives of the province of Cyrodiil.[1] Hence their name (along with their continental empire ideology), they are superficially based on the Romans - for instance, their forenames and surnames unmistakably derive from Latin and armour is reminiscent of garments worn by Roman legions. Though less physically imposing than the other races, the Imperials are diplomats and traders. These traits, along with lots of training for soldiers, have enabled them to overcome their seemingly less imposing physique and subdue all the other provinces of Tamriel and unite them under the banner of their empire.[2]



The Nords inhabit the northern province of Skyrim, which is the setting for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.[4] Hailing originally from the frozen continent of Atmora, these people are known to be fierce, strong and enthusiastic warriors, and many become renowned warriors, soldiers and mercenaries all over Tamriel. Their origin is from the northern lands above on the map - it is believed that humans first set foot on Tamriel in the Skyrim Province.

When designing the Nordic people and culture, Bethesda Softworks took inspiration from a combination of real-world historical sources, as seen with the Nord ability of woad, a warpaint used by North European Celtic peoples of the Iron and Dark Ages. It is also worth noting that Nords closely resemble Scandinavian Vikings, as shown in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by the housing design, fence design, ships, weapons, names, important figures, and even some bed designs.


The Redguards are from the province of Hammerfell in western Tamriel, all of whom resemble humans of African or Middle Eastern descent. The redguard are the greatest, most talented warriors on Tamriel, on which they took a province for themselves through war, after migrating to the continent from their homeland, the lost continent of Yokuda. They are hardy, resistant to poison and do not easily get fatigued.

Elf/Mer races[edit]


The Altmer, also called High Elves, live in the Summerset Isle.[5] They are taller than the other races and have a golden skin color. They tend to be proud and consider themselves the most civilized race. Altmer are among the most magically-inclined races on Nirn, surpassing even the Bretons in magical aptitude. This strong tie to Magnus, the god of magic, has the unfortunate side effect of opening Altmer up to magical attacks more than most other races.[6]

Their depiction has changed throughout the series to reflect changing times. In 'A Pocket Guide to the Empire,' which shipped with the game Redguard, they were initially portrayed as arrogant in their superiority and heartless to the point of inhumanity. A new edition of the same fictional 'guide' was shipped with Oblivion which contained a much more favorable view of the Altmer, mentioning deep class and social struggles in which the young were rebelling against the notion of their race's superiority in general and the superiority of the Altmeri nobility in particular with many even abandoning worship of the traditional Altmeri pantheon of gods altogether. They believe that they have literately descended from The gods (Aedra) and were tricked by another God-like person who is known as Lorkhan. In the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a faction of Altmer known as the Thalmor acts as the main antagonist, primarily because of their banning of the worship of Talos. The Thalmor reject the notion of Talos ascending to godhood for several reasons, including the fact that they did not believe a mere man was capable of such a feat, as well as the fact that Talos was responsible for the invasion of Summerset Isles, the Altmeri homeland, and the resulting deaths of thousands of their people.




Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, hail from Morrowind.[9] They are the Elder Scrolls variation of dark elves, a popular fictional race in role-playing games and fantasy literature, though they are quite different. They are descended from the Chimer, a group of Aldmer who worshipped the Daedra. The Chimer became the grey-skinned, red-eyed Dunmer after they were cursed by the Daedric Prince Azura.



The Orsimer, or simply Orcs are descended from a group of Aldmer that worshiped a god named Trinimac.[10] Orsimer were the former inhabitants of the province of Hammerfell,[11] but lost their land to the armies of Redguards.[12][13] The Orcs now reside in a small mountain kingdom known as Orsinium. The kingdom has been sacked and rebuilt numerous times, and is located near the Breton homeland of High Rock.[14][15] Orcs are distinguished by their imposing physique, green skin, and prominent under bite. They are famous as the greatest craftsmen in Tamriel and are incredible warriors, clad in heavy armor.

Beast races[edit]


Argonians are a beast race of reptilian humanoids consistently portrayed throughout the Elder Scrolls series of games as intelligent, quick and agile, tending towards the in-game character classes of the mage and the thief.[16] Within the ES world, Argonians inhabit the swampy inhospitable region of Black Marsh, home to sentient trees called the Hist, which are worshiped by Argonians and play an essential part in their religion and life cycle. Years of defending their homeland has made them masters of guerrilla warfare. They can breathe underwater and are resistant to poison and diseases.


The Khajiit are an anthropomorphic feline race hailing from the province of Elsweyr. They enjoy change, wealth and adventure. Though there are many breeds, Cathay and Suthay-raht appear most frequently. Remarkably stealthy, agile and good with blades, they are excellent thieves and assassins. They are also great warriors. Many Khajiit take to selling an illegal drug called Skooma, which is made from the Moon Sugar, a cash crop of their homeland in Elsweyr. This has sullied the Khajiit's reputation to being lowly bandits and penny pinchers.[17] Khajiit are shunned outside their homeland and are frequently barred from entering cities.

Non-playable and extinct races[edit]


In Elder Scrolls lore, the Aldmer, translated as the First or Elder Folk, are thought to be the first race to appear in the world, Nirn. The Oblivion in-game book "Before the Ages of Man" is the most comprehensive source of their history. It traces their origins first to the mythic continent of Aldmeris, noting the alternate rendering of Old Elhofney for the place.[18] Certain maps are cautious enough to exclude the mythic continent from their mappings of Nirn,[19] while others place it to the south of Tamriel.[20] As is often the case with Elder Scrolls lore, many contradictory accounts concerning Aldmeris exist, with some suggesting it to be entirely mythological.[21] Beyond Aldmeris, their first known settlements were in southwestern Tamriel, from which they eventually moved on to settle the entire continent.[18] By the beginning of recorded history, they had already branched off into a number of distinct populations, among them the present-day Altmer. The term "Aldmer" is sometimes used to describe the entire Elven race, as in the "Aldmeri Dominion", or in common Elven usage, as evidenced by the entry for "Aldmer" in the Elder Scrolls of Treasury.[22] Although the Aldmer no longer exist as a distinct race, their culture lives on throughout the Empire, forming the basis of Tamrielic language and religion.[23][24][25]




It is thought that the Falmer ("Snow Elves") were the original elven inhabitants of Skyrim, the northernmost province of the continent of Tamriel, and were defeated and displaced by the Nords. The Pocket Guide to the Empire in the chapter on Skyrim mentions the Snow Elves as a local superstition, with Nord villagers blaming them for a number of random misfortunes and scant physical evidence of their existence.[4]

It is revealed in the latest game, Skyrim, that the Falmer were driven to near extinction by the invading Nords thousands of years prior. Due to this, the Falmer fled to protection with the Dwemer underground. With their superior technology and higher knowledge of the caves beneath Skyrim, the Dwemer were eventually able to push them deep into the Blackreach. After an unknown amount of years, the Falmer revolted. One day, however, when preparing to enter another battle the Falmer found that their enemies had mysteriously vanished.

The Falmer have now degenerated into a hideous breed of subterranean monsters the player character will often face within Dwemer ruins or in caves. Due to their long existence underground, they have become hunched and are no longer very elven; however, they have gained keen hearing and hunt their prey using this ability. With the addition of the Dawnguard add-on, it is revealed that two Snow Elves survived their races extinction by remaining hidden in a secluded valley in the northern mountains of Skyrim.


The Maormer ("Sea Elves") are one of the many types of elven races. They are related to the Aldmer, but were exiled to Pyandonea after a failed revolt by their King Orgnum, who is not only immortal, but grows more youthful by the century. Pyandonea has not been shown on any official maps to date, but is thought to be south of the Summerset Isle.

Wild races[edit]

Dovah (Dragons)[edit]

Dragons are large reptilian creatures with wings, and one of the oldest sentient races. Though they are believed by some to be beasts, dragons are highly intelligent, though they hold a strong hatred for almost all other living creatures. They communicate through their own archaic language, which includes a power known as the Thu'um; dragons are able to unleash a powerful attack called a Shout. The dragons have gone through a variety of events which have led to the race becoming almost extinct. In Skyrim, Alduin, a dragon God, is the final boss of the storyline quest and serves as the main antagonist.






Lycanthrope is an umbrella term used to refer to various people who have either had animal-like transformations forced upon them by the disease Lycanthropy, or have been given Lycanthropy willingly. Lycanthropes have appeared in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.[27] According to game lore, Lycanthropes are the servants to the Daedric Lord Hircine, and will serve him for eternity in his Hunting Ground upon their death. There are a number of different Lycanthropes within the lore, though werewolves are the most prominent. Others include werebears, werecrocodiles, and even weresharks.



Aedra and Daedra[edit]



The Aedra consist of nine important figures.

The chief deity, Akatosh, is the god of time and is depicted as a dragon. Akatosh created the dragon blood of Saint Alessia and is thus creator of the dragonborn. In Oblivion, Martin Septim shatters the Amulet of Kings and becomes the host of Akatosh. In the process he becomes a golden dragon, and when Mehrunes Dagon is defeated he turns to stone.

The other Aedra of the Nine Divines are Mara, Dibella, Stendarr, Kynareth, Arkay, Julianos and Zenithar. The ninth divine, though not an Aedra, is Talos, a human who ascended to godhood. During the events of the Stormcloak Rebellion in 4E 201, the Aldmeri Dominion banned the worship of Talos.



The Daedra are creatures native to the realm of Oblivion, typically split into Daedric Princes and Lesser Daedra, though the latter is split into even further categorization. They are viewed as "evil" by Aedric worshipers, though it's clear to the player that not all of them are. There are 17 Daedric Princes, each one controlling a plane of Oblivion, modeled to whatever the Prince wills it to be. The Daedra each are associated with different things, like the Aedra. The Daedric Princes will often have sects of dedicated followers, sworn to carry out their commands and wishes. The Daedric Prince of Destruction and Deceit, Mehrunes Dagon, appears as the main antagonist in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, where he attempts to expand his realm beyond the plane of Oblivion, thereby ending the world of Nirn and the land of Tamriel. Some species of Daedra include Dark Seducers, Dremora, Golden Saints, and Xivilai. A common feature in the Elder Scrolls games is to complete quests for the Daedric Princes to become their champions, and earn their artifacts which are very powerful and unique.

The 17 Daedric Princes are as follows: Azura, Boethiah, Clavicus Vile, Hermaeus Mora, Hircine, Jyggalag, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Mephala, Meridia, Molag Bal, Namira, Nocturnal, Peryite, Sanguine, Sheogorath and Vaermina. Each of these Daedric Princes own their own realm of Oblivion suited to them, other than Jyggalag, who shares a realm with Sheogorath.


  9. ^ "Elder Scrolls Codex: Dark Elf". Retrieved September 4, 2006. 
  10. ^ "The True Nature of Orcs". Retrieved October 18, 2010. 
  26. ^ The Imperial Library
  27. ^ "Skyrim’s Werewolf Detailed; Powerful But Not Unstoppable". Just Push Start. Retrieved November 10, 20.  Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)