Racism in Skyrim?
- Thread starter Oscar Ben Newton
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I'm a high elf and really the only racism i heard about me were that some nord mage said we started a war 100 years ago with Winterhold by the mages college and that Nords don't trust magic users which is why they don't use magic often. I was attacked once though by some mages that said "Your kind doesn't belong here" and the creators of the game said they but racism intentionally in the game. The Thalmor just piss me off though. A whole bunch of High Elves who are arrogant and huge assholes to me even though I'm also a high elf too.
While I love the racism (that sounds wrong) in the elder scrolls series, I actually think that here, they could have done even more involving your character.RT-Medic-with-shotgun said:
I've got a (female) high-elf, but am a bit dissapointed by how less the Imperial care. Wouldn't the legion question it when a high-elf joins their ranks? I could be a spy afterall. What sort of really dissapointed my was that the Thalmor do not seem to care either that I'm 'one of them'. During the embassy mission I was wearing an elven armour, but the guards attacked me on sight anyways. Shouldn't my character be able to pass as one of the many guards? Of course, this was made for the sake of having balanced gameplay and not giving high-elf players an advantage in that mission, but I would have actually prefered if they would less care about balance and more about role-play, which would mean making it possible to disguise as a guard and recieve recognition during the party.
When I entered Windhelm, I witnessed two Nord harrasing a dark-elf for just living in Skyrim, but nobody minded an high-elf that joined the imperial legion jumping around Ulfric's throne room while he and his advisors where talking about secret battle plans.
I just have the feeling that, while the atmosphere the racism in Skyrim creates is great, it is too much of an NPC based aspect and your character is not affected by it.
Then I am wrong.binnsyboy said:
But I will point out that scifi and fantacy are always the worst about confusing species and race and threating them as having the same meaning. (for the record the difference is that if two beings of different races have sex they will have a child that is a combination of the traits of both and can have futher children with either race. If it is a different species then they either can't have a child at all or the child will be unable to reproduce) There I simple biology lesson for the gaming community.
*EDIT*
@binnsyboy just wanted to add that the part of the definition wasn't directed at you as your post makes it clear you know. It was just for the gaming forum at large since sci fi and fantasy books nad games seem not to know.
Well, you could see it like that. Though it's the Imperials that "colonized". Not the Argonians and all.Oscar Ben Newton said:
I reckon it's just the same as here. They look different so they are. That what I reckon about the Argonians and Khajiits anyhow.
For the Nords it's pretty much that they want their land back. When people want their land back, They want it for themselves. Hence why nationalism can fuck up equality a lot. Look at the area around Bosnia.
Its not like its a new thing. tamriels always been a place filled with racial tension.
The Imperials hate the argonians
the Nords hate the Altmer
The Altmer hate everyone
The Dunmer hate one another
The Bretons hate the Dunmer
Everyone Hates the Kahjit.
Its miraculous the entire ball of wax hasn't dissolved into civil war before now.
The Imperials hate the argonians
the Nords hate the Altmer
The Altmer hate everyone
The Dunmer hate one another
The Bretons hate the Dunmer
Everyone Hates the Kahjit.
Its miraculous the entire ball of wax hasn't dissolved into civil war before now.
Racism has always been a part of TES. Elves hate each other, but humans more. Humans hate khajiit and argonians more than elves, and even the races of human beings have some pretty fucked up perceptions about each other. It's not like a game in Victorian England or Ming Dynasty China would be different.
Hey, if you don't like my country than you can just git owt!Sewer Rat said:
binnsyboy said:
Yeah, ok. I appear not to know my TES lore as well as I thought I did.Fiad said:
But thanks for the references.
yeah nords(N'wah) are racist because they can't see the value of having one of the oldest and most powerful people in Tameril move into their lands, it's not like skyrim is overpopulated, they keep complaining that their people are getting killed in wars.
besides, all the races that are part of the empire should stop bitching, everybody in some kind of union always thinks they are the ones who get screwed worst by the system (just ask any EU country) but down the line everyone is better of as a part than standing on their own. Yes the Empire was forged with blood and steel and fire(and levitation, i want that back) but over the centuries most people have been better off as part of the empire, without the empire the whole fucking continent would be slaves or at least the Nord would be the Aldmers bitches with no chance of turning the tide. the Way it is now the Empire can still win but if everyone jumps ship they are screwed(and yes, the gold-something-somthing peace treaty thing was a mistake, especially considering how hammerfall held their own, all alone but maybe the Emperor new something we don't or he just wanted to stop the bloodshed and give the people of the empire a chance to catch their breath.
besides, all the races that are part of the empire should stop bitching, everybody in some kind of union always thinks they are the ones who get screwed worst by the system (just ask any EU country) but down the line everyone is better of as a part than standing on their own. Yes the Empire was forged with blood and steel and fire(and levitation, i want that back) but over the centuries most people have been better off as part of the empire, without the empire the whole fucking continent would be slaves or at least the Nord would be the Aldmers bitches with no chance of turning the tide. the Way it is now the Empire can still win but if everyone jumps ship they are screwed(and yes, the gold-something-somthing peace treaty thing was a mistake, especially considering how hammerfall held their own, all alone but maybe the Emperor new something we don't or he just wanted to stop the bloodshed and give the people of the empire a chance to catch their breath.
Yeah, well the general look makes you think "well, surely these must be different species". And let us not forget "magic" as the overruling answer to our puny human logic. Still, as you point out, the biology of it implies the mer and humans are merely racial variants.jthwilliams said:Then I am wrong.binnsyboy said:
But I will point out that scifi and fantacy are always the worst about confusing species and race and threating them as having the same meaning. (for the record the difference is that if two beings of different races have sex they will have a child that is a combination of the traits of both and can have futher children with either race. If it is a different species then they either can't have a child at all or the child will be unable to reproduce) There I simple biology lesson for the gaming community.
*EDIT*
@binnsyboy just wanted to add that the part of the definition wasn't directed at you as your post makes it clear you know. It was just for the gaming forum at large since sci fi and fantasy books nad games seem not to know.
Also, there was an orc character that was stated to be half imperial human and half orc in Oblivion. Whether or not his doodle could still diddle properly was (unfortunately) never touched on in the game. Though orcs in Elderscrolls are merely a variation of mer (elves). But I'm sure you all know that.
She deserves to be abducted & put on trial!Jarek Mace said:
Found that out when playing my Reguard warrior - i ofc sided with my kinsmen & brothers in arms (slight OOC action: i ninjaed a scimtar), turns out she's a traitor who sold out Hammerfell to the Thalmor Dominion,
Well you have to admit that the stormcloacks do have a point on the redguards. Redguards are known for their notorious threatment of woman.
The high elves are more racist than the nords.
Most little towns and villages dont hate on race but the khajit do fit their own stereotype of shifty skooma dealers, just saying every kitty merchant I found sells skooma and moon sugar.
But then again considering skooma usually has crippling addiction rates and negative effects the skyrim skooma might just well be sugar water to scam money out of those annoying nord teens.
Although civil unrest usually leads to fantastic racism but most of the racism in game I've seen has been mostly kept to hubs. But then again everyone hates the dragons/Giants and they're a sentient race so everyone is a racist.
Most little towns and villages dont hate on race but the khajit do fit their own stereotype of shifty skooma dealers, just saying every kitty merchant I found sells skooma and moon sugar.
But then again considering skooma usually has crippling addiction rates and negative effects the skyrim skooma might just well be sugar water to scam money out of those annoying nord teens.
Although civil unrest usually leads to fantastic racism but most of the racism in game I've seen has been mostly kept to hubs. But then again everyone hates the dragons/Giants and they're a sentient race so everyone is a racist.
Oh yes, its definitely in game. Try playing one of the more hated races like an argonian or khajiit.
(Although I have come to realize that the npcs will call you "milk drinker" whether or not you are khajiit. I didn't realize that at first and it made me uncomfortable)
(Although I have come to realize that the npcs will call you "milk drinker" whether or not you are khajiit. I didn't realize that at first and it made me uncomfortable)
I haven't heard the Whiterun guards talking about Khajiit or Redguard being racist, but while I was in one of the cities (not sure if it was Riften or Windhelm), I saw a couple Imperials harassing a Dark Elf woman. they threatened to come to her house late at night and assault her. This exchange happened a few feet away from my Dark Elf shadow-mage.
I considered tracking her home and keeping a watch on her house that night, but I didn't think there would really be a scripted attempt for that in the game, and I'd just be wasting time. Besides, there should be enough guards patrolling the place to keep her safe...right?
Does anyone know if they actually follow through with this plan? Because my Dark Elf is sitting on his ass at Breezehome, and he'd like nothing more than to exterminate some Imperial scum from that city. (if I could only remember which one it was)
The guy has a Thalmor robe buried in his chest at breezehome from an encounter he had with a group of these stuck-up supremacists escorting a prisoner for torture just because he worshiped Talos. Slaughtering a couple of Imperial brutes would be fun to him.
I considered tracking her home and keeping a watch on her house that night, but I didn't think there would really be a scripted attempt for that in the game, and I'd just be wasting time. Besides, there should be enough guards patrolling the place to keep her safe...right?
Does anyone know if they actually follow through with this plan? Because my Dark Elf is sitting on his ass at Breezehome, and he'd like nothing more than to exterminate some Imperial scum from that city. (if I could only remember which one it was
) The guy has a Thalmor robe buried in his chest at breezehome from an encounter he had with a group of these stuck-up supremacists escorting a prisoner for torture just because he worshiped Talos. Slaughtering a couple of Imperial brutes would be fun to him.
