How can I make this make sense to me?

Crabby654

So whenever I play games with multiple races and factions I tend to go with the race that fits the faction so it "makes sense" lore wise. However in ESO I absolutely playing as a Dunmer but I dislike the EbonHeart Pact faction so I decided to go on Aldemri Dominion. I really love ADs story and being so close to the queen, however I feel weird that the queen puts so much trust in me who is a Dunmer. As I'm playing I feel weird being a Dunmer working for the AD but it's still fun to play.

Basically what I'm asking is, what can I tell myself about my character for it to make sense to be s Dunmer working so close to the AD queen? Is it normal for other races to work together in such prominent positions like this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

stefan.gustavsonb16_ESO

I like to pretend that my character is the only person in Tamriel who is not a racist bigot, dead set on making everyone else eat their prejudice. It doesn't quite make sense, but it works well enough for me. Being the only Dunmer in Auridon and immediately entering the Queen's close circle of trusted friends is kind of weird, but you will experience some strange moments anyway in the Silver and Gold zones, no matter what race you choose.

WandersWithMoonlight

I think there's a way to make it make sense. I mean, we've come across several NPCs in Elder Scrolls Online already, particularly in the Aldmeri Dominion quests, who either defect from their respective factions or just...simply don't care about the faction war. A few of my characters in the game, I've decided, don't have that mentality. Could either be the character has some own way of making the life they want, or more the attitude of "I don't care who runs the country, as long as I/my people can live as they please, live in peace, etc."

I wondered about this too, but I think it's extremely possible to make it make sense. Just gotta be creative. I mean, it's a straight-up fact that not everyone is going to agree with the politics of their own people/country. Or just not care.

Granted, it can be weird when, like Stefan said, the game does kind of get you into prominent positions in the faction, especially when playing a character who is just neutral or doesn't care.

Crabby654

I guess in a weird way I kind of justify it as being just a random guy that isn't native but the queen likes. I suppose it wouldn't be unusual for prominent figures to have close allies of all different races/creeds/religions/ect

kendellking_chaosb14_ESO

Race locks we're going to be a thing but they wouldn't have made as much money and with unbalanced race bonuses to stats all the min-maxers would play a few races and class combos much like now just all the Khajiit Nightblades in AD, Breton Casters in DC and of course EP with Nord and Dark Elves making clear Dragon Knights and well Argonians do make good Tanks so three Dragon Knight class min mixers in faction locked races would force ZOS to do real race balancing but come on more work and less money hahahahahaha it took four seconds to change that.

Rev Rielle

I think it's okay. Our character do things to builds the Queen's trust in us, at first they're just strangers to her. So she's just judging our characters on their actions, not any preconceived notion based solely on their race. And you will find all races in all parts of Tamriel, so I would not worry about it too much at all. Tamriel's a lot like the world to day; very multicultural in places.

Additionally, as our characters are privy to the goings on of Molag Bal and the threat the daedric lord posseses, they know that there are far more important things to deal with than the faction war.

makeyurself

Ayrenn is/was a world traveler, correct? This could make HER more open to your Dunmer being so close to her, especially after what you do to get close to her. I've been playing in all 3 factions and there are plenty of "nonnative" NPCs in each zone. So I think even lore wise there is a lot of room to play around, but I am no expert.

xX_BLUDWULF_Xx

My EP Sorc is Altmer but I made this work through rationalizing that he is a self-hating Altmer believing his family should have been among those who left Summerset following Veloth into the lands that will become known as Marrowind. He hates his race because of his upbringing and because his own people couldn't accept his daedric worship which he does as a means to gain power throwing the caution one should have in such dealings to the wind.

I don't doubt that the opposite could be true for a Dunmer, not necessarily in the vein but your character might have been born an Ashlander whose tribe rejected him or her for the beliefs your character now holds due to the things your character witnessed during their adventures, or through your character's study of lore he or she has decided to take it upon themselves to to right the wrongs of Veloth and Boethia and be a becon of reunification between Altmer and Dunmer through his or her shining example ( it doesn't mean that it will happen but it doesn't mean that it can't be your character's motivation).

xX_BLUDWULF_Xx

makeyurself wrote: »

Ayrenn is/was a world traveler, correct? This could make HER more open to your Dunmer being so close to her, especially after what you do to get close to her. I've been playing in all 3 factions and there are plenty of "nonnative" NPCs in each zone. So I think even lore wise there is a lot of room to play around, but I am no expert.

This is true, if your character belongs to either the mage's or fighters guild it's not unreasonable to believe that they were assigned to serve at one of the guild chapters ( in principle the guilds are neutral) within the the AD territories after serving the queen in some way through service within the guild and learned that they admired the queen and or the cultures within the AD.

Tamriel is a large continent, Look back at American History during the Revolutionary and Civil wars there are many cases where family fought on opposing sides of the conflict.

Point is there is several spins you can put on this and still remain in the confines of lore. There are plenty of foreigners adventuring lands not native to them and deciding to take up the natives cause or settle permanently for one reason or another.

Squishs

Mages Guild or Fighters Guild, traveling merchant, refugee from Cyrodiil who fled to The Aldmeri Dominion due to them living primarily in the south of Cyrodiil? I always picture there being a vast amount of displaced civilians who are just looking for food and shelter, The Dominion (even despite it's current era connections to The Thalmor) is probably one of the most, if not the most welcoming of the factions towards outside races, also you could go with the defector mentality, with some races fitting in better then others..

An Argonian would probably be common amidst The Aldmeri Dominion, a freed slave doesn't exactly wanna take up arms with their former master, The Dominion is advertising this perfect Cyrodiil under The Eagles Banner based on equality, liberty and the freedom progression under the guidance of an Altmer Queen.

Dunmer and Altmer aren't exactly buddies, but there's plenty of NPCs out there who are friends with their respective races, it all comes down to the individual and it's worth remembering that Tamriel is a bustling world with hundreds upon hundreds of cultural variables and rules! a silly rich Altmer may have more in common with a silly rich Dunmer or Breton then a pauper artist of his own race.

The fact that The Imperial Province has such a mixture of races and several bustling trade routes and villages (well prior to the crisis.) is testament to that theory.

Nothings black and white .

FreddyFarkas

I am a Redguard in the EP and I like to pretend that he was abandoned by his DC comrades during a battle between the DC and EP. He was severely wounded, and a kind-hearted EP soldier (Nord, nonetheless) who witnessed him being abandoned showed compassion and rescued him. Ever since, he has been fighting for the EP. He doesn't care much for the war but he feels it gives him a purpose. He misses his brethren in the DC but cannot forgive them for leaving him for dead.

Rioghnan

I enjoy going totally against lore in various ways. I love that one of my other characters was all but a freaking Xivilai and people called him The Hero of Kvatch. It cracked me up. And I love that this story line puts Rioghnan in the position it does. That he's obliviously running around fighting against Molag Bal et al like there's no reason at all that he shouldn't be the big hero in all of this. It's the best.

DREYD3N

Maybe your character was abandoned as a child and a AD person gave you shelter. Perhaps the Queen found out, but the person said you were too young and wouldn't remember the struggles of your past. So, the Queen agreed to let this AD person raise you and you grew to love the AD land.