The saddest ESO-related mail I've ever received.

Shadowmaster · June 2018

And all jokes aside, I dont think this game should even joke about child abuse. Not trying to start a big deal here but beating children isnt something to joke about, imo.

https://imgur.com/a/Ro4EUjc

DuskMarine · June 2018

Shadowmaster wrote: »

And all jokes aside, I dont think this game should even joke about child abuse. Not trying to start a big deal here but beating children isnt something to joke about, imo.

https://imgur.com/a/Ro4EUjc

that is heart wrenching........jesus that is dark...........

redshirt_49 · June 2018

To be fair, that is clearly not a joke.

yiasemi · June 2018

It isn't a joke. You'll see.

DuskMarine · June 2018

redshirt_49 wrote: »

To be fair, that is clearly not a joke.

its so sad to even see it like wow zos really went off the deep end with it.

ForsakenSin · June 2018

wait what ? there is NO children in the ESO am i missing something ?

Could it be that Aksel is a goblin that was taken in by somebody and they taught it how to speak and write ect and it refers to its master as mother ?

DeadlyPhoenix · June 2018

Well... to be fair there are no children in ESO and considering it is a hireling that works, you can assume it's most likely an adult or at least old enough to work.

It's dark, yes. This game is dark though. Considering your minds immediately went to child abuse instead of an adult still living with mommy, makes me feel sorry for you.

Kainarel · June 2018

I understand the reaction, everyone can relate to it. It brings up the heartbreaking twinge in any sympathetic heart, no matter if it's just a game.

But try to look at it from another perspective, though. ESO is not only a game, but a world. And as any world would be, it's full of stories. People's stories. And the fact that those people are represented not just by humans, but other-looking creatures who pass as people just the same and thus have their own life stories of feelings and struggles, doesn't imply it's all only joke and games. Yes, games are entertainment, but so are movies, so are books.
I don't know what books anyone else reads, but one of my favorite authors is Stephen King. If anyone is familiar with his stories, he often brings up "hard" topics. Charles Dickens had an incredible ability to describe dark situations with deceitful humor. It doesn't mean he was joking about any of it. It was his manner of delivering the message.
Seeing a message like that - a dark one, or a taboo one - in a game is scarcely any more shocking or to be frowned upon than anywhere else in the vast universe of entertainment. If it gets that reaction from you - it's good. It's the humanity in you.
And it is the point, I believe: it's nice to feel the pang of humanity and sympathy and compassion even in a game where all is fun and jokes. Come to think about it, players run around Tamriel slaughtering peaceful innocent NPCs all day every day for kicks and points. So I do believe a touch of humanity and compassion every now and then - even if pulled out of us in that way through a sad letter that paints a live picture of a sad life - is important, too.
In advance, wanna apologize for commenting if it offends anyone and the creator of the topic - that would be the last thing I'd wanna do, but I felt the need to share the way I see this, my very humble opinion.
Sorry again for barging into your topic. Thank you.

Acrolas · June 2018

Aksel eventually marries Narasgi and references himself as 'Aksel of The Aksel Rockbiter Supply Company'.

So he's probably young but not that young.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Aksel_Rockbiter

NordSwordnBoard · June 2018

He is a man child, so it's funny and pathetic in the Freudian sense, if you subscribe to that.

geonsocal · June 2018

Kainarel wrote: »

I understand the reaction, everyone can relate to it. It brings up the heartbreaking twinge in any sympathetic heart, no matter if it's just a game.

But try to look at it from another perspective, though. ESO is not only a game, but a world. And as any world would be, it's full of stories. People's stories. And the fact that those people are represented not just by humans, but other-looking creatures who pass as people just the same and thus have their own life stories of feelings and struggles, doesn't imply it's all only joke and games. Yes, games are entertainment, but so are movies, so are books.
I don't know what books anyone else reads, but one of my favorite authors is Stephen King. If anyone is familiar with his stories, he often brings up "hard" topics. Charles Dickens had an incredible ability to describe dark situations with deceitful humor. It doesn't mean he was joking about any of it. It was his manner of delivering the message.
Seeing a message like that - a dark one, or a taboo one - in a game is scarcely any more shocking or to be frowned upon than anywhere else in the vast universe of entertainment. If it gets that reaction from you - it's good. It's the humanity in you.
And it is the point, I believe: it's nice to feel the pang of humanity and sympathy and compassion even in a game where all is fun and jokes. Come to think about it, players run around Tamriel slaughtering peaceful innocent NPCs all day every day for kicks and points. So I do believe a touch of humanity and compassion every now and then - even if pulled out of us in that way through a sad letter that paints a live picture of a sad life - is important, too.

great perspective

Ajaxduo · June 2018

Suspend your disbelief. It’s a game. Otherwise the same logic would apply to many things ingrained into the lore. Racism to beast races, racism to non mer, etc etc. The dark and grit adds texture to the fantasy world, take too much out and involve irl politics and it becomes generic. No thanks.

swippy · June 2018

it doesn't sound like a joke. it sounds sad. sometimes good stories are sad. sometimes bad ones are too.

an attempted definition of "art" i read recently included a stipulation that the technique(s) used in the medium properly aids the conveyance of the intended emotion. i think in this case the short and simple sentences do well to intimate innocence, thereby arousing sympathy, which seems to be what the writer is going for. and judging by the replies here, they seem to have succeeded.

(even if you don't believe that videogames are capable of counting as art, it's undeniable that as more artists join the field the barrier is ever-increasingly being approached.)

i don't think they crossed a line, or went off the deep end or anything like that. they told a story. storytelling is often hailed as ESO's greatest strength. it's a huge part of RPGs in general. high-quality things aren't always light-hearted. i hope that if you need to talk in-depth about this story, you can find the right person to talk to.

Tasear · June 2018

To be fair it most likely a love tap between parent and child. Still that it effects us mean that they told a good story in a sense of emotion tugging.

Elsonso · June 2018

Aksel is an adult that lives with Mom.

starkerealm · June 2018

Yeah, the Askel plotline is pretty dark. It's not condoning that behavior or trying to make light of it, but is is, easily, the darkest hireling storyline.

EDIT: From the title, I assumed you were talking about Zukki-dar's missives.

Zukki travels with a caravan of other Khajiit. We are all from Senchal on the Quin'ral peninsula of Elswyr. We have many young ones, and we take them everywhere. Zukki has no idea how they find their way back. Your components are enclosed.

Many Khajiit distrust the other races. This is bad business. Zukki has no prejudice. He dislikes everyone, equally. Your delivery is enclosed.

This one is growing tired of the young ones. Kittens are rude and disrespectful, and they are always threatening to run away. This is the only thing that keeps Zukki going.

Zukki recently noticed that some Argonians are easily irritated and inclined to resent it if you poke them with a stick. He also discovered that you can find out which ones by poking them with a stick.

It is Zukki. Do you remember him? Oh , wait. This one forgot that he only exists in your world when you need something from him. Take your delivery and choke on it.

Forgive Zukki's last outburst. He ran out of wine, which is vital to maintaining his ability to suffer the idiots who surround him. He has corrected this shortfall, and he is currently in the planning stages of a monumental hangover. In the meanwhile, here is your delivery.

This one can be annoyingly acerbic at times. He knows it is a character flaw. However, Zukki recently noticed that his caustic demeanor unintentionally frightens small children, so it may not be entirely without merit.

This one is loathe to admit it, but as an employer, you are actually beginning to grow on him. Zukki wishes you could travel with him occasionally so we could hate the same people.

There is a stray dog following the caravan, and it fascinates Zukki. One can learn many things from a dog, including loyalty and perseverance. Also the importance of turning around three times before lying down.

Zukki has been feeding the dog and growing quite attached to it. It never talks about itself, and when Zukki talks about himself, the dog always looks interested. Also, it growls at the young ones and makes them cry.

Ect.

Knootewoot · June 2018

DanteYoda wrote: »

To be honest out of context that seriously does look like child abuse.. Even if its an adult its pretty poor sending a mail like that..

What if the player customer is also getting child abuse it could tip the customer over the edge tbh.. These devs should think before making crap like this..

So, you also don't watch movies with the protagonist being abused, or a drama where the main character dies of cancer?

It's a game man, and stories are told. They can be fun, exciting or in this case dark.

What's next? Removal of all the wolves because someone might have a familiy member who was killed by wolves?

Swifigames · June 2018

Shadowmaster wrote: »

And all jokes aside, I dont think this game should even joke about child abuse. Not trying to start a big deal here but beating children isnt something to joke about, imo.

https://imgur.com/a/Ro4EUjc

I agree that is quite the sad mail

I also agree that abuse is nothing to joke about. But you can stuff your blade into the back of some random NPC as they gurgle blood and fall to the ground and nobody bats an eye...
I'm not defending abuse, but hiding from it and pretending it doesn't exist isn't going to make it go away. At the very least it's keeping a select few readers awake and well aware of reality and the types of things that could very well be occurring in their very neighborhood. Hiding from the truth...should we start burning books while we're at it?

Edit* I agree that Kainarel's post is indeed a great perspective.

Chilly-McFreeze · June 2018

Ah. Slavery, murder and genocide are okay but if an orc mother hits her son everyone loses their minds.

WoodenHeart · June 2018

I don't see this as child abuse, more like an overbearing mother in some sitcom slapping her grown son upside the head for being an idiot.

darkstar2084 · June 2018

i think it's more a case of a dimwitted adult, that could only find work as a hireling and their cruel mother is ashamed

getemshauna · June 2018

Yeah, and after reading this, you are Blade of Woe'ing innocent person for Telvanni Axes motif in Vvardenfell.

Waffennacht · June 2018

Everyone just, like, ignores vampire lore, but Nord Man-Lenny is shocking huh?

feyii · June 2018

Aksel is definately no child. Even adults have parents... That his writing sounds child-like is due to the fact that he is not the brightest.

SydneyGrey · June 2018

Yikes. That's cringy. Yeah, that's not funny.

Erris · June 2018

Yep, definitely not a child. Full text of his mails here, if anyone's interested.

Might contain spoilers if you want to read the mails and follow the story that way:
elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Aksel_Rockbiter

aaisoaho · June 2018

Nirn isn't a merry happy place with rainbows and unicorns. TES series has always had some very dark stories and themes, like young kid doing a summoning ritual with skulls and organs while chanting "sweet mother sweet mother...", and Lamae Bal was a priestess brutally *** and turned into a monster.

These dark stories aren't meant to be jokes, they're meant to be shocking and emotional moments. If a story brought up some feelings, then it has been a succesful story. A badly written shallow story is something I do not like, the quality of storytelling is my main reason to be fond of the TES franchise.

But this game world isn't all grim and misery, there's some memorable happy moments lightening up the place. There's Urbek smashing words, there's lovestories about every sexuality. The spectrum of feelings in this franchise like no other.

Still_Mind · June 2018

That dude is not a child, believe me. He's a huge, none-too-bright Nord man, who gets married to a brassy woman, and he will make it known at a later stage of your business correspondence.

bellatrixed · June 2018

Erris wrote: »

Yep, definitely not a child. Full text of his mails here, if anyone's interested.

Might contain spoilers if you want to read the mails and follow the story that way:
elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Aksel_Rockbiter

I have been playing since launch and just grab my mats and delete my mails without really reading them. I had no idea there was such a long story until now! 100 days of progression!? I thought the messages were just random. Learn something new every day.

Anyway, I can understand that one mail looking uncomfortable out of context, but it's quite clearly an adult with a horrible overbearing mother. Everyone knows kids don't exist in Tamriel. That's why all the "Please! Help my son!" quests are all about full grown adults lol

SantieClaws · June 2018

The real tragedy here is yes is the mother whose years of love and affection have turned to endless frustration yes. Frustration that expressed itself in one small uncontrolled moment of minor domestic violence.

All her hard work and hopes for him, to be a great merchant, a great hero or even a reasonably successful accountant - yet still he lives at home.

Still she must cook for him and do his washing when she should be living her own life and going off picking flowers and drinking with her friends.

Ah yes it is the poor mother who is to be pitied here.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

runicnomad · June 2018

That does trigger emotions...

However we have blood sacrifice emotes, the entire server is a vampire or werewolf, everyone seems obsessed with looking as evil as possible, people commit mass murder in every city and we spend an awful lot of time with Daedras and in their underground lairs...
So darkness is kinda a theme in this world it seems.