Claudman wrote: »

Because everything in Tamriel is better than then, even Sloads.

I don't understand your answer, sorry. Let me rephrase my question with a bit more depth:

The progenitors of the human races Nord, Imperial, Breton are the Nedes -- an inherently hardy race of beings. When they arrived in Tamriel from Atmora, some settled in the Northern Harshlands (Skyrim) where their descendants eventually became Nords -- Nords bare the closest resemblance to the original Nedes in frame and appearance, their natural resistances an evolution of Nedic hardiness; others settled in the arid plains of Hammerfell (the Deathlands). The Nedes were driven out of their Hammerfell settlements by the invading Yokuda (who eventually became Redguards); the refugees spread across Tamriel, the survivors integrating into other civilisations as vassals or slaves -- the central tribes becoming Imperials -- those who escaped to High Rock were taken in by the Direnni and many Nedic females were taken as concubines by Dirennic nobles (as part of their 'permit' to stay the Direnni had a law that allowed them to have intercourse with any Nede they wished, and Nedes were compelled to comply). The offspring were the Aldmeri-Nedes, or Manmer -- they are described as being tall and slender with pale skin; so pale to be almost translucent and appearing as if charged by magicka, ears not as pointed as elves, but with a more pronounced tip than their Nedic for-bearers.

Centuries later, the Alessian Order ran campaigns against the Direnni which allowed their subversive population to rise up and rebel against them -- the Direnni withdrew, and the Aldmeri-Nedes took control over the area. High Rock was heavily contested by Human and Mer during this period, and splinter groups in the Aldmeri-Nedes appeared, the region was bastardised by many invading forces, but eventually came to exist as the Breton kingdom; dissidents and feudal divisions within the kingdom took up residence in the border region of the Reach, becoming Reachmen (a 'sub-race' of many heritages across all races, but primarily Breton).

Bretons have an innate affinity for magicka because of their elven ancestry, likewise their resistance to it is an evolution of Nedic hardiness.

If all this is considered, what happened to the unique physical features of the Bretons? They are slim and small in frame, but shorter than most other races (apart from Bosmer); they're basically just smaller Imperials (no pointy ears either) -- surely they should be tall like Altmer, and broad like Nords? I like that they're not, but I don't understand why that is?

One reason I could think of is that the original Direnni nobles conducted some form of (reverse-)eugenics, i.e. only 'kept' the ones born small or with desirable traits -- similar to how dogs are selectively bred -- to ensure subservience and to negate any possible future in which the Aldmeri-Nedes may attempt to claim their nobility from them...

Thoughts? [or theories, detail etc.]

I wish they were smaller.