Why do people like the dark elves/dunmer?

SosRuvaak · March 2019

their history with slavery is bad, but not all dunmer are supportive of that and most have moved on from it.
they have the prettiest eyes in the game, imo.

Nerouyn · March 2019

IzzyStardust wrote: »

It's a game. Not reality.

Obviously it's just a game, but many of us don't choose our race purely for their racial bonuses. We play them as a character.

I don't go all out. I'm me. All of the time. My character just happens to be very much like myself but with pointy ears.

Like the OP I think carefully about things like this. Eg. if I decide that one of my characters will be Telvanni, why and how will they be anti slavery? I am so they would have to be too.

IzzyStardust wrote: »

I guess being a vampire, murderer, thief, doesn't bother you though xD

Why do you assume that they are and aren't bothered?

But I'll address those as myself.

Vampires in Elder Scrolls don't need to eat. Anything. They become stronger if they don't feed. My vampires don't. They go stage 4 and stay there. I'm vegan in real life. Not having to eat anything ever is like a vegan wet dream.

Murderer? Yeah I don't love that one. I distinctly remember my first "murder". On my main character in Valenwood I accidentally aggro'ed an NPC and then my damn sorcerer pets killed them. Back then I didn't know how to unsummon them and it's not exactly intuitive - going into the character screen and right-click cancelling them.

I was a bit annoyed by that. That the game now recorded me as a murderer.

I've owned the Dark Brotherhood DLC for years and only just a few weeks ago did their story content. Because unlike the Thieve's Guild which has a means for you to level their skill line and progress through the story, you have to murder to do the DB story. So I didn't bother.

But then there were those event tickets. No other way to get them. I got them - and got the story out of the way while I was at it - and haven't touched DB since.

Thieving? Well it's just things. Attachment to things is bad for you.

HappyLittleTree · March 2019

Morrowind

DPShiro · March 2019

They are a higher race, with intense and interesting lore behind them. What’s not to love?

Also Seht is bae

HappyLittleTree · March 2019

DPShiro wrote: »

They are a higher race, with intense and interesting lore behind them. What’s not to love?

Also Seht is bae

Higher races is an overstatement

dazee · March 2019

HappyLittleTree wrote: »

DPShiro wrote: »

They are a higher race, with intense and interesting lore behind them. What’s not to love?

Also Seht is bae

Higher races is an overstatement

High on skooma maybe?

Androconium · March 2019

dazee wrote: »

HappyLittleTree wrote: »

DPShiro wrote: »

They are a higher race, with intense and interesting lore behind them. What’s not to love?

Also Seht is bae

Higher races is an overstatement

High on skooma maybe?

Skooma is illegal in vvardenfell.
Flin and sujamma are the local choices.

Michae · March 2019

Wow, it's strange that people find it so hard to disconnect themselves fromthe story in game.

Nerouyn wrote: »

IzzyStardust wrote: »

It's a game. Not reality.

Obviously it's just a game, but many of us don't choose our race purely for their racial bonuses. We play them as a character.

I don't go all out. I'm me. All of the time. My character just happens to be very much like myself but with pointy ears.

Like the OP I think carefully about things like this. Eg. if I decide that one of my characters will be Telvanni, why and how will they be anti slavery? I am so they would have to be too.

IzzyStardust wrote: »

I guess being a vampire, murderer, thief, doesn't bother you though xD

Why do you assume that they are and aren't bothered?

But I'll address those as myself.

Vampires in Elder Scrolls don't need to eat. Anything. They become stronger if they don't feed. My vampires don't. They go stage 4 and stay there. I'm vegan in real life. Not having to eat anything ever is like a vegan wet dream.

Murderer? Yeah I don't love that one. I distinctly remember my first "murder". On my main character in Valenwood I accidentally aggro'ed an NPC and then my damn sorcerer pets killed them. Back then I didn't know how to unsummon them and it's not exactly intuitive - going into the character screen and right-click cancelling them.

I was a bit annoyed by that. That the game now recorded me as a murderer.

I've owned the Dark Brotherhood DLC for years and only just a few weeks ago did their story content. Because unlike the Thieve's Guild which has a means for you to level their skill line and progress through the story, you have to murder to do the DB story. So I didn't bother.

But then there were those event tickets. No other way to get them. I got them - and got the story out of the way while I was at it - and haven't touched DB since.

Thieving? Well it's just things. Attachment to things is bad for you.

Wow, it's strange that people find it so hard to disconnect themselves fromthe story in game. Or anything in game. Do you kill animals in this game or do you avoid it? Are you ok with killing anyone at all? I'm just curious.

I guess it boils down to how people see their character in game. It was discussed extensievely in "why men play female characters" thread some time ago. I guess you're one of those people who can't disconnect from their character. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't have that perspective.

I, for one, observe a character, I never feel that I am the character. They don't have to be me, bah, I don't want for them to be me. I'm really boring, you see.

ZaroktheImmortal · March 2019

I like elves in fantasy fiction. I try to avoid playing a human in most fantasy related games if I can even in Dragon Age games I usually play elves whenever I can. I think the majority of my characters on here are some form of elves except one who is a Nord which I played as cause they're like fantasy world Vikings which I thought was cool.

Nerouyn · March 2019

dazee wrote: »

High on skooma maybe?

Have you seen the size of their shrooms?

Turelus · March 2019

I find their lore and personalities more interesting than the other races in TES.

Beardimus · March 2019

Because I'm Pact loyal and they are our magika class.

Ugly homeland, i like snowy terrain.

Otpisani · March 2019

My first character in TES ever was Dunmer. Aside from that, they have great architecture, landscape, religion, cities, etc. Theit culture is very interesting and by far the most distinct.
I know some people hate them because of slavery, but so what. Altmers havs goblin slaves too and no one is complaining. Beside isn't Dunmer/Altmer slavery better then Breton/Imperial/Nord/Redguard genocide?

DPShiro · March 2019

Nord if any are the true racists, and yeah those genocides are usually overlooked

TheShadowScout · March 2019

JayAstrophel wrote: »

Their homeland looks cool but the slavery thing bugs me big time.

...Well, every race has their dark sides, right?
For Dunmer, yeah, its he slavery, tho they are not really the only ones who practice slavery in Tamrial, but definitely the ones who practice it most ever since the fall of the ayleid empire. But then, there is bosmer and cannibalism, altmer and racism, imperials and necromancy, argonians and assassination, nords and alcoholism... and just like with those, not ALL dunmer are on board with the slavery thing.

Mattock_Romulus wrote: »

Drizzt Do'Urden

Yeah, D&D novels about this character have sparked a LOT of interest in dark skinned elves... I am no exception.

The "Drow connection" is why I love dark elves in pretty much every setting, and why I picked them as main back when i started playing TES games with "TES-II:Daggerfall". Even thoD&D did not invent the concept, that may be a bit older considering they are derived from norse legends about dökkálfar and svartálfar used to add a race of "negative elves" (both in visuals and in basic "good vs. evil" alignment) to the D&D bestiary....

But... when I got to "TES-III:Morrowind", I stumbled over the dunmer homelands and history, and they became favorites of mine in their own right!
The lands were a revelation after the "generic fantasy" feel of "Daggerfall", full of strange beasts, strange dwellings and strange landscapes, where one felt truly visiting a non-human realm in a game.
And the whole "Red Mountain" origin story about wars, mystic artifacts, magical catastrophes, betrayel of alliances, false godhood and daedric curses as well as all the cultural differences between the various houses and the ashlandes, and everything... THAT is what makes me love them!

VDoom1 wrote: »

"Three voices as one shouted blood for the pact."

Indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lGevvO2vw
In ESO, I love the Ebonheart Pact more then all the others, not just because of the dunmer being part of it, but moreso because of the story behind it.

For one, they are a -defensive- alliance, three different people banding together as equals to face a larger threat and defend their freedom and home (as opposed to ally in the name of conquering tamriel in the name of elven supremacy or human ambition).
I like that.

For another, the -quest stories- the pact has give a character background and motivation for PvP. I mean, what compare the way the other alliances are depicted in DC or AD questings - there are raids, but... these seem more then a one-quest nuisance, as opposed to wholesale invasions in Bleackrock, Bal Foyed and Stonefalls, attempted genocide in Shadowfen or backing a Coup-de-Etat in Eastmarch... at the end of the questing, AD and DC characters are basically in cyrodil because their leader told them to win the ruby throne... while EP characters are there to put an end to the threats to their homelands and get some revenge for all the atrocities comitted and attempted!

ZaroktheImmortal · March 2019

TheShadowScout wrote: »

JayAstrophel wrote: »

Their homeland looks cool but the slavery thing bugs me big time.

...Well, every race has their dark sides, right?
For Dunmer, yeah, its he slavery, tho they are not really the only ones who practice slavery in Tamrial, but definitely the ones who practice it most ever since the fall of the ayleid empire. But then, there is bosmer and cannibalism, altmer and racism, imperials and necromancy, argonians and assassination, nords and alcoholism... and just like with those, not ALL dunmer are on board with the slavery thing.

Mattock_Romulus wrote: »

Drizzt Do'Urden

Yeah, D&D novels about this character have sparked a LOT of interest in dark skinned elves... I am no exception.

The "Drow connection" is why I love dark elves in pretty much every setting, and why I picked them as main back when i started playing TES games with "TES-II:Daggerfall". Even thoD&D did not invent the concept, that may be a bit older considering they are derived from norse legends about dökkálfar and svartálfar used to add a race of "negative elves" (both in visuals and in basic "good vs. evil" alignment) to the D&D bestiary....

But... when I got to "TES-III:Morrowind", I stumbled over the dunmer homelands and history, and they became favorites of mine in their own right!
The lands were a revelation after the "generic fantasy" feel of "Daggerfall", full of strange beasts, strange dwellings and strange landscapes, where one felt truly visiting a non-human realm in a game.
And the whole "Red Mountain" origin story about wars, mystic artifacts, magical catastrophes, betrayel of alliances, false godhood and daedric curses as well as all the cultural differences between the various houses and the ashlandes, and everything... THAT is what makes me love them!

VDoom1 wrote: »

"Three voices as one shouted blood for the pact."

Indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lGevvO2vw
In ESO, I love the Ebonheart Pact more then all the others, not just because of the dunmer being part of it, but moreso because of the story behind it.

For one, they are a -defensive- alliance, three different people banding together as equals to face a larger threat and defend their freedom and home (as opposed to ally in the name of conquering tamriel in the name of elven supremacy or human ambition).
I like that.

For another, the -quest stories- the pact has give a character background and motivation for PvP. I mean, what compare the way the other alliances are depicted in DC or AD questings - there are raids, but... these seem more then a one-quest nuisance, as opposed to wholesale invasions in Bleackrock, Bal Foyed and Stonefalls, attempted genocide in Shadowfen or backing a Coup-de-Etat in Eastmarch... at the end of the questing, AD and DC characters are basically in cyrodil because their leader told them to win the ruby throne... while EP characters are there to put an end to the threats to their homelands and get some revenge for all the atrocities comitted and attempted!

That's pretty much why I chose Ebonhart pact. Out of all 3 they seemed to be the only one just wanting to exist on their own and not be ruled over by the others. Whereas the others as best I could tell their groups seem to be wanting their side to rule.

VDoom1 · March 2019

TheShadowScout wrote: »

VDoom1 wrote: »

"Three voices as one shouted blood for the pact."

Indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lGevvO2vw

I love that song. xD Malukah is awesome!

Anyways yeah the Dunmer, they weren't always so bad. I guess they just took the "look our for themselves" concept a bit to far. As others have said, not all are supportive of slavery. Besides the Dunmer have....Morag Tong. And epic volcanoes. I like the quests through Davons Watch, how they got Balreth to defeat the Chimer and such.

AngelFires333 · March 2019

Because they're better than the high elves.

WoppaBoem · March 2019

Dunmer are awesome, looks really cool, perform strong and have the additute needed to survive this harsh world (PVP)

dazee · March 2019

DPShiro wrote: »

Nord if any are the true racists, and yeah those genocides are usually overlooked

You see genociding elves is ok becuase they asked for it by being arseholes!

dazee · March 2019

Beardimus wrote: »

Because I'm Pact loyal and they are our magika class.

Ugly homeland, i like snowy terrain.

Argonians for magicka so you can be a Lizard Wizard.

John_Falstaff · March 2019

Michae wrote: »

The uniqueness of their culture, especially since it was well fleshed out in TESIII. It has it's own look, architecture and pretty original and strange lore. It's like nothing we know. Compare that to other races and their cultures, their clothes and architecture. You can see clear parallels to real world cultures:
- Imperial - Roman,
- Redguard - Arabic,
- Khajiit - also a bit arabic with maybe a taste of Romani (Gypsy),
- Nord - Vikings, Northern Kingdoms,
- Breton - French and English, classic fantasy look,
- Argonian - Tribal, Aztec,
- Bosmer - classic wood elves to most extent,
- Altmer - classic tolkienesque elves,
- Akaviri - Asian, Japaneese.

Of course each of the above has it's own flavor and nuance but they mostly fit into what we know, be it real culture or literature, especially in regards to looks. Now try to classify Dunmer like that, with their strange homeland, crab shell o mooshroom architecture, strange religion and uncommon artstyle. See? That's why they're popular.

And according to some poll in other thread most people started their TES experience with with TESIII Morrowind, so nostalgia, I guess.

EDIT: Correcting mistakes, as always.

I would say Khajiits are more medieval India, Yemen (this one was dropped during Wrathstone intro stream by devs themselves) and maybe other northern Africa tidbits.

Also, I'd say mostly Morrowind nostalgia. ^^

Nerouyn · March 2019

TheShadowScout wrote: »

But then, there is bosmer and cannibalism

Bosmer cannibalism isn't evil. It's good.

They don't harm plant life in Valenwood, so to eat they have to kill things. If a person has died or they've killed an enemy, their corpse would otherwise just rot or be eaten by animals. Then to feed themselves the Bosmer who didn't eat that corpse would have to kill something else.

Cannibalism = less killing. Less killing = good.

xenowarrior92eb17_ESO · March 2019

@JayAstrophel cuz bondage.

Mojmir · March 2019

There exotic and smell like mangos

ArchMikem · March 2019

Silver_Strider wrote: »

Morrowind Nostalgia
Strong Meta Contender
It let's people be racist and pass it off as RP

I'm sure there's more but I can't be bothered to think much at 1:15AM.

Its exactly this, especially that last point. People love letting their inner evil out when they believe they have a justified reason like Elder Scrolls not being real so technically my Racism toward cats and lizards isnt real.

Michae · March 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

Silver_Strider wrote: »

Morrowind Nostalgia
Strong Meta Contender
It let's people be racist and pass it off as RP

I'm sure there's more but I can't be bothered to think much at 1:15AM.

Its exactly this, especially that last point. People love letting their inner evil out when they believe they have a justified reason like Elder Scrolls not being real so technically my Racism toward cats and lizards isnt real.

Is the racism toward cats and lizards a real thing? What does this even mean?

Browiseth · March 2019

most people like them because they played morrowind when they were younger and it's still the best game evaaarrrr almost 20 years on

rose tinted glasses, basically

Kombinator · March 2019

I'm a fanatic egalitarian. So anyone who uses slaves of any kind is considered enemy. So i consider Dunmer leadership, and most of their nobility as "bad guys".

However the stakes are too high to be picky. Molag Bal must be stopped no matter the cost. So if i have to bear their slavery, and work with them, because i washed on their side, then i will. At least this is the justification for any of my characters, that sides with them.

Kuramas9tails · March 2019

I never liked them. I don't like their homeland either. I feel like Morrowind is a dustbowl of smelly hot elves and insects.

Khajiits on the other hand......