Fuck Yeah ESO

A blog dedicated to stories, screens, and confessions of the Elder Scrolls Online.

[eslore]

Elder Scrolls Names: Dunmer Surnames

The Dunmer have a much more complex naming system, in comparison to other races. This is mostly due to surnames. In naming your character, I suggest choosing your surname first, as your chosen background will probably be very closely linked to your last name.

There are three categories of Dunmer surnames: Great House surnames, family surnames, and Ashlander surnames.

Great House Surnames

Great Houses, in summary, are like large noble families that usually hold business monopolies and/or political power. You can only become a part of one by birth, marriage, or adoption (and getting adopted is no easy task). Once you’re part of a House, loyalty is very important. Don’t even think about hanging with the other Houses because Dunmer are quick to suspicion. The other Houses will have little to do with you anyway.

With the exception of House Dagoth (i.e Dagoth Ur) and House Sotha (i.e Sotha Sil), one indicates his or her House through the surname. However, you can be a part of a House without indicating it in your name at all. For instance, none of House Hlaalu’s Councilmen in III:Morrowind have Hlaalu as a last name. So, you’re not obligated to have a House surname to be associated with it. 

From what I can gather, only those who have been born or married into a Hlaalu family can hold their surname. Having a Great House last name is a huge indicator of social power, as it indicates that you’re directly attached to a powerful family and faction.

It’s important to know the status and beliefs of your House in each time period/location, especially if it’s important enough to name yourself after. For example, House Indoril has never owned territory in Vvardenfell, House Sadras only became a Great House in 4E, and House Dagoth was wiped out for good by the Nerevarine in 3E. Here’s a short summary of the possible Great Houses, minus the Houses that died or mostly died before 2E:

House Hlaalu: thieves, traders, businessmen and diplomats, accepting of other races

House Redoran: warriors, somewhat accepting of other races if warriors (Fighters Guild, Imperial Legion)

House Telvanni: mages, known to be egocentric, isolationists, refused to join the Ebonheart Pact in 2E (anti-outlander)

House Dres: agricultural, extremely pro-slavery and anti-outlander

House Indoril: orthodox, traditional, anti-outlander

House Sadras: replaced House Hlaalu in 4E (Skyrim)(House Hlaalu was associated with the Imperials, and so were removed)

With the exception of House Hlaalu and somewhat House Redoran, the Great Houses are known for their outspoken racism, especially against Imperials in the 3rd and 4th Eras. All Great Houses support the Tribunal, though Redoran acknowledges their roots in Daedra worship.

House Indoril and House Dres are mainland Houses, while the others own territory in Vvardenfell.

If you want to be House Dagoth…. you’re probably undead.

Book: A short guide for those interested in House Hlaalu

Book: Redoran Guidelines

Book: Great Houses of Morrowind

Keep reading

[eslore]

Elder Scrolls Names: Khajiit

The Khajiit do not usually carry surnames. Instead, they carry titles indicating their chosen societal roles. In most cases, their first role is represented through a prefix separated by an apostrophe. For instance: M’aiq. “M” means child or apprentice. Less frequently, one may find a Khajiit with two titles, the second represented by a suffix separated by a hyphen. For instance, Razum-dar. “Ra” means esteemed leader, while “Dar” means thief. Notice that Raz’s prefix is not separated by an apostrophe. This is the case in a lot of names, even also with suffixes. A lot of Khajiit names contain no punctuation at all. 

It seems to the Khajiit, at the very least in the time of Morrowind (3E), having a second title was seen as foolish and ignorant. An important distinction must be made in the time of the Elder Scrolls Online (2E), however. During this time, suffixes were the norm and prefixes were a fashionable fad. This explains why Razum-dar’s name isn’t a big red flag to others of his race.

There’s a lot of room for variety in Khajiit names, besides the fact that scholars have only a glimpse of an idea of their language, Ta’agra. So, while you have the ability to add and subtract punctuation marks, you have a limited bank of known titles. Here’s what we know:

Feminine Honorifics

Dra = Known for wisdom and wit, or of venerable age

Daro = Pickpocket, lithe of tongue

Ko = Respected healer, mage, or scholar, sometimes added to the names of learned ancestors

La = Promiscuous maiden

Masculine Honorifics

Dar = Thief, clever

Do = Distinctive warrior

Dro = Grandparent

J/Ja/Ji = Bachelor, young adult

Jo = Respected physician, scholar, or mage

Ra = Esteemed leader of soldiers, trade, or governance

Ri = Great leader; Speaker, King, Mane

Gender Neutral/Unknown Honorifics

Do = Warrior

M/Ma = Child, apprentice, term of endearment, also used to imply virginity

Qa = Unknown

S = Adult

(Source: uesp)

[eslore]

Elder Scrolls Names: Orsimer

Orc names, as you’ve probably observed in your travels, are usually rough-sounding. Feminine names like Gashnakh, Lurgush, and Shel, and masculine names like Brugo, Bashnag, and Ramolg are just a few examples. I couldn’t find really anything about the reasoning behind first names, but I did observe a lot of common prefixes and suffixes:

Prefixes

Bo-, Ba-, Bu-, Du-

Ga-, Gash-, Gat-

Gh-, Ghor-

Kha-

Og-, Ogr-, Ol-

Sha-, Sna-

Ag-, Og-, Ug-

Lam-

Um-, Ur-, Ug-, Un-, Ul-

Ya-

Suffixes

-uk, -ak, -ok (there does not exist an -ik)

-ul, -ol, -el, -il (no -al)

-ag, -og, -ug (no -ig)

-ur, -ar, -ir (no -er)

-um, -am (no -em)

-ash, -ush, -esh, -ish, -osh

-a, -ah

-kh

There doesn’t seem to be a trend determining gender in the first names, though I did find only female “Lam-”s and a lot more male “Ya-”s. You could probably find any combination of those above in both genders.

Surnames, however, do determine gender. It’s simple: If male, the surname starts with “gro-” and if female, with “gra-.” The prefix is followed by the father’s name if male, or the mother’s name if female. So, an example would be  Yargol gro-Bashnag: aka Yargol, son of Bashnag.

In special cases, like if a boy is born to an unknown father, the boy’s surname becomes his mother’s name. There are also Orcs with surnames of the stronghold in which they were born.

There is a lot more variation to Orc names than the short summary I gave. For a list of Orsimer names, check out uesp.

[eslore]

M’aiq the Liar has one Khajiit title, and that’s “M” which means child/apprentice… is “the Liar” a Cyrodiilic title or a translation of a second Khajiit title?…

I should ask him.

[esophotography]

[fyeaheso-blog]

Signs as Daedric Princes

Aries: Meridia

Taurus: Malacath

Gemini: Clavicus Vile

Cancer: Namira

Leo: Mephala

Virgo: Jyggalag

Libra: Azura

Scorpio: Namira

Saggitarius: Nocturnal

Capricorn: Boethiah

Aquarius: Sheogorath

Pisces: Hircine

[tamrieldrifter]

The Blanched Crow

Word reaches the Redoubt that the Stomhaven border is under attack.  Whilst the Bloodthorn threat has been quelled, the undead still range unregulated across Glenumbra.  Werewolves still stalk the moorland roads, wretched vines still corrupt the spirits of nature, the Aldmeri pose a persistent coastal threat, and the dark anchors of Oblivion still fall from the sky.  Stormhaven can expect little aid from Glenumbra, save perhaps me.  First however I need return to Daggerfall for much needed supply and repair, and at least one night spent upon a supple bed under a dry roof.

Since my ‘return’ from Coldharbour I have been avoiding using the portals at wayshrines to travel, preferring to rely solely upon my steed to traverse the Breton landscape.  But alas, I fear I would be asking too much of my horse to make such a journey cross Glenumbra without first giving her time to rest; and time is not an ally to troubled lands.

As an inquisitive boy, I remember asking a member of the mages guild how the wayshrine portals worked.  I don’t recall much of the stodgy lecture that followed beyond one rather salient point.  At some moment during the transition process it is theorized that the traveller’s soul must become unanchored from the Mundas.  This may prove to be an issue.

It is said it that it would take but a single white crow to disprove the doctrine that all crows are black. I send a prayer to the Eight that today I am that blanched crow. 

S.K

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