Forums » Elder Scrolls

Naming Nords and Bretons, Races and the Archmage Robes, and Telv

    • 24 posts
    June 23, 2014 9:31 PM EDT

    Hi everyone, I just recently joined  this site and look forward to reading the various builds here, as well as getting some advice.  :)

    Now then, I recently decided I wanted to play Skyrim again on the 360 while I wait for Elder Scrolls Online to come out on PS4, but I ran into a problem.  Being a fan of Mages and magic in my games - especially Necromancy, I decided I'd go back to my roots and be a Mage - however, I'm both  stuck and not-quite-stuck on my race choice.  So I have three questions which I'm hoping to have answered - either one (two-parter), two, or all three.  And I apologize in advance for the small wall o' text.  :P

     My name, TheNextShalidor, might give you an idea about the race I mainly feel like making for my dear Mage-to-be, a Nord in honor of Shalidor.  I also enjoy having my characters reflect parts of me - for example, with a Nord it'd reflect some of my physical features such as bits of my face, my skin color, and resistance to the cold (not height though).  I could also go Breton instead -  a typical choice and a bit closer to my physical look, and sort of fits the Scottish, Irish, and English ancestry I have, even with their Vampirism problem and the bit of work necessary to make them look good.  :P  Anyways part 1, for a Nord, what kind of names should I look for Nordic name - I know that Scandinavian names  are a definite option, but is it just Scandinavian, or are there other types of names that have been used for NPCs in the Elder Scrolls games? And part 2, I know that French names are typically used for Bretons, but back in Daggerfall, English names were also used.  Are Breton names regional in any way, or with the time that's passed in Tamriel between the events of Daggerfall to Skyrim and the 4th Era, do all Bretons regardless of which part of High Rock they hail from have French-sounding names?

    Then my second question is simply this - what races of Men and Mer seem like they're most suited to wear the Archmage Robes, even if  the Archmage of Winterhold in question happens to be a proud practitioner of necromancy?  To me, they seem very Nordic in appearance, something Shalidor would wear.

    And my final question - if all else seems to fail and I can't create a Mage of Nordic blood that I'm satisfied with, or if a Breton seems unappealing to me - I could always go with a Telvanni - but from what I'd read about the Telvanni Robes, something seems to be wrong with them when it comes to wearing boots/shoes.  Daedric Boots make your feet vanish - the Temple Robes make your ankles  turn invisible, most of them clip.  My question is this - is there any footwear (cloth, light armor, or heavy armor) that fits the look of the Telvanni Robes and does not clip or make things go invisible?

    Thank you all for your time.  :)

    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:25 AM EDT

    Anyone?

    • 1441 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:27 AM EDT
    Well, I sometimes use Old English words in my Nordic Names.
    • 285 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:33 AM EDT
    My names are often Gaelic or old Welsh.
    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:35 AM EDT

    Honestly - I always thought of things like Old English and Gaelic to be more Breton-like.  Never considered the idea of those being used for Nordic names.  Thanks for replyng by the way, Chris and Spectre.  :)

    • 1441 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:39 AM EDT
    Well, have you seen Beowulf? The Wulf means hunter, while Beo, meant bees, basically, is name means a wolf that shoots bees out of it's mouth
    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:46 AM EDT

    I remember reading Beowulf long ago - but never saw the movie version of the epic poem. =/

    • 1441 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:54 AM EDT
    It actually makes sense why Beowulf fought naked, and didn't party. Not being hungover, laid, and the like, meant his wits were sharp. And knowing that armor and weapons did nothing to Grendel, means being nude might work....somehow, and way, have you played The Wolf Among Us?
    • 285 posts
    June 24, 2014 12:54 AM EDT
    I'll be honest, I use it for all of my races unless I go out of the way to do something else. :P
    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:14 AM EDT

    I've heard about it, but never played it.

    • 1441 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:16 AM EDT
    Grendel appears in it
    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:16 AM EDT

    Oh, cool.  :D

    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:47 AM EDT

    So....Does anyone know anything about fitting, non-clipping Telvanni Robe boots?  Or if Breton names are regional?

    • 622 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:53 AM EDT
    You can probably get a better answer for the robes on the Character Building help desk, and the UESP has links to names for all the races.
    • 24 posts
    June 24, 2014 3:57 AM EDT

    Hmm...Alright, I'll check with the Character Building Group and see if I can get some answers.  Thank you.  :)

    And I'm aware of the lists and links on UESP, but it doesn't help me that much aside from making sure a name I come up with isn't already taken by a currently existing character/NPC.  I even learned there was an Online NPC whose last name was LaCroix, which made me iffy about a race I actually like quite a bit, the Bretons - since an original character of mine was a Breton with the last name of Delacroix.  So...that made me doubt myself and the idea of being a Breton, even with all the points mentioned in the OP about why I would be willing to go with them.  

    • 24 posts
    June 25, 2014 9:54 PM EDT

    Okay - I got a different question now - so please disregard the questions up top now.  I'm deciding between a Nord Archmage Dragonborn or a House Telvanni Dunmer Archmage Dragonborn, both of which will be practitioners of Necromancy.  

    If you had to choose, which of these would be a fun, interesting character to play as?